"You look beautiful," Chris remarked leaning against the door to
Phoebe's bedroom.
Chloe blushed and smiled, "Those would be my genes," Phoebe grinned.
"We do have gorgeous babies," Piper added rubbing her belly and winking at her youngest that was standing in the door. This time both Chloe and Chris blushed.
"Cole's sitting outside on the patio when you're ready," Chris turned to leave.
Phoebe gave Chloe a hug as she got up to go talk to her father. She turned to give her aunts and mother another huge smile before leaving.
"She is very graceful, intelligent, and quite a fighter," Paige put her hand on Phoebe's shoulder.
"She is. I can't wait to have the chance to get to know her. I mean really get to know her," Phoebe laid down on the bed next to Piper.
"Oh, Pheebs. It's a feeling beyond words when you hold your baby in your arms and look into his or her eyes. You know they are so dependent on you, but at the same time, you are so dependent on them. I can't wait to hold little Chris. And have the chance to change his pessimism. Ever since Chloe got here, we've seen a different side of him. He bears all with her. I want him to be able to be that way with us... with Leo," Piper admitted rubbing her belly.
"That reminds me," Paige joined her sisters on the bed, "while they were invisible and arguing yesterday after getting back from the Magic School, Chris said something about his birthday being in just two weeks. That's pretty exciting!"
"Thank God," Piper exclaimed, "I feel like I'm about to pop." Then reflecting on what Paige had just said, "They were invisible when they got back from the Magic School? They weren't invisible when they left me?"
"Really?" Phoebe looked up into Piper's eyes.
"No," Piper thought for a moment, "I didn't even tell you two what happened yesterday when they came to visit."
"What is it? They said something to us about possibly finding who turns Wyatt?" Paige ran her fingers through Piper's hair.
"They haven't told me that either. Hmmm... Chris? Leo? Can you come in here, please?" Piper called.
Both Chris and Leo orbed in with some urgency, "What's the matter? Everyone ok?" Leo asked—then noticed how they were all lounging on the bed. "I guess this isn't because anyone is hurt."
"No, no. Sit, please. We are all going to talk," Piper pointed Chris and Leo to chairs. They looked at each other and then took seats. "The three of us were just talking and realized there is more going on here than we are all informed about. I just wanted everyone in one room so the story wouldn't have to be explained a hundred times."
"Good thinking. What's up?" Chris asked.
"I haven't had the chance to tell anyone what happened yesterday in the nursery, have you?" Piper questioned him.
"Oh, no, not with everything going on," Chris realized.
Leo looked between his wife and son, "What's going on? Did something happen to Wyatt?"
*His first thoughts always go to Wyatt,* Chris mused to himself.
"No, not Wyatt. Chris," Piper filled everyone in. Leo looked with concern to Chris, "but mostly to Chloe." Piper finished.
"To Chloe? In the nursery?" now Phoebe was concerned, "What happened?"
"Wyatt had been playing with a toy top that Gideon gave him," Chris began the tale, "he was entranced by it. It was almost as though he didn't even realize that Piper and I had entered the room until I picked it up. When I handed it to Chloe she started having a serious telepathic vision. This one was so intense that I was pulled into it as well. I only saw the images, but she felt the pain, the emotions of the people involved. And heard their voices."
"It was killing her," Piper picked up. Phoebe sat up on the bed and looked to Piper, "Don't worry, Pheebs. I was able to blow the top up and she came out of the vision. But she was very pale and weak afterwards."
Chris looked to Phoebe and then back to Leo, hoping one of them would have an answer to what he was about to say, "Chloe has been having visions since she was six. And she has had some major ones before, but none that have almost killed her. Mom blessed these rings for us," Chris held up his hand, "when she started public school when she was seven, I was ten. I've never shared a vision with her before. Never."
"Well, your powers are amplified at the school," Leo scowled, "but that still doesn't make sense. Why she would be so intensely affected... and pull you into it," he finished turning to Chris.
Piper spoke next, "I told him that it was maybe because it was such an awful vision that she pulled the person she trusted most into it with her. She can share her visions with people by touching them, after all, and since they are so close..."
"That's a possibility. I have to go back up to talk to the elders about Batterak and Cole anyway. I'll tell them about this, too," Leo began to orb out.
"Wait, there's more," Piper stopped him.
"More?" Leo was surprised.
"Unfortunately. Wyatt put his force field up when he saw Gideon," Piper informed them all.
"Yeah, and he did it again last night," Paige chimed in, "when I took Piper and him back to the school—but no Gideon. But I have to tell you, Leo, I was getting a funny vibe from that place, too. I think Wyatt was picking up on whatever I was. He didn't put it back down until we were in Piper's room."
Leo slowly nodded his head and pensively replied, "That's very interesting. Where is he right now?"
"He's sleeping here in the crib in my bedroom. It was a late night for the little guy," Piper eased Leo's concern.
"When he wakes up, Phoebe try to see what you can read off of him. And if you can't get anything, or even if you can, get Chloe to read him, too. See if we can figure out what he is sensing and why he is being protective around Gideon," with that Leo orbed out leaving the room in contemplative silence.
Paige looked to the doorway, "I wonder how our youngest charmed one is doing with her first conversation in sixteen years with her daddy." Everyone else's eyes trailed out the door as well.
Chloe gently walked down the stairs and leaned around the corner of the dining room. She could see Cole sitting in a lounge chair on the patio. He was wearing a light blue button up shirt with khaki pants. He looked comfortable on the outside, but his fidgeting leg gave away that he was very anxious inside. Chloe had been looking forward to the day she could touch her dad in person, hug him, and tell her how much she missed him for sixteen years. One of the only powers he maintained, one that Batterak had yet to trace, was the ability to haunt her dreams. At least three times a week he would visit with her while she slept—and she knew it was really him. She had the opportunity to tell him what was going on with her, get his advice, hear how he threatened this boy or that boy if he treated his baby girl badly. She laughed to herself remembering that. She would always tell him, "But dad, you're not a demon anymore. You're not supposed to kill anyone." To which he would respond with his cocky, devious, yet somehow sweet smile, "That doesn't mean I can't scare him a little," and would wink.
Cole looked up from his seat on the porch and saw Chloe standing in the doorway. An anxious smile swept his face as he gave her a small wave, motioning her to join him. As she walked out on the patio with him, he saw how absolutely beautiful she was, *She's definitely her mother's daughter,* he thought as he stood and indicated for her to take the chair next to him. She was wearing a pink linen, halter-top dress, with islet daisies around the bottom... and flip flops. "Are flip flops back in?" he asked her as she sat.
"I guess," Chloe didn't really know the answer, "I'm from twenty four years in the future. I don't think I own a pair," she meekly smiled. "It's all Piper's clothes. They have been gracious enough to let me borrow them while I'm here."
Cole didn't know what to say. He had only been alive for a little over twelve hours now. And in that time he found out he was brought back by the same people who killed him to fight a new demon that he was somehow connected to in the future, he and Phoebe were apparently going to be able to get married and have a happy life together, and they have a daughter—who was now sitting with him. "I'm sorry," he looked up to her and into her eyes, "I really don't know what to say. I'm still in shock about being here. The last thing I remember is this house being filled with my demon minions and Phoebe, Piper and Paige vanquishing me." Chloe cringed when he mentioned that. Personally, she was still having a hard time rationalizing that her mother and aunts had vanquished her dad. Cole noticed her look, "Are you ok? Did I say something that offended you?"
"Not at all," Chloe looked into her dad's eyes. *I'm finally home* she thought before continuing, "I never knew Balthazar was vanquished until I came back and saw you in the book. It was kind of weird."
Cole laughed, "If you think that was weird you should trying being on this side." Chloe's eyes twinkled at him. "Thank you for convincing them to bring me back. And for whatever you did to insure that I was good again."
Chloe's smile beamed, "It was my pleasure, Dad," and the tears that had been welling up behind her eyes finally began to flow. "I've missed you."
Cole didn't know what had come over him. For the first time in his life, all one hundred plus years, he loved someone he hardly knew—just from looking at her. It was a love he couldn't explain, and he could only assume, was the love a father feels for his child. He could only attribute it to his soul, and the fact that the demons within him had finally been eradicated. He got up and held open his arms to Chloe—who rushed from her chair and fell into his embrace. Cole kissed her cheek and started crying himself, "I don't know what to say," he finally managed through his tears.
"It's ok, I don't either. And I'm rarely speechless," Chloe giggled. She was finally hugging her daddy.
Cole stepped back from the hug and wiped his daughters tears, "So, you and I have similar powers, do we?"
"Oh yeah," Chloe smiled wickedly.
"I'm still a little rusty with using mine again. Care to show me how to do it?" Cole stepped back.
"It would be an honor," Chloe curtsied as Cole bowed to her. She then whipped around and quickly hurled an energy ball from her left hand and fireball from her right at a pair of flower urns on the other side of the patio. Then she floated a couple of drinks from the conservatory through the open doors and into her hands, "Lemonade?" she offered.
Giving Chloe his characteristic crooked smile, "Thank you," Cole smiled back. "Is that all you've got?"
"That's just the beginning," Chloe radiated.
Chloe blushed and smiled, "Those would be my genes," Phoebe grinned.
"We do have gorgeous babies," Piper added rubbing her belly and winking at her youngest that was standing in the door. This time both Chloe and Chris blushed.
"Cole's sitting outside on the patio when you're ready," Chris turned to leave.
Phoebe gave Chloe a hug as she got up to go talk to her father. She turned to give her aunts and mother another huge smile before leaving.
"She is very graceful, intelligent, and quite a fighter," Paige put her hand on Phoebe's shoulder.
"She is. I can't wait to have the chance to get to know her. I mean really get to know her," Phoebe laid down on the bed next to Piper.
"Oh, Pheebs. It's a feeling beyond words when you hold your baby in your arms and look into his or her eyes. You know they are so dependent on you, but at the same time, you are so dependent on them. I can't wait to hold little Chris. And have the chance to change his pessimism. Ever since Chloe got here, we've seen a different side of him. He bears all with her. I want him to be able to be that way with us... with Leo," Piper admitted rubbing her belly.
"That reminds me," Paige joined her sisters on the bed, "while they were invisible and arguing yesterday after getting back from the Magic School, Chris said something about his birthday being in just two weeks. That's pretty exciting!"
"Thank God," Piper exclaimed, "I feel like I'm about to pop." Then reflecting on what Paige had just said, "They were invisible when they got back from the Magic School? They weren't invisible when they left me?"
"Really?" Phoebe looked up into Piper's eyes.
"No," Piper thought for a moment, "I didn't even tell you two what happened yesterday when they came to visit."
"What is it? They said something to us about possibly finding who turns Wyatt?" Paige ran her fingers through Piper's hair.
"They haven't told me that either. Hmmm... Chris? Leo? Can you come in here, please?" Piper called.
Both Chris and Leo orbed in with some urgency, "What's the matter? Everyone ok?" Leo asked—then noticed how they were all lounging on the bed. "I guess this isn't because anyone is hurt."
"No, no. Sit, please. We are all going to talk," Piper pointed Chris and Leo to chairs. They looked at each other and then took seats. "The three of us were just talking and realized there is more going on here than we are all informed about. I just wanted everyone in one room so the story wouldn't have to be explained a hundred times."
"Good thinking. What's up?" Chris asked.
"I haven't had the chance to tell anyone what happened yesterday in the nursery, have you?" Piper questioned him.
"Oh, no, not with everything going on," Chris realized.
Leo looked between his wife and son, "What's going on? Did something happen to Wyatt?"
*His first thoughts always go to Wyatt,* Chris mused to himself.
"No, not Wyatt. Chris," Piper filled everyone in. Leo looked with concern to Chris, "but mostly to Chloe." Piper finished.
"To Chloe? In the nursery?" now Phoebe was concerned, "What happened?"
"Wyatt had been playing with a toy top that Gideon gave him," Chris began the tale, "he was entranced by it. It was almost as though he didn't even realize that Piper and I had entered the room until I picked it up. When I handed it to Chloe she started having a serious telepathic vision. This one was so intense that I was pulled into it as well. I only saw the images, but she felt the pain, the emotions of the people involved. And heard their voices."
"It was killing her," Piper picked up. Phoebe sat up on the bed and looked to Piper, "Don't worry, Pheebs. I was able to blow the top up and she came out of the vision. But she was very pale and weak afterwards."
Chris looked to Phoebe and then back to Leo, hoping one of them would have an answer to what he was about to say, "Chloe has been having visions since she was six. And she has had some major ones before, but none that have almost killed her. Mom blessed these rings for us," Chris held up his hand, "when she started public school when she was seven, I was ten. I've never shared a vision with her before. Never."
"Well, your powers are amplified at the school," Leo scowled, "but that still doesn't make sense. Why she would be so intensely affected... and pull you into it," he finished turning to Chris.
Piper spoke next, "I told him that it was maybe because it was such an awful vision that she pulled the person she trusted most into it with her. She can share her visions with people by touching them, after all, and since they are so close..."
"That's a possibility. I have to go back up to talk to the elders about Batterak and Cole anyway. I'll tell them about this, too," Leo began to orb out.
"Wait, there's more," Piper stopped him.
"More?" Leo was surprised.
"Unfortunately. Wyatt put his force field up when he saw Gideon," Piper informed them all.
"Yeah, and he did it again last night," Paige chimed in, "when I took Piper and him back to the school—but no Gideon. But I have to tell you, Leo, I was getting a funny vibe from that place, too. I think Wyatt was picking up on whatever I was. He didn't put it back down until we were in Piper's room."
Leo slowly nodded his head and pensively replied, "That's very interesting. Where is he right now?"
"He's sleeping here in the crib in my bedroom. It was a late night for the little guy," Piper eased Leo's concern.
"When he wakes up, Phoebe try to see what you can read off of him. And if you can't get anything, or even if you can, get Chloe to read him, too. See if we can figure out what he is sensing and why he is being protective around Gideon," with that Leo orbed out leaving the room in contemplative silence.
Paige looked to the doorway, "I wonder how our youngest charmed one is doing with her first conversation in sixteen years with her daddy." Everyone else's eyes trailed out the door as well.
Chloe gently walked down the stairs and leaned around the corner of the dining room. She could see Cole sitting in a lounge chair on the patio. He was wearing a light blue button up shirt with khaki pants. He looked comfortable on the outside, but his fidgeting leg gave away that he was very anxious inside. Chloe had been looking forward to the day she could touch her dad in person, hug him, and tell her how much she missed him for sixteen years. One of the only powers he maintained, one that Batterak had yet to trace, was the ability to haunt her dreams. At least three times a week he would visit with her while she slept—and she knew it was really him. She had the opportunity to tell him what was going on with her, get his advice, hear how he threatened this boy or that boy if he treated his baby girl badly. She laughed to herself remembering that. She would always tell him, "But dad, you're not a demon anymore. You're not supposed to kill anyone." To which he would respond with his cocky, devious, yet somehow sweet smile, "That doesn't mean I can't scare him a little," and would wink.
Cole looked up from his seat on the porch and saw Chloe standing in the doorway. An anxious smile swept his face as he gave her a small wave, motioning her to join him. As she walked out on the patio with him, he saw how absolutely beautiful she was, *She's definitely her mother's daughter,* he thought as he stood and indicated for her to take the chair next to him. She was wearing a pink linen, halter-top dress, with islet daisies around the bottom... and flip flops. "Are flip flops back in?" he asked her as she sat.
"I guess," Chloe didn't really know the answer, "I'm from twenty four years in the future. I don't think I own a pair," she meekly smiled. "It's all Piper's clothes. They have been gracious enough to let me borrow them while I'm here."
Cole didn't know what to say. He had only been alive for a little over twelve hours now. And in that time he found out he was brought back by the same people who killed him to fight a new demon that he was somehow connected to in the future, he and Phoebe were apparently going to be able to get married and have a happy life together, and they have a daughter—who was now sitting with him. "I'm sorry," he looked up to her and into her eyes, "I really don't know what to say. I'm still in shock about being here. The last thing I remember is this house being filled with my demon minions and Phoebe, Piper and Paige vanquishing me." Chloe cringed when he mentioned that. Personally, she was still having a hard time rationalizing that her mother and aunts had vanquished her dad. Cole noticed her look, "Are you ok? Did I say something that offended you?"
"Not at all," Chloe looked into her dad's eyes. *I'm finally home* she thought before continuing, "I never knew Balthazar was vanquished until I came back and saw you in the book. It was kind of weird."
Cole laughed, "If you think that was weird you should trying being on this side." Chloe's eyes twinkled at him. "Thank you for convincing them to bring me back. And for whatever you did to insure that I was good again."
Chloe's smile beamed, "It was my pleasure, Dad," and the tears that had been welling up behind her eyes finally began to flow. "I've missed you."
Cole didn't know what had come over him. For the first time in his life, all one hundred plus years, he loved someone he hardly knew—just from looking at her. It was a love he couldn't explain, and he could only assume, was the love a father feels for his child. He could only attribute it to his soul, and the fact that the demons within him had finally been eradicated. He got up and held open his arms to Chloe—who rushed from her chair and fell into his embrace. Cole kissed her cheek and started crying himself, "I don't know what to say," he finally managed through his tears.
"It's ok, I don't either. And I'm rarely speechless," Chloe giggled. She was finally hugging her daddy.
Cole stepped back from the hug and wiped his daughters tears, "So, you and I have similar powers, do we?"
"Oh yeah," Chloe smiled wickedly.
"I'm still a little rusty with using mine again. Care to show me how to do it?" Cole stepped back.
"It would be an honor," Chloe curtsied as Cole bowed to her. She then whipped around and quickly hurled an energy ball from her left hand and fireball from her right at a pair of flower urns on the other side of the patio. Then she floated a couple of drinks from the conservatory through the open doors and into her hands, "Lemonade?" she offered.
Giving Chloe his characteristic crooked smile, "Thank you," Cole smiled back. "Is that all you've got?"
"That's just the beginning," Chloe radiated.