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It had been almost three hours since Cole's left to the Underworld. Phoebe was sitting in the sunroom, watching her two nephews and trying to convince herself that her demonic ex-husband was the right person to find her son and bring him back home. Suddenly she heard a great crash coming from the living room. She was going to tell Wyatt to rise his protective shield around him and his brother, but a husky voice saying something like "that damned table wasn't there before" and child's laugh stopped her. She almost jumped for joy when Ben and Cole entered the sunroom.

"Mommy!" Ben ran to her and hugged her.

"Are you alright, baby?" She looked at him with concern. When he nodded she embraced him again. After they parted she turned to Cole.

"Where have you two been?!" She asked, anger evident in her voice. "I've been scared to death! You should have been here a long time..." Phoebe was pissed at Cole, she was saying something about him being supposed to take Ben home right after he found him, but Cole didn't listen to her. Instead, he watched two boys, who were sitting on the floor, playing with some kind of slot racing. He knew the older boy with blond hair was Wyatt and from what Ben had told him he was sure that the little brown-haired boy was Chris. Cole knew how it felt to grow all alone, so he was glad Ben had cousins of his age he could play with. He was thinking how much the boys resembled Piper and Leo when somebody hit him in the arm and brought him back to reality.

"Are you listening to me?" Phoebe asked him. She was still pissed at him, but the confused look he gave her made her smile. When Cole noted Phoebe's smile he started to feel uncomfortable, he knew he wasn't able to get over her but he'd hoped after six years without her he wouldn't love her so much as he'd used to. Unfortunately, he'd been wrong.

"I... I think... I should be going." He desperately needed to go away, he didn't know if he'd be able to stay with Phoebe and not to wrap his hands around her and kiss her. He was prepared to shimmer away when Ben cut him off.

"You're not staying with me?" It was an innocent question, but broke Cole's heart. He knew that if he'd leave now, he wouldn't see Ben again, Phoebe's family would never let him. He knelt, so he was at the same level as Ben.

"You know buddy, I really have to go." Ben nodded, but asked another question.

"Will you come tomorrow?" Ben liked his father and wanted to spend some time with him.

"I don't think I can make it tomorrow."

"And the day after tomorrow? We can go to zoo." Ben exclaimed. Cole didn't answer, he just hugged Ben, trying to suppress the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Why don't you stay for dinner?" Phoebe suddenly suggested.

"Excuse me..." Cole wasn't sure if he really heard it or if it was just his imagination.

"But you know, we'll have only pizza, because I didn't have the time to prepare something." Cole stared at her, slowly recovering from the shock.

"I don't think it's a good idea." He finally said.

"Daddy please" Ben begged. Cole took a deep breath.

"Fine, I'll stay." He gave up.

"Ben, baby, go play with your cousins. I need to talk to your dad." Phoebe said and led Cole to the living room.

"Why have you came here?" She snapped at Cole when she was sure the kids couldn't hear them.

"Sorry?" Cole didn't expect that question.

"Why are you here... after 6 years?" Phoebe asked again, a little calmer. Cole took a deep breathe before speaking.

"I know it wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had, but I needed to see you again. I wanted to move on with my life and for that I needed to talk to you for the last time. I wanted to know if it's possible you'd forgive me what I did to you. I wanted you to know I've never meant to hurt you or your family..." He wanted to continue but Phoebe cut him off.

"But six years?" Cole looked straight in her eyes.

"I wasn't able to come sooner. I didn't think I'd control myself while being with you. I needed to calm down. I know that six years might be long time but not for me. Phoebe, I... I..." he wanted to tell her how much he still loved her but he couldn't "I'd better go before I say something you don't want to hear." He needed to leave but Phoebe grabbed his hand.

"Wait, you can't leave now. What about Ben? He was so happy when you said you'd stay for the dinner."

"Tell him I'm a bastard that don't keeps promises, it doesn't matter to me" Cole said coldly.

"What? Why? I thought you liked him." Phoebe was surprised by Cole's sudden coldness.

"Of course I like him... I love him" Cole's voice softened "He's beautiful, sweet and so smart... he's just perfect."

"You're not making any sense, Cole. If that what you said is true, why do you want to leave?"

"Because I don't want him to get hurt."

"I don't understand."

"Right, you don't understand" Cole was angry "have you already forgotten your family. I don't want to get close to Ben and then be kicked out of his life by your precious sisters because they think I'm some freaking demon. Or worse, to be vanquished by you, again."

"Cole..."

"What? You're gonna say it won't happen?" He said wryly "You know I thought it before the glorious Charmed Ones vanquished me for the first time. Yeah, and I hoped so even the second time but you threw the vial with potion at me.

So don't get me wrong when I'd say I don't believe you a damned word." Cole tried to be as cool as possible but Phoebe saw the pain in his eyes.

"Cole" she placed her hand on his cheek but he pulled away "I know you won't believe me when I say I don't want to hurt you, but you have to believe me that I would never hurt my son... our son"

"I can't" A single tear rolled down his cheek.

"You can. Look, I know that you don't want to be here, but I can't let you go and then watch Ben growing up without a father when he could be with him. I just don't want him to go through what I did when dad abandoned me and my sisters. He doesn't deserve it, nobody does." Cole didn't say anything. He was thinking about the day his mother killed his father and what it meant to him. He slowly nodded and Phoebe knew he'd stay. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Our dinner" Phoebe exclaimed and wiped Cole's wet cheeks "You'll get boys and I'll get pizza." She ordered and went open the door.

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An hour later kids were watching the cartoons on TV and Phoebe was telling Cole what's happened since the 'incident' in alternate world six years ago. She told him about big Chris from the future (a/n just imagine the 6th season with two babies instead of one), about Paige and Richard, everything about Ben, his cousins and their parents.

"... and now Leo is our Whitelighter again."

"Speaking of the angel and his witch, where are they?" Cole asked, not really interested.

"They wanted to spend some time alone so they orbed to Paris and I'm baby-sitting" She wanted to continue but was cut off by ten demons shimmering in the manor.

"What the hell..." Cole was throwing energy ball after energy ball, but for every one demon he vanquished two another appeared.

"Get the kids out of here!" He yelled at Phoebe but she didn't pay any attention to him because she was occupied by kicking the demons' asses, as well. Boys knew they should orb/shimmer to their aunt Paige but when they tried it wasn't working, they were still in the living room. Wyatt rose his shield to protect the three of them but was too late. Two demons shimmered in front of them and stabbed Ben and Chris in the stomach. Suddenly, all the demons disappeared. When Wyatt realised what's happened to his little brother and cousin, he did the only thing he could think on.

"Daddy!" He yelled. Leo appeared immediately. When he saw the two boys lying on the floor and bleeding he ran to them. He told Wyatt to try to heal Ben and he tried to heal Chris but nothing happened. He tried again, nothing.

"No Chris, please not again." Leo cried, he still couldn't heal him and all the images of big Chris dying invaded his mind. Wyatt wasn't able to heal Ben, too.

"What's wrong, Leo?" Leo only now noticed Cole who was supposed to be death, but it wasn't the right time to ask questions about him.

"I... I don't know, I can't heal him." He tried again and again but it didn't help. He helped Wyatt with Ben but it didn't work. After a few minutes there was nothing left to heal, only two lifeless bodies. They were all crying but Cole realised there was still a chance. Ignoring the look Phoebe gave him when he was dragging her away of Ben, he knelt to him put his hands on Ben's chest and started whispering an ancient spell. Abruptly, he stopped.

"Damn it, Turner! Why do you always have to be the hero." He told himself. He couldn't bear the look at Leo, he knew Leo'd already lost one Chris and this had to kill him inside. Cole knew, Leo wouldn't leave Chris voluntarily, so he asked Wyatt to orb his dad to Phoebe. When he did it, Cole knelt between Ben and Chris and put one hand on Ben's and the other on Chris's chest.

"Cole" Leo realised what Cole was doing "two lives at once, you're gonna kill yourself" he said slowly, wiping the tears from his cheeks and embracing Wyatt.

"Better me than them." Cole gave Leo a bitter smile "promise me you'll take care of them" Leo knew Cole was talking about Ben and Phoebe.

"I promise... And Cole, thanks" Cole just nodded and then looked at Ben.

"I'll always love you and be watching you" He whispered. Cole didn't look at Phoebe, he wasn't able to say good bye to her. He took last deep breathe and repeated the ancient spell.

"What is he doing?" Phoebe asked Leo silently.

"He's giving them his life energy. Only the beings that cheated the death at least two times can do that. But he's able to save only one life and survive. So, he's sacrificing his own life to save the both boys." Phoebe looked at Leo in disbelief but knew everything he said was true.

After Cole said the spell for the fifth time the boys' wounds healed and they started to stir. When they finally opened their eyes, Cole closed his and fell on the floor unconscious.