AN: I don't know how many people read the first chapter, but here is the
second one. I know it took a lot of time, I'm really sorry because of it.
Enjoy, and review, please!!!!
Disclaimer: Of course I still don't own anything.
II. The decision
Finally they arrived at Rose's apartment. Phoebe had to support her during their journey, but they managed. At the moment Rose was lying on her couch in this small and dark flat. Phoebe was pacing back and forth after she had called for Leo. The next moment the familiar blue lights appeared and then his brother-in- law was there a little bit out of breathe.
"Did I disturb?" asked she, because she knew this look.
"Not at all" he shook his head but definitely blushed. "Is something wrong?"
"Yes" and as she saw the worried look she added "but there's no immidiate danger. Could you orb Piper and Paige here? But discreet, I mean ... Cole shouldn't know about it."
She got a strange look, but Leo nodded, and disappeared.
Some more minutes passed by while she could only think about the new situation. If it was true... She couldn't bear the idea to lose Cole... Not now... not ever...
When her sisters arrived they looked quite worried, so she suspected that Leo had told them something.
"So, sis', what's up?" asked Piper trying to seem easy.
"It's...oh, God.." she didn't know how to tell them. Just take a deep breathe and speak! "We have a problem."
„And what's the news?" Piper was obviously in sarcastic mood.
„The Source is alive. It's in Cole." There was no easy way to say it.
„What?!" Piper was shocked. Paige covered her mouth with her hands as if avoiding a scream, but Leo hardly paid any attention. He eyed the strange woman suspiciously who was just sitting up on the couch.
„She is a demon, isn't she?"
„Yes, but she's no danger to us."
„That's definitely news!" commented Piper.
„Your sister's right...I'm not in the condition... More over I don't really have any active power..."
„What kind of demon is it without an active power?"
„Let it go, Piper!" Phoebe snapped impatiently. „We have more important things to worry about! We have to help Cole!"
„Sorry honey, you're right! But if Cole's the Source..."
Surprisingly enough it was the demon who intervened.
„No! He is not the Source! It's only the essence and power of the Source that obsessed him. The Source lives on in him and wants to take over his body and destroy his mind and soul..." she coughed, and only then did Piper notice what had been so strange about the woman. She is blind! It's more and more interesting! A blind demoness without active power wants to help my sister's ex-demon boyfriend who suddenly became the Source of All Evil! Nice!
„Rose says we can still save him!" Phoebe was on the edge of tears. „We have to save him!"
„Rose?"
„She" the younger witch waved at the woman.
„You are at first-names already?"
Phoebe fired an impatient look at her sister and Piper retreated.
„How can you be sure that she doesn't lie us in the face?"
Phoebe shrugged.
"You know about the nightmares and he behaved quite strangely lately. And she is sure enough about it" she waved at the couch.
"And who is she, by the way?" asked Piper.
"I'm his sister."
She was exactly overlooking all of them , but when Piper started to speak she turned her eyes in her direction.
"I didn't know he has family..."
"Yeah, I'm not one who he could show off with. But I didn't come to chat about myself. You should find a way to help him."
"But if he's evil again...I don't know if we really should" pointed out Paige. She has never really accepted the idea: having a demon in the family. But to tell the truth she didn't have the time for it.
"He isn't evil! You don't understand this whole situation! You don't know a thing about it!" Rose snapped and jumped of the couch.
"I think you should relax" Piper raised her hands.
"It's OK, Piper" Phoebe intervened. She hadn't tell a thing for a while, however she was the most concerned. "Rose, I think if we should beleive you and help then I think we should get more information about you and the situation. You told me that we still had some time. I suggest that we all calm and sit down and talk." She was quite surprised that she could speak and behave so calmly herself. After all she always had been the hotheaded rebel. But her words seemed to have an affect, because Rose sat down and so did Paige and Leo. Piper on the other hand only leant against the wall and eyed their host suspiciously.
"All right then. But you have to understand time is a precious thing." She took a steadying breathe and started to talk.
"First of all you don't have to worry about me, because I'm not a threat to the Charmed Ones. In spite of my brother, I'm not one of great power. Actually in the Underworld I'm not even considered as a demon, because as I mentioned before I don't really have an active power and as you see I'm ...hm ... phisically handicapped, as well...To tell the truth I'm kind of an outcast. But as I told this, isn't about me...
"When you vanquished the Source – she continued, - Cole had the Hollow in himself – that much you know. He absorbed the power of the Source. I think in that moment He already knew that he lost, so he let be transported everything: not only his power but also his essence. So, what you vanquished was only a corpse."
"His essence? What do you mean with it?" asked Paige.
"His soul or mind, whatever. It was by instinct, he hadn't planned it, so he needed some time to recover. But after that pause he started to take over Cole body and repress him."
"Can something like this happen?" asked Piper her husband.
Leo nodded with a serious expression on his face.
"Yes. Your mind, your unconsciousness is like an other realm. They could have some kind of battle there..."
"Yes, this is exactly what happened. And Cole lost or is losing. He is only human now, he can't fight somebody who is as powerful and experienced as the Source. It is as if he were a prisoner. I think that there are times when he fights back, but in the end the Source will rule... and when he doesn't need him anymore, he will finish him off...
"Why does he need Cole, anyway?" asked Phoebe and her voice was trembling slightly.
This time Rose looked at her, almost as if she could see her. And Phoebe saw the pain and worry in her eyes. And she believed her...every single word.
"Because he knows a lot..."
They didn't have to ask what - or more exactly who - about.
"The Source will use him, or at least try to use him...his knowledge about you, and maybe about humans generally as well..."
"So what shall we do?" asked Phoebe quietly.
"Does this mean that you believe me?" she asked a little bit surprised. "You'll help?"
She nodded and looked at her sisters. Piper hesitated a moment but then nodded and Paige did the same, however she seemed a little uneasy.
"What shall we do, then?" asked Piper this time.
"First of all" answered Rose, after collapsing back on the couch, "we should contact him to make sure he keeps fighting. And then...whe should find the Sword of Arces...
"Shit..." Piper looked surprised at her husband. Leo never cursed.
"Is this so bad?"
"Yes, it is. The Sword is deep in the underworld and it is supposed to be guarded by dragons."
"Supposed?" asked Paige.
"Oh, nobody saw it, or...nobody came back to tell about it."
"Nice. And why do we need this particular sword, if I may ask?" Piper wasn't fascinated.
"It's the only weapon a human can kill the Source with and it can exist in any realm. That's why the Source buried it deep in the Underworld" Rose explained.
"And what will we do after that?"
"We should somehow get the sword to Cole. He must kill the Source. There's no other way to save him...If somebody does it from the outside, Cole will be dead as well. And I wo"t let him down...not again..." declared their demon host determined.
Disclaimer: Of course I still don't own anything.
II. The decision
Finally they arrived at Rose's apartment. Phoebe had to support her during their journey, but they managed. At the moment Rose was lying on her couch in this small and dark flat. Phoebe was pacing back and forth after she had called for Leo. The next moment the familiar blue lights appeared and then his brother-in- law was there a little bit out of breathe.
"Did I disturb?" asked she, because she knew this look.
"Not at all" he shook his head but definitely blushed. "Is something wrong?"
"Yes" and as she saw the worried look she added "but there's no immidiate danger. Could you orb Piper and Paige here? But discreet, I mean ... Cole shouldn't know about it."
She got a strange look, but Leo nodded, and disappeared.
Some more minutes passed by while she could only think about the new situation. If it was true... She couldn't bear the idea to lose Cole... Not now... not ever...
When her sisters arrived they looked quite worried, so she suspected that Leo had told them something.
"So, sis', what's up?" asked Piper trying to seem easy.
"It's...oh, God.." she didn't know how to tell them. Just take a deep breathe and speak! "We have a problem."
„And what's the news?" Piper was obviously in sarcastic mood.
„The Source is alive. It's in Cole." There was no easy way to say it.
„What?!" Piper was shocked. Paige covered her mouth with her hands as if avoiding a scream, but Leo hardly paid any attention. He eyed the strange woman suspiciously who was just sitting up on the couch.
„She is a demon, isn't she?"
„Yes, but she's no danger to us."
„That's definitely news!" commented Piper.
„Your sister's right...I'm not in the condition... More over I don't really have any active power..."
„What kind of demon is it without an active power?"
„Let it go, Piper!" Phoebe snapped impatiently. „We have more important things to worry about! We have to help Cole!"
„Sorry honey, you're right! But if Cole's the Source..."
Surprisingly enough it was the demon who intervened.
„No! He is not the Source! It's only the essence and power of the Source that obsessed him. The Source lives on in him and wants to take over his body and destroy his mind and soul..." she coughed, and only then did Piper notice what had been so strange about the woman. She is blind! It's more and more interesting! A blind demoness without active power wants to help my sister's ex-demon boyfriend who suddenly became the Source of All Evil! Nice!
„Rose says we can still save him!" Phoebe was on the edge of tears. „We have to save him!"
„Rose?"
„She" the younger witch waved at the woman.
„You are at first-names already?"
Phoebe fired an impatient look at her sister and Piper retreated.
„How can you be sure that she doesn't lie us in the face?"
Phoebe shrugged.
"You know about the nightmares and he behaved quite strangely lately. And she is sure enough about it" she waved at the couch.
"And who is she, by the way?" asked Piper.
"I'm his sister."
She was exactly overlooking all of them , but when Piper started to speak she turned her eyes in her direction.
"I didn't know he has family..."
"Yeah, I'm not one who he could show off with. But I didn't come to chat about myself. You should find a way to help him."
"But if he's evil again...I don't know if we really should" pointed out Paige. She has never really accepted the idea: having a demon in the family. But to tell the truth she didn't have the time for it.
"He isn't evil! You don't understand this whole situation! You don't know a thing about it!" Rose snapped and jumped of the couch.
"I think you should relax" Piper raised her hands.
"It's OK, Piper" Phoebe intervened. She hadn't tell a thing for a while, however she was the most concerned. "Rose, I think if we should beleive you and help then I think we should get more information about you and the situation. You told me that we still had some time. I suggest that we all calm and sit down and talk." She was quite surprised that she could speak and behave so calmly herself. After all she always had been the hotheaded rebel. But her words seemed to have an affect, because Rose sat down and so did Paige and Leo. Piper on the other hand only leant against the wall and eyed their host suspiciously.
"All right then. But you have to understand time is a precious thing." She took a steadying breathe and started to talk.
"First of all you don't have to worry about me, because I'm not a threat to the Charmed Ones. In spite of my brother, I'm not one of great power. Actually in the Underworld I'm not even considered as a demon, because as I mentioned before I don't really have an active power and as you see I'm ...hm ... phisically handicapped, as well...To tell the truth I'm kind of an outcast. But as I told this, isn't about me...
"When you vanquished the Source – she continued, - Cole had the Hollow in himself – that much you know. He absorbed the power of the Source. I think in that moment He already knew that he lost, so he let be transported everything: not only his power but also his essence. So, what you vanquished was only a corpse."
"His essence? What do you mean with it?" asked Paige.
"His soul or mind, whatever. It was by instinct, he hadn't planned it, so he needed some time to recover. But after that pause he started to take over Cole body and repress him."
"Can something like this happen?" asked Piper her husband.
Leo nodded with a serious expression on his face.
"Yes. Your mind, your unconsciousness is like an other realm. They could have some kind of battle there..."
"Yes, this is exactly what happened. And Cole lost or is losing. He is only human now, he can't fight somebody who is as powerful and experienced as the Source. It is as if he were a prisoner. I think that there are times when he fights back, but in the end the Source will rule... and when he doesn't need him anymore, he will finish him off...
"Why does he need Cole, anyway?" asked Phoebe and her voice was trembling slightly.
This time Rose looked at her, almost as if she could see her. And Phoebe saw the pain and worry in her eyes. And she believed her...every single word.
"Because he knows a lot..."
They didn't have to ask what - or more exactly who - about.
"The Source will use him, or at least try to use him...his knowledge about you, and maybe about humans generally as well..."
"So what shall we do?" asked Phoebe quietly.
"Does this mean that you believe me?" she asked a little bit surprised. "You'll help?"
She nodded and looked at her sisters. Piper hesitated a moment but then nodded and Paige did the same, however she seemed a little uneasy.
"What shall we do, then?" asked Piper this time.
"First of all" answered Rose, after collapsing back on the couch, "we should contact him to make sure he keeps fighting. And then...whe should find the Sword of Arces...
"Shit..." Piper looked surprised at her husband. Leo never cursed.
"Is this so bad?"
"Yes, it is. The Sword is deep in the underworld and it is supposed to be guarded by dragons."
"Supposed?" asked Paige.
"Oh, nobody saw it, or...nobody came back to tell about it."
"Nice. And why do we need this particular sword, if I may ask?" Piper wasn't fascinated.
"It's the only weapon a human can kill the Source with and it can exist in any realm. That's why the Source buried it deep in the Underworld" Rose explained.
"And what will we do after that?"
"We should somehow get the sword to Cole. He must kill the Source. There's no other way to save him...If somebody does it from the outside, Cole will be dead as well. And I wo"t let him down...not again..." declared their demon host determined.