Hi there! Here is the next chapter, finally. Let me know what you thing and thanks for all reviews.
Chapter 12
Phoebe was lazily lying in her bed staring at the ceiling. It was Saturday morning. Jason was fast asleep next to her and she finally had time to think about last night. In the evening they went out for dinner to celebrate a new deal, which was just completed. When they walked into the restaurant they noticed Cole and Nicole sitting at one of the most exclusive and discrete tables with large windows on two sides and with two massive flower compositions separating the rest of the diners and creating a private romantic atmosphere. The couple was completely engrossed in the conversation so they did not notice the new arrivals. Phoebe on the other hand could not tare her eyes away from them. And even through the wall of flowers she could see how they were leaning towards each other. Jealousy stabbed Phoebe in the gut but thankfully Jason whispered a few words to the waiter and they were immediately led to the table at the gallery, which was completely invisible from the corner table. Phoebe appreciated his decision and tact and really tried to have a good time and make Jason's evening pleasant. She succeeded most of the time except of occasional stab of jealousy when an image of Cole and Nicole popped into her head. They looked so... Phoebe cut herself before she could even think the word "love". She knew perfectly well that Cole loved only her even if he was sleeping with someone else. Her mood did not improve when she went to the toilet and saw Cole holding Nicole's hand and then drawing it closer and gently kissing the knuckles. For a second Phoebe could almost feel his lips touching her skin and it made her shiver. She shook her head and went back to Jason. For the rest of the night she did her best to push Cole out of her mind. She tried to concentrate her attention on Jason, this gorgeous, smart and caring man who was everything she wished for. His eyes looked at her with admiration and love. And she told herself, she had made the right choice. Cole was uncontrollable and possessive. He was a demon for God's sake. He was simply dangerous. Their table was approached by one of the Jason's business partners who came to say hello. Phoebe turned her head to greet him and immediately regretted it. She saw Cole and Nicole leaving. His hand was lying on her back and she noticed his thumb gently caressing her spine. The shivering feeling returned and Phoebe just stared after them.
Last night she did not have time to think about why she reacted like that. But now when everything around her was so peaceful, when it was quiet and the sun was shinning in the sky her thoughts returned to last evening. Why all of sudden she could not push Cole out of her head? It was already a while since they divorced. He hadn't tried to get her back or even talk to her. If they met at some official event he would just greet her coolly and usually keep the conversation to the minimum. She knew that he purposefully avoided her and initially thought that it was because he loved her so much that it was painful for him to talk to her. But with time she could not ignore the fact that Cole's attention was completely devoted to Nicole. His eyes always followed her and when they stood next to each other he seemed to be very happy and relaxed. Phoebe kept telling herself that it was a good thing for her and that she should feel relieved but with every day it was harder to convince herself that Cole moving on with his life made her happy. When she found out that he was again playing an active part in the Underworld trying to become the new Source she thought it would make it easier for her to push him out of her mind. But instead it made her think about him more. Maybe if she had not pushed Cole away after his return from the Wasteland he would never have gone back to the Underworld. Phoebe scowled disgusted with herself. She must be a horrible person. Even the fact that Cole was calmly sending fireballs into her and her family during their encounter in the Underworld did not stop her thinking about him, missing him and to her great shame craving for him. She must be out of her mind.
"Morning, sunshine."
Phoebe snapped out of her thoughts when Jason moved to kiss her. She responded to his kiss trying to get lost in it and forget all about her ex husband. But instead it proved one point: Jason was great. He had everything any woman could want in a man. He just wasn't Cole.
On the other side of town Nicole was also staring at the ceiling. She was thinking that her wedding was in less than a week. She was marrying the man of her dreams who was now lying in bed next to her and even in his sleep his hand was protectively wrapped around her waist. When she looked at him she could feel the warmth spreading inside her. But at the same time she had another feeling in her heart. It was fear. Fear that something bad would happen, something that would take Cole away from her. In her life Nicole did not have many people who loved her and whom she loved back. She could hardly remember her father and she never really had her uncle as part of her life. And you can't be scared about losing something you don't have. But with Cole it was different. Only the thought of losing him was terrifying. She cared about him so much, she loved him more than she ever thought was possible. And with this love came fear. Over the last months she managed to learn to live with Cole's past. His demonic history did not worry her. Never in her life had she felt safer than when he was next to her. And maybe it was her own inner cruelty but she did not have nightmares about his victims though she knew everything he'd done during his career of an assassin. She knew perfectly well that Cole could be ruthless but she knew herself well enough to admit that she would be the same if it ever came to it. Objectively she knew that Cole was not an easy person to live next to. He had a dark soul, arrogant ego and annoying desire to always be right and the even more annoying feature of often being so. But somehow it suited her perfectly. It did not mean that they never had their disagreements but fights were very rare. She knew that Cole deeply respected her and always listened to her opinion. Often a warm word from her side would cool him off. And when she was about to go into a fit he would usually shut up and just listen to her or pull her into a hug. They always managed to talk to each other and sort their differences.
Learning to live with his past relationships was much harder. The demonesses did not bother her that much. Especially after she used her powers to convince one of them to have a sex change operation. The rumour spread fast and the next event in the Underworld found female part of the Underworld much less interested in getting Belthazor into bed. When Cole found out he first raised his eyebrow, then shook his head and at the end just laughed. Elizabeth on the other side was very proud of her and said that she was now sure that her son was in good hands. Phoebe Halliwell was much more of a serious issue. They met often enough at different events where they had to go to because of their work at the DLM investment. And though she noticed the strained looks Phoebe directed towards her ex husband, Nicole also saw that Cole's eyes followed only her and when they by accident landed on Phoebe they stayed the same clear blue and he usually moved his gaze away. He avoided talking to his ex wife and Nicole could never feel any uneasiness from his side. The young Lugel would obviously have preferred if Phoebe Halliwell had moved to another dimension but even in the current situation Nicole felt confident in her relationship and therefore very happy. She loved her life, the fact that she had great powers, fantastic job, important mission and great people around her. Yesterday it all changed, her mother showed up and Nicole realised how fragile everything was and how none of it matter if something was to separate her and Cole. Her fears flared with new strength. The more she thought about how happy she was the more she felt it could not last. Nicole tried to squash this feeling and when they went out for dinner she almost managed. They had a fantastic evening and even more fantastic night. But now in the reality of the daylight her fears have crept back into her heart.
"Thinking about me, baby?" she heard Cole's voice imitating a strong Texas accent. He rose himself on his elbow and looked at her his eyes sparkling teasingly.
"What would you know!" she answered in unison to his mocking tone.
"I think you do," he repeated rolling on top of her, "or at least you should."
"Why is that?" she replied turning her head away so he could not kiss her lips.
He did not repeat his attempt and instead kissed her neck his tongue tracing elaborate patterns on her skin. He reached her earlobe and whispered into her ear, so his warm breath made her moan loudly, "Because I am planning to spend this weekend in bed with you and we are getting married in six days time."
Nicole managed to collect what was left of her sense and slip from under him. "Yes, about that," she said trying to catch her breath. "These two don't go together."
Cole frowned and she could not stop herself smiling at his puzzled expression. "Well, we are getting married in 6 days and I still don't have a dress," she explained, "and if I am going to spend this weekend with you than I won't have time to go shopping."
"Fine," the half demon agreed, "but we don't have to go now, we can do some practicing for the wedding night now and then we'll have plenty of time for shopping."
"We?" Nicole repeated, "Oh, no, you are not coming with me. You are the groom and can't see the dress. So I suggest you rent yourself a horror film or go somewhere, have some quality macho man time."
Cole ignored her witty remake and shook his head, "You can't go alone," he said firmly, "with your mother being around I am not letting you out of my sight."
Nicole who managed to get out of bed and wrap herself in a sheet stared at him in outrage, "Well, you going to have," she said sternly, "I am not taking you to pick my wedding dress. It's bad luck."
"I don't care," he shot back also getting up, "I'd much rather go against this stupid tradition than risk something happening to you."
"It's not a stupid tradition," she snapped. "And we are not going against it. I already have to live with having a black dress instead of a white one, having no flowers, no cake and getting married by some weird Underworld ceremony in ancient Latin instead of normal wedding in English. So at least what I can do is to keep you away from my outfit."
"It's not my fault," Cole protested. "If it was up to me we could just get married in Vegas. You know yourself that it's all politics that requires us to have a traditional demonic marriage. And it's your warlock relatives who insist on us having the civil ceremony as well. Why they want it is completely beyond me."
"Because they know we both live and work in the mortal realm and so do they. So no wonder that they want us to be married according to human laws. I don't think showing an amulet filled with blood would have the same effect as a marriage certificate."
The doorbell interrupted their argument and Nicole used it to escape to the bathroom. Cole cursed catching the bathrobe which she thrown to him using her telekinesis and went to open the door.
"Morning, Cole," Celina greeted him calmly. "How are you?"
"Fine," Cole answered grumpily letting the French woman to come in. "What are you doing here?"
She lifted her eyebrow at his question and Cole sighed, "Sorry," he mumbled, "I did not mean to be rude."
Celina smiled warmly, "I know," she said, "I came here to offer Nicole my help in choosing the wedding dress if she does not already have one."
Cole heaved a sigh, "Good, maybe you can reason with her. She does not want me to go with her."
"Of course," French woman exclaimed, "You are the groom."
"I know I am the groom," Cole snapped. "But she can't go alone, it's not safe. Her mother is here and let's just say she's not happy about Nicole being a Lugel."
The French woman paled. "Katherine Berg is here?" she repeated.
"Yes," he confirmed. "She came to the Penthouse yesterday. Said, she would not give up on her attempts to keep Nicole out of magic. And after looking at her, I believe it."
Celina's beautiful face changed into a real fury, "She'd better stay out of this," she hissed through clenched teeth, "Or I will take care that she would go straight to hell even if I have to personally drag her there." Her eyes were full of blind hatred and Cole was surprised that this always so calm and self assured woman could even have such feelings. She took a deep breath, "Don't worry Cole," her face returned to normal but her voice still echoed with steel. "I will take care of Nicole. You can't ask her to break the tradition. It's already a very unusual wedding so it's important we keep at least something normal."
He was about to object but she interrupted him, "You have to let go, Cole. You can't protect her 24/7. It's unrealistic. And trust me, Nicole is capable of taking care of herself. She is very careful and very smart."
Three days later the Halliwell sisters gathered together for dinner. Ever since Leo left The Manor was very quiet. Piper spent most of her time either in the club or cooking and mixing potions, trying not to think about her husband. She decided that for the baby's sake she had to calm herself and not spend all the time crying. It was not easy. The first night Piper cried herself to sleep but in the morning she felt better, as if a thick wall separated her pain from her heart. Phoebe and Paige tried to talk to her but she did not want to discuss Leo with them. She explained to them that she had to keep herself calm, for the baby and their constant reminding about Leo did not make it any easier. Her sisters exchanged worried glances but decided not to press the matter. Neither of them even thought that when Piper fell asleep that night Leo used a calming spell on her, which suppressed her pain and made it bearable.
Now they were all gathered around the table and Phoebe was telling her sisters about the letter she got that morning from a woman who cheated on her husband and was not sure whether she should tell him about it or not. The sound of the doorbell interrupted their conversation and Paige volunteered to check who was at the door. When she flung it open she saw a beautiful woman in her fifties with grey eyes and dark-silvery hair.
"Can I help you?" the young witch asked wearily eyeing their visitor.
For a second the woman's eyes bored into Paige's face. "Are you one of the Halliwell sisters?" she asked finally. A distinct English accent obvious in her voice.
Paige raised her eyebrows, "Yes," she answered, "And you are?"
"My name is Katherine Berg." the woman replied with dignity, "I believe you've met my daughter, Nicole."
The young witch's eyes grew wide with surprise, which quickly turned into suspicion. "And what do you want?" she asked suspiciously.
"I came to ask for your help," the older woman replied seriously, "your help as the Charmed Ones."
Paige swallowed harshly and stepped aside allowing Katherine to come in. She led her to the dinning room where her sisters already started to wonder what was taking so long. They stared at the newcomer curiously.
"This is Katherine Berg," Paige introduced, "the mother of Nicole Berg. She's here to ask for our help... Witch type..." she added in a lower voice.
Hearing the name of the woman who took Cole away from her made Phoebe inwardly cringe with jealousy. "And what kind of help do you need from us?" she asked barely hiding her sarcasm. "I thought your daughter was powerful enough herself."
The woman stared at her with such intensity that Phoebe would have taken a step back if she was not sitting on the chair.
"I want you to free my daughter from evil," Katherine replied simply, "I want you to help me put an end to her involvement in magic and return her to the normal mortal life."
The three sisters stared at her in shock. Piper was the first one to regain her composure, "I am not sure we can do this," she said slightly puzzled, "Your daughter obviously has magical powers. And it's up to her whether she wants to use them. We can't force her into giving them up."
"Even if these powers are turning her evil?" Katherine interrupted her.
"We can't interfere with the freedom of choice," Piper explained patiently, "It's the basic right observed by both good and evil. Nicole has to decide herself how she wants to use her powers, if at all. And I guess she has already made the choice. It usually happens within 48 hours after she receives her powers."
"Yeah," Paige peeped in, "And I think we all know, which side she chose," her lips twisted into a sarcastic smile, "considering the company..."
"But that's why," the older woman exclaimed passionately, "She did not have the freedom of choice. The moment she received her powers she met this demon and he manipulated her into becoming evil. But I know she has not killed anybody yet. So she can be rescued if we separate her from this bastard. And that's why I want you to help me! Until it's too late."
The sisters were slightly taken aback by the force of her emotions. Phoebe who was more suspicious of Nicole's mother than her sisters recovered first.
"How do you know that she has not killed anybody?"
"Because I can sense it," Katherine replied impatiently.
"But that means that you are evil too," Phoebe remarked remembering Cole's explanation about his ability to sense evil.
The older woman paled and seared the middle Charmed One with an intense glare. She then shook her head, a bitter and condescending smile touching her lips.
"I see that your ex husband taught you something. You are right and wrong at the same time. I am not evil in a sense that I have not killed anybody in my life. And I don't have any active powers. But it's an inherit ability of a darklighter to feel if a person has blood on his or her hands. And since I am half darklighter I have this ability as well."
"Half darklighter?" Piper exclaimed taking a step back and raising her hands.
Katherine rolled her eyes, "Don't be scared," she said, "I am not going to harm your whitelighter baby. I have bound my powers years ago and never used them. I don't want anything to do with magic. I always lived a normal mortal life and did everything in my power to keep my daughter away from magic. But he managed to lure her anyway."
"He?" Paige asked curiously, "Whom are you talking about?"
A scowl distorted Katherine's beautiful face, "My brother in law, William Schwarzlight," she said his name as if she was talking about the devil himself. The older woman took a deep breath and continued calmer, "My husband was the half human like me. We were very happy together. I got my powers from my father who was a darklighter and who seduced my mother and then drove her to suicide to prevent her from becoming a whitelighter. Then he took me to the Underworld and my life would have been completely ruined if he was not vanquished in time. So you probably can understand why I wanted a life without magic. And I am sure that Robert would have agreed to give up his powers if it was not for his William. He was fully magical and did not allow his brother to turn into a mere human. So my husband died when Nicole was four years old and I spent my whole life keeping her away from magic. But my wicked brother-in-law fooled me again. When he died Nicole's power got activated. And now I need to save her, before Belthazor finishes his job." She stared at the distance a sheer determination written on her face.
"Belthazor has been gone for more than a year," Phoebe mumbled quietly.
Her voice snapped the older woman from her thoughts. She glared at the middle Halliwell, "But Cole Turner became even more powerful in the process," she uttered in a steely voice. "And you allowed this to happen. You failed to kill him when you had the chance. You, the Charmed One, not only protected one of the most notorious demons of all times, you even married him. And when you had enough you just chucked him out of your life, more powerful and dangerous than he ever was; looking completely human, with no demonic form to surface its ugly head. You unleashed him on all these innocents who had no idea what's coming their way until it was too late. But who cares? You and your sisters are safe, protected by all your powers. That's the only thing that matters."
"Hey," Paige protested, "You can't accuse Phoebe, she believed Cole was good and it's not her fault that he turned evil again. And it's not like we did not try to vanquish him. But he is invincible now so there is not much we can do."
"But you are not even trying!" Katherine yelled, "And my daughter is paying for this. Paying with her life. She does not have powerful sisters to protect her and to fight for her. I don't have any powers. And she is so fooled by him that she does not want to listen to me."
The Charmed Ones fell into an uneasy silence. Piper was the first one to speak up, "What do you want us to do?" she asked.
"I want you to separate them. I don't care how you do it. Just make him let her go or convince her to leave him."
Paige just snorted, "Ha, you think we did not try? Whatever you think about us we know our duty to protect innocents. We tried to talk to your daughter, not once, but she does not want to listen. She just threatened to sue us."
"Then make him leave her." Katherine turned to Phoebe, "He tried so hard to save your marriage. He would listen to you, especially if you pretended that you wanted him back."
"It was a long time ago," the middle Halliwell said unsurely. "I doubt..." She trailed off and Piper stepped in.
"Phoebe is not going to get even near this bastard," she said firmly. "She had enough trouble getting him out of her life as it is."
Paige nodded in agreement, "And plus he looks to be really in love with..." she was interrupted by two voices.
"He does not love her," Phoebe shot.
"Demons can't love," Katherine echoed.
"Whatever," Piper shot her younger sister a worried look and assumed the position of the oldest sister. "We can't interfere with people's relationships. For what we know Cole did not put Nicole under a spell or anything. So she is staying with him willingly. And unless she decides to leave him there is nothing we can do. As there is nothing we can do to stop her using her powers. I am afraid you have to try to convince her yourself, that's the only way."
Katherine stared at them, her face a mixture of anger and disbelief. Not able to withstand this glaring look, the sisters turned their eyes away. The older woman laughed bitterly, though it more reminded of a bark, "And you call yourself the most powerful witches ever?!" her voice was dripping with contempt, "how pathetic." She turned on her heels and left the Manor.
When the sisters heard the door slamming behind her they unconsciously sighed with relief.
Paige was the first one to speak up, "I feel kind of bad letting her down like that," she said thoughtfully.
Piper looked at her sternly, "Would you rather we help her and ruin our lives?" she asked caustically. "Paige, you need to choose your battles. Firstly, it's against the rules for us to interfere in people's relationships and in the freedom of choice. And secondly, we can't do anything. We tried to speak to Nicole, it did not work. And I have no doubt that Miss Berg would drag us to court if we tried to interfere once again. Plus don't forget about Cole. He is not going to sit and not do anything. And we know that he would use his powers against us. Darryl warned us about it before and we recently saw the living proof when Cole bombarded us with fireballs without even a second of hesitation. And with the baby coming I am not in the mood for the supernatural smackdown especially when I know that our chances are not particularly grand."
Paige shot a guilty look at her sister's belly, "You're right," she admitted. "I was not thinking."
Phoebe just nodded. She looked extremely subdued but when Paige tried to comfort her, plastered a fake smile on her face and announced that she was going to her room to call Jason. When the door behind her closed she did not pick up the phone. Instead she opened one of her drawers and pulled out a small cardboard box. With a deep sigh she opened it and picked up a picture lying on the very top. The picture of her and Cole smiling at each other. She stared at it her eyes filling with tears. And as her vision became blurry, her thoughts were becoming clearer. And they scared the living hell out of her. She closed the box, her hand hesitating for a second and the next moment instead of putting it away she hugged it tightly and cried, as she had not allowed herself for a very long time.
Henry Karenian stared at his niece with adoring eyes. She was gorgeous, just like Elisa used to be. Nicole was a bit taller and had blond hair like the rest of des Noures, but her eyes were like the one of a true Karenian. And today she was going to start a new chapter in the history of her coven by marrying the son of the Source.
It was late morning and two warlock leaders gathered in the luxury suite of the XXX hotel where Nicole was getting ready for the civil registration, which was scheduled for noon. According to warlocks it was a mere formality so that the paperwork for the mortal realm was in order. The real ceremony was planned for the evening and it was one of the biggest ever events in the Underworld. The marriage was just a symbol, a sign of the new Source coming to power and a new era, which was about to start in the Underworld. And Henry Karenian had a total right to expect that his coven would benefit greatly from the general changes in the Underworld politics and this particular marriage. And if he had to share his triumph with des Noures, than so be it.
The French warlock was sitting comfortably in his chair, his eyes never leaving Nicole. She looked beautiful in a long off white skirt and a short top which when she moved showed a tiny bit of her skin. Phillip felt really proud that she was his daughter. She looked like real des Noures and at the same time had a lot from Elisa. And every time he saw Nicole he felt that part of his true love was back with him. He snapped out of his sentimental musings, which if they had ever become known would have greatly surprised both his enemies and allies and looked at his watch. "Time to go," he announced glancing at Nicole who was standing in front of the mirror.
She turned around and took a deep breath trying to suppress anxiety, "I am ready," she said calmly knowing full well that for the warlocks this registration did not mean anything. And they probably would not understand her nervousness. For her this was still a wedding and it was much closer to the marriage ceremony she always thought about than the one, which was planned for the evening. Though she could not show her true emotions to her so called relatives and could not wear a proper wedding dress, she still tried to look nice, like a real bride.
As if reading her thoughts, Phillip made a few steps closer and said trying to hide his emotions, "You look incredible," he paused and added quieter, "just like your mother." Nicole smiled at him pleased with his complement and he returned her smile with one of his own, "I just wish she could have seen you."
"Thank you," Nicole replied as usually having very mixed feelings towards her "relatives". She knew that if they ever discovered the truth she would be in serious trouble. And that made her weary of them. But at the same time they were really attentive to her. Two arrogant warlocks were trying their best to get to know her. And for her who never had experienced affectionate parental love this was a very unusual feeling.
"Right, all set," a blond woman came into the room. "Ready to go Nic?"
Nicole turned to Celina, who was now looking like a young woman with smily blue eyes and was posing as Nicole's friend from England.
"Absolutely," the bride picked up a small bouquet from the table.
In her office Phoebe Halliwell was typing away on her computer. After a day of struggling her words were finally flowing easily and she did not want to stop before she finished her column. It was almost there when somebody knocked on the door. Phoebe frowned, "Come in," she said without even looking up.
The door opened and then closed, "Hi Phoebe," she heard a voice speaking with the distinct English accent.
The young witch jerked her head and stared at the woman standing in her office, "Katherine?" she asked surprised, "What are you doing here?"
The older woman smiled curtly and sighed, "I came to apologise," she said finally, "for what I said the other day. I had no right to accuse you like that."
Phoebe's eyes widened in shock and Katherine continued, "You must understand, I am so worried about Nicole that it drives me absolutely insane. But it does not excuse my behaviour. Look, I know what you went through with your ex husband. And I want to tell you that I understand how you feel. I really loved my husband. No matter how much I hated magic, if my husband had not died, I would have stayed with him. And no magic or whatever he did with it would have separated us. I can also tell you that though I achieved what I always wanted, the normal human life, it did not make me any happier, because the only thing that matters is that I am not with him." She looked at Phoebe who was staring at her with eyes full of tears. Katherine made few steps towards the young witch and continued softly, "When I saw you yesterday I recognised myself in you. No matter how much your mind tells you that you should stay away from your ex husband, you heart is crying for him. And believe me with time it will only get worse. But it does not have to be this way. My husband is dead and I have to wait until it is my turn to join him, but you still have a chance to get him back. He is here, he is alive and he still loves you."
Phoebe took a harsh breath, her throat unusually dry. "And you think..." she started hoarsely, "you think that I should... that he still loves me?"
Katherine smiled warmly, "Of course, he changed his life for you, he fought for you, even being the Source he never harmed you or your family. The love for you helped him to survive and even escape the wasteland, something that no one else had ever done." Her smile widened slightly, "I think it is safe to say that when a man does all this things for a woman he is seriously in love with her."
Phoebe could not stand this; she dropped her head on her hands, her shoulder shuddering from sobbing. "I was hoping..." she mumbled through tears, "I knew...I miss him so much. I can't believe that I have ruined everything."
Strong hand touched her shoulder, "You have not ruined anything," Katherine said calmly, "you still have a chance to get him back. But you need to act quickly." She turned Phoebe's chair forcing the witch to look at her. "Nicole and Cole Turner are marrying tonight."
Phoebe gaped at her open mouthed, "You have to stop it," the older woman stated confidently, "otherwise it would be too late. It's a proper demonic marriage. When they are bound by blood it would much more difficult to separate them. Plus you know yourself, demonic marriages are contracted for procreation of children. And I think I can safely say that if they have a child together no one will be able to split them up."
Phoebe felt as if the avalanche had just come down on her. She shook her head trying to compose her thoughts, "I don't believe it," she said hoarsely, "he can't... he would not marry somebody else."
"He thinks that he does not have a chance with," Katherine cried out impatiently, "what do you expect him to wait for, a doomsday?
Phoebe just set there in total shock. Katherine bent down and shook her, "Look at me, Phoebe, I am not lying to you. If you don't believe me go and check yourself. They are currently at XXX hotel, registering their marriage in a law-abiding civil ceremony."
She did not have time to finish, Phoebe was already out of her office. Katherine stood there for a minute, her lips twisted into a derisive smile. "Foolish witch," she hissed under her breath, her smile turning into an evil grin, "But a really useful weapon."
Cole was standing in front of the magistrate waiting for Nicole to arrive. He could sense that she was getting closer. He turned to his mother sitting in the front row and Vladimir who now looked like a man in his early forties with chestnut hair and small brown eyes. The latter nodded and Cole turned away. He felt nervous. During the last months things were happening all the time. Now he was getting married and it was really important to him, but he also realised that this marriage was much more than the union between two people. It was going to affect the future of several dimensions. And he was supposed to steer all the events into the right directions and sometimes Cole felt that things were just spinning out of his control and that he was just a pawn in the game of superpowers. "Stop it, Turner," he told himself. "You are getting married to the woman of your dreams and everything else no matter how important it seems is just side effects." The sound of the music interrupted his musing and he saw Nicole standing in the doorway. He caught his breath. She looked stunning. And when she walked down the isle with Henry on one side and Phillip on the other, he felt himself inwardly relax as always when she was next to him.
The magistrate started the ceremony and everything was going as planned. Cole had already put the ring on Nicole's finger and she was about to do the same when the doors into the ceremony hall flew open. The bride and the groom swirled around and came face to face with Phoebe Halliwell.
"How could you do this to me?" she cried in a pained voice. "After everything you promised me. It's not yet six months since you pledged your undying love to me and you are marrying another woman!!!" She glared at him and then repeated flatly, "How could you do this, Cole? How could you do this to us?"
For a moment everybody in the room froze. Then Elizabeth raised her hand, but Cole stopped her, "No," he said steely. He looked at Phoebe and she was shocked by how cold his eyes were. "There is no us, Phoebe," he stated pointedly, "I would have thought that you would know that."
The young witch cringed under his stare, "You're wrong," she said in a determined voice. "I know that you love me. And I love you too." He waned to interrupt her but she added hastily. "I know I have pushed you away. And I am so sorry for that. But I have never stopped loving you. I was just scared and lost and I did not know what to do. But I will never make the same mistake again. I swear to you. We are meant for each other, Cole. Please don't ruin it."
She looked at him pleadingly and for a second she thought his eyes were becoming warmer. But it was not love, but pity that crept into his gaze.
"Things have changed, Phoebe." Cole said quietly but calmly, "I have changed. I don't love you anymore and we definitely were not meant for each other."
She took a step back as if he had plunged a knife into her chest, "You are lying," she whispered tears standing in her eyes, "I know, you love me. Not her" she pointed at Nicole, "but me. You are just angry that I have pushed you away after your return from the Wasteland and then insisted on the divorce."
Cole shook his head, "Listen to me, Phoebe. Our divorce was the best thing that could have happened to me. It allowed me to meet my true soul mate. I've never been as happy as I am now. I am getting married to the woman of my dreams. And you will have to learn to live with it."
Phoebe felt as if all her hopes and dreams were being destroyed in front of her. She staggered back, her eyes never leaving his, trying to find any traces of love, which she used to see in them, "I don't believe you," she whispered.
He shrugged his shoulders, "It's your right, but I would advise you to change your mind. Because you will only get hurt. Whatever we had, Phoebe, it is over, dead and buried. And I am sorry that you have not realised it already."
She looked around wildly. "You," her eyes fixed on Nicole, "You..." she made a step towards the young Lugel. But Cole blocked her way.
"That's enough, Phoebe." He said coldly raising his hand. "This is my wedding and I won't let you ruin it." He clicked his finger and Phoebe disappeared.
Cole turned around. The magistrate who stood motionless finally was allowed to unfreeze. He looked around confused and mattered, "Where were we?"
Nobody answered him, all eyes were focused on Nicole. The warlocks were looking questioningly, Elizabeth pleadingly and Celina and Vladimir worriedly. But she did not notice them. Her eyes were fixed on Cole. He stared at her silently, but Nicole could hear his voice in her head. "I love you more than the words could say..."
Ever since they received their telepathic powers Cole and Nicole could always maintain a mind block. It did not require any efforts from their side and allowed them to communicate with each other normally. Except from their telepathic mishap the only time when they exchange thoughts was during their missions. But now Nicole could feel that Cole had removed his defence allowing her complete access to his mind. The ocean of feelings opened to her. But she already knew what she wanted, she loved Cole and that was the only thing that mattered. She smiled at him warmly and placed the ring on his finger.
The atmosphere in the room immediately relaxed. The warlocks allowed themselves small smiles, Elizabeth finally breathed out and Celina and Vladimir exchanged contented looks. The most obvious reaction came from the magistrate. He smiled widely and announced in a cheery voice, "By the power entrusted to me by the state of California, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
He did not have to repeat the last sentence twice. Cole pulled Nicole into a tight embrace. And the young couple got lost in a passionate kiss.