Chapter Nine
"Phoebe!" Cole called out as he and Piper scanned the empty living room. Suddenly, Piper's fingers were digging into his arm and he spun toward the direction she was pointing to in shock.
Unconscious, Phoebe lay pinned under a fallen dining room chair while the gargoyle-like demon was practically frozen in an attack stance over her.
Piper stopped Cole from throwing an energy ball, "You might hurt Phoebe." She ignored his angry glare and waved her hands to blow up the demon. "Uh, oh," she uttered when all she'd succeeded in doing was freeing the demon from its super slow-motion speed.
"Great going," Cole muttered as he immediately launched a barrage of energy balls at the creature. They didn't destroy it but at least it was staggering back away from Phoebe. "If I can't kill it," he warned Piper, "you'd better hope you can come up with a vanquish."
Phoebe opened her eyes and had to blink quickly a couple of times until her blurry vision cleared. Her head ached and her ankle throbbed. She remembered hitting her head against the table when she fell into the chairs after the demon attacked and must've twisted her ankle at the same time. She was just about to crawl out from under the chair when she caught movement from the corner of her eye. That gargoyle was dodging an energy ball so she turned her head slightly and gratefully sighed when she spotted Cole and Piper doing their best to attack the demon. She needed to get out of the line of fire but, just then, the chair was thrown off her and crashed into the wall. Claws slashed through the air before her face and she instinctively raised her hands to protect it. "Piper," she nervously called out, peeking between her fingers, "he's not frozen all the way! He's still moving!"
Piper glanced at Cole in concern, "That wasn't me."
"Well, freeze it now." And, without waiting another moment, he ran to Phoebe and, grabbing her from under shoulders, dragged her out from under the now-frozen demon into the hallway. As he pulled her up into a seated position with her legs stretched out in front of her, his eyes darted from her head to her toes and back again until he finally placed his palm on her belly, anxiously gazing into her eyes.
Recognizing the fear in his eyes, Phoebe placed her hand on top of his and assured him, "I think she's okay. It's mostly my ankle and this splitting headache." She slid her arms around his neck, pulled him close, closed her eyes, and allowed herself to relax in the safety of his arms. "Why didn't it work?" she asked her sister as she pulled away and tried to get up. But she winced from the pain in her ankle when she moved her foot and sank back into Cole's arms.
Piper shook her head, "It wasn't me, Pheebs. Besides, it was like that when we got here."
"That's not possible," Phoebe said while she looked at Cole. "I know I hit my head diving out of the way so unless someone else was here..."
"I was with Piper," he confirmed just as realization hit. He pressed his fingers into Phoebe's belly and reminded her, "You've seen that power before." She seemed confused but he began to lightly stroke her belly, "I think she's quite the show-off today, don't you?"
Phoebe gazed at him in awe when she suddenly understood that the baby had saved her. As she joined her fingers to his and watched them move, she admitted, "I was afraid she might not have powers."
Keeping an eye on the demon, Piper suggested, "Different powers develop at different times and your baby might not've had a need to use any until you were in danger."
Phoebe leaned into Cole, "Well, thank God, you got here in time."
He patted her belly and corrected, "Thank her. We're only here because I sensed her in danger." He felt Phoebe tense and assured her, "I'm not getting it now."
Phoebe let out a sigh of relief, "D'you think it's like Leo sensing us?"
"I'm not sure," he shrugged. "It was like I couldn't breathe, as though something was tearing at this presence inside me I hadn't even realized was there. A familiar presence but I couldn't quite place it until I realized that it felt like you...not that I could ever really sense you but it was like an impression of what I would want you to feel like if I thought of you and yet it wasn't exactly you either..."
"What does she feel like?" Phoebe whispered.
He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on that new presence and he smiled, "Clean...fresh...pure..."
Piper groaned, "You make the kid sound like laundry detergent. Maybe it is a girl, after all."
"Why shouldn't she be?" Cole wondered. "Phoebe told me we're having a girl."
"Yeah, well, we went to the future," Piper reminded him, "and my little girl turned out to be two little boys. So unless you've felt something concrete, don't be buying any Cinderella gowns just yet. Now, back to old Frank here..."
"Frank?" Phoebe nearly panicked. "That's Frank? What happened to Alicia? Did you find her? Is she safe?"
Annoyed with herself for her slip, Piper immediately switched topics, "Where're my boys? They weren't hurt, were they? Are they okay?"
Phoebe nodded, "I yelled for Leo when this thing came after me in the kitchen and I don't think we should call him back yet. Are you sure this thing's Frank?"
Avoiding her question, Cole ordered Piper, "Call Paige before he breaks free of the freeze. You need to come up with a vanquish. Fast."
"Already on it," Piper replied, cordless handset in hand. "Phoebe, you need to lie down."
"I need to be here," Phoebe argued. "Just help me to the couch, I'll be fine." Cole didn't seem convinced and she covered his hand with hers, "No twinges or sharp pains, promise."
Checking on the demon's state, Piper told her youngest sister, "Paige, we need you here. Now. Where are you?"
"Right here! We --" Paige called out when she entered through the front door and immediately saw Cole carrying Phoebe. "What'd you do to her?"
Phoebe sighed and informed her sister, "It wasn't Cole. It was that demon. The one we're after, remember?"
Paige glanced to Piper for confirmation, "The Targalus demon?"
"Frank," Piper nodded after she disconnected the call.
While Cole set her down on the sofa, Phoebe gingerly touched the bruise on her temple where she'd hit the edge of the table and explained to Paige, "A Power of Three vanquish should work unless we can convince Alicia to come here and open a new portal with me to send him back."
"Get it into its human form first," Cole advised, all the while trying to figure out the best way to tell Phoebe about Alicia.
"I've got that spell here," Piper announced as she pulled three small sheets of paper from her pocket. She handed one to Phoebe and the other to Paige.
"Maybe we should use the crystal cage to trap it," Phoebe suggested, "just in case."
"Good idea," Paige nodded before she called for the crystals and began to set them in a circle around the demon. But, just as she was about to place the last one down, Inspector Pagetino entered the foyer.
"Paige, what's taking so --" He lost his train of thought the instant he spotted the frozen monster in the dining room. He immediately whipped out his gun and fired at the demon. "What the hell's that thing?"
"No!" Piper cried out.
All jumped back when the demon suddenly broke through Piper's freeze and continued its slashing of the air. Stunned that its victim was no longer in range, it spun in the direction of the witches and leapt at the nearest one, Paige.
But Cole reached Paige first, tackling her to the floor, shouting, "Freeze it, Piper!"
Piper immediately complied and helped Paige to her feet while Cole got to his. She glared at her youngest sister, "This's why we have to remember to lock the door behind us."
"What the hell is going on?" the Inspector demanded.
Paige grinned sheepishly even as she set the last crystal in place, "See, there's a reasonable explanation for all this." She cringed from the look he gave her and she turned to her sisters for help.
"Didn't you tell him?" Phoebe asked her.
"Tell me what?" He stepped back, "What're you, wicked witches or something? Some sort of sick demonic cult?"
All sisters took umbrage at the insult but Paige stepped up and angrily shook his hand, "Hi, I'm Paige, Wicked Witch of the West, and I love inviting demons to my house."
"This isn't a joke," he spat.
"Are we laughing?" Phoebe retorted.
"Now, Inspector," Piper calmly suggested, "do us all a favor and leave. Paige'll call you later."
"Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you alone with that thing!"
"Trust me," Cole smirked, "they've handled worse."
Paige couldn't help but smile at the inspector because of his sincere concern and she placed her hand on his arm, "That's sweet, Tony, but we can handle it. Trust me."
Phoebe flashed a grin to her older sister and mouthed the inspector's first name. Paige may not have revealed their secret but she certainly took a first step if she was now on a first-name basis with him.
Ordinarily, Piper might have joined Phoebe in some Paige-teasing but it was too dangerous now. "Look, Inspector, we are witches --"
"The good kind," Phoebe emphasized.
Piper glared at her and sighed when Phoebe shrugged unapologetically. "The point is, this's what we do. We vanquish evil demons and we don't want you caught in the cross-fire so if you'd do us all a favor and --"
"The freeze is breaking," Cole suddenly warned them. "Say that spell now. The cage'll have a better chance of trapping him if he's in human form."
The sisters didn't hesitate and read from their sheets,
"With you in that form our futures look bleak,
So transform for us into yours that's most weak."
Within the crystal circle, the demon roared in anger as it morphed against its will into its human form of Frank Parks.
The sisters were momentarily distracted by Frank's nude appearance until Cole's angry cough caused them all to jump.
"Right," Paige shook her head free from the extremely sexy sight and called for a blanket to appear within the crystal.
Frank ignored the blanket and threatened, "This won't hold me for long, witches."
"Long enough," Piper muttered as she froze him again and glared at Cole, "Cover him."
But Phoebe grabbed Cole's arm, "Not into that trap, you don't. It has to be one of us."
Piper rolled her eyes in frustration and stalked into the circle. She draped the blanket around Frank's shoulders and it wasn't easy tying it closed, keeping all private parts private, and she had to admit he was, "one of the best damn looking demons we've ever had." Her sisters' chuckles caused her to turn a deep shade of pink. "You weren't supposed to hear that," she groaned softly as she rejoined them.
"You okay, Tony?" Paige suddenly asked the pale inspector.
"How'd...how'd you do that?" he uttered in a daze.
"Okay," Paige patted his hand and led him to the sunroom, "why don't you have a seat in here before you fall down."
"Any ideas for a vanquish?" Piper asked Phoebe who was grinning, watching Paige and the inspector.
"Send him back in time. He'll be vanquished there," Alicia announced when she materialized in the hallway between her lover and her friends.
Phoebe's head turned and she sighed in relief at the sight of her friend. She quickly got to her feet and hobbled around the sofa to hug Alicia but stopped short when she suddenly realized she could see through Alicia. She staggered back a step and shook her head, "No..."
"Phoebe..." Alicia uttered.
Phoebe took another step back in horror, smack into Cole, and she spun to face him, "You were supposed to protect her!"
"It's not his fault..." Alicia told her.
But Phoebe began to pound on Cole's chest, "You were supposed to protect her! To save her! Dammit, I should've gone! I should've gone!"
Cole gently took hold of her wrists and, when Phoebe sagged against him, he wrapped his arms around her. As he stroked her back, he quietly said, "We didn't know...I'm sorry, Phoebe, we were too late."
Alicia smiled sadly at Piper and confessed, "It's my fault. I didn't want to believe you."
Phoebe sniffled and slowly turned around in Cole's arms to face Alicia, "Maybe we were wrong. Maybe Frank can't control himself in demonic form."
Alicia turned slightly to look at Frank and shook her head, "You weren't wrong, Phoebe. Frank is a demon that isn't capable of love." She shyly glanced at Cole, "Guess you're one of a kind." To Phoebe, she added, "Frank admitted he can't think of anyone but himself. Right before he killed me."
Tears streamed down Phoebe's cheeks, "I'm so sorry, Licia."
"Me too," Alicia nodded. "Maybe I should be grateful he implied he was faithful but, the truth is, I'm almost glad I didn't know earlier, didn't have to suffer with the pain of knowing what a fool I've been in trusting him, believing him. I understand now, Phoebe, what you meant about the pain and anger."
"You were in love," Phoebe sympathized.
"You couldn't've known about him," Piper said. "He hid it well. No one picked up on it."
"But I should've known that everything happens for a reason," Alicia countered, "and I shouldn't've tried to play God by bringing Frank back from the dead. Because of my selfishness, two innocents were killed."
"Three," Phoebe corrected in a whisper.
"Because of your 'selfishness'," Cole slowly glanced from Phoebe to Alicia, "I was able to see my child, to feel her, and hear her heartbeat and I can never repay you for that. I can meet my fate because no matter what Phoebe's said in my time, I know that she's still cared enough about me to carry our child, to raise our child in all the ways that are good."
Phoebe pressed herself back against Cole and pulled his hands around her waist to rest on her belly. "We've had closure because of you, Licia, but this isn't how we wanted you to be repaid."
Alicia smiled gratefully, "At least some good's come from this, I'm glad for you, Phoebe."
Piper noticed a slight movement by Frank and called for Paige, "He's moving! We need to open the portal!"
Phoebe frowned, "But we used our blood the last time. How can we do the spell if Alicia's y'know..."
"Tell me what else you need and I'll get it," Cole offered.
"I'll go with you," Paige warily volunteered before she realized that Alicia was a ghost. "Omigod...Alicia..."
"I'll go alone," Cole stated, not wanting any of the sisters to see Alicia.
Piper nodded to Cole and held Paige back. She didn't want her sister to see Alicia's body. "Cole can take care of it. We need to work on a Power of Three spell in case the portal doesn't work."
"The golden bowl and athame are in my bedroom on the dresser," Alicia mentioned to him. "We'll also need the candles to light in a circle and around the room." She shrugged to Phoebe, "Guess it was good I got distracted and didn't clean up."
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Piper looked over the hallway and nodded in satisfaction. The circle of candles was in the center of the hallway, between the trapped Frank and her sisters in the living room. "Paige, you take those candles over there, I'll start lighting these."
Alicia nodded but questioned a quiet Phoebe who stood in front of Cole, "Are you sure you're well enough to do this? I already put the baby in jeopardy once, I don't want anything to go wrong now."
Phoebe reached for Cole's hand and squeezed it, "We'll be okay. She's strong and I think she knows this's something she has to do."
"Then let's do it," Paige suggested as she finished lighting her last candle, "before Tony comes back in here to see what's going on."
"Tony, hmmm..." Alicia smiled.
"Not you too," Paige groaned. "Look, I couldn't keep calling him Inspector and --"
"Enough," Cole ordered. He led Phoebe inside the circle where he'd prepared the golden bowl with Alicia's blood and the athame. When Alicia joined them in the circle, he picked up the athame and reached for Phoebe's left wrist. He unbound her bandage and, when she nodded to him, he swiftly reopened the wound with the athame.
Phoebe held her breath, trying not to feel the pain, as her blood dripped into the bowl and mixed with Alicia's.
"It's enough," Alicia softly said.
Cole quickly rewrapped the cut and supported Phoebe as they left the circle, "We'll change it when this's over." They took position in the doorway of the living room, the circle of candles between them and the crystal trap.
Phoebe seemed paler than before and Piper worried, "Maybe we should wait until you're stronger."
But Phoebe disagreed, "We can't keep him frozen in our dining room for days. Let's do it and get it over with." She waited for Piper and Paige to get into position behind Frank and then held out the sheet of paper with the spell she'd written earlier.
Alicia read from the sheet and recited the spell along with Phoebe,
"A choice granted for redemption, love, and hate,
Return these lovers now to meet their fate."
The flames were extinguished by a gust of wind and Cole tightened his grip on Phoebe. "Get ready," he warned her sisters.
Paige glanced at Piper before she knelt next to one of the crystals.
The air began to shimmer above the golden bowl and Phoebe moaned. And as the portal grew, so did her pain. "Now!" she cried out to her sisters as she her knees buckled and she doubled over in Cole's arms.
Paige removed the crystal and the trap disappeared. "Now, Alicia!"
Alicia waited in front of Phoebe and Cole and called Frank's name.
He turned in surprise from the sound of her voice, twisted, and lunged for her.
But Piper acted quickly and, just as he moved, she shoved him toward the portal.
As he lost his balance and stumbled through the opening, Alicia whispered, "Burn in hell, Frank."
"Aliciaaaaaaa!"
The portal closed almost immediately and everyone rushed towards Phoebe who lay in Cole's arms screaming silently in pain.
Cole held her close and kept his hand pressed to his unborn daughter as if that could help keep her safe.
Piper carefully stroked Phoebe's arm and murmured words of comfort but she glanced at Cole and realized he was just as scared as she that Phoebe might miscarry.
After what seemed like an eternity, the pain seemed to ease and Phoebe slowly stirred.
"Shhh," Cole soothed while his own heart continued to beat madly, "don't try to move yet. Just rest another minute."
Unable to look at anyone, Phoebe wearily closed her eyes and whispered in a hoarse voice, "Did it work?"
Paige nodded, even though Phoebe wasn't watching, "He's gone."
"Funny," Alicia commented, "how it all makes sense now."
Piper tore her gaze away from Phoebe and looked at Alicia, "What does?"
"Frank came back to me from the moment before he was killed," Alicia explained. "I still remember it so clearly. I'd been dazed in the fight with the Zarlak and didn't realize Frank was there. But I heard him scream my name and turned just in time to see the Zarlak kill him. Almost every day for the past year, I've heard him scream my name over and over in my nightmares and I blamed myself for being the one who distracted him. But now I know the truth."
"What truth?" Paige wondered while she kept her eyes on Phoebe.
"That the scream I heard then was actually him screaming my name now." Piper and Paige stared wide-eyed at her and, with a wry smile, she continued, "Frank was distracted all right but it wasn't because I was in danger at that moment, it was because I'd just sent him back to the past. That scream wasn't a scream of love and concern but of surprise and betrayal."
"You never betrayed him," Phoebe weakly argued as she slowly sat up with Cole's arms still supporting her.
"Maybe," Alicia considered, "and maybe I didn't give him a chance to explain."
"He killed you!" Piper angrily reminded her.
"There's that too," Alicia sighed. "I am sorry for everything," she apologized, "and I owe you for helping me set things right. Call me and I'll be there. But right now I think it's time for me to go."
"I'll miss you," Phoebe softly cried.
"Me too," Alicia smiled sadly. She gave a slight wave to them all, "Blessed be..."
"Ghosts too?" Inspector Pagetino gasped from his vantage point.
Paige spun and guided him back to the sunroom, "If we're gonna be starting something here, I think we'd better have a chat about what it means to stay out of it."
Piper watched her other sister and the way Phoebe was gazing up at Cole. She owed them at least a few minutes of privacy before the second portal opened. "If you're really okay, I'll be in the kitchen."
Phoebe nodded gratefully but never took her eyes off Cole. "We don't have much time left, do we?" she whispered.
"It'll be enough," Cole quietly replied before he carefully lifted her up and carried her to the sofa.
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