Chapter 2

Piper let Cole calm down after his outburst. Yesterday she would have scoffed at such a comment but today it didn't seem so out there. Yesterday she was so absorbed in her life with Chris and Wyatt and things started to get better with Leo. Today..

When it came to Cole she had become unattached because she always saw her sister's pain. To look at him again was something she avoided and she now remembered why.

She said nothing and handed an old parchment to him. Leo gave it to her to give to Cole. Cole took it but still looked into her eyes. Her soft brown eyes were so similar to Phoebe's..

He recognized his own writing on the parchment. He read the words but didn't understand them. In over a hundred years he'd nearly learned as many languages. Then it came to him, a spell he had written while doing Raynor's training. Raynor had said it was brilliant in theory but simply didn't work. There were not enough dark magicks in the world to complete the spell.

"A demon cursed Phoebe with that spell, Cole," Piper told him. "You have to reverse it."

"The spell works?"

Piper nodded.

He longed to see her again.. Phoebe needed him. Piper then said, "Cole, the only thing we've ever had in common is our love for my sister. Please. Help us."

There was movement behind Piper and then Cole noticed Jessica looking at him.

"Mommy is getting mad, you'll be in real trouble soon," Jessica promised him.

"I'll be down in a moment, sweetheart."

Piper had turned around and had a look of shock on her face. Jessica giggled and ran away.

"Your daughter?" Piper asked.

"Yeah. I guess that's another thing we have in common. I'm a parent too. Look, Piper, I wish I could help, I do."

"I hear a very familiar 'But' coming into this," she muttered.

"I have a family. And Phoebe.. you know how she feels about me. If I'm helping her, she'll tolerate me but the minute she's done using me she'll send me away again."

Piper knew Paige echoed that sentiment exactly. Though she would not give up. Just when she was about to try to convince Cole more, he walked past her.

"Don't walk away from me, Cole!" she yelled after him. Piper followed him.

At the bottom of the stairs her eyes followed Cole's gaze at his family. She saw Emily, the girl who introduced herself earlier and the girl that had moments before interrupted them upstairs. Piper also saw another girl, so like the other one. Cole must have two daughters.

Emily stood up from the table.

"Ms, uh.."

"Halliwell," Piper added.

Emily smiled. "Ms Halliwell. Would you like to join us for lunch?"

Piper smiled. "Why not?" She grinned at Cole. "You don't mind, Cole, do you?"

"Course not," he said, forcing a smile. The look on his face showed very much that he did mind, and even Melina and Jessica could have guessed so.

"How do we know she's okay?" Paige asked Leo. "Cole could have done anything to her by now." Leo avoided rolling his eyes. "Is he such a bad guy, Paige?"

"Yes!"

"And why is that?"

"He destroyed my sister."

Leo thought for a moment. "Chris condemned me to Valhalla for months"

"That's different."

"How? Cole never did anything that bad. Phoebe made her decision and we stood by her. He did some awful things, but its been so long…"

"Just forgive and forget?"

"I feel sorry for all your ex's. You jump at the chance at killing your sister's boyfriend even after all he's done. Belueve me, he's aided us more then he's hurt us."

"It doesn't make it just all go away."

"It will never go away at the rate you're going."

Paige rolled her eyes. She was about to say something when she was interrupted by the shrill of a cell phone. It was coming from Phoebe's purse.

"Paige? Can't you do your glamour thing?"

"And impersonate her while she's possibly dying? That's sick."

"And if someone gets worried about her and send the cops over? When they ask why we haven't sent our non responsive family member to a hospital yet, what are we gonna say?"

"I hear you, I hear you."

Paige glamoured and took upon Phoebe's appearance. She picked up the phone.

"Hello? Oh hi Elise. Yeah, sorry about that. I kinda have a family emergency.."

Leo nearly laughed. Elise wouldn't know the difference because that was a hundred percent Phoebe to the tee. Leo wondered how Piper was doing. He hoped Cole wasn't being too harsh to his wife. Of course, he was sure that wasn't the case.