Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Author's Note: Hi! Thanks for reading!
Goldstranger: Hi, not only was I watching those episoded but I was surprised by how interested I got by seeing Cole - my fanfiction heart belongs to Chris - but I thought I'd give this a shot. Also, (before Chris) my Charmed viewing habits were kinda erratic, so yeah, probably Phoebe's unborn baby was supposed to bea boy, but I didn't know that. Sorry. I made it a girl only becuase we already have two boys and I thoughtI'd mix it up a little. Thanks for reading.
Icantthinkofafnick: Hi! Thanks so much for following me into Cole. (hehe) I don't know what's come over me, but I assure you... Chris is and always will be the center of my fanfic attentions.
Katbaby: Hi, lol, I tried to picture what the sisters would like if they ever saw Cole again... glad you liked...
Hope you enjoy...
PLEASE REVIEW!
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"I just wanted to see, Daddy, but I don't know which one it is, and a 'onster attacked me and I didn't know and tried to blow it, but I a'scared and the blow ups kept going o'dther places and Lady said I was evil and I'm not, I don't think anyways, and I didn't know how to get 'ome and I wanted you and the cookies were good and Lady said I was dead and that you 'idn't want me to know and I wanna know which one it is."
The child finally paused for breath, long enough to realize that her Daddy hadn't been looking at her while she talked, hadn't even been paying particular attention.
She took both her small hands and put one on either side of his face, "Daddy?" she questioned.
It was the hesitant, almost frightened tone in her voice that broke Cole out of his shock. He'd vaguely registered that his daughter had been talking to him and had stored the words she'd said away for future examination.
Right, now though, his eyes focused her face and the tear stains and smears of dirt there. And the terror he'd been feeling for the better part of the day…
"Christ! Tessa, you scared me to death!" he exclaimed before yanking her towards him again and hugging her close. This time he closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of his baby girl, searching for the peace and love and contentment he always found when he held her.
It was harder to find – the fact that he was standing in the Hallowell kitchen probably had something to do with that – but he did find it.
After a moment he pulled back, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?""
"Nuh-uh," she said smiling now that her Daddy was being normal.
Cole released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. And suddenly he felt a change in the environment; looking up, he realized there was no more wailing, and that Piper now held a small dark-haired bundle in her arms. Her expression still shocked. Phoebe was now sitting at the table, her expression simply thunderstruck… and definitely pasty.
He turned back to his daughter, moving to stand her on the table. So she was almost eye level with him. Somewhere in the back of his mind a little voice told him Piper Hallowell would not like him standing the child on her kitchen table, but he ignored the voice. It didn't matter to him what any Hallowell's wanted or didn't want – he was no longer part of their world – and he planned to keep it that way.
"We have a serious problem here kid." He said, doing his best to ignore the stares he was getting.
"Yeah, she's not the only one," Piper cut in, "Are you… uh… you know, ever going to stay dead?"
"Dead?" the girl echoed, looking from her father to Piper.
Cole sent Piper a quelling look and she had the grace to look a little ashamed, than he turned a smile his daughter.
It looked like he was going to have to do some damage control. "There's a story behind that, babe," he told her softly.
Then he swung her off the table and onto the floor. "That I'll tell you about it one day, but not today. Because today you and I are gonna have a really long talk about the use of powers and informing the adults responsible for you of your whereabouts," he said, than reached for the plate of cookies, "First though I have to fix this mess. I'm having adult-time now, so go in the living room with the cookies and don't blow anything up." He handed her the plate, she stared at it a moment before sighing and taking it.
Than she looked up at him and scowled, "I didn't mean to blow up the sign."
Cole frowned, "What sign?" Last time he'd checked his daughter had blown up a windshield not a sign.
"Outside." She said, trying to take a cookie off the plate, but needing both her little hands to hold onto the rather large plate.
"Here?" He asked.
"Yeah." She said, giving up on trying to get a cookie while holding the plate.
He sighed shaking his head, "Living room, please."
"'kay," she conceded, walking away. Cole watched her tiny form retreat before turning to face the sisters.
Piper no longer held the baby, and was now sitting next to Phoebe, holding her sister's hand and rubbing soothing circles on her back.
And the truth was Phoebe didn't look too well. She was pale and her breathing was erratic and he had the feeling that she'd sat down because it was either that or fall down.
"So…" he said, grimacing a little, "…how's it going?"
Piper scowled, "What the hell is going on?" she hissed.
Cole sighed again, "This wasn't supposed to happen. I swear. I was never going to come here again. I just heard her call, and sensed her for the first time all day. I didn't think I justcame; I didn't pause to feel where I was sensing her, I just followed the feeling."
"That isn't an answ-" Piper began, but Phoebe cut her off.
"You have daughter." She said softly, her eyes dull.
Cole met her gaze, it was dull and hurt and shocked to its very core, and it almost made him flinch. But he didn't: He had nothing to hide, nothing to be ashamed of; he told himself, before answering, "Yes."
"A daughter who blows things up."
"Yes."
"What else can she do?"
"Levitate, freeze things, move things, see things, and feel things." He listed, than added, just to cut to the chase, "Those are the powers she inherited from her maternal side. The powers she gets from me are different and as of yet undeveloped."
The kitchen was silent.
Phoebe stood and walked around the table to stand in front of Cole. She ignored the emotions the flared up in her. The anger, the hurt, the betrayal - the warmer emotions that she refused to even contemplate… and focused on his dark eyes, on the beating of her heart, on the certainty in her soul.
"Who is her mother?" She asked her voice hoarse.
His gaze didn't waver, "She doesn't have one."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, "Everyon-"
"No Phoebe, that's all there is to it. She doesn't have one. She didn't develop in or was nurtured by a womb, she didn't slide out of a woman, she wasn't coddled or changed or fed by a woman. She doesn't have a mother."
Phoebe didn't respond right away, she just stared at him and he stared back. The air between them heavy with the weight of memories. After a moment she asked in a thick voice, "Who did she get her maternal powers from?"
Cole forced himself to not break eye contact: he had nothing to hide, nothing to be ashamed of. He'd done nothing wrong.
If anybody had something to hide, something to be ashamed of; had done something wrong – it was her, not him.
"You." He said simply, and immediately wished he hadn't been so blunt, wished he'd qualified his words, softened his tone, done something to avoid the way her face actually got paler, her eyes wider, and her knees seemed to buckle.
Instinctively, he reached out and wrapped his hands around her elbows, keeping her up. It took her approximately, one nanosecond to realize he was touching her. She shoved herself away, staggering backwards and tripping over her own feet at the same time. Again he reached for her, stopping her from hitting the floor.
"Don't touch me!" she hissed, blinded by the tears that had appeared out of no where.
His hands dropped immediately, Piper was there suddenly helping her sister right herself.
"Calm down honey," she said gently.
But Phoebe wasn't going to calm down, Phoebe hadn't even reacted yet, so there would be no calming down for quite some time. At the moment she was shaking and tears streamed down her face and the actual comprehension of what was happening was eluding her.
She shook her head, "I… ho- how? It's not poss- possible…" her words were low and stuttered and Piper shot a glare at Cole.
"What the hell are you talking about?" She hissed at him.
Cole tore his gaze away from Phoebe's trembling form and faced his ex-sister-in-law, "I think what I said is clear."
"Well you're wrong!" Piper stated heatedly, "Because let me tell you, it's possible for a man to have a child and not know it, but it sure as hell isn't possible for a woman to! Not to mention that the child…" she hesitated a moment, before continuing, "The being the source planted inside Phoebe was destroyed with the Seer."
His eyes widened, before his gaze fell to Phoebe again, and the corners of his lips lifted upwards an ugly smirk, full of bitterness and cynicism, "So that's how you did it." He said and the tight control of his words sent shivers through both women.
Piper waited for Phoebe to say something, anything, but the younger woman seemed to have gone mute. She stood there, next to her sister, her hand in the crook of her sister's arm and stared at Cole as if seeing him for the first time.
"How we did what?" Piper finally asked.
He answered, but his gaze remained on Phoebe, "How you could live with yourselves after murdering one of your own." He said simply, but the heat in his gaze spoke much more than the words.
Piper gasped, Phoebe flinched.
Piper shook her head, "That's not what hap-"
She began, but Cole cut her off, his eyes still on Phoebe and Piper felt her sister start to shake again.
"That's exactly what happened. The "being" was a child, an innocent. And it wasn't "planted by the source" it was created... by love; at least I thought it had been. I thought the child was the culmination of a love that had fought for its right to survive. Obviously I was wrong. And the child wasn't "destroyed with the seer" it was killed with the seer; murdered by its own family." His words were uncompromising and when he was finished absolute silence reigned.
Then Phoebe pulled away from Piper and staggered over to a chair, sinking down onto it, she placed her elbows on the table and buried her face in her hands. "Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god oh god… oh god… oh god what have I done… this can't be happening, this can't be right... oh god…"
"Phoebe…" Piper said softly, approaching her sister.
The woman lifted her head and stared at her older sister with a look of absolute despair marring her features, "Oh, god Piper…" she wailed softly, "… what is this? What have I done?" She trailed off, a sob catching in her throat.
This couldn't be happening.
Cole Turner could not be standing in her kitchen, telling her they had a child. A daughter. A four-year-old daughter.
It couldn't be happening.
He couldn't be telling her that she'd killed her own child.
And yet didn't she know it?
Hadn't she always known it?
That was the thought that was making her sob. The knowledge that somewhere inside she'd always known that she'd killed her own child. She'd justified it– it was evil, had tried to kill her sister, had almost exposed magic, been the seed of the Source of all Evil – but sometimes, at night when the Manor was quiet except for the sounds of Wyatt's breathing or Chris's sleepy sighs, she'd let herself accept the fact that no matter what – she'd killed her baby.
And in the end, there was no excuse for that.
"You haven't done anything," Piper said firmly, "Try to calm down, there has to be an explanation for this." She shot Cole another angry look, "And we'd like to get it now."
Cole said nothing but began moving towards the table.
"Daddy, I'm finished," Tessa stated happily as she hopped into the kitchen, her brown locks bouncing with her.
She outstretched the plate to her father, who immediately took it from her hands. His face had transformed itself the instant she'd walked in. His eyes were warm when he looked at her, the lines of his face soft.
They knew in that moment, that whatever else he'd been or was - Cole Turner was a good father.
"Can I talk to the ladies now? Is adult time over? Can I stay?" She asked eagerly. Her head tilted all the way back to look into her father's face.
"No you can't." He said, firmly, "I'm taking you back to Angie."
The little girls mouth dropped open, comically, "You can't!" she cried.
"Tessa do you have any idea what you've done?" Cole asked, his voice soft but still stern, "To begin with you scared Angie to death, you scared me to death!" He amended, quickly.
Than frowned, lowering himself to her height, "Speaking of which, why couldn't I sense you?"
The child looked down right away, her little hands folded in front of her, "Uh…."
"Tessa…"
"I loved the cookies, Ms. Piper, they were sooooo great!" Tessa exclaimed, whirling around to face Piper.
Piper blinked in surprise, "Umm, thanks…"
"Tessa…" Cole said again.
"They were crunchy at just the right places and chewy inside and the chips were melte-"
"Tessa Pilar Turner, answer me when I ask you a question." Cole said, his voice hadn't gotten louder, but the tone had become menacing.
The tiny girl sighed in defeat, before turning around to face her father, "Lady gave me a potion to drinks."
One eyebrow arched, and his eyes got stormy, "Tessa I'm going to take you back to Angie right now, than later when I get home, we're going to have a very long discussion which is going to end with you punished."
Tears immediately filled the girls' eyes, "Oh Daddy, no please. Please don't take me away, I don't even know which one it is? Which one is it Daddy? Please tell me!" The tears spilled, "Don't make me go without knowing, I… I wanna ask… and I… I'm not evil… I gotta tell her…" the tears were supplemented with sobs and Cole's whole face melted.
He gathered her to his chest and stood slowly, than went to the table and sat down. Holding her like an infant, her tiny face buried in his chest.
When the sobs subsided he spoke, "That's the second time you've mentioned being evil, Tess, I wanna know what's been goin on in that head of yours."
The girl sniffled and the sisters continued to watch this child unblinkingly, she was amazing – brilliant and yet… such a child.
"It's jus- just tha- that Lady-"
"Who's Lady?" Cole interrupted.
"Ummm" she began hesitantly,than smiled alittle, "…you know you're my favoritest Daddy in the world right?" She said sweetly, drying her tears a little, her little chest still rising and falling quickly.
Cole sighed, "I hate answers that start like that."
Tessa did a miniature of his sigh, "Lady is my friend." She said, than scowled at her Dad, and in that moment both sisters saw Phoebe.
It was clear as day, the heart shaped face, the hair, the small frame, the big eyes, the boundless enthusiasm – she was Phoebe's daughter.
Piper's grip on her sister tightened, when Phoebe made a tiny sound of distress. Cole's eyes met hers over the top of their daughter's head, and Phoebe didn't blink back the tears fast enough.
He saw them.
But he looked away.
Phoebe Hallowell deserved no sympathy from him.
"Lady told me 'bout the Power of Three… you didn't." She said with emphasis and the sisters leaned in closer at the mention of their power.
"Tess, what exactly has been going on with you lately?"
"Lady visits me when you're asleep."
"Impossible, no one can get that apartment. It's -"
"I kinda, rearranged some of da crystals, so she could get in." Tessa said sheepishly.
Cole took a deep breath, counted to ten and than spoke, "Do you understand how dangerous it is for you to allow magical beings into our home at night when I don't know about it?"
"Lady is my friend." Tessa insisted.
"Is that her name, "Lady"?"
"Uh… well… she wouldn't tell me her name, so I just called her Lady, 'cause that's what she is."
"So what did you do during these visits?" He asked as calmly as he could, considering all signs pointed to the fact that his daughter had been hanging out with a demon.
"She answers my questions and we go to the underworld sometimes, to practice my powers – the demonic ones and one day I told her that it was easier to use my 'emonic ones than my o'd'ther ones and she told it was 'cause I was only a fourth demon and in da o'd'ther powers I 'ad the power of three and those were harder to control and I said 'huh' and she was real surprised I 'idn't know what the power of three was and she told me it was the 'ower of the Charmed Ones and I said 'huh' and she was even more surprised I 'idn't know who d'they were and she told me my 'ommy was a Charm-ed One and I 'old her 'idn't know anything 'bout my 'ommy and told me she'd tell me and she 'old me my 'ommy 'anquished me and and that everybody knew the Charmed Ones were good and if they 'anquished me it was 'cause I was evil and I 'old her no and asked how come my 'ommy'd do that and she 'old me to ask her myself and she sent me 'ere."
Cole's heart clenched and he pulled his daughter close again. He knew the more upset, or nervous, or scared she got the worse her speaking became.
It might not look like much to an outsider, but he knew by those mistakes in her words, by that amount of babbling, that the memory upset her.
He cuddled her a moment, refusing to look at either sister. He just held her, his baby. Life had been simple when they'd returned from the Wasteland. He'd had a new reason for living, a second chance, and he wasn't going to mess it up for someone who so clearly didn't want him in her life – or even a piece of him.
He was a divorce attorney, it wasn't as high-profile as criminal law, but more his speed than social work. His daughter had the IQ of most college students, his neighbor was a good witch who didn't get freaked out when Tessa froze the hamster, and they'd never been attacked by anything supernatural. His life was full and happy and he rarely spent a minute of it contemplating the past.
Sometimes though, when he watched his little girl sleep he wondered if he was doing the right thing. She was so much like her mother…. but he'd push the thought away – he'd done nothing wrong, had nothing to hide, nothing to be ashamed of.
"Which one is it Daddy?" The soft question broke into his thoughts, and he focused on his daughter's wide eyes.
She had her mother's eyes.
He lifted her to a sitting position, and turned her to face the sisters.
"The one with the short hair. Phoebe." He said simply.
The woman in question seemed to jerk suddenly as if she'd been pulled from a dream.
Tessa was off her father's lap in an instant, and he was gripped with moment of panic.
God, if Phoebe hurt her… if she said something, or did something to hurt his baby… the thought trailed off as he remembered her tear filled eyes.
"Hi," the little girl said, softly, standing in front of Phoebe's chair.
Phoebe took a steadying breath.
There were moments in life that changed everything. From being betrayed by an emissary of the greatest source of good in existence to long ago discovering the existence of magic.
This was without a shadow of a doubt, one of those moments – she had a daughter.
And looking into those eyes – her own eyes – she knew that no matter what Cole thought or did or said – she was a mother now; and hell would freeze over before she'd relinquish this little girl.
She reached out and pulled the girl to her, Tessa went eagerly, burying her face in Phoebe's neck and breathing her in.
Phoebe was doing some breathing of her own. Inhaling the scent of her daughter and amazingly she felt the knot in her stomach ease, the yanking in her soul slow to a throbbing – a certainty.
"Hi," she whispered into her daughter's hair, squeezing her just a little tighter.
"I'm not evil." Tessa whispered, pulling back so she could see into her mother's face. Her hazel eyes sincere.
"No your not…" Phoebe choked out, "… you're beautiful and smart and I'm so sorry… what happened… it was…" Phoebe trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"… an accident…" Tessa supplied helpfully, her gaze hopeful.
Phoebe nodded, vigorously, "Yes, exactly, an accident, a mistake… I wanted that baby… I wanted you…" she finished on a hoarse whisper, that came from the depths of her soul.
It was a confession she'd never made to anyone.
Tessa grinned, "I was 'oping you'd say d'that. 'Cause everybody makes 'istakes sometimes and accidents 'appen to everyone… so it's okay."
"It's okay…" Phoebe parroted.
"'course…" Tessa replied with the simplicity of a child. Already in her mind the incident was over. People made mistakes, when they were sorry, they should be forgiven… it was a very clear concept in her mind.
A slow smile spread across Phoebe's face, "I love you Tessa." She said softly and shocked even herself, by meaning the words from the very core of her being.
Tessa grinned, "I love you too. You're my mommy." Her grin faltered, "I can call you mommy can't I?"
"''course…" Phoebe said, imitating her, "That's what I am… what else would you call me?"
The grin was back, and the child threw her arms around her mother's neck again, "This is going to be so great!" She exclaimed, "I knew it had to be a mistake. I knew my mommy wouldn't wanna kill me. I knew it."
Phoebe tightened her hold again, those words made her skin crawl. Whoever had told this child that her mother had wanted her dead, was in for a helluva surprise when Phoebe got a hold of her.
Phoebe pulled her back, "I would never, ever do anything to hurt you. Ever. You're my baby girl and I want you know, from now on, that no matter what, everything I do is because I want what's best for you."
Again she meant it, with every fiber of her being… who knew you could love someone so much instantly.
Although, she had loved her nephews instantly too.
Her eyes widened, "Tessa!" she said excitedly, as the shock began to wear away and leave behind an almost giddy feeling.
"You have cousins!" She told her daughter, and the reaction she got was exactly what she'd been expecting.
"Really?" the girls eyes lit up even more.
"Yep, two of them! Boys! And they'r-"
Phoebe would have continued, but a loud cough interrupted her, "Excuse me… but shouldn't I get introduced before the cousins?" Piper asked, amused, her eyes riveted on the dark-haired girl.
Phoebe flushed, shifting Tessa on her lap, "Right, good point… that is my sister…"
"Yep, I'm the sister and if she gets to be mommy, I wanna be Auntie Piper!" Piper cried with a smile, than opened her arms, "And where's my hug?"
Tessa flew off her mother's lap and into her aunt's arms, she held on tight before pulling away and climbing down from Piper's lap. She stood between the two women and looked happily at her father.
"Look Daddy, I got a mommy and an Auntie Piper!" She said with so much enthusiasm and happiness that her little body fairly vibrated.
Cole smiled, it didn't reach his eyes, "Amazing isn't it." He stated, deadpan, than arched an eyebrow, "It doesn't matter how many relatives you acquire today, Tessa, it does not excuse you for your behavior."
The vibrations stopped and the girl frowned, "You can't be mad."
The eyebrow arched, "Why not?"
"'Cause I asked you about my mommy, but you were too busy."
"So you decided to ask a demon?"
Outrage lit the girls eyes, "Lady's not a demon!" She exclaimed, "Demons are ugly like the one outside, Lady is beautiful."
"What demon outside?" He asked immediately, transferring his gaze from sister to sister waiting for an answer.
"There was demon on the sidewalk it had scales." Tessa answered, even though her Daddy wasn't looking at her anymore.
His eyes lit with understanding, "That's who you were trying to blow up…"
She nodded, "Yep, but the blow ups weren't workin right."
"Did he touch you, say something to you…" Cole asked, his eyes intense.
Tessa shook her head, but suddenly she looked sad and walked over to her Daddy, seeking the comfort only he could provide as the experience rushed back at with all the vividness of reality, "He said he was going to kill me and I was scared. Really, really scared…."
He lifted her onto his lap, "I'm sorry you were scared, baby." He murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, "I need to talk to the ladies, so I'm going to drop you off at Angie's and come ba-"
"No, Daddy, please. I wanna stay. I'll be good. You talk to mommy and Auntie Piper and I'll go to the living room and watch tv." She turned to Phoebe, "I can watch tv right?"
"Of course." Phoebe said softly, she'd noticed the way Cole flinched when Tessa had said "mommy and Auntie Piper" and was dreading the conversation he wanted to have with her.
She could drum up outrage; in fact, she could feel it lying in wait at the base of her stomach. The rage that he could have kept her daughter from her, that he could have raised and loved her without telling her, that by the looks of things – he'd never planned to tell her, but somehow she knew that that really wouldn't be viable, that his points would be more valid than hers.
"See daddy! Please! I haven't even met cousins yet!" Tessa proceeded, "I won't bother, I won't listen either, I'll stay in the living room and be good and no blow-ups." She finished, calmly, her words clear and pleading.
Cole sighed, cuddling her, "Okay, fine, but only because you were scared and you can't use it anymore."
They watched the girl light up, "Okay, deal." She squealed, and hopped off his lap, all traces of fear gone. She looked over at Phoebe, "When you and Daddy are done talking will you introduce me to cousins."
All pensive thoughts left Phoebe's mind, "When we're done talking I'm going to introduce you to everyone and we're going to talk for ever… we have life stories to share."
Tessa giggled, "Good," she proclaimed, then turned and skipped out of the room.
The room was completely silent when she left. A moment later the soft hum of the television could be heard but still the three adults in the room said nothing.
Cole finally sighed again, and spoke calmly, "I'm sure this is a shock to both you." He began, his voice cordial, but his eyes ice. He opened his mouth to continue, but Piper cut him off.
"Yeah, it is, but it shouldn't be. You never stay dead." She hissed.
He didn't reply right away, and when he did it had nothing to do with what Piper had said, "I need to know what happened here today."
Piper looked to Phoebe, but Phoebe didn't seem like she was planning on ever talking again. So Piper made a frustrated sound and spit out the story, "Phoebe was leaving for work, we heard a scream, went outside. Tessa was on the sidewalk there was a demon standing over her and a bush burning off to one side, Phoebe ran inside to get water, I froze the scene, Tessa didn't freeze, Phoebe came back out, Tessa ran around the corner, Phoebe put the fire out, I blew up the demon and Phoebe went after Tessa."
She paused, then said, "It's your turn now. How is this possible?"
He opened his mouth and the baby monitor cut him off. Wyatt was howling.
Both women jumped to there feet automatically, hearts pounding, before they remembered that it couldn't be magical because the alarm hadn't gone off. They both exhaled.
Chris started to wail too, and they were angry wails at being interrupted twice in one nap.
Piper turned to Phoebe, "Which do you want?"
Phoebe smiled a little, "I had Chris this morning, I'll take Wyatt." She said and almost ran to the stair and flew up them.
Piper shook her head, as her gaze following her, "…'course has nothing to do with Wyatt being upstairs…" she muttered as she went to her youngest and lifted him again.
He wasn't as easily comforted this time – he was extremely pissed off.
"Come on Chris…" Piper cooed, "… it's okay, Wyatt didn't mean to wake you up…" she continued.
The cries faded a few minutes later and she looked up, Cole was watching her, "You have two sons?" he asked.
She nodded, "Wyatt and Chris. Wyatt is two and Chris is five months."
Cole nodded.
Piper walked over to him and leaned Chris forward so Cole could see the baby's face, "This is Chris. Isn't he just the cutest thing…"
Cole smiled, the baby was probably really cute, but right now he was seriously upset and had blotches of red all over his little face, which was screwed up in anger.
Piper laughed, at his expression, "Wait till you see him at twenty." She said happily.
Cole's smile faltered a little, and he frowned at her, but didn't get a chance to say anything because Phoebe reentered the kitchen with a very blonde toddler held protectively in her arms.
Something in him squeezed as he saw her. The way the boy melded into her, the way she supported him with her hip, securing him against her with the fierceness of a protector – she should have held their daughter like that – instead she'd vanquished her.
The blonde boy – Wyatt – had a flushed face that was tearstained and was holding on to his aunt tightly, his breathing still erratic.
Piper frowned, "What happened?" she asked, the concern of a parent on her face.
Phoebe shook her, her features just as tight, "I don't know, but…" she took a deep breath, "… I think there was something in there."
Piper paled, "What? The alarm didn't go off."
Phoebe shrugged a little, walking closer to the island, "I just… felt it… nothing was moved, and he's not hurt. I checked him over… nothing… not a scratch, not a hair missing… but there was… an aura in the room when I ran in… it was dark almost…" she trailed off.
"Almost what?" Piper asked.
"… stifling, like you couldn't breathe… not to mention that he was terrified." She finished.
Piper walked over, she was still holding Chris; she reached out with one hand and smoothed Wyatt's hair and the side of his face, than leaned over and pressed a kiss to his temple. She drew a shaky breath and locked eyes with Phoebe, "I can't… do this again…" she whispered.
Phoebe nodded vigorously, "I know what you mean. I think I'm shaking too."
Piper nodded and both woman went to the table, and sat down, holding the boys.
"I think we should get Paige," Phoebe said softly, "In case… we might need the power of three and that way she could stay with Wyatt and you with Chris and I can go in the nursery and see if I get a vision or something."
"Plus I think Paige would like to know about her new niece." Piper commented looking at Cole again who was studying them.
He walked over to them and sat down too, "What kind of alarm didn't go off?" he asked,
"We have a lot of different crystals and stuff set up the nursery to alert us if evil enters the room." Piper responded.
He nodded, "Yeah, so do I at my apartment, but as you heard if something gets moved, it doesn't go off."
"Yeah, but there's no one to move it here. No one but us three and Leo go in the nursery."
"Yeah, I checked when I was up there." Phoebe added, "I checked everything. Nothing was moved."
Piper nodded, her expression worried.
"Where's Paige?" Cole finally asked after a few minutes.
"Magic School." Piper answered, than added quickly when he seemed about to question that, "You were going to tell us how this is possible."
Cole nodded, "Right." He paused than took a deep breath, "After the last vanquish, when I was in the wasteland I was approached by an Avatar. An Avatar is-"
Both women groaned, "Christ, you don't have to explain." Piper growled in frustration, "We know what Avatars are."
Her tone of voice left him no doubt as to what he thought of them.
"We've had a recent run-in with them." Phoebe explained. She was doing a good job of not examining the fact that she was sitting at the kitchen table having a conversation with her supposedly dead ex-husband.
His eyes studied her, than Piper, than her again, before his lips twitched a little, "I thought something weird happened a couple weeks ago, had a day-long sense of deja'vu."
Piper nodded, "Yeah, so the Avatars…"
"yeah… so they approached me and asked me to consider joining them again, offered me their reasons for wanting me, shared their plans. Told me why I was exactly what they were looking for – someone who understood both sides – who could the see the middle and actually preferred it. I didn't think it was a great idea, they persisted - offered me incentives… I asked them for my life and my child. They agreed to give the child life and the form it would have had had it been born. They resurrected me as well, giving me enough power to be able to protect my daughter if the need arose and agreed to let met think about for a few weeks. I did, and decided that I still didn't want to join them. They accepted my decision and moved on to new territory."
The girls blinked at him, "Just like that?" Piper asked.
"They don't force you join, that would defeat the purpose." He stated.
"But… they gave you…"
"It was an incentive to join, just because I accepted didn't mean I had to. It was a demonstration of the power they possessed, the power that could be mine if I wanted it. If I didn't' that was up to me."
Piper shook her head, "They practically forced Leo."
His eyebrows flew to his hairline, "Leo's an Avatar!"
"Well, no, not anymore, but he was. They were on his case for months, and then… true they did something to display their power but it was conditional to him joining."
Cole stared at her, "I don't understand… first of all you can't just stop being an Avatar, and secondly they… Avatars only approach… ambiguous powers… being a whitelighter is not ambiguous, it's good."
"He's an Elder, actually," Phoebe filled him in.
Cole frowned, but Piper spoke, clutching Chris closer to her, "Lately this family has been more ambiguous than we should be." She said softly.
Cole stared again, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Long story," Phoebe responded, he noticed that she clutched the she was holding closer too.
"Anyway, the point is that they practically coerced him into joining."
Cole stared at them a moment, before shrugging, "Maybe they got desperate, the point is they're the ones that made this possible."
"Where have you been living?" Phoebe asked softly after a moment.
He met her gaze a moment, than answered softly, "Napa Valley."
Phoebe swallowed hard, and took a shaking breath, "I don't know how this is going to work Cole… but… I… want…"
She didn't finished because he stood suddenly, startling Wyatt who jumped a little in his aunt's arms.
"Tessa!" He called.
The child bolted into the room, "Yes!" she said happily.
"Meet your cousins, than we're going home."
She stood in shock a moment, her face a mirage of emotions. She obviously wanted to argue, but she knew her Daddy enough to know when tears would get her what she wanted… and when he meant business.
Right now, he meant business.
So she turned to her mother and aunts and found that each one was holding a little boy.
"This is Wyatt," Mommy was saying.
Tessa skipped over, Wyatt sat up straighter as someone nearly his size approached. His blue eyes examining the girl.
Tessa grinned, "hi, Wyatt." She said happily.
Wyatt looked at her than up at his aunt, "Say hi to Tessa, Wy, she's your cousin."
Wyatt looked at Tessa again, "Hi," he said.
"How old are you Wyatt? Do you like to play? We can play together? We can dig for treasure or build a house for Barbie, or color! I love to color! I have water paints! Do you like to paint!" With each word she got more and more excited.
Wyatt said nothing just looked her, his blue eyes inquisitive.
"Wyatt doesn't talk too much yet, honey, he's only two." Phoebe told her daughter.
She deflated for a moment, "Oh," than lit up again, "That's okay, I can teach him! And his numbers too! And you don't need to talk to paint! We can still have lots of fun!" She outstretched her hand, "Come on Wy, we can start right now."
To both Piper and Phoebe's amusement, Wyatt, immediately wiggled off his aunt's lap, landed on the floor, and took Tessa's hand.
Tessa turned and her eyes fell on Chris.
"Is that the other one?" She asked.
Piper nodded, smiling, "This is Chris, he's still a baby, but one day I'm sure he'd be real happy if you taught him his numbers."
Tessa peered at the baby, and grinned, "Oh I will, just as soon as he's bigger…" she reached out with her other hand and tentatively touched his cheek, "Auntie Piper can I… can I hold him?" She asked.
"Of course honey, but first you have sit down and then…"
"We're leaving now Tessa."
She looked up, reminding herself that he meant business, "Will you bring me tomorrow?" She asked.
Cole mentally sighed, just as his daughter had leaned when he was serious, he'd learned how to choose his battles.
Thanks to Lady the Hallowell's were back in his life… and he couldn't see them getting out of it ever again.
They might have given her up when they could convince themselves she was a being implanted by the source, but now… now Tessa was a Hallowell and they'd never let her go. He knew that, in the very core of his being. He could fight it, but in the end, he'd end up losing.
Because they'd stick together, they'd fight him as one, and there was nothing stronger than the Power of Three.
He also knew that Tessa wouldn't give them up either. Not now. She loved them already. She was like them in that respect. Careful about who she allowed in, but once they were in, they stayed there.
It was a binding, unfaltering rule in the Hallowell world, that had only failed once… with him.
"Yeah, baby," he whispered, the stirrings of defeat in his voice, "I'll bring you tomorrow."
She grinned and looked over at Wyatt who was nearly as tall her, "I'll be back tomorrow Wyatt, and we'll play than, okay."
The blonde boy nodded, releasing his cousin's hand.
"While I'm gone you think 'bout what you want to color, I'll bring my paints and we'll make stuff for mommy and Auntie Piper."
Again Wyatt nodded.
Tessa smiled, than gave her Auntie Piper a hug goodbye; than ran over to her mother; they hugged tightly for few minutes.
Phoebe pulled, "We'll have that long talk tomorrow okay."
Tessa nodded.
Phoebe stood with the girl in her arms, she walked over to Cole.
"You bring her back." She said almost through clenched teeth. He'd cut her off when she'd been going to address the issue of her motherhood. But it didn't matter; they'd have to talk about it sometime. He couldn't run forever.
Cole nodded – once, before reaching for Tessa.
Without another word, they dissolved into multicolored dots, and vanished.
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