Chapter 8: New-fangled

Phoebe put the tip of her finger absentmindedly in the pot with some water in it and watched the water ripple. She stared at it for a long time, just like she found herself gazing at the sea, water fountain's, puddles, even the dripping tap. Weird how a ripple in the water can change everything. She got herself together, and added some asphodel, bicorn horn in powder form and rue into the pot with water and some other ingredients sunk down at the bottom. When she put the eppich in, the potion sparkles and gave a bang, indicating that it was ready.

Still, it took a couple of minutes until every necessary water particle gathered in front of her, then turned into her ex lover, "you self righteous bitch! You think you have the right to call me back?"

"I didn't, at least not for a long time," Phoebe frowned, as if apologetically.

Cole contemplated this, along with her facial expression towards him he didn't see for a while. Being water, he didn't have the sense of time, and he looked around curiously to see a large music center in the corner and the whole attic crammed with toys. Phoebe was wearing a long brown dress, her hair was coloured the darkest black, her face looking longer, older.

"It's been over ten years, Cole. I figured I owe you this much, before I won't be able to do anything because there will be no magic in the world. You won't have powers. I don't have powers to hurt you. This was the last thing I asked to do before…"

"Is it the Avatars? You can't believe them."

"I know. It is actually the Elders that found a way this time. It will work, actually it's done by now. That was our agreement. When you materialise, they initiate the ceremony. You're a free man, Cole, you do as you wish. I only hope you can forgive me one day."

"Uh…you see…for me not a second had passed since you warned me you'll take me to hell. I'm really sure if I understand it right. No magic, no…demons?"

"Well, we didn't kill them. They have all got a chance by becoming human. If they choose to be bad, we can leave it to the police."

"But how?"

"We figured out a way to use the Hollow. It sucked all in, good and bad."

"And it's final?"

"Box has been destroyed, so it has to be."

Cole crunched his forehead. He couldn't believe it. He swayed a little in confusion and tried to blur away, just to see. Nothing happened, which made him too shocked to speak for a second. Of course, he experienced the same kinda thing before when he was human for few weeks, but it made him realise how all the things that surrounded him as a kid and most of his life would be gone. It felt worse than being dead. What is he gonna do with himself now? Fighting this or that, was all he knew, even when he was human. It was easier for Phoebe, she had a job, non-magical likes and dislikes, a family. A family? "What else has happened during the last ten years?"

"Gone to war with some more Arabic countries, global warming is accelerating, there are a few human clones, cigarettes are illegal…"

"I meant with you."

"Paige is back to being a social worker, well, she's teaching it, Piper's just given birth to baby number three a few month ago, I…have a son, Paco."

"Diminutive for Francisco."

"Yes. You wouldn't think that name is more popular around here, but…Cole, where are you going?"

"I could maybe take a cab to the penthouse. Not sure I'd like to meet Paco's father or he'd be delighted to meet me."

"Cole…we declared you dead, officially and I sorta inherited your penthouse and sold it a long time ago, I'm sorry. You can stay here, until you wish."

"Well, thank you…I think…but for everybody's sake, I guess I'll have to go to the police, declare myself undead and use my law degree to…"

"You don't have to go. If it's Paco's father you're worried about, he's been vanquished by the leader of the underworld for being with me."

"Van…vanquished?"

"You have to know, I always knew he was a demon, still I fell for him right away. That was four years ago, by the time I actually used my psychology degree to figure out something about myself. That being a charmed one made me racist. I could never really believe that a demon could be strong enough to overcome the pull of evil. But now I know. I met several people along the way who did that exact thing, along with all those humans who sold their souls to get recruited as demons. Who you are, where you come from, it doesn't matter. All it matters what you decide you wanna be."

"Well, that's…different, coming from you."

"You must've thought I was so childish not to see that."

"Older people than you made the same mistake," Cole frowned.

"Are you gonna stay with us then?"

"What about your sisters?"

"Oh, they actually got there earlier than I did. Piper tried to knock all these things into my thick head for years. I made so many mistakes because of this. I'm ashamed to call myself a psychologist. But all I can do now is try to correct everything. Including my oversight with you. Will you let me do that?"

Cole snorted, "I'd be the biggest fool in the whole world if I didn't."

The End.