"Cole, this is Phoebe. I don't really have time to explain but something came up and we had to leave town. Just in case something happens, we'll be in Port Charles, New York. Long story, tons of drama, but that's where we'll be. Remember… just in case."

Cole Turner leaned back in his chair slowly. His head tilted to the side and he steepled his fingers. Slowly, the smooth lines of his face started to curve as a grin overtook him. Phoebe had stressed 'just in case' a little too much for it to be that easy. If he had to guess, he would say that one of her sisters didn't want Cole tagging along, probably Prue, but Phoebe was on the other end of that argument. She wasn't one to often tell Cole exactly where they would be, just that she had to bail and she'd be back.

He leaned forward and took a look at his blotter. He had a few days free. Not many, but just enough to pop in to give Prue and Piper a reason to scowl. It wouldn't be hard for him to take off in another day or so and shimmer into Port Charles. He had a client to meet with that afternoon, and a case to close the following morning, but after that, his schedule belonged to him. Besides, he wasn't the most comfortable being in San Francisco when the Charmed Ones weren't within helping distance. He no longer had to worry about The Source of All Evil, but there were other problems that arose in San Francisco that Cole just couldn't handle on his own. There were too many old allies who just might take the opportunity to resurrect Balthazar.

Cole leaned over and pressed the button on his intercom. "I'll be out of the office for a few days starting tomorrow afternoon," he told his secretary. "I'm heading out now for the day and won't be back in after the case is closed tomorrow. You know how to reach me."

Smirking, Cole leaned back in his chair, once more steepling his fingers. He pressed the point to his lips and let his mouth fall into thoughtful blankness. Phoebe wasn't the only reason he had to go to Port Charles. He had heard things on the darker city streets about that city, a little coup of dark magic that was being worked there. It popped up every couple of years, then went away and laid dormant for a while. He didn't think that was why the sisters were in the city, though. If that were the case, Phoebe would have asked what he had heard. More than likely, their trip was more mundane, probably dealing with Trudeau… Alcazar… Whatever the hell he decided his name was going to be that day.

Which meant they could be walking right into a lion's den. They could be headed for a problem they had no clue about, and really… What kind of friend would Cole have been if he didn't offer his existence?

He grinned and let his arms fall to his sides. Yes, he would go to Port Charles, and while two of the sisters would hate it, he knew of one that would be ecstatic. And who knows… He might even get some good play out of it. Cole turned his right hand palm-up and called forth a small ball of fire. He watched the flames roll and burn, then closed his hand, extinguishing them. He really did love when he got a chance to play with his powers.

"He stares a lot." Piper waved a hand in his face and shook her head. "He blinked, so I didn't accidentally freeze him or anything." She pursed her lips, then waved her hand again. "He's just not saying anything. Is it really that much of a shock? I mean, you said he saw Leo orb in, so what's the big deal?"

"Lorenzo has issues with witchcraft." Andy rolled his eyes and sighed. "My brother is a convenient Catholic, and his convenient Catholicism is giving him grief at the moment."

"Oh." Piper pursed her lips, then shook her head. "Okay, I can understand that." She looked at Lorenzo Alcazar and sighed. "Look, I know how you feel. When I first found out, I swore that I was going straight to Hell. But, ya know what happened? I went into the church and… didn't get hit by lightning! So, see? We're not evil. We're good, and whatever powers lead us, they're good. Else, God would have struck me down, right?"

Lorenzo still didn't say anything and Piper sighed. He was going to be a difficult one. They had avoided the shock stage with Andy, though mostly because he already had an idea. And, he was more open to it. He'd done his research and had experiences, so it was easier for him to accept that they weren't mixing witch's brew in a cauldron in the attic. Lorenzo, apparently, wasn't quite as open to believing them as Andy had been, even though their whitelighter had saved his brother's life.

"I give up," Piper said, throwing her hands in the air. "Phoebe, you give it a shot."

"About time." Phoebe rolled her eyes and stepped forward. Looking at Lorenzo was just… weird. Sure his hair was longer, but she expected there to be more of a difference between Lorenzo and Andy. "I thought Andy said you had a beard." Lorenzo's only recognition of her words were a narrowing of his eyebrows and a slight growl. "Fine, whatever."

She sighed and looked around the room. Piper was with Leo, muttering about people and their arcane beliefs. Prue stood beside Andy, but she stared at Lorenzo. It wasn't the same 'You look like Andy' stare that Phoebe had given him, though. It was more one that said there was unfinished business between the two, or maybe just some kind of beef. Phoebe was going to have to remember to ask about said business or beef later. For the moment, though…

"Okay, I'm just gonna lay it down for you. First of all, we're not going anywhere, so you might as well get used to us. We're good witches, whether you want to believe it or not, and we help people. Now that we've got… Oh, wait! Yeah, the rest of us… I'm Phoebe. The one with scowl is Piper. You already know Prue and Leo so…"

"Phoebe, get on with it."

"Prue, please! You know how I tell a story. I go all the way around and eventually I get to the point. And I'm telling the story." She rolled her eyes, then sighed. "Okay, Lorenzo, it goes like this. I had a vision, and I know that Andy's told you about those, so I won't go into the explanation about that, though it really is kinda interesting because I've got the passive power, but I can levitate and…"

"Phoebe!"

Her head whipped around and she looked at both of her sisters. Piper usually had a little more leniency when her stories grew long, but apparently, she and Prue were on the same name-screaming wavelength. "Fine," she said with a sigh. Phoebe turned back to Lorenzo. "Long story short, I got a vision of you delivering a blonde woman's baby, but before the baby was born, you got shot in the back and the bullet went through you and into her head."

"Carly…" It was Lorenzo's first word since the troupe had appearead in his apartment in singing balls of light. His scowl was instantly wiped away by fear and dread. "Corinthos…"

"Ooh, he knows two words."

"Phoebe, please…" Andy sighed as he pulled away from Prue's side and walked up to stand beside her. "Not now," he told her, then looked at his brother. Lorenzo volleyed between grief and thunderous rage. His eyes shifted between sky blue to deep navy. "Lorenzo, who is this woman?"

Lorenzo's mouth opened, then closed. He shook his head. "I'm not telling you with these people here."

"They're here to help us, Lorenzo."

"No, Leandro." He shook his head briskly. "This is not something I say in front of any of them. And it is not something I'd have told you if you hadn't shown up in my apartment. You could have at least taken a plane. Jesus, Leandro."

"I already told you, we're in too big of a hurry. And since I've done my research and know who this Corinthos is… Jesus, Lorenzo, don't tell me that Carly is his wife." Lorenzo didn't answer and Andy sighed. "I can't believe you! That's Luis's area, not you. Luis is the one that gets himself shot over other men's wives, not you. I can't believe you, Lorenzo. I really can't…"

"Leandro, please." He sighed and his body slumped. Lorenzo slouched backwards and landed to perch on the edge of a large mahogany desk. "This all started because of Luis, and it just got out of hand. I always knew…" He sighed. "I knew that Corinthos would hurt her, but to shoot us both, while she's giving birth to his son…" He shook his head. "The man is unstable, Leandro, and sadly…"

He stopped and Andy finished for him. "Let me guess, you have something to do with the reason the man is apparently insane."

Lorenzo nodded and for a few minutes, the room was silent. The air was thick with tension and looming danger. Phoebe ran her hand up and down her arms, then shuddered. The silence put her on edge and so, she chose to end it the only way she could.

"Ya know, before we get into the drama, I've just gotta say this. I absolutely love the way you say Andy's name and that other guy. R is so totally your letter, you own it. Completely hot. Could you say Leandro, just one more time?"