Chapter Fifteen

"Look who's finally up," Piper warily greeted when Phoebe and Cole, clothed in terry bathrobes, entered the kitchen. At least they weren't dressed in matching robes. She fed Chris another spoonful of baby food, "You ready for brunch?"

"I think we've worked up an appetite," Cole quipped as he pulled out a chair for Phoebe. Paige nearly choked on her orange juice and he grinned with amusement.

"Co!" Secure in his highchair, Wyatt leaned forward and tugged on Cole's shirt. "Wanna 'Rio?"

Cole noticed the bowl in front of the youngster and looked at Wyatt's outstretched hand that offered a handful of soggy cereal. "Uh, no thanks, pal."

Phoebe giggled and tried to ignore the irked expressions of her sisters. She barely knew how she felt about Cole much less ready to hear how her sisters felt. As she poured a glass of orange juice for Cole, she announced, "I spoke to Elise and told her I wasn't up for working on the column today but that I'd give her a ring later tonight. Guess it worked out pretty well that she saw me the way she did 'cuz now she doesn't think it's one of my excuses."

Cole stared at the glass unsure how much of pouring it had been a conscious act for Phoebe. But he was feeling too good about their night, and morning, together to ruin it by calling her on it. Instead, he, just as nonchalantly, placed a blueberry waffle on her plate before taking one for himself.

Phoebe felt the electricity when her fingers accidentally brushed against his as she reached for the maple syrup. Their eyes locked and she fought every instinct urging her to take the syrup and climb onto his lap and pour --

"Phoebe!" Piper warned. She recognized desire when she saw it in her sister's eyes.

Phoebe couldn't believe her thoughts had been so transparent and couldn't glance back at Cole. Feeling her cheeks burning, she grabbed her glass and gulped down the cold juice.

Piper sighed and continued to feed Chris. She'd hoped the sounds she'd heard hours earlier had only been her headboard knocking the wall but, from the smug look on Cole's face and Phoebe's flushed cheeks, she knew differently. "Oh, Pheebs…" she shook her head.

Paige finally found her voice and complained to Piper, "Like you didn't know this would happen?"

"It's just the timing," Piper explained. "Right now we need you focused, Phoebe, on Zankou and the Avatars."

"I am focused and we are so not discussing this," Phoebe exclaimed as she shoveled some scrambled eggs onto hers and Cole's plates.

"At least not until after we discuss this," he pointedly told her.

"I'm not asking for a play-by-play," Paige muttered and pointed her fork at her sister, "but do you have a clue what you're doing? Think of all the time you've spent getting over him, all the progress you've made. You're throwing it all away for what, a one-nighter?"

"What makes you think it was a one-nighter?" Cole challenged.

"Cole," Phoebe sharply rebuked, "don't even go there!"

He held his hands up in mock surrender and swallowed a bite of eggs.

Phoebe felt a tension headache coming that had nothing to do with the aftereffects of yesterday's close call. "Fine," she griped, "not that it's anyone's business but Cole and I had some unfinished business and we spent the night working it out."

"I'll say," he teased.

"You're not helping," she frowned.

Her tone held more sadness than anger and Cole realized she was nearing a breaking point. He reached for her hand, which trembled in his, and gave it a slight squeeze. "It was a start. A good start," he encouraged her, "and maybe this time we'll find a way that works."

She couldn't trust herself to speak without crying and merely squeezed his hand back. It had been good last night and it wasn't just the sex. She'd been able to talk to him, like she'd once used to, and it was something of a relief. Maybe she wasn't ready to trust him with her entire future but last night gave her a bit of hope for…something. She just wasn't sure what and, unfortunately, Piper was right about needing to focus. "Where's Leo?" she asked.

"I convinced him to see the Elders about Kyle's turning," Piper answered more than aware of the tension suddenly settling in her sister. "Maybe you're just meant to be friends," she quietly comforted. "Demons and witches, there's a reason they're forbidden to be together."

"Not forbidden," Phoebe automatically replied while casting a glance towards Cole, "just something not…"

"Done," he finished for her as he gave her hand one last squeeze, released her hand, and took another bite of his eggs. His appetite was quickly disappearing and he wasn't sure he even wanted to get through the meal with the sisters. If only he had taken Phoebe to some secluded spot so they could continue to talk. If she pulled away now, he wasn't sure she would ever be open to the possibilities of a future with him.

Paige wasn't sure what emotion she saw flickering in Cole's eyes as he ate silently. She sipped on her juice, "Maybe it depends on the demon. Maybe there really are demons that can make the transition to the good side."

Knowing full well she didn't mean him, he nearly smiled. Paige was nothing if not relentless when fighting for what she believed. "Like a Gloryhound, for instance?"

Albeit confused by his smile, she still maintained, "Kyle doesn't have the history of evil you do. You've been a demon for over a century and couldn't break the hold of evil, not for long anyway. But Kyle's a good person and he's only been turned for what, a few hours? Maybe we can't undo what Zankou did to him but we can influence him to make sure he stays on the path he's been on his whole life."

"You can try," he shrugged.

"So it's possible to undo the ritual?" she asked hopefully.

"I doubt it," he shook his head. "And how do you plan to get him here and keep him here? You think Zankou wouldn't be able to influence him from a distance?"

"Can you sense him," Piper nervously asked, placing Chris's spoon down in the dish, "y'know like you did the Source?"

"I haven't used my radar since I…came back."

"It works both ways," Phoebe explained to her older sister, "and we can't risk Zankou finding out about Cole."

"What makes you think Kyle didn't already tell him?" Piper countered. "Kyle met Cole yesterday while you were unconscious, well, maybe not officially, and Zankou's probably busy working on some way of enticing Cole back to his side."

"Dammit," Paige exclaimed, "we're the ones who get hurt when you're a magnet for evil."

"And we're not?" Phoebe whispered, worried how much of her sister's bitterness will spill back onto her.

Piper sympathized with her youngest sister. Hadn't she felt the same so many times wondering if their only destiny was to be hurt and killed? Being Charmed naturally put a bigger bulls-eye on their backs and getting further involved with upper level demons like Cole didn't help. But she also sympathized with Phoebe understanding that they've each delved into their own dark sides. Regardless of the reasons, their turns to evil caused pain to themselves and others. She stared at Cole. Maybe Leo knew what he was doing when he brought Cole back. Maybe this time would be different. "Do you really mean it this time?" she questioned Cole.

Without taking his gaze away from Phoebe who toyed with her eggs, he nodded in reply.

"Then maybe we need to make you some sort of amulet for protection," Piper suggested, "just to be on the safe side."

Cole raised an eyebrow to her implied support but didn't comment on it. "Might not be necessary because Kyle didn't tell Zankou about me being here."

"You can't be sure," Paige argued, "and why can't you just accept the help you obviously need? Or are you just waiting for an excuse to be evil?"

"Watch it, Paige," he warned in a low tone. To Piper, he conceded, "I know a bit about amulets."

Hoping to let her sisters resolve their own issues with Cole without dragging her in the middle, Phoebe quietly asked him, "Why don't you think Kyle said anything?"

"Because he was too focused on his own agenda," he theorized, "just like the Gloryhound he is. And I highly doubt Zankou took the time to give him the third degree when he had a fresh novice begging to join him."

"Kyle wasn't begging!" Paige snapped. "He was desperate and not thinking clearly."

"Sounds familiar," Cole muttered in annoyance at her double-standard.

"At least Kyle didn't kill any innocents," she hissed as she slapped her palms on the table and stood, "and --"

"Excuse me," Kyle interrupted when he appeared in the kitchen, "but I need to talk to you for a minute."

"Kyle!" Paige gasped as she flung her arms around his neck in relief. "Oh, Kyle, I knew you'd come back. Look, the three of us will find a way to somehow --"

"You've got it wrong," Kyle gently pulled her hands free. "That's not why I'm here."

While Piper and Phoebe quickly pulled the boys from their high chairs and held them tightly, Cole stood, formed energy balls, and ordered Paige, "Step away from him, Paige. Orb to your sisters."

Paige refused and focused on Kyle, "We can help you, Kyle, before it's too late."

"The Avatars killed my parents, Paige," he accused, "and not only were you going to help them but your brother-in-law is one of them!"

"We never said we were helping them," Piper cautiously pointed out. "We only wanted to hear their side."

"They knew we weren't ready to commit to anything," Phoebe added, "and they were being patient with us."

"They were lying to you," he declared.

"The same way your parents lied to you?" Cole growled. "Don't you get it? By going to Zankou with the vanquish for the Avatars, you've given him the leverage he needs to control the world."

"Maybe the Avatars are a danger but Zankou's an evil demon, as big as they come," Paige continued as she reached for Kyle and ran her hands along his arms, "and right now, Zankou is the bigger threat and I don't want you hurt any more than you've already been."

"Then stay out of it," he requested in a gentler tone. "This doesn't have to involve you, Paige, any of you. Let me do what needs to be done, what I've spent my whole life trying to do."

"You've spent your whole life trying to help people," she reminded him.

"I'll be doing that," he smiled as he insisted, "by ridding the world of the Avatars."

"You're deluding yourself," Cole warned, "if you think siding with Zankou will make the world better. As soon as the Avatars are gone and he's become Source, he will destroy the Charmed Ones and these two babies and he will unleash hell on earth."

Kyle's hands and arms began to crackle with energy and he shouted at Cole, "Just who the hell are you? Stay out of my business!"

"How's he doing that?" Phoebe whispered to Piper.

"I thought Gloryhounds didn't have that kind of power," Piper whispered back.

Cole overheard the exchange and, without taking his eyes off Kyle, answered, "I never said they were powerless. But what good's a deadly power if you're too obsessed to know to use it."

"I'm not obsessed," Kyle declared.

"Aren't you?" Cole retorted.

Paige took a step back and glanced helplessly at her sisters before pleading with Kyle. "Just ignore him and look at me, Kyle. Please, just look at me. I want to help you. Please, Kyle."

But Kyle raised his hands and let loose streaks of electricity at Cole, heedless of Piper and Phoebe standing behind him.

Cole met each bolt with an energy ball and yelled to Phoebe and Piper to get away with the boys.

"Cole, don't!" Phoebe requested when she saw him gearing up for the kill. "He hasn't done anything yet."

"Kyle, no," Paige simultaneously cried out, "please, Kyle, stop!"

"He's going to kill you," Cole argued and aimed the energy ball in his hand.

"No!" Paige yelled. "He won't. Please, Kyle…"

Kyle warily lowered his arms that still crackled with electricity. He turned to Paige and let the anger he felt dissipate with the sparks. "I don't want to see you get hurt, Paige." He reached out to brush away her tears and tried not to react when she flinched. "Can you trust me?"

Horrified by her reaction, Paige quickly grabbed his hands and brought them to her chest, squeezing them. "I know you mean well but I'm still scared. Don't you see --"

Kyle directed their hands back to his lips and lightly kissed her knuckles, "I know what I'm doing and I promise everything will be all right. Come with me, there's a lot we need to talk about."

Cole saw the temptation in Paige's eyes and cautioned her, "He's working with Zankou. If you go with him, you'll be weakening the Power of Three."

Paige glanced at him but couldn't bring herself to argue. As much as she hated to admit it, Cole was probably right. "A trap," she whispered in defeat.

"No," Kyle insisted. "I just want to talk. I have some questions about all this and I know you'll give me an honest answer."

"Why don't you talk in the other room," Piper suggested. "We'll leave you alone."

Paige looked back at him eagerly but he shook his head, "Not here."

"P3?" Paige volunteered. It might not be the manor but it was still something of home territory.

Cole exchanged a concerned look with Phoebe and was about to intervene when Phoebe suddenly swayed. He moved quickly to support her and Wyatt, wrapping his arms around both, and guided her back down into the chair. His heart pounded and he wondered if he hadn't pushed her too much. Maybe she still wasn't recovered. He picked up her glass and held it to her lips, "Drink." As she obeyed, her fingers wrapped around his but he was too worried about her to think it meant anything more than her instinctive need to hold the glass on her own. When she began to push it away, he set it back on the table and then nudged Wyatt off her lap and to Piper's side.

Piper had quickly sat in the other chair next to Phoebe. Thankfully, Chris wasn't fussing in her arms and Wyatt leaned quietly against her thighs. From the corner of her eye, she caught Paige taking a step towards them but she focused on her other sister. "Pheebs? What happened?"

"Should we call Leo?" Paige asked.

Phoebe took a deep breath and glanced at Cole whose arm was still around her shoulders. She rested her head against him and closed her eyes as she whispered, "Premonition…"

Phoebe hadn't had such a powerful reaction to a premonition since before losing her powers, Piper worried.

As if reading Piper's mind, Paige wondered, "Maybe it's partly due to what happened yesterday. She did almost die."

"It was terrible," Phoebe shuddered. "You have no idea what you're doing…" she added as she looked directly at Kyle.

"Me?" He turned to Paige, "Look, I want the Avatars to be punished for what they've done. That's all."

"It doesn't work that way," Piper sadly told him. "There are always consequences for our actions."

"And turning to Zankou," Cole angrily added, "will bring about some of the worst you can imagine."

Phoebe nuzzled Cole as if trying to erase it all, "So much blood…so much death…"

"That's enough," Cole decided, "you're going back to bed."

"Zankou's plan won't work," Phoebe announced, "Kyle, he…Everything…gone…"

"What d'you mean? What'd you see?" Kyle demanded. "How does it fail? Do the Avatars survive? Did they --"

"Enough!" Cole interrupted as he stood and reached down in order to lift Phoebe into his arms. "Phoebe's not up for any interrogation. You want to talk to Paige, do it here or don't do it at all."

Kyle glanced at Paige and apologized, "I have to go."

She grabbed his sleeve, "Wait! Kyle…" But he disappeared in a blink and she turned to the others in frustration, "What do we do now?"

Phoebe suddenly wriggled in Cole's arms and forced him to set her down on her feet. In a strong clear voice, she replied, "Now we get Zankou."

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