Thanks for your reviews, Maricole, Charmed-Snow and Gomay!

I'm glad that you want to read it and as I promised I'll post the next chapters. But I think it wasn't such a good idea, to start posting it before Christmas, because it's always such a busy time.

But here is finally the next chapter.

3. Chapter

Prue didn't expect it, but without wanting, she got used to live together with Cole. They had tried to go out of their ways in the beginning. But they didn't want to cause Mrs. Jennings too much trouble and to simplify matters they started to have dinner together. First they didn't talk too much, it seemed as if Cole was clever enough not to strain Prue's tolerance of his company. But in time they relaxed and Prue was getting more communicative. She had shared a house with her sisters for years and she had missed their presents and even their little quarrels badly. Everything had been too quiet for her, okay she had to take care of Danny, but he was a baby. And a baby wasn't like the company of an adult.

But when Prue came home after work, three weeks later, she was getting angry, when she couldn't find Mrs. Jenning in the kitchen once again. She put down her bag on the table and looked around. Dinner wasn't prepared and there was a gaping void in the fridge and in the larder. Finally Prue found Mrs. Jennings' message. She told Prue, that there wasn't any money for shopping in the purse in the kitchen cupboard anymore, probably Prue had forgotten about it. Therefore Mrs. Jennings suggested Prue to go out for dinner tonight and she would go shopping the next day. Prue searched for the purse and opened it surprised. She was sure that she had put enough money in it for shopping, groceries and other things. But now it was empty, there was nothing left.

Straightaway she was searching for Cole angrily. Finally she found him in the garden, as always. He was sitting together with Danny on a blanket on the ground in the shade of the big chestnut tree. They had immediately built a close relationship to each other, and Danny felt comfortable with his father. Prue suspected, that when they were together, they put their best foot forward because they were afraid to loose each other again. And of course their worst was left for her.

She went to them still angry, when she saw that Danny looked up. He was happy to see her, but Prue noticed something in his mouth. "What does he have there?" she asked Cole while she was sitting down on the ground beside them.

"Candy." Cole explained calmly.

"Candy?" Prue gave him a dirty look. "This stuff is poison for his teeth." She picked Danny up and took the lolly out of his mouth.

"He doesn't have any teeth yet." Cole informed her. "And he likes it." When the little boy started to cry, he said triumphantly. "What did I tell you?"

"He already doesn't know what's good for him." Prue said and tried to calm her nephew down. "Therefore we have to keep an eye on it." Prue looked at Cole sceptically. "Or rather I'll do it."

"Well there are people, who are spoilsports by nature."

Prue shook her head and could resist saying something else, instead she asked. "Where is Mrs. Jennings? She is gone!"

"Well, she told me, that her day's work is done, therefore I let her go for today."

"And where is the dinner?"

"Is there nothing for dinner?" Cole asked surprised.

"No and do you know why? Because there was no money in the kitchen cupboard anymore." Prue looked at him searching.

Cole shrugged his shoulders, all his denials would be useless. "I needed some clothes, finally I can't wear the same clothes every day."

"That's no reason to take my money!" Prue told him angrily.

"Well I don't have any money at the moment." Cole explained calmly.

"That isn't my fault, you won't get my money." Prue looked at him forcefully. "You should better look for a job."

Cole frowned. "That's a world without magic, therefore demons have fallen out of favour."

"I talked about your second profession." Prue informed him.

"Lawyer?" Cole looked at her bored, he couldn't explain, but he wasn't prepared to throw himself into the daily routine again.

"That's it, you don't have to hang around here all day. You could use your time and help some people."

"I also believed it once. But it doesn't work to pay off my sin by doing good deeds." Cole leaned back. "Therefore I gave it up."

"You shouldn't do it for your salvation, but to earn some money." Prue informed him.

Cole looked at her thoughtfully, the fact that he didn't have a source of money, was totally new to him and he didn't like it. "You could fire Mrs. Jennings." he decided. "Finally I take care of Danny all day."

"And you'll run the household? Clara ckeans up behind you all day." Prue shook her head. "No, search for a job!"

"Don't try to tell me, what I have to do." He told her angrily. "It won't work. You could pay your rent to me, finally that's my house." It just occurred to Cole. "And I'm just living in the broam closet."

"Cole, you can't tell me, that you are satisfied with the current situation." Prue stated.

"Surely!" He had a good time, he enjoyed to spend some time with his son. At least he had finally found somebody, whom he could give all his love and who didn't run away screaming. No, Danny wanted his love and reciprocated it. Cole had been stranded some weeks in this intermediate world and now he enjoyed his new life. He felt free from all his burdens and he didn't want to change it at the moment.

"Why do you have to put me under pressure?" he asked. "Don't forget, I have been dead for a while and therefore I need a rest, if you don't mind. I'm satisfied at the moment, and I won't be rushed." he concluded.

"Okay, that's up to you. But don't misappropriate my money ever again." Prue informed him.

"Um." Cole decided to change the subject. "By the way Dianne came by today."

Prue, who just wanted to stand up, stayed where she was. "What did she want?"

"She invited us for dinner tomorrow. It's the first of May and some of their friends will come, too. So I've already accepted the invitation." Cole explained.

"Is that so?" Prue looked at him surprised. Cole gave Dianne a wide berth, every time when she had visited Prue. And now he accepted her invitation.

"Yes of course. But I think she's convinced that I am a boozer."

"What makes you saying that? I didn't tell her anything like that." Prue explained.

"Well, she wanted to persuade me to come, by telling me, that she won't pour out alcohol that night." Cole told her.

Prue smiled amused "And what did you tell her?"

"What a pity. I like a good glass of red wine for supper."

"Well, I'd be glad, if we had something for dinner tonight." Prue told him sarcastically.

"I'd invite you for dinner, but unfortunately I don't have any money at the moment." Cole told her satisfied.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't go with you." Prue answered and got up. "And if your were waiting for an invitation, you could be in for a long wait. I won't ever invite you." she explained strictly and disappeared in the house.

When Prue entered the hall in a black off-the-shoulder dress the next evening, Cole was already waiting for her.

She looked great, but Cole denied himself to pay her compliments. "Let's go, we don't want to be long in coming." he explained instead.

Prue took a close look at him, she had to admit, that he was good-looking in his new suit. "At least I know, where my money is left."

"As you can see, I've invested it wise."

Prue shook her head. "That's a matter of opinion."

"Would you prefer, if I went to our neighbours' party in jeans and t-shirt?" Cole asked. "That would just substitute Dianne's theory that I'm a penniless boozer." He picked up Danny and they left the house through the door to the garden.

"Well penniless is absolutely right." Prue explained on their way to the other side of their garden. There was the entrance to the neighbours' garden. Prue opened the door and suddenly they were in a very different garden.

Cole looked around surprised. "I didn't know, that they are rich." It was obvious, that a landscape gardener has designed the garden. There was a pavilion on the left and the imposing residential building ahead. They followed a small way leading in wavy lines to the veranda. There was a perfect lawn without a trace of weed on the left and on the right.

"Scott works for a big enterprise, therefore he is away on business very often." Prue explained.

"So he's a typical careerist." Cole concluded.

"I don't know, you'll meet him soon." They entered the house from the garden and Dianne came towards them enthusiastically.

"Hello, I'm so glad, you could come." she said and immediately started to tell, while Prue and Cole didn't get a word in edgeways. "Some of Scott's friends will come with their wives, but we won't be big group." she smiled and called for a young woman. "Oh Betty, can you bring Danny into Sarah's room?"

Betty nodded and wanted to pick up the baby, when Cole stopped her. "No, I'd like to put my son to bed."

"Of course, no problem." Dianne said. "Betty will you show him Sarah's room?"

Betty nodded again and they went upstairs. Cole followed her and Prue and Dianne watched behind them.

"I'm so glad, that you were coming. He also has to go out sometimes." Dianne explained, when she couldn't see them anymore.

"Thanks for your invitation." Prue said. "But you can allow alcohol tonight, Cole doesn't have any problems with it."

"Prue, you know I'm a therapist and I can see, how Cole is looking at Danny." She paused pointed for a moment. "You can't tell me, that it was his own free will to leave Danny with you in New Orleans, just because he had to bring his work in San Francisco to an end."

Prue shrugged her shoulders. "He is a lawyer, he couldn't let down his clients so easily."

Dianne looked at her sceptically. "And why doesn't he work now?"

"Because he hasn't found the right job yet, okay?" Prue asked annoyed.

Dianne smiled. "It's great, that you don't let anything said against him." she explained.

Prue stared at her unbelieving, but before she could give Dianne the right answer, Scott entered the hall to welcome her. Scott was only a few years older than Dianne. But because of his receding hairline and his self-confident manner the age difference seemed to be bigger.

Fifteen minutes later the other guests arrived and they sat down at the table. Cole found out that he had the honour to sit beside the hostess. Prue was sitting on his other side and opposite to him were sitting one of Scott's business friends with his current girl-friend, but much as Cole would like to he couldn't remember his name. The man had thin blond hair and he was sweating because of his enormous corpulence.

"So you moved to our wonderful city lately." He just asked Prue.

"Yes, original we come from San Francisco." Prue explained.

The man nodded. "Not bad, too. But you can't compare it with our beauty." he explained satisfied. "This frantic activity, no I prefer 'The Big Easy!'" He looked at Prue and Cole. "I'm sure, you have already heard this wonderful nickname. That's exactly our way of life. We take the easy way out and take life as it comes. We are proud of our long history and the own character of the town and it's people. We are not like the rest of the USA. Here you don't care about calories, you can listen to good music, drink a good glass of wine and draw inspiration from the town and it's residents."

Cole looked at him skeptically. "You are working for the tourist industry, do you?" he explained dryly.

The man laughed. "It's obvious, isn't it? Harry van Berg. I'm the owner of some hotels in this area. And what brings you here?"

"I've inherited a house." Cole told him.

"Yes Harry, Mrs. Turner's house, at the other end of our garden." Dianne informed him.

Harry looked at Cole surprised. "I didn't know, that the old lady still had some relatives." he said carefully.

"Me, too." Cole answered with a smile.

"You know, whenever you want to sell the house, you can ask me. I was always interested in buying it." Van Berg laughed. "Probably I shouldn't have told you, now I've forced up the price."

"Don't worry we don't want to sell it." Prue told him.

Cole cast an ironical glance at her. "Is that so?"

Harry laughed again. "Oh, I didn't want to instigate a marital row." he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"We aren't married." Cole and Prue answered at the same time and looked at each other in surprise.

"Once he was my brother-in-law." Prue finally explained.

"Oh." Harry said confused. "And why do you live together now?"

"That's a long complicated story." Cole explained. He looked at Harry and hoped that he'd understand, that he didn't want to answer another question about this subject.

"Yes and I'm so happy, that they are our new neighbours." Dianne said meanwhile and looked at Cole with a smile on her face. "And now he only needs a job." Dianne told all people around.

Cole cast an angry glance at her. "What makes you think of that?"

"Oh Prue told me, that you haven't found the right job, yet. And David is working as a DA." Dianne pointed towards a man sitting beside Harry van Berg's new girl-friend. He was a black haired man with dark complexion and he seemed to be not very tall. When he looked up, Cole could see into a crafty face. He leaned back surprised. If he didn't know it better, he could have sworn that his demonically powers had shown him the evil in this man. But Cole lived in a world without magic, it was impossible, or wasn't it?

"You are a lawyer?" David asked and looked at Cole attentively.

"Yes I've worked as a lawyer in San Francisco." Cole told him calmly.

"Um, I know what's what in San Francisco, which law office did you work for?" David wanted to know.

"Jackman, Kline und Carter." Cole explained without thinking.

"Oh, I know it." David pretended to be impressed.

"Really?" Cole looked at him amused, because he couldn't imagine, that there was a law office with the same name in this world, too. But you never know.

"It has a good name." David Morgan said seriously. "I'll keep my ears open, if you want. I have connections to a lot of prestigious law offices in New Orleans. What was your name again?"

"Cole Turner."

Morgan made notes and gave Cole his business card. "You can call me the next days, perhaps I'll be able to tell you more about it."

Cole took his card and watched at it attentively. David Morgan - District Attorney - was written there. "Thanks, I'll think about it."

"Most law offices are always looking for good people." David Morgan explained and smiled. "And I'm still searching for a worthy opponent."

"You've already found him." Cole told him calmly.

"We'll see." David said with a sneering smile on his face and gave attention to his dinner again.

The rest of the evening passed by very quickly and it was late after midnight, when the guests left the party. Dianne and Scott said goodbye at the door, while Cole went to the veranda.

Soon after Scott came out, too and sat down on one of the garden chairs. "We should give such a party more often. We come together too seldom." He explained and groaned. "Unfortunately I just haven't got the time. You'll know that, too. I'm away on business very often."

"Well, that sounds familiar to me." Cole told him.

After a while Scott said. "I've heard that you had some problems, after your wife died." Cole cast a quick glance at him and when Scott saw his expression, he added immediately. "Dianne has told me about it."

"Oh, is that so?" Cole shook his head. "You know, you should make it clear to your wife that not everybody needs her therapy."

Scott laughed. "Yes, unfortunately you are right. She wants to analyze everybody. So am I right, that her ban on alcohol for this evening, was also just her theory?"

"That's it." Cole shrugged his shoulders. "But I didn't want to spoil her fun."

"Oh, she would have coped with it." Scott explained. "But if she's convinced that her theory is right, nobody can talk her out of it." "

When Prue and Dianne turned up at the door, Scott said goodbye and went into the house. Dianne sat down on a deck-chair exhausted and said. "Stay for a while, please. It's such a wonderful night, I don't want to go to bed yet."

"I'm sorry, Dianne, but I'll have to get up early tomorrow morning." Prue glanced at Cole. "Unlike Cole."

"Do you need a beauty rest?" Cole asked with a grin.

"No, or do you think I need it badly?" Prue looked at him challenging.

Cole shook his head. "Of course not, you'll never need it."

Prue looked at him in surprise. "What are you getting at?"

"I've seen you in your evening dress tonight." he explained.

"Oh." Prue looked at him searching. "Where is your characteristic sarcasm?"

"There isn't any, why can't you simply accept a compliment, when you get one?" Cole asked interested. "Is it too hard for you?"

"Mm, I didn't get compliments for a long time." she explained thoughtfully.

"Really? I can't understand why. Probably it's just because, the other men don't have the courage to do it." Cole said with a fetching smile. "So you'll have to be content with me for the moment."

"That's a pity. But why not, thanks!"

"You're welcome. And don't worry, even at a ripe old age, there will be enough men, who'll want to pay you compliments, if you allow it." he told her with a smile.

"Well, I hope so." She explained satisfied. "But nevertheless even I won't be able to look as good as you do for your age."

Cole grinned. "That's right, I'm something special."

"You're telling me." Prue smiled, when she remembered that they weren't alone. She looked behind and saw Dianne watching them with a delighted smile on her face. Oh no, that was all she needed, Prue thought. Not only Dianne was thinking that she stood up for Cole, no, now Dianne had been a witness of their stupid little flirt, too. Prue didn't want to know, what was going on in Dianne's mind now. She wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. "Okay Dianne, thanks for your invitation again, but I really have to go. Cole can stay here, if he likes. Goodnight." She turned around immediately to leave the veranda.

"Wait Prue," Cole stopped her. "I won't let you go alone in the darkness."

"What should happen to me?" Prue asked sarcastically. "Is there anything worse than a demon?"

Cole turned around to Dianne who was sitting satisfied in her deck-chair. "Goodnight Dianne, We'll come for Danny and his bunny tomorrow morning." He told her and hurried to run after Prue.

They went silently through the illuminated garden to the hidden door in the fence. Cole opened it and they entered their familiar garden.

"The whole way was well-lit, so I really didn't need an escort." Prue explained grimly. "You don't have to run after me all the time." She looked around and felt much better in her own garden immediately, it still held a special attraction for her.

Cole shut the door. "Where is the problem now?"

"You just flirted with me, because Dianne was watching us." Prue told him.

"What makes you think that I flirted with you?" He asked innocently.

"Because you did it Cole and I know exactly why." Prue informed him. "You think, that I've told Dianne about your job problems."

"Oh yes," Cole remembered. "Thanks, that you told Dianne about it." He said sarcastically. "It was rather edifying when she blurred out with it at dinner. But probably I should be happy, that she didn't mention my alcohol problems." Meanwhile they entered the old veranda in front of their house. Cole sat down on the stairs. "But I think she already did it, when she has invited her guests."

Prue shook her head. "Stop making such a fuss. She wanted to do you a favour."

Cole looked at her doubtfully. "Yes lovely Dianne, she is always very helpful, but unfortunately nobody has asked her to do it."

"But you'll call David Morgan, won't you?" Prue asked and sat down beside him.

"I don't know." Cole answered thoughtfully.

Prue groaned. "You can do what you want to, but I'd suggest you to call him. Even if he can't help you along."

"Um, don't get me wrong, but David Morgan, I don't know... he is an evil person." Cole said thoughtfully.

Prue looked at him surprised. "How do you know? You talked to him for five minutes."

"I don't need any longer. I feel that immediately." Cole explained calmly.

"Perhaps you felt it in the past, Cole. But now we live without magic." Prue stated.

"Are you sure?" He looked at her thoughtfully. "Do you really don't feel any magic?"

"No." Prue answered immediately and noticed, that she hasn't really thought about it yet. "I had no doubts yet, they made it quite plain."

"Okay, but do you miss your powers?" Cole asked carefully.

"Perhaps, sometimes, I don't know. It's so quiet, but ......" Prue didn't know what to answer, therefore she decided to ask. "Surely you don't miss them, do you?"

Cole shrugged his shoulders, his demonic powers had been a burden in the end and nothing else, but he didn't want to tell Prue all about it. "Well I think I finally get used to loose them now and then." he wriggled out. That was the truth, but strangely enough it was different this time, he hadn't the impression that he really had lost them.

"I don't miss magic, I miss my family." Prue explained and groaned, she missed her sisters so badly, and she'd like to know, if they were alright and if Piper already had her baby. It was horrible, that she couldn't share her life with her sisters. She even didn't meet Paige. And she didn't like to accept it, but Cole was her last bond with her former life. "Tell me something about Paige." she urged him.

"What?" Cole looked at her horrified.

Unfortunately I never had the chance to meet my sister. So what do you think of her?"

"Well." Cole spoke with a drawl. "You shouldn't ask me, I'm really the wrong person. Paige and I.... we had some problems with each other."

"It sounds familiar to me." Prue told him with a smile.

Cole glanced at her. "It was different with us." He answered immediately. "But Paige could never really accept, that I have been a demon once." He noticed that Prue was sceptically, and added annoyed. "Even in the beginning, before ... everything happened. She couldn't forget my past. I'm not impartial, therefore you should look for someone else."

"But unfortunately that's the problem, Cole, you are the only person I can ask." Prue explained dissatisfied.

"Well okay," Cole had pity on her after a while. "Sometimes she has strange tastes, relating to clothes and furniture. She is open-minded, shares others troubles and sympathizes with them, if we don't talk about demons. Actually she is self-confident, but in the beginning she had some problems to be the junior witch. She didn't want to accept her powers, but under the special circumstances, she was managing everything alright. And when she finally accepted to be a witch, she wanted to try out everything without learning. It was a disaster sometimes." A memory flashed through Cole's mind and he couldn't help smiling. "Piper even made her pass an exam about magical ingredients."

"Really?" Prue asked with a surprised smile. "And do they get on well with each other?"

Yes, I think so. Piper had some problems to accept Paige in the beginning." he explained. "Well, you have to know, that Piper acted rather strange after your death, like a maniac. She couldn't accept that you were dead and she was running all over the city to vanquish every demon crossing her way just to take revenge."

"I can understand that very well." Prue said.

"But unfortunately it was regardless. She didn't care about the danger." Cole told her.

Prue shook her head. "Poor Piper, it must have been hard for her. And then suddenly she had to act like the oldest sister, too."

"It's a hard job, isn't it?" Cole asked with a smile.

"You can say that again." Prue said thoughtfully.

"Well finally Paige left her job to become a super witch as you were." Cole explained.

Prue looked at him flattered. "Do you think I've been a super witch?"

Cole grinned. "No, I don't think so. Paige believed it, she was always afraid to live in your shadow. But there was no need for that, because she was a fast learner." He cast a quick glance at Prue. "Paige played a decisive role in ... well that I were stranded in this intermediate world."

"Do you want to say, I owe it to her, that you are here now?" Prue asked and looked at him searching.

"You're right." Cole said with a smile. "So she did me a favour against her will."

"Thank you Paige." Prue said sarcastically into the night.

Cole laughed and looked at her forcefully. "It's not so bad, is it?"

Prue resisted his gaze and got up. "I think you know the answer very well." Prue explained and stood up. "I'll go to bed now."

"Goodnight!" Cole said and looked behind her. When she nearly disappeared in the house, he called after her. "And Prue, you look great tonight, seriously."