Thanks for your reviews, it's always so great to get them. And it's nice to know, that there aren't just Charmed-Fans who like to read this fanfiction. That's really wonderful!
Jo: I could send you an email, if you wanted. Then you'll know, when I post a new chapter. But probably you like it to browse around here a little, too.
17. Chapter
One week later, Cole sat under the chestnut tree despite of the continuous stifling heat. Since Prue has told him, that there was a natural source of power somewhere in the house, he has started to examine all the property. And he was convinced that it could just be the place where the chestnut tree was located. It radiated a power, Cole could nearly feel physically. From the first day this place had a strong attraction for him and he didn't want to miss the chance to get back his powers. He wanted to have his own powers back as fast as possible. He needed them to help Amy and to protect Danny and himself. He felt safer with them and he was completely convinced that he could control them this time. He wasn't afraid of them, because he knew that they wouldn't be dangerous for anybody.
When Prue came back from work and saw Danny and Cole together in the garden, Cole noticed immediately that she disagreed with him completely. She picked up Danny from the ground furiously and looked at Cole coldly. "If you are desperate to become a real demon again, that's your problem. But don't dare to drag Danny into it. I won't allow that." Since Cole has told her, that the place of the natural source could be under the chestnut tree, she was shocked, because she has spent so much time there together with Danny. It was her favourite place in the garden and it has always calmed her down to sit on the bench under the chestnut tree. She could relax there and she always felt better.
"Don't exaggerate." Cole told her and stood up to hurry behind her into the house. "There is no risk involved. He'd only get his own powers, Phoebe's and mine."
Prue stopped and her look went right through him. "And you won't be surprised that the second ones get me worried."
Cole shook his head. "It's just for his own protection. He'll be able to control them, don't worry."
"I won't risk it" Prue told him firmly. "And therefore he won't play under the chestnut tree ever again, have you got that straight"
Cole left it as it was and didn't contradict, because he wanted to ask a favour of Prue. "If you say so." he explained grimly.
Prue looked at him and was satisfied that he listened to reason at least. "And why did I have to come home so early" She asked to make it up with him.
"I think I've found the right corpse." he told her with a satisfied smile. "The corpse of an unknown person was found near to Wingrove's plantation. And now we just have to pay the morgue a visit."
Prue looked at him. "Why can't you do it yourself" she asked reluctantly.
"Because they could remember me later." He explained and looked at her begging. "Come on Prue. You know the plan and you agreed to do it."
"Unfortunately I couldn't think of anything better up to now." she answered.
In spite of Prue's reluctance, they set off shortly after. There wasn't a lot of traffic and Cole had no problems to get to a plain building. He stopped the car in front of it and looked at Prue to urge her again. "Don't miss a thing, we have to know how he looks like, if he has some injuries..."
"You don't have to tell me twice." Prue told him angrily and got off. She went to the morgue without turning around again.
Soon after an elder employee guided her through the ice-cold corridors to one of the halls. They stopped in front of a big door.
"How long do you already miss your father" The man asked politely, while he fished out a bunch of keys from his trousers pocket.
"Two years." Prue answered and noticed that the man held a chip card in his hand. He put it into the lock beside the door. "And when I heard of the unknown man, his description and where he was found, I noticed that it fits my father perfectly. So I decided to find out about it for certain." Prue looked at the man sadly. "But what if it's really my father" She asked desperately and raised her hand to wipe away a tear, but actually she only wanted to push away the bunch of keys from the lock onto the ground. As she has planned, it landed at the other end of the corridor.
Prue was relieved, when the man didn't notice anything of it. He already turned around to walk with giant strides to her. He put his arm around her shoulders to comfort her and forgot his bunch of keys completely. "Calm down first." he said softly. "A lot of people, who are missing their relatives come to us to become certain. But mostly their assumption is wrong." He opened the door and led Prue into the hall.
Prue felt bad to lie to this friendly man, but there was no turning back. She followed him into an ice-cold hall and saw a large wall unit with countless pigeonholes. Prue watched attentively in front of which section the man stopped. He turned around to her and looked at her sympathetically, then he pulled out a bier. A white blanket covered a dead person. Prue stepped closer and gave the man a composed nod. He pulled away the blanket carefully and Prue watched into a face of an unknown man. He had dishevelled black hair and a scar was running from his right eye over his cheek to his mouth. It was rather difficult to say what his age was, because of his obvious way of life.
Prue looked up and said in relief. "No, that isn't my father"
The man returned her look. "Are you absolutely sure? I mean, you didn't see him for over two years ..." he pointed out.
Prue shook her head, but she looked at the dead man again. She took a close look at him and walked along his long side. Suddenly she saw his right arm sticking out of the white blanket. There was a relative new wound on the inside of his arm. Satisfied Prue turned around to the man. "No, it's impossible." She explained firmly.
The man nodded and pushed the dead man back into his shelf. Then he led Prue back to the door and opened it by pushing a button beside the door.
"I'm sorry, that you went to this trouble." She said in excuse.
"Well that's our job." he said with a smile and guided her along the corridor. "I'm glad that it wasn't your father."
"Yes me too. I just hope, you'll be able to identify the man soon."
The man shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows, unfortunately there are a lot of dead people, who'll never get a name."
When Prue passed the bunch of keys, it was still lying on the ground. She kneeled down as if she wanted to close her shoestrings and put the keys into her trousers pocket carefully. The man didn't notice anything of it. He stopped and waited politely for her until she was ready. Then they went to the exit together and Prue said good-bye.
The man nodded. "I hope you'll find your father soon, in fact alive." He shouted behind her and Prue looked at him with a thankful smile.
When she got into Cole's car again, he already waited for her full of expectations.
"That's the first and only time, I've ever helped you." She told him firmly. She didn't plan to cheat and lie to innocent people ever again.
"Do you have the bunch of keys" Cole wanted to know and it was obvious that he didin't bother about her threat.
"Of course I have! What do you think of me" She asked angrily.
"Great! Then we can get into the building tonight." He explained satisfied. "But give me a detailed description of the man first."
Shortly after Cole waited for Amy in the little room of the remand prison. He hadn't seen her in the meantime, because he had to think about a plan how to get her out of prison as soon as possible. But that was only one reason, the second reason was, that he was still angry about her. This young lady had put him into a dangerous situation with the truth potion. And he could count himself lucky, that he got off lightly. It was too dreadful to think about what could have happened, when the policeman would have asked him another question. Cole doubted it very much that the policeman would have believed anything about his demonic life, but nevertheless he would have probably institutionalized him.
When the door was opened and Amy appeared, Cole didn't look at her at once, because he was still angry. He couldn't believe, that he became so careless, that even this young woman was able to outwit him. He had to be more careful in future, the mere thought of a demon murdering Adam Boucher, made it clear to him.
Amy sat down on the stool and avoided to watch at Cole. She was worried all week, because she didn't hear anything of him. She knew that it had been a stupid idea to give him something of her coke, but she had been at his mercy at that moment and that was an awful feeling. So she wanted to give it back to him and the little revenge was just what she needed.
When the warder had closed the door, she looked at Cole and hesitated. She didn't know what she was feeling, after she had told him all her well kept secrets. She took a close look at the man opposite to her and when she noticed his facial expression, she said stubbornly. "I think you have no right to be angry about me, Cole." It was impossible for her to call him Mr. Turner, after he knew everything about Adam and her. "It served you right, because you did the same to me."
"But in contrast to you, I wasn't in jail and I met people constantly." Cole told her. "And besides, if you had told me the truth at once, it wouldn't have been necessary."
Amy nodded. "Yes, I know, but I never have thought that anyone would believe me." She looked at the table and ran her hand over a scratch. "Especially after ... I mean, because of Adam and me ..."
"Well, Edward Wingrove has made a good choice. I'm the right man for this job." Cole told her and leaned back satisfied.
Amy looked up. "So, do you know such creatures"
Cole nodded. "You can call it this way." he said with a smile.
Amy felt that he wouldn't say anything else about it and left it. "But unfortunately it doesn't help me along." She explained with a sigh.
"No, a demon can't help us to get you free." Cole told her and put out a piece of paper. "Therefore I've another plan." He gave Amy the paper and continued. "I'll take care that a psychologist will meet you soon. I'll tell her, that I need a psychological certificate."
Amy looked at him doubtfully. "And what's the use"
Cole grinned. "You'll suddenly remember what's happened in the night at the first of May. You were in a state of shock, in a state of blockade. And she'll take out your memories again." He explained satisfied and pointed at the piece of paper. "I've written there, what you'll remember."
Amy looked at the piece of paper again. "I don't know." she said after a while. "Even if I remember a fictitious offender, it won't help my anyhow."
"Don't worry I'll take care of this problem." Cole explained confidently. "You'll just have to put on an act for her, that you suddenly remember again." He looked at her sceptically. "You'll manage that, won't you"
Amy shrugged her shoulders. "I think so. I had to put on an act all my life." She looked at him sadly. "Especially lately."
Cole nodded. "I'm sorry because of Adam." he explained softly.
"Do you know, what's worst" she asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "That I'm so angry about him, because he dropped me so easily. That the church was more important to him." She paused for a while. "But I shouldn't be angry of him, he is dead and I'm responsible for that." She looked at Cole beseeching. "Love is just a goddamn mess."
Cole nodded. "I totally agree with you, we should get rid of it."
Amy smiled gently. "I knew, that you'd understand me." she said in a low voice and stood up. She took the piece of paper into her hand and they went to the door. "I don't know exactly, what's that supposed to be. But I'll learn this by heart." She explained sceptically and looked at the paper again. "Mm, but can I use my own words" She asked and looked at Cole with a smile. "Because I don't talk this way."
Cole shrugged his shoulders. "As long as you can convince her, you can say whatever you want."
At midnight Prue and Cold were standing in front of the morgue again. They had parked the car in a distance to attract no attention. Then they went to the employees' entrance behind the building. Cole took the chip card from the employee's bunch of keys and put it into the lock without thinking twice. They heard a low buzz and could open the door. They entered a corridor and listened carefully, while the door slam shut behind them.
"Do you know, how we'll get to the right hall" Cole asked and looked along the corridor. It was lighted up brightly, but Cole couldn't see anyone. Obviously there was only an emergency team present at night to guard the building and to take care about corpses, which had to be placed here unconditionally by night.
Prue thought about it, then she nodded. "That's no problem for me." She explained confidently and walked along the corridor.
They went into the direction of the main entrance carefully. But they didn't meet anybody and didn't hear any noise. Prue stopped just before they entered the entrance hall, she looked around the corner attentively. An employee of the night shift was sitting in an office made of glass beside the exit. He looked into a newspaper and luckily it seemed as if he wasn't interested at the monitor in front of him at all. Nevertheless Prue didn't want to try her luck to pass the entrance hall, it would be too dangerous. She orientated herself and walked back to the next corridor turning to the left. At the end of the corridor they turned left again and Prue was sure, that she had already been here this afternoon. They walked along empty corridors and had to stop and hide behind a cupboard, when a guard checked the corridor in front of them. Shortly after they were standing in front of one of the big doors.
"Here it is." Prue explained and took the chip card away from Cole. She put it into the lock and unlocked the door. Cole pushed against it and they entered the hall.
The hall didn't have any windows, therefore it was pitch dark no matter if it was day or night. But at this time a light from the corridor was shining through the glass windows in the door. Prue looked around, she couldn't make out anything in this darkness, but it was too dangerous to turn on the light, somebody could see it from the corridor. Still lost in thoughts, she noticed that it was getting light beside her. She looked at Cole in surprise.
"So where is he" Cole asked beside her and lighted with his flashlight along the large wall unit.
"You are prepared for everything, aren't you" She asked with a shake of her head. She went to the wall and chose a compartment without thinking twice. She could remember the exact place and opened it. A corpse covered with a blanket appeared and Prue pulled it from his face. She looked at a man with a bald-head. Cole stepped beside her and looked at Prue asking. Prue shook her head. "No, that isn't the man." She explained and put the blanket over his face again.
"I thought you'd remember which one is the right one." Cole said ironically and took a close look at the countless panels.
"Yes I know." Prue told him angrily. She covered the corpse again and pushed it back. Then she opened the next pigeonhole. "But I wanted to keep a low profile." She explained, when she saw a dark skinned hand under the blanket. She pushed the corpse back again. "Give me the flashlight." she ordered him and walked back a few steps. When she was standing at the same point as in the afternoon, she stopped and lighted with the flashlight over the wall unit again.
Cole looked at her furiously. "So what? Will we really have to pull out every single pigeonhole"
Prue raised her hand to shut him up. She went to the wall again and didn't waste any time. She opened another pigeonhole and a corpse appeared. Prue pulled the blanket aside and looked at the face of the unknown dead man. "That's the right man." she said with a gloat smile.
"About time too" Cole stepped beside her and looked at the dead man's face. "Mm, you gave me a good description." He said appreciatively. He plucked out one hair of the dead man. Then he raised the man's arm and found the new wound. It was perfect. Cole took out a test tube. It was made of glass and you could see a red liquide in it.
"What are you doing" Prue asked in surprise.
"I'll take a blood sample of him." he explained and put the test tube beside the arm of the man. Cole hoped that his magic powers wouldn't let him down in this moment. He didn't want to use a knife, because a new wound after his dead could cause awkward questions. This last days he practiced his demonic power to exchange objects daily. In the beginning he failed again and again, especially when the object was a liquid. He tried to exchange the milk from the milk box with a glass of water, but it always ended up on the kitchen table. After countless cleaning orgies, he always went back to the chestnut tree in frustration. But in the end he finally managed to exchange it. Now he looked at the red liquid in the test tube and took a deep breath. This time he couldn't try it again and again he couldn't make a mistake. He just had one try, without hesitation he moved his hand slowly.
Prue looked at him. She was revolted by it, but on the other hand it was a little bit fascinating too. The light red liquid evaporated slowly and deep red blood flowed into the test tube.
Cole leaned back in relief, luckily everything has gone well as he has planned. He would never had admitted it, but he had doubts that it would go without a hitch. He couldn't see a wound on the skin of the dead man. Satisfied Cole took the test tube and pushed the dead body back into it's compartment.
Meanwhile Prue still watched him sceptically. "I really don't know, if it's a good idea." she explained thoughtfully.
"Hey he's already dead, it doesn't bother him." Cole told her.
Prue couldn't contradict, nevertheless she asked. "And if he still has relatives? What will they feel"
Cole was bored-looking and shrugged his shoulders. "You had no objections." he reminded her, but when she did't answer, he added placate. "Let's go first, we can talk about it at home."
They went back to the door, when they suddenly heard some noise from the other side. They stopped in fright. "They aren't coming here, are they" Prue asked and looked around searching, but as she already knew, the room was completely empty, there was just the large wall unit.
Cole listened carefully, he couldn't miss that the people were approaching. "Well I'd say, they are coming." he explained and looked around, too. But like Prue he only saw the large wall unit.
"But here is no place to hide" Prue said in a low voice and when she saw Cole's look, she shook her head vehemently. "No, forget it. I won't lay myself beside a dead person, definitely not."
"Dead people don't bite" Cole whispered into her ear calmly, he couldn't understand why she made such a fuss of it. "If they enter this room, we'll have no choice. Although I don't know, if you can close the pigeonholes from the inside."
"The problem is, if you can open it from the inside." Prue explained angrily, she couldn't deny that they were in a real mess, nevertheless she wouldn't let herself lock up together with a dead person.
The steps stopped in front of the door and a silent click revealed that the lock was unlocked. Shortly before one of the man opened the door, Cole pulled Prue aside. Both parts of the swing door opened and Cole and Prue could hide themselves behind one of them. Two men entered the room with a bier. One of them turned on the light and suddenly the hall was illuminated in bright light. The door closed slowly and Cole and Prue had no chance to hide anymore. One man turned around and Cole didn't waste any time. He took Prue's hand and shimmered them out of the hall.
When they turned up on a deserted street again, Cole didn't see a trace of thankfulness in Prue's face.
"Did you get a big kick out of it? Do you need this cheap thrill" she asked furiously.
"No, I thought you'd know better, that I prefer to do something else, if I need a thrill." Cole told her calmly and it was obvious what he meant.
"Oh really? And can you tell my one thing. Why did you have to expose us to danger needlessly? Why did we have to burgle there, if you could have also shimmered us into the morgue" she wanted to know in an ice-cold voice.
"Because I'm not able to do it." Cole said calmly.
Prue looked at him derisively. "And what was this" she asked and looked around angrily. "Where are we at all"
"Well, that's the problem Prue." Cole explained dryly. "I don't know"
She gave him a sceptical look. "What are you getting at"
"That I don't have any problems to shimmer us out of the morgue, but unfortunately I can't shimmer us into the building." He told her in a matter-of-fact. "I still have some problems with the coordination." He confessed in dissatisfaction.
Prue looked around. "Does that mean, that we are stranded in no-man's-land" she asked in disbelief.
"No, I'll manage to take us home." Cole tried to convince her and took her hand. "Probably I just need a little practice, no problem at all."
When they arrived in a forest soon after, they didn't spend much time there. It was terrible cold in this high mountain region and it made Prue shudder. But shortly after a hot wind of the desert was blowing. Prue gave Cole a sceptical look, but before she could say something, Cole has already shimmered them onto the roof of a tower block. Prue looked around and saw a commercial sign on the other side. She flashed a look of contempt at Cole and said derisively. "Oh, you make great strides - a town. But unfortunately in Asia."
Cole ignored her and tried to shimmer them home again. It couldn't be so difficult, actually it was dead easy. He tried to concentrate and soon after they landed in a backyard. Foreign sounds were coming out of an open door of a pub. Prue shook her head angrily.
"Next time, I'm sure" Cole explained confidently and shimmered them away from the backyard.
Next time they turned up in a deserted street. Prue stepped aside and looked at Cole furiously. "I've enough of it! You could try a bit harder. It's no pleasure to shimmer around with you all night. It's enough to make me sick and I finally want to go home."
"I'm really sorry, but I can't change it, it doesn't work." Cole explained, he was rather frustrated and angry about her, but not less angry about himself. It couldn't be true, he made a fool of himself when he tried the simplest thing in the world. And when he just thought, things could hardly get any worse, Prue burst out laughing.
When Prue noticed Cole's frustrating look, she suddenly knew exactly how Daniel would look like in a few years, if his sandcastle collapsed. Against her will, she started laughing uncontrollably.
"It's great, that you can laugh at it at least." Cole explained angrily. "We won't come off and wherever we are, the only thing you can do is to kill yourself laughing."
"I'm sorry." she said between one laughing fit and another. Giggling she walked along the street to a bus stop and Cole followed her reluctantly. She sat down on the bench and wiped off her tears. Then she looked at Cole still grinning. "When I saw your face, it was so full of frustration." She tried to explain, but she didn't tell him, that he had looked so cute, too, that she had to force herself not to kiss him.
"Wonderful" Cole said furiously and sat down beside her. "Just great! That's the first time ever anything like that has happened to me."
"And thereby you are sitting around under the chestnut tree day and night. It seems as if it doesn't get you anywhere, does it" Prue asked in amusement.
"At least I could exchange the blood with the liquid." he explained with a smile.
Prue looked at him asking. "Does that mean, that it could have been a disaster like your tries to shimmer, too"
"What are you complaining about, it went all well." Cole explained, he stood up and held out for her hand. "Come let's try it again."
Prue stood up reluctantly, she had lost faith in Cole's ability to take them home. She looked around and took her hand away, when Cole just wanted to take it. "Wait a moment" She stopped him, before they would end up in the next wilderness. She pointed to a house at the end of the street. "Doesn't it look like one of Harry von Berg's hotels" she asked.
Cole turned around and looked along the street to a shining plate. "Yes! You are right. I brought us to New Orleans, didn't I" He asked quite satisfied.
Prue looked at the sign of the bus stop. "Mm, I don't know this street." she said and searched for a timetable and a city map, but obviously someone had taken them away.
Cole watched her and said. "I don't think that busses will go here at night."
Prue nodded. "I know, I just wanted to know where we are. But we can go to the hotel and call a taxi there." She searched for some money in her trouser pockets, but she couldn't find any. "I hope you have enough money to take us home at least."
Cole took a close look at his wallet. "Yes, don't worry, it'll be enough to take a taxi."