Thanks Charmed Snow, thanks jumping-jo.
I'm so glad, that you still read it.
39. Chapter
This evening Prue did herself up for Judy's barbecue. They had made their mind up and decided that they wouldn't give up their normal life, no matter what's happened. It wasn't necessary to free the souls of the dead persons this day, finally they didn't even know how. She looked in the mirror and was satisfied with herself. Nobody would see the stress and strain of the last days. Her arm's wound didn't hurt anymore and no one would notice it through the sleeve of her transparent black blouse. "Perfect!" She murmured satisfied and left the room to go downstairs.
Cole was already waiting for her in the hall and smiled when he saw her coming downstairs. "You're looking great." He said admiring.
"Thanks!" Prue said with a bright smile on her face. She wondered, why it was such a good feeling to get his compliment, although she had already found out that she was looking good, before.
"Oh yes, mm, I asked Josh to come with us." Amy said meanwhile and added quickly. "I hope you don't mind, will you?"
Prue shrugged her shoulders. "Well you'll have to ask Judy, finally it's her party."
"As long as he won't blab out anything." Cole added.
"Don't worry, he won't do that." Amy told him, rather convinced.
Prue looked at him searching. "You don't like him, do you?" She wanted to know.
"Oh no, not really." Amy played down immediately. "But, you know that he has lost his job and well I thought that he needs an encouragement."
Prue grinned. "If you say so." She said and they set off to the house of Judy's parents.
"Stop, stop there. Here it is." Prue said, when they arrived in front of a small house with a nice front garden where countless flowers were in bloom. A little path made of stones led to an entrance door with an elaborate ornament. Roses creept around the door and along the whole house.
Cole stopped the car and they got off. "It's nice." He said thoughtfully. "But a little bit too small."
"Well only Judy's parents are living here." Prue informed him. "And the house is big enough for two people and they even have a beautiful garden." She walked to the entrance door and Cole followed her with Danny on his arms.
"I'm just wondering, where we'll sleep this night." Cole pointed out.
"All together in the living room, I suppose." Prue said with a shrug. She had asked Judy, if they could bring Amy and Danny with them, because she didn't want to let them alone at home. Judy had agreed immediately, but she had asked them to stay overnight.
"Wonderful." Cole said and sighed. "But so what, I already have spent the night at worse places."
"And where?" Amy wanted to know curiously.
Cole gave a dismissive gesture. "I'm sure you don't want to know." He told her, while Prue rang the bell.
A small woman opened the door and looked at the guests in a state of expectancy. "Prue my dear." She greeted Prue warmly and let them enter the house. "And you are Danny's father, I suppose. Judy has already told me about you." She explained smiling. "I'm Carol, Judy's mother."
"Cole Turner." Cole introduced himself and pointed at Amy. "And that's Amy."
Amy nodded and looked around curiously, but Carol wasn't really interested in her.
"And there's Danny." She said and walked to Danny's baby seat with outstretched arms. "Good God! You grew up so much, since I've seen you last time."
Cole looked thoughtfully at his son, who didn't say anything, before he gave Prue an asking look.
Prue shrugged her shoulders. "Carol loves children, don't you Carol?" She wanted to know grinning.
"Oh yes." Carol agreed and focused her full attention on Danny. "But unfortunately my daughter doesn't do it." She sighed and looked around for Judy, who had already entered the crowded corridor to greet her guests. "I'm still waiting for my first grandchild."
"Yes, and you'll still have to be patient." Judy informed her immediately. "Finally it's my own decision."
"But just look, what a sweet baby." Carol tried to convince her daughter and held Danny out for her.
"Yes, very sweet." Judy said, rather unenthusiastically and led Amy and Prue to the living room quickly. Then she turned back to her mother. "What are you doing here, mom?" She wanted to know impatiently.
Carol gave her a surprised look. "I thought that it would be a good idea, if I took care for the boy as long as you are celebrating in the garden." She said and turned to Cole. "Come with me, we'll take the boy into his room." She said resolutely and walked upstairs together with Cole.
Judy looked behind them and sighed, when Prue stepped beside her. "I'm sorry, I already suspected that that would happen, when you bring Danny along." Judy explained annoyed. As if my mother doesn't keep rubbing it in, but now it'll be entirely over." She looked upstairs unhappy.
"So why don't you finally have children? I'm sure your mother would like to be your babysitter." Prue teased her.
"Stop it Prue!" Judy let out angrily. "Why don't you have children, if you think that's so wonderful."
"I already have Danny and he's enough for me." Prue told her composed. "And besides it's you, who has a close partnership with Robert for years, not me."
Judy shrugged her shoulders, when something more interesting occurred to her. She started to grin and asked rather excited. "Oh Prue I've already heard about it, so come on, tell me more."
Prue looked at her in surprise. "I don't know, what you are getting at." She said in alert, but how should Judy know anything what had happened in court this day?
"Robert told me about it." She said grinning. "You and Cole in the middle of the night..."
"Oh, I see." Prue said in relief and gave a dismissive gesture immediately. "We just wanted to meet Zadie and the door was open. We didn't break in." She confirmed.
"I couldn't care less, whether you broke in the house of this Voodoo freak or not." Judy told her indignantly. "I'm talking about your necking."
"Oh, that." Prue looked at the ceiling, rather annoyed. "Robert doesn't care about the privacy of other people, does he?" She wanted to know.
"No, he doesn't if it's about one of my best friends." Judy informed her. "Stop acting stupid and tell me, what's going on between you and Cole."
"Mm." Prue said and looked aside smiling. "Although I would have never dreamt of it, we fell for each other." She explained and looked at Judy with a satisfied smile on her face.
"I knew it, what did I say?" Judy wanted to know, satisfied about her great knowledge of human nature. "And?"
Prue shrugged her shoulders. "Well I'd say, we are together now."
"That's great!" Judy let out and embraced her friend. "And are you lucky now?"
Prue was still smiling and nodded. "Yes, I am. Although I really can't believe, what I am doing at the moment. She said, while she saw Cole coming downstairs.
He walked to them and grinned. "It isn't nice of you, that you don't give your mother a grandchild as a present." He told Judy.
"Don't dare you. Shut your mouth." She hissed at him angrily and turned around to Prue. "Please tell your boyfriend, that I'll turn you out on your ears, if one of you say another word about it. You won't spoil my fun."
Prue shrugged her shoulders, rather unimpressed. "Why don't you tell him yourself?" She wanted to know.
"Well I did it with this." Judy explained and looked angrily at Cole with her eyes closed tightly. "I was pleased to hear that you have found each other, how could I?" She asked and turned around without waiting for an answer. "I have to go to the garden now. As far as I know Robert, he'll burn the hamburgers, if I don't watch out."
"Mm." Prue said smiling, while she looked behind her. "It seems as if you've got her goat."
"I?" Cole wondered and rejected the blame immediately. "No, I'd say, we did it together."
Prue grinned carefree. "That might be right, but don't forget her mother."
"Definitely not." Cole said and looked at the stairs. Then he looked back at Prue. "Oh there's something, I'd like to know. Your boyfriend?" he wanted to know sceptically, because he was surprised, that Prue had told Judy about them immediately.
"Yes, why? Do you mind?" Prue wanted to know, rather unimpressed.
Cole shook his head. "No, that doesn't sound bad."
"Do you think so?" Prue wondered and finally she had to agree. She smiled and seized him up. "That's right, it's okay and if someone doesn't know, who you are, I can even show you." She found out satisfied.
"Thanks for your compliment." Cole said rather amused. "And that's the reason, why you told Judy about it without delay."
"Rubbish." Prue explained firmly. "It was Robert, who has told Judy about our meeting in Zadie's kitchen."
"Oh, just after we used Zadie's love potion, in his point of view." Cole said smiling.
"Well Judy called it necking." Prue said cooly.
Before Cole could answer, somebody opened the door upstairs and Carol appeared at the stairs. "I've just seen, that Judy walked to the barbecue in the garden. Please tell her, that she should care about the salad, roasting is Robert's job." Carol forced them resolutely.
Prue grinned. "We'll do it immediately." She took Cole's hand and together they walked through the living room into the garden.
Robert's sister Francis, her husband and further friends of Judy and Robert were already in the garden and Prue greeted them and introduced Cole, before she walked to Robert and Judy, who were standing at the barbecue.
"I shall tell you from your mother, that it's Robert's job to grill." Prue told her smiling, while she watched Judy turning the spare ribs masterly.
Judy gave an angry snob. "She can talk. Daddy is a master of grilling, compared to Robert." Judy said angrily and looked up to the house, where her mother was standing in front of the window, gesticulating wildly. "Why does she always have to poke her nose in my business?"
"Well I don't believe for a minute, that I'm not able to barbecue." Robert told her meanwhile and pointed at a few hamburgers at the edge of the grill. "Okay, we'll have to scrape them off a little bit, but they aren't black, are they?" He looked at Cole and waited for his confirmation.
Cole cast a quick look at the round meat. "They remind me of coals." Cole told him in an ironical voice, but when he saw Robert's frustrated look, he added mercifully. "But actually, they look rather appetizing and I like it well-done."
"Wonderful, I wish you bon appetite." Judy said and smiled nastily.
"We'll enjoy it." Robert told her and shook his head. "Well Cole, I'm sure you also prefer to grill yourself, don't you?"
"No!" Cole gave the grill a sceptical look. "I've never tried before." He admitted.
"No?" Robert wondered and started to laugh. "I can hardly believe that, where are you coming from?"
"He's coming from a place, where the fire is always burning, but nobody would get the idea to barbecue meat over it." Prue explained composed.
Robert gave her a confused look. "Well I don't understand, what you are getting at." He said, when the door bell was ringing again.
"Who is that?" Judy wondered and looked around confused. "All guests are already here, or did you invite anyone else?" She asked Robert and feared, that he could have invited Paul, she really didn't need this at the moment.
"Oh, I'm sure that's Josh." Amy explained quickly and looked at Judy in excuse. "I hope, you don't mind but I've invited a friend of mine."
Judy shrugged her shoulders. "No, why should I. Finally we have enough to eat, I mean we'll let him come in, as long as he likes to eat charred hamburgers."
"Great, then I'll open the door for him." Amy said and disappeared in the house quickly.
When she opened the door, it was Josh, who was standing in front of it with his hair well combed. "I almost couldn't find the house." He explained his delay. "All houses look the same in this district."
"It's okay." Amy said and let him enter the house. "I'm glad, that you could come."
Josh nodded. "Yes, I hope this party will be as interesting as our last trip." He said grinning.
"No, definitely not. Prue's and Cole's friend are absolutely harmless." Amy informed him.
"Oh, do they also have harmless friends?" Josh asked sceptically and looked around in the cosy living room with the flowery frilled sofa and the plushy armchairs.
"Yes, they have. So please don't tell anything about it, will you?" Amy asked him, while she led him into the garden.
"Don't worry, I even don't know myself, what I'm thinking of it." Josh said and smiled. "But if this party is too boring, we can make a getaway later. I know a place where's a party on tonight." He suggested.
Amy stopped and shrugged her shoulders. "Well we'll see." She said uncertainly.
"We'll see means that you don't want, does it?" Josh asked and looked at her intently. "But don't worry, my friends are harmless compared to your friends."
Soon later, they guests got together in small groups. They stood or sat at the tables and chairs standing in the garden. Prue ate Judy's spare ribs, while Cole and Robert tried the hamburgers, without battling an eyelid.
"You can eat them, they aren't as bad as they look like." Robert explained satisfied and turned to the guests, standing around him. He looked around intently and finally he said. "Did you hear anything what has been happening in court today?"
Everybody looked at him rather interested, while Josh choked on immediately and started to cough. Amy pushed his back, but the other people didn't notice it, but looked at Robert curiously.
"Well this afternoon we were called to court." He started to tell. "And you won't believe what we have found there." He stopped again. "A group of homeless persons have killed the district attorney David Morgan."
"He's no great loss." Robert's brother-in-law said cynically. "But how come?"
Robert shrugged his shoulders. "Obviously some of the members of jury have accused him that he had offered them a bribe, if they found the defendant guilty."
Robert's brother-in-law nodded. "Well I wouldn't put it past him." He explained, while Prue and Cole held back and listened carefully, what Robert had to tell.
"There was heavy rioting in courtroom." He continued at once. "But before they could clear up everything, Morgan was gone. Well it didn't help him, an angry crowd of homeless people was already waiting for him in front of the court house. They had just robbed a shop for antique weapons minutes before and then they lost no time. They went for Morgan and murdered him." He sighed. "I can tell you it was awful to see his dead body."
"I can imagine very well." Amy said in a low voice and pulled a face in disgust.
"But that's just typical, that you pin the blame for the crime on the homeless people." One of Judy's friends got all excited. "How do you know that?"
Robert looked at her with a satisfied smile on his face. "Because there were countless eye-witnesses, my dear Lynn." He explained and looked at the others. "And that isn't all, many dead persons were lying on the square and they didn't have any papers."
"Do you mean, nobody could find out their identities?" Amy asked unhappily.
"No, some of them were listed as missing and we have found letters or other papers at a few dead people." Robert explained. "But we found out, that most of them were homeless persons."
"But why did they die?" His sister wanted to know, rather interested.
Robert shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, they have brought them to a medical laboratory. In a few days we'll know more." He explained and looked at the group. "But I can tell you, it was scaring."
Josh nodded knowing. "You don't have to tell me, man."
The rest of the evening went off smoothly and even Judy could forget the hectic preparations and her mother's advices. She enjoyed the evening like everybody else. Just Josh was bored and he suggested Amy, to join his friends.
Amy looked at him with an insecure smile on her face. "I don't know, I think it's isn't the right time." She said in excuse.
But Josh didn't want to accept her excuse. "Oh, come on. After everything I've done for you today, you could join me at least. It'll be great fun."
Amy looked around, a party with his friends didn't seem rather desirable. No, she preferred to stay here. "I think it's nice here, isn't it?" She wanted to know.
Josh gave her a sceptical look. "Oh, for somebody, who is used to talk to zombies, everything here is rather boring, isn't it?" He said. "So come on, let's go."
Amy sighed, perhaps he was right, she had already talked to zombies today, so why should she be afraid of his friends? She nodded resolutely. "Okay, but first I'd like to let them know." She said and looked around searching for Prue.
Josh watched her shaking his head and bit his tongue not to ask her, if she needed a permission first.
Finally Amy found Prue, who was talking to Judy. She walked to her slowly. "Prue." She said in a low voice, when she stood beside her. "Josh wants to go to another party and he asked me, if I would like to go with him." She explained quickly.
"Okay, if you want to go, you can go." Prue said cooly, while Amy looked at her not very happy, she had hoped, that Prue would try to talk her out of it.
"So if you don't mind." Amy tried it again.
Prue shook her head. "No, why should I?" she asked in surprise.
"Well I just thought you would have your doubts about it." Amy said and looked at Josh. "But okay, then I'll go."
"Great! Have a nice time." Prue said and looked after Amy coming, who went back to Josh slowly.
Judy looked at them, too. "Mm." She said thoughtfully. "Do you think this guy is the right man for Amy?"
Prue shrugged her shoulders. "How shall I know?"
"Well he looks more like a kind of rocker and Amy is the good girl from suburbia." Judy considered.
"You know Judy, you can't always go by appearances." Prue said and looked at Cole talking to Robert's sister, who monopolized him. Prue smiled and added. "I'm in no position to judge that, because obviously I've lost my former so strongly developed ability to judge."
It was later after midnight and nobody wanted to go home, when it was suddenly getting darker. Judy looked up in concern and decided to move into the living room. The other guests agreed immediately and they took their glasses and went inside, while Prue looked at Judy asking.
"Do you want to go inside?" She wondered. "Why?"
Judy pointed at the sky. "Soon it will be raining, but I'm already glad that it didn't rain all evening." She said.
"Oh." Prue looked at the sky, but she couldn't make out anything. She looked at Cole thoughtfully. "Do you see anything?"
Cole shook his head. "No, but perhaps we should listen to the locals." He said smiling and looked after Judy, who was disappearing in the house. "Because it led to our downfall last time, too."
"That wasn't the only reason." Prue said and took his hand. "Come with me."
Cole gave her a confused look. "What are you up to?" He asked and followed her through the garden, where an old bench made of wood was standing under an imposing oak tree. An upholstery was lying on it and just if you looked very carefully, you could notice, that it was a swing hanging over the ground at sturdy chains fixed at a big branch.
"I noticed this swinging bench, when I was here last time in winter." Prue explained and sat down on the soft upholstery. "And I wanted to see it again, when there are leaves at the tree." She said and looked up to the dense foliage. "We won't notice the rain here."
"You're right." Cole said smiling and sat down beside her. "And it's definitely better than the crowded living room."
Prue turned aside to stretch out her legs. Satisfied she leaned on him. "An usual, peaceful night, after everything what happened today, it's hard to believe."
"Year, it would have been great, if I hadn't eaten Robert's awful hamburgers." Cole confessed and sighed.
Prue couldn't help laughing. "Nobody forced you to eat them." She said smiling and took his hand to cross his fingers with hers. "That's normal life."
"Oh, I understand, that's normal life. Mm, what did I miss all the years?" Cole wondered sarcastically, while he looked at Prue's hand. "Charred hamburgers and invitations to bowling."
Prue grinned. "Did Robert ask you to go bowling?" She asked in surprise.
Cole nodded. "Yes, he was shocked to find out, that I don't have the faintest idea of it."
Prue laughed. "You shouldn't tell him, all the things you know about." She said and looked at him thoughtfully. "What do you think. Will you be bored to death after some time?"
"No!" Cole informed her smiling, because he knew for sure that it would never be boring together with Prue. Thoughtfully he looked into the dark night. "You know, sometimes I think that I'm just dreaming. In fact I'm still stuck in this intermediate world and my mind just plays a nasty trick on me."
"Why nasty?" Prue wanted to know.
Cole smiled. "Because I always knew, that I'm not destined to live a normal life and to get everything what normal people get so easily." He shrugged his shoulders. "But I didn't mind, because I thought that it wouldn't be desirable."
"But it is desirable, isn't it?" Prue wanted to know.
Cole nodded. "Yes, I've never been so lucky before." He said unhesitatingly and he owed everything to Prue. She had raised him from the dead. Thoughtfully he looked at her. "And what's with you? Are you happy?"
Prue looked to the sky, which was covered by the foliage of the old oak tree. It was still pleasantly warm, but she heard the first rain drops falling on the leaves. "Yes." She finally said resolutely, she was happy, really happy, but there was one thing what she still missed in her life. "I am lucky, but nevertheless I'll always miss my sisters."
"Mm." Cole preferred to keep his mouth shut, because compared to her, he was happy, that they were definitely separated from her sisters. He was convinced, that they would ruin everything and he wouldn't accept that someone would take away his life once again. "But Leo was here." He finally said as composed as possible.
"Yes, really wonderful." Prue said in frustration. She didn't see the point of hiding it from Cole, therefore she added. "He has told me, that we live in the same world, but nevertheless we'll never see them again."
"Oh." Cole hardened, he had feared something like that. And if Leo was able to meet them, he would never be absolutely sure, that Prue's sisters wouldn't manage it, too.
"How can he tell me anything like that and believe that I would accept it?" Prue meanwhile asked angrily.
"But you have to accept it." Cole tried to convince her. "What else did he tell you?"
"Hardly anything, he took the view that it wouldn't be good for me." Prue said angrily. "He can talk." She shook her head. "The only thing he has told me is that Piper has a son."
"That's nice for her." Cole said laconically.
"Mm." Prue got the swing going and it swung in softly squealing. She listened to the noise and finally she added firmly. "And Phoebe has a boyfriend."
"That's nice for her." He said again. Cole wasn't surprised, that Phoebe had found a new boyfriend, finally she was already searching desperately for someone, while he had been there.
Prue turned her head and looked at him. "Yes?"
Cole nodded. "Of course, if he makes her happy, I wish her all the best." He said confidently. He was even surprised, that this message didn't concern him in the slightest, there weren't any bitter feelings anymore. If she finally found her luck, he would be happy for her. Unlike her, he thought grimly, she wouldn't be glad for him, especially not, if his luck was her sister. "But I suppose, she wouldn't say the same looking at me."
"Cole, stop it." Prue said annoyed, probably it wasn't a good idea to touch on this subject, she thought, but it was still rather strange for Prue to imagine that she was in love with her sister's ex-boyfriend.
"Mm." Cole looked straight-on and watched the budging twigs in the springing up wind. "Probably they are right and the rain will be stronger." He said thoughtfully. "I think we should go inside, too."
"Oh really?" Prue looked at him intently, she noticed, that something was wrong. "Don't change the subject, what's the problem?"
He sighed and looked at her again. "Prue what would you do, if you had the chance to meet them?" He wanted to know.
"I would be overjoyed, if I could see them again." Prue said immediately and gave him a confused look. "What do you think?" She wondered, because it was the most natural thing in the world for her or what were they talking about?
"I understand." Cole said and looked at her intently. "But I didn't mean it like that."
"You're talking about yourself, aren't you?" She suddenly understood and looked aside. She tried not to think about it. She didn't want to know, what her sister would think about them. "They would accept it." She finally explained as convinced as possible.
"Definitely not." Cole got it straight.
"They wouldn't jump for joy." Prue admitted. "They would be surprised..." She explained, but when she saw Cole's sneering look, she added annoyed. "Okay, they would be shocked, but they would accept my decision."
Cole shook his head. "Never in a lifetime."
"Listen to me, I know them much better, than you do." Prue said angrily. "And what do you think have I felt, when Phoebe decided for you?" She wanted to know with an ironical smile on her face. "I was shocked. I worried about her, because I didn't trust you a bid and I was on my guard every second. But at least, I've accept it and do you know why Cole?" She looked at him asking.
Cole shrugged his shoulders. "No, but you'll tell me, of course." He said calmly.
"Because it was more important to me, that she is happy. Therefore I didn't interfere. Even if I was sure, that she was wrong and that everything would end up dangerously for us." She told him forcefully. "Her luck meant a lot to me. And I claim the same for me."
Cole looked at her urgently. "They'll never do it Prue, not after everything what happened in the past."
Prue sighed. "What's happened? I'm sure it was only the usual thing." she said rather unimpressed.
"The usual thing?" Cole wondered.
"Yes! I know that you are capable of anything." Prue said calmly, but when she saw his sceptical look, she knew, that she had to explain it to him. "Obviously I have to remember you, that you've betrayed my sisters and me and that you've tried to kill us." Prue said plainly. "And I was your favourite victim. You have set this empathy demon on me. Did you forget it?" Prue didn't wait for his answer. "You have killed a man in front of my eyes. Okay, he was a criminal, but you enjoyed it. And finally you have killed an innocent witch on our attic." She explained and looked at him asking. "So it was something like that, wasn't it?"
"So to speak." He said composed and looked into the dark night gloomily. He would never be able to leave this part of his past behind, as much as he tried to live a normal life.
Prue felt that Cole withdraw into his shell. She sighed softly, she had really let herself in for something there! Every woman with a bit of common sense would drop a guy, who had done all the things Cole had done. But she knew instinctively, that he could get himself right and she wasn't afraid of him a bid. "It wasn't intention to damn you." she explained firmly and turned his head carefully to look at him forcefully. "I just wanted to show you, that I know, what you are able to do." She said calmly and smiled. "So nobody can say, that I don't know, whom I fell in love with."
Cole looked at her thoughtfully, even if she believed it, she would never know every part of him, he wouldn't allow that. What she knew was more than enough. "And it doesn't matter? You don't care?" He asked doubtfully.
"I do ...and I know you do, too." Prue said in a low voice and took his face in her hands. "Just trust me, I know whom I got involved with. I whether see you through rose-colored glasses nor do I idealize you. And my sisters know, that I make my own decisions."
Cole kissed her softly and gave her a thoughtful look. "I wish, you'd be right, but you can assume that they hate me. They'll be convinced that you rush headlong into a disaster."
"Okay." Prue said and forced a smile to push away all her gloomy thoughts. "Then I'll set them right." She said. "It wouldn't be the first time."