A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I appreciate them all so much!
tima- I'm glad I got Phoebe down right. She's the hardest for me to write, so I love it when I get her right.
JadeAlmasy- I'm glad you like it! I'm writing as fast as I can type. So please keep reviewing!
Jedi Master Calriel- Hurt Chris? Well you'll just have to keep reading to find out, huh? LOL
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"Cole. I need your help." Phoebe said quietly, not knowing what else to say.
"Of course you do. Why else would you summon me? Too much to hope I was being invited for Christmas dinner right?" Cole asked sarcastically. "Hey, hey, I'm just kidding. Seriously, how can I help?" Cole reassured when he saw how distraught Phoebe was acting.
"It's Wyatt, Cole. There's something really wrong with him. Evil Wyatt is coming to take over and make him evil again."
A confused look came over Cole's face. "Huh? Run that by me again."
"Evil Wyatt from Chris' other future. We think he's back and trying to turn our Wyatt evil."
"Chris had another future? Geez, a guy can really get confused when he's stuck in limbo."
"ARGH! Ok, Cole, here it is from the beginning. Back in 2004, we were assigned a new whitelighter from the future, when Leo was made an elder. This new whitelighter was trying to protect baby Wyatt from evil. At least, that's what he told us to start. As it turned out, he was really trying to save baby Wyatt from becoming evil. We later found out why. Our whitelighter from the future was really Chris, Piper's son and Wyatt's little brother. We worked together to save Wyatt from turning evil for a few months, until we were betrayed by Gideon, an elder who was afraid of the power that Wyatt possessed. Gideon's betrayal was the key element in turning Wyatt evil in Chris' future. We stopped Gideon from hurting Wyatt, but in the process, Gideon killed future Chris, just as Piper was giving birth to our current Chris. We all assumed that when Chris died and the future changed, Evil Wyatt ceased to exist. But now, Chris has both his and the other Chris' memories due to a spell we did to help with the Sextet, and now all of a sudden, Wyatt is having memories of a life that he didn't live. Horrible ones in which he commits these heinous acts against his family." Phoebe stopped and took a breath.
"Your family doesn't believe in normal problems like who's going to fix the leaky pipes, do you?" Cole asked incredulously.
"Leo fixes our pipes. He started out as our handy man, he stayed our handyman." Phoebe said distractedly.
"Handyman? I thought he was your whitelighter. You know, protect you from harm, not from wood rot. Have I ever really known your family?" Cole wondered aloud.
"No. You never have. You never wanted to. At first you were too focused on killing us all. Then after that you were just focused on me." Phoebe's eyes went soft at the declaration, remembering how good it had been to be in love with Cole.
"So tell me know. Maybe if I know more about your family, I'll be able to figure more out about this Evil Wyatt you think is around now."
"Do you really want to know, or are you buttering me up for something? Don't use me right now, Cole. I can't handle it at the moment." Strain lined Phoebe's normally stress-free face.
"I want to know. I want to know you. I always have. But what I didn't realize then was that to know you, and to love you, is to know your family- Even Paige." He grimaced, realizing that if he really wanted Phoebe, he'd have to tolerate her younger sister.
"Paige really isn't that bad Cole. More than anything she's afraid. She still remembers what it was like to lose her foster parents and be afraid of losing everything else with them. Then she got her powers and two sisters in the blink of an eye, and she always has felt like a replacement for Prue. As much as Piper and I love her for being Paige, she still feels like a replacement for the sister we lost. But she loves us, desperately so. She doesn't want to lose us too, so she has set herself in the role of protector. But still, she's afraid of losing us. So she hides behind a sarcastic wit and her awesome powers. But every once in awhile, especially now that Jax and the girls are in her life, you see her true self. Completely selfless, giving and warm. She's loving, protective and absolutely amazing. Piper is the backbone that keeps this family going, but Paige is our heart."
Cole nodded. He'd have to sort through that later. He knew Paige's protectiveness, after all, she'd tried to attack him alone to be rid of him for Phoebe's sake. It made sense, but he still didn't have to like it. "So what about Piper? What is her story?"
"Piper is amazingly strong. She's always been stubborn and destined for great things, even before we became witches. But she really started to shine and come into her true personality when Prue died. She became our leader. No matter how sad or hurt she was, she really did become the oldest sister. She leads us, even when she knows that every time she does, she's risking the people that she loves the most. She's fiercely loyal, and quick to distrust. And she adores her family. Not just Leo, Wyatt & Chris- although they are definitely first on her list of priorities, but also the rest of us too. She's the one that showed Patrick how to blow up things with his power. And when he accidentally blew up Gram's antique vase, she just laughed and said that at least he hadn't blown a whole in the wall. That's just who Piper is- I said she was the backbone of the family and she is. She keeps all of us going when we really want to give up. Even though she wants a normal life outside of magic, she's also the first one to use her powers to ensure the safety of the ones she cares about."
"Piper always was strong. But Phoebe, you're selling yourself short. So far, you say that Paige is the heart of the family and that Piper is the backbone. So that must make you the soul right?" Cole asked, seeing the shadows cross her face.
"Cole… I'm the family screw up. I mess up, my sisters fix it, forgive me, and then I do it all over again. How many times has my love for you put my family in danger? I'm the one that's most easily susceptible to evil. And because of it, my family suffers."
"Aunt Phoebe. Don't you know? Because of you, this family knows how to love." Chris' voice echoed through the attic. "Sorry to interrupt. Mom was worried, so she sent me up here to make sure things were ok. Nice to see you again, Cole."
Phoebe sniffed, and turned to look at her nephew. "Don't worry, Chris. I'm fine. You don't have to be nice. I am what I am, I'm okay with that. I've come to terms with it."
Chris smiled. "But Aunt Phoebe, there's nothing to 'come to terms' with! Don't you understand? I won't speak for mom & Aunt Paige, but for all us kids- you're the best thing that ever happened to us. Ask any of them. Sure, you made mistakes before, but all three of you did. All four if you count Aunt Prue. But you're the only one that's willing to share the mistakes with us. It helps us, because then we know when we mess up with our magic or just in life in general, we always have someone who is going to understand. Because you've been there, and you know what we're going through."
"Chris, I appreciate what you're saying, really, I do. But I just don't see it." Phoebe unconsciously let Cole put his arms around her, hugging her to him for the first time in almost 20 years.
"What about when I first starting seeing Maya? She's a quarter demon. No one in this family understood how I could fall in love with someone I consciously knew had demonic powers. You were the only one who understood completely, and supported my decision. Everyone loves Maya now, but you were the only one who supported me to start with. Whether or not you know it that does mean a lot." Chris kissed his aunt's cheek. "We love you, Auntie Feeb." He chuckled, seeing the surprised look on her face at the name he hadn't used since he was 6. "I'll just go downstairs now and tell mom everything is copasetic up here. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Chris left the attic, shooting a big grin at his aunt. Before he left he sent her a thought telepathically. 'Listen with your heart this time. If you love Cole, don't give him up.'
Phoebe just started after her nephew, a look of amusement on her face.
Cole started to laugh. "Tell me more about the kids. They're obviously smart. They adore you."
Phoebe grinned, bouncing back from her unusual state of melancholy. "Of course. I'm irresistible!"
"You sure are." Cole's voice was solemn and serious.
Phoebe got flustered. "Umm… yeah, well the kids are great. Wyatt is powerful and strong. He's a born leader. He's got a lot of Leo in him. He's generally a pacifist, until someone threatens the ones he loves. Then he becomes angry, and an angry Wyatt can be a scary thing. When he pulls out Excalibur he's almost unstoppable. Actually, no one can calm him down once he's at that stage except for Chris.
Chris is…amazing. He's older than his years, but still a kid at heart. He's like this wizened old man sometimes, being our walking, talking Book of Shadows, half owning his own restaurant and leading the family into demon battles. But then at other times, he a typical 20 year old: going to rock concerts, getting caught with his girlfriend and teasing his younger cousins. Plus Chris is sensitive and so in touch. He's the most sensitive empathic receptor I've ever seen. He feels things almost before you feel them yourself. Plus he's got all these memories of a time that he'd rather forget. He's also got memories of being in the past with us as well, so his connection with Wyatt is doubly strong. Wyatt protected him all his life this time, but that only happened because Chris was strong enough to protect Wyatt in the past. The two of them are incredibly close. I have no idea how they're going to deal with Evil Wyatt, if he really is here. If it breaks their bond...I just don't know."
"Don't worry, Phoebe. They'll be okay. If they're half as strong as what you think they are- half as strong as you-they'll be okay. What about the rest of the kids? Yours and Paige's?" The last word was said with a slight sneer.
"Stop it. Peyton and Phyra are great kids. And they're amazing witches. They have their elemental sides down cold. Jax is a great dad and really works with them to make sure they know how to use their powers if they need to. Plus they work with Paige, Leo, Chris & Wyatt for their whitelighter powers. They both adore Chris & Wyatt."
"And your kids? They must be great, too? What are they like?" Cole asked, genuinely interested.
"Paisley is my oldest, and she has my powers. She's calm and serene most of the time. She's quiet, but when she does speak up, everyone listens. She's smart and beautiful. She's the most likely out of any of the kids to be able to make a life outside of magic if she chooses.
Patrick is my middle child, and my only son. He's got Piper's power of blowing things up, plus the power of super speed. He's mostly a normal kid. He tries to act tough a lot like Chris & Wyatt, but he's still only 16. I think he's got his first girlfriend, but he's keeping her a secret from all of us. Silly boy still hasn't figured out he can't hide stuff like that from his mom.
And Patience… well, pardon the joke, but she tries my patience. I think out of all the kids, she's the most like me. She's a total firecracker. She has no sense of calm; she's constantly talking and chatty. I don't think she's ever met a stranger. But still, as powerful as her empathy and protection shields are, her real power is her heart. She cares so much for everyone and everything. My biggest worry is that she'll get her heart broken often, because she loves so deeply."
"Phoebe, I'm sure you and...Les will keep her safe. Keep them all safe. You both love them." Cole forced out the name of his nemesis for Phoebe's love.
"Cole… Les isn't in the picture anymore. He left. He said he couldn't handle the magical life. I don't think he'll be around to help me worry about Patience." Phoebe's words were quiet. She knew there was no going back now. Cole wouldn't give up now… at least she hoped not.
Cole turned Phoebe in his arms so she was facing him. "Really? No more Les? Then I guess I can do what I've wanted to since I saw you six months ago." With that proclamation, he pulled her close and kissed her, using every bit of skill and finesse he possessed. When they pulled apart a few minutes later, he chuckled softly, and tenderly spoke. "I guess I really do have to start liking Paige now, huh? Because I'm not giving you up this time Phoebe."