TWO

Paige hurried to open the front door to the manor. The temp office hadn't called yet with a job for her and she was having trouble staying busy. Phoebe had just gotten up and was getting ready for work. When Paige heard the knock at the front door she figured at least it would give her something to do for a few minutes. She opened the door to find Peter standing on the front porch.

"Peter," she said, a smile crossing her face. "Well, long time no see. What brings you by here?"

"I was hoping you might be able to answer a question for me. Mind if I come in?"

"Sure, sure. And I'll be glad to answer any questions you have if I can."

Just then Phoebe came down the stairs.

"Peter," said Phoebe. "What a pleasant surprise. What brings you by this early in the morning?"

"Hello, Phoebe. As I was just telling Paige I have a question I'm hoping you can answer."

"Sure, if we can. Legal, personal, or demonic?"

"Kind of all three," said Peter smiling slightly.

Paige and Phoebe glanced at each other. There could be only one connection to Peter that would involve all three. Cole.

"I heard a rumor," Peter continued. "Someone told me that Cole had been vanquished. Considering how powerful he was I figured the only ones capable of vanquishing him were the Charmed Ones."

"Well, yeah, we did," said Phoebe. "Peter, you have to understand. We didn't have any choice. Cole was trying to get me back. He tried to kill Piper and Paige. We had to vanquish him to protect ourselves."

"I see. I figured it was something like that. I guess things had changed between you. The last time I was here you were still protecting him."

Paige went to answer the phone as Phoebe and Peter continued to talk.

"Yes, things changed. He changed. I guess it wasn't totally his fault but that doesn't change what he did. Like I said, he didn't leave us any choice."

"Well, I just got a call," said Paige coming back into the living room. "They want me to play errand girl. You two going to be okay?"

'We'll be fine," said Peter. "I'd like to talk to Phoebe for a bit. If she has the time."

"I guess so," said Phoebe. "It won't matter if I come in a little late. Elise is kind of used to it by now anyway."

"Great," said Paige. "Well, guess I'll see you guys after work."

"Have a good day," said Peter.

"So," said Phoebe after Paige had left, "what did you want to talk about?"

"Well," said Peter uncomfortably, "this may sound a bit strange. Considering our past history you might find this just a bit odd."

"Okay," said Phoebe slightly confused. "I can see that whatever it is it's important to you. Whatever I can help you with I'll be glad to."

Peter stared at Phoebe for a moment. He knew this would come as a shock to her. Even after promising his mother he wouldn't kill Cole he still hadn't wanted to know anything about Cole. He had made that perfectly clear.

"I need you to tell me what kind of man my father was. I want you to tell me about your relationship with him."

Phoebe stared at Peter in disbelief.

"You want me to do what?" she asked, certain that her ears were deceiving her.

Peter ran his hand through his hair with a sigh.

"I want, no, I need you to tell me what kind of man Cole was."

Phoebe watched his movements, studying his obvious agitation with as much detachment as she could manage. In this moment, he reminded her a great deal of his father. She didn't really want to talk about Cole, but she couldn't suppress her natural compassion for the man before her.

"Peter," she said gently. "Suppose you start by telling me why you have this sudden interest in Cole. You made it pretty clear in the past that you were perfectly happy having nothing to do with him. He's gone now, what possible difference could anything I could tell you make?"

"Damn it, I know he's gone." Peter rose from his seat and began to pace. "He wasn't supposed to be."

Phoebe was uncertain exactly why Peter seemed to be so unsettled. But she did feel a need to try and explain.

"We didn't have any choice Peter. He'd completely given in to evil. He reset time, tried to wipe Paige out of our lives, he was…"

"That may have been partly my fault," Peter interrupted.

"Don't be silly. How could what Cole did be your fault?"

"That's part of the reason I'm here, the reason I need to talk to you. I met Baldasor a while back and he told me some things about the kind of demon Cole had been. Things that made me think. So I went to see Cole a couple of weeks ago."

Phoebe's eyes went wide with shock. The memory of the state Cole had been in at that time would be forever etched in her mind.

"You saw him?" she questioned softly. "Then you know what he had become."

"That's just it, Phoebe. I don't know. Powers and invincibility notwithstanding, I didn't see a demon. I saw a man. Lost, desperate, stripped of all hope. It confused me even more."

'I still don't understand why you would feel responsible for what he did."

"I wanted to talk to him again. But I was worried…"

'You were worried about Cole?" Phoebe interrupted, stunned.

"He seemed so devoid of hope. So I thought if I reminded him of who he had always been, how he never quit; well, I thought it would keep him from doing something foolish. But I guess it backfired," Peter finished quietly.

"And now he's gone. Peter, trying to help him doesn't make you responsible."

"I know. But as you said he's gone and I still don't understand so many things."

Phoebe sighed in resignation. The last thing she wanted to do was dredge up memories of Cole. She didn't feel guilty for doing what had to be done. But she did feel the unavoidable pain of his loss. However, one look at the troubled man before her was all she needed to know that she would try to help him if she could. Phoebe motioned Peter back to the chair and sat down across from him.

"I'm not sure how I can help you Peter, but tell me what you need."

"I have a pretty clear picture of what kind of demon Cole was. But you are probably the only person in the world who can tell me what kind of human he was. Please Phoebe, I know it's not probably not easy for you but I need you to tell me what kind of man my father was."

"That's not an easy question to answer. He was much more complicated than most people believed. I knew him both as a demon and as a human. There were facets to him that not even my sisters were aware of."

"I know that. That's why I've come to you. Like I said I have a good idea what kind of demon he was. But if I'm to understand him; to make sense of my life and who I am; I need the whole picture. I need to know what kind of human being he was."

"I'm not sure what you're looking for but I'll help if I can. I'm just not sure what you're asking for."

"I guess," said Peter nervously, sitting back down, "what I really need to know is what was it about Cole that drew you to him. I need you to tell me what it was about him that made you fall in love with him."

Phoebe stared at Peter in total surprise.