Wicked Games
Summary: AU. When Cole is back in town and after the sisters again, Phoebe is forced to reveal a secret that she never meant to keep.

Chapter Four: Daughter to Father.

One, two, three knocks. Adelie hesitated before she opened the apartment door. The last time anyone had come to her home, he had been a murderer- a murderer with some kind of funky ability to throw light balls. And because of what she had seen when she was pulled into her vision, and the feeling that had plagued her gut since then, she had felt compelled to make sure Everett Halliwell was alright.

That had thrown her into the middle of something she didn't want to know about.

And trying to explain what she had seen at Everett's house had given her a migraine- on top of that, she had a bad feeling about all of this. She collapsed with her back against the door and closed her eyes; she hoped that whoever was knocking would go away.

But they didn't, and they knocked several more times, as if it was an urgent matter that she let them in. Adelie pushed herself off of the door and turned around, opening it quickly. Her heart began to beat at a heightened speed when Everett and Paris Halliwell met her eyes.

"Adelie…"

The black-haired beauty put her hand up as a warning. "Stay away from me, Everett!" she half-shouted.

"Calm down," Paris cooed.

Everett took a step and outstretched his own hand, but Adelie shrank away. "Adelie," he said quietly, "we need to talk to you."

"Stay away."

"Your life is in danger, Adelie. We can protect you."

"I said stay away!"

In one swift movement, Adelie drew her arm back and summoned a fireball in her palm; she threw her arm forward and launched it at the twins. Paris rose her palm and deflected it into a lamp.

"What was that?" Adelie asked with panic strewn about her words. She looked from the twins to her palms.

"Her powers," Paris said to Everett.

"If you come with us, we can explain everything."

"No!"

"Adelie!" Everett shouted. He hadn't meant to, but he needed her to comply. It was hard enough dealing with the fact that the sister that had been hidden from you all of your life was in trouble, without knowing that unless she trusted you, she was pretty much doomed. He continued, his voice quiet: "Adelie, please. I know you don't trust us right now- you don't trust anyone. But I'm not just your coworker. And Paris isn't just a stranger to you." He paused. "We're your brother and sister."

Adelie sat down on the edge of her couch. Her body was betraying her, allowing others to see her emotions. She placed her shaking hands on her thighs and squeezed, trying to get them to stop their quivering. A thousand thoughts were racing through her mind- How could this be? How did everything go from being so simple to being so difficult? What did this mean?

Everett and Paris had followed her into the apartment. They needed to get her to come with them to the Manor, or else Cole would try to get her again and this time, he might succeed.

Everett sat down on a chair across from his half-sister. "I should've told you sooner. But I didn't know who you were myself."

Adelie only nodded slightly. "So Phoebe and Cole are my parents?" She looked at Paris for her answer, and she nodded. "And you and Everett are my half-sister and half-brother?" Another nod. "And what happened at the house-"

Three demons shimmered into the apartment, stopping Adelie's words. Everett jumped up and rose his palm towards the trio. They fell to their knees, clutching their heads and screaming in pain.

"Everett!" Paris shouted; she had never seen her brother display such power, attacking from the inside out. Truth be told, it scared her.

The eighteen year-old witch dropped his arm and the attack. Once the demons realized what had happened, they stood up and summoned energy balls in their palms.

"Come on, Adelie," Paris said, taking the demon-witch by the arm and pulling her to the door of the apartment. "I'll explain everything on the way."

Adelie looked back, her heart pounding faster than it should have. "Everett-"

The demons threw their energy balls but Everett caught them telepathically and sent them towards their originators. Two of them hit, but the third energy ball was dodged by the demon.

Everett turned around and ran towards Adelie, pushing her out the doorway after Paris.

- - - -

Phoebe let go of her sister's hand as soon as they had orbed back into the Manor. She felt the migraine coming and cursed it. It was true- Cole was back and better than ever. How could he? How could he ruin her life again? He never gave up, that was for sure. Whether he was after her or her daughter, he'd never give up until he got one of them or he was vanquished.

Vanquished.

Phoebe started up the stairs. When Piper and Paige questioned her, she replied without looking at them. "I'm getting the Source vanquishing spell from the Book."

Peyton helped his older cousin prop the table back onto all four legs and position it to its original spot. Though he didn't see why- obviously, demons attacks were going to be more than frequent since Cole was back, and they needed all the protection they could get- even if it was just a wooden table.

Perry rubbed his hands together as if he had gotten actual work done and smiled at the whitelighter-witch. "I just love being the youngest," he said. "We get to be the pick-up crew."

Peyton laughed and began to follow his cousin into the kitchen, where dinner was being prepared. As he crossed the small hallway that connected the kitchen to the dining room, a sharp pain moved through his stomach and made its way through his whole body. He felt to his knees and gasped for air- Perry spun around and shouted for his mother.

He felt hands on him, but didn't know who they belonged to. Suddenly, all he saw were orbs- and an abundance of them. And then he felt himself being lifted and taken away.

"Mel's gone too," Perry said as he entered the kitchen.

Piper was behind the stove- keeping her hands busy, as usual. Paige was sitting at the kitchen table flipping through the Book of Shadows. And Phoebe was sitting at the end of the table, consoling a cup of coffee.

"There's nothing in here about the demons who attacked earlier," Paige said, shutting the Book and sighing. "They were just low-level demons."

Perry nodded and walked over to stand beside his mother. "Mom, stop worrying. I'm sure they're fine- Paige said that she went through the same thing when she was summoned to become a Whitelighter."

"I know, but still, the Elders haven't really been a big fan of me and Leo from the start. Who knows what they'll do to Mel and Peyton." Piper pulled a piece of bay leaf from the stem and put it into the boiling pot. She sighed and looked towards the heavens. "Mel!" She waited several seconds, but nothing happened. "Prudence Melinda Halliwell, get your orbs down here!"

Leo orbed in. "She can't hear you, Piper," he said. He walked over to her and kissed her cheek. "Mel and Peyton have been summoned to become whitelighters. They'll be up there for a while."

Piper sighed again and slammed the counter with her palms. "But they're both too young! Prudence is only nineteen and Peyton is only sixteen."

"The Elders don't think their age is an issue. Because they grew up with their powers, and are more experienced with magic than you and your sisters were when you were their age, they have the potential to be good whitelighters. And now that Cole's back, the more protected witches are, the better."

"Is that why you've been gone all day?" Phoebe asked, looking at Leo with a look he'd only seen in her when she loved Cole. "Cole?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Seems that Cole is the new Source and that's not being taken well up there."

"Yeah, well, it's not going too well down here." Paige stood up and got a bottle of water from the fridge. "With two witches down, we need to be on our guards."

Paris held her sister's hand tightly, as if she was hanging from a cliff and her grip was the only way she'd survive. She barely knew Adelie, but even so, she knew that the twenty-five year-old needed all the help she could get.

The girls followed Everett into the Manor. "Anyone home?" he called.

"In here!" came Paige's voice from the kitchen.

Everett turned and looked at Adelie before progressing through the house. "Remember, Adelie. We're family. We're not here to hurt you."

Adelie nodded. She believed him- which was a surprise to even herself. A half an hour earlier, she hadn't been able to trust herself, let alone two people who claimed to be her brother and sister. But Paris had explained everything to her- magic, demons, witches, the whole story- and somehow, everything seemed right in her mind. But still, she was scared.

Adelie followed her siblings into the kitchen and felt a wave of embarrassment move over her.

Paige smiled at her. "Hello, honey. I'm Paige. Your aunt."

Adelie's eyes scanned the room. She was able to name all the people in the room going by the description that Paris had given her; Perry, Piper, and Leo- her cousin and her aunt and uncle; Paige, her aunt; and then Phoebe…

Phoebe had stood up at the sight of Adelie, immediately forgetting her own problems and focusing on her daughter. Mother and daughter stared at each other for what seemed like eternity. Then, without saying anything, Phoebe moved towards her and wrapped her arms around Adelie. Adelie, in turn, wrapped her arms around her mother. Tears began to fall.

In between sobs, Phoebe managed: "I'm so sorry, Adelie. I'm so, so sorry."

Before Adelie was able to respond, Cole appeared behind her in flames. Phoebe's eyes shot open when she felt the heat and she instinctively moved Adelie behind her.

"Cole, get out of my house," she said, drying her tears immediately.

"Oh, and what, miss the family reunion?" He smiled. She knew that smile, the one that deceived everyone. Even her. "I think not."

He summoned a fireball in his hand and threw it at his ex-wife; she held her hand out and channeled his power back at him. He caught it again and threw it towards Perry, Piper, and Leo; Perry flicked his wrists and froze it. Piper flicked her wrists and a small explosion knocked Cole stumbling.

"Phoebe! The spell!" Piper shouted.

Phoebe dashed for the pad of paper she had written the spell on, but Cole summoned a fireball and threw it at the paper. She cursed at him.

Several thermal balls hit Cole in the chest, sending him flying backwards into the curio cabinet in the corner. He disappeared and reappeared behind Adelie.

"Say hello to daddy," he said with a grin. He wrapped his arms around her and they disappeared in an uproar of flames.

Phoebe put her hand to her chest. "Oh no."

- - - -

Cole cursed as he was knocked backwards. Adelie's fist had hit him square in the jaw, cracking it and cutting his bottom lip. Black blood oozed from the cut. He regained his stance and smiled. "Feisty. Just like your mother."

"Shut up!" Adelie shouted.

"I don't think so. You see, I'm the Source of all evil. I don't have to listen to you or anyone else. And besides," He took several steps toward her. "I'm your father. You're supposed to listen to me."

"Never in a million years," Adelie retorted.

Cole turned his back on her and began pacing the room. Adelie took the chance to take in her surroundings; they were in some type of cavern or cave. She felt as if she should be cold, but nothing but heat was moving over her body. Four men- demons, she presumed- were standing at the entrance. Obviously so I don't run, she thought to herself.

"You know, I was going to give you the chance to choose your mother or me." He turned to her and his smile quickly disappeared. "But once you did choose Phoebe, then I knew I had to change you decision with the magic resourced to me." He took steps towards her again. "Unless, of course, you want to change your mind…"

Adelie drew her palm back and summoned a fireball. "Never in a million years would I join you! You said it yourself, you're the Source of all evil! And you're the reason Phoebe gave me up- you're the reason I never got to know her, or Everett, or Paris!" She took a deep breath. "I might be half of who you are, but I will never be you! And as far as I'm concerned, I'm not your daughter either!"

She launched the fireball at Cole- it hit him in the chance and he fell onto his back. The demons guarding the entrance stepped forward and summoned energy balls, but Adelie was quicker. She sent four fireballs to each of them, vanquishing them and shimmering out of the cave before Cole got to his feet.

"Damn it!" he shouted.