Disclaimer:

None of these characters are mine. All characters from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Charmed are the property of Joss Whedon and Aaron Spelling, respectively.

Summary:

AU – Crossover between the Charmed and Buffyverses. What happens when a certain half-human demon and a red-headed witch get together?

Chapter Four – Chris Makes A Plan

Halliwell Manor

Piper looked up worriedly at her younger sister. She exchanged a furtive glance with Leo. This isn't going well, she thought. Phoebe was pacing frantically back and forth across the living room, stopping every once in a while to steal a glance out the window. The crime scene tape was still around the neighbors' house and a black-and-white police car was stationed to keep everyone off the premises. That's another mystery, Piper thought, just what kind of people were they?

"What are we going to do?" Phoebe whimpered. "We just can't wait for him to attack!"

"Now, Phoebe, I wouldn't worry." Leo soothed, only to receive a violent glare from her. "What I mean, Phoebe, is that Cole isn't usually so forward. He's usually a little more devious in his methods."

Piper looked threateningly at her husband. "Oh, yes, that makes us feel SO much better."

"Maybe we should just vanquish him and be done with it."

"Oh, yeah, Pheebs. Remind me, how many times we've done that? I think we should pick our battles. And I don't want to fight Cole if I don't have to."

"What!" Paige roared in indignation as she entered the room, drinking what Piper was sure was the last of the milk. "You're crazy, Piper. We know he's dangerous. Think of all he's done!"

"Paige, he wasn't always evil. And, he did say he'd not used his powers against mortal for the lastfive years. Maybe he's back on the wagon."

"YOU'RE CRAZY!" Paige bellowed.

"Paige!" Piper scolded. "Chris is taking a nap."

"Sorry."

"Now, look at the facts. One, Cole is the most dangerous demon we've ever fought, mainly because he knows us. Cole fights as a human fights, he uses our human emotions and weaknesses against us. Two, once Cole gets going, he does NOT give up. And, three, Cole isn't like other demons. He doesn't just shimmer in and start lobbing the energy balls. He plans. He devises. He executes." Piper looked meaningfully at her two sisters. "Also, we have children in this house. I would prefer not to fight Cole unless I knew what he had planned. The only way to fight with Cole is brain to brain, NOT magic to magic."

"Piper's right, girls." Paige and Phoebe bristled. They all knew Leo always agreed with Piper. "And not just because Piper's my wife. I know Cole's past in the Underworld and as a member of this household. Also, I think his soul is as powerful if not more so that his demon half. I am willing to believe that Cole may have reformed. Let's just sleeping dogs lie."

Phoebe shuddered. "Absolutely not. I'm not just going to let him stalk me and try to kill my family again."

Leo sighed. "All I'm saying is be vigilant, not vindictive. I'm going to bring this up with Elders at the meeting tomorrow and see if I can find anything out. He can't have been in the mortal world for the last five years without someone having heard something."

"Poppa?" A small voice interrupted their argument. Leo and Piper's younger son, Chris, was standing up on the landing, carrying his policeman action figure.

"Sorry, Chris, did we wake you?" Leo smiled up at his son.

"No, I was tinkin." Chris said brightly as he hopped down the stairs. "I wanta talk to that 'turney about da crooks."

The three sisters gasped. That was the LAST thing they wanted.

Leo patted the seat next to him on the couch. Chris scrambled up there. "Well, why do you want to do that? Momma, Poppa, and your aunties told them everything we know about the neighbors."

"Nope, Poppa. What 'bout the mailbox?"

"Oh, Chris, honey. That was just an accident." Piper soothed.

Chris looked up at his mommy and then looked down again. "'S 'portant, mommy. P'ease bieve me. Dere might be ev'dence." He looked up again and knew she didn't. Mommy never really listened to him, not like Wyatt. He wasn't special like Wyatt.

"Chris, no, it was just an accident. We're not going to bother them about something like that." She looked to Leo for support.

"Your momma's right, kiddo." Leo patted his son's head. "You just want to meet a real FBI Agent that's all. We don't want to waste their time."

Chris sighed and looked down. "Guess so. 'M sorry."

Piper hugged her little boy. "Nothing to be sorry about, honey. Now, go play."

Chris rushed off upstairs, inwardly crying. He tried to never cry in front of his mom. It just made things worse.

Chris rounded the corner into the room he shared with his older brother, Wyatt. He had plans. He had to convince somebody. Maybe I could orb like Poppa always does, he thought. It can't be that hard. When he came in the room, Wyatt was playing with his Legos. He went over and sat next to him. Wyatt looked up and grunted.

"What d'ye want?" He growled. Wyatt was never nice to him.

"Just wond'ring." Chris started. "How d'ye orb?"

"Just do it, silly. Just think of where y'want to be and there y'are."

"What.. What if y're trying to get find summun, like momma."

"That's easy, just think of mom. Now, go away!" Wyatt sent out an orb and pushed Chris backwards. Chris landed upside down.

He got up and went upstairs into the attic. He wanted to get away from Wyatt quick. He looked down, and his policeman had lost a leg... again. His eyes teared up, but he didn't cry. Wyatt was always breaking his things. He'd learned long ago that telling momma and poppa didn't help, Wyatt just got meaner. Chris would just have to find the leg later and glue it back in or something. That wasn't important just now, he had to find those men that were at the house from the FBI. He couldn't remember what one of them looked like. But, the other man, the one his mom and aunties were yelling about, he remembered him just fine. Chris squeezed his eyes and thought about the man. Concentrating hard, his body disappeared into an explosion of white-blue blobs of light and he was gone.

Cole Turner's Office, United States Attorney's Office, downtown San Francisco

Cole looked up just in time to see the orbs beginning to form. His body tensed as he prepared for whichever Halliwell he was going to face. Please, he prayed silently, anybody but little Miss Perfect Paige. He was certainly surprised when the orbs coalesced to form a small boy, clutching a small one-legged policeman action figure. That thing's certainly seen better days, Cole thought in amusement.

"Well, well," Cole started smiling at the small, dark-haired boy. He certainly took after Mommy. "I do hope you don't make a habit of orbing in front of just anyone."

The boy looked ashamedly at his feet. "Sorry. Don't tell no one, ok? But, it was 'portant. I had to come. I have ev'dence. No, not ev'dence. I saw sum'fing. What's that?"

"Well, that would be testimony. Is this about your neighbors?"

"Yes! I saw them..." Chris started but Cole held up his hand to stop him.

"Wait, Mr. Halliwell. I can't interview you without your mom or dad being present. It's the law. I can't interview a child without their legal guardian, present."

"Oh," Chris looked down and Cole saw tears welling in his eyes. What's all this? "Momma and poppa didn't want me to talk to you. They said it was a waste of time."

"Ah, I'm sure it's not. It's just that we need to call your momma and poppa. Okay?"

Chris nodded dejectedly. Cole patted his chair and the boy happily climbed up. Cole searched in his desk for some of Ben's toys. A lot of his law enforcement friends over the years had given him all sorts of police-type toys. Cole put the box on the desk and the boy's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. Cole reached for his phone and dialed the Halliwell number from memory. He watched the boy with concern as he listened to the rings. It was almost as if the boy didn't have any toys. Hmmmm. He started as he heard Leo's voice on the other end.

"Leo?"

"Cole! What do you want?"

"Well, one of your sons is here with me and..."

Leo interrupted Cole violently. "What! If you hurt him..."

"Leo, Leo, calm down. He's playing with some of my son's toys right now. He orbed to me, it seems he saw something and he wants to make a statement. It's just that legally I need one of his legal guardians in attendance before I can take a statement. It's okay, why don't you talk to him?" Cole looked down at the boy. "Mr. Halliwell, your poppa needs to talk to you, okay?"

Chris looked up guiltily and nodded. Taking the phone, he took a deep breath. "Hi, poppa."

"Christopher Victor Halliwell! What were you thinking? Orbing across town without your momma or me? You could've been hurt!"

Chris' eyes threatened to tear up once again. "Poppa, I told you! I saw sum'thing. Please, please. I have to tell dem. Please come and make it legal. Please?"

"Okay." Chris hung up the phone as he heard the click.

"What's your name?" Cole smiled at him as he started to play again.

"Chris."

"That's a nice name. You know, you can keep any of these toys if you want. I've got so many."

Chris' eyes lit up in excitement and then dimmed. He couldn't. Wyatt'd break them first thing. "I can't, they're too nice."

"What do you mean? Trust me, they're all used. I know you like them. You seem to really like police stuff."

"I do! 'M gonna be a p'liceman when I'm big."

Cole chuckled at that. "Then, why..." Cole never finished for at that instant, a very angry Piper and a very upset Leo orbed into his office. Cole smiled up at them and held out his hand. Piper turned her head and looked at her son, who was staring down at the floor. Leo, however, did shake it.

"Thanks for calling, Cole." Leo looked at the toys in front of Chris. "Wow, Chris! Those are your kind of toys."

Chris smiled at his poppa. "They're great, poppa."

"Christopher!" His momma yelled. He cringed at this. "We told you not to waste their time. I can't believe you'd just orb out without telling anyone."

"Now, Piper, please calm down. I think he just wanted to do his duty. I just wish more of the public was like him." Cole interjected diplomatically. "But, Chris, your mom's right. You shouldn't go anywhere alone. If your orbing was off, you could've ended up anywhere. I want you to promise not to do this again. Very dangerous. Plus it makes mommas and poppas crazy when they can't find their kids. Okay?"

Chris shook his head happily in agreement. "I promise, momma. Please I want to test'mony!"

Leo and Piper shook their heads in surrender. "Okay, let's get this over with."

"Terrific!" Cole agreed. "Let's go downstairs and get Agent Nakayama and we can do this by the book. Chris, why don't you take a couple of toys in case we have to wait?"

Chris happily grabbed a bomb squad man and sniffer dog action figures. They were really cool. He looked in awe up at Mr. Turner. Gee, he thought, why can't my poppa be more like him? He listens. I'll bet his little boy wouldn't break my toys.

Interview Room, FBI San Francisco Office, downtown San Francisco

"Okay, let's get started." Cole started. "Chris, why don't you tell us what you saw, and we'll ask questions after. Is that alright, Piper, Leo?"

Chris' parent nodded and all the adults looked to the small four-year old boy. "Okay. One day, de neighbors ran over our mailbox. Den the next day, when we was all out, they fixed everyt'ing. New mailboxes. New lilac bush."

"That is interesting, Chris." Agent Tom Nakayama agreed. "But what make you think it was more than an accident?"

"Nobody asked dem to fix any ting. And, they put in a big ting of conkeet under the mailboxes. Mebbe dey buried sumfing." Chris looked at the FBI Agent and Mr. Turner hopefully.

Cole and Tom exchanged looks. While not suspicious, it was odd. Cole looked at Piper and Leo. "Can corroborate this?"

Leo and Piper exchanged a look. Leo smiled at Chris, and looked at Cole. "Well, Cole, yes that is the way it happened. But, we didn't see anything illegal. And they did damage the mailboxes. Piper would've asked them for money eventually."

"Yes," Cole agreed. "It's just the fact how fast they replaced things that bothers me. And, they waited until you were all out of the house. You were all out, right? No one was home?"

Piper nodded sheepishly. "Yes, I'm sorry we didn't mention it. Truth to tell, I really didn't think of it at the time. And, of course, I really didn't want to deal with you again. Sorry."

Cole chuckled. "Yes, of course. But, how about if Agent Nakayama here brings a team over and excavates the site? Would that be alright? I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"Of course, Cole." Piper agreed. "I just think it'd be better if you gave the Manor a wide berth. Okay? I don't mind the others. It's just with the history between you and Phoebe, it'd be safer."

"Of course. Tom, why don't you arrange things? I'll write up a release for Mrs. Halliwell." Cole looked to Agent Nakayama. "Why don't you give Chris a quick tour and we'll catch up. I want to speak to Piper and Leo privately."

Chris looked up at this last statement from his new hero. Oh, no, what's he going to say? "Chris," Mr. Turner was smiling down at him. He was holding his hand out as if for a handshake. "I want to thank you for telling us this. This has been a great help. Perhaps this'll help us find that evidence we're looking for. I just have to talk to your parents about some boring paperwork. I just thought you'd like to see some of the labs we have here."

Chris leapt up in excitement. "Like DNA? And how they find all de treads on clothes and stuff?"

Tom Nakayama chuckled. "You bet! Let's go, junior G-man!"

Cole waited until the door shut behind him and then looked sternly at Piper and Leo. "Now, then, you want to tell me why Chris acts like red-headed stepchild? Or should I just call Social Services?"

Piper and Leo looked at Cole in shock. What was this? Is this how he means to destroy us this time?