Chapter Three:
Cole stood behind Temperance, energy ball in hand, waiting for Dare to make a move and attack. He noted that the Charmed Ones and Leo were there behind Dare, along with his twin boys.
"Balthazar," Dare smiled at Cole. "I didn't think that I'd see you here."
"You're threatening my family," Cole stated simply. "And you're intruding into my girlfriend's house." Temperance felt a pang of jealousy, even in her current situation. She'd always claimed Cole as her own.
"Your family?" Dare asked in disbelief. He had a hard time comprehending that Cole cared for the so-called family that he had. "She's no more family to you than I am, Balthazar," Dare stated. Apollo took a step forward, trying to get to his mother. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, boy." Dare turned a threatening eye on his nephew. Apollo stopped dead in his tracks, unsure of what to do.
"Uncle Darius," his noted nonchalantly, giving Dare a smug grin that said he would do what he wanted.
"So this is little Apollodorus," Dare looked his nephew over, "the little boy who looks like his father, but has his mother's temper." Temperance looked at her son, willing the boy to say nothing.
"I am," Apollo replied in a cocky tone. Temperance glanced at Phoebe and Piper, who shared her look of fear for the boy. Leo and Paige stood there, arms crossed, hoping that the boy knew what he was doing, but on their guard in case something was to go wrong. Cretien half expected his evil uncle to turn on him, so he was ready in any case. Only Cole noted the way Dare was inching toward Apollo.
"Move another step toward my son, Darius, and I'll send you to the Wastelands in a pile of dust," Cole threatened menacingly, moving a few steps forward. Temperance took the opportunity to catch her brother's eye again. She brought her hands to her stomach and formed a knife out of thin air. Dare raised his eyebrow at her.
"You've been practicing, I see," he smiled and formed a fireball. "It's not near as damaging as this." He tossed the fireball in the air and caught it with his hand again. "Shall I show you how damaging?" Dare tossed it at her, and Temperance deflected it with a swift flick of the knife. The fireball hit a window and blew up, sending glass flying everywhere.
"I've a few tricks that you've yet to learn, brother dear," she smiled and spread her hands, causing energy to jump from one hand to the other. "Energy can jump from my hands," she smiled, "and hit you." Temperance was about to throw the energy at her brother when Cole put his hand on her shoulder.
"He may be evil, Tempest, but he is the boys' uncle. I can't have you vanquish an uncle in front of them," he stated, then turned to Dare. "If you threaten my family again, Darius, I'll have to kill you, damned if I don't." Cole glared menacingly at Dare, his face showing that he meant business.
"Do not, for a minute, think that he's lying," Phoebe added, walking forward. "If he doesn't kill you, we will." Paige and Piper stood right behind her, hands on hips. Dare smiled at the Charmed Ones and then turned to Temperance.
"How did I know that you'd come to the Charmed Ones?" he asked, not in the least bit surprised by his sister's actions. "Always the coward. You never could fight on your own." Dare smiled cruelly. "I will be back, sister dear, and when I am, you'd better be ready." Temperance was about to say something when Dare shimmered out of the mansion. She sagged in relief.
"That son of a bitch," she muttered under her breath, loud enough for Cole to hear. He chuckled, a deep and rich sound that made Temperance sigh to have him close to her again.
"He may be a son of a bitch, but he's calling the shots," Cole replied to her rhetorical comment. "He's going to keep you on your toes, Temp."
"Believe me, that's not what I came here for," Temperance replied, still not looking at Cole. She was afraid what his appearance would do to her.
Phoebe walked over to her boyfriend and smiled sweetly up at him. Cole looked down at her adoringly. Temperance saw them out of the corner of her eye and the sight made her want to throw up. Cole had looked at her like that once, and then it had been ruined. Damn Darius and his meddling, Temperance thought. If not for him, I'd be the one looking at Cole adoringly.
Apollo made his way over to Temperance and looked at her questioningly. "Mom," he looked her up and down.
"I'm fine, Apollo," Temperance said, not wanting to be the center of attention at the moment. Cole looked up from Phoebe and directly at her, reading the fright in the lines of her face.
"Temperance," Cole spoke her name, forcing her to look into the deep blue pools of his eyes. She instantly regretted it. There, for only her to see was the pain of ruination, the ecstasy of grief, and the clarity of hatred.
"Cole," she replied, hoping that her voice was steady. She looked away for a moment, hoping that he wouldn't notice the pain that filled her eyes, nor the longing to be his for eternity. He was the father of her children, two beautiful twin boys in which she couldn't have had better help in creating.
"Let's talk in the living room, or, if you'd rather, we can meet for lunch in an hour," Cole looked at Phoebe again, almost to make sure that it was okay to do that.
Temperance sighed. She wasn't ready for this yet. She wasn't ready to be one on one with Cole. Fifteen years had passed. Would she ever be ready?
"Let's go to the living room," she smiled, putting on a brave face, not wanting to show weakness.
"Boys?" Cole looked at them questioningly. Apollo nodded his head, while Cre just stood there, ignoring Cole. "To the living room then, privately." Cole hugged Phoebe close one more time and then kissed her lips sweetly before walking away toward the living room door.
Temperance watched her children follow their father out of the room. She slowly started to move toward the door. Cole never wanted to talk. What was going on? Was he angry that she'd come to San Francisco? Was he upset that she'd finally—for once—obeyed his orders? A thousand more questions like that went through her mind, trying to figure out a way to come out into the open. Slowly walking, Temperance stopped at the living room door, looking inside. Cole and Apollo shook hands, while Cre stood sullenly to the side, not acknowledging his father's presence.
Cole looked good. He was still tall, dark and handsome. He even had a bit of aristocratic arrogance to his features. The striking thing about Cole was the he was dressed in a business suit, stark black with a deep blue tie, which set off his deep blue eyes. He looked sinfully delicious, and no doubt made every woman weak in the knees.
Cole looked in the doorway, and watched Temperance study him. She was still the most seemingly pure woman he'd ever seen. She didn't at all seem to have a naughty streak in her. Yet, her appearance was deceiving, because he knew she was as naughty as they came. She was still one of the prettiest women he'd ever seen, next to Phoebe. With her long dark hair and bright silvery green eyes, Temperance St. Waryk had taken him into her world and showed him what it was like to live the life of a true human being. When they had been together it had been as if their demonic counterparts didn't exist. Cole smiled at the thought. Even her lush rosy lips reminded him of the passion that they had shared for almost three years.
"You've been standing there for five minutes, Temperance, is there something wrong?" Cole asked, breaking out of his thoughts and into hers.
"I'm sorry, Cole, it's just been a long time," Temperance replied, coming into the living room. "Don't mind Cre, Cole, he's a little put out by you."
"That son of a bitch left you, mom, and you want us to be civil with him?" Temperance and Cole turned to look at Cretien, stern expressions displayed upon their faces. Cretien looked at them both sheepishly.
"You want me to take care of it?" Cole asked, not taking his eyes away from Cre. Temperance sighed.
"Go a head, and, for the record, he never used to be like this," Temperance smiled at Cole. "He's very much like you."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Cole chuckled, and then turned to Cre. "Cretien, you may not like me, but I am your father, and she is your mother. Don't ever talk to her like that, and never call me a son of a bitch," Cole scolded. "Where did you learn that word anyway?"
It was Temperance's turned to be shocked. "I think I know, and when I see him again, I'm gonna stake him good and proper."
"Buffy might have a problem with that, mom," Apollo told her. "Spike," Apollo explained when Cole looked at him. "He's Buffy's boyfriend." Cole nodded once and turned back to Cre.
"Am I in anyway unclear?" Cole asked the boy. Cre looked at his father.
"You'll never be my father. Not in the way it counts," Cre snarled and walked out of the living room. Temperance was about to follow him, but Cole held her back.
"It'll take some time, Temperance," he commented. "I was like that when I found out that I was half-demonic. Of course, I knew my father loved me."
"Cole, the boys don't know," Temperance whispered. Cole looked down at her.
"You've kept secrets?" he questioned. Temperance nodded.
"On purpose. My brother…" Cole raised his eyebrow.
"I have a hard time comprehending that you are afraid of your brother."
"Things change, Cole, sometimes they change in shocking ways." Apollo looked from one parent to the other.
"She's done nothing but good for us, dad," Apollo indicated. "Why do you think we're here? We need your guidance." Temperance smiled at her son and then looked at Cole. Cole read her eyes. Something is after her, Cole thought. Something that could destroy her and she wants me to have the boys.
"Apollo, I'd like to talk to your mother alone," Cole said. "You'll be staying with me at the penthouse. We'll get to know each other then."
Apollo nodded his head and walked out of the room, smiling. He figured that he could go talk some sense into his brother.
Temperance sighed, knowing that this was one conversation that she wasn't going to be able to talk her way out of. She sat down on the floral couch and sighed, trying to collect her thoughts and prepare herself for the wrath of Cole Turner. She didn't fear him as much as she should. But, she didn't understand why.
"It's been fifteen years," Cole looked down at her and smiled. "Ten long years."
"Yes. You've changed," Temperance noted. Cole smiled.
"So have you," he replied. "The last I heard, you were refusing to come to San Francisco to see me. Shadow doesn't lie."
"Things change, Cole. Dare wants me to be the Source's Queen, just like mother's prophecy," Temperance said matter of factly. "Can you blame me for coming to the one person I know can protect my boys?" Temperance looked up at Cole. "You can protect them if Dare takes me, Cole."
"And what do you get out of this?" Cole asked, wondering what she needed from him.
"Peace of mind that my children are safe and partially away from harm." Temperance stuck her hands in her lap, neatly refolding them every few minutes until he couldn't stand it anymore.
"Stop it!" Cole told her sharply. Temperance looked at him, her eyes displaying no fear. "You want to know that our kids are safe?" Cole asked.
"Cole, I'm not going over this again and again. Cre and Apollo need you at the moment. I need you to do this for me. Please," Temperance pleaded to Cole.
Cole looked at Temperance, noting the way her bottom lip jutted out and how incredibly innocent that she looked.
"Fine," Cole acquiesced. "Only until we get rid of your brother. And then I want you gone."
"Gone?" Temperance looked up at Cole, confused.
"Gone, as in away from me, out of town, out of my life," Cole clarified. "I have Phoebe now and no place for you in my life."