Epilogue
The girls woke up at the front door and for a moment they just stared at each-other in stunned silence.
„What the hell do you think this was?" asked Piper who won back her voice as first.
„I think...somebody... or something showed us that we were unfair..." Phoebe whispered. She was still under the influence of the scene that she saw and she felt tears in her eyes again.
„Who... or what?" asked back Piper.
„Maybe magic itself" Prue said. „Do you remember when we misused our powers and were propelled into the future? I think this was something like that..."
„You might be right."
Phoebe jumped up and took her coat.
„Where are you going?" asked Piper.
„I have to talk to Cole. I'll go to the Mausoleum. I hope I won't be late..."
„I don't think so" said Prue and smiled. „Bring him home if you find him..."
„Home?" she asked back surprised.
„Yeah..." and Piper nodded as well.
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There was total darkness in the mausoleum when Phoebe arrived and she walked down the stairs cautiosly. She was anxious that she was late... that she pushed Cole back into darkness with her harsh words. Thanks God he glimpsed Cole's sleeping form in the shadows of the main sarcophagus. His knees were pulled to his chest and covered with his coat and his head rested on top of them.
„Cole!" she said quietly.
The man woke up immediately and instinctively an energy-ball appeared in his left hand. As soon as he saw who stood in front of him he extuingished it and stood up.
„Phoebe..." she could see the miscredit on his face. „What are you doing here?"
„I came to apologize..."
„Apologize? But why?"
„Because I was unfair. I din't listen to you and I pushed you away when you needed me the most. Can you forgive me?"
„Forgive?" he still seemed to be rather stunned. „I don't understand... you don't have to apologize... I was the one who messed up completely..."
The next moment Phoebe was in his arms and they hugged each-other thighter than ever.
„Come! Let's go back to the Manor!"
„To your house?" asked back Cole more than surprised.
„Yes."
„And your sisters?"
„They agree."
„But how could this be? I really don't understand..." Then he probably saw something in her eyes because he asked. „What happened?"
„We had … a small journey with the power of magic. We saw some... scenes from your... past" she answered hesitantly.
She felt Cole tensing in her arms.
„What exactly did you see?"
„I don't know what the others saw but I saw you in that school with Raynor and later with another demon" her voice cracked remembering the scene, „Baran."
Cole just frowned.
„It must have looked worse to you than it really was" he said simply and Phoebe didn't know what to say to that as it seemed that he meant it seriously. „I don't know whether I should be happy about this or not but if it helped you to forgive me then I won't complain. I'll shimmer us back then."
They arrived in Phoebe's bedroom which was perfect for her plans. She felt an overpowering desire to kiss him and so she did.
„I'm so sorry" she repeated when she could breathe again. „I love you."
„I love you too" he answered and they didn't leave the room for quite a long time.
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Hours later Phoebe was sleeping but Cole couldn't, he watched her beautiful feature for a while but then he decided to leave. He didn't want to distrub her in her peaceful sleep.
Quietly he dressed up and left the room. To his surprise he heard voices from the living-room and just as he thought that it would be better to shimmer out, Piper and Leo came out into the hall. He got an even bigger surprise when Piper smiled at him.
„I'm happy that you are back!"
„Really?"
„Yes. I hope you're planning to stay!"
„Well... I guess..." he answered uneasily. „I'm just going for a walk."
„By the time you come back I prepare some breakfast" Piper said while they were walking in the kitchen's directions.
Cole walked out the front the door and on the top stair found the third sister. He faltered but before he could vanish Prue turned.
„Ah, it's you... would you like to join me?" she asked and pointed at the spot next to her.
Cole sat down without a word and waited. From the three siblings Prue was the hardest case. Phoebe forgave him that he could tell for sure, Piper seemed also be okay with him. What the hell could she see? he wondered. But what about Prue?
„You know, it's hard when you have to change your opinion about something" she said quietly and Cole knew that this was worth an apology. Suddenly he couldn't decide whether he should laugh or feel touched. So he just said:
„I know. I, for example, used to hate witches..."
Prue smiled slightly but went serious again in a second.
„The Source seems to be very dangerous."
„You saw him?"
„Yes."
„Yes, he's very dangerous. But maybe I can serve with some useful information about him."
„I count on it. As I saw it you have quite a talent in defiance."
Cole could guess from this, what part of his past Prue saw.
„Can I ask you something?" she asked after a while.
„Yes..." but he wasn't sure that this was such a good idea.
„Did you kill him in the end?"
„Who?"
„That demon called Degan" Prue looked at him surprised when Cole smiled.
„I didn't have to, Rose did."
„Rose?"
„My sister. If you saw Degan then you had to see her as well."
„Yes, I did. And I saw something else as well. The Dulan-worm."
Cole frowned.
„You better don't remind me of that one."
„O.K. I just wanted to tell you that I wouldn't bear it as long as you did."
And htis was probably the greatest compliment that somebody could get from Prue Halliwell.
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The sun was arleady shining when Cole came back from his walk. The whole time he thought about how things will go after this. The knowledge that the girls now knew so much about him was frithening and liberating at the same time. And at the moment he couldn't decide which feeling of the two was stronger.
He walked into the house and found Piper in the kitchen.
„Sit down!" she said and there was no place for argument. Then she put out a plate and loaded it with scrambled eggs.
„What are you waiting for? Eat!" she ordered but smiled very kindly.
She sat down as well and started to pick at a pancake, because on a second plate there were a good amount of pancakes as well. She obviously wanted to tell something but she didn't know how to start.
„Just tell it!" he said. „Today I'm prepared for everything."
„You were a very cute little boy" and with this she still managed to stun the half-demon.
„Maybe I wasn't prepared for everything after all."
„Piper!" Prue's voice could be heard from the hall.
The middle-sister stood up but before she went out she said.
„I know that it won't be easy for you to get used to this new kind of life but if I can help you in anything just tell me!" and she caressed his head gently, then left.
Cole just sat there and looked after her in total confusion. He felt a strange warmness that he couldn't really identify as he still wasn't that good at human emotions but he thought that maybe this meant that after one-hundred years he found his home at last.
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7
AN: A lot of new ideas came to my mind while I was writing this story so there might be a sequel to it soon. Thank you for reading and thanks for the reviews!