A/N:
We are somewhere in season 7. I haven't seen it so please bear with me if I have something wrong. Zankou is after the Charmed Ones – I needed a villain and heard of him – so he became the bad guy.
Leo is the Charmed Ones White lighter again. The episode "The seven year witch" and whatever led up to it never happened, first because my Cole never died and second Leo is a white lighter again.
I think that's all you need to know to understand what's happening next.
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Long Lost Friend?1,5 years later.
It was early afternoon and Piper was at home, doing the bookkeeping for P3. Along the way she was watching Wyatt and Chris who took a peaceful nap in the sunroom. A knock on the door ripped her from her concentration. With a sigh she went to answer the door. There was never enough time to do this paper stuff.
She opened the door and nearly shut it again. Only the good manners Grams had drummed into her prevented her from doing so.
"Hi Piper," Cole said, like he was an old friend and happy to see her, "long time no see. How are you?"
He smiled at her in a friendly manner, waiting for her reaction. He was aware that his reappearance would come as shock to the Halliwells.
"Cole," Piper stuttered, "What are you doing here?"
She wasn't eager to let him into her house when she was alone with the boys. The last months with the Avatars and the Elders betraying them both had made her very suspicious as whom to trust.
Additionally there was Zankou who was still after them. She couldn't let Zankou into the house by mistake. She scrutinized him carefully. He was shaven, combed and dressed in the expensive clothes he liked to wear. Blue this time, she noted, not black. For Cole, he looked pretty good.
"I need your help," Cole answered a little bit impatiently, since she had been staring at him for quite some time.
"And I need to make sure you are who you claim to be," Piper answered stubbornly.
Cole raised one eyebrow, "And you can't do that by looking at me?"
"No. We are having troubles with a shape shifter demon at the moment," Piper explained. "Tell me a thing this demon can't know. Otherwise there is no coming in."
She positioned herself in the doorframe, blocking the entrance, her hands ready to blow him up.
Cole thought for a moment. "You had an evil desire for me?" he smiled wickedly. "Besides Piper, if I was a demon meaning ill, I wouldn't ring at the door, would I?"
Piper blushed slightly but stepped back and let him into the house. "You never know in these times," she muttered and closed the door behind him.
It felt weird for Cole to be at the Manor again. It hadn't changed a bit since he had last seen it. Even the old grandfather clock was standing in its place. His glance ran up the staircase before they entered the living room.
"My sisters are not here," Piper informed Cole following his glance. She wondered if he had hoped to meet Phoebe instead of her. "About what you just mentioned before, I'm really sorry und embarrassed about that."
Cole turned to Piper and looked at her inquiringly. I-blow-up-your-ass Piper Halliwell had just apologized to him. If he didn't know better he would bet he had landed in a parallel universe. Piper interpreted his stunned silence as encouragement to go on.
"It was nothing personal Cole", she told him, "You were just a guy at the wrong place at the wrong time." Since he didn't react to her statement, Piper continued hurriedly before he could interrupt her and quench her courage. "Paige told me the potion hurt you badly too, besides from the humiliation I mean."
"It did", Cole confirmed without showing any emotion. Piper flinched slightly. Normally Cole wasn't the type to concede that anything could touch him.
"I wanted to tell you this earlier but at first I couldn't even think about it myself and then you were gone", Piper excused.
She had been relieved at that time that she was spared this conversation. Now with some time gone by it was easier. She had made peace with herself in the meantime and therefore was ready to make peace with Cole too.
"Don't beat yourself up about it Piper", Cole said evenly, "it's all in the past. Besides I know very well how it is to be overpowered by an evil force you have nothing to oppose to. And regret it deeply."
Living in the past just made him mourn things he couldn't change anyway. He preferred to live in the present and look forward. In the last year he had worked hard to unthink the Halliwells completely. It was only bad luck that brought him here again. He didn't plan to stay long.
Piper knew that Cole hinted at the time when he was the Source, but didn't want to touch upon this topic. At the same time she was glad that he understood and didn't condemn her. "I'm glad we could settle this Cole," she said genuinely.
Cole noticed the building blocks sprawled over the floor. "How is your daughter?" he tried to remember how old Piper's child would be.
"Daughter?" Piper wasn't sure what he was talking about. She couldn't follow his change of topic.
"You were pregnant when I left," Cole hinted. What kind of demon could give the Charmed Ones that much trouble to make Piper forget about her kid?
"Oh, you don't know," Piper started laughing. "I don't have a daughter".
Piper's behavior alarmed Cole. "I'm sorry for you." He wanted to express his compassion. She had lost her daughter and was laughing about it? Cole hadn't assessed Piper so cold-hearted.
Piper stopped laughing as she saw his troubled face and said more earnestly, "Magic had other plans with me Cole. I have a son, to be exact two."
"Really?" he was intrigued. The Halliwell line had only been women till now. "Do you know why you got boys instead of girls?"
Piper shook her head, "No one knows, not even the Elders." She remembered how a dear Elder had tried to kill her sons and a hard expression washed over her face.
"So what help do you need?" Piper asked, concentrating on her unwelcome guest, "and why do you think we would help you?"
"In fact I don't need your or your sister's help, I need Leo's," Cole disclosed.
He hadn't missed her expression but didn't comment on it. He already got the strong impression, that the last year had been hard for them.
"Leo?" Piper asked.
"Yeah I can't contact him. Would you call him for me?"
"I'm not sure he will come," Piper muttered to herself, waving Cole in to the kitchen. "I baked chocolate Muffins – I think I remember you like them?" Piper wanted to make up to Cole, at least a little.
"Love 'em." Cole grinned taking two from the plate Piper offered, and stuffing himself with them. "They are great," he praised with a full mouth, "nothing better than your cooking."
Piper was pleased. At least someone recognized her efforts.
Piper called for Leo. She had to do it several times until he finally orbed into the kitchen. He was in his robe and didn't look happy. Cole wondered what had taken him so long. As he knew it Leo normally was there before Piper could even finish her first yell.
"Piper, I told you not to call me if it isn't an emergency," he scolded, but then spotted Cole at the table comfortable munching muffins. "Maybe it is an emergency." Cole waved at Leo with one hand.
"What is he doing here?" he asked Piper pointing towards Cole.
"Hi Leo, nice to see you too," Piper said angrily, "and I don't know that, because he wanted to talk to you only." Leo and Piper stared hard at each other.
Cole watched them fighting. It looked like trouble had finally reached Leo & Piper's paradise. It was kind of a relief that even angels had problems with their marriages.
"I'll go and look after the kids," Piper said leaving the kitchen. "Bye Cole."
She was fuming. Since Leo had turned back to a White lighter after the Avatar stuff, their relationship was more than a little bit strained. She had never totally forgiven him for playing behind her back when he was an Avatar.
Leo watched Piper retreating from the kitchen with a sad expression on his face. "What do you want Cole?" Leo turned to Cole finally.
"I need your help, but I would prefer to talk about this at my apartment," Cole answered, grabbing another muffin and standing up, "not in the Manor."
"Cole, I'm not your private secretary," Leo said unnerved.
"Sure you want to be here when she comes back?" Cole motioned with his chin towards the sunroom.
Leo shook his head. "Don't ask," he said, "let's meet at your apartment."
Cole blurred out and Leo orbed after him.
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Cole and Leo appeared at the penthouse almost at the same time.
"So what is the big secret?" Leo asked. "But I won't help you with anything evil," he hurried to clarify.
"What is it with you people? If I wanted to do evil, I surely would not come telling it to you before hand. That's ridiculous."
Cole was getting angry at their unforgiving attitude towards him. "I need your help with some human business," he disclosed slightly embarrassed to Leo.
"Now I'm even more worried," Leo said all but a little bit anxious. He folded his hand in the sleeves of his robe giving the impression of serenity and inside bracing himself for whatever Cole had done this time.
Cole strode over to the couch table and picked up a piece of paper, giving it to Leo. Leo took it and threw a short glance at it.
"It looks official," he said, "but I'm no lawyer, you are. What is it?"
"That's a formal summons for me to undergo a paternity test," Cole said trying to read Leo's face.
Leo looked shocked. "You knocked up an innocent woman?" he asked incredulously, "I thought demons very rarely breed with plain humans." Now it was obvious why Cole hadn't liked to talk about it at the Manor.
"I don't breed Leo, thank you very much," Cole said, annoyed. "Furthermore I really think this is a big mistake. I haven't been in San Francisco for almost two years. So how can I father a child here?"
"Do you know the woman who claims you got her pregnant?" Leo asked, putting the sheet back on the table.
"No," Cole lowered himself on the couch, "there is just a record number. No names. It is that way to protect the suing party against the respondent."
"That's not a bad idea in this case," Leo thought to himself while looking at a very stirred up Cole.
"So when do you learn her name then?" Leo had no idea about the legal proceedings.
"Maybe I can get some information at the appointment for the blood examination. At the latest in court, when they establish who the father really is." Cole gave a shrug.
"I fear for my reputation. I established myself well again at court. Won't lose that because some bitch got the wrong guy," Cole gnarled.
"But where would she get your name if she didn't know you?" Leo asked.
"Maybe she is one of my client's acquaintances, someone who saw me at court. Really, I have no idea," Cole said sulkily.
"Is there the hypothetical possibility that you fathered a child?" Leo asked.
Phoebe and Cold had been divorced for over 2 years now. Cole had never talked much about his life as a demon, and even less about former relationships, so Leo had no clue on how Cole would behave towards women if he wasn't after them for a kill.
"I'm not a monk, Leo," Cole answered vaguely.
He wouldn't tell Leo anything more than that. He had moved to the east coast for the last year and proceeded with his pro bono work as lawyer for innocents. In the course of his work meeting women was unavoidable and sometimes he had taken advantage of that and shared some nights with one of them. But it had never been love. It had never been like it was with Phoebe. She still filled his daydreams and nightmares.
"I wouldn't have thought of that," Leo nodded, sitting himself in the armchair.
"But you do know about contraception?" Leo teased. He couldn't resist pulling Cole's leg. Cole just snorted.
"So what do you need from me?" Leo was curious what Cole wanted from him in this matter.
"They surely take a blood sample from me for the test. What, when the doctors find anything wired in my blood? It could expose magic," Cole explained.
"I don't have the power to make people forget things. I would have used it on myself already, you can believe me." Cole thought of Phoebe and the heartbreak he still felt over her.
"You have this nice little dust to make people forget," he told Leo, "I need to borrow something of it."
"The Elders don't give it to demons Cole," Leo argued, "I'm still on probation. They could clip my wings ultimately if I give you some."
Leo was still doing penance for becoming an Avatar and helping the Avatars trying to create Utopia.
"Then you force me to kill the doctor if anything comes up," Cole stated emotionlessly.
"Cole," Leo berated, "that's not funny."
"Wasn't meant to be," Cole said earnestly. He knew just how to motivate Leo to do as he asked.
"I'll come with you," Leo hurried to suggest, "when you get the results of your examination."
"And what do we tell the doctor? I'm afraid to go their alone? We are a gay couple or what?" Cole got worked up.
He had preferred to go there alone for the results. He didn't want Leo to spill the beans to the sisters.
"I'm your lawyer. Expert for family legislation," Leo invented. He had to grin at the thought of him posing as lawyer for Cole.
Cole looked unconvinced but had to grant Leo some inventiveness, "Could work though."
He waved his hand over the piece of paper and a copy appeared on the table. "Take one," he invited Leo, "It holds time and date of the examination."
Leo took the piece, folded it and slid it into his pockets, "I'll be there," he assured, but couldn't hide a broad grin.
"You think this is funny Leo, do you?" Cole said offended.
"I can't deny that it has an edge to it," Leo laughed, "you are always so planned and in control, but this one got you offhandedly."
"Don't tell the girls," Cole demanded looking inquiringly at Leo.
"I won't," Leo answered, "yet. But I can't promise to keep it a secret forever."
Cole didn't know, but Leo wasn't keeping it a secret for him. Phoebe was desperately searching for the father of her daughter. She had had a premonition some months ago, where she had seen her daughter. Since then she had become obsessed with finding the man who would father her child. The possibility of Cole having a child wouldn't lift Phoebe's spirits. Rather send her into deep depression.
"Thanks," Cole said reluctantly and Leo orbed out with a short nod towards him.
Cole rumpled the summons and threw it grumpily into a corner.
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tbc
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