A/N: Cole and Grace meet the whole Halliwell family - and of course Phoebe. Have fun reading and please review!
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Family visit
Cole was nervous. It was something that happened very seldom to him. Normally he was composed and in control. In this matter he had practically no control. He could just try to hold the casualties as little as possible. He brought his car to a stop in front of the Halliwell manor. Grace was in her child seat. He could have blurred over but he didn't want to give the Halliwells the slightest chance for nagging at him. He left the car, took Grace out of her seat and approached the front door.
Cole had put some thinking into his appearance at the manor. He had decided against wearing black. Too many bad memories for the Charmed Ones. He knew from court that the appearance of the accused had a big influence on the perception of the jury. So he had decided for something off-handed for himself and something very sweet for Grace. He made every effort for a non-threatening impression on them.
As he neared the front door he had the impression that the curtain had moved very slightly. Of course, they were expecting him.
Phoebe was standing at the window watching Cole approach the house. He was dressed casually, just some blue jeans and a white T-shirt. Still he took her breath away. The way the t-shirt stretched over his taut torso and biceps was quiet a look. The baby on his arm was wearing a small white cap with some pink pattern, a pink dress, white tights and some very small pink shoes.
Phoebe hadn't talked to Cole since the incident with that demon in the cave, where she had made a fool out of herself, throwing unfounded accusations towards him. Cringing she remembered how mad he had been at her for it. Unconsciously she was nervously playing with some strand of her hair. When she had learned that Cole was back in town she had expected him to show up at her door. But she had been wrong. He hadn't bothered to contact her.
Phoebe was longing for someone looking at her the way he used to. None of her affairs or relationship had ever looked at her the way Cole had done. His gorgeous blue eyes, expressing his feelings of love and affection towards her so clearly. She had felt cherished then, she hadn't felt since.
The real reason she was so nervous about Cole coming over was the fear he wouldn't have this expression in his eyes anymore. The fear she had wiped out his love for her. It was easier to not love Cole when he still loved her unwaveringly. In her mind there had always been the possibility, that anytime she wanted to he would take her back. This thought had eased her mind in a couple of lonely nights over the last year. Phoebe was afraid to maybe find out, she had been wrong about it.
"Phoebe, calm down." Piper watched her from the couch. "You don't have to talk with him if you don't want to. We do this exactly like we talked about it, ok?"
Phoebe turned round, Cole had reached the front door and still she started as the doorbell rang. "Ok, Piper."
"I'll get it," Leo volunteered and went for the door.
Cole took a deep breath before pressing the bell. He would have to swallow his pride in the oncoming conversation. He wanted something from them. He wanted them to accept his daughter, to protect her. He expected them to insult him, yell at him, have reservations towards him. But he had to stay cool. He couldn't allow them to provoke him. Just think of Grace, he reminded himself. He held her closer, like she could give him the strength he needed to go through with this.
The door opened. It was Leo. Leo looked at Cole for some seconds, taking in the picture of the demon cradling a pink dressed baby.
"Cole," Leo acknowledged.
"Leo," Cole greeted.
Then Leo stepped back and opened the door more to let Cole in and closed the door behind him. "The girls are waiting in the living room."
Cole went towards the living room, Leo on his heels. As he entered the room he routinely scanned the room. Phoebe was standing at the window. She looked rather uncomfortable. Piper and Paige were sitting on the couch, looking at him expectantly. Paige looked like a bull terrier ready to attack, but Piper seemed fairly calm. Cole decided to have the talk mainly with Piper. She had called him after all.
"Piper, thanks for the invitation," Cole said as he approached the couch.
"Paige, Phoebe," he greeted shortly. Paige just nodded and Phoebe didn't react at all, she just stared at him. Cole's glance swept only shortly over Phoebe, avoiding eye-contact.
"Cole, please make yourself comfortable," Piper invited, motioning towards the armchair. Cole sat down, sitting Grace on his lap.
Phoebe came over to stand behind her sisters. She didn't have a nerve to just sit down. She was tapping one foot at the floor. Leo came over to sit right beside Piper. They stared at each other for some seconds more until Cole decided he had to break the silence.
"Piper, you called me to come over with Grace, so I assume you reached a decision regarding my request."
Piper nodded. "You are right Cole. As I told you I talked with Phoebe and Paige," she threw a glance at Paige and Phoebe, "and they wanted to get to know Grace before they come to a final decision. I'm sure you understand that."
"Absolutely," Cole agreed, "anything special you want to know?"
"For a start, what is her full name?" Paige asked.
"Her name is Grace Milena Turner," Cole said.
"Who gave it to her?" Paige asked.
"Her late mother chose Grace. I don't know why. Milena was chosen by me," Cole explained.
"You have any relatives who are called Milena?" Piper asked. Still after knowing Cole for some years, they didn't know much about his bloodline besides his parents.
"No," Cole answered evenly, "I just liked the name."
He wasn't going to disclose that he had named his daughter after Miles. Milena being the closest female name he had found. That he had a daughter was partly an outcome of the talk he had shared with Miles. Trying to go on, even if it hurt had unpredictably produced his daughter. And his daughter had given him a new perspective in life. He had to be there to parent and protect his daughter. That was a mission he wouldn't fail at. He even took it on him to try to befriend the Halliwells for it.
Paige studied the baby in Cole's arms. The girl was really sweet. She could understand now why Piper had insisted on them meeting her. Grace couldn't be evil. Not yet anyway.
Phoebe felt out of place. Her family was talking nicely to Cole and he didn't even look at her. Every time she caught his glance it was aloof and uninterested. Cole not interested in her anymore? Phoebe was bemused and refused to believe it. On the other hand, babies didn't come from nowhere. It looked like Cole had found interest in other women. At least enough to conceive a child. Had she really expected him to mourn her forever when she had done everything to drive him away? A pang of loss hit her but probably it was for the better.
Apart from that she was just plain jealous. Envious that Cole had a daughter and she didn't. That Cole had moved on and she hadn't. Why was he able to have it all and she had nothing. She felt empty and lonely. Besides the little girl was so cute. She had his blue eyes and dark hair. And the sweet cap with small ladybirds all over it. Cole sure had planned to impress them with his daughter.
"May I hold her?" Piper asked. If she was going to be a godmother, she should start behaving like one.
"Sure." Cole got up and put Grace in Piper's outstretched arms, then settled again in the armchair. For the moment the meeting was going rather smoothly. Cole was positively surprised.
"She is so small," Piper wondered, "even smaller than Chris."
"How old is Chris?" Cole asked. He hadn't seen Piper's second son yet.
"Oh he is almost a year," Piper informed Cole, holding Grace tight and playing with her little hands. Paige bent forward and touched Grace's little feet. Phoebe didn't go any closer she just peered down over Piper's shoulder enviously.
"Grace is 7 months next week," Cole informed them, "she has two tooth already. The new one gave me a hard time last week. She was up all night crying."
"We had the same with Wyatt," Leo agreed, "Piper and I took shifts so we could get a few hours of sleep."
Piper handed Grace to Paige who held her for some seconds, studying the little face that looked back at her curiously. When Paige seemed satisfied she handed Grace over to Leo who took her instantly. Leo had always wished for a little girl. Same as Piper, he popped her on his knee.
"What are you doing?" Cole asked watching them exchanging his daughter from hand to hand.
"We need to check if one of us gets a bad foreboding when holding your daughter. We have to make sure she isn't evil," Leo explained.
Cole was a little bit offended but kept his mouth shut.
Phoebe was the last to hold Grace. Reluctantly she took the baby from Leo. She was the one with the strong future oriented power. Phoebe was a little bit afraid of what she might see. Still standing Phoebe put Grace on her hip and cradled her slightly.
It seemed like the baby was melting into her body. It felt so good holding that little girl. Phoebe felt whole. She felt an inexplicable tenderness towards Grace. Like she had already known her. It was just like Phoebe imagined it would be if she held her own daughter. But this one wasn't her daughter from her premonition. Grace was Cole's and not hers. Phoebe smelled the faint baby smell of powder and cream. Suddenly she was thrown in to a premonition.
Phoebe was standing outside on green grass. The sun was shining and there was laughter in the air. There were children and other adults all around her. It seemed like a schools playground. Her hair was long and she looked only some years older. She looked happy and relaxed.
Phoebe recognized this premonition. It was the one she had had of her own daughter. The one that had her convinced that Utopia was a good thing. The one that had shown her she would have kids of her own.
Wyatt and Chris came running to her, calling "Aunt Phoebe". She hugged both tightly and kissed them on the cheeks. "Mommy, mommy" a little brown haired girl with blue eyes ran towards her and she kneeled down to take her in her arms.
That couldn't be. Phoebe gasped, her eyes still shut firmly. That was Grace! It had never been her daughter, or maybe it had but that future had changed. It was Grace, she was sure. But why would Grace call her mommy and where was Cole?
Cole watched Phoebe hold his daughter tight. It was the first time he allowed his glance to linger on her for a little while. Grace should have been their common child. Cole felt a pang of sadness as he thought of the son Phoebe and he had lost. He jumped to his feet when Phoebe was hit by the premonition. From his experiences Phoebe's premonitions were never of a good kind.
"What did you see?" he demanded taking some steps towards her. "Is Grace in danger?"
"Cole, cool down," Piper stepped in his way and shoved him back in the armchair her hands firmly on his chest, her eyes staring into his. She couldn't let him loose control in their house.
Paige went to Phoebe and took a weeping Grace out of Phoebe's rigid fingers, consoling the startled child. Having her premonition, Phoebe had squeezed the little girl a little too hard.
"Phoebe, its ok," Paige said soothingly to her trembling sister, guiding her to sit down next to Leo on the couch, "Just take a deep breath and tell us what you saw."
Paige threw a glance at Cole. He was tensely looking from Grace to Phoebe. Piper settled at the armrest of the armchair, her hand squeezing Cole's shoulder tightly in an attempt to comfort him.
Piper knew the fear Cole experienced. Every time Phoebe had a premonition when touching one of her sons she got sick with fear. Worrying about the gruesome things Phoebe could have seen happening to her children. Piper felt Cole's back muscles harden, as he tried to hold himself back.
Leo looked at Piper sitting next to Cole, touching him and he had to suppress the jealousy rising. He looked away and concentrated on Phoebe. He took her hand and stroked it soothingly. "Just breathe Phoebe," he advised her.
When Phoebe had calmed down she looked sheepishly in the tense faces around her.
"Sorry if I scared you," she looked explicitly at Cole and this time he didn't look away, but his expression was troubled," but I was just so surprised at what I saw.".
"What was it?" Piper asked, squeezing again hard at Cole's shoulder, restraining him to interrupt Phoebe.
"I fetched the children from school I guess," Phoebe disclosed, "Wyatt, Chris …..and Grace. They were around 6 years old or so. They looked happy and well."
Cole exhaled audible, releasing the tension from his stance and ruffling his hair. That was the first premonition in his favor Phoebe ever had.
Piper patted his back comradely, "So Daddy, nothing to worry about."
"I think that settles the case," Paige said looking at Piper. She was still walking up and down the living room with Grace on her arm.
Piper looked up at Paige. "You are right."
She stood up and sat next to Phoebe, taking her hand, facing Cole. Cole looked at Piper. He knew the verdict about Grace was due.
"Cole, since Phoebe just had a premonition of your daughter being good and well, and none of us felt something bad when holding her, I agree to be her godmother."
"Great. Thank you Piper," Cole said honestly. He was really grateful. "Thank you Paige, Phoebe, Leo." He had to thank them all. In the Halliwell household there were only family decisions, "I'll honor your generosity."
"Just we are clear," Paige added, "we are not doing this because we think you are still family or we like you, because we don't. It's because we are convinced that Grace is an innocent we have to protect. And we will protect her, even from you."
Cole let the blow pass. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you. It's exactly what I asked Piper to do."
"It's just it won't only be me doing it," Piper interrupted, "my whole family will care for Grace."
Cole smiled for the first time since he had reentered the manor. "I know Piper. You can't just have one Halliwell. It's always the whole bunch. I have no objections to that." He couldn't help glancing at Phoebe, who looked down immediately.
"We need to establish some rules," Piper continued, "so that we don't drive each other crazy." She looked at Cole. "You surely remember we do not see eye to eye on many things with you."
"How could I forget that?" Cole asked rhetorically.
He was amazed that Paige was still kidding around with Grace. She had never struck him as the type for children. But then, he didn't know Paige that well. She had always been very short spoken towards him.
"We want to see Grace once a week. If we are to establish a bond between her and us, we need to see her on a regular basis. Maybe we can agree on a fixed day," Piper started.
Cole was surprised, Piper really jumped at this. "Ok," he said.
"We don't want you to come over uninvited. We phone and then agree on an appointment. We want no surprise visits from you."
"If you could return this favor I would be glad," Cole said trying to sound evenly. It bothered him that they really wanted to keep him out of their lives, letting only Grace in. But that was what he had expected, even if he had hoped for a little warmer relationship.
"You don't go after Phoebe again," Piper continued her list of demands.
Phoebe's head shot up and she looked at Piper with a slightly angry expression. "I'm not part of that deal at all," she hissed, "leave me out of it."
"That's what I'll try to do with this condition Phoebe," Piper answered irritated.
"I already agreed to this one Piper, no need to emphasize it," Cole's voice was a little too raspy to hide his emotional trouble totally. At least for Phoebe. She looked at him but this time he avoided her eyes.
"If we find you or your daughter ever doing evil, that includes killing, hurting, scheming evil plans, whatever you name it, our arrangement is null and void. Don't think we won't go as far as to vanquish you or her," Piper stated determined.
"I'm sure to remember that one," Cole said icily, "I have experienced your courtesy once already. No need for repeat performance."
"You don't interfere in our magic duty. Protecting an old friend or whatever," Piper demanded.
"No friends left, thanks to you," Cole retorted nastily.
"That's all I think." Piper was not distracted by Cole's bitchy comments, "Do you agree to these terms?"
"I do," Cole said shortly. He wanted to get out of the Manor as soon as possible now. Better not push his luck with the Halliwells. "May I utter one condition of my own?"
"You don't stipulate any conditions here Cole," Paige glared at him.
"I think it's not much to ask if I want you to not talk bad about me when my daughter is around," he looked at them all.
"Cole is right," it was the first time Leo joined the conversation, "if we want Grace to have respect for life and for people, we have to show her how to do it. We won't run you down Cole when she is with us. But this is not a one way street."
Cole looked at Leo offended. "I'm not bashing on you, I prefer not to talk or think about you at all."
All Halliwells glared at Cole for that statement. But he didn't bother. It was the truth. Thinking of them still made him sad or angry or both. So it was better to avoid it and think of something else. Grace, his work, whatever worked.
"I think we are done," Cole said standing up.
The others stood up too and Paige came over to hand Grace to her father.
"The little princess looks like she is ready for a nap," Paige chirped.
She had fallen for the little girl. She didn't care if Cole was her father. What did a father mean anyway? She hadn't known her own father for nearly 30 years and it hadn't bothered her much.
Grace hadn't fallen asleep while Paige had carried her around. It was all so exiting. New people, new smells, a new surrounding. But being in the sheltered and familiar embrace of her daddy, her little eyes closed almost immediately.
Cole looked down at her tenderly. She had been a good girl. No crying, no temper tantrum. Grace had wrapped the Halliwell women around her cute little finger. He had hoped for that to happen, they had very protective instincts after all.
Phoebe watched the softness on his face when he looked down on his little girl. She knew this expression. He had looked at her with the same gentleness in his eyes a long time ago. It seemed like almost a lifetime ago. And she missed it, she recognized, surprised.
tbc