A/N: I never liked Cole without powers - so I'm going to do something about it in this chapter.
And finally someone will arrive we have been waiting for too long.
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Power exchange
Cole got to the Manor almost 2 hours late. He hated being powerless. He had been without any powers for almost 4 days. On the second day, his secretary had taken some days off since he was obnoxious.
Apart from the danger it put him and Grace in, it sucked. He had to go to the supermarket to buy things. He had to use his car every time had had to go somewhere and it took ages. The traffic in the city drove him mad.
He rang the bell and Paige came to open the door.
"You are late", she said reproachfully. She had hoped he wouldn't show up at all.
"I got stuck in the traffic", Cole said unnerved when he followed Paige to the attic, "How do humans ever get somewhere on time is a puzzle to me. The traffic out there is plain crazy."
He entered the attic after Paige. Piper and Phoebe were standing over the Book of Shadows. Grace was in a crib next to the window. He had left his daughter with the Halliwells for the last days. He couldn't protect her.
Piper had been very understanding and helpful. He was in her debt, again. Having someone else to care for besides himself, started to put him in pleading positions repeatedly. He didn't like it at all.
"You are late", Piper said, "Did you change your mind about this?"
"No, I didn't. Got stuck in traffic."
Cole went over to his daughter and took her in his arms, talking to her affectionately. The little girl giggled, she liked Daddy making those funny noises for her and blowing on her tummy.
"You will be fine. I promise you", he told his daughter.
"Did you get everything you needed?" Cole asked Piper.
"Yes, the ingredients were easy to get. I just had to go to the Chinese market."
"Good.", Cole was content, "Then let's do this. What do I have to do?"
"You do nothing Cole", Piper advised, "We will do the spell and all. You just have to step inside the circle when I tell you."
"OK then", Cole put a chair next to the crib and sat down. He would do just as Piper had told him.
Paige was crawling around on the floor, putting the candles down in a circle. 6 black candles and 6 white candles forming a semicircle with each.
"Remind me again why we do this?" Paige asked looking up, "For my part I sleep definitely calmer if Cole stays human. It would also be a favour to the world in general."
"We talked about this", Piper explained impatiently, "Cole can't protect Grace if he is human. But demons can sense her because of her powers. I don't want her to be kidnapped while we are a protective Daddy short."
"Thanks Piper", Cole acknowledged.
"Besides we owe Cole", Phoebe said, "He lost his powers because of Zankou." And I owe him for mistrusting him again Phoebe added in thoughts.
"Yeah I know", Paige was unsettled, "still I think he is much more likeable without any powers".
"I'm relieved that it is not about if you like me or not", Cole smirked at Paige.
"Don't push it Cole. You need me to say the spell with them", Paige snapped.
"Candles done", Paige reported back to Piper.
Phoebe was stirring a silver pot with a wooden spoon carefully. "Potion done. Only ingredient missing is the blood."
She went over to the cupboard, took an Athame and approached Cole with the pot. "We need some drops of your and her blood", she told him.
"I don't like to hurt her", Cole said uncomfortable looking at his daughter.
"We need it, Cole. It's just a small cut and Paige will heal it afterwards." Phoebe felt warmth for him cover her heart. He was such a good father. He would have been to their son.
Cole nodded and held is left hand over the pot. Phoebe took is hand and cut in his palm very conservatively but enough to draw blood. It trickled in the pot and the potion started sizzling.
"Paige", Phoebe called her sister.
Paige waddled over to them reluctantly. "Cole's hand", Phoebe said motioning at his bleeding hand.
Paige rolled her eyes but held her hand over his palm. A faint golden glow emitted and the cut healed immediately.
"It has it pros being human", Cole stated making a fist. His hand was as good as new.
"Would you hold Grace for me?" Phoebe asked.
Cole nodded and took Grace from her crib again. He rolled up her sleeve and held her small arm firmly in his hand.
Phoebe cringed inside as she brought the knife nearer to the baby's skin. But she took a heart and quickly cut in the lower arm.
Grace cried out in surprise and started bawling loudly. Cole held her arm over the bowl and tried to calm her down. When Grace's blood trickled in the bowl, the colour changed to a bright blue.
"That's enough", Phoebe said, taking the bowl and Athame with her.
Paige hurried to heal the little girls arm, but Grace was not to be calmed down. Cole walked with her up and down the attic, rocking her in his arms. He finally managed to pacify her, a desperate expression on his face.
"I hope she doesn't think I hurt her intently", he said feeling very bad for hurting his little princess.
"She better get used to it", Paige suggested dryly and Phoebe winced.
"Paige", Piper admonished her.
"How do we know which powers we transfer from Grace to Cole?" Paige asked. She was still worried that Cole should get demonic powers.
"We don't", Piper said curtly, "since Grace hasn't shown any powers yet"
"But you would have them at your disposal immediately", Paige questioned Cole.
"Yeah. I will have to figure out what powers they are, but I'm good at that", Cole said self-confidently.
"Go figure", Paige grumbled.
"I'm ready", Phoebe announced. She had poured the potion into two flasks and had lit the candles.
"Cole, get into the circle. Take the side with the black candles and put Grace on the side with the white ones", Piper advised.
Cole got up to obey her instructions. He put Grace gently down in the semicircle of white candles, he himself stepped in the semicircle of black candles. He looked at the sisters expectantly.
The sisters stepped next to each other, facing the candle circle. Phoebe took the piece of paper with the spell from her pocket. She had written it very carefully. She wouldn't experience any backfire with it.
Piper and Paige each had one of the potion bottles. The sisters started to chant the spell together.
Magic forces black and white
Come to stand by our side.
Remove the powers from the kin,
Leave only good within.
When they iterated it the second time, Paige emptied her bottle onto Grace, soaking her jumper. A glittering red cloud emerged from Graces' body and hovered over her in the air.
Magic forces black and white
Come to stand by our side.
Let the powers settle where
There is a void to be their lair.
At the second line of the spell, Piper threw the bottle at Cole's feet where it shattered. The red cloud started moving and settled into Cole. He immediately felt the power in his body.
"It's done", Piper announced unceremoniously, "What do you feel Cole?"
"I feel magic", Cole answered. It was good to be back.
"What powers exactly", Paige asked, and Phoebe watched him watchfully.
"Give me a sec" Cole answered. He stepped out of the circle and moved back to a corner of the attic. He needed some time to himself to feel for the powers he had just received.
Paige extinguished the candles and Phoebe turned to scoop up Grace. "You need a bath little lady", she said tenderly to the little girl. "That potion reeks."
If she couldn't be close to Cole at least she could be close to his daughter. Phoebe always felt a connection to him when she held Grace tight.
Suddenly a bright light appeared inside the candle circle, directly next to Grace. All candles lit up again, the black candles changing into white. The light settled into a figure, but because of the light, they couldn't see who or what it was.
The figure pointed at the baby inside the circle, murmuring something and a bright white-blue flash of energy shot into her. Grace wailed softly but didn't start crying.
"Grace!" Phoebe and Cole called out at the same time, both starting forward.
Cole was there a second before Phoebe, because he shimmered. He threw himself over his daughter. As he saw Phoebe flying towards him he shimmered out, barely avoiding a collision with her, as Phoebe fell down the exact place he had been a split-second before.
He rematerialized at the other side of the room, his daughter save in his arms and looked gloomily towards the circle. The figure looked down at Phoebe and he heard a hearty laugh.
Paige, Piper and Leo were apprehensively watching the figure. Piper had tried to freeze it, but it hadn't worked.
"Who are you?" Piper barked.
She didn't like strangers appear at her attic uninvited. Not even when they seemed to come from the good side with all the bright white light and all. You never knew.
Phoebe was sitting on the floor inside the candle circle and starred up at the appearance speechless. He face showed awe but no fear.
The ghostly figure turned around and Piper gasped. "Prue!"
tbc