Hello! Next chapter up. I'm not sure I'm pleased with this one but here goes anyway. To answer a few questions posed in the reviews, yes Kyle really is a whitelighter and isn't evil. As for Cole...hmmm I haven't decided yet heehee :p Anyway I hope you enjoy this and please keep reviewing! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :D
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 5: In the flesh.
Bright lights. Golden auras. Floating balls of white. Clicking. Paige looked around at the surroundings she had materialized in. She had no clue how she got there or even where 'there' was. She had felt herself orbing but it had not been voluntary. She remembered being in Brendan's apartment…Kyle. Rubbing her eyes and trying to adjust them to the dazzling whiteness that surrounded her, she tried to orb away. I need to go back! Kyle? How could that have been…why can't I orb!
"Hello Paige."
In a panic, Paige looked desperately around her for the source of the voice. She winced as a bright white light started floating towards her.
"Who…" As it got closer, the form of a woman wearing golden robes was clear, a friendly smile on her face. Paige narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips.
"Nice to see you again," Karyn said, her voice clear and unwavering like crystal.
"Can't say the same for you," Paige bit back at the Elder, "Why did you orb me up here?"
"How is everything at Magic School?" Karyn asked, tilting her head slightly to one side, her short strawberry blonde hair falling in curls to her shoulders.
"Magic School?" Paige questioned, "You orbed me up here to ask me about-"
"Why aren't you there now?"
"Because it's the holidays!" Paige cried, "Geez I have a life outside of Magic School y'know!" Karyn smiled and nodded. "Anyway, stop avoiding the subject. Why did you orb me up-"
"I'm sorry we had to take away your charge, Paige," Karyn interrupted. Paige's eyes widened slightly. Brendan…Kyle… "We needed to give him to someone else."
"Kyle?"
Karyn's cool demeanor faltered slightly and she looked away from Paige for a moment. "You were never meant to see him," she said quietly.
"You were just going to keep it from me!" Paige cried, "Well good job at doing that!"
"We did not know you would still hear the charge's cries," Karyn explained, "We underestimated how well you had bonded with him." She looked back up at the Charmed One and smiled. "You make a very good whitelighter you know. Almost as good as your father in his day."
"Don't bullshit me," Paige grimaced, "You do not orb me against my will up to Elderland and throw that crap at me okay." Karyn nodded apologetically. "Is that the reason you orbed me up here? So I didn't spend any time with Kyle?" Karyn didn't say anything but Paige swore she saw the faint redness of a blush creep over the Elder's cheeks. The Charmed One took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Why can't I orb out anyway?"
"We were afraid you would orb back down to him," Karyn replied, "Before we had the chance to explain."
"There's nothing to explain," said Paige, "I am going to go back and see Kyle. He's a whitelighter there is no reason why I shouldn't be allowed to see him. I can't believe you kept this…him…from me!"
"Paige please-"
"Then I'm going to give my sisters yet another reason to hate you guys. Then-"
"Wait." Karyn put her hand out to Paige and closed her eyes. Opening them again, she looked in concern at the angry whitelighter-witch. "You need to go home," she said, "Now."
"What? No. No way do not try and distract me I-"
"It's Phoebe," Karyn said, her voice no longer calm, "Something has happened. She needs you."
"Phoebe?" Paige's face went from one of anger to distress, "What's-"
"Go!" Karyn waved her hand and orbed Paige down to the Manor. She rematerialized in the attic and was about to orb straight back up there and give the Elder what for when she saw Phoebe lying by the door, seemingly unconscious.
"Oh my god." Paige ran to her sister and bent down beside her. She started shaking her and calling her name, not yet realizing they had a visitor.
Phoebe started to stir. She could hear someone calling her name but she didn't want to open her eyes for fear of what she would see. It wasn't until she registered the panicky voice of her little sister that she awoke, sitting bolt upright and throwing her arms around Paige's neck. Paige rubbed her back and kissed the side of her head.
"I was so worried," she said, "Seeing you like that I thought there'd been an attack or something and-"
"Cole…"
Paige pulled away from Phoebe and gave her a strange look. "Sweetie did you bang your head?" Phoebe wasn't listening. Instead, she was staring over Paige's shoulder. Slowly, Paige followed her gaze and almost choked when it reached it's target. "Oh…my…."
In the centre of the attic, Cole was still lying on his back. His eyes were opening and closing in intervals of approximately five seconds, as if he were trying to keep them open but failing. At hearing his name again, he slowly rolled over onto his side and opened his eyes halfway.
"Phoebe?" His voice was croaky, like it hadn't been used for ages. Blinking several times, he opened his eyes fully and shook his head. "Where am I?" Pushing himself up into a seated position, he looked around the attic. His eyes seemed to widen as the realization dawned on him. "How…" He looked back at the dumbfounded sisters, his eyes searching them for some explanation.
"This is not possible," Paige breathed, "Why does this guy not stay dead!"
"Paige go and get Piper and Leo," said Phoebe in a hurried whisper.
"No way am I leaving you here with him," Paige protested, looking from Phoebe to Cole. Phoebe shook her head.
"I'll be fine." Paige looked back at her sister, throwing her a 'you so won't be' look before giving her hand a squeeze and standing up.
"Crystals! Cage!" Blue orbs flew around the room and before he could protest, Cole was trapped in a crystal cage. He shook his head in confusion but didn't argue. Paige looked back at Phoebe and she felt a lump start to form in her throat. Her sister's face was as pale as paper, her eyes dull and full of tears. She had pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them close to her. She looked like a frightened child and it scared Paige to see her sister like that. "I'll be right back," she whispered and orbed out.
---
White eyes faded into brown and a smirk crossed the seer's lips. "It is done." Crossing over to the stone table, she picked up the athame she had used before and chanted a short spell. In a rush of air, a confused Anox was standing in front of her.
"How…what am I doing here!" he demanded, staring daggers at Syam.
"I summoned you," she replied, "I have your blood, remember?" She held up the athame and Anox scowled at it.
"How dare you sum-"
"I have a job for you," Syam interrupted him, "Which if you complete you will be greatly rewarded."
"What makes you think I'll work for you?" Anox spat at her, "I'd rather-"
"Silence!" Syam threw her arm out and Anox fell to his knees gasping for breath. "You will do what I ask," she said, walking towards him, "And if you don't-"
"I will!" Anox choked out. Syam smiled and nodded, dropping her hand.
"Good." She turned around and walked back to the stone table. "You will go to the Manor-"
"What!" Anox got to his feet, rubbing his neck and looking at her as if she were crazy. "That's suicide."
"You will go and attack Cole Turner," she continued, "The witches will probably try and stop you but you will have to be quicker than them, won't you."
"Why?" Anox asked, "Why should I attack him and not the witches?"
"Attack them if you want." Syam glanced over her shoulder at him. "But make sure you attack Turner." Anox looked at her as if he wanted to say something, then simply nodded. "Wait!" Syam put her hand out and Anox flinched slightly. "Attack their former whitelighter also."
"He's married to the eldest," Anox said gruffly, "She'll blow me up in a second."
"Then you'll have to do it in a millisecond, won't you. Return here as quickly as you can." With another nod, he shimmered out. Syam smiled, her eyes glowing white as she watched the scene.
---
"Why does this guy not stay dead!"
The words echoed in Phoebe's mind as she stared, unblinking, at her ex husband who just half an hour before she believed to be dead. Gone. Forever this time. Maybe even forgotten. A part of her past, a dark part that she had dispelled from her mind. She had never wanted to see him again, never look into those eyes, see those lips, hear that voice. She hated him. He had made her life hell, literally. She was angry that he was here now, in the cage, watching her. She wanted to scream.
"Why does this guy not stay dead!"
Why then, had her heart skipped a beat when she had seen him lying there? Why, just before she fainted, had it felt almost natural to say his name? Why did one part of her heart want to rip him to pieces whilst the other wanted nothing more than to feel his arms around her again?
"Phoebe."
Tears sprung to her eyes and she looked away from him, afraid that if she looked into his eyes, those eyes, she would never be able to look away again. She suddenly felt claustrophobic, as if the walls were closing in and falling down around her. No, she hated him. Despised him. He had turned her life upside down, almost killed her and her sisters, changed the world so Paige didn't exist. Hate. She repeated the word to herself over and over.
"What am I doing here?"
Before Phoebe could reply, Paige, true to her word, orbed back in, obviously mid-conversation with Piper and Leo.
"-in the attic!" the youngest was saying.
"What Paige slow down!" Piper said. She saw Phoebe and gasped, going and kneeling down beside her. "Sweetie." She put her arm around Phoebe's shoulders and hugged her, "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"That's what I'm trying to tell you!" Paige cried. She grabbed Piper's shoulders and pulled her up, turning her around to face the cage. Piper gasped and in her shock, blew up a shelf. "How…why….who….what…"
"Oh my..." Leo gaped at the cage. "Cole?"
Cole nodded. "In the flesh…for some reason."
"Okay who summoned my demon ex brother in law back from the dead!" Piper cried.
"I'm gonna go check on the boys," Leo murmured and Piper nodded in agreement as he went downstairs to the nursery.
"Boys?" Cole asked.
"Shut up," Piper said, "You don't talk. We'll get to you in a minute." She turned around and looked down at Phoebe. "Is there something you want to tell us, Phoebe Halliwell?" Phoebe looked up into the dark, confused eyes of her big sister and shook her head. She couldn't speak, she had no words.
"Piper I don't think Phoebe did this," said Paige, putting her hand on Piper's arm, "I think this is demonic. Cole-demonic." She glanced at Cole and narrowed her eyes.
"Well I have no idea what to think!" Piper threw her arms in the air and turned back around to face Cole. "I knew you had some ulterior motive! Why the hell did I let you help me I knew that was gonna come back and bite me in the-"
"Help you?" Paige raised an eyebrow and looked from Cole to Piper. Piper sighed heavily and nodded.
"The boys are fine," said Leo, coming back into the attic. He sensed the tension and looked at his wife for an explanation.
"What do you mean 'help you'?" Paige asked again. Piper rubbed her forehead and turned around to face her sisters and husband.
"Remember when I died last week?" she said.
"Piper you didn't die," said Leo, "Wyatt healed-"
"You know what I mean," said Piper with a shake of her head, "My soul left my body. I was trapped here in the Manor. Cole…well he was my guide."
"What!" Paige and Leo looked at Piper in disbelief. Phoebe raised her head to look at her obviously uncomfortable sister and Piper glanced at her.
"I know I should have told you," she said, "But I didn't want you to think that that meant he was back. His soul is…was….trapped in Limbo."
"Explanation please!" Paige exclaimed.
"Limbo is where-" Cole started.
"Not from you," the whitelighter-witch snapped. She looked at Piper and gestured for her to continue.
"Limbo is where lost souls go," Piper explained, "Souls that can't-or won't-move on. Cole is…was…trapped there as a punishment for his evil past. Somewhere where he can never feel love." She glanced down at Phoebe again who seemed to be watching her lifelessly.
"And now he's back," said Paige, "Great…that's just great. As if my day couldn't get any-"
"I don't know how I'm back okay." Everyone turned around and looked at Cole who now seemed full of life and energy. "I didn't do this," he said, "Believe it or not, I don't want to be back here. In case you forgot, you girls were the bane of my existence at one stage. You really think I'd risk everything by coming back again?"
"Maybe for love," said Leo. Cole's face seemed to soften slightly and he looked momentarily at Phoebe before regarding the former whitelighter.
"Not even the power of love is enough to bring you back from Limbo," he said, "Trust me."
"Love?" Phoebe had started to stand up and as everyone turned to look at her, they couldn't help but gasp. Angry tears had started to roll down her flushed cheeks and she was trembling even though her fists were clenched at her sides. "This is about love?" she said, "You still…no…no no no….no you can't." Her angry façade started to melt and the tears flowed more freely. "This can't be happening. Cole we…I…vanquished you. Three times! I don't love you Cole how could you think…did you think that by coming back here…did you even think at all!"
"Phoebe I-"
"Don't Phoebe me!" she yelled, her voice cracking slightly with emotion, "You have no right to even say my name! I hate you Cole! I hated you when I thought you were dead and I hate you even more now that you're alive!" Her words stunned the attic into silence. Cole stared at the floor, his heart breaking just that little bit more with every word she said. Finally, he spoke.
"I know we're doomed, Phoebe," he said, his voice just above a whisper, "We were soul mates and I ruined it. I ruined you. I'm not here to try and win you back."
"Okay," said Paige after a moment's silence, "This is something that can be discussed later. Right now we need to be finding out how you are here and maybe more importantly, why."
"I agree," said Leo, "I don't know any upper level demons that would have the power to bring a soul out of Limbo. Paige, why don't you check the Book and-" Before he could finish, a dark-skinned, snake-eyed demon shimmered into the Manor in the space between the Leo and the sisters, and Cole.
"What the!" Piper raised her hands to blow him up but before she could, Anox threw fireballs at Leo and Paige. Paige managed to orb out of the way of the one aimed for her but Leo was not so lucky. The fireball hit him in the stomach and sent him flying backwards into the wall. "Leo!" Piper ran to him, giving Anox the chance to kick aside one of the crystals and aim a fireball at Cole.
"No!" Phoebe yelled. The fireball hit Cole in the shoulder and he fell backwards. With a growl, Anox turned around and put his hand up to aim another at Phoebe.
"No!" Cole yelled, it almost sounding like an echo. He threw out his hand as if to throw a fireball himself but nothing happened. Anox smirked and conjured a fireball in his hand but, seeing Piper stand up and raise her hands, shimmered out just as quickly as he had appeared.
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