THREE

Cole sat in a chair watching Phoebe sleep. He had no reason to try and stay quiet. She could neither see nor hear him. To her he was even less than a shadow on a moonless night. But even if he couldn't interact with her he could at least watch over her.

She had been through a lot the past few weeks. They all had. Faking their own deaths and trying to lead normal lives had been less than successful. At least their secret had been kept. And now, with the return of the Triad, they were facing yet another demonic threat. He wished he could help her. But suspended between life and death as he was he could help no one, least of all the love of his live.

Suddenly he looked towards the ceiling. He hadn't heard anything. Instead, he sensed a presence. Whomever – or whatever – it was was in the attic. He had no way of knowing what it was. And although it was no threat to him it could prove a threat to the others in the manor.

Silently he teleported to the attic. It had been a cruel irony of Fate to leave his powers intact while exiling him to this nether region between life and death. He looked around the attic but saw no one. Then he noticed the chessboard. Someone had moved one of the pieces.

"Whoever you are," he said aloud, "I somehow doubt you came here just to challenge me to a game of chess."

"And you would be correct."

Three figures stepped out of the shadows. Cole recognized El-A-Lese and Fate. The other man with them he had never seen before.

"Two visits in one millennia. I guess I should be honored considering I'm not supposed to have contact with any other beings."

"That's not exactly accurate," said Fate. "You are capable of speaking with those whose deaths are imminent."

"Yeah," said Cole. "Speak with but still unable to make contact in any other way. Not exactly the basis for a long term relationship. Not to mention they rarely stick around for more than a few days."

"I believe that was the purpose of my decision," said Fate.

"So, what do you want this time?"

"I have a proposal for you. It appears you have an advocate in EL-A-Lese here. Oh, where are my manners? This is Cupid."

"Call me Carl," said Cupid.

"Carl the Cupid?" Cole quipped with a quirk of one brow. "Sounds like something out of a bad 'B' movie."

"There are several of us," said Carl. "It's just one way to keep straight who is who."

"Not that I'm not appreciative," said Cole, "but why do I need an advocate? My sentence has all ready been imposed."

"It appears," said Fate, "El-A-Lese had certain misgivings regarding your sentence. New evidence to put it in terms you would understand."

"I didn't think fate afforded an appeal?"

"Normally I don't. But in this case I agree with her. There were certain mitigating circumstances with regards to you. Mitigations that had not occurred to me when I originally passed judgment on you."

"Oh, let me guess. All is forgiven and I'm to be granted a full pardon and I'm free to go, right?" Cole said sarcastically.

"Hardly."

"I didn't think so. So what mitigating circumstances did she offer in my defense?"

"That you were being punished for Belthazor's' deeds, for one," said El-A-Lese. "Deeds he had all ready paid for when he was vanquished."

"Oh, that's a nice try," said Cole. "But I was Belthazor, remember?"

"Suffice it to say," said Fate, "she was able to convince me that there was a bit of a difference between you two. A subtle difference perhaps but enough to cause me to reconsider my judgment. Then there's the matter of your repentance."

"My repentance?"

"Yes. Your decision to turn from evil to good. I'm convinced it was genuine. Which has placed me in a rather awkward position I'm afraid."

"So I wanted to change, so what? That doesn't do much to change one hundred plus years of evil, does it?"

"The desire itself, no. Many often have the desire to change. It's what you do about it that has a direct bearing on the outcome of your life."

"Which still doesn't help me. All I did was allow myself to be possessed by the Source. And we all know how that turned out."

"Yes," said Fate. "But possession has always been a mitigating circumstance in a creatures' actions. As is the amount of magic you absorbed in the Wasteland. You can hardy be held accountable for your actions when burdened with the overwhelming affect of that much power. It would have destroyed most other beings."

"Okay," Cole conceded. "You've got my interest. You mentioned a proposal. I'm listening."

"First," said Fate, "I want it understood that this is a one-time offer. You'll not be afforded another such opportunity."

"Just as Destiny did with the Charmed Ones. Okay, it's understood."

"Very well, Considering all of the extenuating circumstances, I've decided to give you a choice. You can pick one of three options. You can remain here as you are. Eventually you will be released and one of the Deaths will take you on to your final reward or punishment.

"Or I can release you right now. In that event one of the Deaths will take you now. Your final fate will be determined by your past actions minus those of Belthazor."

"Neither is a really appealing prospect," said Cole. "Even without Belthazor's' actions I don't exactly have a stellar past. You mentioned a third option."

"I can return you to the past," said Fate. "To just before when the Source possessed you. You will retain your current knowledge and it should be a simple matter for you to avoid being possessed. What you do after that will be up to you."

Cole just stared at Fate. He had just been offered something few beings ever got. A chance to alter his destiny.