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Chapter 4:Le Fabuleux Déstin de Benjamin Peter Turner.

"PIPER" Paige yelled as the three piled through the door of the manor.

"Up here" Came the reply.

"She doesn't sound in too much trouble" Jo commented as they made their way up to the attic.

"That's a good sign" Piage agreed.

The trio crossed the threshold into the attic, "We came here as soon as we could…." Phoebe's voiced trailed off as she took in the sight of Cole looking desheviled, trapped in a crystal cage and his son, sat in the corner, oblivious to the happenings around him, playing happily with Wyatt's fire engine.

"Cole?. What, you, I, we…"Phoebe babbled "whats with the crystal cage?"

"He kinda seemed in a hurry to leave and we figured that it might be best if he stuck around until you got back" Piper explained.

"I said, I wasn't going to leave until I spoke to Phoebe, so there was no need for the cage" Cole spat.

"and I have certain issues trusting you, given your track record, better safe than sorry"

"Anyway" Chris interrupted, " I think us 4 need to go pretend like we have something else to do"

"Good plan, we'll er, see you in a while" Piper pushed Paige and Jo out the door.

"Thank god for that" Cole sighed as they disappeared, "Now, will you please let me out of this thing, I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"Piper said you needed to speak to me" Phoebe ignored his plee.

" I do"

"So speak"

"I need you to do me a favour" Cole spoke in hushed tones, so as not to disturb the child "I need to go away for a while, and I need you to look after my son"

"your son? Don't you mean our son?" He looked at her sharply "Yes Cole" Phoebe whispered, "I figured it out"

"I knew you would, it was just a question of time"

"hang on a second..you knew I would figure it out? You weren't bothered that I might have had the shock of my life when I found that out?"

"Shock? Come on! It's not like you're a cloistered Nun, you have had sex , you have even been pregnant..and as much as that sounds insensitive and as much as I really would like to go into the ins and outs of the whole affair, I don't have time, I have to go"

"No way, I …"

"I'm in danger Phoebe, real danger, and every second that I stand here, I am putting the rest of you in danger too"

"why?"

"The Kyriad demon? Remember him, it's part of a tribe, like I said, now the tribe is after me, and so are Vulgate demons who have promised to protect the Kyriads and, and short version…, I have to disappear for a while…"

"How long for?"

"Honestly, I don't know, a couple of weeks may be a couple of months, I need to lay low until the matters resolved, that's why I want you to look after my son, I need to know that he is going to be safe…please just let me out of this cage I have to go"

" Cole you are in a magically protected cage, you can't get out, and neither can dark magic get in, you're safe for a few more minutes, at least. Besides you are not leaving this cage until you tell me a few things"

Cole sighed. He knew this would happen, that he wouldn't be allowed leave no strings attached. This was Phoebe after all. Deep down he didn't blame her, he would be the same if the boot were on the other foot. "Like what?" He asked, deciding it might be quicker to answer her questions rather than keep arguing.

"Like I don't know, the child's name perhaps? How old he is?"

"His name is Benjamin, Benjamin Peter Turner. He's 3 ½ years old." Cole looked around him nervously as if he expected a demon to scale the roof at any second.

"How is he alive? I thought he died along with the Seer"

Cole paused in his scanning of the room."You can't kill a child destined to be that powerful Phoebe" He stated, a note of reproach in his voice.

"When the Seer was destroyed, Ben's soul , his essence if you like, was set free, it roamed the wasteland, trying to find a body strong enough to carry it. Each demoness that it settled in, could only withstand the burden for a few weeks at a time, as he was just too powerful. Eventually, a female warlock was sent to the wasteland. She was strong, he transferred himself to her, she carried him to full term, but the birth killed her. I arrived back in the underworld just in time. It has been Ben and I ever since"

"The underworld? Is he evil?" She sounded cautious.

"No! Did you even pay attention when Paige came into her powers? Every magical creature has that 48 hour window in which they choose whether they want to use their powers for good or for bad. Ben may be part demon, but he is also part charmed one. I decided on his behalf that he would use his powers for good, however difficult that may be, I don't want him to have the life I had. However Ben has much fame in the underworld, as much fame as Wyatt has in the world of good magic. The story soon spread that the child of the former source and a charmed one had actually survived, and was alive and well. I knew we had to leave the wasteland, it was too dangerous, the chance of corruption or kidnapping was just too high. We spent just over two years travelling between plane to plane, never stopping in one place long enough to be detected. Unfortunately it seemed as if the underworld was closing in on us, so just under a year ago, I decided to re-enter the mortal world."

"How did you do that?"

"I made a deal with an Elder. Guideon, I believe his name was. He gave us the power of mortal life in exchange for Ben's demonic powers."

"You made a deal with Guideon?"

"To me it seemed like a no lose situation. Ben was freed of all his demonic powers apart from the ability to shimmer, which Guideon as an elder, didn't need, and we both became able to live amongst the mortals, harder for demons to detect us you see."

"But when you came to get help, for that potion , Ben kept asking about his mother..who was he talking about?"

"You"

"Me? But.."

"He watches you,.. we watch you…from up above, on the spiritual plane,…once every couple of weeks we go up there…I point you out, describe what you're doing.."

"Then why didn't he recognise me?"

"Phoebe! He's 3 , he was groggy from a demon attack, awake for all of 2 minutes, in which time he probably didn't pay much attention to his surroundings. Besides things look different from up on the spiritual plane, we're high above, you're a little brown haired blob in the distance, he's never seen your face up close."

".But why did you show him, me, let him know he had a mother, if you weren't planning on introdcuing me, or making me part of his life?"

"Because I had to be prepared, he had to be prepared, in case something like this happened, that I had no other choice but to leave him a while, it wouldn't come as such a shock to him, to stay with virtual strangers."

"But.."

"Phoebe, I really I don't have time, I need to leave now"

He was beginning to scare her now. Hell, he looked scared himself, she knew it was serious. Silently she kicked the crystals out of place, trying to make sense of all the information she had just received.

"Hey buddy" Cole crossed the room and was at his son's side in an instant.

"Daddy!"

"Look Benny boy, I need you to introduce you to someone important okay"

"'kay"

He lead the boy over to Phoebe, who was rooted to the spot.

"Do you know who this is?"

Ben shoke his head shyly.

"You know how we go up to the spirit plane, to watch the nice dark haired woman?. Well here she is, this is mommy"

"She's mommy?"

"Yes."

"Is she real? Can I touch her?" without waiting for an answer he extended a pudgy little hand and poked her on the cheek. Phoebe felt as if she had just had an electric shock. This little boy, was her son, the feeling of love she was experiencing right now was so overpowering that she thought she might pass out. Was it because she was an empath Or was this how most people felt around their childen? She didn't know, but what she did know that it was one of the best sensations in the world.

"Okay Ben, I need you to listen to me a minute, this is important" Cole held his little hands in his own. "daddy has to go away for a little while, so I need you to stay here with mommy"

"No!" He cried, and Phoebe immediately felt as if a dagger had plunged into her heart. " I can't stay here!"

"why not?" Cole looked puzzled

"Daddy!" Ben exclaimed, as if Cole was an idiot "what if she doesn't like me?" He continued in a none too subtle stage whisper.

Phoebe didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry. Her son, standing there, looking so serious. It was then she noticed. His eyes. Everything else about his features came from Cole, apart form his eyes, his big hazel eyes. They were hers, and hers alone, and right now they looked so scared and confused, that all she wanted to do was reach down and hold him close, tell him that everything would be ok.

"Ben" Cole began. "I'm sure mommy loves you very much, and the more time you spend with her, the more she can see how lovely you are"

"But I wanna come with you"

"No , not this time"

"why do you hafta go?"

"I have to go and talk to some nasty men. I'll be gone a little while"

"How long's a while?"

"I don't know Ben, which is why I want you to stay with mommy"

"'kay" he mumbled as his bottom lip began to tremble, and tears started to form in his eyes.

"Hey, where did my brave little soldier go?" He picked his son up, holding him close, inhaling the smell of his hair. "I'll be back to see you very soon, okay. I will always be with you"

"I have to go" Cole addressed Phoebe over the top of Ben's shoulder. "I'll try and sneak back when I can". Phoebe nodded. Cole handed Ben over to her. The little boy was bawling now, his face bright red, kicking out his legs.

"Sush sush" She attempted to make soothing noises, trying to calm him like she saw Piper do so often with Wyatt. His response was to bury his head into her shoulder, and muffle the noise he was making.

"take care" Cole paused for one last glance, before he shimmered out.

XXX

"I wonder how it's going up there" Chris pondered.

The four of them were spread over assorted arm chairs in the living room, trying to keep up a light hearted stream of conversation.

"There's no shouting" Piper commented, " If I had my way…."

"If you had your way you would have blown him up the second he arrived" Paige finished.

"I'm the oldest" Piper countered," I am just trying to look out for my baby sisters"

"Perhaps I shouldn't go the reunion dance this evening" Paige continued.

"Oh NO" Jo interrupted. "Mum, you have to go, you can't stand Kyle up"

"Kyle, who's Kyle?" Piper and Chris chimed in unison.

"Her date"

"He's not my date, he's just a guy who happened to ask if I was going to the dance this evening. I merely said Yes"

"So it is a date" Piper clarified.

"For the hundredth time!..it's just two people who are going to be in the same place at the same time"

"which sounds to me like a date" Piper repeated.

"That's what I said" Jo agreed.

Paige looked as if she was about to commit infanticide.

"Here's an idea, let's change the subject" Chris suggested. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Do you know what's weird?" Paige began

"You denying the fact you have a date?" Piper answered.

"That Ben doesn't exist in your timeline" Paige continued, ignoring her older sister." I mean, Jo existed in your timeline, we just brought events forward by a couple of years somehow, but the fact that Ben didn't exist at all….?"

"hmmmmm" Chris gave a non-commital kind of shrug and suddenly appeared to become engrossed in an old episode of friends that was playing silently to itself on the television.

"Christopher" His mother called, "You have exactly the same look as your father when he's not telling me something…."

"It won't do you any good to know…, it won't effect anything really"

"why don't we be the judge of that" Paige added.

He looked up, three Halliwell women, all with their arms crossed and the same look of determination on their faces. Not even the hardened of criminals would be able to hold up against these 3 for long. He sighed.

"Ben did exist in my future, sort of."

"sort of ? waddayah mean sort of? Either he did or he didn't " Patience was not Piper's strong point.

"In my timeline, Ben died in the attack with the Kyriad Demon, Cole couldn't get him to Phoebe in time, or to Phoebe at all in fact."

"Why isn't or wasn't he on the family tree then?" Paige questioned, recalling their brief jaunt to the future which had provided a spring board for the events of the past year.

"Because Cole never told anyone he had existed, not even Phoebe, It was just too painful for him. As far as he was concerned, he had Phoebe and the girls and it seemed as if he had been given a fresh start."

"Then how do you know about him?"

"Wyatt. When he was expanding his army, he was looking everywhere for new recruits. One of his demonic minions told him of a rumour he had heard, about the possible off spring of a charmed one and a source. Wyatt realised the potential of having such a powerful person on his side, a member of his own family, no less, so he demanded that this child be found. Investigations were carried out, and the story was uncovered, by that point you guys had all been.." Chris searched for an appropriate euphamsim "dealt with."

"My god!" Piper put a hand to her mouth, in the realisation that she would perhaps never know about some of the true horrors that her son had lived though. Fortunately for the shocked trio, they were not allowed to dwell on those thoughts, as Phoebe came clattering down the stairs from the second floor. The four of them quickly sat up and hastily attempted to rearrange their faces into something ressembling a smile.

"Hey" they chorused.

"Hey Phoebe replied, as she came to stop in the doorway, Ben still resting on her hip.

"Where's Cole?" Piper asked.

"He had to leave"

"Leave?"

"Yeah, I'll ugh, explain later, but Ben's feeling a little upset, aren't you?" Ben nodded his head, a woeful look in his eyes.

"I bet I know what would make you feel better.." Piper bounded across the room to address her new nephew "How do you fancy some ice cream?"

Ben allowed himself a little smile, and nodded his head slightly.

"Cool, I'll get the bowls" Chris announced, glad to have relieved some of the tension.

"Who said you were having some?" Piper asked, " Ben here is allowed some because his his daddy has gone away for a bit"

"But mummy.." Chris said in a mock baby voice "My Daddy is away too"

"Alright!" Piper conceded, "Jo I suppose you would like some too?"

"Well, seeing as I don't have a Daddy…"

"Why don't we all just have ice cream" Piper ordered, "Come on, into the Kitchen, besides I feel some introductions are in order.

"Good, 'cos then aunty Phoebe can help mum to decide what to wear on her date"

"ITS NOT A DATE" Paige screeched as the four trundled into the kitchen.

Phoebe smiled. She held back a bit and gazed down at her son, who was clinging onto the sleeve of her top, as if he expected her to disappear at any minute too, gazing listelestly into the middle distance. He was still shaking slightly, confused at being in this new house, which seemed so familiar yet at the same time so strange. She kissed the top of his head. It was going to be a long road ahead….

TBC