The Lost Ones

Chapter Twelve: Ben

"Phoebe what does she mean son?" Paige asked

'Please tell me it's not what I think it means? Please God tell me it's not Cole's.'

Piper and Leo were both wearing the same expression of shock, mouths open and eyes wide, they couldn't believe it.

"I need to sit down."

Piper said moving on shaky legs to sit down on the same couch that Ellie was still partially laying down on. Ellie seeing Piper coming to sit down moved her legs off the couch and put them on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Ellie asked the sisters and Leo looked at her as if she was insane not because of the question but because she was addressing it to an empty spot opposite her.

Cole looked at his sister as if she was crazy,

"I don't know Ellie do I look okay?...How is it even possible they vanquished the Seer and she was carrying the baby... I know because Phoebe told me."

Cole shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He turned his head and saw his son in the arms of the woman he loved. He couldn't help but feel his heart swell with love, the feelings of love and awe were quickly squelched when he remembered where he was and that there was no way for him to be with them. His vision clouded with tears all he ever wanted out of his life with his entire heart and battered soul was before him, and yetit was denied to him. He squeezed his eyes tight trying to fight away the building tears that were trying to find their escape.

"I'm sorry…" came his sister quit reply

"It's not your fault El it's mine I should've let her go when she asked…and maybe…just maybe I would be here."

Cole smiled at his sister it was a tight and forced, but the love he felt for his sister was plan for her to see.

"Oh God…I…God I'm sorry…I should have been there for you…I'm so sorry…it's all my fault I should have tried harder…I…I…" Ellie's words came out in a chocked sob.

Cole went to move to hold his sister and tryto reassure her that it wasn't her fault, but remembering he couldn't stopped him from moving any closer. Will had already moved to his sister and was now hugging her, rocking her back and forth.

"There…there…baby girl it's not your fault."

This became his mantra until he felt his baby sister start to clam down.

The sisters were starting to think that the surprises the night had to offer would keep on coming. When they saw the red demon slowly try to comfort his sister, brushing the hair away from her face very carefully almost as if the woman in his arms was made of the finest glass breakable by any sudden movement.

Will cupped his sisters face and said, "El sweetie you know Cole would never blame you for anything. Right sweetie. You were his special girl, his only girl. Just like you're my special girl. I won't say only girl because the waythings are starting look up for me."

Thesmile he showed her was discontenting to the sisters and whitelighters it was strange to see a demon smile, showing off sharp pointy teeth. When Ellie nodded her head, Will then began to wipe away the remaining tears on her face. He kissed he forehead and said,

"Do you think they'll be willing to help us with Ben now?"

Ellie chuckled at that and said, "There is a high probability."

"Yeah, well that remains to be seen." Paige said resenting that two demons assuming they would do anything to help them

'Who do they think they are? Who do they think we are? And like I'd want to help Cole's kid.'

"What do you mean it remains to be seen?" Will said standing up to his full height, towering over Paige. His hands were fisted and by his side as if that would hold him back from pummeling her.

"Are you honestly telling me you would let your nephew die? To do what? Spite my brother? Last I checked my brother is dead thanks to your vanquish. So what is this…I hated his father so I'll take it out on him, your own flesh and blood."

Will stooped down so that his face was level with Paige's and said,

"Do you really wonder why you were the one picked as the target?"

Piper quickly intervened fearing the break-out of a major fight and already feeling the beginning signs of a head-ache quickly intervened,

"What I want to know is how it is possible? I mean you did vanquish the Seer and the child she was carrying. We, didn't we?" Piper asked looking at both Ellie and Will.

"Well you did and you didn't" Will replied.

"What do you mean we did and we didn't? We either vanquished heralong with the spawn she was carrying." Paige stated

"Paige!" Piper cried out to her sister

"He's not spawn!" yelled Ellie, Will, Cole, and Phoebe. Even if Cole's opinion was only heard by his brother, sister and Chris.

Phoebe couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her sister's mouth,

'How can she call him spawn look at him he's adorable. He has his father's eyes.' The pang of lose she felt was something she hadn't linked with Cole in quite sometime.

'He'll never get to see his son…and Ben will never see his father…he even looks like him.'

"Listen will explain everything but it has to be the short version…Liam go get Grmin and I'll…I'll tell them what I can till you guys get here."

"Are sure you're going to be okay by yourself with pissed off charmed ones?"

"I've handle worse. Plus I don't see my son and daughter-in-law vanquishing me."

"Well I didn't see my wife vanquishing me and we know how that turned out."

"Okay but only the short version." Will said pointing his finger at his sister as a form of order. And with that he shimmered out.

"I think it would be in your best interest if you start explaining." Paige said

Ellie just rolled her eyes and put her hands up to Paige successfully freezing her, yet again.

"Hey!" Piper yelled

"What I won't to say this once without interruption, the only way to get that is if I make it so she can't interrupt me. Do you have a better idea?"

"I personally I think it's the only way to get Paige to shut-up." Chris said.

Both Leo and Cole smiled at the statement having had found it hard to shut her up.

Piper glared at Chris and Leo for the obvious show of unity between both whitelighters.

'However I would be lying if I didn't say it would make hearing Ellie out easier. God knows there have been times I wished I could use my power on my sisters.'

Ellie looked at Phoebe holding Ben and couldn't help but smile; this is what she had always wanted for nephew. And even for Phoebe, sureshe hated her for not working hard enough to try and save her relationship with Cole, but at the same time she could understand her fear, anger, and hate knowing that pain can blind a person from the truth. She herself had done the same thing.

Ellie took a deep breath,

"The short version is rather simple and I'll get it across in points for some people who won't understand Paige. One, the potion that Phoebe was drinking never affected Ben, if she turned evil was because she was the one drinking it putting into her system. Two, you did vanquish the Seer and a demonic spawn. Three, it wasn't Ben because Liam and I, with the help of a family friend Grmin did the magical version of a baby swap."

"What do you mean baby swap?" asked Leo

"Simply put we removed Ben magically from the Seer's womb to mine."

'Oh…that's sooo gross.' Paige couldn't help the sick feeling she got in her stomach.

'How can they all just sit there and act like a sister being pregnant with her brother's kid happens everyday.'

"So Ben is your son?" Leo and Piper said.

"Don't be silly Leonardo." Leo looked down at the ground if he doubted before he now couldn't only one person ever talked to him like that and that was his mother.

"Sorry." He said in a little boy voice.

'This is ridiculous I'm sixty something years old and yet I feel like I'm ten years old in front of her.'

"Ben is my nephew he is Cole and Phoebe's son, I merely was a surrogate." Ellie said shrugging her shoulders.

"What's wrong with him?" Phoebe quietly asked noticing his drop in temperature.

"Why? what's wrong?"

Worry tainting Ellie's voice she moved off the couch and moved to wherePhoebewas sitting in one if the chairs in front the coffee table.

"Ellie what's wrong?"

Cole asked catching the obvious worry in her tone; he knew his sister very little got obvious worry from her.

Ellie put her hand to her nephew's forehead and cursed under her breath.

"Damn it!"

"What's wrong? What's wrong with my son?" Phoebe asked surprised by the easy the word son had rolled off her tongue.

"The bitch of a sorceress, that's what, happened she tried to kill Ben but let's say his protective shield got to where it back fired causing him to lose body heat systematically, Grmin was able tohelp slow it down, but the only thing to cure himis his mother's blood. That is why we came here."

"You came here to kill Phoebe." Piper accused her.

"No…I came here for a little bit of her blood…you know what a person would normally give to the blood bank."

"Ellie I thought we agreed the short version."

"It was short. I see you got Grmin here this time. Grmin you've got everything ready to make the potion."

"Yes, Elizabeth, you won't say good-bye to your nephew unlike his father. It was a shame he couldn't see his son the boy is so like him."

Grmin came up to where Phoebe was standing and smiled at Ben the layers of his skin folding on top of each other.

"Hey! Benjamin. How you feeling today buddy?"

"Gweat! Gwmin did you meet mommy?"

"No I didn't." Turning his shaggy head to Phoebe the demon said, "Hi Ben's mom."

The little boy then started gesturing to Grmin to come closer, when Grmin had gotten as close as Ben wanted him he whispered rather loudly to the demon thinking that no one else would hear.

"She pwetty, just like the pwincess Auntie Ellie tells stowies about."

Piper couldn't help but feel slightly vindicated by this statement, what it did was prove to her that she hadn't been mistaken in trusting that the child was innocent.

Grmin once again smiled at the boy and rubbed his head, most to the top of Ben's head disappearing under the action.

He then turned to Phoebe and said,

"You wouldn't mind giving us some of your blood to the save the boy?"

Phoebe shock her head as a no. The only objection came from the sisters' former whitelighter,

"Only if I get to draw the blood I don't want anything happening to Phoebe."

Grmin just shrugged his shoulders and moved to an old and warn out tattered leather doctor's bag.

He started taking out all sorts of herbs and magical ingredients, until he stopped and started rummaging through the bag, turning a slightly pink face to the sisters which in itself was amazing considering his blue coloring.

"You wouldn't have on you a blessed prepping bowl?"

"Actually we would." Piper said

"We do…when did we get one?" Phoebe asked having never know of one being in the house.

"It was a wedding gift."

With that said Piper left to go into the kitchen to get the gift Cole had given her. And thinking,

'Well Cole it's seems your gift is saving someone else yet again…your son.'

When she hand the bowl over to Grmin she couldn't but help and notice the looks both Will and Ellie exchanged. She knew that must know that it was from Cole.

Grmin quickly began to mix the ingredients from different veils. He then turned to Leo and said,

"The blood."

After Leo drew Phoebe's blood he hand it over Grmin, who in turn hand it over to Ellie.

Ellietook the blood and began to chant, yet again in a language the sisters didn't know and couldn't decipher. Shortly after her chant began to pick up speed Will joined her. When they were finished they handed it back to Grmin who began to mix the blood with the things in the bowl.

Grmin then hand the bowl over to Ellie and said,

"You're his aunt, I may be a doctor but I don't like dealing in blood. And if someone has to get him to ingest blood, better you then me."

Ellie rolled her eyes at him then turned to her brother, who put his hands up and said,

"Hay I his favorite uncle and I wanna stay that way. Plus you had a kid you know how to take care of them better then I would."

"Wimps."

Ellie excepting the fact that she wouldn't get any help went over by Phoebe and Ben and knelt down by her nephew and former sister-in-law.

"Hey champ, listen you're gonna have to drink your medicine. I know it's yuckie, but if you drink it all, I'll make you your favorite cookie, kay?"

"I don't wannaaaaaaa."

"I know, but you wanna get better don't you?"

Ben pouted and nodded his head crossing his arms over his chest. The almost three year old excepted his fate of having to drink yuckie medicine and shimmered into his aunt's lap.

After he drank all the content of the bowl. The little boy passed out.

"What happened?"

To Be Continued…..