Four days later the sisters were standing in a circle again. The were discussing how to go about getting in touch with IV again. All solutions seemed dangerous as they had no idea what powers she had.
"I'm telling you," Piper was arguing with Paige, "she's not evil."
"She's related to Cole, of course she's evil," Paige bit back.
"Paige, enough," Prue scolded. "The best way to go about this is to simply go and meet her."
"You're probably right, Prue, but what if she attacks?" Phoebe asked.
"We hope for the best," Prue said and they all grabbed onto Paige.
Paige imagined the young girl in front of her and they orbed in a flurry of blue lights. When they opened their eyes to take a look around them they saw an open field. There were trees all over the grounds and a large, Victorian style house stood further away. They went to the house and found it unlocked. The inside was modern, yet, had a sence of antique to it. They decided to look around, but were stopped when Phoebe kept staring at the portrait above the fireplace.
"Pheebs?" Prue asked concerned.
"That's Cole's dad," Phoebe whispered in shock. "This... It must've been his."
"So Cole lives here?" Piper asked. "And you had to stay in a penthouse?"
A loud noise was heard from outside and they turned to see a quad bike coming towards the back porch. They walked out to see who it was.
When IV saw the four woman standing there she told Benji to slack off and stop in front of the porch. He was a fast learner and did so effortlessly. Over only a few days he was driving better than she expected and she was close to trusting him to drive alone. But he was her nephew and she was to protective to do that.
She got off the bike and took off her helmet as Benji did the same. Phoebe, she noticed, gasped as she saw Benji's face.
"Benji, go inside," IV told him.
"No!" he said loudly and stomped his foot. "I'm staying with you Ives."
"Benji, go inside and get us some juice. Or we won't be riding again for a month."
"I wanna stay with you, Ivey," he moaned and tugged at her shirt.
IV looked down at him and said, "Benji, go inside so I can talk to these ladies, then we'll go horseback riding tomorrow."
The boy's face lit up as he asked, "Really?!"
IV nodded. "I promise. Now go."
Benji hugged her tightly and said, "Thank you, Ives! I won't tell Daddy you brought people to the estate either!" He turned to the sisters and nodded before running to the house.
When Benji was in the house IV turned to them and asked, "What are you doing here? I didn't do anything wrong so if you vanquish me it's murder."
"Who's he?" Paige asked gesturing towards the house.
"Benji," IV said and turned to Phoebe. "But you've seen it, haven't you? My 'birth'? My imprisonment? My release? His release?"
Phoebe, speechless, simply nodded.
"He's my nephew," IV explained. "My world. Hurt him, and not even the power of four will save you."
"Is it true?" Phoebe asked. "That he..."
"I promised," IV looked her in the eyes, "that I won't tell his mother. I wanted to from the start, but my brother refused. Benji is all he's got left of the only woman he could ever love. So, Charmed ones, I can't tell you anything about Benjamin Warren Turner. Excuse me, but I believe you can show yourselves out," she said and left them.
Phoebe walked into the house after her only to be met with the last person she needed in her life at the moment. They stared at each other without a single word. Benji looked between them from his place on Cole's side.
Then he turned to his father and said, "See? I told you she was beautiful. Did you ask her out?"
Cole looked at his son confused and asked, "Is this the lady you were telling me about the other day?"
"Jip," Benji nodded his head.
"I'll take him out," IV said and took Benji from Cole.
Before the sisters could stop her she shimmered out with Benji.
"You son of a bitch," Phoebe said and walked to Cole. Before she could slap him he stopped her hands and turned away.
"Why the hell are you here?" he asked, walking to the kitchen.
"How the hell are you alive?" Paige asked as all four followed him.
"I asked first," Cole said starting on preparing dinner.
Piper took one look at the ingredients on the table then said, "Stop right there. You're not feeding this to a four year old," she said and pushed him out of the way.
"What the hell, Piper?" he asked incredulously. "What the hell to all of you? I've stayed out of your lives. I haven't bothered you at all! Why can't you leave me and my kitchen alone when I've done nothing wrong?!" he asked and looked at Piper who kicked him and Phoebe out of the kitchen and into the living room."
"Nothing wrong?!" Phoebe asked exasperated. "You kept my son away from me, Cole! You kept him away from his mother, his family!"
"What family!" Cole yelled at her. "A mother who walked away from us? From him! Aunts who killed me time and again and hated my guts?! He had all the family he needs right here. IV and I are doing just fine!"
"He needs a mother!" Phoebe yelled at him.
"And what a mother! A mother who never loved him!"
"I love him with all my fucking heart, you bastard! Why do you think I never had children?! I couldn't have another child when I'm the reason he died!" Phoebe ended and broke down into tears.
Cole's shoulders shrunk back and he grabbed her into his arms, hugging her closely to his chest. "It wasn't your fault, Phoebe. You didn't... It was them. The Source, the Seer. It's their fault, not yours. It was never and will never be your fault, so don't think like that."
"I hurt you. I killed you," she sobbed into his chest. "The love of my life and I gave up on us. On our baby."
"You didn't kill me that last time, Phoebe," he whispered into her hair. "I was in limbo. So I wasn't dead."
"You weren't really alive either," her reply came as she pulled away to look up at him. "I'm so sorry, Cole."
"You don't have anything to be sorry for," he told her as he looked deeper into the eyes that haunted him. "It wasn't either of us. We both made mistakes, but we cant change them now."
"Why didn't you tell me about him?" Phoebe asked crying again.
"What was I going to say? 'Hey, Phoebe. Your dead, ex-husband here. Remember the child we had when I was the Source of All Evil? Well here he is. So leave your Cupid of a husband for a demon who tried to kill you and let's raise him together as if you still love me.' I can see how that would have gone over," he laughed bitterly.
"That's what you should have said, yes," she told him, shaking him slightly by the lapels of his now tear stained shirt. "Not those exact words, but, yes, that's what you should have done."
"I couldn't. Having you in my life, but not having you? Phoebe, I can't do that. Never could, never can," he said and stepped away from her. "That's why I think it's best you leave."
"No," Phoebe cried softly.
"It'll be best for both of us," Cole whispered, looking down at his shoes. "If we don't see each other, it won't hurt. We'll forget. Hopefully."
"I can't leave my son," Phoebe said. "Not now that I know I have one."
"He's not your son! He's mine! He's all I have in this world! You have three sisters, a husband, nephews, a whole fucking family! I have no one except for Benji and IV!" He yelled in anger and frustration. Then softer her whispered, "They're all I have, Phoebe. I beg you? Please, don't take that away from me?"
"I don't want to take him away from you, Cole," Phoebe said a little more calm than before. "But the way you want him? That's how I feel too. Please? Can't we come to an arrangement? So we can both have him?"
Cole stayed quiet for a minute then said, "I can't see you, Phoebe. My heart won't make it."
"Please, Cole?" she begged.
"Okay," his reply finally came. "Afternoons. You can pick him up from school and IV can pick him up from you when she's done with all her things. I work long hours and IV does a lot of extracurricular activities so it would be much more convenient."
"I want him Wednesday nights," she said. Phoebe knew she was pushing it, but she knew she had to try. "Or any other night, but I want him one night if the week."
"Afternoons, for as long as IV is busy, and every second weekend. Friday afternoons through to Monday mornings, every second week," Cole said and Phoebe smiled broadly.
"That's perfect. Does it start tomorrow?"
"If you want, sure. I'll email you all the times. When he has to be picked up from school and when IV will pick him up from you. His schedules. We can discuss his schedules when you've taken a look at it. We'll try adjusting it outside of court, I hope?" he asked glancing at her.
"As long as you don't keep him from me," Phoebe warned.
"I'll tell him tonight then. About out agreement, you being his mom..."
"Does he know about magic?" Phoebe interrupted him.
Cole nodded. "Yeah. We don't use magic if we can avoid it, but he knows about magic and he is getting the hang of some of his powers."
"What powers does he have?"
"Shimmering, energy balls, telekinesis, levitation and he's gotten really good at reading people. I think could be some sort of empathic ability?" he said unsure.
"I'll see," Phoebe said with a nod. "I should probably get going. Can I say bye to him?"
Cole opened his mouth then closed it. "If IV took his she probably took him out of the country. I'll call her and tell her to shimmer back," he said and took out his phone. He dialled a number and waited for the answer. "Hey, Ives... You can bring him back... Yeah, I'm sure," he said and ended the call.
Phoebe and Cole walked into the kitchen just as IV and Benji shimmered in. Benji ran to his father and jumled into Cole's waiting arms with a large monkey teddy trailing after him.
"Daddy! Ives took me to Brazil! And she got me this! It looks like one of the monkeys we saw when we were walking through the Amazon!" Benji said ecstatic as he showed off the monkey to Cole.
"That's so cool, Benji!" Cole said as he looked at the teddy. "It looks just like you!"
"Is not!" Benji laughed.
"Benj," Cole said seriously. "These ladies are about to leave, so say goodbye. And that one there," he pointed at Phoebe, "give her a big kiss, okay?"
Benji said goodbye to Prue, Piper, Paige and lastly to Phoebe who was in tears as he planted a big kiss on her cheek then they all orbed out. Cole plated the food and they sat down in the dining room. Dinner passed with Benji telling Cole about everything he saw in Brazil. Cole made a mental note to warn Phoebe about Benji shimmering out to all the corners of the world. Eventually Cole got his son in bed, but unlike their usual routine after Cole kissed him he sat down on the bed.
"Benji, I need to talk to you seriously, okay? Can you be a big boy for me?" Cole asked and Benji sat up with a nod. "You know how other kids have mommies?"
"I don't have one," Benji understood. "I have you and Ives to take care of me. I don't need a mommy."
"But, Benji, do you want your mommy?" Cole asked only to be met with silence.
After a long pause Benji nodded his small head. "I'd like one, yeah."
"Well, your mommy, she wants to see you. If you want?"
His face lit up, "I can?!"
"Calm down, buddy. It won't be like with all the other kids. Mommy won't live with us and the three of us won't be together. And you'll only see her at certain times. Is that okay?"
"I get to see her?" Benji asked and when his dad nodded he said, "Then I'll be okay with it. When can I meet her?"
"You already have," Cole smiled. "The beautiful lady that was here? The one you wanted me to ask out? She's your mommy. And the ladies that were with her are you're aunts."
"Really?!" Benji jumped up in bed and Cole could not help the laugh that spilled from him. "Can I see her? Please, Daddy? Please?"
"If you get back in bed and let me finish, yes," he said and the little boy climbed back in bed. "Mommy is going to pick you up every day after school from now on and then you'll go with he to her house. You'll spend all afternoon there with you mommy, your aunts, your cousins and uncles. Then when IV is finished with her things, she'll pick you up and bring you back home."
"Why can't I sleep there," he wanted to know with a pout.
"Not during the school week, buddy. You'll sleep over at Mommy's every second weekend. So you'll be with me one weekend, and the next you'll be with Mommy," Cole explained. "Do you understand?"
"Jip," Benji said and turned around to sleep. "Now go so I can sleep and see Mommy. Love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, kiddo," Cole said and left the room.