Messages From Limbo
By Lunara Dragon
Chapter 7: Demon Versus Cupid
Author's Note: So it is another semi-short chapter but I hope you enjoy and I hope to finish the story up in the next few months. Again sorry for the LONG delay, but I was stuck in a writer's rut with many of my stories. Hopefully that is over for now! I have another idea for a PhOle story after this one, and for others. Enjoy and as always, I do not own Charmed or any of the characters (aside from Telane,Maria and the idea of Soul Guardians) and thank you for the continued support. I love comments and feedback.
Halliwell Manor
A red heart announced the arrival of Coop as he had followed the eldest sister, Prue Halliwell, to the Manor. He was confused because she was supposed to be dead, but she had appeared in his home just an hour earlier. Paige heard yelling from upstairs and immediately took her cue, grabbing on to Cole Turner's arm and orbing them out of the house.
"I don't know why I agreed to help you," she muttered and Cole smiled at her
"Undying familial love?" He responded before they disappeared from the living room
Coop stared at Prue in confusion when she had lead him to the Halliwell Manor. "What are you doing here?"
"This is my home," Prue answered with a smirk "I needed to see if you'd follow me. What the heck are you doing with my sister?"
"Are you kidding me with this?" Coop questioned with irritation "I love her,"
"Really? You hardly are around enough to really love her." Prue shot back with irritation and Piper stepped form behind the book's podium to catch Coop's attention.
"Are you ready?" Piper asked her sister who nodded in response "Alright then here it goes. Coop I am very sorry," She then apologized in advance
Prue stepped closer to Coop to regain the cupid's attention back on herself "Coop you are very good at your job, but you are blind to Phoebe. Her ability as an Empath blocks you more than you realize, consider this a favor."
"What favor and why is Piper apologizing? If Phoebe is in trouble I'm willing to anything," Coop reasoned with Prue.
"I hope you remember that when this is over," Prue replied
"Open Cole's Heart to Coop
reveal the secret that it holds.
Bring forth the passion of loves fire,
that he may feel Love's true desire." Coop turned quickly to face Piper as a flurry of pink and red began to sparkle in the air above his head before returning to Coop's heart and he fell to his knees from the impact. The cupid then glared up at Phoebe's two sisters and hearted out before Prue could move to stop him.
"CRAP! Prue you let him get away," Piper yelled after the spell took affect and Prue let out a deep breath
"Yes, but the spell worked. Which means he has to come to terms with his wife's true soul mate"
"Phoebe is going to kill us for this," Piper whispered as an after thought
Magic School
"So let me get this straight," Paige began to protest "Even from your spiritual plane you have been involved with our lives. You are responsible for Drake?"
Cole nodded his head grimly "If I could have done more I would have? I know I have a lot to make up for Paige. All I am asking is that you look at things from my perspective"
"Oh I gathered that much and I understand. But I still am hurt that you thought if I was dead you and Phoebe would have been peachy!" Paige argued back and Cole took a deep breath
"I was insane! Are you not getting that?" Cole shot back in frustration
"Next step. This Soul Guardian business, what is it?" Paige quipped deflecting Cole's point
"If I knew I would not have let Piper ask you for your help," Cole said with a slight edge to his voice
"Oh. Right, sorry," Paige answered before searching her office and finding a small book tucked to the back of the shelf. "When Piper asked me to do some research, before she you know...told me it was for my arch nemesis, I found this book. It does not say much but does give a brief insight to what a Soul Guardian does."
"And?" Cole said now curious as he stepped closer to Paige, looking over her shoulder while she flipped through the pages
"Well they are exactly as the name suggests. They help guide Lost Souls and are neutral beings. Neither good nor evil, they have both demons and former witches working for them. But here is the interesting thing, most half-breed children that go unaccounted for later turn up as a Soul Guardian." Paige reported "So it makes sense that they'd approach you with a job. It'd be perfect for you"
"Why are you saying what I think you are?" Cole now teased
"Actually, it's still Halliwell. And I am unsure about you but seeing as I am already helping you. I guess I think that Prue and Piper are right." Paige laughed "Prue can be very convincing"
"You are preaching to the choir here," Cole said with a half-laugh
"Could you tell me about her sometime? I only just met Prue and realized I never took the time to learn about her from people outside of the family." Paige said with some hesitation
"I'd like that," Cole agreed
Halliwell Manor
Cole and Paige returned not long after Piper had called for Paige. Prue had disappeared to go and talk to Phoebe who had no idea her eldest sister had returned, for the time being anyhow.
"Are you ready for the next part Cole?" Piper questioned and he gave a grim nod before blurring out and back to the plane of the in-between.
"What is the next part?" Paige asked curiously and Piper gave a weak smile
"Accepting this woman's job offer." Piper said with a shrug "It goes over the Elders' heads if he accepts the role of being a Soul Guardian, but it means Cole accepts that he is now responsible for his actions as a human being."
"Ah I see," Paige muttered, still unsure about all of this
–
Phoebe's Condo
Phoebe had been catching up with Prue when she met her sister's gaze at the mention of her husband. "You don't like him do you?"
"It's not that Pheebs, I just think you were never very good with love. Hell, none of us were except for Piper. Even then she hit a lot of rocks." Prue explained with a shrug "I've been watching you tear yourself apart for all the wrong reasons,"
"How do you know that?" Phoebe said with a sigh and Prue ruffled her younger sister's hair
"I did the same thing, repeatedly and that was just in the first three years of us having our powers. Pheebs, I can't say that being with a human is impossible because Paige found a great guy. But it is harder, there are obstacles with both magical beings and non-magical. You just have to find the one that drives you crazy and yet you still love that person at the end of it all. Does that make sense?" Prue repeated words she had heard time and again from her mother
"Yeah it does. I think I found him a long time ago but didn't want to accept it. I was scared Prue,"
"Well the point is, is that you are not running now." Prue said and Pheobe rested her head on Prue's shoulder
"I've missed my big sister" Phoebe mumbled in a playful baby voice "Piper does a great job but we still feel the loss of you all the time Prue,"
"I know. Hopefully, the Elders' will stick to this ban and I can come visit you guys sometimes." Prue said in a whisper
San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Bridge
Coop sat atop the Golden Gate bridge,staring out at the ocean in thought. His heart ached, his mind raced, and he felt sick to his stomach all at the same time. The spell had taken him all around San Francisco as he followed flashes of memories. Coop had the ability as a cupid to time travel and replay memories in living color. But they were always seen from his eyes as an objective third party, with Piper's spell he felt what his wife felt when going to these spots. Worse, he felt the tug of not just her heart but her ex-husband's as well.
"What the heck was Piper thinking? Why make me feel this?" Coop questioned to himself
He felt the tears brimming his eyes as he reached up to wipe the clear streaks form his tan face. His brown eyes then turned to the sky as if seeking guidance when his ring pulsated before an ethereal glow beckoned him. "Now is not a good time," he whispered in complaint before disappearing in a red heart
–
Cupid Headquarters on Earth, Paris France
A lithe blonde woman sat scanning over files and marked key lines with a bright pink mark. She had deep brown eyes and dark strawberry blonde hair, her skin radiated with a pink glow but was a deep red in color. Her eyes glanced up when she heard Coop clear his throat at the door.
"Coop , Please come in" The woman greeted and stood to close the door behind him.
"Madam?" Coop questioned as he sat and met her gaze
"Ah I forgot. You are one of the few cupids who still uses formality," She responded "Please Coop, please call me Venus."
"Yes well with all do respect I am surprised the Elders still allow you to run this operation after what the other deities did," Coop said in a respectful tone, but his voice held some edge and Venus let out a low laugh.
"Coop, how many times must I go through this with you. I was allowed because it is necessary, that and contrary to folk lore I was nothing like my Greek counterpart. I never declared myself a god, I just merely used my magic to help establish and heal humans with Love. Simple as that." Venus retorted with a sorrowful expression
"Now back to the matter at hand. You Coop, are slacking in your duties and it worries me,"
"Are you kidding? My marriage is in jeopardy because of my working so much..." He began to argue before Venus held a hand up to cut him off
"You are neglecting your biggest charge, your wife. Coop, if you have to use your powers on her you are not a real husband at all," Venus lectured "Did you think I wouldn't notice the surge of power use on Phoebe? There is a reason my employees use rings Coop!"
"I understand," Coop took a deep breath, The spell was still causing him to feel the frustrating feelings of Phoebe's heart and Cole's undeterred love for her. Venus ran a hand over Coop's face to force him to meet her deep brown eyes, as her brows furrowed in anger.
"Be a husband the human way or let her go," Venus said in cold, serious tone before snapping her fingers, causing Coop to disappear in a million pink hearts.
Halliwell Manor
Cole ran a hand through his hair in frustration as Prue stood with Phoebe on one side of the solarium, and Paige stood beside the taller man. Leo was sitting in the chair reading over the documents Cole had brought back with him and smiled.
"Well, it's a boy!" Leo said with a laugh as he passed the birth certificate that Telane had conjured to Piper "Welcome back to the world of the living."
"Haha, not funny Leo!" Cole said with a cool tone Phoebe smirked up at him as she went to wrap her arms around his waist in a brief hug
"Well isn't this a sight for soar eyes!" Coop said from his spot by the door. He had hearted in to the front steps and let himself in upon sensing Phoebe was here. The others jumped at his tone and Phoebe quickly released Cole, as he stepped away from her.
"I can explain..." Phoebe began but was cut off when Coop charged towards Cole.
"You aren't supposed to be alive!" Coop growled before Cole moved to pin the cupid against the wall "What gives you the right to do this?"
"Everything, nothing." Cole said in response and let out a low growl before Coop turned to punch Cole in the face but missed and his shoulder instead. "You have a lot of nerve casting judgement."
"Yeah well, at least I never tried to kill my wife!" Coop shot back and Piper went to freeze the scene but Prue shook her head to leave them go.
"This is part of the plan?" Paige questioned quietly catching a confused look from Phoebe
Cole dodged a flurry of hearts that were aimed at him "That only works if I were still a demon, making me feel love and all. You should know better than that!" Cole taunted before picking Coop up before the neck of his shirt and slamming him in to the wall. "CALM DOWN!"
"Why?" Coop said with rage filling his face
"Cupid I don't want to fight you but you need to look at me. Do you really think I would hurt Phoebe or anyone in this room in my current state of mind?" Cole asked while holding Coop in place
The shorter man felt the spell wearing off but remembered the memories he felt, the realness of how much Cole and Phoebe loved each other and Coop's head began to sink as his anger started to fade.
"Do your job Cupid and answer me. Who was Phoebe soul mate?" Cole questioned in an emotionless voice, trying to appeal to Coop's natural state of mind. The Cupid in Coop knew from the day the Elders sent him to Phoebe, but the husband in him screamed on the inside.
"I am!" Coop stated with defiance and met Cole's stare before he released Coop and allowed him to catch his breath.
"Coop?" Phoebe asked curiously and Coop let out a deep sigh before looking away from his wife
"You win Turner. If you had been alive when I first came to her, it would have been you. The Elders never did like that but I rooted for you in the beginning. Then you went bat shit crazy! So yeah I was Phoebe's soul mate, but only because you were dead." Coop dead panned before looking at Phoebe again but unable to stare her in the eye
"You two were a match made in heaven, Literally." Coop said then shook his head and hearted out
"What the hell did he mean by that Literally bull crap?" Piper asked in frustration
To Be Continued-
End Note: I hope you enjoyed, leave feedback it helps me get motivated :) I tried to have Coop and Cole fight without making Coop look like an idiot. Because overall, I did like Coop he was adorable but he wasn't Cole. Hope I was successful with that!