Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed.

Keilphorte

"Phoebe, do we really have to come here every day? It's been a month since Piper came home. I think she and Leo can manage their kids alone."

"With three small children, they can use all the help they can get. Besides, we could use the practice."

Cole followed her up the manor's stairway. "You helped with Wyatt and Chris and we've both watched after Charlie and Gracie. We know how to take care of a baby."

Phoebe stopped and faced him. "It's not going to hurt you to help out Cole. And practice makes perfect."

"But, every day?"

"Yes," she said, continuing to walk to the second floor.

"But, I have to work. We need money, especially if you're going to keep taking off."

"You work plenty."

"But, you want me to come home after lunch all the time. Lawyers need to work more than half days a few times a week."

"But, I want you with me."

"Phoebe," Cole grabbed her arm to stop her from entering the nursery. "I need to go to work now, OK? I promise to come back later."

"No! You have to stay. What if a demon comes? Leo doesn't have powers, the kids are too little for fighting, Piper's taking care of Mel, and my premonitions aren't gonna help at all. You need to stay."

"You can call me. I'll be here in seconds."

"What if a demon goes after you and we're not there to call Paige to heal you? Maybe that's why you weren't at Prue's birth."

"I can handle a demon, Phoebe. If I do need help, I'll come back, though I'd rather keep him away from everyone. And, I know Paige and I have had our differences, but I think we're past the point where she'd leave me to die. I can call her."

"What if a demon comes after me to get Prue?" Phoebe cried desperately. She didn't want to be without him.

"Phoebe," he sighed. "I've promised you over and over; I won't let anything harm you or Prue. I will be there when she's born. And we'll both be thrilled."

"But my premonition-"

Cole cut her off by placing a finger to her lips. "It was one premonition. You haven't had another one like it. Maybe it was a fluke."

She pulled away from him. "Maybe it wasn't," she challenged, holding back tears. "Cole, I can't lose her. After... I can't lose another baby."

Cole flinched at the reminder of the son he and Phoebe would never meet. "I won't let that happen again, Phoebe, I swear it. I checked in the Underworld; I couldn't find anything. But, I'm always on the lookout, to be sure. Just relax, Baby. I'll protect you."

"But, Cole..."

This time he cut her off with a gentle kiss. Pulling away he was rewarded with a soft smile on his wife's face, her eyes closed, savoring the moment. "Everything will be fine. Trust me."

"I just don't want to lose you two," Phoebe whispered.

"You won't." He let her go and stepped back a bit. "Now, I'm going to head into the office for a few hours. Call me if you need anything."

After a quick brush of their lips, the air around Cole started to move as he shimmered away.

Phoebe stared at the spot he'd vacated. She knew he was right about work. She had asked Elise for a few weeks off to help Piper out, so he really needed to be at his job. She had several generic potions she could use if a demon attacked and Piper could actually help. Wyatt's shield would protect the younger children. Not that they really even got attacked all that often anymore. Though, in her defense, like Cole had pointed out, with new Charmed kids, demons were surfacing more in order to prevent the Halliwell line from growing.

Cole was a very powerful demon, too; Belthazor was legendary, the former Source's right-hand man. Not to mention Cole had experience as the Source himself, an invincible being, and an Avatar. He was a smart and cunning man, also. He could take care of himself. Paige would heal his human-half, now, too, without putting up a fight. So, why was she so scared?

Phoebe frowned. She didn't like being so needy and irrational. But, she was finally getting the family she wanted with her soul-mate. It would kill her if anything messed that up.

Sitting at his desk, Cole realized that for all the arguing he'd done with Phoebe to let him go to work, he couldn't actually concentrate on it. With all the reassurance he'd provided her with about the safety of their family, he wasn't reassured himself.

Glancing at the closed door, he was grateful that there were enough attorneys in his firm to cover his many absences and that his partners were so understanding about his hormonal, pregnant spouse. Also, that he was good enough at his job for them to not want to replace him.

Cole stood to shimmer out. It wouldn't hurt to check the Underworld again.

"Sir, we have received word that Belthazor is questioning around again."

Keilphorte looked down on his minion. "Kill any demon that even tries to answer him. But, be discreet. We don't want to alert him to our plans."

"What plans were those again, Sir? I'm sorry, but I seem to have forgotten."

Resisting the urge to incinerate the lower level demon on the spot for his idiocy, since he needed someone to stand between him and the Charmed Ones before he was ready to reveal himself, Keilphorte slowly recited his tactics again. "In five months, the progeny of a Charmed One and an Upper Level Demonic Legend will be born. We want that child."

"But, why? It's not going to be that powerful."

"It will be lesser than the spawn of that witch and Belthazor when he was the Source, yes, but it will still be mighty. It will be more than able to compete against that wretched Twice-Blessed. My Seer has told me that."

"So, we're going to take the kid and train it to be evil?"

"No, I'm going to get it's mother and as soon as it's born, I will kill it and absorb it's powers for my own. Then I will finally be able to destroy that traitor Belthazor and the Charmed Ones. I will absorb all their powers and then take out the rest of their line. I will become the ultimate demon; stronger than any Source ever was, stronger than Belthazor, even when he had all those extra powers, better than Zankou or the Triad, and much more powerful than that pathetic Ultimate Power a couple years ago. I will reign supreme. And evil will rule."

"You're very ambitious, Sir. But, aren't you powerful enough to take them all out now?"

"I may be able to take out just about every demon here, but it's not enough to beat that group of good-wanters. The Power of Three, accompanied by a strong demon is too much for even me. But, once I kill that child, the middle sister and the traitor will be too devastated to fight properly. And with my added powers, I'll easily be able to destroy the weakened fools!"

"Five months is a long time to wait. Couldn't you just kill and absorb the powers of some demons?"

"Then who would I rule when I rise to power? No, my prize will be worth the wait."

"If you say so, Sir."

Keilphorte growled, "I do say so. And stop questioning me!" A sphere of fire formed in his palm, "Or I will replace you."

The demon gulped. "Yes, Sir."

"Good," Keilphorte smiled maliciously, an evil glint in his eyes. "Now, go see if you can get Belthazor out of my Underworld."