Part Two
January 12, 2003 – late morning
Unable to believe her eyes, Phoebe repeated, "Oh my God."
"Oh, no, not God, Kaia."
Phoebe glared at her ex-husband who ignored her and instead instructed her doppelganger to mimic her voice. Until she realized what it meant for him to have a double of her, a demon who seemed more than eager to listen. "You're sick, you know that? You need help. Are, are you sleeping with me? I mean her?"
Disgust flowed through her at the thought of Cole touching the demon the way he used to touch her. Disgust followed by rage. How dare he claim to want to kiss her again, to want her back, when he had this Kaia to satisfy his needs? And yet she still made no move towards him, no attempt to attack him. All she could do was watch in shock as he left the penthouse with the shape-shifter, grabbing her purse, and offhandedly remarking that leftover Chinese was in the fridge.
Presumably the magic blocking her from leaving or calling for Leo didn't work on Kaia. And still, she just stood there while various emotions warred within her until anger finally won and she darted towards the door after them.
But just as she reached the door, a solid form collided with her from behind and she stumbled into the door. Spinning on her heel, ready to attack, she was surprised to find a slumped figure on the floor. "What, I need a guard too?" she muttered as she warily kicked the body over. Gasping at the sight of the horrible burns over the young woman's face and chest, Phoebe instinctively cried out for Leo.
Having stepped into the elevator with Kaia, Cole was in the midst of instructing her to return to the manor to deceive Piper and Paige when he heard Phoebe's shout. He smiled at the thought of her anger with him, recalling how easily it could flow into passion. But the tone of her voice registered and he realized something was wrong. "You have your orders," he commanded a petulant Kaia before he rushed back into the penthouse.
"Phoebe, are you all -- Who the hell is that?"
"You're asking me?" she snapped back. "Isn't she a little young to be a guard?"
"She's not a guard," Cole stated as he pulled Phoebe to her feet. "And there's no way she could have gotten past the block. Stay behind me."
"Don't tell me what to do." Phoebe jerked away from him and dropped to her knees again. "She's hurt." She gently brushed aside some of the young woman's long brown hair before glaring at him. "Who is she, Cole? If she's not some guard, is she some innocent, some innocent you've hurt?"
"I've never seen her before," he declared before he paused, "although there is something familiar about her."
"These burns are bad," Phoebe's voice lowered, "they're really bad."
Cole was about to comment when the girl's eyes fluttered open.
Her vision was blurry but it sounded like her mother. Had she made it back in time? "Mama?"
Realizing the girl was too injured to know where she was, Phoebe played along, "It's okay, I'm here."
Cole watched the girl painfully lift her hand to touch Phoebe's face.
"Spell worked," Penny rasped, "knew it…Book's always right…"
"Oh God," Phoebe uttered, immediately understanding that the girl knew exactly who she was. "You're my daughter!"
"You don't know that," Cole cautioned.
Phoebe didn't take her eyes off the girl but answered Cole anyway, "Only family would know about the Book." She glanced up at him, "And if you really had this place blocked like you said, the only way she could have entered is if she was a part of me."
"Mama…"
Phoebe immediately turned her attentions to her daughter, "What, sweetie?"
"Hurts…" And almost immediately, she coughed in pain.
"I know, sweetie, but I'll call Leo," she promised as she glowered at Cole, "and he'll heal you."
"Warn you…factions…"
"Later, sweetie, after you've been healed. Rest now," Phoebe encouraged. "You're safe. No one can hurt you."
Cole bent and was annoyed when Phoebe went into protective mode over the girl. "She'll be more comfortable in the bed." And without waiting for an apology, he tenderly lifted the girl into his arms. She moaned in pain and he apologized. But by the time he laid her on the comforter, she was unconscious.
"Leo!"
"He can't hear you," Cole reminded her as he straightened.
"Remove the block," she demanded. "This isn't about us anymore, not that there is an us anymore. This is about my daughter who's hurt, maybe dying, who came back in time to warn me about factions." She looked fiercely at him, "Anything you want to confess?"
"I'll be back soon," he replied as he turned away.
"That's it?" she practically shrieked, grabbing his arm. "You hate me that much you'll let my daughter die?"
"I don't hate you at all, Phoebe," he sighed as he faced her again. "I'm going to get her some help."
"I don't want demonic help," Phoebe spat. "I'd rather she die than be influenced by evil."
Cole eyed her, "Now who's letting your daughter die?"
"Please, Cole, let me call for Leo."
"And what if I did?" he challenged. "What would you do for me?"
Phoebe didn't hesitate to give her answer, "I'll come back. I'll move in and we can start over. Hell, we can even get married again, if that's what you want."
He stared at her a moment before he turned away, "I'll be back soon."
"Wait! I thought that's what you wanted." Phoebe rushed ahead of him and placed her hands on his chest, "I thought you wanted me back."
Cole gently lifted her hands and placed them back at her sides. He gave her a sad smile, "I do want that, Phoebe. But I want you to come to me willingly, not out of keeping your side of some bargain we made."
She shook her head, "I won't be evil, Cole. Whatever you've got planned, it's just not gonna happen."
"It doesn't have to be evil," he uttered with frustration. "I didn't want it to be evil. But it's the only option left."
"You could be good," she snapped. "You could try for once to --"
"For once?" he raged.
But it didn't faze her and she looked him squarely in the eye, "You need to be good for you, Cole, not for me or for anyone else. And if you can't, if it's not within your nature, then be evil. But either way, I can't be a part of it anymore. It's cost me too much; it's cost us too much." And without waiting for a response, she strode past him, back to her daughter's bedside.
Cole stared at his ex-wife's stiff back and frowned. But he said nothing and de-materialized from the room.
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