Note: A few of you mentioned that you wanted Wyatt to come to the future. To you I say: patience. It may come to pass. ; )
At the Manor…
The Charmed Ones, their adult children, and Bianca stood in the attic around the book. Jonas and Chris flipped through the pages anxiously.
"I'm telling you – it's not in there," Piper sighed. The two boys refused to believe her.
"We've both seen it! I could have sworn it was in this time period!" Jonas exclaimed miserably. Chris slammed his hands angrily on the Book of Shadows.
"Hey!" Piper yelled, "don't take it out on your heritage!" Chris backed away from the book and eased himself into the chair.
He was actually glad things were so hectic. Since everybody was so busy searching for a way to send Cole and Ella back, Piper hadn't had the chance to ask him questions… questions he couldn't answer. Now, if Jonas could only keep his mouth shut, he should be fine.
"How are we going to find Cole, anyways?" Paige asked skeptically. Ever since her non-demonic son and nephew had told her that they also trusted Cole, she hadn't bee as eager to vanquish him. She decided to give him a chance, to see if he really had changed. Piper felt the same way, although neither one knew about each other's acceptance.
No one knew what had happened to Leo. He had orbed away almost a half hour ago, and hadn't returned since.
Mel leaned against the wall, her black cloak once again covering her battle scars. She disregarded the quiet chaos around her, and tried to concentrate; she was "getting herself in the zone," as her father always said.
Finally, she felt prepared.
"Ok, everybody. I'm going to call my Dad."
"His cell would work in this time?" Paige asked, confused. Bianca rolled her eyes.
"No. Demons tend to have a psychic link with their children. Mel and Cole use that link to talk to each other."
Mel sat down on the floor Indian style, and breathed out.
"I'll fix the floor later," she muttered. Piper raised an eyebrow.
She stuck out her index finger, and it glowed red, much like a darklighter's hands do when they are about to burn their victims.
"You sure have a lot of darklighter characteristics," Paige muttered.
"I dated one once," she said absent-mindedly. Phoebe squeaked.
"What?" her mother scolded.
"I dumped him! And vanquished him! What's the big deal?" she said, looking at her mother. She saw her expression and laughed. "Yeah, Dad flipped out too. Grounded me and everything."
"So what are you planning on doing to my precious floor?" Piper asked with worry. Mel closed her eyes and dragged her glowing finger across the wood paneling. Black burn marks sprouted from the floor, and created a circle as she completed her rounds.
"I'm going to call my dad," she said closing her eyes. "He can do it with out the circle, but I need it for now. It acts as a funnel for my call, so that it only reaches him, and not every person in the world."
"Oh," Piper replied, and winced when she caught a look at the floor.
"Don't worry, Aunt Piper," Mel laughed, "I can make that disappear."
The rest of the people in the room were quieted, and Mel crunched her face. Silently, she yelled out.
Dad? Dad, can you hear me?
Melody?
Dad!
Are you all right? How are the others?
They're fine. Listen, you need to come back to the manor. The sisters know most of the situation, and we're sending you back.
Phoebe knows? About her death?
No, none of them know about that, or any of their deaths. They just know who we are, and what Wyatt is.
They know about you?
They only know that I'm yours and Mom's daughter. They don't know anything else about me.
Let's keep it that way. If they find out the…other thing, they might not trust you.
But I'm good…
I know that, but they might have second thoughts.
I guess… but come back, Dad. Bring Ella back, too.
Ok, I'll see you in a second.
Bye.
Bye.
She broke off the connection, and opened her eyes. Her mother and aunts looked at her with concern.
"You okay?" her mother asked gently.
"Yeah," she replied, and shook her head to clear it. Then she grinned, and pointed.
Phoebe turned around, as did the other sisters. She held her breath.
Cole stood in the back of the attic, and Ella stood next to him. The little girl grinned, and ran toward her mother, and embraced her.
"Mommy," she whispered, in complete bliss. For the little girl, her dreams had just come true: she met the mother she had never know and always loved.
"Ella, let her breathe," her father said gently. "Why don't you and Jonas go downstairs?"
Mel smiled. He picked the cousin that was the most likely to spill whatever the sisters hadn't already discovered. Jonas knew it, too.
"Come on, Ella. Let's go play with Piper's baby."
"But…" she looked down dejectedly, and followed her older cousin downstairs.
Cole watched his little girl go, and turned to face the sisters. He went directly to the point.
"Look, I know that none of you three trusts me," he began, "but to be completely honest, I don't care. There are bigger things going on, and I don't have time to fight or try to gain your trust through small, pointless acts of kindness. I just don't want my little girl to watch her aunts and mother try to vanquish me. She can't handle that." He paused for a moment, and then continued. Mel smiled, proud to be his daughter. Her two cousins grinned.
"Wyatt is destroying everything good in the world on his quest for power. I need to go back and fight him, or at least protect whatever is left. So I need you to send Ella and me back. Those three," he gestured to Mel, Chris, and Jonas, who had migrated into a group by the Book of shadows, "can stay and try to stop Wyatt from turning evil, if Chris' theory is actually correct."
The sisters were surprised at Cole's words. He had changes so much from the last time they had spoken, or fought. He had changed from an obsessive, slightly insane, twisted invincible demon with a doomed love-life to a strong, honest, brave, and fatherly man, who made it clear we would sacrifice anything for his two girls.
Phoebe's eyes watered, as her brain screamed 'Not again!' She was falling fast, yet again.
What surprised her most, however, was that his eyes did not stay focused on her. Before, he had stared at her so that it made her feel that he was looking into her very soul. Now, he looked at her with love, not smoldering intensity.
"We'll help," she whispered. He grinned, and she almost laughed. It was the classic Cole grin. So there really was part of him still in there.