Hello my lovely readers! Here's another quick update!

majorluvs4u: I know, I know, I'm evil..sorry! I'll try to be better at updating in the future:-)

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed. If I did, I would probably not have to worry about doing hmwk for the sake of my future...lol. :-)

Contact

(the Halliwell adults and Cole, walking down from the attic.)

Paige: Um, no Cole. We do want to know. Who is this "partner in crime?"

Piper: And why did your mother call you Coleridge instead of Belthazor?

Cole: Oh, she tried, in the beginning, but then I started throwing energy balls at her...so she switched to something I can stomach.

Henry: Interesting family dynamics.

Cole: Eh. Demons, you know? Gotta know how to handle them Now let's get these so-called "peace talks" over with.

Piper: Where we convince Phoebe that you're a fit parent? Good thing she missed your reasoning on how to deal with familial conflict.

(they're at the main staircase now)

Cole: That's how I deal with my mother, Piper, not my son.

Paige: Yeah, like she'd believe that.

Cole: (to Henry) I don't know if you're brave or just stupid, putting up with her.

Paige: Do you want me to tell Phoebe the truth or not?

(Cole scowls. The adults enter the living room where Coop sits on the couch, absentmindedly tugging at the empty spot where his cupid ring used to rest. He notices his In-Laws and Cole and stands. Cole speaks before he can.)

Cole: Let's get this over with. Where's Phoebe?

Coop: Gone.

Cole: (livid) Excuse me?

Coop: Can you really blame her? Evil, dead ex-husband shows up with kid...I'd need some space.

Piper: (seeing Cole's rapidly flushing face and clenched fists) Where did she go?

Coop: I don't want to say.

Paige: Coop, it's kind of important that she be here...(ignores Cole's sharp glance)

Coop: Fine. She's at work.

Cole: Work? It's seven o'clock on a Friday night.

Coop: The servers at the paper crashed. Her column was lost. She has to write a new one.

Cole: Like hell. Where is she?

Coop: (throws up hands) You know, I don't care whether or not you believe me. (he starts to leave)

Piper: Coop...where are you going?

Coop: Downstairs with the kids. (looks at Cole) I don't want to tear apart the house killing him.

Cole: I'd like to see you try.

(Coop hesitates, then settles for briefly giving Cole the finger before stomping through the dining room.)

Cole: Ooh, scary.

Paige: (smacks his arm) Shut up.

Piper: That is exactly the kind of behavior that is going to make it very difficult to convince Phoebe to not try to vanquish you.

(she sits. Leo follows suit. Paige and Henry settle on the other couch. They look at Cole expectantly)

Cole: What?

Piper: Sit.

Cole: Why?

Paige: Just because your ex-wife and her husband aren't cooperating doesn't mean that we can't have a productive conversation. So sit and talk.

(Cole sighs and sits)

Cole: What do you want to know?

Henry: How did you get out of that plane/hell thing you were stuck in?

Cole: I had some outside help.

Henry: Who?

Cole: (puts head in hands) Why am I putting up with this crap?

Paige: Because you know that otherwise Phoebe and I at least will kick your ass, and could probably convince Piper to come around to our way of thinking eventually.

Piper: Paige!—

Leo: (over his wife and Paige's imminent argument) You're putting up with "this crap" because you're a good father who wants what's best for his son.

(the room is quiet. Cole groans)

Cole: Melinda.

Paige: Melinda? Our Melinda?

Cole: Yes. Your Melinda. She could see me, even when I was back in my own little Hell. (holds up a hand) As for how she was able to see me...well, you're her family. I shouldn't have to tell you how your niece's powers work. Anyway, I convinced her to help me contact someone, who was kind enough to help me find out what happened to Warren's soul, to make sure it was resting in peace. But when she found him, brought him to me to say goodbye, I couldn't. That little soul was...so vibrant, so pure. I wouldn't be able to stand existing at all if I didn't do everything possible to give him a chance a life.

Leo: But what could you do?

Cole: (smiles faintly) Use the father-son bond to channel his powers. I used his powers to transport myself back to the wasteland, where I spent a couple of months picking up powers of my own. Once I had enough, I sent War's soul back to limbo, fought my way out of the demonic wasteland, back in this plane, conjured up some money and clothes, and flew to New York.

Piper: You sent your son's soul back to Limbo?

Cole: Only temporarily. Once I got to the east coast, I moved to Boston, and set up fort, put all sorts of cloaking and protection spells around the place, and using an extremely complex and dangerous spell to call Warren's soul I brought him back. I found a surrogate to carry his embryo to term. Warren was born. I took him, bound his dangerous powers, and we've been living just fine for the past five and a half years. I resurrected my mother to help me with him when he was still a baby—She only helped me, of course, because I threatened to vanquish her again, and I starting to wish I hadn't done that...but never mind. I cut off her and her accomplice's contact from War a year ago. Demons and other dark beings come after him once in a while, but I'm more than a match for any of them, and Warren is leading a happy, healthy normal life without any of the complications that plague the Halliwells.

(once again, the room is quiet as Cole's story sinks in. Finally Paige speaks)

Paige: I'm assuming that your mother's mysterious partner in crime helped you out from the time you found Warren's soul?

Cole: Yes. She's the contact Melinda called for me. (unhappy) I doubt that I would have succeed as quickly as I did without her help. (stops Piper from asking a question) As for who she is...that's for me to know. She has and will have no impact on your life.

Piper: Cole, someone that powerful...if she was to turn against us we'd be in trouble.

Cole: (short laugh) Turn against you...I promise you, Piper, that that is one thing she's utterly incapable of doing.

Paige: Why? Just who is she?

(a gentle but insistent wind whips through the room. Twinkling white lights appear in at the end of the room, materializing into a human shape, whose back is turned from the audience. The color drains from Cole's face, and he looks over in horror as Piper shakily puts a hand over her mouth)

Yes, another cliffie...but it's not my fault! It's college's fault! I'm getting behind in homework as it is to put this up! So please r&r:-)