Legacy 104: Halliwell Family Values
Part 7
Xxx
As Phoebe became aware of her surroundings, she hoped the spell had worked. She hoped that after everything she had done wrong, she at least did something right. Now that she knew the truth, she did not know if she could ever truly forgive herself. The child she had discarded so carelessly all those years ago was alive, and she was determined not to let him suffer a second longer.
Phoebe looked around and saw that the others had been knocked out by the blast, though they did not seem to be hurt. She looked at the center of the blast and saw her son sitting on his knees, staring at the floor. If the spell had worked, the essence had been expelled, though she truly had no idea what had been left behind. She did not know if he remembered what happened. Did he even still possess a soul after what he had been through, or had it been burned away by the essence? She had seen something in his eyes, but she did not know what.
Phoebe walked toward him and reached out her hand, though before she could touch him, he suddenly grabbed her hand and they both disappeared in flames. They reappeared on a dark beach and Phoebe fell in the sand. She looked up and saw her son standing close, looking at the sea.
"What the hell did you do?" her son asked without looking at her.
"I expelled the essence, let the light drive out the darkness." Phoebe replied. "I wanted to set you free from the Source."
"It still feels like darkness. My mind is empty, no voices screaming at me, no more pain." Her son said as he stared at his arms. "And for the first time in years, I am in control again."
Phoebe walked over, though before she could touch him, he pulled away and turned around. "Don't touch me!" He called out angrily. "You are nothing to me! You abandoned me, left me to die."
"I am sorry. I truly am." Phoebe whispered in tears.
"I could see everything, hear everything." Her son replied. "The essence and I were one, yet I was trapped in a prison. I felt what he felt, believed that what he wanted, I wanted as well. I was he Source, now I am… I don't know."
"You're my son. Mine and Cole's." Phoebe said. "And I am truly sorry for everything that has happened you. If I had known…"
"You should have known." He replied bitterly. "You could have known, if you hadn't lied to yourself all these years."
"You're right." Phoebe replied filled with regret. "I took the easy way out. I tried to avoid the pain. I convinced myself you were nothing more than the Source, that you had no soul. After I believed you had died, it was like you were never mine or Cole's. The Seer told me, and I will always blame myself for believing her."
"It was the tonic." Her son replied as he turned back to the sea. "When the essence entered me, I learned the truth. The tonic you were given was meant to suppress any emotion. It was designed to kill my soul, so the Source could take hold of me."
"The Seer tried to poison you." Phoebe said. "I stopped drinking it because it felt wrong. And now I realize that I was wrong all along. Now I know that your souls survived."
"How do you know I have a soul?" Her son asked skeptically. "I feel nothing."
"But I do." Phoebe replied saddened. "I can feel it all, the pain, the confusion… the hate toward me. I can sense your soul."
Her son did not reply and kept staring at the waves crashing against the rocks. Phoebe wanted to reach out to him, but sensed that he would not let her, perhaps never. "So what happens now?" She asked as she wiped her tears.
"I don't know." Her son replied. "My entire life, I was trained to become his vessel. I don't know anything else."
"So what is this place? Why did you bring me here?" Phoebe asked as she looked around.
"I remember this place from my childhood." Her son replied. "When she was away, I used to sneak out and came here. It is the only good memory I have."
"Who was she? The woman in the silver lined cloak." Phoebe asked.
"She is no longer important." Her son replied. "I don't remember what happened to her, but I know that she is gone. The Source could sometimes shut me out, so I could not hear or see. Even though we felt like one and the same, he still had secrets from me."
"All that matters is that you're free now." Phoebe said. "We can find a way to move forward."
"No!" her son called out angrily as he telekinetically pushed her away. "You don't understand! You are nothing to me. You are not my mother. You gave up the right to call me your son long ago. I can never forgive or accept you."
Phoebe fell silent as she realized he was right. A small part of her hoped it would be different, but she always knew it could never end another way. She had lost him before she even had him, and now he was a stranger to her. A stranger that hated her deeply and had every reason to do so. She could not expect otherwise. Her son looked down on her with bitterness and turned around.
"Wait." Phoebe called out. "I just need to know one last thing."
"And what is that?" her son asked as he turned to her.
"Do you have a name?" Phoebe asked.
Her son smirked and shook his head. "My name is Julian." He announced. "Julian Turner. It was given to me by the demon who raised me."
Her son was engulfed in flames and disappeared from the beach, leaving Phoebe alone with her pain and regrets. She sat in the sand for what seemed to be an eternity, until she was bathed in a pink light and felt two loving arms around her. Coop lifted her up from the sand. He told her he had sensed her pain and that it was heartbreaking. He told her he loved her no matter what. Feeling his eternal love, Phoebe poured her heart out.
Xxx
Later that night, almost at dawn, Phoebe called for a family meeting in the dining room of the Halliwell manor. Her daughters and their cousins, as well as her sister Paige, were there. They all needed to know, it had stayed hidden for far too long. With Coop there to support her, she sat down at the table and told her family everything that had happened. They listened with blank faces, though Phoebe could sense their emotions shifting between confused, angry and conflicted with every word that came out of her mouth. When she had finished her story, she placed her hands on the table and felt Coop's hands on her shoulder.
"Oh honey." Paige said tearfully as she placed a hand on her arm. "I am so sorry."
Phoebe knew there were no other words she needed to hear from her sister. They did not need words to express how they felt and she knew Paige understood. It was all she needed from her.
"So he is your son?" Prue asked confused. "As in the son of you and Cole? We have a half-brother?"
"Yes." Phoebe simple replied.
"This is insane." Penny called out as she jumped up and her chair fell down. "We can't have a demon in the family! What the hell?"
"We don't." Chris replied. "He made it clear he wants nothing to do with us, and I say keep it that way. Even though he was possessed by the essence, he was still the Source."
"But he was never in control, right?" Payton replied. "Doesn't that make him a victim instead of a bad guy?"
"We don't know anything about him." Chris replied. "He could be just as dangerous as the Source himself. He is still insanely powerful, like Wyatt used to be."
"I still can't believe he was born the same day as me." Wyatt said stunned. "What does that even mean? That can't be random, right?"
"Actually, he was born the day before you." Paige corrected him. "The northern lights were the night before you were born."
"Oh, so you mean he was born during the event that caused all magic to disappear? That is comforting." Chris remarked.
"Enough." Phoebe said as she raised her hands. "I understand this is difficult to process, but we need to figure this out as a family, united. Perhaps there will be a day Julian changes his mind, and on that day, I will welcome him."
"Well, we can't promise the same." Chris replied.
"I agree." Penny added instantly.
"I really need some time. This is too much to handle." Prue said as she stood up. "I don't even know what to say to you, mom. I can't even look at you right now!"
Before Phoebe could respond, Prue stormed off and a moment later, the front door slammed shut. Phoebe suppressed her tears while the others got up as well. Penny was furious and did not even look at her. The only one who did was Payton, who looked at her with a sympathetic look and an ever so faint smile before heading off with her cousins. Only Coop and Paige remained with her, on her side. They sat in silence until Paige told her that she needed to get back home, and that she would inform Leo and the others in the morning. She gave her a hug before orbing away and Phoebe felt a little comforted.
"Let's head home." Coop said. "To New York I mean, I think they will all need time."
"You're right." Phoebe said as she sighed and suppressed her tears, she had cried enough for one day. "Just take me home." She added and Coop hugged her and kissed her on the forehead before beaming them away in a pink light.
Xxx
When Prue Halliwell returned to her, she dropped her coat on the table without turning on the lights. After all that had happened and all that she had learned, she needed a drink. She could not even process all the information, it all felt like a strange dream and she wished that were true. Her family seemed even more screwed up that she always thought.
"Hey." A voice suddenly sounded and she nearly had a heart attack.
Prue spun around and saw Matt sitting on a chair in the dark. "Sorry." He said when he realized he had startled her.
"Why are you sitting in the dark?" Prue asked as she turned on the lights. She turned to the table and saw the romantic set-up. "I am so sorry." She added feeling guilty.
"It's alright." Matt replied. "Your family comes first. So what happened?"
"I can't even wrap my head around it." Prue replied as she grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses from the cupboard. "I can't talk about it yet, can we just sit for a moment?"
"Sure." Matt replied.
Prue sat down on the couch and poured them both some wine. Matt sat down next to her and she handed him a glass. With her own glass in hand, she sat down close to him leaned against him. He felt comfortable, exactly what she needed.
"Prue." Matt whispered after a while. "We need to talk."
"What do you mean?" Prue asked, sensing it was serious. "Is something wrong?"
"It's almost dawn, meaning the spell will be lifted." Matt replied.
"I know, I wish we could had some more time together." Prue replied as she placed her hand on his arm. However, she noticed a conflicted look in his eyes and became worried. "What is going on?"
"I don't want to hurt you, Prue." Matt replied.
"You're not." Prue replied concerned. "We both knew what we were getting into. Why are you saying this?"
"But I will hurt you." Matt replied saddened. "Each second I spent with you, will end up hurting more. We can never be truly together. And I think we should stop pretending."
"What exactly are you saying?" Prue asked, though she feared she already knew.
"When the spell wears off, I am moving on." Matt replied. "Every moment I spend with you, makes it harder to let go. I realized I have no choice, the sooner I leave, the less it will hurt for the both of us."
"Where is this coming from?" Prue asked suspiciously.
"That doesn't matter." Matt replied as he took her hands in his. "I made this decision on my own. Staying any longer will be unfair to both of us."
"I wish it didn't have to be like this. That we could have gotten a fair chance." Prue replied sadly.
"I know. I wish the same." Matt said as he kissed her hands. "But this is the way it has to be. The sun will rise in about an hour. I can leave if you want me to."
"No, I want you to stay." Prue replied. "I don't want to be alone right now. Can you just stay and hold me one last time?"
"Of course." Matt replied with a smile.
Matt leaned down on the couch and Prue curled up against him, pacing her head on his chest as he held her. They spent the hour in silence and Prue felt able to calm down. Matt was the quiet support she needed to process all that had happened. Eventually, she fell asleep in his arms. When she woke up, light was shining in from the window and Matt was gone. She knew she would miss him, but she was glad for the things they shared and felt grateful he had been there.
Xxx
The following afternoon, after a short and horrible night of sleep, Chris woke up and headed downstairs after getting dressed. He found his brother sitting on the steps in front of the manor with a cup of coffee and sat down next to him. Wyatt quietly drank his coffee as he stared at the street.
"What are you doing out here?" Chris asked.
"Thinking." Wyatt replied. "The manor is a little crowded, I think Penny and Payton are still asleep."
"What about the spell Payton cast?" Chris asked.
"Considering she was snoring on the couch, I think it ended." Wyatt replied with a smile. "Quite a stunt she pulled to help Prue out."
"I know." Chris replied. "Guess siblings would do anything for each other."
"I guess." Wyatt remarked distantly as he stared at the street.
"Look, I think we need to talk." Chris said after a moment. "I know I screwed up. I have treated you unfairly and I am sorry. I need to learn to get over his judgmental and obsessive thing. Especially since I am the one who took advice from a demon."
"Yeah." Wyatt replied casually.
"Could you maybe say a little more than that?" Chris asked annoyed. "I am really trying here."
"I know." Wyatt replied with a faint smile. "You're a really difficult person. You're neurotic, obsessive, judgmental, stubborn. Pretty much, you're just a dick."
"Yeah, I believe I had just covered that." Chris replied.
"But you forgot the dick part, which was important." Wyatt replied. "Look, I know you feel bad and guilty and whatever, and you should, but I am not going to give you a hard time anymore. What's done is done. After all, you are still my brother."
"That's is? That is all you have to say?" Chris asked surprised.
"What else do you want me to do?" Wyatt asked. "Do you want me to kick your ass, because I would happily do that if it makes you feel better. And you know I'd win."
"Very funny." Chris remarked. "So things are really okay between us?"
"We're getting there." Wyatt replied. "Just promise me we'll be honest from now on, okay? No more dark secrets."
"Alright." Chris said. "Guess we already got plenty of those in the family."
"You bet." Wyatt replied. "What are we going to do about him? Do you really think he is dangerous?"
"I don't know." Chris replied. "I mean, being raised like that and then spent half your life being possessed? How can anyone come out that completely sane? I don't know for sure if he is dangerous, but if he is, we may have an even bigger problem."
"What do you think happened to the essence?" Wyatt asked. "Was it destroyed?"
"I wouldn't count on it, the essence of pure evil, remember?" Chris said. "I think it will be back at some point in the future, but I don't think we have to worry about that anytime soon. Last time it took him decades to return to power."
"I sure hope you're right." Wyatt replied.
As the brothers sat in silence, they looked out at the street. Chris felt relieved that things between him and Wyatt were better, even though they still had things to work on. The trust between them needed to be rebuild in time. However, Chris was confident that things would get better from here.
Xxx
In the coronation room of the Underworld, the elderly Dark Priest scuffled across the floor with the Grimoire clutched in his bony hands. After the Source had been summoned away, all demons present had felt what had occurred, the Source was no more. Once again, it was all demons for themselves. Soon new forces would rise and the Grimoire needed to be protected until the time was right. As he tried to enter a corridor, a woman in a silvery black cloak suddenly appeared before him.
"My lady…" the priest mumbled confused. "I believed you were…"
"We don't have time for this." The cloaked woman replied. "Come with me."
The woman held out her hand and grabbed the priest by the wrist, shimmering them both away. They reappeared in a large room with a large chandelier burning above them. In the middle of the room stood a table with an ancient looking vase on it, though it had several cracks, as if it had shattered once and had been restored. More importantly, he recognized it.
"Do you know why I brought you here?" the woman asked.
"I suspect so." The priest replied. "I cannot be certain it will work."
"Make it work." The woman replied impatiently. "If we do not act fast, the essence will be lost."
The dark priest nodded and quickly opened the Grimoire and started looking for the spell he needed. Meanwhile, the cloaked woman walked to the table and nodded. As the priest started to cast the spell in an ancient demonic language, the woman opened the vase. Streams of black particles emerged from all cracks and corners of the room. They swirled into the vase and an infernal fire burned inside. The woman closed the vase and smiled contently as she removed her cloak, revealing her short black hair, dark brown eyes and fiery red lips.
"Thank you." Elizabeth Turner said as she formed an Energy Ball in her hand. The priest screamed as she threw it at him and he combusted in fiery explosion. "Thank you very much." She added with a smirk as she placed her hand on the vase.
xxx
To Be Continued