Chapter 5: Mrs Turner?
Once again, the Turner house woke up early for the day: they had to for it was a special day for everybody. Cole was on his way to the airport to pick up his wife. She too travelled by plane saying she hadn't used one in a long time and seeing as she was by herself, there was no harm in it. He still didn't see the need to it, but that was his wife for you. Snapping out of his musings, he realised he had been so engrossed in them that he didn't even remember how arrived at the airport. It was just as good: there were only a few minutes left before the plane landed. He parked the car and made his way inside.
He didn't have to wait long for she seemed to have been the first one out of the plane. He got a big smile at seeing her and she ran to him. Once she was in his arms he kissed her long and hard. "Hey". That was all he could say at the moment, which made her laugh a little.
"Hey yourself. It's so good to finally be home." She sighed contentedly.
"Wait to be in the house and then you can really be home."
"You're right, as always. Let's go meet the kids and Amy, I can't wait." With that, Cole took her bag before putting an arm around her shoulders and they left the airport.
As was agreed that morning, Amy and the little Turners were at the park playing a game of cat and mouse. Not far from them, they had set a blanket with a picnic basket on it. They were laughing and rolling on the grass when Ben looked up and cried out. "Mommy!"
The other two stopped and looked up too, to see Cole and his wife approaching them. She crouched down to catch the boy when he came up to her. It wasn't long before Vicky joined them in the hug too. She couldn't be happier: now her family could be together and live their life normally. She took the two kids by hand and went with her husband to join Amy on the blanket. She hugged the young girl too and they sat together to proceed with their family time.
She listened to them tell her about their first week in SF, how they loved the new house with their great rooms, playroom and above all else, the garden. That was what they loved the most. They had all the space they needed to run around and there wasn't a day that went by that they wouldn't be there. She took all of this in with a smile. They had feared that the kids wouldn't adapt to life in the new town but seeing them like this proved all their fears were for nothing.
Then they got to the part about the day before and their adventure against the evil witch. Even if she had already heard of it from Cole, she listened with an attentive ear while her son told her about his achievement and she couldn't be any more proud than she already was. She caught her husband's eye and knew that he felt the same.
Their kids were destined to great things and they'd already started them at their young age. But that didn't keep them all from having a normal life, well, what was normal for them. Magic was a facet of their life that couldn't be neglected but that didn't mean it was essential. They could all lose their magic the next day and it wouldn't change anything. That's why they never kept the kids from using their powers, on the contrary: it was their birthright, it was in their blood and they couldn't be kept from it. Their mother had no intention of letting them suffer like she did when she was younger. She had always felt like a part of her was missing and now she knew why.
They spent a wonderful time at the park playing and laughing, simply being themselves. However, they had to get home soon because she had an important meeting to go to. It was something she had waited a long time to do and she had no idea how it was going to go. She had been gone from SF for six years and she had to admit she hadn't missed it at all, not the town and not the family she had left behind. After all if she hadn't left she wouldn't have her own family now: she had a loving husband, great kids and an adopted little sister and she wouldn't trade any of them for anything.
The Halliwell sisters got home that day after having gone out for lunch. They still had had a hard time taking in all that had happened the day before. They got back into the house only to get the feeling that something in it was different but they couldn't tell what. They checked every room on the first floor to finally find what was different was in the sunroom: there, standing in front of the window of the sunroom was a woman with her back to them. She had black, shoulder-length hair and she was wearing a dark blue knee-length skirt with a white button-down shirt. What was even more surprising was that she had a cup in her hand, probably coffee, the sisters thought. Not only did a stranger break into their house but she had the audacity to help herself with their coffee. How odd was that?
Her reflexes of big sister and super witch kicking in, Prue went ahead of her sisters and asked the question that was on their minds. "Who are you and what are you doing in our house?" Her tone was hard and demanded answers.
"I'm offended Prue. You don't even recognize your little sister or are that mad at me that you decided to just treat me like a stranger." The woman finally turned around to reveal herself.
"Phoebe?" Piper asked at last.
While Piper and Paige were surprised to see her there, Prue was shocked. That wasn't the Phoebe she knew. This woman before her looked well-dressed. The Phoebe she knew had always wanted to be a fashionable person but she seemed sophisticated now. Prue was almost jealous.
"Hello, Piper, Prue and Paige, the latest Halliwell sister, or, is it Matthews?" she nodded at all of them one by one.
The Charmed Ones were definitely surprised. How could she know about Paige? She had been gone from SF for years without any contact with them and that was long before Piper and Prue had even met Paige themselves. "How do you know that?" Prue immediately asked with narrowed eyes.
"I have my sources." Phoebe told her with what appeared to be a smug smile, they weren't sure. "So, I like what you did with house." She added, looking around.
"What do you want Phoebe?" Piper gave Prue a shocked look. "What? I don't want her to think she could just come back here after years as if nothing happened." Prue was suspicious, Phoebe wanted something she was sure of it.
Phoebe laughed a little. "Believe me Prue, you have nothing that would interest me." She sounded as if just the idea of it was ridiculous.
"Then what are you doing here?" Prue asked again.
This time, Phoebe sighed. He was right, not even ten minutes with her sisters and she was already starting to sigh. She shook her head before talking again. "What Prue, can't I just come to visit my big sisters and my baby sister that I have never met before?" All she got in return was blank looks. She sighed again and started walking around the room to collect her thought before she had to explain certain things.
It was then that the Prue noticed something else that wasn't supposed to be in the room. "Wait a minute, what is the Book of Shadows doing here?" Phoebe stopped and Prue looked at her. "I knew it! I knew you were here for something. You want our Book, admit it!"
"Prue, don't be ridiculous!" Piper exclaimed. Then she added quietly. "I mean, she doesn't even know what it is for."
"You mean all the spells and knowledge from generations of Halliwell witches?"
They were surprised again. While Piper was shocked into silence, Prue was triumphant. "See, what did I tell you? She came here to steal our book!"
"Don't be hasty Prue." Piper then turned to Phoebe. "How do you know about the Book of Shadows?"
"Again, I have my sources." There was no doubt for the other three sisters; she definitely was smug this time. When they got even more suspicious, she sighed and then rolled her eyes. "First of all, this Book is also technically mine, and secondly, nothing in here is really that interesting to me."
The Charmed Ones, Prue especially, were offended. "That Book is the most powerful and sought-after magical item in the world of witches and demons!"
"Well this witch couldn't care less about your Book." Phoebe told her with a finger pointing to herself.
"What did you say?" Prue and Piper asked at the same time with disbelief. Paige, who had remained silent during the conversation, lifted her head at Phoebe's declaration.
"I said, I couldn't care less about your Book."
"Not that, the part about you being a witch." Piper clarified.
"I'm a witch yeah, so what?"
"So that's impossible that's what."
"Oh Prue, there are so many things out there that you don't know about. Me being a witch is one of them."
"No, Grams said if we became the Charmed Ones with Paige there was no reason for you to become a witch."
"Well, that's what Grams and you were hoping for isn't it?" Phoebe asked Prue sarcastically. "Anyway, I came here for a specific reason."
"And what's that?"
"First, to tell you that I came back to SF for good, even if that would displease some." She added the last part with a quick glance to Prue. "Secondly, there are some things that I'd like to tell you but for that I'm going to need some help." With that said, she made a circle with the candles that her sisters hadn't noticed were there, and then lit them. When she had finished, she softly said an incantation that the others didn't catch. They were looking at her proceedings with dread, not knowing what it was exactly that she was doing.
Not long after Phoebe had finished, they saw a white mist appear in the middle of the circle of candles then it transformed in the shape of a person. They finally saw a woman be revealed little by little and Phoebe smiled when it was complete. "Hi mom."
The woman smiled as she looked at her. "Phoebe." Patty welcomed her daughter when she went to hug her. "How are you?"
"I'm fine. And you, how is it up there with her temper?"
"You know, it's been over a year and still she drives some of us crazy!" She answered with exasperation.
Phoebe laughed at that. "Well, if she did it when she was alive there was no reason for it to change in the afterlife."
"You're right of course; I don't know why I was expecting anything else." Both women laughed at their inside joke before turning to the other occupants of the room. "Well girls? Why don't you come and give me a hug?"
Prue, Piper and Paige stayed rooted to the spot not believing their eyes. "Phoebe, what did you do?" Prue finally asked.
"What? It's just a little summoning spell, no big deal. Don't tell me you don't have one in your super Book?" She asked Prue wryly.
"Phoebe! Don't be hard on them; they've only been witches for a year. You can't expect them to have your knowledge and experience." Patty chided her calmly.
Prue snorted. "Phoebe, have knowledge and experience over us? That'd be the day!"
"Prue!" Her mother was shocked. "Don't go underestimating your sister; she has years and years of Wiccan experience over you."
Piper talked before Prue could this time. "So, Phoebe has been a witch long before us and you're really here?"
Her tone was hopeful and Patty couldn't help but soften somehow. "Yes Piper. I'm really here."
The young witch didn't hesitate anymore and ran to her mother's waiting arms. She had dreamed of it since her mother had died when she was a little girl and she could finally do it. Prue forgot about Phoebe for a moment and went to hug her mother too. All that was left was Paige. She was standing against the opposing wall, not knowing what to do with herself.
Patty untangled herself from Piper and Prue before she went to her youngest. The two of them embraced with tears in their eyes.
Once the reunions were over and tears dried, Phoebe addressed her mother. "I think it's time we get started."
Prue narrowed her eyes at her little sister. "Get started on what?"
"On what's happened these last seven years." Phoebe answered simply.
Patty nodded. "I'll go and get her." She then disappeared in a bright light.
"Where is she going? Who is she getting?" Piper started to panic. Before any of them could say anything, Patty reappeared but this time, she wasn't alone.
Two third of the Charmed Ones were gobsmacked. "Grams?"
"Hello girls; it's so good to see you." They went to embrace her too. She then gave Paige the same greetings her mother had. "I am so proud of you three. Look at what you managed to accomplish in such a short time. I knew it in my heart that there were great things ahead of you!"
"Well, it's never nice to be ignored, but I'm not that surprised." The sarcastic voice made Grams stop dead in her praise. She then turned slowly toward it for fear of knowing who it was.
"Phoebe?" Grams asked in a small voice.
"Hello Grams. I could say it's great to see you too but I don't think the feeling's mutual."
Grams was totally lost for words. Like her charmed granddaughters, she was wondering what Phoebe was doing in SF and specifically in the manor.
"Don't worry Grams, like I already told the others, I'm not here to ask for anything."
"Then how come you're here after all those years?" She couldn't help it, Phoebe always wanted something and when it was out of her reach, she'd ask them for it.
"Again, just here for some explainings." Phoebe continued. "After what happened the other times, I thought that it would be better if I just came without any warning. That way, no one would be able to avoid me."
Piper was confused. "What are you talking about Phoebe, what other times?"
"The other few times I was in town and came to the manor for a visit."
"No, that's not true. You've never been here before today Phoebe, we'd have known it"
"Well, that confirms my suspicions."
"What suspicions?"
"In the last seven years, I've been to SF and back several times and each time I left messages or sent cards to forewarn you lot so that we could meet. Each time I came in to find the house empty."
"We never received anything." Piper was quiet puzzled. How could that be?
"Oh, I know you didn't get them Piper." Phoebe prepared herself to drop the bombshell. "That's why I'm sure that our esteemed Grandmother here was the one that got them and made sure that you were all out at the time I announced I was coming. And since nothing changed after her death I'd say that Prue took over for her."
Piper and Paige were shocked while Patty had a disappointed look when they waited for the refutation from Grams and Prue but nothing came. "Really, mother, when Phoebe brought it up to me I didn't want to believe it. But now, I can see in your eyes that it's all true. How could you do this? It was your responsibility to guide them and unite them. Instead, you made the edge between them even bigger." She then turned to Prue. "And you, Prue, I was so proud of you. I looked on at you all every day and thought that your sisters couldn't have asked for a better big sister. I know you and Phoebe had your disagreements but it shouldn't have come to this!" At the scolding, Prue looked down.
"Don't be hard on her Patty. You don't know what we all went through to get to where we were. Phoebe leaving was necessary for the good of everyone."
"For the good of everyone? You were supposed to prepare them for their destiny, not divide them!"
"Well, they still have their destiny, nothing changed."
"What did I tell you mom, always the black sheep of this family." Phoebe said it as a simple fact, with no emotion in her voice.
"See what I mean Patty? Not even here a day that she's already starting to turn everyone against each other."
"Oh no, don't start blaming me for everything Grams. You're the one that messed up, not me. All I ever asked for was for someone to try and understand how I felt. That's all I needed, someone to reach out to me. I was only seventeen for god's sake!"
"You may have been seventeen but we could already tell how you'd finish. Nothing was messed up. On the contrary, everything turned out all right for this family and that wouldn't have been possible with you here."
"I can't argue with you there. Leaving was the best thing that could have happened to me. Well, that's only one of them." Phoebe declared with a smile. That bit surprised everyone but Patty. They all turned their gazes on Phoebe who shrugged her shoulders before explaining further. "It's the truth, if I hadn't left, I wouldn't have met my husband and we wouldn't have our family."
"Speaking of, where are they?" Patty asked Phoebe.
"Waiting for you at the house." With that, Patty took her leave and went through the backdoor.
In the meantime, the others were shocked into silence. Phoebe Halliwell, married? None of them could envision it in their mind.
Prue snorted. "I can just imagine how that worked out."
"Really, Prue? Why don't you enlighten us? I'm dying to know what you mean by that."
"Well, if we go by the kind of men you like, there's not much hope for you two. You know, with no degree and no job?"
"And what would be your ideal husband Prue, a lawyer? Or better yet an ADA?"
Prue narrowed her eyes at her sister. "What are you talking about?"
"Me, nothing." Phoebe quickly told her. "All of you may have given up on me then but I found someone who did help me. It's really ironic that my own family didn't care for me while a total stranger did." She said this with a smile in remembrance. "I met him when I arrived in New York and he immediately took me in. He helped me get a job at his office while I started my degree in university." That shut them alright, she thought smugly, looking at Grams' and Prue's faces.
"You passed your degree?" Piper asked, surprise and a little pride in her voice.
Phoebe turned to her. "In psychology, yeah."
"That's really great Phoebe. I'm happy for you."
"Thank you Piper. Anyway, he'd made me his assistant and we started dating not long after that. Then he told me who he really was."
"What, he was married with five kids?" Prue asked sarcastically.
Phoebe gave a big smile. "No, he was a demon." She couldn't help but laugh at her sisters' and Grams' expressions. "Well, half demon. I know, it was a big shock to me too but then I realised that some part of me had always known that magic existed."
"Of all the people to stumble into a demon, of course it would be you!" Grams was exasperated. "You see, if you had been with your sisters you'd have put them into danger before they could even come into their powers!"
"Oh Grams, give me a break! Your precious Charmed Ones have nothing on me. I have much more experience in magic than they do at the moment. Technically, I'm not even sure they can be called the Charmed One."
"What are you talking about? How could you even have experience in magic? That's totally impossible."
"Simple really: once we talked things out, we got back to how we were and then I started getting premonitions. I didn't know anything about it and was scared. He was the one that explained everything to me and trained me in all kinds of magic. So, you see, I have the power of premonitions and I know for sure that Paige here moves things with her mind thanks to her whitelighter half. Prue can move things with her mind too and Piper can stop time. Seeing as the prophecy of the Charmed witches talks of stopping time, seeing the future and moving things with the mind, I'm sure you can do the math."
The others stayed rooted to the spot. How could Phoebe know all this when she'd been out of their lives for so long? It was Grams who voiced the question though. None of them noticed how Paige's face fell at hearing this. Phoebe's theory was casting a doubt on her place in the family she had started to feel so comfortable with. Was she here to form the true Charmed Ones and cast her out?
"Let me guess, you have your sources." Prue was starting to get annoyed.
"Yes, I do." Phoebe told her with a wicked smile. "Anyway, as he was a powerful demon, we couldn't let the others find out that he was involved with a witch. So, we made a potion that stripped him of his powers and he became fully human. Unfortunately, his betrayal had been noticed and there was a bounty on him. A demon recognised him some day and surprised him at his office. He killed him that same day." She had to take a big breath here.
Prue sighed in relief. "Well, that's something at least. Trust me Phoebe, it was for the best. Once a demon, always a demon. For a moment there I was afraid you'd tell us he was your husband and that you'd come here with him."
Phoebe's eyes turned to her eldest sister and hardened. "Still as compassionate as ever, Prue. If you must know, we were engaged by the time he was killed. I spent a month grieving over his death. All that time, he was in the wasteland, trying to find his way back to me. I managed to make contact with him but I found nothing to help him from my side. He eventually got out by gathering some powers from the wasteland. After a few encounters with demons, we learned just how more powerful he had become and that he was invincible.
"We got married, then learned a month later that we were expecting. Let's just say that the baby has been the object of several attempts at kidnapping from the moment we learned how powerful it was. Of course that only happened when we were out, seeing as our home was protected. I gave birth on the first of January, 1995. It was quite the event. And I mean that in a big scale: the entire magical world was affected" She nodded toward her sisters. "You three didn't have your powers then but I'm sure you noticed the signs Grams. There wasn't any magic anywhere in the world for seven days: three before, three after and the day of the birth."
Prue, Piper and Paige turned to Grams for confirmation.
"What? Even the Elders still have no idea of what made magic disappear for a whole week and you're telling me it's because you were having a baby?" Grams didn't know to believe her or not. Phoebe hadn't been one to always tell the truth when she was young.
"Well, it was because he was too powerful for any normal woman, witch or not to give birth to. Mom was with us for help, you can ask her. Being the child of a Charmed One and a powerful ex-demon made invincible made him powerful enough that magic had to compensate for it. At least, that's what the prophecy said."
"What prophecy?"
"An old prophecy that we uncovered." Phoebe dismissed the question.
"Hold on a minute, you said "he". You mean to tell me that you had a baby four years ago and that it was a boy?"
"Yes, Grams, it was a boy. You got a problem with that?" Phoebe got defensive. No one talked badly of her child in any way, certainly not in front of her.
"Generations and generations of Halliwell, female witches and you go and start the new one with a boy!"
"What can I say, I have the knack of disappointing you Grams. Honestly, I could care less for what you think about my baby. By the way, he's a healthy four year old boy, thank you very much."
"And you're saying you've been a witch for years?"
"Yeah, I started getting premonitions a few weeks after he told me he was a demon. He was the one who helped me with everything you see?"
She was about to continue when she was interrupted by the door to the sunroom opening. A brown haired missile shot out of it and went straight to Phoebe.
The little girl lifted her head from Phoebe's legs and gave her a toothy grin. "Hi, mommy."
She couldn't help but smile at her little angel. She crouched down to her level. "Hey, sweetheart. Did you have fun with Gran?" She felt her little girl nod against her and gave her a kiss on the head. When she looked up, she found the others looking at them. While her sisters were giving her surprised and guarded looks, Grams was actually beaming, which puzzled her.
Phoebe didn't have to wait long for the explanation to Grams' change in expression. "Really, Phoebe, I know you like to tease me but that wasn't necessary." At her granddaughter's confused look, she continued. "You said you gave birth to a boy and I can clearly see that's a girl you have there." All the time, she was advancing to meet her new-found great-granddaughter.
Phoebe finally understood what she was talking about. "Yes, Grams, but if you don't remember, I also said that he was four years old."
Grams stopped dead in her tracks, shocked. "You mean you actually have two children?" Phoebe nodded. "And the first one is a boy?" Again, she got a nod. "Well, at least you got back on track with this little one."
"Grams! Will you stop with your opinions against men?" When Grams opened her mouth to speak, she cut her off. "I don't want to hear it! I'm warning you, if you continue I won't let you come anywhere near any of them." That shut her off so Phoebe turned to her daughter again. "Sweetie, say hello to Grams."
She only lifted her head long enough to give a shy "Hello" then returned it to her mother's legs.
After a soft laugh, Phoebe continued with a nod in her sisters' direction her. "And that, there, are your auntie Piper, auntie Prue and auntie Paige." The aforementioned aunts were looking at the little girl with an expression she couldn't quite understand. "Everybody, this is Vicky, Victoria Elizabeth, after dad and her paternal grandmother. She'll be two next month and we wanted to celebrate in our new home."
It wasn't long before another missile shot out of the door. This time though, it was a little boy, one the sisters recognized quite well and they were shocked when he went straight to Phoebe. At seeing the boy in their sister's arms, the Charmed Ones tried to not think about what it meant. They didn't want to jump to conclusion: there could be many reasons as to why and how the boy knew Phoebe, even though all the evidence added up. They knew if their suspicions were right, one of them would suffer great disappointment and wouldn't take it very well.
"And here comes my big boy!" She crouched down to catch him too. "Where did you leave Gran and daddy?"
"They're coming."
And sure enough, the door opened again to admit Patty who had a big grin on her face. She wasn't alone though. Even though the Charmed Ones were expecting it from the moment they saw the little boy enter earlier, they still received major shock when none other than Cole Turner came into the house after their mother. He too went to Phoebe to kiss her and that seemed to be all the confirmation they needed.
"Hey honey, everything going well?"
Phoebe gave him a smile. "Yeah; it's going good so far." She then addressed her sisters and Grams. "Well, you three have already met my son and husband. Grams, this is Benjamin Coleridge and Cole Turner."
Three jaws hit the floor at the introductions. One person in particular was having a hard time believing it. When everybody heard hysteric laugher, they turned to look at Prue, some in confusion and some in worry. Was she starting to lose it?
"That was really great Phoebe, very funny." When Phoebe still stared at her she added. "Come on, who would believe that you of all people would marry a man like Cole and that he's a demon?"
Phoebe turned to address her husband, not the least bit offended. "Told you she wouldn't believe it." He only rolled his eyes in response then sighed.
Patty approached her eldest, starting to get worried. "Prue honey, I know it's hard for you to believe but your sister has done great in her life, not only professionally but also personally. I can assure you they are married. I should know, I was the one that officiated the ceremony."
"You did what?" Grams couldn't help but exclaim. "When did you do that and how?"
"Well it was what, four, five years ago?" She looked at her daughter and son in law for confirmation.
It was Cole that gave it to her with a reminiscent smile. "Five years last month."
"Right. And to answer your other question, I officiated their hand-fasting since I am now a high priestess too; have been for quite some time. I also celebrated the kids' wiccanings." She added the last part with a shrug as if it was the most obvious thing.
Penny's jaw was still hanging. "B bbut you're dead! You've been dead long before me how could you have possibly done all that?"
Patty rolled her eyes. "Thank you mother, but I'm quite aware of that. How do you think you and I are here and in physical shape too?"
"Well, I simply assumed the girls had modified the summoning spell somehow."
"They didn't even know that could be done before today!" This time, Phoebe was offended. She wasn't about to let her sisters get the credit for her spell.
"You're telling me you're the one that brought us here?" Grams expressed her scepticism through narrowed eyes.
The sarcastic response came in quickly. "Well, I can send you back if you want? It'll just take a few seconds."
"Ok, that's enough. Phoebe's the one that summoned us here. She's been doing it for years now so get used to it."
"No, that can't be." Grams turned to Phoebe. "You couldn't have come into your power unless I'd unbound them or I'd been dead. Even you sisters received theirs only after I passed away."
"I think you're forgetting something important here." Everyone but Patty and the rest of the Turners were surprised when they heard a male voice. It was the first time Cole had spoken up since he walked into the house. Once he had their attention, he continued. "All of you may have judged Phoebe unworthy of the Charmed and to some extent the Halliwell inheritance, but some higher powers thought otherwise."
"What do you mean?" Piper was almost afraid to ask.
"It means you answer to the Elders but we don't."
"Of course you don't answer to the Elders, you're a demon!" Paige couldn't help but butt in this time.
Cole chose to ignore her. If she thought she was insulting him then she was greatly mistaken. "While in some way they are the ones that control who get their powers and when, that wasn't the case for Phoebe. I'll also bet that they don't even know she's had her powers for years."
"Hold on, powers? What do you mean powers?" Prue turned to Phoebe. "How many do you have and how did you do that?"
Now Cole's patience was wearing thin. "Oh, for god's sake will you stop doing that?"
Prue jumped a little. "Stop doing what?"
"That suspicion! Always thinking that Phoebe did anything wrong to get to where she is and without reason. I'll tell you what though, that's called jealousy."
"I'm not jealous! And certainly not of Phoebe!"
Come turned to his wife. "What do you think? Is she jealous or not?"
She closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment before opening them. "Yep. Definitely jealous."
Prue gave a cry of indignation.
"Sometimes, when you've had a power for some time it kind of evolves into another one. In Phoebe's case it was premonitions first, then levitation, empathy and then deflection. Although, it didn't happen in that order did it?"
"No, it didn't." At the looks she got, Phoebe clarified. "After I got my power of premonitions, nothing major happened. All of that changed however when I was pregnant with Benji here." She smoothed her little boy's hair back when he looked up at her after hearing his name and gave him a soft smile. "I could tap into his powers so I didn't notice the difference but it was only after he was born that we noticed that I still had some of them and that they were actually mine."
"But not all of them were yours were they?"
"Right, I forgot. Throwing energy balls was Ben's but I still kept it."
"What other powers do you have though?"
"Well, let's see: besides premonitions and energy balls I have empathy (that one took a long time to control but it helped a lot with identifying the baby's needs); I also have levitation and the power of deflection and, I think that's all of them." She then turned to Cole for confirmation.
He nodded. "Yeah, that's all."
Prue exploded. "How is it possible that you have that much power? That shouldn't be possible!"
"Prue, I'm telling you it's how things happened and Phoebe's been doing wonderful things with her powers."
"Don't bother, mum. What's really bothering Prue here is that I have all these powers and she doesn't. Like I said, she's just jealous and thinks she deserves them more than I do."
"I never said that I deserve them but you certainly don't. How can you? You're irresponsible! You were when you left here and you still are!"
"That's the thing Prue, you're still stuck in the past. It's been seven years in case you forgot. That means I changed, I grew up. But you still got that image of me where I'm 17 making mistakes. If you or Grams had bothered opening my mails you'd know how much I changed and my children would have met their aunts and great grandmother before today." Phoebe was starting to get upset. Cole felt her tense up so he started rubbing her back soothingly.
"Just because you got yourself a rich husband and kids doesn't mean anything."
"Oh my god Prue, get over yourself!"
She was about to continue but Cole cut her off. "I'll tell you who your sister is: she is a mother and a wife but first of all she is a woman, an independent one. After she got her degree, she got herself a great job in a newspaper where she became well known for it. Now, she has her own newspaper here in SF with her own, personal column in which she gives advice for people who need it." They were all hung up on Cole's every word, even the kids. Being a lawyer, he had a thing for keeping people's attention. "So, with all that, tell me, who do you call irresponsible? Because I certainly don't think it could be my wife."
"It's all true. Phoebe has done more in seven years than anyone else could have. And they left out their accomplishment in magic. That part is quite impressive." Patty said with pride in her voice. Phoebe blush at the praise.
Meanwhile, Cole got a faraway look then he turned to his wife. "I have to go, dad is in some trouble." He kissed her then faded out.
The others were looking at Phoebe for an explanation. "Dad has protective charms on him for when he gets into trouble with demons and the likes. If he calls for Cole that means that he's met someone he can't deal with for himself. He'll be alright." She had barely finished when Cole came back. "Well, how is he?"
"He's at the house, taking a shower."
"Why didn't you just magic his clothes clean?"
"Because he's the one that went looking for trouble in the first place. Anyway, he said he wouldn't feel clean unless he took a shower." He finished with a shrug. "Are we finished here yet?"
Phoebe looked at everyone first before answering him. "I think we're about finished here. I don't see anything else left to say, unless you want to talk business now?"
Again, Cole shrugged his shoulders. "Why not? It's not like we have anything else to do." He turned to Phoebe's sisters. "I have a proposition for you, work related."
"Oh, don't think we're going to work with a demon! That's not gonna happen." Paige made her opinion clear on the matter.
"I wasn't talking to you, Paige. My offer is for Piper." He addressed the sister in question. "So, what do you think? Do you want to hear about it or not?"
Piper hesitated a moment before giving her answer. "Paige is right on one account: Phoebe's husband or not, you're still a demon and we don't associate with demonic activity."
Phoebe opened her mouth to give her most indignant reply to that but Cole stopped her with a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Remember, we don't answer to anyone and we certainly don't have to justify ourselves to anyone."
"Yeah, I didn't forget about that. It's just that, Prue I can understand; I can understand Paige since she's had a good teacher but Piper, no I don't. I had high expectations about you. I told Cole that if anyone could do it without judging him it'd be you. But I guess I was wrong. Seven years changed us and not all for the better." She gave a disappointed sigh before turning to her family. "We should go; we don't have anything else to do here." She took Ben's hand in hers while Cole took Vicky in his arms and they made their way out.
The door opened before the Turners could reach it however and someone else came through. "Hey, I heard there was some sort of reunion in here."
Cries of "Grandpa!" came from the littlest Turners who jumped into his arms with big smiles.
"Hey how are my favourite grandchildren doing today?"
"Please dad, they are your only grandchildren."
"Well, I can spoil them can't I? Like you said, they're the only ones." He got up from the floor and went to hug her to.
"Yeah, I suppose you can."
He then went to Cole and hugged him before turning to the assembled witches. Again, Piper was the first to come out of her shock.
"Dad?" she couldn't believe it. Her dead mother was here and now her father too. Though he wasn't dead, it'd been years since she last saw or heard of him. This day was turning stranger and stranger.
"Hey Piper. How are you doing sweetie?" He went over to her and embraced her. He then turned to his eldest. "Prue."
"Victor." Her voice was cold but he chose to ignore it.
"And Paige, the newest Halliwell. And Penny, death seems to do you good. Hey Patty, how're you doing?"
"I'm doing good Victor and you?"
"Well, I just escaped a horrible death from a demon but apart from that, I'm doing pretty well."
The other Halliwells seemed rather surprised by their interaction.
"Victor, what are you doing here?"
"Well, nice to see you too Penny. Wasn't it the day of the family reunion, because that's what I'm here for? Phoebs, it was today right?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yes dad, it was today and we just finished so, we were going home."
"You didn't answer the question dad, what are you doing here? And how come Phoebe's kids know you?"
"Well, I'm their grandfather, so I should hope that they would know me! And for the records, I did answer the question: I came here for the reunion. Sorry for being late but I was held up by a nasty demon."
"A demon? You deal with demons?" Piper wasn't sure she understood what he was saying.
"Yeah, it comes down with the job." He said as if it was the most common thing. "So, hasn't Phoebe told you how things went all these years?"
"Yes, she told us but she never mentioned you."
"No, that part was for me to tell you. But if she told you everything then I don't understand why you're asking me why I'm here. The reason why you're just hearing from me now is the same you didn't hear from Phoebe."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about all the cards, presents and phone calls I sent over the years that went unanswered."
"Oh no, not this again. Prue, Grams?"
All she received were guilty looks. Piper sighed. She couldn't believe all she'd learned in a single day. All she thought she knew appeared to be a lie.
"Well, as we were saying, we have to go." Phoebe interrupted. "Dad, maybe it's better if we leave them to take all of this in before we give them any more shocks?"
Victor shrugged. "Fine by me. I have a house to explore and kids to spoil. Come on kids, you have to show me those playroom and playground of yours." He and the kids left, talking enthusiastically to themselves.
Phoebe turned to her mother next. "Mom, we'll see you at another time yeah?"
"Yeah, it was good seeing you all."
Once goodbyes were said and done with, the Turners made their way to their home with the Halliwells looking after them.