Cole basically got on with living. It was easier than he might have guessed, to be perfectly frank. Ben made everything easy. Sure, there were challenges, but these were nothing to any of the shit Cole had endured in his 118 years. Changing diapers? Piece of cake. He was so busy, juggling fatherhood and legal cases, there was no time to sit around and brood. He hardly had a moment to think about the past at all, let alone pine over Phoebe. Every now and then, Phoebe would enter his thoughts. When he looked at their son, if the light fell on the boy's face in the right way, or Ben made a certain expression…. Fortunately, the pang always passed quickly. Duty would call. Sam was helpful. Cole came to rely on Sam as a friend more than anything else—nanny or whitelighter to his son. Sam was magical, that was the main thing. Cole could talk openly to him, and that was a saving grace to someone who would otherwise feel terribly isolated. Sam put all kinds of protective enchantments around the apartment. He was Cole's conduit to the Elders. Cole wished he also had a spy in the underworld, where the real danger lay for himself and his son. Six months went by, then seven months. Then Sam orbed into Cole's apartment, as he always did, but very unusually freaked out. The Elders were dead. Every last one of them. Cole couldn't believe it. How did the entire committee of Elders just drop dead? Who was that powerful? Sam tried to keep Cole informed of what was happening, but Sam hardly knew everything—how the Charmed Ones acquired the Essences of the Goddesses to defeat the Titans and Leo became an Elder.

Cole nearly choked on his water. "Leo, an Elder?"

"Yeah, it's bizarre. I hear Piper is freaking out."

Cole and Sam had already discovered their mutual connections. Sam already knew all about Cole and the epic love story that the entire magical world considered a legend—the demon and the witch, Belthazor and the Charmed One. Cole was rather surprised to discover that Paige's whitelighter father was his son's whitelighter. These "coincidences" gave the two friends a lot to talk and chuckle over. Sam enjoyed telling Cole how badass his daughter was, saving San Francisco as the Goddess of War. As a friend to Sam, Cole made a valiant effort not to roll his eyes. Everytime Sam mentioned Phoebe, Cole would feel that terrible pang again and force himself to exhale the breath that got caught in his throat. A few more months went by, relatively normally for Cole and Ben, and Sam, before Cole got a visit from Leo.

Leo appeared before him wearing his Elder robe.

"To what do I owe this honor?" Cole asked, stirring pasta sauce on the stove.

"It's not a social call," Leo said grimly.

"Well, I could have guessed that. Pasta? You're just in time. It's ready." He started draining the pasta over the sink.

"Thanks, no. I would like to know in your own words what happened to you, and Ben. I read the file, Cole."

"Have you told them?"

Leo knew who Cole meant. "No. Of course not. You and Ben are Top Secret Elder stuff. Highest level. I just can't believe Phoebe has no idea."

"She doesn't. And it's not my job to tell her. Elder Atticus and Elder Christina made that clear to me. I'm supposed to stay away from her. If she finds me, that's fine, but my task is to raise my son."

"Phoebe will be furious when she finds out."

"That's not my problem. She left Ben for dead, so I'm not sure she'll be all that mad, frankly."

"What are you talking about? Ben was ripped out of her by the Seer. The Source took over and killed both the baby and the Seer." Leo stopped, confused. "Except, somehow, Ben is alive. And here you are, alive even though you should be dead too, and Phoebe has no clue."

"That's a good thing, right?" Cole asked as innocently as he could. "All of you wanted me to stay away from her. She wants me to stay away from her."

"Cole, she doesn't know that her son is alive. Don't you think she's entitled to know?"

Cole sighed. "I don't know, Leo. The whole thing is so screwed up. I screwed up. I'm just trying to do the right thing now, being a good human, a good dad. If you ask me what I should do about Phoebe, I can't tell you that, because I don't know, but part of me thinks it's better just to stay away, because when she and I are in the same room, things just…happen. And I'm tired of…things happening. I just want to have a good life. I'm ready for that. You know, Phoebe said to me more than once, maybe love just isn't enough. Maybe it wasn't meant to be. Maybe what's meant to be is…me and Ben."

"Well," Leo started. "I think it's a mistake. I think she deserves to know."

"Well, no offense, but it's really none of your business. I mean, as an Elder I guess it is, but…."

"As an Elder, I have to follow the rules and respect the order of the universe and the time-space continuum and yada yada. But as the former whitelighter to the Charmed Ones, and Phoebe's brother-in-law, Piper's husband and Wyatt's father, I have to say I think it sucks."

Cole and Leo just kind of stared at each other awkwardly for a minute or two. Cole finally said, "Yeah. I guess it does pretty much suck. But if you have a better idea, I'm all ears."

"Tell Phoebe, Cole. Just call her."

Cole laughed. "Right! Yeah, just call her. Hi, Phoebe. This is Cole, your ex-husband who was vanquished by you and your sisters in an alternate reality of my own creation, but not really, because I'm here, alive. Surprise!"

Leo nodded. "OK, look I get it. It won't be easy. I still think it's the right thing to do."

"And what about the rest of it, Leo?" Cole felt that he was on a roll with his sarcasm. He rode it out. "Hey, Pheebs, remember when I, as the Source of all Evil, impregnated you, and you and your sisters vanquished me, and you were still pregnant and the Seer took your pregnancy and I guess you thought our baby died? Well, he didn't. Die, I mean. In short, I know you don't want anything to do with me because I might be evil, but what do you think? Joint custody?"

"Yeah, I don't think it's gonna be joint…."

"Exactly. She's gonna want to take him. And now my pasta is cold."

Leo stepped forward. He actually seemed to be feeling sorry for Cole. "Maybe you're right."

Cole looked surprised. "Sorry?"

Leo shrugged. "Maybe it's better this way. You seem to be doing well. Fatherhood has…tamed you. Phoebe seems to be finally moving on."

Cole was slightly alarmed hearing that, but he let it pass.

Leo continued: "I guess this situation is better than….what generally happens when the two of you….collide. So."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, Cole, that I am officially putting on my metaphorical Elder cap and advising you to proceed as you are, and just let things take their course."

Feeling awkward and wanting to move away from Leo's gaze, Cole suggested Leo might want to meet Ben. He led Leo into Ben's room where Ben was crawling around in a playpen. Cole picked up the happy baby, who was sucking on a teething ring, and balanced him against his hip.

"Wow," Leo mouthed. "He looks so much like her." Then, realizing how hurtful this statement might be to Cole, he added, "I'm sorry. It just—"

"No, it's ok," said Cole. "I know, it's true. He was already levitating when he was eight weeks old."

"How old is he now? About six, seven months?"

"Seven and a half."

Leo wanted to say a lot of things to Cole in that moment, like how he wished Ben could get to know his cousin Wyatt, but he held his tongue and contented himself with a little stroke of the boy's arm, and a sad goodbye to Cole.