{Author note: Short chapter. I'm sorry. I wanted to make it longer, but this one is better like this for the flow of the story.}

After the awkward meeting with Cole, Leo orbed back to the clouds and called for Sam.

"You rang, Wise One," Sam said with a slight bow.

"Whatever. Just tell me everything you know about Cole and Ben."

Sam was confused by this. "Everything I know?"

"Has Cole told you anything about how he came back as a human?"

Sam shrugged. "Just that the Avatar, I forgot his name, said that in order to maintain the cosmic order he needed to take care of Ben. Something about there being no one else to do it…."

"What about Phoebe?"

"Well, she's a Charmed One and somehow Ben would mess up the Power of Three, or something. Something about destiny, I don't know. This stuff is so far over my head, Leo. I'm sorry, Elder Leo."

"It's fine," Leo said, smirking. "You can call me Leo. Yeah, all this is in the files. I just thought you and Cole might've talked about other things."

"Other things? You mean like why he doesn't contact Phoebe?"

"Well, yeah. Something like that."

"I don't know, man. I don't know all the history there. I mean, I've heard the rumors. He doesn't talk about her. Once or twice, her name has come up. He gets weird. I try not to drag it out. He did say something once about her premonitions."

"That's interesting. I wonder what that's about."

Sam seemed to be remembering something. "He thinks there's a chance she might have a premonition about Ben."

"All right, look, I don't want you to betray his confidence. I'm just weirded out by this situation. I want to do the right thing."

"Yeah, don't we all. I guess the right thing is just to do our duty. I always had a hard time keeping the job separate from the personal. I mean, duh. But here I go again with Cole and Ben. I'm already very attached."

Leo knew exactly what Sam meant. It was always tricky for a whitelighter not to become attached to his/her charges. Leo perhaps understood better than anyone. "I'm glad Cole and Ben have you, Sam. You're a great whitelighter. One of the best. They're lucky to have you."

Sam made a face, waving a hand, as if dismissing the credibility of Leo's praise.

Sam and Leo said goodbye to each other, and Sam orbed back to Cole's apartment. He found Cole in Ben's room, the father holding his son, gently rocking him in his arms, and singing "Fly Me to the Moon." Not wanting to disturb the nightly ritual, Sam quietly backed out of the doorway and went to read the newspaper in the living room. Sam often stayed at the Turners' place. Sam had his own place to live, but with Cole's hectic schedule as a lawyer, it was nice to have Sam be able to stay at the apartment at random times. Making himself at home, Sam was now lounging on the couch, reading the paper. When Cole finally came into the living room, he had to chuckle at Sam's audacity in putting his feet on the coffee table. Hearing Cole come in, Sam folded the paper.

"Frank Sinatra, huh?"

Cole grinned. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. You have a good voice."

"It works. He's out like a light when I sing Sinatra."

"So I just talked to Leo."

Cole nodded. "Yeah, he came to see me. It was…odd. I can't get over Leo as an Elder. I guess the Charmed Ones have a new Whitelighter?"

"That's right, a young kid named Chris."

"Young kid? How young could he be to be selected to be the Charmed Ones' Whitelighter?"

"Well, he was already helping them, and after the whole Titans' fiasco, there was so much chaos. It was crazy, Cole. Whitelighters were dropping like flies."

"But," countered Cole with a grin. "As usual, the Leo and Halliwell sisters saved the world."

"Well, credit where it's due."

"You want a drink?" Cole asked.

"Sure. What are you having?"

"Just whiskey. It's all I've got."

Cole got up to make the drinks. "Hey, Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't quite how to ask this. I've been curious for a while."

"Spit it out."

"It's personal."

Sam shrugged, laughing. "Cole, I've been changing your son's diapers. I've been folding your laundry."

Cole cringed. "Ok, you didn't have to remind me of that, but I see your point." He sat down with his drink and handed Sam his drink.

"What's the question?"

"You and Patty."

Sam raised his eyebrows. "Oh. Wow." He took a deep breath. "What-what do you want to know?"

Cole sighed as he looked out at nothing in particular. "I've just been thinking about me and Phoebe and how we fell in love. I know it's different. You and Patty were on the same side. I was hired by the Triad to kill Phoebe."

"Don't try to outdo me, Cole. I failed Patty, as a Whitelighter and…and a friend. You were hired to kill the Charmed Ones, but you didn't. I got two of my charges killed, people I was supposed to protect, all because of my sheer stupidity."

"It can't be that simple. Everybody makes mistakes."

"Yeah, well, Cole, my mistakes led to fatalities. That's something you never get over. It haunts me to this day and, frankly, I'm scared to death that I could turn my head at the wrong time, get distracted by something, and wham, something happens to…." He stopped. He was about to confess his fear that something would happen to Ben on account of his own negligence. He couldn't say that to Cole….

Cole knew what Sam was getting at. "Mistakes make you better," he said. "I won't repeat the mistake of letting my feelings for Phoebe get the best of me."

"But you still have feelings for her." (It was sort of a question, but more of a statement.)

"Of course I do." Cole swallowed the rest of his whiskey. He looked at Sam. "How long did it take you…to get over Patty?"

"I never did."

Cole nodded heavily, closing his eyes. "Still, I won't let my feelings get the better of me. Before, I was alone. Now I have Ben. He makes me strong."

Sam was deeply moved by those last words. It made him think of Paige. He felt a pang of guilt, an all too familiar sensation to him. He did not know how to do more for Paige. She was so grown up and so strong, so intelligent, and so capable. He had seen her in action; though the youngest sister, she seemed to have the capabilities of one so much older than her years. He felt that, as much as he loved her, she did not really need him. Cole and Ben, on the other hand….they needed him. The son needed protection. The father needed friendship and support. Sam felt that he and Cole really did have much in common. Good or bad, demon or witch, it did not matter. They were broken humans with good hearts.