Cleansing part 8
This story takes place after the episode "Sam I am". I do not own any of the characters of charmed, I just write about them.
Phoebe opened her eyes with a gasp, and found herself looking into Piper, Paige, and Leo's worried faces.
"Are you okay?" Piper asked anxiously.
"How long..." Phoebe whispered.
"Two days," Other-Phoebe replied hoarsely. She was already staggering over to a water bin nearby. Phoebe joined her, and they both drank deeply.
"We came out about eight hours ago, and did the same thing," Paige commented. "So, did it work?"
Other-Phoebe was about to comment when a male voice said softly, "Yes, it did."
The others whirled to see Cole sitting on the same chair as usual. Slowly, ponderously, he stood up, and Phoebe could see exhaustion in his eyes as he felt pain again. He took a few steps down, and then a vast grumbling could be heard. Cole winced, and asked, "Does anyone have anything to eat?"
Other-Phoebe looked at Cole in utter disbelief before stammering, "It normally takes even the strongest beings a day to get back to their bodies. I've never heard of anyone getting back this quickly."
"It wasn't hard, I just followed your path back, and took a different fork at the end," Cole whispered. He then repeated, "Is there ANYTHING to eat? I am incredibly hungry."
"There are these," Paige said coldly as she held up the sugar cookies and the weinershnitzels that Banfiz had given her.
"I don't know if anyone should eat those..." Piper began, but Cole dove forward and yanked the food out of Paige's hands with a quickness that left her gasping. He nibbled slightly, and then began to devour the food rapidly. Phoebe giggled at this, but nobody else noticed.
"Disgusting," Paige said venomously. She turned to Piper and said in contempt, "Can you believe him? He is eating like a..." she trailed off as she watched Piper's face go pale. Paige turned back towards Cole, and gasped.
Cole was glowing, and with each bite, the glow was intensifying. The group watched in shock as the glow magnified, until only a vague form could be seen. Finally, the glowing stopped, and the sisters stared in surprise.
Cole looked...normal. His beard was gone, and his tattered clothes had been replaced by a black sweatshirt and black pants. But it was more than that. There was alertness to his features and to his stance that the sisters could not remember seeing in a very long time. In fact, Phoebe was getting a strong feeling of the old Cole, the Cole she had fallen in love with when he was still Belthazor. Cole caught her look, and he smiled, and said, "That was delicious. I feel absolutely fantastic. Now, shall we get back? I believe there is a demon back home that you need me to stop."
"Very well, we'll get Leo to..." Piper began, but Cole cut her off.
"Why waste the time? I can get us there much faster that he can," Cole murmured.
Piper and Paige gulped. Phoebe hesitated a moment, as she wanted to wait to let her sisters know about what had changed until after Damon had been vanquished, and then she said, "Very well, we'll let you get us back, Cole."
Other-Phoebe looked at the group sadly, and then bowed low, "Great One, it was an honor healing you. Remember, you will always be welcome here."
Cole looked at Other-Phoebe, and he chuckled. "I thank you for your hospitality, but we need to go. Besides, something tells me I might just find my place again in my world." Piper and Paige looked at Cole with contempt, but Phoebe smiled to herself at Cole's implication. Cole held his hands out, the sisters and Leo took them. A second later, they were gone.
****
Damon permitted himself a satisfied smile as he leaned lazily back. He had won. There was no magic left on this plane. Only Heaven still held out, but soon it too would fall, and then the Cleansing was complete. Damon chuckled as he realized how very easy this had all been. 'Oh, well,' Damon thought, 'I guess there was no challenge worthy of me out there.'
Suddenly, Damon sat straight up and looked around. What was that! Probably just a flicker of one of his powers Damon thought but inwardly he knew. He felt the power approaching from far away, and he knew exactly who it belonged to. Cole was returning, and he needed to prepare.
"Nisan!" Damon yelled. Nisan was there in an instant, bowing deeply. "Summon all of my forces here. I have to prepare for a battle." Nisan was gone, shimmering to accomplish his order. Damon grinned again, and said, "Come on, Cole. It is time to find out what you can really do."
****
The Elders glared at Cole, who did his best to look as unthreatening as possible. However, the power the Elders could feel emanating from him dispelled any such thought. His only consolation was that Phoebe was looking at him with a warm smile that no one else seemed to notice. They said nothing for a few moments, before one of them hissed, "As pleased as we are that you brought back this DEMON to help us, we question the decision to bring him up here." As he said the last part, the Elder glared at Leo.
Piper leaped to her husband's defense, saying, "Leo did not BRING him here. Cole brought us here himself."
Stunned silence greeted that phrase, which the sisters, even Phoebe, couldn't figure out until it hit them too. Phoebe turned to Cole slowly, and whispered, "Cole, how long have you been able to enter Heaven?"
Cole smiled slightly, and replied, "Since I got back from the Wasteland. Apparently, my range has increased greatly since my demise. Look, we can debate this forever, but there is a demon wreaking havoc out there, so can we hurry this up? Do you have a plan, or are you going to just sit back and pray, like normal?"
Most of the Elders went red from rage, and the Lead Elder said, "We have a plan. Cole, we are bringing out our greatest weapon, one that hasn't been used once, by either side. Not even before did we consider its use." The Elders turned towards the door, and Banfiz walked in. In his hands, he carried a single volume its age apparent by the way he gingerly held it.
He saw the girls and smiled, and said, "Did you like my gift of power?" He then turned serious and solemnly handed over a volume. As the sisters looked at it, they saw it was a thin leather bound volume with one word on it...Entropy.
"Are you insane?" Cole demanded. "What are you thinking?"
"If we don't do this, the world will end anyway!" one of the Elders shouted back.
"I don't understand, what is the big deal?" Phoebe asked.
The Council glared at Cole, and then said, "You tell them."
Cole sighed, and then said, "This book opens a portal to the realm of Entropy. Entropy is the ultimate destructive power, and nothing from this realm can survive contact with it for long."
"I thought entropy was a natural process," remarked Phoebe. Piper and Paige turned to her with surprise. They hadn't thought Phoebe would willingly engage in conversation with Cole if she didn't have to.
Cole caught their looks, and smiled slightly as he continued, "It is, but in this other realm, the change from order to disorder is about a billion times faster than here."
"Why haven't we ever used it before?" Piper asked. "I mean, we could have used such a weapon against." she trailed off and looked over at Cole.
Cole glared right back, and said, "Because if you screw it up and a single molecule of Entropic energy escapes, the world will end. All life will be erased instantly in a vast explosion."
"Oh..." Piper said softly.
"Look, we realize we have no choice, Cole. We will explain what needs to be done to the Charmed Ones. Why don't you leave?" an Elder said with a sneer.
Cole sighed softly, and said, "Fine." Working with the Elders was the one part of this arrangement Cole had never liked, as they had never fully accepted him, even after he became human. As he was walking out, he remarked, "If this is how you treat your allies, I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies." He shimmered out.
"So, what do you need to tell us?" Phoebe asked.
The Elders said, "The spell itself is simple in itself, but there is something else..."
"What?" Piper asked.
"After the portal is open and the Hollow has gone through, Cole will be severely weakened. We feel that this may be our best time to end the threat from him forever. Therefore, we want you to..." the lead Elder began.
"You want us to shove him in afterwards?" Phoebe asked softly. When they nodded, Phoebe hesitated. Before, when she still had her walls up, she wouldn't have hesitated at saying yes, but now that she loved him again, she couldn't answer truthfully.
Fortunately, Piper wasn't surprised at Phoebe's inner turmoil. Despite her sister's statements about being over Cole, Piper knew that her emotions were still warring with each other. However, she believed that in the end, Phoebe would side with them against Cole. Piper answered, "We'll do it. Finally, we'll be able to kill him, once and for all."
****
"Come on, Coleridge, catch me if you can!" Prue taunted. With a playful yell, Coleridge ran after Prue, who kept just out of his reach. They kept this game up for several moments, when Coleridge suddenly stopped. He looked back, as if not daring to believe what he felt. Prue walked back, concerned, and asked, "Little one, are you okay? What's wrong?"
Coleridge let out a happy yell, and started to run as fast as he could. Prue cursed, and ran after him. They ran for about two minutes, when Prue finally saw what Coleridge was running towards. She skidded to a stop, and stared in disbelief.
Coleridge did not slow at all. With a shriek of, "DADDY," Coleridge was flying through the air to land in Cole's open arms. Cole twirled his son around, and laughed a little. "It is nice to finally meet you, son," Cole said softly. "I have wanted to see you for so long, but you understood why, didn't you?"
Coleridge nodded slightly as Prue appeared. "Cole," she said coldly, and that one word carried a volume of meaning.
Cole sighed, and said in a very tired voice, "Prue, can I have at least ONE Halliwell sister who doesn't hate me for being alive other than..." Cole cut himself off as he saw Prue's eyes widen in surprise.
"I don't believe it," Prue said. "She'd never..."
"Love me again?" Cole finished. "Well, she does. In fact, she never really stopped. She just kept telling herself that she didn't, and for a while, she believed her own lies. But now she knows the truth about what happened to me, what I did to save her and Piper and Paige. Phoebe admitted she still loves me, and, more importantly, she trusts me." Prue was about to say something else, but Cole raised a hand to stop her. "I don't want to argue with you, Prue. It has been a long, long day, and I just want to see my son." Cole looked down at his son, and something seemed to pass between them. Coleridge got a sad look on his eyes, and then he nodded once. Cole smiled, and said, "Alright, you can take him back now; there is something I have to go do now." Cole shimmered out.
Prue walked over to Coleridge, who was still staring at the spot his father had once stood. He then turned and walked away, but not before Prue heard him whisper one phrase. "I won't let that happen."
****
"Are we ready to go?" Cole asked as he appeared. The sisters jumped, and then nodded.
"We have everything together for us to bring it forth, and they have taught us what to say. All you have to do is get him through it once it is open," Phoebe said in a subdued voice.
"Fine, then let's do it." Cole grabbed each of their hands.
"Cole, wait..." Phoebe began.
"Save it for later," Cole said sharply, but Phoebe read something strange in his eyes. She wondered if Cole had somehow found out about the Elders' plan for him. But she barely had a moment to ponder this before they shimmered out.
The Lead Elder smiled grimly, and remarked, "Today our two worst problems disappear."
Kevin, the youngest Elder, looked steadily at his fellow Elders, and then began to walk away.
"Where are you going?" the Lead Elder asked.
"I will be honest, for that is what I will always be," Kevin replied gravely. "I look around the Council, and I consider what we are doing, and I have to wonder, when this is over, are we going to be any different from the evil we are fighting?"
****
When the sisters and Cole appeared, they found Damon standing over a large pile of ash. He smiled, and said, "I've been waiting for you, Cole. I took the liberty of absorbing all of the powers of the Underworld in preparation of our conflict."
"Good, that makes things interesting," Cole said with a smile. Both he and Damon stared at each other for a moment, and then they both threw energy balls. They came into contact halfway between them, and a vast concussion of forces erupted backwards. Cole stepped in front of the sisters, and the blast went around him. When the smoke cleared, both Damon and Cole were unhurt. "Say the spell," Cole whispered, and then he gestured. Lightning shot from his hand to slam into Damon, pushing him backwards.
The sisters began to chant in an ancient language, a language long forgotten in the world. As they chanted, Cole and Damon traded blows. Vast explosions of light and sound cascaded overhead, and the force of the blows left great rents in the ground and walls. Soon, Cole and Damon were face to face, hands locked in mortal combat as each tried to erase the other.
The chanting increased in intensity as the sisters neared the end of the spell, and soon a formless void appeared. It seemed to pull in all the light around it, to be erased from all time.
"The portal is open, Cole. Use it!" Phoebe shouted.
Cole dove forward and pulled Damon forward by his shirt. Damon smiled weakly. "I guess we know you are still stronger, Cole. But, join me. You can have everything you ever wanted. All you have to do is help me."
Cole smiled back, and said, "I would join you, but what I want, Evil can't give me." He then pushed Damon back, and Damon fell into the void with a scream.
Cole turned to the sisters with a smile, and said, "It is done." As he said it, Phoebe again noticed an odd quality to his eyes, and she knew for sure that Cole knew the Elders' plan.
"Not quite," Piper commented. As Cole raised his eyebrows up in question, Piper raised her hands to gesture. However, before she could finish, Phoebe grabbed her wrists and stopped her. "Phoebe, what the HELL are you doing?" Piper shouted.
"We can't do this," Phoebe said softly.
"What are you talking about? This is our one chance to get rid of him once and for all," said Paige.
As Piper and Paige watched, horror spread over their faces as Phoebe backed away from them and stood next to Cole. "I don't want to be rid of him," she said, taking his hand. "I love him."
"WHAT!?" Piper exploded. "After everything he did to you, to US, you still choose him over your sisters?"
"No, Piper, I'm not choosing him over you," said Phoebe, shaking her head. "This is different. Cole wasn't in control before. The Source was. And before you say anything, yes, there is a difference. Do you realize that if Cole had given in completely, we all would have been dead long before I turned evil?"
Piper weighed her sister's words carefully. Although her resolve was shaken, she continued, "But Phoebe, he is still a demon, and an invincible one at that."
"Piper, you and I both know that being a demon and being evil don't necessarily go hand in hand. They're just more susceptible to being swayed that way," said Phoebe. "Besides which, what really matters is Cole's heart, and that has always been human. Cole may have demonic powers, but he is human on the inside. He is good, you guys. I've seen it." Phoebe paused for breath. "We can't do this."
Piper and Paige looked at each other for a moment. Was having Cole back in their lives worth the risk? Looking at the happiness and laughter in Phoebe's eyes, they resigned themselves to agree. Phoebe had never been as happy when Cole was around, even when he was Belthazor, and it would kill her to lose him again. They nodded, and Piper said, "Let's close the vortex." Phoebe walked back over to them and embraced her sisters for a moment. The Charmed Ones said a few words, and the portal closed.
"It's over," Paige said, letting out a breath of exhaustion.
"We'll need to check in with the Elders," Piper commented.
Phoebe nodded. Turning to Cole, she said, "Meet me back at the Manor?"
"Sure," he replied. He leaned down for a moment as Phoebe moved closer to him. Their lips brushed lightly, but both felt a familiar electricity flow through them. "Don't keep me waiting too long."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Phoebe said as she orbed out with Paige and Piper.
****
Coleridge sat with Prue, anger welling up in him. He couldn't believe it. After everything they'd been through, the Charmed Ones were still going to kill him. Well, he would show them that when he made a promise, he followed through on it.
However, as he saw the sisters approaching, he felt something out of place. For some reason, he could still feel Cole's essence, but that didn't make any sense.
Unless...
"I take it you guys won?" Prue said as her sisters approached.
"Yup," said Phoebe happily. "Damon is history."
Prue didn't say anything for a moment, as she thought either Piper or Paige might interject with what Phoebe had not said. However, when neither one did, Prue couldn't help but ask, "What about Cole?"
Piper hesitated, but then said, "Let's just say Cole is exactly where he should be."
Prue was about to comment, but seeing the happy look on Phoebe's face changed her mind. Who was she to question Phoebe's decisions? Phoebe had been through more in the year since she had died than most people had gone through in a lifetime, and so had Cole, for that matter. Prue resigned herself to accept their decision, and smiled approvingly.
Meanwhile, Coleridge had stood up and was walking over to Phoebe. He swallowed nervously. As Phoebe saw him approach, she knelt down and pulled him to her. Coleridge knew then that his mother loved him, and more importantly, loved Cole, too. Phoebe stood up, tears in her eyes. "Can we take him back with us?" she asked.
"I don't think it will be a problem," said Prue. "Actually, the Elders were hoping that if the two of you ever accepted each other some day, you could raise him down there."
Phoebe nodded, and then her expression became serious. "Prue, I'm so..." she started.
"Don't," Prue interrupted. "The recent events have given me some time to re-evaluate everything. What happened to me wasn't your fault, Phoebe, or Cole's. It was fate." Phoebe raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You were supposed to be down there saving Cole. His soul was on the line, and you saved him. You saved him from eternal damnation, and that was far more important than my life." Prue smiled and embraced Phoebe. "Take good care of your son, ok?"
"I will," Phoebe said.
****
"Took you long enough," said Cole as they orbed in.
"Daddy!" yelled Coleridge as he jumped into his father's arms.
"What are you doing down here?" Cole asked. He had definitely not been expecting to see his son.
"The Elders decided to let ME keep him," Phoebe replied with a wink.
"I see," said Cole, grinning slyly.
"Wait, do we have to worry about the Elders finding out you're still alive?" Piper asked.
"Not anymore," said Cole. "I didn't even think of using it before, but I have enough power to selectively cloak my presence, so as far as the Elders are concerned, I don't exist."
"Well, that's one less thing we have to worry about," said Paige. At that moment Coleridge yawned. "How about I take the little guy and put him to sleep?"
"That's very sweet, Paige, thank you," said Phoebe.
"I think I'm going to head up, too," said Piper. "I think you two more than deserve some alone time." She turned and followed Paige up the stairs.
Cole and Phoebe grinned at each other. "Finally alone," sighed Phoebe as she moved into Cole's arms. Phoebe reached up and wrapped her arms around Cole's neck as Cole's hands explored her lower back.
"I love you," Cole murmured as Phoebe took possession of his lips with hers. Phoebe parted her mouth and moaned when Cole's tongue wrapped around hers. Phoebe's head was spinning with the intensity. She hadn't felt this good in a long time, and she certainly wasn't about to let it slip away.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Cole asked breathlessly as they pulled apart.
Phoebe studied him for a moment and licked her lips. "Oh, hell yes," she said, jumping into his arms. "I missed you so much." She wrapped her legs around his waist and stuck her tongue down his throat. Cole decided this was too much to contain himself. He took the easy way out, and quickly shimmered them up to her bedroom...without their clothes.
And as they materialized, an indignant shriek of "Cole!" could be heard from Phoebe. However, it would not be the last time that night that she screamed his name.
THE END
This story takes place after the episode "Sam I am". I do not own any of the characters of charmed, I just write about them.
Phoebe opened her eyes with a gasp, and found herself looking into Piper, Paige, and Leo's worried faces.
"Are you okay?" Piper asked anxiously.
"How long..." Phoebe whispered.
"Two days," Other-Phoebe replied hoarsely. She was already staggering over to a water bin nearby. Phoebe joined her, and they both drank deeply.
"We came out about eight hours ago, and did the same thing," Paige commented. "So, did it work?"
Other-Phoebe was about to comment when a male voice said softly, "Yes, it did."
The others whirled to see Cole sitting on the same chair as usual. Slowly, ponderously, he stood up, and Phoebe could see exhaustion in his eyes as he felt pain again. He took a few steps down, and then a vast grumbling could be heard. Cole winced, and asked, "Does anyone have anything to eat?"
Other-Phoebe looked at Cole in utter disbelief before stammering, "It normally takes even the strongest beings a day to get back to their bodies. I've never heard of anyone getting back this quickly."
"It wasn't hard, I just followed your path back, and took a different fork at the end," Cole whispered. He then repeated, "Is there ANYTHING to eat? I am incredibly hungry."
"There are these," Paige said coldly as she held up the sugar cookies and the weinershnitzels that Banfiz had given her.
"I don't know if anyone should eat those..." Piper began, but Cole dove forward and yanked the food out of Paige's hands with a quickness that left her gasping. He nibbled slightly, and then began to devour the food rapidly. Phoebe giggled at this, but nobody else noticed.
"Disgusting," Paige said venomously. She turned to Piper and said in contempt, "Can you believe him? He is eating like a..." she trailed off as she watched Piper's face go pale. Paige turned back towards Cole, and gasped.
Cole was glowing, and with each bite, the glow was intensifying. The group watched in shock as the glow magnified, until only a vague form could be seen. Finally, the glowing stopped, and the sisters stared in surprise.
Cole looked...normal. His beard was gone, and his tattered clothes had been replaced by a black sweatshirt and black pants. But it was more than that. There was alertness to his features and to his stance that the sisters could not remember seeing in a very long time. In fact, Phoebe was getting a strong feeling of the old Cole, the Cole she had fallen in love with when he was still Belthazor. Cole caught her look, and he smiled, and said, "That was delicious. I feel absolutely fantastic. Now, shall we get back? I believe there is a demon back home that you need me to stop."
"Very well, we'll get Leo to..." Piper began, but Cole cut her off.
"Why waste the time? I can get us there much faster that he can," Cole murmured.
Piper and Paige gulped. Phoebe hesitated a moment, as she wanted to wait to let her sisters know about what had changed until after Damon had been vanquished, and then she said, "Very well, we'll let you get us back, Cole."
Other-Phoebe looked at the group sadly, and then bowed low, "Great One, it was an honor healing you. Remember, you will always be welcome here."
Cole looked at Other-Phoebe, and he chuckled. "I thank you for your hospitality, but we need to go. Besides, something tells me I might just find my place again in my world." Piper and Paige looked at Cole with contempt, but Phoebe smiled to herself at Cole's implication. Cole held his hands out, the sisters and Leo took them. A second later, they were gone.
****
Damon permitted himself a satisfied smile as he leaned lazily back. He had won. There was no magic left on this plane. Only Heaven still held out, but soon it too would fall, and then the Cleansing was complete. Damon chuckled as he realized how very easy this had all been. 'Oh, well,' Damon thought, 'I guess there was no challenge worthy of me out there.'
Suddenly, Damon sat straight up and looked around. What was that! Probably just a flicker of one of his powers Damon thought but inwardly he knew. He felt the power approaching from far away, and he knew exactly who it belonged to. Cole was returning, and he needed to prepare.
"Nisan!" Damon yelled. Nisan was there in an instant, bowing deeply. "Summon all of my forces here. I have to prepare for a battle." Nisan was gone, shimmering to accomplish his order. Damon grinned again, and said, "Come on, Cole. It is time to find out what you can really do."
****
The Elders glared at Cole, who did his best to look as unthreatening as possible. However, the power the Elders could feel emanating from him dispelled any such thought. His only consolation was that Phoebe was looking at him with a warm smile that no one else seemed to notice. They said nothing for a few moments, before one of them hissed, "As pleased as we are that you brought back this DEMON to help us, we question the decision to bring him up here." As he said the last part, the Elder glared at Leo.
Piper leaped to her husband's defense, saying, "Leo did not BRING him here. Cole brought us here himself."
Stunned silence greeted that phrase, which the sisters, even Phoebe, couldn't figure out until it hit them too. Phoebe turned to Cole slowly, and whispered, "Cole, how long have you been able to enter Heaven?"
Cole smiled slightly, and replied, "Since I got back from the Wasteland. Apparently, my range has increased greatly since my demise. Look, we can debate this forever, but there is a demon wreaking havoc out there, so can we hurry this up? Do you have a plan, or are you going to just sit back and pray, like normal?"
Most of the Elders went red from rage, and the Lead Elder said, "We have a plan. Cole, we are bringing out our greatest weapon, one that hasn't been used once, by either side. Not even before did we consider its use." The Elders turned towards the door, and Banfiz walked in. In his hands, he carried a single volume its age apparent by the way he gingerly held it.
He saw the girls and smiled, and said, "Did you like my gift of power?" He then turned serious and solemnly handed over a volume. As the sisters looked at it, they saw it was a thin leather bound volume with one word on it...Entropy.
"Are you insane?" Cole demanded. "What are you thinking?"
"If we don't do this, the world will end anyway!" one of the Elders shouted back.
"I don't understand, what is the big deal?" Phoebe asked.
The Council glared at Cole, and then said, "You tell them."
Cole sighed, and then said, "This book opens a portal to the realm of Entropy. Entropy is the ultimate destructive power, and nothing from this realm can survive contact with it for long."
"I thought entropy was a natural process," remarked Phoebe. Piper and Paige turned to her with surprise. They hadn't thought Phoebe would willingly engage in conversation with Cole if she didn't have to.
Cole caught their looks, and smiled slightly as he continued, "It is, but in this other realm, the change from order to disorder is about a billion times faster than here."
"Why haven't we ever used it before?" Piper asked. "I mean, we could have used such a weapon against." she trailed off and looked over at Cole.
Cole glared right back, and said, "Because if you screw it up and a single molecule of Entropic energy escapes, the world will end. All life will be erased instantly in a vast explosion."
"Oh..." Piper said softly.
"Look, we realize we have no choice, Cole. We will explain what needs to be done to the Charmed Ones. Why don't you leave?" an Elder said with a sneer.
Cole sighed softly, and said, "Fine." Working with the Elders was the one part of this arrangement Cole had never liked, as they had never fully accepted him, even after he became human. As he was walking out, he remarked, "If this is how you treat your allies, I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies." He shimmered out.
"So, what do you need to tell us?" Phoebe asked.
The Elders said, "The spell itself is simple in itself, but there is something else..."
"What?" Piper asked.
"After the portal is open and the Hollow has gone through, Cole will be severely weakened. We feel that this may be our best time to end the threat from him forever. Therefore, we want you to..." the lead Elder began.
"You want us to shove him in afterwards?" Phoebe asked softly. When they nodded, Phoebe hesitated. Before, when she still had her walls up, she wouldn't have hesitated at saying yes, but now that she loved him again, she couldn't answer truthfully.
Fortunately, Piper wasn't surprised at Phoebe's inner turmoil. Despite her sister's statements about being over Cole, Piper knew that her emotions were still warring with each other. However, she believed that in the end, Phoebe would side with them against Cole. Piper answered, "We'll do it. Finally, we'll be able to kill him, once and for all."
****
"Come on, Coleridge, catch me if you can!" Prue taunted. With a playful yell, Coleridge ran after Prue, who kept just out of his reach. They kept this game up for several moments, when Coleridge suddenly stopped. He looked back, as if not daring to believe what he felt. Prue walked back, concerned, and asked, "Little one, are you okay? What's wrong?"
Coleridge let out a happy yell, and started to run as fast as he could. Prue cursed, and ran after him. They ran for about two minutes, when Prue finally saw what Coleridge was running towards. She skidded to a stop, and stared in disbelief.
Coleridge did not slow at all. With a shriek of, "DADDY," Coleridge was flying through the air to land in Cole's open arms. Cole twirled his son around, and laughed a little. "It is nice to finally meet you, son," Cole said softly. "I have wanted to see you for so long, but you understood why, didn't you?"
Coleridge nodded slightly as Prue appeared. "Cole," she said coldly, and that one word carried a volume of meaning.
Cole sighed, and said in a very tired voice, "Prue, can I have at least ONE Halliwell sister who doesn't hate me for being alive other than..." Cole cut himself off as he saw Prue's eyes widen in surprise.
"I don't believe it," Prue said. "She'd never..."
"Love me again?" Cole finished. "Well, she does. In fact, she never really stopped. She just kept telling herself that she didn't, and for a while, she believed her own lies. But now she knows the truth about what happened to me, what I did to save her and Piper and Paige. Phoebe admitted she still loves me, and, more importantly, she trusts me." Prue was about to say something else, but Cole raised a hand to stop her. "I don't want to argue with you, Prue. It has been a long, long day, and I just want to see my son." Cole looked down at his son, and something seemed to pass between them. Coleridge got a sad look on his eyes, and then he nodded once. Cole smiled, and said, "Alright, you can take him back now; there is something I have to go do now." Cole shimmered out.
Prue walked over to Coleridge, who was still staring at the spot his father had once stood. He then turned and walked away, but not before Prue heard him whisper one phrase. "I won't let that happen."
****
"Are we ready to go?" Cole asked as he appeared. The sisters jumped, and then nodded.
"We have everything together for us to bring it forth, and they have taught us what to say. All you have to do is get him through it once it is open," Phoebe said in a subdued voice.
"Fine, then let's do it." Cole grabbed each of their hands.
"Cole, wait..." Phoebe began.
"Save it for later," Cole said sharply, but Phoebe read something strange in his eyes. She wondered if Cole had somehow found out about the Elders' plan for him. But she barely had a moment to ponder this before they shimmered out.
The Lead Elder smiled grimly, and remarked, "Today our two worst problems disappear."
Kevin, the youngest Elder, looked steadily at his fellow Elders, and then began to walk away.
"Where are you going?" the Lead Elder asked.
"I will be honest, for that is what I will always be," Kevin replied gravely. "I look around the Council, and I consider what we are doing, and I have to wonder, when this is over, are we going to be any different from the evil we are fighting?"
****
When the sisters and Cole appeared, they found Damon standing over a large pile of ash. He smiled, and said, "I've been waiting for you, Cole. I took the liberty of absorbing all of the powers of the Underworld in preparation of our conflict."
"Good, that makes things interesting," Cole said with a smile. Both he and Damon stared at each other for a moment, and then they both threw energy balls. They came into contact halfway between them, and a vast concussion of forces erupted backwards. Cole stepped in front of the sisters, and the blast went around him. When the smoke cleared, both Damon and Cole were unhurt. "Say the spell," Cole whispered, and then he gestured. Lightning shot from his hand to slam into Damon, pushing him backwards.
The sisters began to chant in an ancient language, a language long forgotten in the world. As they chanted, Cole and Damon traded blows. Vast explosions of light and sound cascaded overhead, and the force of the blows left great rents in the ground and walls. Soon, Cole and Damon were face to face, hands locked in mortal combat as each tried to erase the other.
The chanting increased in intensity as the sisters neared the end of the spell, and soon a formless void appeared. It seemed to pull in all the light around it, to be erased from all time.
"The portal is open, Cole. Use it!" Phoebe shouted.
Cole dove forward and pulled Damon forward by his shirt. Damon smiled weakly. "I guess we know you are still stronger, Cole. But, join me. You can have everything you ever wanted. All you have to do is help me."
Cole smiled back, and said, "I would join you, but what I want, Evil can't give me." He then pushed Damon back, and Damon fell into the void with a scream.
Cole turned to the sisters with a smile, and said, "It is done." As he said it, Phoebe again noticed an odd quality to his eyes, and she knew for sure that Cole knew the Elders' plan.
"Not quite," Piper commented. As Cole raised his eyebrows up in question, Piper raised her hands to gesture. However, before she could finish, Phoebe grabbed her wrists and stopped her. "Phoebe, what the HELL are you doing?" Piper shouted.
"We can't do this," Phoebe said softly.
"What are you talking about? This is our one chance to get rid of him once and for all," said Paige.
As Piper and Paige watched, horror spread over their faces as Phoebe backed away from them and stood next to Cole. "I don't want to be rid of him," she said, taking his hand. "I love him."
"WHAT!?" Piper exploded. "After everything he did to you, to US, you still choose him over your sisters?"
"No, Piper, I'm not choosing him over you," said Phoebe, shaking her head. "This is different. Cole wasn't in control before. The Source was. And before you say anything, yes, there is a difference. Do you realize that if Cole had given in completely, we all would have been dead long before I turned evil?"
Piper weighed her sister's words carefully. Although her resolve was shaken, she continued, "But Phoebe, he is still a demon, and an invincible one at that."
"Piper, you and I both know that being a demon and being evil don't necessarily go hand in hand. They're just more susceptible to being swayed that way," said Phoebe. "Besides which, what really matters is Cole's heart, and that has always been human. Cole may have demonic powers, but he is human on the inside. He is good, you guys. I've seen it." Phoebe paused for breath. "We can't do this."
Piper and Paige looked at each other for a moment. Was having Cole back in their lives worth the risk? Looking at the happiness and laughter in Phoebe's eyes, they resigned themselves to agree. Phoebe had never been as happy when Cole was around, even when he was Belthazor, and it would kill her to lose him again. They nodded, and Piper said, "Let's close the vortex." Phoebe walked back over to them and embraced her sisters for a moment. The Charmed Ones said a few words, and the portal closed.
"It's over," Paige said, letting out a breath of exhaustion.
"We'll need to check in with the Elders," Piper commented.
Phoebe nodded. Turning to Cole, she said, "Meet me back at the Manor?"
"Sure," he replied. He leaned down for a moment as Phoebe moved closer to him. Their lips brushed lightly, but both felt a familiar electricity flow through them. "Don't keep me waiting too long."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Phoebe said as she orbed out with Paige and Piper.
****
Coleridge sat with Prue, anger welling up in him. He couldn't believe it. After everything they'd been through, the Charmed Ones were still going to kill him. Well, he would show them that when he made a promise, he followed through on it.
However, as he saw the sisters approaching, he felt something out of place. For some reason, he could still feel Cole's essence, but that didn't make any sense.
Unless...
"I take it you guys won?" Prue said as her sisters approached.
"Yup," said Phoebe happily. "Damon is history."
Prue didn't say anything for a moment, as she thought either Piper or Paige might interject with what Phoebe had not said. However, when neither one did, Prue couldn't help but ask, "What about Cole?"
Piper hesitated, but then said, "Let's just say Cole is exactly where he should be."
Prue was about to comment, but seeing the happy look on Phoebe's face changed her mind. Who was she to question Phoebe's decisions? Phoebe had been through more in the year since she had died than most people had gone through in a lifetime, and so had Cole, for that matter. Prue resigned herself to accept their decision, and smiled approvingly.
Meanwhile, Coleridge had stood up and was walking over to Phoebe. He swallowed nervously. As Phoebe saw him approach, she knelt down and pulled him to her. Coleridge knew then that his mother loved him, and more importantly, loved Cole, too. Phoebe stood up, tears in her eyes. "Can we take him back with us?" she asked.
"I don't think it will be a problem," said Prue. "Actually, the Elders were hoping that if the two of you ever accepted each other some day, you could raise him down there."
Phoebe nodded, and then her expression became serious. "Prue, I'm so..." she started.
"Don't," Prue interrupted. "The recent events have given me some time to re-evaluate everything. What happened to me wasn't your fault, Phoebe, or Cole's. It was fate." Phoebe raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You were supposed to be down there saving Cole. His soul was on the line, and you saved him. You saved him from eternal damnation, and that was far more important than my life." Prue smiled and embraced Phoebe. "Take good care of your son, ok?"
"I will," Phoebe said.
****
"Took you long enough," said Cole as they orbed in.
"Daddy!" yelled Coleridge as he jumped into his father's arms.
"What are you doing down here?" Cole asked. He had definitely not been expecting to see his son.
"The Elders decided to let ME keep him," Phoebe replied with a wink.
"I see," said Cole, grinning slyly.
"Wait, do we have to worry about the Elders finding out you're still alive?" Piper asked.
"Not anymore," said Cole. "I didn't even think of using it before, but I have enough power to selectively cloak my presence, so as far as the Elders are concerned, I don't exist."
"Well, that's one less thing we have to worry about," said Paige. At that moment Coleridge yawned. "How about I take the little guy and put him to sleep?"
"That's very sweet, Paige, thank you," said Phoebe.
"I think I'm going to head up, too," said Piper. "I think you two more than deserve some alone time." She turned and followed Paige up the stairs.
Cole and Phoebe grinned at each other. "Finally alone," sighed Phoebe as she moved into Cole's arms. Phoebe reached up and wrapped her arms around Cole's neck as Cole's hands explored her lower back.
"I love you," Cole murmured as Phoebe took possession of his lips with hers. Phoebe parted her mouth and moaned when Cole's tongue wrapped around hers. Phoebe's head was spinning with the intensity. She hadn't felt this good in a long time, and she certainly wasn't about to let it slip away.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Cole asked breathlessly as they pulled apart.
Phoebe studied him for a moment and licked her lips. "Oh, hell yes," she said, jumping into his arms. "I missed you so much." She wrapped her legs around his waist and stuck her tongue down his throat. Cole decided this was too much to contain himself. He took the easy way out, and quickly shimmered them up to her bedroom...without their clothes.
And as they materialized, an indignant shriek of "Cole!" could be heard from Phoebe. However, it would not be the last time that night that she screamed his name.
THE END