Nightcrawler's "Carry On, My Wayward Son"

[Esmeralda]

Carry On My Wayward Son
Written by Nightcrawler

(After watching the season five finale and going into complete shock at the very end of the episode, I decided to write this. There are many possibilities as to who Chris really is, and this is my take on that. Of course, I was wrong, so this has become and alternate universe fic that totally ignores season six, season seven and season eight.)

CHAPTER 1: Resurrection

As Cole Turner, ex-demon, ex-Source of All Evil, recently deceased avatar, regained consciousness, his first coherent thought was that death felt an awful lot like a hangover.

Of course, he then realized that he couldn’t be dead, because he should have been burning in the pits of Hell.

Slowly, with much effort, Cole blinked open sticky eyes...and nearly fainted at the figure standing before him.

“Leo?!” Cole exclaimed, his voice raspy.

Leo Wyatt, newly-named Chief Elder, smiled slightly at his former brother-in-law. “Welcome back, Cole.”

“Back?” Cole questioned. He then took a look at his surroundings. White pillars stood to the left and right of the walkway where he was lying. A swirling mist lay about half an inch off the floor. “Where...”

“Heaven,” Leo answered.

Giving Leo an incredulous look, Cole gently eased himself into a sitting position and then stood up slowly. He was surprised to find that his muscles, which had been aching a minute ago, now felt normal, and his head was no longer pounding. After a minute, Cole finally found his voice again. “Why, Leo? Why would you bring me back?”

“I need your help,” Leo began, but was interrupted by a bitter laugh.

Cole rolled his eyes. “Of course, why not? Beat him, kill him, but keep Cole around in case we need him to help...sorry, Leo, I’m not some weakling or a masochist. I’m done... ” and he turned and began to walk away.

He got about four steps before he heard Leo say, “She still loves you.”

Cole whirled. “What?”

Leo sighed. What he was about to say was a conclusion he never thought he would come to, but it nevertheless made sense. “As much as I hate to admit it, and as much as you won’t believe it, Phoebe needs you. In fact, she still loves you deep inside, although she won’t admit it to herself.”

“You’re lying.”

“A whitelighter can’t lie.”

“You can’t be serious,” Cole insisted. “Even if she believed me if I told her I didn’t come back on my own this time, she’d still bring up the whole ‘You betrayed me’ issue, and sooner vanquish me than listen to me. Hell,” he added, “she’d probably have Piper blow you up for bringing me back.”

“Things have changed since you were alive, Cole,” Leo insisted. “I’m not just a whitelighter anymore.”

For the first time Cole noticed the gold-colored robe Leo was wearing. “An Elder?” he asked in surprise. Leo nodded. “How the hell did that happen?”

So Leo told him of the Titans’ escape from their prison, how Chris Perry, the whitelighter from the future, had helped him when most of the Elders had been killed. He told how at Chris’ suggestion, he’d made the sisters the modern personification of the Greek goddesses in order to have enough power to kill the Titans, how as a reward he didn’t want he had been turned into the Chief Elder, and how Piper had nearly lost her mind when she found out about Leo’s promotion.

“I managed to give Piper peace about all this,” Leo sadly concluded, “but even I know that it won’t be the same as actually being there with her, and my son.”

“Not that I don’t think all of this is amazing, Leo, but what does this have to do with why I’m back?”

“It’s about Chris. I don’t know if he is who he claims to be. In fact, I don’t even know if he is a whitelighter at all. He may have just acquired the orbing power from somewhere else.”

“What makes you think that?” Cole asked, now intrigued.

“The fact that he somehow blew me into orbs when I was orbing back up here after leaving the Manor, something a whitelighter would never use his powers to do,” and Leo shook his head. “Besides, how many beings do you know of who can transcend time?”

Cole shuddered, thinking of his last memories of being an avatar. “So, you want me to keep an eye on him and find out if he has another agenda?” Again, Leo nodded. “Why would you want me, specifically, to do this for you?”

“Believe it or not, Cole, I never completely believed that you betrayed us. Of course, the girls would have sooner crucified me than listened to me if I’d said that.” Leo stopped long enough to chuckle at the thought. “And now, thanks to my Elder powers, I can see the good in you, Cole. And your humanity, not your powers, makes you one of the strongest beings I’ve ever seen. You’ve suffered things I’ve only seen in my nightmares, and yet you survived it because of the good in you.”

“How do you know about that?” Cole asked as his face paled.

“I read your memories,” Leo admitted

“You had no right!” Cole snarled as he turned his back.

Leo waited for him to calm down before asking, “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“You never gave me a chance,” Cole said quietly as he fought to master the fear that those memories brought back.

“I’m truly sorry for that.”

Cole whirled, ready to snap at Leo for patronizing. But something in Leo’s eyes made him realize that Leo wasn’t lying; he was truly sorry. Cole sighed, and felt deep down some of his bitterness and anger fade, like an old wound finally healing. “Yeah, you would be.”

Leo looked into Cole’s eyes for several moments, and then added quietly, “We need you, Cole. I need you...she needs you.”

Cole pondered and weighed Leo’s words carefully. After a few minutes, he closed his eyes and finally very softly said, “Alright. I’ll do it.”

Some of the strain left Leo’s face. “Thank you.”

A ghost of a smile crossed Cole’s face, but left as he got down to business. “I have a few questions.”

Leo smiled. “Of course. Fire away.”

“First, what exactly am I now?” Cole asked. Deep inside, he could feel it. He was different.

“When I brought you back, your original powers came with you,” Leo explained. “Don’t ask me why. That was something I had no control over. However, I figured you would need something else in you to balance against your demonic half, so in case your demonic powers were ever stripped again, you’d have something to fall back on to prevent being possessed.”

Cole shivered at the reference to the Source’s powers entering him and influencing his actions, turning him back to evil.

Leo nodded. “Because of that, I made your human half a whitelighter, making you half-whitelighter, half-demon. You’ll be able to orb and heal as well as shimmer and throw energy balls, and your self-healing abilities will be highly advanced. You’ll also be able to turn invisible.”

“And if I shimmer, it will be harder for Chris to sense me,” Cole concluded shrewdly while his mind reeled from the implications.

Leo nodded.

“Okay. My second question is...” Cole swallowed convulsively and tried to force the words out, “How can you be so sure?”

Leo smiled. He knew what Cole was asking. “As her whitelighter, I could sense Phoebe’s emotions. Despite her own claims, I’ve never felt love in her as strongly as when she was with you. You were a source of strength for her, and without you, she’ll become the future version of herself you met when she cast that spell. Now tell me honestly, Cole. Would you really let Phoebe become a bitter old woman if you could stop it?”

“No…it’s just...I don’t know if I can take more rejection.”

“Then she doesn’t have to know that you’re back.”

“What do you mean?” Cole asked.

“I’ve never said that you should go right to the Manor,” Leo reminded him. “In fact, I’d suggest that you observe them all first without their knowledge, learn what you can, and report to me. In addition, you may want to look into getting your old job back, so you’ll have a steady source of income. As far as I remember, the penthouse should still be registered to you.”

Cole nodded. As he turned to leave, he looked back. “I’ll do this, Leo...for her, and...”

“And what?” Leo asked when Cole trailed off.

Cole looked at Leo, and Leo could see the deep turmoil within his soul. “Ever since I met Phoebe, I’ve been ashamed of what I was, and what I’ve done. I’m tired of being ashamed. I want to look into the mirror every morning and like what I see.”

Cole didn’t wait for a response; he shimmered down to Earth, where a new destiny awaited him.

****

“A little help here!” Paige called as she and Phoebe shuffled into the foyer, their arms full of bags.

“Hang on, I’m coming!” Piper yelled. She quickly relieved some of the bags from her sisters and walked with them into the kitchen, setting the bags onto the table. “How much stuff did you guys buy?”

“Hey, it’s not like we didn’t need it,” Phoebe replied. “Have you taken a look at our potion supplies lately?” She gestured at the open cabinet, which was almost completely empty.

“Alright, point taken,” Piper conceded as she helped Phoebe and Paige stock the new potion supplies in the cabinet.

“Where’s Wyatt?” Paige asked.

“He’s taking a nap,” Piper answered one sister before turning to the other. “So, Phoebe, how did the date go with Evan last night?”

“Eh,” Phoebe shrugged. “It was alright, I guess.”

Paige reached out to take her hand. “What’s wrong, honey?”

Phoebe sighed. “It’s just ever since Cole...you know, I haven’t had a solid relationship with a guy, and I miss that. I mean, I liked being with Jason, but he’s in Hong Kong now, and when he comes back, what if I’m in another relationship?” Phoebe pressed her hands to her forehead. “This is so confusing.”

“It’ll be okay, sweetie,” and Piper put her hands on Phoebe’s shoulders. “Everything will work out for you. You just have to be patient.”

Suddenly, a noise came from the baby monitor interrupted them. “What was that?” Piper wondered aloud. The sisters hurried upstairs to the nursery. When they got there, they were shocked to see Chris standing next to the crib, watching Wyatt sleep.

Chris looked down at Wyatt, and he said, “You are so quiet, so peaceful...so happy. Trust me, Wyatt; hold onto that as long as you can. You have no idea how much you’ll miss it.”

Suddenly, Chris became aware of the sisters in the room, and he turned expecting warm smiles. However he was shocked to see that all of them, especially Piper, had looks of contempt on their faces instead.

Piper hurried over and nearly knocked Chris over as she came to pick up her son.

“Hey, what gives?” Chris asked, annoyed.

Piper didn’t answer him and turned her back to walk out the door. As she left, Chris asked, “Why have you been ignoring me for the past week? What did I do to deserve that?”

Piper whirled around, anger and frustration on her face. “I’ll tell you what you did. You manipulated things so that my husband is no longer able to live with us, and then, all of a sudden, you think you can just take over as our whitelighter. Well, let me tell you something, buddy. I don’t care if Leo assigned you to us. Nobody can replace him as our whitelighter, ever. So, don’t say that I owe you anything.”

With that, Piper whirled around and walked out the door, Paige and Phoebe right behind her.

For a moment, Chris sadly looked at the doorway. However, the sadness soon gave way to anger, and he snarled, “Ungrateful b!tches...” before he orbed out in rage.

****

Cole breathed in the salty fragrance of the air and sighed. It had been quite some time since he’d had the chance to survey the cityscape, and he wanted to relish its beauty.

Ironically, he was standing on the same spot where Piper had summoned a storm while venting her godly rage at Leo’s promotion. However, Cole felt no such rage. In fact, for the first time in almost two years, Cole felt at peace with himself, and he wasn’t at all surprised. The fact that he was now half-whitelighter as well as half-demon had given his soul a balance between Good and Evil he had never fully felt before.

Giving one last long look at the Golden Gate Bridge, Cole orbed to the penthouse.

As he materialized, the first thing that hit him was the echoing emptiness of the place. While he was staying there, Cole had done nothing, had not personalized the apartment at all. When he left, the place was exactly as he’d rented, exactly as Phoebe and he’d...Cole violently shook his head, dismissing those memories. Right now, he had a life to get back, and a witch to watch.

Cole grinned. He may be part whitelighter, but that didn’t mean he had their ethics. A little ‘persuasion’ was in order to get his job back. Still grinning, Cole headed for the phone.

****

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, a very different event was occurring in the West Andes Mountains. The mountains had an ancient and terrifying beauty to them, an overwhelming silence that seemed to force even the smallest person to give homage, as if they defied all attempts to tame them and rose boldly into the sky to assert their dominance.

The silence was shattered as a cloaked figure appeared on the mountain. The figure walked briskly, through howling winds and deep snows. The figure walked directly towards the mountain face, and paused before it. A few moments later, there was a slight shimmer, and the mountain face vanished, revealing a crevice. Within the crevice lay a book, a book that seemed to pulse with evil. A smile seemed to play over the figure’s face as the figure walked forward and whispered, “At last you are back into worthy hands.”

A moment before the figure’s hands would come into contact with the Grimoire, it vanished. The figure frowned for a moment, and then grinned ruefully, “I obviously didn’t give you enough credit, Leo...this may take longer than I thought."

[Esmeralda]

CHAPTER 2: True Intentions

“Piper...” Paige began, but stopped as Piper whirled on her.

“Don’t you dare say anything about that snake,” Piper hissed. “That bastard is the reason Leo isn’t here, and I hope he never comes back.”

Paige hunched her shoulders defensively. “I was just going to ask if you wanted me to hold Wyatt.”

“Oh...” Piper murmured.

“Honey, you really need to calm down,” Phoebe tried to soothe her sister.

“I know, I know, it’s just...” Piper started, but stopped as Chris orbed in. “Get out.”

Chris sighed. “I was just coming to say good-bye.”

All three sisters stared at him in shock.

Pain filled Chris' eyes. “I obviously can’t do my job, not with you three hating me, so I’m going to go.”

“What’ll happen to you?” Paige softly asked.

Chris’s face took on a look of profound sadness. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “They won’t let me go back to my time, so I’m stuck here. I guess I’ll figure something out.” He smiled a little. “Well, as my first charges, I can honestly say I failed utterly.”

Chris turned to leave, while Phoebe and Paige exchanged an alarmed look. “Chris...wait.”

Chris turned, and raised an eyebrow. “Did you want me to tell Leo something?”

“Maybe we were a little harsh on you...” Paige began, but stopped as Piper snorted.

Chris turned, and Piper was speared by the sadness in his eyes, “Piper, if it makes you feel any better, I’m truly sorry about Leo’s promotion. I promise if there had been another way, any other way, I would have led you to it without hesitation. But this was the only way. It was either the whole world is destroyed by the Titans, or Leo’s promotion.”

Piper’s heart began to break as Chris added, “I can never replace Leo, nor would I even try. All I wanted was a chance to do some good, by you and by him, to make sure that when he comes back you three are healthy. I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

Piper mentally sighed and reached a decision. “No, Chris, I’m sorry. We all are. We blamed you for everything, and we took out our pain on you, and that was wrong. Please, we’d be honored if you stayed on as our whitelighter.”

A smile broke on Chris’s face. “I’d love to...thank you for giving me this chance.”

****

“Good morning, sir,” his secretary greeted cheerfully, “How was your vacation?”

Cole forced a smile on his face as he replied, “Very pleasant, the Bahamas were nice this time of year. What did I miss while I was gone?”

“Nothing much, sir. This week has been rather slow. But the senior partners would like to see you now that you’re back.”

“Thanks, I’ll go there now.” As Cole headed towards their office, he couldn’t help but grin. Apparently his persuasion had worked, and the whole office thought he’d just come back from a vacation.

As he walked into their office, the senior partners looked up and smiled. The owner of the company's smile was the largest. “Welcome back Cole. Your skills have been missed."

“Thank you, sir," Cole smiled. "I really needed that vacation, but now I’m back and ready to work.”

“Excellent, because we have a case that is in desperate need of your legal abilities.” He gestured for Cole to be seated as the three partners began to explain the intricacies of the case.

Cole felt himself inwardly relax as he realized for one reason or another, he’d missed this.

****

As the snow slammed down on the ground, a dark figure appeared. The figure seemed to glide through the snow, leaving no impressions as the wind howled its fury. The figure ‘walked’ for several minutes, and he stopped over the exact center of the North Pole. The figure held out his hand, and snow cascaded outwards and began to fly away from a specific spot. After about ten feet, the Grimoire was visible. The figure slowly reached out and tried to touch it, but again the book vanished.

The figure snarled menacingly, “This is getting annoying.” He then flamed out.

****

As the cry came over the monitor, Piper awoke and quickly ran into Wyatt’s room. “There, there, baby. Are you hungry?” She picked up her son and rocked him back and forth as she sang a lullaby. After a few minutes, Wyatt was dozing in her arms, and Piper smiled at his innocence. That smile faded as she remembered that now she was in this alone, that Leo wouldn’t be there for her, or for their son.

As she silently began to cry, she could almost swear she felt a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. She whirled, but no one was there. As her heart beat faster, she whispered, “Leo?” but no answer came from the empty room.

She sighed, put her baby back in his crib, and walked out.

A few moments later, Cole turned off his invisibility. That was too close; he shouldn’t have risked it. But, watching Piper mourn her husband’s absence, Cole had felt something swell in him like never before, and he was trying to comfort her before he had ever realized he’d moved.

‘Have I really changed so much?’ Cole silently mused. ‘Was it the whitelighter in me that made me move, or the human? When all is said and done, will I even recognize who I am?’

He held that thought for several moments before he came back to himself, and when he did, he barely bit back a scream of shock. His traitorous body had again moved against his control, and now he was in Phoebe’s room! He quickly brought up his invisibility before he could be seen, and turned to leave. But he stopped as he saw her sleeping. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful.

Cole felt his throat tighten and his heartbeat increase, as it always did when she was around. Despite everything that had happened between them, Cole was still totally in love with her, and it warmed his heart to have Leo tell him she loved him still.

He watched her for several minutes before mentally shaking himself. Chris obviously wasn’t going to be here tonight, so it was time for him to get some sleep. He stole one last glance at the woman he would always love before he shimmered out.

****

“More children!” the Goblin King roared as his faithful followers scurried out to obey. “Your last offerings barely served as an appetizer. Bring me a magical child!”

“My liege, there are so few children of any power right now, but we are searching as hard as...” one of his minions began, but was cut off as the Goblin King swept his hand and snapped the minion’s neck.

“Excuses!” the Goblin King roared. “No more excuses...bring me a magical child!”

“Perhaps I can be of assistance,” a new voice suggested. The Goblin King turned to see a dark figure flame into the room. The Goblin King fought back a shiver; he knew that entrance.

“What do you want?” the Goblin King snapped, trying to sound unafraid.

The figure seemed to smile beneath the cowl. “Merely to give you the location of the most powerful magical child this world has ever seen.”

The King’s interest was piqued, while his suspicions deepened. “Why would you help me?” he demanded.

The room seemed to grow colder as the figure replied, “That is my concern, and I trust you’ll stay out of my business.”

The King fought not to lose control of his bladder. “Of course, Mighty Source. I merely wondered why a supreme being like you would speak to a lowly being such as me.”

The room went back to a normal temperature as the figure replied, “I have my reasons. Now, here is what you need to know.”

As the figure began to speak, the Goblin King leaned forward with interest. Afraid of him or not, he couldn’t pass up a chance like this. His mouth watered at the thought of devouring such a powerful child.

****

As Phoebe came downstairs into the kitchen, Piper and Paige looked up. “Hey honey, how’d you sleep?” Piper asked.

Phoebe shrugged. “Pretty well, I suppose. I had a weird feeling...like I was being watched. I’m sure it was nothing.”

“So, what shall we do today?” Paige wondered aloud. Piper was about to respond when they heard a loud commotion coming over the monitor.

“Wyatt!” Piper screamed, and took off towards the nursery with Phoebe and Paige right behind. When they got into the room, they skidded to a stop. Wyatt’s shield was up, and Chris was leaning heavily against it. He was bleeding from numerous wounds, and appeared exhausted. Surrounding him were seven greenish creatures with faces out of a nightmare.

“Give us the child,” one of the monsters barked.

“Never,” Chris shouted valiantly. Two of the monsters tackled Chris and dragged him down.

“That’s enough of that,” and Piper gestured, but instead of exploding, one of the monsters stumbled back a few feet. “Crap, they weren’t affected!"

“We know that,” Paige muttered as the remaining five creatures turned and began to advance on the sisters.

“Looks like we do this the old fashioned way,” and Phoebe levitated up and delivered a crushing blow to one of the monsters. The monster fell heavily to the floor as another one dove at her. She executed a diving roll that brought her up behind that monster, and threw a punch into the monster’s back, sending him flying.

As the remaining sisters joined the fray, no one noticed the first monster stand back up. He stumbled towards Phoebe’s back with a sadistic grin when suddenly an energy ball flew out of nowhere and destroyed him.

The battle was over in a few minutes, and eventually the monsters retreated. “What the hell were they?” Paige demanded.

“Goblins,” Chris replied hoarsely. He tried to stand, but he couldn’t manage it. As he fell, Piper caught him.

“Didn’t anyone tell you we’re supposed to do the fighting?” Piper asked with a grin.

“Knew I missed something that day I was absent from whitelighter training,” Chris groaned.

As Paige bent down and began to use her healing powers on Chris, Phoebe looked in puzzlement at a scorch mark on the floor. “Guys...” she said ominously.

“What’s up?” Piper asked as she picked up Wyatt.

“How did we get a scorch mark on the floor?” Phoebe asked.

“That would mean energy balls..." Paige pointed out. "Which would mean a demon.”

“We know that Paige,” Piper snapped.

“Some Goblins have the power to fire energy balls," Chris offered helpfully, "but they’re poor shots.”

“So they shot each other?” Phoebe asked doubtfully.

“Looks like it,” Piper shrugged. “Come on, let’s get something to clean this up.” As the group left, Chris stopped and spared a glance at a blank spot of wall. He looked at it for a few seconds, and then grinned slightly before walking out.

Once they were gone, Cole appeared in that exact spot. It had been risky to fire an energy ball, but he had to do something. Now it looked like his invisibility wasn’t as invisible as he thought. “This isn’t good,” he muttered as he shimmered out.

****

“How dare you fail me!” the Goblin King roared in rage. His minions cowered, trying desperately to escape his wrath. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t eat you!”

“Because they didn’t fail.”

“What!" the Goblin King shouted at the figure that had just shimmered in. "They brought me no magical child!”

The figured shrugged. “They weren’t supposed to.”

“Huh...” the Goblin King stammered.

“You have all served my purpose. Congratulations; here is your reward.” Smiling, the figure pointed, and fireballs began to shoot rapidly outward. Each fireball hit a goblin unerringly, and within seconds, all Goblins were dead.

The figure walked forward and calmly crushed the crown of the Goblin King. “So much for that. Now, onto other matters...”

****

“You summoned me?” Cole asked, amused. But his amusement fled when he saw the somber look on Leo’s face. “What is it?”

“Two of the Grimoire decoys have been found.”

“What do you mean decoy Grimoires?” Cole asked.

“One of the protections for the Grimoire is a series of decoys. Each one activates after the last is found, and only when all are found can you know the true location of the Grimoire. Two have been found, which means someone is not only actively seeking it, but knows how to find the decoys."

Cole rolled his eyes, wondering why as Chief Elder, Leo hadn’t figured it out for himself. “Then move the Grimoire.”

Leo shook his head. “If we go to move it, we risk them discovering it. Our best bet is to find out who is looking, and stop them before they get any closer.”

“Well, how many decoys are left?” Cole wanted to know.

Leo couldn’t look Cole in the eye. “I can’t tell you that.”

“You don’t trust me," Cole accused, trying his best to hide his hurt.

“It’s not a matter of trust," Leo insisted. "We Elders have agreed not to tell anyone, not just you.”

Cole sighed, remembering this all too well. “Fine...what do you want me to do about it?”

“Keep an eye on Chris."

“I’ll do that, but we may have a problem," Cole admitted. "I think he knows someone is watching him.”

“What?” Leo demanded, and Cole filled him in. “You used your powers?” When Cole nodded, Leo sighed. “Cole, your invisibility is detectable if you use any power but shimmering. Chris knew you were there because you fired an energy ball. All you can do is observe, not interact. As long as you don’t make that same mistake, you should be fine.”

Cole nodded, even if he didn’t consider his actions a mistake since it had saved Phoebe. “I guess I’ll get back to work.” He then shimmered out.

****

“What do you want?” the demon asked fearfully.

The figure stared at him for several moments. “Kraxor, you are the commander of all intelligence for the Underworld. Spying doesn’t occur without your knowledge. Who did you set upon the Charmed Ones?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kraxor insisted, totally confused.

The figure formed a fireball. “I could feel a demon’s presence, and he or she is interfering with my plans. Tell me, or do I need to ‘persuade’ you to talk?”

“I’m telling the truth." Kraxor almost begged. "No one is supposed to be spying on the Charmed Ones. We wouldn't do that unless you ordered it.”

The figure considered this for several moments before snarling, “Then it must be those pesky whitelighters...Leo. This will most definitely complicate matters. Thank you for your assistance.”

The figure launched the fireball, and Kraxor exploded.

The figure looked at the ashes for a few moments. “This search is taking too long. I must hasten my efforts...a pity.”

****

“Here they are, Piper.”

Piper and Phoebe joined Paige in bending over the Book and reading: “Goblins are highly resistant to magical summons and powers, and should be treated with extreme caution. They exist solely at the whim of their master, the Goblin King, who sustains his life by devouring magical children for their essences.”

“That son of a b!tch wanted to eat my baby!” Piper snarled. “Oh, he’s going to die for that.”

Just then, Chris orbed in. “I checked with Leo and the Elders. They are worried about this move, and want you to deal with it as quickly as possible.”

“Well, we can’t summon the King to kill him," Paige pointed out. "So we have to go to him.”

“That’s very risky," Chris firmly insisted. "If you go down into the Underworld, I won’t be able to sense you.”

Piper rolled her eyes. “Look, Chris, we don’t have a choice. We can’t just wait for the Goblins to come back again. We need to strike them hard and fast. Could you please watch Wyatt?”

Chris muttered under his breath, and then demanded, “Did you put Leo in this position?”

Phoebe grinned. “All the time.”

Chris sighed. “Alright, I’ll tend the home fires. But you better come back safe and sound or…or...or I'll kill you!”

“Don’t worry,” Piper reassured him with a smile. “We always do.” Then she then turned to her sisters. “Let’s go.”

As the sisters orbed out, a grin came over Chris' face. “Well, it’s about time. I thought they’d never go.”

He strode purposefully up to the Book of Shadows. He ran a reverent hand over the cover. “That spell of masking was definitely worth the work.” He idly flipped the pages until he came to rest on a page titled ‘Magic Dispel’.

****

“Alright Goblin King, feel the wrath of the...what the hell?” Piper demanded as the sisters appeared. The group surveyed the numerous scorch marks and piles of ashes and looked at each other.

“What the hell happened here?” Paige asked.

“The future Lord of the Universe dealt with them,” a new voice replied. The sisters whirled to see nine demons arrayed behind them. The leader grinned. “You’re right on time.”

“Um, I don’t like this...” Paige murmured as the sisters backed up.

“It’s about to get much worse,” the leader assured them. He turned to his minions. Kill them!”

****

Magic forces black and white
Pierce the veil of good and light
Show me the item that I want
Keep my search from being for naught

The Book glowed for several moments, and then Chris closed his eyes. “Ah, yes, there it is...very clever, Leo; that’s the last place I’d have thought to look.”

He orbed out, and reappeared in front of a large stone building. As he walked in, a person approached. “Welcome to the San Francisco Public Library. May I help you find something?”

“No, thank you,” and Chris strode purposely through the library, following his instincts which led him into the very back parts of the library, away from everyone. When he stopped, he stared in confusion. Then he started to laugh. “Very, very clever, Leo. It's a shame that you had to be so good; you could’ve made a very good right-hand man when I take the throne rather than one of my sacifices." He reached over and pulled out a book entitled “Magic for Dummies.”

He gestured, and the book changed for a moment before changing back. A frown creased his brow. “This may take more than I thought.” He gestured again, drawing deeply upon his powers. The illusion shattered, and he held the Grimoire in his hands.

He began to smile, and then fell forward as an energy ball slammed into his back. He whirled, sensing a demon in the area. “I know you’re here, and I can find you without effort," he growled. "Drop the illusion, and face me like a true demon.”

Almost immediately, Cole appeared with an energy ball in both hands. “Fair enough.”

Chris’s eyebrows rose as he read the powers. “Half-demon, half-whitelighter; that’s a combination I haven’t seen before.”

Cole shrugged. “Takes a special person to handle it.”

Chris' eyebrows stayed up. “So, before we tear into each other, tell me this. What foolish ideals made a demon work for the other side?”

“Well, actually...” Cole began. Suddenly he fired both energy balls into the shelves to Chris’s right and left.

As the wood exploded, Chris instinctively brought his hands up to protect his face. When he put them down, Cole’s fist slammed into his face, knocking him back several feet. As the cut on his face instantly healed, he responded by firing a fireball directly at the intruder.

Cole dodged it, and stared at Chris in shock. “A demon...I should have known. You have that stench on you.”

"Takes one to know one...” Chris hurled back.

As he formed another fireball, Cole rolled and dove, knocking Chris down. As the two wrestled on the ground, he felt a flash of recognition from deep inside him. Something about how Chris moved, how he acted, it struck a chord deep inside his soul. Judging by the widening of Chris’s eyes, he felt the same thing.

As they broke apart, Chris demanded, “Who are you?”

Cole straightened. “My full name is Benjamin Coleridge Turner the Second, ex-demon Belthazor, ex-Source of All Evil, ex-avatar, and the person who’s going to kick your worthless ass.”

Chris backed away. “No, that’s...you’re dead!”

Cole grinned evilly. “Been there, done that.”

Chris violently shook his head. “No, that’s not right...none of this is right. This isn’t how it’s supposed to go...this isn’t why I came back here!”

“So, why did you come back?” Cole demanded.

Chris stared at Cole for several moments. Suddenly, the Grimoire flew into his hands from where it had fallen. “Vengeance,” and he flamed out, the Grimoire in his hands.

[Esmeralda]

CHAPTER 3: Identities Revealed

As the last demon exploded, Piper looked around, demanding. “Alright, who’s next?”

“Everyone’s dead...,” Paige grinned. “We win.”

“Did anyone else think this was rather strange?” Phoebe asked.

“I smell a rat,” Piper snapped, “and we walked into its trap.”

“Well, let’s see,” Paige drawled, “who’s the only other person who knew where we were going?”

“Chris...” Phoebe snarled.

“Oh, no!” Piper shouted in dismay. I left him alone with Wyatt!” She grabbed Paige. “Orb us back, now!”


As the scene faded and they reappeared in the Manor, Piper headed straight for Wyatt’s room. “Now remember, ask first, then we kick his ass. If he makes a move, show no...” Piper began, but trailed off as the sisters saw who was inside the room.

“Oh my God,” Phoebe gasped as she stared at her ex-husband.

****

“We need to strike now,” Nevaros, one of the Underworld faction leaders, insisted.

“I agree,” nodded Baranas. “Good must have been severely weakened from these latest battles with the Titans. This may be our last chance to strike.”

“I disagree,” and Gayneth shook his head. “The Charmed Ones are still a major threat to us. Our strongest demons have proven no match for them, and as goddesses, they swatted the Titans like flies. We cannot attack them without a strong center of power.”

“Perhaps I can help.”

At the sound of this new voice, the three faction leaders turned to see a cloaked figure flame into the room.

“Who are you?” asked Nevaros, a slight tinge of fear in his voice.

The figure pulled back his hood, revealing Chris. A sneer crossed his face as he coldly replied, “I am the next Source, your new Master,”

“Impossible,” Gayneth insisted. “The Grimoire was lost when the...” but he cut himself short as Chris formed a Source-style fireball with one hand and slammed the Grimoire on the table with the other.

“Prepare the Coronation Chamber,” Chris commanded. “Now!”

****

“Cole,” Piper snapped, and gestured. Cole exploded in a swirl of blue orbs, and reformed right in front of them.

“Piper, I...” Boom! “I really need...” Boom! “Please, you need...” Boom! “Stop blowing me up!”

As Piper started to gesture again, Paige grabbed her arms. “I think we need a different strategy.”

“Cole, I don’t know how you survived the last time, but you need to get out of here,” Phoebe demanded coldly. Right now!

Cole gazed into her eyes, seeing the rage and hatred, and wondered again if Leo had lied to him. “How I got back here is not important. I’ve been watching you for some time, and there’s something about Chris...”

“Hold on!” Paige shouted. “Go back a second. You’ve been watching us? You evil son of a b!tch, how dare you? Who asked you to come back, much less spy on us?”

“I did.”

As the sisters turned to stare at Leo in shock, he turned to Cole. “What did you find out?”

“Chris wanted the Grimoire,” Cole replied. “And I found out something else. He’s part demon.”

Leo was about to respond when he exploded. When he reformed, he turned to see an irate Piper glaring at him. “Don’t you dare ignore me! What were you thinking, having this demon watch us?”

“Honey, I had no choice,” Leo began. “Cole was the perfect...”

“Did I say you could speak yet?” Piper demanded, and Leo shut up. “Much better...I’m still pissed at you for leaving me, much less for sending him here. Both of which we’ll discuss, at length, later, after we get through this. Right now, come give me a kiss.”

As Leo sheepishly obeyed, Phoebe stared at Cole. There was something different about him, something she couldn’t quite place. His eyes had lost that demented look, and had been replaced by a look of peace she’d never seen before. She stared at him for several more moments before asking, “Cole, what happened to you?”

Cole sighed. “I’m back to how I was when you first met me, a half-demon, except without a demon form. Only now I also have some whitelighter in me, thanks to your overbearing brother-in-law. But that’s not important. Stopping Chris is. With the Grimoire at his disposal, he can become the next Source, making him even more powerful that the Power of Three.”

Leo stopped kissing Piper long enough to add, “That may be why he came back, to assume the throne of the Source and rule all of Evil.”

Cole shook his head. “No, he seemed more focused than that. I get the feeling all of this is merely a means to an end of some sort, but what the end is, I honestly don’t know.”

****

“What’s taking so long?” Chris demanded from his new throne.

“Master, forgive me,” the demon begged, “but it will take some time to set up the ceremony.”

Chris raised his eyebrow. “Why?”

The demon swallowed. “Most of the Dark Priests were destroyed from the last ceremony, and it is taking time to find one. The sacrifices must be readied, and the demon factions must be brought together.”

“How long will it take to prepare?” Chris demanded.

The demon looked down at the floor and whispered, “At least four days.”

Chris jumped to his feet, glaring at the demon. “You have two days. If everything is not ready, you will spend weeks begging for forgiveness as I slowly tear you apart.”

The demon fell to his knees. “As you command, my master. Everything will be in order. May I have your permission to depart?” When Chris nodded, the demon shimmered from his kneeling position.

Chris paced for several moments, and then stopped. “Two days, eh? Maybe I need to alter my plans slightly.”

****

“Where could he hold the ceremony?” Paige asked.

Cole sighed, “From the Source’s memories, I can think of at least a dozen suitable sites, all of them heavily guarded and hard to reach. Assuming he isn’t being crowned as we speak, we could go to them one by one and check them out.”

“No, that won’t work,” Leo insisted. “Chris would see that coming and lead us into a trap. Our best bet is to figure out a way to get the Grimoire back.”

“That’s going to be easier said than done when we don’t have a clue where it is,” Piper pointed out.

“Our other problem is that Chris can orb,” Phoebe reminded them. “Meaning he can transport an army up into Heaven and decimate the Elders.”

“I think our next move should be...” Cole began, but suddenly, shock and surprise covered his face as he faded.

“Where the hell did he go?” Piper demanded.

“I don’t know,” Leo admitted, “but that didn’t look like a voluntary shimmer. And since I can’t sense him, I’d guess he’s somewhere in the Underworld.”

****

When Cole could see again, he found himself in a small chamber, poorly lit and deep underground. He tried to shimmer out, but he found himself blocked.

“Don’t waste your time,” an amused voice said. “I’ve shielded this room to keep you in until I’m done.”

Cole looked around to see Chris walk out of the shadows. “Done with what?” he demanded while subtly adopting a more defensive pose.

Chris smiled. “Just to talk with you, Cole, nothing else.”

“I wasn’t aware we had anything to talk about.”

“You’d be surprised what we have to discuss,” Chris replied. “For starters, why are you helping them?”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

Chris continued, pretending not to have heard Cole’s comment. “They never treated you well, they even killed you two times. They’ve never considered you anything but a demon who needs to be vanquished...and yet you still defend and help them.”

“Both of those times I’d fallen to evil,” Cole tried to explain even as Chris’ words ripped the scabs off of old wounds.

“I’d say shoved, kicked, and dragged to evil would be a better description,” Chris countered. “The first time, it wasn’t your fault, the Source owned your body, and you couldn’t defend against him. But the second time? I am perhaps one of the few people who know just what you went through to get back, since I made it a point to find out. All that pain, all that torment, and she rejected you? Drove you away and refused to give you any support? You were a man who had climbed a cliff, only to have someone step on your hands near the top. Must have been frustrating, to be rejected, dismissed, ignored? Never given a chance to explain, to prove to her just how you felt? Did she accept your proof, your constant demon slayings, the good deeds you did with your powers? No, she chose to focus on your one falter.”

“I killed a man,” Cole replied weakly, trying to keep his emotions in check.

Chris laughed, , “I’d hardly call a slumlord that purposely tries to drive out innocent people a man, but so be it. Even so, you did it to clean up HER mess, the disaster SHE and her sisters created. Did they thank you, or just drive you away? And then there was Barbas...”

“Stop, please,” Cole asked.

Chris’s face took on a sad look as he added, “I’m just trying to show you the stupidity of your actions Cole. Barbas took your powers, and you were free. Did she love you then, accept you then? You took back your powers for HER, to save HER. Did she understand your sacrifice, become more forgiving and nicer to you? No, she drew away even farther, for you were a ‘disgusting demon’ again. Besides, she had a new boy-toy to use and abuse, didn’t she?”

“Shut up!” Cole shouted.

“How long was it before she spread her legs for the first man to walk by? A week, a month? You remained faithful, while she shacked up with some guy off the streets. And let’s not even mention what she’s done since you died...since she killed you. Jason Dean, some young punk who managed to sweet talk her into giving him some, and then left when it was convenient. Do you think your love thought of you when Jason was screwing her like the whore she is?”

With an inarticulate cry of fury, Cole dove at him. He got about a foot from Chris before he hit a barrier and went down hard. Cole got up and fired an energy ball, which exploded harmlessly.

Chris looked into Cole’s eyes. “Feel better, now that you’ve tried to kill the messenger of truth?”

“No,” Cole insisted. “You’re twisting things, changing it, making it sound...”

“Like the way it is! All I’m doing is telling you how it is seen by others, others who aren’t blinded by love or fear or pity. Cole, she used you, and tossed you aside when it fit her. She is nothing but a manipulative b!tch, so why defend her?”

Cole went down on his knees as he tried to keep from crying. Chris’s words were like knives, slicing into his soul and doing more damage than he thought possible. “Why are you doing this?” he finally asked.

Chris kneeled down, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, “I’m doing this because you and I share a bond, an invisible bond that links and binds us, and a bond that is paramount in my life, and should be in yours.”

“And what bond is that?” Cole asked as he stared into Chris’s eyes.

Chris said nothing for several moments, before quietly replying, “The bond of father and son.”

****

“We have to go after him.”

The sisters stared at Leo for a second before Piper blurted out, “You must be joking...this is Cole we’re talking about here.”

“Anything that can summon him against his will must be powerful,” Leo argued, “and besides, Cole is good now.”

Paige rolled her eyes. “We’ve heard that before, doesn’t mean it’s true.”

“Do you doubt me?” Leo asked, surprised. “You never did before.”

“No, Leo, we don’t doubt you, but come on!” Piper insisted with a roll of her own eyes. “This is Cole, who’s fooled us more times than I can count. For all we know, he and Chris arranged this to trick you into bringing him back. Or maybe Cole rigged this scene to make us think he’s still good.”

“We’re going after him.”

As her sisters turned to stare at her in shock, Phoebe explained her decision. “If he’s good, then he’s in trouble. If he’s evil, then we’ll vanquish him. Either way, we need to go, now!”

Piper and Paige looked at her for a moment, and then Piper said, “Alright, let’s go.”

As the other two went to grab a few useful potions, Leo grabbed Phoebe’s arm. “Do you believe he’s evil now?”

Phoebe looked into his eyes, and slowly shook her head. “No, Leo, for the first time in a very long time, I don’t think Cole is evil.”

****

“What the hell are you talking about?” Cole gasped in shock.

As Cole backed away, Chris replied, “I am truly your son, Cole. My full name is Christopher Coleridge Turner, and I am the son you never met.”

“That’s...no, Phoebe’s not...” Cole began as his mind tried to sort this out. He wanted desperately to deny it, to cast Chris down for the liar he had to be, but something deep within him stopped Cole. Something deep inside screamed the truth, that Chris wasn’t lying.

Chris smiled, recognizing the struggle within, and finished, “But she was, and I am the result of her pregnancy. I am the son the Seer stole, the son my mother killed...or so she thinks.”

Cole looked deep into the whitelighter’s...no, his son’s eyes, and finally asked, “How?”

Chris turned away, and slowly began to speak, “I don’t honestly know...I remember my mother...and the hate...then fire and pain...and then nothingness. Slowly, I began to remember, and began to feel. Slowly, I became myself again. I was in another dimension, a dimension as different from this one as night is from day. It was dark, and cold, and it wasn’t friendly. But I survived. Day by day, year by year, I grew and worked to return home. Finally, I returned to this realm, only to find it utterly devastated.”

“The Titans?” Cole surmised, and Chris nodded.

“Yes, those damn Titans had destroyed most of the world, and ruled this realm with an iron fist. I knew that I couldn’t face them, and I also knew that no one alive could either. I found the remaining forces of Good, led by that weak-willed fool Leo, trying to fight a losing battle. I pretended to join their side, fighting for my chance to get what I wanted. And finally, it came. When it was decided that someone must go back in time and alter history, I used every ‘persuasion’ power I had, powers your blood gave me, and was chosen. They gave me whitelighter powers, and they sent me back. I promised to stop the Titans, but I knew there was a greater opportunity for me.”

Cole was almost afraid to ask but had to know. “And what opportunity was that?”

Chris turned and stared directly into Cole’s eyes, and Cole was caught by the sheer force of Chris’s presence. “Phoebe Halliwell, your lover and my mother, is true evil. She killed me out of fear, and utterly destroyed you. I know it happened, and I used my powers to find out just what she’d done to you.”

Cole swallowed against a lump in his throat, and replied, “That’s not exactly...that is...”

“Don’t bother; I saw the events as they unfolded. Father, she used every feminine wile and seductive charm to draw you in, so she could watch you squirm, and I cannot, I will not allow that to stand. No one else must suffer the same fate, especially not you.”

“What are you going to do?” Cole asked, fear rising in his soul.

“Originally, I was going to use the Grimoire to bring you back, to help offset the massive wrongs she has done. Luckily, Leo’s actions saved me the trouble, and gave you even more power.”

“Phoebe...what are you planning on doing to Phoebe?”

“Kill her, of course,” Chris shrugged, surprised that his father even had to ask. As Cole stared in shock, Chris went on, “I was tempted to spare her sisters, but they share a burden of the guilt, and so must share the punishment. I’m going to kill them, as they killed you. And as they spend the rest of eternity burning in hell, as you did, they will come to understand their own nature. Rather fitting, don’t you think, Father?”

Cole tried to speak, but no words would come out. It was just too unbelievable. His son wanted to kill his soulmate.

Chris looked at him sympathetically as he sighed. “You don’t need to answer that; I can see you are still blinded by emotion. Despite all she has done to you, all the pain she put you though, you still love her.”

Chris turned and walked to the other side of the room. “I can feel Leo’s searching power, trying to locate his errant pawn, so I’ll cut this short.” He turned back and softly pleaded. “Join me, Father. Serve me as my advisor and my ally. Together we can right all the wrongs in this world, and make them pay for their crimes. We are not blinded by righteousness or hatred; we see with clear eyes. I will never hurt you, or abandon you as she did. With me, you never need doubt my feelings. I respect and love you as my father.”

Chris turned to go, but he stopped just short of the door. “Think about my offer, Father. And I’m asking you, as a man who I know is truly good and as my father, do not tell them who I really am. I do not want them to know, and I know the man of honor that you are, you will never betray my trust. Good-bye.”

As soon as Chris flamed out, Leo and the others orbed in. “Cole, sorry it took so long,” Leo apologized, “but the shields over you just dropped, and...what’s wrong?”

Cole turned from where he’d been staring at the spot where Chris had just left. “Everything.”

[Esmeralda]

CHAPTER 4: Ultimate Suffering

Chris paced back and forth, circling his sphere of seeing. He would pace for a few moments, and then stop and stare into the sphere. Finally, he whirled and shouted, “Baranas!”

Baranas appeared with a bow, and asked, “Yes, my master?”

“How much longer?” Chris demanded.

“We anticipate the Ceremony will be ready in 36 hours. Please be patient.”

Chris stared at Baranas, and then curtly commanded, “Leave me.” As Baranas shimmered out, Chris’s eyes were drawn back to the sphere of seeing. He almost touched it, and he said aloud, “I suppose one little peek won’t...no!”

He whirled and sat down on his throne. He pretended to stare anywhere else, but soon enough his eyes were back on the sphere and the question of whether or not he should spy on his father.

****

“Any luck?” Piper asked when Leo appeared.

Leo shook his head. “Nothing, I had whitelighters scour the Underworld discreetly. Wherever the Ceremony will be, no one down there is discussing it.”

“What about you?” Piper whirled on Paige.

“I’ve gone over the Book of Shadows with a fine-toothed comb, and I don’t see anything on how to destroy a demon with whitelighter in him, nor anything on how to find the Grimoire.”

“Any luck with the scrying?” Piper demanded of Phoebe.

Phoebe shook her head. “No, Chris is shielding himself. I’m getting nothing.”

Piper looked back at each of them, as if seeking information in their expressions. Finally, she snapped, “Anybody got an idea?”

“Yeah,” Paige nodded. “Cole. He knows more than he’s telling. Whatever happened to him in the Underworld, Cole knows something about Chris or the Ceremony. I say we go to his penthouse and make him tell us.”

“Paige,” Leo painfully reminded her, “Cole is good now.”

“Right...” and Paige rolled her eyes. “We ask him nicely, and if he doesn’t talk, then we make him tell us.”

“Talking with Cole isn’t a bad idea.” Piper admitted. “Who should go?”

“Me,” Phoebe immediately answered before explaining. “I’m the only one who Cole might talk to, the only person he may open up to.”

The sisters shared a look, and then Piper and Paige nodded. “I’ll orb you to the ground floor,” Paige offered and Phoebe smiled. Paige grabbed her arm, and they both orbed out.

****

Cole gazed out from his balcony, a pose he hadn’t changed in the last six hours. What was he going to do? He couldn’t...no, wouldn’t betray Phoebe; he still loved her with all his heart.

But if Chris was his son (and Cole’s soul screamed at him for doubting), then how could he betray him?

Soulmate or son; how was any man to choose?

The ring of the elevator interrupted Cole’s musings. Using his new whitelighter powers, Cole sensed who it was, and fought back a sigh. He should have known this visit was coming.

“Cole...”

“Come to demand information out of me?” Cole interrupted. He turned to see Phoebe’s guilty expression. “Don’t worry, I’m not surprised. Who sent you...of course, Paige, right? She always was paranoid.”

“That’s not the only reason I came,” Phoebe snapped.

Cole raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? I highly doubt you came to start up with me again. After all, you’ve had...two lovers, isn’t it – one on your desk in your own office?”

“How...” Phoebe gasped.

Only the hurt in Cole’s eyes showed his true feelings as he continued, “I have excellent sources, so to speak.”

“They aren’t...they weren’t...they didn’t mean anything...” Phoebe kept starting. Damn it, why was she defending herself? “Besides, since you’re my EX-husband, I truly don’t see how it’s any business of yours.”

Cole sighed, “No, I suppose that is true. Then let me tell you, ex to ex, I’m tempted to get a restraining order.”

“I don’t know why I bothered to come,” and Phoebe turned to leave, but stopped when she heard someone softly ask, “Why?”

“What?” Phoebe asked as she turned back.

Cole fought to keep tears from his eyes as he said, “I can accept the divorce, and the boyfriends, and the fact that you moved on. All I want to know is why couldn’t you let me explain? Why couldn’t you listen to me for just a moment, just a minute so I could prove to you how I feel, so I could show you the truth...?”

“What do you mean ‘show me the truth’?” Phoebe demanded when Cole trailed off.

“Never mind.”

“Cole, please. Don’t pull back now. Tell me what you wanted to tell me.”

He looked deep into her eyes. “Let me show you.”

Mind to Mind I forge a link
Into my memories she now will sink
Submerge her completely in my mind
To show the truth she seeks to find

Phoebe was about to protest, but the world faded away.

****

He started to walk away, but something stopped him. He looked back at Phoebe, “I’m not giving up on us, Phoebe...ever.” He then shimmered back to the wasteland, and collapsed. He tried to catch his breath. Damn, shifting to the material world took too much out of him. If he was going to return to Phoebe, he had to find another way.

He thought about it for a few more moments, and then an idea came to him. It would be dangerous, but Phoebe was worth it. She loved him, and he loved her. No matter what, he would return to her so they would be together.

He shimmered to a darker plane, one where only demons could enter. A plane Good did not know, and never would. He immediately kneeled. “I beg an audience.”

“We know who you are,” a voice echoed in the darkness. “Once, you were our greatest warrior. Now, look at you. You have let love corrupt and change you beyond our capabilities. And you are dead. Leave our sight.”

“I demand the right of recovery.”

"How dare you?” the voices demanded. “That is reserved for demons who are powerful, not weakling humans.”

“I am half-human, and I did more evil in a century than most demons do in millennia!” Cole shouted as he surged to his feet. “I have earned this, and I demand my right.”

The voices were silent for a moment, and then said in a venomous tone, “Very well. You will accept the trials?”

“Bring on your trials. I will face anything.”

“Understand this,” the voices mocked. “None have ever passed. And we will not go easy on you. In fact, I guarantee we will throw everything we have at you. You stand no chance. Do you want to back out?”

Cole solemnly, firmly shook his head. Phoebe may have given up hope, but he never would. He would return to her, and he would explain and she would believe and she would fall into his arms, and all would be forgiven.

“Very well,” and a figure appeared. It was a demon, one who stood a menacing seven feet. Cole looked at it without fear. The demon snorted and then said, “Follow me. I am to be your guide.”

He followed behind the demon, and was taken through a portal. He found himself under a rock outcropping. Beyond the rock was desert. A blistering sun hung in the sky. “What am I to do?” Cole asked in confusion.

The demon gestured, and Cole was naked. “Ten seconds after I leave, this outcropping will vanish. Exactly five miles in that direction is the end of this desert,” the demon pointed as he spoke. “As soon as you touch the light, you will burst into flames. If you make it, I will be waiting for you.”

“How do I know you aren’t lying?” Cole asked.

“You don’t, but I’m not. It would serve no point, because it doesn’t matter. You will not make it. No one ever has,” the demon replied, and shimmered out.

Cole looked towards the direction the demon had pointed, and sighed. He had to trust the demon, because this was the only way for him to get back to Phoebe. He took a deep breath, and darted out into the sun.

As soon as he was out of the rock cropping, intense physical pain beyond any he had known hit him. It was like being vanquished, only it never ended. He knew he screamed, but he kept going. He ran as long and as far as he could, but the pain only intensified. Every step caused him to scream anew, and yet to stay still was no better.

He barely made it ten minutes before he collapsed from the pain. He knew he would never get to the end, and part of him said he should just give up. As soon as he stopped trying, the pain would end, for he would have failed. It would be so easy, so simple to just...

A vision of Phoebe flashed through his mind, and his eyes widened. Beyond the pain he felt, in the depths of his soul, He realized he had to get back. Phoebe was waiting for him and they would be together forever. He would go through any amount of torment to return to her, as she would for him. He could never give up.

He tried to get up, but he hadn’t the strength. He was laid out on his stomach, and the pain was getting worse, if that was possible. So, he did the only thing he could. He crawled.

****

Cole had forgotten how long he had been here, and had forgotten how long he had been crawling. He only knew three things...the pain, the torment, and Phoebe. Every second he wanted to just stop, to just give up, but Phoebe was always there, always driving him on.

As he reached out with his right hand to pull himself forward, his fingers grabbed something solid. Biting back a scream, he forced himself to look up. The demon was looking at him with an expression of extreme disbelief. His hand had grabbed the demon’s ankle. Cole managed to smile. “I passed. Now get me out of here.”

The demon said nothing, but they both shimmered. Cole stopped burning, and he wept as the pain ebbed. Cole knew he should get up, but he just wanted to savor the lack of pain for a moment longer. Just one more moment...

Cole kept expecting the demon to haul him to his feet, but the demon did nothing. Cole savored that lack of pain, and never wanted it to end. He could have stayed here...

‘Phoebe...’

Cole came back to himself. He couldn’t stay here, he had to get up. He slowly put his hands under him. They shook from the effort, and fresh pain coursed over raw wounds. He grimaced, but managed to hold long enough to get a foot under his body. Slowly, as each movement cost him greatly, he stood up. He staggered slightly, and then looked at the demon with a defiant glare. “Is that all you’ve got?” Cole managed to gasp and watched as a look of respect crept on the demon’s features.

The demon snorted, and the look faded. “Congratulations, you have just passed the first trial...the easy trial. The next one won’t be so short, and you will never pass it. Follow me.”

Again, Cole staggered after the demon, trying desperately to marshal his strength for whatever came next. The demon led him to a door, and then said, “You may use the powers you gained in the wasteland for the next trial, not that it will help you. Your only goal is to survive.” The demon pushed Cole at the door, and the door dissolved. Cole stumbled through, and then the door was gone.

He looked around, and surveyed his surroundings. He was in an ancient arena of some sort...one with empty stands and a vast central area. Why was he here? Only instinct saved him. He shimmered to the right, just as something slammed down where he was. When he came back, he looked back, and could barely restrain his fear.

Looking back at him was a dragon. Long ago, dragons had been the most feared beings in the universe. They were strong, intelligent, and fast, and they ate demons for sport. They could tear a demon apart and leave him alive for centuries in its stomach but too destroyed to move as he was slowly digested. However, dragons were supposed to be extinct, which meant this one couldn’t be here...

The dragon opened its mouth, and flames shot out of its mouth. He shimmered and dove, and barely avoided the flames. When he reappeared, he shot an energy ball at the dragon, but it didn’t even singe the scales. The dragon surged forward, and its left foreclaw slammed into him faster than he could move. He felt the talons pierce his chest, and felt himself thrown against the wall. He felt bone shatter, and he wondered what part of him survived. Spots danced for several moments, and when they cleared, He saw the dragon right in front of him.

He tried to shimmer, but the pain was too great. He tried to move, and discovered his legs had been shattered, and he couldn’t feel anything from the waist down. The dragon looked at him for a moment, and then began to slowly reach out to pick him up with its mouth.

He managed to pull himself partly up using his arm strength, but his legs hung limply down. The dragon approached unheeded, and He didn’t stand a chance of stopping him. He would be in the dragon's stomach for centuries, slowly dissolving in a pool of acid.

"Not necessarily,” the voices whispered in his ear. “If you give up, we will save you. You must choose quickly, for not even we can save you from a dragon’s belly. Simply say you give up, and we will end this. You have already gotten farther than the others, and you will be honored by us forever. Don’t let it end like this. Do you really want to die like this?”

"No, I don’t." He felt all his pain and weariness pressing against him, and he said slowly, “Alright, I will..."

‘Phoebe...’

Again, a memory of Phoebe surfaced, and he remembered what he was fighting for. Phoebe was waiting for him and they would be together forever. All he had to do was get through this, and his pain would end.

Summoning all the strength and anger he had, he shouted, “...never give up!” and he pushed himself forward. He did not so much launch himself forward and fall forward badly, but it was enough. The dragon’s head darted forward, and closed over him.

When he could see again, he found himself in the original chamber. The demon was nowhere to be seen, and he still couldn’t move his legs. “What is going on?” he asked.

“You have passed our two trials, and we will grant your request,” the voice replied. “There is just one more matter to attend to...” The darkness seemed to coalesce, and a figure approached Cole. He couldn’t get up to a sitting position, so he just looked. The figure became more distinct, until Cole recognized him...the Source of All Evil!

“What the hell is this?” Cole tried to demand but could just barely whisper the words.

“Well, you both died, so we have a problem. We have decided you will both come back, and the Source and you will share a body again,” the voices murmured. “We thought you’d be pleased. After all, you will be the Source again.”

“No, no...” Cole began.

The Source smiled.

“Don’t worry, Cole. I’ll take good care of everyone once we get back,” he said with a smirk. The Source reached forward and put his hands on Cole’s head. Cole felt the Source entering his body, and felt tears spring to his eyes. He wasn’t strong enough to fight the Source, and so his worst fear would come to pass. The Source would return to Earth, and this time Cole would be completely suppressed. He would be evil again.

‘So be it,’ Cole thought. ‘I have no strength left, let it end...’

‘Phoebe...’

If he gave up now, he would never be with Phoebe. Worst of all, the Source would kill Phoebe and her sisters simply for revenge. No, Phoebe was waiting for him, and he would return to her. He reached deep within, and somehow found the strength to fight. He pushed back with everything he had. His strength was fueled by pain, rage...and love.

The Source fought back too, and Cole felt his mind being pummeled inside as two personalities fought for control. For what seemed like eons, the two were deadlocked, and then Cole slowly pushed the Source back. ‘Not this time, never again,’ Cole thought angrily. ‘I will never be evil again. I can be good; Phoebe believes I can be good, and I will not let you use me again.’

The Source tried to resist, but Cole was too strong. Slowly and methodically, Cole pushed the Source into a corner of his mind. He then pushed with everything he had, and the Source ceased to be.

Cole let his head fall back, and felt his mind began to unravel. He had nothing left. No physical, mental, or emotional strength left. A fly could have defeated him. He heard footsteps, and tried to focus, but it was beyond him. He saw a boot by his face, and tried to groan.

Oh, no. There was another trial. He knew he would fail; there was simply no way. The trials were just too hard.

Hands touched Cole, and gently pulled him to a sitting position. He felt strength leave those hands and flow into him. His mind started to come back together, and he could focus again. He found his guide in front of him, looking at him with an expression of open admiration and awe.

“Congratulations, you have passed the trials. You have earned a reward. It was an honor to be your guide.”

Cole looked up at the darkness. “No more trials?” he asked. “I get what I came here for?”

“No more trials by us,” the voices replied. “Name your reward; you have proven your worth.”

“Give me back my body so I can return to Phoebe.”

The voices fell silent for several minutes, and then said slowly, “We shall grant your request, and give you a new body. Be warned, not even we can give you your old body. This one will be different. It will look the same, but it will be stronger, and different. Can you live with that?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Not if you want your request honored,” the voices insisted.

“Will I keep all my Wasteland powers?” Cole wanted to know.

“Yes, and they will grow as if they had been yours from birth.”

‘Phoebe...’

Cole firmly nodded. “Do it.”

“Very well.”

Cole felt power begin to gather around him, more power than he had ever imagined, when the voices said, “You are a rare and amazing man, Benjamin Coleridge Turner the Second. You will always be welcome in the Halls of Evil.” The power then washed over him, and he felt his body changing. He felt his wounds healing, and more strength than he had ever felt flowed through them. He felt that he could jump to the moon if he wanted to, without effort.

Within moments, it was done, and he felt...solid. He bowed to the voices, and then shimmered out.

****

As the world came back into focus, Phoebe fought not to vomit. She realized she was crying, and had been crying for several minutes. So much pain...so much agony...Cole had been through all that, for her. “My God...” she whispered.

“I don’t think He had anything to do with it, or at least I hope not,” Cole replied, his voice hoarse.

She looked up and saw his face was strained, and she realized he had been living those memories just as she had.

“Why tell me this now?” she finally asked.

He sighed, and his mask fell back into place. “I just wanted you to finally know just why I was obsessed with you when I came back from the Wasteland. I don’t expect it to justify or excuse my actions; I just wanted you to know the truth.”

Phoebe felt her resentment and her hatred towards Cole die away. She had built those walls high and strong, so strong she had believed the lies they projected. But his pain had pierced them more than anything else could, and Phoebe could finally feel what she really felt.

With tears in her eyes, she murmured, “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t want your forgiveness...” he began.

“But I want you to have it,” she interrupted. “Oh, Cole, I became so bitter, so consumed with fear and anger at what had happened between us that when you came back, I no longer recognized what I felt towards you. I let our past blind me to my true feelings, and for that I am truly sorry.” She stopped, and then added softly, “I love you, Cole. I have since the first day I met you. I always will.”

Those words slammed into Cole like a fist, coursing through his mind with the speed of a bolt of lightning.

She truly loves me!’

Cole felt parts of him he had long since buried spring to life, and a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time came back to him.

Hope.

“Phoebe, I...” he began, trying desperately not to let this moment slip by, to somehow keep it going, because he was absolutely terrified that once this moment passed, things would be back to the way they had been.

She quickly crossed the distance to him, and pulled him into a kiss. Her lips, her sweet breath, her tongue lightly caressing his brought back all the memories and the good experiences they had shared, which had somehow been lost to fear and despair.

When the kiss ended, she leaned into him, and Benjamin Coleridge Turner the Second did something he had yearned to do since he had returned from the Wasteland. As he put his arms around her, she no longer tensed up or tried to pull away. Instead, she leaned in further, and let his love and warmth caress and enclose her. He savored that feeling, which he had missed more than he’d miss his right arm.

The world faded away. The penthouse, time, everything disappeared, until it was only Phoebe in his arms. Time was meaningless, and for the first time in a very long time, Cole was happy.


With a sickening sound, the sphere shattered against the wall. Chris stood up and shouted in rage. “That fool! I can’t believe he’s falling for it, again! What’s wrong with him?”

Chris fired a succession of fireballs, destroying every piece of furniture in the chamber and leaving scorch marks everywhere. Finally he stopped, panting heavily. His rage was blunted, but not dissipated. He wouldn’t let this happen; he wouldn’t!

****

“You idiot!” Chris shouted as he appeared in the penthouse. Cole and Phoebe broke apart to deal with him, but not fast enough. Chris gestured, and Phoebe was thrown against the wall. She slid down the wall and collapsed, barely conscious.

“Chris, wait...”

“I won’t let this b!tch, this whore, fool you again, Father, I won’t!” A fireball appeared in his hands as he continued, “It will cost me her rightful punishment, but I will not allow this to continue.”

As Chris fired, Cole fired an energy ball of his own. The two collided just in front of Phoebe, and the force shook the penthouse. “I won’t let you harm her!” Cole shouted.

“Why not?” Chris asked in a nearly hysterical tone of voice. “After everything she’s done to you, everything she’s done to us, how can you stand there and defend her yet again?”

“I love her.”

Power exploded from Chris as he screamed in absolute rage. Furniture exploded, and cracks appeared along the walls. Cole dove, using his own body to shield Phoebe as Chris vented his rage.

Finally, the power stopped, and Chris slumped.

Cole looked up and saw him kneeling on the floor, with tears in his eyes.

As Cole slowly stood up, Chris looked at him, tears streaming down his pale cheeks. “Why, Father? You love her, and you’d choose her over your own son! I went through hell for you, and she betrayed you. Yet you chose her over me. Why won’t you choose me; why don’t you love me?”

As Phoebe slowly sat up to stare at Chris in absolute astonishment, Cole softly replied, “I do love you, son, more than you can possibly imagine. You and your mother are the only beings I’ve ever loved. But I can’t let you kill her, for once you kill a human being, then your soul will turn black. You think you know what evil is, but you don’t. I spent a century doing evil, and I know what it does to a person’s soul. I would sooner die a thousand deaths than have you experience a moment of true darkness.”

“Cole,” Phoebe had to ask. “Why does he call you Father, and why do you call him son?”

Chris barked out a harsh bitter laugh. “It means I’m the son you didn’t want, the son you tried to kill, you b!tch. But I survived everything you did to me, and now I’m back to see you get what you deserve.”

“Son, that isn’t true, not at all. I wanted you, the child I created with the man I love; I loved...”

Chris covered his ears with his hands and shot to his feet. “No! I won’t listen to your lies. I’m done listening to your lies, and I won’t!” and Chris vanished.

“Son!” Cole shouted, but it was too late.

“Was he telling the truth? I mean, is he...” Phoebe tried to say, but couldn’t get the words out.

“Yes, Phoebe. He’s our son.”

She began to cry, as she remembered the hatred in his voice when he talked to her. “Cole, what are we going to do? We can’t fight our son! How can we?”

Cole pulled her into his arms. “We will save him,” he reassured her, “and bring him back to us. On my love for you and our son, I swear this to you.”

[Esmeralda]

CHAPTER 5: Freedom of the Mind

Chris sat heavily in his chair, staring at nothing. "How could he? How could my father get back with Phoebe? It doesn’t make any sense, I don’t understand..."

“My lord,” Baranas said softly as he appeared.

Without looking up, Chris asked, “What?”

“The preparations are going better than expected. We should be able to have the Ceremony at least eight hours ahead of schedule.”

“Very impressive,” Chris replied in a flat tone. “Now, get out and get back to work.”

Baranas bowed hastily and shimmered out.

Chris slowly let his gaze drift upwards. In sixteen hours, the Ceremony would be ready; he would embrace Evil and Darkness fully, and become the next Source of all Evil. He would have uncontested control of Evil and finally be able to punish the woman who had destroyed both him and his father and the two sisters who helped her. He’d finally fulfill all his desires and all his dreams.

He should be happy.

So why did he have an empty feeling inside?

"I would sooner die a thousand deaths than have you experience a moment of true darkness."

Chris stood up quickly, trying to focus on something else. But his father’s words continued to bounce back and forth inside his head, teasing his mind, muddying the crystal-clear clarity he had always enjoyed. They made him question his desires, his dreams.

Was true darkness what he really wanted to embrace?

Did he truly want to become the Source of all Evil?

****

The group stared at Cole and Phoebe, trying desperately to absorb what they were just told. Finally, Piper managed to ask, “He’s your son?”

Phoebe firmly nodded. “Yes, he is.”

“But the Seer said he was her!” Paige reminded her.

Cole shook his head. “And she lied. She wanted to raise him evil, to become her son, but he was – is – always ours.”

“And he wants to kill us all?” Piper questioned.

Cole sighed. “Yes.”

“So what are we going to do?” Paige demanded.

Phoebe replied just as firmly. “Save him.”

“Um,” Piper confessed, “personally I was kinda thinking that maybe we save ourselves.”

“Chris doesn’t really want to hurt us,” Phoebe insisted.

“Funny,” Leo drawled, “his actions seem to indicate otherwise.”

“He’s confused,” Cole snapped. “He’s believed lies so long in his life that he can’t see the truth past all the smoke and mirrors he has up. We just need to penetrate that barrier and show him the truth. We can bring him back; we have to.”

“How?” Paige asked. “I mean, Chris is packing some serious power, and you’re no longer Super Cole. You’re back to just being Belthazor, which means as the next Source Chris can kick all our asses.”

“That’s not the point...” Cole began, but Piper cut him off.

“Cole, we’re not saying we don’t want to save Chris. We just want you to understand that this isn’t going to be easy. There’s a very good chance we won’t reach him, and we’ll be forced to...”

“To what?” Cole snapped. “Kill him? I’m not listening to this,” and he shimmered out.

Paige rolled her eyes. “Well, that was rude.”

“Not when he’s right!” Phoebe yelled. “The bottom line is Chris is family. If he were Wyatt, we’d never even consider giving up. Yet you three are acting like it’s already over. What, is it only fair to do everything for a child, Piper, when he’s yours? This is my son, and I will not give up. We will do everything in our power to bring him back. Right?”

Piper and Paige shared a glance, and then they turned to look with pride and admiration at their sister. “Of course,” Piper softly replied. “We’re with you, Phoebs. All the way.”

Paige also nodded. “So, what are we going to do?”

****

Cole stopped shimmering on top of the Golden Gate Bridge. The view was incredible, and the air gave him a chance to cool down. Their words still stung, for they were the same hypocritical cowardly phrases they’d used on him. When they thought they would fail before they even started, was it any surprise when they did fail?

Cole’s musings were interrupted when a fireball slammed into his back. He was flung off the top, and began to plummet towards the road, but managed to shimmer just before he would’ve hit the ground, reappearing where he had been.

Chris glared at him. “Give it back, you bastard!”

“Give what back, son?” Cole softly asked.

Chris fired another fireball, and as Cole dodged it, jumped in and landed a solid right hook on Cole’s jaw. As he and Cole began to trade blows, Chris shouted, “Before your little speech, everything was perfect. Black and white, good and evil, and I understood what I needed to do to get what I wanted, to make them pay for what they’ve done! Now, everything’s muddied, everything’s blurry, and I find myself hesitating on my path. Give me back my clarity!”

Seeing an opportunity, Cole grabbed Chris by the shirt and orbed them both to the Manor. When they could see again, Cole and Chris were surrounded by the family. Chris shoved back and rolled up, forming a fireball as he went. He threw it at Phoebe, who dove out of the way.

“Crystals!” Paige shouted and four crystals orbed in from the attic. She directed them around Chris, and soon a forcefield surrounded him. Chris shoved against it in vain, before finally settling down and glaring at the family.

Paige looked at the others. “Okay, I caught him; now how do we save him?"

***

“My Lord Baranas?” a demon asked as he entered.

“Yes?”

“Our future leader has been captured by the Charmed Ones. What shall we do?”

An evil grin spread over Baranas’s face. “Do? Nothing, of course. Why waste a perfectly good coronation. After all, we have the Grimoire, and we have the perfect candidate to be the next Source...me. Tell no one of this news. If we play this right, I’ll be the Source before the other faction leaders suspect anything is amiss.”

“You can count on my loyalty, my Master.”

“I know I can,” and Baranas fired a fireball and vanquished the demon. “Just hold him a little longer, Charmed Ones, and everything will be perfect.”

****

As Phoebe looked at Chris, Chris glared back with hate-filled eyes. He shot her a cold smile. “Enjoying the view? It won’t last long, rest assured, and when I’m out, I will repay you for your hospitality ten-fold.”

Phoebe fought not to shudder. He sounded just like Cole did at his most dangerous. “No, I wanted to talk to you.”

Chris’s smile widened as he asked sarcastically, “And what shall we talk about? All those loving moments we had together...oh wait, we never had any. Maybe the love in your eyes as you saw me being born...no, you were too busy letting the Seer steal me. I suppose all that’s left is that loving expression you showed me when you tried to kill me. It was so full of hate, of rage. You’re one of the best moms ever.”

“It wasn’t like that...” Phoebe tried to counter.

Chris laughed, “Here it comes. All those lines you used on my weakling father. ‘I do love you.’ ‘We can be together.’ ‘Be good, and I’ll love you.’ Save your breath, b!tch; I won’t fall for it.”

“What about the truth?”

Chris snorted. “I know the ‘truths’ you’ll tell me. I’ve heard those truths spun around trusting fools more times than I can count, blinding them to the real truth. You’re an evil b!tch who only loves herself and watching people jump through hoops at your commands, and you can’t change that fact. But tell me your ‘truth’. After the day I’ve had, I could use a good laugh.”

An idea came to Phoebe, and she smiled. “I’m not going to tell you anything.”

Chris stared at her in shock. “What?”

Her smile grew bigger. “I’m going to show you...”

Mind to Mind I forge a link
Into my memories he now will sink
Submerge him completely in my mind
To show the truth he needs to find

****

(The following two scenes were taken from episode 4x21, “Womb Raider.”)

“I'm sorry, Piper,” Phoebe sadly said. “I can't let you take the fall for me.”

“Well, why not?” Piper asked, fearful of her sister’s actions.

“You can't use the baby's powers like that,” Leo warned her.

As the tall man got up, he snarled at Phoebe. “Come here, witch.”

Phoebe didn’t hesitate a moment. She flung her arm out, and a blue stream of energy slammed into the tall man.

“Phoebe, don't!” Piper yelled, but it was too late. Within seconds, the tall man exploded in a fiery vanquish. “Phoebe, nobody has ever been able to vanquish that demon. Do you realize what you just did?”

Phoebe looked up and was about to respond, when all of a sudden, she felt the evil rising in her more powerfully than before, and this time she couldn’t stop it. As the Source asserted his control, Phoebe’s eyes flamed and turned black.

“Stay away,” Leo warned Piper. “That's not Phoebe anymore.”

As Piper and Leo watched in horror, Phoebe flamed out.

***

“Come to me, child,” the Seer intoned to Phoebe.

“Phoebe, snap out of it, please,” Paige begged from the cage.

“Let the little children come to me, for the kingdom belongs to such as these,” the Seer continued as she took Phoebe over to a circle of candles. “The rose circle represents nature, desire, fertility. Kneel.”

As Phoebe knelt down, Paige yelled, “Phoebe, it’s your body, take control; and fight it.”

The Seer continued to chant: “Give me strength, and give me might, to steal a child in still of night...”

“Phoebe!” Paige screamed franticly, but to no avail.

“Darkest forces let it be, here my plea; bring life to me,” the Seer finished.

A light emanated from Phoebe’s belly and passed into the Seer. As Phoebe’s eyes returned to their normal color, she gasped in shock. “My baby.”

The Seer grinned evilly as she said, “He was never yours, or Cole’s. From the moment of conception this baby was mine.” She unbuttoned part of her dress to reveal the baby moving around in her stomach.

As dawning horror spread over Phoebe, she felt immense sadness, as the only tie she had left to her soulmate had just been ripped from her.

****

As the memories faded, Chris fell to his knees gasping. Phoebe looked at him, and asked sadly, “Is that truth enough for you?”

“No, it has to be a trick,” Chris almost begged. “It must be.”

“It’s no trick, son. That is what really happened.”

A single tear rolled down one of Chris’s cheeks. “If that’s the truth, then I almost...oh, God, what have I done, what have I become...?”

Chris began to weep, and Phoebe called the others in. They charged in, expecting a battle, but stopped as they saw Chris weeping. Paige and Piper looked at Phoebe.

“He now understands the truth.”

Chris looked at them. “I’m sorry...please, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know; I didn’t understand...forgive me.” The last words were said almost as a whisper.

The sisters looked at each other, and then Paige called, “Crystal.” One of the crystals orbed to her, and the shield fell. Phoebe walked forward, and slowly looked Chris in the eye. “Hey, you’re not family until you try and kill the rest of us at least once.”

A smile came onto Chris’s face, a genuine happy smile. That smile was replaced by a look of horror as he screamed, “No! I won’t...AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” and he fell backwards as power arched out of him. Cole pulled Phoebe back as Chris was slowly lifted off the ground.

“Get out of my head!” Chris shouted, and he clutched his hands to his head. When he looked at the group, Phoebe gasped. One of Chris’s eyes was his normal blue, but the other had gone completely black. Chris began to scream, and more power shot from him. This continued for several minutes before Chris finally floated gently to his knees and fell forward.

The group closed slowly, and Phoebe asked, “Chris...son?”

Chris stood up, and when he looked at the sisters, both of his eyes were completely black. When he spoke, his voice had an echoing quality. “Not exactly.”

Chris gestured, and Phoebe was sent flying into the group. Chris laughed evilly. “Oh, it’s good to be back again. For a while, I thought I’d finally found a power as great and twisted as my own for me to use and abuse. But then you had to mess his mind up, pierce all the lovely lies I wove around him. What can I say? I had to take steps.”

“The Source...” Cole snarled.

“You always were quick, Belthazor. You’ll have to excuse me now. I have a coronation to attend, but don’t worry. Once it’s done, I’ll come back and finish what we’ve started,” the Source replied with a smile. “You will all make wonderful sacrifices.” And he flamed out.

***

“The preparations should be complete within the hour, my lord.”

“Excellent,” Baranas smiled. “Now let’s just hope that pathetic excuse for a pretender doesn’t show up and ruin everything.”

“I’m afraid it’s a little late for that.”

Baranas whirled around, and his face turned pale as he saw that Chris’s eyes were completely black. “The Source...but how...”

“Haven’t you learned that my essence cannot be destroyed?” the Source snarled. “However, yours, on the other hand...” Before Baranas could protest, the Source incinerated him with a fireball.

The other demon trembled as he bent down on one knee. “My lord?”

The Source smiled evilly. “Finish the preparations.” As the demon shimmered out, the Source thought, ‘Soon, you will pay for your betrayal, Belthazor, and the Charmed Ones with you.’

****

“No, no, NO!” Cole shouted.

“We don’t have any choice, Cole,” Piper countered. “Chris is gone. The Source has complete control over him.”

“You may be right about the control,” Cole admitted, “but my son is still in there somewhere, and I will not allow you to vanquish him!”

“We may not have any choice, Cole,” said Paige.

“That’s not true, Paige,” Phoebe quietly replied. “There’s always another way.” Paige gave her sister a quizzical look. Phoebe continued, “I think back to how I felt after we vanquished Cole, and I remember the emptiness of losing the person I shared my soul with. If my mind had been clear that night, we could have done something different, possibly a power-stripping potion, I don’t know what, but something. But the point is we had other options, and we didn’t even think twice about what we were doing and try to find one. I will not allow myself to feel like that again.”

Piper looked at her sister with a renewed sense of respect and love. “Alright, then,” she said. “Let’s talk this through. How can we save Chris and vanquish the Source at the same time?”

“Why not a power-stripping potion, like Phoebe said?” Paige suggested.

“That could work,” Cole admitted, “but remember that the powers have to go somewhere. If we made the potion specific enough and strong enough, we could separate the Source from Chris physically, leaving Chris with whatever powers he had besides his Source powers.”

“But the Source’s powers now belong to Chris,” Leo reminded him. “So won’t them and the Source’s essence go right back into Chris after we vanquish the Source?”

“Not if we strip the Source of his powers as well at the same time we say the vanquishing spell,” Phoebe suggested. “All we have to do then is add another spell to transform the Dark Magic into White Magic, and that should guarantee that Chris won’t reabsorb the Source back into him or immediately turn evil. Put all of that together, and we should be able to finally kill the old Source without the nasty repercussions.”

“Phoebe, that’s brilliant,” Piper praised. “Let’s get the pots ready,” she commanded as she grabbed Paige. “We have some potions to brew.”

“I’ll get started on that second spell,” Phoebe said, grabbing her notepad and a pencil. However, she noticed that Cole seemed very tense. She went over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, laying her head on his back. “This will work, Cole. I’m sure of it.”

“I hope so,” said Cole. “I truly do.”

****

“It’s time, my lord.”

The Source rose from his throne, clad in his ceremonial garb. “Finally, I shall regain what I have lost, and then take my revenge on the Charmed Ones and Belthazor.” He flamed to the Coronation Chamber, Nevaros shimmering just behind him.

The Source walked up to the platform where the Dark Priest and the Grimoire were waiting. The Dark Priest turned to him. “May the world’s evil flow through your soul tonight and grant you eternal darkness. Are you prepared to take the power and position of the Source of All Evil before these leaders of the Underworld?”

“I am.”

“Then place your hand upon this page of the Grimoire, and...”

“Not so fast.”

The Source whirled to see the Charmed Ones, Cole, and Leo materialize in the Chamber. “Well, well, sacrifices for my coronation. I had planned on killing you afterward, but right now is fine, too.”

“What makes you think we won’t fight back?” Cole snarled.

“Please,” said the Source, “like you’d really kill your own son along with me? I know you too well, Belthazor. Your human half has made your weak again. You don’t have the guts.”

“You’re right,” Cole admitted. “I don’t.”

The Source smirked, but then Cole added, “That’s why I’m going to do this!” and Cole threw the first potion at his son’s body.

“What is...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!” screamed the Source.

The shocked faction leaders watched as a dark shape separated itself from Chris, and coalesced into the solid form of the old Source. As Chris slumped to the floor, the Source roared with laughter. “Did you expect that to stop me? I am Evil incarnate. I cannot die!”

“Wrong,” and Phoebe’s sisters joined hands with her.

“No!” the Source yelled.

However, it was too late by then as the Charmed Ones cast the revamped vanquishing spell.

Prudence, Patricia, Penelope, Melinda,
Astrid, Helena, Laura, and Grace,
All Warren witches stand strong beside us,
Vanquish this evil from time and space.

The Source screamed in agony as the flames engulfed him. Piper threw the second potion into the flames. Just as the Source exploded, a dark cloud of energy rose through the air and headed toward Chris.

“Phoebe,” Cole yelled. Now!” and his soulmate her newest spell.

Powers once dark
Now become light
Remove the evil
And make it right

It was clear that the spell had its intended effect, for the dark energy began to change into bright white light just before it entered Chris’s body. As it did, Chris opened his eyes, and by the time he got to his feet, all of the light had entered him.

Piper looked at the demons still in the Chamber. “Anybody who doesn’t want to be vanquished, I suggest you leave now!”

The demons didn’t dare face the Charmed Ones after such a display of power; they shimmered out within seconds.

Meanwhile Phoebe and Cole walked slowly towards Chris. As they approached, they could see the pure joy in his eyes over being free. No longer would the Source whisper lies in his mind to make him destroy his family. The evil was gone, and Chris was himself again.

Chris walked to Phoebe and wrapped her in a tight embrace. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I love you so much, Mom.”

Phoebe could feel tears trickling down her cheeks. Her son loved her, and that fact truly made her feel whole again. Not only did she have her soulmate back, but now she had her own family. “I love you too, son.”

Cole wrapped his arms around both of them, happy and content holding his family in his arms. He had come full circle, and he knew that this was exactly where he wanted to be.

“Let’s go home.”

****

Cole blinked open sleepy eyes as sunlight fell across his eyes. For a moment, he didn’t remember where he was, but then he noticed the warm body resting on top of his, and he smiled. This was why he had put himself through the trials to get out of the Wasteland, so that he could wake up in the morning and Phoebe would be there with him. Slowly, almost reverently, he ran his hand through her dark hair.

Phoebe stirred and stretched. As she opened her eyes and saw Cole, she smiled and pulled herself up toward him. “Morning, baby,” and she leaned down to kiss his lips. “Did you sleep well?”

He grinned. “I haven’t slept that well in a long time.”

She giggled and wrapped her arms around him. He rubbed her back for a minute before he thought of something. He gently eased himself from under her and got out of bed.

“What’s wrong?” she anxiously asked.

Rather than answer, Cole walked to the vanity and looked in the mirror. He saw peace and joy in his eyes, and a look that can only be found in those who are good at heart. He breathed deeply, and turned back to Phoebe with a smile on his face. “Nothing’s wrong, baby. Everything is right. This is the first day I’ve looked myself in the mirror and come away content with what I’ve seen. I finally have everything I’ve been dreaming of. I have you; I have our son...and I’m going to marry you in a real church ceremony so we can be a real family. Do you know how good that makes me feel?”

“Yes, I do,” she smiled, “because I feel the same way, and oh, yes, I’ll gladly marry you again. “It scares me when I realize that I could have lost you forever, but I promise you, I will never turn my back on you again. Now come here. It’s the weekend, so we can cuddle for a little while longer.”

“Cuddling sounds just fine to me,” and he gladly got back into bed.

****

Lightning flashed in the sky of the Hosech realm. Not that it ever really stopped there. In such a place of nightmares, why would it?

Demons who had been exiled or banished roamed freely, killing each other for food when they had to for survival. No one was expected to survive for long in this place. Food was scarce, so unless a demon happened to be particularly powerful, it wasn’t likely he’d become someone’s dinner before the end of the first day.

Under the cover of a cave, a small two-year old fearfully watched the big demons battling each other. The boy really didn’t understand this well, but the small voice in his head said that one day the big demons would be doing what he told them instead of fighting.

A sudden noise made the boy turn around. He saw blue-white orbs entering the cave, and they came together to form a young man. The small voice told the boy to run away, but something in the man’s eyes told the boy not to be afraid, that the man was here to help him, not hurt him.

“It’s okay, little one,” Chris smiled. “I’m here to help.”

As he walked closer to the boy, his hands began to emit a soft white glow. The boy ignored the voice in his head and allowed the man to place his hands beside his head. As he did, the voice was suddenly snapped away, never to be heard again.

“Give me your hand,” and Chris held his out to the boy. “I’m taking you home.”

Tentatively, the boy put his hand in Chris’s.

****

“Cole, would you please pass the bagels?” Piper asked.

“Sure,” he said, picking up the basket and handing to her.

“You know,” Paige commented, “if somebody had told me two days ago that we’d be having breakfast with Cole, I’d have thought they were crazy.”

“And now?” Phoebe anxiously asked.

Paige grinned. “Well, now I don’t think I could imagine it without him.”

“That’s very sweet, Paige,” smiled Cole. “Thank you.”

“Here you go, Wyatt,” said Piper as she spoon-fed him some baby food. Looking around the table, she realized someone was missing. “Hey, where’s Chris?”

“I don’t know,” Phoebe admitted. “I haven’t seen him since before we went to bed last night.”

Just then, they heard the familiar chiming sound. “That must be him,” Phoebe smiled. As Chris walked into the room, she said, “Hey, Chris, you’re laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate...”

Phoebe trailed off as she saw what Chris was holding in his arms.

Chris grinned and looked down. He could tell the little boy in his arms was not afraid of these people. He could feel their goodness, and he knew they would take care of him.

“Chris...is that...is he...” Cole tried to say, but couldn’t get the words out.

Chris nodded. “I couldn’t very well let myself suffer the same fate twice, now could I?” He walked around the table to where Phoebe and Cole were sitting. “Do you want to hold him?”

Phoebe nodded with tears of joy in her eyes. Chris gently placed the boy in her arms, and the boy let out a little squeal of happiness as he snuggled into her chest. “Hi, sweetie,” she murmured. “I’m your mommy, and this big guy over here,” she said, indicating Cole, “is your daddy.”

“Hello, little one,” Cole said as he gently stroked the top of his son’s head with his hand.

Little Chris looked at Phoebe questioningly. “Ma...ma...mama?”

“Oh, my God,” and Phoebe brought a hand to her face. Hearing her son say those few words brought her more joy than she could possibly express in words. “Yes sweetie, mommy’s here,” she said softly. “Mommy and Daddy will always be here.”

The little boy smiled and gently rested his head back against Phoebe’s chest. Within moments, he was asleep, without nightmares of big scary demons chasing after him.

Phoebe sniffled as she looked up at the older version of her son. “Thank you, Chris.”

“No, Mom,” Chris smiled. “Thank you.”

As they watched, Chris slowly began to fade.

“What’s happening?” Cole demanded.

“All is as it should be now, Father,” said Chris, his voice taking on a slightly echoing quality. “The future has changed once again. But don’t worry,” he said with a smile. “You’ll see me again in about twenty years.” As Chris finally vanished, they could hear him say, “I love you all. Blessed be.”

Cole looked at Phoebe with all the love in his heart. “I’ve heard you all say those words so often, but I never understood them. But now with you and our son and in my life, I know what it means to truly be blessed.”

THE END

(Note from Es: Wouldn't you have LOVED to have seen that as the Season Six premiere rather than what we got stuck with?? I sure would.)[/quote]