"Reflections" [PG-13]

[SimplyAretha]

posted by Rina Keaton


TITLE: REFLECTIONS
AUTHOR: RFK
SERIES: CHA
CODE: All Characters
RATING: [PG-13] Mild adult language.
SUMMARY: The Halliwells, the McNeills and Darryl Morris reflect upon Cole's new romance with Olivia McNeill. AU Season 5.
FEEDBACK: [e-mail] - Be my guest. But please, be kind.
DISCLAIMER: The Charmed Ones, Cole, Leo, Darryl and other characters related to Charmed belong to Spelling, Kern, Burge and WB. @#%$!

NOTE: Spoilers for Season 4 episodes, “Charmed and Dangerous” thru “Long Live the Queen”; Season 5 episodes, “A Witch’s Tail”, “Magic Wears a Mask”, and “Necromancing the Stone”. There are also spoilers for the following stories, “Neighbors”, “Return With Vengeance”, “Second Power”, “Obssessions” and “A Wedding in Four Acts”.


"REFLECTIONS"

PART 1 - PAIGE MATTHEWS


You know, I still can't believe it! Olivia and Cole are dating. Two weeks have passed since this extraordinary phenomenon had first begun and I'm still in shock. In a happy way, of course.

Ever since that night when they had saved Phoebe, Piper and me from a group of warlocks, I knew this would happen. Cole and Olivia. And this epiphany happened before Cole and I became friends.

Piper thinks the reason I'm happy for Olivia and Cole, is because this means that Cole may no longer be interested in Phoebe. Geez! Piper is really leery of Cole becoming our brother-in-law, again. I tried to explain to her that Phoebe has nothing to do with how I feel. I'm simply happy for Cole and Olivia, because they're my friends.

It all started at the wedding, course. I'm talking about Bruce and Barbara's wedding. Cole and Olivia must have started their little romance, during the wedding reception. Cecile Dubois and I had just told them about Cecile's premonition - the one in which Olivia kills Cole, while that jerk, Paul Margolin, looks on. We had left them alone in the West drawing room, after telling them. Someone must have happened between them, after we left. Neither Olivia nor Cole could be found for at least two hours, after our conversation in the drawing room. Eventually, I had spotted Olivia near the buffet table, in the McNeills' garden, looking . . . hmmm, how to put this? Oh yeah, she had that . . . glow about her. You know, the post-coital kind. And Cole appeared beside her looking happy and slightly tired.

I'm not the only one who found out about them that day. Leo also found out what had happened . . . from Paul Margolin. Apparently, Paul had stumbled across them locking lips inside the McNeills' house. And immediately told Leo. Unsurprisingly, my brother-in-law and whitelighter flipped out. Even after he had told us the news after we had returned home from the wedding, Leo continued to @#%$ and moan about those two, all nightlong. Piper eventually had to tell him to shut up.

At least Paul is out of the picture. That guy really unnerves me, sometimes. From the moment I first met him, he seemed too . . . I don't know . . . perfect. In a way, he reminded me of Cole - when the latter was first possessed by the Source. Ugh! I still have bad memories of that time. And now, I get that same feeling with Paul. Only the latter isn't possessed by some demonic entity. I think that Paul is one of those people with a tendency to suppress their emotions out of some need to present themselves as perfect to the world. No one can repress his or her emotions for long. Sooner or later, people like that tend to end up as emotional wrecks.

Phoebe had never said a word that night. But over a week later, she rejected Jason's offer to accompany him to Hong Kong for a while. This all happened after Wyatt's Wiccaning, where I learned that my grandmother was such a die-hard man hater. She seemed very disappointed that Wyatt was not a girl. We also discovered that Grams once had a romance with a demon. Only this guy was not prepared to give up "the pursuit of evil" for love. As if he ever really loved Grams. I'm beginning to wonder if the family's troubles with men and relationships have to do with one Penelope Johnson Halliwell. I mean, come on! The woman has been married at least four or six times!

I also wonder if Cole and Olivia's new romance had led Phoebe to stay here in San Francisco and not join Jason. She claimed that she wanted to become closer to the family . . . especially Wyatt. Yeah . . . right! She certainly did not take Leo's news very well. Who am I kidding? She was upset. Very! So much so that she had spent the next few days following Barbara's wedding in a daze. When it became too much, she suddenly developed this deep interest in Wyatt's Wiccaning ceremony. Poor Pheebs.

Cole and Olivia seemed happy. They don't seem to be going through that "honeymoon" phase that most couples do when they become romantically involved. You know what I mean - that "teenagers in love" aura that I personally cannot stand. That type of behavior is soooo immature. Makes me want to throw up.

The McNeills don't seem bothered by Olivia being with Cole. I have to admit that I'm a little confused by their attitude. I mean . . . this is Cole I'm talking about. A powerful . . . well, very powerful half-demon with a century's worth of evil deeds. It's one thing if Cole was simply a friend or ally in the supernatural world. But a powerful half-demon as a potential in-law? Huh. I don't know. A part of me cannot help but wonder if they're being reckless. Until I remember what I've done in the past - tried to rip out the heart of a man I believed to be a child abuser; and kill my brother-in-law, who was merely a victim of demonic possession. Who am I to talk? I have to admire the McNeills for being open-minded about Cole. I only hope that their attitude doesn't bite them in the ass, one day. On the other hand, the McNeills' faith in Cole might end in the Halliwells eating crow.

* * * *

[SimplyAretha]

HARRY McNEILL:

What is the big deal about Olivia dating Cole? Apparently, very big to Leo. It's been over two weeks since the wedding . . . since my big sister had decided to date a half-demon, and Leo has not stopped bugging the family about the whole thing.

God! Has Leo ever bothered to look into the McNeill family history before becoming our whitelighter? I mean, for crying out loud, the McNeills are descended from an incubus. A demon! And the demon's own son was a powerful wizard, known for his ambiguous morals. Hell, warlocks dot not only the McNeill family tree, but the Morgans', as well. I recall Mom telling us about a Morgan warlock, known for her sadism. And of course, there is dear Aunt Rhiannon, who went berserk and killed a good number of warlocks and innocent witches named Bannen, before killing Olivia's fiancé. Now, if Leo had bothered to check on this, he would have understood why none of us seemed upset over the possibility of another demon in the family.

Okay, what did I just say? Cole, as a member of the family? Am I jumping to conclusions? Hmmm, maybe I am. But it's possible. After all, Olivia was once engaged to a former warlock. And to be frank, I wouldn't mind having Cole as a brother-in-law. Honestly. Of course, there is the danger that Cole might re-embrace the "dark path" and become difficult to kill. On the other hand, anyone one of us could do the same and decide to kill Cole by stripping away his powers first. Hell, this has already happened to him twice, thanks to Paige, a demon named Barbas and five warlocks out for revenge.

Besides, I like the guy. Cole, I mean. Like Bruce, he's a bit on the quiet side and a little intense. But he has a sharp wit that really appeals to me. Like the rest of the family, he's a movie buff and pretty good cook. Actually, Dad is not much of a cook, but who cares? Most importantly - Cole is no Adrian Chambers, Jason Dean or Paul Margolin.

I don't remember much about Jason Dean. When he and Olivia were dating, I was attending business school in London. I did get to meet him on a few occasions during the holidays, but he didn't particularly impress me. One thing I did recall about Jason - and this still holds true - he can be one domineering SOB. His little attempts to dominate Livy eventually drove her to dump him. Besides, Olivia is a pretty strong-willed person. She's not the type who would allow
someone else to dominate her. Well, except for her college boyfriend - Adrian Chambers. But that's another story.

We've only known Paul for a month-and-a-half, and already I'm not a big fan of his. He has that air of worldly goodness that really gets under my skin. The son-of-a-@#%$ would have made a great whitelighter. Any fool could tell that he and Olivia would not have lasted very long as a couple. Too different. Listen, I have nothing against the old "opposites attract" theory. Hell, my parents are living proof that it works. So are Bruce and Barbara . . . and Olivia and Cole, I must admit. But despite the differences within each couple, they share a few deep similarities. Something that Olivia and Paul lacked. Olivia and Paul were opposites who shared no similarities, whatsoever. Well, aside from being witches and having Leo as a whitelighter. But it's all superficial. It was just a matter of time before Livy realized that she never wanted Margolin in the first place.

Leo will simply have to face the fact that Olivia and Cole is a couple. An item. Will their relationship be a case of "till death us do part"? I have no idea. As my grandfather once told me - nothing in this life is certain.


* * * *

[SimplyAretha]

PHOEBE HALLIWELL:

I don't know why everyone is making such a big deal over Cole and Olivia. So they're dating. So what? I mean, why should I care? Cole is no longer in my life. And I have Jason. Even if he is thousands of miles away in Hong Kong, right now. Besides, it won't last. Cole's little romance with Olivia, I mean. Really! It won't last. Not as long as Cole remains a half-demon.

Two-and-a-half years of experience with Cole has taught me that despite all of his efforts to be good, he will not be able to keep up the noble warrior act forever. Sooner or later, he'll give into the temptation for evil. And he'll end up hurting a lot of people. Especially Olivia. It happened to Grams, when she got involved with that demon. It happened to me. And it'll happen to Olivia.

Yes, I know that Cole had not chosen to become the Source, last year. The McNeills, Cecile Dubois and Paige had made it perfectly clear that he had been a victim of demonic possession. And maybe he did suffer during those three months before we vanquished him. But my sisters and I had also suffered. And all because he had made a deal with the Seer to use the Hollow to steal the Source's powers. His rash decision had led to so much grief. Even after all of his words about turning over a new leaf, he killed again. Granted, Ed Miller was a piece of scum who had threatened to expose us as witches, but he was still a human. After that, I knew I wanted nothing to do with Cole again. Ever.

After I had finally divorced Cole, I figured that he would finally leave me alone. Or at least leave San Francisco for good. I had no idea that he would meet Olivia on the same day our divorce became final. Or that he would befriend not only her, but also the McNeills. And Paige. God, I can't believe Paige! My own sister! How could she become friends with him, after all he had put us through? But you know what? The shock from Paige and Cole's friendship seemed nothing in compare to what Leo had told us that . . .

What am I saying? That Cole's little romance with Olivia bothers me? Because it doesn't. Not at all. If Cole wants to get involved with someone that bitchy and sharp-tongued, he's welcome to her. Besides, everyone knows he doesn't really love her. Poor Olivia. She doesn't realize that she's being used as rebound. At least Jason doesn't have to worry about that. He has me and I have him. I certainly don't need one Cole Turner in my life. And I sure as hell could not care less about the other women with whom he might get involved. Besides, he's a liar. All of his talk about being in love with me was nothing but a lie. If Cole ha . . . really loved me, he would have never ended up involved with another woman. Especially someone like Olivia McNeill.


* * * *


DARRYL MORRIS:


I suppose that I should be surprised that Olivia and Cole ended up together. But I wasn't. I saw this coming . . . I don't know, maybe four or five months ago. Now, if someone had told me six months ago that this would happen, I wouldn't have believed a soul. Six months ago, I thought that Cole would be gone from the Halliwells' lives for good. Gone from my life, as well. I had no idea that I would be proved wrong - thanks to Olivia, her family and the San Francisco Police Department.

Because of my employers, Olivia and I ended up as partners. I never thought I would get another partner after Andy. The Department tried to assign me to one, following his death, but the partnerships never lasted. At least not until Olivia. Thanks to her and Cole saving me from possession by the spirit an evil Vodoun sorcerer, I got to know him a lot better. A lot more than I had imagined I would. That little incident also made me realize what Cole had went through when the Source possessed him. Six months ago, I would have never considered inviting Cole inside my home. Or me visiting his. Now it all seems normal to me. Just as being friends with two families of witches, two Vodoun priestesses and a priest, a guardian angel and a half-demon. Damn! It's a wonder I don't become some kind of magical being, myself.

Olivia and Cole's new relationship had really taken Sheila by surprise. I guess she never thought they would never be serious as a couple. She believed that Phoebe would be the only woman for Cole. I finally pointed out to her just how serious Cole and Olivia felt about each other. Sheila once said that I could smell love and romance at ten paces. And she's right. I had noticed her friend, Jerry Shimura's interest in some woman. And it didn't take me long to realize how Andy and Prue felt about one another. When Paul Margolin first arrived on the scene, it didn't take me long to figure out what was happening. Hell, even a blind man would have detected the jealousy and animosity that hung over Cole like a cloud, when Olivia began spending more time with Margolin. I was already aware Olivia's impatience at Cole's reluctance to jump into a romance. No wonder she had eventually turned to Margolin.

Phoebe doesn't seem to be taking the new romance very well. I guess I could jack it up to the fact that her boyfriend is miles away in Hong Kong. But I know better. Despite her attempts to distance herself away from Cole - especially after he had killed that slumlord, Ed Miller, and dating other men like Jason Dean, I think that she still loves him. Hell, it's so obvious, sometimes. Especially when I see her looking at Olivia with deep jealousy. But I don't think that Phoebe will ever accept Cole again. I think she's too scared to take a chance. On one hand, I can understand how she feels, considering her past experiences with Cole. However, I find it sad that she no longer has the courage to accept her true feelings. Sometimes I wonder if Phoebe has lost her chance for real happiness.

Do I feel that Olivia and Cole have a chance for future happiness together? I don't know. I don't even know if Sheila and I will be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary years from now, let alone our 20th. Life is so damn uncertain. I could say that it's a good chance that Cole would turn evil on us. But after my experiences with that witch, Nick Marcano, I guess I could say the same about Olivia, her family and the Halliwells. As a cop, I've met my share of so-called "decent" people who've committed some pretty horrible stuff.

All I can say is I'm glad for Olivia and Cole. And I hope they will make it as a couple. I really do. They deserve some kind of happiness.


* * * *

[SimplyAretha]

JACK McNEILL:

I am really developing a sincere dislike for whitelighters. Really! It's almost borderline hatred. If I had known that my daughter dating a half-demon would mean multiple visits from an annoying and self-righteous whitelighter, I would have done my level best to nip that relationship in the bud, months ago.
Yes, I have just endured another visit from the incomparable Leo Wyatt - namely my children's whitelighter. For the umpteenth time, he has just paid us a visit to @#%$ and moan over the dangers of Olivia's romance with Cole.

Sometimes I wonder if Leo thinks I'm an idiot. Do I think that Olivia and Cole's relationship is dangerous? Of course it is! We're talking about a powerful witch and an even more powerful half-demon, whom no one knows how to vanquish. I had reminded Leo that his marriage to Piper Halliwell is filled with danger. After all, they had conceived a very powerful child in Wyatt. Hell, many people thought it was dangerous of Gwen to marry me. And they were right - in a way. Both Gwen and I are powerful witches. Beings with our kind of power are dangerous. Even mortals, who exercise other kinds of power -military, political, economical, emotional and spiritual -, are capable of great danger. Power is dangerous. And so is love. I wonder if Leo realizes this.

The problem with people like Leo and the Halliwells (well, except for Paige) is that they believe they can mix love with safety and morality. People who think like that are dangerously shortsighted. They don't realize that love does not work that way. I would have thought that Phoebe Halliwell had learned this lesson during her marriage to Cole. I guess not.

Leo gave Gwen and me some doom-and-gloom prophecy about Cole and Olivia - or their child - being a danger to the . . . "forces of light". Forces of light? What the hell is this? BABYLON 5? And "their child"? Hell, Livy and Cole have only been dating for three weeks and already Leo has them married with kids. I asked him if a seer or prophet had predicted this gloomy future for the magical world. Would you believe it? The answer was no. Apparently, this 'prophecy' is merely a fear that has developed among the members of the Elders Council. God! Whitelighters!

I realize that I should be worried about Olivia being with Cole. After all, my only daughter is dating a powerful half-demon, who used to be one of the top demonic assassins for nearly a century. It's just . . . I don't know. My head tells me that Cole should be consider the worst kind of boyfriend for Livy. Yet, my instinct tells me that he is exactly what she needs in her life.

For a long time, I had feared that Olivia possessed the worst possible taste in men. Her taste seemed to veer in extremes . . . from the Gauche Ladies Men to the Dudley Do Rights. I don't think that Gwen and I had nothing to fear from the Ladies Men. Olivia had never seemed to take them seriously and her relationships with them barely lasted a month or two. The Dudley Do Rights proved to be a bigger problem. One Dudley Do Right in particular, a college boyfriend named Adrian Chambers, proved to be a first-rate son-of-a-@#%$. Not only had he managed to convince Olivia feel like the most morally bankrupt person in the world, he ended up breaking her heart by dumping her. I hope the bastard burns in hell. Unfortunately, he's still alive. Olivia had dumped Jason Dean - another Dudley Do Right - before he had the chance to prove he was another Adrian Chambers. As for Paul Margolin - I thank the God and Goddess that relationship never blossomed into romance. After meeting Margolin several times, I knew he would never make Livy happy. He's also a world-class bore.

What can I say about Cole? He was one of the toughest adversaries I had ever encountered. He came pretty close to stealing the Golem amulet in London, twenty-seven years ago. I've come to realize that although he's a bit reserved, he also shares the family's sarcastic wit. Besides, half-demon or not, anyone who is willing to start his or her life over again for the better, deserves a second chance. And whether Leo can accept it or not, I feel that Olivia and Cole need each other. Unlike poor Phoebe, I think that Olivia is capable of giving Cole the love he needs . . . and the chance to be his own man. And Cole seems to be one of the few people outside the family, capable of keeping Olivia in check without making her feel inferior. I love my daughter, but I do realize that she has a relentless and Machiavellian personality. Adrian Chambers' way of dealing with Livy's nature was stomp all over her self-esteem every chance he got. Now, Cole can be brutally honest with Olivia (and she with him) . . . but at least he doesn't make her feel like a child.

As far as I'm concerned, Olivia and Cole have my blessings. Naturally, I'm not going to advertise the fact. The last thing Olivia needs is family pressure over her relationships. But she and Cole have my blessings. And I'm going to tell Leo how I feel, the next time he . . . "drops in". And if he doesn't like my opinion - tough @#%$.

* * * *

GWENETH McNEILL:

Nearly a week has passed since Leo's last visit. Perhaps he has finally realized that his gloomy prophecies about Livy and Cole were falling on deaf ears. To be honest, it wasn't the realization that ceased Leo's visits. Last Saturday, Jack had threatened to use a darklighter's bow-and-arrow on him, if he continues to persist with his rants.

This last incident had its origins from an incident regarding Livy, Cole, Paige and that demon friend of Cole's - Riggerio. Apparently, the latter had helped the other three track down a warlock coven that had stolen a valuable sigil belonging to a museum curator, who also happened to be a friend of Nathalie Gleason. The confrontation had left Paige injured. While Cole and Olivia continued to track down the artifact and the remaining warlocks, Riggerio delivered Paige to the Halliwells' home. Needless to say, neither Leo nor the other Halliwells did not take kindly to having him appear in their home with a wounded Paige. This also prompted a last visit by Leo.

Leo lost his temper about Livy endangering the rest of us with her ties to demons like Cole and Riggerio. Before she could defend herself, Jack exploded and told Leo to "mind his damn business". And when Leo brought up an incident from Jack's past - saving a demon from a group of witches - out came the darklighter's bow-and-arrow. How my husband managed to get his hands on the bloody thing, is beyond me. I don't recall any recent encounter with a darklighter.

Like most whitelighters and a great number of others, poor Leo suffers from a bipolar viewpoint. The whitelighter that Rhiannon and I shared certainly did. It was a philosophy that Rhiannon had embraced with great enthusiasm. During his rant, last Saturday, Leo also pointed out that Olivia's relationship with Richard Bannen - a former warlock - had led to Rhiannon's death. Now, I had loved my sister. I still do. But in all honesty, the only one to blame for her death . . . was Rhiannon and that bloody-minded temper of hers. After her husband's death at the hands of one of Richard's cousins, she had allowed her desire for revenge to destroy herself, Richard and numerous other Bannens, who were innocent of her husband's death.

In a way, Rhiannon reminds me of Nick Marcano and his "attempt" to win Barbara from Bruce. Poor Nick. Granted, what he tried to do to Bruce was abominable, but considering the unhappy life he had, I was not really surprised that he finally went batty. And poor Carla. She had looked so guilty and sad, when Olivia informed her of Nick's death. As if she had failed him. Although the other Bianchis weren't exactly wracked with grief, they all left the wedding ceremony before it had begun.

From what Cole had told me, he had found himself at a point where he believed that he needed Phoebe to prevent himself from sliding into darkness. He came dangerously close to making the same mistake as Nick. Instead of recognizing his emotional state, the Halliwells and Leo did their level best to push him away. He finally gave in and granted Phoebe a divorce. Poor bastard. He had confronted the Halliwells and Leo's self-righteousness and failed. How odd. I remember when Leo used to be more open-minded in the past. Now, he has become such a narrow-minded ponce. I suspect that my children are finding it difficult to like (although never a problem for Harry). As for the Halliwells, they possess that same flaw. Probably inherited from that grandmother of theirs - Penelope. I never liked that bloody @#%$. She had made my life difficult, at times, because Jack had ended up marrying me, instead of her precious Patty. After seeing her at Wyatt Halliwell's Wiccaning, I noticed that she had not changed at all.

How on earth did Cole managed to endure nearly two years with that family? Granted, I'm sure that he has his own flaws, but dealing with Halliwells? It boggles the mind. He must have loved Phoebe very much to put up with her family. Which brings me to another matter. Is Cole still in love with Phoebe, despite his feelings for Olivia? I wonder. I don't have any problems with Olivia dating Cole. But I fear that deep down; he still has feelings for his ex-wife. And one day, the issue of him and Phoebe will come out - leaving Olivia the loser. God, I hope I'm wrong.

* * * *

[SimplyAretha]

LEO WYATT:


There are days when I truly resent accepting the Elders' offer to become a whitelighter. During my first forty-three years guiding witches, those moments of regret were rare. It was not until I became Bruce and Olivia's whitelighter in the late 80s that it became frequent. After I became the Halliwells and Harry's whitelighter, regret seemed to hit me on a weekly basis.

Why won't they listen to me? By "they", I mean the McNeills and Paige. Especially Olivia. She is involved with someone who is very dangerous. I'm talking about Cole, of course. My former brother-in-law. God, I can't believe that the Source of All Evil used to my brother-in-law. Even after a year, I still haven't lived this down among my fellow whitelighters. It had been bad enough when Cole and Phoebe were involved. Cole had come close to destroying the Charmed Ones on several occasions. Okay, he had also saved their lives. But when he became the Source . . . every time I look back on that moment when we first realized what he had become, I couldn't help but wonder if I had failed Piper and her sisters. Especially Phoebe. Cole had been acting strange for a period of three months and all we did was excused his behavior, because we thought he was still a mortal. Or wanted to believe it. We had ignored Paige's warnings, because we felt that we knew Cole a lot better, and she was an inexperienced witch.

Looking back on it now, I think that Cole's three-month stint as the Source had really affected me. Affected us. When Piper and the others finally killed him, I was so relieved. He was finally gone. And no longer in our lives. Unfortunately . . . he came back, and more powerful than ever. I was determined that he would never get involved with the Charmed Ones again. In the end, it was Cole who guaranteed that by killing that mortal, Ed Miller. But . . . my luck didn't last forever. Last November, Olivia had moved into Cole's apartment building. The two became neighbors, and eventually close friends.

In a way, I understand why those two found each other's company so appealing. Both shared an ambiguous outlook on morality that makes me uncomfortable. It's an outlook that the entire McNeill clan shares. I can't help but wonder why the Elders had assigned me to Bruce, Olivia and Harry in the first place. I had heard about their father - Jack McNeill. Back in the late 60s, he had become involved with a powerful top-level demon accused of murdering a witch's coven. Mr. McNeill not only saved the demon's life from other witches who were trying to vanquish the demon, but also convinced them that the latter was innocent of the murders. Oh yeah. Is it any wonder why Cole would become friends with the McNeills?

However, the worse has happened. Once again, Cole has become romantically involved with a witch. And this witch, like Phoebe, happens to be one of my charges. But I know that he's not in love with Olivia. This latest romance is merely a case of rebound for Cole. Since he can't have Phoebe, I guess he figured that Olivia would do.

There's another reason why Olivia and Cole's relationship must end. He's a powerful half-demon and she's a powerful witch and possibly the Bearer of the Aingeal Staff - which means she will be just as powerful as the Power of Three, when she acquires the staff in some kind of ceremony in Scotland, two weeks from now. The Elders feel that such a match will prove to be a danger to us all - the Whitelighter Realm and other practioners of magic . And there's a good chance they're right. After all, they did predict that the Charmed Ones would vanquish the Source. And if Piper and I can conceive a child as powerful as Wyatt, can you imagine how Olivia and Cole's child would turn out, if they ever conceive one?

If only Olivia hadn't dumped Paul Margolin! They were perfect for each other. When I heard that Paul was looking for a new job, I found out about the opening at the District Attorney's Office. It was the perfect opportunity to bring him out here and introduce him to Olivia. But, she dumped him. Or to more accurate, she made it clear that she was only interested in friendship and nothing else. Then a few hours later, Paul caught her and Cole in one of the McNeills' bedrooms, doing "you-know-what". What a damn mess! The Elders were furious over what happened. God! If only . . .

Wait a minute! What had one of the Elders told me, last January? Oh yeah. Now I remember. Olivia's theory about vanquishing the Source. I had dismissed it back then, since Piper and her sisters were destined to kill the Source, themselves. But thinking about it now, I also remember Cecile Dubois' premonition about Olivia killing Cole. Is it possible that Cecile had foreseen Olivia applying her vanquishing theory to Cole? I wonder if that future will still come to pass. I don't dare bring it up with Olivia. But perhaps I can convince Paul to mention it to her. Someday.


THE END