Eternal Flame
part 1
"Daddy, why do they always put all of that mushy stuff inside?"
"Well...so you can use it to scare all of those kids who make fun of your costume. Add a little food coloring to it, and you've got fresh brain matter on your hands."
"Eww," Alexandra Turner whispered, as she quickly placed her hands protectively over her green eyes.
Cole Turner chuckled briefly to himself, as he regarded the knife seated directly across the table, working it into position upon the large orange pumpkin before him. He quietly pursed his lips, as he lightly scratched his slightly scruffy profile. "But I guess it's just you and me tonight."
"More candy for us," she added excitedly.
"So how many teeth should we give him?"
"Ten," she replied matter of factly, entirely serious.
"Ten?!" he exclaimed, playfully widening his eyes at her, as he gently carved out a triangular nose. "I think that's even a little too complicated for an ex demon to master."
"Three?"
"Much better." He frowned a moment then, studying the round object one last time, as he raised an eyebrow somewhat thoughtfully at his incomplete creation. "I think I'm seeing a slight resemblance to your Aunt Paige already."
Alex giggled, as she slowly fished a couple of M&M's from the bowl to her right, shoving them absentmindedly into her mouth.
"Your mom would kill me if she knew you were stealing from the stash. You do realize that, young lady, don't you?" But he grabbed a couple for himself, quickly consuming them, as he fought to make sense of the tightly closed expression of the Jack O' Lantern, his hands now fully clothed in the remaining substance located inside. "But what she doesn't know..."
"You cheated too, Daddy," she accused, smiling.
"I did," he agreed, laughing softly.
"Why does Mommy always spend so much time with them?" she asked suddenly, as a tiny finger calmly examined a seed that lay extracted upon the wood, turning it over slowly within her grasp. She looked up at him then, as she nervously shifted in her chair, her feet tucked beneath her.
Cole stopped, the knife once again residing upon the table, as he directed his gaze completely to his little girl, his blue eyes softening a bit in response. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, she's always doing things with them," she mumbled, her voice just above a whisper. "But that field trip I have for school-"
"What field trip, sweetheart?"
"Mommy didn't tell you?"
He slowly shook his head, his visage falling, as a saddened expression claimed his handsome face. He turned himself so he was facing her completely, as his gaze met her eyes. "No," he whispered softly. "When was it?"
"It's tomorrow," she offered. "November. Our class is taking a trip to a museum. They said the parents could come and help, so I volunteered Mommy."
"Why didn't-"
"You looked so busy," she told him, shrugging. "Mommy kept saying you had a lot of cases, and weren't getting sleep."
"Sweetheart, I'm never too busy for you. Ever. You...you should've asked. You could've just- I wouldn't have minded the interruption."
"It's not a big deal," she added. "Besides, it's cool that you're taking me out treat or treating."
"What time is the class trip tomorrow?"
"Daddy-"
"What time?" he insisted.
"The bus leaves at nine o'clock in the morning," she confirmed.
"I'll be there," he assured her firmly, offering her a short half smile, winking slightly. "And you know, just because your mom takes care of your brother and sister like she does, has nothing to do with her feelings for you at all. They haven't changed. You're still our little girl, and we still love you just as much."
She considered this a moment, as she propped both hands beneath her chin, her lips slowly forming a short grin. "Am I still your favorite?" she asked him quietly, her eyebrows raising themselves in sudden curiousity.
"Always," he confessed, throwing her another wink. "So what have you guys been studying, anyway? Anything I'd be familiar with?"
"They don't teach demonology, remember?" a voice quipped, as the figure entered the kitchen, yawning briefly as she slowly helped herself to a chair, rubbing her eyes clean of sleep.
"Is it the hours again?" Cole asked, smiling. "Or just staying out a bit too late?"
Paige Matthews frowned, rolling her eyes. "Not that it's any of your business, but as it so happens- I did meet someone last night. Though, just between you and me, I doubt it's anything serious."
"Oh, that's too bad," he sided quietly, shrugging.
"Really."
"Yeah. I mean, it looks like we still can't give you away to a good home. And to think....this one probably had furnishings and the whole shot."
"You told me-"
"And I don't," he cut in. "But the way I see it, you haven't even been making the effort."
"But as of right now, I don't know what you and Phoebe would do without me."
"Oh...I'm not so sure about that. We'd probably just move to the middle of nowhere with no return address," he offered, easily edging the stem back onto the pumpkin, sealing it, as he quietly inspected his work.
"Well, in that case, all you'd be doing is making more babies."
Alex giggled, as she brought the work of art closer to her, glancing at its new expression, her gaze traveling to the toothless smile, one just a bit longer than the other in size upon the top row. "You know, you're right, Daddy- this does look like Aunt Paige."
"What?"
"Ssshhh," he mouthed to his daughter, widening his eyes at her in a rather desperate attempt, as he quickly reached for a candle to his left. "Anyone seen the matches?"
"Cole Turner, if that isn't the lowest-"
"Joking," he insisted lightly. "No harm, no-"
"And do you recall that lovely little discussion we had way back when about family jewels?"
"Family what?"
"Look, either way, I'm not in the mood. I don't know if they're going to keep me on my shift today, let alone the rest of the week. I worked my butt off for that loser, and all he can continue to offer me is minimum wage. How sad is that?"
"Welcome to the real world."
"Thank you," she noted sarcastically, sighing.
"Plus...you have to start somewhere, right?" He carefully lit the conglomeration of wax in front of him, softly blowing out the fire he had consumed within his hand. Alex shot him a look of pure surprise, as her mouth opened at the hint of magic being put to the test. Picking it up under one arm, he gave his daughter a quiet smile, his free hand settling loosely against his side- still covered in a heavy dose of orange goo. "Is Phoebe still upstairs?"
Paige nodded tiredly, slumping her head down upon the table. "I think she just took a shower."
"Perfect," he murmured, a smile spreading over his gorgeous countenance.
"Trick or treat!" several voices rang out then, as a few muffled tones formed at the doorway, a pile of laughter slowly following.
"Can you get that one?" he offered softly. "I...suddenly seem to have a...previous engagement I have to get to."
"Oh. Yeah. Right," she countered, rolling her eyes once more. "I'm sure you do. You know, maybe you and your wife should start thinking about how many children you already have now, hmm?"
"Alright. Fine. Let's...just do this your way then, okay? I'll...take extreme pity on the fact that you may just be unemployed the next day, and will do my utmost best to further see that you get your beauty rest for the night." His features faded rather quickly, as he glared at her. "Happy?"
"Much."
"Ally, you want to grab that bowl?"
"Shouldn't you have...packaged them?" his sister in law wondered aloud, her gaze reaching the M&M's.
"There's candy bars out in the foyer," Cole confirmed, shrugging. "If they know they're getting it for free..."
"Good point," she murmured, as her eyes already began to close.
"And try not to drool on the dinner table, okay? I'm having a co-worker over a little later, and I'd hate to see the deposition papers covered in it."
"Funny."
"Trick or treat, smell our feet, give us something good to eat!!!"
"Is it me, or do you think they get more impatient every year?" he questioned, his face exhibiting an expression of pure puzzlement. "And I am not smelling any feet tonight."
Alex laughed. "Not for real, Daddy."
"What?"
"They just say it because they think it's cool."
"Is that what it is?" he mused, slowly smiling, as he lay the pumpkin down by the door, readjusting the sleeves of his gray sweater with his clean hand, as it settled itself hesitantly upon the knob.
"Trick or treat!" the group echoed once more, as they finally revealed themselves. A little girl of about eight, stood adorned in a fairy outfit, her pink slippers completely caked with dirt, as she eagerly held out a large bag in Cole's direction. Another- a boy dressed as a Ninja Turtle, grasped a single sword in his hand, his look hinting at pure menance. Three others were behind them- a witch, a ghost, and a rather short boy clothed in skateboarding attire. When the former demon finally caught sight of the tall man in the black shoes and suit, he offered a slight chuckle, propping a hand neatly beneath his elbow, as it went to his lips. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you a little old to be trick or treating?"
"Coming from you, Turner, that would be an understatement."
"Darryl!" Alex exclaimed brightly.
"So you don't know these kids?"
"No. But what I've got is a little info you might want to know," he cleared up. "The guys are around patrolling tonight, and-"
"Hey, Mister, are you gonna give us our candy, or what?" the Ninja Turtle asked, crossing his arms over his chest, as he stuck his plastic weapon deeply into the shell of his costume.
Cole quickly let a handful of M&M's drift into the bag the boy then offered to him, absentmindedly shutting the door behind him. A bunch of protests followed then, as the remaining children began to whine, their cries carrying through the night. The ex demon handed the bowl back to his daughter, as he eyes up the detective suspiciously. "What's going on?"
"You may want to sit down for this," Darryl Morris advised quietly.
Cole narrowed his eyes. "Supernatural?"
"Oh yeah. Looks like we've got a real problem on our hands in the neighborhood. Your neighborhood, as fate would have it. They could be around to question you, so I'd think about being prepared, alright?"
"So...are you warning us to save our butts, or...did you just come to leave us in the dark?"
"Ghosts," he replied simply. "Well...one very angry ghost, to be specific. He's doing a great job of terrorizing the town, and we can't do a damn thing about it."
"Ghostbusters?" he suggested hopefully. "I hear their hotline is open twenty-four hours a day...or night."
"Funny."
"Then why are you....not laughing?"
"Look, I'm going to be honest here. And you probably won't like me saying this, but- I don't think it comes as any surprise that the three of them haven't exactly been keeping in the game lately. You know?"
"With what?"
"Activity?" he countered. "It's getting bad out there."
"Halloween is typically a breeding ground for demons to roam free," Cole explained. "Despite the fact that they're enacting violence, I'm not sure they really mean to-"
"Are you telling me the woman who just went into a coma about fifteen minutes ago, was perfectly okay with it? C'mon, Cole. I may not have the power to fight these things, but I know trouble when I see it. This guy is trouble."
"Actually, I think you mean entity," he corrected, completely smug. "And I'll be taking my daughter out in a little bit, so we'll-"
"You'd better," Darryl told him, a frown slowly creeping across his face. "Because I don't know how long I can keep covering your-"
"Okay, little girl in the room," Cole cut him off, his eyes widening, as he indicated Alex. "Watch it, okay?"
"Yeah....whatever. Just take care of it, alright? I don't exactly need anymore unsolved cases to add to the list."
"Are you going to stay, Darryl?" Alex pleaded. "We have Snickers."
The detective smiled then, in spite of the situation, and bent down to the petite girl's level. "I have to get back to work, Alex. But thanks for the offer."
"Oh," she sided, her mouth forming a slight pout.
"How's your grandfather been these days?"
"He never wants to do anything but Bingo," she added sadly.
He laughed. "He has his own place?"
"Just recently," Cole added. "We found this great little condo down by the water that he really took to. Of course...I'm still supporting him on my salary, and that's-"
"And he's normal now?" Darryl put in, as his eyes grew slightly suspicious.
"Normal?" Cole inquired, shrugging.
"I mean....he's better since the ship incident, right?"
"I...don't see how he was any different before it," the ex demon countered briefly.
"Ranting and raving about Elizabeth is hardly-"
"Yeah, and I can assure you he's long been over her," Cole offered, clapping his hands together. "So.... If you don't...mind, and you'd like to stop nagging my family- I'd like to tell my wife I'm on my way out."
"Cole-"
"I'll take care of it," he promised.
"But you may need all-"
"And if need be, I'm sure they can write a spell."
"He better be gone by tomorr-"
"Done," Cole offered simply, as he let him out of the house.
**********
"Phoebe?"
"In here!"
"Think we might have a change of plans," he said quietly, raising his eyebrows.
She easily slipped a spaghetti strap top over her head, as she glanced at him worriedly. "Is it the twins?"
"No...no. Darryl," he emphasized, his hands still remaining tightly clasped behind his back, as he entered the room they shared, carefully gazing at her attire, a slow smile spreading across his features.
She met his glance with a bit of uncertainty, as she scrunched up her nose, her hands fumbling nervously, as they went back to her shirt. "You don't like it?"
"There's a spirit on the loose," he told her. "He wants us to take care of it, so...."
"But the-"
"I'll go," he confirmed. "I have to take Ally out anyway, and-"
"Don't you think that might be a little dangerous?"
"She's still learning," he admitted, nodding. "But that's not to say we shouldn't be trying- she's faced far worse than a ghost, Phoebe. Remember? The Dark- queen of all evil?"
"No, I think that was your mother," she confirmed, smiling.
"That may just cost you, Mrs. Turner."
"Will it?" she teased, her bare feet treading silently along the carpet, as she inched closer to him, a small smile clouding her pretty face.
"You never told me about her trip."
"Trip?"
"The museum?"
"Oh...yeah. Alex's class is studying Egyptian history, and-"
"I offered to accompany her there."
"I couldn't get a sitter for Ben and Abby, so I thought-"
"They've certainly been crying less though," he observed, offering a soft laugh. "I guess that's an improvement, isn't it?"
"I think so," she whispered. "But are you sure you're up for that? I mean, it was strictly voluntary, and I'm sure Alex would understand if you want to back out. She knows that-"
"She told me...and I still want to spend the time with her. I think she's at a point now where's she's really been feeling more left out than anything else."
"And if my job was-"
"It's not your fault. We've all been more occupied lately than we'd like," he assured her, his voice just above a whisper.
"So I guess you'll be leaving then?"
"Well...I did tell Darryl I'd really love to give my wife a proper goodbye first."
"Did you?"
"And in the spirit of Halloween, what's a little more fun, right?"
"Cole-"
"But you've had a rough day, haven't you?"
"Whatever you're-"
He revealed his hands then, completely covered in a mess of pumpkin assortment, as he started towards her, a small cry escaping her lips as she attempted to dodge him. She leapt upon the bed as he came after her, her feet falling back onto the softness below, her long brown hair falling into her eyes as she struggled to flee. Screaming, she helplessly backed into the wall, as he quickly cornered her, his lips brushing softly against her own, as she offered a slight cry in protest. But it slowly weakened soon after it had begun. She responded wholeheartedly to him, as she kept one eye open to glance at the substance staining his hands. "Mmm, don't you dare."
"Or what?" he asked quietly.
"Or I'm going to-"
A shiver traveled up her spine, as he slowly let his hands wander beneath the fabric of her shirt, easily resting upon her bare skin. "You were saying?"
"I could just kill you, you know that?" she whispered, a big grin spreading across her features.
"But then we just go back to been there, done that," he argued playfully. "And besides, you sound too much like Paige."
"Could that possibly have been an understatement?" She let a hand slowly trace the stubble upon his profile, calmly wandering over the rough five o'clock shadow. She gently let them fall over his lips then, as she squinted her eyes at him, her mind appearing to be deep in concentration.
"Oh, so you're saying you're worse?"
She hit him softly in the chest, shaking ever so slightly from the sudden cold he'd just applied to her body. "Paige is just trying to find out who she is right now."
"You mean, still trying to," he noted.
"What do you mean?"
"She's been so unsure about a lot lately. The job, the fact that she has to go out and starting looking for somewhere else to live- which if you don't mind me saying...is long overdue."
"That department store-"
"She's been complaining about her hours, and she was pretty much still asleep when she came downstairs. It's say she's basically been a wreck these past few weeks."
"I told her it wasn't- she didn't have to help with the little ones," she said softly.
"But she does," he added. "And I guess she thinks it has to count for something."
"Dinner?"
"Now? But I just-"
"No," she laughed. "I mean, for Paige. Maybe we should treat her- show her how appreciative we are."
"Then that would mean I'd have to like her," he quipped, slowly raising his eyebrows. "And we both know right now that that will never happen."
"You can be so difficult sometimes, you know that?"
He placed a light kiss at the top of her nose, as he felt her rest her face against his, ever so softly. "By the way, I think you might want to keep an eye on the front door. We...might have a very angry fairy breaking it down shortly."