Eternal Flame
part 2
"Has anyone seen my car keys?" Cole Turner rang out, his feet shuffling listlessly back and forth, as he nervously fumbled through the pockets of his jacket.
"Daddy, can we go now?" Alex pleaded softly, as she offered a slight pout from the stairwell, her feet tucked neatly beneath her dress, as she continued to sit upon the top step, her hand perched below her chin. "If we don't leave soon, all of the other kids are going to get the good stuff."
"Keys," he mumbled. "Need to find...."
"Why do you- can't you just shimmer?" Phoebe Halliwell asked lightly, as she came up from behind her daughter, a sleeping Abby resting calmly within her grasp. She gently tucked a small outstretched hand to the little girl's chest, as the baby contentedly offered a sigh of pure relief.
Cole's gaze softened at the sight of them, as he slowly stopped pacing, his eyes falling on the pair with a fairly amused smile. He ran a hand along his stubbled chin, as he chuckled silently to himself. Half the time he often forgot what his life had truly become- forgotten that he had actually been allowed to live it. But the woman in front of him expected nothing extraordinary from him, and he'd provided her with the same notion in return. They didn't have to prove anything to each other anymore...and that was something he'd never take for granted. "Nothing bothers her, does it?" he whispered.
"What time do you think you'll be back?" she asked him hopefully, her expression slightly faltering.
"Well, I told Paige to try and scry for this guy- but apparently she still finds sleeping takes up a better part of her day."
"But he's not a demon-"
Cole shook his head. "Doesn't matter. We still should have been able to get some kind of reading on him, regardless."
"So...."
"So, I'm going to use my sensing powers until we can find a possible location," he finished, shrugging. "Seems to be the only possible solution to this madness, doesn't it?"
"He isn't going to take the candy too, is he?" the tiny response continued.
"Not if he doesn't want it to go right through him," Cole offered, throwing her a huge grin.
"That's disgusting," Alex added, scrunching up her nose.
"Do you want to take my car?" his wife asked then. "I know it doesn't-"
"Weren't you supposed to take it into the shop last week?"
"Yeah, well, you sorta forget these things when you're slowly becoming a mother full time," she concluded, her voice just above a whisper.
"And we talked about this. If Rip Van Winkle in there doesn't want the responsibility anymore, we can call my father. I'm sure he'd be great with the kids. Ally loves him, and-"
"Yeah, and you're probably older than Rip Van Winkle," a voice quipped, as it entered the foyer, the white slippers immediately pressing to a brief halt.
"Paige," he exclaimed softly. "So lovely of you to grace us with your presence again."
"I'm coming," Phoebe said stubbornly, her mouth set in a determined line.
"What?"
"I'm coming," she repeated, entirely serious. "If this ghost is as dangerous as Darryl said, you're going to need some help-"
"Yeah, and the kids need you more than I do," he whispered. "Right now, you're needed here."
"We won't be gone long," she protested. "Look, he's on our block, isn't he?"
"Phoebe-"
"And....I just happen to have a pair of car keys for a certain Explorer here that I'd love to put to good use," she replied smuggly, as she threw him a smile.
"You're in your pajamas."
She calmly laid the sleeping baby carefully into her sister's arms, as she fished rapidly through the pockets of her plaid bottoms.
"Are you going to be a girl at a slumber party for Halloween, Mommy?" Alex piped up.
Cole offered a soft laugh. "In that case, am I invited?"
"And I told you we'll finish that later," his wife whispered, as she nonchalantly bit her lower lip.
"Ugh. I don't wanna know, believe me," Paige scoffed, as she gently rolled her eyes.
"Look, I honestly don't need the extra assistance," he tried again, his hands forming helpless fists at his sides. "We've handled some similar cases on our own before, and I don't see how this time is any different."
"Darryl said something about a coma, didn't he?"
"Were you listening in the whole time?" he asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow curiously in response.
"Maybe."
"Really."
"Either way, I can't just sit here and- look, I need to get out and do something."
"Phoebe, I'm entirely capable of dealing with this."
"You heard the man," Paige sided, bringing Abby closer to her, as she shifted her arms lightly in position.
"I'll only be a few houses down...at the most. And besides, there is no way I'm letting you out of the house dressed like that."
"Would it help if I was still covered in the pumpkin?" she asked him quietly, a grin spreading faintly across her pretty face.
"And again, not exactly wanting to know what goes on upstairs," her sister added, her eyes widening, a hint of shock present within her voice.
"Phoebe, the bottom line is, I'd still like to have a wife to come home to. We have absolutely nothing to go on concerning his motives, and I'd appreciate it if-"
"Yeah, and I'd still like see you back here tonight too."
"Daddy, can we go before I get really sleepy?" Ally questioned, as she slowly stood up, her glitter coated headband easily falling helplessly into her eyes. "If we don't go soon, I might get tired."
"Get your coat, sweetie," he advised.
"Cole-"
"Look, if you go with us and something happens, you won't be here when I get back, will you?"
"I-"
"Now do you finally see where I'm coming from?"
"But you said it yourself. Halloween is a time when demons come out to play. Even if this thing is really bad, I really don't think he'll be bothering anyone after tonight."
"You really think these ghosts are that predictable?"
"Either way, you're going to have to catch me first."
"Now wait a minute- dammit. Phoebe!"
"Daddy, let's go!" Alex proudly jumped up, as she wasted no time in pursuing her mother, her small feet struggling to catch up, as her hands grasped a firm hold upon her long dress.
"Send me a postcard," Paige offered, waving them on.
"This is all your fault, you know that?"
"Excuse me?"
Cole offered a slight glare at his sister in law, as he toyed with the zipper on his jacket, frowning ever so slightly. "Please make sure they're still here when we-"
"I'm practically the full time babysitter," she mused, her voice tainted with a somewhat sarcastic tone. "I think I can take care of these two without a problem."
"And if Darryl stops back? Tell him we've got it under control, alright?"
"Are you sure about that?"
"There's no reason to put him in the line of fire, if we don't have to," Cole mused hopefully.
"And once you get rid of one, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to find the others. Vanquishing this guy won't take away the threat that exists elsewhere."
"Contrary to popular belief, there are some ghosts who just happen to be very friendly."
**********
"Xavier?"
"Yes, Your Grace?"
"Who is that man?"
Her opponent turned around, the shadows from his horns making a slight impression within the shadows of the street, his blue lips forming a slight grimace. "The one with the child?"
"Who is he?" she asked again, a bit more persistently, as she placed a single heel in front of her upon the cold pavement, her slender arms finding their way across her chest.
"Perhaps not so much a demon, as he is a man," Xavier replied, shrugging indifferently at the sight before them.
"Do you always speak such nonsense?" she returned, her eyes calmly narrowing at him, as she raised her eyebrows in a fairly annoyed gesture.
"He isn't like us, if that's what you mean. He lost his title a very long time ago. Now, he merely pretends he's among them so he can raise his family in peace."
"He's gorgeous," she whispered softly, her voice doting upon her realization with great strength. "I had no idea they made former demons so perfect."
Xavier rolled his eyes, meeting her intent stare rather reluctantly. "And he's also currently attached. To a witch."
"A witch?"
"You honestly know nothing of who they are?"
"The curse still exists," she proclaimed widely, her face lighting up into a tightly amused smile, as her hands fell seductively to her hips. "We just need to bring it to life again."
"Cliched," he replied simply, chuckling quietly to himself. "You really think you're any different than the others who've tried before you? They'll just add you to their long list of those they've turned to dust over the years."
"Maybe not."
"What?"
"I want him," she sided. "He could be very good for us."
"Us? Um...maybe you're not exactly clear on the concept, Your Grace. See...in order for there to be an us, we'd have to be working together in an official capacity. And I'll sure as hell be damned if I'm getting stuck with you."
"I'll split half the riches with you," she told him, as she nervously biting down upon her lower lip, her gray eyes continuing to track the figure a short distance away.
"Typical," he breathed.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Well, forgive me for not hiding the fact that I just don't buy it."
"Xavier, I sense something special about him. Something....quite extraordinary, in fact."
"That's what you said-"
"He's not like them."
"Celia, the Underworld is still ruled by madmen. To fail in their eyes, would be a crime against humanity."
"Well, we both know I'm as far from human as humanly possible."
"If he awakens, you're going to wish-"
"But that's the whole idea, isn't it?"
"I don't-"
"Xavier, I miss him. I miss him so damn much, you know? He needs me, and I can't even get to him. I can't still tell him that I love him."
"Does talking to a bag of bones always suit your fancy like this?"
"He needs life....a new face..." She set her mouth in a determined line. "A body. His body."
"You're crazy."
"Maybe. Though I still can't seem to put my finger on why you appear so eager to doubt me."
"They killed The Source," Xavier pointed out, quietly gritting his teeth, as he immediately averted his gaze. "Of all evil? In case you're unaware of it, that isn't something you just forget."
"The Dark knew of it, and so did Stephen," she mused carefully. "You know...I think you forget, Xavier, that my means of attack often go unnoticed. I work in the shadows."
"Either way, you're going to get yourself in a bind, Your Grace. And when you do, don't expect me to bail you out."
"You will join my side," she whispered. "Sooner or later....I know you'll give in."
"It's a perfectly damn good lost cause," he hissed, as he quickly blinked out in a fit of rage.
**********
"So who was she again?"
"Neferukheb," Alex replied happily. "We learned about her in my class, Daddy."
"Nefer who?" he returned, raising an eyebrow in complete puzzlement.
"Neferukheb. She was a princess with the eighteenth dyninasty."
"Dynasty," Phoebe corrected her daughter, throwing her a small smile, as she shivered rather faintly- her arms securing themselves around her chest.
"She was the daughter of Tut the first," the little girl continued. "But she died before she could rule the world."
"Rule the world?" Cole echoed briefly. "Hmm. I guess things really haven't changed in the ongoing quest for power." He paused a moment. "Was she evil?"
"No, Daddy, she was very good. She was buried in Thebes."
"Is that right?" he asked, easily draping his jacket across his wife's shoulders, wincing slightly, as he scanned the contents of the abandoned house once more, his blues continuing to pick up nothing but a mere vacancy.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"This is exactly why I told you not to come," he told her softly.
"Why didn't Mrs. Wendall give me more candy?" Alex asked then, as she carefully pulled a Nestle Crunch out of her bag. "This one is too small."
"Mrs. Wendall is on a fixed income," Phoebe explained. "She doesn't have as much as she used to spend on the kids for the holidays."
"She has kids? Isn't she kind of old?"
"Her grandchildren," Cole filled in. "Least....I hope so."
"So where is he?" Phoebe countered, her brown eyes drifting calmly over the darkness surrounding the empty interior.
"I don't know."
"But you-"
"Maybe I need to brush up on my sensing," he added, shrugging. "Either way, I know there's something here. Demonic in origin...maybe....harmful, maybe not."
"So you have absolutely nothing concrete to go on here?"
"Patience is a virtue."
"But one that not everyone has," Phoebe reminded him.
"Honey, if you want, you can go back to the car-"
"Speaking of the car- does it really matter if you shimmer out on Halloween? Everyone would probably just think it was a neat little magic trick and think nothing of it."
"It's still highly suspicious," he insisted, shifting his weight gently from one foot to the other. "Especially when many of them could have seen this-"
"How? He's already three blocks over. So much for Darryl's pinpointing him."
"He's just relying on what the department told him...following orders," Cole sided. "Which is something I suppose you could learn from."
"Excuse me, Mr. Turner?"
"Look, have you got a flashlight?"
"And just how are you going to find a ghost with a flashlight?"
"Not the ghost...open spaces."
"Open spaces."
"That is what I just said, wasn't it?"
"I heard you just fine, Daddy."
"Thank you, sweetie."
"Don't you have one on your car keys?" his wife suggested hopefully.
"It's small, but-"
"Maybe it would work."
He withdrew them gently from the pocket of the jacket she now remained fully clothed in, his hands softly brushing past her hip. "You would have to make this difficult for me."
"Who's being difficult?" she whispered.
"Phoebe, duck."
"What?"
"Duck!"
Cole tossed an energy ball above her head, watching as it sailed and plastered their silent predator through the chest, a low growl escaping from the entity's thin, transparent lips. He angrily flew to the other side of the room, the wispy shades of white trailing along softly behind him, his face contorted in a deep fury.
"What the hell is going on?" she hissed, as she nervously let out a breath.
"Looks like Casper has come out to play," Cole deadpanned, as he aimed yet another ball of blue towards the hovering assailant, watching as an old lamp spilled over to the ground, its shade catching fire.
Alex effortlessly threw out her hand, watching as a bright ball of red caught the moving shape head on, the flames directly spreading up into his face. Immediately, he landed upon a light heap on the floor, his bony fingers quickly shrouding his expression, his cape falling over his eyes.
"Wow. Just like on tv," she breathed. "Was it supposed to be that easy, Daddy?"
"Good thing I brought you with us tonight, hmm?" Cole laughed, in spite of himself, as his sneakers edged themselves along the worn carpet. A lightning bolt took form in the plam of his right hand, as he slowly approached the fallen specter, the being's glassy eyes remaining completely still, as they etched onward towards the ceiling.
Phoebe prepared herself in fighting stance, and struggled to free her hands from the sleeves of his jacket, her body tensing as she kept her full gaze trained on the man before them. His hair was a clear mass of scraggly gray, a few pieces laying directly in front of his hollow expression, silently covering his face. "You know...down there...the poor guy almost looks harmless."
"Never underestimate what these guys are capable of," he noted.
"Should we get Clyde?" she questioned.
"Clyde?"
"He took care of Frankie and Lulu, didn't he?"
"Oh, Hector, what have you done now?" a familiar voice inquired, as the elderly figure crossed her arms over her chest, as a wave of bright light shone through the room. She carefully touched her hair a moment with one hand then, as she quickly waved her hand at the opponent who lay below. In an instant, he came a mere nothingness, consumed beneath the brown rug that had held him.
"Is he-"
"He'll be fine," Penny Halliwell insisted, as she shrugged rather briefly.
"Grams?"
"Oh, it's me. In the transparent flesh....as fate would have it. Though I'm afraid I can't stay long. They just wanted me to make sure you were well taken care of tonight."
"But it's no different from any other Halloween," Phoebe offered, confused.
"That's why I think something is coming," she confessed then. "They won't tell me, but I can sense it's something big."
"Here?"
"I'm not sure," she admitted.
"Well, that's really a lot of help."
"And it's nice to see you too, Cole."
"You knew Hector would be up and about, didn't you?" he accused softly.
"I had no intention of ruining your evening with your daughter," she objected. "I do keep a close eye on all of you- but I certainly can't do it all the time."
"Which means some kind of evil somehow snuck in," Phoebe murmured. "Slipped...through the cracks."
"Precisely. Hence the reason why Hector decided to put on a little show for you. I've been trying to reach Piper, but she seems oddly out of my range," Penny said quietly.
"She and Leo are supposed to be on vacation. I wasn't sure for how long, but they took Elizabeth with them."
"And Melinda?"
"She's been out with some friends from school tonight, but she's staying with us."
"What do you think of my costume, Great Grandma Halliwell?"
"Oh, it's lovely, Alexandra. Simply lovely. You're a true beauty in that dress," her grandmother proclaimed quite vividly, as she almost seemed to notice the little girl for the very first time.
Alex giggled, as she performed a short ballerina twirl. "I picked it out myself."
"Then it's even lovelier than before."
"Really?"
"Without a doubt."
"We had to cut her night short," Cole added. "But we've got some candy back at the house, so...."
"Well, I don't think Hector should be bothering you anymore," she concluded simply. "He was always among the wild bunch growing up, so this does honestly not surprise me one bit."
"Wild bunch?" Phoebe echoed. "What, you knew him, Grams?"
"Not that I'm proud of that fact," Penny admitted, shrugging helplessly.
"So that's why they sent you."
"Yes. And....well....I couldn't pass up the chance to say hi, could I?"
"You really can't stay, grandma?"
"No, I really can't, Alexandra," she murmured. "But who knows? Maybe one of these days, I'll stop in for a visit again."
"I'd like that."
"And I would to." She turned to her granddaughter then, as she calmly clasped her hands together behind her back. "I would advise you to be careful, Phoebe. Both of you."
"Grams-"
But she had already vanished in another string of bright lights, the room once again sheltered in a frame of darkness.
**********
"What do you think she meant?"
"By what?"
"Before she left. What do you think she was talking about?"
Cole Turner softly ran his hand alongside her bare skin, lightly taking it the full length, until he had reached her hip. She looked so fragile beneath him, and yet he'd known for so long just how capable she was in handling herself without getting so much as a scratch on her. He brought his nose close to her cheek, as he gently placed a kiss upon it, offering a small smile. "We always pull through though, don't we? No matter what it is, there's always a way to get by."
She placed her fingers upon his bare chest, as she squinted her eyes a moment, once again studying his unshaven profile. "I always thought when we had a family of our own, things wouldn't be so bad. That sooner or later these guys would give up, and just let us lead normal lives."
"But that theory was proved wrong when we encountered The Dark, remember? We'd done so well before, and when she finally showed herself..."
"I think the reality of it all finally began to sink in," Phoebe whispered.
"And you're not happy?"
"I think you already know the answer to that question," she breathed. "To be honest, everything in my head and heart is wondering what I'd ever do without you."
"But you're never safe with me," he said quietly, as his blue eyes calmly took in her face.
"It doesn't matter. You keep us safe. You always have. It's not about whether or not I can be with you- it's whether or not you'd ever be able to keep me away."
"But I can't change the fact that all of those innocents died at the hands of Stephen, nor can I change the fact that I was once the-"
"And we've talked about this. I don't know what else you need from me to let you know I've completely forgiven you."
"Well, this is nice, isn't it?" he mused teasingly, as he met her lips in a gentle gesture, her hands going to either side of his scruffy visage, as he raised his eyebrows in pure contentment.
"This is something Paige seemed to imply we'd be too busy for," she whispered, a smile taking place across her face.
"I think I've figured that out, by the way. I mean...about Paige's situation."
"Have you?"
"I think she needs to get out a lot more than she is, and start meeting different kinds of people. This guy she says she's seeing-"
"Well, no one can ever compare to Glen, can they? He was, for the most part, a man she was probably crushing on for a very long time- despite the fact that they were friends."
"Has he seen her lately?"
"I think you would know if he did. When he comes to visit, it's sorta for longer than he plans."
"Really?"
"But I don't think he knows Paige is staying with us. I mean, it's not like we have nearly as much room to spare. Still, I think cutting the nursery in half was a very good idea."
"Or we could have just stuck her down in the basement," he quipped thoughtfully, shrugging.
"Mr. Turner, you are much too cruel, you know that?"
"It's a natural born trait," he concluded quietly, as he planted a soft kiss upon her shoulder blade, his hands carefully consuming hers, as he pressed them silently back to the pillow in front of him. "I've missed this..."
She nodded, offering a slight pout. "But you-"
"But we brought two more beautiful children into this world, and...and I guess it makes me realize just how grateful I am. You know? The truth is, I've fully come to terms with my mother at this point, and yet I can see exactly how hard it must have been to go through what my father did. He wasn't granted the priviledge of a son. It was forcefully stolen from him."
"But you've been there for Ally, especially," she pointed out. "You helped her through that rough period in school, and you're showing up at that field trip tomorrow...."
"You should come," he pleaded. "Just put everything aside, and come with me."
"Oooo, and you make it sound so romantic."
"I'm serious," he insisted. "Come with me. Paige can watch Ben and Abby, and-"
"And Paige's shift might be changed around on her again. I can't take the chance that we might have to hire someone out of the paper. I mean, we talked about this, Cole. This is exactly why we've been so careful these past few years. Because all it would take is for one person out of a thousand to see us using our magic, and we'd never know what hit us. Believe me, I was there before. I know how these things work."
"I'll leave my cell on," he whispered. "This way, if you need to reach me-"
"And I already trust you completely. That won't be necessary," she insisted, as she raised her eyebrows in tight concentration, studying his handsome face rather quietly. "Besides, right now, I've got you just where I want you- so I think we should try and make the best of it, don't you?"
"Phoebe-"
"We have tonight," she reminded him hopefully.
"And why do I still get the feeling one of them might be our last?"
"It's no different than before."
"It is," he whispered. "Because this time, I'm not going away. I haven't been going away. There've been no bountyhunters for a very long time, The Dark's been vanquished, Stephen's a pile of ash, and Belthazor's long been laid to rest. They can't touch us, Phoebe."
"Mmm. I hope you're right. Because to be honest, I don't know if I'm ready for what's coming our way."