Faded Fragments
part 19
"King," Nicholas Merrick declared smuggly, as he calmly tossed the card onto the bare table, a sly smile forming across his features, quietly flicking on his lighter, a cigarette already pressed into the palm of his hand.
"Bluff," Paige Matthews retorted, quickly yanking it from his lips before he could complete the process, her eyebrows winging up in extreme annoyance. "I'm calling it."
"What's to call?" he fired back. "I won."
"Nick, it was a game of war. Nobody wins."
"Says who?" he returned, only to hear a previously surpressed giggle cut through the air, as the petite frame seated to the right of him put her tiny hands across her mouth, quickly tucking her legs beneath her in the chair.
"So you can declare yourself a victory through some stupid card, but you're not man enough to get evil's ass," Paige continued. "Mmm, figured as much."
"Little mindless mini Turner," he noted, giving the little girl a rugged pat on the head, as he reached and opted for a potato chip instead, stretching his long legs out before him, his arms laying themselves in his lap. "Next time your aunt tries to cheat me out of playing a perfectly legit game here, try and remind me of the rules ahead of time, huh?"
"Either way, it's not helping," she pinpointed, throwing him a look. "We haven't heard from Cole yet, and at this stage, we can only keep hoping Phoebe hasn't succeeded in vanquishing his butt again."
"He's buying time," he mused quietly. "In case you need to be up to where the rest of us are now, sweetheart, he doesn't exactly have a lot of it."
"And the next time you try and call me sweetheart, I'm going to do you a favor and kindly smash your face in...honeybuns."
"Straight to my heart," he softly quipped, laughing to himself.
"I say we head right for the target right now," Prue Halliwell spoke up, entering the room, as she nonchalantly sharpened the athame she held loosely in her hands, her eyes slowly zeroing in on him, placing it down among the pile of hapless cards and chips, her mouth twisting itself into a small grin.
He blinked and froze. "Please tell me I'm not it."
"You were bait before, right?" she reasoned, throwing him a wink.
"Well, I'm sure as hell not going to initiate a battle wound for your sole pleasure and corrupted well being," he added, finally meeting her gaze head on. "This deal's closed."
"C'mon, Nick, wake up. We've got proof-"
"You've got something," he added, "which I hardly think constitutes proof. Kellerman's always been up to no good. Hell, I experienced it on a number of occasions. It still doesn't mean I can just jump into this and reveal myself as one of the good guys. Not even remotely plausible. Hello? They already suspect me."
"Piper," she said simply, placing one foot directly in front of the other, as she briefly shifted her feet.
"Piper?" Paige repeated, shrugging, as she propped her hands beneath her chin, resting her elbows on the table. "How is Piper an answer to this?"
"We need her," Prue told her sister, pursing her lips. "If we're going to get the Power of Three back together again, we need her with us."
"Yeah, and I hate to break it to you, but I think it's easier said than done in this case."
"If we can convince her of what'll happen if she's not with us, it might just make a whole lot more sense-"
"Prue, she still believes Leo isn't even the father of her children."
"And somewhere in this world, there has to be another Leo lurking, right?"
"I don't know," she offered, grinning, "does Leo always lurk?"
She rolled her eyes. "Paige, this is serious."
"I know it is. But given everything I've heard, you're never usually the first person to come save Cole's rescue unless you're asked."
"Ooooh, jackpot," Nick murmured, quickly averting his eyes, as he tried to hold back a quick smile.
"What I'm trying to say is-"
"I know you are," Paige cut her off again, setting her mouth in a rather firm line, as she stretched her arms out before her. "But I don't think everybody has another somebody here. Technically, this is the same world we've been living in, minus a few of us here and there. There is no Andy, there is no Melinda or Elizabeth, and naturally, there is no Leo. There's no Leo, because there's no Melinda or Elizabeth."
"Run that by me one more time in English."
"You get the picture," she countered, rolling her eyes.
"But he's the only one who doesn't add up," Prue insisted.
"Actually, that's not true," she whispered.
"What do you mean?"
"Why am I still here?" she questioned then, throwing out her hands, palms turned upwards, condoning it with a single move of her shoulders. "Phoebe and Piper didn't meet me until after you died, and...and why is Alex here if Phoebe and Cole were supposed to never have met, thereby never having children...or even marriage vows? Why is there still a trace of what they once were?"
"It backfired," Nick countered.
"Did I ask you to enter this conversation?"
"Paige, why the hell do you think I'm here?"
"Backfired, how?" she returned.
"It could be that their daughter is still the key," he filled her in. "Seth screwed up, and she's here...meant to right the wrongs. Their hero."
"It can't be that-"
"No," he agreed. "It wouldn't be that simple."
"Cole wanted to hold off on Alex," she told him. "He didn't want to let her see Phoebe yet."
"Exactly."
"Huh?"
"Hello, still here," the little girl beckconed, quickly raising a hand, as she edged herself closer, staring thoughtfully up at her aunt, and if she could've, would have most likely sought her hands straight against her hips.
"Sweetie, it doesn't mean you can't see your mom, it just means-"
"That I can't see her," Alex finished plainly, stubbornly pressing further. "I'm not stupid, Aunt Paige."
"I didn't say you were," she argued. "Hey, look, this isn't my fault, okay? He should have contacted us by now, and told us if he was making any progress or not. And if Piper went to find Phoebe, it might just end up being a lot worse than we thought."
"But Phoebe wanted to see her," Prue pointed out. "It has to be for good reason, which means it-"
"Which means it isn't going to give Nick a chance to work his magic. Not...literally of course, but you know what I- bottom line, we have to end it. He has to fall in love again, and we have to end it."
"What if Nick seems to think Cole can handle himself just fine?" Nick spoke up.
"Well, then I guess Nick would be a real idiot," Paige offered, tossing him a big smile.
"We know there are going to be consequences, but it doesn't necessarily mean he'll fail, okay? "
"Uh...hi. Hey. Um...does....anyone know when Piper's gonna be back? I'm kinda pressed for time here."
All heads immediately turned toward the entryway, where a young man stood, casually laying his lean frame against the wall, his eyes quickly darting to his watch, as returned them to their curious stares, calmly shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. His handsome face professed a weak smile, as he apparently caught himself entirely offguard by the reaction, his boots shifting slightly across the floorboards, a loud creak slicing through the newfound silence.
"Am I supposed to know him?" Nick finally spoke up. "Extended family, or..."
"I don't know, but it looks like he has a key," Paige added, her eyes narrowing into suspicious slits, as she eyed him up once again.
"Dan Gordon," volunteered. "Piper's-"
"Boyfriend," Prue interrupted, her face giving him a large grin. "Hey, Dan, long time no see."
"Actually...I....we just saw each other the day," he sided, raising an eyebrow. "I was holiday shopping for my niece-"
"Jenny."
"Jenny, right. And we ran into each other at the mall. You seemed to be in a hurry, but...well...now I'm getting the impression that it must've been a bigger one than I thought."
"No. No, I just...it's just that I've got a lot on my mind right now, and-"
"And you're in Piper's house. I thought she said you guys were kind of having a thing."
"A thing?"
"Yeah, an argument thing...or something. I wasn't sure. She just said she hadn't talked to you in awhile."
"Well...I look to be back....at the moment," she responded, fumbling miserably, as she put a single hand to her forehead, tightly shutting her eyes. "Yeah. Yeah, and you know what? Piper really wanted to be here today, but she forgot she had a....last minute lunch with Phoebe. So you'll have to excuse her for the mishap, okay? She really didn't mean it."
"And the funny just keeps getting funnier," he mused, chuckling to himself. "She was expecting me, and I know we haven't exactly been able to get together a hell of a lot lately, so.....well, I-"
"So I will tell her that you stopped by," Prue assured him, her smile growing wider. "Promise."
"Yeah, that'll be great. Look, I really gotta run, so if you hear from her-"
"Gotcha," she said a little too loudly, pointing her index finger at him, as she clasped it back into her other hand as a fairly small fist. "Great catching up."
"I guess," he managed, his countenance contorting itself somewhat in confusion.
"Bye."
"See you later," he said quietly, his feet moving briskly towards the foyer, where the door shut swiftly behind him at his back.
Prue slowly pulled her hands back, listening to the lock click with a smile on her pretty face, as she set her power at a halt, mockingly dusting her hands of a problem she appeared to now be rid of, seating herself at the only remaining chair at the table. "So how dangerous is this Kellerman guy? I mean, on a scale of one to ten?"
"Ten?" Alex answered, as her hand shot up, her eyes eagerly widening. "And how come Piper lets that man see her? Isn't she with Leo, Aunt Prue?"
"You're all hopeless," Nick quipped. "Moreover, you can't fight something with nothing. You don't have the facts firsthand."
"But you do," Paige protested. "You know exactly what they're about. And yet you still fail to supply us with anything we can use."
"Because I'm not so sure you really want to hear all of it."
"Try me."
"And the power of two could easily work with a spell," Prue noted, ignoring them both, as she began to assess the situation among herself. "If we could try and summon something, or someone, we could just make this work to our advantage."
"I'm with you, Aunt Prue," Alex piped up excitedly.
"Ever write anything before?"
"Nope," the little girl sighed. "But Melinda and I once saved the world."
"Well, that works," she reasoned, her lips twitching into a small grin. "C'mon, kiddo. Let's get started. We'll just leave Mork and Mindy to their childish antics, hmm?"
"Who are Mork and Mindy?" Alex asked, her face peaked with curiosity, as she pulled herself out of the chair, quickly scampering after her aunt.
**********
"Come in."
The tall man stepped through the office, quietly taking note of its contents with a long and lazy approach, as he sat his lean frame down into an armchair without question, tossing a hand randomly through his salt and pepper hair. His blue eyes gleamed with a profound intensity, a hand perching itself just below his chin, as he rested comfortably upon the cushioned arm. His black suit was unwrinkled, and contained not a speck of lint, his shoes shining with a deep luster in the dim room. "You've changed it," he murmured softly, his voice tainted with a slight Southern accent, his lips pursed intelligently as he spoke, the tone completely unrevealing.
"Yes," the other man sided, briskly nodding, as he took a seat directly across from him, careful not to let his actions seem entirely too rushed.
"It doesn't please me, but I hardly think I constitute pleasing at a time like this." He paused a moment, fingering the equally thinned and graying moustache positioned promptly below his nose. "You've ruined us."
"He ruined us."
"You misunderstand, son."
"No. Listen, you don't know-"
"When I'm called in here? When I'm...taken away from my own job to sacrifice myself to help you do yours? It's acceptable, son, I'll give you that. But it doesn't come without a price." He uttered a barely audible laugh, and the whispers that crept through it suddenly made the room appear dank and cold, the space around them nearly shuddering without hesitation. "He and I are partners, but you've severed the link. You're afraid The Charmed Ones will be exposed, and yet you doubt our own exposure as being equally so."
"We miscal-"
"You can drum up all the excuses you want to. Miscalucation will surely always be one of them. I'm more interested in how you plan to rectify it."
"And that's why you were promptly notified of the situation," he offered, giving his companion a nervous smile.
"Promptly?"
"Yes. As soon as I found out what Seth was really up to, I felt it was only right that you should be informed of his betrayal."
"Betrayal, really. How terribly amusing that you think so."
"Well, what else could you call it, Mr. Rickman?"
"Instant death, of course." A single breath of air escaped from his lips then, doning the other man in a composition of blue icicles, causing him to cease all movement. Slowly, the man lifted himself up, as if to mockingly dust his hands altogether free of a mindless and corrupted stain, calmly stepping up to examine his creation. "Or perhaps just a simple mistake." Grinning wildly, he pushed his fingers towards the solid object, giving them a brief flutter of motion as the entire block of ice broke free, and the pieces shattered fondly to the floor.
**********
"So what's your secret?"
Cole Turner turned slightly, his head tilting steadily to the right, as he calmly wiped his hands on the apron he wore loosely secured around his waist. His bare feet readjusted themselves upon the carpet that lay directly below the sink, his unshaven handsome face somewhat unreadable, as he shrugged, his shoulder blades absentmindedly moving amongst the white of his t-shirt. "Maybe I should be asking you the same thing."
She abruptly tore herself from his soft gaze, focusing her attention on the tomato he now grasped in one hand, the other bringing up a knife, as it cut cleanly through several slices, watching intently as they eagerly collapsed like a pile of dominoes on top of one another. She evaded another flush, as she tore a hand through her long hair, professing a small smile instead. "Well, I was actually counting on breakfast, but now that I've seen what you can do with lunch..."
"Phoebe, anybody-"
"You're good with your hands," she prompted, pushing her own into the pockets of the shorts she still wore, gently rocking back upon the balls of her feet. "Not everybody can say that."
"I'm not trying to push."
"Yeah, alright. I'll buy that. But we can solve this a whole lot quicker if you just let me take you to the park."
"A picnic?" he questioned, raising his eyebrows.
"No. I...I mean when you start- look, we're obviously avoiding a bigger truth here, and something tells me that maybe it'd just be a whole lot easier if I more or less lay it all on the table for you."
"So you're either coming onto to me, or you really want to hear me out," he randomly guessed, chuckling softly to himself.
"It's a nice quiet place with-"
"A lot of people who could really care less about why we're there in the first place," he finished.
"Which is what makes it so special," she pointed out.
He stepped over to the stove, where he gently pulled a boiling pot of pasta off the front row, reattaching the cover, as the remaining water found its way into the sink. "I agreed to spend the night with you because there's a lot you need to know."
"So you said already."
"It doesn't-"
"Cole, if I based all the relationships I've ever had on sex, you probably wouldn't still be here right now, would you?"
"Fair point," he managed, nodding. "Especially if you react the way I think you will. I'd be out on my ass again, and you'd probably be planning your future together with that Clay guy who doesn't have a last name."
"You can't have a future without a past," she protested, "and scary as it is for me to outright admit this, ours wasn't exactly that hot. He'd like me to believe it was, but deep down inside, we both know better. Just like he knew last night how much we've both fallen and grown apart."
He winced, reaching for a handful of parsley. "And if you had any idea of how much you once loved me, you wouldnb't be standing here right now trying to argue about it."
"Why are you doing this?" she whispered. "Why do you keep telling me we were happy?"
"Phoebe, God's not too fond of former half demons, let alone ones that find themselves falling for beautiful women who just happen to be the one powerful enemy they were sent to destroy."
"You didn't know me when you approached me," she insisted. "Yet I don't see you trying to kill me. If-"
"I did, and I do," he whispered.
"And how do I know you're not just saying it so you can get close to me?"
"Considering what happened back there on the sofa, I hardly think that's an issue," he responded, unable to hold back a beautiful half smile.
"And I'm not discounting the fact that I want you to stay-"
She stopped suddenly, as a pair of knuckles rapped quickly and rather impatiently across her front door, abruptly dimming her thoughts, her head whipping around to follow the distracting sound. Her pretty face appeared clouded then, as she craned her neck and looked at the clock perched on the far wall, throwing up her hands in disbelief. "Well, this is just perfect, isn't it?"
"Expecting someone?" he asked, arching a sly brow in her direction.
"Not who you might think," she quipped, rolling her eyes. "Ugh...look, I'll only be a minute, okay? Just...just don't go anywhere." But she hesitated, her cheeks growing slightly warmer, as she placed a single hand on the door frame, watching him just a moment longer. "Because I'd probably never forgive myself if I let you get away."
He merely stared after her, quietly perplexed, his blues brightening just a little more, as he calmly draped a dish towel across one shoulder, reaching back to untie the apron still slung about his waist.
"Okay whoever you are, this had better be good, because I am currently in no mood to take in anymore guests this evening. So you either better talk quick, or prepare to get the door slammed in your face." Taking a deep breath, she twisted the lock, and gave the knob a good firm tug as she threw it open.
Marisa Schulman stood there, her blonde hair flapping wildly about her face, as she struggled to shove it aside with one hand, her other completely occupied by a small black purse. She was clothed in a short black dress with matching black heels covering her slender feet. Her eyes widened rapidly at the brisk greeting, as she braced her thin frame up against the doorjamb, smoothly pursing her lips. "Well?" she demanded.
"Did I forget something at the office again?"
She laughed. "Okay, where is he?"
"Where is...who?" Phoebe returned, gesturing with her palm facing upward, a tiny shrug falling off her shoulders.
"Oh, c'mon, Phoebe. You can't tell me that you skipped work today for a perfectly valid reason. That would be like me saying I was dating the same man for an entire year. And given my track record, we both know that would never happen, simply because I refuse to believe there's only one Mr. Right out there. So spill, and do it fast. I'm on a mission here."
"There's nothing to-"
"Where's tall, dark, and exceptionally hunky?" she pressed.
"Last I heard, he was headed back to Phoenix."
"Phoenix? What the hell is in Phoenix?" She paused a minute, her mouth forming a slow pout, as she randomly stamped one foot across the pavement. "He was such a damn good looking package, Phoebe."
"I know, but it looks like you fell short and missed your shot," she advised.
"You've gotta be kidding me."
"Nope. Gone."
"So why'd you back out?"
"What?"
"You left me with a huge load of work today, without the slightest explanation as to why. So I thought, out of the extreme goodness still left in this fickle little heart, that I would stop by in case you'd croaked and I'd missed it."
"Gee, that's sweet," she retorted sarcastically.
"Phoebe."
"Clay and I got into it pretty bad last night," she mused, keeping her tone entirely nonchalant. "Just felt like taking some personal time, is all."
"Got into it....as in sex?"
"Marisa, not everything-"
"A fight," she countered. "Well, wonders never cease. You could've had your pick of the liter the other day, and you still came home to Clay."
"Did you want something else, Marisa?"
"You gonna be in tomorrow?" she asked hopefully. "I'm still a little unsure if I wanna put the moves on Roger yet, and I'd really love your input."
Phoebe quietly blew out a single breath, shutting her brown eyes at the thought. "Okay. Fine. But in case you need some of my input? There's also some real work that has to be done, and as you can see, they haven't yet transcended in technology to create women with four arms worth of effort. So I could really use a clear head and two of yours."
"Done, done, done. You don't have to ask me twice. I promise I will not think about sex for at least twenty minutes."
"Goodbye, Marisa."
"Are you sure there's no one else in there?" she inquired again, struggling to arch her neck to the left, offering a tight frown, as Phoebe deliberately blocked her view.
"I'll see you later."
"Bye," she mumbled, helping herself down the steps, haphazardly swinging her purse over one shoulder, as she professed a prolonged sigh.
"Why me?" Phoebe whispered, shutting the door behind her, as she tiredly leaned her body against it, blowing out another ounce of air, her hands clenched in fairly small fists. "Why me? Okay. I mean, fine. So...so I have an extremely gorgeous man hanging around in my kitchen right now, and he looks incredibly sexy for the very fact that he doesn't even care to shave. So what if he's also a man I willingly chose to ignore after meeting him, and yet it's still supposed to make me feel like I'm doing something wrong? Why should I have the guilt trip when I invited him here, and really want to listen to what he has to say- even if it might freak me out more than I'd like? It shouldn't matter, because I think he really likes me too, and that could work for both of us. God, please give me the strength to go in there right now, and try my best not to make an utter fool of myself again."
"Talking to someone?"
She looked up, embarrassing herself madly when she realized he was only standing approximately a foot away from her, his head cocked to one side in concentration, his hands wiping themselves upon the dish towel he held comfortably in his grasp, as his delicate features held her within his blues. "Myself," she whispered, forcing out a soft smile. "And yes, I may be a crazy person, but I-"
"You're rambling again," he added, laughter filling his voice.
"I guess, I...yeah. Looks like that."
"I could really use a rambler in the kitchen right now," he continued. "Seems to keep me sane."
"Yeah?"