Faded Fragments
part 28
"Rickman must've stripped him of his powers," Cole Turner guessed, his fingers lightly brushing the corner of his mouth, quietly wincing as it begin to sting. His blues quickly burned into the back of the man Paige now held firmly by a white shirt collar, as they walked on ahead, Alexandra Turner following closely behind her, her face revealing the faintest trace of amusement at the gesture.
"It still doesn't explain how he got here," Prue Halliwell reminded him.
"He probably just intercepted our spell. I mean, think about it. He's like the Boogeyman with no motive. He's all talk, but no action. He could've used something on me, anything to stop me from doing what I did to him, but he didn't. Not even when I pulled a fast one on him and used magic...nope- he still didn't want to play. It was almost like he was trapped, Prue- like he couldn't do it. He went right for my neck, he threw a punch...that's not exactly typical behavior for someone who recently tried to rule the world. It basically says he's got a lot of rage inside him, and he was all too pleased to take it out on me."
"Well, it makes sense," she reasoned. "I mean you're the guy he's held a grudge against since his little scheme actually worked. In a nutshell, he hates your guts."
"Yeah, but you'd think he would've had a backup plan of some sort, you know?"
"The weak ones never do," she surmised. "Look at it this way. You killed the Triad on such short notice, because you couldn't kill the three of us. You saw no other way around it, so you acted. It's that simple. This guy just let booze come between him."
"This is different, trust me."
"Maybe something's stopping him here," she suggested, shrugging.
"Or maybe Patrick was his little mastermind the whole time."
"I'm thinking it's not going to matter once Rickman sees that he led us right to him."
"Well, it certainly goes without saying, doesn't it?"
"That it does."
"Did I ever thank you for what you did for me back there?" he asked then, his voice low, his eyes grazing her profile ever so slightly. "I mean, really thank you?"
She considered him a moment, her lips pursed, her eyes somewhat squinting, as she briefly looked up at him. "If it's going to involve a great big bear hug, I'd prefer you kept those sentiments to yourself."
"You kept me in line, and you did it without any regrets," he reasoned, shooting her a half smile, his unshaven visage brightening just a bit.
"The only regrets I have is if something happens to Phoebe, and we're not in time to stop it."
He nodded. "Yeah, that's understandable. She's your sister and you owe it to her to make sure she's safe- I mean, being the oldest and all. You've always watched over them."
"And I gather it's something you always knew, despite the fact that you made Phoebe your target when you met her."
"Listen, can you blame her for being so taken with me? I mean, I only-"
"You only used it to your advantage, which wouldn't have been a bad thing, if you'd actually had good intentions." She laughed. "But...well, people change, and so do their circumstances. I really do get that now."
"Good, because I was starting to worry there again for a minute."
"I have to admit. I was beginning to have second thoughts when I realized you were serious about challenging Seth to that little brawl back there. Boys will be boys though, huh?"
"I really don't see how it's any different from you and Phoebe getting your groove on with that fairy dust before," he quipped. "That right there was a classic example of why I was almost afraid to have children."
"But you did," she pointed out. "You wrapped yourself around all that craziness, and you're a happier man for it."
"But not a lucky one," he mused quietly.
"Mmm. Somehow I still don't think luck has anything to do with it."
"Really?"
"You didn't use luck to win Phoebe over, and you're not using luck right now."
"No, we're using the reason why I'm here right now to get her back."
"Seth," she reasoned, nodding.
"I must be a demon at heart yet, because even his Goddamn name still makes me want to hurt him."
"So I was thinking," she mulled over carefully, "should we use the red or the gold tablecloth for Christmas dinner? I'm guessing we should go with the gold, because it stands out a lot more- but Phoebe'll probably wanna go with the red. It's really not going to make a difference once the food is already on it, but I would just hate to screw it all up."
He just looked at her, his expression one of mixed irritation and perplexity. "You've given this a lot of thought- especially since we're probably about to die."
"I'm just trying to put things in perspective...take your mind off it for a little while."
"No, now you're really scaring me," he pointed out, forcing a quick smile.
"Not like we haven't died before," she reminded him. "Should be a piece of cake this time around."
"You would think," he managed.
"Actually, I don't think, Mr. Turner, I plan," a voice echoed right behind him, as a pair of shoulders mindlessly shrugged themselves into the vacant air. "Perhaps I even scheme. But you should know that what you have done has corrupted this entire operation."
"And I'd say a man really lacks something of an imagination if he's too much of coward to approach me to my face," Cole stated effortlessly, as he calmed halted in his step without turning around, the corners of his mouth curving into a slow grin.
"You shouldn't have come here," Thomas Rickman told him, his tone dangerously lowering itself an octave. "The two witches were to come alone. You knew it, and so did they. Yet…you continually disobey my orders."
"Yeah, but see- you have something that's mine. And I can't...let's just say I'm not going to leave here without it."
"Well, if it's your dignity, I suggest you come back when you actually have some."
"I don't like being messed with, Mr. Rickman. I think you above anybody know what it's like to have the world pulled out from under you. Literally, in this case. Your partner here ruined what was a perfectly happy marriage with its daily disputes. I miss that."
"You can't destroy our line," Prue informed him, arms casually crossed over her chest. "It would be stupid to even try. Maybe you should walk away now, while you still have some of your dignity left."
"Clever little witch, I'll give you that. " He grinned. "You really do believe all of that talk is merely a myth," Rickman confirmed, nodding in her direction.
"No, I just believe we're going to kick your ass."
"I don't play games."
"And you didn't want to trample us to death back there."
"A test you passed."
"Yeah, and with a really bad riddle."
"What can I say? Intelligence builds character."
"Let's cut the small talk," she added, her eyes slowly narrowing at him. "You have my sisters and we're not leaving here without them."
"Maybe you won't be leaving at all."
"Oh, I'm afraid that's where we differ."
"You and your sisters destroyed what I had a lifetime to make. You shattered my world with your spells and your innocents, ridding your plane of countless demons- you refused to let our side matter, you pathetic little bitch. You never let the balance run its course. You're an abomination to mankind, just as Mr. Turner here is one to his own."
"You never wanted balance. You just wanted us dead."
"Quite frankly, I'm surprised you figured it out. Your grandmother was right to keep your powers bound as children. Of course, given everything I was aware of back then, I should have taken you when I still had that chance." He frowned slightly. "Unfortunately, we don't always think of these things when the situation calls for it."
"Too bad for you."
"And if you're thinking of holding my former partner hostage in exchange for your sisters, I think you've obviously mistaken my actions."
"So we'll kill him, what do we care?"
"Oh, c'mon, you're really telling me this scumbag doesn't mind it one teeny tiny little bit if we knock off Seth, no strings attached?" Paige Matthews protested a short distance away as she roughly shoved the other man in front of her, giving him a good, firm push. "He is so bluffing."
"Nice to see you again, Tom. To what should I owe this pleasure to?"
"You shouldn't have hindered my progress again, Seth."
The other man laughed softly to himself, his eyes dancing with a hint of craziness, as he eagerly took a step in his direction. "What progress? You led them out in the middle of nowhere and you approached them like the fake you are. You can't even make them a target in the world that never was. You're all talk, friend. Nothing more. And right now, I honestly don't give a damn what the witches do to you. Although- I think I'll have a fine time of it toasting to your death, won't I?" He smiled. "I mean, for Patrick, right?"
"You lost yourself when your future love bride became dust and bones, you certified loon."
"Did I now?"
"Walk away and this whole thing could easily be forgotten between us." Rickman briefly gestured with the palm of his hand, extending it in a mode of rare courtesy. "I'm giving you a window, Seth. Take it."
"For what? Twenty-four...forty-eight hours, before you come after me and get rid of all the evidence?"
"I can't have you running about now, can I?"
"No, that would put a dent in the name, wouldn't it? Your so-called...petty legacy."
"If anything's petty, Seth, it's the bind you've gotten yourself into right now."
"Tommy's just full of fun surprises, isn't he?" Cole murmured. "For what it's worth, you've really screwed yourself over."
"I could say the same for your wife," Rickman taunted, chuckling to himself. "But then again, she always was fairly easy, wasn't she?"
His mouth setting itself in a tight line, Cole's gorgeous countenance took on a slightly darker stare, his blues going to pools of ice, as he roughly glared at his opponent, his fingers flinching at his sides. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"I think you already know."
"If you hurt either of them in any way-"
"Oh, she gave herself to me willingly, Mr. Turner. I didn't even have to beg."
"You're lying."
"No. I'm not. But if you'd rather we ask her, I can bring the little witches out here, and we'll sit down to have a nice little chat over some tea and crackers. What do you say?"
"You son of a bitch."
"Now, now. There'll be plenty of room for insults later. I think your wife will agree that my...favor to her was very much to her liking and altogether acceptible." He folded his hands in front of him, gently rocking back upon the balls of his feet. "What happens when such a beautiful rose becomes a broken, lifeless thorn, Mr. Turner?"
"Daddy?" Alex called out, her tiny hand gripping Paige's, as small tears filled her eyes, her body already shaking slightly, her brown hair blowing haphazardly about her round face.
"Paige, take her out of here."
"Cole-"
"Please. It's for her own good."
"She can help you."
"Did he hurt Mommy?" the little girl whispered.
"She knows how to handle herself. If you just-"
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea right now," he added.
"What happens?!" Rickman snapped, his voice growing louder, as he began stepping closer to him, his expression succumbing to pure and undeniable rage. The air around them was slowly growing colder, as it began to weave itself in and out of a mist-like conglomeration, comfortably bending and extending itself to his will.
"And now you're going to turn me into Frosty the Snowman." Cole neatly placed his hands on his hips, amusement flickering across his unshaven profile. "Yeah, see, I couldn't remember everything I'd heard, but I think I'd heard just enough. Thing of it was, it took awhile for all of it to come back to me. Then again, you'd be fighting fire with ice if you go up against my little girl here, and let me tell you, she's as tough as nails. I wouldn't recommend it, and quite frankly, neither would she."
"This doesn't concern you. Once I destroy the Halliwells, you're free to go," he added simply, his temper subsiding as quickly as it had come.
"Do you feed this line of crap to all your potential victims?"
"It's not you I'm after, and you've realized that."
"For not liking witches, you were sure taken with mine."
"You can't kill me," he pressed.
"No, that wasn't the plan. Far as I'm concerned, I've already washed my hands of you. But you might know my friends. They call themselves The Charmed Ones, Tom, and right now, I'd say you've pretty much pissed them off more than words can say. They're a rather…sensitive bunch. Especially when it comes to demons. Tight, too."
"You only have two," he sneered. "What good are two if they can't even-"
"You really should hire someone to watch your ass," a familiar tone sounded behind him, as the figure gently kicked his feet out from under him, causing him to topple backwards, falling flat on his back in the grass, a loud grunt escaping his lips. "Because this bitch is back, and she's just about had enough of this to last her a lifetime."
"Mommy!" Alex squealed, her face suddenly filling itself with a bright smile, as she squeezed Paige's hand just a bit too tight, the Charmed One cringing at her grasp. "You're alive," she added softly, quite pleased with herself.
Phoebe's face was plagued with a few minor bruises and some small cuts slashed firmly across either cheek, the fabric from the shirt she wore torn clear across her stomach. She was limping, her brown eyes wincing with each step she took, as she offered a small wave, a slow smile crossing her lips. Her feet were completely bare, her arms stained with fresh blood. "About time somebody puts this bastard down, wouldn't you say?"
"Doing okay there, sweetheart?" Cole asked, shooting her a short wink.
"Just fine, honey."
"Glad to hear it. Guess you ladies should probably get to work."
"Piper's still back there in the woods. After we escaped, she couldn't get that far on her own, so I…her feet were sliced up pretty bad, so I-"
"I got her," Prue volunteered. "Just keep an eye on him."
"Not a problem." She looked from Rickman, over at Cole again, smiling. "And what are you already scheming about?"
"Oh, well, funny you should ask." He chuckled quietly to himself, clasping his hands together, as he calmly pursed his lips. "As it so happens...Seth and I have a lot to talk about. So much, in fact, that we hardly realized it before."
"Hey, you stay away from me, Turner. I owe you nothing. Hey, I mean it, all right? I'm a valuable commodity to my firm."
"No, Seth, I'm afraid you only owe me everything. And well, be your value as it may, I somehow don't think your shoddy little firm is going to give a rat's ass about whether or not you've got some bumps and bruises to show for it."
"And you can't get out of here without her permission. You'll become Belthazor, and you'll-"
"That was bull and you know it. The only person I had to believe in was myself."
"It wasn't," he argued. "You've got it all wrong."
"Why should I care about anything you say, when the two of you are just a bunch of bastards with big names?"
"Because it's the truth. I- Cole, c'mon. I don't want to kill you anymore, so why kill me? It won't change how you got here or why you even left in the first place."
"I got here because a San Francisco firm tried to play God in the Underworld. I'm reformed and I play by the rules. Enough said."
"But killing me isn't going to prove that. It's only going to complicate your reputation-"
"What reputation?"
"The one you've worked so hard to protect- the one your family's life depends on if they still want to have a husband and a father."
"It won't make any difference with you gone. You'll only be framed for Patrick's murder when you get back, and with life in prison, you may as well be dead, anyway. So the way I see it, I'm doing you a favor."
"We can work out a deal though. I can promise you-"
"Save it, will you? I'm really not in the mood."
"Goddamn it, Turner. Celia was a lost cause! I get that now, all right? I see it! Now why can't you see-"
"You'd only find another reason to cross me. And as much as I'd look forward to a next time, I honestly don't need the stress."
"And I can get Tempus to pretend this whole thing never happened. I can-"
"You talk a good game, Kellerman, but unfortunately for you, your time's already up." Quick as lightning, his hands came up and snapped the other man's neck, watching as he collapsed into a crumpled heap on the ground, his last and final protest falling flat across his lips as he grew eerily silent. Cole examined his hands once more, his solemn blue eyes carefully tracing the lines that had etched themselves into his skin over the years, carving out a killer. But even now, he knew he never was. No matter how hard he'd worked against himself to deny and shatter his corrupted past, it always found him, and he had finally learned to accept it. He was looking at a lifetime of hurt that had both surpassed him and haunted him, and yet he was still a better man for it, no matter what the cosmos had said. He took one last and final glance at the corpse below him, his conscience never feeling even the slightest shade of remorse, as he calmly stepped over the body and walked away.
"Did you kill him, Daddy?" The little voice was slow and yet just the faintest bit unsure, when he felt her approach him and clasp her hand tightly around his, her green eyes looking up at him with the strangest sense of curiosity.
"Yes," he whispered, "Yes, I did, sweetheart."
She waited just a moment, those very same eyes filling themselves with admiration, her profile beaming slightly. "I'm glad," she stated matter of factly.
"Ally-"
"I am," she said again. "He wanted to hurt us and he did this to Mommy. He made her not who she was. I don't care, Daddy- I'm glad."
"Yeah, but he wasn't the only one."
"He made Melinda disappear. He made everybody go away. I didn't like him."
"Does your mom have a spell ready yet?"
"They all do. They asked me to say it with them," she told him, her mood lifting itself once again. "They trust me, Daddy."
"I don't think they ever stopped," he reminded her, giving her tiny hand a squeeze.
"But I thought Mr. Rickman was supposed to be more powerful than they are."
"Some demons just look big when they talk the talk," he filled her in. "Doesn't mean they'll be causing a lifetime's worth of chaos all in one day."
"So he's just scared of us?"
"Something like that."
"And he took them back in time, because he thought it would be easy to hurt them and make them scared, too?"
"Anybody wanna tell me how I got here again?" Piper Halliwell cut in, putting all her weight on Prue's shoulders, as she let her sister guide and support her, her brown hair tousled wildly about her head. "Because it all went black after the attic."
"Which was probably when he knocked you unconscious," Phoebe suggested, giving her a small smile.
"Oh, wow, ouch...and you...well- listen, don't take this the wrong way, Pheebs. But you look like you just got hit by a train."
Phoebe just rolled her eyes. "Thanks."
"So is that what that bump on my head is?"
"I'd take a pretty good guess that it is."
"Just take it easy," Prue advised her. "We don't wanna lose you again."
"But where did I go?"
Cole merely stared at her, an eyebrow raised in fascination. "Yeah, she's hopeless."
"She's funny," Alex muttered, giggling to herself.
"That, too," he agreed.
Thomas Rickman had slowly pulled himself to his feet, shaking his head, as he struggled to regain his balance, a small string of random icicles forming in his right hand. His lifeless eyes had formed a glassy dark blue hue that coated them in its entirety, as a low growl seeped out of his throat, the veins of his body now flowing with the same empty color. "I think it's time to say goodbye now, wouldn't you agree?"
He angrily tossed them one by one, watching with a slow smile on his face as the last struck human flesh, plunging itself straight through Phoebe's heart, catching the young witch completely off guard as she helplessly fell to the ground in agony, her hands loosely clutching the sharp object as it further embedded itself into her chest. She moaned, her brown eyes fluttering in and out, as she fought to free the contraption with the strength she still had left.
"The Halliwell line...is mine," Rickman hissed. "And I believe we have our first sacrifice."