A Kind of Magic
part 2
"So. Is your mom always in a hurry on Mondays?"
"Sometimes. But Dad wasn't there, so I guess that's why it was so bad."
"Daddy, I'm hungry."
"We're almost there, Ally. I'm sure they'll have some kind of a cafeteria at the school, okay? Just hang on."
"Why couldn't Aunt Phoebe take us?" Melinda pressed.
"She's just really busy right now."
"I'll bet your mom is more busier than my mom then," Melinda said to Alex.
"More busier?" Cole repeated, laughing.
"Are we there yet?" Alex asked.
"We will be, honey," Cole told her. "It'll only be a minute. Didn't your mother give you any breakfast?"
"She was sleeping," she filled him in, shrugging.
"Figures," he mumbled softly to himself.
"Hey! You're going to miss it, Uncle Cole."
"What?"
"See the buses?"
"Oh," came the surprised reply, as he slammed on the brakes, edging the Ford Explorer into a rather messy turn. "Dammit."
"You said a bad word, Daddy," Alex whispered, covering her mouth, her eyes widening out of shock. Her light brown curls bobbed in front of her face, shielding her from his angry expression.
"I'm sorry," he offered, quickly shifting the vehicle into park.
"I'm telling Mom," Melinda spoke up.
"You know, how are you going to tell her if you're in school?" Cole shot back, somewhat annoyed. "Look. Just try and have a good day, all right? And keep that jacket on until you get inside."
The short girl hopped out of the car, making a face. "All of the kids are going to think I'm a geek." Offering a brief wave, she streamed out of sight.
"What about where I have to go?" Alex pressed.
"According to your mother, it should be a couple streets down." He sighed, laying his head against the steering wheel. Closing his eyes, he began to re-shift the car into drive.
"Are you okay, Daddy?"
"I don't know."
**********
"Excellent."
"What? What have you seen?"
"It's perfect- she's perfect."
"You have located the girl?"
"It wasn't that difficult. She was right under our noses the entire time."
"Really?"
"She's the daughter of a Charmed One," the voice explained, a wide smile playing across her features.
"A Charmed- aren't they dead?"
"No. It's simply a matter of not having been in the game for quite some time."
"They still have their powers?"
"I don't see why not. They must have somehow performed a spell on the little one though." She frowned. "But it's not a problem- it won't be a problem."
"How are we going to-"
"As soon as her father drops her off, she'll be ours."
"He looks awfully familiar, doesn't he?"
"Only to those who may have seen his former half."
"His former half?"
"He's just a mere mortal now. Of course he has powers, but none of which he'll be able to defend himself with."
"Are you sure about that?"
"He's not a threat."
"And you're the boss."
"Yes. I am, aren't I?"
"Shall I use magic?"
"No."
"But-"
"We can't very well look out of place now, can we?" The figure turned around in her chair, focusing her attention on the minion who stood before her. Her long black fingernails absentmindedly tapped along the length of her desk, as she gave him an eerie smile. Her hair, a long raven black, spilled past her shoulders, falling onto her dark, hooded cloak. Her eyes glowed an ominous red in color, as she raised her carefully etched eyebrows. "The world is ours for the taking. Rather clichéd, is it not?"
"But even the Source-"
"The Source was foolish," she snapped. "And now he's dead. We won't make the same mistake. Now leave me, and fetch the girl, you imbecile."
**********
"Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
"Yes."
"Well, if you don't want to be searching the employment options every morning in the paper, I suggest you get going."
"Paige, I need to talk. And you're the only one I can count on to listen."
"Well, that's very thoughtful of you, but I-"
"I want to ask Cole to move back in," she blurt out.
Paige Matthews nearly dropped her cup of coffee, placing it carefully on the small glass table in front of her. She glanced at her half sister, sitting, as she folded her hands into her lap. "That's...a pretty big deal."
"I know."
"What does- did Piper say?"
"I haven't-"
"Why...what are you doing- do you remember why you guys split?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"And I really think I was stupid."
"No. You were smart."
"Somehow, I still don't see how not using our-"
"Don't."
"-was smart."
"Phoebe, we wanted to lead normal lives."
"But Leo still works."
"Yes. But it's only natural that he's still going to have his charges," she pointed out.
"But your-"
"Things change," she said indifferently, shrugging.
"Just like that."
"Besides, Cole was never okay with being human. You know it, and I know it."
"He is human, Paige, and has Alex to think about."
"And how is she?"
"She's...she's good. Great."
"Tell me you don't like being free of the responsibility," Paige went on. "I mean, I never had- all of the fighting..."
"But we-"
"Yeah, but there's no reason to use them."
"Yet. And as any married couple-"
"So what would you say to Alex? Hmm? She doesn't...you can't tell her who you were."
"And why not? What is so wrong with that, Paige? We still are."
"You'd risk everything."
"Cole and I should have never read that spell. I mean, okay. It was probably for the best. And I feel that it honestly was, but-"
"You kept her safe," Paige emphasized.
"But Piper never-"
"Melinda doesn't...she's not aware that she's- the point is, it seemed like a good thing to do at the time. And you pulled through."
"Maybe. But all I know now? All I’ve ever known for the past few weeks now? Is that I really want my husband to come home."
"Need I say how much I don't trust him?"
"Paige..." But Phoebe was greeted on impulse by a vivid premonition. A black and white image took shape in her mind, allowing her to foresee a clip of the future. Cole, standing with Alex, gently let go of their daughter's hand, planting a small kiss on her cheek. Alex ran ahead of him, into the arms of a man clothed in a very expensive looking suit. The man held out his hand, watching with a strange fascination as the little girl eagerly clasped it. Then, he offered a slight frown, his intent glare darting to either side rather nervously. He picked up Alex, vanishing into thin air, as the other children began to file in, roaming freely about with their parents. Everyone appeared completely oblivious to the sight that had just transpired.
Phoebe opened her eyes, blinking. She looked worriedly toward Paige, her face a fresh mask of confusion. "Give me the phone."
"Why? What happened?"
"Just give me the phone," she instructed.
"Phoebe, I don't understand."
"It's starting again," she whispered.
**********
"Please, let this be it."
"Are you mad, Daddy?"
"No."
"You're mad," Alex sided, looking at her father.
"I didn't really want to work on my latest case anyway," he protested, giving his daughter a smile.
"Are you mad at Mommy again?" she guessed.
"I love your mother," he said quietly. "More than she probably knows."
"Then?"
"You're really the talker today, aren't you?"
His cell rang, cutting through the remainder of his thoughts. Frowning, he fumbled around in his jacket pocket. Recovering the bothersome contraption, he hit the talk button. "Turner."
"Cole, it's me."
"Phoebe?"
"You need to get home- you need to get Alex home."
"I know I was a little off schedule, but we're here now-"
"No. You need to...is she there with you?"
"Ally?"
"Yes. Ally."
"She's sitting next to me," he filled her in. "Do you want to talk to her?"
"Don't let her out of the car."
"Phoebe, what's going on?"
"I had a premonition, and-" a burst of static had seeped through the line, cutting her off.
"Phoebe?"
"...get....away...some....think...danger," came the muffled reply.
"I can't- you're fading out," he told her.
The connection finally went dead in his grasp.