A Kind of Magic

part 3

34 Days Earlier

"We cannot go through life without using magic. You've already seen what happened- will happen again if we do. It's not justified."

"Oh, so what you're saying is that you'll become evil, turn into The Source, and try to bring about the end of the world again?"

"Now you're being sarcastic," Cole Turner pointed out, frowning.

"Yeah, and I can't just ignore my sisters, Cole."

"So you'd be willing to side with them over me. Yeah. Right. See, I guess nothing's really changed then, has it? Not even when you said that spell, vanquished me, and abandoned me in that wasteland for all eternity. But hell, I probably deserved it, right? All thing considered, I was one nasty son of a bitch who got what he had coming to him."

"Don't be stupid," Phoebe Halliwell brought forth.

"I'm trying to tell you that you're wrong. You can't deny her the right to know."

"We agreed about her powers," she objected. "And yes, that was- look, this will be safer for us down the road, too. As much as you refuse to see it, it will."

"I can't give up who I am," he stated simply. "I won't."

"Alex is only a little girl."

"Yes, and we have a better chance of protecting her with magic."

"But there's no threat."

"No. But there will be." He sat down on their bed, concern falling over his gorgeous profile. "Remember when you first met me? I looked like your everyday normal guy. I was evil then, and hid that part of myself with you. But I hid it too well," he whispered. "Because I fell in love. I went against all the rules to be with you, to make this work. And yes. Magic may have been a downfall on certain occasions, but it also brought us together."

"But if you could somehow- if you could've somehow known what was to come, would you have made the same choice?"

"I would have been vanquished and out of reach. I would've gone straight to hell."

"But it's not like I'm giving up my premonitions. They'll still be there when there is trouble. And why levitate-"

"Phoebe, this is going nowhere."

"Then I guess there's only one way around it."

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't risk you slipping up, and...putting our daughter's life in danger," she said quietly.

"Phoebe-"

"I want you to move out."

"But I can't do that."

"She'll see you a few days a week. I'll-"

"You said our daughter. I think I have a say in this."

"Really? You want to bring the demons right to her bedroom door, Cole."

"You're making a terrible mistake."

"I owe it to Piper and Paige."

"You owe them nothing."

"How can you say a thing like- no, you know what? Just get out."

"Phoebe."

"I mean it, Cole."

"Where did we mess up? Where the hell did we go wrong? Because clearly I’ve only been pissing you off as of late."

"What?"

"We were doing so well."

"Melinda almost caught Leo orbing the other day."

"I know. He told me. But that- that's their problem. Not ours. I've been very careful with my powers."

"Just leave," she said again. "Please."

He nodded, tears threatening to cloud his visage. Pushing them back, he offered her a steady gaze. "Fine. I'll go get some things."

"Mommy, what's going on?" Alex stole a brief peek into her parents' room, her eyes growing big with curiosity.

"Go back and play with your dolls, sweetie," Phoebe replied softly.

"But why is Daddy- why is he so sad?" she asked worriedly. "Daddy, why are you sad?"

Cole couldn't even bring himself to look at her, as he gently folded a tie into the suitcase atop the bed. His hands started to shake, gripping both sides, taking a deep breath. "Your mommy and I have come to an agreement," he finally admitted, as a tear ran absentmindedly down his cheek.

"An agree...ment," she slowly pronounced. "What does that mean?"

"It means-"

"It means I have to go away for awhile," Cole interrupted his wife.

"No," Alex whispered. "You can't."

"I don't have a...it's not up to me, Ally."

"I don't want you to go," she repeated, pleading. "Don't you love me anymore, Daddy?"

He turned around, moving toward his daughter as he caught her in a tight hug. "I do," he confessed. "More than anything."

"Then why are you leaving?"

"Daddy and I feel differently about what's- about what should be done," Phoebe added, hands on her hips.

"And Mommy is with Aunt Piper and Paige," he explained. "So...I'm afraid I'm not included."

"That's not right," Alex offered.

"No, but your mother thinks so."

**********

"Daddy? Daddy are you there?" a small hand gently waved itself in front of his face, as Cole Turner found reality again. The flashback of images faded into the crevices of his memory, as he felt the coldness of the cell phone still concealed within his grasp.

"I'm here," he told her, distancing the thoughts even further.

"What about the phone?"

"She said she- she's not...there's supposed to be no magic," he whispered, confused.

"Magic?" Alex repeated.

"That was your mom," he informed his daughter.

"What did she want?"

"To be honest? I think she was trying to- you know, it doesn't matter," he sided. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," the little girl confessed excitedly.

"All right. I'll walk you to your classroom." He got out of the car, still struggling to free his mind of his wife's call. The fact that Phoebe wanted to toy with a topic she'd wanted absolutely nothing to do with before now, bothered him. It had brought him right back to a day he’d much rather wipe clean from the slate- a day when the only woman he’d ever cared for and loved had wanted out of their relationship, and had forced him right out of the house. Alex has been absolutely devastated, and never knew exactly why he'd gotten his own place after that. It was something she’d probably never come to understand. Opening the passenger side of the vehicle, he carefully his daughter out, setting her easily on her feet. Clicking the car alarm, he shoved his keys deep into the pocket of his jeans. "Take my hand," he instructed.

The minion stood a distance away, his eyes transfixing themselves on the father and daughter. However, the minute they neared him, the presence beginning to sharpen,, taking on more of a shape, he instantly shrunk back, offering a rather low growl in their direction. Sharp claws protruded from his fingernails, as he clenched them into tight fists at his sides. Patience had never been a virtue, and he didn’t think he would start now.

"Okay. So you're in room number five," Cole read aloud, glancing at Alex's schedule. "Well, since I've never been in here before, and you haven't been in here before..."

"You missed orientration," the girl filled in.

Cole laughed. "Orientation," he corrected, smiling. "And I was probably working late."

"Mommy went. But I think she was upset 'cuz you couldn't go."

"Can I help you with something?" a soft voice greeted them.

"What?" Cole looked up, meeting the stare of a young woman with a long dress. She had a stack of folders within her arms, and quickly shifted them to the opposite side. Her blonde hair was tied up in a loose bun.

"You...just seemed like you were lost," she added, grinning.

"Actually, we are," he admitted sheepishly.

"Must be that guys asking for directions complex then," she guessed, jokingly.

"Must be," he agreed, returning the smile.

"Where are you headed?"

"Um...five," Cole responded, handing her the slip of paper.

"Oh, that'll be down this hall, and to your left. And, you're in luck, because I just happen to be the teacher assigned to that room."

"Really?"

"Marcia Sheldon." She held out her hand, her gaze still holding his.

Cole shook it. "Cole Turner. And this is Alexandra."

"Well, hi there," she added, as if finally noticing the girl for the first time.

"Hello," Alex replied meekly, tugging at her father's pant leg.

"She's...a little shy," he explained. "My wife and I are trying to break her of the habit. She loves family, but isn't really connecting with other people."

"You're...married?" she asked weakly. Her eyes caught sight of his ring then, her smile falling. "I...I mean, we'll have to take care of that little problem with Alexandra while she's here, won't we?"

Cole, rather confused, simply nodded. He bent down to his daughter's short stature, hugging her. Planting a small kiss on her cheek, he met her big eyes with the blues of his own. "You be good, young lady, all right? And try and make some friends. If you keep listening to your cousin all your life, it won't be good."

"I know, Daddy."

"Okay. Great."

"No. It's really not, I'm terribly afraid."

Cole didn't have time to react. A ball of energy struck his side, flinging him into a nearby wall. "Dammit," the former demon whispered. He shook his head, trying to regain his composure. "What the hell?" In front of him, Marcia stood, already frozen solid in place. Her folders had been scattered to the ground in a messy heap, her arm extended in shock.

"Daddy!" Alex screamed. "Daddy, help me!"

Cole picked himself up, meeting the minion's determined glance. "I believe you have something that's mine."

"Don't be an idiot," the being hissed, holding the petite girl in an unrelenting grasp. "If you try anything stupid-"

"Then let her go, and I won't have to," he threatened.

"Daddy!" Alex yelled, squirming uncontrollably.

"She is needed. I must take her to them. There is not much time."

"And you won't exactly have a lot of it left if you do," he quipped.

"She is very powerful, yes? She is the one they want. The chosen girl."

"I don't think so," Cole said, his voice low. Holding out his hand, he rotated it halfway, watching as Marcia's form drifted to the other side of the room, bringing the minion and Alex right to him. "Whomever you're working for? Isn't going to get what they came for."

Caught off guard, the angry demon started to shimmer, his powers thrown off.

Cole shut his eyes, as he wasted no time in darting towards them, gently sweeping his daughter into his arms, out of the minion's tight embrace, pulling her safely to him. He looked at her, breathing a deep sigh of relief. "Close your eyes."

"Daddy?"

"Close them," he repeated more sternly.

She obeyed, as he flung a bolt of lightning at the demon. The being reluctantly disappeared from view as quickly as he'd come, angrily muttering curses under his breath.

Alex clung to her father, her small hands tightly clutching the fabric of his jacket.

Cole helplessly sank his slender frame against the wall, tiredly shutting his eyes in return. "They give up way too easily," he muttered.

"He froze that lady, Daddy," Alex claimed. "I saw him. He went poof, and she dropped her things."

"Ally-"

"You saved me," his daughter whispered. "You're magic too, Daddy."

"No, I'm not. You-"

"You're magic," she said again. "You used powers."

Phoebe and Paige orbed in at that moment, just catching the remainder of her sentence.

Cole looked up at them, exhaustion building across his countenance, as his daughter witnessed the secret yet another time. "Wondering when you two were going to show. Was whitelighter traffic too horrendous?"

"And this is why I don't trust him," Paige accused. "You just destroyed everything we've worked hard for."

"No, Aunt Paige, Daddy's a hero," Alex said happily. "The bad man was going to get me."

Phoebe frowned. "Cole. We have got to talk."

"Are you magical too, Mommy?"

"Now," she emphasized.