Precious Illusions
part 8
"How is everyone this morning?" Paige Matthews asked cheerfully as she hastily made her way into the kitchen. She was still noticeably clad in her pajamas, and her bare feet slid nimbly across the floor, coming to an abrupt halt beside the coffee pot. Breathing an intense sigh of relief, she gently reached for it, carefully easing the warm liquid into one of the mugs resting comfortably on the countertop, slowly shutting her eyes to savor the familiar and inviting aroma.
"Someone's got another date with Nick," Prue Halliwell uttered, throwing her half sister a small smile, while she grabbed a bagel to her left near the toaster, casually rolling up the sleeves of her faded pink cashmere sweater. "Hey, and just for the record, I think we're almost out of orange juice."
"Nick's stopping by later," she managed, "but if you want my honest opinion here, I'm rejoicing in the fact that we didn't all wake up trying to kill each other last night." She paused a moment, tilting her head to either side, as she stood on tiptoe, trying to get a much better glance at her surroundings. "Speaking of which, just where is our naked mystery guest at this hour?"
"She's up in Phoebe's room...asleep, I think. Cole is somehow convinced we might be able to find something in the Book that could answer a few questions about what went on in that cemetery. I'll have to get a hold of Piper and let her know."
Paige raised a brow, deliberately doing her best in trying to sound more annoyed than interested. "What on earth does a cemetery have to do with a woman playing hide and seek in our niece's closet?"
"Something tells me it's probably not the abominable snowman," Prue quipped, shrugging.
"Well, if you're looking for a creature-feature here, there's always the coyote."
"Paige."
"Look, I'm serious. In North American Indian mythology, the coyote can change into a number of forms." She took a single sip of her coffee, cradling the cup protectively in her cold hands, entirely enjoying its soothing warmth. "He messed with humans big time, wanting to make life just a little more fun for us...all that jazz. Sometimes death and illness actually prospered from it."
Prue's gaze was still one of complete confusion. "He created death and disease?"
"So the story goes. Some of them were profitable in a weird sort of way, while others couldn't be classified as anything more than disturbing or chaotic."
"You're trying to say that a coyote just miraculously chose Laurel out of thousands of other people, slowly snuck away into her coffin with her, fancied the fact that she died at some point, and later brought her back to life?"
"Whoa. Wait. There was something in that coffin? Like right there with her...just laying in there all comfy right beside her when they went and put her away and buried her?" Her eyes widened, as if to wildly project her disbelief, her mouth forming a tiny token of surprise. "That's just creepy. Not uncommon, I'll grant you, but extremely creepy. I mean, usually people like to be laid to rest with money or pictures, even a gold watch or two. But live animals?"
"Yeah, well, I think it's safe to say she didn't ask for reincarnation," Prue mused thoughtfully, unconsciously biting her lower lip. "I thought there might be an Egyptian connection to it at first, but nothing fits. We've already been there and done that. We also know The Powers That Be aren't responsible."
"Maybe somebody had different plans for her, and they wanted her good and ready when the time came."
"Maybe," she replied.
"I'm guessing it wasn't Cole."
"Not everything can be traced back to his past," Prue told her, shaking her head, "and far be it for me to put the blame on him for this just because the deceased and recently revived knew him many moons ago. Trust me, he's telling the truth."
"Do you think they did it?"
She continued to stare at the other witch, displaying a profound sense of bafflement. Blinking a few times, she narrowed her eyes. "Did what, exactly?"
"Oh, c'mon. For the love of God, Prue, sex! That thing that happens when two people decide to finally consummate their relationship after being acquainted for an acceptable amount of time?"
"Paige, did you know Australian mythology has a giant seven feet tall called Thardid Jimbo who lives in a cave and goes on a hunt for food every morning?" Cole Turner unexpectedly made his entrance with a soft and beautiful grin, as he soundlessly crept up behind them, his scruffy complexion entirely amused. "In fact, I have it on good authority that his diet runs to witches who let their guard down and refuse to mind their own business. Maybe I should summon him."
Her pretty face promptly flashed to a rather bright shade of crimson, as the cup she still held nearly slipped free of her grasp, her hands no longer steady and solid upon it. Her line of vision immediately searched for and found some comfort, rapidly focusing on the hard floor below, her lips somewhat parted and faintly professing a brief tremble. "Sounds worse than the abominable snowman," she finally spoke up, nervously laughing.
"I think it is."
"Oh God. You heard everything, didn't you?"
"I did."
"Cole-"
"If you'd like to set the record straight in that particular area in terms of how productive I am, I suggest you ask Phoebe."
"I wasn't- I mean I didn't...I just wondered, being so long ago, and all..."
"You're curious as to whether or not I was capable of something like that with a woman I intended to kill, by direct order of the Source no less- thereby having been informed to keep it strictly business right from the very beginning? I really doubt it's relevant. Had I given into those other urges, it would have prompted me to use her to my advantage more than they could've tolerated, and that kind of behavior usually carries consequences worse than death. Phoebe is living proof of that, but I never regretted falling in love with her, and I still don't. She reminded me what it was like to feel. Laurel wasn't able to break me, because my human side wasn't in control back then."
"Right. Sure. Fine. I just wanted-"
"But while we're on the subject, I find it interesting that you've shifted to mythology for this. Anything else I should know about, besides coyotes and snowmen?"
"You haven't heard any news?" Prue volunteered, taking the heat off her sister, as she proceeded to get a napkin from the table, wiping her hands free of the crumbs from the toasted bagel.
"Finnish mythology," he concluded, nodding.
"Finnish?"
"Yes. Laurel's mother, as it so happens, was of Finnish descent. It would make sense that her ancestors educated her on their system of beliefs before they passed on, regardless of the validity surrounding them. It also makes sense that she would have told Laurel's father what they were and what she lived by."
"So how did you-"
"A little bird told me," he continued. "Naturally, there are some parallels with our own translations, which might just be able to help us out later on."
"Like what?" Paige inquired.
"Kalma is their goddess for death and decay."
"Which, in our realm, would presumably be Hecate...in a weird sort of way."
"Presumably. According to Finnish mythology, when she wasn't residing in the Underworld, Kalma was busy haunting graves and stealing flesh from our dearly departed. Tuonela, their...equivalent for the Underworld, has her residing in an invisible place with a flesh-eating creature called Surma, who takes great pleasure in devouring human beings."
"Okay, yuck. This is essentially related to Laurel again, how?"
"Yep, now I know I'm definitely going to call Piper," Prue interjected. "Leo might have already filled her in on something that could be useful. We need to bring her in on this."
"It's worth a try," he agreed. "Either way, this creature is probably responsible for Derek Wilkinson's death. The law firm was a hint, a message, and I'm not going to ignore that. Byron said Derek died as the result of an act of violence so our eyes would be opened to something. What that something is, obviously still remains to be seen."
"Byron's your little birdie?" she tried hopefully.
He only smiled. "It's a good guess."
"But wouldn't it have just taken parts of his flesh then?" she questioned. "Or, well, all of him? From what you've said, Cole, this thing doesn't seem to have a purpose for anything else, let alone beating an innocent to death."
"It could have broken the pattern to throw us off," he reasoned. "What does seem painfully clear at this point, is that Laurel's somehow at the center of this. I thought it might be as simple as going back in time to right it, but I doubt it's an option anymore. I'm almost positive we won't find what we're looking for there. Her father made deals with the Underworld, and Finnish mythology already appears to be leading us to said Underworld, so it can't be taken off our list just yet."
"So what are you going to do?"
"Well, right now I'm going to take my daughter to school, and make a stop by the office. There's something-"
"On your day off?"
"There's something I need to find," he finished. "It may be nothing, but it warrants a look. I'll be back in a few hours."
"Have room for one more?" another voice hesitantly chimed in.
"Phoebe."
She stood there rather expectantly, her small hands tucked carefully away into the pockets of her jeans. Her petite frame was snuggly clad in a white spaghetti strap top beneath a coral colored hooded sweatshirt, the zipper hanging loose. She'd pulled her curls back from her face with a thick clip, her brown eyes quietly and directly pleading with him, her lips calmly pursed and awaiting a response. He felt his heart catch at her beauty, as it so often did, his own visage softening considerably at the sight.
"Daddy, I'm ready now!" Alexandra Turner's excited tone cut through the brief battle of silence, as he heard her making her way down the stairs, her feet purposely taking each step with a loud thump to make her presence available and known. Her little backpack fell clumsily to the bottom when she gave it a random toss, feigning an obliviousness to the contents inside.
"Okay, sweetheart, just give me a minute here, all right?"
"I can help with this too, can't I?" Phoebe disputed, eagerly pressing him.
"Yes, but I'm not so sure that's a great idea."
"C'mon, Cole, I'm not going to crack that easily. Hey, if it means doing something good for Laurel, we can't go wrong, right?"
"That's not what I was talking about."
Her expression formed a somewhat perturbed frown, evidently not making sense of the situation and accurately understanding him. "Well, then what are you talking about?"
"It's not safe, Phoebe."
"What's not safe? The law firm? Letting ourselves be seen out in public? I hardly think something's been hiding away someplace, just waiting to corner us in broad daylight. It's absurd."
"What's gotten into you?"
"Me?" she countered. "Hello, have we forgotten the stranger still residing in our home at your request? Ring a bell there, cowboy? The least I can do-"
"The least you can do is let me handle this," Cole sharply cut her off. "We're dealing with something dangerous here, Phoebe, and I don't want you involved right now."
"Why? Laurel already is, and so are Prue and Paige. In fact, Laurel's probably more immersed in this than she wants to be- even you can't argue with that."
"It's different."
"Oh yeah? How? You above all people should know by now that I don't need to be protected. There's very little out there that I haven't already seen."
"You're carrying our child."
"That's the only-"
"You're vulnerable, and it's not really going to play in our favor if a demon suddenly decides to attack us."
"Well, if you're planning on leaving right this very minute, you'll be walking out without any shoes on. Since you seem keen on plotting your every move by yourself, it's not going to do you a whole lot of good in the long run, is it?"
"I..."
"See? This is exactly what I mean. You're so wrapped up in taking care of everything without anyone interfering, that you fail to see just how much you're risking your life to do it. I really...I- you know, forget it, okay? I'm sorry I even asked." She awarded him one final penetrating gaze, before she impulsively turned on her heel and began to exit the room, immediately heading for the stairwell, her hands clamped together at her sides out of sheer frustration as she walked. "Why the hell did I even try?"
"Phoebe, wait."
"No, we're done here, Cole. I was out of line, and I'm sorry."
"Phoebe."
"Hormones," Prue whispered to Paige, as she inadvertently rolled her eyes, immediately diverting her stare to busy herself in the kitchen again. She quickly went and turned on the water, pretending to take interest as it began to slowly attempt the task of filling the sink and the dishes that had since accumulated in it. Her free hand effortlessly reached for a fresh towel in the cupboard below.
"I'll say."
"Would you please come back here?!" he called out again, the urgency in his voice raising itself an octave.
"We can talk about this later," Phoebe murmured, almost inaudibly.
"What's going on?" Alex asked, as her concern gradually began to compromise her delicate features, her green eyes curiously darting from one parent to the other in befuddlement. Her smile had tumbled into a noticeable frown while she proceeded to gather up her bag and enter the foyer, her tiny fingers nonchalantly starting to toy with a loose thread on her equally petite gray sweater, desperately trying to tug it free.
"Nothing," they both blurted out in unison, before competently realizing it. Cole met Phoebe's frigid glance, while she uttered a low sound of annoyance in her throat, quickly gritting her teeth.
"I'd like you to come," he said. "Your sisters can watch the twins and keep an eye on Laurel."
"You just said-"
"I know what I just said, but I really don't want to fight with you right now. If you feel you're up to it, maybe I shouldn't be disputing that. I can still disagree with your decision, but I obviously can't hold you here against your will. You'll stay close to me the entire time, though. No wandering out of sight where I can't see you, no touching anything, and...we stick together."
She wasn't entirely persuaded yet, but she mockingly threw a hand across her heart, as if to promptly swear allegiance to some invisible cause. "Yes, Dad, I promise."
"I think I'm going to have a nice time making you pay for that." His stunning, unshaven face formed a mischievous grin, despite the apprehension he'd expressed only moments ago, an eyebrow playfully raising itself in invitation.
"We're still going to talk later," she reminded him, pointing her index finger in his direction, a deep flush already spreading clean across her cheeks.
"I kind of had something else in mind that's been long past due."
"Daddy, are you and Mommy playing jokes or are you angry at each other?"
"We're flirting," he told his daughter.
"What's flirting?" she repeated, scrunching up her nose. "Should I know what that is?"
Cole laughed, in spite of the situation, gingerly turning the gold wedding ring on his finger, as he gave his wife a quick wink. "I'm sure your mom will teach you when you're older."
"I feel older now," the little girl added, hopelessly shrugging.
"I know you do, sweetie. So, you ready to go?"
"All set!" she proudly announced. "I even remembered those new colored pencils Uncle Andy bought me. They're the greatest, Daddy."
"Do you also remember what I told you about making sure no one steals them?"
She happily nodded, waiting patiently until he had crouched down to her level, and eagerly leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I'll use my powers when the teacher isn't looking."
"That's my girl," he whispered back, gently patting her small knee, while she let out a silly little giggle.
"Do I even want to know?" Phoebe responded, having been out of range for the entirety of their brief exchange, her hands placing themselves on her hips.
"Did it go okay last night with Laurel?" Alex asked him.
"I'm sorry, honey?"
"When you went to the-"
"You know, I'm sure there's plenty of time to discuss that after school, okay?"
"I was right, though, wasn't I?"
"After school," he murmured again.
"I'll get a hold of Piper and stay with Laurel, Ben, and Abby," Prue confirmed. "Paige can help me. Right Paige?"
"You seriously want me to devote more of my precious waking moments to that ticking time bomb up there? Two words. No. Thank you."
"That was three."
"Oh, whatever." She threw up her hands in defeat, uttering a loud, exasperated sigh. "What difference does it make? No matter which way I choose to play it, I'm doomed to babysit nothing but children for the rest of my life." She immediately stole a peek at her niece then, absentmindedly waving a hand in her direction, a bit of guilt nearly boiling straight to the surface. "No offense, Alex."
"None taken, Aunt Paige."
"Laurel's not a child," Cole pointed out. "She's helpless because she can't remember what happened to her yet. It doesn't make her incapable of understanding-"
"Wow, so that's my fault? Tell me something, Cole. How do you always manage to get stuck with all the loonies?"
"Is that a rhetorical question, or do you actually expect me to answer it?"
"Huh?"
"It's not important. Look, call me if there's any change with her, all right? You might also want to check in with Andy at the station, and see if he's got anything new on the Wilkinson death."
"Sounding like a regular detective now, aren't you?" Prue offered, grinning. "Work, work, work."
"Well, I've had a lot of practice."
"Are you sure the firm isn't going to have Derek's office closed off?" Phoebe spoke up, suddenly factoring in the possibility, as she began to tug a coat over her daughter's miniscule frame, her fingers snapping the buttons together. "Maybe they've decided to shut it down for a few days while the cops search for evidence. We could be wasting a trip if they have a security guard posted there."
"Has that ever stopped us before?" he returned.
"Well, no, but not everyone has the power to shimmer, either."
"See, we're always on the same page."
"No, Cole, I think you just skipped ahead an entire chapter."
"Trust me, Phoebe."
"You want his file, don't you? You want Derek's file. I get that, believe me, but I doubt it will tell us something we haven't already pieced together."
"I only want a copy. No one will ever have to know we were there. Besides, I really can't think of a reason as to why they'd deny us the pleasure when I work-"
"Yeah, and the first person who dares to be brave always gets themselves into trouble. It's like the kiss of death."
"At least it's not the angel of death," Prue put in a bit sarcastically, throwing them an amused look.
"I guess you're probably still aware of how it makes me feel to talk about you kicking air instead of butt," Cole offered, tilting his head toward her, as he provided her with a somewhat annoyed stare.
"I wasn't-"
"You can argue about it all you want. The point is you looked ridiculous doing it, and you'd already made me look bad in front of those Seekers."
"Oh please, like your reputation was solid gold before that."
"I like to think so," he deadpanned, as he fished for his car keys in his pocket, quickly digging them out and haphazardly flinging them across the table, narrowly missing the open carton of milk Paige had set there by a good inch. He pulled out a chair, and carefully eased himself into it, his fingers clasping the worn pair of brown boots that had been neatly tucked underneath, casually slipping them over his crisp white socks while he tied the thin laces. "I also don't think I need to remind you that I wasn't the only one looking for trouble that day."
"I did it," a familiar voice called out, its tone increasingly remorseful and spent from exhaustion. "I did it." They all turned their heads at the plea, and glanced towards the stairwell, where a tear-stricken Laurel Egan managed to find her way to the bottom. Her blonde hair was tossed about at odd angles from the nap she'd previously endured, and her feet were completely bare as they sunk randomly into the carpeting. She appeared entirely oblivious to her disheveled appearance, unsteadily making her way towards them, her blue eyes plagued with a single spark of unadulterated fear. "I did it. I remember now."
"Did what?" Cole asked her very quietly.
"That man," she whispered.
"You saw a man? Upstairs?"
"I killed that man," she tried again, her confession carrying a persistent edge to it, while she hurriedly cupped her hands around her elbows to stop them from quivering. "I killed him. In that house? I was there, Belthazor. I remember now."
Note: All mythology information comes from here.