Shadows Of the Night

part 13

"Cole! Cole, slow down, please. I'm sure she's- Cole, Alex still has her powers. Cole!"

But he kept moving, deperately trying to soak the water out of his shoes, as well as his socks. "She could've taken hers too. I'm not taking any chances."

"But will you just stop and look at it this for even a second? This is just what she's anticipating. She knows our every move. It's just like I said back there. We're better off doing what she wouldn't think we'd attempt."

"Oh, and what's that? What options do we really have left at this point? Our daughter has been put in danger on more than one occasion since she found out who she was. And if she is right at this moment, she knows I'm going to come for her."

"Our daughter can also defend herself pretty well. She took out The Dark a lot more easily than we ever could've."

"But if what you're saying is true, her grandmother is even worse than The Dark," he pointed out.

"Okay, first things first. We need a plan. If we're actually going to go up against one of the world's most powerful demons, I think we need-"

"Oh, I already have a plan."

"Which is?"

"Find her and kill her."

"And I think you still fail to realize the connection here is much bigger than both of us knew."

"Phoebe, it's all starting to make sense. She never got what she wanted out of her time with my father, and now she's trying to destroy my family."

"But see, this is where...it still doesn't explain how she-"

"Look, it doesn't matter. Because she's crossed the line. And whether this is all about me or not, it's still an evil we have to fight."

She gently grabbed a hold of his hand then, as her eyes met his rather shakily, her voice trembling ever so slightly, as she tightly squeezed it. "An evil I'm going to help you fight. You don't have to do this alone. You can't do this alone."

"I can't do that to you," he whispered. "I can't- you don't know what you're facing."

"You above anybody should know about that," she told him. "You faced the Source, never knowing that evil would go into you- become a part of who you were. You faced him because you cared. You cared about saving us- all of us. And you did."

"But then we come back to you leaving me in that wasteland, and I don't think-"

"And things aren't going to change. We'll still have to face demons after this, and they're going to try as hard as they can to tear us apart. But I learned from my mistakes, dammit, and I'm not going to watch you die out there."

"Phoebe, this really is my battle this time. She's a- as much as I hate to admit, she's a part of me. I don't know why she brought us here like this, but if my past is going to come back to haunt me, I'm not going to go down without a good fight. Remember? You taught me that. And it's stayed with me all this time. I never stopped doing good of my own will, and I'm not going to stop now."

"But you don't seem to...look, Cole, you're going to have to get his soul. Whether you like it or not, it's not going to be entirely safe until it's in your possession."

"And what makes you think I'll have to have it?"

"We've been through this. It's-"

"We don't even know it's what she really wants. We only surmised it from the clues we had."

"What else could it be?"

"All I know is, after all of these years, I may finally have to deny what's still inside of me one last time. It's still there- just like I told you back at the cabin. And if I can't do this on my own-"

"Why do you always have to be so stubborn?"

"You've seen me through a lot," he told her softly.

She nodded. "I know. But this doesn't mean-"

"Look, if she's there, just keep Ally safe. I don't care what you have to do- just keep her safe."

"Cole..."

But he'd already picked up speed again, heading around the corner, down the long stretch of hallway, his damp feet sinking into the carpet below. Phoebe frowned, trying to keep up with her husband, her bare feet carefully sprinting behind him. A small flicker of light lay beneath the door of the room as they neared it, the contraption closed, the space around them completely empty. Cole didn't waste any time, immediately trying the knob, his fingers clasping themselves upon it, somewhat out of breath.

A very tired Alex lay in the top bunk, her eyes opening slightly at the entrance of her parents, a quiet smile spilling across her pretty face. Melinda had taken up residence on the bottom, and was glancing at the photographs in a book she had packed along with her. She raised her eyebrows calmly out of surprise, and slowly placed it down in front of her, leaning eagerly toward them with her elbows.

"Mommy, Daddy! You're back," Alex rang out happily, hurriedly rushing toward the ladder.

"Where's your Aunt Paige?" he asked, an entire sense of relief sweeping over him. He caught the little girl in his arms as she ran to him, squeezing her tight, a hand smoothing out wisps of her long brown hair. Closing his eyes, he gently planted a small kiss upon her forehead.

"Daddy, you're all wet," she giggled.

Phoebe placed a small kiss of her own upon her daughter's cheek, tears beginning to stream down her face in a mixture of laughter. "Your daddy and I went swimming."

"Why couldn't I come then?" she asked curiously.

"Swimming?" Melinda piped up. "Sounds a lot more fun. Aunt Paige made us stay here. She went off awhile ago with that man."

"Man?" Cole questioned.

"The tall man. The one who was here when we came in. He said he wanted to talk to her," she explained.

"Crane," Cole whispered. "Dammit."

"Do you really think-"

"I don't know. But I think she's getting into this a little more than she realizes."

"Daddy, that man said bad things happened to the kids on the ship," Alex added, offering a slight pout, as she buried her face into his shoulder.

"Ally, honey, that man was just trying to-"

"I know. But I didn't want Aunt Paige to go with him."

Cole slowly handed her over to Phoebe, as he began to head over to his suitcase. Pulling out another pair of jeans, and a white t-shirt, he disappeared around the corner. "I'm going to go and look for her."

"I hate to say it, but that's going to make us look even more suspicious than we already are. Especially with Sterling," Phoebe called back. "Just wait for her to- I'm sure she'll be here soon. She does still have the ability to orb, and if he tries anything-"

"I'm not afraid of him trying anything, I'm afraid of her opening up her big mouth and telling him something."

"But she knows that he's not supposed to be....what would she say?"

He threw the shirt over his head, peeking around to easily meet her gaze. "What wouldn't she say? She's already lied through her teeth enough as it is."

"Mommy, is Aunt Paige in really big trouble then?" Alex asked fretfully.

"Maybe you really should call Mom now," Melinda suggested. "I'm sure she could-"

"We're fine without Piper," Phoebe told her niece. "Everything's going to be fine. All we need to do is make sure Paige makes it back safe and sound, and then figure out some means of attack."

"Did you find the girl's picture?"

"We did," she agreed, nodding. "But then we had a pretty nasty swim, and when Uncle Cole's finished, I'm going to go and put something else on too."

"Was it a pool?"

"It was a room full of water, and the bad lady trapped us there."

"Oh no," Alex whispered.

"We're okay now, sweetie. Your daddy faced the water, and confronted his fear. He did it. And I know that entire time he was also scared about what might happen to you. Told me that himself."

"Is the lady going to come for me?"

"I think she knows better, because I don't think she wants it to end just yet. I think there's-"

"To be honest, I think she's better off not knowing much about this woman," Cole emphasized quietly, as he reemerged, completely clothed once again. "You know, remind me to shave if we ever make it back home. I feel like I haven't seen my razor in weeks."

"I think you look fine, Daddy," Alex offered hopefully, throwing him a smile.

"Thanks, sweetheart."

"Come to think of it, maybe I'll just go take a shower," Phoebe mused, scrunching up her nose.

Cole threw her a small grin, raising his eyebrows. "Now you tell me," he mumbled teasingly.

"Oh, I believe we had more than our share of time together in that cold, dark and damp room down there. It's certainly somewhere I don't plan on spending a good part of my day ever again."

"But it had mystery," Cole noted, laughing, as he absentmindedly threw his wet jeans off to the side, watching as they landed in a small heap upon the ground near the bunks.

"You joke now, Cole Turner. But I know for a fact you were scared out of your mind being in there."

"No, actually, Paige does that to me just fine," he concluded, shrugging.

"Mommy, can we go and get something to eat?" Alex pleaded. "I'm hungry, and I can't wait anymore."

"Honey, you just had something to eat not too long ago. Can't you- didn't I tell you to bring along some snacks for the trip?"

"I think she means dinner," Cole told his wife. "It's getting late, and we should probably at least try to head up to the cafe."

"Well, I highly doubt any of us are going to get any sleep in tonight," she observed, frowning.

"Daddy?" Alex inquired, as her mother gently placed her down upon the carpet.

Cole turned to look at the petite girl, as he quickly pulled a clean pair of socks over his feet, reaching for a shoe. "Ally, what is it?"

"How come you couldn't use magic to get out of the room with the water? Couldn't magic help?"

"Magic could have helped," he agreed, nodding.

"Then why didn't you use it?"

"Because Daddy doesn't have his powers anymore. The mean lady took them away from him."

"Like The Dark lady did to me before?"

"Kind of like that, yeah. Only...I have absolutely no idea how I'll get them back."

"But you're still a hero, right?" she asked, her eyes lighting up. "You can still work without them?"

"I'm doing alright so far."

"Speaking of your powers," Phoebe pointed out. "We're going to have to touch base with that Book sooner than we thought. If we could get Paige to orb back and grab it, she could also run you by the mausoleum."

"Phoebe, I'd only be leading her right to us, not to mention putting your sister in danger. And that's not exactly on my list of things to do....no matter how much I intensely dislike her."

"So you're just going to sit there while she slowly takes us all out, one by one? Did you even-"

"I heard you loud and clear before. But it's a lot more complicated than you think."

"Is it?"

"It is," a voice at the doorway stated, as Paige Matthews calmly walked through it, rolling her eyes. "Take a little fall into the ocean, Phoebe?"

"It's a long story."

"Oh, try me. Because I swear, there is nothing I haven't heard at this point. Crane may as well just sign his own death warrant right now, because he's definitely way more guilty than he's letting on."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, our time together was brief, but I really think this guy is even more disturbed than I thought. He really does seem to have a whole fascination with this Jacqueline girl. Only...only it seems to go deeper than what's been going on with Cole. I know he knows something he's not saying. I can feel it."

"In that case, can you read me my fortune too?" Cole deadpanned. "I think I feel some hatred for my sister in law, but I'm not exactly sure yet."

"You are unbelievable."

"Actually, what Phoebe and I just went through was unbelievable. She trapped us in a room full of water."

Her eyes widened, as she gently crossed her arms over her chest. "And I would presume that's why you're all wet?"

"Oh, there's more," he added. "We also have a possible demon in mind. A very familiar demon."

"Say hello to mommy dearest," Phoebe quipped.

"Well, that's impossible. Because she's not- is that the only conclusion you've come to?"

"What other answer could there be? Everything is starting to pull together, and it's all pointing towards her."

"Like I said...my guess? This is all an elaborate scheme put into effect by Sterling to try and get us off the ship. It has to be. We've seen no indication that the ship is even-"

"Oh, then I suppose Sterling can also shapeshift, as he was the one who locked Cole and I in that room."

"Crane said something about Jacqueline being murdered by accident."

"But I thought-"

"That's just it. The stories are starting to contradict each other. Besides, how exactly do you murder someone by accident? Either it's just me, or that's more than a litle suspicious."

"Did he say-"

"Supposedly after it happened, her killer picked up her locket, and saw he got the wrong girl. I mean, that has to be hard, you know? Especially if it fits in with all of that jealous lover stuff?"

"Interesting," Cole offered, narrowing his eyes. "Personally? I think this just happened to be convenient, as we weren't exactly getting the demonic activity back home. They figured they just had to make things a little more exciting for us."

"The Powers That Be?"

"The demons," he told her, sighing.

"Daddy, who's mommy dearest?"

"A very bad and powerful demon."

"Why does she keep trying to hurt us?"

"Because she wants Cole," Paige sided, sinking into an armchair. "It's always about Cole. We're probably all still suffering here because of Cole."

"You know, if you still want me to work on that case for you, I suggest you start keeping those comments to yourself."

"Oh, please."

"Look, he doesn't have his powers anymore, so you're going to have to orb him to-"

"Whoa. Wait a minute. Slow down. What?"

"Did I forget to mention that?" her sister offered, giving her a nervous laugh in return.

"The bad lady took them," Melinda confirmed proudly. "We have to get them back."

"Well, I honestly don't see how you're going to do that if- so why am I orbing again?"

"He needs to get Benjamin's soul," Phoebe told her. "It's the only way-"

"No. You know what? I have a better idea. Why don't we bring the fight directly to them? Hmm? I mean, maybe if we finally knew what actually happened, we'd know the weaknesses we need."

"Paige? Please do me a favor and don't speak."

"Dammit, Cole. Look, I'm trying to- if we actually went back to the past, allowed ourselves to relive what became of Jacqueline and her sister on this ship...it could work. We could go back to when the Crimson Star first set sail all those years ago. If we could find out more about Lowell, and-"

"And wear long dresses," Alex piped up, smiling.

"And wear long dresses," Paige agreed, returning the gesture, as she finally met her sister's concerned gaze.

"It's too dangerous. The last time I went back with Piper and Prue, we were hanged in colonial times. I can only imagine what they'd have planned for us here. We'd be invaders. They'd view us as a threat."

"Not necessarily," Cole considered, briefly running a hand over the stubble upon his chin. "If you could find a spell that allows us to see the past unnoticed-"

"Cole, you should be reliving your childhood in that case. This Jacqueline is the least of our problems right now. We need to find out when the late great Mrs. Turner is looking to make her next move. She's where we should be focusing all of our attention."

"But if it all connects-"

"But we're not sure that it does."

"Alright. So we'll go and get the Book, and argue then?"

**********

"Okay. So do you think they already got themselves into a world of trouble?"

"Piper, I'm sure they're fine."

"Well, I suppose we'd actually know if we'd been down on the ground a lot sooner, wouldn't we?"

"So they went out. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Leo, they have our daughter with them. She's in their care."

"And you don't trust Phoebe? She's your sister, Piper."

"It's not that I don't trust Phoebe, it's the fact that I don't trust what Cole may have gotten them into."

"I thought you-"

"I do. But I just- they left in an awful hurry, didn't they?"

"The Elders never warned us of anything, so there should be nothing to be worried about."

"Yeah, well, they probably wouldn't, would they?"

"I know you still don't like them very much, but they are not the enemy here. You have to understand that."

"And I know that."

"Well, then they-"

"Is it me, or do Phoebe and Cole have way too many pictures on this refrigerator?"

Leo sighed. "Look. They probably figured they needed some time away, and took a little drive."

"Are you sure we're talking about the same family here?"

"Demonic activity has been really low for awhile now, so it's only natural."

"Did you breath in too much fresh air while we were up in those clouds?"

"Piper, I'm serious. Why don't we just go home, and try to re-"

"Leo, I have a baby on the way. There is no way I can relax now, unless I know my sisters are alright. Our daughter's life is in their hands."

"Cole is great with the kids. He always has been. Like I said, you worry too much."

"Need I refresh your memory of last year? Cole almost sacrificed his daughter to The Dark- or should I say, let her be sacrificed."

"You still don't believe that was his plan the entire time, do you? I mean, when you've been a demon for as long as he was, you have to almost anticipate another's moves."

"I know he would never hurt Alex."

"Okay then. So-"

"You know, I've been there for her more often than not since she's had this family, and I think I've done more than my fair share as a sister. But when is she ever there for me? Hmm? Paige no longer has her job, and-"

"Piper, Phoebe was nice enough to fit Paige in here, and I'm sure with his experience, Cole can get her back on her feet again somehow. She's not entirely helpless."

"Oh, so you're taking sides now, is that it?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side here. I just think that Phoebe has put her best foot forward, just as much as you have. That's what the three of you do- you stick together. It's part of who you are."

"And if we have a boy this time, I am not naming it Leo Jr."

"Piper-"

"Look, Leo, everytime we get back from up there, you always start acting like you don't give a damn anymore. When I said you were probably sleeping on the job before, I was only being sarcastic. But lately, I don't know, you know? Maybe you really are doing just that....sleeping."

"Alright, I think I've heard enough."

"Well, actually that isn't enough, because you can't even seem to find time to teach your daughter the ropes on being a whitelighter."

"I teach her," he insisted.

"By constantly orbing out more often than not, or watching television nearly all day?"

"If you're questioning what she's learning-"

"I don't have to, Leo. I'm seeing it with my own eyes."

"Piper, please..."

"A free cruise?"

"I'm sorry?" he returned, suddenly confused.

"Since when do random companies offer free cruises?" she repeated.

"We won a cruise?"

"There. With the magnet. A free cruise." She quickly yanked the letter off the refrigerator door, as a handful of pictures quickly scattering to the floor. "It's by someone named Sterling."

"Let me see that." Curiously taking the letter from her grasp, he glanced it at a moment, reading over its contents. A deep concentration penetrated his brow, as he once again directed his stare to his wife.

"What do you think it means?"

"Well, personally, I would think both of them would know better."

"You think it's a bad thing?"

"It's the name," he whispered. "I recognize it, only...I just can't seem to place it."

"Well, try," she protested, a bit too impatiently.

"Up for an orb?" he asked, a smile covering his face.

Piper merely sighed, as she rolled her eyes, her hand reaching for his.

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