Shadows Of the Night

part 14

"So do you think we should try and get Piper and Leo? I mean, now that we're....down here and all..."

Cole Turner shook his head, glaring at his sister in law. "It's not exactly going to buy us time, is it? I mean, if they're still up there, and you've never been up there before, what makes you-"

"Okay, look, sorry I asked," Paige Matthews scoffed, rolling her eyes at him.

"Either way, our next trip is to the manor for that book. We need a spell that somehow allows us to access that part of the Crimson Star's past...and I need to get those powers back....fast."

"Heaven forbid you should be so defenseless."

"Paige, really...can we try and grow up a little bit here, please?"

"You first."

"See, this is what I mean."

"What?" she asked, clearly annoyed.

"Everytime we get into one of these little disagreements or whatever, you always feel the need to keep fueling the fire."

"There's no fire here. In fact, there's not even a spark present."

"That's not- look, you're still missing the point. I think Phoebe's right. If we saved ourselves the trouble, we could get a lot more done."

"But there's no-"

"This place certainly has a lot more dust than when I left it."

"So, um, tell me exactly why we're here again?"

"Um, hmm. Let's see. Were you listening to anything Phoebe said back there at all- or were you still daydreaming about Crane?"

She scrunched up her nose, just realizing their hands were still grasped together from her orb. Quickly pulling it free of his firm grip, she calmly wiped it upon her jeans, taking a single step forward. "For your information, you should thank me regarding Crane. I was able to get a lot out of him by playing it cool like that."

"Look, this might all go a lot easier, if you'd just let me concentrate, alright? The less talk, the better."

"Oh, but what you really mean, is that if it were anyone but me, you wouldn't care. Yeah, I think I got it."

He turned to her, studying her a moment, as he slowly crossed his arms over his chest. "That's not the way it is, and I think you already know that."

"You could have fooled me. I mean, I get that you're some busy hot shot lawyer guy now, Cole. But what I don't get, is your instant ability to always brush me off when I need your help."

He frowned, narrowing his eyes at her. "And where exactly were you when I could have used your help in my Source possession?"

"I didn't know about that until-"

"But the bottom line is, it still wouldn't have changed anything on your part."

"I know how much you care for that little girl, you know. I always have. I said it to you back at that cave, and I'm saying it to you now. It took a lot to do what you did for her. It took a lot to risk your life like that. It was way more than I ever would've done. And...and maybe it's...being so aware of that fact, you know? That I would have not gone as far."

"But if she were your daughter-"

"Still, that took guts."

"And once again, I honestly can't figure out where these compliments are coming from."

"Look, we came here for something, didn't we?"

"My father's soul," he added, nodding.

"Well, let's get it then, and see what we can do about those powers, hmm?"

"I don't suppose Phoebe ever told you he was mortal, did she?"

"Phoebe never talks about that stuff with me. I mean, not that I'm totally set against hearing it, but I basically only knew you were half demon before."

"If I could see him now, I...I actually don't even know what I'd say. I mean, I'd like to think he'd- well, maybe he'd even want revenge on my mother now, despite how much he loved her. Maybe he's actually want her dead."

"You certainly can't see this as having anything to do with growing up though. I mean, it seems she despised him long before she was set on plotting against him."

He took a few steps further into the crypt, running his thumb neatly across his lower lip. He carefully brushed away a few cobwebs that had since accumulated upon the slabs of faded stone, briefly clearing his throat. His back was to her, but he halted a moment, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Do you ever regret it?"

Paige titled her head to one side, staring oddly at him, obviously confused. "Regret what?"

"Never having your parents there for you?"

"Well, I had my-"

"But it's not the same, is it? I mean, you can't really compare that to the original- to the people who brought you here."

"It must have been different for you though, right? I mean, you weren't exactly human."

"And you always make it sound like that's a bad thing," he noted, turning around to face her. "I don't have that half anymore, but yet without any kind of powers, I just-"

"We'll get your powers back, don't worry," she told him, her tone becoming slightly impatient.

"And if we don't? There isn't much hope that we're going to make it out of this...."

"So what do you know about her?"

"Who?"

"Your mother. I mean-"

"Well....it's like I was saying before. My childhood's still pretty much one great big blur to me. It's not that I don't want to remember, but more along the lines that I can't. I mean, I remember that day with the ocean, and almost drowning...losing my life...but I...I don't even think I ever knew who I was."

She nodded. "Yeah. Kind of like me with my parents. I was a total rebel way back when. I mean, I knew they loved me- that they always wanted what was best for me...but a part of me was still failing to see it then."

"But you don't still-"

She shrugged, her gaze trained to the ground below. "I guess it was just their time, you know? And it's not as if I'm still going through life, wondering if they would've ever been proud of me."

"Still wish I could've met my dad," he whispered. "I just...the thought's still there...in my mind. If he could've seen all I've-"

"His soul is still intact though, right?"

"As far as I know."

"Maybe we could work a little extra magic."

He shook his head, closing his eyes. "It's not that simple, Paige. He's literally been trapped for more years than I can count. If we even tried to release him now, I have no idea what would happen. He may not be the same."

"But you said it yourself. You never even really knew him. If we-"

"Then how would I tell? He might hurt Ally...Phoebe...either way, I can't let it happen. There's no way I'd risk letting them down, if only for him to harm them."

"I understand you're only trying to be the big hero again, but that's not really an issue now. We're going to need more than just your powers and Alex's combined to defeat her. What you have isn't enough."

"And how exactly do you know this? Hmm? What-"

"You experienced one hell of a struggle in that room, didn't you? The one with the water? Gave you quite the shock, didn't it?"

"Well, that's easy. It's just like Phoebe said. She never meant to kill us."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Look, Paige, are you with me or not? This is not the time to be dropping out on me now. I need you in this. It's going to take both of us to-"

"No, Cole. In all actuality, I'm only here for the orbing. If you had your shimmering power, you could easily handle this on your own."

"There.....I knew I put it somewhere in here," he mouthed softly, ignoring her, as he began removing a small pile of stones from a section embedded within the stone wall, hidden from sight. A thin layer of cobwebs resided upon it, and he rapidly began shoving them aside, his hands prying open the slab of the piece which he'd carved to lay almost invisible at first glance. The glow that emenated from within, lit up the entire space with its warmth, almost as if the sphere were attempting to call out to him, embracing its newfound freedom.

"Wow," Paige breathed. "That's...that's it?"

He turned to her, his blue eyes almost seeming to register a deep pain within them, as he calmly nodded. His hands resting at his sides, he titled his head back, his gaze traveling to the ceiling above. "It's just...I haven't seen it for some time. Didn't even know if it would be where I'd left it."

"You remembered though," she added, offering a small half smile.

He carefully removed it from its prison then, holding it within his grasp, his hands shaking a bit from the feel of the cool texture it possessed, the glow appearing to deepen as he studied the intense yellow hue before him. He swallowed hard, as he reluctantly placed it in the small bag he had with him, the light suddenly fading upon it's enclosure. "C'mon. We should get to the manor."

"Are you sure that thing's gonna be safe in there?"

"I hope so," he added quietly.

"Maybe we should orb it back to Phoebe, have her watch over-"

"Too dangerous," he explained. "I'm betting she can already sense it."

"But then wouldn't that put us in danger too?"

"That's the whole point. It'll bring her right to us."

"But that-"

"Look, the quicker we get this done, the sooner we can orb back to the ship to Phoebe and the girls."

"Do you really think you can do it though? I mean....seriously considering going up against your mother."

He shrugged, clearly indifferent, as he slung the bag neatly over his shoulder. "I never knew her well enough to know if she was someone I could learn to love."

She held out her hand, silent, as they disappeared from the mausoleum, leaving nothing but a short breeze of dust within their wake. Almost instantly, they stood on solid ground once again, having stopped in the attic. The Book was right where it always had been, perched neatly upon the small stand that had held it since Phoebe had recited the words that bound the three sisters to their destiny. Paige sighed, offering a single glance around the room, shrugging. "Safe to say they haven't been back here for awhile."

"How so?"

"Oh, just a hunch."

"You're playing this on a hunch? Mmm...should've known."

"Look, regardless, any demon that suddenly pops in here with a mission, is going to have an awfully hard time trying to grab that thing."

"A little too familiar with that, actually," he admitted sheepishly, offering an uneasy gaze at the object before him.

"Oh. Right. Belthazor."

"Here we go," he sided, rolling his eyes.

"But who cared about the Book after you fell in love with Phoebe, right?"

"Well, I was actually supposed to bring it directly to The Triad. But you know, at the time, I was all out for myself anyway, so I probably would've just taken it and betrayed them even then."

"Wonders never cease."

"But you know that's all behind me now, so I would appreciate it if that comment died right here in this room."

"Hey, no complaints here."

"Good. Glad to hear it."

"So where do we begin, hmm? I mean, what exactly are we hoping to find in this thing?"

"Well, you're the expert, aren't you? I wasn't the one who suggested we put on decades old wardrobes and join the crazy clan of the Crimson Star in their glory days."

"I meant about your powers?" she emphasized, shooting him a glare. "And my idea was perfectly just. You know that as well as I do. It'll give us a handle on what went down when on that ship. And believe me, we sure aren't going to discover it by ourselves anytime soon."

"What's that one?" he asked, as her fingers had placed themselves upon a random page, her brow concentrated on the material below, her eyes scanning over the ancient text.

"You might actually know, if you decided to get closer to it," she offered sarcastically.

"Like I said, the Book and I keep our distance. The not so fond memories of getting electrocuted, spell it out just fine for me. I'm betting it still wouldn't take kindly to a former half demon yet either."

"In that case, can you force yourself to move at least an inch?"

"What does it say?" he asked again, deliberately ignoring her.

"This....is a spell to change what could or may happen in the future. Hardly a problem where we're concerned."

"And that one?"

"Look, why don't you just try and take-"

"I'd rather not," he insisted, offering her a nervous grin, as he continued to peek carefully over her shoulder.

"It's probably more afraid of you, than you are of it."

"Oh, so it has feelings now?"

"I meant, it probably senses the good in you, and because of that- it probably won't be able to object."

"Do you...always give these things human qualities?"

"Just take it," she urged him. "We're doing nothing but wasting time this way."

Reluctantly, he placed a single hand out in front of him, placing it closer to the magical Book. When he didn't feel any kind of unwanted power begin to surge through him, he reached out his other hand, and ever so slowly grasped the heavy piece with a strong grip, surprised at the lack of reaction to him. Breathing a sigh of relief, he gently walked it over to the old sofa seated in the middle of the room, sitting himself down upon it.

Paige couldn't help but offer a smile, as she gently crossed her arms over her chest. "See? Told you so."

"So I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look for the power spell either, right?"

"Hey, it's up to you. We'll just have to make sure we have everything on our way back."

"And in all honesty, this was a side I never knew you had. But the odds don't exactly look too good in my favor, seeing as you'll probably return to your old ways sooner than I think."

"Hey, people can surprise you, you know. And when my brother in law gets a little too egotistical in helping me with a problem, then I strike back. Simple as that."

"Egotistial? Please, Paige. I think, if anything, it suits you better than it does me," he scoffed, refusing to meet her stare.

"Hey...you know something...." she walked to the window a moment, pursing her lips, as she placed a single finger to them, her eyes roaming to the grounds below.

"What is it?" he asked curiously, as he continued to flip the pages.

"How long can a demon really live? I...I mean, if they were proven to be a demon and all."

"Well, it depends," he considered, squinting, as he mulled it over, briefly scratching his stubbled chin. "I mean, they age much slower than humans do- obviously...and therefore it's sometimes kind of hard to make out an age."

"Oh."

"Why?"

"You said in your dream that Sterling was-"

"The map indicated he'd been in charge from day one," he cleared up. "I mean, it would had to have been over a hundred years, at most. If he is in fact the original captain, I'd say things could get more complicated than they already are."

"Which also means he could be working side by side with your mother," she pointed out.

"What makes you think he has anything to do with what Mrs. Turner has planned?"

"Mmm....what exactly does she have planned?" she countered. "I mean, that's the question, isn't it?"

"Journey to the past," he whispered.

"What are you talking about?"

"I found the spell," he told her, running a hand across the aged piece of paper concealed within the Book. "Journey to the past. That's gotta be it, right?"

"If you say so."

"Well, geez, Paige. It would be nice if I could get a little assistance here."

"What does it say?"

"If I read it, will it go into effect?" he asked, a tad bit of worry clouding his system. "I mean, I don't think we're ready to journey out just yet."

"Let me see then." As he handed it over to her, she examined the content fairly quickly, her head nodding somewhat in agreement with his assumptions. She raised an eyebrow, as she took a step forward. "Got a pen and paper?"

"There should probably be some downstairs, right?"

"Well, I don't live here," she mused, shrugging.

"And I do? Last time I checked, Phoebe and I have had our own house for quite a few years now. As a matter of fact, it's the one you're now living for free in."

"Temporarily," she reminded him.

"Right. Temporarily."

"Do you want to check for the other one now? I mean, before we-"

"Checking," he confirmed.

"On second thought. I'll check. You go downstairs."

"But I'm powerless," he sided, giving her a look. "If something evil bursts through that door, I can't do anything about it. While I'm lying unconscious on the floor, he'll be up here attacking you. That doesn't exactly sound like the best course of action right now."

"Fine. You know, are you always this persistent?"

"Like I said, I have a family to think about."

"They're my family too," she protested, hands on her hips.

"You know, maybe you are becoming more like Prue everyday."

"Whatever."

"She had that chip on her shoulders, and you-"

"I'm Paige. The half sister who still knows little to nothing about her. Remember?"

"Just out of curiousity, will we need the Power of Three to get my powers back? Because we're still one short, and I can't exactly substitute myself into this."

"And maybe it won't even work," she told him, frowning.

"Can we have a little faith here, please?"

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"The only thing they seem to have though, is this. I mean, it's not exactly what we wanted, but it just may do."

"There's..."

"This actually removes powers. But maybe if I reverse it, we can get a few results."

"We'll take everything back to Phoebe. I'm not as experienced as she is, so we'll let her decide. I'm sure she'd never forgive me if anything happened to you....Alex too."

"I thought I heard voices up here," a familiar voice echoed, as she greeted them with her stern tone.

"Piper?"

"No. I'm a shapeshifter who's come to finish both of you off," she quipped sarcastically. "Yes. It's me. Leo and I just got back not too long ago. Cole and Phoebe's house was basically deserted for the most part, so we came back here."

"That's because we weren't home," Cole offered.

She rolled her eyes. "I gathered that."

"And we'd really love to stay and chat, but we're not exactly cut out for it just yet."

"What? Why? What?"

"There's no time to tell you everything now," Paige said in a small voice. "But we may just have to save the world....again."

Piper narrowed her eyes at her sister. "And you needed the Book to do it? What's going on?"

"Like, I said, we'll tell you everything later."

"Where are you going?"

"Away."

"But you're using the Book," she protested.

"And we promise to come back in one piece," Cole added.

"Wait a minute. Where's Melinda?"

"She's...she's with us. But she's in good hands. Phoebe is with her, and-" Paige started.

"Leo!" Piper yelled, craning her head toward the attic doorway. "Oh, you two are so in trouble now. You're not going anywhere Not until we discuss this in more detail. Got it? Because as it so happens, we found out some stuff too. About, oh say, the Crimson Star?"

Cole simply offered a prolonged sigh, burying his face in his hands, as Paige offered a quick shrug his way. "Sorry," she added, defeatedly raising her eyebrows.

"Consider your financial problems unresolved," he confirmed, frowning.

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