Shadows Of the Night
part 16
"Mmm...can't sleep," Phoebe Halliwell murmured, as she gently laid both hands upon Cole Turner's chest, sighing quietly. "Having any luck on your end?"
"No," he whispered, slowly putting his atop her own. "But we have to try."
She frowned, slightly scrunching up her nose, as she offered a brief pout with her lips. "I can't exactly say I still feel any safer than I did before though. If that woman's son was targeted for whatever reason, what makes you think they won't come for us?"
"They won't," he assured her. "Besides, we're probably buying ourselves some time this way, considering she's in this with Sterling. I mean, for all intents and purposes-"
"I just want to make sure Alex is in good hands."
"She's coming with us," he confirmed. "I want all of us to stick together, Phoebe. And as much as it hates me to say this, that means Paige too. We can't take that- leaving someone behind could prove fatal on this plane while we're out there."
"I'm not following."
"If we can't get back, how is Paige going to know the way back here for us? We need-"
"Can't we just shimmer? I mean, you shimmered back with Prue from that time loop."
He shook his head. "This is just a bit more tricky. I can't...I can't explain it- look, you mess with dangerous forces when you get into something like this. There was probably a lot of dark magic aboard that ship, long before Lowell even spotted it. Orin wasn't exactly the perfect gentleman he pretended to be while courting Jacqueline. And I think we're going to find out-"
"You don't think any of them are still- I mean, Sterling's...you said from your dream that this guy is well over a hundred years old."
"Well, we know the girls never made it, though I still can't quite seem to place how Jacqueline died. If we-"
"But saying we saw it? I know I'd want to do everything in my power to stop it. And that's the part that gets me, you know? I don't know if I can see her reliving everything that happened to her right before her death."
He carefully lifted one of her hands to his lips, planting a gentle kiss upon it, as he continued to pull it closer to him. "We can't change the past," he sided, raising his eyebrows. "I know you may think it's possible in-"
"But you did it before with Beau, didn't you? I mean, you stopped Sutter from killing him. You prevented the loop from repeating."
"What makes you think it's repeating in their dimension? I'd say time is probably well on its way to the future. And if that's the case, if it clashes with our world at the wrong time, Sterling and Elizabeth are going to get their wish."
"And that's bad for us," she mumbled softly.
"This is why I think Paige may have been dead on when she suggested we do this. If we can use what happened to stop them, then maybe we can also stop time elsewhere."
"And what about your father?" she asked him curiously.
"You remember what I told you?"
"Cole, that's a risk I really don't want to take right now. Especially if one of them tries to hitch a ride back with us. We'd have more than we bargained for on our hands, and I just-"
"He knows what she's capable of. And that's better than anything we could hope to come up with right now."
"But you told Paige that were weren't even sure if he would be himself."
"I know."
"And you'd-"
"I'd release him when I know you guys are out of harm's way. We'll take the-"
"Do you want to try it now?" she asked hopefully.
"You are just so incredibly fickle, aren't you, Mrs. Turner?"
She met his lips in a slow gesture, as she reached up to put both of her hands on his unshaven face. After a few moments, she broke away, reluctantly pulling herself into an upright position on the bed. "I believe in you, Cole. And right now, I trust you completely from here on out. I know you'd never let our daughter down, and I know you're certainly not going to let me down."
"Why is it that everytime we go away, your faith is suddenly restored in me?"
"It never left," she reminded him.
"I'd beg to differ with that now, my lady, if I weren't so fond of you," he tried, offering her a smile.
"Nice accent," she concluded, briefly rolling her eyes playfully in his direction.
"Just preparing for the trip ahead," he told her, laughing softly. "Haven't exactly been brushing up on dialects in awhile. But oddly enough, they always seemed to come in handy when I was evil."
"So what do we have to say?"
"About?"
"The spell? How do we get his contained form to take on a life of its own?"
"Well, technically, it won't have a life of its own," he cleared up. "It'll be Benjamin Coleridge Turner, in the flesh."
"And wasn't your mother also attracted to the dark side?"
"Oh, I'm surprised to hear that coming from someone who actually fell for someone on the dark side," he mused, holding his smile, his blue eyes lit up with a deep warmth.
"Only after you repeatedly kept trying to kill me," she added, pursing her lips. "Which, by then, I'd already fallen too deeply, so it would have been impossible to bring me back."
"And if I had let Krell hurt you, I'd have never forgiven myself. I meant what I said back there, and I still mean it...even now."
She smiled then. "Our daughter?"
"She came from a lot of love," he reasoned quietly. "And that's probably why we have so much to give her."
"Did I ever really answer your question though?" she inquired then. "I...I mean, if we were seriously considering another one?"
"How do you think Ally would get along with little Cole Jr. though? I mean, I think I sense some sibling rivalry in the future," he deadpanned, grinning.
"Um...Cole Jr.? You've already picked out names?" She laughed, gently readjusting the strap on her spaghetti string pajama top.
"Well, it was just a thought," he murmured, shrugging, as he calmly reached for the bag to his right, the glow already reaching the surface, as he easily unzipped its contents.
"And it's the thought that always counts," she agreed, eyeing up the sphere with a renewed interest. "So that's it, huh?"
"That's it," he echoed.
"Wait," she added, a touch of caution in her voice, as she reached out and placed a hand over his arm. "Shouldn't we try and take him to the plane instead? I mean, this way she wouldn't be able to sense us, would she?"
"Does it really matter anymore? No matter what we do, time is plotting to work against us. So...I say we give it a little run for its money."
"Daddy?" a small voice pleaded from the top bunk. "What are you and mommy doing?"
"Another country heard from," Cole offered, smiling, as he glanced up at his daughter, an expression of amusement filling her face.
"Can I come too?" she whispered. "I promise I won't tell Aunt Paige and Melinda."
"Oh, honey, we're all going," Cole explained quietly, reaching up to gather her in his arms. Phoebe gently fingered the ball within her grasp, offering a friendly gaze up at her little girl.
"Going where?" she continued.
"A blast from the past," Phoebe finished lightly.
"Where all of the dresses are?"
"Yes, where all of the dresses are," she confirmed. "We have to look the era, don't we?"
"And that's always so much fun," Cole quipped lazily, giving Alex a tiny kiss at the tip of her nose.
"Can I wear pink?" she asked eagerly.
"Pink it is," he responded, laughing.
"What's that?"
"What, sweetie?"
"The glowing thing. What is it, Daddy? Is it magic? Will it help us?"
"In a sense," he told her, his expression subsiding to unreadable.
"How?"
"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"
"You didn't tell me a story," she protested.
"Now where was there a story in this deal?" he offered jokingly, straightening out her crumpled shirt.
"You always tell me a story at home. Like the one about the bad demon that was after that girl."
"Cole Turner, need I remind you that we need to concentrate on PG here in terms of suspense?" he wife questioned, eyeing him up suspiciously.
"But I like his stories, Mommy."
"I know you do, honey, but you're not exactly old enough to be hearing them yet."
"Hmmm....how about this one then?" Cole narrowed his eyes at her in an attempt at seriousness, and she quickly rubbed her nose up against his. "There was once this man. And he was so set in his evil ways, that he never realized what could have been. Got that so far? So...well...he was intent on destroying other demons for power, and longed to get the respect from this group called The Triad. But...everything changed when he took this one assigment from them. Suddenly, he had to reveal his softer half, in order to do as he was told."
"His softer half?" she echoed.
"He was half demon-"
"Ooooh...I think I get where this is heading already," Phoebe surmised. "Quit while you're ahead, sweetheart. It's not the most roman-"
"It had a bad beginning, true," he agreed. "But this man slash demon was sent to kill three witches. He put all of his efforts into the youngest one, because he believed she was his way into achieving his plan."
"And then what happened?"
"And then, well, he got to know this youngest sister- they were all sisters...better. She was, if anything, a rather positive impact on him. There was just something so intriguing about her, and he started to get feelings he couldn't explain."
"Really?"
"Even in another dimension."
"The love was that strong?"
"Now who said I was falling in love?" he teased.
"Who said you were in the story, Daddy?" she returned, smiling.
"Did I give myself away already?"
"Uh huh."
"Darn it," he offered, faking mock surprise, as she patted a tiny hand across his chest.
"It's about you and Mommy, isn't it?"
"Are you sure about that?"
"Very sure. Tons of sure," she replied, giggling.
"Well, now that you know it, maybe you can try and get a little more-"
"But I want to-"
"I know. But your mom and I...there's just something we have to take care of first. Okay? It'll only take a few minutes, I promise. Can you wait until then?"
"You won't forget about me?"
"Have I ever forgotten about you before?" he asked her, staring deep into her eyes.
"Nope."
"Then there's your answer."
"I love you, Daddy. And you're still my hero. Truly, and really."
"Mmm, I don't know about the last part yet, but I love you too, sweetie."
She offered another low giggle, as she slowly climbed back into her bunk with his help, watching as he tucked the covers neatly around her tiny frame. He smoothed out her hair a bit, and planted one last kiss upon her forehead.
"You're great with her- you know that, right? I mean, you're just a natural at this father stuff."
"And all the better for Cole Jr. then, hmm?"
"Well, Cole Jr. is definitely going to have the best dad around. I can see that right now."
"But it'll probably also take a little convincing for Ally to know I still care just as much about her, won't it?"
"Not necessarily. That little girl already knows you are completely obsessed with her," she whispered. "And that's a very good thing."
"So do you think you might have something?"
"In my head," she mulled over. "But I have no idea if it'll work. Usually I always converse with Piper on this kinda stuff. But seeing as she isn't here right now...."
"Well, we'll just place this here, and you can give it a shot, alright?"
"Should we...be wearing protective pads or something?"
"What?" he laughed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"In case he decides to-"
"Phoebe, he's currently powerless. Mortal...remember?"
"Just checking," she grumbled, shooting him a glare.
"I'm ready when you are."
"Do you think we should take it out into the hall-"
"And have Sterling catch us practicing the magical comeback of all time? Not exactly on my list of things to do."
"I just don't want to disturb-"
"She's probably already out like a light," he confirmed, shooting one last glance at the little girl above him, as he absentmindedly waved a hand in front of her.
"You do realize Alex is going to be asking where all of her grandmothers are now, right?"
"Phoebe, I hardly think that's an issue right now. And you know as well I do, that Patty always comes back for a visit when she can."
"But my mom has never actually met our-"
"Knowing your mother, it probably just isn't the right time yet."
"Mmmm...never thought about that."
"Well, think fast, because we need to-"
"Yeah, yeah. And here goes nothing. Bring this soul entrapped, to the confines of this Earth, bring it forth to this place in time, give it its re-birth."
"Alright, maybe we need to talk about-"
But something had definitely been opened upon hearing her words. The sphere emenated one last glow, and began to split itself in half, as the cracks deepened it with their shade of black. A wispy string of air filtered out from it, and began to twist and turn with its newfound freedom. It's transparent tone began to take on a greater flesh colored appearance, as an invisible wind whistled through the cabin. A strong hand began to take on a solid shape through the damp smoke, reaching out, the aged fingers stretching themselves as far as they would go.
"Oh my God," Phoebe breathed. "Did I just do all that?"
Cole just stared wide-eyed at the sight before him, only just realizing he'd been holding a breath. Uneasily letting it out, he placed a hand to his handsome face, his eyebrows raised in a pure mass of uncertainty.
The being that now stood before them was clothed in nothing but that of his own skin, and lay in a crumpled heap upon the ground, his gray hair spilling over his forehead, his blue eyes only just beginning to open themselves to the world around him. Phoebe quickly put her hands over her eyes, as Cole made a mad dash to the bathroom, quickly yanking his bathrobe off a nearby hook. He started toward the older man with a slight skepticism, as his hands began to shake slightly, his lips parted a little in a fair amount of shock. The figure reached up and touched a strand of hair, carefully tucking it behind his ear, groaning a bit from the effort.
"Is he....I mean....is that-"
Cole nodded, as tears began to threaten his composure, a hand covering his mouth. He held out the article of clothing to the man before him, urging him to take it.
Benjamin accept his son's gesture, easily spilling it across his tall frame. He carefully managed to raise himself to an upright position, his expression clouded with a deep sense of utter confusion. His eyes met Cole's suddenly, and stayed there, still a bit unsure. His mouth struggled to formulate words, but only silence protruded from it, as he continued to stare at the younger man.
"Do you think he knows?" she whispered.
Cole knelt down to the ground. "I...don't...know."
"He seems- I mean, I think he's able to comprehend stuff, don't you?"
"Hard to say. He's...he's been in there for so long."
"C...ole," Benjamin sounded then, his face suddenly tearing into a smile, as he calmly held out a hand. "My....boy?" He offered one last glance, before he started to shake his head. "No....no it's the dream, isn't it? It's what I have dreamed. It's not real. A dream."
"Dad?" Cole asked, sounding out the foreign tone, as he finally grasped his hand with his father's. Benjamin's grip tightened, as he nodded, having fully made contact with the figment he had only believed to be composed of his imagination.
He unexpectedly pulled his son into a hug then, and Phoebe couldn't stop her own tears from flowing freely upon her pretty face, as she began to laugh out of pure joy. "It's really him, isn't it?"
"Cole, my boy. Oh, my boy. You're alive. She didn't...didn't hurt you, did she?"
"Hundred years and counting," Cole offered, his face lighting up with a smile.
"I've....missed....you. So...so much. You- you were only a baby when she stole you from me. You were only a baby."
"I have a family my own now. I-"
"But you're evil," Benjamin sounded out. "You're...you're still like her, aren't you? They told me..."
"No. Reformed....I...I have a little girl," he told him quietly.
"My son was evil," he continued. "She made him that way, you know. Pure evil."
"No, Dad. I'm not evil. I'm not- I brought you here because I need your help. We...need your help."
"Help?"
"Elizabeth," Cole told him. "She's-"
"No. No, I can't. That woman ruined me. She's ruined me!" he shouted, his tone growing louder. "I want nothing to do with her- I refuse it."
"But-"
"You brought me here, hoping I could....no. This isn't right. Maybe it's still a dream. It must be."
"I'm afraid it's all too real," Phoebe spoke up. "And...if you don't help us? She's going to kill us all...."
Benjamin only offered a steady gaze upon her, as more silence enveloped the room.