Shadows Of the Night
part 21
"What are the terms?" Cole questioned briefly, as he advanced a step further toward the older man, fighting to contain his composure. He lightly figured the collar of his white shirt, his hands gently smoothing out the small crease that had taken form, as he winced ever so slightly.
"Cole-" Phoebe began.
"I mean....you must have some kind of motive, right?" he continued, ignoring his wife.
"Only that I've seen Miss Halliwell, and know all too well what she's capable of," he explained simply. "I actually sought her out quite early, in fact. Most certainly before you received your....letter of recommendation for this trip. I had assumed it would be much too easy to pull this off, and Crane was far too willing to fall for every word of it." He shrugged. "What can I say, Mr. Turner? Your wife appeals to me. She has that special something, as you young kids refer to it today."
"Does she?" he returned, his expression entirely blank.
"Oh, you may think me completely unfair to you now, but think of what could happen to this world! It could be so much more than good verses evil. It could be a place where every demon imagineable could find a place here...among humans. Living in perfect harmony. I rather like it, as just so unbearably boring in this reality! We need excitement, adventure....killing."
"That's your master plan?" he added, offering a short laugh. "That's what you've been trying so hard to accomplish?"
"On the contrary, Mr. Turner. I'd gladly accept one dominated strictly by demonic influence. However, you understand that in order for us to- well, there is always a kind of good that needs to remain present, isn't there? To...balance things out, in a sense. I think Phoebe falls right into that category, don't you?"
"You could have taken Paige or Piper instead," he pointed out. "They're just as-"
"But Phoebe embraces it the most, does she not? Hasn't she always enjoyed being a witch? Maybe quite possibly a bit too much... If memory recalls, I believe the only moment she ever felt the need to repress it was because of...well....you, Mr. Turner. I mean, by all means, correct me if I'm wrong. But you could just be what she hasn't needed all of these years."
"And you have no idea what you're talking about," Phoebe snapped, her eyes slowly narrowing in his direction.
"Don't I, Miss Halliwell? Maybe Cole has already informed you of the fact that you're even more beautiful when you're angry. I find it quite entertaining, actually."
"And you know what would be really entertaining?" Cole threw out, a sudden smirk falling over his face. "You against me. Use of magic allowed, but not encouraged."
"Do you honestly think you can just defeat me so easily? We've been through this. You obviously lack the skill necessary to survive. The weakest link, if you will."
"That depends. Aren't you the things nightmares are made of?"
"A nightmare is mere child's play, compared to what I could do to you," Sterling hissed, as he offered a low growl deep within his throat.
"Really?" the former half demon questioned, raising an eyebrow, still displaying no sense of fear towards the old man.
"You ask of the terms. Yet....are you even prepared to give her up? Are you prepared to give her to me, when she's all you've ever known in regards to love? You could very well figure it will all turn out alright in the end, Mr. Turner, couldn't you? That you'll get the happy ending in this case? But I'm afraid it's quite the opposite turn of events. Trust me."
"And what happens to-"
"I only desire Miss Halliwell. Save the others as you like."
"The terms," he stated again.
"Oh, where are my manners?" Sterling laughed softly, extending a hand to Phoebe ever so briefly, as he quickly withdrew it. "Her free will."
"What kind of a- what the hell are you talking about?"
"Oh, it's not that difficult, I assure you. If, by the time this is over, and you're still- God forbid....here, then I must have had a slight slip myself, wouldn't you say? She's yours again then, Mr. Turner. Completely."
"But what-"
"You're an awfully quick study, aren't you?"
"Sterling, what exactly are you trying to pull?"
"For those of us who are tuning in quite late, the story of the Grave sisters is of no consequence to you. Come to think of it, most of it was only created to further draw your attention here- right now, directly into the past frame of time."
"Then who put those visions into Cole's head?" Phoebe spoke up. "Who allowed him to see Jessica Graves?"
"So maybe there is a sea beast," he came forth with, mindlessly clasping his hands together. "Maybe it is Lowell, and maybe Orin was really this jealous. But you know, that hardly matters now, when I have the only thing I want right in front of me."
"And if I'm not mistaken, I'd say my wife knows how free will works."
"You're still not listening, are you? This is not the part where she gets to choose, Mr. Turner. Nor you."
"And I still can't seem to fathom what purpose she'll be serving for you. Usually when guys like you take the law into their own hands, they believe themselves to be perfectly just in their actions. And yet you keep avoiding the issue here."
"The little lawyer...all hard at work. Bravo. I'm impressed! See, contrary to what you've led me to believe, I'll bet you suspected me from the very beginning. Didn't you?"
"Oh, I wouldn't go that far," he tried indifferently, smiling. "For all I knew, you could have just as well been that helpless old man who happened to get himself caught up in a great big mess."
"Did I really appear that innocent?" Sterling questioned, a slow grin spreading neatly over his face.
"Look, I'm tired, and I'm cranky, and frankly, I'm sick of going back and forth like this. I happen to have a sister in law for that, and I've actually had my fill of it these past few months. If you're going to make a valid point, then I suggest you get to it."
"You're threatening me again, Mr. Turner." He gently pursed his lips. "Amusing."
"If you're so important to the fate of the demonic world-"
"Oh, I never said important. I only implied that it would certainly be a change for it to be recognized. Don't you think?"
"So why invade the lives of these people, just so you could attempt what's literally impossible? Why now?"
"The Source has been out of the way for a few years, has he not?"
"I don't think The Source has anything to do with this."
"That would be a rather smart assumption, Mr. Turner."
"Would it?"
"Miss Halliwell has re-awakened me to the possibility that I might actually be able to find love again. And...as I'm sure you know, Mr. Turner, it has the most profound effect."
"Jessica knew about your affair with Jacqueline," Phoebe mused carefully, her voice just above a whisper. "She told Orin, and he couldn't deal with it. So then he decided to finish her off once and for good...right before he prepared to finish you off. Isn't that how it played out? I mean, he kept saying she was always where she didn't belong. When the truth of it was, I'll bet she had you figured out from day one....knew exactly what odds you were attempting. But you couldn't stand that, could you? And you certainly couldn't let Orin be tried for his crimes, when you had a much better idea in mind for him."
"Jacqueline and I never had an affair," he explained quietly. "She was always too good to be bothered by someone like me."
"But you still wanted her, didn't you?" Cole offered calmly. "Despite everything that was holding you back."
"Considering your line is about to come to a tragic end, I don't really think you should be so concerned about her just now."
"Then take her," he relied simply.
"Cole, what the hell are you doing?"
"Just trust me," he whispered, his voice nearly breaking, as he kept his eyes trained upon his opponent.
"If it were really as easy as you say, she would have been mine hours ago."
"Do you mean to tell me you're actually willing to give me up to him?" she continued, turning towards her husband, as she placed her hands silently across her chest.
"Phoebe-"
"No, I thought we were together on this. I thought you wanted to keep me safe."
"I do."
"Then what are you-"
"Trust me."
"You have have magic!" she hissed. "Why don't you use it?"
"Is isn't that-"
"You have them back. You and Paige went back so you could have your powers in case of something like this. There is no way in hell I am about to leave you here."
"Phoebe, please."
"It's called a battle, Cole. Which means, you fight for what you want. You don't just willingly allow the-"
"This is a lot harder than you might realize," he pointed out. "You and Ally need me....my father needs me. I could have him just toss something my way, and it could take me out of the running...just like that...for good. Elizabeth needs to be stopped, just as much as he does."
"And your father can deal with Elizabeth," she pleaded.
"Time waits for no one, Mr. Turner," Sterling's deep voice offered, muffling the silence that had fallen upon them. "Least of all you."
"This is not the way it's supposed to end," she snapped, as the hurt crept into her tone, a sudden bout of sadness slowly working its way to the surface.
"Look, what do you want me to do? Fight for you, and lose- while he tries to turn you? We've been through this countless times before, Phoebe. I can't take that risk anymore. I couldn't subject myself to the fact that I might never see you again. It's not...lately it's just not in the cards for me, you know?" He paused a moment, as the corners of his mouth slightly formed a small half smile. "You told me I was a good man. Well....let me proove it to you."
"And how can you just stay so calm about it? I left you in that wasteland, Cole. I deserve the same-"
"No," he interrupted her, softly placing a hand to her cheek, as he met her troubled gaze. "You don't. You deserve a whole lot more than this. And I'm not just going to sit back and watch him win. He's been messing with us from day one, and there's no way in hell we're not getting off this ship and coming home. I need you to believe that right now. For what it's worth, I need you to convince yourself of it. I know you gave up on me in the past, but none of that is important right now. None of that matters, as long as we try our damndest not to let it happen again."
"Cole, that's just it. I am just so scared to death of losing you again, and I-"
"Don't be."
"Alright. Well. While I do love a good lovers quarrel more than life itself, I also need to take what it was I came for. But don't worry," he assured him, chuckling briefly to himself. "She'll be in good hands."
"And I have to-"
"I'd say it would be awfully wise to start with the likes of Elizabeth....after she kills your father. This way, the revenge will have been clearly sought out, and you have every other reason to do her harm."
"I don't need a reason," he whispered. "Evil doesn't deserve a place here, anymore than she does."
"But you would have done everything imagineable to show your thanks in her saving you, right? I mean....as a little boy? You would have nearly drowned to death out there in these waters...yet she helped you pave way for what you were to become. That has to count for something."
"Her death," Cole finished, shrugging.
"Oh, poor mommy dearest then. My, how the tables have turned." Giving him one last grin, Sterling calmly extended his hand. "Miss Halliwell, shall we?"
"Oh what the hell? How about one last dual for old times sake?"
"Are you proposing I still fight you?" his opponent asked, clearly baffled, as a brief smirk crossed him. "Maybe you didn't hear me, Mr. Turner."
"I heard you just fine," Cole responded, returning the smile. "But to be honest? I don't really think I'm ready to let her go just yet."
"You are wasting valuable time."
"Oh, I happen to have all the time in the world. Well, no pun intended, of course."
"These aren't the terms."
"Yeah, and what are those pesky terms, exactly? Because in order for me to- there must be some kind of riddle right? Something I have to find?"
"You're seriously contemplating this, aren't you?"
Cole nonchalantly tossed an energy ball towards him, just as the older man ducked cleanly out of harm's way, the blue color slowly evaporating into thin air. The former half demon offered another in consecutive order, watching yet again as it missed his target by a small means, the sparks quietly brushing upon the fabric of Sterling's shirt.
"Do you really still believe it'll take no more than that to stop me?"
"Well, if you're not a demon, and...you're not exactly human- I guess that would make you a god?"
"Oh, don't get too far ahead of yourself now," he scolded, laughing, as he gently let go of Phoebe's hand. "The title has yet to be bestowed."
"Yeah, see, I guess I kind of left out that part where I didn't want you alive before I leave this ship. But I know you'll get over it soon, won't you?"
"Oh, if I don't kill you, I kindly assure you Elizabeth will."
"You really think I haven't figured out my mother's intentions yet?"
"I know you haven't."
"Really?"
"Cole, please," Phoebe whispered.
"Yes, Cole, please," Sterling mimicked, as he carefully secured a hand around her waist, unexpectedly pulling her close to him. "Your child possesses great power, you know. Almost as much as you."
"Ally does have more than both of us," Cole answered, raising his eyebrows. "And if she were here right now, you may not even still be standing there."
He nodded. "You've been teaching her well. However...you have it all wrong. Because, as you see, I have no business with Alexandra."
Phoebe's eyes grew wide with shock, as her cheeks grew slightly crimson. She met Cole's stare with an uneasy gaze, as her eyes began to grow dim, fighting to free herself from his tight grasp. "No," she breathed.
"How did you-"
"A hunch?" he suggested, as a pair of white sparks emerged from his hand. "How is it that they saw it in Spain? Oh yes. Adios, Mr. Turner. Send me a card from hell, will you?"
**********
"Dammit," Paige Matthews hissed. "Wake up. Please wake up. Cole.... Cole?"
"Do you think he's okay, Aunt Paige?" another voice whispered. "Daddy?"
"I don't know," she whispered back. "I can't seem to get him to come to. Think he might be unconscious or something. Cole!"
"Maybe he's really dead this time," Melinda offered, a nervous expression plaguing her face. "Maybe the bad lady finally got Uncle Cole."
"I don't think it was her," Paige mused carefully, glancing at her brother in law again. "Cole? Cole, can you hear me?"
"What about Lowell?" Alex countered. "Did he do this?"
"When and if I see a dead person aboard this ship, I promise I will let you know," she confirmed. "And in this case, they would have to be very dead."
"Like how dead, Aunt Paige?"
"Like, as old as the Titanic."
"Wow," Alex breathed, her eyes growing wide.
"Then how come they made a movie on the Titanic, if those people were already gone to the bottom of the ocean?" Melinda questioned then, her face drawing a blank, as she shrugged. "It doesn't make sense."
"Phoebe?" Cole's speech was fairly muffled, as he finally opened his eyes, shaking his head briefly, as his lids fluttered completely open, a hand immediately falling over his arm, as he deeply winced in pain. "Did I just get hit by a train?"
"Well, either that or you just lost a really intense boxing match," she commented jokingly, smiling. "This look is good for you though. Really brings out the blue in your eyes."
"Paige."
"Yeah, yeah. Well, we...um,..as it turns out, we couldn't find Phoebe anywhere. I've been orbing around with the girls, and-"
"Where's Dad?"
"It looks like Elizabeth has him cornered. But don't worry. Judging by how fast he told me to get out of there, I think he should have it under control," she said matter of factly, as she offered a short laugh.
"He took her, Paige."
"Took who?" she returned. "Oh, hey...oh geez....you're bleeding."
"Well, that's funny, because as of right now, I can't seem to feel a thing. I don't know if it's because I might never see Phoebe again, or if that energy ball hit me a lot harder than I thought."
"Hold still," she told him, as she slowly placed a hand over the wound, a deep glow emenating it. Roughly shifting his weight to one side, he tried to move it, his expression immediately cheering somewhat on behalf of her results.
"Are you girls okay?" he asked, concern falling across his brow, as he gently took Ally close to him, pulling her in for a long hug.
"Very okay, Daddy. Aunt Paige took us from the bad lady."
"So she tells me."
"So where on earth is Phoebe?" Paige asked impatiently. "Because as of right now, we could so use her help on this. In case you haven't noticed, we're becoming extremely short on it these days."
"I did notice, and...you might want to call in Piper and Leo for this one," he suggested, briefly widening his eyes. "Something tells me it's going to be awfully bloody from start to finish."
"What happened?"
"Where do you want me to begin?"
"How about with-"
"Look, he took her, alright? And I knew there'd be no use in struggling, as it's obviously impossible to confront someone with that kind of power. I sensed it in him, as soon as he confronted us. But you know something, Paige? I just wasn't ready to do it...when it all came down to it. I wasn't ready to let myself admit how weak I really was. She was counting on me to protect her all this time, and I just....I had no choice," he whispered. "I had absolutely no choice. It was a done deal before we ever set foot on this ship."
"What was a done deal?"
"Him. Her. Everything. He knew why he did it, and who he was willing to expose to do it. He planned it."
"Who? Crane? I thought he was-"
"Sterling," he told her quietly. "That bastard knew every- he knew....Paige. Everything. He knew it all."
"So I'm guessing he also proceeded to give you another black eye as well?"
He shrugged. "Think I must have hit myself there during the fall, and bruised it. "I don't really...remember. But it wouldn't be the first time, right?"
"Cole, listen to me. I'm going to go, and-"
"Either way, we'll be too late."
"What are you talking about?"
"There's something you don't know...well....I'd say at this point, a hell of a lot. He has a motive, only....he's using love as a way out."
"Way out?"
"He can't feel," he explained. "It's not in his power to make it so. All he can do is attempt to, just as long as he beats himself at his own game. He's going to use her to make both worlds collide."
"And that sounds bad."
"That's because it is. If he succeeds, demons will freely be able to roam the-"
"And that wouldn't exactly be new though, would it? I mean, look at you," she offered, giving him a look. "It's not entirely- look at what The Dark tried to do. She didn't win, Cole. Not by a long shot."
"Do you really think for a second that he's just going to let us live? If Phoebe doesn't resist him, we lose, and we never find our way back. There's no simple way to put it....unless you're prepared to die."
"Cole, I don't know what to-"
"I don't think there's anything left to say," he whispered, as he painfully studied the wedding ring that sat upon his finger, gently fingering the gold band ever so briefly. "I've seen a lot, Paige. I've lived through a lot....and I've even died at the hands of the one woman who taught me how to love. But I'm tired of embracing the good. I'm tired of pretending to fall short of the man I was. Because he's still there. Good and evil still exists within him, and it's the balance that makes him up- sets him up for who he's going to be. And right now, I have to take it all in....I have to really experience it...all of it. Belthazor wasn't just a figment....he was there. You saw him, Phoebe saw him, and yet she was still willing to open her arms to half a man. I mean, that's all I was, you know? Before she let me see how life was in-" He stopped then, as the first tear fell down his cheek, his composure faltering, as he brought Ally to his chest, a hand carefully cradling her back.
"We're going to get her back. And I need you to believe that. You have to believe it."
"If he would have felt an ounce of decency for Jacqueline at all, he wouldn't have let her die. He wouldn't have allowed Orin's jealousy to take over. It was greed....thoughtless greed."
"Daddy, I want to help this time," Alex proudly proclaimed. "Please let me. I want to help Mommy."
"Sweetie, I know what you're capable of, but I think this is something that needs to be done on my own.
"So what about-"
"I want you to go help my father. As much as he wants to convince himself of it, I was wrong when I thought he could take her. I know that now. And I think more than ever, all of us have to come together to beat this. We can't just keep putting it off."
"What about those innocents? I...I mean Jessi, Jackie, and Lowell? Can't we help them too?"
"If it would mean solving their story once and for all, maybe we can put their spirits to rest."
"So what don't I know yet? Anything? Because I am so ready to go into this full force. And if you're leaving for another showdown with the crazy man..."
He hesitated a moment, as he accepted her hand, lifting himself to his feet. Alex looked up at him, her expression plagued with a certain curiousity. He scratched his chin, a fragile smile falling across his handsome visage. "As her sister, I think it would be good if you found it out from her yourself."
Paige just stared at him, as she watched him slowly walk away from her. "Get ready," she mumbled to herself. "Leo!"