Shadows Of the Night
part 5
"You look great. Stop fidgeting."
"I am not fidgeting. I'm fine."
Phoebe Halliwell looked up at her husband and grinned, inspecting him once more in the tux he'd unpacked from his collection of luggage. He had since loosened up the bow tie on the way to the dining hall, and each time she'd tried to reach up to fix it, he'd quickly brushed her hands away. In his arms, he carried Alex, clothed in a small skirt and blouse, her hair pulled up in a petite bun. The little girl had protested greatly at the occasion though, and now wore a slight frown over her pretty face. "Since when do the ties annoy you?"
"Since I was hired back at Jackman, Carter, and Klein," he grumbled. "Only then it wasn't small and black and set for fancy nights out on the town."
She briefly patted his arm, laughing softly. "Don't be so negative. You're gorgeous."
"Really?" he returned, raising an eyebrow.
"Superb," she finished. "Ruggedly handsome, and the only man who could ever be my Prince Charming."
"So you don't think I should have shaved first? It was rather last minute, and I-"
"Trust me. You're okay."
He closed his eyes a moment, as he continued to keep step, rounding a corner. "You know, it would just be our luck that the idiot jumped ship when the time was right, you know? I...I mean, no pun intended, of course. But it really makes you wonder why he's practically been non-existent. Kind of like a gho-"
"A ghost, Daddy?" Alex suddenly piped up. "Where?"
"Oh, sweetie, I didn't mean that there were any ghosts, I was just using that as an example."
"An example?"
"Yes. For the mean man that owns this ship."
"You know, I really do wonder how old this thing is," Phoebe mused carefully, tilting her head to examine the content across the walls. "It just has that feeling, you know?"
"Well, there's a strong implication that evil may not be that far away. Because...low and behold, we've reached the place of the hour."
"And it's...just like the movies on a Saturday night, isn't it?" she remarked, observing the guests milling about to and fro, food scattered upon plates, and mouths running off too many words a minute. A short young woman passed by them quite briskly, her attention clearly focused elsewhere, as she nearly knocked Phoebe to her feet with the impact. The Charmed One offered a slight grimace in response, as she began to search the hall, getting a handle on that night's activities. She briefly adjusted the strap on her dress then, attaching herself firmly to one of Cole's shoulders, afraid they'd be split up as soon as they entered among the heavy crowd.
"It's just like the old days," he commented casually.
"Old days?" she returned, confused.
"Mmm...my time," he whispered. "Before I got the demon taken out of me?"
"So you should fit right in then, right?"
"I'm going to pretend that was a cheap attempt at sarcasm, honey."
"You thought right," she whispered back, laughing softly.
"Mommy, can I go play with the other kids?" Alex asked curiously, as her eyes roamed about the room with peaked curiousity, a smile trailing across her small lips. A boy and girl were chasing each other around the buffet table, much to their mother's dismay, as she fought to get a handle on one of them. The childrens' screams only grew louder though, as they delved deeper into the fun of the evening, certainly not planning to quit anytime soon. The girl flew under the table, nearly knocking over an elderly man with a plate full of fruit, quickly caught off balance.
Phoebe made a face at the scene, shaking her head. "Maybe some other time, Alex."
"Oh, what's a little mischief?" Cole offered casually, shrugging, as he focused his vision in on the same bunch of troublemakers in front of them.
"A little something I don't want her getting into," Phoebe responded slowly. "As if she hasn't picked up enough of your habits already."
"I wanna go with Aunt Paige," the girl pleaded again suddenly.
"Oh, sweetheart. This isn't that bad. Really. There's nice music, and-"
"I don't like the music, Mommy. I wanna go with Aunt Paige."
"Well, honey, I think she's already left, and seeing as this ship is so huge? I doubt we'd find her all too quickly."
Alex frowned, as her father placed her on the ground, her face contorting itself into a mass of anger. "But I don't like it here."
"Do you think maybe she's...I mean, maybe there is something very wrong here, and we-"
"Would you like to dance?" she asked brightly.
"But what about-"
"Why, hello. And how are we this fine evening?" a British accent rang out, as a friendly voice greeted them.
Each of them turned their heads, as a man of about sixty proceeded to come up to them, his graying hair clipped short and precise, the faded glow of his eyes studying them, as he gently clasped his worn hands behind his back. Clothed in a pair of khaki's and a shirt and tie, he was rather short in stature, and had a pair of large boots upon his feet.
"Stephen Anthony Sterling," he presented himself, offering a small wink in Alex's direction.
"You're Sterling, hmm?" Cole asked quietly, his expression unreadable.
"Yes. Is there something-"
"Yes, there is. As a matter of fact..." Cole laughed briefly, urging the older man to follow him out into the hallway, as he gently urged his wife and daughter on. Phoebe threw him a glare, which he reassured with a small smile, as he glanced back at them once more. "Where have you been this whole time?"
"Mr.-"
"Oh, I'm sorry. In the midst of my being pissed off, I failed to introduce myself. Cole. Turner."
"Mr. Turner, as you can obviously see, it's a bit difficult for me to be in each place at once. And as we have only just begun our journey-"
"Can't exactly say mine's going as planned though."
"No? Well, why is that?"
"You've got a problem with the lights. Well...to be more specific? Only my cabin happens to have a problem with the lights."
"The ship is old, and has survived many a voyage, Mr. Turner. I assure you that everything is kept up to-"
"You scared my daughter," he interrupted, his eyes narrowing.
"Oh, you're those folks from San Francisco!" he cried out cheerfully. "Well, you don't say. Prescott Street, right?"
"No, next one over. But that's hardly the point. Regardless of whether you chose my sister in law and her husband over us, there is still something very wrong here."
"Well, if you could just point my assistant Mr. Crane to it, I'm sure he can get that light problem taken care of, hmm? No hard feelings."
"That would great, superb! Only....Mr. Crane never seems to be around either," Cole added, scowling at the older man, as his voice ended coated with a deep sarcasm.
"Oh, I...sent him on a little errand right now, but he should be back shortly. Do not worry in the slightest, Mr. Turner. This ship is entirely safe."
"Is it?" he returned, raising an eyebrow.
"To the best of my knowledge, yes."
"Then I would hope it doesn't happen again."
"Mr. Turner, there is no need to get hostile over this matter. We apologize well in advance, and as you have it, the cruise is already free, so-"
"Yeah. You know, speaking of which- what the hell is going on with that? Since when do you not have to fork over a few dollars for something like this?"
"Does that scare you?"
He studied his opponent a moment, the corners of his mouth twitching themselves into a big smile. He calmly placed his hands in his pockets, as he rocked gently back on the balls of his feet. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about me. I tend to get through quite a bit, despite the circumstances."
"Honestly, the business is all geared toward a very good cause."
"Really?"
"More than you know."
"So what you're saying, is all of us basically have not a care in the world to worry about?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying, Mr. Turner. I'm sorry if the events of today led you to believe otherwise, but there is really no need for fear."
"Fear? Hardly."
Sterling simply stared at the young man in front of him, nervously biting his lower lip, as he propped a hand to his elbow. "Would you perhaps enjoy a different room?"
"That depends. What kinds of problems do the others have?"
"Well, actually, they're nearly all occupied, and no has said a thing as of yet. Of course....there was this particular instance- which will be documented, believe me...but...but I think I'm going to chalk this up to being out on the water, and-"
"This has nothing to do with the water," Cole snapped, a bit too loudly. "But it has everything to do with safety of the people aboard this ship."
"And I ask again, Mr. Turner. How is it that you seem to feel responsible for our actions? They honestly don't concern you, son. In any shape or form."
"I just want to make sure my wife and daughter-"
"Oh, they'll be just fine," he assured him. "Seriously. You have my word on that."
"Mr. Sterling, I'd hate to think this trip was a complete waste of time. To be honest, I have yet to travel and actually have a relaxing vacation. My first day here hasn't exactly fit the bill either."
"Well, you can count on that here for the remainder of your stay, Mr. Turner. And if you should experience anything-"
"Oh, I'll be making a visit, believe me."
"I thought so."
Cole turned around then, entering the banquet hall once again. Noticing her husband, Phoebe quickly pulled away from the group of women she'd randomly attached herself to, holding Alex by the hand, as she picked up her long dress with the other. Cole simply offered a brief shrug, crossing his arms over his chest. "Nothing?"
"Either he still thinks we're living in the stone age, or he's a part of a really big conspiracy. Frankly, it's anyone's guess. But I just thought you'd want a former demon's perspective."
She sighed. "It was probably just that small-"
"Phoebe, I'm going to keep an eye on him."
"The whole trip?" she asked worriedly. "Don't you think that's a little....much?"
"Mommy, what's wrong with the man?" Alex beckoned quietly from her place below them. She looked curiously up at either parent, her eyebrows raised high.
"Ally, sweetheart, can you just....go over and play with the other kids a minute? Can you do that, sweetie?"
"But Daddy- Mommy didn't want me playing with them," she protested, clearly confused.
"Nah, it's okay. Go on. Really. Your...mother and I are going to dance."
"But-"
"You're a rebel, but I'm sure she'll understand."
"Go on," Phoebe urged, trying to hold back a laugh.
"I promise I won't get lost," the little girl whispered.
"So. You're...finally coming around?" Phoebe returned, a bright smile crossing her face.
"Not quite. Just take my hand."
"What?"
Watching their daughter eagerly run off to the far side of the room, he snatched her right hand despite her protests, pulling her closer to the band, as the other secured a loose grip upon her waist. "Don't want to look too obvious, right?"
"Why are you so paranoid?" she hissed, as she glided with him along the barren floor, their steps keeping in tune with the ancient music that filled the air, the instruments fairly loud in tone.
"I'm not. I just thought I'd tell you a little story."
"A story? But I think it's past my bedtime."
"Dammit, Phoebe. I just don't feel right about-"
"And when will you feel right about it?"
"And when will you stop ignoring it?"
She looked at him then, her glance a bit faded, as they met his set of blues. His expression was saddened slightly, his mouth set in a determined line. Ever so carefully, he broke away, his vision went about sweeping the room, studying the guests as they continued to move about across the ship. Finally, he focused his attention on her once again, taking a short breath. "When I was growing up....well...as much as I tended to do in my demonic days- my friend told me this story. I...I really don't know if he did it just to scare me, but it was the strangest thing. One minute, I was still missing the father I'd never had, and the next I was fearing this whole concept of what other supernatural beings were really out there- and...and how I seemed to fit into the mix."
"Strange? Strange how?"
"It happened in the late 1800's. Out on the ocean."
"But you were probably already the big bad by then, right? I mean, you were-"
"Phoebe, I'm not that old," he whispered, rolling his eyes. "And no. I hadn't really embraced anything at that point when I heard- pretty near to 1900...I was only five. I was still trying to figure out who I was. I was still too young to know anything."
"Kind of like when you just turned human before?"
"Yeah. Kind of like that."
"So...."
"It was about a ship called the Mary Celeste. Though in 1860, from what I know, she simply went under the name Amazon. And prior to claiming the second title? There were a series of accidents concerning her. And...she switched from owner to owner more times than a few. That was when they sent her to New York, auctioned her off, and she took the new name."
"The Mary Celeste?"
"Yes."
"Sounds normal enough," she commented softly.
"Oh, first glance at the story printed in any newspaper across the globe, someone might think it was just your average gossip. Quite the contrary. The crew consisted of a captain- Ben Briggs, his wife, their daughter, and eight other crew members. They set sail in late 1872."
"Mmm hmm. Go on."
"Well, less than a month later? Another ship called Dei Gratia came upon the Mary just setting there in the sea, as if even the wind couldn't have touched it. The captain of Dei Gratia was well familiar with Briggs, and he had always held the other man in high regard to his position. A few of the men then got out to get aboard the ship."
"Did they find anything?"
"Like your typical story of abandonment, it appeared as though everybody fled in quite a hurry....vanished without a trace. Some things were missing, and the Gallery was in fairly bad shape. The stove had been removed from its rightful place, and all of the cooking items were just randomly thrown about."
"Oooo....scary."
"Phoebe, I'm serious."
"And it's really no different from-"
"Did I mention the rope was also dangling in the water...just hanging over the side of the ship?"
"No, you didn't, but now that you mention it, that's just so intriguing."
"You're really not believing this, are you?"
"It's like something you hear on Unsolved Mysteries....only too old to be on Unsolved Mysteries."
"Ha. Ha. So the other ship pulled the Mary into port, right, and they also happened to notice that all barrels of alcohol were suprisingly empty."
"Maybe they were all big drinkers?"
"Now they say the crew all hopped aboard the lifeboats, including Briggs- that they intended to leave some crew members on the ship, and simply follow them. But the only thing that negates this theory, is the fact that the ship was much too far from the lifeboats for it to sound the least bit plausible. Others thought it could have very well been foul play, or even a seaquake of sorts."
"Or maybe the Loch Ness monster just had himself a really great meal that day. Your point being?"
"People don't just disappear. Unless you're practicing to be Houdini, or the latest most powerful demon, you aren't going anywhere."
"So then what?"
"So then, I don't know. That's where the story falls by the wayside. There is nothing more that anyone has to go on, apparently."
"Have you been following this story your whole life?" she questioned then, as she crinkled her eyes at him.
"It's stuck with me all my life."
"Oh."
"And that point? I've just never felt that safe about going on any kind of boat myself, whether it was-"
"Then why didn't you say anything before we left?"
"Because like you said, this is good for us. We needed this. And I...I don't know. Maybe we made the right decision here. Maybe I'm just being a skeptic."
"Cole Turner, a skeptic? Well, that's one I haven't heard before."
"But there's just something about that picture, you know? The one where a ship just sits there, surrounded by absolutely nothing. It's just- everything is just gone without a trace."
"They could have drowned," she suggested.
"No. Because...because there's something else I heard, and it just tears apart every assumption that was ever made about the Mary Celeste."
"Demons?"
"A demonic nature," he replied.
"That sounds bad."
"Well, it's never actually been proven as fact in the Underworld even. We've just heard tales...myths."
"Is this the thing that took my mother?" she whispered, as they halted in step suddenly, her hands breaking away from his, as she brought her face closer to his. Her entire composure had grown cold, as she silently set her hands against her slender hips.
"No. No, this is something all that much worse."
"What are you talking about?"
"It devours. From beneath the waves."
"Oh...wait. I think I heard this before. As a matter of fact, I'd say it was Ursula from The Little Mermaid. Alex and I watched it the other day....and...and I'll bet you're doing this just to get under my skin, you know that? I mean, what, does...does it takes voices, or something?"
"Worse. It consumes souls. Your entire being."
"Really?"
"It feeds on the energy- the...well....whatever it is the ships have. There's just something that supposedly draws them to it. Like...like a force field of some sort. It has servants- as far as I know, and they work to do its bidding."
"Like some kind of cult?"
"Guess you could say that."
"This is ridiculous, Cole. It's just damn ridiculous. It's bad enough I was having trouble at work, and now I'm right back in the game again. Fighting evil. My life story...so I better get used to it, huh?"
"I'm not saying this creature is in the ocean now. Like I said, it's all just a play on words. As stories get passed on, they tend to get exaggerated in detail. Things get built up that shouldn't even be there at all."
"Uh huh. Yeah. Okay."
"We could just be dealing with a lonely old man who really is doing some goodness out of the kindness of his heart. But then again, I suppose you'd only expect that to be found in fairy tales."
"Well, you know what? Unlike you, I am going to get a good night sleep tonight. And if some sea monster should come and get me, it better not be mistaking me for Ariel again. I've done the whole sea gig already, and I've got no desire-"
"Yes, I know. But in this turn of events, you don't really get a choice."
"Did...did they ever find any of the people? I...I mean over the years."
"Not a one. And to think that it went as far back as that Mary Celeste- it's been quite a few in the making, wouldn't you say?"
"And what do they call-"
"I think the preferred term is Taker."
"Taker?"
"Or monster of the sea? It doesn't really have a whole lot to elaborate on. The Old Ones who were said to have seen it, said they'd never look upon its face again. Course if they saw its face, they never lived to tell it- so that's where things get a bit muffled. And as it goes, that's how it gets you. How it takes you beneath the waves?"
"So you're telling me the crew of the Mary Celeste saw this thing, and would never live to tell another soul- I...I mean no-"
"Exactly."
"Well, that's just spooky."
"And you probably still think I'm crazy, don't you?"
"Being of the supernatural forces myself, I can't really deny it- though quite a few parts seem awful farfetched."
"Yeah."
"But I think we should still clue Paige in."
"Well, until we actually find out that it is in fact of another nature, I think we should just keep it between the two of us."
"But she deserves to know."
"Not if she's actually enjoying herself tremendously," he reminded her. "Oh...you know, wait....me? Saying something nice about Paige? Maybe that salt water really is getting to me."
She hit him, frowning. "She is still a part of our family."
"Your family," he corrected. "Granted, mine was screwed up too, but that's no reason to claim Paige as well now, right?"
"You are just full of energy, aren't you?"
"Well, energy that we could save for tonight," he whispered, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh. Right. Like I really want to chance a romantic evening now with all of that beast sea monster stuff. I think you may just be sharing that bed with no one but your suspicions, Cole Turner."