Shadows Of the Night
part 8
Cole met Paige's intent stare, as he carefully willed himself to face their opponent again, that same feeling of familiarity creeping up to greet him once more. He concentrated on her slender frame, the color of her dress, and the green shade of her deeply set eyes. But no matter how hard he tried, her profile was not signifying anyone he knew from the past within his head. Not even vaguely. Her features were fairly foreign to him all the way through. "Well. I...guess I give up. Usually when some she-demon is out to ruin me, I always get an introduction first."
The woman merely twirled a strand of long blonde hair within her grasp, offering a slight pout with her full lips. "Aw. You don't want to try just a little bit more?"
"Oh my God," Paige suddenly whispered, as if something had finally clicked in her. A vision of her early exploration with Melinda came back to her full force, as she tried to recall the events of the day before. Her eyes crinkled briefly, as she absentmindedly put a single hand upon Cole's arm, still moving further away from the sight before them.
"Oh my God, what?" Cole hissed. "Paige, in case you didn't know, this is not exactly the time to be keeping secrets. No matter how much you hate me."
"It's her," she said matter of factly. "I'm sure of it, Cole. It's her."
"Her who?" he returned, confused. "You're associated with evil, and never told me?"
"It's Jacqueline Graves," she continued. "The young woman from the photo- picture. That's her. The resemblance is uncanny."
"And the brunette comes in first," the woman cooed, clapping her hands together wildly. "So, what do you think, Cole? Instant death, suffering, lasting punishment for all eternity? I know for a fact you've certainly had the most fun back in your day. Go ahead...pick one."
"Jacqueline would have never even known who I was," he pointed out. "I've never been on the Crimson Star."
"Are you...sure about that?"
"Oh, well then- since you seem to know so much of my history, please...educate me. I'm all ears."
"Such a sarcastic ex demon, aren't we?"
"What can I say? It comes with the title."
"You're exactly as I remember you."
"I wish I could say the sane....oops, I mean same. Sorry about that. My mouth sometimes runs away with me, you know?"
"I have to admit. Getting you here was really no trouble at all. Your fear told me exactly what I needed to know. You were always so easy to figure out. But then again, I guess I always knew."
"I don't fear," he said, his voice low, as his anger began to seep to the surface. "Though I do have a tendancy to get even."
"Oh, why don't you tell her already, Cole? It's not good to keep things all bottled up inside. Why don't you tell her why you've been so worried about this trip from the start? Tell her, Cole. I'm sure she's just dying to hear this one."
"There's nothing to tell, Jacqueline."
"Well, then why don't you let me, hmm?"
"What's she talking about?" Paige asked worriedly. "Cole?"
"When little Cole was stilling growing up to be a big bad demon, he was also a very curious little boy. So curious, in fact, that he almost had a little accident, had mommy not been watching him."
"She's making it up," Cole told his sister in law. "Don't listen to her. She's bluffing. It's all an illusion."
"I don't know, Cole. She...she looks pretty real to me," Paige offered fearfully.
"Look around you," the voice snapped. "History repeats itself, and you're all going to be next. Your magic won't save you this time."
"Save us from what?" Paige echoed. "Am...I the only one needing backstory here?"
"Oh, Cole didn't tell you? Well, gosh, that man is just full of way too many of those secrets, isn't he?"
"Daddy, I'm scared," Ally whispered into his ear. "That's a bad lady, isn't it? How did she find us?"
"Ssshh, it's okay. Just stay close to me," he told her again, patting her head ever so slightly. "Just stay close to me, sweetheart."
"You know, it's so great to see Alexandra has a good role model. Of course, you know in this sense I'm being terribly sarcastic, because you were anything but good in your time, Cole. Now, you willingly deny everything."
"Because it's in me to be good now," he hissed. "Which is far more than I could ever say for you."
"But you don't even know who I am," she reminded him. "Pretty poor assumption, hmm?
"You're evil," he replied simply. "I don't need to know anything else."
"I'm just a poor woman who reluctantly chose a lifestyle that caused her to do the most awful thing imagineable."
"Become a crazy bitch?" Paige quipped.
"Fall in love," she sided, shrugging indifferently. "They say that sometimes you just can't help yourself. That it consumes you beyond your control. I thought I knew better. I thought I would escape the very thing that threatens to destroy everything you've worked so hard for."
"But you didn't," he surmised.
"And Jacqueline isn't any different, you know. She took to that stupid boy, because she genuinely felt sorry for him. Because she actually made the mistake of caring."
"Lowell?" Paige inquired.
"Lowell. Poor Lowell. Such a doomed man. Right from the very start. Orin's jealousy was enough to scare anyone off. He knew Jacqueline was his, and he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize her love for him."
"And now he's trapped," she quietly guessed.
"Oh. Lowell became something much more," the voice rolled on. "Something he probably never dreamed. But oh, silly me. There I go again, sliding right off track." She giggled childishly then, as she placed a slender set of fingers across her ruby red lips.
"None of this is real," Cole told her. "You can't just reclaim the past like nothing happened."
"Maybe it's not," she shrugged. "But you have to face your upbringing sooner or later, don't you, Cole?"
"Upbringing."
"You're scared of the water," she said simply. "Oh, you saved your little wife when she needed it, but the real reason all of those images have stayed with you, is because you have no idea what lies out there in wait. Do you? This world if full of things you've only dreamed of."
"Close your eyes, Ally."
"But Daddy-"
"Close your eyes," he whispered.
The little girl did as she was told, as she also placed two tiny hands over her ears, whimpering slightly, as she buried her face in her father's chest.
Gritting his teeth, he heaved a lightening bolt at their rival, watching as the energy passed directly through her, without any effort at all, her expression extremely smug with the results- as she calmly placed a painted nail to her chin. Cole quickly tossed his hand out in another attempt, as he tried to alter her shape, his anger building with each increasing minute. Upon his second failure, he offered a deep breath, his eyes filled with an unrelenting rage, as he continued to glare at her in response. "So you're not human, you're not a demon-"
"Oh, but I am. A demon who's become more powerful over time. The fallen angels welcome just one more, and well....I'd say I've earned it by now. Gotten my wings and all, you know? And since I suddenly feel the ability to be completely honest with you? I'm looking for something that I want, and you just conveniently happen to have it."
"And why do I just conveniently happen to think it's not my powers?"
"Good boy. You're absolutely right."
"Ever hear of The Dark?" Paige spoke up, her voice coated with a deeper sense of fright, as she bravely stepped away from Cole, crossing her arms neatly over her chest. "We took her down, and we can do the same to you. And she was probably the most powerful as they come."
"Oh, don't flatter yourself, witch. You don't have what it takes. You never will. Your doubt clouds your judgement more than you know."
"But we have something you don't."
"Oh, and what's that, Cole?"
"Her," he indicated, offering a single hand towards his daughter, as he placed her down upon the ground, much to the little girl's dismay. Alex shook her head frantically, looking up at her father with pleading eyes. A single tear streamed down her cheek, as she desperately clung to his leg, grasping the material of his jeans as hard as she could.
"No, Daddy. I don't want to go with her. I don't want to go," she begged. "Don't make me go."
Cole knelt down beside her, his eyes filled with a deep warmth, as he took her arms gently into his hands, his mouth forming a slow smile. "Remember when I told you I'd never let anything happen to you?"
"Yes."
"And I swear to God, Ally, I'm keeping my word. But we've always talked about a time that would come when you'd have to use your powers again."
"Daddy, I can't win. She's too strong."
"Just try. Can you do that? Can you try for me?"
"You won't leave me?"
"I promise I won't," he whispered. "I promise, sweetie."
"Oh, and I just feel all of that emotional rollercoaster ride streaming down my face uncontrollably," the young woman muttered sarcastically, as she took a step forward. "It really quite touching. But...I'm afraid I don't have any intention of killing you just yet. In fact, I think I'll leave that to someone else. So until next time, Cole, hmm?"
"Now, Ally!" he yelled.
The little girl flung a large ball of fire at the figure without question, her arm throwing it as far as she could, as she crumpled to her knees from the impact.
But their opponent had since vanished into thin air, a mere memory of her former self. The brightness and figures of the room disappeared as well, the drapes catching fire in her place, as the aged material began to bathe itself in a deep orange glow- the flames starting to feed upon them quite hungrily. Cole waved his hand, as a small wave of water sprung from the ceiling, patting out the colors, gently cloaking them in a quick rush of running water. The glow seeped to a faded glimmer of smoke, as it quietly dimmed away.
Paige turned on him then, putting two hands upon either side of her head. "You have a lot of explaining to do!" she roughly accused him. "So what else haven't you been telling us, you son of a bitch?!"
"Don't use that language in front of my daughter," he snapped back.
"Then why don't you think about maybe telling me what the hell is going on!"
"Would you quiet down?" he asked her gently.
"No, I am not going to just quiet down. Once again, you've succeeded in putting us all in the line of fire, because once again some bad ass demon wants something you have."
"Well, at least it's not Alex," he offered quietly. "I mean, I thought you'd be-"
"Relieved? Oh. Yeah. I'm so relieved that it's something even more vital to us than your daughter, Cole."
"Would you just listen to me for a-"
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"
"Look, I don't know what she's after. If I did-"
"Well, obviously it all fits together somehow, doesn't it? I mean, the ship, the love triangle, the fear of water....."
"Obviously," he agreed, rolling his eyes.
"Daddy, are you and Aunt Paige acting like children again?" Alex asked loudly, her curiousity moving into their conversation, as she craned her neck up at her father, her eyes growing wide.
"Sweetheart, you've been talking to your mom again, haven't you?"
"Well, she says that everytime you do this, you should be in kindergarten, and I'm the one that should have the job."
Cole laughed, in spite of the situation, reaching for one of her hands. "You bought us some time, Ally."
"And I could use my powers," she rang out happily.
"And while that's really great," Paige emphasized, "It's still not solving any part of this stupid mystery we've got on our hands."
"If Scooby was here, he could help us," Alex volunteered then, forming a half smile.
"Well, Scooby has Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy to help him, and he's currently only doing paying gigs on the Cartoon Network," Cole finished. "So I don't exactly think he could help us too much. For one, we could barely afford his salary."
"What's a salary, Daddy?"
"It's what Scooby is paid, so the Cartoon Network people can keep him on as entertainment for the kids- viewers."
"Oh."
"So what did she mean when she was talking about your-"
"Paige, I don't want to...I- just leave it alone, alright? It isn't important. We have to find Phoebe, and-"
"Cole, she said you hated the water."
"The ocean," he corrected. "It was the ocean. And I'm fully aware that Prue had the same thing. But this...it's a lot different than what she went through. And you could also say not nearly as bad. Minor, really."
"So what's- what happened? I mean, we're going to have to start piecing this together, and seeing as I'd rather not die a horrible death while I'm still in my twenties, you better get cracking."
"Ever hear of the Mary Celeste?"
"The Mary who? Oh, you know....wait a minute here... Was...was that like one of your old brainwashed demonic girlfriends or something? Because if this is just another twisted love story, I think we definitely have more on our hands than we originally thought."
"It's a ship," he cleared up, shooting her a fairly annoyed glare.
"But she said this was when you were a little boy."
"That was something else."
"Okay...what?"
"And it was only something my mother could have known," he whispered.
"I thought Mrs. Elizabeth Turner was supposed to be long gone."
"Oh, she is," he reasoned, crinkling his soft blues in a fairly confused gesture. "But it doesn't mean another demon couldn't have taken her memories."
"Alright. Hmmm. You know what? We're going to go back to that cabin, we're going to sit down, and we're going to sort all of this out. Sounds good to you? Great."
"And if I don't want to just yet?"
"Well, then we all die and she never gets what she came for. Which wouldn't be at all bad, except, like I said? I'm not looking to meet with the PTB just yet."
**********
"Aunt Phoebe, they're back! They're back!"
Phoebe Halliwell rushed out into the hall, her face revealing a sense of pure and utter relief, as she caught Alex in her arms, the little girl just as happy to see her mother.
"So, did you guys have fun, or what?"
"Well, we didn't get to see any pictures of Jacqueline, if that's what you mean," Cole quickly offered. "Nope, zilch, absolutely nada."
"You got lost?" she asked, trailing behind them, as they all re-entered the cabin, Paige shutting the door behind them.
"Did you see the ghost girl?" Melinda questioned, dangling her small feet over the top bunk. "Is she just as pretty as her picture?"
"Nope. No ghost girl. A girl," Paige filled in. "Woman, to be exact. A very dangerous woman."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Your husband is just full of hidden facts that he refuses to tell," her sister offered, frowning. "Turns out, we've got bigger trouble to contend with."
"You still didn't mention the Mary Celeste?" Phoebe countered.
Cole sighed briefly, as he collasped onto the lower bed, gently encasing his head in his hands. Shrugging, he sat there a moment, as an overwhelming silence took over the room, all eyes focused on the ex demon. As he finally met the curious stares, his profile carried a rather tired expression about it, almost as if he'd suddenly been defeated at something before he'd even tried. "A lot of good that's going to do us now, isn't it? I mean, the Mary Celeste is nothing compared to this."
"To what? Cole, what happened back there?"
"Oh, well, thank you for asking, honey. As a matter of fact, a simple haunting is the least of our worries, and a villain bigger than the devil himself is right on our heels, anticipating our every move. How's that?"
"A demon?"
"A bad lady," Alex explained. "Daddy threw his bolts at her, and she never went away. So I threw fire."
"You have your powers, sweetie?"
"Not that it did any bit of good. Because this time around, she's making The Dark look like the tooth fairy," Paige quipped.
"You saw the tooth fairy?" Melinda tried.
"Nope. Actually, she never had a name. But she knew an awful lot about Cole."
Phoebe sat beside her husband, frowning. She carefully placed her hand atop one of his, a genuine concern spilling over her features. She sighed, shaking her head. "I...I guess we just can't escape it, huh?"
"It's not a matter of escaping," he told her. "It wants something. It sent us here for a purpose."
"Something. Do...do you mean-"
"No. She wants something of mine. Something I have."
"So how exactly does Sterling still fit into this?"
"That's just it. I'm not sure he does. I...I just don't know anymore...about anything, for that matter. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I never knew just what we'd agreed to upon all of this. Maybe she possessed him. It's all coming to light awfully quick, you know?"
"Oh, and let us not forget to mention that she also took the form of Graves," Paige told her sister.
"Phoebe, I'm so sorry. If I would have just thought about this a little more before I-"
"It's not your fault," she insisted. "Cole, we had no idea-"
"But I should have known. Dammit, I should have known."
"Well, I sure don't know a lot yet," Paige commented, giving him a stern look. "You've been keeping it all to yourself from day one."
"That's because you wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
"Mmm. How about you were right? Hmm? How does that set with you? I'm a magnet for demons of the old world to come back and haunt me for my past."
"Now, isn't that being a little harsh? You can't help it if you just happen to be in the loser department where demons are concerned, can you?"
"Thanks, Paige. You're really a lot of help."
"We could really use that Book right about now," Phoebe declared, just a tad too loudly.
"Sorry, Pheebs, but I don't think Grams will be listening in anytime soon. Especially since she's probably aware that we're supposed to be on vacation."
"We need Piper and Leo," her sister muttered softly.
"Oh, I'm sure they've having a ball up there. No need to disturb them from the utter boredom that ensues."
"Daddy, maybe Melinda and I can say a spell. Like last time," Alex suggested hopefully. "Maybe it'll make the bad lady go away."
"Ally, it's not that easy, sweetie. We don't know a thing about her, other than how she seems to know quite a bit about me."
"Maybe she's taken a liking to the new you?" Paige offered.
"What are you talking about?"
"A reformed man might just happen to turn some women on. You came from a darkness, and you prevailed."
"Ally, I think I found a place for those socks of yours afterall," he deadpanned, his visage completely serious.
"Think about it. She's probably jealous that you accomplished so much since your reign as the big dark Belthazor slash Source guy of all evil."
"When I was about six years old," he started, ignoring her, "My mother left me to play by the ocean, while she went off to God knows where. Of course, back then I didn't even know to swim, and the water had peaked my curiousity somewhat. There was just something about it that seemed to call me out there. I...I can't really say exactly what it was, which is the strange part. But there I was, just getting up and going as close as I could. I could feel the wet sand around my bare feet, just closing in on me. But...but I went further, you know? I didn't exactly have any powers that I knew how to put to use, so that wasn't even an option worth anything at all. Then it got me. It pulled me down underneath the waves. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't even cry out for help. Though...the funny thing was, I had a feeling I wouldn't die. I...I think in that instant, despite what was happening, I began to realize I was different. That I came from a complicated past. I never found out what had been holding me there. But the next thing I knew, my mom had gotten a hold of me, and she was pulling me out...pulling me too safety. I know this is stupid, but...but I'd told her I'd seen something there. Something that came out looking like just a large cloud. It was so faded though, because the water was blocking my vision pretty much. But I knew it was out there. I don't know if it wanted me, but it was there. So...so when I heard the story about the Mary Celeste, this part of my childhood just kind of clicked. I felt like I'd almost been there, you know? Course, she didn't believe me for a second, but given who she was, I guess I wasn't even supposed to know who I would be around that time either."
"Um...okay! Well. That's not something you hear everyday," Paige said aloud, widening her eyes out of pure shock. Her hand gripped a nearby wall, as she calmly tried to steady herself. "So why do I get the feeling you guys left out a great big detail about what's really in these waters?"
"It's never been confirmed, and I never wanted to debate it."
"I guess it's best to say you used that to build your demon half up," Phoebe whispered hopefully, clearly surprised. "I just...I don't know why you never said anything. I would've been there to listen to you. You could have trusted me. My sister went through pretty much-"
"No, really. This isn't the slightest bit like what happened with Patty. You have to trust me on that. This was something new in the waters. We already talked about this, Phoebe."
"Daddy, did you have to go to the hospital?" Ally asked, her face near to tears.
"No, sweetie."
"So you put this all aside when you came for me," his wife continued, her face beaming, as she came to the sudden realization. "You didn't care what happened to you. You only cared-"
"That you were safe and back where you belonged. It was just never a cause for worry back then- or for some time before that. It was something I tended to shrug off, because I could never piece anything together. But being here....knowing that something was out there? It just came flooding back. I actually don't remember much more of my childhood, except for how I found out my mother was basically hell bent on destroying the world a few times."
"Oh, well that's quite comforting, isn't it?" Paige sided, nodding. "Yep. Monster island, it is."
"If I could find out what it is she's looking for, maybe I could reach some kind of-"
"Agreement?" Phoebe returned. "Not likely. You know these guys love to use violence on anyone who actually loves doing good. And right now, that also includes you. Truth be told, it always has."
He squeezed her hand. "But am I?"
"What?"
"Because everytime they find me, they always say I still have it in me."
"It's not the power you have, Uncle Cole, it's how you use it," Melinda reminded him. "My mom always tells me that, when I'm learning mine. It's true, you know."
"And she's right," he agreed softly. "But I think the rules change when you come down to it. I think it's all put in question. And sometimes, you can't help but bring that buried evil out to play."