Shadows Of the Night
epilogue
"Are you almost done?" Phoebe Halliwell gritted through clenched teeth, as she tightly shut her brown eyes, wincing ever so slightly.
Cole Turner hesitated for a moment, as he gently cocked his head at her, tilting it to his right. His untouched stubbled profile gave her a small smile, offering a prolonged gaze- completely unperturbed. "It only hurts if you let it," he said softly. "If you stay still, and-"
"Ow," she breathed, as he once again tried applying the gauze to the first wound, his fingers carefully brushing alongside her toes. He shrugged rather helplessly, his white t-shirt readjusting itself upon his broad shoulders, as he slowly shifted position a bit on the coffee table.
"Okay, Phoebe- you're going to have to work with me here, alright? I'm just trying to-"
"What?"
"This is your fault, you know."
"Oh really? How?"
"Because if you hadn't been so worried about me, you might have actually been watching where you were going."
"It's not my problem that Leo can't heal toes."
"Well, can you blame him?"
"Okay, Mr. Smartypants. Why don't you keep rubbing it in?"
"Mr. Smartypants," Alex repeated quietly, a small hand enclosing itself over her mouth, as she let out a soft giggle.
"Hey, no comments from the munchkin gallery," Cole countered, his smile widening in his daughter's direction. "Isn't it bedtime for you, young lady?"
"I wanna hear the story again," she pleaded, her pj bottoms somewhat wrinkled, as she moved to a new spot on the sofa.
"What story?" he asked, faking surprise, as he quickly raised his eyebrows, pursing his lips ever so slightly.
"How you got out!" she quickly told him. "Daddy."
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Please?"
"We'll save it for later, okay?"
"But I wanna hear it now."
"I think she's definitely got a favorite, doesn't she?" Phoebe commented, grinning.
"That's because I'm full of the stuff that makes storytellers so great," he told her simply, laughing quietly to himself.
"I could tell you what you're full of-"
"Now, honey, there's a child present." He paused a moment. "You know you love me."
"Is that the last one?"
"And why must you continue to be so impatient with me?"
"I'm tired," she pleaded.
"Mmm. What about....ticklish?"
"Cole Turner, I swear-"
"Is there anything....ood......tv....ight," came a muffled voice, as Paige Matthews entered the family room, her mouth packed full of a chocolate brownie, as she slowly licked her fingers free of the sticky substance.
"You haven't left yet?"
"Nooo. Because, you have yet to help me out....wonderful brother in law of all that works in Paige's favor."
"What's this?"
"A form....document...I don't know."
"Do the people in charge never eat?"
"What kind of a question is that?"
He calmly pulled his thumb free of a chocolate splotch in the far left hand corner of the paper, making a face, as he then recovered a tissue, delicately wiping off the lingering crumbs. He sighed. "If this is a document corresponding to the law, they may not want to take it back with your careless mess all over it. Ever hear of a napkin?"
"I was hungry," she objected, shrugging. "Piper baked them earlier to celebrate. Got to take a few home, so-"
"And what are we celebrating?"
"Our return," she offered, rolling her eyes. "Oh, and the fact that you didn't get us all killed. Which I guess goes without saying though, doesn't it?"
"Paige, do me a favor, alright?"
"Wha-"
"Please don't speak unless you're spoken to."
"So what are her chances?" Phoebe spoke up. "Has she got a case?"
He raised his eyebrows, as he threw his sister in law a steady gaze. "The legal definition of eviction is basically the removal of a tenant from possessing property by his landlord, or another title related as such. However, if I'm going to even attempt to sort through everything, I need to know exactly what the circumstances were regarding the decision."
"And he's already in lawyer mode pretty hot and heavy now," his wife muttered sadly. "So much for a restless night."
"Hey," he objected, tickling her feet rather gently. "I'm not exactly as tired as I look, Mrs. Turner."
"Yeah, well, I'm already starting to yawn."
"You wanted me to help her, didn't-"
"Yes, but-"
"Daddy, why does Grandpa go to sleep so early?"
Cole turned to his daughter, his gorgeous visage brightening, in spite of the situation. The little girl leaned towards him eagerly, as she quietly propped her hands beneath her chin, her elbows resting upon her knees. "Because Grandpa had a rough day," he explained softly. "He's pretty beat from taking care of Mr. Sterling. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to spend time with you tomorrow though."
"Does he like Go Fish?"
"Um....I think it's a little before his era," Paige added, as she widened her eyes.
"So, getting back to your little dilemma here?" Cole continued, as he placed the piece of paper onto the table. "Did you lease the apartment?"
"You're the-"
"Are you absolutely sure he didn't only give it to you for a fixed period of time?"
So I was a week late on my last payment. Big deal! If I'd been a blonde who was fairly well endowed in terms of chest size, he sure wouldn't have cared worth a damn."
"And you're going to claim discrimination, because you were the one who was at fault?"
"I don't think you're-"
"You automatically assume this landloard-"
"Mr. Thompson."
"Mr. Thompson- was so quick to stereotype?"
"Have you actually seen his wife?"
"Okay. You know what? Hard as it may be for you to understand this, I don't think you have anything to dispute here."
"Are you kidding me?"
He shook his head. "Despite what you might've heard, you're not excluded from company policy."
"But a week. I was only-"
"You could go back and try to explian your employment situation," he suggested hopefully, his tone softening a bit. "If your salary wasn't complying with apartment standards, you might be able to gain some sympathy on your part."
"That's it?"
He remained silent then, his gaze traveling back to his wife's, as he felt a bare foot roughly kick his knee rather briefly, Phoebe calmly shooting him an obviously impatient glare. She folded her arms lightly over her chest, as she set her mouth in a tight line. "Or...." He threw his brows into a deep concentration, running a hand neatly across the stubble on his handsome face. "You could just....stay here with us."
"You mean that?"
"Just until you can find yourself another place," he added.
She smiled, as she took the piece of paper back into her grasp, her eyes beaming with a sudden brightness. "I could hug you right now, Cole Turner."
"Does that mean I get a running head start?"
"That room is yours for as long as you'd like it," Phoebe put in. "Well...just until Alex's baby brother gets here. Then we'll have to make other arrangements."
"I have a baby brother?" the petite girl returned curiously, her eyes widening completely, as she looked over at her parents, quickly bouncing into an upright position.
"Not yet. But you can bet he'll be here in about nine months," she finished, laughing.
"Aunt Paige was right!"she exclaimed proudly. "Did you get him on the trip, Mommy?"
"Okay!" Cole slapped his hands together, lifting himself quickly to his feet. "I think we're going to tuck you in now, little lady."
"Aw, Daddy. You're ruining all the fun."
"Am I? I just happen to think little girls should not know certain things just yet."
"But I wanna know more," she pleaded.
He carefully placed her in his arms, as he offered a pout to match her own, their noses lightly touching. "And if we don't get you to sleep now, you'll be harder to wake up in the morning."
"Story?"
"Well, you're in luck with that, because as it so happens- I have just the right one up my sleeve."
"Think you're up for helping out with the nursery a few months from now?" Phoebe asked her sister, grinning.
"And will I ever come to terms with the fact that you won't be leaving him anytime soon?"
She playfully tossed a pillow her way, as Paige easily ducked out of reach. "Nah, I'm only joking."
"Are you?"
"Look, it's just nice you guys are letting me room with you this long. I'll try to help out where I can with some of the expenses, but I'm honestly really grateful."
Phoebe nodded. "You do realize that he did what she never could, don't you?"
"He never let the demon inside him completely take him over," she told her. "Yeah, I knew his mother had to have some kind of a- but can you imagine how Ben must still feel? He's barely said two words since we brought him home."
"That's because he's still not used to having a real home," Phoebe reminded her.
"Then I guess that makes two of us," Paige mumbled thoughtfully.
**********
"So we were in the boat, right? And your mom and Aunt Piper were fearing we'd never get outta there. I mean, if you remember the way you and your cousin went in, it was by one of those great big huge giant portals. But there was no magic now- nothing in sight. In fact, it looked like we were doomed to spend an eternity alone in an alternate plance. And in all honesty, when you have one annoying sister in law whom you find patience tiring for above the rest, that can be a seriously bad thing."
"What happened next?" the little girl breathed, bringing Mr. Stu tighter, as she clung to him within her grasp.
Cole smiled as he rested his head against her pillow, his blue eyes slowly shutting themselves, a grin crossing his features.
"That's when something amazing came about. There was this light that came from above us, and although we couldn't see anything, we just knew they were there. Leo said they sensed we'd been in trouble, and the circumstances allowed them permission to come to our rescue. But who's to say it was them at all? Who's to say it wasn't someone reaching out from beyond the grave? To repay us for freeing them?"
"Jessica?" she whispered, questioningly.
"It's possible she wanted her freedom the most. Your mom had found her killer, and maybe this was her way of thanking us."
"The bad man," she filled in. "The one you said you didn't like."
"That's him. He drowned her...hurt her...left her for dead in the water. That's why she tried to get our attention as badly as she did. She wanted us to learn the truth."
"And about the lady? The one who could change?"
He winced slightly. "Ally, sweetie, you've already heard this-"
"But you promised you'd tell me all of it again," she insisted.
He sighed, as he gently placed his hand atop one of her own. "That other lady wasn't going to find love, because she was incapable of forcing the evil out of her. It had been there so long, and in the end, she'd always known it was too late. She never tried to live without it. She also may have tried to get your grandpa to believe she wanted to care, but I don't think she ever really did. In truth, she was a hopeless cause."
"Why?"
"Ally-"
"How can some people just not care, Daddy? Aren't you supposed to care?"
"You don't always come with your emotions fully in tact," he explained.
"That part is new," she mused quietly, throwing him a small smile.
"But I couldn't let you and Melinda stay there and face something you weren't ready for."
"Because you cared," she whispered.
"That's right," he whispered back. "Because I did...and I still do. And nothing can ever make that go away."
"Not even that lady."
"No. Because my mother passed away a long time ago for me. She died in my eyes when I was just a boy."
"You know what, Daddy?"
"What?" he asked, as he felt her head rest tiredly against his chest.
"You'll never die in my eyes."
Cole just smiled, a hand gently smoothing out her hair. "Let's say our prayers now, okay?"
**********
A day later...
"So how long do these things usually take?" Paige Matthews responded impatiently, as she quietly rolled her eyes, her arms loosely placed across her chest. She calmly rested her head against the wall, her eyes traveling to the clock perched directly across the hall.
"Well, depending upon the difficulty, the labor pains could last for hours," Phoebe remarked casually, as she flipped absentmindedly through a magazine, her small frame resting itself against her husband's, as she etched herself a bit more to the side upon the bench, a strong hand closing itself protectively around her belly from behind.
Cole smiled down at her, shutting his eyes, as he buried a soft kiss within her hair. "Believe me, I could use the extra sleep."
"Sorry about that," she whispered, returning the smile.
"Hours?"
"We can still try and guess if it'll be a boy or girl," Phoebe suggested hopefully, shrugging.
"My vote was boy all the way," her sister responded, holding up a single hand. "Not going back on it now."
"For all of the times for Leo to go off to work though," Phoebe mumbled.
"Well, he's in there with her right now, so that has to count for something," Cole offered quietly. "But at this rate, I think we'll be needing some breakfast shortly."
"I can do that," Paige volunteered, immediately springing up in her seat. "I mean....truth be told, I can't really be of much help here, can I?"
"Or you could go and complain for another forty-five minutes, so I could find something to turn you into," Cole quipped, shrugging.
"Ha, ha."
"Coffee and a bagel for me," Cole added, somewhat relieved.
"Cereal!" Alex piped up brightly, from her spot upon the floor, a crayon falling out of her fingers, as she continued to place her full attention on the coloring book before her.
"Eggs!" Melinda said excitedly, as she moved closer to her cousin, studying the picture with a deep intensity.
"Phoebe?"
"Oh, nothing for me, thanks. I think I'm just a little too worried yet to eat anything right now."
Alright. Cole, Alex, Melinda, check. Phoebe- no check. Got it." Sighing, Paige disappeared around the corner, her sandals echoing down the narrow hallway, as she wasted no time in entering the next corridor.
"Don't be," Cole assured her, as he brought his lips closer to her ear. "Everything's to be fine. We're not on a ship, and no one has bare feet. Just keep those two things in mind, and it'll be a piece of cake."
She laughed, playfully reaching back to hit him. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"
"Mmm. You know, in all honesty, it still feels strange being here for me."
"Why do you say that?"
"I just don't feel like I have a right to be," he returned, his voice cracking somewhat.
"Cole, you've earned it," she whispered.
"Have I?"
"You've been doing so good. Don't ruin it now. You have nothing to doubt."
"But everything to fight for."
"You don't have to fight for me," she told him, her eyes scanning his profile, as she tilted her head back to study him a moment. "And you never had to fight to be good. You knew it all along."
"Daddy, what do you think? Do you think Aunt Piper will like it?"
"What's that, sweetheart?"
"The pretty picture. I tried to make it look really nice for her." She proudly held it up, as Cole briefly examined it, a smile forming over his ruggedly handsome visage. He gave her a short thumbs up, as she giggled softly, carefully signing her name to the portrait.
"You're a natural," he insisted.
"I don't like the colors," Melinda remarked, scrunching up her nose.
"So do you think your father's gonna be okay?"
"Why wouldn't he be?"
"Well, when we left this morning, he was still in bed. I-"
"Phoebe, we rushed out of the house at six. We didn't even have time to tell him where we'd be."
"True."
"Don't concern yourself with him right now. I know you have a lot on your mind as it is. I'll take care of him."
"Mrs. Turner?"
Phoebe instantly dropped the magazine, as she focused herself on the man in white standing before them, his graying hair settled a bit uneven around his head, his gray eyes projecting a fairly friendly welcome. "Yes?"
"Congratulations. It looks like you sister is a proud parent once again."
"Everything's fine, she's okay- can I see her?"
Cole just started at his wife with wide eyes, a scruffy smile falling over his lips. "We're not in a marathon. She's still going to be here all day-"
"What did she-"
"A beautiful baby girl," he responded warmly. "She's been asking for all of you since the little one came into the world, and I think you'll make her the happiest woman alive if you go and see her right now."
"Did you hear that?" she squealed, turning to her husband, her face completely glowing. "It's a girl! It's a girl....oh my God."
"Right this way," he motioned, laughing, as Ally and Melinda quickly tossed down their utensils, eagerly running after them, their voices erupting in short giggles.
"Well, it's about time!" a familiar voice confirmed. "Finally some people I know."
"How are you doing?" her sister asked.
"She hasn't stopped complaining since the moment she got in here," Leo admitted, a grin forming over his face.
"And you should be used to it by now," she told him.
"Where's the baby?" Alex asked curiously, as her eyes began to roam the room for answers, her feet failing to keep up.
"She was a handful," Piper commented, still a bit short of breath.
"Been there, done that," Phoebe sided, smiling, as she gently clasped her hands in front of her, rocking quietly back upon her heel.
"Second time," Leo volunteered. "And I can safely say I will be here for the next one."
"If there's a next one," Piper reminded him. "I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this."
"Oh, you say that now," a voice echoed at the doorway. "But wait until about a year or so from-"
"I thought you got lost on the way in," her sister commented.
"Nah. I was just picking up some goodies at the cafeteria. Can't say the walk was too bad either."
All wandering gazes immediately traveled to the small bundle wrapped tightly in a blanket, as the nurse carefully cradled the newborn in Piper's arms, tiny cries beginning to fill the air. The Charmed One was in tears, as she gently pulled back a small section of the cloth, two little eyes staring right back up at her, their expression one of complete confusion. She slowly reached out a tiny hand, hesitant at first, as Piper eagerly took a hold of it, her smile growing wider. "Leo and I have decided to call her Elizabeth," she whispered. "After.....Cole's mother."
The ex demon started at that, his gaze picking itself up from the baby, slowly meeting his sister in law's face.
"Elizabeth?" Paige repeated, her expression unreadable. "Why didn't you just name it completely evil, in that case?"
"But she wasn't always that way," Phoebe reminded her, her voice just above a whisper. "It's to honor her memory. Before she gave into her demonic half. Isn't it? When she was a woman who cared about who she was."
"You don't have to-"
"Yes. I do, Cole. You saved our lives up there. You found what you'd been searching for, and yet you still managed to triumph over that."
"I-"
"You deserve it," she added, nodding. "She wouldn't even be here, if it weren't for you."
"I'm....I guess I really don't know what to say," he said softly. "It's....no one's ever done anything like this for me before."
"Do you want to hold her?"
"She's so adorable," Phoebe breathed.
"And completely tiny," Paige finished, as she took a few steps forward, her gaze fixated on her new niece.
"Nah, it's okay," he argued, throwing up a hand in protest. "I just...I know you...don't trust me completely yet, and I think it'd be better if-"
"I'm serious. You should be the first."
"Listen....Piper....I-"
But Leo had already placed the little girl within Cole's arms, her cries of protest immediately subsiding, as her tiny eyes looked up at the new face with a sudden interest. Phoebe placed her hands to her mouth, as she reached down to pick Alex up, allowing the little girl to see her new cousin, just as Paige scooped up Melinda, her voice a complete mixture of laughter.
"I think she's found a new friend," Phoebe whispered.
"Amazing," Leo countered, as he raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. "We haven't been able to get her to stop since she's been here."
Cole watched the bundle in front of him, his strong hands gaining a firm hold on the blanket, as he continued to stare at the gift in his arms. "She's so pretty," he whispered. "So....fragile."
"And I think she's strangely taken by you," Piper commented.
"Who would've thought?" Paige added.
"How long will it take her to grow up?" Alex asked then, her face entirely serious.
The room filled with laughter, as the new addition to the Halliwell line let out a small sign of enjoyment, her hands stretching out completely to her uncle, as a trail of bright blue sparkles began to trail from them, easily shutting the door to the room behind them.
The End