88A/N: Thank you very much for your reviews! I'm very happy :) :) :)
Ah, I have big trouble with naming the characters. So I didn't name the sorcerer and the bounty hunter I created in this story.
Recap: After being vanquished in the second time, Cole found his daughter (with Phoebe)'s soul on the Wasteland. He came back and made a deal with a sorcerer. According to that, his daughter was brought to life, and the Sorcerer got his soul in return. 6 years later, Cole was going to die because of the lack of his soul, he decided to find an adoptive family for his daughter, little Phoebe. He didn't know the girl had secretly contacted with her mother, Phoebe. Now Phoebe came to see Cole and take her daughter back.
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Part 12
Phoebe drove to the beach, she took her shoes off, walking out on her bare feet, feeling the sand sink under each of her steps. She'd been there many times with her sisters, or her lovers. She was alone now, in the sunset, foolishly thinking she's as well on her wane. Phoebe pulled her engagement ring off, it was cursed too! All the rings her suitors had given her were cursed, she bitterly thought. Oh, Jack had proposed her at this beach last year. Since when he became so selfish and unreasonable? Perhaps his handicapped situation had changed him.
Her wandering paces led her to the rocks where she had officially put an end to her real love. Her real love, it's definitely not Jack.
"What do you want me to say?" mermaid Phoebe asked.
"You don't have to say anything. All you have to do to free yourself is admit how you truly feel about me. In your heart."
Cole was in big trouble. It's obvious. He didn't persuit her, he gave up his daughter, those didn't sound like what he's willing to do. She should've believed in her feeling. He'd been at Fiona's place last Saturday because he'd needed her service. Fiona's now dead. What did it mean?
Oh, Cole! He always hid something from her. When she'd considered him a good person, he'd turned out to be the demon Belthazor who'd been trying to wipe The Charmed Ones out. When she'd assumed him a pure human, he'd turned out to be The Source. Phoebe did have seen the signs, but she hadn't wanted to acknowledge them. She had deceived herself that everything had been going fine, since a happy marriage with Cole was all she'd ever wished, until it's too late to fix.
This time was different. She wasn't going to lose him again. They had lost so much time…
"Turner!"
"Cole!" Phoebe pressed her cell phone closely to her ear "It's me."
"Yes."
"Can I see you?"
He didn't answer.
"About Phoebe." She added.
"Anything wrong?" Cole asked anxiously.
"No." Phoebe assured him "Not really. I'd like to know more bout her." She tried to make a reason "You know, I wasn't there when she's born, when she babbled the first word, or when she started her toddle. I want you to fill me in."
"All right." He agreed.
"Great!" she smiled "When will you have time?"
"How about tomorrow?" Cole suggested.
Today was Wednesday. He wouldn't have his new potion on Saturday, so it might be the last time he saw her, he didn't want to engrave in her mind his completely emaciated image. They should make it as soon as possible.
"Yes." Phoebe answered without a thought. She wouldn't care if the problem with Jack would have been solved, nothing was more important than talking to Cole now.
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Little Phoebe stood up from her chair, while Wyatt and Chris were still enjoying their dishes.
"Where are you going, honey? You haven't finished your dinner." Piper asked.
"I'm full." Little Phoebe answered, sadly leaving the kitchen.
"You know what happened to her?" Piper asked her sons.
"She didn't talk. Just looking at her pendant all the time." Wyatt said.
"Mommy, she shimmered out a while ago." Chris said.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Piper asked thoughtfully.
"I was about to. But she's back."
Phoebe entered the kitchen, throwing her handbag on the table.
"Where's Phoebe?" she asked.
"In her room, I guess." Piper replied "Look, she didn't finish her dish."
Phoebe knew her daughter wasn't very happy these days, despite the fact that everyone loved her. It's getting worse.
"I'll talk to her." She got out.
"You're right." Piper nodded "Oh, how is Jack?"
"He's paralysed half body." Phoebe informed "He wants Leo to heal him."
"What?"
"Leo healed you before his eyes once." Phoebe reminded her.
"But…" Piper was about to argue.
"He said he collected some evidences of us to make sure we aren't saying 'but' " Phoebe interrupted "I don't believe that. My feeling tells me he isn't that bad."
"We'll talk after Leo and Paige come back." Piper said.
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"Can I come in, baby?" Phoebe asked, opening the door of her daughter's room.
She walked in, sitting next to little Phoebe.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly "Shall we go eating out together?"
The girl shook her head.
Playing silent again, Phoebe sighed.
"Ok, so tell me what you're thinking!" she grabbed her daughter's hand "We're family, we're meant to help each other, and stand by each other. Remember I told you I had a bad headache the day before yesterday? I got better after you brought me an Aspirin."
The girl hesitated for a fews moments, then sputtered "I miss dad.", bowing her head down.
Phoebe pulled her in her lap, she knew her daughter wouldn't be angry at her father a long time. She had never been with her, but she always loved her, how could she forget Cole that easily…
"So you shimmered back to him?"
"Yes." The girl admitted "I only watched."
"What's dad doing?"
"Looking at my pictures, in my room."
Phoebe hugged her daughter, feeling her eyes stung. Cole explicitly wasn't happy with his decision. She was doing right, she would have him reveal what he's hiding. Before it's too late.
Her daughter held her tightly, saying in a muffled voice "Dad is sick."
"What?"
"A chronic headache." Little Phoebe murmured.
Phoebe pulled her out a little, looking at her "You never told me." Now she knew why her daughter had brought her the exact medicine when she'd been headachy. The girl's familiar to it.
"Dad was sick when you first saw him."
Phoebe recalled what Cole had reacted the other night. He'd looked worn out, his voice had sounded weak, all he'd wanted was to finish their conversation to go to somewhere, he had even confined his daughter in her room, that he'd never done before. She should've considered those facts. Cole was all powerful in her eyes, she hadn't believed anything could endanger him, so she'd denied them.
"Mom, can I give dad the pendant? It'll protect him." The girl lifted her pendant.
Phoebe hadn't taken a good look at it, perhaps she's subconsciously aware of it being dark magic. However, it's really beautiful, it's Cole's. She gently rubbed her thumb on the ruby of this pendant.
"You don't care about the amulet. You only care about turning me against Phoebe." Cole snorted.
"How smart, and yet foolish enough to fall in love." Raynor mocked.
"Loving her is the best thing that's ever happened to me. You can destroy me, but you can't change that."
…
Cole was walking in a dark cave, he's topless, holding a bare sword. He looked around and recognized The Source was chanting across the room, his back facing him. He creeped toward him and was about to swing his sword.
"Wait." The Source stopped him with a very familiar voice, his own voice. He turned around and lifted his hood off revealing he's wearing Cole's face as well "You don't really want to kill me, do you?"
"But how." Cole stuttered.
The Source kicked him falling down, his sword flied up to The Source.
"We're one now. I'm reborn, within you."
"I'll fight it. I'll kill us both if I have to. I won't let you hurt Phoebe." Cole stated firmly.
…
"You have no idea what you're getting into. Changing the past to create an alternate reality has unforseen consequences, Cole. Even for you. The ripple effect of even one small change could..."
"I don't care! I am not spending another hundred birthday without her."
Phoebe gaped at the visions that she'd never known before. It wasn't just an amulet, it's a part of Cole.
"Do you know how it's created?" she asked her daughter.
"Dad's powers."
Her face twisted, she grabbed the pendant in her hand, tears welling up.
"We'll bring him back." Phoebe decided.
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In a rocky mountain cave, the sorcerer was checking the ball which keeping Cole's soul. Then he put it back in a hole, the protective shield glowed a little.
He would need it if his new effort wasn't successful. But he's confident that it would. He's going to steal the pendant again with a better scheme.
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Thursday,
"Jack isn't really bad. It's just because he's in a hopeless plight." Leo said.
"Same to us." Paige commented.
"We better seek for a solution." Piper said.
"It is to help him see right from wrong." Leo pointed out.
"Sounds easy?" Paige mocked "As far as I know, all the people used to collect our evidences never gave up at free will."
"No." Leo explained "But Jack… was Phoebe's fiance, we know him better. He's originally not that kind of people."
Phoebe said nothing. Although she's staying there, her heart wasn't there. Suddenly her phone rang. She answered it insensibly.
"Hi, sweetie! I've just come home." Jack whistled "Have you and your family made up your mind? When will Leo come? Well, it's just sooner or later, right? Since my patience is limited, I think we should have it done today, otherwise I'll spread your secret tomorrow. Call me back."
He hang up.
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In his apartment, Jack smirked, putting his phone down. The sorcerer blinked in.
"What?" He astonished "Who the hell are you?"
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Part 13
"Someone needs the girls as much as yourself."
Jack pulled his wheelchair moving backwards in fear. The sorcerer seized it. Jack screamed out.
"Shut up, or I'll take care of your mouth." Jack immediately turned dumb.
"Good. Now I need you to call your witch again."
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Phoebe glanced at the screen of her cell phone "Jack again."
Paige snatched it "Hello!"
"Help…! Help… please!" The sorcerer was shoving the phone against Jack's ear "A weird man wants to kill me."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Paige hit the button to shut it down, then said "A trick to collect more proof."
"What did he say?" Leo asked.
"Someones is killing him."
"Maybe he's honest." Leo said "Your innocent is calling you."
"I doubt that." Paige was sceptical.
"You can't turn your back against your innocent since he used to treat you badly before." Leo persuaded "Is that how you advice your charges, Paige?"
"What if you're wrong?" Piper wondered.
"He needs us, he isn't going to expose us today." Leo explained "If he's indeed trying to film you, you'll find out immediately, and delete it."
The phone rang again. Phoebe answered this time.
"Phoebe! I'm sorry, help me!" Jack howled "Save me!"
"He's falling into panic." Phoebe said to her family.
"Okay, let's go!" Piper said "Get the potions."
Phoebe turned to Leo "Can you pick my daughter up at school?"
"No problem." He promised.
Little Phoebe went to a normal school, Phoebe didn't want some strangers to take a chance to approach her.
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"Phoebe!" Jack cried out as soon as The Charmed Ones appeared in his place.
"All right. Just want you to enjoy this scene." The sorcerer raised an athame, then thrusted it in Jack's chest.
"Atheme!" Paige called, Piper waved her hands to freeze the place at the same time.
Two lights escaped Paige and Piper, and two black smoke entered them. The blade planted deeply in Jack, blood started soaking his shirt. When they were still in shock, a big cage fell down holding three of them inside.
"Wait here. Let me borrow your powers for a while." The sorcerer blinked out.
Paige tried to orb out, but it didn't work.
"I remember this cage. We're trapped in it once." Phoebe said.
"Our powers don't work inside." Piper nodded.
"The power of three will set us free." They continually chanted together, but nothing happened.
"We lost two powers, and have two demonic ones now. The Power of Three isn't strong enough." Paige concluded.
"Phoebe!" Jack called weakly.
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Little Phoebe's class was frozen of all a sudden. She saw Piper walk in from the door.
"Phoebe!"
"Aunt Piper?"
"It's urgent, Phoebe! Your mom and aunt Paige are in jeopardy. You ought to give me your pendant to rescue them."
Little Phoebe became wary as soon as the pendant was mentioned.
"Hurry up! It can't be late." Fake Piper urged.
"Where are mom and aunt Paige?"
"Just give me your pendant."
"No. I wanna go with you." Little Phoebe insisted.
"No. You can't disappear like that." Fake Piper protested "Come on, take it off!"
"You're not Piper." Little Phoebe assumed.
The sorcerer stared at the pendant in front of him. It's too close, it's keeping all he ever wanted. He couldn't wait any longer, but reach out to snatch it. The ruby instantly glowed kicking him off with a fire blast.
He shrieked loudly, and was vanquished.
Little Phoebe ran back to her seat before the whole place unfroze.
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"Phoebe!" Jack struggled to keep his eyes open "I'm sorry for blackmailing you. I was so devastated. In fact, I didn't keep any evidences." He breathed out, letting his eyes shut "…Though I regret it, I really loved you."
"Don't give up, Jack! You'll be ok." Phoebe encouraged.
"Leo! Leo!" Paige looked up, calling loud.
"I don't think he'll hear you." Jack was hopeless "I feel numb, all of us will die here. All of us."
"Never." Piper objected "This cage won't let magic get in. If he wants to kill us, he'll have to take it down."
"Do you think he'll famish us?" Paige asked.
Meanwhile, two black smoke left Paige and Piper, and their own powers returned.
"That's very right." Piper said cheerfully.
"Guess he lost his battle." Paige amused.
"The power of three will set us free." The sisters chanted again.
Jack managed to open his eyes, seeing the cage vanish with no trace.
"Help me!" He stuttered.
"Give me a reason." Paige said.
Phoebe walked towards him "Because he's an innocent."
"And our menace." Paige added.
"No. I'm… not…" his shirt had totally turned red "Please!"
"After you tell me where you keep the proofs." Piper said.
"There's no proofs." Jack persisted.
"He's honest." Phoebe whispered.
Paige raised her hands on his wound. A minute later, his wound disappeared, he looked fresh, still being paralysed though.
The sisters joined hands together to orb out.
"Phoebe!" Jack called "Thank you for all! No worries, I have nothing to go against you. Take care!"
"You too!" Phoebe said, three of them dissapeared in orb light.
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The bounty hunter, who had worked for the sorcerer several times, shimmered in the rocky mountain cave, walking towards the hole. The sorcerer had been vanquished, his magic was all broken now, the bounty hunter had no difficulty to get the ball.
"I'll take over your great plan then." He muttered.
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Phoebe was sitting in front of her dresser, putting on the perfume which Cole had liked very much. He'd once said this smell on her could turn him desperately on. She smiled. Who knew it would come a day when she wanted to seduce him again.
The mirror shimmeringly reflected another image. Phoebe greeted him with a sweet smile.
"She's so beautiful." Cole thought. The love of his life stood up, turning around. She wore a white top with thin strands, no bra under. It's more than 7 years since she'd lovingly leaned her dainty body on him, whispering into his ear three love words in the last time. A part of him wished this moment could get back one more time, the other part was relieved that their relationship was over. She would have nothing reuniting to him, but mourning.
"I'm ready." Phoebe held her hand out. Her Cole wasn't as gorgeous as before, he looked gaunt. Who said she only loved his apperance anyway?
Cole awkwardly took it, feeling how silky it is… He didn't find her engagement ring on her finger, which he thought could help him quell the smouldering love in his heart. He quickly glanced at her hand, she gave him a gentle squeeze of his one, her eyes passionately fastened on his.
The ring had really gone.
They disappeared, then re-appeared in his living room. Phoebe stumbled, clasping Cole for support.
"I'm sorry." he whispered, holding her arms.
"No, not your fault." She didn't let him go.
He pointed at the albums on the coffee table "Here are all the pictures of Phoebe's since she's born."
"Help me!" she asked, he helped her sit down, handing her an album, and sitting next to her.
Phoebe started to look on each of pages, being enchanted at her beautiful daughter, while Cole told her what occassions he had taken them. A while later, she reached the picture that he's holding little Phoebe, his smile was broad.
"Sarah, her nanny, took it." Cole said.
"I wish you had let me know about our daughter sooner." Phoebe whispered "So this picture would've been complete."
He stood up, openning the glass doors leading to the balcony "You can take them with you, they all are dated."
Phoebe put the album aside, walking towards him.
"By the way, you should take a look at her room, get anything that Phoebe may need."
"Before I come here," she said "I promised Phoebe I'll bring her dad back."
She joined him at the balcony.
"Everything has been settled. I can't do any cancellation." Cole murmured.
"Have you tried?" Phoebe asked, looking straight at him.
He turned around to face her "Yes."
"Maybe I can help." She suggested hopefully.
"You can't."
He sounded resolute. Phoebe decided another way to touch him.
"My dad left me after I was born for a short time." She started "I didn't know him in my childhood. I think I don't really understand how much and deep fatherly love is until now. It's a loss of my life. The problem is I don't really understand how lost it is."
"So you don't really feel sad about it." Cole deduced.
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A/N : Please review!