QUESTIONABLE ALLIANCE
Authors: Wicked R and Charmed-Snow

A/N: Thank you very much for your reviews! Please keep it up!

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Chapter 2: Kindred

Oh, no, not again, "How did we get here?" Christian asked Kimber, horrified he'd lost another half an hour somewhere along the line. He held onto her asking fretfully, and whining, "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing," she answered him, relatively calm after all that happened, only a slightly distressed and curious look in her eyes, "nothing's wrong with you, Christian because I don't know how we got here, I don't remember either," her motherly instinct on calming her on and off boyfriend stopping her from freaking out herself. She looked thoughtful for a few seconds, than jumped up and down and onto his neck, "This is fabulous! This is wonderful!"

"What is fabulous? That I don't remember anything?" Christian disregarded the overly lively Kimber. He contemplated that maybe they had had sex already and his mind wanted him to forget that too, because it was too close to another sexual act that happened to him not so long ago.

"I know what had happened!" Kimber started in a bubbly way, "I heard about this ability before. You teleported us away! It was metaphysical! There is a medium I go to every second month so she can tell me if she can see anything different about my potential. She said there're many other kinds that have powers on this world besides human race, and some of them for some reason may be living among us without knowing who they really are. They don't find out their powers ever, or only when in dangerous situations. Even then, they just explain it away with something, instead of embracing it and using it. The most powers demonstrated include many travel powers, incredible energy production and transformative powers," she raved.

"Right Kim. And your love life is light years better since we changed some lines on your palms."

"As a matter of fact it is. Teresa, the medium thinks so too."

"Stop this Kimber, I'm not in the mood! Can't you see this is serious? It must've been that slap to your face cause this is even more stupid than your normal astral crap. What was it with these people? What did you do? We should call the police."

"And tell them we don't remember how we got out of the situation?" She unlocked her door and pulled Christian with her, "there are a significant number of so called magic practitioners and not even the police can stop them because they can't prove them wrong. They mostly claim merely to be students of ancient, even pre human, disciplines. I'm gonna call Teresa right now," she ran to her phone.

"For ludicrous things, you do have the brains," Christian sighed dismissively, and went to her bar for a drink. The fact that Kimber claimed she didn't remember anything either calmed him down a bit, but he still needed to figure out a logical explanation. A nice, pleasurable ending to his evening was unlikely, but it was still better to spend his time at Kimber's than go home to his apartment, still giving him the creeps.

"…so it looked like the air pulsating all over the place around him?" The really dark eyed, but otherwise completely normal looking young Teresa summarised what she had heard from her friend after she arrived at Kimber's, "I can't be sure until I see it, but I think it's called shimmering. It's a demonic ability."

"So I'm demonic," Christian laughed, "well, that explains a lot," and poured some more absinthe, that Kimber kept especially for him. That was definitely not going to help with his memory, but he wanted to forget that he forgot, still not believing a word the so called witch was saying.

"Do your parents still live?" She asked him.

"Christian was adopted as a small child," Kimber answered instead of him, as that wasn't a subject he talked about much.

"And he never tried to find his real parents?" Teresa questioned further, addressing the erotic film directress, as the alleged demon offspring was out and out ignoring her very presence.

"Not as far as I know," Kimber tried to look at Christian, but he was deep in thought.

"We could try and summon them for an answer."

"Like a séance?" Kimber asked excitedly.

"Not really. On a séance you talk to people that are not alive anymore, and you summon demons, cause they are likely to live for several centuries."

"Christian?" Kimber asked him again.

"Whatever," her lover answered, not even listening.

"We will need some of his blood," Teresa indicated towards her.

"Yeah, right. Because I'll let some impostor play doctor."

"Who's playing doctor?" Teresa laughed, "and this is not a blood test, we only need a few drops from your fingertips. Could you please put it in this cup?"

Kimber jumped up, fumbled in one of her drawers, then came back with a sawing needle, "Please, Christian," she pleaded elatedly.

He scrunched his forehead, then took the needle and did as he was asked, curious now himself what mambo jambo he would be the witness of.

Teresa took some powder out of her bag, added it to the cup, threw it all onto the floor, and continued to make a circle around it with some dark fluid she spilled out a small bottle, "For our safety, I'm going to limit their actions within this circle, since we'll never know how they'll react." Teresa explained professionally, considering it wasn't the first time she had performed a summons. The demons who had slept with humans and left their offsprings in the human world were usually the lower level ones, "Now concentrate on here!" she started chanting,

"Christian's ancestor come to us,

I summon you with this blood,

Blood of his blood appear for us,

Not causing harm you answer to us."

There was silence for a few seconds, the women were waiting holding their breath. Christian glanced towards them, then going back to his drink. When he just turned around, some of the powder started to lift off the ground, as if there was a draft, turning around faster and faster until it became a greenish dark whirlwind, raising not just their hairs on the top of their heads. After it suddenly stopped, a man stood at the exact spot Christian's blood was spilt to the floor. No one said a word, or did a single move, all of the eyes fastened amazingly on him. Magic had never been that evident to Kimber, no father and son had looked as like as two peas to Teresa.

Christian stared at his double, who was inside the circle, in disbelief. The air surrounding him brightened by a pale blue light, seemingly preventing him from getting out. Christian suspected the medium might be using some optical illusion that he couldn't explain in an instant. He even doubted the man was actually his reflection in the airy material. It would be reasonable if an old gentleman had appeared. As a matter of fact, the man looked exactly his age. However, their clothes and their postures were different.

Holding his hands calmly behind his back, the man glanced at each of them before gazing at Christian. He stepped out of the trap without any effort, spreading horror around the room. Kimber rushed to Christian, holding his arm as if it was her last wish. Teresa choked in anxiety, however, she gathered all of her courage, pulling an athame out, trying to stab the demon.

He held the sharp blade of her athame to stop her, still seizing it tightly to give a push that forced the medium to collapse onto the floor. His deep cuts in his palm glowed a few seconds, then completely and magically disappeared. Better than any of the surgeries Christian had ever performed, "Is that all you got?" he asked.

Teresa didn't bother to get up on her feet. After a few silent moments, enough for the demon to sense no evilness here, and Kimber to conclude they could calm down and talk, "Are you his father?" she stuttered, nervously clutching her boyfriend's arm.

"Christian?" The demon asked tentatively.

Christian stiffened hearing him call his name. It seemed like a confirmation that he did know him, even further than that, he was his father, who had abandoned him, causing all the pain he had had to experience in his childhood. He didn't really seriously blame his parents, but he didn't want to think much about them either.

"Your mother should've told me at that time." The demon said, which his son had no clue to understand "How is she?"

"Who is she?" Christian asked back.

"He was adopted when he's a child." Kimber explained.

The father was sadly surprised, his eyes filled with emotion, he wanted to hug Christian, but realized his son wasn't ready, "how did you know about calling me?"

"I presume he has developed a travel power. We want to make it clear." One again Kimber said on behalf of her lover.

"Tell me, son!"

Christian saw joy in his supposed-to-be father's eyes, showing his pride and happiness hearing that. He then glanced at Kimber, who's giving him an encouraging look, "I was in one place, and suddenly I was in another without knowing how I managed it."

"You shimmered." His father amused, flashing a smile on his lips "It's one of our powers. Just think of there, you're there. You can travel to anywhere in a blink with it."

"It makes me feel nauseous."

The father nodded "Practise it regularly, and take a deep breath before shimmering."

Their purpose of why they had summoned him was just done. Christian looked at his own father awkwardly, he wanted to talk more, to ask more, but he didn't feel very comfortable due to the kind of father he used to have.

"The other powers will be more sophisticated. No worries. I'll always be here for you."

He didn't answer, tonight he saw a lot, had a lot to digest. He wasn't sure whether having powers was good or bad, he even wasn't sure what situation he had put himself into, or how his demonic father would change his life…in fact, he wasn't sure if he didn't dream or hallucinate this all.

"I'll help you to find your mother." His father continued "Come to me whenever you need me!"

"Thank you, Mr…" Kimber mumbled.

"My name's Cole Turner." The demon introduced him.

Christian shimmered in a cemetery of his own accord. Although he didn't get much of an explanation of how to use his power from either the medium or his father, he started to get the hang of it and it started to feel natural too. It was part of who he was after all, he couldn't deny that now. All that he thought about the world was proven false in a millisecond, it was a lot to take in. But ultimately, not having had all that much good lately in his life, he welcomed his new ability. One week had passed since he'd found out about his father. He'd got back to his work, and his living routine, though everyone thought that wasn't the Dr. Troy they had known, Christian seemed to be quiet and thoughtful these days.

He saw his father standing in front of a gravestone far away. So he started walking towards him. Despite of how close their friendship was, Christian didn't tell Sean a word about his secret, he felt uneasy to share it, even with Kimber, who had already taken an important part in leading him to his current circumstances.

All of his dates last week had ended up unsuccessful, not only was he not over the Carver's attack, but his questionable lineage bothered his mind all the time. Was he a demon? His mother being dead was the reason why she hadn't shown up in the summons. Funny enough, a cross was standing above her gravestone – a demon's gravestone? He stopped behind his father.

"I'm sorry, your mother's dead!" Cole said.

Christian read the bold carved line on her gravestone "Here is the last resting place of my beloved wife Louise Claremont". And no, his mother's husband wasn't Cole Turner. Something they had in common. He himself wasn't the husband of his son's mother. His own mother had died young, just a year after she'd given birth to him. She'd had short brown hair and a bright smile.

"Lou was a strong and positive woman." Cole mused "We met at law school, and we were attracted to each other immediately. But we didn't establish a serious relationship since she had lots of ambitions for her future and I didn't want to tie myself to a mortal at that time. We parted in our senior year, then she dated a judge. They got married one or two months later."

"When was I conceived?" Christian asked curiously.

"A few months after her wedding, I met her by chance, and found out she's pregnant." Cole turned to look at him "I wondered if you possibly were mine. But she said she's 5 month pregnant while we're separated half a year. She didn't want me to contact her again because her husband's rather jealous."

Christian turned his eyes back to his mother's photo, she had known who his real father was, but she'd deliberately smothered up the truth. To save her marriage? Perhaps. But it's quite feasible that she had used him and her pregnancy against the judge to marry her. Unfortunately, she hadn't lived long enough to fulfil her ambitions, and the judge had somehow got rid of her son, he might have found out that Christian was not his.

"We went shopping for baby stuff. She chose carefully each thing, and only picked the best. I believe she loved you, and was very happy expecting you. When we're going to say good bye, she asked if I had a son, what name I would give him. I answered 'Christian'." Cole told him "Now your mother can rest in peace knowing we've found out about each other."

They walked back to the path.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you. Had I been here, I would've protected you from them."

"You know?" Christian was amazed "How did you know?" Although they weren't familiar yet, he considered his father a relation, to prove he wasn't all alone in the world, to show who he really was and where he had come from. He would hope to call him or go see him for a drink to jabber about works, women, or some male idle talk. But he didn't like his father to know him as a book. He didn't like Cole to see the real of him behind his cover.

"I gathered the information last week." Cole replied "You're successful in your career, but it's still so far from being happy. I want you to feel happy." He saw unsteadiness in Christian's eyes, his son could be considered a lost soul at some point. "Don't hold yourself back. You stood up before, you will do it again. In time you'll see that building a family, sharing the life with the woman you love bring happiness to you, and soothes all the pain in the past. You must go and see."

Christian thought for a little while. Everything seemed inconclusive as far as he's concerned. He had loved once, he had a son, they belonged to another family now. He didn't complain of it, in fact, it should be this way.

"Who was the woman with you last week? Your girlfriend? I believe she loves you." Cole said.

"Kimber? She's not really my girlfriend." Christian mumbled. He did know about her feelings, and his feelings as well. He wouldn't have shimmered to her place if he hadn't kept her in his heart. However, he wasn't ready to fall in love again. "How about you? Are you happy?" he asked Cole of all a sudden.

"I was."

"Why are you not now?"

"No, Christian! You have enough to worry about." Cole refused to answer.

Now he knew from whom he had inherited the habit of keeping back everything. "You know all about me, you should let me know something about you." Christian insisted.

"She lives in San Francisco, where I was born and lived most of my life. Her name's Phoebe Halliwell." Cole looked far away "She awaked my ability to love, and led me to live my life another way I didn't think was possible. She has given me the invaluable and meaningful time I only had. But she's a witch, who's meant to fight against demons."

Christian saw Cole's eyes flash of passion talking of Phoebe, the woman had changed his whole life as he said. She must be very special then. Suddenly he wanted to know her, how she looked like, and how special she was. He's going to have to take a trip to San Francisco anyway...

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A/N : Please review!