A Chaos of Deep Passion

Grace

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:14:52 GMT

Title: Grace
Fandom: Supernatural
Characters: Dean/Anna
Word Count: 793
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or the characters, and I will put them back where I found them when I am done playing with them.
Summary: What happened to Anna after she restored her Grace?
Author's Note: Written for scoob2222 for hetfic@LJ Valentine fic exchange with the prompts of "baby." Thanks to ladybug218 and larah33 for the beta; any remaining mistakes are mine, all mine.

She rose, spiraling up into the air, human flesh seared away by her restored Grace. She was energy; she was light; she was an angel again. But this was not what she wanted. It was sheer preservation. She was sacrificing everything just to live -- friendship, chocolate cake, cuddling under soft fleece blankets, bacon, hot tubs, pizza and french fries and ice cream, puppies and kittens. And love. That was the worst of all to give up. In her human life she had had boyfriends, but none of them had made her feel like Dean Winchester had. None of them had known the real her, though that had not been entirely their fault; she hadn't known her true self, either. Dean had known, and for a brief moment they had shared passion and comfort. But now she would never be able to see what might have been or experience that kind of pleasure or contentment again.

The Gates of Heaven were still closed to her; that was no surprise. Restoring her Grace did not change the fact that she had questioned God and disobeyed Him. She did not expect Him to welcome her with open arms, nor did she want to return to an existence of blind obedience and emotionless watching of the struggling of humans. At least demons could not take her now and use her as they might have used an angel trapped in a frail mortal form. But that did not mean other angels would not seek her out to punish her for her defiance. A rogue angel would not be allowed to live.

Part of her almost wanted to let them. Maybe oblivion would be a better choice than the life of a fallen angel.

Then two things struck her at once. The first -- she did still feel. It wasn't the longing to feel that had caused her to pull out her Grace and become a human being, it was actual feelings. She still worried about Dean and Sam, she felt rage at the demons and Castiel and Uriel for hunting her down, and she felt sorrow for the loss of her innocence. Her time as a mortal, it seemed, had irrevocably changed her.

The second realization was that she was not alone. It took her awhile to realize exactly what it was, but when she did, she was filled with joy. There was life inside her. Before she had restored her Grace, she had become pregnant, and the baby's potential life force was still within her, waiting to be born. She cast aside thoughts of oblivion and became more determined to survive.

Castiel and Uriel had taken human form and retained their Grace. If they could do it, so could she. And so she watched and waited and listened as she continued to avoid the angels that hunted her. Finally, she heard what she was waiting for, the voice of dying woman raised in prayer, begging God not to save her, but to save the baby inside her. She had been shot by a mugger, and though doctors were frantically trying to safe her life and her child's, she had lost a lot of blood, and the damage would be fatal.

God would not answer the woman's plea, but Anna -- she still thought of herself as "Anna" and not by her angelic name -- would. She merged her essence into the woman, and at the same time, her child and the woman's baby became one. The pain was incredible, almost as much as it had hurt to rip out her Grace. She could not heal her host, but she could give her the strength to survive while the doctors did their work.

She gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl a few days later. Her swift recovery astounded the doctors who had been so certain she was going to die. A few weeks later, once the hospital released her, she went in search of Dean. She found him in a hotel off Highway 30 outside of Grand Island, Nebraska. After waiting for Sam to leave -- it would be better to talk to Dean alone first -- she knocked on the door.

She heard him moving behind the door, peering out through the peephole to see who was there. After a moment he opened the door and looked at her and the baby she cradled in her arms. "Can I help you, miss?" he said warily, not recognizing her in this body.

The human heart within her fluttered. She had told Dean that when her Grace was restored, she would no longer feel again, but she had been so very wrong.

"Dean," she said. "I'd like you to meet your daughter. I named her Grace."

X-posted to hetfic (here)

Justice (Parts 1-4)

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 03:20:37 GMT

Title: Justice
Fandom: Charmed
Challenge: Cole Turner, Phoebe Halliwell, Piper Halliwell, Paige Halliwell, Leo Wyatt
Prompt: Fixed
Word Count: 9178
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: When I heard that Julian was going to be guest staring as Cole in the 150th episode of Charmed, I had a bad feeling about it. I knew it wouldn't suck (because zomg Julian), but I doubted that Brad Kern or the "creative" staff would dare address the issues of what was wrong with the show and the writing. So without even knowing what would happen in the actual episode ("The Seven Year Witch"), I wrote this. It's canon up to and including "Show Ghouls." After that? The show gets "fixed."

1.

Piper sat in her room, rocking Chris in her arms, smiling as she watched Leo play with Wyatt. This, not the world the Avatars had brought about, was Utopia -- a peaceful home with her husband and sons. If only moments like this could last, uninterrupted by demons, but she'd come to terms with the duties that came with being a Charmed One. At least things had been relatively peaceful for the past few weeks, if one ignored the looming question of what the Elders might have planned for Leo.

"I think Wyatt wants to go to the park today," Leo said, pulling her out of her thoughts. "What do you think, big gu—"

Mid-word, Leo began to orb out. Piper had seen enough orbing over the years to recognize when it was against one's will. "Leo!" she cried.

Wyatt wailed in distress, reaching out his arms toward his disappearing father. Piper watched in horror as the magical orbs around Leo began to spin erratically, caught between the pull of the Elders and Wyatt's own power. She heard Leo's scream of pain and frantically told her son, "Wyatt! Let Daddy go!" Wyatt pouted and dropped his arms, and Leo disappeared. Chris began to whimper, and Piper gathered both her children in her arms to calm them.

She didn't have time for her rage and fear to build before a young man orbed into her room. She pushed the boys behind her and raised her hands instinctively. "Don't shoot!" the boy yelped, ducking behind a chair.

"Kevin?" Piper said, recognizing the young Elder.

"I know you're pissed," Kevin said, warily standing back up, "but I'm on your side here."

"What's going on?" Piper demanded. "Where's Leo?"

"Okay. The Elders are all sorts of pissed at Leo about this Avatar stuff, but you know that," Kevin explained. "But some of us -- like me -- aren't all about the punishment thing. We understand why what happened did. And we want to make sure justice is done."

"Justice?" Piper said suspiciously.

"There's going to be a trial," Kevin explained. "Leo has to justify what he did. The highest ranking Elders are going to preside over it."

Piper's hands twitched. "Justify himself?" she fumed. "The Elders are the ones who took him away from his family. They attacked our son! Bring Leo back here now or I swear to god I will find a way up there myself and...."

"Whoa, preaching to the choir here," Kevin interrupted. "Like I said, I'm on your side. Some of the Elders were all ‘He must be punished!' for going against the will of the Collective or something, but some of us -- mostly the younger Elders if that makes sense -- want to hear Leo's reasons. So we compromised on this trial."

"I've been through one of these trials before," Piper said, her eyes narrowing. "I think we'll pass."

"You really don't have a choice at this point," Kevin said. "But I did arrange for you and your sisters to be able to attend and speak on his behalf."

One hour later, after Piper had made phone calls to her sisters to return to the manor immediately, Kevin orbed the Charmed Ones to the location of Leo's trial. The setting was eerily similar to that used by the Tribunal that had passed judgment over the sister's misuse of their powers, but Kevin assured them that there would be no demons involved in these proceedings. "And they've learned to count. Three judges, not four," Paige said mockingly.

"Where's Leo?" Piper said, peering into the darkness around them. There were three Elders, two women and a man, seated on a dais at one end of the room, and another pair of Elders opposite them. The prosecution, Piper guessed.

"He'll be brought in shortly," Kevin said. "First we need to prep Leo's defense. I found the perfect person to handle it. Just...uh, trust me. Let me bring him in." He closed his eyes and concentrated, and a figure began to orb in.

"Oh my god," Phoebe whispered.

"Dude, I thought you were supposed to be helping Leo," Paige said in disbelief.

"Are you out of your freakin' mind?" Piper exploded.

"Nice to see you, too, ladies," Cole said with a small smirk.

2.

"No vanquishing the lawyer, please," Kevin said, slipping between Cole and the Charmed Ones. "I went through a lot of trouble to get him here."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Piper sputtered. "Don't you know who he is? Don't you know what he's done?"

Kevin sighed. "I knew you would be difficult about this. Trust me, he's the best man for the job. Just...go with it."

"You're crazy!" Phoebe exclaimed. "He's a demon! He's evil!"

"Unfortunately, you're not going to find too many angelic lawyers," Cole said, a bemused look on his face. "Most law firms tend to be on the demonic side."

"We don't need your help," Phoebe fumed. "We can handle it ourselves. Why don't you just crawl back under whatever rock you came from. Get out of my life and stay out!"

"Given your method of proving a point tends to be taking off your clothes, Ms. Halliwell," Cole said disdainfully, crossing his arms across his chest, "I think I'm better qualified to defend Leo."

Phoebe's jaw dropped. "Oooh! You....! I should've known you'd find a way to watch me, pervert," she snapped. "I suppose you watch me in the shower, too."

"Actually, that's your former Whitelighter who watches people in the shower," Cole said. "Personally, you're too scrawny these days for my tastes. Trust me, if I was going to indulge in any voyeuristic tendencies, it wouldn't be with you."

"All right, enough!" Piper held up her hands threateningly, though she knew her power wouldn't work on her sister, and the last time she'd fought Cole, he'd been resistant to her powers, too. "Okay. If we're stuck with you, then do your job and get Leo out of here, then get the hell out of our lives."

"Straight to the point, as ever, Piper," Cole said. "I'm here for one reason -- to defend Leo. After that, you don't have to worry about me." He glanced at Phoebe and Paige. "You two should put something less...revealing on."

Paige rolled her eyes. "When did you turn prude?"

"Showing off your cleavage may get Elders like Kevin here on your side," Cole began.

Kevin blushed. "I wasn't looking, honest!" he protested.

"But I think you'll find the ones actually sitting in judgment are a little more conservative," Cole finished. "It's called knowing your audience, Paige. Take every advantage you can. I couldn't care less how you dress, but if you take a few tips from Piper, the judges may show you a little more respect. You wouldn't wear that to a job interview, would you?"

"Got a point there," Paige said. She used her powers of glamour to adjust the length of her skirt and the neckline of her shirt. Phoebe glared at Cole but nodded at her sister, and Paige similarly altered Phoebe's outfit.

"Much better," Cole said approvingly. "Now, Piper, Paige, Ms. Halliwell -- if you ladies would care to take a seat, Leo will be brought in shortly."

"Stop calling me Ms. Halliwell," Phoebe said. "You know my name."

Cole fixed her with a cold stare. "Phoebe is the name of the woman I loved. You, Ms. Halliwell, are most assuredly not her."

Phoebe took an involuntary step back, her hand coming up to her throat, as Cole turned away from them. "Phoebe?" Piper asked, concerned.

"My empathy isn't working on him," Phoebe said in a low voice meant for her sisters alone. "I can't feel what he's feeling. But that -- that I just felt. Like . . . like someone stabbed me in the heart."

"Oookay," Piper said. "Sit down. We'll worry about that later." She looked at Kevin. "Where's Leo?"

"He'll be here in a minute," Kevin said. "Let me tell you about the judges first. They're the oldest Elders. The two below are Darban and Esttai." He indicated the man first, then the woman. "Above them is Briel. She's the ranking judge." He pointed to the two Elders on the opposite side of the room. "They're in charge of prosecuting Leo. The taller one is Serris. The other one is, uh, George."

"George?" Paige snickered.

"Some of us do have normal names," Kevin said, making a face at her.

The woman on the upper part of the dais spoke. "Bring in the accused," Briel said.

Moments later Leo orbed in. "Leo," Piper whispered, rising and taking a step toward him. Kevin shook his head, and she reluctantly sat back down.

"His crimes?" Briel questioned the prosecution.

"Leo Wyatt is guilty of grave crimes against the Elders," Serris said. "He turned his back upon his duties and sought to help the Avatars remake the world. This blatant theft of free will goes against what all the forces of good stand for. In addition, he is responsible for the death of Zola, one of our own."

Briel nodded to Cole. "Your response."

Cole stepped forward. "Leo Wyatt is indeed guilty of these crimes."

Piper stood up. "You son of a bitch! You're supposed to be helping him!"

Esttai turned icy eyes to Piper. "Silence, or you will be removed from these proceedings." Piper scowled, but obeyed.

"As I was saying," Cole continued, "Leo Wyatt is indeed guilty of these crimes. However, he is not entirely responsible for his actions. I will show how he was manipulated by forces demonic and otherwise into committing these crimes."

Darban looked back to the prosecution. "Is there anything else?"

George nodded. "Yes. We intend to show the Charmed Ones have abused the powers granted to them and no longer deserve them. They have neglected their duties -- in fact, gone against what good stands for -- and are no longer responsible enough to bear the title of The Charmed Ones. Their powers should be stripped and given to those worthy to bear them."

Now Phoebe leapt to her feet. "Wait one minute! We've already been through this! This isn't fair!"

"Perhaps you have failed to learn from the first time," Esttai said coolly. She looked to Cole. "Your response?"

He hesitated. "I was not brought here to defend them, only Leo."

"Your response?" Esttai repeated.

Cole paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "The Charmed Ones," he said slowly, "may also be guilty of what they are accused, but it is due largely to the removal of their Whitelighter from their lives and the subsequent actions of the Elders. Rather than working with the Charmed Ones to mend the division between them, the Elders have driven them further away, and as a consequence, their attention to their duties has suffered."

"Strong words, demon," Darban said, settling back in his chair. He looked about the room. "Very well. Let the trial begin."

3.

Kevin brought Leo over to his family. Piper threw her arms around him, almost afraid to let him go. "It's okay, I'm okay," he murmured, returning the embrace. "Where are the boys?"

"They're at the Magic School," Piper said, finally letting Leo breathe. "Grams is with them, too."

Leo glanced over to Cole. "Umm...what's he doing here?"

"I'm your lawyer," Cole said. He jerked his thumb at Kevin. "His idea."

Kevin sighed. "Lawyer, supernatural knowledge, and...well, you'll see. I was trying to think outside the box when it came to your defense here. Can you guys just put aside your differences for an hour?"

"I didn't agree to defend the Charmed Ones against misuse of their powers and dereliction of duty and overall bad fashion," Cole said. Paige wrinkled her nose at Cole and bit back a retort.

"They kinda sprung that one on me, too," Kevin admitted. "I thought this was going to be about Leo, but I guess they went for a two for one deal. Or a four for one as the case may be." He looked at Cole. "Can you handle it?"

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" he sighed. "And Ms. Halliwell, kindly get your hands off me."

Phoebe jumped as Cole looked at her over his shoulder. She'd tried to quietly steal behind him to put her hand on his back, trying to see if physical contact would give her a better read on his emotions. "I was just trying to see if you really were on our side," she snapped. "I don't trust you."

"And I don't care," he responded sharply. "And please don't delude yourself to think I'm doing this for you. I frankly don't care if you are stripped of your powers or not. In fact, while I think I can help Leo out, I don't know if there's any way I can argue your way out of this mess. After all, it's plainly clear that you have put your own selfish desires ahead of protecting innocents. When was the last one you saved? That you haven't complained about the inconvenience of it the entire time? Your latest date or media appearance is far more important to you than vanquishing a demon, isn't it?

Phoebe found herself almost at a loss for words, unprepared from the coldness that radiated from Cole. Even without her empathy, she could sense it. Declarations of love she'd dealt with from him, unwelcome stalking, too, but not this bitterness, and she found herself ill-prepared for it. "When did you become so cruel?" she said quietly.

"When you killed me," he said simply, then turned away from her.

Phoebe shook her head and sat down with her sisters. She glared at Kevin. "I hope you know what you're doing, because I think this is a very, very bad idea," she said.

"You're not the only one, dude," Paige agreed.

"I'm not happy with it either," Piper said, "but if it means helping Leo...." She squeezed her husband's hand. Even though they hadn't been officially remarried, it was easy to fall back into the comfort of thinking of him as "husband."

"Shhh," Kevin warned. "They're about to begin."

The Elder Serris stepped forward. "What you are about to see is pulled from the memories of the accused himself by the Circle of Truth. The authenticity cannot be disputed. Leo Wyatt, step forward."

"Not this again," Paige groaned.

"I'll be all right," Leo whispered to Piper, then did as requested, stepping into the circle of light that appeared in the center of the room. Next to him, an image appeared of Leo speaking to a man the sisters now recognized as the leader of the Avatars.

"We are...a power. One that offers a better way, a solution to this," the Avatar said. "You see, Leo, the future Chris failed to mention -- the death of all the people that you love, sometimes peaceful, sometimes painful, but always inevitable. And all well before their time."

"Death is a part of life," the image of Leo responded. Their conversation went on for several more minutes as the Avatar offered Leo a different life. Leo seemed dubious, but not entirely unconvinced about the promises to end a life of danger and strife.

The scene shifted. "We can save everyone, Leo, with your help," the Avatar stated. Leo nodded, and the Avatar held up his hand, sending a beam of light toward Leo. "So be it," he said. "Welcome to the fold."

"What do I do next?" Leo asked.

Another shift, and Leo confessed to Piper and Phoebe. "I'm an Avatar."

Piper stared at him in disbelief. "What?! That's insane! What does that mean?"

"That means," Leo said slowly, "I believe in what they want. A world beyond good and evil."

"As you can see," Serris stated, "Leo quite willingly joined with the Avatars and worked with them to remaking the world, seduced by a promise of an easier life for him and his family. He put his own desires above the good of the world. He also convinced the Charmed Ones to assist in the destruction of the free will of the mortal realm."

A new image appeared. An angry Paige said, "I'm not just gonna sit around and wait for him to attack Kyle!"

"You want to protect him?" Leo responded. "Help the Avatars bring in Utopia so Zankou can't stop it."

"And finally," Serris said, "Leo is responsible for the murder of one of our own." Leo visibly winced as the image was pulled from his memories.

"Where is he, damn it?" Leo demanded, standing atop the Golden Gate Bridge with his fellow Elder.

"Wait!" Zola protested. "Listen to me, Leo. Don't do this!"

His face twisted in rage, Leo raised his arms and made an inarticulate sound of fury as he unleashed his powers upon Zola. The Elder screamed as he was slammed against the bridge. His lips moved to beg for mercy, but Leo gave him none, not stopping the blast until Zola had exploded and vanished in a cloud of smoke and flames.

"Why am I not surprised the Elders leave out pertinent details?" Cole said in response to the accusations when the image had faded. "Is it because you want to see the world in black and white? Good and evil?"

"Careful, demon," Esttai warned. "Watch your words."

"Stay where you are, Leo," Cole said. "I think the judges need to be shown more -- the circumstances around these decisions you made."

Leo closed his eyes as if unwilling to watch as another image of himself appeared. Two strange disembodied heads swirled madly around him. "Let go of all you know. Don't resist us," they commanded.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Leo yelled, backing away from them in fear and panic. "What do you want?"

Now the leader of the Avatars appeared. "I want you to see the truth, Leo. I want you to see the real future." He pointed to a tombstone engraved with the names of the Charmed Ones and Wyatt and Chris.

"And most importantly," Cole said as the final image appeared, showing what the other Elders had already displayed, only the entire scene this time: Piper and Phoebe, dead at Leo's feet, and the Avatars offering him the power to save their lives. "Under those circumstances, one can hardly blame Leo for his decision. He had no choice. He acted to save the lives of his loved ones by agreeing to become an Avatar. His duty for years, after all, had been protecting the lives of his charges, and you cannot expect him to abandon that task so easily. He would sacrifice anything to protect the Charmed Ones, the most powerful force for good in the world."

"That does not mean he had to agree to follow the wishes of the Avatars in remaking the world," the Elder George argued. "Saving the lives of the Charmed Ones is one thing. Robbing the world of free will is another."

"The accused was not in his right mind," Cole said calmly. "Allow me to demonstrate."

An image now appeared of the head Avatar speaking to a dark-skinned woman. "Leo is being drawn back to his family, back to good," the woman said.

"But he's not there yet. We must drive him away, make them afraid of him if we're to succeed."

"I object!" Serris said. "Leo was not witness to this conversation. We cannot ascertain its accuracy." Leo looked puzzled as well.

Cole nodded in agreement. "Yes, he was not witness. However, Avatars have access to their collective powers...and their collective memories. Leo never knew this, but I do."

Serris opened his mouth to protest again, but now Briel spoke. "The images are valid. Let him proceed."

"Thank you," Cole said. He looked to the frozen images of the Avatars, which now shifted to the likenesses of the leader of the Avatars and another male Avatar. "Perhaps we've pushed him too far," the second Avatar said.

"We have no choice. He must join us willingly, but first must see there is no other option," his leader said.

"The Avatars," Cole said, drawing attention back to himself, "are masters of manipulation. It is undisputed that the Elder Gideon attempted to murder Leo's son Wyatt and did kill his second child, Chris." The judges nodded. "This act opened a doorway for the Avatars. They are drawn to power, and they able to seize upon any perceived weakness and exploit it. In Leo's case, it was protecting his family. They appeared to him as phantom images until he was unbalanced and thus more susceptible to their machinations."

"No Elder should be so vulnerable," Serris scoffed. "This does not prove that the Avatars are these so-called masters of manipulation. It only proves that Leo's mind is weak."

"This is not the first time they have done this." Cole looked at the judges. "If I may, I would like to establish a pattern of emotional manipulation by the Avatars." The judges nodded, but Cole hesitated before continuing. "I would further request the Charmed Ones be removed from this court."

The three judges exchanged glances. "No," Esttai said.

"But...," Cole protested.

"You will proceed," Darban ordered.

Cole looked decidedly displeased with this decision as he motioned Leo to rejoin the Charmed Ones. As he sat down, Piper whispered, "Why does he want us to go? What's going on?"

"I have no idea," Leo said, looking to Kevin.

"I think you're about to find out just why I got him to be your lawyer," Kevin said. "Just watch and listen."

4.

"The Avatars," Cole began, addressing the judges, "have a long history of seeking out those with power and convincing them to join them. Some, of course, jump at the chance for even more power. Others, whether for personal reasons or a wish to act unbound by the dictates of others, are more resistant to the Avatar's words. Such refusals do little to stop the Avatars, for when they discover a source of power, they will have it. Their most common tactic is to find their chosen victim's weaknesses and exploit their deepest desires until he or she has no choice but to join them."

"You have a specific person in mind," Esttai said, a statement, not a question. "Another example of their alleged behavior."

Cole nodded. "Yes." He hesitated, glancing at the Charmed Ones then quickly looking way.

"And this person is...?" Darban prompted impatiently.

"Myself," Cole admitted.

"You have got to be kidding me," Piper said, looking at Leo for confirmation.

"It explains a lot," Leo mused. "How he was able to alter reality -- Cole is an Avatar!"

Phoebe fluttered her hands at her sister and her husband. "Shhhh!" She leaned forward, intent on listening to Cole.

"Explain," Darban told Cole.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "After I was vanquished when I was possessed by the Source of All Evil, my human soul survived. I figured out how to escape the demonic wastelands. But when I returned to Ms. Halliwell, she rejected me. When I realized that I could not win her back, I made plans to leave San Francisco -- until Paige convinced me to stay and used a spell to show me Ms. Halliwell still cared for me."

Paige winced. "It seemed like a good idea at the time?" she said, looking guiltily at her sisters. "And, hey, it worked, or we'd be the Power of Two and a half-naked mermaid here." Now it was Phoebe's turn to wince.

"I...tried again," Cole went on, ignoring the conversation behind him. "I tried to give her room to deal with her feelings, hoping we would reconcile, but despite what she had said, she insisted I was evil and wanted nothing to do with me. When the Demon of Fear, Barbas, began tormenting me, she and her sisters would offer me no help. Well, Paige did, but she was sorely chastised by her sisters for it."

Esttai nodded in agreement with the last statement, and Paige felt a rush of vindication. But the judge also noted, "We see no evidence of any manipulation by the Avatars, demon. The failings of love do not excuse your behavior."

"True," Cole agreed. "But it was not these ‘failings' alone that affected my behavior. I...started seeing and hearing Ms. Halliwell where she wasn't." He spoke slowly and carefully, as if reluctant to make this admission. "I would hear her voice or see her out of the corner of my eye. When I slept I'd hear her name whispered to me over and over again. Every night I dreamed of her. I did not know it then, but it was the Avatars. They took my desires and twisted them until they became an obsession. I killed to protect her. I killed to make her mine. The conflict between the man what I wanted to be and the Avatar's influence...made me go mad."

Cole took a few steps, moving into the Circle of Truth. "And then the Avatars came to me and offered me their powers."

An image appeared of Cole, unkempt and unshaven, speaking to two Avatars, their leader and another dark-skinned man. "I told you last night, leave me alone!" Cole said angrily.

"Last night, you crossed a line," the dark Avatar said. "The power inside you has grown."

His leader nodded in agreement. "You have nowhere else to turn...except to us."

Cole gritted his teeth. "I won't turn evil."

The Avatar leader moved closer to Cole. "Good and evil are such useless categories, endlessly embattled, neither side ever winning. It gets rather boring, don't you think?"

"Then what are you?" Cole asked.

"The Avatars," he responded.

Cole didn't seem impressed by the name. "Avatars of what?"

"Force and power," the leader said. "And we don't have to limit ourselves to choosing between good and evil. We can drive them both."

"What's that got to do with me?" Cole said suspiciously.

"We're only a few," the Avatar said, "but we are preparing to wield a power the likes of which this world has never seen."

"And we want you to be part of it," his partner added.

"Let me make myself clear," Cole growled. "I want nothing to do with you." He conjured energy balls, one in each hand, and threw them at the Avatars. The blasts had no effect on their targets much to Cole's surprise and chagrin.

"You can't fight us, Cole," the leader of the Avatars said. "It is futile to try. Sooner or later, you will join us. It is inevitable."

Cole stepped back out of the circle and the image faded. "I refused them at first. But their torment persisted. I loved Ms. Halliwell, yes, but now my every moment, waking and sleeping, became consumed with her due to the Avatar's actions. They knew Ms. Halliwell was my weakness, and they used that against me. They made it so I couldn't get her out of my head, and the only way to make the pain end was to possess her."

Phoebe was trembling now as she listened, and Piper put a comforting arm around her younger sister's shoulders. "Whatever happens here, we won't let him hurt you, I promise," she said.

"It's...it's not that," Phoebe whispered. "I just never realized...."

Meanwhile, Cole had moved back into the circle, letting another image play out. The Avatar leader spoke with the woman who had appeared in the memories pulled from Leo's mind. "His power is incredible," she said, "but are you certain about this course of action? Our interference has made him highly unstable and it will be difficult to control him."

The leader nodded. "The end result will be worth it. We need him if we are to remake the world. And he will give us the Charmed Ones."

She frowned. "How can you be sure, given the current animosity between him and Phoebe Halliwell? If he joins us, will she and her sisters not oppose us for simply that reason?"

"At first, yes," the leader admitted. "But the witch still loves him. And the promise of a life with him, free of demons and evil and danger...it will sway her to our side. And with her come her sisters and all their power."

"And we will be unstoppable," the female Avatar said, smiling now. "We will create our Utopia."

"Indeed our work has left Cole Turner very unstable," the lead Avatar continued. "His desires are very strong, and enflaming them as we have is dangerous. There is a chance we will destroy him with madness before we are able to convert him to our cause. But it is worth the risk, and I think it will not be long before he accepts our offer of power in order to possess the witch again. From there it is a simple matter of calming him and undoing the damage that we have done his mind so that we might utilize his power for our cause. And if we should we fail here, I do have a contingency plan to bring the Charmed Ones into our control."

The image dissolved as Cole left the circle again. He paused, closing his eyes as if to shut out the memories. "They knew...I would accept their offer to join them in order to make Ms. Halliwell mine. I fought it, but as powerful as I was, against them I was helpless. However, they erred in how far they pushed me into madness. I used the powers they gave me to create and impossible world and...well, here we are. And when they failed with me, they turned to Leo, knowing he would serve as a gateway to the Charmed Ones as I could not. They seized upon his vulnerability -- his family -- and exploited it until he had no choice but to join them as well. As to the charge of murdering a fellow Elder, it is ridiculous that this is even being brought up. Leo was being influenced by the Demon of Fear and was not truly in control of his actions."

"Further proof that an Elder should have no ties to the mortal world," Serris sneered.

"Leo did his job and did it well for years," Cole said evenly, "while involved with Piper Halliwell. If anything, his love for her made him more devoted to his task. I doubt you will find any Whitelighter could have done a better job than he at keeping the Charmed Ones alive and well. They would've died many times over were it not for him, and you know it. Do you wish me to waste our time and use the Circle of Truth to prove it?"

"Unnecessary," Briel spoke from the judges' dais. "We have heard all your words and will consider them. What remains now are the charges brought against the Charmed Ones themselves, and whether they should be stripped of their powers so that those more worthy to bear them might be found." She inclined her head toward the prosecution. "Present the charges."

Parts Five-Seven

Justice (Parts 5-7)

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 03:04:54 GMT

Title: Justice
Fandom: Charmed
Characters: Cole Turner, Phoebe Halliwell, Piper Halliwell, Paige Halliwell, Leo Wyatt
Prompt: Fixed
Word Count: 9178
Rating: PG

5.

George stepped forward now, speaking to the judges. "The Charmed Ones," he said, "no longer have any devotion to their duty. They were gifted with these powers, yet when they are called upon to use them, they complain endlessly about how things like dates and jobs are much more important. There is nothing more important than the life of an innocent, yet these women have forgotten that."

The Elder looked at the Charmed Ones. "Piper Halliwell, step into the Circle of Truth."

She glared at him. "Kiss my-- "

"Very well," George interrupted. He waved his hand, and the circle of light expanded to include the area where the Charmed Ones sat. Rapidly shifting images appeared, proving his words true. When presented with an innocent to save or a demon to vanquish, the first words out of the Charmed Ones mouths most often were complaints and desires to do something else.

"That's not fair!" Paige hissed.

Kevin looked at her sadly. "Unfortunately, it's all too true, isn't it?" Paige scowled but couldn't disagree.

"In addition," George continued, "despite the trial not long ago about the misuse of their powers, quite soon afterwards, Paige used her powers to conjure a man to...satisfy her." Paige flushed, but didn't say anything. "It is obvious they did not learn their lessons."

Serris moved to stand beside George. "Because of this, we submit that these women are not fit to bear the title and power of the Charmed Ones. Since the eldest complains of wanting a normal life so much, their powers should be stripped from them so that they live off their lives as mortals. Women worthy to be the Charmed Ones will be found."

"Fine by me!" Piper snapped. "Take them. They're yours."

"Obviously," Serris continued, "their memories would have to be stripped of any knowledge of magic and the magical world...."

"I don't think I like the sound of that," Phoebe said nervously.

"...and while the younger child of Piper Halliwell may have his powers stripped as well, she may retain him, but the older, Wyatt, will have to remain here with us," Serris said.

Piper rose to her feet, her eyes flashing with anger. "Over my dead body!"

"SIT DOWN." Briel's voice boomed loudly through the room, and the force of it knocked Piper back into her seat.

"You can't do this!" Piper continued to protest. Beside her, Leo looked stricken.

"We can do whatever we wish, Piper Halliwell," Briel said. "If this is the course of action we choose, there is nothing you can do to stop it. We are not the Cleaners that you can intimidate with your power. If this is done, you will not mourn your child. You will have never known him or his father. Your new memories will comfort you, as will your very normal life."

Piper looked helplessly at Cole, realizing their fate was in his hands. "Cole...please...don't let them do this."

He laughed shortly. "Why the hell should I care what happens to you?"

"Because...because...." She searched for the right words. "You'll prove us wrong. You'll prove we were wrong about how we treated you."

"Cole, please," Phoebe added softly.

He stiffened and turned to the judges. There was a long moment of silence, then Cole finally spoke. As he did, the Circle of Truth conjured images – Prue's death and funeral, Leo leaving Piper to become an Elder, Chris dying. "These women are the Charmed Ones," Cole said. "They are powerful witches. But they are also human. They have endured lifetimes of sorrow and pain and fear. They need joy and peace and love to counteract it, and instead of seeing that these simple needs are met, the Elders have heaped more misery upon them. It would be a simple matter to let them see their sister...."

"They need to accept she is dead," Serris interrupted.

Cole shook his head. "They have. As they have the loss of their mother and their grandmother, yet they are allowed to see them."

"It is a special privilege to be able to see the spirits of the dead," Esttai noted.

"One which they deserve," Cole argued. "Instead you have forbidden this and did not even allow Prue to attend her nephews' wiccanings. If they were ignorant to the possibility of seeing the dead, that would be one thing. But they are not, and you cruelly deny them the opportunity to see their sister. And then you took Leo away from them."

"It was his choice," Darban insisted.

"A choice that was not really a choice," Cole said. "You could have easily released him from his duty and allowed him to remain with his wife and son, but you did not. Time and time again, the Elders have stood in the way of these women's happiness. Perhaps they would focus more on their duties if they knew they would have a moment's respite. For all they have done, do they not deserve it? Instead you force them to cling to children and boyfriends and jobs so tightly that they neglect their wiccan duties."

"You are blaming us for this, demon?" Darban said irritably.

"In a way, yes," Cole said. "You interfered in Piper's and Leo's relationship from the beginning, and it caused resentment of the Elders and their guidance. It put the wheels of rebellion in motion. Rather than build the Charmed One's trust and respect, instead you have created resentment. You command, you take, but you do not give."

"How dare you...." Serris seethed.

"Enough!" Briel said. "We have heard all we need to hear. We are prepared for make our decision."

6.

All attention was on Briel as she rose and spoke. "It has been proven to my satisfaction that the Avatars seek out power and use ruthless manipulation to get it. Indeed, it seems to be their standard method of getting someone to join their cause. Very few would be able to stand against them. Therefore, Leo Wyatt is not to be persecuted for joining them as he did. He acted under duress, and he acted to save his family. It is further evident that Leo Wyatt's ties to the mortal world make him unfit to be an Elder. His guidance was needed when the Elders were in chaos after the rise of the Titans, but no longer. It is also clear that the attack upon Zola took place while Leo Wyatt was under the emotional assault of a powerful demon, and he is not to blame for his actions."

Briel gazed evenly at the Charmed Ones. "The Charmed Ones have served the force of good, and they have done it well. For all their incessant complaining, they have vanquished countless demons. The Elders might have all been destroyed by the Titans were it not for them. They are to be commended...and trusted to do their job. I believe in their hearts they know their duty, and if they have fallen from the path, perhaps this will serve as a reminder. There is, as was said here already, nothing more important than the life of an innocent, and they would do well to remember that and learn to live with the inconveniences of their mortal lives. The Elders will not interfere in their personal lives so long as they do not affect their obligation to protect innocents.

"It is therefore our ruling that the Charmed Ones be allowed to retain their powers. Leo Wyatt shall be stripped of his Avatar and Elder powers, but allowed to retain his abilities as a Whitelighter. He shall be assigned to be where he truly belongs -- with his family. They will be his sole charges and he will act as liaison between them and the Elders," Briel finished. "And he is responsible for keeping them on their path."

The other Elders nodded in acceptance of the decision and orbed out. Piper sank against Leo in relief as her sisters absorbed the enormity of the decision. Kevin leapt to his feet and let out a whoop. "You did it!" he said to Cole.

"So I did," Cole said wearily.

Kevin looked guilty. "I...uh...I have to send you back now," he said reluctantly. Cole nodded.

"Wait!" Phoebe said. "What's going on?" She moved to Kevin's side, looking at Cole.

"I pulled Cole from Purgatory to help Leo," Kevin said sadly. "And now I have to put him back."

"He didn't agree to do this for a Get out of Death Free card?" Paige asked.

Kevin shook his head. "No...he only did it because I asked."

"There must be something...." Phoebe looked at Briel, who had remained behind. "Does he have to go back?"

"Stay out of this," Cole said to Phoebe. "I don't want your help."

"Interesting," Briel said, studying Phoebe. "You were the one who sent him to Purgatory. Yet now you wish him free? Why?"

"I don't know," Phoebe said. "Maybe...maybe we were wrong? Isn't there anything we can do? He was manipulated by the Avatars, too. He needs justice as much as Leo."

"Justice," Briel repeated. She waved her hand at Phoebe.

"Oh, god," Phoebe said, starting to hyperventilate. She sank to her knees, clutching her head as tears began to stream down her face. "Don't...I can't...please...."

"What are you doing to her?" Piper demanded. She knelt beside Phoebe and tried to pull her into her arms.

"Her empathy was given to her for this very reason," Briel said evenly. "It was never meant as a gift to augment her powers. It was meant so she could feel what her callous and selfish actions did to those around her. You found a magical way to prevent her from feeling your emotions, Piper Halliwell, but these feelings she cannot block. She now feels what the demon feels."

Cole looked at Phoebe, alarmed. "Stop this. This isn't what I want."

"Is this not justice, demon?" Briel said. "This is your pain, your sorrow. Your love for her kept you alive when first they vanquished you. Your pain kept you in Purgatory the second time, unable to move on."

"I said stop it!" Cole took a step toward Phoebe, then stopped himself.

Briel shook her head. "No."

Cole closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. He let it out slowly, his stance become more relaxed. After a moment, Phoebe stopped crying and writhing on the floor. She pushed herself up, looking at Cole "Phoebe?" Piper said, pushing the hair away from her sister's face.

"The pain, the sadness, it's gone...I just feel...." Her voice dropped to a confused whisper. "Love."

Cole looked away from Phoebe, facing Briel instead. "Congratulations. You have passed," the Elder said.

"What? This was some sort of sick test?" Cole said, bewildered.

Briel nodded. "If evil ruled your heart, you would have reveled in her pain. Instead you stopped it the only way you could...by letting go off your pain. And for that I judge you free to return to the mortal realm."

"Return?" Cole repeated, stunned.

Another nod. "Yes. You are restored to what you were...minus the Avatar's powers. You are no longer one of them. You are free to choose your own path now."

"I...thank you," Cole said.

"Cole," Phoebe whispered, climbing to her feet. She took a hesitant step toward him.

He backed away from her. "Are we done here now, then?" he asked Briel.

"You are free to go where you will, Cole," Briel said, addressing him by name instead of calling him "demon." "But we will be watching. If you abuse your powers, if you fall from the path again, you will be dealt with."

Cole nodded respectfully, then started to shimmer out. "Cole, wait!" Phoebe shouted, jumping toward him.

"What do you want?" he said carefully, keeping a distance between them.

"Where-where are you going?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know, Phoebe."

A small smile touched her lips. "You called me Phoebe."

He ignored her words. "What do you want?" he repeated.

"I...I think we need to talk," she said.

Shaking his head, he said, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Cole, I felt what you feel," Phoebe pleaded.

He looked away from her. "That doesn't mean anything anymore."

She tried to close the distance between them. "How can you say that? It means everything."

Bitterness and pain flickered in his eyes again as he turned toward her again. "It meant nothing to you two years ago, why should it change now?"

"Because I was a fool!" Phoebe said passionately. "I was scared and I didn't understand what you were going through and please can't we forget the past and try again? Cole...I love you. I always have. I always will. That wasn't a lie when I told you that."

"It...it's too late, Phoebe," he said. "We tried. We failed. It's over. Goodbye, Phoebe."

Cole shimmered out, and Phoebe dropped her head. As her shoulders began to shake, Piper and Paige hurried to wrap their sister in their embrace. "It's okay, honey," Piper said comfortingly. "You're just caught up in the moment. You know you don't want to be involved with him again...." Her voice trailed off as she realized Phoebe was laughing. "Phoebe?"

"Yeah, what's so funny?" Paige said, confused.

Phoebe's eyes shone with tears, but she was smiling. "He still loves me. And I'm going to get him back."

"How can you be so sure?" Paige asked.

"Because I've seen the future," Phoebe said happily. "And my daughter has her father's eyes."

7.

Three days after the trial, life had returned to normal at the Halliwell Manor. "Or as normal as it's going to be," Piper said with a wistful sigh. "We will fight demons and save innocents, but we can also try to have Sunday breakfast together."

She and Leo had been blissfully happy since their return, finally free of the looming threat of punishment and secure that nothing would part them again. Paige had quit the magic school so she could return to social work. Nothing had been heard from Cole.

The sisters had discussed the ramifications of Cole being back from the dead. Piper and Paige were both nervous, but as Leo had pointed out, "The Elders gave him their approval. And now we know the real story about what happened. Don't dwell on the past, you can't change it. It's the future that matters." So with some trepidation, Piper and Paige agreed to support Phoebe in whatever path she took with Cole.

That afternoon, Phoebe knocked on Elise's door. Her editor looked up. "Come in," she said. "What's up, Phoebe? How did your meeting go this morning? Is the interview all set for this afternoon?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Phoebe said, sitting in the chair in front of Elise's desk. "I need to cut back on work. I need to slow down. I've realized that I don't want TV appearances and interviews and billboards. I just want to write my column and help people."

"What are you talking about?" Elise said. "You're supposed to be guest-hosting the morning show two weeks from now and this Saturday you have to --"

"That's what I mean," Phoebe interrupted. "It's too much. The success all went to my head, but...it's not what I want. I do want to keep helping people, but all the rest of this...no. If the paper needs me to make an appearance I will see what I can do, but I need to slow down and focus on my family now. I have other obligations, and they have to take precedence."

Elise sat back in her chair. "Actually, I'm not surprised. You've been being pulled in too many different directions for a long time now. Well, some people aren't going to be too happy, but it's your life and your decision."

Phoebe smiled in relief. "Thank you so much for understanding, Elise." She held out a piece a paper. "I want to add this to today's column if it's possible, or tomorrow's if it's too late."

Elise took the paper and read:

Dear Ask Phoebe:

Recently I ran into my ex. We had a bad break-up and I admit I treated him poorly. But I realized that I still have feelings for him. He says he doesn't want anything to do with me, but I think he still loves me, too. I can feel it. What should I do?

Hopeful

Dear Hopeful,

Follow your heart. Fate brought you back together for a reason. If he truly loves you, he can forgive you. It would be silly to think he'll just completely forget all about how you treated him, but if you can show him you've learned from your mistakes and that you've changed and you're willing to do whatever it takes to make it up to him, he'll come around. Don't give up. Love conquers all, and I really think you can make this work.

Phoebe

Elise looked at Phoebe over the paper and raised an eyebrow. "Now I think I understand," she said. "Let me guess...you ran into a certain ex-husband?"

"Something like that," Phoebe admitted. "I just all of a sudden realized I misjudged him. And I still love him. And he loves me, I know he does."

"Well, you threw yourself into this job as your marriage was breaking up, so the reversal shouldn't surprise me," Elise said. She leaned forward and put her hand over Phoebe's. "Do what you need to do. The paper can work around you."

"Thank you," Phoebe said again. "And give my office to someone who can use it. I think I'm going to be doing a lot of work from home from now on. But I promise you'll get my columns on time, and like I said, if the paper needs me to make an appearance for a charity or something, I will see what I can do." She rose to her feet. "For now, I'm taking the afternoon off."

"What are you up to today?" Elise asked.

"I'm going shopping," Phoebe said with a grin. "I need to get a new dress and pick up some ingredients for Piper. She's cooking dinner for me Friday night."

"Your ex is coming to see you?" Elise said.

"I hope so," Phoebe said as she headed to the door. "That's the hard part. Getting him to come over. Wish me luck."

"Good luck," Elise said as Phoebe left. "I hope you two can work it out."

Two nights later, Phoebe stood nervously in a dark alleyway, a vial of vanquishing potion clutched in her hand. She'd scryed for demonic activity and had found a nest of Shambler demons. The smart thing to do would've been to tell her sisters so they could come deal with the demons together, but that wasn't what she had in mind right now. "This is stupid, Phoebe," she chided herself. "What the hell am I doing? This is a very bad idea."

"But very good for us, little one," a voice hissed behind her. She spun around and found two Shambler demons moving towards her.

"Witch, it's what's for dinner," the second Shambler giggled.

"I'm really not much of a meal," Phoebe said, backing away. "Not even worthy of being an appetizer." She hid the potion behind her back, waiting for the right moment to throw it.

"We've already eaten," the first Shambler said. "You're just dessert."

It lunged at her, and Phoebe threw the vanquishing potion, destroying the demon before it could reach her. The second she kicked across the alley, but then a third was behind her, catching her unawares and wrapping its strong arms tightly around her. She struggled futilely to free herself, opening her mouth to yell for Leo. Before she could draw in breath, the demon clamped a heavy hand over her mouth.

The demon she had kicked rose and moved toward her. "No screaming, little witch," it said. "No Whitelighter to take our dinner away."

"Try a demon." The Shambler demon erupted into flames as an energy ball hit it. The one that held Phoebe shoved her to the ground, only to meet the same fate as its companion. Then Cole's hands were on her shoulders as he pulled her to her feet. "Phoebe, what the hell are you doing out here alone?" he said, shaking her. "You could've been killed!"

"Cole!" she cried, flinging her arms around him. Her lips sought his and to her delight he didn't pull away. She could feel his relief at her being safe and his desire as he held her close in the protective circle of his arms. Her own body ached with passion she hadn't felt in years. Miles, Jason, Les...none of them had made her feel like this. None of them could compare. It was Cole, it had always been Cole.

They finally broke apart, and Phoebe looked up at Cole and whispered, "I knew you would come."

"You...knew." Cole said. He abruptly pushed her away and looked at her with disgust. "So you were in a dark alley acting like an idiot...because you knew I would come to your rescue."

"Cole, I'm sorry, but you didn't exactly leave a phone number and it was the only way I could get in touch with you!" she protested. "I just wanted to talk to you! I've tried calling out to you, but you didn't answer...."

"I know," he said, rubbing his temple. "You've been giving me a headache. I thought I made myself clear. I don't want anything to do with you anymore. Now call your Whitelighter or your sister and get out of here. And don't think of pulling a stunt like this again. It won't work."

"I just wanted to talk to you," Phoebe said. "Maybe I don't deserve it. But please, Cole...please. Just give me one chance. There's still something between us. You knew I was in danger. You came to help me. That has to mean something."

He turned away from her. "I told you, Phoebe. It's over between us."

She pressed herself against him, her arms around his waist, her cheek against his back. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I love you, Cole," she said brokenly.

He stiffened. "Phoebe...."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "I wish I could turn back time and undo everything I did. I don't blame you for wanting nothing to do with me. I love you, Cole. I love you so much. All this time I've just buried what I felt because it scared me so much, and now that you're back, I don't know if I can live without you."

Gripping her wrists, he extracted himself from her grasp and pulled away. Phoebe lowered her head, unable to watch him go. She'd been so sure she could reach him somehow and make him remember what they'd once shared, but even visions of the future didn't mean it would be happen. Prue's death had proved that.

Then she felt his hand on her cheek, his thumb brushing away her tears. "Let me take you home," he said.

She lifted her gaze. "Stay for dinner? Piper's making steak...artichokes...."

He managed a small chuckle. "Not fair."

Hope started to swell in her heart again. "I don't fight fair. Next will come the tickling."

"You know, it's embarrassing to have one's entry in the Book of Shadows include tickling as a weakness," he said, wincing.

"Does 'great in bed' make up for it?" she said impishly.

"Why, Ms. Halliwell," he said, "are you trying to seduce me?"

"Always," she said breathlessly.

He leaned into her, pressing her against the wall. She trembled as he kissed her gently. "All right," he said. "Dinner. But I'm not making any promises."

"It's more than I deserve," she said, pressing her fingers to his lips. "Thank you."

He bent his head and kissed her again, then shimmered them both home.

Parts One-Four

Dance 'til You Fall

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:35:54 GMT

Title: Dance 'til You Fall
Fandom: Charmed
Characters: Wyatt Halliwell, Chris Halliwell
Word Count: 1634
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Wyatt and Chris sneak into P3 for a concert and meet a woman that might be too much for them to handle.
Author's Notes: For ladybug218's Lyrical Literature Fic challenge. The prompt was Carbon Leaf's "Raise the Roof." Thanks to ladybug218 for the beta! :)

Dance till you fall
Love till you die
Shut your mouth
Raise the roof

Piper had scored a hot up-and-coming band for P3 that night and fans packed the club. Wyatt skirted the edge of the crowd, Chris at his heels. "What are you looking for?" Chris asked. "Mom's gonna kill us if she finds out we're still here. It's 21 and over tonight and you know it."

"You need to live more dangerously, Chris," Wyatt sighed. "You're such a mama's boy."

"I am not!" Chris said indignantly.

"Wyatt, you're only 18 and I'm 16," Wyatt mocked. "Mom's gonna spank us!"

Chris smacked his brother on the back of the head. "Are you going to tell me what's so worth getting in trouble?" he said.

Wyatt stopped. "Her," he said, pointing out a young woman dancing in the middle of the crowd. She wore tight, black, leather pants and a skimpy gold top. Her long dark hair spun around her shoulders as she gyrated to the rhythm of the music. More than one man was angling to get closer to her. Her dark, sultry eyes were full of mischief as she moved from one suitor to the next.

"Whoa," Chris said. "Hot."

"I saw her first, bro," Wyatt said with a grin. "So now that you know, get lost so I can make my move."

"Like she'd have any interest in you," Chris said. "Dream on."

"Watch and learn, little brother," Wyatt said. "Watch and learn."

He began to move through the crowd toward the girl, forcing his way through the throng of admirers. He timed it so that as she twirled around, she ended up running into him. "Hi," he said, giving her his best charming smile and putting his hand on her elbow to steady her.

"Hi," she said, returning her smile with a seductive one of her own. Her gaze swept over him. "Mmm, aren't you just luscious?" she purred.

"Wyatt," he said, "but I'll answer to luscious, too."

"I'm Chris!" his brother piped up behind him, and Wyatt groaned. He had almost forgotten he was there. He was turning to tell Chris to beat it when the girl peered around him and said, "I'm Marra. Wanna dance, handsome?"

It took a moment for her words to sink into Wyatt's brain. She was inviting Chris to dance, not him. Chris flashed him a triumphant grin and bumped his older brother aside so he could move in front of Marra. She put her hands on his waist and began to move to the music once more.

Wyatt drew back, gaping and stunned. How could she barely look at him and then latch on to Chris? He was just a kid! He was barely aware of the pictures on the wall behind him beginning to rattle from the power radiating from him, fueled by his rising anger as he stared at Chris and Marra through narrowed eyes. He clenched his fists at his side, watching as Marra sensuously guided the more awkward Chris through the dance, pulling him against her.

When she turned and pressed her back against Chris, and his eyes glazed over as she wriggled her hips against his, Wyatt snatched a beer from a passing waitress and drained it. His eyes never left Marra. He wanted her. Chris had stolen her from him. And Chris would pay for it. And then Marra would be his.

Marra turned around and leaned into Chris and whispered something in his ear; he nodded. She took his hand and led him from the dance floor. Wyatt smashed his bottle to the ground and followed, stalking after the couple as they slipped through the crowd and headed for the door that led to the back alley. He found them up against the alley wall, Chris planting slobbering kisses on Marra's lips and neck as she slid her hands up under his shirt and explored his chest. "Kiss me, Chris," she urged. "Give me all your passion. Let me feel it."

Then she caught sight of Wyatt over Chris's shoulder. She didn't seem surprised; a sly smile curved her kiss-swollen lips. Turning her head, she murmured something to Chris, and he angrily spun around. "Back off, Wyatt," he snarled. "You had your chance."

Wyatt felt his anger grow and did something he had never dreamed of doing before. When they were kids he and Chris had used their powers on each other in play, but never in real anger. This time, he let his rage guide him and reached out telekinetically and yanked Chris away from Marra, flinging him across the alley and sending him crashing into the far wall. Marra smiled in approval, pressing herself against the wall and out of the way, black eyes watching the brothers battle.

Chris scrambled to his feet. "What's the matter, Wyatt?" he taunted. "Can't handle it when somebody likes me better than you? When you're not the special one anymore?"

Wyatt's answer was another telekinetic strike. This time Chris was ready for it and orbed out before he hit the wall. He reappeared behind Wyatt and viciously shoved him into the dumpster a few feet away. Wyatt spun around and leapt on his brother, knocking them both to the ground. He straddled Chris and seized the front of his shirt with his left hand; raining brutal punches down on Chris's face with his right. Chris fought back, but Wyatt was older and stronger.

When he broke his brother's nose and felt the blood spray across his hands and face, he paused. What was he doing? He and Chris fought all the time, but never like this. Something was wrong. Then Marra's hand was on his shoulder, helping him to his feet. "I was just going to enjoy him as an appetizer," she said, "and make you the main course, but since you're so eager...."

Part of his brain screamed to get away from her, but it was drowned by the pounding of his heart and the stirring of his groin. Marra stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him, pushing him back against the wall so she could pin him there with a strength her slender body shouldn't possess. She drew back to rip open his shirt and clawed at his chest with her sharp nails, her mouth seeking his again.

Wyatt's head spun. He couldn't breathe; Marra's kiss was stealing his breath away. She laughed, deepening the kiss as she pressed against him. He could feel his strength slipping away and there was nothing he could do but drown in her kiss. It was all he wanted to do. His arms came around her tightly, his hands frantically seeking to unfasten her clothing. He had to have her. Now. Whatever the cost would be.

Then she cried out and stiffened, breaking the kiss and falling against Wyatt. Wyatt slumped dizzily against the wall as he heard Chris's voice: "Get off my brother, bitch!"

Marra released Wyatt and whirled around to face Chris, who stood there unsteadily, face bloody, broken chair leg scavenged from the trash in hand. He raised it for another strike. Marra grabbed his wrist before the blow could fall, squeezing until he yelped and dropped the chair leg. Then her hand went around his throat. "Wait your turn," she snarled. "I'll have you soon enough, little one."

Chris struggled, clawing at Marra's hand as she tightened her grip. Wyatt blinked his vision clear and tried to comprehend what was happening. Chris had hurt Marra. He had to protect her. But Chris was his brother and he had to protect him, too. The chaos of emotions roared through his head until one thing finally won out. Blood. Chris's blood, on his hands. He hurt his little brother because of her.

He staggered upright, summoning his sword, Excalibur, to his hand. "Let him go!" he shouted at Marra. She glared at him, her dark eyes glowing red. He felt his desire for her rising again, but the memory of Chris's crumpled body beneath him was a powerful shield. He swung the sword, slicing neatly through her neck. She erupted into flames and disappeared.

Wyatt vanished the sword and sank down with his back against the wall. Panting, Chris crept to his side and settled next to him. "Demon," he croaked hoarsely, the marks of Marra's fingers still on his throat.

Wyatt fixed him with a "no shit" look. "Succubus," he said. "I think. Should've known."

"Why do girl demons have to be so hot?" Chris complained. He brought his hand up to his nose and gingerly touched it. "Mom's gonna kill us," he groaned.

"Moron," Wyatt said, reaching over to put his hand in front of his brother's face. Golden light swept from his fingers, and Chris's injures healed, blood and bruises vanishing.

"Thanks," Chris said. He looked Wyatt over. "Better fix your hand," he pointed out, jerking his chin toward Wyatt's bruised knuckles.

Wyatt stared down at his hand, feeling the cold dread of "what if" grip his heart. He could've killed his brother. The thought of losing him to a demon or warlock was scary enough. But by his own hand? That terrified him more than he wanted to admit. He concentrated on healing himself to make the bruises go away, wishing it would make the fear go away as well. His parents and aunts were always stressing the importance of learning control. Now he had more proof than he ever wanted that they were right. He could never let something like this happen again. Never.

Chris stood up and looked down at Wyatt. "C'mon, let's get home before Mom finds us out here."

Wyatt slowly rose to his feet and managed to grin at his little brother. "Race you," he challenged, disappearing in a swirl of orbs. Chris made a face and orbed after him, racing him home.

Melodicmuse@LJ: Don't Know How To Let You Go

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:20:22 GMT

Title: Don't Know How To Let You go
Fandom: Charmed
Pairing: Cole Turner/Phoebe Halliwell
Word Count: 522
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The WB and Brad Kern own Charmed, but they are evil.
Summary: Cole's thoughts at the end of "Witch Way Now?"
Author's Note: From a prompt of Sarah McLachlan's "Do What I Have To Do." No, I'm not bitter about what they did to the relationship, why do you ask? Thanks to ladybug218 for the beta!

And I have the sense to recognize that
I don't know how to let you go

She had given up.

"Cole, we did the best we could. We tried every way possible to make this work but it wasn't meant to be. And it wasn't because we didn't love each other, it's just love wasn't enough, so now we have to move on, okay, the both of us."

He could still hear her words lingering in the air. He turned his back on her and told her to go, unable to look at her face, not wanting her to see his pain and tears. All he had done for her was for nothing. He had become traitor to the Underworld, constantly on the run for his life. He had slain his brethren, his brothers, to keep her safe. His powers were taken, and the Source of All Evil had possessed him when he had taken the Hollow into himself to save her and her sisters. With the last ounce of strength he possessed, he had tried to give the powers of the Source to the Wizard, but she had put a stop to that, damning him in the process.

"I will always love you," he said as the Charmed Ones vanquished him. And he welcomed the end of his struggles against the power of the Source. Now he wouldn't be able to hurt her anymore. Now maybe he could be at peace.

But he found himself here, in the Wastelands, his soul still clinging to life, chased by the Beast that devoured the last of the essences of vanquished demons. And he found hope in his heart once more. There had to be a way out, and he could be with Phoebe again.

Instead she came to him, simply so she could turn her back on him and their love. She had given up.

His initial anger surprised him. He tried to understand why she would do this to him after all they had been through together, but the pain of her rejection eclipsed all compassion he might have for her own fears and struggles. All he could do was hunt the Beast, taking out his rage by tearing it apart with his bare hands, absorbing the powers of more and more demons until at last he had the power to transport himself from this hell.

It shamed him that for the briefest of moments his thoughts turned to revenge. He wanted her to hurt as much as he was hurting. Make her pay for her rejection. But he loved her too much to let her go that easily.

So he tracked her down. Found her about to be shot and killed by a witch hunter. And he used his new powers to save her life.

The look she gave him, how dare he come back to her like this, even when he was saving her, brought fresh pain to his shattered soul.

But he wouldn't give up. He would never let her go. They had come this far together, and somehow he would see her through her fears and doubts. He would prove to her that their love was strong enough. Somehow, they would be together again.

Unlikely Allies

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:14:49 GMT

Title: Unlikely Allies
Fandom: Charmed
Characters: Cole Turner, Prue Halliwell
Word Count: 1459
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The WB and Brad Kern own Charmed, but they are evil.
Author's Note: From an AU prompt of Charmed, Phoebe died instead of Prue at the end of season three.

When Paige informed Prue about her premonition of a demon attacking a witch in her home, Prue told her new sister she'd take care of it herself and not to tell Piper. She'd been waiting for this moment, and she didn't want either of her sisters to be hurt. Fortunately, Paige didn't question her eldest sister's decision, and now Prue lay in wait, taking the place of the witch the demon would try to kill.

She saw the reflection of the demon in a mirror as he shimmered in behind her. Paige's description had been accurate -- big, red skin, black markings. He had an athame in his hand, but Prue telekinetically yanked it from his grasp as she spun around to confront him.

The demon stopped, staring at Prue. He shifted into a familiar human form. "Prue."

"Cole," Prue said coldly, her fingers tightening on the vanquish potion she held in her right hand.

His eyes dropped to the glass vial she held, and his lips twisted in a half-smile. He conjured an energy ball and drew back his arm to throw.

Prue threw first. The glass shattered on Cole's chest, and smoke rose around him. But when the smoke cleared, he was still standing there, unharmed.

"Didn't your sister tell you that potion doesn't work anymore?" Cole growled, and for a moment Prue was confused and thought she almost heard disappointment in his voice. She quickly recovered her wits and used her power to throw Cole against the far wall. "C'mon, Prue, that the best you can do?" Cole taunted, climbing to his feet and summoning another energy ball.

Prue deflected it as he threw it in her direction. "You got my sister killed, you son of a bitch!" she exclaimed. "If she hadn't been with you. . . ." Phoebe should've been at the Manor. Then she'd be alive. And Piper wouldn't be broken. And she wouldn't be saddled with an insecure neophyte witch half-sister who they desperately needed to restore the Power of Three.

Leo had told them what had happened, how Phoebe had gone to the Underworld to find Cole, and how Shax had come back and Piper and Prue had vanquished him but were caught on camera. How Piper was shot and killed during the ensuing media frenzy. How Phoebe agreed to sacrifice herself and remain in the Underworld if the Source would turn back time to save her sister's life. But the Source had his own plans, and after time was reset, he'd sent demons to kill Phoebe. Cole had shoved her toward Leo, ordering him to get Phoebe out of there, but a demon intercepted her before she could reach the Whitelighter. Phoebe had screamed at Leo to go to Prue and Piper and save them. Cole would protect her.

But he hadn't. Leo orbed to the Manor and healed Prue and Piper in time to save them. After an hour passed with no sign of Phoebe, Leo returned to the Underworld. And came back with her body. He'd said there had been no sign of Cole.

Since then, Prue had waited for Cole to surface again. Now that he had, she would make him pay.

Cole threw another energy ball; Prue TK'd it away from her, then instantly astral projected behind Cole and kicked him into its path. The blast slammed him hard into the wall, and for a moment he lay stunned. Prue returned to her physical body, grabbed the athame she'd pulled from his hand earlier, and dove at him, poised to strike.

Something in his eyes stayed her hand. He grabbed her wrist and jerked the blade toward his chest. "Do it!" he shouted.

"You're not fighting back hard enough," Prue said suspiciously, trying to draw her hand away.

"Phoebe died because of me," Cole snapped. "Don't you want your revenge?"

Prue inched backwards, but kept the athame in her hand. "Tell me what happened," she ordered.

Cole remained on the floor but sat up, his head bowed. He was quiet for a long moment, but finally said, his voice thick with emotion, "They came for her after time was reset. I tried to get Leo to get her out of there, but . . . there were too many of them. They grabbed her and I couldn't get to her . . . and they killed her."

That confirmed what Leo had told them. "Go on," Prue prompted.

He lifted his head. Tears shone in his eyes. "They dragged me in front of the Source. He brought shapeshifter demons in, made them look like Phoebe. And he killed her over and over again in front of me to break me. The torture I could handle, but that. . . . I let them think they broke me. They sent me here to kill a witch to prove I was a demon again. I knew you'd be here to stop me and . . . end it."

Prue let the athame drop from her hand, shaking her head. For these past two months she'd wanted -- needed -- someone to blame. The Source was out of her reach for now, not until Paige got up to speed with being a Charmed One. She'd killed every demon who crossed her path, and the one she'd wanted most was right in front of her now. But she felt the anger start to drain out of her. Cole hadn't killed Phoebe. He would have given his life for hers. And the last thing Phoebe would want would be for her sisters to hold Cole accountable for what had happened. If she hadn't gone to the Underworld to bring him back, she'd still be alive. But if they hadn't let him go undercover with the Brotherhood, if they hadn't all doubted him, if they'd gone with Phoebe to help Cole instead of letting her go alone. . . .

Too many ifs.

Prue cautiously knelt beside Cole. He stiffened and flinched, but when she slid her arms around him, he clung to her and the tears began to fall. "I'm sorry," he said brokenly. "I'm so sorry."

She cradled his head against her shoulder, holding back her own tears. "Don't blame yourself," she said. "Phoebe wouldn't want it that way."

"I don't know what to do without her," Cole said. "She was my soul. My anchor. I can't . . . not without her."

Prue drew back so she could look him in the eyes. "Don't you dare give up," she said fiercely. "Don't you dare. Phoebe wanted to bring you back to us. Don't let her have died in vain."

"I'm lost without her, Prue," Cole said, shaking his head. "I don't want to go back to the Underworld, but I have nowhere else to go."

"Come back to the Manor with me," Prue said before she could even think about her words. Part of her was telling herself this was a bad idea. She'd never trusted Cole, even before they knew he was a demon. But Phoebe had loved him, enough that she died for him. She owed it to her sister to keep Cole on the path of goodness. And they could use his powers, especially now, with Paige so inexperienced.

Two demons shimmered into the room. "Should've known Belthazor wouldn't finish the job," one said. "Always knew his human blood made him weak."

"Pathetic," the other agreed.

Prue rose warily to her feet. She flicked out her hand to deflect the energy ball the first demon threw her way, but the second shimmered away and reappeared behind her. "No!" Cole shouted, jumping up and tackling the demon before he could stab his athame into Prue's back. He wrestled with the demon while Prue kept her attention on the first, sending the second energy ball he threw at her straight back at him. It struck him in the chest, and unlike Cole, he wasn't strong enough to take it, and he disappeared in flames, screaming.

Cole had pinned the other demon to the ground and wrenched the athame from his grasp. He stabbed the athame into the demon's belly and jerked upward with a satisfied smile. As he rose to his feet, athame still in hand, the demon erupted in flames and vanished like his companion.

"Cole?" Prue called out, a little unnerved by the deadly gleam in his eye. He turned toward her, and she recognized that the fierce fire in his heart mirrored hers. He shared her passion for revenge. Like her, he wouldn't rest until Phoebe's death was avenged. Friend, ally, instrument – it didn't matter. They would be partners in this now.

She held out her hand to Cole. "Come on," she said. "Let's go."

Fandomfairytale@LJ: Beauty and the Beast

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 01:57:18 GMT

Title: Beauty and the Beast
Fandom: Charmed
Characters: Cole Turner, Phoebe Halliwell, Piper Halliwell, Prue Halliwell
Pairing: Cole/Phoebe
Word Count: 2016
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The WB and Brad Kern own Charmed, but they are evil.
Author's Notes: For fandomfairytale -- a Charmed take on "Beauty and the Beast." Thanks to ladybug218 for the beta!

Once upon a time there was a family of three young witches. Their mother and father had died, leaving them to survive on their own. The eldest, Prue, was the protector and the provider, watching out for her younger sisters. The middle sister, Piper, was the homemaker and made sure her sisters were fed and clothed as well as they could be. And Phoebe was the youngest of the three, a free-spirited beauty who fantasized about a handsome prince who would sweep her off her feet and rescue her from her life and the struggle to survive from day to day.

While she was much loved by her older sisters, sometimes they fought because Phoebe did not seem to contribute as much to the family as Prue and Piper. They would accuse her of being lazy and a dreamer. Phoebe was not as strong as Prue and did not share Piper's love of cooking and sewing, but after one such fight she became determined to prove herself to her sisters. The next day she set off into the woods to look for food to bring home for Piper to cook. She would show her sisters she wasn't useless.

After wandering for several hours, she realized she was lost. Night was falling, and with it came a fierce storm. She huddled beneath a tree, cold and wet and frightened, knowing her sisters were surely frantic with fear for her safety. How foolish she had been to wander off alone.

Somehow she fell into an uneasy sleep. When she woke, the skies were clear and bright. Her clothes were damp but there was a warm wool cloak wrapped around her shoulders, and a single red rose rested next to her head. Puzzled but intrigued, she took both the rose and cloak and began to try to find her way home.

As she walked down an unfamiliar path, she found a high iron fence. Curious, she followed the fence until as it led to a locked iron gate. Beyond it was a garden filled with flowers and vegetables and fruit trees. Being a thin girl, Phoebe managed to slip between the bars of the gate. She began to fill her apron with carrots and potatoes and apples -- anything she could carry. Her sisters would be so proud of her!

A shadow fell across her, and she looked up in alarm. Her treasures fell from her apron as she brought her hands up to her mouth and screamed, for before her was a frightening creature, surely the devil himself. He was tall and red-skinned with black markings, and his teeth were sharp and terrible.

He reached down and grabbed her arm. "Thief!" he thundered. "How dare you steal from my gardens?"

"I'm sorry, sir," she stammered. "I was only trying to get food for me and my sisters."

"And now you will pay the price," the creature said, dragging her behind him to the mansion beyond the gardens. He flung her in a small dark room and locked the door behind him.

Phoebe huddled in the darkness for several hours, wishing she'd listened to the times when her sisters told her not to wander in the woods alone. She didn't know how many hours passed before, overwhelmed with hunger and fear, she fell into an exhausted sleep, clutching her rose tightly.

When she woke up she was in a soft bed with sheer white curtains and canopy. Confused, she climbed from the bed and looked around. The room she was in was lavishly decorated with fine furniture and artwork. The most beautiful dresses she had ever seen hung in a large walk-in closet. A set of ornate doors led to a balcony that overlooked the flower gardens, but when she tried the other door in the room, it would not open. Her rose was in a small vase beside the bed.

She washed herself in the basin provided and decided to put on one of the gowns since her own clothes were filthy and torn. When the door finally opened, she jumped up from the dressing table in fright, but it was a man who entered. "The master wishes you to join him for breakfast," he said, beckoning Phoebe to follow.

He led her through hallways as beautifully decorated as the room in which she woke. When they reached a grand dining room, the man pulled out a chair and bade her to sit. More servants brought out eggs and sausage and bread and fruit. She was about to start eating when she realized the red and black creature was sitting at the other end of the table, studying her. One moment he wasn't there, the next he was. She froze, not knowing what to expect.

"I have decided you will remain here with me," he said. "I should kill you for your trespassing, but, as you can see, I appreciate things of beauty."

"I am your prisoner, then?" Phoebe asked.

He nodded. "You may call me Belthazor. And while you are here, I will make certain your sisters are protected and provided for. They will want for nothing. Consider that a gift."

Several thoughts raced through Phoebe's mind. She knew Belthazor wasn't going to hurt her -- she wasn't sure how she knew it, but she did. She had no urge to be a pet or something kept on display, but right now it seemed she had no choice but to play along. She would find a way to escape later. But at least, if what Belthazor said was true, her sisters would be safe.

"Very well, Belthazor," Phoebe said. "In punishment for my crime, I will be your prisoner."

"Anything you have need of, you have but to ask the servants," Belthazor said. "They will provide what you wish."

"May I send word to my sisters?" Phoebe asked.

"No!" Belthazor growled, slamming his fist on the table. "You think I will let them come and try to take you from me? You are mine now, and I will not let them have you."

Phoebe cringed. Belthazor had a temper, and she knew she should not provoke him lightly. "All right," she said. "I only wished them to know that I am safe."

"Consider it part of the price you will pay for your thievery," Belthazor said, relaxing.

Days passed, and Phoebe spent her time exploring the mansion. It was the castle of her dreams, filled with art and books and finery she had only imagined, but the doors outside were all locked. She was a pampered bird in a golden cage. And even when she could not see Belthazor, she knew he watched her.

At night Belthazor would appear, always seemingly from nowhere. He never touched her and never threatened her again. Instead he bade her to sit and read to him or to play the harp and sing. Many of the stories and songs he liked were her favorites. A strange kinship began to grow between them, but she could never forget she was a prisoner.

One night, weeks later, she dreamed of her sisters. Piper was crying, and Prue was in a rage. She could feel their pain as they blamed themselves for driving her away to an unknown fate. Their own fortunes had improved greatly; their gardens were full of food and the livestock was thriving, but their missing sister remained an open wound that would not heal.

Phoebe awoke in tears. She had to see her sisters and let them know she was safe! But she was afraid to broach the subject with Belthazor again after his violent outburst the first time she had asked to send them word. True to his promise, he made sure she wanted for nothing -- except her freedom -- and while during the day she began to seek a way to escape, she felt the stirrings of guilt about betraying Belthazor's trust in her.

Though she was no expert like Piper, Phoebe had some knowledge of herbcraft. She picked the ingredients she needed from the kitchen and ground them into a powder to create a sleeping potion. While dining that night with Belthazor, she slipped it into his drink. After dinner they retired to the fireplace, where she read to him from a book of ancient heroes and princesses.

As soon as she was certain he was asleep, Phoebe returned to her room and tore the sheets from her bed into strips, which she braided into a rope. Tying it to the railing of her balcony, she dressed herself warmly in the cloak that she had found wrapped around herself so many days ago, then climbed down to the grounds below.

The moonlight lit her path home, and this time she had no trouble finding the way. Piper and Prue cried out in joy and engulfed her in their embraces when she burst through the door. They were not sure what to make of the story of where she had been, but they were happy to see her home.

She dreamed again that night, this time of Belthazor and his home. He awoke and found her gone and cried out in despair and rage. He stormed through the mansion, smashing furniture and tearing objects from the walls and shelves. He did not touch her room except for the single red rose that still bloomed in the vase where it had been placed when she first arrived there. This he took gently in his hand, then crushed the petals in his fist. The thorns pierced his skin and blood began to flow. Blood, so much blood....

Phoebe sat up with a gasp. What had she done? She should not feel this guilt -- she had been a prisoner! But she now realized that the rose and the cloak had both been gifts from Belthazor. He had asked for nothing and had given her comfort when she was lost in the woods, and she had repaid him by stealing. And now he was in pain because of her -- maybe even dying.

She left a hastily written note for her sisters and fled back to the mansion. The rooms and corridors were empty and dark, and no servants scurried about. She found Belthazor in her room, lying unmoving on the floor. "I'm sorry!" she cried, kneeling down beside him. He groaned faintly, and her heart leapt with joy. He still lived.

Then Prue and Piper were there in the doorway. "Get away from him, Phoebe!" Prue ordered.

"Phoebe, please, come here!" Piper begged.

"You don't understand!" Phoebe pleaded. "He won't hurt me!"

Piper grabbed hold of Phoebe's arm and yanked her away from Belthazor as Prue pulled a dagger from her belt. "He's a demon, Phoebe, and he has to be destroyed," Prue said. She drew back her arm and threw the dagger at Belthazor's helpless form.

"No!" Phoebe cried. She broke free of Piper's grip and threw herself over Belthazor's body, shielding him from the blade, even if it meant her own death.

White light flashed, and the dagger clattered to the ground as it bounced off an invisible shield. Belthazor was gone. Phoebe looked down in amazement at the handsome man beneath her. He raised a shaking hand and touched her face. "You broke the curse," he said. "You were willing to die for me."

"Who are you?" she whispered. Piper and Prue were just as stunned as she.

He helped her to her feet. "My true name is Cole," he said. "I was cursed by my mother to be Belthazor. Only the truest love of a witch would break the curse, and she knew that would never happen. But it did."

The missing servants began crowding into the room, kneeling before Cole. He seemed to barely notice them. "All that I have is yours, Phoebe," he said. "I love you."

"I love you!" she said, flinging her arms around him, as equally heedless as the mistrustful looks from her sisters. She didn't care. Her dream had finally come true. And they would live happily ever after.

X-posted to fandomfairytale (here)

Fics written for me

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:47:54 GMT

Just so I can have them all handily in one place....

Charmed
Far Away by dragonsinger
Cole/Phoebe. Cole's first Christmas as a human is a little overwhelming.

Pre-Ceremony Jitters by emmademarais
Chris/Bianca. Piper and Leo help Chris get ready before his wedding to Bianca.

Untitled by larah33
Cole/Phoebe. A fix for what the writers did to Cole and Phoebe's relationship. Hey, it worked for Dallas!

Untitled by storydivagirl
Chris/Bianca. Chris/Bianca are going out on a date.

Supernatural
The Third F by ladybug218
Sam/Ruby. Sam finally understands why that third F is necessary.

Heat by scoob2222
John/Mary. Mary contemplates changing her life for John.

There are plenty more; I will be updating this.

Don't Stop Beliving

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:19:04 GMT

Title: Don't Stop Believing
Fandom: Charmed
Characters: Piper Halliwell, Drake Dèmon
Word Count: 1621
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The WB and Brad Kern own Charmed, but they are evil.
Summary: Piper is feeling overwhelmed by the loss of Leo and the fight she and her sisters face until she gets a surprise visitor.
Author's Note: Set toward the end of season eight, canon until then. Written for absolutesnark!

Piper stood staring out the window of her bedroom, barely registering the view below. People walked with their heads and eyes down, lost in their own thoughts, or stopped to talk to neighbors. Children played or quarreled over toys. None of them had any inkling of the real evil in the world around them. Human evils, yes. Demons? Not so much.

Despite her longing for a normal life, she knew that would never happen. Even if she tried to turn her back on her Wiccan heritage, she couldn't ignore the suffering demons and their ilk caused. She had to fight it. They'd lost Prue, and she kept on fighting. The birth of her sons only made her fight harder to protect them.

But for no good reason, her husband had been taken from her. After all they'd been through, forbidden love, dealing with his being on call to the Elders at all hours, separation when he'd become an Elder, and then an Avatar . . . Leo had been taken away. Why? To give her and her sisters motivation to fight an impending great evil, they had been told. The whole situation was completely ludicrous. Leo's death would not motivate her. If anything, it would make her fall into despair, like she had when they'd lost Prue. The living were her motivation: Wyatt, Chris, Phoebe, and Paige. Protecting them, keeping them safe, that was a more powerful motivation than ripping her husband from her arms. But the powers that be (damn them) were set on their course, and only her passionate pleas were able to prevent his death. Instead he was frozen in time and dangled before her like bait. And this was supposed to be in the name of good?

Nothing made sense anymore. She and her sisters had taken Billie Jenkins under their Wiccan wings, teaching her and guiding her so that she could help them in their fight against demons. And now Billie's sister had turned her against them. They were too self-centered, too interested in their own desires, Billie and Christie claimed, and for that reason, they had to be stopped. The very idea made Piper snort in derision. Insanity. It was no crime to wish for her husband back, or for Paige to find balance in her life, or for Phoebe to want to start a family. It was even less of a crime to merely dream about those desires. Everyone in the world, no matter how good their heart, dreamed of what they wanted. Just because she and Phoebe and Paige had the power to pursue them did not mean they would abuse that power to do so. Wasn't all the good they had done over the years proof enough? All the lives saved and demons vanquished? They had even saved the Elders' butts more than once. Billie, Piper decided, was a complete moron to be so easily swayed. Unfortunately, she was an extremely powerful moron. Her stupidity only made her more dangerous.

It was all too much. "I can't do this," she murmured. She felt completely overwhelmed.

"Yes, you can," a voice said behind her.

Piper spun around, Leo's name on her lips. But it wasn't her husband she found, though she did recognize the man who stood there. "Drake?" she said incredulously.

"In the flesh," he said. "Well, sort of. My body turned to dust when I died, after all."

Pointing a finger at him, Piper tensed, wary for any sign this was a trick. "Key word, died," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Apparently my year as a human impressed the higher-ups," Drake said. "So they gave me a job."

"You're a Whitelighter?" Piper said dubiously.

"Not exactly," Drake said, "but we get our paychecks from the same bosses. I'm a Cupid."

"Like Coop?" Piper said.

"Like who? Coop, oh, right, Coop," Drake said, that charming smirk crossing his face. "We've bumped into each other from time to time."

"How the hell did a demon become a Cupid?" Piper said, still not convinced this was some sort of trick.

"Ex-demon, remember?" Drake said. "They made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Well, I did have to negotiate the uniform, no way was I going to wear a diaper. I never killed an innocent when I was a demon, and when I got to be human for a year, I didn't squander it on debauchery -- okay, maybe a little debauchery. I used the time to teach the young, and of course, there was the whole making sure your and Leo's love survived. I got big points for that one."

Piper's eyes narrowed. "What did you have to do with that?"

"Oopsie," Drake said. He pointed behind Piper. "Oh Em Gee! What's that over there?" When she failed to fall for his blatant attempt to distract her, he sighed. "He's going to kill me."

"Who?" Piper demanded. "Were you helping Cole?" She'd shared with Leo how she encountered Cole in limbo, but never told Phoebe. She wasn't sure how her sister would react to the news.

"Me and Cole, we go way back," Drake said. "He's the one who told me about the Sorcerer so I could become human. He wanted me to do him a favor, though -- he wanted me to renew Phoebe's faith in love, and a big chunk of that hinged on you and Leo staying together. The Thorn Demons were all his idea, though, I had nothing to do with that."

"He arranged for the Thorn Demons, too?" Piper said. She hadn't realized Cole's involvement was that deep. "Why?"

"He knew the Elders would cheat," Drake said. "Sneaky little bastards, aren't they? He knew they'd cloud Leo's mind because, duh, wear tacky gold robes and meditate, or snuggles with a hotwitchy babe? Like there was any question which he'd choose. He knew they'd cheat, and the only way to get to Leo would be your death."

"Nice of you two to check that with me first!" Piper said.

"It worked, didn't it?" Drake smiled. "I knew love would find a way, and so did the Colethazor. Besides, I had Wyatt up my sleeve to heal you. Not literally, of course. So since I did such a good job renewing Phoebe's faith in love and make sure your and Leo's love endured, this was my reward."

"Why are you here now?" Piper asked. "And please don't mention Cole to Phoebe. She's liable to get hysterical."

"Never mentioned Cole helping you to her, huh?" Drake said.

Piper sighed. "I wanted to, but she freaks out whenever his name is mentioned."

Drake nodded. "That's something between her and Cole and...." He waved his hand vaguely. "Anyway! I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help but hear what you said. You can do this."

She smiled sadly. "That's usually Leo's job," she said. "Encourage me, tell me I can do it."

"That's why I figured I'd drop by and fill in," Drake said. "I know you're feeling down, but remember, it's always darkest before the dawn. Don't stop believing, hold on to the feeling, don't stop thinking about tomorrow, it'll soon be here, better than before. Chiquitita , you and I know how the heartaches come and they go and the scars they'll leaving. You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end, you will have no time for grieving. Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past, you must fight just to keep them alive. It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight, rising up to the challenge of our rival. We can build this dream together, standing strong forever,nothing's gonna stop us now."

Piper couldn't help but laugh as Drake finished his spiel. "Leo's never quite done it like that before," she said.

"What can I say, I have a fondness for lyrics," Drake said. "But the point is, you can do this. Dumb and Dumber got nothing on you. They're all talk, no brains. You are going to kick their asses and bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan. You've faced down the Source multiple times. You beatZankou. These two aren't a great evil, they're a great annoyance."

Absurd as they were, Drake's words lifted some of the heaviness from Piper's heart. "You're right," she said. "I can do this. We can do this." She moved forward to hug Drake. "Thank you. For the second time, it seems. I'm glad you got a second chance at life."

"The Elders move in mysterious ways," Drake said, hugging her back. "Well, if by mysterious you mean really really dumb sometimes. But, hey, they gave me a job beyond death, so I can't complain too much."

"I'll send them a thank you note," Piper said. "But they're still off the Christmas card list for pulling this crap."

Drake stepped back. "I have to go," he said. "I have an appointment to make sure a woman runs in to the girl of her dreams. It's a busy life, being a Cupid. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride."

"I hope you can come see us again," Piper said. "I know Phoebe really misses you."

"I'm sure you'll be seeing me around," Drake said. "Tell Coop I say hi the next time I see him. And tell him to get his butt in gear."

Piper opened her mouth to ask Drake just what he meant by that, but before she could say anything, he snapped his fingers and vanished. She laughed softly and shook her head, then turned back to the window. The world outside somehow seemed a little brighter now, and her heart was filled with hope once again.

We Can Take the World Apart

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:24:32 GMT

Title: We Can Take the World Apart
Fandom: Heroes
Pairing: Elle/Sylar
Word Count: 523
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, NBC does.
Summary: Let's rewrite that scene on the beach, shall we?
Author's Note: Written for ladybug218!

"I am going to rip apart his brain one day," Gabriel said, glaring at the empty space where Hiro Nakamura had stood just seconds ago, before depositing Elle and vanishing.

Elle, still troubled by her wounded leg, sat down heavily on the sand and looked around in confusion. "What just happened?"

"Hiro," Gabriel said. "He has the power --"

"To travel through space and time," Elle finished for him. "So where are we? For that matter, when are we?"

"He wouldn't have taken us through time," Gabriel mused, sitting down beside Elle. "He wouldn't want to risk us changing the past or surprising them in the future. As for where, not far. He was moving too fast. It would take him longer to bring us farther."

"You're already getting a handle on how his power works," Elle said, smiling at him. At least the beach was pleasant. He could have dumped them off in a volcano or something. Good guys always made stupid mistakes.

Gabriel turned his head, meeting her eyes. "Was he telling the truth?" he said, abruptly changing the subject. "Who are my parents?"

"I don't know," Elle admitted. "I only know what I've seen of your file, and that only listed Virginia Gray. I really have no idea what's truth or lie anymore. Bennet tried to convince me my father tortured me." She shuddered a little, trying to keep those memories tucked safely away. "He's just screwing with you. Screwing with both of us."

Gabriel reached out a hand to brush her bangs from her forehead. "We are so much alike," he said.

"Lied to and used?" Elle said bitterly. A hermit crab had the misfortune of skittering nearby, and she flicked her fingers to send a bolt of lightning at it.

"We're both damaged goods," Gabriel said. "Never good enough to please our parents, no matter how hard we try."

"I don't wanna try anymore," Elle said. "I'm tired of following orders and doing what other people tell me to do. I want to do what I want."

"I don't see anyone stopping you," Gabriel said, leaning in to kiss Elle.

"So, normal life, house in the suburbs, you working nine to five while I stay home to take care of the kids?" Elle said. "Or . . . door number two?"

"I'm a killer," Gabriel said, his voice soft but serious. "That will never change. Doesn't that scare you?" His hand drifted down and encircled her neck, touching but not squeezing.

"A little," Elle said with a shrug. "But you already have my power. And I'm not such a good girl myself. You need me. There are hungers that finding another power won't fulfill." She trailed her hand along his arm, zapping him with tiny jolts of electricity. "Like you said, we're alike. I know how you think. I know what you need."

He roughly yanked her against him. "You may be right," he said before claiming her mouth with a demanding kiss.

"Then let's get started," Elle purred when she could breathe again. "The world is ours for the taking. And we're gonna take it apart."

Phoenyx Falling

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:09:33 GMT

Title: Phoenyx Falling
Fandom: Charmed
Characters/Pairing: Wyatt Halliwell, Chris Halliwell/Bianca
Word Count: 856
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The WB and Brad Kern own Charmed, but they are evil.
Summary: What happened to Bianca after Chris left her dying in the future?
Author's Note: Written for dragonsinger, could possibly be the start of a longer story. :) Thank you to reborninfire for the beta! <3

Wyatt had let Chris get away with far too much over the years. He'd overlooked his little brother's insolence and challenges. That had been a mistake. That would have to end.

Except his brother's attitude was apparently infectious. Bianca had been a good servant, but somehow she'd fallen for Chris and joined his side. Punishment had returned her to his service, or so he had thought. She had obeyed and dragged Chris back from the past, but she protested his treatment of Chris, and now she dared use her powers against him, temporarily immobilizing him as Chris peeled back the floorboard and found a spell which returned his powers to him.

Wyatt managed to free himself just as Chris recited the spell. He kicked backwards, sending Bianca flying across the room. He hadn't been aiming to impale her on the broken table leg, but it didn't displease him, either. Unfortunately, Chris's despair at Bianca's mortal injury gave him renewed strength, and he used his telekinesis to throw Wyatt into the wall. He was stunned for a moment, but to tell the truth, he enjoyed watching his brother's pain as he rushed to Bianca's side, trying to see if there was a way to save her.

Bianca pressed something into Chris's hand. "If you can finish what we started.... Hurry, take the spell so he can't send anyone else. Go!"

Wyatt pushed himself to his feet as Chris dashed over to the Book of Shadows. "Hear these words, hear the rhyme, heed the hope within my mind," he began to recite. Wyatt conjured an energy ball and threw it, but Chris used his powers to deflect it. "Send me back to where I'll find what I wish in space and time."

The portal on the wall opened, and Chris ran toward it. Wyatt threw another energy ball but missed as his brother disappeared. He snarled and threw another at the now restored wall, then stalked over to Bianca. The table leg had punctured a lung, judging by the blood flecking her lips. "That looks like it hurts," he said, nudging her body with his foot.

"Chris...will stop you..." she managed to gasp. Her eyelids fluttered as she began to lose her hold on life.

"Not so fast," Wyatt said, crouching down beside her. "I'm not letting you get away that easily." He snapped the table leg in half, then yanked Bianca off it, dropping her on the floor.

She cried out in agony at the movements. "Go ahead, torture me," she spat at him. "It won't change anything."

Wyatt pressed his hand over the gaping hole in her chest, healing it just enough to make sure she didn't die on him. He didn't have to touch her to heal her, but he was petty enough to push down to cause her more pain. "You're so devoted to my brother," he sighed. "Pity he isn't as devoted to you."

"What are you talking about?" Bianca said.

"Why don't I show you?" Wyatt said. He waved his hand, conjuring an image of Chris standing in the attic, looking through the Book of Shadows. A portal opened and a leather-clad woman walked out.

Chris was angry at her appearance for a moment, but he softened when the woman said, "We all understand the risks."

"I'd never hurt you, Mist," Chris said, moving closer to the woman. "You know that."

"You would if you had to," Mist said. "I know that too."

Piper voice called out from downstairs. "You'd better go," Chris said, then gave Mist a lingering kiss.

"Please, hurry," Mist said, then stepped through the portal again. Wyatt waved his hand again and the vision faded.

"That's a trick!" Bianca accused, trying to scoot away from Wyatt.

"Are you so sure about that?" Wyatt said. "Tell you what. You can die now, and he can go console himself in the arms of a leather-clad bimbo, or I can heal you, and you can find out for yourself if he's betrayed you." He had to hide his smirk. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, particularly when that woman was a Phoenix. And his brother wooing a Valkyrie to further his aims played right into his hands.

He could see the indecision in Bianca's eyes. She didn't want to die, but she didn't want to serve him again. Not that she had a choice. Maybe she was telling herself she could somehow trick him and find Chris again. Or maybe that tiny doubt he'd planted was starting to eat away at her. It made no matter what she thought. She would serve him, he'd make sure of it.

"Heal me," she finally whispered.

"What's the magic word?" he taunted.

"Please," she said, swallowing. "Heal me and . . . show me the truth."

Wyatt healed her injury fully, then helped her to her feet. "You deserve so much better than my brother, Bianca," he said, touching his hand to her face. She flinched, but he didn't care. The battle was hardly over, and he'd punish his brother by stealing what he loved. The perfect price for his defiance.

X-posted to broshalliwell (here)

Yuletide: Awakening

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:26:56 GMT

Title: Awakening
Fandom: Bram Stoker's Dracula
Pairing: Dracula/Mina
Word Count: 1139
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Mina and Dracula belong to Bram Stoker, though Dracula might argue differently. I'm just borrowing them and will put them back when I'm done.
Summary: How Mina really felt about Dracula's visits....
Author's Note: Written for Yuletide 2008.

MINA HARKER'S JOURNAL

3 November.--The first time the Count came for me, it seemed as but a dream, for how else could a such a mist creep through the cracks in the door frame, and then coalesce into a thick cloud in the center of the room? I could not move as red eyes like fire gazed out at me. I felt as if I were falling, but not through space, through time. Visions swam before my eyes, images from another life, making me dizzy with their intensity. Overwhelmed, I swooned as a white face emerged from the mist and loomed over me.

There were marks upon my neck when I awoke the next morning, and I felt so very weak and tired. A sleep disturbed by such vivid dreams would explain the fatigue, and I rationalized away the pinpricks in my flesh as having scratched myself as I flailed about when I awoke. I did not mention the dream nor the marks to Jonathan or the others. They had enough on their minds to worry about.

Two nights later I attempted to sleep with the aid of a sleeping draught I had requested from Dr. Seward, but unlike Jonathan, who slept soundly beside me, I could not fall into a peaceful slumber. And then he was there, the Count, standing beside the bed. The moon lit up the room enough to see clearly, and Jonathan and the others had described him well to me, so I knew instantly who the man was. I opened my mouth, though what I had planned to say or scream I can not say. He pointed to Jonathan and whispered, "Silence, do not awaken him." And I obeyed.

The Count beckoned to me, and I rose and pushed aside the blankets, kneeling on the edge of the bed and facing him. He touched a cold hand to my face, and I shivered. "Mina," he whispered. The sound of my name on his lips made me shudder even more. His hand slid to my shoulder, and he moved the other to tilt my head. I closed my eyes, both fearing and desiring what was to come next. "This is not the first time, or the second, that I have tasted your life," he said as his lips touched my throat. He pressed a kiss upon my neck, and then I felt the sharp sting of his teeth sinking into my flesh.

I cried out then, a soft noise that for a moment I feared would disturb Jonathan's sleep. He remained unconscious, however, completely oblivious to the seduction of his wife just inches away. My own hands came up to clasp the Count's shoulders, and I clung to him lest I swoon. The pain that radiated from my neck somehow became hot waves of pleasure shooting through my body in ways that Lucy had teased me about to make me blush, yet Jonathan had never made me feel.

I had no concept of time, I know not if it was minutes or hours that passed as he drank from me. When he finally drew away and slid his fangs from my neck, I whimpered at the loss. I could see my blood upon his lips as he spoke. "The others hunt and frustrate me, but they left their most precious treasure unguarded. You, my Mina, will be mine once more."

"Yes," I whispered. "Yours."

His hands moved to my gown, ripping it open. I was so wanton, arching against him as he kissed my throat and breasts. There was still the worry that my moans and sighs would awaken Jonathan, which somehow seemed to stimulate my passion. I clawed at the Count's shoulders, tangling fingers in his hair until once more he pulled back, this time to yank open his own shirt. He scratched his nails across his chest, slicing open the skin so that blood began to flow. With one hand he seized my wrists and held them tightly. His other hand slid round my neck, tugging my head forward. "Drink, my Mina," he hissed, and I leaned forward eagerly, my lips pressed to that gash in his chest, suckling as a babe would at its mother's breast. I feared it would make me gag, but it was as if I were drinking a fine wine.

And then the door burst open, and Dr. Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, Lord Godalming, and Mr. Morris spilled into the room. The Count growled like a wild animal and pushed me down upon the bed. He leapt upon the intruders, then recoiled as they raised crucifixes. He became as mist once more, then vanished from the room.

I knew what this surely must look like to the men, and I knew I must act quickly. I threw my hands before my face and screamed and sobbed, rocking myself in the bed as the Van Helsing and Seward attended to Jonathan. They managed to rouse him, and he looked around the room in confusion. "Dr. Seward, Dr. Van Helsing, what is it? What has happened? What is wrong? Mina, dear what is it? What does that blood mean?" As he spoke the words, he must have realized the truth, or what I would have him believe of it, for he jumped from the bed and began to dress, intending to go search for the Count.

Lord Godalming and Mr. Morris had already fled the room in pursuit, and I knew I had to give the Count as much time as possible to escape. I reached for Jonathan and clung to his arm. "No! No! Jonathan, you must not leave me. I have suffered enough tonight, God knows, without the dread of his harming you. You must stay with me. Stay with these friends who will watch over you!" I feigned hysterics to keep the men at my side, and spun a tale that painted me as the picture of ravaged innocence. I twisted his words and claimed the Count had threatened Jonathan's life if I resisted him. I protested that much as I had wanted to, I could not disobey his commands. He sought to corrupt me as revenge against those who hunted him, and I begged them to protect me and save me.

They believed me, of course, for they thought I was my old self, the proper Madam Mina. They would never understand how the Count's touch had changed me. Mina Harker was no more. I was the Count's bride now, his love for all time, his beloved mate. These mortal men would think to use me now, to make me lead them to the Count, where they could destroy him. I would lead them, but it would be to their end, for it is I who will use them to return me to my love's side.

X-posted to Yuletide 2008 (here)

oldschoolfic@LJ: Traditions

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:56:53 GMT

Title: Traditions
Fandom: Star Trek: TOS
Characters: Uhura, Bones, Sulu, Chekov
Word Count: 1039
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I'm just playing in Gene Roddenberry's universe.
Summary: How do you celebrate Christmas in space?
Author's Note: Written for tegdoh for OldSchoolFic@LJ holiday exchange with the prompts of "grandchildren" and "snow."

"We could at least," Leonard McCoy grumbled, "have shore leave on a planet with snow for Christmas."

Nyota Uhura laughed lightly. "Only you would find something to complain about on this wonderful planet, Dr. McCoy." She gestured about at the white sands and deep blue waters of the beach they walked upon. McCoy still wore his Starfleet uniform of black pants and blue shirt, but Uhura had shed her regulation dress for a swimsuit, though she now wore a colorful wrap dress over it, decorated with swirls of reds and purples and gold. "It's warm and clear and lovely. It's perfect."

"We're on shore leave, Lieutenant, please, call me Leonard," McCoy said.

"Very well, Leonard," Uhura said. That she could do, but she could never call him "Bones," that was the captain's name for him. "But only if you call me Nyota. And I thought you were from the South. Isn't it too warm to snow there?"

Now it was McCoy's turn to laugh. "It doesn't snow very often, but that doesn't mean when I was a boy I didn't hope it would every year."

"We never had snow and I certainly didn't want it," Uhura reminisced. "I always wanted nice weather on Christmas Eve. We would dress up in costumes made of leaves and flowers and go door to door to sing and dance for presents."

"If you want snow, you should go to Russia," Pavel Chekov chimed in behind them.

Beside him, Hikaru Sulu rolled his eyes. "Let me guess. The Russians invented snow."

McCoy snorted. "I suppose they invited Christmas, too."

Chekov looked offended. "No, but we do celebrate it on the proper day, unlike the rest of the world," he said. "January seventh. Everyone else is wrong."

Uhura laughed and shook her head. "What about you, Hikaru? Did your family celebrate Christmas?"

"Purely secular," Sulu said. "When I was little, I believed in a Buddhist monk called Hotei-osho who would leave presents for the children. He had eyes in the back of his head, so even if he wasn't looking directly at you, he could see if you were misbehaving."

"Just like St. Nicholas," McCoy said.

"Grandfather Frost," Chekov corrected him.

Uhuru found a spot on the beach she liked and stopped, spreading out the blanket she carried on the sand. "All these different customs, yet here we all are, celebrating together on another planet with two suns and four moons and probably doesn't even have a winter solstice." She gestured for the others to sit.

Sulu had been assigned drinks, so he settled on the blanket and began to pull out the bottles of wine, juice, and water he'd managed to get his hands on. The others pulled out the food they'd scavenged from wherever they could: past shore leaves, begging and bribing the ship's cook, black market connections the captain pretended he didn't know about. The only requirement was that the food be real and not synthesized. Uhura had decreed it so.

When everyone had a full glass, McCoy raised his. "To special days with friends and family." The others clinked their glasses to his, murmuring in agreement.

Uhura stretched out her legs, digging her toes into the warm sands. "Do you think we'll tell our grandchildren about days like this?" she asked idly. "Or will it all be salt vampires and Greek gods and mirror universes?"

"Joanna will only want to know about the medical mysteries we've faced," McCoy said absently.

"You have a granddaughter, Doctor?" Chekov asked.

"No, Joanna's my daughter," McCoy said. "She's studying to be a nurse on Cerberus."

"You were married?" Sulu asked curiously. "You've never mentioned that."

"There's a reason for that," McCoy sighed. "And this is supposed to be a happy occasion, so we'll leave it at that."

"We're all married to Starfleet now anyway," Uhura said. "And Hikaru and Pavel are in a race to see who gets to captain his own ship first."

"What about you, Nyota?" McCoy said. "What are your plans?"

Uhura looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'd like to be assigned to some quiet, peaceful station in the back end of space."

Sulu paused, about to take a bite out of a small fruit. None of them knew what it was called, but it was sweet and tasted similar to an apple. He tossed the fruit at Uhura instead. "Liar," he said.

She caught the fruit. "You're right," she smiled, after taking a bite. "I'd be so bored. But I sometimes think about meeting someone and having a family. Until they have daycare on the Enterprise, that is going to be a long time coming."

"That'll be the day," McCoy said. "Can you imagine a horde of children descending on Spock? It might be fun to see him try to logic them away."

"How many children do you think the captain has?" Chekov wondered aloud.

His three companions all stared at him, gaping in astonishment. McCoy laughed first. "The question no one dare speak aloud," he said. "Only his doctor knows if he takes precautions, and his doctor is bound by doctor-patient confidentiality."

"And now we have the real reason why children are not allowed on the Enterprise," Sulu said solemnly.

"You three are so bad," Uhura scolded them, but the twinkle in her eye told that she was teasing.

McCoy's communicator beeped. When he flipped it open, they all heard Captain Kirk's voice. "Sorry to cut your shore leave short, Bones," he said, "but we just received a distress call from the colony on Beta Seren Three. We're the closest ship."

"We're on our way," McCoy said automatically. He flipped the communicator closed and looked at the other three. "Merry Christmas from Starfleet," he sighed.

The others were already packing up the food and drink and blanket. "Duty calls," Uhura said, just a little mournfully as she looked at the water she hadn't had a chance to swim in.

They assumed transporter formation. "Enterprise, four to beam up," Sulu said into his communicator.

"Emergencies are our holiday tradition," Uhura said, grateful she'd had at least a few moments with her friends. The four of them were swallowed by golden twinkling lights and disappeared.

X-posted to oldschoolfic (here)

Crackfic: "And that's why Cole, Phoebe, and Anders aren't allowed at Candlestick Park anymore"

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:46:33 GMT

Title: "And that's why Cole, Phoebe, and Anders aren't allowed at Candlestick Park anymore"
Fandom: Charmed, Battlestar Galactica (revival)
Characters: Cole Turner, Phoebe Halliwell, Sam Anders
Pairing: Cole/Phoebe/Anders [Fandom High RPG universe]
Word Count: 332
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters herein. Etc.
Summary: I said it, they made me write it. Just a little crackfic drabble. ;)

Phoebe had desperately wanted a break from demon fighting and magickal hijinks. She wanted to do something a normal couple would -- well, if a normal couple were three people, that is. She had been offered three tickets to a 49ers home game in Candlestick Park, and knowing Cole's love of football and Anders' interest in sports in general, she jumped at the chance. They were nosebleed seats, but it was the experience that mattered. A normal fall Sunday afternoon, that was all she wanted.

The game had gone badly for the San Francisco team, not that she minded. She was having fun just sitting between Cole and Anders and jumping up and cheering for the good plays and yelling at the refs when they made calls against the team. Many of the fans started to clear out at the beginning of the fourth quarter, seeing no need to stick around for their doomed team.

That was when Cole looked around, noting the empty seats. "Looks like we have some privacy," he said slyly.

"They're not real fans," Anders grumbled, throwing some popcorn forward over the empty seats. "Real fans stay until the very end."

"I don't think that's what he meant," Phoebe giggled, clued in to Cole's mood by his wandering hands as well as the feelings she sensed.

"What? Oh," Anders said, grinning now.

It took some doing (and a little property damage) to get into a comfortable position, Phoebe straddling Cole's lap, with Anders pressed against her back. A good deal of kissing and groping followed, thoroughly enjoyable until they heard a strange noise from the crowd. Thinking they'd missed a interesting play, Phoebe craned her neck to look back to the field . . . and saw the image of her, Cole, and Anders on the JumboTron.

"Oops," Cole said.

Security arrived a minute later, and they were escorted out. A couple days later they received a letter, politely asking them never to come back to Candlestick Park.

Surrender (part two)

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:16:27 GMT

Title: Surrender (part two)
Fandom: Profiler
Characters: Jack, Sam Waters, Bailey Malone, John Grant
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Word Count: 1658
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Profiler or the characters within; NBC does, and they are big ol' meanies for canceling the show in the middle of a plotline!
Summary: Sam knows Jack wants to pay her a visit, and she wants to see him as well.... Written for 2006 Sekrit Santa. Part one is here.

Sam snuggled close to Chloe as they watched the DVD she had picked out for the evening, Labyrinth. It had been two weeks since Jack's visit in Rayle. Written on the back of Chloe's photo was an address just outside of town. When the VCTF investigated, they found Fielder's body – minus his head – in the basement, along with more polaroids of his victims. One of the missing girls was locked in a closet – hungry, thirsty, scared, but alive. Sam didn't delude herself to think that Jack had spared the girl's life on purpose. She could have easily starved to death before the VCTF arrived. But Jack had saved Chloe.

Bailey was skeptical of Fielder targeting Chloe and thought Jack had planted the photo to make Sam think he was protecting her daughter. But there were more polaroids of Chloe in the house with Fielder's prints all over them, and Grace said they came from the same camera. Most were of Chloe at school, outside on the playground with her friends. If Fielder had tried to kidnap her, chances were the agents watching Chloe would've caught him then. But if he had succeeded – no, no sense in dwelling on it. He would never hurt Chloe. Thanks to Jack.

Sam hugged Chloe closer, trying to shake the disturbing thoughts. The night in the hotel room kept invading her dreams. More often than not Bailey's knock did not chase Jack away, and she awoke feeling confused, frightened, disgusted...and even aroused at what she let Jack do to her. She felt like she was losing her mind. She had once asked Angel what she thought chasing sick, twisted killers did to a person, and now she was getting her answer. She'd crawled into Jack's head so many times that she felt at home there now. Had in trying to hard to determine his wants and needs made them her needs? That was the only explanation. Nothing else could explain why she let him touch her – kiss her. She hated him. He was a psychotic murderer. He'd killed her husband. He terrorized her friends. And yet she still dreamed of him.

"If I had a little brother," Chloe said disdainfully, pulling Sam from her thoughts, "I would give him to the Goblin King."

Sam laughed and kissed the top of her daughter's head. "No, you wouldn't, honey," she said.

"For those pretty dresses I would," Chloe said with a mischievous grin.

On the TV screen, said Goblin King was romancing the heroine. "I ask for so little," he said to her. "Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave."

Sam couldn't help but shudder a little. That was what Jack wanted, wasn't it? He would do whatever she wanted, give her anything she wished – if only she belonged to him. And she found herself wondering if that was the answer to stopping him.

* * *

Five days later

This was the first time staying in a hotel since Jack's intrusion. Usually they would take a helicopter or jet back to Atlanta, but if distance was too great and an investigation was continuing, they would stay. FBI facilities were always preferable, though not always possible, and in those cases they would stay at a local hotel. An agent now stood outside Sam's door in that case. If Bailey had his way, an agent would be at the foot of her bed.

They had been in California for three nights with no Jack incidents. The police had picked up a suspect that matched Sam's profiler of the serial arsonist, and the VCTF had wrapped their involvement. The flight to Atlanta was early the next morning, and Sam was eager to get home. She hated leaving Chloe, even for a few days.

* * *

Bailey checked the windows and stepped into the bathroom, pulling back the shower curtain to assure himself no one was lurking there. Finding nothing unusual, he turned to Sam. "If you need anything, I'm right next door," he said.

Sam nodded. "I'll be fine. I'm going to order some room service and go to sleep. You should do the same."

"Lock the door behind me," Bailey said as left the room. Sam watched him through the peephole, seeing how he waited until he heard the click of the deadbolt. Then she returned to the bathroom, having seen there what Bailey did not. Jack had been in her room, somehow. The shampoo she normally used was gone, replaced by an expensive custom-made blend – scented with rose oil, of course. Rose milk for her bath and lotion and a bar of rose-scented soap sat on the counter as well. Jack knew where she was, and he intended to come to her tonight. And she would be waiting for him.

She drew a bath, settling down in the hot milky-white water. She used Jack's gifts to wash her hair and body, and rubbed the lotion in when she had finished her bath. Wrapping one of the fluffy white hotel robes around herself, she sat down on the bed. Jack was coming. She could so easily tell Bailey, John, the agent outside her door. He must know how she could set a trap for him – so he had to be certain she would not. Or if he did anticipate a trap, he would have a contingency planned, one that could prove fatal. Jack hated John and Bailey, and a trap they set for Jack could be a trap for them instead. She couldn't risk their lives. Wouldn't.

She turned off the lamp so that the room fell dark, illuminated only by the crack of light under the door, and sat on the edge, waiting. It wasn't long before she smelled the sweet scent of roses and tobacco. She didn't know how Jack had gotten in to the room, and she didn't care. He folded his arms around her from behind, burying his face against her hair. "You smell so good, Samantha," he said.

She tensed. "I...I wanted to thank you. For protecting Chloe."

"You know I won't let anyone hurt our Chloe," he said, stroking her hair. "But that's not all you wanted."

"That's all," she lied, hoping he did not feel her trembling. "It doesn't change anything."

"Then why," he chuckled, "are you wearing nothing but a bathrobe? Why do you smell of my roses?"

She pulled away from him. "How did you get in here?"

"There's nowhere you can go where I will not follow."

"I told you you will never have me."

"And I told you you know that isn't true. You belong to me, Samantha. You were born to be mine. You know it's true. You need me as much as I need you."

"I spent three years without you."

"And you came back to me."

"I hate you!"

"The fires of our love would shame the flames of hell, Samantha." He bit down on her neck, and she cried out softly, arching back against him despite her words of protest. His hand reached for the sash of her robe, and in one swift movement he had pulled it free and pulled her down on the bed at the same time. He seized her wrists, binding them together and lashing them to the headboard.

She could scream and alert the guard at the door, but her voice would not obey. She could use her feet and knees to try to fend Jack off, but her body would not respond to the commands either. Instead, she lay there, waiting. Wanting.

Jack slid down her body, kissing her throat, her breasts, her stomach. She bit her lip to stifle her cries as his head dipped between her legs. Arching her back as he kissed the inside of her thighs, she spread her legs wider to allow him easier access. "Oh, god," she moaned. Jack was masterful. Of course he was. He never did anything less than perfect.

Then abruptly he stopped, and she whimpered in frustration. He moved back up her body, pressing himself against her, his lips brushing hers.

"Please," she begged.

"Please, what?" he asked, nibbling at her neck.

"Please, Jack," she pleaded. She knew he wanted her to say the words, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

He lifted his body, putting his hands over her own. She entwined her fingers with his. "Tell me what you want, Samantha," he whispered.

She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut to try to stop the tears. He pulled one hand from hers and seized her jaw. "Tell me, Samantha!" he demanded harshly. He wanted the control, and she could not give it to him. She made a soft sound of frustration, but did not say the words he wanted to hear. With a sigh, he drew away from her. "You're not ready yet, Samantha," he said. And then he was gone.

After a few moments, Sam was able to wriggle her hands free of her bonds. Jack had deliberately tied them loosely; if he didn't want her to escape, she knew he would have done a better job.

She lay quietly for several minutes, then let her hand slip down between her legs as she closed her eyes and pretended Jack was still there. She brought her free hand to her mouth, biting her finger to keep from crying out as she stroked herself, wishing it was Jack's hand and not her own. When she'd finished, she lay trembling for a long moment, then rose and stumbled to the shower, stepping under jets of scalding water. She scrubbed herself with the cheap hotel soap, then sank down in the tub, hugging her knees to her chest and burying her face in her arms, huddling there until the water turned cold.

She'd come so close to giving him what he wanted -- her submission. But she couldn't surrender to him. Not ever.

X-posted to profiler_fans (here)

Surrender (part one)

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:06:52 GMT

Title: Surrender
Fandom: Profiler
Characters: Jack, Sam Waters, Bailey Malone, John Grant
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Word Count: 1300
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Profiler or the characters within; NBC does, and they are big ol' meanies for canceling the show in the middle of a plotline!
Summary: Santa Jack comes down the chimney with a little present for Sam.... Written for 2004 Sekrit Santa. Part two is here.

Sam sank wearily down on the hotel bed. She'd gotten very little sleep since the VCTF had started on this case. A serial killer targeting young girls in Atlanta struck close enough to home in itself – but one of the girls had been from Chloe's school. They were calling him the Schoolgirl Strangler, and he was certainly responsible for the deaths of eleven young girls, and they suspected him in the disappearances of five more. They had a suspect, one Karl Fielder, and they'd tracked him to Rayle, GA. The team had worked late into the night and they had decided to stay in a hotel rather than drive over two hours back to Atlanta only to return the next morning.

Too tired to get up again to wash her face or change out of her clothes, she fell into an uneasy sleep, tossing and turning as she ran over the facts of the case in her mind. Her fears for her daughter sparked a nightmare of the killer stalking Chloe, but she tried to shift the dream to something more pleasant. Chloe safe and healthy and tucked into bed. Lying in Tom's arms as he kissed her cheek tenderly. He pressed a red rose into her hand; she could almost smell it.

Her eyes snapped open. She could smell roses. She wasn't dreaming.

"Samantha," a familiar voice whispered in her ear. He lay pressed against her back, his arms around her as he nuzzled at her neck. She lunged for the table beside her bed, reaching for her gun, but he knew she was awake and anticipated her movements, holding her back so that her fingertips only brushed rose petals. She took in a breath to call for help, and he quickly covered her mouth with one gloved hand. "No screaming," he scolded, then added, chuckling, "At least...not yet."

"What do you want?" she said when he removed his hand from her mouth. She forced herself to remain calm, though she knew he could feel her heart racing. The room was almost completely dark; she couldn't see Jack, but she knew unmistakably the voice was his. She could hear the soft rustle of the curtains covering the glass door that led to the balcony as a breeze came in the open entrance. That must have been how he got in, but they were on the third floor, so how...?

"I brought you a Christmas present, my Samantha," he said, stroking her hair, taking a handful and pressing it to his face and inhaling deeply. He ran his hand along her side, letting his fingers trace the curves of her body. His other arm remained tight around her.

"I don't want anything from you," she hissed.

"You'll like this, I promise," he said. "I picked it out just for you. I was just going to creep down the chimney and leave it for you, but then I saw you lying here all alone, my beautiful Samantha...."

"Let me go!" she demanded, struggling in his grasp, trying to ignore the sensuous tickle of his hot breath on her neck. Despite her fear and rage she felt a strange thrill from the possessive way his arms were wrapped around her. His touch should disgust her, but to her confusion and dismay she found herself enjoying the feel of his hands on her body.

"Say please," he teased.

"Please," she whispered. She sucked in a sudden breath as he slid his hand over her breast.

He chuckled softly. "You didn't say pretty please, Samantha." He began to roll her on to her back.

She desperately worked one arm free and reached again for the nightstand, trying to find her gun, the lamp, anything to use as a weapon. He yanked her back, but not before her flailing arm swept an object from the small table. Something glass shattered on the floor as he forced her on to her back, straddling her and pinning her wrists to the bed. She continued to struggle as he smothered her cries by bringing his mouth down hard on hers, kissing her with an almost frenzied passion. She twisted and bucked her hips against him, trying to get him off her, but that only seemed to increase his arousal...and hers. Gradually her struggles subsided, but she still strained her body against his. "Jack," she whimpered.

She felt him smile against her lips. He released her wrists, lifting himself slightly so he could unbutton her blouse. As his leather-covered fingers caressed her breasts, she let her head fall to one side and moaned softly. This wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening. This was insane. She should be fighting, screaming, doing anything but letting him touch her. Wanting him to touch her. Jack...a murderer...her husband's killer...what was she doing? She tried to distract herself from her crazy desires by forcing herself to concentrate on the details of his appearance. She couldn't see his face in the darkness, so she concentrated on estimating his height, the weight of his body pressed against hers, the scrape of his facial hair against her cheek, the feel of his lips on hers.... She kissed him back, her passion rising to met his. Take me, claim me, make me yours....

Someone knocked at the door. "Sam? Are you all right?" Bailey called.

"Merry Christmas, my Samantha," Jack whispered, and then he was gone.

"Bailey!" Sam cried, her emotions still reeling.

He kicked open the door and stood in the doorway, gun drawn. "Sam?"

"Jack...he was here...the balcony," she gasped.

She could see him -- and John now, too -- in the doorway. John ran to the balcony as Bailey hurried to her side. She sat up and hastily buttoned her blouse before Bailey turned on the lamp next to the bed, taking her face in his hands. "Are you all right, Sam?" he asked.

She nodded shakily. "He-he said he was bringing me a Christmas present." She couldn't look Bailey in the eyes and instead glanced downward at the shattered remains of the vase containing a dozen red roses. Knocking the vase to the floor had awoken Bailey and John, had saved her from letting Jack claim her as his.

John stepped back into the room. "It looks like he climbed down from one of the upper floors," he said to Sam and Bailey. "There's another rope going down to the ground -- he's long gone."

Bailey nodded. "Check the front desk," he said. "Find out who the rooms above this one were registered to, and if they have any video surveillance of the lobby and the outside grounds." John gave Sam a concerned look to assure himself she was all right, then left the room.

Sam looked around, still avoiding Bailey's gaze and searching for Jack's promised gift as well. A small Christmas tree sat on the bureau, and she rose from the bed to move toward it. Festive tinsel decorated the small evergreen – as did polaroids of young girls. Sam recognized several of them as victims of the Schoolgirl Strangler and other missing girls, but it was the picture at the top of the tree, taped to an angel, that filled her heart with dread. Chloe. The bastard had been watching Chloe, too. She could be his next intended victim.

She reached for the box that sat next to the tree. Bailey caught her arm, but she shook her head, opening the box. The sightless eyes of a severed head stared up at her. Karl Fielder. He couldn't hurt Chloe now.

"To Sam, From Jack. Merry Christmas," the tag read. Sam closed her eyes against the tears of gratitude. "Thank you, Jack," she whispered. And some small dark part of her wanted him to come back so she could thank him in person.

X-posted to profiler_fans (here)

For the Best

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:56:51 GMT

Title: For the Best
Fandom: Profiler
Prompt: Love Gone Wrong
Characters: John Grant, Sam Waters
Pairing: John/Sam
Word Count: 1822
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Profiler or the characters within; NBC does, and they are big ol' meanies for canceling the show in the middle of a plotline!
Summary: Sam and John become involved, but Sam is afraid Jack will find out.

I can't do it anymore.

Sam stared out the window of the hotel room, hugging herself. Her troubled thoughts would not allow her rest. She glanced at the man sleeping peacefully on the bed. John was oblivious to her turmoil, and while she could easily wake him to share her distress, she could not -- would not -- talk to him about this. He wouldn't understand.

They'd been seeing each other for months now, ever since a late night pouring over a case at the VCTF. Everyone else had gone home for the night, but Sam was too agitated about not being to figure this criminal out to stop just yet. John had offered her what was leftover from his lunch when she'd complained of being hungry; she'd teased him about it being Chinese, of course. When she'd winced and rubbed her aching neck as she bent over pictures of the crime scene, he'd moved behind her and started to massage her sore muscles with his strong hands. "You should go home and get some rest, Sam," he said.

"Not yet," she murmured, enjoying his touch and leaning back against him. "I'm so close. I feel like there's something right here in front of me; I just can't grasp it."

The irony of her words didn't hit her immediately, but they did him. He moved around beside her and caught her face in his hand, turning her head as he impulsively kissed her. He drew back just as suddenly. "Sam...I'm sorry...." he stammered.

She rose without a word and headed to her office. He followed, still apologizing. When he stepped into her office, she shut the door then pushed him up against it, kissing him passionately. He was astonished for a brief moment, then returned her kisses with enthusiasm. That did not surprise her -- she'd long known that John was attracted to her. His kisses when they'd pretended to be involved to lure Jack out into the open had been real, as was his jealousy of Coop. No, what surprised her was her own aggressiveness as she yanked off his tie and pulled his shirt open. Since Coop had died she hadn't been with anyone, and John's nearness this evening had brought her longing for human contact bubbling to the surface. Maybe that was why she couldn't focus on the case. The raw need that filled her was too distracting.

"You have a couch," he said with wicked delight, and she nodded, letting him guide them towards it. He sat down and she straddled him, praying to god that the cleaning crew wouldn't choose this particular moment to tidy up her office. The blinds were closed, at least, and there was no camera in here. Since Jack had compromised the VCTF computer system, she'd refused to allow a camera in her office. Her home was filled with monitoring cameras, and she wanted once place, just one, where she could have some privacy.

"God, Sam, you're beautiful," he said thickly as lips moved over her throat, then crushed against hers. She was glad she'd worn a skirt today -- made things easier as he hiked it over her hips. What the hell are you doing, Sam? a small part of her wondered, but she ignored it and lost herself in the passion of the moment.

Afterwards they sat, panting and entwined. She rested her head against him, idly tracing the scar left by the bullet that had gone through his right shoulder. He moved one hand beneath her chin and lifted her head. "Sam...." he began huskily.

"Shhhh," she said, putting a finger to his lips. She stood and pulled down her skirt and buttoned her blouse, averting her eyes from the confused look on his face as she hurried from her office, running away for home. In the few seconds it took for him to yank up his pants and follow, she was gone.

I don't want to be stronger. I can't do it anymore.

For the next week she avoided him. She didn't need her years of training as a profiler to see his frustration building as she dodged any attempt he made to speak to her alone. She tried to tell herself she had just used him for a moment's gratification, and undoubtedly he had done the same to more than one woman in his own romantic history. Such thoughts did nothing to alleviate her guilt, however. When he finally did corner her, her carefully rehearsed words to rebuff him failed. She tried to lie and tell him she really wasn't attracted to him and that it was a one time thing, but he saw right through her. "Don't run away from this, Sam," he said.

"I can't," she'd still protested feebly. "John, I'm sorry...I just can't."

"Is this about Coop?" he'd said. "Or Tom? Sam...you know they wouldn't want you to spend your life mourning. You need to move on. And if it's not going to be with me, that's fine, but I think what happened between us meant something."

"It...it was a mistake," she told him. "I can't...we shouldn't...." Then he pulled her into his arms, and then she knew exactly what it meant in the romance novels she'd read in high school when the heroines melted as he kissed her.

They'd kept things quiet at her instance. She'd made excuses about not wanting to hurt Angel, or how fraternizing between colleagues was frowned on by the FBI. Eventually he realized it wasn't Tom or Coop who stood between them, but another man -- Jack. The serial killer had already taken Tom from her, then Coop, and she wasn't about to let him take John, too. John wasn't afraid of Jack -- he'd put his life on the line once before to trap him, after all -- and the thought of that near miss still gave Sam nightmares. But he'd accepted her desire for secrecy and focused on the thrill inherent with "sneaking around," leading to one almost embarrassing incident when they'd thought everyone had gone home for the night. Bailey had knocked on her office door, and she'd breathlessly told him to come in after frantically pulling her shirt on and hiding John under her desk. ("Are you all right? You look flushed," Bailey had said, concerned, as she struggled to maintain her composure while John mischievously tickled her feet and stroked her legs.) They'd shared a giggle when he'd gone, then John had suggested they stop the office rendezvous and go to her place instead. She'd used the cameras in her home as an excuse (not the sort of thing she wanted captured on video, of course) and invoked Angel again. Even though Angel and John had split up quite some time before, she didn't want to flaunt the relationship in front of her friend. Naturally he suggested they go to his own apartment instead, and unspoken in her protest was Jack's name. If he saw them together...going into John's apartment....

It became the first of several fights. "Dammit, Sam, I want to spend an entire night with you for a change. I want to wake up with you," he told her. Finally she relented and they'd booked a hotel room. She told Angel and Chloe she was out of town working on a case, a convenient excuse that worked each time. Over the weeks that followed they spent many loving nights together, but never the same hotel twice, and always arriving and leaving separately.

Eventually John grew weary of this, too. She understood his frustration and desire to be open about their relationship -- he was a man, after all, who liked to flaunt what was his. But she couldn't risk him. Couldn't lose him. Not again.

"You did not kill Coop."
"No. I just provided the list."

Her tears would stop the fight. She knew it, and she did it purposefully. The minute she began to cry John would apologize for pressuring her, and she would agree to think about revealing their relationship to their friends. But she never did. Once one person found out, the chances of someone making a slip doubled. Bailey or Grace or George would never purposely jeopardize John's life, but all it would take was one mistake, and Jack was always watching. The paranoia gnawed at her, and sometimes in the middle of the night she would wake from dreams of blood and death and cling to John as if he would disappear if she closed her eyes again.

He'd proposed to her this night. Stunned and momentarily caught up in fantasies of a normal life -- sometimes she did dream of being married to John, raising Chloe in a home that wasn't a prison, maybe even another child -- she'd said yes before she could stop herself. He'd put the diamond on her finger, and they'd spent the night making love. And now he slept, and she paced, twisting the ring on her finger. They couldn't hide this any longer. Jack would be furious, and this gold band would condemn John to death. Tom's death had been quick; Coop had suffered. She knew Jack would make John endure even more pain as Jack tried to show her that she belonged to him, not any other man. Each lesson was a harder one. When would she learn?

She couldn't do it. She couldn't risk his life. And she couldn't keep on risking the lives of those around her. Anyone she cared about -- her friends, Bailey, Angel, even Chloe -- was in danger. As long as Jack was free, he would prey on those close to her, and she couldn't bear that guilt any longer. She wouldn't be responsible for another death.

She quietly dressed, then hastily scribbled two words on a piece of hotel stationary: "I'm sorry." Setting the paper down on the nightstand, and she hesitated for a moment, looking down at John, then took off the ring and placed it on top of the note. A final gentle kiss upon his lips, and she fled.

She had nothing but her purse and the clothes she wore now, but it was enough. She knew she was a coward, running away like this, and abandoning those she loved tore at her heart, but this was for their own good. Where she went, Jack would follow, and they would be safe from him. She would have to stay one step ahead of Jack, keep him chasing her, and two steps ahead of John and her friends. John would no sooner let her go than Jack would, and he would use all the resources of the FBI to track her down. She wouldn't let him. She would keep Jack away from him, from all of them. This would devastate him, but maybe one day he would realize that she did this to protect him. It was for the best.

X-posted to profiler_fans (here)

Whatever It Takes

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:44:04 GMT

Title: Whatever It Takes
Fandom: Profiler
Prompt: Betrayal
Characters: John Grant, Michelle Brubaker
Word Count: 976
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Profiler or the characters within; NBC does, and they are big ol' meanies for canceling the show in the middle of a plotline!
Summary: Set immediately after "FTX," Michelle Brubaker, Nathan's wife, comes to visit John

Michelle Brubaker was about the last person John Grant expected to find at his door late at night, but he invited her in nonetheless. "Is everything okay?" he asked her. "Nate's all right, isn't he?"

"He's fine," she said. "Well, except for that hole in his side. He's at home resting."

"What are you here for, then?" he said. "Uh, sit down, can I get you a drink?"

She nodded. "Yes, please. Whatever you're having."

He poured her some of the scotch he'd been drinking, handing her the glass as he picked up his own and refilled it. Sitting on the couch next to her, he asked, "What's going on?"

"I want you to convince Nathan to leave the VCTF," she said, sipping her drink.

"Michelle, you know I can't do that," he said, shaking his head. "This job is Nate's life. I'm not going to talk him into doing something he doesn't want to do. You two need to work that out yourselves."

"I can't keep doing this," she said. "Every time the phone rings I think it's someone calling to tell me he's dead. This job is going to kill him! It almost did today, didn't it?" She looked at John accusingly.

He shifted uncomfortably. "He's going to be fine."

Slamming her drink down on the coffee table, she rose and started pacing. "Jesus, John, it's almost killed you! More than once! At least you don't have a family waiting for you, but he does!" He didn't say anything, but the hurt her words inflicted must have been evident on his face. Her hand flew up to her mouth. "I'm sorry, John. I didn't mean it like that."

He shrugged and took a long swallow of his drink. "It's okay."

A tear rolled down her cheek. "It's not okay. I can't keep wondering every time I see him if it's going to be the last time. I can't keep having the nightmares that this Jack or some other psycho is going to kill him."

The display of emotion was unusual for her, John knew. Nathan had told him of fights he and Michelle had had, but in public, she always kept a cool demeanor, keeping her feelings locked down. He sometimes wondered what Nathan saw in her. Sure, she was beautiful, but sometimes she seemed so cold.

She was crying openly now, her breath coming in short gasps. He stood up and walked over to her, putting his arms around her. She pressed her face against his chest, shuddering.

He hadn't had a lot to drink, but enough so that his reflexes were slowed, so it took his brain a moment to register what was happening when she seized his face in her hands and started kissing him. "Michelle, what the hell are you doing?" he said, pulling away from her.

"I...I'm sorry," she stammered. "I just need someone tonight. I feel so alone and scared and empty."

"Why don't you go talk to your husband?" he said, stressing the last word.

She shook her head. "We're divorcing, John. Didn't he tell you that? I'm not going to play with his heart...not now."

"But you'll play with my head," he said, taking a step back.

She followed, pressing herself into his arms again. "I just want to feel desired. Please, John, just hold me."

His resolve began to falter as she kissed him again. He'd always found Michelle attractive, but like an untouchable ice goddess, and now here she was in his arms, begging for him. He wasn't sure how they ended up back on the couch, Michelle beneath him, her skirt hiked up around her waist, raking her nails down his back as she cried his name. But when they were done, he sat up, his face in his hands. "Oh, god," he groaned, unable to believe what he had just done. He'd slept with his best friend's wife. He couldn't sink much lower than that.

Michelle stood up, pulling down her skirt and buttoning her blouse. She found her jacket on the floor and pulled it on, smoothing the fabric, then running her hands over her hair to make sure it was place. She looked down at John. "Tomorrow," she said coolly, "you're going to convince Nate to leave the VCTF."

He looked up at her, confused. "What?"

"You're going to convince him to leave the VCTF," she repeated. "Or I'm going to tell him what happened here."

Sudden realization struck him. "You set me up," he said. "You planned this."

Her smile was thin and cold. "Yes. Nate will listen to you. He respects you. You can convince him to give up this job. And if you don't, I tell him about tonight. Either way, I win, because he'll leave the VCTF because he won't be able to stand looking at you."

"Or you," he said angrily.

"Perhaps," she said. "But remember, John, I'm a lawyer. It's my job to make people believe what I want them to believe. I assure you, he will blame you for this more than he blames me. So you have a choice. Lose Nate's friendship forever -- and, most likely, the respect of your colleagues as well -- or keep your friend and let him safe and alive with me. What's it going to be?"

Defeated, he sank back on the couch. "I'll talk to him in the morning."

"Good," she said. She picked up her briefcase and headed for the door. Her hand on the knob, she paused. "This is for his own good, John. I love him, and I'll do whatever it takes to protect him."

"Funny way of showing it," he snarled at her.

"I told you," she said, "whatever it takes." Then she was gone, leaving John alone to contemplate what he had done and what he had to do next.

X-posted to profiler_fans (here)

Pink Satin Dress

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:07:46 GMT

Title: Pink Satin Dress
Fandom: Profiler
Prompt: Picture prompts: one and two
Characters: John Grant, Sam Waters
Pairing: John/Sam
Word Count: 476
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Profiler or the characters within; NBC does, and they are big ol' meanies for canceling the show in the middle of a plotline!
Summary: John gets his birthday wish ;)

It was the pink satin dress that did John in. The pink satin dress and the tequila.

Nathan had arranged a surprise party for his birthday, after hours at the VCTF with casual attire mandatory. He'd walked into the command center intending to work late on a case, only to find his friends and co-workers waiting with presents and cake. But his eyes were only for Sam. Sam and that amazing pink satin dress.

Nathan's present had been an expensive bottle of tequila, which of course had to be opened immediately. The two of them traded shots throughout the night, demolishing the bottle, a shaker of salt, and the lemons and limes Grace had hidden in her personal fridge (much to her chagrin).

Sometime after midnight it was obvious that he would not be making it home by himself. (Neither would Nathan, for that matter.) There were offers to drive him home, but Sam suggested he sleep it off on her couch in her office, and he accepted. Shorter distance to go, at least.

She put her arm around John and helped him to his feet. "Come on, birthday boy," she said. "Time for you to go lie down."

He staggered with her to her office as she said good night to last lingering people. Bailey was taking Nathan home, and everyone else was all right to drive. Sam guided him down on the couch, then turned to close the blinds to give him some privacy if he was still asleep when people came in the next morning.

That's when he looked up and saw the silhouette of her back, the curve of her hip under the pink satin dress. He reached up and pulled her down on top of him.

"John!" she said, laughing a little as she tried to wriggle free. "What are you doing?"

"This," he said, and he kissed her.

She resisted for a moment, then kissed him back just as eagerly, her hands already moving to unbutton his shirt and pull it and the undershirt underneath over his head. She started to pull off the dress but he stopped her hands. He wanted her to keep it on. Understanding, she yanked down his pants and straddled his hips and then oh god he couldn't believe he was lying on Sam's couch making love to her like he had dreamed so many times.

There was barely enough room on the couch for them to lie side by side when they had finished, but that was fine with him. It just gave him an excuse to hold her closer. "Love you," he murmured, stroking her hair.

She laughed lightly. "You're drunk, John."

"And your point?"

"Talk to me in the morning about it," she said.

"I will," he said, drifting off to sleep, his dreams filled with Sam and the pink satin dress.

X-posted to profiler_fans (here)

Careful What You Wish For

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:02:06 GMT

Title: Careful What You Wish For
Fandom: Profiler
Prompt: Love Gone Wrong
Characters: Jack, Sam Waters
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Word Count: 796
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Profiler or the characters within; NBC does, and they are big ol' meanies for canceling the show in the middle of a plotline!
Summary: Set after "Reunion," only Our Heroes never rescued Sam from Jack's evil clutches.

Jack was bored.

He'd been happy for awhile. Finally, he had gotten everything he wanted -- Samantha, with him, sharing his life. He'd shown her the power within herself, how she had the strength and intellect to stand above the pathetic wretches around them. He'd made her a goddess of death.

He had to break her in slowly, of course. It took a little effort to find her perfect first. He knew she wouldn't kill Isaac, the drunk with whom he had presented her, but that was just a ruse to show her that there were indeed circumstances under which she would kill -- and not merely in self-defense. As for Thomas Cole, he had seen it in Samantha's eyes that she wanted the pedophile to die, but she could not yet bring herself to be the instrument of his death. They'd only barely escaped the VCTF bloodhounds that time. Of course Samantha had chosen a person and a place where Malone would track her down. He expected nothing less of her.

He intended to prove the cliché true with the third attempt. He chose another child molester, since that seemed to be the swiftest way to ignite Samantha's passion for justice. This time, however, they did not take the man from his home. Removing him from his natural environment lessened the impact of his crimes. This time, he let Samantha experience all the pictures and videos and chat logs on his computer before the pedophile returned home. This time, when Jack put the gun in her hand, she sank four bullets into the Paul Sewart's chest.

Nothing had ever tasted sweeter than the tears of her surrender as he made love to her that night. She had proven him right, and now there was no way she could ever return to her former life. She still resisted -- it was not an instantaneous transformation -- but once she took that first step, she slowly embraced the path. Rapists and those who preyed on children were her preferred victims. She would profile them, find them guilty, and execute them. He was proud of each of her kills, but he still wanted her to take the final plunge into his world. Guilt in matters of human law meant nothing. She had to learn to judge by her own law. Her will -- and his -- was the only thing that mattered.

Then it finally happened. One Alan Hills was accused of raping his girlfriend and beating her so severely she lapsed into a coma, and the doctors said she might never awaken. Samantha was particularly creative in the way she carved the young man up. Two weeks later, his girlfriend awoke, naming not her boyfriend as her attacker, but another man. She and her boyfriend had had sex, argued, and then she stormed off alone and was attacked. Samantha had misread the evidence and the accused's character and killed an innocent man.

Something in her shattered. She had proven she was not infallible -- proven to herself, that is, despite Jack trying to convince her that a god did not make mistakes. She shut down, withdrew into herself.

And now Jack was bored.

He gradually came to realize that it wasn't the kill, it was the thrill of the chase. Stalking, matching wits with Samantha, making her cry -- that was what he craved. Just as he became tired of Sharon after successfully transforming her, he was bored with this shell Samantha had become. And he'd been growing bored even before her "mistake." There was no fire, no passion, no struggle, and he missed that. Much as he wanted, he could never reclaim that with Samantha. What he wanted from her he had destroyed. Ironically, the submission from her he craved had taken all the fun out of their relationship.

He sighed regretfully and dropped a shovelful of dirt over her still body. She'd realized his intentions in the end; the look in her eyes seemed one of relief. Out of love he killed her quickly. He would miss her, and part of her would always be with him (in a jar on his desk), and always in the roses her body would now nourish. He covered her with the soil and planted the rose bushes above her, taking one red bloom back with him to his lair.

He settled in front of his computer, sipping champagne as he gazed longingly at the woman on the screen. After a moment he picked up his phone and dialed the number of a local Atlanta florist. "Yes, I'd like to place an order for a dozen roses...no, make that two dozen. For Ms. Rachel Burke at the VCTF headquarters in Atlanta. The card? Oh, just 'You work too hard.'"

X-posted to profiler_fans (here)

Reversed Insight

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:50:27 GMT

Title: Reversed Insight
Fandom: Profiler
Prompt: "New Beginnings"
Characters: Jack, Sam Waters, Angel Brown, Chloe Waters
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Word Count: 921
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Profiler or the characters within; NBC does, and they are big ol' meanies for canceling the show in the middle of a plotline!
Summary: "Insight"/"Ring of Fire" from Jack's POV

Finally.

Three years he'd waited for his Samantha to come out of hiding...or what she thought was hiding. Angel's farm was one of the first places he looked for her once she dropped out of sight after Tom Waters' funeral. She made it easy for him to find her because she wanted to be found. She needed him. Otherwise, she would've chosen somewhere other than her best friend's family farm to "hide."

He accepted she needed time to adjust to the change he had made in her life and he was magnanimous enough to give her that. He kept himself busy over the months that followed, but maintained a low profiler to keep Samantha at ease. One of his new projects had been starting correspondences with women in prison. He'd found a few promising candidates, blank slates he could mold into a protégé, so that he might show Samantha just what she could become if only she let go. But he couldn't stay away entirely. He'd made a few visits to the farm, lurking in the shadows and peering in the windows. The temptation to just reveal himself and claim Samantha was almost irresistible, but now was not the time.

So he watched and waited. He followed her to the bar where she sold her photographs. Once he even sat down beside her, but she never knew how close she was to him. While he didn't speak to her, he did brush against her, and that fleeting contact haunted his dreams for weeks afterwards. He purchased the photographs she brought to her dealer, well, purchased most of them. A handful he had to recover from other buyers. The FBI never connected the two murders to him, and for that he was almost disappointed. Whoever had taken Samantha's place in profiling him obviously was incompetent. Admittedly, he hadn't signed his handiwork, but even then, Samantha would've recognized his art. She would've felt his presence, known his touch as only she could.

Now finally she was ready to return to him. And he had Bailey Malone to thank for it. He'd convinced Samantha to leave her retreat and now it was time to let her know that he had never left her.

He knew the message would get to her quickest from Quantico. Well, it would get to Malone and he would not be able to lie to Samantha about it. The first girl he killed was not immediately connected to him, not even with the note he left in her throat. The second aroused suspicions, and the third seemed to confirm them. The fourth made it absolutely clear. I MISS YOU SAM. Then the clipping from the case she had solved, so that she knew he knew where she was. You've come back to me. Sealed with a kiss and signed with his blood so that she would know his passions had never waned.

Now he waited for her to return to this place she called home. He trailed his hand over her pillow, then picked it up and hugged it to himself, breathing in her scent. Returning the pillow to its place, he smoothed the soft cotton and straightened the comforter. Reverently, he placed his gift upon the bed. A dozen red roses, wrapped in white lace. Red for passion, white for purity. Nestled in the lace was a gold ring, the ring he had taken from Tom's dead hand. No longer did it bind Samantha to Tom. It bound her to him.

He saw the headlights of an approaching car through the window and ducked into the closet. She still wasn't ready to see him, not yet, but he couldn't resist watching her. He heard her voice as she entered the house, calling for Angel and Chloe, her light-hearted laughter and discussion of ice cream. Her daughter in her arms, Samantha stepped into her bedroom. She saw the roses and froze. "What's that?" she asked Angel.

"I don't know," Angel said, confused.

Samantha bent closer to the roses and saw the ring. She picked it up and stared at it for a long moment, then turned quickly to Angel. "Angel, listen to me, ok?" she said in a low voice. "I need you to hit the alarm. Jack is in the house. Get Chloe. We need to get outside and go to the car."

Angel paled and slapped the alarm button, then gathered Chloe in her arms. Samantha pulled out her gun, pushing her friend and daughter in front of her as she looked fearfully around and hurried from the room. Jack stepped from hiding with a soft laugh. Part of him screamed to just take Samantha now and end the games, but she had to come to him willingly. She had to learn what she was, and that they belonged together.

He slipped outside to where he had hidden his car and started the engine. He had planned to just leave now, but he couldn't resist following after Samantha for just a few moments. The headlights in her rearview mirror only increased her panic as she sped faster down the road. When he saw the approaching red-and-blue lights of police vehicles, he backed off, pulling on to a side road and letting Samantha escape him.

"But only for now," he said to himself much later, stroking his computer monitor as he called up pictures of his beloved. "I need you, and you need me. You've come back to me, Samantha, and soon you'll be with me, where you belong."

X-posted to profiler_fans (here)

fanfic100@LJ: Long Live the Queen (Chapters One - Three) - Repost

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:23:33 GMT

Title: Long Live the Queen
Fandom: Charmed
Prompt: Birth
Characters: Cole Turner, Phoebe Halliwell, Piper Halliwell, Paige Matthews, Leo Wyatt
Pairing: Cole/Phoebe
Word Count: 18,229 (all parts)
Rating: R
Disclaimer: The WB and Brad Kern own Charmed, but they are evil.
Summary: Alternate universe take that begins from the end of the episode "Long Live the Queen." Vanquishing the Source doesn't go exactly as planned.

Chapter One

Phoebe splashed cold water on her face and stared at her reflection in the mirror. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. Forced into a corner and made to choose between her husband and her sisters...she couldn't do it. She loved them all too much.

She heard the sound of orbing, then Paige's voice. Pressing herself against the door, she prayed to wake up, prayed it was a dream. She couldn't do this. Couldn't choose. Her heritage, her sisters...her love, her husband. She was caught in a tornado, twisting winds pulling her in opposite directions. Family and duty and sisterhood, the sweet ease of darkness, the desperate longings of her heart.

"Phoebe, get out here and help us, damn it!" she heard Piper call, followed by a cry of pain and the sound of a body striking a wall.

"Don't make me kill you," Cole said in a deadly voice.

"Phoebe, you heard what he said. He's gonna kill us!" Piper shouted. "Help us!"

She couldn't breathe. "I can't, I can't," she whispered. "Please don't make me. Please." Her hand moved to the doorknob against her will. "Forgive me," she said, not even knowing who she asked for absolution.

Cole faced her sisters and Leo, a ball of fire in his hand. There were crystals around him, an incomplete prison. The last lay on the ground before her, and she bent to pick it up. Cole turned his head toward her. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's...it's for the best."

Piper looked at Phoebe, her despairing eyes saying what her voice did not. Phoebe looked away. "I know it is," she said, moving to Cole's side. She reached up and pulled his head down to hers, kissing him passionately. "I love you, Cole," she whispered. She looked deeply into her eyes, and for a moment she thought she saw a flicker of realization in his eyes. He knew what she was going to do.

"Phoebe?" Piper said, one last desperate attempt to reach her sister.

Phoebe backed away from Cole. "I'm sorry, too," she said, placing the crystal on the floor, completing the trap. She closed her eyes as white energy leapt up to surround Cole.

"Phoebe," Cole said, disbelieving. "No. No!"

"I'm sorry, baby," she said, unable to look at him. "I'm so sorry." Please forgive me, she added silently. She couldn't let Cole kill her sisters. She couldn't bear to kill Cole, either, but he would want it this way. He wanted to be a good man, and however this had happened to him, however he had become the Source, she knew in her heart he would rather die than do harm to her or Piper or Paige. But even now she could feel the soft pull of evil, like a seductive voice whispering in her mind. Don't do this, go to him, be with him, your love....

She steeled herself against it, taking strength in the feel Piper's comforting hand on her arm. Her sister began the spell to vanquish the Source. "Prudence, Penelope, Patricia, Melinda...."

Fire sprang up around Cole. Phoebe fought the urge to run to him, free him from the prison and beat the flames out with her own hands. She choked out the next line of the spell. "Astrid, Helena, Laura and Grace."

Cole looked straight at her. "I will always love you," he said, and she knew it was Cole who spoke, not the Source.

"Halliwell witches stand strong beside us," Paige called out in a clear voice.

Phoebe's throat constricted as she fought to say the next words. She looked at Cole, struck by what seemed to be relief in his eyes. Set me free, she read in them, and she started to force the words out. "Vanquish this --"

Cole cried out in pain, falling to his knees. Phoebe stopped, her heart wrenched by the sound. Piper tugged at her arm. "Finish it!" she hissed. "Phoebe, please!"

"Wait, something's wrong," Phoebe said. Then a cloud of black energy rose from Cole, buzzing angrily in the crystal prison. Not stopping to think, Phoebe darted forward, kicking one of the crystals aside and throwing herself over Cole as he collapsed heavily to the floor. The dark energy spun and vanished.

"What the hell was that?" Paige said warily.

"The Source," Cole said weakly, cradled in Phoebe's arms. "It...left me."

"Riiight," Piper said. "Phoebe, get back over here. It's a trick!"

"No, it's not!" Phoebe said, her voice shrill with hysteria. "The Source knew we were going to kill it again and it left Cole. It's gone, it's gone!" She kissed Cole, sobbing. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't know what to do." Feeling something wet on Cole's head, she drew back her hand and found it red with blood. He'd fallen on one of the crystals and it had cut his scalp deeply. "Leo!" she called, seeking out her brother-in-law. "Heal him!"

"Wait just a minute," Piper said suspiciously. "I'm not buying this. The Source just went away?"

"Leo, please!" Phoebe cried. "If you can heal him then he's not a demon and he's not the Source, right?"

"Yes," Leo said slowly. He exchanged a look with his wife. Piper nodded reluctantly, moving opposite Cole and Phoebe as Leo crouched beside Cole. She held her hands ready to blow Cole up should he so much as flinch.

Leo held his hand over Cole's head. Golden light bathed Cole, and Leo nodded. "It's working. He's human."

Phoebe helped Cole sit up, tears of relief still streaming down her cheeks. "We did it, baby," she said. "You're back, you're safe."

"Umm, am I the only one who is horribly confused here?" Paige said. "How did the Source get into Cole, and why did it just leave? This seems way too easy."

"The Source is eternal," Cole said as he rose to his feet. Phoebe clung tightly to him, afraid to let him go. "It can't truly be destroyed. Vanquish its host and you weaken it, but it will move to another and regain its strength."

"Well, why the hell didn't you tell us this before?" Piper said. "It might have come in handy."

Cole coughed, and Phoebe finally released her hold on him. "Let me get you a glass of water, baby," she murmured, moving toward the kitchen.

"I didn't know," Cole said to her sisters. "I only know now because I saw the Grimoire when I was possessed. It's usually a great honor to be chosen to bear the power of the Source, but the transfer of power is secretive. No one outside the Source's inner circle knows just how the new Source is made. The chosen successor undergoes rituals to be a suitable vessel, unless it's a blood heir, and then the transfer of power can be made more easily. The last Source didn't have an heir yet, but the Seer made use of the Hollow to bend the rules...house the Source in me until I underwent the proper rituals to be able to contain it. You may not believe me but I fought it. I tried to tell you what was happening, but it wouldn't let me."

"So if it left you, where is it now?" Paige said.

"It didn't have anywhere else to go but me," Cole said. "Nowhere but...no." He spun around.

Phoebe laughed. Her eyes turned to fire as she spoke. "I've never been in a witch before, let alone a Charmed One. This should prove interesting. See you later, baby." She blew Cole a kiss, then vanished in flames.

Chapter Two

Cole sat wearily on the end of Phoebe's bed at the manor. He'd retreated to the solace of her room -- their room -- trying desperately to find something to give him hope. The photo of the two of them on her dresser brought fresh pain to his heart. There had to be a way to save Phoebe. There had to. He buried his face in his hands, wishing he didn't feel so helpless.

After Phoebe had vanished, Piper had turned on him. "What did you do to her, you son of a bitch?" she wailed.

"The Source," Cole said, still stunned. "She's the Source."

"How?" Piper said. "You said there were rituals. Or a...oh god."

Cole nodded. "The baby. It's in the baby, and since it's part of Phoebe, it controls her. That's why it left me -- it had somewhere else to go. Somewhere...you won't dare vanquish."

"So we just have to find a way to get Satan's spawn out of her, right?" Paige said.

Cole whirled around to face her. "That 'spawn of Satan' is my son," he said angrily. "And an innocent. It's not his fault he was caught up in this. I won't just let you kill him...."

"What if there's no other option?" Piper said quietly.

"There has to be," Cole said.

"And if there's not?" Piper persisted. "Can you kill your baby?"

He met her probing gaze with his own. "Can you kill your sister?" he shot back. Piper closed her eyes and looked away.

"Why don't we go back to the manor and try to figure this out?" Leo said.

"What about him?" Paige said, looking at Cole. "We can't just leave him here...."

"Why not?" Piper snapped.

Leo put his hands on her shoulders. "Piper, I know you're upset, but Cole's human and therefore an innocent, and if what he says is true, he's still vulnerable to the Source. We can't just abandon him. Phoebe wouldn't want it that way. She'll never forgive you if you leave him in danger."

Piper tensed, then waved her hand dismissively. "All right. Let's get the hell out of here."

"Wait," Cole said. "The Grimoire. We can't leave it here. She'll...the Source will come back for it. It's in the bedroom."

"Bedroom?" Paige repeated. "Ewww. I don't want to know why. Gimme a sec." She orbed out, then back again with the bag she and her sisters had prepared to let them carry the evil book. "I'll go get it," she said, walking into the bedroom.

They'd all orbed to the manor. Leo left to consult with the Elders, and Paige went to hide the Grimoire somewhere, leaving Piper and Cole in awkward silence. Piper paced the living room anxiously, waiting for Leo to return. Finally she turned to Cole and said, "How did this happen? How could you let this happen?"

His own patience snapped. "How could I let this happen? How could you? Took you long enough to figure out something was wrong with me, didn't it? Then when you finally did you were so quick to condemn."

"You're a demon!" she said hotly.

"One who saved your ass more than once," Cole snarled. "I took on the Source for you, Piper, or have you conveniently forgotten that?"

"If it wasn't for you, Phoebe would be here and safe!" Piper accused.

"If it wasn't for me, you'd all be dead," he said. "I took in the Hollow to save you. I didn't know I would become the Source myself. And you were so quick to want to vanquish me once you figured it out. Didn't bother to try to figure out a way to save me. Once a demon, always a demon, is that it? I must've wanted the power for myself, right? I'd expect that from Prue, but not from you, Piper."

"Don't you dare bring Prue into this!" Piper cried.

Cole regretted his words as Piper burst into tears. Her nerves were on edge as much as his, and she was desperately looking for a way to vent her fear and frustration. She'd lost one sister not long ago and now stood on the precipice of losing another. "Piper...I'm sorry," he said, reaching out to awkwardly pull her into his arms.

She beat her fists against his chest, crying. "We have to get her back. I can't lose her, too. Please, Cole, don't let me lose her, too." She sagged against him, struggling to breathe through her sobs.

"We will. We'll find a way," he murmured, patting her back. "I promise, Piper, we'll find a way."

She drew back after a moment, wiping her eyes, embarrassed. "I, uh...I'm going to make something for dinner," she said. "Make yourself at home." She scurried from the room.

He'd come up here after that, to Phoebe's room. While Piper sought fleeting comfort in cooking, he tried to find it here, surrounded by the belongings of the woman he loved.

He felt a sudden rush of heat and knew without even looking up that Phoebe now stood before him. "You look unhappy, baby," she said. "Why so sad?"

He slowly raised his head to look at her. "Get out of her. Leave her alone."

Her laughter was no longer the carefree sound he loved. "You act like we're not one and the same now. Phoebe Halliwell, Charmed One, and the Source of All Evil, we're one. You know it."

"There was part of me that fought you every step of the way," Cole said.

"And she's fighting, too," she said with a shrug. "Doesn't matter. She belongs to me, as did you. As do you. Isn't the irony delicious? After all this time I defeat the Charmed Ones -- by becoming one of them. And I have you to thank for planting my heir in her womb."

"What do you want?" Cole said.

"You," she said simply. "You know as well as I do that her desires become mine. You wanted her, so I had to have her. Now I am her, and she wants you. So I will have you."

"Go to hell," he snarled.

"I rule it," she said, sliding smoothly into his lap, straddling him, her arms around his neck. "And every queen needs a consort." He twisted his head away from her; she roughly grabbed his jaw and jerked him back. "Of course, I can't have a pathetic human at my side," she said, pressing her lips to his.

He tried to break free, but her grip was too strong. Helplessly he gave in and returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her as she pushed him down on to his back. His senses told him she was Phoebe -- she looked like her, sounded like her, tasted like her -- and his body reacted to that. His heart wanted Phoebe, while his mind told him this was wrong and dangerous. The room seemed to spin around him, and he felt a strange heat rush through his body, emanating at Phoebe's lips and working its way through him.

She drew back, looking down at him, smiling. "Much better," she purred.

"What...what did you do to me?" he said. He tried to sit up, but dizziness made him sink back down.

"Given you back what you lost," she said. "A witch may have stripped your demonic half from you, but I can restore it. Welcome back, Belthazor."

"No," he groaned, still struggling to rise.

She pushed him back down and ripped open his shirt and scratched her nails down his chest, drawing blood. Catching his wrists, she kept him pinned down as she rocked her hips against his. "Don't fight, my love," she whispered, nibbling at his ear. "You want this. You want me. Together we can rule the Underworld and create a realm others have only imagined. The world is at our feet. We just need to claim it. Start by claiming me...."

He lost the fight against his desires. It was madness and he knew it, but he couldn't stop. "Phoebe," he moaned, entangling his fingers in her hair and pulling her head back down to his.

Laughing in triumph, she let him roll them over so that his body covered her. "That's it, baby," she said. "Give me the demon. Let me feel your hunger." She arched her back, pressing herself against him. "Show me I'm still yours."

He silenced her with a bruising kiss. He was lost, drowning in darkness, then he heard Piper's earlier words repeated in his head. "Please, Cole, don't let me lose her, too." Reason finally won out over passion, and he pushed himself away from Phoebe, scrambling from the bed. "No."

"So stubborn," she sighed, sitting up. She rose from the bed and stalked toward him as he backed away. "As if I expected anything differently. You really need to give up this resistance. It's tiring, baby, and in the end it won't make a difference."

"I will find a way to stop you," Cole vowed.

"No, you're not," she said. "You're going to take my hand and come with me to the Underworld. You're going to help me rule. My legions will have trouble coming to terms with their leader wearing the face of one of their greatest enemies. I need you to help me keep them in line...make sure they don't attempt to test me. Hard enough to see her as queen, after all. They'll have a fit calling me master."

"No," he said evenly.

She circled him, drawing her hand along his chest and back. "And I want you by my side for other reasons. I have certain...cravings...that only you can satisfy. But if you refuse me, then I suppose I'll just have to seek to fulfill them elsewhere. And your little witch will feel every second of it, I'll make sure of it. Then even if you found some way to restore her, do you think she could live with the memories of being so helpless as demon after demon took its pleasure with her?"

Cole shot his hand out as she moved in front of him again. He grabbed Phoebe by the throat, slamming her against the wall. "Don't. You. Dare." he said through clenched teeth.

Laughing, she reached out to pull him closer against her. "There's my demon," she said. "There's the fire I need." She pried his hand from her throat then drew it down her body, over her breasts, to rest on her belly. "The fire I need to protect me...and our son. Our baby needs his father. And I need you. You're going to be my figurehead, Source in name if not in fact, at least until I'm ready to reveal the truth."

"Then why not just take me back now?" Cole said. "Do it. I won't fight you. Just let her go."

"But the Charmed Ones have already proven they'll vanquish you," she said. "Their sister is another matter. They won't dare. This is just too perfect. I have her, I've broken the Charmed Ones, I have my heir, and I have you."

"You do not have me," Cole said.

She looked at him, her eyes filling with tears. Her lower lip quivered as she spoke. "Please, Cole. Don't leave me alone."

"Bitch," he growled. Even though he knew they were fake, her tears still tore at him.

The tears vanished and she grinned. "What's it going to be, baby?"

Piper opened the bedroom door and walked into the room. "Dinner's ready. Paige and Leo are back and -- Phoebe."

"Just dropping by to pick up a few things," Phoebe said. "You'll hardly even know I was here. Or am I invited to dinner, too?"

Piper made an inarticulate noise of despair and flashed her hands at Phoebe. Her sister exploded into a black cloud of energy, then drew herself back together in a matter of a seconds. "Ouch," she said crossly. "That hurt." She conjured a ball of fire in one hand and bounced it. "Want me to return the favor?"

Cole stepped between the sisters. "Phoebe. Don't."

She extinguished the fireball. "Spoilsport," she said petulantly. "We should be going anyway." She held out her hand to him. "Coming, baby?"

"Cole?" Piper said, confused.

He couldn't meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, Piper," he murmured. "I don't have a choice." He took Phoebe's hand, and together they disappeared in a blaze of fire.

"Oh, crap," Piper said.

Chapter Three

Phoebe sighed softly in her sleep, snuggling closer to Cole. Gazing at her peaceful face, Cole could almost convince himself that everything was all right. She wasn't the Source of All Evil, he wasn't a demon, and they were safely tucked into bed at the manor. Almost.

Instead they lay in their bed in the Source's private chamber. Phoebe had immediately had it redecorated, disdaining the simple but crude décor the old Source had preferred. While he tended toward the finer things in life as well, Cole hadn't bothered with any renovations here when he was the Source, since he spent most of his time at the penthouse. Phoebe, however, had chosen to remain in the Underground, far from her sisters' eyes. She'd gone through catalogs and circled lavish furnishings and plush bedding. The demons she'd ordered to fetch these items balked at first until Cole had coldly told them, "You will do as your Queen commands."

It amused Phoebe to maintain the façade that Cole was still the Source. He could shimmer again now, of course, since she had returned his demonic powers to him, but they always entered a room together so that no one could tell that it was she who conjured the flames in which they appeared, not him. Many of the faction leaders remained wary of Phoebe, unconvinced she would not turn on them, and remembering the many of their kind she and her sisters had killed over the years. And if they knew the Source was in the baby Phoebe carried instead of in Cole, it would only be a matter of time before war broke out to kill Cole and claim Phoebe, as competing factions sought to control the Source in infant form. Only the Seer knew the truth -- it was impossible to hide from her -- and if she questioned the Source's wisdom, she kept it to herself.

Three months had passed since they'd left the manor together. Cole wondered what Piper and Paige thought of his "defection." Did they realize he'd done it to protect Phoebe from the Source? Or did they think -- again -- that evil had claimed him?

He stroked Phoebe's hair softly as she slept, nestled in his arms, then drew his hand along her body, bringing it to rest on the gentle swell of her belly. She was showing now. Cole was torn between paternal pride and joy and fear over the baby's fate. Was his son lost to him already? If it came down to it, could he kill the baby to stop the Source? "You and Phoebe Halliwell will produce the most powerful child the magical world has ever seen," the Seer had told him. But he wasn't destined for evil, since the Seer had feared that a "white wedding" would sway the baby's power to the side of good. That meant there had to be hope to save him.

"You can hear me, can't you, Phoebe?" he whispered in her ear. "I won't give up. I'll find a way to save you. Both of you. I promise."

Then he felt a familiar tug of magic, one he hadn't felt in quite some time. Unprepared to resist it, he was ripped from the bed, unwillingly answering the call of the spell.

* * *

Paige flipped through the pages of the Book of Shadows. She'd gone through the book dozens of times since Phoebe had become the Source, but nothing they had tried worked. If she heard the spells to call a lost witch or sister, she ignored them.

To say the past few months had been difficult would be an understatement, but while more than a handful of demons had tried to take out the crippled Charmed Ones, the awful final attack they'd expected had not come. They'd seen neither Phoebe nor Cole since they had left the manor, and demonic activity overall had been light. They had interrogated some of the demons that had attacked, and the only information they had gleaned was that the Source was waiting for his heir to be born before destroying the Charmed Ones utterly.

"'His?'" Paige had said to Piper. "Cole's the Source again? Gee, this is my surprised face."

To her astonishment, Piper had shot her a displeased look. "Don't assume, Paige," she said wearily. "We don't know if the demon was lying or just out of touch with the new regime, or maybe Cole just didn't have a choice."

"Yeah, but this is Cole we're talking about," Paige said.

"Exactly!" Piper snapped. "And maybe, just maybe, we should cut him some slack. Why is it we're so quick to think he's evil?"

"Because he's a demon?" Paige said warily, confused by her sister's anger.

"Was a demon," Piper said. "Half-demon. Half-human. How many times has he saved our lives, Paige? And even when he was the Source -- didn't he save you from the vampires? He could've killed you then, but something in him stopped him."

Paige started to feel defensive. "Yeah, but...."

Piper sighed, relaxing a little. "You were right when you noticed Cole acting weird. I wish I'd listened to you sooner. But we came at it the wrong way. We were stupid to think Cole was evil because he wanted to be. Maybe if we'd tried to help him, then he'd be here and so would Phoebe."

Paige sat down next to her sister and put her arms around her. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Piper. We'll figure something out. We always do."

"All three of them are depending on us, Paige," Piper said, leaning her head on Paige's shoulder, trying not to let the despair overwhelm her. "It's not just Phoebe we're trying to save. It's Cole and their baby, too."

And so over the next few weeks Paige had worked to change her attitude toward Cole. She'd never been able to wrap her mind around the whole demon-being-good thing, but Piper was right. The first time -- well, second, after Prue's funeral -- she'd seen Cole, he'd been saving her from Shax. He saved Piper when the Source was in her head, trying to make her give up the Power of Three. He'd destroyed the vampire queen, stopping her from taking Paige away and condemning her to be a vampire forever.

She'd always tried to give people the benefit of the doubt, so why not Cole? She confided her troubles to Leo, who suggested maybe it was because she subconsciously saw Cole as a threat because, unlike Leo himself, who was married to Piper and a full member of the family when Paige joined them, Cole was an outsider, and represented a force drawing Phoebe away. Being adopted and then orphaned made Paige fiercely protective of her new family, and her animosity toward Cole was born of fear he might disrupt her new home she had found with the Halliwells. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she and Cole had that protectiveness in common. He was never overly-demonstrative of his affections toward anyone other than Phoebe, but he would die to keep her sisters safe. Paige vowed that when this was over, she would treat Cole like a member of the family and let go of her fear and mistrust, and her newfound resolve made her all the more determined to save Cole.

They were focusing on Cole today, trying to find him where their attempts to locate Phoebe had failed. Piper was scrying while Paige turned to the Book of Shadows for ideas. "What about this summoning spell for Belthazor?" Paige asked. "That was Cole's demon form, right?"

Piper shook her head. "It doesn't work anymore. He's not a demon, he's human. Unless he's the Source. Then it still won't work. Belthazor doesn't exist anymore either way."

"Well, what if we modified it?" Paige wondered. She recited the spell to herself. "'Magic forces black and white, reaching out through space and light, be he far or be he near, bring us the demon Belthazor here.' Maybe if we reword it we can -- Piper, incoming!"

Piper looked up as vortex of wind began to form next to her. She took a few steps back, bracing herself for an attack, then saw what the spell had summoned. Cole. "It worked?" Piper said in surprise. "And...naked!" She blushed and quickly turned around, then realized the potential danger and spun back around, her hands ready to unleash their power. Keeping her eyes just on Cole's face, she said, "Are you good or evil?"

"What I am," he said testily, "is cold." He snatched a pillow from the nearby sofa and tried to cover himself.

Paige tilted her head and peered at Cole. "Dude, I think you need a bigger pillow."

Cole flushed and glared at her. "I'm not here to hurt you, but I may change my mind after this," he said irritably.

Piper kept her wary stance. "Paige, will you please do something about the naked man you just conjured?"

"I am," she said with a wicked grin, brandishing a pen. "I'm updating the entry in the Book of Shadows. Phoebe left out a few details."

Piper rolled her eyes at her youngest sister. "Use the object of objection spell or something!"

Paige peeked at Cole again. "I don't think it will work because I can't object to that."

"Paige!" Piper yelped. "Don't make me blow you up!"

"Oh, all right," Paige said with a dramatic sigh. She orbed to Phoebe's bedroom, returning moments later with some of Cole's clothing. She tossed them to Cole, still leering at him as he turned his back to pull on the pants and shirt.

When he'd dressed, he turned to face the sisters. "What the hell are you two doing?" he said.

"Apparently finding out you're a demon again," Piper said. "Care to explain how that happened?"

"How do you think?" Cole said, somewhat bitterly. "Phoe -- The Source decided I was somewhat lacking and decided to restore my demonic half."

"The Source is still in her and not in you?" Piper asked. "Because all the demons we've run into keep calling the Source 'he.'"

Cole nodded. "She's pretending I'm still the Source because if word gets out the Source is contained in the body of an infant, it could cause chaos."

"So why not go back to you instead?" Paige said.

"I offered," Cole said. Piper raised an eyebrow, and he met her gaze without shame. "I would do it to spare her and our child. But she feels safer from you in Phoebe's body, for now at least."

"Why'd you go with her?" Paige said.

He sat down tiredly on the sofa. "I couldn't just abandon her...let her go down there alone. I have to protect her -- protect them. She needs me. The Source needs me...but so does Phoebe. My love for her let me affect the Source's actions when it was in me. The same will be true for her. If I'm with her I give her strength." While that was true, he didn't want to admit the other reasons as well -- that the Source was well aware his greatest weakness was the lengths he would go to preserve Phoebe's well-being, and how she had threatened to abuse Phoebe's body if he didn't obey her. His protective nature -- and jealousy -- were being used as weapons against him.

Piper sat down next to him. "How...how are you doing?" she asked softly.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold out," he said. "You don't know what it's like down there...surrounded by evil. It's like...it's like being a thirsty man surrounded by poisoned water."

She took his hand in hers. "You're strong, Cole. You can do it. I know you can."

He looked at her hopefully. "Have you found a way to help her -- to get the Source out without killing her?"

"Not yet," she said sadly. "Leo's been up with the Elders trying to figure it out, but they're as useless as ever. They're absolutely frantic. Nothing like this has ever happened before."

"Do me a favor," Cole said, looking from Piper to Paige. "When this is done...write a spell...to make her forget."

Paige cocked her head. "Why?"

"Because the Source had the Seer slaughter a child so she could make a salve out of its blood to prevent stretch marks," Cole said. "Do you think she'll want to remember something like that? Any of it? There's a lot of blood on her hands right now, and it's not her fault. She shouldn't have to live with the memory of it."

"What about you?" Piper said.

He shrugged slightly. "I've learned to live with what I've done. I can handle it."

"No, I mean...is there blood on your hands now?" Piper said.

He was a little surprised she didn't automatically assume as much. "Not yet. I think she knows if I kill an innocent that I'll have crossed a line and you won't hesitate to vanquish me. She's not willing to take that risk, not when it means the power of the Source will be trapped in an infant. She needs me as a safeguard until the child is old enough."

"Will you?" Piper persisted.

"Piper, please don't ask me that," he said. "You know I'll do whatever I have to to save Phoebe. Whatever I have to."

"Maybe you shouldn't go back down there," Paige brought up.

"I have to," he said simply. "And right now I'm the best connection you have to Phoebe."

"Look, I'm trying to get on the 'Let's Trust Cole' Train," Paige said, "but you're crazy. You don't want to be evil, but every second you're down there you're risking losing it...."

"Like an alcoholic spending time in a bar?" Cole interrupted.

Paige scowled. "Not fair. That's different. I know my demon and it's totally under control."

"And I have mine under control," Cole said. "But you're right, it is a risk. So just in case...." He stood up and looked around the attic. Spotting an athame, he picked it up and sliced his hand open.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Piper said.

Cole found a bottle and let his blood drip into it. "Make a vanquish potion. Use it if you have to. It won't work if the Source is in me, but if it's just me...."

"Cole, we're not going to vanquish you," Piper protested.

He pressed the bottle into her hand. "Just in case." He held her gaze with his own. "I trust you to use it only if you have to." She nodded and took the bottle as he found a cloth to press to his hand to stop the bleeding.

"I'd better go," he said a few moments later. "Before she realizes I'm gone. I'll try to get word to you somehow if I find anything out that may help you."

Piper gave him a quick hug. "Be careful," she said.

Cole nodded and shimmered from the attic, willing himself back the Source's chamber. If luck was with him, Phoebe would still be asleep and would not have noticed his absence. It took his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dim candlelight, and as they did, he heard a soft moan. He looked to the bed and saw Phoebe sitting up in it. No, not just Phoebe, she wasn't alone. Dane, his ambitious lieutenant, was in bed with Phoebe, touching her, kissing her.

"What the hell are you doing?" Cole shouted.

Phoebe didn't even flinch. "There you are, baby," she said, looking over Dane's shoulder. "I woke up and you weren't here. I was lonely, and Dane here was kind enough to offer to make sure his Queen's needs were all...satisfied."

Anger surged within him, and an energy ball appeared in his hand almost unbidden. "Get away from her," he said to Dane in a deadly voice. "Now."

Dane looked at him scornfully. "To think all this time I was kneeling to you. Now I know where the true power is. You were never worthy of being the Source. And you're not worthy of her now."

"I said take your hands off her," Cole ordered. Dane's response was to turn his back on Cole and kiss Phoebe again. She squealed in delight, encouraging his attentions. Cole threw the energy ball, striking Dane in the back. Roaring in pain and surprise -- he must've thought the Source would protect him from Cole's attack -- Dane leapt from the bed, throwing an energy ball of his own at Cole. Cole dodged the brunt of the blast, but it grazed his arm. He threw another energy ball, this time striking Dane solidly in the chest. He flew backwards and slammed into a wall, sinking to the ground, stunned.

He could feel Phoebe's eager eyes on him as he stalked towards Dane's prone form. He stopped to yank a sword from the wall -- one of the few items Phoebe had retained from her former incarnation's decorations. Dane struggled feebly to rise, but Cole coldly kicked him to the ground, then raised the sword and drove it into his chest. Dane screamed in pain as he erupted into flames.

Phoebe stretched out on the bed, waiting for him. "To the victor go the spoils," she said, wriggling seductively, licking her lips in anticipation.

He prowled to the bed, unable to stop himself. Killing Dane and jealousy had roused the demon in him, which undoubtedly was exactly what Phoebe had planned. She gasped as he grabbed her, jerking her upward for a hard and demanding kiss. He hungered for her, and that hunger had to be sated. It wasn't lovemaking he wanted, it was a claiming, but as much as he was claiming her, she was claiming the demon part of him. She had called him the victor, but right now, she was winning.

"Have I ever told you I like it rough, baby?" she said breathlessly when they'd finished. "You were always too gentle with me."

Her words brought him back to himself; he tensed and rolled off her. She moved with him, straddling his waist as he lay on his back. She circled her hand around his throat, digging her nails into his flesh as she squeezed. Her small hand belied the strength it contained. She crushed his windpipe; he couldn't breathe. "I smell the witches on you, baby," she hissed. "If you go near them again unless under explicit instructions from me, I will make you regret it. Am I understood?"

He couldn't speak, but he nodded. She released him. Gasping for breath, he said, "They summoned me. I didn't go willingly."

"Oh, that's right, that spell will work again, won't it?" she sighed. "And so will the vanquish. Well, we can't have that. I'll send for a blood alchemist." She paused, then asked. "How are they?"

"They're worried about their sister," Cole said, searching Phoebe's face.

She closed her eyes, lowering her head. "I miss them," she said softly.

He lifted his hand to cup her cheek. "They miss you, Phoebe."

Tears slipped from her eyes, falling on his chest. "I want them here. With us." She opened her eyes. "Bring them to me."

"Phoebe, you don't want me to do that," he began.

Her moment of vulnerability passed, and her eyes turned black with anger. "Yes, I do. The Charmed Ones serving evil? Our power will be unmatched. It can be done so easily now. I have a tie to the Book of Shadows, and if I corrupt it, it will corrupt them. It's been done before." She looked down at Cole and caressed his cheek. "All I need is the Book. And you're going to get it for me, aren't you, baby?"

Chapters Four-Six | Chapters Seven-Nine

fanfic100@LJ: Long Live the Queen (Chapters Four - Six) - Repost

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:22:51 GMT

Title: Long Live the Queen
Fandom: Charmed
Prompt: Birth
Characters: Cole Turner, Phoebe Halliwell, Piper Halliwell, Paige Matthews, Leo Wyatt
Pairing: Cole/Phoebe
Word Count: 18,229 (all parts)
Rating: R
Disclaimer: The WB and Brad Kern own Charmed, but they are evil.
Summary: Alternate universe take that begins from the end of the episode "Long Live the Queen." Vanquishing the Source doesn't go exactly as planned.

Chapter Four

Phoebe appeared in a blaze of fire in the manor living room, startling the remaining inhabitants of the Halliwell home. "Hello, sisters dear," she said with a smile. "Hi, Leo."

"Get out of my house!" Piper ordered.

Her sister sighed and sat down on the couch. "Is that any way to treat your baby sister?" she said. She rubbed her hand over her stomach. "And your nephew?"

Paige looked over Phoebe's outfit -- tight black leather pants and halter top that left the rounded bulge of her stomach bare. "Nice maternity wear," she said. "Where'd you get it? Evil Kids-R-Us?"

Piper squinted at the dark red markings visible on Phoebe's belly. Phoebe caught her gaze and looked down and traced the markings with one finger. "Just a present from the Seer," she said. "Magical protections. Made from fresh virgin's blood. Something to make sure my baby is safe and well. He's going to be such a strong boy. The most powerful force of magic the world has ever know, did you know that?"

"That's rather egotistical of you," Piper grumbled.

Phoebe shrugged. "It's true. The Seer has, well, seen it. The child of a Charmed One and the Source of All Evil...how could it not be? My baby is going to rule the world." She giggled. "And I'm going to be my own mother and my own father. How funny is that?"

"It's freaking hilarious," Piper said, rolling her eyes.

"What's the matter, Piper? Jealous?" Phoebe said. "I know how much you want a baby of your own. Cheer up, we saw your little girl in the future, didn't we? Then again, Prue was alive in that future, and we know how she ended up."

Piper choked on a sob and flashed her hands at her sister. Phoebe waved her hand and deflected the blast, and one of Grams' antique lamps exploded. "Never liked that ugly thing anyway," Phoebe muttered, then glared at Piper. You know as well as I that that is only an inconvenience to me. But it hurts, and I don't want to bring any undue harm to my baby." She put her hand protectively over her belly, then gasped softly. "Oh! He just kicked." She grinned at Piper. "Want to feel?"

Piper turned to Leo and buried her face against his chest. He put his arms around her and said to Phoebe, "You've done enough. You should go."

"But I just got here," she pouted. "Is it so wrong I want to spend time with my sisters? I miss them."

"Is that why you're here?" Paige said incredulously. "Because you miss us?"

"Is that so surprising?" she said. "You're my sisters."

"And you're the Source of All Evil," Paige said. "Why would evil care about sisters?"

"The longings of a human soul are so bothersome," Phoebe said. "But I suppose it's the price I pay for being a Charmed One."

"We've been through this before," Piper said, lifting her head. "You're evil. We're good. You can't have it both ways."

"That's what you think," Phoebe said in a sing-song voice. "We'll all be on the same side soon."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Piper said. She looked at Paige. "Oh, no. The Book...."

Both Paige and Leo latched on to Piper, and they orbed up to the attic. The wooden stand that usually held the Book of Shadows was empty. Cole stood next to it, gingerly holding a large cloth bag.

"Cole, don't!" Piper cried.

"Don't try to stop me and I won't hurt you," he said. "But this is something I have to do."

Phoebe blazed in next to Cole. "Well done, baby," she said, linking her arm with his.

"Book!" Paige called, holding out her hand. Phoebe brushed away the cloud of orbs with her own power.

Piper grabbed a bottle off a nearby table. "Cole, please don't make me throw this," she pleaded. "Put the book down."

"I'm sorry, Piper," he said. "I can't."

I'm sorry, too," Piper whispered and threw the bottle.

It shattered at his feet harmlessly. "Uhh...that's not good," Paige said.

Phoebe laughed. "When I realized you could summon him again, I realized you could vanquish him if you had any of the original potion left. So I had to take care of that little vulnerability. But now it won't be long before you'll be joining me in your new home. I'm so excited. We're finally going to be a family again." She and Cole blazed out of the attic.

Silence fell in the attic. After a moment, Paige looked at Piper and Leo. "How pissed is she going to be when she finds out that's not the Book?"

* * *

Phoebe shrieked in rage and hurled the book across the room. "Fake! They made a fake Book of Shadows?" She turned to Cole. "How could you not know, you fool?"

"I never touched it," Cole protested. "I just threw the bag with your protection spell on it over the Book and picked it up that way. It looked like the book to me."

She summoned a ball of fire and threw it at the wall. "Damn them!" she cried. Two more fireballs followed the first until Cole pulled Phoebe into his arms. "Calm down. Being upset like this isn't good for the baby."

She melted into his embrace, relaxing. "You're right. We can try again later. This time they won't fool us." She slipped her arms around his waist. "Why don't you take my mind off it, baby?"

"I'll be happy to distract you," he said, bringing his lips to hers.

Phoebe suddenly gasped and tensed as she was caught in the grip of a premonition. A demon shimmered into the manor. Piper raised her hands to destroy it, but it held up one hand to stop her. "I bear a message from the Source," the demon said mockingly. "He says to tell you your efforts are pointless. Your foolish vanquish potion will not work. The Queen's soul is married to evil, and that bond cannot be broken. You will meet the same fate as she." The demon smugly started to shimmer out, but Piper blew him up before it could vanish.

"What the heck was that about?" Paige said. "That was pointless, wasn't it?"

Piper shook her head. "No...it must be a message from Cole. The Source wouldn't send a demon on a suicide mission just to deliver a stupid taunt. Vanquish potion won't work...his blood's been changed. Phoebe must have realized we summoned him, and that the old spells will work."

"Good to know," Paige said. "What about the rest?"

"Married to evil. Married to evil, same fate," Piper mused. "Oh! Dantalian!"

"Dantalian?" Paige asked.

"She was an evil high priestess," Piper explained. "She made Prue marry a demon to turn her evil because she wanted the evil to spread to the Book of Shadows."

"Do you think he's trying to tell us that Phoebe's coming after the Book?" Paige said.

Phoebe pulled back from Cole, her eyes turning to flame. "You warned them!" she hissed. "You betrayed me!" She backhanded him, knocking him to the ground, then leapt upon him, one hand on his throat, an athame appearing in the other. She brought it to his neck, pressing the sharp blade into his skin.

Cole tried to shimmer out of her grasp, but her power prevented him. So he lay still, not fighting her. "Phoebe," he said calmly. "Don't." He'd known there was a risk of Phoebe finding out he'd warned her sisters, but he had to. If Phoebe had succeeded in corrupting the Book and then her sisters, there would be no hope of saving her.

She hesitated. "I should kill you," she said angrily. "Kill you and be done with it. But I can't and you know it, damn you." She carefully traced the line of his jaw with the tip of the athame. "But I have an idea. The witches stripped your demon half from you once. Why I can't do the same to your human soul?"

A cold wave of fear swept through him. "Phoebe...don't. Please." His time at Phoebe's side had already strengthened the demon in him; if she removed his soul, it would have free reign, no humanity to hold it back.

She smiled cruelly. "I should have thought of this long ago. It's perfect. And then when my power returns to you when the baby is born, I won't have to worry about your disgusting human desires. I may keep the witch alive to bear more of my children, but your love for her will no longer be an obstacle when I am done with her." She brought her face down to his and kissed him. "But first, I'm going to make you pay for betraying me." She bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. "I want to hear you beg, baby. I want to hear you scream."

Chapter Five

"Are you sure about this?" Paige asked Piper as she settled on to her bed.

She nodded. "We need to know what Phoebe's next move is going to be. And Cole's the only one who can help us."

"But trying to send yourself into the dreams of a demon? That could be dangerous," Paige said.

"We've already talked about this, Paige," Piper said, making herself comfortable. "And it's better than the dreams of the Source, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but what if the Source is back in Cole?" Paige persisted. "We don't know."

Piper fluttered her hands at her sister. "Stop worrying. I know what I'm doing."

Leo sat on the bed next to her. "Be careful," he said, taking her hand. "If anything happens, call for me. Even in dreams I can hear you. We'll wake you up." He leaned over her and kissed her forehead.

Piper squeezed her husband's hand, then took a deep breath and cast the spell she'd found in the Book of Shadows, modified in hopes of it taking her into Cole's dreams. "Phoebe's love, wherever you may be, through our dreams take my spirit nearer to thee."

She felt instantly drowsy and sank back on her pillows. When she opened her eyes, she was standing in a grey mist. It billowed around her, and when it cleared, she found herself in a dimly lit rock cavern. Torchlight gave the chamber a hellish red glow and screams echoed in the distance. She could smell death and decay, and over it all, the scent of blood.

At the far end of the chamber, she saw Cole. He was chained to the wall, unmoving, his head hanging limply. "Oh my god," Piper whispered, running to him. She shattered the chains with her powers, catching him as he fell heavily to the ground. Lowering him as gently as she could, Piper was horrified to see wounds upon his chest and back, deep slashes that oozed blood. "Cole?" she said softly, fearfully touching his face. She couldn't be in his dreams if he was dead -- he had to be alive.

His eyes flew open. "Phoebe!" he gasped. Then he realized it was Piper who held him in her arms. "Piper...what are you doing here?"

"We're dreaming," she said. "I cast a spell to take me to your dreams. This...this isn't really happening to you, is it? It's just a dream."

He coughed weakly. "It is. She knows I told you about the Book. She had a premonition and she wasn't very happy about it. I must've passed out...."

"But...if she had a premonition, that means she can still use the Power of Three, so she's not lost to us, right?" Piper said hopefully. She used the sleeve of her shirt to try to wipe some of the sweat and blood from Cole's face, adjusting her position to try to make him more comfortable.

"She's still in there," Cole said. "She's fighting. The Source is getting more and more unstable as it tries to keep her emotions under control, but its power is getting stronger as the baby grows." He reached up to grasp at Piper's arm. "Piper, listen to me. She wants to give birth in the manor. Over the Nexus. She'll try to trick you out of the house, but you have to be there. When the baby is born, the Source will leave Phoebe and be in the baby."

"What about you?" Piper said.

"It's...it's too late for me," he said. "You'll have to kill me."

"Don't be ridiculous," Piper began.

"She's taking my soul, Piper," Cole interrupted. "If you see me again, it's not me. I'm dead. It's just going to be Belthazor. You have to kill him."

"Cole...no..." she protested.

"Do it!" he said, squeezing her arm. "You were ready to vanquish me as the Source, Piper. You can do this. You have to."

"Only because I didn't stop to think!" Piper said. "I knew if I did I wouldn't be able to go through with it."

"Do it, Piper," he said again, relaxing his grip. "The Source won't stay in the baby long. It's too helpless as an infant. It will return to me. Get Phoebe and the baby -- shield the baby, you can find a way. Then vanquish me."

Tears burned in her eyes. "There has to be another way. Some way we can save all three of you."

He weakly reached up to brush the tears away. "Don't cry, Piper. You know I'd die to protect her. And when the Source is finished with me tonight, I'll be already dead. I don't regret it. Not if it means Phoebe's safe...and you and Paige." He tensed, drawing in a quick breath. "She's coming. Break the spell, Piper. Get out of here. Don't let her sense you."

Piper pressed her forehead to his. "I'm sorry, Cole," she said softly. "I wish there was another way." She gingerly laid him down and moved back, her foot kicking a link of the shattered chain. Grabbing the piece of metal, she stood.

"Hurry, Piper!" Cole said urgently. "She's almost here."

"Leo!" Piper called.

Then she was suddenly back in her bed, Leo bending over her and shaking her. "It's okay, you're back," he said.

She threw her arms around him, hugging him in relief. Drawing back, she opened her hand. Paige peered at the metal link on her palm. "What's that?"

"It worked," Piper said. "A long time ago a dream sorcerer tried to kill Prue. She stabbed him in the dream and there was blood on the letter opener she used when she woke up. So I was hoping I could pull this out of the dream the same way."

"What for?" Paige said.

Piper tossed her the piece of metal. "Scry. Now. We don't have much time."

* * *

Phoebe slapped Cole across the face, bringing him back to wakefulness. "Wake up, baby," she said, standing on her tiptoes and stretching to kiss him, a strange contrast to the vicious slap.

He opened his eyes with a groan, unsure if what he had just dreamed was real or not. Every breath brought new agony to his body. Phoebe had taken a sadistic glee in punishing him, alternating soothing kisses with slashes from an athame. Enchanted chains prevented him from shimmering to freedom, so he stoically grit his teeth and held back his cries until the pain became too much. She faltered then, her hand unsure. Seeing her hesitation, he called her name, trying desperately to reach her, and she'd stormed from the chamber in confusion and anger over her inability to proceed. Not long after, he'd passed out from pain and loss of blood.

"Ready to pick up where we left off?" Phoebe said. "I think I've done enough damage to you. I don't want any permanent harm, after all. So I think it's time for the next step. Now, I can't exactly ask one of my Soul Blasters to do this for me, or else my secret gets out, but I did manage to acquire a little toy." A dagger appeared in her hand. "Do you know what this is?" she asked.

He blinked groggily at the dagger, trying to place it, then remembered Phoebe describing the black-hilted dagger with a glowing green blade. "The Dragon Blade...."

"A Dragon Blade," she corrected. "There were two, a matched set. The other is lost now, but this one is mine." She slid the blade over his chest, just enough to draw blood. "So you know what it does."

He winced, feeling the tug at his spirit. "Phoebe, don't do this," he pleaded one last time. "You're strong. Fight it!"

She pressed the blade harder against his chest. "If I take your soul, you won't betray me again."

"If you take my soul," Cole said, "I won't love you."

This made her pause. "Liar. You'll still want me."

"Want you, yes," he admitted. "I'll still desire you. But it will just be lust, not love."

She frowned. "No. You will still love me. You said you'd always love me."

He shook his head. "You know as well as I demons don't love. Not real love. Only a soul is capable of that."

"Maybe that's enough then," she sneered. "I will have your desire. I will have your loyalty. And after our baby is born, I will no longer be burdened by your troublesome feelings."

He looked deep into her eyes. "Phoebe. I love you. But this will be the last time you hear me say it -- and mean it -- if you do this."

Her hand faltered. "Cole...." She pressed her head against his chest, trembling. "I have to do this. I need you with me. But I have to be able to trust you. And as long as you have a soul, you'll resist me."

He ached to take her in his arms, but the chains prevented it. "Phoebe," he said. "Let me down. I promise...I won't betray you."

They both heard the sound of orbing then, and Phoebe jerked her head up. "Who dares!" she snarled.

"Phoebe, you don't want to do this," Piper said as she and Paige warily moved toward their sister.

"Who are you to tell me what I want?" Phoebe said furiously. "You're always telling me what to do! Not anymore. What I want I will have -- like this." She turned and drove the dagger into Cole's chest. He cried out in pain, then fell limp, dangling lifelessly from the chains.

"No!" Piper shouted.

"He's mine, and you can't have him anymore," Phoebe said, her voice like a spoiled child. Leaving the dagger embedded in Cole's chest, she turned to her sisters, conjuring a ball of fire. "And you'd better get out of here before I change my mind about killing you."

Piper looked desperately at Cole's motionless body, fearful they had been too late. Then she recognized something, and hope returned. "Is that what I think it is?" she murmured to Paige.

Paige nodded. "I think so. Dagger!" The weapon vanished in a cloud of orbs and reappeared in Paige's hand. With her free hand she grabbed Piper's arm and orbed them out of the chamber.

Phoebe threw the fireball as they orbed away, but it passed harmlessly through their vanishing forms. "Sisters," she hissed angrily. She turned back to Cole, moving before him, pressing her hand to his chest. "Wake up, baby," she said. "It takes more than a little knife wound to keep the big bad Belthazor down."

His eyelids fluttered and he lifted his head. "My liege," he said in a pained voice.

"My love," she corrected. She waved her hand at the chains and they vanished; he sank to the ground. "Healer!" Phoebe called.

A brown-robed demon shimmered into the room. "You called, my Queen?" he began, then saw Cole. "The Source is injured? What has happened here?"

"The witches," Phoebe lied. "Heal him." The demon did as instructed, and Cole's wounds vanished under the red light that came from the healer's hands. When he had finished, Phoebe said, "You know I cannot allow it to be known the Source is vulnerable."

The healer bowed his head. "As you wish, my Queen." Phoebe threw a ball of flame at him, incinerating the demon.

She knelt beside Cole, helping him sit up. "Finally," he growled. "I'm finally free."

"That's right, baby," she said, stroking his cheek. "You're what you were meant to be. And now nothing's going to stand in our way."

Chapter Six

Phoebe sighed in contentment, caressing her belly. "It won't be long now, my love," she murmured, leaning back against Cole.

His arms came around her, holding her tightly. "Good," he said.

Grateful for his presence, Phoebe relaxed against him, closing her eyes. She'd felt strangely uneasy these past few days as her due date drew near. She couldn't put a finger on the reason for her disquiet, only that her confidence was waning, and she suddenly felt unsure about her every action. Fortunately, Cole was there to help her through her confusion, handling all matters demonic with ease. They were in the Source's presence chamber now, having dismissed the last of those who petitioned to see their liege and his queen, and Phoebe wanted nothing more than to retire to their own chamber and rest in Cole's arms. "Are you eager to see your son, baby?" she said in response to his statement.

He slid his hand over her belly, resting it there possessively. "Eager to get back my power," he growled.

"Don't be greedy," she scolded, opening her eyes as she put her hand over his. "Our son and his destiny are what matter. The most powerful force of magic the world will ever know...."

He pulled her around to face him. "I'm also eager for him to be out of my way," he said in a low voice, glancing down at the protruding stomach that kept him at bay.

She swatted his chest and giggled. "Is that all you ever think of, baby? Be patient."

"No," he said, then added, "But I've found one or two demonesses to keep me satisfied in the meantime. They've been very eager to service the Source."

She stiffened in his embrace. "What?" She couldn't possibly have heard him right.

"You heard me," he said. "I have certain needs and you're in no condition to see to them now. You don't expect me to just wait for you, do you?"

"Yes. I. Do." she hissed, trying to conjure a ball of fire. It fizzled and died in her hand. She stared at her empty palm in shock. "What...?"

"Something wrong?" Cole said, more than a trace of mockery in his tone.

"I...I don't understand.... Seer!" she called.

"Yes, my Queen?" the Seer said, bowing respectfully as she appeared before her.

"What's wrong with me?" Phoebe asked, her anger with Cole momentarily forgotten as fear took hold of her. "I don't...I don't feel right. My powers aren't working and I feel...so confused."

"You are near your time, my Queen," the Seer said simply. "The power of the Source is settling in your baby to prepare for his birth. Its influence over you is therefore lessening."

"I don't understand," Phoebe said again. She put her hand against the wall to steady herself as her legs started shaking.

"You were never meant to hold the power of the Source," the Seer said. "It should have passed from father to son when the time was right. And now as your son nears his birth, your true nature is re-emerging." She held out her hand, and a wine glass filled with an amber fluid appeared in her grasp. "Do not worry, my Queen. It will be a simple matter to strengthen the evil within you again, and set your heart at ease. You need not be troubled by a conscience."

Phoebe looked around desperately, filled with dread as the extent of her situation began to sink in. "No...no...I...I don't want to be here. I want my sisters. I want to go home." Her voice cracked as tears started to roll down her cheeks. She turned to Cole and flung her arms around him, pleading, "Take me home, Cole. I don't want to be here."

He roughly seized her wrists, thrusting her away from him. "You'll be there soon enough." Glancing to the Seer, he asked, "How much longer?"

"The Wiccan Sabbat is two days away," the Seer said. "Your son shall draw his first breath then, as prophesied."

Phoebe struggled against Cole's grasp. "Cole! Don't listen to her! Take me home! Please!" she begged. But his eyes were cold and gave her no comfort, and somewhere in the confusion of her mind she knew the answer. The part of him that would give his life for her was gone, leaving only the cruel, power-hungry demon. His soul had been ripped from him, and she had done it.

He turned her around and twisted her arms behind her back. Gripping her wrists with one hand, he took hold of her jaw with the other, nodding at the Seer. She moved before Phoebe, tilting the contents of the glass between her lips as Cole forced her mouth open. Coughing and sputtering, Phoebe swallowed, and the liquid burned a hot trail down her throat.

Relaxing his hold on her, Cole looked to the entrance of the chamber. "Guards," he called. Two demons, one male, one a red-haired female, knelt before him. "Take the Queen to our chamber," he ordered. "See to it that she is comfortable, but she is to be confined to her bed. Restrain her if necessary, but if you cause any harm to her, you will pay dearly."

The demons nodded and rose; he pushed Phoebe into their arms. "Cole!" she cried as they started to lead her away.

"Wait," Cole said. Phoebe felt weak with relief, while the Seer looked at Cole in concern as he approached the demons. He addressed the red-haired demoness, bringing his hand to her cheek. "After you have the Queen safely in her room, attend me."

There was no mistaking the unconcealed lust in his eyes, and the demoness smiled. "Yes, my liege," she said. "I am yours to command."

"No! Cole!" Phoebe screamed one last time, trying to break free. He coldly ignored her cries and turned his back on her, speaking in low tones to the Seer. Then the tonic began to take effect, and she felt as if she were in a dream. Her struggles ceased, and she docilely allowed herself to be led back to her chamber.

* * *

Paige glumly studied the Dragon Blade. "This just keeps getting better and better," she said.

"At least Cole's alive," Piper said. "Well, sort of. But I've been stuck in one of those daggers as well, and I came out just fine." She picked up the dagger and peered at it. "Can you hear me in there? You'll be just fine."

"Should I try to orb him out?" Paige wondered aloud. "Like I did you?"

"And put him where? In a shiny glowy orb?" Piper said. "We kinda need a body to put him into."

"So we need demon Cole to put soul Cole back into," Paige said. "Then what do we do? I orbed yours into you but that was when I was getting a power boost in Limbo."

Piper flipped through the Book of Shadows. "I don't know. There are spells we've used before...."

"The potion I used to swap bodies with Phoebe?" Paige suggested.

"There's the power switching spell, too," Piper said, studying the page. "And one Phoebe used to get into her past life's body. But all these needed the caster to be willing to switch. Cole can't and Belthazor won't."

"So we wing it," Paige said with forced cheer. "No demon can withstand the might of our bad poetry."

Piper pushed the Book away and sank back in her chair, feeling overwhelmed. "We have to figure something out. Phoebe's due date has to be soon. And we still don't know what we're going to do to save her...save them." Tears began to blur her vision. "I don't know what to do.... Paige, I'm so scared...."

Paige perched on the arm of the chair, putting her arm around Piper's shoulders. "Hey," she said. "It's my turn to fall apart. You went last time, and you can't go twice in a row, it's not fair."

Despite herself, Piper smiled a little. "I didn't know there was a sign-up sheet," she sniffled.

"Of course there is," Paige said. "We can't go to pieces at the same time. So we have to take turns. And the schedule clearly says that I get to go next."

Piper laughed. "What would I do without you?" Piper said, hugging her youngest sister.

Leo orbed into the living room a moment later, and Piper looked up at her husband. "Any news from your bosses?" she asked hopefully.

"It's not good," he said. "They've been looking into what Phoebe said when she was here. She wasn't lying. Her and Cole's baby may destroy the world."

"With what, a temper tantrum?" Paige scoffed. "It's a baby. What can it do besides cry and fill diapers? Though then again, diapers can be pretty potent weapons."

"It's what he'll grow into," Leo said.

"Well, it won't matter because he's going to grow up safe and well, here with us," Piper said firmly.

Leo frowned. "Piper, I know you don't want to hear this, but the Elders -- some of them -- want you to kill the baby, any way you can. It can't be allowed to live."

"Tell them to go to hell," Piper said. "The baby is an innocent. It may be possessed by the Source, but it hasn't directly harmed anyone yet. So if we can get to him before hurts anyone, we're good, right? Like when Phoebe was a banshee or Paige was a vampire. Or what about that stupid forty-eight hour window? If he hasn't used his powers for evil, he's not evil."

"Maybe...." Leo said reluctantly.

"All right then," Piper said, considering the matter closed. "We just need to figure out when Phoebe is going to have the baby. Cole told me she wants to have him here, in the manor. But we can't just not leave for a month waiting for her to show up."

"The Elders told me something else," Leo said. "A witch uncovered an ancient prophecy. Most of these things are meaningless, but a demon tried to kill the witch before she could tell her Whitelighter about it, so maybe it could mean something."

"What was it?" Paige asked.

"It roughly translated as 'Two planets burn as one over a sky of light and magic shall rest on a holy day to welcome the twice-blessed child,'" Leo said.

"Twice-blessed?" Piper repeated. "By good and evil? Do you think this is talking about Phoebe's baby?"

"Hey, aren't the Northern Lights supposed to get really bright in a couple days?" Paige said.

Piper looked at a calendar on the wall. "February second. That must be it."

"Groundhog Day?" Paige said, cocking her head. "Phoebe wants to have her evil child on Groundhog Day? That's so...not scary."

Piper smacked Paige's arm. "No, Imbolc. It's one of the Wiccan Sabbats and you should know that. It's the center point of the dark half of the year -- it's supposed to mark the return of spring...life returning to the world."

"Or darkness keeping its hold if you pervert it," Paige said. "Hang on, let me look something up...." She pulled out her cell phone and wandered into the next room for a few minutes, then announced when she returned, "Saturn and Jupiter are in the night sky now, pretty close together."

Raising an eyebrow, Piper asked, "When did you learn about astronomy?"

"When I learned how to dial the phone number of the science geek I had a date with a couple weeks ago," Paige said with a grin and a mock curtsy.

"Okay, so if this prophecy is right, we know the date then," Piper said. "But what does 'magic shall rest' mean?"

"Doesn't sound good, whatever it is," Paige said. "In fact, I would qualify that as bad."

Piper stood and started to pace. "We can't do this alone. We need help."

"The Elders say you should...." Leo began.

Piper threw up her hands, accidentally blowing a hole in the wall in her frustration. "Dammit, Leo, I don't care what the Elders say. You will go back up there and tell them that if they don't want the spawn of all evil running around and if they want the Charmed Ones whole again then they will get off their asses and stop telling us what to do and send some help instead!"

Leo smiled at her in admiration. "I'll see what I can do," he promised.

"And if they don't help," Piper said grumpily, "when we're done with the Source I'm going to go up there and blow them up, too."

Chapters One-Three | Chapters Seven-Nine

fanfic100@LJ: Long Live the Queen (Chapters Seven - Nine) - Repost

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:22:40 GMT

Title: Long Live the Queen
Fandom: Charmed
Prompt: Birth
Characters: Cole Turner, Phoebe Halliwell, Piper Halliwell, Paige Matthews, Leo Wyatt
Pairing: Cole/Phoebe
Word Count: 18,229 (all parts)
Rating: R
Disclaimer: The WB and Brad Kern own Charmed, but they are evil.
Summary: Alternate universe take that begins from the end of the episode "Long Live the Queen." Vanquishing the Source doesn't go exactly as planned.

Chapter Seven

Phoebe bit her lip to keep from crying out as another contraction hit her. She knew she wouldn't be able to hide the fact she was in labor much longer, but she had enough awareness to know she had to get out of here, get somewhere to safety, or her baby was doomed.

Cole had eventually returned to their chamber after entertaining himself with the demoness. He'd forced her to drink more of the tonic. She'd feigned calm acceptance of her fate and his behavior, dreamily discussing the upcoming birth, but at her first opportunity, she'd vomited up the tonic. Even then everything seemed dream-like. She couldn't quite understand how she had come to be in this situation because she couldn't let herself think about it, lest the horror overwhelm her. Instead, she focused on escape. She was on her own. Cole was beyond her reach, and her desperate cries for her sisters and Leo had gone unanswered.

The Seer and Cole had been in and out of the chamber over the past two days, checking on her and making sure she was firmly under control. Fortunately, her acting fooled them. Unfortunately, her water had broken a few hours ago, and while she may not have paid much attention in health class, she knew the black viscous liquid that puddle at her feet was not normal. Frantically, sobbing, she tried to clean up the evidence before Cole returned. By the time he did, the Seer at his side, she had put on a placid mask and cheerfully lied that she was not in labor yet but that she couldn't wait until she was.

Now as the Seer and Cole spoke, she edged toward the entrance of the chamber. It was guarded, but if she acted confident enough, maybe she could bluff her way past them. She had no plan or destination, just anywhere but here.

Another contraction started as she neared the door, and she could not suppress her cry of pain. Cole and the Seer were instantly at her side, blocking her hope of escape. "My liege, she is in labor," the Seer noted. "She has been hiding it."

"Won't let you take him," she gasped. "Get away from me!"

"Get back into bed," Cole ordered.

"No!" Phoebe rushed for the door. The guards moved to block her path; she held up her hand instinctively, and to her shock, an invisible force tossed them aside. But Cole was behind her before she could go further, picking her up and carrying her to the bed. She struggled feebly, but didn't have the strength to fight him.

As he set Phoebe down on the bed, Cole snapped at the Seer. "What the hell was that?"

"The baby's power," the Seer said. "She tapped into it."

"The baby is the Source," Cole said. "It would not be helping her escape."

"Not yet, my liege," the Seer said. "But it will be. It is time."

"Watch her," Cole ordered. "I will get her sisters out of the manor. The moment I do, bring Phoebe there and prepare the spells. Timing is crucial."

The Seer nodded. "I will not fail you, my liege."

* * *

Piper scribbled in a notebook as she flipped through the Book of Shadows. She felt a presence and looked up to see Cole shimmering in to the attic. "What do you want?" she said warily, her hands up and ready to defend herself.

"I'm looking for something that belongs to me," he said. "Maybe you've seen it? Dagger, black hilt, green blade, has my soul in it."

She made a noise of derision. "What do you want with it?"

"To destroy it," he said. "I don't want to run the risk of you trying to stuff my soul back into me. I don't want it back. I'm finally free. Being a half-breed held me back for years – I had to work three times as hard to prove myself."

"Sorry, can't help you," Piper said.

"You're right about that, Piper," he said. "You can't help me. Or your sister. You should see her now. So pathetic, simpering and crying for her sisters."

Her hands twitched. "You bastard," and while the thought of Phoebe's desperation chilled her heart, it gave her hope as well. Phoebe must have somehow fought off the power of the Source.

"Oh, she'll calm down after the baby is born," Cole said. "The Seer will see to it she becomes more docile. Then again, her resistance now is a big turn on. Even now I still want her, but I must admit it's a hard choice between killing her and ending the Power of Three forever, and keeping her at my side. If nothing else, I'll enjoy getting her pregnant again. Two magical children are better than one. On the other hand, what's to say a different Charmed One might work out just as well?" He looked at Piper pointedly.

"You're sick," Piper said, disgusted.

"C'mon, Piper," he said, circling her. "I know you like the thrill of forbidden love…sneaking around…defying the Elders. Don't you miss that now that you've settled into a boring marriage with Leo? I promise you wouldn't have to freeze me like you did him. I can make sure you're completely satisfied."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "You're crazy, too."

He moved behind her, lowering his mouth to her ear. "I shimmered into the bathroom once…I thought it was Phoebe in the shower, but it was you. I stayed anyway and watched you. All that hot water running over your naked body…." His hands touched her hips, and he slowly slid them up her body and back down again. "I wondered how you would've reacted if I joined you then, pushed you up against the wall and made love to you, praying Phoebe and Leo didn't hear us…."

Despite herself, Piper found her breathing quickening. She kept her eyes squeezed shut – dangerous, but she was afraid to look at him. "Stop it," she whispered.

He kissed the side of her neck. "Take a walk on the wild side, Piper," he said huskily. "No one has to know. You like to be in control, but we both know you're yearning for someone else to take over for a change." He skimmed one hand over her stomach. "And I have access to certain spells and potions. That baby you want so much…I can give it to you."

Piper swayed unsteadily. Cole had to be using a spell or something to lower her resistance. She found him attractive, but his words and touch were compelling her more than they should. As he turned her around in his embrace, she opened her eyes and looked up at his face. She'd always wondered what it would be like to kiss those sensuous lips, and she drew in a quick uncertain breath and made a half-hearted whimper of protest as he brought them down on hers.

"No one has to know, Piper," he whispered again, his hand moving to start unbuttoning her shirt. "Just you and me. Aren't you tired of being the good girl? Let your hair down and be bad. You won't regret it, I promise you…."

She put her hands on his chest, shakily gazing into his eyes, struggling to summon her inner strength in the face of temptation. Then she laughed. "Oh, please," she said. "Do you honestly think for one minute if you had tried to get into the shower with me, I wouldn't have blown your ass up?"

Realizing his hold was broken, Cole grabbed Piper by the throat, slamming her against the wall. "Fine," he snarled. "We'll do it the hard way. Give me the dagger. Now."

"How about...a lamp!" Paige called from behind them, and said object smashed into his back. He released Piper, whirling around to find her younger sister in the doorway to the attic. Piper sagged against the wall in relief.

Cole conjured an energy ball, glaring at Paige. "You're home early," he said.

"Yeah, not a moment too soon," Paige said. "Piper, you okay?"

She nodded, hastily rebuttoning her shirt. "Think I need a shower, though." Cole smirked at her, and she regretted those particular words.

Cole sighed and the energy ball vanished. "So how about a trade then? A loved one for the dagger?"

"Phoebe?" Paige said.

"No, she's mine, and I'm not giving her up," Cole said. "You'll have to guess." He shimmered out of the attic.

Piper quickly pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "Loved one? Darryl...wait, no."

She dialed a number and heard her father's voice answer. "Hi, honey, what's up?" he said.

"Dad, where are you?" Piper said anxiously.

"Home, why?" Then she heard the sound of an energy ball, followed by a cry and the thud of a body hitting the floor.

After a moment, Cole's voice came on the line. "Hi, honey," he said mockingly.

"If you hurt him…." Piper threatened helplessly.

"Not yet, but I will," he said. "The dagger for your father. Now." The line went dead.

Chapter Eight

Cole looked up as Piper and Paige orbed into Victor's living room. "The Dragon Blade," he demanded.

"Where's my father?" Piper said.

Cole snapped his fingers, and a pair of demons emerged from the bedroom, dragging Victor's unconscious body. One held an athame to his throat. "Give me the Dragon Blade," Cole said again to Piper.

"I don't have it," she said.

"Somehow, I thought you'd say that," Cole said, glancing at his watch. "Doesn't matter, I suppose." He nodded to the demons, and the one with the athame removed it from Victor's throat, then thrust it into his side.

"No!" Piper cried. Cole grinned at her and shimmered out. The two demons followed, letting Victor's body fall to the floor. Piper jumped to his side, putting her hand over his wound, trying to stop the flow of blood.

"I can't orb!" Paige said.

"Magic's gone down," Piper said. "And it won't come back until the baby is born."

* * *

Cole shimmered into the Halliwell manor, flanked by the two demons. "You are cutting it close, my liege," the Seer said, bowing respectfully at his appearance. "As I have seen, magic will fail starting at midnight on the eve of the Wiccan Sabbat, and that time is...now."

"I told you, timing had to be perfect," Cole said. "Magic has ceased to function. The witches can't orb back here now. Where is their Whitelighter?"

"He is not within these walls," the Seer said. "And wherever he is, he will be as powerless as the rest until the child is born." She stretched her arm out, directing Cole's attention to the living room. The dining room table had been moved to the center of the room, and Phoebe lay upon it, gasping for breath as she fought the birth of her baby. The two demons moved to stand on either side of table, ignoring the piteous cries of the woman upon it. "She continues to fight, but it will not be long now," the Seer said. She paused, then added, "The baby is very large, my liege. I may have to remove it through her belly."

"Only if you have to," Cole said coolly. "I'd prefer her to remain alive. She is my Queen, after all. But the child's life is more important. Rip it out of her if you need to."

"Cole..." Phoebe cried weakly, reaching out for him. He did not move to take her hand, watching impassively, his arms crossed across his chest. Her face contorted in pain as another contraction began. "Cole...please...help me," she begged. "Piper! Paige!"

"Your sisters can't hear you," he said. "They're on the other side of San Francisco trying to stop your father from bleeding to death. But without magic they'll fail, and they'll never get here in time to save you. Consider your father's life just the first of many sacrifices in the name of our son."

The Seer knelt to check the baby's progress again. "Ah, he is coming now," she said. "Push, my Queen. You are almost there."

Moments later, Phoebe screamed, then the cries of a newborn filled the air as the Seer rose with the infant in her arms. She sliced the umbilical cord with the athame, and Phoebe gasped in sudden shock as her connection to the Source was finally completely severed. "My baby," she moaned. "Give me my baby...."

The Seer wiped the baby clean, then wrapped him in a blanket and handed him to Cole. "Your son, my liege," she said.

"Cole, please, let me see my baby," Phoebe said, struggling to sit up. She held out her arms to him.

Cole turned toward her. "You may see him, but you will not touch him," he said. "I will not have you corrupting him. You have served your purpose here, and now the only use I have for you is to produce another child. Seer, return her to the Underworld."

"As soon as I am able, I will obey," the Seer said, bowing her head. "Magic's return begins with your son's birth, but it is not immediate, and the ability to transport oneself will the one of the last powers to return."

"That's good for us then," Piper said from the stairway landing. She blew up the demons that flanked the table with a quick flash of her hands. "Good thing my powers are working now."

"Baby!" Paige called from beside her. The infant disappeared in a cloud of orbs and reappeared in Paige's arms. He wailed in dismay, kicking weakly. "Awww, look at the cute wittle Source,' Paige said, tickling him under the chin. "Who's the cute Source of all Evil? Who's the cute Source of All Evil?"

Cole glared at the sisters. "How did you get here? It's impossible!"

Piper started to move down the stairs, followed by Paige. "We never left," she said. "Whitelighters can glamour themselves, you know. That wasn't me and Paige who went to meet you. That was Leo and another Whitelighter, and Leo, as you know, is a trained medic even without his powers, so my father is going to be just fine." She tried to look beyond Cole at the table on which Phoebe lay. "Phoebe?" Her sister didn't answer.

"You can't win this, Piper," Cole said. "Not unless you can kill me and the baby. Can you kill an innocent...your own nephew?"

"I don't have to," Piper said.

As she spoke, swirling lights appeared in the living room, and Penny Halliwell appeared. She took the baby from Paige's arms as she reached the bottom of the stairs, then drew back into the dining room as she began the words of a summoning spell. "I call forth from space and time, matriarchs from the Halliwell line. Mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, our family's spirit without end, to gather now in this sacred space and help us bring this child to grace."

Spectral images of women, including those Piper recognized as her mother and Melinda Warren, who started their family line, began to appear. She couldn't help but scan the crowd for another familiar face, but did not see her. "This has to work," she murmured to Paige. "Grams said that a wiccanning is a witch's compass for good. It has to drive the Source out of the baby, even if only for a few minutes."

Grams turned toward the dead Halliwell witches, putting the baby in Patty's arms as her daughter's form solidified. "We bless this child," Penny began, "with the goodness that we are...."

"No!" Cole howled. He threw an energy ball but Grams turned and held up her hand and deflected it back towards him, knocking him into the wall. "You will not deny this child his ancestral blessing," she said.

As each Halliwell woman laid a hand on the baby, whispering words of blessing, the infant stopped crying, and a black cloud of power rose from his body. It swirled over to Cole as he picked himself up; he gasped and stiffened as it enveloped him, then vanished.

Piper and Paige hurried to Phoebe's side while Cole was distracted. The Seer oddly did not try to stop them, retreating to a far corner to observe. "Honey, wake up," Piper said, wrapping her arms around Phoebe. She was horrified to see that the lower half of Phoebe's body was soaked with blood, and the stain was spreading. Her face was pale, her breathing shallow.

But her eyelids fluttered at the sound of her sister's voice. "Piper?" she said weakly.

Cole looked at the three sisters, his eyes turned to flame. "Isn't this where we came in?" he said. He glanced to the Halliwell matriarchs, still busy with their blessing, protected by Grams' power, then back to the Charmed Ones. "Think you can vanquish me this time?" He conjured a ball of flame. "Or will you join the ghosts in the corner?"

Piper tried to freeze the ball of fire as Cole threw it, but she barely slowed it and had to duck, throwing her body over Phoebe's as it passed by. Paige called for the one that followed and sent it harmlessly in another direction, but it seemed Cole's powers were returning stronger and faster than their own, and two more fireballs followed. Piper desperately flung up her hands to freeze them, but they suddenly ricocheted back toward Cole as another spectral figure materialized between him and the Charmed Ones. "You!" he snarled.

"Sorry I'm late," Prue said. "Had to convince a few reluctant Elders that now was a good time to let me come down."

"Prue!" Piper whispered.

Her eldest sister didn't risk a glance back at her. "Whatever you're going to do, do it fast," Prue said. "I can't hold him back long."

"Miss your sisters, Prudence?" Cole sneered. "Don't worry, they'll be with you soon enough." He threw another ball of flame at her; she held up her hand, sending it back towards him.

Piper pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket, unfolding it as Paige helped Phoebe sit up. "C'mon, Phoebe, stay with us," she said. "We need the Power of Three."

"I can't do it," Phoebe said weakly.

"Yes you can," Paige urged. "You have to be strong, Phoebe. For Cole and your little boy."

Phoebe tried to focus on the paper, reading the words aloud with her sisters. "In this time and in this place, release this spirit you displace. Set it free, that which you hate, and you instead receive his fate."

Cole snarled in rage and tried to throw a fireball at the table, but Prue continued to use her telekinesis to defend her sisters as Grams used her own power to defend the Wiccanning. "Piper, hurry!" Prue said.

Phoebe's eyes closed; Piper shook her. "We're almost there, honey, just hang in there. You can do it." Opening her eyes again, Phoebe continued with the second part of the spell with her sisters. "What's yours is his, what's his is thine, let your spirits cross the line. This burden is not his to bear, switch your essence through the air."

"No!" Cole shouted. He began to glow with a white light, which grew brighter and brighter until everyone present had to cover their eyes or look away. Then the light was gone, leaving Cole looking about himself in bewilderment. "Prue?" he said, confused to find her in front of him. "What happened? Where's the Source?"

Paige pulled the Dragon Blade from the back of her pants. "Phenomenal cosmic power," she said. "Itty bitty living space."

"Cole?" Phoebe called faintly.

Confusion forgotten, he pushed by Prue and moved quickly to the table. Piper and Paige moved to let him take her in his arms. "Phoebe?" he said, brushing her sweat-soaked hair from her face.

"Is it really you, baby?" she said faintly.

"It's me," he said. "I'm here. You're safe. Our baby is safe."

She smiled, and tears began to slide down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I tried to fight it, but I couldn't...."

"It's okay," he said. "I couldn't either...but everything's fine now."

She lifted her hand to his cheek. "Take care of our baby. Make sure he's good, like his father."

"Phoebe?" He looked down and finally registered all the blood. Looking frantically to Piper and Paige, he said, "Where's Leo?"

"I still can't orb," Paige said reluctantly. "Which means neither can he."

Cole tried to shimmer and was frustrated to find his ability to transport himself had not returned yet, either. "Phoebe, hang on!" he pleaded.

"Love you," she whispered, then her eyes closed and her body went limp in his arms.

Chapter Nine

Cole looked desperately to Paige. "You can heal her. You have to!"

"I've never done it on my own," she said nervously. "I've always just helped Leo. I don't know if I can."

"Try," Cole pleaded. "You can do it."

Paige set the Dragon Blade down on the table, then put her hands over Phoebe. She closed her eyes, her brow furrowed with concentration, and a faint golden aura came from her fingertips. "She's still alive...barely," Paige said. "Trying...." But after a minute, she lifted her head, tears of frustration and sadness in her eyes. "I can't reach her. She's too weak. I think she's given up...."

Piper turned to Prue, starting to cry as she buried her face against her sister's shoulder. Prue held her tightly, looking sadly at Phoebe's still body. Most of the Halliwell ancestors had vanished, but Grams and Patty remained and they now approached the table, Patty still carrying the baby. He started to wail again as they drew near, picking up on the mood.

"Don't you leave me, Phoebe," Cole said softly, caressing her cheek. His tears fell unashamedly on to her pale face. He couldn't lose her now, not after all they'd endured. "I need you," he told her. "Your sisters need you. Our son needs you. Don't give up, don't you dare." He gathered Phoebe into his arms and stood. "Someone call an ambulance -- we can get her to a hospital. We need someone who can help her."

Then in a flash of white light, Leo was there, looking as surprised to find himself at the manor as everyone else. Piper wasted no time with an explanation she couldn't give. "Leo! Heal Phoebe!"

He was at her side in an instant, as Cole quickly set Phoebe down on the couch, cradling her head in his lap. Leo put his hands over her stomach. "She's lost a lot of blood," he said, focusing his powers. Cole firmly held Phoebe's hand, stroking her hair and whispering encouragement to her. Paige put her hands with Leo's, lending him her strength, and color slowly began to return to Phoebe's face. The blood covering her vanished. "She'll be all right," Leo said with a heavy sigh of relief. "She needs to rest. I did as much healing as I could, but she's still weak."

"Thank you," Cole said, his voice choked with emotion. He looked around the room. "Thank all of you. I don't know how you did it, but thank you."

"Blame Piper's temper," Paige said. "She threatened the Elders unless we got a little help, which we did in the form of the mighty Halliwell ancestors."

"The ancestral blessing sets a witch on the path to good," Grams explained. "The purifying effect was enough to drive the Source out, at least temporarily, before he got a foothold." She peered at the baby in Patty's arms. He had stopped crying and was now burbling happily. "I don't quite understand why he's a...he. That's unheard of. The Halliwell line has always been women." She sniffed at Cole. "Must be demon blood."

"That's...not nice...Grams," Phoebe said faintly, stirring. She struggled to sit up; Cole helped her, letting her lean against him.

"Take it easy, Phoebe," he murmured in her ear, wrapping his arms protectively around her. He almost couldn't believe they were here, safe and free of the Source at last. It was still sinking in, but all that mattered was that Phoebe was all right, and so was their baby.

The baby was first in Phoebe's thoughts as well as she held out her arms. "Can I see my demon baby?" she said, making a face at Grams.

Patty carefully put the cooing infant in Phoebe's arms. She leaned her head against Cole's shoulder as they both gazed down at him. "He's so beautiful," Phoebe whispered. "He's got his father's eyes."

The rest of the family crowded around them. The chandelier above them began to gently shake, and a pale blue light fell upon them all. "Does that mean magic is back?" Paige asked.

Leo nodded. "I think so. I think that means everything is as it should be again."

Phoebe lifted her gaze from the baby and looked anxiously at her sisters. "He's okay? The Source doesn't have him?"

"The Source is trapped in the Dragon Blade," Piper said. "Paige and I rewrote some of the body switching spells to put Cole's soul back in his body and stick the Source in the dagger. We knew if we kicked the Source out of the baby it would have to go back into Cole."

"We made them switch places," Paige said smugly. "And, ew, I just realized I had the Source down in my pants."

"What about Dad, is he okay?" Phoebe asked.

He's all right," Leo said with another nod. "We stopped the bleeding, and I was able to heal him when magic started coming back. Then all of a sudden I was here."

"How did that happen?" Piper said. "The Elders? Did they bring you here?"

"Maybe?" Leo said. "I really don't know. But something brought me here."

Phoebe looked around at her family. "I'm so sorry," she said. "For everything."

"It wasn't your fault, sweetie," Prue said, sitting next to her.

Phoebe blinked as if seeing her eldest sister for the first time. "Prue? You're here? How...?"

"Piper's not the only one with a temper," Prue said with a grin. "The Elders tried to tell me it still wasn't time for me to come down yet, but I convinced them otherwise -- that we needed the power of all the Halliwells to do this."

"I've missed you so much," Phoebe said, tearing up as she shifted the baby to one arm and tried to sit up to embrace her sister. "If only I'd been up here instead of down there...down there...oh god...." She started to hyperventilate, and the baby whimpered in protest. "What I did...down there," Phoebe said, hysteria rising in her voice.

"Piper...." Cole said, looking questioning at her.

She nodded, kneeling beside the couch and taking Phoebe's face in her hands. "Time in evil's power, this price cannot be paid. To set your heart at ease, make the memories fade." Phoebe looked about herself with wild panicked eyes, then sank against Cole with a sigh, falling into a peaceful unconsciousness.

Piper scooped up the baby and held him so that Phoebe didn't accidentally let him go as she fell into the restful sleep. "A memory spell?" Patty said. "Is that wise? She has to deal with what happened...."

"She shouldn't have to deal with it all at once," Leo said. "We can reverse the spell a little bit at a time. It will be better for her this way."

Cole stood, Phoebe in his arms, and moved toward the stairs. Turning back around, he said, "I'm going to take her upstairs and put her in her bed."

"I think this little guy wants to sleep, too," Piper said, gently rocking the baby as he yawned and closed his eyes. "There's an old cradle in the attic -- Leo, can you get it?"

Still unconscious, Phoebe gasped, tensing in Cole's arms. "Cole!" she cried. "No!"

"Did she just get a premonition?" Paige said, peering at her sister.

"Or a nightmare?" Cole wondered. "Will your spell shield her from those, Piper?"

Before Piper could answer, Prue said slowly, "Cole, come here." He looked at her questioningly, and she said, "Just do it."

He took a step forward, glancing over his shoulder. Behind him, frozen in place in the doorway between the living room and the dining room, Dragon Blade raised to strike, stood the Seer. "Good job," he said to Piper.

She blinked in confusion. "I didn't do that. I didn't know she was still here!"

"Then how...?" Cole looked at the baby dozing in her arms. "No...."

"Most powerful source of magic in the world?" Piper reminded him.

"But he didn't know she was there, either, he's asleep!" Cole said.

"Something's watching over us," Paige said, scurrying over to pry the Dragon Blade from the Seer's stiff fingers. "Someone wanna blow her up?"

The Seer unfroze before Piper could raise her hands. She quickly took in the scene and her failure to stab Cole with the dagger, then shimmered out without a word. "Damn!" Piper said.

"She can't do much without that," Cole said, nodding toward the Dragon Blade. "We need to hide it somewhere."

Leo took the blade from Paige. "I can orb it into a mountain with the Grimoire," he said.

"Not the same mountain," Cole said. "On the other side of the world. Keep them far apart. Without them, evil is crippled. Not powerless by a long shot, but not as powerful."

"A victory is a victory," Paige said cheerfully. "And I say we party."

* * *

"Merlin."

"No."

"Gandalf."

"No."

"Harry Potter?"

"A thousand times no."

"Raistlin?"

Cole raised an eyebrow. "I thought he was evil."

Phoebe giggled. "I always thought he was just misunderstood."

They lay facing each other on their bed, the baby sleeping peacefully between them, as they tried once again to decide on a name. "He needs a powerful magical name," Phoebe had insisted.

"Shouldn't you be looking for a P name?" Cole asked.

"I think Piper has laid claim to the Ps," Phoebe said. "Besides, the Ps are more of a girl thing. Maybe another letter for boys? C?"

"We'd better agree on something fast. Paige has taken to calling him Damien," Cole said.

"Oh, no, we are not going to have our little angel growing up with an evil demon name complex," Phoebe said.

Cole brought his hand up to her face and asked hesitantly, "Does it worry you that I'm half-demon again?"

She rubbed her cheek against his hand. "That's not your fault, baby. You didn't ask for it, anymore than you asked to be the Source."

"You can make another power stripping potion," he suggested.

Shaking her head, she said, "No. Cole, sweetie, you kinda drove me nuts when you didn't have powers. You make a lousy human. Besides, I think you do have to be an angel or a demon to be a man in this family. Mere mortal men can't handle the Halliwells. Just look at Dad or any of Grams' many many husbands." She kissed the palm of his hand. "It's not the powers, anyway, it's how you use them."

Cole tenderly kissed her forehead. "Then I'm going to use mine to go downstairs and see if Piper is done with breakfast. I'll bring a tray up for you."

She pouted at him. "I can go downstairs to eat, you know. I'm not an invalid."

"Leo says you still need to rest," he reminded her. "You've been through a lot."

"I want to go downstairs and have breakfast," she insisted.

In a flash of white light, she and the baby vanished. Sick with sudden panic, Cole called her name, then shimmered downstairs to alert her sisters. He heard Piper shriek as he appeared downstairs. She stood in the doorway to the kitchen, a plate of pancakes frozen between her hands and the floor as she stared into the dining room. "How did you do that?" she said. "You scared the hell out of me!"

Phoebe sat at one end of the table, the baby awake and in her lap. "I don't know," she said, confused. "I wanted breakfast then here I was." She looked at the baby. "Did you do that, sweetie?"

"You're all right?" Cole said in relief, moving into the dining room.

"I'm fine," she said. Then she grinned and said playfully, "Hmmm...Mommy wants Daddy to come here and feed her grapes."

The white light flared again, and Cole suddenly found himself standing next to Phoebe's chair, a bunch of grapes in his hand. Phoebe laughed in delight. "Okay, Mommy wants Daddy to rub her...."

"All right, that's enough," Piper said hastily, taking hold of the plate of pancakes before it unfroze and hit the floor. She set it on the table. "Your baby is not a genie in a magic lamp. You, young lady, better watch your words if junior here is somehow granting your wishes."

"What about mine?" Cole said, feeling a little jealous.

"Don't sulk, baby," Phoebe said. "He spent nine months inside of me, of course he's tuned in to my wishes. I have a feeling eventually we're all going to watch what we say around him." She grinned up at Cole and winked. "Besides, your desires are torrid and perverse and not meant for a young child's ears."

"Hey, hey!" Piper said. "Or mine!"

"It does explain how the Seer was frozen," Cole mused. "You had a premonition of her stabbing me with the Dragon Blade, and he responded to it by stopping her? And he brought Leo to heal you?"

"Such a good boy!" Phoebe said, kissing the baby's belly. "So strong and mighty! Yes you are!"

Piper turned back toward the kitchen. "Breakfast is almost ready," she said over her shoulder. "Cole, can you give me a hand?"

Cole followed Piper into the kitchen. She poured several glasses of orange juice and put them on a tray, then paused before handing the tray to Cole. "I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" he said.

"I'm pregnant," she said. "I thought it was just stress, but I took a test this morning, and...."

"Piper, that's great," Cole said. "I know how much you and Leo...."

"Leo doesn't know yet," she said. "I haven't told him."

"Then why are you telling me?" Cole said, puzzled.

"Because...." She hesitated. "You didn't...you didn't...do anything to me, did you?"

"Do...what?" he said.

She blushed, unable to meet his eyes. "In the attic. You told me you could get me the baby I wanted."

He shook his head. "No. I didn't. Some of it's hazy, but...no. If you're pregnant you did it the old fashioned way, I assure you."

She sighed in relief. "Good. I just wanted to be sure before I said anything." She paused, then peered at him. "What do you remember?"

"The best answer here would be nothing, wouldn't it?" he said.

"Mmm hmmm," she said. "And just for the record, no shimmering into the bathroom without knocking first, got it?"

"Got it," Cole said solemnly, picking up the orange juice.

Paige and Leo soon joined them at the table. Prue, Patty, and Grams had lingered for as long as they could the night before, but Prue promised her sisters she would return as soon as she could for a proper reunion. The mood in the Halliwell manor was the lightest it had been since Prue's death, made even happier with Piper's announcement of her own pregnancy.

After breakfast Cole and Phoebe cuddled in the sun room as the baby napped in his cradle nearby. "This still feels like a dream," Phoebe said. "I can't believe it's all over...and that we have a baby."

"The nightmare's over now," Cole agreed, squeezing her tighter.

"Not entirely," she said wistfully. She turned her head to look at him. "The demons won't go away. And they'll be coming after him, won't they? They'll think they can make him the Source."

"Over my dead body," Cole vowed. "Anything that tries to come after him is going to have to come through me. I promise you, I won't let anything hurt him, ever."

"I'm going to hold you to that, baby," she said, snuggling closer.

Cole kissed the top of her head, savoring the moment of peace. He knew it wouldn't last long, that the Seer and others like her would soon make attempts to take his son. But for now he enjoyed the tranquility. Time for worry would come later.

Chapters One-Three | Chapters Four - Six

oldschoolfic@LJ: Want/Take/Have

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:17:37 GMT

Title: Want/Take/Have
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Characters: Buffy Summers, Faith Lehane
Pairing: Buffy/Faith
Word Count: 1,150
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or Faith, I'm just playing in Joss Whedon's universe.
Summary: Set during S3 "Bad Girls" -- what happened after Faith and Buffy escaped from the police car?
Author's Note: For ashesofroses with a prompt of "Get away and come with me // Come away with me and we'll see // If I was right on that night, that a future was made // Before time takes each year, like a knife cuts it clear // It's school, then work and then life that just sharpens the blade." Much thanks to rhi_silverflame for the beta! My first time writing femslash, eee!

"Want, take, have," Faith had said as she smashed open the display cases at Meyer's Sport and Tackle and helped herself to the weapons. The "simple" life of a Slayer.

"I'm getting it," Buffy had replied, choosing a dagger to make her own. Simple and easy definitely had its appeal. Not worrying about consequences, about pleasing her mother and obeying the Watcher's Council. About what would happen if she and Angel ever made love again.

Giving into desire felt good. She just never expected where Faith would take the lesson next.

After the cops arrested them and they escaped from the car, Faith urged Buffy to flee. Buffy hesitated, looking at the unconscious officers, torn with guilt. Police were the good guys. They'd been right to arrest her and Faith for breaking the law.

"Come on!" Faith called impatiently. She didn't care. She was only concerned about herself, wasn't she?

The officers were starting to regain consciousness. Relieved, Buffy finally ran after Faith.

Faith led the way through the dark streets of Sunnydale until they reached the motel she called home. Once they were inside her room, Faith slammed the door shut, leaned back against it, and started laughing. "That was wicked cool!" she said. "They never knew what hit them."

Panting, Buffy sat down on the bed. "We are going to be in so much trouble."

Faith shrugged off her denim jacket and tossed it on a chair. "Two high school girls, one blonde, one brunette," she said. "That really narrows it down. Besides, like they're going to admit two girls kicked their asses? Twenty bucks says their report turns us into two buff male gang members."

"But if there were security cameras," Buffy began to protest.

"Oh, come on, B." Faith rolled her eyes. "God, you worry too much. I thought you were gettin' it there for a minute, you know, want, take, have. We're Slayers. We're special. We can do whatever we want."

Buffy abruptly stood up again. "No, we can't!" she said, flailing her arms out at her sides. What they had done was sinking in fast, and she didn't like the guilt. "We can't take whatever we want, it's not right."

"Wanna bet?" Faith grinned, and then she was moving forward, grabbing Buffy's shoulders and jerking her close. Her lips came down on Buffy's in a demanding kiss.

Too stunned to react for a moment, Buffy let Faith kiss her, then squirmed away, stumbling back. "What are you doing?" she said.

"I'm all juiced up, B." Faith smirked, appearing to be amused by Buffy's retreat. Her eyes were dark, glittering with a hunger Buffy usually saw in vampires eager for a kill. The dark lipstick she always wore was smudged now, and Buffy knew she had to have the same smudges on her own lips. "I told you how slaying makes me horny. Running from the cops, close enough. Blood's pumpin' almost as much."

"But. . . but," Buffy stammered, completely unprepared as to how to deal with this.

Faith drew closer, like a cat stalking prey. "What's the matter?" she purred. "You're hot, I'm hot, we can be all hot and sweaty together. Don't be shy. Never been with another chick?"

"No," Buffy admitted. "I-I don't think there's anything wrong with it, I just. . . ."

"You just crave a deep dicking," Faith said, "which you can't get without your boyfriend losing his soul and going all evil on us."

Buffy blushed. Early that night when she had jumped up and wrapped her legs around Angel, she had felt him get hard, which made her ache all the more for what she couldn't have. If it weren't for the consequences, she would've dragged him into a dark corner and. . . . And now just the thought of it was making her horny again. She chewed at her lower lip, trying to force the thoughts away.

"You can go home and let your fingers do the walking," Faith said. "Or you can let me help you with some of that pent up frustration. C'mon, B, it's not like Angel'll think you're cheating on him. Bet he'd think it was hot."

Buffy opened her mouth to protest, but Faith was quicker. "Wait, stop, think," she mocked. "Not the way I operate and you know it. Door's right there, B. I know you can get past me and leave if you want. If you want. But I think you're just itchin' to get off, and you don't care how."

Faith was right. Buffy licked her lips nervously. She envied Faith's freedom so much sometimes, and often felt like she had something to prove to the other slayer. Now Faith was challenging her, and resistance was proving nearly impossible.

"Want," Faith said, moving closer. "Take." She pushed Buffy down on the bed. "Have." She moved her body over Buffy's, kissing her hungrily.

Buffy kissed her back this time, tentatively at first, even more shy than she had been with Angel. Faith slid one hand down Buffy's body, easing it between her legs, stroking her through her jeans. Whimpering softly, Buffy brought her hands up to run them along Faith's bare arms, digging her fingers into Faith's shoulders as she rocked her hips against her hand. Faith's tongue pushed between her lips, and Buffy felt all her nervousness slipping away into a whirlpool of desire -- and the need to satisfy that desire.

Somehow, Buffy wasn't sure exactly how, Faith smoothly pulled her leather coat off, followed by her boots and pants. She pushed Buffy's camisole up over her breasts and nuzzled each one before sliding further down her body. Buffy gasped as Faith's head dipped between her legs and hot breath teased her inner thighs. Then Faith's tongue darted out and Buffy had to bring one hand up to her mouth and bite down on her finger to keep from moaning out loud.

"Don't hold back," Faith said. "Wanna hear you scream." Her fingers joined her tongue, and Buffy arched her back, crying out this time. Faith knew exactly where to touch her and how much pressure to use and she was so wound up and oh god she was going to come. Her hands twisted in the thin cover of the bed as she clamped her thighs around Faith's head.

A moment later, when she relaxed with a contented sigh, Faith sat up, rubbing her neck. "Damn, girlfriend, you're going to break somebody's neck someday," she said, grinning. She slid her way back up Buffy's body, shedding her own top so that their naked chests pressed against each other.

"Wow," Buffy managed to say, drained from her release. She hadn't realized she'd been that pent up.

"And that's just round one," Faith said. "Now it's your turn."

"My turn?" Buffy repeated.

"Good girl like you," Faith said wickedly, "should know it's better to give than receive."

X-posted to oldschoolfic (here)