The Life and Times Part 1: Magic in the air Chapter 2
"To expostulate why day is day, night night, and time is time, |
Cole sat in the living room, watching Melinda and Whosit Patrick playing. Wyatt had been fed, washed and played with for an hour and put to bed and with any luck, a lot of luck would sleep through. He had fed the other two and battled Melinda over everything she was told to eat and managed to stay patient while Whosit Patrick investigated every mouthful of food with his nose and only sighed when Whosit decided fingers and feel were better than spoons. "You're lucky Piper's not home" Cole told his son "we'd both be in trouble."
Phoebe thought Whosit Patrick was sweet when he explored
his food. Piper and everybody else did not. It drove Paige crazy and even Leo
who was inclined to spoil Whosit rotten about everything else sighed over meal
times. The children were on the floor in front of the carefully
screened off fire, playing. If Piper a been home Whosit would have been in bed
and Melinda would be getting looks but Piper and Leo were at the club and Phoebe
was caught at a late editorial meeting and she hated missing putting the
children to bed so Cole left them up. Melinda was making herself happy with some
game of orbing and telekineticking farm animals around the flood while Whosit
Patrick was building something or trying to. He kept putting bricks in his mouth
and then throwing them in the air. Cole frowned a little as he watched his son.
Whosit was trying to imitate Melinda flicking the toy animals in the air. He
kept waving his little hand at the blocks and when they did not move, he got an
expression of intense annoyance and then his face would crumple and then he
would try a again. Cole sat on the floor for a while to play building blocks
with him and resisted very hard the temptation to let Whosit have any of his
power or flick the blocks around for him but he saw the frustration on his son's
face and felt every bit of it for him. Cole was only finally distracted by the sound of orbs. He
looked up, a not entirely friendly expression on his face. He expected it to be
the girl's whitelighter and the latest one was another in the long list who did
not entirely approve of mortal husbands, especially when they fathered non witch
male children. Then his expression turned to a sort of half smile as his
whitelighter Francesca Rinaldi appeared. She was in her whitelighter robe, with
the hood back. Her salt and pepper hair was pulled back into a pony tale. Her
face was in its scarred mortal form, the real one it been after, as a girl her
beauty was taken from her by disease and ignorance. Cole had long since come to
recognise the vanity which made her live her magic eternity in this form and he
was smart enough to know that when appeared as who she was, she was showing a
trust in him by revealing more than her face. "You almost look pleased to see me" Francesca
commented. "I thought it was going to be Casper the friendly
ghost coming to give Phoebe another lecture about responsibility" Cole said
standing up. "Who?" asked Francesca. "I never get the right ghost's name, whatever, the
latest whitelighter." Cole answered. "And Phoebe listens to these lectures?" Francesca
asked tongue in cheek. Cole did not bother to answer but he smiled. Melinda stood up an approached Francesca, all good girl
"Mrs Winaldi" she said very properly as she approached
"Hello". "Hello dear" said Francesca " "How are
you?". "I'm very well" Melinda answered head on side,
all grown up "I go play now " she added still good girl because she
knew her limits with Francesca. "You're a good girl " told her Francesca kindly. "Yes I am" agreed Melinda politely before going
back to her toys. Francesca because she knew the family, took the time to bend
over and gently touch Whosit. "I drink wine," she said over her
shoulder to Cole " Red. The good stuff." "I know" Cole answered getting up and going into
the kitchen. He came back with two glasses and a bottle of red, the good
stuff and poured it. Francesca with a slight smile accepted the wine as she
watched Whosit lost in concentration pile blocks and Melinda whiz her toys
around her head. "They get to you, you know " Cole explained.
"You never realise how they can take over your whole life, how their
existence can be your existence." Francesca smiled "They make you feel you have an
existence, an eternity outside magic?" she commented. Cole nodded almost shyly "You never had any?" he
asked. "Steps " she replied " along time ago "
she hesitated "they were dear to me. You're not supposed to care about step
children are you? Supposed to be the wicked stepmother. They were dear to
me" she said sipping wine. "It's a myth they have to be yours to..care
" she said "You just have to have an…investment in them." "I know" Cole answered glancing at Melinda. Cole sat on the chair opposite where he could see Francesca
and the children. "You're alone" Francesca stated. "Piper and Leo at P3 supporting the family" Cole
answer "Paige is at work, Phoebe was at a meeting" he said caressing
her name "she'll be home soon. Just me babysitting." "Such along way from the demon Belthezor"
Francesca commented. "Sadly Belthezor is never far enough away from me to
make me sure I can forget his existence" Cole answered. "He haunts
me," he added. "Yes well ghosts do that " said Francesca
"and we all have them. Not just reserved for demons who found a different
path." She added sipping wine. " But it is one of their penances." Cole was quiet for a minute. Finally he said, "You
sound dispirited". "Oh terminal problem with the never ending a battle
" replied Francesca "enjoy your small family life Cole " she said
"Take my advice. Treasure each moment every word." "I do," he said. "I know" she answered. Then matter-of-factly
Francesca asked "You dealt with the African problem satisfactorily?" "I dealt with the African problem to the best of my
ability," Cole answered "But no I did not deal with it satisfactorily.
Africa seems to be Africa, whether the problem is magic or mortal, Africa seems
to be beyond solution." He stopped looked down and then looked up at
Francesca. "I..I don't have the wisdom to solve the problems of Africa,
justice for one creature, magic or mortal is damnation for another. Africa"
he said. "I have no idea how any-one could have the wisdom to solve it,
mortal or magic." "That's a good start" said Francesca.
"Didn't some-one say Africa is a paradox." Cole laughed "I would bet a great deal on it. Leo can
tell you who" he added not quite nicely. "Be kind to Leo" Francesca said severely
"His wisdom grows." "So does the cost of buying books," Cole
muttered. Francesca looked down her nose at Cole and then softened as
he grinned. "Africa was the cradle of the realm," she said "To
much conflict, to much history, to much passion. To much scope for demons to
find lost souls, to much opportunity for good to call to arms. Africa." she
said severely. "Perhaps next time I get a call for Africa I should
just get you to go over there, glare at them and tell them all to behave."
Cole suggested with a half smile. "Don't be cheeky " Francesca said not quite as
severely as she meant to and laughed, the golden laugh that Cole thought like
others before him, very beautiful. Cole joined Francesca's laughter and then stopped as Phoebe
appeared at the door. Just seeing her unexpectedly, caused his face to flash
with the smile Phoebe loved, the one he saved for her alone. "Hi baby" he breathed. "Hi Baby " she breathed, eyes big and brown and
soft with an expression just for him, an expression that did very good things
for Cole's ego among other things and made Piper complain of feeling ill. Unlike
Piper who seemed to get thinner after child birth, Phoebe was plumper. It suited
her although she was forever asking Cole "Will you still love me if I'm
fat?" He had tried answering, " I'll love no matter what you
look like." Or "You look perfect to me " and then when those
answers caused her not to speak to him for a day, he tried practically saying,
"If putting on weight worries you lay off the chocolate." Which meant
she didn't speak to him for three days although she was not angry enough with
him to refuse sex. After that when she asked the question, Cole simply said yes,
which annoyed the hell out of Phoebe but she could not find a way to turn it
into an argument. Francesca smiled at the wife, girl/woman, witch and future
heroine of legend and myth when the songs of the demon who walked away from evil
for her were sung, the girl who Cole Turner the demon guardian Belthezor loved.
She thought Phoebe had never looked so naturally beautiful. Her hair was longer
than ever and the dark was streaked with about 4 shades each of red and blond.
When she had it done last week she asked Cole what he thought of the hairdo.
"Lovely " he said and meant it. "How much did it cost?"
because he had learnt a few things since he and Phoebe married. "Nothing" said Phoebe " from a
sponsor". "It looks absolutely gorgeous," breathed Cole. It also was
permed into loose curls that she had clipped back by a large emerald clip that
caught the light. She had light makeup and wore a long dark blue chiffon skirt
with a somewhat startling not quite matching the clip sweater with flowers over
the boobs. Phoebe over thirty and a long way from the girl who had curiously
opened an old book that her grams had left in a wooden chest 8 years earlier
looked like a woman who knew love, who could love, who was loved. Phoebe looked
beautiful. The somewhat doe eyed softness Phoebe reserved for her
husband, how Phoebe loved that word, fell away a little as she saw Francesca
ensconced on the couch drinking wine and laughing and joking comfortably with
Cole. The Phoebe who understood magic and was intensely proud and protective of
the long road Cole had walked to become the being she loved and adored
understood that because of what he was, there were parts of his life she could
not, must not share. But the Phoebe who would always be Phoebe could not quite
be so understanding when she was confronted by the knowledge that some-one else
could share those things with him. "Hi Francesca, great to see you" Phoebe smiled
and meant it. Because she really loved Francesca and owed her and felt guilty as
hell when the little green monsters attacked without warning. "Good evening Phoebe" Francesca said with just
enough of a smile to make Phoebe certain she knew all about Phoebe's little
green monsters, and Phoebe shuddered with guilt. Phoebe walked behind the sofa
and caught the back of Cole's head to turn his mouth to hers in what was
supposed to be a brush of the lips but went on longer than was probably
necessary for a couple who had been together on and off for nearly five years.
Francesca obviously thought so. Phoebe caught Francesca's amusement, swallowed and left
Cole and planted herself on the floor pulling Whosit Patrick onto her lap and
catching him in a quick precious cuddle he because he was hers. Then planted a
big kiss on his face, taking in the clean milky baby smell. Phoebe sighed
cuddling her son, Cole's son to her. Melinda obviously thought that cuddle went
on to long, she planted herself in front of Phoebe little hands on hips,
reminding Cole of her mother. "I envy you that" Francesca told her and Phoebe
caught her breath. She pulled Melinda beside her and caught her while bouncing.
Whosit. "Bubby is asleep" Cole said using he nicknamed
for Wyatt that Leo started and Piper hated. Phoebe nodded "Good " she said "Why "
she said to Francesca. "Why do you envy me?" "Motherhood" Francesca "Its such primeval
emotion. So basic, so much a core of the soul." Francesca smiled a little
uncomfortable, as Cole glance at her and then caught Phoebe's eyes. "You never had any kids," Phoebe asked. "Steps" Francesca said ending the conversation
primly. "Why did you come?" Cole asked Francesca
curiously when the silence became a little long "not just to talk about
Africa." "I" said Francesca and stopped as Paige called
hello from the kitchen. "Here" called Phoebe letting Melinda go when she
decided she was bored just being loved and wanted some entertainment. Phoebe
picked up 3 of Whosit Patrick's blocks and Melinda invented her own game of
juggling with them in the air while Whosit happily snuggle up to mom. Paige came in dressed in a terribly sober dark business
suit with a very short skirt. She had rescued the suit on one of her and
Phoebe's trips to preloved clothing shops. It was known in the family as the
screw-you suit and its appearance always announced the start of another battle
with the Powers That Be that oversaw the local community employment service,
where Paige worked. The death and elevation to whitelighter, as yet unseen by
the Charmed Ones, of Paige's boyfriend and employer Mark at the hands of demon
whose name was not often mentioned in the Manor, left a hole in Paige's life
that refused to be filled, despite best efforts of family, both birth and
adopted, and friends and Paige herself. She tried. Paige had taken over his job at the community
services employment centre and learned among other things to respect Mark's
memory. Not just because she loved him but because she discovered in doing the
work he had done, he was a gifted and determined and talented man who knew how
to fight and was prepared to sacrifice a great deal to help those he believed
needed help. Paige was finding Mark's shoes very big one to fill. After all the
sighing about Mark being so much older than her, fourteen years, the irony that
one of the Powers that be chief weapons was to belittle her youth in the job she
had taken on, was not lost., The screw you suit was a means of counteracting
that. It was noted in the family that it usually worked. "Hi love " said Phoebe " you won " she
said a statement not a question. "Powers That Be suck " said Paige in an all
purpose statement "Francesca, hi" she added with a smile and sat on
the floor beside Phoebe to giving Melinda a hug and leaning over and stroke
Whosit's face. "I live her here" said Cole . "I know," said Paige an stuck out her tongue.
"Good evening Cole. How are you?" "I'm well, thank you for asking," he replied
sucking his lips. "I am glad" replied Paige with the same
expression on her face while Phoebe and Francesca raised their eyes. "Bubby
asleep." Francesca sighed. She was used ti the kids came first rule
in the manor. She even respected it quietly. Paige grinning finally asked Francesca "Are you here
because Cole has been a bad boy?" she smirked. "No dear I came to tell him about some magic." Francesca explained. "Got attacked by a warlock today " Paige said.
" Stupid fool should have known better. Orbed its own athame back at
it." "Hell me too " said Phoebe "Kicked it into a
fence and used the all purpose warlock be gone spell.Stupid warlock." The phone rang and Paige somewhat lazily called phone and
orbed it into her hand . "What Piper " she said into it. "You too, at
the club just then. So did Phoebe and me. No mine looked like a has-been
boxer." She handed the phone to Phoebe. "Piper wants to know what your
warlock looked like." "Kinda tubby" Phoebe said "with little piggy
eyes. You got the good looking one" she said to Piper. "Guess it
wasn't a cat then. Yes Piper Whosit's asleep and Melinda is nearly" she
said not lying. "All right" she said conceding" I'll get them to
bed in a minute. "Warlock and cat" said Paige. "A Cat turned into warlock once " explained
Phoebe " we had to vanquish it 9 times. "We ought to get a cat," said Paige. "No we shouldn't" snapped Phoebe" "why
are you here Francesca?" she asked. "Well dear " Francesca started to say. "Warlocks
aren't any fun, not like demons." Paige said "Not that I enjoy
killing" she added hastily for Cole's benefit as she saw a certain
expression on his face "Its just they don't even provide any challenge,
just nasty and poof and they're gone. At least your bitch of mother was a
worthwhile challenge. At least demons make the battle, well, even." "Yeah " said Phoebe "Demons are, well, they
make you feel like.." she hesitated at the sound of shimmer. "Demon " she screamed as she jumped to her feet holding Whosit and
found herself staring at a dark, satanic figure wearing a long black coat . "Demon" yelled Paige throwing Melinda behind
her. "Demon " yelled Phoebe jumping beside Paige and
noticing Cole had not moved. "Cole!!" she screamed. "look after
the kids."