How Quaint the Ways of Paradox Part 2: Promises,promises,promises Chapter 17
"How quaint the ways of paradox; At common sense she gaily mocks" (Gilbert and Sullivan. Pirates of Penzance) |
Cole woke up slowly aware of
Phoebe’s even breathing beside him. He opened his eyes slowly and glanced
around the room. Everything seemed normal. He hoped. God he hoped. He got out of
bed and went to the closet where his clothes were normally kept and nervously
opened the door, and found to his undying relief a row of his suits, shirts and
his favourite sheepskin jacket.
Phoebe woke up and glanced at the
clock. It was only 6 in the morning “Baby what are you up for“ she moaned.
Cole grabbed a pair of his track pants
and walked around the bed. He switched on the lamp and looked down into
Phoebe’s sleepy brown eyes and the long blond streaked hair falling across her
face. In relief he bent down and kissed her hard on the mouth. Then he turned
around and strode out the room. In the hall he yelled Piper, Leo at the top of
his voice and threw the door to their room open, switching on the light.
Piper was asleep on her side with Leo
curled against her back, his arm across her. They both struggled awake. Piper
leaned back on one arm and Leo sat upright.
“What?” they both said drowsily.
“There’s been another time line
change“ Cole said.
“What?” said Leo jumping out of
bed.
“There’s been a timeline change
and its turned back again“ Cole said walking into their room. Paige appeared
at the door behind him and Phoebe wrapping herself in a kimono looked over her
shoulder.
“Time line change“ Piper murmured
as Leo frantically found pants and shirt and pulled them on.
“Are you sure?” Piper said slowly
coming wide awake.
“Paige what’s the weather like?”
Cole asked.
“What?” Paige said.
“What’s the weather like Paige?”
Cole repeated.
“Its f..reaking winter in San
Francisco. Its cold“ she answered.
“I’m sure“ Cole said. “
Leo?”
“I’ll check“ Leo said. “Yeah
I’ll go somewhere you can’t follow me“ he added.
Phoebe pushed past Paige “So we were
together in the changed line“ she said her eyes narrowing, her expression
grim.
“Not really“ Cole said backing off
until he felt Piper and Leo’s bed behind him.
“I see “said Phoebe approaching
him, while he watched her nervously.
Phoebe stood right in front of him.
“You bastard“ she said and lifted her hand and bitch slapped him as hard as
she could across his face.
Cole
whimpered ahhh and spun, then fell backward half way across Piper still in bed.
Piper let her breath out in a deep and pained eekk. she put her hands on
Cole’s back and shoulder and as hard as she could pushed. “Get off me“ she
snarled.
Cole hit the floor beside the bed with
a thump looking up into Phoebe’s angry eyes as she towered over him “You
bastard“ she said again and turning stalked out the room.
Cole moaned and Melinda in the nursery
woke up at the commotion and made her presence felt with an ear shattering wail.
Piper jumped out of bed and ran to her daughter, picking her up and returning to
the bedroom, she loomed over Cole still lying on the floor trying to work out
which part of his back was broken.
“You bastard you woke Melinda“ she
said angrily and followed Phoebe.
Cole sat up trying to pull the sliding
track pants up.
“You bastard“ Paige said from the
doorway.
“What did I do to you?” he said
disbelieving.
“I just think you’re a bastard
period“ Paige said and turned but Cole did not miss the grin.
They sat around the kitchen drinking
coffee. Cole tried to sit next to Phoebe but she just moved, turning her back on
him. Paige grinned and he sighed.
“What happened yesterday?” Piper
said.
“To you or me?” Cole asked.
“Don’t try and be funny Cole“
Phoebe snapped “You aren’t.”
“Phoebe“ Cole groaned.
“What happened Cole?” Piper said.
“I woke up“ Cole said “and
Phoebe had long brown hair and wasn’t to keen on having a man in her bed.”
“What“ said Paige “Phoebe was a
lesbian.”
“God“ said Cole going pale, as he
thought how their chances of being together seemed to depend on him being with
Phoebe when the time line changed “I didn’t think there could be anything
worse than.. No she was a virgin.”
Piper and Paige broke into hysterical
giggling.
“Phoebe was a 29 year old virgin“
Paige started to choke.
“And you,… and you, you stinking
lousy bastard“ Phoebe breathed jumping to her feet.
“You hit me again, so help me god
I’ll hit you back“ Cole said but he was backing away. “Besides you enjoyed
it.”
“You arsehole“ Phoebe breathed
“You lousy, arrogant, god damned…man“ she yelled not being able to think
of a worse insult.
“Shut up Phoebe“ Piper intervened.
“Yeah shut up Phoebe“ Cole said
from the safety of the other side of the room.
“Shut up Cole“ said Piper. “
What else?”
“You and Leo were still divorced,
Paige was a little verbally challenged“ Cole told them.
“What do you mean verbally
challenged” Paige demanded.
“Fifty word vocabulary, 25 of ‘em
not usable in public“ Cole said as Paige choked.
“And the day“ Piper pushed.
“Not much“ Cole answered, “I
went to work. Had a court hearing. Mrs Rinaldi made me go. She watched you.”
“Francesca helped you“ said Phoebe
surprised “after what you said to her on Friday. She must be an angel.”
Cole ignored her. “Piper went to the
club, Paige went jogging, I finished court watched you, Marly came, you all went
after some scavenger demons who were cleaning up finding some, well some
Arachnid's cache. You all got slimed pretty badly. Phoebe threw up. Paige was
not impressed. You came back here. Phoebe went off to a movie. I followed.”
“Which
one?” Paige asked.
“Bloody
Beaches“ Cole answered.
Piper
and Paige laughed.
“Phoebe
went to a café“ Cole struggled as Phoebe glared at him “I um I picked you
up and well you .. we came back here.”
“Bastard“
said Phoebe.
“Shut
up Phoebe“ Cole said “You enjoyed it.”
“How
do I know that?” she snarled.
“You
think I’m lying?” he demanded going on the attack.
Phoebe
shut up.
“Was
it Phoebe’s time line that changed it all“ Piper asked.
“I
think so“ Cole said, "she told she tried to um have sex once 14 years ago
but it was um .. horrible ane she never tried again.”
“That
creep Elmer“ sighed Phoebe getting teary. She sniffed.
“Baby“
Cole said moving to her side and putting his arm around her. She leant against
his shoulder.
Piper
made a gagging noise and Paige said eek.
“Why
was I different?” Paige asked.
“Phoebe
said you tried to come here after Gram's death and Prue threw you out“ Cole
answered.
“I
did that“ Paige said to Piper and Phoebe’s surprise. “I got myself drunk
enough to get the guts to knock on the door and Prue was a real bitch. It was
one of the reasons I gave up on the booze. Its all right“ she said “I always
thought Prue helped me as best she could" as Piper and Phoebe gasped in
shock.
“What
happened in your timeline?” Cole said.
“Much
the same“ Piper said. “That was a bitch of a fight we had with those
scavengers. Cole“ she mused “I wonder if you sat and watched us in this
timeline.”
“I
don’t know Piper“ Cole jumped in prickly "But if you mean I should have
helped. I can’t whatever the timeline.”
“Upsets
the bloody balance“ Piper snapped “Do you know how bad yesterday was,
watching those demons, after what those witches went through.”
“Its
not my battle Piper“ Cole said. “Anyway from what I saw you didn’t need
me.”
“Tell
me when is it your battle?” she said “When I’m hurt
, when Phoebe is hurt, when Paige gets killed. Are you that frightened of
fighting demons?”
“I
didn’t say I wouldn’t protect you“ Cole said “I can’t and won’t
fight for you.”
“What
are you frightened of Cole?” Piper pressed.
“There’s
nothing for me to be frightened about“ he said “There isn’t a demon around
who can get me.”
“Are
you frightened to kill Cole?” she bit out. “Haven’t got the guts to kill
any more.”
“Battles
between Good and Evil aren’t my concern any more““ he said and wondered to
himself where that came from.
“But
you’d kill to protect “Piper demanded.
“Without
thinking about it“ Cole bit out. “ If it was necessary.”
“What
in the hell is the difference?” Piper said “between killing demons to
protect and killing them to fight Evil.”
“Its
all in the intent“ Cole answered quietly.
Leo
orbing in distracted Piper from saying more to Cole.
“What?”
she said seeing his strained and worried face “Its not there.”
“Its
there“ he said slowly “but .. “
“But
what Leo?” Phoebe asked.
“Its
moved“ said Leo “I left it in the sack we put the spell on so it could be
carried by someone good, down on a ledge. The sack is missing and the thing is
hanging off the ledge, like it was thrown.. or orbed“ he added.
“Demons
have been there“ Paige said “When?”
“Its
in a time fold“ Leo said “It could have been in any time line.”
“Shut
up Leo“ Cole roared “just shut up around me will you?” He glared at the
witches and Leo. “You keep talking about it in front of me and then you start
accusing me of wanting it. So just shut the hell up about the bloody thing when
I’m around. I’m going to work“ he announced and stalked out leaving
the family to talk without him.
Francesca was in the office working on
her computer when Cole arrived at work. Which struck him as totally
inappropriate for a whitelighter. Cole glowered at her but was still a little
uncertain.
“Wake up where you were supposed to
be?” Francesca asked disinterested.
“Not that its any of you business
but yes“ he muttered.
“I
thought you would“ Francesca said “If you couldn’t seduce Phoebe no one
could.”
Cole glowered at her. “Anyway“ he
suddenly remembered “What are you doing here?”
“I work here“ Francesca answered
“What about you?”
"Your fired“ he snarled.
“You can’t fire me. I work for the
company not you and if you start complaining all you’ll hear is the word
erratic again“ Francesca answered “Cole the sooner you work out for better
or worse we’re stuck with each other the better.”
“You can go and tell whoever it is
you serve. I work for me now I don’t use my powers for any one else“ he bit
out.
“I’m glad“ she said.
“I don’t want you here“ he said.
“I told you Cole“ Francesca said
“What you want is of no interest to me.”
“Get out“ he stormed.
Francesca looked up at him calmly.
“That’s a very dangerous thing to say“ she said.
He just glowered at her.
“You know there are people who are
less confident and certain of being wanted than they show. People who don’t
understand get out is only said to someone who you feel is very confident of
their welcome. Someone who understands get out really means you’re annoying
the hell out me, not leave.” Francesca explained quite seriously.
Cole just gapped at her.
“But not to worry“ Francesca said
“I understand what it means" then she almost smiled "and anything
that gets the hell out of you strikes me as a good thing.”
Cole just walked into his office. He
stopped turned around “Thank you for yesterday“ he said.
“Your welcome“ Francesca answered
sincerely.
“Get out“ Cole snapped embarrassed
and strode into his office shutting the door a good deal harder than was
necessary.
Francesca watched him go and her
expression because concerned and a little apprehensive because in the millennium
she had served as advisor and guide to the demon Guardians of the Great Plan,
this was always the hardest time, as a demon, a half breed demon who had fought
so hard to walk away from the Evil of their birthright, was confronted with
their destiny and had to make choices between a long and lonely life of service
or extinction. Extinction because their great power, founded in their demonic
inheritance and expanded beyond demonic dreams by their humanity, could not,
must not exist outside the Great Plan that governed the war between Good and
Evil.
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