Charmed Wizard

There was an eerie quiet between the six people currently in the Halliwell kitchen. No one seemed to be able to speak for a good five minutes, all of them trying to process what they'd been told. Finally, Paige broke the silence. “This really just happened?”

“Uh, huh,” Piper confirmed.

Coop went over to his wife. “Are you okay?”

“Not even close,” Phoebe said before bolting towards the back door.

Coop immediately went to follow, but was stopped by a hand on his arm. He turned to see that it was Leo keeping him there.

“Coop, don't,” Leo said.

“Give her a few minutes to herself. She just got the biggest shock that anybody can possibly get,” Piper said. Ever her finding out that her whitelighter from the future was actually her son was less shocking than what Phoebe was dealing with.

“How does this happen? How the hell does something like this happen in real life?” Coop asked in bewilderment. He just couldn't believe it. His wife had a kid. She had a fifteen-year old boy with another man. How did he deal with that? This was going to change their lives dramatically.

“The freaking Elders!” Piper snarled.

“I can't believe they did this,” Leo said. He'd lost his blind faith in the Elders after what happened with Wyatt and Chris by Gideon's hands, but it still hit hard to know that they all had a hand in taking a child away from his family, and it was even worse that it was also Leo's family.

“You can't believe it, huh?” Cole spoke, with a glare leveled at Leo, causing everyone to look at him. “You were an Elder, weren't you?”

“I didn't have anything to do with this, Cole,” Leo told him.

“Yeah? Why should I believe that? You were one of them! You expect me to believe they didn't include you in their decisions?” Cole asked.

“Okay, screw you, Cole. Who are you to start pointing fingers at anyone? We all know the things you've done,” Paige said.

Cole turned his glare on her. “I am that kid's father!”

“Enough!” Piper yelled, getting everyone's attention. “Cole, Leo didn't become an elder until after this happened. Think about it. Our son was younger than yours and he had already been born when Leo got promoted. I know you're angry, but you're going after the wrong person.”

Cole huffed angrily and stormed out towards the living room. Phoebe wasn't the only one that needed time to think.

“That son of a bitch has a lot of nerve,” Paige fumed.

“Paige, they took his kid away,” Piper pointed out. She wasn't happy when Cole lashed out at Leo, which is why she spoke up to defend her husband, but she understood the anger Cole felt. He needed someone to lash out at, and since Leo used to be an Elder, he was an easy target.

“Oh, please, like he's a victim. This wouldn't even be happening if not for him. The evil powers that kid has are because of him,” Coop sneered.

“Okay, we've got bigger problems than placing blame right now. There is a kid out there that is a part of our family. Finding him and figuring out what we're going to do about it is all that matters,” Leo said.

“Well, what happens next is really up to Phoebe and Cole, but I don't really see them not taking their kid back,” Piper said.

Coop looked away at the mention of Phoebe and Cole. Just hearing their names together hurt. He'd already been insecure at that stupid picture. Now the demon was back from the dead and shared a child with his wife.

Piper noticed the Cupid's reaction to her words. “Coop, I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to get used to Cole being around. He's not going away.”

Coop didn't say anything in response.

“This is gonna be a mess,” Paige stated.

“Understatement,” Piper said.

“I think I'm gonna go home and let Henry know what's going on. Would you guys like us to keep your kids for the night?” Paige asked.

“Yeah, that's a good idea. Thanks,” Piper said.

Paige nodded and walked away.

“Okay, I think I'm going to try talking with Phoebe. Coop, I know you wanted to, but I think she needs a sister right now,” Piper said.

Coop nodded that he understood.

Piper immediately headed towards the door. She walked outside and found Phoebe sitting on the back step. “Hey.”

“I knew I was meant to protect him. I just knew it,” Phoebe said after a second.

Piper sat down next to her sister. “You're instincts were telling you he was yours.”

“I loved him so much, Piper. I didn't let you see it, but it hurt so badly when we thought he died,” Phoebe said.

“Believe me, Phoebe, I knew you loved him. You put on a good show. It was probably the best you ever lied in your life, but I still knew. I know you better than anyone,” Piper said.

“I tried to tell myself that he wasn't mine. I tried to buy what the Seer told me, but I always felt like he was mine. And he was. That is my son and they took him from me,” Phoebe said with pain and anger laced in her voice.

“I'm so sorry, sweetie,” Piper said.

“I get why you hate the Elders so much now. I never liked them, but I never hated them either. They come anywhere me or my son again and I don't know what I'll do,” Phoebe said angrily.

“Oh, I understand. But the Elders aren't important now. Harry is. You need to decide what to do about him,” Piper said.

“He's my son. I want him back,” Phoebe said as if it were obvious.

“I know you do, but you have to consider some things. He's not a baby anymore. He's not gonna run to you and understand that you're his mother. He has family that he most likely loves,” Piper said.

“Piper, he's mine. What would you do if it were one of your kids?” Phoebe asked.

“I'd want the exact same thing and probably do the same thing. I just want to make sure you realize that you're going to have issues. He's not going to come here well-adjusted. You and Cole are in for a rough road when you bring him home,” Piper warned.

Phoebe cringed at the mention of Cole. She didn't even want to think about him.

Piper sighed. “You realize you're going to have to deal with him right, and you should do so soon.”

“I don't want to talk to Cole. I don't want anything to do with him,” Phoebe said stressed.

“Well, you're gonna have to get over that because he's here and he's not gonna leave. Harry is his son too. He's not gonna walk away. You know he's not evil, since he didn't try to kill Sandra the moment she confessed, so you can't cut him out,” Piper said. Of course, she already knew Cole wasn't evil before that. He'd helped her when she got stuck in the Void with him. She supposed that was why she was so much more willing to be civil with him.

“I thought he was finally out of my life! I've moved on! Why does he have to be back no?!” Phoebe yelled in frustration.

“Phoebe I know you don't want this, but it's how it is. Cole's back in your life and he's not going away. You need to talk to him now, before your son steps one foot back in your lives. He's gonna have enough to deal with without his parents going to World War Three. You need to hash out all your issues now and figure out a way to co-parent. I know you already understand this, but I want to remind you that it's not about you or Cole. It's about Harry,” Piper said.

Phoebe sighed. She knew her sister was right. She hated Cole and didn't want anything to do with him, but the fact that they had a son together made cutting him back out of her life impossible. She needed to find a way to coexist with him for Harry's sake. “Okay.”

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Meanwhile, Cole was in the living room looking at a picture of Leo with his boys that rested over the fire place. He thought of himself taking similar pictures with his son if he'd known he was alive. The Elders took his chance to be a parent away. He might have been able to hold onto his sanity more if he knew he had a son that needed him. Yes, the powers he took from the wasteland were what drove him the most mad, but he might have been able to fight better if he had something to fight for. He would've fought as hard as he could for Harry.

Cole soon heard footsteps. He turned around to see Leo there. “I'm sorry, Leo. I know you wouldn't have kept our son away. I shouldn't have blamed you.”

“It's okay. I know you were angry and needed someone to take it out on. I used to be an elder, so I suppose I was the perfect target,” Leo said. He hadn't taken it personally. He knew what it was like to want to lash out. He'd felt that kind of anger after Future Chris died. Nothing could tame his anger for a long time.

“You know, I was told over and over again how evil I was And in the end, yeah, it was true, but those bastards up there, they're more evil than I could ever be,” Cole said angrily.

Leo wished he could say that Cole was wrong, but he couldn't. It didn't get much more evil than stealing a child. About the only thing worse was Gideon trying to kill a child, and honestly, Leo wondered how many of his former colleagues had voted to kill Harry, because he was sure that option was on the table. “I'm so sorry. No one deserves what they did to you and Phoebe.”

Just then, Coop walked into the room.

“Uh, Coop, you may wanna go back to the kitchen,” Leo advised when he saw him. A confrontation between Coop and Cole would not be pretty and it really wasn't the time for it. Cole was already pissed because of the Elders.

“Or he could just leave. Or is he suddenly welcome here?” Coop asked while glaring at Cole.

Cole glared back. “You may want to listen to Leo and get the hell our of here. Go find your wife, I don't care, but get the hell away from me.”

“Yeah, my wife. You're nothing to Phoebe anymore, so get lost!”

“Okay, both of you, stop,” Leo said as he stepped between them.

Cole took a couple of steps forward. “You listen to me, you little bastard. I'm not going anywhere, not ever. I don't know if you missed it, but my son is out there and we're going to bringing him home very soon. I will be a part of his life. I don't care how you feel about it and I don't care how Phoebe feels about. My son is going to have me in his life!”

“Hey, knock it off,” Piper said as she and Phoebe entered the room. “This isn't needed.”

“We need to talk,” Phoebe said after a second of silence.

Coop assumed she was talking to him and nodded. “Yeah, that's a good idea. Do you wanna go home so we can have some privacy.”

Phoebe cringed at her husband's mistaken assumption. “I meant Cole.”

Coop's face fell. “Oh.”

“Coop, I have to,” Phoebe said, trying to make him understand.

“Yeah, sure. I'm gonna go to Henry and Paige's to check on the girls,” Coop said before beaming out.

“We'll be in the kitchen. Please don't break anything in a fit of anger,” Piper told them before taking Leo's hand and heading into the kitchen, leaving the two ex's together alone for the first time in sixteen years.