TWENTY

"How are you feeling?" Phoebe asked Chris the next evening.

"One hundred percent," said Chris. "I guess whatever Tempus did fixed

everything. I certainly hope I don't go through that again. It can be more

than unnerving being the only one who knows what's supposed to be going on."

"I can imagine," said Phoebe.

"Everyone else gone to bed?" asked Chris.

"Yes," said Phoebe. "I couldn't sleep. I've been thinking about what you

told us. Chris, you didn't tell us everything yesterday, did you?"

"Why did you say that?" Chris asked.

"Well," said Phoebe, "all you told us was that the Source tried to stop

you and that the Seer vanquished him. Then you said that Tempus used his magic

to fix things."

"That's what happened," said Chris.

"What I don't understand," said Phoebe, "is if time had been all jumbled

up and you couldn't return to the future, why wasn't Tempus affected? Tempus'

magic was time manipulation. I would have thought that all those changes would

have affected him in some way. When Andy died Tempus used his magic to put us

in a time loop. My precognitive power was the only thing that saved us. If we

had never become the Charmed Ones, I wouldn't have had that power. If time was

being altered, why wasn't Tempus affected?"

'I can't answer that," said Chris. "All I know is that he was able to put

in the safeguards I didn't know about. With those safeguards in place, time

corrected itself."

"But there is more, isn't there?" asked Phoebe.

Chris thought for a moment. He had left out the part about the Woogie and

how Cole had saved them all by sacrificing himself to get the Book of Shadows.

He wasn't sure how much of that the girls, and especially Phoebe, were prepared

to hear.

"Some, yes," Chris said finally. "Nothing that would affect what I've

already told you. I just thought it was best if I didn't bother you with all of

the details. Some of them could be somewhat unsettling."

"It has to do with Cole, doesn't it?" Phoebe asked.

"How would you know that?" Chris asked.

"I don't know," said Phoebe. "I only have this feeling that Cole was

involved somehow. I can't explain why or how. I only know that Cole did

something that you aren't telling us."

"Your precognitive power gives you insight into much more than just the

future," said Chris. "That's its primary ability, of course. But like when

Andy died. You were able to sense the changes in the timeline."

"So he was involved," Phoebe said.

"Yes, he was," said Chris. "Let's just say that he was the way you always

wanted him to be. Before the Source possessed him."

"I've often thought about what things might have been like if that had

never happened," Phoebe said. "How different things might have been."

"Maybe they wouldn't have been any different," said Chris. "He was half

demon, after all. That's a pretty big handicap to overcome. Even after you

stripped Belthazor from him, he was still half demon. It was part of who he

was. Maybe what happened was destined to happen. I can't say."

"I know," said Phoebe. "I've come to terms with it. I did that a long

time ago."

"So this isn't bringing up any painful memories for you?" Chris asked.

"Some," said Phoebe. "None that I don't think about otherwise, though. I

think we all regret some things that happen in our past. You can't help but

think about those regrets and how things might have been different."

"I know," said Chris. "I have a few of those myself. You know,

everything I know about Cole was what I learned growing up. That he was half

demon and that you three ended up vanquishing him. I really didn't learn much

about him as Cole Turner. I always got the impression that there was more

involved than him just being a demon."

"Of course there was," said Phoebe. "I loved him. We were married. He

was a very complicated man. I guess in many ways he was the best and worst

things that ever happened to me."

"If it's not too painful," Chris said, "I'd like to know more about him.

Cole, I mean, not Belthazor. More about what he was like without his demonic

half. He was vanquished before I came back so I never had the chance to meet

him. There must have been some good in him for you to have married him."

"I think there was a lot of good in him," said Phoebe. "But he had lived

as a demon for most of his life and I'm not sure he knew exactly how to express

that goodness. It's hard to change old habits especially ones that are over a

hundred years old."

"I understand," said Chris. "If it's too painful...."

"No," said Phoebe, "it's not. Not really. Like I said, I think about it

from time to time anyway. Like most things, time has a way of dulling the pain.

And despite what we went through, I guess I remember the good times mostly."

"That's good," said Chris. "I think we all try to remember the good

instead of the bad."

"Yeah, I guess so," said Phoebe. "So, what would you like to know about

him?"

"Whatever you'd care to share," said Chris.

"Okay," said Phoebe. "To begin with, he could be incredibly caring when

he wanted to be. And he wouldn't hesitate to risk his life for someone he cared

for. He did that for us on several occasions."

"So I understand," said Chris.

"There were other things, too," said Phoebe. "Things I've never even told

Piper or Paige. Things that might surprise them if they knew."

Chris and Phoebe talked long into the night.

The End

I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to post a reply to this story. There have been so many replies that it's impossible to thank everyone individually, but I really do appreciate all the feedback from everyone. Thank you so much.

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