Charmed. Cole and Phoebe Guardian Series.How quaint the ways of paradox?

Charmed. How quaint the ways of Paradox Chapter 27

Part 3: The more things change

Chapter 27

"How quaint the ways of paradox; At common sense she gaily mocks" (Gilbert and Sullivan. Pirates of Penzance)

Cole shimmered into the Manor hall. It was quite late and he half expected the family would be asleep after the long night and day they had spent fighting demons. He called out Phoebe's name. He had always done that. 3 others living in the Manor but he always called out Phoebe's name.

"Up here" she called from the attic. She jumped up and ran halfway down the stairs to meet him. He stood while she flung her arms around him, a long deep kiss. He tasted everything of her, feeling her body against him, slowing down the moment for all he could. Finally he stood back and looked down into large suspiciously damp brown eyes.

"I love you Phoebe" he said, then he sighed a little "You know loving you was the best thing that ever happened to me."

"What did you decide?" she asked quietly.

"To do what's right" he answered "for me."

"It was the only choice you could make wasn't it Cole?" she said.

"You do understand that "he said as a statement not question. He put his arm around her and walked upstairs to the attic with her. Paige was flipping the Book of Shadows and Piper was on the sofa. Leo was prowling around the room. Phoebe sat on her favourite stool and Cole planted himself behind her, hands resting lightly on her shoulder.

Paige was banging each page she flipped "That one" she said. "And that one. Jeez I didn't eve recognise that one. And I can't find anything that looks like the weasels with the nail teeth."

"What are you doing?" Cole asked.

"Looking up all the cults and hives and monsters we've fought in the last year. Demons" she added , "demons and monsters coming from everywhere. We are just looking where they all are in the hierarchy, the ones that are coming out now are from the bowels of the Underworld not just Drakianas, but really bad stuff."

"And I don't suppose you want to even have anything to do with this, stopping these damned cults and hives and rogues" Piper bitched at Cole.

"It's not my fight, each of us to our own fight" he said carefully. At least Piper was making it easy for him. "Tempus is getting weaker by the minute. He's losing it. He's losing control. It's what happens in the underworld when there isn't a strong leader. When you have a system that depends on the minions being terrified of a despot, if the despot can't terrify them then the whole place gets shot to...hell."

"If he's that damn weak why isn't he being challenged" Phoebe asked. "Isn't that what you always said Cole. They fight until the strongest demon becomes the Source."

"Because I suppose" Cole answered "Weak as Tempus is, there isn't anything stronger down there. You girls made certain of that 18 months ago. "

"So how in the hell do we stop this" Piper demanded "How do we stop it getting shot to hell up here"

And he was tempted, Cole was so tempted. It would be so easy to let them decide, to tell them now, just ask and doom them to fall. Cole wondered at that point if that was not the attraction of evil, it was always the easiest way, it felt so good.

"I don't know how the hell you stop it getting shot to hell up here" Cole answered and hoped Phoebe would not pick up on the lie he implied.

She glanced sideways at him but let it go. "Then I guess evil had better find a way to get a leader strong enough to terrify the minions but not strong enough to threaten good" she said.