Third Time Charmed

Black as Cole (Part 2)

Piper jumped again when Cole and Prue Shimmered into the attic while she was checking the Book of Shadows. "Oh, you're back! Does that mean you got our demon?" she asked hopefully.

"We got a demon," Cole answered.

"Unfortunately, not the one we were looking for," Prue concluded, joining Piper by the book and starting to skim through it.

"How do you know?"

"Because a knife-wielding upper-level demon would have a human form," Cole explained. "And they bleed red, not green."

"I thought Paige was helping?" said Prue absently, her eyes fixed on her search.

"She is. She had a quick errand to take care of," Piper confirmed.

"Hmm. Black and green skin, secretes ectoplasmic slime... This is our guy," Prue announced. "A Scavenger Demon. Oh, gross. Apparently, he feeds on the remains of other demons' victims."

Piper screwed up her face in disgust. "Well, that explains why I Scryed and got him. The demon blood we found at the murder scene must have been his slime. So, we're back to having no leads?"

"Damn it. I don't have time for this. We're supposed to be hunting the Necromancer."

Piper pursed her lips at this insensitive comment. Prue's obsession with finding Phoebe was preventing her from seeing the bigger picture, not to mention causing a strain on their lives in more ways than one. "Err, Prue, in case you've forgotten, you're unemployed now. You have all the time in the world."

Feeling like he just watched a boxer deliver a low blow, Cole grimaced and walked away from the sisters. Not looking to referee this fight, he took a seat in a distant rocking chair.

"Did you really just say that to me?" Prue replied, crossing her arms defensively.

"Yes, I did, because we need to talk about it, and you're never around."

"415 wasn't right for me, Piper. That job was just holding me back."

"Well, it was also holding back the bank. The club's income alone isn't enough to support three people and a mortgage on a house that needs new plumbing and regular repairs!"

"So, things will be a little tight for a while," Prue reasoned. "Doesn't it make sense for one of us to be available to deal with magical situations?"

"But you're not available!" Piper screeched. "You're talking about chasing phantom demons when we've got a real one right here, killing witches! Who's to say he won't target one of us next?"

"Alright, alright," said Prue, throwing up her hands in surrender. "Let's just deal with this demon. We can talk more about this later."

Reaching a détente, the sisters turned away from each other, their eyes landing on Cole, making him feel very uncomfortable as the silence dragged on. It was filled, however, by the sudden cries of a baby, making all three present frown in confusion.

"What the hell is that?" Piper asked.

***

In the living room, Paige was shushing a crying baby, bouncing it in her arms. She turned as Piper, Prue, and Cole approached, revealing that it was plastic. When Piper eyed her questioningly, she volunteered, "You told me to rent one, so I did."

"Well, I didn't think that you could!" Piper said, covering her ears. "Where did you get it?"

"The clinic."

"Great. Take it back."

"I don't understand. Why do you have this doll?" Prue enquired.

"Piper and Leo wanted to try out having a baby before actually having one, so I got them a mechanical baby. They use them in parenting classes all the time."