Unbreakable

by ForgottenAngerCourter

Summary:

Cole Turner was never meant to exist.

Phoebe Halliwell was the one who gave him a chance to experience what it meant to be alive. He was born the day she chose to love him. The day that she saw who he truly was, WHAT he truly was, and still reached out to pull him from the darkness that Fate cast him into.

But Fate is never kind to those who seek to change it.

Phoebe paid the price for daring to love him, and Cole was sentenced to live eternally, knowing he was the reason for her despair.

This was an ending… that Cole Turner REFUSED to accept.

Chapter 1: Cursed

Notes:

This story starts right after Sympathy for the Demon (Season 5 x Episode 7).

Where did everything go wrong?

Cole threw back another shot, ignoring the suspicious and slightly terrified look the bartender sent him as he set another bottle of whiskey on his side of the bar. Dozens of empty glasses surrounded the ex-demon, because even when the bartender made an attempt to keep the space clear, he was never able to make a dent in the ever-growing stack. It had gotten to the point where Cole was asked to refill his own glasses so the bartender could tend to the other patrons.

Cole didn’t mind the neglect, and was instead grateful to the bartender for cutting out the middle man. Now he could down dozens of shots without having to wait to flag someone down. 

What number was he on again? 

Cole cynically wondered if he was in the thousands yet. 

Maybe I’ll eventually drink myself to death…

Cole chuckled at the dark thought, and poured himself another shot with precise motions that any professional would've envied. 

Did he even need to eat? Drink?

He didn’t know. In the past week that he'd spent camping out at this bar, he'd never once felt the pangs of hunger - and so he was working on the theory that he didn’t.

I’m not human anymore.

Cole threw back another shot, and blinked away the wetness in his eyes at the thought. 

It was so easy to convince himself that he was still human. That he was Good.

Because he was - he knew that he was.

 

But he was cursed.

 

Cole had no other explanation for the bad luck that he'd been ‘blessed’ with since birth. As far as he was concerned, he had probably been cursed by God, or whoever else it was that controlled the Fate of this world. He was Fate’s fucking chew toy, and he was sick of it.

Wallowing in his depression would get him nowhere, but still… what else could Cole do?

He was forced to accept the fact that his family would never believe he was Good, because his body housed Evil Essences - but Cole refused to accept being labeled as ‘evil’ simply because of the powers that flowed through his veins. Because his human soul WAS Good. After everything that he had done... had sacrificed, had grown to learn and care about - how could he tolerate the idea that it all meant nothing?  

Cole laughed without humor, a sour taste lingering at the back of his throat that had nothing to do with alcohol. He wished with all his might that he could deny what he knew was happening. Could pretend that one day things would be different; that he could prove himself to his family, and make the love of his life happy again.

But he knew better.

His soul had once suppressed Belthazor, the greatest demonic assassin of the last Century, and even the Source of all Evil to a certain extent. He knew the signs... he just didn't want to accept the fact that his powers were tainting him. That they were slowly driving him mad with evil temptations that he could barely resist.

The solution seemed simple enough; if he Stripped his powers, he could become an ordinary human again.

God, he missed it... missed how effortless it had been to embrace Phoebe, free of the guilt & the dark impulses that tempted his mind. But even in the past, he'd never been able to truly be content with being only human - because his wife was a Charmed One. She needed someone to stand by her side, someone who could watch her back and keep her and her family safe.

As a human he was powerless. He was useless. A Liability.

But nothing in life was free. If it meant that he could hold her, kiss her, see her smile again - 

Cole would have done it again. Would have done it again in a heartbeat.

But after the incident with Barbas, he was forced to accept the damning truth. 

He couldn’t get rid of his powers. By Stripping his powers, he would be releasing them into the world for other demons to absorb. Demons who wouldn’t think twice about killing Phoebe when they got the chance. Demons that he would no longer be able to fight once he was human.

One more bottle. One more shot.

He was in a well and truly fucked up situation, where there was no happy ending to be had.

Phoebe...

If only he could drink away these damning emotions... but nobody, not even the Source of all Evil, could hope to shift the love that bloomed everlasting inside his heart. That calamitous emotion would forever be a part of him, it was etched into his very bones. 

Phoebe, I’m sorry...

Cole Turner was never meant to exist. His human soul was an unfortunate side-effect of breeding with humans, and while at times useful, it was still considered a weakness to be purged. His soul was tortured, shredded, and beaten until Cole numbly gave away control of his body and hid himself away in the darkest corners of his mind.  

I’m so sorry.

Phoebe was the one who gave him a chance to experience what it meant to be alive. She was the one who gave him the strength to take back control of his body, and she was the one who taught him what truly mattered in this world. 

Why...? 

Cole Turner was born the day she chose to love him. The day that Phoebe saw who he truly was, what he truly was, and still reached out to pull him from the darkness that Fate cast him into. 

Why can’t we be together? Why is Fate working so hard to keep us apart?!

 

“I do love you.”

 

She told me she loved me, but it wasn’t enough. I know why. I know it deep inside my heart, but I can’t accept it. I can’t accept a world where the only good thing in my life, the only reason why I fought so hard to stay alive, is gone.

She was with Miles again tonight.

She was probably sleeping with him.

She was making love to a man, who would never be able to comprehend just how beautiful, strong, and miraculous she was.

God…

Cole bowed his head, and finally let the tears in his eyes fall.

He had nothing left to live for, and yet he couldn’t die.

He was going to have to live with this pain for fucking eternity. Spend hundreds of birthdays without Phoebe by his side, and go through each day knowing that she was smiling for someone else, and that there was not a god-damn thing he could do about it. 

Cole threw back another shot, and prayed for death - though he knew that he would never be granted such a mercy.

 

 

Notes:

This story has been sitting on my hard-drive for a very long time. I never posted it because the fandom is small... and I didn't think anyone would read it.

But I've been going through my unfinished drafts, and I can't stop thinking about this story. Because while CHARMED is an older show - it was also my childhood. And Cole... Cole to this day is one of my favorite characters ever written. He deserved so much more then he was given... because no matter how hard he tried to climb out of the mire he was born into, he was always pushed back down.

I want to give him a chance. I want him to have his Happily Ever After. I want him to be able to be Cole- not the Source, not Belthazor, just COLE.

Updates will probably be sporadic, but I still want to post this story. I want someone else to read it, and to see the man who I have always held close to my heart, and see why I love him so much.

Thank you so much for giving my story a chance.

Chapter 2: A Moment of Clarity

Notes:

This takes place during the episode A Witch in Time (Season 5 x Episode 8)

Here is the scene referenced: The Moment That Everything Changes.

So I'm going to become the Source of all Evil again.

Cole mindlessly fiddled with the wedding band in his hands as he eyed the inscription he’d personally carved. He wished that he could say it was a replica, something created simply to fool him, but he was unfortunately well aware of the truth. In the Wasteland, he spent months obsessing over this damn ring… running his fingers over Phoebe's name, over and over while praying with all his might that she would hear his cries for help. He knew intimately, the divots and dents that tarnished the gleaming metal- all of the flaws that were so minuscule, that most would overlook them. 

He couldn’t deny what was so plain for him to see. This was his wedding band. 

I guess I really do go mad in the next few months. 

Flicking the ring across the room with his finger, Cole ignored the noise it made when it hit the tile and reached over to pick up the glass of whiskey he’d been nursing. He absently twirled the amber liquid as he stared into space and contemplated his supposed ‘future’.

He cared nothing for power, or for ruling over demons. In fact - remembering all of the effort that the previous Source was forced to put in just to have a peaceful meeting with the faction heads gave Cole a headache. 

They were all so petty, and so annoying. It was like babysitting a bunch of spoiled children.

He truly had no interest in organizing the Underworld. He’d been there, done that, and had no interest in doing it again. 

The only way that Cole could imagine himself becoming the Source of all Evil in the future - was either to get Phoebe back, or because it was the only way to keep her safe.

If he became the Source because of Option #1, then in the future, Cole’s insanity must have gone past the point of no return. 

He knew that Evil could not feel love. When he was still half of Belthazor, and his relationship with Phoebe felt like walking on a tightrope - he’d never once contemplated giving into Evil and dragging her with him. 

Because her ability to love, her compassion, her sweet acceptance… that was what made him fall in love with her in the first place. They could never truly be happy if they were both Evil, due to the fact that they would then be unable to feel those things.

Because Cole knew intimately the differences between Good and Evil beings. 

As Belthazor, while his demonic half was influenced by his love for Phoebe, it had never truly felt love for her. It had seen her more as a possession then as a partner: as something that was his, and that no one else could touch. It was a dark and twisted emotion that the Source also ended up developing after taking over his body.

That obsession ended up causing both of his demonic counterparts to try and twist Phoebe into an Evil Witch, because while she loved him, she had never really loved them. 

She loved Cole, the human half. The Good part of him.

And no matter how much his counterparts pretended that she loved them also, they were both incredibly aware of this distinction. It was inevitable that they would both eventually covet her love for themselves. Even though they were Evil - no, precisely because they were Evil, they felt incredible hatred and envy that Cole could have something that they could never have. 

And so Belthazor (who was losing control of their body & slowly becoming suppressed) came up with the idea to go back in time to turn the Charmed line Evil. 

It was honestly an amazing plan; not only did it complete their objective of removing the Charmed Ones as a threat, it even turned them into assets that could be harnessed. His plan was met with the enthusiastic support of their superiors, but both Cole & Belthazor knew that this plan was born not for the advancement of Evil- but so they could keep Phoebe.

The thought of a world without her in it was unacceptable to either of them, even if Belthazor had never been willing to outright admit it (especially to his human half, for that would've meant admitting weakness).

It would've meant admitting that he wanted Phoebe to love him, and not his human half. Wanted her to be disgusted with his human half, just like she was disgusted by him.

But even without a confession, Cole knew what his demonic half had felt. How could he not? 

They’d been raised side by side into the perfect killer. They were trained not only in a multitude of weapons, but also into someone who specialized in killing high profile targets through traps, sneak attacks, and infiltration. 

Never once had they deviated from a mission, or bothered to try and improve one. They were a straightforward pair, who once pointed at a target, would only think about eliminating them. 

And there was no one that Belthazor could not assassinate, not even the Charmed Ones. Cole had no doubt in his mind that they could & would have killed them eventually, had it not been for Phoebe. If it had not been for his human soul that made Belthazor reluctant to kill them in the first place.

When the Source was alive, He saw Cole as beneath His notice (as a mere insect that needed to be squashed because it dared to betray its Master). However, after merging into Cole’s body, the Source found Himself constantly on the backend as He struggled to subdue Cole’s soul and sense of self. Their relentless war slowly earned Cole His reluctant respect, and eventually (unknown by the Source) Cole’s emotions started to bleed into the demon- infect Him with thoughts and feelings He never would’ve felt otherwise. 

The Source was a master of emotional and mental manipulation- how could such an arrogant existence realize when He Himself became compromised?

He thought He was in control, He thought Himself the ultimate puppetmaster- and that was why Cole was ‘allowed’ to stay in control. Because love was beneath Him, and Cole could simply act it out better - it had nothing to do with the Source’s inability to wrestle away control -nothing to do with the fact that Cole was too strong - nothing at all-.

The Source refused to admit that He was losing, and instead marionetted Cole across the stage like a master playwright as He tricked Phoebe and her family into believing that they were still a harmless human. He even managed to marry the ultimate source of Good in a dark ceremony, and then proceeded to brainwash the love of Cole’s life and their child until not even a speck of Good remained. 

Until the child that Cole loved was only His. 

Paige had been merciless with her graphic descriptions of the Seer stealing their baby out of Phoebe's womb, and on how their child had been turned into a cancer that was slowly eating Phoebe from the inside out.

Nothing Good could come from the union of Evil.

Cole finished the drink in his hand, savoring the flavor he could barely taste after drinking nothing but concentrated alcohol for several days.

So this is where my story ends?

I don’t think so.

Cole chuckled darkly, and then stood and threw the half-finished drink in his hand at the balcony windows. He watched shards of glass rain down onto the patio with burning eyes as his lips pulled up into a mad smile.

The wedding ring that the supposed ‘messenger from the future’ brought, glinted in the sunlight like a precious treasure. All it took was a single glance for it to crumble into dust. Cole watched impassively as its remains blew away on the breeze leaking in from the now shattered balcony door.

What a joke. 

As if he would ever entrust Phoebe's life to a warlock, or anyone else for that matter. 

If Phoebe died, he would personally rip a hole into time and space in order to save her himself. The only way that he would allow her to die, was if he himself was already dead. 

Bacarra must have thought himself so clever. After all, Cole himself was well aware of just how much his mind was slipping lately. That warlock must've come back to this specific point in time, to when he was at his lowest, expecting to be able to use Phoebe against him.

But Cole had survived Belthazor's suppression, and the Source’s mental manipulations. He'd survived, and even suppressed the greatest demons of the past century in turn.

As if this upstart warlock had any chance to manipulate him.

Cole straightened out his coat, and brushed the glass shards off his jacket with a sophisticated grace that was a heavy contrast to his haggard appearance. 

But what if the warlock was telling the truth?

This was the question that had left Cole pondering these past few minutes, and he’d yet to come up with a way to fully discard the idea. 

After all, he was slowly losing his mind- who knew what he would be capable of in the future?

Cole smiled a smile that would have caused a stranger’s heart to skip a beat. It was beautiful- full of warmth, and it was utterly deceitful because it hid the dark viciousness in Cole’s eyes. 

So what if it was true?

The cards had been stacked against Cole his entire life, and yet here he was, still standing. 

He was unkillable, skilled at assassination, and utterly mad. 

Cole laughed at the future that he would never allow to come into being, and mocked the darkness inside his chest that warmed at the thought of him giving in to it.

Cole’s eyes were as black as the darkest night as he took in a deep breath, and used strength that he had forgotten he had to block out the whispers in his head. Various calculations and scenarios played out behind his eyes, and Cole couldn’t help but wonder if this was the last chance he had before the madness ate him alive. 

If it was, then he had to make it count. 

Cole faded out of the Penthouse, his heart and thoughts full of Phoebe and preventing the coming tragedy from touching her.

First, he'd deal with the time loop.

And then he was going to get a second opinion on what that warlock said.

 

Notes:

This Charmed episode is bittersweet for me, because in my opinion, it is the last episode where Cole had a CHANCE. The last point where he could've changed his Fate.

It shows us Cole, the REAL Cole, in all of his goodness ONE LAST TIME. We see it in his horror at being told his future, in how he runs to the Charmed Ones in hopes of helping, and in offering to protect the man who Phoebe now loves to the point of endangering herself. But this episode is also the moment we get a glimpse into just how much his mind is slipping, and given the hint that the Cole we love is soon going to be lost forever. It breaks my heart... every single time.

Unbreakable is the story of Cole realizing that this is his last chance, and then seizing it with all his might.

I plan to keep almost everything up to Season 6 cannon (except for the episodes that ruin my worldbuilding *I'm looking at YOU Witchstock*), but trust me when I say, the Butterfly Effect is real, and after this chapter, while the bones will remain the same, this story is going to go down a very different path.

Chapter 3: Death

It only took Cole two hours to find the warlock. 

He should’ve never given out his true name. How sloppy. 

It was easy ​enough to coerce & empower a few demonic bounty hunters to hunt down his prey, though they actually ended up finding Baccara's present day self (in all his unremarkable glory). It was a stroke of luck that only further cemented Fate’s involvement in this absurdity in Cole’s opinion.

These musings didn’t stop the ex-demon from smiling though, as he put his fist through the warlock's stomach and set fire to his insides. 

Baccara’s future self was now a thing of the past, no pun intended. He would be erased from existence before being able to affect anything of significance, and he would take his damning knowledge with him. 

After cleaning up the help, Cole faded back to the Penthouse for a shower and a change of clothes. He was in no rush, as one of the hunters had been assigned to stake out the human that Phoebe was dating while the others focused on the warlock. 

Miles. 

What a disgustingly plebeian name for a disgustingly plebeian man. Cole threw on a fresh jacket before walking over to his liquor cabinet to pull out his good scotch. He filled up a glass, and then downed it in one gulp before fading into existence across the street from his ‘love rival’. 

Cole watched with dead eyes as the human puttered around his apartment, a goofy smile on his face as he pulled out a fresh shirt from his closet to change into. According to the hunter’s intel, Miles had plans to drive over to the Manor at 6 o’clock for a dinner date with Phoebe. 

Too bad he would never make it. 

Cole grimaced at the thought, feeling a growing sense of self-disgust fill him even as he continued to watch the human obliviously live out his life. He felt like the stalker ex-husband Phoebe oh-so-frequently claimed he acted like. 

In truth, Cole had never once contemplated killing and/or maiming Miles before today. No, killing an innocent intentionally, would be crossing a taboo that no amount of apologizing or proving himself would absolve. And with the dark whispers in the back of his mind promising him that this was aCTuAllY tHe RiGhT ThiNG To dO, Cole couldn’t help but worry that he was willingly falling into a trap.

Baccara was the one to insist that he needed to kill this human. Cole should’ve taken this as a sign to do the exact opposite. He should’ve gone to the Manor, approached one of Phoebe’s sisters (Piper, because Paige would never believe him), and let them sort everything out themselves. 

That was what he should be doing.  But they already failed once-

‘You’d only be giving Death… a helping hand.’ 

It was everything that Cole wanted to hear, an excuse to remove this irritating pest from existence. Because even the human part of Cole couldn’t help but feel a small amount of satisfaction at the idea that Miles was about to die.

Miles wasn’t a true threat, Cole knew this to be fact. Him and Phoebe had next to no chemistry, and he would likely take the revelation that she was a witch about as well as a person finding out they had cancer.

BUT this irrelevant human had made Phoebe laugh. He’d held her hand, kissed her lips, and made love to his wife. 

Baccara’s invitation was the sweetest temptation, and it was probably wrapped in a poison that would end up becoming his undoing. 

After escaping the Wasteland, only to discover Phoebe in the middle of setting a divorce in motion… Cole made peace with the fact that he was going to have to start from scratch all over again. He even had it all planned out. 

He’d woo Phoebe properly, date her, relearn her & anything new she enjoyed, then slowly earn her trust again -and not break it this time-.

Cole expected Phoebe to be resistant to the idea of getting back together -at first-. Her trying to date others was also an inevitability that he was prepared to endure. He’d braced himself for it.

He knew she would smile at other men, go on dates, kiss others. Even sleep with them. He’d known it. 

But that didn’t mean watching it become reality hurt any less.

Baccara claimed that Miles was meant to die. This meant that the Angel would take advantage of anything it could to claim his soul to restore the Balance. It also meant that if Phoebe continued to try and prevent his death… she would also end up on Death’s list. 

And if her sisters were actually able to convince her to stand aside? To allow Miles to die?

She’d never forgive herself.

Cole let out a weary sigh. At the end of the day, even if he knew that this was likely a trap, Cole just couldn’t take that chance. 

Maybe this decision would damn him in Phoebe’s eyes. It was an unforgivable sin, but at the very least it was one that he was committing willingly. Because Cole would do anything to keep Phoebe safe, even at the expense of losing any chance he had of being with her again. 

But even as Cole decided to jump into this trap, he couldn't help but try and cover his tracks to avoid the consequences. The ex-demon didn’t dare use any of his active powers in this assassination, just in case it was traced back to him. He had the ability to shield his actions from Phoebe’s psychic ability, so as long as he was careful, there was still a possibility (however slight) that she might never find out about his involvement. He had to try, at least.

Cole let out a deep sigh, feeling the weight of his choice bare down on his shoulders as he pooled energy inside his eyes to help locate the anomaly that should be hovering around the doomed human. According to Prue’s descriptions, the Angel should appear as some type of shadow. 

Even if his precautions made it unlikely for Phoebe to discover his involvement, the sudden death of her lover would bring suspicion on his head even if he wasn’t guilty- and it wasn't like luck had ever favored the ex-demon in the past. His wife was more than likely going to find out, and while he wouldn't regret his actions in the slightest, if he could prove that he was doing this for the greater good... then maybe she'd be able to forgive him one day.

But even now, after already setting the assassination in motion- the ex-demon couldn't help but ruminate on the thought that maybe he wasn't actually making a righteous choice... because it sure felt like he was feeding the darkness inside his chest. 

Baccara’s smug taunt continued to play on repeat inside his head, ‘But your ex-wife falls in love with him… ’

Right now, there was a tiny tear in the break line of Miles’s car. It was easily explainable due to the car’s age. 

He had to manually siphon out the brake fluid because it would take too long to release naturally, and if he made the tear any bigger, sabotage might be suspected. A simple assassination, easily accomplished with a bit of invisibility and a stolen toolbox from the nearby chop shop. 

There was a dark figure inside Miles’s apartment.

The sight startled Cole out of his thoughts, and the genuine shock he felt at seeing what he was supposed to be looking for caused a sick feeling to form in the pit of his stomach. 

He'd pulled on his powers to search for the Angel on instinct, never once questioning the action or if it would work- and it was only now, after actually seeing the Angel that Cole realized that he could actually see the Angel of Death. 

And that wasn’t a good thing. 

Even when possessed by the Source of all Evil, one of the major Roles in the magical world, Cole wasn’t granted the ability to see the Angel. No One was supposed to be able to see the Angel of Death, unless it purposefully revealed itself. 

The dark shadow trailing behind Miles morphed into a tall, thin man with slicked back brown hair. The Angel seemed to sense his gaze, because it turned away from Miles, and met Cole’s eye before disappearing from view. 

“Well, this is certainly a surprise.” Came a deep voice from over his shoulder. 

Cole turned, resisting the instinct to lash out at the Being who was now standing only a foot behind him. Every inch of skin below the Angel’s neck was covered in black cloth, even the hands held behind his back were protected by skintight leather gloves. It was disconcerting to realize that even with the Angel standing so close to him, Cole couldn’t actually sense that anything was there at all. 

The Angel’s severe features were set into an emotionless mask that expressed neither surprise nor anger, “To what do I owe the honor of your company, Cole Turner?”

“Honor?” Cole parroted with an awkward laugh, trying hard to think of how he should respond to the Higher Being, “I think between the two of us, it should be me who is honored to meet you. It’s not like you reveal yourself to just anyone after all.”

The Angel let out a hum of neither agreement nor disagreement. 

“I did not expect to see you here. How curious.” The Angel tilted his head to the side, eyeing Cole up and down as if he could glean the answers if he only examined him long enough, “But you are notoriously hard to predict, even for me. The slightest change in your mood can create such drastically different outcomes, that I’ve long stopped trying to predict which Reality we might be in.” 

“Should I take that as a complement?” Cole inquired tentatively. 

“Yes.” The Angel replied without hesitation, “Of the highest order.” 

Cole smiled weakly at the Angel of Death, before allowing his eyes to fall back to the human he was about to kill.

The Angel did not turn his eyes away from Cole’s face. 

After regaining his composure, Cole couldn’t help but bluntly ask, “Is Miles on your list?” 

It was an unnecessary question (considering the Angel of Death’s presence around the mortal), but Cole wasn’t going to pass up on this opportunity to gain justification when it presented itself so readily. 

“Yes.” The Angel confirmed. One of his hands came forward, and a piece of parchment appeared in his grasp. The Angel gave the list a cursory glance, before pursing his lips. The parchment disappeared before Cole could so much as peek at it, “He was destined to die this afternoon, at 1:05pm. However, Phoebe Halliwell interfered." 

Cole tensed at the sudden deepening of the Angel’s voice, his eyes narrowing at the hostility he could feel radiating off of the indignant Being, “She received a vision.” The ex-demon defended.

“A vision she should never have received!” The Angel replied forcefully, his eyebrows furrowing in visible frustration, “The Death of Miles Marino is a part of the Natural Order. His fate is not flexible like the innocents she is destined to save, because there was no magical interference in the life of Miles Marino at all. He was meant to Die, and even after I graciously interfered with Prue Halliwell to help teach the Charmed Ones the Natural Order, Phoebe Halliwell still dares to resist it.” 

“She doesn’t know that he is meant to die- all she saw was an innocent in need of saving.” Cole couldn't help but try to reason with the agitated Angel, questions flowing through his mind with half-formed suspicions. Why didn’t the Angel appear before her? Why not interfere, like he had with Prue? 

“Maybe not at this moment,” The Angel snipped, a hint of anger visible in the stiff way he held his body, “But by the fifth attempt, even she will not be able to deny my involvement. Yet in spite of this knowledge… I See that she will continue to resist me.”

With a deep frown, the Angel continued, as if reading Cole’s thoughts, “I only appear before those who are tied to the Fate of this World. The Charmed Ones play a large role that will continue to have ripple effects long after they pass on. They are Agents of Good who seek to save the innocent, and so they had to learn that they cannot save everyone. I appeared before Prue Halliwell to give them a chance to not only learn of this… but to also give her a second chance so she would not perish in her attempts to resist me.” 

Cole felt like ice had just been injected into his veins.

‘For the next six months, she tries to save him. Over, and over, and over, until she loses her own life in the process.’

“I gave them my warning. I am inevitable. Resisting me will only lead to their own demise.” The Angel’s voice was as piercing as a knife to the chest, “Phoebe Halliwell has made her choice.” 

“Not yet, she hasn’t.” Cole snarled, his hands clenching into fists as he resisted the urge to attack the Being who dared, “As long as I am alive, I WILL NOT allow you to touch her!” 

The Angel’s eyes gleamed in the sunlight, “This is also something that I See. Such conflicting futures… all resulting from the Fate of a single, unremarkable human. It’s almost amusing.” 

Miles called a local flower shop below the two arguing immortals, completely oblivious to the fact that they were discussing his death. 

“I’ve given you your opportunity.” Cole’s voice was an inhuman growl, echoing with damnation, his eyes completely black, “Phoebe will only die if she resists restoring the Balance. She is NOT destined to die.”

“True.” The Angel placated, “I can see why you chose this time to strike. Before Phoebe can suspect anything, or truly defy me. You are washing her slate clean.” 

“Will you spurn my offering, freely given?”

The Angel took his sweet time to answer, likely savoring the knowledge of Cole’s barely restrained violence. He leisurely sorted through an infinity of futures that could result from His choice in this moment in Time. 

But no matter what these visions showed, even if they proved apocalyptic, the Angel’s answer was always going to be the same. He was a Being of Balance, and it was his duty to ensure that the Natural Order was upheld. 

“No. I will not spurn your offering, Cole Turner.” 

Cole’s black eyes returned to their human shade of blue. His shaking fists unclenched, and he gave a jerky nod of acknowledgment before turning his attention back down below. 

The Angel followed his gaze to the mortal they were discussing. Miles was enthusiastically giving the florist on the phone his girlfriend’s address, and asking them to have his order delivered at the soonest available time. 

“She won’t thank you for this.” The Angel of Death commented sagely, the weight of certainty in his voice. 

“I know.” Cole whispered, his downcast eyes full of an emotion that the Angel could not identify, “I don’t expect her to.” 

The Angel hummed his recognition, and the two of them fell into companionable silence as they waited for the oblivious mortal to leave his apartment. After a few minutes, the Angel of Death couldn’t help but ask the man standing next to him, “Since we have a bit of free time until I am called back to my duties, I wonder… would you indulge my curiosity?” 

Cole shrugged, not particularly caring either way, “Sure.” 

With a pointed glance at Miles, the Angel mused out loud, “Until today, I never once Saw you as the cause of Miles Marino’s Death. I find this puzzling, and seek an answer as to why. Even with my admittedly limited understanding of human emotion, I can tell that you absolutely loathe that human.”

It was an easy question that Cole didn’t even mind answering, “Because it would upset Phoebe.” 

The Angel raised a single incredulous eyebrow. Cole laughed at his blatant disbelief, “It’s the truth! If I killed an innocent, let alone one that Phoebe cared about, then she would never forgive me.” 

“And yet now, you find this to be an acceptable risk? What could’ve possibly changed your mind?” 

Cole grimaced, his features distorting as he lost himself in his memories.

“I got an unexpected visit this morning.” Cole gave the Angel a brief overview of his confrontation with the time-traveling warlock, feeling slightly relieved to be talking to someone about it (especially someone who had no interest in swaying his opinion -or berating his life choices-). 

“I could’ve gone around the problem for hours, but I didn’t have the leisure time to explore every option. At the end of the day, the solution is simple. Remove the anomaly, and destroy the problem at its root. Every minute that Miles remains alive is a threat to Phoebe’s life, and no matter the repercussions, I refuse to allow any threat to her to remain alive.” 

“It is of no consequence I suppose.” The Angel mused quietly, “Regardless of what you choose to do today, she will never forgive you.” 

Cole flinched violently at the Angel’s calm rebuttal. He turned away, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and hunching forward as if to brace himself for blows. The ex-demon murmured, “If I prove myself-”

“You will never be able to prove yourself.” The Angel of Death swore with a finality that spoke of prophecy, “No matter what you do in the future, she will never be able to see you as anything but an Agent of Evil.” 

The Angel of Death tilted his head to the side, eyes scanning Cole up and down in a visible show of curiosity, "Though, in truth… you are quite the intriguing soul. Neither Good nor Evil, yet not truly Neutral either…"

“Oh?” Cole asked with a raised eyebrow, “That’s surprising. After waking up in the Wasteland, I assumed that the Powers That Be judged me to be Evil.” 

The Angel of Death let out an audible sigh, “The answer is not as straightforward as you might think. Let’s just say… as of right now, your Judgment has been put on hold. You are not Good by nature, however, your behavior has also been proven to be incredibly selfless. You are ruled by your emotions, as all humans are, and yet you seem to be neither inclined toward sin or virtue. Given your origins, I will be the first to admit that I do not understand how this came to be."

Cole chuckled darkly, leaning against the rooftop entrance as he turned his gaze back to the mortal now exiting his apartment, "You are not the only one. It's easy to assume that being born with demonic powers makes a person inclined to Evil… who knows? Maybe that’s actually the truth." For those who are given the chance to live without interference.

"But it wasn't like I was encouraged to 'sin', as you say. I was encouraged to never question orders, to never speak out of turn, and to try and make myself disappear." 

"Ah." The Angel hummed in contemplation, "So, you would say that even if you were born with the inclination, you were never encouraged to pursue it?" 

"That's one way of putting it," Cole shrugged lightly, as if unbothered that decades of torture and anguish was being glossed over with a few easy words, "I'm a human soul. While I can be considered useful in helping fool Good creatures and artifacts, more often than not I was considered an unwanted parasite." 

“How short-sighted.” The Angel of Death mused, “With only half of the soul strength of a regular human, you still held your own against some of the greatest Demonic Entities that will ever exist. Had they tried to harness your abilities, one can only imagine the amount of chaos they could have wrought.”

Cole found himself laughing before he could help himself, a full-bellied laugh that almost made him double over, “I think you mean, ‘how insightful’!”

It took a few moments for Cole’s mania to calm down, but he still couldn’t help but let out a few more chuckles as he elaborated, “They were right to beat me down. To keep me cowed. Once I had something worth fighting for, I was uncontrollable.”

Miles was making his way toward the resident parking area. 

“In the short term, I have no doubts that I would’ve been a great asset - but in the long term I likely would’ve rebelled. Belthazar, my demonic counterpart, was only able to thrive because the Brotherhood refused to allow me, the human consciousness, control over my own body. Had they loosened their control over me, my demonic personality likely would’ve never been born in the first place, let alone grown enough to be a threat to me.” 

Miles stopped in front of his parked car. His hand moved to unlock the door, but just before the keys reached the handle, they slipped out of his hand. With a curse, Miles bent down to pick them up from a puddle.

“I see your point.” The Angel acknowledged, a small furrow marring his brow, “But I stand by my earlier assessment. Had the Demonic Faction tried recruiting you instead of repressing you- Evil would’ve won control of this era.” 

Miles unlocked the car door. 

Cole laughed, “You make my existence sound far more important than it really is.” 

“Do not underestimate your influence upon this world, Cole Turner,” The Angel of Death reproached solemnly, “You might not See what I See, or Understand what I Understand- but after experiencing all you have experienced? After crawling your way out of the Wasteland (a place once thought unbreachable by all), you surely cannot still think of yourself as an irrelevant piece on the chessboard?”

Cole grimaced. 

"Take the situation we are in right now." The Angel continued, “We both know that I do not show myself to just anyone, correct? But we both also know, that when you pulled on your power to See me, you did so without a single doubt that you would be able to do so." 

Cole averted his eyes from the Higher Being, feeling the deep knot in his stomach twist. He didn't want to hear this-

"We both know that I did not allow you to see me, as you so put it.” The Angel of Death stated dryly, “You perceive me naturally, because I no longer have dominion over you." 

Cole's heart skipped a beat. His mouth suddenly felt incredibly dry. 

The Angel noted this change with a knowing look inside its ancient eyes, "Is the truth we both know so hard for you to accept?"

"... yes." Cole whispered. "I don't want it to be true." 

"A self-forged Titan." The Angel mused in its drawling monotone, "A creature so powerful that Death itself cannot claim you without your consent. That is what you have become, Cole Turner. That is what you are."

"... I thought Death was an inevitability for all?" 

"This is true." The Angel acknowledged, and for a moment, there seemed to be a spark of humor in its dull eyes, "But once a Being surpasses a certain level of power, there is more room for... negotiation." 

Cole barked out a laugh, and ran a shaking hand through his hair, "Then I have a question for you."

"I'm all ears." 

Cole's eyes were dull, as if already knowing the answer and yet needing a confirmation, "Where am I on your list?" 

For the first time in their conversation, the Angel of Death appeared to hesitate. 

Cole's eyes sharpened as they tried to analyze the ancient Being's reaction, "You say that I cannot die without giving my consent- if you cannot tell me what that means, I understand, but I would still like to know... something. Anything you can give me." 

The Angel seemed to ponder his question for a moment, before his eyes bore into Cole's own with the weight of eternity behind his gaze, "I can tell you, that regardless of meeting the Charmed Ones, you have always been destined to become something More." Those black voids seemed to peer into every reality and timeline, and his voice echoed with power, "In one reality, you end up becoming an Angel of Destiny. In another, you join my Reapers in the collection of souls." 

He gave a polite chuckle at Cole's obvious surprise, "It could still happen in this reality, but I find it unlikely." 

Down below the two Immortal beings, the sound of twisting metal and boiling water could be heard. Screams soon accompanied these sounds. A car had crashed into a nearby fire-hydrant, and its engine was currently on fire. 

"For you to die Cole, you must willingly give up your Immortality. That is how you give your consent to Death." 

The Angel of Death gave the ex-demon a small incline of its head, a brief gesture of acknowledgment, "And I promise you this, Cole Turner- your soul is one that I will personally collect once your time comes." 

The Higher Being's human form uncoiled, losing shape until it was nothing more than a shifting shadow that was merging into the darkness pooled around their feet. Soon, it disappeared from view completely. 

Cole turned his eyes back down to the street. He watched the Angel reform as he moved to collect Miles's soul from his mangled body, and remained staring long after they both faded out of his view. 

Cole Turner kept watching with vacant eyes even as the ambulance and fire truck arrived on the scene, and started cutting into the vehicle in an attempt to rescue the driver. He watched, feeling as if he was watching through a plane of glass as Miles Marino was pronounced dead, and then zipped into a body bag. His corpse was loaded into an ambulance for transport, and now a tow truck was getting to work on moving his totaled vehicle. 

Cole... had a lot to think about. 

 

Notes:

Hello everyone!

I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and Cole’s interaction with the Angel of Death. It felt so nice to give him someone impartial to talk to, someone who doesn’t judge him- and I also think he really needed it to be honest (even if the Angel pointed out several things that Cole would rather pretend he doesn’t know).

I will admit that I’m a little worried about how I portrayed Cole in this chapter though- and would love to hear your opinions on it.

In my opinion, the only thing that Cole would ever put above Phoebe's happiness, is her safety.

So I hope it is really clear that the murder was NOT an act of petty jealousy (even if Cole felt a little happy about it). It was actually a selfless sacrifice, because Cole knows that if Phoebe finds out, they will never recover. And he also... didn't want Phoebe to have to make the choice, and be wracked with guilt. He'd rather take all of the blame for this action, than for Phoebe to feel even an ounce of shame.

So yeah… even when Cole technically does the right thing, he cannot help but feel like he is doing something wrong. Gosh I love this man, and wish I could wrap him in a comfy blanket and give him a cup of hot chocolate…