Ash

Ash

Flora Winters

I do not own the wonderful characters from Smallville or Charmed.

Summary: After the Charmed Ones defeat the Source of all evil (again) they discover that they have a baby brother named Phoenix who is Paige’s twin. Looks like Mom and Grams have been keeping secrets (again). Phoenix is dating a reporter for the Daily Planet who is really the demon Phyre who has plans for the half witch/half whitelighter. Will Phoenix be able to choose between his family and a love that burns hotter and darker than the very flames of the Underworld? M/M, Language, OC, Crossover, Character Death

Epilogue

Phoenix was smiling down into beautiful blue eyes as he tickled his daughters tummy with the nose of a teddy bear. He could not help but to laugh as she grabbed at it only for him to pull it away and do it again. She was simply too adorable. Her playful giggles were like the soft sound of silver bells.

He felt strong golden arms wrap around his narrow waist and heard a warm whisper in his ear, “How are my Treasures?”

“We’re wonderful,” Phoenix said as he gave the teddy to their precious, “And Hope just loves her teddy…yes she does…yes she does.”

Kal rested his chin on Phoenix’s shoulder and smiled down at his little wonder, “Who gave her the pretty bauble to choke on?”

Phoenix snorted, “Grams fluttered in on the wings of a butterfly and blessed her…and it has a charm on it to prevent such a hazard.”

Kal cocked a brow, “Butterfly?”

“She’s so eccentric,” Phoenix laughed, “How’s Lois at the Planet?”

“Crazy, loud, obnoxious,” he said and led Phoenix over to sit with him on the sofa, “And almost got shot seven times today.”

“That many,” Phoenix asked in shock, “That’s three more times than last week.”

Kal punched him in the arm, “The woman is insane…but one hell of a reporter.”

“Language, Kal,” Phoenix hissed.

“Right,” Kal said and quickly dropped a dollar in the ‘Do Not Curse Around Baby Fund” on the table in front of his feet.

“So,” he said seeing how full the jar looked, “How much money did you lose today?”

“Enough to buy Hope every hardback edition of Harry Potter,” Phoenix said with a sigh, “I broke my favorite mug.”

“You could easily fix it,” Kal said waving his hands around in magical positions.

“I did,” Phoenix groaned, “And then my favorite dish broke.”

“Damn,” Kal said and then hissed as he reached into his pocket for some loose change while Phoenix laughed at him.

“Shit,” Piper yelled from the kitchen, “Bad demon!”

Both turned to see Spider come trotting out of the kitchen with a big chicken leg in his jaws. Phoenix put a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing when Piper stormed in with flour all over her.

She pointed at the snow white hound from Hell, “Control him,” she snarled, “Or you get no chicken.”

“I have my chicken,” Phoenix smiled darkly and patted Kal’s crotch which earned him an even darker glare from his older sister…Kal just smiled happily.

He nodded and looked at the happy puppy who was enjoying his stolen yummy, “You know not to mess with Piper when she’s cooking.”

Spider looked up at him and yipped as if to say, “But it looked so tasty…and I simply had to have it.”

Kal leaned down and patted his head as the hound devoured his food. Piper rolled her eyes and stormed back into the kitchen as Paige bolted down the stairs. She yelled bye to them and raced out the front door.

“Was that Paige,” Leo asked walking in.

“Yeah,” Phoenix said, “Where is she off too?”

“Work,” he said, “She got this nightshift job at this new art gallery.”

“Really,” Kal asked leaning his head against his beautiful red head’s shoulder, “We’ll have to check it out.”

“We’ll bring Hope,” Phoenix smiled, “She’s so gifted…and she’ll love it.”

“She is gifted,” Kal said and pointed at the dancing teddy and his giggling daughter.

“Aw,” Phoenix cooed as he got to his feet, “Soon you’ll be zipping around and playing catch the car with Daddy.”

Leo smiled, “She’s so cute.”

“Yes she is,” Phoenix said and ran his fingers through her soft garnet hair, “And she’ll grow up to be a beautiful movie star.”

“Just like her Mommy,” Kal said which earned him a punch in the gut that winded him, “And his legendary temper.”

“We promised to forget all about that movie,” Phoenix said as he smiled down at his giggling beauty, “They had me be a stupid consort to Dracula.”

“You were so hot,” Piper said walking back in looking cleaned up and with a glass of wine in hand, “All that silk and special effects.”

“I loved the part where you bitch slapped your co star through that wall,” Leo said and Piper elbowed him. He sighed and paid his dollar to the fund.

“And the part where you got your face splashed with acidic holy water,” Kal laughed, “You were so pissed.”

Phoenix narrowed his emerald orbs and Kal dug into his pocket again. Hope was a very wealthy baby.

“I was too overdramatic,” he said, “I wanted to be all dark and seductive…but the director wanted wailing and drawn out lines.”

“Hey,” Piper said, “You were paid a lot of money and it was a box office hit. You’re a celebrity now.”

“True,” Phoenix said agreeing with her, “Hope doesn’t have to worry about paying for college.”

“She’ll have too many scholarships,” Kal said while tickling her tummy, “Wont you, Precious?”

Phoenix smiled, “Speaking of which…I think we need to replace that door.”

Piper shook her head, “All the personal at Lowe’s knows me by name…now.”

Leo laughed, “And the excuses keep getting funnier every time.”

Kal turned to look at Phoenix, “What happened?”

“A minor demon,” Phoenix said while absentmindedly twirling some long strands of his hair around a pale finger, “He went boom.”

“Where was Hope,” Kal asked with worry in his eyes.

“Spider was with her,” Phoenix said, “Nothing gets by Superpuppy.”

Spider yipped as if to say, “Duh…Underdog has nothing on me.”

“She was in our room,” Phoenix said, “In the charmed crib with Spider curled up with her.”

“Grams knows her shit, Kal,” Piper said and then cursed again as she went to find her purse so she could put two dollars in the fund.

“Were you hurt,” Kal asked looking him over with his x-ray vision.

“I’m fine,” Phoenix laughed, “I bitch slapped him so hard…”

“You broke the kitchen table,” Leo said as Phoenix quickly wrote down an ‘I owe you’ and dropped it in the jar, “Which is why we shall be eating out here tonight.”

“I’ll pay for that too,” Phoenix blushed and Kal kissed his cheek.

“We will all chip in,” Piper said walking back in with two dollars, “You’re not our cash cow.”

Kal snorted, “Speak for yourself.”

“Hey,” Phoenix snapped But Kal caught his fist and kissed it.

Hope giggled happily and Kal whispered, “I have a present for you and Hope.”

“What,” Phoenix asked looking into his azure eyes, “I love presents.”

“I know,” Kal smiled happily as he leaned over the crib to pick his little darling up, “But it’s a surprise.”

Phoenix pouted pitifully (say that three times fast…I dare you), “Not even for a kiss?”

Kal put on a thoughtful face and then it went smug, “Nope.”

Phoenix rolled his eyes, “Not even for a b…?”

Kal shook his head even though that was a tempting offer. Leo was blushing something furious and Piper snorted as Phoenix put in another ‘I owe you.’

“We leave a little before midnight,” Kal said as he played airplane with Hope who was squealing happily.

“Ah,” Piper said and Phoenix looked at her.

“Ah,” he asked, “What is ah?”

“It’s a secret,” she said and went back to the kitchen with Phoenix hot on her heels begging her to give him a hint.

Leo shook his head, “They’ll love it.”

“I know,” Kal said while making airplane noises to amuse his daughter, “I feel so…complete now.”

Leo smiled and knelt down to pet Spider who was chewing that bone up.

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Phoenix was sitting in front of his mirror running an ivory handled brush through his long glistening garnet locks that had once belonged to his sister, Phoebe. He wished he could of gotten to know her.

He looked over at the crib to see Spider curled up next to Hope watching over her like a snowy angel as she napped. She had such odd sleeping patterns but it was all worth it.

He remembered that smile that had been on Kal’s face when he first held her in his arms. She was so tiny and perfect in every way. She had Kal’s brilliant blue eyes and his flaming garnet hair. Her skin was like warm peaches and cream. She’s their perfect little miracle.

He picked up a cosmetic jar and unscrewed the top off. He loved the scent of honeysuckle as he rubbed the potion all over his porcelain body. It was not like he needed it or anything. He looked back into the mirror and realized, like Kal, his face would never see itself old. That was when he looked at the cosmetic jar and got a brilliant idea. He was such a genius at times.

He walked over to the window after he got dressed to look up at the night sky. There were so many stars and he smiled, “I see you two.”

He looked over at the pictures of his Mom and Dad smiling from their frames, “I can’t wait for the two of you to meet your Granddaughter.”

Kal walked through the door…literally, “Are my Beauties ready?”

Phoenix looked over at Hope to see that she was wide awake and pulling on a very patient Spider’s tail. There was an idea. He would write a children’s book called…Spider’s Tail. He watched the hound lick her face and she giggled happily.

“Hey,” Phoenix cooed as he reached down and picked her up, “Daddy has a surprise for us.”

Hope reached out with tiny fists and grabbed some of his hair to pull on it happily.

Kal walked over and put his arms around Phoenix’s waist, “Ready?”

They heard of soft whine and both looked to see Spider with his silver leash in his jaws.

“You have spoiled him rotten,” Kal said as he took the leash from the proud hound and attached it to his collar.

“He’s wonderful,” Phoenix said, “Aren’t you boy?”

Spider yipped and the four of them were off to only Kal knew where.

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The four of them were now standing at the edge of a small grove. Phoenix looked around and wondered where the hell they were. This did not look like anyplace he had ever seen before.

The trees in the grove looked old. He could tell that they were ash, oak, birch…and yew.

“What is this,” Phoenix asked and Kal smiled down at him.

“Just watch,” he said as the silver moon above shone down on them and the sacred grove.

Bright balls of light suddenly filled the grove and the flutter of wings could be heard. Phoenix’s eyes widened in wonder.

“Faeries,” he whispered as they fluttered all around them.

Glowing purple and blue mushrooms sprang up from the dark earth and the faeries began to dance on them and in the center of them. Their pipes and flutes were enchanting.

“See this, Baby,” Phoenix smiled as a pretty faerie fluttered before his daughters face, “This is our world.”

Sparkling dust and glowing flora filled the magical grove as the faerie music played. Kal hugged his Treasures close to him.

Hope giggled and a glowing ball of light became a beautiful little faerie. Phoenix and Kal both smiled at each other. The two of them guessed the old saying was true. A faerie is born every time a child laughs.

Phoenix laughed when he saw Spider walking around with faeries hitching a ride on his back. He looked up at Kal’s smiling face.

“I love you,” he whispered as he leaned into his warmth.

Kal smiled, “My world was nothing but ash before you.”

Phoenix turned his head and looked up at him again.

“And you rose up out of all that ash,” he whispered softly, “You accepted me…stood by me…and gave me everything I’ve ever dreamed of…love, a home…and a family.”

Phoenix felt his tears of joy fall and smiled happily at his Superman, “No charge.”

Kal laughed and kissed him as the faeries danced all around them. This was their world. It was bright and magic was everywhere and in everything.

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“What is this,” Paige asked holding up a frosted jar with sparkling green letters that read, ‘Use me Sis’ on it.

“A miracle in a jar,” Piper said and pointed at her face, “Not a winkle in sight…just look at how smooth my neck is.”

The End

I wish everyone who has read and loved this story all the joy and happiness life has to offer them.

Flora