Background:  Takes place sometime after Oh My Goddess.  Chris is their whitelighter but unlike in the real episode nothing weird is going on with him.  He's just a regular whitelighter from the present who guides the Charmed Ones. Leo is gone and Phoebe is still Cole's wife.  She lives in Cole's penthouse.  Cole was never vanquished and is still the source of all evil.  The Charmed Ones think they vanquished the Source side of him but they really didn't/.  Cole is just hiding it from them.  Cole still being the Source probably would have affected the outcome of Season 5 but since this is my story it hasn't.  I can't really make sure all the little details from Season 4 and stuff are correct so please just accept the story for how it is.  Nobody's perfect. To make you feel better let's just say it's an Alternate Universe… so to speak.  Okay enough with my ramblings… go on read the story.  I think you will like it.  Feel free to review it.  I take compliments AND criticism. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed… the WB Productions do.

wAnNaBpIpEr... Paige is the sister who went to look for a job. lol. I'll fix it so its clearer. Thanks for pointing that out. :)

            Piper was sitting on the couch in the family room reading the newspaper.  Wyatt was calmly laying at her feet in his baby rocker.  The morning was almost a perfect morning.  ALMOST a perfect morning.  Yes, the sun was shining in through the windows in rays of glistening light and breakfast had been made for Piper by her sister, Paige, who had left early to look for a job.  Most importantly, Wyatt had allowed Piper a full night's sleep the night before and was now playing soundly by himself.  But things were missing.  No, not things, people.  Leo was gone, had been gone, left her.  No not left her, went to fulfill his destiny as a whitelighter, being able to lead the magical beings that made good happen every single day.  Sure, Piper was happy for him.  She was happy if he was happy.  But she didn't understand why he was destined to become leader of the Elders now, when he was the father of a four month old child and a whitelighter to the Charmed Ones.  They needed a whitelighter like Leo.  There was something about him, not only being Piper's wife, but something else that made him perfect as the Charmed One's whitelighter.  Chris was different.  Obviously he helped them when they needed help and advised them when they needed advice but he wasn't Leo.  No whitelighter could ever replace Leo.

            A shrill ring of the telephone replaced the peace of the morning.  Startled, Piper jumped and looked up from her newspaper.  She folded it and placed it next to her on the other side of the couch.  Then she walked to the other side of the room to get the cordless phone which had wrong twice more.

            "I'm coming, I'm coming," Piper mumbled in the direction of the phone.  She lifted the phone and pressed the "On" button, then placed it against her ear.

            "Hello," Piper said into the phone.  She walked back to the couch so she could sit down and keep an eye on the baby.

            "Hey Piper, it's me."

            "Hey Pheebs, what's up?" said Piper cheerfully, hearing the familiar voice of her younger sister.

            "Well, I don't want to impose, but, can I stay at the Manor for a couple days?"  My place is being painted tomorrow and I don't want to be in the way or have to deal with the fumes."  Phoebe blurted, almost knowing for a fact that Piper was going to say yes to her pleads.

            "Yea, no problem, sweety.  Does Cole need a room too?" Piper asked generously.

            "Thanks so much!  Oh, and Cole has a business trip… some convention in Los Angelos.  He should be away for a week," Phoebe made a sad noise at the mention of her hubby not being with her for a whole week.

            Piper laughed, "All righty then, why don't you stay for the week, if Cole's going to be gone anyway."

            "Piper that would be great?!  Wait, are you sure it's okay?" Phoebe asked skeptically.

            "Of  course I'm sure Phoebe!  We have an empty house here and besides, the Manor IS technically yours too."

            "Thanks again Piper.  Oh, and tell my little nephew how much I love him!" Phoebe cooed in her infamous baby voice.

            Piper laughed again, "Bye, I'll talk to you later."  She hung up the phone and placed it on the small square table next to the couch.  She picked up the newspaper again.  But first she couldn't help thinking about what it would like to have the Power of Three living under the same roof again.  Even if it was for only a week, it was something that hadn't been done in over a year.

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            Phoebe hung up the phone.

            "Phoebe," said Cole from behind her.

            She spun around with a smile on her face, "Co- -"

            She felt a sharp pain in her shoulder.  It felt like a shot from the doctor.  But it was more powerful, more sting, more force.  A gunshot?  No, not that bad.  Phoebe's eyes fluttered and she fell limply to the floor.

Cole smiled.  No, Cole didn't smile… the Source smiled.  Cole didn't stop himself though, this is what he wanted.  This was how he would be able to live happily with the woman he loved.  Cole's dark eyes flashed even darker, into a midnight black. 

He bent down to carefully to lift up his wife.  As he did so he said, "I'll take you to your room, my queen.  You should recover in an hour or so."  Holding Phoebe in his arms, he carried her to their bedroom and placed her gently on the bed.  Cole planted a kiss on her forehead and left the room, proud of himself for a job well done.