******************

*****Chapter 1*****

******************

Phoebe plopped down beside Cole on the couch looking at him with loving eyes. Cole returned her gaze with his boyish grin and put an arm around her thin waist.

"Peace... for now." She said with a sigh.

"Don't jinx this little time we have together." He teased.

The past two weeks had been packed with demon hunting and vanquishing. Three times she had to wake up at 2 in the morning to vanquish demons, two nights in a row she had had no sleep and every other night she was up until at least midnight.

Phoebe rested her head on Cole's shoulders and played with the sleeve of his shirt. She struggled to make her body get up and move. Their job wasn't done for the day. In fact at that very moment they were supposed to be looking in the book for a vanquish.

"I can't, Cole."

"Can't what?" He asked. He closed his eyes and put his cheek against the top of Phoebe's head.

"Get up. I'm physically, not to mention mentally, drained. I can hardly talk." Her gaze came upon the Book of Shadows which sat on the kitchen table. Piper had brought it downstairs thee night before because she thought it would be good to have in arms length. 'Arms length my ass.' Phoebe thought.

Cole let out a loud snore and Phoebe elbowed him in the ribs causing him to jump up knocking Phoebe onto the floor. He looking around half expecting to see a demon somewhere all he saw was Phoebe sprawled out on the floor looking lifeless.

"Your that tired?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Cole I went to sleep at two this morning and woke up at five and the night before that I didn't sleep at all!" She sat up. "So what do you think?"

Cole held out a hand and when Phoebe grabbed it he swung her up and put her over his shoulder. Even though he wasn't a demon he still was a powerful man. She gasped and laughed as he walked into the kitchen and put her into the chair.

"There ya go!" He looked around. "I'll get some coffee ready."

Phoebe smiled and pulled the book close to her flipping through the pages. "I say we just take out the big guy... you know what I mean? That was we'd be free for about an hour or so."

Cole turned on the coffee pot and watched it pour. "If only I..." His voice trailed off as he realized what he was about to say.

"If only you what?" She asked, not all there.

"Nothing." Cole thought about his demonic powers and realized how much he wanted them back so he could save Phoebe from the source. So he could vanquish him himself.

"What was the demons name?"

"Hollarad, he was a friend of mine." Cole watched as the last drops came down and pulled the pot towards the two cups on the counter filling them with the dark coffee. He brought the mugs to the table and set one in front of Phoebe. "Nice and strong!"

Phoebe looked at the coffee and cringed. "Thanks Hun..." She picked it up and took a sip. It was the strongest coffee she had ever tasted but, if it kept her awake she was happy. Actually she wouldn't be until she was nestled warmly in her bed.

****

"Phoebe! Cole!" Piper shouted as she rushed through the front door with Paige close behind. Phoebe and Cole were standing by the stove mixing a potion to vanquish Hollarad. Piper stopped as she came in to the kitchen. "Hurry!"

"Hollarad is right behind us!" Paige shouted. "And I don't think I have anymore power left to orb!"

Phoebe sighed and gripped the edge of the counter. "I am trying my hardest! It's five in the morning! And the potion takes three more hours to cook!" It had been another sleepless night for everyone at the Halliwell manor.

Piper and Paige both looked at each other shocked. There was a loud crash from in front of the manor that sent Phoebe for the butcher knife and Piper and Paige in an attack stance ready to blow up or orb something at who was as the door

Cole and Phoebe walked into the living room planning to surround it. An invisible force knocked them both to the floor and cascaded past them into the kitchen. Phoebe fell into the coffee table breaking it into pieces and was knocked out, Cole flew into the TV and also fainted.

"What was that?" Paige asked as she turned towards the living room.

Piper followed Paige as she slowly edged to the living room.

"Phoebe!" Piper screamed and threw her hands into the air. She rushed to he and kneeled by her side.

"Piper!" Paige yelped as she was lifted into the air by her jacket

Piper turned around. "Is it a-"

"Demon? I think so!" She cried out. Her body flung across the room and out the living room window.

"Paige!" Piper threw her hands up on instinct hoping to freeze whatever was in the room. She ran outside with the hopefulness that the demon was frozen and drug Paige into the house. Paige had glass all over her arms and a big piece in her stomach. "Leo!!"

She put her hands on Paige's face. She was getting cold and there was a puddle of blood beneath her. Piper rolled her onto her side and looked at her back the piece of glass went all the way through her.

Leo orbed in next to Paige and Piper and looked at the two with astonishment.

"Leo! She's getting cold!" She said as she rose her hands to unfreeze and freeze everything again. She felt her eyes sting as tears formed. Leo leaned over and took the large piece of glass from her stomach and heal it then heal the little cuts on her arm. He looked at Piper and saw he point to Phoebe and Cole. "Th-they need you... t-to help them too!"

Leo healed Phoebe's head and Cole's shoulder. "Good thing he's human now." Leo said. He looked at Piper and saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. "Honey? What's wrong? What happened?"

Piper rushed to the attic and grabbed the glasses Phoebe had used to see the source and ran back downstairs with the glasses on. Looking towards Phoebe she saw him. Who he was she didn't know but he was the grossest demon she had ever seen. His skin was pitch black and his eyes bright red. There were horns coming out of his head and shoulders that were bleeding he wore a cape and pants but she had a glimpse of his stomach which had a head coming out of it and the head blinked and looked at Piper. She froze.

"Piper?" Leo asked questioningly.

Piper screamed as the heads eyes turned from black to white the skin turned bubbly like the demon was melting. It seemed like the demon was frozen all except its head.

Leo walked over to Piper who was whimpering and cowering towards the corner. The demon disappeared from Piper's sights. She looked up at Leo unsure of what had just happened. Piper let out a cry and jumped up to hug Leo. "What was that thing?" She asked.

"What thing? What happened here Piper?"

Piper's eyes rolled back and she fainted in Leo's arms