Disclaimer: The Charmed characters are the property of Aaron Spelling and Constance Burge. I just borrow them for your enjoyment and what was my writting addiction.

This was a lost bet story a number of years ago and was co-written with Tahula from an old website

This is a set right after Exit Stradegy with a little change to the end...

Enjoy

In the attic, Prue looked through the Book of Shadows while Jenna and Piper worked on the potion.

Reading the instruciton to Piper. "Shake water vigorously for 200 heartbeats, then add a pinch of dandelion and a dash of chickweed," Jenna said.

Piper poured some water into a jar and screwing on the lid she began to shake the jar per Jenna's instructions.

Prue approached her, "You're using bottled water?" Prue asked.

"For Cole, the purer, the better," Piper said.

As if on cue, Belthazor appeared in the attic near the Book of Shadows. The three looked over, startled.

Piper barely had enough time to react, afraid to use her powers because she didn't know which one would work when she tried. Belthazor took teh oppurtunity and shot a fireball at Jenna, causing Piper react by jumping forward, pushing Jenna out of the way.

Prue looked on in horror as her sister became engulfed in flames.

Piper screamed in pain as the flames consumed her and then she disappeared from sight, nothing left but the charred marks on the floor where she had stood.

Prue reacted quickly and threw Belthazor with her power. He crashed through the attic windows to the ground below. Prue saw Jenna rising from where Piper had pushed her to.

"Oh my God," Jenna said.

Prue wasn't registering anything now. Her body was moving and reacting on its own. She hurried and grabbed Jenna's hand, leading her downstairs. There she found some of the Belthazor vanquishing potion that they had made as a safe guard for just such an emergency. She grabbed a small vial of it and waited. She knew he would come back. She stood near Jenna, sure to protect the innocent before anything else.

Belthazor didn't disappoint, shimmering in, having recovered from his fall.

SEeing the displacement of the air, Prue threw the potion before he even had a chance to do anything. It exploded on him and the flames surrounded him as he growled in rage. He tried to throw an energy ball, but Prue easily deflected it back towards him. This demon was dead. She watched him disappear in a puff of black smoke. Then her body continued on in its robotic mode, going back up to the attic. Jenna could only follow her.

She approached the charred circle on the attic floor and stared down at it as tears slowly filled her eyes as it finally sank in. In one single act of evil by a demon, a single act of selflessness by Piper, the middle Halliwell was gone. The Charmed Circle wase broken. Prue was frozen. Frozen in fear of the future. Frozen in guilt for not protecting Piper. Frozen in place, as if Piper's power were at work on her. Nothing moved.

"She sacrificed herself," Jenna said, feeling great sorrow and great regret. "She sacrificed herself for me."

"We protect the innocent," Prue said in a quiet, monotone whisper. A single tear trickled down her cheek, but she couldn't break yet. Thoughts of Phoebe filled her mind. Where was she? Had she found Cole? Or was she still waiting at the mausoleum? Prue couldn't let go yet. She had to know if Phoebe was okay. She quickly astral projected to the mausoleum.

As Phoebe drove to the mausoleum her thoughts were on Cole. She believed what she had told her sisters about him attacking her because he knew that the amulet would protect her, but she saw the look in Prue's eyes when she did. She wasn't completely convinced but she agreed with her because she was her baby sister and she trusted her. It was the only way to protect her at that time.

She just hoped that they got to him in time. She saw the conflict in his eyes, the confusion. She had seen it earlier at the house that day. When she looked at him then, it was like some of her friends she had known in NYC. Those who just had to have that next drug fix, and would do anything to get it.

She pulled in the parking lot and made her way across the cemetery to the mausoleum. At the Manor Jenna had placed the paste on her arm and it felt wonderful, though she could still feel a slight burning sensation in it. Just healing, Phoebe thought as she continued her way to the second home of the one she loved.

Tarkin watched as Belthazor shimmered out of his room in the underworld. There was something not right with his old friend. He could feel it. He left his spot in the tunnels and went to Raynor.

"Raynor."

"Tarkin. What is it?"

"It's Belthazor. Can you honestly trust him?" Tarkin asked with a questionable look.

"No, but his demon half is winning the fight. Soon he will spill the blood of an innocent."

"Unless his witch stops him first."

"No, for what I have in mind she won't. She will turn her back on him, and then he will have no choice but to return home." Raynor said with an evil smile across his face. "And better. His demon half is struggling harder and harder. Maybe he will kill the witch for us."

Tarkin looked at his mentor, "Now that would be convenient."

"Yes it would be." Raynor said as he stared at the soul of Cole's father that he held in his hands. The power over anyone was always that of a loved one.

Phoebe entered the mausoleum with caution. Even though she knew it was the home to Cole's family, she had learned a long time ago that as a witch you needed to take that extra precaution, and now was definitely one of those times. She didn't know if Raynor or any other demon was waiting on the other side.

Walking slowly down the stairs she looked around, "Cole? Are you here?" Getting no reply she paced. Back and forth past the tombs of those that were once a part of Cole's life, much like she was.

Seeing the air shimmer she looked at him, "Cole. Surprised to see me?" Phoebe said as she stepped up to him.

"I hoped, but why'd you come after what I did?" he said as he looked over at her. He could feel his blood boiling inside.

"Because you need me. Besides, it's not like you haven't tried to kill me before. A little energy ball isn't going to stop me." She smiled up at him. Even now she could see the conflict inside of him.

"You know, I didn't have a choice, I didn't mean to hurt you." He said as he walked to the other side of one of the tombs. He could feel his demon half fighting him to get free, but he wouldn't let him hurt Phoebe.

"I know, I know, I know, it's okay. I just need to get you back to the house, get that potion and you will be safe." She stated as she followed him and placed her hand over his

"It's too late for that." He coughs, as he looks down at her and then away.

"What do you mean?" she asks with concern. Afraid that he was giving up and letting his evil half win the battle. She looked down and sees his hand change into Belthazor's hand. Looking up to his face, his face starts to change as well. Seeing the urgency in her plan, "We have to hurry."

Cole saw his hand change and realized what was happening. He was turning right before her eyes. "Maybe I should shimmer us there," he said with some hesitation.

"You can't use your demonic powers, its too much temptation. We'll just drive there," she said as she pulled him towards the entrance to the mausoleum.

He held his ground as the evil in him pushed forward. "Phoebe."

She turned as she felt him pull her towards him, but what she felt next was not what she was expecting, as the cold steel entered her body.

Looking in his eyes all she could see was evil. No conflict, no confusion, just evil. As she felt her life slipping away she held her gaze to him praying that what he had done was a mistake and she was just having a premonition. But as she held her stomach and she felt her life slipping away with the blood that poured over her hands she knew she had lost the battle to save him, and that evil had reclaimed their killer.

Prue felt the rage inside of her build as she astral projected to the mausoleum. How could she let this happen? She had let her sister down. She just prayed that she got to Phoebe in time. In time to tell her that they had to vanquish the one man she had ever truly loved, the man that had just killed their sister.

Looking around the dark mausoleum she tried to see her sister. "Phoebe?" She called out as she moved around with caution. The last thing she needed was for Belthazor to show up now. "Phoebe?" she tried again as she stepped around the last tomb. Her eyes set on the body on the floor. Panic ripped through her heart.

"Phoebe!" she cried out as she ran to her sister's body. Kneeling on the ground she picked up her sister's body and cradled it to her chest. "NOOOO!!" she cried out as she rested her head on Phoebes forehead. "Nooooo." Was all she could say as her whole world, as she knew it, was gone. Both her sisters killed at the hands of the demon they should have killed long ago.