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Gone
Her head stopped spinning around and gradually relaxed down to a dull ache. She found herself surrounded by cloaked whitelighters, all in a hurry.
"Excuse me?" Phoebe chirped.
"Where can I find your bosses?"
She hadn't been up there since they vanquished Eames and she had forgotten how pretty and crowded it was. A helpful female lighter guided her to a huge red door. Phoebe took a big breath and opened it. Their big all-knowing eyes were on her. Fourteen tall stone chairs were full. The fifteenth was empty.
"You probably already know because you've been stalking us as usual but can you please tell me where our whitelighter is?" Phoebe couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
"Hello to you to, Phoebe." The Elders spoke us one.
"We haven't heard of Leo for two weeks now. It's as if he simply slipped off existence. We're greatly sorry but there's nothing we can do within our power to find him."
Phoebe stopped touching chairs to try and get a premonition to bang her hands furiously on the table.
"That's not good enough!" She announced, frustrated.
"Tell me everything."
"We've already told you everything we know."
"Yeah, well, I don't believe you." Phoebe moved to touch another chair.
An Elder stopped her.
"Listen, Phoebe, we're sorry but we know as little as you. We can't help you. Now, if you'd excuse us, please..."
Phoebe felt herself being gently orbed outside. She slammed her fists against the locked door. She walked aimlessly away, fuming. Eventually she sat down in a place where the Whitelighters wouldn't step on her and buried her face in her hands. She couldn't make herself say the reverse-spell and return to the attic, knowing she would see Piper's hopeful eyes turn blank with her lack of information.
Suddenly Prue appeared.
"What did you find out? Is everything OK?"
"No." Phoebe choked back tears. "They say they don't know anything and I'm not sure whether to believe them or not. First Cole, than Leo, I can't lose him too, Prue."
"We won't." Prue hugged her tightly.
"Did you get a premonition?"
Phoebe shook her head.
"Of what? The room's like bare. I tried every chair but nada."
"I left something in your pocket." Prue smiled.
"What?"
"Sorry-times up." And Prue was gone.
Flashback
Phoebe winced from the heated intensity in Cole's eyes. They bore into her, soulless and desperate. Prue's and Piper's grip on her tightened protectively.
"Phoebe," Cole said, inching towards her, his feet silent against the attic floor.
"We can still make this work. Us."
Phoebe's heart sank. Part of her still loved him, would always love him. He was not a demon easy to get over. But she knew for the greater good, probably her own greater good, he had to go.
She slowly backed away with her sisters by her side.
"We couldn't make this work the moment I realized there was no good left in you- and no evil left in me."
The words seemed to slowly kill him.
"Phoebe..." Was all he could say. Desperation shuddered through him as he clenched his bloodied fists in despair.
"We could have been King and Queen of the Underworld! We could have been anything and everything that you wanted."
"Maybe I just want to be me." Phoebe said.
Cole began to shake in anger, giving in to the evil inside him.
"I hate you!" he howled hollow, and darted wildly towards them.
Before his angry hands could grab her throat, Prue sent Cole flying with her powers.
"Keep away from my sister." She threatened.
Cole, dressed in his usual black attire, slowly stood up, defeated. Phoebe felt a shiver of fear when she realized how big he was compared to her.
"Don't. Move." Prue warned again.
"The spell, Phebes, now!" Piper said and they started chanting.
Cole shot her a glare and chucked as if amused.
"You won't do it Phoebe, you can't."
She tried to ignore him and the sick feeling in her stomach as they came to the last line of the spell. Phoebe looked at him in the eye for the first time and finally said the punishing words, much strongly then she felt. Cole's face twisted in fear and came to the realization it was over.
"I love you!" His final words were so quiet; Phoebe thought she was the only one who heard them.
Fire consumed his body but his eyes remained the same till the end. Cold, fierce and full of regret.
Her knees gave in and she fell to the ground. He was gone, finally gone and she didn't know whether to rejoice or to cry.
And after dinner, after her sisters had stopped fussing over her, she went to bed and felt herself unwillingly say the words that echoed her pain.
"I love you too... Cole." She whispered into the night.
End flashback...