She awoke with a start, the events of the last day replaying over and over in her mind. Looking down at the person sleeping fretfully beside her, his handsome face seemed to cringe in fear, or was it pain? Beyond all her hope's and dream's, he had returned, but he was no longer the same.

Reaching out to him, she shook him gently, hoping to wake him, but his exhaustion was to complete, and he would not stir. Sliding to the edge of the bed, her bruises protested as she sat up, putting her legs over the edge. Her troubled thoughts turned to her sisters yet again as she remembered the last time she had seen them.

The ache of her body forgotten, surpassed by the pain in her heart, she shuddered, thinking about them. Were they safe? She had to know!

"Andy, wake up." she said, once again shaking him by the shoulder, and as he sat up in the bed, she jumped a little, for his eyes, as they opened, seemed to glow with an eerie light.

Andy saw her pull back and he knew why. Bowing his head, he took a calming breath, releasing the last of his fears from the dream. The same dream he had been having for almost two years, the death of a young witch at his hands. Her face had been replaced by that of the woman before him, the woman who held his heart.

"Prue..."
"No Andy, not now, please." she said, cutting him off. "I'm not ready for this."
"I know," he said softly, turning and getting off the bed. "I'll get you something to eat." this he said so she could hear him.

Returning a few minutes later with a tray loaded with fruits and a pot of coffee, the two ate in silence, neither wanting to break the quiet, breaking the moment.

"I had better change that bandage," he said after they finished. "Then we should decide what to do."
"I need to find my sisters." she replied wincing a bit as the old wrap pulled at her leg. "Then we will talk."

Looking into her azure gaze, he knew he would do as she asked, just like he always had, never able to deny her when she was so sincere. He just hoped he would be able to tell her why he had done what he had done, for he still didn't know himself.

Cole stared at the two, lying together on the bed, and he could not take it any more, he had to get out. Turning, he fled, leaving behind the house, the memories; the pain. He ran stumbling blindly, he ran until he could go no further and then he dropped to his knee's, crying out to the heavens the pain he felt in his heart.

Mary saw him leave, and her heart, that had until just this past day held such hatred for him, wept with him. If she had not seen it, she would never have believed that Belthazors heart could feel love. She was torn, should she go after him, or stay, and watch over the two in her bedroom. Looking in on them, she saw they were both still sleeping, and making her decision, she took a blanket and went to find him, trusting in the spell she had woven to keep them safe.

"Andy, we need to get going, I have to find them." Prue said when he was finished with her leg.

"We will, in just a few minutes, I have to 'sense' were they are first."

Closing his eyes, Andy reached out, hoping that what little power he had would be enough to locate her sisters. There, just on the outer limits of his range, he could feel something, but it was faint, like it was fading, or hidden from 'sight'. Holding out his hand, he felt Prue take it, and still concentrating, he pulled her close and shimmered to it.

When Prue opened her eye's after shimmering, her first sight was of her younger sister, sleeping with her husband, and she felt a surge of joy go through her. Limping to the bed, she sat down, stroking the hair of the middle sister, and casting a glance at Andy, she gestured with her head, telling him all he need to know. He went to look for Phoebe.

Piper stirred, deep in sleep, her thoughts mixing with each other as she dreamed. She dreamed she could see her sisters, laughing together as they walked down a beach, and she could almost hear Prue talking if she listened closely enough, calling to her.

"Piper? Please, open your eye's." Prue said, softly, so as not to wake Leo. She just wanted her sisters now, and she needed to tell them she was sorry. Sorry for leaving them there, sorry for not telling them she loved them, sorry she was so hard on them But most of all, sorry for yelling at them, especially her baby, Phoebe. She needed her sisters more then she needed her own breath.

Piper opened her eyes; the dimness of the room was playing tricks on her she thought, for it looked like Prue was sitting there with her.

"Piper?" she heard the beloved voice of the oldest say. She didn't even remember moving, but the next thing she knew she was safe in her sisters loving embrace, her tears mixing into her dark hair as she cried out her grief.

"Y...you're alive?" she said, as her sobs quieted.

"Yes, and we are together again, the three of us." Prue said, stroking her back to quiet her.

Piper knew then that Prue had not been told, and, she knew, that she should be the one to tell her. "Prue.." she couldn't go on, and, as she looked at her oldest sister, the tears and the grief on her face said more then her words ever could.

"Piper?" Prue questioned, her heart thudding against its cage as if it knew what had happened. "Where is she?" But she received no answer.

"Prue she..." Piper tried again.

"NO!" She cried, as she rose to her feet, "she's not...!" Limping, she headed for the door, determined to check the house, because she would not except what she had seen in Pipers eyes. The hurt, the loss, the sorrow was too much to bear.

Andy meet her in the living room, his eye's full of questions at her tone, as he saw Piper and Leo stumble out of the room after her.

Mary had found Cole, and together they had sat, neither saying a word as the older woman, held the half demon. She knew he needed to deal with his pain, but as a demon, he had never faced that kind of loss before, and she vowed that she would be there for him, if he wanted her. Then she felt it. The barrier had been broken. Evil had entered her house.

"Cole, we have to get back, their in trouble." she said, as she grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the house.

"Andy?" Piper said in disbelief, as she saw who was in the living room.

"What's going on?" Leo asked confused his mind still foggy from sleep.

"Did you find her!" Prue almost demanded of Andy, searching the room with her eye's.

"Prue, please..." her sister started to say.

""No, it's not true!"

"Prue, she's gone." Piper had walked up to her, gathering her in her arms. "There was nothing we could do."

"Wha...what happened?" Prue asked as tears started to form in her eyes.

"Cole came and found us, and as he was bringing me here, I saw...I saw.." Piper stopped as her voice caught in her throat. Her mind filled with the last sight she had of her baby sister. Leo could see her anguish, and he wrapped his arm's around her, offering what support he could.

"What? What did you see!" Prue demanded

"There was a shark, and when Cole got back there, there was blood in the water." tears were once again falling down her cheeks, the pain coming back ten fold as she told her sister. "He couldn't find her."

"No, I don't believe you. She's got to be alive! Maybe...maybe she.." Prue turned and buried her head in Andy's chest.

He held her close, trying to make sense of it all. How could this be happening? Why were they forced to suffer like this? Why couldn't he have prevented this? He could feel her trembling as he held her.

Prue shook herself, she had to be strong, because she could sense that Piper needed her, she had been through so much by herself. Releasing her hold on Andy, she walked towards her middle sister, enfolding her in her arms.

The front door of the house slammed open, framing two shapes in the fading light.

"You!" the taller one said, stepping forward. His burning look of hatred was directed at Andy, almost as if he didn't see anyone else. A blue-white spark appeared in his hands.

"Cole! No!" the sisters cried together. "He's on our side!"

Cole had transformed into his demon side, the red and black face of Belthazor turned to look at them, confusion on his face. Turning back, he just glared, but he seemed to be calming. Then, with no warning, he raised his hand and threw the energy gathered there.

Straight at Andy!