A/N:

Thanks for the reviews.

Chapter 21

Cole's Confession

The sisters arrived home slightly battered and bruised from their demon fight. He was a upper-level warlock and was not quite ready to meet the wasteland. Phoebe was bleeding from her side as a dagger made its home there for a moment. Paige was limping as she sat down from a sprained knee and Prue was helping Phoebe by keeping pressure on the wound.

"Leo could you heal her please," Prue asks and Leo went to healing all of them.

"You know this would be much easier, if they would just die without a fight," Paige said as Leo walked over to her. Phoebe stood up and felt much better until her eyes set on the wall that was covered with newspaper's.

"Oh no," she said as Piper was probably having an episode. The others looked and their victory was short-lived as they all set eyes on the stairwell.

"I will go check on her," Leo said and made his way upstairs as Paige began to take clippings off.

"He said it was going to be a rough week," Prue said as Leo came back down with Cole who has seen better days. He was fighting the source inside of him. His eyes bloodshot and he was sweating heavily.

"Cole are you ok?" Phoebe asks noticing his demeanor.

"I don't have much time, Phoebe I am the source, I have been for a while now. The seer has a demon following you and she will kill you if I told you," he said quickly.

"Cole," Phoebe said as she backed away slightly.

"Listen she will summon me and then come for you all of you. Find a way to kill her and get this out of me. You will need to get the Grimoire, there is a spell but good can't touch it," Cole began to stutter as the force was becoming too strong. "I love you and I am sorry," he said and screamed as he flamed out. Phoebe stood motionless as the information rushed through her head.

"Oh my god," Paige said and run up to Piper thinking that Cole may have done something, but Leo stopped her.

"She is ok, just sleeping," Leo said knowing exactly what Paige was doing.

Just as everyone was trying to understand what occurred a demon shimmered in and grabbed Phoebe by the waist and was gone with her.

"Fuck!" Prue yelled as she ran upstairs to get the book with Paige and Leo behind her.

They made it to the attic trying to understand what just happened.

"I can't believe he lied to us," Prue said while flipping through the pages looking for the lost witch spell.

"We will need the power of three Prue," Paige said as she looked at Leo.

"Piper can't do this right now," Leo said as she might still be in a episode.

"Leo we don't have a choice, we need her. Take her up there to clear it out," Prue said and Leo nodded as he went back to Piper's room.

"Ok how the hell are we supposed to get the Grimoire if we can't touch it?" Paige asks.

"You orb it to something, orb it here," Prue replied as she began to put the candles out.

"Prue we don't have a plan," Paige said as Prue continued the process.

"Yeah we are winging it," Prue said as Piper and Leo came in. She was still slightly covered with ink on her face and hands but she seemed clear at the moment.

"I'm sorry," she said as she felt somewhat responsible for Phoebe being taken.

"Piper its not your fault now can you help us or -, Prue asks.

"Yes I'm ok," Piper replied and walked over to them.

Prue did the lost witch spell and they all waited around for something to show but nothing happened.

"Ok we go to the underworld," Prue said as she grabbed some potions.

"Prue I don't have my powers," Piper said.

"Piper we need the power of three and you are still a witch, Leo stay by her," Prue said as she and Paige filled their pockets with as many potions as she could and gave some to Piper.

They orbed down to the underworld but realized the vastness and had no idea where the seer was or Phoebe

The seer was staring at Phoebe who was being held by two upper-level demons as Cole was struggling to keep control.

"Let her go!" He bellowed.

"I warned you Balthazar, now I have to deal with sisters and you," she said and grabbed a dagger from the table.

"NO!" he said and formed a fireball and then tossed it at the seer. It faded away before it hit her.

"Do you think I will not protect myself," She said and continued walking towards Phoebe.

"Cole get out of here," she said as her concern was more for him then herself. Cole formed another fireball and tossed it at one of the demons that held her. He exploded and Phoebe used her knew found freedom to tossed the other over her back and try to get some distance from her and the seer.

"Stupid witch you can't leave here and I will just call more demons," the seer said as she hovered the dagger in front of her. Phoebe then remembered she had Piper's power. The seer used telekinesis to send it flying and Phoebe put one hand up. The dagger froze in midair and then she grabbed it. She tossed it at the seer who caused it to explode before it hit her. "We can do this all night but you will die, either by my hand or by his," she said as Cole was losing his internal battle and his eyes were flashing from human to demon.

"Cole I know you can fight this," Phoebe said as he went to his knees. His hands pressed hard on the dirt floor and the only thing he could grab and squeeze was dust. Sweat fell from his forhead and mixed with the dry substance. He looked up over his brow and his loving human eyes look directly into hers and then flashed black. This time they did not turn back and after a few deep breaths, he stood.

"The source," the seer said and smiled.

Prue was blowing up demons as Piper stayed next to Leo hoping that an episode would not kick in. Paige was sending fireballs back to their senders as Leo would occasionally punch and kick anything that got too close to his wife. Piper was using the potions that they gave her but they did little against the onslaught.

"Dammit Prue we don't know where we're going, give me a second I might be able to sense her," Leo said as it seemed they were making no progress.

"She probably has it blocked Leo," Paige said.

"But not Cole," Piper added.

"What do you mean?" Prue asks.

"Well if he is the source and she wanted to keep tabs on him, she would need to know where he was," Piper replied and Paige's mind began its process of thinking of a way to track him.

"Your right, we seek him out and that should lead us to Phoebe," Paige said.

"What he's the source now?" Leo asks.

"There still has to be some left in him, we have to try," Prue said.

"By the scent of his soul, I call smell to guide me, so that Cole, must be found. By the heart of his soul, I call instinct to guide me, so that Cole, must be found. By the voice of his soul, I call knowledge to guide me, so that Cole, must be found," Paige said and a gentle when blew past them. They could smell his cologne. Then they could see a small light forming like a firefly. Last arrows on the wall began to appear.

"Oh my god Paige its working," Prue said and they followed the scent and the little ball of light along with distant whispers that sounded like his voice.

Cole was still in his body but it was so subdued it was not even noticeable. He walked over to Phoebe, not with love but with hatred.

"I have waited a long time for this," the source said as Phoebe went to her knees as she felt she lost the love of her life.

"Cole please fight this," she said as she looked at the seer who was enjoying every moment of it. "You bitch if I go down then so do you," she said and froze the room. She knew it would not last long on him but the seer would hopefully be frozen longer. Phoebe found a sharp object and plunged it into the seer. Once the room unfroze, the seer was fighting the vanquish until Prue finished her off, by using Piper's exploding power and the others tossed some potions. They also said the power of three spell and she exploded.

"Good your all here, this will be easy," the source said and started to tap into his power.

Paige could see the book on the table and without hesitation orbed it to the manner as Piper tossed the remaining potions at the source to distract him, while Prue used her telekinesis to send him flying.

"We can't help him down here. Paige orb the book," Prue said and they all got together.

"Grimoire!" Paige yelled and the book orbed out and then to the attic as they orbed out as well.

"I love you Cole," Phoebe said as he stood up while they materialized away.

They arrived in the attic and knew he would come for them.

"Ok we don't have much time," Prue said as Piper looked at the evil book.

"We need a lower level demon to put the power in and then use the power of three spell to kill him," Paige said.

"We don't have time. Put it in me and then use the stripping potion you used on Cole once before," Piper said and no one said anything as the statement shook them.

"What?" Leo asks.

"I can feel and episode starting, so we don't have much time but it may distract me enough that I don't hurt anyone," Piper said as she began to sweat while fighting off the distant voices.

"But you just got back from up there, doesn't it last longer?" Phoebe asks.

"Not when there is a lot of stress apparently," Piper replied.

"No we are not giving this to you Piper," Prue said.

"Its the only way, I don't have my powers so you wont lose any firepower," Piper said as she closed her eyes tight while her mind was beginning to go fuzzy.

"We could lose you," Prue said with fear in her voice.

"You won't trust me it will work," Piper said as Paige looked at the book. She walked over to it and try to touch it, but it protected itself against good and it moved across the floor.

"Well we could have a little problem," Paige said.

"Use your telekinesis to flip the pages," Phoebe said to Prue.

"Wait we are actually going to do this?" Prue asks while looking at her younger sisters.

"I don't like it either but we can't go rummaging through the underworld looking for a lower level demon and maybe her illness will counteract it somehow," Phoebe replied as Piper put her hands to her ears. "Get the crystals." she said and Paige grabbed the box that held them. She then put them around Piper except for the last one that she held tighten her hand.

"Piper please there has to be another way," Leo said as seeing his wife be turned into the source was what he feared the most.

"Leo please," Piper said through her teeth while trying to fight off the illness.

Prue walked over to the book and found the page that would strip the sources power, but there was a problem, Piper would have to say it. "Honey can you read this right now?" she asks and Piper opened her eyes and looked at the writing. "Just try to memorize it ok," she said as she could see that her sister was struggling to focus.

"Ok," Piper said and began to put the words to memory.

"Phoebe go and start the potion," Prue said and Phoebe ran out of the room." Leo go with her just in case Cole goes to her first."

"Prue," Leo said as he did not want to leave his wife.

"Leo now," Prue said harshly as time was running out. He kissed Piper on the cheek and orbed downstairs.

Piper continued to read the lines over and over again silently. "Honey please tell me you going to be ok because of I have to vanquish you, I will never forgive myself," Prue said.

"It will work," Piper said and looked up at her older sister. "If you have too, it's not your fault and I love you," she said and held back tears as she continued to focus on keeping her sanity. Cole flamed in and before Prue could react he sent her flying backwards. She hit the wall hard and struggled to rise.

"Sword!" Paige yelled and orbed a sword that was a leftover from one of their many demon attacks at him. He used his powers to stop it and turned it back at her. She orbed away just in time as the sharp object moved through fading orbs. Piper began the chant and Cole could feel his power being stripped as Paige orbed back in. She knew she had to distract him while Piper read it off. He formed a fireball and was about to toss it but Paige orbed it out of his hands and sent it back at him. Piper could feel the surge of power, something she has never felt before. Her thoughts became dark and bloody as she continued to chant. Cole was sent backwards as the fireball hit him and he stood up and began to rise into the air as the power was being stripped out of him and going into Piper. She too was levitating while streams of black smoke were traveling from him to her.

"Oh god," Prue said as she began to feel this was a bad idea. "Phoebe get up here!"

Leo orbed Phoebe back to the attic as she clutched the potion that was still clear in her hand. It had to turn blood red before it would work. She had to add a lot to it to make it powerful enough to strip the sources power. Piper was not a demon so technically this potion should do the trick, but it was a long-shot. The power transfer was almost complete as Paige got ready to put the Crystal in place. Piper and Cole both hit the ground hard as the room went silent.

"Paige now!" Prue said and Paige put the last crystal down forming the cage as Piper seemed to be unconscious along with Cole. No one said anything as they had no idea if it worked or if they were alive.

"Piper," Leo said softly as he tried to approach but was stopped by Phoebe

"Don't the cage," she said and he backed away. Cole was the first to wake and his black eyes were now human again but he was completely exhausted.

"Cole?" Phoebe asks but kept her distance.

"Phoebe what happened?" he asks as she let out a huge sigh of relief. She walked over to him and helped him stand. Piper was also waking and she slowly got to her knees and opened her eyes. They were completely black and they all put their hands to their mouths as they knew the transfer was complete.

"Piper?" Prue asks but all she got back was a wicked grin.

"Not quite," she replied and stood but the voices interfered with her desire to kill them all. She put her hands to her head again.

"The illness is interfering," Leo said as he looked at the potion that was still clear.

"Phoebe try to freeze her," Prue said.

"Prue I can't freeze good witches remember," Phoebe said.

"She's not a witch anymore," Prue reminded her.

Phoebe put a hand out and the room froze along with Leo and Piper. "Oh my god," Phoebe said as she felt like she just lost her sister to darkness. But the state would not last long and she had to keep doing it. Piper would scream throughout the process as the voices were in full force along with hallucinations. She would form fireballs and tossed them at the ground randomly inside the cage like she was trying to kill something. They were concerned that she would toss a fireball at the cage and reflect back and hit her. The potion finally did change to a blood red in Phoebe's hand.

"Its ready," Paige said.

"How do we get it in there?" Phoebe asks.

"Crystal," Paige said and one orbed away causing the cage to be open. Piper looked up and right at Prue. She formed a large fireball and was ready to toss it.

"Potion!" Paige yelled and the goblet orbed out of Phoebe's hand and reappeared close to Piper. Prue used her exploding power and caused the crimson liquid to explode and land on Piper. The fireball she was holding went out and flames formed around her.

"No!" Prue yelled as she thought the worst. Piper could feel the burning of her flesh as the flames engulfed her completely. She screamed out in pain until finally there was a large flash the caused everyone to look away. Leo became unfrozen and was the first to see the aftermath.

"Piper," he said and went to her as she was on her knees again with her head down. He put his arms around her and she felt hot to the touch. Everyone else force themselves to look and when they saw her being held by Leo, their fear subsided as they all went to her.

"Are you ok?" Phoebe asks through tears.

Piper did not replied as she was still in an episode and having issues with understanding what was real and what was not.

"Leo take her up there again," Prue asks and he did what she asks.

"She is ok right?" Paige asks.

"Yeah it worked her eyes were normal," Phoebe replied as she sat down next to Cole. "Are you ok?"

"That depends, could someone tell me what just happened?" he asks.

A few hours past and they waited impatiently for Leo to return with Piper. They couldn't understand why was taking so long unless something else was going on. Maybe they didn't get rid of it, maybe it was still inside her. Blue and white orbs filled the room and Piper and Leo were now standing there. She looked rested and clear as they came over to her.

"She is ok it worked," Leo said while he was still holding onto her.

"Thank god and don't you ever do anything like that again," Prue said and they all hugged her including a very grateful Cole.

"There is one thing," Leo said.

"Oh what now?" Paige asks.

"Cole has his demon powers back," Leo replied.

"How?" Phoebe asks.

"They don't know, they're still checking into it but as long as he uses his powers for good, he should be ok or you could do the stripping potion," Leo replied.

"Well Cole do you think you can handle it?" Prue asks.

"Yeah after what Piper did for me and what she has to go through on a daily basis, I can handle it," Cole replied as Phoebe put her arms around him.

To be continued...