After everyone had gone to bed, P. Phoebe crept out of hers. No one was sleeping in the sun room, it was too bright in the morning. She had seen the vanquish and was intrigued by what her new found powers could do. Silently she tip toed her way to the Book of Shadows. Careful not to wake anyone in the next room, she flipped through the pages, pausing every now and then to look at the pictures or to read a spell silently. She was nearing the end when a particular spell caught her eye. The spell to find her true love. She smiled mischievously looking to see if anyone was watching. Satisfied that everyone was asleep, she quietly whispered the spell. She listened for something to tell her if the spell worked. She heard nothing. P. Phoebe closed her eyes to hear better, but the sleepy girl inside the adult got the better of her. She fell asleep almost instantly. The sun's first rays pierced P. Phoebe's eyes, waking her earlier than the others. Without moving much she looked at her watch. 6:35. Grams would be getting up in 5 minutes, and she would wake everyone else in 10. P. Phoebe began to panic. If Grams caught her up, she was sure she wouldn't be allowed to go out on Friday. She was sure that after breaking up with Adam at least one guy would want to go out with her on Friday. She jumped up, ready to run up to her room.
"What's wrong Phoebe?" A groggy voice asked. P. Phoebe turned to see a man sleeping there. Judging by his position, she had been sleeping against him all night.
"So that's why I felt so warm. He's not bad looking. But he's way old." She thought to herself.
"Honey?" He asked again, still half asleep. Slowly P. Phoebe backed up. She wasn't watching where she was going, and backed into a chair, knocking it over. P. Phoebe winced. The sound echoed through the manor. Waking P. Paige, Phoebe, Piper and Leo. It also woke the man on the couch. "What was that?" He asked, now fully awake.
"Stay away from me." P. Phoebe warned. Cole took one step towards P. Phoebe, but she took two steps back.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"Cole?" Phoebe asked, coming into the room, followed closely by Piper and Leo.
"Who are you?" Cole asked.
Piper snickered. "My husband recognized me." She whispered to Phoebe, who promptly hit her.
"Cole, it's me, Phoebe."
"You are?"
"Yes."
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" He challenged.
Phoebe thought. What was the best way to convince Cole she was his wife? She smiled and then waked over to Cole and kissed him passionately. "Things are kinda messed up right now." She said, when they pulled apart.
"I can see that." He said, looking at the faces around him. Three of them were very familiar. Faces he had seen almost everyday. Two were vaguely familiar. Glimpses of people he knew. The voices from downstairs woke Grams up. She came down to see Cole.
"Demon!" She screamed, using her powers to send Cole flying. He landed on the fireplace poker.
"Cole!" Phoebe screamed. She ran over to him and helped him sit up. The poker had left him bleeding and hurt. "Leo, hurry, he's hurt." Phoebe yelled. Leo rushed over and put his hands over his back, healing him, and rearing/ cleaning his shirt.
"What was that for?" Phoebe demanded.
"That was the demon that attacked two nights ago."
"No, that was his demon half. Cole is completely human now. I told you that, I think. How did you know that was him."
"Call it intuition. I'm sorry Cole. What are you doing here?"
"Good question Cole, what are you doing here, in my past?"
"I was at P3, opening for Piper. I figured that even with you guys missing, Piper would want the club open." Piper smiled. Her brother-in-law could be a good man. "And then suddenly I was here. It looked like the manor as it normally does. I saw you on the couch, and figured you guys were finally home."
"Ok, what did you do?" Piper asked P. Phoebe.
"What makes you think I did anything?" P. Phoebe poorly defended herself.
"Because the only way a human could get here was if someone cast a spell. Everyone else was asleep. I know you well enough that you didn't wake up this early on your own. You were the first to see Cole, making you the prime suspect."
"She cast the True Love Spell." Phoebe said, pointing to the book. "I wasn't that far in the book when I went to bed last night."
"Are you trying to tell me that this spell worked?" P. Phoebe asked, astounded.
"Yes, it sure did." Phoebe answered looking into Cole's eyes.
"So that guy is my true love?" She checked.
"Unless you reworded it to get Prue's or Piper's or Paige's true love, and one of them isn't telling me something, then yes. Cole is the only man I love."
"Phoebe, get ready for school. You too Piper, you have 45 minutes until I get on your backs to leave. While you're getting dressed what would everyone like for breakfast?" Grams offered. After giving their orders to Grams, Piper and Phoebe got ready for school. "Wake up Prue while you're up there!" She shouted to the retreating girls. Sure enough, 45 minutes later, not everyone was ready to go. Phoebe lost in the daily rock-paper-scissors game that the three played for the last shower, and was running late because of it. With little time to spare, she grabbed a piece of toast, a mug of coffee and after a quick kiss to Cole, bolted out the door, where Prue had already pulled out of the driveway. She couldn't concentrate once at school. Phoebe's teachers saw nothing different. She rarely paid attention. The days before with an alert Phoebe was rare and almost scary. Phoebe kept coming up with wild theories about how Katie was connected to all of this. The most wild being Katie was her long lost twin sister there as a spirit to tell her this. But as soon as she thought this theory, she quickly dismissed it. A lot of her daydreaming was also reserved for things to do when she got her body back. Most of them involved Cole. {Come on people, use your imagination} She could help but chuckle inwardly when she saw the look on her younger counter part's face when she pulled Cole in for that kiss. She looked horrified, but was intrigued. Bored of class, Phoebe began to doodle in her notebook.
"Ms. Halliwell, please pay attention!" Her teacher Mr. K ordered. Phoebe wasn't paying attention. And after being married to Cole, and being Mrs. Turner, Phoebe ignored the teacher. A poke from Katie next to her told her that Mr. K was talking to her.
"Sorry." Phoebe said, looking up.
"I don't think sorry is the correct answer." A small chuckle ran through the class.
"I missed the question, could you please repeat it?"
"One more time for Phoebe, what is the acceleration of gravity?"
"9.8 meters per second." She promptly answered.
"I'm impressed. WE hadn't covered that part of the lab yet. I just asked you that to throw you off. I didn't expect you to actually answer correctly. Tell me Phoebe, how did you know that?"
Phoebe froze. After high school and college physics, 9.8 meters per second rolled of her tongue. Taking a quick glance at the clock on the wall, Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief. There were only seconds left. "I, my…" But she was cut short by the bell. As everyone packed up, Mr. K shouted the homework, which was already written on the board. Naturally everyone had all ready seen the assignment.
"Only two more months until summer. I can't wait. And next year we'll be in high school." Katie said to Phoebe.
"Yep." Phoebe paused. "Katie, do you consider us to be best friends?" Phoebe asked. Katie stopped dead.
"Yeah, I would." She said after she thought for a minute.
"So would I."
School ticked by slowly. Finally at 3:15 she jumped into the car where Piper and Prue were already waiting for her.
"Let's go get Paige." Prue said, pulling out of her parking spot. "Piper, plug in the radar jammer." Prue ordered.
"What's the rush?"
"I dunno, just feel like going fast."
"Prue, pull over there." Piper ordered. Confused, Prue did as she was told. Plus, Prue knew that even though she didn't look it, Piper was older than her. "I'm driving." She said, getting out of the car.
"Ok, why?"
"I'm not in the mood for getting caught. Besides, I know where Paige's school is."
"She goes to the elementary school by us right?"
"Oh no. She's on the other side of the city."
"Good thing you're driving, I would have gotten us lost."
When they passed the school, Paige was the only one still waiting. "Took you long enough. Why are you so much later than yesterday?" She accused.
"We had to pick up Phoebe first."
"Gee, thanks Pheebs." Paige joked.
"It wasn't my fault."
"I was just kidding."
"I know, I was playing along with it." Phoebe said.
"Let's just get home. I want to be 26 again." Paige said.
"Amen to that." Phoebe cheered. Paige glared at Phoebe as if to say '26?' "I mean I can't wait to be 28."
Piper, reminded of finally getting in her normal body rushed everyone home. They were greeted by everyone, minus Grams (she had to work.) "Now that she's here, can we go back to normal?" P. Phoebe asked. Behind her, P. Piper and P. Paige nodded their heads in agreement.
"Sure, can you give a sec to prepare?" Piper said, everyone nodded.
"What do we have to do? Chant in some strange language?" P. Paige asked.
"A lot easier than that. Just have to do something with a potion." Phoebe answered; she threw her bag on the floor.
"I have that on the stove." Leo said.
"Thanks Honey." Piper said.
"Let's go." Paige said, practically running to the kitchen. The others went running after her. "Me first." She insisted. P. Paige suddenly became scared.
"W-w-what do I have to do?" She stammered.
"It is really simple. All you have to do is take some powered toadstool, hold my hand. We then say 'I want to be again' together, throw the toadstool into the potion and it should work." Paige explained for everyone. P. Paige took Paige's hand. Leo held out a bowl of toadstool for each to take a pinch.
"I want to be me again." The chanted. Bam! The potion exploded in a puff of smoke. The two began to fall down, but Leo and Cole (who were the closest) ran and caught them before they landed.
"Did it work?" Phoebe asked.
"Yes. 26, again." Paige answered.
Stirred by the Paige's success, the Phoebes were next. Know what to do, they went faster. Cold caught Phoebe in his arms. "Phoebe?" He asked when he came to. Phoebe smiled, sat up and kissed him. "So it didn't work." He joked. Phoebe playfully hit him.
Lastly the Pipers had a turn. They went to take a pinch of the toadstool, but there wasn't enough for the both of them.
"I can get some." Cole quickly volunteered.
"No, I'll go. I can orb, and you're just human, no offence. Besides they have a limited number of small amounts of potions up there. You know, in case of an emergency. I can go get some really quickly." Leo offered.
"Not a good idea. You're already up there. There can't be two of you up there." Phoebe said.
"LEO!" Piper called. At once, P. Leo orbed in.
"You changed!" Phoebe exclaimed. "How am I to keep you tow straight? You are both wearing flannel,"
"I thought about that as I was changing. Here's how: I'm bachelor Leo, he's married Leo."
"Ok, that is harder." Phoebe complained.
"Here. My Leo will be wearing this flowered bracelet. And if he takes it off, I'm pretty sure that he'll have first hand experience of the wrath of two angry Halliwells." Piper said. "Me and Phoebe," She then threatened.
"Three." Paige added.
"Four." Prue said.
"And an ex-half demon." Cole put in.
"I got the point." Leo said.
"What did you guys want?" P. Leo asked.
"We just need a pinch of powdered toadstool. Leo said there's some up there." Piper explained.
"Ok, I'll be right back." He orbed out. Seconds later he was back with a small vile of powdered toadstool. "Here it is." P. Leo said, handing it to Piper.
Piper took the vile and poured it into the bowl of existing toadstool. "Ready?" She asked her younger self.
"As I'll ever be." She responded They took each other's hand, a pinch of toadstool and said those magic words. The potion exploded and the two fell backwards into Leo and Coles' arms.
"Hey Honey." Piper said, as she came to in Leo's arms.
"Hey." He said back.
"Now what?" Prue asked.
"Did the elders say anything about Katie?" Phoebe asked.
"Yeah. They said that when you get to your present it will become very obvious."
"So this has nothing to do with our current situation?"
"No, that's not what I said. I said she has nothing to do with this time." Leo corrected.
"So that leaves us where?"
"Penny wanted me to bind their powers." Leo said.
"Is the potion made?" Piper asked.
"I made it yesterday." Prue said.
"Good where is it?"
"Fridge." Piper went over to the fridge, where she saw four bottles of binding potion. She took them out and handed them to Prue, P. Phoebe, P. Piper, and P. Paige.
"You guys need to drink this." Leo said.
"What will it do?" P. Paige questioned.
"It will bind your powers so that you can use them when you're ready."
P. Piper was the first to uncork her bottle. She closed her eyes and in one gulp swallowed it.
"Nothing happened." Prue observed.
"Nothing is supposed to happen." Piper said.
"Only with stripping potions will anything happen." Cole said.
"Oh." Prue commented.
P. Phoebe and P. Paige went next.
"Do I have to?" Prue joked. "I like my powers."
"You'll get them again." Phoebe promised.
"Ok." She took a deep breath and swallowed the potion. "No what?" She asked.
"Well, you guys vanquished our guy, so we need to head back." Piper said.
"Let's wait until Grams gets home. I want to say good bye this time." Phoebe suggested.
"I like that idea. So we wait." Piper said. P. Piper and Prue went to work on their homework. P. Phoebe and P. Paige to watch TV. The others stayed in the kitchen talking. A little after 5, Grams came home.
"Hello girls." Grams said. "I see you switched back already."
"How could you tell?" Phoebe asked.
"You're sitting awfully close to each other. If you hadn't switched, Piper, you wouldn't be sitting so close to Leo. Phoebe wouldn't be on Cole's lap, and Paige wouldn't be at the same table. You guys aren't close yet."
"Grams, we need to go back now." Piper said.
"I know."
"We waited to say good bye first." Phoebe said.
"I was glad you did wait."
"So are we."
"Grams, we'll miss you." Phoebe said. Piper nodded furiously behind her.
"I'll miss you girls too."
"Yeah, but when we're gone, we're still here. You're gone we get back."
"I'm sure I'm right there watching you."
"It wouldn't surprise me."
"And you Ms. Paige. I enjoyed seeing you all grown up. Last time I saw you, you were just a baby."
"I liked meeting you too." Paige said. They gave Grams a quick hug good bye. "I got the spell."
"Wait, we have to say good bye to Prue." Phoebe said.
"I don't know if I can." Piper said.
"I can, and I want to." Phoebe said.
"I don't know if I can't." Piper added.
"Come on, we'll take her to the attic with us." Phoebe said. As they passed Prue's door, Phoebe knocked on her door. "Prue, could you come to the attic with us?"
"Sure what for?" Prue asked. She saw Piper's somber face and stopped asking questions, knowing why. P. Phoebe heard Phoebe talking about the attic and ventured out of her room (P. Paige had gone home, and P. Phoebe stopped watching TV). When everyone had gone halfway up the stairs, she snuck into P. Piper's room.
"They're going to the attic." She reported.
"So?"
"Don't you want to know what's up there?"
"Not really."
"Come on. Let's go. I don't want to go alone."
"Fine. Let's go." P. Piper stood up and followed P. Phoebe up the attic stairs. They arrived at the tail end of the good byes. Piper, Phoebe, Prue, and Paige, were in the middle of a group hug.
"I hate to break this up, but Piper, I don't know if anyone has opened the club in a while. One hour here, is worth four in the present." Cole said. "I was doing it, but, well, you know, I'm here now."
"Yeah, we gotta go." Phoebe said.
The three said the spell, and in an orb of white lights, the five left.
"So this is the attic." P. Phoebe commented.