A/N: After * * * * then it becomes a flashback.
Phoebe took the hat from the man she had just knocked unconscious. She knew that everyone in town would be looking for her, so she jammed the hat on her head and turned the corner. She walked into a warehouse and looked around.
She smiled when she saw it was empty. The pier was the perfect choice for her right then, everyone would be searching the streets. She went over to a full garbage can and then looked around. She managed to find some matches, so she lit one and dropped it into the metal garbage can. Once she had warmth, she began to think about why all of this had started...
* * * *
It had been a strenuous day. They had fought a demon that was using Anger to corrupt people. He was different from Lucas, though. Lucas infected people with the Seven Deadly Sins, but the other demon was infecting people with his own idea of Anger. It was more 'murder' than it was anger.
"I'm just glad we vanquished him." Piper said as they walked back to the manor.
"Hey, the Charmed Ones kick ass." Prue said. "Of course we vanquished him."
"Ahem."
Prue turned to look at Cole and rolled her eyes.
"Yes, sorry." Prue said sarcastically. "I forgot Cole, The Half-Demonic Boy Wonder."
"Well, he does deserve credit." Phoebe said and smiled at Cole. Then she turned to Prue, "He did save *you* after all."
"I could've saved myself." Prue said defensively. "It just so happens that he didn't allow me any reaction time."
"Oh, please." Cole said. "That demon was ready to fry you!"
"Details, details." Prue muttered.
"So," Piper said. "I think we're all ready for a nice relaxing evening."
"I would say so." Phoebe agreed.
"Relax?" A voice suddenly screamed. "Nobody can relax!"
Everyone turned and saw a man behind them, holding a gun. He was shaking slightly; they immediately knew he was still infected.
"Okay, put the gun down." Prue said. "You're... infected."
"No." The man said and pointed the gun at Prue. "It doesn't work like that. I saw you vanquish the demon. The demon has nothing to do with this."
"Put the gun down," Cole said. "We can talk."
"Why would I want to talk to you?" The man said and trained the gun on Cole. "You're the cause of it all!"
"What're you talking -"
Before Cole could finish his sentence, the man pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Cole in the chest, and if it were not for his demon half, he would've been dead straight away.
"You killed her!" The man screamed at Cole. "Don't you remember? You're the bastard that killed Emily!"
The man then raised the gun to his temple, but Piper froze him before he could do anything.
Cole could no longer stand. He let out a ragged breath and staggered. He grabbed onto Phoebe's shoulder, but he couldn't keep his grip. He fell to the ground, clutching his wound and gasping for breath.
"Cole!" Phoebe screamed and kneeled next to him.
"Leo!" Prue called out. Piper did the same.
Phoebe took Cole's hand and looked into his eyes.
"I did it." Cole said. "I did kill her. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"Shhhhhh." Phoebe said. "That was before. You're different now. Everything is different. Just hold on. Leo will be here."
"He won't make it." Cole said. "I can feel it. I... I love you."
Cole's body relaxed and his eyes closed slowly.
"No!" Phoebe screamed. "Cole! Cole! Come back! Cole!"
Prue and Piper kneeled next to Phoebe and wrapped their arms around her. Phoebe began to sob... she also began to lose it.
After a minute or two, Leo orbed in. He had a gash on his face and his shirt was torn. Piper got up and went to him.
"What happened?" She asked.
"I was... with another charge." Leo said. "A demon attacked and I tried to help. This is what happened to me. The witch managed to fend off the demon and, well, I can't tell you much else. What happened here?"
"Cole." Piper said quietly.
Leo quickly went over and waved his hands over Cole's wound, but nothing happened. He kept trying, but there was no effect.
"You can't heal the dead." Phoebe said suddenly.
"Phoebe, I -" Leo started, but Phoebe couldn't take it. She reached forward and slapped Leo across the face.
"It's all your fault." She said. "Damn you."
Phoebe then broke down crying. Prue pulled her into a hug and they all wondered what would happen next.
* *
Phoebe began "losing her marbles" a month or two after Cole's death. At first she was in denial. Then she claimed he was just away. Then she began saying that nobody but here could see him.
Prue, Piper, and Leo thought it was just grief, but it grew. She began getting worse. She started talking to Cole and people who weren't there. At night, she screamed all night if no one said anything to her.
When she started getting violent is when they finally called the asylum. One day at breakfast, she was staring at her plate of food, as usual. Then suddenly, she grabbed her butter knife and jumped onto the table. She moved over to Leo and shoved the butter knife near his throat, threatening to stab him. Leo orbed away from her and Piper and Prue restrained her.
After a psychiatric evaluation, it was decided that Phoebe would have to go. She was dangerous.
Prue signed the papers because Phoebe would never do it willingly and Piper couldn't bear to do it. After a good-bye that didn't seem to faze Phoebe at all, she was taken out of Prue and Piper's sight.
And that's where she remained, until now.
Phoebe took the hat from the man she had just knocked unconscious. She knew that everyone in town would be looking for her, so she jammed the hat on her head and turned the corner. She walked into a warehouse and looked around.
She smiled when she saw it was empty. The pier was the perfect choice for her right then, everyone would be searching the streets. She went over to a full garbage can and then looked around. She managed to find some matches, so she lit one and dropped it into the metal garbage can. Once she had warmth, she began to think about why all of this had started...
* * * *
It had been a strenuous day. They had fought a demon that was using Anger to corrupt people. He was different from Lucas, though. Lucas infected people with the Seven Deadly Sins, but the other demon was infecting people with his own idea of Anger. It was more 'murder' than it was anger.
"I'm just glad we vanquished him." Piper said as they walked back to the manor.
"Hey, the Charmed Ones kick ass." Prue said. "Of course we vanquished him."
"Ahem."
Prue turned to look at Cole and rolled her eyes.
"Yes, sorry." Prue said sarcastically. "I forgot Cole, The Half-Demonic Boy Wonder."
"Well, he does deserve credit." Phoebe said and smiled at Cole. Then she turned to Prue, "He did save *you* after all."
"I could've saved myself." Prue said defensively. "It just so happens that he didn't allow me any reaction time."
"Oh, please." Cole said. "That demon was ready to fry you!"
"Details, details." Prue muttered.
"So," Piper said. "I think we're all ready for a nice relaxing evening."
"I would say so." Phoebe agreed.
"Relax?" A voice suddenly screamed. "Nobody can relax!"
Everyone turned and saw a man behind them, holding a gun. He was shaking slightly; they immediately knew he was still infected.
"Okay, put the gun down." Prue said. "You're... infected."
"No." The man said and pointed the gun at Prue. "It doesn't work like that. I saw you vanquish the demon. The demon has nothing to do with this."
"Put the gun down," Cole said. "We can talk."
"Why would I want to talk to you?" The man said and trained the gun on Cole. "You're the cause of it all!"
"What're you talking -"
Before Cole could finish his sentence, the man pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Cole in the chest, and if it were not for his demon half, he would've been dead straight away.
"You killed her!" The man screamed at Cole. "Don't you remember? You're the bastard that killed Emily!"
The man then raised the gun to his temple, but Piper froze him before he could do anything.
Cole could no longer stand. He let out a ragged breath and staggered. He grabbed onto Phoebe's shoulder, but he couldn't keep his grip. He fell to the ground, clutching his wound and gasping for breath.
"Cole!" Phoebe screamed and kneeled next to him.
"Leo!" Prue called out. Piper did the same.
Phoebe took Cole's hand and looked into his eyes.
"I did it." Cole said. "I did kill her. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"Shhhhhh." Phoebe said. "That was before. You're different now. Everything is different. Just hold on. Leo will be here."
"He won't make it." Cole said. "I can feel it. I... I love you."
Cole's body relaxed and his eyes closed slowly.
"No!" Phoebe screamed. "Cole! Cole! Come back! Cole!"
Prue and Piper kneeled next to Phoebe and wrapped their arms around her. Phoebe began to sob... she also began to lose it.
After a minute or two, Leo orbed in. He had a gash on his face and his shirt was torn. Piper got up and went to him.
"What happened?" She asked.
"I was... with another charge." Leo said. "A demon attacked and I tried to help. This is what happened to me. The witch managed to fend off the demon and, well, I can't tell you much else. What happened here?"
"Cole." Piper said quietly.
Leo quickly went over and waved his hands over Cole's wound, but nothing happened. He kept trying, but there was no effect.
"You can't heal the dead." Phoebe said suddenly.
"Phoebe, I -" Leo started, but Phoebe couldn't take it. She reached forward and slapped Leo across the face.
"It's all your fault." She said. "Damn you."
Phoebe then broke down crying. Prue pulled her into a hug and they all wondered what would happen next.
* *
Phoebe began "losing her marbles" a month or two after Cole's death. At first she was in denial. Then she claimed he was just away. Then she began saying that nobody but here could see him.
Prue, Piper, and Leo thought it was just grief, but it grew. She began getting worse. She started talking to Cole and people who weren't there. At night, she screamed all night if no one said anything to her.
When she started getting violent is when they finally called the asylum. One day at breakfast, she was staring at her plate of food, as usual. Then suddenly, she grabbed her butter knife and jumped onto the table. She moved over to Leo and shoved the butter knife near his throat, threatening to stab him. Leo orbed away from her and Piper and Prue restrained her.
After a psychiatric evaluation, it was decided that Phoebe would have to go. She was dangerous.
Prue signed the papers because Phoebe would never do it willingly and Piper couldn't bear to do it. After a good-bye that didn't seem to faze Phoebe at all, she was taken out of Prue and Piper's sight.
And that's where she remained, until now.
