Phoebe thought she heard her name being called. Far away in the distance. She no longer felt cold. She was actually warm. Not the burning feeling but…warm. She tried to move but she was caught in something and she weakly tried to struggle against it. She opened her eyes and gasped when she saw his face hovering above hers. "Cole," she whispered in surprise. "You're here."
"Phoebe?" he asked in low voice full of worry and concern. "Are you all right?"
"Cole?" she asked in a daze as she pushed off his black cloak that had been covering her. "Where?" she asked as she tried to look past him. "The Underworld?" She tried to sit up but grew dizzy and he quickly held her to steady her. "How?" she asked him as she grabbed his shirt in her fists and clenched it tightly.
Concerned, Cole pulled her closely to him and hoped she could stop trembling. "That really was some potion," he teased as he lightly kissed her temple.
"Potion?" Phoebe asked as she looked at him in confusion. He brushed some strands of hair from her face and she brought up her hand and stopped him. She stared at their hands but froze at the sight of the ends of her hair. Suddenly, she realized what was wrong with this picture. Her hair was long. And streaked with blond. She gasped in shock as she looked wildly around her at the chamber and stammered, "Cole, what…what happened?"
"You must've fainted," Cole replied as he once again held her tightly to him. "I came back here and found you lying on the floor. It was the potion, I guess. You took a big risk coming here, Phoebe," He reminded her as he quickly pulled her to her feet. He steadied her as he told her, "But now I've got to get you out of here before the Source --"
"Source?" Phoebe interrupted as she looked down at herself and at what she was wearing and grabbed for Cole in shock. "Cole, what's today's date?"
"The date?" Cole repeated. "Phoebe, what are you --"
"Please," Phoebe interrupted in a quiet voice, "please, just tell me."
Cole sighed, "May seventeenth."
"Two thousand one?" Phoebe requested in a hopeful tone. Cole nodded and she sagged slightly. Cole quickly steadied her as she mumbled, "The spell…Ohmigod, Cole…Prue…She's…" Phoebe could no longer speak as she looked at him with tears spilling from her eyes. Her whole body trembled even with his support.
"What about Prue?" Cole asked in concern as he tried to calm her.
"She's still alive," Phoebe tearfully replied with a smile. Suddenly, she threw her arms around him and repeated, "She's still alive!"
"What are you talking about?" Cole wondered as he returned her embrace. "What happened?"
"Shax," Phoebe answered as she tried to catch her breath.
"Shax?" Cole repeated as he pushed her back slightly. "Are you sure?" He saw the look of sincerity on Phoebe's face and said, "Phoebe, he's one of the Source's personal assassins. I have to get you out of here. There's something really big going on. That's what I came to tell you. Shax or not, the Source is here. Now."
Phoebe shrugged off his support, took a deep breath, and told him, "I need you to go to him. Tell him I want to make a deal."
Cole stepped back in shock. "A deal? Are you out of your mind?" He shook his head as he grabbed for her hand. "I'm getting you out of here."
"No," Phoebe insisted as she resisted his touch. "I have to save her. Don't you understand? That's what I came back to do!"
"Back?" Cole muttered, "Phoebe you're not thinking clearly. The potion…Maybe when I get you back, you'll feel --" The blue orb lights interrupted Cole and he uttered, "Leo? What the hell are you doing here?"
Leo acknowledged Cole but spoke to Phoebe. "Your sisters have been exposed as witches. All hell is breaking loose." He turned to Cole. "Tempus is our only chance. To save her sisters and the magical world."
Cole shook his head in disbelief. "You're crazy. Both of you. The Source won't make any deals."
"He will. Go to him, Cole," Phoebe quietly ordered. "Offer the deal."
"What deal?" Cole asked in exasperation.
"Me for Tempus's assistance," Phoebe stated.
"What?!" Cole and Leo shouted together.
"Leo," Phoebe turned to him, "go back and tell them not to do anything. I mean it. Tell them to stay in the attic. They'll be safe there. Tell them not to do anything or speak to anyone until I get there." Leo didn't answer and she insisted, "Promise me, Leo." Leo glanced at Cole but reluctantly nodded to Phoebe and orbed out. Phoebe then focused on Cole and told him, "I know what I'm doing. He'll see you. Tell him it's your idea. Tell him he'll have my loyalty if he allows you to warn my sisters. He's here because of what happened up there. Tempus is his only chance and he knows it. "
"Phoebe, you --" Cole began but Phoebe silenced him with a kiss.
"Please," she begged, "please, just go." Cole looked at her once more and left without saying anything. "Please, God, please let this work," she whispered when she was suddenly alone.
********** ********** **********
"Phoebe," Cole greeted as he found her pacing the floor of the chamber. She turned and waited expectantly for his news. "He agreed," Cole told her.
Phoebe sighed in relief. "Okay," she said to herself. She looked back at Cole and began, "Okay, it's a trap. The Source is gonna send demons to detain you and kill me."
"Not that I don't believe you, but how do you know for sure?" Cole asked.
"The Source doesn't handle betrayal well," Phoebe answered. "He'll have his revenge against you and he'll have destroyed the Charmed Ones as well. But I…we won't let that happen so I need you to shimmer me back home now."
"Phoebe, I --" Cole started to say when Leo suddenly orbed in between them.
Phoebe couldn't mistake the tears in Leo's eyes and whispered, "Piper?"
Leo nodded and soberly told her, "I don't have a right to ask you to do this but, Phoebe, I don't think we have any choice if we want to save them."
Phoebe quickly hugged her brother-in-law. "Don't worry, Leo. Tempus will reset time and Piper will be fine. I promise."
Cole stepped forward, "You're forgetting about the Source. You made a deal with him. Like you said, he doesn't take betrayal lightly. He will come after you in ways you can't possibly imagine."
Phoebe frowned and pulled away from Leo. "To hell with the Source. We vanquished him before, we'll do it again."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Cole demanded. "We don't have much time, Phoebe. Tell me what's going on. Is this all from a premonition? What do you know about the future?"
"I'm saving all of us," Phoebe answered simply, "that's all. Now, let's get back to the manor before the Source's guards come to stop us from warning my sisters."
An energy ball suddenly whizzed past Phoebe's head and the trio scattered as demons charged into the chamber.
"Leo! Get her out of here!" Cole shouted as he threw an energy ball and destroyed one of the attackers.
"Cole, no!" Phoebe yelled as Leo's orb took her away.
********** ********** **********
Phoebe found herself in the attic with Leo. "Quick, Leo, go downstairs and check on my sisters."
"What about you?" Leo asked.
Phoebe hesitated for just a moment as her mind raced through different plans of what she needed to accomplish. "A spell," she answered, more to herself than to him. "I've gotta write a spell."
"Okay, but hurry up," Leo suggested as he left her in the attic.
"This's probably against more than a couple of rules," Phoebe muttered as she tore a blank page from the back of the Book of Shadows, "but, God knows, the Charmed Ones have broken 'em before and lived to tell about it." She grabbed a pen and quickly began to write.
********** ********** **********