"You think he'll come just because we called?" Paige asked her sister as they stood in the center of their attic. "What makes you think it'll work anyway? If he's all-powerful now, we don't even know that a simple spell will work."

"That's why I came up with a new spell," Piper responded as she lit the circle of candles. "We've got to try. Leo said the Baldirons are rarely seen and generally used as last resorts in cases of revenge."

"That's because of their insect-like nature, they can get past most defenses," Paige commented. "CreepyThey won't appear on anyone's radar except as a harmless bug. The real question is: How did Phoebe know about them? They're not mentioned in the Book and you've never come across them before."

Piper shrugged, "But if the Elders think that Phoebe's caught in some sort of premonition, we could be in for serious trouble and it might help to know what Cole knows about these Baldirons, just in case."

"All right then," Paige nodded, "let's get this over with. I'm not crazy about Cole being in the house with us. Especially if we're not at full-strengthOf course, full-strength didn't do us much good last week" She caught Piper's stern look and sighed, "All right, let's see the spell"

Piper waited but Paige didn't say anything after having read from her piece of lined paper. Concerned, she asked, "Should I change it?"

Paige shook her had as she sadly realized, "No, you got the wording perfectly."

Piper reached for Paige's hand, gave it an encouraging squeeze, and they recited,

"Phoebe's dream now holds the key.

To save our innocent, hear our plea:

Two hearts once joined but now torn apart,

Bring to us he who still holds Phoebe's heart."

The flames flickered and the sisters waited. But nothing happened.

"Maybe he doesn't hold Phoebe's heart anymore," Paige suggested hopefully.

Piper glared at her but crumpled the paper and threw it down. "Damn it," she grumbled as she turned away from the circle, "I really thought that would work."

"It's okay," Paige apologized as she wrapped her arm around Piper in comfort. "We'll find another way."

"To do what?" Cole inquired as he appeared within the circle.

Both sisters gasped and turned around. "Cole," Paige uttered in shock. "You're here."

"You called," he simply responded, "I was curious." He scanned the attic. "Where's Phoebe? Downstairs preparing another vanquishing potion? The last one packed quite a punch but fell short of its mark. Still here, sorry to say," he muttered as he stepped out of the circle.

"Actually," Piper answered as she quickly glanced at Paige, "Phoebe's the reason we called." She cleared her throat and continued, "She'swell, the Elders think she's caught in a premonition."

"What do you mean caught?" Cole asked with sudden interest.

"We think she was having a premonition when she fainted," Paige reluctantly told him. "And she hasn't woken up yet. Every now and then she mumbles some words but we don't know what she means by the ones we can make out."

"Why did she faint?" Cole quickly asked in a concerned tone. "Is something wrong with her?"

"Phoebe's been overdoing it forwell, for a long time, but especially this week," Piper admitted as she held Cole's gaze. "She hasn't been sleeping well, she's barely been eating, and then this morning, she --"

"So you think I had something to do with this?" Cole interrupted defensively.

Piper shook her head. "She seemed a little off last night and woke up feverish this morning. It's possible the fever may have contributed to what happened. What we --"

"What we need to know is why she mentioned Baldirons," Paige interrupted. "Leo gave us the basics about them but we need to know what you know. What you've heard about an attack."

"What makes you think I've heard anything?" he snapped. But he saw the solemn looks on their faces and thought a moment before he seriously answered, "I haven't heard of a Baldiron attack in seventy-five years. Are you sure that's what she said?"

Both sisters nodded and Piper asked, "Any idea why they would attack now?"

Cole shook his head as he considered, "Baldirons are hard to find and don't come cheap. The Underworld is still in chaos so there are plenty of demons available for hire. No one would need to find a Baldiron unless it was for something big or someone desperate."

"Well that was helpful," Paige sarcastically muttered to Piper.

Piper ignored Paige's comment and told Cole, "She also mentioned Avatars a few minutes ago so Leo went to find out about them." She noticed the shocked look on Cole's face and eyed him suspiciously. "What do you know about them?"

Cole didn't answer and, instead, paced to the windows. He gazed out at the sunny street below and wondered how much he should reveal.

"If you know something, you have to tell us," Paige declared after she glanced uneasily at her sister. "You owe it to us."

"You Halliwells always think everyone owes you," Cole softly commented as he continued to look out the window.

"I'm not a--" Paige began before Piper grabbed her arm.

"Look, Cole, we need to figure out what Phoebe's premonition's about and if you can help us" Piper left her sentence unfinished.

"What do I get out of it?" he wondered with his back still to them. "What will you do for me?"

"Why should we do anything for you?" Paige asked with annoyance. "We don't owe you a damn thing. Not after what you did to us. And if you really meant what you said about wanting to be good, you wouldn't expect something in return. You'd just do it because it's the right thing to do."

Cole gave a bitter laugh, "Funny, not too long ago, you were the only one defending me and my good intentions." He finally turned around to face them and questioned, "How long do you expect me to stay on your leash? How many more times do I have to help you to prove I've changed only to have you turn me away until the next time you need my help?"

Piper exchanged guilty looks with her sister and apologized to Cole, "I didn't think --"

"No, you didn't," he sharply interrupted. "None of you didNot even Phoebe."

"Actually," Paige quietly admitted, "she's been pretty torn up about anything where you're concerned. Maybe for that very reason."

Cole absorbed her words and sighed. "The Avatars approached me with an offer."

"For what?" Piper asked. "Who are they?"

"A small group of beings, neither good nor bad, but definitely interested in power," he stated. "I wasn't aware of their existence and don't know much more than that."

"This can't be good," Piper commented with a worried glance to her sister.

"And now that you're Superman," Paige muttered, "they want you on their side." She faced Piper. "We wouldn't stand a chance."

Cole nodded in agreement and then added, "They pretty much laughed when I told them I wasn't interested in joining their group." He saw the skeptical looks on the sisters' faces and frowned, "You really think I'd join them?" Cole shook his head in disbelief. "You're incredibleboth of you. Where does Phoebe stand with all this? Does she think I'd turn again? After everything I've done to try and prove I've changed, does she really think I'd still be interested in power like they're offering?"

Annoyed, Paige reminded him, "She's unconscious, remember?" She took a step towards Cole and added, "She doesn't even realize she mentioned the Avatars so leave her out of this. We're the ones who called you. Deal with it and tell us what we want to know."

Piper tried to nip the budding argument and placed a calming hand on Paige's arm. "Please, Cole," she sincerely said, "this has never happened before to Phoebe and if she's talking about Baldirons and Avatars, I'm really worried we're in for some serious trouble. How did the Avatars react when you refused their offer?"

Cole stared at her for a moment before he honestly replied, "They didn't seem surprised or even bothered. They informed me that soon I wouldn't have much of a choice and that I'd come to them."

"That's why you wanted us to vanquish you," Piper realized with shock.

"I succumbed once," Cole nodded and turned away. "I won't let it happen again."

"Cole, I don't --" Paige began.

"They pointed out," Cole interrupted as he faced the sisters again, "that, all things considered, the sides of good and evil are balanced. Any time one side gains more power, the other compensates. The Avatars are planning something. Something big. And I think neither side will stand a chance against them."

"Unless we work together," Piper considered. Paige stared at her in shock and she stated, "It's not like it hasn't been done before. Need I remind you of the Hollow?"

"This time, we won't --" Cole began before they all heard a thud from the floor below.

"Phoebe," Paige commented with worry as they all rushed out of the attic.

********** ********** **********

Phoebe groaned as she opened her eyes. She saw both Paige and Cole standing over her. "Still here?"

"Sorry," Cole apologized half-heartedly.

"We think we figured out what's going on," Paige said as Phoebe slowly sat up in her bed.

"Well, get on with it before I faint again," Phoebe grumbled as she brushed away some matted hair from her eyes.

"Phoebe!" Piper exclaimed with relief as she entered the bedroom. "You've scared us worse than that giant bug."

"Just tell me," Phoebe requested, "please. What's going on?"

"You're telling her?" Piper inquired of the others.

"We have to," Paige answered with a nod to Cole.

"What about changing the future?" Piper nervously asked them. "It's too big a risk."

"It's too big a risk if we don't," Cole told her as he kept his gaze on Phoebe.

"He's right," Paige agreed. "Telling her may be the only way to ensure the future. Our past."

Piper reluctantly nodded. "You're right," she realized with a sigh.

Paige focused on Phoebe and asked, "Was the last thing you remember of your reality finding Cole's wedding ring and the letter he left you, y'know, the one you found before he nearly tricked us into vanquishing him?"

"How did you know?" Phoebe looked at them all in shock.

"You were right," Paige told Piper.

"At least we know," Piper quietly responded. "But telling her still worries me."

"Hello" Phoebe interrupted. "I'm still here. What aren't you telling me? WaitDid you bring me here? Why?"

Piper shook her head, "No, that's not what happened." She saw the look of confusion on her sister's face and carefully continued, "You had a premonition when you held Cole's letter but you fainted in the middle of it. You were caught in it for a couple of hours."

"Caught?" Phoebe repeated as she rubbed her forehead. "And you think this is my premonition?"

"We're pretty sure," Paige answered as she gave Phoebe a glass of water. "While you were out of it, you did mumble things. We picked up on some of the words and phrases."

"And we pieced it together," Piper continued. With a nod towards Cole, she added, "With his help."

"I don't understand," Phoebe commented after she took a few sips and handed the glass back to her sister. "If this was the premonition, why didn't you know the Baldiron would attack?"

"Because you only mentioned it by name," Piper patiently responded. "You didn't remember any details after you woke up. You described it as a dream that you couldn't remember. Besides, it was more important that you remembered hearing about the Avatars because that's what set everything in motion." She glanced at Cole. "Everything that led us here. To this point in time."

"Avatars?" Phoebe asked as she looked at Cole with wonder. "What are they? What happened?"

"Long story," Paige told her. "Old history. What matters is that you mumbled the word and, when we mentioned it to Cole, he told us about their visit."

"Visit?" Phoebe asked him. "When? Why didn't you tell us?"

"We weren't exactly on the best speaking terms," he told her. "Besides, I didn't think much of their offer and was hoping you'd vanquish me so that I wouldn't have to become involvedAnd we all know how that turned out."

Phoebe looked down at her hands and whispered, "So it was good-bye."

"What was?" he asked.

She looked back at him. "The letter. The one you left. That's why I couldn't go through with it. I wasafraid of what it meant." She looked down again. "God, what have I done?" she whispered.

"You were protecting yourself," Cole quietly assured her, even though he still maintained his distance.

"I drove you to suicide," she hoarsely commented as she looked up to him. "How is that protecting myself?"

"It was a long time ago," he promised, "and we've worked past all of it."

"How?" she sniffled as she rubbed her forehead again.

"It wasn't easy at first," Piper recalled uncomfortably. "We all had to learn how to trust in each other again but we had to risk the possible pain because we all had to work together."

"We worked together," Phoebe skeptically repeated.

"Cole became the Source and organized the Underworld when he --" Piper began to explain.

"Wait, why?" Phoebe nervously interrupted. "Why would you willingly become the Source? God, this is a nightmare."

Piper gave an apologetic glance to Cole before she sat on the bed next to Phoebe. "Sweetie, listen to me, Cole had to go over to the other side to organize the Underworld. We needed to have someone that we could trust while we were busy helping coordinate the side of good. It was the only way we could have beaten the Avatars when they attacked that May."

"The Elders," Phoebe questioned in confusion, "really allowed this?"

Piper nodded, "The Avatars didn't care whether a being was good or evil. They only cared about power. They would have easily decimated both sides to take over the world if we hadn't been prepared and ready for their attack."

"Both sides did suffer tremendous losses but it wasn't any worse because of your premonition," Paige added. "Your premonition warned us in time so we could prepare for the war."

Phoebe nudged Piper aside, carefully got out of bed, and faced Cole. "Why?"

"Did I help?" he asked her. "Or become the Source?"

"Both," she quietly answered.

Cole lightly caressed her cheek and responded, "Because I love you and because it was the only way."

Phoebe had tears in her eyes and whispered, "And we're happy? Really?"

"Really," Cole nodded with a warm smile. "You know, the Avatars were right about one thing. The sides of good and evil tend to stay balanced and, after all we went through, I've discovered that it's meant to be that way. And I realized that I'm the best one to maintain that balance. Magic happens for a reason, remember?"

"What?" Paige exclaimed.

"You've got to admit," he told her, "you never had it so easy before I took over as Source." He turned back to Phoebe and confessed, "Phoebe, for the first time in my life, I have no inner conflict. I'm not fighting with some part of myself for control and I've found my place. My destiny. I've made peace with it and, therefore, it's much easier to see what's ahead and plan."

"Plan what?" Phoebe nervously asked him.

"Evil doings," Paige muttered.

"I have to keep up appearances," Cole explained to Phoebe after a quick glare to Paige. "My true goal may be to maintain the balance between good and evil but I'm still the Source and I can't allow anyone to discover that I'm not really out to spread evil." He turned back to admonish Paige, "I may have had to give up on the idea of ever becoming completely good but, as the Source, not only have I been able to secretly sabotage some of my own evil plans but I've also made damn sure you stayed safe. And believe me, you and your sisters don't make it easy. If not for --" A knock on the bedroom door interrupted him and he turned and said, "Enter."

The demon, still dressed in shades of brown, entered. He bowed his head and spoke. "We have the one responsible."

"Good," Cole said. "Make sure the chamber is well attended."

The demon nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke and Piper coughed, "Cole"

"Sorry," he told her. "I'll make note of it. No more smoke."

"Thank you," Piper nodded.

He turned to Phoebe and suggested, "Why don't you get back into bed?"

She shook her head. "I'm going with you," she decided.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Paige told her.

"You're still not steady," Piper agreed.

"I'm steady enough," Phoebe declared as she grabbed her robe from the edge of the bed.

"Phoebe" Cole warned.

Phoebe slipped on the robe and, as she tied the belt, she stated, "Whether I remember I'm their mother or not, I have a right to know why some giant bug attacked my children."

Cole smiled proudly and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Before he flamed them out, he assured Piper and Paige, "She'll be fine."

When they appeared in the corridor outside the chamber, Cole locked his arm around Phoebe to steady her trembling form. "Are you okay?" he quietly asked with concern.

She clung to him as the familiar darkness began to take hold. She felt her knees give way and called out, "Cole."

********** ********** **********