"Look at that smile," Paige whispered to Piper as they stood watch over Phoebe. "What do you think she's dreaming about?"
"Cole." The name slipped out before she could stop it and Piper sighed, "I suppose it doesn't matter as long as she's at peace." She tugged on Paige's arm, "Come on, I'll whip us up something fattening for a late-night dessert. After the day we've had, we deserve it."
Leo suddenly orbed in and looked over to Phoebe. "How is she?"
"Her fever's down two degrees," Piper answered as she greeted him with a kiss. "I think the worst is over."
"Is it?" Paige whispered. "Or is it just beginning?"
"Leo, except for the ten minutes when popped in two hours ago, you've been gone all afternoon. What'd the Elders say? Did they change their mind?" Piper asked her husband. Leo hesitated and Piper questioned, "Leo? What is it?"
He spoke in a quiet voice as he glanced at Phoebe. "They didn't dismiss our plans."
"That's good, isn't it?" Paige wondered. "I mean this morning they didn't want us to even consider going up against the Avatars."
Piper reached for Leo's hand, which he squeezed in return. "No, Paige," she realized, "that means they're worried that we might be rightNot that I don't have faith in your powers of persuasion, honey, but I get the feeling that something major must've happened for them to have changed their minds so quickly."
"An African witch has disappeared," he somberly informed them. "He's been a very powerful force for good for over fifty years but there's no sign of him anywhere now."
Paige looked at him and shrugged, "I'm sorry but what's it got to do with the Avatars and our plan?"
"The Elders should still be able to sense him," he explained, "but they can'tat all. It's as though he never existed."
"Maybe he's in the Underworld," Piper suggested. "Whenever we've been there, we've been off your radar."
Leo shook his head. "He's not there. We'vechecked."
Paige exchanged a look of surprise with Piper. "What do you mean you checked? You went down there?"
"Cole," Piper realized. "That's why you left so quickly with him when you came back and found him checking on Phoebe. You had him do the checking."
"He still has contacts," Leo nodded in confirmation, "and he found out that no one down there knows anything about this particular disappearance. It seems the last witch that turned sides was over three months agoCole suspects the witch joined the Avatars."
"And the Elders agreed?" Paige wondered.
"The Avatars are obviously going after beings with extreme power," Leo answered as he nodded, " and I guess not everyone is going to turn down their offer like Cole did." He squeezed Piper's hand. "It seems there have also been otherincidents. Minor ones that the Elders haven't mentioned because they didn't seem to indicate anything by themselves. Until now."
"Until Phoebe's premonition," Piper softly said. "Cole wanted nothing to do with the Avatars and had no reason to tell us about their offer. But today"
"All the pieces started falling into place," Paige completed for Piper, "because of Phoebe. I guess this's the proof we need that the Avatars are coming."
"No one can prove anything about the Avatars," Leo cautioned. "Right now, the Elders are only willing to believe that this disappearance is a possible sign of something going on."
"They didn't dismiss our plans, though," Piper reminded him, "which means they're willing to let us start working on our plan."
"So they don't really want to go up against the Avatars unless something can be proven but they're willing to let Cole become the Source in order to get that proof?" Paige complained.
Leo glanced at Phoebe and answered, "They're not happy about it but"
"But they think it's the right thing to do," Piper realized. "What about Phoebe? What's this gonna do to her? She was finally getting her life back in order."
"Do you really think so?" Leo wondered. "I don't think Phoebe's ever worked through what's happened to her since last spring. And no matter what she says, she's not over Cole, not by a long shot."
"She loves him," Piper acknowledged, "and I think she always will. But she's never denied that, Leo. She's simply tried to put it in the past."
"Simply?" he mocked. "There's nothing simple about Phoebe and Cole," he stated, "and there hasn't been, not even from the very beginning."
"You think she's going to try and make things work with him even after all she's been through?" Paige asked. "She'd be out of her mind to even consider it," she commented with a shake of her head. "She's lived this Cole-as-the-Source-thing and it'll tear her apart to go through it again."
"Maybe it'll be different this time," Leo suggested. Both women looked back at him in shock. "Cole's right about something. If he does become the Source, he'll be in complete control this time. There'll be no Belthazor, no Source, fighting him for control. He'll be able to act completely free on his own nature."
"Do you believe him," Piper asked him, "when he says that he'll protect her? Protect us?"
"He loves her," he replied with a nod. "In spite of everything that may have gone wrong, I know you believe that. Cole will do anything for her." He squeezed her hand and continued, "You couldn't vanquish himI think he's shown he's powerful enough to protect us all."
"I'm scared, Leo," Piper suddenly hugged him tight. "A couple of years ago, we thought the Triad was the most difficult group we ever faced and then Shax came along and we lost Prue. And then we went directly up against the Source. Not once, but twice. What if the Avatars do what they all couldn't? We have a baby on the way and now it looks like we could be on the verge of" Piper buried her face in Leo's chest.
"War," Paige murmured with a glance towards Phoebe.
"The baby will be fine," Leo consoled his wife as he rubbed her back. "Right now she can protect you and, if she's born before the Avatars make their move, she'll be able to instinctively protect herself."
"But what if" Piper sniffled.
"What if what?" he tenderly asked.
"What if she loses me just like we lost Mom," Piper whispered.
"You can't think like that, Piper," Paige told her sister as she put her hand on Piper's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. "We're all gonna be just fine. The Avatars haven't gone up against the Charmed Ones before and just may have underestimated usY'know, sometimes I think your destiny is just to worry," she teased.
Piper snorted and reached back to lightly slap her sister. "All right, hormonal moment has passed," she commented as she pulled back from Leo who chuckled.
As she moved, he managed to plant a quick kiss on the top of her head. He turned as he heard Phoebe stir. She didn't waken and he suggested, "Right now, I think we should get out of here before we wake her."
Paige glanced at Phoebe and added, "I hope what she told us is enough and that she didn't forget anything major."
"I hope," Piper murmured, "that she's strong enough to get through what's coming."
"Back to Cole again," Paige remarked. "You think she'll let him back into her life," she accused.
Piper nodded and explained, "Phoebe always had a hard time opening her heart to love someone because she was afraid of the hurt and pain she'd feel if she lost that person. Cole was the first man to get past all her defenses. And she loves him like she's never loved anyone else."
"Yeah," Paige muttered, "and it only proves how right she was. Look at all the pain she's suffered because of it. Not to mention the rest of us."
"But look at everything she gained because of it," Piper considered. "How much she's grown as a person. All she's accomplished."
"So you want her to go back to Cole?" Paige questioned.
Piper shrugged, "I want her to be happy." She saw her sister's frown and clarified, "Look, I'm not welcoming back Cole into our lives just yet. I don't trust him and it'll take quite a bit for him to prove that I should. But, right now, we need him and we'll have to give him some leeway if only to get past this Avatars situation."
Leo turned to Paige, "The Elders may be resigned to the fact that Cole will become the new Source, and they may even find ways to use him to their advantage, but, that doesn't mean they approve of his having a relationship with Phoebe."
"What if that's what Phoebe wants?" Piper wondered. "What will they do to her?"
"Let's not worry about that right now. Look," he suggested, "I brought home a surprise. It's in the kitchen. Before I came back, I made a quick trip to France."
Piper's eyes widened with excitement. "Not that little Parisian patisserie? The one you took me to when we" Leo nodded and she exuberantly hugged him. "Oh, you are the best, most fabulous husband!"
"Everyone gets to go to France," Paige complained. "When's it my turn?"
"Piper?" Phoebe called out.
The three turned and found Phoebe half-sitting up.
"Hey," Piper greeted with a smile as she rushed to her sister's side, "we didn't mean to wake you. How're you doing?'
"'Kay," Phoebe sleepily replied. "Wha's goin' on?"
"Leo brought back pastries from Paris," she answered with a smile. "You wanna come down and sit with us for a bit?"
"Might be good for you to get out of bed," Paige suggested with an encouraging smile of her own.
Phoebe shook her head and settled down again. "Tired," she murmured, "'sides, Prue's gonna tell me a story."
Piper exchanged a shocked look with Leo and stuttered, "P-P-Prue?"
Phoebe nodded with her eyes closed as she pulled the covers up to her chin. "Gonna tell me 'gain how she snuck out to meet Andy for Rocky Horror'."
Piper laughed and explained to her other sister and Leo, "She snuck out just fine but it was sneaking back in that got her caught."
"Guess Phoebe wasn't the only one who gave Grams a few gray hairs," Leo chuckled.
Phoebe mumbled something incoherent and Piper leaned down and whispered in Phoebe's ear, "Tell her Itell her I say hi."
"'Kay," Phoebe murmured as she quickly fell back asleep.
Piper kissed Phoebe's forehead and stood up. She saw Paige's sad expression and hugged her sister. "Have I told you lately how glad I am that we found each other? That you're my sister?"
Paige smiled gratefully and returned Piper's hug. "I wish it didn't happen the way it did though.Funny how things work out."
"Fate's funny that way," Leo agreed as he led the two sisters out of Phoebe's bedroom. "Just when you think things aren't looking too bright, things turn right around, and work out in the end."
finis