Chapter Twenty
"We didn't go through all this only to fail now," Paige sharply insisted to her older sister. "Besides, Cole still owes me two hundred bucks for those shoes. I'll kill him before I let him get away with it."
Piper managed a small laugh but turned to watch Leo. "There's so much blood," she whispered as she watched his back.
Sam's hands stopped glowing and he turned to the sisters and shook his head. Piper gasped when she caught sight of him as he sadly looked down at Cole's inert body.
"No," Paige whispered as she quickly left her sister's side and joined Sam. She panted from the effort and he raised his hand to begin healing her but she stopped him and immediately placed her hands over Cole's wound, "You have to try again." Sam hesitated and she tearfully requested, "Please, you have to try again."
Sam relented and hesitantly reached for her hand. She gave him a half-smile of encouragement and he nodded. Together, their hands glowed brightly and they watched as the bloody wound finally began to shrink. After another few moments, Cole jerked and they pulled back.
Cole's eyes shot open and he gasped for breath. "Phoebe!" he uttered as he pushed himself up. He turned to see who was helping him and momentarily stiffened when he saw it was Paige. "I, I don't know what to say," he admitted as he looked from her to Sam.
"One good turn deserves another," she told him with a soft smile. "But don't let it go to your head," she reprimanded, "I still wanna kill you."
Cole let out a laugh of relief and watched as Sam reached over to heal Paige. "Hasoaf?" he asked as he inhaled deeply.
"Kaboom," she replied. "Extremely painful kaboom," she added with a satisfied grin as Sam pulled back. "Thanks," she shyly told him.
He looked across to Piper, "You're okay?" She nodded and he asked, "And Phoebe?" Piper looked away and he frantically turned around to see Leo standing by the altar. "Phoebe…" he nervously uttered as he watched Leo.
"Sam," Leo suddenly shouted, "I'm losing her!" Sam immediately orbed to the opposite side of Leo and Leo added, "She's losing too much blood and I can't hold onto her."
Cole leaped up and rushed to Phoebe's side and stood next to Leo. His heart stopped when he saw what had been done to her. He choked back a sob as he bent over her and tenderly kissed her cheek. "Don't leave me," he whispered as he closed his eyes and rested his cheek next to her bloody one.
Paige, meanwhile, had already gone to Piper's side and finished healing her sister. She helped Piper up and they raced to the other side of the altar, next to Sam.
Piper took hold of Phoebe's hand but realized her sister was still chained to the altar. "Cole," she softly interrupted, "can you do something, please?"
Cole slowly looked up and acknowledged Piper's tearful request with a silent nod. He kissed Phoebe once more and then looked for the sword. With it in hand, he gestured for Paige to step back as he brought the sword down hard on the chains. The links snapped apart and he stepped around to the other side of the altar and, after Piper stepped away, he did the same for the other chains.
"Damn," Leo softly swore as sweat beaded his forehead, "she's slipping away. I can feel it."
"She's in shock," Sam agreed. "Concentrate on her, I'll work with the baby. Maybe that'll help."
Piper grabbed Phoebe's hand and told her sister, "Hang on, Phoebe. Stay with us."
While Cole took hold of Phoebe's other hand and brought it to his lips, Paige began to heal Phoebe's face. "C'mon, Phoebe," she whispered, "you're strong. You can do it."
Cole caressed Phoebe's cheek with his free hand while Paige continued to heal her but he froze when Phoebe's spirit suddenly began to lift from her body. "Phoebe, no!"
In shock, Piper ordered, "Phoebe Halliwell, you get back in your body right now!"
Phoebe's spirit heard them and she looked from one to the other. "Cole? Piper? You're okay?"
"We're fine," Piper told her.
"We all are," Paige added as she continued to concentrate on healing her sister's eyes.
"Hasoaf?" Phoebe asked as she saw Leo and Sam desperately working on her.
"Burning in hell," Piper muttered. "Now, get back here this instant!"
"Yes!" Cole blurted as he squeezed her hand.
"Yes, what?" Phoebe asked in confusion.
"Yes, I'll marry you," he clarified. "Now listen to Piper and get back in your body!"
Phoebe smiled sadly, "It was a dream, Cole. A beautiful dream but, the truth is, we weren't meant to be. I'm so tired. Tired of all the pain. And I don't want to hurt anyone anymore."
"Life is pain," Cole snapped. "Don't use it as an excuse." Then, in a more fearful tone, he said, "You promised me you'd never again give up on us, never without a fight. I'm asking you, Phoebe, I'm…begging you. Fight now. Fight for us."
"This's different," she whispered.
"And what about our son?" Cole angrily questioned. "Who gave you the right to give up on him?"
"He's gone, Cole," she replied as she shook her head. "Hasoaf --"
"No," Leo sharply interrupted. "The baby's alive, Phoebe."
She stared at Leo in surprise even as she continued to separate from her body. "But, I felt --"
"I swear, Phoebe," he promised. "Your son's alive but he won't be for much longer. You have to work with us."
"Listen to him, Phoebe," Paige urged as she still continued her healing duties.
"Phoebe, please," Piper pleaded as she squeezed Phoebe's hand, "I don't want to lose you. You're my baby sister. I love you."
"But you said --" Phoebe began.
"I was hurt and scared and lashing out," Piper quickly apologized. "I'd have said the same things to Leo if he'd been there. Phoebe, please, please don't leave me."
"Please, Phoebe," Cole softly added as he caressed her cheek and kissed her fingertips, "come back to me."
"We need you," Paige told her as her hands stopped glowing. She brushed her hand through Phoebe's hair and said, "I need my big sister."
Phoebe's spirit hovered over them before it was suddenly sucked back into her body. Her sisters and Cole held their breaths but Phoebe didn't waken.
"Leo…" Piper nervously called out as she turned to look at him.
"Almost there," he muttered as he watched as the edges of Phoebe's torn skin began to seamlessly seal together.
"I've got the rest, Leo," Sam told him, "work on those gouges in her leg."
After another few moments, the Whitelighters' hands stopped glowing and they dropped their hands to their sides. The black sheath she wore had been mended as well and, as Sam moved away to untie the ropes around her ankles, he straightened the dress to cover her lower body more modestly. And, while Sam healed the rope burns on her ankles, Leo healed the deep, dark bruises on Phoebe's wrists.
When he was done, Leo immediately pulled Piper into a hug. "I thought I'd lost you," he whispered.
"Ditto," she gulped as she squeezed her arms tightly around him. "Melinda?"
"She's safe," he told her before he kissed her tenderly.
Piper gazed into his eyes, "I love you, Leo. I love you so much."
"What's wrong?" Cole interrupted. "Why isn't Phoebe awake?"
Paige took hold of the hand that Piper had released and told Phoebe, "We're all here, Phoebe, and we're waiting for you."
"We've done all we can," Sam somberly informed them. "The rest is up to Phoebe."
"C'mon, baby," Cole whispered in her ear. "Don't give up on us. Don't --" Phoebe's gasp for breath interrupted him and, in a slightly louder tone, he encouraged, "That's it, baby. Come back to me."
Phoebe's body jerked and her eyes opened wide. She gasped for breath again, "Cole…"
Cole pulled her forward into his arms and buried his face in the crook of her neck. "Thank you for coming back," he croaked.
"Thank you for having me," she hoarsely responded as she wrapped her arms around him.
Paige stepped back and went to Piper's side. Piper pulled away from Leo and hugged her sister tightly.
"I love you," Phoebe whispered as tears slid down her cheeks, "all of you."
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