A/n The start of Paige's scene is meant to be set right after shee has beaten Phoebe in chapter 11, the one before last.

"First Prue falls... and then Piper?!" Screamed the First Voice.

"Could we have underestimated the demon?" Queried the Third Voice.

"No... no... there's no way, no way at all he can win." Murmured the Second Voice.

"There is still Paige!" Cheered the First Voice.

"But is she alone enough?" Questioned the Third Voice.

"Have faith." Ended the Fourth Voice.

* * *

As Paige orbed out of Phoebe's kitchen frantic thoughts raced around in her head. 'Phoebe isn't knocked out forever, she come too soon, and then she'll run to Cole and they'll be together again and goddamn it! We'll be back at square one. We've got to take him out and take him out fast. And then be ready for Phoebe.' Almost at once Paige changed course and within a few seconds had appeared in the kitchen of The Manor.

She wrinkled her nose as she smelt the remaining odour of singed flesh left over from Cole and Phoebe's little intrusion. She walked over to the cupboard next to the basement door and reached inside. Her fingers tightened over a smooth glass vial and she pulled it out from behind the stack of plates. It was a spare bottle she'd made and kept hidden, in case of a contingency like this one. Almost ruefully she slipped it into her pocket and then orbed up to the attic.

After flicking on the main light Paige ran to the big locked chest by the sofa and fumbled with the lock. After remembering time was of the essence, Paige irratibly called for the lid and set it crashing into a vase over by the window. She winced at the smash and muttered to herself as she searched the box for what she was looking for. "Well thats one less thing to clutter up the room." she joked lamely before straightening up, her hands full. She made her way to the couch and sat down, tipping the contents onto a cushion beside her. She looked down at the pile of coloured crystals and ran her hands over their serene flatness, wondering which would produce the most powerful effect. All her knowledge seemed to have abandoned her as she tried to make the decision. Faint words and memories flew around in her head as she rolled two pearly white crystals in one hand.

Paige threw them down with the others, and angrily got up from the sofa, cursing herself for not being able to think. She stalked over to the book and taped her fingers on its surface, frantically trying to think. Half heartedly she held out her hand and in a small voice called out. "Best Crystals." To her shock five crystals disapeared from the pile and her hands were filled with whitelights. With a happy, though thoroughly shocked, look she smiled at them and placed them inside her pocket with the potion, careful not to break it.

She went to put the other crystals back in the now lidless box, and was in the process of picking them up when she heard Piper's voice shrieking in her mind. It was accompanied by blurred images of Cole and fire. Lots and lots of fire. The extra crystals fell from her hands as she orbed out, intense panic on her face.

* * *

Piper's small form flattened over Prue and shook with fear. Any second now she expected to feel the roar of flames and the burning heat on her back. Dry sobs took over as she tried to squeeze tighter and tighter against Prue. 'At least I'll be able to save her, that's what matters,' she thought, a small spark of courage flaring inside her. A second later she felt a hand squeezing her hand, and then a roaring over her head, accompanied by a blaze of heat.

Prue squinted against the brightness of the flames and strained to push the burning mass away. It twisted and bubbled above them, inertia fighting the weakened telekinetic blasts from Prue. She felt Piper's hand squeezing her's back as she fought a wave of pain from her leg. She screamed, partly with pain and partly with anger, and the swirling inferno roared across the Mausoleum, leaving greasy black stains on the dusty stone. Her head throbbing and her thigh burning with pain, Prue pulled Piper into a hug and tried not to cry. "Its ok now, Piper. There's still Paige. And.. ah.. god," She bit back the pain and tried to save her fast cracking voice. "She'll come and save us, she's like that. Cole'll.." She clenched her mouth shut and a tear trickled out the corner of her eye. She'd never felt this scared that they might actually lose. And to Cole of all people. She felt her throat constrict and coughed back the bile.

Cole shouted in anger as the fire swung to the side and missed his targets. That must mean Prue is awake again, he thought angrily. It wasn't like he could start all of that up again, either, creating that much fire had taken it out of him. Maybe if he could kill them the good old fashioned way...? He tilted his hand upwards and a viciously sharp dagger appeared out bubbling purple smoke. Cole tossed it to his other hand and started towards Prue and Piper. He'd taken no more than a step when a strange light began to fill the room. It was coming from the slow, yet still moving, ball of fire.

Paige had sensed ahead and seen what Cole was doing, and then what Prue had done. A plan had formed in the split seconds she had before appearing in the Mausoleum. She felt herself moving into the smoky room and then stopped, preventing herself from reforming on the cracked floor tiles. She drifted in white orbs and surrounded the fire, twisting it and protecting herself from it with her telekinesis. The burning cloud billowed outwards and then imploded in on itself before falling completely under her control. Paige worked her powers into shaping the fire. Its insubstantial form flickered with orbs and elongated, the top flaring out till it looked suspicously like a tornado of fire.

Cole dropped the athame in shock and stepped backwards. What was happening? His fire seemed to have taken on a life of its own. And what were those lights? "Orbs!" He screamed, madness turning his voice to a shriek. "Damn you Paige! Damn you!" He screamed again as his hatred of the youngest Halliwell took over and drove him in a frenzy at Paige's orbs. He stretched his arms out and summoned another athame.

Paige sensed Cole running at her and she span the whirling form of the fire faster... before sending it speeding towards Cole. She released herself from it as the flames swallowed him. They trapped his beaten body within their swirling centre. Paige was drawn into the corner where Piper lay over the prone form of Prue. She seemed to sense her sisters pain and fear even before orbing back in. Her eyes filled with tears as she stared down at Prue's thigh. The skin was black and the fabric of her trousers was ripped and burnt away. Still oozing blood covered the wound and had stained the ground below. "Prue... you're hurt."

"Gee, ya... think?" Prue gasped through clenched teeth. She had paled and sweat beads dripped from her forehead. She shut her eyes and tried to ignore the chilling screams of pain coming from Cole, as he writhed in the centre of the twister, still trapped in the cone of flames. She opened them again and whispered to Paige. "Heal... me. Quickly. Please... Paige."

Her heart beat quickly and once again Paige felt that familiar panic. She put hand to her throat and moaned softly, as she shook her head. "I-I can't. I can't do it, Prue. I don't know how. I can't." Tears dripped openly down her flawless pale skin as she saw Prue tense with pain and squeeze her eyes shut again. She glanced down at Piper and saw her sister's face mirrored her own.

"Paige. You can. I know you... can," she laboured for breath and tried to blink away the darkness that was slowly creeping into her vision. "I trust you. I... trust your Whitelighter instincts. They brought you... here. Embrace yourself... and save us." She used the last of her strength and reached out to grasp Paige's hand, squeezing it firmly. She lifted Piper's up to meet them and held them all together.

For a split second they were joined, their minds as one. Paige felt her sisters love and she strained to search herself. She found the healing power, usually only acessible when used with another Whitelighter, and strained to push the barrier that prevented her from using it. She fed off Piper and Prue's strength and pushed harder. She was through! The raw healing power flooded through her, filling her with light. It spread from her hands to Prue, instantly healing her sister and then onto Piper. They blazed in a brilliant burst of magic.

Cole opened one tortured eye and squinted through the heat and roaring flames. A blinding glow surrounding three women. 'Angel's', he thought. 'They're angels'. The glow subsided and he saw the women more clearly within. The Charmed Ones! He felt sick and the heat and pain were playing tricks on his mind. 'Why can't I die?' He thought, as he pushed his arms up to his face, futily trying to protect his face. He saw his hand as it rose towards his head. Blackened and charred. Like the rest of him. 'Why can't I die? I want to die. LET ME DIE!' he tried to scream out, but his throat was raw and burnt and his lungs were full of smoke.

Prue opened her eyes and breathed deeply. The pain was gone. She felt completely revitalised. She jumped to her feet and pulled Piper upright, before dragging her sistes into a hug. "I knew you could do it, Paige. I knew it!"

Paige laughed through her tears. "Gee... ya think?" She sniffed and looked at Piper, who still looked shocked. "Piper... its ok now. Its done. Cole's dead, I burnt him. Look." She gestured to the farside of The Mausoleum expecting to see a pile of ashes, but instead was greeted by the sight of Cole. He was still standing inside the twisting pillar of fire, silently screaming and writhing. She felt bile rise in her throat and she quickly turned away. "Oh... god. Oh god, he won't die. We're trapped with him forever. And after all of that." She fell into Piper's arms and stood with her face buried on her sisters shoulder.

"Oh Paige, don't be silly. Of course he'll die. We're the Charmed Ones. Most powerful force of good magic ever. Ever!" She felt Prue's arm move over Paige's back and she smiled. "And can you shift a bit, there's something digging right in my ribs." she added softly.

As she straightened up Paige remembered the supplies she'd grabbed from the Manor. "Of course! The crystals! I brought crystals from home." She reached inside her pocket and withdrew them, before holding them out on her palm.

Prue's features hardened as she glanced from the crystals to Cole. "Then lets end this. Once and for all."

A/n. Damn Cole! He just. won't. die. I honestly wanted to kill him this chapter, but then I felt an angst attack coming on and the word count shot right up. Woe. Anyway, he'll be gone next chapter. And if not that chapter the chapter after that. I promise. :P.