CHAPTER 5 Phoebe had spent the last hour sitting on a bunk in the 'cell', a small unused office, with a bunk bed and one old chair, and a very strong door. When the door opened, and Leo walked in, she ran to him, and he put his arms around her.

"Leo, it's Cole, he's back" she said, rushing to get the words out, "you must get the others to get a potion.." "Calm down, Phoebe," said Leo soothingly, "It's not Cole." "They will have to make up another batch, we have to protect ourselves," she continued, and Leo hugged her tight against him, and said again "It's not Cole, Phoebe, it's not Cole!"

She pulled away from him as his words sunk in, looking up in puzzlement.

"Have you seen him?" she demanded. "How can you say he's not Cole?" "I've seen him, talked to him, and healed him. He had two badly broken ribs Phoebe, about to pierce his lung. Cole was self-healing, you know that. He may look like Cole, but he isn't." Phoebe shook her head, "It must be a trick of Cole's." she said. "He must have some sort of plan.."

"Listen to me Phoebe," said Darryl, "I have never met John Grant, face to face, until today, but I have spoken to him on the phone many times, I know he isn't Cole Turner. I am as shocked as you were - but John Grant is one of the good guys."

Phoebe was unconvinced, but she allowed them to lead her back to the room where the others were. She held Leo's hand tightly as the door opened, and caught her breath as she saw him sitting on the couch, laughing with Paige and the red-haired woman.

He looked up at her as she entered the room, and then pretended to duck behind Rachel. Her eyes drank in the sight of him, shirt unbuttoned, dark hair tousled, his blue eyes laughing up at her, and her heart leapt in her chest again. She found it hard to draw air into her lungs, and concentrated hard on squashing down her feeling of panic.

Then she watched as Rachel put her hand possessively on John's knee, and a flame lit in her heart. Rachel stood up, and pointed to a chair. "We have decided, due to the unusual circumstances, not to press charges," she said to Phoebe. "But you must realize that what you did today was unacceptable."

Phoebe ignored her; she was still staring at John, who had started buttoning his shirt a little self consciously, and standing up, tucked it into the waistband of his trousers. He smiled at her, a little tentatively, and then crossed over to stand next to his partner.

Piper came up to her, and put her arms around her, murmuring softly into her ear, that everything was o.k. but suddenly tears filled her eyes, and started running down her cheeks.

Then he came towards her, wearing Cole's beautiful body, smiling Cole's dazzling smile, and talking with Cole's voice and she started to shake. "I'm sorry that I am causing you pain," he said softly, watching her out of Cole's blue eyes, "I can't help the way I look. But I'm not your husband - I'm not that lucky," and he reached out and took her hand, in concern. She finally managed to drag a breath of air into her lungs. Something inside of her started to melt. Perhaps she was being given another chance! Perhaps the Gods had sent this man to her. Trembling, she allowed him to lead her to a chair, and managed to smile up at him.

"I am so sorry I attacked you," she whispered "But you look so much - I mean you look just like ." Rachel Burke put her hand on John's arm, and he turned from Phoebe to look at her. Phoebe felt the squeezing pain in her heart again. "We need to know you won't attack anyone else," she said shortly. Paige wrinkled her nose at Rachel, and said sarcastically "Well really, does anyone else look that much like Cole?"

John moved closer to Rachel, his eyes following the by-play between her and Paige, and Phoebe for a moment felt bereft, when his attention left her. She smiled at him again, her best bewitching smile, and said hesitantly, "I hope you can forgive me?" and John turned back towards her.

"It's something that's never happened to me before - but I guess I am a big enough person to forgive - it's not like you did any real damage or anything. Except maybe to my pride." And he grinned. It seemed he had the ability not to take himself too seriously, which only added to his charm. Leo and Darryl both sighed with relief, and Leo took back the sleepy baby from Piper.

Only the woman in the room were now aware of the tension. Phoebe and Paige were both looking at John with a questioning hunger, and Piper was looking at them both warily.

Rachel, however, the only non-magical woman in the room, was aware of their regard, and once again touched John on the arm, so he turned towards her. And Phoebe saw how his eyes locked on Rachel's eyes, and saw the slight twist of his mouth, the tenderness in his eyes, and suddenly was consumed by an enormous rush of jealousy. He was looking at the redhead the same way Cole used to look at her. A feeling of anguish so strong that it physically hurt, swept over her. This could not be, no one could be that cruel. He couldn't come back into her life again, and be in love with someone else! She wouldn't allow it! He may not actually be Cole, but he had Cole's body, and Cole's face, and therefore, he must have Cole's great depth of feeling, and it must be for her! Hesitantly she stood up, and walked over towards him, taking his arm, and turning his attention back on her.

"So - am I forgiven?" she asked in a little girl voice, looking at him through her lashes, her heart beating fast to be so close to him. She could see up close, that he had the same long dark eyelashes as Cole, the same colour blue eyes, eyes that could darken with desire, or flare with passion, and the same protruding bottom lip, the same shaped mouth, the one Cole used to kiss her senseless with, and her desire ignited suddenly.

He looked at her for a long time, but then as she stared at him, she watched as he flicked his eyes back towards Rachel, making sure he knew where she was, and as he did so his face softened, and the bite of jealousy Phoebe felt consumed her!

Piper came and took her hand, and pulled her back, sensing that something was happening inside of Phoebe. She glared at Paige, and then sent an imploring look toward Leo. "We'd better go, - thank you for your understanding," she said to John, keeping a firm hold of Phoebe's hand. "I hope you find your serial killer - Goodbye." And she physically pulled a resisting Phoebe out of the room, reluctantly followed by Paige. Rachel stood next to John, holding his arm, stamping her possession for the other women to see, and watched them go.

"Well, that was an unusual experience," she said, and turned him back to look at her. "Very strange," he agreed, and she smiled at him, and reached up to touch his mouth with one finger, where it was slightly swollen still.

"I wonder where this guy is? Maybe we are related, somehow," he said, in a thoughtful tone, but then became distracted as Rachel smoothed her finger along his lower lip, and smiled as he looked at her in confusion. She suddenly knew it was time to take their relationship up a notch. Ever since he and Bailey had worked so hard to free her from jail, and re- establish the VCTF, she had known this time would eventually come, but it had taken the jealous vibes she had felt from two of the Halliwell sisters, to make her realize that John Grant was what she wanted, and what she was going to have. He was far too attractive to be left to wander around unattached.

He grabbed her hand, and brought it back to his mouth, kissing the back of it as he gazed into her eyes. Then she closed them as he pulled her closer to him, and took possession of her mouth with his.