Chapter 4
Paige would never know if it was an inner sense, or something else, that forced her to wake up. But as soon as her eyes opened, the first thing she realized, was that she didn't recognize her surroundings.
She sat up, thinking that the bedroom that Damien and her had barely made it to, without ripping one another's clothes off of one another, had not looked like this. Yet, there was something oddly familiar about it.
She sighed, blinking again. It was then, that Paige's eyes fell upon the oddest sight. Next to her on the dresser, was a picture of Cole and Phoebe. What??? What the hell was Damien doing with a picture of that loser Cole, and her sister?!
She sensed Damien stirring beside her. Paige could've sworn that picture was not in this bedroom, while her and Damien were making love.
Paige looked over at him, then screamed! Cole Turner, that demon from hell, former Source, Belthazor, scummy brother-in-law, whatever the hell one wanted to call him, was lounging next to her, and in the buff!
Paige instinctively orbed, then came back. She pulled the bedsheet off of the bed to cover herself, and jumped up out of the bed! When she had it securely around her, Paige glared at Cole, who was now waving cutely at her from on the bed!
'How did you get back here?! Where is here?!'
Before Cole could answer, Paige turned and opened the bedroom door. The apartment now looked like Cole's old one! She turned back to face him, tossing her hair.
'Answer me, you sonofabitch! Why are you alive and where is Damien?!'
'Damien? You mean this guy?'
Cole morphed into Damien. Paige gasped and began to back towards the door!
'What the hell?!'
Cole stood up.
'Well, you said it, Paige, not me! Listen, Phoebe called before and may have figured out what has been going on between us. She sounded awfully jealous. I think she may bring Piper, for back-up.'
Paige just stared at him open-mouthed.
'You raped me!'
'Ho now! Paige, honey...'
'I am not your honey! I don't know how you came back, but you...you...'
Paige orbed away in the sheet, not caring that she didn't have her clothes. She orbed to the manor, and ended up in the living-room. Piper, Phoebe and Andy were already there. They had sensed where Paige was, and figured out it was Cole's old apartment.
Paige didn't even notice them, and just collapsed onto the couch, staring into space. Tears welled into Phoebe's eyes, as she looked at Piper, who looked about as angry as Andy did! Cole had slept with her sister, while pretending to be someone else! How could she have not sensed that Damien was really Cole?!
Piper and Phoebe slowly moved towards Paige. They then sat on either side of her.
'Paige, honey...' Phoebe said, livid that Cole would do something so reprehensible! And it was obvious from the looks of Paige, she now knew who Damien really was!
Piper gently put a hand on Paige's shoulder.
'Paige, none of this is your fault, but we need to vanquish Cole again. Can you pull yourself together long enough to return to that apartment?'
'What the hell are you talking about?!' Andy hissed at Piper. 'Look at her, she can't go back!'
Paige shook her head quickly. A tear slipped down her face.
'I'm alright! I thought I was having sex with Damien. I woke up and it was Cole. The apartment didn't look like Cole's...Damien didn't look like Cole...I think I'm going to be sick...'
Paige jumped up, and for a brief moment, her eyes locked with Andy's. She saw pity there. And pity was not what she needed right now. She moved past him, still draped in the sheet, and hurried upstairs.
Piper stood up.
'Andy, I know Paige has been through a lot here, but we need to vanquish Cole. What he pulled here with Paige is only the beginning.'
Phoebe stood up as well. She was shaking.
'Piper's right, Andy. You don't know Cole. There will be more to come. I didn't think he hated me that much...'
Andy suddenly orbed away. Piper looked at Phoebe.
'Where do you think he's going?'
Phoebe wiped away a tear.
'To introduce himself to my ex-husband.' Phoebe answered.
****
Cole was in the shower, invigorated by the memory of Paige's face, when she realized what she had done, and by just being alive again. He felt better than he ever had!
'La la la la la la la!' Cole sang at the top of his lungs.
The next thing Cole knew, something, or someone, punched him from inside the shower, sent him crashing through the glass shower door, and onto the floor! He bumped his head against the sink, then scrambled up, to see who, or what, had attacked him.
'It' turned out to be a big, angry guy! Cole theorized that they had to be about the same build and height. He also realized that the guy somehow got into his shower with him....and not by opening the door!
Cole stood up, gingerly, then grinned.
'You're the Charmed Ones new Whitelighter, aren't you' he asked, as a fireball formed in his hand. He then threw it at the Whitelighter.
Andy orbed, and the fireball passed through him! He then orbed back so that he was right up on Cole, and butted him in the forehead, with his own! Cole fell back against the door!
Now, he was pretty damned angry! This Whitelighter was not acting in a way they Whitelighters were known to act! For the most part, they were pretty passive. Leo had been. Actually, Leo had almost bordered on bitch like!
Cole gently stood up again, then quickly flung a flame at Andy! But, once again, Andy orbed away again, and returned to smash Cole, and himself, through the wooden bathroom door!
Cole, who had tried to shimmer, so that he wouldn't smash through the door, shoved Andy back! This Whitelighter was here because of what he had pulled on Paige, obviously. But why was he here alone? And why was he acting like a jealous boyfriend?
Cole grinned, as Andy got up, and the two faced one another.
'Well, well. You have a thing for Paige, don't you? Never mind, don't answer that. It's obvious. Let me see here: Leo, the former Whitelighter, falls for Piper, I fell for Phoebe, and you felt duty bound to protect Paige's honor. She's a wildcat in bed, let me tell you, if I had met her before Phoebe...'
'Shut-up! Don't go near Paige or her sisters! You're being alive again is a fluke and we will send you back to the hell that you came from!'
Cole smiled.
'Sorry, Whitelighter. Never again. But you're welcome to try.'
Cole then tried, one last time, to incinerate Andy. Andy, once again, was too fast for him, and orbed away. Cole stood there, bleeding, yet, contemplating.
Maybe he could use this Whitelighter's infatuation with Paige to his advantage, Cole thought. But how?
****
Piper was cooking the 'Belthazor Vanquishing Potion' up again. Phoebe wandered in.
'Paige has been in the shower for 20 minutes.' she said dully and sat down.
Piper eyed her.
'After we vanquish Cole, we're going to have to find her some special help or something.' she said.
Phoebe peered at her.
'It's not like Cole forced himself on her...it's just that she thought she was with Damien.'
Piper flung down some sage!
'Phoebe, we don't know what really happened! Paige could be telling us that just so we won't worry! We don't know that she didn't realize she was with Cole, during the act!'
'Yeah, but she could've just orbed away if that was the case...no...I think she told the truth about that. This whole thing just makes me so sick...what can I do to speed this potion thing here up? How close are you to finishing?'
Piper was about to answer, when the doorbell rang. Phoebe and Piper looked at one another.
'Let's go together.' Piper said, walking away from the stove and grabbing Phoebe's hand. 'Because if it is that bastard, he's going to get a power-of-two pre ass-kicking!'
The walked out into the hallway and up to the front door. Phoebe nodded, and Piper opened the door. A woman, with dark hair and pale skin, stood there.
'Can we help you?' Piper asked.
The woman cleared her throat.
'I'm Ms. Parker. I was hoping you could tell me if the man that lives next door, Jarod Knight, is home?'
Phoebe gave Piper a look. Piper froze Ms. Parker.
'She's one of the people from The Center.' Phoebe said.
'Probably. I would just love to blow her up.' Piper half snarled.
'Honey, I'd love to see something happen to this bitch too, but, I really don't want to see you blow up a human.'
Piper rolled her eyes, then closed the door again.
'I'm not unfreezing her. I'll just let it wear off.'
'And she'll just ring the doorbell again.' Phoebe warned.
'And by then, we'll think of something to tell her that will send her on a wild goose chase. But right now, at this moment in time, I want to blow her up...I want to blow something up!'
Phoebe rubbed Piper's shoulder.
'Believe me, so do I. After we deal with this woman, let's go check on Paige, okay?'
Piper nodded. The two hugged.
****
Paige walked into her room, draped in a pink, terrycloth robe. The door was open, and she was startled to find Andy standing in the middle of the room.
'I really don't want to get in to it. I should've been more careful...' she started to say.
Paige suddenly noticed that that his right arm looked a bit singed. She hurried over to him.
'What happened, Andy? How did this happen?'
'You know how it happened.'
Paige didn't say anything for a moment. She put her hands on the burn, and it healed. She smiled.
'I've never been that good with my healing powers. Curing you seemed to come naturally.' she commented. Uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her, Paige let go of his arm and walked over to her bed to sit down. She looked at him again.
'You shouldn't have went over there.'
'There was no way I wasn't going to, Paige. That piece of ^%%#@ knows he has a fight on his hands. He also knows...'
Andy stopped himself, then looked away. Paige tilted her head, stood up and walked over to him. She reached out and tilted his face towards her.
'Cole also knows what, Andy?'
Andy reached up and touched her hand that was on his face.
'He knows that I love you, Paige. And I shouldn't have let him see that, because now he'll use it against us.'
Paige suddenly pulled him into a kiss! Andy wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off of the ground, their lips were still locked.
Paige would never know if it was an inner sense, or something else, that forced her to wake up. But as soon as her eyes opened, the first thing she realized, was that she didn't recognize her surroundings.
She sat up, thinking that the bedroom that Damien and her had barely made it to, without ripping one another's clothes off of one another, had not looked like this. Yet, there was something oddly familiar about it.
She sighed, blinking again. It was then, that Paige's eyes fell upon the oddest sight. Next to her on the dresser, was a picture of Cole and Phoebe. What??? What the hell was Damien doing with a picture of that loser Cole, and her sister?!
She sensed Damien stirring beside her. Paige could've sworn that picture was not in this bedroom, while her and Damien were making love.
Paige looked over at him, then screamed! Cole Turner, that demon from hell, former Source, Belthazor, scummy brother-in-law, whatever the hell one wanted to call him, was lounging next to her, and in the buff!
Paige instinctively orbed, then came back. She pulled the bedsheet off of the bed to cover herself, and jumped up out of the bed! When she had it securely around her, Paige glared at Cole, who was now waving cutely at her from on the bed!
'How did you get back here?! Where is here?!'
Before Cole could answer, Paige turned and opened the bedroom door. The apartment now looked like Cole's old one! She turned back to face him, tossing her hair.
'Answer me, you sonofabitch! Why are you alive and where is Damien?!'
'Damien? You mean this guy?'
Cole morphed into Damien. Paige gasped and began to back towards the door!
'What the hell?!'
Cole stood up.
'Well, you said it, Paige, not me! Listen, Phoebe called before and may have figured out what has been going on between us. She sounded awfully jealous. I think she may bring Piper, for back-up.'
Paige just stared at him open-mouthed.
'You raped me!'
'Ho now! Paige, honey...'
'I am not your honey! I don't know how you came back, but you...you...'
Paige orbed away in the sheet, not caring that she didn't have her clothes. She orbed to the manor, and ended up in the living-room. Piper, Phoebe and Andy were already there. They had sensed where Paige was, and figured out it was Cole's old apartment.
Paige didn't even notice them, and just collapsed onto the couch, staring into space. Tears welled into Phoebe's eyes, as she looked at Piper, who looked about as angry as Andy did! Cole had slept with her sister, while pretending to be someone else! How could she have not sensed that Damien was really Cole?!
Piper and Phoebe slowly moved towards Paige. They then sat on either side of her.
'Paige, honey...' Phoebe said, livid that Cole would do something so reprehensible! And it was obvious from the looks of Paige, she now knew who Damien really was!
Piper gently put a hand on Paige's shoulder.
'Paige, none of this is your fault, but we need to vanquish Cole again. Can you pull yourself together long enough to return to that apartment?'
'What the hell are you talking about?!' Andy hissed at Piper. 'Look at her, she can't go back!'
Paige shook her head quickly. A tear slipped down her face.
'I'm alright! I thought I was having sex with Damien. I woke up and it was Cole. The apartment didn't look like Cole's...Damien didn't look like Cole...I think I'm going to be sick...'
Paige jumped up, and for a brief moment, her eyes locked with Andy's. She saw pity there. And pity was not what she needed right now. She moved past him, still draped in the sheet, and hurried upstairs.
Piper stood up.
'Andy, I know Paige has been through a lot here, but we need to vanquish Cole. What he pulled here with Paige is only the beginning.'
Phoebe stood up as well. She was shaking.
'Piper's right, Andy. You don't know Cole. There will be more to come. I didn't think he hated me that much...'
Andy suddenly orbed away. Piper looked at Phoebe.
'Where do you think he's going?'
Phoebe wiped away a tear.
'To introduce himself to my ex-husband.' Phoebe answered.
****
Cole was in the shower, invigorated by the memory of Paige's face, when she realized what she had done, and by just being alive again. He felt better than he ever had!
'La la la la la la la!' Cole sang at the top of his lungs.
The next thing Cole knew, something, or someone, punched him from inside the shower, sent him crashing through the glass shower door, and onto the floor! He bumped his head against the sink, then scrambled up, to see who, or what, had attacked him.
'It' turned out to be a big, angry guy! Cole theorized that they had to be about the same build and height. He also realized that the guy somehow got into his shower with him....and not by opening the door!
Cole stood up, gingerly, then grinned.
'You're the Charmed Ones new Whitelighter, aren't you' he asked, as a fireball formed in his hand. He then threw it at the Whitelighter.
Andy orbed, and the fireball passed through him! He then orbed back so that he was right up on Cole, and butted him in the forehead, with his own! Cole fell back against the door!
Now, he was pretty damned angry! This Whitelighter was not acting in a way they Whitelighters were known to act! For the most part, they were pretty passive. Leo had been. Actually, Leo had almost bordered on bitch like!
Cole gently stood up again, then quickly flung a flame at Andy! But, once again, Andy orbed away again, and returned to smash Cole, and himself, through the wooden bathroom door!
Cole, who had tried to shimmer, so that he wouldn't smash through the door, shoved Andy back! This Whitelighter was here because of what he had pulled on Paige, obviously. But why was he here alone? And why was he acting like a jealous boyfriend?
Cole grinned, as Andy got up, and the two faced one another.
'Well, well. You have a thing for Paige, don't you? Never mind, don't answer that. It's obvious. Let me see here: Leo, the former Whitelighter, falls for Piper, I fell for Phoebe, and you felt duty bound to protect Paige's honor. She's a wildcat in bed, let me tell you, if I had met her before Phoebe...'
'Shut-up! Don't go near Paige or her sisters! You're being alive again is a fluke and we will send you back to the hell that you came from!'
Cole smiled.
'Sorry, Whitelighter. Never again. But you're welcome to try.'
Cole then tried, one last time, to incinerate Andy. Andy, once again, was too fast for him, and orbed away. Cole stood there, bleeding, yet, contemplating.
Maybe he could use this Whitelighter's infatuation with Paige to his advantage, Cole thought. But how?
****
Piper was cooking the 'Belthazor Vanquishing Potion' up again. Phoebe wandered in.
'Paige has been in the shower for 20 minutes.' she said dully and sat down.
Piper eyed her.
'After we vanquish Cole, we're going to have to find her some special help or something.' she said.
Phoebe peered at her.
'It's not like Cole forced himself on her...it's just that she thought she was with Damien.'
Piper flung down some sage!
'Phoebe, we don't know what really happened! Paige could be telling us that just so we won't worry! We don't know that she didn't realize she was with Cole, during the act!'
'Yeah, but she could've just orbed away if that was the case...no...I think she told the truth about that. This whole thing just makes me so sick...what can I do to speed this potion thing here up? How close are you to finishing?'
Piper was about to answer, when the doorbell rang. Phoebe and Piper looked at one another.
'Let's go together.' Piper said, walking away from the stove and grabbing Phoebe's hand. 'Because if it is that bastard, he's going to get a power-of-two pre ass-kicking!'
The walked out into the hallway and up to the front door. Phoebe nodded, and Piper opened the door. A woman, with dark hair and pale skin, stood there.
'Can we help you?' Piper asked.
The woman cleared her throat.
'I'm Ms. Parker. I was hoping you could tell me if the man that lives next door, Jarod Knight, is home?'
Phoebe gave Piper a look. Piper froze Ms. Parker.
'She's one of the people from The Center.' Phoebe said.
'Probably. I would just love to blow her up.' Piper half snarled.
'Honey, I'd love to see something happen to this bitch too, but, I really don't want to see you blow up a human.'
Piper rolled her eyes, then closed the door again.
'I'm not unfreezing her. I'll just let it wear off.'
'And she'll just ring the doorbell again.' Phoebe warned.
'And by then, we'll think of something to tell her that will send her on a wild goose chase. But right now, at this moment in time, I want to blow her up...I want to blow something up!'
Phoebe rubbed Piper's shoulder.
'Believe me, so do I. After we deal with this woman, let's go check on Paige, okay?'
Piper nodded. The two hugged.
****
Paige walked into her room, draped in a pink, terrycloth robe. The door was open, and she was startled to find Andy standing in the middle of the room.
'I really don't want to get in to it. I should've been more careful...' she started to say.
Paige suddenly noticed that that his right arm looked a bit singed. She hurried over to him.
'What happened, Andy? How did this happen?'
'You know how it happened.'
Paige didn't say anything for a moment. She put her hands on the burn, and it healed. She smiled.
'I've never been that good with my healing powers. Curing you seemed to come naturally.' she commented. Uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her, Paige let go of his arm and walked over to her bed to sit down. She looked at him again.
'You shouldn't have went over there.'
'There was no way I wasn't going to, Paige. That piece of ^%%#@ knows he has a fight on his hands. He also knows...'
Andy stopped himself, then looked away. Paige tilted her head, stood up and walked over to him. She reached out and tilted his face towards her.
'Cole also knows what, Andy?'
Andy reached up and touched her hand that was on his face.
'He knows that I love you, Paige. And I shouldn't have let him see that, because now he'll use it against us.'
Paige suddenly pulled him into a kiss! Andy wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off of the ground, their lips were still locked.