Disclaimer: Don't own Charmed.

A/N: Cole from season three: (Past) Cole. Phoebe from Season three: Phoebe. Cole from season six: Cole.

)(&$#!#$&())(())(&$#!#$&())(&$#!

Phoebe lay in a restless sleep as (Past) Cole's arm lay delicately around her waist. Her mind was elsewhere: more specifically, in the demonic wasteland.

"Where am I?" she rhetorically asked.

She was grabbed rudely by a pair of strong arms. "What are you doing here?" Cole asked. A scream was heard in the distance. "Come on."

They climbed on one of the many rocks down there before he turned on her again. "I left you alone, just like you asked. Now why don't you leave me alone. Do you know how much it pains me to see you and not hold you or be with you?"

"Cole, what are you talking about?"

"All I did was love you, I tried so hard to keep you safe and happy. I tried so hard, in the end it wasn't enough for you. I remember so many years ago, that I was sent to the future and you told me everything that happened. I tried so hard, to keep it from happening, so hard that it ended up happening anyway."

"Okay, I am definitely dreaming." Phoebe pinched herself and let out a scream. "Okay, maybe not."

"What are you talking about?" Cole asked, thoroughly confused. Phoebe looked at him in a way he hadn't seen in years, star-crossed love. After a year, it had turned to love and affection before it burned into betrayal and hate. He had preferred the love and affection in her eyes, because the star-crossed lover's thing was only lust and getting to know someone and somewhat loving them. But the real Phoebe knew him enough not to be in that stage.

"What year is it?

"2001." Phoebe answered simply.

"God, it can't be true. It's 2004."

"What!? Are you serious?"

"Well this explains a lot."

"Why do I hate you?" Phoebe asked.

"I became the Source," Cole answered unemotionally.

"What? How could you do that to me?"

"This is exactly how you reacted. I was possessed by the Source."

"Do I know that... me... her... you know what I mean?"

"What?" Cole asked as if he had never heard a more bizarre question.

"Did you tell her that you were possessed by the Source?"

"No, she knew."

"So, you just assumed that she knew. Oh my God, you can be a real butt sometimes. You didn't bother to tell her even once. That's the real reason, she didn't accept you back. God."

The snake wrapped itself around Phoebe's ankle and pulled. Cole grabbed her hands. "Cole... I love you." Phoebe declared as she felt herself being pulled out of his grasp.

"I love you, too, always have. Always will." At that moment she slipped from his fingers and there was a swirl of bright lights and she was transported home. The snake had lost its victim. It moved on to find a new power to absorb. Cole stared at the space she had just disappeared.

He realized with a startling horror that what he said was true. No matter how many times Phoebe told him she hated him, he would always love her with the same amount of passion as always.

()()((&$#!#$&())(&$#!#$&())(&$#!#$&())(&$#!#$&())(&$#!

Phoebe woke with a start. She brushed away the hairs that were sticking to the sweat on her face. (Past) Cole woke, too. "What's the matter sweetie."

"Nothing, just go back to bed."

By morning Phoebe had forgotten about her visit to the wasteland, like a lost dream that slipped through the cracks of reality and dream world.

((&$#!#$&())(&$#!#$&())(&$#!#$&())(&$#!#$&())(&$#!#$&()

The Elders looked down upon this and one whitelighter spoke up. "Why are we doing this?"

One Elder replied, "They need to get their issues out before they face each other again. If they don't they're will be no chance for them or for the rest of us."

"What aren't you telling us? Why do you believe it's your responsibility to fix this?" The whitelighter asked.

"You'll know in due time, in due time."

)(&$#!#$&())(&$#!#$&())(&$#!#$&())(&$#!#$&()

What do ya think?