Charmed to Darkness

by malachite157

Something dark is growing above ground and out of the Underworld. It is supposedly a new, great, evil power, but it is fluctuating. It could go either way. The Charmed Ones are keeping an eye out for it, but they don't realize just how close it it...

1. Charmed to Darkness

Charmed to Darkness

Chapter One: Freeing a Demon

By: Sapphire (aka Malachite157)

Writer's Note: This is the beginning fic in a series I am writing. It revolves around three episodes of Charmed but with my own twist and spanners thrown in to change things. The fic after this will take off on its own course. This fanfic takes place amid the events of the episode 'Exit Strategy'. It starts at the scene where Raynor is just about to force Cole to kill Jenna.

---

Phoebe raced up the stairs and pounded on the door of the attic. Cole was inside, as was Jenna, Leo and, by the sounds of it, someone else. It had to be Raynor.

"Cole! Leo? Open the door!" she yelled, pounding her fists against the door and repeatedly trying the handle. It was locked.

Inside, Cole was standing before his mentor, sweating, dizzy and fighting the overwhelming urge inside of him to revert to his demonic form and do as Raynor asked - kill an unconscious Jenna on the floor.

Piper came up the stairs and blew the door open just enough so that Phoebe could see Raynor move his hand across Cole's face, saying: "Is it really worth giving up your father's soul for?"

"Cole, don't do it!" she pleaded.

Cole screamed in agony and reverted to his demonic form. Phoebe watched as if in slow motion as he turned towards Jenna, a ball of energy in his hand. Piper blew the door open and struck Raynor with a blast. The blast was enough to knock Cole off his feet and send Raynor in pieces.

Prue was at this stage awake again and she too came running inside with Piper to tend to Leo, while Phoebe stood over Cole, not sure what to feel.

Belthazar twitched and groaned on the floor. Upon seeing her, he changed back to his human form, with some effort. Phoebe fell to her knees beside him.

"Cole..."

Cole blinked slowly and coughed, blood spattered along his lips.

"Phoebe," he nearly whimpered.

She stared at him coolly.

"You were going to kill Jenna. I saw it."

He shook his head.

"No...no...it was...an act. I was about to...to reel on Raynor - destroy him! He wouldn't have seen "

Every part of Phoebe screamed 'no!', she knew this was a lie. She could read it in his eyes. He had been so badly corrupted, she knew if Piper hadn't killed Raynor then and there, it would have been the end of Jenna. But...but he was lying there so helplessly, so desperately trying to fight what...what came naturally to him.

Her eyes drifted to the potion. It was time to end it all now. It was time to kill Belthazar.

She got up slowly and took the potion.

"What are you doing?" Piper asked, her arms wrapped around Leo as he slowly came to.

"Ending it all, forever," she said adamantly.

"Phoebe - he would have killed Jenna! You know that!" Prue protested.

A look of pain crossed Phoebe's face at those words. It was true, she knew it. She knew that if she did this, she'd again be choosing Cole and his safety over her sisters'.

She once again stood over Cole, who was weak and fading in and out of consciousness.

She cast her eyes to Prue and Piper, a single tear rolling down her cheeks.

"You're right... but we can't leave him in this state."

She put the potion aside and tried her best to lift him. Prue came to her aid, albeit reluctantly, and they carried him to a room downstairs.

---

5 Days Later:

Cole had been faking illness for the past few days. He'd been sleeping on the couch, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. None of the sisters left him alone at any one time in the house, but he knew by their lifestyles that it was only a matter of time before they were all called away. Phoebe was acting cold towards him, as were the rest of the sisters. In fact it was Piper who was perhaps the only slightly sympathetic one. With her new power of speeding up molecules came the challenge of mastering and containing it, without hurting anyone in the process. She understood his dilemma and was therefore a little kinder towards him.

It was eight in the morning when Phoebe came into the living room with a glass of cold water.

"Morning," he said weakly, with a faint smile.

"How're you feeling?" she said as flatly as she could. She was unable to mask completely the concern in her voice.

"Better," he said as he sat up.

"Soon you'll be well enough to leave, then," she said as she gave him the glass.

He sighed and lowered his eyes. He had to sap as much sympathy from her as he could.

"You still want me out of your life... After all we've done together? When we now have an open future in front of us, just a potion away. I'm offering to give up half of my being for you, Phoebe. A half of myself I've been fighting since I met you."

Phoebe shook her head.

"You slipped up at the end. Our love wasn't strong enough. You couldn't hang on, for me."

"Phoebe, I love you. You know that!"

She opened her mouth to reply when there was a shrill call from Piper in the kitchen.

"PHOEBE! I just got a call from Prue. She's in trouble!"

Phoebe turned swiftly away, but didn't leave without giving him a baleful look.

"If I find out her trouble is in anyway related to you, you're out of this place today. Illness or no illness." She left the room. He heard the running footsteps and the door opening and closing.

Silence.

He was alone, at last.

He quietly rose to his feet, putting the glass down on the table. He had a feeling as to where the potion was stored.

"She'll be angry at me," he thought grimly. Still, his demonic side was all that there was keeping her away from him. No longer would he allow it to put her and her sisters in jeopardy.

Quickly, he began searching the places he thought they might hide the potion. It wasn't long before he found it.

---

Prue grimaced as she got up. She expected some nasty bruises on her back and legs after that blast.

The demon stood in front of her, blocking the exit of the alleyway she'd turned into when she heard the panicked scream of a girl. The girl had escaped, but Prue was not so lucky. She'd managed to squeeze in a brief phone call to Piper after she'd knocked the demon back, but he was fast on his feet again, his eyes shooting daggers.

"I needed her blood. I will die without it!" he snarled.

"What are you, a vampire?" she asked in disbelief. She'd seen her fair share of weird things, but a vampire was something out of the ordinary.

He shook his head.

"A vampire! Don't insult me. I'm far more than a blood sucker, as you will soon find out!"

What a mess she'd gotten herself into. She dodged his next energy blast. It seemed he could toss energy balls and pulses, suck blood and apparently do much worse. This was one tough demon.

Prue leapt to her feet, ready for action.

"My sisters will be here soon and that will mark the end of you," she said icily.

"Sisters? Ah! The Charmed ones. Do you think I haven't planned for that?"

It was at that moment Piper and Phoebe came reeling around the corner.

Phoebe didn't hesitate to kick the demon, but he was amazingly quick at catching her ankle, twisting it and throwing her awkwardly onto the ground. Phoebe yelped in pain.

"Okay buster, that's it!" Piper growled and attempted her blowing-up stunt. It didn't work. The demon laughed.

"No witch can kill me! I am a Blood Demon. I can only die by one thing, not that I will tell you. In fact, I think it's time now to be moving on..."

Prue was about to blast him again, when she felt a dizzy spell hit her and she fell unconscious, along with her sisters.

---

"Looking for something?"

Cole gasped, startled, and stumbled backwards.

Leo was glaring at him, hands on hips. Truth was, Cole had found the potion, he was simply looking for a pen and paper to write a note to Phoebe, telling her what he'd done, in case the potion knocked him out for a while.

He casually put his hands in his pockets and dropped the potion bottle within.

"Yes, paper. And a pen. Funny things pens. They're always lying about and yet you can never find them when you really need them."

"I'll bet," Leo said flatly.

There was a tense silence between them.

"There's some paper in the bottom drawer in Phoebe's room, and some pens. What do you want them for?"

Cole felt a little spasm of panic but it quickly subsided as his slick mind came up with an excuse.

"A note, for Phoebe. Just some parting words for when she...boots me out of here."

Close enough to the truth.

Leo nodded slowly.

"You look healthy as pie. Better get writing that note. You don't have long."

Cole smiled mirthlessly and watched as Leo ambled into the kitchen. He rolled his eyes and made his way for Phoebe's room. Leo was right; he didn't have much time. He needed to get this note done, and end all this turmoil once and for all.

---

Piper woke up with a splitting headache. The first thing she noticed was that she was in a demon lair. They were always dark places with flaming candles and the general sense of evil hanging in the air. Yep - demons were all the same when it came to decor.

The room was dully lit and all the furniture was black and grim. She was strapped to the wall by iron bonds around her legs and wrists and her hands were coated in some strange material. She felt like a medieval prisoner, hanging like this. Her wrists were burning in pain.

Phoebe and Prue were still unconscious, hanging in the same way on the opposite wall. Sitting, meditating in the center of the room, was the demon.

"You're awake," he said slowly, turning towards her.

"So I am," Piper answered dryly.

He glared at her. "I don't suck the blood for food, you know."

Piper raised her eyebrows. "Suck blood?"

He got to his feet slowly with a long, drawn out sigh.

"Oh yes. You're ignorant. One would thing you'd make time to learn all the demons in the Book of Shadows off by heart. It would have saved you a lot of time and trouble."

"You demons have provided us with plenty of distractions," she answered coolly.

He chuckled darkly and approached Phoebe. He touched her cheeks gently and then turned to face Piper again.

"You are all very beautiful women..."

Piper didn't grace him with an answer.

"But that is none of my concern. It just so turns out I have enough blood for my spell. I've been collecting for a long time."

Piper did not like the sound of that. She reluctantly asked: "What Spell?" and was immediately afraid to hear the reply.

He smiled sardonically.

"Why, the spell to convert witches. That is what blood demons do. We kill people because we need a certain quantity of blood of varying types to add to a potion that, once fed to witches, turns them to evil. You are very powerful witches; I need a lot of blood. Feel flattered that a lot of innocents died for your conversion."

"You sick bastard," came a rasping voice from behind him. Prue was awake, glowering at the demon.

"You'll think otherwise once you've crossed over. In fact you will be thanking me."

He faced Piper again.

"Don't feel bad about the innocents. I am a demon of Asia. All my victims were Asian; there was no way you could have known or stopped me. Besides, you won't feel bad about it at all, once you are...charmed to darkness." He laughed wickedly.

A look of horror flushed across Piper's face as she noticed for the first time the large black pot literally bubbling with a thick red potion.

The demon sniffed the air. "Ah! It's almost ready."

Piper glanced across the room at Prue while the demon bent over to tend to his potion.

"Astral outta here!" she hissed.

Prue nodded and closed her eyes. Nothing happened.

"You'll find that your powers are useless," the demon said casually. "As I've disabled them with a special energy pulse of mine. It is only temporary, which is why I'm going to have to give you the potion very soon and recite the spell."

Piper breathed in deeply to calm her rage. An idea popped into her head.

"Well if we're going to be in such debt to you once we've 'crossed over', we're going to at least need a name to address you by."

He looked up at her from his kneeling position on the floor.

"That's more like it! My name's Grizan, although you'll call me 'Sire' from now on."

"Of course," Piper said, flashing a bitterly sarcastic smile.

Then, without warning, she yelled: "LEO!"

---

Cole couldn't believe his luck. Just when he really needed to be alone to drink the potion, Leo orbed out. Where he went, Cole had no clue, but he was going to take advantage of this brief moment of solitude.

He made his way up to the attic, keeping a safe distance away from the book and placed the potion on a table in front of him.

He took some deep breaths to gain some composure and then paused.

Chances were he was going to faint from shock, so he probably should place some pillows behind him in case. In his 98 years of life, he'd fallen down enough times to know how bad the resulting headaches could be.

He rushed downstairs to fetch some cushions, knowing at the back of his mind he really didn't care for such trivialities, but was in actual fact putting off the event. Deep down inside he didn't want to take the potion. He was screaming not to take it, but he had to. For Phoebe. For love.

---

Leo orbed unnervingly close to a pot of boiling liquid. Before him was Piper, strapped to the wall, looking at him wide eyed.

A vicious growl came from behind and he swiveled around to see a demon tossing an energy ball. He ducked just in time and the ball narrowly missed Piper.

"Leo orb outta here and see what you can do about vanquishing this blood demon called Grizan!"

Leo nodded and as he orbed out, he caught her last words: "Hurry! He wants to turn us!"

Used to handling panic and shock, Leo instinctively orbed into the attic to hurriedly access the Book of Shadows. He obviously gave Cole a fright.

Cole gasped in shock and dropped a small glass bottle of something.

"Damnit Leo!!"

Leo pushed him aside and flung open the book.

"The girls are in big trouble, so for now I won't bother asking what the heck you were doing up here."

Cole stared miserably at the shattered glass on the floor and the spilt potion. Phoebe...

Phoebe!

"What kind of trouble?"

Leo paged through the book quickly and methodically.

"I dunno. Something called a blood demon called Grizan."

"Uh oh..."

Leo found the page on Grizan as Cole murmured his concern.

He turned to look at him questioningly.

"What do you mean 'uh oh'?"

Cole stared at Leo intensely.

"There's only one way to kill a demon like Grizan."

Leo turned back to the book, muttering 'how?'. He read the way in the Book of Shadows at the same time Cole stated it.

"Belthazar."

---

Piper squirmed under the tight grip around her throat.

"You stupid little witch! What did you think you could achieve telling your white lighter about me!"

"Getting...help..." she choked.

He squeezed a little harder then released his grip.

"Only another, specific demon has the power to possibly kill me, and even then it would be a close fight. Either of us could win or lose. I've been around 200 years! Trust me, I know how to defend myself."

He opened a cupboard and took out a syringe and needle.

"But it won't matter anyway. He's not going to help save witches from evil. If anything he'll support the decision. You'll be a powerful asset to the Darkness."

"Who's 'he'?" came a voice from beside Prue. Phoebe was awake.

"It doesn't matter," he growled, walking towards the pot to draw some potion.

"In five minutes you'll all be on your knees serving me and then he won't stand a chance against the four of us."

---

Leo stared at Cole.

"You're right. It says so in the book."

"Of course I know I'm right!"

"Well then we'd better go and help them."

"Why? I thought you'd given up on me and I was considered 'evil'."

"Which is why you're the only one who can stop this Grizan guy."

Cole shook his head.

"I'm weak. Even at full power it's no guarantee I'd be able to defeat him. He's a demon with a lot of strength and experience."

"Well we have to try! I'll help you by freeing the girls while you distract him."

"Yeah? And why should I help? You're just going to kick me out of your lives once I've saved them."

"Cole this might be your chance to get Phoebe back, don't you see?"

Cole chuckled. "I'd be getting Phoebe all to myself if I leave Grizan to his work. He turns witches. Once Phoebe's on the dark side, we can be together."

"Grizan won't hand them over to you, Cole. You'd have to fight them and him to get to Phoebe. It says here in the book 'all turned witches are bound to him in servitude'. You even said yourself it'd be tough fighting him. Try fighting him and the power of three."

Cole snorted and turned away. Leo was right - it was a long shot either way, and Phoebe would be more inclined to forgive him if he did it for good and not evil.

"Fine. Where are they?"

---

With a syringe full of red potion, Grizan turned with a grin to Phoebe.

"The youngest of the three. The lastborn shall be the first to turn."

Phoebe's gaze darted to Piper's and then Prue's. Both looked at her desperately.

"Phoebe!" Piped called out woefully.

Phoebe swallowed hard and faced her enemy.

He gripped her arm and felt for a vein. "Here's a good vein...don't try to struggle. It's only a little prick."

"No!" Prue shrieked as Grizan brusquely pushed the needle into Phoebe's arm. She cried out in pain and protest.

"COLE!"

At that moment Cole did appear, along with Leo, and threw his arms around Grizan's neck, catching him off guard and pulling him backwards. The needle remained stuck in Phoebe's arm and Leo was quick to withdraw it.

"Did he get any of it in?" he breathed to Phoebe.

She was trembling, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I--I don't think so." He emptied the syringe's contents on the floor and angrily overturned the pot.

"No..." Grizan choked and elbowed Cole sharply, forcing him to release his clutch on Grizan's neck.

The steaming liquid spread out across the floor and Grizan changed form from his dark looking human self to a deep purple coloured demon with needle-sharp teeth and hideous protruding, slashing claws.

He turned swiftly and fired a powerful pulse at Leo, knocking the white-lighter unconscious.

"Leo!" Piper cried. Cole raced towards Piper to free her, but a second energy pulse sent him sprawling on the floor.

"Pathetic human!" Grizan snarled as he strode, full of malice, towards Cole. Cole gradually heaved himself up, much to Grizan's surprise.

"You...survived?"

Cole pushed his jaw back into place and transformed into Belthazar.

"Surprise!" he said as he swung his fist around and sent Grizan flying across the room.

Belthazar was closest to Prue and so he grabbed the bonds that were holding her and snapped them. Prue landed with a soft thud on the floor.

"Help me, Prue!" he urged, but Prue shook her head.

"I can't! He's disabled my powers...look out!"

Belthazar threw himself to the ground as an energy ball came crashing into the wall which he'd been standing in front of.

"What in Hell's name is the matter with you, Belthazar? Why are you aiding these witches against me?" Grizan asked.

Belthazar rose to his feet and faced Grizan with a steel cold expression.

"That is none of your concern!"

While the ensuing battle raged, Prue tried to find a way to release Piper and Phoebe, but the bonds were magical and had no key or lock. Belthazar was taking a pummeling and Prue could see that he wasn't going to last.

She tried her powers. Still nothing.

Afraid that if she tried to physically assault Grizan he would kill or severely maim her, Prue held back and tried to think of a plan.

Beltahzar crashed into the wall beside her. She didn't have much time to think of something. She helped Belthazar to his feet and then dodged an incoming energy ball, rushing over to Piper.

"What are we gonna do?" she asked worriedly. "Cole can't hold him off forever."

"Have you tried your powers?" Piper questioned.

"I did... but they were still disabled. Let me try again."

Prue took aim and then flicked her hand. Grizan went flying backwards.

"Yes! They're back!"

"Then free us!" Piper exclaimed.

"The bonds are like Grizan. Only evil can break them."

"Then distract Grizan while Cole breaks them."

Prue called out: "Cole! Free Phoebe and Piper while I handle Grizan!"

Cole nodded and weakly staggered back onto his feet, blood pouring from various wounds on his body. He struggled to snap the chains around Phoebe, who fell shuddering to the floor. Something was evidently wrong with her, but he would have to worry about that later.

Prue kept on pelting Grizan with blasts, but soon he was able to deflect them and get back onto his feet. He attacked aggressively and Prue found herself sailing through the air, about to make contact with a hard wall. Fortunately for her, Leo had come to and caught her. They both toppled backwards as Piper was released from her bondage.

"That's it, demon!" she shouted and blew him up into pieces.

For a moment there was a stunned silence and everyone exchanged glances.

"I thought only a demon could kill him," Prue said as she and Leo stood up.

Leo nodded as he rubbed his arm gingerly.

"Yes, it said in the book only Belthazar, at full power, was capable."

All eyes were on Belthazar, who changed back to Cole. Immediately he collapsed to his knees, battered and bloody.

He coughed blood and wiped his lips with his sleeve.

"Look," he rasped, pointing weakly at the ground.

They looked to see the bits of Grizan slowly beginning to reform.

"Oh boy..." Piper moaned.

"Leo! Orb us out of here!"

"With pleasure," he said and took hold on Piper and Prue.

"Cole, do you think you could shimmer yourself and Phoebe back to the manor?"

Cole took a shivering Phoebe in his arms and got shakily to his feet. "Yes."

With that, the lot of them disappeared from the gloomy demon den of Grizan, moments before he reformed.

---

Phoebe awoke lying on her bed, with the covers over her. She felt a damp, warm cloth being applied to her forehead and the gentle sloshing of water in a small bowl. She opened her eyes and waited for her vision to clear. Cole.

He was sitting on a chair beside her bed, watching her calmly. She could see he'd been crying.

"Phoebe...?" he breathed.

She closed her eyes and sighed a moment, emotions starting to boil up inside of her.

"Phoebe, I'm so sorry..."

Her eyes fluttered open. "If it weren't for Belthazar, we'd be evil now," she said softly.

He stared at her incredulously. "What are you saying?"

She sat up and and gingerly touched the wound on her head.

"I'm not sure... I think I'm saying...I forgive you."

A smile of enormous relief broke out across his haggard face. "Phoebe."

She took his hand and looked up at him. "I know this is sudden, but I realize now you're a part of our lives, and you probably, in some way, always will be. And seeing as it is evident we need you at this time, you can stay. But after you defeat Grizan, Belthazar must go."

He drew his hand back and looked away with some pain in his eyes.

"You make it sound so easy. He defeated me last time we dueled. He is more powerful than me."

"Only because you're currently weak. You'll get stronger."

He turned to her sharply. "Which is exactly the problem! If I allow Belthazar to get any stronger, he'll take over. Raynor induced me with some kind of spell that forced me to change into him, that gave him added strength and control over me. I had no choice, and I fear if I allow him any more power, he will become too strong for me."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her eyes wide and surprised.

"Because you wouldn't listen to me! You were so angry, there was no talking to you!"

"Cole, I---"

"Either way, we are still faced with this dilemma. Phoebe, once I power up as Belthazar, after I kill Grizan, I...I don't think I'll be able to come back."

"We could have the potion ready. I'll throw it onto you when you're unawares. You don't have to drink it. It seeps into demon skin pretty well."

"It's too dangerous."

"It's the only chance we have at being together! Don't you want that?" she questioned, her gaze fixed on his.

"Of course I do. More than anything in the world. I'm just...I'm just afraid. For you."

She put her arms around him and pulled him down gently. He sighed and lay beside her on the bed.

"You don't need to be. We'll pull through this. Together. I love you, Cole."

He turned and looked at her amorously. "Always good to know."

They kissed, and held each other tightly, both deeply afraid of what the next few days would bring.

---

"He'll be back," Prue said to Piper, pacing through the kitchen. Piper was working on a potion.

"I know."

"And even the Power of Three can't stop him!"

"I know."

"And if Cole turns into Belthazar one more time, he'll be our enemy too!"

"I know."

She turned and faced Piper irritably. "Well? You know! So what are we going to do?"

Piper added some ingredients to her pot. "Strip Cole of his powers once he's done the job," she replied calmly.

Prue stared at her in disbelief. "That simple? What about Phoebe."

Piper turned to the cupboard and took out a jar. "This isn't just about Phoebe anymore. It's about the survival of us all. Well, the survival of the good versions of us all. We need Belthazar to defeat Grizan, and after that, we need Cole to defeat Belthazar. This potion will ensure that he wins."

"And after that?" Prue pushed on.

Piper met her eyes for the first time in their conversation.

"And after that, Phoebe can decide. He's not our boyfriend."

Prue rolled her eyes. "You can't be serious! Cole is evil! He's brought nothing but trouble into our lives!"

"But the potion will change that," Piper pointed out.

"Who's side are you on, Piper? Are you just going to accept Cole into this house with open arms again?"

Piper shook her head and sighed. "Prue, Cole loves Phoebe. That much is evident. He was prepared to give up his powers for her before, and I'm sure he is still prepared. He won't be a threat to us, demonically, once he's had this potion."

"But he'll still lure enemies he's made over, oh, I dunno, 98 years!"

"His enemies are drawn to Belthazar. They won't be able to track him once he's just a human."

"Piper!"

"Listen, Prue, I know what you're feeling, but you have to take a step back and imagine it from Phoebe's point of view. She's in love, and that is something that neither of us can change. So instead of being one more obstacle in her way, I say we just let what happens, happen."

Prue threw up her hands in exasperation.

"Let what happens, happen. Now there's a good philosophy!"

She walked out in silent anger and Piper watched her go with some concern. She knew Prue was worried, but there was little that she could do. She wasn't going to stand in Phoebe's way. They needed to operate together and if having a human Cole in their lives was the price to pay, then she was, quite frankly, prepared to pay it.

---

Three Days Later:

"For a demon who has been around 200 years, you'd think Grizan would know better than to give Belthazar time to regenerate," Prue said over breakfast. She looked tired and depressed. Every waking moment she was expecting an attack. The suspense was giving her sleepless nights.

Piper sat down at the table with a bowl of cereal. "Cole said it's quite possible Grizan's doing the same thing. Between the four of us we gave him quite a pummeling."

"Gooood morning!" Phoebe said cheerfully as she entered the kitchen.

"Oh, please! Stop being so pleasant! You're making me sick," Prue groaned.

Phoebe glowered at her. "Well excuse me! Just because there's a demon after us doesn't mean I'm going to be all mopy about it. Demons are always after us! What's new?"

"What's new Phoebe is that we can't fight this one! It's up to your seriously unreliable boyfriend to do that," Prue answered without looking at her sister.

Phoebe sighed and sat down, the aura of happiness fading from her immediately. "You think I'm not conscious of that fact every moment? Prue, I'm also worried. But I can't let it distract me from life all the time. There's nothing we can do. We have tried tracking him and we can't find him. I'm afraid all we can do is sit and wait for it to happen."

"Easier said than done," Piper added.

Phoebe shot her an angry look. "What is this? "Break Phoebe's rare good mood" day?"

"Phoebe?"

She turned to see Cole standing in the doorway.

"Good morning sunshine!" Prue cried out to him sarcastically.

"Nice to see you too, Prue," he answered dryly. Phoebe got up and walked over to him, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Hey, how're you?"

"I'm feeling...all right. I guess."

"Have you tried transforming to Belthazar yet?" Piper asked.

He shook his head. "I've been afraid to. I've got a strong feeling he's nearly at full power. It may be too risky."

"Already? You sure power up fast," Prue commented.

Cole smiled and gazed at Phoebe. "My powers, like yours, are tied to my emotions. I've been happy these past few days."

Phoebe smiled warmly and cuddled him.

"Cute," Prue muttered and took a spoonful of cornflakes.

Just then, Leo orbed in. "Where's...ah, there you are Phoebe."

Phoebe spun around, her face paling. "Leo. Next room. Now."

They left briskly.

Cole lifted an eyebrow and looked at Piper. "What was that all about?"

Piper frowned. "I dunno. Leo's been 'up there' a lot lately. Checking out something or other. I think it has something to do with Phoebe."

Prue's head hit the table. "Not another problem..."

In the next room, Phoebe sat down. "All right," she said to Leo, "Spill."

"The Elders said that if a tiny amount of Grizan's potion did get into your veins, it would be drawn to the most evil part of you."

"Uh huh..." Phoebe trailed, looking at him expectantly. He continued.

"But, seeing as there's nothing evil about you, it'll just form a little bubble in your bloodstream and stay that way until the day you die. As long as you're good it can't hurt you. And, well, there's no way to get it out. It needs the rest of the potion to become potent."

"I see... So my feeling light-headed recently has had nothing to do with it, then?" she said.

Leo shrugged. "Maybe. You did take quite a shock that day, and you've been going through a lot with Cole and everything. It's probably a natural reaction from stress."

Phoebe sighed and nodded, glancing at the floor. "Right. Thank you, Leo. It's a relief to know I'm not in any real danger...from that, anyway."

Piper walked tentatively into the room. "Everything okay?" she asked Phoebe gently.

Phoebe smiled weakly. "Yeah, everything's fine."

Leo looked at Piper with a slight nod, to confirm. Piper flashed a weary smile at him and turned to go back into the kitchen. There was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Prue yelled from the kitchen.

There was a silence save the sound of her footsteps, the door opening and a gasp. Followed by a loud crash.

"PRUE?" Piper yelled and hurried towards the doorway, Phoebe and Leo right behind her. When they arrived, Grizan was standing in full demonic form, towering over a crumpled Prue. Prue groaned and rolled over to face her sisters. "Since when did Demons start using the front door?"

"COLE!" Phoebe yelled. Grizan silenced her with a pulse from his hands, sending her crashing into the wall.

Cole came reeling around the corner and stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing Grizan.

"Ah, Belthazar, we meet again," Grizan said, than tossed a fireball at him. Cole dodged nimbly and growled angrily. "Leave here, Grizan! You can't stand up to me and the Charmed ones!"

Leo rushed to Prue's side while Grizan was momentarily distracted, and healed her. "Get to Phoebe, quick!" she hissed after her wounds were healed.

Leo made for Phoebe but was pelted unconscious by a blow from Grizan. "Not so fast!" he snarled.

Piper tried to freeze Grizan, but she only managed to slow him down for a bit.

Cole took the opportunity to toss an energy ball at Grizan. The demon cried out in pain as it ripped into his flesh, leaving a burning hole in his forearm. "You'll pay for that!"

Cole could see that now was a good time to change to his demonic form.

"Phoebe!"

Phoebe picked herself up gingerly and rubbed her back. She stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Get the potion ready, Phoebe. It's time."

She nodded. "Take care," she whispered and rushed out. Grizan attempted to stop her but Piper tried to blow him up. Her new power was taking time to master and instead she half-froze him, but it only lasted two seconds. He was growing immune to it.

"Persistence is futile, witches! You belong to me!"

"No chance," came a deep growl. Prue and Piper turned to see Belthazar, looking as strong as ever.

"Let's give Cole an unfair advantage and help him kick this demon's sorry butt!" Piper said to Prue.

"For once, I don't mind doing that," Prue responded and flicked her hand, sending Grizan flying across the room.

Grizan got up rather too quickly for their liking, but Belthazar was quick to toss an energy ball. Grizan emitted a force field around his body, which deflected it. His claws latched forwards and he advanced on Belthazar, slashing at the air maliciously.

"Uh oh..." Piper trailed.

"This guy's unstoppable!" Prue gasped. She glanced around the room. She stared at the lamp and with her telekinesis made it fly into Grizan from behind. It broke over his head, stopping his advance and giving Belthazar enough time to attack.

From the kitchen, Phoebe could hear violent crashes and banging. Leo was out of action, Piper and Prue were having seemingly no effect and all they had right now was a rather unreliable Belthazar. She grabbed the fresh batch of potion and crept up to the hallway, being careful to stay out of sight. Neither Cole nor Grizan could know she was waiting there.

Grizan slashed at Belthazar and inflicted a deep wound across his stomach. He roared in pain and stumbled back. Phoebe couldn't suppress a cry. "Cole!"

Prue spotted her. "Go to the kitchen and fetch him the biggest knife we have. He's going to need it!"

Phoebe nodded and dashed back to the kitchen.

Belthazar glared up at his opponent. Grizan glared right back.

"Honestly, Belthazar! What is wrong with you? Why are you helping these witches! They are forces of good!"

Belthazar paused, momentarily confused. Why was he...?

Phoebe arrived on cue. "Cole! Knife!"

He turned to her as she threw the knife across the room. He threw a fireball at it and it blew up.

"That wasn't supposed to happen," Piper murmured.

"It's Belthazar, he's taking over!" Prue cried.

"That's more like it!" Grizan laughed, but Belthazar was not amused.

"Get out of my face!" he snarled and punched Grizan in the gut. Perplexed and furious, Belthazar lunged at Grizan and attacked him repeatedly. Grizan looked like he was going to be defeated, but then threw Belthazar off him and got back to his feet, his claws clicking out. Belthazar was bleeding all over the place and clutched at his deeply wounded stomach.

"No more games, Belthazar! I'm going to finish you once and for all!" Grizan yelled, blood dribbling from his lips.

"Shut up!" Piper shouted but instead of freezing him, she blew up his hands. Grizan let out a blood-curling scream and crumbled to his knees, holding up bloody stumps for arms.

"The playing field is leveled now, Cole. Get him!" Prue instructed.

Upon hearing his human name, Belthazar grimaced, conflicted. A part of him was urging him to go on and ruthlessly attack this fellow demon, but an increasingly stronger part of him was questioning why.

He eventually came to the decision that he'd come this far, so he might as well finish Grizan off.

"Game over," he bellowed and summoned an extra large energy ball. He threw it into Grizan. In true demonic style, Grizan roared in agony, burst into flames and exploded in a puff of grey smoke, leaving behind a smoldering pile of ash.

Phoebe did not hesitate to throw the potion at Belthazar. Too engrossed in Grizan's death scene, he was unprepared for the little bottle that shattered on his great form. He too buckled over with a wail of pain, the veins pulsing all over his body. He gripped his head and tried to fight it, but the potion did its job and with a guttural cry, Belthazar was vanquished. Cole collapsed to the floor, agony written all over his face.

"Oh, Cole..." Phoebe rushed to his side, while Piper tended to Leo.

"I'm...so...tired...of being backhanded by demons," Leo coughed as Piper helped him to his feet.

"Well you're needed now to help an ex-demon. Cole's hurt," Piper informed him. Leo staggered over to Cole and rolled him over. The now completely human was bleeding profusely from a long, deep cut in his abdomen. He placed his palms over him and started to heal. Cole's eyes fluttered open, beads of sweat ran down his cheeks and he blinked up at Leo and Phoebe.

"Cole, honey... It's okay, it's okay," Phoebe whispered, gripping his hand tightly.

Leo took a moment to heal him, as the wound was deep, but finally every scratch and bruise disappeared from him and Cole was able to sit up. He looked totally exhausted.

"Baby, you're free now," Phoebe soothed.

Prue and Piper came around him. He glanced up at them all. "Thank you," he breathed, his gaze resting on Prue the longest, and then he passed out.

---

Chapter Two: Dark Changes

Shax. The sound of his name sent a shiver through her spine. Piper looked out the window at the night sky. She had faced him today, and nearly lost. Not three weeks after Grizan's death, and another powerful demon was after them. There was no more Belthazar to aid them. Not that that was a bad thing.

"Piper, come to bed," Leo said gently as he put his hands around her shoulders.

"There's something ominous in the air tonight. I can feel it."

Leo kissed her head gently and sighed. "I won't question your intuition, but try to get some sleep."

Piper turned into him, resting her head against his shoulder. "I just wish Phoebe and Cole were home tonight. How can they be out for dinner when there's a high-power demon after us?"

Leo walked with her to bed. It was only 9pm, but both of them were very tired. It had been a long day.

He helped her into it with his usual softness. Piper couldn't help but smile at him. He was so gentle.

He lay down beside her and caressed her hair. "They'll be all right. Demons generally don't attack in public. They don't want to be exposed as much as we don't."

"I suppose," she murmured; sleep already taking her. Her eyelids felt heavy. Leo turned off the lamp and let her sleep, keeping her close to him for comfort.

---

Phoebe sipped her wine and gazed about the restaurant. Everyone looked so at ease and so calm. Their lives probably had various stresses and problems, but at least they didn't have to fight evil on the weekends.

"Phoebe?"

She broke out of her daze and faced Cole. "Yes?"

"Are you okay? You look a little distracted."

"Oh, no, I'm fine," she chuckled falsely. Phoebe was bad at covering up her emotions.

"You had a battle today. Maybe we should get home, so you can rest?"

She looked at him softly. "I'm all right, Cole. I'm just glad you weren't there when he struck. You can't defend yourself anymore."

"I'm not glad about it," he muttered.

"What?"

"About not being there..." he recovered. "To help."

She smiled. "I appreciate it, honey, but there's nothing you could've done. Now, you've been holding me in suspense all evening. What's the surprise you have for me?"

Cole lightened up and leaned a little closer. "Two surprises, actually."

"Really?" she grinned.

"Firstly, I went in for that job interview today."

"Yes?"

"And I got the position."

"Oh baby that's wonderful!" she said and touched his cheek. "At least you can support yourself financially again."

"Well, that's where the second surprise comes in. I decided to celebrate with the last of my savings..."

Phoebe's eyes widened and her smile faded to an expression of shock as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black velvet case. He stood up and her heart started to pound in her chest.

"Cole...?" she said uncertainly.

He got down on one knee and she gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth. He opened the little box and inside was a gold ring, encrusted with diamonds and in the center, a ruby.

"Oh my God..." she breathed. She became uncomfortably aware that the restaurant had gone silent and all eyes were on her.

"Phoebe Halliwell," he began, "Will you marry me?"

It was as if time stood still. She could feel her cheeks burning, a hot flush rising through her neck. Her mouth went dry and she swallowed with difficulty. Was this really happening? And why did she feel so...unsure about it? Isn't this what she'd always wanted?

Unable to cope with the pressure, she removed her hand and said one word, which sent a wave of nausea through her. "Yes."

There was a collective "Aww" from the crowds in the restaurant and some clapping as Cole slipped the beautiful ring onto her finger. "The ruby is a symbol of our love. Bright and strong," he told her and kissed her hand. Phoebe felt as if she were about to faint.

He noticed her pale face. "You look like you've seen a ghost!" he chuckled. She forced a smile and shook her head slightly. "No, no...I'm just...so...stunned!" she tried a laugh.

He stood up and sat back in his chair. "It is a bit of a bombshell, but you've made me the happiest man alive today by saying yes."

"Oh, Cole..."

"Come, let's pay the bill and go home. You look like you've had enough for one day."

"Oh no don't get the wrong impression! I'm happy and I really meant it! I'm just...surprised! Really, really surprised."

"I did give you a warning," he said with a wink as a waiter came up to give them the bill.

"You did...yes," she said, feeling woozy. This was all happening so fast. How was she going to tell her sisters, tell Prue?

Especially Prue.

---

Sunlight filtered in through a crack in the curtains and fell directly on Prue's eyes. She groaned and rolled over. Time to get up.

She was usually the first one up, and she was glad for it. Those few minutes in the morning, in the kitchen with no one else around, were peaceful. It was the only time the house wasn't bustling and she could move about in the morning sunshine and cherish the silence.

She slipped on a robe and her slippers and made her way to the kitchen. She was surprised to see Phoebe at the table, head in hands, a mug of steaming coffee beside her.

She glanced up. "Hi Prue," she sighed with a weary smile.

"Hi," Prue said, frowning curiously as she entered the kitchen. "No offence, but you look terrible."

"Do I? Ugh, it's because I haven't had much sleep. Tossing and turning, you know..."

"Demon problems," Prue said as she put the kettle on. "We're all worried about Shax. It's okay, Phoebe."

Phoebe dropped her gaze. "Oh yeah, 'course."

Prue paused in her shuffling around the kitchen and looked at her. "There's something else wrong. Something you're not telling me."

Phoebe immediately looked uncomfortable. "There's nothing wrong, Prue. I'm just tired."

Prue cocked an eyebrow. "Right."

Phoebe stood up, the chair grating abrasively on the floor. It seemed to add to the uneasy atmosphere.

"Yes, tired. So tired in fact I think I'm going to try and go back to bed."

"You'll have to be up again in an hour to get to college. I know your stint's almost over, but you should try do well these last few weeks."

"I know, so, an extra hour'll be good for me!" Phoebe said, a little flustered, and left the kitchen. She didn't bother taking her coffee with her.

Prue shook her head and rubbed her temples. Something was definitely up. But things were not good between herself and Phoebe. So it'd have to be Piper who broke the ice and found out, this time.

Phoebe managed to stop storming into to the room by a deep breath and a pause to regain her senses. She quietly pushed open the door and entered the dark room. Cole was fast asleep, looking very peaceful. She gazed at him enviously. Oh, yeah, sure! He was just peachy about everything! And here she was pretending that she was too. She stood and stared at him. She loved him deeply, but marriage just seemed such a big change. A month ago he'd been a demon and now he was a mere mortal asking to be with her in a normal way. Normal, in her life, seemed sometimes so out of reach that when it came she didn't know how to handle it. Then again, as long as she were a witch, there'd be nothing normal about their relationship. Something told her that while Cole may be human now, his demonic past would come back to haunt them. There was no escaping it, but she couldn't live without him. She just couldn't. But getting Prue to understand that was going to be extremely difficult.

Her thoughts were interrupted when he stirred and felt for her beside him. She quickly padded across the room, took off her slippers and lay down beside him, but it was too late.

"Where did you go?" he yawned, wrapping his arms around her.

"Just for a little walk to the kitchen. I was...thirsty."

He gently rolled her over so she was facing him. "You ok?" he asked sleepily.

She nodded. "I'm fine." He kissed her softly, but it was lost to her as she had a premonition.

Cole was standing over a cot, holding a baby in his arms. There was a strange orange glow coming from the infant and he was gazing down at it thoughtfully. "Where did you get that from?" he asked it and then the premonition ended.

She gasped and recoiled.

"Phoebe! What's wrong?"

She panted, sitting up, holding her chest. "I had..."

"... a premonition?" he finished. "Of what?"

She turned to him slowly. "Uh...um...." No, no, she couldn't tell him. She couldn't jump to conclusions. That may not have been their baby, it may have been someone else's, possibly Piper and Leo's. They were trying for kids, after all, and Cole would be an uncle. Right, yes, that was what it was. But that orange glow...

"A demon attack. It was too blurry. I couldn't see where it was... I think it was Shax," she lied.

He sat up and sighed. "Great. Well, at least we know he's coming back... so you can be better prepared for next time."

"I was kinda banking on it," she said flatly. Her head was spinning with questions and conflicting thoughts. What was happening?

"Honey, you look really pale. Maybe you should stay in today," he said quietly.

She stood up. "No, I've got to get ready for college. Just a few more weeks and I'm free of it. I have to pull through."

"Aren't you going to tell your sisters?"

She stared at him wide-eyed. "About the premonition?"

"That, and the engagement?" he pressed.

"Oh yes! The engagement.... hah hah, well, um, I'm still figuring out how to break it to them, so, I'll let you know when they know!" she said with forced cheerfulness. She opened her cupboard and grabbed some clothes.

"Well at least tell them about the premonition."

Phoebe dressed quickly and disappeared into the bathroom. She briskly applied some make-up.

"Uh huh. Don't you have to go to work?"

"I told you, I don't start until next week," he said standing up and looking at her curiously.

"Right! Yes, you did. Um, well, enjoy the day off! But stay clear of any demon fights, ok? Those demons might recognize your human form and still think you can fight...which is not a good thing."

"They'll kill me regardless of whether I can fight or not," Cole said dryly.

She exited the bathroom in a rush. She grabbed her bag and kissed him quickly. "I know, so I want to you be careful. I love you."

With that she turned to the door. "See you!"

"But Phoebe! Your sisters..."

"Can you tell them for me sweetie? Thanks!" And she was gone.

Cole stood there blinking after her. "Wonderful. I get to tell Piper and Prue about the premonition. They're going to really like hearing it from me," he sighed, and started getting dressed himself.

---

Piper's yawn was interrupted as Phoebe zoomed past her.

"Phoebe?"

Phoebe opened the door and smiled. "College! Bye, Piper!"

"But you've still got an extra hour and a hal---f..." she trailed as the door closed. She stared at it as Prue came up beside her.

"You know when she gets like that, she's running from something. Phoebe's a bad liar," Prue said.

"Any idea what's bugging her?" Piper asked.

Prue folded her arms. "Oh, I bet it's---"

"Cole!"

They swiveled around to see Leo and Cole at the top of the stairs. Leo handed something to him.

"What's this?" Cole asked and held up an envelope.

"I don't know. I checked the mailbox yesterday and found it. I forgot to give it to you," Leo replied with a shrug and stepped lightly down the stairs.

"You feeling better, Piper?" he asked her as he kissed her on the cheek. Piper nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Prue looked at her with concern. "What's the matter?"

Piper sighed and let her arms fall to her sides. "Oh, just worrying about demons and stuff. You know, the usual."

"I'm sorry I had to leave so early this morning. They don't really have a sense of time up there," Leo told her, referring to the Elders.

"Yeah...what was that for?" Piper queried.

Leo looked uncertain and Prue pressed him. "Leo?"

He sighed softly and said: "The Elders sense a new evil power rising. It's like nothing they've experienced before. It's small and vague but it's growing in intensity."

"A new Source?" Prue asked.

He shook his head. "They don't think so. They don't know its exact whereabouts, but it's above ground. They reckon if it continues growing at its current rate for any length of time, it'll be, possibly, even more powerful than the current Source."

Cole came down the stairs, his face pale and the envelope opened in his hand.

"So a new, evil power is forming outside of the Underworld? What's up with that?" Piper exclaimed, obviously upset.

"Shh shh, Piper. See? I knew it wasn't a good idea to tell you," he said as he put his hands around her shoulders.

Prue was staring at Cole. "What's wrong with you? You know something about this?" she asked coolly.

He shook his head. "No, but I did just get a death threat," he said, passing the letter to her.

"Already? Who from?" she questioned as she read over the short, curt letter.

"It's just signed as 'A'. It rings a bell, but I'm not sure who it is."

Piper covered her face with her hands.

"I've been awake five minutes and this is what I get bombarded with? I'm going back to bed..." she groaned and made to turn. Leo held her back.

"Piper, it's okay. We'll deal with this. Just...try to handle one thing at a time."

"Leo's right, Piper," Cole said. "I'll deal with my own death threats. And I'll help you figure out what and where this new evil is. I've got quite an extensive knowledge on the subject."

"A near century's worth," Prue added sourly.

Piper walked away from Leo's semi-embrace irritably. "If someone's going to try and kill you, Cole, we're automatically involved. And something tells me we have to nip this new evil in the bud, before it gets too strong. Plus we have Shax to worry about!" she ended with a cry, jerking her hands with annoyance.

Cole shifted on his feet and looked at the floor. Piper noticed it immediately.

"What?" she demanded icily, glaring at him.

He looked at her apologetically.

"Spit it out, Cole!"

"Phoebe kinda had a premonition this morning. About Shax."

Piper froze and everyone seemed to shift back a little, knowing she was about to explode.

"And. She. Didn't TELL ME?" Piper erupted.

Leo tried to calm her. "She probably didn't want to alarm you anymore Piper---"

She reeled on him with flashing eyes. "YOU! Fetch Phoebe and get her ass down here!" He gulped and orbed away.

She turned on her heels and glowered at Cole. "And you! Figure out who sent you that letter, now! Not later today, not tomorrow, NOW. I can't deal with a Cole assassin too!"

Cole took the letter back from Prue and sidled away into the living room.

Prue faced Piper with a grim face. "Want some coffee?"

"Coffee would be good," Piper managed reasonably calmly and Prue left the room.

Just then, Leo orbed in with a rather distressed looking Phoebe. "I have an early morning class and whoa! Piper! Your face is so red!" she gasped upon seeing her elder sister.

"With reason! Why didn't you tell us about the premonition this morning?" she asked, trying to contain her fury.

"Prem...onition?"

"Yeah, the one Cole informed us about three minutes ago," Piper told her.

"Ohhh, yeah, that premonition..." Phoebe said as she shifted uncomfortably. She looked around briskly. "Where is Cole?"

"In the living room figuring out a death threat he got. Why?" Piper asked flatly.

"Death threat?"

"Stop avoiding the subject, Phoebe!"

"Right! The subject. Well, there's a funny story behind the subject..." she began, but was interrupted by Prue entering the room with a mug of coffee.

"What funny story?" she asked as she handed Piper the mug.

Phoebe bit her lip. "Um, can we talk about this a little further away? I don't want Cole to hear," she whispered.

Piper rolled her eyes and marched into the kitchen, followed by her sisters and Leo. When they got there, Phoebe felt herself being cornered. They stared at her with expectation.

Phoebe closed her eyes a moment, breathed in deeply, then opened them.

"I actually had a premonition about a baby."

"A baby?" Prue asked, surprised.

"Yeah. And Cole was holding it. Only it wasn't an ordinary baby. It was glowing."

Piper's red hue faded and her face drained of colour. "Glowing? How glowing?"

"Like an orangey light. He was standing over a crib in the living room and he was gazing at it...like...like he was confused."

Piper went quiet and Prue glanced at her worriedly, before taking the lead in the questions.

"Could you tell if it was a boy or girl?" she asked.

Phoebe shook her head. "No...why should it matter?"

"Because Piper's destined to have a girl, remember? And if it's glowing, then it's a magical baby."

"It shouldn't be glowing orange, surely," Piper said softly. Leo was looking at the floor, deep in thought.

"Look, maybe it isn't Piper's. Maybe we get a visit from another magical being and baby-sit its kid for a while. It could be anything!" Phoebe tried.

Piper glanced up at Phoebe, her face distant. "Then why was Cole holding it?"

Phoebe swallowed hard, trying to fight back voicing what she really feared. "He's a part of the family now, Piper. If we're babysitting a magical being, then he is too."

"I'll check with the Elders, if you want?" Leo asked them.

"How much could they tell from such a vague premonition?" Piper spoke up. "Phoebe, I want you and I to go to the doctor as soon as possible."

Phoebe took a step back. "Why?"

Piper looked at her with unreadable eyes. "Because I want us both to have a full check up."

Phoebe looked like a petrified rabbit. She stared at Piper, speechless.

"Piper...you don't think Phoebe's...?" Prue asked, wide-eyed. Piper didn't respond, but continued staring at Phoebe. Prue turned and looked at her youngest sister.

"Have you and Cole been---"

"Prue! Not now!" Phoebe snapped and stormed out of the kitchen, sweat visible on her forehead.

Her thudding footsteps ended with the slam of the front door and an eerie silence.

"Uh...everything all right?" Cole's voice wafted into the kitchen.

No one answered.

---

Phoebe wasn't the only one having premonitions. Below ground, the Seer's eyes flickered open as she awoke from a deep slumber.

"Incredible," she breathed as she stood up. She made her way to a table laden with many bottles of potions. She started busying herself pouring certain amounts of each into a flat, centimeter-deep dish. Her work was interrupted by the arrival of a messenger.

The demon walked into the room without knocking. "The Source wishes to see you," he said bluntly.

The Seer paused, masking her irritation with a straight face and glanced at the demon.

"Now?" she asked.

"Right now," he verified.

She put down the bottle she was holding and left the room. She meandered through groupings of demons having talks or ceremonies. She was granted free access into restricted areas, being the chief advisor of the Source and a regular visitor to his realm. Finally, she got to the front door of his main chamber and two bulky guards blocked her path.

"I've been sent for," she told them, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

The guards nodded and stepped aside after one of them scanned her with a blue ray from his eyes. He tested her blood, to make sure she wasn't an imposter. She pushed open the door and strode in, her black cape fluttering behind her. The door closed with an ominous, hollow click.

Standing before her in a ring of fire, was the Source.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked, bowing slightly.

"What did you see, Seer?" he questioned. She didn't want to know how he knew she'd had a premonition. It was unsettling.

"A great power beginning to grow. It's core is fluctuating between good and evil."

"Ah, we have sensed this power. Why is it fluctuating?" he asked, his voice deep and commanding.

"Because it grows in the belly of a Charmed one. It's mother is a force of great good," she informed him.

"A Charmed one?" the Source echoed, shocked. "How did a Charmed one mother anything remotely evil?"

The Seer straightened, not liking her premonitions to be questioned. "Because the father is Belthazar. You remember he left our ranks some time back? He'd fallen in love with a witch."

"Yes, I do remember. He is a powerful demon."

"Was. He's given up his powers for this witch. She is currently unawares she is holding his child. It was conceived when he was still a demon. It could go either way."

"Your premonition...? What did it reveal?" he pressed, deeply intrigued.

"I remind you I only have visions of what may be. I saw a child of about seven, wielding great power. He was killing a demon, but there was fire in his eyes."

"That doesn't tell us much, Seer," the Source growled. "And I don't like it that he was killing a demon."

"You kill demons all the time, for incompetence, or just because they get on your nerves! Every powerful demon enjoys pulling rank over weaklings. It's almost a sport," she pointed out.

"That may be true, but either way, this child poses a threat to me, be it evil or good. I want it destroyed."

"Destroyed, my liege? But we could be missing out on tapping into some great power."

"I AM GREAT POWER!" he roared and she took a frightful step back.

"You will ensure that both the child and the mother are destroyed, and then you will report back to me of your success, with evidence."

"But my liege, for years demons have tried to kill a Charmed one. It is near impossible!"

"My demon Shax has gotten close," he leered.

The flames around him seemed to burn with the intensity of his rage.

"Kill the Charmed one, Seer, if you wish to remain in my service...alive."

The Seer was quivering with rage of her own. This was an unfair task he was asking, and she didn't want the child to be killed. It could prove to be so valuable. If she raised it as her own, oh...the power she would have at her fingertips!"

"It will be done, my lord," she said, bowing as she backed away, her mind alive with forming plans to deceive him. She turned on her heels and left the room, intent on doing the opposite of her orders.

---

Phoebe was battling to concentrate and was very glad she only had a morning class. In a few weeks she'd graduate and be able to work as a journalist. The prospect of getting a job seemed distant to her, with all that was going on in her life. At the end of the lecture, she realized she'd absorbed nothing and left the lecture theater with a glum face. People kept their distance from her as she left the college and took a drive down to the beach.

She parked Prue's car and took off her shoes. The sand was warm and soft beneath her feet, the sun was out and there was a pleasant, cool breeze tugging softly at her hair. She needed this peace and quiet, to think.

---

Piper groaned and buried her face in her hands. Prue and Leo were arguing.

"Piper's right. It's possible Phoebe's carrying a child conceived when Cole was still a demon. Do you know how powerful a kid like that could turn out to be? And it's already got evil in him. It makes sense. An evil power, growing in intensity above ground," Prue went on.

Leo shook his head. "But her premonition didn't show any evil. And there's nothing to say it's Phoebe's. It could be anything. Don't you think it's a little unfair to spring this on her?"

"She sprang it on herself!" Prue cried.

"Enough already! You're giving me a headache," Piper moaned. "I think this is silly. We should let Cole know, at least. He needs to talk to Phoebe. Maybe he'll get her to come around. This needs to be checked out. I want to know if I'm pregnant, or her, or neither of us. We can't leave it."

"I'm not telling him!" Prue said, holding up her hands in defiance. Piper looked at Leo.

"What?" Leo exclaimed.

"You - living room - now. Guy talk."

"Oh Piper you can't be serious!"

"Do I look like I'm in the mood for it, Leo?" Piper asked, flashing her gritted teeth to emphasize her point.

Leo sighed, shoulder's slumped, and orbed into the living room.

"Aha!" Cole cried, smiling cheerfully. "I think I know who's going to kill me!" he proclaimed to Leo, not noticing his gloomy expression.

"I think you might have a bigger problem right now," Leo told him.

Cole's triumphant grin faded. "Is Phoebe okay?"

"Funny how you always jump to Phoebe when I mention trouble," Leo raised an eyebrow.

"I can't help it. She's my primary concern," he said, chucking the letter behind him for emphasis.

"Well she lied to you this morning. About her premonition," Leo stated as Cole stood up.

"Why?" he asked, visibly hurt.

"Ask her. She had a premonition of you holding a magical baby. Piper's worried it's the new evil that's growing, since it was glowing orange. A half-whitelighter child, like mine, would be glowing blue, if anything. Half-demon on the other hand..." he trailed, folding his arms.

Cole swallowed hard. "I see what you're getting at. Is she still in college?"

Leo checked his watch. "No, she only had a morning class." He closed his eyes and sensed her. "She's on the beach."

"Take me to her," Cole said quietly.

Piper and Prue walked in just in time to see them leave.

"This is going to be interesting," Prue murmured.

Piper sighed and looked away. Prue put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Piper looked at her. "You know I wanted a baby, but not this way. I'm so worried, Prue."

Prue cuddled her, and stroked her hair soothingly. "It's going to be all right. I'm here for you. We'll handle this."

Piper closed her eyes and held her sister close, trying to suppress the growing sense of fear and unease she felt.

---

Phoebe was momentarily distracted, when a noisy seagull fluttered down several feet away from her. She watched as it stabbed its beak at a dying, washed-up fish. The fish jerked and squirmed, but the seagull was merciless and beat at it with its beak until it died.

"Nature's so cruel," she murmured.

She turned her head and drew a sharp intake of breath as Leo orbed in front of her, with Cole.

"Gosh, you scared me!" she scolded, clutching at her heart. She was so on edge!

"Phoebe, we need to talk," Cole said, coming forward.

Before she could respond something else orbed in beside her, but in a dark way. She turned just in time to see a dark-grey demon with two spikes jutting out its chin, grip her with its arms. Her scream was the last thing she was able to do as it took her under.

"Phoebe!" Cole cried out.

He turned to Leo, panicked.

"Where is she?!"

Leo's forehead wrinkled as he tried to concentrate. "I-I can't sense her! She must be underground!"

"Take me there! We've got to find her before that thing kills her!"

"I might orb anywhere, I won't know where to start looking for her!" Leo exclaimed.

"But I will. That's a Crale demon. It only hunts specific targets that are given to it by two powerful beings."

Leo touched Cole's arm, preparing to orb. "What beings?"

Cole's face looked grave. "The Source and his Seer."

---

Prue and Piper met up in the hallway at the same time, both after having dressed.

"We used to do this so much as kids, remember?" Prue laughed. "We'd feel hungry at the same time, need the bathroom at the same time... It's funny how being siblings does that to you."

Piper smiled sadly. "Yeah, I remember."

They both walked down the stairs and paused at the bottom. "I wonder why Leo isn't back yet. I'm sure Phoebe and Cole don't want him around for that discussion," Prue mentioned.

"Good question. I hope they hurry, too. I've made a doctor's appointment for this afternoon."

"Already? When did you do that?" Prue asked.

"Just a moment ago. I used my mobile, I couldn't wait," Piper explained, looking a little guilty.

Prue snorted with a sarcastic smile and turned to go to the kitchen. She froze.

"Demon!"

Piper lifted her head to see wind bursting through a partially open window, swirl in front of Prue and collect to form...

"Shax! Get down!" Piper ducked, as did Prue, as Shax sent a blast intended for them across the room. It smashed part of the wooden staircase and a splinter few into Piper's arm. She cried out and pain and anger.

"LEO!" she cried. She stood up and pelted Shax with a blow of her own. He dispersed and reformed again.

Prue tried the same but her power had no effect on the powerful demon. "Vanquishing spell, we need Pho---" Prue's voice was cut off as Shax whacked her with a full blast. Piper was close to her at the time, and got clipped by the blast. Both were sent sprawling backwards, into the wall, and both slid to the floor, unconscious. Shax grinned and transformed to wind again, leaving the manor as an eerie draft.

---

Phoebe elbowed her captor sharply, and he growled in response.

"Let go of me you big, ugly, warty, spiky--" she stopped as she was thrown into a room. The demon barked at her, snorted and turned tail. The door shuddered shut and she staggered up from her grazed knees, to see a dark looking woman watching her.

"Who are you?" Phoebe asked, rubbing her arm that had been gripped so tightly.

The woman smiled wickedly and took two steps forward. "I am the Seer," she said, raising her arms for dramatic effect. "And I have been waiting for you."

"Really, huh?" Phoebe responded sarcastically, bracing herself to fight. She knew she was alone down here. Leo couldn't sense charges that were in the Underworld.

The Seer pointed to a stool to Phoebe's right. "Take a seat, please," she said sweetly.

"I think I'll stand," Phoebe replied, eying the Seer warily. "I know what you are. What do you want with me?" she asked.

The Seer opened her mouth to reply but paused as there was a roar from outside.

"Shax has returned!" a demon yelled. A general murmur of excitement ensued and the Seer strode briskly past Phoebe and pushed open her door. Phoebe turned to follow but the Seer flicked her hand and Phoebe found herself frozen to the spot. She could still see, breathe and hear, but she was immobilized.

"There'll be none of that," the Seer said absently, and took a step outside her room. Phoebe watched with horror as Shax, the demon who had attacked them earlier, formed amid a collection of demons. The demons surrounded him, chatting excitedly, but scattered back as a dark, looming figure approached. He was obviously of some authority and power as the demons cowered in his presence.

"The Source?" Phoebe queried. The Seer glanced over her shoulder briefly with a scolding look. "Be quiet."

Phoebe strained to hear the voices outside.

"Did you attack and kill the Charmed ones?" the Source boomed.

The Seer hissed a curse. The Source had taken his own measures to ensure the death of the child! This proved he no longer trusted her, which further put her future in jeopardy.

Phoebe felt her throat close up and a cold, prickly sensation travel across her skin as he replied. "Only two of them. One was missing."

Phoebe felt remorse and fear at the same time. She muffled a gasp as best she could and bit back the sobs rising in her throat, for fear of discovery.

The Seer closed the door soundlessly and turned to Phoebe.

"We haven't much time. I must perform this action before you are discovered," she said, moving hastily to a dish on a table, steaming with some mixture of potion.

"What are you going to do to me?" Phoebe asked fearfully.

The Seer just smiled.

---

Leo orbed right next to a demon guard. The guard was so surprised that Leo had time to punch him, and that was enough to put him out.

"I've never seen you hit anyone before," Cole commented wryly.

"I have to, on occasions," Leo replied somewhat bitterly. Cole was already distracted, as he analyzed his surroundings.

"Do you know where we are?" Leo asked.

Cole nodded. "You orbed in a good spot. The Seer's chamber isn't far from here, and that is where I'm guessing Phoebe will be."

"So you think it's the Seer? Why?" Leo questioned.

"Because the Seer might have seen Phoebe's premonition. She'll want to capitalize on that," he said absently and then backed up sharply against the wall. "Patrol."

Leo stepped back and glanced at the unconscious demon on the floor. He'd been carrying a blade. He took the blade from his hand and placed it in Cole's.

"This is your specialty," he told the ex-demon.

Cole frowned. "Phoebe won't like this," he whispered.

"Just do it," Leo hissed. Cole stepped forward as the patrol rounded the corner and struck him between the eyes. Leo looked away, feeling nauseous.

There was a sickening thump. "Did you have to cut his head in half?" Leo grumbled, as he stepped over the corpse without looking down. Cole shrugged. "It's a definite way to kill him. Step away, he's about to go poof." They moved aside as the demon burnt in ghostly flames, before disappearing all together.

"At least demons clean themselves up when they die," Cole noted. Leo was not amused.

"Let's get out of here. Tell me where the Seer's chamber is and I'll orb there."

Cole did just that.

---

The Seer was in mid chant, holding a scary looking dagger in one hand and a flat dish of potion in the other, when Leo orbed in.

As soon as he arrived, he turned to Phoebe. Cole took the Seer by surprise and kicked her in the shins. She buckled over with a cry, dropping the potion but not the dagger.

"Leo!" Phoebe cried woefully. Leo tried to tug her, but she wouldn't move. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, looking distraught.

"She's got me under some immobilizing spell, but forget that! I just found out that Shax has struck the manor. He claims he's killed Piper and Prue," she told him miserably.

Leo's face paled. He faced Cole who was wrestling with the Seer for the dagger.

"I have to get to Piper and Prue! They've been attacked! Hold out down here while I'm gone."

"Easier said than done!" Cole struggled to say as the Seer twisted the knife in their shared grip, so it was gouging into his forearm.

Leo held Phoebe and tried to orb her with, but like he'd feared, it didn't work, and only he orbed out of the room.

"Get off me!" the Seer snapped and with a surprising bout of strength, shoved Cole away from her. She straightened up and glared at him. "You have no power of me anymore, Belthazar. Without your powers, you are weak!" she cried.

Cole staggered back, clutching to his deeply cut arm and shot her an equally baleful look. "I will not let you harm Phoebe."

"And I will not let you harm the future of Evil!" she retaliated.

"What?!" Phoebe gasped.

Nobody answered her as the Seer tried to pelt Cole with the same immobilizing spell as she'd put on Phoebe. He dodged it and rolled over to the table, jumping to his feet and picking up a bottle of potion.

"Cole, don't throw that! You don't know what it'll do!" Phoebe warned. She then noticed the look of horror in the Seer's eyes.

Cole glanced at the swirling green liquid. "Oh I know what this does. I've seen it before," he said sternly, eyes locked with the Seers.

"Don't you dare! That's not meant for you..."

"Cole..?" Phoebe's voice quivered questioningly.

"Forgive me Phoebe," he said softly, and then poured the potion into his bleeding arm. He immediately cried out in pain as the potion steamed into his arm, and Phoebe blurted his name in panic as he crumbled to his knees. The Seer took a step back, than faced Phoebe.

"This ends now!" she snarled and walked with malice over to her, holding the dagger.

"COLE!!" Phoebe's shriek filled the room and the Seer put a hand over her mouth. "Shut up or you'll let the whole place know you're here!"

She placed her other hand over Phoebe's abdomen and started chanting, the dagger held loosely between her fingers.

Cole regained his composure and grunted as he stood up, cricking his neck and rolling his shoulders back once. His eyes were dark and his hands were glowing a strange red hue. He held them up and suddenly the Seer was sucked backwards, away from Phoebe, and into his grip.

"You leave her alone!" he spat and threw her with much force onto he ground. Just then a group of demons burst into the room, attracted by the commotion. Cole tossed a fireball and destroyed them all. Phoebe stared at him incredulously. He dashed over to her and looked her up and down, urgency in his gaze. "We have to break this enchantment!"

"It is broken..." Phoebe said softly, and took a tentative step forward. "I was frozen with shock, this time."

He sighed in relief, put his arms around her, and shimmered.

---

Chapter Three: Lost and Found

It was too late for Prue. Leo had orbed back just in time to save Piper, but while he was healing her, Prue had passed away. Piper was knelt beside Prue, holding her head in her lap, sobbing. Leo stood over them, tears silently rolling down his cheeks. Neither of them noticed or seemed to care that Cole and Phoebe shimmered in. Phoebe rushed over to Piper, and then saw Prue.

"Oh my God..." she trailed, her eyes wide. "Prue..."

She glanced up at Leo and he shook his head somberly. Piper was crying hard, but Phoebe just stared at Prue, in total shock. Her hands trembled and her face was white as she watched her eldest sister being rocked back and forth in Piper's arms.

The Power of Three was broken, and Prue was dead.

---

2 weeks later: (After the events of the episode Charmed Again: Part 1 & 2)

Piper sat in silence on a chair basked in sunlight by the window. It was a late afternoon and quiet. All she could hear was the ticking of a clock. She'd had a rough two weeks. A few days ago they'd buried Prue, and she'd only just found out from her mother about her half-sister, Paige. It was all so much to take in.

Despite having Leo, Phoebe and Cole in the house, it still felt so empty. There was a painful lacking in the air and she couldn't bare it. She kept expecting so see Prue walk into the room, to see her smiling at her in the kitchen first thing in the morning. Where was her older sister? Where was her guide for all these years? Prue had practically brought them up. She was lost without her.

And now there was Paige. Shax had come after her, too, but they'd finally vanquished him. It was, naturally, a shock to Paige to learn that she was a witch. It was going to take time for her to come around. Piper simply didn't have the energy for her now. She didn't care that they needed her to make the Power of Three again. Screw the Power of Three.

And lastly, she still had that lingering question in her head. Was she pregnant? Was Phoebe?

She'd barely heard anything about Phoebe's trip to the Underworld. Nothing had been said about the Seer and what she wanted from Phoebe. Piper feared she already knew, but she just couldn't handle that as well now. She just couldn't.

As if on cue, Phoebe walked into the room. She silently sat down beside Piper, her hands held together on her lap. She stared thoughtfully at the ground.

Nothing needed to be said about what they were feeling, and yet there was so much hanging in the air between them.

"Piper... I know how much you're hurting. I'm hurting too. But we need to talk. There are some things that we can't put off for too long, like Paige."

Piper turned away at the mention of her.

"Piper she is your sister," Phoebe tried.

"Well maybe I don't want another sister," Piper responded unhappily.

Phoebe calmly took that, paused for a bit, and then continued. "Believe me, it's hard for me to accept too. And Paige is also very confused right now, about what she feels. She was raised an only child and now she finds out she's had three sisters all this time, one who has just died. I think, at heart, Paige knows she'll come to us. She's just sorting things out in her mind, as we are. But this is not the time to cold-shoulder her. Our situation is so delicate."

"You think I don't know that?" Piper said as she looked up at Phoebe, tears running down her cheeks. "Phoebe, I just lost my big sister. And now I'm the oldest. I...I don't know what to do. I'm so lost... I just can't...can't even think about Paige right now. It's just too soon."

"But we may need her soon, Piper. I know we haven't discussed this, but the Seer...she's still after me. And the Source is after all of us. It's only a matter of time before she strikes again. We need the Power of Three to protect ourselves, or else we're all vulnerable, including Paige."

Piper looked at Phoebe with pain in her eyes and an unwilling curiosity.

"Why is the Seer after you, Phoebe?" Piper asked in a near-whisper.

Phoebe's gaze on Piper lingered a moment, before she broke it and looked at the floor. She drew in a deep breath. "Because I am pregnant. I tested positive this morning. The Seer wants my baby."

Piper nodded, her gaze shifting to the floor as well. She allowed the information to sink in. She swallowed hard as she braced herself to speak.

"Duhhhh...does Cole know?" she battled.

"Not yet, no," Phoebe said, eyes fixed on a spot on the ground. "He asked me what the Seer wanted with me and I told him I wasn't sure. I had to be certain first, before I said anything."

Piper nodded again. "You should tell him."

"I will. But he's at work, now. He's the only one in this place keeping it together."

Piper snorted. "He and Prue never got along, anyway."

Phoebe was hurt by that, and Piper noticed.

"I'm sorry, Phoebe. This is just so much to take in. It must be difficult...extremely difficult, for you too," she stammered.

"There's something else. Cole proposed to me a few days before Prue's death. I...I accepted. But I wasn't even sure at the time. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. So much happened after that, it even slipped my mind for a while."

"How do you feel about it now?" Piper asked calmly.

Phoebe shrugged. "I guess it's definite. If we're going to have a baby, we should at least bring it into a family."

Piper touched her hand gently. "Yeah, it's the best thing for it, but as long as you're sure."

"I'm sure now," Phoebe responded.

"Have you told anyone else about the baby yet, other than me?" Piper questioned.

"I was worried about my child being evil, so I already told Leo," Phoebe answered. "He found out from the Elders that this power...this new evil is vague because it's fluctuating. My child could go either way. It's terrifying to think I have a baby that's already conflicted as to what he or she is."

Piper got up and turned around so she was standing in front of Phoebe. "Well then, you're going to have to take good care of it. It can only truly make up its mind when it's born. And if we surround it with good things, then it should follow the right path."

"Yeah but Cole has powers now. Powers that were accumulated by killing demons and bottled into a potion. That makes him demon again."

"He never killed the demons to get it, though. That's the difference," Piper pointed out. "And he did it to save your life... and your child's. If he hadn't, one of the most powerful beings would have been turned to the dark side. Who knows what future repercussions that could have had."

Phoebe sighed and nodded. "You're right. I just don't know how to behave around him any more. I mean, he has powers that are demonic, but he's not evil. It's such a complicated situation. It's dangerous for Cole to have powers. I'm scared he'll be drawn back to his old ways if he has them."

Piper placed a hand on her shoulder. "I don't think he will. His love for you is too strong, Phoebe. I've seen it. It's quite something."

"You think so?" Phoebe asked, looking up with a weak smile at Piper. "Yeah," Piper said, returning the smile.

She turned away again. "Besides," she sighed. "We might need his powers if what you say is true. We're short a power here. We're gonna need some extra protection during this time when we're both so weak."

The door was heard opening and closing. Both of them knew Leo just about never used the door. Many years of orbing make's you lazy.

"At least he doesn't just orb into the middle of a conversation like my husband does," she said, trying a smile for Phoebe. It was wasted on her. Her face expressed the fear and anxiety she was feeling. Piper took her hand and helped her to her feet.

"Anybody home?" Cole's voice traveled through the house.

Piper pushed her gently. "Go. Go tell him. He needs to know."

Phoebe breathed deeply and nodded briskly as she started forward. Piper watched her disappear around the corner and listened.

"Hi honey. Hey? What's the matter?" she heard him say.

"We need to talk. Upstairs, in the bedroom."

Piper turned away from the noise and drifted over to the window. She gazed out at the trees, her thoughts beginning to travel. She was concerned about Paige, but she didn't know how to deal with her. It was hard enough dealing with herself, right now.

---

Paige stared at a muted television. She was in her apartment, sitting there quietly and contemplating all the events of the past few days. Okay, she had sisters. She had, through them, become a witch and met her biological mother. But she'd also lost her boyfriend and nearly been killed. She was rather confused right now as to what to feel.

Piper seemed rather uptight most of the time, moody and impatient. She forgave her for that, because she had just lost a sister. Phoebe seemed pretty nice, quite caring and sensitive. It was Phoebe who'd tried the hardest to get her to join their side. It creeped her out to think she was almost seduced to an evil side. God, she didn't even know there were set 'sides'! That just seemed so black and white to her.

She'd figured out Leo, the whitelighter, was Piper's husband. He was very calm, very gentle and sweet. If she'd ever met anyone who was pure in her life, Leo seemed it. Yes, she liked her brother-in-law. Which was always good.

Then there was Cole, Phoebe's boyfriend. He she found confusing. He was half-demon, which proved that things weren't as black and white as they seemed. But Phoebe really seemed to trust him, to love him. She could tell they were close and that they'd been through a lot of hardships together. Still, there was something about him she didn't trust. She'd have to form a proper opinion of him over time.

Her conversation with her real mom had gone well, even if it was brief. Her mother seemed so poised and beautiful. She was sad she never knew her. Evil had claimed her life when the sisters were young. They had so much history in their family. To suddenly enter all of that seemed so daunting!

She sighed and paid some vague attention to what was on. Football - not her favourite. She looked for the remote and saw it on a table across the room.

She groaned and started to get up, then paused and sank back down onto her couch. She held out her hand and looked at the remote.

"Remote!"

Sure enough, the blue-white light formed around it and it travelled into her open palm.

She smiled, satisfied.

"Maybe being a witch isn't so bad," she mused to herself, and changed the channel.

---

Cole put his briefcase down and looked worriedly at Phoebe. She was standing at the foot of the bed, her gaze distant, her hands fiddling with each other.

"Phoebe?"

She snapped out of her daze and looked him in the eyes.

"Is this about Piper? Did you tell her we're engaged, yet?" he asked softly.

"Yeaahhh," Phoebe sighed.

"How'd she take it?" he asked, watching her closely.

"She took it pretty well, all things considered."

"All things? You mean, with Prue and Paige and everything?" he queried.

"Honey, I think you'd better sit down," Phoebe said.

"Now you've got me really worried. What's going on, Phoebe?" he exclaimed, eyes bright with concern.

She looked away and then slowly turned her face to look at him again. "I'm pregnant."

"You're...you're...wha-?" he stuttered, obviously surprised but with a slow spreading smile forming.

"But before you get excited," she interrupted, "There is a problem. You remember that 'growing but vague new evil' Leo told us about?"

"Yeah?" he replied, eyes wide.

She grimaced and pointed at her stomach. "There it is. Our baby...it was conceived when you were still part demon."

"Oh..." Cole breathed, and shakily sat down on the bed beside Phoebe. She sat down next to him.

The silence seemed to last an eternity before he spoke.

"Is there anything...anything we can do to turn it? Good, I mean."

"Well, it is apparently fluctuating. Piper reckons it can only really make up its mind when it's born. So all we can do is surround it with good things, give it a lot of love, and hope for the best," Phoebe replied with a shrug at the end of her sentence.

He turned and put his arms around her, drawing her close to him. He kissed her head. "It'll be okay. I promise. I'm here for you, Phoebe. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm going to give it my all to make sure we have a happy family."

A tear rolled down her cheek at the mention of family. Finally, the full realization that Prue was gone hit her with force. She didn't have Prue here to guide her and help her through this. Prue was gone, Piper was too depressed to move half the time, and she...she was pregnant with a conflicted child.

She broke down into tears.

"Oh...oh Phoebe..." Cole sighed.

She buried her face in her hands, shuddering with sobs. Cole cuddled her, resting his cheek on her head, letting her cry.

"Oh God I miss her..." Phoebe managed amid her tears. "I miss her so much."

"You've been so strong, for everyone. You haven't had a chance to grieve. It's all right," he told her gently.

She wrapped her arms around him and cried into his shoulder.

"Cole.. what are we going to do? What are we going to do about Piper, about the Source, about everything?" she asked, her voice broken with pain.

Cole sighed and stared outwards, thinking.

"I don't know, Phoebe. But we'll think of something. We always do."

---