Chapter 3: Sequence

The sisters and Cole appeared in the parking lot to find the demon in question and six other demons gathering around a car and looking into a car boot.

"Look kid," one of the fatter demons facing the son of Cole's neighbour said, "come to my territory again and that'll be your life on the line."

"Man whatever," the boy answered, "you said you'd pay. This is good merchandise."

"I can see you have the guts, but why don't you go home and not come back? You can hardly understand demonic matters."

The boy leaned into the trunk and got an automatic firearm out, "you will compensate me with powers."

The demons chuckled, one sending a fire ball at the firearm, another at the boy. He fell on the ground just as they heard the elevator doors cling and somebody was approaching.

"I'll get this!" Phoebe jumped forward, "I practiced this last night in the Rocky Mountains!" She cheerfully formed an energy ball this time, a peculiar one that glowed green and she sent it flying towards the demons.

"No! That's too unpredictable for use! Ever!" Cole shouted at her.

The green ball, leaving her range of control, vanquished all demons around the car in one shot, then bounced towards the woman that was due to arrive to scoop the body of her son off the floor. Cole ran towards her as she disappeared in a green smoke along with the demons and her son. The remains of the energy ball were still enough to hurdle Cole onto one of the pillars, where from he was slammed down onto the floor.

Phoebe shrieked, staggered by her own actions and ran to the body on the floor, "so sorry Cole, did I hurt you?"

"You killed her!" He wheezed, "you killed the innocent!"

"No," Phoebe took a step back, shaking her head, "no, no. I thought...I couldn't change the course…"

Piper and Paige exchanged looks. This was really bad. Then the older sister went over to their side, immediately taking in Cole's white face and laborious breathing, "Cole? Are you hurt?" He turned slowly to reveal the large gash on his back. "Paige! Heal him!" Piper now walked over to tend to Phoebe, who was staring in shock to the direction the woman had vanished at, "Phoebe! We interfered because of a premonition. If we didn't the woman would have been lost to humankind anyway. If we didn't intervene, all these demons would be alive too. We did some good here, remember that."

"I wonder what's in the trunk," Paige finished healing Cole and walked over to the car.

"From what I can see from here," Piper filled her in, "it's mugwumps. They can be used in all sorts of magical concoctions. We can use it ourselves, it will certainly make a lifetime supply."

"I'm so sorry Cole," Phoebe walked to her ex and helped him stand up, "I didn't know it was that hard controlling all those powers. I don't know what's got into me. I knew using the green ball was risky, but I just got so cocky having all that strength. You're doing a much better job with it, then I ever would."

"Can't say I'm unhappy that you know that now," Cole nodded, "and I'm also sorry I'm not sympathetic enough when you get edgy just after having felt the pain of victims…grrr…" It was him that helped Phoebe up after the two little orbs send them onto the floor again, having changed their powers back.

"Oh, I think we deserve some brunch. You know, just to have the chance to eat out," Paige suggested, "I'll orb you to some romantic place after I take the magical ingredients to a safe place," she added when she saw nobody was disagreeing with the little treat at first.

"I'm not sure I deserve anything like that…" Phoebe mumbled.

"Romantic place in the morning?" Piper disagreed with that.

"Oh, there's no time when romance is not appropriate," Cole smiled and tentatively took Phoebe's hand. She let him…

The End.