Piper was reading the Book of Shadows when all of a sudden she saw a shimmer form in front of her. Baby Chris was sleeping only inches away, and as any mother would she panicked. She gestured towards the figure and only realized too late that it was Cole.

Cole was thrown backwards onto a table.

He grunted and started to get up. Piper rushed to him.

"Cole, I am so sorry, you just scared me, that's all."

She tried to help him up but just knocked him back down. She started laughing. "Sorry."

"Well it was a more receptive greeting then Paige ever gave me," Cole chuckled, taking it light heartedly.

"Where is she? Did you get all you needed?"

"Yeah," he said carefully. He got a paper bag from his coat pocket. "Here it all is."

Piper took the ingredients over to the table they had set up in the attic which had various potions ingredients on it. Cole started to make the potion.

"So where is Paige?"

"Driving her way back," Cole told her. "She's nearly as stubborn as you."

Piper laughed. "All of us are pretty stubborn."

"Prue was the worst," Cole told her.

Piper nodded. "I know. I grew up with her, remember?"

Piper was silent for a moment. "Do you really think Phoebe will be okay?"

Cole nodded. "I think so."

Piper and Cole worked silently for a long while. Paige then entered.

"Nearly ready," Piper said. Paige nodded. "Good."

"Stand back," Cole warned. Piper did so as she threw the last ingredient in. Even so, she wasn't ready for the shockwave that knocked her down.

She stumbled back up. "Thank for the warning."

"I did warn you."

"Hmmf."

Paige stepped forward and poured the bubbling potion into a vial. They went downstairs.

Leo looked up as they approached. "Quickly, she's not doing so good."

Paige knelt down next to Phoebe and parted her lips and poured the potion down her mouth slowly. Phoebe spluttered a little but sat up. Her eyes locked with Cole's.

Cole looked back. It wasn't uncomfortable, there just seemed to be an understanding. They were past the hurt and anger.

"Are you okay?" Piper asked.

"Uh yeah. Sorry. I just had one hell of an epiphany."

She hugged her sisters. "Thanks, guys."

They pulled away and Phoebe looked back at Cole. He fidgeted nervously on the spot. Leo cleared his throat. "Come on, Piper, perhaps we should talk about.. you know.. the thing."

Piper looked at her sister sadly. "The thing. Right. Come on, Paige."

Paige crossed her arms. "I have no idea what thing your talking about." Paige then whispered to Piper "We can't leave them alone!"

"Paige!" Piper snapped.

"They might.. I dunno.. kiss or something.."

Piper dragged her sister away.

Phoebe rolled her eyes and Cole chuckled. "I should get going, Phoebe. I'm glad your okay."

"You didn't choose to be the Source.. you were possessed."

Cole looked up at her. He had never bothered correcting her assumptions and it surprised him that it had finally occurred to her.

"You were an innocent and we let your past cloud our judgment. We assumed a demon had come back. Willingly."

"You should have known that I would never have hurt you. Ever." He smiled weakly.

"Must have been one hell of an epiphany."

Phoebe laughed. "Yeah. It was."

She stepped close to him and caressed his face. "Phoebe.. we can't."

"Why not?"

"I moved on. I got married and I have two children."

She paused and suddenly smiled. "Two dogs and a cute cat too? Got the seven year itch yet?"

Cole laughed at the reference. She had said that so long ago..

"I think you said three kids. Not two."

She smiled. "I miss you. I never said it, but I always have. I forced myself to move on but I never did."

"Well I did move on. I really have to get back."

"Right. To your wife and kids. Congratulations."

"I really hope you find someone, Phoebe. Someone normal who will be good to you, who you'll love with every fibre of your being. One day, you will find that person."

"I think I already found and lost that person."

He looked at the floor.

"You have to go," Phoebe said. "I get it."

"Good luck, Phoebe," Cole said

"Goodbye, Cole."

Cole gave one last thousand watt smile and was suddenly gone.

She gave out a sob.

She saw Piper was on her way in but Piper had frozen. She wasn't moving.

What now?

Then she recognized him. An Avatar.

"Has utopia come, yet?" she asked him.

He smiled. "There is no utopia. You know that in your heart, Phoebe."

Phoebe nodded.

"But you feel it. What's coming."

Phoebe nodded again. She hadn't had a premonition but she felt it. "A war is coming. A war in the open, a huge war. Magic will consume."

"Good will lose. Your family, every family, will die."

She swallowed hard. "There must be something we can do."

"Not in this timeline. If you went back.. and changed things.." he left the sentence hanging.

Phoebe finished it. "Cole. Wyatt. Gideon. Chris. Prue"

The Avatar nodded. She looked back to where Piper was frozen but she was gone. The room she was in had changed.

"You've already done the time thing, haven't you?"

He nodded. "Cole is still Belthazor. Prue is still alive. You must change things."

Phoebe nodded. "Paige.. we haven't even met her.. what do I do?"

"You'll know."

"Wait, how will I know?"

Phoebe met nothing but darkness.

"Phoebe?" a voice called out. Phoebe turned around to see Prue come from the kitchen. "Who are you talking to?"

Phoebe froze. She had wanted this for so long..

"Prue…"

Then she saw Cole walk down from the stairs.

"What's going on?"

Prue shrugged.

Phoebe smiled. She would make no mistakes this time around.

THE END!