Title: All The Way
Author: Wicked R
Disclaimers: characters and the universe belongs to the WB.

Rating: NC for sexual references

Genre: Angst/Romance.

Summary/Set: another version of Centennial Charmed, you know, because there aren't enough…a must do.

Pairing: Cole/Phoebe.

Cole looked at his wife, talking to her in quiet confusion, "what happened to us, Phoebe? How'd we get here?"

Phoebe didn't look back at him, seemingly uninterested in what he had to say. The certainty of the wrongness of this life didn't escape him. He was evil in this one and he didn't want to be evil. Especially because that must've been the reason for the coldness in their relationship. He took a deep gasping breath trying to control his emotions, "we used to be so in love…even without your sisters, it's not working," he said beseeching, "why?"

Phoebe shook her head, still a bit mesmerised by the sudden change in her husband's behaviour, and whispered, "maybe it just wasn't meant to be," she looked in his eyes, searching for the man she fell in love with. For some reason, there were tears in his eyes and for a second she almost felt sorry for him. Despite all that has happened for the last year, the jobs he had done for the Source, his disinterested conduct towards her, she knew that somewhere deep inside there was her Cole as well, but she gave up searching for him a long time ago. She turned to leave him, but stopped at the door, "something wrong, Cole?" Sometimes, the Source did give him assignments that engendered him. And if he was, she herself wasn't safe. There was a certain insecurity in his relationship with the Source. The ruler feared the first to the throne to some extent, thus giving him hazardous assignments on purpose. Sometimes she wondered herself if taking the Source full on would be more advantageous for Cole. She would definitely help him with that. She never doubted that having Cole as the leader of the underworld would mean a lot less conflict between demon and humankind.

Cole looked up from his poignant reverie, encouraged by the little concern that crept into Phoebe's voice, "everything is wrong. I don't understand anything. I chose to be good. I chose you. I wanted to make you happy."

"This about us? I thought…you needed my help. As a witch?" She offered according to her presumptions, "some demon the Source wants you to go eliminate? You want me to make some potion?" She asked for the only feasible explanation for her husband spending that much time with her.

"I don't know," Cole sat down on the bed, burying his face into his palms, "I don't think so. Seer would've told me, right?"

"What do you want, Cole? Why did you come after us?" Phoebe didn't understand anything herself.

Cole looked up, and pleaded, "your love."

"You lost that the moment you've thrown Piper out from here and brought your demon buddies to stay instead. Or was it before that, when you stole the demon slaying katana from us?" She left the room.

Cole sat there a couple of minutes before he committed himself to try convincing Phoebe again. At least they were together in this reality, he could talk to her and she would listen, more or less, not like the non communication they got to in the other world. He went out to the corridor to follow Phoebe, but to his surprise, Piper was standing there, "what are you doing here?"

"Saving my sister," she waved her hands, sending a powerful blast at Cole, that hurled him backwards, hitting the cabinet behind him and falling onto his stomach.

"Now!" She commanded Leo and Paige to orb into the hall.

"You!" Cole looked up, stunned to see the Paige that was supposed to be dead in this reality.

"Surprise," Paige jumped to him and back, cutting a piece off his palm, which made him cry out in pain. It wasn't a big injury at all, but he was so used to being invincible it shocked him to the extent he forgot to react.

Phoebe was walking upstairs to the attic, the only place in the house the new residents didn't change too much. Apart from the Book of Shadows not being there, she could retreat there, as if she was living in the past. She had no idea what good was the book for the demons when they couldn't even touch it, but they took it anyway so she can't use it. She touched the doorknob when she heard a cream. She recognised her husband's voice and ran back down to see what had happened. Although she didn't think she would care if Cole lived or died, she feared for her own safety. The demons would immediately bounce on her, under the lead of their precious seer. Apart from maybe Gunzi, her favourite demon lover, but then again, he was a lower level demon and could do nothing to help her even if he wanted to. She was the first to arrive on the scene, followed by a bunch of guards, and the only one to still see the bright light of orbs disappearing from view. Somebody who claimed to know Piper earlier, and now white lighters. Something was definitely going on, not to mention Cole's odd manners.

"What happened, my liege?" The Seer appeared as well, helping Cole up, looking at his injury. She herself wasn't used to Balthazor taken aback by such minuscule wound.

"Witches!" Cole growled heatedly, starting off toward his and Phoebe's room.

"Again? We need to discuss this, my liege," she followed him into the bedroom and shut the door on the nose of Phoebe.

"My shift is over in half an hour," one of the guards whispered to her, "if you think Balthazar would not mind. I don't wanna end up like Clin five minutes ago. But if you want, we could shimmer away somewhere? Would you like to go to Thailand again?"

Phoebe smiled at Kumaradeevan. He had a new hairdo, his hair was still long, but it was arranged slightly receding. It looked good on him, especially when he spiked it. That jet black colour, which she loved, but in fact having a brown shine to it. In addition, he had sideburns, gotta love sideburns on that face! She was well aware of the fact that she favoured this demon because he resembled Cole, especially naked, when she could see his muscles and hairy chest, but she didn't care. She couldn't get much out of life nowadays than getting sexually pleased. Demons could do that so well, must've had something to do with their long experience and steady stamina. This time though, she just waved him off. When the Seer was finished, she needed to talk to her husband, "let me know when I can go in," she ordered the guard, walking down the stairs to try to think about that peculiar young woman that approached her today….

Tbc