** Change of Heart **, chapter 9: Healing and Hurting

by Lilian

lilian413@yahoo.com

AN: Cindy, this chapter is for you. I wish you had given me an email address to answer to... since you didn't, I dedicate this chapter to the most wonderful review I've ever gotten. Thank you.

Oh, and Malola, if you're reading this, I tried emailing you, but you never answered... I hope we can get in touch, because I would really like to talk to you some more!.


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"Ahem, demon with a problem here".

Cole's voice sounded scared and trembling, as he held Prue at arm's length, refusing to do what Piper had told him a trillion times to do when Prue decided to remind them all she was just a toddler.

Hey, cleaning up after a baby's mess is a woman's job!.

"Come on Cole, stop being such a baby and change her diaper already, would you?".

Paige was having the time of her life. Ever since Prue had taken a liking to the tall half demon, he had been forced to spend most of his time with her. The fact that she cried her lungs out when he wasn't around was a big reason too.

But still, it was hysterical to see the otherwise cool, calm and collected Cole be so--- squeamish when it came to practical details.

Like changing her diapers, for example.

"I'll have you know, demons tremble when they hear my name".

Paige only scoffed at his response, and kept on flicking through a magazine, keeping an eye on him all along.

"Sure. In laughter, they tremble. If they could see you now...".

Cole just approached her, and presented her with Prue's squirming little form.

"Exactly. That's why, *you* should go and change her".

It only took one look into his eyes for Paige to realize he really, *really* didn't want to do this.

"Oh, all right. But only this one time, got it?".

As she took the baby from Cole's already aching arms, she flashed him a smile, and proceeded to orb her way up to Prue and Cole's room.

Cole waited for the lights to be at their dimmest, before muttering one word under his breath, knowing she could still hear him.

"Show off".

Paige's indignant shriek echoed around the house, like a distant call, as her form solidified in the floor above. He only half smiled at it, for the first time in months, content with himself.

He sat in the sunroom, letting the soft breeze coming through the windows caress him.

It was a weird thing these days, for him to be having time alone.

Prue seemingly wanted to monopolize his every waking moment, and the few hours in which the restless baby slept, he was busy vanquishing the demon of the day, or helping the sisters figure out the Source's latest plan.

It was tiring him out--- but he had never felt as alive.

It seemed things were slowly returning to normal... the grieving was still there, hanging over his head, waiting to pounce on him the second he slipped. But it was getting better.

He could now remember her, could bring forth the memories he had tried to hard so bury. He could now remember her without the weight of failure coming back to haunt him.

Acceptance.

He had accepted her death--- and little Prue had a lot to do with it.

She reminded him of Phoebe so much... her energy signature followed him where ever he went, just like her's had done. If he hadn't known it to be impossible, he could have sworn Prue was Phoebe's daughter.

A frown clouded his features, when he recalled yesterday's events.

A demon had shimmered into the manor, and had tried to take Prue.

Again.

With that, it would be seven times they had tried to kidnap the little girl. And with three of them she got out on her own. It seemed Prue had found the ability to shimmer an entertaining one, especially if there was someone after her.

She had this nagging habit of shimmering around the house, giggling all along, squeaking to be caught, and slipping through their fingers every single time. Only he was able to track her down properly, since he could feel her shimmers before they happened.

Her escapades had given Piper and Leo some headaches, but it had also saved her life plenty of times.

It had been the demon's roar of impatience, when Prue shimmered away from him for the who-knows-how-much time, that had alerted them. And ever since then, Prue always had someone around. As much as she let them, anyway.

It was a good thing Prue seemed to like all of them--- and seemed to like orbing as much as she liked shimmering, so Paige and Leo won points on her scale. And Piper's motherly attitude had won the little baby's heart a long time ago.

But still, he could not explain for the love of God, why she liked *him*.

And even better, he liked her back. Loved her, even.

He, who had only loved one person in his entire life--- had fallen fair and square for a gurgling baby. And it scared him. It frightened him beyond anything he had ever felt before.

Because caring meant opening up. And opening up, meant getting hurt.

And he feared pain, because his experiences with it had been long and consuming.

It had been two months since Prue had pretty much thrown herself at them, and still, they had no clue whatsoever as to where she came from.

Darryl's investigation had proven useless, as no missing babies had been reported.

That meant one out of two things: the mother didn't want her, (which he pretty much doubted, since he had felt her sadness just seconds before Prue had appeared), or the mother couldn't keep her. That sounded more convincing.

Maybe Prue's powers had scared the mother away. Maybe she didn't expect her baby to have demonic powers--- because shimmering was most certainly one of them. And it clearly spoke of demonic parenthood. And since demons could not feel human emotions, he was betting his name that the mother was human. Besides, what he had picked out back in the attic had clearly been a female's thoughts.

That left the father to be a demon.

And an upper-class demon, nonetheless.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

Phoebe would've been delighted with the baby in the house. They had never spoken of children, or marriage, for that matter, as she had made it painfully clear that day--- but he could tell she wanted them.

And Prue enchanted anyone who came across her.

And I mean, *anyone*.

When she was around, his loss didn't hurt so bad. In some strange way, she made it all better. And at the same time, worse. Because he could feel his sadness receding, and with it, his memories of her.

And he didn't want to forget her.

He *couldn't* forget her.

If it weren't for Phoebe, he would still be a demonic mercenary, hired for killing and maiming mortals around the world. He would've never met the Halliwell's, never forged such strong relationships with them---

He never would've met little Prue.

And that thought was sometimes more than he could bear.

He could not explain his connection to her--- aside from the fact their eyes were similar. Piper had said she had never seen such a pair of blistering blue eyes... he couldn't help but agree.
Every time he looked into Prue's eyes, it felt--- strange. It was like he was meant to meet her, as if this event had been planned for millennia, long before Cole was even a speck of dust in the Universe we call Earth.

And their eye color was so amazingly similar... he smiled softly, as he remembered last night's latest Prue adventure. He had gone out, needing to clear his head a bit. Taking long walks often did that for him. Gave him the space he needed.

He should've known better.

It had been almost fifteen minutes, when a distant giggle echoed around him, and he sighed loudly. Knowing what was coming, he simply stretched out his arms, and waited for the bundle to fall into them.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, it did.

Prue had landed straight in his welcoming arms, a toothless grin looking back at him. After a few half meant scolds directed to the seemingly uncaring baby, a soft voice had interrupted his thoughts.

"That's a beautiful baby you have there. You must be very proud".

He had turned, and found himself staring at a young, beautiful woman, walking her dog apparently, if the leash in her hand was any indication.

"Oh, no, she's not---".

A German shepherd had made its way towards them right then, interrupting what should've been a clarification that Prue was not his daughter. But after it happened, he thanked whoever was responsible.

What was he supposed to say?.

'No, she's not my daughter, she's a magical baby with a demon father, who appeared at our house, oh, and I'm a half demon too, by the way. How's your day going?'.

The young woman tenderly patted the dog's head, and whispered nonsense to it. Cole just watched, appalled that there were still people brave enough to talk to strangers in late night San Francisco.

"Maybe I'll see you around someday, Mr.---?".

He took his time to answer the obvious question. He did not want to get involved with her. Didn't plan to, didn't want to. Then why should he answer her?. Well, basic etiquette rules demanded he do, but...

"Turner. Cole Turner".

He switched Prue to his left arm, and stretched out his right one to the strange woman to shake.

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Turner".

They shook hands, and Cole had a flash of instinct, that suddenly *screamed* at him to get away. He had not picked up any weird vibes from her, but his attention had been focused somewhere else... Prue cooed in his ear, waking him up.

"I should go now. Good bye".

He nodded one last time at the woman, and turned on his heel. It wasn't the wisest thing to do, considering every single instinct he had ever had was bellowing in his ear to shimmer away, but he had no other choice.

Unluckily, since he had his back turned to her, he never saw as the woman's eyes shone red for a second, before her stance shimmered, and she disappeared.

He shook his head, coming back from the flood of memories.

He had caught himself staring off into space several times now, with a goofy smile dancing through his lips.

And he was a little concerned.

Afraid, even.

Afraid that he was loosing touch with his demonic self, and that somehow, that would get them all killed. And he couldn't stand the thought of it.

He heard a distant giggle, and smiled when Paige's baby talk drifted to him across the house.

Little Prue behaved like a child. She gurgled, she ate, she pooped and she slept, not necessarily in that order.

But there were also times in which they couldn't help but be reminded of her ancestry.

Several times, they had caught her staring off into nothingness, her eyes lost, and fixated on something only she could see. Her petite forehead scrunched in concentration, her blue eyes squinted--- and then the illusion would break, as she would clap her hands together, and drool some more.

Or when she shimmered.

Like right now, for example.

"Cole!".

Paige's cry came from across the house.

"Got it!".

He closed his eyes, and looked for her. Surprisingly, (or not?), he found her in the attic. He shimmered up there, stopping briefly in his room to tell Paige where he was going. The young witch followed him, running up the stairs.

When they got up there, little Prue was crawling up to the Book of Shadows, trying with all her might to push it over from the pedestal it stood up on.

"Honey, we've told you about this. The Book is not a toy!".

Paige picked her up, and softly rocked her back and forth. Prue just looked at her, and muttered some baby sounds, as if trying to speak to them.

"Da".

"Cole, did you hear that?".

The half-demon just nodded, experiencing for the first time what it's like to see a new life in development, and to be just plain amazed at it.

"She just said 'dad'. And to you, nonetheless!".

Cole did not answer, his eyes locked with Prue's, fighting to understand the strange feelings coming from his heart. Feelings that up to then, he had only associated with Phoebe, and to a smaller degree, to Piper.

Paige's face lit up in a smile so bright, it battled Prue's.

"Piper, Leo!. Prue said 'dad'!".

She skipped off, little Prue in her arms, to find the missing members of their family. She never saw as Prue climbed on her upper body, and rested her small head against the crook of her shoulder. And she never saw as her eyes were intently fixed on Cole, as if saying 'that was for you'...

She also missed the goofy grin that spread through his lips, at the thought of being called a dad.

Because even in his ignorance of the truth, it felt right.


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She licked her lips slowly, tasting the coppery taste of her own blood. She grimaced as the wound itched with her saliva, but she welcomed it. One of the first things she had learnt since her true training had began, was to embrace the pain.

She now channeled it into her strength, adding it like fuel to a fire.

A fire that burned high, as she stared at the demon in front of her.

"Bitch".

Jhiera only smiled at the mild taunt, and brushed some strands of blue-black hair aside.

"Is that all you've got, Witch?".

Jhiera would never let go of the fact that Phax wasn't a demon. Or a warlock, for that matter. She took every opportunity she had to remind Phax of that, and as of late, there had been many chances for her to probe around the scarring wound of Phax's humanity.

Phax did not grace her with an answer.

When the Source had found out about their little sparring matches (well, actually, beatings is more like it. Phax was generally on the receiving end of Jhiera's attacks), he had bestowed Jhiera with the responsibility of teaching Phax the proper ways of the demon world.

And Jhiera took that dubious honor to heart.

Hence, they were now once again face to face, Jhiera enjoying the bouts a little too much for Phax's taste.

"Bring it on".

Phax watched intently, as Jhiera moved in on her. She tried so hard to learn from her, even the little things Jhiera would not teach her--- it seemed her kick boxing lessons had paid off. In Jhiera's words, she was 'fairly decent' in hand to hand combat, but still had a lot to learn.

She still retained that sense of fairness that humans carried, that prevented them from exploiting their true abilities further.

But as days went by, she was slowly leaving it behind, not waiting for Jhiera to rise the few times she was able to knock her down. She had stopped offering her hand to her when the friendly gesture won her a trip into the nearest wall the first two times. And she no longer gave her a time out--- not that the powerful she-demon needed many of them.

Sure, Phax had bitten the dust several times, too many, even.

But she was quick learner.

And she was in pretty good shape. The weight of her pregnancy had seemed to vanish along with Prue, and the mass she had gained disappeared with the first few days of intensive training.

Her muscle tone was excellent, and her reflexes were getting better by the day.

In truth, Jhiera liked their sparring matches.

There were few female demons in the Underworld, and to hang around one was a new experience for her. She had been toughened by decades of living in a world dominated by males, and being around Phax was allowing her to recover the female edge she had lost.

She could feel as the cobwebs in her head were destroyed, the female thinking blurting forth, thoughts coming before actions, consequences being weighed before a course of action was taken. She had forgotten how powerful a woman could be.

Had forgotten that once, females had been the dominant gender. That both the Surface and the Underworld had once been a matriarchy, and that through lies and deceit, men had confused and betrayed women, rendering them to seconds in command.

Phax had reminded her of that, and for that, she respected her.

That, and the fact she was becoming more powerful by the day.

It seemed the fire in her eyes never died, the strength in her stride never faltered. Day in and day out, Phax trained. And she kept getting better and better.

And as Cole had once said, demons worship power.

And power was what Phax craved, what she needed, what she longed for--- power to take her revenge upon the Surface, upon those who she had once called family. Upon those who had betrayed her, given up on her, forgotten about her--- buried her before she was dead.

She shook her head, sending the thought away.

And just in time, as Jhiera attacked her full force.

As Phax jumped away from the punches, and dodged her kicks, she began wondering if she could manage to summon a fireball. It usually took her some time to gather her energy, and to concentrate hard enough to even feel the tickle of magic in her hands. But she knew that to win a battle, she would have to be fast.

As she rolled away from Jhiera, she stretched out her hand, and called for a fireball.

{Come on!}

For a split second, her hand tickled, as if she had stuck her fingers in a socket, and she could feel the fire coming---

Jhiera's kick got her by surprise. It pushed the air out of her lungs, and sent her flying. She landed a few feet away, fighting back the groan of pain.

She rolled on the floor, knowing Jhiera would not rest, and stood up in one move. Her fists rose, and she prepared herself for another round.

"Careless, Witch. I could've killed you".

It was strange the way the female demon talked to her. Sometimes, she could swear she read concern in between the lines--- but then she would spit at her, and the spell would be broken. And yet, in a strange, unconscious way, Phax knew she was earning Jhiera's respect.

And she worked hard for it, because winning her, meant she would be ready for her first assignment.

And her fingers, and her heart, ached at the idea of going up to the Surface.



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"Honey, I don't think this is such a great idea".

Piper did not grace her husband with a look, and as she rocked little Prue up and down, she just muttered an answer.

"You have been saying that for the past forty-five minutes. I'm not listening any more".

Leo sighed, rubbing his temples, feeling the headache coming. It was just that Piper, and her motherly instincts, were getting on his nerves!. Especially if those said instincts, told the eldest Halliwell to take the baby that had shimmered into the manor, probably was half demon, and didn't act like a baby at all, to the doctor.

'We have to make sure she's all right. Every baby has to have a pediatrician'.

With that sentence, she had simply walked away, gotten into the car, and started the engine. She had seemed to know Leo would cave, and had waited for him. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, a very contrite Leo had gotten in the car, and held Prue while Piper drove.

Strangely, the doctor's office was packed. It seemed every single squirming, crying, no, make that bellowing baby in San Francisco had set up an appointment for today. And since Piper hadn't had one, they had been waiting in the waiting room for almost an hour now.

Little Prue didn't seem to mind though. The little girl seemed to know when it wasn't proper for her to shimmer---as a matter of fact, she never did it, unless they were inside the manor. Baby instinct, or something.

"But Piper--".

She just turned to look at him, something akin to annoyance flashing through her eyes. When Leo whined, it was--- well, it was just so darn cute!. But quite frankly, she was getting tired of it.

"Honey, please. It's just a routine checkup".

She was confident that doctor Anderson would keep quiet if any strange signals appeared in Prue's tests. Dr. Anderson had been their doctor too--- Prue, Piper *and* Phoebe had all heard her calm, soothing voice while she checked their pupils, and softly patted their stomach. And all three of them had fond memories of her... she was almost certain her mother had somehow revealed some of the truth to the good doctor.

She *had* after all, processed their blood samples, even from they were babies. And like Dr. Williamson had so painfully proved, their blood wasn't normal.

So, she wasn't nervous about taking little Prue to the doctor. And she liked to keep Leo on his toes...

"Honey, don't worry. Dr. Anderson was our doctor. She has to know something".

Before Leo could get any words in, a nurse rose from the nurse's station, and called out a name.

"Halliwell".

Piper rose, taking the baby with her. Leo followed her, his features more relaxed, carrying the baby bag.

As they walked through the hallway, on their way to office number 6, Leo whispered at her, careful not to let his voice drift into any of the open doors they passed on their way.

"You could've said something!".

Piper smiled at him, and what little anger he had, melted away. She stopped briefly to kiss him on the cheek, and he felt another sloppy kiss on the other side of his face, followed by a loud 'Da da!'.

He sighed dramatically, and realized the Halliwell women would be the end of him.

"Piper, honey!. Oh my God, you're such a lovely woman!".

Dr. Anderson greeted them from outside her office, and Piper could see how time had passed. She had last seen the doctor when she was about thirteen--- but still, behind the wrinkles and gray hair, lay the soft, warm eyes of a woman she had grown to like in her childhood.

"Dr. Anderson!".

Her squeal was that of a teenager, as she hugged the smaller woman fiercely. The doctor returned the hug with a strength rare for a woman her age.

"So, is this the lucky man?".

Piper blushed softly, while Leo introduced himself. He could feel the good in her, could feel all the good she had done, and all the good she still had to do. He smiled openly, sure that they were in the right hands.

"So pleased to meet you, Mr. Wyatt. Come in, come in please!".

She ushered them inside, and closed the door behind her, leaving them in the relative privacy of her consulting room.

Prue gurgled and sucked on her thumb, curiously looking around the room.

"And who is this little angel?".

The old doctor tickled the underside of Prue's chin, and the baby giggled loudly, her features squinched in pleasure.

"Ahem--- Prue. *Our* Prue".

Piper's not so silent slap in Leo's arm did not go unnoticed to the doctor, but she did not question them any further.

Ever since Patty Halliwell had come, with the first of her children, Prue she remembered her to be, she had known something was different about this family. But it was a good kind of different. And she had kept quiet when the blood samples came back all wrong, and even when little Prue had moved some baby cubes without even touching them.

And she knew in her heart it was the right thing to do.

{So, another addition to the Halliwell family. What will she be able to do when the time comes?}.

"Is there anything wrong with her?".

Piper put Prue down on the examination table, and sat down on a chair nearby. Leo just stood behind her, her hand seeking his behind her. And Dr. Anderson smiled, knowing true love when she saw it.

"No, not at all. I just wanted you to check her up".

Dr. Anderson put on the glasses that until then had been hanging around her neck.

"Let's see, then".

Prue waved her chubby little arms at her, and clapped her hands, a little bit of drool hanging from her lip. It only made her look all the more adorable.

"You're a happy girl, aren't you, dear?".

The girl stretched out her arm, and softly poked the doctor on the nose.

"Da da".

Dr. Anderson smiled at the girl, surprised.

"How old is she, Piper?".

That seemed to put the eldest Halliwell in a little bit of trouble. She stammered, racking her mind for an answer. It was Leo the one who spoke, at last.

"She just turned three months last 27th".

As the doctor turned her eyes back to the squirming baby, that had decided looking at the examination table wasn't fun anymore, and had moved on to examining her hands thoughtfully, as if she had never seen them before, she missed Leo's shrugged shoulders at Piper's questioning glare.

Just then, a soft knock interrupted them. A female young nurse entered, carrying a closed enveloped in her hands.

They had taken some blood samples early on, and Prue had just watched the needle with curious eyes, and only flinched when it prickled her skin. They were ready now.

She asked the doctor about some thing or another, and Piper tugged on Leo's arm, getting him to bend over.

"What was that all about?".

Leo smiled sheepishly, and answered.

"I've been doing some math, and I guessed she was just born when she came into the house. So I guess her birthday is that day, August the 27th. Hey, I had to tell her something!".

He straightened up in a haste, as the nurse bid their good-byes, and the doctor turned back to them.

"So, let's see how little Prue is doing".

She opened the envelope, sealed for patient-doctor privacy, and read the numbers. As Piper and Leo looked at her expectantly, and Prue tried to crawl off the table in vain, there was no change in the doctor's demeanour that could indicate anything wrong.

A clock ticked away, and Leo counted up to one hundred and thirteen before the doctor looked up.

"Well?".

Piper's voice was questioning, genuine concern clouding her tone.

"Everything is perfect".

The breath the couple had been holding was let loose, and it come out loudly, making both of them blush, and cough for coverage.

"Her blood type is AB. Oh my, that is Phoebe's same blood type. How odd is that?. Her blood cell count is normal, no evidence of any disease as of now, and her blood temperature seems a little high, that could be due to her nervousness. This is her first time to the doctor, isn't it?".

Piper nodded absently, somehow feeling an important revelation had just been made, and that she was going to miss it if she didn't think it through.

"Piper, you know better than to keep such a lovely girl unattended. I'm going to schedule another meeting a month from now, okay?".

As Dr. Anderson wrote something on her agenda, and called a nurse on the intercom, Piper thought long and hard.

She could feel as the room closed in on her, as all of a sudden, too many things made sense.

Things that she should have picked up before.

Prue had blue eyes.

Prue could shimmer.

Cole said she reminded him of Phoebe.

Prue had Phoebe's same blood type, which was strange in itself, since AB was a rare type among humans.

She gasped loudly, and her hand flew to her mouth to stifle it.

Leo coughed again, hiding her panting behind his own throat clearing.

Dr. Anderson just looked at them strangely, and went outside to fix the last of the details, leaving them alone in her office. Something was telling her they needed some time alone.

The second the door closed behind her, Leo squeezed Piper's hand, and kneeled by her side. On the table nearby, Prue giggled at some ornaments that hung from the ceiling, seemingly distracted by all the conversation going on around her.

"Honey, are you all right?".

Piper nodded in silence, thoughts running through her head so fast, the room spun around her, and her vision blurred at the sheer meaning of it.

"Leo---".

Her breath caught in her throat, she could not continue. She could not tell him, not now, not here... she needed to be sure. She needed proof before she could go around blurting it out.

"Piper?".

The door opened then, and Dr. Anderson walked in, holding a chart and skimming through it.

Piper mouthed an 'I'll be fine' to her husband, and squeezed his hand tenderly. Leo kept quiet, knowing better than to ask her in the presence of one who was not aware of the things that go bump in the night.

"I've arranged for her to get her shots later, if you can. I would really like you to bring her in about a month from now, okay?. Just routine check up, and to make sure she's doing all right. Is that okay with you?".

"Su--sure. We'll stay for the shots. We can stay. For the shots. Shots are good. We'll stay. Right?".

She looked up to her husband, knowing she was stuttering, but she couldn't help it. Leo squeezed her hand back, and handled the rest of the interview.

It was all a blur to her.

She vaguely remembered saying goodbye to the doctor, promising to keep in touch--- she moved in to pick up Prue, and the little girl stretched out her arms at her, gurgling at her aunt (oh my God, she was an aunt!).

She carried the baby away, and walked in a daze through the hallways, Leo's comforting presence behind her. She needed to get home. There were many things to be done.

She needed to look into the Book of Shadows, needed to find a spell.

If her suspicions were true--- Cole was much more attuned to Prue than he had ever thought. And so were all of them.

Because she was almost certain Prue was Phoebe and Cole's daughter.

And if that were true--- a familiar ache made its way into her heart, as she realized that when she discovered the truth of Prue's parentage, she had barely brushed the tip of the iceberg.

Because if Phoebe was Prue's mother--- that meant Phoebe was alive.


*******************************


It was many hours later that she stumbled into her quarters. Summoning a privacy shield, one of the first charms the Source had taught her, she blocked herself in. She still needed her privacy, even if demons clearly did not understand the meaning of the word.

She let herself fall unceremoniously onto the bed, and burrowed her face into the silken sheets, fighting for her breath.

She hated this.

She hated the quiet moments, where her memories sprang forth, shook the dust off themselves, and danced on the inside of her closed eyelids, forcing her to see them.

She refused to rise from the bed, or even to turn around.

The walls of the chamber brought back so many unpleasant memories, that she dared not confront them.

Sometimes, when she lay inside the bed, awake, her eyes fixed on the ceiling above, she heard ghosts of sounds, coming through the recesses of her mind.

A soft echo--- a baby's gurgle.

And in times like those, she would snap her eyes shut, and force herself not to cry. Phax did not cry. Phax was a demon, unmerciful, deadly and terrible. Phoebe Halliwell was dead, had died along her daughter, exactly three months, four days and seven hours ago.

It was sick, to keep such an accurate track of time. And she thought it utterly pathetic, but she just couldn't stop!.

She frowned, as she felt the doubts rising, and the confusion grabbing hold of her. Her hands became fists, and she grabbed handfuls of sheets in them, and still, her long fingernails dug holes in her skin.

And she kept pushing, feeling the soft trickle of her own blood down her fingers, and quite frankly, not caring.

Her wounds always healed. Her scratches always disappeared. It didn't matter how deep, ugly or big they were--- the Source's healing powers seemed infinite. And she didn't know whether to thank him, or hate him for it.

She rolled on the bed, and laid on her back.

Though there were no mirrors in the Underworld, she had known the second her eyes had changed. Had felt how her iris shifted, from deep brown, to consuming black. Her perception of the world had changed along with them, granting her keener eyesight, and even some night vision she hadn't possessed before.

All the improvements she needed, she would go through.

Because she had a vengeance to satisfy.

And power was the way to go.

His face still haunted her dreams. Still came to visit her, when her guards were down, and her strength sapped from a too-intense training session. And she liked the fact that every single time, her belly burnt with fire, a fire so different from the one that had once blazed inside of her. A long time ago, his features brought passion and lust to her--- now, all they seemed to call forth was hate--- because it was his fault her daughter had died.

It was all because of him.

He was the one to blame for the death of her baby. For the *murder* of her baby.

Her hands covered her face, as she fought back the onslaught of sadness that consumed her whenever she thought of her little girl.

{Prue}

Even to think her name was torture. Because remembering her, meant remembering a sister she had once had, and that brought back recollections of a different life, a different past, that she struggled to keep buried.

Soon.

Soon she would have her revenge. Soon, the Source would grant her permission to go up, and then--- a wicked smile danced across her lips, so evil, so *sad* it wasn't a smile at all.

Then, things would be better.

Because the *second* she was strong enough to defeat them, they would know what true pain was. She would show them, gladly. With a smile in her heart.

Because they would pay. Oh yes, they would.

They would pay in spades.



*********************************


Tbc...


A note to all of those who are working hard to keep Julian on the show... I want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart. What we're doing here is something I thought could never be accomplished. We have come together asa community, and are getting the word out there. Don't give up now!.

Keep emailing, keep writing letters, keep signing the petition--- we must ENSURE Julian will stay!. There's nothing certain, until the WB releases a statement. And so fr, we have gotten none. So, we keep on pushing, until Aaron Spelling himself comes out, and tell us Cole will not be killed off!.

United we stand, divided we fall.

(I think I ended a chapter like that, didn't I? :p)