Chapter 3: Fired Phoebe, Cole, and Darlene

"Phoebe," Elise said, knocking softly on Phoebe's office door. Phoebe looked around. Cole wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Yes?" she asked as Elise walked in.

"I need you to…" she started.

"Another assignment?" Phoebe asked, raising her voice slightly louder than she intended, causing Elise to get a frightened look on her face that quickly went away.

"This is your job. You work on a newspaper and you are going to have to live with taking on all of your assignments."

"Elise, I'm a columnist," Phoebe said. "I should be working on my column without all these other things I keep getting. I am in charge of one thing and only one thing. Why do I keep being overrun with-with all that other crap?"

"I see," Elise said. "Well, if that's how you really feel." Phoebe flashed a smile.

"I knew you'd understand, Elise."

"Clear out your desk. We'll need to find a replacement for your column as quickly as we can.

"Eat up, Piper," Leo said. Piper groaned as she took a sip of the chicken broth. She then pushed the bowl away.

"I can't," she said. "My stomach won't keep it down."

"Alright," Leo said. Piper gave him a weird look.

"What are you, Mister Mom today or what?"

"I don't know what you mean. I'm the same ol' Leo."

"No. No, you're not. You're acting different. Are you sure you're not sick too?"

"Just because I'm trying to care for my wife?"

"Whatever. I'm gonna go do the laundry."

"It's already in the dryer." Piper gave him the same look.

"The dishes?"

"Dried and put away."

"Paige's room?" Leo chuckled a little.

"Go back to sleep. We'll go see the doctor in a few hours." He left the room and Piper went back to sleep.

"You? Again?" Piper asked, obviously very annoyed.

"In the flesh, so to speak," Cole answered. He was sitting down on the floor of the cave. "Have you found a way to get me out?"

"You think I've been trying to get you out?" Piper asked.

"Um…yeah. Duh." Piper rolled her eyes. "What have you found out?"

"Nothing," Piper said. "Leo won't let me leave bed."

"Well, I think I got Phoebe's attention. She should be checking your precious Book right now."

"There's nothing here," Phoebe muttered to herself. Leo entered the attic.

"When did you get here?" he asked. "Why aren't you at work?" Phoebe shut the Book and looked up at Leo.

"Oh, only because I don't have a job anymore."

"You quit?" he asked. Phoebe laughed a little.

"Nope, fired."

"What? Why would they fire you?"

"Because I guess I haven't been doing my job." She quickly tried to change the subject. "I need your help. Since Piper's sick and Paige is currently unavailable, I need you."

"What?" Leo asked.

"It's Cole. He's been contacting me repeatedly. He just talked to me again today. Leo sat down on the couch in the attic and thought for a moment.

"That's strange. Piper said that he's been talking to her in her dreams."

"Think there's a connection?"

"There's got to be, but we can't stop everything for Cole right now. Piper needs us more than anyone. I don't think she's just sleeping. I think she's been losing consciousness while she sleeps."

"Oh no," Phoebe said. "Does she have an appointment to see the doctor?"

"Yes, but that's not for another few hours."

"Well, I think losing consciousness is an emergency reason. Let's take her to the hospital. I'll drive."

"No, no," Leo said. "I'll take her. You stay here with the boys and think of something to do about Cole."

"Um, Paige," Darlene said. Darlene was a witch and one of Paige's new charges. She had no idea that Paige was assigned to watch over her and thought that she was just another friend.

"Yes, Darlene," Paige said.

"I need to go do something." Paige instantly knew she was talking about a demon.

"I'll come with you."

"No," she said. "I need to do this by myself." Paige didn't want to tell her about herself when there were so many people around them.

"If you need me, shout my name." Darlene looked at her puzzled. "No time to explain. Just yell my name. Be loud." Darlene got up and walked out. She walked down an alley. She knew an invisible demon was stalking her. He had been attacking her quite frequently the past week. She readied her aura viewing power and looked for him.

"There you are," she said softly, grabbing a potion and throwing it at him. He became visible and threw an energy ball at the potion. She let out a shriek. She was defenseless. Her aura viewing was her only power.

"Now to take that little gift you have," the demon said walking up to her. She panicked. She didn't know what to do so she shouted for Paige like she was told to do.

"Paige! Paige!" She saw a swirl of bright lights that formed into Paige. Paige looked first at Darlene and then at the demon.

"Garbage can!" she yelled. The garbage can orbed into the demon. The demon fell down, but quickly got up. He looked at Paige and then asserted his vision on Darlene.

"I'll get you later, witch," he said. "And your little friend." He then shimmered away. Darlene looked in awe at Paige.

"You're a witch too?" she asked.

"And your whitelighter," Paige added. She expected Darlene to do something like run away screaming, but she didn't.

"This is great!" she shouted. "I've always wanted a friend that I could share my true self with." Paige smiled.

"Me too," she said. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"Hello there," Rindo said to a demon that he had summoned to himself.

"Where am I and who are you?" the demon asked. He was the same demon that had attacked Darlene.

"I am someone who can help you get what you want. The power of aura viewing."

"Yeah, and why would you want to help me?"

"Well, you're after the witch who possesses that power, while I'm after the witch that protects her. You and I could work together to get what we want."

"The witch is a Charmed One," the demon said. "There's no way I'm going after a Charmed One."

"Don't worry," Rindo said. "I'll protect you with unlimited power."