Thanks for your reviews!
I'm glad, that you like Prue and Cole together, that's really great. Because this is much more a Cole/Prue than a Charmed Fanfiction.

Okay, here is the next chapter!

25. Chapter

This night Prue slept very badly, she was terribly hot and she tossed and turned. Wild nightmares appeared in her mind's eyes. She stood on an open field and tried to build a wall of tiny stones. Cole was standing on the other side of the wall and he was amused about her efforts. He shook his head and urged her to stop it again and again, but she wouldn't be put off and kept stacking up one stone on the other.

When the wall was finally ready, she noticed, that she had let a gap for the door. Suddenly she was overcome by fear, she felt threatened and looked around in hectic until she finally found the door. She heaved it into the gap quickly. Then she took the key and unlocked the door, before she even hanged a big padlock in front of it. In relief she stepped back a few steps, she was glad that she was safe now, but suddenly the wall transformed into a wall made of glass, so that she could see through it.

She saw a huge snake, coming to the wall from the other side. Cole ran to the door and asked her to open it. But Prue couldn't move. The snake was coming closer and closer and Cole begged her to help him. Prue didn't know, what to do, but finally she walked to the door slowly. But just in this moment Leo appeared beside her. He told her, that she was too clever to open the door, that she wouldn't expose all of them to danger.

Prue hesitated and the wall was suddenly grey again. She couldn't look through it anymore, but she still heard Cole begging her to open the door. She looked around absolutely desperate, when she suddenly saw Piper and Phoebe standing behind her. She ran to her sisters overjoyed and hugged them, in this moment she forgot everything else around her. She forgot the time and suddenly the wall broke down behind her. She turned around and rushed to it. Piper told her, that she could have built it more solid, obviously she had forgotten a lot. Prue wanted to contradict and looked at the heap of rubble.

Suddenly she was overcome by a strange feeling and she searched for the snake. But she couldn't see it anymore, whether the snake nor Cole. Piper nodded in satisfaction beside her and said, that the wall had served it's purpose at least. Prue already wanted to ask, which purpose, when Phoebe stepped beside her and said, that it was better now. She looked at Prue and told her, that he was evil and would always wreak havoc, she knew it from her own personal experience and besides his mad love would always belong to her. Prue said that he had changed, but Phoebe just laughed nastily and asked Prue, if she wanted to know, what 'and' would have been. Suddenly a creature was standing beside her, it was looking like Belthazor as a child. That would be the 'and' and she wouldn't be so crazy to bring it into the world, Phoebe explained.

In the next moment Phoebe was standing in front of Danny, who was lying on a stone. She held a knife in her hand. Prue wanted to snatch it from her, but Phoebe was incredibly strong. Prue screamed at her that it was her son, but Phoebe snapped that he was evil, evil, evil.

Suddenly all were gone and Prue was standing on the other side of the wall. The landscape had changed now it was shining in a strange red colour. Madame Zadie walked to her, she shook her head sadly and accused her of not listening to her luck. Now it was too late, the snake had devoured Cole and she hadn't done anything to help him. Prue wanted to contradict, when Madame Zadie turned into Leo, who told her, that she went the right way about it. Prue explained, that her sisters had distracted her, that she had no choice. But Leo shook his head and told her, that she wouldn't see her sisters ever again. Prue turned around and tried to explain Leo, that she had just met them. But Leo didn't listen and reproved her, that she should finally accept, that she had to live a life without her sisters. Suddenly Leo was Madame Zadie again, who looked at her still sadly. She said that she should have listened to her heart.

In the next moment Prue was standing on Wingrove's plantation. She saw the snake disappearing in the underground vault of the dilapidated manor house. Prue wanted to follow it and started to run, but she didn't make any headway, something stopped her. David Morgan appeared beside her, he held Danny on his arms and reminded her, that he had already warned her, but she didn't listen. The snake would still be hungry. He laughed and disappeared with Danny in the direction of the manor house. Prue tried to move forward, but it seemed to her as if the house would drift apart more and more. She was absolutely desperate, when the Voodoo Priestess Belva was standing beside her. She told her, that everything was her fault, because she was incompetent to protect anyone. Now she had lost everything, Belva explained, even her sisters didn't need her anymore, they preferred to live without her. Belva started to laugh nastily. It sounded like a monotonous bleep, she was alone, she had failed miserably and now she was all alone.

Prue woke up, dripping with sweat, the sun was up already and the alarm clock on her bedside table was beeping earpiercingly. Prue wanted to get up to switch it off, but she couldn't budge. Was she still dreaming, she wondered weakly and pinched her arm by a supreme effort. No, she wasn't dreaming anymore, but why couldn't she get up to switch off the alarm clock? Every single move was incredible strenuous. Her alarm clock was beeping louder and louder and Prue had to pull herself together so that she wouldn't burst out in tears. What was going on with her, why did she feel so weak?

Suddenly her door was opened and Cole entered the room. "I know, I take the risk, that you'll kill me. But I could even hear this noise on the corridor." He switched off the alarm clock and looked at Prue carefully. Actually he had expected that she would have kicked him out of her room long ago. "Is something wrong with you?"

"I'll get up soon." Prue explained in a croaking voice.

Cole walked to her bed slowly. "Are you alright?"

"I'm so hot!" She let out and had to put up with Cole sitting down onto her bed.

He touched her forehead and drew back his hand in fright. "You are glowing. Do you have a temperature?"

That was obvious, wasn't it, Prue thought angrily, but she was even too exhausted to have an argument with him.

"I'll be back soon." Cole explained and stood up without waiting for her answer. He left her room and called for Amy.

Soon later, he entered Prue's room again, together with Amy. "I think she has a high temperature." Cole told Amy. "Or is that normal?"

Amy gave him a confused look, then she went to Prue's bed. She took a close look at her and touched her forehead. "No, her temperature is much too high, that can't be normal."

Cole sighed. "I know, I just wanted to know, if it's a usual disease."

"What?" Amy looked at him sceptically. "Why do you ask me? I don't know why she fell ill, I'm no doctor. Probably it's just a virus infection."

"And everything can happen so fast?" Cole wanted to know.

"Yes, I think so." Amy said, she still didn't know exactly, what he wanted to know from her. She looked at Prue again. "How are you feeling?"

"Terrible!" she got out in a low voice.

Amy turned around to Cole. "You should better call a doctor." She said.

Cole looked at them thoughtfully, but he didn't budge. He hadn't the faintest idea of human diseases, his demonic genes had always protected him from falling ill. Nevertheless he had the funny feeling, that Prue's disease wasn't a simple virus. "What will the doctor do with her?"

Amy shook her head angrily. "He'll examine her and admit her to the hospitalin in an emergency. What else?"

Cole came closer to the bed and sat down on the other side. He looked at Prue asking. "Shall I try to call Leo?" he wanted to know, but Prue shook her head hardly noticeable.

"He wouldn't come." she whispered.

"So you are sure, that it's an ordinary disease, aren't you? No magic involved!" He wanted to know solicitously. "Do you really want to go to a hospital?"

Prue looked at him thoughtfully, she felt terribly this virus had caught her very fast, that was true, but she had no idea, what kind of disease it was. She shrugged her shoulders slightly, she was too dopey to think about it, couldn't he come to a decision without her help?

Cole looked at Amy again. "Is it dangerous?"

"Of course it is, don't you see, how she is burning?" she asked angrily. "Call the doctor, otherwise I'll do it."

"But if it's magic or a curse, no doctor will be able to help her." Cole told her and stood up. He wouldn't allow that, he wouldn't lose her. He looked at Amy requesting. "Can you come with me for a moment."

Amy stood up reluctantly and followed him downstairs.

When they arrived in the living room, Cole started to call for Leo in a loud voice, but nobody appeared. "I knew it, if I call him, he won't come." He explained furiously and looked at Amy. "Can you try it, please?"

"What?" she wanted to know, rather confused.

"You shall call him." he told her, he was tensed up. "Just call loud and plain 'Leo'."

Amy still looked at him sceptically. "Leo?" she whispered, but when she saw Cole's angry face, she decided to try it again. "Leo!" She shouted and felt rather silly. She tried it again, but nothing happened.

When she wanted to scream his name again, Cole stopped her with a resigned gesture. "It's okay, he won't come." He realized in frustration and looked at Amy. "Do you think it'll be dangerous, if we still wait for an hour, before we call the doctor?"

Amy shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea, I can just see that she's in a bad way."

Cole nodded. "Yes, me, too. But I have a feeling that her disease is a curse and as far as I see it, the only person, who will be able to help us, is Madame Zadie."

"And you don't think, that she could be responsible for the curse?" Amy asked sceptically.

"No, she wants to protect her sister, but she doesn't want to harm us." He looked at Amy begging. "I have to try it first."

Amy nodded. "I understand, but if I notice, that it'll get worse, I'll call an emergency doctor at once." She explained firmly.

"Okay, I'll be back soon." Cole told her and took his keys. He rushed to the door, but then he stopped again and turned around. "Oh and can you call Prue's office, please. Tell them that she can't come to work today."

Amy nodded. "No problem, but hurry up, please."

Cole speeded to the shopping center, but he didn't park his car there. He decided to take the car to get to Madame Zadie's house. In spite of the countless winding streets it would take too long to walk. Some people on the streets looked after his car in surprise, but Cole didn't care about it. He drove through the narrow passages and tried to orientate himself. Last evening he followed Prue and he could just remember a seedy garage with numerous car wrecks as a landmark.

Without thinking he stopped the car beside two black teenagers, who were tinkering at a motor bike at the roadside. Cole opened the window and loud music boomed towards him. "Hey boy, come here for a minute." Cole shouted to one of them.

The boy looked at him and stood up leisurely. His trousers were nearly hanging in his knees and he walked to the car in an extremely offhanded way. "A cool car." he said in a husky voice, while he seized up Cole. "You should better take care of it. So what is anyone like you doing in our quarter?"

"I'm searching for a seedy garage with car wrecks, do you know where it is?" Cole asked impatiently.

"Mm." the boy rocked back and forth slightly. "Can you tell me, why I should give you an answer?"

Cole grinned nastily. "Yes, because otherwise I'll start my cool car to run over you. So come on."

Although it was impossible for Cole to knock the boy down from his position, he had a threatening effect on the boy. He noticed that Cole didn't stand for any games. He meant, what he said deadly serious. "Keep cool." The boy said quickly and stepped back from the car. "You'll have to turn left at the next street and then straight on until you'll reach a crossing, you'll have to turn right there."

The boy turned around to his friend, while Cole nodded and closed the window. The boy decided, that it was high time to become more courageous. He walked to the car again and banged his fist onto the car top angrily. "Hey, you could have thanked me at least." he said in a loud voice.

Cole opened the window again and the boy jumped back quite a distance. "Thank you!" Cole replied in a threatening low voice. "And if I can't find the garage, I'll come back and make things unpleasant for you."

"It's okay man, don't panic." were the only words the boy let out. He watched the car disappearing and heaved a sigh of relief. Now when he was hidden in a cloud of dust, he raised his middle finger courageously. "Don't you dare to show your face here again, bastard, that's our quarter."

When Cole passed the seedy garage two crossings later, he found out in relief, that the boy had told him the truth. Soon after he stopped in front of Madame Zadie's house and jumped out of the car. He didn't care, that some of Madame Zadie's neighbours looked at the new car, rather curiously, finally it belonged to Edward Wingrove, so why should he care?

Cole walked to the entrance and knocked at the door aggressively. When nothing happened, he looked around angrily. He jumped from the veranda and walked around the house to the other side. The sun was shining in a glaring light into the windows of the room, where he had met Zadie the night before. He couldn't see anything, but he didn't think twice he walked to the window and started to hammer at the windowpane.

Soon later, Zadie appeared and opened the curtain angrily. When she recognized Cole, she opened the door slightly and looked at him. "What do you want from me? I'm busy, you can come back later."

"No I won't do that." Cole hissed at her. "Send your clients home, you'll come with me."

"Why should I?" Zadie asked in amusement.

"Because Prue is in a critical condition and your damn sister is involved in it." Cole explained in a loud voice.

Zadie looked around, she didn't like, that he was shouting his head off in her neighbourhood. "That's impossible." She told him firmly. "I've given an amulet to your girl-friend, that will protect her from evil. And I saw her wearing it last night."

Cole smiled nastily. "Yes, she wore it. But after you've told her such a nonsense to put her out, she has lost her composure and threw it away in a high arc."

Now Zadie gave him a shocked look. "That's impossible." she whispered. "What's wrong with her?"

"Fever, she has a high temperature and she can't move." Cole told her desperately. "So come on, you have to help her."

Zadie nodded. "Okay, I'll take a close look at her. But first I'll have to go back into my house. I need some things. Wait for me in front of the house."

Cole saw her disappearing in the house and went back to his car. He was a little surprised, that nobody approached the car, yet. When Cole just wanted to sit down in the car, he heard that the door of Zadie's house was opened. He looked around and saw that an elder infirm lady was coming out of the door.

She walked slowly to the street and then she turned to Cole. "Madame Zadie helps us all the time." She told him. "And she shouldn't concern herself with rich white rabble like you." She didn't wait for an answer, but marched off.

Cole looked after her thoughtfully, when Zadie was coming out of her house. She rushed to Cole's car and held a small black case in her hand. Cole got in and opened the door for her.

"Obviously she means a lot to you, if you dare to go to such a quarter in your car." Zadie told him and threw herself onto the seat.

"It isn't my car." Cole explained curtly. "Now you just have to tell me the fastest way to the shopping center."

Zadie shook her head. "No, first you'll tell me, where your girl-friend had thrown away my amulet."

"We don't have any time for that." Cole explained angrily.

"Oh we'll have enough time. I don't have an unlimited number of powerful amulets. We'll have to find it." She told him firmly.

Cole looked around and conceded. "It isn't far, along the street. There is a house with a Christmas lightning over the entrance." He explained.

"I'd never thought that someone like you is well versed in Christmas decoration." Zadie wondered with a smile on her face.

Cole cast an angry look at her. "I'm not in the mood for your jokes." He explained coldly.

"It's okay, it just surprised me, that you called it a Christmas lighting. Because it's the entrance to a pub." Zadie told him and looked to the left. "Stop here, we are already there."

Cole stopped and Zadie got off the car. She walked briskly to the entrance of the pub, where some men already hanged around in the early morning. They were standing on the veranda with some bottles in their hands and looked at Cole and his car suspiciously.

Cole decided, that Zadie should settle this issue alone. He wouldn't let the car standing here unguarded. He looked after her and saw to his surprise, that she walked to the men. She talked to them and the men looked at her respectfully.

Cole opened the window. "I've heard, Bob has found it, Mam." He heard one of the man saying politely. Zadie thanked him and entered the pub. Cole looked at the men, who still watched him distrustfully, but none of them came closer. Soon later Zadie left the pub again and walked to the car with a satisfied smile on her face.

"The owner Bob has found it on the veranda." She said, when she got in. "He wanted to take it to me at once, but first he had to open the pub." she told Cole and smiled. "But I noticed that it gave him an uneasy feeling to know that it was lying beside him. A lot of people are still afraid of my power." She explained and it was obvious, that she was very satisfied with her reputation.

"Probably with good reasons." Cole said coldly.

Zadie shrugged her shoulders. "I just do good, I help people and I never do harm anyone. Believe me!" she explained with a touch of satisfaction in her voice, before she told him the fastest way to the shopping center.

Soon later, they had left the neglected quarter and speeded to Cole's home. Zadie cast a quick look at him and finally she wanted to know. "So she didn't tell you, what we were talking about yesterday?"

"No, why? Was it important?" Cole asked intentionally uninterested.

Zadie smiled. "You should ask her about it, when she'll be back on her feet again."

"If she'll just recover." Cole murmured quietly.

"If my sister is responsible for her illness, I'll be able to help her. My sister is very powerful, but I can compete with her, just trust me." Zadie assured him. "I won't let it happen that someone dies through my sister's fault."

Cole laughed ironically. "Sorry, that's too late. She is to blame for the death of some people already." he explained grimly, but before Zadie could answer, they arrived in front of his house. They got off the car and Cole opened the door.

When they entered the hall, Amy was already waiting on the stairs. "At last!" She let out completely desperate. "I was worried about you and I didn't know, how long I could still wait."

They hurried upstairs and entered Prue's bedroom. Prue was lying on her bed and was burning literally spoken. Cole rushed to her bed, while Zadie stopped at the door. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath with her arms wide open. After a while she opened her eyes again. "I think you are right." She said sadly. "I'll have to clear her of the bad energies." She looked around and turned to Amy. "Can you show me the bathroom, please?"

Amy gave Cole an asking look, but when he nodded, she led Zadie to the bathroom. "It's right there." She explained and opened the door.

"Thank you!" Zadie entered the room and looked around. Then she sat down on the side of the bathtub and turned on the faucet. The water rushed into the bath and Zadie checked the temperature, when she was satisfied with it, she opened her case.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked still standing at the door and watching Zadie sceptically.

"I prepare a magical bath." Zadie explained and started to scatter flowers into the water. "Jasmine petals, almond components, champagne and some secret ingredients, like the 'water of Loas'." She added the ingredients into the water and smiled at Amy. "I'll need five minutes, then he can carry her here."

Amy nodded. "You want to say, Cole can bring Prue along in five minutes." she stated in dissatisfaction.

"Thanks, that you've finally told me their names, they didn't introduce themselves to me." Zadie explained and chased Amy away with a gesture.

Amy closed the door reluctantly and walked back to Prue's bedroom, where Cole was still sitting on the bed. "She told me, that you shall bring Prue into the bathroom in five minutes." She told him.

Although Cole kept looking at Prue, who was moving restlessly to and fro, he heard Amy's displeasure in her voice. "You don't trust her, do you?" he wanted to know.

Amy shrugged her shoulders, hardly noticeable. "I don't know, but as long as you believe that she's able to help Prue, I'll trust your opinion, but I don't want to be near to her."

Cole nodded. "Okay, then you can go downstairs with Danny. You can leave everything to us."

Amy walked downstairs in relief and made herself and Danny a home in the winter garden.

Meanwhile Cole stayed at Prue's side and sighed. He hoped, that he was right, it was too dreadful to think that he could lose her because of his own wrong decision. "You won't die, have you got that straight?" He asked and picked her up carefully.

"Das musst du gerade sagen." she said weakly and snuggled up to him. "You allowed the snake to devour you, without fighting. I would have opened the door, sooner or later."

"Oh yes, of course." Cole said and stood up.

"It wasn't my fault, they distracted me, you should have fought a little longer." She told him angrily.

"I'll do it next time, I promise." Cole tried to calm her down, although he had no idea, what she was talking about.

Prue rested her head on his shoulder. "Hopefully." she said tiredly.

Cole carried her into the bathroom, where Zadie already opened the door impatiently. She was wearing a white dress now and many censers were spreading a good smell in the bathroom. White candles were placed around the bathtub, but they weren't lighted up, yet. Cole looked at Zadie asking.

"I have to put some of this essence onto her whole body." She explained and pulled a little bottle out of her case. "So we'll take off her nightshirt first." She came closer.

"I'll do it." Cole told her firmly and let Prue down carefully. When she was standing shakily on the ground, he undressed her quickly. Prue looked at him, very interested, but when Zadie wanted to begin to put some of her essence onto her arm, she refused.

"Don't dare to touch me." she explained as resolutely as she could. "You just want that your damn vision of the future will come true."

Zadie smiled. "Would it be so bad?" she asked in a low voice.

Prue couldn't think clearly, that was the only reason, why she didn't find a reason to contradict. But nevertheless she didn't want that this Voodoo Priestess would touch her and she gave Cole a begging look.

"Come on, it'll be necessary, if you want to recover soon." He explained calmly.

"You can do it." Zadie decided meanwhile and handed the essence over to Cole. He took the small bottle hesitatingly, when Zadie added. "It'll work wonders, if a loving person does it."

"Oh well, then you've really chosen the right one." Prue said cynically and sat down on the turned down toilet seat. When she noticed Cole's asking look, she shrugged her shoulders hardly noticeable. "Well obviously I have no choice. So hurry up." she allowed him mercifully.

Cole kneeled down beside her and started to put some of the white essence onto her arm.

Prue looked at her arm, which was already covered with a white paste and followed Cole's hand with her eyes. He just rubbed some essence onto her leg slowly. "Do you know, why everybody wants to marry us up, here?" She asked, but before he could answer she continued. "Just Leo didn't want it. If he knew of it. But luckily he was convinced that I wouldn't be so gullible."

"And he is right." Cole explained and didn't stop creaming.

Prue agreed immediately. "Yes he is, I'm not gullible. But nevertheless I couldn't do anything against it. Or do you know remedy?" She looked up and Cole looked at her, too.

He saw into her feverish shining eyes and smiled. "No!" He explained shortly and went on creaming her body.

When he was ready, he helped Prue to stand up and go to the bath. She climbed into the water and leaned back. The hot water was up to her neck. "And it's all thanks to Vivian." She murmured and didn't necessarily mean her illness.

But obviously Cole misinterpreted her statement and flashed at Zadie. "Is Vivian responsible for this disease?" He wanted to know in a piercing voice.

Zadie sighed and started to light up the candles. "I think she is. Some weeks ago she visited me. She wanted to harm Prue." She shrugged her shoulders in excuse. "I rejected of course, but I suppose she went to Belva to ask her for this favour."

Cole looked at Zadie and shook his head. "And you couldn't think of anything better, than giving Prue your amulet?"

"No, because it did his job, as long as she wore it." She stated firmly and looked back at Prue. "You must not move while the ritual." She told her, before she turned to Cole. "You have to go now." She told him plainly. "I'll need my full concentration, when I conjure the Loa."

Cole looked at Prue who laid in the bath with closed eyes. Unfortunately he knew, that Zadie was right. "If anything happens to her, I'll find a way to make life hell for you." He explained in an icy voice.

"I have no doubt about it." Zadie said calmly and looked him straight into the eyes.

"Good!" Cole left the bathroom reluctantly and walked downstairs, lost in thoughts.