Love's Intervention
Chapter Four: Old Disputes

Prue stalked off to the kitchen, extremely annoyed at how her day was turning out. First, that kiss from Cole—what was that about? She thought she had made it perfectly clear that there was nothing between them anymore. Yet he still kept hanging around her—so persistent for a guy she's only dated for about a week. The funny thing was, she could tell that he felt the same way, but in spite of that he kept swinging by the Manor just to say hi. Now that she thought of it, it was strange—he never showed up at her apartment, but at the Manor. She should think into that, but not now. Too much of a busy day to go into analysis of the random doings of her ex.

Phoebe. What was up with her? She shows up at Piper and Dan's four years after she flounced out of this house when Grams died and acts all weird. You would think she would show some tact after the whole damn Roger thing. Yeah, Phoebe, did you forget? Or would you rather pretend to be ignorant of the fact that you stole my fiancé away from me?

Phoebe followed closely behind her oldest sister, trying to put as much distance as she could between her ex-husband, and as it looks, Prue's boyfriend. This takes the cake! Hey, look everyone, its Cole Turner, also known as Belthazor, poster-boy of all demons, also known as the ex-Source of all Evil! What is he now, huh? Strolling as calmly as he could please, not even knowing his damn ex-wife when he sees her! Or is this the whole thing of it? Did he get resurrected—again—so he could make her life a living hell—again? Nice touch there, you sick demon, hooking up with my sister, trying to make me jealous or something? As soon as I get my hands on a vanquishing potion, you are going back to your hellhole—literally—once again, mister...

Cole watched interestedly as Prue and that other girl both hurried away from him. They looked kind of similar—was the other girl a cousin, or something? Whoever she was, she was fine. His imagination went wild as he tried his hardest to suppress a wicked smile...

Piper looked up as her two sisters appeared in the kitchen. "Hey, you two," she said. "I got the coffee ready. Why don't you sit?" Piper noticed Cole behind them. "Oh, hello Cole," she said.

Prue and Phoebe twisted around to look at him. Cole looked back at both of them. Prue looked simply annoyed, yet the other girl—it was hard to try to place what was expressed in her eyes. All he knew, however, was that there contained so much in them that if it was totally unmasked, it would be hard for him to not take a step back at the sight. The woman seemed guarded against him, for some reason, but he didn't know her. Did he?

Phoebe swiftly turned back around and sat stiffly on the nearest kitchen stool, next to Piper. "Thanks, Piper," she said sincerely, preferring to pretend that Cole didn't exist. She sipped the gourmet-made coffee, happy to note that Piper's cooking was still the same, and took a fresh croissant off the plate placed in the middle of the counter.

"Always," she responded. She turned to the remaining two. "You guys want something to eat?" Then she seemed to remember something. "Oh! Cole, do you know Phoebe? Phoebe, Cole. Phoebe's our youngest sister. Cole is, ah, a family friend."

"And, even more specifically, my ex-boyfriend," said Prue, giving him an icy glare.

Cole smiled charmingly. "Actually, more like an ex-date," he informed Prue. "I don't think we had ever reached boyfriend-girlfriend status." He stretched a hand out to Phoebe while Prue sputtered indignantly. "Pleased to meet you," he said.

Phoebe took it. "Pleased to meet you," she responded, her voice heavy with irony and sarcasm that only she could hear. She tried releasing her hand as quickly as possible, but Cole decided to hang on for just a second longer than necessary.

"So, did you find what you wanted to find in the attic, Pheebs?" asked Piper, taking a croissant for herself. "If you didn't, I could help you."

"Actually, no," said Phoebe, choosing her words carefully. "I was looking for our old spirit board."

Both Prue and Piper looked at her. "Spirit board?"

"Uh, yeah," Phoebe responded, unnerved by the reaction she got. "You know, the one that Mom gave us?"

"We didn't have a spirit board," said Piper. She turned to Prue. "Did we?"

"No, we didn't," Prue affirmed, casting a suspicious glance toward Phoebe's way. "What made you think we had a spirit board? From Mom, too? She never believed in any type of that stuff."

Phoebe's mind reeled. No Wiccan objects in the attic, Prue being alive, Phoebe never moving in back with her sisters...and that picture. The picture of the three of them, taken right before Grams' death. They had taken that picture standing apart from each other, but back in her world, the figures had moved magically together.

She asked herself a final time. Is it possible that the Charmed Ones don't exist here?

Phoebe looked warily at Cole, who had decided to take a seat next to her. So how does he fit in? If the Charmed Ones don't exist, why should he be interested in them? Kill them as innocents? That didn't make sense, because he wouldn't actually bother to go out with his innocents before killing them. Maybe to get to the Charmed Ones (as she only knew too well), but it was too much trouble for regular people...

Maybe, a small voice in her head suggested, he's not demonic...

She pushed the thought away roughly. Once a demon, always a demon, and that's that.

"Phoebe? Hey, Phoebe?" Phoebe was brought out of her thoughts by Prue's insistent calling. "Jeez, what are you smoking?" Prue paused. "On second thought, don't answer that."

"Prue..." Piper warned, but Phoebe beat her to it.

"Prue, I honestly don't get it, what is the matter with you?" Phoebe asked, her eyes ready to be filled with tears. Here, Prue was alive—alive—and she hated her guts. The thing that Phoebe had wished for all her heart since that fateful day was granted, and yet, yet...

"You honestly don't know?" Prue snorted with disbelief. "Well, you're so used to playing the innocent party I'm sure it comes as second nature to you. You know, I would've really believed your story if it wasn't for the fact you waited four years to talk to me again."

Phoebe sat completely still as she comprehended what Prue was saying to her. "Are you telling me this is about Roger?" Phoebe asked incredulously.

Prue threw up her hands. "No, really, this is about Roger. What did you think? Like I'm just going to forget that you tried to seduce my fiancé just because a few years passed."

Phoebe's hands were actually shaking now. "It was exactly how I told you, Prue. He tricked me into going to his apartment—"

"Not this story again," Prue laughed unhappily. "Will you just shut it?"

"He said that you were hurt!" Phoebe cried angrily. "He said that you were hurt at his place, I went over and then he put the moves on me right when you walked in! You are my sister, Prue, my sister. I would never do anything to hurt you like that, and hell, he wasn't even my type anyways!" Phoebe drew in sharp breaths. What was the line she had used, six years ago in her time in an argument not dissimilar to this one? Oh, yeah..."So if you'd rather believe that Armani-wearing, chardonnay-slugging trustfund—"

"I was in love, Phoebe!" snapped Prue. "What did you want me to think, huh?"

"Maybe you were, Prue, but I am your sister. I will always be your sister. Maybe you don't like hearing these things about your ex, Prue, but not only are they true, it seems to me like you aren't over him yet."

The kitchen was silent as the two stared at each other, Piper and Cole looking on as if it were a tennis volley. It was Prue who finally broke it. "You wouldn't understand," she said, both heatedly and dismissively at the same time.

Phoebe turned sharply away from all three of them, her hair swinging in front of her face. "Piper, may I use the shower?" she asked shortly. "I didn't get a chance last night or this morning."

"Sure, go ahead," replied Piper, giving Prue a hard look. "You know where the towels are?"

Phoebe nodded without even looking at her and walked out of the kitchen, her head down.

Silence fell over the kitchen for a good five minutes. Finally, Piper spoke up. "Prue, was that really necessary? She looked really hurt there."

"Yeah, well, did it ever occur to you that maybe she hurt me with her actions four years ago?" Prue answered back.

"Maybe it wasn't her fault," Piper suggested. "Maybe you ought to listen to your baby sister. Maybe she isn't lying like you thought she was."

"How am I supposed to know?" said Prue, starting to sound miserable. "I know I shouldn't have lashed out like that, but you understand, don't you? How are you suppose to decide who's right, the man you're about to marry, or...your little sister, who just got caught stealing a pair of boots from Macy's?" Prue saw Cole grinning. "What are you smiling at, buster?" she snarled.

He put up his hands in a defensive posture. "Not at you, just...Phoebe was a shoplifter?"

"Yeah." Prue paused. "So?"

"I don't know, she just doesn't seem the type, that's all."

Prue glared at him but stayed quiet. She couldn't bring herself to say the real reason behind why she had responded that way to Phoebe...truth be told, she had more-or-less accepted that Phoebe was telling the truth, mainly because Prue saw for herself after a while how much of a jackass Roger truly was. Prue just couldn't stand the way Phoebe was treating her...not like a long-lost sibling, but more like someone brought back from the dead...Prue shuddered inwardly as she thought of her near brush with death three months ago.

Prue was shaken out of her thoughts by the sound of Piper's voice. "It is strange, though," she was saying thoughtfully. "How she suddenly decided to come back to us again. It's nice, I think, because you know, it's what Grams would've wanted."

Prue nodded. That, at least, was true. She also had to admit that it was nice to see her again, and see how she's changed. Her haircut suited her well, but it wasn't only that; she seemed more reserved, controlled. Older? Well, that was inevitable. They sat quietly again, eating Piper's scrumptious food.

Phoebe appeared at the kitchen doorway. She seemed to hesitate, especially when she looked at Prue, but she spoke anyways. "I should go," she said quietly. "I have a test to take soon."

"Test? You're in college?" Piper inquired.

"Yes," she answered, while a thought seemed to strike her. "Yes, I am. SFU."

Cole suddenly stood up. "San Francisco University? It's kind of far. Do you want me to take you there?"

Phoebe looked at him, a calculating look, like she was trying to figure out if he had other ulterior motives. For a second there, she almost looked—scared? But then she glanced at her sisters, and the sight seemed to strengthen her resolve. "Fine," she said curtly. "If you wish."

She walked stiffly toward the front door, her books in her arms. Cole cast a final glance at the people in the kitchen, said a quick goodbye at them, and then hurried out to follow the young Halliwell.

Piper, being the good host she was, followed them to the door. Phoebe turned to her. "Thank you, Piper," she said. "For everything. Is it possible that I can swing by anytime soon—?"

"Oh, yeah, sure, come by anytime you want," Piper replied sincerely. "You aren't a guest, sweetie. You're family."

Phoebe smiled. "I just have one thing to ask you," she started.

"Yes?"

"Does the name Leo mean anything to you?"

Phoebe took the surprised and puzzled look on her face as a no. "Never mind," she said. She started out the door and Cole followed her.

As the door swung shut, she heard her response. "You mean Mr. Wyatt?"

A/N: As always, I hope you enjoyed it and please review. The next chapter may take some time, but it'll definitely have all the C/P stuff you guys have been waiting for, so keep holding on!