Apologies for the extended delay, but I do have an explanation. I actually wrote this chapter months ago, and when I came to post it a few weeks ago I re-read it ( I always re-read just before posting) and realised that it just wasn't right. Somehow the tone and message of the chapter didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do with it, and to muster the courage to remove a large chunk of my previous hard work! Anyway I've done it. I hope the re-writes were worth it.

'Okay, so what'ya thinking?' Piper asked gently, as she added mandrake root to the pot that was already bubbling merrily on the hob.

'Huh?' Phoebe asked, looking blankly at the selection of herbs on the counter in front of her without really seeing them.

Piper tried again 'well ya know you haven't really said very much about Cole.'

'Well what do you want me to say?' Phoebe asked bleakly. Her whole world had just been turned upside down, and she was having real trouble re-orientating herself. She'd dreamt about Cole turning good plenty of times, but she knew that this wasn't a dream, this was real, and she didn't have the first idea how she was gonna handle it.

Piper was silent for a moment, her eyes scanning the herbs and spices on the counter, seeking inspiration. Carefully she added a little ginger, figuring it might add some kick. 'I just wanna know how you feel about it. I worry about you, you know.'

Phoebe grimaced 'I know you do Piper, and I don't want you to worry about me. I mean you've got enough to worry about with the baby and everything. I can handle this myself, don't worry about me.'

Sighing heavily, Piper put her arm around Phoebe and gave her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. 'Phoebe I'm your big sister.' She patted her swollen stomach 'and big sure is the best word to describe me right now' she pulled a face at her own lame joke.

When Phoebe didn't respond Piper continued more seriously 'Look Phoebe, pregnant or not, it's my job to worry about you, it kinda comes with the territory, so just let me do my job okay?'

Phoebe smiled weakly 'Okay.'

'Okay' Piper smiled too, pleased to have gotten through at last. Grimacing she picked up the pig's trotter and holding it at arm's length, dropped it in to the pot. She'd always hated that part. She let the potion simmer for a while and then nodded in satisfaction 'all we need now is the flesh of the demon and we're good. We'd better get working on that summoning spell, get him here before his friends launch the surprise attack.' She said the words more to herself than to Phoebe who still appeared dazed and confused.

The potion done, she took it off the heat so that she could give Phoebe her full attention. 'So, tell me what you're thinking.'

'I'm scared.' Phoebe admitted softly.

'Of what?' Piper probed gently.

Phoebe shook her head. 'I don't know, of him, of us. I mean what if this is another trick? I just can't go through all that again. I won't let myself get hurt like that again.'

Piper nodded sympathetically, and then asked the question that she knew had to be asked 'and what if it's not a trick? What if he really is good? '

Phoebe shook her head helplessly 'I don't know. I'd just gotten to the point where I'd accepted that it wasn't meant to be, that my life didn't include Cole. I was moving on, doing okay you know, and then this happens.'

Piper, her heart breaking, swept Phoebe in to a hug. 'Oh honey, look whatever happens we'll deal with it. We'll deal with it together okay.'

'Okay.' Phoebe whispered.

'Okay there's gotta be something in the book about re-activating this energy shield' Cole muttered, flipping through the pages of the Book of Shadows as he spoke.

Paige eyed him suspiciously 'how about you let us worry about the book and you go ask some of your demon buddies for information' she suggested.

Cole looked up at her in surprise 'because Piper told us to work together on the shield.'

'And since when did you start doing everything Piper tells you?' Paige asked in disbelief.

'Since I decided she made a whole lot of sense' Cole responded irritably, turning his attention back to the book. 'Now are you gonna help me figure this out or are you just gonna stand there glaring at me all day?'

'I'd just feel a whole lot better if you didn't have a hold of the book that's all' Paige insisted. 'So how about you hand it over.'

When he didn't respond she walked over and yanked the book out of his hands, clutching it protectively against her chest.

'Hey' Cole protested. He scowled. 'What exactly is your problem with me?' He asked indignantly.

'I just don't trust you' Paige said bluntly. 'You might have the others fooled, but you don't fool me. I was the only one who saw through your little charade last time. You nearly destroyed this family and you left me to pick up the pieces.'

'That must have been real tough' Johnny interjected, surprising them both, and gaining a glare from Cole. 'You must have felt like they didn't respect your opinion.'

'Yeah, it really sucked' Paige agreed. 'You know you're right I think that was the hardest part about it, the fact that they didn't have faith in me.' She smiled at him 'You know it's so great to finally meet a guy who's so intuitive and sensitive.'

Cole snorted in derision 'Aw c'mon you're really gonna fall for a line like that. Paige you have no idea who this guy is, you don't know anything about him. For all you know he could be playing you.'

He shook his head in disgust 'I can't believe this, I mean he says he's a member of the coven and you all just believe him, just like that no questions asked. You know exactly how I feel about Phoebe and yet you won't give me a chance. Why?'

'Because Cole, things have only just gotten back to normal around here after the last time you showed us how you felt about Phoebe, and I won't let you hurt my family again' Paige said firmly.

'You've got me all wrong' Cole complained indignantly. 'I'm not trying to hurt anyone; I'm trying to help you. I'm good now. Geez, even the book knows that I'm good otherwise I wouldn't be able to touch it.'

Paige shrugged. 'You can keep on saying it all you want Cole, but you're wasting your breath, I'm not gonna believe you. She sighed. 'Prue never trusted you and neither do I.'

Cole frowned, remembering the run ins he'd had with the mighty Prue Halliwell. She'd been suspicious of him right from the start, had made his job that much more difficult. Even when he'd crossed over to work for the forces of good, she'd never really trusted him, never thought that he was good enough for Phoebe. He'd tolerated her because she meant so much to Phoebe, but there'd never been any love lost between them. He shrugged. 'Prue never gave me a chance, she wouldn't listen, always figured she knew better than anyone else.'

Paige sank down on the couch, and began to flip through the book hoping against hope that inspiration would strike. 'Yeah well from what I hear Prue usually did know better than everyone else' she said wistfully. 'I'll bet if she were here right now she'd have figured out how to deal with this, and' she looked at him meaningfully 'there's no way she'd let you anywhere near this book.'

'And since she's not here you figured you'd take over her old job of persecuting me.' Cole shook his head in disbelief, a smile twitching at his lips. 'Oh that's priceless it really is.'

Paige narrowed her eyes at him 'What's that supposed to mean?'

Cole laughed 'Oh come on Paige it's obvious.' He looked at her incredulously 'It doesn't take a shrink to figure you out, it's written all over you.'

'What's written all over me?' Paige asked defensively. She was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable. Somehow she'd allowed him to get the upper hand in this conversation.

'You're inferiority complex about Prue.' Cole shook his head in dismay. 'Even after all this time, after everything you've been through, you're still trying to prove yourself to them, still trying to show them that you can match up to Prue.'

Paige bit her lip. He was right. She was still trying to prove herself to her sisters; sometimes she did still feel like they doubted her. She had tried hard to bury her feelings of insecurity, to convince herself that she was over reacting, but every now and then there were signs, signs that she just couldn't seem to ignore, and lately it had been getting worse.

Just tonight, she had noticed Piper's coolness towards her, the lack of faith in her judgement. In the beginning she'd had to work real hard to break through Piper's defences, to gain her sister's acceptance, Phoebe had been much more willing to welcome her in to the family. The somewhat difficult start had always meant that she'd been less certain of Piper's feelings for her. She'd thought that she and Piper had reached some kind of understanding, that she'd gained some element of acceptance and respect from her eldest sister, but tonight it hadn't felt that way. Tonight Piper had treated her like the inexperienced rookie she used to be. Perhaps she hadn't come that far after all.

'You're wasting your time' Cole told her bluntly, interrupting her maudlin thoughts. 'Prue died fighting to protect an innocent, it's the ultimate sacrifice, and there's no way anyone can compete with that. She's become a legend, a romanticised figure. When they think about her they don't remember the arguments, or how bossy she was, or how she always figured she could go out and fix everything herself, they only remember the good things. It's human nature, it's just the way it is and you might as well accept it.'

'Why are you telling me this?' Paige asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes in concentration.

Cole shrugged. 'I don't know. I'm good now. I'm just tryin' to help.' He sighed heavily. 'You know Paige I hate to see you wasting your time with a competition that you can't hope to win. It's not the way to play things'

'And I'm guessing you know exactly what I should do right?' Paige smirked, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

Cole grinned deliberately ignoring her sarcasm. 'You bet I do. It's quite simple actually, to be honest I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet, but then I guess you're so wrapped up in your paranoia about Prue you can't think straight.'

'I'm listening' Paige told him impatiently.

'You just have to be yourself Paige that's all' Cole said simply.

Thrown of guard by the honest simplicity of his words, which were totally unexpected from him, Paige could only stare in stunned silence, and that was when the first demon attacked.

To be continued ….