Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed.

Gathering

"How's it going?"

"Not bad, actually." Piper looked up from the papers she'd been reviewing to greet Paige. "I've got the prices of most the stuff right here; we can afford it on the income of P3 and our insurance will hopefully come in and help, too. The contractor says he can start at the beginning of next week."

"You got everything together pretty fast, huh? I mean, the manor only, you know, blew up last week."

"Well, it certainly helped that I was able to magically conjure up the original plans for it," Piper grinned. "We don't have to go through that mess before it's rebuilt."

"Yeah, that would be a big help."

Piper looked at her sister, a frown going across her face. "But, I still wish we could've gotten the real house back. It was in our family for generations. Prue, Phoebe, and I grew up there. All of us, you too, became witches there. Grams, Prue, and Chris all died in the manor. But, you and I were married there. Wyatt was born there. We've just been through so much, good and bad, in that house."

"And, even though the new place will be an exact replica, it's not the same," Paige completed the thought. "I'm gonna miss it, too."

"At least the investigation is over." Piper opted to look on the bright side as she hopped off of her barstool, collecting the stack of documents.

"Oh, yeah? What'd they finally decide happened?"

"Nothing magical, thankfully. I don't want to worry about the Cleaners trying to erase anyone again. They said a gas leak got out of control."

"Plausible, I suppose," Paige said. "Hey, where's Leo? I thought he was coming with us?"

"To check on Phoebe? He said we'd do a better job. But I think he really figured he'd be out of place with Henry at work and just us girls there. Besides, since Dad's watching the boys, Leo volunteered to show the contractor the site. We're hoping the foundation isn't damaged and they can go straight to framing. If not, the estimate pricing I have is going to shoot up."

"Shop talk; I don't really get that. Are you ready?"

"I have to get these over to Dad's first. Unless you want to orb them there."

"No problem. Papers!" Blue and white lights surrounded the objects as they disappeared.

"Thanks. You driving?" Piper asked already reaching for her sister's arm.

"Did you bring a car?" Paige asked, knowing the answer.

Piper shook her head, "I'm shopping for it tomorrow, hopefully."

"Then, I'm driving." The two vanished in the same way the papers had.

"Pheebs, are you home?"

"Piper, Paige," Phoebe ran in from the living room. Her siblings had orbed into her kitchen.

"Hey, uh, Honey; you're awfully perky," Paige commented.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be? We're all alive, and I've got a surprise for you two in the other room."

"So, you're OK," Piper asked, "about Cole?"

Phoebe's smile faltered for a second. "If I was able to get over a two year relationship with him, I think I can handle a few minutes one. I'm fine. Really. Now, come on."

Paige watched her leave. She turned to Piper, "Any chance she is telling the truth?"

"Not a one."

"You could've lied."

"What's taking you guys so long?" Phoebe called out.

"We're coming."

Entering the living room of Phoebe's loft, Piper and Paige were greeted by the sight of their old friend from the police department and his family.

"Darryl, Sheila, you're in town?" Piper gave each a quick hug. Paige did the same.

"Sheila wanted to visit some old friends from her work, and we thought we'd drop in on you guys, too," Darryl explained.

"We stopped by the manor first. Leo told us what happened," Sheila added with a sympathetic smile. "He gave us Phoebe's address."

"Oh, it's fine. We're rebuilding and everything's going to be great," Piper said, dismissing the issue. "If I'd known you were coming, I'd have brought Wyatt and Chris." She smiled at Darryl Jr.

"It's so great to see you again," Paige said.

"Especially since we didn't leave on the best of terms?" Darryl finished her unspoken thought.

"No," Paige began.

"It's, Ok, Paige, really. We got scared and ran. It wasn't the nicest thing, considering we'd been friends for so long," Darryl apologized.

Piper waved it off. "We were taking the friendship for granted, expecting you to always help us out because of it."

"Enough drama, Guys," Phoebe broke in. "Let's enjoy each other's company now." She rushed off, presumably to get Piper and Paige drinks and to refill everyone else's.

"Is she OK?" whispered Sheila. "She's been a bit...hyper... since we got here."

"She's dealing with some things right now. She doesn't want us to worry, so she's putting up a front."

Darryl looked at Piper worried, "What's wrong?"

"I don't think you really want to know."

A crash resounded throughout the apartment.

"Phoebe?" Paige asked as she Piper, Darryl, and Sheila came into the room. Darryl audibly gasped at what he saw.

"I didn't mean to scare you, Pheebs," Prue laughed.

"Prue?"

"Hi, Darryl." She briefly hugged him.

"What's going on? I didn't think you were allowed down."

"I fixed that last week." Turning excitedly to her sisters, she clarified. "They made me a Whitelighter. I guess we showed them that the Power of Four really is more efficient. And guess who they assigned me, too?"

"Us?" Phoebe asked.

"Actually, just Piper."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, they figured the Charmed Ones deserved to each have their own Whitelighter. Well, Phoebe and Piper, that is. Paige is technically one herself."

"Then, who's mine?" Phoebe asked.

Piper didn't miss the hopeful tone in her sister's voice. She placed her arm around the other's shoulder. "Sweetie, I don't think the Elders would make a demon a Whitelighter, no matter how much good he's done."

"There's one point for them," Paige muttered under her breath.

"I, I know that, Piper. I'm just curious as to who my Whitelighter is going to be," Phoebe shrugged off Piper's comforting hand.

Prue hid a smile; her eyes held a secret. "This one's actually a favor for me. Plus, he did die to save us."

Next to her, white lights began to form a person.

"Andy?" Phoebe and Piper hugged the man they had viewed as an older brother in their childhood. "Hi, Girls."

"You didn't think I'd let them separate us again, did you?" Prue gushed.

Darryl was again shocked. "Andy?"

The dark-haired man faced his former partner, "Hey, Buddy." The two shook hands with a firm grasp, and a short hug, with pats on the back, followed.

"Uh, hi. Who's Andy?"

Prue introduced her baby sister to the man she loved.

"Prue!" a voice boomed. "Where did you go?"

"Calm down," she said coolly. "I was sure you could handle it."

"I was focused on the demons. You should have been checking on the innocent."

"I got that little boy to safety."

"And what about his sister?"

"There, there was another child? I didn't realize."

"Don't worry; the kid's fine. I could handle it. But, you should've checked before running off to who knows where. You're slipping in your old age."

"My old age? Excuse me, but I'm not over a century. And are you aware that you completely ruined my surprise?"

"What surp-" Cole finally noticed where he'd blurred into. Phoebe was staring, Paige's mouth was gaping, and Piper was looking back and forth between the two. Within seconds, Phoebe was in his arms.

"Cole?" Darryl asked, "I need to sit." He slid into a chair. He was so lost. Three of the people currently in the same room he was in had been dead, last he'd heard. And, since when did Phoebe like Cole again?

"Hi, Darryl, everyone." Cole greeted while he held tightly to Phoebe, and slowly closed the distance between them.

Paige yelped as the kiss became heated. "Stop it! Stop it, right now! What is going on?"

"They may not have made him a Whitelighter, but the Elders did take into consideration how he helped us defeat the Ultimate Power. They brought him back to life, minus the Avatar part, of course. They trust him to help us fight." Prue was the one to give the explanation.

"You're alive." Phoebe broke the kiss and stared up at him.

He smiled, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Phoebe proclaimed, kissing him with every fiber of her being, pouring out all the love she held in her heart for Cole Turner. He did the same, much to Paige's horror.

"You're kidding! We're stuck with him again?"

"Looks that way, Paige," Piper said.

"Ooh! But, I don't like him!"

"I thought you hated him?" Prue asked.

"He did save my life and help us beat a major enemy, so I have to use a lesser word." Sitting at the table, she glowered at the newly-reunited couple.

"Didn't you all hate him?"

"Darryl, why don't we explain over dinner?"

"That'd be great, Piper," Sheila accepted.

"Come on, Paige." The time-freezing witch pulled the woman to her feet. "Let's leave them alone."

Darryl, with his wife and son in tow, followed Piper and Paige out the front door. Prue and Andy joined hands and did the same. Once on the other side of the entrance, Prue grinned at Andy and gave him a deep kiss. Pulling away, her finger pointed at the loft's door. With a single motion, it shut.

The End