Thanx for the reviews!...since its half term I'll be able to update more regularly so hopefully no more long waits for the nxt chapter…for the nxt wk at least!

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Chapter 7: Confessions of a Witch

'Nobody will look for you anymore. You're dead.'

The words swam around in Phoebe's head as she stared at the spot in the mausoleum where she had faked Cole's death. She sighed and tilted her head back, her eyes trying to see past the crumbling stone roof.

"Cole, if you can hear me. I can't stand lying anymore. I have to tell my sisters that you're alive, that I let you go, and that you would never do anything to hurt us and, that you love me. I just don't know how to do it."

The only answer Phoebe got was silence.

-

Phoebe's P.O.V

I was being torn apart by guilt; I couldn't look my sisters in the eye anymore. All I had to say was 'Cole is alive' but I couldn't get the words past my lips. I didn't want to see their faces when I told them that I had lied to them and tricked them. But I knew I had to.

-

"Leo, Cole is alive." blurted Phoebe, before she lost the nerve to speak.

"What?" exclaimed Leo, hardly believing what he was hearing.

"Cole... Belthazor, I didn't really vanquish him." Phoebe held up a hand to stall Leo's reply, "I know. I know it's horrible, and I've barely been able to live with Prue and Piper ever since, but I just couldn't tell them."

"Phoebe..." Leo began

"I couldn't kill him, Leo." cut in Phoebe desperately trying to make Leo understand, "I had every intention of doing it, but when I got there and I was face to face with him, I just, I couldn't kill him, and I knew that my sisters were going to."

"So you faked his death?" asked Leo disbelievingly.

Phoebe nodded slowly, "I didn't have a choice. Leo, I knew in my heart that he would never try and hurt us. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let him go you have to believe me. All I know is that I loved Cole. And if anyone understands forbidden love it's you, isn't it?"

"Oh my god, Phoebe. It's not even close to being the same thing. He is a demon." hissed Leo, trying to keep his voice down.

"He's half-human." contradicted Phoebe.

"For god's sake, he's a killer. He has killed witches and innocents and anything that has gotten in his way. What is the matter with you? What makes you think that he is not gonna come back here right now and try and kill all three of you?" Leo knew his anger stemmed from his worry than Cole would come back and he took a deep breath to try to control his anger.

"He won't. I know he's good." insisted Phoebe.

"No, you hope that he's good. You want him to be good." At a loss for words he continued, "Why did you even tell me this?"

"I don't know, Leo." Phoebe snapped sarcastically, hurt at Leo's unusual reaction. "I was sort of counting on you for your guidance and support."

-

Phoebe's P.O.V

Leo's reaction shocked me. I know he was experiencing self-doubts at the time but I was hoping he would be able to help me. Instead, unintentionally, he just made me feel guiltier by blaming it on himself for being distracted by his relationship with Piper. Despite this I knew he didn't mean to have been so harsh; and I knew that I still had to tell my sisters.

-

"I'm afraid to ask." commented Piper dryly.

"Just something that I thought that I needed and then decided that I didn't." replied Phoebe quietly.

"Okay." Piper nodded taking the piece of paper off Phoebe and reading it.

"It's a lost and found spell." explained Phoebe.

"Wow, perfect timing." grinned Piper, then she stopped suddenly. "Do I want to know what you were trying to find?" she asked.

Phoebe paused. "Cole." she admitted not meeting Piper's eyes.

"Cole? Honey, you were trying to bring a demon back from the dead?" Piper enquired sympathetically.

"No." Phoebe corrected. She took a deep breath, "He's still alive. I never really vanquished him."

"I'm sorry..." Piper began slowly as the realisation began to hit her.

"It's over, he's not coming back and I don't want him to either." clarified Phoebe hurriedly.

"Phoebe, you-you let him go? Are you out of your mind?" exclaimed Piper, loudly causing Phoebe to wince.

"He's not after us anymore." Phoebe insisted, "He won't hurt us."

Piper shook her head in disbelief and worry, "No, you-you don't know that." she contradicted.

"Yes, I do." replied Phoebe calmly. "Piper, I just, I couldn't kill him."

-

Phoebe's P.O.V

Well, I thought Piper took it quite well. She was hurt that I had lied to them but that was kind of cancelled out by the fact that I had told her. She was also worried that Cole would come back to hurt us again but I knew that he wouldn't. I didn't know how to convey it to Piper, but I was more than certain that Cole would never hurt us.

-

"Uh, Prue, there's one more thing." Phoebe decided that with Prue distracted by the prospect of a fight this was as good as moment as any to tell her.

"Now? Now is your perfect moment?" hissed Piper incredulously.

"Piper, we might die in there." Phoebe hushed her.

"That doesn't mean you should tell her now." rejoined Piper.

"Okay, tell me what?" asked Prue curiously.

Phoebe nodded abruptly, "Cole is still alive. I never really vanquished him." she said quickly.

"What?" exploded Prue.

"Prue..." Phoebe started consolingly reaching out to touch Prue's arm.

Prue pulled away, "Ooh!" she exclaimed angrily.

There was a brief pause in which Phoebe glanced at Piper. Piper kept her face expressionless. Turning to Prue, Phoebe asked "Are we okay?"

"Not by a long shot." spat Prue, "Look, Phoebe, it you waited till now to tell me about Cole in hopes that we would die and you wouldn't have to deal with me, you have another thing coming."

With that Prue stalked away.

"I think that went well." Phoebe whispered hopefully to Piper.

-

Phoebe's P.O.V

I knew that Prue would take it least well, but she did take it better than I expected in the end. She didn't understand why I had done it but she knew I was sorry for lying to them. She tried to understand.