Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed.

Doubts

Phoebe sat in her office at the Bay Mirror trying to write a Power of Three spell to bring her once-again boyfriend back to life. If her boss walked in and noticed that she wasn't working on her advice column, she'd have a fit. But, Elise knew she always had them in on time and that her column was more than just popular around San Francisco, so Phoebe wasn't worried she'd lose her job.

Phoebe put the end of her pen to her lips, thinking hard. It had been several weeks since that fateful day in the attic when she'd found out Cole still existed and became determined to bring him back. Piper had supported her and Paige had reluctantly agreed to help, for Phoebe's sake. They'd already tried several different spells and a potion, but nothing seemed to be working. Limbo appeared to be a resurrection-free zone.

Lost in thought, Phoebe jumped at the white lights that appeared before her, signaling Cole's appearance.

"Sorry. Am I interrupting?"

"'Course not," Phoebe smiled, rising from her chair to give him a kiss. When they broke apart, Phoebe led him to the sofa. "I think I've finally figured out what to do. If we combine a potion and I revise that spell we used last time, I think it'll work. I've got Piper working on the potion today and I'm almost done modifying my rhyme."

"Phoebe, I don't think it'll work. I'm dead. I told you from the beginning, I'm meant to be in limbo. I'm not supposed to come out, no matter how much I want to."

"This time it will work. I know it. And if by some off chance it doesn't, we'll just try something else."

"Maybe we should just accept that we love each other, but shouldn't be together."

Phoebe glared at him, "I really wish you would stop telling me that."

Cole traced the contours of her face with his fingers, soothing her annoyance instantly. "We can't keep this up, Phoebe. My coming to your plane for a couple of hours a day, people thinking you're crazy if they accidentally see you talking to 'air' once my time is up and you're the only one who sees me. It's not healthy. I'm already gone. You need a healthy love. It's ridiculous for you to be tied to a dead guy."

"Piper was married to Leo for years before he became mortal and alive again."

"And look at all the problems they had."

"Not because he was dead. Because he was a Whitelighter. And, you're coming back to life as soon as we can get a solution that works, hopefully the one me and Piper are working on. And, Cole, even if it takes years, I want to be with you. I don't care if everyone thinks I'm crazy or we can't go out in public or if you're only on this plane for a little while. I love you and we're going to make it work this time."

He sighed and looked into her eyes. Then, Cole voiced the lingering doubt in his mind that had really triggered the conversation, "How do you know it'll work?"

Phoebe pulled away, shocked. "Wh... What do you mean? Don't you want it to? If we both want to be together, why wouldn't we make it work?"

"I want to. But, are you sure you want to?"

How could he even ask that? Phoebe thought. Sure, she'd been scared at first, but she loved him and she didn't ever want to let him go, not again. "Of course!"

"Really?" Cole asked, pain etched in his face, "Because, honestly, I don't think I could take it if you changed your mind again."

And Phoebe pulled him into a kiss. "I love you. And this time, Baby, I'll listen, to you and myself. I believe in you, in your good heart. I won't give up on you. I won't give up on us. I won't. We've lost a few years, but I'll bring you back and then we'll have eternity, Cole Turner; I swear it."

"Hand me that root, would you, Paige?"

Grumbling, Paige gave the product to Piper. "How many different things are we gonna try? Because, I'm getting awfully sick of wasting my time trying to bring Cole back to life. Especially, since it's not working."

"If this is how you complain about the trying, I don't want to hear you when it works."

"What makes you think this time will work?"

"Phoebe's pretty confident in this one."

"And she wasn't confident in the last three hundred? When are we going to give up?"

Piper stopped her stirring. "I don't think Phoebe will, at least not anytime soon. Again, you don't have to help, though, if you don't want to."

"She's writing a Power of Three spell. I'm the three."

Turning around to grab a few more ingredients off the shelf, Piper replied, "Why don't you go see if Leo needs any help with the boys? I can finish up here."

Paige shook her head, heading to the refrigerator. "Can't. I'm hungry."

As Piper watched, her little sister pulled ham, pickles, and grape jelly out of the fridge. Then, Paige grabbed the bread and some cinnamon. Placing it all on the counter opposite Piper, she began to make a sandwich.

"That's really gross, Paige. And, what makes it even worse is that I know I'll be craving disgusting things really soon, too."

"This is not gross. That gunk you ate for like three months straight while you were pregnant with Chris, that was gross. This," she pointed to her finished meal, "is very appetizing."

"Uh-huh."

Paige continued, "So, when are we trying this new resurrecting thingie? I want to get it over with until next time."

"This afternoon."

"Great. So, I'm gonna go pay a visit to Henry. Call me when she gets here."

Piper nodded and Paige orbed out.