Thanks guys for all the amazing reviews! I actually wasn't going to write a chapter this week, with finals coming up, but after reading what you guys had to say encouraged me to write more! And I still got my studying done … yay! Lol.. I even had time to watch The Omen... Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy chapter two… I kinda enjoyed writing it…

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed…

Chapter Two: That Split Second

"Oh God! Am I dead again?" Phoebe muttered looking at her comatose self, then instinctively called out to her sisters, "Paige! Piper! Leo! Help!"

"They won't hear you," said a numbingly familiar voice.

Phoebe's head shot up. 'It couldn't be,' she thought to herself. She turned around slowly, dreading to meet those eyes. 'There's no way in hell it could be…'

"Cole…" Phoebe breathed.

"Hello Phoebe," Cole said in his usual cool tone.

"Cole?" Anger brewing in her voice, "What the HELL are you doing here?"

"You asked for me."

Phoebe laughed sarcastically, "Oh yeah, I asked for you! The hell I did!" She was yelling by now

"You asked for help, and here I am!" Cole spoke, matter-of-factly.

"The only way you can help me is by getting me back into my body so I never have to see you again! Oh and by the way… How exactly are you here? If my mind serves me correctly, we vanquished your sorry ass about two and a half years ago!"

"Two years, 98 days, 17 hours actually. And that's exactly what I'm trying to do, help you get back to your body… safe."

"Safe? Are you kidding me? And you still haven't answered my question, how are you here? Why can I see you?"

"Well technically I am still vanquished. I've been sent to this ungodly plain for the rest of eternity for all my evil doings."

"Serves you right," Phoebe mumbled under her breath.

"Pardon me?"

"Nothing," Phoebe said, turning her back to Cole, "I need to get back. A demon could attack any moment and Piper and Leo aren't back yet. Paige could be in danger."

"Ohh I'm sure Paige is fine, she's always been good at looking out to herself."

"You shut up! You are still not off the hook yet! Why you! Why now! I'm just confused as hell!"

"Let me explain everything to you, come sit with me."

"Hell no, I'm not going anywhere with you!" Phoebe's nerves locked her in place. She had promised herself that she would never let this man get to her again. Her mind was agreeing with her… her heart was begging her a different story. She looked at him, and for the first time, looked deep into his deep blue eyes, the eyes she used to get lost in, the eyes that she felt she was drowning in. Her looked so depleted, like his whole world had been taking away. Technically it had, and she had been one third of the blame for that. When she said those last words she saw him take a step back, the confidence level he was speaking with broke under the weight of her words. He looked so vulnerable. She knew the man she used to love was in there. For that split second, when she let her guard down, she could see it. She asked herself silently, 'Used to love?'. She wasn't so sure anymore. Phoebe controlled her thoughts thinking, 'oh god there I go again'. She couldn't do this again, she knew that, but his presence was altering. She began to doubt herself, her mind, her heart.

She suddenly cleared the thoughts that were lingering in her mind. Two things remained, the fact that Cole was evil and that he was there, in front of her.

"This is all some sick plot isn't it?" Phoebe's voice was growing louder again.

"What are you talking about Phoebe?"

"This is just another plan of yours to worm your way back into ours lives! You've done it before Cole! I definitely wouldn't put it past you! But you know what?" her voice became low and filled with intensity, "It isn't going to work this time Cole, over my dead body will I let you put my family in danger."

"Oh Phoebe," Cole could feel his confidence increasing slightly, "You make me sound like the antichrist himself."

"Come on Cole, you became the Source of All Things Evil for God's sake! You impregnated me with its spawn!"

"I admit, not one of my finer moments, yet you make it out to be like I deliberately hurt you!" Cole began to get angry himself, also because of the fact that they were running out of time, something he had yet to tell Phoebe.

"You DID deliberately hurt me Cole! You hurt my sisters! You tried to kill us more than once!"

"NOO! I tried to destroy the power of three when I was evil! NEVER you! How could you even think that! You were all that I had, all that I ever wanted! Everything that I did, every choice that I made was to protect you!"

"Okay," Phoebe said, skeptical, "So becoming the Source was to protect me? Care to enlighten me Cole?"

"You don't get it," Cole's voice lowered, "The Seer had seen you and your sisters die, the source would have killed you, especially without your powers. She brought me to the Underworld, where we made the deal: I would receive the Hollow, kill the Source, then you and the seer would return the Hollow. At no time did I know about or agree to receiving the Sources powers, nor did I want them. Once the power was in the void left by Belthazar, there was no controlling it. The only thing my human half could focus on was my love for you, and even that eventually that became overpowered, but it never changed the fact that I loved you."

Cole could see that Phoebe wasn't sure on what to say. As he looked into her dark eyes, he felt he could see her soul. And even though she looked so worn and overtired, she looked undeniably beautiful. This didn't come as a shock, for she would always look beautiful in his eyes. But there was something different about her this time. She had lost that spark that once resided in her chestnut eyes. He shuddered, realizing that the loss of that spark was mostly his fault. She hadn't said anything so he continued, "We can't continue talking about this now, we don't have the time."

"What are you talking about? What do you mean, not enough time for what?"

"Just sit down," Cole motioned towards the couch across from the chair he had just sat down in himself, "I'll explain everything."

This time, Phoebe agreed to his request.

Meanwhile, Paige was flipping through the pages of the Book of Shadows, searching for some idea of a thorn demon.

"Come on, come on, come on," Paige said vigorously, pages flying till she stopped on one distinct page, "Gotcha!"

She read down the page and realized that Phoebe was in big trouble if she didn't get to her soon.

"Phoebe! Phoebe!" She called as she raced down the staircase, almost tripping over her sisters unconscious body, "Oh my God! Phoebe! Wake up!" She picked up her body and began to cradle it next to her, tears streaming down her face, "Come on Phoebe! LEO! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE! …Leo… " sobs prolonging her words.

Paige tried to heal Phoebe herself, it wouldn't work, "Damn it! I'm part whitelighter too! Why the hell do I have these powers if I can't even use them! What are you trying to do to us!" she cried to the heavens above, "…why…" Paige continued to sob while holding Phoebe close to her.

Alrighty guys... Hope you liked it... I know I left it at a bit of a cliffhanger, but I'll be sure to clear some things up... Review Please, it'll make the next chapter be up sooner!

Next Time:

- Is Phoebe's body dead?

- What will happen if time runs out for Phoebe?

- How can she get back into her comatose body?