A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, they mean a lot to me.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that night, Paige was released from hospital. It was late and they were all tired. Paige lay in the back of the car with her head resting in Phoebe's lap. Phoebe was stroking her hair comfortingly. They arrived home and Phoebe helped Paige out of the car.

As soon as they got in the front door Piper started towards the stairs.

"Hey, where are you going?" Phoebe called looking confused,

"I'm going to work out how to vanquish the bastard who attacked my sister!"

"Piper, just calm down. Maybe we should relax for a bit, you know, I could make some tea and you could make something to eat."

Paige yawned, "Actually, Pheebs I'm just gonna have a bath and go to bed. I'm exhausted."

Piper nodded, "Ok then, I'll be in the attic." She continued up the stairs and out of sight.

Phoebe turned to Paige, "Do you need a hand?"

"I'll be ok but thanks for asking." Paige paused at the bottom of the stairs, "I never thanked you or Piper for helping me earlier…"

Phoebe looked confused, "Why wouldn't we help you? You're our sister."

"Half-sister technically."

Phoebe walked over to her and took her hand, "Where's this coming from? Ok, so we have different Dads but that doesn't make you any less of a sister to me. Or to Piper."

Paige nodded slowly, "I know… It's just been an emotional day that's all. Anyway, I'm going to go and have my bath." She smiled and started up the stairs.

"Ok, just make sure you keep your cast out of the water."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paige ran a deep, hot, bubble bath and took her clothes off. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed miserably at all the bruises and scars. She ran her fingers over the several sets of stitches going across her stomach and face then with one final sigh she stepped into the bath and sunk back into the water.

Phoebe went into her bedroom to get her pyjamas on. As she approached her wardrobe she saw a picture of Cole in a frame on her window sill. "Son-of-a-bitch!" She slammed the frame picture side down making the glass at the front smash. She quickly changed into her pyjamas and then went up to the attic.

Piper was throwing various ingredients together in a pot, glancing at the Book of Shadows every now and then. She looked up as Phoebe entered the room. "Oh good, you're here. I think I may have had an idea how to vanquish Cole… If we make our three strongest vanquishing potions and mix them all together then that should make them strong enough to…" Piper noticed how quiet Phoebe was. "Honey? You ok?" She crossed the room so that she was standing directly in front of her sister.

Phoebe gave her a small smile, "Yeah I'm alright I just… I don't know… Even though what he did to Paige today was unforgivable, I still can't help feeling upset that we're going to vanquish him. I can't explain it… You probably think I'm crazy." Phoebe looked down, playing with a loose thread on her sleeve.

"I do understand, sweetie. I guess it would be like if Leo ever hurt one of you. I'd vanquish his sorry ass if he ever did but that doesn't mean it would stop it hurting. You and Cole may not be together anymore but that doesn't mean you don't still care for him on some level."

"I always knew we'd have to vanquish him sooner or later. I guess I was just putting it off and trying to delay the inevitable. I never dreamt he'd hurt Paige. I never knew he'd go that far. If I did I'd have vanquished him a long time ago and now I feel so guilty… I keep thinking to myself that if I hadn't have kept putting it off all the time then Paige would be ok." Phoebe wiped away a few tears that leaked out.

"Oh, Pheebs, You can't blame yourself! Like I've already told you, you didn't know what was going to happen, none of us did. It wasn't just you putting off the vanquish, we all were so I guess we're all a little guilty on some level. I know it's going to be hard for you when the showdown happens but I'm here for you ok?" Phoebe nodded and Piper pulled her in for a hug.

"So what was your idea about the vanquishing potion?" Phoebe pulled out of the hug and walked over to the Book of Shadows.

"I just thought that maybe if we mixed three of our strongest vanquishing potions together then that would work because that would be like a triple strength potion."

"That's a good idea. I'll make this one and you carry on with the one you're working on." Phoebe started getting the ingredients out that she needed. Suddenly there was a crash from the bathroom, Piper and Phoebe both ran down the attic stairs fearing the worst.

Piper knocked on the bathroom door, "Paige? Are you ok? Can we come in?"

Paige's voice sounded from the other side of the door, "I'm fine Piper. I just had an accident that's all."

Phoebe pushed the door open and saw shards of glass on the floor from what had once been Leo's small shaving mirror. Paige was kneeling on the floor in her pyjamas trying to scrape the glass into a pile. "I'm sorry, it was an accident, I knocked it with my cast and it fell off the side." Paige swore as she caught her finger on a piece and it started bleeding.

Piper hurried forward "Come on, honey, leave that. I'll fetch the dustpan and brush. Let's get you into bed." She got Paige to her feet and they took her through to her bedroom. Phoebe pulled the covers back for her and then once Paige was in and lying comfortably she tucked them back up round her chin.

"Not meaning to sound melodramatic or incredibly babyish but can one of you sleep with me? I don't want to be on my own in case Cole comes after me again. After all, he wants me dead…"

"Did you honestly think we were going to let you sleep on your own tonight? We're both staying in here with you. Phoebe, you can sleep in the bed with Paige, I'll sleep on the sofa. We'll finish the potions tomorrow."

Piper left the room to clean up the mess in the bathroom and to get her pyjamas on. She returned 15 minutes later with her duvet and pillow and stopped to smile at the sight in front of her.

Paige was already fast asleep; she was cuddled up in Phoebe's arms with her head resting on Phoebe's chest. Phoebe had her arms wrapped protectively round Paige and was running one hand up and down her back soothingly.

"You two look adorable!" Piper grinned as she made up her bed on the sofa. Phoebe smiled sleepily at her as Piper climbed under the covers.

"I just want to protect her. I still feel so guilty about what happened." Piper opened her mouth to reply but Phoebe cut her off, "I know what you're going to say. You're going to try and tell me that it wasn't my fault and there was nothing I could do about it… Well, maybe that's true but it doesn't stop me feeling guilty."

They lay in silence for a few minutes before eventually drifting off to sleep.