A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, don't stop! They mean a lot to me and they're what keep inspiring me to write. Love you all!
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Paige woke the next morning feeling stiff and sore, her stab wounds were throbbing and she felt like she'd been hit by a bus. Opening her eyes, she saw Phoebe lying next to her, watching her.
"Morning sleepy head." Phoebe smiled and sat up, "How're you feeling this morning?"
Paige licked her dry lips and struggled to take a breath. "It… Hurts…"
"I know, sweetie, I know. Piper's cooking you some breakfast and she's going to bring you some painkillers up as well. I'm going to help you wash and change your clothes." Phoebe got off the bed and opened Paige's clothes drawers. She pulled out a vest top and a pair of slacks. "I'm gonna help you sit up honey, this might hurt a bit." She put one arm under Paige's back and gripped her arm with her free hand. "Ready? One, two, three!" She pulled Paige up into a sitting position and held her as she cried out in pain. "It's ok, shhh, you're ok. That's the worst bit over."
Paige tried to get her breathing in order, "When's Leo gonna be back? I really want him to heal me…"
"I know but he went off on Whitelighter business and you know how that can take days sometimes. Let's go and get you washed, you'll feel a bit better after that."
She helped Paige stand and then supported her as they went to the bathroom. She sat Paige down on the toilet seat and helped her take her top off. Wetting a washcloth with warm water she gently wiped her face and body and cleaned her wounds. She helped her put her clean top on and then helped her take off her pyjama trousers and once again cleaned her wounds. She let Paige do her underwear herself and then helped her put on her slacks.
Picking up a hairbrush she eased it through Paige's tangled hair, coaxing out the knots and helping Paige to relax.
She heard Piper coming up the stairs and left Paige to use the toilet and brush her teeth, telling her to call if she needed any help.
She walked back into Paige's room and saw Piper setting down a tray of Paige's favourite food, chocolate chip pancakes. She poured some orange juice from a jug into a glass and set it on Paige's bedside table.
"Need a hand with anything?"
Piper plumped up Paige's pillows and then turned to face Phoebe, "You could help me with the potions…"
"I promise I'll help you with that as soon as we've finished breakfast."
Piper continued straightening the bed sheets out, "I'm not hungry, I'm going to get on with the potions right away. You can help Paige with breakfast."
Phoebe sighed, "No Piper. You're going to sit down and eat. It won't do you any good starving yourself."
"I'm not starving myself! I just want to get on with the potions that's all."
"Piper, you didn't have anything to eat last night. You've got to have something. The potions can wait for now, we can't vanquish him until Paige is feeling better anyway. She can hardly stand at the minute."
Piper's face crumpled and she sat on the edge of the bed trying but failing not to cry, "I just want him gone Pheebs, he attacked our sister and now all I can think about is inflicting as much pain on him as he caused for her."
Phoebe sat next to her and put an arm round her shoulders. "I know how you feel, I feel the same way but the best thing we can do at the minute is get Paige better. Then we can go after Cole. But we're gonna need the power of three to do it."
"I know, you're right. I'm just so angry with him!"
They heard Paige call from the bathroom and both of them stood up.
"I'll go." Piper left the room before Phoebe could argue.
Entering the bathroom, Piper saw Paige still sitting on the toilet seat. The bruising on her face and arms was more visible today and Piper noticed for the first time how young and innocent her baby sister looked. "Hey, baby girl, How're you feeling today?"
"Very sore but better now that I've had a wash and everything." She paused and sniffed the air, "Is that what I think it is?"
"Yep, chocolate chip pancakes! Need a hand?" Paige nodded and Piper helped her to her feet and wrapped an arm round her waist, her other hand supporting her by the elbow. She could see that Paige was trying to act tougher than she actually felt so she pretended not to notice when Paige winced and leaned into her.
She helped Paige back into bed and then set the tray on her knees. "Ok, listen, I'm just gonna go and make me and Phoebe some breakfast and I'll be right back." Phoebe grinned triumphantly and received a playful shove from Piper.
Piper returned a short while later with two more plates of pancakes. Just at that moment Leo orbed into the room.
"Leo! Thank God! Please heal me!"
Leo looked at Paige and his face registered shock when he saw her injuries, "What on earth happened?"
Piper handed Phoebe her plate and set hers on the side then turned to her husband, "Long story short, Cole wants Paige dead and he made a pretty good attempt, therefore we're now going to vanquish his sorry ass!"
Leo glanced at Phoebe, "Are you ok with this?"
"How can you even ask me that question? He tried to kill my sister, I can never forgive him for that."
Leo nodded and sat next to Paige on the bed. She pulled her top up a little way revealing her stomach indicating he should start there. Leo shook his head, "I can heal most of your injuries but the broken wrist, stab wounds and the slash on your face will have to stay, otherwise the doctor will get suspicious when you don't turn up to get the stitches and cast removed."
Paige pulled her top back down looking upset, "Please Leo! It's my stomach that hurts the most!"
"No, I'm sorry." He healed all her bruising and cuts then he healed her broken nose. "I bet you feel a bit better now."
Paige looked sulky, "A bit but I'd feel a hell of a lot better if you'd heal my stomach!"
Leo sighed and stood up, "I should go and inform the Elders what happened." He quickly kissed Piper then orbed out.
Phoebe saw that Paige still looked upset, "Don't worry honey, they'll heal up before you know it!"
They all sat in silence finishing their breakfast. Once they were all done Piper stacked up the plates. "Right I'll take these down, then me and Phoebe are going to work on the vanquishing potion. I want you to rest."
"I want to help with it! Leo healed most of me, I don't need to rest." Piper looked at her sceptically "I mean it, Piper. Look, Cole tried to kill me. I think it's only fair I help make the vanquishing potion." Piper was silent for a moment then she nodded reluctantly.
"Okay, fine. But I want you to rest this afternoon." Paige saluted her cheekily and then turned to Phoebe as Piper left the room.
"Can you help?" Phoebe was automatically at her side. She helped her to her feet then supported her as they went up to the attic stairs.
They reached the attic and Phoebe pushed a chair so that it was next to the table where all the ingredients were laid out. Paige sat down and pulled the Book of Shadows over so that she could look at the potion she was supposed to make. "Do you think this will work?"
Phoebe was busy slicing some mandrake root. "It should do. I mean these three are the strongest vanquishing potions we have so mixed together it should be pretty powerful.
They spent the morning mixing the potions. Finally they were finished and Piper carefully poured an equal mix of each into a vial. She looked up at her sisters, "Let's go demon hunting."
She saw Phoebe looking a bit miserable, "You ok, Pheebs?" When Phoebe didn't answer she walked over to her and gently pulled her into her arms, she ran her fingers through her hair and kissed her on the cheek. "I know it's hard but believe me, it'll be better for all of us when he's gone." Phoebe nodded and rested her head on Piper's shoulder.
Suddenly Cole shimmered into the attic right next to Paige. She gasped and orbed over next to her sisters.
Piper glared at him furiously, "What the hell are you doing here! Get out!" She raised the potion vial, ready to throw.
Cole grinned, "Relax Piper, I just came to see Paige."
Phoebe moved in front of Paige protectively, "You stay away from her!"
Cole held out his hand. In it was Paige's necklace. "I just came to return this. You left it in my apartment yesterday. Speaking of which we should do that again some time. It was fun." He put the necklace down on the table then shimmered out.
The room swam in front of Paige and she felt nausea bubbling up from the pit of her stomach. Her sisters suddenly became aware that she had gone paler than normal and was swaying on the spot. Jumping into action they seized an arm each and led her towards the sofa. Sitting next to her, Piper gently eased her head down so it was between her legs. Phoebe knelt in front of her on the floor, resting her hands on Paige's knees.
Piper rubbed Paige's back soothingly, "It's ok honey, just breathe." Gradually the room stopped swimming and Paige felt ok enough to sit up normally. "He's gonna get me, isn't he?" Phoebe and Piper shared a worried glance.
Phoebe cupped Paige's face in her hand, "I promise you, sweetie, we're not going to let him touch you again." Paige leaned into the touch and a few tears ran down her face. Phoebe gently wiped the tears away with her thumb. "Do you want to go and have a rest?" Paige shook her head and a look of determination came over her face, "No, I want to go and vanquish Cole." She took the small potion bottle from Piper and looked at it.
Piper looked surprised, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm not going to let him have that hold over me. I'm not going to be able to sleep easily while he's still alive. I won't survive if he takes me again, I barely survived last time. I just can't through that pain again."
Piper nodded then said quietly, "Ok then… Let's go." Paige took hold of their hands then with a small smile she orbed them to Cole's apartment.