Cole sat down at his desk feeling pleased with himself. She'd looked so scared when he appeared! He smirked and pulled a stack of papers towards himself. Her sisters couldn't guard her forever. Sooner or later she'd be unprotected and then he'd strike! He didn't hear them orb in behind him. He did, however, hear Paige's breath catch in her throat. He got up quickly and turned to face them.
"Here to vanquish me are you?" He kept his voice calm and polite as if they were having an ordinary conversation. He looked at Piper whose eyes were full of hate and anger for what he'd done to her baby sister.
"That's right." Her voice dripped with venom and for a split second he actually felt fear. He pulled himself together quickly and smiled pleasantly at her. This seemed to infuriate her more which he was pleased about.
"Do you really think you have the power to kill me?" He looked at Phoebe. He was challenging her and she knew it.
"Only one way to find out. Throw the potion, Paige."
He turned his steely gaze on the youngest Halliwell who froze with her arm in the air, mid-throw, "Yeah come on Paige. Throw the potion. Vanquish me." Piper turned to her sister to see her eyes full of fear and tears.
"You can do it, Paige…"
Paige took a shaky breath, "Burn in hell you bastard!" She threw the potion at him and looked away as flames erupted around him and he screamed in agony. There was a huge explosion knocking the sisters to the ground. Phoebe was the first to get to her feet. Coughing, she wafted away the smoke that hung in the air like a think mist. What she saw before her made her heart stop. Cole was standing there completely unharmed. Piper and Paige got to their feet and stood in shock not sure what to do or say.
Cole smirked at Paige, "Surprise!"
Paige choked back a sob and orbed herself and her sisters out of the apartment.
As soon as they arrived back at the manor, Paige fled upstairs to her bedroom in tears.
Phoebe felt emotionally drained as she watched her little sister run up the stairs. She turned to Piper, "Should we follow?"
Piper sighed wearily and sank onto the sofa, "No, let her be on her own for a while."
"What are we going to do about Cole?"
"I don't know, I really don't. I wish I did… I'd give anything to stop Paige feeling so scared but I haven't got a clue what we do. That was one of the most powerful vanquishing potions we've ever made and it didn't even dent him!"
Phoebe sat next to her and draped an arm round her shoulders, "We'll figure something out…"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Bitch!" Cole threw a fireball at his coffee table causing it to explode into a smouldering pile of ash. How dare she try and vanquish him! After everything she'd put him through! After all the heartache and pain he'd suffered and he was sure Phoebe had suffered too! How dare she put him through all the pain of that lousy attempted vanquish! Hadn't she caused him enough pain already?
He was disappointed with Piper. He thought he knew her better. He thought she'd be supportive. After all, Paige was only her half sister and it was her fault Prue was dead. He thought Piper couldn't wait to get rid of her, obviously she'd changed a lot more than he'd realised.
Still, she'd pay when Paige was dead. If she was as close to her sister as it seemed then killing Paige would be punishment enough. He couldn't wait to get rid of Paige once and for all. But not before he made her suffer as much as she deserved!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leo orbed into the living room to see Phoebe asleep on the sofa. He could hear Piper and Paige talking and followed the sounds of their voices. As he entered the kitchen he saw them both sat at the kitchen table chatting.
"Hi guys."
Paige looked up miserably, "Hi Leo. What'd Elders say?"
"Not a lot I'm afraid. They're not sure if a normal vanquishing potion will work however-"
Piper interrupted him, "They're right. It didn't."
Paige shushed Piper and turned back to Leo, "Do they have any idea what will work?"
Leo shook his head. "I'm afraid not."
Piper snorted, "Why doesn't that surprise me?"
"There's one more thing…" Leo hesitated knowing that Piper wouldn't be happy, "I've been assigned a new charge so I'm not going to be around much for the next couple of weeks."
"What! Are you kidding me? We're up against Phoebe's invincible, deranged ex-husband who wants our sister dead and you're bailing on us?"
"I'm not bailing on you! You can still call me if you need me but I'll only be able to come if it's an emergency. I love you." He gave Piper a quick kiss on the cheek and orbed out.
Paige sunk her head into her arms, "I'm screwed…" Piper squeezed her shoulder.
"You're not screwed honey, We'll figure something out, we always do. You never know. Cole may have given up."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: So, hands up who believes that? Looks round No-one? Well, the quicker you review the quicker the next two chapters will be up! Plus I love reading them!
