Cole left Phoebe's room shaking his head, well now what was he to do with himself, he thought. Phoebe had been in no mood to talk and had sent him away saying that she needed time alone. But that left him at serious loose ends. He had to admit that he had been surprised by the outburst earlier, although he did not know why, it was bound to happen eventually. It was just one of those issues that they had never talked about, about how they all felt about the difference and replacement of Prue, and the entrance of Paige. They had always avoided that topic, saying they loved everyone the same, but clearly there was some other things going on. Oddly he felt badly for Paige and almost empathized with her. He was surprised when he realized he was standing outside her door, apparently his subconscious felt sorrier for her than he had thought. To his own surprise he found himself knocking on her door.

"Ya, what, come in" Paige yelled, not sounding pleased to be bothered, and he knew she would be even less pleased when she saw it was him.

He opened the door and walked in, Paige was facing away from him, so he took a few steps closer and finally said "I know that you don't want to hear anything about this right now, especially from me. But I think maybe you need to."

"Cole! What the hell are you doing in here, get the hell out of my room" Paige practically yelled.

"Look Paige, I know I'm not your favorite person, but even so I'm the one who best knows what you are going through, and surprisingly I really do empathize with you. I know how hard it is to try and fit in this family and to try to make your own spot and not fill someone else's. I know how easy it is to get jealous of the love that someone else is getting, and I know that you feel like you are the outsider" Cole said softly.

Paige looked shocked and turned away from Cole. Finally after a long pause she said "What do you want Cole?"

"To be your friend" Cole said simply.

Paige laughed sarcastically. "Oh yes, very smooth you come up here pretending to be so deep and understanding to trick me into trusting you."

"I'm not trying to trick you into anything. And I did not even come up here to make friends with you. I just came because I thought you needed someone who had been through it and understood. And I do. I struggled so hard to fit into this family and to be accepted. It's hard to join an already smoothly running team. And you have done it wonderfully, although you probably don't see that. Paige being jealous of Prue is pointless, and comparisons are silly. You are not Prue and no one wants you to be. You are really just fighting yourself and your own image of perfection. You see Prue as some wonderful amazing witch who is above all, who is perfect and infallible. You have put her up on a pedestal that she doesn't deserve. She is not at all like you have made her out to be. Yes, she was the strongest, and led the charmed ones before you came, but that doesn't make her perfect. She was overly obsessive and it drove everyone crazy. At one point she was so obsessed with finding the triad that she allowed herself to be caught and almost killed by a human stocker, Piper stopped a bullet inches away from her head. Another time she accidentally turned herself into a dog, and was hit by a car. She ruined Pipers wedding by having her boyfriend crash in on a Harley, and jumping on and taking off with him. Prue is not someone to be worshiped, she is not someone to idolize. She is human and fallible. She was an amazing women and an amazing witch, its true, but so are you, in a totally different way. And that's ok, you are not meant to fill her place, that's not fair to her or to you. You have been working so hard to try to fill her place or beat her, and that's wrong, because it's wrong to try to pretend like she was not there or to try to cover it up, you need to let her memory live and make your own place." Cole said meeting her eyes squarely.

Paige looked shocked at his long speech. And stopped, looking closely at him, as though seeing him for the first time. Finally she said "I don't know. I mean its not that I want to be her" Cole gave her a doubtful look and her revised her answer saying "Well, I mean there are things I wish I had that she had and such, but I don't want to be her. I just want to not be less than her."

Cole paused considering his and said "Well do you consider Piper less than Prue?"

"No of course not!" Paige said.

"Do you consider Phoebe less than Prue?" Cole asked.

"No, that not the point" Paige said.

"Yes it is, Piper is not Prue and is not anything like Prue, she is able to not be less than Prue while still being totally different, so is Phoebe, Phoebe is as unlike Prue as is possible, but that doesn't make her less, it just makes her different. And that's ok. Paige during the fight you were right about one thing. Prue did, in a way, get herself killed, her stubborn obsessive approach to handling the demons and her insane demon hunting quest, her recklessness got her killed. I mean you certainly shouldn't have put it so badly and bluntly. But its true, she's not prefect and its good that you aren't her and are different, that way we have a much better chance of keeping you with us" Cole said kindly.

"Well yes, I guess that's true, I mean I certainly don't want to be so much like her that I end up dead too" Paige said.

"Exactly. Prue was obsessive about finding and fighting demons, to her the charmed ones came first always. She did not have a life at many times, and you don't want to do that. Prue was a great woman, and I loved her somewhat, to an extent. We had an uneasy truce, but I would have died to save her, hell in many cases I almost did. She was like a sister to me, and I miss her dearly, this house is not the same without her sniping at me" Cole said laughing. "But she was not perfect; if she was then she wouldn't be dead. You need to stop seeing yourself as her replacement; it doesn't work that way, you can't replace people. You can't replace yourself in the charmed ones or in your sister's hearts. They have room for both of you, they love you both. And I know that you feel that they love her more, and well, they do and don't. They knew her all their lives and they have known you about a year. It's all a matter of time. She was a huge part of their lives and that can't be changed, but Paige you have a chance to be more so. Not to make this a competition, but you will be with them for far longer, you will see their children and help raise them, you will be their Aunt, a thing Prue will never be. You will get to watch the children learn magic and you will be there to play scrabble when all three of you are old and gray." Cole smiled at the picture that painted.

He turned and met Paige's eyes again and said "They lashed out at you today in shock and hurt. They are still dealing with Prue's death and hearing you attack her came as a shock and they felt that loyalty demanded that they defend her. You need to remember that they are going through as many mind games and problems as you, maybe more. They probably feel terribly disloyal loving you with Prue gone, and they feel they're betraying her. You need to keep that in mind. With her not here to defend herself they will feel that they have to defend her and will see any attack on her as an attack on them too. They love you terribly Paige and were merely lashing out in distress and pain. Don't put them in the position of having to choose between you, because since she isn't here they will feel they have to pick her. It's nothing personal; it's just how things work. They love you, I've seen it, they would die to protect you. You saved this family Paige; with Prue gone they were falling apart. I remember, Piper was going down a horrible road, letting her rage and pain consume her and Phoebe was hugely in denial, and if you hadn't shown up when you did this family wouldn't have survived. You already have done as much as Prue to hold this family together. You should be proud of yourself, I am, proud of you that is. You have done as good a job of protecting this family as Prue did, she would be proud of you too, and would thank you for saving her family." Cole said the last bit softly, not knowing how she would take it.

Paige bit her lip as her eyes teared up. She slowly looked up at Cole and said softly "Really?"

Cole nodded and went over and gave her an awkward hug, he looked very uncomfortable and confused as Paige cried on his shoulder, he looked very unsure of what to do. Finally he said "Yes, she would be proud of you, never doubt that. She loves you too Paige, I know it. I knew her and know she would have and does love you and someday once you are allowed to see her I promise you she will tell you that herself. You have done much to be proud of."

Paige finally moved away from him and gave him a small awkward smile. "Thank you" she said sounding embarrassed.

"Your welcome" Cole said and turned to leave.

"But how did you know?" Paige asked.

"Know what?" Cole asked.

"How I was feeling" Paige said.

"Because I felt it too. Not quite the same. But this family is the only family I've ever really known. I worked hard to try to fit into it and fit into their mold of good and be the perfect boyfriend and solder for good. I tried so hard to win Piper, Leo and Prue's approval, not to mention Phoebe's. I worked hard to be a part of the family. I felt terribly jealous when I saw how easily they accepted and trusted Leo, and I felt lost as to what my place in it all was. I had to do plenty of soul searching. And I came to the same conclusion that I told you, there is room in their hearts for me, as me, not trying to fill another's place. And that my place in the picture was just being me." Cole said.

Paige looked surprised and finally said "I think I finally understand."

"Understand what? About being yourself?" Cole asked.

"No, I understand why they let you into the family. Why Phoebe loves you. And why they were so resistant to believing you were evil" Paige said.

Cole looked shocked and touched. Finally he said "Thank you, that means a lot. I know you did not really get much of a chance to get to know me before I was possessed. And at that time things were so hectic with the source and dealing with grief and you trying to be trained as a witch. I was so worried about getting Phoebe ready for facing the source I never found the time to get to know you. That was arrogant of me. I guess I figured that at that point you were the new comer; I was a part of the family, so I did not need to go out of my way to impress you. I'm sorry."

"It's alright; I mean I understand and probably would have done the same. And I certainly wasn't trying to make friends with you, once I saw the picture of your demonic half I kinda lost any amount of friendliness I had developed. I'm sorry about that, I never really gave you a chance" Paige said apologetically.

"It's ok. Look at as, such a bunch of saps, if you tell Phoebe about this weak moment I will be forced to go all demonic on you" Cole said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh I'm so scared" Paige said mockingly.

"You should really go talk to your sisters, and tell them that you are sorry about saying that about Prue that you were just hurt and saying stupid things and that you know that they love you just as much. And this time say it like you mean it. We don't need the power of three breaking again" Cole said.

"The power of three breaking again?" Paige asked.

"Never mind that's a story for later" Cole said.

Paige nodded and said "I admit I really don't want to have that conversation, but I guess I really need to, I hate the awkwardness and all that. Thank you, for everything. I think you actually got what you wanted."

"What do you mean?" Cole asked.

"You got a friend, and probably a sister too" Paige said and smiled.