They drove to the restaurant. Cole was catching small glimpses of her, but Phoebe wouldn't talk or even look at him, so he didn't say anything either. He felt jealousy overcome him when he saw her smiling and talking with another handsome guy, but he knew she still loved him. He had felt it yesterday. They had to talk and resolve their issues. Phoebe had to know that he would have never taken The Source's powers willingly. He had to explain to her and make her understand how it all happened.

"We're here." Cole said and Phoebe got out of the car. Cole sighed and did the same.

They got in and the waiter sat them at their reserved table. It was in a far secluded corner, where no one else was sitting.

"Ha." Phoebe remarked.

"What was that?" Cole asked.

"Couldn't you arrange for us to go to another plain where no soul was around?" Phoebe said sarcastically.

"I just wanted us to talk away from ears that may hear us. We have a lot to discuss." Cole told her.

"Fine." Phoebe said.

They ordered their drinks, wine for both and Phoebe checked her cell.

Cole just looked at her and waited for her to finish whatever she was tapping.

Phoebe looked at him, set her cell down on the table and sighed.

"Talk." Phoebe told him.

"You look so beautiful today." Cole smiled at her.

"Is this why we came here, to tell me that I look beautiful?" Phoebe asked him a little irritated.

"First thing that came to my mind looking at you."

Phoebe rolled her eyes and tried not to blush.

"Phoebe, I never wanted to hurt you." Cole told her seriously looking into her eyes, "You need to know what really happened that night you vanquished The Source."

"Did you make an arrangement with The Seer?" Phoebe asked him.

"I did." Cole said and Phoebe snorted, "Not what you think." Cole said in defense.

"So, what do I think?" Phoebe asked him.

"You think that I wanted to get his powers? That I wanted to be evil again? You think that I wanted to destroy everything we worked so hard to have together? That I wanted to ruin our lives?" Cole asked her.

"I don't know what I think, Cole." Phoebe told him and looked down at the table.

The waiter interrupted them by bringing their wine and took their order.

"The Seer shimmered me to the Underworld and asked me to take in the Hollow in order to save you, " Cole continued once the waiter was out of ear shot, "I never would have taken it, if I knew there was another way, but I didn't know what to do. She told me that if I wanted to save you, I had to take it," he explained.

"You should have come to me first." Phoebe told him.

"There was no time! The Source attacked. I had to do it."

"What happened with the powers?" Phoebe asked him.

"She never told me that if I killed The Source, I'd become The Source, damn it." Cole said.

"We killed The Source with the spell."

"Yeah, but I was right in the middle of all of it. A mere mortal with no powers. The Source needed to survive, so his powers got into the void. Into me."

"Where your demonic half used to exist?" Phoebe asked.

"Probably. Yeah."

"So, you tell me that if I hadn't vanquished your demonic half, you wouldn't have the need to get The Source's powers?" Phoebe asked.

"No. And you didn't vanquish Belthazor. Emma did."

"Same thing. I made that potion."

"Phoebe, I don't blame you for anything. You need to know that." He took her hand and ran his thumb over it.

"Continue." Phoebe pulled her hand back.

"I felt something changing me. I felt something evil. The Source was starting to control me. I couldn't talk to you. He wouldn't let me. He wouldn't let me ask you for help. He wouldn't let me destroy myself so that you would never have to go through this."

"I don't understand. You could have told me. I was right there. I even asked you right in your face. You promised you would tell me the truth and you lied to me right in my face. God, I wish I could go back and slap you. I should have known you were lying to me. I didn't want to believe it."

"You can slap me now."

"Don't challenge me right now."

"It's not a challenge. I hate myself for everything that happened. I deserve it."

"You said you couldn't control him."

"He controlled me and when your future self came, she knew the truth and she came to me and asked if I wanted you to know about everything. She would help me, she wanted us to have our happy ending. To be together, but then that demon came and ruined everything. I should have died that night. Not you." Cole said upset.

"I'm right here." Phoebe caught his hand this time. Cole looked at their linked hands and smiled.

"Yes, you are."

"I've been possessed in the past, Cole. I know how hard it is to fight the evil inside. I just, we lived in a lie for way too long. You were lying to me daily for months." She took her hand back again.

"I know, but the Source wouldn't let me talk. Hell, he wouldn't even let me breathe. I was suffocating. I wanted to save you. I wanted to kill myself, but he wouldn't let me. He was so strong."

"Why did he continue being with me? Couldn't he just vanquish me? Couldn't he just leave?" Phoebe asked.

"I would NEVER let anyone touch you. I would NEVER let anyone harm you." Cole told her.

"But, how..."

"That's all I could do. That was the one thing I had to do. If I couldn't tell you, then I had to keep you safe. He couldn't leave you, because my love for you is so strong, he fed off of that. My love for you kept me alive, otherwise my body would deteriorate without you."

"Why our love has to be so dangerous?" Phoebe shook her head fighting tears.

"It's not." Cole told her.

"Look what it got us into."

"It's not our fault."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"If you could go back, would you have taken in the Hollow again?"

"Yes." Cole told her truthfully and Phoebe sighed and averted her eyes from him, "Not because I want to hurt you, but because it would mean that you would be safe. If taking in the Hollow was the only way, then, yes, I wouldn't have changed that."

"Look where it got us."

"You're still alive. That's what I care most about." Cole told her.

"You never listened to me. If you had left the moment I asked you to..."

"No." Cole told her.

They just stared at each other, when the waitor came back with their food.

"I'm not hungry anymore." Phoebe said.

"Ok." Cole said.

"Our baby..." Phoebe couldn't hold back her tears this time and Cole immediately stood up and went to her side and hugged her, as she started crying.

"Shh..." Cole whispered in her ear trying to calm her down, even though his tears escaped, too.

"The Seer took him." Phoebe told him and he faced her.

"I know." Cole told her wiping her tears with his hand, "I saw her at the Wasteland."

"You did?" Phoebe asked surprised.

"Yes. The beast got her."

"Was she... Was she alone?"

"No." Cole shook his head.

"What? Did you see...?" Phoebe asked him.

"I saw a white light and as it came down, it just floated up again and then nothing. I don't know what happened."

"Do you think it was...?"

"Maybe."

"I thought he was evil. I thought it was The Source and the Seer's baby." Phoebe said panicked.

"It was our baby, Phoebe."

"What about the tonics?" Phoebe asked confused.

"They strengthened the evil nature of the baby."

"Oh, my God. What have I done?"

"You couldn't have done anything, Phoebe."

"Can you take me home, please?" Phoebe asked.

"Of course." Cole told her and stood up.

He asked for the bill and they left.

"My car is at the office." Phoebe said suddenly.

"I can bring it to you at the manor, if you want."

"No, you should just leave me at the office and I'll drive home."

"No, I won't let you drive like this."

Cole brought Phoebe home and left his car there. Phoebe would have to explain to her sisters what was going on with Cole, but she was in no mood for such a thing right now, so she asked Cole to leave his car a little farther. She gave him her keys and headed home.

Phoebe climbed to her room and just got under the covers. She felt like shit. It wasn't Cole's fault, it was hers. How come she didn't know Cole was possessed? In the back of her mind, she knew something was off and she felt he had changed, but she didn't want to believe it. She'd rather think that it was the marriage thing. Maybe he changed because they were married, because he was happier, he needed to get a job for her, but she felt he was a different kind of different. He was more aggressive. He was never that aggressive with her, not even when he was a demon. They had fought in the past, but this felt different. She really thought it was her fault, but she couldn't change anything now. She couldn't get their baby back. She couldn't forget what happened. Every time she saw him, she saw a liar and all the bad memories came rushing back. She couldn't be with him anymore, no matter how much she loved him.

A week had passed since Phoebe asked Cole to give her space. He was dying inside, but he didn't want to upset her any further. He had to wait for her. All he did for a week was work, go home, drink and look at pics of her. He wanted to have her in his arms again. This was torture. He decided to give her a call, she had enough space by now. He just needed to hear her voice.

"Hello?" Phoebe asked, "Stop it!" She laughed, "I'm sorry, who is this?"

"It's me." Cole frowned.

Phoebe stopped laughing and froze. She stood up and went to her window.

"Hi."

"Is it a good time?" Cole asked.

"No."

"Ok. Can I call you later?" Cole asked her.

"I don't... I don't think so." Phoebe told him.

"Phoebe, I know you needed space and I gave it to you, but I can't do this anymore. I miss you." Cole told her.

"Babe, come back here!" Cole heard a voice.

"Sorry, I have to go." Phoebe told him and hung up on him.

Cole stared at the phone and threw it on the wall with all his rage. She was seeing another guy. It had only been a week. How could she even do this to him? Who was it? Cole remembered that guy from her office that was way too close to her. He wanted to smash him. He sat back down and held his face in his hands and started crying.

"Jason, I'm sorry, but can you go?" Phoebe asked him.

"Why?"

"I just... I'm not feeling very good right now. Do you mind?" Phoebe asked.

"No, of course not. Was it the phone call or..?"

"No, I just I feel like I'm falling down with something." Phoebe faked touching her temple.

"Maybe I should stay and take care of you." Jason smiled.

"I'll be fine. I just need to rest." Phoebe told him.

"Ok, I'll call you later." Jason kissed her and left.

Phoebe felt nauseated. 'What am I doing?'

She loved Cole, but she couldn't be with him and then when Jason asked her out, she couldn't say no. She liked him and one thing led to another and they ended up in his bed. Phoebe felt ashamed, but she was confused and didn't know what she really wanted. She had to figure it out soon...


WTF Phoebe! Right?! What do you think? Should Phoebe stay with Jason or go back to Cole? Poor Cole...