The Angel and the Demon

Disclaimer: I am sad to say that I do not own Charmed. If I did...there would be world peace.

A/N: I am really sorry that it has taken me so long to update. I really appreciate your patience. Schoolwork, family, and a runny nose all got in the way of me and my lovely little notebook.

A/N: To all of my wonderful, splendiferous, stupendous, magnificent reviewers—If I didn't have limited time on the computer tonight, I would list you all by name. I promise I will soon. I love you all very much; your reviews make even the lousiest of days much brighter:-)

ps-this scene is reposted; don't worry, nothing new, just some grammar and style cleaned up a bit.

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(The attic. Cole is grinning at Piper, Leo, Henry, Paige, and Coop. Paige holds out her hands)

Paige: BAT!

(Henry's baseball bat orbs into her hands. Paige marches up to Cole and starts hitting him on the head)

Paige: WHAT (hits him) DID (hits him) YOU (hits him) DO (hits him) WITH (hits him) PHOEBE? (Keeps hitting him)

Cole: (flinches, but stays standing as he's assaulted) Um...ow...maybe...OW! You could...ow...(he looks over at Piper) Maybe you could-OW!- get her to stop!

Piper: (authoritative) Paige. Cole's head is not a baseball; and we cannot pump him for information if you send his head flying into left field.

(Paige stops hitting him over the head, takes a final swing at his stomach, causing him to double over. She almost skips back to Piper)

Paige: (airily) Sorry about that last hit; I don't know what got into me.

Piper: Don't worry about it.

Henry: (a bit peeved) Is anyone going to tell me why the "dead" demon guy is standing in the attic?

Cole: (notices Henry) Oh, hey Henry. (He walks up and shakes his hand) It's nice to finally meet you in person.

Henry: (backing away) And why does dead demon guy know my name?

Piper: Because, that's his Hell. He has to watch us lead our lives—and he can't be a part of it.

Paige: Hold on a minute...HE WATCHES US? (She narrows her eyes, grips the bat) You little perv...

(She jumps out, bat raised. Leo and Henry quickly restrain her)

Cole: (makes a face) Eww! Not like that. I'd rather have my eyeballs ripped out every morning. (Paige tries to get Cole again, is stopped. Cole shakes his head) Paige, Paige. Still a pistol. (To Henry) I really admire how you're able to handle all that craziness.

(Paige tries to attack again; is restrained)

Henry: (doesn't know whether to be insulted or not) Uh, thanks? (This earns him a sharp kick from Paige; he changes tone) I mean, don't talk about my wife like that.

(Coop, who has been standing in the background, steps up)

Coop: (coolly) What are you doing here?

(Cole looks over at Coop; tension fills the room as the two men have a bit of a showdown.)

Cole: (voice even) Hello, Cupid. Or do you prefer "Coop?"

Coop: (doesn't answer) How did you get here?

Cole: So much for pleasantries.

Piper: (warningly) Cole...

Cole: (puts his hands up) Relax, Piper. I'll submit to this little interrogation. First off, why can you see me? That, I do not know. I also don't know why I seem to have substance of any sort whatsoever, considering that I have been very thoroughly vanquished by the Charmed Ones multiple times. (seriously) I do know, however that you've wasted precious time by not calling me in the first place.

Coop: (stiffly) You know what's wrong with Phoebe?

Paige: (darkly) Of course he does. He's the one that did it.

Cole: (rolls eyes) I had nothing to do with Phoebe's current dilemma.

Paige: (sarcastic) Why don't I believe you?

Cole: (defensive) Hey, I've done a lot of good since you last vanquished me. Piper and Leo, over there? I'm the one who helped Piper ditch her little hang-up on love. (To Piper and Leo) So really, I'm to thank for your reconciliation, which allowed you two be in this whole pregnancy situation...you should name her after me...Colette! That's a good name. (Mutters) Better than Pollyanna.

(Temporarily forgetting that she disagrees with everything that Cole says and/or does, Paige turns on Piper and Leo)

Paige: (not amused) You were thinking of naming a niece of mine Pollyanna!

Leo: (miffed) What? Polly's a pretty name.

Cole: (snorts) Yeah. For a parrot.

Henry: (nods) Have to agree with dead demon guy on that one.

Piper: We are not here to discuss baby names, people! (To Cole) Tell us what is going on with Phoebe.

Cole: (his eyes fall on Phoebe, wanders slowly over) I don't know exactly what the matter is...(voice trails off) But I have a pretty good guess. (He reaches out and gently brushes a tendril of hair from Phoebe's forehead. Coop is livid, strides over to Cole)

Coop: (smacks Cole's hand away from Phoebe, speaks tightly) And what might that guess be?

Cole: (expression hardens, stares defiantly at Coop) I can't leave the manor; so I don't know what happened when she wasn't here. But while she was here...

(Cole moves as if to touch Phoebe again. Coop jumps. Cole quickly rests his hand on a pillow instead, a barely perceptible smile tugging at his lips)

Coop: (through clenched teeth) While she was here?

Cole: (coldly) Yesterday she went to the boys' room. She sent Wyatt down to see Melinda, picked little Chris up and hugged him. He patted her neck and said "Cold," only since—

Coop: (interrupts) "–he can't talk very well yet it sounded like he said 'Cole,' and she thought all of her worst fears were coming true: her demon ex-husband was back to ruin her now-perfect life." (Smug) I already know. Phoebe told me.

Cole: (fake enthusiasm) Good for you! (Coop frowns. Cole continues) However, I'm pretty sure all of you were downstairs (to Coop) or too busy at work, as the case may be, when Phoebe was talking to herself in the attic this morning. And again after that fight with you, Cupid...(He smirks) while she was in the shower—

(Coop lunges, tackles Cole to the ground. They fight, mostly Coop attacking and Cole fending him off, clearly satisfied he made Coop loose his temper.)

Piper: (whistles loudly, then shouts) EVERYBODY JUST STOP! (Cole and Coop stop fighting and look her way. Piper points at Coop) You. You sit over there in that chair. (Coop opens his mouth to say something) Oh no. No arguments. Cole, you sit in that chair. (the men go and sit in their respective chairs, Coop still glaring and Cole still gloating. Piper puts her hands on her hips and stands between them, voice threatening) I am seven months pregnant, and my temper is very short. If I see one more ridiculous display of testosterone it is very likely that one of you will be blown up. Got it?

Coop/Cole: (mumble) Got it.

Piper: Good. (to Paige) Paige, there will be no more attacking the informer with the baseball bat.

Paige: (grumpy) Fine. (she goes and sits next to Phoebe on the couch, protectively)

Piper: Leo and Henry. (Leo and Henry glance at each other, a bit wary) Could one of you run downstairs? I need ice cream. Rocky road. Stat. (Leo and Henry both leave)

Paige: That stuff makes me sick.

Cole: (gives her an odd look) Of course it does.

Paige: What do you mean?

Piper: (interrupts) We can talk about Paige's sudden aversion to ice cream later. Right now, our focus is Phoebe.

(No one says anything until Leo and Henry rush back into the attic. Henry is holding a pint of rocky road and a bowl; Leo carries a spoon, three different kinds of sprinkles, and a large bottle of chocolate syrup.)

Cole: (idly) You forgot the caramel syrup.

Leo: You know what my wife puts on her ice cream?

Cole: (shrugs) I don't have anything better to do most of the time.

Piper: Moving On! (the room quiets)

Paige: Piper's right. (to Cole) You said that Phoebe was talking to herself. What did she say? Start with this morning, in the attic.

Cole: She seemed to be arguing with something, or someone, asking things like: "What do you want? I thought we were one in the same, I'm getting tired of this cryptic mistake crap." Then she asked what her mistake was, and made some sarcastic retort about a vision. She got confused after that; said something about 'traveling.'

Paige: Traveling? Is that like orbing or shimmering or something?

Cole: I'm not quite sure. Never heard of it. Anyway, after the traveling comment, she got a scared look on her face, and asked if something bad was going to happen. (to Coop) She mentioned you, and Melinda. (Coop tenses, says nothing) After that she went kind of pale, started stammering, saying things like "I want you to leave, get out, leave me alone." (he points to the other end of the room, at a smashed lamp) She threw that lamp across the room. Then she sat on the couch and wrapped herself up in a blanket, and did the seize-up thingy.

Piper: Seize-up thingy?

Cole: You know, like when she has a premonition? (to Coop) She started mumbling then. That's when you came in.

Paige: So she wasn't talking in her sleep? It was a premonition?

Cole: Or something like that. (to Coop) Then you and Phoebe had your little fall out.

Coop: (tightly) What did she say in the bathroom?

Cole: She just sat on the side of the tub for a minute, then got up and walked to the door. Right before she opened it she said "Move. I have to go feed Melinda." Then her eyes got really wide, and she hightailed it into the shower.

(Coop, Paige, Henry, Piper and Leo all glare at him)

Cole: Don't worry. I was a perfect gentleman. Turned my back and everything. (shifts in his seat, leans forward) Now this is when things got really interesting.

Paige: (sardonic) I'm sure.

Cole: (ignores her) She was quiet at first. Then out of the blue, she says, and I quote: "You just told me that my son, who doesn't exist in this dimension and since you're probably lying anyways probably doesn't exist period is crying and that I can hear him. Yeah. This kind of situation calls for a shower."

Henry: Phoebe doesn't have a son.

Cole: (face darkens) She did. Once.

Piper: Cole, what have you done?

Cole: (snaps) Nothing. Let me finish. She started babbling, saying "la la la I'm not listening!" She got out of the shower and told whatever it was that she was talking to that she was "sure it was lovely," and "to go away." She said that she'd "never been there, and wasn't going." She started to brush her hair, and threw the brush into the sink, and practically yelled "God! Would you make him stop crying!" Then she started muttering. "You and Cole are gone. The Source killed you. I vanquished Cole." Then she was quiet for a minute, then asked: "They just gave us their powers?"

Paige: Who is this "us?" Who gave them what powers?

Cole: (ignores her) Then she asked what happened next. Asked about Piper and Leo. Asked what year it was in "your" dimension. Asked what happened to "us." Asked why "we" left San Francisco. Why whoever it was she was talking to left. Why she needed Phoebe.

Leo: What happened after that?

Cole: Her whole demeanor changed. She asked whoever it was she was talking to to hand her her hairspray. She asked whatever it was to go away again, then got mad and said: "I can't come with you. I won't" She started to explain why. (he leans back in his chair) That's when you guys came knocking. She said "I'm sorry, I can't" and opened the door. You know the rest.

Piper: (starts repeating Phoebe's words to herself) She started saying "Warren."

Paige: ( to Cole) You're a monster.

Cole: Excuse me?

Paige: You just told us what you did with Phoebe! You were the one talking to her! You're the other part of that oh-so-mysterious "us!" You made her go crazy!

Piper: ...she asked if we could hear it, ran to the attic, asked why he screamed...said she couldn't do anything about it...

Cole: (angry) All right, I get that you hate me Paige, but don't insult my intelligence! Do you really think I'd be here, trying to help you, if I could be somewhere with Phoebe! Hell no!

Coop: (jumps up) You aren't trying to help us! You just want Phoebe back!

Piper: "...I'm not joining souls with you...I can't...I feel bad for you...I can't abandon my family..."

Cole: (gets up) Of course I want Phoebe back! I've never stopped! I just realize now that it will never happen!

Leo: Okay, let's just try to calm down—

Paige/Cole/Coop: Shut up, Leo!

Leo: Hey!

Henry: Um, as a policeman of the SFPD—

Piper: "...How could you just stand there? You let the warlock take him. You let him kill your husband...what do you mean? They're dead...But Coop, Melinda...Melinda..."

Henry: (voice raised above the argument between Paige, Leo, Cole, and Coop) Am I going to have to get the baseball bat again, people!

Piper: "...Unless I go with you…what do I do…"

Coop: (to Cole) I'm going to kill you…

Leo: Let's rethink that for just a minute…

Piper: "...I'm sorry…it's the only choice I can make…tell Melinda her mommy loves her…take care of her…Goodbye..." (something clicks in Piper's mind) Oh my God…

Cole: (sneers at Coop) I'd like to see you try.

Henry: Paige, stop them!

Paige: Why? I wouldn't mind Cole being dead.

Leo: (to Cole and Coop) Don't make me orb you two apart!

Coop: You don't have any powers!

Piper: Guys…

Leo: Wanna bet?

(something explodes; everyone is covered in rocky road and various ice cream toppings. Everyone except Piper)

Paige: (screeches) Piper! (she jumps up, frantically wiping the ice cream off) How many times do I have to tell you that this stuff makes me sick!

Piper: Cole didn't do it.

Paige: What?

Piper: Cole didn't do it. He didn't make Phoebe go crazy.

Cole: Thank you!

Paige: How do you know?

Piper: After Mom and Dad split up, I had nightmares; the doctor called them night terrors. Wyatt had the same thing after Chris was born, before Leo and I were truly back together. Now Grams had already bound our powers when I was having the night terrors; Wyatt, on the other hand, had all his powers, and he used them to subconsciously create a different version of Leo. He brought his dreams, his fears, to life.

Paige: And?

Piper: Phoebe hasn't felt right since Melinda was born!

Paige: So?

Piper: Paige, our sister is a superwitch. Her powers deal with visions, premonitions—Those powers are tied to her emotions, which have been majorly disrupted by having a baby.

Paige: (suddenly gets it) Her "baby blues" have interfered with her powers—making her see things that aren't really there. Bringing fears and dreams to life, at least inside of her head.

Piper: Exactly.

Henry: I'm getting a headache.

Paige: She talked about her son…Warren. She named him Warren. She said that the warlock had killed him…and Cole.

Piper: And then she said goodbye.

Paige: She went to save them. She went into the world her mind had created to save them.

Leo: That would explain why she didn't respond to the healing.

Paige: (confused) But all that stuff with Cole and the evil fetus happened so long ago…why would she be thinking about it now?

Cole: Guilt.

(they turn and look at him)

Paige: Phoebe has no reason to feel guilty. None of what happened was her fault. It was yours.

Cole: True. But think about it. Phoebe is a good person. Even when she was queen of the underworld, she couldn't bring herself to kill innocents.

Paige: What's your point?

Cole: Phoebe and I had a child together. She loved us, more than life itself. (Coop starts to move towards Cole. Leo and Henry stop him) And she lost us. Her love, her devotion, wasn't enough to save her marriage, or her baby. Sure, it wasn't her fault. I was the Source; our son inherited the powers after I was vanquished. She understood. She moved on with her life, came to terms with her loss. Threw herself into making a brighter, better future for all. And then came Melinda. Beautiful, wonderful, magical Melinda. Phoebe became a mother, and all of the primal maternal emotions that she'd managed to suppress over the years came crashing down full force. Those 'what ifs' crept back—and took root in that overprotective suprerhero complex that all you Halliwells seem to have.

(Silence as all the information sinks in. Coop speaks up)

Coop: (Harshly) It's a load of bull. All of it. You're lying. (to the sisters) Vanquish his lying ass. Again.

Piper: (gently) Coop, I think he's telling the truth.

Coop: No he's not. He just got to you. (to Leo) Leo, back me up here.

Leo: (choosing words carefully) I don't know, Coop…in all honesty, I've never seen him so sincere.

Coop: This is ridiculous. (to Paige, who has been staring at Cole) Paige. You know that he's trying to trick us. He's the one who's made Phoebe like this. Tell them!

Paige: (slowly gets up from the couch) I will.

Coop: (relieved) Finally!

Paige: (quietly) He's not trying to trick us.

Coop: Thank you! (realizes what she's said) What!

Paige: (same quiet tone) I don't like it any more than you do, Coop. But he's not lying. I can feel it.

Coop: No. Not you too. (to Henry) Henry, talk to her!

Henry: (shakes his head) I don't know, man. I'm kind of out of my league here.

Coop: (mirthless laugh) I don't believe this. How can you trust him? He's evil!

(Cole's had enough; he marches over to Coop, gets right in his face)

Cole: (angry, voice rough) Listen to me, Cupid. You don't like me. The feeling is mutual. But I am not evil! Do I love Phoebe? Yes. I'd rather be more damned than I already am than to see her hurt. And as much as you hate it, a part of her will never stop loving me. But she's yours now. She gave her heart to you. Now she's catatonic, suffering from something she can't control. She didn't abandon you and Melinda because she loves you less; she left because in her mind, she had a duty to save someone. (stops, takes a breath, continues more gently) I think I can save her. Help her get over this, bring her back to you and your daughter. Will you let me?

(Coop stares at Cole, who stares back. Paige, Henry, Piper, and Leo watch with bated breath)

Cole: (softly) Well, what's it gonna be, Coop?

Coop: (looks over his in-laws, then Phoebe) She's an angel. She should be saved by angels. Not by demons. (he looks up at Cole, flat voice) What's your plan?

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Phew! That took me forever to write! Sorry if it got confusing or anything; figuring out how to get the action from my mind to paper was kind of tricky. If you have any questions, please, don't hesitate to ask. To all Phoebe/Cole fans who might have been put off by Cole's last little speech: please remember that this is not the end of the story!

Next Scene: After accepting Cole's help, the gang works to save Phoebe; Cole and Paige discuss her sudden aversion to rocky road ice cream.