Cole screams out in pain as Phoebe plunges the athame into his left shoulder. He lets go of Eli and collapses to the ground, his arm bleeding a great deal. Phoebe goes to his side. "Phoebe, why -- why?" Cole asks weakly.
"It'll be okay, Cole -- we're going to help you." Phoebe says, squeezing his hand. "Are you okay?" she asks Eli.
"I'm fine." Eli replies, trying to catch his breath.
"Nicholas -- come here honey." Phoebe says.
"No -- no I don't want to." Nicholas says, clinging to his father.
"Honey, it's okay, he won't hurt you, he's too weak right now." Phoebe says. "Cole can't remember some things -- I want you to use your telepathic powers to help him remember."
"I don't know how to do that." Nicholas says.
"Yes you do, son -- Phoebe will help you, you can do this." Eli says.
"Phoebe -- please -- I love you." Cole says weakly.
"Put your hands on his forehead, Nicholas -- read his thoughts. Even the ones that are buried." Phoebe says. Nicholas nervously does what Phoebe asks him to.
"They're locked away. He doesn't know how to find them." Nicholas says.
"But you can, Nicholas. Just concentrate -- help him unlock those memories. You can do it, sweetheart. You can save him." Phoebe says. Nicholas focuses on Cole's thoughts, and he uses every ounce of energy within him. As Nicholas concentrates, Cole begins to cry out in pain. After several minutes, Nicholas finally stops. He rushes over to his father's side, and Eli hugs him.
"It's alright, son -- you did good." Eli says to him. Cole is trembling, trying to catch his breath.
"Cole? It's okay, you're gonna be alright." Phoebe says. After a few moments, Cole settles down.
"Paige. Where's Paige?" Cole finally says.
"You remember?" Phoebe asks, and Cole nods his head.
"Phoebe, I'm so sorry -- ow, it hurts. My arm, it hurts." Cole says, as Phoebe helps him sit up.
"I'm so sorry Cole." Phoebe says. "I didn't want to do that -- I figured hitting you in the arm wouldn't be life-threatening but could at least weaken you."
"It's okay -- you had to do it, I understand." Cole says. Eli goes to his side.
"Here -- things like this happen on work sites all the time -- we need to put pressure on it." Eli says, and he tears off part of his shirt and wraps it around Cole's wound. Cole looks up at him, stunned.
"Why are you doing this? I just tried to kill you." Cole says.
"Because you have a wife who needs you right now, and that doesn't leave me much time to hold petty grudges." Eli tells him, tightening the makeshift tourniquet. "There -- that should hold for now, but I think it knicked a vein. You should probably have a doctor look at it, I think you'll need stitches." Eli says.
"Cole -- Paige is in trouble. She needs you right now, do you think you're strong enough to shimmer?" Phoebe asks.
"I -- I'll try." Cole says. He looks up at Eli and Nicholas. "Thank you." he says to them.
"You better take Nicholas home. I'll talk to you later." Phoebe says to Eli, and she holds Cole's hand as he shimmers them out of the mausoleum.
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Cole and Phoebe shimmer into Paige's room at the manor. "Oh no -- don't tell me you're a demon again." Piper says, looking up at him.
"Not really, just -- I just have my original powers back." Cole says. "What's happened to her?" Cole asks, sitting down at Paige's side. Paige appears delirious and almost feverish, tossing and turning.
"It's Ben -- he's an empath. And he doesn't know how to handle his powers and it's killing her. Her pulse is getting weaker by the minute." Piper says, holding Paige's hand.
"Paige -- hey, honey it's me, it's Cole. I'm here, Paige." Cole says to Paige. He kisses her forehead and softly touches her cheek. "Come on sweetheart -- look at me. I love you, Paige." Cole kisses her on the lips, and Paige begins to stir.
"Cole." she whispers softly, and looks up at Cole. "You're here." she says weakly, and smiles at him.
"That's right, I'm here. And I'll never leave you again Paige, I swear." Cole tells her.
"Ben -- please tell Ben how much you love him. He thinks you don't love him anymore." Paige tells him.
"Oh, Ben -- how could you think I don't love you, you're my son. You're my precious little boy." Cole says, touching Paige's belly. He reaches down and kisses her belly gently. "Ben -- Daddy is here now. I'm very sorry I went away. I didn't mean to -- I will never leave like that again, I promise. Ben, come on, you need to be strong -- your mommy needs you to be strong right now." After a few moments, Cole can feel him kicking gently. "That's it, Ben -- that's my boy."
"You remember us." Paige says softly. "I thought we had lost you."
"You'll never lose me, Paige -- I promise. I'm so sorry, baby -- I'm so sorry that I hurt you and our sweet little boy." Cole tells her, and he kisses her on the lips once again.
"You're healed." Paige says, reaching up and touching his face. "But how? Leo? Did you save Leo?" Paige asks.
"No, honey -- we still have to save Leo. I'll explain everything later." Cole says. Paige nods her head.
"I'm so tired." she tells him.
"I know, baby -- both you and Ben have really been through a lot the last few days. You just need to get some sleep and get your strength back. You'll both be fine now." Cole tells her.
"Don't leave us -- please." Paige says.
"Honey, I'm not going anywhere -- I'll be right here with you and Ben, alright?" Cole tells her, and he wraps his arms around her.
"I told you he'd come back to us, Piper. I knew he'd remember." Paige says, looking up at Piper.
"That's right, you did. You just get some rest sweetie. Everything's gonna be okay now." Piper says. Paige snuggles up to Cole, and within moments is sound asleep. Cole kisses her forehead gently, as Piper checks her pulse.
"Is she okay?" Cole asks.
"She's getting stronger. I think she just needs to sleep now." Piper tells him. "What on earth happened to you, Cole?"
"It -- I really don't want to talk about it right now." Cole tells her. "But I'm okay now. You really think Ben is an empath?"
"I don't know what else he could be. Cole, you cannot leave her like that again. Ben is just too sensitive to every little thing right now -- he needs Paige and YOU together to survive." Piper tells him.
"I didn't mean to hurt anyone. It wasn't my fault, Piper." Cole says.
"He's right -- it wasn't." Phoebe says. "Is she gonna be okay?" Phoebe asks, sitting down on Paige's bed.
"She should be just fine." Piper says, as Phoebe squeezes Paige's hand, and upon touching her she clearly has some sort of vision that upsets her.
"What's wrong?" Cole asks.
"Nothing, just -- we need to get that wound bandaged up -- I'll go get something for it." Phoebe says, keeping what she saw to herself. "Come on Piper -- I'll fill you in on what happened." she says, and they leave the room. Cole reaches down and kisses Paige on the forehead once again.
"My beautiful wife -- my Paige. How could I have forgotten?" he says to himself, as a tear falls down his cheek.
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"How's Nicholas?" Phoebe asks, entering Eli's house later that evening.
"He's asleep -- I still don't think he fully understands what happened. But you were right -- he did good." Eli says. "How is Paige?"
"Eli -- I'm scared." Phoebe says, as they sit down. "Remember I said I get visions. I just got one today when I was holding Paige's hand. She was in the main room at Halliwell manor, lying on the floor in Cole's arms, there was blood everywhere -- she was dead."
"Are you sure? Maybe with everything that just happened you just --"
"No -- I know what I saw. Eli, my sister is going to die. And I don't how or when -- and I don't know how to stop it." Phoebe tells him, and she breaks down crying in his arms.
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The next morning, Cole is with Paige, wide awake and holding her close, his right hand resting on her belly. "Hi." Phoebe says, entering the bedroom. "How's she doing?"
"She's been sound asleep all night -- poor thing is exhausted." Cole replies.
"You look pretty worn out yourself. Have you gotten any sleep?" Phoebe asks.
"No -- I needed to make sure Paige and Ben got through the night okay. Phoebe -- thank you. Thank you for helping me get back to Paige." Cole says to her.
"Don't thank me -- thank Nicholas." Phoebe replies.
"I will -- he didn't just save me, he saved Paige -- and Ben." Phoebe walks over to Cole.
"How's your arm? Let me look at it." Phoebe says. She pulls up Cole's sleeve and checks the bandage, as Cole winces a bit. "Try not to move it too much. I still think you should have it looked at by a doctor."
"I'll be fine." Cole replies to her. Paige starts to wake up. "Hey, honey -- good morning." Cole says, smiling at her.
"How long have I been asleep?" Paige asks groggily.
"All night -- and most of last evening." Cole tells her.
"Ben is still sleeping -- he's so happy that you're back." Paige tells him as she touches her belly.
"Honey, do you want me to get you some breakfast?" Phoebe asks.
"Yeah, I'm kind of hungry." Paige replies.
"I'll get something for both of you." Phoebe says. "I'm glad you're feeling better Paige, we were really getting worried." Phoebe leaves the room.
"Cole -- how did you heal so fast?" Paige asks. Cole sighs.
"I really don't want to tell you about it, Paige." he replies.
"We said no secrets -- remember?"
"I know -- I just don't want you to worry, or be scared, because it's over now -- and I'm fine, and I'm here with you and Ben. I don't want you getting upset, it's too hard on Ben, and when Ben hurts, so do you." Cole tells her. "Ben is an empath, Paige."
"An empath?" Paige says, and she looks down at her belly. "You're right -- it has to be, it all makes sense now."
"Yeah, well Piper figured it out. The thing is, any time either of us are upset or hurt -- he takes on that pain. And when Ben suffers, you sense it, and it just hurts you even more -- and you're not an empath and you can't handle what he can. Paige, he almost killed you."
"No -- no don't you say that about my boy. Ben would never hurt me." Paige says, getting upset.
"Shhh, calm down. Not intentionally, no he wouldn't. Not like the elders thought. But until he's born, we have to find a way to keep you calm and happy so that this doesn't happen again. Yes, Ben is empath, but he's also just a little baby. He doesn't understand yet how to use his powers -- we have to teach him. Right now he's just acting on instinct and he doesn't understand what's going on. He thinks he's helping you, he doesn't understand that he's hurting you."
"Oh, Cole -- he must be so scared." Paige says, trying not to cry.
"I know -- and I feel awful that I caused the two of you so much pain in the last week. You know I would die before I would intentionally hurt either of you." Cole tells her.
"Cole, none of this was your fault. And you're back with us now and that's all that matters." Paige tells him.
"Paige, I love you so much. When I think about what you went through this week -- I can't even imagine what it was like for you. I don't think I could have handled it, Paige. I really don't. You're a much stronger person than I'll ever be. And I'm the luckiest man in the world to have you as my wife." Cole reaches over and kisses her, and Paige wraps her arms around him and pulls him close. As she grabs on to him, she grabs his injured arm and Cole cries out in pain.
"Cole -- are you okay? Baby, I thought you said you were healed." Paige says, and she notices blood seeping through the sleeve of his shirt.
"Dammit." Cole says, lying back on the bed and grabbing his arm. Paige sits up and pulls his sleeve back -- Cole's bandage has come halfway off, and his wound re-opened.
"Phoebe! Piper!" Paige calls out. "Honey, what happened?" she asks.
"It's okay -- I'll be okay, I just need to have it re-bandaged." Cole says. Phoebe and Piper come running into the room.
"What's going on?" Phoebe asks, then she sees Cole's wound. "Cole, I told you to keep your arm still." Phoebe takes the bandage off and looks at the cut. "We should probably get you to a hospital and have this stitched up."
"No -- no hospitals. Just put something on it and bandage it back up." Cole tells them. "I'm not leaving Paige."
"I'll get some bandages, I'll be right back." Piper says, and she leaves the room.
"Cole, you really do need stitches. And you probably need to be on some sort of antibiotic -- we don't have any other way to heal you, Cole, you could get a staph infection if this isn't taken care of." Phoebe tells him.
"How did this happen?" Paige asks worriedly, and then touches her belly. "No, Ben, don't worry, it's okay -- Daddy is gonna be okay. Cole, talk to him, he's getting really upset." Cole reaches out and touches Paige's belly.
"Ben, I'm okay. It's nothing to worry about. Daddy's fine." Cole tells him.
"Here -- this should help with the healing, and here are some fresh bandages." Piper says, sitting down next to Cole.
"Let me do that." Paige says. She takes the cream that Piper has brought in and starts to clean Cole's wound, and while she's doing so a surge of power comes through her hands, and within seconds Cole's wound is healed completely. Paige stares down at her hands, stunned.
"I thought your whitelighter powers were gone." Cole says, just as puzzled.
"That wasn't me -- I think it was Ben." Paige says.
"Ben? Are you sure?" Cole asks.
"But he's just a baby -- how would he even know what to do?" Phoebe asks.
"I think he just figured it out. His daddy was hurt, and he wanted him to be healed, I guess he can go through me to do it. Cole, if he's this powerful and he's not even BORN yet --" Paige says.
"Okay -- I guess our initial plan for baby-proofing the house is pretty much useless at this point." Cole says. "Any suggestions?" Both Cole and Paige look up at Phoebe and Piper.
"Hey, don't look at me -- I've got the levitation queen in there, I'm figuring it's just a matter of time before she figures out how SHE can fly around the room, and I don't know what the heck to do about it. There IS no manual for how to raise magic babies -- maybe we should write one based on what we do wrong." Piper jokes. "Your breakfast is almost ready, I'll go get it." Piper says, and she leaves.
"Well -- I'm glad your arm is healed. I'm gonna go help Piper." Phoebe says, and she leaves. Paige turns and just looks at Cole worriedly.
"Are you going to tell me what happened to you now? Where were you, how are you healed, and how did you get that wound -- it looked like you were stabbed." Paige says to him.
"You promise you won't get upset?" Cole asks.
"I'll get upset if you don't tell me what the HELL is going on!" Paige insists.
"Okay -- Lilith paid me a visit in the hospital. Paige, I think she was the one that caused the accident, and took my memory away. She healed me, and -- she gave me back my powers." Cole tells her.
"You mean, you're a demon again?" Paige asks.
"No, not a demon, just -- honestly, I don't know WHAT I am. They're not the powers I got in the wasteland, they're the powers I've always had. But Belthazor isn't here -- it's just me. I'm really not sure WHAT that makes me. What do you call a mortal with magic powers?"
"A witch?" Paige answers in reply.
"I can shimmer, Paige. Witches don't shimmer." Cole tells her.
"Well, maybe you'll start a new trend. As long as you use your powers for good -- I don't see what else you could be. But what I don't understand is -- how did Lilith get to you? I thought she only goes after women and babies, and she just kills men."
"Not necessarily -- if a man is vulnerable enough, she can control him. I didn't remember you, so in my mind there was no relationship for me to connect to. All I remembered was Phoebe, and she rejected me, and it made me angry and hurt -- I was the perfect tool for her to use." Cole says. "Paige, she wants to destroy you -- all three of you. Because every time she sets a plan in motion, someone in this family thwarts it. And every time we do, she gets angrier."
"Breakfast is ready." Phoebe says, entering the room along with Piper and two trays of food. "Have we completely filled her in yet?" Phoebe asks Cole.
"I'm getting there." Cole says. "Honey, start eating, you need to get your strength back." he tells Paige.
"Just finish the story, Cole." Paige says. "You still haven't told me how you ended up with a knife wound."
"I -- kind of did that." Phoebe tells her. "Paige, he tried to kill Eli. I figured out a way for Nicholas to help Cole, but Cole was so full of rage by the time we found him he just lost it. I had to find some way to restrain him, and it was all I could think of -- I figured if I hit his arm it would at least weaken him without causing any seroius damage. Once I did, Nicholas was able to help him restore his memory."
"I didn't know what I was doing, Paige. It was all Lilith, she was pulling all the strings. She is all about vengeance at this point and she is after this family and won't stop until we're all dead." Cole says.
"Then we'll just have to kill her first." Paige says. "I've had enough of this bitch hurting everyone I love. She has to go -- NOW."
"Paige, we really should wait until after --" Phoebe begins as she sits down next to her. As soon as she touches Paige, she sees the vision of Paige's death once again.
"After what? Phoebe what's wrong?" Paige asks.
"You're right -- we have to stop Lilith. It's the only way we'll be safe." Phoebe says.
"The mirrors -- just before my accident, I remembered." Cole recalls. "Her lair, it's surrounded by mirrors. All of her powers are stored in them. If we can destroy them -- I think you might be able to vanquish her."
"Well then what are we waiting for, let's go." Paige says eagerly.
"Not so fast -- you're not strong enough to go anywhere right now." Cole tells her.
"Cole -- I'm quickly moving from being weak to being just plain pissed off. Do you know how to get to her lair?" Paige asks.
"I think so -- I'd have to take you, and -- it's not exactly the safest place for me to be." Cole says.
"I know my way around the place -- don't forget, I spent a few weeks there. I think we can do this." Phoebe says.
"What about Melinda? We can't take her along." Piper says.
"I'm sure dad will watch her -- Piper, we need the power of three for this." Phoebe says.
"Don't worry honey, we'll protect you." Paige tells Cole. "Phoebe, do you think we'll be able to find Leo?" Paige asks.
"I'm sure we will -- if Lilith has healing powers she must be getting them from him." Phoebe says.
"You guys, we can't just go charging into Lilith's lair without a plan. We need some time to figure this out. As much as I want Leo back -- I don't want to get us all killed in the process." Piper says.
"Alright -- we know how to weaken her, we'll come up with a plan. We're all in this together, right?" Phoebe says.
"Right." Piper replies.
"Right." Paige says as well. "Let's get rid of this bitch once and for all." Paige says, and all three of them look up at Cole, who hesitates for a moment.
"Alright -- I know when I'm outnumbered." Cole says reluctantly.
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Several weeks later . . . . . .
"Paige, I really wish you'd reconsider this." Cole says, as she, Phoebe, and Piper gather around the mirror upstairs.
"Cole, you promised me you wouldn't argue about this. We've been preparing for weeks -- Ben is fine, I think he's ready for this too. We have to get rid of her -- we've already waited too long." Paige says.
"Cole -- you have to have faith that we can do this. We all have to be strong TOGETHER." Phoebe says.
"I want my husband back, Cole -- you said you wanted to do good. This is about as good as it gets." Piper tells him.
"Alright, fine -- you're sure you're ready?" Cole asks.
"Let's go -- I love you." Paige says, giving Cole a kiss.
"Okay, you guys can have your little make-out session AFTER we vanquish the demon-bitch from hell." Piper says. "Cole -- we're waiting."
"I hope you ladies know what you're doing." Cole says. "Hang on -- here we go." Cole says, taking a deep breath. He puts his arms around all three women and they shimmer out of the room . . . . the mirror they were standing around shatters as they disappear . . . .