Phoebe walked into the Manor with a grim look on her face. Today had been the hardest day she had ever endured. Work was horrible with Elise breathing down her neck for the column. For some reason, she just could not write any advice to anyone on love. Nothing came to her mind from her heart for her readers. She walked up the stairs to her room and flopped onto her bed. A couple minutes later, a knock came at her door.

"Come in."

Paige came through the door and sat on the bed. "Bad day at work hon?"

"It was terrible. I thought Elise was going to kill me if I didn't get that column done, but nothing was coming to my mind to write."

"Sounds like a crappy day to me."

"I don't know what was wrong with me. It was like my entire system was off or shut down for some odd reason."

"Did you have any premonitions this morning before work?"

"No. None at all."

"Well, do you want some chamomile tea to make you feel better about this crap day?" Paige smiled in an effort to cheer Phoebe up.

"Please. That would be wonderful."

"Alright. I'll go make it and bring it up to you. Piper and Leo are preoccupied with Wyatt today. He's got a little earache."

"Aww, the poor little guy."

"Yeah, but not to worry-his mommy is all over it."

Phoebe laughed as Paige walked out of her room and shut the door. Once Paige was gone, Phoebe flopped back over on her bed and began to think about things. Maybe there was a reason today was so horrible, but it just wasn't coming to her head. That was, until the lights in her room flickered and Cole appeared out of nowhere. Phoebe immediately stood up and took her fighting stance against her ex-husband.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Anger poured through her words.

"Phoebe, please. I just came to talk." His words laced with his pleading tone.

"Damn it, Cole. Can't you just leave me alone?" Phoebe threw up her hands and sat on the edge of the bed in frustration.

"I will, after today, if you never want to see me again. But, please, before you banish me forever, let me talk to you and say what I came to say."

"Why is today so important that you talk to me?"

"Because today would have been our one year anniversary of marriage." Cole sat next to Phoebe. "I guess because I am half-human, they have given me a chance at redemption because I did not have the choice when the Source absorbed his power into my body."

Suddenly everything made sense. Phoebe knew why she couldn't give advice and why she felt like crap today. This was why. For once in her life, Phoebe was speechless.

"Phoebe, I have come to apologize for everything I put you through and all the heartache I caused you because I know that I hurt you. For the last year, I have watched over you and seen every heart-wrenching tear you have shed, knowing that I caused all of it. I don't expect to be forgiven for what I have done, but I just wanted to make it right before I am banished for all eternity."

"Cole," Phoebe searched for the words in her heart and head. "The last year I have spent was a living hell. When my sisters and I vanquished you the first time, it ripped my heart out. Then you kept holding onto something that could never save you and eventually you took demonic powers once again to prevent your death. I turned into a mermaid because I was holding onto the love I had for you. When we finally vanquished you the last time, I thought it would bring me peace, but it didn't. It has taken me months to be able to not think of you every single day. Now, here you are once again, cheating death somehow and I don't know what to do."

"I'm not cheating death. This is a chance I have been given for redemption and it is in your hands entirely whether I continue to live or move on."

"Why me?" Phoebe hung her head in her hands.

"Because I love you and at one time, you loved me too."

Before Phoebe could respond, a knock came at the door. She knew it was Paige, bringing her some tea. Immediately, she hid Cole in the closet until she could send Paige back downstairs. Once he was hidden, Phoebe answered her door. She took the tea and thanked Paige, who went back downstairs to check on Piper, Leo, and Wyatt. Phoebe set her tea on the dresser and brought Cole out of the closet. They resumed their conversation.

"So, let me get this right, if I say so-you get to stay alive and if I don't-you die?"

"I think that's the way it basically works."

Phoebe sighed. "Cole, I don't know. Your past behavior dictates that you will somehow return to evil, either voluntarily or not, and that puts my family in danger."

Cole stepped forward and took Phoebe's hands gently. "This is entirely your decision and I will respect whatever you decide."

Phoebe was shocked that Cole even touched her, but tears began to fall down her cheeks. "I don't know what to do Cole. I never wanted to admit it to myself, but there is a part of me that still loves you and wants to believe that you will change for good."

"If restored, I will be entirely human. I will be a whole man, without a void for a demon to fill with powers, guaranteed by the Elders."

"How can I know if you are really telling the truth; that this isn't another lie or plea to keep you from dying?"

"You can have Leo check with the Elders." Cole reached up and dried one of Phoebe's tears with his thumb. "I can't lie to you Phoebe, not ever again. I saw what it did to you the first time."

Phoebe cautiously leaned forward and hugged him, laying her head on his shoulder. More tears came falling from her eyes onto his shirt. For the last year, she had fought her feelings for him as they ran deeper than any she had ever felt for a man before. Cole had put aside his demon life for her and until the Source invaded his body, he was doing fine. The Source had been the one to ruin their relationship by taking over Cole entirely. His only shred of humanity was his love for her. When she discovered she was pregnant, it helped pull Cole's humanity to the forefront once again. Still, it was not enough to overpower the Source's greed. Phoebe remembered standing beside her sisters to vanquish him, feeling so much pain because she loved him so much. The only thing she was left with was their baby, which she later found out was never their's to begin with. It was pure evil. The Seer took the child from Phoebe and it destroyed the entire demonic leadership of the Underworld. That was all behind her though, or so she thought. Now, here Cole was once again and her feelings began to resurrect in her heart. Though she had not really gotten over him, she had at least been able to put aside her feelings so that she could function once more as a witch, sister, and writer.

"Cole, I am going to call Leo in here to check with the Elders about this whole thing. If you're lying to me, I swear I will vanquish you for good and never think of you again." Phoebe let go of him and looked him in the eyes.

"If I'm not lying, what then?"

Phoebe sighed heavily. "I don't know. I'll get to that point when I find out from Leo."

"Alright. Should I leave?" Cole asked tentatively. "I mean, it might not be the best idea since I don't have the best history with your sisters and Leo."

"You're probably right. How'd you get in here anyways?"

"The Elders."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Figures..."

"I'll be back later once Leo talks with the Elders."

With that, the lights flashed once again and Cole was gone. Phoebe paced the room for a few minutes, trying to decide if it was all a dream or if it really happened. After debating with herself for a while, she finally decided to call for Leo, even though he was only downstairs with Piper and Wyatt.

"Leo!"

Moments later, a flash of orbs appeared in her room. "Phoebe?"

"Sorry, I would have come downstairs, but I don't want Piper or Paige to hear any of what I'm about to tell you."

"Alright."

Phoebe began to pace the room once again as she proceeded to tell Leo of how Cole appeared in her room and the proposition he presented her with. At first, Leo couldn't believe that Cole was still alive after being vanquished twice by the sisters. Once he got over his disbelief, he agreed to orb up to the Elders to check Cole's story. Phoebe paced the floor nervously. She walked over to her closet and opened a box labelled "Cole" on the floor. Inside were little things that he had given her over their two-year relationship. As she went through the box, she was reminded of how much they had really loved one another. Finally, she came to what she was looking for. It was the picture of her and Cole together. She was looking up into his eyes with a smile on her face. The picture was taken a few months before he proposed to her and during the happiest time of their relationship. Phoebe remembered how much love she had for him and how much he had cared for her. As she looked at the photo, Leo orbed back in. Quickly, she put the picture back in the box and stood up facing him.

"What did the Elders say?" Phoebe held her breath.

"They say Cole's offer is legitimate. If you wish, he shall be returned to life a whole human with no way a demon can find or track him ever again."

"Oh my God." She walked over to her bed and sat down. "He wasn't lying to me after all. Leo, what do I do?"

"I can't tell you what to do except that this is your decision and you need to follow your heart."

Phoebe nodded and Leo started to leave her room. "Wait!" Leo paused and turned around. "Please don't say anything to Piper or Paige. I want to be the one to tell them when I decide what to do."

"I won't say a word. If they ask anything, I'll just tell them that I had to fix a light in here."

"Thank you, Leo."

Leo nodded and left the room. Left to her own thoughts, Phoebe flopped onto her bed with the weight of the world bearing on her shoulders. For so long, she had tried to get over Cole. Now he had been thrown back into her life without warning. His life was literally in her hands and she had to decide if he was going to live or pass on to the next world. How was she going to decide? What was worse was the fact that either decision would affect her for the rest of her life. Letting Cole live could possibly make her sisters angry at her and she didn't want that. Allowing Cole to pass on be a betrayal of her heart. Either way she looked at it, she was screwed. Basically what it was going to come down to was the lesser of two evils. Phoebe hated that it would come down to that because it had come to that once before. That time, she had choosen her sisters because Cole was evil-the Source of all evil. But, now he was right there and he was going to be fully human without the possibility of a demon possessing him again. Phoebe remembered how much Cole loved her as a human, even going into hiding from the Source because of their love. She remembered how it felt to be held by him and know that everything was going to be alright.

Several hours later, Phoebe went out to a nearby park for a walk to clear her head. As she was walking, she saw several couples walking together through the park hand-in-hand. She sat down on a bench and crossed her arms.

"Cole," she called gently, wondering if he could come like Leo did.

Her intuition was right as Cole appeared as he did before. "You called."

"I think I've decided what to do."

"Did you talk to Leo?" Cole sat down next to her on the bench.

"Yes. He talked to the Elders and said that the offer was real."

"Now what are you going to do?"

Phoebe turned and took Cole's hands. "Cole, I love you. I always have and kept denying it for a long time. My heart never stopped loving you, even after you were gone. Each time we had to vanquish you, my heart broke because I still loved you. And now I have a chance to change our stars."

"What about your sisters?"

"I took that into consideration, but my heart is still louder than my head. I saw what ignoring your heart did to Piper before she admitted that she loved Leo and I can't put myself through that. I want you..." she paushed to take a deep breath, "to be with me forever. I want you to be human."

Cole smiled and drew Phoebe into a hug. For the first time in a year, she felt right in his arms. While they were hugging, Cole began to glow. He let go of Phoebe and stood in front of her. A bright light surrounded him, blinding Phoebe so that she could not see Cole in the light. She shielded her eyes from the blinding light. A few moments later, it was over. When Phoebe opened her eyes, Cole was still standing in front of her as he always had. She went forward, towards him and was drawn into another hug. This really was real and Cole was alive before her. For a moment, Phoebe looked up into his eyes for the first time in a year and found what she had been missing. Cole leaned down and kissed her gently. Her heart began to race just as it did the very first time Cole ever kissed her. Everything somehow seemed right again, like the last year of her life had not happened and that Cole had never left her. But then she remembered that it did happen and that she still had to face her sisters. Their kiss ended when she realized that tiny little detail.

"How am I going to tell Piper and Paige?" Phoebe sighed heavily. "Sorry to say it Cole, but they hate you."

"No offense taken. I understand why they would hate me." Cole chuckled for a moment. "After all, I was the Source and tried to kill them."

"Yeah, but you're not now. You are completely, fully human without a void for a demon to fill." She smiled and took Cole's hands.

"So, do you want me to come with you?"

"I think I better tell them alone first to prepare them rather than just walking into the Manor with you behind me. Piper's never liked surprises. Plus, she has a new baby now, so her powers are slightly uncontrollable for the time being."

"Right. I don't think I want to be blown up."

Phoebe laughed. "Exactly!"

"I've missed your smile."

"What else have you missed about me?" Phoebe smiled slyly.

"Oh," he paused dramatically, "everything."

"I've missed you terribly." Phoebe felt Cole's arms wrap around her tightly and she felt secure.

"I will never leave you again. That is a promise Phoebe."

"I believe you."

They stood there in the park together for a while, just happy to have the other back. Though they were both stubborn, they knew that they could not live without the other in their life. Cole realized that Phoebe was his family; his only family. His biological family had died a century ago when he first embraced his demonic side. Now he was the last living, remaining member of that family as they were murdered by a rival demon when Cole was still training under the Source. The anger seething from within caused him to fully embrace his demonic destiny as Balthasor and eventually meet Phoebe, the love of his life. She had seen past his inner demon half to the human inside. Whenever he was around her, she always brought out the good in him. Phoebe had a talent for finding the good in people. That was only one reason why he loved her so much. As they stood together, it became apparent that it was time for Phoebe to return to the Manor and break the news to her sisters, who would not be happy at all. She let go of him and looked up in his eyes.

"Wait for me?" she asked.

"Always," he replied. "I'll be right here when you get back."

She started to walk away, but quickly turned around and ran to him, kissing him fiercely for a few moments. "I love you."

"I love you too."

With that being said, she began the walk home to the Manor to talk to Piper and Paige, knowing how they would react. While Phoebe knew that her sisters were only going to react out of protection, she wished that they would just trust her judgement when it came to Cole. However, previous experience with that judgement would cause Piper and Paige to automatically assume the worst of him. However, this time Phoebe knew she had Leo on her side. He had gone to the elders and spoke with them of the offer Cole spoke of and found it to be true. As she neared the Manor, she felt her confidence slowly diminishing in spite of what she knew she had on her side. Slowly, she walked up the steps to the front door, took a deep breath and walked in.