A/N: Ooh, yuss! See? I didn't take so long this time! One thing you might notice in this story is that the scroll bar just gets tinier and tinier with every chapter. The word count for this one is around 8,000. Yup. 8,000 words. And guess what? For Chapters 7 and 6, it was 7,000 and 6,000 respectively. XD I dunno. Just pointing it out.

By the way, I need you guys to read the Author's Note at the bottom of the page after you finish the story! It's kind of important since it will affect the next few chapters directly, namely Power Outage and Sleuthing with the Enemy. As you can tell, those are EPIC episodes in this season. Anyway, off you go!

DISCLAIMER: Own nothing. No money. I'm poor. Although, I do like Demi Lovato's song okay? It applied to this chapter a lot. Don't judge me. XD

Chapter 8 - Do You Feel What I Feel?

As the smoke clears, I awaken
And untangle you from me
Would it make you feel better
To watch me while I bleed?
All my windows are still broken
But I'm standing on my feet.

You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like I'm made of glass, like I'm made of paper
Go on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground
Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper.

- Skyscraper (Demi Lovato)

He couldn't stop thinking about her. She must've received Vince's curse by now, if she had followed through what she said she'd do. He almost didn't even need to doubt that part. She was good that way. Somehow, that was what was so weak about good people. You would always be able to predict what they were going to do because morality dictated them so. Being evil didn't have the same boundaries. The only rule was not to get killed.

With all these musings, he hadn't really known what had been going on during lunch. He had been vaguely aware of Leo and Piper in front of him, Piper sitting uncomfortably in her seat. Leo seemed oblivious to the other women's discomfort, or was just positively trying to shake off the awkwardness. Phoebe on his side was obviously pissed off. I mean, this was supposed to be an exclusive date… They weren't teenagers anymore to be 'group dating'. The small talk had been painful, all their conversational attempts falling flat. If awkwardness were a palpable entity, they would've drowned in it from the very moment Leo had invited himself and Piper to their date. From the questions that had been thrown around while he was lost in his own predicament, almost all of them were just pathetic. He had tried being polite enough to provide an answer or two so as to not be completely antisocial, but there really wasn't much a demon could talk about with two witches and a Whitelighter. Well sure, there would be a lot to talk about, but most of our lines would probably be accompanied by some sort fire ball or vanquishing spell. Whichever way, it was all very uninteresting when there were other things he could be preoccupying himself with.

If his plan worked, he would've sealed Prue's defeat. He felt a conflicting sense of satisfaction and dread at that thought. He had to hurt her for his sake, for his sanity's sake. He was a demon, for crying out loud! Half-demon, actually, his logic protested. Minor technicality, his other side argued back. He paused, realizing that he was definitely starting to lose it. He was arguing with himself! Dammit, this should be much simpler. I'm a demon. With a mission. I've killed countless of witches before. I've killed them all without batting an eyelid and even thoroughly enjoyed it. Why the hell does this have to be so fucking hard?

His frustration must've shown in his face because Phoebe looked at him nervously. She had sat with a ram-rod straight back during the whole meal.

So…!" she said, catching their attention. Leo and Piper's faces revealed a somewhat expectant look asking for some saving conversation or anything to kill themselves with if it failed. "How about those 'niners?"

"What?" Cole asked, confused. 'Niners? What the hell are 'niners?

"The 'niners… The forty-niners?" she asked. Cole just looked at her like she was from outer space. He had no idea what she was talking about. "The football team?"

Cole diverted his eyes to Leo to see if he knew what Phoebe was talking about.

"You don't… follow football…?" she asked. Cole shrugged, taking a sip of water. Phoebe just chuckled. "He isn't human."

Cole choked up on his glass of water at the comment, eyes wide. How did she even..?

"Whoah… You okay?" she asked him, patting his back as he coughed the water out of the wrong pipe.

He needed to get out of there. Joking or not, she had hit way too close to the truth for his own comfort. When he looked up, she saw the waitress and took the opportunity to call her out raising his hand. "Check!"

Phoebe looked at Piper, a little disappointment showing in her eyes. Piper understood immediately. The girl talk in the bathroom would be one tinted with tragedy, as the wreckage from the disaster that was this lunch date was great and vast. "We'll be right back," Phoebe said pulling the napkin off her lap.

Leo and Cole stood up as the sisters left, leaving the men in the table. Alone.

"Phoebe, I know you're upset Leo crashed your lunch date, but-" said Piper as they headed to the bathroom.

"No it's not that," Phoebe interrupted. "Cole is pulling away from me again, I can see it."

Piper arched an eyebrow. She can see it? "Premonition?"

"Intuition," her little sister answered.

It was true, but Piper had dismissed it, thinking that was just the way he was. Slightly aloof. And to be honest, she hadn't really spent much time observing Cole. "Why do you think that would be?" she asked.

Opening the door to the women's bathroom, they pulled up their purses and checked their make-up. "I don't know. I think he's hiding something from me…" said Phoebe trailing off. "I just… I don't know."

"Hrmmm… Well, maybe he's married! Or he's gay." Piper joked, trying to lighten up her sister's mood. "Or he could be an ugly as demon. Take your pick."

Phoebe was amused, but she glared at her sister anyway through the bathroom mirror. "Don't…" she protested. Then her eyes bulged out at a realization. "Wait. Do you think he could be gay?"

Piper laughed out loud. "Pheebs, I was kidding. He has more chances of being a demon than being gay… Of that, I can assure you."

Sitting down, Leo checked if the girls were already out of sight before he proceeded to talk. "Look Cole, before the girls get back… I need to tell you something."

"What, do I have spinach in my teeth?" he said, grinning to bare them.

"Wha-? Oh no, no. It has to do with Phoebe," Leo said. Oh so this is the big brother talk. Right. "Um, I just feel very protective of her, we all do. You know, she's a sweetie. She's been through a lot… A lot of loss."

He knew. He'd read her file. "I sense that," he answered.

"Well, she's into you, I can tell," Leo continued. "Whatever your intentions are, I just want you to be straight with her, okay? I don't wanna see her get hurt."

Cole bit down the feeling of irony. Phoebe would get hurt, but not as much as Prue would after today. He settled for replying to the Whitelighter in front of him with as much irony as he could let on. "Heaven forbid."

For a moment, he saw a slight hesitation from Leo. His line had clearly hit home.

"Hey!" Phoebe called out coming back to the table. "What did we miss?"

Cole and Leo stood up again, pulling up their respective ladies' chairs behind them. "Oh, Leo was just giving me some… Investment advise," Cole answered.

At that moment, the blonde waitress came in to give them the check. Cole took it and leaned into the table, gesturing to Leo with the check on his cheek. "Why don't we split this?" suggested Cole to him.

Leo looked at him, not knowing what to do. He didn't carry anything, no wallet, no money. It was social details like these that just escaped him. It had been so long since he'd been 'alive' that he had just never really thought about bringing such things with him anymore. Besides, why would you even need money for when you lived in Heaven?

"Oh! Honey, did you forget your wallet again?" interrupted Piper, noticing the exchange.

Leo laughed, hiding his slight shame. "Guess so…"

Cole looked on as he paid for half the meal. He knew it was mean, shaming him like that in front of everyone knowing that Leo would not be able to pay for it, but hey! He was still a demon, and Leo was still at the opposite end of the spectrum. It just went to prove than at least the bad side could wine and dine their women better than Heaven itself. He could allow himself this little show of hubris, right?

His pager beeped. Pulling it out he read it in his head. "You were right. She came."

"I'll have to take this…" he said standing up. "Forgive me."

Going to the toilet, he shimmered into Vinceres' building.

"Belthazor," the other demon called him out by his name, sensing his presence in the room.

Cole looked down at the burnt body of a police officer. "Got your page."

"I owe you for sending me the witch," Vinceres said. "It went down just like you said. Thanks."

One demon thanking another. He would believe it if it weren't for the fact that demons didn't feel gratefulness. He would take it though, being the most he would ever get from an assassin.

"You made physical contact during the spell?" Cole asked.

Vinceres faced him as he packed a bag. "I could feel the empathic power pass out of me and right into her. How did you know that would happen?"

"That's how you got it isn't it?" he said. "How long does she have?" I hope not long. I would rather she died immediately than suffer through twenty-four hours of pure torture.

"She's mortal. She won't be able to fight it like a demon can," Vinceres answered. Somehow, that didn't reassure Cole. Prue as stubborn as she was would put up a considerable fight. "I give her a day until the weight of human emotion crushes her. You'll enjoy watching it."

If only he could still say that statement was true, but he knew that when it came to her, that would never ever happen. He had already made the preparations. "I'll be out of town," he answered. "I don't need to see the other two suffer the loss of their sister."

Vinceres looked at him oddly. "Compassion. From, you Belthazor?" he asked. Cole mentally cursed and hit himself. It was moments like these that just showed how far gone he really was. "I think maybe you've been undercover a little too long."

Maybe he had. If he continued like this, he would be suspected of betraying the Triad. Control yourself, dammit. Masking his slip up, he put a nonchalant expression dipped in warning. "Not your concern."

"True," Vinceres agreed, taking the hint. He may have softened up, but his demonic side still had a reputation that commanded respect. Instead, Vinceres diverted the conversation to other matters. "My only concern is the empath who cursed me, Father Thomas. And I know just where to track him down…"

Realizing what that would mean, Cole took the demon just before he was about to leave and shoved him up the wall. "No. I can't risk the witches finding you and reversing the magic."

"You forget who I was, before I was an empath, Belthazor," Vinceres seethed in anger. "I'm immune to their powers."

"Maybe… But you're not immune to mine," he countered.

This time, it was harder for Vinceres to relent on his pursuit, but Cole's gaze still carried a dangerous glint. He finally yielded. "Understood," he gritted through his teeth.

Prue was still trying to get her head around what had happened. One minute, she was talking to the receptionist insisting on an urgent appointment, the next, she felt like she'd gotten groped. With no one in sight to do so. Then, she had suddenly found everything hilarious and had laughed hysterically about… Nothing. Meanwhile on the next room, a woman was laughing because of laughing gas. Maybe 'freeing an empath…'

When she realized what might've happened, she rushed home, completely forgetting her appointment. On the way home, she had felt a kid's excitement over a new toy while she stopped for a stoplight. Walking up the steps of the Manor, the door opened before she could even get to the doorknob.

Cole was coming out. He paused when he saw her looking at her with a look she had seen before but couldn't place where. Ignoring it, she shrugged him off and walked straight to enter the house. They must've just gotten back from lunch then… Brushing past him though, she was overtaken by such an intense feeling, it made her gasp. Eyes wide, she looked back to watch him leave as she closed the door. Now she knew where she'd seen that look before. Her breath had hitched and the depth of the emotions making her world spin and her insides wanting to fly and fall at the same time.

Phoebe noticed her expression, and furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you okay?"

"I haven't felt… anything like that… since Andy was alive…" Prue answered, still breathless.

"Anything like what?"

Prue put her hand on her chest, trying to calm her heartbeat down. "Spinning into infinity… You know that…" she paused, sighing. "…head long, spiral that… steals your breath and stops your heart..?"

She was sounding like she had swallowed a cheesy poetry book, but there were really no other adjectives to describe this, this kind of frisson… The jolt you felt that made you giddy and happy all the time… She had noticed a slight bitter feeling of sadness somewhere in there, but the rest of his emotions had been so intense, it was overwhelming.

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Phoebe.

"Falling in love," she answered.

"Falling in love..? Prue, I just got dumped, okay? I'm trying to experience a break-up here!" Phoebe said. Reconsidering what her older sister had said though, she might as well ask. "Who's falling in love?"

"Cole," Prue answered, looking at her. He's in love with her. Really in love with her. I can't mess with that. I know what these kinds of feelings make people do. They can make you do anything and everything for that one person. There really was no contradicting that. She had felt this for Andy.

Phoebe chuckled. "Okay, You are so off-track," she said, not believing her.

Then at her words, Prue felt another jolt of frisson, this time coming from Phoebe. The attack to her senses left her breathless again. "Oooh! Wait… I felt that too. Your heart just jumped, and… I felt it!" she said looking at her younger sister, feeling like they were school kids again, accidentally blurting out the names of their crushes in public, back when guys still had cooties. "You're falling in love too!"

Okay, there was something definitely wrong.

"How did you kno- How did you do that?" asked Phoebe. The questions wouldn't come out of her mouth fast enough.

"Uh… I helped Vince?" Prue answered cautiously.

"How did you help him, exactly?" she asked.

"What's with the third degree?" her older sister asked back.

"Prue, just answer the question and tell me how," Phoebe answered, slightly exasperated at her dodging attempts.

Prue rolled her eyes. "Fine. I cast a spell to release his gift," she finally said.

Phoebe's eyes widened, and she turned around heading for the corridor into the kitchen. "We got a problem!" she called out to Piper and Leo. "Prue cast a spell to remove Vince's pain."

"Who's Vince?" asked Piper.

"The shut-in," Phoebe answered. "But, uh… I think, and call it a hunch… That it backfired and made Prue an empath."

"W-What kind of hunch?" asked Leo.

Phoebe pinched Piper. Piper and Prue both yelped in pain. "Ow!"

As customary of sisterly quarrels and force of habit, Piper slapped Phoebe back. "Oooh!" Phoebe squealed in pain, as did Prue.

"Uh-oh," Piper said, eyes widening. This was not good.

Seeing their looks of surprise, Prue tried to explain herself. "Uh, okay. I don't really know how it happened, alright? All I was trying to do was help an innocent." She paused looking at their faces. She was feeling something in the room she didn't like, their emotions speaking so much louder than their voices.

"What is that I'm feeling?" eyeing all of them. The clearest one was Leo's. "You. You're feeling fear. Spill it."

"I'm… I'm afraid that you're in danger," he answered, feeling like a target. "You weren't meant to receive this gift. You can't handle it."

Can't handle it? Come on! I've always been an overachiever! Of course I can handle an extra power! "Okay, you're looking at it all wrong!" she said. "I was guided to Vince, remember? Maybe I was meant to have this gift!"

"But Prue, you're not an empath," said Piper. "You're just a witch."

"Right, a witch whose powers come from her emotions, right?" she countered. "Look, I was looking for a power boost to fight Belthazor. Maybe this is it…" she trailed off, knowing that the feeling of scepticism still hadn't left the room despite her explanation. All of them really good points by the way! "Would you guys please stop being so negative?" her voice raising. Their emotions were getting to her and it was frustrating. What, can I not be trusted with this power?

"I didn't say anything!" said Phoebe. It was rather uncomfortable, this. Someone knowing exactly what you felt without even a word?

"Yeah, but I can feel all of your-" she said, though never finishing her sentence.

The microwave suddenly exploded, the fuse blowing up behind them and the glass a shattering all over the place. Piper and Phoebe shrieked at the sudden blast, their arms over their heads. The were used to explosions and the like, but you usually knew where they would be coming from.

"What was that?" Leo asked, startled.

Prue hadn't even been able to move. "I think I did it…" she said. "It's just that all of your doubts are screaming in my head! I-I've got to get control of this."

"The Book of Shadows. Maybe there's something about empaths," said Phoebe.

"Where are you going?" Prue asked.

"To help you!" said Phoebe. Wasn't the answer obvious?

"Yeah, but you're dying to see Cole!" Prue answered. Phoebe's longing had been at the back of her mind during their whole conversation but it was almost as if she were longing for him too.

"Stop that! I did not say that!" said Phoebe. It was almost invasive, your sister knowing everything.

Prue knew that this kind of pining could only be felt once. She'd learnt with Andy that you should never let it pass you by. If Phoebe was feeling this for Cole, and if Cole felt the same for her… Her own feelings could not come in between them. It would just not be right. She would have to give him up. What she felt wouldn't matter.

"Phoebe… Go to him alright?" she said, trying to sound confident in her voice. "I think you'll find him receptive." It was painful, but it was the truth.

"Prue, I can't… I need to stay here with you," she said. Prue knew she was only saying that out of duty. "D-Do you really think he'll be receptive…?"

Prue tried to smile her most sincere smile. "Yes," she answered. "Now, go get your man! He wants you!"

Not me. Phoebe gave her a hug and left. Having that sorted, Prue went out of the kitchen heading for the attic.

"We'll help you out," offered Leo as he and Piper followed her out.

"No, no, no, no…" said Prue. There's just no way I'll be able to concentrate when Leo and Piper clearly need to have a Dr. Phil moment. "Your guys' couple issues are really starting to hurt my head."

Leo looked uncomfortable. Piper looked at her blankly. "Wait… We have… Couple issues?" asked Piper.

"Resentment," she pointed at Leo. "Denial," she said pointing at Piper. "Be nice."

"Prue, what are you doing here?" he asked. This was strange. It was late, why would she be here?

She had a determined look about her, like she was steeling herself for something. "I know what you are."

Her answer floored him. She knew. He had been discovered. She had come here to kill him. He had failed his mission. And even if she didn't vanquish him, the Triad would. His defence mechanism kicked in and he willed himself into transforming into Belthazor. Except he couldn't.

"It's no use. You can't fight me. You don't want to fight me," she said, drawing him out with her darkened green eyes. How did she even know he had wanted to transform?

No matter. If he was nervous, he wouldn't show it. "What? Does the little witch want to play?" he taunted.

"I know you're afraid of me," she said. How the hell did she know these things? Last time he checked she wasn't a mind reader. And then it all clicked. Vinceres' curse. She had absorbed his empathy earlier that day. He felt even more vulnerable than before. Not physically though. He could throw a fireball at her without effort. And even without powers, he could easily overcome her with just pure raw force. No, definitely not. This was something else, something deeper. He felt like his soul had been ripped open and all its contents laid bare for her to peruse at her own amusement. It was a strange feeling, this thing about being vulnerable. He did not like it at all. She stepped closer to him, and he subconsciously stepped back. "You don't have to fight it. I know you want me too."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, naturally trying to hide despite knowing it would be pointless. Anyone would. It was a reflex, like breathing.

She came in closer, her face inches away from his. There was really something about those eyes. The green shade of them bordered into grey, but this time, they grew darker. If they had been intense before, they were on fire right now. He had looked at her so intently, that the tiny little movement her eyes made to the side warned him there was something to come. The lamp that had hurled itself on to his right crashed within a couple of inches beside him onto the floor. He barely had any time to move before she was charging at him with an athame on her hand, ready to plunge.

Conjuring up a fireball, he threw it at her, but her telekinetic powers threw it back at him and he shimmered, managing to dodge it just in time. He appeared behind her and grabbed her raised arm with the athame, hitting her wrist hard. She cried in pain, dropping the ceremonial dagger to the floor. Securing her other arm and pulling them down together and pushed her against the wall.

"Did you really think you could kill me all by yourself, Prue?" he asked, slightly breathless with the effort, as whispered in her ear. Wisps of her hair tickled him, her scent enveloping with such a close proximity. He fought hard to concentrate and to ignore the effect that her breathing, laboured as it was while pressed against the wall, was doing to him whenever her back heaved and rhythmically touched his chest and the rest of his body. It would only take one little inch to lean in closer to her neck and it was oh so distracting. So great was his concentration that he was surprised by the piece of glass from the broken lamp that stabbed him in the back, drawing out blood. He cursed at the pain, slightly loosening his grip on her wrists. A mistake that caused him the leverage he just had a few moments ago.

Moving fast, Prue pushed him and hurled him with her powers against the wall, making the piece of glass dig deeper into his back. She kept him there pinned against the wall. He struggled against her power, but he found himself powerless. This wasn't supposed to be happening. Why wasn't he as powerful as before? Had she gotten stronger? Had he gotten weaker? Nothing made sense. Any other time he would've been able to kill her within seconds. What was holding him back?

And then she did the last thing he thought she would do. After all the vanquishing potions, deaths and torture rituals he had managed to imagine in his head within the time she had taken to walk over to him across the room, death by kiss wasn't something he had had in mind. Her lips, soft and warm, had touched him with the lightest of caresses but the effect reverberated across his whole body. For a moment he didn't respond. He just stood there astounded and petrified, not knowing what to do. His eyes remained open not believing what was happening. Was she really kissing him? After all of that fighting? Was she under a spell? Was she really here? Were her lips really doing all of these wonderful things to him?

Feeling her telekinetic hold on him give out, he flipped them over and they exchanged positions, her body firm, but compliant. It was when he closed his eyes that he knew she had him. She could've killed him, mauled him over with an athame, done anything to him at that moment and he wouldn't have cared, as long as she didn't break away from this. He returned her kiss in full force, his lips wrestled with hers, relishing in the sweet battle. His head was spinning, feeling her fingers wrapping themselves at the back of his neck, nails lightly scratching his nape and running through his hair sending chills down his spine. He cradled her neck with his hands, pressing her mouth harder against him to deepen the kiss. And then his tongue flicked against her lips seeking entrance and he entered her mouth. The groan he let out came from the very depths of his soul. She was exquisite. Desperate, passionate, smouldering; it was everything in that moment. The taste of her tongue against his, his teeth nipping her warm lower lip, the fire within him running through every bit of his flesh.

"Cole…" she breathed. His name, on her lips. It was almost melodic. He responded with his mouth on her neck, nibbling and sucking on the spot right underneath her ear where her pulse raced a thousand miles per hour. It earned him a moan so guttural, he almost wanted to take her right there and then.

"Cole, Cole, Cole…" she repeated like a mantra. But with each call, the voice changed.

He opened his eyes. He stared down at another pair in front of him. This time, the eyes that met him were chocolate brown. Not green. "Phoebe…?" he asked.

She smiled. "You were moaning in your sleep. I thought you were having a nightmare…" she told him. "Are you alright?"

He oriented himself, and he remembered how Phoebe had come in earlier that night. It was her, not Prue who had come. It was a dream…

"Yeah, I'm alright. It was nothing… Thanks…" he whispered, drawing her closer to him. "Let's go back to sleep, shall we?"

She sighed her assent into his chest and fell back into peaceful slumber. He didn't.

It was torture. Pain. Pain. Excruciating pain. Everywhere. Anywhere. Wherever she stood, wherever she went, all the voices, all the emotions, all the people all their grief, anger, confusion, boredom, illusion, disappointment, jealousy, hunger… They all followed her and she couldn't escape. She couldn't take it. She didn't even know what she felt anymore. All she knew was that it was painful and it was all-consuming, like a thousand pinpricks across your whole body kept digging into you and those wounds were dipped in acid. What was worse was that it wasn't just physical pain, but emotional too. She didn't know whether her heart would be able to stand it anymore.

At first, it was the mild headache. She had been able to concentrate then, while looking through the Book of Shadows. But as hours passed, the subtle throbbing at the back of her head had given a monumental jump to the point where she thought she was going to pass out. The thing was, even when she had wanted to pass out, she hadn't been able to. The attic had become too much to bear as it left her open to all these people's emotions: the couple across the street's argument had turned a little too violent, and it felt as if her jaw had been dislocated. People's daily stress, a kid scraping his knee while riding a bike, a baby's cry for his mother, their desires… She had felt so much that she had started not being able to distinguish between happy and sad. Everyone and everything was giddy and depressing at the same time. And that is why she retreated into the most isolated area of the house with the Book, trying hard to concentrate. In the end she had become a mess of emotions, rocking herself in place, much like Vince in that building. It was in this state that Piper and Leo had found her.

"Prue? What's the matter?" Piper asked. "What are you doing in the basement?"

She tried putting an order to her thoughts as she tried to speak in between sobs. "I-I… I was… trying to escape…" she said. "The emotions… They're-they're everywhere! I… I can't get away!"

"What do you mean?" Leo asked.

"It's not just you and Piper! I-I'm… I'm picking up things from other people's houses!" she explained to them. Piper's feelings of fear and worry shot at her. "These… T-these people… And they're in my head- and they're in my heart… And it- It just hurts!"

Piper tried coming closer to her, her first instinct being to hug her and ease the pain a little bit. Prue jumped away from her, like she had gotten burnt. "No! Just.. Stay away, Piper! No contact!"

"Okay," Piper agreed, stopping on her tracks.

Prue curled up again, trying to calm herself down. "I-it's just too hard to concentrate! To even talk! I just want it to go away…" she cried. Sobbing even harder, she put her hands on her head, tearing at her hair. "My head! It feels like it's gonna split!"

The ceiling of the basement cracked as she screamed the word as if following her orders and threatening to crumble down over their heads. Piper and Leo jumped in surprise as bits of electrical wires and sparks flew in between them when the basement light broke and their feelings of fear making Prue even more unstable.

"WHAT WAS THAT!" yelled Piper.

Leo answered for her. "Her telepathic ability. The more she feels, the more powerful she becomes." It made sense, though the scene playing out in front of them suggested anything but powerful. Okay yes, maybe powerful, more like a powerful emotional train wreck, thought Piper.

"Alright! If this is a gift, we're returning it!" Piper said. "It was not meant for you."

Piper had ended up having to freeze the entire psychiatric ward. They had found Father Thomas, the empath who had given Vinceres his curse, but his anger at finding out that they had freed him when Prue took his power was too much. Prue had been so affected that the entire room had started to vibrate, wheelchairs started to smash against the walls, tables and easels turning upside down and falling, the TV floated up in mid-air and came crashing down onto the floor. In a psychiatric ward. Where the people with the most unstable emotions dwelled. The patients had become upset and it was multiplied tenfold in Prue's power. She was getting more powerful by the hour. Leo's depiction was quite accurate. It was a minefield and they had stepped on a huge landmine.

Now safely back in the Manor, they found Vince in the Book of Shadows.

"Here he is, Vinceres," Piper read, chuckling at the name. "Pretty much lives up to his gloss. Unstoppable hit man, just keeps going until he gets his target."

"Great! The energizer demon," said Phoebe. "So what do we do?" she asked looking at her sister and Father Thomas.

"Nothing," he answered dejected. "There's nothing you can do. It will find us and when it does, we're all dead."

Piper narrowed her eyes at him. Weren't people from the archdiocese supposed to be more cheerful than this? "Well, you're just a ray of sunshine, now aren't you?" she said sarcastically. Leo came into the sunroom, still looking worried. "Hey… Anything?"

"No. She won't say a word," he answered.

"We've gotta snap Prue out of this, or else he won't be able to reverse the spell when the demon attacks," she said.

"You can't reverse the spell," Father Thomas interjected. "Vinceres is immune to witches' magic."

Phoebe's eyebrows furrowed. "Hold on. Prue's spell worked."

"That's because the demon allowed it to work to its own advantage," he pointed out. "You'll find your spells useless now."

This was harder than they thought. "Maybe we actually don't need to reverse the spell…" Phoebe suggested.

"What are you thinking?" Leo asked.

"Well, Prue's getting hit by emotions… All emotions. And her powers are tied to these emotions," she explained. "So maybe if she can figure out a way to channel them… Then she'd be pretty unstoppable herself, don' you think?"

It was a good idea, but really hard to picture when Prue could even barely speak. Let alone fight. "Is that possible?" asked Leo, looking at Father Thomas.

"From what I've seen, your sister is too far gone," he stated. "She won't live to see the night."

"Alright, that's it!" Piper snapped. She had finally had enough pessimism from this Father.

"Piper," said Leo, trying to calm her down, but she wouldn't.

"No. I am sorry, but this man has experienced the entire rainbow of human emotions and the best he has to give us is self pity? I don't think so!" she lashed out. She now directed herself to the subject of her anger. "Look. You used this power to stop this demon. Now my sister has your power. Deal with it and help us."

The dream haunted him the whole day. When Cole had seen Vinceres, he had known his pain. Though of course his sympathies for him were to the bare minimum, he had known he was being tortured day and night without a moment's rest. And it got stronger and stronger by the hour, hounding on you like an incessant hammer on your head. Vinceres was a demon though. He wouldn't have died. He would have just stayed like that for the rest of his miserable existence.

Prue on the other hand was not a demon. She was a mortal. A witch, yes, but a mortal nonetheless. She would not be able to survive for more than a day… A day and a half maybe, but not more. She was suffering right now, pain coursing through her body constantly.

There was a nagging feeling inside of him as well, and not just because he had basically given her an agonizing death sentence. Phoebe had just left this morning after spending the night with him. After their lunch date, he had decidedly backed out of trying to make things more complicated by following through the plan of pursuing the youngest sibling and killing her. Torturing to death the one that made him weakest was already enough for him. And taking down their most powerful link would be enough to destroy the Power of Three. He didn't need to watch their suffering either. What he needed was to drown all the confusion out by drinking a couple of drinks. Usually, he had never seen the need to. After a hundred years, all wine started to taste the same. This time, it was the only way he saw to stop thinking for a moment. The liquour tasted bitter in his mouth, just like everything else. Killing the Charmed Ones: What once would have given him pleasure and delight was now almost as excruciating as an empathic curse.

But then Phoebe had come unexpectedly and had kissed him… And it was like she had served him her head on a platter.

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into" he told her.

She didn't care. "Neither do you."

At that moment he had not cared. His mind had whirled around the idea that he would be able to kill her and he would be able to succeed. Victory was right in front of him. With one swift move, he would be able to redeem himself from all that failure. He would be regarded as the one who had been able to kill the Charmed Ones. It would be glorious, all the other demons would fear him and even the Triad wouldn't stand a chance. After all, it was him who had destroyed the Charmed Ones, right? But when the right time came, he didn't think. The drinks blurred his head. He had been thinking so hard for so long that whole day, carrying the worry that Prue might have been dead already that Phoebe's kiss had given him a chance to forget and not care about the world at all.

That was only for that moment though. Sleep was momentary and even in there he was tormented. The dream had confused him. She had wanted to kill him, and in his dream he would've genuinely tried to kill her too. Except he hadn't done it. He hadn't stabbed her the last time he had had the chance, when she had been right there in front of him, and he didn't do it this time either. And right now, he felt just as powerless and as weak as he did during his restless sleep.

Shimmering into the Manor, he had wanted to see her one last time. There would be no harm in it, he justified. She was going to die. He was going to leave. Everything would be over soon enough. Quietly going inside the kitchen, he waited for Leo to get out and join the sisters. Making an illusion out of himself, he changed his appearance into Leo's and went down the basement. Illusionment was something he had learnt a while ago, but he hadn't used it much. He still wasn't able to sustain the illusion or appearance long enough to be useful, but he wasn't going to stay there long anyway. Just enough to see her at least.

The scene in front of him broke the part of himself that had a heart. She was a mess. Smeared mascara under her eyes, her hair wild from her pulling, her eyes red blood-shot from lack of sleep and crying. She was just steadily rocking herself, curled up in a corner, staring into oblivion not even noticing his presence in the room. He shaded his emotions under his demonic side in case she would be able to reveal them, just like he was able to do before. This would be so much easier if it weren't for her. Pity and compassion, he hid them away. There was no use hurting her even more with his presence.

Stepping closer, she didn't look at him, didn't even flinch. His shading was working at least. He got as close to her as possible and kneeled down. He placed a hand on her back, at the contact, she instinctively jumped away backing into the corner even more with a sob. "No! Please don'!" she cried. "P-please… I c-can't. Please don't…" she begged.

Her eyes were wild. By the way she had jumped, he might as well have run razorblades down her back. Maintaining his appearance, he tried to bring to surface the empty numbness every demon had. The one that allowed them to do all the things they had to do without even an ounce of remorse or guilt. When he was sure he didn't feel anything at all but emptiness, he touched her back and tried to transfer all of that numb feeling inside of her, trying to overpower every other emotion struggling within her head and her heart. The agony in her eyes started to wane as her whole body started to relax. The muscles in her back loosened up and she stopped rocking herself, sitting completely still. The voices in her head faded, the emotions dying down to a mere hum inside her chest and her breathing came in deep breaths, instead of the painful gasps she had been taking the last 24 hours. Her eyes, those eyes that showed everything… Her eyes dimmed down with emptiness and her eyelids drooped down from exhaustion. She had numbing peace.

Prue was vaguely aware of what was happening. All she knew was that it had finally stopped. Everything had stopped and nothing else mattered but that. She was vaguely aware of the hand on her back. There were no voices anymore, no feelings of sadness or grief and pain. Nor was there happiness, laughter, joy or excitement. There was nothing. Nothing except that hand on her back. Looking to the side, he saw Leo sitting down beside her on his knees. She thought she should be grateful, but after so much, she couldn't even feel that. She would have to thank him later.

Cole's concentration was broken when he heard a noise by the kitchen upstairs. They're coming down soon. A momentary feeling of fear broke into his unfeeling focus and Prue felt it. I have to get out of here.

Looking at Prue nervously, her eyes started to wake. "Cole…?" Prue whispered.

His nervousness doubled. His illusion must've faded. He cursed in his head. He adjusted himself transforming into Leo again. "Prue? Are you alright? You're seeing things… It's me, Leo," he said with the most concerned voice possible.

"But I just saw-" she protested.

The noises at the top of the stairs were getting louder. He needed to leave. Before she could finish her sentence, he removed his hand away from her back, and the numbing cap he had placed around her disappeared. The emotions came rushing back in. She shrieked at the shock, her telekinetic powers reacting with what she was feeling. The light bulb that had been spared the last time she let go exploded into smithereens and the wooden beams above their heads supporting the house cracked even more almost caving over their heads.

Cole rushed for the stairs and shimmered out in the confusion just as Leo and Father Thomas came in. They never saw him leave.

"I can't… The pain…" she said. After the moment of rest, it had come back to her threefold. If she thought it was bad before, this time she just wanted to die.

"You're carrying a cross you were never meant to bear. I'm sorry," he said. No don't be sorry, please don't be sorry! It hurts!

"Your sorrow! I can't… I can't take it! Please…" she begged. Why would Leo do this to her, she didn't know.

Father Thomas was relentless. "You've been fighting what you feel… That's natural but it's wrong," he told her. "To find your strength as an empath, you must embrace the emotion. Focus on me. The feelings are ripping you apart because you're fighting them like the demon did. A demon can't handle human emotions… You can."

"No, no, no… I can't! It's too much! T-there's too much…"

"Prue, take my hand," he asked her. Prue hesitantly did what he said. He felt calm, she didn't. "My power to ease human suffering lay in my hands. That's how I cursed the demon. You must channel the empathic gift into your power."

Prue sobbed. "I can't. I can't control my power…" she said defeated. It was true. She had been making things explode with her power for the last 24 hours.

"Prue you can do it," he encouraged her. "You have a once in a life time opportunity to feel the world's emotions. All it means to be human. The good and the bad. Don't be afraid."

Don't be afraid, the phrase echoing in her head. Remembering what had happened a few moments ago, that feeling of numbness and of peace, she tried to focus on that. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on ignoring all the other emotions tormenting her, all the conflict inside her head. It was hard. So hard. Taking a deep breath she steeled herself and felt them all, arranging them into pockets within herself. And then suddenly, she found the place she had been looking for. The one that was quiet and peaceful. The silence let her mind be still as she dealt with the groups of emotions one by one.

Opening her eyes, Father Thomas and Leo saw a newfound determination within her. Going up the stairs she found Phoebe getting strangled by the demon.

"Just tell me where the empath is and I won't kill you," he threatened her.

"You want him?" challenged Prue. "Come and get him."

Throwing Phoebe to the side, making her crash against the wall to join Piper, Vinceres advanced towards Prue who had Father Thomas behind her. Prue waved him off with her arm and he flew across the room and into the wall.

Vinceres was taken aback. The other two's powers had bare grazed him, why was this one going to be any different? "How'd you do that?"

"If you want the empath, you're gonna have to go through me," Prue said. Piper and Phoebe started getting up to back their eldest, but Prue stopped them. "Stay back, this is my fight."

Prue started attacking him. She felt the power of everything she was feeling, and right now she was channelling all the cold anger she had inside of her. She levitated herself with her own telekinetic power and gives him a few kicks as if she were just casually walking up the stairs. Casually was what it seemed like, but she wasn't even able to enjoy it… If she broke her concentration, she would lose control again.

When Vinceres didn't seem to be fazed by any of her efforts, she started punching him, using what she'd learnt from those self-defense classes all three of them had been taking since they'd started fighting demons. He blocked them all, just like she blocked his. Getting away from him, took hold of the stair railings and lifts herself up to run up the wall, doing a round over and going over the railing to kicking him in the face with the built up momentum.

He gets sent back, but rises back up again, without a single scratch. "You can't hurt me," he taunted. "I can handle your powers."

To prove his statement, he put his hands around her neck and started choking her, his force lifting her off the ground. Concentrating even more, Prue dug deep inside the well of emotions she had and channelled everything she got into her arm, using her telekinesis to give her strength a boost. Come on, you can do it. Slowly, she managed to pry the demon's hands off of her. Then using the same force, she flipped her entire body over him in a full 360 degree kick in the air. He started throwing punches over at her again as she systematically blocked them. Finding an opening, she pushed him over to the floor, only to have rise up yet again.

"I can handle your powers," he said.

The feelings are ripping you apart because you're fighting them like the demon did. A demon can't handle human emotions… Father Thomas' last sentence reverberated in her head. "Then what about pain?" she asked. "Human pain."

Just like all this time, she shifted her focus on the emotion and shoved it all in her astral projection. The projection went out of her and it jumped inside of him. She released all she had been feeling, all her pain, all the sorrow, the anguish, the happiness… Every single little bit of feeling she had been carrying within her from half of the city. Vinceres screamed in pain and combusted.

P3 was bustling again. After a 12-hour sleep, she had finally recovered from the exhausting emotional rollercoaster she had experienced. Pfft, roller coaster? More like emotional spinning top of doom. Everything had almost turned back to normal now. She and her sisters would just have to be more careful about the signs they received. Man, that power boost was awesome! At least I know what my powers will be like in the future... She smiled subconsciously, thinking about all the things her and her sisters would be able to do. Looking up, she saw Leo.

"Hey, Leo!" she called out from the couch. She had forgotten to thank him for helping her have a rest back in the basement.

"What's up?" he asked sitting down on the couch across of her. "How's the tooth?"

"Oh it's alright… If only Piper could do something about Novocaine," she said, sticking her tongue out. He chuckled. "I just wanted to say thank you!"

"Uh, okay?" he said a bit weirded out, trying to think what he had done that worth the commendation. "It was no big deal. I'm your Whitelighter, it's my job."

"Yeah, but I was having a really hard time, and if it weren't for the help you gave me that time in the basement, I don't think I would've even been able to do what Father Thomas told me to do," she said.

Leo looked at her, half-puzzled, half-flattered. It was good to be appreciated, but wasn't this a little too much? I mean, I did help out. But half the time, I didn't even know what to do myself. "It's alright, Prue. Really, don't mention it," he finally answered.

She smiled gratefully at him. "That thing you did with your hand on my back and numbing everything out was awesome!" she said.

"Uh… Prue, that wasn't-"

"Prue!" Piper called out from the bar. "Can you come here for a sec?"

Prue got up. "Looks like Piper needs a little help! Thanks again!" she said, heading for the bar.

"-but. That wasn't… Me…" finished Leo.

A/N: Okay, here's the part where I'll need to ask you guys something. I kinda need people's opinions for the next chapter because I'm at a stall point and I don't want to take longer than I have to to write the next chapter, (which if you follow the season, it's Power Outage!).

If you were travelling in a group of 5 people whom you didn't know, would you choose a 45-hour trekk where you all stay together, or would you go through the 3-minute easy path even if it meant leaving 2 of them behind? Whichever answer you choose, please answer why. Thanks!

Oh and if you don't want to get asked, it's still awesome to review! The speed of my updating is directly proportionate to the amount of reviews I get. Tehee. ^_^