A/N: Revamped 02/02/2016.
"Phoebe, I said dinner is ready!" Piper huffed as she glared up the staircase, more than a little annoyed at her sister's lack of response, before she trudged down the couple of stairs she had climbed. She entered the kitchen in time to see Paige eyeing the steaming bowl of mashed potatoes.
"You wait, missy," Piper warned with an accusing point of her finger.
Her sister shrugged innocently. "What? It looks good, and smells good," she drawled as she lifted her nose in the air and inhaled deeply. "Smells really good."
"Yeah, well, you hold your horses. Leo, dinner!"
Leo orbed in, and cast a boyish grin to Paige. Piper looked at him quizzically. "Why are you so happy?"
"I love your cooking," he answered as he rounded the island to place a kiss on her cheek. He walked back again to take a seat next to Paige.
Upstairs, Phoebe let out a frustrated sigh before flinging open her bedroom door, and making her way down the stairs. A soft noise from the family room caused her to stop and glance around. She shrugged, and made her way to the kitchen.
"You guys hear something? I thought I heard a moan or a sigh." She pulled out a chair and joined the others with a downward pull of her lips.
"What are you talking about, and where have you been? I've been calling for you for forever," Piper questioned dramatically. She placed a plate of food in front of her salivating husband.
"No fair! You can't feed him first just because you two are married!" Paige childishly griped, even going so far as to cross her arms over her chest as she pouted.
Ignoring Paige, Phoebe continued her train of thought. "I thought I heard something in the family room. It must've been nothing."
"Aw, man," Paige moaned as she rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"What? What is it?"
"It's Cole! It's always Cole," she grumbled in distaste.
"Paige," Piper rolled her eyes, "You always think it's him."
"When it comes to Phoebe, it is!"
"Would you two stop! It's not Cole! He's gone. He finally got the stupid hint, and left. He didn't even goodbye," Phoebe shouted before trailing off to a whisper. Her eyes teared up.
"Honey, you know he really wanted too, but we all made it clear he wasn't welcome anymore. He's evil, and you have let him go like he finally let you go." Piper reasoned, trying to be as sensitive and as understanding as she could.
Everyone was quiet for a moment, picking at their food and averting their gazes. Phoebe placed an elbow on the table, and rested her cheek against her closed fist, twirling her fork into the steaming food. The rest of the dinner was uneventful, but punctuated by deep sighs and deeper frowns.
After the awkward dinner, Paige went to the attic to catch up on some reading, whereas Phoebe stalked off towards her bedroom. Piper watched her sister's retreating back with a world-weary sigh. Leo sidled up to Piper, and wrapped his arms around her waist as he nuzzled the back of her neck tenderly. She washed the dishes in the sink a little longer, but placing the scrubbing brush down.
"I'm worried about Phoebe," she started. She picked the brush back up and attacked the next dish with fervor.
"Why? Is she acting differently?" Leo questioned.
"She's quieter; always pacing in her room or daydreaming about something or other."
"Well, Piper, you have to understand that Phoebe has gone through a lot. Cole too, as much as you'd probably hate to hear it."
"You're right, I do." She quipped bluntly.
"Phoebe just needs time to adjust, she's still in love with Cole."
"I know but-" an abrupt groan pierced the air, interrupting Piper.
"The hell was that?" she demanded, throwing down her dish rag and storming out into the family room with her hands raised in preparation of a fight. Leo followed closely behind.
"Who the hell are you?" Piper questioned. "You better answer or I swear I'll blow you into oblivion!"
The disheveled figure raised his hands up in surrendering position, although his arms fell to his side immediately, causing the figure to grunt in pain. Piper took one step closer and asked, "What the hell is wrong you and how did you get in here?"
Piper examined the man closely, and grimaced at the sight. Whoever it was beaten into an unrecognizable pulp; his face was purple, red and puffed out in many ways than one. Both eyes were swollen shut, the left side worse off than the right. The figure swayed back and forth before he started to fade away, so weak that he stumbled forward instead.
"Piper, I think that's-" Leo started in awe.
"Cole." Piper finished, eyes wide in shock.
Before anyone could say anymore, Cole fell to his knees with a low grunt. He tried to fade away once more, but to no avail. Piper and Leo walked slowly over towards the couch, unsure of what to do.
"Cole?" Piper asked, surprised she actually felt pity for the demon.
Piper could see it now, the resemblance to her former brother-in-law. The hair, matted with blood, was Cole's. The square jaw, and (broken) nose…it was Cole all right, but barely. Leo rushed forward and grabbed Cole by the shoulders, which in turn lead to Cole emitting a wounded animal-like noise as he struggled to get away from Leo…the pain everywhere.
"I think he's in a lot of pain Piper, the wounds probably extend to his entire body…not just his face." Leo explained, standing a few feet away from the incoherent man.
"But how…? Isn't he invincible or something?" Piper asked incredulously, gesturing to Cole with her hands.
"Maybe, but judging on the strong smell of alcohol, Cole's drunk. Maybe alcohol effects his powers?" offered Leo.
"Leo, he's a frickin' demon for Pete's sake. Alcohol does many things, but it never directly affects powers. Just judgment."
"Well, that's all I can think of, Piper. Should I try healing him or something?" Leo asked sheepishly.
"What for? He clearly tried to drink himself to death-he's soaking wet! Quickly heal him! Heal him! He's dripping water all over my Persian rug!" Piper screeched.
"Yo, I'm trying to read what's go- is that Cole?" a voice questioned from the bottom of the stairs.
"Yes," Piper sighed as Leo edged himself a little closer to the man in question. "That thing is Cole."
"What the hell happened to him?" she asked as she walked over to Piper's side.
"I've no idea. Leo is going to try and heal him or something."
"How? Cole's a demon, and isn't he invincible?" Paige pointed out, an eyebrow raised in confusion.
"Yeah, well, do you have a better idea? The man is dripping pink water all over my new rug." Piper complained, pointing to the blood-tinged water pooling at Cole's feet.
"Uh… I got it." Paige muttered, snapping her fingers. "We call upon The Powers that Be/ To restore this man back to health/ Then have him explain to me/ How he came out of stealth?" She grimaced as Piper pulled her head back.
"What the hell was that?" Piper demanded.
"I'm not the greatest spell writer, so sue me!" Paige muttered, throwing her hands up in the air with a defeated malignant sigh.
"Girls? Look." Leo interrupted, pointing to Cole.
Cole had stopped swaying back and forth, but was now stock still until a bright golden light surrounded his body and lifted him a foot up into the air. The light swirled around his body faster and faster, glowing brighter with each passing second until it flashed and emitted a strident bang, causing everyone to fly backwards while dropping Cole to the ground with a loud thump.
Piper stood up and grabbed Paige's outstretched hand, hauling her youngest sister to her feet. Leo picked himself up slowly, brushing his kneecaps at invisible dirt. Leo glanced over at Piper and Paige, "Are you two alright?"
"Dandy," quipped Piper sarcastically, casting a glare at Paige who shrugged.
"What?"
"What happened?" Phoebe asked, concern lacing her voice, from the bottom of the steps.
"Paige cast a spell." Leo answered, pointing to Cole with an unsure expression.
"Cole?"
Cole shook his head and groaned, a headache pounding at his temples. He rubbed them gingerly, willing the powers that be (he huffed in laughter internally) to free him of the pain.
"Cole?"
Cole risked a glance up and started. He pulled himself from off the floor, and leaned against the nearest wall for support.
"Phoebe?" He frowned. "What the hell is going on? Why am I here?" His tone of voice became more and more demanding with each question, and he took a semi-menacing step forward. "I left. I left, isn't that enough? I haven't done anything in order for you to summon me back here."
"As of late, you mean," Paige added with a snarl.
"Cole, you came here by yourself, wasted and beaten to a pulp. You can look in the mirror for proof. You have the scars to prove it. Must've been some powerful demon to inflict that much damage on someone with regenerative health." Piper folded her arms across her chest casually. "You don't usually scar."
Cole looked around the room, registering the varied expressions: confusion, annoyance, hatred, smugness, hurt. He certainly knew he looked similar to most of those feelings.
"You were drunk?" Phoebe called out softly.
Cole's eyes flit to Phoebe, deep emotional pain clashing behind the light blue-green orbs as he desperately searched Phoebe's dark brown ones.
"I don't remember," he answered without menace. He ran a large hand through his dark, tremendously mussed up hair.
"You reeked of a brewery, and you couldn't stand on your own two feet," Piper offered.
"Right," he stated. He didn't feel there was anything more to add, so he nodded to himself. "I should be going." He turned as he prepared to fade.
"Where?" Phoebe asked. She took a few steps closer to her sisters and Leo.
"Where what?" he asked. Exhaustion coated his words, and seeped into his expression.
"Where are you going?"
"Where I live. Look, Phoebe, I'm not telling you where so that you Charmed Ones can hunt me down and vanquish me." He spat out 'Charmed Ones' with disgust.
"Watch your tone, buddy. Or I'll vanquish you right here, right now." Paige stated, flaring up.
Cole rolled his eyes. "I'm going now."
"You won't be missed," Paige sniped.
"Neither will you," he retorted.
Paige growled, and ripped her arm from Piper's grasp. She clutched the neck of Cole's shirt, and pushed him up against the wall.
"I thought White Lighters were pacifists?" he asked, a wan smile on his handsome face.
"Yeah, well I'm only half White Lighter."
"Fascinating," he drawled before casting his eyes over her head. He looked as if he had more to say, but instead he forcibly widened his grin and faded from Paige's grip, and out of the manor.
"Bastard," Paige grunted.
"Yeah, well the way you acted was no better," Piper scolded as she turned away from her sister. She returned to the kitchen, followed closely by Leo.
Paige scoffed at her older sister's back and walked over to Phoebe. The brunette was staring at the spot her ex-husband was recently standing.
"Earth to Phoebs. Are you okay?" Paige waved a hand in front of Phoebe's face.
"I'm fine." She blinked, shook her head, and went back upstairs.
TBC...
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