Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the Characters; I just really enjoy writing about them!

This story takes place after Quality Time.

Two weeks had passed since the Halliwell sisters and their significant others had returned from their much needed, well deserved vacation. Nothing had been heard about Piper’s attacker, the man who had haunted Phoebe’s premonitions and thoughts. Slowly everything was returning to normal. Phoebe spent her day’s lounging around the house, Prue and Piper had returned to work, although Piper still wasn’t a 100% comfortable being in the club, especially if she was alone.

Phoebe drew a large red ‘x’ through that day’s date in the calendar. It was Friday evening, and she only had one week remaining until she could reclaim her freedom, and her sanity. Prue laughed as she watched her baby sister, opening the diary to cross out the day there too.
“It’s not funny, but just think, this time next week, this thing will be gone forever!” Phoebe glanced down at the monstrosity covering her leg
“The time’s flown in Pheebs, and after that accident, you should be glad that’s the only thing wrong with you”
“Uh I beg to differ,” Phoebe drew her attention to the almost invisible scar on her forehead, covered by her hair.
“Pheebs, you can’t even see that! you’re such a drama queen, and besides, you know that’s not what I meant”
“Yeh I know Prue, and I’m sorry I wrecked your car” Phoebe’s whole mood had changed
“Oh honey, I don’t care about my stupid car, it’s you who I care and worry about…constantly” Prue kissed Phoebe’s forehead
“Who are you trying to kid, you loved that car”
“Ok well maybe I care about the car a little bit” She demonstrated a small amount with her fingers
“Try a lot” Phoebe wasn’t going to let this slip
“Ok I loved the car, but who cares, the insurance covers it, it can be replaced, you can’t”
“I’m going to go to bed, k?”
“It’s early”
“Well I’m tired from doing NOTHING all day, no make that all week”
“As much as I’d love you to stay up and wow me with that cheerful mood, I think bed’s the best place for you” Prue’s sarcasm was picked up on by Piper, who almost knocked the youngest down on her way in,
“Sorry Pheebs” Piper helped Phoebe get her balance back “Are you two fighting”
“NO, night Piper” Phoebe quickly took her leave

“Well she’s a barrel of laughs”
“Isn’t she just, have you to work tonight?”
“Nope, thank god”
“Do you want to watch a movie with me?, please Pipe, I’m bored and Andy’s working, please” Prue whined like a child
“So I was second choice then?”
“Joint second, was going to ask Pheebs, but she’s totally wrecked”
“What can I say I’m honored, course I’ll watch it with you”
The two sisters made popcorn and opened a bottle of white wine.

“Prue I’m going to check if she’s still awake,”
Prue just nodded, her mouth full of popcorn, as Piper headed to Phoebe’s room.

Phoebe heard the knock on her door, and was in two minds as to whether to respond, her heart won out “Come in Pipe”
“How did you know it was me?”
“I always know, same way you do, you don’t live with someone your entire life and not recognise their knock” Phoebe ranted on “besides, Prue never knocks on my door”
Piper laughed, but her sisters face remained emotionless.
“Pheebs do you want to join us for a movie?”
“Nah, I’m going to stay here”
“Are you sure, we’ve got popcorn and wine” Piper tried to tempt her
“What part of NO don’t you get, the ‘N’ or the ‘O’?”
“I don’t know what’s causing these mood swings, but snap out of it, we’re all losing patience with you”
“Whatever, shut the door on your way out” Piper made no attempt to respond to her sisters blatant hint for her to leave,
“Phoebe, if you want to talk, you know where I am, and don’t talk to me like that, I did nothing wrong”
Phoebe turned away from her sister, angry with herself for picking an unnecessary fight, she was even angrier that Piper was still being nice to her after that.

Prue looked up at Piper as she returned. “So is our little sunshine sleeping?”
“Sunshine is so not how I’d describe her right now”
“She in a bad mood?”
“Major understatement, what is with that girl?”
“Search me, don’t let her get you down” Prue pressed play on the remote, and Piper settled down beside her to watch the movie. “Aww Prue you could have got something funny at least” Piper grew squeamish at the sight of the horror on the screen. Prue laughed.

As Prue left the bathroom on her way to bed that night, she felt the usual need to check on her little sister, despite the foul mood.
“Ugh, Prue get out would ya?” Phoebe was almost asleep, but the light shining in from the hallway was blinding
“Sorry, did I wake you?” Prue whispered trying not to disturb her further
“It’s ok, just please let me sleep”
“Ok night baby” Prue kissed her and pulled her blankets up, wrapping them tightly around her.
“Prue?”
“Yes babes?”
“I’m sorry about earlier”
“Don’t worry about it, we’re all allowed to be moody sometimes, get some sleep, I love you”
“Love you too” Prue smiled as she closed Phoebe’s door, she knew Phoebe would always apologise.

The next day, Phoebe was up unusually early. Piper found her laughing at the Saturday morning cartoons in the living room as she passed. She was glad to see her little sister in better spirits than the previous night. “Morning Pheebs”
“Umm” Phoebe waved at her sister, without breaking her attention from the television.
“Any requests for breakfast?”
Phoebe never even heard the question; she was too engrossed in the cartoon.
Piper rolled her eyes, before entering the kitchen where Prue was reading the newspaper, sipping a cup of coffee.
Phoebe finally dragged herself away from the TV, the aroma of her sisters cooking leading her to the kitchen.
“Oh yum, pancakes”
“Glad someone’s in a better mood today”
“Piper I am sorry ‘bout last night”
“That’s ok, I know how tired you were, do you feel better today?”
“Much, thanks Pipe” After she’d eaten, Phoebe returned to the couch, where she resumed watching children’s TV. Piper joined her after she’d cleaned up.
“hi Pipe” Phoebe snuggled up close to her sister, she relaxed in Piper’s embrace, her attention no longer on the programme as she stared into space
“Phoebe what’s wrong?” Piper waved her hand on front of her little sisters face to get her attention “Phoebe”
“Sorry, what?”
“Is something wrong baby?”
“Not really” Phoebe knew she couldn’t hide her feelings from Piper as well as she could from Prue “I’m just in a crappy mood, that’s all”
“Phoebe did you have a fight with Darryl?”
“No, God Pipe not everything is about guy’s you know?”
“Ok I’m sorry, just relax would you?”
“No I’m sorry, I know I’ve been real snappy lately, it’s just…” Phoebe started to tell her sister what was on her mind, but stopped halfway through her sentence “...I’m tired”
“I know there’s more to it than that”
“There isn’t, honest”
“Promise?” Phoebe was never one to break a promise, so to avoid the question she pulled herself up onto Piper’s lap, and let sleep overcome her.

Piper smiled at her sister’s cuteness, despite the worry tugging at her heart. Something was troubling Phoebe and she needed to find out what

A couple of hours later, Phoebe awoke, to find herself staring into the caring, worried eyes of her older sister, she turned away burying her head in her sisters shoulder.
“Phoebe, please talk to me”
“I, I can’t Piper”
“Yes you can baby, I’m here for you, always. Why don’t you just tell me what is bothering you?”
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I did”
“That’s not fair Pheebs, you know I would”
“Ok, well I think Cole’s back” Phoebe grabbed her crutches, and made her way to the confines of her room, leaving her shell-shocked sister to digest the latest news.

Prue walked in at that moment. Piper was sitting there frozen to the spot, her mouth wide open with shock. “Piper?”
Piper didn’t answer her sister, but ran after the other one. She knocked but didn’t await an answer. Phoebe was sitting at her dressing table, her head in her hands.
“Pheebs, sweetie you can’t just tell me that then run, what makes you think he’s back?”
“I keep hearing him, as though he’s calling me, I can’t explain it Piper, I just feel it”
“Phoebe, I’m sure it’s nothing, you’ve been really stressed lately, and you’re just imagining things”
“That’s what I thought too, but Piper even I’m not mad enough to imagine a premonition”
“What did you see? Was it him?”
“He, he killed someone”
“Do you know who?”
“Your attacker, he killed him”
“Wow Phoebe are you sure? How can he be back, we vanquished him” Phoebe flinched, she always considered Cole as dead, not vanquished.
“Piper I know what I saw”
“I’ll go tell Prue” Phoebe nodded, she was terrified of how her older sister would react, Piper left her alone as she went to break the earth shattering news to Prue.

“Wow Pipe where’s the fire?” Prue almost fell back down the stairs as Piper rushed out of Phoebe’s room
“We need to talk”
“Give me a minute, I just have to do some…”
“NOW” Piper dragged Prue by the arm into her own room,
“Jeez, Pipe there’s no need to yell”
“Phoebe thinks the guy who attacked me is dead”
“Well lets hope so, it’ll save me going down for murder”
“Prue, I’m serious here”
“So am I” Prue was joking with her sister, she didn’t care if the scumbag was dead, if anything she was relieved
“Cole’s back” Piper was going to break the news gently, but given her sisters obvious lack of interest she chose to shock her
“WHAT?”
“Phoebe saw him in a premonition”
“PHOEBE, GET IN HERE NOW”

Phoebe never heard the shouting; she was too engrossed in her memories.

Flashback

Phoebe rolled over in bed, savouring the last few minutes. “Phoebe if you don’t get that butt of yours up now, you’ll never have time to get ready.
“Whatever Prue,”
“Come on sweetie, this is meant to be the happiest day of your life”
“And it will be, but not if I don’t get a little lie in”
“Ok lazy baby, you asked for it” Prue pulled the covers of her sister, exposing her to the cold.
“You suck”
“Get into the shower, that’ll warm you up, and then Piper has some food ready for you” Phoebe hugged her sister, unable to contain her excitement for the day that lay before her. She was to marry her true love that day. Cole and her had had their fair share of problems, but all that seemed to be solved since he was stripped of his demonic powers. Even Prue appeared to be more accepting of him since that day, however Phoebe knew she still didn’t trust him, same way she’d never fully trust any guy either of her sisters loved. Prue didn’t like that men had so much power to hurt her sisters, sisters even she couldn’t protect from the mortal pain of a broken relationship. Phoebe smiled, she knew Prue was making a huge effort to get along with her long time boyfriend, and she truly appreciated this.

The morning was a blur of activity, with Phoebe preparing for her big day with the aid of her bridesmaids.
Finally they arrived at the church. Prue left Piper with Phoebe to help calm her nerves as she went in search of her own boyfriend.

Present time

Phoebe sighed as she recalled the memory, she heard Prue calling her, and had snapped out of her daydream momentarily, but she chose to ignore her sisters calls.

Prue was growing impatient, she never liked to be ignored and this time was no exception “UGH,” Prue got up and stormed into her little sisters room, she didn’t even care that Phoebe was lying on her bed crying. She roughly pulled her up so they were facing each other “Is it true?” Phoebe nodded through her tears “HOW?”
Phoebe shrugged, not really giving an answer. “LEO, LEO” Prue called for her brother in law, who was wise enough not to ignore her
“What do you know about Cole?” Prue confronted their white lighter as Piper moved over to comfort her youngest sister. Leo took in the scene around him
“What are you talking about, I know the same as you”
“Oh, so you knew he was somehow miraculously back from the dead”
“WHAT?”
“Oh so the mighty elders are withholding secrets again?” Leo looked baffled, and he was slightly afraid of Prue and the mood she was in.
Phoebe pulled away from Piper’s hold, the thoughts were circling in her mind, She wanted to know why he was back? Wasn’t once enough to break her heart? Cole obviously didn’t think so because he just kept doing it, or so it seemed to Phoebe. Every time she made progress in her fight to conquer the overwhelming feelings she held for him, he seemed to return, causing her to relapse. Phoebe made an inward promise to herself, that this time would be different, this time she wasn’t going to fall for his irresistible charm, this time was different, she loved someone else.

The familiar sight of blue orbs distracted Phoebe from her thoughts.
“Where’s Leo gone”
“He’s going to try find out about this” Phoebe noticed that her oldest sister had calmed somewhat “I’m going out for a walk, I have my cell, call me if something comes up” Prue couldn’t bring herself to kiss her little sister goodbye, the angry feelings were raising their ugly head, and Prue knew the only way she could contain them was to be away from her Phoebe for a while. A walk being the most logical method to clear her head.

Piper sat down at Phoebe’s desk, watching as the youngest curled herself into a ball and cried, for some reason Piper knew comforting her would do no good.

Prue sat on a swing and swayed back and forth, as hard as she tried to fight it, she resented Phoebe for everything that had happened with Cole. She remembered the day his true identity was revealed, how she and Piper had rushed to the mausoleum, praying their sister was unharmed, she remembered the relief when they discovered he had been vanquished. When Prue thought back to the moment her sister broke the news that she had indeed let their archenemy go free, the familiar feelings of rage surfaced, especially because of the circumstances she chose to tell her in. Then Prue’s memory returned to the sight of her heartbroken baby girl after they vanquished her husband to be on the day meant to be the happiest ever.

Flashback

Prue went in search of her husband, and her brother in law, but was unable to find them anywhere. She approached the room where Cole was getting ready, but paused outside as she heard the sounds of another female. Prue not having intended to listen, was shocked at the content of their conversation. Her worst nightmare was becoming a reality, Cole was indeed evil once more. Without revealing her knowledge, she left Cole to plan with the seer, as she returned to her sisters, painstakingly breaking the news. The look on Phoebe’s face couldn’t be erased from Prue’s memory. Her eyes wide with disbelief, her carefully applied mascara smudged as she wiped the tears away. Prue hadn’t even been able to bring her sister any comfort, as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t. She stood frozen to the spot as Piper held her distraught little sister.

It had been at Phoebe’s approval that they decided that there was no other option than to vanquish him. Piper went to the manor with Leo and gathered what they needed, the same material they originally used to vanquish the source.

Present time

Prue felt a few warning drops of rain hit her, reluctantly she returned to the manor. Piper was sitting on the stairs. She had failed to comfort Phoebe and Prue. Both her sisters were struggling with their inner demons and all she could do was watch. She hadn’t felt so in the middle since Phoebe had returned from New York. Piper had never hated anyone, but right now that was the only emotion she could attribute with Cole. Her mind just like her sisters travelled back in time to the events nearly a year earlier. She shuddered to imagine how she’d have felt in Phoebe’s position. She admired so much the strength her baby sister exhibited as they read the vanquish, the eye contact she made with Cole as he burst into flames. Such strength and such pain as she fell to her knees, the reality of the day catching up on her.
Piper knew better than anything how hard the proceeding months had been, how hard thing still were at times for Phoebe. She also knew that Phoebe couldn’t handle all the emotion again.
“Penny for them” Piper looked up to see Prue
“Are you ok?” Prue nodded, not convincing her sister
“Is Phoebe?”
“No, oh god Prue, what are we going to do?”
“Be there for her, it’s all we can do”
“What do we do about Cole” Prue felt like spitting at the sound of his name
“We find him and kill him, and god help him if he dares show his face near Phoebe”
“We’ll need the power of three”
“There has to be another way, he’s not getting near her, she’s been through too much already”

Phoebe was left alone that day; she spent the vast majority of it crying. She wasn’t even sure why she was crying, deep within she still harboured feelings for Cole, but these feelings were mixed with hate and resentment, even fear, fear for the power he held over her and the influence he had. Everything was too confusing for her. She made her way to Prue’s room, needing the comfort and protection that only she could offer. As Phoebe knocked on the door, she hoped Prue would accept her and forgive her.

“Prue” Phoebe’s heart was crushed when her sister didn’t answer. The tears fell as she turned to return to her room.
“Phoebe” Prue was coming up the stairs and saw her little sister walking away from her door
“I thought you were in there”
“You mean you thought I was ignoring you” Prue enveloped Phoebe in a hug. The second her head found Prue’s shoulder, she broke down. The oldest steered her in the direction of her bedroom, and sat down not letting go of Phoebe for a second. She pulled her onto her knee and r