Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or any of its characters. In this chapter there are some references and dialogues from season four's "Long Live the Queen" which I also do not own.

Timeline: Season four's "Long Live the Queen". This story won't follow the canon.

Summary: Set during "Long Live the Queen". The Charmed Ones are trying to vanquish Cole, when something happened. The Source's essence leaves his body. Now Phoebe and her sisters will need to fight to protect the family from the new Source. But will Cole forgive them for trying to vanquish him or will Phoebe lost him forever? Also, what happened to the Source's essence in the first place?

Masquerade

Cole's penthouse

"Phoebe, no. No!" Cole cried.

"I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry," Phoebe said sobbing. This wasn't what she wanted. She loved him, she wanted to be at his side. But she couldn't stand the situation anymore.

Cole was the Source.

Cole was evil.

He needed to be vanquished.

Suddenly, her thoughts were broken by Piper's voice: "Prudence, Penelope, Patricia, Melinda..."

As Piper started to say the vanquish spell, fire appeared near Cole's feet. Phoebe looked away and took a deep breath.

She needed to be strong. "Ashford, Helen, Laura and Grace..." she said firmly.

"Phoebe..." Cole let out in a whisper. He felt strange, no... he felt a bit stronger. He could feel it, the Source's essence was leaving his body.

The Source was escaping and Cole was about to experience a vanquish.

Paige was about to say her part of the spell, when Phoebe stopped her.

"Wait!" Phoebe yelled, as she saw Cole's body started to glow.

"What the hell is happening here?" Piper asked in concern.

"Look out!" Phoebe pointed at him.

They saw steam rose from his body, as Cole cried out in pain and fell on his knees.

"Cole?" Phoebe walked towards him.

"Phoebe, wait," Piper warned her. "What are you doing?"

Phoebe shook her head. "Can't you see? He was possessed! All this time he was possessed!"

"What? Possessed?" Piper asked frowning.

Phoebe nodded. "I almost... almost killed him," she said and kicked one of the crystals out of formation, making the cage disappear.

"Phoebe, what you've done?" Paige asked, her eyes widening in astonishment.

"I'm sorry, baby, I'm really sorry," Phoebe said, kneeling beside him.

"I tried to fight him... But he was too strong..." Cole let out in a whisper.

Piper sighed in relief. "It's okay," she turned to her baby sister. "He was possessed..."

Paige looked from Cole to Piper. "The steam over him... It was..."

"The Source," Phoebe finished the sentence for her. "I'm really sorry..."

Cole shook his head and stood up. "Cole?" Phoebe asked, as she saw him moving away from her.

Instantly, Piper put herself on guard, her hands up, prepared to blow him up – or, at least, to try it out. "What's wrong with you now?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Cole sighed, then looked up at Phoebe. "You almost killed me..."

Piper rolled her eyes and lowered her hands. "She didn't know you were possessed... We didn't know..."

"We nearly killed you, but we stopped just in time," Phoebe said softly. "I saw the steam and made the connection... You're okay, you're safe now."

"I need to be alone," he said, stepping back.

Phoebe cleared her throat. "Don't do this, not now... Come with me. We need to go back to the manor... We need to talk about what happened."

Cole crossed his arms against his chest and looked at the floor. "Not now... Please," he said firmly. If he could, he would shimmer away instantly. But once the Source left his body, he had no powers anymore.

"C'mon, don't be such a drama queen," Paige scoffed. "We didn't hurt you."

"It's okay," Phoebe said softly. "I'll give you some space, but I won't let go of you." Then she turned to her sisters. "Let's go home."

Piper and Paige exchanged glances, then the youngest Charmed One orbed her sisters out.

As they disappeared before his eyes, Cole took a deep breath and sat on the floor.

Halliwell Manor

Phoebe's room

"Are you okay?" Piper asked in concern, as she sat on Phoebe's bed.

"I almost killed my husband... I'm not okay..." Phoebe replied, rubbing her forehead.

"It wasn't your fault, sweetie. And you saved him, if you didn't stop, we..."

"He won't forgive me..."

"There's nothing for him to forgive you for," Piper said softly. "He's confused, that's all."

"Are you sure?" Phoebe asked in a baby voice.

Piper let out a slight smile. "Yeah, you two love each other, this little one is the proof of it," she said, resting her hand over Phoebe's belly.

"I hope so... And Paige? Is she okay?"

Piper shook her head. "She complained about a headache."

"Maybe we should see her," Phoebe suggested.

"No, better to let her rest; the day had been a long one already."

"Fine, good night, sweetie," Phoebe said softly.

"Good night, sweetie," Piper said, kissing her forehead.

Paige's room

Paige didn't know what was happening to her. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. She was feeling strange and everything around her started to get blurry.

Suddenly, fire appeared in her eyes and they turned black. "What..." she mumbled and fell unconscious on the ground.