Chapter 10

Living Room

Cole ignores the inquiring gaze coming from Phoebe; instead he opens with the statement he planned on saying after he introduced Liz to the sisters. "I didn't kill her Phoebe. I swear I didn't even hurt her." It's important she knows that.

She nods, "I know it's ok. We believe you. I know that you wouldn't kill that witch but," should she even ask this question? Cole isn't going to be thrilled she suspects his ex-lover. "What about Elizeran? She could have done it if you left her alone for any amount of time."

Cole shoots a glare at her how can Phoebe think Liz had anything to do with the witch dying. Isn't the fact that he trusts Liz reason enough for Phoebe to trust her? "No, for one thing she was with me the whole time, that is what someone does when they're watching your back. Second of all Liz has changed, the only way she'd kill that witch was if that were the only option left to her." He can't stand Phoebe's ability to jump to conclusions so quickly, she doesn't even know Liz.

"Well you can't blame me for thinking the worst of her Cole. She's a demon and demons kill innocents. I should know I deal with demons every damn day."

"I'm a demon Phoebe, does that mean you think I killed the witch?" Cole questions, is Phoebe going to admit that she's sometimes scared he'll go back to killing the good in the world?

Instead of answering she changes the subject. "I'm almost done with the potion to turn you human. All we're missing is one ingredient, billings root…whatever that is. But once I find it I'll be able to finish it." That will hopefully get Cole of the subject of Elizeran.

"I don't know if I even want it anymore. Liz has managed to live a normal life while still being a demon. If she can do it then she can teach me how." Cole explains to his girlfriend. This way he'd be able to stay strong and be there if Phoebe needs protecting.

"What? Cole you can't continue to be a demon. If you use your powers then bounty hunters will come after you. Besides how do you know that she's stayed a good little demon, she could have been killing innocents on the side? You don't know Cole." He can't be serious about not becoming human.

"No, she wouldn't lie to me. Once Elizeran sets her mind to something she does it. Even if she was lying I'd be able to tell." Cole admits. Hell he's seen every one of her expressions and he knows her little mannerisms when she's lying.

"Cole when I saw you this morning you were hanging on by a thread. Now all of a sudden she's with you and you're fine. What changed in these few hours besides her being around?" She doesn't know how long she can stand sleeping with a demon. When they make love sometimes he changes into Belthazor and she has to fight to keep her dinner down.

Cole shrugs his shoulders, "Nothing, but being around Liz and talking to her again, I forgot how much I missed that." He knows that'll hurt Phoebe but he can't lie to her or worry about that now. "If I told her that I need her help to co-exist with my demon like she does I won't have to become human."

"I can't continue to sleep with you if you stay a demon Cole." Phoebe quickly puts a hand up to her mouth to cover the blunder but those words have already reached his ears. Cole heard it loud and clear.

"Excuse me?" Hurt flashes deep in his eyes. "You're telling me that if I don't become human you and I are basically through? That's great Phoebe, it's nice to know that my demon disgusts you."

"No, no, Cole that's not what I meant, I—"

"Forget about it Phoebe. Elizeran and I have been ordered to kill the next witch." The coldness of his words hit her hard in the heart. "I suggest you get there before we have to kill her. If you don't she's dead so we can keep our cover." Cole leaves her standing in the living room and returns to the kitchen where Liz is talking easily with the sisters. That's a sight he'd never though he'd see in all his years.

"Hey Cole." Liz laughs out a greeting. Prue just told her a funny story about Piper when she was little and would freeze Andy a friend of theirs that passed away two years ago. Immediately though she cuts off her laughter seeing Cole's expression of hurt and betrayal. "Baby, what happened?" She doesn't care that she used the term of endearment with the sisters in the room.

He shakes his head. "I'll tell you later." Phoebe bursts through the swinging door behind him shouting his name.

"Cole, baby please let me explain." It's embarrassing that she and Cole are fighting in front of Elizeran. It is bad enough with her sisters in the room but Cole's ex-demon lover is far worse.

"There's no need to explain Phoebe. My demon side disgusts you. At least now I know, is this why you wanted me to take the potion so you wouldn't have to put up with the few times I didn't change into Belthazor?"

Piper tosses the dishtowel on the island. "Oh Phoebe you didn't?" She scolds. Even if that side does repulse her she shouldn't have told Cole that. That's a wonderful way to put a major crimp in the relationship.

Liz rises from the table and stands next to Cole rubbing circles on his back. She lets him know without words that she's there for him and would support any decisions he decides on. If he asked her to she'd kill the Charmed Ones no questions asked even though she's made friends with Piper and Prue. Liz knows how dangerous her love is for Cole; she'd send the entire world to the Shadow Realm happily if he asked her too with those vibrant green eyes of his.

"Would you please stop touching him, he's my boyfriend." Phoebe whines out, she has no right to lay a single talon on her man.

"I'll stop if Cole asks me too, which I'm not hearing him ask." Liz states boldly smirking cruelly at the young witch. "Now why the Hell did you even continue dating him when you found out that he's the demon that tried to kill you all? Especially if you hated the demon so much?"

"His human half doesn't repulse me." Cringing she closes her eyes as if trying to block out her stupidity.

"Damn you're just digging that hole deeper aren't ya?" Liz revels in Phoebe's slip-ups but her heart goes out to Cole, she hates that the bitch hurt him. "How can you claim to love someone when you hate half of him? Belthazor is so handsome, all the red along his face, the color of passion and fire, so muscular and tall that you'd get lost in his embrace, strong and powerful, he is the perfect male demon specimen."

"Of course you like how he looks, demons like how other demons look." Phoebe naïvely states, she knows nothing about demon society except what Cole has told her which isn't that much. Sure she can vanquish them with ease but having actual knowledge about demons is a big fat no.

Liz and Cole simultaneously shake their heads, "No way sweetie." Liz exclaims. "You try being attracted to a demon with puss and bile oozing out from his rolls of fat slimy skin. I swear the only demons that are remotely turned on by them are their own kind. The demons throw up on you while mating with you, it's not pretty."

"And you know that how?" Cole questions, he'd love to hear this story.

"It was apart Demon Mating Rituals at the Academy. That was one week where I didn't sleep all that much." She shivers remember the visual.

Wait, Academy? Demons go to an Academy? "Umm, you had to go to a special school? Why?"

"I'm a demon. Normally if you know you're a demon you get sent to the Academy for schooling." Other than that she can't tell them anything. If she does she'll have more problems than just bounty hunters coming after her. "It's not like we can go to normal high schools, there are certain things we need to learn that aren't taught in human high schools."

"We must go," Cole interrupts Liz's explanation, although not revealing anything top-secret the second witch will begin her coven meeting soon. He and Liz have to be there, "the witches are going to be at the park." He gives them directions only glancing at Phoebe once before switching his gaze down to Liz. Cole encases her once again securely in his embrace, without another word he shimmers then from the Manor to his apartment a few miles away from the Halliwell's home.

TBC