"Piper, I have to leave and soon; if I don't, I won't be able to keep myself from doing this . . . " And Cole leaned forward and kissed her firmly yet gently. "That could lead to other things best not thought of right now. I was never planning on staying in the house with you, my beautiful siren. Not without legality. I will not turn you into a wanton woman and the talk of the town. My Mother was, gods rest her soul. She never recovered from it."
"You are my lady and the Queen of my house! If such time comes as I am free to claim your hand, I will do so if you still want me, but I can't ... I am not worthy of your love. But I will be one day!" He released her and backed up toward the door...
She was still trembling inside from the power of his kiss and the pleasure that swept through her, igniting her very soul in flame, as he retreated. His words caressed her ears and made her mind spin, but at the same time, the thought that stepping out the door would endanger him demanded her attention. "Cole," she spoke, "please don't go."
Her hands itched, and she contemplated the possibility. She still didn't have her power under control and used it very rarely, but if it was the only way to keep him safe . . . She would, she decided. She felt like he had given her the whole world; the very least she could do was to keep him safe in return.
"Piper, I am quite safe for tonight. Whoever it was is long gone, po'ed because he missed. He will lick his wounds and then return at another time to try it again when I least expect it." He would have to delay his shopping trip until he had caught the culprit.
"See you tomorrow, sweetheart?" His back against the door, he waited for Piper to release him.
Piper breathed deeply as she scrutinized Cole's face in an effort to determine whether or not he truly believed what he was saying. "How can you be so sure?" she asked hesitantly.
"It's not the first time I've ever been shot at and won't be the last. It's what they always do: regroup and try again. I have to get to him before he gets to me and try to dissuade him from his ambitions."
Piper's eyes shot wide, and her hands shot up, as they often did when she found herself not knowing which way to turn, freezing Cole in place. "My Gods, the man's insane!" She started pacing back and forth, her skirts swishing around her legs. What was she going to do? She couldn't let him go out there and put his neck on the line! She could not just stand idly by and allow the man who had rescued herself, her sister, and another innocent child who might as well be her sister, especially with Phoebe's betrayal . . .
Betrayal? She paused, then whirled again and continued her pacing. Did she really feel like Phoebe had betrayed them? Yes, she had. She had betrayed her raising. She had betrayed the beliefs that their mother and grandmother had struggled so hard to instill in them. She had betrayed her very sense of family by refusing to come with them tonight and betrayed herself by persisting in being a wanton who . . . No, Piper told herself sternly, she would not scoop to Phoebe's level and use such dirty language!
She turned again and caught sight of Cole out of the corners of her brown eyes. Phoebe was not the focus of her concerns right now, however. She had to focus on Cole and figure out what to do about this mess! Perhaps she should check and see if they were gone? Could she tell? She should be able to tell better than a mortal could, at any rate.
Piper edged carefully past Cole and out the front door. She had barely stepped onto the porch when another arrow zipped her way. She screamed as it hit the wall next to her and ducked back inside just as Cole unfroze.
The look Bobby saw in Hansel's eyes brought him instantly to a more sober state for he feared what was coming. Derek had been beating him again! No, wait, he told himself, Derek couldn't have been beating him. Derek never came to the Indian village. He considered the Indians to be mere savages and far beneath him. Bobby snorted at that thought. The Indians were good people. It was Derek who was far beneath their feet, though he doubted they'd ever act like it.
He grinned. They would probably like to visit a thousand punishments upon his worthless hide, however. He himself ached to be able to do the same for all the times that he had made Hansel cry . . . But why was Hansel fighting tears now, when Derek was nowhere around and he had a new man at long last? Bobby bristled. Had Jack hit him? But, no, he didn't see any marks upon his friend's handsome face, and he couldn't imagine the sweet Gypsy having an ugly brute side to him . . . So just what was troubling Hansel so?
Bobby started to walk closer to Hansel and stumbled. His friend reached him before he could fall, however; wrapped his arms around him; and pulled him up. "Bobby," Hansel spoke, looking deep into his troubled eyes, "we need to talk. Tell me you haven't been drinking."
"Nope." Bobby shook his head and fought down another hiccup. "No drink."
Hansel offered him a half-grin. "The peace pipe?"
Bobby bounced his head up and down. "Yup! Vin said it would take away my problems." He shook his head dismally. "I told him it wouldn't work." His eyes grew big as he looked into Hansel's face. "I heard him!"
"You heard who?"
"Hank!"
Hansel caressed Bobby's shoulder as he looked at him in great concern. "Bobby, you know he's gone . . . "
"I know!" Bobby wailed, throwing his arms up into the air. "But he haunts me every day! Hey, maybe that's it!" He looked in serious inquisition to Hansel. "Does the peace pipe let you hear the dead?"
Piper moved so fast that she fell into his arms, but even as he caught her, the girls came running back into the room.
"Piper!" Paige cried.
"What's wrong?" Dawn asked.
"Why did you scream?"
"Scream?" Piper's smile wavered, and she hoped that she appeared innocent.
Salem watched the scene unfolding before him through a gaze that could not possibly have been more intent. Had he had a human face, his eyebrows would have been raised. That settled it then, he thought. The woman was as he had expected - a Witch! He cleared his throat and slunk out from hiding with the prideful strike of the cat he was. "Cole," he spoke, clearing his voice, "I think it best you stay here for the night. The girls might need you."
"He spoke again," Dawn whispered, her face paling once more.
Piper dared to sneak a glance at Cole. Did he buy her innocence, or did he expect something?
"The cat can speak, Dawnie," Paige commented, watching her sister carefully. "I think we've all already agreed on that fact." Dawn shot her a look, but Paige's gaze remained on Piper. She had been able to tell for years when her sister was hiding something. She was definitely acting like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar, which was hard for any one to tell with Piper. Paige suspected that it had nothing to do with Cole this time but yet could not figure out, for the life of her, just what Piper had been doing that she shouldn't have . . .
Cole looked at Salem. "What just happened? Did you do something?"
"Not I," he replied with a swish of his tail and a lion's grin.
Tornado had stood still with Dawson upon his back, his heart beating frantically as his mistress was attacked, but as her commanding scream reached his ears, he knew what he had to do. Although his very soul was screeching at him to help her fight, he turned tail and galloped off into the distance, moving so swiftly that all Dawson could do was hold on.
Faith's knee shoved into the creature's groin, and she realized, from the tender flesh she felt there, that he was no Werecreature despite the fur that covered his body. He was a man. She grinned as she told him, "Feisty don't begin to cover it, asshole." Her hands struck his chest, but she received hardly any greater reaction than the "oomph" that had broken from his lips when she'd nailed his groin.
"I like 'em feisty," he said, grinning down at her. The light of the full moon made his green eyes and long, dangerous claws appear to glow as he pulled his fists back and moved again upon her face. One set of claws connected, raking flesh from her forehead, but she moved swiftly and bit his wrist hard before his other set could connect.
He growled as she banged his groin with her knee again and once more tried to throw him off. His knee slammed into her stomach, knocking the breath out of her, and he caught her struggling hands within one massive hand that looked, from his costume, more like a paw. "Don't tempt me, girlie. They said they didn't care if ya were alive or dead."
Another damn bounty hunter, the thought raced through her mind as she struggled to break free. His skin and bones might as well have been made from rock for all the good her struggles did her. Then, in the distance, she heard Tornado whinny, and her eyes widened.
"Boy comin' back fer ya, darlin'?" the man snarled, his fangs glistening. "They didn't say anythin' 'bout a companion. 'Least not fer some years. Yeah, I been on yer trail a while. Been waitin' fer th' right time t' strike. Knew yer defenses would get down sooner or later." He grinned at her. "That was some show on yer pony's back."
Heat flooded her face, but it was not embarrassment. Anger flushed through her. He'd been watching her the whole damned time, and she hadn't realized it! She struggled harder but still could not break free.
Cole looked at Piper. He had suspected it, but now it was confirmed... His sweetie was a Witch! He wondered how advanced she was. "Piper, why'd you do that?"
"Do what?" she asked, smiling sweetly and praying he'd let her slip. He couldn't possibly know what she had done . . . Could he? Of course he couldn't! He was only a mere, mortal human with a heart of gold and more weight than he should have to carry on those deliciously strong shoulders! She felt like waving herself at the latter thought. Dear Gods, she was starting to think like Phoebe!
"Go out that door and almost get your head shot off? How did you get past me to get there in the first place?"
Paige's and Dawn's mouths fell open. Piper could feel their eyes burning into her head. Her sweet smile wavered slightly, but she forced it to stay in place. She didn't want to lie to Cole, but she couldn't reveal the truth in front of the children. She couldn't tell him either, she reminded herself sternly, for he'd surely toss them right back out. Blanche would not have them back, and they'd be homeless. "Cole, sweetheart, how would I have gotten outside without you knowing how I would have done so with you standing right in front of the door?" She was glad it was not an actual lie and hoped she would not have to choose between lying and turning Cole and Dawn both against her and causing Paige untold hardships.
"That's what I just asked you, sweetheart?" He was not prone to imagining things. He knew she had done something, but he wasn't about to make her admit what in front of the girls. "I thought you went to bed?" he asked them. "Shouldn't you be there now?" As soon as they left the room, he'd get to the bottom of it.
Piper's mouth hung open. She couldn't believe her hero knew that she was being deceitful! Of all the dirty, rotten luck - to be so close to freedom and to the love of a truly wonderful man and have her darkest secret discovered because she was trying to protect the man who, up until the moment she told him the truth about her, only wanted to protect her and her family!
Dawn glanced at Paige, but Paige's worried eyes were glued to her big sister. She knew something was wrong, and she knew it was bad. "We didn't know where we were supposed to go," she started babbling. "There were lots of rooms - "
Dawn jumped in. "Lots of really pretty, big rooms. They're all so grand! But we didn't know which one was ours."
"And we didn't want to just take advantage of your generosity." Paige smiled brightly at Cole and made a mental note that she was glad for the talks she used to have with their family doctor. For just a moment, she missed Doctor McCoy. He had been a fine doctor, and whatever this mess they were about now was, she was certain he would have done his best to help them out of it.
"Not that we haven't already," Dawn remarked, wearing the same big, bright smile that Paige was wearing and stepping boldly closer to Cole and Piper. "You've been so kind and generous and wonderful, and we really appreciate it."
"We definitely do," Paige put in.
"We didn't think there were any good men left," Dawn blabbed.
"We sure haven't seen any before," Paige added, also stepping forward. Only two steps closer would put Dawn and herself at Piper's side where they belonged.
"You can imagine the type of men who always hung out at the saloon," Dawn suggested.
"Ruffians. Dirty, sleazy, rotten . . . "
"SILENCE!"
The girls froze. All eyes turned to the cat, whose jet black fur stood on end. He had walked behind Cole and Piper, his tail gently touching Piper's ankle underneath the skirt of her dress, and had his nose touched to the door. His green eyes turned onto Cole, and the girls shivered at the brief glance they got of his expression that was so deep, dark, and solemn it seemed to bespeak their very doom. "It's him, Cole," Salem told the Demon who had once been one of his highest-ranking Generals.
Sneaking down the alleyway, careful to stay alert, he had almost made it to freedom when a hand snaked out and grabbed him, pulling him into a doorway. "You're early, mon amour," a male voice that was very familiar accosted his ears. Two warm lips suddenly touched down upon his lips while two strong hands pulled him close.
Letting him go, the silky voice continued, "I was just closing shop today when I felt you near. I am delightfully surprised; you were not supposed to be here until tomorrow." One hand led him down the darkened hallway to a well-lit room. One look at his lover's usually face had Jean-Luc making a tsking sound. "And," he spoke again in his deep French accent, "should I say you are in desperate need of a bath?"
Jean-Luc pulled Addamm into the bathroom that was bigger then most hotel rooms. Setting about drawing the bath that was heated by steam, he then began kissing every inch of the sneaky thief he now exposed by ripping the dirty clothes from his body...
"I should say," Addamm murmured as Jean-Luc rained kisses upon his body, "that I am most in need of some . . . shall we say . . . " He mimicked Jean-Luc's French accent as he concluded, " . . . passionate loving?" He gently pushed him away and pouted seductively while staying just out of his reach.
"But I thought I was too dirty for you, beau?" He wriggled his eyebrows, and the rest of his body followed suit until he was sliding seductively across the bathroom, still staying just out of reach. Jean-Luc had already freed him of his jacket and shirt, but he hooked his grimy fingers into the hem of his pants and began to slowly shimmy them just a fraction of an inch down his lithe body. "If I strip for you," he sang, "will you strip for me?"
Jean-Luc had not been in Addamm's thoughts tonight. He'd not intended to face his former lover until the next day, but he been left hot from watching the dark man's big gun in play and had ended up with no satisfaction. Jean-Luc was one of the better lovers he had enjoyed over the years and was certainly closer than most. They were just following ancient history. After a good steal, a man always needed a good ride, and Jean-Luc was certainly that!
"Oh, yes, my cherie, I will strip for you!" he almost purred the words as he danced around the bathroom, slowly and sensually removing his own clothes. Stopping the water flow to the big tub, added, "And then I, Jean-Luc, will personally bathe all the filth away from your so sexy body so that I may kiss you all over and take whatever dirty thoughts that are in your mind far far away. I will kiss you until I am the only thought you will have..."
Addamm grinned teasingly at him. "I warn you: my mind is very, very dirty." He winked as he slid his breeches further down, revealing that he wore nothing underneath them. "You may find that the dirt gets on you as well." He shook his body as he kicked his pants the rest of the way off, and his already-swollen manhood wriggled invitingly at his long-time friend.
Jean-Luc giggled as he slipped some scented oil in the tub and reached out to Addamm. "Come to PaPa, and get your dirt all over me, you naughty, naughty boy!" He almost purred as his silky fingers encountered Addamm's heated manhood. His fingers embedded in the silky, warm hairs around his mighty sword. Still holding Addamm's magnificent sword, he led him straight for the bath, and Addamm went willingly...
"Him?" Piper questioned, her wide, brown eyes glancing swiftly between man and cat. "What him? You know him, don't you? And how do you two know each other?" Her balled hands had barely touched her hips when another arrow hit the door. Piper's hands flew up as Paige and Dawn screamed, but nothing happened.
"He's evil," Salem spoke, "and that's all you women really need to know."
Piper's heart fluttered in dread. Her Mother had told her there would be days like this in their last few days together. "Paige," she spoke firmly, "go to the kitchen and find some salt." She glanced at Cole. "You do have salt, don't you?"
Outside, the Hunter approached with a cold smile gracing his face. He notched another arrow in his bow as he focused on the beating heart of his Demonic prey. This time he would not miss. This time he would kill Belthazor and carry his head proudly to his Queen. Yet as his finger started to pull the trigger, red-hot pain flared in his shoulder. His bow fell from his hands, and the arrow went wild. The Hunter roared in fury and pain as he reached a hand around to his shoulder and pulled out a hatchet. He snarled silently as he tossed the bloody hatchet to the ground, then turned to survey the darkness. He raised his head and sniffed. The boy was here. He would make his Queen doubly proud before the night was out. He heard footsteps, grasped his bow, and fired a dozen arrows in rapid succession.
Salem hissed as the back door to Cole's house was slung open. Piper's eyes were wide with fear, but her irises blazed with determination. "Get behind me," she spoke firmly as she stepped forward, her hands raised and at the ready. She met Cole's eyes for just a moment, then looked into Dawn's eyes. "I'm sorry," she told them both with a sad shake of her head, "but I'm not the woman you think I am."
Dawn's mouth fell open, but Paige grasped her arm and pulled her behind Cole. "Not now," she said with a firm shake of her redhead. "Piper loves us. You've got to believe that."
Dawn's mind whirled with questions even as she whispered, "I do."
Piper heard the girl's timid words, and her heart was touched. At least Dawnie wouldn't hate her after the night was over.
Salem's eyes darted between Cole and Piper as he pondered whether or not he should reveal their secrets. If they knew, they would make a better fighting team, but he'd already meddled in others' lives too much. Those meddlings had cost the very people he had cared about more than anything else far too much, he reflected sadly as he stared down, through shimmering green eyes, at his black, furry paws.
Hansel shook his head at Bobby's question about whether or not smoking the peace pipe could help him commune with the dead. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way . . . "
Bobby kicked at a pebble in their pathway. "I was afraid o' that . . . " He looked up at him as Hansel wrapped an arm around his waist to help him balance as he swaggered. "But why did I hear him?"
Hansel smiled sadly. "I wish I had the answers for you, chickasaw, but I don't know. Maybe because you wanted to?"
Bobby sighed and hung his head. "I do want to. More than anything in the world, I want to hear his voice again, want to see him again, want to feel him again, want to know he's alive and he still loves me . . . "
Hansel hugged him. "He may not be alive, Bobby, but he'll never stop loving you. We both know that."
"I know," Bobby replied, tears beginning to trickle down his face. "I just miss him so much!"
"I know," Hansel said. They had walked a little pace away from the others, and he held him as Bobby finally let the tears fall. He needed to talk to him. He was the only one who he could trust to keep his secret until he and Jack were far enough away that his family would not be able to follow them, but he couldn't heap more bad news upon him when his soul was already awash in grief and sorrow.
Hansel was still holding Bobby when the Indians began to shout and started running. He looked up as Sean rode in to find himself surrounded by warriors with their arrows already drawn and at the ready. "Aw cripes!"
"Huh?" Bobby looked up and, through his tears, saw the scene of Sheriff Cassidy surrounded by angry Indians, each of which had their arrows trained upon him. He shook his head. "Leave it to that crazy Irish man!"
"Yeah," Hansel agreed, taking note of Thunder, "but he was looking for the Malloys."
"Of course he was," Bobby agreed. "But he always gets his butt in the crack, nobody who he's looking for!"
Hansel chuckled for he knew that Bobby was right. As long as he'd known the man, there had always been some kind of trouble afoot around him. "Comes with the badge," he remarked.
"Yeah, and that's exactly why you'll never see one of those tin stars pinned to my chest!" The friends shared a laugh as they headed forward, their arms still linked.
Cole desperately wanted to assuage their fears. He knew about Piper's abilities but had not expected her to use them on him so soon. The girls had been an unexpected surprise. He smiled at them warmly despite the fact that his heart was beating so rapidly he was afraid they could hear it as Salem confirmed his worst nightmares come true. He was out there and was hunting him!
As far as Cole knew, no one had ever escaped him. He knew that He had Carl. He had probably killed the little fellow already. Now He was coming after him and He would kill Piper and the girls without a second glance as though they were mere insects to be squashed. After all, had He not taken pleasure in the killing of his own son?
Cole looked down at Salem, wishing that he had the power he had once possessed before he had been cursed into this form. Now bereft of his powers, Cole could tell he felt as though he had nothing left to offer. Salem had once been the greatest leader Cole had ever known. Cole had followed him explicitly and still felt admiration for him.
A plan came to him slowly that involved getting Salem and the girls to safety. Gazing down on Salem, he asked, "Please take the girls to the end of the hallway and through the mirror; they will be safe there. Don't let them come back until one of us comes for you!" Then turning to Piper, he continued, "Salt will not keep him out! If the spells on the house don't hold, I will have to fight him. If I don't win, you will have to be the second line of defense. Hopefully, He will take me and leave you alone."
Cole reached out to pull her close. "Too many secrets, too little time," he spoke hoarsely. "Know this Piper: I have always loved you. I did not mean to bring you to this nor to endanger your family. I had no clue He was after me. After this is over, ask Salem. He'll tell you." He pressed his lips gently to her forehead even as they heard swiftly approaching footsteps. He prepared to fight, knowing the first use of his abilities would ring out loud and clear in Hell, alerting his other enemies to his whereabouts.
Piper's mind was whirling, and she longed to stay in Cole's arms even as questions bombarded her. Salem watched the couple, his head cocked to one side, his green eyes gleaming with mischief, and the tip of his black tail twitching. Cole, the sly Devil, had procured a mirror! That was one story he was looking forward to hearing, but there was no time for it now. There also was no time to get the girls to the mirror for the stranger was approaching even now.
His gaze shifted to one of puzzlement. It was definitely a stranger who was coming from the back, some one he had never smelled before. Some one who smelled of the sea and - he sighed in slight relief - mortality.
"Cole," Piper spoke, gazing into his eyes, "there's so much I want to tell you but no time - "
"ARE YOU PEOPLE DAFT? GET OUT! EVIL IS UPON YOU!"
Every female mouth in the room dropped open for the footsteps had stopped just inside the room, the thundering voice had sounded from that very spot, and yet there was no one to be seen!
"Cole?" Piper whispered, glancing at him before quickly refocusing her attention on the spot.
"He means us no harm," Salem spoke, his tail swishing. "Do you, boy?"
"NONE, BUT THE CREATURE OUTSIDE WILL SLAY YOU ALL AND NOT THINK TWICE OF IT! FLEE OUT THe BACK WHILE YOU CAN! I'LL DISTRACT HIM!" Again the footsteps were heard, this time running through the room and toward the front door.
Tornado had tossed Dawson to safety and raced back for his mistress. Now his hooves struck her assailant in the back. The man yowled like a wounded cat as he released her to throw the horse off of his back. Blood splattered down on Faith, and she realized, with a scream breaking from her lungs, that it was Tornado's blood gushing from a hole the bounty hunter had cut in his side.
Her hot mouth threw every curse word she could think of at him as she rolled out from underneath him and jumped to her feet. He moved at her, and her hands and feet were a flurry of action as she did her best to fight him off. How stupid could she have been, her brain screamed at her, than to spend even a minute without a weapon? She knew better! She knew better, and now Tornado was going to pay the price!
The man stopped in fending her blows off for a second, and her fist connected with his jaw. His head snapped back up, and she was glad to see a spot of blood drip from his mouth. He sniffed the air. "Boy's comin' back too. Been a while since I had a man," he taunted.
Faith's eyes blazed with fury. She used every move she'd ever been taught, but the few times she did connect with the big brute of a man seemed to be to of no avail as he kept standing, fending off most of her blows, and slipping repeatedly past her guard to cut her again and again. Blood slipped down her naked body from her many wounds, but still she fought on.
She couldn't see Dawson, but she didn't doubt for a second that he was coming, foolishly thinking that he could somehow come to her rescue. "GET OUT OF HERE, KID!" she yelled. "GO BACK!" For one split second, she thought of asking him to get help for Tornado, who lay just a few feet away, trembling violently, but she would not reveal the whereabouts of her people to this maniac who seemed to think that the fur of the tiger he wore gave him the mighty feline's strength and prowess.
Maybe he'd understand if she told him about Tornado? Maybe he'd go for help any way, and the hunter would have already dragged her away so that her people could help Tornado but not be endangered themselves? "TORNADO'S DYING!" There was wretched misery in her voice as she cried those two words, praying that he'd understand and that the Shaman could save her best friend's life, and then the bounty hunter was upon her again. She clawed at his hands as they closed around her throat and lifted her off of her feet, but it was as though he did not even feel her fingernails digging at his fur-covered hands or her swinging feet kicking him in the stomach . . .
To Be Continued . . .
Authors' Note: If you are enjoying this story, or have enjoyed any of our other writings, we hope you'll consider joining our friends and us at a brand new fan fic/art site we're creating called Ficcers Unite. We welcome all fandoms, pairings (slash and het), and even no pairings at all, and we'll also be RPing a world where Disney and Marvel comes together in one universe. Come on over and check us out at ficcersuniteDOT proboardsDOTcom today!