Love Connections
Chapter two
"First," Phoebe said, "there is one of those dreams/premonitions that I hesitate to tell you about…"
"Why is that?" Cole questioned guardedly.
"It was a very disturbing dream, and it happened when you were about fourteen…"
Cole jumped in surprise. He knew exactly what she was referring to, and it was a painful memory. However, he was a little puzzled as to what Phoebe had to do with it… He still hesitated to ask, for fear of her answer.
"If you're afraid that you hurt me… Don't, it wasn't you…At least not really."
"And then what?" Cole asked with even more wariness.
"I found out that at the time, I did know you. I was the little girl you befriended when they let you out in the world. Because of the dreams, I remember that this little girl liked you… and that you did too…"
Cole just whispered:
"Kate…"
He didn't really need her to tell him much more as the memories came flooding back on their own. Until that faithful day, he had simply been a very troubled child. He was unhappy most of the time, his mother pushing him to let his demonic nature out. However, on occasions, he was escaping from the underworld and simply lived a normal human life. Cole's mother let him, as she told him once that it might as well be part of the learning process. Elizabeth also told him that he could never escape what he was. Cole knew that she was right, but he still wanted to try and forget about the demon inside of him. The first thing she had taught him was the need for hiding his true nature to the rest of humanity. His human half still dominated most of the time back then, and it made it easy for him to follow this rule.
The little girl, whom he now knew was Phoebe's past life incarnation, he had liked instantly. Cole had also learned to hide his feelings from his mother. He knew too well already that Elizabeth would take his joy away if she knew. Thus, for a few years, and whenever he could, he would spend time with Kate, pretending that he was a normal kid. She was an only child and her mother lived alone as she was a widow. What he had not known at the time was that they were both witches…
One day, Kate took him aside with an air of secrecy. In all the seriousness that a twelve year old could muster, she told Cole what she was, certain that she could trust him with this confidence. However, Kate soon understood that it had changed everything between them.
The second lesson Elizabeth had drilled into Cole was that witches were their mortal enemies. Kate finally noticed the look on his face, and her eyes filled with tears.
"What is it?" She had asked with a somewhat fearful little voice.
Cole simply turned around and walked away.
When Kate called him back, he turned once, hesitant, and then he told her:
"Stay away from me. If you don't, you and your mother will get hurt…"
After more than 10 years of knowing about his demonic nature, all the feelings he had left, he had poured onto this little girl, and her tears just broke his heart, but he continued on his way, as much to protect her as himself. What Cole didn't know was that his mother had suspected his secret friend. Elizabeth had begun watching him from afar, seeking to know as much as she could about his human form. His humanity was the last obstacle for him to become the great demon that everyone knew he could be… She heard the little girl's admission and was seething with rage that her Belthazor still tried to protect the little witch. Elizabeth promised herself that this would end the way she wanted it to…
As soon as Cole was out of sight, Elizabeth came to the little girl, pretending to be concerned.
"What is it, little girl?"
Kate was sobbing so hard by then that she couldn't answer.
"Are you hurt? Did that boy hurt you?" Elizabeth insisted.
Kate lifted her teary eyes toward Elizabeth, but still said nothing.
"You do know that he is a monster?"
Finally the little girl reacted.
"Don't say that about Cole! He's my friend…"
Elizabeth continued nevertheless.
"Didn't your mother warn you about such creatures? He's a demon… your enemy…"
Kate looked upon her as if she was crazy. A demon would not have been able of love, and she knew Cole loved her. Yet, she had to admit that his change in attitude was strange.
Very troubled by the woman's revelations, Kate ran home to her mother. They had always been able to talk freely. No matter how busy Sarah got, she always made time for her daughter, as they were everything to each other… She had told Kate about demons and the danger they represented to them. Kate only had a budding power and a weak one at that. She could see the future, but only on occasion. Her mother, on the other hand, was a powerful witch who could throw fire.
Kate entered the house, still in tears, and it alerted Sarah right away.
"What is it Kate, did someone hurt you?" She asked anxiously.
Kate answered through her sobs.
"It's Cole…"
Sarah opened wide eyes at this. Although, she didn't like his attitude generally, she was convinced that he could never hurt Kate. She could sense this from all the times that she had seen them together.
"What did he do?"
"Oh mommy, he told me to stay away from him," Kate took a few shallow breaths before pursuing. "Then, this lady told me…"
"What?"
Kate's sobbing grew louder but she still managed to utter the rest.
"She told me that Cole is a demon…"
"What are you talking about? He's been your friend for so long… And why doesn't he want to see you all of a sudden?"
Kate looked at her mother hesitantly.
"That's because I told him about us…"
Sarah asked incredulously.
"You told him what we are?"
Kate nodded sheepishly.
"He said that he was dangerous to us. Oh mommy, that can't be, can it? He's my friend!"
Sarah pursed her lips, deep in thoughts. Any normal human would have just laughed at her. Kate didn't even have any power to demonstrate. So why had he believed it so easily? Could there be truth to what the woman said, and for that matter, who was she?
"Do you know that lady?"
Kate nodded by the negative this time.
"You're sure?" Sarah insisted.
"I never saw her before…"
Sarah wasn't ready to take any chances with her daughter's safety.
"Kate, listen to me carefully. I want you to stay away from the lady and Cole, do you understand me?"
"But mommy, Cole likes me, he won't hurt me."
Sarah insisted severely.
"You've got to obey me. Stay away from them."
Kate lowered her eyes and nodded again in the affirmative, albeit weakly.
Sarah hugged her daughter tightly, and Kate could feel her mother trembling, which scared her.
Elizabeth was watching the house, waiting for the witch. She knew that as soon as Kate told her about Cole, she would try to do something about it; even if she was only trying to get help from other witches…
As Phoebe was filling the blanks in Cole' story, he realized the depth of his mother's evil. He had always suspected that she had a hand in what happened next, but now the confirmation of his suspicions made it even more difficult for him.
"How can you even look at me after this?" He asked, devastated.
Phoebe forced him to look at her.
"Because I know that the boy that loved this little girl never died… He was simply put aside by ruthless monsters, and those monsters are all gone now."
For a moment longer, Cole wondered if the monster within him was truly gone. Those memories were so vivid and horrible. That day… that terrible day, his mother had succeeded in awakening his inner demon for good. The human in him had been completely overwhelmed and buried, only to be awakened by Phoebe, years and years later. Moreover, he was learning now that it had always been her…
Elizabeth saw Sarah coming out of the house alone, and a satisfied smile spread over her thin lips. As she had suspected, Sarah thought that her daughter would be safe in the house. Sarah was surely going to find people she thought might help. Elizabeth wanted to make sure that there were no doubts left in the witch's mind about Cole, and she immediately went to her, stopping Sarah in her tracks.
Sarah looked up in surprise at Elizabeth's sudden appearance.
"Who are you?"
Elizabeth played her best concerned-citizen role.
"Are you Kate's mother?"
Sarah stared suspiciously at the lady.
"How do you know her name?"
"I heard that monster talking to her. I was too afraid to intervene, but fortunately he didn't hurt her…yet."
Sarah was still very suspicious of the woman, but she still answered.
"Yes I'm Kate's mother. But how would you know about the boy?"
"I've seen his demonic form with my own eyes, just before he killed a witch from my coven…"
Sarah took a deep breath, and then she questioned the woman further.
"Are you a witch as well?"
"Only a mere practitioner… I have no real powers, but I know of demons and that boy is one. Of that, I'm certain…"
Then Elizabeth probed.
"You're not leaving her alone are you?"
Sarah didn't know what else to do. She thought she needed help to defend the both of them. Now more than ever… Still, she didn't want this lady to know more about them. For some reason, even though she believed what she said about Cole, Sarah couldn't bring herself to trust the lady any further.
"Kate's not alone, don't worry." Sarah lied.
The lady simply nodded and Sarah gave one last worried look at the house before getting back on her way. The Demoness could read Sarah like a book, and she knew right then that Kate had to be alone.
Elizabeth shimmered inside the house, and while staying in a shadow form, looked for the little girl. She found her asleep in an upstairs bedroom. "Perfect," Elizabeth thought to herself. She left the house only for a few minutes, and then she returned with a satisfied expression, watching for the return of Kate's mother…
An hour later, Sarah showed up. Elizabeth spotted her and then she turned back toward the little girl. She heard the door opening downstairs and knew that her moment had come. She materialized completely and went to wake Kate, startling her into a scream, which was sure to alert Sarah. At first, Kate was only puzzled by the lady's presence in her room. But then, Elizabeth looked upon her with eyes filled with hatred, and Kate knew that it was the end for her. The Demoness quickly lifted her hand and sent a fireball in Kate's direction. Kate screamed only once more, before the fire consumed her. Elizabeth shimmered out just as Sarah entered the room to find her daughter dying. The stricken mother tried running toward Kate but it was much too late already, and she uttered a primal scream that alerted the neighbors. Some even came to her door, but no one answered from inside the house, as Sarah had fallen to the floor, in prostration. For a long time, she stayed there, unable to comprehend what had really happened. She had failed Kate miserably…
Then, Sarah didn't know how long afterward, she started thinking about their last conversation, and cold rage replaced the grief. The witches of her coven had been of little help, as they knew nothing of a kid demon, which would try to live as a human. But Sarah believed she knew where to find him…
She found the strength to get up and going out of the house, determined to avenge her daughter at all cost. A constable, alerted by the neighbors, tried to stop her, but she simply looked at him without a word and ran passed him. There were no longer any doubts in her mind that Cole was responsible for her daughter's demise; and no one would keep her from vanquishing him.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth had already planted the seed of doubt in her son's mind. Earlier she had come to Cole, and made sure that he would be ready for the witch.
First, without telling him how she knew, Elizabeth informed him that she knew everything about Kate. Cole had tried to deny the facts, hoping that his mother would believe him and leave Kate alone, but she persisted, ignoring his protests.
"Belthazor, you've got to wake up and realize that witches are our enemies. You would have deserved punishment for befriending one of them."
"Don't hurt her mother." Cole almost pleaded. This made her even more enraged, but she kept focused, as she was convinced that her plan was coming to completion.
"They're gonna come for you son. If you're not ready to act, they'll vanquish you. That's what they do…"
Cole couldn't believe that.
"Kate wouldn't hurt me, mother… you're wrong."
Elizabeth glared at him contemptibly:
"If you won't do what's necessary to defend yourself, then you never were the demon we expected, and you deserve your fate…"
Then she had shimmered out before he could add anything.
At this point, the conflict was intense inside of him. The demon in him wanted nothing more than do what came naturally to him, which was to kill the witches. However, the human side of him still couldn't bring himself to kill. The battle was still raging within him when Kate's mother arrived.
Kate had once told Sarah that the boy lived in a small cottage just out of town. One of the things that had bothered Sarah the most about the boy was that her daughter never saw any other member of his family. She had forbidden her daughter to go back to the cottage with him… Now, Sarah reflected bitterly on the futility of her warnings. A demon had been among them all this time and she never suspected. Because of her negligence, Kate was dead. She didn't care whether she lived or died anymore. However, she would surely try to bring Cole down with her.
Sarah found the cottage, just as Kate had described, and the door unlocked. Without hesitation, she went in. At first, Cole reacted with surprise, and then, remembering what her mother told him, he morphed into his demon form. Still, Cole couldn't bring himself to attack her. Sarah, on the other hand, didn't hesitate. She began throwing fireballs at him, which missed only by mere inches. From the moment her attack started, Cole's demonic instincts took over completely, stimulated as they were by what he thought was his friend's betrayal, and soon all hesitation was forgotten. Shimmering behind her, he simply broke her neck. The change in him was almost instantaneous. Maybe, it had been the remorse or the fear, but the human half of him retreated away in that instant. Later, he learned of Kate's death. But by then, he was passed caring.
Phoebe could read the pain on her husband's face and it hurt her. She thought that maybe she really shouldn't have reminded him of this.
"Cole?"
"It's ok, I just needed a moment. I'd almost forgotten about this. But maybe it's a good thing that you reminded me. What happened that day is what made me so suspicious and unable to trust anyone… until you…I know now that my trust was justified, as well as the feelings I had for Kate…For you."
Phoebe smiled gently.
"And you should never doubt it. All I want to remember from this is the boy that you were…"
Cole smiled weakly, still a little unsettled.
"You really are something, you know that? I can't believe how lucky I was to find you!"
Phoebe snuggled to him.
"Luck had nothing to do with it… we were destined to be together. Always have been…"
"How can you be so sure?"
"I saw it in my dreams, remember?"
"Well, I hope that it wasn't always that bad, because I don't think I could take much more of this…"
"It really wasn't… On the contrary…"
"Then, by all means…"
Phoebe obliged…
"It was the year 543. It's as far as my dreams, which we know now were indeed premonitions, went. And also the first time we met that I know of…"
Cole showed his surprise but didn't interrupt, already curious…
In those days, we were living together: my sisters, our cousin Paige and I. Like in our present lifetime, Prue was the oldest, but I was the second in line, followed by Piper. We were the combined heirs of a Duke, who had been mildly powerful before his death. However, after his passing, the land he owned and gave to us became a battleground between two other powerful Dukes. The greatest part of our father's army had already deserted us and we were left almost defenseless. That is why, when one of the Dukes offered a compromise, we saw that it was the best course of action. In order to keep our rights to the land and still be safe, Prue was promised to his son… you…
Downstairs, Paige was accompanying Matthew to the door. Although she truly wished that the evening didn't have to end, she didn't want to precipitate anything. Her life was in turmoil enough as it was, and she simply wanted to be sure before jumping into anything else. Matthew kissed her softly, and her heart raced. She watched him all the way to his car, smiling dreamily. He waved toward her before getting in and she closed the door slowly afterward.
The Darklighter thought.
"Don't push, she will be ready soon enough…"
Chapter two
"First," Phoebe said, "there is one of those dreams/premonitions that I hesitate to tell you about…"
"Why is that?" Cole questioned guardedly.
"It was a very disturbing dream, and it happened when you were about fourteen…"
Cole jumped in surprise. He knew exactly what she was referring to, and it was a painful memory. However, he was a little puzzled as to what Phoebe had to do with it… He still hesitated to ask, for fear of her answer.
"If you're afraid that you hurt me… Don't, it wasn't you…At least not really."
"And then what?" Cole asked with even more wariness.
"I found out that at the time, I did know you. I was the little girl you befriended when they let you out in the world. Because of the dreams, I remember that this little girl liked you… and that you did too…"
Cole just whispered:
"Kate…"
He didn't really need her to tell him much more as the memories came flooding back on their own. Until that faithful day, he had simply been a very troubled child. He was unhappy most of the time, his mother pushing him to let his demonic nature out. However, on occasions, he was escaping from the underworld and simply lived a normal human life. Cole's mother let him, as she told him once that it might as well be part of the learning process. Elizabeth also told him that he could never escape what he was. Cole knew that she was right, but he still wanted to try and forget about the demon inside of him. The first thing she had taught him was the need for hiding his true nature to the rest of humanity. His human half still dominated most of the time back then, and it made it easy for him to follow this rule.
The little girl, whom he now knew was Phoebe's past life incarnation, he had liked instantly. Cole had also learned to hide his feelings from his mother. He knew too well already that Elizabeth would take his joy away if she knew. Thus, for a few years, and whenever he could, he would spend time with Kate, pretending that he was a normal kid. She was an only child and her mother lived alone as she was a widow. What he had not known at the time was that they were both witches…
One day, Kate took him aside with an air of secrecy. In all the seriousness that a twelve year old could muster, she told Cole what she was, certain that she could trust him with this confidence. However, Kate soon understood that it had changed everything between them.
The second lesson Elizabeth had drilled into Cole was that witches were their mortal enemies. Kate finally noticed the look on his face, and her eyes filled with tears.
"What is it?" She had asked with a somewhat fearful little voice.
Cole simply turned around and walked away.
When Kate called him back, he turned once, hesitant, and then he told her:
"Stay away from me. If you don't, you and your mother will get hurt…"
After more than 10 years of knowing about his demonic nature, all the feelings he had left, he had poured onto this little girl, and her tears just broke his heart, but he continued on his way, as much to protect her as himself. What Cole didn't know was that his mother had suspected his secret friend. Elizabeth had begun watching him from afar, seeking to know as much as she could about his human form. His humanity was the last obstacle for him to become the great demon that everyone knew he could be… She heard the little girl's admission and was seething with rage that her Belthazor still tried to protect the little witch. Elizabeth promised herself that this would end the way she wanted it to…
As soon as Cole was out of sight, Elizabeth came to the little girl, pretending to be concerned.
"What is it, little girl?"
Kate was sobbing so hard by then that she couldn't answer.
"Are you hurt? Did that boy hurt you?" Elizabeth insisted.
Kate lifted her teary eyes toward Elizabeth, but still said nothing.
"You do know that he is a monster?"
Finally the little girl reacted.
"Don't say that about Cole! He's my friend…"
Elizabeth continued nevertheless.
"Didn't your mother warn you about such creatures? He's a demon… your enemy…"
Kate looked upon her as if she was crazy. A demon would not have been able of love, and she knew Cole loved her. Yet, she had to admit that his change in attitude was strange.
Very troubled by the woman's revelations, Kate ran home to her mother. They had always been able to talk freely. No matter how busy Sarah got, she always made time for her daughter, as they were everything to each other… She had told Kate about demons and the danger they represented to them. Kate only had a budding power and a weak one at that. She could see the future, but only on occasion. Her mother, on the other hand, was a powerful witch who could throw fire.
Kate entered the house, still in tears, and it alerted Sarah right away.
"What is it Kate, did someone hurt you?" She asked anxiously.
Kate answered through her sobs.
"It's Cole…"
Sarah opened wide eyes at this. Although, she didn't like his attitude generally, she was convinced that he could never hurt Kate. She could sense this from all the times that she had seen them together.
"What did he do?"
"Oh mommy, he told me to stay away from him," Kate took a few shallow breaths before pursuing. "Then, this lady told me…"
"What?"
Kate's sobbing grew louder but she still managed to utter the rest.
"She told me that Cole is a demon…"
"What are you talking about? He's been your friend for so long… And why doesn't he want to see you all of a sudden?"
Kate looked at her mother hesitantly.
"That's because I told him about us…"
Sarah asked incredulously.
"You told him what we are?"
Kate nodded sheepishly.
"He said that he was dangerous to us. Oh mommy, that can't be, can it? He's my friend!"
Sarah pursed her lips, deep in thoughts. Any normal human would have just laughed at her. Kate didn't even have any power to demonstrate. So why had he believed it so easily? Could there be truth to what the woman said, and for that matter, who was she?
"Do you know that lady?"
Kate nodded by the negative this time.
"You're sure?" Sarah insisted.
"I never saw her before…"
Sarah wasn't ready to take any chances with her daughter's safety.
"Kate, listen to me carefully. I want you to stay away from the lady and Cole, do you understand me?"
"But mommy, Cole likes me, he won't hurt me."
Sarah insisted severely.
"You've got to obey me. Stay away from them."
Kate lowered her eyes and nodded again in the affirmative, albeit weakly.
Sarah hugged her daughter tightly, and Kate could feel her mother trembling, which scared her.
Elizabeth was watching the house, waiting for the witch. She knew that as soon as Kate told her about Cole, she would try to do something about it; even if she was only trying to get help from other witches…
As Phoebe was filling the blanks in Cole' story, he realized the depth of his mother's evil. He had always suspected that she had a hand in what happened next, but now the confirmation of his suspicions made it even more difficult for him.
"How can you even look at me after this?" He asked, devastated.
Phoebe forced him to look at her.
"Because I know that the boy that loved this little girl never died… He was simply put aside by ruthless monsters, and those monsters are all gone now."
For a moment longer, Cole wondered if the monster within him was truly gone. Those memories were so vivid and horrible. That day… that terrible day, his mother had succeeded in awakening his inner demon for good. The human in him had been completely overwhelmed and buried, only to be awakened by Phoebe, years and years later. Moreover, he was learning now that it had always been her…
Elizabeth saw Sarah coming out of the house alone, and a satisfied smile spread over her thin lips. As she had suspected, Sarah thought that her daughter would be safe in the house. Sarah was surely going to find people she thought might help. Elizabeth wanted to make sure that there were no doubts left in the witch's mind about Cole, and she immediately went to her, stopping Sarah in her tracks.
Sarah looked up in surprise at Elizabeth's sudden appearance.
"Who are you?"
Elizabeth played her best concerned-citizen role.
"Are you Kate's mother?"
Sarah stared suspiciously at the lady.
"How do you know her name?"
"I heard that monster talking to her. I was too afraid to intervene, but fortunately he didn't hurt her…yet."
Sarah was still very suspicious of the woman, but she still answered.
"Yes I'm Kate's mother. But how would you know about the boy?"
"I've seen his demonic form with my own eyes, just before he killed a witch from my coven…"
Sarah took a deep breath, and then she questioned the woman further.
"Are you a witch as well?"
"Only a mere practitioner… I have no real powers, but I know of demons and that boy is one. Of that, I'm certain…"
Then Elizabeth probed.
"You're not leaving her alone are you?"
Sarah didn't know what else to do. She thought she needed help to defend the both of them. Now more than ever… Still, she didn't want this lady to know more about them. For some reason, even though she believed what she said about Cole, Sarah couldn't bring herself to trust the lady any further.
"Kate's not alone, don't worry." Sarah lied.
The lady simply nodded and Sarah gave one last worried look at the house before getting back on her way. The Demoness could read Sarah like a book, and she knew right then that Kate had to be alone.
Elizabeth shimmered inside the house, and while staying in a shadow form, looked for the little girl. She found her asleep in an upstairs bedroom. "Perfect," Elizabeth thought to herself. She left the house only for a few minutes, and then she returned with a satisfied expression, watching for the return of Kate's mother…
An hour later, Sarah showed up. Elizabeth spotted her and then she turned back toward the little girl. She heard the door opening downstairs and knew that her moment had come. She materialized completely and went to wake Kate, startling her into a scream, which was sure to alert Sarah. At first, Kate was only puzzled by the lady's presence in her room. But then, Elizabeth looked upon her with eyes filled with hatred, and Kate knew that it was the end for her. The Demoness quickly lifted her hand and sent a fireball in Kate's direction. Kate screamed only once more, before the fire consumed her. Elizabeth shimmered out just as Sarah entered the room to find her daughter dying. The stricken mother tried running toward Kate but it was much too late already, and she uttered a primal scream that alerted the neighbors. Some even came to her door, but no one answered from inside the house, as Sarah had fallen to the floor, in prostration. For a long time, she stayed there, unable to comprehend what had really happened. She had failed Kate miserably…
Then, Sarah didn't know how long afterward, she started thinking about their last conversation, and cold rage replaced the grief. The witches of her coven had been of little help, as they knew nothing of a kid demon, which would try to live as a human. But Sarah believed she knew where to find him…
She found the strength to get up and going out of the house, determined to avenge her daughter at all cost. A constable, alerted by the neighbors, tried to stop her, but she simply looked at him without a word and ran passed him. There were no longer any doubts in her mind that Cole was responsible for her daughter's demise; and no one would keep her from vanquishing him.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth had already planted the seed of doubt in her son's mind. Earlier she had come to Cole, and made sure that he would be ready for the witch.
First, without telling him how she knew, Elizabeth informed him that she knew everything about Kate. Cole had tried to deny the facts, hoping that his mother would believe him and leave Kate alone, but she persisted, ignoring his protests.
"Belthazor, you've got to wake up and realize that witches are our enemies. You would have deserved punishment for befriending one of them."
"Don't hurt her mother." Cole almost pleaded. This made her even more enraged, but she kept focused, as she was convinced that her plan was coming to completion.
"They're gonna come for you son. If you're not ready to act, they'll vanquish you. That's what they do…"
Cole couldn't believe that.
"Kate wouldn't hurt me, mother… you're wrong."
Elizabeth glared at him contemptibly:
"If you won't do what's necessary to defend yourself, then you never were the demon we expected, and you deserve your fate…"
Then she had shimmered out before he could add anything.
At this point, the conflict was intense inside of him. The demon in him wanted nothing more than do what came naturally to him, which was to kill the witches. However, the human side of him still couldn't bring himself to kill. The battle was still raging within him when Kate's mother arrived.
Kate had once told Sarah that the boy lived in a small cottage just out of town. One of the things that had bothered Sarah the most about the boy was that her daughter never saw any other member of his family. She had forbidden her daughter to go back to the cottage with him… Now, Sarah reflected bitterly on the futility of her warnings. A demon had been among them all this time and she never suspected. Because of her negligence, Kate was dead. She didn't care whether she lived or died anymore. However, she would surely try to bring Cole down with her.
Sarah found the cottage, just as Kate had described, and the door unlocked. Without hesitation, she went in. At first, Cole reacted with surprise, and then, remembering what her mother told him, he morphed into his demon form. Still, Cole couldn't bring himself to attack her. Sarah, on the other hand, didn't hesitate. She began throwing fireballs at him, which missed only by mere inches. From the moment her attack started, Cole's demonic instincts took over completely, stimulated as they were by what he thought was his friend's betrayal, and soon all hesitation was forgotten. Shimmering behind her, he simply broke her neck. The change in him was almost instantaneous. Maybe, it had been the remorse or the fear, but the human half of him retreated away in that instant. Later, he learned of Kate's death. But by then, he was passed caring.
Phoebe could read the pain on her husband's face and it hurt her. She thought that maybe she really shouldn't have reminded him of this.
"Cole?"
"It's ok, I just needed a moment. I'd almost forgotten about this. But maybe it's a good thing that you reminded me. What happened that day is what made me so suspicious and unable to trust anyone… until you…I know now that my trust was justified, as well as the feelings I had for Kate…For you."
Phoebe smiled gently.
"And you should never doubt it. All I want to remember from this is the boy that you were…"
Cole smiled weakly, still a little unsettled.
"You really are something, you know that? I can't believe how lucky I was to find you!"
Phoebe snuggled to him.
"Luck had nothing to do with it… we were destined to be together. Always have been…"
"How can you be so sure?"
"I saw it in my dreams, remember?"
"Well, I hope that it wasn't always that bad, because I don't think I could take much more of this…"
"It really wasn't… On the contrary…"
"Then, by all means…"
Phoebe obliged…
"It was the year 543. It's as far as my dreams, which we know now were indeed premonitions, went. And also the first time we met that I know of…"
Cole showed his surprise but didn't interrupt, already curious…
In those days, we were living together: my sisters, our cousin Paige and I. Like in our present lifetime, Prue was the oldest, but I was the second in line, followed by Piper. We were the combined heirs of a Duke, who had been mildly powerful before his death. However, after his passing, the land he owned and gave to us became a battleground between two other powerful Dukes. The greatest part of our father's army had already deserted us and we were left almost defenseless. That is why, when one of the Dukes offered a compromise, we saw that it was the best course of action. In order to keep our rights to the land and still be safe, Prue was promised to his son… you…
Downstairs, Paige was accompanying Matthew to the door. Although she truly wished that the evening didn't have to end, she didn't want to precipitate anything. Her life was in turmoil enough as it was, and she simply wanted to be sure before jumping into anything else. Matthew kissed her softly, and her heart raced. She watched him all the way to his car, smiling dreamily. He waved toward her before getting in and she closed the door slowly afterward.
The Darklighter thought.
"Don't push, she will be ready soon enough…"