Chapter Four- Getting In Deep
Prue entered the manor around 11:00 the next morning. She had spent the night at Roger's and was just getting home now.
"Hey, I'm home." She announced, entering the kitchen.
Penny smiled at her. "I see that. How was your evening?"
"Good." Prue told her. "Where are Piper and Phoebe?"
Penny frowned. "I don't know. I haven't seen them yet. Piper! Phoebe!"
A minute later Piper appeared. "What's up, Grams?" She asked, still in her nightclothes, obviously having just woken up.
Prue was surprised, even though it was the weekend, Piper was usually the first in the household up. Unlike Phoebe, who, if she managed to make it home at all, usually wasn't up until around noon.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Penny asked.
Piper shook her head. "No, I was just getting out of bed. Why did you call me?"
"I was just worried." Penny told her. "I realized I hadn't seen you yet this morning, and that's unusual."
Piper smiled. "Sorry. I don't know what happened to me, it was probably getting waken up at three o'clock in the morning."
"Waken up, what do you mean?" Penny asked in surprise.
"Let me guess, Phoebe coming in?" Prue asked dryly.
"No." Piper told her, then she sighed. "But it was Phoebe. She called to tell me that she wasn't coming home, so that we didn't worry about her."
Prue was surprised. Phoebe had actually called for once? Wow. But, that was only a minor thought, she concentrated on the rest of what Piper had said.
"She didn't come home last night?" Prue repeated. "Where was she?"
Piper sighed. "She stayed at Cole's."
Prue shook her head. Of course she did.
Penny looked just as upset, but she sighed. "At least she called, that's a step up."
Just then, the front door opened. A minute later, Phoebe appeared in the kitchen. She was practically glowing with happiness. "Hi, I'm home."
"We see that." Prue said coldly.
"Prue..." Piper interrupted.
"No," Phoebe told her, "let me. Prue, I know youÕre upset. You probably think I'm irresponsible and maybe by your standards, I am. But I'm old enough to make my own decisions, even if you don't approve."
Prue didn't know what to say. She knew that Phoebe was right, she was an adult, it was just... She had screwed up so many times before, how could Prue be sure that she wasn't going to screw up again?
More than that... It was that guy... Prue didn't trust him.
Still, she wasn't sure what she could do about it, so she stayed silent.
Phoebe looked at her and then sighed. "I'm going to go change and work on some homework."
"What about breakfast?" Piper asked her.
"I already ate." Phoebe told her, then she left the room.
Prue watched her go, wondering if she and Phoebe would ever get along. Sometimes it didn't seem likely.
* * * * *
Three Weeks Later
Raynor was sitting in his office at the New York branch of Thorn and Co.
He had founded the company several years ago at the Source's request. It was an excellent cover for the Brotherhood, one that had helped them several times over the years.
At the moment he was waiting for Belthazor to report in. Not that Raynor doubted the other demon's ability to do the job or his loyalty. Belthazor had been assigned the job for a reason, Raynor just wanted to be kept abreast of the situation.
A minute later, Belthazor shimmered into the office.
"Sorry, I'm late." He apologised. "I couldn't get away."
"I understand." Raynor told him.
One of the problems of masquerading in the mortal world was that there were times when one had to be careful to keep their cover from being blown.
"Anything?"
"Not yet." Cole told him. "I've been keeping my eyes open. Nothing out of the ordinary."
Raynor frowned, but then sighed. "Alright, well, just keep your eyes open."
"Of course." Belthazor told him.
"In the meantime, I have an assignment for you, since you're in San Francisco." Raynor told him, then explain what the Source wanted done.
"I'll get on it." Belthazor said, then he frowned. "Raynor, can I ask you a question."
Raynor nodded. "Of course."
"Raynor, you've had relationships with mortals before, haven't you? Long relationships, I mean."
"Yes." Raynor confirmed. "There are times when it is both satisfying and beneficial. Why do you ask?"
"There's this woman," Belthazor told him, "more like a girl, really. I'm deeply attracted to her and, though, initially, I was going to keep it short. I've been considering a longer relationship and I wanted to know the problems involved."
Raynor was quiet for a moment. "Only one that I can think of, at least one major one. Your human half could make you vulnerable. There's always the chance you could fall in love with her. What are your feelings for her?"
Belthazor smiled. "I'm attracted to her. She amuses me, intrigues me. But more than that, nothing. She means nothing to me except as something that I want."
Raynor studied him and was confident of the truth in the words. Belthazor was a strong demon and though his human half existed, it was deeply submerged. It had never hindered him before and Raynor had no reason to suspect it would now.
"Just be careful." Raynor advised.
"I will be." Belthazor told him with an evil grin, before shimmering out.
Raynor watched him in amusement. Whoever this girl was, she had to be something to have Belthazor considering a longer involvement.
Too bad she had no idea what she was getting herself into...
* * * * *
Cole shimmered back into his office after his meeting with Raynor.
He thought about what they had talked about. Despite his early intentions, the idea of having Phoebe around for a while appealed to him.
He might have only known her a few weeks, but he already knew he wanted her for longer than that. Not forever, of course. But for a while.
With a smile, he sat down at his desk and picked up his phone. He dialled Phoebe's number.
"Hello?" Phoebe answered.
"Hey."
"Cole," she said obviously pleased, "hi."
"Hi, yourself." He told her. "What are you doing right now?"
"Right now, nothing, why?" She asked.
"Well, I've decided to play hooky from the office this afternoon, and if you don't have class, I'd like you to join me."
He knew that she didn't have a class. In the not quite a month since he had met her, he had memorised her schedule and knew that this was her afternoon off.
"Nope, I'm free." She confirmed. "And playing hooky sounds great."
Cole smiled. "Wonderful. I'll be there in an hour?"
"Sounds good." Phoebe told him. "See you then."
"See you." Cole said hanging up the phone.
He smiled, then sighed. Before he picked up Phoebe, he had one thing he had to do. He had to do the job that Raynor assigned him.
It was big deal, though, all he had to do was kill a witch.
Cole morphed into Belthazor and shimmered out. He'd kill the witch, then have enough time to come back here and grab his car to go pick Phoebe up for their date.
No problem.
* * * * *
