Unlawfully Yours

Chapter XV

Phoebe was just leaving the Madam's house after getting some ointments, when she saw him again. She didn't know what she had expected. Maybe that he would look as bad as she felt, but clearly that wasn't the case. Cole came out of the telegraph office with a smile on his lips. Paul and his men were waiting for him with a coach, which she supposed contained the gold…"the gold…why did I even bother?" Phoebe questioned herself bitterly. As she was observing him, he turned slightly toward her and she threw herself behind a pole. Her breathing even quickened and she suddenly felt ridiculous. What did it matter whether he saw her or not? "Cole evidently doesn't care and neither should I," Phoebe told herself while still staying in hiding however.

When she risked another look, the coach was already on its way, followed by a wagon containing not only Reggie's men, but a wooden coffin, which she supposed contained Reggie's body. McKail must have wanted to make certain that the company saw his handiwork up close. Of course, she didn't know for sure how much of the account would pertain to her, or even Cole… Again, she chastised herself for even thinking his name and she walked to her own horse. The Madam of the house had suggested she use the ointment right away and she already felt a little better. Phoebe had known that this would be the best place to find relief for this kind of wound. Bite marks were rather frequent in the Madam's business and those ointments were reputed to have healing properties, as well as soothing. All the way here, the ache they'd caused her was just an unpleasant and unwelcome reminder of her misadventure. Phoebe wished that it soon went away soon and that she could forget all the bad; but most of all, the good, which only caused her more pain. All she had left now was her daughter and she knew that was what she should concentrate on. The thought of Mike was at least a pleasant one until she remembered that the medallion had been in one of her pant's pockets…now burnt to a crisp in the cave…

"Stop," she told herself, while opening the pack by the horse to put in the ointment. Then, her breath caught in her throat as she closed the pack as fast as she could and climbed on the horse as if she was running from a fire.

As Phoebe rode down the street, a few cowboys whistled loudly, but she simply ignored them and went out of town, taking the opposite direction to the coach. Only when she had put at least a mile between the last of Tombstone and herself did she stop and dismount, still breathing hard with her heart racing. Phoebe opened the pack again and as unbelievable as it had seemed to her in town, the gold bars were still there, along with the rest of Cole's banknotes... The gold had to be from an earlier attack, and from the look of it, she estimated she had up to twenty five thousand dollars worth of gold and close to two thousand dollars in cash. As her breath quickened anew, she sat heavily in the sand, trying to comprehend this incredible good fortune. She'd seen Cole look inside her pack. How could he have missed that? And if he hadn't… then why didn't he say anything? For a moment, she let herself believe that it was his alleged feelings for her which had led him to do this. Then, the reality of all of his lies hit her again. For all she knew, Cole had done this to put her into more trouble…Maybe even for spite, hoping that she'd get caught, since she had scorned him in his mind… "Well," Phoebe said aloud, "too bad for you, lover. You'll never see the color of that money again."

Phoebe reflected that she would have to be careful. If, as she thought, he was intent on using it against her, her best bet was to stay out of sight for a while. She would still make her way toward Flagstaff, but at a slow pace and with a large detour. Having made her plan, she climbed on the horse and put it to a trot.

"Mommy's coming, Mike… And we're gonna have a beautiful life together. We don't need a man, baby. Particularly not that two-faced liar…" she voiced bitterly, as she rode away.

A man with a dark overcoat and a top hat was walking at a brisk pace along a series of mansions more opulent one than the next. The mist escaping his lips for every breath he took, told of the cold morning temperature that reigned in Boston, even this late in the spring. He stopped in front of a large white and dark grey mansion, which was poorly ornamented but for a statue representing a prospector with the usual pick. This touch of originality, in Rudolf's mind, showed for sure that the master of the house had an obsession with his former life. Maybe this was what caused all the friction he had with his only son. Indeed, Cole rarely missed a chance to scowl at the representation; knowing full well that his father reproached him what he was, as opposed to what he wanted him to be. "Well," Rudolf thought with a knowing smile, "this news should make the old man happy."

He hurried toward the large doors and sighed contentedly, as he entered the warm hall. He took off his hat and overcoat, and then headed for the study, where he knew he would find Coleridge Turner. Indeed the old man was busy reading one or another report, as was his usual for this time of day. The same as every morning, Rudolf had gone to retrieve cables from the Company's holdings back in the west, and a surprising message had come along. Coleridge was so concentrated on his reading that he didn't seem to notice his butler arrival. This one cleared his throat discreetly to get his attention.

"Yes, Rudolf," the old man reacted somewhat gruffly.

"Your cables, sir," Rudolf simply said as he approached his employer's desk and deposited a pile of flattened papers in front of him. Coleridge pushed them aside, and returned to his reading, ignoring Rudolf's expectant attitude.

Any other might have considered this behaviour rude. Nonetheless, Rudolf had been in this house since he was a boy himself and he knew the old man as well as one could know another. This was only the usual manner of a man used to living it rough and who was also very driven. However even as butler to master, their relationship seemed based on a mutual respect…at least, most of the time. Rudolf had also practically raised his son for him after Cole's sweet mother had passed away. He always thought that Cole took mostly after his mother, except for the same stubborn pride as his father. Those two had butted heads more than once because of this. In fact, just recently, such a disagreement had caused a rift that had appeared impossible to mend until now.

Unable to hold his peace any longer, Rudolf coughed again, more insistently this time.

"Sir," he said, when Coleridge looked up with a hint of impatience, "may I suggest that you look at this morning's messages?"

"Come on Rudolf…what's the big emergency?"

"Forgive my insistence, sir… However, I really do think that you should take a look at these cables. I put the most relevant ones on top of the pile for your convenience."

Coleridge gave a perplexed look at his trusted employee. Rudolf wasn't in the habit of interfering in his business dealings. His obvious interest gave pause to the old man.

Grabbing the first cable, he didn't have to read long before a smile spread over his lips.

"Well, what do you know? I might not have to change couriers after all. That is indeed good news, Rudolf…"

Coleridge was already putting this message away and returning his attention to the report he had been reading, when Rudolf again insisted.

"I think that you should try the next cable, sir…"

This time, Coleridge had a moment of impatience.

"If there is something you want to tell me…"

"Read sir," Rudolf said again with a reserved smile.

As soon as Coleridge began reading the next cable, he exclaimed:

"Well I'll be damned! That's where he ran off?"

Coleridge stared questioningly at his butler, convinced that as usual, this one knew more about his son than he ever did.

"What the hell got into him?"

"Well sir, I think…and by this, I don't mean to be impertinent… but I believe that he decided to prove to you how wrong you were about him…"

The old man stood up then.

"He deserved it, Rudolf. I couldn't continue paying his way forever! I put his name along with mine on this company but all he ever accomplished was to spend our profits on extravagances. How else was I gonna teach him responsibility?"

"Again sir, I don't want to be disrespectful… but…"

"No, Rudolf! You've always been too soft on him. Cole needed to learn a hard lesson. And since taking the money away was the only thing I could do for a son his age, I didn't have much of a choice."

"Seems he's learned this lesson very well…"

"Two million dollars of motivation…" Coleridge uttered sarcastically.

"I think you're selling your son short, sir," Rudolf said boldly.

"And how in the blazing hell do you figure that one," Coleridge questioned, while quickly reverting to his old speech pattern. As a prospector, he had used a much more colourful language than was allowed in Boston high society. Of which, this latest outburst was only a pale example. However, in private, he often used it, and particularly in relation to his son's behaviour…

"Sir, I think you failed to read the entire message," Rudolf said more sedately.

Coleridge glared at him but still picked up the cable and, from mildly annoyed, he became irate.

"How dare he?"

Cole and Paul leaned against the bar, while nursing whiskeys. They had just finished a poker game, that had left Paul twenty dollars poorer and he was somewhat miffed about that.

"You know that Phoebe was right about you? You've one hell of a poker face!"

"Hey," Cole replied with a cocky smile, "one does what one can…"

"The way you're going, you won't have to worry about this inheritance anymore…"

"I stopped worrying about that since I sent my father packing…"

"You seriously meant to give up on a two million dollars inheritance just so you could stick it to the old man?"

Cole's smile vanished at this, and then he took a long sip of the amber liquid before answering his new friend.

"You know perfectly well that's not the reason…"

"Turner, I don't see how much more intelligent your other motivation is…Trust me… I wouldn't be stupid enough to choose poverty for a pretty girl. Besides, I don't think she'd like a poor man…I sincerely believe that your odds are really bad…"

"I know what I'm doing…and she's much more than just a pretty girl," Cole uttered irritably.

"Well, why don't you enlighten me? Who knows, maybe I'll grow a heart myself…" Paul mocked amicably, just content to have something on Cole after losing a large portion of his pay to him. Of course thanks to the nifty bonus he had gotten from retrieving the gold, it wasn't all that bad of a loss. Still, he was miffed for the principle. In the last two weeks he had spent a lot of time with Cole, and each of their card games had ended up the same way; with Paul losing. He had even started to wonder if Cole cheated on top of bluffing like a pro.

"Nah," Cole said dejectedly. "If I start talking about her, you'll have to pick me from under the table again."

Cole was referring to a few nights earlier, when he had practically lost hope that she'd ever come to Flagstaff, as he had surmised she would. Fortunately for Paul, who indeed had to pick him up and drag him to his hotel room, Cole's intense headache of the morning after convinced him that getting drunk wasn't the answer. Although, from the look of things, Cole was again coming down with gloomy thoughts and Paul regretted mentioning Phoebe. Cole picked up his glass and turned forlornly toward the relatively quiet saloon. It was still early in the afternoon, but both men found themselves at a loss for anything to do that day. Cole simply didn't have a clue what more he could accomplish until she showed up…if she ever did, he thought bitterly. Still, he had to admit that something good had come of this, although it meant that he now had to practice the profession he had only recently considered a title. He wasn't at his father's beck and call anymore and that definitely was a plus. The other added bonus was waiting for him in the hotel suite and he actually thought of leaving now and getting some of this medicine to quash the aura of depression he felt coming again.

On the other hand, Paul usually managed to perk him up as well. "Particularly for the fact that he was a gold mine in and of itself," Cole thought impishly. The man simply had no talent for the game, and Cole was taking full advantage, although never in a truly bad way. Paul and he had developed a friendship which had started during the trip back to Flagstaff. Then, Cole had finally shed some light on his motivations and opened up to Paul about his father. He told Paul that ever since he was a teenager, his father had put high expectations on his shoulders. Mostly, Coleridge Turner had wanted Cole to be as he had been in his youth: driven to succeed and willing to take any risk in order to do that.

Of course, until recently Cole had considered a high stake game of cards risk enough. Or in a more pleasant way, going after a Lady who wasn't exactly available... If that had made him a playboy of sorts, until he came to Arizona, he had considered this the good life. He had not even been ashamed of this while recounting some of the most amusing anecdotes to Paul. Then, as he told Paul next, it had all changed after his father had finally gone over the edge and cut him off completely.

Cole remembered that fight as if it was yesterday. Even if he had a temper himself, he had never really been this angry with anyone before, let alone his father. After Coleridge had told him that he could kiss his inheritance good bye unless he changed, his first move had been to tell him off, leave and not look back. After he had indeed stormed out of the mansion that night however, he had reflected that even his bruised ego wasn't worth losing two million dollars. This had prompted him to plan an adventure he had never even fathomed a man like him would risk. For almost a month, he had learned all he could about the deserted parts of the country, while honing his shooting skills with determination. He was certain that he would win and bring back the money to his father, figuratively throwing it at his feet with contempt. Moreover, after doing so, he'd planned to resume his former lifestyle without any more negative comments from the old man. Now a few months later, he looked back on this and actually could laugh at himself.

Had he not let his pride get in the way, he could've simply gone to work for his father; established himself in an affluent part of town; married a sweet girl and given him grand children as the old man most certainly wanted. His future would have been assured and the greatest risk in his life would have been crossing the street.

In hindsight however, he understood that it simply had never been for him. Granted, he was establishing a practice now, and had bought a house for himself, although very far from the busy streets of Boston. And now, he was actually craving for a wife…But all of this came with a sense of adventure and a much greater risk than he would've ever faced back there. Cole even understood that he had more in common with his father than he ever thought possible. This need for adventure had probably been the true reason why he never wanted to settle down before. One week in Arizona had changed this forever. All those near death experiences, and he had never felt more alive. Much more than this, he also realized that establishing a life here rather than back home would provide all the adventure he would ever need. Starting with Phoebe…

His train of thought was interrupted by a new arrival. Phil, one of Paul's men, who he had come to know as well in the last couple of weeks, was coming toward them and bent toward Paul, apparently talking business. Cole was only mildly curious until Paul turned to him with an amused smile.

"Well, looks like your luck has turned again, Turner. Though, from my point of view, you should stick with cards… But it's your balls and at any rate, I can't wait to recoup my money…"

"What the hell are you talking about," Cole questioned, although he let himself hope that it was what he had been waiting for.

"The little bird has come home…and it would seem that she's mighty angry…" Paul added with a chuckle.

Cole ignored the obvious implication and instead felt a surge of joy at the idea of seeing her again. Not only that, but he couldn't help being very pleased with himself for his cleverness. He was certain that she'd see things his way soon. After Phoebe got over her anger of course…



Earlier, Phoebe had been approaching a modest farm just outside Flagstaff with an expectant expression. She'd hidden the gold and the cash where she was certain no one would ever look and was now ready to get her daughter back. She had longed to see Mike so much. It had taken all of her self-control to wait until now. Besides, she had decided to give herself some time until Cole's memory was only that. Phoebe had wanted to come to Mike ready for a fresh start. However after two weeks of aching and longing, she understood that it wouldn't go away this easily and she couldn't risk Piper giving up her baby before she got there. The timeframe they had agreed upon was just about ending and she could only hope that Piper had kept her word.

Thus, it was with trepidation that she dismounted into the courtyard and went toward the main house. She had barely knocked once on the door before her cousin Piper opened it. From the look on her cousin's face, Phoebe got a very bad feeling.

"What's wrong," she asked anxiously.

"Huh, Phoebe…wanna come in?" Piper answered instead.

"You don't want me to come in any more than I do. Where's my daughter?"

"Huh well…"

Phoebe grabbed her arm tightly and Piper gave her an irate look.

"Let go of me, Phoebe!"

"What is it," a male voice called from inside. Phoebe immediately recognized Leo's voice, but she cared very little for seeing him. In fact, she was certain that he was the one insisting they send her daughter away. She let go of Piper, but continued staring at her angrily.

"Where's Mike?"

Again, Piper's expression returned to the self-conscious one Phoebe had seen earlier and it told her for sure that the news was bad.

"You promised me! Where did she go," Phoebe questioned angrily without waiting for her cousin to confirm her fears.

"That's the good news Phoebe…the man who adopted her said that if you wanted to see her, you only had to go to him…"

"What man? Where?"

"He stays in Flagstaff and asked us to give you a message…Wait I'll get it."

Piper turned her back to her and Phoebe felt as if she was going to cry again. By now however, she had gotten a little more used to that. Angrily, she reflected that this bastard had made her even weaker than she'd ever thought possible. Instead of Piper, Leo came to the door and from the look of him; he wasn't exactly pleased to see her.

"That man said that you'd come but frankly I'd hope you wouldn't. The judge who came here said that your daughter would have a good life and you should leave it at that. Maybe your shame won't tarnish her after all…"

"Shut up, you prick," Phoebe exploded. In a way, it felt good to get angry. At least, she knew how to do that very well and it made her feel stronger.

Leo scowled at her and pursued:

"Why that Tanner guy would've wanted a child of sin like yours is beyond me though. There are so many poor orphans born out of religious bounds that need a home."

Phoebe was this close to hitting him, when the name Tanner struck her.

"Tanner? You're saying that's the name of the man who adopted my daughter?"

"Something like that…the judge gave us five hundred dollars and said that this Tanner whatever… had arranged for that… If nothing else, at least it was a small repayment for all the scorn we had to endure from the community for keeping her with us."

This time, Phoebe didn't hesitate and she kicked him hard in the kneecap. Leo held himself against the threshold and gave Phoebe his most angry stare.

"You little vixen, if you weren't a woman…"

"Go ahead, give me your best shot," Phoebe taunted.

However, her cousin was coming back and seeing the situation, she decided to put an end to it.

"Leo please, let me deal with Phoebe…"

Leo was still staring angrily at Phoebe but after a few seconds, he turned to Piper:

"She's your cousin, your problem," he announced curtly while going back in with a pronounced limp.

"Did you really need to do that, Phoebe?"

Rather than acknowledging her cousin's reproach, Phoebe questioned her in turn.

"Who's this Tanner your prick of a husband was talking about?"

"Phoebe!"

Piper took a few deep breaths as if Phoebe's attitude was enough to give her a bout of apoplexy. Then, she pursued:

"I think it was more like…wait…sounded like Coal… Yeah that's it! The judge said Cole Turner…"

"What!"

"Do you know him," Piper questioned hesitantly while taking a step back at seeing the irate expression on her cousin's face.

However, Phoebe wasn't paying her any attention as her anger grew exponentially for every second that went by.

"That goddamn son of a bitch! Bastard! Asshole! Is he ever gonna leave me alone?"

"Phoebe," Piper exclaimed with outrage in spite of her latent fear. "There are children in this house."

"You imbecile! You pretend yourself such a good woman…" Phoebe attacked her directly then, "yet you sold my child to the devil incarnate!"

"What are you talking about Phoebe?"

Phoebe noticed the envelope in Piper's hands then and she figured she might as well know what other dirty trick he had in store for her. Though, Phoebe had a pretty good idea of what he wanted from her and it only made this all the more vile.

"Give me this!" She exclaimed, while trying to get to the envelope.

"Come on, Phoebe… you know you can't read!"

"Then stop procrastinating and read it for me."

"Only if you promise to calm down," Piper said with a little more assurance.

"Calm down?" Phoebe exclaimed with a sudden tremor in her voice. "You don't know anything!"

"Phoebe, I just know that I won't give you this message unless you stop screaming…"

Phoebe took a few deep breaths and tried her best to quash the apprehension mixing with the anger that twisted her insides.

"That's much better," Piper said at last while tearing the envelope.

"It says here that if you want to see your daughter, you only have to meet Mr. Turner at the Grand Hotel in Flagstaff. He'll be waiting for you …" Piper trailed.

"That's it?"

"Yes…"

Out of patience, Phoebe grabbed the piece of paper rudely and turned her back to Piper without another word.

"Where are you going," Piper asked mostly to be polite.

"What do you think," Phoebe replied as she climbed on her horse, "I'm going to get my daughter back and tear that man apart with my bare teeth!"

From then on, and until she entered the Grand Hotel in question, Phoebe continuously cursed Cole's name loudly, even inventing a few curses along the way…

Exclamations of outrage from passersby followed her progress down Flagstaff's main street, as her invectives didn't give any sign of waning. This had been enough to alert the few of Paul's men who were still watching for her arrival. Phoebe practically jumped off the horse in front of the hotel and stomped her way inside and toward the reception desk.

"Where's that creep?"

The man behind the counter looked her up and down with obvious contempt at her appearance. Indeed Phoebe knew that she was in need of a bath and a change but at this moment, she wasn't in the mood to accommodate the snobbish attitude. Grabbing the man by his vest, she pulled him to her angrily.

"Where's Turner?"

"Huh…Mam…"

Before he could finish this however, two strong arms were grabbing Phoebe from behind and pulling her away from the desk. She still held on to the receptionist a moment longer and he found himself almost falling off the other side before she let go. As she angrily tried to turn and get a look at her captor, she found herself faced with McKail's amused grin. Another man was still holding her tight from behind, preventing her from going after Paul.

"What? You're in it with him too?" she spat.

"I don't know what you're talking about Phoebe…I'm here to arrest you."

Phoebe was so stunned that she didn't say a word and they put manacles on her before she could react. She had expected Cole to propose some sort of exchange between her daughter and the gold, although she still didn't understand why he'd have needed it.

As they dragged her toward the door, her combativeness had returned however.

"I wanna see my daughter and the son of a bitch who stole her from me…"

Paul chuckled, apparently at some good inside joke, to which Phil, who was holding her, responded in kind.

"You'll get your chance," Paul added, still mocking. "But first, we'll make sure that you can't hurt yourself or anyone else….yet," he pursued with obvious glee.

They led her to the prison and a large Matron took her into her cell and unceremoniously stripped searched her, forced her to bathe into almost frigid water, and then gave her the prison clothing Phoebe was so not fond of.

The only thing that surprised her was that they bothered at all to send a woman to do it. She had faced a few unseemly strip searches before by men who believed it to be their very own little brothel. In truth, not too many women came their way, so Phoebe understood that she was some kind of a treat for them. Yet this time, it had not happened. Better yet, the deputies had closed the doors behind them and made no move to come back until they were done. This was strange but it wasn't enough to distract her from her main concern. Why she was there in the first place and where was her daughter? Phoebe tried to ask the Matron about it, but this one didn't bother to answer as she closed the cell door behind her and left. Phoebe sat angrily on the cot and did the only thing she could do now, which was alternating between sulking and cursing.

Cole had watched her from the saloon and knew that McKail had been right to suggest he should stay behind. It still didn't keep the urge to go to her quiet. Cole saw McKail coming back out after almost thirty minutes and waited impatiently to hear what he had to say. Unfortunately, it wasn't good news.

"You know, Turner. I'm afraid that your little theory about her missing you and getting softer just backfired. You really should've thought this through…"

"That was the only way…"

"Not so," Paul said with a frown. "You should've let me arrest her then…"

Cole couldn't tell him his true motivations, but he still believed that she would've hated him more, had he agreed to this two weeks ago…He'd hoped that the gold and a few days of reflection would have helped calm her down. Of course, he might still have been right. He hoped that she was only angry about Mike…At least, that wasn't a big problem. Not if she saw things his way… As if he had read his mind, Paul pursued.

"Taking her baby away wasn't exactly smart either…"

"On the contrary…That was my only guaranty that she'd come to me…"

"I thought you said she would anyway…that she'd miss you…"

"I might've exaggerated…Phoebe's so proud…"

"Well, I hear you there…but it's not gonna help you in the least."

Cole was staring at the Jailhouse, apparently oblivious to Paul's warnings.

"Hey man, if I were you, I'd wait a little more before going there. I sincerely doubt she'll listen to reason right now…"

"I need to see her," Cole said stubbornly, while stepping out of the saloon.

Paul called to him then.

"Hey, although it goes against my best interest, I'm gonna give you a friendly advice…

If you care anything about your…assets… you'll stay well away from those bars."

Cole barely acknowledged him before going on his way. Phil crossed his path and watched him going in astonishment before rejoining with Paul.

"Hey, is he crazy enough to try talking to her now?"

"It's a possessed man you're talking about. I sincerely hope I never fall in love…They say love hurts and I think that our friend here will learn it the hard way…"

"Shouldn't we be checking up on them? I mean, I put a lot of money on that girl…"

"Yeah you're right." Paul agreed before they went back toward the Jailhouse.

When Cole entered the office, the deputy gave him a strange look. At this point, he was somewhat preoccupied but still found it peculiar. The man seemed scared.

"Mr. Turner. We didn't expect you so soon… but I guess the sooner the better hey?"

"Where is she?" Cole asked, ignoring the nervous chatter.

"I promise you, she's fine…nobody touched her…"

Cole's confusion deepened as the man gave him a large birth after opening the door leading to the cells.

"Thank you," he said hesitantly.

"Any time sir…"

Paul and Phil entered the office just in time to hear the exchange and Phil turned to Paul questioningly after seeing the look of fear on the deputy's face.

"What the hell did you tell those guys?" he asked in a low voice.

"I might've embellished a little…like how Cole tore Reggie the Slick apart with his teeth…also it's possible that I told them he had killed three more of Reggie's men in a variation of a Mexican stand off…you know…to get better odds… Hey," he pursued when he saw his partner's incredulous expression, "Phoebe's reputation is well known in the prison system around these parts. The odds were not good enough…most of them even refused to bet on him before."

"And there I thought you were an honest man," Phil added with a wide grin.

Then he added:

"Do you really think it's possible to be that taken with a broad?"

"Hell, one like her…it's possible, yes… although, that's gonna be a rough ride." Paul added with a smirk. "Now let's see how long it's gonna take before he runs out of there…"

Cole walked slowly down the hallway leading to Phoebe's cell. They had put her in a cubicle which was closed all around but for the front part which was made of thick iron bars. He could see only one more prisoner there…Obviously a drunk from the look of him.

As eager as he was to see her, he also feared her reaction. Those two weeks had been torture not only because he missed her, but also because he had built up a lot of doubts along the way. "What if she never comes around," Cole asked himself for the umpteenth time. No matter what he had told Paul earlier, what had seemed fairly clear cut in the gorge two weeks ago wasn't anymore. He had given up a lot since then just so that he would have a chance with her and even if he still thought it was worth it, he wondered if it wouldn't all have been for nothing. Still, he had to try… Taking a deep breath, he moved toward the cell and peered in. It was almost night time and the back of the cell lay in the shadows. When he heard her voice calling to him, he wasn't certain what he should think.

"Hey, Lover… took you long enough…"

Phoebe didn't sound angry at all. On the contrary, her voice was sultry, even more than he ever remembered. For some reason, he felt worst.

"Phoebe… are you ok," Cole asked hesitantly.

"Of course I'm ok. Hey, I'm used to those walls… I spent a lot of time in prison the last couple of years. What's more, this is a nice cell…I even got some privacy," she added in the same soft tone of voice as she stood up and came toward him.

"Well, I'm glad you're taking it so well…I… I didn't mean to anger you, and I didn't tell anyone about the gold," Cole added warily. She was smiling and he couldn't tell whether she was goading him or was sincere at all.

"That's nice…So, what exactly did you mean to do," Phoebe asked just as gently, while she leaned against the bars.

Cole took another step forward before answering.

"Ok I know this looks bad…but you don't have to stay in there you know. You can be out of this place whenever I remove the complaint. I only said that you took the cash, so you see, they have nothing else against you. All you have to do is promise not to run away and you're out of here."

"Ah…" Phoebe trailed. "That's all hey?"

Cole's churning stomach tried to warn him, but he still took another step forward.

"Yup, that's all I ask…"

Without warning, Phoebe extended her arm toward his crotch and grabbed him so hard he thought he would cry. Before he could grab her arm, she was pulling on him, forcing him to move closer as the pain was rather intense. Between clenched teeth, he uttered.

"Now baby, that's not the way to go at all…"

Phoebe growled.

"You son of a bitch! If you don't want me to tear em off, then you'll give me my daughter back and let me outta here."

Phoebe twisted more and he couldn't help a loud grunt of pain at this.

"I swear, I will…" Phoebe added threateningly.

Seeing no other option, Cole grabbed her hair and pulled her head back.

"Now," he said as the pressure was finally releasing slightly on his crotch, "if you let go right now, I'll have your daughter here first thing tomorrow for a visit…"

Phoebe groaned unhappily and held on.

"And what if I don't?"

Cole let go of her, realizing that it wasn't the way to go.

"Then, I'll get out of here with bruised balls; that's for sure. But you won't see your daughter for quite a while."

Phoebe held on still while she stared angrily at him and Cole added under his breath.

"Come on! Is it worth not seeing your daughter just so you can hurt me?"

"You really are a bastard," Phoebe curtly answered while letting go.

Cole took a few steps back and well out of range before massaging his crotch.

"And you have one hell of a grip, babe! But that won't get you out of there until you listen to me…"

"There's nothing you can say or do that will change my mind, Cole."

"We'll see," he answered irritably. Then he simply took the chair that stood at the end of the hallway and sat there in silence for the rest of the evening.

Phoebe tried to go to sleep but all the time he was there, she couldn't help thinking that he was watching her and it wasn't until he left with a curt good bye that she drifted off.

By the end of the next morning, Phoebe was convinced that he had lied to her again. She was almost ready to start screaming when she heard the door to the cells opening. Holding her breath, she waited impatiently. An older lady came into view then, carrying her precious little girl. The little tyke was almost a year old already, with dark hair and bright blue eyes. In fact, as she looked at her, Phoebe wondered how coincidental that was. Still, even though he had kept his promise, Phoebe didn't want to think about Cole. Instead, she moved slowly toward the iron bars and only gazed at her daughter in silence for a long moment.

"I'm sorry madam," the old lady said then. She had a comely face with a crown of light grey hair. Where Phoebe had feared some contempt, the lady actually smiled.

"Mr. Turner wanted me to come earlier, but Michelle was still taking a nap. I didn't think it was a good idea to wake her because she gets grumpy if I do…"

"That's quite alright," Phoebe finally answered. Almost fearfully, she extended her hand toward the baby, and this one grabbed her fingers tight. Phoebe almost cried just at her touch.

"She's so pretty."

"I would say, just as pretty as her mother…"

Phoebe looked up and smiled at the lady.

"I'm Phoebe…"

"Mrs. Lassiter. I must say that your baby girl is a joy to take care of. Although she's got some character…Mr Turner says that she reminds him a lot of you…"

"He does?"

The lady only smiled at this. Phoebe wanted so much to hold Mike, but she didn't know that it was possible. McKail's deep voice came from down the hallway.

"I really believe that we could let her in…"

Phoebe didn't dare say a word as she hoped it was what she thought. Indeed, a few seconds later, one of the guards accompanied McKail to the cell and opened it to let the nanny and Mike in. Even then, Phoebe hesitated, unsure if she truly had a right to this beautiful baby. Being a mother had not exactly made her the nurturing person a child should have.

"Don't you want to hold her," Mrs. Lassiter asked softly.

Phoebe smiled uncertainly before taking the infant from her delicately. As soon as she had her, the girl looked up at Phoebe with a big smile.

"Dada?" Mike seemed to question, startling Phoebe.

"Oh," Mrs. Lassiter laughed, "that's all she can seem to say. Though, Mr. Turner gets quite excited when he hears her saying it."

Even though she didn't show anything, she felt a hint of jealousy at this. Why was he the one sharing precious moments with her daughter while she was stuck in here? Yet, she couldn't help thinking that it was also strange that he cared so much for her. She met Paul's eyes then, and thought that he could read her mind, but he never commented.

Afterward, she decided to shut up the little voice and to enjoy those precious moments with her daughter.

Later on however, when Cole came to visit, she didn't even say a word and stayed on her cot for the whole evening. This strange stand off lasted for over a week. Every day, Cole would have Mrs. Lassiter bring Mike to Phoebe and every night he would spend sitting in the hallway, practically silent.

One late morning, Paul came to visit Cole at his new office. He was impressed by the customers there, as these were all affluent people. From the level of the attendance, Paul surmised that whatever Cole had done or not at his father's company, he had still managed to learn something. Then again, he thought with a smile, the man was very good at faking it. Maybe those rich people were not all that smart after all, he thought again with some amusement before heading toward the young secretary.

"Do you think that Mr. Turner could spare a moment of his time?"

"I'll ask him, if you'd care to wait? Who should I announce?"

"Tell him McKail is here," Paul answered with a little smile.

It wasn't long before she returned and indicated the inner office to Paul. This one had to refrain from gloating at those businessmen in the waiting room. He knew that it would've been immature on his part and stopped himself. Nevertheless, the idea alone brought a big childlike smile to his lips. As soon as he was inside the office however, he remembered the purpose of his visit clearly and left the kiddie business out the door.

"Hey," Paul called to Cole, who was still pouring over some paperwork. It was strange to watch Cole so absorbed in his work, and wearing that suit, considering all they had been through before. But much more than this, it was even stranger to think that he was coming here to give him advice about relationships. Paul had wanted to say something in the gorge way back when, but at the time, he'd understood it wouldn't have made any impression on Cole. Now however, after the long stand off this week had been, he hoped that maybe the man was ready to listen.

"What's up?" Cole asked at last.

"You look busy…"

"I've got to admit that this working business… well, it's harder than I imagined, but it has its perks…"

Paul decided that he had done enough small talk. That had never been his forte anyway.

"Like maybe, you don't have to think about what's not working?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean," Cole questioned with a frown.

"Alright, you probably won't like it, but really I think you're going in the wrong direction with that girl. Things are not moving at all. If anything, I'm afraid that she resents you more every day."

"First of all, why should it bother you? You've been betting against me from day one…"

"That was only a friendly bet, Cole. I actually believe that you and she could have something…If not, she'd already have killed you…several times…"

"Second of all," Cole pursued, as if he heard nothing Paul just said, "how the hell would you know anything about what works and what doesn't?"

"Alright, I'm not an expert at relationships, I'll grant you that…But I can see when someone is miserable…"

"All she has to do is let me talk to her…"

"Maybe you should listen instead…"

"To what? She won't even look at me…let alone talk," Cole exclaimed angrily.

"Hey, don't bite the messenger. I just hate to see two people miserable when there's no reason for it. You're both so stubborn!"

Cole was about to jump down his throat, but he stopped himself. Instead, he looked curiously at Paul.

"Ok just when did you change jobs?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just I never figured you for a matchmaker," Cole replied with an amused smirk.

"Matchmaker McKail," Paul sneered. "Well, it has a ring to it…"

"If you want my opinion," Cole answered then, "you should keep your day job!"

"Think what you want son, but frankly I've seen teenagers acting more mature than you and Phoebe…"

"Don't you think you're a little harsh," Cole asked pointedly, as the smirk vanished.

"I think I said enough. Hopefully, you'll take what I told you as it was meant to be; a friendly advice…"

When Paul left the inner office, he feared he had not made any progress whatsoever, "but at least, "he told himself, "my conscience is clear…I tried." On his way out, he couldn't help sneering at the businessmen in spite of his resolution not to…

Cole tried to go back to his work after Paul left, but he couldn't concentrate. Just as Paul had pointed out at first, he was indeed rather busy. The business was booming; a lot more than he had expected, in fact. Cole was already considering getting some help, as business law seemed very much needed in these parts. Cole should have been happy that things were going so well. However, as he shuffled the papers in front of him distractedly, he realized that he was becoming his father in his later years. That was a scary prospect. Where was all the adventure and pleasure he had intended to take from this?

And indeed, he knew that McKail was right about his trying to escape his emotional problems. Every day, he was burying himself in work to forget the pain of the next evening… and every single night, he went there and suffered in silence, knowing that she did too. Yet, even if he knew they were going in circles nowhere fast, he had no idea how to change things. It had all sounded so simple when he had conceived this plan. All he was going to tell her and how he was gonna prove to her that his love was sincere. For that however, he would've needed Phoebe to be willing to hear him out. Dejectedly, he pushed the pile of papers aside and looked at his pocket watch. It was noon and he knew that at this very moment, Mike was visiting with Phoebe. He had stayed away from those visits, thinking that it would only worsen things between them. He believed that if they ever could share this little girl, it would have to be when Phoebe and he had worked things out between them. Now he was wondering if that would ever happen.

Mike…that little girl was the other reason why he wouldn't; couldn't give up now... If he did, he stood not only to lose the woman he was certain he could love for the rest of his life; but also this little girl, who had captured his heart from the moment she had smiled at him. In spite of her young age, she had done so with the same beautiful smile as her mother. Cole was convinced that when he looked at Mike, he was seeing the innocent and sweet person that Phoebe must have been before all the suffering she had gone through. This didn't mean that the baby girl didn't know what she wanted however. Even so young, there was no way to make her do what she didn't want to do. He smiled indulgently at the thought, until he realized how this applied to her mother as well, and then the melancholy came back in strides… In that instant, he saw how selfish he had been through all of this. How could he have believed that he could force Phoebe to accept him? And yet, the moment he began to consider giving up, the pain was so intense that he rejected the thought…

Although that evening seemed in no way different from the other excruciating ones they had gone through all week, Phoebe sensed that something was up with Cole. He looked strangely sad; without the façade that he had sported all that week. Until that night, he had appeared determined. Even mean sometimes. But even if she understood that he was frustrated and now sad, she wasn't ready to extend the olive branch, and obviously, neither was he.

Maybe McKail was right and they were like children who wouldn't compromise. Earlier, just as Mike had left, she had received another visit from Paul. Surprisingly enough, the man had stopped by a few times that week, and even though their relationship remained rather strained, Phoebe was grateful for someone to talk to. That day however, he had sounded preachy. In the end, Phoebe had gotten upset with him and told him to try his little speech on Cole. McKail had not answered this and left without much more than a good bye. Ever since, she'd been wondering about what he'd told her. Many times that evening, she sensed that Cole was tempted to say something, but he didn't and her frustration grew until she decided that she had enough. She turned toward him only to find that he was dozing off on the chair.

"I don't like this game anymore, Cole!" Phoebe called loud enough to wake him.

Cole looked up with a start and he stared at Phoebe in confusion. That was the first time in a week where she actually spoke to him.

"What?"

"I said, I'm tired of this game… let's play another one."

"And here, I thought we were having so much fun…" Cole replied sarcastically.

"Look Cole, this has gone far enough. I can't stand it anymore, and neither can you. It's obvious…"

Cole looked away uncertainly. Was this the time where he should let go? Again the thought brought so much pain inside of him that his next words sounded aggressive rather than the reasonable stance he had intended to take.

"Are you willing to listen tonight?"

"I wouldn't believe you any more than before, Cole…"

"Then why are we having this conversation?" He asked angrily.

"Come on, Cole. Aren't you tired of this?"

"I said that this would end only if you were willing to give me a chance to explain…"

"And you know that I won't believe a word you say…You lied one too many times!"

"What was I supposed to do," Cole exploded suddenly. "If I'd told you why I was there, would you have let me come with you?"

"At least that would've been honest," Phoebe replied stubbornly.

"And then what? You'd probably have dumped me deeper in the desert the moment I turned my back on you!"

"What the hell did you expect? You knew what I wanted!"

Cole exhaled deeply, only then realizing that they had been screaming and fighting rather than solving anything. He rubbed his temples, buying himself some time to think. Then he tried to be as candid as he could.

"Phoebe…I'm not perfect alright…I just know that I want you so much I feel like I'm gonna die if I don't have you."

"Is that all you want?" Phoebe seemed hurt again and he realized that once more he had sounded wrong.

"Please I don't know what I'm saying anymore. I'm so tired Phoebe…"

Phoebe didn't answer right away, pacing the cell nervously. Then she suddenly turned to him.

"Double or nothing!"

"What?"

"You like to play games don't you? I heard you play a mean poker… Let's decide this here and now. You win; I'll let you have your way with me for as long as you want.

But if I win…you'll let my daughter and me go with the gold and no conditions…"

"No!"

"Cole, it's too late for anything else. Nothing you'll say will make me believe in you."

Cole stood up then and paced the hallway as if he was afraid to stop and lose everything.

"Phoebe…I know that you love me… I know that for certain…I saw it in your eyes in that cave. So why can't you just admit it and give me a chance?"

"I made you an offer Cole…I'm still waiting for an answer," Phoebe said, ignoring his plea.

Cole hesitated at length, half disgusted with the prospect, but still somewhat willing to take the offer. He had gambled a lot in his life. The only thing was he had never gambled his life before.

Cole looked at Phoebe intensely, but she seemed determined.

"Alright, but I have a counterproposal…"

"What?" Phoebe questioned suspiciously.

"If I win, you'll marry me…"

Phoebe opened her mouth to protest but she closed it almost immediately without uttering a sound. After a long moment, she finally said:

"Agreed… but we play high card…"

Cole gave her another pointed look, and then he went to the door that led to the office.

"Guard?"

As soon as he'd spoken, the door opened, which told him that they had been listening in. "I'm guessing you know what I want?"

"You got guts man," the guard uttered as he handed him a deck of cards.

Cole ignored the twisted compliment and he went back toward Phoebe, while the guard stood in the doorway. Cole didn't like this scrutiny, but he knew it was useless to send the guard away. He'd still be listening in anyway.

Coming near the bars for the first time in over a week, he remembered the last time and hesitated slightly. Phoebe let out an unhappy laughter.

"Don't worry; I won't bite…"

"Yeah…"

He handed her the deck then.

"Phoebe, we don't have to do this…"

"I think we do…unless you'll let me go?"

Cole swallowed hard at this.

"I can't…" he trailed painfully.

"But if I win…"

"If you win…if you call that a win…" Cole turned to the guard.

"Open this door…"

"What?"

"I'm the one who put her there…I'm asking you to open this door."

"Do as he says," Paul's voice came from the doorway.

They all turned toward him then.

"You've come to gloat?" Cole questioned irritably.

Paul just stood there without a word as the guard pulled his keys and opened the cell door. Phoebe sighed uncertainly. Either way, she was getting out of this place, but even as she began shuffling the deck, she wondered indeed how she could call that a win…

"I think you don't need us anymore," Paul told them then, as he indicated the door insistently to the guard. This one still lingered for a moment, and then he went out with a shrug…

"Cole…" Paul called.

"What," This one answered irritably. His nerves were practically shot at this point.

"Remember what I said…at least try…" Then Paul went out of the room without waiting for an answer.

"What did he mean," Phoebe questioned, as she procrastinated with the cards.

"Nothing important…let's do this…"

Phoebe was shaking at this point and she wasn't certain if it was because she was gambling her life to him, or because she might actually win.

"Ready?" Cole insisted, startling her.

"Yeah," she said as she extended the deck toward him.

Cole quickly cut the deck and then, he hesitated only slightly before pulling his card. The moment he had done so, he knew what he had to do. For the first time in a week, he felt that he could breathe again. Without looking at the card, he quickly put it back on the deck.

"I won't do that…"

"What? We had a bargain; and I'm holding you to that!"

"There's no need for it. I'm letting you go."

Phoebe gave him an astounded look.

"You what?"

"Go! I'm letting you go. I'm not playing this game anymore…"

To illustrate this, he moved away from the cell door and waited for her to come out.

Phoebe had trouble moving her legs, so shook up she felt by then. Nevertheless, after a moment she went out and slowly made her way toward the other door.

"Phoebe," Cole called softly.

Phoebe stopped expectantly. Suddenly, she almost wished he tried to stop her.

Instead he said:

"I just wanted you to know…I'm sorry. Come by to the hotel tomorrow. Mrs. Lassiter will prepare Mike's belongings. I took the liberty of buying her some stuff. I hope you don't mind her keeping it…"

Phoebe answered without looking back.

"Of course not…" She had to force herself to take the last few steps to the door. Then she looked back and Cole smiled sadly but said nothing more.

Cole watched her going out of the room and then he went to sit on the cot where she had slept for the last week. Slowly, his head dropped toward his hands…

Paul watched Phoebe hesitating.

"Hey, I guess you won," he asked, even though he knew what had happened.

"I guess," Phoebe uttered in a little voice.

"If you wish, I can put you up at my place for tonight…no funny business, cross my heart."

Phoebe vaguely smiled for a moment, but her heart wasn't in it.

"That's mighty big of you," she answered.

Paul went to take her arm and accompanied her to the door. However, there he stopped short, as if an idea just struck him.

"Did he ever tell you about his inheritance?"

"Well, I gathered it was rather large…we never really talked much about that…"

"I thought so…did he tell you he renounced it?"

"What?"

"That man is so weird…one would think he would've used it…"

"What do you mean?"

"You know… I don't think I'd ever go to those extremes for a girl…I guess he really is a gambler. I supposed that losing is part of the game…"

"What the hell do you mean he renounced it?"

Paul smiled sweetly.

"I don't know about you…but if a girl was ready to give up everything for me…I think I'd go for it. And it wouldn't hurt if she also loved my child…"

"You're saying he gave all that up just for me," Phoebe questioned incredulously.

"Crazy isn't it?" Paul commented with a big grin.

Phoebe didn't know exactly what she should make of this, but there was one more thing that she had to know, and this she couldn't ask Paul.

Without warning, she went back toward the cell.

Cole heard steps and figured that Paul was coming to gloat again. He didn't feel like looking up. When he heard her voice, his heart skipped a beat.

"What about the gold?"

"I told you…it's yours," he said, while the sinking feeling returned.

"Cole, look at me, please."

He looked up uncertainly. Phoebe was standing there with a very serious expression.

"Hey, that's ok," he said again, "I told you; I won't stop you. It's all yours…"

"But if we got married it would've been yours too…"

"Hum…nah, I guess it would still have been yours," he said with a weak smile. "I really didn't care much. I bought the ranch with the reward…but you know I think I'll sell it back…it really was for you, so…"

"A ranch?"

"Well, I thought it'd be a better place to raise the kid than a hotel room. Hey, if you want it, it's yours too. I won't need it."

"Cole…Why did you give up your inheritance…?"

"Who said I did," he answered a little too quickly.

"Paul said so…"

"Well, if he said so…"

"Why?" Phoebe insisted.

"You said you didn't belong to anybody…I figured if you were richer than I was, you'd feel like the roles were reversed. Besides, I found that I didn't need his money…I've got a good practice right here."

Phoebe turned away again and this time, he didn't think he could stand this.

"Phoebe?"

"Yeah?" she said without looking back.

"Please don't leave me…" he said in a broken voice.

"Why?"

"If I tell you, you won't believe me…"

"Try me!"

"I love you," he said softly.

"How can I believe that?"

Cole was totally desperate as she took another step away. He didn't think he had any pride left in him and decided that he might use this new humility. He slid from the cot and on his knees.

"I'm begging you, please don't leave me…"

When Phoebe looked back, he saw tears in her eyes.

"Why?"

"I love you, Phoebe…I love you."

Phoebe smiled through her tears and she came to kneel in front of him.

"Can you say that again?"

"Which part," he said while he smiled almost shyly.

"All of it?"

"I'm begging you…" Before he could say anything else, her lips were on his, already searching, wanting. Without hesitation, he encircled her waist and pulled her to him tightly. When her mouth left his, they were both out of breath.

"I love you," Phoebe whispered so softly that Cole wasn't sure he heard.

"What?"

"I love you," she said louder…

"Really?"

"Oh yes, really…"

"Then, since I'm already on my knees," he uttered, "will you marry me?"

"Just as long as I don't have to say I'll obey you…"

"I'm sure we can arrange that…"

"Then, yes…and you better make sure that you'll stick to it…"

"If I don't…I give you permission to butcher me…" he laughed.

"Don't think I won't…"

"I know," he said while capturing her lips again.

Phoebe pulled her lips only far enough to say:

"Now baby…"

"Now what," he asked with a slight puzzlement.

"Just now…" She uttered while pulling him toward the floor of the cell.

"Hell, I thought you'd never ask," he said while pulling up the prison dress and cupping her breast.

Outside the cell, one of the guards was leaning against the door with a big smirk…

"So, who won?"

Paul grabbed him and pulled him away. "They won…" he said with a big grin. "Now, you don't have any other prisoners do you?"

"Nope…"

"Then, let's get out of here. This could take a while…"