Chapter Fourteen
"Pheebs, I brought you some soup," Piper began as she entered her sister's bedroom carrying a tray. "Do you think --"
Phoebe gasped at the interruption and dropped the shirt she'd been holding into the open bag on her bed.
"What are you doing?" Piper asked sharply.
"I didn't hear you come in," Phoebe said as she pushed down the shirt.
"Obviously," Piper commented as she placed the tray on top of a nearby sealed carton. "What's going on?"
"I'm packing," Phoebe answered simply as she walked to her dresser and lifted out a few more shirts. "You know, for the move."
"Don't" Piper softly warned. "Don't lie to me. Not after we've come so far."
"I'm leaving," Phoebe honestly replied as she pushed past Piper and went back to her bed, "I'm getting so far away from here to hide myself that no one, not even Hasoaf, will find me."
Piper shook her head, "That's just crazy, Phoebe." She grabbed Phoebe's arms and turned her sister towards her. "You heard what Cole said. You're safest here. In this house. With us."
"I'm not going to let Hasoaf hurt you or Melinda or Paige or" Phoebe dropped her clothing and shrugged helplessly, "For once, I want to protect you instead of hurt you. I've hurt you too many times, I can't let it happen again."
"Oh, sweetie," Piper murmured as she pulled Phoebe into a hug, "this isn't your fault."
"Piper" Phoebe began to cry.
Piper held onto her sister and sat her down on the bed. She stroked Phoebe's hair as her younger sister cried in her arms. "Cole's already on his way back, you know that," she reminded her sister. "He called you from the airport before his flight left. He's lucky he got that early flight out. He'll be here soon."
"But Johnson tagged along with him," Phoebe sniffled, "so it's going to take him even longer to get back. What ifWhat if HasoafWhat if Cole's too late?"
"He won't be," Piper assured her. "Look, Phoebe, I know Paige and I still have some issues with Cole but I"
"What?" Phoebe sniffled in concern as she pulled back. "You think he'll abandon us now?" she nervously asked as she looked down and ran her hand gently along her abdomen.
"No," Piper insisted, "I don't. I know Cole loves you." She placed her hand on top of Phoebe's and smiled as she felt the baby kick, "Loves you both." Phoebe glanced up at her and she gently wiped away some of Phoebe's tears, "We've been tryingI've been trying. It's not easy learning to trust him all over again. After everything that's happened"
"I know," Phoebe softly agreed as she held her sister's hand in hers. "It hasn't been easy for me either. Or for Cole."
Piper nodded, "But you know, the one thing I do trust in, right now, without question?" Phoebe shrugged and Piper gave her a warm smile, "I trust that Cole will do anything and everything within his power to save you."
"To save us," Phoebe quietly clarified. Piper nodded again and Phoebe whispered, "Do you really think it'll be okay?"
"Of course I do," Piper smiled and hugged her sister. "As long as we're together, we can do anything. And Cole knows that's true."
"You mean that, don't you," Phoebe realized.
"I'm sorry I hurt youI'm sorry we hurt each other," Piper told her, "but you're my sister and I love you. And no matter how badly we argue or don't see eye-to-eye, when it counts, when it really counts, I will be there for you."
"Because that's what sisters do?" Phoebe whispered.
"Because that's what sisters do," Piper quietly agreed as Phoebe softly cried in her arms. "We'll get through this, Pheebs, I swear. We'll get through it together."
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"Thanks for the lift," Cole anxiously said as he stood with his colleague outside the penthouse.
"It was the least I could do after dragging you around for three days," Tom nervously chuckled. "Look, man, I'm sorry, I had no idea your girlfriend was having such a difficult time. I wouldn't've -- I hope everything's okay," he added as he stepped back into the elevator. "Don't worry bout anything at the office, I'll explain everything."
Cole opened his front door, stepped inside, and turned back to face his colleague, "Thanks, Tom. For everything, really. I mean it."
"Good luck," Tom wished him as the elevator doors closed.
Cole sighed in relief, shut the door behind him, and dumped his bag on the floor. Just as he was about to go directly to Phoebe, there was a knock on the door. He groaned in frustration, "All right, Johnson, what is it now?" He yanked open the door and was surprised to find Phoebe standing before him. He quickly pulled her into a hug before he yelled at her, "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay in the house!"
"I had to come," she nervously replied. "I'm sorry"
"No, I'm sorry," he told her in a calmer tone. He led her inside and asked, "Did something happen while I was gone?"
"No," she answered she stopped him and awkwardly wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm sorry, Cole," she quietly said, "but I couldn't stay there. I was so worried and I needed to be here. I needed to feel close to you."
"Phoebe," he murmured as he stroked her back, "it's not safe here."
"But we're together. Besides, the shields are up," she protested. "No one can come in unless you let them."
"Still," he reluctantly acknowledged, "I'm getting you back home to your sisters. That's where we'll make our stand."
Phoebe nodded and pulled back slightly. She gazed up at him and smiled, "I love you."
Cole stiffened slightly and, as he pulled her closer, he whispered, "I love you, Phoebe, more than anything." And he swiftly stabbed her in the chest with an athame he had instantly created.
Phoebe staggered back and stared at him in shock. "Cole?" she uttered as she doubled over. "Why?"
Cole growled as he sent an energy ball at her, "I don't know who the hell you are but you're going to die."
"Cole, please," she cried in pain as it hit her in the shoulder and she fell to the floor, "stopThe baby"
Cole ignored her and fired again at her. But as he watched her contort in pain, he hesitated and wondered if indeed he'd made a tragic mistake.
In that moment of hesitation, Phoebe suddenly scrambled to her feet and rushed at Cole.
He felt the claws slash his chest and felt the form of his attacker change. Stunned and shocked, he fell down and watched as Phoebe morphed into something else and stood over him. A being he'd never personally seen before but knew without question. "Hasoaf," he groaned.
The demon calmly pulled the athame out of his chest and tossed it aside. "I must admit, Belthazor, I expected more from someone who's reputed to be all-powerful. I'm almost disappointed."
"Go to hell," Cole snarled as he struggled to move.
"Perhaps later," Hasoaf considered. "Right now, I have some witches to attend to."
"I won't let you," Cole groaned as he fired an energy ball at Hasoaf.
Hasoaf waved his hand and the energy ball dissipated before it even reached him. "Perhaps you'll last long enough after all."
"I won't let you hurt her," Cole insisted as he weakly fired another energy ball.
"Stupid demon," Hasoaf commented as he again, easily, eliminated the threat, "I won't hurt her. Not while she still carries that child. Which won't be for much longer."
"No!" Cole tried to shout even as the edges of his vision started to turn black.
"Tell me," Hasoaf requested, "how did you know?"
"Phoebe would never say that she loved me," Cole haltingly admitted. He closed his eyes briefly and, when he opened them, he waved his hand. A sword appeared in his hand and he stabbed at the demon before him. Surprised, Hasoaf stepped back during which time Cole managed to get to his feet. Hunched over, he ran at the demon with what little energy he had left.
"Enough!" Hasoaf shouted in annoyance as he waved his hand and sent Cole flying through the air into the bedroom.
Cole landed in a heap on the bed and coughed as he struggled to sit up. But, just as he was trying to push himself up, his hands were suddenly thrown up, almost behind his head. Stunned, it took him a few moments to realize his hands were now shackled to the wall behind him. He pulled his hands but he felt weaker each time he yanked on the chains.
"Don't worry," Hasoaf told him from the doorway, "as soon as I deal with the others, your lover will join you here. And you'll both see, first-hand, the power that I can wield." He disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
"Phoebe" Cole moaned before everything went black.
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