Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, don't sue me.
A/N: A huge THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed. I finally have a bit of time to write, I have a break in my assessment. . .for the moment anyway.
I apologise to those of you who are annoyed with my jumping of times in this story. I have this problem with sticking to the same thing for longer than a couple of chapters at a time. Sorry.
* * * * *
Phoebe shifted in her seat. She glanced at Cole's empty seat. Two weeks. Two weeks since she had seen him last. Since she had spoken to him. Since she had seen him kissing someone else at Piper's party. At first she had hoped it was a mistake, but his obvious lack of an explanation proved otherwise. She looked up at the clock. Then she shifted in her seat again.
"Miss Hal-li-well!" Ms Atkinson hissed loudly. Phoebe jumped up and looked at her teacher, eyebrows raised. "Will you please lave the classroom if you do not plan on listening?" Phoebe glanced from her history teacher, to the clock, to Cole's empty chair. Then she grabbed her books and shoved them into her bag, before standing and throwing open the door. She didn't look back as she shut the door behind her and hurried down the corridor. She swung her bag over her shoulders and sprinted out of the school premises. She started to head towards the manor, but stopped. A few seconds passed, before she turned around and headed in the opposite direction.
* * * * *
Cole ran a hand over his face and collapsed onto the couch. Grabbing a bandage off the coffee table he unravelled it and took off his shirt, which was in near tatters. He grimaced as he wrapped the thin bandage around his torso, covering up the raw skin that had recently been burnt by a soaring fireball thrown at him by a bounty hunter. He had only just managed to lose the demon, luckily. He clipped the bandage tight and shimmered into his bedroom. He opened the closet and pulled out a t-shirt. He stopped as he heard a knock at his door. He shimmered into the lounge room and cautiously walked towards the door. He slipped the shirt carefully over is head before placing a hand on the doorknob and pulling open the door swiftly.
"Phoebe. . ." He said surprised. "What are you--" Before he could continue, Phoebe pushed past him and into his apartment.
"Two weeks! No explanation." She said simply, spinning around and glaring at him. Cole shifted uneasily. He closed the door.
"You shouldn't be here." He said, not making eye contact with her.
"I shouldn't be here!?" Phoebe asked incredulously. "I'm not going anywhere without an explanation. You don't think I deserve one?"
"Phoebe. . ." Cole began. He gritted his teeth, willing himself to say something. She crossed her arms expectantly. He opened his mouth, but stopped.
"Well?" She asked after he said nothing. He finally spoke.
"You want a explanation?" He asked loudly. "I was tired of you. I cheated on you." He looked away. "I don't love you." He looked at her again, trying not to give away how much it hurt him to speak to her like this. "There's your explanation." He turned around and closed his eyes, willing the guilt to go away. Phoebe said nothing for a second.
"What?" She finally said.
"You heard me." Cole said quietly.
"I don't believe you." Phoebe said suddenly. She grabbed his arm and pulled it, forcing him to turn around. "I don't believe you." She repeated.
"You wanted the truth. . ." Cole said.
"Okay. This time look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me. Tell me I don't mean anything to you." She said staring at him. He clenched his teeth.
"Phoebe. . ." He began.
"Say it." She said forcefully, holding eye contact. Cole started to say something, but stopped. His eyes grew wide as he felt the familiar feeling of someone tracking him.
"Not now. . ." He whispered.
"I think now's the perfect time." Phoebe said softly.
"You have to go." Cole said, grabbing her and pushing her towards the door.
"I'm not going anywhere!" Phoebe said, pulling away from him. "Not until you say it." He glared at her.
"You want the truth?" He asked. "I love you, Phoebe. More than anything. And that's why you have to go. Right now." He once again tried to lead her towards the door, but Phoebe wormed her way out of his grasp.
"Why?" She asked.
"Phoebe. . ." Cole began, a warning tone.
"Tell me something that makes sense, Cole!" Phoebe said exasperated.
"They're going to use me to get to you. And when they get to you, they will kill you." Cole said finally, defeated. He looked at her, waiting for a reaction.
"What are you talking about?" Phoebe asked, giving a small laugh. Cole let out a breath.
"You know." He said simply. The smile Phoebe wore to hide everything she was feeling fell away.
"No I don't." She said more firmly, too stubborn to accept anything he was saying, clinging to whatever hope she still had that none of this was happening.
"What is the one thing I could be that would make it impossible for us to be together?" Cole asked gently. Phoebe clenched her fists.
"No. . ." She said defiantly. She shook her head. "No."
"I'm a demon." Cole said simply. He looked away. "I didn't want you to find out like this."
"Was it all a lie?" Phoebe asked suddenly. Cole frowned.
"No, of course not." He replied.
"Why? Was it all some attempt to. . ." She paused. ". . .kill me?" She looked at him, the pain evident in her face.
"At first." Cole said with a nod. Phoebe looked away, disgusted. "But you have to know," He continued, trying to catch her eye contact again, "that it was before I fell for you. I was meant to kill you, but I couldn't. I can't." She turned to look at him, obviously fighting tears.
"That doesn't mean anything." She said simply, shaking her head.
"No." Cole said firmly. "It means everything. I love you Phoebe, despite everything. I lo--"
"Enough!" Another voice shouted. Both Phoebe and Cole whirled around. "You're making me sick." Rasilyn said standing metres away.
"You. . ." Phoebe said with a frown.
"Me." Rasilyn repeated with a smile. "Me, me, me." She stepped forward. "I thought you would figure it out. I attacked you and your sisters, and them I kissed him. But you didn't seem to recognise me at all."
"You. . .I never knew. . ." Phoebe let out, she stopped. "It was you?" She asked incredulously.
"That kissed him?" Rasilyn asked rhetorically. "Yeah, that was me. It wasn't as bad as I thought either."
"And you're a demon?" Phoebe asked confused.
"My, she's a fast one." Rasilyn said sarcastically with a laugh. She turned to Cole. "I don't see the attraction." Phoebe turned to see Cole clenching his teeth.
"So when you kissed him. . ." Phoebe asked, stopping in mid sentence.
"It was because I knew what would happen. You would see it and get angry. He would use it as an excuse to get out of your life, for your own safety of course." She rolled her eyes. "But you wouldn't be able to take it. Mortals and their continuous quest for love. I knew you would seek him out. And then I could find you, alone from everything Wicca that protected you." She stepped towards Phoebe. "And now the story ends." She raised her hand and formed a fireball above it. She pulled her hand back and threw it, only for it to be met in mid air by another fireball, and disintegrated before their eyes. Phoebe turned from where the fireball had disappeared to Cole, who's arm was outstretched having just thrown the intercepting fireball.
"Get away from her." He said firmly. Rasilyn stared at Cole for a second, before letting out a laugh. She stopped and glared at him.
"You will never beat me, Belthazor." She said simply. With a flick of her wrist she sent Cole soaring over the coffee table and into the wall. Phoebe instinctively called out to him. "And now for you." Rasilyn said, shimmering in between Phoebe and Cole. "Poor, perfect Phoebe. So weak. . .yet wanted dead by so many. Why?" She once again formed a fireball in her hand. Phoebe gritted her teeth, she didn't say a word. "No matter. . .it all ends now anyway."
* * * * *
AHHHH!!! Cliffhanger! Don't kill me. . .just review. So I've come to the conclusion that many of the C/P readers enjoy stories where Cole and Phoebe are together for the whole story. What about the whole kids issue? Do you prefer:
No kids whatsoever
Phoebe pregnant for the majority of the story
They have a kid. . .or two already.
Anything else?
A/N: A huge THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed. I finally have a bit of time to write, I have a break in my assessment. . .for the moment anyway.
I apologise to those of you who are annoyed with my jumping of times in this story. I have this problem with sticking to the same thing for longer than a couple of chapters at a time. Sorry.
* * * * *
Phoebe shifted in her seat. She glanced at Cole's empty seat. Two weeks. Two weeks since she had seen him last. Since she had spoken to him. Since she had seen him kissing someone else at Piper's party. At first she had hoped it was a mistake, but his obvious lack of an explanation proved otherwise. She looked up at the clock. Then she shifted in her seat again.
"Miss Hal-li-well!" Ms Atkinson hissed loudly. Phoebe jumped up and looked at her teacher, eyebrows raised. "Will you please lave the classroom if you do not plan on listening?" Phoebe glanced from her history teacher, to the clock, to Cole's empty chair. Then she grabbed her books and shoved them into her bag, before standing and throwing open the door. She didn't look back as she shut the door behind her and hurried down the corridor. She swung her bag over her shoulders and sprinted out of the school premises. She started to head towards the manor, but stopped. A few seconds passed, before she turned around and headed in the opposite direction.
* * * * *
Cole ran a hand over his face and collapsed onto the couch. Grabbing a bandage off the coffee table he unravelled it and took off his shirt, which was in near tatters. He grimaced as he wrapped the thin bandage around his torso, covering up the raw skin that had recently been burnt by a soaring fireball thrown at him by a bounty hunter. He had only just managed to lose the demon, luckily. He clipped the bandage tight and shimmered into his bedroom. He opened the closet and pulled out a t-shirt. He stopped as he heard a knock at his door. He shimmered into the lounge room and cautiously walked towards the door. He slipped the shirt carefully over is head before placing a hand on the doorknob and pulling open the door swiftly.
"Phoebe. . ." He said surprised. "What are you--" Before he could continue, Phoebe pushed past him and into his apartment.
"Two weeks! No explanation." She said simply, spinning around and glaring at him. Cole shifted uneasily. He closed the door.
"You shouldn't be here." He said, not making eye contact with her.
"I shouldn't be here!?" Phoebe asked incredulously. "I'm not going anywhere without an explanation. You don't think I deserve one?"
"Phoebe. . ." Cole began. He gritted his teeth, willing himself to say something. She crossed her arms expectantly. He opened his mouth, but stopped.
"Well?" She asked after he said nothing. He finally spoke.
"You want a explanation?" He asked loudly. "I was tired of you. I cheated on you." He looked away. "I don't love you." He looked at her again, trying not to give away how much it hurt him to speak to her like this. "There's your explanation." He turned around and closed his eyes, willing the guilt to go away. Phoebe said nothing for a second.
"What?" She finally said.
"You heard me." Cole said quietly.
"I don't believe you." Phoebe said suddenly. She grabbed his arm and pulled it, forcing him to turn around. "I don't believe you." She repeated.
"You wanted the truth. . ." Cole said.
"Okay. This time look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me. Tell me I don't mean anything to you." She said staring at him. He clenched his teeth.
"Phoebe. . ." He began.
"Say it." She said forcefully, holding eye contact. Cole started to say something, but stopped. His eyes grew wide as he felt the familiar feeling of someone tracking him.
"Not now. . ." He whispered.
"I think now's the perfect time." Phoebe said softly.
"You have to go." Cole said, grabbing her and pushing her towards the door.
"I'm not going anywhere!" Phoebe said, pulling away from him. "Not until you say it." He glared at her.
"You want the truth?" He asked. "I love you, Phoebe. More than anything. And that's why you have to go. Right now." He once again tried to lead her towards the door, but Phoebe wormed her way out of his grasp.
"Why?" She asked.
"Phoebe. . ." Cole began, a warning tone.
"Tell me something that makes sense, Cole!" Phoebe said exasperated.
"They're going to use me to get to you. And when they get to you, they will kill you." Cole said finally, defeated. He looked at her, waiting for a reaction.
"What are you talking about?" Phoebe asked, giving a small laugh. Cole let out a breath.
"You know." He said simply. The smile Phoebe wore to hide everything she was feeling fell away.
"No I don't." She said more firmly, too stubborn to accept anything he was saying, clinging to whatever hope she still had that none of this was happening.
"What is the one thing I could be that would make it impossible for us to be together?" Cole asked gently. Phoebe clenched her fists.
"No. . ." She said defiantly. She shook her head. "No."
"I'm a demon." Cole said simply. He looked away. "I didn't want you to find out like this."
"Was it all a lie?" Phoebe asked suddenly. Cole frowned.
"No, of course not." He replied.
"Why? Was it all some attempt to. . ." She paused. ". . .kill me?" She looked at him, the pain evident in her face.
"At first." Cole said with a nod. Phoebe looked away, disgusted. "But you have to know," He continued, trying to catch her eye contact again, "that it was before I fell for you. I was meant to kill you, but I couldn't. I can't." She turned to look at him, obviously fighting tears.
"That doesn't mean anything." She said simply, shaking her head.
"No." Cole said firmly. "It means everything. I love you Phoebe, despite everything. I lo--"
"Enough!" Another voice shouted. Both Phoebe and Cole whirled around. "You're making me sick." Rasilyn said standing metres away.
"You. . ." Phoebe said with a frown.
"Me." Rasilyn repeated with a smile. "Me, me, me." She stepped forward. "I thought you would figure it out. I attacked you and your sisters, and them I kissed him. But you didn't seem to recognise me at all."
"You. . .I never knew. . ." Phoebe let out, she stopped. "It was you?" She asked incredulously.
"That kissed him?" Rasilyn asked rhetorically. "Yeah, that was me. It wasn't as bad as I thought either."
"And you're a demon?" Phoebe asked confused.
"My, she's a fast one." Rasilyn said sarcastically with a laugh. She turned to Cole. "I don't see the attraction." Phoebe turned to see Cole clenching his teeth.
"So when you kissed him. . ." Phoebe asked, stopping in mid sentence.
"It was because I knew what would happen. You would see it and get angry. He would use it as an excuse to get out of your life, for your own safety of course." She rolled her eyes. "But you wouldn't be able to take it. Mortals and their continuous quest for love. I knew you would seek him out. And then I could find you, alone from everything Wicca that protected you." She stepped towards Phoebe. "And now the story ends." She raised her hand and formed a fireball above it. She pulled her hand back and threw it, only for it to be met in mid air by another fireball, and disintegrated before their eyes. Phoebe turned from where the fireball had disappeared to Cole, who's arm was outstretched having just thrown the intercepting fireball.
"Get away from her." He said firmly. Rasilyn stared at Cole for a second, before letting out a laugh. She stopped and glared at him.
"You will never beat me, Belthazor." She said simply. With a flick of her wrist she sent Cole soaring over the coffee table and into the wall. Phoebe instinctively called out to him. "And now for you." Rasilyn said, shimmering in between Phoebe and Cole. "Poor, perfect Phoebe. So weak. . .yet wanted dead by so many. Why?" She once again formed a fireball in her hand. Phoebe gritted her teeth, she didn't say a word. "No matter. . .it all ends now anyway."
* * * * *
AHHHH!!! Cliffhanger! Don't kill me. . .just review. So I've come to the conclusion that many of the C/P readers enjoy stories where Cole and Phoebe are together for the whole story. What about the whole kids issue? Do you prefer:
No kids whatsoever
Phoebe pregnant for the majority of the story
They have a kid. . .or two already.
Anything else?