Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, don't sue me.
A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. This has taken a while, sorry about that. I'll try and get this up as soon as possible.
* * * * *
The sparkling blue orbs appeared in the dark warehouse, and then disappeared almost as soon as they had come, leaving behind the three sisters. Phoebe strained her eyes, willing them to pierce through the darkness.
"Is this it?" Pipers voice came from beside her.
"I'll tell you as soon as I can see. . ." Phoebe muttered with a roll of her eyes. After a moment, they became accustomed to their light-less surroundings. Phoebe looked around the familiar warehouse, and almost unconsciously began to walk towards where she remembered Cole to be seated. Sure enough, as the shadows became visible shapes, she could make out the figure she remembered to be Cole. She hurried forwards, stopping abruptly as her eyes fell on him. For a split second she thought him dead, and a flicker of fear coursed through her body - along with several thoughts of confusion as to why. She didn't stop to think about this however, as she made out the details of his figure. He was breathing, only slightly, and his eyes were closed. Phoebe inched closer, her mouth open in shock, and held out her hand. She gently moved her fingers over the swollen bruises covering his face, and felt a lump rise in her throat. "Cole. . ." She whispered.
"Oh my god. . .he looks like crap." Paige said, all of a sudden. Phoebe jumped, having forgotten her sisters were so near.
"Alive though." Piper added.
"He's barely breathing." Phoebe muttered, not taking her eyes off Cole. "We have to do something."
"We can take him back to the manor. . .and call Leo." Paige said after a moment's hesitation. "He can heal him."
"No." Piper said suddenly. "Even if Leo does show up, he can't break the rules. . .he's an Elder now, he's obliged to live by them."
"So what can we do?" Phoebe asked, her patience waning.
"How about the hospital?" Paige offered.
"They'll notice something." Piper said, "He is a demon--"
"He's half human." Phoebe interrupted. They all stayed silent for a moment. "We'll just have to hope that's human enough."
* * * * *
Phoebe collapsed onto the waiting room chairs, cursing the limited cushioning. She glanced down at her shirt, which was spotted with blood from where she had supported Cole.
"You okay?" Piper asked, sitting beside her. Phoebe nodded.
"How long did they say this was going to be?" She asked, changing the subject abruptly.
"The doctor said a few hours. We don't have to stay though, we got him out. . .there's no risk anymore." Piper said.
"We can't just leave." Phoebe said firmly. Piper and Paige exchanged apprehensive glances. "If that guy manages to find out that Cole's here. . .he'll be helpless. We have to stay just long enough for him to be able to defend himself." She thought up immediately - which was only half true. Seeing Cole again had cause so many mixed feeling to rise up inside her. Anger that he was alive, mostly because she hadn't known about it. Fear of what might happen now that she did know. And then there was the confusing feeling of relief. Had Cole been gone so long that Phoebe had actually forgiven him? It was as though the fog had cleared, leaving her to see clearly. In the past, Cole had been. . .crazy. There was no other word for it. But was she to blame for that as well? She was the one that turned her back on him when he needed her. Had her hate for him been transformed into guilt?
"Phoebe?" Piper asked, interrupting Phoebe's thoughts.
"Hmm?" She murmured.
"I asked if there was another reason we're sitting here. . ." Piper said.
"Of course not." Phoebe said, untruthfully. "What possible reason could there be?"
Piper hesitated. "He has been gone a while. It's not crazy to say that you miss him." She said.
"Piper, come on." Phoebe said, amazed at how well her sister could read into her. "I'm just being cautious.
"Right." Piper replied uncertainly.
"You and Paige can leave, though. I don't mind." Phoebe said honestly.
"Maybe in a little while."
* * * * *
Hours later. . .
Phoebe shuffled in her seat, her arms crossed over her chest. She shuffled again. She glanced at the clock. It was late, too late. The doctors should have come out at least an hour before, but they didn't. She shuffled again. Piper and Paige had left about an hour before, having had to pick Wyatt up from the babysitter and get back home. Phoebe hadn't expected them to stay so long, but in some ways she was grateful. She didn't try and find out her reasons for staying. She knew they doubted her excuse, but they remained silent. She closed her eyes, but almost as soon as she was close to sleep, a voice woke her from her dream-like state.
"Miss Halliwell?" Phoebe opened her eyes. A nurse was standing above her. "You can see him now."
Phoebe inhaled deeply, before standing and following the nurse to Cole's room. It was a small, stuffy room, with two empty beds in it. The third and final bed was at the far end of the room, and Phoebe hesitated before walking towards it. The nurse muttered something about leaving them alone, and disappeared. It took Phoebe almost a lifetime to reach his side, and when she did she sat, almost in a dreamlike state, beside the bed, on a white, plastic chair. She glanced at all the tubes connected to his body, and clenched her teeth. She wasn't supposed to feel like this. To feel like he didn't deserve this. Because he did. After everything he did, he did deserve this. That was what her head was telling her. But her heart. . .that was telling her something different altogether. She reached out with her hand, hesitated a moment, before taking his hand. She held it in hers, noticing immediately how cold it felt.
"Come on, Cole." She said under her breath. "Come on. . ."
* * * * *
Yes, I do know how short that was. And I know I took ages to update. I apologise on both counts. I just have a lot of school work to get done, and yes, people, school work does come first! :) Review and tell me what you thought.
A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. This has taken a while, sorry about that. I'll try and get this up as soon as possible.
* * * * *
The sparkling blue orbs appeared in the dark warehouse, and then disappeared almost as soon as they had come, leaving behind the three sisters. Phoebe strained her eyes, willing them to pierce through the darkness.
"Is this it?" Pipers voice came from beside her.
"I'll tell you as soon as I can see. . ." Phoebe muttered with a roll of her eyes. After a moment, they became accustomed to their light-less surroundings. Phoebe looked around the familiar warehouse, and almost unconsciously began to walk towards where she remembered Cole to be seated. Sure enough, as the shadows became visible shapes, she could make out the figure she remembered to be Cole. She hurried forwards, stopping abruptly as her eyes fell on him. For a split second she thought him dead, and a flicker of fear coursed through her body - along with several thoughts of confusion as to why. She didn't stop to think about this however, as she made out the details of his figure. He was breathing, only slightly, and his eyes were closed. Phoebe inched closer, her mouth open in shock, and held out her hand. She gently moved her fingers over the swollen bruises covering his face, and felt a lump rise in her throat. "Cole. . ." She whispered.
"Oh my god. . .he looks like crap." Paige said, all of a sudden. Phoebe jumped, having forgotten her sisters were so near.
"Alive though." Piper added.
"He's barely breathing." Phoebe muttered, not taking her eyes off Cole. "We have to do something."
"We can take him back to the manor. . .and call Leo." Paige said after a moment's hesitation. "He can heal him."
"No." Piper said suddenly. "Even if Leo does show up, he can't break the rules. . .he's an Elder now, he's obliged to live by them."
"So what can we do?" Phoebe asked, her patience waning.
"How about the hospital?" Paige offered.
"They'll notice something." Piper said, "He is a demon--"
"He's half human." Phoebe interrupted. They all stayed silent for a moment. "We'll just have to hope that's human enough."
* * * * *
Phoebe collapsed onto the waiting room chairs, cursing the limited cushioning. She glanced down at her shirt, which was spotted with blood from where she had supported Cole.
"You okay?" Piper asked, sitting beside her. Phoebe nodded.
"How long did they say this was going to be?" She asked, changing the subject abruptly.
"The doctor said a few hours. We don't have to stay though, we got him out. . .there's no risk anymore." Piper said.
"We can't just leave." Phoebe said firmly. Piper and Paige exchanged apprehensive glances. "If that guy manages to find out that Cole's here. . .he'll be helpless. We have to stay just long enough for him to be able to defend himself." She thought up immediately - which was only half true. Seeing Cole again had cause so many mixed feeling to rise up inside her. Anger that he was alive, mostly because she hadn't known about it. Fear of what might happen now that she did know. And then there was the confusing feeling of relief. Had Cole been gone so long that Phoebe had actually forgiven him? It was as though the fog had cleared, leaving her to see clearly. In the past, Cole had been. . .crazy. There was no other word for it. But was she to blame for that as well? She was the one that turned her back on him when he needed her. Had her hate for him been transformed into guilt?
"Phoebe?" Piper asked, interrupting Phoebe's thoughts.
"Hmm?" She murmured.
"I asked if there was another reason we're sitting here. . ." Piper said.
"Of course not." Phoebe said, untruthfully. "What possible reason could there be?"
Piper hesitated. "He has been gone a while. It's not crazy to say that you miss him." She said.
"Piper, come on." Phoebe said, amazed at how well her sister could read into her. "I'm just being cautious.
"Right." Piper replied uncertainly.
"You and Paige can leave, though. I don't mind." Phoebe said honestly.
"Maybe in a little while."
* * * * *
Hours later. . .
Phoebe shuffled in her seat, her arms crossed over her chest. She shuffled again. She glanced at the clock. It was late, too late. The doctors should have come out at least an hour before, but they didn't. She shuffled again. Piper and Paige had left about an hour before, having had to pick Wyatt up from the babysitter and get back home. Phoebe hadn't expected them to stay so long, but in some ways she was grateful. She didn't try and find out her reasons for staying. She knew they doubted her excuse, but they remained silent. She closed her eyes, but almost as soon as she was close to sleep, a voice woke her from her dream-like state.
"Miss Halliwell?" Phoebe opened her eyes. A nurse was standing above her. "You can see him now."
Phoebe inhaled deeply, before standing and following the nurse to Cole's room. It was a small, stuffy room, with two empty beds in it. The third and final bed was at the far end of the room, and Phoebe hesitated before walking towards it. The nurse muttered something about leaving them alone, and disappeared. It took Phoebe almost a lifetime to reach his side, and when she did she sat, almost in a dreamlike state, beside the bed, on a white, plastic chair. She glanced at all the tubes connected to his body, and clenched her teeth. She wasn't supposed to feel like this. To feel like he didn't deserve this. Because he did. After everything he did, he did deserve this. That was what her head was telling her. But her heart. . .that was telling her something different altogether. She reached out with her hand, hesitated a moment, before taking his hand. She held it in hers, noticing immediately how cold it felt.
"Come on, Cole." She said under her breath. "Come on. . ."
* * * * *
Yes, I do know how short that was. And I know I took ages to update. I apologise on both counts. I just have a lot of school work to get done, and yes, people, school work does come first! :) Review and tell me what you thought.