CHAPTER 14
Elizabeth materialized in the sunroom of the Halliwell manor, just as the coffee cups were being collected.
Paige jumped a little at the unexpected appearance, and dropped a cup, but Piper managed to freeze it before it hit the tiled floor, and shattered.
Phoebe stood up quickly, and her eyes searched Elizabeth's face.
"Did you find Cole? Did you catch up with him?" she demanded urgently.
Elizabeth nodded, and smiled slightly. "Yes, I caught up with him, and talked to him." She turned at looked at her three followers.
"We will meet up with Cole in a moment." She said to them, and then walked towards Piper.
"I wish to thank you for your help," she said, taking her hand, and giving it a gentle shake. "We will not bother you again. If you ever need our help...."
"Just a minute," cried Phoebe, "Is Cole coming back here? You can't just leave, I need to speak to Cole."
Elizabeth just looked at her, with a gleam of sadness in her eyes. "Cole told me that he doesn't want to see you," she said gently, "I think perhaps, that it is for the best. He said that he's sorry he hurt you, but that you hurt him too. He said to tell you goodbye."
"No," cried Phoebe, and tears filled her eyes, and rolled down her cheeks. "He can't do this to me!"
She stamped her foot in anger, and dashed the tears away from her eyes. "We can't leave it like this," she whispered. "There has to be some sort of closure."
Jael stepped forward, a hard expression on his usually pleasant face.
"I thought you had closure when you vanquished him, for the second time." He said harshly. "It was Cole that was struggling with the need for closure. It was Cole that was struggling with the will to stay alive – and he had no one around to help him."
"That's enough," said Leo, stepping forward, and putting his arms around Phoebe, who was sobbing. "We vanquished Cole because he was a threat to us, to our family. He was evil, he deserved death."
The atmosphere of friendship vanished in an instant; then all four Underworld representatives shimmered away, without another word.
Phoebe collapsed onto the sofa, where only moments before, Cole had been lying, and curled into a ball, sobbing into a tightly held cushion. Leo tried to talk to her, but she turned away, and motioned him off.
Piper and Paige both hovered for a moment then left the room, leaving Phoebe to weep once again, for her lost love. This time it was harder – she had seen him and she knew he was alive. And now she knew, he did not want her back.
***********************************************
Phoebe Halliwell stood and looked out of her bedroom window, at the lights of the city, spread before her. In the last three months, she had resumed her life, gone to work, played with Wyatt, laughed with her sisters, vanquished a demon or three or four, and gone to P3 at night with Paige or Piper, talking and dancing – she had been her usual bright and bubbly self – on the outside. She felt like she was dying on the inside.
She had stopped feeling sorry for herself, and had begun to feel anger towards Cole for not allowing her a chance to make things right between them.
He had no right to just leave without speaking to her, or letting her speak to him. He had no right to stop loving her, he had promised Unconditional LOVE. Just because she had vanquished him a couple of times, was no excuse. He had no right to make her feel this bad, when he was the one who had turned evil! Even if being evil hadn't been his fault – which she was only just starting to realize! The more she agonized over him, the angrier and less rational she became. He should have known, that she still loved him – even though she had told him she didn't. If he had loved her enough, he would have known she was lying.
A knock on her door made her swing around, her heart thumping, as it always did when Cole was on her mind.
She swung it open, and Leo was there, carrying Wyatt, who was chewing on a toy clown.
"I thought you might be feeling a little down," he said, with his sweet smile, and placed the baby in her arms. "You've been a little quiet, lately,"
She drew in a deep breath, and dropped a soft kiss on Wyatt's head.
"I guess you're right," she said. "I can't seem to get past the whole Cole thing. Oh Leo, the hurt doesn't stop," and she started crying again, sobbing into her brother in law's chest, the baby between them.
"I have some news," he said, patting her shoulder. "I have been trying to decide whether to tell you or not."
Her dark eyes flew to meet his; the tears shimmering in them made them look huge.
"Yesterday, while I was in the park with Wyatt, I saw one of the demons that came here that day, with Cole's mother," he said.
Phoebe started to tremble.
"I followed as discreetly as I could," Leo continued, "to a house in Martin Place, just up from the park. I think that's where he is staying."
Phoebe stared intently at him. "Do you think Cole is there?" she breathed.
"I don't know," replied Leo honestly. "But the demon I followed probably knows where he is. I wasn't going to say anything, but Piper and I know just how unhappy you have been. You need to clear this up – you need to be able to move on."
"You and Piper wouldn't be upset, if I went there, and asked after Cole?" asked Phoebe, studying Wyatt's head intently. "I mean – what would the Elders' say?"
"The Elders' haven't said anything – I haven't told them either. Apart from Elizabeth, or one of the others turning up on their radar early on, they haven't mentioned them again. Obviously they are not causing any ripples in the realms, so I can't see a problem, at this stage. They definitely don't know about Cole."
She kissed the top of the baby's head again, and hugged him tight. He squirmed a little in her hold, and put his arms out to his Daddy. Aunty Phoebe could be a little over the top sometimes.
After a long and sleepless night, she sat at the breakfast table, sipping coffee and making senseless entries on her laptop. Paige looked across at her several times, before finally removing the computer from her grasp, and waving her hands to get Phoebe's attention.
"Are you going to that house in Martin Place today?" she asked, perching on the cupboard, and crunching into a piece of toast. "Do you want me to come with you?"
Phoebe looked at her, horrified.
"No offense, sweetie, but I think not," she said. "If I go, and I'm not sure yet whether I will or not, I will go by myself. I know that they won't hurt me – or I know that Cole would not hurt me – physically at least."
"Just be careful, if you do go," said Paige.
All morning at the office, she was distracted, losing a whole article she had written, by deleting it out of her computer, and becoming clumsy, dropping a whole cup of hot coffee on her desk, and ruining several letters in her incoming mail tray. By lunchtime she was glad to escape outside. The day was not too bad, overcast but the threatened showers had held off, and the sun was even trying to shine.
Phoebe drove out of the car park, and her car turned automatically towards the park that Leo had described.
She found the street easily enough, and pulled up outside of the house he had spoken about. It was a very normal looking bungalow, no different than any other on the streets surrounding the park, except that the gardens looked lush and well cared for, peaceful and pretty.
She sat staring at the front of the house, for a long, long time, unable to move, reliving in her mind, the last time she had seen Cole, (in this reality) when she had turned her back on him and left him desolate in the basement of the manor. She had said some very cruel things to him, things she had meant at the time. She had been very indifferent and very arrogant in her coldness towards him, it was easy to blame him for everything that had gone wrong in her life, and because he was unused to family, or anything in her reality, it had been too easy for her and her family to make a target of him.
She had never considered his feelings, or the things that had shaped his character in the long and dark reaches of the Underworld. She had demanded his attention and adoration and expected it to last, even while she turned her back on him, and crushed his hopes, and participated in his vanquish.
So she sat and started at her hands, clenched on the steering wheel, and drew a deep breath. She had never been a coward, but opening the door of the car seemed to be a huge obstacle.
She knocked on the paneled door, and stood waiting, looking down at the tiled porch floor, praying for the right words to say, hoping whoever opened the door to her, would tell her where Cole was, would understand her need to see and speak with him again.
She heard footsteps, and the door opened, and she found herself staring at a pair of bare feet, then her eyes slowly traveled up, taking in the length of his thighs in a pair of tight denim jeans, slightly worn, and hanging low on lean hips, a tanned and muscular torso, his chest wet and glistening, covered with crisp hair, up the strong column of his throat, past his strong jaw, his full and sensual mouth and into Cole's blue, blue eyes, that widened with surprise as her eyes moved achingly slowly up his body to meet them.
It came to her that she had been here before, knocking on his door and him opening it to her in half naked glory. She had thrown herself into his arms that time. This time she couldn't stop staring at him, and her mind went blank and her mouth went dry.
He was having much the same trouble himself, staring at her, as if unable to believe his eyes, leaning against the door frame, his hair was wet – she must have dragged him from his shower.
A lifetime passed, and they stared at each other.
Finally he straightened up, and folded his arms across his chest.
"Phoebe," he said at last, and drew a deep breath. "What are you doing here?"
She dragged her eyes away from his body, and looked down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them in agitation. "I had to come, Leo thought that I might find you here. I want to talk..." His face changed slightly, hardened, and he pulled back a little. "We have nothing to say to each other," he said, "You said it all when you threw that vanquish potion at me.'
Phoebe's head came up swiftly; she glanced into his eyes, ice blue, and felt her heart sink. "That was then," she said softly, "I need to explain – I need..."
"I'm really not interested in what you need," he said over the top of her faltering words. "I was possessed, you vanquished me, I came back and went crazy, and you vanquished me – did I miss something? I think that's about it. I can't remember you trying to help me – either when I was possessed or when I went mad. I don't think I want to stand here and listen to you justify your actions."
He made to close the door, and Phoebe suddenly lost her temper, thrusting her shoulder to the door, and forcing it open, then pushing through, only to come up against the hardness of his body. She put her hands up to push him back, and was stopped short by the feel of his naked skin under her palms. She opened her mouth to say something, but was lost in the moment, sliding her hands over the muscles in his chest, feeling his skin velvet soft, but covering a warm hardness that her body remembered.
He gave a half strangled groan, and his arms closed around her, his mouth slanted down over hers, then he was kissing her, like he used to, and she was standing on tip-toe kissing him back, searching, seeking and finding him, and she knew suddenly that this felt so right.
After what seemed like a lifetime, he pulled away, and took several steps back, his blue eyes very dark, his chest heaving with emotion. "Don't do this to me," he whispered, "I can't do this again."
Phoebe pulled his dark head back close. "Yes, you can," she said, a bubble of hope and joy forming deep inside her chest and expanding quickly, rising to flood her whole being. He still loved her, she could feel it in his kiss, and in the way his arms had crushed her to him. "We were meant to be together Cole, meant for one another."
He began backing away from her, shaking his head, but she followed and grabbed his hand. "Why did you come here?" he asked again, "What do you want from me?"
"I came here for closure," she said softly, "But that's not what I want anymore."
He retreated further into the house, and still she followed. "We can't be together," he whispered, "It never works."
"Yes we can," she said determinedly, "We have before, and we can again. This time there is no Source, no Seer, no outside influence "
"I don't want to," he said, backing up till he hit the wall. "I don't love you. – I don't love you. I will always remember that you threw the vanquish potion at me, not once, but twice. It is over, Phoebe, dead and buried, like you wanted me to be."
Phoebe stared at him, stricken.
Then she noticed his hands start to shake, and the muscle that jumped in his jaw. His voice said one thing, his eyes another. She clenched her own hands, and summoned her courage.
"I will keep coming back," she said softly, but with chilling emphasis. "I will haunt your every move. I will become the worst stalker ever; I'll be behind you, wherever you go. You will not be able to turn around without seeing me. I love you Cole, I always have. I have been stupid and sometimes insensitive to you, ignorant of what was happening to you, and quick to leap to the wrong conclusions. O.K., that all happened – but I still love you, and I will not give up this time without a bloody good fight!"
"I don't love you," he said again, defensively, but she came closer to him, and put her arms around his neck. "I love you," she whispered, "I will never give up on us again."
He gave another groan, and buried his face in her neck. She clasped him tightly, her heart beating wildly, and then jumped like crazy when someone behind her began applauding. Swinging around, she found herself staring into Elizabeth's blue eyes.
"That was a very impressive performance, witch," she said, walking forward till she was standing next to Phoebe.
"I meant every word," said Phoebe defiantly, lifting her chin. "I want us to try again. He loves me I know he does. I don't care what you or anyone else thinks."
"What will your own family say?" queried Elizabeth, "Do you think they will be pleased to find you throwing yourself at someone they don't approve of?"
"I don't care what they think either," Phoebe replied. Both women stared at each other, ignoring Cole who was still pressed up against the wall, motionless.
After a long while, Elizabeth broke her silence by stretching her hand out towards Phoebe. "Do you really love him?" she asked, and Phoebe took her hand, closing her eyes as she felt the other woman probed her thoughts and emotions, allowing the invasion, almost welcoming it.
After a moment, Elizabeth dropped her hand, and smiled. "She is one determined lady, Cole," she said to her son. "Perhaps you'd better go and get dressed, while Phoebe and I talk."
Cole looked at his mother, and took a deep breath. "I..." he began, but both women glared at him.
"This isn't about you," said Elizabeth – "Well, it is, but we need to talk – so go and get dressed."
Cole went.
Phoebe followed Elizabeth into the sitting room, and sat down opposite the other woman.
"This is highly unusual," said Elizabeth, "But I know how much you care right now – will it last this time?"
Phoebe smiled. "I can predict the future," she said softly. "I know it will, this time."
"You will have many obstacles," said Elizabeth, "None the least will be Cole himself. Do you know we have been slowly stripping the powers he got from the Wasteland? That they were killing him? That Boraz has been studying hard, to see if we can restore Belthazor, for while Cole has this void, it is easy for other things to come and dwell inside him? Could you live with Belthazor? Could your family?"
"They did before -I did before," said Phoebe, "And that's when we were happiest. I am wiser this time. I love Cole – and I know he loves me, whatever he says. I want to help; I want to be part of his life. I want him to be part of mine. And if that includes Belthazor, well, I can learn to love that part of him too!"
Cole walked into the room at that point, and Phoebe looked up at him, her heart in her eyes. It was obvious he had heard her words. He had donned a plain white tee shirt, and dried his hair. He looked at her helplessly, and then held out his hand. She flew off the couch into his arms, not caring that Elizabeth was watching, not caring about what her family would say, not caring about anything, but the sight, taste and feel of him. She belonged in his arms. Whatever problems they had, could be sorted out, but she was not going to let go of him again. In his embrace, she was fulfilled, she was happy and she was safe.
The End. (I hope to be writing a follow up to this story, with some of the characters I have introduced – please let me know what you think – I really need and appreciate your reviews.
Elizabeth materialized in the sunroom of the Halliwell manor, just as the coffee cups were being collected.
Paige jumped a little at the unexpected appearance, and dropped a cup, but Piper managed to freeze it before it hit the tiled floor, and shattered.
Phoebe stood up quickly, and her eyes searched Elizabeth's face.
"Did you find Cole? Did you catch up with him?" she demanded urgently.
Elizabeth nodded, and smiled slightly. "Yes, I caught up with him, and talked to him." She turned at looked at her three followers.
"We will meet up with Cole in a moment." She said to them, and then walked towards Piper.
"I wish to thank you for your help," she said, taking her hand, and giving it a gentle shake. "We will not bother you again. If you ever need our help...."
"Just a minute," cried Phoebe, "Is Cole coming back here? You can't just leave, I need to speak to Cole."
Elizabeth just looked at her, with a gleam of sadness in her eyes. "Cole told me that he doesn't want to see you," she said gently, "I think perhaps, that it is for the best. He said that he's sorry he hurt you, but that you hurt him too. He said to tell you goodbye."
"No," cried Phoebe, and tears filled her eyes, and rolled down her cheeks. "He can't do this to me!"
She stamped her foot in anger, and dashed the tears away from her eyes. "We can't leave it like this," she whispered. "There has to be some sort of closure."
Jael stepped forward, a hard expression on his usually pleasant face.
"I thought you had closure when you vanquished him, for the second time." He said harshly. "It was Cole that was struggling with the need for closure. It was Cole that was struggling with the will to stay alive – and he had no one around to help him."
"That's enough," said Leo, stepping forward, and putting his arms around Phoebe, who was sobbing. "We vanquished Cole because he was a threat to us, to our family. He was evil, he deserved death."
The atmosphere of friendship vanished in an instant; then all four Underworld representatives shimmered away, without another word.
Phoebe collapsed onto the sofa, where only moments before, Cole had been lying, and curled into a ball, sobbing into a tightly held cushion. Leo tried to talk to her, but she turned away, and motioned him off.
Piper and Paige both hovered for a moment then left the room, leaving Phoebe to weep once again, for her lost love. This time it was harder – she had seen him and she knew he was alive. And now she knew, he did not want her back.
***********************************************
Phoebe Halliwell stood and looked out of her bedroom window, at the lights of the city, spread before her. In the last three months, she had resumed her life, gone to work, played with Wyatt, laughed with her sisters, vanquished a demon or three or four, and gone to P3 at night with Paige or Piper, talking and dancing – she had been her usual bright and bubbly self – on the outside. She felt like she was dying on the inside.
She had stopped feeling sorry for herself, and had begun to feel anger towards Cole for not allowing her a chance to make things right between them.
He had no right to just leave without speaking to her, or letting her speak to him. He had no right to stop loving her, he had promised Unconditional LOVE. Just because she had vanquished him a couple of times, was no excuse. He had no right to make her feel this bad, when he was the one who had turned evil! Even if being evil hadn't been his fault – which she was only just starting to realize! The more she agonized over him, the angrier and less rational she became. He should have known, that she still loved him – even though she had told him she didn't. If he had loved her enough, he would have known she was lying.
A knock on her door made her swing around, her heart thumping, as it always did when Cole was on her mind.
She swung it open, and Leo was there, carrying Wyatt, who was chewing on a toy clown.
"I thought you might be feeling a little down," he said, with his sweet smile, and placed the baby in her arms. "You've been a little quiet, lately,"
She drew in a deep breath, and dropped a soft kiss on Wyatt's head.
"I guess you're right," she said. "I can't seem to get past the whole Cole thing. Oh Leo, the hurt doesn't stop," and she started crying again, sobbing into her brother in law's chest, the baby between them.
"I have some news," he said, patting her shoulder. "I have been trying to decide whether to tell you or not."
Her dark eyes flew to meet his; the tears shimmering in them made them look huge.
"Yesterday, while I was in the park with Wyatt, I saw one of the demons that came here that day, with Cole's mother," he said.
Phoebe started to tremble.
"I followed as discreetly as I could," Leo continued, "to a house in Martin Place, just up from the park. I think that's where he is staying."
Phoebe stared intently at him. "Do you think Cole is there?" she breathed.
"I don't know," replied Leo honestly. "But the demon I followed probably knows where he is. I wasn't going to say anything, but Piper and I know just how unhappy you have been. You need to clear this up – you need to be able to move on."
"You and Piper wouldn't be upset, if I went there, and asked after Cole?" asked Phoebe, studying Wyatt's head intently. "I mean – what would the Elders' say?"
"The Elders' haven't said anything – I haven't told them either. Apart from Elizabeth, or one of the others turning up on their radar early on, they haven't mentioned them again. Obviously they are not causing any ripples in the realms, so I can't see a problem, at this stage. They definitely don't know about Cole."
She kissed the top of the baby's head again, and hugged him tight. He squirmed a little in her hold, and put his arms out to his Daddy. Aunty Phoebe could be a little over the top sometimes.
After a long and sleepless night, she sat at the breakfast table, sipping coffee and making senseless entries on her laptop. Paige looked across at her several times, before finally removing the computer from her grasp, and waving her hands to get Phoebe's attention.
"Are you going to that house in Martin Place today?" she asked, perching on the cupboard, and crunching into a piece of toast. "Do you want me to come with you?"
Phoebe looked at her, horrified.
"No offense, sweetie, but I think not," she said. "If I go, and I'm not sure yet whether I will or not, I will go by myself. I know that they won't hurt me – or I know that Cole would not hurt me – physically at least."
"Just be careful, if you do go," said Paige.
All morning at the office, she was distracted, losing a whole article she had written, by deleting it out of her computer, and becoming clumsy, dropping a whole cup of hot coffee on her desk, and ruining several letters in her incoming mail tray. By lunchtime she was glad to escape outside. The day was not too bad, overcast but the threatened showers had held off, and the sun was even trying to shine.
Phoebe drove out of the car park, and her car turned automatically towards the park that Leo had described.
She found the street easily enough, and pulled up outside of the house he had spoken about. It was a very normal looking bungalow, no different than any other on the streets surrounding the park, except that the gardens looked lush and well cared for, peaceful and pretty.
She sat staring at the front of the house, for a long, long time, unable to move, reliving in her mind, the last time she had seen Cole, (in this reality) when she had turned her back on him and left him desolate in the basement of the manor. She had said some very cruel things to him, things she had meant at the time. She had been very indifferent and very arrogant in her coldness towards him, it was easy to blame him for everything that had gone wrong in her life, and because he was unused to family, or anything in her reality, it had been too easy for her and her family to make a target of him.
She had never considered his feelings, or the things that had shaped his character in the long and dark reaches of the Underworld. She had demanded his attention and adoration and expected it to last, even while she turned her back on him, and crushed his hopes, and participated in his vanquish.
So she sat and started at her hands, clenched on the steering wheel, and drew a deep breath. She had never been a coward, but opening the door of the car seemed to be a huge obstacle.
She knocked on the paneled door, and stood waiting, looking down at the tiled porch floor, praying for the right words to say, hoping whoever opened the door to her, would tell her where Cole was, would understand her need to see and speak with him again.
She heard footsteps, and the door opened, and she found herself staring at a pair of bare feet, then her eyes slowly traveled up, taking in the length of his thighs in a pair of tight denim jeans, slightly worn, and hanging low on lean hips, a tanned and muscular torso, his chest wet and glistening, covered with crisp hair, up the strong column of his throat, past his strong jaw, his full and sensual mouth and into Cole's blue, blue eyes, that widened with surprise as her eyes moved achingly slowly up his body to meet them.
It came to her that she had been here before, knocking on his door and him opening it to her in half naked glory. She had thrown herself into his arms that time. This time she couldn't stop staring at him, and her mind went blank and her mouth went dry.
He was having much the same trouble himself, staring at her, as if unable to believe his eyes, leaning against the door frame, his hair was wet – she must have dragged him from his shower.
A lifetime passed, and they stared at each other.
Finally he straightened up, and folded his arms across his chest.
"Phoebe," he said at last, and drew a deep breath. "What are you doing here?"
She dragged her eyes away from his body, and looked down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them in agitation. "I had to come, Leo thought that I might find you here. I want to talk..." His face changed slightly, hardened, and he pulled back a little. "We have nothing to say to each other," he said, "You said it all when you threw that vanquish potion at me.'
Phoebe's head came up swiftly; she glanced into his eyes, ice blue, and felt her heart sink. "That was then," she said softly, "I need to explain – I need..."
"I'm really not interested in what you need," he said over the top of her faltering words. "I was possessed, you vanquished me, I came back and went crazy, and you vanquished me – did I miss something? I think that's about it. I can't remember you trying to help me – either when I was possessed or when I went mad. I don't think I want to stand here and listen to you justify your actions."
He made to close the door, and Phoebe suddenly lost her temper, thrusting her shoulder to the door, and forcing it open, then pushing through, only to come up against the hardness of his body. She put her hands up to push him back, and was stopped short by the feel of his naked skin under her palms. She opened her mouth to say something, but was lost in the moment, sliding her hands over the muscles in his chest, feeling his skin velvet soft, but covering a warm hardness that her body remembered.
He gave a half strangled groan, and his arms closed around her, his mouth slanted down over hers, then he was kissing her, like he used to, and she was standing on tip-toe kissing him back, searching, seeking and finding him, and she knew suddenly that this felt so right.
After what seemed like a lifetime, he pulled away, and took several steps back, his blue eyes very dark, his chest heaving with emotion. "Don't do this to me," he whispered, "I can't do this again."
Phoebe pulled his dark head back close. "Yes, you can," she said, a bubble of hope and joy forming deep inside her chest and expanding quickly, rising to flood her whole being. He still loved her, she could feel it in his kiss, and in the way his arms had crushed her to him. "We were meant to be together Cole, meant for one another."
He began backing away from her, shaking his head, but she followed and grabbed his hand. "Why did you come here?" he asked again, "What do you want from me?"
"I came here for closure," she said softly, "But that's not what I want anymore."
He retreated further into the house, and still she followed. "We can't be together," he whispered, "It never works."
"Yes we can," she said determinedly, "We have before, and we can again. This time there is no Source, no Seer, no outside influence "
"I don't want to," he said, backing up till he hit the wall. "I don't love you. – I don't love you. I will always remember that you threw the vanquish potion at me, not once, but twice. It is over, Phoebe, dead and buried, like you wanted me to be."
Phoebe stared at him, stricken.
Then she noticed his hands start to shake, and the muscle that jumped in his jaw. His voice said one thing, his eyes another. She clenched her own hands, and summoned her courage.
"I will keep coming back," she said softly, but with chilling emphasis. "I will haunt your every move. I will become the worst stalker ever; I'll be behind you, wherever you go. You will not be able to turn around without seeing me. I love you Cole, I always have. I have been stupid and sometimes insensitive to you, ignorant of what was happening to you, and quick to leap to the wrong conclusions. O.K., that all happened – but I still love you, and I will not give up this time without a bloody good fight!"
"I don't love you," he said again, defensively, but she came closer to him, and put her arms around his neck. "I love you," she whispered, "I will never give up on us again."
He gave another groan, and buried his face in her neck. She clasped him tightly, her heart beating wildly, and then jumped like crazy when someone behind her began applauding. Swinging around, she found herself staring into Elizabeth's blue eyes.
"That was a very impressive performance, witch," she said, walking forward till she was standing next to Phoebe.
"I meant every word," said Phoebe defiantly, lifting her chin. "I want us to try again. He loves me I know he does. I don't care what you or anyone else thinks."
"What will your own family say?" queried Elizabeth, "Do you think they will be pleased to find you throwing yourself at someone they don't approve of?"
"I don't care what they think either," Phoebe replied. Both women stared at each other, ignoring Cole who was still pressed up against the wall, motionless.
After a long while, Elizabeth broke her silence by stretching her hand out towards Phoebe. "Do you really love him?" she asked, and Phoebe took her hand, closing her eyes as she felt the other woman probed her thoughts and emotions, allowing the invasion, almost welcoming it.
After a moment, Elizabeth dropped her hand, and smiled. "She is one determined lady, Cole," she said to her son. "Perhaps you'd better go and get dressed, while Phoebe and I talk."
Cole looked at his mother, and took a deep breath. "I..." he began, but both women glared at him.
"This isn't about you," said Elizabeth – "Well, it is, but we need to talk – so go and get dressed."
Cole went.
Phoebe followed Elizabeth into the sitting room, and sat down opposite the other woman.
"This is highly unusual," said Elizabeth, "But I know how much you care right now – will it last this time?"
Phoebe smiled. "I can predict the future," she said softly. "I know it will, this time."
"You will have many obstacles," said Elizabeth, "None the least will be Cole himself. Do you know we have been slowly stripping the powers he got from the Wasteland? That they were killing him? That Boraz has been studying hard, to see if we can restore Belthazor, for while Cole has this void, it is easy for other things to come and dwell inside him? Could you live with Belthazor? Could your family?"
"They did before -I did before," said Phoebe, "And that's when we were happiest. I am wiser this time. I love Cole – and I know he loves me, whatever he says. I want to help; I want to be part of his life. I want him to be part of mine. And if that includes Belthazor, well, I can learn to love that part of him too!"
Cole walked into the room at that point, and Phoebe looked up at him, her heart in her eyes. It was obvious he had heard her words. He had donned a plain white tee shirt, and dried his hair. He looked at her helplessly, and then held out his hand. She flew off the couch into his arms, not caring that Elizabeth was watching, not caring about what her family would say, not caring about anything, but the sight, taste and feel of him. She belonged in his arms. Whatever problems they had, could be sorted out, but she was not going to let go of him again. In his embrace, she was fulfilled, she was happy and she was safe.
The End. (I hope to be writing a follow up to this story, with some of the characters I have introduced – please let me know what you think – I really need and appreciate your reviews.