Thank you Terin, Airamn & Rose for your wonderful comments and now without
further ado, the next chapter.
*****************************
ANOTHER SURPRISING REUNION
In the Wasteland, the creature attacked with its dragon-like balls of fire and Cole, transformed into his Belthazor demon self, and successfully dodged the flames. Then he shimmered to another area of the Wasteland but the creature tracked the shimmer and followed. He shimmered again and again across the Wasteland for the next several hours until even Belthazor grew weary, but the creature continued to track him. He then tried his best to shimmer to earth, but he hadn't the power or the energy to get through the Wasteland's natural force field. And so, Belthazor finally gave up and transformed back into his human form.
Cole was so exhausted he could no longer stand and the creature was sure to shimmer to him at any moment. To die at the hands of this soulless creature perhaps was preferable to being vanquished by the woman he had loved, but there was something deep in his soul that forced him onto his knees urging him to pray for another chance to make something of his life.
Cole felt the creature shimmer in, though his eyes were still shut tight in prayer, and he bravely stood his ground and waited for his day of reckoning to come...
**************
In the Halliwell attic...
Phoebe finished writing her spell while jumping nervously around the room like a Mexican jumping bean.
"What are you doing, the potty dance?" Paige asked her nervous sister.
"Oh God, it's here, I can feel it!" Phoebe screamed. "We're out of time and I still have one more line to write!"
"Well just make it up when you get to it then," Piper urged.
"Okay, here goes. Out of feeling, out of time, come to me with this rhyme; Track the connection, our emotions are tied, follow the link...aaaah, follow the link...
"You have nothing to hide?" Paige shouted.
"Shhhsh," Phoebe admonished, "I need to feel it."
*************************
In the Wasteland...
The creature sniffed its prey, moved closer and opened its wide maw to devour its victim. Cole could smell its rancid, evil breath and choked on his final words he could not believe he of all people was uttering... "please God, help me."
**************** In the attic...
"Follow the link through the wasteland's divide," Phoebe finished.
"The Wasteland?" Piper repeated, somewhat bewildered by her sister's choice of words.
"Yeah, I don't know, the word just sort of leapt at me," Phoebe defended.
"Hey look, something's happening," Paige shouted.
The room became misty as a swirl of energy danced in the center of the room and manifested into what looked to be the form of a dark haired man dressed in black. As the form adopted a clearer shape, the sisters let out a gasp and Phoebe felt faint.
"Oh my God, Cole!"
"Phoebe?" Cole asked wide-eyed. "I can't believe, this praying thing actually worked."
"I can't believe I let you trick me....yet again!"
"Well ya gotta hand it to him, Cole's nothing if not fiendishly clever," Piper sighed.
"And so are we," Paige shot back. "It looks like its back to the vanquishing board for me."
"Hey, I didn't trick anybody and I didn't ask for any of your help out of the Wasteland," Cole shot back. He was sick and tired of defending himself against these heartless witches and even the sight of Phoebe looking impishly cute with her short new hair-do, did nothing to calm the anger that coursed through him.
"Cole, all I wanna know is what is it going to take to get you out of my life for good? Two vanquishes weren't enough for you to get the hint that I don't give a damn about you anymore?" Phoebe screamed, her nerves clearly shattered.
"Oh, I got the message babe, as I felt each molecule of my body being burned from the inside out. And for your information, I don't give a damn about you or your sisters anymore either. Just leave me the hell alone and I'll be more than happy to return the favor," Cole raged with a voice made gravelly by anger.
"And we're supposed to take the word of a whacko, psychotic demon on that?" Paige asked.
"I'm not crazy anymore. I've lost the other demons' powers that made me that way and my mind is clear now."
"You're trying to tell us that it was your powers that made you mad? Don't you ever take responsibility for anything you've done?" Piper seethed.
"Those powers were never meant for me. They just filled the void that was left by the one power I should have had all along."
"Oh, so you didn't acquire any powers while you were in the Wasteland this time?" Paige asked. She was hoping that he didn't so that she and her sisters could vanquish Cole with ease this time.
"Oh, I didn't say that. I did acquire one demon's power that you girls should be very familiar with."
"And whose power would that be?" Piper asked with mounting fear.
Cole answered by transforming himself into Belthazor. "Me."
"Belthazor's back!" Phoebe, said stating the obvious.
"And better then ever, Belthazor answered. Cole and I are whole now." Cole returned to his human form and smiled at the look of shock registering on all three faces. "So, don't call us and we won't call you. That's a promise. Oh one more thing before I go... "Thanks," Cole smiled and shimmered out of the attic.
"I just can't believe we fell for that." Piper yelled. "We should have been on our guard. After all, this wasn't the first time Cole tried to use you, Phoebe, to escape the Wasteland."
"No, it's my fault, not anyone else's. I'm the one that talked the two of you into all of this."
"Phoebe, you thought he was an innocent, so did we," Paige said. There was no way to know it was Cole tricking you."
"He wasn't tricking us, Paige."
"What do you mean he wasn't tricking us, Phoebe?" Piper asked.
"I was angry when I accused him of that and I was ignoring my new power which was screaming at me that Cole was telling the truth. He didn't try and contact me in the Wasteland, my power led me to him."
"If that's true, then that means you and he still..." Paige began to say.
"Do not love each other. Don't even go there Paige," Phoebe interrupted.
"Have a connection, was what I was going to say. I know you don't love him anymore, Phoebe. But, I'm sure he still loves you."
"No, he doesn't. I felt his anger. He feels I betrayed him, betrayed what we had."
"Does that mean, he'll want revenge? Cause if he does, I don't think, no...scratch that, I know, I can't handle losing any more people I love. There's a limit and I've already crossed it, Piper said with tears in her eyes."
"No, Piper," Phoebe said throwing her arms around her sister. "I didn't feel that kind of anger. It was more like distaste, nothing violent. I really think he's finally let me go."
"Good! Let's hope your power is right cause you're finally happy Phoebe with Jason and you don't need to see Cole ever again."
"Right, Phoebe said, though she felt an involuntary kernel of sadness resting in her heart. Just my ego talking, she later said to herself in her room that night as she recalled the cold reception Cole had given her. "I'm used to Cole's all-consuming love and my ego just can't handle his indifference. I should be happy about it. In fact I should be throwing a party that he's moved on. Right? Right, Phoebe. Cole's love has never been anything but a destructive, tornad-like force in my life. And Jason...well he's great and smart and strong and handsome and dependable and has other interests in his life other than me which is a good thing...a healthy thing....a little bit of a boring thing...but....Damn it Cole. You're home three hours and already you're making me talk to myself. I'm happier with Jason than I've been in a long time so, I never have to see Cole again. Why should I? No need to. He's moving on so I'll just move on with Jason. I'll tell Jason everything, finally and we'll be closer than ever."
Phoebe closed her eyes to fall asleep, but then a thought hit her and she shot up in bed. "What if my powers were off? What if Cole was masking his true feelings? What if he does still love me and is at this moment hatching a plan to destroy Jason and my sisters in order to get me back? I'll have to see Cole one last time just to make sure I read him correctly. Yes, I'll see Cole tomorrow and that'll be the last time. ..ever."
Phoebe was resolved that she was doing the right thing by seeing Cole and dismissed the unwelcome thought that perhaps a small part of her wanted the rush of seeing him, that tingle of excitement she invariably felt in his presence even when they fought. Phoebe fell asleep dreaming of their happier times together. And when she awoke the next morning, she forgot the dreams but remembered her decision to see Cole today and find out exactly what he was planning.
*****************************
ANOTHER SURPRISING REUNION
In the Wasteland, the creature attacked with its dragon-like balls of fire and Cole, transformed into his Belthazor demon self, and successfully dodged the flames. Then he shimmered to another area of the Wasteland but the creature tracked the shimmer and followed. He shimmered again and again across the Wasteland for the next several hours until even Belthazor grew weary, but the creature continued to track him. He then tried his best to shimmer to earth, but he hadn't the power or the energy to get through the Wasteland's natural force field. And so, Belthazor finally gave up and transformed back into his human form.
Cole was so exhausted he could no longer stand and the creature was sure to shimmer to him at any moment. To die at the hands of this soulless creature perhaps was preferable to being vanquished by the woman he had loved, but there was something deep in his soul that forced him onto his knees urging him to pray for another chance to make something of his life.
Cole felt the creature shimmer in, though his eyes were still shut tight in prayer, and he bravely stood his ground and waited for his day of reckoning to come...
**************
In the Halliwell attic...
Phoebe finished writing her spell while jumping nervously around the room like a Mexican jumping bean.
"What are you doing, the potty dance?" Paige asked her nervous sister.
"Oh God, it's here, I can feel it!" Phoebe screamed. "We're out of time and I still have one more line to write!"
"Well just make it up when you get to it then," Piper urged.
"Okay, here goes. Out of feeling, out of time, come to me with this rhyme; Track the connection, our emotions are tied, follow the link...aaaah, follow the link...
"You have nothing to hide?" Paige shouted.
"Shhhsh," Phoebe admonished, "I need to feel it."
*************************
In the Wasteland...
The creature sniffed its prey, moved closer and opened its wide maw to devour its victim. Cole could smell its rancid, evil breath and choked on his final words he could not believe he of all people was uttering... "please God, help me."
**************** In the attic...
"Follow the link through the wasteland's divide," Phoebe finished.
"The Wasteland?" Piper repeated, somewhat bewildered by her sister's choice of words.
"Yeah, I don't know, the word just sort of leapt at me," Phoebe defended.
"Hey look, something's happening," Paige shouted.
The room became misty as a swirl of energy danced in the center of the room and manifested into what looked to be the form of a dark haired man dressed in black. As the form adopted a clearer shape, the sisters let out a gasp and Phoebe felt faint.
"Oh my God, Cole!"
"Phoebe?" Cole asked wide-eyed. "I can't believe, this praying thing actually worked."
"I can't believe I let you trick me....yet again!"
"Well ya gotta hand it to him, Cole's nothing if not fiendishly clever," Piper sighed.
"And so are we," Paige shot back. "It looks like its back to the vanquishing board for me."
"Hey, I didn't trick anybody and I didn't ask for any of your help out of the Wasteland," Cole shot back. He was sick and tired of defending himself against these heartless witches and even the sight of Phoebe looking impishly cute with her short new hair-do, did nothing to calm the anger that coursed through him.
"Cole, all I wanna know is what is it going to take to get you out of my life for good? Two vanquishes weren't enough for you to get the hint that I don't give a damn about you anymore?" Phoebe screamed, her nerves clearly shattered.
"Oh, I got the message babe, as I felt each molecule of my body being burned from the inside out. And for your information, I don't give a damn about you or your sisters anymore either. Just leave me the hell alone and I'll be more than happy to return the favor," Cole raged with a voice made gravelly by anger.
"And we're supposed to take the word of a whacko, psychotic demon on that?" Paige asked.
"I'm not crazy anymore. I've lost the other demons' powers that made me that way and my mind is clear now."
"You're trying to tell us that it was your powers that made you mad? Don't you ever take responsibility for anything you've done?" Piper seethed.
"Those powers were never meant for me. They just filled the void that was left by the one power I should have had all along."
"Oh, so you didn't acquire any powers while you were in the Wasteland this time?" Paige asked. She was hoping that he didn't so that she and her sisters could vanquish Cole with ease this time.
"Oh, I didn't say that. I did acquire one demon's power that you girls should be very familiar with."
"And whose power would that be?" Piper asked with mounting fear.
Cole answered by transforming himself into Belthazor. "Me."
"Belthazor's back!" Phoebe, said stating the obvious.
"And better then ever, Belthazor answered. Cole and I are whole now." Cole returned to his human form and smiled at the look of shock registering on all three faces. "So, don't call us and we won't call you. That's a promise. Oh one more thing before I go... "Thanks," Cole smiled and shimmered out of the attic.
"I just can't believe we fell for that." Piper yelled. "We should have been on our guard. After all, this wasn't the first time Cole tried to use you, Phoebe, to escape the Wasteland."
"No, it's my fault, not anyone else's. I'm the one that talked the two of you into all of this."
"Phoebe, you thought he was an innocent, so did we," Paige said. There was no way to know it was Cole tricking you."
"He wasn't tricking us, Paige."
"What do you mean he wasn't tricking us, Phoebe?" Piper asked.
"I was angry when I accused him of that and I was ignoring my new power which was screaming at me that Cole was telling the truth. He didn't try and contact me in the Wasteland, my power led me to him."
"If that's true, then that means you and he still..." Paige began to say.
"Do not love each other. Don't even go there Paige," Phoebe interrupted.
"Have a connection, was what I was going to say. I know you don't love him anymore, Phoebe. But, I'm sure he still loves you."
"No, he doesn't. I felt his anger. He feels I betrayed him, betrayed what we had."
"Does that mean, he'll want revenge? Cause if he does, I don't think, no...scratch that, I know, I can't handle losing any more people I love. There's a limit and I've already crossed it, Piper said with tears in her eyes."
"No, Piper," Phoebe said throwing her arms around her sister. "I didn't feel that kind of anger. It was more like distaste, nothing violent. I really think he's finally let me go."
"Good! Let's hope your power is right cause you're finally happy Phoebe with Jason and you don't need to see Cole ever again."
"Right, Phoebe said, though she felt an involuntary kernel of sadness resting in her heart. Just my ego talking, she later said to herself in her room that night as she recalled the cold reception Cole had given her. "I'm used to Cole's all-consuming love and my ego just can't handle his indifference. I should be happy about it. In fact I should be throwing a party that he's moved on. Right? Right, Phoebe. Cole's love has never been anything but a destructive, tornad-like force in my life. And Jason...well he's great and smart and strong and handsome and dependable and has other interests in his life other than me which is a good thing...a healthy thing....a little bit of a boring thing...but....Damn it Cole. You're home three hours and already you're making me talk to myself. I'm happier with Jason than I've been in a long time so, I never have to see Cole again. Why should I? No need to. He's moving on so I'll just move on with Jason. I'll tell Jason everything, finally and we'll be closer than ever."
Phoebe closed her eyes to fall asleep, but then a thought hit her and she shot up in bed. "What if my powers were off? What if Cole was masking his true feelings? What if he does still love me and is at this moment hatching a plan to destroy Jason and my sisters in order to get me back? I'll have to see Cole one last time just to make sure I read him correctly. Yes, I'll see Cole tomorrow and that'll be the last time. ..ever."
Phoebe was resolved that she was doing the right thing by seeing Cole and dismissed the unwelcome thought that perhaps a small part of her wanted the rush of seeing him, that tingle of excitement she invariably felt in his presence even when they fought. Phoebe fell asleep dreaming of their happier times together. And when she awoke the next morning, she forgot the dreams but remembered her decision to see Cole today and find out exactly what he was planning.