Chapter 7 to simplify or complete that is the question
Phoebe sat on the lushly appointed bed. She knew she had to figure out who here would want to hurt her. She'd felt the evil so she knew it was from the other world but who and why here?
"Well," she mused aloud, "you'll just have to do a little detective work." Crossing the room to the breakfront she extracted an outfit.
The knock on the door had her frowning; she'd said she had something to do, what did they need? Gees she was acting like a nut, normally her sisters wouldn't even knock.
"Who is it?" Phoebe called as she pulled on her favorite new outfit. There was a red sweater with little white `snowflakes at the collar and a pair of stonewash jeans. It didn't matter why they were knocking she had to act normal or she'd have to tell them and then their trip would not be so great.
"Room service." The voice on the other side had her frowning, she'd not ordered anything. Had Paige or Piper done so? Phoebe didn't know but she'd just have to find out.
"Just a sec," The middle sister called back fluffing her hair over her collar as she tossed her PJ's into a corner.
"Come on in." She pulled open the door even as she saw him there too. "Cole?"
"Phoebe," he gave her a good morning type smile.
"What are you doing?" She asked glancing from him to the cart being wheeled into her room.
"Making sure you eat." He said as if he did it all the time.
"Did they give you my message?" Phoebe asked wondering if her sisters had forgotten or something.
"Yes but Phoebe, you should know I don't get brushed off so easily." Cole said giving her a cocky grin, one she'd missed so much since that day on the beach.
"Yeah, well come on in." She muttered trying not to giggle at his attitude. . Phoebe knew there would be no way to hide the truth now. He'd not let her. The question that now hit her was did she really want to? It would be nice to have a partner in crime that didn't treat her like a child. Then again he had when they'd been going after the source and he'd been training her. Closing her eyes on that thought Phoebe felt a shiver of memory and loss.
Once they were alone Phoebe found herself seated at the table beneath the window, and Cole was filling a plate for her. It was odd how much she'd missed watching him do that. It was not Cole's serving her that affected her like this but the look of happy concentration on his gorgeous features.
"Cole I can do that for myself." Phoebe reminded him but he shrugged.
"I haven't seen you for more than a couple of hours in a long time. I want to do this." He said and for a long moment she felt again that feeling of the vision from the night before. There was an odd dream-like quality about this whole thing. Not that it was like he was using some stupid magic on her but like he'd done it before.
The large man was leaning across her lap and slicing into a meat pie with a long dirk. When she wondered why he was doing it she realized her hands were bandaged.
Even as the vision changed and she was back in the room of his resort Phoebe had a feeling this was all a part of some sort of time loop.
"I'm guessing your wondering why I cancelled." She said when they'd both been served.
"The question did cross my mind." Cole admitted as he reached for a glass of orange juice at his elbow.
"I had a vision." Phoebe said finally and Cole met her eyes over the table.
"And you didn't want me to know?"
"Cole you're finally out of the danger, I don't want to drag you back into it."
"Phoebe I don't care about that if you are in danger…"
"It's not just that." Phoebe admitted and Cole frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I was just thinking about the visions last night and I think their linked."
"Phoebe I admit that was odd but…"
"Cole, I just had another one when you were serving me."
"You…" He couldn't believe she was just now telling him this. Why hadn't she said anything before? Yet she'd already told him that. He couldn't fault her for wanting him safe, it was what he wanted for Phoebe but he was not helpless. In fact he had more powers than most beings in this world or any other.
"Look I know you probably mad but Cole I saw you cutting meat with some sort of dagger because my hands were bound." Phoebe said quickly as not to anger him.
"A dagger?" Cole couldn't figure where that might have come from unless the visions of last night were truly linked.
"I see you've reached the same conclusions I have." Phoebe said and Cole nodded.
"I think we should tell your sisters." He said after a minute.
They didn't finish eating before Cole called in Piper and Paige.
"Honey, I can't believe you didn't want to tell us." Piper said and Phoebe sighed and closed her eyes. Why did they think she couldn't handle things herself? True she'd gotten into some scrapes but no more than they all had.
"It was about me not an innocent." Phoebe said opening her eyes at the feel of Cole's hand on hers.
"You don't think you're as important as an innocent?" Leo asked from where he saw with his son in his lap.
"Look I just don't know anything except you've got a strange situation." Richard put in adding. "Yes you could have dealt alone but you don't have to so why try? I've had to be on my own and it's rough." The male witch reminded her.
"I just didn't want to wreck the trip you know with every thing that's been going on."
"Well your not, it will just liven things up." Paige said and moved for Richard. "Right now we should go for the book."
"Right." Phoebe said getting up too.
"We can do it." Richard said adding. "You two should try and look around for the one in the vision."
"Right.' Cole said adding. "I can shake a few trees around here and see what I can find out about killers once you know more."
"Right.' Piper said and looked to her husband.
"I'll see what the other elders know." The whitelighter said and at the same time as Paige and Richard orbed out he did his own lightshow.
TBC
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Sorry it took so long, I got caught up in school and work. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Either way if anyone is still reading this please review and let me know.
Crimson Nova
