He sat on the floor next to Max.
"How you doing?" he asked her. She leant into him. "Don't pretend everything is okay," she whispered hoarsely. She just stared blankly, it seemed like there was no life left.
It tore him apart, seeing her like this. To see anyone this upset was distressing, though his own daughter? Cole just wanted to make it all better.
They just sat there and said nothing. Cole had absolutely no clue what would happen next. He hadn't dreaded anything before as much as he dreaded the coming moments.
"Kill me" he heard Max whisper. It was such a soft whisper he wondered if he'd imagined it.
"Dad, I know what it'll do to you if you kill her" she said sadly. "Or if you don't kill me and the Avatars kill both of us" she added quickly.
"Do you think I could really deal with killing you?" he snapped.
She withdrew, slightly upset at his tone of voice. They were both quiet again. He just couldn't handle this. The situation was just not natural. This couldn't be happening! How could he possibly choose?
He cursed to himself and prayed that he could prevent what he would have to do. The Avatar blinked in. "Time for the execution" he grinned, in delight.
Cole looked at Phoebe and saw the fear in her eyes and quickly looked away. He just couldn't do this. He didn't have any strength left. Max was strong. Phoebe was strong. He just wasn't.
This was impossible and he knew it. He just wanted to die. His problems to just go away. Him just existing caused grief to the ones he loved.
"I can't," he told them stubbornly.
The Avatar was all of a sudden behind Phoebe and he held a knife to her throat. "You can save her" he mocked and for dramatic effect pressed hard and Cole saw blood seeping through from under the knife.
Cole knew that if he didn't choose, both of them would die. This was no bluff. It was all like a bad dream. A nightmare that every father dreaded. A nightmare that every lover dreaded.
Cole looked down and saw a knife in his hand. He recognized it, he'd used it many times to kill witches in his century long vendetta of killing witches. His heart sank.
Phoebe looked so scared. Her eyes opened like a window, baring her inner soul. She was terrified. He had caused this. How could he have done this?
He was always hurting her. No wonder she hated him.
Max stood in front of him.
"Do it," she told him, sternly.
He couldn't believe what Max was suggesting. A thought nagged in the back of his mind.
[I]Then Phoebe will live. Save your wife.[/I]
Cole quickly pushed the thought to the side.
"Max." His voice was shaking. "You're my daughter. I just c-can't" he stuttered.
"I love you, Dad" she replied surprisingly calmly. "Let me do this for you."
"No"
"I'm not supposed to exist anyway," she told him, slightly amused at her own attempt of humor.
"No!" he repeated, nearly bellowing.
He paused for a second and lowered his tone. "You were there when everyone had abandoned me," he said, the raw emotion obvious.
She hugged him. "Do it quickly," she whispered to him as he held her. "God, no" Cole whispered, anguish evident. There was no way he could do this. There was no way he could kill someone he loved.
He would sacrifice his own life for both of the women in front of him. He loved them both so dearly. Cole just [I]couldn't[/I].
Max pulled away from the embrace. She took off her navy blue necklace.
"This was Mom's," she said, sobbing silently. "You gave it to her the day you proposed. She never took it off" she smiled weakly.
Cole found it hard to breathe. His heart was pumping wildly, scared to death of what to do.
"Tick tock!" the Avatar snapped. He knew he'd won. He had a huge grin on his face.
Cole reached out to Max and brushed her hair aside. "I'm sorry"
He clenched his hand tightly, and his knuckles turned white. He didn't want to do it; oh how he wished there was another way.
He plunged the knife into her and as she fell he held her.
"I have no regrets," she whispered.
The Avatar, satisfied with Cole's actions, pushed Phoebe to the ground.
"Promise me one thing," she said, "Promise me you'll never give up and will do whatever will make you happy"
"I promise"
As Phoebe looked on, Max continued. She told him about times in her life that Cole would never hear about.
Like when she'd fallen over and grazed her knee and he'd scooped her up in his arms and spoiled her rotten for the rest of the day giving her what she wanted. Ice cream, toys, whatever she had wanted.
And when he'd stay home from work when she claimed she was sick. He knew she was lying so he took her out when she really should have been at school.
And a story or two of when she had started dating and he was extremely over protective of her. He would practically interrogate her dates before he let her out. None of them would get passed him so she would have to sneak out through the window .
Cole knew the life was slowly being drained from her and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He was crying. He just couldn't fathom why this was happening. He looked at his hands and saw her blood on them. Cole felt so responsible.
This was it. Max's last moment was upon them. He gripped her hand tightly.
"Do you want anything?" he asked her.
She laughed quietly but it quickly turned to choking where she was spitting out blood.
"For you to be happy" she replied. She was so tired, just wanted to close her eyes.
"I love you, Dad," she said.
"I love you too" he replied before she slipped away. Cole checked her pulse.
There was none.
He felt a fire burn inside him, a need for revenge.
The Avatar grinned. "An energy ball should finish it off"
"Please, no" Cole begged, "I want to have a proper burial. She'd dead, isn't she?"
"Do it".
Cole had a last look at his daughter and let the energy ball lose. The Avatar raised his hands and the few ashes left were scattered around the room.
--
Phoebe peeked in Cole's apartment. She wanted to tell him how much she appreciated what he'd done for her. What he'd sacrificed for her.
She walked a little further and saw the room upturned upside down. Furniture was sprawled across the room, ornaments broken on the floor.
And Cole's body lifeless on the floor.
She rushed to him and turned him over.
[I]God no. This can't be happening! After all he did for me..[/I]
Cole groaned as Phoebe turned him over. His breath reeked of alcohol.
"Cole!" she softly scolded, "You scared me"
"Max?" he asked, dazed and very confused.
Phoebe bit her lip. He was hurting so bad. The moonlight shined in through the nearby window and she could see the anguish on his face.
[I]He's in torment. He did it to save me. Now he's hurting.[/I]
"No" she told him "It's Phoebe"
"Phoebe..?" Cole muttered as if he didn't remember her. "What are you doing here?"
"I, um, just came to thank you" she stuttered, Anyway she said it would sound harsh and selfish. She knew what she wanted to say, but couldn't seem to put it into words.
"Max wouldn't want you to be like this" Phoebe told him gently.
"Max didn't like me to drink," he told her. "Not at all. But I couldn't help it. I needed it all to go away. Numb the pain, it does" he paused for a moment, his words slurred "Well it used to numb the pain. It won't anymore"
"Why won't it work? Why do I still feel it? All of it. The pain is destroying me, Phoebe. I promised her I wouldn't give up, but it's so hard."
She gripped him tightly and held the tears back. Cole was in so much pain. She just wanted to help him, make it better. No human – half demon or not – should have to hurt this much.
"It will get better," she told him softly.
Phoebe just held him in her arms. He mumbled incoherently while she told him it was going to be better.
They were both crying softly and Cole sat up slowly.
He then kissed her. He was so drunk nothing mattered, he'd given up his daughter for her and he [I]wanted[/I] her.
Cole wanted her so bad.
And to his surprise she kissed him back.
"How you doing?" he asked her. She leant into him. "Don't pretend everything is okay," she whispered hoarsely. She just stared blankly, it seemed like there was no life left.
It tore him apart, seeing her like this. To see anyone this upset was distressing, though his own daughter? Cole just wanted to make it all better.
They just sat there and said nothing. Cole had absolutely no clue what would happen next. He hadn't dreaded anything before as much as he dreaded the coming moments.
"Kill me" he heard Max whisper. It was such a soft whisper he wondered if he'd imagined it.
"Dad, I know what it'll do to you if you kill her" she said sadly. "Or if you don't kill me and the Avatars kill both of us" she added quickly.
"Do you think I could really deal with killing you?" he snapped.
She withdrew, slightly upset at his tone of voice. They were both quiet again. He just couldn't handle this. The situation was just not natural. This couldn't be happening! How could he possibly choose?
He cursed to himself and prayed that he could prevent what he would have to do. The Avatar blinked in. "Time for the execution" he grinned, in delight.
Cole looked at Phoebe and saw the fear in her eyes and quickly looked away. He just couldn't do this. He didn't have any strength left. Max was strong. Phoebe was strong. He just wasn't.
This was impossible and he knew it. He just wanted to die. His problems to just go away. Him just existing caused grief to the ones he loved.
"I can't," he told them stubbornly.
The Avatar was all of a sudden behind Phoebe and he held a knife to her throat. "You can save her" he mocked and for dramatic effect pressed hard and Cole saw blood seeping through from under the knife.
Cole knew that if he didn't choose, both of them would die. This was no bluff. It was all like a bad dream. A nightmare that every father dreaded. A nightmare that every lover dreaded.
Cole looked down and saw a knife in his hand. He recognized it, he'd used it many times to kill witches in his century long vendetta of killing witches. His heart sank.
Phoebe looked so scared. Her eyes opened like a window, baring her inner soul. She was terrified. He had caused this. How could he have done this?
He was always hurting her. No wonder she hated him.
Max stood in front of him.
"Do it," she told him, sternly.
He couldn't believe what Max was suggesting. A thought nagged in the back of his mind.
[I]Then Phoebe will live. Save your wife.[/I]
Cole quickly pushed the thought to the side.
"Max." His voice was shaking. "You're my daughter. I just c-can't" he stuttered.
"I love you, Dad" she replied surprisingly calmly. "Let me do this for you."
"No"
"I'm not supposed to exist anyway," she told him, slightly amused at her own attempt of humor.
"No!" he repeated, nearly bellowing.
He paused for a second and lowered his tone. "You were there when everyone had abandoned me," he said, the raw emotion obvious.
She hugged him. "Do it quickly," she whispered to him as he held her. "God, no" Cole whispered, anguish evident. There was no way he could do this. There was no way he could kill someone he loved.
He would sacrifice his own life for both of the women in front of him. He loved them both so dearly. Cole just [I]couldn't[/I].
Max pulled away from the embrace. She took off her navy blue necklace.
"This was Mom's," she said, sobbing silently. "You gave it to her the day you proposed. She never took it off" she smiled weakly.
Cole found it hard to breathe. His heart was pumping wildly, scared to death of what to do.
"Tick tock!" the Avatar snapped. He knew he'd won. He had a huge grin on his face.
Cole reached out to Max and brushed her hair aside. "I'm sorry"
He clenched his hand tightly, and his knuckles turned white. He didn't want to do it; oh how he wished there was another way.
He plunged the knife into her and as she fell he held her.
"I have no regrets," she whispered.
The Avatar, satisfied with Cole's actions, pushed Phoebe to the ground.
"Promise me one thing," she said, "Promise me you'll never give up and will do whatever will make you happy"
"I promise"
As Phoebe looked on, Max continued. She told him about times in her life that Cole would never hear about.
Like when she'd fallen over and grazed her knee and he'd scooped her up in his arms and spoiled her rotten for the rest of the day giving her what she wanted. Ice cream, toys, whatever she had wanted.
And when he'd stay home from work when she claimed she was sick. He knew she was lying so he took her out when she really should have been at school.
And a story or two of when she had started dating and he was extremely over protective of her. He would practically interrogate her dates before he let her out. None of them would get passed him so she would have to sneak out through the window .
Cole knew the life was slowly being drained from her and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He was crying. He just couldn't fathom why this was happening. He looked at his hands and saw her blood on them. Cole felt so responsible.
This was it. Max's last moment was upon them. He gripped her hand tightly.
"Do you want anything?" he asked her.
She laughed quietly but it quickly turned to choking where she was spitting out blood.
"For you to be happy" she replied. She was so tired, just wanted to close her eyes.
"I love you, Dad," she said.
"I love you too" he replied before she slipped away. Cole checked her pulse.
There was none.
He felt a fire burn inside him, a need for revenge.
The Avatar grinned. "An energy ball should finish it off"
"Please, no" Cole begged, "I want to have a proper burial. She'd dead, isn't she?"
"Do it".
Cole had a last look at his daughter and let the energy ball lose. The Avatar raised his hands and the few ashes left were scattered around the room.
--
Phoebe peeked in Cole's apartment. She wanted to tell him how much she appreciated what he'd done for her. What he'd sacrificed for her.
She walked a little further and saw the room upturned upside down. Furniture was sprawled across the room, ornaments broken on the floor.
And Cole's body lifeless on the floor.
She rushed to him and turned him over.
[I]God no. This can't be happening! After all he did for me..[/I]
Cole groaned as Phoebe turned him over. His breath reeked of alcohol.
"Cole!" she softly scolded, "You scared me"
"Max?" he asked, dazed and very confused.
Phoebe bit her lip. He was hurting so bad. The moonlight shined in through the nearby window and she could see the anguish on his face.
[I]He's in torment. He did it to save me. Now he's hurting.[/I]
"No" she told him "It's Phoebe"
"Phoebe..?" Cole muttered as if he didn't remember her. "What are you doing here?"
"I, um, just came to thank you" she stuttered, Anyway she said it would sound harsh and selfish. She knew what she wanted to say, but couldn't seem to put it into words.
"Max wouldn't want you to be like this" Phoebe told him gently.
"Max didn't like me to drink," he told her. "Not at all. But I couldn't help it. I needed it all to go away. Numb the pain, it does" he paused for a moment, his words slurred "Well it used to numb the pain. It won't anymore"
"Why won't it work? Why do I still feel it? All of it. The pain is destroying me, Phoebe. I promised her I wouldn't give up, but it's so hard."
She gripped him tightly and held the tears back. Cole was in so much pain. She just wanted to help him, make it better. No human – half demon or not – should have to hurt this much.
"It will get better," she told him softly.
Phoebe just held him in her arms. He mumbled incoherently while she told him it was going to be better.
They were both crying softly and Cole sat up slowly.
He then kissed her. He was so drunk nothing mattered, he'd given up his daughter for her and he [I]wanted[/I] her.
Cole wanted her so bad.
And to his surprise she kissed him back.