Chapter 4: When Push Comes to Shove

"Hi," Phoebe pushed her bedroom door open in the evening, switching on the lights. She was home later than usual, again, purposefully avoiding him. Piper was home all day anyway, she'd come up occasionally to check on him.

"Hi," Cole blinked, his eyes getting used to the sudden brightness in the room.

Phoebe was glad to hear his voice was stronger than even in the same morning. He was sitting, propped up in bed, "I thought you might like some food?" She put a tray down on the bed, "you think you could eat? You need to eat. You lost quite a lot of weight."

"Thank you, that would be nice. What do you have there?"

"Toast. You can have it with butter, jam, or plain. As you wish. And some ginseng tea. It's beneficial for people recuperating, helps rebuild energy and health."

"Thank you," he started taking a few mouthfuls, but stopped before long.

Phoebe sipped her own tea, wondering what she should do about the uncomfortable silence, "you haven't finished your food. You need to eat to get better."

"Why are you in such a hurry to get me all better?" Cole's voice spoke of sarcasm, "you wanna get rid of me, right?"

"Cole…don't ask questions like that."

He closed his eyes, as if in pain. Phoebe wasn't sure if it was her answer that upset him or his tummy. Perhaps both. She studied his features to find the answer. So it happened, that when he opened his, their eyes locked again. Those eyes of his filled with hurting disturbed her as well, so much that she felt the urge to lean towards him and embrace him, with her head resting on his chest, her eyes slightly glossed over as she held him.

Cole held her gently, his lips resting against her head softly, then brushed a kiss against it lightly, wanting to brush one against her lips, but knowing he could not. His stomach did hurt again. He squeezed his eyes shut as they both fell asleep in the solace of each others' arms.

The morning was a repeat of the previous one. Cole didn't notice when Phoebe changed into her night clothes, but he was glad he found her next to him once more when he woke up. The desire to kiss her still kept a strong hold of his heart and he figured he could kiss her while she was asleep. He did it before, without waking her up. He rose up on his elbow, then quickly touched her lips with his own, briefly savouring the taste.

Phoebe rose straight up in a sitting position. Her eyes were blank for a second but then she glared down on him, "what right do you have?" she wiped her lips where he had kissed her, "you have a lot of nerve stealing a kiss in my sleep... you...you…"

"All right, it's more like a sleeping beauty thing than Cinderella, but…" he backed away, leaning back on his pillow and trying to joke his way out the situation.

"Don't make a joke out of this," Phoebe felt the old anger rising in her, "you can't do that. We're divorced, remember? I told you, there's nothing that could change my mind. We can't be together."

"In that case, I have nothing to be here for," Cole rose from the bed with difficulty, flinching and adjusting his balance as he gradually straightened up.

Phoebe didn't help him, even though she realised he would have shimmered out right away if he could, "are you sure…?"

"I'm fine," he cut into her words, shutting her out, "get out so I can get dressed," he ordered her and she complied.

"Are you sure he's ok to leave?" Piper argued with her in the kitchen.

"He says he's fine."

"He still looked and acted so worn-out yesterday. And according to Leo, his blood test shows his powers are not stabilising."

"Do you want me to accuse him of lying?"

"I dunno. He's probably fine."

Cole rubbed his stomach quietly in the bathroom, an expression speaking of pain on his face. He grabbed the sink, trying to steady himself as he started to feel sick. The room spun. He needed to get a grip, so he could leave. Away from the heartache that was so much more powerful than anything else. Maybe if he sat down. But he wouldn't be able to make it to the toilet seat. He waited and waited, hoping it will all just pass, eventually. He lost the sense of time as well, it seemed long him standing there, but he didn't know if it really was, until he heard Phoebe's voice as she was looking for him, "are you in there? Would be nice if you let us know if you just shimmer out," Cole found himself unable to answer. It would've been too much effort, just a tad more than he was already using hanging on, would have made him fall on the cold and hard floor. But he didn't have to, "Piper, help me!" he heard as he already shut his eyes and let the two pairs of women hands hold him up and guide him back to the bed. Then, it was dark.

Leo and Cole were lying in the sitting room, watching some old Charles Bronson film, while Piper and Phoebe discussed that revolting choice of programmes in the kitchen. In the end, they decided they let the guys do whatever they wanted to. At least in this way Phoebe didn't have to spend any time with Cole that evening. Things have not become easier between them in the last couple of days, although Cole's physical condition improved visibly.

"Demon!" They heard Leo shout suddenly and they rushed into the room. Cole didn't move from the sofa, but Leo stood protectively in front of him, eyeing somebody in the other side of the room.

The young looking demon woman was beautiful by any standards, human or demonic. He hair was black like a raven's feathers, her high cheek bones and thrusting breasts making her a vision of exquisiteness for the male eye. Her black almond shaped eyes gave her a sophisticated look against her porcelain skin. She was clad in a silky modern looking dress, her hair arranged in a cute cascade of curls with a pair of flower shaped clasps. Everybody stared at her in wonder and confusion, especially as she strolled round the chair in front of her and sat down facing Cole. She looked up at Phoebe, "well, well, Mrs. Coleridge Benjamin Turner, am I right? Care to make the introductions, my love?" She addressed the demon sitting opposite from her.

Phoebe contemplated for a second how old the demon woman could be. Anything between seventeen and three hundred, she guessed. She could stay looking young for virtually forever. She could never compete with that. Then finally it dawned on her that she didn't have to, "I'm not Mrs. Turner anymore. Who are you?"

"Call me Elisa," she leaned back in the chair.

"And why is it we don't blow you up?" Piper questioned. Sometimes, demons came to the house with different business propositions that they either honoured, but mostly not.

"Uh, Elisabeth…" Cole got himself together, "where have you been?"

"Elisabeth?…right, well, here and there. Mostly in Italy. But you see, my ex husband, Lord Muchikon, you know the oil baron, had suddenly died, so what can a widow do other than come back to the place she was born at?"

"And I'm sure the baron went peacefully," Cole pointed out.

"Fairly peacefully," Elisa narrowed her eyes, "you can't do it very obviously nowadays if you want the money…"

"Very nice of you to drop by and get Cole up to date with your comings and goings, but why is it again we don't vanquish you on the spot?" Phoebe questioned.

"You can't just like that," Cole explained, "she's very powerful and she's my…mother," he added quietly.

"That's not a reason," Phoebe challenged.

"But getting Cole the blood he needs is," Piper reminded them.

"Uhm," Elisa smiled deviously, happy she could confuse the witches, "that's why I'm here. My connections reported you were in trouble."

"Pull the other one, Elisabeth," Cole retorted, "what do you want?"

"First, to understand what is it you like about this witch. Coleridge, how could you?"

"How could you?" Cole asked back, referring to his father.

"I was seventeen. What's your excuse?"

"I don't have one. I don't need an excuse to love. Now, again, what do you want?"

"Son, I have beauty, I have money, I have power. What could I want?"

"You want something," Cole was convinced.

"What have you done with your father's soul?"

"You want his soul?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because it reminds me of a feel…because I want it. I'd keep it safe, away from the underworld."

Cole considered this for a few seconds, "ok. It might really remind you of how you could be. But I want to know where it is all the time."

"Done," they agreed.

"Can I ask you to roll up your sleeve for me please?" Leo wanted to get over with the transfusion and her out of the house as soon as possible.

It was almost eleven at night and Cole was wandering around restlessly in his apartment, back with his old dilemma, now that he was pretty close to healthy again. He promised he would hunt down every demon in the area to prove something to somebody, but he wasn't sure anymore if that will even be enough. When he heard the elevator, he turned around. He knew with immediate certainty exactly who it would be, and cursed to himself. What she comes here torturing him for? He dove through his hall to the elevator as its doors opened, intercepting her even before she could step out the from behind them, "what?" He barked at Phoebe, cornering her, "what are you doing here?"

Bewildered by the gruffness of the attack, the witch was less than coherent, "I…um…I…came to see how you were doing."

"Right. And that because you care. Well, don't bother."

"Some couples that used to be married manage to stay civil with one another."

"I'm civil," Cole stepped away from her, his voice quiet now, "now get out."

"Cole, don't so this. All I can think about all day is the image in my mind of you hunting demons to prove something to me. We both know it's suicide. It almost was. I don't want you to die."

"Unless you can tell me you'll marry me again tomorrow we have nothing to talk about."

"Actually…" Phoebe finally stepped into the apartment. Now she was the one that was cornering Cole when she moved closer as her ex didn't move, committed to not letting her into the apartment any further. Without warning, she moved quickly towards him and kissed him passionately. His lips were so smooth and warm and she liked it so much, it felt so home.

But the kiss only lasted a few seconds as a voice in Cole's head urged him to protect himself, run and push her away. So he grabbed her hand and yanked her back, "don't play with me Phoebe," he sounded more hurt than threatening.

"I'm not. I can't see you hurt. I've seen enough of that recently."

"What do you mean? What's the change of heart?"

"There's not change, I love you and I always did."

"You know what I mean."

"I gave in to our love."

"Aye, for just now. What about tomorrow? What about next year? Please, don't play with my heart," Cole pleaded.

"How's forever sound?"

"I don't believe you."

"Well, you just gotta. If you want me. Come on, I didn't think I had to seduce you all over again," she lifted her chin to look into his eyes, another way of letting him know she was serious. She kissed him again.

His mouth opened more yielding now, the kiss was sweet, gentle and growing much deeper. Before they knew they had their arms around each other and were creasing each other.

Cole was the first the wake up the next morning again. This time, the moment didn't last long, but it was even more like heaven than previously.

Phoebe opened her eyes as well when she sensed Cole moving. She smiled in her sleep and she smiled when she saw him, herself initiating the first fleeting kiss of the day. She nestled herself into her love, "thanks."

Cole looked down at her, a bit confused, "for what?"

"For being so forgiving. You know sometimes when we protect ourselves we look like a bitch?"

"You can do that well," Cole smiled merrily, now when that part of their lives was behind them. He couldn't describe in words how elated he was that things with him and Phoebe had finally turned out this way, "but you're welcome, " he said, and kissed her again. It was magic.

The End.