See? I'm not dead! Still writing....sorry about all the delay (if people are actually following this story), I really do suck with deadlines and writing on a regular basis. Hence, the month-long gaps between chapters. To make up for it (kinda), here's a somewhat longer chapter (hey, it's pretty long by my puny standards, anyway!)
Enjoy! Review!
Cole awoke slowly, feeling oddly cheerful and refreshed despite the stiff, narrow bed. An ancient clock on the bedside table read 5:46. He made his way to the cramped bathroom and washed his face vigorously, savoring the shock of cold water on his skin. He glanced up at the mirror and did a double-take at the old man staring back at him.
His good mood evaporated and he scowled, watching the old man do the same. It was bad enough that he was trapped behind this façade of decrepitness for a whole week. Never mind vanity; Cole intensely disliked being treated as a feeble old man. Although, he had to concede it was slightly better than the outright hatred and disgust he had encountered with his own face. But only slightly.
The shower was frigid, even to a half-demon, and Cole wondered how the old man stood it. Maybe he just didn't take showers anymore. Cole grimaced at the thought and toweled off, still shivering. Shaving quickly became a lost cause; it was next to impossible without being able to see his own face in the mirror.
Cole picked out the least antiquated outfit available from the sparse closet and found the clothes to be a close enough fit, though slightly baggy around the waist. He resolved to get some new clothes before the week was out.
His stomach rumbled and he realized he didn't remember the last time he'd eaten. He rummaged through the refrigerator and came up with a sorry inventory: a half gallon of skim milk, some wilted lettuce, a tomato, a carton of Healthy choice margarine, a small portion of chicken, and a loaf of bread. Apparently old people didn't eat that much. Cole shoved the food back inside and grabbed his – Tom's – wallet. To his relief, there was enough for a bagel and coffee, and maybe some leftover for lunch. Cole shook his head bemusedly. How could the old man live like this?
Cole pondered his situation on his way to the café. He was trapped behind another man's face, alive for exactly one week and supposedly at the mercy of Thursday Next and her demonic gopher. Judging by Thursday's inopportune arrival yesterday, he was being watched, possibly every moment. The thought didn't bother Cole overly much. In the Underworld, suspicion and paranoia ran rampant, and near-constant surveillance by one's employers was quid pro quo. Cole was confident that he could elude detection, given the right circumstances. And there was one other thing...
Cole calmly served off the sidewalk and stepped out into the street, directly in front of a speeding dark red minivan. He stood stock-still as the vehicle hurtled towards him, the screech of brakes sounding too late. The van froze just before impact, the front bumper nearly touching Cole's legs. He could see the driver clearly, suspended in the awkward position of slamming on the brakes and the horn simultaneously. Her face was a mask of shock and panic.
Cole peered around the front of the van to the sidewalk, where the same effect was present. Everything was frozen in a bizarre tableau of normal life: people walking to work, sitting in chairs and chatting with friends, ordering coffee. An unfortunate skateboarder was caught suspended in midair, seconds before a painful collision with the pavement. An eerie silence blanketed the entire scene, making the city feel alien and cold.
"Very clever."
Cole deliberately took his time in turning to face Thursday, savoring the moment. She was standing with her arms crossed, wearing a bright neon t-shirt and a carefully blank expression. "I told Tomika you'd figure it out. Eventually."
Cole ignored the slight, still caught up in the exhilaration of victory and a newfound hope. "You can't banish me. You need me." He gestured to indicate the frozen van. "If I die, your little mission fails. You can't have that." He stepped closer to Thursday, trying to provoke a reaction.
She simply craned her neck to look up at him expectantly, making no move to retreat from the uncomfortable closeness. "So? What do you want?"
"I want to stay here, alive, in my own body. I want to see Phoebe. I want my life back!" Cole grew steadily angrier and ended up nearly shouting, forcing Thursday to take a few steps back.
"I thought we covered this!" Thursday snapped back, seemingly fed up. "You can't get your old life back! There's nothing left of your body but a stain on the floor in an alternate dimension. You're lucky we could get you back here for a few hours, let alone a week! You want to see Phoebe? Go ahead! Tell her everything! How long do you think it'll take before she starts mixing up the old vanquishing potion?"
Cole glared at her in silence and Thursday pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. "Listen, this is for the best. Really. We're trying to help you; you just have to trust me."
Cole made to effort to hide his contempt at the thought, and Thursday rolled her eyes. "Alright, so the 100 year old half-demon has trust issues" She snarked at him, "but if you just go with this you'll understand."
"That's not good enough. Why won't you tell me what's going on?"
"You have to discover this truth for yourself." Thursday looked surprised at herself. "Ooh, that was deep. Besides, where's the fun in just telling you?"
"I am not here to have fun." Cole was losing his cool again.
"Not even with Phoebe?" Thursday quipped, mock-innocently. She steered him away from the front of the van, releasing his arm quickly when he glared at her. "Don't try another suicide stunt again, either. We don't have the power to pull off another time stop, so you're on your own." She pointed at the café that Cole had been heading to before their conversation. "That place has really good bagels, by the way." She winked at him and disappeared, and time resumed its normal course.
The van squealed by and Cole hastily stepped back from the street, feeling the breeze from its passage graze his face. He heard a muffled thud and a moaned curse as the skateboarder landed harshly. The normal noises of the city quickly blended into a nearly unbearable cacophony compared to the silence a few moments ago.
Cole glanced through the café windows before entering, wary of meeting another needy innocent. He felt a shock as a woman in line turned slightly, revealing the familiar features of his beloved. Phoebe was laughing and chatting easily with an older woman next to her in line. Cole entered the café unhesitatingly.
He took his place in line three people away from Phoebe. He forced himself to look at the blackboard menu to pick out his bagel, but he kept getting drawn back to her face. She was perfect to him. Just seeing her happy, even at a distance, seemed to heal some of the wounds Cole had sustained from a lifetime of fear and mistrust. Just at that moment, Phoebe looked away from the woman she was talking to and spotted him. Cole froze, and then she smiled at him.
"Tom? How are you?"
Cole felt a surge of disappointment but managed to smile through it, nodding back at Phoebe. "I'm all right, Miss Halliwell. How's life as a celebrity?"
Phoebe tittered, embarrassed. "Oh, you know, deadlines, angry editors, and not enough coffee. The usual. Besides, I'm not really famous."
"That billboard near my apartment says otherwise." Cole had noticed the enormous advertisement late last night. The image served to strengthen his determination not to lose her again.
Phoebe blushed, obviously pleased. "You mean the one next to Benitoes?"
"You've got them all mapped out then, eh?" Cole chuckled at the thought as Phoebe flushed a deeper red. "It's okay," he added kindly, "you deserve them."
"Thank you." Phoebe smiled gratefully. "So you live right around here, then."
"Yes," Cole gestured vaguely in the direction of the apartment. "Right down the street, actually."
"I never knew." Phoebe smiled wistfully. "Just think, I've probably walked by your place a thousand times without even knowing it."
They continued to chat between ordering breakfast, and Cole marveled at how easily the conversation flowed. Talking with Phoebe felt comfortable and safe, even when he was pretending to be someone else. For her part, Phoebe seemed to hold a great amount of affection for Tom, as he had shown up at the Manor countless times for deliveries. The frequent visits had lead to spirited conversations and a fast friendship.
Phoebe picked up her order and Cole felt a stab of sadness at what it meant. She was leaving him again. She said her good-byes to the other woman in line, and Cole knew he was next.
"What say we continue this conversation over breakfast?" Phoebe waggled her eyebrows at him, mock-seductively. Cole smiled with surprised delight. He gallantly offered her his arm, playing along. "Shall we?"
They marched off to a table together, Phoebe fighting giggles the entire way as patrons looked on amusedly. Cole made a point of pulling out her chair first and seating her with gravitas before taking a seat himself. Phoebe beamed at the display of chivalry, and Cole nearly blushed.
"So, ah, don't you have to go to work sometime?" He asked awkwardly to cover his embarrassment.
"My hours are pretty flexible, and I don't work until nine. As long as my column is in on time, my editor doesn't really care. She used to hate it, but now I think she's pretty resigned to me leaving or showing up at random." At Cole's questioning look, Phoebe quietly explained. "You know how crazy the house can be sometimes, right? We tend to have a lot of... emergencies. This way, I can have my cake and eat it, too."
Cole nodded. "You really love your job, don't you?"
"Oh yes," Phoebe gushed, "I mean, sometimes it gets overwhelming and the deadlines are seriously insane, but I feel like I'm really making a difference, you know? Helping people."
Cole couldn't help but smile. Phoebe looked so vibrant and enthused with the thought of helping innocents; it truly was her calling. Her willingness to help others was one of the things Cole admired about Phoebe, along with her strength.
They finished their breakfast contentedly, Cole asking Phoebe about her life and current friends. He wanted to know everything that had happened since he had gone. He skillfully deflected most of her questions about Tom's life, and even fabricated a few amusing stories, just to make her laugh.
By the time they had finished breakfast, Cole had imagined and discarded several plans, all designed to keep Phoebe with him. She stood up and stretched, and Cole checked his watch surreptitiously. It was 7:45. Phoebe noticed and looked at the clock on the wall.
"Wow, it's been an hour already?" She shook her head sheepishly. "I guess I'll head into work early, I've got lots of stuff to catch up on anyway."
Cole tried not to appear too eager. "May I walk you to work?" He silently thanked his luck that the Bay Mirror office was just within walking distance from the café.
Phoebe looked pleased. "Sure, as long as you're not busy..."
Cole thought of Frannie and his job but quickly dismissed them. She could handle it if he was a little late. Nothing was keeping him from Phoebe. "My time is yours."
Cole did his best to prolong the half-hour it took to reach the Bay Mirror, but he felt the weight of futility when they finally sighted the building. He was about to propose a lunch appointment, anything so that he could see Phoebe again, when he felt it. A shiver inched down his spine, and Cole stopped dead. Phoebe immediately noticed and stopped too.
"What is it?"
Cole didn't answer, too focused on finding the presence that had disturbed him. A demon was close. For the first time, Cole noted their surroundings. He had insisted on several "shortcuts" that had actually lengthened the walk to the Bay Mirror, leading them through back streets and alleyways. At the moment, they were in the middle of another such narrow alleyway, a thin strip of sky visible between the tall buildings on either side. The busy street at the end of the alley suddenly seemed much too far away for Cole's liking. This was perfect ambush territory.
Something hard slammed into Cole from behind with the force of a sledgehammer, and he sprawled on the ground, stunned. Phoebe shrieked as the demon turned to her, leering and wielding a heavy lead pipe. Rows of spines protruded from the demon's forehead and chin and jutted out along its collarbone. Phoebe kicked the pipe out of its hands and went on the attack with a roundhouse kick at its head. The demon ducked and swept Phoebe's legs out from under her with a devastating kick of its own.
Phoebe's breath was knocked out of her at the painful impact and she lay stunned while the demon extended a serrated spine from its arm. The demon looked down at her with disdain.
"Stupid witch."
Phoebe caught a glimpse of the demon's glowing silver eyes before its arm came down in a deadly strike.
She barely managed to block the arm with her feet, kicking out desperately. The demon staggered back slightly, and Cole grabbed it from behind. The demon grunted and flailed around wildly, slashing the air with its spine-blade. Cole hung on grimly and pummeled it from behind. He regained his footing as the demon weakened and threw the creature against a nearby dumpster with bruising force. He glanced at Phoebe to make sure she was alright, and the demon lunged.
"Tom, look out!"
Cole jumped back at Phoebe's warning and the demon's arm missed his stomach by inches. He grabbed the arm at the elbow and twisted, using the demon's momentum to push it past him and against the wall. Phoebe ran over with a broken wooden spar and stabbed the demon, then pulled Cole away as it exploded into flames.
Cole sank against the wall as his adrenalin drained away, leaving him exhausted. Phoebe leaned against the nearby dumpster and stared at him silently. The fear was back in her eyes.
"Tom...what you just saw..."
Cole held up a hand to stop her. "Was a demon." He forced himself not to look away from her shocked face. "And you're a witch."
Phoebe leaned away, and Cole could imagine what she was thinking. Suspicion had made her face turn distant and cold. "It's alright," he managed, nearly pleading. "My wife was one too."
Phoebe studied him intensely for a few agonizing moments, clearly debating his story. Cole held his breath, knowing this was his last chance. "Alright, mister," she finally said in a serious voice. "You've got some explaining to do."
