Title: No Holds Barred
Author: Wicked R

Disclaimer: WB is the God, not me. The last line obviously belongs to Margaret Mitchell.
Rating/Genre: G.
Summary/Set: with her sisters missing, Phoebe has no other choice but to ask for Cole's help. After "The Importance Of Being Phoebe."

"Dismissed," Cole ordered his demons.

"But your majesty, I beg you," the thin, grey haired demonic chancellor started, "demonkind doesn't have any strong leaders at he moment. We would become vulnerable if you denounce the throne."

"Do I have to say it twice?" He spoke with a deep voice, vanquishing two of the demons that stood closer to him, making the others take curious looks at him and eventually disappear from his apartment, "finally," he sighed. He didn't need them anymore. He wasn't trying to achieve anything, get the nexus, Phoebe or prove anything. Fed up with games, speculations, difficulties, misunderstood gestures, imperfect Shakespearean romanticism, being disregarded and most importantly feeling completely clueless about where that line was Phoebe never wanted him to cross, he badly needed to get her out of his system. He wasn't certain about what exactly made him give up, or as he put it, see sense, but Phoebe's recent no feelings speech must have had something to do with it. But she can't hurt him anymore, oh no. He was not going to let her. He was stronger then this. He would do what he should've done in the first place, which is disappear, build a new life. For that, he wanted to keep nothing, pack nothing, the only thing he intended to do, was to take a last look at her photograph. Because if he could help it, he was not going to see her anymore.

The picture showed Phoebe with a smile on her face, a trace of laughter in her eyes. He thought of the time when she'd reacted that way when seeing him, they were not so long ago. Other than, they seemed to have been a long time ago and nowadays Phoebe reacted like that never happened. He evened out his breathing. There was no point. He needed to move away. If not, she would only wound him, crush him, and subsequently even vanquish him. He was convinced of that. But he will not let her do that. He put the photograph down and contemplated about where he could shimmer to. He hadn't thought that far before as he hadn't had any plans past making sure he would not let himself be upset by her once more.

Just then, nobody else, but Phoebe stepped into the apartment. Cole's first reaction was just to shimmer away, not matter where, but then again, how could seeing her one more time distress him? He was simply saying his goodbye, even if she wouldn't believe him, or even knew he was doing it.

"Cole..." She started uncertainly. You could see she was very uncomfortable coming here. But even with looking drained, pallid, edgy and troubled, she was dreadfully sexy playing uncertainly with the edge of her creasy skirt.

"What could you possibly want from me now?" Cole asked curiously.

"I'm appealing to your wish to have me. I need your help to find my sisters. They were taken, according to Leo, by a force greater than we have known so far. It's not in the book, it's not anywhere. Only your powers are the ones that would be anywhere close to theirs. Could you take a crack at sensing them?" She asked nervously, trying to sound sociable.

The sound that came out from Cole's throat was a guffaw, "but you don't guarantee anything for my services, right?"

"Cole, if I came here, you know you are my last chance the way things stand between us."

"Honey, you always know what to do, you'll be all right," he looked through her with an spine-chilling expression that mostly spoke of unruliness.

Surprised, Phoebe took a step backwards, but didn't give up, "help me!" She said half crying, "they can't survive long in that environment they were taken to."

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," Cole turned and blurred out.

The End.