Author's note: First of all: Thank you very much for the reviews! Second: there's an OC I created, so you might want to read my other Charmed-story: Int the darkness, but I think this one is clear without it, either! (But please, read that one too, if you like this :) )

Three: Dear Sehar, the last part of this chapter was added to let Phoebe appear for a moment. But I'm sorry she won't be in this story, because takes place a long time before she came into the picture. She might not be even born yet... but I'm not so sure about the year!

So, again: Thanks for reading and enjoy! And please, please review again, it really brights my day!

The shape of my heart

Chapter 3.

It was a long time ago when he was so badly off. His legs simply didn't want to support him and he needed to grab the small table to help him stand up. His legs still wanted to slid out from under him but he took a few deep breathes and stopped the trembling. He needed a healing potion, some hot water and bandages for the deeper wounds…

He didn't have the opportunity though to work out this plan as he heard knocking or rather pounding on his door. He knew who it was and also knew that he had no other choice than to let him in.

"You don't look to well, Belthazor!" the demon said in a mocking tone as soon as he stepped inside. His name was Declan and he was one of the Source's guards. The leader of the guards to be precise. He also hated and despised Belthazor, but to tell the truth Cole couldn't care less. He was rather used to being contemned by the pure-blooded demons.

"What do you want?" he asked instead and straightened to full height. He couldn't afford to show any signs of weakness in front of Declan or in front of anybody in the Underworld.

"Always to the point… But if you insist: Our Lord wants to talk with you about your recent failure!" the demon said with a cruel smile.

Talking… Cole knew what talking usually meant and he didn't really feel up to meet a disappointed and probably angry ruler of the Underworld. But he wasn't given a choice.

"Now!" Declan rumbled and grabbed his arm to drag him with.

Cole might havebeen in a huge trouble but he still had his dignity, so he quickly freed himself from the grasp.

"I can walk on my own, thank you" he commented dryly and followed the guard, taking care of not to limp during the whole time.

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When they stepped into the cave Declan pushed Cole forward.

"I brought him, My Lord!"

The Source stood up and looked Cole up and down. The half-demon couldn't see the Ruler's face because of the hood he wore, but he could easily imagine the disgusted frown.

"I'm very disappointed" the Source said slowly. "Can you explain your failure?"

"No, My Lord."

Cole bowed his head and waited. It wouldn't be wise to anger the Source at this point.

"No…" he repeated thoughtfully. "Then I have to assume that you didn't try hard enough."

Cole didn't tell a word. There was no use in arguing and he would have never admitted that he wasn't strong enough to win over Zankou. You simply didn't admit such things in the Underworld.

He instead gritted his teeth and prepared himself for the punishment.

The energy-beam that the Source shot at him burnt every nerve ending in his body and sent him to the floor. His body was convulsing and many cuts and wounds were torn open again. He didn't scream though. He learned it a long time ago that screaming didn't make it lighter, quite the contrary, demons loved it to hear their victims screaming.

It took a lot of time, his punishment. The problem was that Cole didn't black out that easily which was an advantage in fight but not now, because the Source never stopped until he lost consciousness. He didn't know how long it lasted in the end, but it surely felt like hours. Then at last his broken wrist somehow got stuck under his side and that pain cut through all the others. He almost screamed out then, but before he could commit this mistake everything went black.

He woke up not too much time later, when he was dragged by two demons along a tunnel. When they arrived in front of his quarter the dropped him down unceremoniously.

"I have a message from our Lord" one of the guards bent close to his ears. "The assignment is still yours. You have two weeks." With that they left.

Great… two weeks. Why does He think that I will manage better a second time?

But of course one didn't ask such questions from the Source, especially if this person wanted to stay alive for a while, yet.

Now though his first priority was to find a place, where he could heal in peace, so he shimmered to the only safe place he's ever known.

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This place was a small country house near the sea-coast in Maine and it belonged to Rose Turner. She was in the kitchen preparing something for dinner when she heard the typical noise of somebody shimmering in. She could easily identify the person arriving and she turned to welcome her brother. But then there was a loud crash as Cole fell and pulled half of the dishes with him.

"Oh, shit…" the young woman exclaimed and kneeled to her brother's side.

"I'm glad to see you…" the injured demon whispered hoarsely.

"Yeah… it's a shame I can't tell you the same… Come, let's take you to bed. Can you shimmer upstairs?"

"Don't think so…"

"All right, but in this case you have to try and stand up. It's only five steps to the living-room."

First it seemed impossible, but for the third try and with the help of his sister Cole managed the few steps to the couch where he collapsed. The dinner was forgotten and the next two hours Rose spent with cleaning and bandaging the numerous injuries her brother suffered.

As he let her take care of him his thoughts wondered away and not for the first time he started to think about their relationship. He knew it was something unique. In the Underworld siblings either were allies or more usually rivals but it neither case had they emotions for eachother!

Cole couldn't name what he felt for his sister, but he always felt safe in her presence and missed her when they were apart for a longer period. He also knew that he would do anything to save her from any harm. He sometimes wondered if this was what the humans called love, but he always rejected the idea. He simply couldn't believe that he were capable of such human feelings.

And on the other hand love must be something more radical! he thought.

Cole spent a lot of time in the human world and studied how humans behaved with each-other. He guessed if a human studied them he would have thought them cold. The two of themnever hugged or kissed each other, never shared loving or encouraging words, but at least they always could be honest…

Sharp pain woke him from his daydreaming and he involuntary moaned.

"Sorry, but I'm not a healer" Rose said.

"Never mind. You're better than most demonic healers. Here at least I don't have to worry whether you want to steal my powers or not." He said with a crooked smile.

"Yeah, right. Don't tempt me. By the way I'm ready."

"Thanks."

"I wouldn't say that you're welcome any time… You should sleep in demon-form, you heal quicker that way."

"You know I don't like it."

Rose shrugged and stood up to leave.

"I'll be in the garden if you need anything. And now sleep."

She didn't have to tell it twice.

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"What happened?" asked Rose much later when Cole had already slept out most of his pains.

He looked still ragged but he walked into the kitchen and was eating some soup at the moment. Rose was rummaging around and moved with such grace that a stranger wouldn't have believed that she was blind. Cole knew though that she lost this ability in unfamiliar environment and this made her quite vulnerable.

"I failed" he answered simply. He didn't have to look at his sister's face to know, she was frowning.

"And more detailed?"

"He sent me after Zankou."

"You are kidding…"

"No, I'm not."

"Alone?"

"Yes."

"You aren't very talkative."

"It was nothing special, just another task."

Rose put down two sandwiches in front of him and sat down.

"Why didn't he charged the Brotherhood with this?"

"You know that he likes to test his people."

"You mean he likes to test you!"

Cole smiled and however Rose couldn't see it she frowned again.

"There's nothing funny about this. You could have died!"

"And who would care?"

"Me!" She jumped and rushed out of the kitchen. Cole heard that she knocked something over on her way.

He raised one eyebrow in surprise. Rose usually wasn't so emotional. He couldn't even count how many times he appeared on his door-step in a state like this and she never got upset.

He stood up and walked after her.

"What's wrong?"

"Why do you think something is wrong?"

"You aren't this hysteric normally."

"I'm not hysteric" she said quietly.

"You saw something, right?"

"I can't see."

"Rose, you know what I'm talking about!"

She sighed and dropped down on the couch.

Rose was once a potential Seer but seers were rare beings and they guarded they power very closely. There could be only three of them at a time. The eldest amongst them – who was also their leader in a strange way – saw a threat in Rose and wanted to convince the Source to put her out of the way. The Source though found her more useful alive, butas he didn't want to infuriate the woman unnecessery, helet the Seer blindRose, which diminished her powers significantly.

She still had visions sometimes but they were usually blurry and hard to interpret. They only gave her a headache as she often complained.

"So, what was it about?" he asked again.

"You know I don't like to speak about them."

"And I don't like to sleep in demon-form!"

She smiled slightly.

"I can't talk about it because it's about you."

"And why can't you tell me?"

"Future consequences…"

"You talk like a witch!"

Her smile was broader and more honest this time.

"Why not? People in the town already think I'm one!"

"Why am I not surprised?"

"I saw a woman…" she said then quietly. "A woman who ruined you…"

Then she shook her head.

"It's a stupid thing, never mind. And it was far away in the future. Come and let's find a way how to put your hands on Zankou instead."

Cole half-heartedly agreed and followed her sister in the basement to check through the many magical books he stored up here during the years.

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