ELEVEN

Cole remained seated in the shadows for quite some time after Peter's departure. His fingers idly caressed the photo as he sought to bring order to his scattered thoughts. It would appear that he might just have a son after all.

He wasn't delusional enough to believe that everything was fine. It would take more than a conversation to make that so. But Peter had listened and that was a start. Perhaps, in time, they might find their way to some kind of a relationship. That possibility cheered Cole more than even his miraculous return from the dead had. It gave him hope.

His heart considerably lighter, he shut the balcony doors. The air was better than it had been, but Peter was right, this place was disgusting. Oh well, a call to the cleaning service tomorrow would fix that. That thought caused Cole to pause; he couldn't remember when he last thought about tomorrow with the certainty that there would be one. And if there was actually going to be a tomorrow, then he figured he had better get some sleep.

As he rummaged through his drawer in search of pajama bottoms his hand encountered a softer garment. He lifted it before his mind could register what his hand had found. He toyed with the black silk negligee. His heart wrenched with the fresh reminder of the despair he'd briefly buried.

"Phoebe," her name fell with lament into the silent room.

Releasing the garment, he watched it float back toward the drawer. Turning to trudge toward the bed, he allowed the regret and loss to wash through him. He'd hurt her badly. She said they were through. That their love wasn't enough. He couldn't let go of that love and he didn't want her to either. There just had to be a way to win her back.

Cole plopped down on his bed, fighting off the sense of helplessness that came with thoughts of Phoebe these days. He tried to direct his wayward mind back to his talk with Peter. Back to where hope lay. Hope… you just need to remember who you are

Cole's eyed snapped open as Peter's words drifted through his mind. Of course. It really was so simple. He couldn't believe he had lost sight of it. He'd told Phoebe he would never give up and yet he'd almost done just that. And that wasn't who he was.

He'd fought tougher battles than this before. If he could convince the underworld to accept him as a demon, surely he could convince Phoebe that their love was meant to be. She just needed to be reminded of how happy they could be together. He could do that. And he would do it too.

Their love had been strong enough for him to overcome death itself. And he would just have to show her that it was strong enough to overcome anything else as well. Peter was right, he wasn't a quitter and he wouldn't start with something this important.

Cole closed his eyes with a smile. His new resolve brought him a sense of peace. For the first time in too many nights Cole was able to relax and let sleep take him.

Peter thought about his conversation with Cole as he packed for his trip. He had gotten many of the answers he had gone to his father for. But strangely it had not resolved his issues for him. If anything he had even more questions now.

He could understand why Cole was glad he hadn't known about Peter. His father was right. Parents did want better for their children. Peter found it odd that it would also apply to demons. Being evil, demons couldn't love. But that didn't necessarily preclude that they cared for their young. That was a misconception he had labored under his entire life.

Animals couldn't love either. Oh, people attributed that emotion to animals. But in truth, love was an emotion exclusive to humans. Animals cared about their young. It was instinctive in them. And, he decided, it was probably the same with demons.

Cole had said he loved Peter. He knew his father had been telling the truth. There was no reason for Cole to lie to him. It wouldn't have gained anything for Cole to lie. But the fact that he could say he loved Peter showed that he wasn't the heartless demon Peter had always believed him to be.

Peter had told Cole he didn't hate him any more. That wasn't entirely true. The truth was he didn't know how he felt. He still hated what Cole had done. Anyone would. But for Cole himself his emotions were in flux.

On the one hand Cole was a demon. And one of the very best. He had spent nearly his entire life proving he was a better demon than most full demons. And he had proven that very effectively. Peter hated all demons.

On the other hand, Cole was also half human. And from what he had seen in his father's apartment he was as much human as anyone. Capable of good as well as evil. Being good or evil was a matter of choice for most creatures. While many creatures were prone to one or the other, each had the ability to choose which they would be.

Not to mention this was his father. Despite what he may or may not have done, there was some small part of Peter that did love his father. Just as any child loved their parents, even when they discovered some of the "bad" things their parents had done. It was human nature to love one's parents.

There was also the man Peter had seen when he first entered the apartment. A pathetic wretch feeling sorry for himself. A man devoid of respect for anyone or anything. A man bereft of any hope for the future. It was not in keeping with the reputation of a fiercely proud demon, or man, that was willing to do anything to prove they were as good as their contemporaries.

Peter had a lot to sort out. He was glad he had the depositions to take in Los Angeles. It would give him time to think through his feelings about Cole.

And there was always Cherise Young. She and Peter had dated for a while until things had started getting serious. While he was in Los Angeles Peter decided he'd pay her a visit. After what he had learned from Cole he was also thinking about her.

He had never thought he could have a serious relationship with a woman. He couldn't risk he'd be a father like Cole. Now, he was beginning to realize that Cole was not the father, or the man, he had always believed him to be. And Cherise was a very good listener.

Peter finished packing and headed for his car. He would have two weeks to decide how he actually felt before he spoke to Cole again. He had once told Cole they would never be father and son like other families. But maybe, just maybe, they could finally stop being strangers.

The End

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