Author's note:

ColePhoebe4eva: here comes something lighter for the weekend

sehar: can´t promise a happy ending.. you have to read on and find out ;)

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ALMOST HEAVEN

Cole flamed them right to Maui. They checked in at one of the most expensive hotels in Wailea and used fake names so nobody could accidentally find out their whereabouts. Phoebe hadn't taken any trunks with her only her purse and her pain killers. She already wondered why the throbbing pain hadn't returned yet. Of course Leo had given her a healing energy boost in the afternoon and she had taken her pills regularly but still it was weird. As they reached their suite she threw herself right on to the bed and fell asleep some minutes later. It had been an emotionally exhausting day. When Cole returned with some champagne to celebrate the start of their time together she was sound asleep. He tucked her in and after a longing look at her he flamed out of the room.

Phoebe woke up the next day in the morning and found him next to her in the bed. He was propped on one elbow and gazing down on her lovingly.

"Morning", she cooed snuggling up closer to him, "sorry that I fell asleep so abruptly, I was pretty exhausted yesterday." She put her head on his shoulder and played with his chest hair.

"Never mind", he answered sympathetically, "I needed some sleep myself." He ruffled her hair with his free hand.

Phoebe discovered that she still wore the clothes from yesterday evening. Cole however was in shorts.

"Why didn't you take my clothes off?" she asked him.

"I wasn't sure you would want me to", he answered shrugging. "We haven't been together for a long time. I wasn't sure you were comfortable with it. Besides you looked like you needed the sleep and I didn't want to wake you up."

"You are so sweet", Phoebe placed a kiss on his bare chest. "I'll go take a shower and then we can start to discover the island."

Phoebe jumped off the bed, she felt full of energy. No trace of the pain was to be found in her body. That irritated her for a moment but then a more important thought pushed it in the background.

"Hey, we need to buy me some new clothes", she complained wickedly, „since you changed my dress size I have nothing to wear. What do you say?"

"You still have the bikini", he suggested slyly.

"If I show you the bikini now, I won't see anything of the island", Phoebe countered playfully, her gaze travelling over his exposed upper body.

Cole smiled at her. That was his Phoebe alive and kicking. "At least I'd like to have some breakfast first, after that I'll do whatever you want." He gave up. "Even go shopping with you." He faked a distressed face.

"Yay", Phoebe exclaimed and vanished into the bathroom.

As he dressed himself, Cole heard the water of the shower and then Phoebes voice,

"Cole, could you conjure some underwear and a sleazy dress for me? I surely can't go shopping or to breakfast all naked."

"I wouldn't mind", he shouted back laughing.

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Cole and Phoebe had been exploring Maui for some days now. They had found some secluded beaches for romantic walks and tried snorkelling and surfing. Phoebe even had commanded Cole to get up at 5.a.m. to see the sunrise at the Haleakala Crater. It had been wonderful but so chilly that Cole had flamed them directly to a hot Jacuzzi afterwards. Phoebe had already taken many pictures of them both. She was working on a photo album for Phila. Her daughter should have at least a happy memory of her parents. At the moment Phoebe laid in bed not fully awake yet.

"Why couldn't life always be this easy?" Phoebe thought while Cole was nibbling at her ear.

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The Halliwell family was worried. Phoebe had taken them by surprise and then had left in a rush. Now they weren't sure they had done the right thing to let her go with Cole. The family council had been debating about it for some days and in the end Paige had been appointed to go and see how Phoebe was doing. Leo had no problem locating Phoebe, as it seemed Cole hadn't shielded them from being found. That in itself calmed Piper down a bit. So maybe the Source wasn't up to something and her concern was unjustified.

Paige had figured that by 10 a.m. Phoebe should already be awake and out of bed so she chose this time to orb into the suite. She carefully avoided to orb into to bedroom and picked the living room instead. She orbed in right behind the door of the balcony and froze in place, stunned.

Paige had full sight on a man's bare backside. Had she orbed to the wrong suite? She wasn't sure it was Cole. She had never seen him in his birthday suit, but from the built it was a chance that it was him. Two definitely female legs encircled his waist and she could also see two arms entwined around his neck, pulling his head down. The rest of the woman, the man had pinned against the locker, wasn't to be seen behind his broad frame. They were moving rhythmically against each other and Paige could hear their moans and heavy breathing. Paige pondered what to do, when she discovered some scratches on his back. They looked nasty. Surely Phoebe wouldn't do anything like this to Cole, would she? Paige was almost certain that she was in the wrong apartment now. The moment she started to orb out she heard someone shout angrily.

"Paige!"

"Shit", Paige swore and made a grimace, so these were definitely Phoebe and Cole.

The moment Cole had moved a little bit to the side Phoebe had spotted her sister standing at the balcony door, starring with wide eyes at their lovemaking.

"Hi", Paige said uneasy and waved at Phoebe who was glaring at her over Cole's shoulder. Cole also turned his head in Paige's direction looking daggers at her.

"I aehm, we were worried about you", Paige said with a small voice, feeling very uncomfortable, "I was sent to look after you".

"You could have used the front door!" Cole roared, disentangling himself from Phoebe and turning round. He was shaking with rage.

Now Paige had a full frontal view of him and starred shocked at him. Cole startled her as he started to move towards her oblivious to the fact that he wasn't wearing anything. Her glance slid downwards to his groin. He followed her look with his gaze.

"See anything interesting?" he mocked.

He was just so mad at Paige. Paige looked at the approaching Cole rather unbelievingly. She ordered herself to not look any deeper than his chest anymore. He stopped right in front of her, grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her. She looked defiantly in his livid eyes.

"The first time you orbed into my apartment interrupting Phoebe and my intimacy I thought it was accidentally", Cole snarled at her, "but now I'm sure you are Peeping Tom."

"What?" Paige was thunderstruck, "You are crazy. Let go of me", she demanded and struggled to shove his hands off her shoulders. She didn't want to touch his sweating all naked body at all. He didn't let go of her anyway.

"Or", he taunted, "were you looking for a three-way? If that is the case I have to inform you that I'm not in the mood." With that he let her go abruptly and turned in the direction of the bathroom. Paige rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I can clearly see that", Paige barked after him.

"When I have finished my shower you better not be here anymore." Cole growled through gritted teeth at Paige before he slammed the bathroom door shut behind him.

Phoebe had found herself a shirt of Cole's to wear in the meantime. She came over to Paige who still stood at the place she had orbed in.

"Paige, you know better than to orb into our private rooms like that", Phoebe dressed her sister down, "You know he hates it. Especially if you do it. You two have never been on really good terms."

"Sorry", Paige pleaded,"I deliberately avoided the bathroom and the bedroom. I thought you would be already getting ready for the day."

"It's ok Paige, just don't do it again, promise", Phoebe consoled her sister, "I'll handle the big bad demon." She smiled confidently.

"Promised", Paige assured, "I sure as hell won't orb anywhere near you two in the next decade."

"Still, I'm happy to see you", Phoebe hugged her sister, "How are you all doing? I know I left in a rush but I was afraid you wouldn't let me go if I had told you before." Phoebe grabbed the photo album from the desk and then ushered Paige out on the balcony and closed the door behind them.

"You were right", Paige admitted, relieved to be outside Cole's immediate range, "We have been talking about it the whole week. That's why they sent me to make sure you are ok. Are you ok? Is he nice to you? Is he doing evil?"

"Everything is simply perfect", Phoebe smiled happily, "It feels like the honeymoon we never had. Cole is a real gentleman, charming, provident and all. He even went shopping with me and I know he hates it."

"Gentleman, ha?" Paige asked raising one eyebrow „But you really do look great", Paige had to admit, "I mean who wouldn't if she turned almost 20 years younger?"

Paige couldn't get over the fact the Phoebe had her juvenile body back. She had caught a glimpse at Phoebe's body when Cole had approached her before. "But Phoebe pays the ultimate price for it", she chastised herself immediately.

"Could you give this to Phila from me?" Phoebe asked and handed the photo album to Paige.

"What's this?" Paige asked and opened the album. Pictures of Cole and Phoebe happily smiling at different occasions greeted her. She browsed hasty through the pages.

"And is he doing evil?" Paige concentrated on the important things again.

"Honestly I don't know", Phoebe had to admit, "the time we spend together surely not. But it wasn't part of the bargain that he is good. I mean I can't demand from the Source of all Evil to not do evil."

"Which bargain do you mean?" Paige was intrigued.

"I asked him to spend my last days with me and he accepted. There were no other conditions from my side besides the safety of my family of course. His only condition was that it was away from you guys."

"That bastard", Paige cursed.

"Paige", Phoebe admonished.

"He just wanted to get you away from us", Paige complained.

"But he was right", Phoebe defended Cole, "It doesn't work between you guys and him. It's just not possible. By no means at all since he is the Source. So it was my decision too that it is for the best that I'm alone with him. You can tell them I enjoy every minute of it."

"I've seen that", Paige snorted sarcastically.

"So how are they all holding up?" Phoebe changed the subject.

"Quite ok", Paige said, "Of course it is the hardest for Phila, but Wyatt and Chris are there to help her through it. And of course Piper, Leo and me. Your Dad is quite a help too. They seem to have bonded very well the last days. We are all watching over her. I'm sure she will be ok. It is just a little bit much for her at the moment. Like seeing her father the first time, her mother running away with the Source, her mother dying.. you know."

"Yeah", Phoebe sighed, "I wished it could be different."

"Phoebe?" They heard Cole's voice from inside

"I better get going before he kills me", Paige said and it was no joke.

"Love you," Phoebe said and hugged her once again, before Paige orbed out quickly.

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Over lunch Phoebe had asked Cole about her pain. It still hadn't come back and Phoebe was anxious about what it meant. Cole had told her, that his spell to rejuvenate her had also taken away the pain and that it would last as long as she was with him. The answer had calmed Phoebe down.

But Cole didn't tell her the whole story. As he had told Phila, he wasn't a healer. He couldn't make pain go away just like that. He had just transferred it to another person.

A poor woman had made a Faustian deal with him some time before. The agreement was that she did whatever he asked, for a favour he had granted her. So he had approached her the first night Phoebe and him had spent on Maui and had told her that to fulfil her part of the bargain she had to endure Phoebe's pain.

The woman had been taken to hospital short time later, writhing of pain, but the doctors weren't able find any reason for it. So she had ended up under strong medication in a clinic for the mentally deranged.

The following night Phoebe was torn out of her reverie rather ruggedly. After some passionate lovemaking with Cole she fell asleep in his arms. As she woke up a short time later, Cole wasn't besides her. She got up and looked for him in the whole suite. He wasn't anywhere to be found. That was suspicious. She lied down again and closed her eyes, first trying to sleep than pretending to do it. She had to wait the whole night, since he didn't come back till early morning shortly before dawn. Phoebe recognized some strange smell when he flamed in, but it was gone quickly when he took off his clothes and slid into the bed behind her.

While waiting for him she had had time to think. She had been too lazy these last days. She had enjoyed the time with him and hadn't been thinking straight. A thing that happened all too easily when she was around him. She had to set her plan in motion if she was ever to succeed.

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Cole was glad that as Source he didn't need much sleep. Some 2-3 hours a night were enough to keep him sane. He was having the greatest time with Phoebe. It was almost as good as in the time before she had known that he was a demon. But as he had learned early in his life, nothing came for free. Being nice, gentle and kind all day took its toll from him. The Source wasn't made for happy holidays with fun, love and laughter at all.

At the end of each day he got really tense and the urge to do something evil was almost overwhelming, even in Phoebe's presence. He couldn't risk attacking her. He felt like a powder keg ready to explode. Therefore, he sneaked out of their room as soon as Phoebe was asleep. She normally had a deep sleep and would not notice anything. Besides, she was very trustful in him this time.

He flamed to one of the many war scenes of the world, preferable one where they still fought with primitive weapons, swords, machetes and the like. Africa was always a good choice in this interest. He was able to sense where the greatest massacre was taking place and went straight there. Then he shape shifted into a native and took part in the combat. He released the evil energy from his body by slaughtering the enemies merciless leaving a trail of blood and dead bodies behind him.

Sometimes the humans figured out that something supernatural was going on and called for their voodoo priests and sorcerers. However, that did not bother him since they were not nearly powerful enough to harm or even stop him.

When he went back, he always replaced his clothes with new ones and did some spell to rid his body of the blood and body fragments before he slid into the bed, ready again for a day of fun and laughter with Phoebe.

Cole was working on a way to keep Phoebe alive and for himself. He had already thought about using a time loop. Phoebe would stay at Maui forever without knowing it, reliving the same day all over. The Only problem about that was that her sisters could figure this out rather easily. The Power of Three would still exist, even if he brought back a fake Phoebe corpse, and he would be found out quickly. Another problem was Phoebe's power of premonition. She had already defeated demons that had trapped her in time, because she got a premonition about the time loop. So he had to discard this idea.

Messing with Death was dangerous and until now, no one had succeeded with it or lived to tell about it. However, for Phoebe he was willing to take the risk.

tbc