Note: Thank you for the great feedback. Have 3 chapters to put up today. Next up, this chapter kind of got away from me, Isabel and Liz had more to say then I original thought. Plus there is something at the end that just kind of cropped up as I was writing, I wasn't going to reveal this until a later chapter and in a different way but this came about as I wrote and I really liked it and I hope no one minds where I went with it. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.

Chapter 5

Phoebe and Cole's Condo

Angrily Phoebe slammed shut the dresser drawer. Nothing. She searched for an hour and didn't find one thing that screamed affair. That should make her happy, it should mean there was nothing to find, hence no affair going on. But she knew something was going on. She could feel it in her gut like a premonition that wouldn't come.

Seeing the time she dropped her robe and hurried to get dressed. She had to be at the paper in an hour. She'd deal with the possibility of Cole having an affair later when she wasn't thinking about her reader's problems and the solution to those problems. It was so much easier to give strangers advice then it was to give advice to yourself.

Law Offices of Taylor and Hitch

That morning had been insanely busy with three cases Cole had lined up that morning; one after the other, Liz hardly had time for a sip of water on the go, let alone take a lunch. She had been running documents, making phone calls and anything Cole needed done.

Around 1:30 that afternoon she finally got an hour break. Cole was still in court and would be for at least another thirty minutes but Leslie, another secretary in the office, was able to fill in.

When she got back to her desk, she pulled out her turkey club sandwich, chips, and water and settled into her chair. The feeling of food hitting her empty stomach was enough to make her moan.

As she worked her way through her lunch she checked her cell phone for messages. She had three, one from Piper, asking her to come for dinner that weekend, another from the dry cleaner saying her clothes were ready to be picked up and then one from Isabel Evans.

Biting the bullet she called up her sort of friend, Liz had an idea of what this phone call was about. She got confirmation when Isabel answered the phone.

"You haven't RSVP'd yet." Isabel didn't say 'hi' but jumped right to the chase.

Liz sighed. "I know. I'm sorry I should have called you sooner."

"So is that a 'yes'? I can mark you and a plus one down? Since you're so late letting me know you're going to be at one of the middle or back tables."

The sound of Isabel typing on something could be heard and Liz sat up in her desk. "Isabel wait, that's an 'I don't know'."

Immediately the tapping of keys stopped. "What do you mean you don't know?" There was a pause and then Isabel let out a deep breath. "It's because of Alex isn't it?"

"Yes." There was no point in beating around the bush. If Alex didn't want to go there would be slim chance of her going either.

"Well at least you didn't laugh at me and tell me how much of a bitch I am." She laughed but it was clear there wasn't a trace of humor in it.

Liz grimaced, although Isabel couldn't see her through the phone. "Maria cares about you Isabel you know that."

Maria told her about the phone call between her and Isabel. It wasn't a pleasant one. Maria's fiercely protective of Alex, always had been. While Liz was protective of him too, of all her friends and family, she didn't feel the need to make Isabel feel worse than she already did.

"I know but she hates me for how I hurt Alex. Can't say I blame her."

"Isabel nobody blames you for falling in love with Jesse. He's a nice guy who you clicked with, there's nothing wrong with that." Granted she only met him a total of two times, but both times he was a sweet guy and very much in love with Isabel.

Liz leaned back in her swivel chair, maybe she should be harder on Isabel than she was but she couldn't be. Isabel fell in love with Jesse who was single and so was she, just because everyone thought Isabel and Alex would work it out didn't mean it was wrong that she got with Jesse. You can't help who you fall in love with.

As she had found out the hard way. If Liz had any smarts at all she would have high-tailed it out of San Francisco the second she saw Cole. The minute she locked eyes on him she wanted him. Only problem was at that time he had been with Phoebe for nearly a year. It wasn't the ideal way to meet the man she…immediately she halted that thought. She didn't want to finish where that trail led; she knew what she felt but maybe if she didn't think it she could continue denying it for a little while.

There was a moment of silence over the phone, Liz could practically see Isabel's gears turning, trying to come up with a solution. When finally Isabel sighed. "Ok, how about I put you, Alex, and Maria down with plus ones for now but let me know a week before the wedding, that's the final day I can make any changes on the head count."

"Ok, thanks Isabel. I'll let you know by then." Liz promised. "So, since I have you on the phone, how is everyone else doing?"

"Good, everyone's good." Isabel vaguely stated.

"Do you have a more detailed run down of things?" Liz chuckled good naturedly.

"I'm sorry, you're right, it's just Max has been annoyingly firm about being closed lipped with you, Maria, and Alex since you guys left Roswell." Isabel explained.

Liz nodded. "I get it." Max had been less than thrilled about her moving to San Francisco two years after their high school graduation. Nor was he pleased about Alex going on music gigs around the country, and Maria going to LA to work on her singing career.

Max couldn't let go that three of the core people in their 'I Know an Alien Club' had left Roswell. He didn't want any one to leave the city for an extended period of time, he gave every reason under the sun why, from he wouldn't be able to protect them from far away to he couldn't rely on them for help if needed, and the stupidest reason of all was how would he be able to trust they wouldn't spill the Royal Four's secret when they weren't there, that pissed them all off. If they hadn't spread the news at that point, they weren't going to just because they weren't in town.

"Is there anything you can tell me?" She at least wanted to know everyone was ok and more importantly safe and happy.

"Max and Michael finally came around with Jesse. The two had been cold to him since I told them about the engagement, neither of them liked Jesse because they thought he was too old for me, he's only four years older. Which is less of an age difference then Max and the girl he's seeing right now. She's a freshmen up at Las Cruses College, only turned eighteen four months ago and he's down my throat at Jesse and my age difference." Isabel scoffed at her brother's double standard.

Liz shook her head, yea that sounded like Max. He was a good guy but he definitely had some flaws, having a double standard about certain things, a big flaw. One that bothered everyone he was close too.

"How about Michael?" Liz took a sip of water. She knew Michael still worked at the Crashdown but now instead of a cook he was a part time manager on his way to being a full time manager.

"Still working at the Crashdown, still working nights at MetaChem. He's been dating but nothing serious as far as I can tell. He's too afraid of getting hurt again." A bit of iciness snuck into Isabel's tone.

Maria and Michael dated on and off until a couple years after graduation. But when Maria left to go to LA and work on her singing career, they broke up, for good. Maria met someone on one of her visits to San Francisco to see Liz and the rest was history. Maria was now dating Chris, Liz's whitelighter. The two have dated for a year and a half, after dancing around each other for six month before that.

Liz cringed. "Maria regrets hurting Michael—"

"And why is she so pissed at me for hurting Alex, when she went right ahead and hurt Michael. The way Michael found out she was seeing someone else was when she brought her boyfriend here to meet Amy. She couldn't give him a warning?" She vented.

"Too be fair she thought Michael was already seeing someone. The couple times she talked to Michael he said he was happily dating. She took him at face value." Liz argued.

"Since when does Michael tell the truth about painful subjects? He lied about Hank hurting him for years. Of course he'd lie about being alone. Maria should have seen right through that."

"Ok but I think that's asking too much. Is Maria supposed to second guess everything Michael says, analyze every sentence to see if he's saving face?" She countered.

Isabel stayed silent for a bit, almost long enough that Liz thought the connection dropped, when finally she spoke. "Fine, maybe she can't do that. But at least I told Alex that we didn't have a future together. I was clear and straightforward, she shouldn't be so mad at me when she did worse to Michael."

"Yes you were clear with Alex. But Alex and Maria are like siblings. They're like you and Michael. No matter how right or how wrong one of them is you're going to have each other's backs." With that Liz noticed the time. "Crap. I'm sorry Isabel I've got to go, my lunch break is nearly over. I'll call you later. Take care."

"Ok, bye. Don't work too hard."

"Too late." Both women hung up. Liz threw out her lunch garbage, opened up a letter she'd been composing and went through final revisions.

No sooner had she started when Cole strode up to her desk. "My office." He sternly said heading toward his office without a reply from her.

This wasn't the first time, nor the last time, Cole would speak curtly to her after a difficult case. Especially one it looked like he might lose. Standing up she put her computer on hibernate and hurried through the thick, soundproof, dark wooden door.

Shutting the door behind her Liz found herself pushed against it, Cole's lips on hers, and his hands pushing up her skirt. "Bad case?" She breathlessly got out, her eye lids fluttered at the kisses he rained on her neck, enjoying every moment of his warm hands on her. She loved times like this, when he was fiery and angry and all he wanted was to be inside her.

Tightening her legs around his waist she held on as those hands caressed up her body. "Yes." His voice rough from frustration. Liz pushed his grey suit jacket off his shoulders and it fell to the floor with a soft thump. Clothes were being pulled off at rapid speed, Cole desperate to feel her skin against his.

His case from earlier wasn't going his way. It made him want to throw energy balls at the judge and the defense attorney. Since he couldn't do that and still remain a good guy he got his frustration out another way. A better way.

Pulling her away from the door Cole carried her nearly naked body over to the leather couch. The leather creaked beneath her, Liz moaned when he licked and sucked on her neck. He growled with pleasure, unable to stop Belthazor from surfacing a bit.

Liz saw he was trying to hold back his baser instincts. Breathing heavily she placed her hands on his cheeks. "Don't do that." She begged him.

"Don't do what?" He struggled to speak past the desire and Belthazor.

"You don't have to hide him from me. He's a part of you." She nuzzled his nose. "If he wants to come out it's ok." She assured him.

"I don't want to scare you."

Liz kissed him softly. "If he hasn't scared me before, then he won't scare me now." She'd seen Belthazor before, even kissed him before. Cole was still so worried that she'd have a similar reaction to Phoebe when Belthazor came out, which was disgust. Phoebe never, unless she was under a spell, wanted to see or be around Cole's demon side. Liz on the other hand had never had that reaction to him and she couldn't ever see having that kind of reaction.

Belthazor, despite his different appearance, was still Cole. Was still the man Liz loved and she couldn't imagine shrinking away in horror at his touch or demanding the nicer looking version of Cole show himself at all times. It'd be like Cole asking her to never show her magic side to him, it's a side that he's been taught to hate but he'd never tell her she was horrible or disgusting for showing it.

Throwing his head back Cole roared, thank the gods for that soundproofing around his office, Liz mused. Right before her eyes he grew taller, broader, and his skin burst out in colors of red and black. His hands, which cupped her bare breasts turned red and formed steel hard sharp fingernails.

Liz caressed his naked chest, comforting him through the quick transformation. "It's ok baby." Belthazor lowered his head and stared at her. His eyes were black as coal and his teeth razor sharp. He took in her tanned legs wrapped around him, her soft hands tenderly stroking his chest and arms, and the look of lust she still showed him.

He remained still. "Are you sure?" He growled out through clenched teeth, giving her one last chance to back out.

Sitting up as best she could, she stared directly into his eyes, that despite their evil tint held a warmth when staring back. Leaning in she carefully kissed his lips, aware of his knife like teeth. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders pressing her chest into his. "I'm sure." She assured him.

With a satisfied rumble Belthazor gathered her close; even more eager to go where she and Cole were headed. Belthazor and later back in his Cole form showed her how they felt about her for the next hour and a half.

TBC

Side Note/End Chapter Note: The original scene that I had Liz show she accepts the Belthazor side of Cole will still be in this story just with some minor changes.