A/N I don't owned Charmed.
Movieholic: How come you're the only person that steadily reviews? Hrm, this is a little short, my bad.
Plots and Plans
Phoebe found it predictable that Cole skulked in like a shade at midnight, trying not to disturb her, and that she could read him so easily made her smile. She sat up calmly, and turned on the light, and smiled up at him, her make up still done, fully dressed, only a little sleep in her eyes.
"So where are we going?" she asked. She watched the conversation they would've had a year ago play out in his eyes. The surprise, the indignation, and then the all-consuming love. Finally, he grinned slightly, and she threw the remainder of the covers off of herself and stepped into her well placed shoes on the bedside.
"You're going to need something a little… trashier probably," he said. All of this had taken place, would take place Phoebe knew, because she knew Cole. He didn't let idle threats stand, and even if he couldn't really do anything about them, he had to do something. Cole was action personified, and he wasn't going to sleep until he felt better about the situation with Edrigan.
"Trashier?" Phoebe looked down at herself. She didn't attempt to look offended. "Night club?" she asked. Cole nodded, and she strode to the closet, kissing him on the lips and around to his ear as she went. "I can do trashier," she whispered. She knew that if she pressed him, pushed hard enough, she might have been able to avoid all of this, and get him in bed and some time later, asleep, but this was different. Part of her wanted some sort of resolution, too, but more than that she wanted him to be who he was. She felt his hand squeeze and grab at her, and she giggled. With silence looks each watched the other change, as if this were a normal night followed by a normal day. They were going to go out, dance, get sloppy drunk, and come back and pass out in each other's arms. But then, that was the world of magic, everything of a normal seeming until the last, least expected, moment.
Cole drove aggressively, and the car became a personification of his mood, and Phoebe didn't distract him, not because she feared their safety but because he needed to feel that way and to a certain extent so did she. Any affront to Cole's life and livelihood was an assault on hers, and she had never stopped thinking that he was hers, and she was his, that they were together, even when they weren't.
"Who are we looking for?" she asked as, finally, Cole perused several clubs before deciding on one and pulling in and handing off keys to a valet. Cole held her closed, speaking into her ear as they walked.
"Some demons play even at times of war," she heard him pause as he smelled her hair "some thrive on the emotional spectrum of humans, some on specific feelings, others on the whole spectrum. They're much more likely to ignore the effective curfews, and they're much more likely to be in a place like this," he squeezed her side and together, Cole in a dark suit and open collar, and Phoebe in one of her new trendy pants suits, defied the velvet rope and strode into the club. Over her shoulder Phoebe could see the bouncer still staring at her walk away.
"This may have been a bit too trashy," she said, blushing a little. Cole leaned down and kissed the ruby tones on her face.
"Normally I'd agree, but every now and then, why not flaunt what you've got?" he asked with a glibness that didn't touch his face. After kissing her he was all business, and he tensed in a way that let her know he was using his power.
"What are you doing?" she cut glances around them to see if anyone was watching, or being affected.
"It took practice, but from a distance I can steal magic, the detection of the magic is just a step before that, or maybe beyond, I dunno," he closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them, pointing with a nod of his head. "Him," he said, directing her attention to a particularly rakish man, tall and dark, standing at a tall table with four women. He wasn't sitting, but otherwise he looked perfectly in place. Phoebe felt herself grin, looking up into Cole's face for a moment. He wasn't going to like it, which made her grin like a cat. It didn't pay to aggravate one's partner at all times, but every now and again, in rare cases, it was fun, and hot. She separated from him and moved away silkily, channeling her inner Isis. Behind her she imagined Cole had tried to say something but his voice had caught in his throat.
!#&
The Seer awaited Edrigan in her humble chamber, seated blithely. Like all demons of his age, he didn't use doors, and he always shimmered behind the person they were addressing, first not there, then suddenly appearing, whispering into the ears of frightened mortals. He had personally done much for the reputation of the dark ones, but she was ancient, too. In the end, it must be a habit.
"I tire of this dance, mystic," Edrigan's voice materialized from the air just as he did. "You give me half truths and snippets of information and I am left bumbling around in ignorance," She stood up from her chair, taking a long step forward to avoid his reaching down to snatch at her. She turned slowly with her eerie eyes.
"If there is something you wish to know, then ask," she replied nonchalantly. "it was you who made the decision to leave her without knowing the full details," Edrigan's face twisted into a scowl. He was deciding whether or not to try to obliterate her, which he ultimately would decide against, but only barely.
"Well," he said, with difficulty. "I'm back, having seen these Charmed Ones, and their white lighter, and this Belthazor, face to face, and now I judge that I would," he paused "prefer the fuller details," The Seer bowed respectfully.
"As you already know, the Charmed Ones are a powerful force of good, many witches, them included, have white lighters that provide assistance, and in this instance they also have Belthazor,"
"I noticed, yes, what is he?" Edrigan asked. The Seer smirked; he honestly wanted to know.
"Belthazor and the white lighter are similar on a foundational level, men who have given away everything to be with the women they love, it makes them enduring and determined, a dangerous thing an arrow that cannot be diverted. However what makes him dangerous is not the power he now wields, but again, the commonality which he shares with the white lighter," The Seer gasped suddenly, the breath she took in freezing immediately as Edrigan's hand was around her throat.
"I tire of your riddles!" he howled. "And I tire of your arrogance at your protections," his strength was immense, which wasn't nearly as disturbing as how he had surmounted her foreseeing his assault. "Reconsider your next words given the newly presented variables of the situation," and she did.
"They will all have sons," she said simply. Edrigan's grip remained, but it didn't tighten a hair. "Evil will rise, has risen, in power, and a comparable power will rise for good, to maintain the balance, and one of them has already been born, the son of the eldest and her white lighter love," she rasped, her voice failing her. Instantly Edrigan released her, stalking to another corner of the room. The Seer coughed and hacked, confused, but thankful that she still lived.
"The Charmed Ones will die," Edrigan said simply. "And these, whelps," he began.
"There is but one now, yes, but the Charmed Ones' legacy will not die with them, so long as the child lives," The Seer stood to her full height again, breathing deeply, dusting the front of her robes. "They are not your match. They know this, you know this, but they do not know that for good to advance in power, to take the next leap, that they must die, so long as they live,"
"We have the advantage," Edrigan interrupted, turning to look at her suddenly, scanning her face for truth.
"Belthazor was the exploitable loop hole, ever since his decision to love the witch, he has always been outside, and given liberties no one else could shoulder, as he can now, being utterly human, mortal, and innocent, yet with the power to affect virtually any magic," The Seer explained.
"And he loves the witch with premonition, they're still unborn son,"
"Would be the match for any magical creature in existence, and along with Wyatt would eclipse the strongest demons in known history,"
"Wyatt?"
"The eldest' child, her son," Edrigan seem to calm down and take in everything for the first time in days. He would never see as the Seer saw, never as well, but he had been exposed to a greater, and deeper conundrum to be solved. He removed the athame from his robe and looked down at it.
"And this implement is integral to your plans, our plans," he corrected. The Seer grinned widely.
"It holds great power, but originally it was constructed to kill a being that there existed no method of vanquishing,"
"A force previously unseen, on either side of the scales,"
"Much like Wyatt, yes," The Seer stepped forward to stare up into the face of Edrigan. Finally, the demon's face split into that iconic, impossible grin, a mouth filled with white dagger-like teeth. He nodded down at her, reaching a hand out to put it on her shoulder, comfortingly.
"So," Edrigan said "what's to be in store for these Avatars?"
!#&
Phoebe reveled in her sexuality, or at least she had, now she couldn't get to the alley behind the club fast enough. The demon was busy with his hands, and it was becoming difficult to keep everything PG – 13 and keep his interest. It did make her happy though, that another man, an attractive man, could have his hands all over her, and yet she still felt nothing. She was really in love.
And she was really thankful when Cole stepped around behind the two of them and put the handle of the broken sword into the base of the demon's skull. Phoebe made a face as the man crumpled and Cole stepped forward to roll him over.
"You alright?" he asked, looking her up and down. She nodded. Cole looked like he was about to say something, then stopped, then he opened his mouth "You looked like you were enjoying that thing, taking him away from those women and pulling him by his tie,"
"Cole, stop," Phoebe put a hand up and knelt to get the demon's wallet, which she mostly needed to hide her grin from Cole. She could feel him fume briefly then slowly find his way back to the task at hand. "Why don't you take his,"
"It's done already, stand back," and after she had done so he brought the sword down through the demon's chest. He awoke briefly, only to die in a screaming fireball.
"You know the museum is probably going to want that back. Where were you hiding that, anyway?" She quirked an eyebrow. Cole stood, roughly grabbing Phoebe by the waist and pulling her to him. Secretly, she loved his possessiveness.
"Trade secret," he replied, kissing her deeply. "Now, let's go figure out what evil has in store for our brave heroes," Phoebe smiled at him, biting at his nose.
"Yes, let's," and they kissed again, and shimmering from the alley to elsewhere in the next moment.