A.N. Italics are thoughts.

Chapter 5

October 1, 2001

Liz was sitting on her balcony at 7:58 that night, Cole was expected to call soon, he would, he wanted answers from her. Cole deserved answers for why she left him that morning.

She was still shaky from this morning's incident, she had no clue how that happened but she did it. A force of energy had coursed through her and when that black board went up in smoke it was like everything was released from its prison.

At 8:00 on the dot her cell phone rang, she begins to reach for it but stops needing to take a few deep breaths. Finally calm enough to talk to him she grabs her phone flipping it open and places the speaker to her ear. "Hi." Well, that was an incredibly stupid opening.

"Hey Liz." Not really sure what else to say.

"So…you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yea, why did you leave without waking me?" Cole decides cutting to the chase was going to be the best way to deal with this conversation.

"I…" Why did she leave without letting him know? In a instant the answer enters her mind, "I knew, I wouldn't have left if I woke you up." She admits to him and herself. "And I had to leave, I couldn't stay in San Francisco."

"Of all the answers to that question you could have given me that wasn't the one I would have bet on." He chuckles. "How come you didn't tell me you weren't legal yet?"

How the hell did he figure that out? "Umm, 'scuse me?" Hoping he'll just drop it, but she should have known it wouldn't work, he's a lawyer and he wants answers.

"Don't play games with me Liz. I found out today you were 17 and I want to know why you didn't tell me that important little detail in all the talks we had?"

"You never asked, if you asked I would have told you, but you treated me like an adult, I didn't want that change. If you knew my real age I was afraid you'd look at me different." Liz picks at her blanket as she waits for him to comment.

"Contrary to what you think Liz, I wouldn't have looked at you any different. I would have still been, and am still, attracted to you. Your age wouldn't change that. I probably would have taken things a bit more slowly, but not had you, no way." He admits to her.

Despite promising herself not to fall under his spell she couldn't help it, the smile that graced her face was bright enough to light up a room. "You mean that?" Although 'having her' wasn't extremely romantic, to her it meant something.

"Oh yea. Ever since I saw you in that elevator I wanted you. You were wearing the tight jeans that showed off your perfect ass," he could almost see her blushing over the phone, "that tiny sheer top, where I could tell you were cold."

Liz huskily chuckles as Cole continues. "Your hair was pulled back just tempting me to place my mark on you..."

A knock at the door of Liz's room stops Cole from telling her any more about what he wanted to do that day. "Hold on." She places her hand over the speaker and walks over to the open window. "Yea?"

"Lizzie, I need to talk to you." Jeff yells through the door.

"Umm, all right. I'll be right there, I'm just changing." Liz puts the phone back up to her ear. "Cole, I gotta go, my dad wants to talk. Give me your number and I'll call you back when I can ok?"

"Ok, don't tell your father about me alright?" Cole pleads.

"What do you think I'm an idiot, if I told him he'll kill you then me." He tells her his number and they quickly say good-bye.

Entering her room she tosses the phone on the bed and changes her sweaters so her dad believes her story about changing when he knocked. Quickly she hurried out of the privacy of her room and into the living room where her father was sitting in his favorite chair.

"What's up Dad?" Liz stands behind the sofa.

"Have a seat Lizzie." Slowly nodding she takes the spot on the couch directly across from her father. "Lizzie I want you to tell me what contact you had with Cole specifically."

"Umm, sure but why?" Confusion clear on her face.

"Just tell me sweetheart." Jeff probes.

"Well, umm he was in the elevator as I was getting on. He told me his name, I told him mine. Cole asked me how I was related to you; I told him I'm your daughter. After that I didn't see for the rest of the time." Liz easily lies.

Jeff's not entirely sure he believes Liz, for one thing she said Cole in almost dreamy like fashion, for another she called him Cole, not Mr. Turner. He had raised his daughter to call her elders by Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms. not by their first names. If she only met Balthazar once she wouldn't call him by his first name.

"You sure that's all that occurred? You don't have to protect Cole, and I won't get mad at you if something happened." Jeff tries to get Liz to tell the truth.

"Dad, I swear nothing happened. Now, I'm going to go to bed now if that's all right. I have an early day tomorrow and I need sleep." Liz stands not leaving the room, waiting for her father's permission.

He nods and waves his hand giving her the permission she sought. Jeff can feel it in his gut that something more took place with Liz and Cole, but what he couldn't be sure, all he knew was that she was lying to him, and that's something he didn't like one bit.

TBC