Chapter 2: Hint

"Trust you?" Cole sat up and buried his face in his palms, "why should I trust you? You never trusted me. Aren't you the one who's always been suspicious ever since you found out I was a demon? Even when I was human? Aren't you the one who'd tried to kill me several times?"

"I'm also the one who tried to take your powers away, and the one who made those potions for you that you wanted to try, then came back several times to see how you were doing. I'm the one who believed Phoebe became a mermaid because she still loved you."

Cole gave her a brief, skeptical look, then went back to rubbing his forehead, "how dignifying of you trying to put a demon out his misery. So how is it you're gonna make everything right, huh? More potions? Shoot me off into the sun in a rocket? Deep freeze me so I don't feel anything? I'll tell you, it will not work."

"I know that! I'm not gonna try to kill you anymore. Seems like I'm not a good enough witch for that. But I'm hoping I'm still a good enough person not to be able to watch your suffering while at ease myself. You got all this power inside of you that's doing all sorts of things to you, all right, you gotta learn to live with it. Look at it as a disability, part of your temperament, whatever. You could say I didn't learn many things from my fosterparents, but in hindsight, I learned quite a lot. I learned that it is you that decides what to do with your life, not some random event that made you an apparent orphan, or the way you look. But it's hard to do it alone, and we left you alone. Therefore I'll be here from now on," she sat down next to him on the couch.

"Don't be ridiculous. You wanna live here? So I don't do anything stupid? Are you actually aware of the fact that I could kill you right here, right now, without having to move as much as a pinkie?"

"You haven't so far," she shrugged, "not even when to any observer you appeared to have completely lost it."

"You're the bold one, aren't you?" Cole growled and stood up. He couldn't sit when he was arguing, there was too much energy flowing in his veins. "One of the Charmed Ones is moving in with the most powerful demon there is. It's not news, it won't be the first time, and yet you can't imagine Phoebe's overreaction to it! As if..."

"I don't know? You think? After the lecture she gave me when I happened to pop home for some fresh clothes earlier while you were out cold? You know what? They can shove it! They've done exactly the same thing with me as they did with you. This high breed of witches I never knew it existed before, coming from their high horses, expecting me to just assimilate everything at the drop of a hat. And then when I think I have all this power, knowing how to cast spells, make potions, orb all the gold from Fort Know, they expect me not rob the back and to give it to needy children and be exactly how they are! I might be a Charmed One, but I want to make my mistakes alone, without those accusing eyes on me, as if I'd accidentally have the tendency to bring about the world's end! They are not helping! This not the kinda support I'm looking for, accusations and being looked down upon! Well, I'm staying here!"

Cole watched her with his eyes wide open, having stopped pacing. He was now staring at her, "are you finished?"

"No!" Snapped Paige and orbed into the decorative piano in the corner of the living room and disintegrated it from the inside with her orbs. "Now I'm finished," she sauntered out with a smile on her face, "I always wanted to do that. I hope you didn't need that?"

Cole squinted, then raised one hand a few inches tiredly and half heartedly in the direction of the remains of the piano and in one instant it was back again how it was. "That was the one my mother used to play on. But feel free to blow up anything else while I sleep. We'll work on your vanquishing potions together, later," he took off towards his bedroom.

"Sleep? But you're just up!"

"You made me need some more sleep with all that concoction, don't you think? Where are you going?" He stopped and faced her in the bedroom door.

"According to my new rules I can't let you out my sight in case you vanish off somewhere."

Cole gave her a quirky, little surprised smile, "you gonna watch me sleep?"

"What else is new?" Paige threw her hands in the air and looked him in the eye till his expression softened and he turned out her way.

Tbc