Chapter 9: Downfall

By the time Paige managed to understand that Cole had let go of her because Leo was standing right outside the open shower curtains, the demon had already wrapped a towel around his waist and pulled her dress forwards on her shoulders again to make them both look a bit more respectable. However, she didn't have to react quick, she was still faster to come to her senses than a certain male whitelighter, standing dumbstruck, with his mouth open.

Cole clutched her arm, "you and me. I'll take you somewhere he can't follow."

Paige gulped, knowing from the expression in his eyes it was a deciding moment, one where she had to attest to a side, him, or not him. She squeezed his hand, "just go out to the living room. I'll be there as soon as I clear this up with Leo." She would've wanted to have a chance to assess his reaction, whether he still had that little trust in her she managed to convince him to have, but he chose shimmering out instead of walking. She didn't want to leave him alone, but she couldn't leave as it was with Leo either.

"Did he put a spell on you?" Leo voiced the only explanation he could think of for the behavior of a normally feisty Paige when in came to matters related to Cole.

"It's not what you think!" Paige rushed out the shower cubicle with the pathetic answer, "this wasn't the plan, at least not initially," she surprised herself with the truth. What, is it the plan now? "Look, I know this is a bit further away from what we talked about, but it doesn't change anything. Did you convince Piper?" She threw the ball back.

Leo hardly noticeably shook his head, still frowning, puzzled. "Piper's got this nesting instinct of pregnant women going on just now. She wants every potential danger out the way before the baby's born."

"Leo, I watched him struggle against every reminder of evil even in his sleep," Paige tried with renewed efforts, "if you just listen to him, really listen to him, you'll know there's no danger."

"I'm sorry Paige. The decision is final, two against one."

"I'm not going to make him drink that potion!" Paige got interrupted by a loud thump coming from the bedroom.

Always on alert in case of a demon attack, they both orbed to where the noise came from to find that Cole was lying on the floor next to the empty vial of the very potion Paige was just talking about.

Tbc