Chapter 58: Sleuthing With the Enemy
December 1, 1998 – Tuesday
Halliwell Manor
In the kitchen, Buffy, Prue, and Piper were making the Belthazor vanquishing potion. Buffy was carefully measuring out the ingredients while Prue and Piper stirred the pot. The room was filled with the aroma of herbs and spices as they worked together to create the powerful potion.
"Okay, even if this works," Piper said as Buffy dropped in an ingredient. "We still have to find Belthazor."
Prue nodded in agreement, her eyes focused on the simmering mixture. "Well, I have an idea how to do that but first things first. Cockles."
"Cockles?" Buffy asked in confusion, looking at the various bottles on the counter. What exactly were cockles, she wondered?
Prue smiled. "They're over by the crickets."
Buffy raised an eyebrow, still unsure of what a cockle was. "And what exactly are they?" she asked as she picked up the cockles.
Prue chuckled. "Small leaping insects that chirp," she explained thinking Buffy was asking about the crickets.
Buffy shook her head. "That's funny. No, I meant the cockles, not the crickets," she clarified.
"I'm not really sure," Prue replied with a shrug. "But as long as they help vanquish Belthazor that's all I really care about."
Piper nodded in agreement. "It would be nice to get back to our lives such as they were."
"Pig's feet," Prue said motioning toward the jar of pig's feet.
"Yecchh." Piper said, wrinkling her nose.
"Yecchh?" Buffy and Prue replied with raised eyebrows.
Piper nodded. "Yecchh," she repeated.
"So you can slice up a chunk of demon flesh but you can't touch pig's foot," Piper said looking at her sister with a shake of her head.
"I'm a vegetarian," Piper replied.
Buffy raised an eyebrow, knowing that wasn't remotely true. "Since when?"
Piper shrugged. "Since now," she said with a small smile.
Prue rolled her eyes. "Now is not the time to get squeamish, okay? This recipe is very important. We have to follow it to a T," she said as Buffy dropped the pig's feet into the pot as a jet of flame shot up. "Ooh!"
"Poor piggy," Piper said sympathetically.
Buffy looked at the family's Book of Shadows to see what else was needed for the potion. "Everything's in there," she said. "We just need to get the slice of Belthazor flesh, and we're good to go. Let's test it. Pheebs?" she called out.
"Something tells me she's not in a vanquishing mood," Piper said sadly.
Prue sighed. "Why not?"
"Cole missage," Buffy answered. "She's worried about him as she hasn't heard from him in a week."
Prue looked at Buffy and Piper with a raised eyebrow. "And that's a bad thing?"
"Prue," Buffy and Piper admonished.
"You know what? I don't like him, and I don't trust him," Prue explained. "And it has nothing to do with him being a greasy lawyer either."
Buffy and Piper exchanged a glance as Phoebe walked into the room. "Greasy what?" Phoebe asked.
"Uh, greasy layer," Piper said quickly. "There's a greasy layer on this potion."
Prue nodded. "Too much mandrake," she added.
Buffy glanced back at the family's Book of Shadows. "Okay, uh, what do you say we do this incantation?" she said.
"Anything to get rid of Belthazor before Cole gets back," Phoebe replied. "And he is coming back."
"Okay," Piper agreed.
"You know, I would love to know why there is a Power of Three spell for the Belthazor vanquishing potion when there isn't any for any other demon," Buffy said, looking at the three of them with a raised eyebrow.
"Who exactly knows," Prue replied with a shrug. "Shall we...?"
"Spirits of air, forests and sea, set us of this demon free; beasts of hoof and beasts of shell, drive this evil back to hell," the four of them chanted as the potion bubbled but otherwise did nothing.
Phoebe looked at the potion worriedly. "Uh-oh, it didn't work," she said.
Buffy shook her head as she walked toward the fridge. "No, we forgot the Belthazor flesh."
Piper groaned in frustration. "Oh yes."
"How can we forget the Belthazor flesh?" Phoebe wondered as Buffy got the Belthazor flesh out of the freezer.
"Such a slacker." Prue joked.
"Give me a second, Prue," Buffy said. "All right, ready?" She dropped the Belthazor flesh into the pot. The potion exploded, knocking her and Piper to the ground.
"Are you all right?" Prue asked as she and Phoebe helped Buffy and Piper to their feet.
"Attack of the killer pig's feet," Piper quipped sarcastically. "Remind us to step back next time."
December 2, 1998 – Wednesday
Halliwell Manor
Buffy was sitting in the living room watching TV when she heard Prue and Phoebe in the foyer.
"Hey," Prue greeted.
"I'll be back," Phoebe said.
Buffy looked up from the TV and smiled at her sisters. "Where are you going?" she asked curiously as Prue and Phoebe walked into the living room.
Phoebe smiled. "I am going to school," she answered. "Then I'm going to Cole's." She grabbed her textbooks and put them in her book bag.
Prue frowned. "Okay, aren't you forgetting a little something?" she asked. "Like vanquishing Belthazor?"
Phoebe looked at Prue with a raised eyebrow. "Wait, I thought you had to write a spell to summon him first."
"Yes, and it's done," Buffy said as Phoebe looked at her in surprise. "What I can't write spells?"
Phoebe chuckled. "No, it's not that, sweetie. It's just that it's usually Prue or I who do it."
"Well, it's time I started doing it more," Buffy explained. "Anyway, I used the one that we called Melinda from the past with, just re-wrote it a little bit."
"Really?" Phoebe asked with a raised eyebrow. "Think it'll work?"
Buffy nodded. "Well, yeah," she replied. "I mean, it should. It's magic calling magic. Although in this case, dark magic."
"Phoebe, why are you going to Cole's again?" Prue wondered. "I mean, what do you really expect to find?"
Phoebe shrugged. "Mmm, actually, I was going to go to his office," she corrected. "And how do you know I've already been to Cole's?"
Prue rolled her eyes. "Well, you got a parking ticket there yesterday when you borrowed my car."
Phoebe raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oops, sorry, I'll pay for it."
Buffy shook her head while listening to her two cousins, slash, sisters, bicker. She couldn't help but feel grateful for their bond, even if it did come with occasional arguments. After all, they were family and had each other's backs no matter what.
"Phoebe, that's not the point," Prue continued. "Look, please, don't take this out on me, all right. I'm not the bad guy."
Phoebe sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She knew Prue was right, but she couldn't help feeling frustrated. "I know, I would just like some understanding, you know, some support here."
"Pheebs, forget it when it comes to Cole," Buffy said, looking pointedly at Prue. "Prue can't. You have my support, though."
Phoebe nodded, grateful for Buffy's words.
"Sadly, Buffy is right," Prue said, looking at Phoebe. "I can't support you when I think you're just setting yourself up to get hurt. I have to be honest with you, and we have to be honest with each other. That's the promise we made when Belthazor tried to split us apart, remember?"
Phoebe nodded, understanding Prue's concern. "Yeah, it just doesn't help that you never really liked Cole from the beginning."
Prue sighed. "Yeah, well, I mean, you never really liked any of my boyfriends either."
Phoebe chuckled. "That's very true."
Prue smiled, feeling a sense of relief. "I'm sorry, all right. This is your call and not mine."
Buffy chuckled. "Wow, Prue. I never thought I would hear you say that to Phoebe," she said as Piper walked into the room.
Phoebe smiled appreciatively at Prue. "Thank you."
"Okay, are we going to do this or what?" Piper wondered, looking at the three of them.
Prue nodded and motioned toward herself, Piper, and Buffy. "You, me, and Buffy are. Phoebe's not."
"Are you sure?" Phoebe asked with a raised eyebrow.
Prue nodded firmly. "Yeah, yeah, go to Cole's. It's fine. Uh, we don't need the Power of Three to vanquish, just the potion."
"Okay, well, why don't you take this in case?" Piper handed a potion vial to Phoebe.
"Okay, just you guys; no more whispering, okay?" Phoebe asked. "It's hard enough for me to know that Cole's keeping secrets from me. I can't take it from you too."
"We're trying, Pheebs," Buffy said reassuringly as Phoebe nodded before heading out of the manor.
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"This is going to be messy." Piper said as she, Prue, and Buffy tipped over the dining room table.
"That's why we Scotchguard," Prue said as she handed Buffy and Piper each a vial of the potion. "You two ready?"
Buffy and Piper nodded in unison. "The quicker we get this done, the quicker Prue and I can go car shopping," Buffy said as Prue looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You promised."
Piper chuckled and smiled at Prue. "You did promise," she said.
Prue rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. "Fine, fine." She looked at Piper pointedly. "Are you ready?"
Piper nodded. "I'm ready as I'll ever be."
"All right," Prue said as they crouched down behind the table.
Buffy held up the paper that she had written her spell on so Prue and Piper could easily read it. "Magic forces black and white, reaching out through space and light, be he far or be he near, bring us the demon Belthazor here," the three of them chanted as a strong wind began to blow through the room.
"It's working." Piper said happily.
"All right, you guy's ready?" Prue asked again.
Piper nodded and took a deep breath. "Uh-huh."
"Ready." Buffy answered.
"On three. 1, 2, 3," Prue said as a demon appeared on the other side of the table. They threw their potions at him.
"There's no boom. Why is there no boom?" Piper said when they didn't hear the resulting explosion from a vanquish.
"I don't know," Prue replied.
"I don't either." Buffy added.
"Stupid witches!" the demon snarled.
Prue looked over the edge of the table. "He's not," she said as the demon sent a bolt of lightning at them and hit the table instead, creating a huge hole in the middle. "Ooh, you know what? That is an antique!" She waved her hand, sending him telekinetically flying toward the grandfather clock.
"Not the clock!" Piper cried as she flicked her wrist, freezing the demon in mid-air. "We can't afford to keep fixing that thing." They stood up and walked around the table, approaching the demon. "Unless Belthazor can morph, that is definitely not him."
Buffy nodded in agreement. "All right, that doesn't make sense," she said. "How did we get the wrong demon?" She smiled as an idea came to her. "Piper, do you think that you could just unfreeze his head? That way, we could ask."
"His head?" Piper asked with a raised eyebrow. She had never unfrozen a single body part before.
"Yeah, his head." Buffy repeated.
"Why not?" Piper said and flicked her wrist, concentrating on unfreezing only his head. "That's different."
"That's cool," Prue said as she, Piper, and Buffy chuckled.
"What did you do to me?" the demon asked.
Prue smirked. "Uh, hi, you know what? You're sort of frozen in mid-air; therefore, we'll be asking the questions, okay?" she said as a fireball formed in Buffy's hand.
Buffy began tossing the fireball back and forth between her hands for emphasis. "Or I might just use you for target practice. Who are you?"
The demon looked at Buffy with a smirk. "Someone who's going to butcher you, Slayer, if your cousin doesn't unfreeze me right now."
"Okay." Piper said. She flicked her wrist, unfreezing the demon completely. He went flying into the grandfather clock. She smiled at the looks Buffy and Prue gave her. "What? It was worth it."
They walked over to the demon, and Prue put her foot on his chest. "All right, you start talking, or we start the bonus round," she instructed.
"I am Krell, a Zotar," Krell said, introducing himself.
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Hi, I'm Buffy, a Capricorn on the cusp of Aquarius." She motioned toward Prue and Piper. "This is Prue, a Scorpio, and Piper, a Leo. Where's Belthazor?"
Krell pushed Prue's foot off his chest. Prue and Piper backed away as Buffy moved in front of them protectively. "Wait, don't," he said, eying the fireball in Buffy's hand. "I won't attack if you don't. I'm a bounty hunter. I track fugitive demons, and it looks like we're after the same one."
District Attorney's Office
Phoebe walked up to the door outside Cole's office. After looking around, she walked inside and found someone sitting in Cole's chair facing the wall. "Cole?" she said, hopeful, as the chair spun around to reveal someone Phoebe didn't know. "Oh, I'm so sorry; I was just looking for Cole Turner."
" Well, that's all right; so am I," the man said as he stood up. He walked around the desk toward Phoebe. "Reese Davidson. DA Bureau of Investigations," he introduced himself while showing her his badge. "And you are?"
Phoebe hesitated for a moment before introducing herself. "Phoebe."
"Phoebe?" Reese said with a raised eyebrow. "Is that like Cher or Madonna, or do you have a last name?"
Phoebe chuckled. "No, of-of course. Uh, Halliwell. Phoebe Halliwell," she answered. "Is Cole okay?"
Reese's expression turned serious at the mention of Cole's name. "How do you know him?"
"You didn't answer my question," Phoebe replied.
Reese hesitated for a moment before finally responding, "I know. Look, I have no idea if he's all right or not. That's what I'm trying to figure out. Nobody's heard from him since last Wednesday. Are you his girl?"
Phoebe nodded. "Yeah, I'm his girl."
"Well, did he mention anything to you about what he was doing?" he asked. "Where he was going?"
Phoebe shook her head. "No," she answered. "A couple of weeks ago, he had a suitcase packed, but he said his plans had changed."
Reese jotted down some notes in his notebook. "What plans?" he inquired.
Phoebe thought for a moment before responding. "I don't know. Uh, something about a big case that he was working on."
Reese raised an eyebrow. "Hmm..." He picked up a folder. "Now, according to his filing, he hasn't been working on any case, big or small. Not for a couple of months. All he's done is file extensions. It makes you wonder what he's been doing with himself. Well, if you happen to hear from him or if you think of anything that might help," he handed her his card, "call me okay. Okay?"
Phoebe nodded, taking the card. "Yeah," she said as she turned and left.
Halliwell Manor
"I should've known better than to underestimate him," Krell informed them. "I thought that because Belthazor couldn't shimmer, his other powers were useless as well."
"So you don't have the power to vanquish him?" Piper asked.
Krell shook his head. "Obviously not. Otherwise, I wouldn't have needed to intercept your little calling card, now would I?"
Buffy stepped forward, her expression serious. "Hey, you know what? How about next time Piper can just freeze your head, and then maybe I could kick you in the—"
"Buffy!" Prue interrupted, placing a hand on Buffy's shoulder. She turned back to Krell. "Alright, uh, so Belthazor was sent by the Triad to kill us. How do we know that you weren't sent by them too?"
Krell raised his hands in surrender. "You're joking, right? I don't believe this. You really don't know? You're Whitelighter must really be sleeping on the job."
"Dad and I are not," Buffy said in her and Leo's defense.
"Buffy," Prue interrupted again as her hand slipped from Buffy's shoulder to her back, her hand rubbing in soothing circles. She turned back to Krell again. "What don't we know?"
Krell hesitated for a moment before responding, "Belthazor killed the Triad. That's why he's on the run; that's why I'm here."
"Why would he do that?" Buffy questioned.
"Probably because they were going to kill him," Krell replied. "For failing to kill you. Ironically, his inability to shimmer saved him from you killing him."
Prue raised an eyebrow. "So instead, we got you."
Krell nodded. "Believe me, just the thought of working with you turns my stomachs."
Piper raised an eyebrow in question at the plural use of the words.
"Piper, need I remind you that Phoebe and I fought a demon a couple weeks ago that had no mouth?" Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow. "Demons don't always have the same anatomy we do."
"Anyway," Krell said, getting them back on the topic of Belthazor. "Right now, I'm more interested in killing Belthazor than witches or the Slayer," he continued, his eyes narrowing with determination. "Like it or not, we need each other. You can't find him without me, and I can't vanquish him without your potion."
"So then you know where he is?" Prue questioned.
"Prue," Piper interrupted. "You can't be seriously considering this."
"I have to agree with Piper, Prue," Buffy added.
Prue didn't relish the idea of working with a demon, but she wasn't sure they had a choice. "Answer the question."
Krell hesitated before nodding. "I can track his scent and his blood when he's in his demonic form, not his human one. Fortunately, he can't maintain his human self for long, especially when wounded. It drains him."
"Uh, hi," Piper said, looking at Buffy and Prue. "Could you both come here, over here, please?" she asked, pulling them to the side. "Prue, we've tried working with demons before; it was a bad idea then. And it's definitely a bad idea now."
Prue glanced at Buffy, who nodded in agreement with Piper. She sighed as she looked over at Krell. "We'll let you know."
"No, you'll let me know now," Krell insisted. When he saw they weren't hurrying to make a decision, he relented. "Think fast. Belthazor won't stop trying to kill you. Only the heads of the Charmed Ones and the Charmed Slayer will convince the source to spare him," he informed them before shimmering out.
"Buffy," Prue said, her eyes narrowed.
Cole's Apartment
"Cole?" Phoebe said as she knocked on the door to his apartment. "Cole, are you in there?" she asked as a neighbor poked her head out of her apartment. "Oh, sorry," she apologized as the neighbor closed the door.
Phoebe looked down and noticed a drop of blood on the floor leading into Cole's apartment. Hesitantly, as if afraid of what she would find inside, she opened the door. "Cole? Hello?" she called as she walked inside. She spotted more drops of blood leading toward the bathroom.
Unseen by Phoebe, Belthazor stood just behind the door. He walked across the room as he morphed into Cole.
"Cole?" Phoebe pushed the door open and found Cole putting on a shirt. Her eyes went wide as she spotted a wound in his side. "Cole."
"You really shouldn't be here," Cole said as Phoebe rushed to his side.
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"Okay, Cole. Come on, lay down," Phoebe said as she helped Cole into his bedroom and over to his bed. "Lay down. Easy. Are you okay?"
"Do I look okay?" Cole asked as he laid down.
Phoebe shook her head. "I'm sorry. Okay, let's see how bad this is."
"No, no, don't," Cole pleaded.
"Believe me, I've seen worse, Cole," Phoebe explained as she gently lifted up Cole's shirt to examine the wound on his stomach.
Cole grabbed her wrist. "I said don't. Please."
"We've got to get you to the hospital," she said.
"It's not safe there; they'll find me," Cole said, his voice strained.
Phoebe looked at him with concern. "Who will find you? What's going on? Who's after you? There was somebody looking for you today at your office. An investigator."
Cole sat up hesitantly. "You didn't tell him anything, did you?"
Phoebe shook her head. "I don't know anything."
Cole looked at her for a moment before speaking, "What did he look like? "Are you sure he wasn't a de...a?" he asked, correcting himself at the last moment to keep from saying demon.
"He said that he was. And he also said that he needed to..." Phoebe said as Cole groaned. "Okay, come on, back down, back down." He laid back down on the bed. "I'm going to go get some help, okay?" She looked toward the ceiling and whispered, "Leo, Buffy?"
"Phoebe, come on," Cole pleaded.
"Cole, I am not just going to sit back and watch you die, okay?" Phoebe told him. She glanced back at the ceiling and whispered for Leo and Buffy again. Then she turned her attention back to Cole. "Um, I am going to go back to the house, okay, and I'm going to get Leo or Buffy. Leo's a doctor, and he's been training Buffy; they can heal you."
Cole nodded weakly. "Okay," he said.
"Are you sure it's safe for you here?" Phoebe asked in concern.
"They've already looked for me here; they won't be back. Not for a while anyway," Cole answered, trying to sound confident.
Phoebe leaned down and kissed him. "You'd better be here when I get back." She quickly got up and ran out of the abandoned building, determined to get Leo or Buffy to save Cole's life.
As the door closed behind her, Cole morphed into Belthazor and then back into Cole.
Halliwell Manor
"I don't understand. How can you not know the Triad is dead?" Piper asked as she paced in the attic. She glanced at Buffy. "Don't you think that's kind of important? Especially since, oh, I don't know. They've been trying to kill us for the past two years."
Buffy sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She was about to reply when Leo spoke up instead. "They've heard rumors and talk, but nothing substantiated."
"Well, I guess you can substantiate it now, can't you?" Piper asked, glaring at the father-daughter duo. "Geez, have you both been sleeping on the job or what?"
"Piper," Leo interjected. "Buffy does have other things to deal with. Such as her Slayer duties, her Charmed duties, and her duties as Willow's Whitelighter. She doesn't have time to confirm every rumor they hear, or she wouldn't have time to help you, guide Willow, or guard the Hellmouth."
"That excuses, Buffy, but not you," Piper snapped at her boyfriend.
"Leo, don't mind her; she's just a little cranky." Prue said.
"Well, you know what?" Piper snapped, turning on her sister. "I get that way when demons are trying to kill us."
Prue sighed. "Piper, I really don't think that Krell is trying to kill us; otherwise, he probably would've tried by now."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah?" she said sarcastically. "Tell that to the dining room table."
"Is there anything in there on Zotars?" Leo wondered, looking at Prue and Buffy, who were looking through both Book of Shadows.
"Yeah, everything that he said about them," Prue replied. "Which makes me think that everything else he has said might be true too."
"Including the part about how he likes to kill witches?" Piper asked.
"Including the part about all of us working together." Prue corrected.
"I have to agree with Piper," Buffy interjected. "He is a demon after all. Just because he hunts his own kind doesn't mean he wouldn't take the risk of taking us out too."
"Buffy's right," Piper agreed, looking at her sister. "Are you willing to bet our lives on us working together?"
Prue sighed. "Are you two willing not to?" she replied. "Look, Buffy, Piper, if we do nothing and Belthazor somehow gets all of his powers back, then we are going to be looking back over our shoulders. Again. Personally, I'm tired of that."
Buffy and Piper exchanged a glance before nodding in agreement. "I know, I know, okay. I know you think she's right, and..." Piper said, looking toward her boyfriend.
"If you don't vanquish him now," Leo said looking at his daughter and girlfriend. "You may not get another chance."
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Leo, Prue, Buffy, and Piper stood in the middle of the conservatory as Buffy held the Belthazor summoning spell in front of them. "Magic forces black and white, reaching out through space and light, be he far or be he near, bring us the demon Belthazor here," they chanted as Krell appeared.
"Well...?" Krell started as Phoebe walked into the conservatory.
"Demon!" Phoebe cried as she ran toward him.
"Phoebe, no!" Piper shouted.
"Phoebe," Buffy called out and Phoebe disappeared in swirl of fiery flames to reappear next to Buffy.
"What is going on?" Phoebe asked, looking at Buffy. "Who is that?"
"He is a demonic bounty hunter," Prue explained. "Who is here to help us find Belthazor."
"Why don't you go sniff something while we fill her in?" Buffy suggested looking at Krell warily.
"There's no time," Krell argued. "I just picked up Belthazor's scent again."
"Alright, give us a minute," Prue said before turning to Phoebe. "Come here," she said, pulling Phoebe across the room. "All right, listen, here's the deal. Belthazor killed the Triad, and now the Source wants him dead. Krell is trying to suck up to the Source, so he wants to kill Belthazor."
"And Belthazor wants to kill us so the source won't kill him," Piper added.
"And as much as I hate to say it, if we work with Krell, we can vanquish Belthazor before he kills us," Buffy concluded.
Phoebe nodded. "Works for me. Leo, Buffy, I have to talk to you both for a minute."
"How do you witches ever get anything done?" Krell snapped. "If we're working together, we need to move now."
"All right, we're ready," Prue agreed, looking at Krell.
"Do you have the potion?" Krell asked pointedly.
"Do you have the scent?" Piper wondered.
"I said I did, didn't I?" said Krell as he pointed at Prue, Piper, and Buffy. "You three come with me. The others should go to the old cemetery."
"Wait, split up? Why?" Leo said as his eyes narrowed.
"Because he might be hiding there, that's why," Krell replied. "Evil frequents cemeteries. It makes it difficult for me to track a demon's scent there. Belthazor knows that."
Phoebe glanced toward Buffy. It would be too suspicious now if she tried to get Buffy to come with her; she would have to settle with Leo alone. "Okay, so why don't Leo and I go to the cemetery, and you guys go with him."
Buffy looked hesitant. "Are you sure?" she asked.
Phoebe smiled reassuringly. "Positive."
"Alright, let's go; we're ready," Prue said as she and Piper took Buffy's hands. "Oh, hey, I almost forgot to ask," she asked, looking at Phoebe. "Did you find out anything about Cole?"
Phoebe's smile faded as she shook her head. "Uh, no, nothing at all about Cole."
Cole's Apartment
"Phoebe, we shouldn't even be here. Belthazor..." Leo said as he and Phoebe walked down the hallway toward Cole's apartment.
"Can wait," Phoebe countered. "Cole can't. Leo, he will die without your help."
"Then he should be in a hospital," Leo said.
Phoebe sighed. "He won't go."
"Phoebe, I can not heal mortals," Leo reminded her. "You know that. Not unless they were hurt by evil. It's against the rules."
"So break the rules," Phoebe pleaded. "You've done it before, for Piper and Buffy, for your girlfriend and daughter," she reminded him. "I'm sorry, that wasn't fair. I just can't let him die, Leo."
Leo sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "You shouldn't be asking me to do this."
"I know, but I am," Phoebe said softly, placing a hand on Leo's shoulder. She led him inside the apartment. They found Cole sitting on the floor of the living room. "Cole. Come here," she said, helping to lay flat on the floor.
Leo knelt beside Cole and took off the bandage. He held his hands over the wound, and the golden rays of healing spread out from his hands. As he tried to heal, sparks shot out from his hands.
"Leo, what's the matter?" Phoebe asked in concern.
Leo looked up at Phoebe with a worried expression. "Something's not right," he said. Suddenly, he went flying backward, flying into a chair.
Phoebe rushed to Leo's side. "Leo, are you okay?" she asked, helping him to his feet.
"Yeah, I think so," Leo answered.
Phoebe nodded as she turned back to Cole, who was sitting up. "Cole."
"Phoebe," Cole said lovingly.
"It's okay," Phoebe said soothingly. "You're okay now."
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Phoebe walked into the bedroom carrying a glass of water. "Here you go, baby," she said, handing him the glass.
Cole took a sip of water and smiled gratefully at Phoebe. "Thank you," he said softly. "I feel like I've been hit by a truck."
Phoebe sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed Cole's back gently. "You're lucky to be feeling anything right now."
Cole nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know," he said before looking at Leo. "You must be one hell of a doctor."
"He is," Phoebe said, looking up at Leo. He's one of the best."
"I owe you one," Cole said as he smiled at Leo.
"Forget it," Leo said matter-of-factly. He turned to Phoebe. "Phoebe, can I talk to you out here?" He motioned back toward the living room.
"Go ahead," Cole said, looking at Phoebe. "I'm fine."
"Okay, I'll be right back," Phoebe said as she kissed Cole's forehead. She followed Leo into the living room, wondering what he wanted to talk about. "What's the matter?"
As soon as they were alone, Leo's expression turned serious. "Phoebe, listen to me; I think we should get out of here now. "
"I agree," Phoebe said. "Whoever's after him could come back."
Leo shook his head. "That is not what I'm talking about. You saw what happened in there."
Phoebe's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Yeah, you healed him," she replied.
Leo took a deep breath before answering. "No, Phoebe, I only healed part of him. That has never happened before."
"Well, maybe it's just because he's weak," Phoebe suggested.
Leo shook his head. "That is not the reason. I can heal mortals completely. There is no other explanation. He is not who you think he is."
"No," Phoebe said in confusion. "I don't understand."
Leo took a deep breath before continuing. "He is a demon, Phoebe. For all we know, he could be the demon that you are trying to vanquish."
"That's ridiculous," Phoebe said in disbelief.
"Think about it. Okay, they're both hurt, and they're both on the run. You saw where Cole's wound is," Leo added, concern etched on his face. "It is the same place where Piper cut the flesh from Belthazor."
"No, I don't believe it," Phoebe said.
"You have to believe it," Leo said, worry evident in his voice.
"No, I don't, Leo," Phoebe argued. "I don't. Maybe you should just go."
"There's no way I'm leaving you here alone with him," Leo said firmly.
"I have the potion, don't I?" Phoebe asked. "Just go."
Leo hesitated for a moment before finally nodding and orbing out.
Phoebe walked back into the bedroom. She frowned when she saw Cole was not in the bed. As she closed the door, she found Cole behind it, frightening her. "Is everything all right?" he asked.
Phoebe took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine."
Streets of San Francisco
Krell shimmered into the alley as Buffy, Piper, and Prue appeared next to him in a swirl of fiery flames. "I can smell his blood; he's close," he informed them.
Buffy, Prue, and Piper exchanged a quick glance. "Where?" Prue questioned looking at Krell.
"Get your potions," Krell replied.
Prue rolled her eyes as she looked at Buffy and Piper. "You know, it's too bad that he's such a bad guy, because he could really come in handy."
"Don't push it," Buffy said as they made their way down the alley.
Krell came to a stop in front of a stack of boxes. He moved them to reveal a sleeping homeless person. "Vanquish him," he instructed.
"Hey," the homeless man said as he woke to find Krell, Buffy, Prue, and Piper had surrounded him. "What's going on? Who are you?" he asked.
"It's a trick," Krell replied, narrowing his eyes at the homeless man. "He's in his human form. Throw the potion."
Buffy hesitated, not wanting to harm an innocent person. "Hold your horses and think for a moment," she said, looking at Krell. "Don't you think he would've picked a better human?" She glanced toward the homeless man. "No offense."
"None taken," the homeless man said.
"Hey, easy!" Piper yelled as Krell grabbed her potion vial. He threw it at the homeless man. "And you call yourself a Zotar?" she said when the potion did nothing to the homeless man.
Krell sniffed around the homeless man and tracked Belthazor's scent to the coat the man was wearing. "Where did you get this coat?" he growled, baring his teeth.
The homeless man cowered and stuttered, "I didn't do anything."
Krell picked the homeless man up off the ground and pushed him up against the wall of the building behind him. "Tell me."
The homeless man trembled as he tried to recall where he had found the coat. Finally, he stammered, "I just found it."
"Leave him alone," Prue said, glaring at the demon. "He doesn't know anything."
"Yeah," the homeless man agreed.
As Krell was about to throw a lightning bolt at the man, Buffy had enough of the demon's tactics. She grabbed Krell and, with all the strength given to her by the Slayer, threw him across the alley. The demon crashed into a pile of garbage cans, causing a loud clatter.
"Thanks, lady," the homeless man said appreciatively.
Buffy stood tall, her eyes locked on Krell's. "Think nothing of it," she said. "Why don't you get out of here."
"Touch me again, Slayer, and I'll kill you." Krell snarled.
Buffy smirked, unfazed by Krell's threat. "You're not the first demon to make that empty promise," she replied, as a fireball formed in her hand. "There was no reason to hurt that man."
"I'm a demon; it's my nature to hurt people," Krell replied.
Prue rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and it's in our nature to protect them."
Krell glared at Prue, Piper, and Buffy. "He's a pathetic wretch," he said. "His life means nothing. If you'd let me torture him, we'd know where he found the coat."
Buffy stepped forward, her eyes flashing with anger. "Whatever it takes."
"That's right," Krell agreed.
"Well, from here on out, it's going to take doing this our way," Prue instructed the demon.
Krell chuckled. "Ha, then we will fail," he replied. "Because your morality cripples you. It blinds you from doing what must be done."
Prue narrowed her eyes, not backing down. "There are better ways of getting answers out of people, Krell," she said firmly as she picked up the coat. She held it out toward Buffy. "Think you can get a premonition?"
Buffy shrugged. "I can try," she replied as she took the coat from Prue. "Just in case, though, we might wait till we are with Phoebe. Two are better than one."
Piper looked over the coat. "Well, at least we know Belthazor has very expensive taste," she said as Prue looked over the coat. "What?" she asked when Prue seemed to stare for more than a few seconds. "What is it?"
Prue looked toward Krell. "How long ago did the Triad send Belthazor?" she asked the demon.
Krell hesitated for a moment before answering. "About two months ago," he finally said. "Why?"
Prue looked at Piper and Buffy as she responded. "Does that look familiar to either of you?"
Piper shook her head. "I don't know. Why?"
Buffy's eyes widened in recognition. "Vaguely. Doesn't Cole have one just like it?"
"That was my thinking, too," Prue confirmed, nodding at Buffy.
"Cole?" Piper said, looking at Buffy and Prue. "You think Cole is..."
"...Belthazor's human form," Prue finished Piper's sentenance.
Cole's Apartment
"Too bad Leo had to leave like that," Cole said from inside the bathroom. "I didn't really get a chance to thank him properly."
"He knows," Phoebe said.
"He knows what?" Cole asked as he stepped out of the bathroom.
"He knows how grateful you are," Phoebe clarified.
"Oh. Good," Cole said as he walked back into the bathroom.
Phoebe opened Cole's briefcase to find it empty.
"Still, I don't know how he did it," Cole continued. "I'd sure like to know what his secret is."
"I'll bet," Phoebe muttered to herself.
"Sorry?"
"Uh, nothing; never mind," Phoebe answered. "Hey, don't you think you should lay down and rest? I mean, you are still hurt."
"I can't," Cole replied. "I've still got those people that did this to me to deal with."
"Yeah, and you won't tell me who they are, huh?" Phoebe said as she looked in the drawers of his desk and found them empty, just like his briefcase.
"I really can't," he said.
"They don't have anything to do with that case you're working on." Phoebe said. "The reason I ask is because when that DA investigator came by today, he was asking me about it, and I realized that I really didn't know anything."
"Looking for something?" Cole said as he came out of the bathroom.
Phoebe held up a pencil she found in another drawer. The only thing she had found. "A piece of paper. I wanted to write myself a little note."
"It's right in front of you by the phone," Cole answered, pointing to the notepad.
Phoebe chuckled. Thanks," she said as she picked up the notepad. She watched as Cole went back into the bathroom. She walked over to her purse and pulled out the potion.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy, Prue and Piper appeared in the hallway outside Cole's apartment in a swirl of fiery flames just as Krell shimmered in after them.
"What are we going to do?" Piper questioned looking at Buffy and Prue.
"We're gonna vanquish him," Prue answered.
"We're going to vanquish Phoebe's boyfriend?" Buffy asked with wide eyes. "That's going to cause some problems."
"If you hesitate, he'll kill us all," Krell reminded her.
"Excuse me," Piper said, glaring at the demon. "We're having a private conversation over here."
Prue sighed. "You know, I can not believe I let him out of that demon trap when I caught him. What was I thinking?" she asked.
"Prue, we don't know anything for sure yet," Piper said as Leo appeared in blue and white orbs. "Leo, what are you doing here?"
Leo looked at Prue, Piper, and Buffy with a serious expression. "I didn't want to get in between you guys, but I didn't know what to do."
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "About what?"
Leo hesitated a moment before answering, "I think Cole is..."
"...Belthazor's human form," Prue said, finishing his sentence. "Yeah, that's why we're here."
Leo looked surprised. "How did you know?"
Before Prue could answer, Piper asked, "Where's Phoebe?"
"She's with Cole in apartment seven," Leo answered.
Krell frowned. "Tell me you didn't heal him," he said accusingly.
Leo shook his head. "Well, not completely."
"You idiot!" Krell cried.
"Dad!" Buffy yelled while Piper said, "Leo!"
Leo looked down, ashamed. "Phoebe begged me. I didn't know what to do."
Piper sighed heavily. "You stay here; we'll fix it."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Is there something wrong, Phoebe?" Cole asked, looking at Phoebe pointedly. "Something you're not telling me?"
"Don't you think you have that backwards?" Phoebe asked, raising an eyebrow.
Cole raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
"You're the one with all the secrets, right?" Phoebe replied.
Cole's expression turned serious. "Am I? Are you sure about that?"
Phoebe hesitated for a moment before responding. "I don't really know what I'm sure about anymore."
Cole's features softened at her words. "Yeah, I know how you feel," he said quietly.
There was a moment of silence between them before Phoeb spoke again. "I doubt that."
Cole raised an eyebrow. "I think I know what's going on here, Phoebe, and I'm sorry it's come to this. But I'm not sorry about us. You need to know that."
Phoebe's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. "You never told me where you were from."
Cole took a deep breath before answering. "You never asked."
"I'm asking now," Phoebe replied.
Cole hesitated before answering. "Why don't you ask me what you really want to know, Phoebe? I won't lie to you."
"Who are you?" Phoebe asked just as Buffy, Prue, Piper, and Krell burst through the door.
"Krell," Cole said, recognizing the bounty hunter. He instantly morphed into Belthazor, shocking Phoebe. An athame suddenly appeared in his hand as he grabbed Phoebe.
Krell tried to throw a lightning bolt at Belthazor, but Prue shoved his hand aside.
"No!" Prue cried as Krell missed Belthazor, who shimmered out, taking Phoebe with him.
"Phoebe!" Buffy and Piper shouted in worry.
Krell glared at Prue. "You let Belthazor escape."
Prue felt a pang of guilt, but she knew that saving Phoebe was their top priority. She turned to Krell and said firmly, "You almost killed our sister."
Buffy and Piper nodded in agreement, their eyes blazing with anger.
Krell looked at them with a hardened expression. "Your sister is dead anyway," he snarled. "He only needed her to get away."
Buffy stepped forward, her fists clenched at her sides. "I don't think Cole will hurt Phoebe." She glanced at Prue and Piper. "Right?"
"No," Prue agreed. "But maybe Belthazor would."
"Then why hasn't he?" Piper wondered. "He's had so many chances."
"He just used her until he could get all four of you," Krell interjected. "The Charmed Ones and the Charmed Slayer. Why he couldn't follow through, I'll never understand."
Buffy sighed. "Maybe he fell in love."
Prue raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Yeah, or maybe that was just a trick. I mean, demons will do whatever it takes remember?"
"Glad to see I've had a positive influence on you," Krell said, chuckling. "I can save your sister if it's not too late."
Prue nodded, unsure. "Why would you want to?"
Krell shrugged. "I wouldn't. But I'll do it if it's the only way to kill Belthazor. Give me the potion," he said, holding his hand out for the potion vial. "I can find him and get to him faster alone."
"Nice try," Buffy said, glaring at the demon. "Forget it."
"You already said that you can't track him if he can shimmer," Piper added.
Krell let out a frustrated growl. "But he can't shimmer well. He needs time to recharge. Your Whitelighter only healed his human half."
"I'm sorry, his human half?" Piper said, her eyes widening in surprise.
"There are actually half demons, Piper," said Buffy. "I met one who, I found out from the Elders, works for the Powers that Be. A group that is neutral and believes good can't exist without evil. They claim the Slayer as their champion."
"Whistler?" said Krell as Buffy nodded.
"I ran into him during the time Angel was trying to open the portal created by Acathla," said Buffy. "I promised the next time I saw him I would wear his ribcage as a hat."
"Nice!" Krell chuckled. "He deserves that and more." He then got serious as he returned to the topic of Belthazor. "The Triad sent Belthazor because he was half human. He understands you. He can blend in. A full-blooded demon could never have gotten so close. Give me the potion." He held out his hand again for the potion.
Prue hesitated. "If you hurt her, we'll track you down," she said before handing him the potion vial.
"Do you really trust him?" Buffy asked after he had shimmered out.
"No," Prue replied. "Buffy, we need a flame express."
Buffy nodded as she held out her hands to Prue and Piper. "Where are we going?" she asked as they took her hands.
"Oh, to where demons hide," Prue answered cryptically as Buffy disappeared with her and Piper in a swirl of fiery flames.
Restfield Cemetery
"Can we stop with the shimmering all over the place?" Phoebe asked when she and Belthazor shimmered in just outside a mausoleum. "I'm going to vomit."
"I had to lose Krell," Belthazor replied.
Phoebe elbowed Belthazor in the stomach and then flipped him over, knocking him to the ground. She silently thanked Buffy for teaching her some martial arts. "And now," she said as she pulled out the potion vial, "it's time to vanquish you." She frowned as Belthazor morphed into Cole. "Don't even think that's going to save you."
Cole raised his hands in surrender. "I don't," he answered. "I just wanted you to see who I really am, Phoebe."
"I've seen who you really are, Belthazor," Phoebe said as she drew back the hand holding the potion vial, getting ready to throw it.
"Wait," Cole pleaded. "Wait, I won't hurt you."
"No? It's a little too late for that, don't you think?" Phoebe replied. "Why? Why didn't you just kill me? Why did you have to put me through all this? Was it some sick, twisted, demonic thrill? Was that what it was?"
Cole shook his head, his eyes pleading for understanding. "No, that's not it."
"Then what was it?" she asked.
"I couldn't kill you. I tried. I was supposed to," he explained. "I mean, at first, you, your sisters, and your cousin thwarted my attempts. Even when I went back in time to destroy your line on All Hallow's Eve."
"That was you?" Phoebe asked in surprise.
Cole nodded. "Then Troxa, Andras. I got him to strip your powers to make you vulnerable," he continued. "I had you too, right where I wanted you. All I had to do was finish the job. But I couldn't. Because I realized I loved you."
Phoebe stared at Cole in disbelief. "You bastard."
"That's the truth, Phoebe," Cole said, his voice softening. "I admit everything else is a lie, but not that. I know you know that too. In your heart. This isn't a mask, Phoebe. It's who I am. Who I really am. I'm half human, just like your cousin. Just like Buffy. Except my parentage is the reverse of hers. Where her father was a Whitelighter, and her mother was a witch; my father was mortal, and my mother was a demon."
"You're lying," Phoebe spat.
Cole sighed, realizing that convincing Phoebe would be harder than he thought. "How else would I bleed red?" he asked. "Even as my demon self. You have to believe me, Phoebe," he pleaded. "I forgot what it was like to be human. To feel, to care. Then I met you."
Phoebe remained skeptical, crossing her arms. "No, it doesn't change anything. Because you're still a demon."
Cole took a step closer, his eyes pleading. "One who's done unspeakable things," he said as Krell shimmered in unseen. "But you've awakened something in me, Phoebe. Something I thought had died a long time ago. My humanity, my ability to love."
Phoebe's heart softened as she looked into Cole's eyes. "I want to believe you."
"Then let me prove it to you," Cole said as he spread out his arms. "Vanquish me."
Krell threw a lightning bolt at Cole, sending him flying through the air and landing hard on the ground.
"Cole!" Phoebe cried as she rushed over to him. "Cole, you've got to get up. Cole, get up!" She pleaded as she helped him to his feet. "Come on, come on!" She helped him into the mausoleum as Krell threw another lightning bolt. "Cole, no, don't do this," she pleaded as Cole coughed, leaning against a crypt. "Come on." She helped him walk over to a corner of the mausoleum, where he sat down.
"I should've known," Krell said as he followed them inside, "you'd come back here."
Cole looked up at Krell, his eyes filled with pain. "Don't hurt her."
Krell scoffed. "You disappoint, Belthazor. You've changed; you let your weaker human side affect your better judgment. It's going to cost you your life." He held up the potion, and as he got ready to throw it, Phoebe kicked it out of his hand.
Phoebe blocked his punches as she kicked Krell, knocking him over a crypt. She leaped on top of the crypt and then jumped off to kick him.
Krell shimmered out just in the nick of time. He then shimmered back in behind her. "Witch."
Phoebe turned around, and he held up his hand, ready to throw a lightning bolt at her.
"No!" Cole cried as he threw an energy ball at Krell, vanquishing him. "Do you believe me now?" he asked as he stood up.
Phoebe looked at him for a moment before walking over to him and kissing him.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Phoebe?" Prue and Piper called out as they made their way through the cemetery. They and Buffy and split up once they had gotten there in hopes one of them would find Phoebe faster.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy flamed into the mausoleum, and her eyes went instantly wide when she spotted Cole and Phoebe kissing. "Phoebe?" she said in surprise.
Cole turned around, startled by Buffy's sudden appearance.
Phoebe quickly pulled away from him, looking guilty. "Buffy, it's...?"
"Don't," Buffy interjected. "I can see what's going on. He's a demon."
Phoebe looked down, ashamed. "I know, but he's different. He just vanquished Krell to save me."
Buffy raised an eyebrow skeptically. "And you believe that makes him trustworthy?"
"Buffy," Phoebe said, pleadingly. "When it was Angel, what would you have done?"
Buffy's expression softened as she thought about Angel, who only Prue so far knew was back. And who, despite what had happened nearly a year ago, she still loved. "Do you trust him?" she asked Phoebe.
Phoebe hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I do," she said firmly.
Buffy nodded as she looked at Cole for a long moment. "Prue and Piper won't understand," she said. "If you're going to let him go, then you should think of a way he can disappear so they won't come after him."
Cole smiled gratefully at Buffy. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me," Buffy admitted sadly. "I just happen to know what Phoebe is going through. Because I've been in her shoes." She looked over at her cousin. "I'll stall them." She disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames.
"She's right, you know," Phoebe said. "They'll keep looking for you until they find you. And I'm not talking about just my sisters. Give me your shirt," she said as she began taking off his shirt.
"My shirt?" he questioned, confused.
"Hurry up," Phoebe said. "Buffy isn't going to be able to stall forever. "He took off the shirt and handed it to Phoebe, who dropped it on the ground. She picked up the potion and Cole's knife. "Give me your hand. Trust me." She cut his hand and squeezed the blood onto his shirt. She then dropped the potion. As the vial shattered the potion burned the shirt before exploding.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Have you found, Phoebe?" Prue asked when Buffy had flamed in.
"I've narrowed it down to this side of the cemetery," Buffy answered. "Every time I was about to get close, Belthazor must have sensed me because he shimmered away with Phoebe."
It was at that moment that they heard the sound of something exploding.
"Phoebe," Buffy said in mock concern.
"There." Prue said, pointing toward a mausoleum. She and Piper took Buffy's hands, and they disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Pheebs?" Prue called as she, Buffy, and Piper flamed into the mausoleum.
"Phoebe, thank the goddess you're okay," Buffy said as they noticed the pile of burning clothes on the floor.
"He killed Krell," Phoebe lied as she glanced at Buffy and nodded in appreciation.
"And you did what you had to do," Prue said as she hugged Phoebe.
"I know," Phoebe said sadly.
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe lay on the living room couch, holding Cole's dagger, as Buffy, Prue and Piper entered the room. "We brought you some comfort food," Piper said, holding a tray of food.
Phoebe looked up and smiled weakly at them. "Thanks, I'm not really that hungry."
Buffy walked over to Phoebe and sat down next to her on the couch. "You want to talk?"
Phoebe shrugged. "I don't know what there is to talk about. You were right as usual, Prue."
Prue sat down on the other side of Phoebe and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I didn't want to be right."
Phoebe let out a deep sigh. "I know. Believe me, Prue, you have nothing to apologize for. But I do. What I did was..."
"Phoebe," Piper said as she sat down on the edge of the coffee table. "He fooled us all, not just you."
"That's not what I mean," Phoebe said. "I don't know; I just feel so ashamed."
Buffy patted Phoebe's knee and smiled. "You can't be so hard on yourself."
"You didn't do anything wrong, you know," Prue added.
Phoebe nodded, but her eyes remained downcast. "Didn't I?"
"Well, the important thing is that it's over," Prue said. "We can get on with our lives now."
"At least until the next Belthazor attacks," Piper said. "We'll leave you alone."
"Let us know if you need anything," Prue said as she, Buffy, and Piper stood up.
"Thanks," Phoebe said. As they began to walk away, she grabbed Buffy, holding her back. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me," Buffy said sadly as she thought about Angel. She sighed as she sat back down next to Phoebe. "Angel's back."
Phoebe's eyes widened in shock. "What? How do you know?" she asked.
Buffy hesitated for a moment before explaining what she and Prue knew about Angel's return.