Sunday Afternoon, Room 412

[demonbelthazor]

Cole and Phoebe lazed about in their room, flipping through syllabi and new textbooks for the new semester's classes. Cole sat on the bed, his back against the wall, while Phoebe lay with her head in his lap, knees bent, a pair of white and black kittens dozing along her side. It was a peaceful scene, and Fandom being Fandom, it wasn't going to last.

The phone rang.

[For crawley_demon]

Comments

[demonbelthazor]

"Phoebe, don't talk to him, just hang up the phone," Cole said. "Just hang it up."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe's jaw dropped and she swallowed. She looked at Cole, a multitude of feelings flashing in her eyes.

"Tomorrow evening after classes, I can come and discuss all of this with you?"

Phoebe reached out a free hand and wrote out a note to Cole on the paper:

I don't know what's going on, but he scared you on New Year's Eve and I will protect you.

She squeezed Cole's hand tightly.

"Would that work for you, Mr. Crowley?"

Yes, they would talk and he would see that it was a misunderstanding and they would part still as friends...

...and Phoebe would never make another phone call as long as she lived in Fandom.

[flash-serpent.livejournal.com]

"That would work famously for me, my darling. I'll have silk sheets and champagne waiting. I'm sure we can find something far more productive for your mouth to do besides chatter away, though. I'll see you when you come. Tomorrow, my dear. Ta." *click*

Once he's off the phone, he lets out the laughter. She's shaken, Belthazor is unhappy, and he hadn't done anything but zap a phone line and return a call.

[demonbelthazor]

As Phoebe hung up the phone, Cole grabbed her by the shoulders, holding her tight. "Phoebe, no!" he said fiercely. "You're not going anywhere near him. I won't let you."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe clung to him for a long moment, trying to stop her shaking.

"Cole," she finally said softly. "Listen to me, listen. Since we have been together, you have done your best to protect me." She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "I love you, and I know something is going on that now has you scared of Crowley." She kissed him and then pulled back again.

"I am going to protect you this time. After I get out of class and finish homework, I am going to go talk to Crowley. He won't hurt me, I'm sure of it."

[demonbelthazor]

"Phoebe, he will hurt you," Cole insisted. "He...he's threatened it. He's trying to use my feelings for you against me by threatening your life. He'll hurt you, sweetheart. Please, don't go see him alone. I can't let you do that. I won't."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe stroked Cole's face, trying to reassure him, even though she wasn't reassured herself.

"He's threatened me to you, yes, but I also know he won't hurt me, do you know why?"

[demonbelthazor]

"He's a demon, Phoebe, how can you be so sure he won't do anything?" Cole said. He recognized the irony of his words as he said them.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe didn't smile, oh no, she really didn't.

"Cole...before you fell in love with me, you wanted to kill me...but you also prevented others from harming me? Why? because in your eyes, no one but you was going to kill me and get recognition from the Source, correct?"

She nodded and then touched his lips with her finger.

"Crowley wants to see if he can corrupt me or make me fall from my path. he can't play with the idea of making me turn from protecting the innocent and the good if he harms me, now can he."

[demonbelthazor]

"That doesn't make me feel better," Cole said. "I'm supposed to just let you go see him and let him try to corrupt you? I still don't want you to go, Phoebe."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe held Cole close and sighed.

"Do you think I want to go and see how much he's going to try to play me? No, but right now, I get the feeling that I don't dare not show up, either."

She looked at him seriously. "I'm also afraid of what he may do to you if I don't."

[demonbelthazor]

"Then I'm going with you," Cole growled. "I'm not letting you go see him alone."

[sensethevisions]

On the one hand, she really wanted him there with her because she did gain strength from him when they were together. On the other...

"Can you guarantee you won't let him provoke you into losing your temper again and threatening him?"

[demonbelthazor]

He scowled. Crowley knew exactly how to press all his buttons. "Maybe," he said. "I don't know."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe nodded sadly.

"Exactly. If you get provoked and lose your temper, who knows what will happen?" She laid her head on his shoulder. "I love you, Cole, and I'll do anything to protect you, you know that. Hopefully, he and I will just talk this time...but I remember what happened at his party."

She sighed. "I won't lose you, Cole, and if I have to make a deal with a devil..."

[demonbelthazor]

"No," Cole said firmly. "You are not going to make any deals with Crowley for whatever reason. If you do that's only going to make me more upset."

He sighed and shook his head. "If you're bound and determined to go, just don't go alone. Take Piper with you. Or...Veronica." He said the name a little distastefully. "I want someone there with you. Preferably someone with some power and enough willpower to resist anything Crowley might pull."

[sensethevisions]

"The only one with that kind of power would be Mr. Phale and I highly doubt it would be in good taste to tell him what happened and ask him to go with me."

Phoebe sighed. "I can call Grams and check in the book to see if there is any kind of spell to help me resist mind play."

[demonbelthazor]

"A spell would be good, but I still don't want you with him alone," Cole said. "Someone with you might stop him from pulling something. Promise me you won't go alone."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe bit her lip, remembering the conversations they had about doing things they knew the other wasn't going to like.

"Is this one of those times I should lie to you because you don't really want to know what I'm doing?"

[demonbelthazor]

He shook his head again. "No. That's if...that's if you're thwarting me and my plans. This is your safety on the line. I don't want you to lie to me now."

[sensethevisions]

The relief in her eyes is plain to see. She doesn't like having to lie to him about anything.

"Will it make you feel better if I talk to Jenny Calendar first?"

[demonbelthazor]

Bel frowned at the mention of her name, but the gypsy did have power. "Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact I don't want you to see Crowley alone. Nothing will."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe is trying to think.

"I promise that if I can avoid it, I won't go alone. I'll see if Piper or Maia will go with me...will that be okay?" She sighed. "I suppose I *could* ask that Buffy chick."

[demonbelthazor]

Cole nodded. "Just as long as you're not alone. I'd tell you not to go at all but I bet you'll do it anyway." He managed to smile at her.