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

[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.