South Attic, Friday Night

[demonbelthazor]

Bel sat in the dark in the empty South Attic. The power wasn't out in the school, but the dark suited his mood better. He was dwelling on how his relationship with Phoebe had ended, and how she apparently had run to Crowley for protection. And what Crowley had made him do. No, not made him. It had been his choice, to show he was willing to do anything to protect Phoebe, even if she no longer wanted him in her life.

So now he did the only sensible thing. Tried to drink himself into oblivion.




OOC: For cookinggeek -- comments are NFB.

Comments

[absolutesnark]

Piper stood outside the South attic. She figured she should at least talk to Belthazor about what happened. So she knocked on the door to get it over with.

[demonbelthazor]

The door, unlocked and not closed properly, swung open. Bel blinked as light spilled into the room. "Whadayou want?" he slurred.

[absolutesnark]

Piper shrugged. "I thought maybe we should talk about what happened."

She sighed. "I haven't seen Phoebe since..."

[demonbelthazor]

"C'mon in, Piper," Bel said, waving his hand. "Might as well be miserable together."

[absolutesnark]

"I guess asking how you are would be a silly question, huh?" Piper asked, closing the door behind her.

[demonbelthazor]

"Better turn a light on," Bel said, "unless you wanna talk in the dark. Might cause more rumors that way."

[absolutesnark]

Piper rolled her eyes. "No one knows I'm here."

She paused for a moment. "Have you seen Phoebe?"

[demonbelthazor]

"She's at the Hotel. With Crowley." He practically spat the name. "She's gone to him for protection against me."

[absolutesnark]

Piper blinked. "What?"

She suddenly felt more guilt.

[demonbelthazor]

"She went to him because he's the only person who can keep me from her," Bel said. He poured the rest of a bottle of whiskey down his throat.

[sensethevisions]

[[OOC but IC: *flails* NO!!!! That's not why, OMG. *starts smoking from the angst*]]

[demonbelthazor]

[OOC: Don't you just love angst-by-mistake? ;) ]

[absolutesnark]

"I feel like this is my fault," Piper said sadly. "I should have told her."

[demonbelthazor]

"Then she would've walked out on me all the sooner," Bel said. "She deserves better anyway. Don't tell me you haven't thought that."

[absolutesnark]

"Yeah I have thought that, but..." She sighed. "She was happy. And now everything's a mess."

[demonbelthazor]

"Yeah, well, I can't change the past," Bel said. "She'll get over it. Find someone new to make her happy." The words felt as hollow now as they had when he had purposely tried to push Phoebe away when he realized he loved her.

[absolutesnark]

"I'm pretty sure she still loves you," Piper said quietly.

[demonbelthazor]

"If she does, why is she doing her damnedest to stay as far away from me as she can?" Bel said bitterly.

[absolutesnark]

"She's staying away from me, too." Piper's guilt wasn't going away any time soon.

[demonbelthazor]

"Wasn't your fault," Bel said, looking around for another bottle. "Mine. All mine."

[absolutesnark]

"She feels betrayed because I didn't tell her. I'd say that's my fault."

[demonbelthazor]

"You didn't want this" -- Bel flailed his arms about -- "to happen."

[absolutesnark]

"Of course I didn't." Piper could feel tears forming, but she faught them back for now. "I just feel so incredibly guilty about this and I can't make it stop."

[demonbelthazor]

"She'll forgive you," Bel said miserably, sinking back in his chair when his search for another bottle proved fruitless. "You're her sister."

[absolutesnark]

"Why should she? I don't deserve to be forgiven."

[demonbelthazor]

"You're a protective older sister," Bel said. "She'll understand. Did your older sister, whatshername, Prue, ever keep secrets from you?"

[absolutesnark]

"Not that I know of. She would never hurt us the way I hurt Phoebe."

[demonbelthazor]

Bel shrugged. "You were trying not to hurt her. She knows that. She's not mad at you."

[absolutesnark]

"Then why is she avoiding me?"

[demonbelthazor]

"She's avoiding me, not you."

[absolutesnark]

Piper shook her head. "Not just you. She hasn't even really tried to talk to me. I need to hear her tell me she forgives me."

She sighed once again. "Maybe I shouldn't have come here..."

[demonbelthazor]

"She's your sister, Piper," Bel said miserably. "Bonds of blood mean more than...than I do."

[absolutesnark]

Piper glanced at Bel sympathetically. He did look so miserable. Kind of like how she felt.

"She loves you. Maybe she'll forgive you, too."

[demonbelthazor]

"Maybe. But she's better off without me," Bel said. "Safer. No more demon attacks like the last one."

[absolutesnark]

"I thought they attacked her because she's a witch?"

[demonbelthazor]

...

"Uhhh," Bel tried to hastily think of a way out of this slip. "You're right. Yeah. Nevermind."

[absolutesnark]

Piper looked at him suspiciously, but said nothing. She really wasn't in the mood to glare at him.

[demonbelthazor]

"I'm sure she'll be back to talk to you soon," Bel said hastily, suddenly sobering up.

[absolutesnark]

"Hopefully," Piper said quietly. "I should go. Just needed to talk to you. I think you understand how I'm feeling more than anyone else right now."

[demonbelthazor]

"Yeah," Bel agreed. "I do. Um...thanks. I'm sorry about how this happened."