Suite 518/520, Wednesday morning

[demonbelthazor]

Bel woke up before Phoebe and slipped quietly from the bed so as not to disturb her. She'd been sleeping when he got back last night, so she had not been awake to see how wracked with guilt he was about what he had done. He knew he had to tell her, but he didn't want to confess to stealing the amulet for Raynor.

He headed out to the living area and sank down on the couch, his face in his hands. How the hell was he going to get out of this mess?


[ooc: specifics of Bel and Phoebe's conversation are NFB, please!]

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[sensethevisions]

Of course, being sick didn't mean that she didn't notice that Cole had slipped out of bed.

She wrapped herself up and walked out into the main room. When she saw his head in his hands, and felt his emotional duress, her heart fell.

"So... it's true then?"

[demonbelthazor]

He looked up at her, startled. She could tell already? "I...didn't want to do it," he said. "But...I had no choice."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe looked down. "No choice," she mumbled. "That has got to be the most creative excuse I've heard... and I've heard a lot." She shook her head. She looked up at him, pain in her eyes. "Was he at least good?"

[demonbelthazor]

The hurt and disappointment in her eyes stabbed at him. "I hated every minute of it," he said.

[sensethevisions]

"Then why?" If she hated being with someone or sleeping with them, she most certainly didn't stay.

[demonbelthazor]

"If I didn't do what he wanted, he'd destroy my father's soul," Cole said softly. "I had to obey."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe just stared at him. "He doesn't have that kind of power, Cole!"

Though, telling her that if he hadn't had sex with Anders then her friend would destroy his father's soul certainly seemed like a very creative excuse for cheating.

[demonbelthazor]

Cole shook his head. "He does, Phoebe," he said, of course completely unaware that she was thinking of someone else. "You don't know how powerful he is. He showed it to me and said if I didn't do what he wanted, he'd destroy my father's soul completely."

He reached for Phoebe's hand. "I don't want to go back to that life. I don't want to be like that again. But I didn't know what else to do."

[sensethevisions]

"He is not that powerful! He writes baseball porn for gods sake!" Phoebe didn't take his hand, the hurt was too strong. "So, if someone threatened to call up the ghost of my mother and threaten to destroy her completely if I didn't have sex with them, that would be a good reason to cheat?"

Phoebe was already planning on looking for a vanquishing spell to use on Anders. She couldn't understand how she may have missed that he was a demon...

[demonbelthazor]

Cole blinked. "Wait...what are you talking about? I didn't have sex with Raynor!"

[sensethevisions]

"Raynor?! I was talking about Anders!"

[demonbelthazor]

"Anders doesn't have my father's soul!" Cole said, still confused.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe may have flailed. "Well! Seely said on the radio the two of you were doing things of the dirty nature... then you come in acting all guilty and what was I supposed to think!" She narrowed her eyes at him. "How in the hell did Raynor get your father's soul?"

[demonbelthazor]

"We weren't being dirty much, he just took me for a ride!" Cole protested. "And...my mother gave it to him after she killed my father."

[sensethevisions]

"A ride... on what?"

Phoebe sat down next to him. "Can I say again how much more I'm glad that bitch is dead?"

[demonbelthazor]

"On his AstroGlider floaty sled thing," Cole said, using the technical terms.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe choked. "Astro Glide?"

[demonbelthazor]

"...yes?" Cole said hesitantly.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe swallowed. "Love, describe what you guys were... uhm... see Astro Glide is something that..." She blushed a bright red. "We would have gotten from Becky in her workshop."

[demonbelthazor]

"Oh! That!" Cole said. "Umm, no. This was like a floating sled."

[sensethevisions]

"Ahh!" The relief was evident in her face. "So, I don't need to vanquish Anders, then?"

[demonbelthazor]

"I'd rather you didn't," Cole said. "If that's okay with you."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe gave a slight smile. "Can I vanquish Seely for saying what he did?"

[demonbelthazor]

"Do you really need an excuse to vanquish Seely?" Cole said. "I'm sure Willow would approve."

[sensethevisions]

"She'd probably help." She bit her lip. "Would it cause you pain?"