demonbelthazor | MCA0, Thursday early afternoon

None of them really slept that night, not even after hearing word of the capture of Angelus on the radio. Bel resisted the questioning Phoebe and Anders aimed his way, and so they gave up. For awhile, at least.

Now it was morning, he was brooding, and Phoebe was next to him on Xander's couch, sipping her coffee.

"You know that's not going to work with me," she said softly, looking at him over the rim of her cup.

"What's not going to work?" he asked as if Phoebe would buy it. Big dumb demon here, nothing to see, please move along.

Phoebe shook her head. "Oh please. Trying to avoid the subject with me hasn't worked even before we discovered the soul bond. You also know that if you don't talk to me, I'm going to go out looking for information on my own." Her brown eyes were full of worry, but also of determination.

"I'm fine, sweetheart," Cole insisted, ducking her gaze because he knew those eyes could see right through him. "I'm just worried about Angel."

That action told her all that she needed to know. "What did he do to you, Cole?"

"Nothing," Cole said. "He didn't lay a hand on me." Well, not entirely true, but. . . . "We just talked."

She knew how talks with Angelus could go. "Cole. . . I can feel that something is wrong and if you don't want me to go down to that jail myself and confront him, you're going to be honest with me." So he would know that she was serious, she set down her coffee and started to reach for her coat.

Cole grabbed her arm. "Phoebe, don't, please," he said. "It's too dangerous, even if he is behind bars."

Phoebe looked at him. "Then tell me what he did, Cole. He obviously did something to you or you wouldn't be so skittish and avoidy with us . . . with Anders."

"He just messed with my head," Cole said. "I should've known it wasn't really Angel, but he fooled me."

She looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"It's not important," Cole mumbled. "It's no big deal. Don't worry about it, okay?"

She started putting on her coat. "Don't worry about it? He messed with my soulmate, with the man I love. It is important since it has you acting like this and it tells me that he did something of a pretty personal nature. So, since you won't tell me, I'm going to go have my own up close and personal with Mr. Angelus and explain what happens you mess with this witch's loved ones."

"I'm fine!" Cole protested. "I'm not acting like anything!"

"That and fifty bucks will buy you a bridge in the desert, Cole," she said quietly. There was worry and a slight bit of hurt in her eyes. "What did he do to you? What could be so bad that you have to hide it from me?" The fact that Cole had said Angelus pretended to be Angel to him hadn't escaped her notice, but she was trying to ignore the tight feeling in her chest over what that could have meant.

"I just should've known it wasn't really Angel," Cole said. "I should've known it was Angelus. He was saying things that . . . weren't right."

Phoebe felt her heart sink as she was now getting a pretty good idea of what he had done. "He screwed with your head," she said flatly.

"Yeah," Cole said. "So, like I said, no big deal."

Phoebe looked at him. "No big deal? You are not seriously expecting me to just take that explanation and shut up about it? He messed with your head. He said something that is still eating at you and bothering you. What did he say, love? Talk to me, please?"

"He said that pretending to be Angelus for the class was bothering him," Cole said. "He was having trouble dealing, and he knew I would understand."

"And?"

"He said he could trust me because he knew I'd do whatever he asked," Cole went on. "Then he . . . he told me he had dumped Logan and he had feelings for me but he never acted on them because I was taken."

Phoebe swallowed thickly. "That. . . that bastard." Phoebe, have jealousy issues where Angel was concerned, surely you jest.

"I wouldn't have done anything!" Cole said quickly. "I wouldn't hurt you like that."

"I know," she said softly, looking at him. Her eyes were sad. "I trust you and know that's not the person you are. It bothers me that. . . that he tried to use your. . . your feelings against you and to mess with you." She swallowed. "In my book, messing with you is almost as bad as someone saying that one of us was cheating on the other with some random stranger. I don't like when you're hurt or messed with. . ."

Especially with something like his feelings for Angel. That was something she would pummel people for.

"He said that, too, kinda," Cole admitted. "He tried to convince me that Anders was sleeping with Veronica. I don't know why. I didn't believe him, though." He rubbed his temple and shook his head. "He just wanted to screw with me. He knows I'm not a threat to him."

Phoebe choked at that news. "Veronica and Anders? Anders would have sex with a cheese grater before he'd touch her . . . and Veronica would join a convent first!" She shook her head. "Sweetheart. . . don't you get it? You are a threat to him. Last time he was around, you were his best friend – his right hand man. You're stronger than he is. . . and you have people who will stand beside you, no matter what – and whom you'll help send him straight back to hell and get your real best friend back. You're friends and protective of Willow. . . and you love me and there are several other witches who count you as a friend. You are most certainly a threat to him."

"No, if I was a threat, he would've done more than mess with my head," Cole said. "He knew he could just manipulate me to do what he wanted. I kinda can't believe how much I used to want his approval." Okay, not so much with the used to.

"Sometimes the ones that know us the best can make us doubt our usefulness and our worth to anything by just using words to manipulate. Messing with your head, keeps you off balance and keeps you blind to what is really going on so you can't stop him." She swallowed hard. "We all know what it's like to badly want the approval of someone we. . . admire or care for."

Or that we think can keep our loved ones safe. . .

"Guess I just didn't realize what he really thought of me," Cole said, shrugging it off. "I'm okay, really."

"He hurt you," and anger was starting to bleed into her eyes. "Angelus doesn't think much of anybody but himself, Cole, and what he thinks of you shouldn't matter. He's pond scum, sweetheart. He's lower than pond scum."

"I know," Cole said, leaning over and resting his head on her shoulder. "It's just hard to believe that I once wanted to be just like him. I wanted his approval and respect more than almost anything."

She leaned his head against his and then turned slightly, wrapping her arms around him. "You're not that kid trapped between worlds any longer, love. You've grown into a wonderful guy who has earned the love and respect of people because of who you are. He can never be the man you are."

"Yeah," Cole said, turning his head to kiss her tenderly. "You're right." He smiled at her then pulled back a bit. "I'm going to go outside and have a cigarette," he said. "Helps me de-stress."

She smiled at him and nodded. "Of course I am. Go smoke . . . and then talk to Anders? He's noticed you being upset, too, love."

"I will," Cole promised. "You just stick close to him while we're here, OK? Even if Angelus is in prison. He could still get out."

"I want you to be careful too . . . and Cole? Maybe now that Angelus is in jail we should get a hotel room. I adore Xander, but it's not fair to be crowding into his place like this. I don't want to impose on him." She was very careful not to promise to stick close to him or Anders. She intended to have words with a certain toothy menace.

Cole nodded. "We can get a room in the hotel this afternoon," he said. "More private that way." He gave her another kiss and stood up. "I'll be right back," he lied.

She smiled at him. "That sounds like a good plan . . . and I can have you both near me so I know you're safe." Okay, so she could feel safe, but she would never tell him that she was as scared as she was about Angelus. He would bundle her off somewhere "safely" away and she didn't want that. She squeezed his hand, not picking up on the lie as she told one of her own. "I'll be right here. Hurry back."

"Love you," Cole said, then pulled on his leather jacket and headed outside . . . and then continued on to the jail.

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