Early Friday Morning -- Tea and Cats
Phoebe stumbled in after work and immediately went to the kitchen to make tea. It's not like she'd be able to sleep anytime soon, anyway. As the tea brewed, she looked around the kitchen and sighed, realizing just how alone she was right now. For the first time in several years, she was alone -- and she couldn't even go home to Grams and Piper to feel less alone. She carried her tea into the living room and tucker her feet under her as she stared into distance.
Cole was gone and he wasn't coming back until she told him she'd never talk to Crowley again. She took a sip of her tea and shook her head. He didn't understand. He wanted her to choose between her love for him... and her friendship and affection for Crowley. He still thought she was naive when it came to the other demon, wouldn't believe her when she said she knew exactly what Crowley was and what he was capable of.
He wanted her to make a choice...like he felt he was forced to choose between her and Angelus all of those years ago. She hadn't pushed for a choice between her and Angelus...she had pushed for a choice between Angelus and the deaths of so many innocents. Her being able to go back to Cole had just been a bonus. He still refused to see that and boiled it down to it being between her and Angelus.
Phoebe started pacing the living room, seriously considering calling in sick from all of her classes for the next several years. Without Cole in her life, she felt like she had lost her way, and she hated that feeling. He was her other half, a part of her soul... her strength.
She had been pacing when she felt another presence in the living room. Reaching for a knife, she spun to confront the intruder and then gaped. Standing in front of her was a large, very large, black cat with flashing eyes. She saw dragon-type wings blur out of reality as the cat tilted its head at her.
"Seraphim?"
Phoebe dropped to her knees and the cat pushed against her. She wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged. "How? Where?"
"--It seems that you may be staying here for awhile and Valkyrie and I refused to leave you be on your own.--"
Phoebe had tears slipping down her face as she hugged Seraphim again. "I'm so glad you're here. I've missed you." She pulled back and looked at Seraphim. "Where's Valkyrie?"
"--She went to talk to Cole and try to get him to come home. Both of you are too stubborn to see reason in this situation. How you two manage to do anything without us around is a mystery to me.--"
"Everything is so messed up," she admitted tearfully.
Seraphim nuzzled her. "--You know it wouldn't have come to this if you hadn't kissed him, right?--"
Phoebe nodded miserably. "I know."
"--So why did you kiss him?--"
Phoebe sighed and leaned her head against the demoncat. "I don't know," she admitted. "I hadn't seen him in five years and I was happy to see him. He did keep me safe through much and taught me a great deal before. I hadn't planned on kissing him, but when he offered me the kiss..."
"--You took it.--"
Phoebe nodded. "I took it," she admitted softly.
"--Your id got you into a bit of trouble.--"
"Dr. Phil?"
"--Dr. Ruth.--"
"Even scarier." Phoebe sighed. "I was going to propose to him that night," she said softly.
"--So why didn't you?--"
"I lost my temper because he hurt my feelings and made me feel stupid."
The cat might have groaned. "--Phoebe, Cole has a reason for his pride and possessiveness to get out of control sometimes. You're his... his mate. You have been since he first laid eyes on you.--" Seraphim nuzzled her. "--Cole is half-demon, Kitten. You make his human side stronger, but you also lend credence and strength to the part of him that is his demon. However, it also affects his pride. Seeing you kiss another demon... one that is his sworn enemy... that was a severe blow to his pride.--" Seraphim shook his head. "--The two of you... you could make saints turn into alcoholics and probably have already. What did he say to make you lash out and not tell him that you belonged to him and always would?--"
Phoebe looked away. "He said I always fall for Crowley's tricks and lies and that he can block or twist my powers. He never doubts my powers or my decisions except when it comes to Crowley... and then I told him that my family still says the same things about him and that he's just as wrong as they are." She sighed. "Seraphim... this Crowley? He's from a different timeline. A timeline where I ended up marrying him...and dying."
Seraphim's eyes flashed in concern. "--You marry him? You die? You marry him?--"
Phoebe was almost amused by the fact that Seraphim was more distressed by the fact that a different version of her married Crowley than that she had died. "Yeah, in a different timeline, we got married... and in a few years from now, I died."
He almost facepawed. "--Did you tell him this was an alternate timeline and not THIS future?--" Phoebe looked away and he reached out and smacked her in the shoulder with his paw gently. "--Phoebe!--" He admonished. "--Cole has a demon in him...what's your excuse for letting your pride run away with you and not clearing that part up?--"
Phoebe sighed and shook her head. "Reacted on emotion rather than thinking about it after he accused me of enjoying trying to make him jealous."
Seraphim just stared at her. "--And instead of... Phoebe!--"
Phoebe had the grace to look abashed. "I know."
Seraphim shook his head. "--When you create a mess, Kitten, you create a masterful one.--" He sighed. "--You need to call him.--"
"He won't talk to me." She said sadly. She shook her head. "He doesn't want anything to do with me."
Seraphim swiped at her in annoyance. "--That's not true and you know it! Besides, if he didn't want you, he never would have shown up in that alley when you were attacked.--" Seraphim shook his head at her. "--He loves you, Kitten, you know that. Being away from you is killing him as much as it's killing you. Quit feeling sorry for yourself and do something about it.--"
"I did something he may not be happy about," she mumbled. "So I don't know how to fix things between us."
The cat shook his head. "--What did you do?--"
"Offered a friend of mine a job as a part-time bodyguard."
"--Why would he be upset about that?--"
"Because Doyle is male...and not quite human."
"--As long as you're safe and protected, I don't see Cole having a problem with that.--" He nuzzled her and then pushed at her. "--Call him, Kitten. Beg him if you have to, but ask him to come home. He needs you and you need him. You guys can work out everything else later. If that last attack is any indication, the two of you cannot be apart like this. Don't be stubborn...--"
Phoebe nodded and reached for the phone.
Cole was gone and he wasn't coming back until she told him she'd never talk to Crowley again. She took a sip of her tea and shook her head. He didn't understand. He wanted her to choose between her love for him... and her friendship and affection for Crowley. He still thought she was naive when it came to the other demon, wouldn't believe her when she said she knew exactly what Crowley was and what he was capable of.
He wanted her to make a choice...like he felt he was forced to choose between her and Angelus all of those years ago. She hadn't pushed for a choice between her and Angelus...she had pushed for a choice between Angelus and the deaths of so many innocents. Her being able to go back to Cole had just been a bonus. He still refused to see that and boiled it down to it being between her and Angelus.
Phoebe started pacing the living room, seriously considering calling in sick from all of her classes for the next several years. Without Cole in her life, she felt like she had lost her way, and she hated that feeling. He was her other half, a part of her soul... her strength.
She had been pacing when she felt another presence in the living room. Reaching for a knife, she spun to confront the intruder and then gaped. Standing in front of her was a large, very large, black cat with flashing eyes. She saw dragon-type wings blur out of reality as the cat tilted its head at her.
"Seraphim?"
Phoebe dropped to her knees and the cat pushed against her. She wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged. "How? Where?"
"--It seems that you may be staying here for awhile and Valkyrie and I refused to leave you be on your own.--"
Phoebe had tears slipping down her face as she hugged Seraphim again. "I'm so glad you're here. I've missed you." She pulled back and looked at Seraphim. "Where's Valkyrie?"
"--She went to talk to Cole and try to get him to come home. Both of you are too stubborn to see reason in this situation. How you two manage to do anything without us around is a mystery to me.--"
"Everything is so messed up," she admitted tearfully.
Seraphim nuzzled her. "--You know it wouldn't have come to this if you hadn't kissed him, right?--"
Phoebe nodded miserably. "I know."
"--So why did you kiss him?--"
Phoebe sighed and leaned her head against the demoncat. "I don't know," she admitted. "I hadn't seen him in five years and I was happy to see him. He did keep me safe through much and taught me a great deal before. I hadn't planned on kissing him, but when he offered me the kiss..."
"--You took it.--"
Phoebe nodded. "I took it," she admitted softly.
"--Your id got you into a bit of trouble.--"
"Dr. Phil?"
"--Dr. Ruth.--"
"Even scarier." Phoebe sighed. "I was going to propose to him that night," she said softly.
"--So why didn't you?--"
"I lost my temper because he hurt my feelings and made me feel stupid."
The cat might have groaned. "--Phoebe, Cole has a reason for his pride and possessiveness to get out of control sometimes. You're his... his mate. You have been since he first laid eyes on you.--" Seraphim nuzzled her. "--Cole is half-demon, Kitten. You make his human side stronger, but you also lend credence and strength to the part of him that is his demon. However, it also affects his pride. Seeing you kiss another demon... one that is his sworn enemy... that was a severe blow to his pride.--" Seraphim shook his head. "--The two of you... you could make saints turn into alcoholics and probably have already. What did he say to make you lash out and not tell him that you belonged to him and always would?--"
Phoebe looked away. "He said I always fall for Crowley's tricks and lies and that he can block or twist my powers. He never doubts my powers or my decisions except when it comes to Crowley... and then I told him that my family still says the same things about him and that he's just as wrong as they are." She sighed. "Seraphim... this Crowley? He's from a different timeline. A timeline where I ended up marrying him...and dying."
Seraphim's eyes flashed in concern. "--You marry him? You die? You marry him?--"
Phoebe was almost amused by the fact that Seraphim was more distressed by the fact that a different version of her married Crowley than that she had died. "Yeah, in a different timeline, we got married... and in a few years from now, I died."
He almost facepawed. "--Did you tell him this was an alternate timeline and not THIS future?--" Phoebe looked away and he reached out and smacked her in the shoulder with his paw gently. "--Phoebe!--" He admonished. "--Cole has a demon in him...what's your excuse for letting your pride run away with you and not clearing that part up?--"
Phoebe sighed and shook her head. "Reacted on emotion rather than thinking about it after he accused me of enjoying trying to make him jealous."
Seraphim just stared at her. "--And instead of... Phoebe!--"
Phoebe had the grace to look abashed. "I know."
Seraphim shook his head. "--When you create a mess, Kitten, you create a masterful one.--" He sighed. "--You need to call him.--"
"He won't talk to me." She said sadly. She shook her head. "He doesn't want anything to do with me."
Seraphim swiped at her in annoyance. "--That's not true and you know it! Besides, if he didn't want you, he never would have shown up in that alley when you were attacked.--" Seraphim shook his head at her. "--He loves you, Kitten, you know that. Being away from you is killing him as much as it's killing you. Quit feeling sorry for yourself and do something about it.--"
"I did something he may not be happy about," she mumbled. "So I don't know how to fix things between us."
The cat shook his head. "--What did you do?--"
"Offered a friend of mine a job as a part-time bodyguard."
"--Why would he be upset about that?--"
"Because Doyle is male...and not quite human."
"--As long as you're safe and protected, I don't see Cole having a problem with that.--" He nuzzled her and then pushed at her. "--Call him, Kitten. Beg him if you have to, but ask him to come home. He needs you and you need him. You guys can work out everything else later. If that last attack is any indication, the two of you cannot be apart like this. Don't be stubborn...--"
Phoebe nodded and reached for the phone.