Red Is The Colour Of My Nightmares --- NFB

[sensethevisions]

When Phoebe returned to the Arms after her shocking afternoon at Orlin's (OMG Naked Camulus!!!), Phoebe felt like she had been trapped in a cement mixer for several days. She let herself in to her Suite and dropped her bag on the table next to her laptop. She went immediately into the shower and stayed in there until the water ran cold. It had been a very long and draining week. So much had happened, and so much was still hanging over her head.

Cole wasn't trying to kill her, nor had he really wanted to, but they weren't together, either. He couldn't accept her contract with Crowley, and she refused to accept his promise to Angelus. She meant it when she had told him that she couldn't put her own heart above the lives and safety of so many others. It didn't matter that a lot of people didn't believe she felt that way, but her sisters, Kiki and Lana did. They still believed in her and they still were speaking to her. She hadn't spoken to Angela in awhile... To be honest she had been kind of avoiding her good friend. she wasn't brave enough to face what she was positive would be rejection from that quarter. She also hadn't spoken to Maia lately, but that was because she knew Maia was hurting over the double loss of Buffy and Chiana.

Why was love so complicated?

She loved Cole, and she probably would never stop. However, she refused to take second place to a promise to that killer. She wouldn't support him in his quest to cause the deaths of so many people -- including people that she cared about.

Phoebe stepped out of the shower and wrapped a long towel around herself. She moved into her bedroom and crawled up into her bed. Crowley's door was just too far away. She could talk to him after her nap.





...the dream started out just like her premonitions usually started. There was the roaring sound and then everything went gray. She found herself in a wooded area, but all of the trees seemed dead. There were only branches, but no leaves or flowers. As she continued walking, she noticed that a thick fog started rolling in and everything took a red tinge to it. When she came around a corner, she let out a scream.





She turned to run, but the figure was in front of her again.





Phoebe stumbled back, not sure where she was supposed to turn, what she could do.

She darted to the side, running deeper into the woods. She heard sounds of pursuit behind her and that only served to scare her further. She had the feeling that whomever was chasing her had a very deliberate motive for wanting her hurt. It occured to her that whomever was hunting her was probably the same one wwho had sent those three demons to kill her in January.

A hand reached out to grab her and Phoebe screamed...





[[OOC: Locked to demonbelthazor and then crawley_demon]]

Comments

[demonbelthazor]

Lying in bed but not sleeping, Cole felt Phoebe's terror. He shimmered to her side in a heartbeat. "Phoebe?!"

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe whimpered in her sleep, and then screamed again. Her scream echoed in the room, but she didn't open her eyes.

It's after me... it's after me...

[demonbelthazor]

Cole grabbed ahold of Phoebe's shoulders and pulled her into his arms. "Phoebe, wake up, you're dreaming!" he said.

[sensethevisions]

When Phoebe opened her eyes, she stiffened for a moment, before recognizing who was holding her and she relaxed slightly. "Cole?"

[demonbelthazor]

"You were having a nightmare," he said, his hand gentle on her face. "I felt it."

[demonbelthazor]

"If he knew who you were," Cole said slowly, "he'd send legions after you to destroy you before you and your sisters knew how to control your powers."

[sensethevisions]

"It's never going to stop, is it? They'll always come after me."

[demonbelthazor]

Cole nodded. "Unless you give up your powers...and even then, in case you ever tried to reclaim them."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe's head dropped into her hands.

"He's the one that wants you to kill me?"

[demonbelthazor]

Closing his eyes, Cole whispered, "Yes."

[demonbelthazor]

"Don't do anything without talking to me first," Cole said. "Promise me. Please, Phoebe."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe shook her head. "I can't make a promise that I may not be able to keep, Cole. I won't let you die if I can stop it."

[demonbelthazor]

"And now we're back to the same old argument," Cole sighed.

[sensethevisions]

"Why is it okay for you to risk yourself for me... but not for me to do the same thing for you?"

[demonbelthazor]

"Because the world needs you, not me," Cole said softly.

After Cole Leaves --- For Crowley

[sensethevisions]

After Cole returned to the school, Phoebe crawled out of bed and got changed into a pair of fleece pants and a sweatshirt. She pulled out her laptop and for the next hour, she played e-mail tag with Grams. After she didn't recieve an answer from the last e-mail where she told Grams she couldn't come home, Phoebe paced the main room of the suite, chewing on her thumb.

If what Cole and Grams both said, then the Source was going to come after her to kill her, and Cole would be killed because he hadn't killed her yet. It didn't take a mathematical genius to realize that the Source had probably been the one to send those three demons to kill her at the beginning of the semester. If it hadn't been for Cole and Crowley, they would have succeeded right then and there. Had it not been for Aziraphale and James, she would have died from the wounds she had sustained in the attack.

Phoebe ran a hand over her face and sighed.

The Source of All Evil. The Source of All Evil was hunting her.

The necklace would keep her safe. Crowley wouldn't let anyone kill her. If it got too dangerous for her here, she could grab her sisters and go to James and Aziraphale. Cole would protect her -- and be exterminated in the process.

She shook her head. She'd keep him and her sisters safe... somehow.

She brushed her hair out and looked around her room.

She needed to get some more information and some advice on what she could do.

She approached the door that connected the two suites and let herself into Crowley's room. She didn't make herself comfortable on the bed like she usually would when waiting for him. she was too afraid to sleep again right now. Instead, she pulled up a chair near the bed and curled up in that. She rested her chin on her knees and waited.

Re: After Cole Leaves --- For Crowley

[flash-serpent.livejournal.com]

Sauntering in, he's grinning from ear to ear. It may or may not have anything to do with the large crate that was delivered to the lobby today.

The grin melts away when he sees her. This isn't normal weeping over the whelp...this is something far more threatening.

"Phoebe, my dove, why are you molting in my room?"

Re: After Cole Leaves --- For Crowley

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe jerks herself from her thoughts and lifts her head when she hears Crowley speak.

"Molting?" She asks in confusion. "Can't molt when you don't have feathers." She shakes her head. "I'm in here because I wanted to feel close." She sighs. "Do you have a moment for a question? If not, that's cool, I can go to bed and talk to you later."

Re: After Cole Leaves --- For Crowley

[flash-serpent.livejournal.com]

"I always have time for your questions, pet. Come now...perk up. How bad can it be compared to me?" He pours on the charm to get her to smile as he sits on the edge of the bed near her.

Re: After Cole Leaves --- For Crowley

[sensethevisions]

She can't help it, she smiles. "That's good because i'm not really keen on going back to sleep right now." She looks at him seriously. "What do you know about a entity called The Source of All Evil?"

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe nods. She had thought it would be something like that. "That's what I figured. So you have me until yu get favoured by them... and then what happens?"

She swallows and looks at him, then takes the chance of putting her head on his shoulder. "When you get what they give you, do I cease to exist?"

[flash-serpent.livejournal.com]

"Nothing like that, pet. get favour...and you. I can do what I like with you. Nothing spectacular really. Nothing like the movies would lead you to believe."

After Cole Leaves -- For Crowley

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe moves into a position where she can lay her head on him.

"I guess I'm not making much sense with my questions, am I, Dearest?"

Re: After Cole Leaves -- For Crowley

[flash-serpent.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I think I know where you're going with this. It's all right, pet. It's natural to be curious...but you know I'll lie to you and twist it to my gain. You're going to have to be cunning to learn what you want to know."

Re: After Cole Leaves -- For Crowley

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe nodded. "I know you will and I expect it. Just sometimes... sometimes it's easier to believe I'm safe, too."

She was silent for a long moment.

"It bothers you that I care about you or what happens to you."