Commitment

[noazmale]

CHARMED
"Commitment"
by J. B. Tilton
email: [e-mail]
Rating: K+ (for mild language)

Disclaimer: “Charmed” and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

(Author’s note: This story takes place between season 3 episodes “Coyote Piper” and “We All Scream For Ice Cream”.)

* * *

To avoid the bounty hunters looking for him after he destroys the Triad, Cole shimmers to a small mid-western town. There, he becomes embroiled in a situation that will test his dedication of turning from evil to good.

* * *

ONE

Cole shimmered into the graveyard and stood looking around. He watched intently, looking for any sign that he had been followed. Confident that he had lost the bounty hunters for the moment, he relaxed.

The past couple of weeks had been harrowing. Every demon, it seemed, was out to make a name for themselves by destroying the infamous Belthazor. After he had destroyed the Triad, word had quickly spread about what he had done. Now the Source wanted him dead. He was a traitor to his own kind and that was something the Source simply would not tolerate.

“What the hell was I thinking?” he asked out loud.

Almost as soon as he asked it, he knew what the answer was. Phoebe was what he was thinking. His love for her, and hers for him, had proven stronger than the ever-present evil inside him. Stronger than even the fear instilled by the Triad or the Source. Their love had been the catalyst he had finally needed to overcome that evil. To turn to good.

But there was a price. He knew what that price was even before he had destroyed the Triad. He was now a hunted man. And he would continue to be hunted until, and unless, he could think of a way to make the Source forget about him.

That’s why he had come to this sleepy little mid-western town. He had passed through here once before. It had been some seventy years ago. From what he could tell, it hadn’t changed all that much since then. A small mid-western town very similar to thousands just like it spread out all across the country. Only these towns had something that would prove beneficial to him.

Or rather, didn’t have something. No demonic influence. These small towns held little interest for demons, even the Source. Oh, occasionally a minor demon would wreak havoc in towns like this. But the upper level demons; the ones he had cause to fear; would not think to look for him here.

But that wouldn’t last long. In a matter of days some bounty hunter would trace him here. Then, they would come for him. Well, he had those few precious days. Phoebe, Piper, and Prue would be relatively safe with him gone. At least he didn’t have to worry about a demon that was hunting him accidentally hurting them. They had enough demons coming after them as it was. They didn’t need him adding to their lot by bringing even more demons to their door.

He looked into the sky. It would be sunrise soon. He couldn’t stay in the cemetery. Unlike San Francisco, this cemetery held no mausoleum. He couldn’t hide out there. He would need to find some place to stay while he was in town.

That shouldn’t prove much of a problem either. There were bound to be some empty houses in town. Perhaps one even on the outskirts of town where his comings and goings wouldn’t be too noticeable.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. Not as much as he would have liked. But at least he had enough money to last him a few days. Even if he was going to be a squatter, he still needed to eat. Something he had once considered a failing because of his human half. Now, it seemed to bring him closer to Phoebe than if he had been fully demon.

He left the cemetery and walked into the town a short distance away. Very few people would be up yet. He would be able to look around and find the house he needed before anyone knew he was there. With his ability to shimmer, no one would see him enter or leave. Although he would have to keep his eyes open for any sign that they had found him, he would be able to relax for a bit.

[noazmale]

TWO

Cole sat in a local restaurant eating breakfast. There had been no empty houses for him to hide out in. There was, however, a small motel along the highway in the town. Its’ guests were usually tourist who were simply passing through the small town for a night’s respite before continuing on to their destinations.

The town had changed little since Cole had been here last. It was a little bigger, of course. Still, only a little less than two thousand people called the town home. Located in the southern portion of Illinois, it was about as far from the demonic influenced San Francisco as one could get. Cole should be relatively safe for several days.

“You seem to be enjoying your meal a great deal.”

Cole looked up to see the waitress refilling his coffee cup. Her nametag read “Martha” and she was a very pretty blonde about twenty years old.

“Yes,” said Cole. “It’s been a long time since I had a meal this good. I spend a lot of time traveling.”

“I see,” said Martha. “I assume you’re only staying for one day. Most visitors don’t stay much longer than that.”

“No,” said Cole, “actually, I’m going to be staying a few days. Sort of a small vacation, you might say.”

“Well, I hope you enjoy your stay,” said Martha. “There really isn’t much to do around here, but it is quiet. Most of the time, anyway.”

“I’m just looking for a few days rest,” said Cole.

Just then three young men about Martha’s age came into the restaurant. They were loud and boisterous and Cole had no trouble identifying their kind. They would be the troublemakers of this small town.

Most small towns had them. Young men who weren’t able to go off in search of adventure as they wanted. Trapped in what they considered the garbage heap of the world, they took their anger and frustration out on whomever happened to be around.

“Great,” said Martha. “Toby Stiles and his friends. Just what I need this morning.”

Cole went back to his meal, but kept his eyes on the young men. The last thing he wanted was to get embroiled in some local trouble. As long as they left him alone, he wouldn’t bother them.

“Hey, Martha,” said Toby, stepping in front of the young woman, “how ya’ doin’? I thought you and I could drive over to Mount Parker tonight and catch a movie. You won’t regret it, I promise.”

‘I regret even knowing you,” Martha spat out. “And how many times do I have to tell you, I’m not going out with you? You know Mark and I are seeing each other. He’ll be home this weekend and we’ll be going to the movies. So, no thanks.”

“Come on,” said Toby, grabbing her arm. “Marks a wimp. You need a real man. Like me. Jake and Peter here will tell you. I’m enough man for any woman. Especially the pathetic ones who live around here. Forget Mark already. He’s a looser.”

“Toby Stiles,” said Martha, anger in her voice, “I don’t care if your father does own half the land around here. I’m not interested. Leave me alone.”

“Hey, babe,” said Toby, pulling her closer to him, “you just haven’t had a taste of what you’re missing.”

“Not interested,” said Martha, trying to pull away from him.

“Bitch,” said Toby. He slapped her across the face. “No one turns down Toby Stiles, no one. Least of all some little trampy daughter of the local minister. Come on. You’re taking the morning off.”

Toby began to pull the young woman toward the door. Cole looked around and was surprised to see that no one was even attempting to intervene. Even the men in the restaurant seemed to become intensely interested in their own meals. As Toby and Martha reached his table, Cole stuck his foot out stopping them both in their tracks.

“Why not let her go?” he said, looking up at the young man. “She’s busy at the moment.”

“Mind your own business,” said Toby.

Cole stood up. The two were looking eye to eye with each other. The young man seemed to be a bit more muscular than Cole was, but that didn’t bother him. He was, after all, only a human. There were few humans that Cole feared.

“I said,” said Cole, pulling Martha away from Toby, “let her go. She’s obviously not interested in your advances. You should learn to take a hint.”

The young man reached for Cole. Cole simply stepped to one side and grabbed the young man’s wrist, pulling him off balance. Toby went flying across the room, colliding with his two friends.

“Oh, that was stupid,” said Toby. “Three against one. Not very good odds, really.”

“You’re right,” said Cole, stepping between Martha and the three men. “Maybe I should let you go get some more of your friends so it will be more fair.”

“Real funny,” said Toby. “I’m going to make you eat those words, mister. No one comes into this town and puts their hands on Toby Stiles, no one. You’re going to be real sorry you ever stopped in here.”

“Is there a problem here?” asked a voice from the front door.

Everyone turned to see a man about thirty standing in the doorway. He was wearing a police uniform.

“No, no problem, John,” said Toby. “Just having a friendly conversation, that’s all. Come on Jake, Peter. Let’s get out of here.”

The three men turned and pushed their way past the officer. He watched them pile into a car and peeled out, streaking down the street, running through a stop sign.

“You okay, Martha?” asked the policeman.

“I’m fine,” said Martha. “This gentleman helped me. If not for him, I’m not sure what would have happened.”

“Thanks,” said the policeman. “I’m John Harper, the local law enforcement. Sorry you had to see that. Toby and his friends can get out of hand sometimes.”

“Cole Turner,” said Cole, shaking John’s hand. “You should arrest that Toby. He hit Martha. Everyone in here saw it. You’d have an open and shut case for battery.”

“I appreciate the advice,” said John. “Martha, you want to file a complaint?”

“N . . . no,” stammered Martha. “It was nothing. I think he had been drinking. I’ll be okay.”

“It wasn’t nothing,” protested Cole. “No one has the right to go around hitting someone else, least of all some overbearing pompous ass like that. If she won’t file a complaint, I will as a witness.”

“And just who might you be, Mr. Cole Turner?” asked John.

“I’m an assistant district attorney in San Francisco,” said Cole. “I was . . . on my way east to visit some family.”

“Well,” said John, “if you really want to file a complaint, I guess I can’t stop you. But I have to tell you, it probably won’t do any good.”

“Please, Mr. Turner,” pleaded Martha. “Don’t cause any trouble. Officer Harper is right. Even if you file a complaint, Toby won’t spend one day in jail. His father will see to that. Just let it go. Please.”

Cole couldn’t believe what he was hearing. No one seemed to want to hold this young man responsible for his actions. He had already proven he had no compunction about striking a woman. There was no telling what else he was capable of. And no one seemed to want to do anything about it.

[noazmale]

THREE

“Thank you for coming to the aid of my daughter,” said Martha’s father. “I appreciate what you did for her.”

Reverend Chrichton had invited Cole into his home after Officer Harper had given them a ride to Martha’s home. Being half demon, Cole was a bit uncomfortable being in the home of a minister. But he decided it was best if he didn’t make them any more suspicious than necessary.

“It’s a good thing Harper showed up when he did,” said Cole. “That young Stiles needs to be taught a lesson.”

“Please, I would appreciate it if you would forget about it,” said Rev. Chrichton. “Our church doesn’t believe in violence. For any reason. To repay evil for good would violate the very tenant of our faith.”

“He attacked your daughter,” protested Cole. “I’m sure if I hadn’t intervened, he would have done a great deal worse than that. He should be locked up.”

“It’s not our way,” said Rev. Chrichton. “We believe in repaying evil with good. I’m sure that with a little Christian kindness, he’ll eventually come around. We just have to show him that he is misguided.”

“Yeah, misguided,” said Cole, sarcastically. “Listen, I don’t mean to ridicule your religion. But he’s more than misguided. Believe me, I’ve seen more like him than I can remember. He’s not misguided. He’s simply bad. If you don’t do something about it now, you’re going to have some real trouble on your hands. And it won’t take long either.”

“I’m not offended,” said Rev. Chrichton. “Most people don’t accept our beliefs to the degree that we do. It’s nothing new to us.”

“All the same,” said Cole, “that boy needs to be locked up. He’s dangerous. All Martha has to do is swear out a complaint on him.”

“It wouldn’t do any good,” said Martha. “Mr. Stiles would just use his money and influence to get Toby out of any trouble he gets into. He always has. It’s the main reason Toby can do whatever he wants. His father always covers for him.”

“What about the police?’ asked Cole. “Harper seemed to be willing to do something about it. He just needs someone to file a complaint.”

“If he did,” said Martha, “Mr. Stiles will just see that he looses his job. The police around here are just tokens. There’s really nothing they can do about it.”

“What about the state officials?” asked Cole. “Surely they can do something about him.”

“I’m afraid not,” said Rev. Chrichton. “Everyone is afraid of him. No one will testify against him. A couple of citizens tried to a couple of years ago, but they just disappeared one day. And, of course, there was no evidence implicating Stiles or anyone who worked for him.”

“Great,” said Cole. “So you have to live under his totalitarian control, is that it? That’s intolerable. Why do you stay here? Why don’t you move someplace else?’

“This is our home,” said Rev. Chrichton. “Where else would we go? As I said, I’m sure that if we show them enough love and kindness, they will eventually change their ways.”

“I’m not as optimistic,” said Cole.

“Please, promise me,” said Rev. Chrichton, “that you will not do anything to provoke them. Especially for us. I simply cannot condone any form of violence, especially in my name. As I said, we do not believe in violence. For any reason.”

“Okay,” said Cole reluctantly. “I don’t plan to be in town very long anyway. But I think you’re making a mistake. Sometimes the only way to show people the error of their ways is to punish them for what they do.”

“Perhaps,” said Rev. Chrichton. “But I would ask that you respect my wishes in this matter.”

“Alright,” said Cole. “Well, I should be getting back to the motel. I stopped in this town for some peace and quiet. All I want to do is rest up and take it easy.”

“Thank you,” said Rev. Chrichton. “I appreciate your restraint. Can I give you a ride back to the motel?”

“No, thanks,” said Cole. “I think I’ll walk. It’s a nice day out.”

As Cole left the Chrichton parsonage, he couldn’t help but wonder about Martha’s father. A minister, of all people, should see the value in punishing people when it was necessary. If Rev. Chrichton had only known about Cole’s heritage, he might just sing a different tune from the one he was singing with Cole.

Cole spent the rest of the day relaxing in his motel room. He watched television, wondering what people actually saw in it. Most of the shows were nonsensical things that rarely portrayed life as it really was. The good guys always won and everything was resolved in the end. Cole knew this was rarely the case. Evil won a great deal more than most people cared to admit. Perhaps, he thought, it was a way to escape the humdrum of their daily lives, if even for a few moments.

The next day, Cole stopped in at the local grocery store. The small town only had one, and, of course, it saw a great deal of business. Apparently the town wasn’t large enough to warrant a convenience store. Cole had decided to pick up something to snack on in his room at night.

There still hadn’t been any sign of the bounty hunters he knew must surely be after him. The Source wouldn’t allow him to remain at large for long. As long as he kept a low profile, he figured he could avoid them almost indefinitely. He dared not risk contacting Phoebe to tell her he was okay. He couldn’t take the chance that someone might find out where he was through her.

As he walked out of the small grocery store, he saw Toby Stiles across the street. He was apparently talking to a young girl that looked to be no older than thirteen or fourteen. The young girls appeared to bet trying to get away from Toby, but he continually blocked her path.

Cautiously, Cole crossed the street and walked up behind Toby. What he heard sickened him. Apparently Toby had set his sights on other prey. After his miserable failure with Martha. And his new prey was nothing more than a child.

“Hey there,” said Cole.

Toby was startled. He spun around and glared at Cole while Cole just smiled at him. Seeing possibly her only chance to escape, the young girl turned and ran down the street as fast as her legs would carry her.

“Just wanted to let you know there were no hard feelings about the other day,” said Cole still smiling at Toby.

Toby glanced over his shoulder and, seeing his prey eluding him, became irate. He turned back to Cole, anger in his eyes.

“You need to mind your own business, mister,” said Toby. “Bad things happen to people around here who don’t mind their own business.”

“I’m not worried,” said Cole. “I doubt you’d pose a serious threat to me.”

“I might just surprise you,” said Toby. “Cross my path again, and you’ll get your chance. And it won’t be pretty.”

Toby turned and stormed off down the street. As he was speaking to Cole, the smile faded from Cole’s face. Suddenly, Cole had lost his sense of humor in the matter. It had nothing to do with Toby’s threat. Cole had heard his share of boisterous threats before. This seemed no different from the others.

But something else had caused Cole’s smile to fade. A nagging thought that, perhaps, he had underestimated this “boy”. Perhaps, Toby Stiles wasn’t what he appeared to be. If that was true, Cole realized he might have a serious problem on his hands.

As Toby had voiced his threat to Cole, his eyes glowed slightly. That could mean only one thing. Toby Stiles wasn’t human. He was, in all likelihood, a demon, just as Cole was. If he was, that meant the Source might already know where he was hiding out.

[noazmale]

FOUR

Cole looked out the window of his motel room for the thousandth time. He couldn’t understand it. There had been no sign of any demon bounty hunters coming for him. If Toby was a demon, the Source should have been informed by now. At the very least, Toby might try to take Cole himself. To curry favor with the Source and bolster his reputation in the underworld. The demon that took out Belthazor would gain great prestige among his contemporaries.

Unless Toby was not a demon. His flashing eyes could have meant something else. Some warlocks used that little trick. It wasn’t easy for a warlock to do, but with practice, it could be done. There were also some other entities whose eyes flashed, but none he could think of that would bother with this little hamburg.

Things just didn’t add up. Even a demon wouldn’t find anything of interest in this little nothing of a town. At least not for very long. The young girls here would provide a moments diversion from the pursuit of evil. But none would remain long; not long enough to remain in this town apparently as long as Toby had.

And Toby hadn’t exhibited any special powers, either. Not even when Cole had intervened at the restaurant. Everyone was obviously afraid of this young man. Even men who were much bigger and, presumably, much stronger. Even with his two friends around, there should be someone who was willing to stand up against him. Which meant there must be something about him that Cole didn’t know.

That would be his first priority. He had to learn about Toby. Find out if he was a demon or warlock or some other entity. He couldn’t risk leaving this town until he was sure who, or what, Toby was. And what he might have told someone else. Without that knowledge, Cole couldn’t be sure he was effectively avoiding the bounty hunters that were trailing him.

But where to start was the question. Other than being afraid of this young man, no one seemed to know about any powers he might have. Or at least they were afraid to tell about them. He thought about asking Martha and her father but discounted that. Rev. Chrichton seemed to be oblivious to the evil in this young man. And Martha didn’t seem interested in learning anything about Toby.

It was painfully obvious to Cole what he had to do. The best place to learn about Toby was to go to the source, so to speak. If anyone had information on Toby, it would be his father. The man obviously cared about his son a great deal. Perhaps too much. Enough to step in and protect him from any trouble he might get into.

But that was risk as well. If Toby was a demon, his father might be too. Or his mother might be. In any case, if Cole revealed himself to one of them, they might contact the Source where Toby hadn’t.

Cole checked the phone book and found the address for one Mr. Charles Stiles. It was the only Stiles in the book, so he was reasonably sure that would be Toby’s father. He decided he could risk a short shimmer to the house. He would have to be constantly on his guard.

Cole looked out in the parking lot to make sure no one was out there. Then he shimmered out of the motel room. He appeared in the hallway of what appeared to be a mansion. It was elaborately decorated with expensive furniture, paintings, and carpet. Obviously, Mr. Stiles was as wealthy as he’d been led to believe. He heard voices coming from a doorway down the hall. Cautiously, he moved to the door and listened intently.

“He’s going through is bank account faster than ever, sir,” said a voice inside the room. “In the last six months his expenditures have nearly doubled.”

“I don’t care,” said another voice. “You have your orders. Just keep enough money in the account so my son doesn’t have to come here. I DON’T want him in this house, do you understand that?”

“Yes, Mr. Stiles,” said the first voice. “I’ll make arrangements to transfer more money into the account first thing in the morning.”

Cole heard movement in the room. He stepped back against the wall, obscuring himself in the darkness. The door opened and a man dressed in a three-piece suit carrying a briefcase left the room. Cole waited until he heard the front door open, then close, and then stepped out of the shadows.

There had been fear in Stiles’ voice. It would appear that he was as afraid of his own son as everyone else was. Which didn’t make sense. If Toby were a demon, he would have inherited his demonic features from one of his parents. Why would the father be afraid of the son? Presumably, the father would be more powerful than the son.

Things were just getting crazier by the minute. Cole looked around the house again. It was deathly quiet. No sound emanated from the surrounding rooms. Cole took a deep breath, and then opened the door to the room where Stiles was. He entered quickly and closed the door behind him.

“Who are you?” demanded Stiles, sitting behind a large oak desk. “How did you get in here?”

“That’s not important,” said Cole. “We need to have a talk, Mr. Stiles. About your son.”

“My son?” questioned Stiles.

Cole could see fear in the mans’ eyes. He saw the man slowly reach into an open desk drawer. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he was doing. He obviously kept a gun in the draw for protection. Protection against intruders, just like Cole.

“That won’t do you any good,” said Cole, flashing his eyes at the man.

“Oh, God,” gasped the man. “You another one. Like him. Please, don’t hurt me. I’ve got money. I can pay you anything you want. I haven’t told anyone about him, I swear. Please, don’t hurt me. I don’t want to die.”

“You’re not going to die,” said Cole, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. “I just want some information. What did you mean ‘I’m like him’? Do you mean your son?”

“Y . . . yes,” stammered Stiles. “My son can flash his eyes like that.”

“Listen,” said Cole, “I just want to find out what’s going on here. I don’t have anything against you and I have no intention of harming you. But I need to know about your son. Just give me the information I need, and you’ll never see me again.”

“Okay,” said Stiles, still very nervous. “What . . . what do you want to know?”

“What is he?” asked Cole. “It’s obvious you’re afraid of him. So is everyone else. What is it about him that makes everyone so fearful of him?”

“Because he’s a demon,” said Stiles. “I never believed the legends, really. Then, when he was sixteen, he developed powers. Not even I could control him after that. No one could. He turned mean after that.”

“What legends?” asked Cole.

“About this town,” said Stiles. “It was settled around 1817 or so. Local legend holds that it was a place of great evil. Even the Indians avoided it. But the settlers who came here didn’t believe the legends or rumors.

“A few years after they settled here, one of the young girls reported being raped. By a demon that encountered her in the woods. The town’s people searched but they couldn’t find anything. They eventually decided the girl had hallucinated everything except the rape.

“That girl was one of my ancestors. Nine months later she gave birth to a baby boy. The boy seemed normal in all respects. Except he began to develop special gifts. Nothing drastic. Since then, the men in our family have all been born with unusual talents.

“Me, for instance. I have an instinctive feeling in business dealings. I can tell when someone is lying to me or trying to screw with me. It doesn’t work so well in my personal life, but when it comes to business it never fails.”

“But it’s different with Toby?” asked Cole.

“Yes,” said Stiles. “His mother died giving birth. I was beginning to think he hadn’t inherited any abilities. It happens occasionally. It can skip a generation. That’s what I thought had happened here.”

“But it hadn’t,” offered Cole.

“No,” said Stiles. “Around his sixteenth birthday he began to exhibit abilities I had never heard of. I know it sounds crazy, but he can throw fire. I lost most of the servants that work here. He incinerated a couple of them when they made him mad. Most of the others left after that.”

“Why didn’t the police do anything about it?” asked Cole.

“Oh, they investigated,” said Stiles. “But there weren’t any bodies. And the ones who reported it just sort of seemed to disappear. Like they just moved off somewhere. No one knew where. Without any witnesses or evidence, there wasn’t anything the police could do.”

“I see,” said Cole. “But you keep covering for him. Some of the townspeople told me. Whenever he gets into trouble, you use your money and influence to protect him.”

“Not him,” said Stiles, “me. He threatened me, you see. He said if I didn’t protect him, I’d disappear just like those witnesses. Believe me, mister, I believe him. He may be my own son, but there’s no humanity in him. And with his special abilities, there’s no one who can stop him.”

“That’s why you provide him with money,” said Cole. “To keep him from coming here.”

“Yes,” said Stiles. “As long as I keep his account full, he stays away. It’s better that way. I don’t have to deal with him.”

“But the townspeople do,” said Cole. “You’re not solving anything that way. You’re just pushing the problem off on to someone else. Someone who doesn’t have the ability to protect himself or herself against him.”

“And I do?” questioned Stiles. “Listen, mister. I don’t know who you are. But that boy is very dangerous. I’m just protecting myself. I don’t have any choice. If I die, he’ll inherit my entire estate. At least this way I can keep him on some sort of leash. I give him just enough money to live on. But not enough to go anywhere. His evil is limited to this town instead of inflicting it on some unsuspecting metropolis somewhere. God knows what kind of trouble he could cause there.”

Cole knew exactly what kind of trouble he could cause. He had learned what he came here to learn. Without another word, Cole stood up and left the room. Once out of sight of Stiles, he shimmered back to his room at the motel.

[noazmale]

FIVE

Cole sat in his motel room thinking about his conversation with Stiles. He had learned quite a bit. Toby wasn’t a demon, per se. He was apparently descended from a demon. It was anyone’s guess which one.

But it also meant that other demons wouldn’t give Toby the time of day. Even though he had obviously inherited some powers from his ancestor, those powers would be severely diluted because of so many years being carried in a human body. Against a true demon, he would be less than an annoyance.

But against other humans, his power would seem considerable. Which was how he was able to keep up his reign of terror. He was, essentially, a spoiled brat who thought of only his current momentary pleasure. Which also explained why Mr. Stiles was still alive. As soon as Toby figured out what was going on, he’d kill his father and inherit the man’s wealth.

It also explained why Cole hadn’t sensed any demonic presence in the small town. Toby wasn’t really a demon. He only possessed demonic powers. At least, to a degree. The only way Cole would sense that power was when Toby was using it and then only if he was close by.

Which meant that Cole was in no danger of being exposed by this boy. No self-respecting demon would associate with him. If anything, he would be considered even lower than a human. He was a bastardized offspring of a demon. Belthazor had been accepted, even with his human ancestry, because he had been extremely powerful And extremely ruthless. He had proven himself to be a great asset to the forces of evil time and again.

If Toby did try to contact a demon to report Cole being there, that demon would more than likely just destroy him without even listening to him. So Cole was as safe as before in this town. His only concern was the bounty hunters that were still looking for him.

Two more days went by and Cole saw little of the would-be demon. He was just as glad. The boy was an arrogant punk who would certainly try to “flex” his demonic muscles again in an attempt to impress Cole. It was something Cole had little use for and even less patience.

He was sitting in his room watching yet another senseless television show when there was a knock at his door. Cautiously, he peered out the curtains at the window. Standing at the door was Officer Harper.

“Officer Harper,” said Cole, “what brings you around here?”

“Well,” said Harper, “I was just wondering if you had seen Martha. The two of you seem to have become friends and she didn’t show up at work. Her boss got worried and asked me to see if I can find her.”

“No, I haven’t seen her,” said Cole. “I haven’t been out of my room all morning. You think there’s anything to be worried about?”

“Probably not,” said Harper. “Toby Stiles was hassling her at the restaurant again last night. I thought she might have come by here to scare him off. She’s probably out with one of her friends. Sorry to have bothered you.”

“She isn’t at home?” asked Cole.

“No, that’s the first place I checked,” said Harper. “Her father was under the impression she had gone to work. I’ll keep checking. If you hear anything, please let me know.”

“Yes, of course,” said Cole.

After the officer left, Cole sat thinking about Martha being missing. Toby had been pretty set on going out with her. Even if she didn’t want to. He couldn’t believe it was simply coincidence that she mysteriously disappeared right after Toby had hassled her.

Cole hurried out of his room and down to the restaurant. The owner couldn’t tell him much. She was scheduled to be at work an hour ago. But she had simply not shown up. It was, he said, very unlike her. She was always so prompt. Unlike Officer Harper, he was so sure she had gone off with a friend.

Cole stepped into an alley and looked around. No one was looking. Quietly, he shimmered to the Stiles residence. Once inside, he quickly located Mr. Stiles.

“Do you have any idea where Toby is right now?” demanded Cole.

“N . . . no,” stammered Stiles. “I told you the other day, I have very little contact with my son.”

“I see,” said Cole. “Do you know of any place he might want to go to be alone? Some place secluded and out of the way.”

“We have a cabin a few miles from here,” said Stiles. “Haven’t used it much since Toby’s mother died. He usually uses it for his drinking parties. It sits on a lake where we used to go fishing.”

“Exactly where is it?” asked Cole.

Stiles pulled a map out of his desk and showed Cole where the cabin was located. Cole left the room and, making sure he was alone, shimmered out of the house.

The cabin was very secluded. Thick woods surrounded it and he imagined that unless you knew where to look, you’d never see it from the road. It was the perfect place to hide someone.

A car sat in front of the cabin. It was the same car that Toby and his friends had driven away in the first day Cole had met them. He walked over and felt the hood of the car. It was still warm. Which meant they hadn’t been there long.

Cole quietly moved up to the door of the cabin and listened. He could hear voices inside. Three, perhaps four people. And one of them sounded female. Apparently Toby and his friends had brought Martha here. Probably against her will. And Cole had no delusions about their plans for her. He took hold of the door handle and opened the door, then walked right into the cabin.

Martha was sitting in a chair in the center of the room. She was bound by her wrists and ankles. Toby and his two friends circled her like hungry vultures. They all looked up at him in surprise as he burst into the scene.

“What the hell are you doing here?” demanded Toby.

“Rev. Chrichton is worried about Martha,” said Cole nonchalantly. “I thought I’d just make sure she got home okay.”

“I don’t think so,” said Toby. He reached into his belt and pulled out a pistol, pointing it directly at Cole. “I warned you about messing with me. Now, it seems I’ll have to take care of you. Too bad. If you had just minded your own business, I’d have let you live. Now, I’m afraid I don’t have any other choice.”

He cocked the pistol, and then fired directly at Cole’s head.

[noazmale]

SIX

Cole simply shimmered, then was gone. The four humans looked in stunned disbelief as the bullet impacted the doorframe where Cole had stood only a second before. Before any of them could react, Cole shimmered in behind Toby. He reached around the boy and pulled the gun out of his hand.

“That wasn’t very nice,” said Cole, shoving Toby toward his two friends. “Someone could get hurt that way.”

“How the hell did you do that?” demanded Peter, one of Toby’s friends.

“It’s not hard,” said Cole. He shoved the gun into his belt and began to untie Martha. “A little trick I’ve picked up on my travels.”

“Well, it won’t save you,” said Toby. “You should have heeded my warning. You must be some kind of fool if you think you’re any match for me.”

“Why?” asked Cole sarcastically. “Because you flashed your eyes at me? Please. Any third rate magician can do that trick.”

“I’m not third rate magician,” said Toby.

Suddenly, Toby changed. His ears became pointed and his skin took on a bluish tint. His eyes looked like a cat’s eyes. Two oversized fang-like teeth sprouted from his mouth. While he did have a frightening appearance, he reminded Cole more of a minor underling than any demonic threat.

“I tried to warn you,” he said to Cole. “You obviously have no idea who or what you’re dealing with.”

“Your father told me about you,” said Cole. “And if you think that frightens me, you obviously have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” demanded Toby.

“Because I’m what you only pretend to be,” said Cole.

Suddenly, Cole changed as well. Belthazor stood in his place looking down on the boy as if he were a trapped animal.

“You pathetic worm,” said Belthazor. “Do you think that you are any match for a true demon? Your lineage has been watered down by decades of mingling with human genes. Your power is less than insignificant to me.”

“Well just see about that,” said Toby.

Toby formed a ball of fire in his hand. He cast it at Belthazor. When it struck, it covered Belthazor in flames for several seconds, and then dissipated harmlessly away. Belthazor just smiled at Toby.

“Is that supposed to impress me?” demanded Belthazor. “You’re nothing but a child compared to me. An inexperienced child. I’ve destroyed more powerful creatures than you with less trouble than it takes to form a fireball. My name is Belthazor and there are few demons as powerful as I am.”

Belthazor reached out with his clawed hand and grabbed the Toby-demon by the throat. He raised the boy off the floor so that his feet dangled helplessly in the air. Peter and Jake had had enough of this encounter. They turned and ran from the cabin as fast as their feet could carry them, not even bothering to get in the car. They simply ran through the woods in an attempt to escape a true demon.

“It’s ironic, really,” said Belthazor. “You were never a threat to me. If you had just left me alone, I wouldn’t have bothered with you. But you had to make it personal. No one attacks Belthazor and lives.”

Toby grabbed at the hand around his throat. Even his demonic form did not possess the necessary strength to remove the strangle hold Belthazor possessed. Toby gasped for air fighting desperately to escape this demon.

“Mr. Turner,” said Martha, “don’t hurt him. You made a promise to my father. I’m holding you to that promise. No violence in our name, remember? Please, let him go.”

“Do you have any idea what he planned to do with you?” asked Belthazor.

“I can guess,” said Martha. “But that doesn’t justify what you’re doing. We don’t return evil for evil. Please, if your word to my father means anything, let him go.”

Belthazor looked at the Toby-demon, then at Martha. Although a demon, he had always prided himself on keeping his word. His experience had taught him that this boy would say anything to spare his life. Most likely, he would go right back to the way he was when Cole had first encountered him. He was convinced he should strangle the life out of the Toby-demon, despite his promise to Martha’s father.

Then he thought of Phoebe. What would she think when she learned what he had done? He was trying to be good, not evil. And everything he did testified to his commitment to that change. Or his lack of commitment. He knew that if he killed this boy, Phoebe and the others would take it as a sign that he really wasn’t committed to becoming good.

Reluctantly, he released his grasp on the boy, and the Toby-demon tumbled to the floor. As he did, he changed from his demonic form to his totally human form.

“You’re lucky, boy,” said Belthazor. “If not for my word to this girl and her father, I would have killed you.”

Belthazor returned to his Cole Turner form. He moved over and finished untying Martha as Toby sucked in deep breaths of air. It would take him several minutes to return to normal.

“Thank you,” said Martha.

“I didn’t have a choice,” said Cole. “I gave you my word.”

He moved over to Toby.

“But I only promised not to do violence during my stay here,” he said to the boy. “Once I leave, my promise to them is fulfilled. If I should ever have to come this way again, I’ll be free to finish what I started here.”

“No, no,” stammered Toby, fear evident in his eyes, “that won’t be necessary. I’ll be good. I promise. You have my word on that.”

“See that you are,” said Cole. “I don’t want to hear about any more strange disappearances. Or anything else like what happened here. You may be powerful compared to them, but compared to most demons; you’re less than insignificant. I’ll be keeping my eye on this town. If I hear of anything else happening . . .”

“You won’t, I promise,” said Toby. “Can I go now?”

“Get out of here,” said Cole. “And remember. I’ll be watching. Keep that in mind the next time you feel like you want to exert your control over someone.”

“I will, I promise,” said Toby edging closer to the door.

When Cole didn’t move to stop him, Toby turned and sprinted for the car. Within seconds, he spun the car away from the cabin and was speeding away. Cole just smiled to himself. Then he took Martha by the hand and shimmered them both to her home.

* * *

“I appreciate what you did for Martha,” said Rev. Chrichton. “Although I’m sure she didn’t tell me everything that happened, she did say that you were the one who save her. And that you were able to do it without violence.”

“Toby just needed someone to explain things to him,” said Cole, smiling coyly at Martha. “I guess no one ever told him it wasn’t nice to mistreat people the way he did.”

“Well, maybe your little lecture will stick with him,” said Rev. Chrichton. “See, I told you that people respond to goodness. Even those who perform evil acts. Love our neighbors. That’s what we’re taught. Love can change even the worst person into a good person.”

Cole didn’t respond. Rev. Chrichton didn’t know how right he was. Phoebe’s love for him had changed him from one of the most feared demons in the underworld into someone who was trying to be good. No small feat for anyone.

“I should be going,” said Cole. “I’ve been here longer than I planned to be.”

“You’re welcome any time,” said Rev. Chrichton. “Well, I guess I’ll get started on the supper dishes. Martha, will you come help me once you’ve seen Mr. Turner out?”

“Sure, daddy,” said Martha.

Martha walked Cole to the front door, and then glanced back to make sure her father had gone into the kitchen.

“I didn’t tell him about you changing,” said Martha. “I’m not sure he’d believe me anyway. He believes that demons are more allegorical than factual.”

“They aren’t,” said Cole. “You’ve seen that firsthand.”

“Yes, I have,” said Martha. “Was it true what you told Toby? Are you really one of the most powerful demons there is?”

“I was,” said Cole. “But your father is right about one thing. Love can do miraculous things. It’s because of the love of a woman that I changed. It’s one of the reasons I came here. My former employers are hunting me. This just happened to be a safe haven for me for a few days.”

“She must be quite a woman,” said Martha.

“She is,” said Cole. “You wouldn’t believe how special.”

“I can imagine,” said Martha. “I hope you’ll come back for a visit some day. Once you have things worked out.”

“I’ll try,” said Cole. “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try. And don’t forget to mention my name to Toby on occasion. It might give him incentive to keep his promise to me.”

“I’ll do that,” said Martha, smiling. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him scared before. I have to admit, if I saw you; the other you; coming after me, I’d be scared, too.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” said Cole. “I don’t do that any more. Well, I guess I’d better get going. The longer I’m here, the more chance you could be put in danger again. I need to move on.”

“Come back when you can,” said Martha, kissing him on the cheek. “And thanks again for saving me.”

“My pleasure,” said Cole.

He turned and walked away from the house into the night. He walked for several blocks, and then stepped into an alleyway. There still hadn’t been any sign of the demonic bounty hunters that were on his trail. But it was only a matter of time before they caught up with him. His only chance was to keep constantly on the move so they couldn’t get a fix on his location.

Quietly, Cole Turner shimmered out of the small town for an unknown destination.

The End

If you’ve enjoyed this story, you can find more “Charmed” stories at my website, www.geocities.com/killeenmale/ . You can also post your own “Charmed” stories if you like to write fan fiction.