44 Blueberry Hill, Thursday Evening

[sleepswthdemons]

Phoebe was not hiding in the safety of the house at 44 Blueberry Hill.

Except that she totally was.

Although the relief of her students at seeing her unharmed and back in the classroom had calmed her nerves somewhat -- as did seeing Lana and Tori -- she still wasn't feeling well. She was still feeling tired and so much still hurt.

And she wasn't that comfortable with people seeing the bruises and therefore remembering everything that she had done and what lengths some people had to go to in order to set her mistake right.

So she was totally not hiding as she sat in the attic of the house.

Just because she was afraid to venture outside didn't mean that people couldn't come inside, though.


[[OOC: For the boys and anyone else who would want to come see the emo-hermit-guilt-ridden witch.]]

Comments

[beenthroughthat.livejournal.com]

"We know that," Sam said, leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers. "Everyone who knows you knows you'd rather take the pain than let anyone else get hurt. We've been through this sort of thing before . . . nobody will hold it against you. Because you didn't do any of this. And if anyone tries to blame you . . . Cole and I will make them rethink that in a hurry."

[holdingontolove.livejournal.com]

Cole leaned against the door frame of the attic. "Yes, we will," he said.

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

Phoebe looked up at Cole's voice and then looked back down again.

"Easier if I just stay up here out of the way. People don't think I'll hurt them and you guys don't have to fight."

[beenthroughthat.livejournal.com]

Sam glanced toward Cole and canted his head slightly in a beckoning gesture.

"Oh, no you don't," he told Phoebe sternly. "No avoidance tactics for you."

[holdingontolove.livejournal.com]

Cole moved closer. "What would you do if I said that about myself," he chided her.

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

A tear slid down Phoebe's cheek. "Please... don't make me right now... I can't..."

[beenthroughthat.livejournal.com]

"We're not gonna force you," Sam said quickly, "but we're not gonna let you try and stay up here forever, either. You keep trying to hide, we're gonna have worried friends and family banging down the door all hours of the day."

[holdingontolove.livejournal.com]

"We're not going to force you," Cole agreed, crouching beside them. "But we're not going to let you hide forever, either."

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

"Not going to hide forever."

Just almost forever.

[beenthroughthat.livejournal.com]

There was a point, it seemed, at which Sam's innate competitor's nature won out over his desire to be gentle and understanding.

"You going to let her beat you like that?"

[holdingontolove.livejournal.com]

Cole nodded at Sam, approving of this tactic.

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

"Only until I can figure out a way to deal with the fact that she was so evil that the only way someone was able to break her concentation and hold was by strangling me with a gun!" Phoebe shot back. She may have jerked away and went to the window, trying to calm back down.

[beenthroughthat.livejournal.com]

Sam tensed. "Those bruises," he muttered.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "And she's gone now."

[holdingontolove.livejournal.com]

"Who did it?" Cole said calmly. "Jack or Dean?" Couldn't have been Phale, the idea was ridiculous. And Piper wouldn't have done it, either.

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, she's gone... but it took a GUN and strangling my body to give me a chance to get back in there. I came back to a GUN, Anders. She was so evil that it required a GUN!"

Phoebe's voice wasn't so much angry as freaked out.

She looked at Cole and then swallowed. "Dean. But you shouldn't hurt him for it. Phillipa took his brother and it was the only way to get her to be disoriented. As soon as he knew it was me again, he moved the gun and carefully let me go."

[beenthroughthat.livejournal.com]

It was Sam's turn to flinch, and try to cross the room toward Phoebe. "Guns, hell . . . I didn't realize."

[holdingontolove.livejournal.com]

"I never would've let him do that to you," Cole growled.

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

"You kind of had your hands full," she said miserably.

[beenthroughthat.livejournal.com]

"I'm sorry," Sam said quietly. "I didn't even think about how that would've upset you."

[holdingontolove.livejournal.com]

"Phoebe, sweetheart," Cole said. "We know it was hard on you. We just don't want you to hide from your friends and family. They care about you."

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

"I taught my class yesterday," she said quietly. "Talked to Lana and Tori..."

[beenthroughthat.livejournal.com]

"And you've pretty much been up here in the attic the rest of the time." Sam reached out and tried to place a hand on her arm. "It's rough seeing you like this."

[holdingontolove.livejournal.com]

"We just want you to feel safe and happy again," Cole said. "Like you wanted me to feel when you brought me back."

[sleepswthdemons.livejournal.com]

"I feel safe here... with you guys."

[beenthroughthat.livejournal.com]

"The rest of your friends are going to feel kind of hurt if they start to think you don't trust them," Sam said gently.