Halliwell Manor, Monday Afternoon

[absolutesnark]

Piper was getting ready to call Bel because Phoebe had asked her to. Phoebe would herself if Grams and Prue weren't hovering around so much. So Piper wandered into her room, closed the door and then placed a call to Fandom.

[ooc: for Bel]

Comments

[demonbelthazor]

Bel recognized Piper's number on his caller ID and felt a surge of panic. Why was Piper calling and not Phoebe? Something had to be wrong. He forced himself to answer the phone calmly. "Hey."

[absolutesnark]

"Hey Bel, how are you?" Piper asked, trying to sound calm as well.

[demonbelthazor]

Bel didn't dance around with pleasantries. "You wanna tell me what's going on?" he said. "Where's Phoebe? Why didn't she call last night?"

[absolutesnark]

"You're not gonna like this," Piper sighed. "Something happened last night, but I swear Phoebe is okay. At least physically..."

"Um, she was mugged last night," she continued, getting to the point. "That's why she didn't call."

[demonbelthazor]

"What?" Bel said, his voice cold and hard. "Somebody attacked her?"

[absolutesnark]

"Yeah," Piper said quietly. "But, like I said, she's okay."

[demonbelthazor]

"Demon?" Bel asked, struggling to keep the anger surging through him in check.

[absolutesnark]

"Not a demon," Piper said. "Human."

[demonbelthazor]

"A human?" Bel repeated, stunned. He worried about Phoebe facing demons, but never a human. "But she's okay? Did they catch him?"

[absolutesnark]

"Not yet. But the police have been notified." Piper said.

[demonbelthazor]

"I'll kill him," Bel growled. "I'll find him and I'll kill him."

[absolutesnark]

"I said the same thing last night, but, unfortunately, we can't go around vanquishing human beings," Piper sighed.

[demonbelthazor]

"That's right, you can't," Bel said. He longed to punch his fist through the wall but kept himself barely in check.

[absolutesnark]

"And you shouldn't either," Piper said calmly.

[demonbelthazor]

"He hurt Phoebe," Bel growled.

[absolutesnark]

"I know," Piper said softly. "And I want this guy to suffer for that, but...we can't kill him."

"We can't play judge and jury," she added, remembering Grams' words from last night.

[demonbelthazor]

"How is she doing?" Bel said, abruptly changing the subject.

[absolutesnark]

"She's understandably scared and freaked out," Piper said. "But I think she'll be okay."

[demonbelthazor]

"When's she coming back to school?" he asked, anxious to see her. Not like he could go to her, not where she was now.

[absolutesnark]

"She's gonna stay here for a few days," Piper explained. "Grams insisted."

[demonbelthazor]

"And let me guess, she's not going to let Phoebe out of her sight the entire time," Bel grumbled.

[absolutesnark]

"Probably not," Piper said sympathetically.

[demonbelthazor]

"Great," Bel said. He sighed. "Tell her to call me if she gets a chance, and tell her . . . tell her I love her."

[absolutesnark]

Piper smiled. "I'll tell her, but I think she knows that already."

[demonbelthazor]

"Thanks for letting me know, Piper," Bel said. "I appreciate it."

[absolutesnark]

"No problem," Piper said. "I thought you had a right to know and I figured you were probably worried."

[demonbelthazor]

"Yeah, I was pretty much going out of my mind since last night," Bel admitted.

[absolutesnark]

"Sorry I didn't call sooner," Piper said sincerely.

[demonbelthazor]

"You had to take care of her first," Bel said.

[absolutesnark]

"Hopefully, she'll get a chance to call you."

[demonbelthazor]

"I hope so," Bel said. "I'll let you go now -- thanks again for letting me know."

[absolutesnark]

"No problem," Piper added. "See you in a few weeks. I'll be back there for Homecoming."

[demonbelthazor]

"Yeah, see you then." Bel slapped the phone shut and clenched his fists. He was not going to sit there and do nothing about this.