Chapter 16: Marry Go Round
Over the week since they had vanquished the Source. Piper had tried to get everyone to sit down to a celebratory breakfast. And Phoebe had cast a spell that brought her past and future selves into the present. Phoebe had wanted help in deciding whether or not she should marry Cole. In the end her future self, helped her out and she finally told Cole 'yes'. And now here they were in the church where Phoebe and Cole's wedding would be held.
Buffy watched Piper arrange the flowers in vases as Phoebe tested out the church's sound system with a microphone attached to her blouse.
"Piper, did you check on the cake?" Phoebe asked.
Piper nodded, "Yes."
"That's good because I don't want the cake to be delivered until after the linens arrive." Phoebe said as Buffy rolled her eyes.
"I checked on the cake and the caterer," Piper said. "Could you please take off that microphone?"
"Yeah, sorry, just checking the sound system," Phoebe said as she removed the microphone from her clothing. "What about the limo? Buffy, did you book the limo?"
"Yes, I did, Pheebs." Buffy said.
"I will be singing as you walk down the aisle," Tara said. "As well at the reception."
"Thank you, Tara," Phoebe said as she smiled at her sister-in-law.
"I also got bird seed instead of rice," Tara added. "It may not be traditional, but I thought about the birds."
"Whoa. Is this a wedding or a coronation?" Paige said as she walked into the chapel.
"Um, where is my dress?" Phoebe asked noticing that Paige didn't have a thing in her hands.
"Oh, I don't have it." Paige said.
Phoebe frowned, "Ah-h-h, I'm not breathing. What do you mean? How could you forget my dress the day before the wedding? The bridal shop's closed tomorrow."
"Relax, it's open tonight, I'm planning on picking it up on my way to the rehearsal dinner." Paige said.
"Oh." Phoebe said with a sigh of relief.
"Alright, why don't we sit down." Piper said.
"Oh, yeah, sitting is good." Phoebe said as she, Piper and Paige sat next to Buffy on the first row of pews. "I think I'm a little stressed out. You know, because I just want tomorrow to be perfect, no glitches. Natural or supernatural, you know. No magic, no demons." She looked toward the ceiling. "You guys understand that? I just want tomorrow to be nice and normal."
"I think I speak for those of us here and Willow. You will have your perfect wedding. By this time tomorrow, you and Cole will be joined in holy matrimony." Buffy said.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Back at the Manor later that evening everybody sat around the dining room table, including Darryl and Victor, having the rehearsal dinner.
"And what about Phoebe, who was speed walking down the aisle." Piper said as she laughed.
"I was not," Phoebe objected.
"You left your dad behind." Cole said.
"Okay, attention," Cole said as he tapped his glass with a knife and stood up. "I have something for my groomsmen, two fine gentlemen who I chose to stand by me on the most important day of my life, because well, they're the only ones I know."
"Wow, you have to admire his honesty." Leo said.
Cole picked up two gift bags and handed them to Darryl and Leo. "Here you go."
"Thanks," Leo said as he and Darryl looked in the bags.
Darryl smiled, "Wow, cool, engraved golf balls. Titleist Pro V ones. Thanks, man."
"I don't golf," Leo said.
"Hey, I'll take them." Victor said as he reached for the golf balls.
"They've got my name on it." Leo said.
Victor took the golf balls anyways from Leo. "So?"
"And for my five beautiful bridesmaids whom I chose because they're my best friends in the whole wide world." Phoebe handed Buffy, Willow, Tara, Paige and Piper each a gift basket.
"Aww, Phoebe," Paige gushed.
"There's a bonsai tree for balance and harmony and a dream catcher so that all your dreams will come true, just like mine have." Phoebe said.
Paige smiled, "This is so great, tarot cards. My deck is totally trashed this is perfect."
"Yeah, that's just in case you need psychic services while me and my new husband are busy getting busy." Phoebe said as the phone rang. She stood and walked toward the foyer. "Oh, I hope that's the photographer."
"Hey, Leo, I got an extra stogie, you want to join me?" Darryl asked.
Leo shook his head, "I don't smoke."
"I'll take that." Victor said.
"But I do eat chocolate." Leo said as he, Victor and Darryl stood up.
"Leo, no, wait, wait, wait. No, Leo, we need to wait for everybody else." Piper said as Victor, Leo and Darryl walked into the conservatory and out into the garden.
Willow, Tara, Piper and Buffy got up and walked into the kitchen.
"See what future has in store for Cole and Phoebe." Paige said holding the tarot cards. She flipped over the Lovers card. "Oh." Then she flipped over the Despair card, then the Death card. "Oh, no." She looked over at Phoebe.
"You don't really believe that stuff, do you?" Cole asked.
"Oh, I am so sorry," Phoebe said as she returned. "There's just so many details. You know, I practically bit Paige's head off today at the church because she didn't pick up my dress on time."
Paige smiled, "Which is now in the attic. Yay."
"Excuse me, I'll be right back." Cole said as he got up and headed upstairs.
It was then that Willow, Tara, Buffy and Piper came back with plates of food.
"So, what did the cards say?" Willow asked when she saw that Paige had been doing a tarot reading.
"Oh, nothing." Paige replied.
"Try the cards again, see what comes up." Willow suggested as Cole came back down the stairs.
"Oh, uh, maybe later," Paige said looking at Cole.
"So, I don't mean to spoil anybody's fun but I should be going." Cole said.
"Going where?" Leo wondered as he, Victor and Darryl returned.
Cole smiled, "Hotel," he said as Phoebe hugged him. "Not supposed to stay in the same house as my bride the night before the wedding, right? Phoebe has the number in case of emergency."
"Goodnight." Piper, Willow, Tara and Buffy said.
"See you later," Leo added as Phoebe and Cole headed for the front door.
"So, what are you going to do on the last night as a single guy?" Phoebe asked.
"Ooh, if I told you that, you'd never marry me," Cole said as he grabbed his coat.
"I feel like I am standing at the edge of a cliff right now," Phoebe said with a laugh.
"You do?" Cole asked.
Phoebe nodded, "Yeah. And somehow, I've never felt safer in my whole life. Are you okay?"
"No. Not really." Cole said as Phoebe kissed him. "You have no idea how difficult you are making this for me."
"I do," Phoebe said. "But you have to go. You'll have me soon enough."
"I hope so," Cole said and walked out the front door.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Later that evening in Paige's bedroom, she laid the tarot cards that Phoebe had given her on her bed. "What does the future have in store for Phoebe and Cole?" she asked as she flipped three cards over. Like last time they were the Lovers, Despair and Death cards. "Oh." She grabbed the cards and rushed into Piper's bedroom. She noticed Piper was getting ready for bed. "Come with me."
"Why," Piper asked as she followed Paige out of her room and across the hall and into Buffy, Willow and Tara's room.
"I wanted to show you both these," Paige said as she showed Buffy and Piper the tarot cards. "I can't keep this to myself any longer. This is Phoebe and Cole's tarot reading. They were lovers in the past, despair fills their present, but this is their future."
"Oh, please, that looks nothing like Death. I should know, I met him," Buffy said.
"You're missing the point," Paige said. "This is a bad omen."
"Not necessarily," Tara said.
"Look, Cole's a nice guy, fine, whatever," Paige said. "But face the facts; he was the world's greatest demon for what, a century?"
"We've been through that," Piper said.
Paige sighed, "Yeah, I know but a century's worth of blood and bad karma, you don't just walk away from that. God, I don't know, maybe I'm just worried."
"Well, have you ever considered that maybe you drew those cards because they represent your feelings and not Phoebe's future?" Piper said.
"It's a possibility." Paige said.
In attic Phoebe walked over to her dress and tried it on. She let out a scream as she saw how big it was on her. Dawn began crying at being suddenly being woke up. "Go see what's going on," Willow said as she walked into the nursery and picked up Dawn.
Tara, Piper, Buffy and Paige went upstairs to see what the problem was.
"Okay what's the emergency?" Buffy asked. "You woke Dawn."
"You!" Phoebe said as she spun and saw her sisters and Tara. She looked straight at Paige. "You've ruined my wedding. And the bridal shop is closed tomorrow."
"Phoebe, let's not blow this out of proportion." Piper said.
"My wedding dress could double as a circus tent, Piper. Okay, I think things are already out of proportion." Phoebe said.
"All I did was pick up the dress." Paige said.
"The wrong dress!" Phoebe yelled at her baby sister.
"No," Paige said as she was one hundred percent certain she had picked up the right dress since she had checked the tag before leaving the bridal shop, "I checked the tag."
"Oh, really? Let me just look at that," Phoebe said as she looked at the tag and read a name that was not her own. "Millie Platt. Do I look like Millie Platt to you? Do I?" She turned her attention back to her sister and with a flick of her wrist threw the tag at Paige.
"That's impossible," Paige said as she picked up the tag and looked at it.
"Okay, you know if you would have picked up the dress when I asked," Phoebe said, "we'd have time to fix this."
"Don't worry, I can sew, I will take in the seams, all of them tonight," Paige said as a demon smoked in.
Buffy was the first to spot him. She turned and grabbed a sword off a nearby table and with a quick thrust vanquished him as he turned to dust.
"You'd better do something about this mess," Phoebe said to Paige as she glared at her baby sister.
"There has got to be something in the Book of Shadows," Paige said as she walked toward the Book.
"Not the demon, my wedding dress," Phoebe said as she gave the dress to Paige and then stormed out of the attic.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy and Tara stood looking through the Book of Shadows trying to find the demon that Buffy had vanquished. Paige sat on a chair as she took in the seams of Phoebe's dress. Buffy glanced toward the couch under the attic window where Piper was trying to keep Phoebe calm just as Leo orbed in with Cole.
"Are you hurt?" Cole asked Phoebe.
"Baby, you're not supposed to be here," Phoebe said.
"Leo said it was an urgent call, I was worried," Cole explained.
"Thanks. I'm fine," Phoebe said as Cole pulled her into an embrace. "No demon is going to stop me from marrying you tomorrow. Now my sister is another story."
"I said I was sorry," Paige said.
"What kind of demon attacked you?" Leo asked.
"A Lazarus demon," Buffy said having found the demon in question. She didn't look up as she was reading the passage on the demon.
"A Lazarus demon, you sure?" Cole asked.
"According to the description," Buffy said, "that's the demon I slayed alright."
"Has it resurrected yet?" Cole asked.
"Resurrected?" Piper asked.
"Buffy! Tara! Behind you!" Paige shouted just as the Lazarus demon resurrected. The demon used his telekinetic powers and threw Buffy and Tara. "Sofa!" The couch orbed out and orbed back in allowing Buffy and Tara to land softly.
"No!" Cole shouted just as the demon used his power and the chandelier above Phoebe dropped on her head.
Piper raised her hands and went to freeze the demon just as he smoked out.
"Leo," Buffy said.
Piper, Leo, Faith and Paige looked toward Buffy and saw her gaze was on Phoebe who laid on the floor unconscious. Leo rushed over to Phoebe and held out his hands and healed her. As Phoebe came to, she let out a grown.
"Are you okay?" Cole asked Phoebe as he helped her up.
"I think so, yeah," Phoebe said.
"He's going to be back," Tara said, she had moved back to the Book and was reading the page on the demon. "Lazarus demons get stronger the longer they are out of cemetery ground."
"Cemetery ground?" Paige asked.
"It's the only way to keep them from resurrecting," Cole said. "You bury them."
"So that means someone intentionally dug him up," Phoebe said, "to attack us, the night before my wedding."
"The question is who, and why?" Leo said.
"I know why. To stop the wedding," Paige said. "I did two tarot readings, Phoebe, they both said that marrying Cole would only cause death and despair."
"What?" Phoebe asked.
"Well, I'm surprised he didn't tell you; he saw the first reading." Paige said looking at Cole.
"If I run scared every time things look dark for us, we never would've made it this far." Cole said.
"That's true," Phoebe agreed. "Is there anything else bothering you, Paige, that I should know about?"
Paige shook her head, "No, not really."
"Okay, good," Buffy said. "Willow will be on Dawn duty while Tara, Piper, Paige and I will be on demon watch tonight so that Phoebe can get some sleep."
"Ugh, I'm too wired to sleep." Phoebe said.
"Well, maybe I can help you relax with one of my aromatherapy treatments." Paige said.
"See, now this is the spirit. Everything will be fine as long as we stay together, stay calm." Piper said.
Moments later Buffy, Piper and Phoebe walk in to Phoebe's bedroom. "So, we'll take shifts and I will go first," Piper said, "then Buffy, then Tara and finally Paige will wake you up in the morning." Piper said as Paige walked in holding a jar of cream.
"What is this?" Phoebe asked looking at the jar.
"My face cream, also known as heaven in a jar, it's a special blend." Paige said.
"You made it?" Phoebe asked.
"Mm-hm," Paige said with a nod of her head. "It's got patchouli oil for balance and confidence, and chamomile to relax your nervous system. I'm really sorry about your wedding dress. I want everything to go so great for you tomorrow."
Phoebe smiled, "It's okay," she said as she hugged Paige.
"She's trying." Buffy said after Paige had left.
"Yeah, I know, I know," Phoebe said with a sigh as she took a sniff of the cream. "Couldn't hurt, right?"
"You still feeling tense?" Piper asked.
Phoebe shook her head, "It's not really tense, just, um, extremely alert."
"Phoebe, I know you want the Cinderella fantasy, but I don't want you to be upset if everything doesn't go exactly as planned tomorrow." Piper said.
"Where is that coming from?" Phoebe wondered.
"I think she's remembering her wedding day." Buffy said.
Piper nodded, "And I remember I wanted everything to be absolutely perfect."
"And then I crashed through the front door on a Harley." Buffy said.
"Yeah, only you could make my wedding day all about you," Piper said as she smiled at Buffy. She looked back at Phoebe. "But the point is, I barely remember the ceremony, it's a total blur. And in the end, all that matters is that you marry the guy, or in Buffy's case the girl's, that you love, and if you manage to do that your wedding was perfect."
"I agree with Piper," Buffy said.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Willow, Tara and Buffy woke to hear Phoebe screaming at Paige. Tara being the one closest to the nightstand looked over at the clock. It read eleven-oh-seven in the morning. "Guys," Tara said, "we overslept."
"How?" Willow wondered.
"I don't know," Buffy said as she got out of bed. "Get ready while I check in with Phoebe, Piper and Paige.
Willow and Tara nodded as they watched Buffy head out the door. Buffy ran into Piper coming out of her room.
"What happened? What time is it?" Piper asked.
"It's a little after eleven in the morning." Buffy said. "Somehow we all overslept."
Phoebe screamed as she came out of the bathroom. She had little red pimples all over her face. "Look at me."
"Whoa." Piper said.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" Phoebe asked Paige as Tara came out of her room and headed for the downstairs bathroom.
"I fixed your wedding dress," Paige replied.
"Paige! This is all your fault," Phoebe said as she stormed back into her room followed by Paige, Buffy and Piper. "You put a mojo on my face cream."
"I did not, those are all-natural ingredients." Paige said.
"If you have something to say to me, why didn't you just say it, Paige?" Phoebe said as tears began to run down her cheeks.
"Okay, we all just need to take a deep breath," Buffy said.
"Say what?" Paige wondered.
"Don't think that I don't know how you really feel about Cole," Phoebe answered.
"Oh! I have been nothing but supportive of that demon." Paige said.
"Ex-demon," Phoebe reminded her sister that Cole was now supposed to be mortal.
"Oh, is that like ex-convict?" Paige asked.
"Alright, that is not necessary." Buffy said as she looked to Piper. "We all just need to calm down."
"Face it, Phoebe. This wedding has been filled with nothing but bad omens from the start," Paige said.
"And they all seem to be connected with you now, don't they?" Phoebe asked.
"Alright, that's it! Break it up," Buffy said. She looked at Paige. "You go back to your corner," she then looked toward Phoebe, "and you, you're going to get ready and we're going to put lots and lots of makeup on you."
"Oh, face it," Paige said. "There's not enough spackle in the world to fill those craters. Step back."
"Oh, now what are you doing?" Phoebe asked.
"Trying to prove to you that I'm not trying to sabotage your wedding." Paige said.
Piper seemed to have an inkling what Paige was about to do. "I don't think..." she started to say.
"Let the object of objection," Paige said, "become but a dream, as I cause the seen to be unseen."
"Magic," Phoebe said astonished that Paige had just cast a spell on her as the pimples disappeared. "She just used magic on me."
"And it's working," Paige said
"It is?" Phoebe asked as she faded from view. "My zits are gone?"
"Yeah, I can, I can honestly say that your face is completely clear," Buffy said.
"Woo hoo!" Phoebe said excitedly.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Tara, Buffy, Willow, Paige had all gotten dressed and now were in the attic with Phoebe, who none of them could see. Tara was looking through the Book trying to find out not only why they overslept but also why Phoebe disappeared.
"It's my wedding day," Phoebe said. "The one day of my life that is all about me and nobody can see me."
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to do it," Paige said.
Phoebe walked across the room holding a piece of paper as Paige followed her. "Stop following me, go away!"
"Here, you can't walk around naked and I think it'll fit now," Paige said as she held up Phoebe's wedding dress.
"Ahh, Paige!" Phoebe said as she snatched the dress from Paige. "What difference does it make? I am invisible. My wedding is supposed to start in less than an hour and everyone I've ever known will be there, and I'm never going to be able to face them again. Ugh!" She pushed some books off a table.
"Alright!" Buffy said. "This is all just a back fire to the vanishing spell. Tara have you found a reversal spell yet?"
"Not yet," Tara answered just as Victor opened the attic door.
"Buffy?" Victor said. "What's going on up here? Where's Phoebe?"
"She is still putting on her face," Buffy said.
"I can't keep stalling this photographer forever," Victor said. "He's done portraits in every room in the house."
"Send them out to the church," Phoebe said.
"Phoebe?" Victor asked looking around the room.
"That was me. I'm working on my impressions," Buffy said as she covered her mouth.
"Dad, go downstairs and wait for us there," Phoebe said.
"See? I'm working it so if Piper gets stage fright, I can do her toast." Buffy said as Victor turned and headed back downstairs.
Phoebe sighed, "Ugh, what's the use. I might as well call Cole and tell him it's off."
"Oh, honey, we'll..." Buffy said.
"Buffy, something you said is bothering me. Why would there be a backfire to the vanishing spell?" Paige asked.
"Personal gain, I guess," Buffy said.
"Yeah, but there wasn't any of that when I used it to help others, why Phoebe?" Paige wondered.
"What, are you suggesting that there is outside magic at play here?" Buffy asked.
"To tell the truth I have been thinking that so far everything that has happened this morning and even last night is a result of magic," Tara said as she turned to look at everyone. "I had this nagging feeling this morning that something caused us all to oversleep. I have yet to find anything in your book though. But think about it, too many things have gone wrong. Paige said she picked up the correct dress last night, despite the tag being wrong. I think someone or something came up here and altered it magically. Then there was the Lazarus demon which attacked, then we all overslept and finally the vanishing spell that backfired."
"When you say it like that," Buffy agreed, "it would be too much of a coincidence if it wasn't all related. Which means…"
"We're not fighting each other here, we're fighting evil. We kick evil's ass every day." Paige said.
"Sometimes twice a day." Piper said as she walked into the attic having caught the tail end of the conversation.
"Okay, today's a day just like any other day. Evil wants this wedding canceled? Screw that. We're not going to go down without a fight," Paige said. "Okay, so what we do is head for the church while we look for a way to fix Phoebe. Are you with me?"
Piper nodded, "Yes! Buffy?"
"Yes!" Buffy said. "Tara?"
"Of course," Tara said. "Phoebe?"
"Grab the book. Let's go," Phoebe said.
"Get the dress," Piper said.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Thirty minutes later Buffy, Piper, Paige and Phoebe were in the dressing room of the church. "Okay, this one's got to work. It's the spell that reversed my enhanced breasts. Here." Paige said as she handed Piper a piece of paper.
"Guiding spirits hear our plea, annul this magic let it be," Piper said as she burned the paper with a candle.
"Can you see me?" Phoebe asked.
Buffy shook her head, "Not even your breasts."
Phoebe sighed, "Ugh."
"That's it," Paige said defeated. "That's the last reversal spell we have." Paige said.
"It's okay you guys. You did your best." Phoebe said as someone knocked on the door.
When Piper opened the door, they saw Cole was standing there. "Come on, let's go. We'll leave you two alone to talk," Piper said as she, Buffy and Paige left.
"Wait a minute, where's Phoebe?" Cole asked.
"Over here," Phoebe said as she waved her bridal bouquet in the air. "Hi, honey."
"Phoebe? You're invisible?" Cole said shocked.
"Yeah, looks like whatever demon's trying to stop our wedding succeeded," Phoebe said with a sigh.
"Oh, honey." Cole said as he felt sorry for his bride.
"We tried every trick we know to fix it and nothing's worked and now..." Phoebe said.
"Phoebe?" Cole said as he watched some Kleenex float up into the air and heard Phoebe blow her nose.
"I wanted the perfect wedding," Phoebe said. "But I didn't want it for me, I wanted it for you. You have given me so much; you don't deserve this."
"It's okay, baby. We'll find another way, I promise, Cole said.
"Okay." Phoebe agreed.
"I'll make the announcement," Cole said as he turned to the door.
"Alright." Phoebe said just as the door opened and Buffy, Piper and Paige walked in.
"The wedding's off," Cole said.
"Not necessarily," Paige said.
"Get everybody in their positions, we'll start with the processional, tell the quartet," Piper said as she walked Cole to the door.
"And make sure Tara is ready to go will you," Buffy said.
"Whoa, what about Phoebe?" Cole asked. "She's invisible."
"Not for long, we hope," Piper answered. "So, go on, and look for your bride walking down the aisle. Go on." Cole walked out of the room as she closed the door behind him.
"Wait, hold on here, I'm a little confused," Phoebe said. "I thought we were out of spells."
"Not yet," Buffy answered. "You know how every attempt we've made to reverse your invisibility has failed?"
"Yes," Phoebe said.
"Well, what if we don't reverse it; we just shift it from one sister to another," Paige suggested.
"Wait, you mean transfer the invisibility to you?" Phoebe asked. "No way, I won't let you."
Paige smiled, "Phoebe, every Cinderella needs a fairy godmother. Let me be yours."
Phoebe sighed. "Paige..."
"Please, I need to do this so you know that I'm not trying to stop your wedding." Paige said.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
In the chapel Leo walked over to Darryl, Willow who stood next to Dawn in her stroller, Tara and Victor. "The natives are growing restless in there," Leo said.
"Yeah, I know, a couple has already left," Darryl said.
"Would somebody tell me what's going on?" Victor asked.
"I wish I knew," Cole said as he walked into the chapel. "Places everybody."
"Aren't you going to seat me?" a woman asked as Darryl and Leo walked toward their seats. Dawn, Faith, Cole and Victor turn around to look at the woman that was standing there.
"I'll get her," Victor offered.
"No, allow me," Cole suggested as the woman took his arm. "Why don't you wait for Phoebe." He looked at Tara. "Buffy wanted to make sure you were ready." He walked into the main area of the chapel to seat the woman.
Just then Piper, Buffy and Phoebe joined them. Tara took Willow and Dawn to their seat then she moved to stand in front of the microphone. She smiled as she began to sing. "What if I told you it was all meant to be? Would you believe me? Would you agree? It's almost that feelin' We've met before. So, tell me that you don't think I'm crazy. When I tell you love has come here and now?"
Buffy and Piper walked down the aisle and to their places. Then Victor walked Phoebe to the front of the chapel to stand next to Cole in front of the minister.
"Thank you all for coming to honor the love between Cole Turner and Phoebe Halliwell," The minister said. "Before we get started, I must ask, is there anyone who has just cause why this couple should not be united..." Just then a door at the back of the chapel slammed shut and everyone turned to look in that direction before looking back up front. "This is your time, your platform..."
There was sound of something hitting a wall in another room and everyone once again turned to look toward the back of the chapel.
"I'll check that out. Keep going." Piper said as she ran toward the back of the church and out the door.
"Since nobody here can show just cause, it's my privilege to ask..." The minister continued.
Just then they all heard someone yell, "You put her down!"
"I'll check that out." Buffy said and she took off.
"Ahh!" someone yelled as they all heard a crash and everyone once again turned to look.
Tara whispered to Willow who nodded. "Excuse me," she said.
"Excuse me." Leo echoed as he got up and followed Tara out of the church.
"Keep going, please, just keep going." Phoebe said.
"As I was saying, it's my privilege to ask, who gives this woman to this man today." The priest said.
"Her sisters and I do," Victor said.
"Son of a bitch!" someone yelled followed by someone else yelling. "Piper, look out!"
They heard yet another crash as Phoebe dropped her bouquet and ran outside followed by Cole.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
In the other room Piper laid on the floor as Phoebe and Cole raced in. The Lazarus demon used his telekinetic powers on Leo and he flew across the room, knocking over Piper. The demon then picked up a chair as Phoebe ran towards the demon and was about to throw it at her.
"Stop!" Cole shouted as Piper blew up the demon.
"Where's Paige?" Tara asked as she looked around.
"Leo, where's Paige?" Phoebe asked.
"I can't get a read on her. Wherever she is her heart's not beating." Leo said.
"Buffy?" Tara said as she spotted a pool of blood on the floor. "I think I just found her."
They all turned to look where Tara was looking and saw the blood. Leo raced over to it and knelt down. He held out his hands and they began to glow just as Darryl and the minister come out.
"What the hell is going on in here?" The minister asked.
"That's it," Phoebe said as she pulled off her veil. "The wedding is off! Tell everyone to get out of here. Go-go-go-go!" She pushed Darryl and the minister back through the door they had just come through and shut it behind them only to be opened a second later as Willow came through it with Dawn.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Later after all the guests had left, Piper was on her cell. "Just send the food to the house. Yes, and the bill. Not as sorry as I am. Thank you," she said. She put the phone in her purse and then looked at Phoebe. "Caterer's taken care of."
"Thank you so much, Piper, I just, I can't deal with any of that right now," Phoebe said.
"It's okay, it's been a tough day," Buffy said.
"How about you?" Piper asked looking at her baby sister. "How are you doing?"
"Uh, still a little shaky," Paige said.
"We nearly lost you. Lucky the demon hesitated when Cole yelled." Leo said.
"Why did he?" Willow wondered having been filled in on the whole fight.
"Maybe he was surprised somebody yelled at him," Cole suggested.
"We should all just be thankful that we're alive." Leo offered.
"And visible," Paige said. "Although I'm not sure how that happened."
"I do," Cole said. "The magic you were under was supposed to stop the wedding, it wore off once the wedding was cancelled."
"Oh, you mean when evil won?" Phoebe asked. "I am not stopping until I find out who sent that thing after us."
"Speaking of the demon, the crispy critter needs to find its way back to a cemetery," Piper said.
"I know a local haunt, I can take it there," Cole said.
"And what happens when my freeze wears off on the way?" Piper asked. "You'll be as defenseless as a cat toy."
"I'll go with him," Buffy said.
"I'll go also," Phoebe said, "I want to make sure it's in the ground for good."
"Let's all do it," Paige offered.
"Fine by me," Cole said.
"I will take Dawn back to the Manor," Willow said. "Tara will you drive us?"
"Yes," Tara said.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Cole stood in front of a grave in a nearby cemetery as Buffy, Leo, Piper, Phoebe and Paige came up to him. "I found a spot," he said. "This headstone's from the early 1900s. Nobody'll come digging here anytime soon."
"Piper, if you see anyone coming, freeze them," Leo said as Cole started digging.
"Don't worry, honey." Piper said to Phoebe. "It took Leo and me three times to get married."
"And you remember mine," Buffy said. "Had to fight Grams till she finally agreed officiate."
"It'll happen for you and Cole," Piper continued. "We just need to figure out what kind of evil stopped your wedding and why."
"I have an idea. Why don't we just ask it?" Paige suggested.
"Oh, don't be crazy. That Lazarus demon is a time bomb waiting to explode," Cole replied.
"I want to know who ruined the happiest day of my baby sister's life." Buffy said.
"I'm in agreement with Buffy. I want to know also," Phoebe said as Paige tipped the box over spilling the demon ash onto the ground.
"Phoebe, I'm asking you, please, for me. Don't do this," Cole said.
"Cole, I can't believe you don't want to know." Phoebe said as the Lazarus demon resurrected.
"One flinch and I blow you into briquette," Piper said.
"Who resurrected you?" Buffy asked.
The Lazarus demon pointed at Cole. "Ask him," he said. "You swore I'd never see a cemetery again if I helped you. You set me up."
"Cole, what is this demon talking about?" Piper asked.
Cole shrugged, "I have no idea."
"Liar!" the demon said. "You ordered me to attack them in the church. Is this how you reward your loyal servants?"
"Okay, Cole, what is going on, because I got to tell you right now, I am freaking out!" Phoebe said.
"Oh, what's the point you already figured it out." Cole said as he threw a fireball at the Lazarus demon who promptly disintegrated into a pile of ash.
"Oh, no. No, it can't be. No, it can't be. No." Phoebe said as Buffy tried to comfort her sister. She turned away burying her face in Buffy's shoulder.
"It's not Cole," Paige said, "it's the Seer."
"Not for long." Piper said raising her hands as she planned to vanquish the seer.
"No, don't," Phoebe said as she walked over to the Seer. "Where's Cole?"
"Unconscious in the mausoleum," the seer said motioning toward a nearby mausoleum.
"Why would you save us one day and try to kill us the next?" Buffy asked.
The seer smiled, "For the same reason. To keep the balance of power between good and evil."
"Don't be cryptic. I hate cryptic." Piper said.
"So do I." Buffy said. "I got enough of that from my Slayer dreams."
"I had a vision." The seer said looking at Phoebe. "If you married Cole on this day, his love would've helped you evolve into a much stronger witch, too strong. I had to stop you and I did."
"Bitch," Piper said as the seer flamed out.
"Cole." Phoebe said, worriedly.
"Go. I'll bury the rest of the demon." Leo said.
"Go on," Buffy said. "I'll wait with Leo to make sure the demon doesn't try and resurrect till after he's buried."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Piper, Phoebe and Paige run into the mausoleum; they spot Cole lying on the floor nearby.
"Cole?" Phoebe asked as she moved next to her boyfriend.
"Where's the Seer?" Cole asked. "She's in the cemetery."
"Yeah, we know, we had a little chat." Piper said.
"I'm surprised she didn't kill you." Paige said.
"It's not her style." Cole groaned. "Killing's beneath her. She only does it if she has to."
"Come on, let's get you home." Phoebe said.
"You okay?" Leo asked as he and Buffy joined them.
They all turned and made their way back toward the entrance to the mausoleum.
"I still don't understand. If the Seer wanted to stop Phoebe from marrying you, wouldn't she want to kill you?" Paige asked.
"I don't know, you'd have to ask the Seer." Cole said as they walk past a small chapel.
"Look, a chapel." Leo said.
"A chapel in a mausoleum?" Paige asked.
Buffy nodded, "Not sure about around San Francisco. But in Sunnydale its commonplace,"
"It's cute." Piper said.
Cole nodded in agreement, "And perfect."
"For what?" Phoebe asked.
Cole smiled, "A wedding."
"Really?" Phoebe asked.
"You've got the rings," Paige said.
"With the exception of Willow and Tara, who I can orb here, we're all here," Leo said.
"Okay, I do. I-I mean, I will. Go get Tara and Willow." Phoebe said.
Leo nodded and orbed out. A few minutes later he orbed back in with Tara, Willow and Dawn.
Everyone except Phoebe walked into the chapel. Piper, Paige and Buffy took their places as did Cole and Leo. Tara smiled as she began to sing. "What if I told you it was all meant to be? Would you believe me? Would you agree? It's almost that feelin'. We've met before. So tell me that you don't think I'm crazy. When I tell you love has come here and now?"
Phoebe smiled as she entered the chapel and walked down the aisle toward the priest.