Chapter 12: The Good, The Bad, And the Cursed Part 2

"What the hell are you doing here?" Leo asked spotting Cole as he and Faith orbed in.

"Forget about him, Leo. Phoebe's been shot," Prue said.

"Shot?" Leo asked as he moved to Phoebe and held his hands over her. "How did that happen?"

"There's no time to explain. Can you heal her?" Prue wondered.

"Where's dad?" Piper asked, though she was not sure she wanted to know.

"Seething probably," Leo said. He frowned, for some reason he was having trouble healing Phoebe.

"What's the matter, Leo?" Cole asked. "Why isn't it working?"

Leo shrugged. "I don't know. Phoebe, you got to tell me exactly how this happened."

Phoebe shrugged. "Um, I don't, I don't really know. I had a-a premonition and I felt Bo get shot and then I came out of it."

"Leo, can you heal her?" Dawn asked.

Leo shook his head. "No, because Phoebe wasn't the one that was shot. Bo was."

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked as she held up Dawn's hand to show him the blood. "She's bleeding."

"I know, but it's more like a psychic echo," Leo explained. "Phoebe is linked to Bo somehow. Whatever he feels, whatever happens to him happens to her."

"Which means Bo must be magical too," Cole suggested. "The only way they can be linked is through their magic."

"I agree," Leo said.

"We have to find Bo," Cole suggested. "Heal him. It's the only way."

"Well, he's been cursed into a time loop along with the rest of the town," Piper said. "And we don't know how to get there, let alone where there is."

"Well, it's got to be a parallel plane existing in the same physical space as the town," Cole said.

"You know, I don't think that we need any demonic input right now," Prue said.

"If I can help save Phoebe's life, you sure as hell do," Cole said.

Leo held up his hand to forestall any more argument. "We're listening."

"Look, I move through different dimensions all the time," Cole suggested. "It's how I've been hiding from the Source. Shouldn't be any problem to shimmer into Bo's plane and bring him back here so you can heal him."

"You said you don't use your powers anymore," Piper reminded Cole.

Cole smiled as if he knew something they didn't. "Shimmering isn't a lethal power."

"Uh, why don't you just take Leo with you and you can heal Bo there?" Phoebe suggested.

"I can't. I'm not allowed to work with a demon," Leo reminded them.

"Fine," Prue said. "I'll go."

"No, mom," Buffy said. "Dawn and I will go. We don't know if your powers would be affected and you might need them. My Slayer powers might not be affected. And I want Dawn with me because if we get separated from Cole then its possible Dawn can portal us out."

"There is no guarantee of that," said Prue. "Remember the Ice Cream Man and his truck?"

"It's better than nothing," said Dawn, agreeing with Buffy.

Prue sighed. "Alright."

"Prue," Piper said not liking the idea of either her nieces with Cole.

"I don't want to leave this up to him," Prue said. "Besides Buffy has a very good argument."

"Well, okay, what if something goes wrong and Dawn can't portal out?" Piper asked. "They could get stuck in the time loop if they don't get back before midnight."

"It's not the time loop I'm worried about," Prue said. "Look, why don't you, Faith and Leo go to the town, see if you can find anything there to help break the curse. And I'll stay here with Phoebe."

"Play nice, you three," Phoebe said with a glance at Dawn, Buffy and Cole.

"Got to hold my hands," said Cole as Buffy and Dawn held his hands and he shimmered out with them.

It was at that moment that Victor stormed in through the front door. "Leo!" he shouted. "You lying little piece of—"

"Okay, dad, not now," Piper said as she and Faith moved beside Leo. "Stay with Prue and Phoebe. We'll be back." She and Faith took Leo's hand and they orbed out.

"Wha-?" said Victor.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Cole shimmered in with Buffy and Dawn into the ghost town. This one unlike the one Phoebe, Buffy and Victor had visited was populated with people.

"Oh, wow," Buffy said, "it worked."

"You doubted me?" Cole asked as they heard a gunshot and Cole pinned them against a wall. "Welcome to the Wild, Wild West. So what's our plan?"

"Find Bo," Dawn said.

"Lay low," Buffy suggested as Dawn nodded in agreement.

"That's a plan?" Cole asked.

"Yeah," Dawn said. "You got a better one?"

Cole looked Buffy and Dawn up and down. "Maybe, but first I think we better find something a little less conspicuous to wear."

"What did you have in mind?" Buffy wondered.

"Nothing you're going to like," Cole said as a couple of cowboys carry a dead cowboy out of a building.

A half an hour later Buffy, Dawn and Cole walked into the salon dressed in the clothes of the era.

"Still think one of you should have worn that pretty, little red dress drying on the line," Cole said looking toward the sisters.

"I learned early on that fighting in anything with a skirt of any kind is not easy," said Buffy. "I personally would rather have the freedom of movement that jeans give than the restriction that a dress would, should we have to fight for any reason.

"Now remember," Dawn said, "we're not getting involved. We don't know if these people will be reinserted into our universe or if they will live out the rest of their lives here. So minimal impact."

"What will it be?" the bartender asked as they walked up to the bar.

Buffy and Dawn looked to Cole.

"Whiskey," Cole said, "two glasses and leave the bottle."

"Passing through?" the bartender asked as he poured the drinks.

"Maybe," Cole said.

"Maybe if you're not, you ought to consider it," the bartender offered. "Things are getting pretty dangerous around here. Friendly advice. Wet your whistle, get back on your horses, and move on as fast as you can."

"What's so dangerous?" Buffy asked.

The bartender smiled at Buffy. "It's nothing to concern your pretty little head about."

Buffy frowned as she stepped menacingly towards the bartender.

"Lay low, remember?" Cole whispered.

"Better let her," Dawn whispered back. "One thing my sister hates is being called little."

"You were saying?" Buffy asked with a growl.

The bartender quickly rethought what he said as he looked at Buffy. "There's some trouble between a powerful man in town..."

"Sutter?" Dawn asked.

"How do you know about Sutter?" the bartender wondered.

"I know my way around a bar fight," Buffy answered. "Now tell us what's going on."

"One of Sutter's men just got killed and now there's going to be hell to pay," the bartender explained as three men walked into the saloon. As everyone turned to look at them, they saw Sutter following close behind.

"Where is he?" Sutter asked. "Just so you know, I've already taken the liberty to print up the evening edition." He held up a newspaper with the headline Half-breed to Die at Sundown. "Just so you know how serious this is. All the news that's fit to print." He turned to face a woman by the name of Isabel. "You know where your little brother's hiding, now don't you?"

Cole blinked and looked at Buffy and Dawn and then back at Isabel.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Slayer," Cole answered. "She's a Slayer."

"That doesn't make sense," Dawn said. "Buffy would never have been called if there was a Slayer still alive."

"Unless," Buffy said, "whatever made me a Slayer thought she was dead when she like the rest of the town was caught in this time loopy thing."

"Even if I did, I'd never tell you," Isabel said to Sutter. "I'm not afraid of you, Mr. Sutter."

"Well, if you were smart, you'd be," Sutter said. "Of course, your kind are not, are they?"

Buffy started for Sutter and Isabel.

"Hold it," Cole reminded Buffy as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Plan is not to get involved."

Sutter looked toward a man by the name of Cal.

"I haven't seen Bo, Mr. Sutter, I swear. Not since he took off," Cal said.

"You know, you lie to me again, Cal, and I'll do worse than this," Sutter told Cal as held up a whip. One of his men stabbed Cal's hand with a knife.

Buffy broke out of Cole's grip and rushed Sutter's man pushing him away from Cal. She ripped the hem of her shirt and wrapped it around Cal's hand. "What is wrong with you people?" she asked.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Sutter asked.

Cole looked at Dawn who smiled. "Let her go," she whispered to Cole. "The plan likely would have failed anyways. There was no way Buffy would not have gotten involved. Not if lives are on the line."

"Lady, I don't know who you are or where you come from but you obviously don't have the slightest idea who you're dealing with," Sutter told Buffy.

"Oh, please," Buffy said, "you know how many …" she was about to say vampires but quickly amended it …" people have said that to me."

A cowboy stood up and moved towards Buffy. "I usually don't hit women …"

"Then you're in luck," Buffy said as she hit the man square in the face. "I don't have the same problem." As he fell, she grabbed his gun and tossed it to Dawn, who pointed it at another man who held a rifle. She heard the sound of a rifle being cocked behind her and with a quick glance over her shoulder she noticed Cole had a rifle in his hands.

"Drop it," he said.

"We'll deal with these three later, after we take out Bo," Sutter told his men.

"This isn't over," one of Sutter's men said. He looked pointedly at Buffy. "You and me, we got a score to settle."

"One of you know where he's at," Sutter said. "And if you don't tell me, I'm going to burn this town to the ground looking for him." He followed by his men turned and left the saloon.

Ten minutes later Buffy, Dawn and Cole walked out of the saloon with Isabel.

"I never expected there to be other Slayers," Isabel said as she, Buffy, Dawn and Cole exited the saloon. "Or you would be working with a demon."

"So," Dawn said, "what's Sutter's deal?"

"He's in tight with the railroads," Isabel explained. "He came here a couple of months ago promising to bring the tracks through and make it more than just an old mining town."

"In exchange for what?" Dawn wondered.

"A piece of everything. The mines, the bank, the newspaper," Isabel told them. "When folks started resisting, his boys took over. At first everybody stood up to them, but after they killed the sheriff. Cowards."

"Why is Sutter after your brother?" Cole asked.

"Because Bo wouldn't back down," Isabel said. "He's like me a fighter, he just fights other things than the forces of darkness. Anyways he kept on fighting, trying to get everybody to take back the town."

"So, he knows?" Buffy asked.

Isabel nodded. "He was there when I was called. Refused to let me fight alone, despite my Watcher's objections to the contrary."

"Sounds about right," said Buffy. "Mine wanted the same thing, I won out on that argument."

"Isabel, we know that Bo is injured," Dawn said. "We know that he's been shot. We can help you, but you have to trust us."

"I do," Isabel said. "Bo said you'd come."

"How's that again?" Cole asked.

"Bo, he saw it in one of his dreams," Isabel explained as a smile crept on her face. "He said that three strangers, one of them a Slayer and one a demon, would come, so, um, I knew."

"But you said he doesn't fight the …" Buffy said confused on why Bo would have powers if he didn't fight.

"He doesn't," Isabel said. "Well no more than to help me of course. His gift is why I am the longest living Slayer on record. He inherited it from our father, who was a great medicine man. His name was Soaring Crow."

"Was?" Dawn asked.

"He died when my very first vampire attacked us," Isabel explained. "When we moved here, my Watcher didn't want Bo talking about gift. He said the secret had to be protected. Besides magic is considered evil in the white man's world. Come. I'll take you to Bo. Come." She led them over to four horses.

"Where'd you get the horses?" Cole wondered.

"I told you. I was expecting you," Isabel said.

"You know, I still say we eliminate the threat first, kill Sutter," Cole suggested. "Probably break the curse anyway."

"We don't know that would work," Dawn said.

"I agree, which is why we need to get to Bo first," Buffy added.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the other reality Faith, Piper and Leo were looking around the ghost town.

"I don't know what we're supposed to be looking for," Piper said.

"Well, we got to keep looking, find something that might help us break the curse," Leo told Piper and Faith.

Piper sighed. "Like what? There's nothing here but spiders, lizards, and that stupid old crow."

"Oh, come on, let's keep looking," Leo said. "After all, we got a rehearsal dinner to get back to."

"There's not going to be a rehearsal dinner or a wedding if we don't find a way to save Phoebe," Piper said as a crow landed on roof of the saloon.

"What is it?" Leo asked noticing that Faith was looking toward the saloon.

"My Slayer senses are going off on the saloon," said Faith. "I think we should check in there. Especially when Buffy and Phoebe said that is where the fight started."

Leo nodded. "Makes sense," he said as they headed into the building.

Faith walked behind the bar.

"Hankins Nerve Tonic, calms raw nerves," Leo said looking at a bottle. "Think I should bring a bottle back for your dad?"

Piper shook her head. "I don't think that'll do it. There's nothing, there's nothing here."

"I found something," Faith said as she found a newspaper in remarkably good condition for being a hundred and twenty-eight years old, "Look."

Piper and Leo walked over to Faith, who showed them newspaper. "Half-breed to die at sundown?" said Piper.

"On that same date, 1873," Leo said with a nod. "Read who's going to die."

"Bo Light Feather," Piper said with realization that they did not have as much time as they had thought.

"We've got to find a way to warn Dawn, Buffy and Cole that they don't have until midnight," Leo said.

"Which means neither does Phoebe," Piper said with a sigh.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Prue sat next to Phoebe who was resting against Prue. "Thanks, dad," Prue said as Victor walked into the living room with a glass of water. She took it and nudged her sister up. "Slowly."

"What is it?" Victor asked noticing a look at Phoebe.

"It's nothing," Phoebe said.

"What is it?" Prue asked. "Now is not the time to be protecting dad."

"I have to agree with Prue," Victor said. "I didn't come back into your lives just to be kept in the dark. I'm your dad, you can tell me anything."

Phoebe started to shake as she finally let her fears out. "I'm dying."

"What?" Prue asked.

"I can feel what's happening to me," Phoebe said as she looked at her eldest sister. "It's like a ... something that you can feel deep inside of you. I—I can't explain it."

"Piper, Buffy, Dawn and I are not going to let that happen," Prue said.

"I too am not going to let that happen," Victor added just as Faith, Leo and Piper orbed in.

"How is she?" Piper asked.

Victor looked at Prue as if to say the less they know the less they'll worry. He looked toward Piper and Leo. "She's going to be fine."

"Is she?" Piper wondered looking at her older sister.

"He's right," Prue agreed reluctantly.

"Okay, we have to hurry," Piper said. "We found out Bo dies at sundown; except I don't think Dawn and Buffy know that."

"But we have an idea how to let them know," Leo said as he looked at Phoebe. "Phoebe, if you're getting visions from Bo, maybe he can get one from you."

"I don't understand," Phoebe said with some confusion.

"Phoebe, if you can will yourself to get a premonition about Bo's death," Piper explained, "he might be able to see it too, and then he can tell Dawn, Buffy and Cole that they don't have as much time as they think they do."

"But I thought you said you couldn't always get premonitions when you wanted," Victor asked.

"She can't," Prue said. "Well she hasn't been able to before anyways." She looked toward her baby sister. "Doesn't mean you can't though. You have to try."

Piper handed Phoebe the newspaper and Phoebe held it against herself.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In 1873 Buffy, Dawn and Cole followed Isabel toward Bo's hideout.

"Dawn and I should do the talking," suggested Buffy. "Dawn and I trust you, Cole. That is not why I am suggesting it."

"You think that if his sister can sense my demon side, so can he?" asked Cole.

"It's a possibility," said Dawn.

"And he may not respond well to a demon," said Cole in understanding.

Isabel turned and looked at Buffy, Dawn and Cole. "Are you guys ready to go in? Uh, something wrong?"

"No," Buffy said as they walked into the small building before them.

Dawn, Buffy and Cole quickly recognized that the building used to be at one time a church.

"Is it okay for you to be in here?" Dawn wondered.

"Yeah," Cole replied. "Only demons physically repulsed by the notion of being in here are vampires. For me to not be in here there would have had to have been gargoyles outside."

"Gargawatsits?" Buffy asked. "You mean the stone statues?"

"That's when they are asleep," Cole explained. "They wake to ward off evil."

Isabel led them toward a corner where Bo lay holding a cloth against his wound. "He's very weak," she said. "I tried to pull the bullet out but it's in too deep. Bo. Bo. How are you doing?"

"What's the matter with you?" Bo asked looking at Buffy, Dawn and Cole. "Who the hell are they?"

"It's okay," Isabel explained. "They've come to help."

"Just like in your vision, remember?" Dawn said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Bo said.

"Bo, I told them," Isabel explained to her brother.

"Too much apparently," Bo said. "We don't need your help. Just leave now."

"Bo," Buffy said, "I'm a Slayer like your sister. And mine and Dawn's, my sister, aunt can get visions like you; she had one of you getting shot, alright? We're here to help you."

"And help her," Cole added.

"It's a trick. Sutter sent you. I know he did," Bo said as he pulled out a knife.

"No, they stood up to Sutter," Isabel said. "You should have seen it."

"Just get out of here!" Bo yelled.

"We're not going anywhere," Cole said.

"I know that look. Sutter's got it too," Bo said looking straight at Cole. "You're evil. I can sense it."

"Alright, then look at me," Buffy said. "You can't say …"

"Actually, he can," Isabel said. "Your Watcher didn't tell you the origins of the First Slayer?"

"No," Buffy said.

"The First Slayer was imbued with the essence of a demon. Bo can sense it in us as well." She looked to Bo. "They think that something Sutter is going to do will trigger a curse. The kind that father used to speak about."

"What if I showed you, I have a gift too," said Dawn. "Will you trust us then?" She opened a portal and stepped through it and out an identical one on the other side of the room. "Buffy, show him something only a Slayer can do."

Buffy looked around and spotted an iron candelabra. She walked over to it and picked it up. She bent it into the shape of a pretzel. "The first thing we need to do," she said as she sat the candelabra down, "is get that bullet out of you." She knelt down next to Bo. "This could hurt." she said.

Using the power given to her by the necklace she telekinetically lifted the bullet out of Bo, who screamed in pain as he received a premonition of Sutter whipping him before shooting him in front of Isabel.

"I believe you," he said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"It's okay, you're okay," Piper said as Phoebe cried hysterically. "Take a deep breath."

"I saw what they're going to do to Bo," Phoebe said. "It was horrible!"

"Do you think he saw it too?" Prue wondered.

"I know he did," Phoebe said. "I felt him. Nobody did anything. They didn't help him. Nobody did anything."

"So, what do we do now?" Victor asked.

"We wait," Faith said. "It's up to Dawn, Buffy and Cole."

"Oh, so now I'm supposed to trust a demon?" Victor asked angrily.

"You know, as much as I hate to say this, Cole loves Phoebe," Leo said. "He took a huge risk to come here and try and prove himself to her and he will do whatever it takes to save her life."

"He's right," Phoebe agreed.

"How can you be so sure?" Victor asked.

"Because he loves me as much as I love him," Phoebe said finally admitting her feelings to them.

"And Buffy and Dawn have demonstrated in the last few months that they too will do anything for they love," Prue said. "You can be sure that they will do everything to make sure that Phoebe does not die."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"You learn fast," Isabel said as she watched Dawn with the gun Buffy had taken off one of Sutter's men earlier that day.

"Thanks," Dawn said as she looked at Buffy. She knew how her sister felt about guns. "Not something I really want to ever be using. Buffy hates guns, so I've never really ever wanted to learn to use one."

"Sadly, I know the feeling," Isabel said. "But I learned quickly that you have to do what you must to protect yourself."

"Sutter's men just showed up," Cole said looking out a window. "We better get Bo out of here."

"What?" Isabel said, she was shocked that Sutter's men had found them. "How did they find us?"

"We must have been followed," Cole suggested. "I'll shimmer him back to Leo, then come back for you three "

"No," Buffy said as she stood up from next to Bo, whom she had been attending to while Isabel taught Dawn how to use a gun.

"What do you mean, no?" Cole asked. "He dies, Phoebe dies."

"I know," Buffy said. "Believe me I don't want to lose any more family. Dawn and I already lost my birth mom. I don't want either of us to have to go through that again."

"It'll save Phoebe," argued Cole.

Buffy nodded. "Again, I know. But there's more than just Aunt Phoebe's life on the line here. We have to break the curse by sundown, otherwise this entire town is doomed to repeat the same day over and over again."

"Are you seriously telling me you're willing to sacrifice your aunt's life for a town full of cowboys?" Cole asked.

"I have to agree with Buffy," said Dawn as she moved beside her sister. "Besides if you really want to prove to mom and Aunt Piper that your good you won't either."

"We know you're in there, Bo," called one of Sutter's men from outside. "Come out with your hands up and nobody gets hurt. What's it going to be, Bo?"

"Alright, how do we break the curse?" Cole asked.

"Don't know," Dawn said, "but I think Buffy will agree that it hinges on keeping Bo alive."

Bo shook his head. "No, it doesn't. The curse isn't about me or about Sutter. It's about them. The townspeople who stood there and watched me die. The only way is for me to give myself up."

"No," Isabel shouted.

"It's okay, Isabel," Bo said. "Have faith."

"And they'll kill you," Cole said.

"Maybe. This curse came from my father's people," Bo explained. "I understand that now. It's meant to heal, to teach the townspeople to act without shame. I have to give them that chance."

"Helping them to save you saves themselves," Buffy said in understanding.

Bo opened the door and white doves flew out as he raised his hands in surrender.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Sutter's men rode into town dragging Bo behind them. Not far behind them was Dawn, Buffy, Cole and Isabel.

"I want you all to see what happens when people cross me," Sutter said as Bo was brought to him. He pushed Bo to the ground.

"No!" Isabel shouted. "No!"

"Don't!" Buffy said. "He knows what he's doing."

Bo stood back up and Sutter started to whip him.

"What's the matter, boy?" Sutter asked as he continued to whip Bo. "You too stupid to scream? I want you to beg for mercy."

"What are you people doing?" Dawn asked. "Look at him."

"He has the courage to fight Sutter for all of you," added Dawn. "You can just stand there and watch him die. You have to do something! You can take him down!"

"Sutter can't take all of you out," Cole said adding his voice to the sisters. "You need to do what's right!"

"You cannot just stand by and let this happen," Buffy said. "Stand up to him! Don't be scared."

"Nobody crosses me," Sutter said as he pulled out his gun and aimed it at Bo just as the bartender shot it out of his hand.

"I think you just ought to leave Bo alone, Sutter," the bartender said.

"You just signed your own death certificate," Sutter said.

Cal aimed his own gun at Sutter. "If you want to kill Bo, you're going to have to kill me too."

Every one of the townspeople point their guns at Sutter.

"Are you okay?" Isabel asked as she ran over to Bo. She barely had time to check on her brother before Sutter grabbed her by the hair. "Aah!"

"Anybody comes after me and she's dead," Sutter said.

"Now can we do something?" Cole whispered to Buffy and Dawn.

"Oh, yeah," Buffy said.

Sutter let go of Isabel, jumped on his horse and rode off. Everyone chases him. Buffy and Dawn jumped onto the same Horse and gave chase.

Buffy using the power of the necklace, she squinted at Sutter. Sutter flew off his horse just as Dawn opened a portal and he flew into it.

"Where did you send him?" Buffy asked.

"Hell dimension," said Dawn as Bo and Isabel caught up to them. "See how long he lasts against some demons."

"I don't think Sutter's going to be a problem anymore," Buffy told Isabel and Bo.

"What about the curse?" Bo wondered.

"It's a beautiful sunset isn't it?" Dawn said. "I don't think there's been one quite like it in a hundred and twenty-eight years.

It was at that moment they heard a gunshot.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the saloon Cole and the cowboy with a vendetta stood facing each other. Cole went to shoot the cowboy and found he was out of bullets.

"Looks like you're out of bullets," the cowboy said. "I'm going to enjoy this. See you in hell."

"Been there, done that," Cole said as he threw an energy ball at the cowboy, vanquishing him.

"Cole," said Buffy and Dawn as he turned to face them.

"We won't tell Aunt Phoebe," said Dawn. "But you need to curb that impulse if you want to get on mom and Aunt Piper's good side."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"So, where are they?" Victor asked as he, Faith, Prue, Phoebe, Piper and Leo waited for Buffy, Dawn and Cole to return.

"I don't know, unless they didn't make it out," Leo said.

"Don't even say it, don't even think it," Prue said at the thought of never seeing her daughters again.

Just then Cole shimmered in with Buffy and Dawn.

"Finally," Piper said relieved.

"What took you so long?" Victor asked. "We've been worried sick."

"Sorry, we had a few, uh, loose ends to tie up," Cole told them.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked looking at Phoebe.

Phoebe smiled as she hugged first Buffy and then Dawn. "I'm great. Thank you." She looked at Cole. "All of you."

"And the time loop?" Leo asked.

"Broken," Dawn said. "They will never have to live through that horror again."

"So then, um, where are they?" Victor asked.

"They didn't revert back into our world," Dawn said. "So likely they are living out their lives in that dimension."

"You don't think about it too much, Victor," Leo said offering a bit of advice. "It'd just give you a headache."

"Okay, um, anybody up to a rehearsal dinner?" Piper asked.

"Absolutely. I'm starving," Phoebe said.

"As am I," Faith and Buffy said as they laughed.

Piper groaned. She looked to Prue. "I forgot about their Slayer metabolism."

"Which reminds me," said Faith as she pulled an envelope out of her pocket and handed it to Prue. "For the food bill. Been working a little side job. Buffy knows the one I am talking about."

"She's been posing in one of my art classes," said Buffy. "And before you ask to see the drawings, they're not something I am going to be showing anyone but the professor and Faith."

"Oh," said Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Dawn in realization that Faith had been posing nude.

Prue opened the envelope and looked in and her eyes went wide there was at least a couple hundred dollars in the envelope. She looked at Faith and nodded.

"Well, I guess I should be going," Cole suggested.

"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea," Prue agreed.

Phoebe walked over to Cole and took his hand in hers. "You're not going anywhere," she said.

"Phoebe, I don't want to cause any trouble," Cole objected.

Phoebe kissed Cole as everyone looked away. "You're staying and that's that."

"Alright then, shall we?" Piper asked.

"Yeah," Cole agreed.