Chapter 8: Scry Hard Part 2
Buffy, Piper and Leo appeared in the living room of the manor.
"What happened?" Buffy wondered as she looked around. "And why does the room look different?"
"I'm not sure," Piper said as she moved to one of the windows and looked out it. She turned back to look at Leo and Buffy. "Uh-oh."
Buffy and Leo moved to look out the window and saw Wyatt towering over them.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
In the underworld Paige, Phoebe and Joyce hid behind a wall in the tunnel.
"Why is he doing this and why now?" Phoebe asked. "I have a paper to put out."
"Oh, I'm sure that factored into his decision-making process," Paige said.
"Who is he?" Joyce asked,
"Zankou," Phoebe said. "He was a demon that was recently released from the Source's prison." She looked at Paige. "I don't understand. How do we go from a demon attacking Leo to Zankou attacking us?"
Paige shrugged. "I don't know, maybe because Leo's mortal, he's making his move."
"It would have been a stupid move," Joyce said. "Even with Buffy still learning to control her powers, she is still the Slayer. That alone would make her a threat."
"Don't be shy, ladies. You knew this day would come."
Paige handed Phoebe another potions bottle. "Here. Take one of these."
"Paige, we have to get back to Piper, and I have to get back to work," Phoebe said.
"And Buffy and Leo," Joyce agreed.
"I want to let him know we're in the game," Paige replied.
Craven appeared back in the caves clutching his injured arm. "One sister's still at the manor."
Zankou nodded. "I know. I have the other two, along with a third as yet unidentified witch, pinned down."
Just then Phoebe's cell phone rang.
"Will you shut that freaking thing off?" Paige asked as she glared at her sister.
"I'm sorry, but you gotta admire the range, huh?" Phoebe said. "We're in the underworld. It's pretty good."
"Yes, its good, but it also told them where we are," Joyce said as she took Phoebe's phone and set it on the ground. "I have an idea, can you orb us behind them."
Paige nodded and orbed out with Phoebe and Joyce.
Zankou and the demons turned the corner as they walked toward the spot the sisters and Joyce had been. "You're making this too easy." He motioned for Craven to go around the other side of the wall. As he looked at where they were he saw the cell phone on the ground still ringing. He smashed it with the heel of his boot.
Looking for us?
Paige, Joyce and Phoebe throw their potions at Zankou, who waved his hands guiding them to miss him and hit the other demons standing behind him.
"You missed," he said as the demons were vanquished.
"Uh, okay. That's our cue," Paige said as she took Joyce and Phoebe's hands and orbed out.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
In the dollhouse Piper, Buffy and Leo stood in front of the living room window looking out at Wyatt. "Wyatt," Piper said, "we need to make mommy, daddy and sissy big again."
"Maybe he can't hear us," Leo suggested.
Piper stepped forward to open the window when she's shocked by a jolt of power. "Ow!"
"What happened?" Buffy wondered.
"I don't know. I think Wyatt put some kind of force-field on the dollhouse," Piper said. She got up and looked back toward Wyatt. "Wyatt! Let us out of here."
"Yeah," Leo agreed. "We know you're only trying to help, but daddy needs to get to the hospital."
"Shh! You're just gonna scare him, and that's probably why he put us in here in the first place, to protect us," Piper said.
"Why me though?" Buffy said. "I can see you two. He has yet to really get to know me as his sister."
"He may have had enough time to form that bond," Leo suggested. "Or he wouldn't have placed you here with us. Still we're supposed to be protecting him."
"Okay. Let me handle Wyatt," Piper suggested. "This requires a mother's touch. Wyatt Matthew Halliwell! You will stop this nonsense right now!"
"Wow. First time you used his full name," Leo said.
"Well, it sounds better when I'm scolding him," Piper said.
"I hope I never get on your bad side, Piper," Buffy said.
"Well Buffy Anne Wyatt, you just might you never know," Piper said with a laugh.
"You know, I don't think he understands what's going on. All he knows is a demon just tried to kill his dad, again," Leo suggested.
"Dad, might be right there, Piper," Buffy said.
Piper sighed as she turned around and walked back into the living room. "I don't understand why anyone would attack you. Leo. It's not like you're a threat to anyone anymore."
"What I don't understand is why the demon would think the house would be empty," Leo said as he headed for the couch and lay down.
"Well, we're not gonna figure out anything from inside here," Piper said as she leaned against a wall.
"At least the furniture's comfortable," Leo said. "You know, for toy furniture. Where'd you get this dollhouse, anyway?"
"Grams made it," Piper said.
"She made it?" Leo asked.
Piper nodded. "Well, I didn't know she was a witch back then, so, obviously, she used some sort of magic." She looked around. "It's pretty perfect."
"It doesn't look exactly like your house though," Buffy said. "There are differences."
"Your right of course, Buffy," Piper said. "It's a replica of the house from when I was a kid. We have changed some things, move things around also."
Suddenly they heard heavy footsteps approaching.
"What's that?" Leo asked as he stood up.
Buffy who still stood at the window looked out and smiled. "It's Paige," she said, "and my mom. What's my mom, doing here?"
"I asked Paige to see if Joyce could help vanquish the demons that attacked Leo in the attic," Piper said. "Your mom's invisibility power might've proved useful."
"Good idea," Buffy agreed as Piper and Leo joined her at the window.
The watched as Paige walked over to the bassinet where Chris laid. "Wyatt and Chris, what are you two doing up here?" she asked her nephews.
"Paige!" Piper yelled as she waved her arms trying to get Paige's attention.
"I don't think she's going to be able to hear us," Buffy said with a sigh. "Well maybe not you anyways. We're too small, our voices don't have the same carrying power they would if we were fullsized."
"What do you suggest then?" Piper said as she glared at Buffy.
"She's my Whitelighter, right?" Buffy asked.
Leo smiled. "Of course. A Whitelighter can sense when their charge needs them. Paige might be able to sense Buffy."
"Where's your mommy, daddy and sissy, huh?" Paige said. "I saw what happened downstairs. Okay."
Buffy closed her eyes as she thought only of Paige. "Paige," she called out.
Paige reached into the bassinet and picked up Chris.
"Come on, Paige," Buffy said. "Sense me. Sense that I need you."
Paige looked to Joyce. "I want to take them both Chris and Wyatt to Magic School. And then we are going to find out what happened to Piper, Leo and Buffy."
"Alright," Joyce said as Paige handed her Chris. Paige then took her free hand touched Wyatt on the shoulder and orbed out.
Piper sighed. "So much for her sensing you." She looked to Leo. "I see he's just as stubborn as someone else I know." She rolled her eyes. "How are we gonna get out of here?"
"We can't. It's useless," Leo said as the moved over to the couch and sat down.
"That's all you've got for us?" Buffy asked. "We're just supposed to sit here and do nothing while you bleed to death on the couch, Dad?"
"Buffy …" Leo said with a sigh.
"She has a point," Piper agreed.
Leo shook his head and looked between his daughter and his wife. "What do you want me to say? I can't self-heal anymore. Without a doctor –"
"Mom said, you used to be a doctor," Buffy said, "back during World War II."
"Yeah, fifty years ago," Leo scoffed.
Piper and Buffy slapped Leo on a leg.
"Well, start acting like one," Piper said. "Come on, Leo, you have to stop focusing on what you can't do and think about what you can do. Come on! Improvise."
"All right," Leo said as he thought about what do. "Grams used to like to sew, right?"
Piper nodded. "Yeah."
"Where?" Leo asked.
"Uh, W-Wyatt's bedroom used to be her sewing room," Piper said as she thought about it. "Why?"
They headed upstairs and to the sewing room as Leo explained what he needed Piper to do.
"Okay, now what?" Piper asked as Leo sat at a desk.
"Needle and thread," Leo said.
"What?" Buffy asked as she looked at her father, while Piper said at the same time, "Excuse me?"
"Don't worry," Leo said. "I'll walk you through it."
"What?" Buffy asked again. "Walk Piper through what?"
Leo doesn't answer but Piper seemed to get what he was saying without actually saying it. "Oh, no. No, no, no," she said.
"You're the one who said to improvise," Leo reminded them.
Piper took off her jacket as she got the needle and thread. "Well, since when does anybody listen to me?" she asked.
"You can do this, Piper," Leo said. "Okay, let's prove to Wyatt we can handle whatever's thrown at us."
"He has a point," Buffy said as Piper looked to her. "If you want to get out of this dollhouse. We need to show Wyatt we can protect each other and ourselves. That we can … as dad said … handle whatever's thrown at us."
"Mm-hmm," Piper said as she helped Leo take off his shirt.
"Buffy," Leo said. "You have the strength to pull the skin together. You do that while Piper stitches it through."
Buffy grimaced and nodded as she moved beside her father and did as he instructed.
"Now, Piper, I'm ready," Leo said. "Do it."
"Are you sure?" Piper asked.
"Hurry," Leo said.
Piper sighed as she started stitching.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
At the Bay Mirror Bauer walked up to Phoebe, who was filling in for Elise, dragging Tom Taylor with him by his tie.
"This moron is trying to take a butcher knife to my column," Bauer said.
"Okay, what seems to be the problem?" Phoebe asked. "Obviously, besides the butcher knife?"
"Phoebe, like I told you. It's a great story, really," Tom said. "It's just a bit bloated."
"Bloated?!" Bauer shouted. "I'll show you bloated."
"No. No. You know what?" Phoebe said with a shake of her head. "Please, please, please don't!"
Jordan, the fashion editor, sat at his computer and smiled as he listened to the argument. He glanced over at the film critic and saw that he's drinking out of his mug. His smile faded.
"Look, lady, I've been working the beat in this town for 22 years," Bauer said. "And no ivy league trust-funder is gonna tell me how to write the news."
Jordon stood and waved in front of Phoebe to get her attention. "Fashion editor. Sorry to interrupt. But our so-called film critic has been drinking coffee out of my teacup."
"I don't know what Jordan's so worked up about. It's a 2 1/2 star coffee mug at best," the film critic replied.
Just then Paige and Joyce stepped out of Phoebe's office and Paige grabbed her sister's arm. "Phoebe, we've got to go," Paige said as she pulled Phoebe aside.
"Yeah, I know, I know, and I want to get Zankou as much as you do," Phoebe said. "Where's Piper? And why is Joyce still with you. No offense, Joyce."
"None taken," Joyce said.
"That's the problem," Paige said. "Buffy, Piper and Leo have vanished."
"What do you mean? What about the boys?" Phoebe asked.
"The boys are fine," Paige said. "We just have to find their parents and their big sister."
"Who also happens to be my eldest daughter," Joyce reminded them.
Phoebe turned around and looked at Bauer. "Let me ask you a question. Do we ever push the deadline for the evening edition?"
Bauer shook his head. "No. Then it would be called the sometime in the middle of the night edition."
"All right, you know what?" Phoebe said. "I am gonna go into my office for a very important conference call. No interruptions." She looked to Paige and Joyce and the walked into her office.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Paige orbed with Joyce and Phoebe into the foyer to find two demons standing in the entryway to the living.
"Oh, goodness," Paige said as the demons turned around.
"Hope you guys got a discount on all that leather," Phoebe said.
"That's something I admire about you, ladies," Zankou said as he walked towards them. "Always a clever remark in the face of danger. No. I'm insulted. Don't you think I warrant the Power of Three?"
Joyce smiled as she walked toward Zankou. "Joyce Summers," she said. "We met briefly. Piper, Phoebe and Paige are my nieces." She glanced at Paige and Phoebe as if to say go with it. "You don't warrant the Power of Three because you are not a threat. Unlike in the Underworld, we have the advantage. The house has hardwood floors, you can't see where we are if I decide to make us invisible."
"True you could," Zankou said. "But with our numbers you wouldn't be able to avoid all of the fireballs that would be thrown about. One would be likely to hit you before you could take one of us out." He raised his hand and the front door opened. "I don't see you three as a threat without the Power of Three." He motioned with his hand and Phoebe, Paige and Joyce flew out the doors and land on the front porch with a thud.
He smiled and with a wave of his hand closed the doors on them.
"Now what?" Phoebe asked.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Tie it off and cut it," Leo instructed Piper who was finishing up stitching his wound.
"Scissors," Piper said as Buffy handed her a pair of scissors and cut the thread. "Aren't you happy you became a mortal?"
Leo smiled. "Well, at least now we can grow old to like every other couple."
"That is if we survive this," Piper said. "Wyatt's so worried he practically locked us up and threw away the key." She helped Leo put his shirt back on.
"Well like Dad said earlier, we just have to prove to him that we can take care of ourselves," Buffy said.
"Yeah," Piper said in agreement. "It would help if we were reinstated to our former size."
A shadow passed over them. They noticed and moved to the window and opened it. They saw Craven walk by the dollhouse and Zankou standing at the window.
"What's he doing here?" Piper asked.
"Well I recognize the demon that attacked earlier," Buffy said. "Who's the other."
"Zankou," Piper said. "He's currently at the top of the demonic foodchain."
"Post guards here and throughout the manor," Zankou said. "As soon as they find their sister, they'll be back, and make sure there is a demon who can see invisible beings making the rounds throughout the manor. We'll need to fend them off for as long as possible."
"You mean if we're to find The Nexus," Craven said.
"The Nexus?" Buffy asked.
"A spiritual nexus," Leo said. "Somewhat like the Hellmouth but this convergence is neutral, it can be swayed either way by who possesses the house. As long as the Halliwells have owned the house, the nexus while neutral in of itself has had its power used for good. But evil gets it."
"The nexus becomes evil," Buffy said in understanding. "And the power goes to help them instead."
"Where are Phoebe and Paige?" Piper wondered.
"Probably with my mom," Buffy said. "Since he did want someone who could see invisible people."
"And where is your mom?" Piper asked.
"If I knew that …" Buffy said with a sigh.
"I want more than just to find The Nexus now. I want to release the Shadow. Harness its ultimate power," Zankou said.
"Can you do that?" Craven asked.
"Now that evil has taken over control of the manor, I can," Zankou said. "And I will."
