Chapter 34: A Knight to Remember Part 1
October 10, 2002 – Thursday
Paige's Apartment
"Once upon a time, there lived a handsome Prince, who was about to marry a beautiful Maiden," Paige said in a dream like voice as she lay in bed with a very attractive man, sheets tangled around their bodies. "But an evil Enchantress with dark powers wanted the Prince for herself, so she could become Queen and rule the entire Kingdom."
"I hate her," The largely built, tanned skinned man muttered as he leaned close to Paige's ear.
"Really? I always kinda related to her," Paige countered with a sly grin.
"Like I said." He grinned. "I love her." He chuckled and Paige giggled. "Then what happened?"
Paige flipped onto her stomach as she continued her story. "Well, in order to pull off that kind of magic, the evil Enchantress had to wait for a sign that her powers were at their darkest," she explained glancing at him conspicuously.
"A sign?" he questioned, beckoning her to elaborate.
"Mm-hm," Paige replied with a nod as she gazed up at the night sky. "See in the stars?" she asked pointing up at the sky. "See the Prince? His sword? And the three stars that form his crown?" she asked pointing at a certain star in the sky. "Well, once the evil Enchantress saw the sign, she locked away the beautiful Maiden and cast a spell on the unsuspecting Prince: Bring together my Prince and me. Let him fall on bended knee. I summon…." Paige frowned as she attempted to recall the next line. "I summon…." Paige shook her head and sighed. "I can never remember the end of it."
"Let me guess." The man smirked. "The Prince defeats the evil Enchantress. He married the beautiful Maiden and they lived happily ever after, right?" he asked in a slightly mocking tone.
Paige bit her lip and shook her head. "Nuh-uh." She smirked. "Actually, the evil Enchantress bore an heir, killed the Prince and ruled the Kingdom forever." She smiled smugly at him.
"Well, what kind of fairytale is that?" he asked with a grin.
Paige shrugged. "It's just one that's kind of stayed with me for as long as I can remember," she informed him still gazing at the stars. "I told you I was a weird kid," she reminded him pointedly.
"I need to get you out more Paige," he mused gazing up at the stars with her.
Paige shot him a small scowl. "It'd be easier if you were around more Glen."
"I'm around now," he pointed out with a smile, his eyes flicking down to her lips.
Paige made a come-hither gesture with her finger, a mischievous smirk firmly in place as Glen came down on top of her.
October 11, 2002 – Friday
Halliwell Manor
"GOOD MORNING, DEAR NIECE OF MINE!" Phoebe Halliwell shouted as she threw open her youngest niece's bedroom door.
Dawn jumped at the sound, whipping around to face the now open door. "Oh, my goddess, Aunt Phoebe!" she gasped placing one hand on her chest. "You scared the hell out of me. What are you doing?" she cried with a frown.
Phoebe grinned at her in silence until she couldn't take it anymore. "IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY! " she squealed at the top of her lungs jumping up and down on the spot and clapping her hands before she bounded over to Dawn, threw her arms around her and attacked her youngest niece with hugs and kisses.
Dawn laughed with genuine amusement at her aunt's actions. "Oh, for god sake, Aunt Phoebe," she muttered as Phoebe kissed her cheek over and over again. "Are you trying to smother me?" she asked quite seriously.
Phoebe giggled and pulled Dawn onto her bed. "Aren't you like…super excited?" she asked watching Dawn intently.
Dawn smiled. "Of course, I am," she assured her. "I'm just not scary overexcited like you are," she replied with a smirk.
Phoebe gasped and smacked her arm playfully.
"Hey! Hey! Hey now!" Piper called sharply as she entered the room also, a tray in hand, "Don't bruise our niece on her birthday."
Phoebe dropped her head and sighed. "Sowwy," she replied in her baby Phoebe voice.
Dawn and Piper laughed at her. "Oh, Aunt Phoebe." Dawn smiled and hugged her aunt. She turned her attention to Piper who looked over at her innocently. She pointed at the tray of delicious looking goodies. "What is that I ask?"
Piper grinned. "Breakfast fit for the birthday girl," she replied proudly.
Dawn glanced between her two aunts and the tray of food before grinning widely. "Thank you," she said happily, bouncing on the bed slightly as she crawled over to the food. She picked up a freshly made and still slightly warm croissant layered with butter and strawberry jam off of the plate and took a bite. "Mmm…yummy," she praised and Phoebe instantly went for one freezing mid-movement and turning to Dawn with a pleading look. Dawn giggled and nodded her head.
"YAY!" Phoebe celebrated and grabbed a chocolate one for herself.
Piper smiled as she lifted a raspberry covered one and bit into it. "Wow! I am good," she answered smugly.
Dawn and Phoebe chuckled. "You're modest too, Aunt Piper," Dawn muttered and Piper scowled.
"Are any of us modest?" Piper asked them pointedly and both her niece and sister shook their head. "Exactly!" she concluded with a nod.
Dawn rolled her eyes then turned to her aunts with the biggest smile they had ever seen. "It's my birthday! And I'm celebrating it with everyone I love," she told them in a hushed whisper, her eyes oozing happiness.
"Yes, you are," Buffy said as she and Faith stepped into the room. "Happy Birthday, Dawnie. Morning Aunt Piper…Aunt Phoebe."
"Why are you dressed up?" Phoebe asked noticing that Faith wasn't wearing her normal clothes.
"The Gallery is having a major showing," Faith answered. "I'm going in so Buffy can spend the day with her little sis."
"That said it would be nice if we could take care of that Shocker demon," Buffy reminded them. "Before Dawn's party. Because I'm not going to the party looking like a drowned rat, because I can't dry my hair."
Phoebe nodded her head vigorously. "Uh-huh," she agreed with a scowl. "We can't keep living with no electricity. It's medieval."
Piper nodded with a grimace as she took a sip of her instant coffee. "Urgh! Gross! I hate instant coffee!"
"At least we're conserving energy," Dawn pointed out with a fake smile.
"Okay, I better go," Faith announced as she grabbed one of the croissants. "Thank you for breakfast, Piper." She smiled. "Have a happy birthday, Little D."
"Thanks, Faith," Dawn said.
Faith kissed Buffy before heading out the door. "Love you," she told her wife.
Buffy smiled, "Love you too."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Phoebe shook her head. "This is ridiculous," she fumed walking into the kitchen where Piper was clearing away the breakfast dishes. "We have to figure out when the shocker demon's going to attack next and fast!" she decided with a slight huff.
Piper nodded. "But we still need the power of three to vanquish him and unfortunately number three lives across town," she reminded her tersely.
Phoebe narrowed her eyes. "I am going to call her," she announced walking towards the phone on the counter beside the door.
"No! Not the cordless!" Buffy and Dawn cried out as they walked into the kitchen behind Phoebe but it was too late.
Phoebe picked up the phone and pressed the call button releasing the Shocker demon. "Uh-oh!" she murmured as she dropped the phone and stared at the electrical silhouette that was the Shocker demon.
"Oh no!" Piper cried running to her sister and nieces and pulled them down as the Shocker demon shot a bolt of electricity their way.
As soon as they all stood up the Shocker demon sent another bolt that separated at the front creating four and sent Piper and Phoebe crashing into the shelves behind her and Buffy and Dawn through the kitchen door and into the other room: Buffy landing on the floor while Dawn went through the dining table.
Buffy cursed under her breath as she pushed herself up and ran back into the kitchen blasting the demon with a flick of wrists sending him retreating back into a power socket. She sighed loudly falling back against the doorframe for support.
"Ouch!" Piper and Phoebe cried from the floor to her right.
Buffy pushed away from the doorframe and turned around to Dawn who was picking herself up out of what used to be their dining table.
"Ow!" Dawn gasped as Buffy hauled her to her feet. Both sisters turned to the table then one another and Piper who had followed Buffy out of the kitchen. "We're using magic to fix that right?" she asked and Piper nodded quickly.
"Oh yeah." Piper replied and the three of them stalked into the kitchen, where Phoebe sat cringing on the floor.
Phoebe turned to look up at her sister and nieces. "I'm sowwy," she said playing the baby Phoebe card to save her.
Piper, Buffy and Dawn all glared at Phoebe as they pulled her sharply to her feet.
"Eww gross," Phoebe muttered as she felt something wet on her arm. She looked down as saw blood, "Oh…dear," she said slowly then looked at the sister who had pulled her left arm. "Buffy, your hand!" she gasped.
"What?" Buffy asked then looked down at her left hand, "Oh…Slayer healing will get it," she said inspecting the deep gash right across the whole of her palm, "Hey!" she jumped as Dawn fingered it, "Stop that, Dawn!" she snapped then turned to Phoebe and her eyebrows rose, "Uh….." she pointed at Phoebe's right leg, "Phoebe your…." She pointed again and Phoebe looked down.
"Ah!" she gasped touching the side of her thigh, "Ooh ouchy!" she jumped as her fingertips grazed the deep wound, "Oh ow."
"Um…." Dawn called and they turned their attention to her. She grimaced as she held up her right hand, fingertips covered in blood. She touched the side of her neck again, "I, I don't know where it's coming from." She muttered with a frown. Buffy made a circular motion with her finger and Dawn turned around.
"Oh! Jeez!" Piper cried at the large gash that started at the base of Dawn's skull and stopped past her shoulder blades, "LEO!" she yelled to the ceiling as Buffy inspected her sister further grimacing the whole time.
Leo orbed in seconds later with a smile. "Hi!" he greeted happily, his smile fading when he saw the state of the place. "What happened?" he asked with wide eyes.
"Shocker demon." Phoebe replied with a scowl.
At the same time Buffy, Dawn and Piper said in unison, "Phoebe."
Phoebe gasped and rounded on them as best she could with a bum leg. "HEY!" she cried pointing a finger. "I resent that!"
Leo frowned as he inspected the appearances of the two sets of sisters, "Here. Give me your hand, Buffy."
"Slayer, remember," Buffy said as she slapped his hand away. "Take care of Dawn and Phoebe first." She
Leo knelt down in front of Phoebe and held his hand over her leg and healed her.
"Thanks Leo!" Phoebe smiled brightly at him then took a seat at the breakfast table.
"Leo," Dawn said quietly and he went straight for her back. Dawn sighed happily, "Thank you." She smiled and he smiled back. She turned and glared at the back of Phoebe's head.
"OW!" Phoebe yelped as she lurched forwards, "That hurt!" she cried while holding the back of her head.
Dawn smirked and flexed her fingers as she took a seat next to a still glaring Phoebe.
"Okay, Buffy," Leo said as he looked at the Slayer. "Your hand." Buffy held out her hand and he took it gently in his own and laid his other above it.
Buffy sighed in relief as the pain faded and her hand became all warm and tingly. "Thank you, Uncle Leo." She smiled at him and planted a soft kiss to his cheek.
"I can't believe you just head-slapped me!" Phoebe whined incredulously and Dawn merely smirked wider.
Leo chuckled as he leaned down next to Piper, "Piper, I got to…" She nodded and he kissed her head quickly before orbing out.
"This is crazy," Buffy stated once he was gone, "That, that shouldn't have happened and it wouldn't have happened if Paige was here."
"We need to call Paige and set up a time where she can come over and—" Phoebe started but Piper cut her off.
"Phoebe we can't schedule vanquishes okay?" Piper countered frustratedly, "Demon attacks don't usually fit into the day planners."
"Then what do you suggest that we do, Aunt Piper?" Dawn asked with a raised eyebrow.
Piper hesitated chewing her lip nervously, "I suggest that maybe…." She paused and released a heavy sigh, closing her eyes, "…Paige move in with us." She finished quickly rising to her feet and moving off to clear up the mess.
Buffy, Dawn and Phoebe sat stock still, frozen in shock at the words that just came from Piper's mouth.
Phoebe turned to Buffy and Dawn who remained staring into space with raised eyebrows. "Wait," she muttered turning in her seat. "What did you just say to us?" she asked watching Piper carefully.
Piper shrugged. "Well, she's going to have to sooner or later isn't she?" she replied as picked up various pieces of broken, splintered wood.
Buffy, Dawn and Phoebe contemplated that. "I think I speak for Buffy and Dawn, that uh…..we never really thought about it," Phoebe admitted as her nieces nodded in agreement. "And I can't believe you of all people are actually suggesting it!" she added astounded.
"I am just trying to be practical," Piper defended herself frowning at the idea but still persisting with it. "Besides, I am sick and tired of Leo watching over her day and night, protecting her from various demons. You know I…I would actually like to see my husband again."
Buffy turned to her eldest aunt at that. "Okay, yes Piper, we understand that but…." She spoke up for the first time since Piper's revelation, "Aunt Piper, missing your husband is not a good enough reason to suggest such a massive step forward." She pointed out and Piper stalled for a moment before going back to her cleaning.
Dawn narrowed her eyes then pushed out of her chair walking over to Piper. She bent down and grabbed her aunt's hands, "Leave it." she instructed, "I'll fix it later, now stand." She said and pulled Piper up. "Buffy and Aunt Phoebe are right, this is a huge decision," she pointed out looking into Piper's eyes.
Buffy and Phoebe rose out of their seats and came to stand in between Dawn and Piper. "Do you honestly think we're ready for that?" Phoebe asked looking between her sister and her nieces.
"We were ready when Buffy and Dawn moved in," Piper reminded her sister.
"That's different," Buffy said. "There were mitigating circumstances. First being that Dawn was mom's biological daughter. Given what I was going through she wasn't about to leave us to fend for ourselves."
"I know," Piper said as she shrugged. "All I know is that every demon who is out to impress the Source is attacking us," she explained. "All of us."
Since Buffy and Dawn had joined the family, they had instantly become targets as well if only to get at Piper and Phoebe. Though if Patty had been correct that Buffy and Dawn were the next generation of Warren witches. That meant that one day their powers would surpass their aunts, especially when their own Power of Three was finally complete. Which would make them a threat to the Source.
"Which is why we all need to be under one roof," Piper continued. "Otherwise we're too vulnerable, which the three of us clearly demonstrated just there."
Phoebe looked at her sister. "I didn't mean, are we ready as witches…" she said slowly, looking first Piper and then Buffy and Dawn in the eye, "I meant, are you and I, Piper, ready as sisters. And in the case of you two, Buffy…Dawn, are you two ready as nieces?"" she finished and Piper sighed, closing her eyes as Buffy and Dawn each bit their lips. Phoebe shrugged. "I mean what if we don't get along?"
Dawn smirked. "Aunt Phoebe, we don't always get along," she pointed out, referring to all four of them.
Phoebe smiled, "Yeah…but that's different. Piper and I grew up together…You and Buffy grew up together. You two had to get along eventually just as Piper and I did. Then when you two moved in, it was just a matter of time before we all got along. Maybe…maybe it's just too soon but….."
Piper looked at her nieces and her sister. "But there's only one way to find out," she finished as Buffy, Dawn and Phoebe nodded.
Paige's Apartment
The shrill screeching of her alarm clock introduced Paige and Glen to a very rude and very loud awakening.
Paige moaned as she threw out her arm and violently silenced her screeching alarm clock. "Oh my god! It's nine o'clock, I'm so screwed!" she gasped dropping her arm and closing her eyes again with a tired sigh.
"Can't you just be a little late?" the muffled voice of a very tired sounding Glen asked from beside her.
"I'm already a little late," Paige replied tiredly.
Glen squirmed beside her as she stretched her tired muscles, "Can't you be a lot late, especially seeing…" he paused as Paige pulled herself up, bringing the sheet that was wrapped around her body up too. "…as how I'm leaving tomorrow?" he finished.
Paige resisted the urge to roll her eyes, partially because she was too tired to do so and replied, "You're always leaving tomorrow Glen. That's what you do." She rose up from the bed heading for the bathroom. She froze and turned back half way there when she felt his eyes boring into the back of her. "What?" she asked, smiling at the smirk on his face.
"Nine-to-five isn't you Paige," he told her matter-of-factly. "You've always had too adventurous a spirit to be pinned down."
"Oh yeah?" Paige said highly amused. "Just drop by between K2 and the Great Barrier Reef, and you know this about me, do you?"
"Your life could be a fairytale," Glen called after her as Paige disappeared into the bathroom. "And it doesn't half to end badly."
Paige stuck her head out from behind the partially closed door. "Who says it's going too?" she smirked and then disappeared again.
"Come to Australia with me Paige," Glen practically begged. "Just for the hell of it. Why not?"
Paige stuck her head back out again. "Because I've got too many responsibilities, that's why not," she replied.
"You're 25 years old!" Glen reminded her incredulously. "You've got the rest of your life ahead of you for that kind of crap," he told her enthusiastically. "Just go for it! Dump your job. Come have fun with me."
"As tempting as that sounds," Paige said coming out of the bathroom, clad in a skirt and bra. "I actually have things called responsibilities," she repeated so he'd get the point. She grabbed her pink frilly top and came back to sit on the bed. "It's not just my job. I've got sisters and nieces now and we just got…stuff that we've got to do," she explained and pulled her top over her head.
"What stuff?" Glen questioned with a roll of his eyes.
"Stuff…that keeps me pinned down," she replied freeing her hair from inside her top.
Glen crawled nearer to her. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
Paige looked away. "I'm not sure yet," she replied then bit her lip as she fell back into him and they started all over again.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn, Buffy, Piper and Phoebe came marching around the corner heading straight for Paige's apartment door. Phoebe turned to her sister and nieces as she lifted her hand to knock, not seeing Leo orb in, in front of it until she started knocking on his chest.
"Oh! Sorry," Phoebe apologized with a smile.
"Hi!" Leo said with a slightly nervous looking smile, "Hey, what's up?"
"What's up?" Piper echoed. "How about a kiss for your long-lost wife, huh?" she asked with a fake smile.
"Oh right!" he said leaning down and kissing her cheek.
"Hi!" Piper greeted with a wide grin.
Leo chuckled nervously. "Well…" he began, leaning against the door, "…bye."
Both sets of sisters frowned. "Excuse me?" Buffy asked with narrowed eyes.
Phoebe looked him up and down. "What do you mean bye, we just got here."
Leo nodded. "Right. Well, you know, I don't want to leave Paige unprotected so…" he gestured to the closed door.
"Uh-huh," Piper said narrowing her eyes too. "Is she home?" She made a move towards the door but Leo blocked it from her.
"Yeah she's home," he answered. "She's just a little uh…indisposed at the moment."
"Indisposed?" Dawn repeated slowly narrowing her eyes until she got the point and hers, Buffy's Piper and Phoebe's jaws dropped. Even though she was fully clothed, she reacted on instinct covering her chest.
"Wait," Piper said frowning. "Wait, wait. You watch?" she asked screwing up her face. "What are you like a peeping angel?"
"Wha—I didn't see anything!" Leo defended himself, sounding like a small whiney child. Piper gave him a look and he caved. "Well, alright just a little. But how else am I supposed to protect her?" he asked pointedly.
"I seriously hope you never did that with me," Dawn said as she glared at her uncle.
"I have to second that statement," Buffy added as she, Dawn, Piper and Phoebe stared at him relentlessly without blinking before they all charged past him and walked right into Paige's apartment.
"SORRY TO INTERUPT!" Phoebe yelled as she walked in with a hand over her eyes. "Can't see a thing!" she added as Piper, Buffy and Dawn ran in after her.
Paige gasped and jumped off of Glen, grabbing her now discarded top to cover herself with. "PHOEBE!" she cried.
Buffy and Piper grabbed Phoebe who had walked too far in and yanked her back to stand beside them and Dawn.
Paige gawked. "Buffy, Dawn, Piper…Leo!" she cried even more surprised than before, pulling her top tighter around her. "What the hell is going on?" she demanded angrily.
"I know this looks bad but it's very important," Phoebe assured her younger sister. "Whoa!" she stated when Glen came into view. Buffy and Piper turned and whacked her arm while Dawn turned to her with a frown. "OW!" she yelped.
"Who are they?" Glen asked Paige while he gazed at the three strange women with curious eyes and an amused smile.
Paige scowled at her family. "The soon to be ex-sisters and ex-nieces I was telling you about," she replied with a glare.
"Hey!" Dawn reprimanded pointing a finger at Paige with raised eyebrows. "Not something I want to hear on my birthday, Aunt Paige!"
"Okay! We're sorry." Piper apologized sarcastically. "But, you know, we didn't know witch way to turn, if you know what I mean?"
Paige rolled her eyes at the not so subtle reference. Buffy and Dawn smiled at her, Phoebe grinned and Piper smirked.
"Maybe…I should go," Glen said slowly as he pushed back the covers and sat up in bed.
Leo grabbed his jeans and threw them to him. "Oh uh…here," he said seeming uncomfortable.
"Thanks," Glen replied as he pulled them on.
Paige turned to him. "I'm sorry about this Glen," she apologized. "This is horribly embarrassing."
"No worries," Glen assured her. "You've obviously got some…responsibilities," he observed then leaned over and kissed her cheek. "My plane leaves tomorrow," he told her before disappearing into the bathroom.
"What plane?" Piper asked as he disappeared.
Paige glared. "Never mind. This better be important."
Buffy turned to her sharply. "I need to wash my hair, for my sister's birthday party!" she cried with large eyes.
"So, have you been attacked by the Shocker demon yet?" Piper asked her bluntly and Paige shook her head.
"No, she hasn't," Leo verbally replied for Paige.
Paige frowned. "How would you know?"
"Oh…because he's been watching you these past two weeks," Phoebe informed her lightly. "For your own protection."
Paige looked affronted. "You've been watching me?"
"I didn't see anything," Leo repeated and defended at the same time.
"At least nothing very interesting," Phoebe added with a smirk and a not so subtle glance at the bathroom door.
"That's it!" Paige exclaimed. "OUT!" she yelled throwing off the covers and pushing them towards the door.
"But, but, but we need to talk to you about the Shocker demon because—" Piper tried to tell her but Paige was too mad.
"OUT!" Paige yelled again.
"We can't vanquish him without the power of four—" Phoebe cried out quickly picking up where Piper left off.
"Sorry, Aunt Paige," Dawn said as she was the last to be pushed out the door before it was slammed in hers, Buffy, Piper and Phoebe's faces. "I hope your still coming tonight!" she called through the door.
Silence fell for several seconds until, "I think that went fairly well." Phoebe voiced and the others groaned then walked back down the hall again and around the corner.
Paige shook her head as she leaned against the door, listening to them walk away. "Unbelievable!" she cried.
Year 1350
Draydon Keep, England
"Where is she?" A very handsome young man, clad in chain-mail armour demanded, "What have you done with my beloved?"
"You mean I'm not your beloved?" the Enchantress asked. "Oooh I'm crushed," she sneered sarcastically.
The man pulled his sword and aimed it at her neck. "Your dark magic, doesn't scare me Enchantress," he told her with a stern glare. "Tell me where she is and I just might spare your life." He warned her.
"Very well," the Enchantress relented, placing her finger on the tip of his sword and pushing it down. "Your beloved is right here, my Prince," she informed him. "Right before your very eyes." She then threw a small bag at his feet which exploded into a cloud of smoke.
"Bring together my Prince and me. Let him fall on bended knee. I summon him to my side. That he may take me to be his destined bride," she chanted smoothly and when the smoke cleared the Prince put away his sword and fell on one knee. The Enchantress smirked triumphantly.
"My love." He took her hand in his and kissed it. "I am forever yours." He then rose to his feet, walked behind her and kissed her neck.
The Enchantress smiled. "As will your Kingdom, once I conceive an heir," she said aloud to herself then led him to her bed.