CHARMED
"PIPER, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER?"
(A CHARMED/BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER CROSSOVER)
by J. B. Tilton
email: aramath@isot.com
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are
the property of the WB television network, and "Buffy, The Vampire
Slayer" and all related characters and events are the property of Josh
Whedon, except for those characters specifically created for this
story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright
is intended.
* * *
(Authors note: This story takes place between season 4 episodes
"Marry-Go-Round" and "The Fifth Halliwell".)
* * *
A warlock attacks Piper in her club. When the smoke clears,
Piper finds herself in a strange place. And she's expected to do the
last thing in the world she could have imagined.
* * *
PART 1: IDENTITY CRISIS
Pipers' encounter with a warlock leads to some very strange
consequences. Not the least of which is her ending up in Sunnydale as
the famed vampire slayer.
* * *
ONE
Piper put another case of alcohol up on the bar. The bartender
would be in soon to set up for the night. He'd be pleasantly
surprised when he found his job nearly half done.
After the last week, preparing to open the club was a welcomed
change. Phoebe's wedding had been a disaster, as usual. The never-
ending demon attacks had seen to that.
But thankfully she and Cold had finally been able to get
married. Even if it was in the middle of the night in a cemetery.
Well, it could have been worse. Cole could still have been a demon.
Piper thought about the other women in Melinda Warren's line.
She wondered if any of them had ever had anything that resembled a
normal wedding. With demons out to destroy them at every turn, she
finally decided a "normal wedding probably wasn't something the Warren
women had much experience with. She couldn't help but wonder what
Paige's wedding would be like when, and if, she decided to settle
down.
A noise brought her out of her thoughts. She looked around the
club. Nothing seemed out of place. She was alone at the club.
Phoebe and Paige were at work and Leo was off doing whatever White
Lighters did.
She heard the noise again. This time she was sure. It was the
sound of a chair being scooted across the floor. She looked in the
direction from which the sound had come. The corner was dark. It was
hard to tell if anyone was there.
She reached down and flipped the switch for the overhead lights.
Lights came on all over the club, illuminating the entire area. As
she looked over I the corner once more, she saw a man sitting at the
table in the corner.
"The man looked to be about forty. He was dressed in slacks and
a dress shirt. An ornate ring was on one finger. He wore a mustache
and a goatee. He sat smiling at Piper.
"Now that's a shame," said the man. "I was so enjoying watching
you work. It's nice to see young people who still have a good work
ethic."
"We don't open for a few more hours," said Piper. "How did you
get in here?"
"A simple locked door isn't a problem for me," said the man. "I
learned how to get around them long ago."
"What do you want?" asked Piper.
"You," said the man, "not to put too fine a point on it."
"I think you'd better leave," said Piper, "before I call the
police."
"Oh, I can't do that I'm afraid," said the man. "My employers
wouldn't be happy if I left before our business was concluded."
"Your employers?" questioned Piper. "What employers and what
business are you talking about?"
"Well," said the man, "my employers told me I might find you
here. A Charmed One without her sisters or even that annoying White
Lighter around to bother with."
Piper looked at the man intently. She had never seen him
before, but she knew who he was. Or rather, what he was.
"Warlock," she gasped.
"Theodore Collier, at your service," said the warlock, smiling
at her.
TWO
"You picked the wrong sister to mess with, bub," said Piper.
Piper raised her hands and froze the warlock in place. Except
he didn't freeze. He stood up and smiled at Piper. He reached inside
his shirt and pulled out an amulet hanging around his neck.
"A little insurance," he said. "This little trinket insulates
me from your power. As the most powerful of the Charmed ones, I
decided you should be the first. With you out of the way, your
sisters should not be a problem."
"First?" asked Piper, trying to buy time. "First for what?"
"Oh, surely you know that," said the warlock. "I'm a warlock.
It shouldn't be difficult to guess what I'm after."
"My power," said Piper.
"Sadly, no," said Collier. "I'm one of the few warlocks that
can't steal another's powers. But that was a good guess. The logical
one, actually.
"No, my job is to get you out of the way. While I can't steal
your power, I am well equipped to perform that little task. Now, hold
real still. This won't hurt a bit. At least, I don't think it does."
He held out his hand and a blue beam shot from his fingertips.
Piper dropped behind the bar and the beam narrowly missed her,
striking a half full bottle of bourbon on the shelf. The bottle
simply vanished.
Piper made her way to the end of the bar and then stood up. The
warlock hadn't moved. He stood looking around trying to figure out
where Piper had gone. Her power might not work on him, she reasoned,
but it would still work on other things.
Piper exploded the light fixture directly over the warlocks'
head. He covered his head with his arms as the fixture and broken
glass rained down on him. Piper turned and ran into the back of the
club, slamming the door closed behind her. She had only scant
moments. The warlock would be after her immediately.
"Leo," she called out.
Before she could call again, the warlock blinked into the room
"It won't be that easy, witch," he said.
He raised his hand and the blue beam again shot out at Piper.
Instinctively, she brought her explosive power to bear on the attack.
Her cower collided with the blue beam, exploding it on contact. Piper
was bathed in a blue light and almost immediately lost consciousness.
* * *
Piper opened her eyes. She was apparently lying on the ground
staring up at a cloudless, moonless sky. She stood up and looked
around. The first thing she noticed was her clothes. She was dressed
completely differently from what she had been at the club. She was
now dressed in a red, one-piece suit. Something she might have worn
ten years ago, but not today.
The second thing that caught her attention was her location.
She wasn't in the club any longer. Instead, she was standing in the
idle of a cemetery. And it was the middle of the night.
"This is weird," she said. "Leo? Leo, I need your help."
"I'll be Leo," said a voice behind her. "And I know I can help
you."
She turned to see a man staring at her. Well, not a man
actually. His forehead had a wrinkled ridge and his eyes were yellow.
Two elongated fangs extended from his mouth.
"Demon," thought Piper.
She'd never seen this kind of demon before but she knew it was a
demon of some kind. And from the looks of it, this one would be a
vampire.
THREE
"You really should have a dermatologist look at that skin
problem," said Piper.
"Oh, we have a funny," said the vampire. "Let's see how funny
you are when I'm gorged on your blood."
The vampire started moving toward her. Piper reached out and
exploded the vampire. It vanished into a pile of dust.
"Not tonight," she said calmly.
"Whoa, Piper, you learned a new trick," said a female voice
behind her.
Piper whirled around ready for another attack. She saw two
people standing several feet from her. One was a young girl with
straight brown hair. The other was a tall lanky boy. Both were
holding sharpened wooden stakes in their hands. Both appeared to be
about sixteen years old.
"Gee, Pipe," said the boy, "where'd you learn to do that? Sure
beats staking them."
"Who are you kids?" asked Piper.
"You know us," said the girl. "Me, Willow. You know, best
friend, confident, that sort of thing. This is Xander. What's the
matter Piper? Did you hit your head?"
"Yeah," said Xander, "and what's with the kids remark? We
aren't exactly children even if we aren't the Slayer."
"Piper," said a whiney female voice to Piper's left. "That was
my date you just blew up."
Piper turned to see another young woman walking up to her. The
woman was very attractive with long brown hair. And her clothes were
very expensive.
"Uh, Cordy," said Xander, "your date turned out to be a
vampire."
"Well that's just great," pouted Cordy. "No wonder he wanted to
cut through the cemetery. Now who's going to take me to the Winter
Formal?"
"Do you always whine so much?" asked Piper.
"Cordelia sort of has a corner on the whiney market," said
Xander. "That's what makes her so endearing to us."
"Who are you people?" asked Piper. "And where am I?"
"Is she okay?" asked a man wearing a leather jacket approaching
the small group.
Piper couldn't help but notice how good-looking he was. And
even under the jacket she could tell he kept in shape. He appeared to
be older than the others.
"Piper, are you okay?" asked the man.
"Who are you?" asked Piper. "How do you all know who I am?"
"Angel, we think she hit her head," said Willow, a look of pure
innocents on her face.
"She doesn't look hurt," said Angel. "Are you sure she hit her
head?"
"I didn't hit my head," protested Piper. One minute I'm
fighting a warlock, the next minute I'm here. Wherever here is."
"A warlock?" asked Xander. "Where is he?"
"Where am I?" demanded Piper. "And who are all of you?"
"If she encountered a warlock," said Angel, "she might be under
a spell. We should get her to Giles.
"Good idea," said Willow. "Giles will know what to do."
"Hello," said Piper, "standing right here. I'm not going
anywhere until someone tells me where I am and what's going on."
"You're in the Sunnydale cemetery," said Willow.
"Sunnydale?" questioned Piper. "As in Sunnydale, California?
How the hell did I get here?"
"We came out hunting vampires," said Xander, "like you do every
night."
"What do you mean like I do every night?" asked Piper.
"You know," said Xander, "patrolling, staking the evil uglies,
protecting people who live over the Hellmouth."
"The what?" asked Piper.
"You're Piper Summers," said Willow. "And you slay vampires."
Piper just stared at the group of lunatics.
FOUR
"Mr. Giles," said an exasperated Piper, "I don't know who you
all think I am, but my name is not Summers. It's Halliwell, and I
live in San Francisco with my two sisters."
"Piper, please just calm down," said Giles. His British accent
was actually soothing to Piper. "It appears the warlock you
encountered has apparently cast a spell to confuse you. Not to worry.
I'm sure we'll find a way to undo what he's done."
"I'm not under a spell," insisted Piper. "He wasn't trying to
cast a spell. He was trying to kill me. I was in my club getting
ready to open it when he attacked."
"Your club?" questioned Giles.
"Yes," said Piper. "It's called P3. It's in San Francisco and
my sisters and I own it."
"Piper, you don't own a club," said Angel. "You're not even out
of high school yet."
"What are you talking about?" questioned Piper. "I graduated
from high school ten years ago."
Giles walked over to a bureau in his living room. He opened one
of the drawers and pulled out a hand mirror. Then he handed the
mirror to Paige.
"Does it look like you're old enough to have graduated ten years
ago?" asked Giles.
A shocked Piper looked at herself in the mirror. It was
obviously her. But the reflection couldn't possible be her. The
reflection staring back at her was the way she had looked in high
school. She couldn't have been over sixteen.
"This is impossible," said Piper.
"No, it's not," said Giles. "As we've told you, you're simply
under a spell. A spell to confuse you."
Giles picked up his glass and took a drink from it. This gave
Piper an idea.
"Mr. Giles," she said, "drop your glass."
"I beg your pardon?" questioned Giles.
"You want me to accept what you're telling me?" asked Piper.
"Fine. Drop your glass."
"I hardly see how," began Giles.
"Just do it," said Piper. "We can settle this one way or
another."
Giles looked around the room. Finally he just shrugged and then
held the glass out arms length. He opened his hand and the glass fell
to the floor. The glass had fallen only a foot or two when Piper
reached up and froze it in place. It hung suspended in midair.
"Does this spell give me that ability, too?" asked Piper.
"Remarkable," said Giles, looking over the glass. "Simply
remarkable. How are you able to do this?"
"Because," said Piper, looking around the room and taking a deep
breath, "I'm a witch. That's one of my abilities."
"She can blow things up, too," said Willow proudly.
"She sure can," said Xander. "We saw her. She blew this
vampire up. It was so cool."
"Giles," said Angel, "something strange is going on here.
Piper's never had abilities like that before."
"That's because I'm not Piper Summers," said Piper. "I'm Piper
Halliwell."
"That's simply not possible," said Giles. "I've known you for
almost two years. And aside from these new powers you appear to have,
you're the same girl I've always known."
"You said you're a witch," said Angel.
"Yes, I am," said Piper.
"What about your sisters?" asked Angel. "Are they, by any
chance, witches, too?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact they are," said Piper.
"What is it, Angel?" asked Giles. "You look like the proverbial
cat that swallowed the canary."
"I've been hearing rumors in the demon underground," said Angel.
"Rumors about three powerful witches who live in San Francisco.
Witches who are also sisters."
He looked at Piper.
"The Charmed Ones," he said finally.
FIVE
"Yes, that would be us," said Piper. "I and my sisters are the
Charmed Ones."
"That just can't be," said Giles. "As I've told you, you've
been in Sunnydale for two years."
"Then ho do you explain my powers?" asked Piper.
"Simply because I can't explain something doesn't mean there
isn't a logical explanation," said Giles.
"I can prove it," said Piper, jumping up and running to the
phone. "Call my house. Talk to one of my sisters. They'll tell you
who I am."
"You want me to call San Francisco?" asked Giles. "At this
hour?"
"Phoebe stays up late," said Piper. "Chances are, Paige is on a
date, but if she isn't I'm sure she'll be up. I'm sure Leo is there,
probably wondering where I am. Cole might even be there."
"Who are Leo and Cole?" asked Willow.
"Leo is my husband," said Piper. "Cole is Phoebe's husband.
They just got married about a week ago."
"Your husband?" shrieked Xander. "Pipe, you naughty girl, you."
"Piper," said Piper. "My name is Piper, not Pipe."
"Piper, you're only sixteen," said Giles. "You aren't old
enough to be married."
"Just call the house," said Piper. "Once they tell you who I
really am, we can start to figure out what's going on here."
Giles walked over and took the phone from Piper. She dialed the
number and Giles waited for someone to answer. Finally, a female
voice answered on the other end.
"Hello?" questioned the voice.
"Yes, hello," said Giles. "I'm sorry to bother you at this
hour. I'm trying to reach the Halliwell residence."
"This is the Halliwell residence," said Phoebe. "Look, if
you're selling something, you're wasting your time."
"No, I'm not selling anything," said Giles. "My name is Rupert
Giles and I live in Sunnydale. This may sound like an odd thing to
ask, but would you happen to have a sister named Piper?"
"Piper?" questioned the woman. "No, I don't. Is this Piper
trying to find a lost relative or something?"
"Yes, something like that," said Giles. "The young lady
believes that her sisters live at this residence."
"Well," said the woman, "my name is Phoebe Halliwell and I have
an older sister and a younger one. But neither is named Piper I'm
afraid."
"This is a Phoebe Halliwell and she says she has two sisters,
but none named Piper," Giles said to Piper.
Piper grabbed the phone from him.
"Phoebe?' she questioned into the phone. "Phoebe, it's me,
Piper. Somehow I ended up in Sunnydale. Tell Leo to come get me.
Something screwy is going on here."
"I'm sorry," said Phoebe, "but I don't know anyone named Piper.
And I certainly don't have a sister named Piper."
"Phoebe, this isn't funny," said Piper.
"I'm not trying to be funny," said Phoebe. "I don't have a
sister named Piper. I don't know how you know Leo, but he's certainly
not going to come get you. My husband is not in the habit of out in
the middle of the night to get strange women."
"Your husband?" questioned Piper.
"Yes," said Phoebe. "Leo is my husband. Now, I suggest you
look elsewhere for your missing family. You obviously have the wrong
number."
The line went dead.
"This is insane," said Piper.
"Obviously this spell is quite potent," said Giles.
"She didn't know me," gasped Piper. "My own sister didn't know
me. What's going on here?"
"You're under some kind of spell," said Giles. "Obviously this
warlock you encountered is trying to help the vampires. Perhaps by
mixing up your mind so you don't remember you're the Slayer. Perhaps
these new powers are part of the spell to further disorient you."
Piper just stared at Giles. Could he be right?
SIX
"No," said Piper. "My sisters and I are the Charmed Ones. We
protect the innocent and fight demons. We certainly don't slay
vampires."
"Technically speaking," said Giles, habitually cleaning his
glasses, "vampires ARE demons." He glanced over at Angel. "Well,
most of them, anyway."
Piper picked up a pad and pen and drew the triquetra on it. She
showed it to Giles.
"Listen," she said, "my name is Piper Halliwell. My sisters and
I are the Charmed Ones. This is the triquetra, our symbol. I don't
know what's going on here, but my name is not Summers and I'm not this
Vampire Slayer."
"Piper," began Giles.
"Giles, let's listen to her for a moment," said Angel.
"Does that symbol mean something to you?" asked Giles.
"Not especially," said Angel. "But she drew it with her right
hand. Piper is left-handed."
"He's right," said Willow. "Piper has always been left-handed."
"So you believe me?" asked Piper.
"I'm not sure what to believe," said Angel. "All I know is that
the Piper I know is left-handed. And you are obviously right-handed."
"That's because I'm not Piper Summers," said Piper. "I'm Piper
Halliwell."
"That could simply be part of the spell she's under," said
Giles.
"If she is under a spell," said Angel. "I know it sounds crazy,
but what if she's telling the truth? What if she's not our Piper?"
"I suppose there's a slight possibility," said Giles. "But if
she's not our Piper, where is our Piper? And where did she come
from?"
"What about another dimension?" offered Willow. "We've had
people from other dimensions before. Well, not people exactly. More
like demons. Actually, they were demons."
"Wil," said Xander, "you're rambling."
"Oh, right, sorry," said Willow.
"I have an idea," said Angel. "Why don't we go out and get
something to eat. It's been a long night. I'm sure we could all use
something to eat."
"Well, I could stand for a bite," said Piper. "Maybe we'll be
thinking clearer on a full stomach."
"Perhaps that's a good idea," said Giles. "I suppose we could
all do with a break. Angel, why don't you . . ."
"I'll come along," said Angel.
He opened the front door, standing behind it. Piper looked out
and saw the newly risen sun.
"We've been here all night?" she asked. "It doesn't seem like
it."
"You ready?" asked Angel, looking at her.
"Yeah, I guess so," said Piper. "Only I'm not familiar with
Sunnydale. You'll have to pick the place."
"Out there?" asked Angel.
"Unless there's a restaurant in the back of the house," said
Piper. "Do you have a particular place in mind?"
"Look at her, Giles," said Angel. "She honestly has no idea."
"Good lord, you're right," said Giles. "I suppose it could be
part of the spell."
"Enough with the spell," said Angel. "I don't think she's under
any kind of spell. What purpose would it serve to change her memory
of me?"
"Quite right, of course," said Giles. "I suppose that means we
have to consider that she's telling the truth."
"You guys are certainly acting weird," said Piper.
"Perhaps from your perspective," said Giles. "They truth is,
Angel can't go outside. Something you'd be aware of if you were
really Piper Summers.
"Yeah," said Xander. "One step outside and it's boyfriend
flambé."
Everyone looked at Xander.
"What?" he asked. "It's not like it's a big secret or
anything."
"What does he mean 'boyfriend flambé'?" asked Piper.
"It's quite simple," said Giles. "Angel can't go outside during
the day because he's a vampire."
SEVEN
"A vampire?" questioned Piper. "If he's a vampire, then how
come . . ."
"I was cursed by gypsies," said Angel. "They restored my soul
to me. So, I'm not exactly your typical vampire."
"I see," said Piper. "And the boyfriend part? Does that mean
that you and your Piper . . ."
"You're doing the horizontal mamba," beamed Willow. "Oh, I'm
sorry. That sounded awful."
"Piper Summers and I have been . . . involved for more than a
year," explained Angel. Well, maybe involved is too strong a word."
"I see," said Piper again. "Well, I guess breakfast at a
restaurant is out of the question."
"We could order out," suggested Xander.
"I suppose I could prepare something," offered Giles. "However,
I must warn you, I'm not really a very good cook."
"I am," said Piper.
"You cook?" asked Willow.
"Actually, I'm a chef," said Piper. "Or at least I used to be.
Just show me to the kitchen."
"That's not the Piper I know," said Xander. "The Piper I know
can't even boil water."
"She may not be the Piper we know," commented Giles. "Angel may
be right. She may well be someone other than our Piper."
"You mean she is from another dimension?" asked Willow timidly.
"I can't say," said Giles. "Something is definitely different.
We just have to figure out how to determine what."
Piper amazed them all with her ability to make a feast out of
the simplest ingredients. She said it wasn't difficult if you know
how.
"Well," said Giles when they had finished, "that was definitely
something our Piper could not have done. Perhaps there's more to this
than simply altering your memories."
"That's what I've been telling you," said Piper. "My memories
haven't been altered. I was attacked by a warlock and ended up here."
"Who was this warlock?" asked Angel. "Did you recognize him?"
"No," said Piper. "I've never seen him before. He said his
name was Theodore Collier."
"The name is not familiar," said Giles. "I suppose there is
something about him in one of my books. We might be able to figure
out who he is and what he's done."
"Except that doesn't help us to put things back the way they're
supposed to be," said Angel. "Even if we figure out what happened,
how do we fix it? None of us is an expert in the Craft. Changing
things back could be complicated."
"I guess I'm something of an expert," said Piper. "I have been
a witch for almost four years. But I'll probably need some help."
"Which leads us back to our first problem," said Giles. "We
don't know enough to attempt putting things right again."
"No, but I know someone who does," said Piper. "I'll bet Phoebe
and Paige are still Charmed Ones. I still have my powers so they must
still have theirs. If they do, they can help me."
"That means we have to go to San Francisco," said Angel.
"Alright," said Xander, rubbing his hands together, "road trip.
I'm up for it."
"For us," said Giles. "Not for you."
"But," Willow began to protest.
"There are still vampires in Sunnydale," said Giles. "Whether
or not she's our Piper, someone has to stay here and make sure they
don't run amok."
"I never get to go anywhere," complained Xander.
"Sheesh," said Piper, "you sound like that whiney girl who was
with us earlier."
"Whiney girl?" questioned Giles.
"Cordelia," said Willow, rolling her eyes. "She complained
because Piper blew her date up."
"Yes, well, I'm sure he deserved it," said Giles.
"He was a vampire," said Angel.
"Oh, that makes a difference," said Giles. "We should leave
right away. We can take my car."
"I'll ride in the trunk," said Angel.
"It's apt to be a bit uncomfortable," said Giles.
"I'll manage," said Angel.
"Well," said Giles, "I suppose we should be going then."
"Piper, Giles, and Angel left Xander and Willow to head for San
Francisco. It was clear that neither Xander nor Willow appreciated
being left behind.
To be continued . . .
Be sure not to miss Part 2: The Return Home. What will Piper
find when she returns home? And will she be able to persuade Phoebe
and Paige to help her? Or will she find them nothing but mortals with
no powers?
If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more "Charmed"
stories at my website, www.geocities.com/killeenmale/. You can also
post your own "Charmed" stories if you like to write fan fiction.
"PIPER, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER?"
(A CHARMED/BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER CROSSOVER)
by J. B. Tilton
email: aramath@isot.com
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are
the property of the WB television network, and "Buffy, The Vampire
Slayer" and all related characters and events are the property of Josh
Whedon, except for those characters specifically created for this
story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright
is intended.
* * *
(Authors note: This story takes place between season 4 episodes
"Marry-Go-Round" and "The Fifth Halliwell".)
* * *
A warlock attacks Piper in her club. When the smoke clears,
Piper finds herself in a strange place. And she's expected to do the
last thing in the world she could have imagined.
* * *
PART 1: IDENTITY CRISIS
Pipers' encounter with a warlock leads to some very strange
consequences. Not the least of which is her ending up in Sunnydale as
the famed vampire slayer.
* * *
ONE
Piper put another case of alcohol up on the bar. The bartender
would be in soon to set up for the night. He'd be pleasantly
surprised when he found his job nearly half done.
After the last week, preparing to open the club was a welcomed
change. Phoebe's wedding had been a disaster, as usual. The never-
ending demon attacks had seen to that.
But thankfully she and Cold had finally been able to get
married. Even if it was in the middle of the night in a cemetery.
Well, it could have been worse. Cole could still have been a demon.
Piper thought about the other women in Melinda Warren's line.
She wondered if any of them had ever had anything that resembled a
normal wedding. With demons out to destroy them at every turn, she
finally decided a "normal wedding probably wasn't something the Warren
women had much experience with. She couldn't help but wonder what
Paige's wedding would be like when, and if, she decided to settle
down.
A noise brought her out of her thoughts. She looked around the
club. Nothing seemed out of place. She was alone at the club.
Phoebe and Paige were at work and Leo was off doing whatever White
Lighters did.
She heard the noise again. This time she was sure. It was the
sound of a chair being scooted across the floor. She looked in the
direction from which the sound had come. The corner was dark. It was
hard to tell if anyone was there.
She reached down and flipped the switch for the overhead lights.
Lights came on all over the club, illuminating the entire area. As
she looked over I the corner once more, she saw a man sitting at the
table in the corner.
"The man looked to be about forty. He was dressed in slacks and
a dress shirt. An ornate ring was on one finger. He wore a mustache
and a goatee. He sat smiling at Piper.
"Now that's a shame," said the man. "I was so enjoying watching
you work. It's nice to see young people who still have a good work
ethic."
"We don't open for a few more hours," said Piper. "How did you
get in here?"
"A simple locked door isn't a problem for me," said the man. "I
learned how to get around them long ago."
"What do you want?" asked Piper.
"You," said the man, "not to put too fine a point on it."
"I think you'd better leave," said Piper, "before I call the
police."
"Oh, I can't do that I'm afraid," said the man. "My employers
wouldn't be happy if I left before our business was concluded."
"Your employers?" questioned Piper. "What employers and what
business are you talking about?"
"Well," said the man, "my employers told me I might find you
here. A Charmed One without her sisters or even that annoying White
Lighter around to bother with."
Piper looked at the man intently. She had never seen him
before, but she knew who he was. Or rather, what he was.
"Warlock," she gasped.
"Theodore Collier, at your service," said the warlock, smiling
at her.
TWO
"You picked the wrong sister to mess with, bub," said Piper.
Piper raised her hands and froze the warlock in place. Except
he didn't freeze. He stood up and smiled at Piper. He reached inside
his shirt and pulled out an amulet hanging around his neck.
"A little insurance," he said. "This little trinket insulates
me from your power. As the most powerful of the Charmed ones, I
decided you should be the first. With you out of the way, your
sisters should not be a problem."
"First?" asked Piper, trying to buy time. "First for what?"
"Oh, surely you know that," said the warlock. "I'm a warlock.
It shouldn't be difficult to guess what I'm after."
"My power," said Piper.
"Sadly, no," said Collier. "I'm one of the few warlocks that
can't steal another's powers. But that was a good guess. The logical
one, actually.
"No, my job is to get you out of the way. While I can't steal
your power, I am well equipped to perform that little task. Now, hold
real still. This won't hurt a bit. At least, I don't think it does."
He held out his hand and a blue beam shot from his fingertips.
Piper dropped behind the bar and the beam narrowly missed her,
striking a half full bottle of bourbon on the shelf. The bottle
simply vanished.
Piper made her way to the end of the bar and then stood up. The
warlock hadn't moved. He stood looking around trying to figure out
where Piper had gone. Her power might not work on him, she reasoned,
but it would still work on other things.
Piper exploded the light fixture directly over the warlocks'
head. He covered his head with his arms as the fixture and broken
glass rained down on him. Piper turned and ran into the back of the
club, slamming the door closed behind her. She had only scant
moments. The warlock would be after her immediately.
"Leo," she called out.
Before she could call again, the warlock blinked into the room
"It won't be that easy, witch," he said.
He raised his hand and the blue beam again shot out at Piper.
Instinctively, she brought her explosive power to bear on the attack.
Her cower collided with the blue beam, exploding it on contact. Piper
was bathed in a blue light and almost immediately lost consciousness.
* * *
Piper opened her eyes. She was apparently lying on the ground
staring up at a cloudless, moonless sky. She stood up and looked
around. The first thing she noticed was her clothes. She was dressed
completely differently from what she had been at the club. She was
now dressed in a red, one-piece suit. Something she might have worn
ten years ago, but not today.
The second thing that caught her attention was her location.
She wasn't in the club any longer. Instead, she was standing in the
idle of a cemetery. And it was the middle of the night.
"This is weird," she said. "Leo? Leo, I need your help."
"I'll be Leo," said a voice behind her. "And I know I can help
you."
She turned to see a man staring at her. Well, not a man
actually. His forehead had a wrinkled ridge and his eyes were yellow.
Two elongated fangs extended from his mouth.
"Demon," thought Piper.
She'd never seen this kind of demon before but she knew it was a
demon of some kind. And from the looks of it, this one would be a
vampire.
THREE
"You really should have a dermatologist look at that skin
problem," said Piper.
"Oh, we have a funny," said the vampire. "Let's see how funny
you are when I'm gorged on your blood."
The vampire started moving toward her. Piper reached out and
exploded the vampire. It vanished into a pile of dust.
"Not tonight," she said calmly.
"Whoa, Piper, you learned a new trick," said a female voice
behind her.
Piper whirled around ready for another attack. She saw two
people standing several feet from her. One was a young girl with
straight brown hair. The other was a tall lanky boy. Both were
holding sharpened wooden stakes in their hands. Both appeared to be
about sixteen years old.
"Gee, Pipe," said the boy, "where'd you learn to do that? Sure
beats staking them."
"Who are you kids?" asked Piper.
"You know us," said the girl. "Me, Willow. You know, best
friend, confident, that sort of thing. This is Xander. What's the
matter Piper? Did you hit your head?"
"Yeah," said Xander, "and what's with the kids remark? We
aren't exactly children even if we aren't the Slayer."
"Piper," said a whiney female voice to Piper's left. "That was
my date you just blew up."
Piper turned to see another young woman walking up to her. The
woman was very attractive with long brown hair. And her clothes were
very expensive.
"Uh, Cordy," said Xander, "your date turned out to be a
vampire."
"Well that's just great," pouted Cordy. "No wonder he wanted to
cut through the cemetery. Now who's going to take me to the Winter
Formal?"
"Do you always whine so much?" asked Piper.
"Cordelia sort of has a corner on the whiney market," said
Xander. "That's what makes her so endearing to us."
"Who are you people?" asked Piper. "And where am I?"
"Is she okay?" asked a man wearing a leather jacket approaching
the small group.
Piper couldn't help but notice how good-looking he was. And
even under the jacket she could tell he kept in shape. He appeared to
be older than the others.
"Piper, are you okay?" asked the man.
"Who are you?" asked Piper. "How do you all know who I am?"
"Angel, we think she hit her head," said Willow, a look of pure
innocents on her face.
"She doesn't look hurt," said Angel. "Are you sure she hit her
head?"
"I didn't hit my head," protested Piper. One minute I'm
fighting a warlock, the next minute I'm here. Wherever here is."
"A warlock?" asked Xander. "Where is he?"
"Where am I?" demanded Piper. "And who are all of you?"
"If she encountered a warlock," said Angel, "she might be under
a spell. We should get her to Giles.
"Good idea," said Willow. "Giles will know what to do."
"Hello," said Piper, "standing right here. I'm not going
anywhere until someone tells me where I am and what's going on."
"You're in the Sunnydale cemetery," said Willow.
"Sunnydale?" questioned Piper. "As in Sunnydale, California?
How the hell did I get here?"
"We came out hunting vampires," said Xander, "like you do every
night."
"What do you mean like I do every night?" asked Piper.
"You know," said Xander, "patrolling, staking the evil uglies,
protecting people who live over the Hellmouth."
"The what?" asked Piper.
"You're Piper Summers," said Willow. "And you slay vampires."
Piper just stared at the group of lunatics.
FOUR
"Mr. Giles," said an exasperated Piper, "I don't know who you
all think I am, but my name is not Summers. It's Halliwell, and I
live in San Francisco with my two sisters."
"Piper, please just calm down," said Giles. His British accent
was actually soothing to Piper. "It appears the warlock you
encountered has apparently cast a spell to confuse you. Not to worry.
I'm sure we'll find a way to undo what he's done."
"I'm not under a spell," insisted Piper. "He wasn't trying to
cast a spell. He was trying to kill me. I was in my club getting
ready to open it when he attacked."
"Your club?" questioned Giles.
"Yes," said Piper. "It's called P3. It's in San Francisco and
my sisters and I own it."
"Piper, you don't own a club," said Angel. "You're not even out
of high school yet."
"What are you talking about?" questioned Piper. "I graduated
from high school ten years ago."
Giles walked over to a bureau in his living room. He opened one
of the drawers and pulled out a hand mirror. Then he handed the
mirror to Paige.
"Does it look like you're old enough to have graduated ten years
ago?" asked Giles.
A shocked Piper looked at herself in the mirror. It was
obviously her. But the reflection couldn't possible be her. The
reflection staring back at her was the way she had looked in high
school. She couldn't have been over sixteen.
"This is impossible," said Piper.
"No, it's not," said Giles. "As we've told you, you're simply
under a spell. A spell to confuse you."
Giles picked up his glass and took a drink from it. This gave
Piper an idea.
"Mr. Giles," she said, "drop your glass."
"I beg your pardon?" questioned Giles.
"You want me to accept what you're telling me?" asked Piper.
"Fine. Drop your glass."
"I hardly see how," began Giles.
"Just do it," said Piper. "We can settle this one way or
another."
Giles looked around the room. Finally he just shrugged and then
held the glass out arms length. He opened his hand and the glass fell
to the floor. The glass had fallen only a foot or two when Piper
reached up and froze it in place. It hung suspended in midair.
"Does this spell give me that ability, too?" asked Piper.
"Remarkable," said Giles, looking over the glass. "Simply
remarkable. How are you able to do this?"
"Because," said Piper, looking around the room and taking a deep
breath, "I'm a witch. That's one of my abilities."
"She can blow things up, too," said Willow proudly.
"She sure can," said Xander. "We saw her. She blew this
vampire up. It was so cool."
"Giles," said Angel, "something strange is going on here.
Piper's never had abilities like that before."
"That's because I'm not Piper Summers," said Piper. "I'm Piper
Halliwell."
"That's simply not possible," said Giles. "I've known you for
almost two years. And aside from these new powers you appear to have,
you're the same girl I've always known."
"You said you're a witch," said Angel.
"Yes, I am," said Piper.
"What about your sisters?" asked Angel. "Are they, by any
chance, witches, too?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact they are," said Piper.
"What is it, Angel?" asked Giles. "You look like the proverbial
cat that swallowed the canary."
"I've been hearing rumors in the demon underground," said Angel.
"Rumors about three powerful witches who live in San Francisco.
Witches who are also sisters."
He looked at Piper.
"The Charmed Ones," he said finally.
FIVE
"Yes, that would be us," said Piper. "I and my sisters are the
Charmed Ones."
"That just can't be," said Giles. "As I've told you, you've
been in Sunnydale for two years."
"Then ho do you explain my powers?" asked Piper.
"Simply because I can't explain something doesn't mean there
isn't a logical explanation," said Giles.
"I can prove it," said Piper, jumping up and running to the
phone. "Call my house. Talk to one of my sisters. They'll tell you
who I am."
"You want me to call San Francisco?" asked Giles. "At this
hour?"
"Phoebe stays up late," said Piper. "Chances are, Paige is on a
date, but if she isn't I'm sure she'll be up. I'm sure Leo is there,
probably wondering where I am. Cole might even be there."
"Who are Leo and Cole?" asked Willow.
"Leo is my husband," said Piper. "Cole is Phoebe's husband.
They just got married about a week ago."
"Your husband?" shrieked Xander. "Pipe, you naughty girl, you."
"Piper," said Piper. "My name is Piper, not Pipe."
"Piper, you're only sixteen," said Giles. "You aren't old
enough to be married."
"Just call the house," said Piper. "Once they tell you who I
really am, we can start to figure out what's going on here."
Giles walked over and took the phone from Piper. She dialed the
number and Giles waited for someone to answer. Finally, a female
voice answered on the other end.
"Hello?" questioned the voice.
"Yes, hello," said Giles. "I'm sorry to bother you at this
hour. I'm trying to reach the Halliwell residence."
"This is the Halliwell residence," said Phoebe. "Look, if
you're selling something, you're wasting your time."
"No, I'm not selling anything," said Giles. "My name is Rupert
Giles and I live in Sunnydale. This may sound like an odd thing to
ask, but would you happen to have a sister named Piper?"
"Piper?" questioned the woman. "No, I don't. Is this Piper
trying to find a lost relative or something?"
"Yes, something like that," said Giles. "The young lady
believes that her sisters live at this residence."
"Well," said the woman, "my name is Phoebe Halliwell and I have
an older sister and a younger one. But neither is named Piper I'm
afraid."
"This is a Phoebe Halliwell and she says she has two sisters,
but none named Piper," Giles said to Piper.
Piper grabbed the phone from him.
"Phoebe?' she questioned into the phone. "Phoebe, it's me,
Piper. Somehow I ended up in Sunnydale. Tell Leo to come get me.
Something screwy is going on here."
"I'm sorry," said Phoebe, "but I don't know anyone named Piper.
And I certainly don't have a sister named Piper."
"Phoebe, this isn't funny," said Piper.
"I'm not trying to be funny," said Phoebe. "I don't have a
sister named Piper. I don't know how you know Leo, but he's certainly
not going to come get you. My husband is not in the habit of out in
the middle of the night to get strange women."
"Your husband?" questioned Piper.
"Yes," said Phoebe. "Leo is my husband. Now, I suggest you
look elsewhere for your missing family. You obviously have the wrong
number."
The line went dead.
"This is insane," said Piper.
"Obviously this spell is quite potent," said Giles.
"She didn't know me," gasped Piper. "My own sister didn't know
me. What's going on here?"
"You're under some kind of spell," said Giles. "Obviously this
warlock you encountered is trying to help the vampires. Perhaps by
mixing up your mind so you don't remember you're the Slayer. Perhaps
these new powers are part of the spell to further disorient you."
Piper just stared at Giles. Could he be right?
SIX
"No," said Piper. "My sisters and I are the Charmed Ones. We
protect the innocent and fight demons. We certainly don't slay
vampires."
"Technically speaking," said Giles, habitually cleaning his
glasses, "vampires ARE demons." He glanced over at Angel. "Well,
most of them, anyway."
Piper picked up a pad and pen and drew the triquetra on it. She
showed it to Giles.
"Listen," she said, "my name is Piper Halliwell. My sisters and
I are the Charmed Ones. This is the triquetra, our symbol. I don't
know what's going on here, but my name is not Summers and I'm not this
Vampire Slayer."
"Piper," began Giles.
"Giles, let's listen to her for a moment," said Angel.
"Does that symbol mean something to you?" asked Giles.
"Not especially," said Angel. "But she drew it with her right
hand. Piper is left-handed."
"He's right," said Willow. "Piper has always been left-handed."
"So you believe me?" asked Piper.
"I'm not sure what to believe," said Angel. "All I know is that
the Piper I know is left-handed. And you are obviously right-handed."
"That's because I'm not Piper Summers," said Piper. "I'm Piper
Halliwell."
"That could simply be part of the spell she's under," said
Giles.
"If she is under a spell," said Angel. "I know it sounds crazy,
but what if she's telling the truth? What if she's not our Piper?"
"I suppose there's a slight possibility," said Giles. "But if
she's not our Piper, where is our Piper? And where did she come
from?"
"What about another dimension?" offered Willow. "We've had
people from other dimensions before. Well, not people exactly. More
like demons. Actually, they were demons."
"Wil," said Xander, "you're rambling."
"Oh, right, sorry," said Willow.
"I have an idea," said Angel. "Why don't we go out and get
something to eat. It's been a long night. I'm sure we could all use
something to eat."
"Well, I could stand for a bite," said Piper. "Maybe we'll be
thinking clearer on a full stomach."
"Perhaps that's a good idea," said Giles. "I suppose we could
all do with a break. Angel, why don't you . . ."
"I'll come along," said Angel.
He opened the front door, standing behind it. Piper looked out
and saw the newly risen sun.
"We've been here all night?" she asked. "It doesn't seem like
it."
"You ready?" asked Angel, looking at her.
"Yeah, I guess so," said Piper. "Only I'm not familiar with
Sunnydale. You'll have to pick the place."
"Out there?" asked Angel.
"Unless there's a restaurant in the back of the house," said
Piper. "Do you have a particular place in mind?"
"Look at her, Giles," said Angel. "She honestly has no idea."
"Good lord, you're right," said Giles. "I suppose it could be
part of the spell."
"Enough with the spell," said Angel. "I don't think she's under
any kind of spell. What purpose would it serve to change her memory
of me?"
"Quite right, of course," said Giles. "I suppose that means we
have to consider that she's telling the truth."
"You guys are certainly acting weird," said Piper.
"Perhaps from your perspective," said Giles. "They truth is,
Angel can't go outside. Something you'd be aware of if you were
really Piper Summers.
"Yeah," said Xander. "One step outside and it's boyfriend
flambé."
Everyone looked at Xander.
"What?" he asked. "It's not like it's a big secret or
anything."
"What does he mean 'boyfriend flambé'?" asked Piper.
"It's quite simple," said Giles. "Angel can't go outside during
the day because he's a vampire."
SEVEN
"A vampire?" questioned Piper. "If he's a vampire, then how
come . . ."
"I was cursed by gypsies," said Angel. "They restored my soul
to me. So, I'm not exactly your typical vampire."
"I see," said Piper. "And the boyfriend part? Does that mean
that you and your Piper . . ."
"You're doing the horizontal mamba," beamed Willow. "Oh, I'm
sorry. That sounded awful."
"Piper Summers and I have been . . . involved for more than a
year," explained Angel. Well, maybe involved is too strong a word."
"I see," said Piper again. "Well, I guess breakfast at a
restaurant is out of the question."
"We could order out," suggested Xander.
"I suppose I could prepare something," offered Giles. "However,
I must warn you, I'm not really a very good cook."
"I am," said Piper.
"You cook?" asked Willow.
"Actually, I'm a chef," said Piper. "Or at least I used to be.
Just show me to the kitchen."
"That's not the Piper I know," said Xander. "The Piper I know
can't even boil water."
"She may not be the Piper we know," commented Giles. "Angel may
be right. She may well be someone other than our Piper."
"You mean she is from another dimension?" asked Willow timidly.
"I can't say," said Giles. "Something is definitely different.
We just have to figure out how to determine what."
Piper amazed them all with her ability to make a feast out of
the simplest ingredients. She said it wasn't difficult if you know
how.
"Well," said Giles when they had finished, "that was definitely
something our Piper could not have done. Perhaps there's more to this
than simply altering your memories."
"That's what I've been telling you," said Piper. "My memories
haven't been altered. I was attacked by a warlock and ended up here."
"Who was this warlock?" asked Angel. "Did you recognize him?"
"No," said Piper. "I've never seen him before. He said his
name was Theodore Collier."
"The name is not familiar," said Giles. "I suppose there is
something about him in one of my books. We might be able to figure
out who he is and what he's done."
"Except that doesn't help us to put things back the way they're
supposed to be," said Angel. "Even if we figure out what happened,
how do we fix it? None of us is an expert in the Craft. Changing
things back could be complicated."
"I guess I'm something of an expert," said Piper. "I have been
a witch for almost four years. But I'll probably need some help."
"Which leads us back to our first problem," said Giles. "We
don't know enough to attempt putting things right again."
"No, but I know someone who does," said Piper. "I'll bet Phoebe
and Paige are still Charmed Ones. I still have my powers so they must
still have theirs. If they do, they can help me."
"That means we have to go to San Francisco," said Angel.
"Alright," said Xander, rubbing his hands together, "road trip.
I'm up for it."
"For us," said Giles. "Not for you."
"But," Willow began to protest.
"There are still vampires in Sunnydale," said Giles. "Whether
or not she's our Piper, someone has to stay here and make sure they
don't run amok."
"I never get to go anywhere," complained Xander.
"Sheesh," said Piper, "you sound like that whiney girl who was
with us earlier."
"Whiney girl?" questioned Giles.
"Cordelia," said Willow, rolling her eyes. "She complained
because Piper blew her date up."
"Yes, well, I'm sure he deserved it," said Giles.
"He was a vampire," said Angel.
"Oh, that makes a difference," said Giles. "We should leave
right away. We can take my car."
"I'll ride in the trunk," said Angel.
"It's apt to be a bit uncomfortable," said Giles.
"I'll manage," said Angel.
"Well," said Giles, "I suppose we should be going then."
"Piper, Giles, and Angel left Xander and Willow to head for San
Francisco. It was clear that neither Xander nor Willow appreciated
being left behind.
To be continued . . .
Be sure not to miss Part 2: The Return Home. What will Piper
find when she returns home? And will she be able to persuade Phoebe
and Paige to help her? Or will she find them nothing but mortals with
no powers?
If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more "Charmed"
stories at my website, www.geocities.com/killeenmale/. You can also
post your own "Charmed" stories if you like to write fan fiction.