CHARMED
"PIPER, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER?"
(A CHARMED/BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER CROSSOVER)
by J. B. Tilton
email: aramath@isot.com
Rating: PG-13
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?
* * *
ONE
"Is Angel going to be okay back there?" asked Piper as Giles
drove them to San Francisco.
"I should think so," he replied. "It is a rather large boot for
a vehicle this size."
"Boot?" questioned Piper. "Oh, of course. You're English."
"British actually," said Giles.
"Right, British," said Phoebe.
"Perhaps a fine distinction that may be lost on most Americans,"
said Giles.
"So," said Piper, "if I'm only sixteen, won't my mother be
worried about me? About her Piper, anyway?"
"Your mother died some months ago," said Giles. "That is, her
mother died some months ago. It was all quite sudden."
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Piper. "I didn't know. So, where do I
live now?"
"Actually, I'm your legal guardian," said Giles.
"Really?" questioned Piper.
"Yes," said Giles. "It's been quite trying at times, I can tell
you. But I must say it's also been quite rewarding as well."
"I guess I can be a handful," said Piper.
"Quite," said Giles. "But you are one of the most gifted
Slayers there's ever been."
"So I keep hearing," said Piper. "So, have Angel and I . . .
been together long?"
"About a year, as I understand," said Giles. "But contrary to
what Willow may have said, I don't believe there's been any, uh,
intimacy involved. Angel seems a bit uncertain in that respect."
"It kind of seems strange," said Piper. "The Slayer and a
vampire together. Kind of like a witch and a warlock getting
together. You'd think the two would be mutually exclusive."
"It took some getting used to," said Giles. "But as Angel said,
he's not your typical vampire."
"So it would seem," said Piper. "Giles, what if I can't get
back to where I belong? What if I'm trapped here? My sister is
married to my husband. I'm involved with an undead creature I don't
even know. And on top of everything else, I'm an adolescent again.
It just makes me want to scream."
"Go ahead if it will make you feel better," said Giles. "But
let's not jump to conclusions. Perhaps these Charmed Ones will be
able to return things to their proper state."
"I hope so," said Piper. "All of this is enough to give me a
headache."
They continued to talk as Giles drove to San Francisco. Piper
told him about being a Charmed One and he told her what it was to be
the Slayer. Piper could tell that Giles was very proud of Piper
Summers. He obviously looked on her as the daughter he never had.
San Francisco didn't seem any different. From what Piper could
tell, it hadn't changed at all. Then she assumed most major
metropolitan areas were probably pretty much the same. It would only
be in the microcosm of individual areas that any appreciable
difference would be noticed.
Piper saw her car sitting in front of the manor as they drove up
to it. That was a good sign. It meant she wasn't crazy or that her
memories hadn't been altered. The manor also looked exactly as it
always had. Even the new drapes she had recently hung in the living
room could be seen through the windows.
"Now you'll see I'm not crazy," said Piper as she and Giles
walked up to the front door.
She grabbed the doorknob and turned it. The door refused to
open. The door was locked. Piper reached for her keys, but they were
gone.
"Damn," she said. "I must have lost my keys in the cemetery
last night."
"Perhaps if you were to knock," suggested Giles.
Piper knocked on the door loudly.
"Now you'll see you're all wrong," she said, looking at Giles.
"You'll see I'm a Charmed One and not the Slayer. And we'll get this
all sorted out."
Piper heard the door being unlocked, and then opening. It would
probably be Phoebe or Paige opening the door. Leo and Cole usually
left that responsibility up to one of the sisters since it was, after
all, their house.
As the door opened, Piper froze. It wasn't Phoebe or Paige who
had opened the door. Nor had it been Leo or even Cole. The person
who had opened the door couldn't possible be there.
Prue Halliwell stood at the door looking out at Piper.
TWO
"Can I help you?" asked Prue, looking at Piper and Giles.
"Oh my God, Prue," said Piper. "You're alive."
She grabbed Prue and hugged her close repeating 'you're alive"
over and over again.
"You'll have to forgive her," said Giles, pulling Piper away
from Prue, "she has a tendency to be a bit overemotional at times."
"Okay, whatever," said Prue, a perplexed look on her face.
"Wait a minute," said Piper, wiping tears from her eyes, "you
can't be here. You're dead. You died fighting the Source. I watched
you buried."
"Young lady," said Prue, "I'm not sure what that means, but I
can assure you I'm very much alive."
Just then Phoebe came down the stairs. She was putting on a
pair of earrings that Piper recognized as ones Leo had given her as a
wedding present.
"Who's this?" asked Phoebe.
"Phoebe," said Piper, pushing past Prue into the house, "do you
know what's going on here?"
"Okay, I'll bite," said Phoebe, "what? And who might you be?"
"Phoebe, it's me, Piper," said Piper. "Don't you recognize me?"
"No," said Phoebe. "Should I?"
"Miss Halliwell?" questioned Giles. "I'm Rupert Giles. I
believe we spoke on the phone last night."
"Oh, yes, Mr. Giles," said Phoebe. "So, this must be the young
girl who's looking for her family."
"Young girl?" questioned Piper. "I'm older than you are."
"Okay," said Phoebe, obviously not believing Piper. "As I told
you last night, we don't have a sister named Piper. You obviously
have the wrong Halliwell residence."
"No, I don't," said Piper.
"Piper," began Giles.
"No," said Piper. "Giles, something very strange is going on
here. Prue's the oldest, I'm the middle sister, and Phoebe's the
youngest. Our mothers' name was Patty and our grandmothers' name was
Penny. We called her grams. Our dads' name is Victor Bennett."
"You seem to know a lot about us," said Prue suspiciously.
"Just who are you and what do you want?'
"I want things back the way they're supposed to be," said Piper.
"I was fighting a warlock at the club and . . ."
"Warlock?" questioned Phoebe. "You fought a warlock?"
"Yes," said Piper. "That's what I've been trying to tell you.
I was fighting this warlock and somehow ended up in Sunnydale."
Phoebe raised her hands and Giles froze in place. She turned to
Prue.
"If she was fighting a warlock," said Phoebe, "maybe she's an
innocent who needs our help."
"I'm no innocent," said Piper. "And since when can you freeze
things?"
Prue and Phoebe just stared at Piper.
"You aren't frozen," said Phoebe.
"Of course not," said Piper. "You know good and well that power
doesn't work on good witches."
"No, it doesn't," said Phoebe. "Which means you must be a
witch."
"That's what I've been trying to tell you," said Piper. "Giles
thinks I'm something called a Vampire Slayer. That warlock I was
fighting did something and everything got changed around."
Just then another woman came out of the kitchen. She looked to
be about twenty-five and had blonde hair. She looked at the scene
with a puzzled look on her face.
"Pheebs," she said, "why is there a stranger frozen in the
doorway? And who's this?"
"I'm Piper," said Piper. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Buffy," said the woman.
"This is Buffy Halliwell," said Prue. "She's out younger
sister."
THREE
Everyone sat in the living room. The sisters weren't very
comfortable with a vampire in the house. When Giles explained about
Angels' "condition", they decided it would be relatively safe at least
for a while. Angel sat in one corner of the room away from the
sunlight.
"Then you are these Charmed Ones Angel and Piper mentioned?"
Giles asked.
"Yes," said Prue. "We became the Charmed Ones about four years
ago when Buffy read an incantation out of a book."
"The Book of Shadows," said Piper. "Only as I remember it,
Phoebe read the incantation. She's actually the younger sister."
"Then who am I?" asked Buffy.
"I don't know," said Piper. "I've never met you. Prue was the
oldest, I was second, about what Phoebe's age is now, and Phoebe was
the youngest. She'd be about what your age is now."
"The Piper I know," said Giles, "is the Slayer. A girl who's
born with the abilities and strength to fight and slay vampires."
"Then why is he still alive?" asked Buffy, looking over at
Angel.
"Technically speaking, I am," said Angel. "But as Giles
explained, I have a soul. So I'm not like other vampires."
"So you say," said Buffy.
"You'll have to cut her some slack," said Phoebe. "She almost
became a vampire a while back."
"That happened to us, too," said Piper. "Only it was Paige who
almost became the vampire. We were only able to save her by
destroying the queen before Paige made her first kill."
"Those would be a lower level of vampire," said Angel. "They're
kind of a rare form of vampire who usually live on animal blood. The
queen was made when a vampire animal turned her. They're called a
Karish. All of the vampires of that line are linked. Kill the queen
and all of her victims die, too. It doesn't work that way with
'normal' vampires."
"Who's Paige?" asked Prue.
Piper explained to them who Paige was. About the death of Prue
fighting the Source and how the Power of Three was restored in Paige.
"That never happened," said Buffy. "We vanquished the Source
weeks ago, but Prue never died."
"I don't understand," said Piper. "How can things be so similar
and yet so different at the same time? Just what did that warlock do
to me?"
"Why are you talking about warlocks?" asked Leo, walking into
the room.
"Leo," gasped Piper.
"Do I know you?" asked Leo.
"You used to," sighed Piper. "We used to be married."
"I'm sorry," said Leo. "I think I would have remembered
something like that."
"Not necessarily, honey," said Phoebe. "Not if what she tells
us is true."
"Well, I still think I would be a bit old for her anyway," said
Leo.
"You're a little old for any of us," said Piper, "considering
you're over eighty years old."
"What?" asked Leo, feigning surprise.
"Leo's a White Lighter," Piper explained to Giles and Angel.
"That's sort of an angel who helps witches. Leo, this is Giles and
Angel."
"What's going on?" Leo asked Phoebe.
"She tells a very interesting story," said Phoebe. "And she's a
witch. My freezing power doesn't work on her."
"So, what's this story?" asked Leo.
He listened patiently as they explained to him what Piper
remembered and what things apparently were like now. They also
explained about Angel being a vampire and having a soul.
"That is certainly interesting," said Leo. "But you can't be a
Charmed One. These three are the Charmed Ones. There are only three
of them, not four."
Piper reached out and froze Giles and Angels.
"Then how do you explain that?" asked Piper. "Does anyone but a
Charmed One have the power to stop time?"
Piper then unfroze Giles and Angel.
"No," said Leo, "but you found have found a way to duplicate
that power. It doesn't make you a Charmed One."
"How do I convince you I'm telling the truth?" asked Piper.
Everyone looked around but no one spoke. There didn't seem to
be any way for Piper to prove her claims. Finally, Angel spoke up.
"Well," he said, "if the rumors I've heard are true, there might
be a way. Assuming you're willing to take a chance."
FOUR
"This is insane," said Buffy as Phoebe stood in the entryway
holding the Book of Shadows. "If this is a trick, she could disappear
the moment she steps outside."
"On the other hand," said Piper, "if I'm not a Charmed One, I
won't be able to take the book out of the manor."
"She's right," said Prue. "This should settle the matter one
way or another."
Phoebe handed the book to Piper. Piper looked around at the
others and then stepped to the open door. She hesitated for a moment.
What if this didn't work? She took a deep breath, closed her eyes,
and stepped through the doorway.
When she opened her eyes, she was outside the house standing on
the front porch. There were no magical barriers that had prevented
her from taking the book out of the house. She stepped back into the
manor and handed the book to Phoebe.
"Satisfied?" she asked.
"That's impossible," said Leo.
"If what you've said is true," said Giles, "it would also appear
that Piper's story must also be true. Although I am at a loss to
explain it."
"The rumors I've heard say the book protects itself," said
Angel, "and that only one of the Charmed Ones can physically remove it
from the house. The three of you as much as confirmed that those
rumors are true. So, if she's not a Charmed Ones, how was she able to
take the book out of the house?"
"This is crazy," said Prue. "It's the Power of Three, not the
Power of Four. And Piper's not even a Halliwell. This shouldn't be
happening."
"Piper," said Phoebe, "you said this all started when that
warlock attacked you at your club."
"Yes," said Piper. "He had an amulet that protected him from my
power."
"How did you get away from him?" asked Prue.
"I don't really know," said Piper. "He shot these blue beams
from his fingertips. When he tried to shoot me with that beam, I used
my explosive power on it. The next think I knew, I was here."
"A blue beam?" asked Leo.
"Yes," said Piper. "It was strange. He said he was one of the
few warlocks who couldn't steal a witch's powers. But he said
something about his employers wanting us out of the way."
"What did he look like?" asked Leo.
"About forty, I guess," said Piper. Dressed casually. He had a
goatee and was wearing some kind of ring. I couldn't tell exactly
what the looked like, though."
"Collier," said Leo.
"Yeah," said Piper. "He did say that was his name. Theodore
Collier."
"You know him, honey?" asked Phoebe.
"Not personally," said Leo. "But I know of him. He's no
ordinary warlock. As far as I know, he's the only one who shoots blue
beams from his fingertips. It would also explain a great deal."
"Who is he?" asked Prue.
Leo took the Book of Shadows from Phoebe and flipped through the
pages. He stopped at one and then handed the book back to Phoebe.
She read the entry out loud to everyone.
"Theodore Collier," she read, "dimensional warlock. Ability to
move between different dimensions at will. Powers include blinking
and a blue beam of light that is believed to move others from one
dimension to another. Hires out as a mercenary by using his power to
move witches out of their dimension into another dimension where their
powers don't function. Possesses an amulet that protects him from
witches powers."
"Not a nice guy," said Prue.
"So what happened?" asked Piper. "He used his power to move me
into another dimension?"
"So it would seem," said Giles.
"It would seem that in this dimension," said Leo, "you were born
as the Vampire Slayer instead of a Charmed One."
"But I still have my powers," said Piper. "How is that
possible?"
"When you exploded that beam he shot at you," said Prue, "it
must have deflected the beam partially. Just enough to send you
somewhere other than where he intended to send you."
"Right," said Phoebe. "And it must actually have caused you to
exchange places with this Slayer. Putting you here and sending her to
your dimension."
"If that's true," said Piper, "then my sisters are stuck in my
dimension without the Power of Three."
"There's another problem," said Giles. "Since the beam was
deflected, you were probably sent to a random dimension. Which means
we have no way to determine where you really belong. We may not be
able to send you back where you belong."
FIVE
"This is kind of strange," Piper said to Phoebe, "seeing you and
Leo together."
"Buffy made a play for him when we first met him," said Phoebe.
"She finally admitted she was only interested in him because I was."
"That's exactly what happened to me," said Piper. "Only it was
you, not Buffy. In my dimension, you're my younger sister."
"So in your dimension," said Buffy, "if you're Phoebe and Phoebe
is me, does that mean I'm this Slayer?"
"I don't know," said Piper. "As I said, I've never met you
before."
"I suppose it's possible there is no Slayer in your dimension,"
said Prue. "If what Mr. Giles says is true, things could be very
different in that respect."
"I suppose," said Piper.
"You miss her, don't you?" asked Prue.
"Who?" asked Piper.
"Your Prue," said Prue.
"Yes I do, very much," said Piper. "She helped keep us together
after dad left and mom died. If it wasn't for her, I don't know what
would have happened to us."
"She sounds a lot like our Prue," said Phoebe.
"Almost no difference from what I can see," said Piper. "I
guess some things stay constant no matter what dimension you're in."
"Probably not," said Giles, walking up to them. "Prue is who
she is because of the choices she's made in her life. It is quite
possible there are Prue's who are completely different."
"What do you mean?" asked Prue.
"Every choice has consequences," said Giles. "According to
Einstein's Theory of Relativity, every choice that can be made is
made. Only in different dimensions. Here, you chose to turn left
while in another dimension you chose to turn right. Each having its
own consequences."
"So it's possible there's a dimension where we don't even
exist?" asked Buffy.
"Most assuredly," said Giles. "In some dimension, your mother
decided not to have children. Or your parents never got married.
Here, Buffy was born into the Halliwell family, while in her dimension
Piper was."
"And somewhere there's a dimension without me," said Angel. "I
never met Darla and she never made me what I am."
"Precisely," said Giles.
"This can give you a headache," said Phoebe.
"I suggest you try not to think about it too much," said Giles.
Just then Leo orbed in. He had gone to check with the Elders
about Piper. And to see about returning her to her own dimension.
"Well?" asked Phoebe and Piper in unison.
"Oh fun," said Buffy. "Questions in stereo."
"Buffy," snapped Phoebe.
It reminded Piper so much of her and her Phoebe.
"What did you find out?" asked Phoebe.
"It's not good," said Leo. "The Elders think we're right. Our
Piper and this Piper have somehow switched places. Enough of each was
transferred to the other dimensions to transfer their powers and
abilities with them. That's why Piper can be a Charmed One and still
be only sixteen."
"At least I understand that part," said Piper.
"What about Collier?" asked Prue.
"They can't locate him," said Leo. "They think he's in another
dimension right now. It's very difficult to locate him in another
dimension. If he moves before they can find him, they'll have to
start over again. They think that until he returns to our dimension,
there's not a whole lot they can do."
"So I'm stuck here," said Piper.
"That's about the size of it," said Leo. "There's more. They
do have the power to search other dimensions. It's difficult and time
consuming, but they can do it. But finding the right one could take
years."
"Great," said Piper.
"It's also possible they may never find the right one," said
Leo. "And even if they do, it's very possible they might not even
know it's the right one. In short, unless Collier is able and willing
to point out the right dimension, the Elders think it's quite likely
that there's no chance of getting you home. Ever."
SIX
"What do you mean they can't return me?" demanded Piper. "How
hard can it be to find a dimension where I'm supposed to be a Charmed
one but I'm not?"
"Much more difficult than you might imagine," interjected Giles.
"Remember, according to the theory, every decision that can be made
has already been made in some dimension."
"So?" asked Piper.
"Imagine all the decisions you've made over the years," said
Giles. "Every day you make hundreds of them. When to get up, what to
wear, what to eat, when to leave for school or work, how to get there,
what to do first, second, and so on. Many decisions are not made
consciously. For example, many people take the same route to work.
While they do not necessarily consciously decide to do so, they make
the decision all the same."
"Okay, so there are a lot of decision," said Piper.
"Now," said Giles, "multiply that by every person on Earth. Or
more accurately, by every person who has ever lived and is living now.
Then you begin to understand how complex the problem actually is."
"It's hard to grasp something like that," said Buffy. "I mean,
the number would be huge."
"Nearly infinite actually," said Giles.
"How do you know all this?" asked Prue.
"Giles is almost a walking encyclopedia," smirked Angel.
"Hardly," said Giles. "I'm the head librarian at Pipers' high
school as well as being her Watcher. One has a tendency to pick up
things. I also enjoy reading a great deal."
"So there's no way to send her back?" asked Phoebe. "No way to
get our Piper back?"
"Not without an idea of what dimension she belongs in," said
Giles. "Unfortunately, most of what we know about other dimensions is
purely speculation. Scientific theories and postulations mostly.
Nothing very concrete, I'm afraid."
"Not necessarily," said Prue. "Leo, aren't there demons who can
move through dimensions?"
"She's right," said Piper. "I remember a demon named Abraxus.
He stole the Book of Shadows once and started undoing all of our
vanquishings. He was in another dimension."
"Yes, but I don't see how that does any good," said Leo. "I
doubt if a demon is going to help us."
"Oh, I don't know," said Angel, smiling. "It all depends on how
you ask them."
"It's unlikely they could help at any rate," said Giles. "The
sheer numbers of possible dimensions makes it improbably."
"It's all we have right now," said Phoebe. "What about a Power
of Three spell? Is it possible we could use that to send her back?"
"It might," said Leo. "But a Power of Three spell isn't all
powerful, you know that. Even it has its limits."
"It's one more chance," said Buffy. "I'll start working on one
right away."
"We should check the Book of Shadows," said Piper. "It's
possible there's something in there that can help us."
"Good idea," said Phoebe. "I'll see what I can find."
"Ideally," said Giles, "it would be most helpful to find this
warlock. If he has the power to send Piper here, it is logical to
assume he must have the power to return her."
"The Elders can't locate him anywhere," said Leo.
"Is it possible he could hide himself from these Elders?" asked
Angel.
"I suppose it's possible," said Leo. "A powerful enough magic
might hide him from them."
"Once it gets dark," said Angel, "I'll look around. If this
warlock is this powerful, someone knows something about him. I'll see
if I can find anyone who does."
"I'll go through my books," said Giles. "Perhaps I can find out
something through those."
"I saw those in the trunk," said Angel. "Do you always carry so
many books in your car with you?"
"One never knows when one is going to need reference material,"
said Giles. "Such as now."
"Geek," Buffy whispered to Piper.
"Buffy," snapped Prue.
"No, I suppose she's right," said Giles. "I suppose by today's
standards, I am something of a geek."
"That's no reason for her to be rude," said Prue. "Okay,
everyone knows what to do. Let's get started."
"Prue is a rather strong willed individual, isn't she?" Giles
asked Leo while everyone set about their tasks.
"She always has been," said Leo. "It's one of her greatest
strengths. What do you think our chances are?"
"Virtually impossible, I'm afraid," said Giles. "They simply
don't understand the enormity of the problem. Unless we get some sort
of break, I'm afraid things are going to remain as they are."
"That's what I think, too," said Leo. "I'm going to check with
the Elders again. They might have an idea or two."
As Leo orbed out, Giles thought about Piper. Neither the world
nor Sunnydale could be without a Slayer for long. And even with her
Charmed powers, this Piper was ill equipped for the constant onslaught
of vampires that deluged Sunnydale. If she were forced to stay here,
she probably wouldn't last long.
To be continued . . .
Be sure not to miss Part 3: Light In the Tunnel. While everyone
searches for a way to send Piper home and return their Piper to them,
Angel finds one possible solution. The news is not all good however,
when they learn to do it, they must locate Collier. And their time
may be running out.
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
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?
* * *
ONE
"Is Angel going to be okay back there?" asked Piper as Giles
drove them to San Francisco.
"I should think so," he replied. "It is a rather large boot for
a vehicle this size."
"Boot?" questioned Piper. "Oh, of course. You're English."
"British actually," said Giles.
"Right, British," said Phoebe.
"Perhaps a fine distinction that may be lost on most Americans,"
said Giles.
"So," said Piper, "if I'm only sixteen, won't my mother be
worried about me? About her Piper, anyway?"
"Your mother died some months ago," said Giles. "That is, her
mother died some months ago. It was all quite sudden."
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Piper. "I didn't know. So, where do I
live now?"
"Actually, I'm your legal guardian," said Giles.
"Really?" questioned Piper.
"Yes," said Giles. "It's been quite trying at times, I can tell
you. But I must say it's also been quite rewarding as well."
"I guess I can be a handful," said Piper.
"Quite," said Giles. "But you are one of the most gifted
Slayers there's ever been."
"So I keep hearing," said Piper. "So, have Angel and I . . .
been together long?"
"About a year, as I understand," said Giles. "But contrary to
what Willow may have said, I don't believe there's been any, uh,
intimacy involved. Angel seems a bit uncertain in that respect."
"It kind of seems strange," said Piper. "The Slayer and a
vampire together. Kind of like a witch and a warlock getting
together. You'd think the two would be mutually exclusive."
"It took some getting used to," said Giles. "But as Angel said,
he's not your typical vampire."
"So it would seem," said Piper. "Giles, what if I can't get
back to where I belong? What if I'm trapped here? My sister is
married to my husband. I'm involved with an undead creature I don't
even know. And on top of everything else, I'm an adolescent again.
It just makes me want to scream."
"Go ahead if it will make you feel better," said Giles. "But
let's not jump to conclusions. Perhaps these Charmed Ones will be
able to return things to their proper state."
"I hope so," said Piper. "All of this is enough to give me a
headache."
They continued to talk as Giles drove to San Francisco. Piper
told him about being a Charmed One and he told her what it was to be
the Slayer. Piper could tell that Giles was very proud of Piper
Summers. He obviously looked on her as the daughter he never had.
San Francisco didn't seem any different. From what Piper could
tell, it hadn't changed at all. Then she assumed most major
metropolitan areas were probably pretty much the same. It would only
be in the microcosm of individual areas that any appreciable
difference would be noticed.
Piper saw her car sitting in front of the manor as they drove up
to it. That was a good sign. It meant she wasn't crazy or that her
memories hadn't been altered. The manor also looked exactly as it
always had. Even the new drapes she had recently hung in the living
room could be seen through the windows.
"Now you'll see I'm not crazy," said Piper as she and Giles
walked up to the front door.
She grabbed the doorknob and turned it. The door refused to
open. The door was locked. Piper reached for her keys, but they were
gone.
"Damn," she said. "I must have lost my keys in the cemetery
last night."
"Perhaps if you were to knock," suggested Giles.
Piper knocked on the door loudly.
"Now you'll see you're all wrong," she said, looking at Giles.
"You'll see I'm a Charmed One and not the Slayer. And we'll get this
all sorted out."
Piper heard the door being unlocked, and then opening. It would
probably be Phoebe or Paige opening the door. Leo and Cole usually
left that responsibility up to one of the sisters since it was, after
all, their house.
As the door opened, Piper froze. It wasn't Phoebe or Paige who
had opened the door. Nor had it been Leo or even Cole. The person
who had opened the door couldn't possible be there.
Prue Halliwell stood at the door looking out at Piper.
TWO
"Can I help you?" asked Prue, looking at Piper and Giles.
"Oh my God, Prue," said Piper. "You're alive."
She grabbed Prue and hugged her close repeating 'you're alive"
over and over again.
"You'll have to forgive her," said Giles, pulling Piper away
from Prue, "she has a tendency to be a bit overemotional at times."
"Okay, whatever," said Prue, a perplexed look on her face.
"Wait a minute," said Piper, wiping tears from her eyes, "you
can't be here. You're dead. You died fighting the Source. I watched
you buried."
"Young lady," said Prue, "I'm not sure what that means, but I
can assure you I'm very much alive."
Just then Phoebe came down the stairs. She was putting on a
pair of earrings that Piper recognized as ones Leo had given her as a
wedding present.
"Who's this?" asked Phoebe.
"Phoebe," said Piper, pushing past Prue into the house, "do you
know what's going on here?"
"Okay, I'll bite," said Phoebe, "what? And who might you be?"
"Phoebe, it's me, Piper," said Piper. "Don't you recognize me?"
"No," said Phoebe. "Should I?"
"Miss Halliwell?" questioned Giles. "I'm Rupert Giles. I
believe we spoke on the phone last night."
"Oh, yes, Mr. Giles," said Phoebe. "So, this must be the young
girl who's looking for her family."
"Young girl?" questioned Piper. "I'm older than you are."
"Okay," said Phoebe, obviously not believing Piper. "As I told
you last night, we don't have a sister named Piper. You obviously
have the wrong Halliwell residence."
"No, I don't," said Piper.
"Piper," began Giles.
"No," said Piper. "Giles, something very strange is going on
here. Prue's the oldest, I'm the middle sister, and Phoebe's the
youngest. Our mothers' name was Patty and our grandmothers' name was
Penny. We called her grams. Our dads' name is Victor Bennett."
"You seem to know a lot about us," said Prue suspiciously.
"Just who are you and what do you want?'
"I want things back the way they're supposed to be," said Piper.
"I was fighting a warlock at the club and . . ."
"Warlock?" questioned Phoebe. "You fought a warlock?"
"Yes," said Piper. "That's what I've been trying to tell you.
I was fighting this warlock and somehow ended up in Sunnydale."
Phoebe raised her hands and Giles froze in place. She turned to
Prue.
"If she was fighting a warlock," said Phoebe, "maybe she's an
innocent who needs our help."
"I'm no innocent," said Piper. "And since when can you freeze
things?"
Prue and Phoebe just stared at Piper.
"You aren't frozen," said Phoebe.
"Of course not," said Piper. "You know good and well that power
doesn't work on good witches."
"No, it doesn't," said Phoebe. "Which means you must be a
witch."
"That's what I've been trying to tell you," said Piper. "Giles
thinks I'm something called a Vampire Slayer. That warlock I was
fighting did something and everything got changed around."
Just then another woman came out of the kitchen. She looked to
be about twenty-five and had blonde hair. She looked at the scene
with a puzzled look on her face.
"Pheebs," she said, "why is there a stranger frozen in the
doorway? And who's this?"
"I'm Piper," said Piper. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Buffy," said the woman.
"This is Buffy Halliwell," said Prue. "She's out younger
sister."
THREE
Everyone sat in the living room. The sisters weren't very
comfortable with a vampire in the house. When Giles explained about
Angels' "condition", they decided it would be relatively safe at least
for a while. Angel sat in one corner of the room away from the
sunlight.
"Then you are these Charmed Ones Angel and Piper mentioned?"
Giles asked.
"Yes," said Prue. "We became the Charmed Ones about four years
ago when Buffy read an incantation out of a book."
"The Book of Shadows," said Piper. "Only as I remember it,
Phoebe read the incantation. She's actually the younger sister."
"Then who am I?" asked Buffy.
"I don't know," said Piper. "I've never met you. Prue was the
oldest, I was second, about what Phoebe's age is now, and Phoebe was
the youngest. She'd be about what your age is now."
"The Piper I know," said Giles, "is the Slayer. A girl who's
born with the abilities and strength to fight and slay vampires."
"Then why is he still alive?" asked Buffy, looking over at
Angel.
"Technically speaking, I am," said Angel. "But as Giles
explained, I have a soul. So I'm not like other vampires."
"So you say," said Buffy.
"You'll have to cut her some slack," said Phoebe. "She almost
became a vampire a while back."
"That happened to us, too," said Piper. "Only it was Paige who
almost became the vampire. We were only able to save her by
destroying the queen before Paige made her first kill."
"Those would be a lower level of vampire," said Angel. "They're
kind of a rare form of vampire who usually live on animal blood. The
queen was made when a vampire animal turned her. They're called a
Karish. All of the vampires of that line are linked. Kill the queen
and all of her victims die, too. It doesn't work that way with
'normal' vampires."
"Who's Paige?" asked Prue.
Piper explained to them who Paige was. About the death of Prue
fighting the Source and how the Power of Three was restored in Paige.
"That never happened," said Buffy. "We vanquished the Source
weeks ago, but Prue never died."
"I don't understand," said Piper. "How can things be so similar
and yet so different at the same time? Just what did that warlock do
to me?"
"Why are you talking about warlocks?" asked Leo, walking into
the room.
"Leo," gasped Piper.
"Do I know you?" asked Leo.
"You used to," sighed Piper. "We used to be married."
"I'm sorry," said Leo. "I think I would have remembered
something like that."
"Not necessarily, honey," said Phoebe. "Not if what she tells
us is true."
"Well, I still think I would be a bit old for her anyway," said
Leo.
"You're a little old for any of us," said Piper, "considering
you're over eighty years old."
"What?" asked Leo, feigning surprise.
"Leo's a White Lighter," Piper explained to Giles and Angel.
"That's sort of an angel who helps witches. Leo, this is Giles and
Angel."
"What's going on?" Leo asked Phoebe.
"She tells a very interesting story," said Phoebe. "And she's a
witch. My freezing power doesn't work on her."
"So, what's this story?" asked Leo.
He listened patiently as they explained to him what Piper
remembered and what things apparently were like now. They also
explained about Angel being a vampire and having a soul.
"That is certainly interesting," said Leo. "But you can't be a
Charmed One. These three are the Charmed Ones. There are only three
of them, not four."
Piper reached out and froze Giles and Angels.
"Then how do you explain that?" asked Piper. "Does anyone but a
Charmed One have the power to stop time?"
Piper then unfroze Giles and Angel.
"No," said Leo, "but you found have found a way to duplicate
that power. It doesn't make you a Charmed One."
"How do I convince you I'm telling the truth?" asked Piper.
Everyone looked around but no one spoke. There didn't seem to
be any way for Piper to prove her claims. Finally, Angel spoke up.
"Well," he said, "if the rumors I've heard are true, there might
be a way. Assuming you're willing to take a chance."
FOUR
"This is insane," said Buffy as Phoebe stood in the entryway
holding the Book of Shadows. "If this is a trick, she could disappear
the moment she steps outside."
"On the other hand," said Piper, "if I'm not a Charmed One, I
won't be able to take the book out of the manor."
"She's right," said Prue. "This should settle the matter one
way or another."
Phoebe handed the book to Piper. Piper looked around at the
others and then stepped to the open door. She hesitated for a moment.
What if this didn't work? She took a deep breath, closed her eyes,
and stepped through the doorway.
When she opened her eyes, she was outside the house standing on
the front porch. There were no magical barriers that had prevented
her from taking the book out of the house. She stepped back into the
manor and handed the book to Phoebe.
"Satisfied?" she asked.
"That's impossible," said Leo.
"If what you've said is true," said Giles, "it would also appear
that Piper's story must also be true. Although I am at a loss to
explain it."
"The rumors I've heard say the book protects itself," said
Angel, "and that only one of the Charmed Ones can physically remove it
from the house. The three of you as much as confirmed that those
rumors are true. So, if she's not a Charmed Ones, how was she able to
take the book out of the house?"
"This is crazy," said Prue. "It's the Power of Three, not the
Power of Four. And Piper's not even a Halliwell. This shouldn't be
happening."
"Piper," said Phoebe, "you said this all started when that
warlock attacked you at your club."
"Yes," said Piper. "He had an amulet that protected him from my
power."
"How did you get away from him?" asked Prue.
"I don't really know," said Piper. "He shot these blue beams
from his fingertips. When he tried to shoot me with that beam, I used
my explosive power on it. The next think I knew, I was here."
"A blue beam?" asked Leo.
"Yes," said Piper. "It was strange. He said he was one of the
few warlocks who couldn't steal a witch's powers. But he said
something about his employers wanting us out of the way."
"What did he look like?" asked Leo.
"About forty, I guess," said Piper. Dressed casually. He had a
goatee and was wearing some kind of ring. I couldn't tell exactly
what the looked like, though."
"Collier," said Leo.
"Yeah," said Piper. "He did say that was his name. Theodore
Collier."
"You know him, honey?" asked Phoebe.
"Not personally," said Leo. "But I know of him. He's no
ordinary warlock. As far as I know, he's the only one who shoots blue
beams from his fingertips. It would also explain a great deal."
"Who is he?" asked Prue.
Leo took the Book of Shadows from Phoebe and flipped through the
pages. He stopped at one and then handed the book back to Phoebe.
She read the entry out loud to everyone.
"Theodore Collier," she read, "dimensional warlock. Ability to
move between different dimensions at will. Powers include blinking
and a blue beam of light that is believed to move others from one
dimension to another. Hires out as a mercenary by using his power to
move witches out of their dimension into another dimension where their
powers don't function. Possesses an amulet that protects him from
witches powers."
"Not a nice guy," said Prue.
"So what happened?" asked Piper. "He used his power to move me
into another dimension?"
"So it would seem," said Giles.
"It would seem that in this dimension," said Leo, "you were born
as the Vampire Slayer instead of a Charmed One."
"But I still have my powers," said Piper. "How is that
possible?"
"When you exploded that beam he shot at you," said Prue, "it
must have deflected the beam partially. Just enough to send you
somewhere other than where he intended to send you."
"Right," said Phoebe. "And it must actually have caused you to
exchange places with this Slayer. Putting you here and sending her to
your dimension."
"If that's true," said Piper, "then my sisters are stuck in my
dimension without the Power of Three."
"There's another problem," said Giles. "Since the beam was
deflected, you were probably sent to a random dimension. Which means
we have no way to determine where you really belong. We may not be
able to send you back where you belong."
FIVE
"This is kind of strange," Piper said to Phoebe, "seeing you and
Leo together."
"Buffy made a play for him when we first met him," said Phoebe.
"She finally admitted she was only interested in him because I was."
"That's exactly what happened to me," said Piper. "Only it was
you, not Buffy. In my dimension, you're my younger sister."
"So in your dimension," said Buffy, "if you're Phoebe and Phoebe
is me, does that mean I'm this Slayer?"
"I don't know," said Piper. "As I said, I've never met you
before."
"I suppose it's possible there is no Slayer in your dimension,"
said Prue. "If what Mr. Giles says is true, things could be very
different in that respect."
"I suppose," said Piper.
"You miss her, don't you?" asked Prue.
"Who?" asked Piper.
"Your Prue," said Prue.
"Yes I do, very much," said Piper. "She helped keep us together
after dad left and mom died. If it wasn't for her, I don't know what
would have happened to us."
"She sounds a lot like our Prue," said Phoebe.
"Almost no difference from what I can see," said Piper. "I
guess some things stay constant no matter what dimension you're in."
"Probably not," said Giles, walking up to them. "Prue is who
she is because of the choices she's made in her life. It is quite
possible there are Prue's who are completely different."
"What do you mean?" asked Prue.
"Every choice has consequences," said Giles. "According to
Einstein's Theory of Relativity, every choice that can be made is
made. Only in different dimensions. Here, you chose to turn left
while in another dimension you chose to turn right. Each having its
own consequences."
"So it's possible there's a dimension where we don't even
exist?" asked Buffy.
"Most assuredly," said Giles. "In some dimension, your mother
decided not to have children. Or your parents never got married.
Here, Buffy was born into the Halliwell family, while in her dimension
Piper was."
"And somewhere there's a dimension without me," said Angel. "I
never met Darla and she never made me what I am."
"Precisely," said Giles.
"This can give you a headache," said Phoebe.
"I suggest you try not to think about it too much," said Giles.
Just then Leo orbed in. He had gone to check with the Elders
about Piper. And to see about returning her to her own dimension.
"Well?" asked Phoebe and Piper in unison.
"Oh fun," said Buffy. "Questions in stereo."
"Buffy," snapped Phoebe.
It reminded Piper so much of her and her Phoebe.
"What did you find out?" asked Phoebe.
"It's not good," said Leo. "The Elders think we're right. Our
Piper and this Piper have somehow switched places. Enough of each was
transferred to the other dimensions to transfer their powers and
abilities with them. That's why Piper can be a Charmed One and still
be only sixteen."
"At least I understand that part," said Piper.
"What about Collier?" asked Prue.
"They can't locate him," said Leo. "They think he's in another
dimension right now. It's very difficult to locate him in another
dimension. If he moves before they can find him, they'll have to
start over again. They think that until he returns to our dimension,
there's not a whole lot they can do."
"So I'm stuck here," said Piper.
"That's about the size of it," said Leo. "There's more. They
do have the power to search other dimensions. It's difficult and time
consuming, but they can do it. But finding the right one could take
years."
"Great," said Piper.
"It's also possible they may never find the right one," said
Leo. "And even if they do, it's very possible they might not even
know it's the right one. In short, unless Collier is able and willing
to point out the right dimension, the Elders think it's quite likely
that there's no chance of getting you home. Ever."
SIX
"What do you mean they can't return me?" demanded Piper. "How
hard can it be to find a dimension where I'm supposed to be a Charmed
one but I'm not?"
"Much more difficult than you might imagine," interjected Giles.
"Remember, according to the theory, every decision that can be made
has already been made in some dimension."
"So?" asked Piper.
"Imagine all the decisions you've made over the years," said
Giles. "Every day you make hundreds of them. When to get up, what to
wear, what to eat, when to leave for school or work, how to get there,
what to do first, second, and so on. Many decisions are not made
consciously. For example, many people take the same route to work.
While they do not necessarily consciously decide to do so, they make
the decision all the same."
"Okay, so there are a lot of decision," said Piper.
"Now," said Giles, "multiply that by every person on Earth. Or
more accurately, by every person who has ever lived and is living now.
Then you begin to understand how complex the problem actually is."
"It's hard to grasp something like that," said Buffy. "I mean,
the number would be huge."
"Nearly infinite actually," said Giles.
"How do you know all this?" asked Prue.
"Giles is almost a walking encyclopedia," smirked Angel.
"Hardly," said Giles. "I'm the head librarian at Pipers' high
school as well as being her Watcher. One has a tendency to pick up
things. I also enjoy reading a great deal."
"So there's no way to send her back?" asked Phoebe. "No way to
get our Piper back?"
"Not without an idea of what dimension she belongs in," said
Giles. "Unfortunately, most of what we know about other dimensions is
purely speculation. Scientific theories and postulations mostly.
Nothing very concrete, I'm afraid."
"Not necessarily," said Prue. "Leo, aren't there demons who can
move through dimensions?"
"She's right," said Piper. "I remember a demon named Abraxus.
He stole the Book of Shadows once and started undoing all of our
vanquishings. He was in another dimension."
"Yes, but I don't see how that does any good," said Leo. "I
doubt if a demon is going to help us."
"Oh, I don't know," said Angel, smiling. "It all depends on how
you ask them."
"It's unlikely they could help at any rate," said Giles. "The
sheer numbers of possible dimensions makes it improbably."
"It's all we have right now," said Phoebe. "What about a Power
of Three spell? Is it possible we could use that to send her back?"
"It might," said Leo. "But a Power of Three spell isn't all
powerful, you know that. Even it has its limits."
"It's one more chance," said Buffy. "I'll start working on one
right away."
"We should check the Book of Shadows," said Piper. "It's
possible there's something in there that can help us."
"Good idea," said Phoebe. "I'll see what I can find."
"Ideally," said Giles, "it would be most helpful to find this
warlock. If he has the power to send Piper here, it is logical to
assume he must have the power to return her."
"The Elders can't locate him anywhere," said Leo.
"Is it possible he could hide himself from these Elders?" asked
Angel.
"I suppose it's possible," said Leo. "A powerful enough magic
might hide him from them."
"Once it gets dark," said Angel, "I'll look around. If this
warlock is this powerful, someone knows something about him. I'll see
if I can find anyone who does."
"I'll go through my books," said Giles. "Perhaps I can find out
something through those."
"I saw those in the trunk," said Angel. "Do you always carry so
many books in your car with you?"
"One never knows when one is going to need reference material,"
said Giles. "Such as now."
"Geek," Buffy whispered to Piper.
"Buffy," snapped Prue.
"No, I suppose she's right," said Giles. "I suppose by today's
standards, I am something of a geek."
"That's no reason for her to be rude," said Prue. "Okay,
everyone knows what to do. Let's get started."
"Prue is a rather strong willed individual, isn't she?" Giles
asked Leo while everyone set about their tasks.
"She always has been," said Leo. "It's one of her greatest
strengths. What do you think our chances are?"
"Virtually impossible, I'm afraid," said Giles. "They simply
don't understand the enormity of the problem. Unless we get some sort
of break, I'm afraid things are going to remain as they are."
"That's what I think, too," said Leo. "I'm going to check with
the Elders again. They might have an idea or two."
As Leo orbed out, Giles thought about Piper. Neither the world
nor Sunnydale could be without a Slayer for long. And even with her
Charmed powers, this Piper was ill equipped for the constant onslaught
of vampires that deluged Sunnydale. If she were forced to stay here,
she probably wouldn't last long.
To be continued . . .
Be sure not to miss Part 3: Light In the Tunnel. While everyone
searches for a way to send Piper home and return their Piper to them,
Angel finds one possible solution. The news is not all good however,
when they learn to do it, they must locate Collier. And their time
may be running out.
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.