TWO
Wyatt had only been asleep for a couple of hours when Piper suddenly stood up from the chair she was sitting in next to his crib. The others had checked on her a couple of times to make sure she didn't need anything. The book she had been reading slid of her lap to the floor.
She had definitely heard a noise. But it was indistinct, undefined. She couldn't be sure where it had come from. She was contemplating calling for the others when a sudden movement caught the corner of her eye. She spun around to see an elderly lady standing near the window.
"Grams?" Piper said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I expected you to summon me days ago," said Grams, annoyance in her voice. "Wyatt is my great grandson, after all."
"If I remember correctly," said Piper, "you practically disowned him when you found out he wasn't a girl."
"Water under the bridge," said Grams. "Wyatt is my great grandson and if something is coming after him I'm damn well going to be around to protect him. I'm really disappointed in you, Piper. A powerful evil is coming to steal your baby and you haven't done anything to protect him."
"We're doing everything we can," said Piper defensively. "You of all people should be aware of finding out as much as we can about an opponent before we fight it. That's why we have the Book of Shadows and a White Lighter to get information for us."
"But you can't just sit around and do nothing," said Grams. "You have the Slayer with you. She's fought this evil before. You should be downstairs learning everything you can about this evil. Not sitting up here reading romance novels."
"Buffy's already told us everything she knows about The First," said Piper. "How did you know what was going on, anyway?"
"Well I do keep an eye on my girls," said Grams. "I may be dead but I still have a responsibility to protect my granddaughters. And my great grandson."
"Really, Grams, we have everything well in hand," said Piper. "When and if this thing attacks we're going to send it back to whatever hell it came from. For good this time."
"Not sitting up here reading a book you won't," said Grams. "You should be putting charms on the manor to let you know when something enters. Or working on potions that will affect this evil. Or writing a spell. Something besides sitting up here while my great grandson sleeps."
"The others are working on all that right now," said Piper. "We can't leave Wyatt alone for a second. Phoebe's going to relieve me in a while and I'll be working on those things then. We're taking turns watching him in case this thing attacks."
"Well, now you can go work on them," said Grams. "I'll stay here and watch my little great grandson for you."
"Grams, you're a ghost," said Piper. "If The First attacks there's not much you can do about it."
"Spirit, dear, spirit," said Grams. "And I do much more than that. I'll know when this thing gets close and let you know before it gets here. That's more than I can say for your Elder. Or any of the others."
Just then Phoebe came into the room.
"Hey, Piper, thought it was about time I relieved you for a while," said Phoebe. Then she noticed Grams standing near the window. "Grams. I didn't know you were here."
"I came to watch over my great grandson," said Grams, "since Piper seems to be wasting her time just sitting around."
"Oh, she's doing more than that," said Phoebe. "She's watching over Wyatt right now. That's very important."
"Well, now I'm here," said Grams. "You girls should be making preparations. I can watch Wyatt while you get ready."
Phoebe looked at Grams for a moment. Her eyes narrowed slightly as if she were trying to focus her eyes. Suddenly she stepped between Piper and Grams.
"Piper, get Wyatt out of here now," said Phoebe suddenly.
"Phoebe, are you okay?" Piper asked. "Did you have a premonition or something?"
"Just go," said Phoebe, not taking her eyes off Grams. "Get him out of here before she - it - does something." Phoebe turned her head toward the open bedroom door. "Leo, Paige, everyone, get up here. We have company."
Grams stood smiling at the two as Leo and Paige suddenly orbed in. A few seconds later the rest of the group came running into the room.
"Grams," said Paige smiling.
"That's not Grams," said Phoebe. "Leo, get Piper and Wyatt out of here. We'll hold this.... this...whatever it is."
"That won't be necessary," said Piper.
She raised her hands and used her explosive power on the figment of Grams. But instead of the phantom exploding, the window behind it exploded into a thousand shards. The phantom just laughed.
"Your power can't affect me," said Grams smiling. "I've existed since before your kind walked the Earth. And I'll be here long after you're nothing but dust in your graves. I see I underestimated you. I really didn't think it would be this easy but I did have to try. You can't protect him forever. Eventually I'll get what I came for. It's only a matter of time."
Suddenly Grams vanished from the room. Everyone stood looking at Phoebe.
"Okay," said Piper, "just what the hell was that?"
"That would be The First," said Buffy. "It has the power to take the form of anyone who's died. And it can be very convincing even though you know what it really is. It's one of the reasons it's so dangerous."
"What I want to know," Paige said, "is how come Phoebe knew what it was? You apparently didn't know since you didn't call for help. And I thought it was Grams. But Phoebe knew what it was. Did she have a premonition about it or something?"
"That's what I'd like to know," said Piper. "For a minute I almost took her up on her offer to watch Wyatt while we prepared for it. If not for Phoebe...."
"Come on," said Phoebe, picking Wyatt out of his crib, "he can sleep downstairs where we can all keep an eye on him. We can talk about it down there."
Everyone followed Phoebe, Piper, and Paige downstairs thankful that they had thwarted at least one attempt by The First.
Wyatt had only been asleep for a couple of hours when Piper suddenly stood up from the chair she was sitting in next to his crib. The others had checked on her a couple of times to make sure she didn't need anything. The book she had been reading slid of her lap to the floor.
She had definitely heard a noise. But it was indistinct, undefined. She couldn't be sure where it had come from. She was contemplating calling for the others when a sudden movement caught the corner of her eye. She spun around to see an elderly lady standing near the window.
"Grams?" Piper said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I expected you to summon me days ago," said Grams, annoyance in her voice. "Wyatt is my great grandson, after all."
"If I remember correctly," said Piper, "you practically disowned him when you found out he wasn't a girl."
"Water under the bridge," said Grams. "Wyatt is my great grandson and if something is coming after him I'm damn well going to be around to protect him. I'm really disappointed in you, Piper. A powerful evil is coming to steal your baby and you haven't done anything to protect him."
"We're doing everything we can," said Piper defensively. "You of all people should be aware of finding out as much as we can about an opponent before we fight it. That's why we have the Book of Shadows and a White Lighter to get information for us."
"But you can't just sit around and do nothing," said Grams. "You have the Slayer with you. She's fought this evil before. You should be downstairs learning everything you can about this evil. Not sitting up here reading romance novels."
"Buffy's already told us everything she knows about The First," said Piper. "How did you know what was going on, anyway?"
"Well I do keep an eye on my girls," said Grams. "I may be dead but I still have a responsibility to protect my granddaughters. And my great grandson."
"Really, Grams, we have everything well in hand," said Piper. "When and if this thing attacks we're going to send it back to whatever hell it came from. For good this time."
"Not sitting up here reading a book you won't," said Grams. "You should be putting charms on the manor to let you know when something enters. Or working on potions that will affect this evil. Or writing a spell. Something besides sitting up here while my great grandson sleeps."
"The others are working on all that right now," said Piper. "We can't leave Wyatt alone for a second. Phoebe's going to relieve me in a while and I'll be working on those things then. We're taking turns watching him in case this thing attacks."
"Well, now you can go work on them," said Grams. "I'll stay here and watch my little great grandson for you."
"Grams, you're a ghost," said Piper. "If The First attacks there's not much you can do about it."
"Spirit, dear, spirit," said Grams. "And I do much more than that. I'll know when this thing gets close and let you know before it gets here. That's more than I can say for your Elder. Or any of the others."
Just then Phoebe came into the room.
"Hey, Piper, thought it was about time I relieved you for a while," said Phoebe. Then she noticed Grams standing near the window. "Grams. I didn't know you were here."
"I came to watch over my great grandson," said Grams, "since Piper seems to be wasting her time just sitting around."
"Oh, she's doing more than that," said Phoebe. "She's watching over Wyatt right now. That's very important."
"Well, now I'm here," said Grams. "You girls should be making preparations. I can watch Wyatt while you get ready."
Phoebe looked at Grams for a moment. Her eyes narrowed slightly as if she were trying to focus her eyes. Suddenly she stepped between Piper and Grams.
"Piper, get Wyatt out of here now," said Phoebe suddenly.
"Phoebe, are you okay?" Piper asked. "Did you have a premonition or something?"
"Just go," said Phoebe, not taking her eyes off Grams. "Get him out of here before she - it - does something." Phoebe turned her head toward the open bedroom door. "Leo, Paige, everyone, get up here. We have company."
Grams stood smiling at the two as Leo and Paige suddenly orbed in. A few seconds later the rest of the group came running into the room.
"Grams," said Paige smiling.
"That's not Grams," said Phoebe. "Leo, get Piper and Wyatt out of here. We'll hold this.... this...whatever it is."
"That won't be necessary," said Piper.
She raised her hands and used her explosive power on the figment of Grams. But instead of the phantom exploding, the window behind it exploded into a thousand shards. The phantom just laughed.
"Your power can't affect me," said Grams smiling. "I've existed since before your kind walked the Earth. And I'll be here long after you're nothing but dust in your graves. I see I underestimated you. I really didn't think it would be this easy but I did have to try. You can't protect him forever. Eventually I'll get what I came for. It's only a matter of time."
Suddenly Grams vanished from the room. Everyone stood looking at Phoebe.
"Okay," said Piper, "just what the hell was that?"
"That would be The First," said Buffy. "It has the power to take the form of anyone who's died. And it can be very convincing even though you know what it really is. It's one of the reasons it's so dangerous."
"What I want to know," Paige said, "is how come Phoebe knew what it was? You apparently didn't know since you didn't call for help. And I thought it was Grams. But Phoebe knew what it was. Did she have a premonition about it or something?"
"That's what I'd like to know," said Piper. "For a minute I almost took her up on her offer to watch Wyatt while we prepared for it. If not for Phoebe...."
"Come on," said Phoebe, picking Wyatt out of his crib, "he can sleep downstairs where we can all keep an eye on him. We can talk about it down there."
Everyone followed Phoebe, Piper, and Paige downstairs thankful that they had thwarted at least one attempt by The First.