THREE
"Okay, sister, spill it," said Piper after she had put Wyatt down in his playpen to sleep. "How did you know it wasn't Grams?"
"She sensed it," said Chris.
"He's right," said Phoebe. "We all took that potion so I couldn't get an empathic impression of what you were feeling. But Grams is a spirit. She couldn't have taken any potions. At first I didn't sense anything. Then I began to sense immense hatred and evil. I couldn't believe Grams could have that level of hatred in here. And she definitely wouldn't have been evil."
"Thank God for my sister the empathy," said Piper, hugging Phoebe. "Well, I think we know where The First is now. And I'm pretty sure it will be back. Now all we have to do is figure out where grown up Wyatt is. Then we have to figure out what we're going to do about it."
"I'll let the Elders know what happened," said Leo. "I can also se if they have a fix on grown up Wyatt yet. He can't stay hidden forever. Eventually he has to show himself."
"I can check a few places myself," said Chris. "I know some sources that will be more willing to talk to me than an Elder."
"I'm still working on the spell," said Phoebe. "It's harder than I thought. Piper, have you come up with any potions yet?"
"Not yet," said Piper, "but I have a couple of ideas. I'll need some ingredients for it that we don't keep on hand, though. Only I'm apprehensive about leaving Wyatt alone even for a minute."
"I can get the ingredients," said Willow. "It's been a while since I went shopping for ritual ingredients anyway."
"I can go with her," said Xander. "Other than helping Giles do research I'm feeling like a fifth wheel here anyway. Besides, it will give me a chance to have a look around San Francisco."
"Thanks," said Piper, "I appreciate it."
"I'm a little tired," said Buffy. "If no one minds I think I'm going to go upstairs and take a nap."
"No one says you have patrol at night here," said Paige. "San Francisco isn't exactly known as the vampire capital of the world, you know?"
"I've gotten a couple," said Buffy. "Besides, while I'm patrolling I might learn something about Wyatt. Like Leo said, he has to surface sometime. When he does I'm betting the lowlifes around here are going to know something about him."
"She always was an over-achieving Slayer," said Angel coyly.
"Go on, Buffy," said Piper. "When Wyatt attacks we're going to need everyone at their best."
"Thanks, Piper," said Buffy. "Don't let me sleep too long."
"We won't," said Piper.
Piper began to make a list of the ingredients she needed for the potion as Buffy went upstairs. It was a bit cramped in the manor right now. Instead of everyone staying at a hotel they had all agreed it was best if they stayed in the manor. To give the others a bit more room Angel and Spike said they'd sleep in the basement. They both insisted they had slept in worse places in their lives.
Buffy was sharing a room with Paige and Willow was sharing a room with Phoebe. Wyatt, of course, was with Piper in her room. Giles, Dawn, Xander, and Willow had cots sat up around the house. But someone was always in Piper's room while she and Wyatt slept to watch out for any attacks.
Willow and Xander took Piper's car to China Town to pick up the ingredients Piper needed. Since it was still light out, Angel and Spike could do little except lounge around the manor away from the windows. Dawn, who was uncharacteristically quiet during the past three days, was helping Giles do research. He was still looking up what he could find about The First in the hope that they would find some weakness they could exploit.
Buffy went to Paige's room and quietly closed the door behind her. As she turned around she was startled to see a man sitting in a chair in the corner.
"You're a hard girl to see alone," said Cole, whom Buffy knew as Restin. "I've been waiting to speak to you since you got here."
Buffy just stared at Cole.
"Okay, sister, spill it," said Piper after she had put Wyatt down in his playpen to sleep. "How did you know it wasn't Grams?"
"She sensed it," said Chris.
"He's right," said Phoebe. "We all took that potion so I couldn't get an empathic impression of what you were feeling. But Grams is a spirit. She couldn't have taken any potions. At first I didn't sense anything. Then I began to sense immense hatred and evil. I couldn't believe Grams could have that level of hatred in here. And she definitely wouldn't have been evil."
"Thank God for my sister the empathy," said Piper, hugging Phoebe. "Well, I think we know where The First is now. And I'm pretty sure it will be back. Now all we have to do is figure out where grown up Wyatt is. Then we have to figure out what we're going to do about it."
"I'll let the Elders know what happened," said Leo. "I can also se if they have a fix on grown up Wyatt yet. He can't stay hidden forever. Eventually he has to show himself."
"I can check a few places myself," said Chris. "I know some sources that will be more willing to talk to me than an Elder."
"I'm still working on the spell," said Phoebe. "It's harder than I thought. Piper, have you come up with any potions yet?"
"Not yet," said Piper, "but I have a couple of ideas. I'll need some ingredients for it that we don't keep on hand, though. Only I'm apprehensive about leaving Wyatt alone even for a minute."
"I can get the ingredients," said Willow. "It's been a while since I went shopping for ritual ingredients anyway."
"I can go with her," said Xander. "Other than helping Giles do research I'm feeling like a fifth wheel here anyway. Besides, it will give me a chance to have a look around San Francisco."
"Thanks," said Piper, "I appreciate it."
"I'm a little tired," said Buffy. "If no one minds I think I'm going to go upstairs and take a nap."
"No one says you have patrol at night here," said Paige. "San Francisco isn't exactly known as the vampire capital of the world, you know?"
"I've gotten a couple," said Buffy. "Besides, while I'm patrolling I might learn something about Wyatt. Like Leo said, he has to surface sometime. When he does I'm betting the lowlifes around here are going to know something about him."
"She always was an over-achieving Slayer," said Angel coyly.
"Go on, Buffy," said Piper. "When Wyatt attacks we're going to need everyone at their best."
"Thanks, Piper," said Buffy. "Don't let me sleep too long."
"We won't," said Piper.
Piper began to make a list of the ingredients she needed for the potion as Buffy went upstairs. It was a bit cramped in the manor right now. Instead of everyone staying at a hotel they had all agreed it was best if they stayed in the manor. To give the others a bit more room Angel and Spike said they'd sleep in the basement. They both insisted they had slept in worse places in their lives.
Buffy was sharing a room with Paige and Willow was sharing a room with Phoebe. Wyatt, of course, was with Piper in her room. Giles, Dawn, Xander, and Willow had cots sat up around the house. But someone was always in Piper's room while she and Wyatt slept to watch out for any attacks.
Willow and Xander took Piper's car to China Town to pick up the ingredients Piper needed. Since it was still light out, Angel and Spike could do little except lounge around the manor away from the windows. Dawn, who was uncharacteristically quiet during the past three days, was helping Giles do research. He was still looking up what he could find about The First in the hope that they would find some weakness they could exploit.
Buffy went to Paige's room and quietly closed the door behind her. As she turned around she was startled to see a man sitting in a chair in the corner.
"You're a hard girl to see alone," said Cole, whom Buffy knew as Restin. "I've been waiting to speak to you since you got here."
Buffy just stared at Cole.