FIVE
"He was just waiting for you in my room?" Paige asked.
"Pretty as you please," Buffy said. "Like he had some right to be there or something."
"You don't think he really is Cole, do you?" Piper asked.
"Cole's gone for good," said Phoebe. "We vanquished him, remember? He didn't have the powers he had when he came back from the Wasteland so he couldn't have survived."
"Restin said the same thing," said Buffy. "That Cole Turner was gone forever. And he told me what I told you about The First. That you can vanquish it when it tries to take over Wyatt."
"But he didn't tell you how," said Leo. "And Wyatt has the bad habit of orbing out whenever he isn't happy where he's at. Now that The First is here, it could try to take him over every time he orbs."
"Well," said Piper, "he usually orbs back to the manor. Or to his toys when they're in another room. All we can do is keep his toys around him in his playpen. Maybe that will keep him from orbing out."
"We still have to come up with a defense against The First," said Giles. "This Restin has provided us with some protection. We simply have to figure out how to take advantage of it."
"I could help," offered Willow. She and Xander had returned from their errand for Piper. "Maybe we could combine my power with the Charmed Ones' powers. That might give them a boost to fight The First."
"It won't work," said Piper. "We can only combine our powers because we're related by blood."
"Besides," said Leo, "as true witches your power couldn't combine with theirs."
"I beg your pardon," said Willow. "I'm just as much a witch as they are. I could tell you some stories."
"I'm sorry," said Leo. "I didn't mean to imply that you weren't a witch. Only that you aren't a true witch."
"He means a natural witch," said Chris. "Your power is learned. They were born with theirs. It kind of makes a difference."
"Well, I like that," said Willow. "I've spent a lot of time developing my power. And I've done pretty well so far, I think."
"Absolutely," said Leo. "Let me see if I can explain what I meant. Ages past certain people were born with magical abilities, just as Piper and her sisters were. But much of witchcraft can be duplicated with rituals and such. With enough study and experience, a person not born with the ability can become very powerful."
"Think of it this way," said Chris. "The Craft is part talent part skill. Many people can learn the skill. It's like any other skill. You just need to have the right teacher. But talent is something you're born with. Some people are natural artists, some are natural musicians, and they are just natural witches. It's why they each have certain powers that you don't."
"But we still had to study," said Phoebe. "Our powers alone haven't always protected us. We had to study to make potions, write spells, all the other things you've learned to do."
"Is that why her power is different from theirs?" Xander asked.
"Yes," said Leo.
"It's kind of like vampires," said Angel. "There are basically five types of vampires. But there are variations of each type. Many of the differences are only superficial. And most have a tendency to associate only with their own kind."
"Amazing," said Giles. "I never knew that about vampires. You'd think as a Watcher I would have had that information."
"It's not common knowledge, mate," said Spike. "Demons aren't known for broadcasting possible weaknesses, you know."
"Xander," said Buffy, "I want you to take Dawn and go somewhere. Now that we know what we're facing, I don't want either of you around here. It's too dangerous."
"Wait a minute," said Dawn. "I can handle myself. You said so yourself. And Xander and I helped you fight The First last time, remember?"
"She's right, Buffy," said Xander. "We all fought The First together. You're going to need us here."
"I think Buffy is right," said Piper. "It's not just The First we have to worry about. There's also grown up Wyatt. He's still out to get Buffy and Angel and Chris. Neither of you have any powers. You'd be extremely vulnerable when they attack."
"We can help," protested Dawn. "We can do research and stuff. Besides, Giles doesn't have any powers. Why does he get to stay and we have to leave?"
"I know a trick or two," said Giles. "It's not like I'm exactly powerless."
"Dawn, Xander," said Buffy very deliberately, "I know you guys can take care of yourselves. You did help against our fight against The First last time. But a lot of people died during that fight. Any one of us could have been killed. Xander was maimed. Anya died. And this time we don't have the amulet to protect us. I can't risk your lives in this fight."
"But," Xander began to protest.
"It's not just you she'd be risking," said Chris. "You'd be risking all of us. When Wyatt and The First attack they'll have to concentrate on the fights. They can't be worried about protecting you or we could loose."
"Dawn, Chris is right," said Buffy. "If you stay I'll be constantly worried about you and Xander getting hurt. Even baby Wyatt has powers to protect himself. Please, don't fight me on this. I have to make sure you're safe if I'm to help them stop these evils."
"Okay," Dawn pouted, "but I won't like it."
"Xander?" Buffy asked.
"Okay," said Xander. "But I want it understood I'm not doing this because I'm scared. I'm doing it to protect munchkin here."
"We know you're scared," said Phoebe. "We all are. But this really is the best solution."
"I have a friend in San Diego you can go visit," said Giles. "Another former Watcher. I'll write her a letter and she'll be glad to put you up until this is sorted out."
"They can leave first thing in the morning," said Buffy. "Xander should be able to handle the bus to San Diego. We won't need it until this thing is resolved."
"In the mean time," said Piper, "Phoebe, Paige, and I need to work on what we're going to do when Wyatt or The First attack. We're going to need some real strategy."
Satisfied that Dawn and Xander would be safer away from the manor, Buffy decided to return to Paige's room for her nap. She was thankful to find the room empty when she entered this time.
"He was just waiting for you in my room?" Paige asked.
"Pretty as you please," Buffy said. "Like he had some right to be there or something."
"You don't think he really is Cole, do you?" Piper asked.
"Cole's gone for good," said Phoebe. "We vanquished him, remember? He didn't have the powers he had when he came back from the Wasteland so he couldn't have survived."
"Restin said the same thing," said Buffy. "That Cole Turner was gone forever. And he told me what I told you about The First. That you can vanquish it when it tries to take over Wyatt."
"But he didn't tell you how," said Leo. "And Wyatt has the bad habit of orbing out whenever he isn't happy where he's at. Now that The First is here, it could try to take him over every time he orbs."
"Well," said Piper, "he usually orbs back to the manor. Or to his toys when they're in another room. All we can do is keep his toys around him in his playpen. Maybe that will keep him from orbing out."
"We still have to come up with a defense against The First," said Giles. "This Restin has provided us with some protection. We simply have to figure out how to take advantage of it."
"I could help," offered Willow. She and Xander had returned from their errand for Piper. "Maybe we could combine my power with the Charmed Ones' powers. That might give them a boost to fight The First."
"It won't work," said Piper. "We can only combine our powers because we're related by blood."
"Besides," said Leo, "as true witches your power couldn't combine with theirs."
"I beg your pardon," said Willow. "I'm just as much a witch as they are. I could tell you some stories."
"I'm sorry," said Leo. "I didn't mean to imply that you weren't a witch. Only that you aren't a true witch."
"He means a natural witch," said Chris. "Your power is learned. They were born with theirs. It kind of makes a difference."
"Well, I like that," said Willow. "I've spent a lot of time developing my power. And I've done pretty well so far, I think."
"Absolutely," said Leo. "Let me see if I can explain what I meant. Ages past certain people were born with magical abilities, just as Piper and her sisters were. But much of witchcraft can be duplicated with rituals and such. With enough study and experience, a person not born with the ability can become very powerful."
"Think of it this way," said Chris. "The Craft is part talent part skill. Many people can learn the skill. It's like any other skill. You just need to have the right teacher. But talent is something you're born with. Some people are natural artists, some are natural musicians, and they are just natural witches. It's why they each have certain powers that you don't."
"But we still had to study," said Phoebe. "Our powers alone haven't always protected us. We had to study to make potions, write spells, all the other things you've learned to do."
"Is that why her power is different from theirs?" Xander asked.
"Yes," said Leo.
"It's kind of like vampires," said Angel. "There are basically five types of vampires. But there are variations of each type. Many of the differences are only superficial. And most have a tendency to associate only with their own kind."
"Amazing," said Giles. "I never knew that about vampires. You'd think as a Watcher I would have had that information."
"It's not common knowledge, mate," said Spike. "Demons aren't known for broadcasting possible weaknesses, you know."
"Xander," said Buffy, "I want you to take Dawn and go somewhere. Now that we know what we're facing, I don't want either of you around here. It's too dangerous."
"Wait a minute," said Dawn. "I can handle myself. You said so yourself. And Xander and I helped you fight The First last time, remember?"
"She's right, Buffy," said Xander. "We all fought The First together. You're going to need us here."
"I think Buffy is right," said Piper. "It's not just The First we have to worry about. There's also grown up Wyatt. He's still out to get Buffy and Angel and Chris. Neither of you have any powers. You'd be extremely vulnerable when they attack."
"We can help," protested Dawn. "We can do research and stuff. Besides, Giles doesn't have any powers. Why does he get to stay and we have to leave?"
"I know a trick or two," said Giles. "It's not like I'm exactly powerless."
"Dawn, Xander," said Buffy very deliberately, "I know you guys can take care of yourselves. You did help against our fight against The First last time. But a lot of people died during that fight. Any one of us could have been killed. Xander was maimed. Anya died. And this time we don't have the amulet to protect us. I can't risk your lives in this fight."
"But," Xander began to protest.
"It's not just you she'd be risking," said Chris. "You'd be risking all of us. When Wyatt and The First attack they'll have to concentrate on the fights. They can't be worried about protecting you or we could loose."
"Dawn, Chris is right," said Buffy. "If you stay I'll be constantly worried about you and Xander getting hurt. Even baby Wyatt has powers to protect himself. Please, don't fight me on this. I have to make sure you're safe if I'm to help them stop these evils."
"Okay," Dawn pouted, "but I won't like it."
"Xander?" Buffy asked.
"Okay," said Xander. "But I want it understood I'm not doing this because I'm scared. I'm doing it to protect munchkin here."
"We know you're scared," said Phoebe. "We all are. But this really is the best solution."
"I have a friend in San Diego you can go visit," said Giles. "Another former Watcher. I'll write her a letter and she'll be glad to put you up until this is sorted out."
"They can leave first thing in the morning," said Buffy. "Xander should be able to handle the bus to San Diego. We won't need it until this thing is resolved."
"In the mean time," said Piper, "Phoebe, Paige, and I need to work on what we're going to do when Wyatt or The First attack. We're going to need some real strategy."
Satisfied that Dawn and Xander would be safer away from the manor, Buffy decided to return to Paige's room for her nap. She was thankful to find the room empty when she entered this time.