Disclaimer:

None of these characters are mine. All characters from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Charmed are the property of Joss Whedon and Aaron Spelling, respectively.

Summary:

Crossover between the Charmed and Buffy universes. Piper, Paige, and Leo go to the Turner house to meet with the Turners. Willow reacts badly to the attack on Cole.

Author's Note:

Thanks to everybody at FF, TTH, and RSS that have sent me reviews. They have been super great and have encouraged me not only to take this story as far as I can take it, but also to create more stories in the Cole/Willow AU. I have been blown away by the response to the Willow/Phoebe meeting. I know that a lot of you are upset with Phoebe's characterization. I hope that you will be patient. I believe that both Willow and Phoebe's reactions are valid.

In the end, this is a story about people and the personality conflicts that result from situations. The people just happen to be witches, demons, angels, and perhaps some vampires.

Please continue reading & reviewing. This is a wonderful ride and I don't want it to end.

Chapter Seventeen – A Bewitching Tea Party

"So, why didn't we just orb into the house?" demanded Paige. She, Paige, and Leo were standing on the sidewalk outside a house. According to the Elders, this was where Cole and Willow lived with their children.

"Well, I'm thinking it'd be a little dangerous to just orb in the house of a demon, his witch, and their children." Piper replied. "Mommy might be a touch defensive. I would if I were in her shoes."

Paige considered this silently. "So, what's our strategy?"

Leo looked at them both. "Well, I think the first step is to knock on the door. Plus, no threatening maneuvers would probably be good."

Piper agreed, but in her heart she felt she was betraying her sister. They shouldn't have just left her unconscious and locked in the basement. It was that new white lighter. He was so annoying. So aggravating. Can you get your kids' white lighter fired? And, just how do you go about that? They knew what Cole was capable, what Cole had done. How could they ever trust him again? After all the pain he caused. She shook her head in confusion.

"Piper," Leo soothed. "I know it's a lot to take in. But, the Elders wouldn't just stand behind him and his wife for no reason. There must be something we haven't seen."

"Piper, I'm as confused as you are." Paige began. "But, I also had lunch with him, and, God help me, I began to believe him. I even trusted him a little. At least, I trusted in what he was telling me about Chris. But, I am curious about Mrs. Cole Turner. Maybe Phoebe was just scared, we know that she couldn't have been objective."

"Can we?" Piper asked.

"We won't find anything out standing on the sidewalk."

"Find anything about what?"

They turned suddenly. In front of the house was a petite young blond woman looking at them with suspicion. Leo's jaw dropped down. It was Her. Wow! She sure didn't look like someone who had saved the world – a lot. Wow!

Piper and Paige looked at the girl with curiosity, and then at Leo in shock. He was looking at the girl the way you'd look at your hero who you've always wanted to meet. Just what was with him? Piper thought. It's just a girl. But is it Cole's wife? Piper started to move forward, but Leo beat her to it. He rushed, practically skipped forward, to meet the girl. He grabbed her hand excitedly and began pumping it up and down. "It's such an honor. I've always wanted to meet you."

Buffy looked at this strange man, pumping her hand excitedly. This was so weird. He's weird. She grabbed her hand away and pushed him away. Leo flew back into the bushes. He heard Piper and Paige cry out. "Stop!" he yelled. "Don't do anything. I'm okay."

"Dude, you are so not okay." Buffy said with her hands on her hips. "What is your deal? Do you accost people with your hand shaking routine all the time?"

Just then, the door opened and a red-haired woman walked out. Two small children were at her side. "Buffy? What's going on?"

Paige and Piper knew instinctively this was Cole's wife. You could feel the magic around her. Then she saw them. She knew! Piper thought in panic. She knew who we are. Can she tell? She froze in place, she didn't know what to do. But Paige did.

Paige walked forward slowly, cautiously. She extended her hand to Willow. "Hi. Mrs. Turner, I'm Paige Matthews. Cole's my ex-brother-in-law. We just came to talk to you, well, about a couple of things. Is that alright?"

Willow looked down at the girl. She was the same girl as in one of Phoebe Halliwell's photographs. She instinctively went on the defensive. However, she was trying to be pleasant. Even though, she didn't trust Phoebe after today, it was no reason to go crazy. She smiled. "Of course, but maybe you can tell me why a man is crushing my herbs?"

Piper spoke up. "I'm not sure why he's acting so weird. But, that is my husband, Leo. And I'm Piper Halliwell."

"He is so strange, Will. He attacked me."

"He's in one piece, Buffy. Couldn't have been much of an attack. There's not a stake mark on him."

"It's daylight, Will. And, besides, he looks like Riley. I don't think people that look like Riley make good vamps."

Willow chuckled. The man stood up and carefully extricated himself from her herbs. She looked behind him. Good, not too much damage. Leo smiled. "I really am sorry. I just got excited. To meet the Vampire Slayer, it's quite an honor."

Buffy and Willow exchanged a glance. Willow looked back at the women. "Well, you'd better come in. We were just going to have tea. Would you like to join us?"

Piper followed Paige and Leo into the house. Tea. Well, this'll be interesting.

Once inside the house, they were introduced to a British gentleman whose name was Rupert Giles. This must be the Giles that Xander spoke about, Paige thought. Piper looked around the house. The house was neat and very inviting. The main room was furnished with comfortable, overstuffed couches, and the walls were lined with shelves. There were books, photographs, and a wide array of crystals and candles. It was a lovely home, Piper thought. In one corner on a small table, lay a wooden Noah's Ark set. Leo walked up to get a closer look. Picking up one small giraffe, he whistled in admiration. The young boy walked up to him. "My godpapa made it for me."

"It's wonderful. Your lucky to have such a nice godpapa."

The boy's smile faded. "Godpapa went to heaven."

Piper and Paige saw that Willow's face clouded at the mention of the godpapa. They must be really close, Paige thought to herself. She misses Xander nearly as much as Xander misses her. Paige felt an odd pang of jealousy.

"I'm sorry about your friend, Mrs. Turner."

"Thank you, it happened last year. It's still a fresh wound. But, won't you call me Willow? And these are my children Ben and Buffy." A shrill whistle could be heard from further within the house. Willow looked up and rushed towards the sound.

"Well," the man introduced to them as Giles began in a very British accent, "Why don't we go in to tea? Children?"

The two children moved happily towards a room further in. Giles and Buffy motioned the three of them in the same direction. They passed through a very elegant dining room with crystal and china lining the walls. A wine rack sat on an antique table. Hmmm, Piper thought. Expensive tastes, definitely Cole's house. They entered a room with French windows that faced to the east. There was a nice little farmer's block table in the center of the room. There was also chairs lining the side of the room. Another smaller table was in another corner. It was just the right size for the children. What a lovely little room, so cozy, Piper thought. She looked up as Willow re-entered the room with a tea tray and placed it in the middle of the table. On the tray was a teapot, cups, and a platter of what looked like chocolate and lemon-flavored cookies. She smiled at Willow as she sat down at the table. "This is such a cozy little room, Willow."

Willow smiled. "Yes, it's lovely in the morning. No, let's have our tea, and can you tell me why you dropped by. And, why are there just two sisters? Don't you feel threatened, too?"

Piper smiled nervously. She had liked Willow when she had first met her. She felt she had a lot in common with her. She was just a mother like her wanting to do what was best. And, the children were just so beautiful and... well, nice. Does evil raise children to be as nice as these? Her gut told her no. As did her heart. Yet, her mind kept on reminding her that was Cole was evil. Cole would always be evil. But, yet.. "Well, yes, Phoebe did tell us you had threatened her. We came, well, because we're a little confused. After what Cole told us about Chris, you understand.."

"Chris?" Willow asked, Cole hadn't talked about anyone with that name.

"My son, didn't Cole tell you? Chris went to see him at his office the other day."

Mr. Giles was pouring the tea. "Perhaps that was the person that Cole was preoccupied with the other evening, Willow. You remember when he drifted off."

Willow considered this. He did say it was somebody that he'd talked to that day that was concerning him. But he had never gone into specifics. "I'm sorry, Piper. Please continue."

"Well, he noticed something about Chris that we.. we hadn't seen. He tried to talk to us that evening, but we got defensive. The next day he talked to Paige and another family friend. He really didn't have anything to gain by what he did. That's one of the reasons I wanted to talk to him, to thank him. We'd made a terrible mistake, and he helped us to see it before it was too late." Piper's voice broke at the end. She still hurt terribly by what their ignorance had cost them.

Willow looked into the woman's eyes, moved. She was obviously hurting over whatever had happened. She reached her hand over the other woman's. "It's going to be alright. I'm sure it will."

Piper smiled weakly and then took a deep breath to continue. "Of course, we also wanted to meet with you about Phoebe. Did you threaten her?"

"Well, yes and no." Willow blushed. "I lost my temper a little. She just kept on warning that Cole would hurt me. She wouldn't let up. I've been married to him for five years. He won't hurt me. Only if I lose him, would he hurt me. I only wanted, no needed, to make sure she knew I'd defend my family. It all was supposed to work out different."

"What do you mean? Supposed to?"

Giles chuckled. "Willow wrote a letter to "Ask Phoebe" for advice. She was following that advice when she went to visit your sister."

"Yes." Buffy chimed in. "She just wanted to clear the air. Start things afresh. She wanted to get to know all of you, so that she and Cole wouldn't be seen as a threat."

Willow looked up at Piper sheepishly. "I'm sorry. Perhaps I should've just avoided you girls. But, I didn't see how that would work. We're in the same city. We're both witches, so we'd end up shopping in the same places. Sooner or later, our worlds would've bumped heads."

Piper laughed and Paige giggled. Yes, she was right. It just would be hard to deal with...

All of a sudden, Willow sat bolt upright. She grabbed her head and screamed. She collapsed onto the table, sobbing. Everyone moved at once. Giles and Buffy were the first up, screaming "Willow!" Then the children came rushing up to their mother, crying at the sight of their mother. Leo decided to take charge.

"Back up! Give her room, I'll check her out." He went to place his hands over her to see if he could sense what was wrong. He frowned. Something was wrong, something was interfering, it was almost as if... Suddenly energy crackled from her and he was forced back, thrown against the wall. Piper and Paige gasped, Willow leapt up. Something had happened, Paige thought, something terrible. Piper ran to her husband on the floor who was stunned by the blast. Paige backed up in terror. The children were looking to their mother with concern. Giles and Buffy exchanged a look of concern. Dark Willow!

Piper looked up at the woman she had been talking to pleasantly only a moment before. She was completely different. Her hair was jet black, as were her eyes. They were solid black. Her skin was marked with dark colored veins. Piper shuddered. What was happening? Was she wrong? Was Willow evil after all? And was she now going to kill them all? Leo shifted underneath her hand, he was thinking. He concentrated. Xander! According to the Elders, Xander had stopped Willow once before. Could he do it again? He focused his mind, trying not to move.

"What have you done to Cole?" Willow spat at the three cowering figures on the floor. Paige started to move when Willow's hand shot out. Energy sprang from her fingers towards them. Paige found herself bound by some kind of magical force. She tried to orb in vain. She looked to Piper and Leo. They too were bound.

Buffy was kneeling around her godchildren. They were frightened, and who could blame them? She had only been stopped by Xander the last time. But Xander was gone now. She looked to Giles who stood up slowly. This is what he had feared all along. Her relationship with Cole was something he had approved of. But, he had feared what would happen if Cole ever was hurt or, worse yet, turned back to evil. He stepped towards Willow. "Willow, please. We don't know what has happened to Cole yet. Cole might just be hurt. Or unconscious. Please, let's think about this."

"NO!" She screamed, and threw Giles against the wall. Leo looked up in concern, but he was powerless to move or orb. There was only one chance, so he concentrated. Summoning, hoping he would answer...

Willow narrowed her eyes as white-blue lights coalesced in the air. As they formed a figure, she attacked with a bolt of energy at the figure. In an explosion of white-blue, the figure exploded. Seconds later, it had reformed into a figure. Giles and Buffy gasped in shock. There, on the floor, shaking his head in shock was Xander Harris.