Chapter 4: Hell Hath No Fury Part 2
October 11, 2001 – Thursday
Streets of San Francisco
Phoebe, Dawn and Paige were driving along the road in Paige's car heading back toward the Manor. Paige was driving with Buffy sitting in the passenger seat and Dawn in the back looking through the Book of Shadows.
"Are my boobs going to stay this way forever?" Paige asked.
"Not if we can find the spell," Buffy said as Dawn flipped through the pages.
"What about Piper?" Paige grimaced. "Is she going to stay mad at me forever?"
Buffy sighed. "You have to give her and Phoebe both some time, okay. They just lost Prue and finding out that they have another sister and that their mother was reincarnated into a new body that is currently younger than you are. It just a little much at the moment for them right now. To tell the truth it surprises me that they even let me and Dawn move in to the Manor."
Paige nodded. "The last thing I wanted to do was add to their stress. I just wanted to get back at Donnie."
"Yeah, and we understand the temptation, Paige," Dawn said. "Remember our friend Willow? She was like that at the end."
"Dawn is right," Buffy said. "Willow's last spell was one of serious personal gain. She thought she was trying to help me through some stuff and well it backfired on her majorly. But here is the thing with the book. It does not leave the house."
"Right. Sorry." Paige nodded apologetically before trying to change into third gear but struggling. "My boobs are in the way. Can you put it into third for me?"
"Alright. Ready? Here we go." Buffy moved the gearshift into third and the tires screeched momentarily. She glanced at Dawn. "You know maybe I should go ahead and try and get my license. Maybe even teach you to drive when I do."
"I would like that," Dawn said as she smiled at her big sister.
Paige grimaced into the rearview to look at Dawn. "Did you find the spell yet?"
"No, but, Buffy, I found the demons we fought..." Dawn tensed as she read about the Furies and leaned forward to show Buffy. "We've got a big problem."
Buffy paled as she read the page. "Oh my God, I knew I was forgetting something."
"What?" Paige tensed, "You can't say 'demons' followed by 'we've got a big problem' and 'oh my god, I knew I forgot something'. I'm new at this. I'm likely to panic."
"Okay, uh..." Buffy motioned as she tried to explain. "Fury smoke kills bad guys, right? But in good people, it looks for a portal of unexpressed fury."
"And?" Paige asked.
"It builds until it consumes your humanity and it turns you into a fury. Um, we fought the furies today," Buffy continued. "Piper got smoked."
"Wait. Are you saying that Piper's turning into a demon?" Paige asked.
"With our family, it seems to be a regular occurrence," Dawn said remembering some of the stories Phoebe and Leo had told her and Buffy. She looked at her sister. "Hopefully it won't be as bad as CaveSlayer."
"One can hope," Buffy agreed as she looked at Paige. "Uh, step on it and hit the clutch. I'm going to put it into fourth. Ready? On three. One, two, three." She shifted the gearshift into fourth.
"So what is CaveSlayer?" Paige wondered.
"Buffy drank some enchanted beer once," Dawn said. "Literally turned her into a Neanderthal. Of course being a Slayer, she still had everything that made her a Slayer. Took a couple days for it to wear off."
"Wow," Paige said as she glanced at Buffy.
"And Mom was worried about me and driving."
Halliwell Manor
Donnie landed roughly on the couch after being pushed by Piper.
Leo frowned. "Easy, Piper."
"What?" Piper whirled around on her husband. "Are you protecting him now?"
"Wh—what the hell is going on? And what's with the chicks?" Donnie whimpered as he looked between them with wide fearful eyes. "They've gone crazy."
Piper towered over him. "This chick just saved your ass, you sniveling ingrate."
Donnie stumbled to his feet as he looked at Phoebe and Leo. "Do you see what I mean?" he asked directing his question at Leo.
Piper aggressively pushed him over the back of the couch. "Who said you could get up?"
"What's the matter with you?" Phoebe said as she and Leo hurriedly intervened before Piper could be any more aggressive towards the cowering man.
"Okay, honey look," Leo said, "I don't know what's going on, but we really need to talk.
"Leo, Phoebe, you two know what? I'm sick of talking." She lifted her hands to blow Leo up but he orbed out with Phoebe just in time. As he and Phoebe orbed back into the room she was stomping towards Donnie.
"Now we really need to talk. Piper, you do not use your powers on a mortal," Leo said as he and Phoebe came up to stand behind Piper. "Do you hear me?"
"Back away slowly, Leo, Phoebe." Cole stood at the doorway watching Piper closely, "She's becoming a fury." As he spoke, Piper grew large black talon like fingernails. "There's no reasoning with her now."
"Piper, you're a good witch," Leo said as he moved to stand in front of Piper so she would look at him. "Do you hear me? Fight this."
Piper gingerly touched Leo's face before rearing back and throwing him over the couch.
Phoebe instantly moved between Donnie and Piper. "Fight, Piper, please," she begged. There was apparently no reasoning with Piper as she reared back and threw Phoebe over the couch to land next to Leo.
"Oh God!" Donnie screamed as Piper turned on him. "Help!"
Piper reared back again and slashed at Donnie with her talons. From the other side of the room Cole readied an energy ball. He watched Piper pick Donnie up and blow smoke into his mouth before he threw it at her. The force from it made her drop Donnie and stumble back slightly. Buffy, Dawn and Paige rushed through the door just in time to see him throw it.
Buffy and Dawn glared at him. "Cole!" they admonished.
"I..." Cole shrugged as he gave the Summers sisters a sheepish look, "Well..."
Piper glared once more at Cole before disappearing in a puff of smoke. "That wasn't very nice."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn sat between Buffy and Phoebe flipping through the Book of Shadows as Leo was kneeling beside a passed-out Donnie to heal him.
"Cole hit her with an energy ball," Leo said.
"Leo, it was a low voltage." Phoebe tried to amend exasperatedly. "Would you prefer he'd let her kill an innocent?"
"I'd prefer that he wouldn't use his demonic powers on my wife." Leo scoffed as he gave Phoebe his best 'have you lost your mind' look. "I can't believe that you let him go look for her."
"Leo, just take a deep breath okay?" Dawn huffed at him, momentarily looking up from the book. "Cole will be fine. He didn't try to kill her."
"Dawn's right," Buffy agreed. "He just stopped her from killing an innocent."
"Oh, this all my fault," Paige groaned. "I shouldn't have stolen the Book of Shadows."
Leo reeled again and stopped healing Donnie. "You stole the Book of Shadows?!"
"Leo, Leo. Concentrate please." Buffy hurriedly motioned to Donnie so Leo took a calming breath and healed his scratches.
"I just hope he finds her fast because if this is anything like the time I turned into a Banshee, she's going to be hungry for a kill," Phoebe said.
"I'm sorry." Paige's eye widened at Phoebe as Leo stood. "A Banshee?"
"Yeah." Buffy waved her off as she studied the pages Dawn was flipping through, "Demonic screamer, kind of trampy, feeds on pain."
"So when did you…" Dawn started.
"As Patty," Buffy said. "I almost remember everything now. I remember that I came across the Banshee listing when looking for I think it was the Wendigo?"
Dawn gaped. "A Wendi-what?"
"Um, a Wendigo. It's kind of like a werewolf, only meaner." Phoebe said.
Paige paled and stumbled over to the couch to sit next to Donnie. "I think I need to sit down."
A few moments later Donnie woke up with a groan. He sat up and was eye to eye with Paige's breasts. "Whoa."
Paige glared and in the next second punched him in the face, knocking him out cold.
Leo scoffed, "Paige!"
"What?" Dawn said as she Leo looked at her. "I would have done the same thing if some guy was ogling me."
"So would have I," Buffy and Phoebe agreed.
"Okay, Leo, you orb Donnie back to his office and heal him there." Phoebe instructed as she and Paige stood up. "Then make sure he doesn't narc us out for being witches."
"How?" Leo asked.
"Get creative with it." Dawn stood up next and patted his arm as he was about to say something else. "I know you want to help bring Piper back but you've got your own job to do. Let us do ours."
"We'll get your wife back," Buffy added as she looked at Dawn beaming with pride for her sister. "We promise."
With a frown Leo placed his hand on Donnie's arm and orbed him out.
"Um, I hate to ask, but..." Paige frowned as they all gathered to sit on the couch. "How are we going to get his wife back? I mean, she's kind of a... full-on demon."
"No. She's not full on." Buffy said. "Only her fingernails are talon like. I believe the full talons come with the first kill."
Dawn flipped to the page titled: Instant Karma Spell. She pointed to the spell. "Is this the spell you used?"
"Uh-huh." Paige looked between them as Buffy grabbed a notepad and pen, "Is there some sort of spell I could do, you know, in advance so I could, uh, not become maybe a Banshee or..."
"No," Buffy said.
Dawn looked over the spell and shook her head as she realized a word had to be used in place of demon. "What word did you sub demon with?"
"Dirtbag." Paige replied.
"Dirtbag," Buffy said with a sigh. She handed the notepad she had been writing on to Phoebe. Then she spun the book so Phoebe could see it. "The reversal might work better with a little Charmed magic."
"Okay." Phoebe scrunched the paper up as she stood. "Hand." She then clasped Paige's hand in her own, as she burned the tip of the paper with a lit candle. "'Guided spirits, hear our plea, annul this magic, let it be.'"
Paige shut her eyes tightly. "Please let it be." Just then her breasts returned to normal size but when she looked down she groaned in disappointment. "Do you think it worked a little too well?"
"Wow!" Dawn said. "You really wanted them bigger? Personally I'm happy where I'm at."
"Couldn't agree more," Phoebe said looking down at her own breasts.
Buffy looked to Dawn. "Now let this be a lesson."
"I got it, Buffy. Really I got it a long time ago with Willow's first personal gain spell backfired on her. Remember the my will be done spell?" Dawn said.
"I would be perfectly happy never to remember that spell." Buffy said.
"I take it bad is an understatement," Phoebe said.
"Let's just put it this way," Buffy said a little reluctantly. "I wanted to marry a vampire."
"Yeah that's bad," Phoebe agreed.
Streets of San Francisco
A man aggressively pushed another man against the wall as he held a knife to his throat.
The innocent man held his hands up in defeat. "Anything you want."
"Shut up."
Just then, two Furies appeared behind him and one scratched his back with her talon. He spun around, allowing the innocent to run away. In the next second the man's head was filled with pained screaming. He dropped his knife before dropping to his knees. The fury blew smoke in his mouth causing him to choke before he was engulfed by flames and disappeared. Piper then appeared in a puff of smoke behind them. The two other Furies turned around and made purring-like noises at her.
Piper looked between them. "I've been looking for you."
Halliwell Manor
Dawn, Paige, Phoebe and Buffy were all gathered in the dining room as the latter scryed for Piper.
"Damn it," Phoebe said.
"Why isn't it working?" Paige asked.
"It's not working because…." Buffy shook her head, "…Piper isn't a witch anymore."
Paige frowned. "Can't you just scry for evil then?"
"Do you have any idea how much evil is running around San Francisco let alone California?" Buffy huffed as she stopped scrying. "We're five hours drive, depending on traffic, from our very own Hellmouth."
"Hellmouth?" Paige said confused.
"Dawn and I'll tell everyone later. Been meaning to do it the last few days anyways," Buffy said.
"Are you sure, Buffy?" Dawn said knowing that telling Piper, Phoebe and Paige everything also meant telling them about the last half a year.
"Yeah I'm sure," Buffy said.
Just then, Cole shimmered in but he was covered in bruises and scratches, "Cole!" Phoebe shouted happily as she ran to hug him. "Thank God."
"Don't thank me yet." Cole said.
Dawn frowned. "You couldn't find any sign of her?"
"I didn't get a chance to look. Every time I used my sensing powers, a bounty hunter sensed me. I fought off three of them." He sat down at the table in defeat. "I'm sorry."
"No, it's—it's okay. I mean, somehow everything's going to be okay." As Phoebe grasped for reassurance her resolve broke, "I- I don't have even a little idea of how everything's going to be okay."
Paige shifted as an idea came to mind, "Guys—"
"You know why?" Phoebe continued on. "Because nothing is okay."
"Guys."
"My sister is a Fury, my boyfriend is a demon..." Phoebe knelt down next to Cole worriedly. "Oh, baby, you're bleeding."
Dawn put her fingers to her lips and whistled loudly. Buffy and Phoebe turned and looked at her. "Paige has been trying to get yours guys attention."
"Thank you, Dawn," Paige said. "Phoebe, you guys said you found me and Buffy because Piper cast a spell to find a lost witch?"
"Yes," Phoebe cocked her brow. "But that won't work this time because Piper's not a witch anymore."
"Yes, but if I can substitute the word 'dirtbag' for 'demon', why can't we substitute the word 'sister' for 'witch'?" Paige suggested.
"Paige might be onto something," Buffy said as she smiled at Paige. "But the call sadly won't be strong enough on its own."
Dawn frowned. "Why not?"
"Because of the pull of evil," Buffy answered. "The blood lust would be too strong."
"I don't want to get you mad at me Phoebe," Dawn said as she moved closer to Buffy. "But the furies go after evil doers…" She glanced at Cole, before then looking at Phoebe.
Phoebe tensed as she made eye contact with Cole, who looked like he was already on board. "Are you kidding me, Dawn! You want to use Cole as bait! No. No. Uh, no. We are not using the love of my life as bait."
"Oh, yes we are." Cole countered as he stood up and walked over next to Dawn. "It's perfect."
"As much as I don't want to hurt you, Phoebe," Buffy said. "I have to agree with Cole and my sister."
"So do I," Paige added as she moved over beside Buffy, Dawn and Cole.
Buffy looked at Cole. "Actually, Phoebe, yes we are. If you're up for it, Cole?"
"Cole, you have been a demon for over a century," Phoebe said worriedly. "That is a lot of victims. The pain of their cries alone can kill you."
Cole nodded. "Yes, but as you said, I'm not the demon that did those things anymore. And if facing my crimes helps save your sister…"
Phoebe looked pained. "Cole, I..."
"Phoebe..." Cole sat back down next to Phoebe. "I would do almost anything for you, you know that. But I will not be a coward for you. Please don't ask me to be."
Phoebe studied him for a few seconds as she touched his face before conceding. "We'll need some of your blood."
Cole nodded. "Right."
Paige held out her hand. "Knife." A knife orbed from the table and into her hand before she held it out in front of Cole.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy, Dawn, Phoebe and Paige were all standing at the table as Phoebe held a knife above a lit candle. "'Power of the sisters rise, course unseen across the skies, come to us who call you near...'" Phoebe and Paige recited together.
Streets of San Francisco
Piper, who was now wearing different clothes and sporting the same marking on her face, stood in front of the Furies as they caressed her hair. She looked up at the sky upon hearing Phoebe and Paige chanting.
"'Come to us and settle here. Blood to blood, I summon thee, blood to blood, return to me.'"
"I know where evil dwells," Piper said.
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe watched Cole closely as he paced, "Are you sure about this?"
Cole sighed. "I'm good at a lot of things. Waiting is not one of them."
"I know what you mean." Buffy said. "I hate waiting for vamps to rise out of their graves. It's like come on already."
"Yeah," Dawn sighed. "That's part of the training you've been giving me, Buffy, that I've actually hated."
"Now you know how I've felt for the last five years," Buffy said as she smiled at her sister.
Paige earned their attention as she made a noise while throwing her arms down.
"Uh, Paige?" Buffy frowned. "What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to do that orb thingy. I can't seem to get the hang of it, though." Cole calmly walked over to her before belting in her face causing her to orb out and back in, in fear. "What happened?"
Phoebe smirked. "You orbed."
"I did?"
"It's a fear response. Mine was like that in the beginning too," Buffy explained. "So until you learn how to control it, you just gotta—"
"Get scared?" Paige asked.
Phoebe nodded. "Pretty much."
Unseen by the others Dawn staggered.
October 7, 1998 – Wednesday
Pharmacy
Phoebe grinned. "Who wants to be normal when we can be special?" she asked.
"I want to be normal. I want my life to be… you know isn't this Aisle Three?" Prue snapped her voice a pitch higher, as she spun around to look at the medication behind her.
"Well, we can't change what happened. We can't undo our destiny," Phoebe retorted, leaning back against the aisle and clearly enjoying herself.
"Do you see any Aspirin?" Prue pleaded, choosing to ignore Phoebe, though her patience was clearly at its end.
"I see chamomile tea," Phoebe observed.
Prue clenched her fists and turned to face her little sister. "Look. I have just found out that I'm a witch, that my sisters are witches, and that we have powers that will unleash all forms of evil. Evil that is apparently going to come looking for us, so excuse me Phoebe, but I'm not exactly in a homeopathic mood right now," she yelled, trying her best to keep her voice as soft as possible so no one else would hear.
Phoebe listened unfazed. "Then move your headache out of your mind," she retorted, crossing her arms expectantly. Prue glared at her little sister, her eyes blazing in barely contained anger. Suddenly a bottle of aspirin shot off the shelf and flew toward Prue, who accidently caught it. Prue stared down at it in confusion, distracting her thoughts from Phoebe. A light bulb seemed to light up in Phoebe. "You move things when you're upset."
October 11, 2001 – Thursday
Halliwell Manor
Dawn blinked as she looked around before realizing where she was. "Plus practice makes perfect," she offered.
"You have been practicing right?" Buffy said looking at her sister.
"Sort of," Dawn said. "I mean when I have time. Can't really do it at school. And before dinner I'm usually doing homework…so…"
"The only time you have is when you go out with me on patrol or when your helping us with demons," Buffy said. "Then we'll cut back on patrol and add in time just so you can practice."
"Good." Phoebe nodded as she looked between Buffy, Dawn and Paige. "Then we will orb, we will freeze time, we will levitate, we will telekinetically juggle knives, just to keep the furies distracted from Cole."
"I half wish I had Piper's explosion power since the furies are immune to the freezing power," Buffy said. "So for me it's more being the Slayer that will help us than anything."
"So how are we going to un-demon Piper when she gets here?" Paige said
Dawn answered. "The book says we need to close the portal of unexpressed fury."
"Unexpressed?" Cole scoffed. "I think she's been raging for days."
"That's 'cause there's something she's not saying." Phoebe said.
Paige frowned, "Which is?"
"I think I have an idea..." Phoebe said as Cole yelled out in pain. He dropped to his knees as pained screaming voices filled his head. "Cole!" She quickly knelt beside him. "They're close."
Buffy and Dawn readied themselves for a fight as Phoebe stood up and Paige having gotten scared again orbed out.
"Paige?" Buffy called out.
Paige orbed back seconds later. "I did it again."
"I'm sorry!" Cole cried. "I'm so sorry!"
"Dawn," Buffy said. "Stay with Cole. Make sure Piper and the furies don't get near him."
"Will do," Dawn said as she moved next to Cole.
A fury then barged in through the front door. Phoebe levitated and kicked her, knocking her down. When she got back up to attack, Buffy intercepted and blocked her before knocking her into the next room with a roundhouse kick. The two of them spun around just as Piper and the other fury appeared behind them near Dawn and Cole.
"Nice decoy, Piper. Two points," Dawn said. Using a move she had learned from Buffy she jumped and kicked them both, knocking them down. "Cole. Come on." Buffy and Phoebe rush over to her and Cole.
Phoebe tried to get him to stand up as the Furies surround them. "Come on."
Dawn squinted at a lamp and it went flying across the room hitting on of the furies. Piper and both of the furies turned instantly toward her. "Sorry," she said as Piper and the furies walked toward her. "Really sorry. Buffy!"
"I see them," Buffy said. It was then she noticed the Cole was mostly aware again. That the pained cries in his head had diminished. "Cole." She motioned toward the furies. "We need to get rid of those two."
Cole managed to throw an energy ball at the two Furies, vanquishing them. Enraged, Piper tossed both of her sisters aside.
"Cole is not your problem, Piper, and you know it," Buffy told her daughter as she and Dawn moved to intercept Piper.
Piper turned her attention from Cole toward Buffy and Dawn and attacked both of them. They were able to block her hits.
"Book!" Paige called out as the Book of Shadows orbed to her and she started flipping through it hurriedly. "Please let there be something in here."
"There isn't going to be anything in there, Paige," Buffy said as she moved beside the youngest Halliwell.
"Piper!" Dawn managed to kick Piper knocking her down. "Please fight this! We're your family! I'm your aunt! Buffy is your mom! Phoebe and Paige are you sisters! You don't want to kill us!"
Buffy glanced at her sister briefly and smiled. It had taken time but it appeared to her that Dawn had come to think of Piper, Phoebe and Paige as her nieces just as she thought of them as her daughters.
When Cole got an energy ball ready Phoebe burst into action. "Cole, don't!" He stopped the energy ball as she made eye contact with Piper. "I know what you aren't dealing with Piper. You think I abandoned you."
Buffy glanced at Dawn as she wondered if her sister had blamed herself when she had died.
"You think it's my fault that Prue died," Phoebe continued. "You blame me. You should just admit it."
Piper angrily sent Phoebe flying straight into a cabinet, smashing it. She easily fought through Dawn before going straight for Buffy and Paige.
"You don't want to kill me or Buffy, Piper, you don't even know us," Paige said as Dawn groggily came to her senses as Cole hurried over to Phoebe.
"It's not about me or Paige. It's not about Dawn or Phoebe, is it?" Buffy said as she began to realize what Piper was really angry at. She hurriedly called for the only other person she knew could help them. "Leo!"
Leo orbed in just as Piper tried to scratch Buffy and Paige. Paige had grabbed Buffy's hand and orbed out with Buffy just in time and back in behind Piper causing Piper to spin around.
"Phoebe's not the sister who abandoned you," Paige said as she too began to realize what Piper was angry at. "It's Prue, isn't it?"
Panic filled Dawn and Phoebe when Piper grabbed Buffy and Paige by their necks. "Leo, do something," Phoebe said as she too began to realize what Piper was angry at.
Leo grabbed Piper, Buffy and Paige and immediately orbed out.
"Where'd he take them?" Dawn asked.
"To what Piper's really angry at, Aunt Dawn," Phoebe said.
Dawn blinked and then smiled. "So you finally found a place for us in your heart," she said.
Phoebe looked at Dawn for a long moment as she realized that Dawn was right. She had found a place for both Buffy and Dawn in her heart. "I have," she admitted. "Which means, even though you are not really my aunt. I still love you as such, just as much as I love mom."
Memorial Cemetery
Leo orbed in with Buffy, Piper and Paige. Piper staggered away when she saw Prue's plaque.
"Tell her, Piper. It's alright to hate her," Buffy pressed as Piper tried to get out through the locked doors.
"You should hate her," Piper agreed. "When my parents died, I hated them for it. I was alone, and I hated them. It is okay to hate Prue."
"I was much the same way," Buffy said. "When my mom passed away I hated her for it. And I bet you that your aunt hated me too when I died."
Paige looked at Buffy confused on Buffy's choice of words. Why would Dawn hate her for dying. Buffy hadn't died, had she?
Piper's eyes snapped to Buffy and Paige. "How dare you!" She bolted over to Prue's plaque and banged on it with her hands, "How dare you leave me! How could you go and die and leave me here all alone?! Please come back. I need you." She sobbed loudly in grief. "Please come back." She screamed and sank down on the ground to sob in complete grief. At the same time she changed back to normal. Buffy and Leo, who were also crying, went to kneel beside her.
"It's okay. It's okay, honey." Leo said.
"It's okay, sweetie." Buffy agreed.
"It's not okay. She risked her life every day and she never thought about what would happen to me and Phoebe if she was gone," Piper said as Paige started to cry with them for the sister she never knew.
Buffy looked to Leo who nodded. "I know," they said simultaneously.
Piper looked to Buffy for a small moment and in her mind she knew she had finally fond a place for both Buffy and Dawn in her heart, where they truly belonged as her mother and aunt. "How could she think that I could live without her, mom?" she asked.
Buffy smiled. "Maybe you should ask your aunt that," she said as she embraced Piper.
Halliwell Manor
Piper stood at the door to Dawn's room, debating with herself. Her mom said to ask her aunt how Prue could think that she could live out her. She hesitated wondering if she wanted to know the truth. Finally she knocked on the door.
"Come in, Piper," came Dawn's voice through the door.
Piper opened the door and stepped into the room. She looked at Dawn wondering how Dawn knew it was her. "How did …"
Dawn smiled. "Buffy, said you might be coming by."
Piper nodded as she moved over to a chair and sat down. She watched as Dawn squinted. She followed Dawn's gaze to the door and watched it shut of its own accord. She smiled as she looked back at Dawn. "You're getting pretty good at that."
"I've been practicing," Dawn said. "I don't want a repeat of earlier with the furies."
"That's understandable," Piper said. She then let out a breath she had not known she had been holding. "Mom suggested I should ask you how Prue thought I could live without her."
Dawn nodded. "I know. There is something we have yet to tell any of you. Buffy died a few months ago," she said as Piper looked at her in confusion. "It wasn't one of the first uses of personal gain spells Willow had done. But it was pretty much about the biggest. You see Willow brought Buffy back. During the time she was gone, I felt very much like you, Piper. Lost, alone. I didn't understand how Buffy could leave me. I understood why she did it though. So that I could live. But I don't understand how, and I may never understand till I am faced with that choice."
"Before Buffy died, she didn't hear me tell that I love her, and I did. But back then I was kind of brat. I admit that," Dawn continued. "I was the first person she told about being ripped out of heaven. It was then that I made up my mind, not to be the same bratty kid I had been. I made up my mind right then and there to be there for Buffy, to actually show her that I love her. Back when she was gone I wasn't sure if I could keep to my promise. When she saved my life, by sacrificing her own. She gave me this speech, it was the only thing that truly kept me going."
"What did she say?" Piper wondered.
Dawn smiled as she began to recite the speech Buffy had given her up on that tower. "Dawn, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I'll always love you. But this is the work I have to do. Tell Giles I ... I figured it out. And I'm okay. Give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now—you have to take care of each other. You have to be strong, Dawn. The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me."
Tears came to Piper's eyes and she smiled. She reached over and hugged Dawn who returned the embrace.
"If you ever need anyone to talk to, Piper," Dawn whispered into her niece's ear. "My door is always open."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Outside in the hall Buffy leaned against the wall next to the door to Dawn's room and smiled. With her Slayer hearing she had been listening to the conversation. "I love you too, Dawn. I'll always love you."
October 12, 2001 – Friday
Piper was in the kitchen pouring four cups of coffee. Across from her sat Dawn. After Dawn had told Piper what had happened on the tower she and Piper had sat reminiscing the rest of the evening about their respective big sisters. And as a result they had grown closer.
Behind Dawn Buffy and Phoebe walked in, joining them. As they sat on the stools on either side of Dawn, Piper handed them each a cup of coffee.
Buffy studied Piper. "Did you sleep?"
"Eventually," Piper said. "But when I did finally go to bed, I slept better than I have in a while."
"Eventually?" Phoebe asked wondering what had kept Piper up.
"Piper and I sat talking part of the night, about our big sisters," Dawn answered. "Sharing stories, you know."
"Ah," Phoebe said. "It's quiet, isn't it?" Her saddened eyes studied the kitchen. "Early and late. It's just really, really quiet."
Buffy and Dawn knew that Phoebe wasn't talking about them but Prue.
"Prue was always the first one up, and the last one down." A sad smile hinted at Pipers lips. "It's strange, the things that you miss." She glanced at Dawn who smiled at her. "So, how scary was I?" She and Phoebe laughed as the four of them moved to the kitchen table.
"Heck, I've seen worse," Phoebe said. "I've been worse. But uh, but Paige…"
"She completely freaked." Piper said.
"Actually, no," Buffy countered. "She handled everything... better than any of us expected her too. Myself included."
"Better than most people would, I think," Phoebe added. "She and Mom saved your life. She, Mom and Aunt Dawn are definitely Halliwells, last name or no."
Piper nodded as she realized that like herself that Phoebe had come to find a place for Buffy and Dawn in her heart. She looked at Buffy and Dawn. "I know I haven't been the most welcoming. I just … I miss Prue so much. It's hard to imagine opening up to someone else. With everything that happens in our lives, love just feels like an invitation for more pain."
"So maybe you don't start with love," Buffy suggested. "Maybe you just start with thanks."
Piper nodded. She stood and went around the table. She pulled Buffy to her feet and wrapped her arms around her mother. "Thanks, Mom," she said. She then moved to Dawn and she pulled her aunt to her feet and wrapped her arms around her. "Thanks, Aunt Dawn."
"Anytime, Piper," Dawn whispered into Piper's ear. "My door is always open."
Piper nodded and smiled at Dawn as she held onto Dawn for a longer moment than she had Buffy.
South Bay Social Services
Piper walked in holding a basket of muffins. She had baked two batches. One had been left at the Manor with a single note saying, 'For Aunt Dawn, thank you. Enjoy.' When Dawn had found the basket Piper had left for her and taken a bite of one of the muffins she had went and found Piper, and asked if Piper could teach her how to cook. Piper had agreed instantly. She couldn't be happier to have someone she could share her love of cooking with.
When Piper spotted Paige at her desk she walked over to her and put the basket down in front of her. Paige looked up at her in surprise before peeking into the basket.
"Muffins." Paige grinned up at her sister. "Thanks."
"Busywork." Piper shrugged with a smile as well. "I'm best in the kitchen. Prue was the one that liked to, uh, chase demons."
Paige looked over at Donnie. "Man, he's like a whole new Donnie." She gave Piper a curious look. "What did Leo say to him?"
"Um... I don't know." Piper looked over at Donnie, who smiled as he walked past them. "He's a miracle worker, that husband of mine."
Paige nodded before studying her. "How are you?"
"I've had, uh... bad hours." Piper answered as she took a seat in front of Paige's desk. "And hours that aren't quite so bad. I guess you know how it is."
Paige nodded. "Yeah. When my…" She wondered if she should say adoptive parents or just parents. Buffy was her mother reincarnated and she wanted to acknowledge that. "…adoptive parents died, there were some days I didn't think I'd survive the sadness. It'll never be okay that she's gone, Piper. But I promise, it will get better."
"I know," Piper said. "Aunt Dawn said the same thing last night. You know..." she motioned to the scratches on Paige's neck, "Leo could fix that for you."
"It's my first war wound." Paige grinned proudly. "I think I'll wear it with pride."
"Unfortunately in this family, it will not be the last," Piper said, "and mom is the only one who has rapid healing. It's part of the Slayer half of her from what Leo told me and Phoebe." She noted Paige's confusion. "That's right you weren't there for that conversation. If you can come by tonight. Mom and Aunt Dawn are going to give us their entire life story. They can even explain about the Slayer for you."
"I'll be there," Paige said. "Anyways, every family has its pros and it's cons. A couple of demon battles in exchange for the power to clear up my friend's skin?" She shrugged. "I'd say it's worth it."
Piper frowned. "The power to what?"
Paige motioned over to where Lila and Billy were chatting across the room. Lila was laying on the flirt, making Billy blush. "He's cute, isn't he?" she chuckled. "Well, you should have seen him yesterday."
"Okay, uh, you saved my life, so I guess we're even on the Book of Shadows swipe, but, um, Paige..." Piper looked at her seriously. "There are rules to being a witch, rules that you will have to learn and follow."
"Well, not to be difficult, but…" Paige said, "…you're married to our Whitelighter and Phoebe's shacking up with a demon. So, on balance, maybe my friend could stay cute?"
Piper smirked. "Okay."
"My, my, my." Mr. Cowan earned their attention as he came to a stop at Paige's desk. "That pile looks about the same size as it did about an hour ago."
"Oh, that was my fault," Piper answered as she stood up. "I distracted her with muffins."
"And you are?" Mr. Cowan asked.
Piper looked from Mr. Cowan to Paige then back at Mr. Cowan with a small smile. "I'm her sister."
Mr. Cowan looked surprised at Piper before turning and heading into his office. She gave Paige another smile before turning to leave.
"Tell Mom and Aunt Dawn I said hello," Paige called after her sister.
Piper looked back at Paige and smiled as she realized that like herself and Phoebe, that Paige too had come find a place for Buffy and Dawn in her heart. "I will," she said as she headed out the door. She smiled to herself as she thought over the last few days. She not only had a new sister but her mother had returned also, reincarnated into a new body. And even though Dawn was not in reality her aunt, she considered Dawn to be her aunt anyways. It was also in that moment that she realized that she didn't need time to come to love them, she already did with all of her heart.