Chapter 8: A Knight to Remember Part 2

November 2, 2001 – Friday

Halliwell Manor

"Okay there's nothing in here about spontaneously combusting into a medieval woman," Dawn closed the book and looked at Buffy who was watching Phoebe scrying, "I don't know what the hell's going on."

"We'll figure it out, Dawnie," Buffy said as she looked at her sister apologetically. "I promise."

"Darryl. Darryl. Darryl!" Piper walked in as she spoke on the phone. "Slow down. Okay, car jackings happen all the time. Why are you calling us?" She paused and frowned at his words. "A garbage truck?" She then tensely sat down on the couch. "At sword point. We'll get back to you."

When Piper hung up Phoebe eyed her. "Please don't tell me that the police found him," Phoebe asked.

"Sounds like it," Buffy said.

"Not yet thankfully," Piper corrected looking at Phoebe. "How about you?"

"Nothing." Phoebe shook her head.

"I knew it was a long shot, when I had you do it," Buffy sighed. "I mean, he's not a witch and he's not a demon, so...but it was worth the try."

"Okay..." Piper took a deep breath. "Aunt Dawn you get anything on your... problem?"

"No. Other than a migraine from all the hair..." Dawn frowned. "I can't find anything."

"Alright. Le...!" Piper paused as Leo orbed in, "O. Hi."

Leo smiled, "Hi."

Phoebe looked around him. "Where's Paige?"

"Paige?" He shook his head. "She didn't want to come."

"She what?" Piper frowned, "Did you explain the situation to her?"

"Yes," Leo answered.

"And she still refused to come?" Piper asked. "Leo, we are up to our pointy little hats in demonic problems here. We need her."

Leo nodded, still with a blank face. "She knows that."

"I don't understand." Phoebe frowned. "We're her sisters. Mom is her mother. And Aunt Dawn is her aunt."

Buffy sighed. "Yeah, but that's not the reason you need her. As I've been trying to tell you all day."

"What are you talking about, Mom?" Phoebe asked.

"Look, neither Buffy, Dawn or I want to get in the middle of this…" Leo said as Buffy and Dawn nodded. "This is between you two. But I will tell you that Buffy's right, just wanting her to battle demons with you isn't enough of a reason to get her to move in."

"It's a pressing reason," Piper said.

"It's not a sisterly one." Phoebe said.

"And Phoebe has finally learned the answer to the problem. If you want her to move in. You need to approach her as sisters. Not as a Charmed One," Buffy said. "It's why Dawn and I can talk to her when she won't listen to you guys. Because we treat her like she's my daughter and a person instead of a witch."

"In the meantime, you need to find the Prince before he exposes you," Leo said. "So I suggest you check with the Book of Shadows and get up to speed on Paige's fairy tale. I will check with the Elders and see what they know about..." He motioned to Dawn's predicament.

"Leo can I see you for a minute before you go see them?" Buffy asked.

Leo nodded and he, Dawn and Buffy moved down the stairs. "What is it?" he asked.

"I know that technically you are our Whitelighter," Buffy said. "But I was wondering if that was official? If it might be Sam? Especially since he was mine before I died."

"I kind of got the same question," Dawn added.

"I don't know about either of you," Leo said. "You do know what happened to Sam right, Buffy?"

Buffy nodded. "Piper and Phoebe filled me in. How he clipped his wings because of what happened to me. And then with the help of Prue he vanquished the demon that had killed me."

"I don't know if they gave him his wings back after that or not," he said looking at the two women in front of him. "I'll check and see if they are making you both permanently my charges or assigning you both to him or someone else when I check in with the Elders on Dawn's predicament." He then orbed out.

South Bay Social Services

The Prince walked in and pushed a guy out of his way in his search for Paige. When he saw her looking out from the copy room he hurried inside. "At last! I found you."

Paige's eyes went wide. "How?"

"I followed your heart, my love."

"You can't be here." She hurriedly closed the door so no one could see inside. "You need to leave right now before security comes."

"I will not leave until you are with child."

"Okay, A) I always use protection and B) you're a fairy tale."

The Prince reached out to touch her cheek but she backed away. "I won't harm you."

"Just keep that sword of yours sheathed, pal."

When he tried again to come closer she backed into the photocopier and accidentally turned it on. The Shocker demon escaped out of it and started electrocuting Paige. The Prince quickly unsheathed his sword and sliced the demon causing Paige to fall to the floor. As he helped her up the demon escaped though the electrical outlet.

"Fear not. I've slain the beast, my love."

Paige looked up at him in awe. "You most certainly have."

"Hey, Paige!" She jumped when Mr. Cowan banged on the door. "Paige, you alright in there?"

"I will stay forever by your side." The Prince earned her attention once more. "Every moment of every day, you would know you were protected, desired, loved."

"That's so sweet..."

"Paige! Paige!" Mr. Cowan barged inside once he managed to get the door open. "Paige, what the hell is going on?" Confusion filled his eyes when he noticed the Prince. "W—who is this guy?"

"Um, Renaissance Fair." She forced a smile. "Yeah, we're trying to score tickets for the orphanage." Grabbing the Prince she pushed past her boss. "See you."

Halliwell Manor

Piper and Dawn were lighting some candles as Phoebe and Buffy flipped through the Book of Shadows, "I don't see what the big deal is." Piper commented. "You'd think she'd want to move in here, considering the dump she lives in."

"Piper…Aunt Dawn!" Phoebe called out.

"Just wait till the Shocker Demon attacks her," Piper continued, "then she might not be so resistant to the idea."

"Piper Penelope Halliwell, let it rest," Buffy admonished. "Paige will come around when she's ready."

"Defiant, clever, and independent," Phoebe read aloud. "That kind of describes Paige, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Piper scoffed. "Along with stubborn, stubborn, and more stubborn."

"It could be me," Dawn said as she and Piper joined Phoebe and Buffy. "Buffy can attest to that I have indeed been at least defiant and independent at times."

Buffy nodded. "She has. Thought that was more before my death than after."

"I'm still independent, Buffy, just not as defiant anymore," Dawn said.

"True," Buffy agreed. "And as far as independent goes, I wouldn't have it any other way. It just tells me that you are your own woman."

"Wait a minute, listen to this." Dawn took over as something caught her eye. "'A powerful witch who came to the craft late but learned to use it quickly. That could be me or Paige.'"

Piper narrowed her eyes. "What are you two gettin' at?"

"Actually three," Buffy said. "I believe what we're dealing with is a past life. After all it would be a huge coincidence that Paige's fairy tale just happens to be in the Book of Shadows and that the Prince just happens to show up in the 21st century head over heels in love with her after she cast the spell."

"Mom is right," Phoebe agreed. "We've seen where memories from past lives can return. Look at yourself, mom, you're after all living proof of past life memories coming back to you in your present life." She looked at Piper. "So what if Paige's fairy tale is not a fairy tale? What if it's a memory? Paige's memory from a past life?"

Piper looked to Buffy. "It's possible I guess. Like Phoebe said we got a living example of that right here with you, mom."

"Okay what does that make me?" Dawn asked. "Why'd I go all medieval?"

"Hellooo," Phoebe smirked, "your past life must be the actual woman the Prince is supposed to be in love with."

"First off, I'm gay," Dawn said with a roll of her eyes. "Wouldn't she be also?"

"Not necessarily," Buffy said. "Things can change from one lifetime to the next. It depends on how we learn and grow from one lifetime to the next."

Dawn nodded. "Second wouldn't that make her a witch?" she asked as Phoebe nodded. "Well why didn't she use her powers…"

"Assuming of course she was gifted and not a progenitor," Buffy said.

"…or cast a spell and bust out?" Dawn finished.

"Regardless if she was gifted or a progenitor," Buffy replied. "It's possible her powers were bound."

"Or maybe the Evil Enchantress took them from her..." Piper studied the book, "The Enchantress' power was to conjure the elements. Paige can't do that…"

"Again different lifetimes can be different," Buffy said. "Just because the Evil Enchantress or the Prince's bride might have had that power then doesn't mean they would have that power now."

Just then a portal opened up in the attic earning their attention. "This doesn't look good," Piper said as the Enchantress from the book, who looked exactly like Paige, walked out of the portal and blew the four of them off their feet. "Paige!"

"Where is the Prince?" the Evil Enchantress asked.

"I don't believe this," Piper sighed.

Dawn huffed. "Well believe it, Piper."

"Oh, Lady Julia..." the Enchantress's head swung over to Dawn. "Still a good witch I see. Well, not for long."

Whipping her hand out she started to throw lightning balls at them as they sprinted out of the attic.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Phoebe quickly put out a small fire with a fire extinguisher in the kitchen as Piper ran into the living room and put one out on the chair.

"I got it! Living room's clear." Piper said.

"Conservatory's clear too," Dawn ran in and put down her fire extinguisher. "You know this would've been so much easier in jeans."

"Upstairs is clear," Buffy said as she came down the stairs. She smiled at Dawn. "Now you understand why I stopped wearing skirts or dresses to slay in."

"Yeah," Dawn said.

"Kitchens clear. Why do you think she left so suddenly?" Phoebe asked as she put down her fire extinguisher. "What, did trashing our house become too boring for her?"

"She probably realized we don't have the Prince. Great," Piper scoffed. "It's not like we're having enough problems with Paige. We have to deal with her past life, too?"

"Hey, at least she wasn't personally gunning for you." Dawn winked. "That's a plus."

"Oh, Aunt Dawn." Phoebe moved to Dawn so she could see the back of her arm and grimaced. "She got you pretty good."

"Yeah makes me wish I was a Slayer," Dawn admitted with a glance at her sister who shook her head. "I mean for the healing, Buffy."

"Well you have a point there," Buffy agreed. "The healing part of the Slayer is nice."

"Anyways I'll just have Le-" Dawn said as Leo orbed in just then, "O heal me."

"Okay, I found out about the Prince." He looked around the manor, then to the disheveled girls in confusion. "What the hell happened here?"

Phoebe motioned to Dawn's arm, "Heal first."

"Paige's past life almost killed us," Buffy explained as Leo healed her sister. "That's what happened here."

"What?" Leo asked.

"Evil Enchantress and Paige are the same soul, different lifetimes," Buffy continued to explain. "Is past lives that hard to accept Leo when you have a living example living in the Manor? Anyways she came through some magical portal looking for the Prince."

"So I'm guessing that makes you..." Leo said looking at Dawn.

"Lady Julia...you guessed right," Dawn sighed.

"Okay, well, you have to stop The Enchantress," he explained. "You can't let her find him. According to the Elders, if she conceives his heir, dark magic will rule his kingdom forever. History will be rewritten. Your future..."

"Will be screwed," Piper finished. "The world will plunge into darkness. Yadda, yadda, yadda!"

"Not helping, Piper," Buffy said shaking her head.

Phoebe looked at Leo. "So if we vanquish Past Paige, don't we risk vanquishing our Paige too?"

"Possibly."

"Well then we can't vanquish her," Piper dismissed. "What about binding her powers? Well, the powers she may or may not have stolen."

"What do you mean may or may not have stolen?" Leo asked.

"We believe Lady Julia might have been a witch," Dawn answered. "Which was kind of confirmed by the evil Enchantress when she saw me as she said something about my still being a good witch. Either Lady Julia's powers were bound or…"

"Or the evil Enchantress is a warlock or a dark witch and stole them," Leo concluded.

"So we'll bind her powers and send her back in time, hopefully a virgin," Piper said bringing the discussion back to the Evil Enchantress. "Okay, let's get some candles. We have a potion to concoct."

"Oh and Buffy. Dawn. For now I'm still your Whitelighter," Leo said. "They are considering giving Sam back his wings and if they do you both will probably be switched to him, maybe permanently."

"Okay," Buffy and Dawn said with a nod.

Paige's Apartment

"I still can't believe that you exist, that you're actually real." Paige said from the couch, with the Prince kneeling in front of her. "I always wanted to save you from the evil Enchantress so you could live happily ever after."

"Be with me and I shall. Come with me. Live in my castle as my princess."

Paige heaved out a breath. "What is it with everyone wanting me to move in with them?"

"I can give you all the riches you desire. I can take you away from all of this."

"As tempting as that is..." She shook her head. "I know it's just the spell talking."

"But isn't that what true love is?" He moved to sit down next to her. "Falling under someone's spell? Just tell me what you want and I'll give it to you. I swear."

Paige cocked an eyebrow at him with a sad gaze. "Can you make me as good as Prue was?" At his confused frown she shook her head. "Never mind. You wouldn't understand."

"Try me..."

As the two of them leaned toward each other for a kiss Leo and the girls orbed into the apartment.

Piper raised her hands to freeze the Prince as she yelled out, "Hey!"

"What is going on with this barging in thing?!" Paige reeled as she stood up quickly. "This is getting ridiculous."

Buffy smiled as she tried to defuse the situation. "Sorry, sweetie. Piper, thought he was attacking you."

"He was kissing me. It's called kissing," Paige scoffed before her glare cut into Leo. "And what are you doing here anyway? I told you I'd call if I needed to."

"Well, something's come up..." Leo explained, "Something you're not going to like."

"Something worse than this?" Paige asked as she waved toward the frozen Prince and then toward her sisters.

"Buffy's not the only one who has a past life," Dawn explained. "The evil Enchantress is here, in our world. She nearly killed us trying to get to him."

Paige sat right back down. "Oh my God."

"Actually, that's not the worst part. Remember how we were wondering how she cast a spell on him, but he fell for you?" Piper asked. "And why Aunt Dawn turned into Marie Antoinette?"

"Ouch." Dawn's hands went to her neck as she grimaced. "Don't say that!"

"Yeah," Buffy agreed as she tried to mentally dislodge the image of Dawn being beheaded. "Not an image I wanted, Piper."

Paige looked at her mother and aunt with sympathy. She agreed with them, it was not an image she wanted in her head either. She motioned for Piper to go on with a nod.

"Well, that's because you're her," Phoebe finished. "And uh that makes Aunt Dawn..."

"The famed Lady of the Kingdom and the one you, well, your past life stole the prince from," Dawn chuckled softly. "No hard feelings though. Promise."

Paige looked at Dawn in confusion. "I thought you were gay, Aunt Dawn."

"Different lifetimes," Leo explained. "Some things will always remain the same. Such as who is in your lives from one lifetime to the next. Things like powers, who your attracted to, etc. can change based on who you are during that lifetime. For Dawn in that lifetime she was more than likely noticeably straight."

"Anyways as Dawn said," Buffy said, "I'm not the only one who has a past life. You were the evil Enchantress and Dawn was Lady Julia in one of both of your past lives."

"That's why you remember the fairy tale so well," Piper added. "Because you've actually lived it once before."

"Okay!" Paige squeaked, waving her hands for them to stop. "I can deal with this." She took a deep, steadying breath. "Yeah... No wonder I related to her the most." She grimaced, "Sorry, Aunt Dawn. Really."

"No hard feelings," Dawn said as she wrapped an arm around Paige.

"Does this mean I'm evil?" Paige asked.

Piper nodded immediately. "Yeah."

"No!" Phoebe and Buffy yelled over Piper, who shook her head as well, correcting herself, "No!"

"No. Not you. Just your past self. You've grown and evolved. Believe me, we… we all have. That's what we do," Phoebe said before looking at Buffy. "Some more than others."

Buffy sighed. "Yes I was given the choice to continue. Something that most when they are reincarnated don't get."

"So..." Piper continued as she, Buffy, Dawn, Leo and Phoebe each held up a little potion bottle. "The plan is to bind the Enchantress' powers with this little potion."

Paige stood up and took Piper's bottle. "I'll do it."

"Alright. Then we'll—" Piper started.

"No. I mean by myself," Paige objected.

"Uh, no you won't," Dawn frowned. ""It's one thing I learned from Buffy. The reason she is one of the longest living Slayers. Is because she had help. Let me help you."

Buffy smiled at Dawn, who reminded her of Willow and Xander, both of whom had been adamant they help her even against her own objections at the time. She hadn't been able to stop them, no more than she had been able to stop Dawn, when her sister had come into her powers.

"Thank you, Aunt Dawn, but no. I put you guys in danger." Paige shook her head. "I'll get you out of it. It's my story. I have to end it once and for all."

"Actually..." Dawn grabbed the train of her dress and shuffled towards Paige. "It's our story, right? So let's work together and figure out how to beat the Enchantress. You and I, a team, that sound like a good time?"

"It does actually but I really think I need to end this between me and... myself..." Paige frowned. "Your past life isn't trying to kill everyone after all."

Leo eyed Paige. "But you don't even know how to find the Enchantress."

"Well, she's after the Prince, right?" Paige asked. "I'll just backtrack and surprise her."

"Really, Paige..." Dawn sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "There's really no reason for you to do this alone."

"Yeah," Phoebe agreed. "You've got family now."

"But, uh..." Buffy smacked Phoebe's arm. "If you want to do it by yourself..."

Paige nodded. "I do, Mom."

"Then go for it." Piper looked torn but she forced herself to turn her expression to supportive. "If that's what you want, we'll be here." She motioned. "Uh, with the Prince."

With a final nod and deep breath, Paige walked out the front door leaving them alone.

Dawn and Phoebe turned to Piper and Buffy. "Why'd you two let her go?" Phoebe asked.

Buffy looked to Piper and smiled. "Why don't you tell her."

"Because it's time we realize we can't make her do something she doesn't want to do," Piper answered.

"Exactly." Buffy said. "Dawn and I chose to move into the Manor. If Dawn hadn't wanted to I wouldn't have done it. Anyways Paige needs to decide for herself if she wants to move in also. You can't force her even if it is for good reasons. She has to want it herself."

Streets of San Francisco

As Paige got in her car she saw the Enchantress walking down the street towards her. She started the car and tried to drive towards her but the Enchantress used her power to blow the car back. When the car tires popped Paige got out of the car.

The Enchantress studied Paige, "Don't tell me I've become good in the future."

"Damn good." Paige threw the potion towards her, but the Enchantress zapped it with her power.

"And here I was so looking forward to meeting myself." She blew Paige onto her car, smashed the windscreen and knocked her unconscious.

Paige's Apartment

Buffy and Piper looked at Leo who seemed to be spacing out. "What is it?" Buffy asked.

"Something's wrong," he said. "Paige is in trouble."

"Well, go, go, go!" Buffy ordered.

Leo orbed out just as the Enchantress barged inside the apartment. "Remember me?"

Streets of San Francisco

Leo orbed in and immediately went to heal Paige. When she woke up he eyed her worriedly. "What happened?"

"Uh... evil Enchantress." A bright light shined out of Paige's apartment as Leo helped her off the car. "Oh, no."

Paige's Apartment

Dawn, Buffy, Piper and Phoebe dove over the bed of the otherwise demolished apartment to avoid an electricity bolt.

The Enchantress beckoned to the prince. "Come to me, my Prince."

A portal opened in the room, allowing the Prince to walk through. The Enchantress sent another gust of wind towards the girls before walking through the portal herself.

Dawn scoffed. "We can't just let them get away!"

"What are we supposed to do?" Piper eyed her aunt crazily. "Go back to the Middle Ages, the Dark Ages, or whatever hell ages those are?"

"If we don't, good magic will be gone forever," Dawn said.

"Dawn," Buffy said. "You don't even have powers right now. We can't—"

Interrupting her sister, Dawn stood up and ran over to take a swan dive right through the portal.

"I did it to you, so you just had to do it to me," Buffy yelled as she sprinted after Dawn and dove through the portal.

"Mom! Aunt Dawn!" Piper and Phoebe yelled for their mother and aunt before getting up and going after them. They both went right dove into the portal just as Leo and Paige hurried in.

"No!" Paige ran to the portal but it closed just before she could enter it. "What have I done?" Leo studied where the portal had opened as she tensed. "This is all my fault. Mom, Aunt Dawn, Piper and Phoebe were crazy to trust me," she groaned. "Why didn't I listen to them?"

"Now is not the time to lose it, Paige." Leo interjected. "We need to get them back."

"Get them back?" she scoffed. "What do we do? Hop on a bus to Medieval times?"

"Paige, concentrate," he ordered. "You're a powerful witch, whether you like it or not."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't powerful enough to take out the Enchantress, was I?"

"You know, one thing your past life should tell you is that you've always been powerful," Leo explained. "You still have that power inside of you. Don't be afraid to tap into it now."

"Okay..." she sighed heavily. "This is my fairy tale, right?" He nodded. "This all started with a spell that brought the Prince here, so maybe if I rearrange it a little? What if instead of bringing the Prince to me, I bring myself to him?"

"Creating your own portal?"

"It's worth a shot." Paige took another breath as created a new spell, modified from the one that had brought the prince to her. "'Bring together my Prince and me, his kingdom now I wish to see, crossing history to his side, from myself I will not hide.'" The portal opened up again. "Oh my God. I did it. It worked." Paige went through the portal, but when Leo didn't follow her she popped her head out and pulled him through it. "Come on. I'm not doing this by myself."

Year 1350

Alnwick Castle, England

Buffy, Piper and Phoebe were chained to a wall together. Lady Julia and Dawn were both locked together behind a portcullis.

"Wow... you look..." Lady Julia's eyes were wide with shock as she stared at Dawn. "So much like me..."

"Yeah..." Dawn tried to laugh her off. "Distant relatives really. Heh." She went to the bars to look out at her sister and Piper. "So, are you two still glad you told Paige to go for it?"

"Hey, you, mom and Phoebe were the ones that wanted…" Piper started as Buffy interrupted her.

"Piper Penelope Halliwell! Phoebe Johanna Halliwell! And Dawn Marie Summers!" Buffy admonished her sister and daughters. "Now is not the time, we can discuss who is to blame later."

"You know..." Lady Julia walked over to Dawn before looking out at Buffy, Piper and Phoebe. "I still don't understand who you are. W—what land did you come from?"

"Disneyland," Phoebe answered with an annoyed nod. "Future world."

"Phoebe," Buffy admonished before looking at Lady Julia. "Look you're a witch right? A good witch?" Lady Julia quieted as her look became untrustworthy but Buffy pressed. "It's okay. We're good witches too."

"In fact, I'm you," Dawn added. "You know, just a way, way, way future life. The point is." She waved off the woman's shock. "We have the potion that will stop the Enchantress."

"Yeah, let's go get her," Phoebe interjected sarcastically. "Oops! We can't, because we're chained to a wall!"

"Phoebe Johanna Halliwell , shush!" Buffy ordered her daughter.

"Buffy? Can you?" Dawn asked. "After all if there can be two Slayers in our time sharing their powers. Why can't there be two Slayers in the past sharing their powers?"

"I've already tried, Dawn," Buffy said with a resigned sigh. "I think their spelled to be indestructible. Even with Slayer strength I'm not strong enough."

"Mom?!" Lady Julia asked quizzically noting that Buffy looked younger than Piper and Phoebe.

"Just as Dawn there is you reincarnated. I am their mother, reincarnated," Buffy answered.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

The Prince was lying on the bed as the Enchantress walked in in her nightgown. Paige and Leo peeked around the corner nearby.

"Okay, find Buffy, Aunt Dawn, Phoebe and Piper," Paige instructed. "I'll try to hold her off till they get here."

"How? Your powers don't work in the past," Leo wondered.

"Yeah, but if we really are one in the same, I should be able to tap into hers. Hurry." She pushed him down the corridor. "Go get my sisters, my mother and my aunt."

Leo hurried away as the Enchantress laid on the bed with the Prince.

"Hi." Paige's voice had the Enchantress turning around. "I hate to interrupt myself at a time like this."

The Enchantress stood up. "How did you get here?"

Paige smirked. "I'm Charmed."

"Not for long."

Paige and the Enchantress each lifted their arms and tried to zap each other.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Leo rushed into the dungeon, shocking all of the women.

Relief was clear as day in Piper's voice, "Leo!"

"Buffy! Piper! Phoebe!" He hurriedly turned around to see an equally relieved Dawn as well as a still fairly confused Lady Julia. "Dawn! I'm glad I found you guys."

"So are we," Piper admitted. He ran over and tried to unlock the locks on her wrists but she hissed in a breath. "Oh! Easy, easy." She tensed when a guard came in behind him. "Behind you!"

The guard pushed Leo away but he was able to grab a sword off the wall for defense. They both started sword fighting with each other but the guard tripped Leo. He smoothly got up and blocked the guard's next attack before promptly knocking him out.

Piper grinned. "Nice!"

"Wow." Phoebe and Dawn said.

Buffy smiled at the Whitelighter knowing what it had taken the man to be able to do that. "Didn't know you had it in."

Phoebe nodded in agreement. "Thought you were a pacifist."

Leo hurried back over to Buffy, Piper and Phoebe to finish unlocking the chains. "I didn't kill him, did I?"

"I—I got to tell you..." Piper looked up at him with wide eyes. "I find this side of you very sexy."

"Really?" he said as he blushed slightly.

Piper grinned. "Yeah."

Phoebe agreed, "You've been holding out on us."

"All very charming..." Dawn cut in as Leo released Buffy. "Still locked in a cage over here!"

They all quickly shuffled over to get her out. Leo quickly orbed in and out with Dawn by his side making Lady Julia frown. "What about me?" she asked.

"Oh no." Dawn shook her head. "You are staying safe and sound in there where you can't get blown up and get us both killed." They all tensed upon hearing a zap come from the bedroom.

"What's that sound?" Buffy asked.

"Paige," Piper answered hurriedly. "Potion! Potion! Potion!"

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"Don't hurt her," the Prince shouted as he tried to protect Paige, who was having a standoff with the evil Enchantress. The Enchantress smirked as she, using her power, blew him off his feet.

Paige quickly turned to her family as they sprinted into the bedroom. "Throw the potion!" She blew the Enchantress off her feet. "Now!"

Buffy, Dawn, Piper and Phoebe threw the bottles of potion and they exploded in front of her. Dawn immediately turned back into her normal self and she grinned.

The Enchantress tried to use her powers but nothing happened. "What have you done to me?"

Dawn smirked. "Bound your powers and the ones you stole."

Phoebe glared. "No more kingdom come for you."

Piper nodded. "Not for you."

"How could you do this to me?" the Enchantress yelled at Paige. "To us?"

"I didn't do it." Paige motioned to her family. "We did it."

The Prince then stood up, confused and disoriented, before stumbling over to Dawn. "Julia..."

"Two things…" Dawn swatted him off as Lady Julia ran in. "I'm gay and there's your lady. Yeah. Right there. Not me."

Piper chuckled then averted her eyes as the Prince and Julia kissed. "Oh."

"A little squeamish when it comes to public display of affection. Are we, Piper?" Buffy asked.

The Prince smiled at Julia. "I am well, my love."

"My love," Phoebe repeated. "Looks like it takes the kiss of true love to break the spell."

Paige grinned. "It's in every fairytale."

"Alright, super witch." Piper smiled at Paige. "Get us out of here."

November 2, 2001 – Friday

Paige's Apartment

The portal opened up again, allowing them to step out of it and back into Paige's apartment.

"Okay, so..." Paige frowned upon seeing the mess left by her past life. "I won't be getting my security deposit back."

"Yeah..." Piper glanced at Buffy and Dawn before looking at Paige knowingly. "Too bad you don't have any other place to stay."

"It's no pressure." Phoebe waved her older sister off. "It's totally up to you, whenever you're ready."

"Yeah..." Dawn sighed but smiled at Paige. "Who needs electricity anyway?"

Paige glanced at Buffy and Dawn who nodded encouragingly. She smiled as she looked at Piper and Phoebe and took the olive branch. "I wouldn't have to stay in the basement, would I?"

"We will have to do some juggling but no I don't think so," Buffy said. "Though one of us may have to put a bed in the attic temporarily."

"Temporarily?" Piper asked confused.

"Mom had the foresight to invest," Dawn admitted. "I think Buffy is thinking since the Manor has a full basement. It could be made into a livable apartment."

"Exactly, Dawn," Buffy agreed. "There is enough room, especially if we dismantle Prue's dark room for a bedroom, bathroom and a space for a home gym, for any of us who want need to train." She looked at Paige and smiled. "I'll take the attic and when its completed the basement apartment. You can have my room."

"Oh, Mom..."Phoebe frowned as she looked at the time. "You're missing you're date."

Buffy shrugged. "Just another day on the job right?"

November 4, 2001 – Sunday

Halliwell Manor

When Buffy and Dawn had moved in Buffy had not changed a thing in Prue's old room. While she had not admitted it she had wanted to leave it alone as a reminder of the daughter she would not get to see again. When Buffy gave the room up to Paige they had taken time to box up the room. Some of what had been in there had been taken to Goodwill. Some of it was given to Buffy and Dawn. And some of it was kept in storage in the attic. So that Piper and Phoebe could show their children and Buffy's children and Dawn's children and even Paige's children who Prue had been.

"Tada!" Paige opened the door so the girls could walk in and see how she had decorated the room. "What do you think?"

"Wow..." Piper nodded as she looked around. "It's definitely different."

Phoebe corrected. "It's definitely you."

Paige eyed her sisters. "Is that a good thing?"

"Of course it's a good thing," Buffy told her youngest daughter.

"Good, because I was actually thinking the living room could use a little spicing up."

Piper pointed at Paige. "Don't push it."

Someone knocked on the front door making Phoebe purse her lips. "Oh, I hope that's not another past life."

Dawn chuckled. "It could be another past life, just not one where I have to wear a corset because that was more than a little uncomfortable."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Buffy admitted as her sister looked at her. "The costume from Halloween. It had one. I was glad to take it off at the end of the night after that spell had been lifted."

"No, it's just Glen." Paige smiled. "I asked him to drop by."

"Oh, the cute guy from the apartment?" Phoebe grinned. "He's yummy."

"Yeah, he is." Paige nodded. "But he's going to have to be yummy in Australia. He's leaving. He asked me to go with but..." She shrugged. "I decided to pass."

"Oh..." Buffy studied her youngest daughter. "Are you disappointed?"

"A little, but it's not like I'll be lacking in adventures here. Speaking of which." She looked at Dawn who smiled as she moved near the light switch. "Shall we?"

"Hit it," Phoebe told her aunt.

Dawn turned on the light, allowing the Shocker demon to escape.

"Vanquish we three witches cry, one final shock and then you die," the Halliwell sisters chanted.

Buffy smiled, she couldn't be more proud of her daughters right then as the Shocker demon sizzled out before it exploded, vanquished.

"Okay." Paige brushed her hands off and began to leave. "Piece of cake. Got to go. And don't forget... if you need me, please knock."

Piper watched Paige go before smiling at Phoebe, Buffy and Dawn. "And they lived happily ever after."

Phoebe put her arm around Piper as they walked out of the room. "Yeah, right."

Buffy looked to her sister as she closed the door behind Piper and Phoebe. "Do you want to talk about last summer. Because…"

Dawn sighed. "I guess it's time. This is Something I am deeply ashamed to admit, Buffy. If it hadn't been for Willow and Tara, I would have committed suicide. While you were gone, the depression was too much. I wanted to die to be with you."

"You were that depressed?" Buffy asked shocked that her sister would wish to die just to be with her. "How did Willow and Tara help?"

"I'm not sure if what they told me was true or not," Dawn explained as she sat down on Paige's bed. "At that time it didn't matter. They gave me a reason to live, a sister."

"A sister?" Buffy asked confused as she sat next to Dawn.

"Faith," Dawn said. "They told me they had secretly done a magical DNA test. It had shown they said that I was created from both you and Faith. Like I said I don't know if that is true or not. But again, I didn't care at the time. Having a sister…"

Buffy nodded in understanding as she wrapped an arm around Dawn. "It helped to relieve the depression knowing there was someone there that could fill the void."

"Yeah," Dawn said. "During the summer Willow or Tara would take me to L.A. to visit Faith. I sat down and told her everything. She promised when she got out of jail that she would take care of me. I had a reason to live, Buffy."

Buffy thought about it. She was sure Willow and Tara were correct. After all it would explain why Dawn was a brunette in a family of blondes. "I think they told you the truth. They used Faith's blood." She ran her hand through Dawn's hair. "And right here in the proof."

Buffy sat there for a while just holding Dawn, talking to her sister, at least till Paige came home and shooed them out of her room. During that time she had thought about Faith. She knew she had things to work out with the other Slayer. She had started that process when she had persuaded Giles to get the Council to release Faith from prison. Hopefully when she and Dawn returned to Sunnydale for Xander and Anya's wedding that she would be able to work some more of it out.