Chapter 12: Charmed and Dangerous Part 1
February 6 – Wednesday
Summers Home, Sunnydale
Faith poked her head into Willow and Tara's room. "Hey, Red…Blondie."
"Hey, Faith," Tara and Willow returned.
"Red, do you mind if I talk to you in private?" Faith said.
"Sure," Willow returned as they stepped out into the hall, she closed the door behind them.
"Uhm," Faith said seemingly nervous.
"What is it?" Willow asked.
"I invited Dawn over, you know it's her eighteenth birthday tomorrow. And uhm…"
"You wanted to do something special for her," Willow said motioning toward the ring on Faith's finger. Since Dawn and Faith admitted their feelings for one another two months before, Faith had with Angel's help found another claddagh ring, she now wore it with the heart pointed in.
"Yeah," Faith answered.
"Just take her to dinner, Faith, maybe to a movie," Willow offered. "Just be with her."
"Thanks," Faith said. "I know we kind of had a rocky start when I first arrived in SunnyD…"
"Faith," Willow said as she wrapped an arm around the brunette Slayer. "Yes I was hesitant when Buffy got Giles to release you. But I've seen how much you've changed. And I am glad to consider you one of my friends."
At that moment the bathroom door opened and Amy Madison stepped out, looking queasy.
Faith looked at Willow in confusion. "Amy," Willow said. "Amy the rat, Tara and I well we found a way to turn Amy back human."
"Hi," Faith said in surprise.
"The whole school?" Amy asked as Willow nodded. "By a giant snake-thing." She nodded. "Still adjusting. Hey, uhm…"
"Faith," Faith supplied. "I'm a Slayer."
"Ah," Amy said as she looked at Willow in confusion.
"Buffy drowned," Willow explained. "A couple months after we dealt with your mom. She was revived by CPR. She was technically dead long enough to call her successor."
"Ah," Amy said as she looked back at Faith. "It's nice to meet you."
"You too," Faith said before turning back to Willow. "Thanks for the advice, Red. I think I'm going to turn in."
"Okay, night, Faith," Willow said as she watched the Slayer go into Buffy's old room.
February 7, 2002 – Thursday
Underworld
Buffy, Piper, Phoebe and Paige burst through the attic door, Phoebe and Paige carrying Piper in their arms, Buffy right behind them, her arms out in front of her under Piper as if waiting for them to drop her.
Phoebe and Paige walked as quickly as possible to the back of the attic near the podium that held the Book of Shadows and carefully placed an unconscious Piper on the ground: her face, neck, chest and arms covered in small but deep cuts.
"I got her, I got her, I got her," Buffy assured them as she fell to her knees behind Piper and pulled her eldest daughter against her supporting her dead weight completely, one hand delicately cupping her cheek. "Piper? Piper, honey, wake up," she ordered sternly, her tone urgent.
"Piper come on, it's time," Phoebe added from their right, urgently shaking Piper's arm. "Can you wake up? Can you do this?" she asked desperately, sending her oldest sister a look of sheer panic. "You can do it, come on."
Buffy squeezed her eyes shut as she rested her head atop of Piper's, her breathing heavy with fear.
"Maybe we should call Leo," Paige suggested from their left, the panic and fear clear as day in her voice.
Buffy shook her head. "No. No, we can still make this plan work," she told her youngest daughter firmly then turned Piper's head towards her a little more. "Piper, come on. Open those pretty brown eyes for me, sweetie," she begged just as the Source clad in his hooded black robe, flamed into the attic right in front of them.
Buffy, Paige and Phoebe looked over sharply: Buffy pulling Piper closer, her head falling against her mother's chest. Phoebe and Paige each grabbed one of Piper's hands.
"Seems almost anticlimactic after all this time," The Source mused. "Doesn't it?" he asked them, amusement dripping from his voice as he slowly advanced on them; Buffy, Phoebe and Paige unconsciously shrinking back in fear just as Piper's eyes fluttered open and, upon seeing the Source, pressed her head into Buffy's chest firmly to alert her mother of her consciousness.
Although they could not see his face they knew that the definition of evil that was currently looming over them was smirking widely to himself as he formed a deadly fireball in his palm. He angled his hand towards Paige and released it.
Paige gasped and disappeared in a swirl of orbs, the fireball passing through the space she had momentarily vacated.
The Source sent another at Phoebe, Piper and Buffy. Which Buffy instantly froze. They ducked out of the way then Buffy let the freeze wear off and the fireball hit the wall behind them.
Paige orbed back in less than a second later exactly where she had been before.
"Piper, now!" Buffy ordered firmly and Piper, with great effort lifted her arms and flicked her wrists at the Source, blowing him apart only for the pieces to meld back together an instant later, fireball in hand.
"CRYATALS! CIRCLE!" Paige yelled, holding out one hand then throwing it towards their attacker who was instantly surrounded by the crystal cage.
The Source threw the fireball towards them with a snarl but instead, the crystal cage caught it and sent it right back at him, striking his chest and setting him alight.
The Source cried out in anger and pain and the flames engulfed him until he exploded.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Well?" the Source demanded, impatient, from behind the Seer. "What did you see?"
The dark-skinned woman with even darker eyes remained completely still, her back to the Source and her face hard. "I saw...your demise," she revealed to him gravely yet her tone seemed unsurprised.
"My demise?" the Source echoed, angry. "That cannot be."
At that comment the Seer whipped around to face him. "You know how powerful my visions are," she reminded him. "More so even than the Oracle's were, and more accurate."
The Source turned to her fully and slowly approached. "You mean to tell me that with all the powers at my disposal, all I've learned about them, in the end I still lose? How is that possible?" he demanded harshly walking right past her.
The Seer followed his movements calmly. "The Charmed Ones' power must simply be greater than yours," she answered honestly and the hooded face turned on her. The Seer bowed her head dutifully. "I mean no disrespect," she promised and apologized. "I only speak of what I see," she amended herself, raising her head again.
"Then the only way to change what you see is to obtain more power," the Source decided, his voice harsh and angry and the Seer's eyebrows rose. "The Ultimate Power," he elaborated and the Seer's eyes widened in shock and fear.
"But that's forbidden," she rasped taking a step back. "The Hollow has been banished for all eternity!" she cried desperately. "If you unleash it..." she shook her head slowly, pure fear filling her eyes at the possible future. "We all could die."
"If I don't prevail, what difference does it make!" The Source snapped, his hands curling into fists at his sides.
"There must be another way!" The Seer pleaded.
"NO!" The Source yelled back, his temper lost. "With the Hollow, I will render the witches powerless. Then I will destroy them, even if it means destroying us all," he informed her sternly, determined and the Seer looked away in fear, her eyes wide.
Summers Home, Sunnydale
Dawn and Faith walked into foyer through the front door returning from their date. "Hello?" Faith called out. "We're home!"
"Looks like no one's here," Dawn admitted. She looked at Faith and smiled. "I had a good time."
"I'm glad, Faith replied as she returned Dawn's smile. She then pulled Dawn into her arms and kissed the brunette witch. She pushed Dawn into the wall as the kiss turns passionate. They make their way up the stairs and into Faith's room clawing at the other's clothing as they stumbled toward the nearby bed.
February 8, 2002 – Friday
Elsewhere
"Make a damned move," a tall demon dressed in black, with blond hair growled impatiently.
The angel opened her eyes and smirked at him. "You're just mad because good is winning," she stated her dark hair brushing her shoulders as she floated above the ground, legs crossed, white gown flowing around her and her halo hovering above her head.
"No," the demon countered. "Just bored standing here, watching you think."
The angel held up on finger. "Ah, ah, ah, ah. Patience is a virtue."
"Oh, I have been plenty patient," He assured her. "Three thousand, five hundred years patient."
The angel smiled coyly at him then returned her eyes to the chess board, gesturing to one of the pieces which orbed to another place, signaling that she had made her move. "There. Happy now?"
The demon smirked at her as he moved one of his pieces towards hers, smashing it and taking its place. His smirk widened. "Now who's winning?" he asked smartly and the angel pouted just as a hooded figure flamed in, instantly recognized by both as the Source Of All Evil.
The angel returned to the ground and strode forwards. "You need to leave immediately," she ordered standing her ground bravely in front of the most evil of demons. "This place is an ancient burial ground."
"I know that, thank you," the Source boomed sarcastically.
"With all due respect..." the demon spoke up stepping forwards to join the angel's side. "...you are not allowed to be here."
The Source turned to him. "Have you forgotten who I am?" he demanded dangerously. "Whose side you're on?"
"There are no sides," the angel spoke up, voice stern. "We protect all magic that was the agreement."
The Source shifted to the side and threw a large fireball towards the angel, striking her stomach and engulfing her in flames, screaming as she burned until there was nothing but her halo left, until that to disappeared.
"The agreement's just been revoked," the Source seethed.
"DIE!" the demon cried, throwing up his hand and sending a powerful bolt of lightning towards the Source, knocking him to the ground.
The Source rose to his feet, hood fallen, and turned around to reveal only half a face, the other distorted by old scars along with some tribal markings.
"Please," the demon pleaded stepping back. "The Hollow is a threat to us all," he tried to reason with him, just like the Seer head previously. "Its power...is too great."
The Source came to a stop in front of him. "That's exactly the kind of power..." he placed his hand on the demons chest, "...I need." then threw him into the stone wall across the way.
The Source walked to the steel, solid double doors that housed the forbidden Hollow. He held out his hands and with great effort and concentration slowly pried the doors open, a blue light engulfing the entire place. The blue light disappeared when the doors were fully opened and the Hollow, which was encased in a heavy box with strange markings on every side, was revealed. The Source curled his fingers and the box moved towards him just as slow.
The Source turned slowly, to find the demon having crawled to the bottom of the stairs and was now gazing up at the box in fear.
"NO!" the demon yelled. "Please, DON'T!" he begged as the Source bent down holding the box in front of his face. "The Hollow consumes powers!"
The Source, however, ignored him opening the box and releasing the Hollow, its form broken and black like millions of small round flies that entered through the demons eyes, mouth and nose.
"Now you will be able to consume powers..." the Source's lips twitched into a smirk, "...and give them to me."
Summers Home
Dawn stretched her arms overhead as she padded into the kitchen. She was dressed in a pair of Faith's pants and shirt. She brushed her hair back and paused as she saw Faith sitting at the kitchen island. The Slayer was clad in just pants and leather top, her hair an unruly mess. She was chewing on her meal as Dawn entered.
"Morning," Dawn said as she smiled at her girlfriend. Or was it lover, now, since they had made love the night before.
"Morning," Faith returned as she eyed Dawn and smiled. "You look good in my clothes, lover."
"Thanks, baby," Dawn said as she sat down next to Faith. "Yesterday was most perfect birthday I ever had. Thank you. I just wish I didn't have school in a couple hours."
"Well just think a few more months and you will be a high school graduate," Faith said as she smiled at Dawn suggestively. "Then you don't have to leave if you don't want to."
"Looking forward to it," Dawn admitted. "But you do remember I do intend to go to college."
"I remember," Faith nodded. "But you got into UC Sunnydale didn't you?"
"Yes I was accepted at UC Sunnydale," Dawn said. "But I was also accepted at Berkeley. It's a tough call actually. Follow in Buffy's footsteps or in Phoebe's." She let a sigh. "I probably ought to get dressed. Leo should be orbing here in an hour."
"You are dressed," Faith said with wink. "Keep them. You look good in them. Just consider it another birthday present."
"Thanks."
Halliwell Manor
Leo looked down reluctantly at the papers on the table being slid towards him by his beautiful wife. "Do I really need to think about this now?" he asked dejectedly.
"Yes." Piper nodded.
"Why?" Leo shot back.
Piper glanced at Buffy, who sat next to her, before she returned her attention to her husband and gave him a hard look. "Because the Source has already killed one of us and if, God forbid, it happens again, we want to be prepared," she explained sternly and Leo sighed, unable to find fault in her reasoning. "We're leaving Dawn's P3 to Aunt Dawn and the Manor to Mom. And if something happens to either of them then everything goes to you."
"Hey guys!" Phoebe called, running into the dining room from the kitchen, a huge grin on her face. "Guess what?" she encouraged as Cole came in after her.
"What makes you think I'm going to outlive you, Buffy or Dawn?" Leo asked, looked back towards his wife, the two of the completely ignoring the excited couple before them.
"Leo...you're an angel, literally," Piper droned, she ignored the fact that Leo had referred to Buffy by her name. He and Cole continued to do that as well as Dawn. After a half a year she had long since gotten used to it. "Which means, short of a Darklighter, you win 'Most Likely to Survive'."
"Buffy!" Dawn called as she came down the stairs heading for the front door. "I'm on my to school."
"Have a good day," Buffy called back.
"Speaking of surviving," Phoebe cut in. "Source bulletin, this just in," she announced holding out a single sheet of notepad paper.
"Honey," Piper said sweetly, her face then turning dark and her voice lowering one octave. "Just sign the thing." She glared holding out the pen.
Leo opened his mouth to argue but quickly closed it again and obediently took the pen from his threatening wife.
Phoebe turned to Cole for help and he obliged, whistling loudly to get the bickering couples attention.
Piper jumped and she and Buffy turned to them. "What!" she snapped harshly.
Cole smiled. "Phoebe has something she'd like to say," he informed then and they glanced at the bouncing girl in question by his side. "Something that actually might affect what you're doing right here," he elaborated pointing to the will.
"Thank you, honey." Phoebe smiled appreciatively then looked directly at her mother and older sister. "We nailed the Source-vanquishing spell," she announced triumphantly handing it over. "Our ancestors, that's what we were missing. Our ancestor's. If we could draw the magic from the entire Halliwell line..." she left it open to interpretation, to see if her mother or her sister understood without her having to spell it out.
"We might have enough power to vanquish the Source." Piper concluded and Buffy agreed with a nod.
Phoebe grinned bobbing her head up and down excitedly.
"Take mine and Prue's names out," Buffy said as she read the first two names listed in the spell. "Otherwise you might have enough power to vanquish the Source."
"Yes," Phoebe said excitedly before realizing what Buffy had said. "Wait what? Take your and Prue's name out. Why?"
"For me, because I'm alive," Buffy reminded her daughter. "If this were back when you didn't know about me. It would have had more of an impact. But since you do. You don't want me to wind up astral projecting out of my body in the middle of a fight."
"Mom," Piper said. "No offense, but we would rather not be here to fight the Source with us."
Buffy sighed. "I can't sit on the sidelines, Piper. I've seen too much, done too much just as the Slayer alone. Don't ask me to do that, I can't."
"What about Aunt Dawn?" Phoebe asked.
"Dawn will be waiting for a text message that will tell her to go straight to Victor's any day after school," Buffy said. "And should I not come to pick her up she is to come get the Book, assuming the Source doesn't have it or have demons guarding it, and go to Sunnydale and Willow. While not related to you all she still is a Halliwell by her magic as she has a Warren power like I do. If we die fighting the Source she will be the last of the Warren line. And her children and grandchildren would be the only line of defense against the Source should we fall. For that reason I want her protected."
"Okay," Phoebe said. She didn't like it one bit. She and Piper had already lost their mother once, she didn't want to lose her again after having just been reunited. Add on top of that she didn't want Dawn to lose her sister, not again. Not after learning what Dawn had gone through during the five months Buffy had been gone. She was sure that her aunt would not survive losing her sister again. "And Prue's name?"
"Because Prue was reincarnated," Buffy reminded her daughters as she handed Leo the spell. "We don't know exactly how this spell will affect her current incarnation. It could place her in a coma for all we know when her spirit…"
"I do not believe that is possible," Leo said. "Under normal circumstances people who are reincarnated do not have the ability to even astral out when summoned. You are one of the few that was given the ability and only because of who Prue, Piper and Phoebe and now Paige are, The Charmed Ones. I believe the spell will still work and not send Prue's current incarnation into a coma. It could cause her to daydream maybe, but that's likely about it."
"Okay," Buffy said.
"Now, I'll go tell the Elders," he said as he orbed out.
Piper whipped around. "HEY!" she yelled after his rising orbs. "You did not sign this!"
"Oh honey," Phoebe sighed. "Are you still on that last-will-and-testament kick?" she asked glancing at the paperwork then back to Piper. "I got to tell you, it's very, very morbid."
Piper shook her head firmly. "No! No, it is very, very responsible," she countered. "Prue did it, and thank god she did, cause if she hadn't done it, we would still be dealing," she fumed, "No offense," she shot in Cole's direction.
Cole shrugged dismissively. "Oh, none taken. I've come to terms with my evil past," he mocked Piper, who scowled.
"No, I know what you're saying," Phoebe continued. "But I have a really good feeling about this, okay?" she asked glancing at the her sister and mother.
Buffy glanced at Piper then looked back at Phoebe. "Okay, but sweetie, we know what it's like: the paperwork after someone dies. I had to deal with it after mine and Dawn's mom passed and there was a lot of it and she had made a will."
Phoebe bit her lip and nodded. "Okay but I still believe that it's not needed," she insisted. "No-one is going to die, anytime soon," she stated firmly walking around Cole, placing her hand on his back in passing only to be sucked into a terrifying vision.
Phoebe was in the attic. A tall demon in black robes, a bald head and disturbing scarring and markings on the right side of his face. He formed a fireball and aimed it at her. Cole ran into the room, heading right for her just as the demon released his weapon. Cole threw himself in front of Phoebe, taking the hit instead.
Buffy and Piper look at Phoebe expectantly with questioning eyes.
"You alright?" Cole asked and Phoebe nodded.
"Yeah, hiccup," she explained faking one for good measure. "Oh, see?" she grinned then looked towards her mother and sister. "Hey, can I see you two in the kitchen for a minute?" she asked sending them a pointed stare then hiccupped again.
"Sure." Piper nodded pushing out of her seat.
Buffy followed suit, pausing as she looked at the Will on the table. "Remind me when Dawn gets home from school that she needs to sign that too." She turned and followed Piper and Phoebe into the kitchen.
"Phoebe, with or without the Source we still need a Will," Piper said. "Especially if I'm going to start a family."
"I too have one also," Buffy shrugged her shoulder and sent her daughters a smile. "The Gallery and the house in Sunnydale go automatically to Dawn. And should something happen to Dawn. The Gallery goes to you Phoebe and the house to Paige. Which reminds me I need you and Paige to sign it."
Piper glanced at her mother, she understood why the Summers' Gallery and Summers' home were going to Phoebe and Paige. After all she had Dawn's P3 and the Manor.
"This isn't about a will. This is about a premonition I just had that I don't want Cole to know about," Phoebe explained, glancing back through the kitchen door into the dining room.
Piper and Buffy exchanged a puzzled glance before turning back to Phoebe. "What do you mean? Why not?" Buffy questioned shaking her head.
"Because I just saw him jump in front of a demon to take a fireball for me, that's why not," Phoebe elaborated, panic clearly shinning in her eyes.
"A demon?" Piper echoed, panic in her voice, "What kind of demon?"
Phoebe took a breath. "One with a half a face," she informed them with a grimace.
"Yuck!" Piper exclaimed cringing.
"Interesting," Buffy said. "I don't remember ever seeing such a demon in either lifetime."
Phoebe nodded. "So we have to figure out who the demon is and vanquish him before Cole—"
"What if Cole can ID him?" Buffy asked, cutting in and Phoebe turned to her with raised eyebrows. "I mean, the Source is probably the one who sent this demon."
Phoebe nodded. "Yeah, that's exactly my point, Mom," she agreed. "He's going to want to stay close to protect me."
Piper smiled. "Well, honey that's what you do for the people you love," she said as she glanced at her mother. She understood now why Buffy was intent on standing beside them. She was doing it because she loved them. Of course she would prefer that Buffy didn't stand beside them while fighting the Source.
Phoebe sighed. "I know, but Piper, he's human now," she reminded her sister. "It's not like he could fend off a fireball."
"Well, can't you talk to him?" Piper asked.
Phoebe shook her head. "No, I've tried, Piper. He's not going to sit by the sidelines, it's not who he is." She sighed as she looked at her mother. "I see now why you want to stand with us. I wish you would reconsider though."
"I know," Buffy said. "But I can't. Anyways you're not going to tell him?" she asked, her uncertainty showing her disapproval.
"The attack happened in the attic." Phoebe told her mother. "So...I'll just keep him out of the house, until we can ID the demon?" she stated making it sound more like a question.
Piper glanced at Buffy who shrugged. "Alright...it's your relationship, it's your call," she said and Phoebe's shoulders fell at her tone. "I'll call Paige, let her know what's up as long as you're sure?" she asked and Phoebe nodded.
South Bay Social Services
"Trust me, I'm sure," Paige said firmly, her gentle eyes on the woman before her.
"The judge just wants to hear the truth, that's all," Darryl told her with kind eyes.
"Everything is going to be okay," Paige assured her.
Carolyn rubbed her neck nervously. "Yeah, but once he hears about all the awful things I've done..."
"Done" as in past tense," Paige pointed out with a smile.
Carolyn shook her head. "My past is why I lost custody of my son in the first place."
"Look we're not going to pretend that you weren't in an abusive relationship or that you didn't go to rehab," Paige told her logically.
Carolyn bit her lip. "It's just that I made so many mistakes."
Paige smiled sadly. "Oh, honey, look..." she started, moving around the table to Carolyn's side. "Your ex is out of your life, okay?" she asked taking her hand and Carolyn nodded. "You've been clean and sober for almost two years now, and you've held down a steady job, at a police station no less."
"You've changed," Darryl added from the side. "That's all that matters."
"The judge just cares about who you are, not who you were," Paige concluded squeezing her hand. "And that's what's going to help you get your son back," she stated firmly, tilting her head to the side.
Carolyn smiled back at her and nodded slowly.
Paige snatched her phone up as it began chirping loudly and buzzing on the wooden table. "Excuse me." She smiled putting the phone to her ear and slipping outside.
Halliwell Manor
"This is not a good time," Paige's voice informed Piper down the line. "I'm in the middle of something important."
Piper nodded, already anticipating this reaction from her youngest sister. "Does a half-face demon qualify as important?" she asked as she slipped silently out of the kitchen and into the dining room.
"He's there now?" Paige asked and Piper could hear her sudden flare of panic.
"No," Piper answered.
"Well then, no, that doesn't qualify."
Piper sighed. "Phoebe had a premonition, and not a good one."
"I know why I'm whispering. Why are you?" Paige questioned, clearly confused.
"So...it keeps making this, like...BRRRR! BRRR!...noise," Phoebe informed Cole from by the door.
Cole frowned at her. "But it's not even your car," he pointed out shoving his hands in his pockets.
"No, but I don't want Mom to be driving it and have it break down, especially if she has Aunt Dawn with her." Phoebe replied easily covering up her little white lie with another. "Look if you could just take it to the mechanic and have him look at it that would be great."
"Uh...Phoebe?" Piper called causing Phoebe to turn and face her. "That thing, you were talking about? A day thing or a night thing?" she questioned, glancing subtlety at Cole.
Phoebe looked over. "Night," she answered turning back to Cole.
"What thing?" Cole asked, looking at Phoebe.
Phoebe's eyebrows rose and she looked down. "Oh, it's...nothing important," she lied through her teeth, looking anywhere but up at him.
Cole nodded slowly, looking at her knowingly. "There's, nothing wrong with Buffy's car is there?" he asked seeing through each lie.
"No," Phoebe answered shortly.
"But you want me to leave, don't you?" he asked, again knowing the answer.
"Yes," Phoebe sighed.
Cole shook his head. "And you don't want to tell me why," he stated and Phoebe smiled softly.
"If you could just give us a couple hours, and don't ask any questions," she owned up, pleading with her eyes. "Please? Please?"
"You'll tell me later?" Cole raised his eyebrows and she nodded sharply.
Phoebe kissed his lips. "I promise."
Cole nodded with a shrug. "Alright," he agreed, lifting his coat as Phoebe opened the front door and closed it behind him, slouching against it.
"I love that man."
"Phoebe," Buffy said as she came down the stairs. "I don't understand why you feel you have to protect him."
"Because, mom," Phoebe said turning her attention to her mother. "I don't want him to get hurt. You telling me you didn't do the same thing with dad?"
"Yes, I did," Buffy said. "But I also told him why I wanted him to go. Your father understood."
"Paige look, this could be the attack we've been waiting for," Piper tried to reason. "You need to come home now."
"But Phoebe's premonition happened at night, right?" Paige continued to argue.
Piper scowled at nothing and answered. "Right."
"Well, you know how long I've been working with Carolyn. I promised her I'd be at the hearing today."
Piper exhaled sharply, accepting defeat. "Okay, fine, but you need to come home as soon as you can."
"Okay," Paige agreed, her tone clearly relieved and then quickly hung up.
"She's trying to help Carolyn isn't she," Buffy said as Piper nodded. "Carolyn is her innocent just as Cole is ours. Let her deal with hers and we will deal with ours."
South Bay Social Services
"So, we're going to meet you outside the courthouse at 3pm, right?" Darryl sought to confirm pointedly, knowing what those sudden phone calls that were taken in private can lead too.
Paige nodded at him. "Yeah."
"Paige is everything alright?" Carolyn asked, watching at friend closely.
"Peachy, with a side of keen," Paige smiled using one of her mother's favorite catchphrases. "All you have to do is relax and by tonight, your son is going to be with you."
Carolyn smiled at her. "God, I don't know what I'd do without you," she swore, shaking her head. "You're my angel."
Paige rolled her eyes but smiled with pride, pulling Carolyn into a hug. Nothing made her feel more pride and achievement than helping someone pull their life back together.
Halliwell Manor
"Halliwell Residence, Buffy speaking," Buffy said into the phone.
"Buffy?" came Dawn's voice down the line.
"Dawn, why are you calling during school hours?" Buffy asked as a frown creased her face.
"I'm at lunch just so you know. Anyways I just…I had this feeling that something was wrong. Everything okay?"
"Yes," Buffy answered. "Everything is fine. You know me if we need help, you would be called immediately."
"You do know that I can tell when your lying, right?" Dawn asked with a sigh.
"I do now," Buffy sighed. "We don't know anything yet. Just keep your phone handy, just in case. If its still during school I'll text you like we talked about."
"Okay, Buffy, be careful."
"Promise," Buffy she clicked off and walked over to Piper and Phoebe. "Any luck?" she questioned.
Phoebe sighed. "So far, we've found a demon with half a body, but no demon with half a face," she said frustrated violently flipping another page.
"I told you," Buffy said. "That there wasn't one. And I do believe I would have remembered if there had been one in the Book."
Piper crossed her arms and looked at Phoebe pointedly. "We do have a resident demonologist living in the house."
Phoebe paused momentarily then continued searching. "Yeah, we've had that conversation."
Piper threw her hair over her shoulder, "Alright, you keep on looking," she ordered.
"I'll call Willow," Buffy said. "Maybe there is mention in one of the books Giles left on this demon."
"I'll go get some coffee," Piper said.
As soon as Piper and Buffy exited the attic, a demon shimmered in to the room.
Phoebe gasped and stumbled backwards. "PIPER! MOM!" she cried, fear gripping her, eyes on the demon.
The demon smirked, threw out his hand and sent a lightning bolt towards her. It struck Phoebe's chest and sent her soaring back into the mirror, which shattered on impact, and she fell to the floor.
Buffy and Piper came running back into the room, freezing upon the sight of a demon standing in front of them and Phoebe on the ground amidst shards of broken glass.
"Piper blow him up!" Phoebe cried, shaking on her hands and knees, one hand clutching her left shoulder.
Piper threw up her hands and flicked her wrists, the demon scattered then returned to normal and smiled. "Thank you."
Buffy's eyes widened and she caught sight of an athame on one of the pieces of furniture. She glanced back at the demon then bolted towards it as he threw up his own hand and blew up the sewing machine. She snatched it up and hurled it towards him, the blade embedding into his neck. The demon clutched at the athame as he burst into flames. Black bee like creatures stayed where he had been standing for a second before flying away.
Piper gasped looking at Buffy who was equally as shocked, she turned to Phoebe. "Phoebe? Did you see that?" she asked as Phoebe looked at her and Buffy grimly.
"Phoebe?" Buffy said when Phoebe didn't answer Piper. They watched as Phoebe fell on her stomach, showing large pieces of glass stuck in her back
"Phoebe!" Buffy and Piper yelled as they ran forward.
"Leo!" Buffy called out as Leo orbed in. "Phoebe's hurt."
He rushed over to Phoebe and began to pull the glass from her back and started to heal her. Buffy stiffened and started walking back and forth eyeing her daughter and the amount of time it was taking him to heal her.
Piper stood watching, concern in her eyes. "What's taking so long?"
"She almost died," Leo replied, his eyes on Phoebe. "That's what's taking so long." A few seconds later and the healing glow stopped, Phoebe stirring. "Easy, easy." He soothed.
Phoebe looked up and around with a frown. "What happened?"
"One very mean demon," Piper replied hesitantly.
"Did you get him?" Phoebe asked.
"Yes." Buffy nodded. "But something else got away...and that's not all," she added reaching for a vase. How she knew Piper's powers were gone she couldn't say. But something at the back of her mind told her they were gone. "Freeze this," she ordered her eldest daughter. She then threw the vase in the air.
They all watched in silence as it fell back to the ground, past Piper who threw up her hands to freeze, instead the vase hit the floor and shattered.
Piper looked at Buffy in surprise. "My powers are gone?" she asked in surprise, looking directly at her mother.
Phoebe sat up further. "It stole Piper's powers?" she gasped, eyes wide.
"I don't know." Buffy shook her head. "The only thing I do know is that we got to get them back."
"I don't understand," Phoebe stated. "We vanquish a demon and then lose our powers?" she cried. "How does that work?"
Piper spun the book towards her and looked over at her mother and sister.
"That thing must have absorbed her power somehow, although I don't know how." Leo explained then frowned glancing at the three of them.
Buffy sighed. "Obviously, the Source is behind this. He found a way to incapacitate us which means my girls are basically lambs being led to the slaughter."
Piper froze as she turned the next page slowly. "That's him!" she cried stabbing the page. "This is him." she looked up and Leo came towards her. "Guardians of the Hollow?" she read aloud. "Ring any bells?"
"That's not possible," Buffy and Leo muttered looking over her shoulder. Buffy now understood the nagging feeling at the back of her mind that had told her that Piper's powers were gone.
"Why not?" Piper asked feeling that climbing fear again, "What is it?"
"The Hollow is something that consumes all magic, good or evil," Buffy informed them. "Both sides agreed to guard it. It's kind of a distant cousin of both the Nexus and the Nothing. It like them is purely neutral. Like them it will go after good just as much as it will go after evil."
"That thing must have been the Hollow. It must have taken over the demon," Leo added.
"Well, then how do we get it to regurgitate?" Phoebe asked from the couch.
Piper studied the page. "Hmm, there's no mention of a vanquish here."
Buffy let out a sigh. "You can't vanquish it," she said.
"The last time it was unleashed it nearly decimated all magic, all things," Leo added.
Phoebe's brow furrowed. "The last time it was unleashed?" she repeated.
"Eons ago," Leo explained. "Good and evil had to join forces and use their strongest magic, and even then all they could do was contain it."
"Okay, so if good and evil are seeing eye to eye on this one, who let it out?" Phoebe questioned quizzically.
Piper looked over at Buffy knowing her mother had been right that the Source was behind this. "The Source," she said.
Leo nodded. "If he was desperate enough."
"Which means he won't stop at just my powers, he's going to send another demon for yours and Paige's," Piper said as she looked at Phoebe. She then looked at Buffy. "And maybe even yours, Mom, and Aunt Dawn's."
"Very possible," Buffy agreed pulling out her cell phone. "I'll text Dawn to let her know to go to Victor's."
"The demon with a half a face, see if he's in the book." Phoebe pointed towards the book.
"We already searched, remember?" Buffy reminded her daughter.
"Doesn't hurt to double check, Mom," Phoebe argued.
"Even if you two could use your powers," Leo said pointing at Buffy and Phoebe, "and Dawn could you use hers. You all wouldn't be able to because he'd just steal them."
Phoebe threw up her hands. "Then how do we stop him?"
Piper shrugged one shoulder in reply. "Uh...we'll use potions instead," she answered with a nod. "I'll, make one to replicate my exploding power."
"And not am I a witch, I'm also still the Slayer," Buffy reminded her daughters. "I don't think he can steal that, because that's more physical abilities than magical ones. So we can use that also."
"Okay, you better get Paige. You're going to need the Power of Three," Leo advised them. "I'll go, check with the Elders." He pointed up, kissed Piper's lips and orbed out.
"On a scale from one to bad..." Phoebe droned.
"Oh were way past bad," Buffy said.
"Mom, now is not the time to be pessimistic," Piper said as Buffy sighed and left the attic to text Dawn.
"Do you think Aunt Dawn could talk mom into going and staying with her and dad?" Phoebe wondered.
"I hope so," Piper said. "I understand why she wants to stay here and help us. But the last thing I want to do is watch mom die all over again."
"Not only that," Phoebe sighed. "But I don't know if Aunt Dawn could live …"
"I know," Piper sighed as she remembered what Dawn had told her about the summer Buffy had been dead. "I don't know if Aunt Dawn could live with herself. Having mom back and then having her taken away from her again."
Courthouse
"This is very bad," Paige stated, hands on her hips. "Something must have happened to her."
"She seemed pretty shaky this morning," Darryl pointed out. "You don't think she—"
"No," Paige cut him off. "No way." She shook her head firmly. "She wouldn't sabotage this, not when she's come so close to getting her son back."
"Yeah, well, I believe you but will the judge?"
Paige sighed heavily. "God, I hope her ex didn't find her." She closed her eyes and shook her head as her phone blared loudly. She hurriedly fished it out of her bag and put it to her ear. "Carolyn?" she questioned hopefully. "Oh, hey, Phoebe. Look, I'm going to need more time—" she paused as she listened to what her sister had to say. "Oh, okay I'm on my way." She hung up the phone and turned to Darryl. "I got to go."
Darryl shook his head. "You can't just leave. You're the only reason why she's getting a second chance."
"Well, now it's up to you," Paige told him. "I have to go, it's a demonic emergency," she informed him, lowering her voice. "Big one."
"Okay. What do you need me to do?" he asked stepping closer.
"I need you to postpone the hearing for a couple hours."
"You know better than that." Darryl sighed. "You can't just postpone legal proceedings. There are forms to file, lawyers—"
"Please, Darryl," Paige begged, her eyes big and wide. "Can you please pull some strings and buy us some time? If we don't help her, there is no-one who will."
Darryl nodded. "Okay. I'll try."
"Thanks, just keep paging her, trying her at home," she instructed. "We have got to find her," she added with a smile before turning around and racing out of the courthouse.
Halliwell Manor
"Okay, what's next?" Phoebe asked the girls as they both had potions bubbling
"Owl feather," Buffy instructed from where she stood in front of the potion pot, between her daughters.
"Here you go." Phoebe smiled. "One owl feather," she observed handing it over.
Buffy took it and dropped it into the pot.
Piper stared at the pot then lifted her eyes to Buffy and Phoebe. "Do you think I jinxed us with the will? Maybe it wasn't such a...great idea."
Phoebe's eyebrows rose. "Actually, I'm beginning to think it was a very smart idea," she admitted morbidly.
Piper tilted her head. "That's not so funny."
Phoebe nodded. "Trust me, I know."
"Hi." Buffy, Piper and Phoebe looked up and over to the kitchen door as Cole entered slowly. "Am I back to soon?" he queried taking in the mass amounts of potion ingredients on the table.
"Um..." Phoebe chewed on her lip turning to Piper and Buffy.
"Uh...we need his help," Buffy stage whispered. So far Willow, Xander, Tara and Faith had yet to find anything on a demon with half-a-face. "No time to be evasive."
"Help for what?" Cole asked, eyes on Phoebe with arms folded but Phoebe remained silent so Cole moved forward. "Look it's obvious you're making a potion," he stated nodding towards the Island. "So...what is it you're not telling me?" he asked looking her dead in the eyes.
Phoebe glanced at Buffy and Piper. Piper adverted her eyes to feather and began playing with it. "You tell him or I will," Buffy told her daughter.
Phoebe nodded as she turned to Cole. "Uh..." She moved around the island and approached him. "I had a premonition. A demon attacked, and you jumped in front of a fireball to save me," she revealed to him reluctantly.
"What?" Cole walked towards Phoebe, shocked at this bit of news. Not so much that she had a premonition of it happening but more because she kept it from him. "You can't keep these things from me."
Phoebe looked up at him with wide eyes. "I was just trying to protect you."
"Well, that's not a good enough reason," he told her bluntly.
"I have to agree with Cole," Buffy said. "When I would ask your dad to leave when I had to battle a demon I told him why."
"I hate to interrupt," Piper interrupted. "But maybe we should talk about the demon," she urged.
"Piper's right," Buffy agreed,
"What did he look like?" Cole asked tightly, looking back at Phoebe with betrayal in his eyes.
"A creepy half-face," Phoebe started looking to the left as she tried to remember. "And, and his good side had tribal markings. A little bit like—"
Recognition crossed Coles face. "Belthazor," he finished for her. He already knew who was after the love of his life and her family.
Phoebe nodded. "A, a little bit. Do you know who he is?" she asked watching him closely. "Does he work for the Source?"
Cole looked at her with hard eyes and an expression to match. "He doesn't work for the Source, Phoebe, he is the Source," he revealed to them darkly.
Phoebe felt her blood turn to ice and she spun toward Buffy and Piper who were staring at him their faces blank but their eyes filled with immense fear.
"His face was disfigured in the battle that brought him to power," Cole explained, glancing between the two startled sisters and their mother. "Only upper-level demons have seen him. You should have told me."
Buffy sighed heavily. "So he's the one that released the Hollow," she said.
"The Hollow?" Cole echoed, eyes wide, "What do you mean, released?"
"It already attacks us," Phoebe informed him. "It took Piper's power."
"Then you better figure out a way to beat the Source without you're powers, otherwise—" his advice was interrupted by Buffy's potion exploding.
"Already on it," Buffy assured him with a smile.
Underworld
The Source stood staring intently at a pottery vase. Cocking his head to the right he raised one hand and the vase exploded, freezing immediately, pieces suspended in mid-air.
"The witches powers' are impressive," he observed impressed.
"Nevertheless..." the Seer spoke up, "...do you think it wise to have extracted them from the Hollow?" she questioned and the Source growled low in his throat. "There could be repercussions."
"Damn the repercussions, Seer!" the Source snarled. "I won't stop until I have the Charmed Ones', the Slayer's and Prue Halliwell's powers. I will not stop till all of their powers are coursing through my veins. You understand me?" he demanded fiercely just as the power wore off and the pieces clattered to the ground. He slowly moved towards the mess, "I can't risk going against them myself until I do."
"No-one wins while the Hollow roams free," the Seer insisted.
The Source crushed a piece of the vase to dust. "I control the Hollow."
"For now," the Seer warned. "But the more magic it absorbs, the stronger it becomes. And the more you extract from it, the more it corrupts you until it consumes all things, including you!"
The Source spun around and stalked towards her. "Unless you want to face eternity as a pile of ash, I suggest you stop questioning me and do as I say!" he seethed and she bowed her head. He stretched out his hand and called forth a Darklighter to serve him.
"How can I be of service?" the Darklighter asked dropping to his knees.
"I want the Charmed Ones, Darklighter," the Source informed him.
"But my arrows don't kill witches."
The Source smirked, reaching for the Hollow. "But they do kill Whitelighters." He approached the Darklighter with the box. "I want you...to kill theirs..." he bent down towards him, "...so he can't heal them anymore." He opened the box and the Hollow entered the Darklighter through his mouth, eyes and nose.
"And when you've done that..." he continued closing over the box, "...then I want you to bring me a little gift."
Halliwell Manor
"Five magic crystals, oriented east to west," Paige said as she placed them down on the kitchen table. "Magic circle check, " she ticked off rising to her feet again.
"Oh, purple good. Purple equals exploding power," Piper smiled happily as she finished mixing her potion. "Exploding power, check."
Buffy grinned as her potion turned blue. "Freezing power, check." While she hadn't lost her powers she had decided it would be better to have a potion made anyways because she knew she couldn't use them if the Source sent another demon after them with the Hollow to steal their powers. She then looked up at her daughters. "Slayer also, check."
Phoebe help up a piece of paper. "One fabulously written Source-vanquishing spell, check," she smirked.
Cole smirked at his girlfriend. "Don't get cocky," he warned good-naturedly.
"Not cocky," Phoebe countered shaking her head. "Confident."
Phoebe walked over to Piper and Buffy. She held up two vial, one for each of them to pour their potions into. "We are talking about the Source of all evil," Piper suggested. "Maybe measured optimism is best."
Leo orbed in catching their attention. "The Source unleashed the Hollow," he announced.
"We already knew that, remember it stole Piper's powers," Buffy reminded her son-in-law. "Anything else?"
"Good and evil magic need to join forces and read the inscription on the box where the Hollow is kept." Leo added, something they didn't already know. "That will put it back in its crypt and return your powers."
"Okay." Piper nodded. "So at least know how to vanquish it." She smiled at her husband. "This is good news."
"Good news if the Source brings the box and we can find an evil being willing to help," Phoebe added pessimistically as she approached her mother and sisters.
"Hey, Cole," Paige turned to him. "To bad you're not still evil."
"Well, one step at a time," Cole replied looking to Phoebe. "First we vanquish the Source and uh...then we'll worry about putting Pandora back in its box."
Paige turned to her phone as it buzzed loudly and snatched it up. "Hello? Oh, hey Darryl," she greeted her face falling as she listened closely. "Oh no," she sighed turning around and walking out of the room. "Are you sure she's going to be okay?" she asked worried for Carolyn's health.
"Yeah, the ER doctor said there was no internal bleeding," Darryl assured her quickly. "But she still got beat up pretty bad."
"Damn it!" Paige cursed loudly. "How did he find her?"
"I have no idea," Darryl said sadly. "But I've got every available officer out there looking for him."
Paige shook her head, staring upwards to keep her tears at bay. "What about the hearing?"
"I got it postponed for an hour from now, but I doubt we're going to find him by then," he informed her then paused. "Look, Paige, with her history, this doesn't look good," he pointed out.
Paige, nodding then hung up the phone. Paige jumped as someone touched her arm and turned to find Leo.
"We need you in the kitchen," Leo told her firmly.
Paige scowled and began walking back toward the kitchen. "You know Leo." She turned to him. "I have my charges too."
"Hey guys!" Buffy called walking out from the kitchen. "Come on," she ordered just as the Darklighter orbed in behind Leo and fired. "Oh no you don't!" she cried flicking her wrist and freezing the arrow in mid-air.
Leo spun around and raced towards them both. "Buffy, get in the kitchen," he ordered sternly.
Paige walked past them. "CROSSBOW!" she yelled as her other sisters' and Cole came out of the kitchen.
"NO YOUR POWERS!" Cole yelled but it was too late.
The Darklighter absorbed Paige's powers and smirked raising the crossbow once more and firing but Buffy froze it again.
Leo grabbed Buffy's arm and ordered sternly. "Kitchen."
"What the hell!" Piper cried from the doorway with Phoebe.
Leo looked over. "You too, Piper. You have no powers, you're defenseless."
"Leo, let go," Buffy glared at the Whitelighter. "I'm not only a witch but a Slayer, remember?" She turned and froze another arrow before plucking it like the others from the air and dropping it to the ground.
"You are also a future Whitelighter!" Leo told her.
"What?" Buffy said looking at Leo in shock.
"Slayers always have been. The only reason you aren't a Whitelighter now is because of Willow's spell that returned you to life before the Elders could even offer it to you," Leo explained as an arrow finally got through hitting Buffy in the shoulder.
Piper went to throw a potion at the Darklighter and he orbed out of the room. She and Phoebe turned and rushed over to Buffy who had slid to the floor.
The eldest two Halliwell sisters lifted their mother and carried Buffy into the conservatory and laid her on the couch. "We have to get the arrow out," Leo told Piper and Phoebe as he kept his eyes peeled for the Darklighter. He was sure the Darklighter would return.
Piper looked at her middle sister. "Phoebe, hold mom's hand," she instructed. Phoebe nodded as she took Buffy's hand in her own. She clenched her jaw and looked Buffy in the eyes. "Okay, ready?" Buffy nodded quickly as she gripped the arrow. She quickly pulled the arrow out as Buffy screamed in agony. She laid the arrow on the coffee table next to her. "Paige, don't touch that you're part Whitelighter." She looked at her husband. "Okay, Leo."
Leo moved to Buffy and held his hands over the wound as they began to glow golden as he healed her.
The Darklighter orbed back in on the other side of the room, out of everyone's line of sight. Seeing his moment of opportunity the Darklighter aimed at an unsuspecting Leo and fired.
"AHH!" Leo cried out as the arrow tore through his stomach seconds after he had completed healing Buffy, throwing him to the ground.
Piper spun around. "LEO!" she screamed and moved towards him but Phoebe grabbed her, holding her back as she threw the potion, vanquishing the Darklighter but not the Hollow which merely buzzed away.
"Leo!" Piper cried again, tearing her arm from Phoebe's grip and running towards her husband, dropping down beside him. Piper bit her trembling lip and pulled her husband against her, cradling his head in her hands.
Buffy got off the couch and helped Leo onto it. "Save me and then…" she said sadly. She helped him to lay, his back outwards, face to the back of the couch. Piper perched on the end next to him as she took his hand in her own.
Piper bit her lip then squeezed his hand, "You ready?" she asked her husband gently.
Leo nodded as much as he could through the shaking and Piper looked up at Phoebe, who had replaced Buffy at Leo's side, and nodded.
Buffy sighed. "You get done healing me for the same injury and you get this as a result. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," he told his mother-in-law.
"Okay, hold on, Leo," Phoebe said then, as quickly as possible, pushed the arrow out of her brother-in-law's body.
Piper squeezed her eyes closed as Leo crushed her hand and he screamed out in pain. "Okay, it's over. Easy, easy, easy," she soothed glancing at Phoebe quickly, who dropped down next to Leo and Piper. "Remember, don't touch those," she told her baby sister and mother. Paige rolled her eyes at the second warning for the same thing that day. She turned her attention back to her husband and stroked his hair as she helped him lie down fully. "Just lay back. Easy," She said gently blinking rapidly to fight her tears. "You're okay, just lay back. Easy."
"Still bossing me around huh?" he rasped out, breathing harshly.
Piper smiled. "You better believe it."
"I don't understand," Paige spoke up moving towards them. "How come you can heal us but you can't heal yourself? And why didn't we know that mom was a future Whitelighter?"
Leo shook his head. "On the first question it just doesn't work that way. On the second till now it was not something that truly need to be worried about," he answered. "After all none of you have even seen a Darklighter since Buffy and Dawn joined this family."
"You still should have told us, Leo," Piper admonished her husband. "If you both had been hit at the same time…" That was when an idea came to her mind. "Hey?" she called and he looked at her. "I bet you could switch powers with Phoebe or Mom, like we did before—"
"Piper's right, Leo, on both accounts," Buffy agreed. "I can switch powers with you and you should have told us. We could have been better prepared for a Darklighter if we had known I was a future Whitelighter."
"No!" Leo snapped. "If the Source comes and you or Phoebe don't have your powers...you don't stand a chance. I mean it, I'm still your Whitelighter," he reminded his wife and mother-in-law. "And, Buffy, on your being a future Whitelighter your right. I should have told you at the very least."
"Uh..." Piper cleared her throat loudly. "Phoebe?" she called and her sister looked toward her. "Go find something else: a potion, an amulet, a spell, whatever. GO!" she yelled and Phoebe and Cole walked out into the sunroom. "Paige, go help her," she ordered again and Paige scurried away.
Buffy stroked Piper's hair soothingly. "We're going to fix this Piper," she said surely. "We're going to save him." She looked at her son-in-law sadly. If she had only listened when he had ordered her into the kitchen. They might have vanquished the Darklighter before he could have shot Leo. She looked at Piper and she blamed herself if her daughter's husband died because he had been healing her.