Chapter 15: Marry-Go-Round Part 2
March 16, 2002 – Saturday
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe sighed as she slowly rose from her sleep, glancing at her alarm clock which read 11:07 and shot upright with wide eyes. "Shit," she muttered throwing off the comforter and scrambling to the door wrenching it open to find Paige in the chair on the other side.
"Paige?" Phoebe questioned confused and her younger sister stirred, "Where the hell is mom, she was supposed to wake me up!" she cried.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn slowly rose from her sleep, glancing at her alarm clock which read 11:07 and shot upright with wide eyes. "Dang," she said as she nudged Faith and motioned toward the clock.
Faith looked at the time and then at her fiancé. "How did we oversleep?" she wondered.
"I don't know," Dawn said as she got out of bed. "I'll make sure everyone else is up then I will join you in the downstairs bathroom to get ready."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy slowly rose from her sleep, glancing at her alarm clock which read 11:07 and shot upright with wide eyes. "What in the heck?" she said seconds before Dawn pulled back her curtain. "We overslept?"
"Yep," Dawn sighed. "Phoebe's in the second floor bathroom. I'm joining Faith in the downstairs bathroom. You know I wish the basement apartment were finished. As many of us as there is…" (A/N 1)
"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "Three bathrooms and six women is just not enough. When the basement apartment is finished four bathrooms won't really be enough, but it will be better than now." (A/N 2)
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"What happened?" Piper asked walking out of her room, one hand out in front of her as she came to her senses. "What time is it?" she asked her mother as Buffy came down the stairs from the attic.
"It's a little after eleven in the morning," Buffy answered. "Somehow we all overslept. Especially me since I was supposed to be the one to wake Phoebe. The only other time I've ever overslept like this, I was sick with the flu."
Phoebe screamed loudly rushing from the bathroom. "Look at me!" she exclaimed, her face covered in spots.
"Wow!" Piper gasped.
"Oh my goddess!" Buffy cried, eyes wide.
Phoebe turned to Paige. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I fixed your wedding dress?" she tried with a shrug.
Phoebe laughed bitterly trying not to cry, "PAIGE!" she shrieked storming past her and into her bedroom.
Buffy stormed after her grabbing Piper's hand to make her move, who in turn yanked a slightly scared Paige behind her.
"This is all your fault!" Phoebe screeched sitting down at her vanity. "You put a mojo on my face cream."
"I did not!" Paige answered, fear gone, anger surfacing. "Those are all natural ingredients."
"Okay, we all just need to take a deep breath—" Buffy advised.
"Say what!" Paige demanded, cutting her off.
Phoebe turned, refusing to look at her baby sister. "Don't think that I don't know how you really feel about Cole."
"Oh! I have been nothing but supportive of the demon."
"Ex-demon!"
"Oh, is that like 'ex-convict'?"
"That is a low blow," Piper said shaking her head. "Or have you forgotten who Aunt Dawn's fiancé is?"
"Alright, that is enough," Buffy reprimanded. She glanced at Piper. "Sometimes I'm glad I missed out on you guys growing up." She looked back to Phoebe and Paige. "We all just need to calm down—"
"Face it, Phoebe!" Paige snapped and both Buffy and Piper threw up their hands. "This wedding has been filled with nothing but bad omens from the start," she pointed out, one hand on her hip.
"And they all seem to be connected with you now, don't they?" Phoebe jibed glaring daggers at her baby sister then whirling back to the mirror.
"ALRIGHT THAT'S IT!" Buffy yelled loudly silencing them both. "Break it up. You..." she pointed at Paige, "...you go back to your corner and you..." she turned to Phoebe. "You're going to get ready and we're going to put lots and lots of make-up on you."
"Oh face it! There's not enough spackle in the world to fill those craters," Paige insulted with a scowl. "Step back."
"Oh, now what are you doing?" Phoebe gasped turning around in her chair.
"Phoebe Johanna Halliwell, that's enough!" Buffy chastised hands on her hips and Phoebe stopped talking. "Drop the attitude. If you're going to accuse Paige of trying to sabotage your wedding, based solely, on her less than fluffy feelings towards Cole then why the hell aren't you accusing me too?" she asked pointedly, raising both her eyebrows.
"Why would I?" Phoebe asked confused.
"I'm a Slayer, remember?" Buffy reminded her daughter. "I never mentioned it, because you were happy and to tell the truth it was never any of my business. But as your mother, I was never happy with your choice of boyfriend and the Slayer part of me was always yelling at me to vanquish him."
Phoebe opened her mouth to retort but had nothing, so looked down at the floor instead.
Buffy pursed her lips and turned on Paige. "Same goes for you. Get rid of the attitude because all this yelling is just wasting time, and giving Piper and I a headache."
Paige sighed. "Sorry," she apologized to Buffy and Piper.
"Sorry too," Phoebe added, scowling at Paige.
Piper slid next to Buffy. "Thank you," she sighed then looked at Paige. "What were you going to say."
"I'm going to fix your face and prove to you that I am not trying to sabotage anything!" Paige said snarkily and Phoebe rolled her eyes.
Piper and Buffy looked at each other and Piper shook her head, "I don't think—"
Paige held up her hand. "Let the object of objection become but a dream as I cause the scene to be unseen."
"—think magic's the answer." Piper finished with a sigh.
"Magic," Phoebe cried looking to her mother and older sister. "She just used magic on me."
"And it's...working." Buffy frowned as they watched the spots disappear.
"It is?" Phoebe cried happily, her face lighting up, now completely clear of zits.
Buffy and Piper gasped loudly as they watched Phoebe disappear completely.
"My zits are gone?" Phoebe asked hopefully now totally invisible, her pajama's the only indication the she was standing in front of them.
Buffy and Piper turned on a startled and panic stricken Paige.
"Yeah..." Piper nodded as she looked at Phoebe's floating pajama's. "I can, I can honestly say that your face is completely clear."
"Woohoo!" Phoebe rejoiced jumping up and down, her pajama's the only thing her sisters or mother could see.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"This is my wedding day." Phoebe ranted in the attic waving around her program. "The one day of my life that is all about me and nobody can see me!" she exploded throwing the papers into the air, grabbing one sheet so that her family could locate her.
"I'm sorry," Paige apologized again following her sister, wedding dress in hand. "I didn't mean to do it."
"Stop following me," Phoebe snapped. "Go away!" she cried scrunching up the sheet.
"Hang on, Phoebe," Piper soothed from her place next to Buffy. They stood next to Faith who was flicking through the Book of Shadows. "Don't lose it now."
"Here." Paige held out the dress. "You can't walk around naked and I think it'll fit now."
"Urgh!" Phoebe growled snatching away the dress. "Paige! What difference does it make? I am invisible. My wedding is supposed to start in less than one hour and everyone I've ever known is going to be there and I'm never going to be able to face them again," she huffed dropping the dress and throwing a stack of books to the floor.
"Phoebe Johanna Halliwell!" Buffy cried sternly. "Sit your ass down and behave," she ordered, the dip in Aunt Pearl's couch the only indication that Phoebe had obeyed. "This is just a backfire to the vanishing spell okay?" she said calmly. "We're looking for a way to reverse it, so in the meantime stay there and be quite," she ordered pointing to the couch. She looked at her sister Slayer. Faith. have you found a reversal spell yet?"
"Not yet," Faith answered.
"Patty, what's going on up here?" Victor asked as he opened the attic door, already in his tuxedo. He noticed that out of the five of them he could see that only Dawn and Faith were dressed. "You three aren't even dressed yet." He motioned toward Buffy, Piper and Paige.
Everyone glanced at one another, panicked.
"Where's Phoebe's?" he asked looking around.
"Uh..." Buffy pointed to her ex-husband. "She is still putting on her face," she answered. Then she mouthed knowing Victor could read lips, having learned it when they were married. 'Magical problems we'll be down in a minute.'
Victor nodded in understanding. "I can't keep stalling this photographer forever," he told them. "He's done portraits in every room in the house."
"Send him ahead to the church," Phoebe's voice told him from somewhere in the room.
"Phoebe?" Victor questioned looking around.
"That was me," Buffy said. "I'm working on my impressions," She smiled then planted a hand over her mouth when Phoebe spoke again.
"Dad, go downstairs and wait for us there."
"See?" Buffy said removing her hand. "I'm working it so if Piper gets stage fright I can do her toast.
Victor looked at Buffy and mouthed, 'You owe me one.' He turned and headed back downstairs.
"Uh, what's the use?" Phoebe voice sounded the couch dipping again. "I might as well call Cole and tell him the wedding's off."
"I thought I told you to stay there and be quiet," Buffy growled glaring at her younger sister.
"Mom, something you said is bothering me," Paige spoke up looking at Buffy. "Why would there be a backfire to the vanishing spell?"
Buffy shrugged. "Personal gain, I guess."
"Yeah, but there wasn't any of that when I used it to help others, why Phoebe?" Paige wondered.
"What, are you suggesting that there is outside magic at play here?" Dawn said.
"To tell the truth I have been thinking that so far everything that has happened this morning and even last night is a result of magic," Faith said as she turned to look at everyone. "I had this nagging feeling this morning that something caused us all to oversleep. I have yet to find anything in your book though. But think about it, too many things have gone wrong. Paige said she picked up the correct dress last night, despite the tag being wrong and the dress being the wrong size. I think someone or something came up here and altered it magically. Then there was the Lazarus demon which attacked, then we all overslept and finally the vanishing spell that backfired."
"When you say it like that," Buffy agreed, "it would be too much of a coincidence if it wasn't all related. Which means…"
Dawn nodded enthusiastically, "We're not fighting each other here, we're fighting evil. We kick evil's ass every day."
"Sometimes twice a day," Piper added with a shrug.
"Okay." Paige smiled. "Today's a day, just like any other day. Evil wants this wedding cancelled? Screw that! We're not going to go down without a fight."
Buffy, Dawn, Faith and Piper turned to one another with a smile.
"Okay, so what we do is...those of us who have yet to will get dressed, then we head to the church while we look for a way to fix Phoebe. Are you with me?" Paige asked and Piper nodded.
"Yes! Mom?" Phoebe asked looking around.
"Of course. I intend to walk my daughter down the aisle with my ex-husband," Buffy said as she smiled in Phoebe's direction. "How about you, Phoebe? Dawn? Faith?"
"I'm ready." Dawn said.
"Five by five," Faith said.
"Grab the book, let's go," Phoebe answered opening the door.
"Get that dress," Piper ordered Paige as she lifted the book into her arms.
Grace Cathedral
The church was filled with guests waiting to witness to joining of Phoebe and Cole in holy matrimony, an event that was irrevocably delayed.
"The wedding was supposed to start 15 minutes ago," Cole muttered under his breath as Leo approached him from the back. "Where are the girls?"
"Phoebe needs to talk to you in the dressing room," Leo told him cryptically.
Cole nodded following Leo reluctantly. "It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."
"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Leo told him honestly.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Okay, this one's got to work," Paige said determinedly, "It's the spell that reversed my enhanced breasts. Here." She handed a sheet of paper to Piper.
"Guiding spirits, hear our plea. Annul this magic, let it be." Piper chanted lighting the paper then dropping it into the bowl.
"Can you see me?" Phoebe asked hopefully.
"Not even your breasts," Buffy quipped and Phoebe sighed.
"Well, that's it," Paige shrugged, sighing sadly, "It's the last reversal spell we have."
"It's okay you guys," Phoebe assured them blowing out the candle. "You did your best."
"No, it's not okay!" Buffy countered rising swiftly. "This is your wedding day Phoebe. It's not fair!"
"I have to agree with my sister, Phoebe," Dawn said. "It's not fair."
"Oh, Mom, Aunt Dawn, that's sweet," Phoebe told her mother and aunt gently. She could see in both their eyes. "But please don't cry, either of you."
"It's just make me…" Dawn sighed.
"Wonder if we should get married if this is what we have to look forward to when it comes time for ours?" Faith asked as Dawn nodded. She sighed as she wrapped an arm around her lover.
Phoebe moved to Faith and Dawn and wrapped her arms around both of them. "You two will have a beautiful wedding, I promise."
A knock on the door, signaled the arrival of Cole and Piper bounced up to answer it, "Come on, let's go." Piper called to Buffy, Dawn, Faith and Paige. "We'll leave you two alone to talk," she addressed Cole and they slipped out the room.
"Wait a minute," Cole called as the door closed. "Where's Phoebe?"
"Over here?" Phoebe's voice called out to him waving a bouquet of flowers at him from the chair by the vanity. "Hi, honey." she said impishly.
"Phoebe?" Cole walked forward. "You're invisible."
"Yeah," Phoebe replied putting down the bouquet. "Looks like whatever demon's trying to stop our wedding succeeded."
"Oh honey..." Cole sighed walking toward the chair.
"We tried every trick we know to fix it," she explained, her voice shaking. "And nothing's worked and now..."
"Phoebe?" Cole called with a frown when she remained silent.
A tissue rose into the air and he heard sniffling, coupled with tiny sobs. "I wanted the perfect wedding. But I, I didn't want it for me," she told him lifting up a hand mirror. "I wanted it for you. You've given me so much, you don't deserve this."
Cole opened his arms, waiting until he felt her pressing against him to close them around her body. "It's okay, baby," he soothed. "We'll find another way, I promise."
"Okay," Phoebe whimpered pulling out of his arms.
"I'll make the announcement," he told her as the remaining Buffy, Dawn, Faith, Piper and Paige re-entered the room. "The wedding's off." He told them and they shook their heads.
"Not necessarily," Paige countered.
"Get everybody in their positions," Buffy instructed leading him towards the door. "We'll start with the processional, tell the quartet."
"Whoa! What about Phoebe?" Cole questioned stopping at the door. "She's invisible."
"Not for long, we hope," Piper said and smiled tightly. "So go on and look for your bride walking down the aisle." She nodded as Cole remained hesitant. "Go on." And she pushed him out the door, closing it behind them.
"Wait, hold on here," Phoebe stammered as Piper joined them at the chair she was seated on. "I thought we were out of spells."
"Nu-uh, not yet." Paige shook her head. "You know how every attempt we've made to reverse your invisibility has failed?" she asked.
"Yes," Came Phoebe's dejected reply.
"Well, what if we don't reverse it, we just shift it from one a niece to an aunt?" Dawn suggested with a smile.
"Wait. You mean transfer the invisibility to you?" Phoebe questioned surprised and Dawn nodded. "No way, I won't let you."
"Phoebe, every Cinderella needs a fairy godmother," Dawn told her insistently, "Let me be yours." She asked.
"No," Phoebe said as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Someone else. Because I have something else instead in mind for Aunt Dawn."
"Then let me," Paige said. "It was my suggestion to begin with so you wouldn't think I was trying to stop your wedding."
"Alright," Phoebe said. "Mom, would you go ask the minister to come here."
Buffy nodded as she left the room.
"What do you have in mind?" Faith asked as she noticed that Piper was writing the spell that would transfer Phoebe's invisibility to Paige.
"A double wedding. I know you two wanted to wait till this summer…" Phoebe said. "But it would make me happy to see my aunt get married alongside me. Especially after offering to be my fairy godmother."
"Then we need another spell," Paige said. "Something to…"
"Already ahead of you, Paige," Piper said as she held up two pieces of paper. "One spell to transfer the invisibility and another to transform Aunt Dawn's bridesmaid's gown into a wedding gown."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"The natives are growing restless in there," Leo announced as he joined Victor and Darryl.
"Yeah, I know," Darryl agreed running a hand over his face. "A couple have already left."
"Will somebody tell me what's going on?" Victor asked as Cole joined them. They watched as Buffy rushed past. "All Patty said was magical issues."
"I wish I knew," Cole agreed, closing his jacket. "Places, everybody," he ordered as Buffy and the minister rushed past. "What's going on?"
"We'll be back in a minute," Buffy said passing Darryl and Leo headed in. "Phoebe wanted to see him."
"Aren't you going to seat me?" the Seer asked from behind Cole and Victor, dressed in all blue.
"I'll get her," Victor offered kindly.
"No. You should...wait for Phoebe and Buffy," Cole told him forcefully and Victor looked at him suspiciously before nodding his head and heading back in. Cole smiled at the Seer offering her his arm, "They'll recognize you."
"You never contacted me. Did your potion work?" she asked curiously.
"Yes." He nodded.
"And did they use the spell you thought they would?"
"Yes, and now she's invisible." He informed her.
"Then why are all these people here?" she asked looking around the church pointedly.
"I think they found a spell to reverse our magic."
The Seer looked at him carefully. "And did she find an obedience spell to make you do as she pleases?"
Cole laughed. "Don't forget who you're talking to," he warned her showing her to a seat at the back.
He looked down to the end of the aisle and saw Piper and then minister take their places. He frowned, where was Dawn and Paige? It wasn't important. He leaned down to her ear. "Where's the Lazarus demon?"
"In my chambers, awaiting your command," the Seer replied keeping her eyes to the front.
"Order him to attack," he told her lowly. "The girls will stop the ceremony to save innocent lives."
The Seer nodded and he walked away. The Seer waited a few seconds until Cole was further away before she rose from her seat and left.
Cole and his three groomsmen to the left of him and a single bridesmaid on the right.
"Hey, C," Faith said as she came up beside him. Cole looked at her in surprise. Her gown had been changed from the bridesmaid to a wedding gown. "Need to give a little extra room. Last minute change. Phoebe didn't think you would object since it would make her happy. We're having a double wedding."
Cole frowned and he and his two groomsmen moved slightly to their right. Faith nodded to the musicians who began playing the wedding march and the guests stood.
Dawn rounded the corner on Buffy's arm, fully visible and Faith thought she looked radiantly beautiful in her perfectly fitting gown.
Dawn and Buffy reached the altar, Dawn smiling at Piper as Buffy moved to stand next to her sister.
Phoebe rounded the corner on her father's arm, fully visible and Cole thought she looked beautiful in her perfectly fitting gown.
Phoebe looked to the end of the aisle, catching her sister's, her mother and aunt's eyes and smiling brightly. They smiled back, Piper and Buffy's eyes were shining with tears.
Phoebe and Victor reached the altar, Phoebe smiling at Cole and Darryl leaned into Leo asking, "Where's Paige?"
"I don't know," he replied honestly.
At the back of the church a chair slid to the center so the occupant could have a clear view of the altar. "I'm going to cry," Paige's voice floated out the chair dipping as she sat.
"Please be seated," the minister instructed and the guests did just that. "At the request of Phoebe Halliwell, we're now coming to honor the love between Cole Turner and Phoebe Halliwell as well as between Dawn Summers and Faith Lehane."
Paige turned to her left and saw the Lazarus demon appear at the back of the church. "Oh no."
"Before we start..."The minister continued, "...I must ask, is there anyone who has just cause why these two couples should not be united in marriage?" he asked the congregation at the same time Paige struck the demon over the head with a candle stick pushing him towards the bridal chambers.
The guests gasped turning around as the doors closed loudly.
Phoebe and Dawn exchanged looks with Piper, Faith and Buffy who looked just as confused as they were.
"This is your time, your platform," the minister continued. "Speak now or forever hold you peace."
The Lazarus demon jumped to his feet, listening closer then hit Paige with a well-placed telekinetic blast sending her soaring backwards and through another door, nearer the bridal chambers. The door banged loudly against the wall, echoing throughout the church catching everyone's attention again.
Buffy turned to the minister. "I'll check that out," she told him with a smile. "You keep going," she ordered before running down the aisle towards the noise.
Piper turned to the minister and laughed nervously. "You, you heard the lady. Keep going."
"Since nobody here can show just cause it is my privilege to ask—"
"You put her down!" Buffy's voice floated into the hall, distracting everyone again. "You son of a bi—" her sentence was drowned out by a loud crash and cries and smashing of something.
Piper's eyes widened and she looked at her husband nodding. "Um...excuse us." She smiled and they both ran down the aisle toward the fight.
"Keep going, please," Phoebe begged turning back to the minister.
"Just keep going," Dawn added.
"As, as I was saying it is my privilege to ask who gives Phoebe to Cole today?" the minister continued warily.
Victor rose to his feet, "Uh...her sisters and I do."
"And who gives Dawn to Faith?"
"Again," Victor said. "Her sisters and I do."
"You bastard!" Buffy's voice interrupted once again and the guests gasped.
The sound of another crash filled the air.
"Mom!" Piper's voice sounded. "You son of a bitch!" she spat, then there was another crash.
"Piper look out!" Leo called to his wife and then more smashing was heard.
Dawn and Phoebe looked at each other and then nodded. They then looked at their respective fiancés before dropping their bouquets and racing down the aisle, Cole and Faith behind them.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Faith, Phoebe and Dawn burst through the door to the bridal chamber to find Piper on the ground in front of the Lazarus demon, bleeding profusely from her nasty head wound, Buffy stirring slowly bleeding heavily from her abdomen where a large piece of something was protruding and Paige nowhere to be seen of course but not making a sound.
The demon threw out his arm sending Leo crashing into Dawn and Phoebe, knocking them to the ground.
Cole and Faith pulled Phoebe and Dawn to their feet.
"Check on, B," Faith ordered Dawn who nodded. She turned and followed Phoebe toward the demon who picked up a heavy chair, stopping them in their tracks.
"STOP!" Cole yelled to him and the demon froze obediently.
Piper winced loudly as she pushed herself to her feet and flicked her wrists, turning him to dust.
Phoebe exhaled slowly, looking her sister over. "You okay?" she asked and Piper nodded wincing.
"Leo!" Dawn yelled waving him over.
"Where's Paige?" Phoebe asked looking around the room.
Buffy held up one hand. "Leo, where's Paige?" she repeated Phoebe's question shakily.
"Buffy—" Dawn tried.
"Find her! I'm a Slayer, remember? Enhanced healing comes with the package. I will be fine till we find Paige," Buffy said her eyes searching as she yanked the protruding object from her flesh.
"I can't get a read on her," Leo said fearfully.
"What?" Phoebe whimpered with pleading eyes.
"Wherever she is her heart's not beating," he continued as Faith caught sight a large pool of blood.
"Over here!" Faith shouted pointing to the back of the room and the pool of blood. "I think I just found her."
Leo rushed forward laying his hands above the pool.
"Dawn?" Buffy said, holding out her un-bloodied hand and Dawn and Faith pulled her up, as she hissed at the pain. "I hate when they impale me!"
"When was the last time you were impaled?" Dawn asked.
"About a week or two before mom's surgery," Buffy answered.
The door burst open and the minister followed closely by Darryl barreled in. "What's going on in here?"
Phoebe glanced at Dawn who reluctantly nodded at the unspoken question. "The wedding is off! Tell everyone to get out of here," she instructed Darryl pushing them out the door. "Go, go, go!" She slammed the door behind them and leaning against it, breathing heavily. She looked over at Leo who was still healing Paige then to Piper, blood trickling down the side of her face, Phoebe shifted her eyes to Buffy who was pressing against her bleeding wound relying Dawn and Faith to keep her upright.
"I'm sorry," Phoebe said looking at her aunt.
"I know," Dawn replied. "Maybe it was for the best." She took off her engagement ring and handed it to Faith. "I don't think it's meant to be, not in this family, Faith." She looked back at Phoebe. "Would you?"
Phoebe nodded as she swapped places with Dawn who walked out of the room.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Just send the food to the house," Piper instructed whoever was on the other line, cell phone pressed to her ear. "Yes and the bill." She shook her head. "Not as sorry as I am. Thank you." She then hung up with a sigh. "Caterer's taken care of," she announced to the group who were gathered by the altar.
Phoebe lifted her head from Cole's shoulder. "Thank you so much Piper, I just...I can't deal with any of that right now."
"That's okay," Piper said sadly as she glanced at the other end of the chapel where Dawn sat alone. "It's been a tough day."
"Tough is an understatement," Buffy croaked from her place on the first pew. She was looking toward Dawn, she really wanted to go back and comfort her sister, but Dawn wanted to be alone. She understood why. Dawn had heard of how difficult it had been for Leo and Piper to get married. Now to have her own and Phoebe's weddings ruined by a demon. She was sure it had pushed her sister to the breaking point at least in the love category.
"How about you?" Piper asked looking at her baby sister who was wrapped in a blanket. "How are you doing?"
Paige forced her eyes open. "I, I'm still a little shaky," she admitted quietly her eyes falling closed again as she wriggled close to Buffy who, while not taking her eyes off Dawn, wrapped an arm around her.
"We nearly lost you," Leo told Paige gently and she stiffened a little, not quite used to the near-death occurrences yet. "Lucky the demon hesitated when Cole yelled."
"Yeah but why did he?" Faith questioned shaking her head in bewilderment.
"Maybe he was just surprised somebody yelled at him," Cole suggested with a shrug
"We should all just be thankful that we're alive," Leo concluded from behind Paige.
"And visible," Paige cracked with a smirk, eyes still closed. "Although I'm not sure how that happened."
"I do," Cole spoke up. "The magic you were under was supposed to stop the wedding, it wore off once the wedding was cancelled," he explained and Phoebe's face fell further.
"Oh, you mean when evil won?" she quipped without any amusement. "I am not stopping until I find out who sent that thing after us and who broke my aunt's heart!"
"Speaking of the demon, the crispy critter needs to find its way back to a cemetery," Piper reminded her family.
"Well I know a local haunt," Cole offered standing up straight. "I can take it there."
"And what happens when my freeze wears off on the way?" Piper asked pointedly. "You'll be as defenseless as a cat toy."
"I'll go with him," Faith offered. "I want to make sure it's in the ground for good. After what it did to me and Dawn."
"I'll go too," added Phoebe.
"Let's all do it," Paige suggested pushing herself up to her feet.
Dawn groaned. "Do we have too," she whined stopping everyone in their tracks.
"Dawnie," Buffy said as she moved toward her sister. She pulled Dawn up. "Don't you want to see that demon buried for good? I do, especially since it ruined not only my daughter's but my sister's special day. Come on." She held out her arm and Dawn walked into her embrace, resting her head on Buffy's shoulder.
Cole watched them walk past before saying to himself, "Fine by me," and smirking triumphantly.
Mission Delores Cemetery
"I found a spot," Cole called out to them. "This is one of the last graves before San Francisco banned new burials. It dates back to the late 1800s, nobody will come digging here anytime soon," he informed them as the girls reached him: Faith carrying the box, Piper and Paige carrying Phoebe and Dawn's trains and Buffy holding both Phoebe and Dawn's hands.
"Buffy, Piper, if you see anyone coming, freeze 'em," Leo instructed as he went to help Cole dig.
"Don't worry," Piper said soothingly seeing Phoebe and Dawn's dejected faces. "It took Leo and me three times to get married. Phoebe, it'll happen for you and Cole. Aunt Dawn, it'll happen for you and Faith."
"No it won't," Dawn whispered to herself.
Buffy sighed. "Yes, it will, Dawn, I will make sure of it," she told her sister certainly and Dawn sniffled, resting her head on Buffy's shoulder. She looked at Phoebe. "I will make sure of it for both of you."
"But for now, we just need to figure out what kind of evil stopped your weddings and...why," Piper told Dawn and Phoebe.
"Faith," Buffy said. "Give the ring back to her. And before you say no, Dawn. You will take it. You don't have to put it back on till you are ready. But you will take it."
Faith shuffled the box into one arm and then fished the engagement ring out of her pocket. She handed it to Dawn who looked at it.
"I have an idea." Paige smiled. "Why don't we just ask it?"
Cole stopped digging and turned to her. "Oh don't be crazy," he told them and everyone looked at him curiously. "That Lazarus demon is a time bomb waiting to explode."
"No, I want to know who ruined the happiest day of mine and Aunt Dawn's lives," Phoebe informed them, dismissing his concern and nodding to Faith.
Faith bent down and tipped out the contents of the cardboard box and throwing it aside moving to one end, Piper and Paige the other and Buffy staying in the middle with Dawn and Phoebe.
"Phoebe, I'm asking you please, for me," Cole begged her seriously. "Don't do this."
"Cole I can't believe you don't want to know," Phoebe snapped looking at him bewildered.
"I have to agree with Phoebe," Faith added. "I want to know who hurt the love of my life and why!"
"I agree with both Faith and Phoebe," Buffy said. "I too want to know who ruined the happiest day of both my daughter and my sister's lives." She nodded once at Piper who waved her hand, unfreezing the demon and the ashes instantly came together until the demon was fully formed.
"One flinch and I blow you into briquettes," Piper threatened as the demon turned to Phoebe.
Buffy immediately shield both Phoebe and Dawn with her body, eyes on their little friend. "Who resurrected you?" she demanded coldly.
The Lazarus demon eyed her angrily then turned to Cole and pointed. "Ask him," he told her and all eyes shifted to Cole. "You swore I'd never see a cemetery again if I helped you. You set me up!"
"Cole?" Piper called. "What is this demon talking about?" she demanded, her eyes hardening.
Phoebe drew in a ragged breath, shifting her eyes to her fiancé, gripping her mother's wrist tighter when he met her eyes. "Okay, Cole, what is going on because I got to tell you right now, I am freaking out!" she exclaimed shakily.
Cole stared at her for a long moment before rolling his eyes and throwing the shovel to the ground. "Oh, what's the point, you already figured it out," he shrugged nonchalantly then threw a fireball at the Lazarus demon, turning him back to dust.
Phoebe jumped. "No, oh god, no it can't be," she gasped turning into Buffy and away from Cole as Piper, Faith and Paige rushed over.
Dawn's eyes darkened and she threw up one hand, smacking Cole on the chest so hard the breath was knocked right out of him and he nearly doubled over as he went soaring backwards flaming out in mid-air.
He flamed back in and shook himself off. "Well..." he smirked at Dawn. "That actually hurt," he complimented morphing into the Seer mid-sentence. "Well done," she smiled wickedly.
Paige gasped and jabbed Phoebe just as Faith jabbed Dawn. "It's not C," Faith announced.
"Faith's right, it's the Seer," Paige added as Phoebe and Dawn whipped their heads around.
"Not for long," Piper threatened raising her hands.
"No, don't," Phoebe grabbed her hands then she looked at Dawn who nodded. They stalked towards the female demon, the others running after them. "Where's Cole?" she demanded stopping in front of her.
"Unconscious in the mausoleum," the Seer answered glancing to her left.
"Why would you save us one day and try to kill us the next?" Buffy questioned.
"For the same reason," the Seer answered calmly. "To keep the balance of power between good and evil."
"Don't be cryptic. I hate cryptic," Piper quipped with a glare.
"So do I," Buffy and Faith agreed.
"I had a vision," the Seer elaborated, "If Phoebe married Cole on this day his love would have helped her evolve into a much stronger witch—too strong. I had to stop her and I did."
"So Faith and I were just collateral damage?" Dawn asked glaring at the Seer.
"You of course were not part of the original vision," the Seer answered. "You changed that when you agreed with Phoebe to have a double wedding. So yes, effectively you were." She then smirked before flaming away.
"Bitch." Piper and Buffy cursed darkly.
"Cole!" Phoebe gasped turning in the direction of the mausoleum.
"Go." Leo nodded. "I will bury the rest of the demon," He assured them as the girls took off running as fast as they could in dresses and heels.
Dawn looked at the engagement ring in her hand and then at Faith and smiled as she slipped it back on her finger.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
The Seer flamed into the mausoleum, glancing towards the entrance quickly then morphing back into Cole who tugged on his bowtie for effect and lay down on the marble ground, closing his eyes just as Phoebe came down the stairs.
"Cole!" she cried rushing to his side and turning her to him as he stirred.
"It was the Seer," he cried, shaking his head to clear the imaginary cobwebs. "She's in the cemetery."
"Yeah, we know. We had a little chat," Dawn informed him bitterly.
"I'm surprised she didn't kill you," Paige mused with a frown.
"That's not her style," he explained faking a wince. "Killings beneath her. She only does it if she has too."
"Come on, let's get you home," Phoebe said helping him to his feet.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"You okay?" Leo asked as he entered the mausoleum and Cole nodded.
"I still don't understand," Paige stated as she walked next to Phoebe who was leaning against Cole, the others following behind. "If the Seer wanted to stop Phoebe from marrying you, wouldn't she want to kill you?"
Cole glanced at her. "I don't know, you'd have to ask the Seer."
"Oh we will," Dawn assured him with a nod. "Right before I personally vanquish her ass for ruining my niece and my own wedding!"
Cole turned to Dawn and for a second he was pretty sure he could see a threat in her eyes. "What do you mean yours and Phoebe's wedding?" she asked in mock confusion.
"Part of the Seer's plan was to make me invisible," Phoebe explained. "Aunt Dawn wanted to switch the invisibility from me to her. I objected, I asked for another volunteer and then I asked Aunt Dawn and Faith if they would like to have a double ceremony and they agreed."
"Hey look, a chapel," Leo pointed out as they rounded a corner.
"A chapel in a mausoleum?" Paige stated in disbelief. "That's a first."
"Commonplace in Sunnydale," Buffy said. "Makes it easier for funerals."
"B's right," Faith said, "with the death rate from vampires it's pretty much for ease of use."
"It's cute," Piper shrugged with a gentle smile.
"And perfect," Cole added looking at Phoebe.
"For what?" Phoebe asked with a frown.
"A wedding," Cole stated with a smile.
"I couldn't agree more." Buffy grinned staring at her younger sister.
"Really?" Phoebe and Dawn asked quizzically turning to Buffy who smiled.
"You've got the rings," Paige pointed out.
"And we're all here," Leo put in, wrapping an arm around his wife.
Phoebe smiled. "Okay, I do. I mean, I mean...I will." She then looked at Dawn. "That is if you still do. I still want that double ceremony."
Dawn looked at each of her nieces, Cole, Leo, Buffy and Faith for a few moments. "Let's go!" she cried excitedly.
"Ooh wait," Piper stopped them. "Dad's not here," she observed turning. "And it would break his heart, not to see his little Phoebe get married." She slapped Leo's chest. "Go get him," she ordered sternly.
"What?" Leo uttered with a frown.
"Go get Victor," Buffy repeated sending him her own stern glare and Leo held up his hands orbing out to get Victor. She looked at Piper, Paige, Faith and Cole. "The rest of you go ahead and go in. I'm going to wait with Dawn and Phoebe for Victor and Leo to get back."
Piper, Paige, Faith and Cole entered the chapel. The Priest turning upon their entrance and smiling at Cole.
"You both ready?" Buffy asked looking at two of the four women that meant the most to her.
"More than you know, Buffy," Dawn said.
"What Aunt Dawn said," Phoebe added with a smile. "You both made my day you know that? The day you both moved in. When I was growing up I wanted a second chance with you, Mom. That day we went back to break the pact with Nicholas. I left you a note."
"I know," Buffy said as Phoebe looked at her quizzically. "Mom told me after you had left that there was a note for me in the Book, though when I looked you must have taken it out because it was gone. Anyways she must have seen you place it in there when you didn't think any of us were looking. I assume it was to tell me to stay away from the demon that killed me?"
Phoebe nodded. "I took it back out before we left. I found that day that things happen for a reason. And for me the reason we went back was not only to stop the pact but to see you. And I was happy that I got the chance to see you."
Buffy smiled, "And now you get the chance to know me. And we get to do things together, things like this. I couldn't be happier or more proud of you."
Phoebe smiled as she looked at her aunt. "And you, my wonderful aunt. You made my day simply by being you. The wonderful person you've been. You along with mom are the reason I have gotten this far."
"I'm glad," Dawn said as Leo orbed in with Victor. "Are we ready?"
Buffy and Victor held out their arms and Dawn laced hers with Buffy's and Phoebe laced hers with Victor's. The entrance to the chapel was big enough that the four of them could walk in side by side.
When they reached the front of the chapel. Cole took a long stemmed rose from one of the arrangements and handed it to Phoebe who snapped off as much stem as possible and tucked it into his breast pocket, pricking her finger on a thorn as she did. Cole, upon seeing the blood, promptly took her thumb to his mouth and sucked it away. Drinking her blood like the Seer said.
Dawn, Faith, Cole and Phoebe stood in front of the small altar, their family surrounding them, Victor and Leo on one side and Buffy, Piper and Paige on the other.
Piper looked to Buffy with tears in her eyes and smiled, laughing as she saw her mother's cheeks trailed with tears. Buffy smiled as she wrapped an arm around both Piper and Paige.
Buffy and Piper watched as their respective little sisters, slide ring onto their respective fiancé's fingers. Then Cole and Faith did the same in turn and the Priest enclosed first Cole and Phoebe's hands and then Dawn and Faith's as he said, "...not two but one...till life be gone."
The Priest smiled at the two couples, looking at first Cole then Faith as he said. "You may kiss your brides."
"We did it," Phoebe whispered as she looked past Cole to Dawn who nodded as she looked past Faith to Phoebe.
"Yes we did," Dawn agreed as Faith kissed her and Cole kissed Phoebe.
Author's Note (8/16/2022): When I was originally did Marry-Go-Round I never had Dawn and Faith getting married. Even when I started redoing Marry-Go-Round I didn't intend half of what I did, namely Faith proposing to Dawn or the double wedding. But as I wrote it, I just saw it happening. I don't know if there could be consequences for Faith and Dawn to be married by the Dark Priest or not.
Author's Note 1 (3/16/2018): If you paid attention to the show you might remember there was at one time a bathroom downstairs. It was eventually replaced with a closet in season 5.
Author's Note 2 (8/16/2022): Even after the downstairs bathroom was replaced with a closet. The upstairs bathrooms came and went as needed. At one time the master bedroom (Prue's in the first 2 1/2 seasons, which turned into Piper's after her wedding) inconsistently had a bathroom attached to it with another bathroom off the second floor hallway.
When it came to the writers of the show they were rather inconsistent on the small details of the layout. The living room, conservatory, dining room, kitchen and attic were always there and always in the same place for all 8 seasons. But the number of bedrooms, the numbers of bathrooms and the basement all seemed to fluctuate. The basement during the third season had a dark room, that was only seen during season three. The basement also seemed to change size. When Cole trains Phoebe it seems rather small but during the episodes dealing with the Shadow/Woogie it seemed larger.