Chapter 18: Bite Me Part 3
April 19, 2002 – Friday
Phoebe and Cole's Apartment
Cole flamed in to the head of the glass table, filled with every leader of the most powerful factions in the underworld. "The Vampirus are trying to convert my wife's mother and sister," he informed the table, bracing himself against with his knuckles. "A Charmed One and the Slayer," he stressed looking at each demon. "I'm interpreting this as an act of war against me."
"Wait a second now, let's not overreact," Keats spoke up, waving his hands about nonchalantly and Cole's eyes cut to his. "Maybe this is some kind of a misunderstanding."
"I don't misunderstand anything," Cole retorted his eyes dangerous and Keats fell silent. "I want the Vampirus exterminated." Cole announced to the rest standing up straight, "Every last one of them. And if you take out any Nosferatu so much the better."
"But both Vampirus and Nosferatu multiply too fast," the Grimlock spoke up, the vacant seat next to him once resided in by the now dead Harpy. "We could never get them all."
"If we kill the Queen they all die," Cole informed them with a sly smirk.
"I've never heard that," Keats questioned him with a frown. "What's your source?"
Cole turned to him sharply and leaned in close, demanding. "Are you questioning my orders?" His eyes turning black then fiery.
Keats instantly grew shifty and uncomfortable, shaking his head. "No, of course not."
Cole's eyes returned to normal and he stood straight. "I want the Queen," he told them forcefully. "Dispatch your forces," he ordered. "Tell them to torture any vampire regardless of which kind they are. Make them talk," he growled, voice dangerously low. "But don't forget, my wife is out there too. Anyone lays a claw on her...will answer to me," he threatened and Julie cocked her head questionably. "Leave," he snarled.
"As you wish." And each of the demons, flashed, shimmered or smoked out once again, leaving only Keats.
Cole turned to him slowly and tilted his head. Keats held his gaze for seconds before finally shimmering out to. He inhaled deeply through his nose and took a seat.
"What about mother and daughter?" Julie queried as she approached, "Are you going to let them die with the Queen? It would eliminate the Charmed Ones and one of the Slayers."
"Phoebe would be devastated." Cole stated surely and Julie's face fell as he sat forwards in his seat. "But I wouldn't be." He clasped his hands in front of him and smirked. "That said it may not eliminate the Charmed Ones. I believe Dawn Summers is Prue Halliwell reincarnated. If her previous life's memories fully resurface, she could potentially reconstitute the Charmed Ones."
"Then maybe it is time to destroy the Key?" Julie suggested.
Vampirus Cavern
The Queen sank her teeth into the flesh of her victims neck, ignoring his cries of pain as she drank eagerly.
Rowan cleared his throat from behind her and she raised her head, smacking her blood coated lips together, grimacing. "Sorry to interrupt you during dinner," he apologized, his head bowed.
"That's all right, I've had better." The Queen replied, her disappointment apparent then spun towards him in excitement. "Is she here then."
Rowan nodded. "Just arrived." And the Queen smiled widely, her smile faltering when her loyal subject held up one hand. "There is something I haven't informed you of." He told her hesitantly and the Queen's eyebrows arched expectantly. "When we attacked the witch...the Slayer was with her. We turned her to."
The Queen gasped, one long nailed hand flying to her chest. "You managed to turn the Slayer, that easily?" she asked advancing on him slowly.
"Yes..." Rowan answered.
The Queen's smile grew. "Rowan, this is wonderful news," she gushed happily. "We have a Charmed One and a Slayer on our side, do you know what this means?" she demanded staring him in the eyes. "We will be unstoppable."
Rowan smiled and he bowed his head turning back to the entrance. "Ladies?" he called loudly and both Buffy and Paige came into view, their lips already blood red, eyes dark and skin significantly paler than normal.
The Queen's mouth fell open in admiration. "Oh they are perfect," she exclaimed happily leaning close to Rowan and drawing a finger along his jaw as she whispered, "They'll fit right in."
Rowan smiled. "I thought you'd like them."
"Hmmm." The Queen inhaled deeply as she inspected her presents scrutinizing their every feature. "Perfect," she breathed, talking only to herself. "Just perfect. Are you hungry my dears?" she questioned lightly.
"Ravenous," Buffy replied instantly, her eyes darkening and the Queen smiled, pleased with the answer as she turned to Paige.
"Famished," Paige informed her looking eager to feed.
"Wonderful!" the Queen exclaimed, stopping in between mother and daughter. "Now, for your first meal, I have two savory victims in mind." She shared with them moving back to their fronts as several vampires entered, draping red silk over both Buffy and Paige.
"Anything for you, my Queen," Buffy and Paige replied in perfect unison.
"I want you to go back to your family, girls." The Queen instructed slowly, "Take a taste of their blood. It will seal your conversion and turn them as well."
"That's genius," Rowan complimented, coming to stand by his Queen. "With the Power of Three on our side, the Source will be no match for us."
"My Queen," Buffy said. "I do not mean to…"
"What is it, dear," the Queen said looking Buffy over.
"I would like to take a taste of my own blood first," Buffy said as the Queen raised an eyebrow in question. "My own sister. I would love for her to join us."
"Hmm." The Queen looked at Buffy and nodded. "Then you shall." She looked at Paige. "Then you will taste your sisters' blood, sealing your conversion and turning them." She looked back at Buffy. "And you shall take a taste of your sister's blood, sealing your conversion and turning her as well."
"My sisters and my aunt are powerful, though my sisters are more powerful," Paige stated and all eyes turned to her. "They won't join us willingly." She glanced at Buffy fleetingly. "I don't think we can do it by ourselves."
"Of course we can," Buffy assured Paige with a sinister smile. "Two against three...it'll be fun."
The Queen laughed lightly, the sound echoing off the cave walls. "That's the spirit," she praised, cupping Buffy's cheek proudly. "Believe in yourselves," she advised, switching her eyes to Paige's. "But no matter, Rowan will accompany you," she informed them outstretching her arms. "We are your family now."
Mausoleum
"What are you doin' here Keats?" The vampire demanded from his place in the shadows.
"I have to get a message to the Queen," Keats answered, tone one of urgency.
"Well, why don't you take it yourself?" the vampire questioned heatedly.
"Because someone might be following me," Keats snapped tersely. "Tell her she needs to leave town, fast," he instructed hurriedly. "The Source is—"
"The Source is what?" Cole interrupted as advanced on the two evil beings.
The vampire's eyes bulged and he spun around jumping into the air and transforming into a screeching bat.
Cole rolled his eyes at the pathetic attempt at escape before firing a well-aimed fireball at the animal, vanquishing it mid-flight. "Where's the Queen, Keats?" he demanded turning to the traitor.
Keats glared before releasing his own, red ball of energy which Cole simply caught in the palm of his hand.
"Ouch," Cole quipped as the ball went up in smoke, leaving no evidence of its existence.
"You can vanquish me if you want," Keats told him seriously. "But I'm not telling you anything."
Cole smirked in amusement. "Do you really think that vanquishing you is the worst I can do?"
Keats eyes widened as Cole brought up his hand in a sweeping motion and Keats caught fire, screaming in pain as he watched his body burn. Cole watched on for a few more seconds before bringing his arm back down and extinguishing the flames, leaving Keats unharmed physically but the pain burned into his memory.
"So...let's try this again." Cole raised his eyebrows expectantly. "Where's the Vampirus Queen?"
Halliwell Manor
Leo and Faith arrived in a swarm of bright lights in the attic. Faith walked over to Buffy's weapon's chest. "I really need to get some of these weapons," she admitted as she picked up Buffy's crossbow and picked up several arrows.
"Faith," Leo said as he placed a finger to his lips, moving towards the slightly opened door, Faith right behind him.
"I'll check the attic," Paige's voice floated up to them from, what they could only assume was, the foyer.
"Guess I'm going downstairs," Buffy's voice retorted and Faith jerked forwards.
"B," Faith whispered, Leo holding her back.
"No," Leo shook his head, voice a hushed whisper. "They'll kill us," he stated.
"And I am a Slayer, remember?" Faith retorted.
"Yes, and you are alone against at least two newly turned vampires. One of them a Slayer turned vampire," Leo reminded Faith. "On top of that they could have backup. We need to find Piper, Dawn and Phoebe." Faith sighed and nodded and he orbed them out.
The last of the shimmering lights had barely died before a hungry looking Paige, dressed in a silk red halter dress that cupped her breasts and left her middle bare, burst through the door.
Paige sniffed the air and growled, stomping her foot petulantly as she picked up their scents. "Damn it!" She turned and descended the stairs. "They're not up there," she announced angrily.
Buffy rounded the corner with the same hungry expression gracing her features, dressed too in a silk red dress the twisted straps criss-crossing over her back while the front dipped low. "Nor are they downstairs."
"They must be looking for the two of you," Rowan stated, his eyes on Paige as she descended.
"Do-gooders," Buffy muttered darkly. "Well I can't say I'm surprised."
Paige stopped next to her mother. "Your sister-in-law was here."
Buffy's eyes cut sharply to Paige's, darkening further. "Faith? Dawn had Leo bring her wife here?"
"Who is Faith?" Rowan asked.
"A Slayer," Buffy answered. "My successor's, successor." Rowan raised an eyebrow in question. "I drowned six years ago and was revived. It was dead long enough to call my successor, who died a year later calling Faith."
"The Whitelighter was here too," Paige said, features darkened. "They got out just in time, I could still smell their scent in the air. Urgh! I was hoping to get this over with," she huffed, pouting childishly.
"You were?" Buffy questioned with genuine surprise. "I plan on prolonging this experience for as long as possible," she stated with a sinister smirk.
Paige scoffed but her eyes were sparkling. "That's because you've always enjoyed the chase, Mom."
Buffy grinned. "Of course, I have. It's why I was the longest living Slayer to date."
Rowan smirked, amused by the interaction. "In that case..." his eyes found Buffy's and his smirked widened, "...you were born to be a vampire."
"Oh...that's what Dracula said," Buffy stated.
"Dracula?" Rowan said surprised. "You met the infamous Nosferatu?"
"And lucky for you and the Queen he didn't get to turn me," Buffy acknowledged as she ran a black nail along his jaw flirtatiously before quickly losing interest.
Rowan turned his attention back to Paige, drinking in her. "Just relax," he advised. "You're only innocent once," he quipped with a grin.
Buffy chuckled to herself as she played with Paige's hair.
"But I'm starving," Paige huffed, stomping a petulant foot once more. "I feel like I've been waiting for this moment my whole life."
"You and me both, my daughter," Buffy commented frustrated, no longer able to entertain herself with Paige's hair.
Paige glanced at her mother who was staring at Rowan's face in interest.
"What are you smiling at?" Buffy demanded with a smirk of her own.
"I was just thinking of my fist time," Rowan replied and both Paige and Buffy perked up in interest.
"Do tell," Buffy urged, dragging a hand down his chest.
"It's better than you can possibly imagine," Rowan informed them, walking away. "Danger, excitement, the warm glow you feel afterwards. There's nothing like it."
Buffy and Paige followed after him in an almost trance-like state, as they listened intently.
When she reached him, Paige leaned up teasing. "How many have you had?"
"I don't keep track," Rowan answered, turning to her. "The faces all fade away. It's the taste you remember."
"And what was I?" Paige questioned huskily. "Just fast food?"
Rowan smiled. "Oh, hardly," he countered and Paige smirked.
Buffy rolled her eyes and hissed at them, both sets of eyes cutting to hers in surprise. "Can you stop with the eye sex and get back to the food," she requested darkly, although it sounded much like an order, her eyes glaring at them dangerously. "If I was ravenous before you can only imagine what I am now."
Paige sucked in a breath and looked down, slightly embarrassed by her mother's choice of words while Rowan merely smirked.
"Of course," he conceded dipping his head then addressing mother and daughter. "Relax. Clear your mind," he instructed calmly, he walked around them, stopping behind Paige and placing his hands on her shoulders just grazing the skin. "You are a hunter now. You have the ability to find your prey."
"I don't understand," Paige informed him and Buffy snorted.
"Of course you don't. You weren't born to hunt, not like I was." Buffy turned her glaring orbs on Rowan. "And you aren't helping her by touching her like that. Seduce her later Rowan."
Rowan smirked, keeping his eyes on Buffy as he stated, "Fierce. She always like this?" he directed to Paige who smirked.
"You ain't seen nothing yet," She teased and her mother hissed, eliciting a low chuckle from Paige.
"Alright ladies." Rowan chuckled to himself, "Simmer down, now close your eyes...and focus."
Both Buffy and Paige did as instructed. Buffy's eyes snapped open a second later. "I know where they are," she announced. "The same place I would go if I were hunting us."
Rowan nodded. "The Slayer within has taught you well."
Buffy glanced at her daughter. "You know where they are. Where I have taken Dawn patrolling."
Paige opened her eyes and looked back at Buffy and realized she did know. Buffy was right, they would find their family and Faith in a… "Cemetery," she replied as she smiled back at him, their gazes locked and Buffy rolled her eyes, growling.
"Tell the Queen to expect company," Buffy ordered Rowan as she guided Paige out of the house.
Cemetery
"HEY WAIT!" Phoebe's voice bellowed around the Cemetery and the Grimlock demon stopped running, rolled his eyes and turned, waiting for them to catch up. "HEY! HEY! WAIT! WE JUST WANNA TALK..." Phoebe's voice came through again as they rounded the corner and the Grimlock shimmered out, "..to you." She sighed in confusion.
"What is going on?" Piper demanded with a frown. "That is the fourth demon tonight to run away from us," she exclaimed throwing out the arm holding the torch.
"Well maybe word got out that we killed the Source?" Dawn suggested helpfully.
"The old Source," Piper corrected her aunt and Dawn turned away with a sigh.
"Oh, you had to mention that, didn't you?" Phoebe muttered looking around the creepy cemetery grounds.
"I don't get it!" Piper cried throwing out her hands the garlic necklace around her neck swishing about. "We've been chasing demons all night, searching cemeteries all night and the only vampires we've seen are Nosferatu!" she exclaimed loudly, her frustration with their current situation evident. "This is ridiculous. We got to figure out something else before the sun comes up."
"Ohhhh," Phoebe groaned, reaching out to steady herself against a headstone as her world began to spin once more.
"What's the matter?" Dawn questioned as her niece bent over slowly, breathing deeply. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just a little dizzy," Phoebe answered shakily pointing ahead with a frown. "Those tombstones aren't actually moving, are they?"
Piper and Dawn turned to what she was pointing towards then back to Phoebe with worried eyes. "Phoebe, this is not funny," Piper admonished at her sister's smile. "Maybe this is more than just being rundown. Maybe you're pregnant," she suggested seriously, the last word catching slightly in her throat.
"Ooh!" Dawn said happily. "Please say yes. I would love to be a great-aunt!"
Phoebe stood up straight and sighed at the happy expression on Dawn's face. "Sorry, Aunt Dawn. I went to the drugstore. I got a test. I peed on the stick and I anxiously awaited the results in two minutes. And...it was negative, thankfully," she informed them with a sigh of relief.
"Yeah." Piper nodded, closing her eyes sadly. "Well, mine was too."
"You thought you were pregnant?" Phoebe asked with sad eyes.
"For about a minute and a half," Piper replied, eyebrows arched and a disappointed smile pulling at her lips.
Dawn closed her eyes briefly. "Oh, Piper, I am so sorry."
Piper shook her head as tears sprung to her eyes. "No, it's okay. It's no big deal."
"Yes it is," Phoebe and Dawn countered firmly.
"To you it is." Phoebe pointed out knowingly as Dawn nodded in agreement. She sighed inwardly as realization dawned on her. "Is this what mom and Paige were talking about?"
Piper bit her lip, glancing at her sister and aunt with watery eyes in silent confirmation.
"I had no idea," Phoebe winced, shaking her head at herself.
"Neither did I, Piper," Dawn said.
"It's okay," Piper assured them. "I understand."
"No, it's not okay," Phoebe insisted.
"Yeah," Dawn agreed. "I may be spending half the time in Sunnydale with Faith now that I'm married but I am still part of this family."
"Same here," Phoebe added. "I left the Manor, not the family. I still want to be a part of your life. All of it."
"I want to be part of your life too," Dawn concluded. "All of it."
Piper smirked as she looked at her aunt and sister. "You two sure?"
"Of course we are," Phoebe said. "Right, Aunt Dawn?"
"Right, Phoebe," Dawn agreed. "Come over here, Piper," she ordered as she and Phoebe pulled Piper into their arms for a group hug, just as a bat, unseen by them, flew over to them, landing on top of a headstone and transforming into Buffy.
"Aw, how sweet," Buffy patronized, breaking the moment as Dawn, Piper and Phoebe spun to face her. "Do I get a hug too?"
"Mom," Phoebe said warily, holding up her wooden cross.
"How did you find us?" Piper questioned, narrowing her eyes.
"Isn't it obvious?" Buffy hinted and they remained silent. She smiled as she looked at Dawn pointedly. "You and I share the same blood, do we not?" she asked slipping gracefully from the stone.
Dawn sighed. "Yeah."
"And can't vampires…?" Buffy questioned seeing if Dawn would catch on.
"Can smell blood," Dawn answered. "You sniffed me out."
"Bingo, Dawnie!" Buffy said excitedly.
Piper and Phoebe turned to Dawn with wide eyes, while Dawn kept her eyes on her older sister.
"Buffy, listen to me," Dawn said calmly. "We can go back to the manor and we'll find something to change you back," she offered with a smile, walking closer.
Buffy arched her eyebrows and tilted her head to the side, "Nah, I think I'm good."
"Aunt Dawn, be careful," Phoebe pleaded through clenched teeth.
"Well then, do it for your niece," Dawn said, hoping to appeal to Buffy's maternal instincts.
"My niece?" Buffy questioned looking at Piper and Phoebe in confusion.
"Not Piper, Phoebe or Paige," Dawn said hoping Buffy wouldn't get close enough to know she was lying. "For my baby. Faith and I went to a clinic the other day. It took…"
"Good try, Dawnie," Buffy said as she smirked. "I don't hear a heartbeat other than your own."
"Would you rob me of that ability?" Dawn asked. "I'm not ready yet. But I do someday want to be a mom. If you turn me, you take that away."
Buffy smirked at Dawn then disappeared from sight, moving at lightning speed to stand behind her. "You know what I just noticed?" she questioned and Dawn shrieked, whirling around with a gasp. "None of you have asked about Paige yet," she informed them, her face the picture of disappointment, then she shrugged. "Oh well, you're mistake."
Dawn frowned looking past Buffy to Piper and Phoebe who were just as confused before her eyes widened.
"Boo!" Paige's voice barked from behind Piper, who screamed, spinning back around. Paige hissed playfully before grabbing Piper's arm and throwing her to the side like a little rag doll.
Piper cried out as she bounded off of a large headstone and hit the ground.
Phoebe gasped loudly, her eyes bulging as she watched her sister try to break from her pain induced haze. "Oh my god!" she winced as she turned back to her two vamped-out members of her family. "Oh dear."
"Go ahead," Buffy said glanced at Paige.
Paige smiled and nodded as she waited for Piper to recover just a little.
Dawn jumped back as Buffy advanced on her, holding up the cross as a shield. "Hold it."
Buffy smiled menacingly before dropping a spin kick to Dawn's hand, effectively knocking the cross from her sister's grasp and catching her right in the face with her fist, quickly followed by a swift kick to the middle, knocking the wind right out of her.
"Don't make me do this, Paige," Phoebe begged as Paige advanced on her and Piper. "Don't make me fight you. I don't want to hurt you."
"Aw, that's too bad," Paige pouted. "You've gone and sucked the fun right out of it." She sighed sadly, shaking her head before backhanding Phoebe across the face and spinning her to the ground.
"Ow," Piper yelped as she pulled herself to her feet, only to be punched in the face by Paige. A punch that was quickly followed by a swift kick to gut and a kidney shot. "Argh!" Piper gasped jumping to her knees and kicking Paige's feet out from under her.
Paige growled as she pushed up on her hands and knees only to receive a kick to the stomach, followed by another and another then one to the back.
"Ha!" Piper smirked. "How do you like me now?" she demanded, jabbing Paige on the head.
"Alright that's it," Phoebe seethed pushing to her feet and levitating into the air, aiming her foot at her sister's head.
Paige smiled up at her, dodging the hit, catching the next one and throwing Phoebe to the ground.
Dawn shot to her feet, fists raised but shook her head. "Please, Buffy, I'm begging you. I don't want to hurt you."
Buffy replied with a jab to the face which Dawne quickly dodged taking a step back to place a kick.
Piper yelped as Paige jumped up and kneed her in the stomach then flipped her to the ground, grabbing her hands to restrain her.
Buffy smirked at her sister before she then slammed her palm into Dawn's chest, the combination of the vampire strength and her Slayer strength sent Dawn soaring backwards, landing hard and smacking her head off of the ground. Buffy grinned triumphantly as she sped towards her fallen sister's body crouching over her, just as Paige was doing with Piper, and leaning down to bite. "I'm going to enjoy this."
Paige held Piper still, easily, regardless of her weak attempts to struggle and lowered her mouth to her neck. "Not it's time we really bond as sisters."
Leo and Faith orbed in at that moment, splitting off in two directions, each running to their respective wives.
Leo uncapped the holy water and squirted it onto Paige's back, who screamed as the water burned her skin.
Buffy, distracted by her daughter's scream, looked up into the eyes of her sister Slayer. "Oh look have you come to play, Faith? You have to be wondering what a Slayer-turned-vampire versus Slayer fight would be like." She smirked at Faith only to receive holy water to the chest as Faith sprayed it on her.
Buffy screamed out, pushing up off of Dawn and running to Paige who gripped her arms tightly.
Faith helped her wife to her feet, holding her up as Leo, Phoebe and Piper came rushing over.
"We are just trying to help you damn it!" Piper seethed, glaring at them desperately.
Buffy and Paige turned to their family with sinister smiles as they prepared to leave.
"BUFFY!" Dawn bellowed loudly, stopping her sister in her tracks.
Buffy winked at Paige before turning to her sister, appearing in front of Dawn in the blink of an eye.
Dawn stared into her now dark eyes pleadingly. "Come home with me," she offered her hand to Buffy. "Please? You know what losing you did to me last summer. Please don't put me through that again!"
Buffy smiled at Dawn, genuinely smiled, as she brought a hand up to cup her sister's cheek, grazing Dawn's skin lightly with her nails before she moved her hand to Dawn's throat and clamped down, lifting her into the air and throwing her away.
"AUNT DAWN!" Piper gasped as she and Phoebe pulled Dawn to her feet.
Paige smirked as her mother appeared by her side. "Catch us if you can," she taunted before throwing out her arms and taking to the air, her bat form taking over.
Buffy smirked at them and laughed, before she too transformed and they flew off.
"Okay, Leo, come on. Come on, orb." Phoebe commanded urgently and he grabbed of both her and Piper, the two sisters holding Dawn and Faith's arms tight, Dawn and Piper staring after Buffy and Paige as the five of them were engulfed in bright lights.
Vampirus Cavern
"What—where are we?" Phoebe demanded as the five of them appeared in the cavern. "I can't see a thing."
Piper lifted a flashlight and switched it on. "Here," she drew the light up to ceiling where it illuminated the swarm of bats resting there.
"Well, which one's are they?" Leo queried looking from bat to bat.
"How should I know?" Piper retorted heatedly.
Faith sighed as she looked at Dawn. "You told me about Dracula. But I never expected a whole slew of them like him."
"The thing is, these aren't the same vampires as Dracula," Dawn said. "These are Vampirus. Dracula is a Nosferatu. He's the only one, according to Buffy, of the Nosferatu who can do with Romani magic what the Vampirus can do naturally."
Suddenly the torches in the cave flew to life, lighting their otherwise darkened surroundings as the Queen, Rowan, Buffy and Paige entered.
"Welcome to our family." The Queen smiled, holding out her arms in a welcoming manner.
"I think we found them," Dawn cracked from beside her wife as the five of them inched closer to the vampires. Phoebe holding out the cross while Piper shinned the flashlight in their eyes.
The four vampires backed away, the flashlight having little effect on both Rowan and the Queen, while Paige and Buffy shirked away from the light, shielding their eyes.
"Stay away from us or you'll get an eyeful of holy water and a chest full of wood," Piper threatened seriously.
"You'd only be delaying the inevitable," the Queen declared cockily. "Now, why can't we do this without a fight?"
Dawn ignored her comment and addressed her sister. "Buffy, I'm your sister. Faith is your sister-in-law and Piper and Phoebe are your daughters. You're not a vampire yet." Knowing if she could convince Buffy they would have a better chance of saving Paige as well.
"My wife is right, B," Faith agreed as she put an arm around Dawn. "Remember Dracula? Dawn told me that you faced him and that he tried to turn you. You really don't want to do this."
"We're offering immortal life." The Queen answered instead. "An eternity together as sisters." She smirked. "Now isn't that preferable to death."
"Are those our only two choices?" Piper inquired. "Cause I prefer the scenario where you die and we get to stay human."
Phoebe glared at her sister and smacked Piper with her cross warning her to bait the vampires.
The Queen smirked coyly. "If you could have killed me, you would've done so already," she stated surely. She looked at Faith and smirked. "Even the Slayer can't kill me. We all know that."
"We got to get out of here," Leo stressed from behind them.
Dawn shook her head. "Not without our sister and niece."
Faith turned to Leo. "What if it was Piper, L?" she asked and Leo sighed, relenting.
"Words will never make them understand," Rowan stated darkly.
"No..." the Queen agreed slowly, "...but they will." She nodded to the silent bats on the cave wall and they flew towards the five intruders.
Piper turned to the screeching. "INCOMING!" she cried ducking as the bats swooped in to attack.
"AH!" Phoebe shrieked loudly swatting at them as she squeaked. "LEO! FAITH! HOLY WATER!"
Faith handed Dawn her bottle of holy water as she unslung the crossbow from her back and notched an arrow.
Dawn and Leo began squirting the assaulting animals with the burning water as Faith shot them with the crossbow, right up until their weapons were knocked from their hands along with Piper's flashlight and Phoebe's cross.
"LET'S GO!" Leo ordered sternly, and Rowan went for him, lifting him into the air and throwing him into a cavern wall, knocking the Whitelighter unconscious.
"LEO!" Piper cried as Paige came at her, throwing her up against the wall and straining for her neck as Piper tried desperately to keep her at a safe distance.
"Piper," Phoebe gasped running to help her sister only to be intercepted by Rowan.
Buffy smirked in excitement, shooting forward only to be held back by the Queen.
"What are you doing?" Buffy snapped fiercely, her hunger overriding the respect for her Queen.
"Keeping you safe," the Queen justified as she slid an arm around Buffy's waist. "You are a Vampirus Slaypire. There have been Nosferatu Slaypires. But you are the first ever Vampirus Slaypire," she hissed. "Till your conversion is complete you are too valuable to lose."
Faith caught Rowan in the chest with a sharp kick followed by a jab to the face and another kick knocking him away from Phoebe. "Your facing a Slayer, you think you can really beat me?"
Suddenly the bats began going up in flames.
"NO! MY BABIES!" the Queen cried, feeling their pain as they died.
Dawn watched her wife, in the arms of the Queen, merely watching Faith and Phoebe fight with Rowan. She turned to Piper who was extremely close to joining them and snatched up a discarded bottle of holy water spraying Paige's back then throwing her to the ground at Buffy's feet.
"Oh! Thank you, thank you, thank you," Piper gasped hugging her aunt.
Faith kicked Rowan as she pulled out a stake and drove it into Rowan's chest.
Buffy and the Queen gasped as Rowan too, went up in flames.
"Well that's different," Dawn said. "Instead of dusting they burst into flames."
"Paige," Buffy raced toward her daughter and she and the Queen pulled Paige to her feet.
"Come," the Queen ordered, taking Buffy's hand. "Before the Source kill us all." She pulled Buffy from the immediate danger, further into the cave, Buffy pulling Paige along with them.
"I knew I fell in love with and married the right person," Dawn said as she smiled at Faith.
"Back at you, babe," Faith returned.
"We got to get mom and Paige," Piper stated as she and Leo joined them before they ran off in the direction Buffy and Paige had fled.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Cole flamed in behind the three vampires and forcefully threw Buffy and Paige into a cavern wall, knocking them both unconscious before they could see his face.
The Queen spun to face him and her eyes widened. "The Source," she breathed, glancing towards the Buffy and Paige before facing him head on. "I should have bitten you."
"Yeah well, bite this," Cole fumed throwing a fireball at her chest and the Queen screamed as she burst into flames.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"What's goin' on?" Phoebe questioned as they watched all the bats burst into flames and die.
"The Queen must be dead," Piper answered shortly.
"BUFFY!" Dawn and Faith yelled loudly.
"PAIGE!" Piper and Phoebe joined in running deeper to find them.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Cole formed a fireball in each hand, throwing them up and down as he approached Buffy and Paige.
"BUFFY!" Dawn and Faith's voices bounced off the walls as they grew closer.
"PAIGE!" Piper and Phoebe called after them and Cole paused.
He shook his head and slammed his hands together, extinguishing both fireballs. "In-laws." He sighed before flaming out of the cave without a trace.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Phoebe, Piper, Leo, Dawn and Faith turned the corner, laying eyes on the former vampires as Buffy and Paige began to stir.
"Oh thank god!" Phoebe gasped in relief as she and Piper pulled Paige to her feet as Dawn and Faith pulled Buffy to hers.
"Paige, are you alright?" Piper asked looking her sister over.
"Buffy, are you alright?" Dawn asked looking her sister over.
"The Source," Buffy and Paige whispered together.
"The Source?" Phoebe echoed questionably. "What do you mean?"
"He was here," Paige replied as her lips and eyes returned to normal.
"Just now? You saw him?" Piper questioned looking around frantically and Paige shook her head.
"He killed the Queen," Buffy explained, her lips and eyes also returning to normal as she gingerly fingered her forehead.
"Checking for the bumpy forehead, B?" Faith asked with a smirk as Buffy quickly lowered her hand.
"The Queen must have posed a threat to him," Leo elaborated.
"Well that would explain why he wanted to kill her but why not us?" Phoebe frowned, a feeling of dread coiling in the pit of her stomach.
"I don't know," Piper replied. "But let's just count our blessings and get the hell outta here."
"Sorry, Paige," Dawn said when she noticed Paige was rubbing the back of her head tenderly.
"It's okay, Aunt Dawn," Paige said looking at her aunt. "You kind of saved me after all. If I had bitten Piper that would have been it."
Halliwell Manor
"Alright, let's get you two to bed," Piper said gently as they appeared back at the Manor.
"Buffy, you're bleeding," Dawn announced suddenly, swatting her sister's hand away from her forehead.
Buffy winced when Dawn fingered it. "I'm a Slayer, remember?"
"Yes you are," Faith said. "But…" she looked at Leo and smiled, "…even Slayer's need healing sometimes, right?"
"Right," Leo agreed. "Here let me..." He placed his hand over Buffy's wound and healed it.
"Thanks, Leo," Buffy smiled gratefully
Dawn smiled as she wrapped one arm around Buffy's waist and the other arm around Faith's holding the two of the five women that meant the most to her close to her.
It was at that moment that Cole entered through the front door.
"Cole?" Phoebe frowned as he joined them. "Where'd you go?"
Cole shrugged. "I had a work emergency and I needed the distraction," he explained and Phoebe nodded wrapping her arms around his waist. "You okay?" he asked her and she nodded against him. He looked over at Paige, who was resting her head on Piper's shoulder and then Buffy who was wresting her head on her Dawn's shoulder. "What about you two?"
"I'm tired," Paige said simply, too tired to even shrug.
"So am I," Buffy said. She looked at Cole. "Was Rei Mori what was called a Slaypire?"
"I take it the Vampirus referred to you by that term?" Cole asked as Buffy nodded. "Yes. A Slaypire is kind of the unofficial name for a Slayer who has been turned."
Faith looked down at Buffy and smiled. "Are you going to keep the dress, B?"
"Why?" Buffy asked glancing at her sister-in-law.
"I think I know someone with some alterations that it would look good on," Faith said looking at Dawn suggestively.
Buffy followed Faith's gaze to her sister. "If you want it, it's yours, Dawnie."
Dawn smiled as she hugged Buffy. "Thank you," she said as Phoebe and Piper burst out laughing, Phoebe hiding her face in Cole's chest as she laughed, while Piper slipped her hand into Leo's.
Paige scrunched up her face. "Ew, visual," she murmured with a shudder.
Dawn winked at her wife and leaned in for a kiss.
April 20, 2002 – Saturday
Piper came skipping down the stairs the next morning feeling outwardly chipper despite the churning in her gut. "You're up early," she stated as she caught sight of Paige sitting at the table in the conservatory. "Vampirus nightmares?" she teased and Paige rolled her eyes.
Buffy chuckled as Paige stuck her tongue out at Piper, who did it right back. "Oh grow up," she chastised only to receive two petulant tongues directed to her. "Drink your coffee," she ordered shaking her head.
"What about you?" Piper asked, turning on her mother. "You get some sleep?"
"Eventually," Buffy said. "Faith, Dawn and I spent half the night just talking."
"About?" Piper wondered.
"Well one of the things we talking about is where their living permanently," Buffy answered.
"Here, please let it be here," Paige begged.
"It's going to be here," Buffy said. "They will only stay at the house in Sunnydale depending on the lateness of the night after patrolling. The only problem is getting back and forth on a regular basis."
"I'm sure that Leo will be willing to continue to orb them as need be back and forth," Piper offered. "So...what are we talking about?"
Buffy and Paige exchanged looks and Piper frowned.
"You wouldn't be interested," Paige assured her.
"Try me," Piper encouraged but Paige remained silent.
"It's about Cole and you're not going to like it," Buffy told her bluntly.
Piper inhaled deeply as her gut acted up even more. "Shoot."
Buffy turned to Paige throwing out her hands. "Take it away."
Paige bit her lip and took a breath. "Okay uh...you remember the guy that stood me up?" she asked.
"How could I?" Piper replied as Dawn and Faith joined them. "I never met him."
Buffy winced, nodding her head. "Yeah you did."
"Morning Aunt Dawn…Aunt Faith," Paige greeted looking at Dawn and Faith.
"Morning," Dawn and Faith returned as they sat next to Buffy.
Paige turned her attention back to Piper. "He was one of the Vampirus," she elaborated and Piper's face fell. "The one Aunt Faith took out. And I first met him at the penthouse. He was there seeing Cole."
Piper sucked in a breath and turned to Buffy, locking eyes with her mother as Paige rambled on nervously.
"Now, I know what you're going to say: maybe Cole didn't know he was a vampire, and we should probably give him the benefit of the doubt and I get that, I do but..." Paige inhaled deeply, glancing at Buffy quickly before continuing. "It's a really big coincidence, Piper and...we don't believe in those," she concluded quietly.
Piper chewed on her bottom lip as she stared at her mother, who was flanked by her aunts. "Yeah...I have a sinking feeling that you might be onto something," she admitted honestly.
"So do I," Dawn added glancing at both her sister and her wife.
Paige's eyebrows hit her hairline. "You both do?" she looking between Piper and Dawn.
"Well, it's just a lot of little things, like him not wanting you to orb in, him not wanting us too—" Piper said.
"Save us?" Buffy interjected.
"Well that one is a big one for me," Dawn admitted.
"I was going to say go after vampires." Piper continued. "I mean, I'm not saying that he's a demon, okay?" she clarified holding up one finger, "Because we all know...that's not possible."
Buffy shook her head. "We all know anything is possible," she reminded her daughter. "If I can come back more or less from the dead, honey. It's possible Cole could become a demon again."
"B is right," Faith agreed.
"Okay. But what if we're wrong?" Piper questioned, leaning forwards in her seat. "Then we lose Cole and Phoebe forever."
Dawn shook her head. "We're not wrong. Something is not right."
"I have to agree with my wife," Faith said. "I noticed something was not right at the rehearsal dinner slash engagement party. I didn't say anything because I just thought it was nerves, first wedding I had ever attended and all."
Piper inhaled sharply at the thought and looked down. "So, so what are we saying here?" she stuttered looking each member of her family in the eye. "That Cole is a demon?"
Buffy's body tensed at that question and her jaw tightened.
Piper frowned glancing at Paige who quickly looked away. "What?" she demanded tersely. "What is it?"
Buffy sighed heavily and closed her eyes. "Not a demon." She shook her head and Piper's face drained.
Piper laughed nervously. "What? You think Cole's the new Source or something?" she questioned, the sarcasm evident in her tone, laughter which quickly ceased at the look in her mother's eyes. "Oh my god."
"Couple with what Faith was sensing at the rehearsal dinner," Buffy said. "I would say it is very possible."
Phoebe and Cole's Apartment
"Hello?" Cole greeted as he brought the phone to his ear.
"Hey, it's Buffy," his mother-in-law's voice greeted back.
"Buffy." He forced a smile, even though she couldn't see him. "How are you feeling?"
"Human," she retorted and Cole had to laugh. "But otherwise I'm good."
Cole nodded his head. "That's good."
"Is Phoebe there?" she asked getting to the point, done with the banter.
"She's still sleeping," Cole informed her. "Is it important?"
"Just doing my motherly duties you know, because she wasn't feeling well. Just thought I would check in. See how she's feeling this morning," Buffy told him, which was partly true. "Let her sleep, and I will check in on her later."
"Will do," Cole said. He then placed the receiver back down on its cradle.
Just then a nightgown clad Phoebe entered the room. "Who was that?" she asked joining him at the table.
"Oh nobody," Cole lied, shrugging his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Phoebe replied as she took a seat.
"Good." Cole nodded feeling some of the tension from yesterday return. He cleared his throat and took his own seat. "Phoebe, I'm never going to be okay with you chasing demons anymore. You can't change that."
"And you can't change the fact that they're going to keep coming after me," she fired back. "And that I have sisters, a mother and two aunts that need me."
"I understand," Cole relented.
"Do you?" Phoebe questioned, not quite convinced. "Because yesterday, it seemed like you didn't."
Cole sat forward in his seat. "Well, I just don't want anything to happen to you. Ever. Is that so bad?"
Phoebe shook her head. "No," she said softly. "But do you think that Leo and Aunt Faith want anything to happen to their wives either?" she asked him pointedly. She looked her husband in the eyes. "You can't do that, Cole. You just can't."
Cole nodded briskly and rose to his feet. "I'll be at work," he told her, placing a chaste kiss to her cheek as he passed.
Phoebe sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head a little, hating that things were so uncomfortable. She jumped in surprise as the phone blared loudly in her ears. With a heavy sigh Phoebe pushed up out of her seat and picked up the phone. "Hello?" she greeted with false enthusiasm. "This is Phoebe Halliwell," she confirmed to the voice down the line.
"Hi, doctor," Phoebe greeted with a smile. "Did the test results come in?" Phoebe's smiled faded as she listened to what the doctor was telling her, "I'm...what?" she gasped, voice shaky and fearful as she pulled the receiver from her ear. Her world began to spin and she slumped to the ground, phone slipping from her grasp.
"I double-checked the results myself," The doctors voice rang through the discarded phone. "You're pregnant, Miss Halliwell. Congratulations. Miss Halliwell?...Hello?"