Chapter 21: Long Live the Queen Part 1
May 2, 2002 – Thursday
A week had passed since Phoebe became the Queen of All Evil. Buffy had been right that the Seer at least for now would not incur the wrath of the new Source or his Queen and had returned Buffy after the coronation. Then she had gotten an earful from Piper about how could she let Phoebe stay. All Buffy could do was try and reassure Piper that she had no intentions of letting Phoebe remain evil.
Phoebe and Cole's Apartment
Phoebe sat cross legged on her bed, laptop resting in front of her as she attempted to block out the weather and the noise outside her room, so she could at least get some work done.
The lightening cast her room in a bright snap of light as the thunder clapped loudly in the distance. Phoebe slipped silently from her place and waltzed over, pulling the balcony doors closed. She stared aimlessly from her window as another roll of thunder sounded and her thoughts strayed to her two sisters, two aunts and mother she had turned her back on and she sighed, her heart aching for them.
Phoebe could blame her distraction on the weather and her husband all she liked but she knew that the real reason for her inability to concentrate was due to the guilt she felt inside. The guilt filling her more and more with each day that passed. She had betrayed her family in the most unforgivable way: she chose darkness over them—a life of evil—she crossed sides and there was no switching back. Phoebe could never go home again and that was all on her.
Ever since the coronation she had battled desperately with her mind to keep thoughts of her family out and had—for the most part—succeeded until tonight. Thunder and lightning instantly made her think of her mother: who hated the thunder but loved the lightning, which Phoebe still found strange. Thoughts of her mother inevitably led to the invasion of her aunts and her sisters and now Phoebe was drowning and her heart was breaking as her longing to be with them became too much to bare.
A sharp knock on her bedroom door, violently tore Phoebe from her painful thoughts and she snapped her head towards the sound, easily sliding her mask back into place. "Come in," she commanded, her voice filled with the authority a part of her hated to possess.
The Seer entered quietly, the open door presenting Phoebe with the sight of a ritual that explained the incessant chanting. The Seer placed a tray with two long stemmed glasses filled with her daily tonic on the cabinet by the door. She lifted one and approached Phoebe with a smile.
"My Queen," the Seer greeted respectively. "It's time for your tonic."
Phoebe took it from her without protest and inquired. "Can you do anything about this thunder because it's making me nuts!" she cried in frustration, desperate for the reminder of her family to go.
"I have no sway over the weather," the Seer explained to her calmly. "I do have a friend who works with wind, but she's out of town," she concluded, her tone entirely conversational as she walked with Phoebe towards the door.
"What about demons?" Phoebe queried, ignoring her answer completely. "Any sway over them? Because I swear, if they don't shut up..." she trailed off, her threat pretty clear in itself and sipped on her tonic only to gag at its taste and hold it away at arm's length. "Urgh!" she shuddered at the after-taste and turned to the Seer. "I hate this stuff," she whined childishly.
"It's for your own good."
"Well, whatever happened to regular old vitamins?" Phoebe questioned pleadingly.
"There's nothing regular about your pregnancy," the Seer reminded her, her tone one of boredom as if relaying this information for the umpteenth time. "The new power you are experiencing is a mere shadow of what's to come."
Phoebe rolled her eyes then glared at the offending tonic, hoping to just...frighten it away.
"The tonic strengthens you to bear the weight of it," the Seer continued, her voice holding a slight edge to it as she tried to make the stubborn woman before her understand.
Phoebe smacked her lips together. "Okay," she conceded tightly. "Well, then do me a favor," she commanded holding out the glass to the Seer. "Find something that strengthens me and doesn't taste like crap."
"Are you feeling alright?" the Seer questioned in concern, reaching out to cup Phoebe's cheek whose face had fallen at the question.
Turning her head away in defeat Phoebe replied, "Yeah, it's just..." she wandered back to her bed and fell down on it heavily, "I have all this work that I have to do, AND I CAN'T CONCENTRATE!" she yelled petulantly, raising her head to aim her voice out the door only to have a demon close it on her.
"But you are queen now," the Seer reminded her as Phoebe glared at the closed door, picturing the demons face and how she would kill him painfully. "There's no reason for you to continue with this work at all," the Seer attempted to placate as she rubbed Phoebe's leg comfortingly.
Phoebe turned to meet her eyes, propping her arm up on her elbow and resting her head in the palm of her hand. "I like my work," she informed her simply. "It's a good distraction."
The Seer tilted her head. "A distraction from what?" she asked carefully, stretching out her arm with the tonic in hand.
Phoebe sat up straight and took it from her, a guilty look gracing her features.
"Still struggling with your decision?" the Seer prodded gently.
"No, I mean...I love Cole," Phoebe replied as the Seer stroked her head. "And, you know, don't get me wrong, this whole queen thing is kind of fun," she chuckled then sighed. "It's just..."
"Your family; your sisters, your mother, your aunts," the Seer finished for her as Phoebe took a begrudging sip of her tonic.
"Yeah," Phoebe nodded handing it back to her. "I don't understand why they have to be so stubborn," she explained in a huff. "Why they can't just...respect my decision."
"Because it's not in the nature of good to compromise," the Seer explained to her softly. "They'll never understand. They'll only want to change you back. The sooner you accept that and let them go, the happier you will be."
Phoebe sighed sadly, stupid hormones springing tears to her eyes as she stared down at her hands.
The Seer pressed her lips together tightly. "Here, drink your tonic," she ordered holding it out as more banging sounded from outside.
Phoebe pushed it away as she demanded. "What the hell is going on out there?" she glared at the door then cut her eyes to the Seer's impatient eyes. "You know, ever since the coronation, all he does is work."
The Seer tightened her jaw and turned away so as not to strike her out of sheer frustration. "The underworld's been in chaos for some time and he has a great task—"
"I don't care!" Phoebe interrupted pouting. "I want some attention from my husband," she sighed, looking back down in annoyance. "You're excused," she dismissed waving a hand to the Seer.
"Make certain you drink that upon waking," the Seer reminded her in regards to the second glass of tonic then bowed her head and flashed out.
Phoebe let out a deep breath as her anger boiled over and she stormed towards her bedroom door throwing both open and interrupting their little ceremony.
"It is after midnight Cole, come to bed," she ordered sternly, looking her husband in the eyes.
"Phoebe, please, we're in the middle of a ceremony," Cole stated rigidly, obviously unhappy with her interruption.
A demon turned to her and supplied, "We're almost done."
"Almost doesn't work for me," Phoebe told him darkly then threw out her hand, dowsing him in fire until he was no more and doing the same with a second demon. The rest of the demons obediently shimmered out, fearing for their own lives, leaving the Source and his Queen alone.
"I thought we talked about this," Cole said evenly.
Phoebe cringed. "Sorry, its hormones," she apologized biting her lip at her husband's less than understanding glare.
Restfield Cemetery, Sunnydale
Dawn kicked a vampire in the face with a high roundhouse kick, forcing him to step backward to keep his balance. The vampire did a jumping half-twisting crescent kick, which she ducked. He tried two punches, and Dawn neatly blocked them. On his third punch she grabbed hold of his arm and hit him in the face with a high front snap kick. Letting go of the vampire's arm, Dawn punched him squarely in the midsection and followed up with a swinging punch to his face, sending him to the ground.
"We haven't been properly introduced." Dawn pulled out a stake. "I'm Dawn, and you're history!" She plunged the stake into him as he got up. He fell and burst to ashes.
"Dawn," Faith said having watched her wife. She knew Dawn was angry but this was bad even for her wife.
May 3, 2002 – Friday
Halliwell Manor
"Damn it!" Paige cursed in frustration as she gazed down at the Book of Shadows. "I have read through this fifteen times. There's nothing even remotely helpful about how to save Phoebe."
Piper ignored her youngest sister's comment, focusing instead on the array of ingredients on the table before her, throwing several of them into the pot as she concocted some other deadly potion to defend against...their sister.
Buffy glanced briefly at Piper and then looked back out the attic window at the pouring rain.
"I told you, she made a choice," Piper reminded her sister." There's no magical cure for that."
"Yeah, well, she's pregnant, Piper, so...she's being influenced by the baby inside," Paige reasoned, tired of trying to get through to her older sister.
"And we could have helped her overcome that..." Piper said, glancing at Buffy as she glared at the younger woman. She blamed Buffy for not bringing Phoebe home kicking and screaming. She returned her attention to her to the greened liquid that she funneled into a potion vial, "...but she chose Cole."
Paige sighed in annoyance as she watched her sister work and her mother looking out the and snapped, "Will you just stop with the potions already! You've already overrun the kitchen, Piper. I'd say we have enough."
Piper ignored her once more and held up the vial of green liquid. "This one duplicates my freezing power plus it scalds the flesh, so we should only use it in a dire emergency," she informed them.
"No," Paige refused sternly, slamming the book closed, the book that was failing them and shot to her feet. "I will not scald Phoebe's flesh!" she cried incredulously as she stomped towards them. "She's still our sister! And mom's daughter!"
Piper glared at Buffy. "That woman is not our mother," she said pointing at Buffy. "She died less than a year after you were born, Paige. Isn't that right, Buffy?" she asked as blue orbs signaled the arrival of their Whitelighter.
"Paige?" Leo called, concerned by the look on his sister-in-law's face.
Paige turned to him, wide eyed and mouth agape.
"How are they?" Leo asked, glancing apprehensively towards his wife and mother-in-law.
Paige shook her head. "I...she is like Piper Light," she commented gesturing to her older sister. "All the personality without any of those messy emotions, well that's not entirely true..." this time her arm waved towards Buffy, "she seems to hate mom with a passion."
"Why?" Leo asked looking at Buffy.
"She thinks I could have done more to bring Phoebe home," Buffy answered continuing to look out the window. "And I'm beginning to wonder if she isn't right."
"And mom...mom seems to have withdrawn into herself. She just keeps staring out the," Paige said regarding Buffy worriedly. She shook her head helplessly. "I don't know what to do here."
Leo turned to Paige with sympathetic eyes and squeezed her hand. "What about Dawn and Faith?"
"Their in Sunnydale," Paige said.
Leo nodded in understanding as he walked toward Piper, who didn't acknowledge his presence. "Anyways, rumor on the demonic grapevine is their new queen is killing upper-level demons. Word is, she killed two just last night."
"What does that mean?" Paige asked hopefully.
"It means it looks like Phoebe's working from the inside for the good guys," Leo answered her but his eyes were on his wife.
"That's great!" Paige gushed, her hope at saving her sister and her family returning ten-fold.
"Since when do you guys believe rumors that are spread by demons?" Piper asked.
Leo didn't answer as he looked up at the ceiling and then at Paige. "I'll be back, Faith is calling for me." He then orbed out.
Summers Home, Sunnydale
"What?" Leo said when he orbed into the backyard of the Summers home. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Something is wrong with Dawn," Faith said.
Leo raised his eyebrows. "What makes you say that, Faith?" he asked.
"She's out of control," Faith replied simply as if that explained it all.
"What do you mean?"
"It's one thing to take your frustrations out on vampires," Faith admitted. "I myself have done it. But Dawn this goes way beyond that. There was one vampire she took on solo, refused to let me help her. I stood there worried that I was about to lose my wife."
Leo sighed as he looked at the brunette Slayer. "She needs to confront her anger."
"That's the problem," Faith admitted. "She's angry because of Phoebe. How can she confront what she's angry about when her niece is what she's angry about."
Phoebe and Cole's Apartment
Cole was seated at the head of the large, glass dining table surrounded by demons with a magical projection in the center that supplied the demons with visual confirmations of their hit: their targets face, name and occupation.
"Alison Whitt." Dane nodded towards the projected head of the pretty, smiling brunette as he slowly circled the table. "Among other things, she's spearheading the campaign to clean up Dolores Park."
"That's my district," A young, dark haired demon by the name of Stefan sneered.
"I got men there too," Another, Malek, added from across the table.
Stefan shot forward in his seat, glaring. "Since when."
Malek turned his head. "Since I put them there."
"Then they're working my territory," Stefan growled, his fists curling.
"Gentlemen." The two demons fell silent as Cole's voice penetrated the air. "It's all my territory," he reminded them when both had looked his way.
Cole sat forward, hands clasped on the table and nodded to Dane. "Next."
Dane waved his hand and the head of the woman spun until it changed to one of a man. "Gregory Conroy," he informed the group. "Probation officer to juvenile offenders." Dane made his way to the head of the table, stopping next to Cole's side as he spoke. "Manages to rehabilitate the worst of the worst. He's cost us several potential demons."
"He's yours," Cole announced as he turned to Malek who was seated to his direct left.
Malek nodded then smirked across the table at Stefan.
Dane continued, "He works at the—"
The doors separating the elevator entrance from the rest of the apartment flew open and Phoebe sauntered in.
Every demon froze, instantly wary of her mood while fearing for their lives.
Phoebe smirked in amusement. "Relax boys. I'm here to cook, not kill," she assured them slyly, grocery bag in hand. "Although I'd keep your voices down if I were you," she added as an afterthought, and those who had relaxed at her previous words tensed up once more. Phoebe's smile widened and she opened her palm as if to attack.
Several demons gasped, leaning back in hopes to avoid her fire.
"Oh." Phoebe chuckled then switched her attention to Cole. "Hi, honey," she greeted with a wide smile, kissing his cheek before moving away.
Cole shot to his feet, incredibly unamused and glanced at Dane who sent him a pointed look. "Honey?" he called following after Phoebe.
Phoebe placed her bags down in the hallway and asked. "Will your friends be staying for dinner?"
Cole pulled one of the separating doors closed slightly and replied, "I'm going to find it hard to convince them to stay until the end of the meeting unless you stop threatening to kill them."
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "I was kidding." She shrugged.
"You've killed five of my best demons this week, so forgive me if I'm missing the joke!" Cole snapped heatedly and Phoebe looked down.
"Oh, baby, I'm sorry," she apologized sincerely.
"I know I've been working a lot," Cole acknowledged when she pouted. "But that should lighten up soon, in the meantime, no more killing."
Phoebe huffed at the order, turning her head away.
"Promise?" he prodded and Phoebe turned back to him slowly, the pout firmly in place again.
"Promise."
"It's hard enough for them to accept the fact that my queen is a former Charmed One," he told her sternly. "We don't want them to think you're playing both sides."
"I said I promise," Phoebe reminded him. "But if it'll make you feel better..." she strode past him and re-entered the dining room slash living room. "Hi," she greeted brightly as she approached the table of demons.
Many of them groaned at seeing her again while others returned her greeting hoping to avoid her hormonal wrath.
Phoebe stopped at the head of it and placed her hands on the glass. "I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry for killing your friends' last night." She chuckled but no-one else did. "Oh and um...the night before that," she added walking toward Malek. "And it's nothing personal you know," she assured them placing her hands on Malek's shoulders. "It's just—" she stopped short when she was violently pulled into a premonition.
A man walked down a deserted alley. Malek shimmered in behind him, forming an energy ball. Malek released the energy ball and killed the unsuspecting innocent in a burst of fiery flames.
Cole's eyes narrowed as he watched his wife, knowing all the signs by now. "Phoebe was that a—"
"Cramp," Phoebe finished for him. "I just need to lie down."
"Should I call the Seer?" Cole questioned cautiously.
"No," Phoebe replied, her eyes taking in the project head of Gregory Conroy in the center of the table, recognizing him as the innocent in her premonition. "No. I'm fine," she assured him distractedly before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.
"Where were we?" Cole asked the room once she was gone, heading back to the table.
Phoebe peered through the crack she'd left between the doors listening in carefully.
"Gregory Conroy," Dane reminded him. "Malek's in for the kill. He spends his time at the Mission Hill Community Center."
Phoebe closed the door to her bedroom as quietly as possible, her mind racing. She turned toward her tonic on autopilot but the smell jolted her from her thoughts and she groaned before depositing the contents of the glass in the potted plant instead. She then turned toward her closet to change.
Halliwell Manor
"These are meant to slow an attacker down." Piper explained to Leo who had returned from Sunnydale, Buffy who stood next to the window again and Paige from her place on the floor, in front of the coffee table. "But not do real, serious harm. It's kind of like magical Mace."
"Sounds reasonable," Paige agreed with a nod.
"These are a little more lethal," Piper continued, moving her hand away from the white filled vials to the more varied ones, each one a different color. "Explosives, paralytics, you're garden-variety of poisons," she listed off casually.
"So, you're going to poison Phoebe?" Leo questioned with a frown.
"Leo, she's carrying the spawn of the Source," Piper reminded him tersely. "She's throwing fire from her hands. If she shows up here, we'll do what we have to do to protect ourselves," she enforced.
"You're not even giving her a chance," Paige pleaded quietly.
"Paige, we have given her every chance in the world to come back to us and she threw it in our faces," Piper snapped, the hurt she was feeling seeping into her voice as it cracked on the last word. "She chose the Source of All Evil over her own family."
"How about the other member of this family you're ignoring?" Leo asked.
"You mean her?" Piper asked pointing at Buffy. "She may have mom's memories and powers but she is not family."
Buffy sighed and turned to face Piper, "If that's the way you feel, Piper. I will get mine and Dawn's stuff and I'll move us back to Sunnydale today." She turned and walked out of the dining room and up the stairs.
"Piper. She is your mother," Leo said. "She is Patty Halliwell. And with the way you're treating her, you're ruining the only chance of knowing her again. And on top of that Dawn and Faith will leave as well and you will never see them again either. Is that what you really want? To never see Buffy, Dawn and Faith again?"
Piper sat down in a chair and sighed. "It's not that easy, Leo. She had the opportunity to bring Phoebe home when she had the Seer take her to Cole's coronation. She didn't, what mother would leave their child in that kind of situation."
"I didn't have a choice Piper." Buffy said having come downstairs carrying a suitcase. Apparently she had been thinking of going back t Sunnydale for a while if she already had a suitcase packed.
"What do you mean you didn't have a choice?" Piper asked.
"Just what I said, I didn't have a choice. You do remember I had a plan. That plan didn't work out, Piper. I understand why now of course. I stalled as long as I could, Piper. After all they thought I was there to make sure Phoebe was happy with her decision. When backup didn't arrive I had to come to the decision to leave her behind. After all I didn't have the power to take her and me out of the Underworld by force. I would have needed you guys for that, hence the plan. If I could have I would have brought her back, but I couldn't. Could you have done it by yourself, Piper? Honestly could you have taken Phoebe kicking and screaming if she didn't want to go without backup against a whole room of demons, one of them the Source?"
"By myself?" Piper said as she thought about what Buffy said and came to the conclusion she couldn't take Phoebe against her will without the help of at least Buffy, Faith, Paige and Dawn. "Probably not. I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry I took my anger about the situation out on you."
Buffy set the suitcase down and walked over to Piper, who stood up and hugged her. "It's okay sweetie."
"Surprise." Phoebe greeted as she flamed into her childhood home.
Piper broke out of Buffy's arms and snatched up one of the less lethal potions and threw it towards Phoebe.
Phoebe raised her arm, stopping the vial mid-flight with her new fire power, reducing it to smoke. She dropped her arm to her side and smirked. "Nice to see you too, Piper."
Piper folded her arms across her chest defensively as she demanded. "What do you want?"
"Faith," Leo whispered, "Bring Dawn."
Phoebe raised her eyebrows in mock surprise and approached them slowly. "Oh, and here I thought you'd be happy to see me."
Paige smiled at that and walking towards Piper she informed Phoebe. "I'm happy to see you."
"So am I," Buffy said as she moved to a chair and sat down.
"Unless you're here to tell us you filed for divorce, we don't really have much to talk about," Piper declared shaking her head as Faith orbed in with Dawn.
"Phoebe?" Dawn said in surprise.
"Hey, Aunt Dawn," Phoebe said as she smiled at Dawn. She looked back at Piper. "Oh that's not true," she disagreed. "For instance, we could talk about how rigid you are." The insult fell so easily from Phoebe's lips and it was clear she was enjoying the verbal sparring. "It's really not a very attractive quality."
Piper's face hardened and she reached for another potion, only to have Faith grab her arm.
"Wait," Faith ordered firmly having noticed Leo stepping toward Phoebe.
"Phoebe, what are you doing here?" Leo addressed his sister-in-law evenly.
"I had a premonition," Phoebe announced. "We have an innocent to save and not a lot of time."
Paige's face lit up at Phoebe's words, "That is so great." She nudged sister. "Look, I told you."
"Don't get excited," Phoebe chastised. "It's not what you think. I haven't changed my mind. I'm not leaving Cole, and I'm not renouncing my crown. It's just...I've never ignored a premonition in my life and I'm not about to start now." she explained simply.
"Uh...Phoebe, you're evil," Piper stated evenly. "You're like, the queen of all evil. Literally."
Phoebe smiled. "That's beside the point."
"How can that be beside the point?" Piper uttered, shaking her head.
"I say we do it," Paige announced from in between her mother and sister.
"No," Dawn retorted. "As much as I happy to see you, Phoebe." She looked at Paige. "I won't work with evil. So don't ask me to."
Paige smiled over at Phoebe tightly, "Excuse us," she said taking her Piper and Dawn by the elbows and dragging them back as Buffy and Faith followed.
Phoebe rolled her eyes, uninterested as she watched the group of five congregate at a safe distance.
"Look, this is what we've been hoping for," Paige gushed holding onto that hope. "A sign that there's still good in her. Why else would she care about saving an innocent?"
"Because it's a trap," Piper insisted firmly, glancing at Dawn for back up but she had her eyes locked onto her wife's, a silent conversation taking place between the two.
"Piper, this could be our only chance," Paige reasoned desperately.
"I think Paige is right," Leo informed his wife whose eyes returned to his. "Maybe by helping her do good, it might sway her back to our side."
Piper sighed, glancing behind them to Phoebe then towards Dawn. "Aunt Dawn?" she called.
"I'm not helping evil," Dawn said looking her niece. "I don't care if she is my niece, I am not helping evil. She either renounces her crown or she goes it alone."
"Dawn," Buffy sighed.
"No, Buffy," Dawn interrupted.
"Well I have to agree with Leo and Paige," Buffy said. "So it's three against two. Unless Faith sides with her wife…"
"After the second chance you gave me," Faith said as she shook her head. "I've come to believe that everyone deserves them, including Phoebe. So it's four against two."
"Fine," Piper sighed.
Paige nodded striding back towards Phoebe. "Okay, you're on. We'll follow you."
"I'm out," Dawn informed them and Phoebe's eyebrows rose.
"You're...out?" Phoebe repeated pushing to her feet.
"I'm sorry, Phoebe, I'm happy to see you, but I will not be helping, evil!" Dawn replied. "You either renounce your crown right here and right now or you can go this alone."
Phoebe chuckled nervously, "I don't believe you. Family means too much to you, Aunt Dawn."
"Your right, it does," Dawn replied. "But right now you are the enemy and I won't help the enemy." She looked toward her wife. "Are you going to orb me to Sunnydale?"
Phoebe stared at her aunt, her heart breaking at Dawn's words.
"No," Faith answered. "You need to deal with this, babe. It's eating you up inside."
"There is nothing eating me up inside," Dawn objected. "If you won't orb me back to Sunnydale then I'm going to school." She walked over to the table by the front door. She grabbed her purse, book bag and car keys and walked out the front door, slamming it behind her.
"Faith, " Buffy turned to her sister-in-law pleadingly.
"I got her," Faith assured walking past them, stopping next to a distraught Phoebe. "She's angry Phoebe—furious. She loves you, but you hurt her," she explained calmly. "Do you know what she's been doing in Sunnydale? She's been using vampires as a punching bag. That's how angry she is."
"What?" Buffy and Piper said shocked by the revelation. "Why didn't you tell me, Faith?" Buffy asked.
"Because, B, it was at the time between me and my wife," Faith replied. "I only told Leo this morning because I was beginning to get worried about Dawn and I was at my wits end on how to help her."
Piper sighed as she looked at Buffy. "She's just like I was, isn't she?" she asked referring to when she had almost became a fury.
"By the sounds of it," Buffy sighed.
Faith looked back at Phoebe. "It is your choice," she told the middle Halliwell sister. "But I am begging you for Dawn's sake to come home." She then orbed out.
Phoebe shook her head and blinked, snapping her eyes to her mother and sisters. "Let's get this over with," she snarled, turning her back once more as she flamed out swiping at the lone tear that managed to fall.
Streets of San Francisco
Phoebe flamed into the alley from her vision, Piper and Leo orbing in behind her while Paige arrived up front.
"Eww!" Paige whined as she looked down her feet, her once beautiful and expensive shoes caked in mud. "Why do I always have to land in the mud?" she huffed petulantly.
"Come on, over here," Phoebe called to her and Paige strode over, grumbling all the way.
They crouched down behind a stack of crates and waited.
"How do you know when he's going to get attacked?" Leo questioned from the back.
"I know," Phoebe answered simply, no elaboration given and her family traded wary glances. "There he is," she announced as Greg came into view, Malek shimmering in behind him.
Piper threw up one hand and froze their innocent in his tracks. The demon frowned, looking around him for the source of this interruption. "Hey," she greeted tightly as she revealed herself to him, the rest following suit.
Malek turned to her with a smirk and Piper glared, bringing up her hands and flicking her wrists.
Phoebe saw it coming and threw her arms around Piper, shifting her aim from the demon to a bike instead.
"What are you doing?" Piper cried as Malek advanced on them, energy ball at the ready.
"Stop," Phoebe ordered sternly striding forward, her hands up.
Malek inclined his head, frowning as he recognized the witch as his queen. The energy ball evaporated and he fell on bended knee. "My Queen."
Phoebe crouched down to him. "Leave that innocent alone," she ordered. "Go."
Malek nodded, rose to his feet and shimmered out.
Phoebe turned back to her family, who had distanced themselves from her watching her cautiously.
"What?" Phoebe asked with a shrug. "He's one of my subjects," she explained to them.
Piper stared at her with disbelieving eyes and sighed, shaking her head. "How, how, how could you do that?" she cried incredulously at Phoebe. "How could you just let him go?"
"I don't know why you're so upset," Phoebe mused, as she lent casually against a dumpster. "We saved the innocent, didn't we?"
"I can't talk to her!" Piper cried turning to her mother. "Mom, you talk to her," she begged, her mind momentarily flashing back for the second time that day to the time when she had almost became a fury.
"Phoebe—" Buffy began but the impatient queen cut him off.
"Things are not as black and white as they used to be, Mom, okay?" Phoebe insisted. "I can't just go around killing demons anymore," she told them crossing her arms defiantly.
"Why not?" Paige questioned. "We heard you killed two last night."
"Yeah well, that was different," Phoebe snapped. "He was getting on my nerves."
Paige raised her eyebrows at her sister's comment and Phoebe sighed, knowing that sounded bad.
"I promised Cole I wouldn't kill anymore," Phoebe explained to them reluctantly. "And killing Malek would have been a huge betrayal."
"Malek?" Piper echoed, rejoining the conversation. "You're on a first-name basis with the demons?"
Phoebe laughed to herself bitterly at Piper's words, exhausted with their inability to understand.
"If you were just going to order him to stop, you could've done that on your own," Leo observed. "Why did you even come to us?"
"Because I missed you guys!" Phoebe admitted, tears springing to her eyes again as she stared at her family. "Okay? Is that so wrong? I missed you."
"Well, Phoebe, you can't be the queen of the underworld and a Charmed One," Leo told her. "You can't have it both ways."
"Why not?" Phoebe argued. "Just because it's different doesn't mean that it can't work. And you all miss me too, even though I'm sure Piper probably doesn't want to admit it to herself," she quipped and Piper shook her head.
"Of course we miss you, honey," Buffy assured her gently.
Phoebe bit her lip uncertainly. "Even Aunt Dawn?" she asked quietly and Buffy moved toward her but Piper's hand shot out, holding her back.
Buffy sighed, glaring at Piper then addressed Phoebe. "Even Dawn," she assured her middle daughter. "You heard what Faith said. Dawn's hurting. It's a reminder, Phoebe, of when I died last summer. And you know what my death did to my baby sister. What effect it had on her. She wants you back, Phoebe."
"And she can have me back," Phoebe cried. "You all can. You can have the Power of Three back. You just have to be willing to meet me halfway," she concluded her eyes locking onto Piper's.
"Phoebe," Piper breathed. "You can't protect the innocent and save demons. It just doesn't work that way."
"Apparently, it does," Phoebe countered, tilting her head as she eyed her sister. "He's alive isn't he?"
Piper shook her head, at a loss for words and turned away, pained by the realization that she didn't even know who the woman standing before her was anymore.
"Yeah, but your friend Malek is going to come back," Paige reasoned, the only sister keeping her cool.
"You don't know that," Phoebe disagreed, shaking her head.
"That's what they do, Phoebe, they come back," Piper seethed, overwhelmingly frustrated with this conversation. "They snarl and come back."
Buffy let out a sigh and pulled Leo aside as she whispered in his ear, "So much for our chance."
Leo nodded as he whispered back, "Give it time Buffy. We had an opening, we could still reach her."
"Yeah and now we have to worry about protecting him..." Paige jerked her hand towards their innocent forcefully, "...instead of trying to save you."
Phoebe blinked registering that word for the first time. "You think I need saving?"
"Are you kidding me?" Piper uttered. "That baby inside you has corrupted you more than you think."
Phoebe scoffed, "Piper—"
"Don't Piper me," Piper snapped, shaking her head. "Wha—this is insane. What you are saying is insane! You cannot come back. You cannot work with us as long as you are married to the Source."
"So what do you want me to do? You want me to leave my husband?" Phoebe seethed.
Piper nodded. "Yes."
Buffy sighed and looked to Leo. "You were saying."
"THAT IS NOT FAIR!" Phoebe screeched pointing at Piper.
"It's not fair, Phoebe," Leo agreed. "But you have to pick a side. Good or evil. That's how it works," he said gently. "Even though it means giving up someone you love, you have to choose."
Piper turned to Leo and Buffy with watery eyes, "Oh, who are we kidding," she snapped throwing her arm out towards Phoebe. "She's already chosen."
Phoebe swallowed hard as she met each of their stares and whispered, "I'm really sorry you feel that way." Wrapping her arms around herself then flaming out.
Piper shook her head as tears rushed to her eyes. "I can't do this," she announced firmly handing the potions bag off to Buffy. "I, I just can't."
Paige frowned. "What about Greg?" she called and Piper threw her hand behind her, unfreezing him as she continued to run away.
"Oh no, not again," Greg sighed seeing his bike missing. He turned to Buffy, Paige and Leo. "Did you guys see anybody take off on a chrome and orange bicycle?"
"No, sorry," Buffy answered as she her gaze followed Piper till she could no longer see her daughter. .
"I don't even know why I bother to lock it," he muttered walking away.
"Uh...what should we do?" Paige asked Buffy and Leo, at a loss.
"Follow him." Buffy answered. She then looked at Leo. "But you need to follow your wife."
Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
"The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for membership. We are self-supporting through our own contribution. We do not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorse nor oppose..."
Paige and Buffy listened to the spokeswoman droned on and on, opening the AA meeting, as they stood at the back of the hall, not really hearing what she was saying at all, only watching their innocent like a hawk.
Buffy glanced at her youngest daughter rocking back and forth on her heels. "So...do you think Piper's okay?" she asked her, digging her hands into her coat pockets.
Paige glanced at her mother and sighed. "I don't know, Mom. Our family is falling apart isn't it? First Phoebe, then Aunt Dawn and now Piper. It's all just falling apart."
"Yeah," Buffy sighed.
"Is anyone celebrating 30 days today?" the spokeswoman asked the room and Paige just repressed the urge to roll her eyes.
Bay Mirror Newspaper Offices
Phoebe sat at her desk, languidly leaning in her seat without a care when her boss came storming in.
"Where's the real copy?" Elise demanded expectantly.
Phoebe raised her eyes to the older woman's and asked slowly. "Excuse me?"
"This is cute, very clever and I appreciate the evening chuckle," Elise commented kindly as she approached Phoebe's desk. "But I need to see the real pages."
Phoebe slammed her book closed in outrage. "Are you calling my writing a joke?"
Elise put her glasses back on and began reading pointedly. "Dear Betrayed, I suggest you beat your cheating husband with his secretary's stapler. Then he'll think twice before bending her over her desk again."
Phoebe smirked proudly as her words were read back to her, seeing no fault or problem with them in the slightest.
"Well..." Phoebe leaned back in her seat and slowly pulled off her glasses, "...might be a little harsh but I think it makes a point."
"What it makes is a lawsuit!" Elise exclaimed tearing off her glasses unimpressed. "So unless you're looking to lose your job..."
Phoebe slammed her hands down on her desk and shot forwards to her feet. "Are you threatening me?" she demanded darkly.
Elise stared at her curiously. "I'm telling you to get a shrink if you have to, but get it together!" she cried throwing the column down on her desk as Cole approached from behind. "Rewrite that column and do it fast," she ordered sternly, turning around to find Cole in her way, leaning against the doorframe casually while Phoebe conjured a fireball in the palm of her hand.
"Excuse me," Elise demanded impatiently and Cole smiled, slowly stepping aside to let her past. He turned back to his wife who curled her hand into a fist, extinguishing the fireball.
"If you want to kill your boss, we have people who can take care of that for you," he informed her seriously.
Phoebe sat back down slowly and smiled at him. "Aren't you sweet. Truth is..." she sighed tiredly, "..she's right. My advice was a little off this week."
"I don't understand what you're doing here," Cole told her honestly, stepping inside the office and closing the door behind him, blinds drawn. "You're queen."
"And you're cranky," Phoebe shot back. "I told you I'm not quitting my job."
Cole watched her swing from side to side on her chair silently then walked towards the window asking. "And what about your other job, you going to keep that too?"
"And what job would that be, Cole?" Phoebe questioned, unamused with his cryptic attitude.
"The Charmed One" He turned to her sharply but her expression never faltered. "Malek told me what you did."
"So what?" Phoebe complained. "I let him go."
"That doesn't make it okay!" Cole snapped loudly and Phoebe shot to her feet again, slamming her hands down on her desk once more.
"Keep your voice down," she ordered fiercely. "This is where I work." She strolled around her desk, then she violently drew the last blind closed.
"You can't save an innocent and free a demon Phoebe," Cole told her evenly. "It doesn't work like that."
Phoebe scoffed. "You sound like Piper."
"Yeah well Piper's right," Cole insisted. "You made a choice when you stood by me at the coronation. If you're questioning that choice now, if you're not sure you want to be with me you need to let me know."
Phoebe rolled her eyes at him. "Of course I want to be with you," she growled sincerely. "I just don't understand why you have to be so rigid!"
"BECAUSE I AM THE SOURCE!" Cole bellowed and Phoebe thanked the gods that these walls were thick. "BECAUSE YOU ARE MY QUEEN! BECAUSE THERE ARE EXPECTATIONS!"
"Do you think I care about anyone's expectations?" Phoebe challenged, keeping her voice low but matching his in ferocity.
"This is not a game, Phoebe," Cole reminded her, his voice back to her level. "You walked through a one way door. You try to go back now and they will destroy us."
"Who?" Phoebe asked tilting her head at her husband, "My family?"
"The Underworld," Cole corrected sharply walking towards her. "If they think we're working both sides...they will revolt. If they do that...if they unite against us..." he stared into her eyes and Phoebe could see what she thought was fear within them as he continued, "...I promise, we will pray for death."
Phoebe dropped her head into her hands as her body began to shake. "I'm sorry I—" she closed her eyes, "I didn't—I.."
"I get it, Phoebe," Cole assured her. "With possibly the exception of Faith, I know better than anyone what you're going through. It will rip you apart if you let it," he warned her and Phoebe opened her eyes.
"How do I not let it?" she pleaded with him.
"You make a choice," he answered simply his voice shaking. "And you stick to it. Even though it's hard, even though it means giving up the people that you love."
Phoebe stared at him and sighed, shaking her head sadly. Now he sounded like Leo.
Cole held out his hand to her. "Let's go home."
Phoebe stared at his hand in silence before moving her trembling hands into his and grasping tightly, allowing him to flame them out. Flame them home.
Golden Gate Park
"Knock, knock," Faith quipped when she orbed in.
Dawn briefly glanced over at her wife before staring back out at the ocean. "Faith, I don't want to fight."
"I'm not here to fight," Faith answered as she sat down next to Dawn on the bench.
"Then why are you here?" Dawn asked, staring straight ahead.
"To talk, that's it," Faith answered. She tilted her head toward the setting sun. "Did you notice that the sun's about to go down?" she questioned genuinely interested.
Dawn followed Faith's gaze. "Is it that late?" she said in clear surprise. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Faith staring at her. "You're staring," she informed her wife with a smirk.
"Can't help it," Faith shrugged. "I miss my wife."
Dawn glanced again at Faith. "And what, exactly, do you mean by that?"
Faith lifted her shoulders. "Oh, I don't know..." she said. "Since Phoebe chose Cole. You have been becoming increasingly angrier. To the point that when we go out on patrol here or in Sunnydale. You want to do it alone. It's almost like you have a death wish. Enough is enough, Dawn."
"And what do you want me to do, Faith?" Dawn snapped.
"What you are good at," Faith responded gently as slipped an arm around Dawn, pulling her wife into her loving arms. "One of the attributes I love about you. You are the most caring woman I know. That's why this is so hard for you. Because you care for our niece. And you don't want any of our family to have to go through what you went through."
Dawn looked at Faith as tears began to stream down her face. "I don't want to lose anyone else, Faith. I lost mom, I lost Buffy and now Phoebe. I don't want to lose anyone else. I want Phoebe to come home."
Faith smiled as she pushed Dawn away and cupped her face with her hands, wiping away her tears, "Then go get her, Dawn," she told her simply. "Do for Phoebe, what you did for B and Piper. Be the caring woman I love."
Dawn's P3
Leo orbed into the darkened and deserted night club, his eyes scanning the empty area for his wife: finding her seated at a small table, legs balancing on top next to a trusty bottle of Jack Daniels.
"We're closed," Piper droned, arms crossed over her chest tightly and her head bowed.
Leo sighed sadly at the sight. "Honey—"
"I don't want to talk," Piper informed him sternly, not even giving him the chance.
Leo regarded her closely for a moment before walking towards her. "I know you're feeling—"
"Even more than I don't want to talk, I do not want a pep talk," she cut him off, her words slightly slurred due to the alcohol coursing through her blood.
Leo stopped at the railing, leaning against it heavily. "Piper. What are you doing?" he questioned looking pointedly at the bottle of Jack and the small glass tumbler.
Piper sighed irately. "What does it look like I am doing?" she asked, dropping her legs from the table one by one and leaning her elbows on her knees. "I am trying to stop myself from feeling like the failure that I am."
"You're not a failure," Leo assured her firmly as Piper poured herself another glass, "It's not your fault that Phoebe—"
"I am her sister!" Piper interrupted him once more. "I am her big sister and sisters are supposed to protect each other from things like this!" she cried angrily, angry at herself. "I should have protected her and, and it is my job to keep this family together," she explained to him slowly, as if talking to a child. "It has been my whole life: keep the family together, simple as that and see at this, my friend, I am a failure," she concluded with a sharp nod.
Leo shook his head at her and pulled the bottle away. "That's enough," he ordered and Piper deflated further, slumping against the table.
"Paige, Pa—Paige could see that Cole, clearly, had turned evil!" Piper cried throwing up her hands, "And she told mom, mom who could see it too. The mom told Aunt Dawn and Aunt Faith who also could see it!" She snorted throwing back the rest of her drink and dropped her head down: chin to chest.
Leo tightened his jaw as the next words passed his lips. "You know, I didn't see that he was evil, Piper," he pointed out trying to meet her eyes. "Phoebe didn't see it at first. We didn't want to see it. Even Buffy, Dawn and Faith didn't see it at first. What really started to change that was Faith and the tarot card reading. Something triggered Faith's Slayer senses then. We didn't just start putting things together till after the Vampirus attack."
Piper rolled her eyes at his words, sneaking the bottle from his grasp and pouring herself some more.
"We wanted a normal, happy family." Leo continued wistfully, eyes full of regret for their blindness, "That's just human nature."
Piper slammed her empty glass down loudly, silencing him abruptly, "She...she is my baby sister," she whispered, her voice quivering as she fought to remain in control—the little control she still had left—avoiding his loving gaze. "And I let him destroy her. That is not human nature," she disagreed, shaking her head before raising her eyes to meet his. "That is the nature of failure." The tears burning in Piper's eyes were turning her vision into a blurry mess so she blinked furiously in an attempt to clear them but that only made them fall and she swiped at them aggressively. "it is my fault," she croaked sniffling and pouring herself another.
"Alright, I'm not gonna listen to this anymore," Leo stated seriously taking the bottle back from his wife, "You are a good witch and—"
Piper threw up her hand, freezing her husband mid-sentence and rolled her eyes. "I said, no pep talk." She snatched the bottle out of his immobile hand and began filling up her tumbler once more, sitting up straight. "Nobody listens around here anymore," she informed him although he couldn't hear her. She placed the bottle down and brought the glass to her lips, tipping it back and leaning back as she did so, went right off the end of the chair, hitting the floor with a thump. "Ow!"