Chapter 22: Long Live the Queen Part 2
May 3, 2002 – Friday
Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting
Paige and Buffy watched like a hawk as Greg moved amongst the crowd, talking to member after member, congratulating them on whatever day-mark they'd managed to successfully reach and smiled a little.
Buffy's cell phone chirped loudly in her bag and she pulled it out of her bag as Paige kept her eyes peeled on Greg who was moving slowly towards the back exit. "Hello?" she greeted.
"Buffy? Are you okay? Where are you?"
Buffy frowned at the voice down the line, shaking her head in confusion as her sister fired questions her way. "I'm okay, Dawn. What is it?" she questioned.
"Answer my question. Where are you?"
"What is it, Dawn?" Buffy repeated. "And where I am is with Paige trying to protect our innocent."
"Just the two of you?" Dawn asked in clear surprise. "Where is Piper?"
"No idea," Buffy answered with a sigh. "It appears you are not the only one having problems with Phoebe being evil. Piper took off."
"On me taking off, I'm sorry," Dawn apologized. "It was just too much, Buffy. First mom, then you and now Phoebe. I'm tired of losing family."
"I know," Buffy sighed. "So am I."
"We have to do something. We have to put this family back together."
"Agreed," Buffy said as Paige nudged her, motioning toward Greg. They hurried after him and outside where he spotted them.
"You two again." He stopped them and Paige cringed. "Are you two following me?"
"Uh...hold on, Dawn," Buffy whispered hurriedly.
Paige turned to Greg with a smile. "Yes," she answered honestly running down the few steps to reach him. "Strangely, we are, and we would love to explain it to you but it would be so much better if we could go talk inside by the crowd," she pleaded, glancing around them apprehensively.
Buffy narrowed her eyes as she spotted movement up ahead, her eyes widening as a demon emerged from the shadows and fired a bolt of energy towards them.
"NO!" Paige yelled pushing both herself and Greg to the ground as Buffy dove the other way.
Golden Gate Park
Dawn's heart stopped in her chest as she heard the commotion down the line. "Buffy?" she called sternly into the phone, hearing Paige distantly yell at what she assumed was their demon. "Buffy!" she tried again praying for her sister to answer.
"Aunt Dawn!" Paige yelled down the phone in a panic.
"Where's Buffy?" Dawn asked.
"Unconscious. Is Aunt Faith with you?"
"Yeah, why?" Dawn asked looking at her wife.
"Have her orb you here!" Paige answered.
"Paige wants you to orb us to them," Dawn explained.
"I can't," Faith replied. "I can do Sunnydale and the Manor, no problem because their places I've been. I can even orb to you with no problem. I think that has to do with you being my wife. But I'm shaky anyplace else. It's going to take a lot more practice before I can orb to anyone or anyplace else. It's the same with sensing. Back when Leo was having me try and help him sense Phoebe, I could sense nothing. In the week since I have been practicing sensing and I can only sense you now."
Dawn sighed. "We can't orb to you, Paige. Are you okay? What's happening?"
"Demon!" Paige squealed. "Lightning bolt! It's, it's not our demon, Aunt Dawn," she sister informed her aunt breathlessly. "LEO!"
Dawn frowned shaking her head, "What? What do you mean?" she asked over her Paige's calls.
"It's not Malek, it's someone—AH!" Paige yelped and Dawn stopped breathing. "GREG! AUNT DAWN HELP!"
"Where are you?" Dawn demanded tersely, her panic rising by the second.
"AHH! AUNT DAWN!" Paige screamed again this time in pain before the line went dead.
Dawn's body went numb at the click and her hold on the phone tightened. "Paige?" she called urgently, "Paige!" but there was nothing, "PAIGE!"
"What happened?" Faith asked from beside her and Dawn turned to her with frightened eyes.
"Demon, the, the demon—a different demon from before—she, she didn't tell me where she was, Faith," Dawn stuttered shaking her head. "I don't know where she is! LEO!" she yelled urgently but he never appeared. "LEO!"
Faith frowned. "He always answers."
Dawn ran a shaky hand threw her hair and bit down on her lip. "He's with Piper. If he's not answering then she must have frozen him. DAMN IT!" she yelled. She began dialing another number on her cell phone.
"Who are you calling?" Faith asked.
"Summers Residence, Willow speaking," came Willow's voice from the other end of the line before Dawn could answer Faith.
"Hey, Willow," Dawn said. "Remember that teleportation spell you used on Glory. What is it?
"That's not a good idea, Dawn." Willow reminded her friend. "It had some nasty side effects, remember? I had a nose bleed immediately after and headaches for days afterwards. What about Leo and Faith?"
"I remember the side effects, but its an emergency," Dawn replied. "Leo is out of commission and Faith can only orb to me, the manor and to Sunnydale. We need a way to get to Buffy and Paige out in the field, it's an emergency."
"Okay."
Streets of San Francisco
"LIGHTENING BOLT!" Paige yelled holding up her hand once again, sending the attack right back to her attacker, striking him, for the first time, on the chest. She exhaled in relief then scurried over to Buffy and Greg, both of whom were bleeding on the gravel.
"Shit," Paige cursed to herself as she made to press her hands down on his wound only to hiss in pain as her own wound screamed in protest. "Damn it, where is my sister!"
Paige raised her head slowly as she head a scuffle and watched as the demon got back to his feet, looking for round two. He sent another bolt her way and Paige ducked, covering Buffy and Greg's bodies the best she could with her own as the bolt went soaring past them. Gritting her teeth against the pain in her arm, Paige raised her head and cried out sharply in surprise when her eyes found her Dawn and Faith standing behind the demon.
"Hey jackass!" Dawn growled and the demon spun around only to be sent hurtling down the alley with a mere wave of her arm.
Paige sighed in relief at the sight as Dawn and Faith raced toward her. "How'd you get here?" she inquired puzzled.
"I called Willow," Dawn answered as she wiped her bloody nose. "She knew this teleportation spell. Side effects are a bitch though." She knelt down next to Buffy. "Faith, can you?"
"Leo hasn't taught it to me, or I have yet to get it, so no," Faith admitted knowing that Dawn was asking if she could heal.
Dawn sighed as she looked at Paige. She gasped when she caught sight of the growing crimson stain on her niece's orange colored coat. "Your bleeding, Paige. We need to get everyone to Leo."
Faith watched as the demon got back up an athame in his hand. She held out her hand sending ice a stream of ice his way, freezing him solid seconds before he was engulfed by flames.
Dawn smiled. "I'm glad you have that cool power," she told her wife.
"So am I," Faith agreed. She looked at Paige. "Can you sense where Piper and Leo are?"
"Dawn's P3, I think," Paige answered. She touched Greg and offered her free hand to Faith. Faith took it and offered her free hand to Dawn who took it before Dawn touched Buffy completing the circle. Then Paige orbed the five of them out.
Dawn's P3
Paige orbed herself and her four passengers into the nightclub, wincing as she shifted her arm to stand, raising her eyes and glancing around the room. Her brow creased into a frown when her gaze landed on her brother-in-law. "Leo?"
"He's frozen," Dawn supplied helpfully, glancing around the empty club. "Oh no," she whispered with a sigh as her eyes fell on her unconscious niece.
Paige followed her line of sight and gasped. "Oh my god, Piper!" she cried racing toward her sister, climbing over the bars to get to her. Dawn followed the long way around.
Faith followed Dawn and shoved Leo to free him from his freeze when she reached him.
"—and a good sister," Leo continued frowning, confused when he noticed his wife's absence. He raised his eyes to meet Faith's. "What?" he questioned shaking his head.
"You were frozen, Leo," Faith said as she pointed down.
Leo looked to where Faith was pointing and found his wife passed out at her feet. "Oh," he sighed gazing at her sadly.
"And I'm guessing demons didn't get her," Paige said motioning to Piper.
"Yeah remind me to have Buffy tell Piper about CaveSlayer," Dawn said looking at Faith.
"Oh yeah," Paige said remembering that story. "As mom put it, that's why alcohol and mom are non-mixy things."
"Pretty accurate imitation," Faith chuckled.
"I can't believe she froze me," Leo huffed, frowning at his wife's twitching form.
"We need some healing," Faith changed the subject, nodding behind him to Buffy and Greg and then to Paige. "I know Paige can't do it. Do you think I won't be able to for a while?"
"Probably," Leo said as he made his way over to Buffy and their innocent. "After all you aren't much ahead of where Paige was when she started."
"Yeah I could only orb in the same spot," Paige agreed. "You got select places down and to Aunt Dawn. But that's it."
"What happened?" Leo asked as he held his hands over Buffy and the healing glow started.
Paige sighed in irritation. "It was a different demon this time," she scowled, fingering her wound gingerly. "They really want this guy dead."
"Yeah, makes you wonder why," Dawn commented, her gaze resting on Buffy. "You'll need to orb him somewhere safe, Leo. I would say to Willow and Tara." She looked at wife. "Maybe it wouldn't hurt…"
"I was thinking the same thing," Faith agreed. She looked at Leo. "We'll go to Sunnydale. Between me, Red and Blondie…"
Leo nodded. "Then what?"
Dawn shifted her gaze to Paige who was watching Piper, waiting until her niece met her stare, "Then...Buffy, Paige and I are going to put this family back together," she said with a smile. "And bring Phoebe home."
Paige's face lit up at her aunt's declaration. "We are?" she questioned still unsure.
Dawn nodded stepping closer to Paige. "Yes," she replied certainly as she heard a groan escape Buffy's lips as Leo's healing concluded. She glanced toward her sister and smiled as Faith helped Buffy to sit up. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Buffy replied. "How did we get here?"
"Paige," Faith answered as Leo moved over to Greg and held his hands over their innocent as the healing glow began. "And how we got to you, you can blame on Willow."
"Why?" Buffy asked and then she noticed her sister's nose and the drying blood. "She gave you that teleportation spell she used on Glory.
"Yep," Dawn said. "It was an emergency. A nose bleed and a headache are worth it so I don't lose my sister or one of my nieces. Now as I was telling Paige, you, Paige and I are going to put this family back together." She looked back at Paige. "And, Paige, I'm sorry."
"For what?" Paige wondered.
"What happened to Phoebe. Pushed me nearly to the breaking point," Dawn explained. "First there was mom. Then there was Buffy, and now Phoebe. In the span of a year it was just too much. I don't want to lose anyone anymore."
"It's okay, Aunt Dawn," Paige said as she stood and pulled her aunt into her arms. "Believe me I know how that can go." She cleared her throat and pulled back, swiping at her eyes and smiling quickly at Dawn. "Okay um..." she turned to Leo. "Can you heal Piper?" she requested with hopeful eyes.
Leo looked up as Greg began to awaken with a groan. "No, I can't heal self-inflicted wounds," he informed her walking to Paige's side.
Paige sighed. "Crap," she cursed bending down at Piper's side and slapping her face lightly while Leo healed her arm from above.
"AHH!" Piper yelped, swatting her hand away in her alcohol induced haze.
Buffy moved next to Paige and bent down too, "Okay," she sighed tiredly grabbing hold of Piper's arm. "Let's get her home."
Paige nodded dutifully now fully healed, taking Piper's other arm and together the mother and daughter pulled Piper back up.
Phoebe and Cole's Apartment
Phoebe paced the floor in her bedroom, up and down, back and forth, over and over. Her mind reeling, her heart torn as she tried—desperately— to come up with some sort of compromise that would enable her to see her sisters' and please the underworld, all at the same time. She'd already lost one of her aunts because of all this, she knew she couldn't handle losing the rest of her family as well.
"My Queen?" the Seer greeted as she entered the room, tonic in hand. "It is time for your tonic."
Phoebe watched as she extended her arm, tonic in hand but couldn't hear a word she said. Phoebe looked the Seer in the eyes, her need shining through as she approached. "What if I promise never to save any innocent with them ever again. Then can I see my sisters?" she begged her with pleading eyes.
"You'll feel better after this," the Seer replied, holding out the tonic.
Phoebe sighed, shaking her head and caught sight of the plant she had dumped the very same tonic in that morning: the now very dead plant. Phoebe's gaze fell back to the tall-stemmed glass in the Seer's hand as realization dawned.
"Oh my god," Phoebe muttered walking around the Seer to reach the evidence. "It's poison."
"No," the Seer countered.
"You told me it was good for me."
"It is."
"YOU'RE LYING!" Phoebe exclaimed with wide eyes.
"Think about it," the Seer instructed. "Last night you were strong—angry perhaps—but now look at you, whining."
Phoebe shook her head, as she tried to steady her breathing.
"It's a weakness unbefitting of a queen."
Phoebe trained her eyes on the glass once more and demanded. "What's in it?"
"Pure evil. The baby feeds on it," the Seer explained and Phoebe felt her heart skip a beat. "And as he grows stronger..."
"I get weaker," Phoebe concluded, her whole body beginning to tremble as she tried to absorb the information.
"Only the good in you," the Seer placated as if that made everything okay.
"You're trying to destroy me," Phoebe accused hatefully.
"I'm trying to help you," the Seer insisted. "I gave you clarity where now you have confusion. I gave you conviction where now you have pain."
Phoebe shook her head weakly. "You took away my will," she whispered.
"No. You made the choice to stand by your husband all on your own," the Seer reminded her smugly. "For you, for Cole, and for your baby," she added, her eyes dropping to Phoebe's stomach.
Phoebe swallowed thickly, her hand moving to cover her stomach, protecting her son from the demon before her.
"Don't risk all of your lives by questioning that now," the Seer held up the glass as she repeated. "Drink the tonic, Phoebe." She then placed it next to Phoebe and flashed out.
Phoebe bit her bottom lip and looked down at her stomach, her hold tightening as she fought the internal battle raging within. Torn between the family she grew up with and the family she created.
Underworld
Cole flamed into the chamber used as a meeting place between leaders of the underworld and started at the number of demons he found there.
Looking around until his eyes found Dane's, Cole strolled forward. "What gives you the authority to call a meeting and summon me?" he demanded tersely.
"I summoned you, my liege." Dane nodded. "But I did not call this meeting. We all did."
Cole glanced around him as mumbled agreements sounded. "Hmm. Then someone had better speak," he commanded, glancing around him again.
"The concern—"
"Someone else," Cole cut Dane off, looking from demon to demon challenging them.
Stefan, the demon from before, pushed through the crowd. "Malek is missing," he stated certainly. "And the Charmed Ones, the Slayers and the Key are guarding his mark. Word on the street is that the queen, worked alongside her mother and sisters, to interfere with the kill."
Cole turned to Dane—the one he could supposedly trust—accusingly. "I wonder how that news spread."
"Forgive our confusion but..." Dane approached him slowly, "...we were under the impression that the Power of Three no longer existed."
Cole looked around him. "The queen is pregnant," he announced loudly so those who did not know would now. "She's prone to hormonal fits. But I can assure you all that the Power of Three is indeed extinct."
The chamber fell silent and Cole nodded once before walking away.
"Then who killed Malek?" Dane questioned, stopping Cole in his tracks.
The Source turned back to him and answered with, "I did. I was convinced he was about to betray me."
"Nevertheless, his mark still lives," Dane pointed out tightly, disappointed by Cole's honesty.
"Then assign someone to finish the task, Dane," Cole ordered impatiently, bored with this little revolt.
"I believe you already tried that," Dane answered swiftly. "My liege," he added slowly.
"Are you questioning me?" Cole demanded, his voice hard and eyes daring.
Dane remained silent and approached Cole slowly, stopping when they were mere inches apart. "The innocent...is still in the hands of the witches," he pointed out slowly. "Until we've seen evidence that the queen's...hormones, are indeed under control, it might be best if you took out the mark personally. For morale."
Cole's jaw tightened; he knew what Dane was doing. He was testing him, forcing him to the prove to demondom exactly where his loyalties lie: with his wife or with the underworld.
Cole glanced around at the faces, knowing every demon present wanted to see it too. They needed him to prove that his loyalties and allegiance lay with them and Cole wouldn't disappoint.
Halliwell Manor
"How many hang over cures do you have?" Piper's muffled voice asked from her place at the kitchen table, head resting on one arm, as she fought to keep the world still.
"A lot," Paige replied as she placed the lid on the blender. "There was a time in my life when I needed these often."
"Remind me tell you why I don't drink beer or anything alcoholoic," Buffy said as she entered the kitchen with Dawn.
"Where'd you go, Mom? Aunt Dawn?" Piper questioned, lifting her head only to wince as the harsh light burned her retinas and dropped her head back onto her arm.
"Sister to sister, heart to heart," Dawn admitted. "We just had something to discuss."
"Such as with Dawn and Faith moving back full time into the Manor," Buffy said. "I'm giving them the basement apartment. And I'm taking Dawn's room."
Paige slammed the button on the blender and the machine whirred to life. "AH!" Piper cried jerking up, as the noise hammered into her head and she attempted to cover her ears with her arms.
As soon as the noise ceased, Piper dropped her head into her hands then pushed them through her hair, "I'm sorry guys. I don't know what got into me," she apologized with a sigh, propping her head on one hand. "I mean, it's one thing when your sister has a husband that you can't stand. It's another when he is the Source of All Evil!"
"It's okay, sweetie." Buffy said.
"Buffy is right," Dawn agreed as she sat down at the table next to Piper. "I'm sorry," she said.
"For what?" Piper wondered.
"As I told Paige and Buffy for being a brat. First there was mom, then Buffy and now Phoebe," Dawn explained. "I just couldn't take it anymore. It's why hunting Nosferatu became over the course of the last week my favorite pastime. Because it distracted me from what I was really angry at…"
"Phoebe," Piper said as Dawn nodded. "I know that feeling. And it thanks to you, mom and Paige that I was able to move on. Now it's my turn to help you. I want you to think about these words, and only these words. I love you, I will always love you. Then think of Phoebe. You won't lose her as long as you remember those words."
"Drink up," Paige instructed coming over to the table and placing hangover cure number four down on her sister's right. "We've got work to do."
Buffy brushed away her tears, cleared her throat and fell into the chair on Piper's right as Paige sat opposite Piper. "Phoebe was different today," she announced and her daughters and her sister turned to her.
"Yeah she cared about us, about Greg," Paige added. "Something has changed, and I believe mom will agreed that now is our chance to get her back."
Piper frowned in confusion. "How?"
"Well, we storm the penthouse, bring the crystals," Paige listed off on her fingers. "We still know the spell. We vanquish the Source the same way we did last time."
"Yes, but now, this time the Source is Cole," Dawn countered shaking her head. "Do you really see Phoebe saying a little spell with us to vanquish her husband? The father of her child?"
Paige shrugged, "If she doesn't...we die."
"Whoa!" Dawn exclaimed pushing up out of her seat. "You're talking about our family."
"The good in Phoebe is fighting to the surface, we saw that today," Paige explained. "I don't think she's just going to stand by and watch Cole kill us."
"Are you willing to bet your life on that?" Piper demanded.
Buffy smiled. "Aren't you, Piper? After all a second ago you were the one trying to be the supportive caring person for Dawn. Telling her …"
"I know what I told her, mom," Piper interrupted. "I want her back. But are we sure this plan will work?"
"It has to," Dawn said as she sat back down. "I just need to make a phone call. You with me, Piper? Just in case?"
Piper nodded. She looked at her mother and sister. "Give us a couple minutes. We have to make a long distance phone call."
"Drink this first," Buffy said handing Piper her hangover cure.
"Urgh." Piper shuddered as she stared down at the vile concoction. "Gross."
"While Aunt Dawn and Piper are on the phone, I'll get the crystals." Paige chuckled as they left the kitchen.
Buffy, Dawn, Piper and Paige exited the kitchen and made their way towards the stairs just as Phoebe entered the house.
Piper handed Dawn her glass as she pulled on her coat and Dawn sat it on the foyer table, considering it officially forgotten.
"Cole is going to kill Greg Conroy," Phoebe announced to the small group. "And I can't let that happen."
Piper glanced at Buffy whose eyes were on Phoebe, eyeing her critically.
"So, what do you want to do?" Piper asked carefully.
Phoebe licked her lips nervously and flickered her gaze from sister to sister before answering slowly. "I think that we...have to vanquish Cole."
"I knew it," Paige smiled. "I knew she was ready."
Piper, however, was not fully convinced. And Buffy, her Slayer senses were tripping. She wasn't sure if she was sensing the evil in Phoebe or something else.
"We have to use Greg as bait," Phoebe told them calmly and Paige's smile dropped, replaced with a confused frown.
"Bait?" Dawn echoed uncertainly. "He's an innocent."
"I know but Cole's looking for him," Phoebe explained. "He'll find him wherever he is, so he's safest here."
Piper nodded, "So we have Leo bring Greg here, but then when Cole arrives uh...Leo's got to orb Greg out of here."
Phoebe nodded in agreement with her sister's plan. "And then...we vanquish Cole."
Piper turned to Buffy. "What do you think?"
Buffy glanced quickly at Piper then back to Phoebe and replied. "I don't like it."
"Neither do I but it's our only option, Mom," Phoebe insisted meeting Buffy's eyes with her own. "Cole is never going to stop hunting this guy. What, what kind of life is that?"
Piper turned to Buffy. "She's right, Mom. We can't let that poor man live on the run for the rest of his life."
Paige nodded, "I'll go get the crystals."
Phoebe kept her eyes locked onto Buffy until Piper called her name.
"Phoebe...I know how much you love Cole," Piper said slowly, and Phoebe looked to the floor, "And I'm really sorr—"
"I can't get emotional about this now, Piper," Phoebe interrupted bringing her eyes back up from the floor. "If I do, I won't be able to go through with it."
Piper frowned, her heart aching for what her sister had to do and overwhelmed with the urge to comfort her but nodded nonetheless, giving Phoebe her space as Paige arrived with the crystals.
"Ready."
"Leo—"
"No!" Buffy cut in sharply, silencing Piper. She realized what was wrong. Her Slayer senses were telling her. There was a demon was in the room. She knew it wasn't herself, Dawn, Paige or Piper. That meant it had to be Phoebe.
Piper sighed closing her eyes. "Mom, come on."
"No, Piper." Buffy turned to her eldest daughter and stared into her eyes pointedly. "My Slayer senses are telling me there is a demon in the room. And of course we know it can't be you the four of us. Which leaves Phoebe. Except Phoebe, while evil is not a demon. So…that means that either Cole sent a demon impersonating her to kill Greg or this is Cole." She tilted her head as Leo. Faith and Greg materialized.
Phoebe smirked, crossing her arms over her chest as she slowly morphed back into Cole. "Clever," he taunted turning to Greg and hitting him with a fireball and Greg burst into flames. He looked back at Buffy. "I wasn't sure if I could fool you, Buffy," he said. "Phoebe told me how you could tell her and Paige apart during the body swap deal. But I forgot about your Slayer abilities." He then flamed out triumphant.
"Paige, get the crystals," Buffy said. "Then orb us to the apartment."
Paige nodded and rushed upstairs to get the crystals.
Phoebe and Cole's Apartment
Phoebe was seated at the desk in the living room, tonic standing next to her, as she scribbled on a piece of paper, her expression unreadable, when Cole flamed into the room.
"Phoebe we have too—" Cole trailed off as he laid eyes on her, sensing the tension radiating off of his wife.
Phoebe turned to him slowly, her eyes dark.
Cole frowned. "What's the matter?"
Phoebe had turned to him but she refused to meet his eyes, "Did you know about the Seer's tonic? What it really does?"
"What's this?" Cole asked, nodding towards the desk and cleverly avoiding the question. "You're planning to leave me?" he questioned, seeing his name at the top of the page.
"I wrote two letters," Phoebe informed him, nervously twiddling the pen between her fingers. "One saying goodbye to you, and one saying goodbye to my mother, my aunts and my sisters." She raised her eyes to meet his slowly. "I haven't decided which one I'm going to send."
"Well you better decide," Cole retorted harshly. "Right now."
"Did you know about the tonic?" Phoebe asked again, her voice strong and demanding.
Cole stared her in the eye and answered, "Yes."
Phoebe scoffed. "So you knew she was poisoning me with evil," she sought to confirm.
Cole sucked in a deep breath and turned away, smoothing out his coat. "You took my hand and walked me through that coronation long before anybody gave you anything to drink."
Phoebe dropped her head into her hand, willing the forming headache away.
"So if you want to pretend that you're poisoned—"
"So why even bother with the tonic?" Phoebe demanded, cutting him off. "Why not just let me think for myself?"
"Because I know what it feels like to have good and evil fighting inside of you, ripping your insides out," Cole replied heatedly. "I wanted to save you that pain."
Phoebe shook her head and looked to the floor. "You should have trusted me...to stand by you all on my own," she retorted, raising fiery eyes to meet his dark ones.
Cole stretched out his arms. "So..." he walked toward her purposefully, "...show me I can. You know what's in the tonic now. You know how it works." He lifted the dainty glass from its place on the desk and placed it down in front of her. "Drink it...all on your own."
Phoebe stared at the drink with hard eyes then shook her head. "Cole," she chastised, pushing to her feet and walking away.
"I don't have time for games, Phoebe." Cole called after her, staying in place and she turned back to him. "Just drink the tonic or leave...now."
"What is going on with you?" Phoebe demanded breathlessly, his attitude unsettling her. "What happened?"
"What happened is you had to go and play demon catcher with your mother and sisters," Cole replied tersely.
"COLE, IT'S WHO I AM!" Phoebe hollered in frustration.
"And now we're in danger," Cole announced to her calmly and Phoebe covered her face with her hands. "Serious danger." He walked toward her slowly. "If you don't care about your life or mine or the baby's..." he stopped directly in front of her, staring down, "What about your mother, your sisters, your aunts?"
Phoebe cut her eyes to his sharply. "Don't you threaten them," she growled furiously.
"I'm not." Cole shook his head. "But if there's a coup, do you think whoever takes over from me will let them live?" he asked her. "Dawn for example has been lucky so far. Her magic is nearly as powerful as that of the Charmed Ones, because of the Key. How long do you think it will be before they go after her? Buffy died stopping Glorificus, remember? What do you think will happen if an upper-level-demon targets Dawn. Not just for her powers, but for the Key itself. To control it! She's a sitting duck without the Power of Three."
Phoebe shook her head minutely, staring at the ceiling, arms wrapped around herself. "I don't know what to do," she whispered, utterly lost.
"You can't go back," he told her certainly, turning back to the desk and lifting the tonic. "There is only one choice. Drink the tonic." He held it out to her expectantly but Phoebe stared at the floor. Cole took a breath and walked closer. "You have to know...that I would never do anything to hurt you. Please? For us? For our son?"
Phoebe inhaled deeply, eyes closed, and his scent overwhelmed her. She opened them slowly, looked at the tonic then up into his eyes and back down before snatching the tonic from his hands and downing it, slamming the empty glass back into his palm.
Cole swallowed his smirk as he took his wife into his arms and held her. "I love you, Phoebe," he told her sincerely. "Just remember, whatever happens next, we can handle it as long as we stay together."
Phoebe's body tensed in his arms at his words. "What do you mean...?" she questioned fearfully. "Whatever happens next?"
"The Conroy thing got serious," Cole revealed. "I had to take care of it."
Phoebe's eyes widened and she pushed out of his arms. "You..." her raspy voice cracked and she shook her head, staring at him with fearful, angry eyes. "You killed him?"
"It was your mess," Cole fired back. "I was just cleaning it up."
"Cole!" Phoebe sighed. "They're going to come after you. They're going to come here!" she exclaimed desperately.
"Well, if they do—"
"No," Phoebe interrupted, shaking her head and walking away.
"Phoebe, if it comes down to them or us..." Cole insinuated.
"Oh god!" Phoebe gasped, one hand moving to her stomach as she raced towards the bathroom.
"Phoebe wait," Cole called after her but she slammed the door.
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Phoebe brought the tonic right back up again in the toilet. "Phoebe?" Cole called knocking on the door. She moved away from the toilet on shaking legs and turned on the faucet, splashing her face with cold water as she gulped in deep breathes.
"Phoebe?" Cole called again but she ignored him, staring at her reflection in the mirror, sick to her stomach at the thought of her husband so willing to kill the only people in her life that she would die for, her whole family.
"Aunt Faith!" she whispered.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Cole closed his eyes and shook his head at himself before walking away from the bathroom, into the living room.
Bright white lights filled the air and Leo, Buffy and Piper orbed in, in front of the fireplace. Paige, Dawn and Faith orbing in to their right seconds later.
Cole whirled around, angry eyes meeting theirs as he walked, slowly, to the center of the room, making sure to keep an eye on the Buffy, Piper, Dawn and Faith's hands.
"You evil son of a bitch," Paige spat venomously, Cole's eyes flying to hers as Piper brought up her hands and flicked her wrists. Cole exploded, scattering into millions of buzzing black dots.
Faith looked toward the bathroom. "Phoebe?" she said.
"PHOEBE?" Piper called following Faith's gaze towards the bathroom, assuming that was where her sister was hiding, "GET OUT HERE AND HELP US DAMN IT!" she ordered as Paige, Dawn and Buffy surrounded Cole with the enchanted crystals.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Phoebe pressed herself up against the door, listening to the chaos just beyond it as Piper's voice penetrated the wood. "Aunt Faith!" she called out again as a sob passed her lips. It was then that bright white lights filled the air in front of her and Faith orbed in. Phoebe wrapped her arms around Faith. "What am I going to do?"
"It's a hard decision, I won't deny that," Faith admitted as she sat down on the toilet and looked at Phoebe. "You have your head and your heart warring within you. On the one hand you have your love for Cole and your unborn child. On the other you have the love for me, for Dawn, for your sisters and for Buffy."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Paige and Buffy placed the last of their crystals down just as Cole fused back together.
"Aunt Dawn," Piper warned and Buffy turned back sharply.
Dawn raised her head and her eyes widened as they met Cole's black ones. He threw out his arm and sent her soaring back into the wall above the fireplace, right above Piper and Leo.
Dawn's head snapped back, the wall splitting it open before she hit the ground hard, the crystal flying out of her hand.
"Don't make me kill you," Cole pleaded, his tone warning them that he would if forced.
"PHOEBE, YOU HEARD WHAT HE SAID!" Piper bellowed to her sister. "HE'S GONNA KILL US ALL! GET OUT HERE AND HELP US!"
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"You're not being very helpful, Aunt Faith," Phoebe said with a sigh.
"I know," Faith admitted. "Here is where I am going to be helpful. I was in your place once. I had gone evil. And I wound up in prison as a result. But the thing is. B saw something in me, that I could do good. And you want to know something she was right. So right that I am now married to her sister with her blessing. This is now what I believe in Phoebe, second chances. This is your second chance."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy tore her eyes away from Dawn as Leo's healing power began to work, Piper at their baby sister's side, and turned slowly to face her son-in-law. She strode forward as she threw a punch with all of her Slayer strength. He swiftly caught her wrist jerking her forward. Their eyes locked and Buffy stared at him, the challenge shinning in her eyes as she watched him debate what to do next.
Cole's fist clenched around her wrist to a painful degree, even for a Slayer, and Buffy barely concealed a wince as he cut off her circulation. She clenched her jaw and tilted her head, "Well?" she ground out, glancing pointedly down at her wrist.
Cole's nostrils flared and he snarled.
Buffy's eyes widened in surprise as she came to the frightful conclusion that Cole was no longer in there. The Source had completely taken over. There was no saving Cole now. Deciding she'd wasted enough time, she slammed her free hand into his chest, using all the Slayer strength she had on him.
Cole groaned as he felt his feet leave the floor. At the last second, as she slipped from his grasp, Cole released a fireball her way, the flaming weapon crashing into her chest and sending her soaring backwards, slamming into the wall nearest the bathroom.
Piper and Leo pulled Dawn to her feet just as Buffy flew past them. Piper's eyes widened fearfully and she gasped. "Leo," she whispered tugging on her husband's sleeve.
"BUFFY! " Dawn cried, running to her sister's side and rolling her over as Leo dropped down on the other side.
"PHOEBE?" Paige yelled pleadingly. "PHOEBE PLEASE! WE NEED YOU!"
Buffy groaned painfully as her eyes fluttered open and she found Leo and Dawn hovering above her. Wincing as they lifted her to her feet slowly she snarled, "Bastard!"
"Mom?" Piper demanded, looking her up and down.
"I'm fine," Buffy assured her quickly.
Piper watched silently as her brother-in-law stumbled to his feet, and fell back into the room breathing heavily, glass from the balcony doors sliding off him. She threw up her hands and flicked her wrists once more, blowing Cole to pieces and buying her sister more time.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"This is your second chance, Phoebe," Faith reminded her niece. "It is time to come home. Evil will always be alluring as I know all too well. But if you don't have your family then what do you have?"
Phoebe closed her eyes at her aunt's words, she knew Faith was right. She gripped the handle, breathing deeply. "Thank you, Aunt Faith," she rasped quietly before yanking open the bathroom door and running out followed slowly by Faith.
Buffy, Dawn and Leo had moved back to stand with Piper and Paige. Piper swallowed hard and met Leo's eyes before her husband moved to stand behind her, Faith on his left behind her own wife.
Cole formed a large fireball in his hand as he turned unfeeling eyes on the two sisters, two aunts and mother.
Paige's eyes widened slightly and she gripped onto Buffy's arm, inching closer. Piper narrowed her own and squeezed Buffy's hand who squeezed back just as hard. And Faith wrapped her arms around Dawn from behind.
Phoebe picked up the forgotten crystal, her presence unknown to all in the room until Cole turned to her, sensing her presence, her sisters' eyes following his.
"I'm sorry," Cole apologized turning back to his in-laws, "It's...it's for the best."
Buffy tightened her jaw at his words, holding onto her daughters more tightly, keeping her eyes on Cole unable to look at them, her sister or her sister-in-law.
Piper cut her eyes to Phoebe's, silently pleading with her to do something, yet afraid of what she may get in return.
Phoebe stared into space silently, gripping the crystal tightly in her hands. "I know it is," she agreed walking towards her husband.
Cole extinguished the fireball and his wife pulled him down into a kiss.
Piper's brow creased deeply, her heart unable to comprehend the betrayal she was experiencing, "Phoebe?"
Buffy's eyes fluttered closed and she turned her head away, towards Piper.
Paige stated at her older sister, her eyes wide in disbelief, unable to accept that this was the end, that they were about to die at the hands of their own sister even if it was indirectly.
Phoebe kissed her husband like she had never kissed him before, pouring all of her love and devotion and happiness into that one kiss. Every dream, every hope, every plan she ever made for them, their entire future together, she kissed him with all that she had praying it gave Cole enough strength to fight to the surface one last time, if only to say goodbye and then she reluctantly pulled away.
Cole stared down at her—the real Cole—her love giving him that last ounce of strength to fight back. His heart pounded in his chest, the look in her eyes and the feel of that kiss turned his blood to ice...he knew. It was too late. The Source had won. This was the end.
Phoebe licked her lips, bringing her hands to her chest as she saw Cole in the eyes of the man staring back at her. It had worked and now he was here. He was here to say goodbye. "I'm sorry too," she apologized, placing the last crystal in its rightful place, charging up the crystal cage which trapped her husband inside.
Phoebe backed into her mother, Buffy pulling her in between herself and Piper who gripped Phoebe's right hand tightly in her free one. Buffy snaked her arm around Phoebe's waist and her daughter rested back against her. Paige closed her eyes as she stepped closer to them, one hand resting on Buffy's arm the other holding Phoebe's free hand.
Dawn and Faith moved over to the other four women. Dawn wrapped her arm around Piper, while Faith took Phoebe's free hand.
"Phoebe, no," Cole whispered looking around him at his magical prison. "NO!" He knew his cry was futile but he had to try. If only so she could tell their son that he had.
"I'm sorry baby," Phoebe whispered shaking her head, then raised her eyes to meet her husband's pain riddled orbs. "I'm so sorry."
"Penelope, Prudence, Melinda," Dawn and Piper chanted together and Cole's legs caught fire.
Buffy glanced at Faith and smiled. "Astrid, Helena, Laura and Grace," she and Faith chanted.
"I'll always love you," Cole promised her as the fire grew, resigned to the fact that the end had come, and Phoebe gasped in pain.
Faith gave Phoebe's hand a gentle reassuring squeeze.
"Halliwell witches stand strong beside us. Vanquish this evil from time and space," Piper, Phoebe and Paige concluded in perfect unison, Phoebe turning her head into her mother's shoulder as Cole screamed in pain and exploded, the force of the blast blowing out all the windows and balcony doors in the penthouse.
May 4, 2002 – Saturday
Halliwell Manor
Leo and Faith approached their respective wives, who were standing at the bottom of the stairs staring up them longingly. "Hey," Leo and Faith whispered and Piper and Dawn shot them a small smile.
"Hey," they replied, shifting their position under their Leo and Faith's watchful stare.
"Why don't you go up and see her." Faith suggested casually.
Piper shook her head. "I don't know what to say," she admitted shakily. "I mean, I can't imagine...if it had been you..." her voice trembled and Leo took her hand pulling her against him.
"The same…" Dawn started as she looked at Faith who nodded in understanding.
"Hey," Paige greeted quietly, hating to intrude on their moment as the two couples broke apart.
"Hey," Dawn and Piper returned.
"How is she doing?" Paige questioned, her gaze travelling up the stairs.
Dawn took a breath, "Neither of us knows. She hasn't come down yet."
Paige nodded. "How long you two been standing there?" she asked with a smirk.
"A while," Piper grinned and Paige chuckled.
"Where's Mom?" Paige questioned, glancing around them.
Dawn frowned, "I don't—I'm actually not sure," she revealed slowly. "She hasn't come down either."
Paige turned towards the stairs, her thoughts on Phoebe. "Maybe we should go see her," she suggested.
"Okay," Piper and Dawn agreed nervously climbing the stairs before they could change their minds.
Paige smiled at Leo as she passed, she grabbed Faith's hand and pulled her aunt after them. She ran into Piper and Dawn who had stopped abruptly and turned back.
"What if she wants to be alone?" Piper asked.
"She's going to be alone a lot," Faith pointed out sadly. "Maybe right now what she needs is her family. "
"Right," Piper and Dawn agreed turning back and climbing the rest of the stairs, the two sisters and two aunts stopping when they reached the top and found Buffy sitting in front of Phoebe's door.
"How long have you been sitting there?" Dawn asked her sister.
"All night," Buffy answered.
"Mom, that's not exactly healthy." Piper quipped, rolling her eyes in disapproval.
"I'm a Slayer, remember, Piper?" Buffy reminded her daughter. "I can go on a heck of a lot less sleep than you can.
"Get up," Dawn ordered offering a hand to her older sister and yanking her to her feet.
Piper chewed on her lip, wringing her hands together nervously while Buffy stood straight, staring at the large wooden door.
"Ready?" Paige asked, glancing between them and they nodded hesitantly. "In we go."
Buffy turned the doorknob and they entered silently.
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Phoebe was lying on her bed, on her left side, in sweat pants and a large jumper clutching a pillow to her chest as she sobbed painfully. The voices outside her door, she could hear, drowned out and the door clicked signaling the entry of her family and, even though she had thought she wanted to be alone, Phoebe couldn't help but sob in relief that she no longer had to be and was suddenly desperate to be in the arms of her family.
Buffy climbed onto the bed right away, trailing her hand up Phoebe's back then brushing the hair from her daughter's face.
Phoebe squeezed her eyes closed and sobbed harder, turning toward Buffy and burying her head in her chest.
Buffy's eyes fell closed as Phoebe clutched to her desperately, like she was her lifeline. "Phoebe," Buffy whispered, wrapping her in her arms tightly and kissing her head, "baby girl."
Piper stopped at the side of the bed, hesitating as she fought her tears sparked by her baby sister's cries. Paige came up behind her and squeezed her hand, nodding towards their sister and mother.
Piper slid up beside Buffy, reaching for Phoebe whose hand shot out towards her and grabbed Piper's hand tightly, holding on for dear life. Piper kissed Phoebe's hand and brought it to her chest, reaching out to stroke her face with her free hand in a continuous, soothing motion.
Paige smiled slightly at the scene before shaking herself, taking a deep breath and moving around to the other side of the bed. She climbed on behind Phoebe scooting as close to her as possible and wrapping her arm around Phoebe's middle, burying her face in her sisters hair.
Dawn and Faith sat at the foot of the bed and they each laid a hand on Phoebe's legs comfortingly.
Phoebe's heart-wrenching sobs grew louder, their force raking her small frame painfully as she grieved for her devastating loss in the loving arms of her two sisters, her two aunts and her mother.