Chapter 23: Womb Raider Part 1
May 9, 2002 – Thursday
This isn't happening." A heavily pregnant Phoebe insisted shaking her head as she was wheeled through the doors of the Emergency Room, "This can't be happening."
"What's going on?" an ER doctor with salt and pepper hair demanded to know as he approached.
"Ruptured placenta, possible prolapsed cord. She's 5 centimeters." The paramedic up front relayed to him efficiently.
"Alright, let's tell OR to get set up for a crash C-section." The doctor decided with a nod.
"You got it."
"No wait!" Phoebe exclaimed, gripping the doctors hand tightly in hers, "I'm only two months pregnant."
"She's full term." The Paramedic disagreed, glancing pointedly towards her enlarged stomach.
"No, you're wrong!" Phoebe cried panicked, "Where are my sisters?" Phoebe asked them, glancing around the hallway, "I need...
...my sisters." Phoebe told the nurse by her side breathlessly, the oxygen tube fitted to her nose doing little to help her breathing regulate, "Did you call them?"
"There was no time." The nurse told her sympathetically, her voice muffled behind the surgical mask.
Phoebe looked to the ceiling terrified, how could this be happening? How did she end up full term, in the middle of a life threatening surgery, all alone?
"We're less than a minute from skin to baby." The doctor announced from behind the small surgical curtain, blocking Phoebe's view from the ongoing surgery. "Scalpel. Uterine incision—I need another stretch." He barked urgently to the nurse by his side.
"There's nothing to be afraid of." The nurse by Phoebe's side assured her kindly.
Phoebe scoffed, "I'm afraid of what's inside me." She gasped, tears welling in her eyes.
"I can see the baby." The doctor announced, glancing up at Phoebe.
"Oh god." Phoebe raised her head to see, "Please let it be normal." She begged to no-one, "Please, please, please let him be normal." She gasped, throwing her head back as tears slipped from her eyes and a sob passed her lips, "Please!"
"Shoulders and...he's out." The doctor announced and Phoebe's head snapped up as the sound of a screaming baby assaulted her ears. "Would you like to see your new boy?" the doctor asked her, holding the new born above the divider so his mother could see him.
"He's beautiful."
Phoebe's face broke out into a grin as she laid eyes on her new son, "He is beautiful." Phoebe cried happily.
"Here you go." The doctor handed her son over to the nurse beside him who wrapped the wriggling baby in a blanket. Phoebe followed with her eyes and gasped as she saw the Seer, holding her little boy tightly.
"No." Phoebe gasped shaking her head, "The Seer! DON'T LET HER TAKE MY BABY!" she screamed, the nurse next to her holding her down as Phoebe tried desperately to get to her child, "DON'T LET HER TAKE MY BABY! DON'T LET HER TAKE MY BABY!" Phoebe screamed as the Seer walked away with her son, "NO!"
Halliwell Manor
"NO!" Phoebe cried shooting up in bed, gasping for air, eyes darting around her room wildly, searching for the Seer as her hands moved to her stomach protectively.
Phoebe yelped as a hand touched her arm and she whipped her head around, locking eyes with her mother.
"Ssshhh, Phoebe. It's okay," Buffy whispered soothingly.
Phoebe shook her head jerkily. "No, no it's not okay," she gasped tears springing to her eyes. "She wants my baby, Mom. She wants my baby."
Buffy's worried blue eyes darkened. "Who, Phoebe? The Seer?"
Phoebe nodded vigorously. "Don't, don't let her take my baby, Mom," she pleaded gripping her mother's wrists tightly. "Please! Please, Mom, don't let her take my baby!"
Buffy's eyes widened at the state her daughter was in, glancing down at the hold Phoebe had on her wrists she swiftly scooted closer on the bed and pried her hands free then took Phoebe into her arms and held her tightly. "Okay, shh. I won't, I won't," she told her firmly, her voice taking on a motherly tone, a tone she seldom used except when getting onto Dawn or the girls for something. "I promise, you won't lose your son too."
Phoebe sobbed loudly, burying her head in Buffy's neck, her body trembling. The fear she felt had been so real, it had all felt so real and now she was petrified. She couldn't lose her baby, she couldn't.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Urgh..." Phoebe shuddered as she shuffled out of the bathroom, hand pressed against her stomach as she dabbed at her mouth with the other. "So gross," she muttered turning back to her room with a sigh and almost colliding with one of her aunts as Dawn came running out, speeding past Phoebe and into the bathroom.
Phoebe cringed at the sound of retching. She opened the door to the bathroom and saw Dawn huddled over the toilet. She moved beside Dawn and moved her aunt's hair back. "Ick.. that's—" She turned away sharply, covering her mouth with her free hand and tried to settle her stomach again. "Gross."
"Oh thank god," Phoebe breathed in relief when Dawn had finally finished, handing her aunt some toilet paper to wipe her mouth then flushing the toilet. "Are you okay, Aunt Dawn?"
"Stomach bug, it's going around school. I'm glad graduation is next week," Dawn muttered. "I don't think you want to catch it, nausea from your pregnancy on top of a stomach bug I don't think would be fun. But thanks anyways."
"It's what I am here for, Aunt Dawn," Phoebe said as she smiled at her aunt. Given how her aunt had reacted when she was evil, she felt there was a lot she had to make up for.
"You don't have to," Dawn replied as they made their way out of the bathroom. "I know why you said that, Phoebe. You have nothing to be sorry for. My shit, is my shit, okay?"
Phoebe sighed as she leaned against the wall by the bathroom door. "I know, Aunt Dawn. But if I hadn't sided with Cole, you would never have done any of that."
"Maybe not." Dawn shrugged. "But it would have stayed buried beneath the surface till something else brought it out. It could have been Piper, it could have been Paige. Shoot it could have been Buffy again. Then all of that would have bubbled to the surface. So it's not your fault, Phoebe. Please don't think it ever was. It's all me. Now I should be asking you, if your okay." She noticed Phoebe's quizzical expression and explained, "Buffy stopped into my room earlier this morning. She was going to ask me to keep an eye you because you were having nightmares about the Seer. Then she saw I as sick and asked Faith instead."
"She wants my baby, Aunt Dawn. I know it," Phoebe told her firmly staring straight ahead.
Dawn glanced at Phoebe's hardened eyes and nodded, slipping her hand into her niece's. "Both Buffy and I believe you," she assured her, staring straight ahead as well.
Phoebe sighing in relief and squeezed Dawn's hand. "Thank you," she whispered looking down at their hands. "I guess it's my turn isn't it," she said looking back up at her aunt's face.
"It's what I do," Dawn said as she smiled at Phoebe. She knew Phoebe meant that she was caring and supportive just as she had been with Buffy and Piper during their times of need. "I did it for Buffy, I did it for Piper. It was only a matter of time before I did it for you or Paige. If you need anything, Phoebe. You know where my door is. It's always open."
"Thanks, Aunt Dawn," Phoebe said as she pulled her aunt into her arms.
"Know this, Phoebe," Dawn said looking her niece in the eyes. "The Seer won't get your baby. He's family. He's mine and Faith's great-nephew. Buffy's grandson. Piper and Paige's nephew. We will protect him and you from the Seer. I promise."
"Thanks," Phoebe said as they turned toward their respective bedrooms.
"FAITH! WAKE UP!"
Phoebe jerked forward at the sound of aunt's voice, she spun around racing out of her bedroom and into Dawn and Faith's.
"Aunt Dawn? Aunt Faith?" Phoebe questioned as she came through the doorway into the bedroom. She shrieked, levitating into the air as a fireball came her way. "What the hell!" she yelped.
Faith brought up her hands sending a stream of ice shooting at the suit clad demon, vanquishing him.
Phoebe's eyes widened. "What the hell was that about?" she cried looking over both of her aunts for any injuries.
"I think they were after me," Dawn said looking at Phoebe. "Didn't Cole tell you that it was because of him that they weren't coming after me to control the Key?"
"Yeah," Phoebe replied as she sat down on the bed. "And since we vanquished him… That means it's open season."
"On you both," Faith said reluctantly as Phoebe and Dawn nodded. They knew that demons would be coming after Phoebe also, not only at the Seer's behest to obtain the Source's heir but also in revenge on Phoebe for turning against her husband.
Clearing her throat loudly, Phoebe took Dawn's hand, "C'mon, let's check the book, make sure it's not something bigger." Shaking her head at the demons stupidity Phoebe mused, "When are they gonna learn that attacking us alone never ends well for them?" she quipped and Dawn giggled. She looked at Faith. "Will you let mom, Piper and Paige know?"
"Yeah I will head down," Faith said.
Seconds later, a second demon shimmered in behind Phoebe and Dawn as they reached the attic stairs and threw his arms around Dawn pulling her to him. Dawn shrieked and Phoebe spun around.
"Get your hands off her!" Phoebe ordered darkly.
The demon merely smirked, no longer taking orders from the former Queen and pulled an athame from his belt, swiftly plunging the long blade deep into Dawn's stomach at an upwards angle.
Dawn gasped in pain as the blade tore into her abdomen and the demon twisted it. "Ah!"
"NO!" Phoebe barked coming back down the few stairs she had climbed in time to catch her aunt when the demon threw her forward. "You son of a bitch!" she spat, glaring menacingly at the intruder and a fireball formed in her hand.
The demon's eyes widened, clearly he had forgotten about the heir she was carrying, and made to shimmer out.
Phoebe, however, was too fast releasing the fireball just in time and the demon went up in flames in front of her.
"Phoe—be," Dawn gargled, blood pooling in her mouth and Phoebe looked down.
"Oh god!" Phoebe gasped, panic filling her veins. "Oh god! Oh god no—it's okay," she stuttered, tears welling in her eyes as she eased her aunt's shaking form to the floor and pulled Dawn's upper body onto her lap, her head resting against Phoebe's chest.
"You're going to be okay," Phoebe's trembling voice assured her weakly. "You're going to be—AUNT FAITH!" she called out knowing out of her family that she and Dawn were the only ones Faith could sense. "AUNT FAITH! BRING LEO! HURRY!"
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"So he asked me out again last night but..." Paige sighed in disappointment. "He was so quite during dinner that—ick—I swear I could hear his stomach digesting," she informed her mother and sister with a shudder.
Paige, Buffy, Leo and Piper were all happily seated at the kitchen table. Coffee in hand.
"I always preferred quiet men," Piper mused, turning her eyes to her husband at the other end of the breakfast table. "They make good listeners."
"What's that dear?" Leo asked, bringing the paper down from his face with a smirk.
"Haha," Piper quipped with her own smirk. "Cute."
Paige smiled at them and their happily married blissful cuteness then frowned. "Where is everybody?" she questioned, pointing towards the three vacant seats at the kitchen breakfast table.
"We haven't seen Dawn, Faith or Phoebe yet this morning," Buffy replied. "Though given the fact that Dawn's not feeling very well, we might not see her much. She's got that stomach bug that's been going around the school."
"I hope it's one of those twenty-four hour things." Piper said. "I would hate for her to miss her graduation next week."
"So would I," Buffy agreed as Faith entered the kitchen. "Morning, Faith. How's Dawn?"
"Still not feeling good," Faith answered looking at her sister-in-law, her niece and nephew-in-law. "It looks like Cole's days of protecting us is over."
"Why what happened?" Piper asked looking at her aunt, suddenly worried.
"Dawn was attacked in our bedroom," Faith answered. "I vanquished him. But remember Cole told Phoebe he had been protecting us from other demons, especially Dawn because of the Key. Control the Key…"
"You control everything," Buffy finished for her sister-in-law. "Could even bring back the Old Ones."
"Exactly," Faith said. "Phoebe and Dawn were going to check the book and…" she stopped mid-sentence frowning.
"And?" Piper asked before noticing her aunt's expression. "What is it?"
"Phoebe is calling for me," Faith said before looking at Leo. "She's asking to bring you and to hurry." She closed her eyes and then her frown deepened. "She's right. Dawn's hurt." She turned and hurried out of the kitchen.
Paige dropped her coffee mug and sped after her aunt, Leo, Buffy and Piper right behind them. "Do you think it's the Seer?" she questioned as the five of them bounded up the stairs, two at a time.
"I don't know," Piper replied tightly.
"Phoebe, Dawn, where are you?" Faith called out urgently, not seeing them when they reached the top of the stairs.
"Attic stairs," Phoebe's trembling voice replied panicked and the three of them raced towards the sound.
"Phoebe, what happ—" Buffy stopped abruptly as her eyes found her sister, just as Phoebe pulled the athame from Dawn's stomach and the blood flowed faster, Dawn whimpering in pain before her eyes slipped closed.
"Oh god." Phoebe whimpered, pressing down on the wound only then registering the eyes on her and looking up. "Leo, QUICKLY!" she yelled and Leo was on his knees with his hands hovering over Dawn in an instant.
"Hurry, Leo," Buffy and Faith demanded.
"She's not breathing," Phoebe added.
Paige clung the wall of the stairs tightly as she watched her aunt's wound with unblinking eyes. "Is it working?"
Leo glanced to Buffy and Faith, a frown framing his face, and nodded wordlessly too concentrated on the task at hand to speak.
"What happened?" Faith asked, directing the question to Phoebe whose head was rested atop of Dawn's with her eyes closed, her bloodied hands gripping her Dawn's cool ones.
"Demon," Phoebe whimpered her pregnancy hormones making it a lot harder for her to calm down than usual.
Piper rolled her eyes at the obvious answer. "Well of course Phoebe! What else would it have been?"
Phoebe opened her eyes to glare at Piper. "The Seer."
Piper sighed. "Okay, yes I'm sorry I just—" She shook her head and waved a hand toward Dawn.
Phoebe nodded, her eyes slipping closed again. "I know," she whispered with a sniffle. "It was two demons," she elaborated quietly. "They're attacking in pairs now and they were upper-level."
Paige's eyes widened. "Why now? What do they want?"
"Like Faith said downstairs," Buffy said sadly. "Cole was protecting us. Now that he's gone. It's once again open season."
"Upper-level demons were under his direct command," Phoebe added. "He forbid anyone from attacking Aunt Dawn...now he's dead they don't care. They want to control the Key," she said stroking Dawn's hair. "Next to the three of us, it is the next powerful form of magic there is, maybe even more powerful than us, since it can open the doorway between dimensions."
"Well they won't succeed," Faith said angrily. "And what the hell is taking so long!" she demanded, blazing eyes turning on Leo sharply.
"She nearly died, Faith." Leo replied calmly, his hands still hovering over Dawn. Finally the glow dissipated and he moved his hands away.
"AH!" Dawn gasped, shooting upwards, gasping for breath.
As Leo moved aside Faith and Buffy were instantly in there pulling Dawn into their arms.
"OH!" Phoebe yelped, startled by the sudden movement. "OH! OH! Oh, you're okay. You're okay," she cried in relief, joining in on the group embrace pulling Dawn's to her chest. "It's okay."
Piper sighed in relief, smiling tightly at Leo then shook her head and looked to the floor.
Paige breathed a heavy sigh and bent down, rubbing Dawn's leg soothingly.
Dawn closed her eyes tightly, her body shaking, and rested heavily against Phoebe as the tears stung behind her closed lids.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"You sure you're okay?" Faith asked again, for the umpteenth time, sitting next to her wife at the kitchen table holding her hand.
Dawn looked to Faith watery eyes that were slightly red. "Yeah," she whispered quietly.
Phoebe glanced to Piper and Buffy whose faces were contorted with worry. "You're okay, Dawnie," Buffy said soothingly.
Dawn sniffled and wrapped her arms around herself a little tighter. "I know but...that was really close." She looked her sister. "I know now why you hate it so much."
"Yeah," Buffy said. "Dying sucks. But thankfully you aren't giving me a run for my money."
Faith scooted her chair closer and wrapped both her arms around her wife. Dawn turned eagerly into her embrace and laid her head on Faith's shoulder. Buffy scooted her chair over and she wrapped her arms around Dawn from behind as she rested her head against Dawn's.
"You're okay," Phoebe whispered her assurance from where she stood beside her aunts and mother. She kissed the top of Dawn's head who closed her eyes at the contact.
"Here you go," Paige said sweetly, placing a glass of water on the table in front of Dawn.
Dawn opened her eyes, looked at the glass then whispered, "Thank you."
Paige frowned, very rarely seeing her aunt this shaken up, and laid a gentle hand on her arm.
"What is it?" Piper questioned, seeing the concerned look on her husband's face. She knew him well enough to know that wasn't just a concerned frown.
Leo sighed. "I, I'm just a little worried. They're pairing up now, coming in two's to attack," he reiterated. "They're coming together, demons willingly working together is a serious cause for concern. They're determined to eliminate the next generation as soon as possible."
"Yeah, Leo, we get it," Paige stressed with a scowl, crouching by Dawn's chair and holding her hand.
"He's right, Paige." Buffy supported. "This isn't good. How do we know they won't start coming after Phoebe too?" she asked, her eyes on Leo. "Just for…?" she left the sentence unfinished. They all knew what she was referring to, Phoebe's part in vanquishing Cole.
Leo pressed his lips together. "We don't," he replied gravely. "The underworld is in chaos. A second Source is dead and they have no leader, no structure which makes the demons all the more dangerous."
Phoebe physically flinched at his words. She glanced at her mother and sighed. "I had the nightmare again," she informed the rest of the room quietly.
"With the Seer?" Paige sought and her sister nodded.
"She wants my baby," Phoebe told them firmly. "I know she does and I'm afraid that she's going to summon me to her at any moment."
"She could only get to you when you chose evil," Leo explained, hoping to reassure his sister-in-law. "You're safe now."
"I swear to you, the Seer will never lay a finger on you or my grandbaby." Buffy promised her daughter determinedly.
"Yeah, she'll have to get through us first," Paige agreed strongly.
"All of us," Faith, Piper and Dawn added.
"That would also include Willow and Tara as well," Buffy said. "You have a Witch-Whitelighter-Slayer, a Witch-Slayer, a Witch-Key and four witches. And if we want to get technical you would probably even have a mortal and an ex-demon also standing between you and the Seer."
Phoebe smiled, "Thanks guys," she said gratefully. She looked at Buffy. "And tell Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya thanks also." She then heaved a silent sigh and stared off into space.
Piper locked eyes with Buffy who nodded. Buffy stood and pulled Phoebe into her arms. "Are you okay?" Buffy questioned gently, her kind, loving eyes staring into Phoebe's troubled ones.
"Yeah, you know..." Phoebe replied, playing with the hem of mother's tank top, "...pain comes in waves."
"Honey, you lost your husband," Piper stated kindly. "It's okay to be very upset."
"No, I can't," Phoebe countered, shaking her head. "I have to stay strong for the baby. He's all I have left of Cole."
Paige regarded her sister carefully for a few seconds then announced standing to her feet, "I'm going to go check the Book of Shadows. There might be some magical protection against the Seer."
"Uh...Missy Paige, you need to go to work." Piper called after her as Paige made her way to the kitchen door.
Paige paused and turned back, "Well, I'll be late," she stated bluntly with a shrug, "Phoebe doesn't need to be stressed while she's pregnant," she answered determinedly.
"Paige, I can look through the Book," Buffy said looking at her youngest daughter.
"Mom, I have to do this for Phoebe. Okay?," she told Buffy then switched her eyes to Dawn's. "I'll also see if I can find you're demons. Any chance you could join me?" she asked with a sweet smile. "Didn't get to see them."
Dawn smiled at her gratefully. "Sure but it doesn't matter, Paige."
Paige frowned deeply. "Uh...yes it does, Aunt Dawn. One of them nearly killed you. That matters to me."
Dawn's smile widened slightly. "Okay." She nodded and Paige nodded back before turning on her heel and stalking out of the room. She looked up at Phoebe pointedly.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Paige wait!" Phoebe called slowing to a stop next to Paige, at the bottom of the stairs. "Go ahead, say it," she instructed waving her arm as a go-ahead.
Paige frowned. "Say what?" she questioned, confused.
"Something, that I know, on some level, you've been dying to say to me," Phoebe elaborated but Paige was still lost.
"There's nothing," Paige insisted lifting her shoulders.
Phoebe wasn't buying it. "Come on. You knew Cole was evil the whole time, when everyone thought you were crazy. And thanks to you, we vanquished the Source and gave Cole peace," she said sadly/ "So go ahead, say It," she ordered again. "Say, I told you so."
Paige smirked, folding her arms across her chest defiantly. "I will not. It's not my style."
Phoebe stared at her with regret filled eyes. "I was so unfair to you the last few weeks, when you were right and I just—I want to clear the air right now."
Paige smiled serenely at her, touched by the gesture. "You're really sweet, and I appreciate the gesture, but everything is...totally fine," she assured her with a nod, then turned to climb the stairs purposefully.
Phoebe exhaled slowly, and shook her head.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy sighed as she sat back down in her chair next to Dawn. "I'm worried."
"I know so am I, Mom," Piper said.
"So am I," Faith agreed. "Two demons in the house and at least one of them was after my wife."
"All we can do is help Phoebe through her grief as best we can," Piper added. "And protect her from the Seer and Aunt Dawn from all of demondom that might want to control the Key."
Phoebe walked back into the kitchen and stopped by the table. "Oh whoa!" she groaned, one hand flying to her forehead and she gripped the back of the chair tightly.
"Another hot flash?" Buffy questioned as she took Phoebe's hands and eased her down into the chair at the head of the table.
"Uh-huh," Phoebe confirmed. "It's when I move too fast."
"While not very common it is normal to have hot flashes during at the early months of pregnancy," Buffy said.
"Are you sure, Mom?" Piper asked.
Buffy nodded. "I've have given birth four times, Piper," she said. "I didn't have hot flashes with you. But I did have hot flashes with Prue, Phoebe and Paige." She looked back at Phoebe. "Anyways I think it's time we get that baby checked out."
Phoebe sighed, "I just haven't had time to make—"
"A doctor's appointment?" Piper supplied with raised eyebrows, and Phoebe nodded. "Well I have one. It's yours."
"Aren't we supposed to find out about the fertility tests?" Leo injected.
"Yeah but uh...Phoebe needs that appointment more than we do right now," Piper argued a little sadly and Leo reluctantly complied.
"I could get her one with my OB?" Dawn offered, glancing between Leo and Piper.
"Why do you need an OB for, you're not pregnant, are you?" Buffy asked.
"Not that it is really any of your business, Buffy," Dawn said looking at her sister. "But I wanted to get some fertility tests done. Namely for when Faith and I are ready to be mothers. I want to make sure there is no problem with me being artificially inseminated."
Buffy nodded and she smiled at Dawn. "Okay," she said.
Piper turned to her aunt and asked, "For today?"
Dawn faltered, "Probably not."
"Exactly," Piper nodded then turned back to Phoebe. "It's yours."
Phoebe shook her head. "How can I go to the doctor when I have a demonically challenged baby?" she spoke up uncertainly. "Who knows what effects the Seer's tonics had on the little guy."
"This is my point exactly," Buffy insisted, "You have to go, Phoebe. And if it'll make you feel better, I'll go with you so I can put the freeze on if anything goes wrong," she offered with a soft smile and Phoebe nodded. "Into the stirrups for you."
"Ugh." Phoebe said.
"It may be ugh, Phoebe," Buffy said sympathetically. She hated it when she was pregnant with her daughters because back then most OBs were male. Thankfully that wasn't the case anymore. "But I had to do it for you, Piper, Paige and Prue. It gave me the reassurance you all would turn out fine. And guess what you all did."
Dawn smiled at her sister. "I'll go…"
"First, how are you feeling?" Buffy asked.
"Better," Dawn said. "I haven't thrown up since before the demon attack."
"Secondly, I want you remain here with Piper and Faith who have active powers that can protect you if you are attacked again," Buffy concluded.
"Well I can at least astral project for moral support," Dawn offered.
Buffy sighed. "Okay."
San Francisco Memorial
"You're hormone levels are unusually high for a mother in her eighth week," the doctor informed Phoebe, concerned, as she stared down at the manila folder in hand. Buffy and Astral Dawn stared over her shoulder while Phoebe lay—propped up on her elbows—on the exam table, clad in the extremely unflattering hospital gown.
"Have you seen a doctor since you found out you were pregnant?" she asked, closing the folder and looking at Phoebe.
Phoebe smacked her lips together nervously. "I was under the care of a Seer," she informed him and he turned to Buffy questioningly.
Buffy chuckled. "It's kind of like a New Age doctor," she explained then glared at Phoebe.
The doctor nodded then turned back to Phoebe. "Well, you really should have seen a doctor before today, a real doctor."
"Do you think...that there could possibly be something wrong with my baby?" Phoebe questioned, tentatively, fearing the answer he would give her.
"Well, let's just take a peek shall we?" the doctor replied instead, sending her a warm smile. "Why don't you lie back and I'm going to do an ultrasound."
Phoebe smiled at him tightly and did as she was told, lifting the gown up above her stomach and readjusting the cloth at her waist.
"Now, this gel's a little bit cold," she warned Phoebe bringing the tube to her stomach.
"Oh!" she yelped as the gel hit her skin. "Huge understatement," she said with a shiver and the doctor chuckled.
Buffy watched the doctor's movements closely, a little excited to see the first images of her grandbaby.
Phoebe gasped loudly, her hands flying to her head as it burst into flames.
"Buffy!" Astral Dawn said drawing her sister's attention.
"What?" Buffy questioned turning back. "What's wrong?"
Phoebe glanced toward the doctor bringing her hands down from her head. "Hot flash. A very, very, hot, hot, hot flash!"
"Not a good sign," the doctor mused quietly, leaning down to Phoebe.
"Aren't they normal though?" Buffy asked confused. "I had hot flashes with my daughters."
"For about a third of women, yes," the doctor answered. "But given your sister's hormone levels it does raise concerns."
"Okay," Buffy said. "Well uh—she's been getting a lot lately of them recently," she informed her reluctantly.
"No," Phoebe barked and Buffy and Astral Dawn jumped. "Not like this one. I mean, it felt like my head was on fire," she stressed giving her mother a pointed look. "For real."
"Well, let's just have a look, okay?" the doctor interrupted, moving the doppler to Phoebe's stomach and a heartbeat filled the room. "There, see?" he asked and Buffy, Astral Dawn and Phoebe looked toward the screen and smiled. "There's the little—" the doctor was cut off as an electrical current tore through his body, stemming from the doppler on Phoebe's stomach and was thrown back against the wall.
Buffy's eyes widened as she stared at Phoebe before moving to help her doctor. "Hi. Here you go. Here."
"What, what happened?" the doctor questioned as Buffy helped her to her feet.
"That's a good question," Buffy agreed, flicking her wrist and freezing the doctor. She turned to Phoebe and Astral Dawn. "What happened?" she demanded, walking towards the bed and away from the now frozen doctor.
"It's about time!" Astral Dawn cried. "Phoebe's head was on fire like a tiki torch a few seconds ago. Quite literally. Flames were shooting out of the top of her head."
"That's not normal. Even I didn't have that kind of a hot flash," Buffy said. "Let's pause on that for a second. Did your baby just electrocute Piper's doctor?"
Phoebe grimaced. "Yeah, I think so but he was just protecting himself because that gel was really cold," she defended, glaring accusingly at the tube.
"Protecting himself?" Buffy echoed with wide eyes. "Unborn babies don't…" She then remembered when she was pregnant with Phoebe. She was still in her first trimester and Phoebe had given her a premonition.
"Unborn babies don't what, Buffy?" Astral Dawn asked noticing the pause.
"Perform magic in the first trimester, usually," Buffy answered. "Prue, Piper and Paige didn't." She turned and looked pointedly at Phoebe. "You were the only baby that performed magic. Remember your trip to stop the pact?" Phoebe nodded. "You gave me a premonition and I was still in my first trimester. But you were the only one out of all of my girls to do it."
Phoebe reached out, grabbed her both her aunt and mother's hands and yanked them closer. "What is going on?"
"I don't know," Buffy replied as Phoebe fell heavily back on the table. "But don't panic, okay? We'll wrap up here and we'll go home and panic."
Halliwell Manor
"It says here that the Seer has served multiple Sources," Paige recited, staring down at the book. "Looks like she's been around for thousands of years."
Dawn came up behind Paige, she had astral projected back to her body when Phoebe and Buffy left the hospital. She peered over her niece's shoulder and nodded. "Well, yeah, makes sense. She's pretty damn powerful. Don't get like that overnight."
"What else?" Leo encouraged, arms folded across his chest.
"Um..." Paige scanned the page quickly. "Oh no," she cursed chewing on her lip.
"What?" Dawn and Leo questioned together, twin expressions of dread gracing their features.
"What is it?" Faith added.
Paige turned to her two aunts and her brother-in-law. "Uh...she's immune to spells and charms but she's classed as an upper-level demon."
"Naturally," Dawn muttered shaking her head, "So we'll need a vanquishing potion."
"Yes," Paige nodded in agreement.
"But for that we're going to need some of her flesh," Faith reminded them.
"Great," Dawn groaned.
"Yuck," Paige cringed, shuddering. "I hate that part."
"Who doesn't?" Leo commented dryly.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Dawn fretted as she watched yet another demon shimmer into their home.
"What?" Paige questioned. She and Faith turned around in time to see an energy ball heading straight for Dawn. "Energy ball!" she called, holding out her hand and throwing it back.
The demon ducked the attack, with a tuck and roll, sending another energy ball out as he went.
"Watch out," Leo muttered, reaching out to Dawn and wrenching her towards him, using his body as a shield.
Dawn glanced at the scorch mark on the wall beside them then met Leo's gaze. "Thanks," she whispered with a smile then sent her arm out, telekinetically throwing the demon across the room.
"He brought friends!" Faith yelled as two more demons shimmered in.
"ENERGY BALLS!" Paige yelled sending both back towards their makers, vanquishing one and missing the other.
"AH!" Leo cried as an energy ball collided with his chest and he went soaring backwards, cracking his head off the wall and falling to the ground unconscious.
"LEO!" Dawn exclaimed with wide eyes as his body hit the ground. "Not good, not good, not good." She looked at her wife. "Cryo them, would you please?"
Faith raised her hands and sent streams of ice at one of the remaining demons and he burst into flames.
"Slayer," the last one growled, throwing his athame spinning toward Faith.
Dawn ran in front of Faith taking the hit for her wife as the blade embedded in her left shoulder sending her stumbling backwards.
Paige gasped and the demon turned to her, striking her in the abdomen with an energy ball. "AHHH!" she cried as she crashed into a glass cabinet.
Faith's eyes blazed. "Son of a bitch," she seethed.
"It's over, Slayer." The demon informed Faith with a deep growl. "We won't stop until we control the Key."
Faith's jaw tightened at his words and she held out her hands and an ice ball formed in it as the demon released another energy ball. She released her ice ball and the two collided in mid-air causing the house to shake with the resulting explosion. She held out her hands and sent a stream of ice at the demon encompassing him in ice and he was engulfed in flames.
"What's going on up here?" Piper asked as she came running through the attic door.
"More demons," Dawn answered as she got to her feet.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"FAITH? DAWN?" Buffy's voice resonated upstairs. "PIPER? PAIGE?"
"ATTIC!" Dawn replied and instantly heard the familiar sound of footsteps on the stairs.
"Leo!" Piper said sharply, standing over her husband. "Leo, wake up!" she ordered sternly, worried eyes running over Paige's still form. "Damn it, Leo, now!" she hissed shaking him roughly and when that didn't work struck him across the face.
Leo jerked, groaning as he was jolted from unconsciousness. "What the—ow, Piper!" he chastised, palm pressed to his cheek.
"Paige is hurt," Piper told him instead, jerking her head in her youngest sister's direction.
Leo's eyes widened and he hurried over, dropping to his knees beside a bleeding Paige amongst a sea of glass.
"Hey," Buffy's voice reached their ears again, a lot closer.
Dawn met her sister and Phoebe at the door. "I haven't told them about what happened at the OB's office. We've been kind of busy. Three demons attacked."
Buffy instantly looked her sister over. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm okay," Dawn answered. "But Paige was hurt."
"Is Paige okay?" Buffy asked looking toward Leo and Phoebe, who had moved beside Leo.
Phoebe looked over and nodded, her face pale. "She'll be fine," she assured them quietly, holding Paige's hand. She had seen way too much blood already today and all of it had belonged to a member of her family, first her aunt and now her sister.
Leo removed his hands slowly and Paige moaned, her eyes blinking open.
"What—ow!" Paige barked as Phoebe helped her sit up. "Ouch that hurt," she mused, one hand resting where her wound had been. "Up," she commanded and Leo and Phoebe eased her to her feet.
"You okay?" Phoebe asked tightly, looking Paige up and down.
"Sure," Paige replied unimpressed/ "Freaking demons."
The group of seven met at the book and Paige smirked. "So, how's your day been?" she directed toward Buffy and Phoebe. "Aunt Dawn said she wanted to wait till you two returned."
Buffy looked at Phoebe and her daughter' hands fell to her stomach. "Phoebe's baby takes after his mother," she said. "He's doing magic from within the womb." She looked at Piper with a sigh. "Almost killed your doctor."
"What!" Piper frowned.
"It was self-defense," Phoebe told her sister with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Paige and Leo looked at Phoebe with raised eyebrows.
"Self-defense?" Piper echoed looking to Buffy for an explanation.
"Phoebe's baby..." Dawn pointed to Phoebe's stomach, "...electrocuted your doctor because the gel was too cold."
Piper's eyes widened. "Phoebe."
"What?" Phoebe retorted. "He's just a baby."
"Yes but electrocuting my doctor because of cold gel?" Piper repeated. "That's very extreme."
"Well..." Paige interjected, "...I guess that's what you get when you breed with the Source of All Evil."
"Okay, can we not say breed?" Phoebe requested with a frown. "You know, I'm not a horse and Cole wasn't all evil, he was part good," she reminded them firmly. "And I'm all good so this baby has a lot of good in him."
"What if there's not?" Piper voiced and Phoebe paused, turning to her.
"Then there...will be," Phoebe replied uncertainly. "My love was able to save Cole. It'll save our son too."
"Let's hope so," Piper commented tightly.
"No, we'll make it so. Okay?" Phoebe insisted hands still resting over her baby. "So, what did you find out about the Seer?" she questioned, switching topics as she was extremely uncomfortable with the current one.
"Hmm...you mean before we were interrupted by the three homicidal musketeers'?" Dawn quipped with a smirk as Piper, Buffy and Faith laughed.
Phoebe turned to her aunt with an amused smile. "Yes." She nodded slowly.
Paige chuckled quietly but answered, "She's immune to spells and charms. Has been around for thousands of years. Is classified as an upper-level demon but can only be vanquished with a potion which needs a piece of her flesh."
"Which we don't have," Piper added wryly crossing her arms.
"Actually..." Phoebe spoke up slowly, "the Seer mixed her own blood into my prenatal tonic."
Paige shuddered visibly, screwing up her face at the thought of Phoebe drinking that stuff. "Ew."
"Nasty," Piper and Dawn cringed shaking their heads.
"That's just wrong," Buffy muttered, hands moving to her hips.
"Yeah," Phoebe agreed with a grimace. "Cole kept some extra bottles in the safe at the penthouse."
"You think you're ready to go to the penthouse?" Paige asked her sister carefully. "You haven't been there, you know, since—since he died."
"I don't think I'll ever be ready," Phoebe answered honestly.
"You never are," Dawn admitted as she looked at Buffy. "I couldn't make myself go into your room while you were gone," she explained to her sister, who wrapped an arm around her in comfort.
"But I can't keep borrowing your clothes," Phoebe concluded.
"Okay, let's go," Piper turned towards the stairs.
"Wait, don't you have to work?" Phoebe asked Paige and Piper turned back.
"Eh, I'll take the afternoon off. Who needs vacation time?" Paige replied with a shrug.
"Paige, you can't keep—" Buffy started.
"Yes, I can." Paige cut her mother off.
Phoebe smiled gratefully. "Thank you," she said turning towards the stairs. "Bitch!" she cursed spinning back around and pushing Paige, with so much magical force, that she went flying out of the attic window.
Paige screamed as the glass shattered around her and she felt herself falling closer and closer to the concrete ground, bright lights enveloping her before she hit and before she crushed her brother-in-law and his partner in the process.
Phoebe's jaw dropped as she watched her sister fly through the window, she and Buffy raced toward it and peering down in time to see Paige disappear.
"What the hell was that for?" Paige seethed, when she reappeared moments later, brushing shards of broken glass from her clothes and hair.
"Uh..." Phoebe looked around uncomfortably, her hands on her stomach. "...You'd have to ask him."
"Okay." Piper responded uncertainly as Paige removed her sweater, the remaining shards of glass falling with it. "Why did your mommy push Paige out the window?" she asked in a high pitched tone, eyes on her younger sister's stomach.
"No, it's not like that." Phoebe shook her head, walking forward. "He took over for a split second—"
"You had no control," Dawn concluded for her knowingly and Phoebe nodded.
"But why me?" Paige questioned pouting. "I have nothing against that little fu—fetus," she corrected herself smoothly.
Phoebe sent her sister an apologetic smile. "I'm sure he's sorry. Aren't you sorry?" she asked her stomach with a smile.
Paige narrowed her eyes and glared.
"Kids at this age, they don't know any better, you know?" Phoebe shrugged and Paige's glare intensified.
Leo cleared his throat and spoke up, "I'm going to go check with the Elders. See what's going on with that baby."
Piper nodded as he disappeared. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it has something to do with the Seer," she spat hatefully.
"And I'll call Willow and see if there is anything in the books," Buffy said.
Dawn held out her hand to Phoebe. "Come on, let's go get that blood."
Buffy and Faith watched as Piper, Dawn, Phoebe and Paige walked out of the attic before Buffy grabbed her cell phone.
"Your not calling Red are you?" Faith asked.
"No," Buffy admitted. "This isn't going to be in any books that Giles left in Sunnydale. And I didn't want Dawn to know that I was going to call Giles. Not with the grudge she still holds." She sighed as she dialed Giles number in England before hitting the speakerphone button.
"Hello?"
"Giles, it's Buffy." Buffy said.
"Hey, G-Men," Faith added.
"Buffy, Faith, this is unusual given Dawn's words to me before I left," Giles said from the other end of the line.
"I know," Buffy said. "But you are the only one possibly with the information we need. Do you know anything about demonic babies?"
"Demonic babies? Why do you ask?" Giles said, concerned.
"Phoebe's husband was the Source of all Evil before we vanquished him." Buffy explained. "Phoebe is pregnant with his child. She's exhibiting demonic powers. She's having super, super hot flashes. I mean lighting her head on fire hot flashes. We're worried about her."
"Rightly so." Giles said. "From what you're telling me it sounds like her baby is pure demon. And she being a good witch, well her body is at odds with the baby and as the baby nears full term she is going to get weaker. She is not going to survive. She will very likely die in childbirth."
Buffy and Faith looked at each other as their eyes widen at what they just heard.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"What was that out there; flying practice?" Darryl quipped as he met Dawn and the sisters at the bottom of the attic stairs.
"Baby shoved me out the window," Paige replied as Darryl fell into step beside her.
"Okay, wait a second," Darryl said. "I've left four messages here. Has anybody in this house learned the magic of a telephone."
"Darryl, it's been a very rough week!" Piper snapped and Darryl felt instantly guilty.
"Right." He cringed. "Phoebe, how are you holding up?"
"Ooh." Phoebe sighed at the question. "Depends on which part of the day you ask me," she said sadly.
"I'm sure it's pressing..." Piper said as she led the way to the door and helped Phoebe into her coat. "But it's not as pressing as the demon that's after Phoebe."
"Or the ones after me," Dawn added as Buffy and Faith came down the stairs stopping beside her.
"Don't count on it," Darryl stated. "Cole worked at a high-profile law firm," he reminded them slowly. "Right now, you six are the only ones who know he's dead."
Paige shook her head when Phoebe fled out the door at his words. "Can't this wait? We really need to get to the penthouse." She remarked following Dawn and Phoebe out. Piper, Buffy and Faith right behind her.
"Good," Darryl said as Piper turned back questioningly with arched eyebrows. "That's where this business needs to be handled."
Phoebe and Cole's Former Apartment
"It has to look like Cole left in a hurry, that means packing up all of his stuff and personal belongings," Darryl explained as the seven of them entered the eerily silent penthouse.
"You okay?" Buffy questioned quietly, touching Phoebe's back from behind when her daughter stopped abruptly, her eyes on the last spot her husband stood.
Phoebe crossed her arms over herself protectively and nodded. "I'm fine."
"No you're not," Buffy whispered to Phoebe. "You don't have to pretend with me, sweetie."
Phoebe looked at Buffy and nodded as briefly hugged Buffy before turning to Darryl. "I'm sorry, so why do you want me to pack up his stuff?" she asked, confused.
Darryl cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I made an appointment for you at Missing Persons for today," he explained to her gently, one hand on her arm.
"Wait," Paige interrupted with raised eyebrows. "You want Phoebe to report Cole as missing?"
"She has to," Darryl replied turning to Paige. "Otherwise somebody else will, and she'll become the prime suspect in his disappearance, and that's the last thing you need right now," he concluded turning back to Phoebe who was staring off into space.
"So you want me to pack up his stuff so it looks like he left me," Phoebe stated slowly.
"That's right," Darryl confirmed quietly, sympathetic eyes meeting Phoebe's pained ones. "We cannot give the police any reason to suspect foul play." he informed them seriously. "I mean, technically, you six did kill him. What's that?" he asked nodding towards the large scorch mark on the floor.
Dawn bit her lip. "Uh...well that's where he was standing when we, you know..." she trailed off looking to Buffy and Faith then back to the scorch mark, "…killed him."
Phoebe closed her eyes then looked at Buffy, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"This place looks like a crime scene," Darryl observed as he scanned the once pristine apartment.
"That's because it is a crime scene, Darryl," Piper commented.
Darryl turned to her unimpressed, "Is there anything you can do?"
Dawn tilted her head, nudging Paige pointedly who nodded.
"Let the object of objection become but a dream. As I cause this scene to be unseen," Paige chanted from memory, smiling when the spell cleaned the apartment right up.
"Thanks," Phoebe sent her a weak smile which Paige returned with her own moving towards her sister.
"I just wish I could make the rest of your pain go away that easily," Paige murmured, rubbing Phoebe's back soothingly.
"So do I," Phoebe agreed. "You murdering witch!" she cried, whacking Paige in the face.
"Phoebe!" Buffy cried as Paige hit the floor.
"The baby made me do it," Phoebe defended herself with wide eyes as Faith bent down to help Paige to her feet.
Piper stared at her sister's stomach.
"Alright, now we split up," Buffy informed them, walking over to Paige and taking over for Faith. "Piper and Dawn, you two and Darryl go with Phoebe and pack. We'll find the Seer's tonic," she concluded.
Paige raised her head and stood up straight, shaking her head to clear the pain induced haze with a wince.
"Okay." Darryl looked down at Phoebe. "Where is this baby that everybody keeps talking about? I mean, is it an, an invisible baby? Am I going to step on it?"
Phoebe stared at him incredulously as she guided him towards the bedroom, glancing behind her to Dawn and Piper who nodded. "No, Darryl. It's a little bit more complicated than that."
Dawn and Piper turned back to Buffy with serious eyes. Buffy met them with her own, one hand on her hip the other around Paige.
"Am I the only one who's worried about that thing growing inside of her?" Paige remarked darkly, glaring in the direction Phoebe and Darryl had gone.
"No," Dawn, Faith, Buffy and Piper all assured her together before Dawn and Piper turned, walking off in the direction of said thing.
Buffy glanced at Faith and let out a sigh remembering what Giles had told them. "Let's find this tonic."
Paige nodded, closing her eyes against her own forming headache. "I think she said it's behind this painting over there," she pointed off to the right and the trio headed over.
Faith pulled Buffy back and whispered into her ear. "I am worried, B. Demons are after Dawn, a demon is after Phoebe's baby and Phoebe's baby is trying to kill her. What are we going to do?"
"I don't know," Buffy replied with a sigh. She then nodded towards the safe. "Well?"
Paige turned to it and held out her hands. "Safe door," she called and the object disappeared only to reappear in her arms. "Oh." Paige winced at the weight, her arms buckling. "If financial difficulty ever strikes—thank you—" she smiled at Faith when she took the offending object from her aching arms, "—you'll find I come in handy."
Buffy smiled. "Well, let's hope that never happens, with a baby on the way," she commented peering inside the safe. "Uhhh...there's nothing in here."
Paige sighed. "No tonic?"
"Nope," Buffy shook her head, reaching inside. "But there is this." She held up an envelope. "It's in Cole's handwriting."
"Cole the human or Cole the Source?" Paige questioned with a frown.
Buffy shrugged. "Does it matter? It's for Phoebe to find out either way," she said putting the letter in her inside coat pocket.