Chapter 24: Womb Raider Part 2
May 9, 2002 – Thursday
Phoebe and Cole's Former Apartment
"Cole gave me this the day he found out I was pregnant," Phoebe told Dawn, Piper and Darryl as she fingered a very large white teddy bear with a red bow that was sitting on the bed.
"Would it look too odd if Phoebe took it with her?" Dawn asked looking at Darryl.
"It could," Darryl answered as he glanced between the three women uncomfortably. "Look uh...I'll start packing his stuff up, okay? You pull your own things together," he addressed Phoebe, trading a look with Dawn and Piper who smiled gratefully at him.
Dawn and Piper slipped around the bed to Phoebe and they squeezed her hands. "Honey," Piper whispered and Phoebe flopped her head onto Piper's shoulder with a heavy sigh.
Opening her eyes again Phoebe puffed out her cheeks and raised her head, kissing Piper and then kissing Dawn's cheeks in thanks before moving towards her large walk-in closet.
Phoebe opened the door and was instantly pulled forwards off of her feet.
Dawn and Piper yelped, grabbing Phoebe's feet before she was sucked all the way in. "FAITH!" Dawn called out for wife, knowing Faith's Whitelighter senses would tell Faith she needed her. She continued to pull on her niece as the Seer continued to suck Phoebe through.
"I've been waiting for you," the Seer informed Phoebe evilly, walking right towards her.
"Get away from me!" Phoebe barked. "You can't have him!"
"I only want what's mine!" the Seer demanded, taking hold of Phoebe's arms and pulling.
"We're losing her!" Dawn snapped as the Faith, Paige and Buffy ran into the room, Faith taking hold along with Buffy who stopped next to Piper and they all pulled.
"Let go of me!" Phoebe hissed pulling an arm free and clawing at the Seer's ear, tearing the earring through it.
"Paige, switch with Dawn," Buffy called over her to her shoulder. "Dawn use your power to pull Phoebe back."
Dawn nodded as she swapped places with Paige. She slowly brought her hands towards her chest, telekinetically bringing Phoebe back.
The Seer screamed in pain and released Phoebe who soared backwards, Paige and Piper hitting the floor while Buffy and Faith landed on the bed.
"Okay," Dawn breathed with wide eyes, scanning the exhausted bundle. "Everybody alright?"
Phoebe nodded slowly then turned to Piper. "Here's your tissue sample."
Halliwell Manor
"Okay, Mom and I are going to take this to Phoebe," Piper announced as Buffy lifted a large bowl of fruit. "And you stay in here. I don't want you provoking her baby anymore."
"Provoking him!" Paige echoed looking affronted from her place by the stove. "Like it's our fault?"
"Oh, you know what I mean," Piper waved it off, she and Buffy disappearing from the room. They found Phoebe sitting at the dining room table, eyes closed and earphones pressed against her stomach.
Piper smirked and leaned forward. "What are you doing?"
"What do you think she's doing?" Buffy said. "When I had you girls I did the same thing. Studies have supposedly shown that babies can hear and remember songs from the womb."
"Mom's right," Phoebe added, snapping her eyes open. "I'm playing Mozart for the baby, to bring out his peaceful nature," She explained and Piper nodded.
Piper nodded slowly, "That's lovely but...I don't think he can hear very much yet."
Phoebe frowned, removing the earphones and sitting up straight
"How about you eat something, since you haven't had anything to eat all day." Piper instructed placing the plate of fruit in front of her grimacing sister.
"No, I've been nauseous all day." Phoebe refused, shaking her head.
"You've been a little fresh all day." Piper retorted, one hand on her hip.
"Sweetie, you need to eat as much as you can," Buffy told her daughter. "You don't want your baby to be malnourished."
Phoebe sighed, lifting up a slice of watermelon. "I've been thinking about trying acupuncture. I hear it helps."
Buffy and Piper gaped sharply. "Phoebe don't!" they cried. Piper grabbed her sister's wrist and pulled her hand away from her mouth.
Phoebe jumped and looked at her hand, eyes widening when she found raw meat instead of juicy watermelon.
"Aw, I'm going to puke," Phoebe commented when Piper shook it from her hand and she turned away from the plate.
Piper stared at the meat. "Maybe your baby would prefer to listen to Ozzy," she jibed as Leo orbed in between the three of them.
Leo glanced between then questioning. "The Elders believe the Seer's making a sudden play for the Source's throne," he informed them briskly. "But she needs Phoebe's baby to do it."
Buffy looked at her daughter, remembering what Giles had told her and Dawn. That the baby was pure demon. She understood now the baby was never Phoebe's it was the Source's, his heir.
"The Seer wants to be the Source?" Phoebe questioned puzzled. "What could that possibly have to do with my baby? He's not due for another seven months?"
"I don't know how she could get to him now," Buffy said. "But I have some information also. Giles…"
"I thought you were calling Willow?" Piper asked confused.
"I said that for Dawn's benefit," Buffy told her eldest daughter. "Anyways he believes your baby, Phoebe, is feeding off your body. Closer you get to term, the weaker you will feel. He said you would likely die in childbirth."
"Oh my god!" Phoebe said shocked by the revelation.
"I have Giles trying to find a way to prevent that," Buffy said. "So let's put that aside for the time being and deal with the Seer. Once she is dealt with we can come back to how to make sure you don't die. How's that potion coming, Paige?"
"It's done," Paige announced as she appeared through the door followed by Dawn and Faith. She had the pot in her hand. "It just needs to cool a little bit," she added glancing towards the steaming pot.
Phoebe stood abruptly and stretched out her hand, throwing a stream of fire toward her sister.
Paige squealed, dropping the pot as she turned side-on to avoid the flames.
"OH! OH!" Piper shouted, grabbing Phoebe's hand back down as her sister stared at it then turned away. Dawn helped Paige back to her feet and checked her youngest niece over for wounds.
"That baby needs a serious time-out!" Dawn snapped.
"Go, go, go into the kitchen." Piper ordered as Paige went back into the kitchen.
"So much for the vanquishing potion," Leo muttered as he stared at its corpse.
"How come your baby only attacks me?" Paige's voice called from the kitchen, unseen by all but Dawn and Faith.
"Good question," Faith agreed.
"I don't know." Phoebe cried helplessly. "He must resent you," she added with a frown. "You never really liked his father."
"With good reason. Hey, maybe you resent me and the baby's just modelling after Mom." Paige jibed spitefully.
"Paige, how can you say that?" Phoebe asked her disheartened.
"Alright, enough!" Buffy exclaimed loudly. "The two of will not address each other. You'll not step into the same room until further notice, got it?" she demanded and all they both nodded. She pointed at Paige. "You, you got enough ear left to make another batch of that potion?"
"Yes," Paige replied tightly.
"Then do it," Buffy ordered. She pointed to Phoebe. "You're going to hit the Book of Shadows, and you're going to figure out a way to control your baby."
"I can't," Phoebe refused. "I told Morris I'd meet him at Missing Persons in a half an hour."
"Ooh." Leo said. "I would strongly advise against that." He told her seriously, "Your baby—"
"Is fine," Phoebe insisted with a well-aimed glare. "Just as long as he doesn't feel threatened and doesn't meet anyone with unresolved issues with his father!"
"I heard that!" Paige fired back together.
"Phoebe, how can you say that? How can you risk going out in public with—in your condition?" Piper asked pointing towards her sister's stomach, cursing the bad choice of words.
"Because if I don't report Cole missing, someone will," Phoebe reminded her sister. "And the police will be knocking on our door. Besides Morris put himself on the line. I can't let him down."
"Alright, but I'm going with you in case of any trouble." Buffy said.
"So am I," Dawn said.
"Dawn," Buffy started.
"Buffy, I'm going end of story," Dawn said glaring at her sister. "Better in teams. Or have you forgotten three demons came last time. Who knows how many could come this time. I'm not the only one who is being target either, remember? And before you remind me I can astral. My powers don't work in my astral form."
Buffy sighed. "Alright."
"Aunt Faith, why do you and I will hit the book and figure out how to deal with..." Piper faltered as she searched for the right words, "...demonic fetuses."
"Right behind you," Faith agreed.
San Francisco Police Department
"Please be good and I promise I'll eat a huge tri-tip tonight," Phoebe pleaded with her unborn son when she, Dawn and Buffy entered the station.
Morris approached them and Phoebe smiled. "Buffy…Dawn." He nodded to the two women who nodded back. He then turned his attention to Phoebe. "You're going to meet with Inspector Miles. He's trained to spot a liar so just answer his questions as honestly as you can, okay?"
Phoebe looked up at him afraid and Morris sent her a reassuring smile before steering her in the Inspectors direction.
Inspector Miles stared at Phoebe for a long time, tapping his pen against his desk loudly before speaking. "Morris tells me that you think your husband might have left town?"
"I don't know what to think." Phoebe corrected him carefully, "Last Wednesday, we had a huge...battle and he just never came back," she explained slowly, internally cringing under Darryl's warning glare.
"Did he leave anything?"
"Nothing," Darryl answered aloud as Phoebe shook her head. "I checked the penthouse myself. Clothing, personal belongings, gone."
"What was the fight about?" Inspector Miles questioned.
"My family," Phoebe answered honestly. "I have four sisters and they didn't approve of me marrying, Cole."
Inspector Miles turned to Buffy and Dawn. "And you two are two of those sisters?"
Dawn cleared her throat. "That's right."
Inspector Miles nodded. "Why didn't either of you approve?"
Buffy shrugged, "We were just different. Oil and water, you know." She smiled. "Fire and ice. Heaven and—"
"Hell." The Inspector finished.
"Bingo." Phoebe nodded tightly.
"So...you'd say your husband has a dark side then?" Inspector Miles nodded, turning back to Phoebe.
"Yes," Phoebe answered regretfully.
"Has he ever hurt you?" the Inspector asked her gently and instantly several books began to fall from the shelf above him.
Dawn made a subtle gesture and the books moved back onto the shelf where they belonged before anyone noticed they had almost fallen on the inspector.
"You stop that right now," Phoebe hissed toward her stomach then looked back up. "Um...Inspector?" she called, "I—I know it doesn't seem like my husband's a great guy, but I would advise you not to say anything negative about him right now."
"Listen, ma'am, I got to call them as I see them," Inspector Miles replied. "You turn up pregnant and he takes off. Your husband fits the classic profile of a deadbeat dad."
As soon as the words left the Inspectors mouth a fireball appeared in Phoebe's hand and she spun around, her back to the desk as Buffy flicked her wrist freezing the room.
"Make it go out," Buffy ordered her urgently. "Before the freeze wears off or someone comes in."
"I can't make it go out!" Phoebe replied through clenched teeth. She grabbed her wrist as her son tried to direct the fireball towards the Inspector and she struggled before finally managing to throw it into the trash can.
Dawn grabbed the in-office fire extinguisher and put out the fire before returning the fire extinguisher back. "I hate to say this, Phoebe. But this is getting bad."
Phoebe was about to respond to Dawn's comment when her face contorted in pain and she hunched forward groaning.
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked while Dawn wrapped an arm around Phoebe to keep her up.
"My stomach," Phoebe replied with difficulty, "It's like something's tear—tearing," she gasped as another knot of pain twisted in her stomach and she gripped Dawn's arm, "Mom…Aunt Dawn," she whimpered and Dawn tightened her hold on her.
"We need to get out of here, Buffy," Dawn said as she looked at her sister with a look of concern on her face.
"Okay I am going to unfreeze the room, Then we're going to make our excuses and quickly leave," Buffy said, she like her sister had a look of concern. As Phoebe and Dawn sat back down she raised her hands and the room unfroze.
Halliwell Manor
"Yeah, I'm okay," Piper said into the phone as she sat still on the couch in the living room, her face a blank stare. "Yeah, I'm sure. Um...I'll call back later to schedule that appointment. Okay, thanks." She hung up the phone wordlessly, staring into space for several long minutes as salty tears burned in her eyes.
"Everything okay?" Faith asked as she walked into the room carrying the Book of Shadows.
"Yup."
"Piper," Faith said as she sat the book down on the coffee table, she then sat next to her niece and placed a hand on Piper's arm. "What's wrong?"
Piper rested her chin in the palm of her hand and sent a watery smile Faith's way. "That was Dr. Harris on the phone. I got the uh...results of my fertility tests."
"And?" Faith encouraged, cursing the sinking feeling in her heart.
"There's some problems," Piper revealed finally, her gaze shifting between Faith and the coffee table. "Um...he said something about...scarring or scar tissue." She frowned as she tried to recall, not really understanding it herself. "Something about blunt-trauma injury."
Faith reached forward to take Piper's hand.
Piper chuckled bitterly. "He asked me if I had suffered any serious blows to the abdomen. He seems to think um...it would be difficult...if not impossible for me to conceive," she concluded closing her eyes at the seemingly final word and sighing as her heart broke a little more.
"I'm so sorry," Faith told her sincerely.
"This is—it's, it's weird," Piper muttered. "Because when I went to the future, I met that little girl. I saw my little girl." Faith nodded slowly. "And I saw what she...looked like and what she sounded like," she croaked, her voice breaking from the lump in her throat. "The sound of her laugh. I just..." she shrugged helplessly. "I can't imagine not knowing her."
"You still might," Faith pointed out hopefully. "And even if you don't. I would be happy to be your surrogate."
Piper looked at Faith shocked at the offer. "I never pictured you being pregnant. A mother sure. But when I pictured either you and Aunt Dawn it was always Aunt Dawn who was pregnant."
"Your right," Faith agreed. "I never was interested in getting pregnant. But for you I am willing to go through it, if it gets you that beautiful little girl."
Piper smiled at Faith as she wrapped an arm around her aunt and hugged Faith tightly. "Thank you, Aunt Faith," she said appreciative of Faith's gesture.
"You're welcome, Piper," Faith replied as she smiled at her niece. "Why don't you stay here, get yourself together. I will go check on the potion."
Piper nodded.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"You are just in time." Paige smiled at Faith when she entered the kitchen. "One bottle of Seer-vanquishing potion." She presented with a flourish. She noticed a look on Faith's face. "Aunt Faith?"
Faith sighed as she sat on the stool next to the island. "Piper got a call from her doctor. It's bad, she may not be able to get pregnant." She watched as Paige's hand went to her face in shock. "Yeah, kind of my reaction. I offered to be her surrogate."
"Wow!" Paige said in clear surprise. "I never …"
"Pictured me being pregnant," Faith finished for Paige. "Neither have I. Neither has Piper. But Piper deserves to be a mom. I'm willing to go through it for her. So she can have that little girl she saw in the future."
Paige nodded and smiled at her aunt. "So…talking about being pregnant. Did you find anything in the book for Phoebe's baby?"
"No," Faith answered. "My only thought was binding his powers. But that would leave Phoebe without hers. While that would be okay as there are enough witches living in this house, that would also take away the Power of Three, leaving everyone vulnerable during a delicate time when both Phoebe and Dawn are being targeted by demons."
"Piper!" Leo's urgent call severed their conversation.
"She's getting worse," Buffy informed them as she and Dawn helped hold Phoebe up between them following Leo into through the front door.
When Buffy, Dawn and Phoebe were on their way back to the Manor, Buffy had called for Leo to see if he could heal Phoebe. He had been unable to do so.
"Can't you do something?" Piper asked as Paige and Faith flanked her.
"I tried to heal her, I can't," Leo replied.
"Stand back, stand back!" Phoebe cried suddenly pushing both Buffy and Dawn away as her head began to smoke before it caught fire and she fell to her knees.
Piper's eyes widened. "Okay, you stay out of her sight, for your own safety," she instructed, pushing Paige behind her. "Go." And Paige took solace behind a wall close by.
"Oh, make it stop! Make it stop!" Phoebe pleaded, pressing down on her stomach in hopes of easing the pain.
"Leo, go get some ice water or something." Piper ordered flailing her arms in the direction of the kitchen behind her.
Buffy and Dawn moved back beside Phoebe. Phoebe grabbed their hands and yanked them down so they were squatting behind her with their arms wrapped around Phoebe. "It's okay, it's okay," Dawn said.
"Just try to breathe through it. Breathe," Buffy instructed, trying her best to stay calm.
Faith stared down at her niece pain etched across her face for Phoebe as she stood powerless to help. They all were. Suddenly a giant demon appeared behind her.
"Aunt Faith," Piper gasped, eyeing the demon and Faith spun around and threw out her hands sending a stream of ice at the demon. The attack had no effect on the demon.
"What the hell?" Faith exclaimed and Piper rose flicking her wrists to no avail.
"HEY!" Leo yelled and the demon turned in time to have a chair thrown his way but it went right through him.
"Get up. Get up. Come on," Buffy ordered as she and Dawn pulled Phoebe to her feet, supporting almost all of her weight.
"Whatever you do, don't touch him," Leo ordered sternly.
"You can't run from me," the demon told Phoebe. "I'll always find you." He extended his hand to Phoebe who stiffened.
"You can't have her!" Buffy seethed stepping into his path.
"Phoebe, I'll orb you out of here," Paige said as she came out from behind the wall.
Phoebe raised her leg and struck Paige knocking her into Buffy an sending them forward into the demons arms and he wisped out with them.
Dawn and Piper gasped as they watched two of their family disappear before their eyes, leaving no trace behind.
"BUFFY!" Dawn shouted looking at the spot where her sister stood a moment before.
Faith moved to her wife and wrapped an arm around Dawn. "We'll find her, we'll get her back."
"It wasn't me." Phoebe told them shakily, leaning heavily against Dawn, "It was the baby. I couldn't control him."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Phoebe looked up from her place on the couch in the attic, blanket draped over her lower half with the Book of Shadows in her lap. Faith and Dawn sat on either side of her with their arms wrapped around her. She leaned into Dawn slightly, as Dawn attempted to comfort her.
"Do you sense them?" Phoebe asked Leo and Faith pleadingly.
"I've been trying. You and Dawn are still the only ones I can sense," Faith admitted.
"No," Leo replied grimly. "If they're in the underworld I can't get a read on them."
Phoebe looked down. "If anything happens to either one of them I will never forgive myself."
Dawn shook her head and squeezed Phoebe's arm. "Don't, Phoebe. This wasn't your fault, it was the baby. You couldn't have stopped him even if you'd had the chance."
Phoebe's eyes pricked with tears. "But—"
"No." Faith silenced her as she agreed with her wife. "It isn't your fault. We are going to find B and Paige and bring them home safely."
Phoebe sent both Dawn and Faith a tiny smile. "Thanks."
"Anything for our favorite niece," Faith said as Phoebe's smile widened slightly.
Piper entered the attic in that moment, looking haggard. She glanced between her husband and her sister then looked to her aunts. "Think you can convince me of that too?" she quipped seriously.
Faith stood and walked over to Piper and wrapped an arm around her. Piper smiled weakly at her aunt before turning her attention to Phoebe.
"Anything on that demon?" Piper asked.
"I think so, come look," Phoebe responded and Faith walked Piper over.
Piper sat down with Faith on the arm of the couch, Faith's arm moving from around Piper's waist and laying her hand on Piper's shoulder.
"Oral tradition tells of a giant whose body served as a portal to other dimensions," Piper read aloud from the page.
"Does that mean he has access to…" Dawn started causing Piper to stop reading as everyone else looked at her.
"…the Key?" Leo finished for Dawn. "No. As long as it resides in you. The only way to access it is through you. That said there are other portals as you well know, Dawn. Acathla…The Hellmouth…are just two for example."
Piper looked back at the book and returned to reading. "Because he was imprisoned centuries ago nobody knows what this demon's name is or if he even exists." She chuckled. "Well, this is not convincing me at all."
"Nor me," Dawn sadly agreed.
"It gets worse," Phoebe promptly informed them. "There's no known vanquish for him. The Source was so threatened, he condemned the giant to spend eternity in a cage."
"The Seer must have set him free to capture Phoebe," Faith mused with a deep frown.
"But he got Paige and mom instead, thanks to me," Phoebe berated, hating herself like never before in that moment.
Dawn's eyes fell closed at her words and his jaw tightened.
"No, that had nothing to do with you," Piper disagreed gently. "How are you feeling?" she asked, rubbing Phoebe's arm.
"Uh...better." Phoebe frowned. "I think the baby's resting. It's when he's active and using magic that it hurts the most."
Piper reached behind her for the glass she had brought up. "Here, have some ice tea. It will cool you off."
Phoebe took the glass and brought it to her lips only to throw it away a second later, before she could take a sip. The glass shattered across the room
Faith's eyes went wide with realization at what was in the iced tea.
Phoebe glared, "What the hell? I can't even enjoy some iced tea?" she snapped and Piper slid from her seat to hide behind her husband's form.
"Binding potion?" Faith asked
"Yeah," Piper admitted peeking around the other side to look at Faith who had slipped into her vacated spot. She turned her attention to her sister. "I overheard Aunt Faith and Paige talking. Aunt Faith had the idea of binding his powers to help control the baby," she explained nervously. "And I couldn't tell you because if I did, he would've stopped you—"
"He stopped me anyway," Phoebe cut her off, surprisingly calm and not angry at her sister's actions, by now she was only frustrated and angry with herself and her baby. "He knows things that I don't know. He's trying to take control of me."
"You can't let that happen," Leo told her sternly, "If he takes control, he'll never let go."
"At least not till after he's born anyways," Dawn added. "And who knows, maybe not even then."
"I know," Phoebe snapped, her eyes closed tightly against the truth. "It's not me," she muttered looking down. "And it's not Cole...it's the Source."
Underworld
Paige frowned as she came too slowly, looking around her and gasping at the sight of the bars. Pushing herself up so she was sitting Paige met the gaze of the Seer. "So, what, are you into some kind of dominatrix thing now?" she spat then turned to her mother and shook her. "Mom. Mom, wake up."
Buffy frowned, as she cracked open her eyes and groaned, "Oh, goddess."
Paige frowned, "Are you hurt?" she asked panicking as she scanned Buffy's body for visible injury.
"No," Buffy informed her pushing up so she was sitting also, brushing her hands together to rid them of the dust and dirt. She looked around "Oh...shit."
The Seer chuckled from outside the cage and Buffy jerked her head around, "I've always liked you, Patty," the Seer commented honestly, pointing a long nailed finger at Buffy.
Buffy turned her body to face the enemy slowly. "Wish I could say the same for you, Seer," she retorted brushing her hands together again. "I can't. And the name is Buffy now," she corrected harshly. "Only people who call me Patty are friends who actually knew me in that life. And you aren't one of them."
The Seer shrugged as she turned her attention to Paige. "You are not the sister I expected," she mused slowly. "But you'll do."
Paige glared. "Sorry we can't stick around," she clipped, taking Buffy's hand. "But you're creeping me out anyway." And with that she orbed them both out only to have the orbs bounce off of the cage as the Seer cackled to herself.
Mother and daughter reformed still in the cage and they glared at the laughing evil.
"Well, that was unexpected," Buffy muttered to Paige as they waited for an explanation.
"No shit," Paige returned dryly, pissed off at the failure.
"You're not going anywhere," the Seer informed them coolly.
Paige frowned at her as she climbed to her feet then pulled Buffy up. "So, what was your plan?" Buffy asked observing their prison, wondering if she could use her Slayer strength to bend the bars. "Trap Phoebe in this cage and fatten her up until she gives birth?"
"Even I don't have that kind of patience," the Seer admitted.
"Evil never does," Buffy remarked casually.
"And whatever you're plan was, I'm glad we could spoil it," Paige added.
"You two didn't spoil anything." The Seer shook her head. "Phoebe will come to me," she assured them turning away. "As soon as she gets my message."
"What message?" Paige demanded as the Seer's eyes turned white.
Buffy narrowed her own and glared callously. "You evil bitch." Knowingly exactly what message the woman was talking about.
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe sat on the couch, as lost and confused as ever, praying for a way to get her sister's home safely when she was hit with a vision.
Buffy and Paige were in a cage. The Seer turned to them, arms outstretched. A stream of fire entered the cage and began to burn them alive. Buffy and Paige scream in agony until they explode and there was nothing left.
Phoebe's eyes snapped open when her eyes rolled to the front of her head again and she saw Dawn, Faith and Piper's questioning gazes.
"I saw the Seer," Phoebe told them slowly. "She was killing mom and Paige," she gasped, hands moving to her face.
"Damn it!" Dawn cursed, punching the arm of the couch then shooting to her feet.
"How can you get a premonition without touching anything?" Leo asked her.
"I don't know, maybe the Seer sent it to me?" Phoebe suggested.
"That is not all she sent," Piper exclaimed as the giant demon returned.
"Come with me now or your sister and mother die," the demon commanded, holding out his hand. "You've already seen how."
"No Phoebe, don't." Piper begged when they saw Phoebe take a step toward the demon.
"It's a trap," Leo added pleadingly.
"As someone who has been held hostage as bait for Buffy, I have to agree," Dawn told her niece. "Phoebe, it's a trap meant for you."
"It doesn't matter," Phoebe dismissed. "I have to save Prue and Paige. It's the only chance left."
"No," Faith refused sternly, stepping in front of her.
Phoebe grabbed Faith by the collar and threw her away effortlessly.
Faith shook her head, surprised that Phoebe had the strength to toss a Slayer aside. The Source must be giving Phoebe more than just fire-based powers. "You're letting the baby control you, Phoebe," she observed as she got to her feet and brushed herself off.
"That wasn't the baby," Phoebe snapped back at Faith. "That was me. I got them into this mess, I'm going to get them out."
Dawn sat Piper reached into her back pocket for the potion and pull it out. She waved her hand and the potion flew out of Piper's and into her own. She then ran forward. "Oh, no you're not," she sang. "Not if I kill the Seer first."
Dawn ran at the demon and Phoebe held up her hand a sudden beam of blue light emanating. It struck the demon and sent him flying. Dawn landed hard on the floor, the vanquishing potion smashing under her hand as she broke her fall.
"Damn it!" Dawn seethed as she shook the glass and potion from her skin.
"Did that come from you?" Piper demanded as Faith helped Dawn up.
"I'm sorry, Aunt Dawn, I can't let you take the fall for me," Phoebe told Dawn sincerely.
"I wasn't taking the fall for you," Dawn retorted. "I was saving MY SISTER and YOURS!"
"You can't use the baby's powers like that." Leo reprimanded.
"Come here, witch!" the demon growled as he pushed to his feet.
Phoebe held up her hand again and the same beam emerged, striking the demons chest, setting him alight.
"Phoebe, don't!" Piper yelled but her younger sister ignored her and continued with the attack until the demon exploded, gone forever. She dropped her hand and stared down at it.
"Phoebe, nobody's ever been able to vanquish that demon," Piper stated fearfully, "Do you realize what you just did?"
Phoebe looked up and her eyes turned black.
"Stay away," Leo ordered, stopping his wife, Dawn and Faith as they moved toward Phoebe. "That's not Phoebe anymore," he informed them as the Source and his vessel flamed out.
Underworld
"Come child," the Seer greeted when Phoebe flamed into her chambers.
"Phoebe , snap out of it," Paige exclaimed as she gripped the bars of her cage tightly. "Please!"
"Let the little children come to me," the Seer uttered as she took Phoebe's hand and led her away. "For the kingdom belongs to such as these." She placed Phoebe inside a circle of candles and petals, with a large stone in the center. "The rose circle represents nature..." the Seer spouted off, "...desire, fertility." She scooped up a handful of rose petals and let them fall onto the stone's top. "Kneel," she ordered and Phoebe did so.
"Phoebe it's your body, take control. Fight it." Paige ordered sternly. "What do we do?" she cried turning to her mother for guidance.
Buffy closed her eyes, "There's nothing we can do," she said regretfully. "That's not Phoebe anymore."
Paige frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I've seen it before with Willow," Buffy explained. "I assumed with Willow it was dark magic in play but now I wonder if Willow isn't maybe part demon. Anyways Phoebe's baby, which I believe is the Source, has taken complete control. Just like when we vanquished the old Source, it jumped into Cole. Then when we vanquished Cole it jumped apparently into Phoebe, into her unborn child."
Paige's eyes changed from confusion to understanding and widened. "Oh no," she breathed, both their eyes falling back on Phoebe.
"Give me strength and give me might," the Seer continued to chant, tilting her back. "To steal a child in still of night. Darkest forces let it be. Here my plea, bring life to me," she concluded and Phoebe's stomach glowed, the glow transferring from her to the Seer.
"My baby," Phoebe gasped one hand holding her stomach, womb now empty as her eyes returned to normal.
"He was never yours, or Cole's," the Seer informed her calmly. "From the moment of conception, this baby was mine."
Buffy and Paige glared at the Seer, shaking their head slowly as their eyes filled with tears over the second devastating loss Phoebe was being forced to endure.
The Seer opened one button of her dress to reveal her mocha colored stomach and they could see a small lump moving inside as the evil spawn got situated in its new incubator.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"The deadline's past," Dane informed the council as they all waited at the sight of the coronation. "She's not here. The throne belongs to me," he demanded tersely.
"We can wait one more—"
"Give me the oath! I want my power!" Dane exclaimed loudly, interrupting the Dark Priest.
The Seer flamed in at that moment and all eyes fell on her expectantly.
"You promised to bring the Source's heir," Dane goaded. "So...where is he?" he asked looking around.
"Inside me," the Seer replied, her eyes turning black and the surrounding demon gasped, bowing their heads. She turned to the Dark Priest who bowed his head in respect then approached her, turning to Dane,
"The council has chosen. The Seer will be our new Source."
"No. It's a trick," Dane refused shaking his head.
"I have brought the council a gift," the Seer announced turning to the left, the council following with their eyes. She Seer held out one hand and the cage appeared in the room with Buffy, Phoebe and Paige inside.
Dane approached the cage. Buffy released Phoebe and then pushed her daughters behind her shielding them from the surrounding demons aim.
"Charmed Ones and the Slayer," Dane announced affronted. "How dare you bring them into our sanctuary!"
"The witches are locked in a cage from which no magic can escape," the Seer informed him calmly. "And is strong enough to resist the Slayer's strength."
"You can't be sure of that!" Dane growled.
The Seer tilted her head. "So much negative energy," she observed stretching out her hand and the same blue light emanated, setting Dane alight and vanquishing him on the spot.
The Dark Priest approached the cage. "Am I to presume these witches are the human sacrifice required to seal your coronation?" he asked the three sisters eyes widening at that revelation.
"Human sacrifice?" Paige echoed, "I didn't know that was part of the plan, did you?" she asked her mother and sister.
Phoebe shook her head, turning to her mother.
"Human sacrifice?" Buffy repeated slowly, wide eyes meeting Phoebe's. "I don't remember that from Cole's coronation!"
Phoebe took Buffy's hand. "It's going to be okay, Mom," she assured her weakly.
Paige looked over at Phoebe whose eyes widened as she realized the magnitude of how she and Cole had been used.
"Every council leader here will reap the rewards with—" the Seer stopped abruptly and doubled over in pain.
"What is it?" The Dark Priest questioned coming to her aid.
"Just...start the ceremony," the Seer ordered, brushing off his concern and pushing him away.
"Doesn't look like she's having any more luck with that thing inside of her than you were," Paige commented insensitively as they watched the Seer struggle.
"Paige," Buffy chastised, shaking her head and Phoebe looked down.
Paige cringed. "Ah, sorry. That was insensitive."
"It's okay," Phoebe assured her. "The baby wasn't mine. The baby was never mine." She sighed as they watched the coronation unfold before their eyes. "From the moment it took over it just felt like this black hole of evil," she explained quietly. "Totally soulless."
The Dark Priest brought the Seer to her feet again slowly.
Paige glanced at Buffy to find her looking at Phoebe with loving eyes. "Phoebe?"
"Yes?"
"Told you so," Paige chirped and the two sisters and their mother laughed, despite their dire circumstances.
"I'm really sorry," Paige apologized honestly wrapping an arm around Phoebe while Buffy took her hand.
"So am I, sweetie." Buffy said.
"I know you both are," Phoebe replied with a nod. She looked her mother in the eyes and smiled sadly. "And I am sorry Mom; it looks like you won't get to be a grandmother just yet."
"That's alright, there's still plenty of time," Buffy replied.
"Seer," the Dark Priest addressed her and the mother and daughters fell silent. "Are you prepared to accept the power and position of the Source before all these leaders of the underworld?"
"I am."
"Okay, so now what?" Phoebe asked turning her back to the ceremony.
"I don't know but we have to think of something fast, or we're all dead," Buffy decided to state the obvious and their panic rose.
"We need the Power of Three," Paige announced. "But we can't get to Piper, this cage is magic proof."
"Okay so the cage is built to make sure magic wouldn't get out," Phoebe said slowly, thinking aloud. "But in the premonition I had, I saw the Seer kill you with her power," she explained to them and Buffy's eyes lit up.
"So magic can still get in," Buffy concluded. "The cage lets magic in, okay uh...do either of you still remember the spell to call a lost witch?" she asked them.
Phoebe nodded. "Aunt Dawn, Aunt Faith, Piper and I just used it to try and find the two of you um...Powers of the witches rise. Course unseen across the skies..."
Halliwell Manor
"There's nothing left," Piper sighed from where she stood between Dawn and Faith. She slammed the book closed in defeat. "We've tried everything."
"So what? We're just going to give up?" Dawn snapped.
Piper looked sympathetically at her aunt. "No, Aunt Dawn. We're not just giving up…I just...I don't know what else to do."
"Well there's got to be something," Leo placated, "Something we're missing. You know, maybe if we summon a demon, someone who knows the way to the Seer's lair—"
"Leo?" Dawn and Faith interrupted with raised eyebrows and Leo looked over at them and that was when he saw that Piper was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Piper?" he asked.
"She just disappeared," Dawn said. "I hope wherever she went she is with Buffy, Phoebe and Paige so she can help them get out of whatever trouble their in."
Underworld
"Oh," Piper gasped when she appeared in the cage behind her mother and sisters.
"Thank god, it worked," Phoebe smiled in relief while Piper slipped into place between Buffy and Paige.
"Oh my—where are we?" Piper asked, looking around them.
"Trapped in a cage," Paige replied with a nod.
"Hmmm...okay, so let's bust out," Piper insisted raising her hands.
"No!" Buffy refuted sharply as she and Paige grabbed Piper's hands, Phoebe reaching out also. "You can't use your magic in here. It'll just bounce off and kill us," she informed Piper in a rush and Piper's eyes widened.
"Couldn't have told me that right away?" Piper quipped and Buffy narrowed her eyes. "What's going on out there?" she questioned, nodding towards the Seer who laid her hands on new Grimoire to repeat the oath.
"The Seer is being coronated as the new Source," Phoebe answered with a tight smile.
"Uh-huh," Piper nodded, chewing on her lip.
"Yeah, then she's going to sacrifice us," Paige added calmly.
Piper froze, eyes widening once more. "Let me get this straight," she voiced slowly. "You guys summoned me to a cage, where my powers don't work so we could all die together?" she snapped with glaring eyes.
"Well, the plan has some flaws, admittedly," Buffy observed with raised shoulders.
"We just have to stay positive. We have the power of three here, there is nothing stronger than that, right?" Phoebe said.
Suddenly the Seer was lifted into the air, a bright white light exploding out of every inch as she hovered in the air, arms outstretched.
Mother and daughters clung to one another when the ground began to shake and rumble.
"Are you sure there's nothing stronger than the Power of Three?" Piper commented in all seriousness as they stared at the Seer's floating form.
The glow began to fade and the Seer returned to the ground. She turned on the spot to face the mother and sisters. She flinched at seeing Piper. "What an unexpected surprise. You've just made my—" she stopped abruptly once more as her head caught fire.
"It's the baby," Phoebe explained while the demons watched on in fear. "He has too much power for her. That's how I felt. I, I felt like I was going to explode. We need to make her tap into the baby's power, all of it."
"How the hell are we going to do that?" Paige snapped in panic.
"The spirit board," Buffy answered with a smile. "Piper, Phoebe, do you two remember what I wrote on the back?"
"Yeah," Piper and Phoebe replied.
"I command all in attendance to witness the power of the Source," the Seer announced. "And the death of the Slayer and the Charmed Ones!"
"Okay. Mom, get in the middle of all three of us. Just to be on the safe side so that hopefully you will be automatically protected by our spell."
Buffy nodded, "Good thinking," she said as she moved between Piper, Phoebe and Paige.
"The power of three will set us free," Piper and Phoebe chanted with Paige joining in a second later. "The power of three will set us free."
The Seer released the beam of blue their way as a force-field stretched itself around the cage, protecting the Buffy, Piper, Phoebe and Paige from her magic and they turned their heads away.
"The power of three will set us free. The power of three will set us free."
"What's wrong?" the Dark Priest questioned and the Seer glowered.
"Nothing's wrong!" the Seer seethed and added her other hand.
The cage glowed and Paige buried her head in Piper's hair to protect her eyes from the blasts, Phoebe doing the same with Buffy.
Piper and Buffy glanced outwards in time to see the blue energy bounce back and hit the Seer.
"It's working," Piper told them.
"Keep going," Buffy ordered and the chanting recommenced.
"The power of three will set us free. The power of three will set us free."
Beams of blue shot out of the Seer and struck demon after demon, council member after council member setting them on fire, vanquishing them slowly.
"The power of three will set us free. The power of three will set us free."
The beam of light hit the Dark Priest and he cried out as he too was vanquished before the Seer burst into flames herself and exploded, a large ripple of power stretching throughout the cavern. It struck the cage with the sisters but their magic counteracted it and it had no effect on them, the force-field disappearing as the sisters chanting ceased.
The four of them looked out into the cavern, the now empty and eerily silent cavern.
"Where'd everybody go?" Piper asked aloud.
Buffy kicked out her leg. Now that the Seer was dead the Seer's magic that made the cage able to contain magic and strong enough to resist a Slayer was broken. Her foot struck the cage door knocking it to the floor loudly.
"The blast took everyone out," Phoebe stated in awe as they stepped out of the cage. "The Seer, the council leaders."
"Well..." Buffy began as their eyes moved over all of the piles of ash, "...I'd say that the scales of good and evil just dramatically tipped in our favor." She smirked giddily. "About freaking time."
"Look, the Grimoire," Paige pointed out. "Still untouched."
Piper crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the evil book. "It's time we get rid of that book once and for all."
"I couldn't agree with you more." Buffy said.
Halliwell Manor
The six pajama clad women sat together in the living room, fire burning, as they waited for Leo to return. Buffy, Paige and Phoebe on an over-stuffed chair each, Dawn and Faith huddled together at one end of the couch, Piper at the other.
Bright orbs filled the air and Leo appeared wearing a smile. "Well, the Grimoire has a new home in a mountain of rock in the west Andes," he announced as he slipped into the space next to Piper
"Thanks honey," Piper grinned at him.
"Sure," he replied, returning the smile and kissing her lips.
"How many times have we vanquished the Source now?" Paige sought wryly.
"Three," Phoebe replied. "But who's counting?"
"Did we get him?" Paige looked to Leo.
Dawn pointed at him. "If you say no your orbs are getting it, mister."
Leo's eyes widened and he inched closer to his wife, further away from Dawn.
"Dawn," Buffy admonished he sister.
Faith pulled Dawn into her lap while Phoebe and Paige giggled at their brother-in-law's expense.
"I think that it would be safe to say yes based on how the Elders are reacting," Leo answered finally, eyes locked with his smiling wife. "It's like a holiday up there." He turned to Phoebe who smiled. "They still can't believe you did it."
Faith's eyebrows rose. "They didn't think they could? Huh...good to know they hold so much faith in my nieces." The sarcasm in her voice was dripping from each word and Paige snorted in amusement.
"Yeah, well, let's not forget the cost," Buffy reminded them, her sad eyes on Phoebe who smiled weakly and closed her own, resting her head on the arm of the chair and pulling her knees to her chest.
"Well, I got to say, after all this..." Leo spoke up, playing with Piper's fingers with a smile, "...I'm still looking forward to having a good baby in this house."
Piper shared a knowing look with Faith who smiled. She turned back to her husband and sent him a sad smile, "Yeah...I haven't had a chance to talk to you about that yet," she said regretfully and Leo's stomach dropped. "I heard from Dr. Harris today."
"And?" he urged.
"And we're in for a rough road," Piper informed him sadly.
Phoebe glanced over at Dawn, Paige and Buffy who looked just as alarmed as she felt and the four of them sat up a little straighter.
"Rough road?" Buffy echoed with a disheartened frown. "What does that mean? What did he say?"
"It's okay." Piper told her mother and husband with a smile, "It doesn't mean that we're giving in or giving up." She assured them shaking her head, "There are a lot of options in the world. Like the one that Aunt Faith offered me."
Phoebe smiled as she reached across and took Buffy's hand in her own. "Don't worry, Mom," she assured her. "I'm sure the Charmed line isn't supposed to end with us."
"What did you offer her, baby?" Dawn asked her wife.
"I offered to be her surrogate," Faith answered. She looked at Piper and Leo and smiled. "That offer still stands."
"Thank you, Faith," Leo said as he smiled at the kind gesture knowing how Faith actually felt about being pregnant.
"Uh...Phoebe..." Buffy said slowly, pushing to her feet and walking to the fireplace. She snatched up the white envelope and approached her daughter. "I found this in Cole's safe. It's for you." She held it out between two fingers and waited patiently for her daughter to take it from her.
Phoebe looked up into Buffy's eyes with fearful ones, unsure if she could handle any more right then. She finally reached up and took it, stroking her fingers over her name, over Cole's handwriting before rising slowly from the chair and leaving the room.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"If I'm dead right now, I know it was at your hand. No-one else in heaven or hell had power over me. Please don't cry. I was dead before I met you. I was born the day you loved me. And my love for you will keep me alive...forever."
Phoebe read over his words for a fourth time, hearing his voice in her head, speaking them too her. She closed her eyes against the onslaught of tears: he had told her not to cry.
With a heavy sigh Phoebe lay down on her bed and clutched the letter to her chest as memories assaulted her mind and she mourned for the life she almost had. The life that could have been between her and Cole...and their baby that never was.
"Help me."
Phoebe jumped up at the ghostly voice that seemed to be carried in on the wind.
"Phoebe."
Phoebe gasped, eyes darting around the room. "Cole?"
Outside in the hall Dawn was walking toward her bedroom as passed Phoebe's. It was then that she heard…"Help me. Phoebe." It sounded like Cole's voice and it came from the direction of Phoebe's room. She knocked and then quietly opened the door. "Phoebe?" she said.
"Aunt Dawn?" Phoebe asked looking at her aunt. "Did you hear him too?"
Dawn nodded, "Yes."
Author's Notes (8/23/2022): In the show they said hot flashes were not a typical pregnancy symptom. That is not completely true, while not all women will have hot flashes, it is perfectly normal for some pregnant women to have hot flashes.