Chapter 25: Witch Way Now Part 1
May 17, 2002 – Friday
Gateway High School
Buffy smiled as looked at her sister. Not only was Dawn graduating she was doing so with honors. She knew her mom would be proud of Dawn, after all she was proud of Dawn.
"Penny for your thoughts," Piper whispered from next to her mother.
"Just thinking that I wish mom could be hear to see this," Buffy admitted.
"I'm sure your mom is watching," Piper admitted as she patted Buffy's hand comfortingly. "She is very likely proud of both of you."
"I'm sure your right," Buffy agreed, her heart was so full of love and pride for her sister that it felt like it was going to burst.
Buffy looked around her. The entire short row was taken up by the entire family. Next to Piper sat Leo and Paige. Next to Buffy opposite Piper sat Faith and Phoebe. In the row behind them sat Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya and even Giles. Dawn had finally forgiven Giles for his betrayal over a half a year ago and had invited him personally to come see her graduate.
Giles leaned forward and laid a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "I am proud of her," he whispered into Buffy's ear as Buffy reached up and patted his hand in thanks.
The music started up and Phoebe got the camcorder ready. They watched as Dawn filed on stage with her class, dressed in her navy blue graduation robe and cap.
The principal welcomed everyone, and then introduces the speakers. Dawn had told her family about this. Five students were doing speeches. The school chose the kids who could speak well, form words into beauty. They listen politely to the unfamiliar names, names that mean nothing to them. Except for the last one. "…Dawn Summers-Halliwell," the principal finished.
Buffy leaned over to Faith. "Did you know that she was giving a speech?" she asked confused.
"She didn't tell me," Faith replied. "Did you know she changed her last name?" she asked just as confused as Buffy.
"That's a surprise to me as well," Buffy admitted. "Thought it doesn't surprise me at the same time. I had actually debated doing the same."
"She wanted both the speech and the name change to be a surprise for the both of you," Piper explained looking at her mother and aunt. "I promised not to tell."
When it was Dawn's turn to make her speech, she stood and gracefully walked to the podium, confident and excited. "Well," she said. She scanned the crowd until she found her family and friends. She grinned. "Well, here we are, on graduation day. I sometimes find it hard to believe I made it this far. So many things in life could go wrong. I could die, my friends could leave, my family could disappear from my life. I could drop out, or be kidnapped…countless things. So before I begin, I'd like to direct our thoughts toward the people who didn't make it to their graduation. The people who tried but fell short. The lives lost or wasted. The people who experienced these problems." She looked around the crowd. "And those that can rise above them."
The crowd was quiet.
"Graduation," Dawn began, "is not only the end of our academic career, to some extent, but the end of childhood. We're on our own. And it's scary. But the fear is exhilarating. It pushes us to be our best, because now when we fail, no one is there to catch us when we fall. Of course, there are always people who will soften the blow, but you are your own person now. And you're the person you were becoming all your life. So, I wanted my speech to be about the lessons I've learned outside school, the ones a book can't teach and a test can't measure. My book was my family, and my test is still coming. I am still a child. But not for long."
"I learned my first lesson early on: Marshmallows are not really monkey brains." There were a few small chuckles from those assembled.
"What does she mean by that?" Faith wondered looking at her sister Slayer.
"I told her marshmallows were monkey brains when we were younger," Buffy answered as she chuckled at the memory. "So I could take all of them from her hot chocolate."
"My other lessons were more important," Dawn continued. "I learned this: Have complete faith," she winked at Faith, "in yourself and your abilities. I know most everyone here does. How else would we have gotten this far? The second lesson was taught to me by my sister, on a number of occasions: Seize the day, because tomorrow you might be dead. No one knows what's coming. If you die tomorrow, will you be satisfied with the life you lived? Or do you have tasks left undone, things left unsaid? Do them. Say them. One day, you may not be able to. That's what I did. I married my girlfriend not long after I turned eighteen and we've been happily in love ever since."
"Learn as if you could learn forever. If you limit yourself, others will limit you too. Don't be afraid of who you are. Don't be ashamed. You are special, and no one will respect you until you respect yourself. Never, ever believe that death is the end of everything. True, the deceased's body is gone, but the spirit remains. Make them proud of you. They don't want you to sink because of them."
"Trust others, but don't rely on them. Should the day ever come when you are left on your own, make sure you can float without a life preserver. Forgive. Don't forget completely, but forgive. And do it right away. Tomorrow you may not be here, and they might not be either. Don't take that chance. Keep an open mind. Living with a closed mind is like living in a closed box; you miss out, on the light and the fun and all the other great stuff. But maintain your values. If you let others decide for you, there's no point in living."
"Know your friends well," Dawn continued, "but know your enemies better. And be prepared. You never know what's coming."
Buffy looked at her sister, she could tell what Dawn was going to say next, she had no idea how she knew, but she did.
"You may think you know who you are, what's to come, but you don't. You've barely begun." Dawn looked out over the crowd. "I know some people who can tell you that." She looked pointedly at her family and friends and smiled. "I love you," she mouthed to them before she turned and moved back toward her seat.
Buffy smiled, ignoring the tear rolling down her cheek.
May 20, 2002 – Monday
Bay Mirror Newspaper Offices
"Our next caller is from Rohnert Park, California. Veronica, honey, tell Tashmin a little and I will tell you the rest."
Phoebe shook her head at the psychic on the television and turned to her office door as her new assistant entered.
"Hey, more Dear Phoebe letters," Dawn announced carrying a full box. She had decided till the fall semester at Berkley started that she would get a summer job. With Phoebe's recommendation she got hired by Elise to be Phoebe's assistant. "Where do you want them?"
"Oh, you can just put them anywhere," Phoebe replied with a shrug.
Dawn looked around the messy office and sighed. "Maybe we ought to keep some of these in storage?" she suggested as she made a space on the desk and planted the box there.
"No," Phoebe refused. "I'll get to 'em."
"All of them?" Dawn asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, Aunt Dawn." Phoebe smiled.
"Phoebe," Dawn admonished her niece. "Out here where people don't know about magic I'm not your aunt, remember? I'm actually your baby half-sister from Victor's side of the family."
"It's habit, Aunt Dawn. I've been saying it for so long that I just don't think," Phoebe admitted looking up at her aunt. "Anyways I'm on a roll. Hey, will you get these to Elise, please?" she asked, handing over a handful of answered letters. "And find out which one she wants to run."
"Sure," Dawn chirped happily. "You're amazing, you know that?" she asked and Phoebe's fingers stalled.
"You're just saying that because I'm your niece," Phoebe admitted, removing her glasses and leaning back in her chair.
"Well it's true," Dawn admitted. "I've actually been bouncing around what I actually want to major in and that's partly because of you. Do I want to do mythology and ancient languages. Something that could help you guys, Buffy and Faith. Or go into journalism. One is more of an academic pursuit because there isn't much call outside of a university setting for mythology or ancient languages. So unless I get a masters…"
"Maybe you could do both?" Phoebe suggested. "You wouldn't be the first student to double major, Aunt Dawn. Do journalism for your career and the mythology and ancient languages stuff to help us."
"I might just do that," Dawn said as she smiled.
"Do what Tashmin says and get on with your life."
Dawn turned to the TV and chuckled. "Tashmin?"
"Background noise mostly," Phoebe shrugged. "That hasn't worked for me for a while."
"I know," Dawn sighed as she came around the desk and placed a hand on Phoebe's shoulder. "Its been only a couple weeks. It will take time, Phoebe. Just as long as you don't turn out to be like I was, this time last year.
"Promise," Phoebe said as she turned to her computer once more.
"Help me, Phoebe."
Phoebe turned back to Dawn. "Aunt Dawn?"
"I didn't say that," Dawn said as she and Phoebe turned to the TV. "She did."
Phoebe's eyes widened as Tashmin's shaking form and white eyes. "Help me, Phoebe," she said again, her voice growing strangely like Cole's.
"Sounds like more whispers from Cole," Dawn admitted as she looked at her niece. "We have to find out why he's haunting you."
"Agreed."
"I'll get these to Elise," Dawn said holding the answered letters that Phoebe had given her to take to Elise. "Then tell her we need to work the rest of the day from home."
Halliwell Manor
"Did they say how long this was going to go on for?" Paige questioned in regards to the construction work directly outside of their house.
"Three weeks," Piper replied. "Which means three months. Thankfully they didn't start last week. Would have hated to have that during Aunt Dawn's graduation party. A little higher," she directed to Leo who was trying to hang a framed picture of her, Leo, Piper, Paige, Phoebe, Buffy and Faith surrounding Dawn in her graduation cap and gown. Willow had brought a camera and taken some pictures during the ceremony and afterwards. Piper and Buffy immediately got some printed including the one that Leo was now hanging.
"Well, better hope no demons attack," Paige commented moving away from the window. "That'd be a bust, especially if one of us goes flying out of the window."
"I wouldn't worry about that too much," Leo advised Paige as Buffy and Faith came from different areas of the house; Buffy from upstairs, Faith from the basement. The basement apartment had been finished about two days before Dawn's graduation and Dawn and Faith had moved into it on graduation day while Buffy moved into their old room. "There's so much chaos in the underworld. They're too busy fighting each other."
"Well, I hope it lasts." Piper wished and Buffy, Faith and Paige smiled. "I almost forgot what it's like to lead a normal life."
"Well I'm off," Buffy informed them. "Got an appointment with a realtor to look at business locations."
"Business locations?" Leo asked confused.
"I'm closing the gallery in Sunnydale and selling the building. I'm then moving the business to San Francisco," Buffy explained. "I'd sell the house too but with Willow and Tara living there. And it being a secure place for Faith to orb to when she goes to patrol in Sunnydale…Anyways." She grabbed her purse and car keys as she headed on out the door.
"It's got to go a little higher," Piper repeated returning their attention to the picture.
Leo tried but couldn't reach, "Well, uh...I need, I need a ladder."
"Leo, just hover," Faith instructed rolling her eyes.
"No, no, no, no," Piper objected, shaking her head. "I don't want to jinx anything. I'd rather we not use magic unless we absolutely have too. Thank you very much."
"I use magic every day," Faith reminded Piper with a roll of her eyes. "How else am I supposed to get back and forth to Sunnydale?"
"Yeah, relax a little," Paige said. "Use it or lose it, lady," she cracked, nudging Piper's shoulder then nodded to Leo.
Leo's eyes met his wife's questioningly and she sighed before giving him a reluctant nod. He rose up into the air and placed the picture, glancing behind him for approval.
"That's fine," Piper, Paige and Faith assured him together so he marked the wall and came back down.
"Jerks!" Buffy's voiced seethed as she threw open the door and slammed it loudly behind her.
Piper and Paige jumped in fright at the noise, Leo almost dropping the picture.
"What's wrong, B?" Faith asked when her fuming sister-in-law came storming into the room.
"Thought you were off to look at business properties?" Paige questioned with a frown.
"I tried," Buffy huffed. "But the damn construction workers are blocking my car in and won't move it!"
Piper chuckled. "Did you ask them too?"
Buffy stomped over to her eldest daughter and folded her arms roughly across her chest. "Yes." She snapped with a glare. "They replied with some bullshit about needing the machine there for another hour then they can move it!"
Leo shrugged. "Well, that sounds reasonable enough...to...me," he trailed off when he caught sight of Faith, Piper and Paige shaking their heads at him. "What did I say?" he questioned looking between them before he met the infuriated eyes of the elder Slayer.
"Yeah," Faith said, "it's that time of the…"
"Oh," Leo said his eyes going wide in realization.
The door slammed once again and the five of them turned to meet Phoebe and Dawn's wide eyes.
"We have a huge problem," Phoebe said.
Piper leaned closer to Faith and Paige. "You two were saying?"
"What's wrong, sweetie?" Buffy asked, concerned.
"Cole tried contacting me again," Phoebe announced falling onto the couch as Dawn headed into the kitchen. Since the first time Dawn and Phoebe had heard Cole they had managed to hear him a few more times. They had even let Piper, Paige and Buffy know that he was trying to contact Phoebe somehow despite being vanquished.
"What, more whisperings?" Leo asked from behind Buffy, Faith, Piper and Paige.
Phoebe looked back at him. "No, this time he was channeling," she informed him, removing her coat. "Through a TV psychic while I was at work."
Buffy, Faith, Prue, Piper and Paige frowned.
"He sounded so desperate," Phoebe sympathized.
"Wait," Buffy spoke up. "Did anybody else notice?"
"Just me and Aunt Dawn thankfully," Phoebe answered. "How am I supposed to move on with my life when I keep being haunted by his afterlife?"
"Leo, what do you think?" Piper asked her husband, seeking guidance.
"I think you need to do something, fast," Leo replied firmly.
"No, I mean how is he holding on?" Piper rephrased.
Leo shrugged. "I don't know. I guess because he's half demon, it must be some kind of astral plane."
"Well, whatever," Phoebe dismissed. "We can't risk him contacting me again. I have to figure out a way to get to him and find out what he wants."
"Honey, what he wants is you," Paige told her older sister. "I mean, why else would he be hanging on?"
Phoebe met her gaze then looked down. When she looked back up she frowned, her eyes on Faith, Buffy and Leo's frozen forms. "Piper?"
"Hm?"
"How is mom and Aunt Faith frozen alongside Leo?" Phoebe asked, pointing to him and her two sisters spun around.
Piper frowned and approached her mother, aunt and husband slowly, waving her hand in front of their faces to no avail. "Well this is very strange."
"I'll go check on Aunt Dawn," Paige said running out of the room. She returned within moments. "Aunt Dawn is frozen too. And on top of that she is standing at the fridge, with the door open and it won't close." She hurried past her sisters to the window. "Uh, guys."
"What?" Piper barked tensely, her gut churning again. "What is it?" she repeated joining her sister by the window. "What's—Oh my god!" she yelped seeing what her sister was seeing as Phoebe rushed over to them. "Everyone is frozen," she stated slowly, glancing over all the construction workers.
"Everything is frozen," Phoebe corrected nodding towards the birds in the sky and the helicopter.
"So much for not performing any magic, huh, Piper?" Paige quipped, her tone accusing and Piper jerked.
"Me? I didn't do that," Piper denied shaking her head, "I couldn't, I couldn't freeze all that stuff. Especially mom, Aunt Dawn and Aunt Faith."
"But I can."
The three sisters whipped around towards the source of that voice and found an old man, with grey hair and matching robes standing in their living room.
"Who are you?" Phoebe demanded.
"I'm an Angel of Destiny," their guest announced talking a step toward them. "And I've come to change yours."
Phoebe stared at him with wide eyes. Paige turned to meet Phoebe's gaze skeptically. And Piper nodded once.
"You are not the same one that mom summoned to give Xander a vision of his possible future," Piper said.
"There are many destinies, so there are many angels," the Angel said, "That said I am here because of a demon. "Which in and of itself, is very rare. We Angels of Destiny normally don't intervene—except in extraordinary situations." He amended himself swiftly, "Mozart at age seven. Michelangelo, Albert Einstein..." the Angel's face fell, "...Britney Spears…"
Paige frowned in confusion. "Huh?"
His eyes flicked toward the frozen Buffy and Faith. "Patricia Halliwell," he concluded. "Faith Lehane-Summers."
Piper, Phoebe and Paige looked over at Buffy and Faith. They had heard that about where the Elders and the Angels of Destiny had come to Patty and offered her the choice to be reincarnated as the future Slayer or to go to her eternal rest. They had also heard what had been told to Buffy and Faith the day before Xander's wedding.
"As you know we gave them both a reward," the Angel reminded them. "For Patricia Halliwell, it was the choice of either going to her final rest or being reincarnated and continuing the fight against evil. You of could know which one she chose. And of course I am sure you have heard of the reward we offered, at the time, Faith Lehane. The chance to fall in love with Dawn, her true love."
"I don't understand, why us?" Phoebe informed him, shaking her head.
"You three have accomplished something few others ever dream of," the Angel explained to them. "By vanquishing the Source of All Evil, you have fulfilled your shared destiny much earlier than anticipated. Truth be told some of us didn't think you'd ever achieve it at all," he mumbled averting his gaze. "But that's really beside the point."
Piper's eyebrows rose and Phoebe turned her head to her older sister slowly.
"The point is you have and because of that, we are offering you a reward," the Angel placated quickly. "A chance to chart a new destiny, one of your own design."
"A reward?" Paige sought.
The Angel nodded. "You can continue to remain as you are, charmed, vested with all your witchly powers...and of course demonic burdens." Was his first offer and Piper turned to looked at her frozen mother wondering what Buffy would say. Phoebe wriggled uncomfortably and looked down.
"Or..." the Angel tempted slowly.
Phoebe leaned forward expectantly, eyebrows raised while Piper pressed, "Or...?"
"You can choose to relinquish your magic and lead normal lives again."
Phoebe's eyes cut to Piper's sharply, knowing how much her older sister desperately wanted her normal life back.
"Unencumbered," the Angel continued his sell. "Free. We'd wipe the entire slate clean. Nobody would ever come after you, again. Though you could have demonic worries as long as Patty, Dawn and Faith remain in your lives."
"Which means we could still be targeted," Phoebe said, "as long as mom, Aunt Dawn and Aunt Faith lived with us." Her sisters looked toward her as if to say explain. "Just like Aunt Dawn was targeted to get at mom back in Sunnydale. We would be targeted once it was learned we are mom's daughters."
"That is true," the Angel said, "but I do believe that Patty, Dawn and Faith could protect you, especially since Patty and Dawn have now come into their Charmed powers, the Power of Two. And since Faith's powers have finally been unbound. Also they have added assistance…their friends in Sunnydale. I don't believe you would be unprotected." He smiled at them and asked, "Well, what do you say?"
"What...do we say?" Piper exclaimed. "Are you kidding? You can't just freeze the whole world and come in here and drop a bombshell like that and expect a quick decision!"
"I don't think you quite grasp the uniqueness of this opportunity," the Angel informed them tersely.
"No!" Piper countered pointing a finger at him. "I can assure you, we understand how unique this is. After all we've heard the story from both mom and Aunt Faith. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity but that is exactly why you need to give us some time," she demanded hands on her hips. "We need to think about this. In fact personally I wouldn't mind talking to mom, Aunt Dawn and Aunt Faith about this."
"Would that help?" he asked as Piper nodded. He nodded too and suddenly Buffy and Faith were unfrozen.
"Hey how come I can't close the fridge?" Dawn called out from the kitchen.
"What's going on?" Buffy asked.
"Hello, Buffy, Faith," the Angel said as Dawn came from the kitchen. "Dawn."
"It seems he's come to offer a reward," Piper admitted. "I was telling him we needed time to think, and that I wanted to talk to you guys about it too because what he's offering is a doozy."
"What's the reward?" Dawn wondered.
"They continued as they are invested in all their witchly duties or they relinquish their magic and lead normal unencumbered lives. The only demonic worries coming for the three of you," he explained.
"Thank about what?" Paige finally spoke up. "No time needed. Thanks, but no thanks," she refused then turned to her sisters, aunts and mother with narrowed eyes. "Right?"
"Don't look at me, Dawn and Faith," Buffy said. "I believe he only unfroze us so we could advise. But the decision is yours and yours alone."
"You would be correct, Patty," the Angel agreed.
"Yeah, right." Phoebe agreed suddenly with a nervous chuckle, "Of course right."
Piper sent her each of her family a pleading look that clearly demonstrated her want to consider this.
Phoebe bit her lip and she sighed. "But, you know, as long as he's offering maybe we should talk about this."
Paige's face fell and she crossed her arms defiantly.
"Just talk about it," Phoebe stressed at the look on her little sisters face.
"Come on," Dawn said as she took Phoebe's arm and led her niece across the room to the table nearer the window and away from the Angel's prying ears.
Buffy and Faith grabbed Piper and Paige's arms and they followed Dawn and Phoebe.
"You can't be serious, Phoebe," Paige exclaimed bewildered. "You of all people, you love being a witch.
"I know I do," Phoebe agreed as she perched on the edge of the table. "But I—"
"But what?" Paige interrupted. "What has changed?"
Dawn sighed as she looked at her youngest niece. "That's easy if you think about it, Paige. She married the Source, had her baby stolen from right out of her womb. If that wasn't bad enough. If the Seer hadn't stolen her baby she was going to die in childbirth."
"Aunt Dawn is right," Phoebe said.
"Paige." Piper sighed and the youngest Halliwell turned to her. "It's just that we've been doing this a lot longer than you have. Mom has even been doing it longer than us, and even she wanted to quit when faced with the choice of losing Aunt Dawn or the world going to hell. I'm not trying to discount all the good that we've done or that we could do," she assured Paige when her baby sister went to speak. "But at the same time, I'm not going to minimize the costs." Taking a deep breath she met her youngest sister's eyes pointedly. "Paige, I can't get pregnant cause of what we do."
Paige's face fell and she looked down.
"Think of this," Buffy suggested. "Even though you would have me, Dawn, Faith and our friends from Sunnydale protecting you. Demons could still target you as long as we are in your lives. And we can't guarantee anything."
"You are kind of straddling the fence, Buffy," Dawn said.
"I know," Buffy said. "Regardless whichever decision you all make we will stand behind. I am just pointing out some facts to consider."
"We know, mom," Phoebe said. "But, punching demons just isn't as much fun as it used to be," she admitted quietly. "Plus, and I hate that I am even saying this, but if we take the deal it might not be a bad idea if the three of you move back to Sunnydale. We can always come to visit."
"That's a lot to ask of B and Dawn," Faith admitted as she motioned toward the picture that was currently resting against the base of the wall where Leo had left it. "Given what it means for them to be in your lives. Think of this, if you had vanquished the Source when Prue was still alive. You would have very likely never known about Paige. You would never have had the privilege of seeing Dawn graduate. B would never have had the privilege, despite the outcome with Cole becoming the Source, of seeing you get married, Phoebe."
Phoebe sighed. "I know, Aunt Faith."
Paige frowned and she faltered slightly before clearing her throat and meeting each member of her family's eyes. "So what are you guys saying?" she questioned tightly.
"They're saying you need some time," the Angel answered instead, approaching the girls. "Which I'll grant but not too much time," he warned them. "After all, other people's destinies are tied to yours. Including Patty, Dawn and Faith's. And since it's your Charmed destiny that's at stake here, majority will rule," he explained to them. "Two sisters will decide the fate of all three."
Paige closed her eyes at that fact and felt her hopes scatter. Her sisters had already made up their minds.
"So consider your choice wisely," the Angel turned to leave, stopping by the coffee table, "Perhaps what happens next will help you to decide," he suggested with a nod towards Buffy's purse then disappeared in a bright light.
As soon as he was gone the construction noise began once more, Buffy's cell phone chirped loudly and she hurried to answer it.
"Hey!" Leo entered the room looking less than happy. "Did you just freeze me?" he demanded pointing an accusatory finger at his wife.
"Piper didn't do it, Leo," Buffy said. "We had a visit from an Angel of Destiny."
"The one that talked to you and Faith or the one that gave your friend Xander his visions?" Leo asked.
"Neither," Buffy answered. "there is more than one angel, just like there is more than one destiny. You might want to fill in the Elders to let them know that he visited." He orbed out as she fished her cell from her purse. "Buffy Summers-Halliwell."
Piper, Dawn, Paige and Piper all raised an eyebrow at Buffy's use of the Halliwell name.
"She mentioned debating doing that," Faith told her wife and nieces.
"What?" Buffy questioned loudly down the phone and her family turned to her in alarm. "Darryl, what the hell are you talking about?"
"Apparently, you guys are about to be put under surveillance," Darryl explained down the line.
Buffy's eyes widened and she turned to her daughters, sister and sister-in-law open-mouthed. "Surveillance? Why?"
"What?" Piper asked tensely as she slid up to her mother's side with a frown, Faith sliding up on the other side of Buffy.
"Please tell me I'm not under investigation for something in Sunnydale?" Faith asked.
Buffy waved the other three over and stabbed button on her phone violently, activating the speakerphone so Darryl's voice could be heard by all.
"An FBI agent named Jackman called Darryl into his office today," Darryl explained to them and his voice was tight with rage, "He did a search on unsolved cases. Apparently, your names came up on way too many witness lists. Piper, Phoebe and Paige's for San Francisco and yours and Faith's for Sunnydale."
"What do you mean? What does he know?" Buffy asked.
"I don't know, but I'm going to try and find out. In the meantime just lay low and whatever you do don't use any magic."
Paige looked between her silent family three silent sisters, hands on her hips, "So are we screwed?"
"Possibly," Piper answered, eyes on her mother's phone. "But then that would take destiny out of our hands and I don't think that's what the Angel meant," she supplied slowly.
"Especially when apparently Faith and I are also going to be under surveillance," Buffy added. "Now no talking about you know what, we don't know if this guy is listening now."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Outside the Manor a white SFB Telecom van pulled up across the street and a medium height, brown haired apparent construction worker jumped out. He moved towards the back of the van and climbed inside.
The back was filled with technical equipment. The man slid on a pair of headphones and settled into the only chair, flipping a switch and bringing the machines to life. The small screen in front of him flared to life and the Manor appeared on screen. He clicked the mouse and the view zoomed in closer.
"I still don't understand how coming up here is going to help," Paige's voice filled the small space and he adjusted the volume of his earphones.
"Actually, it's pretty simple." Phoebe's voice replied before loud metal music blasted in his ear and he quickly turned the volume down and tried to bring their voices back, to no avail.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"So you guys have been home all day right?" Phoebe asked her two sisters, Buffy and Faith as she increased the volume on the stereo further and positioned it at the attic window.
"Unfortunately," Buffy complained as Dawn looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I had an appointment to see some business properties. I had plans to close the gallery in Sunnydale and move it to San Francisco. Couldn't get out of the drive with the construction work."
"Oh," Dawn said as she wrapped an arm around her sister.
"Yeah," Piper replied to Phoebe. "So?"
"There's no way he would have had time to bug the inside of the house," Phoebe explained turning back to them. "He's got to be listening from the outside."
Dawn grinned at Phoebe proudly. "Look at you go, Nancy Drew."
Phoebe smirked. "Thank you, Aunt Dawn," she chirped stopping behind the Book of Shadows.
"Is it ironic that here we are presented with the opportunity to give up our powers, and now we suddenly can't even use them?" Piper wondered aloud as she, Buffy, Dawn, Faith and Paige joined Phoebe by the book.
"Except not using our powers doesn't necessarily mean that we won't be exposed." Phoebe pointed out smartly, "We still have Cole to worry about."
"Not just Cole," Buffy said. "For me, all it would take is looking into Kendra's autopsy to know something supernatural was going on."
"That's right," Dawn said in realization. "Drusilla snapped her neck. The force of a vampire doing that could have shattered bones."
"Exactly," Buffy said.
"Well we can only worry about one thing at a time," Phoebe said. "Which means we need to address this Cole thing, because it's an immediate concern."
Paige shook her head. "Phoebe you can't make contact with a dead demon husband."
Phoebe sighed. "But if I don't then he will and then what?" she argued calmly. "The FBI is outside and if they find out about us, it's going to be the same thing as last year," she assured them. "We don't want that now do we?" Flipping the pages a few more times Phoebe suddenly halted. "So...I'm going to cast the To Find a Lost Love spell. I mean, if Cole's soul is on some astral plane, it should astral me there, right?"
Paige bit her lip apprehensively. "Um...are you sure he even has a soul?"
"Well, what else would be calling out to me?" Phoebe asked and Paige had no answer. She averted her eyes to the book and stated quietly. "Cole needs closure...and so do I."
Piper met her middle daughter's wide eyed gaze and nodded. "Piper, Paige and I will create a distraction outside in case your spell inside creates any fireworks," she offered. "Dawn…Faith." She looked toward her sister and sister-in-law. "You two stay here with Phoebe, in case she needs help."
"Okay, Buffy." Dawn said.
"Okay, B," Faith added.
Paige met Phoebe's eyes from the doorway, "Be careful," she warned her and Phoebe nodded in silent promise.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy and Piper observed the street with suspicious eyes, looking for any hint as to that FBI guy that was apparently looking to take them down when they spotted the SFB Telecom van parked across the street.
"Unless we spike the lemonade I don't know—"
"Shh!" Piper hissed from the window and Paige fell silent. "That phone-company van looks suspicious."
Paige frowned. "Why?" she questioned peering over Piper's shoulder.
"Well, because it was there earlier," Piper replied simply. "And besides, he didn't put out any cones."
"Not much to go on but your right," Buffy said.
Paige turned skeptical eyes on her older sister and her mother. "That's what you're basing it on?" she asked Piper.
"Well, it's the best that I got." Piper snapped, closing the drapes again and turned around. "Now, are you ready?"
"Why don't either of you just..." Paige threw up her hand in a similar fashion to Buffy and Piper's freezing, "...to the street."
Buffy and Piper frowned at the wiggling of Paige's fingers. Neither of them did that. "Because what if somebody drives around the corner mid...?" Buffy said as she threw up her hands and wiggled her finger mockingly.
Paige rolled her eyes.
"Now, you just need to use some of your God-given magic," Piper observed, popping open one of the buttons of Paige's shirt and pushing up her bra. "Okay, go."
Paige frowned, toddling over to the tray of Lemonade and lifting it up before stalking to the door.
"You really had to cop a feel of your sister?" Buffy giggled.
"Mom!" Piper said embarrassed.
"It's a joke, Piper," Buffy told her. "Well do you want to do this. Or shall I?"
"You can go ahead, mom," Piper replied. "I will keep a watch and make sure there is no other surprises."
Buffy nodded as she hurried through the house.
Outside Paige descended the steps with an extra sway to her hips and some extra bounce in her step to get her...God-given magic noticed right away. She looked around innocently at all the staring faces. "Anyone feel like a little cool down?" she asked and was instantly surrounded by ogling construction workers. She smirked triumphantly, "Easy boys, there's enough for everyone."
Buffy sighed as she watched Paige from across the street, having slipped out the back door. "So not what I ever wanted to see any of my girls doing," she muttered to herself. She turned towards the Telecom van. Placing one hand on the handle, she yanked the back door open and threw up one hand, freezing the agent inside before he could turn to her.
With a satisfied sigh, Buffy closed the door and turned to the house, her eyes moving to the attic window and twitching her nose.
In the attic Faith smirked down at her sister Slayer, amused by the chosen signal and turned off the blaring stereo. "Go."
Phoebe took a deep breath, wriggling on the pillow within her circle of candles as Dawn waited to catch her when the spell took effect.
"Whither my love, wherever you be. Through time and space, take my heart nearer to thee," Phoebe chanted then collapsed into Dawn's waiting arms as she astralled out.
"I always wondered what it looked like when I astralled out," Dawn admitted to her wife who had moved to stand beside the book ready to cast the reversal spell.
"Now you know," Faith admitted.
Wasteland
Phoebe astralled in to the vast, desert like place and looked around, perplexed.
A monstrous shriek caught her attention and she whirled around, highly disturbed by the scene she was met with. This place seemed to stretch on forever: fallen red rock everywhere, smoking fire, a deep, red cloudy sky above.
Her heart thundering in her chest Phoebe spun around and right into the arms of her deceased husband.
"Cole!" she yelped in surprise.
"What are you doing here?" he growled at her. "Nobody's allowed to be here!"
Phoebe was stunned into silence: the tight grip on her arms, the overgrown facial hair and the dirty clothes, his wild eyes making him look nothing like the man that she had lost.
"Here?" Phoebe echoed. "Where is here?"
The monstrous shriek sounded again and Cole's body stiffened.
"We got to move fast," he informed her and Phoebe doubted her trembling body would be able to do so. "Come on." He took her hand and pulled, dragging her up some rocky steps as a worm like creature shot out of the earth.
When they reached the top and looked down they saw the creature moving beneath the sand and Phoebe desperately tried to ignore the scattered bones at every turn.
"We'll be safe here but not for long," Cole informed her, glancing around them wildly just to be sure. "We have to keep moving or the beast will devour us both, for eternity."
Phoebe remained silent as her eyes travelled over every inch of his face, drinking him in before she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him to her.
Cole sighed heavily, half relief half exhaustion and held on just as tightly. "I knew you'd hear my cries."
Phoebe forced her eyes open and pushed him away. "Uh...Cole."
"It's alright," he assured her. "You did the right thing. The Source is gone, devoured."
Phoebe remained silent once again and looked around them.
"This is the wasteland," Cole answered her previous question. "Where all vanquished demons end up," he explained and Phoebe met his eyes sharply. "The beast feeds on their essence...their powers."
"So what are you doing here?" Phoebe finally found her voice.
"Holding onto our love," Cole replied, staring into her eyes and Phoebe felt a tug at her heart. "I'm a demon with a soul, Phoebe. It's rather unique to the cosmos. That's why my soul's been able to cling here, keep from moving on."
"Oh I—but that's not healthy," Phoebe observed, shaking her head. "Everyone has to move on, you know...sooner or later."
"Yeah, well that's easy for you to say," Cole snapped. "You'll get to go to the good place. Me..."
His next words were cut off by a screaming demon falling from the sky and the once blissfully happy couple watched as his body erupted into flames and turned to ash, his body falling to the sandy ground.
"Over here, come on." Cole tugged on her hand again. He jumped over the gap between the two rocks, pulling Phoebe after him.
The beast burst from the sand and sucked up the power before disappearing again.
Phoebe stared with wide eyes and exhaled sharply. "You, you know you can't keep running from that thing forever."
"That's why I've been calling you." Cole nodded. "You can help save me. Save us."
"How?"
"Get Leo to get the Grimoire," Cole ordered. "That resurrection spell that the wizard was after, you can use that to resurrect me."
"What?" Phoebe exclaimed, not expecting that request to pass his lips. She thought he wanted to say goodbye, properly before moving one but...apparently not. Cole didn't want to move on.
"It's easy," Cole assured her taking her arms. "I'll walk you through it. All you have to do is—"
Phoebe shook her arms free and turned away, walking to the other end of the rock.
"What's the matter?" Cole questioned with a deep frown.
"I can't use...dark magic again," Phoebe told him slowly, wringing her hands together. "I won't."
"Not even for us?"
Phoebe closed her eyes briefly then turned to him, her eyes clearly saying that there was no 'us' anymore and Cole's heart constricted painfully in his chest.
The beast surged out of the ground, unbeknownst to the tortured couple and tightened itself around Phoebe's ankle, yanking her off her feet.
Phoebe screeched as it lifted her into the air and Cole darted forwards, grabbing her wrists tightly and pulling.
"Hold on!"
"Help me!" Phoebe squealed feeling her hands slipping. "Your powers!" she yelled desperately.
Cole tightened his slipping grasp and replied through gritted teeth. "I don't have any powers!"
A second beast blasted out of the sand and wrapped itself around Phoebe's middle and squeezed.