Chapter 26: Witch Way Now Part 2
May 20, 2002 – Monday
Halliwell Manor
Dawn jumped in surprise when Phoebe's body jerked in her arms and her niece screamed in pain.
"What happened?" Buffy demanded as she, Phoebe and Paige came running into the attic.
"I don't know!" Dawn snapped back grabbing Phoebe's arms as her thrashing continued and another scream was ripped from her throat. "Faith, the reversal spell!"
The sound travelled through the FBI bugs outside and jolted the agent from his frozen state.
"Something's hurting her!" Paige observed as she assisted Dawn in holding Phoebe down.
"Something is killing her," Piper corrected as Faith flipped desperately through the book. "Aunt Faith, spell!" she demanded as Phoebe screamed again.
"Here it is," Faith exclaimed when she found the correct page and she began chanting. "Return thy love, wherever she be. Through time and space, bring her back to me."
Wasteland
Phoebe felt the beast's hold tightened and screamed at the pressure around her middle, desperately clinging to Cole but her hands were slipping.
"Cole!" Phoebe yelped when the beats' pulled her from his grasp and she felt herself falling. "NO!" she screamed just as Faith's spell kicked in and she was astralled back out.
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe cried out as she returned to her body and shot up gasping for breath.
"It's okay," Piper soothed her, one hand on her back while Phoebe gripped Buffy and Paige's hands. "You're okay."
"Oh, my god," Phoebe breathed, falling heavily against Piper. "What was I thinking?"
Dawn closed her eyes and rested her head against Phoebe's.
"And this is why they shouldn't give up their powers," Faith whispered to herself low enough that no one heard her. "Because they would lose out on this."
"You're okay," Buffy said, more so for herself than Phoebe and released a breath of relief.
The five of them froze as the doorbell sounded throughout the house.
"Uh-oh," Paige grumbled. "I hope the freeze didn't wear off." Her thoughts going straight to the FBI and Darryl's request that they do no magic. Which of course they had just done.
Buffy blew out a breath, "With our luck, it did," she retorted pushing to her feet and heading out the door, Dawn and Faith right behind her while Paige and Piper helped a shaky Phoebe to her feet and helped her down the stairs.
Buffy took a breath, glanced fleetingly behind her to Dawn and Faith and then tore open the door.
"Agent Jackman," the guy from the telecom van introduced himself, holding up his badge. "FBI."
Paige, Piper and Phoebe came up behind Dawn and Faith and froze.
"We should talk."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
The five members of the family were situated at one end of the dining table: Buffy was in the chair at the head of the table, Dawn and Faith seated to her left. Piper, Paige and Phoebe to her right.
Agent Jackman was standing at the other end of the table. He pulled three large blue folders out of his bag. One had the name 'Halliwell', another had the name 'Summers' and the last had the name 'Lehane', all of them written in block capitals on the front. He slid them up the table to them. "In case you're wondering, those are just copies."
Piper pulled the one marked 'Halliwell' to her. She opened it to the first picture: one of her and Phoebe outside that old house before they got shrunk. Then it was one of Paige and Piper outside of Dawn's P3. Then several of the sisters, either alone or together with Buffy, Dawn and Faith. Then there was one with Leo and Piper and finally several of each of the sisters alone.
Buffy pulled the one marked 'Summers' to her. She opened it to the first picture: one of her and Dawn outside their house in Sunnydale. Another of them outside the Manor. Then some with Buffy or Dawn with Xander, Giles, Willow, Tara and Anya in Sunnydale. Then some with Buffy or Dawn with Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Leo. There was one of Dawn with Faith. And finally several of Buffy or Dawn alone.
Faith pulled the one marked 'Lehane' to her. There was one with her and Buffy, one with her and Dawn, some with Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Leo. Some with her with Xander, Willow or Tara and finally some of her alone.
Phoebe looked up at their unwelcome guest. "Nice way to engender trust, Agent Jackman."
Jackman rolled his eyes. "If I wanted to expose you, I could have done it six months ago when that file first crossed my desk," he pointed out.
"Expose us as what?" Buffy questioned, feigning ignorance.
"Witches," Jackman answered. "It's the only logical explanation for all the unsolved cases, the missing persons, the mysterious deaths."
"Well..." Dawn spoke up, glancing back down at the file in front of her wife, "...if witches is your version of a logical explanation then I'd love to hear your definition of illogical."
Faith snorted.
Jackman smiled tightly. "Don't play me Mrs. Summers-Halliwell."
"Okay, how do you even know that name?" Dawn growled. "It's not even official as I have yet to submit the forms for the name change."
"I just do." Jackman shrugged as he pulled out a photo and tossed it to Dawn, it was of her during graduation while she was giving her speech. "Anyways I'm not buying it. I know what's in those folders and I know I'm right."
"Prove it," Piper demanded smugly.
Agent Jackman reached into his bag once more and pulled out a hand-held tape recorder. When he pushed play their voices sounded throughout the room.
"Something's hurting her!"
"Something is killing her. Aunt Faith, spell!"
Swishing of pages.
"Here it is! Return thy love, wherever she be. Through time and space, bring her back to me."
Agent Jackman stopped the tape, confident he had made his point.
"That doesn't prove anything," Buffy insisted, shaking her head.
"No," Jackman agreed. "But it implies everything, especially when coupled with those file." He then turned to Phoebe. "You think your newspaper wouldn't run that story?"
Phoebe glanced at each of her family, knowing full well her employer would jump at a story like that.
"What do you want?" Faith snapped, irritated by the man before her.
"Believe it or not, your help," Jackman answered and the six women were even more interested.
Buffy's eyebrows rose. "And you think that blackmail is the way to go when asking for help, Agent Jackman? I thought the FBI were more professional than that," she commented with a shrug. "But then again I thought they spent their time on actual threats."
Agent Jackman met Buffy's steely gaze. "I specialize in occult-style slaying, Miss Summers. That's why I was watching all of you, in hopes of catching a serial killer," he stressed pointedly for Buffy's benefit. "A witch-hunter."
"Alright, I've heard enough of this nonsense," Piper mused with an eyeroll then threw up her hands, freezing the arrogant Agent. Who didn't freeze.
"Uh...wait a second," Paige mumbled with wide eyes, "He froze before."
"This time I was prepared," Agent Jackman explained, pulling a large amulet from inside his shirt.
Buffy and Faith looked at each other having recognized the amulet. It was one that had been on display at the Magic Box. They both remembered it had been part of a set. "We're going to have to…" Faith told Buffy who nodded in agreement about talking to Anya about selling items to just anyone who walked in off the street.
"Like I said, I specialize in this stuff," Jackman said. "There's supposed to only be a few of these amulets left in the world. Got this one out of a little occult shop in Sunnydale." He looked at Buffy, Faith and Dawn. "You three know the one, I believe, as it's owned by a friend of yours."
Paige and Phoebe glanced across the table at Dawn and Faith who met their eyes, while Buffy and Piper exchanged a dejected stare. They were so screwed.
Agent Jackman pulled a stack of photographs from his briefcase, "Her name is Selena." He informed them, passing the bundle to Phoebe. The woman was young, short blond hair. "I traced her genealogy all the way back to the witch trials. I think killing you people is in her blood, it's what she lives for. I mean, why else would she have burned her last three victims at the stake?"
"Why are you telling us this?" Piper queried, uncertainly.
"Well, because I thought you were going to be her next victims," he replied seriously. "But now that I know who you really are and what you can do I need you to help me find her before she kills again."
"Do you have any idea where she is?" Phoebe asked, throwing the photographs down on top of the file.
"I did for a while," Jackman answered suddenly uncomfortable. "I had her in custody once, but she uh...got away."
"Why am I not surprised?" Dawn smirked, reveling in the agent's failure and obvious embarrassment.
"Mm-hm." Piper nodded also smirking.
Agent Jackman cleared his throat uncomfortably and pulled out a clear evidence bag. "These are some of Selena's personal belongings. Now, from what I know, if you use your powers on them, you might be able to find her." He observed from memory. "Now you do that, I'll make sure those files disappear forever. You don't..." He pulled a business card from his shirt pocket. "Well, you figure it out." He concluded, placing the card on the table and lifting up his briefcase. "Call me."
Faith's eyes narrowed. "You know..." she started loudly, and he turned back around. "I don't respond well to threats Agent Jackman, especially when they are directed at the people I love," she informed him helpfully, pushing out of her seat and meeting him at the end of the table.
"I assumed so but it's all I got," Jackman replied with a heavy shrug. "I can't make you all help me just because I need help." He looked Faith over, his eyes falling to the ring on her finger. "You know...I'd consider your decision very carefully, Mrs. Summers-Halliwell."
Faith cocked her head to the right, left hand on her hip. "Why's that?"
Agent Jackman shrugged, "You have a criminal record, after all. Sure it was pardoned by the Governor. But I'm sure you don't want to investigated again...by a federal agency no less, it wouldn't bode well for you."
Dawn rose and moved beside Faith as her eyes flashed, "Are you, threatening my wife?"
Jackman shook his head. "Consider it a friendly warning."
Dawn swallowed heavily, her right hand twitching at her side and took a dangerous step closer. Buffy debated intervening, but in the end she decide to let Dawn defend Faith's honor. "Considering how much you know about us do you really think it wise to be threatening Faith like that?" Dawn questioned.
Agent Jackman smirked, pulling the amulet free again and tapping it pointedly.
Dawn chuckled. "Ah, yes. You're little amulet." She looked at Faith and then nodded toward him.
With the speed and reflexes of a Slayer, Faith reached up and gave the amulet a sharp tug and his magical protection unlatched, falling from his neck.
Agent Jackman stared down, wide eyed at his amulet now in Faith's hand.
Faith met his widened eyes with her darkened ones. "Agent Jackman, you have no idea what any of us are capable of. Especially B and I, we don't need our magical powers to hurt you and your little amulet..." she shook the hand that now clasped it, "...won't protect you from much if it isn't around your neck now will it?" Her eyes flashing once more as she slammed the amulet into his chest ordering, "Take it and get the hell out of our house."
Agent Jackman snatched it from her hands, glanced at each of them in turn, before he turned around and headed for the door, calling over his shoulder. "I'll be awaiting your call."
As soon as the door closed Faith and Dawn turned back to the rest of their family. Dawn slammed her right hand down on the table. "Damn it!"
Piper placed her hands on her hips. "As much as I enjoyed that just there, threatening the FBI guy who holds our entire future in his hands...not the best idea, Aunt Faith."
"He won't expose us," Dawn stated certainly, she and Faith eased themselves back into their chairs. "He needs us."
"You sure about that, Aunt Dawn?" Piper quizzed.
"One hundred percent, no," Dawn answered. "I know what its like when a cop comes at you," she said looking at her sister. "Remember the investigation with Kendra. They wanted to pin it on you till…"
"Till Xander and Willow gave witness statements that it wasn't me," Buffy sighed. "I remember."
"Why'd you give the amulet back, Aunt Faith?" Phoebe questioned with tired eyes.
Faith shrugged, "A show of good faith. And yes the pun is intended," she replied. "Besides it wouldn't have mattered. B and I recognized it, it was part of a set. If he has one he's got the others."
With a sigh, Paige stood and stopped at the end, snatching up the card he left behind. "I don't trust him."
"Gee, you think?" Buffy snapped as Phoebe dropped her head down onto her arms.
"Maybe we should take the Angel of Destiny up on his offer," Phoebe suggested, her voice muffled and her shoulders slumped.
"It would solve the problem of him coming after you," Dawn said looking at each of her nieces. "But not me, Buffy or Faith. We could still be target. The three of us will have to see this through, no matter what you guys decision is."
"Great." Paige turned to Phoebe. "So we'd be free and so would Selena who, for all we know, could be a warlock."
"No," Phoebe raised her head and shook it. "Warlocks don't burn witches at the stake they just steal their powers."
"Exactly," Paige nodded. "Powers, Phoebe. The very things we were given to do good with. Remember?"
Piper groaned loudly and dropped her head onto the table, willing them to stop it already.
Phoebe chuckled bitterly. "Yeah, Paige. I remember," she assured Paige, pushing out of her chair and walking away.
"Paige, Phoebe, please..." Buffy pleaded, she could feel a headache coming on with their bickering.
Paige ignored Buffy and followed after Phoebe. "Do you really, or has all that dark magic just kind of gotten into your brain?"
Phoebe stopped at the table just after the stairs and sighed heavily.
Piper's head shot up at that remark and she jumped from her seat, running after them.
Buffy closed her eyes, moaning when the pain of the headache sliced through her head.
"Are you okay?" Dawn whispered to her sister who shook her head. She turned to the bickering sisters. "Guys!" she snapped sternly but went unheard by Phoebe and Paige.
"I can't believe you're so willing to throw away our powers," Paige remarked, her tone one of heavy disappointment as she stared at her older sister.
"Paige!" Phoebe snapped. "You don't know the hell that I have been through. You didn't live it."
"Oh really?" Paige countered. "Mom and I were just turned into vampires and then I was shrunk and then you, me and Aunt Dawn switched bodies and—"
"Okay," Phoebe stopped her. "Imagine going through that for years. All I'm asking is for my life back."
"Okay guys enough!" Piper interrupted sharply. "We need to focus."
Paige exhaled slowly then turned on the rest of her family. "What about you, Piper? Mom? Aunt Dawn? Aunt Faith? What do you guys think?"
Buffy stood up straight. "I think we need to see this through like the angel suggested," she replied neutrally and Paige rolled her eyes.
Phoebe frowned and mumbled, "Cop out."
"Phoebe Johanna Halliwell!" Buffy admonished. "Look Faith, Dawn and I have to see it through. We have no choice. You can get the Angel to wipe your slate clean, but we don't get that if that's what you three want. Now I would like the help of my daughters, but I will leave that decision up to you." She turned and stormed out of the room and up the stairs.
"Buffy is right," Dawn said. "Faith, Buffy and I have to see this through. So you guys need to decide. Are you going to see this through or leave the problem to us alone?"
"We're going to see this through," Piper said looking at her sisters, both of whom nodded.
"Good," Dawn said. "I'm going to go check on my sister. Paige," she called to her youngest niece as she moved to the end of the table and picked up the bag of belongings. "Go to the attic and get started on all this," she ordered.
"We'll be up in a sec," Piper added as she watched Dawn head up the stairs. Paige grabbed the bag and headed up the stairs after her aunt.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn stopped at Buffy's door and knocked before quietly pushing it open. "Buffy?"
"Come in, Dawn."
Dawn walked into the room closing the door behind her and moved over to the bed and sat down. She looked at her sister who sat there huddled, her knees brought up to her chest. "Are you okay?"
"I wish they hadn't asked for us to be unfrozen," Buffy answered with a sigh. "I wish we knew nothing about their reward."
Dawn stood and walked over to door. "Faith can you bring up the picture from Friday?" she called out before returning to the bed.
A few moments later Faith came in carrying the picture that Leo and Piper had been trying to find the perfect place to hang it.
"This is what your wanting to forget?" Dawn asked waving at the picture. "Like Faith said earlier. What if it had been Prue, Piper and Phoebe who had vanquished the Source. How much different our lives would have been. Yes you would have Patty's memories and powers. But we would never have come to San Francisco because Piper had never cast her spell. You would never gotten Giles to release Faith from prison. I would not be married. Our lives would have turned out way different. I would not have celebrated my graduation with the people we both love the most."
"You know that's not what I want," Buffy sighed as she looked at the picture in Faith's hands. She waved her hand toward the picture. "That's what I want. I don't want them to give up their powers. But the three of us, don't have any say in that, Dawn. That's their call. Just as it was my call to be reincarnated, just as it was yours and Faith's call to fall in love. It's their choice, and there is nothing we can do about it."
"Your right," Faith said. "It is their call. But we can tell them what our opinion is on the matter. Let them know that we would like them to consider keeping their powers. You and I both know what's out there. We can walk away sure. But could we stop being what we are knowing what's out there?"
"No," Buffy said knowing Faith was right. She could no longer stop being a Slayer or a witch, no matter how much she wanted a normal life. She had seen too much, done too much as the Slayer alone to turn back now. "Your right, of course. As much as I want a normal life, I know that I would never want to go back knowing what's out there."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Piper looked to the heavens. "Leo!" she called. "You can orb, it's alright," she added remembering they were all watching their backs.
Her husband appeared in a flurry of bright lights a second later. "What about the FBI guy?"
Piper groaned. "Uh...he already busted us."
Leo's eyes widened and he looked down at Phoebe who nodded. "Oh."
"Yeah, it sucks," Piper said. "But, supposedly, he just wants our help."
Leo looked at her skeptically.
"We know." Piper nodded, "We don't quite believe it ourselves. Don't worry, there's no trust on his part either."
"Find anything out about the Angel of Destiny?" Phoebe piped up, her interest peeked.
Leo nodded, "His offers legit."
Piper sighed wearily. "Okay um...can you do us a favor and go to Darryl. Make sure Agent Jackman is legit too?" she asked sweetly. "Meanwhile we have a witch-hunter to find."
Leo raised his eyebrows questioningly.
Piper waved a dismissive hand. "Don't ask, just go."
Leo nodded once, kissed her cheek then orbed out.
Phoebe sighed heavily.
"Having a crappy day?" Piper asked.
"Yeah," Phoebe sighed.
Piper walked forward, towards Phoebe. "Cole?" she quizzed, throwing her arm around Phoebe's shoulders.
"Yeah."
"Piper, Phoebe." The two eldest sisters turned at the sound of their mother's voice as Buffy came down the stairs. "I need to make something known about the Angel's offer. "I don't want you to give up your powers. I know how you guys feel. But I'm in agreement with Paige. If you hadn't had your powers…she placed the picture from Dawn's graduation on the table. "This wouldn't have happened. I know there has been a lot of bad things too and it may not balance out anymore. But I want the daughters who brought me and Dawn to San Francisco because they cast a spell bringing our family back together."
"We'll still be those people, mom," Phoebe said.
"No you won't," Dawn said as she came up beside her sister. "You see my sister has had a taste of what it was like to not have her powers. She hated it."
"Dawn's right," Buffy said. "I went through that test that stripped my Slayer powers. Made me normal. Made me weak. I didn't like it. The point is you become normal, you won't be the same person anymore. So I am going to reiterate that I don't want you to give up your powers. In the end the call is yours, but that is what I want. I want the daughters who stand in front of me, who I am very proud of."
She turned and walked back up the stairs.
"Just think about it," Dawn said. "You relinquish your powers. Things like this," she motioned to the picture, "won't happen anymore. To keep you safe we would have to distance ourselves from you. You don't want to have to go through what I did when I was the normal one in the family." She turned and followed her sister up the stairs.
Piper and Phoebe moved to the end of the table and looked at the picture.
"Are we still sure we want to?" Piper asked her sister.
"I don't know anymore," Phoebe sighed. "They made good points. If we had this offer a year ago we would never have known them or Paige or Aunt Faith. I can't imagine not having them in our lives."
"I can't either," Piper admitted.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Paige held one of Selena's gloves over the open flame of the candle, setting one of the fingers alight before she dropped it into the pot which smoked.
"Before the flame subsides, let the wax from the candle drip onto the crystal," Buffy read aloud from the Book of Shadows.
Paige held the crystal's string so it wouldn't fall completely into the pot.
"Once consecrated, scry with the crystal for the one who is sought," Buffy concluded looking over to Paige who was tipping the candle over the pot allowing the wax to drop into it.
The contents of the pot exploded and Paige grinned. "Isn't magic grand," she sat at Piper who stood next to Buffy.
"It is," Dawn agreed from where she and Faith sat on the couch. She
Phoebe walked into the attic carrying her cell phone. "Okay, bye," she said as she ended the call. "That was Darryl. He confirmed that there is a serial killer on the loose doing exactly what Jackman said."
"We're all over it," Paige assured her as she dangled the crystal over a map.
"He also said that Jackman has more information on us than he shared." Phoebe continued.
"Like what?" Piper questioned.
"Um...like our genealogy," Phoebe replied. "Dating all the way back to Melinda Warren." She looked at Buffy and Dawn. "He has yours as well, but apparently didn't bother going back very far since you're the only witches in your family. He even found some information that wasn't included in the folder he gave you. Including some incident when you and Aunt Faith were the prime suspects in the death of a Deputy Mayor of Sunnydale."
"It's a long story," Buffy said as she saw her daughters look at her confused.
"I accidentally stabbed him with a stake thinking he was a vampire," Faith said.
"Anyways Darryl said there is no indication in your genealogy that you're a witch. I would guess he assumes you and Aunt Dawn are because you live with us." Phoebe said.
"Or because of the number of unsolved cases in Sunnydale," Dawn said. "The Deputy Mayor's death isn't the only unsolved case in Sunnydale. A lot of the Nosferatu's victims are unsolved as well, unofficially anyways. Officially those people die from barbecue fork accidents."
Phoebe nodded as she looked at Faith. "And he has yours. And here is where it gets interesting. You too are a descendant of Melinda Warren."
"What?" Piper and Paige said in clear surprise.
"I never knew that," Faith said.
"It would make sense," Phoebe said looking at Piper. "When I visited my past life I saw that Prue's past life had the power of Cryokinesis, just like Faith." She looked back at Faith. "Is your biological grandmother's maiden name Bowen?"
"I think so," Faith shrugged.
Phoebe nodded as she looked back at her sister. "Which would make us and Faith a couple generations removed from each other."
"Wow," Piper said in surprise.
"He's gone to a lot of trouble getting as much information on all of us as possible." Piper said walking away from the book and over to stand behind Paige, Buffy and Phoebe following suit. "I got a bad feeling he's not going to let us off the hook so easily after this is all over."
"What, he's just going to keep using me, Faith and Buffy afterwards?" Dawn queried unhappily. "Assuming you guys take the Angel's the offer and wipe the slate clean. Which by the way I am still against."
"I wouldn't put it past him," Faith observed.
"Great," Buffy droned, "Charlie's—freaking—Angels."
The crystal dropped and Paige looked up. "Got Selena. Do we still go after her?" she questioned uncertainly.
"We don't really have a choice," Piper informed her. "Regardless of the choice we make. We have to see this through at least for mom, Aunt Dawn and Aunt Faith's sake. Besides we can't let her run around burning people at the stake," she cracked bitterly before heading to the door, her sisters, Buffy, Dawn and Faith following after.
Selena's House
Paige, Phoebe and Piper orbed in followed a second later by Buffy, Dawn and Faith into the house that the crystal had directed them too, each of them on edge as they were all too aware of the fact that they had absolutely no idea what they were orbing into.
Paige glanced around the room and cringed at the décor. "Nice digs," she drawled sarcastically and Phoebe chuckled, rolling her eyes as Buffy moved towards the door.
"Let's just grab her and get the hell out of here," Buffy insisted as she silently opened the door and peered out. Her eyes widened at the sight of several armed men situated around the room. Cringing, she closed the door and turned back to her daughters, Dawn and Faith. "She has bodyguards. Lots of bodyguards."
"I wonder why Jackman didn't tell us about them," Phoebe mused aloud as Faith joined Buffy at the door.
Dawn shrugged. "Probably figured we wouldn't help if we knew," she observed as one of said bodyguards entered the room from her left. He pulled his gun on her and fired. She squeaked in surprise, shielding her face with her hands as Buffy and Piper each threw out one of their own, freezing the room.
Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief as Dawn slowly brought her hands down from her face.
Piper glared at her youngest sister as she strode toward her. "Paige!" she growled, as Faith swiped the frozen bullet to the floor. "Did you not have the sense to sense if anyone was in the room before you orbed us in here?" she demanded, her voice rushed as she glanced around them nervously.
"Aunt Faith orbed too…" Paige started to object.
"Aunt Faith orbed in after you," Piper reminded her sister.
The door Buffy had been peeking out of opened suddenly and a second bodyguard opened fire on them.
Buffy, Dawn, Piper and Phoebe darted out of the way while Faith and Paige orbed out, the bullet shattering the window behind Paige and Faith.
Phoebe grabbed his outstretched arm and spun him into the chest of drawers to her right, the large wooden piece of furniture falling on top of him when he hit the ground.
Buffy, Dawn, Piper and Phoebe raced into the other room.
Faith and Paige reappeared in front of Selena as she tried to make a run for it. "Going somewhere?" Paige smirked.
Selena tried to strike Faith but Faith being a Slayer dodged the attack, slamming her own fist into Selena's face, knocking her out cold.
Buffy, Dawn, Piper and Phoebe came to a stop next to the unconscious body while Faith flexed her fingers.
"We're going to need some serious memory dust after this is all over," Paige observed with raised eyebrows.
Buffy ignored her comment and bent down to their captive. "Yeah, well, let's just get home, okay?"
Dawn's eyes widened as Cole's transparent form appeared in view. "Phoebe," she said and Phoebe turned to follow her gaze, her own eyes widening. .
"Phoebe," he said.
Phoebe's eyes bulged further, "Cole."
Piper frowned as she and Buffy looked up at Dawn and Phoebe. "What?" Piper asked.
Dawn gestured for Piper and Buffy to turn around as Cole faded out. Buffy and Piper frowned when they saw nothing behind them.
"He was there, Buffy, I swear he was just there," Dawn insisted at the questioning looks on both her sister and niece's faces.
Another bodyguard ran into the room and fired at an unsuspecting Phoebe who ducked out of the way just in time.
Buffy threw up her hands and froze him as Paige joined her sisters down by Selena.
"Time to go." Piper ordered firmly, "Orb, orb, orb."
Faith quickly grabbed Dawn and Buffy's hands and orbed out just as Paige orbed out with her sisters and Selena.
Halliwell Manor
Buffy yanked open the door to reveal an anxious Agent Jackman on the other side.
"Where is she?" he demanded, stepping over the threshold.
"In there," Buffy answered, pointing behind her. "Whoa! Whoa!" she cried when he pulled his gun. "You don't need that. She's unconscious."
Jackman obediently put it away and walked into the living room. "She put up much of a fight?"
"No," Phoebe answered tightly. "But her body guards did."
"Bodyguards?" Jackman frowned. "She had bodyguards?"
"Yeah," Piper confirmed tersely, standing next to Phoebe. "Lots of 'em, with lots of guns and they weren't shy about using them either."
Jackman looked down at Selena. "She must have known we were closing in on her."
"Still..." Paige spoke up slowly, rising from her seat, "...don't you think it's odd that a serial killer has hired guns protecting her?" she quizzed, stopping beside Piper and crossing her arms.
"Well, maybe she's not working alone." Jackman offered weakly, looking away and Paige arched an eyebrow suspiciously.
"Or maybe you're just not telling us everything," Dawn countered with narrowed eyes as Buffy came to a stop next to her and Faith.
Jackman narrowed his own. "Maybe I'm not. What are you going to do about it?"
"Well...for one thing we're not going to let you take her without a warrant," Piper answered smartly, hands on her hips.
Jackman looked at each of them in turn and glowered, "You know...you're all the same. You think that just because you have gifts, powers that you're above it all! That you're 'special'! Well I know different."
"Oh really?" Faith questioned, eyebrows arched.
"Yeah." Jackman nodded. "Your arrogance is your Achilles' heel. That's why witch-hunters and demons are always after you and they always will be." He looked at them all pitifully. "I wouldn't trade places with you for the world." He reached into his coat pocket. "Oh uh...here's you warrant," he snapped, slamming it onto the table.
"So when do we get our files?" Buffy demanded as Piper reached for the warrant.
"When she's in jail and I feel I'm safe," Jackman retorted with guarded eyes.
Phoebe scoffed. "Safe from what?"
"Safe from you," Jackman sneered as he scooped Selena into his arms. "I don't want to be another one of those people who mysteriously disappear around here or in Sunnydale."
They watched him go, Paige following to slam the door behind him then returning swiftly to her family's sides.
"I knew he'd never give up those files!" Faith exclaimed with a glare.
"In case anybody is wondering we are officially screwed!" Piper added.
Dawn frowned. "Something's not right with him," she mused aloud. "I just...there's more to this story than he's letting on. He's not telling us everything."
"Yeah, well it doesn't really matter does it?" Paige snapped suddenly, "We'll just give up our powers and this will all go away, right, Phoebe?"
Phoebe flinched at the glare thrown her way so she glared back. "Come on, Paige. Don't tell me you're not considering the Angel's offer a little more now?"
"Except giving up your powers won't solve the problem for me, Buffy and Faith," Dawn said angrily.
"I'm not actually," Paige insisted darkly ignoring Dawn. "Not enough to give up our powers!"
Dawn dropped her head into her hands before looking back up at the squabbling sisters. "STOP IT! STOP FIGHTING!" she screamed as she stormed out of the room.
"Aunt Dawn is right," Piper agreed. "Enough is enough, this is getting out of hand. We need to stop bickering like children and discuss this like adults."
Paige and Phoebe looked down, ashamed.
Piper placed her hands on her hips as she looked over at her mother and Faith. "I hate what this is doing to you both and Aunt Dawn, especially Aunt Dawn. I swear, the next time I see that goddamn Agent Jackass I'm going to blow him to pieces."
Faith chuckled. "Thanks, Piper, but that would only make our problems worse. You guys have an out. Buffy, Dawn and I don't."
Paige looked at her sisters, mother and aunt before turning and following Dawn in the direction her other aunt had taken. She found Dawn sitting on her bed in her bedroom in the basement apartment.
"I'm sorry," Paige apologized quietly, falling onto the bed next to Dawn on her right. "I don't mean to make this harder on you. I don't want to give up my powers," she said with a sigh, resting her head on Dawn's shoulder.
"I know," Dawn replied as she rested her head against Paige's. "I don't want you too either. It's just hard you know. Knowing you guys have that decision and knowing that what we've had in the last year, this family, is because of magic. Knowing that if it had been Prue, Piper and Phoebe instead of you, Piper and Phoebe to vanquish the Source. That none of what we've done together, or experienced together would have happened. Like my graduation and my wedding. I don't want to lose that. And I know since its majority rules that if Piper and Phoebe say they want to give up theirs that means this all ends. Buffy, Faith and I would have to distance ourselves from you, Piper and Phoebe to protect you."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Alright..." Piper nodded, sitting at the kitchen table with her sisters. Buffy, Faith and Dawn had bowed of the conversation and were in the living room watching TV so they wouldn't have to even listen, "...let's talk. Who's first?"
Paige lifted her head determinedly. "I say we are not giving up our powers."
"Paige, I don't want to give up our powers either," Phoebe assured her. "But I don't want to give up our lives even more. Agent Jackman is just going to keep on using us, it'll never stop."
"What about mom, Aunt Dawn and Aunt Faith?" Paige asked looking at her middle sister. "He's still going to use them even if we give them up."
"Maybe we can persuade the Angel to include them somehow?" Piper suggested. "So that when he wipes our slate clean, theirs at least with Agent Jackman is clean as well."
Paige shook her head and looked away.
Piper scooted her chair closer to Paige and said kindly. "Look, Paige, we said we would wait to decide until this thing played out and it has," she reminded her youngest sister tiredly. "And frankly, if the Angel hadn't made this offer...I'd probably think differently, I'd think let's just keep fighting but I'm tired of fighting."
"You guys are only seeing the bad. What about all the wonder of being witches, the stuff you introduced me to in the first place? You're going to let all that go?" Paige persisted firmly. "If it hadn't been for magic we wouldn't have our mother back. We wouldn't have seen Aunt Dawn get married, seen her graduate from high school."
"As much as I love having mom back. As much as I love all the little things that have happened with Aunt Dawn, like those you just mentioned. Paige, it doesn't balance out anymore," Phoebe observed, as she thought back on all the hell she'd been through with Cole, "And after everything that we've been though, everything we've lost…it doesn't seem worth it."
Paige looked over at Piper, who had her eyes closed, and sighed in frustration. "What about all the, all the good we've done? Doesn't that count for anything?"
"Of course it does, Paige." Phoebe assured her. "We're not trying to discount that it's just..."
"All the good we've done is exactly why we've been given this opportunity," Piper explained calmly slowly approaching her sisters too, "It's the reason why we have this choice to make. Just like when mom was given her reward. It was for all the good she had done."
"We've fulfilled our destiny, Paige," Phoebe reminded her gently. "What we were born to do? We've done it and this chance at a normal life...that's our reward. Just like mom's was to be reincarnated. Just like Aunt Faith's was to fall in love with Aunt Dawn."
Paige pressed her lips together tightly as hot tears stung her eyes, "Yeah? Well...pardon me if it doesn't seem like much of a reward because...without being witches, I wouldn't have sisters, my mother and my aunts," she stated with a casual shrug as a tear escaped. "And if we're not witches we lose them. Aunt Dawn reminded me that if we give up our powers they …"
"They would have to distance themselves from us to protect us," Phoebe said. "We know, they told us the same thing. But just because they would have to distance themselves from us doesn't mean it changes anything. We can always visit them. We can still be a family, all of us. We can still be part of their lives just as they can still be part of ours. I'm personally looking forward to the day that mom would call us and tell us she's engaged to be married. On that day I plan to throw her the biggest bridal shower anyone has ever had."
"The same is true for you, Paige," Piper added. "Just because magic brought us together. Doesn't mean we aren't sisters. You will always be our sister. Just as mom will always be our mother and Aunt Dawn and Aunt Faith will always be our aunts. This doesn't change any of that."
Paige smiled weakly at her sisters, her heart still broken just a little bit by the decision her sisters had made but realized that it wasn't the magic holding their family together and that made it a little easier to let go of.
"Come here," Piper wrapped an arm around Paige's shoulders. Phoebe scooted her chair over and she too wrapped an arm around Paige.