Author's Note (6/16/2020): During Centennial Charmed there will be a crossover with one of my other stories. The events of the other reality from Centennial Charmed will happen on that Earth. I know which story I am crossing over, I just need to work out the details of how to work it in.
Author's Note (8/28/2022): Guest - Dawn will fully remember her life as Prue in Cat House. There will even be given an explanation given during that episode for how Prue, having dying (nearly a year) after Dawn's creation, wound up being reincarnated as Dawn. The explanation ties actually into something seen in the Charmed season 3 premiere when Piper returned from being with the Elders.
Chapter 28: A Witch's Tail Pt. 1
September 23, 2002 – Monday
Frankfurt, Germany
Tattoo Nachtlocal was the girl's hangout. It had been easy to find her there, with her hot pink hair and her black bangs, her nose ring and metal collar.
She raced across the breezeway of the techno club and jumped down a level; then she dashed into an exterior door of the scaled down the building.
She was safe outside with some of the other club patrons . . . until her robed pursuers pushed her back inside and shut the door.
She fought back, but there were too many. Then one of them pulled a long curved dagger. She blocked his swing.
She missed the other one.
It went so deep inside her the assassin's wrist was soaked with blood.
Her dead face stared out. Flecks of blood freckled her cheeks and her eyes glazed. Then her mouth opened, and an inhuman voice rumbled out of her:
"From beneath you, it devours . . ."
Halliwell Manor
Buffy screamed.
And woke up.
Her sheets were bunched around her, sweat dripped off her brow, and Piper's hands were on her shoulders as her daughter tried to rouse her.
"I heard screaming," Buffy told Piper. "And there was a girl . . ." She processed some more of the nightmare, recalled the unnatural voice. "'From beneath you, it devours.' That's what she said, and then they . . ." She took a breath, seeing the death again. "There's more like her, Piper. Out there somewhere."
Buffy rose and looked out her window. "And they're going to die."
Piper looked at her mother, recognizing the signs of a premonition having seen them enough when Phoebe got them. "How long have you been having premonitions?" she asked.
"Since I was called as a Slayer," Buffy answered. "Though their usually way more cryptic than that. And they always come when I'm asleep. One of the first ones foretold my death at the hands of the Master."
Summers Home, Sunnydale
Willow snapped out of a vision, sprawled on the lawn in the backyard of the Summers home, as Tara Giles urged her to breathe. She had collapsed. She was lying on the ground with her hands in the grass. She looked up at Tara, stunned by what she had seen and felt . . . by what she knew . . .
"We were talking," Willow told Tara. "And I felt. . ." She jerked her hands away from the grass. "I felt the earth." She looked at Tara uneasily. "It's all connected, it is, only it's not all good and pure and rootsy . . . there's deep, deep black, there's . . . I saw the earth, Tara. I saw its teeth."
Tara understood at once. "The Hellmouth," she said.
"It's going to open." Willow was terrified, swaying with what she knew. Sick from it. "It's going to swallow us all."
Halliwell Manor
"Okay, Piper, I can't be late getting to the office today. I have a radio interview with those morning guys, Pip and Skeeter" Phoebe said as she, Piper, Buffy and Dawn headed up the stairs toward Piper's bedroom.
"That's Skip and Peter," Dawn said as they entered the hallway.
"Could you forget about your advice column for two seconds?" Piper asked looking at her middle sister. "Come see where we're putting the nursery."
"You're putting it in your closet," Buffy said with a roll of her eyes.
"I've seen your closet, there's a lot of shoes," Phoebe added as the four of them walked into Piper and Leo's bedroom.
"No, not anymore," Piper said as she and Phoebe walked into the emptied out closet, Buffy and Dawn hanging back at the door. "Look, it's perfect."
"A little cramped though," Dawn said, looking at Piper. She noticed that Leo was making a hole in the wall to fit a window.
"That's why I'm adding a window to bring in the light and create a sense of space," Leo said.
"Aww, you guys are very cute but why are you doing all of this now?" Phoebe queried looking at her sister and brother-in-law. "I mean, yours and Aunt Dawn's due dates are not for months."
"For the same reason that I'm going to have the training area converted into my nursery as soon as Leo can do it," Dawn explained.
"As soon as I am done with mine and Piper's nursery," Leo said looking toward Dawn. "I promise. There is still enough time to get them both done."
"Anyways," Dawn said looking toward her niece, "Demon activity has been light, so it's a good time to get ahead."
"Aunt Dawn's right," Piper agreed.
"Speaking of a head, I can't believe you guys didn't notice my billboards downtown," Buffy said. It had taken her about a month to find the perfect place to put her mom's gallery. Then once the gallery building in Sunnydale was sold she used that money to renovate which took another two months. She had used the remaining money from the sale of the building in Sunnydale to pay for advertising announcing the grand opening of the Summers-Halliwell Art Gallery.
"Mine too," Phoebe added.
"Of course we noticed both of your billboards," Dawn said beaming with pride at her sister and niece.
"We can see them from a passing 747," Piper added as the four of them laughed.
Leo smiled. "We would've told you how proud we are of you both. But you guys never slow down," he told them.
"Well I had to get the Gallery ready to open," Buffy explained and she smiled at Dawn and Piper. "So that I could have time to spend with my lovely daughter and sister as they prepare for their arrivals."
"Anyways, I've seen the nursery and it's absolutely beautiful but I really have to go to that interview," Phoebe reminded her sister.
"Uh, honey," Piper replied, "I know your work is very important to you but guess what? I'm having a baby," she reminded Phoebe.
"So am I!" Dawn added excitedly.
"I know you both are." Phoebe smiled at both her aunt and sister. "And I can't wait to see both of your little girls."
"I think Piper and Dawn would like it if you can be Aunt Phoebe for a moment." Buffy gave her middle daughter a meaningful look. Even though Piper, Phoebe and Paige considered Dawn and Faith their aunts. Which would technically make Dawn's child their cousin. Dawn had made the decision that as far as her child was concerned that Piper, Phoebe and Paige would be her child's aunts alongside Buffy.
"Oh my god," Phoebe agreed, "you are so right, Mom. I'm so sorry." She looked at her sister and aunt. "Okay, what do you two need?"
"An opinion. Uh, I'm thinking..." Piper started.
"Positions," Paige said as she orbed into the already crowded nursery. "Bogey in three, two, one..."
Suddenly, a topless demon wearing a black and white mask smoked in. He blew a dart at Paige with a blowgun as she ducked out of the way. The dart hit a teddy bear causing its head to shrink. Buffy, Piper, Phoebe, and Dawn gasp out in surprise at the intruder. Piper brought up her hands and with a flick of her wrist she blew up the demon, vanquishing him.
"So much for the theory that Borneo demons are impervious to magical powers," Paige admitted. "I can't wait to tell the local witch doctors."
"Okay, excuse me, can we refrain from blowing up demons in the nursery?" Leo asked looking at his youngest sister-in-law.
"Oh, honey, it was just one," Piper soothed.
"Piper, Dawn," Leo addressed both of the mothers-to-be. Ever since both Piper and Dawn had become pregnant both he and Faith had become protective of them both. "You both are going to be mothers. So you both need to start thinking about the safety of your respective daughters." He then turned and looked at Paige. "And you, you're getting so caught up with this magical kick, I mean, look at your hair it's so red." He looked at Dawn. "And your hair is so silver from the potion that Paige blew up last night."
"Do you have any idea how much this would cost in the salon?" Paige asked.
"I love my new hair." Dawn smiled. "This silver is so me, besides it's like a violet silver."
"I love your new do, honey." Phoebe said as she hugged her baby sister. "I think you look beautiful."
"Thank you," Paige said returning her sister's embrace.
Phoebe then looked at Dawn and hugged her. "The same with yours, Aunt Dawn. You look beautiful."
"Thanks, Pheebs," Dawn replied as Piper and Phoebe looked at her in surprise. "What?"
"You never called me Pheebs before," Phoebe explained looking at her aunt. "Prue was the only one to ever call me Pheebs."
Dawn's eyes widened. "Oh. I'll stop then."
Phoebe smiled at her aunt and hugged her again. "No it's okay, Aunt Dawn. I don't mind if you call me Pheebs, if you want."
Dawn smiled as she returned Phoebe's embrace. "Okay."
"Honey, sweets, toots..." Piper said turning back to her husband. "Aunt Dawn and I appreciate that you and Aunt Faith are very concerned for us both. But we are still witches and we do still have innocents to protect and demons to fight. We can't just crawl in a hole."
Buffy touched Piper's arm drawing her daughter's attention to her. "He and Faith both are just being responsible. Leo's primary concern is for you as your husband. Just as Faith's is for Dawn as her wife. They just want to make sure everything goes smoothly. You don't want to have complications later, do you?"
"Of course not, mom," Piper sighed.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn, Buffy and Piper sat on the bed in Piper's room sorting through boxes while Leo was in the nursery sanding down the window frame.
"So where is Aunt Faith?" Piper asked looking over at her aunt.
"Sunnydale," Dawn answered. "She got a call on her cell this morning from Willow and Tara."
Buffy and Piper looked at each other remembering the premonition she had woken up from that morning.
"What?" Dawn queried when she noticed the look her sister and niece gave each other.
Buffy sighed as she looked at Dawn. "I had a dream last night…a Slayer dream."
"Oh," Dawn said with wide eyes. "Anything I should be worried about with Faith in Sunnydale?"
"I don't know," Buffy reluctantly admitted. "Maybe. We'll see."
Piper returned her attention to the box in her lap. "Leo, I can't believe you found all of our baby stuff," she said hoping to distract Dawn from the fact that Faith was in Sunnydale. She smiled when she saw out of the corner of her eye that Dawn had returned to looking in the box on her lap.
"Grams was a bit of a pack rat," Leo admitted.
Buffy smiled as she pulled an album out of one of the boxes, the cover which said – Patricia Halliwell. "I'd say. She even kept mine."
"Well it's no surprise is it?" Leo asked looking around the corner of the doorway at Buffy. "She would want the girls to know everything they could about you."
Piper spotted another album that had been hidden under her mother's. She pulled it out and smiled at the pink album that had her name on the cover. "Baby book. My baby book," she said excitedly.
"Ooh, there it is," Dawn said excitedly as she pulled her own baby book out of the box. She was glad that Buffy had brought some of their keepsakes from Sunnydale. It made it easier to start her own daughter's baby book with pictures from her own.
Piper opened her baby book and looked at the picture of her held in her mother's arms. "Oh, look how squishy I was."
Leo smiled. "You were so adorable."
Piper looked toward the closet door with a frown. "Leo," she said, "you can't even see the picture."
"He doesn't need to," Buffy reminded her daughter. "Leo has been your Whitelighter since you were born. He's actually watched you grow up."
Piper cringed at the mental image of an adult Leo looking into her crib watching her sleep. "Uh-huh, yeah, see that's too creepy to think about," she told her mother trying to shake the mental image out of her head. She didn't need to be reminded that Leo was actually old enough to be her grandfather. "I never knew that you kept a baby book for me."
"Well, why not?" Leo asked as he picked up the window and lifted it up towards the window frame. "I mean, you started one for our daughter. I always thought you and Buffy were a lot alike."
Piper glanced at her mother and smiled. While yet it was creepy to think of, It no longer bothered her that her husband was older than her or that her mother was now younger than her. "It's strange to think that you went through everything Aunt Dawn and I are going through right now. I don't think you ever really know how much your mother loves you until you become one yourself."
"Yeah," Dawn agreed thinking about Joyce. She opened her baby book and smiled at the picture on the first page. She of course knew the picture didn't exist before two years ago. But still it was nice to see the picture of her as a baby in Joyce's arms.
"And I realized the exact same thing about your Grams when I was carrying Prue," Buffy said. She noticed that her sister held a tear in her eye. "Everything okay, Dawn?"
"Just this," Dawn said as she handed the book to Buffy who smiled at the picture. "I know the picture didn't exist two years ago. But still…"
"It's nice to see it anyways," Buffy agreed. "You know I have this memory of when mom brought you home from the hospital." She smiled. "I may have been only four years old, but she let me hold you. I was like I could be the one to look after you sometimes, if mom needed a helper."
Piper and Dawn smiled at the happy memory. Piper looked down at Dawn's baby book and then at Dawn. "You look adorable, Aunt Dawn," she told her aunt who smiled at the compliment.
It was then that they heard the sound of something falling in the nursery and Leo groaning in pain.
"Are you okay?" Piper called in to her husband.
"Yeah," he replied.
Buffy stood and walked into the closet. She picked up the window that Leo had dropped lifted it up for him. "You should have asked if you needed help, Leo."
Truth be told Leo was slightly embarrassed to have his mother-in-law help him. "Sorry," he said sheepishly.
"Mom's right," Piper agreed as she and Dawn came up behind Buffy. "We could have helped you."
"Piper, when are you going to accept the fact that you're pregnant?" Leo asked looking at his wife. He noticed Dawn backing away. "The same goes for you, Dawn," he called after her.
"Leave me out of your argument with Piper," Dawn called back.
Buffy looked at Leo and then Piper. She would have made a hasty retreat like her sister if not for the fact she held the window in her arms. She agreed with her sister that an argument was about to brew between her daughter and son-in-law.
Piper glared at her husband. "When are you going to stop being so overprotective?" she asked.
"Look, all I'm suggesting is that you both slow down," Leo said.
"Okay, Leo, neither Aunt Dawn or I are going to be one of those women that sit on their asses and eats Bonbons throughout their whole pregnancy," Piper retorted.
"Piper," Dawn begged, "can you and Leo please leave me out of your argument. I have enough of those with Faith."
Piper glanced back into her bedroom at her aunt and nodded before returning her attention to her husband. "That's just not the woman you married. Besides, generations of Halliwell women raised perfectly normal children before me," she told him. "They all got through it and so will I."
Leo glanced at Buffy whose attention was on the window. He knew she was trying to stay out of the argument just like Dawn and he hated that what he was about to say was going to drag her into it. "Not all of them."
Piper frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" she questioned.
Buffy let out a sigh as she set the window down and then turned to face Piper. She took the baby book that was still in Piper's hands from her daughter. "He means this," she explained. She flipped through the baby book to show Piper that the majority of the pages were blank.
"There was no one there to finish it after Buffy died," Leo explained looking at his wife with a sad expression.
Piper looked at Buffy with sad eyes as realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Her mother had died when she was only a few years old. "Oh."
"Like I said, you are a lot like Buffy," Leo told his wife before turning his attention to his mother-in-law. "No offense, Buffy, but you were careless also. You thought you were invincible."
"I know, Leo," Buffy called over her shoulder as she brushed past Piper. "I remember it all, okay. You all don't have to keep reminding me that a demon killed me and that I wasn't around for my girls."
"Sorry." Leo apologetically called after Buffy as she walked out into the hall and into her own bedroom.
South Bay Social Services
Paige walked through the front doors soaking wet. As she walked over to her cubicle she shrugged out of her wet coat.
"Matthews! In my office, now!" Paige's boss, Mr. Cowan, yelled.
Paige hung up her coat and then followed him into his office. "Weather advisory, if you're going to go outside, bring a paddle," she quipped knowing her boss was about to yell at her for leaving in the middle of the day again. This time though she had been doing something for her job instead of something magic related.
"Where were you?" he questioned.
Paige sighed, she had been right. Sometimes she wondered why she still put up with the way he treated her. After a couple years she still had yet to be promoted to social worker. "Had to run the Mackenzie papers over to the courthouse."
"You've been gone an hour," he told her, a scowl on his face.
Paige nodded. "Yeah," she returned waving her hand at the window to indicate the rainstorm outside. "Well, there's a freak rainstorm. The entire city's flooded."
Mr. Cowan shook his head looking at her pointedly. "Well, you should've let someone know where you were headed," he explained. "You have this habit of coming and going as you please."
Paige frowned. "As I please?" she said. The only times she had ever left work early had been to help her family fight a demon, or a warlock or a vampire. "No, I come and go as other people please," she told him. "That's what assistants do, they run errands. I'll tell you a little secret. They don't like it."
"Well, your behavior's got to change," he told her giving her a meaningful look.
"Maybe it'll change if you promote me to social worker," she argued.
Mr. Cowan smiled. "I already did. You start tomorrow."
Bay Mirror Newspaper Offices
"He promoted you?" Phoebe said into the phone toward her sister. She looked up in surprise when she saw Dawn walk into the office. She thought her aunt was staying home from work today. She motioned toward the door and Dawn nodded as she closed it. Phoebe then hit the speakerphone button. "You're on speaker, Paige, Aunt Dawn just came in."
"Hey, Aunt Dawn," Paige called from her end of the phone. "I thought you were taking time off till after…"
"If I did that, Paige," Dawn replied. "How would I be able to afford to pay for diapers and such when my beautiful baby is born?"
"Good point," Phoebe agreed. "Any way, Paige, congratulations." She looked at Dawn and smiled. "Paige got promoted to social worker."
"Congratulations, Paige," Dawn said excitedly.
"Thanks, I guess," Paige replied.
"What do you mean, you guess?" Phoebe questioned. "Paige, you've worked so hard for this. It's your dream."
"Yeah, Mr. Cowan already gave me the big responsibility speech," Paige told them. "No more coming to work late, no more long lunches."
Dawn noticed that the second line on Phoebe's phone was blinked. She motioned to it and then left the office to answer.
"Hold on, a second, sweetie," Phoebe said. "I was getting another call. Aunt Dawn went to answer it."
Dawn returned a moment later. "Nancy O'Dell's producer is on line two," Dawn told her. "They want know if you want hair and makeup done."
"Tell them I'll do my own, Aunt Dawn," Phoebe answered as she watcher aunt leave the office again.
"Nancy O'Dell?" Paige asked in clear surprise.
"Yeah, she wants to interview me on TV tomorrow," Phoebe answered.
"Look at you blowing up around town. Billboards, radio, TV...What's next? Phoebe, the world tour?" Paige asked joking as Dawn returned.
"Oh, no, even better. Divorce court," Phoebe answered as Dawn returned, once again closing the door behind her.
"What?" Paige said surprised. "I can't believe with all you have going on, you've found time to push a divorce through the system."
Phoebe sighed as she glanced at Dawn who sat in the chair opposite her. "I just want my life back. I don't want to have to look over my shoulder praying that Cole appear again like he did when we dealt with Jackman."
"Do you think he will?" Dawn asked.
Phoebe shrugged as she looked her aunt. "You know what? I don't care. Because even if he does, after today, I'll be free." She turned her attention back to the phone. "I got to go, Paige, love you." As she hung up the phone she turned toward her aunt. "So what's the real reason you're here? Elise is giving you maternity leave with pay."
"Had to get out of the house. Piper and Leo had an argument," Dawn answered with a sigh. "Leo wants us both to take it safe. You know be one of those women who sits on the couch and eats bon bons all throughout their pregnancy. It's not who Piper or I are. When Piper told him that and said generations of Halliwell women had…"
"Oh he didn't," Phoebe said in realization. "He drew mom into the argument…"
"When he reminded Piper that Buffy had died as Patty before she could complete Piper's baby book," Dawn replied with a sigh. "Yep."
"Yeah I would want out of there too," Phoebe said. "It surprises me mom didn't come with you."
"She dropped me off and went to the gallery," Dawn explained. "She made the excuse of needing to do last minute preparations for the opening."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn had decided to go with Phoebe to her appointment with the judge. As they walked through the parking lot toward Phoebe's car they found the ground is wet from the rain. They threw in their coats and purses into the car as they prepared to get in.
A woman snuck up behind Dawn who spun in surprise squint as her hands came up and woman went flying backwards landing on the ground a couple feet away.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," the woman said as she got back to her feet. She looked at Dawn and Phoebe as they approached her. "It's just I recognize you from your billboard," she explained looking at Phoebe. "I need your help."
"Oh, that's sweet," Phoebe said, with a smile. "But if you write a letter then I respond to everyone."
"No, you don't understand," the woman told Phoebe. "I recognized you as a Charmed One." She then looked at Dawn and smiled. "And you, your Dawn, the Slayer's sister." She looked at them both and her grin went wider. "You both are very famous where I come from. I'm not evil or anything."
"We've heard that before," Dawn admitted.
"No, honestly, I'm..." the woman started as a car drove past splashing her. With a gasp Dawn and Phoebe watch as her legs rapidly transformed into the tail of a mermaid as she fell to the ground. "We need to g," she told them as Dawn and Phoebe rush over to her.
"Well, yeah," Phoebe agreed.
"The sea hag will track my tail," the mermaid told them.
"Well, make it go away," Dawn told her.
"I can't," the mermaid replied.
Dawn and Phoebe put the mermaid into the back seat of Phoebe's car and then as they got in a gust of wind blew. Phoebe backed out of the parking spot and then threw her car into gear just a puddle of water in front of them formed into the sea hag.
"Hang on tight" Phoebe ordered, before she drove through the sea hag and the sea hag's body exploded into water, all over the car. They drove out of the car park as the puddle of water reformed behind them into the sea hag once again.
Dawn pulled out her cell phone as they pulled out on the street and dialed. "Buffy, it's Dawn. Meet me and Phoebe at home."
Halliwell Manor
Leo, Cole, Piper, Phoebe, Buffy, Dawn, and Mylie sat in the living room. Mylie was on the couch as Dawn used a hairdryer to blow dry Mylie's tail so it would transform back into legs.
Paige walked into the foyer through the front door and put her bag and umbrella away. "Okay, I just cut work on the day of my big promotion and sped through a rainstorm to get here,…" she walked into the living room, "…what is the 911?"
"Phoebe and Dawn found a mermaid," Buffy told her youngest daughter.
"Actually, she found us," Dawn said as Mylie's tail finally turned back into legs and she turned off the hairdryer.
"On the way to a very important court date, I might add," Phoebe added.
"Hi, I'm Mylie," Mylie said as she shook Paige's hand. "You must be Paige. You have a very big underwater fan base."
"You're a mermaid?" Paige asked in surprise. "You guys actually exist?"
"Uh, excuse me," Piper said drawing their attention to her. "When you said, uh, sea hag, did you mean like old woman hag or evil magic hag? Because see, I'm not really in the battle mood today,"
Buffy looked at Piper and wondered what was up with her daughter. Other than when Prue had died, Piper had not forsaken her witch duties.
"Uh, she's kind of both," Mylie answered.
"Forget that. What's life like under the sea?" Dawn said, excitedly. "Does your skin get wrinkly? Does algae pose as a personal hygiene problem."
"Dawn," Buffy admonished her sister.
"Buffy's right," Leo said with a glance at his mother-in-law. "Why don't we let her up for a little air."
Mylie smiled at Leo and Buffy. "It's okay, I don't mind," she told both Buffy and Leo. She looked at Dawn and smiled. "Actually, there's nothing like being a mermaid. Swim in the open sea all day, explore endless wonders, it's pure freedom."
"Sounds like heaven. I'm sure you want to get back," Phoebe admitted. "I can drop you off at the beach on my way..."
"Wait, you don't understand," Mylie interrupted. "It was a great life. For the first few hundred years."
"Mermaids are immortal," Leo explained.
"Yeah, we can spend eternity at sea. Because our hearts are, well, some say are as cold as the water," Mylie said. "But sometimes a mermaid gets lonely and her heart warms and she wants more."
"Is that what happened to you?" Paige wondered.
"Mm-hmm." Mylie nodded. "The ocean's floor is littered with bones of mortals who died for love. I had to know why."
"Now these bones, um, could they be bones of mortals that perhaps the sea hag killed?" Piper asked.
"Piper Penelope Halliwell," Buffy admonished her eldest daughter. Something was definitely going on with Piper, she was sure of it.
"What, Mom?" Piper asked looking at Buffy.
"So you said you wanted to feel love," Leo said trying to bring the attention back to Mylie and the sea hag, "is that why you went to see the sea hag?"
"Yes. If a mortal professes his love to a mermaid, she becomes human," Mylie explained. "The sea hag agreed to give me legs but if I didn't find love before her deadline I would have to give her my immortality."
"That sounds like that fairytale, The Little Mermaid," Dawn said.
"It is very possible that Mylie is not the first mermaid to go to the sea hag for this purpose," Leo told Dawn.
"All that for a guy?" Phoebe scoffed. "Boy, did you get taken for a ride."
"Phoebe Johanna Halliwell!" Buffy admonished her middle daughter. Was whatever was wrong with Piper now affecting Phoebe?
"What, Mom?" Phoebe asked looking at her mother.
"But I did find love," Mylie admitted. "I—I mean I think I did. But I might be dead before I get to find out for sure. Craig's getting on a plane to New York soon."
"Oh, no-no-no, this is good," Piper replied. "Because all we got to do is find the fish lover, get him to spill his guts and then we don't have to face the sea hag."
"Piper!" Paige, Dawn and Buffy admonished in unison.
"What?" Piper asked looking between her sister, her aunt and her mother in confusion at why she had now been scolded not once but twice in the last few minutes.
"If your boyfriend's love can make you human why don't you just tell him you're a mermaid?" Dawn asked.
"You mean, that I'm a genetic freak with a fish tail coated in glandular slime?" Mylie asked.
"She raises a good point," Leo admitted.
"She does," Dawn agreed looking at Buffy as she thought about her sister and Riley and when her sister had told him she was the Slayer. "It's easier to tell someone in the know than someone who isn't."
"Dawn's right," Buffy agreed looking back at her sister.
"You may be half fish, but you're still a woman and women, you know they generally know when a man's in love even before he does," Paige added.
"Oh, puh-lease!" Phoebe scoffed. "If I wrote that slop in my column I'd be driven out of town."
Buffy frowned as she pointed at Piper and Phoebe. "Okay, that is it. Can I see you two in the kitchen?" she said. She led Piper, Phoebe, Dawn and Paige into the kitchen. She turned and looked at her eldest daughters. "Okay, what is going on with you two?"
"I'm sorry, like you need a man to be complete," Phoebe admitted.
"Or a woman?" Dawn said looking at her middle niece with frown. .
Phoebe knew anything she said would be putting her foot in her mouth. After all both her aunt and her eldest sister were married. "That kind of thinking dates back to the days we all had tails," she continued. There was no turning back as Dawn glared at her. She looked at Buffy. "You should know that better than the rest of us, Mom. How many relationships have you been in, in either lifetime?"
"Maybe Phoebe's right," Piper agreed, "maybe we just throw the mermaid back into the ocean and we keep the manor a hag-free zone."
"Who are you people and what have you done with my sisters?" Paige wondered.
"Phoebe let's start with you," Buffy said. "What is going on in that head of yours?"
Phoebe sighed. "I keep thinking about the court date I'm missing."
"Okay, so you're dumping all over our innocent?" Dawn asked.
"I don't mean to be," Phoebe admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. "Mom, Aunt Dawn, Paige, I've been fighting so hard to get my life back. If Cole shows up and we're still married, then it was all for nothing. I need my freedom."
"Okay, fine." Buffy said. "Dawn will drive you to meet the judge.
"Why…?" Phoebe wondered.
"Why will Paige go with you?" Buffy interrupted knowing what Phoebe was asking. "In case Cole does show up, so you have backup and worst case scenario she can orb you back." Phoebe nodded, it was a good plan. "Once done, you both will hurry back and we'll deal with Mylie."
"Where are Paige and Phoebe going?" Leo asked as he passed Phoebe and Paige as they headed out the door. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, Buffy, Piper and I were just about to discuss how best to vanquish the sea hag," Dawn said.
"No, Mom said we were going to deal with Mylie," Piper objected, "she didn't say anything about doing anything with the sea hag,"
"Sweetie, what is up with you and these demon avoidance issues you suddenly got?" Buffy asked, concerned for her daughter.
"I think if we can protect Mylie," Leo admitted looking at Buffy and Dawn, "and avoid a run-in with the sea hag, I'm all for that."
"What is going on with everybody?" Dawn asked as she looked at Buffy who shrugged. "We're talking about the sea hag, the mysterious monster of the deep blue sea, the one who's name strikes fear in the hearts of sailors everywhere."
Piper chuckled. "Okay, somebody's been watching way too much discovery channel." she said.
Buffy smiled at her little sister. "Which means we might have to stop you from watching too much of it."
"Well I need something to distract me when my wife is not lying next to me in bed," Dawn admitted. "Anyways the sea hag reminds me of this water demon that I read in the book. It kills in the most fascinating way."
"Aunt Dawn!" Piper admonished her aunt while she looked at her mother. She knew which demon was referring to, so did Buffy and Leo.
"What?" Dawn asked confused. It was unusual for Piper, Phoebe or Paige to get onto her.
"We know how it kills," Piper told Dawn as she looked back at her aunt.
"What'd I say?" Dawn asked looking between the four of them.
"Dawn," Buffy sighed. "It killed me."
Dawn reeled back and fell into her sister's arms as a memory surged forth.
February 28, 1978
Camp Skylark
Patty rested a hand gently against seven-year-old Prue's forehead and frowned at the obvious fever her young daughter had. "Hey, Prue, Mommy will be right back, okay? I have to take care of something real quick. Stay in the car and take a nap. I'll be right back," she promised, stroking Prue's dark hair away from her flushed face. "I love you," she added soothingly.
A half-asleep Prue nodded that she had heard what her mother had said. "Okay," she whispered. Her blue eyes watched Patty leave before she laid back down along the backseat of the car. "I love you," Prue repeated the words her mother had said. She tried to watch out the open car door for her mom but found she couldn't fight the sleep.
She awoke to the sound of sirens a short time later. She could see a few people walking around but none of them were who she was waiting for. Prue slowly climbed out of the car and saw a group of people on the dock and approached them.
Robert Trudeau leaned over the motionless body of Patty, repeatedly attempting to revive her through CPR. "Damn it, Patty, breathe… Your daughters, you can't leave them like this… Breathe… Patty… Not like this. Not yet," he whispered between breaths that were followed by chest compressions. A part of him realized the actions were in vain but he wouldn't give up on her.
"Trudeau, she's unresponsive," one of the ambulance medics stated. They had tried a number of things already but to no avail. Time of death was already recorded.
"She'll be fine," Robert snapped but he stopped CPR all the same. They came forward with the body bag and Robert looked away, unable to watch as one of his best friends was zipped up. As a cop, he had seen similar scenes but they had never been this personal.
One of the medics filled out some paperwork. "Third drowning this year," he sighed.
"Did anyone see it happen?" another officer that Robert recognized as his partner asked.
Robert looked up at the next words he heard. "Is that her little girl? Get her away from here. We don't want her to see her Mom like this," someone ordered. Robert watched numbly as he took in Prue on the other side of the dock. He could see the fear in the young girl's eyes as she saw her unmoving mother.
"Mommy!" Prue called and the need in her voice nearly shattered Robert and many other adults in the area.
One officer intercepted Prue's attempt at getting closer to her mother. "Are you Prue? Your Grams said we'd find you. Why don't you come back inside with me, okay?" the officer spoke quickly as if to keep Prue from really understanding what was going on.
Robert heard the zip of the body bag end but refused to look in its direction. Instead, he forced himself to his feet and approached the officer with Prue. "I'll take her for now," he offered although it was more of an order. The other officer didn't argue but passed Prue to Robert.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Prue screamed in desperation. Robert soothed her as best he could as he hurried her away from the scene.
September 23, 2002 – Monday
Halliwell Manor
"Oh, Buffy," Dawn sobbed as she came out of the memory. "I'm so, sorry."
"What did you see?" Buffy asked.
"Your death," Dawn said tears in her eyes. "Or what Prue saw of it."
Piper's hand went to her mouth in surprise. She had forgotten that Prue had been there when their mom had died.
"I'm so sorry," Dawn said looking at her sister, tears falling down her cheeks.
"It's okay, you didn't know." Leo told Dawn. .
"That's no excuse, Leo. She's my sister," Dawn said angry at herself. "I should have known. I shouldn't have had one of Prue's memories show me what happened. I should have known. Especially when I know how hard it was for her to be pulled out of Heaven by Willow last year."
Buffy sighed as she looked at Leo apologetically. "Hormones," she told him as Dawn slapped her on the arm. She looked back at her sister. "What? It's true, Dawn. I was the same way when I was pregnant with Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Paige. There were times the littlest thing set me off. Your body is being flooded with hormones right now because you're pregnant."
"Look," Piper interrupted before Dawn could reply to Buffy's statement. "I just don't see any sense in going up against a demon like this if we don't have to."
"Okay, maybe we can get Craig to confess his love for Mylie," Dawn said. "I will ask Mylie what flight her boyfriend's on. Then I will get Faith to orb me to the airport and maybe she and I can stop him from getting on that plane." She turned and left the kitchen.
"If Faith and Dawn can't get him here," Buffy said, "we're going to need to vanquish the sea hag."
Piper sighed. "I know, I will check the Book of Shadows," she said following her aunt out of the room.
"Do you think that's all it is?" Leo asked his mother-in-law as he looked in the direction Dawn and Piper had gone. "Hormones?"
"I don't know," Buffy said. "I think Dawn's outburst is coupled with hormones and with the memory. Of all of Prue's memories that is one I would have preferred Dawn had never seen. But I truly don't know.