Chapter 34: Sam I Am Part 1
The week after helping Eva to vanquish Oren, Barbas had returned to seek vengeance on The Charmed Ones and as a result the entire family wound up trapped in the Manor battling their fears.
Then two weeks later Dawn, Piper, Paige and Buffy were killed by a warlock from the future. Only Faith and Phoebe were left alive. Using the warlock's time tunnel they traveled back in time to save the rest of their family.
November 16, 2002 – Saturday
Halliwell Manor
Dawn couldn't believe what she had just heard from Xander. Spike had raped the love of her life. Xander had called to fill Buffy and Faith in about Spike supposedly now possessing a soul like Angel and that Spike somehow had found a way around his chip and was biting and siring people. And in the midst of explaining all of that he had let slip that he had walked in on Spike back early in the year, when Faith was still living full time in Sunnydale, and that the vampire had been in the midst of raping the brunette Slayer. If not for Faith he would have staked Spike himself.
"Why didn't you tell me!" Dawn screamed as she glared at Faith.
"Because I was afraid, Dawn," Faith replied with sad eyes. "Afraid you wouldn't love me anymore if you knew that I was damaged goods."
"Why didn't you stake him when you had the chance for what he did?" Dawn asked as she began pacing back and forth in their bedroom.
"If it's one thing I've learned from you, our nieces, B, Xan, Red and Blondie," Faith replied with a sigh as she watched Dawn from where she sat on their bed. "That everyone deserves a second chance."
"So you intend to go to Sunnydale today then to…" Dawn started.
"To see if what Xander said was true, if Spike is siring people and if he is give him an intervention," Faith answered. "He's good, Dawn. You used to think so."
"That was before I learned he had raped my wife," Dawn retorted. "I want him dead. If you orb there to save him, not to kill him, then don't bother coming back."
"You don't mean that, Dawn!" Faith sobbed in grief at what her wife was telling her. That if she saved Spike, then they were done.
"I do mean it, Faith, so make your choice," Dawn said as she stormed out of their bedroom.
Tears fell down Faith's cheeks as she stared at the door that Dawn and walked out of, then she sadly orbed out.
Xander's Apartment, Sunnydale
"Who is it?" Xander asked as he walked up to his front door.
"Faith," came the voice through his front door. Xander unlatched the door and opened it. Faith sailed into the living room. "Where is he?"
"Spike?" he questioned as Faith nodded.
Xander shrugged as he noticed Faith's tear stained cheeks. "What's wrong?"
"You told Dawn that he raped me, that's what's wrong!" Faith screamed at him. "We had a fight. She gave me an ultimatum that if I came here to save him, not to stake him. Then we were done."
Xander's eyes went wide in realization. "I'm sorry, Faith, I thought she knew."
"She didn't," Faith replied as she sat down on his couch. "I didn't want to tell her. It's not something I'm proud of. Besides I was afraid…afraid she would…" Tears began to stream down her face again.
Xander sat next to Faith and sighed. A year ago he hated Faith for what she had put Buffy through. But since his wedding and the reveal that Dawn had been Faith's reward for what happened during Faith's childhood. He had put Faith's past behind him and offered her an olive branch in friendship. Since then they had become good friends. "I'm sorry, Faith," he said as he wrapped an arm around the brunette Slayer in comfort.
"Thanks," Faith replied as she wiped the tears from her face. "I understand why she doesn't want me to save Spike. But you all gave me a second chance when I may not have deserved one. And for that I am appreciative. Which is why I want to give Spike one. What kind of person would I be if I accepted your offer of a second chance and didn't turn around someone else the same consideration."
Xander nodded. "You would be no better than the monsters you fight," he admitted. "Compassion is after all part of what makes us human, even if not everyone shows it. She'll come around, Faith. I didn't tell anyone what the Angel showed me before I married Anya. But part of my future showed me you and Dawn adopting a child, that could have changed since Dawn's pregnant of course. But you both in a few years were still together and named Anya and I as your adopted child's godparents."
Faith smiled at Xander. "That's nice. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Faith," Xander replied.
"So is Spike here?" Faith asked.
"He was when I went to bed. We didn't chain him or anything because we didn't want him to know that we knew," Xander told her as he stood up. "So it's possible he is out." He walked over to Spike's bedroom door and opened it, the room was empty. "He's out."
"Any idea where he would have gone?" Faith wondered, thinking she would orb there.
"I don't know," Xander replied, shrugging. "Creature of the night, Faith. He's probably out...creaturing." He looked at her intently. "You know I thought Leo was going to orb Buffy to take care of this."
"Unless Dawn told Buffy," Faith replied. "She doesn't even know about Spike possibly siring people."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Faith was pacing back and forth when Spike finally came in through the front door. He saw Faith staring at him, and froze. "Well, this can't be good. You here at this hour," he muttered.
"How was your night?" Faith asked him.
"S'alright," he allowed, shrugging. There was a beat, and then he shyly attempted to enjoin her in conversation. "And . . . yours? Bag any baddies?"
"Not tonight. The only thing to highlight my night is Xan telling my wife what you did to me," Faith retorted.
"Wife?" Spike said in clear surprise.
"I've been married since April," Faith answered. "The reason I am here, Spike. Is not because Xan blabbed the truth to Dawn."
"Little Bit is your wife?" Spike asked with a small chuckle.
"Yes," Faith answered. "Or I hope so anyways. She might not be after tonight. Anyways I've been told by Xander that you have been siring people."
"Holden Webster," Xander told the vampire.
Xander and Faith waited for Spike to betray a hint of name recognition. But Spike was only sympathetic. "You knew him, huh?" he asked Xander.
"Knew of him, sure," Xander replied with a shrug. "But I didn't know him, know him."
Then Spike went in to his room and closed his door. Spike would sleep now and nothing else, at least not in the daylight hours.
"You don't mind my crashing on your couch do you?" Faith asked looking at Xander. "After the fight I don't think it's a good thing I go home just yet. Besides I will be able to keep an eye on him."
"Sure," Xander replied. "Let me get you a blanket and pillow."
November 17, 2002 – Sunday
Streets of Sunnydale
Faith kept far enough from Spike to stay off his radar, but close enough to keep up with him. He went to the Sunnydale Promenade, which reminded her a lot of the Golden Gate Promenade in San Francisco, where Dawn had taken her on one of their very first dates. People were bustling down the streets; it was noisy and busy. A street musician played the blues.
And Spike wandered over to a young woman waiting in line to get into a club. He smiled, whispered in her ear, and she walked off with him, hand in hand.
And then, shortly after that, Faith lost track of him.
Dawn's P3
Dawn, Piper and Phoebe sat in the owner's booth watching as the band played.
"So where is Aunt Faith?" Piper wondered.
"As of yesterday, Sunnydale," Dawn answered. "Found out some stuff about Spike. First off he raped my wife and Faith wasn't about to tell me either. Had to find it out from Xander when he called to let Faith know that Spike now has a soul and that somehow he's been siring people despite having a chip in his brain that should prevent him from doing that."
"Rape is the kind of thing that is hard to admit," Phoebe explained as she pulled on her psychology degree for the explanation. "It doesn't surprise me that Aunt Faith wouldn't want to reveal something like that especially to you. She wouldn't want to tarnish herself in your eyes."
"She would never have tarnished herself in my eyes," Dawn replied. "That's not who I am, you both know that."
"We do, but Aunt Faith doesn't," Piper replied. "She had yet to need you in the way that mom, Phoebe and I have."
"Yeah well, I didn't make things any better," Dawn reluctantly told them as her nieces gave her a questioning look. "Faith and I had a fight after I learned about the rape."
"Oh you didn't, Aunt Dawn," Phoebe sighed shaking her head.
"Yeah, I did," Dawn sighed. "And I told her if she went to save Spike that we were done."
Streets of Sunnydale
"It's me," Spike said as he spoke into the payphone. "I'm seeing . . . I think I'm remembering. I think I've done some very bad things."
Faith's voice came through clearly. "Where are you?"
"I need . . . I need to see you. There's a house. Six-thirty-four Hoffman Terrace."
"I'll meet you."
They both disconnected. Relieved Spike turned around . . . only to be confronted by his own image.
"You shouldn't have done that," his double said. "It's not time yet. Not nearly. You're going against the plan." It smiled. "But we can make it work."
Dawn's P3
Paige drummed her fingers on the table as she glanced over at her sister and aunt. She wondered what they were talking about. If her date didn't arrive soon she would go ask them. It was then that he finally arrived and before he sat down across from her he kissed her on the cheek.
"You're mad, I'm late, I know," he said with a sigh.
Paige shook her head. "Oh, god, no, not at all, don't worry about it."
He smiled as he looked at her. "Good, because I'd hate to spend next weekend in Big Sur arguing."
"What?" Paige asked in clear surprise at the offer.
He smile as he went on to explain, "You and me, driving down the coast. Radio on, top down. All you have to do is say yes."
Paige glanced over at her sisters and her aunt before returning her attention to her date. "That sounds really great, but..." she started.
He sighed, he knew a rejection when he heard one. "Guy: But that's not a yes."
Paige nodded. "It's just that's this isn't really going to work," she told him, hoping she wasn't breaking his heart.
"Okay, we can reschedule," he told her getting the wrong idea. He thought it was the day of the trip that was the problem.
"Not the weekend," she corrected his misconception, "us. I'm really sorry."
"Yeah, me too," he said as he stood up and walked away.
634 Hoffman Terrace, Sunnydale
The rendezvous house was a large brick. Spike let Faith in; they headed for the brick basement, Spike in the lead, as he went down the stairs, Faith hesitated at the top. "I understand," he said, indicating her unwillingness. "It's a risky proposition."
Then Spike's double blocked his way and said, "There's an order. The Slayer's not in order. But it can't hurt to play. Get your claws in the mouse, you know?"
Spike said carefully, "You are not here."
Just then Faith came down the stairs, pulling his attention back to their reality, and he said in a rush, "I've been remembering. A girl. I walked her home. And the one before that. And I think I killed her. And I think . . . I think I killed the lady who lived here. And there might be others."
Faith stared at him.
He walked to the center of the room, and Faith followed. "Here. I—I think I buried them here."
"Spike, why?" she asked, her voice filled with emotion.
He felt as if his insides were on fire. He was terrified. "Well, I don't know, do I? I don't even know how. Shouldn't be able—"
He was distracted by the appearance of his double gliding past the stairs.
He was humming.
And he was then singing, as he lounged on an old ice box with a smirk on his face.
"'Early one morning, just as the sun was rising, I heard the fair maid sing in the valley down below. Oh, don't deceive me. Oh, never leave me.'" He rolled his eyes with mock innocence. "'How could you use a poor maid so?'"
Spike was mesmerized. Then he vamped out. He attacked Faith. She had a stake, but he yanked it out of her hand and threw it away. A glass bottle shattered.
Faith threw him across the room. "What are you doing?" she demanded. He grabbed a shard of glass and went for her, slicing her shoulder. They fought, and she pushed him to the ground. "Spike, listen to me. You don't want to do this!"
He shoved her away . . . and then his double said, "And it's just about to get fun."
A fist shot through the earthen floor. The ground shifted and cracked as others burst through, fanged faces covered with dirt through like demonic children struggling into the world. Vampires, all of them . . . murder victims.
They gathered in a ring. They were the stupid, raving kind of vamp, the worst kind, decaying extras from Michael Jackson's Thriller. They took turns hissing at Faith and attacking her. Then one of them found a spade and started after her with it. Buffy grabbed and punched him in the face with it.
"You know what I want you to do," Spike's double said to him.
But one vamp grabbed her arm and another grabbed the spade, using it as a pinioning weapon, and even though she fought that off, the second vampire grabbed her arm. She was being held between two vampires, and they held her fast.
"They're waiting for you," Spike's double told him. "Take her, taste her. Make her weak."
He stood and walked toward her. She struggled.
"Spike, no!" Faith cried.
Spike put his face near hers, savoring her, wanting her blood. In a dream he leaned toward her cut shoulder, smelling the fear, the steam from her wound.
He tasted.
Slayer's blood.
Faith's blood.
Flash: Killing the bird.
Flash: Killing others. Carry a corpse through town. Burying two men.
Killing the lady whose house this was . . .
"I remember," he said, as he recoiled from her sight and staggered back through the brick arch of the basement.
Faith's vampire captors were distracted. She took advantage of the situation and grabbed up the spade, using it rather like a kendo sword, taking a strong stance, jabbing, thrusting, lunging, dusting vampires with order and precision. Then she swiped three of the vamps' feet out from underneath them.
Spike's double crouched near him, talking to him in a sibilant, low voice. "You failed them. Now she's going to kill you. You lose, mate."
A single hand tentatively pushed through the earth; Buffy grabbed it and hoisted the elderly female vampire up. As she staked her, she said, "Sorry, ma'am, but it's my job."
Spike was jammed behind the brick archway, utterly defeated. Buffy carried the spade with her and stood in front of him. He gazed up at her with misery and resignation, as he scooted out of his hidey-hole, and very purposefully opened his shirt. He was not without dignity; he was crying.
"Do it fast, okay?" And when she didn't move, he added, almost angrily, "He said you'd do it."
Faith asked, "Who said?"
He didn't have the words. "Me. It was . . . me. I saw it. I was here the whole time, talking and singing." He let out a heavy sob. "There was a song. I don't know," Spike confessed. "Please, I don't remember. Don't make me remember." Then he turned his head and said to the air, "Make it so I forget again! I did what you wanted!"
Faith stiffened, looked around. "There's something here." Resolutely she threw away the spade.
"Oh, God, no, please," he begged, realizing that she was sparing him. "I need that. I can't cry the soul out of me. It won't come. I killed, and I can feel 'em. I can feel every one of 'em."
She knelt beside him, trying to get his attention. "There's something playing with us. All of us."
"What is it?" he asked her wretchedly. "Why is it doing this to me?"
"I don't know." She felt sorry for him, but she did not lose her edge.
Spike looked at her with wet eyes.
"Will you . . . help me?" he asked her. "Can you help me?"
His double watched from the stairs, sneering as Faith said, "I'll help you."
Dawn's P3
"Oh," Dawn groaned. "It looks like I am not the only one having problems right now."
"Yeah," Piper said they watched Paige's date walk off. "I really thought that one was a keeper."
"Why?" Phoebe asked. "Because he was cute and funny and oh, yeah, don't let me forget, deliciously yummy."
"That's the second guy in a row she's dumped," Piper replied.
"Uh, third, but who's counting," Dawn corrected.
"So you think she has commitment issues?" Phoebe wondered looking between her aunt and sister. "Or you think she's just too picky?"
Piper shrugged, she didn't have a clue. "I don't know, I'd love to speculate but I've got to go."
"Piper," Phoebe said grabbing her sister's attention. "If you haven't noticed, the Flaming Lips are playing at your club. My-my favorite group."
"First, I know," Piper replied looking at her younger sister with a smile. "Second it's not mine. It's Aunt Dawn's club remember? I'm just her manager."
"Since when?" Dawn asked confused. "I know you had planned to hand it over to me when you finally opened a restaurant, but…"
"From a legal stand point it's still mine," Piper replied smiling at Dawn. "And that likely won't change till either you turn twenty-one or I open my restaurant which ever comes first. But regardless of which comes first I thought in your free time I might start showing you the ropes now and giving you a say in how things go so that when I am ready to hand it over to you then you will be prepared." She turned attention back toward her sister. "And lastly yes I know they are your favorite band and that's why you're not going to scare them when you go back stage, okay."
Phoebe smiled. "Okay," she said excitedly.
"Aunt Dawn and I've got to go home," Piper explained as she stood up holding her hand out to Dawn, "because we've got to interview magical nannies tomorrow and…" she smiled as Dawn stood and took her hand, "we got to prepare."
"Wait, magical nannies?" Phoebe asked in confusion. "You mean like Mary Poppins?"
"Oh, I wish," Dawn replied.
"Sadly no," Piper added looking at her sister. "Leo has arranged for us to meet supernatural creatures that have child care experience."
Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "Creatures?" she queried.
"Well given that both of our babies are part Whitelighter," Dawn reminded Phoebe, "that alone makes it difficult for normal nannies, not to mention the potential use of their other powers. I can just see a normal nanny the first time she tries to give either of them a bath and they orb out. We would have exposure real quick like."
"That's a good point," Phoebe agreed. "But don't you think it's a little early to be looking for nannies? I mean, you both are not even showing yet, except for your boobies."
Piper and Dawn looked down and then at each other and nodded. "I think Aunt Dawn will agree that they are definitely large and in charge but at least something is normal about our pregnancies," Piper told her sister. "Okay, we'll see you." She followed by Dawn headed for the front door of the club.
Paige walked as Phoebe watched her older sister and aunt walk out the door. She then turned her attention to her younger sister as Paige sat down. "Breaking up is such a downer," Paige admitted.
Phoebe nodded. "Yeah, honey, well, practice makes perfect," she told her sister. "Well, you know, I mean, if it's not right, it's not right. Why wasn't it right?"
Paige shrugged. "I don't know, I could kind of just tell it wasn't really going anywhere so I thought I'm going to cut this one off at the pass before it gets messy and he likes me too much."
Phoebe shook her head. "Okay, if you say so," she told her sister. "At least you don't have to worry about if he's going to attack again."
"Is that some sort of Cole segue?" Paige asked looking at her sister in concern.
Phoebe sighed. "Yeah, well, now that you mention him, um, he hasn't contacted me in a while," she replied.
Paige smiled. "That's a good thing, right?"
Phoebe nodded. "Yeah, it is for me, I'm just worried about the rest of humanity, you know," she admitted. "Cole doesn't just do nothing, which means he's up to something. And now that he knows that we're definitely not together anymore, I'm afraid that something might be evil."
Halliwell Manor
Buffy sat in bed looking at the book in her hands as she read from its pages, "'Animals don't behave like men,' he said. 'If they have to fight, they fight; and if they have to kill they kill. But they don't sit down and set their wits to work to devise ways of spoiling other creatures' lives and hurting them. They have dignity and animality.'"
It was in that moment that Leo orbed in startling the blonde Slayer.
"Leo," Buffy growled with a glare at her son-in-law. "I hope this is so important that you couldn't do that in the hall and knock. Because you do know I could have been naked or changing or…"
"Sorry," Leo apologized. "I tried to sense what you were doing beforehand. But this is important."
"Okay," Buffy said as she put the book on her nightstand.
Leo glanced briefly at the book and smiled. "Watership Down, if memory serves me right you read that to Prue when she was little."
"I did," Buffy said as she smiled at the memory. "So what's important?"
Leo nodded getting right to the heart of the matter. "Buffy, I need you to do something for me," he explained. "Well for the Elders actually. Sam was given back his wings."
Buffy smiled, she was pleased to hear that. "He was?" she asked excitedly. "Why hasn't he come to see me then?"
"The Elders have been unable to find him," Leo reluctantly admitted. "He never knew you were being given back to him as his charge. They want you to call out for him. See if he will come."
"Why wasn't I told that he was to…" Buffy started.
"I was to tell you the moment they informed him about your reincarnation and the circumstances around it," Leo replied. "So that he was prepared for that change."
Buffy nodded. "Sam!" she called out. They waited a moment and then another and when Sam did not orb in Buffy tried again, "Sam! I know you can hear me." Again they waited and again Sam did not appear. "So much for him coming when I call. I have an idea though. Gideon still runs Magic School, right?" Leo nodded. "Can you take me to him."
Summers Home, Sunnydale
Spike was wrapped in a blanket like a shock victim while the others talked.
Faith had just finished telling them about what had happened.
"And you believe him?" Anya asked incredulously.
"You didn't see him down there." Faith glanced in Spike's direction. "He really didn't know what he'd done. It wasn't in his control."
"Oh, an out-of-control serial killer," Xander said, dripping with sarcasm.
"So are you wanting us to keep an eye on him?" Tara asked.
"Five by five," Faith answered with her favorite catchphrase.
Willow was not so sure. "Faith, he's been feeding. On human blood. That's got to do stuff."
Faith said, "I'm not keeping him around just to help him, not anymore anyways. I think there was something there, talking to him. Making him do things."
Xander still needed leading. "So, you want him around because . . . ?"
Faith's gaze took in all of them. "Look. There's something evil working us, Buffy, Piper, Phoebe, Paige and even Dawn. And if we are ever going to have a chance to fight it, we need to learn everything we can about it. This thing has been closer to Spike than any of us."
"And if you want to understand it," Willow said.
Faith glanced Spike's way. "I'll need someone to get close to Spike."
"Nah, it's too dangerous," Xander argued.
"We don't have a choice," Faith said. "Whatever this thing is, from beneath us, it's bad, and it's only getting worse."
Magic School
After getting dressed Leo orbed Buffy into the Great Hall of Magic School.
"Gideon!" Leo called out for the Elder.
"Behind you, Leo," Gideon replied as Leo and Buffy turned around. "And who do we have here?"
"Buffy Summers," Buffy said as she shook Gideon's hand. "But that isn't a name you might recognize. If you want you can call me Patty Halliwell."
"Of course," Gideon said in realization. "You are the person she was reincarnated as and as a result of your friend Willow's spell had the memories awakened. It is a pleasure to see you once again, Patty. Or do you prefer Buffy?"
"Either works," Buffy admitted. "Leo calls me Buffy, but my ex-husband, Victor, calls me Patty. I answer to both."
"Of course," Gideon said as he smiled at the blonde Slayer. "I take it you are here because of Sam?"
"Yeah, Leo told me about how Sam fell off the Elder's radar after getting his wings back," Buffy replied.
Gideon sighed. "Yes. We thought with the reason he had clipped his wings resolved that he would want to continue doing what he did before your death. But apparently he wasn't ready. The moment he had his wings back he simply disappeared. We don't know if he cloaked himself from us or if he clipped his wings again. Since you were being given back to him as his charge, I assume you tried calling for him?"
"I did," Buffy answered, "and sadly he didn't come. Either he doesn't want to see me or he isn't listening. Or like you suggested he might have clipped his wings. But I do have an idea that would possibly find him no matter what has happened."
Gideon smiled. "You were always very smart, Patty," he told her. "I'm all ears."
"I was thinking, Paige," Buffy explained looking between Leo and Gideon. "Just as Dawn was the first person Faith could sense because of the love they hold for each other as each other's wives. Paige might be able to sense Sam since he is her father. And whether she knows it or not she likely does care for him."
Gideon paced back and forth for a moment thinking before finally looking back at Buffy. "It might work," he said. "You are right, being his daughter she might be able to sense him. And maybe even find him where none of us could." He looked at Leo. "Set it up, Leo."
November 18, 2002 – Monday
Halliwell Manor
Piper was in the midst of cleaning the kitchen when Paige dropped crumbs from the piece of cake she was eating. "Hey!" Piper was slightly aggravated that Paige was messing up the kitchen when she was trying to clean it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Buffy and Dawn entered the kitchen from two different directions, Buffy from the dining room and Dawn from the basement. "Lady, I'm trying to make a good impression here, put it down, put it down, put it down!"
Paige dropped the cake in its packet and Piper moved it over to the sink. "On the nannies?" she asked.
"Nannies?" Buffy asked confused for a moment.
"Piper and I are interviewing magical nannies, remember, Buffy?" Dawn asked with a glance at her sister.
"I do now," Buffy replied as she wrapped an arm around Dawn.
"Yeah. I want the best and the best don't work for slobs," Piper said looking at her family. Though she was addressing Paige.
"We're not slobs!" Paige objected.
"Oh, yeah?" Dawn snorted. "How come Piper and I spent all night cleaning potion stains off the ceiling?"
"That was gazpacho, not potion," Paige corrected her aunt.
Piper rolled her eyes shaking her head. "Well, you know what?" she asked. "Blenders have lids," she gently reminded her sister.
"Piper, you need to relax, okay?" Buffy said.
"I will relax when Leo gets here," Piper told her mother.
Buffy nodded knowing why Leo wasn't there. He was finishing setting up their little sting operation making Paige, Sam's Whitelighter.
"We haven't had a chance to prepare," Piper continued before looking at her aunt. "Talking about preparing, where is Aunt Faith?"
"Hasn't come back from Sunnydale since she left on Saturday," Dawn answered. "I would say by now she saved Spike instead of staking him. So she won't be coming back. Which means I will be filling for divorce."
"What happened?" Buffy asked concerned for her sister.
"We had a fight, Buffy," Dawn sighed as she looked at her big sister. "Xander let slip that Spike raped Faith. I didn't understand why she wanted to give him a second chance. Told her if she went to save him not to come back."
"You should try and reconcile with her, Aunt Dawn, so we can prepare when Leo gets here," Piper told her aunt.
"I don't want to, Piper," Dawn said as she glared at her niece.
"You need to, Dawn," Buffy said. "Maybe there is circumstances you don't know about?"
Dawn sighed. "Fine," she said as she stood up and left the room.
"What's to prepare? You're a Charmed One, your reputation precedes you." Paige said.
Buffy nodded in agreement, "Paige is right."
"Oh, you mean how evil barges in here all hours of the day and night hell bent on killing us? Not exactly an ideal working environment," Piper retorted.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn paced in the foyer as she listened to Faith's cell phone ring on the other end of the line. "Faith!" she called out. "Please, answer you phone. Or the next time you will talk to me will be through a divorce attorney!"
"What is it, Dawn?" Faith asked when she finally answered her phone.
Dawn sighed. "I need to know something. Did you save him?"
"Yes," Faith answered. "And before you get mad at me, Dawn. I learned some stuff. The big bad here in Sunnydale might be…"
"…doing something to him," Dawn said as orbing lights appeared before her and solidified a second later into Faith.
"Exactly," Faith replied as she put her cell phone down. "Look, babe, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about what happened. But you, B, our nieces, Red, Blondie, Xan. Have all taught me about second chances. You all gave me one. Yes I don't really trust him after what he did. But at the time I felt he deserved one and if he reverted back again, then I would have staked him."
Dawn sighed as she walked over to her wife and wrapped her arms around Faith. "You were right to want to do that. To offer him a second chance. I was just angry that he did that to you, Faith."
"I know," Faith replied as she lifted Dawn's chin and planted the most passionate kiss on Dawn's lips that she had ever given her wife.
"You should have told me though," Dawn said looking into Faith's eyes. "I could have done for you, what I did for Buffy, Piper and Phoebe."
Faith nodded. "You are right of course," she replied as she kissed Dawn again as she orbed out with her wife.
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"Oh, finally," Piper sighed in relief when Leo orbed in. "I was afraid that the Elders drummed up one of their, it can't wait assignments." She noticed that Leo was giving her the look that said he had an assignment that couldn't wait. "Can't it wait?"
Leo shook his head, "No, it can't wait," he told her. "But the assignments not for me, it's for Paige." He turned and looked at the youngest Halliwell sister. "You're getting your first charge."
Paige smiled. "Are you serious?"
"Well, the Elders aren't exactly known for their sense of humor," Leo replied with a glance at Buffy who smiled.
"That is so great!" Paige said excitedly. "I am now Paige Matthews, Witch-Whitelighter. I'm a hyphenate like Mom, Aunt Dawn and Aunt Faith."
"Not like us." Buffy said. "I'm a Witch-Slayer, Dawn is a Witch-Key and Faith is a Witch-Whitelighter-Slayer."
Paige rolled her eyes. "I meant the hyphenate part, Mom," she told her mother.
"Wait a minute," Piper interjected, "since when are you psyched about Whitelighter duty?"
"Well, it is half of who I am," Paige replied. She turned and looked at Leo. "Who's my charge going to be? Is it a Whitelighter-to-be? A philanthropist? A doctor?"
Leo shook his head. "Not exactly."
"Oh, wait, don't tell me," Paige interjected before Leo could say more. "It's a young girl, a witch, she's just coming into her powers, oh my god, I can totally relate to that."
"You babble when you're excited," Piper said.
"Reminds me of Willow," Buffy said with a smile.
"Sorry," Paige said apologetically.
"All I can tell you about your charge is that he is a good man who's lost his way," Leo explained.
'Really lost his way,' Buffy muttered to herself.
"And why is that all you can tell her?" Piper wondered.
"Because the Elders want Paige to figure the rest out for herself," Leo explained glancing at his wife.
Piper gave her husband a look. "Yeah, see, you're being vague."
Leo turned his attention back to Paige and smiled. "You're charge's name is Samuel," he told her.
Paige smiled. "Samuel," she said excitedly. "Good strong biblical name. Okay, where do I find him?"
Leo shrugged. "The Elders aren't sure but they think that you should be able to sense his location," he said.
Piper frowned. Something was going on, something major. "So wait a minute," she said, "if the Elders have lost track of him, why did they suddenly think Paige can find him?"
Buffy shook her head trying to will Piper to be quiet.
"Well, the Elders have complete faith in Paige's ability, and so do I," he explained, giving Piper a little bit of a white lie. "All we have to do is trust that they know what they're doing."
"How are you supposed to trust people that don't answer your questions?" Piper asked glancing at her mother. As she looked at Buffy she could see in Buffy's eyes that her mother knew something.
"Okay, enough, Negative Nancy," Paige criticized her sister, "you just scurry back to your tidying, I don't want anybody to rain on my Whitelighter parade."
"Mom! Paige! Piper!" Phoebe called out as Buffy, Piper, Paige and Leo walk into the dining room where they saw she was coming down the stairs. "Hey."
"What is it?" Buffy asked.
"We have a demon to vanquish. Mom, Paige, what did you two do with the vanquishing potion that you made for Cole?" Phoebe asked.
"Cole?" Leo asked.
"We tossed it," Paige answered reluctantly.
"You tossed it?" Phoebe questioned in surprise.
"It wasn't strong enough," Buffy explained. "We tried it on that letter opener that had Cole's blood on it but it barely even dented it."
"Okay, well, you have to figure out a way to make another one that's strong enough, and fast," Phoebe ordered.
"Hang on a second, lady," Piper interjected wondering exactly why Phoebe was bent on vanquishing Cole all of a sudden. "What are you talking about?"
"Last night," Phoebe answered glancing at her elder sister. "Two guys held up a bar and a vigilante killed them."
Paige didn't see why they needed to work on the vanquishing potion. "Sounds more like you need an arrest warrant, not a potion."
"Not when the vigilante is tall, dark and handsome and can send people flying with the wave of a hand," Phoebe explained, filling in the blanks.
"That doesn't mean it's Cole," Buffy countered. "Faith and I could send someone flying easily without powers, simply because of our Slayer strength."
Phoebe sighed as she looked at mother. "Did I forget to mention the scorch marks?"
Buffy closed her eyes in defeat. "That means its Cole."
"Why don't you, uh..." Leo started.
"Let me handle this." Paige interrupted with an apologetic look at her brother-in-law. "Phoebe, being that I'm also a Whitelighter, I just want to warn you that, you know, maybe you shouldn't jump to conclusions and you should have all the facts before you act."
Phoebe thought over what Paige was suggesting and she immediately agreed with her younger sister. For all she knew the scorch mark could mean any demon out there, not just Cole. "Actually, you're right."
Paige smiled as she glanced at Leo. "I am good at this."
"Well, you and Mom better start working on the potion because if I'm right about Cole, our truce with him is over," Phoebe said as she turned and headed out the door. Behind her Leo and Paige orbed out leaving Piper and Buffy alone.
Piper stood staring at her mother. "You know something about Paige's charge don't you?" she questioned.
Buffy sighed. "Yes," she replied. "You do too, actually. You've met him once before."
Piper thought about all of the innocents they had saved and could think of none named Samuel. Then something occurred to her, she did know one person by the name of Sam. "Your Whitelighter? As in Paige's father. That's her charge?"
"Yes," Buffy answered. "The Elders gave him back his wings. Before he could be told about me he disappeared. They have been unable to find him. I tried calling for him to no avail. So given that Dawn was the first Faith could sense, given the love they share. I thought since Paige is his daughter…"
"She might be able to sense him just like Aunt Faith could sense Aunt Dawn," Piper concluded for her mother. "It makes sense."
Cole's Apartment
Phoebe stepped out of the elevator into her former apartment when she and Cole had still been married. "Back to your old self again, huh?" she asked.
"Get out of here," he ordered.
"Did you kill two people last night?" Phoebe pressed on, needing to get to the bottom of her suspicions.
Cole glared at his ex-wife. He had no time to deal with her accusations. "I don't have time for this."
"Well, you better make time for this," Phoebe told him, anger lacing her voice.
Cole sighed. "I can't be good, I won't be evil. What do you want from me?"
"I want an answer," she told him.
"Yes," he answered giving her the answer she desired. "I killed those two criminals. And you want to know something else? It was easy, it felt very natural. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
Phoebe frowned as she glared at Cole. "You just don't get it do you?" she asked. "They weren't only two criminals, they were two human beings, Cole."
"Spare me the judgmental crap," Cole scoffed. "You have no idea what I'm going through right now."
"No, I don't and I don't want to know," she agreed.
"Then why are you still here?" he asked motioning toward the elevator.
"I'm here to warn you. If you kill another person, good or evil, I will vanquish you," Phoebe said as she turned toward the elevator.
"You really think you have the power to vanquish me?" he wondered.
"Try me," she told him as she walked into the elevator.
Streets of San Francisco
Paige stepped over a large puddle as she and Leo walked down and alley. "If this is where I'm supposed to find my charge you might've told me not to wear my Jimmy Choos," she admitted.
"Jimmy who?" Leo asked confused.
Paige rolled her eyes. "Mom would have known what I was talking about," she told him as she pointed down at her shoes. "My shoes. So I'm guessing my wealthy philanthropist theory was wrong."
"I told you he is a lost soul in need of saving," Leo replied.
Paige sighed as she looked around the alley. "Yeah, this definitely looks like a place where lost souls would hang out," she admitted. "Probably also some rats, some roaches, and human waste. Ugh. At least my cover will work."
"Cover?" he asked, wondering why Paige would need a cover for Sam.
"Social worker," Paige answered as Leo gave her a look that said, why? "Well, I have to tell Samuel something."
"Well, in this case I don't think you're going to need a cover," he admitted.
Paige frowned, she wondered exactly how much she wasn't being told about her very first charge. "In this case?"
"Well, every case is different," Leo replied.
Paige sighed. "Piper's right, you are being evasive," she said as she suddenly senses her charge. "I feel something, I think he's close."
"You're sensing him?" he asked hopeful.
Paige shook her head. "No, it's more like a-a magnetic pull," she admitted.
'Just like the way Faith described sensing Dawn,' Leo thought to himself as they walked further down the alley till they reached the back of a bar. The door opened and a drunk Sam was thrown out, landing at Paige's feet.
"And stay out!" the bartender yelled at Sam before walking back inside.
"Good luck," Leo said as he went to orb out.
"Where are you going?" Paige questioned with a frown.
"Piper, Dawn, Faith and I have nanny interviews, remember," Leo answered as he orbed out.
Sam coughed and threw up all over Paige's shoes. "Aww, great, this is just great," she said with a look of disgust at her vomit covered shoes.
Sam's Apartment
Paige helped Samuel into the apartment, trying her best to keep him on his feet.
"You're strong, for a girl," he admitted as he sat on his bed.
Paige rolled her eyes. "Thanks, I think," she told him. "Ugh, well, here we are. Home sweet home."
"It's a dump," he countered.
"No!" Paige objected, even though she agreed. But being she was trying enamor herself with her charge, she couldn't actually admit it to him. "It's... shabby sheik."
Sam shook his head. "It's a shabby dump," he told her.
Paige sighed. "Well, how about some coffee?" she suggested.
"How about you leave me alone?" he countered, truly wanting to be left alone. It had been why he had ignored Patty's calls to go back up there.
"Maybe you just want to talk, you know," Paige suggested. "I am a really good listener."
"What part of alone don't you understand?" he growled out.
Paige sighed as she looked at the person, she didn't know was her biological father. "Okay, maybe some other time," she told him. "But if you need help of any variety, just call this number and I'll be there, okay?" She pulled out a pad and a pen and wrote her cell phone number down. "I'll be right there to help you."
Sam sighed as he looked at the girl. "I can't believe the Elders finally tracked me down, with a novice no less."
Paige frowned. "Wait a second, you know?"
Sam nodded. "A little advice, you need to work up a cover," he told her. "Didn't you read the Whitelighter manual?"
Paige blinked as she turned and looked at the heavens. "Leo," she said under her breath. She looked back at her charge. "There's a manual?"
Sam sighed. "I can't believe the Elders sent a newbie out after me."
"Well, I can't believe the Elders saddled me with a cranky old drunk as my first charge," Paige countered.
Sam stumbled off the bed and laughed. "You got spunk, I like that. Now go away."
"No, I will not go away," she objected. "I may be new at this but I was sent here to guide and protect you and that is exactly what I'm going to do. Like it or not!" she told jim just as a Darklighter orbed in, pointing his crossbow at Sam. "No!" She pushed the Darklighter to the floor. As the Darklighter got back to his feet he pointed the crossbow at Sam. "Duck!" she ordered as Sam backed up against a cupboard.