Chapter 41: Baby's First Demon Part 2
February 4, 2003 – Tuesday
Demonic Market
Buffy and Paige walked through the woods wearing matching tight short blue dresses. Paige even wore a blond wig so it could be said they were sister demons. In their hands they held the baby blankets.
"It's okay, Paige, it's okay," Paige whispered to herself. "I fought fairytales…"
"Shh," Buffy whispered. "Slayer senses going off."
Suddenly, two energy balls flew out of nowhere and hit Buffy and Paige in the chest. They fell flat on their faces as two demon guards literally walk out of two trees.
"Lost, little girl?" said one of the guards.
"You have a really messed up idea of customer service," Paige said as she and Buffy stood up.
"What?" said the other guard.
"We're dissatisfied customers," Paige said as she pulled a knife out from under the blanket in her hands. "We bought this athame here at the market. It's supposed to flame. It doesn't."
"We paid a pretty penny for it too," Buffy growled. "And for what? It almost got us killed trying to steal the Slayer's baby and the Charmed Ones' babies. You know what we got for our efforts? Two nice little blankets."
"Mm, sweet," Paige added. "Oh, and the Hawker who hired us? He got eighty-sixed, so we didn't even get a payday."
"Who are you two?" the first guard asked.
"We told you, we're dissatisfied customer," Paige told the guard as she stabbed him and he exploded. "See? No flame."
The other demon guard waved his arm and a portal-like door to the market appeared between two trees. Buffy and Paige walked through into the market. The demon guard waved his arm again and closed the portal door.
Bay Mirror Newspaper Offices
"So Dawn and I thought we could hit up a couple of clubs around town and try out the pick-up lines that I suggested in my column," Phoebe told Jason.
Phoebe and Dawn had reluctantly stayed instead of going home and brainstormed with Elise on what their new expanded column would look like. Dawn didn't personally like the suggestion that Phoebe was making. She just didn't feel right about trying to pick up a woman even for a story when she was married.
"Then they'll report back on how they work off the page and in the world," Elise added.
Jason smiled. "I love it. It's sexy as hell," he said. "And given we're getting viewpoints from both a straight and a gay woman for their respective demographics is brilliant!"
"Okay, great," Dawn said. "So why don't Phoebe and I go home and try to work on..."
"Yeah?" Jason said answering his ringing phone. "Uh-huh... no... no, definitely not. Great." He hung up and looked at Phoebe and Dawn both of whom were impatiently tapping their pen on their books. "Are you both okay?"
Dawn glanced at Phoebe. "Yeah, we're fine," Phoebe answered. "We just have a little blood sugar issue, kind of runs in the family. It's nothing serious but we have to eat."
"Say no more," Jason smiled. "You both like Chinese? Food, not people."
"We really need to get home," Dawn interjected.
"Elise, could you excuse us for a moment?" Jason asked looking at his editor.
"Sure. I'll just, um... be over here," Elise said as she headed for the door. As she past Dawn and Phoebe she mouthed something to them before leaving the office.
"Is this about the babies again?" he asked looking between the two of them.
"My daughter is two days old," Dawn said. "And my wife is out of town on a family emergency."
"And what about you, Phoebe?" Jason asked.
"Yes, it is actually," Phoebe answered. "I need to go spend some time with my nieces and nephew."
"Okay, Dawn, you I can understand," Jason said looking at Dawn. "I'm actually asking a lot of you, since you are technically still supposed to be on maternity leave. In fact when we're done today. I won't expect you back till next Monday."
"Thank you," Dawn said as she smiled at her new boss.
"But, Phoebe," Jason said as he looked at Phoebe. "I know that Dawn is married, by her own admission. Is your other sister married also?"
"Yes," Phoebe answered with a sigh.
"Look, Phoebe, I think it's really wonderful that you love your nieces and nephew this much, I really do. But you have a job," Jason told her.
Phoebe glanced at Dawn. "And as her former assistant," Dawn said. "Phoebe does a pretty good job."
"Yes, she does, Dawn," Jason agreed. "Until recently."
"Excuse me?" Phoebe said confused.
"I spent some of the afternoon going over your columns from the last few weeks, Phoebe," Jason said as he walked past Dawn and Phoebe, who took the chance to check him out as he passed. He walked around the desk and sat in Elise's chair. "And they've become very..."
Dawn sighed as she looked at her niece. "I think I know what he's about to say, Pheebs. Your advice of late has become…"
"Baby-centric," Jason finished for Dawn. "They're all about diapers and mother's milk. Something I would expect from Dawn, being a new mother and all. But you, Phoebe, they don't even read like you, you've lost your edge. You're sexy."
"As Dawn will agree, any writer, any good writer, uses their life experiences in their work," Phoebe said.
"That's true," Jason agreed. "But if all you've got to inform your work is someone else's babies, maybe you need to re-evaluate your priorities."
"Excuse me, Dawn, Phoebe," said a woman who stuck her head in the door. "Your brother-in-law has called for you both three times now. This last time he said something about your baby, Dawn."
"What?" Dawn said as she shot out of her seat. She looked at her new boss. "I'm sorry, Jason. Phoebe needs to drive me home. And I don't have a car."
Halliwell Manor
Leo orbed in with Phoebe and Dawn as Piper watched the babies.
"I don't understand," Dawn said. "Why didn't you just orb for us when they wouldn't put you through?" She rushed over and went to pick up her daughter.
"Shh," Piper said stopping Dawn. "They're napping."
"Because I didn't want to leave the house unless it was absolutely necessary," Leo answered Dawn.
"Okay, so there was another kidnap attempt?" Phoebe asked.
"Yes," Piper said as they moved away from the bassinets.
Phoebe looked at her brother-in-law and sighed. "I can't believe they didn't put you through."
"They said you both were in an important meeting and the boss said that you shouldn't be disturbed," Leo admitted.
"Unbelievable," Dawn growled. She looked at Phoebe. "I'm beginning to regret accepting that promotion."
"Promotion?" Piper asked in clear surprise.
"Yeah our new boss, Jason Dean, promoted me," Dawn answered as she sat down in a chair heavily. "I'm Phoebe's partner. The column is being expanded. It's now Ask Phoebe and Dawn."
"Congratulations," Piper said excitedly as she hugged her aunt.
Suddenly the babies began to cry as the baby alarms go off. "What the hell is that?" Phoebe asked.
"Baby alarm," Piper answered.
"What?" Dawn asked as she rushed over to her daughter and picked her up as both alarms stopped. "I know, so much excitement. What was that alerting us to exactly?"
"Demons," Leo answered looking around the room, "there's supposed to be demons in the house."
Dawn looked from her baby and down at Piper's babies and frowned. "I think the alarm could be faulty. Neither my pum'kin belly or your babies, Piper are crying."
"Possibly," Piper agreed. "Paige would know. Talking about Paige, where is she and mom?"
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn, Piper and Phoebe walked into the attic carrying the babies as Leo followed.
"Oh my god, they're not here," Piper said in surprise.
"Okay, why is that an 'oh my god'?" Phoebe asked as she, Piper and Dawn put the babies in the attic bassinets.
Leo looked around and frowned. "The scrying tools are out," he said motioning toward the table.
Piper followed his gaze and a frown appeared on her own face. "The hand grenade potion is gone."
"Will some please tell me what's going on here?" Dawn asked as Piper picked up a piece of paper. "What is that, a spell?"
Piper shook her head. "No, it's a note," she said as she handed her aunt the note. "Addressed to you."
Dawn took the note and frowned. "Dawn, if you are reading this. Paige and I have gone to the demonic market to safeguard yours and Piper's babies. If we aren't home when you get home, then I am sorry we may have failed."
Demonic Market
Buffy and Paige walked down the busy street following a large demon.
"Come on, guys, this is top of the line," said a demon. "The power to throw fireballs twenty yards. Now let's hear a serious offer."
"Now, if you need any powers, there's where to go," said the large demon.
Buffy and Paige laughed. "You're such a great tour guide," Paige said as they passed a demon selling tonics.
"Looking for that little something extra?" said the demon selling tonics. "You didn't become a demon to just stand on the sidelines. Now, watch and see what my permutonic can do for you." He drank the tonic and became a large muscular demon. The crowd at his stall cheered.
"I think up there's the guys you two are looking for," the large demon said as they came to a stop. He pointed toward a building just ahead. "The parasites."
"Oh, parasites?" Buffy said. "Should we be frightened?"
The large demon chuckled. "Nah. They were bad-ass once but some witch cursed them, took away their powers. Pitiful little bastards. Even you two could take them."
"Oh, really?" Paige said. "Then we might just have to. Well, thank you for the tour. I suppose you'll be wanting your payment now."
The large demon nodded. "You know I will."
Buffy smirked and flicked her wrist freezing the large demon. "Fireball!" Paige called out as a fireball orbed out of a demon woman's hand. It orbed into Paige's hand and she threw it at the frozen large demon vanquishing him. They turned and head for the building.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Inside the building three parasite demons fed off a woman's powers just as Buffy and Paige walked in.
"Excuse me," Paige interrupted causing the demons to look at her and Buffy. "Anyone here interested in a Charmed One's offspring?"
"And a Slayer's?" Buffy added.
"Who are you two?" one of the demons asked.
"We're the reason you're not going to need that food anymore," Paige answered, "not after you hear what we have to say."
"The food is dead," said another demon. "You were saying?"
"Just that the Hawker who hired us to grab the babies screwed up the job and got himself dead," Buffy explained. "He didn't say who hired him but we heard it was you."
"So what if it was?" asked the third demon.
"Don't get nervous," Paige said with a smirk. "We're just here for the bounty. The offer still stands, right?"
"First, tell us why you two are still alive," the first demon asked. He was almost sure the two women were lying.
"We'll take that as a yes," Paige said with a glance at Buffy.
Buffy pulled out the grenade potion from behind her niece's baby blanket and threw it at the parasite demons. They fed off the power from the explosion and then start to feed off Paige and Buffy's powers. Paige's blonde wig fell of her head as she and Buffy fell to the floor.
Halliwell Manor
"Come on, people, talk to me," Phoebe said as she tried to scry for her mother and baby sister. Suddenly the crystal dropped on the map. "Bingo. We have a location of the market."
"Yes," Dawn said excitedly. She looked at Leo. "Anything on Buffy and Paige?"
Leo shook his head. "I can't sense them at all. But that doesn't mean we should panic. Their signal might be blocked by the magic of the marketplace."
"Right, there's no reason to panic," Phoebe agreed. Though internally she was beginning to do so. "I mean, mom and Paige went alone to demonville, they have no idea what or who they're up against, so there's no reason to panic, right?"
"There is plenty…" Dawn started, she didn't get to finish what she was going to as as Piper interrupted her.
"It was my fault," Piper sighed. "I should've gone with them."
"Phoebe and I would have gone with them if they had called us," Dawn told her eldest niece.
"Aunt Dawn is right," Phoebe agreed.
"Well, I told Paige not to bother you two because you both were trying to impress your new boss," Piper said apologetically.
Phoebe sighed. "We weren't trying to impress our boss, thank you."
"Yeah, right, Pheebs," Dawn scoffed.
Phoebe glared at Dawn for a moment and then nodded. "Okay, maybe this morning we were trying to impress him but we're not now, so can we talk about anything but Jason Dean, please? Thank you very much."
"Yeah, let's talk about how we're gonna find Paige and Buffy," Leo agreed.
"I think I know a way," Dawn said. "But it's a doozy. The side-effects might not affect you guys like they do a lesser witch." She flipped over her sister's note and wrote the spell Willow had given her almost a year before.
"Side effects?" Piper said suddenly concerned.
"Nose bleeds and headaches," Dawn answered. "For someone without the right amount of power…"
"Of course," Phoebe agreed. "Hand it here." She held out her hand as Dawn handed her the note. She was instantly thrown into a premonition of the parasite demons sucking Paige and Buffy's powers out of them.
"Are you okay?" Piper asked her sister with a tone of concern.
Phoebe shook her head. "No," she replied. "It's time to panic."
Suddenly the baby alarms go off.
"Oh my god!" Piper and Dawn shouted.
Demonic Market
Buffy and Paige lay tied to the tables as the parasite demons stood beside them.
"I say we suck them dry, nice and slow," said the second demon.
"Tempting, but..." the first demon interjected.
"But what?" the third demon interrupted looking at his partners. "You forget that is was one of their kind that cursed us to this life?"
"Please..." Paige begged.
"Say we kill them, get revenge on yet another witch," the first demon replied. "Then what? We're still parasites. Nothing will have changed."
"They'll be dead," the second demon countered. "That's change."
The first demon sighed. "We'll still be bound to this trivial existence. Think about it." He pointed at Paige. "She's a Charmed One, her sisters will sense her if we keep her alive." He pointed at Buffy. "She's the Slayer, her sister will sense her again if we keep her alive. And then they will come for them both."
"Then when they do," said the third demon, "the infants will be left vulnerable."
"No..." Buffy and Paige sobbed.
Halliwell Manor
"Anything?" Piper asked as she, Dawn and Phoebe each held one of the babies.
"Unless they're invisible, there's no demons in the house," Leo answered as he walked through the door.
"Then why does the alarm keep going off?" Dawn asked.
Leo shrugged, he didn't have an answer. "We'd have to ask Paige."
"Oh, we'd better hurry because from what I saw, mom and Paige don't have a lot of time," Phoebe reminded her sister and aunt.
"You want me and Aunt Dawn to leave our babies?" Piper asked shocked at her sister's suggestion. "When the alarm designed to sense evil is going off every ten minutes?"
"Believe me, Piper…Aunt Dawn," Phoebe said looking first her sister and then her aunt directly in the eyes. "I don't want to leave then either, but the alarms are broken, there is no evil in this house."
"But we've gone up against invisible demons before," Piper reminded her sister, "you know, demons that morph into lamps, lamps that morph into demons, demons in the walls."
"Dawn," Leo said as he rushed forward and took Dawn's baby from her as Dawn collapsed to the floor, a memory surging forth into her mind.
January 13, 1999 – Thursday
San Francisco Police Station
Prue, Piper and Phoebe joined hands as Phoebe led the way out back toward the car. They pulled to a stop as a camera flashed and Rex stepped out from behind a car. "Quite photogenic. Now I should think the police will find this very interesting, to say the least," he commented triumphantly as he reached into his car to set the camera down and grab a lantern.
"Rex," Prue whispered, tightening her hold on Piper and Phoebe on either side of her.
Phoebe looked him over in confusion. "Wait, how did you know that we…"
"What, that you'd be here? Well, let's just say that I've been watching your every move. Without you knowing it, of course," Rex answered. "You see, while you were here conducting your little prison break, Hannah was retrieving the tiara from your home. You should have gotten rid of it when you had the chance. Personally, I actually thought that was an excellent idea."
"Astral projection," Phoebe breathed to her sisters.
"What do you want?" Prue demanded.
"Your powers, of course. That's why I hired you in the first place, you know, to see if you really were the Charmed Ones. Then I waited to test your strength, to see how best to make my move and here we are," Rex explained.
February 4, 2003 – Tuesday
Halliwell Manor
"Aunt Dawn?" Piper said as she knelt next to Dawn.
"Memory, and at the wrong freaking time," Dawn said with a sigh. She sat up and took her daughter from Leo. "Mommy's okay, my little pum'kin belly." Dawn's baby gurgled and smiled. "Oh, look at her, she's smiling! Oh, you are so brave when mommy has Auntie Prue's memories playing with her at the wrong time."
"She's smiling?" Leo asked as an idea came to mind. "Piper…Dawn…Phoebe, put them back in the bassinets."
"Why?" Piper asked looking at her husband.
"They were crying when the demon attacked," Leo reminded his wife.
"So?" Piper said confused.
"So just put him down a minute and come over here," he told them. "Trust me."
"Okay," Dawn said as she, Piper and Phoebe put the babies into the bassinets and walk over next to Leo. "What are we doing?"
"Just wait," Leo told them.
"For what?" Phoebe wondered as both baby alarms went off. She, Piper and Dawn rush over to the babies.
Leo smiled. "That's what."
"I don't get it," Phoebe said.
Dawn looked between her baby and Leo and then smiled. "I do. They're using their powers to set off the alarms."
"Exactly, Dawn," Leo said.
"Because they've figured out when it goes off, that we'll come running," Piper added in realization.
"They're just trying to get attention," Phoebe said as she smiled at her nieces and nephew. "They're geniuses. Oh, you all are geniuses!
"That's my boy and girl, using your powers," Leo said excitedly.
"Are you trying to give," Piper said as she looked at her babies, "mommy a heart attack?" She then turned and looked at Dawn's baby. "And are you trying to give Auntie Piper a heart attack? Is that what you three are trying to do?"
"I guess it's safe to say we can go help our respective sisters," Dawn told her nieces.
"Right," Piper agreed.
"Are you gonna be okay?" Phoebe asked her sister.
Piper nodded. "Yeah, okay. Grab some potions. Because if I'm going to that market and leaving them here, we're not taking no prisoners."
"I can double that," Dawn agreed. She looked at Leo. "Take good care of our babies."
"Promise," Leo said. "And Piper, just remember, you're not invincible anymore." He then turned and looked at Dawn. "And neither are you."
"I half expected that," Dawn told him.
"I know. It's just so hard to leave," Piper said Phoebe wrapped her arms as much as she could around all three bassinets. "So hard to make Phoebe leave."
"Well, just make sure you come back," Leo said looking at the three women.
"Take care of them," Piper and Dawn told Leo.
"One hair out of place on their heads, you and me, issues," Piper added.
"I will," Leo promised. "At the first sign of trouble I will orb them out."
"Okay. Phoebe, here we go, here we go," Piper said as she and Phoebe took Dawn's hands.
"Discede!" Piper and Phoebe said. They and Dawn disappeared in a flash of light.
Demonic Market
Piper, Dawn and Phoebe appeared in a flash of light. An energy ball came out of nowhere and flew past them as the demon guard literally walked out of a tree.
"Where's the market?" Dawn growled.
"Who are you three?" the demon guard asked staring at the three women.
"Aunt Dawn and I are the mother," Piper said as she tried to blow up the demon. Instead of exploding he flew backwards into the portal opening the doorway to the market. She, Phoebe and Dawn moved in front of the portal looking at the crowd of demons in front o them. "Which one of you dirtbags put the bounty on mine and Aunt Dawn's babies?"
A demon in the crowd threw a stream of fire toward the girls and Piper blew him up.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
In the building the parasite demons could hear screams and explosions. The first demon stood looking out the window as Piper made her way through the crowd, blowing up everyone in her way. Phoebe and Dawn following behind. "They're here," he said as he and his partners disappeared.
Halliwell Manor
Leo sat in the conservatory reading a book as the baby alarms went off. Leo knelt beside the bassinet. "It's okay, your mommies will be home soon," he told the babies.
The Parasite Demons stood beside Leo and suck out his powers causing him to fall to the floor as the babies cried.
Demonic Market
"Where are they?" Phoebe asked as they walked into the building.
"Piper," Paige said looking up at her sister.
"Dawn," Buffy smiled at her sister.
"I know you both are very happy to see us," Piper told her sister and mother as she and Dawn untied Buffy and Paige.
"The babies," Paige said trying to tell her sisters and niece what was going on.
"They're fine," Phoebe assured her sister and mother. "They're with Leo."
"The parasite demon's will absorb Leo's powers," Buffy said.
"What?" Piper and Dawn said looking at each other.
"Can you orb?" Piper asked her baby sister.
Paige shook her head. "No. No, they took my powers away."
"We're going to have to use Willow's spell to get back then," Dawn told her nieces.
"We've got to get to the other side of the gate," Phoebe said looking at her family who all nodded in agreement.
Dawn and Piper picked up the baby blankets. "These are ours," Dawn said looking at her niece. They handed the blankets to Paige and Buffy then the five of them walk out of the building and down the street.
Paige dropped Piper's baby blanket and a woman picked it up.
Halliwell Manor
The parasite demons were sucking the power out of the babies. "Do you feel the power?" the first demon said.
"It's fantastic. But how will we get them out of here?" the second demon asked.
"Keep draining the magic," the third demon told his partners. "The force fields will falter and then they'll be ours."
Leo woke and as he stood up he grabbed a lamp. He smashed the lamp over the demons and weakly knelt beside the bassinets as the parasite demons continue to suck their powers.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
In the attic Piper, Dawn, Buffy, Phoebe and Paige appeared in a flash of light. Piper, Dawn and Phoebe sat Paige and Buffy down on the couches.
"Go," Buffy ordered her sister and daughters. "Don't let them put their hands on you."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"No!" Leo screamed as Dawn, Piper and Phoebe ran down the stairs. Piper blew up Parasite #1. The other two disappear.
"They got away," Dawn snarled.
"It's okay, let them go," Phoebe told her aunt.
"No, prisoners!" Dawn told her niece.
"Are you okay?" Piper asked looking at her husband.
Leo nodded. "Yeah."
Piper looked at Dawn who nodded in agreement at the unspoken comment. They were going back to finish it and send a message to demons to stay away from their children.
Summers Home, Sunnydale
Night.
The Harbingers of The First continued to congregate on the grounds of the Summers' home. They seemed to be waiting for something, and their presence was terrifying the girls, who were receiving weapons from Faith. Swords, spears, a crossbow for Kennedy, who knew how to use it . . .
"Why aren't they doing anything?" Molly asked. "Attacking?"
"They don't want in," Faith told her. "They think they're here to make sure we don't get out."
"Can I have something?" Andrew pleaded. "C'mon. The Turok-han's coming for me, too, you know. I have a right to defend myself." Faith raised her brows and he added weakly, "If you say so."
Faith handed him a bottle of holy water, who clutched his only defense possessively to his chest.
Demonic Market
The woman who had picked up the blanket stood holding the blanket as the parasite demons appeared. "You did this to us," she said. "I warned you."
"The witches did this, not us," said one of the demons.
"The witches have nothing compared to..." the woman said indicating the blanket, "These children are powerful beyond your understanding. What I have foreseen, is not to be ignored."
"What?" said the other demon. "What did you see? What are they?"
"They are our end," the woman answered. "We'll have nothing more to do with these...beings."
"That's easy for you to say," said the first demon. "You have powers of your own."
The woman watched as Dawn, Piper and Phoebe walked into the building. "And I enjoy using them," she said as she pointed her fingers at the parasite demons and a tunnel of sand surrounded them. They screamed and turn to dust. She turned toward the mothers and Phoebe. She looked at Piper and Phoebe. "Your sister's powers have been restored." She then turned toward Dawn. "As has your sister's."
"Who are you?" Phoebe questioned the woman.
"I represent those in power," the woman answered cryptically. "Rest assured a law will be passed forbidding any further attempts on the children."
"Why?" Piper asked.
"What do you stand to gain?" Dawn added.
"Nothing," the woman answered. "You both have proven that the costs of a war will far outweigh the benefits. Consider this our white flag." She handed Piper the baby blanket. "Now I suggest you rest well and preserve your energies. From what I've foreseen you're going to need them." She then disappeared.
"Way to send a message, warrior moms!" Phoebe said excitedly looking at her aunt and sister.
"I don't know about that," Piper reluctantly admitted.
"You didn't believe her?" Phoebe asked.
"Partially," Dawn answered looking at where the woman had been. "But I think this had more to do with our babies than anything we did."
"What do you think she foresaw?" Phoebe asked looking at the two mothers.
"I wish I knew," Dawn and Piper answered looking at each other.
Summers Home, Sunnydale
Xander called, "Guys? Something's happening."
On the lawn, the Harbingers were parting to make way for the Turok-han, who strode toward the door.
"Here it comes," Faith said.
It began to beat on the door, growling
It was Tara and Willow's cue. They closed their eyes in deep concentration, reaching down to find the power, to wield it . . . "Caerimonia Minerva, saepio saepire saepsi . . ."
With equal concentration, Andrew murmured, "Um, deflector shields . . . deflector shields up!"
The door broke, and the Turok-han stood on the threshold.
"Saepio impedimentum!" Tara and Willow cried at the same time.
The Turok-han slammed up against an invisible force field. Enraged, it began to pound violently on the barrier, the impact causing the shield to ripple. With each strike, Tara and Willow grunted.
"It's working!" Chloe cried.
"For the moment," Vi said.
Faith checked in. "Red? Blondie?"
"It's . . . it's strong," Willow grunted.
Everyone moved back farther into the house.
"Hang on, Red, Blondie," Faith said.
The Turok-han pounded at the barrier more feverishly. Willow and Tara was beginning to convulse.
A Potential cried, "They can't hold it!"
"What do we do?" Rona shouted, panicking. "What do we do?"
Faith looked at her, coming to a decision. "Run. Everybody run!"
Xander led the way outside, leading the Potentials, who were carrying their weapons. As Faith herded everyone along, Kennedy launched into action with her crossbow. Armed with a battle axe, Xander fought hand-to-hand, but he was overpowered. Just as his opponent was about to take him out, Faith shot ice at him freezing the Bringer.
The roar of the Turok-han carried over them as the barrier fell.
"Come on!" Faith said to Xander, and everyone raced away as fast as they could move.
"Why isn't she doing that teleport thing?" Rona whispered.
Halliwell Manor
Buffy, Dawn, Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Leo stood around the bassinets. Phoebe had her head in Piper boy's bassinet making baby voices. "Oh, I could eat you! Yes, I could! Yes, I could," Phoebe said.
"Pheebs," Dawn said shaking her head, "after the demonic parasites that did actually kind of want to eat them, not so cute."
"Aunt Dawn's right," Piper agreed.
"Gotcha," Phoebe agreed as she smiled at her Piper's baby girl. "Ooh, I could smush you! Ooh, I could just smush your little face! Ooh, la, la, la, la."
Piper and Dawn rolled their eyes. "Much better," they said.
"Is that their new names?" Paige asked. "Smush-face 1 and 2 Halliwell?"
Leo shrugged. "It's about as good as everything else we've come up with."
"No new ideas, huh?" Phoebe asked looking at her sister and brother-in-law.
"Actually..." Piper started.
"Uh, no, you know," Leo interrupted his wife, "we've been so busy with the alarm and the demon fighting and saving Buffy and Paige."
"I'm sorry," Buffy and Paige said apologetically.
"Oh, don't be sorry, Paige...Mom," Piper told her sister and mother. "You two were brave and you both inspired me to fight and you both made the world a safer place for mine and Aunt Dawn's babies. Which is why I would like to give my son the middle name of Matthew, in honor of his super protective Aunt Paige."
Phoebe smiled. "I think that's a great idea."
"What do you think?" Piper asked her husband.
"Yeah," Leo agreed.
Paige smiled, she couldn't be happier that her nephew would have a form of her last name as his middle name. "Thanks."
"And I also have an idea for his first name," Piper said as she looked at her husband. "Wyatt. In honor of his very protective daddy."
"Really?" Leo said clearly surprised at the choice. "Well, it doesn't start with a P."
"Ah, so we break the tradition," Piper told him.
Phoebe smiled as she picked up Wyatt. "Happy baby. Why don't we ask him? W—" she said before looking at her sister. "That's probably your job." She handed Piper her son.
"Wyatt Matthew Halliwell," Piper told her son as she smiled at him. "Is that your name? What do you think? It's a good one."
"And what about your daughter?" Paige wondered.
"I think I am doing the same for her, naming her after two very special people," Piper said as she turned and looked at her aunt and mother. "We know that Buffy can be used as a nickname for Elizabeth. So her first name will be Elizabeth, for her over-protective grandmother. She then looked at Dawn. "And I think for her middle name I think in honor of protective aunt her middle name should be Dawn."
"Elizabeth Dawn Halliwell?" Leo said as he picked up his daughter. "Is that your name, baby girl?" He looked at Piper and nodded. "Their good ones."
"And what about you, Dawn?" Buffy asked looking at her sister.
"Well I have finally pick a middle name for my little girl," Dawn said as she picked her little girl up. "For her first name…Joyce…after mom."
"I think mom would like that," Buffy said as she smiled at her sister.
"And for her middle name," Dawn said as she smiled at her sister. "I'm taking a page out of Piper's book and giving my daughter the middle name of Buffy in honor of her very protective aunt."
"Really?" Buffy said as she wiped a tear from her eye as Dawn nodded. She took her niece from her sister and spun Joyce around. "Hello, Joyce Buffy Summers-Halliwell."
Streets of Sunnydale
Faith and everyone else were racing away from Revello Drive, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the Turok-han.
Xander looked over his shoulder and said, "Okay, no Harbringers following. I guess they'll save us for old snaggletooth."
"Red, Blondie, take everyone and find a safe location," Faith ordered.
"I know a place," Xander said.
"What are you going to do?" Rona anxiously asked.
"Going to try to slow the Turok down," Faith told her. "Lead him away from you guys. Get him to chase me."
Then they were gone, all of them, and she faced the Turok-han alone. It growled as it stood at the end of the street like a nightmarish gunslinger waiting to draw.
Then Faith launched herself at the Ubervamp, kicking it in the chest. It didn't phase it, but the effort made her fall to the ground. She shot out a stream of ice from her hands. It didn't hurt it, but it did phase it slightly. She seized the moment to run.
It began to come after her, and then it stopped.
And then it went in the same direction the others had fled.
Public Library Construction Site, Sunnydale
Xander had taken everyone to a construction site. A huge pit had been excavated. Scaffolding had been erected everywhere, and Xander ordered everyone to climb down for their lives.
Andrew whined, "Climbing's not my thing. I got an inner ear condition."
"Is falling your thing? 'Cause if you don't pick up the pace, I'm going to come up there and drop your ass."
"Way to keep up morale in a crisis," Andrew sniped. He jumped down. "No wonder Faith's the leader."
"Some leader," Rona muttered.
Everyone followed Xander around the site to a big open area.
"Future site of the new public library, opening up May 2003. If I ever get back to work, that is."
Rona was incredulous. "You call this a safe location?"
Willow said, "This'll do. Okay, everyone. Spread out, take positions. And don't make a sound."
Rona's voice was shrill. "That's the plan? Spread out? That thing is going to kill Faith and then it's going to come after all of us. For all we know, it's killing her right now."
Kennedy stared in horror past Rona and said, "Or it could just skip that part and come here."
The Turok-han strode toward them, death in its eyes, its fingers flexing and eager to rip apart little girls who tear like pink paper . . .
Kennedy loaded her crossbow. Molly began to panic.
Suddenly the flood lights surrounded the excavations pit illuminated the pit with an intense glare. And as they all looked up, Faith stood beside the light, arms crossed, on a ledge.
The girls reacted, asking questions, while Kennedy aimed her crossbow at the Turok-han.
Tara gestured for her to cease and desist.
"It's showtime," Tara and Willow announced as they led the group from the pit, and they all climbed the scaffolding.
They hung onto the crossbars; Andrew looked as if he were in a state of ecstatic bliss.
Faith said to the Turok-han. "Looks good, doesn't it? They're trapped in here. Terrified. Meat for the beast, and there's nothing they can do but wait." She orbed out and into the open area. "That's all they've been doing for days." She strode toward her enemy. "Having nightmares about monsters that can't be killed. But I don't believe in that. My sister-in-law always says she ways find a way. My entire family are the things that monsters have nightmares about. And right now I'm going to show 'em why, I'm one of them. It's time. Welcome," she said distinctly, "to Thunderdome."
"Two men enter," Andrew murmured reverently. "One man leaves."
And they clashed, the Slayer and the great evil that The First had unleashed upon them. It was brutal, and punishing, the Ubervamp gaining the upper hand almost at once. It rammed her into the ground.
"Ubervamp!" Faith called out and with a wave of her hand the Turok-han orbed out and when it orbed back in it was hurtling across the pit. "Crossbow!" Kennedy's crossbow orbed out of her hands and into Faith's. She shot him.
The bolt to his heart gave him only a moment's pause, and then he came for her again.
And again.
Faith held out her hand and an ice ball in her hand. She threw it and he ducked . . . and then he pushed her into the construction trailer wall.
Then eventually, on one of Faith's assaults the Turok-han grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off her feet, crushing the air out of her. Faith struggles were to no avail.
"It's killing her," Rona said, her Slayer's heart kicking in. "Why isn't she doing that teleport thing?"
"We . . . we have to do something!" Molly cried.
"Wait," Willow told them.
Then Faith reached down to the arrow protruding from the vampire's heart, and twisted it. That hurt him; she snapped the bolt in half and plunged the broken shaft into his eyes.
He roared with pain and dropped her. Summoning every last ounce of her Slayer strength, Faith began to pummel the wounded Ubervamp, dealing it a severe, bone-crushing volley, punches, kicks and ice balls.
Staggering, the Turok-han tried to fend off the blows, but his wound was distracting him. Faith pressed her advantage, merciless, driving the supervampire back where she could bang his head into the metal scaffolding.
Then Faith grabbed some barbed wire and wrapped it around the Turok-han's neck and pulled with all her strength, garroting him.
Its head was severed from his body, and he exploded into dust.
The Potentials watched in silent awe as Faith wiped her hands together. "See? Dust. Just like the rest of them," she said in clear, ringing tones.
They continued to stare.
"I don't know what's coming next," she told them. "But I do know it's going to be just like this. Hard. Painful. But in the end it's going to be us. If we all do our parts, believe it: We'll be the ones left standing."
She regarded them all.
"Here endeth the lesson."
Faith then orbed out.
Bay Mirror Newspaper Offices
Phoebe and Dawn saw Jason sitting at the desk in Elise's office looking through some books. Phoebe knocked at the door as she and Dawn walked in. "We thought you'd still be here," Phoebe said.
"Yeah, well, there's a lot to do," Jason admitted.
"We came to say that we're sorry," Dawn told him.
"For what?" Jason asked looking at Dawn in confusion. "After all your daughter had an emergency, right?"
"She did," Dawn answered. She smiled as she walked back outside and then pushed a stroller into the office. She picked up Joyce out of the stroller. "I'd like you to meet my daughter, Joyce Buffy Summers-Halliwell."
Jason stood and came around the desk. "May I?" he asked as Dawn nodded. He smiled as he took Joyce from her arms and held her in his arms. "She's beautiful, Dawn."
"There is a couple other things," Phoebe said. "In the future, if you're going to hold our calls, I hope you tell us. If our new assistant hadn't come in and told Dawn about the emergency, she could have lost her daughter."
"That is understandable," Jason. "And the other?"
"You were right," Phoebe admitted. "I got overwhelmed by Dawn and Piper's babies and I lost my voice, my perspective."
"That's really..." Jason started.
"It's just since we were kids, we always shared everything equally, so when the babies came I just thought it should be the same way," Phoebe admitted. "You know, which is ridiculous because I'm not their mothers, I'm their aunt, and it actually works out great for me because moms have to parent, you know, and I just get to spoil."
"Well, that too is understandable..." Jason tried again.
"And I know you're really busy and you don't need to be listening to some advice columnist's psychobabble, but... um... if Dawn and I still have a job, we promise you'll see all the changes you're looking for in our column first thing in the morning."
"If you don't mind me working from home till my maternity leave ends that is," Dawn added.
"I don't mind at all, Dawn," Jason answered as he handed Joyce back to Dawn. "Now I knew less about my last girlfriend's family than I've learned about yours in the last five minutes."
"Hush, Phoebe, let him talk," Dawn said noticing that Phoebe was about to interrupt.
"Thank you, Dawn," Jason said as he smiled. "I am busy but making this paper work is important to me, and if that means listening to an advice columnist's late night psychobabble then that's what I'm willing to do. This paper can't afford to lose you, Phoebe, you're too valuable, too talented. And if Dawn is anything you like you, then she too is too valuable to lose. And if you can admit when you're wrong, then so can I."
"So..." Phoebe and Dawn said looking at each other.
"So, in the future, if I have to hold your calls I'll let you both know," Jason told them. "Especially you, Dawn. After all you have a daughter to raise and she should take priority."
"Thank you," Phoebe and Dawn told him with a smile on their lips.
"You're welcome. Done talking," Jason said as the two women laughed.
Cavern, Sunnydale
She will come for me, she will come, she will come.
It was the mantra that kept Spike from going completely insane.
And then Faith was there again with one of those bloody curved knives. For a split second he thought that Faith was The First. He then remembered that The First had never appeared to him as Faith.
"Faith?"
Faith smiled as she moved in and started to cut his bindings. In her eyes . . . pain, empathy. "Yeah, Spike."
He began to weep.
Then slowly, she let him lean on her, and they orbed out of the cave, out of the nest of vipers . . .
Out of hell.
Author's Note: In the script it said that it had been 3 weeks since Wyatt had been born. And I'm like why would they have actually gone three weeks without naming their baby. It's like they go to introduce Wyatt and it was like…"This is my newborn baby. Oh he's cute, what's his name. Uh…we haven't picked one out." I understand the reason behind not having a name by Baby's First Demon as they hadn't been expecting a boy. But seriously it makes no sense why they couldn't pick a name in three weeks. After all they came up with a name in the single day this episode took place. That's why I shortened the time between The Day the Magic Died and Baby's First Demon to just two days.