Author's Note (9/13/22): Anthony - Faith has telekinetic orbing because she is part Whitelighter (remember the Elders rewrote Faith's Darklighter DNA to make her a Whitelighter), just like Paige. Telekinetic orbing is not truly Paige's Charmed power, telekinesis is, it just manifested differently due to her Whitelighter side. Telekinetic orbing is a Whitelighter power, as evidenced by the fact that not only can Paige do it, but so can Wyatt, Chris and Leo (though Leo did it as an Elder).
Chapter 42: Lucky Charmed Part 1
March 10, 2003 – Monday
Dawn's P3
Buffy sat in the owner's alcove tapping her watch in a nervous and impatient gesture, her eyes scanning for Sam. The pits of her stomach were performing a few flip flops as she wondered if the Elders had drummed up a assignment for Sam.
Suddenly, the anxiety in her stomach was replaced by a tingle of awareness. She closed her eyes knowing fully that he was there, his eyes watching her from across the room. Smoothing her hair while puckering her lips to even out the pink strawberry lip gloss, she reopened her eyes, whirling in time to meet his eyes.
"I was beginning to worry," she exhaled a sigh of relief, willing her heart to return to its normal rhythm. "That the Elders had…"
"Nothing like that," Sam answered, flashing a small smile that lit up his eyes. "I just had one of my charges need me briefly for healing after a demon attacked her."
Sam sat next to her, with a sexual attraction that neither one of them had been able to deny since the very beginning when she had been Patty Halliwell. He gingerly took her hand into his, tracing circles on her palm with his index finger, sending shivers coursing through her glowing skin and pulsating veins.
She leaned in and felt his lips touch hers in the most passionate kiss she had experienced in this lifetime. As they kissed she missed seeing first Phoebe and then Dawn head for the bar.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Phoebe sat at a table, she was on a date with a guy as a waitress brought her a drink. "Thanks, Susie," she told the waitress.
"Sure," Susie replied as she walked away.
"You've never done this before, have you?" he asked. "Online dating, I mean."
"Oh, no, I have, I have, a couple of times," she told him. "It's just, it's not my favorite way to meet people."
"Really?" he said surprised. "Why not?"
Phoebe shrugged. "Oh, I don't know, it's very impersonal, you know, too planned."
"Well, I have to say I've met quite a few interesting women online," he admitted.
"Really?" Phoebe said as she pulled out a notepad and pen from her purse. "Um, more interesting than you tend to meet in person?"
"What's this?" the guy asked blinking in surprise.
"Oh, I'm doing an article on internet dating," she explained.
The guy frowned, didn't her profile say she was looking for romance? "Wait, your profile said you were looking for romance."
"Yeah, yeah, it did and I kinda am..." Phoebe admitted looking at him. "it's just my new boss put me up to this, I didn't really wanna do it. I'm sorry, are you mad?"
"No, no, not at all. I still have high hopes for this evening," he said as he touched her hand, accidentally throwing her into a premonition. As she gasped he asked, "Are you alright?"
"Uh, yeah, it's just the hiccups," she said as she faked a hiccupping. "You wait right here." She got up and walked toward the bar.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn let out a mental sigh. She too was out on a date. Unlike Phoebe her date was another woman that she had met online. She hated doing this seeing as she was married. But hers and Phoebe's article was about online dating. Which meant she had to do some research. She had talked to Faith first of course and Faith had told her that it was alright. That she knew Dawn loved her and doing this for the Ask Phoebe and Dawn column was just work and nothing more.
Dawn looked up as a waitress brought her a drink. "Thanks, Susie," she said.
"No, problem, Dawn," Susie answered before walking away.
"You've never done this before, have you?" the girl across from Dawn asked. "Online dating, I mean."
Dawn smiled. "Oh, no, I have, I have, a couple of times," she lied. This was the first and hopefully last one. "It's just, it's not my favorite way to meet people."
"Really? Why not?" the girl wondered.
Dawn sighed. "Truth be told, I'm married. I'm doing this for work."
"Your not gay?" the girl asked.
"No I am," Dawn answered. "My name doesn't only highlight this club. Which by the way is my sister's, and yes named after me. But I work along side my other sister, Phoebe, at the Bay Mirror as an advice columnist. Our current column is devoted to online dating. Which meant I had to put in some research. I hope you're not disappointed."
"Not at all," the girl admitted. "In a way it's nice to just spend an evening with no pressure."
Out of the corner of her eye Dawn noticed Phoebe head over to the bar. "Would you excuse me for a moment?" she asked.
"Sure," the girl replied.
Dawn stood up and walked over to the bar where she joined Phoebe and Piper, who was on the phone.
"No, no, no. Pat Benatar cannot cancel on me," Piper said to the person on the other end. "I won't be able to replace her by this weekend. Look, I know I didn't call to confirm but I was busy creating life, okay?"
Dawn held out her hand with a sigh and Piper slipped the phone into it. "Hello, this is Dawn Summers-Halliwell. The owner of Dawn's P3," she told the person on the other end of the phone. It wasn't of course the truth, since Piper still officially owned the club. But it was a trick Piper and Dawn had played before, given the name of the club. "We have a contract with Ms. Benatar." She hesitated as she listened to the person on the other end. "I'm very much aware. But due to the contract Ms. Benatar's representatives signed on her behalf. We are obligated to inform you that should she …" She slammed the phone on the cradle. "He hung up on me."
"It was worth a try, Aunt Dawn," Piper sighed. "Thanks."
"My date is a demon," Phoebe told her sister and aunt.
Dawn and Piper looked at Phoebe in surprise. "What?" they said. They turned and looked at the guy sitting at Phoebe's table.
"That guy?" Piper asked. "But he's so hot."
"Yeah, hot as in flames of hell hot," Phoebe admitted glancing at her date. "I had a premonition, he devours his victims, I'm next, freeze the room."
Piper sighed. "Ugh, my sister the demon magnet," she said as she flicked her wrist freezing the room.
The guy looked around. He then looked at Dawn, Piper and Phoebe. "Witches. Damn it."
Piper flicked her wrist again, this time blowing the guy up.
"Thank you," Phoebe said as she smiled at her sister.
Dawn turned to head back to her own table and frowned. "So much for my date," she said with a sigh noticing the girl had left. "She bailed."
"I thought you didn't want to really do this?" Piper asked looking at her aunt.
"I don't," Dawn replied as she sat at the bar. "It makes me feel like I'm cheating on Faith. But Jason wants us both on this article. Give the perspective of online dating from both a straight person and a gay person."
"Mm-hm." Piper unfroze the room. "Now if you two don't mind, I have to get back to going bankrupt."
"Tell you what," Dawn said. "Since my evening is done. I'll stick around and see what I can do about making sure Dawn's P3 doesn't go bankrupt."
Piper glanced at the club's manager, Steve, who stood nearby before looking at her aunt and sister. "Thanks, Dawn." She smiled in appreciation at Dawn before she sighed in resignation. "Which means I get to go back to fighting with my husband."
"Oh, another fight?" Phoebe and Dawn said simultaneously.
Piper nodded. "Yeah, well, you know, new parents, two career couple, that kind of stuff."
"If that was all it was Piper," Dawn countered. "Faith and I would likely be having the same arguments. After all my wife is spending most of the time in Sunnydale. I've seen her less than you see Leo."
"Dawn," Piper sighed. "You have also been married for only a year. Your still in the honeymoon phase," she reminded her aunt as she picked up her purse. "I wouldn't expect to see you and Faith fighting for at least another year or two."
"And you know that's not even remotely true, Piper," Dawn reminded her niece. "After all do you remember when I learned that Spike had raped Faith and that Faith hid it from me? Do you remember that fight? That was just five months ago. We haven't been in the honeymoon phase for a while."
Piper sighed as she looked at her sister, deciding to change the subject. "Phoebe, are you going to come home with me or are you going to try and salvage this evening.
"No, I think my luck has run out," Phoebe admitted as she went back to her table and grabbed her purse before following Piper.
"Steve," Dawn called over to him. "Can I see what ads Piper has done and what specials we're currently running?"
"Sure, Dawn," Steve said as he headed for the office.
As Dawn waited for Steve to return she glanced over at the owner's alcove and smiled when she saw Sam and Buffy in a passionate kiss. "Good going, Buffy," she whispered to herself.
March 11, 2003 – Tuesday
Halliwell Manor
Buffy and Dawn sat at the kitchen table as Piper heated up three bottles of milk for Wyatt, Elizabeth and Joyce. Next to them stood Phoebe looking at the twins and Joyce.
"You three are just the cutest little wiccan things I ever did see," Phoebe cooed at her nieces and nephew. "Yes you three are."
Piper pulled the bottles out of the saucepan just as Phoebe's cell phone alerted her to an email. "Ow! Hot! Hot! Hot! Leo!" she asked as Phoebe checked her phone. "Freakin' ever useless Elders. What is taking them so long?" Phoebe giggled. "What? What'd they do? What'd I miss?"
"Nothing," Dawn said. "Phoebe's looking at her phone."
"It's a poem that this guy, at least I hope it's a guy, just emailed me," Phoebe added.
"I thought you, like Dawn, didn't like online dating?" Buffy asked her middle daughter.
Phoebe sighed. "Believe me I take after my favorite aunt."
"I'm your only aunt," Dawn retorted.
"Which makes you my favorite by default," Phoebe replied with a smile.
"I'm confused," Piper said looking at her family. "Okay, look, I can schedule in five minutes for a sisterly chat but then I got to go."
"I cannot schedule in a sisterly chat," Phoebe retorted with a sigh.
"Better take it when you have the chance, Phoebe," Dawn told her niece. "You never know when said sister may no longer be there for those chats."
Piper and Phoebe looked at each other and sighed. They knew their aunt was right. After all they like Dawn had lost a sister. Though they unlike Dawn had not gotten their sister back. They both, even today, still wished there was things they could say to Prue.
"Aunt Dawn's right," Piper told her middle sister. "You've got four minutes and fifty-five seconds."
"Hi," Paige said as she walked into the room carrying an empty laundry basket.
Piper smiled at her baby sister. "Uh, perfect timing, we were just chatting. Anything you need to talk about?" she asked.
Paige shook her head. "No, I'm good," she said as she walked into the laundry room.
Piper smiled as she turned her attention back to Phoebe. "Good, more time for you. Shoot."
Phoebe sighed. "No, I don't need to talk. It's not like I have any desire to go meet this cyrano73. It's just research for that stupid article Jason made me and Aunt Dawn do."
Dawn laughed. "Ah, you said his name without swearing."
"Does that mean things are going better at work?" Buffy asked looking at her sister for an answer even though the question was directed at Phoebe.
"No, mom, he's still driving me crazy," Phoebe said looking toward her mother.
"Didn't he just give you and Aunt Dawn a raise?" Piper asked looking at her sister and aunt.
"Yep," Dawn said. "But Pheebs been under the impression that it was a bribe so neither of us would quit."
"Yeah," Phoebe agreed. "I think he was banking on the sister writing team." She looked at Dawn. "Speaking of work. We should be going."
"Yeah," Dawn replied as she stood up. She walked over to Joyce and picked her daughter up, kissing her on the cheek. "Don't give Auntie Piper and Auntie Buffy too much trouble, sweetie."
Paige walked out of the laundry room holding a shrunken sweater. "Oh, no, damn it, what happened?"
Phoebe smiled as she looked at her nieces and nephew. "Bye, babies, I love you." She turned her bay sister as she motioned to Piper. "Tell her, you've got three minutes."
Paige sighed. "My sweater shrunk."
Piper giggled. "Ah, come on, you've worn tighter things than that," she said as Buffy rolled her eyes.
"That is not the point," Paige said as Piper and Dawn left. "The demon blood is not coming out. I can't keep replacing all of my good clothes. I'm running out of my savings."
"Your preaching to the choir," Buffy said with a smirk. "Demon blood has been the bane of my existence. Do you know how many clothes my mom had to try and get blood out before I told her I was the Slayer. A lot. It's the bane of our existence." She looked at Piper and smiled. "Right?"
"Mom's right," Piper agreed.
"Yeah, well, at least you both have got jobs," Paige reminded her mother and sister. "You know, I cannot afford to keep paying for this. Unless... magic reimburses me."
"Paige Elizabeth Matthews!" Buffy admonished her youngest daughter with a glare. "Do we need to remind you of personal gain and it's consequences. For example the big boob fiasco?"
"No, Mom, my back still hurts," Paige groaned. "Don't worry, I won't do anything stupid." She headed of the kitchen as Piper and Buffy followed.
"Paige, wait. What are you..." Piper started as Leo orbed in front of her and Buffy, "…doing."
"We've got problems," he told them.
"Yeah, I know, you're late and it's your turn to watch the babies," Piper reminded her husband.
Leo sighed. "Not marital problems... demonic ones."
Summers Home, Sunnydale
It was much with the preparations in the Summers household as Giles prepared to take the Potentials into the desert on a vision quest. He was not pleased about leaving Faith behind, and not shy about saying so. "Now, you're sure you'll be all right here?"
"You'll only be gone for two days," Faith pointed out. "I think I've managed without you for a bit longer than that."
"Right." He gazed coolly at her. "Well, thank goodness I needn't worry myself with the idea of bad things happening in my absence. I'm just a bit twitchy about leaving you alone with things in such a state of flux."
"I'm not alone," Faith reminded him. "Red, Blondie, Xan and An are here. Anyways B said it's important for the girls to understand the source of their power, and to know how to use it."
"Do you think they understand the gravity of what we're undertaking?" Giles asked. "It's frightening, and it's difficult. And apparently, someone told them that the vision quest consists of me driving them to the desert, doing the hokey pokey until a spooky Rasta-mama Slayer arrives and speaks to them in riddles."
"I don't think that was how B put it," Faith told him as Willow came into the room, "Hey, how's Blondie?"
"Still flue-y," Willow told her.
Then Xander came in with a weather report from the car—the girls arguing over who got to drive first, since Giles had let his California license lapse: Molly jumped into the trunk; the car horn blaring. It was like the old days when Buffy was fifteen and Giles was already world-weary of parenting an impetuous young Slayer . . .
Bay Mirror Newspaper Offices
Phoebe sat at her desk chatting with cyrano73 on the computer.
Cyrano73: Like the poem?
Cinderella29: Cute. Made my day.
Cyrano73: Want another?
Cinderella29: I'm all ears. Or eyes. Whatever.
Cyrano73: Only in person. Meet me Saturday night?
"And there it is," Phoebe said as she sighed. She then typed, "Sorry, can't."
"What's the matter?" Dawn asked as she looked around her computer at her niece.
"This Cyrano guy wants to meet Saturday," Phoebe answered with a sigh. "I'm like no, can't."
"Yeah," Dawn sighed. "I'll be glad when this whole online dating thing is over with. Faith is understanding that it's for work. But it still makes me feel like I'm cheating on her."
It was just then when their new assistant walked in to the office. "Okay, remember, I'm just the messenger," she said.
"Why do I have the feeling Jason Dean's name is about to be mentioned?" Phoebe asked with a sigh.
"He had a few thoughts on the internet dating article," the assistant asked as she handed Phoebe and Dawn each their halves of the article.
''Is yours marked in red?" Dawn asked looking at her niece.
"Yep, I take it, yours too?" Phoebe replied as Dawn nodded.
"And he wants the rewrite by tomorrow. Sorry," the assistant said as she left.
Phoebe and Dawn stood and rushed out of their office and barged into Jason's. They saw Jason was looking at a file.
"There is nothing wrong with these!" Phoebe said as she threw hers and Dawn's halves of the article onto this desk.
"Actually there is, didn't you both see all the red?" Jason asked not looking up at either of them.
"Look, this was your idea," Dawn reminded him. "Neither of us wanted to write the article in the first place. We both had our own individual objections to it."
"And that's how it reads," he told them.
"Okay, well, just because we didn't want to write it doesn't mean we didn't do our best," Phoebe told him.
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" he asked. "Because it's an article about online dating, yet you, Phoebe, somehow devoted four paragraphs in your half to this week's meteor shower. And, Dawn, you devoted three paragraphs of yours to walks on the beach."
"Well, I think meteor showers are romantic," Phoebe admitted. "And quite frankly a lot less dangerous."
"And I think moonlit walks on the beach are romantic," Dawn added. "And it doesn't make me feel like I'm cheating on my wife."
"You both are reporters, and you're supposed to be unbiased," Jason reminded the two women standing in front of him.
"Okay, Dawn and I are advice columnists and very biased ones, especially when it comes to romance," Phoebe told him as Dawn nodded in agreement.
"Oh, and you both know all about romance, do you?" he asked.
"Well, Phoebe and I know what women like," Dawn retorted.
"Do you now?" he scoffed.
"Yes, we like eye contact," Phoebe retorted. "Hello?" Jason finally looked up at her and Dawn. "Yeah. And conversation where you can actually see the other person's lips moving, and long late night walks, and, and candles and roses..."
"And neither of you think you can get that over the internet?" Jason questioned.
"No, I don't," Phoebe and Dawn agreed.
"I think you can get CDs over the internet, books, a purse maybe, but not a date," Dawn added.
"You two got any plans later?" he asked. He didn't wait for them to answer. "You do now. I'm taking you both on assignment."
"What? Where? Why?" Phoebe and Dawn asked shocked at the turn of events.
"To prove something to you both. Six o'clock sharp I'll pick you both up," he told them before returning to his work.
Summers Home, Sunnydale
Faith went down to the basement after Giles left, to visit with Spike. The vampire had insisted upon being chained up in his spot as before, and he sat on his cot, now, smiling as they talked about the glories of being free of the kids.
"Gives us all a chance for a breather, eh?" he observed. "From the constant pitter-patter of clomping teenage girly feet?"
Faith shrugged and said, "No, I enjoy my responsibility as mentor, role model, life guide . . . oh my God, I cannot believe I have the bathroom all to myself for two whole days," she finished, flopping down beside him. "Have you seen the kitchen since they've been here?"
"I'm just trying to stay out of their way."
Faith regarded the chains. One hung across his back; he was manacled. It was not without some . . . allure. "I've noticed."
"This is better," he said. "Believe me, it's safer."
Faith shrugged. "Okay, but you've been fine."
He looked at her hard. "With you by my side, yeah. And that's the way it's going to be until we're sure The First is done making me its bitch. Either we're together, or I'm on the leash."
"We just need to make sure the trigger's deactivated then. We've got a couple of days, lack of pitter-patter and all."
Spike leaned forward and gazed earnestly at her. "Faith," he said. "Ow."
"Ow?" she echoed, puzzled.
His face contorted, twitching. "Ow, ow, ow!" He leaned back, thrashing against the wall.
"What's wrong?" Faith cried, as he pressed his hands to his head, clearly in pain. "Spike, what is going on?"
"The chip," he groaned. "God. Why would . . ." And then he screamed and writhed in agony.
Summers-Halliwell Art Gallery
Buffy sat in her office in the gallery, busily typing away at the computer. She banged away at the keys, groaning when the computer suddenly froze. She pressed a few keys, hoping that the computer wouldn't act up anymore. But instead of re-booting, the computer popped up with a bright blue screen with symbols and words that were completely alien to her. She groaned again.
"Problems?" a voice called out behind her.
Buffy spun her chair around to look at Sam. "Sam," she said as she smiled at her boyfriend. She glanced over beside her and saw Joyce was asleep in the bassinet. She then moved over to him and folded herself into his comforting arms. "Computers and me, just never have been the best of friends."
"I wish I could help," Sam told her as he tightened his embrace while kissing her forehead. "But I know very little about computers."
"I know," Buffy said as she looked up into his eyes. "I would ask, Phoebe or Dawn, but they're at work. That leaves only one other person. "Willow, but she's in Sunnydale."
"Would you like me to go get her?" Sam asked.
"Would you, please?" Buffy asked as she smiled at him.
"Of course," Sam kissed Buffy again before disappearing in blue and white orbing lights.
Halliwell Manor
Paige lay her shrunken sweater on the table and picked up a spell she had written. "Personal loss should not be mine, restore this sweater and make it fine," she chanted as she lit the spell and threw it in a pot. The sweater magically grew into its original size. "Ooh, I can't wait to try this on my credit rating."
"You sure that's a good idea?" Leo asked as he walked into the attic with Wyatt.
"Wyatt, you should tell your daddy to not spy on Auntie Paige," Paige said looking at her nephew.
Leo sighed. "We're only here because his mother and grandmother are worried about you," he told his sister-in-law. "Should we be?"
Paige shook her head. "No," she answered. "I'm just settling a few debts, is all."
Leo frowned as he looked at the restored sweater. "By using magic?" he asked. "Even Wyatt, Elizabeth and Joyce know that's breaking the rules."
"Listen," Paige said looking pointedly a her brother-in-law. "My nieces and nephew wouldn't be here if you hadn't broken the rules. And yes I am including Joyce in that. If not for you and Piper I have my doubts the Elders would have let Aunt Dawn and Aunt Faith…"
Leo sighed, he didn't need her to finish the sentence as he agreed with her. That from the moment Faith's Darklighter DNA had been replaced with Whitelighter DNA and she had been made Dawn's Whitelighter. That if not for him and Piper, Faith and Dawn would likely have been forbidden. "Okay, that was different," he said indicating his and Piper's relationship. "You know it."
"How?" Paige scoffed. "That is a stupid rule and so is the one that says I have to take a vow of poverty in order to be a full time witch. Listen, I'm not trying to get rich quick, I am just making up for my losses."
"Paige, please," Leo sighed. "The entire family has enough to deal with right now without the consequences of some spell you cast. Or need I remind you of one of the first spells you cast and what it did to Dawn?"
"Well, listen," Paige countered, "if you and Piper weren't so busy sniping at each other all the time, maybe you would feel differently."
"We weren't sniping!" he objected. "Nice try, change of subject. Look, Paige, there is more important things going on right now. The Elders say that good has been going through a curious string of bad luck lately and the demons are getting the upper hand. Maybe you could try working on that."
Paige smiled. "I have a perfect spell for that," she told him picking up a piece of paper. "I just wrote it to get out of my own predicament. "To find good luck, finances have run amuck, creditors I soon must duck..." she chanted.
Leo's eyes went wide. "Paige, that's for personal gain," he told her.
"I cast this spell to find good luck, and hope my life will cease to suck," she finished the spell while ignoring Leo. Suddenly she was covered in green lights as she disappeared.
Leo sighed as he looked at his son. "Don't tell your mommy or grandma about this, okay?" he asked.
Summer House, Sunnydale
Willow was making tea for Tara, and she looked at Faith as the Slayer came upstairs. "Hey," she said by way of greeting. "How is he?"
Faith sat wearily. "Oh, in the 'goes' part of 'comes and goes.'"
"Well, there seems to be a definite lack of screaming," Willow ventured. "That's good."
"You'd think." Faith indicated the tea that Willow was brewing. "That for Blondie?"
"Yeah." Willow's features softened. "Thought I'd bring her some tea, help her feel better." At Faith's teasing smile, she murmured, "It's just tea."
Faith chuckled. Then she said, "Red, how much do you know about Spike's chip?"
"Spike's chip?" Willow thought. "Well, I remember trying to dig up stuff back then but you know, turns out when a secret government agency studies vampires and puts chips in their brains that keeps them from hurting people, they don't really build Web sites. Why?"
Faith was concerned. "Even with the chip, Spike was able to hurt all those people when he was brainwashed."
"Yeah, but he was under the control of The First," Willow argued.
"Maybe something's wrong with it," Faith said.
"The chip is misfiring all on its own, then," Willow said slowly. "Well, this'll be fun." She walked out of the kitchen with the cup in her hand.
"Have fun," Faith called after her. "Delivering tea."
"Okay, not when you make it sound all dirty like that," Willow mumbled as she went upstairs. "It's just tea."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Sam orbed into the living room of the Summers home. "Willow?" he called out.
"Upstairs," Willow called back.
Sam followed the sound of Willow's voice and found her in hers and Tara's room. He immediately noticed that Willow was tending to Tara. "By the looks of it this is a bad time."
"Sam!" Willow said in surprise seeing the Whitelighter. Not long after he had started dating Buffy, she and Tara had been made his charges. "Yeah it kind of is. Tara's not feeling well, she's fluey. Is it something important?"
"Yes," Sam answered. "Buffy needs some computer help. Dawn and Phoebe are at work, so…"
Willow sighed as she looked at her girlfriend and then back at her Whitelighter. "If Tara wasn't sick…"
Sam nodded as he walked over to Tara and held out his hands. "Shh," he said with a wink at Willow, who nodded in understanding. The healing glow spread out from his hands over Tara as he healed her.
Green Meadow
Paige appeared in the same green light as she had disappeared from the attic in. . Shamus pops up from behind a tree, giving Paige a fright.]
"A witch," said a small man as he popped from behind a tree frightening Paige. "It's about bloody time help got here. I was beginning to think our luck wasn't working no more."
"Who are you?" Paige asked in surprise.
"Shamus Fitzpatrick," Shamus answered in an Irish accent. "At your service, ma'am."
Paige glanced around the meadow. "Uh, what am I doing here? I was just looking for a bit of luck."
"So were we," Shamus answered. "Our magic must've intercepted. And none too soon I might add. We need your help."
"We?" Paige asked looking back at Shamus. "Who's we?"
Shamus smiled. "Why, leprechauns!"
"Huh, leprechauns," Paige said looking at the leprechaun. She remembered one of the stories Buffy had told her, where Giles had said leprechauns didn't exist. Apparently he had clearly been mistaken. "Of course, why would I think there would be anything other than leprechauns needing my help?" Suddenly, she flew over a tree branch and landed hard on the ground.
A demon walked over to Shamus and grabbed him around the neck. "Gotcha!"
"Leprechaun!" Paige called out as she stood up. Shamus orbed out and back in next to her, making her wish she hadn't stood up as he knocked her back down.
"Ever date a little person?" Shamus asked Paige as he smiled at her.
"We got to get out of here," she told Shamus.
"Allow me," Shamus said as he stood up. " Go n-éirí an bóthar leat." As a rainbow appeared the demon ran at them. "Hold onto your knickers, darlin'." He and Paige step into the rainbow and disappeared.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
As the rainbow appeared in another part of the meadow, Shamus and Paige stepped out of it in front of a pot of gold.
"Is that...?" Paige asked motioning toward the pot.
Shamus smiled. "Me very own."
"Lucky you," Paige replied eying the pot.
Summers-Halliwell Art Gallery
"Problems?" a voice called out behind Buffy again.
Buffy spun her chair around to look at her friend. "I think the computer is possessed," she explained.
Willow chuckled at her friend's stupefied expression. "It's not that hard," she said.
"Says the computer genius," Buffy replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes slightly.
"Here, let me show you," Willow said. She walked over to the desk and hit a few buttons at the same time. Immediately, the computer screen went black before restarting. "See?"
"You, Dawn and Phoebe are all so good at all this stuff," Buffy complained, "Why can't I be good at this stuff?"
Willow shrugged. She leaned up against the side of Buffy's desk and smiled at her friend.
"Thanks," Buffy said gratefully. She watched the computer screen, waiting for everything to load.
"So how are things with Sam?" Willow asked.
Buffy shrugged. "We've been dating now for five months and I'm slowly beginning to wonder if he will propose."
"I'm sure he will, Buffy," Willow returned. "That said while I am here. I need some advice."
"What kind of advice?" Buffy wondered.
"I want to propose to Tara," Willow replied.
Buffy jumped out of her seat and pulled her redheaded friend into her arms.
It was then that Sam orbed into the office. "Sorry to interrupt," he said. "But your needed at home, Patty.
"I will stay and watch things for you while your gone," Willow told her friend. "And keep an eye on my favorite niece." In the two months since Wyatt, Elizabeth and Joyce had been born. Dawn and Faith had agreed that she, Tara, Anya and Xander would all be part of the extended family as Joyce's aunts and uncle.
Halliwell Manor
Buffy, Dawn, Sam, Piper, Phoebe, Paige, Leo sat in the living room with Shamus. In Paige's lap rested the Book of Shadows.
Shamus held out a gold nugget. "It's not just gold, it's magic," he explained. "Pure luck, that's what you're lookin' at. Course, it's just a spark to get them started. The rest is up to the recipient."
"Wow," Dawn said looking at her sister. "Giles either lied to you or…"
"Yeah," Buffy agreed as she looked at Shamus. "My mentor, former Watcher, said you guys didn't exist."
"Anyways," Paige said with a glance at both her mother and aunt. "Leprechauns are like bees. They pollinate the world with luck. Sometimes the seeds don't stick but other times they grow into full-blown hot streaks, right?"
Shamus nodded as he smiled at Paige. "What she said." He clicked his fingers and a green hat appeared in his hand. He put it on his head.
"See?" Paige said looking at the leprechaun. "Now can I have some luck? I think I've earned it."
"Paige," Buffy said shaking her head. "Be careful. Not all luck is good."
"She's right," Shamus agreed. "A nugget can go either way. Depending on our intention."
"So you hand out bad luck as well? Wouldn't that make you evil?" Piper asked as Shamus moved to her in a blur of movement.
"Watch your tongue!" Shamus admonished Piper. "How'd you like it if I started sayin' witches are evil?"
Sam and Leo chuckled. "Yeah, leprechauns might be tricksters but they're definitely not evil." Leo said. "Like it or not, the world needs bad luck. It keeps the natural order in balance."
"Finally, a man with a solid head on his shoulders," Shamus said looking at Leo. "Bad luck helps people just as much as good luck, maybe even more so. Because of adversity, people learn, they grow."
Dawn's cell phone went off at the same time Phoebe's did. Dawn looked down at the caller ID and then at her sister. "Who is at the gallery calling?"
"Probably Willow," Buffy answered. "You and Phoebe were busy at work so Sam orbed her to help me with a computer issue. She's watching Joyce."
"Sorry, it's probably Cyrano," Phoebe said as she looked at her phone.
"Dawn Summers-Halliwell," Dawn answered.
"Hey, Dawn. It's Willow. Uhm I hate to bother you when your dealing with a demon. But Joyce is crying," came Willow's voice from the phone.
Dawn looked at Sam. "Could you go and bring them here, please."
"No problem, Dawn," Sam replied as he disappeared in blue and white orbing lights.
"Sam is going to orb you and Joyce to me," Dawn told her friend before ending the call.
Paige flipped to a page in the book and smiled. "Uh, and this must be the demon, Saleel," she said as Shamus moved over to her in a blur.
"Yep, that's the wanker, alright," he said looking at the page.
Paige read down the page quickly. "Eh, it says here he's just a lower level reptile demon. We can vanquish him with a potion."
"Great. Let's get rid of him so I can find a band," Piper said.
"Which reminds me, Piper. I couldn't do anything about your ads without your okay. But I did with Steve's help make some changes to the specials you were currently running," Dawn said as she looked at her niece.
"Um, I think finding a band might be easier for you, honey," Paige said still looking at the page. "It says here he's pretty elusive."
"You're darn right he is," Shamus agreed. "Otherwise we would've heaped a load of bad luck on him by now. As it is, we never know when he's going to strike."
"It's probably what the Elders are worried about," Leo said as Sam orbed in with not only Willow and Joyce but Tara as well. "Saleel's been stealing the leprechauns' gold nuggets and giving it to other demons."
Dawn smiled as she held out her arms and Willow set Joyce into them before she and Willow sat in the only empty chairs in the room. She began the usual things. Rocking Joyce to see if her daughter needed a nap, then checking to see if Joyce's diaper needed changing and so on.
"But maybe with a little good luck, you witches can put a stop to that," Shamus said looking at all the witches in the room.
"So what's going on?" Willow wondered looking at Buffy who sat next to her and Tara.
"Remember how Giles said Leprechauns didn't exist?" Buffy replied as Willow nodded. "Meet one of them."
"Ooh," Willow said excitedly.
"No, we don't need luck," Piper countered looking pointedly at Shamus. "We're going to do it our way."
"Your way may not work," Shamus said he moved over to Dawn and Phoebe in a blur. "Are you with us, dear?" he asked Phoebe. "Or are you writing love notes to your boyfriend?" Piper giggled as Elizabeth and Wyatt's cries echo through Piper's baby monitor adding to Joyce's. He moved over to the baby monitor in a blur and picked it up. He glanced at Dawn and Piper. "What is this? A coven or a day care center?"
"I got it," Leo said as he stood up.
"Leo, I think she's hungry, would you mind?" Dawn asked.
"No," Leo said as he took Joyce from Dawn before heading out of the room.
"Don't forget to sanitize the nipple," Piper called after him.
"People, we're running out of time?" Shamus said looking at seven witches in the room. "Do I need to start crying like a baby to get some action around here?"
"You know something," Dawn said a tad bit angry. "I think Piper will agree our children come before you and your friends."
"Aunt Dawn's right," Piper agreed.
"Yah, well, without a little luck, my friends aren't gonna last long, lassie," Shamus retorted. "So let's try it my way." He held out a gold nugget. "Slainte is tainte." A gold stream of light floated into both Dawn and Piper.
Piper and Dawn looked at each other. "What happened?" Piper asked as Dawn shrugged. "What did you just do to us?"
"Why don't you both find out for yourselves," Shamus said cryptically as the doorbell rang.
Dawn and Piper stood up and moved to the front door. Piper opened it to reveal Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo standing there. "You're Pat Benatar," they said with a gasp.
"Oh, good, fans, what a relief," Pat told Neil before looking back at Dawn and Piper. "This is my husband, Neil."
"Sorry to bother you. Our car broke down outside and our cell phone is dead," Neil told them with a smile.
"Just our luck, right?" Pat added. "Listen, can we use your phone? We'd really owe you."
Piper and Dawn looked at each other, seeing quite similar reactions on their faces. One of the very reasons that Piper had originally tried to get Pat to play at Dawn's P3 was for Dawn herself. Piper had wanted Pat Benatar to play at Dawn's P3 as her aunt's one-year wedding anniversary gift. She knew one of Dawn's all time favorite singers was Pat.
Summers Home, Sunnydale
Faith went back to check on Spike, who was lying on his cot with his head on a pillow. His nose was bleeding and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked awful.
"Popped another blood vessel, I think."
Faith grabbed a towel and wiped blood from his nose, watching him soberly, as she said, "There's got to be a reason why the chip is messing up. Maybe it's related to the trigger or maybe it's something to do with the new soul . . ."
"Or maybe it wasn't meant to last this long." He gazed at her. "One more thing you and I have in common, eh, pet?"
Faith gave him the small reaction he wanted, then said, "Well, we'll fix it. We'll hit serious research mode . . ."
"Good. Try 'Behavioral Modification Software Throughout the Ages,' " he quipped.
She sighed. "Okay, you're right. Not a book thing. It's a phone thing."
"Who you going to call?" Spike asked her, then, "God, that phrase is never going to be useable again, is it?"
"Doubt it," Faith said.
They went upstairs and Spike sat on the stairs, listening as she dialed a number. Riley had come to Sunnydale during the time when Faith was still living there full time. He had wanted Buffy's help, but since she was in San Francisco he got Faith's instead. As a result after everything was said and done she got a contact number. "Tell him we're having a problem with Spike's chip. No, his chip. Spike."
Spike shook his head. "Listen, pet . . ."
"No, no," Faith said into the phone. "Finn is his last name. Yeah. Well, did he used to work there and then he got transferred? Is this actually a flower shop, or is this one of those things where I'm supposed to play along and show that I know it's really secret ops? Oh, maybe I shouldn't have said that."
Unbeknownst to her, the chip misfired again, sending Spike into paroxysm of pain.
"Okay well, I guess if some guy named Finn shows up to buy flowers . . . right. Thanks."
She hung up. "Wrong number. Or a giant government conspiracy . . ."
Faith turned and saw the aftermath of another powerful spasm splashed across Spike's face.
This one seemed easier than the others," he told her. "See? Probably just gonna fade . . ." He screamed, holding his head.
Halliwell Manor
Willow and Phoebe sat at the table in the conservatory scrying for the demon as Buffy, Tara and Paige watched. Next to them stood Shamus poking at the rainbow mobile hanging above the bassinets. "Who do they think they're fooling?" he asked. "No one's going to go anywhere on those things."
"Um, it's just something pretty for the babies to look at," Paige told him with a small glance at Buffy.
"Pretty? Ya humans," he scoffed. "The minute you see a few colors you get all excited. Rainbows aren't for looking at. If they were, they wouldn't be invisible."
"They aren't invisible," Buffy countered.
"We can see them," Phoebe added.
"Aye, when it rains, maybe," Shamus countered. "But they're in the skies all the time. It's how we get around. We light them up with our shillelaghs."
"Ahh, is that how you find your pots of gold?" Paige asked.
Shamus nodded. "And also our realm, our home. What's left of it, anyway," he replied as Piper and Dawn returned.
"Pat Benatar is in the kitchen on the phone with her manager," Dawn said excitedly, "rearranging her schedule so she can play at Dawn's P3."
Piper smiled at Shamus. "I am so sorry I doubted you." She leaned down and gave Shamus a kiss on the cheek.
Dawn turned and kissed Shamus on the other cheek. "Thanks. Now the only thing that would make my wedding anniversary perfect is to have Faith here. And before you think of using your luck for that. Don't. I know why she isn't here just as I am sure you do."
Shamus nodded. "Aye, I do. We've been doing a lot of work with your wife. Sadly not all of it took hold."
"Okay, this is not working, I can't find Saleel," Phoebe sighed looking up at Willow who was putting down her own crystal.
"I could try a locator spell, but I'm not sure if it will work with this particular demon," Willow sighed resignedly.
Tara knelt next to Willow and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "It'll be okay, Will."
"What you need is luck and lots of it," Shamus said. "Not just the spark I can give ya, but the kind you build from, by taking risks, gettin' yourself on a serious roll."
"Serious roll, huh?" Paige said as an idea comes to mind. "I think I know exactly where I can get one of those. Hit me."
Shamus pulled out a nugget. "Slainte is tainte," he said as a gold stream of light hit Paige.
"Alright!" Paige said looking at her eldest sister and her mother. "You two ready to go?"
"Go where?" Buffy and Piper questioned.
Paige smiled. "Come on."
"Come on where?" Piper asked as Paige took hers and Buffy's hands and orbed out with them.
Hey! Hey, where's me kiss?" Shamus called after Paige. "Women." He looked at Willow, Tara and Phoebe. "Well, how 'bout you three?"
"Couldn't hurt," Willow admitted as Tara and Phoebe nodded n agreement.
"Hit us," Phoebe said.
Shamus puleds out another nugget. "Slainte is tainte." The gold stream of light hit Phoebe, Tara and Willow seconds before the doorbell rang.
"For me or Tara and Willow?" Phoebe asked as she stood and headed into the foyer followed by Dawn, Willow and Tara. "Who's it gonna be? George Clooney, Justin Timberlake?"
"Kate Winslet?" Tara added as Willow looked at her. "I just loved her in Titanic, baby."
Phoebe opened the door and found Jason standing on the front porch. "You two ready to go?" Jason asked looking at Phoebe and Dawn.
Phoebe sighed as she closed the door. "That did not work."
"Bullocks!" Shamus said as he walked up next to Tara. "It always works."
"Well in our case, not so much," Dawn admitted. "He's our boss. And we had a work meeting tonight."
Jason knocked on the door as Phoebe opened it again. "So I take it you two don't want to go out?" he asked looking at Phoebe and Dawn.
"No, you know, it's funny," Phoebe replied. "We can't. Because our cousin came into town and he needs help with his other cousin."
Shamus stepped forward. "Oh, don't make a fuss about me," he said. "You three just go out and have good time now."
"But we really have to stay here and help you with your problems," Dawn reminded Shamus.
Jason raised an eyebrow as he looked Shamus over. "You guys are cousins?"
"Distant," Dawn replied.
"And it's about to get a lot more distant if you don't let Dawn and I handle this situation," Phoebe added looking at Shamus.
"Well, I would let you handle it," Shamus said looking at Phoebe pointedly, "if you weren't handling it all wrong. You need to go take some risks and leave the rest up to luck."
"It's a work meeting, or was supposed to be," Dawn retorted. She looked at Shamus. She knelt down next to Shamus and whispered in his ear, "Since it was Phoebe who was hit. This has nothing to do with the original reason he was supposed to pick us up was there?"
Shamus looked at Dawn and nodded.
Dawn nodded as she stood up. "I can't stay out long, Jason. Joyce isn't feeling well. So I don't want to be out for too long."
"I will try not to take up too much of your time, Dawn," Jason replied.
Phoebe glanced at Dawn with a sigh and they followed Jason out the door as Shamus closed it behind them.