A Mother Reincarnated

by Brenna's Urbangirl Projects

Patty Halliwell died and when she was to go on to the afterlife, she was approached by an Angel of Destiny and the Elders to either continue on to the afterlife, or to be reborn and continue the fight against evil. She chose to be reborn and was reborn as Buffy Summers, the Slayer.

50. Chapter 49: Nymphs Just Wanna Part 3

Chapter 49: Nymphs Just Wanna Have Fun Part 3

April 22, 2003 - Tuesday

Restfield Cemetery, Sunnydale

Faith fought with the vampire, who had finally emerged from fresh grave, flipping him onto his back, straddling him, and whipped out her stake. Another night, another vampire.

She was about to finish him off when Giles said, "Don't kill him yet."

Both she and the vampire looked over at Giles. "Why not?" she asked.

"Because I'm asking you not to," he informed her.

"Again why?" Faith asked shaking her head. She shrugged, it was no skin off her nose. She needed the workout anyways. She elbowed the vampire and rolled away. He got back up on his feet and they squared off again.

Giles said, "Would you let this vampire live if it meant saving the world?"

Faith stopped for a moment as she thought over Giles question. She formed an ice ball in her hand and threw it at the vampire, who stumbled back away from her giving her time to think. "Maybe."

They fought a little to stay in the game, and then Faith turned to the Watcher and said, "G-man, I think I remember B saying you and she had this conversation. Is that this is? You asking me if I would let Dawn die to save the world?"

"Things are different now than they were when Buffy faced that choice, aren't they?" Giles asked. "If …" he didn't get to finish as he found Faith's hand at his throat.

"Run along," Faith told the vampire. "You get a free pass tonight." She glared at Giles as the vampire ran. "G-man, don't ever threaten my wife or my family ever again. I will not kill Dawn or Piper or Phoebe or Paige or Buffy or my daughter or my niece and nephew. I will not kill any of them to save the world. If it comes down to it, they will watch me protect them with my last dying breath."

"Then you don't get it do you, Faith," Giles said when the brunette Slayer backed away. "So you really don't understand the difficult decisions you'll have to make. That any one of us is expendable in this war... That we can't allow any threat that may jeopardize our chances of winning."

And then Faith got it, what this was really about…Spike.

"This whole time, this has been about, Spike," she said. "Spike's here because I want him here. Without my family here currently to help protect those girls, we need him."

"You want Spike here even after what he did to you just a year ago?" Giles pressed.

"I am done, G-Man. I don't have to give you my reasons for wanting him here. You know why don't you pack your bags, I don't think I like you hanging around in my wife's house," Faith said as she orbed out leaving him alone in the middle of the cemetery.

Dawn's P3

Dawn, Paige, Miranda and Daisy were up on stage dancing with the band as Buffy, Sam, Piper and Leo walked down the stairs.

"I don't see them," Piper said.

"I do," Sam said as he nudged Leo who followed his gaze. "And you don't want to. I'm not sure I want to."

Buffy followed her fiancée's gaze and frowned. "Oh, that cat's out of the bag," she said.

"Come on," Leo said as he led them to the stage. "Dawn…Paige, what are you two doing?"

"We're dancing, Leo," Paige answered.

"Do you want to come dance with us?" Dawn added.

"No," Buffy countered. "Dawn…Paige, come down here. Before somebody recognizes you. Especially you, Dawn. Who knows how many here tonight read yours and Phoebe's column."

"Alright, Paige, looking good!" said a guy from the audience.

Piper sighed as she glanced at her mother. "Ah, so much for that."

"Come on, Dawn…Paige, we're getting you two out of here," Leo said.

"We can't. We can't leave until we find our Satyr," Dawn countered.

"Your Satyr? Get..." Sam said as he grabbed Dawn while Leo grabbed Paige and they pulled them off the stage. "Talk to them," he told Piper and Buffy.

"Paige," Piper said looking at the two women in front of her. "Prue…both of you listen, we need you. We can't save your fellow nymphs without the two of you."

"You don't need us," Paige countered.

"Dawn Summers," Buffy said in a tone she rarely used with Dawn. "Do you know what I told Giles when he suggested killing you the day we fought Glory? I told him if you died, that I was done, finished. I don't know if I could live through losing you. Please come home."

"The hell we don't. Paige," Piper told her sister, "listen to me. You both are not nymphs, you are witched and damn good ones at that. That is your true nature."

Just then the band manager walked up to them. "Hey, Piper. You've got to get those groupies off the stage, they're distracting my band."

"Groupies?" Buffy said.

"You do know one of these so-called groupies is the co-owner of the club, right?" Piper asked with a glare at him.

"Patty," Sam said nudging his fiancée. He had noticed the Dawn, Paige and the nymphs were heading for the door.

"Dawn…Paige, wait!" Buffy and Piper called after their respective sisters.

"Where are we going?" Paige and Dawn asked the nymphs.

"To our new Satyr. Do you hear his call?" Daisy asked with glee.

Robin Wood's Home, Sunnydale

The vampire was nearly comatose, its eyes glassy as if it was on drugs.

Blood streamed down its face; its face was pulpy from the beating.

"Animal like you," Robin flung at it, "never cared for anyone but yourself."

He striped his mother's coat off the monster's body and laid it gently on the table.

It felt as if her ghost moved in the room . . . and he knew that soon, she would be at peace.

"No one else mattered," Robin said to the creature. "Just all about the hunt."

He pulled a small wooden cross off the wall with a bit of effort.

I'm free, Spike thought in wonder. He felt himself released from the trigger, felt the guilt and shame evaporate along with his memories. His face had changed to his man's features.

He grabbed the principal's arm and kicked him in the chest. The other man reeled backward.

"Sorry?" Wood demanded. "You think 'sorry' is going to make everything right?"

"I wasn't talking to you," Spike tossed off.

That enraged Wood, who launched a full attack, but Spike defended himself skillfully, deflecting each blow. Then he executed a round kick to Wood's head, dazing him.

"I don't give a piss about your mum," he informed Robin Wood. "She was a Slayer. I was a vampire."

Wood attacked; Spike gave it right back.

"That's the way the game is played."

"Game?!" Wood shouted, astonished.

"She knew what she was signing up for," Spike retorted, punishing Wood with a brace of hard blows.

"Well, I didn't sign up for it," Wood argued.

"Well, that's the rub, in'it?" Spike said. "You didn't sign up for it, and somehow that's my fault."

Wood threw punches; Spike dodged and deflected them. "You took my childhood . . . when you took her away from me. She was all I had! She was my world!"

Spike stayed with the fight. "And you weren't hers. Does it piss you off?"

Wood hesitated, then came at Spike again. "Shut up!" he shouted. "You didn't know her!" His swing was awkward; Spike avoided it, then pummeled him, beating him to his knees.

"I know Slayers. No matter how many people they got around them, they fight alone," he said coldly. Then he beat Wood to his knees. "Life of the Chosen One. The rest of us be damned. Your mum was no different."

Bloody and beaten, Wood stared blearily up at him with desperate defiance. "She . . . she loved me."

Spike delivered the final blow. "So she said, I expect. But not enough to quit though, was it? Not enough to walk away. For you."

Wood did not respond. He could not. Broken on the floor, he was . . . shattered.

Spike gave each of them a few moments, and then he said. "I'll tell you a story. 'Bout a mother and a son. See, like you, I loved my mother. So much so, I turned her into a vampire so we could be together forever." He paused, then added. "She said some nasty bits to me after I did that. Been weighing on me for quite some time."

He paced, running it through.

"But you helped me figure something out. You see, unlike you . . ." He didn't mind saying that. ". . . I had a mother who loved me back. When I sired her, I set loose a demon that tore into me."

"But that was the demon talking, not her. I realize that now."

He finally understood, was finally free.

"My mother loved me with all her heart. I was her world."

Confidently he crossed to the laptop and hit a key. The folksy rendition of "Early One Morning" began to play. He listened calmly.

"That's a nice little song you got there," he said to the ravaged man on the floor.

He listened a little longer, then stopped the music.

"Thanks, doctor. You cured me after all."

Menacingly, he advanced on the defenseless man. "I've got my own free will now. I'm not under The First, or anyone's influence now."

He stared up at Spike looming over him.

"I just wanted you to know that . . . before I kill you."

He morphed into vampface, yanked up his enemy, and bit him, hard . . .

City Plaza

The demon was playing a pan flute as Paige, Dawn and the nymphs frolic out of the nearby plants and dance around him.

"Welcome, my little nymphs. Welcome," he said before returning to play the flute.

Robin Wood's Home, Sunnydale

The side door of Robin's garage opened and Spike stepped out. He was pulling on his coat, and he had been savagely beaten.

"Spike!" Faith cried. She came to him.

Wordlessly he pushed the door open.

Robin Wood lay sprawled on the floor, barely recognizable through the blood and bruises.

"I gave him a pass," Spike said. "I let him live. On account of the fact that I killed his mother."

Faith began to put the pieces together . . .

". . . but that's all he gets," Spike told her. He began to walk away. "He even so much as looks at me funny again, I'll kill him."

Faith watched him go . . . then turned toward the garage. She went inside, saw all the crosses.

Walked to Robin's side and knelt beside him.

"I lost my mom a very long time ago," she said. "She gave me up to protect me from my father. He killed her trying to find me."

He wiped the blood from his mouth as he said, "I'm sorry." He said of his mother, "She got herself killed. Being murdered."

"I know how it feels," Faith said. "Knowing that something evil killed someone you loved. I got my revenge for my mother, I killed my father. Tonight you killed the monster that killed your mother. But Spike, he's an innocent."

"Don't delude yourself. That monster still exists," Robin said bitterly.

"Without the support of my family. My wonderful nieces, my sister-in-law and my wife, here in Sunnydale," Faith said. "Spike is all I have helping me to protect those girls. We need him if we're going to get through this alive," she informed him. "If you try anything again, he will kill you. But more importantly, I'll let him."

He looked down, unable to meet her gaze.

And then she orbed out.

April 23, 2003 - Wednesday

Halliwell Manor

Buffy, Piper and Phoebe sat on the couch with open books all over the floor in front of them. "I don't know how the hell to find them," Phoebe sighed.

"Well, maybe if we knew why they decided to turn both Dawn and Paige into nymphs in the first place, that would help," Piper interjected.

"That's because they needed a third sister, right?" Phoebe asked.

"It goes beyond that I think," Buffy said. "After all they transformed both Dawn and Paige. That would make four sisters. I think Paige was the one they were after. And Dawn, well, what she is going through drew them to her in a bid to help her."

"Anyways," Piper said. "The book also says that only certain types of magical creatures can be turned into a nymph, so what type were they?"

"The type that needed a change maybe," Leo said.

"From being a witch?" Phoebe asked looking at her brother-in-law. "That's ridiculous. Both Dawn and Paige love being a witch."

"Again, Phoebe, I think Dawn was transformed because of Prue's memories," Buffy said. "I think she needed an escape from herself till she could maybe come to terms with it."

"I think Patty is right," Sam agreed.

"And Paige, not until I came roaring back," Piper said. "And I didn't just push her aside, I actually pushed Paige right out the door."

Phoebe sighed. "Oh, are we back to blaming you again?"

"No one is blaming anyone," Buffy said. "Both Paige and Dawn had reasons for the nymphs to be transformed. They both needed I think a little fun in their lives."

"I believe Buffy is correct," Leo added. "Both of them have had things that have been all consuming. They were likely overdue for some fun."

"Well, they had plenty of fun at Dawn's P3 last night," Piper interjected.

"Ooh, film at eleven," Phoebe added.

It was then that they heard all three babies crying through the baby monitors.

"I'll take care of Wyatt and Elizabeth," Leo said.

"I have Joyce," Sam said.

"We'll stay on trying to get Dawn and Paige back," Buffy said as Leo and Sam walked out of the attic.

Piper sighed. "Okay, what haven't we tried?"

"I think we've pretty much tried everything," Phoebe informed her sister and mother.

"I think its time we start thinking outside the box," Buffy said.

"Come again?" Phoebe asked confused.

"I think mom's right," Piper said agreeing with her mother. Besides it was Paige's theory and it worked pretty damn well for her." They got up and walked over to the table. "Paige was working on a spell to locate the nymphs using the four elements of nature."

"Wow, that's a novel concept," Phoebe said obviously impressed.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah it was, but Piper mocked it," she said glaring at Piper. She looked at Phoebe. "But I think Paige was right, it should lead us to where the nymphs live and therefore Paige and Dawn."

"Here's water and fire," Phoebe said as she picked up a water bottle and some matches.

Piper picked up a fan. "A little bit of wind."

"Which means all we're missing now is earth," Buffy said as Phoebe's cell phone rang. They heard an echoing ring coming from down stairs. "Is that Dawn's?"

"I think so," Piper said. "I'll check it when I got grab some dirt from the backyard." She headed out of the attic.

"Hi. Hello?" Phoebe said as she answered her cell.

"Hey, it's Jason," came Jason's voice from the other end of the phone.

"Who is it?" Buffy asked.

"Jason," Phoebe told her mother before turning her attention back to the phone. "Hey, I can't really talk right now."

"It's not about us, Phoebe," Jason said. "it's about Dawn and Paige."

"What about her?" Phoebe questioned with a glance at Buffy.

"I'm not the only one who saw them," he explained. "There was a photographer at your sister's club last night because of the band. I've got pictures."

"Did Dawn and Piper approve for a photographer to be there?" Phoebe wondered.

"I have their permission in writing to be there for a story on the club," Jason answered. "That in includes pictures."

Phoebe sighed as she looked at her mother. "He's got picture of Dawn and Paige at Dawn's P3," she told her mother before turning back her cell phone. "And what are you going to do with the pictures?"

"Well, if I don't print them, I'll be the only paper in town that doesn't," Jason admitted.

"You know what? Just print them," Phoebe snapped.

"Phoebe..." Jason said from the other end of the line.

"Phoebe?" Buffy echoed with concern.

Phoebe waved Buffy off as she addressed Jason. "You know, if we hadn't slept together you never would have known that they were one of them."

Jason sighed. "If we hadn't slept together I wouldn't have hesitated to print them. Phoebe, will you please tell me what's going on here?"

Buffy snatched the phone from her daughter. "Hi, this is Buffy Summers-Halliwell, Dawn's full sister. We have no comment when it comes to the Godiva girls as Phoebe and Dawn said you were calling them. Nor do we have a comment on whether or not Dawn or Paige are one of them." She then ended the phone call as she handed Phoebe's phone back to her.

"Thanks, mom," Phoebe said with a sigh.

Woods

Daisy and Miranda giggle behind the demon Tull as they walk through the woods. Dawn and Paige were following behind them.

"No, no, I don't want any wreath.," Tull said when Daisy and Miranda tried to put a wreath around his neck. Then they tried to feed him some berries. "No, no berries. I just want the spring."

"What's the matter?" Miranda asked looking at Paige and Dawn. "Why aren't you two dancing?"

"Something doesn't feel right," Paige said.

"Paige is right?" Dawn agreed.

"Is it much farther?" Tull asked Miranda and Daisy.

"We're almost there," Daisy told him.

Tull smiled. "Good."

"How did you know we needed a new Satyr?" Paige asked.

"You called me with your little dance, didn't you?" Tull asked glancing at Paige and Dawn.

"Oh, forgive them, they're new," Daisy said.

"Well, then they should be silent, shouldn't they?" Tull suggested.

"Shouldn't we be worried about the demon that killed the last Satyr?" Dawn asked.

Tull smirked. "I'll take care of him."

"How?" Paige and Dawn questioned with a glance at each other.

"Enough with your questions, nymphs," Tull ordered as Daisy and Miranda stopped and stood beside Paige and Dawn.

"It's not our place to question him, we only wish to please," Miranda told them.

"But you don't know him," Paige countered.

"We protect and nourish the forest while caring for our Satyr, that's all we need to know," Miranda explained.

"It's in our nature," Daisy added.

"It's in your nature," Dawn said.

Miranda nodded. "It's in our nature. You both are one of us now."

"We're here," Daisy said as they stopped in what looked like an empty glade.

"Where?" he asked looking around the area for the spring. "Where is it? Show it to me."

Miranda and Daisy ran over to a large rock and placed their hands on it. It glowed and the place around them spun into a blur. When the blur settled they saw a beautiful garden and spring.

"It's so beautiful," Paige and Dawn said.

Tull walked over to the spring and laughed.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy, Piper and Phoebe appeared in another part of the woods where they found Tull's brother Xavier waiting for him. Piper cleared her throat to get his attention.

"You?" he said looking at the Buffy and Piper of them.

Piper smiled. "Hi. No offence but we were looking for some wood nymphs."

"Wait, you three know each other?" Phoebe said.

"Yeah," Buffy said. "Piper was the one that blew off his arm."

"Wow, that looks like it hurts," Piper said addressing the demon.

"It does," Xavier grimaced.

"You sure we even need this?" Phoebe wondered looking at her mother and sister.

"Well, that depends on how many parts I got to blow off before he tells us where the nymphs are," Piper told her sister.

Xavier chuckled. "You're too late. My brother's found them already."

"Oh, your brother?" Buffy said as she strolled forward. "I'm the Slayer. I may not have Piper's exploding power but I can sure do a fair bit of damage. So let's make this simple, where is he?"

"You know, we can just keep doing this but he is never going to talk," Piper added. "And then he's just going to try and fry us, we're going to have to dive out of the way, get all dirty and we're just going to end up vanquishing him anyway."

"So should we just cut to the chase?" Phoebe concluded.

"I don't see why not," Piper said with a glance at her mother.

Buffy grabbed Xavier and lifted him to his feet. She grabbed his arm.

"No, wait. I'll tell you," Xavier told them. He threw a stream of fire at Buffy who dove out of the way.

Phoebe threw the potion at Xavier and vanquishing him.

"Told you," Piper told her mother and sister.

"Worth the try," Buffy said. "Now how are we going to find Dawn and Paige?"

"Well, we can just sit and wait for his brother to come back," Piper said as they sat on a log.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"I thought no one was supposed to drink from the spring?" Paige said as she, Dawn, Daisy and Miranda watched Tull drink from the spring.

"They're not," Miranda answered.

"At last," Tull said as he glowed.

"Satyr?" Daisy said. "We should leave now."

Tull chuckled. "Your Satyr is dead, nymph. My name is Tull, brother of Xavier. Son of Naides. And I will have our revenge," he said as Daisy and Miranda held each other, clearly frightened. "That's right, nymphs, be afraid, there are no witches here now to protect you.

"Oh, no?" Dawn said as she and Paige transform back into their normal selves. "Miranda, Daisy, hurry close the spring. Paige, find Buffy, Piper and Phoebe!"

"No!" Tull said as he hit Dawn Paige across the face and he sent her flying across the garden, landing on a rock."

As Paige orbed out the nymphs ran over to the rock and Tull ran over to the spring to fill up a water skin. The garden and spring spun around them in a blur and took them back to the woods. The nymphs ran into the trees and vanished.

"No! No!" Tull screamed as he looked at the unconscious Dawn before disappearing.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Paige orbed in and found Buffy, Piper and Phoebe waiting on the log. "We have to hurry," she told them.

"Paige?" Buffy said as they hopped up. "Where's Dawn?"

"Hurt," Paige answered just as Tull appeared.

"Xavier. Xavier, where are you?" Tull called out.

"You're stepping on him," Buffy quipped.

"What?" Tull said as he looked down to see he was standing on a pile of ash. "No. No."

"We have to get out of here," Paige said as Tull threw a stream of fire at them and they ducked out of the way. "We can't do anything about him anymore. He's immortal, he drank from the spring!"

"Okay," Buffy said as she took Paige and Phoebe's hands. "Take us to Dawn."

Piper grabbed Paige's free hand as the four of them orbed out. They orb in next to Dawn.

Buffy knelt down next to her sister. "She's bleeding," she said as Miranda and Daisy appeared from the trees.

"We have to call for Leo or Sam," Phoebe said.

"Or Faith," Piper said as she remembered the trigger for Leo's powers.

"But Faith can't heal," Buffy said confused.

"Because she hasn't found the trigger," Piper answered as Miranda took off her necklace.

"Here, I think this will help," Miranda said as she held the necklace above Dawn's head wound and a drop of water dripped onto it, healing it.

"What is that?" Buffy asked.

Daisy smiled. "Water from the eternal spring. Wood nymphs wear a drop to remind us of what we protect."

Dawn slowly regained consciousness and looked into the concerned faces of her family. "Are you alright?" Buffy asked.

Dawn nodded. "Yeah, I'll be alright if you tell me you got that bastard."

"No!" Tull roared.

"Oh, I guess you didn't," Dawn said as she, Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Buffy turned to see him coming down a hill.

"He drank from the spring," Daisy told them.

"Yeah, we noticed," Piper replied.

"You think you can orb us out of here?" Phoebe asked her younger sister.

"I don't think we have to," Dawn interjected before Paige could answer. "If we can't vanquish him, maybe we can turn him into something else that's also immortal... like a tree."

Miranda smiled. "Yes, even when they die they're reborn into new life and new growth."

"Vengeance will be mine!" Tull shouted.

"Mom…Piper…Paige, do any of you have any idea what they're talking about?" Phoebe wondered.

Piper nodded. "I think so."

Phoebe smiled. "Good."

"I will avenge my brother Xavier!" Tull yelled.

Dawn smiled. "Changing seasons changes all, life renews as creation calls," she chanted.

"Nothing is immune, everything transmutes, so take this demon and give him roots," Piper finished as Tull slowly turned into a large tree he roared in pain.

"Ouch, that had to hurt," Buffy chuckled.

"Nice job, Piper," Dawn said looking at Piper. She smiled as she realized who she was at long last and how Piper, Phoebe and Paige all fit into her life now.

"You're not so bad yourself, Dawn," Piper returned.

"You know, you two make a great one-two punch," Phoebe said as she looked at Piper and Dawn.

Piper smiled at her middle sister before turning toward the nymphs. "Thank you for your help."

"Told you didn't need a Satyr," Phoebe added.

"Oh, we don't know," Miranda said. "We can't imagine protecting the forest without him."

"It's never been any other way," Daisy added.

"Changes are good... for all of us," Dawn said looking at Piper, Phoebe and Paige.

"Aunt Dawn is right," Paige agreed.

Halliwell Manor

Dawn stood watching Joyce sleep in her crib.

"Everything okay?" Buffy asked as she stepped up next to her sister.

"Been thinking, Buffy," Dawn said. "About me. About my memories." She turned and looked at her sister. "The nymphs helped put things in perspective. I think…I mean if its alright with you…I don't want to lose who I am, but I don't want to lose who I was either."

"You want to be like me," Buffy said as Dawn nodded.

"That way I'm still Dawn, I'm still your sister," Dawn said as she smiled. "But I'm also their sister."

Buffy wiped a tear from her face. "As long as I don't lose you, Dawnie. I'm okay with that."

"You won't, Buffy," Dawn said as she smiled at her sister. "Just like I said last month. That will never change. I will always be your sister."

"Thank you, Dawn," Buffy said as she pulled Dawn into her arms. "I was worried you know. That you would come to see yourself as Prue, that you would let…"

"That the part of me that is Dawn might slip away," Dawn said as Buffy nodded. "I was worried that might happen to. I didn't want that. I wanted at the very least to continue to be me. But by accepting the memories and incorporating them into my life, just like you did with Patty's. I think that is the best way of not losing who I am. Your love, caring, supportive, baby sister."

Buffy smiled as she kissed Dawn on her forehead. "Thank you, Dawnie."

"Your welcome, Buffy," Dawn replied.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"They're so innocent," Piper told her husband as they looked at Wyatt and Elizabeth in their cribs. "If only they had any idea what mommy and Auntie Dawn did today."

"They turned a very bad man into a very big tree," Leo said.

"Shh," Piper said as she turned off the light and they walked into the bedroom. "They're going to have enough problems growing up around me as it is."

Leo chuckled. "Are you kidding me? They're both lucky to have you. Just as Joyce is lucky to have Dawn."

"Yeah, well, lucky or not, they've got me," Piper replied. "I so missed not being around them today."

"Hello?" Paige said as she knocked on the door and walked in.

"Shh!" Piper said motioning toward the nursery.

"Sorry. You guys, I just wanted to let you know that I'm, um, going out," Paige said.

"Ah, trolling for Satyrs, are we?" Piper teased her baby sister.

"No, not trolling," Paige answered. "I'm just going to go out with one of the guys from the band."

"Oh, really?" Leo said surprised. "Don't you think he's going to be expecting the wild child?"

Paige shrugged. "Never know. I just might have to give him a little something, something."

Piper smiled as she looked at her husband. "Paige and I have decided to share the responsibilities of head witch so that I can spend more time with Wyatt and Elizabeth and she can..."

"Rock on," Paige said as she held up her hand with her thumb and middle finger down. "Good night, you guys."

"Right, rock on!" Leo said as he copied Paige's hand sign. "Rock on."

Piper shook her head as Paige left the room. She turned and looked at her husband. "Don't do that. Give it up, man."

"What?" he questioned.

"Give it up," she echoed.

"I'll show you give it up," Leo said as he picked her up and spun her around causing Piper to laugh. "You give it up is what I'm saying right now." He carried her over to the bed and they fell onto it.

Bay Mirror Newspaper Offices

Phoebe stepped into Jason's office and looked at a droopy plant near the doorway. "Your plant could use some water," she told him.

"I'll get right on that," Jason replied looking at the plant.

Phoebe smiled as she turned her attention to her boss. "I saw tomorrow's advance copy. I noticed that you're running the article."

Jason nodded. "Yes, I am," he agreed.

Phoebe's smile went wider. "And I also noticed that Dawn and Paige's names aren't in it."

"No, they aren't," Jason agreed.

He had multiple reasons for burying Dawn and Paige's names, especially Dawn's. The first was because of Phoebe, because he loved her and didn't want to see her hurt. And he knew if he had revealed Dawn and Paige's names in the article he would hurt her. The second was for the newspaper itself, he wasn't sure revealing Dawn had been one of the Godiva girls would be good for circulation. There would be a downturn in circulation, he was sure of that, how bad he wasn't sure. The last reason of course was Dawn herself. He actually liked the young woman, she was a good friend. Besides Dawn had a child to raise and if he revealed she had been one of the Godiva girls her life would effectively be over as the media would turn its attention on her, making it difficult to raise her daughter.

"Thank you," Phoebe said.

"You know, it's ironic," Jason said as he stood up and walked around his desk. "You were the one who was worried about sleeping with the boss. How it might affect your job. Turns out it affected mine."

"How so?" Phoebe wondered.

"I didn't buy this paper to bury stories like this one, Phoebe, but that's basically what I just did," Jason admitted. "There is several reasons behind it as well. You and Dawn being the primary ones."

"Me and Dawn?" Phoebe said with a raised eyebrow.

"We will start with you," Jason continued as he launched into an explanation. "I care about you too much to cause you any hurt. And revealing that Dawn and Paige were…well I would be hurting you. Then there is Dawn. I like her, Phoebe, as a friend. Which led me into realizing several things. First what was good for the paper, which if I am honest wouldn't be revealing Dawn was a Godiva girl. It could hurt circulation. But not only that, like you, I don't want to hurt her. And I know if I revealed that she was a Godiva girl I would hurt her. Her life would be turned upside down, making raising Joyce hard to do under the increased media attention."

Phoebe smiled as she moved closer to him. "That's not very professional of you."

Jason nodded. "I know."

"Maybe you should fire you," she suggested.

Jason laughed. "Maybe," he said as they kissed. "I am still a little curious about what you know of these Godiva girls, though." She kissed him again in part to deter him from his train of thought. "Where they come from." She kissed a second time. "What happened to them." And a third time she kissed him. "You're not going to tell me are you?" he asked as she kissed him one more time. "I didn't think so."

She puts her arms around him and they kissed as the potted plant near the door suddenly bloomed.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dawn stepped up outside Jason's office. She looked at the paper in her hand, on which she had typed out a letter of resignation with the effective date the start of the fall semester of college. Did she really want to quit? After all the job paid well.

As she looked at the paper she knew the answer. Being an advice columnist, co-writing the column with Phoebe was nice. But it wasn't her dream job. She had only accepted the position of Phoebe's assistant the year before as a summer job till the fall semester started. She then stayed on after she had found out she that she was pregnant so she could bring in money for everything Joyce needed after she was born. The same had been true when Jason had offered her the promotion to advice columnist.

Now Dawn knew it wasn't what she wanted to do anymore. She had wanted to get a degree in Ancient Languages and Mythology. Outside academia though that wouldn't provide much in the way of career opportunities. It had been why Phoebe had suggested the year before for her to double major. But what would she chose as a career? As Dawn had thought about it, she had realized that the Prue side of her, had found a career she loved. Why not do both as Phoebe suggested. Double major, one major would be devoted to something she loved as Dawn, Ancient Languages and Mythology so that she could help out Buffy, Piper, Phoebe and Paige when it came to researching demons. The other major would be devoted to something she loved as Prue, Photography. Both majors would after all talk to who she was, a melding of Dawn and Prue.

Dawn nodded as she knocked on the door. Inside Phoebe and Jason who were in the midst of still kissing looked at the door startled. They hurriedly stood up and tried to act natural. "Come in," he called out.

Dawn opened the door and stepped into the office. "I hope I'm not interrupting my sister finally making her move," she teased Phoebe.

"Dawn!" Phoebe exclaimed obviously embarrassed.

Jason who had turned a shade of red noticed the paper in Dawn's hand. "Is that your part of the latest column?"

"No," Dawn replied as she handed him the paper.

Phoebe looked over Jason's shoulder and her eyes went wide in surprise as she read what was on the paper. She looked at Dawn. "Are you sure?"

"Very," Dawn replied.

"I can't accept this," Jason replied as he went to hand the paper back to Dawn.

"This isn't open for discussion," Dawn countered. "And it's not about the money. It's about me. You see last year when I became Phoebe's assistant it was only supposed to be a temp job till the fall semester started. Elise hired me on a permeant basis when she found out I was pregnant. The money was nice, seeing as I was having a baby girl. The same when you promoted me to being Phoebe's writing partner."

"But…" Phoebe said knowing there was a but coming.

"But," Dawn said as she smiled at Phoebe, "somewhere along the way I lost myself. Both figuratively and literally. The Godiva girls, and yes I know that you know that I was one briefly. They helped put things in perspective, to find out who I am. And who I am, is a woman who wants to go to college. Get my degree. I can't do that and work here full time."

Jason nodded as he looked at Dawn. "As I told Phoebe, you have become a good friend, Dawn. If this is what you want to do. Then I will accept the resignation, starting with the start of the fall semester. That said though, you will always have a job waiting for you, if you want it."

"Thank you," Dawn and Phoebe said as they smiled at him.

April 24, 2003 - Thursday

Halliwell Manor

Dawn walked into the kitchen and found Piper in front of the stove. "I've figured out who I am," she told the older woman.

"You have," Piper said looking up from the bottles she was heating up for her babies.

"Dawn…Prudence…Summers-Halliwell," Dawn answered.

Piper blinked. "So you're a melding of the two, like mom?" she asked in surprise at the change in Dawn's middle name.

"Yes," Dawn answered. "Which means if you, Phoebe and Paige want to see me as your sister or your aunt, you can. It's up to you guys."

Piper smiled as she walked around the kitchen island to Dawn and pulled the young woman into her arms. "Welcome home…" she hesitated for a second. She wanted to see Dawn as her sister. But still how could she tell Dawn…then she smiled, "Prue."

Dawn smiled. "Thanks, Piper. It's good to be home," she told her younger sister. "You know it's weird. I'm your older sister. And Buffy is mom reincarnated. But I don't see Buffy as mom, I see her as my older sister. I guess if Paige and Phoebe see me as you see me. Then I guess I have four sisters."

"You don't have to see me as a sister, Prue," Piper told the young woman. "Just because I see you that way doesn't mean you have to see me that way. Or Phoebe and Paige, should they choose to see you that way as well."

"I know, but I do, Piper," Dawn admitted. "Hey how about a gift."

"A gift?" Piper asked wondering what kind of gift Dawn could give her. After all she had the best gift she could ever hope for, her big sister returned to her.

Dawn smiled as she closed her eyes and astral projected into the dining room, her astral form taking the form of Prue.

Astral Prue walked into the kitchen and walked up to Piper. "Hey, Piper."

Piper smiled as she wrapped her arms around Astral Prue. "Thank you, it's a wonderful gift."

Astral Prue smiled as she projected back into her body.

"You know," Dawn said as she chuckled. "I was just thinking about Paige's spell, the one that turned me into Lady Julia, well sort of. Anyways I was like it would be funny if you know me, the me that I am today, and Prue, the me that I was then, discussed what we thought about all of that."

Piper smiled. "That is something I would love to have seen," she agreed with a chuckle of her own. "I can tell you what your previous life would have thought about it though. Pretty much your reaction to that was spot on. Regardless of the lifetime, Prue, you have always hated the costumes as much as Phoebe and I." She looked at the young woman who she saw as her elder sister for a moment. "I need to know something, Prue. I know you as, Aunt Dawn, and I have talked about it. But now that your memories have returned…"

Dawn sighed as she looked at Piper knowing what Piper wanted from her. "I had no choice in more than one way," she said. "I had no choice because Shax didn't give me one. But even if he had…If it came down to me dying or it being you or Phoebe or Paige. I would do exactly what Buffy did for me. I understand now why she did, Piper. I understand now why Buffy chose to sacrifice herself for me. She had no choice, my life or hers. The noblest thing is also the selfish thing. She couldn't live with herself if I had died. So she did the only thing she could do…"

"She gave her life for yours," Piper said in understanding. "And you gave your life for me and for Phoebe, when you died."

"Exactly, Piper," Dawn said as she smiled at her younger sister. "I would do it again in a heartbeat; for you, for Phoebe and for Paige. Shoot I would even do it for Buffy. That's what sisters do for each other."

"Thank you, Prue," Piper said as she hugged Dawn in a tight embrace.

"Your welcome, Piper," Dawn said as she turned her sister's embrace.