((I don't own Buffy, Charmed, Underworld, X-Men, or any of the characters owned by those who own them))

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Chapter 8: "Hemlock"

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"Willow! are you ready to go?"

Willow stuffed a few more books in her bags and grabbed a small charm off the prick of a wall-lantern.

"coming sweetie!""coming sweetie!"

Willow came downstairs covered in bags and pulling two large suitcases with some effort.

A brunette with dark eyes appeared beside her. "here let me help you with those luv." she grabbed the largest of the suitcases and walked down the stairs with them like she was carrying an extra purse.

The lobby of the hotel was under construction, and she met the others over a din of jackhammer and drill work.

"Ready for a wild weekend?" said the blond sporting her own rather large bags and some stylish sunglasses under a sun-hat.

willow smiled as xander saluted an affirmative to their leader.

"Giles said he'd meet us there?" asked Kennedy shuffling through the front doors and leading them to the large black awaiting airport cabs.

"I'm so excited!" squealed dawn from the rear. "first London, then LA then pairs... best Sophmore year ever!"

"Don't think that means i haven't noticed your homework is late." chided willow.

"Awwe man! I was hoping you'd forget... say do you think there will be a lot of attractive lesbians in San Francisco?"

The whole group stopped whatever they were doing in the cab and stared at the youngest summers as they pulled away from the curb.

"Y'know... cus that might distract Willo..." dawn muttered under her breath.

"Oh!" said Buffy relieved... and then she thought she shouldn't be relieved and scolded herself for being relieved that her sister wasn't a lesbian which was perfectly OK, better than OK it was gre...

"You know i only have eyes for one hot lesbian." smiled willow as she leaned over to kiss Kennedy seductively.

"Wow these windows go up and down!" xander nervously exclaimed as he rolled down the nearest to get some air, shifting in his seat.

The lobby of the airport was as busy enough to keep everyone busy until their flight began. willow had had to cast a little spell on the metal detectors to get them all through, in addition to the charms she put on their bags to confuse the baggage claim inspectors.

the plane took off and Buffy looked out at the clouds as they passed through. she hated getting cryptic messages from Giles. but willow confirmed a malevolent force moving toward the bay area. if she hadn't been a slayer she might have really started to begrudge the endless stream of malevolent forces... but this was what she did, who she was, this was her gift.

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"What happened here?"

Phoebe and piper walked through the debris where the moon alter of Diana used to be. a woman named Tabitha was standing nearby in a smudged white robe.

"It was just a ritual blessing, we don't know what went wrong... I've gone over the reagents and the rite again and again and i can't find a single error by the adepts." answered Tabitha.

"Yeah, we just did this last week, it seems like it's all the same." remarked piper as she waded through the mess of broken stone and wood.

"That's why i called you... i was hoping maybe the charmed ones would have some insight."

"Oh cut the honorifics tabby." retorted Phoebe playfully.

Tabitha just gave her a smirk. "you may not be ready to accept your role, but you are in a position of authority, that means responsibility, and that means honorifics to remind us all of this fact."

Phoebe just put up a hand while she was talking and made it open and close like a mock mouth.

"Hmmmm hemlock..." said piper rummaging through a broken bowl of herbs. "and when did you say the explosion occurred precisely?"

Tabitha thought carefully... "during the calling of Diana... as the hemlock was lit. does that mean anything? was the hemlock bad?"

"No... " answered piper "i dunno, maybe, I'd put the rest of this batch in storage and check the garden to be sure." she handed the bundle of herbs to her sister.

"Ohmhhggg!!" Phoebe gasped and flinched hard as she was struck by a premonition.

Piper moved behind her instinctively in case she fell.

"It's ok sweetie, what do you see?"

Phoebe looked pale, her eyes darting about behind their eyelids as if she were in rem. "i see.... oh goddess.... i see..."

"Phoeb...?"

Phoebe finally went limp falling backward into pipers arms. the older sister cradled her to the ground and sent Tabitha for a wet cloth.

"It's alright. it's alright." piper cooed.

Phoebe finally opened her eyes as Tabitha came back with the cloth. she damped her own head and sat up slowly.

Tabitha knelt nearby patiently but visibly curious.

"It was... " began Phoebe answering the unasked "... i saw... i think i saw Diana."

Tabitha looked dumb-struck lowering her head.

"You saw the goddess Diana?!"

Phoebe nodded, tears she hadn't noticed still rolling down her face.

"Did she say anything? what was she doing?" pressed Tabitha.

Phoebe looked up, tear stained toward her sister.

"She was leaving."