Author's Notes: To those of you in the the U.S. have a happy and safe Fourth of July.
Next People if you don't like how I am doing my stories please don't review saying you don't like it just go read something else. I prefer positive reviews, constructive reviews and story suggestions. I do not have time for haters or people who don't like what I am doing. I do this for the people who do like what I am doing not for those who don't. So if you don't, don't review saying you don't like it, just go read something you do.
Chapter 32: Womb Raider – Part 2
Golden Gate Obstetrics & Gynecology
"Your hormone levels are unusually high for a mother in her eighth week," the doctor informed Phoebe, concerned, as he stared down at the manila folder in hand. Buffy and Piper were staring over his shoulder while Phoebe lay—propped up on her elbows—on the exam table, clad in the extremely unflattering hospital gown.
"Have you seen a doctor since you found out you were pregnant?" he asked, closing the folder and looking at Phoebe.
Phoebe smacked her lips together nervously. "I was under the care of a Seer," she informed him and he turned to Piper and Buffy questioningly.
Piper chuckled. "It's kind of like a New Age doctor," she explained then glared at Phoebe.
The doctor nodded then turned back to Phoebe. "Well, you really should have seen a doctor before today, a real doctor."
"Do you think... that there could possibly be something wrong with my baby?" Phoebe questioned, tentatively, fearing the answer he would give her.
"Especially when there is a history in the family?" Buffy added as the doctor looked at her. "When I was pregnant with my daughter, I was diagnosed with a high blood pressure condition."
"Well, let's just take a peek, shall we?" the doctor replied instead, sending both Phoebe and Buffy a warm smile. "Why don't you lie back and I'm going to do an ultrasound."
Phoebe smiled at him tightly and did as she was told, lifting the gown up above her stomach and readjusting the cloth at her waist.
"Now, this gel's a little bit cold," he warned her bringing the tube to her stomach.
Phoebe chuckled. "Yeah, my sister said you would say that and that its a—oh!" she yelped as the gel hit her skin. "Huge understatement," she finished with a shiver and the doctor chuckled.
Piper watched the doctor's movements closely, intrigued by the process and, if she was honest, a little jealous of both of her sisters who had gotten pregnant before her.
Phoebe gasped loudly, her hands flying to her head as it burst into flames.
"What?" Buffy questioned turning back, hands on her hips. "What's wrong?"
Phoebe glanced towards the doctor bringing her hands down from her head. "Hot flash. A very, very, hot, hot, hot flash!"
"Not a good sign," the doctor mused quietly, leaning beside Piper and Buffy.
"I had hot flashes when I was pregnant, aren't they typical?" Buffy asked.
"Yes," the doctor answered. "For a woman in her first and second trimester hot flashes can be normal. But coupled with your sister's high hormone levels it does elevate my concern."
"Prue," Phoebe said giving Buffy a pointed look. "This one felt like my head was on fire. For real."
"Well, let's just have a look, okay?" the doctor interrupted, moving the doppler to Phoebe's stomach and a heartbeat filled the room. "There, see?" he asked and the three sisters looked towards the screen and smiled. "There's the little—" the doctor was cut off as an electrical current tore through his body, stemming from the doppler on Phoebe's stomach and was thrown back against the wall.
Buffy nudged Piper her eyes widening. Piper nodded in understanding as she moved to help the doctor up. "Hi. Here you go. Here," Piper said as she froze him.
"What happened?" Buffy asked of her sister, walking towards the bed and away from the now frozen doctor.
"It's about time!" Phoebe cried. "My head was on fire like a tiki torch a few seconds ago."
"Do not change the subject." Piper chastised pointing an accusing finger at Phoebe's stomach. "Did your baby just electrocute the nice doctor man?"
Phoebe grimaced. "Yeah, I think so but Willow was just protecting herself because that gel was really cold," she defended, glaring accusingly at the tube.
"Willow?" Piper said confused as she looked at her sister, she watched as Phoebe's hand went to her mouth realizing her slipup.
"We were going to have to tell her, Paige and Leo eventually," Buffy said as she looked at Phoebe with a sigh.
Phoebe sighed as she nodded. She looked at her older sister. "Piper, Willow is my daughter. She will be thrown back in time somehow. Cole and the Seer confirmed it at Cole's coronation. Neither of them knew exactly how, or so they said anyways."
Piper's hand went to her own mouth in shock. She turned and stared at Buffy. "You knew?" she snapped.
"Phoebe told me early this morning, Piper," Buffy said. "I told her we should wait to tell you and Paige till we knew exactly how Willow wound up in the past."
"I think we already know," said Piper looking between her sisters. "The Seer. If Willow is Cole's daughter that means she's the Source's heir. The Seer intends to have Willow coronated. Which also means the baby in your belly, Phoebe, she is going to somehow steal at some time in the near future."
"We can't let that happen," Phoebe began to panic. She couldn't lose both her daughter and her husband to evil.
"We won't," Piper said as she laid a comforting hand on Phoebe. "Now what did you mean protecting yourself. Unborn babies don't perform magic tricks in the first trimester, Phoebe."
"That isn't true and you know it," Buffy countered as Piper turned to look at her. "Dawn did, or have you forgotten that she was talking to me telepathically throughout my entire pregnancy from almost the start."
Piper sighed, nodding slowly. "That, that, that is true," she agreed. "Okay for now don't panic, okay? We'll wrap up here and we'll go home and panic."
"Can we not tell Paige and Leo," Phoebe pleaded with her older sister. "We will when we save Willow and Tara, I promise. But I don't want them to worry when they need to be focused…"
Piper sighed. She didn't want to hide this information from Paige or Leo, but she could see Phoebe's reasoning. Till Willow was safe and sound back at home, all telling them would do was create more panic in an already highly stressful situation. "As soon as we save Willow you will tell them, but until then I guess I can keep the secret. You're right we don't need either of them distracted right now, especially when we're going have to find some way of making sure Willow is not coronated as the next Source."
Halliwell Manor
"It says here that the Seer has served multiple Sources." Paige recited, staring down at the book, "Looks like she's been around for thousands of years."
"What else?" Leo encouraged; arms folded across his chest.
"Um..." Paige scanned the page quickly, "Ohh no." She cursed chewing on her lip.
"What?" Leo questioned, an expression of dread gracing his features.
Paige turned to him. "Uh...she's immune to spells and charms but she's classed as an upper-level demon."
"Then you will need a vanquishing potion."
"Yes." Paige nodded in agreement.
"Which means you're going to need some of her flesh," Leo reminded his sister-in-law.
"Yuck." Paige cringed, shuddering. "I hate that part."
"Who doesn't?" Leo commented dryly.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Paige?" Piper called out as she and Buffy walked through the front door flanking Phoebe. "Leo?"
"Attic!" Paige replied.
They instantly turned and headed for the stairs.
"What's going on?" Leo asked as soon as they reached the attic.
Piper looked to Phoebe pointedly and Phoebe's hands fell to her stomach. "My baby takes after her cousin, she did magic," she informed them with a casual shrug.
Piper nodded. "Yeah and not the nice kind, almost killed my doctor."
"It was self-defense," Phoebe added with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Well..." Paige interjected, "...I guess that's what you get when you breed with the Source of All Evil."
"Okay, can we not say breed?" Phoebe requested with a frown as she thought about Willow who they had all known was not evil. "You know, I'm not a horse and Cole wasn't all evil, he was part good." she reminded them firmly, "And I'm all good so this baby has a lot of good in her."
Piper glanced at Phoebe for a moment, she knew Willow was good. But if the Seer was trying to coronate Willow as the Source that meant that Willow could already be evil. "What if she's not anymore?"
"She... will be," Phoebe replied certainly. "My love was able to save Cole. It'll save our daughter too."
"Let's hope so," Piper whispered to herself as she glanced at Buffy, who sighed. Now that she knew about Willow and that Willow was not only her sister-in-law but her niece. That meant if Willow had to be vanquished it would devastate not only Buffy but Phoebe as well. And potentially Tara, if they found Tara alive that is.
"So, what did you find out about the Seer?" Phoebe questioned, switching topics as she was extremely uncomfortable with the current one.
Paige chuckled quietly but answered, "She's immune to spells and charms. Has been around for thousands of years. Is classified as an upper-level demon but can only be vanquished with a potion which needs a piece of her flesh."
"Which we don't have," Piper added wryly crossing her arms.
"Actually..." Phoebe spoke up slowly. "The Seer mixed her own blood into my prenatal tonic."
Paige shuddered visibly, screwing up her face at the thought of Phoebe drinking that stuff. "Ew."
"Nasty," Buffy cringed shaking her head.
"That's just wrong," Piper muttered, hands moving to her hips.
"Yeah," Phoebe agreed with a grimace. "Cole kept some extra bottles in the safe at the penthouse."
"You think you're ready to go to the penthouse?" Paige asked her sister carefully. "You haven't been there, you know, since—since he died."
"I don't think I'll ever be ready," Phoebe answered honestly, "But I can't keep borrowing clothes."
"Okay, let's go," Piper said as she and Buffy turned towards the stairs.
"Wait, don't you have to work?" Phoebe asked Paige as Buffy and Piper turned back.
"Eh, I'll take the afternoon off. Who needs vacation time?" Paige replied with a shrug.
"Paige, you can't keep—"
"Yes, I can," Paige cut her off and Phoebe smiled gratefully.
"Thank you," Phoebe said gratefully turning towards the stairs. "Bitch!" she cursed spinning back around and pushing Paige, with so much magical force, that Paige was went flying out of the attic window.
Paige screamed as the glass shattered around her and she felt herself falling closer and closer to the ground, bright lights enveloping her before she hit and before she crushed Darryl in the process.
Phoebe's jaw dropped as she watched her sister fly through the window, she, Piper and Buffy raced toward it and peered down in time to see Paige disappear.
"Tell Willow to calm down," Buffy whispered low enough so Leo didn't hear what she said.
"I think the Seer's tonics are still in Willow's blood," Phoebe whisper looking back and forth between Piper and Buffy. "Till she gets rid of it I think we can possibly expect more of that to happen."
"What the hell was that for?" Paige seethed, when she reappeared moments later, brushing shards of broken glass from her clothes and hair.
"She took over, I'm sorry, Paige," Phoebe answered.
"What was in those tonics?" Piper asked.
"I'm not sure, but whatever it was, was supposed to make sure I would become evil and so would my baby," Phoebe answered. She knew Piper asking was for Paige's benefit. "Some of the tonic must still be in my baby's blood."
"But why me?" Paige questioned pouting. "I have nothing against that little fu—fetus," she corrected herself smoothly.
"I don't know," Phoebe sighed. "We're both sorry, sweetie."
Paige narrowed her eyes and glared.
Leo cleared his throat and spoke up. "I'm going to go check with the Elders. See what's going on with that baby."
Piper nodded as he disappeared. "One thing I know we need to do something about the Seer," she spat hatefully then held out her hand to Phoebe. "Come on, let's go get that blood."
"What was that out there; flying practice?" Darryl quipped as he met the sisters at the bottom of the attic stairs.
"Baby shoved me out the window," Paige replied as Darryl fell into step beside her.
"Okay, wait a second." Darryl spoke up, silencing the impending argument, "I've left four messages here. Has anybody in this house learned the magic of a telephone."
"Darryl, it's been a very rough week!" Piper snapped and Darryl felt instantly guilty. She then let out a sigh. "We were actually going to see you later."
"Why?" he asked suddenly worried.
"Willow and Tara are missing," Buffy said. "Haven't seen them since last night. We think its possible a demon has them. But we don't know for sure. And if we're wrong."
"You wanted to report them as missing just in case. I will see about getting you an appointment with missing persons when I get back to the station," Darryl said nodding in understanding. He turned and looked at Phoebe. "How are you holding up?"
"Oh," Phoebe sighed at the question. "Depends on which part of the day you ask me."
Daryl sighed. "Look, I know you've got a lot to deal with already, especially with Willow and Tara missing, but there's some business I don't think can be put off any longer."
"I'm sure it's pressing..." Piper stressed meeting his eyes as Buffy led Phoebe to the door and helped her into her coat. "But it's not as pressing as the demon that's after Phoebe."
"Don't count on it," Darryl said. "Cole worked at a high-profile law firm," he reminded them slowly. "Right now, you four are the only ones who know he's dead."
Paige shook her head when Phoebe fled out the door at his words. "Can't this wait? We really need to get to the penthouse," she remarked following Buffy and Phoebe out. Piper right behind her.
"Good, because that's where I need you to handle this business," Darryl said as he followed them, closing the door on his way out.
Phoebe and Cole's Apartment
"It has to look like Cole left in a hurry, that means packing up all of his stuff and personal belongings." Darryl explained as the five of them entered the eerily silent penthouse.
"You okay?" Buffy questioned quietly, touching Phoebe's back from behind when her older sister stopped abruptly, her eyes on the last spot her husband stood.
Phoebe crossed her arms over herself protectively and nodded, "I'm fine." Shaking her head Phoebe turned back to Darryl. "I'm sorry, so why do you want me to pack up his stuff?" she asked, confused.
Darryl cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I made an appointment for you at Missing Persons for today," he explained to her gently, one hand on her arm.
"Wait." Paige interrupted with raised eyebrows, "You want Phoebe to report Cole as missing?"
"She has to," he replied turning to Paige. "Otherwise somebody else will, and she'll become the prime suspect in his disappearance, and that's the last thing you need right now."
"So, you want me to pack up his stuff so it looks like he left me," Phoebe stated slowly.
"That's right," Darryl confirmed quietly, sympathetic eyes meeting Phoebe's pained ones. "We cannot give the police any reason to suspect foul play. I mean, technically, your four did kill him. What's that?" he asked nodding towards the large scorch mark on the floor.
Piper bit her lip. "Uh...well that's where he was standing when we, you know..." she trailed off looking to Phoebe.
Phoebe closed her eyes then looked at Piper while Buffy wrapped her arm around her shoulders.
"This place looks like a crime scene," Darryl observed as he scanned the once pristine apartment. "Is there anything you can do?"
Buffy tilted her head, nudging Paige pointedly.
"Let the object of objection become but a dream. As I cause this scene to be unseen," Paige chanted from memory, smiling when the spell cleaned the apartment right up.
"Thanks." Phoebe sent her a weak smile which Paige returned with her own moving towards her sister.
"I just wish I could make the rest of your pain go away that easily," Paige murmured, rubbing Phoebe's back soothingly.
"So, do I," Phoebe agreed. "You murdering witch!" she cried, hitting Paige in the face.
"Phoeb—" Piper cried bending down to help Paige to her feet while Prue backed away.
"The baby made me do it." Phoebe defended herself with wide eyes.
Piper's head shot up to stare at Phoebe's stomach, while holding Paige up. She then let out a sigh knowing where the real blame lay, the Seer. She knew Willow was good after all. It was likely the tonics that the Seer had poisoned Phoebe with that made the baby act on its aggression. She looked at Buffy. ""Alright, now we split up," she informed them, walking over to Paige and taking over for Piper. "Buffy, you and Darryl go with Phoebe and pack. We'll find the Seer's tonic." She concluded looking towards Andy as she held Paige up.
Paige raised her head and stood up straight, shaking her head to clear the pain induced haze with a wince.
"Okay," Darryl looked at Phoebe, "Where is this baby that everybody keeps talkin' about? I mean, is it an, an invisible baby? Am I going to step on it?"
Phoebe stared at him incredulously as she guided him towards the bedroom, glancing behind her to Buffy who nodded. "No, Darryl. It's a little bit more complicated than that."
"Am I the only one who's worried about that thing growing inside of her?" Paige remarked darkly, glaring in the direction Phoebe and Darryl had gone.
"Yes," Piper answered. "I have to agree with Buffy and Phoebe that it's likely the Seer's tonic that is making the baby act that way. Once the tonic is out of the baby's system, she should slowly revert to good."
"Which means we need to be worrying about the Seer," Paige said, closing her eyes against her own forming headache, "I think she said it's behind this painting over there." She pointed off to the right and she and Piper headed over. "This has got me to thinking though, Piper."
"About?" Piper wondered while Paige pulled away the painting.
"Willow and Tara. We've had two demons attack Buffy this morning, as a result Dawn is with Leo. What if it wasn't just a coincidence," Paige explained as she looked at her older sister. "What if Willow and Tara's disappearance is in some way tied in?"
"I'm sure your right. I'm certain the Seer is trying to get us out of the way so she can get at Phoebe's baby," Piper said. "But there isn't much we can do about it till we deal with the Seer." She nodded toward the safe. "Well?"
Paige turned to it and held out her hands. "Safe door," she called and the object disappeared only to reappear in her arms. "Oh," she winced at the weight, her arms buckling. "If financial difficulty ever strikes, you'll find I come in handy."
Piper smiled as Paige set the door down against the wall. "Well, let's hope that never happens, with a baby on the way," she commented wryly peering inside the safe. "Uhhh...there's nothing in here."
Paige sighed. "No tonic?"
"Nope," Piper shook her head, reaching inside. "But there is this." She held up an envelope. "It's Cole's handwriting."
"Cole the human or Cole the Source?" Paige questioned with a frown.
Piper shrugged. "It's for Phoebe to find out either way."
Heavens
"Leo," said an Elder as he walked toward the Whitelighter. "It is good of you to come. We have learned dire news."
"Is it about Phoebe's baby?" Leo asked looking at the assembled Elders.
"It is and it isn't at the same time," the Elder answered. "Willow is the Source's heir."
"How is that possible?" Leo said in shock.
"We believe that the Seer is going to try and steal Phoebe's baby and she will be sent backwards in time," the Elder explained as sighed. "We believe the intention was that once she arrived in the past she would be raised by demons. Then when the Halliwells vanquished the Source she was to take over. That plan fell apart for some unknown reason as she was adopted and raised by the Rosenberg's, a Jewish family."
"We believe to get everything back on track the Seer is doing something to Willow to awaken her demonic side," said another Elder. "If the spell over Willow is not broken, if Willow does not bring her demonic half back under control, she will be crowned the new Source. At which point evil will have the most powerful leader ever to exist. A leader who will have access to the Source's magics as well as Charmed magic. At which point evil could very well have won, possibly forever."
Phoebe and Cole's Apartment
"Cole gave me this the day he found out I was pregnant," Phoebe told her sister and friend as she fingered a very large white teddy bear with a red bow that was sitting on the bed.
Buffy smiled softly at her. "Maybe Willow would like to have it when we find her?" she whispered low enough for Darryl not to hear.
Phoebe looked at Buffy and nodded as she thought of her missing adult daughter.
Darryl glanced between the two sisters and shifted uncomfortably. "Look uh...I'll start packing his stuff up, okay? You pull your own things together," he addressed Phoebe, trading a look with Buffy who smiled gratefully at him.
Buffy slipped around the bed to Phoebe and squeezed her hand. "Pheebs," she whispered and Phoebe flopped her head onto her shoulder with a heavy sigh.
Opening her eyes again Phoebe puffed out her cheeks and raised her head, kissing Buffy's cheek in thanks before moving towards her large walk-in closet.
Phoebe opened the door and was instantly pulled forwards off of her feet.
Buffy yelped, grabbing her sister's feet before she was sucked all the way in. "Darryl, get Piper and Paige!" she ordered.
"Piper! Paige!" Darryl screamed as he raced from the room.
"I've been waiting for you," the Seer informed Phoebe evilly, walking right towards her.
"Get away from me!" Phoebe barked, "You can't have Willow!"
"It is time for Willow to take her rightful place in both position and in time!" The Seer smirked, taking hold of Phoebe's arms and pulling.
"Never," Buffy growled as she reached down within her and she began to pull Phoebe backwards with every ounce of Slayer strength she had.
Darryl led Piper and Paige back into the bedroom.
"Let go of me!" Phoebe hissed pulling an arm free and clawing at the Seer's ear, tearing the earring through it.
The Seer screamed in pain and released Phoebe who along with Buffy soared backwards, hitting the floor.
"Pheebs," Buffy breathed scanning her sister. "Are you alright?"
Phoebe nodded slowly then turned to Piper, "Here's your tissue sample."
Halliwell Manor
"Okay, I'm going to take this to Phoebe," Piper announced lifting a large bowl of fruit. "You stay in here. I don't want you provoking her baby anymore."
"Provoking her baby!" Paige echoed looking affronted from her place by the stove. "Like it's my fault?"
"We both know who's fault it is," Piper reminded her sister. "Till the tonic leaves the baby's system…"
"I know, I know," Paige said as she watched Piper disappear from the room.
Piper left the kitchen and found Buffy and Phoebe sitting at the dining room table. Phoebe's eyes were closed and earphones were pressed against her stomach.
Piper smirked and leaned forwards. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to sooth Willow," Buffy answered as she looked at Piper. "She's playing Mozart. Supposedly studies show that babies can hear and remember songs from the womb."
Piper nodded slowly. "That's lovely but...I don't think that version of Willow can hear very much yet."
"Version of Willow?" Phoebe said as she removed the earphones and sat up straight.
"How else are we going to differentiate between the baby and the adult?" Piper asked with a shrug.
"Anyways about the music," Buffy said as she smirked at Piper. "One of Willow's favorites has always been Mozart."
"Really," Piper said as she smiled. "I guess the studies are true then." She then placed the plate of fruit in front of Phoebe. "Anyways, Phoebe, how about you eat something, since you haven't had anything to eat all day."
"No, I've been nauseous all day," Phoebe refused, shaking her head.
"You've been a little fresh all day." Piper retorted, one hand on her hip.
Phoebe sighed, lifting up a slice of watermelon, "I've been thinking about trying acupuncture. I hear it helps."
Buffy gaped sharply. "Bad, Willow," she cried grabbing Phoebe's wrist and pulling her hand away from her mouth.
Phoebe jumped and looked at her hand, eyes widening when she found raw meat instead of juicy watermelon. "Aw, I'm going to puke," she commented when Buffy shook it from her hand and she turned away from the plate.
"The sooner we get rid of the Seer the sooner we won't have to worry about that happening anymore," Piper said as Leo orbed in between them with Dawn in his arms.
Leo glanced between the sisters. "The Elders believe Willow is the Source's heir…" he said noticing no reaction to the news. "You three already knew."
"Yes," Buffy said. "The Seer and Cole told Phoebe just before Cole's coronation. Piper and I learned earlier today."
"Anyways they believe the Seer is going to steal the baby and send her back," Leo explained at the women in front of him.
"Which means we likely need to let her succeed," Piper said with a sigh. "Otherwise time could be changed."
"Very likely unless we can find another way to complete that cycle," Leo said. "In the mean time they believe that the Seer does indeed have Willow and possibly Tara. They believe the Seer cast a spell on Willow to awaken her demonic half. That spell needs to be broken so Willow can regain control over her demonic half before she is coronated as the next Source. At which point there will be no turning back."
"Because Willow will not only at that point have access to Charmed magic but the Source's magic as well," Phoebe said with a sigh.
"Which would make her invincible," Piper added as Leo nodded. "Which means next time we will need to be ready for the Seer."
"Next time?" Leo repeated with a frown.
"Yes," Piper nodded glancing towards her husband, "The Seer tried to steal Phoebe from the penthouse." She looked back toward the kitchen. "How's that potion coming?"
"It's done." Paige announced as she appeared through the door a steaming pot in hand. "It just needs to cool a little bit."
Phoebe stood abruptly and stretched out her hand, throwing a stream of fire toward Paige.
Paige squealed, dropping the pot as she turned side-on to avoid the flames.
Buffy grabbed Phoebe's hand back down as her sister stared at it then turned away. Piper ran toward Paige checking her for wounds.
"That baby needs a serious time-out!" Paige snapped at her older sister.
"Go, go, go into the kitchen," Piper ordered as Paige complied.
"So much for the vanquishing potion," Leo muttered as he stared at its corpse.
"How come your baby only attacks me?" Paige's voice called from the kitchen.
"I don't know." Phoebe cried helplessly. She didn't want to bring up the fact that Paige had never truly liked Cole and likely her baby had picked up on it.
"Alright, enough!" Piper exclaimed loudly. "You two will not address each other. You'll not step into the same room until further notice, got it?" she demanded as Paige and Phoebe agreed.
"Paige," Buffy called. "Do, you have enough ear left to make another batch of that potion?"
"Yes," Paige replied tightly.
"Then do it." Piper ordered. "You." She pointed to Phoebe. "You're going to hit the Book of Shadows, and you're going to figure out a way to control your baby."
"I can't," Phoebe refused. "I told Darryl I'd meet him at Missing Persons in a half an hour."
"I would strongly advise against that," Leo told her seriously. "Your baby—"
"Is fine," Buffy interrupted. "Besides if Phoebe doesn't do this, then guess what is next. Someone else will report Cole missing and guess whose door they will be knocking at then. We have to cover our tracks before we're exposed. I will go with her, just in case a diversion is needed because of the baby."
"Alright," Piper said resignedly. "Then I will see what I can learn to protect my niece, slash sister-in-law."
Buffy turned and looked at her brother-in-law and smiled. "Mind looking after Dawn a little longer?"
"Of course," he said as he smiled at Buffy.
Source's Dungeon, Underworld
The Seer flashed into the Source's dungeon, striding purposefully past the moaning demons chained to the surrounding walls, and headed straight to a large cage where a paler than pale demon sat with his knees pulled up to his chest.
She cleared some cobwebs from one of the square bars and announced, "I have an offer for you."
The bony demon raised his head to her. "Nobody comes down the Source's dungeon unless they are dead, damned or desperate," he observed slowly. "Which are you?"
"Desperate," the Seer admitted with a raised eyebrow. "I need your power."
"I have a power?" the large demon questioned, the surprise in his voice too pronounced to miss. "Yes." He nodded after a moment's thought. "I almost forgot. I haven't used it in centuries."
The Seer tilted her head at him, knowing full well how long he'd be imprisoned in his caged hell and for how long he would continue to be.
"I have been sentenced to spend eternity alone in this cage," the demon spouted off looking her in the eyes the glancing around his prison.
"It's a fine cage," the Seer observed, stroking one of the bars tenderly.
"The Source had it forged from unbreakable magic," he informed her dejectedly. "Nothing can escape it."
"Yes, I know," the Seer interrupted, staring him straight in the eyes. "It was some of my best work."
The demon's eyes darkened and he sat up a little straighter.
"That's right," the Seer nodded. "I built your prison and my magic, alone, has the power to free you."
The demon gripped the bars of his cage tighter and stated, "The Source would never allow it."
"The Source is dead." The Seer replied smoothly, "I can give you freedom and a chance to earn favor with the new Source, in exchange for your help."
The demon remained silent then took the bait, "What kind of help?"
The Seer took hold of the bars. "I need you to do what every demon before you have failed to do, even me: capture and contain a Charmed One."
"A Charmed what?" the demon questioned in genuine confusion having never heard of such a thing.
"A powerful witch," the Seer elaborated, unsurprised by his confusion. "I need you to bring her down to the underworld. It is the only way that my magic can work."
The demon tilted his head at her offer.
The Seer smiled at him. "That shouldn't be hard for you; a demon who has swallowed worlds. Interested?"
The demon smiled eagerly and rose to his feet, being so tall he needed to bend over. "Get me out!" he demanded tugging at the bars.
"Remember, my magic put you in this cage," the Seer reminded him darkly. "Betray me and you'll go right back."