Chapter 8: Scry Hard Part 2

March 22, 1997 – Saturday

Halliwell Manor

Buffy, Piper, and Leo materialized in the familiar living room of the manor, but something felt off. Buffy's curiosity got the better of her as she surveyed the room. "What happened?" she wondered aloud, her gaze scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. "And why does the room look different?"

Piper, her instincts alert, approached one of the windows to investigate. As she peered outside, a sudden realization washed over her, filling her with a sense of unease. She turned to Leo and Buffy with a concerned expression. "Uh-oh."

Sensing the urgency, Buffy and Leo hurried to join Piper at the window. Their eyes widened as they beheld a sight that defied their expectations. Wyatt now loomed above them, his size and presence both astonishing and alarming.

Underworld

"Why is he doing this and why now?" Phoebe's frustration was evident as she huddled behind a wall in the dimly lit tunnel, beside Paige and Joyce. "I have a paper to put out."

"Oh, I'm sure that factored into his decision-making process," Paige said.

"Who is he?" Joyce asked,

"Zankou," Phoebe answered. "He was a demon that was recently released from the Source's prison." She looked at Paige. "I don't understand. How do we go from a demon attacking Leo to Zankou attacking us?"

Paige responded with a shrug, unable to provide a concrete answer. "I don't know. Maybe because Leo is mortal, Zankou saw an opportunity to strike."

Joyce interjected, offering her perspective. "It would have been a foolish move, though. Even with Buffy still learning to control her powers, she is still the Slayer. That alone would make her a threat."

Zankou's voice echoed in the cave, interrupting their conversation. "Don't be shy, ladies. You knew this day would come."

Sensing the urgency, Paige handed Phoebe a vial of potion. "Here. Take one of these."

Phoebe hesitated, torn between her duty as a Charmed One and her responsibilities outside of the magical realm. "Paige, we need to get back to Piper, and I have to get back to work."

Joyce chimed in, emphasizing their broader concerns. "And we can't forget about Buffy and Leo."

Paige remained determined, wanting to make their presence known. "I want to let him know we're in the game."

Craven appeared, clutching his injured arm, and shared a crucial piece of information. "One sister is still at the manor."

Zankou nodded, understanding the situation. "I know. I have the other two, along with a third unidentified witch, cornered," he said as Phoebe's cell phone began to ring.

Paige grew irritated by the ringing of the phone. "Will you shut that freaking thing off?"

Phoebe, despite the circumstances, couldn't help but comment on the irony. "I'm sorry, but you have to admire the range, it's quite impressive. We're in the underworld, it's pretty good."

Joyce quickly realized the implications. "Yes, it's impressive, but it also gave away our location." Taking charge, she proposed a plan as she took Phoebe's phone and set it on the ground. "I have an idea. Paige, can you orb us behind them?"

Paige nodded, focusing her powers, and promptly orbed out with Phoebe and Joyce.

Zankou, Craven and the demons approached the spot where the sisters and Joyce had been. "You're making this too easy." He motioned for Craven to go around the far side. As they stepped around the wall, they found only empty space. Frustrated, Zankou noticed the ringing cell phone on the ground and promptly smashed it with his boot.

Suddenly, Phoebe's voice echoed through the cave from behind, catching Zankou off guard. "Looking for us?" Simultaneously, Phoebe, Paige, and Joyce threw their potions at Zankou, who deftly evaded them, redirecting the potions to strike down the demons.

"You missed," Zankou taunted, standing triumphant as the vanquished demons dissipated into thin air.

Realizing the odds were stacked against them, Paige took Joyce and Phoebe's hands without hesitation. "Uh, okay. That's our cue." With a swift motion, they orbed out of the perilous situation, leaving Zankou and Craven behind.

Halliwell Manor

In the dollhouse, Piper, Buffy, and Leo stood before the living room window, peering out at Wyatt. "Wyatt," Piper called out, "we need to make Mommy, Daddy, and Sissy big again."

Leo chimed in with a suggestion, realizing that Wyatt might not hear them. "Maybe he can't hear us."

Piper took a step forward to open the window when a sudden surge of power shocked her. "Ow!"

Buffy was puzzled. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure. I think Wyatt has put some kind of force field around the dollhouse," Piper explained, rubbing her injured hand. She glanced back at Wyatt. "Wyatt! Let us out of here!"

Leo joined in; his voice filled with concern. "Yeah, we know you're only trying to help, but Daddy needs to get to the hospital."

"Shh! You're just going to scare him. And that's probably why he trapped us in here in the first place—to protect us," Piper reasoned.

Buffy couldn't help but wonder why Wyatt included her in the situation. "But why me? I mean, he barely knows me as his sister."

Leo offered a possible explanation. "He might have formed a bond with you during the time you spent with us in the attic while Piper was gone. Otherwise, he wouldn't have placed you here with us. Still we're supposed to be protecting him."

Piper suggested taking charge of the situation. "Alright, let me handle Wyatt. This calls for a mother's touch. Wyatt Matthew Halliwell! You will stop this nonsense right now!"

Leo remarked, slightly amused. "Wow, using his full name for the first time."

"Well, it sounds more authoritative when I scold him," Piper replied, chuckling.

"I hope I never get on your bad side, Piper," Buffy said hopeful.

Piper jokingly responded, "Well, Buffy Anne Wyatt, you just might you never know."

Leo then shared his perspective. "You know, I don't think he fully understands what's going on. All he knows is that a demon just tried to kill his dad again."

Buffy agreed, realizing the situation's complexity. "I think Dad might be right, Piper."

Piper sighed, feeling the weight of the circumstances. She turned around and walked back into the living room. "I don't understand why anyone would attack you, Leo. It's not like you're a threat to anyone anymore."

Leo pondered the demon's motives. "What I don't understand is why the demon would think the house would be empty," he said as he moved over to the couch and laid down.

Piper leaned against a wall, contemplating their next move. "Well, we're not going to figure anything out from inside here."

Leo found solace in the situation, albeit sarcastically. "At least the furniture's comfortable. You know, for toy furniture. Where did you get this dollhouse, anyway?"

Piper revealed the origins of the dollhouse. "Grams made it."

Leo was surprised. "She made it?"

Piper nodded. "Well, I didn't know she was a witch back then, so, obviously, she used some sort of magic." She glanced around the room. "It's pretty perfect."

"It doesn't look exactly like your house though," Buffy admitted. "There are differences."

"Your right of course, Buffy," Piper agreed. "It's a replica of the house from when I was a kid. We have changed some things, moved things around also."

Buffy noticed approaching footsteps from outside the dollhouse. "What's that?" she asked, glancing out the window and spotting Paige and her mom. "It's Paige, and my mom is with her. What's my mom doing here?"

"I asked Paige to see if your mom could help vanquish the demons that attacked Leo in the attic," Piper explained. "Your mom's invisibility power might've come in handy."

"Good idea," Buffy acknowledged as Piper and Leo joined her at the window, observing Paige and Joyce's arrival.

They watched as Paige walked over to the bassinet where Chris lay. "Wyatt and Chris, what are you two doing up here?" she questioned her nephews.

"Paige!" Piper yelled, waving her arms to catch Paige's attention.

Buffy realized their reduced size might hinder their efforts. "I don't think she's going to be able to hear us. Well maybe not you anyways. We're too small, our voices don't have the same carrying power they would if we were full-sized."

"What do you suggest then?" Piper said as she glared at Buffy.

"She's my Whitelighter, right?" Buffy asked as she recalled that Paige was hers and Dawn's Whitelighter.

Leo smiled, sensing a potential solution. "Of course, Whitelighters can sense when their charges need them. Paige might be able to sense Buffy."

"Where's Mommy, Daddy and Sissy, huh?" Paige inquired where her sister, brother-in-law and her charge were. "I saw what happened downstairs. Okay."

Buffy closed her eyes, focusing her thoughts on Paige. "Paige," she called out, hoping Paige would sense her. Paige reached into the bassinet, picking up Chris. "Come on, Paige," she urged. "Sense me. Sense that I need you."

Paige glanced at Joyce, then made a decision. "I want to take both Chris and Wyatt to Magic School. And then we'll find out what happened to Piper, Leo, and Buffy."

"Alright," Joyce agreed, taking Chris from Paige. Paige took Joyce's hand and with her free hand she touched Wyatt on the shoulder, and they all orbed out.

Piper sighed, looking at her stepdaughter. "Well, it seems like she didn't sense you," she remarked, turning to Leo. "Wyatt's just as stubborn as someone else I know. How are we going to get out of here?"

Leo, feeling defeated, sat back down on the couch. "We can't. It's useless."

Buffy scoffed at his resignation. "That's all you've got for us? We're just supposed to sit here and do nothing while you bleed to death on the couch, Dad?"

"Buffy…" Leo began to respond.

Piper interrupted, supporting Buffy's argument. "She has a point."

Leo looked between his wife and daughter, realizing he needed to shift his perspective. "What do you want me to say? I can't self-heal anymore. Without a doctor—"

"Mom said you used to be a doctor," Buffy reminded them. "Back during World War II."

"That was fifty years ago," Leo scoffed as Piper and Buffy slapped him on the leg.

"Well, start acting like one," Piper said. "Come on, Leo, you have to stop focusing on what you can't do and think about what you can do. Come on! Improvise."

Leo accepted the challenge. "Alright, Grams used to enjoy sewing, right?"

Piper confirmed his assumption. "Yeah."

Leo asked, "Where?"

Piper recalled the sewing room was in what was now Wyatt's bedroom. "Well, Wyatt's bedroom used to be her sewing room. Why?"

Leo explained his plan, and both Buffy and Piper reluctantly agreed to participate. They headed upstairs to the sewing room.

"Okay, now what?" Piper asked, unsure of the next steps.

Leo sat down at a desk, preparing himself. "Needle and thread."

Buffy, puzzled, asked for clarification. "What?"

"Excuse me," Piper added.

Leo reassured them, "Don't worry. I'll guide you through it."

Buffy's confusion persisted. "Guide us through what?"

Leo smiled, knowing Piper understood without explicitly saying it. "Oh, no. No, no, no," Piper protested.

"You're the one who said to improvise, Piper," Leo reminded her.

Piper removed her jacket, retrieving the needle and thread. "Well, since when does anybody listen to me?" she retorted.

Piper, Buffy, and Leo stood before the living room window, peering out at Wyatt. "Wyatt," Piper called out, "we need to bring Mommy, Daddy, and Sissy back to normal size."

Leo chimed in with a suggestion, realizing that Wyatt might not hear them. "Maybe he can't hear us."

Piper took a step forward to open the window when a sudden surge of power shocked her. "Ow!"

Buffy was puzzled. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure. It seems like Wyatt has put some sort of force field around the dollhouse," Piper explained, rubbing her injured hand. She glanced back at Wyatt. "Wyatt! Let us out of here!"

Leo joined in, his voice filled with concern. "Yeah, we understand you're trying to help, but Daddy needs to get to the hospital."

"Shh! You'll only scare him. Perhaps that's why he trapped us here in the first place—to protect us," Piper reasoned.

Buffy couldn't help but wonder why Wyatt included her in the situation. "But why me? I mean, he barely knows me as his sister."

Leo offered a possible explanation. "He might have formed a bond with you during the time you've spent together. Otherwise, he wouldn't have placed you here with us. We're supposed to be protecting him, after all."

Piper suggested taking charge of the situation. "Alright, let me handle Wyatt. This calls for a mother's touch. Wyatt Matthew Halliwell! You will stop this nonsense right now!"

Leo remarked, slightly amused. "Wow, using his full name for the first time."

"Well, it sounds more authoritative when I scold him," Piper replied, chuckling. "I hope I never get on your bad side, Piper," Buffy added.

Piper jokingly responded, "Well, Buffy Anne Wyatt, you never know."

Buffy then shared her perspective. "You know, I don't think he fully understands what's going on. All he knows is that a demon just tried to kill his dad again."

Leo agreed, realizing the situation's complexity. "I think Buffy might be right."

Piper sighed, feeling the weight of the circumstances. She turned around and walked back into the living room. "I don't understand why anyone would attack you, Leo. It's not like you're a threat to anyone anymore."

Leo pondered the demon's motives. "What I don't understand is why the demon would assume the house would be empty."

Piper leaned against a wall, contemplating their next move. "Well, we won't figure anything out from inside here."

Leo found solace in the situation, albeit sarcastically. "At least the furniture's comfortable. You know, for toy furniture. Where did you get this dollhouse, anyway?"

Piper revealed the origins of the dollhouse. "Grams made it."

Leo was surprised. "She made it?"

Piper nodded. "Well, I didn't know she was a witch back then, so she must have used some sort of magic. It's pretty much a perfect replica."

Buffy noticed approaching footsteps. "What's that?" she asked, glancing out the window and recognizing Paige. "It's Paige, and my mom is with her. What's my mom doing here?"

"I asked Paige to see if Joyce could help vanquish the demons that attacked Leo in the attic," Piper explained. "Your mom's invisibility power might've come in handy."

"Good idea," Buffy acknowledged as Piper and Leo joined her at the window, observing Paige's arrival.

They watched as Paige walked over to the bassinet where Chris lay. "Wyatt and Chris, what are you two doing up here?" she questioned her nephews.

"Piper!" Piper yelled, waving her arms to catch Paige's attention.

Buffy realized their reduced size might hinder their efforts. "I don't think she can hear us, at least not you. Our voices don't carry the same way when we're small."

Piper recalled that Paige was Buffy's Whitelighter. Leo smiled, sensing a potential solution. "Actually, Whitelighters can sense when their charges need them. Paige might be able to sense you."

Buffy closed her eyes, focusing her thoughts on Paige. "Paige," she called out, hoping to make her presence known.

Paige reached into the bassinet, picking up Chris. "Come on, Paige," Buffy urged. "Sense me. Sense that I need you."

Paige glanced at Joyce, then made a decision. "I want to take both Chris and Wyatt to Magic School. And then we'll find out what happened to Piper, Leo, and Buffy."

"Alright," Joyce agreed, taking Chris from Paige. Paige then touched Wyatt on the shoulder with her free hand, and they all orbited out of the dollhouse.

Piper sighed, looking at Buffy. "Well, it seems like she didn't sense you," she remarked, turning to Leo. "He's just as stubborn as someone else I know. How are we going to get out of here?"

Leo, feeling defeated, sat down on the couch. "We can't. It's useless."

Buffy scoffed at his resignation. "That's all you've got for us? We're just supposed to sit here and do nothing while you bleed to death on the couch, Dad?"

Leo began to respond, but Piper interrupted, supporting Buffy's argument. "She has a point."

Leo looked between his wife and daughter, realizing he needed to shift his perspective. "What do you want me to say? I can't self-heal anymore. Without a doctor—"

Buffy reminded them of Leo's past as a doctor during World War II. "Mom said you used to be a doctor. That was fifty years ago."

Leo sighed, and Piper and Buffy encouraged him to tap into his skills. "Start acting like one, Leo. We have to stop focusing on what you can't do and think about what you can do. Come on, improvise."

Leo accepted the challenge. "Alright, Grams used to enjoy sewing, right?"

Piper confirmed his assumption. "Yeah."

Leo asked, "Where?"

Piper recalled the sewing room in Wyatt's bedroom. "Well, Wyatt's bedroom used to be her sewing room. Why?"

Leo explained his plan, and Piper reluctantly agreed to participate. They headed upstairs to the sewing room.

"Okay, now what?" Piper asked, unsure of the next steps.

Leo sat down at a desk, preparing himself. "Needle and thread."

Buffy, puzzled, asked for clarification. "What?"

Leo reassured them, "Don't worry. I'll guide you through it."

Buffy's confusion persisted. "Walk Piper through what?"

Leo smiled, knowing Piper understood without explicitly saying it. "Oh, no. No, no, no," Piper protested.

"You're the one who said to improvise, Piper," Leo reminded her.

Piper removed her jacket, retrieving the needle and thread. "Well, since when does anybody listen to me?" she retorted.

Leo encouraged her, reminding her of their goal. "You can do this, Piper. Okay, let's show Wyatt that we can handle whatever comes our way."

Buffy supported Leo's words. "He has a point. If we want to get out of this dollhouse, we need to demonstrate to Wyatt that we can protect each other and ourselves. That we can… as dad said… handle whatever's thrown at us."

Piper nodded in agreement. "Mm-hmm." She assisted Leo in removing his shirt, preparing for the makeshift procedure.

"Buffy, you have the strength to bring the skin together," Leo instructed Buffy, acknowledging her strength. "Do that while Piper stitches it."

Buffy grimaced but complied, standing by her father's side and following his guidance.

Leo prepared himself. "Now, Piper, I'm ready. Do it."

"Are you sure?" Piper asked.

"Hurry," Leo said.

Piper took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself, and began stitching Leo's wound.

Bay Mirror Newspaper Offices

Bauer approached Phoebe, dragging Tom Taylor by his tie, while Phoebe was temporarily filling in for Elise. "This moron is trying to take a butcher knife to my column," he complained.

Phoebe assessed the situation. "Okay, what seems to be the problem? Obviously, besides the butcher knife?"

" Phoebe, like I told you. It's a great story, really," Tom defended himself. "It's just a bit bloated."

"Bloated?!" Bauer exclaimed. "I'll show you bloated."

"No. No. You know what? No, please, please, don't," Phoebe pleaded, shaking her head in disbelief.

Jordan, the fashion editor, sat at his computer, amused by the argument. He glanced over at the film critic, noticing that he was using his teacup as a coffee mug. His smile faded.

"Listen, lady, I've been working the beat in this town for 22 years," Bauer asserted. "And no Ivy League trust-funder is going to tell me how to write the news."

Jordan stood up and gestured to get Phoebe's attention. "Fashion editor. Sorry to interrupt. But our so-called film critic has been drinking coffee out of my teacup."

I don't know what Jordan's so worked up about. It's a 2 1/2-star coffee mug at best," the film critic retorted.

At that moment, Paige and Joyce emerged from Phoebe's office, and Paige urgently grabbed Phoebe's arm. "Phoebe, we need to go," Paige said, pulling Phoebe aside.

"Yeah, I know, I know, and I want to get Zankou as much as you do," Phoebe replied. "Where's Piper? And why is Joyce still here? No offense, Joyce."

Joyce reassured her, "None taken."

"That's the problem," Paige explained. "Buffy, Piper, and Leo have disappeared."

"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked confused. "What about the boys?"

"The boys are safe," Paige assured her. "We just need to find their parents and their older sister."

"Who also happens to be my eldest daughter," Joyce added.

Phoebe turned around and looked at Bauer. "Let me ask you a question. Do we ever push the deadline for the evening edition?"

Bauer shook his head. "No, otherwise it would be called the 'sometime in the middle of the night edition.'"

"Alright, you know what?" Phoebe declared. "I'm going into my office for a very important conference call. No interruptions." She glanced at Paige and Joyce, then walked into her of

Halliwell Manor

Paige orbed with Joyce and Phoebe into the foyer, only to find two demons standing in the entryway. "Oh, my goodness," she exclaimed as the demons turned around.

"Hope you guys got a discount on all that leather," Phoebe quipped.

Zankou approached them, his presence commanding. "That's something I admire about you, ladies," he remarked. "Always a clever remark in the face of danger. But I must say, I'm insulted. Don't you think I deserve the Power of Three?"

Joyce smiled as she stepped forward, facing Zankou. "Joyce Summers," she introduced herself. "We met briefly. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige are my nieces." She glanced at Paige and Phoebe, subtly signaling them to play along. "You don't deserve the Power of Three because you're not a genuine threat. Unlike in the Underworld, we have the advantage here. The house has hardwood floors, and if I decide to make us invisible, you won't be able to locate us."

"True, you could try that," Zankou acknowledged. "But with our numbers, you wouldn't be able to evade all the fireballs we'd hurl. One of them is bound to hit you before you can eliminate even one of us." He raised his hand, and the front door swung open. "Without the Power of Three, I don't see you three as a significant threat." With a wave of his hand, Phoebe, Paige, and Joyce were forcefully expelled from the house, landing with a thud on the front porch.

Zankou smiled triumphantly and used his powers to close the doors on them. Left outside, Phoebe voiced the question on their minds, "Now what?"

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Leo instructed Piper to tie off and cut the thread, as she finished stitching his wound.

"Scissors," Piper requested, and Buffy handed her a pair. "Aren't you happy you became mortal?" she asked her husband.

Leo smiled. "Well, at least now we can grow old like any other couple."

"That is, if we survive this," Piper remarked. "Wyatt is so worried he practically locked us up and threw away the key." She helped Leo put his shirt back on.

"Just like Dad said earlier, we have to prove to him that we can take care of ourselves," Buffy chimed in.

"Yeah," Piper agreed. "It would certainly help if we were restored to our former size."

Suddenly, a shadow passed over them. They hurriedly moved to the window, opening it to get a better view. They saw Craven walking by the dollhouse, and to their surprise, Zankou standing at the window.

"What's he doing here?" Piper wondered.

"Well, I recognize the demon that attacked us earlier," Buffy replied. "But who's the other one?"

"That's Zankou," Piper explained. "He's currently at the top of the demonic food chain."

"Post guards here and throughout the manor," Zankou commanded. "As soon as they find their sister, they'll be back, and make sure there is a demon who can see invisible beings making the rounds throughout the manor. We'll need to fend them off for as long as possible."

"You mean if we're going to find The Nexus," Craven added.

"The Nexus?" Buffy questioned.

"It's a spiritual convergence, somewhat like the Hellmouth. But this one is neutral; its allegiance can be swayed depending on who possesses the house," Leo clarified. "As long as the Halliwells have owned the house, while the Nexus in of itself is neutral, Piper, Phoebe and Paige have used its power for good. However, if evil gains control..."

"The Nexus will be swayed toward evil," Buffy finished, understanding the gravity of the situation. "And its power aids the forces of darkness."

"Where are Phoebe and Paige?" Piper pondered.

"They're probably with my mom," Buffy replied. "After all, he did mention the need for someone who can see invisible beings."

"And where is your mom?" Piper asked.

"If only I knew," Buffy sighed in frustration.

"I not only want to find The Nexus now, but I also want to release the Shadow and harness its ultimate power," Zankou declared.

"Can you do that?" Craven inquired.

"Now that evil has taken control of the manor, I certainly can," Zankou affirmed. "And I will."

"And where is your mom?" Piper asked.

"If only I knew," Buffy sighed in frustration.

"I not only want to find The Nexus now, but I also want to release the Shadow and harness its ultimate power," Zankou declared.

"Can you do that?" Craven inquired.

"Now that evil has taken over control of the manor, I can," Zankou affirmed. "And I will."