Chapter 53: Kill Billie Vol. 2
Halliwell Manor
Leo dumped a package of candies out on the dining room table and headed for the stairs looking tired and exhausted. "Whoa. Watch out," he said as Billie zoomed down the stairs nearly knocking him over.
"Sorry, sorry. Got to go," Billie said.
"Wait. Whoa. Wh-where?" Leo said concerned.
"Don't I have a demon to vanquish?" Billie asked.
Leo shrugged. "I don't know. Do ya?"
"Did you get any Snickers?" Billie said changing the subject.
Leo narrowed his eyes. "Uh, does Piper know about this?"
"Yes, of course she knows about this. Isn't that what I'm doing here, so I can fight demons so you guys can have a life?" Billie reminded him.
"Such as it is," Leo said.
"Wish me luck," Billie called over her shoulder as she headed out the door.
"Dad?" Buffy said as Leo turned to see his daughter on the stairs. "I think there is something you should see." She led Leo to the attic and to the book. She waved her hand in front of the page to the spell had cast.
Leo frowned. "You didn't stop her?" she said as he glared at his daughter.
"Not my head, dad," Buffy shrugged. "I tried to get her to talk about it. She refused. Whatever memory she is trying to erase must be pretty bad to want it gone that badly."
Leo nodded knowing his daughter was right. "Call for Paige."
Buffy nodded. "Paige!" she called out.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Billie rushed into the attic and stopped abruptly when she saw Buffy and Paige standing beside the Book of Shadows. "Paige!" she said in mock surprise.
"Hey, honey, how you doin'?" Paige said as she looked up at Billie. "What's wrong? You don't look so well."
"Yeah. I'm not feeling too great," Billie said.
"Well, then why aren't you home resting?" Buffy asked.
Billie was sure that Buffy had shown her the spell. "I wanted to check something out in the book about the Dogon, you know, just in case I ever go up against him again. Don't want to let you guys down next time."
"Well, as long as next time isn't any time soon, how about you leave the demons to us for a while, okay?" Paige asked as she and Buffy headed out of the attic.
"You're just going to let her get away with it?" Buffy asked.
"Right now, we have more pressing things to deal with than Billie right now," Paige reminded her fiancée. "Such as getting Seth Parra off our backs. Otherwise there will be no wedding because we will be under the spotlight. Once he is taken care of I plan to deal with Billie and her use of that spell."
Parra Residence
Seth Parra lay on his stomach fast asleep when Buffy and Paige orbed into the bedroom at exactly eight minutes to midnight. Paige glanced at the windows and then back at Seth. She and Buffy each drank the potion that glamoured them into the ghost of Carol Flowers.
"Windows!" Paige called out as the windows slam shut waking Seth up.
"What?" Seth said as he bolted up. "What was that? What the hell?" He then saw Paige and Buffy. "Who - who are-who are you?"
"What's the matter, Seth?" Paige asked.
"Don't you recognize me?" added Buffy.
"You killed me," Paige said as she and Buffy rose into the air.
"Help. Help!" Seth cried out in fear.
"Sock!" Buffy called out as a sock orbed out and into his mouth. "Belts!" The belts from the table orb out and back in strapping Seth's wrists to the bedposts. "You used me."
"All you cared about was getting your story!" Paige said.
"You didn't care what would happen to me," Buffy added.
"Look at me," Paige ordered when Seth looked away. "Look at me!"
"This is what your precious story did!" Buffy told him. "This is what you did!"
"If you ever hurt anybody again, I'll be back ... for you!" Paige said as she and Buffy flew at him before orbing out.
Halliwell Manor
The next morning Phoebe and Buffy each walked out of the kitchen carrying a cup of coffee. They walked through the dining room and into the sitting room. As they sat down Paige came through the front door pushing her way through the reporters and camera flashes.
Paige shut the door closed behind her. "Get! Get ... lost. Get a life or something," she said as she headed for her fiancée and Phoebe. "Oh! I thought Buffy and I got rid of them. I can't believe it."
"Really? What made you think that?" Phoebe asked as Paige sat next to Buffy and threw the morning's newspaper on the coffee table. "Well, I thought we scared Seth off, but look at his headline. It's worse than ever."
"I told you he was a pit bull," Phoebe reminded her sister.
"Well, you also said that he gets scared. Remember the whole mafia story, Carol Flowers thing, you said he was haunted by it? So I figured if Buffy and I haunted him in real life that—" Paige said.
"That we would scare him off the case," Buffy added.
Paige sighed. "But it didn't. Piper's gonna freak."
"Sometimes I just wonder if it wouldn't be better to just let the truth out," Phoebe said as she too sighed.
"You're not serious, are you?" Buffy said in surprise. One of the first things she and Dawn had learned after finding out they were witches was to keep the secret. "After all you do remember what happened when Prue died, right?"
"Yes, I remember, Buffy," Phoebe said. "Leo and I are the only ones that remember. But it couldn't get any worse than it is right now."
"Well, yeah, actually it could," Paige said. "I mean, just think of how Dex reacted."
"Yeah. I am." Phoebe admitted.
"You spoke to him?" Buffy asked.
Phoebe nodded. "Yeah. I don't know. It's just so complicated. You know, I find this guy—this great guy, and then the spell and the premonitions just mess everything up, and I'm left to wonder how I really feel about him. It's just so not fair."
Buffy and Paige glanced at each other and decided to keep quiet on reminding Phoebe about her premonitions about them. "Well, how do you feel?" Paige asked looking back at her sister.
"Well, I like him ... a lot. But do I love him? Do I want to have his baby and spend the rest of our lives together? I just—I don't know. And how can I know? Eh, none of this makes sense."
"Maybe you should retake that test," Buffy suggested as they heard a bang. They turned and saw the front door open and Leo rush into the house.
"Dad!" Buffy shouted as she rushed to his side seeing a bruise forming on his cheek. "What happened?"
"Where's Piper?" Leo asked.
"Mom's in the kitchen," Buffy answered as she turned and followed her father toward the kitchen.
"You know what?" Paige sighed. "Maybe I should call in the big guns." She then orbed out.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Piper put her knife down on the cutting board. Neither she or Buffy can believe what they just heard.
"I'm sorry, what? You got in a fight? Where?" Piper asked.
"At Wyatt's preschool," Leo answered.
"Dad, what did you do?" Buffy asked with concern.
"Oh, what did I do?" Leo said shaking his head. "I didn't do anything, okay? I was protecting your brother, Buffy." He looked at his wife. "This whole thing got way out of control."
"Wait," Piper said. "Is Wyatt all right?"
Leo nodded. "Of course, he's all right. A photographer shoved his camera in his face."
Buffy sighed as she pulled out her cell phone and dialed.
"Summers Residence, Joyce Summers speaking."
Piper chuckled at Leo "So, what? You went all Sean Penn on him?"
"Mom," Buffy said into the phone. "Is Dawn okay?"
"What?" Leo said looking at his wife. "Am I supposed to let it go?"
"Yeah, sweetie, why?"
"Yes!" Piper exclaimed. "That's precisely what you should have done."
Buffy sighed. "Apparently dad just go into it with a reporter at Wyatt's preschool because he got into Wyatt's face with his camera. I was just wondering if Dawn might have gotten the same treatment at school."
"Oh, so you can turn them into rats, and I can't do anything," Leo reminded his wife.
"I kept her home from school yesterday, Buffy, and told her she is not doing the trick or treat thing with the kids tonight if they don't go away. Does Piper and Leo have any idea how to get rid of them?"
"You know what?" Piper said a tad bit angrier than she meant to be. "That's different."
"Not yet," Buffy sighed as she held the phone so that Joyce could hear the argument going on.
"Why because you have powers?" Leo said.
"Uh, yeah, partly, because I can reverse the damage that I've done." Piper admitted. "You can't."
"Gotcha," Leo said. "So, because you have powers and I don't, I'm just supposed to let it go, maybe let you figure it out for me, go get some more candy?"
Buffy sighed as she put the phone back to her ear. "See what I mean?"
"Yeah I do, sweetie," Joyce said. "We'll hold down the fort and hope it blows over today."
"Okay, mom, I love you," Buffy said as she ended the call.
"What is wrong with you?" Piper yelled at her husband.
"Never mind," Leo said angrily.
"Hey!" Buffy yelled. "Enough. Mom! Dad! This isn't doing any of us any good. After all you two aren't not the only ones affected. So am I, mom and Dawn in Sunnydale. So are Paige and Phoebe."
"She's right," Leo sighed.
"Yeah, she is," Piper agreed. "She's definitely your daughter, you know that."
"Yeah," Leo said. "Couldn't be prouder."
Golden Gate Bridge
Paige stood on the bridge tower waiting. "All right, I am not going anywhere. I'm just going to stay here and keep bugging you until somebody comes down here and ... talks to me."
"Hello, Paige," Jonas, an Elder, said when he orbed in. "How have you been?"
"How have I been?" Paige asked. "You don't know what's going on?"
"You didn't ask for our help before," Jonas reminded her.
"Oh!" Paige said. "So, Piper, Phoebe and I are being punished for that now? So, Buffy and I are being punished?"
"No. Of course not," he replied. "But we didn't get you into this mess. You did."
"This mess? This mess happened because we almost died fighting for the greater good," Paige said. "We actually made a split-second decision, and, hey, we chose life. I know we've had we've had our differences in the past, especially when it came to me and Buffy, but don't you think we maybe deserve a bit of a break here?"
"Yes, I do, but getting out of this, turning the cameras away from you won't be as easy as you think," Jonas said.
"Okay, well, how about calling The Cleaners down here? They can erase some memories, rewind time—" Paige started.
Jonas sighed. "Not with this much time. Besides, you already burned that bridge."
"Memory dust. Just sprinkle some," Paige suggested trying to come up with other ideas.
"Too many people involved. There's not enough," he told her.
Paige sighed. "Can you cast a spell or maybe magnify one of ours at least?"
"I'm afraid not."
"Okay. Well, I am actually open to suggestions," Paige said with a shake of her head. "My wedding is on the line here, my happiness."
"I know," Jonas said. "Which by the way, congratulations. Now the answer to your problems are not magical, Paige. They're human."
Paige nodded. "Okay, I'm listening."
"Everyone's after an amazing story, aren't they?" Jonas asked as Paige nodded. "An extraordinary one? You and Buffy both should show them how ordinary you are. They'll go away."
Paige nodded in realization. They would need to tackle this from two fronts if they wanted to get the reporters to leave both families alone.
Halliwell Manor
The door opened and Paige walked in inviting all the reporters, cameras, and other media people into the house. "Ok, welcome. Welcome to our, uh…. lovely home," she said to the reporters. "Please go on through. Go on through. That's right."
Seth stepped into the house and looked at Paige. "So, what's the catch, huh? We all going to get threatened this time?"
"Well, only if you steal Buffy and Piper's candy," Paige joked. "All right, after you. That's right. Ooh, wait there for me." Paige slammed the door shut and headed to the front of the group to start the 'tour.' "The house was built in 1898. We're actually the third generation to own it. Although not really headline worthy."
"Paige, what are you doing?" Phoebe asked as she came out of the kitchen.
Summers Residence
"Buffy?" Joyce said as she and Dawn looked at the reporters who followed Buffy into the house. "What are you doing?"
"Ahh, my mom, lovely woman," Buffy said. "fascinating life. But since the gallery has a website you can read all about her there, so really not much left to write about, is there? And my sister, Dawn. She is a wonderful girl. Helps me with my studies. Smile for the cameras." The cameraman snapped a couple of pictures of Joyce and Dawn. She noticed the look on her mother's face. "Ahh…. give us a second." They stepped aside into the dining room.
"What's going on?" Joyce asked.
"Paige's idea," Buffy answered. "If they see how ordinary we are. They might realize there is no story and leave us alone."
Halliwell Manor
"I retook the test. It looks like the first one was wrong," Phoebe said.
"Aw, honey I'm sorry." Paige said.
"Now, you're talking about the case, are you?" asked a reporter. "I mean, you don't care to give us a quote?"
"No. We're actually discussing something private, but I promise it's not newsworthy. Shall we?" Paige showed them to the stairs.
"Piper and Leo are arguing," Phoebe whispered to her sister. "Started earlier before you called for Buffy. Stopped and now their back at it again."
Paige nodded.
Summers Residence
"The house was built in 1957," Buffy said. "Mom bought it last year with her divorce settlement. Although not really headline worthy."
Halliwell Residence
Paige opened Piper's door and smiled. "Hello." She looked at the group of reporters. "And for your enjoyment, ladies and gentlemen, a marital spat. I know, really interesting, probably belongs in the lifestyle section right under the column on stinky diapers."
"Paige, what are you doing?" Piper asked.
"Well, I am just showing these fine men and women, just like Buffy is doing in Sunnydale, that even though there's nothing to find, they're destroying our lives anyway. So ... carry on." She closed the door.
Summers Residence
Buffy led the reporters into her room and smiled. "And this is my room. You will see it is just like any other typical teenage girl's room."
"This is cute," said one reporter. "But see, the government wouldn't have faked your step-mother, her sisters and your father's deaths and asked for yours, your sister and your mother's assistance unless they had a damn good reason, and none of this changes that."
Buffy shrugged. "Maybe you should just think of all those great big stories you're missing out on while you're wasting time on us. See, we're never going to talk, so this is all you're going to get."
The reporter nodded as he looked at his fellow reporters. "Let's go. No story here."
Halliwell Manor
Seth looked at Paige who shrugged him. He turned to look at his fellow reporters. "Let's go. No story here," he said as the group left the attic.
It was then that Paige's cell phone rang and she answered it. "Buffy?" she said.
"It worked; they're leaving."
"Same here," Paige said. "Finally, that nightmare is over. Now for the next one. We need to deal with Billie."
Billie's Dorm Room
The Dogon dropped Billie on her table and she fell falls to the floor in a heap. "I've come too far, acquired too many powers to let a little witch like you embarrass me," he said. "It won't happen again."
It was at that moment that Buffy and Paige orbed in.
"Hey!" Buffy said as she raised her hands and sent a telekinetic blast at the Dogon sending him flying backwards away from Billie. Paige rushed over to Billie and orbed out with her as Buffy did the same.
Having lost his chance to destroy Billie, he screamed with rage.
Halliwell Manor
Piper paced the floor, Paige and Buffy were at the potions table boiling a new batch of potion, Leo tended to Billie's wounds, and Phoebe sat on the couch.
"We don't have much time. He's going to track her here sooner or later." Piper said.
"Hey, is the press still outside?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't know. I'm afraid to look," Piper admitted.
"They should be gone after what Paige and I did both here and in Sunnydale," Buffy said.
"Did you use mandrake root or mustard seed?" Paige asked.
"Mandrake root." Billie said.
"Now, why didn't you tell us what you were doing? How come you hid it from us?" Phoebe asked.
"Because I thought I could handle it. I didn't want you guys to give up on me," Billie admitted.
"Now, why would you think that?" Buffy asked.
"Well, I overheard Phoebe and Piper saying yesterday about how you all didn't think I could handle all this, and I just didn't want it to be true."
"Why did you think erasing bad memories could help you vanquish the demon?" Paige asked.
"I don't know. All I know is it didn't work."
"Magic can't erase fears." Phoebe said. "They're part of what makes us what we are, and the only way to overcome them is to actually face them."
"I don't want to face this one," Billie admitted as she looked directly at Buffy. "You remind me so much of her."
"Of who?" Leo asked.
"My sister," Billie sighed.
"She was taken," Buffy said as Billie nodded.
"The night she was taken," Billie explained. "My mom was putting us both to bed, and it was raining outside. Christy climbed up into her bed and the balcony doors opened. This dark figure came flying in and went after Christy. She was screaming as it took her. That was the last time I ever saw her."
Buffy glanced at Paige who nodded. She walked over to Billie and sat next to the young woman. She took Billie's hand in her own. And that was when something happened. Something neither Paige or Buffy had expected or knew it could happen. Suddenly Paige got the feeling that Billie was no longer her charge at the same time that Buffy got the feeling that Billie was her charge.
"Woah," Buffy said.
"What?" Leo said looking at his daughter.
"Didn't know that was possible or that I was even ready," Buffy said as her father looked at her quizzically. "It seems Paige is no longer Billie's Whitelighter. I am."
"Is that even possible?" Phoebe asked in surprise.
"It's possible," Leo said. "It doesn't happen very often. Especially not when the original Whitelighter is still alive. The Elders must have thought you were ready, Buffy."
Buffy nodded as she looked at her charge and smiled. "So, you have faced this demon before," she said.
"No, I haven't. The Dogon is different. I know that now, but he just reminded me of the one that took Christy," Billie answered.
"What did your parents do?" Buffy asked.
"Nothing. I was never allowed to talk about it. They just told me an evil man kidnapped her."
"They didn't tell you it was a demon?" Phoebe asked.
Billie shook her head. "They didn't know anything about demons. They just thought I saw a monster under the bed or something like that. They thought I made the whole thing up."
"And now you know you didn't." Paige said.
Billie shook her head just before Dogon shimmered in next to Billie and wrapped his claw-like hands around her neck. "Move and she dies."
Billie reached out and took the potions bottle from Piper sitting in front of her. "Don't worry." Billie whispered just before the Dogon shimmered out with her.
Buffy closed her eyes as she began to try and sense her new charge.
"Buffy," Phoebe said when she saw what Buffy was doing. "Trust her."
Buffy opened her eyes and looked at Phoebe. She nodded.
Magic School
The Dogon shimmered into the Great Hall with Billie. He threw her on the floor. "I should've known you were working for The Charmed Ones and the Slayer. It explains the hubris."
"Actually, it seems I've mistaken you for somebody else," Billie said
Dogon held out his hand, palm down, claw-like fingers extended. "Really? Who?"
"Ahh ..." she said opening her mouth.
"Ahh?" he said as he opened his mouth.
Billie threw the potions bottle directly into the Dogon's mouth. He swallowed the potion and exploded, his mask falling to the floor. She smiled. "Buffy!" she called out for her new Whitelighter.
Halliwell Manor
The doorbell rang and Buffy answered the door with Piper and Paige. Paige was dressed as an angel, halo, wings and all. Buffy was dressed in jeans and a pink tank top with pink shimmery wings and glitter in her hair and on her face, neck, and arms. Piper was in a mouse costume carrying Chris dressed as a wizard. Leo was out with Wyatt in Sunnydale, having been orbed there by Buffy, they had joined Dawn's group trick-or-treating. Buffy and Paige were going to join them in a little while.
The children yelled, "Trick-or-treat!"
"Wow! Look at you guys." Buffy said.
"Are you a pirate? Wow, and a dinosaur, and a very scary ghost," Piper said.
"Not as scary as mine and Buffy's were," Paige said.
"Ok, guys, take as much as you want," Buffy said. "Oh, careful, careful, careful. Easy now. Easy. Careful. Oops. Pass it back. There you guys go. Ok, have a great night."
"It's a candy riot," Paige said smiling at her fiancée. She looked back at the kids. "Bye. Be careful."
"I think we just got robbed," Piper said.
"I think so," Buffy agreed.
Paige closed the door and Piper took Chris into the sitting room and put him down in his playpen. "Oh, my goodness," she sighed.
"Hey, if you want to go with Buffy to Sunnydale and go trick-or-treating with the others, I can watch Chris," Paige offered.
"Oh, no. That's ok. I think Leo and I need some space. Apparently, we're having some issues," Piper admitted.
"I hope it's nothing serious, mom," Buffy said.
"No. You know, I don't think so. I think just with everything that's been going on, we've taken each other for granted a little bit, and, you know, we'll be fine," Piper said looking at her daughter.
"I hope so," Buffy sighed. She didn't want to see her step-mother and her father split up.
"Yeah. Well, now that, you know, all the press is gone and things will calm down a little bit," Piper said.
"Yeah, except for the demons," Paige sad.
"Buzz kill," Buffy shot at Paige.
"What, baby?" Paige said. "They know your mom, Phoebe and I are back. It's only a matter of time."
"And I am going to stand beside you," Buffy reminded her fiancée. "Besides you have me, Dawn and my new charge to pick up the slack."
"I would still like to know why the Elders did that," Paige said.
"Can I answer that?"
They turned and saw Jonas standing in front of them.
"With the connection you were making with Billie, Buffy," Jonas said. "We decided it was time to give you your first charge. Given what you two have coming in the future, namely your wedding and marriage. We thought as a wedding gift we would ease the burden on you, Paige. Bringing you back to only one charge, or rather one group of charges. Buffy, Dawn, their friends and Joyce. And if you will let me. I would be happy to preside over your wedding myself."
"Wow," Paige said shocked.
"With the fact the human world still has laws that would relegate your union to that of a domestic partnership instead of a true union. By presiding over it, it would still be considered holy by us and even we Elders could not break it apart," Jonas said.
"Thanks," Buffy said.
"You're welcome, Buffy," Jonas said as he orbed out.
"Now if your sure, mom, Paige and I are going to Sunnydale," Buffy said.
"I'm sure," Piper said as she smiled at her daughter. She watched as Paige and Buffy moved next to each other and were preparing to orb out just as Wyatt orbed in alone. "Wyatt?" she said suddenly worried. Why was her son alone?
"Daddy needs you, sissy," Wyatt said looking at Buffy.
Buffy, Paige and Piper looked at each other.
"Go," Piper ordered knowing that if Leo sent Wyatt back to get Buffy that something had to be up.
Paige and Buffy took Wyatt's hands and Wyatt orbed out with them.
Author's Note: Yes a little bit of a cliffhanger. That's because this leads into the BTVS episode Halloween, which was hinted at in the first part of this episode. Also this episode helped solve the problem of Buffy's costume.