Chapter 37: Heartbreak City
February 19, 1998 – Thursday
Streets of San Francisco
Prue, Jack, Piper, Dan, Buffy and Phoebe walked out of the movie theatre with the rest of the crowd that had been watching "Love Story." Prue had her arm linked with Jack's as he led her down the street. Dan had his arm around Piper's shoulder. Buffy and Phoebe ran up between the two couples.
"Fifth and Sixth wheel cutting in!" Phoebe announced.
Buffy rolled her eyes. She hadn't really wanted to go along on the almost quadruple date. Hers and Phoebe's though had cancelled at the last second. But the sisters had insisted she needed to get back into the dating scene. So she had asked Xander, who wound up unable to come despite his long unrequited crush.
"Oh, would you stop that," Piper insisted.
"Well, it is a double date," Phoebe pointed out casually.
Prue reached out with her free arm and linked it with Phoebe's. "It would have been a quadruple date if Kevin and Xander hadn't canceled," she added sympathetically.
"I'm kind of glad, Xander cancelled," Buffy admitted. "I'm not ready to go on dates right now."
"I know, it seems to be an epidemic lately. Guys canceling on me," Phoebe admitted with a hint of a sigh in her voice.
"You know what happens when they cancel," Piper stated with a smile to Phoebe.
"Ooh, back to square one," Prue groaned after glaring at a chuckling Jack.
"Do not pass go," Piper joked.
"And all accrued nookie credits are thrown out," Phoebe finished with a giggle of agreement.
Buffy sighed and shook her head. The one thing she hated about being forced to try and date to get over Angel was talking about dating. She would rather they had left her at home.
Dan looked thoughtful at their conversation. "I didn't know there was a penalty," he admitted.
"Oh yeah!" Prue, Piper and Phoebe all said at the same time. They waited for Buffy to agree but she didn't say anything.
"You know this glimpse into feminine mystery frightens me to no end so allow me to change the subject," Jack admitted. "What did you think of the movie?"
"I liked it," Piper answered immediately.
"Loved it except for the bell bottoms," Prue admitted.
Dan shrugged, not really impressed. "It was okay, I guess," he offered.
Piper looked up at him teasingly. "Who are you kidding? I heard you sniffle," she accused.
"Fighting a cold," Dan argued.
Piper rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Liar."
Prue's gaze shifted from Jack to Buffy to Phoebe. "Come on, Jack, Buffy, Phoebe, what did you think?" she prompted.
"As far as classics go, it was no Dirty Dozen," Jack replied.
"I would have preferred Dirty Dozen," Buffy said. "Can I go home, guys."
Phoebe smirked and jumped in the conversation. "I slept through it," she announced.
Jack appeared taken aback. "You slept through Dirty Dozen?" he demanded as if it was a crime.
"No, Love Story," Phoebe corrected. "The last thing I remember is the hockey game."
"That was the very beginning," Piper stated.
"Okay, let me guess, boy meets girl, grim reaper swipes girl, and boy's left with his hockey skates?" Phoebe guessed confidently.
"That's the review," Jack deadpanned.
"Anybody want a coffee?" Dan questioned as they approached a coffee shop.
"I hope so because I'm buying," Jack offered.
Phoebe and Buffy paused in the doorway of the coffee shop, their eyes lingering on Piper and Prue laughing with their men. Prue glanced over her shoulder to see where Phoebe and Buffy had gone and noticed them standing in the doorway. She pulled away from Jack and walked back to Buffy Phoebe. "Hey, you're gonna come get coffee, right?" she asked hopefully.
Phoebe glanced at Buffy who shook her head slightly. "I think we're just gonna get a cab, call it a night. We're both pooped," Phoebe insisted. "Right, Buffy?"
"Right, Phoebe," Buffy agreed.
Prue studied her sister and cousin for a moment. "I'm sorry that Kevin and Xander backed out on you two," she apologized.
"Ah… it's their loss," Phoebe shrugged it off.
"I only invited Xander anyways because I'm not ready, Prue," Buffy said with a sigh. "Really."
"It is so their loss because you both are beautiful," Prue complimented, pulling Phoebe and Buffy into a tight hug.
Phoebe smiled into Prue's shoulder. "You're so beautiful," she returned before she and Buffy let Prue go. "Alright, go see your man. Have some coffee," she ordered.
Prue backed a few steps away while playing with Phoebe's hands. "Okay, I love you," she called.
"I love you too," Phoebe echoed.
"Ditto," Buffy added.
Buffy and Phoebe watched as Prue joined back up with Jack and then Piper and Dan. They turned back to the door when Coop ran up to them, blocking their path. They didn't notice at first and walked into him. He reached out and grabbed their arms to steady them. "Phoebe Halliwell? Buffy Halliwell?" he asked in a low voice.
Phoebe and Buffy narrowed their eyes suspiciously as he said their names. "Yeah, who're you?" Phoebe inquired as she and Buffy yanked their arms out of his grip.
"Coop and I need your help to…" Coop started.
"Hey, man, do you have a problem?" Dan demanded while he pushed past everyone to confront Coop, who was obviously blocking Phoebe and Buffy from leaving.
Coop trailed off and there was a flash of irritation in his eyes. "I was just asking for directions to my new apartment. Um, on Cherry Grove Street," he fabricated before fixing his gaze on Phoebe and Buffy.
Phoebe and Buffy looked at him even more suspiciously. "Take a left two blocks down and it's that road…" Buffy explained, acutely aware that wasn't really what this Coop guy had needed help with. She shifted into a defensive stance as her mind invariably categorized him as a possible vampire, demon or warlock.
Coop refrained from continuing his explanation with Dan standing right there and just nodded to Buffy. "Thanks," he offered and then left without another word.
"Hey, Phoebe, Buffy, what was that?" Piper asked, running up between Phoebe and Buffy while Dan followed Coop a few steps to make sure he had really gone.
"I think I speak for Buffy and I that we don't really know…" Phoebe admitted under her breath.
"Should we follow him?" Prue questioned.
Phoebe and Buffy tore their eyes away from the door to face Piper and Prue. "I don't think so. Not right now at least," Buffy answered.
February 20, 1998 – Friday
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe yawned and left the upstairs bathroom and stopped outside Piper's bedroom. She knocked and pushed the door open. "Piper? Are you still asleep?" she called as she walked in and stopped upon seeing her bed hadn't been slept in. She sighed and turned toward Prue's room. "Hey, Prue? Guess who got lucky?" She opened her door to find it empty as well. She groaned and walked down the hall to Buffy's room. She knocked on Buffy's door and pushed the door open without waiting for an answer. "Buffy, I think…" she trailed off finding Buffy nowhere to be seen. Though like her sisters it did look like Buffy's bed had at least been slept in.
It was in that moment that she heard something in the attic. "Buffy?" she called out as she hurried up the stairs. She found flipping through her book. "Buffy?"
Buffy looked at Phoebe, tears in her eyes. "I need a spell, Pheebs. Last night was too much. I need something to help me get over Angel, so I don't hurt so much."
Phoebe blinked in surprise as she realized that Buffy had been hiding her true emotions for the last month since Angel had become Angelus. She sighed as she hurried over to Buffy and guided her cousin out of the attic and down the stairs. "Did you sleep?" she asked.
"A little," Buffy said. "Not the majority of it."
Phoebe sighed as she sat Buffy down on the couch in the living room before sitting beside her. She took Buffy's hands in her own. "Sweetie," she started as the phone rang. "I'll get it," she told her cousin. She stood and walked into the other room and picked up the receiver. "Halliwell Residence, Phoebe speaking."
"Morning," Prue said from the other end.
"Hey, Prue. Did that coffee keep someone up all night?" Phoebe teased.
"Believe it or not, all we did was talk," Prue answered.
"Yeah, right," Phoebe chuckled.
"No, I swear. We just talked about everything, it was really great," Prue admitted.
"Really?" Phoebe said in surprise. "How's he react to the witch part?"
"Cute," Prue replied. "Alright, where's Piper?"
"Piper is still gone as well. If only I had bagged Mr. Creepy we could have scored a Halliwell Hat Trick last night," Phoebe joked as she glanced at Buffy who still sat in the living room.
Prue hesitated. "Don't be mad," she mumbled.
"I'm not mad," Phoebe insisted. "I'm thrilled for you both. You deserve to be happy." She looked back at Buffy again and sighed. "Prue, I found Buffy in the attic just a little bit ago. Going through her book."
"What? Why was she…?" Prue asked and though Phoebe couldn't see it, her eyes widened in realization. "Oh! I thought she was over him."
"I think she's just been hiding her emotions really well," Phoebe said with a sigh. "She said last night was too much for her. She said she was looking for a spell so she wouldn't hurt anymore. We really need to do something Prue."
"Agreed," Prue said.
A pinkish light deposited 'Mr. Creepy' in front of Buffy, who instantly was on her feet and spinning into a roundhouse to his face. He fell back into the wall.
"Prue, our stalker is back," Phoebe said into the phone urgently moment before she heard the dial tone.
Coop steadied himself and rubbed his jaw gingerly. "Talk about kicking love in the teeth," he mumbled.
"Okay, who are you and what do you want?" Buffy demanded, holding her fists up in front of her.
Coop held his hands up in the air peacefully. "I'm Cupid, I'm one of them anyway. You can call me Coop. I need your help. The Charmed Ones and the Charmed Slayer kind of help and in return I can help you," he explained quickly before Buffy decided to attack him again.
Phoebe narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "With what?" she asked as she stepped beside her cousin.
"To get both of your love lives back on track," Coop offered.
Phoebe frowned, unconvinced. "What do you know about it?" she questioned.
"I'm a cupid. It's my job," Coop replied.
"We're supposed to believe that?" Buffy inquired.
Coop shrugged to himself. "I could hope. What can I say? I'm a dreamer," he joked.
Dan's House
Piper lay curled up comfortably on Dan's bed when he walked in with a breakfast tray complete with a beautiful rose. "Oh my," Piper allowed, shifting ever so slightly in her seat.
"All eggs over, bacon crisps, a box of jewelry, and dried toast," Dan listed with a playful smile as he sat the tray carefully down on the bed. Piper stared at him and he offered her a sheepish smile. "I had to make something for Jenny before she left for school," he admitted.
Piper rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she moved into a sitting position. "A box of what?" she asked, picking out those four words out of the rest.
Dan looked a little nervous. "Do you want the morning paper with that?" he dodged.
"What did you do?" Piper inquired, settling herself down in front of the tray. She immediately reached for the jewelry box.
"It's not a big deal. It's not a ring or anything but just because it's jewelry, I don't want you to feel like you gotta keep it. If you wanna take it back, you can," Dan rambled.
"I get it, I get it," Piper assured him while eyeing the box as if she was trying to figure out what was inside it.
Dan smiled and appeared a little excited. "You gonna open it?" he prompted.
She complied and opened the box to find a diamond-studded heart necklace. "Oh!" she exclaimed.
"'Cause if you want, you can take it back…" Dan started to ramble nervously again until Piper moved around the breakfast tray and pressed her lips against his. He quickly responded and drew the kiss deeper.
Phoebe poked her head around the doorway and rolled her eyes at finding Dan and Piper lip-locked. She took a few steps out so that Piper could see her and waved her hands frantically. Piper opened her eyes slightly and pulled away from Dan as she saw Phoebe practically jumping up and down for her attention.
Dan looked confused. "Hey, is something…"
Piper flicked her wrists and froze him before he could finish his sentence. She then turned on Phoebe and jumped off the bed. "Phoebe, what are you doing here? How did you get in here?" she demanded.
"We have got a couple problems," Phoebe explained while running back behind the doorway and pulling Coop out for Piper to see. "Uh, Piper, Coop. Coop, Piper," she introduced hastily.
Coop stepped forward and shook Piper's hand. "Nice to meet you and I'm sorry to interrupt you and Dan," he offered apologetically.
Piper just nodded absently until Phoebe spoke up again. "You have to come home really fast," Phoebe insisted.
"What?" Piper pressed.
"A demon has bit of a vendetta against me and is looking to indirectly destroy me," Coop summarized.
"Wait a minute," Piper started.
"He's telling the truth. The demon's name is Drazi. He's in the Book of Shadows," Phoebe interrupted.
Coop nodded slightly. "We left Buffy working on the potion," he added.
"And Prue's on her way home," Phoebe told her.
"From where?" Piper asked.
"Jack's," Phoebe replied and then glanced at the still frozen Dan. "Okay. Hurry. Kiss very fast," she prompted before dragging Coop out the door with her.
"Hey," Piper called after her sister. "You said we had more than one problem!"
Pheobe peeked back into the room and sighed "I found Buffy in the attic this morning going through her book. She was looking for a spell to erase the hurt in her heart. Apparently she's been hiding her emotions from us for the last month."
"Oh," Piper sighed. "That's not good."
"Now," Phoebe said motioning toward Dan before leaving the room.
Piper nodded and moved back to Dan where she returned to her previous position. "Okey dokey," she muttered under her breath. A second later Dan unfroze.
"… the matter?" Dan finished his sentence as if uninterrupted.
"Yes. Um, there is but not with you. There is absolutely nothing the matter with you, but I do have to go," Piper answered, hastily slipping off the edge of the bed.
Dan laughed nervously. "Hold it. What happened? I don't understand."
"It has nothing to do with you, I swear," Piper insisted as she picked up some of her clothes off the floor.
"Then what does it have to do with?" Dan questioned, his voice a little harder.
Piper grabbed up the rest of her clothes. "It's, uh, complicated," she started and then turned back to face Dan and held up her new necklace. "Thank you for this and you will see it on me tonight at the club," she promised. Piper quickly stepped forward and pecked him on the lips before hurrying out the door.
Halliwell Manor
Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Buffy were seated in a line along the couch while Coop stood near an armchair to their left.
"So we're actually supposed to believe that you're cupid?" Prue asked, her voice radiating her disbelief.
Coop shrugged nonchalantly. "Believing in angels isn't any different," he pointed out with a faint nod in Buffy's direction, indicating Whitelighters.
"I'm not," Buffy groaned. "Just because Leo is my father. Doesn't mean I am one. My powers don't even mirror his at all."
"Because of the Slayer," Coop said with a nod. "That said though, Buffy, because you are his daughter you are still…"
Buffy let out another grown as she opened her mouth to shoot back a reply but Piper interrupted. "Where's the chubby baby?" she questioned to Coop.
Phoebe rolled her eyes at her eldest sisters. "Guys," Phoebe tried but was ignored.
"And the bow and arrow?" Prue challenged.
Coop smiled and leaned casually back against a chair. "Myths. Along with the warty chins, hooked noses, pointy hats, and turning people into frogs," he returned.
"I think we should just vanquish him and get it over with," Buffy said with a glance at her cousins.
Prue rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. "Okay, fine, show us something supernatural," she ordered.
"Drazi took my ring but I can still…" Coop trailed off as he beamed out and reappeared on the other side of the room with another pinkish beam of light.
"You said Drazi took your ring. Why is it important?" Buffy asked, suspicion in her voice.
"It allows me to tap into additional powers. Telekinesis, time manipulation, and the like. It's how I find and put together matches," Coop explained. "Drazi can use it to put in hate and break matches apart which is why I need to get it back," he continued seriously.
Piper shook her head, unconvinced. "Just because you can do something magical doesn't mean you're a cupid. You're gonna have to back up the claim," she stated suspiciously.
Coop nodded in agreement. "Okay," he replied, walking to stand in front of them. He pointed at Piper first then Prue then Buffy and finally Phoebe. "Dan, Jack, Pike, Clay," he listed off respectively. His gaze returned to Prue. "Tom, Eric in London, Alec in college, Andy in high school…" His eyes shifted to Piper. "Not Jeremy the warlock, Joe in college, Barry in high school, Tim in eighth grade," Coop turned to Buffy. "Pike at Hemery, Not Angel – that relationship is actually forbidden for us to match." Coop paused in his lists as he turned lastly to Phoebe. "Ken, Kyle, Steve, Mike, Ken again, Brian, Joel, Martin, Peter, Paul, Tony…"
Phoebe's eyes widened as Coop listed off name after name and she felt all eyes turn to her. "Okay, you know I didn't love all those guys, right?" she interrupted uncomfortably.
"Yeah, well, they wanted to love you but you're closed hearted. That's what sent them away. Just as Buffy is closed hearted now because of what happened with Angel," Coop replied.
Phoebe narrowed her eyes. "My closed heart? I do not have a closed heart," she countered.
"Look, if people get the feeling that there's nothing there, then eventually it's hasta la vista, Phoebe. That explains the recent rush of cancelled dates." Coop told her lightly.
"Okay, so wait, our past relationships, you made those happen?" Prue asked.
"Not exactly. I've only recently been assigned to you four. I helped you meet Jack and Piper meet Dan but the rest was another agent," Coop admitted.
"Agents?" Piper questioned.
"Oh, yeah. I'm just one of many," Coop explained. "We work in secret all over the world making connections."
"Did you connect me with Leo?" Piper inquired and everyone fell silent.
Coop frowned sympathetically. "Um, no. Just like with Buffy and Angel. That was the work of you two. Those connections, again like Buffy and Angel, were forbidden to make for obvious reasons," he answered.
"Obvious reasons," Buffy mumbled under her breath.
"Um, wait, I wasn't done!" Phoebe interrupted, turning back to Coop.
"Phoebe, we really need to move this along and stop this Drazi before he can do any damage," Buffy interrupted.
Piper, Prue and Phoebe looked at each other and then at Buffy with a look of concern.
"Okay, how are we supposed to find Drazi?" Prue hastily changed the subject. "Can you track him down?" she wondered, turning in her seat to look at Buffy.
"Given time maybe," Buffy said. "It depends on if he trips my Slayer senses or not."
Coop stepped forward. "She doesn't have to. We can sense each other through a cosmic connection. Love and Hate," he explained.
"Oh brother," Piper muttered, dropping her head into her hands.
"We can't take Drazi lightly. He's smart and you guys are in danger as well," Coop warned.
Phoebe barely cast him a glance. "We're always in danger. We're used to it," she countered icily.
"I'm not talking physical danger, Phoebe. He can use the ring to break your sisters' relationships up and they won't even notice that it wasn't them in control," Coop attempted to make her understand.
Coop suddenly clutched at his chest and collapsed. Buffy was up in a second and Coop to a couch.
Phoebe stepped forward and kneeled down next to Coop. "What's wrong?" she demanded.
"It's Drazi," Coop gasped. "He's killing love."
"Okay, Buffy," Prue said turning toward her cousin.
"No," Buffy objected.
"Your going with us," Prue countered the tone of her voice taking a motherly quality. "You need to put Angel behind you. And the best way to do that is by moving forward. Helping an innocent will do that."
Buffy sighed and nodded. "Alright," she reluctantly agreed as she held out her hands.
The Markets
Paramedics were carefully maneuvering a stretcher that a man by the name of Max was on into the back of the ambulance while a police officer was talking a woman who knew him named Cindy.
"He just walked into traffic. Dumb ass," Cindy explained, rolling her eyes at as she described what happened. She suddenly eyed the officer intently. "Is he gonna die?" she asked. She didn't sound worried in the slightest.
"I can't answer that," the officer admitted.
"Because he should, you know. I don't think I've known anyone who deserves to be hit by a car more than that guy," Cindy ranted.
Behind all the commotion, Prue pulled up in her car with Buffy while Piper, Phoebe and Coop arrived right behind them in Piper's jeep.
Prue and Buffy waited where they were while Piper, Phoebe and Coop joined them. "It's Max," Coop recognized him.
"Is he one of yours?" Piper inquired.
"Yeah, I matched him up with Cindy last night," Coop answered with a concerned frown. "She was afraid to risk love too," he added, glancing at Phoebe and Buffy.
Phoebe placed her hands on her hips. "Are you picking on me and Buffy?" she demanded through narrowed eyes.
"You both can't run from love you know that," Coop replied, shrugging off Phoebe's demand and getting to the point.
"I'm not interested," Buffy snapped angrily.
"Oh, does it look like I'm running? Because I'm not running, I'm walking," Phoebe snapped. She narrowed her eyes even more when he just smiled knowingly. "Do you think it's easy finding love with all the demon hunting we have to do?" she continued, even more irritated at Coop's silence.
"You always say something like that. You always think that you never have time for love and I'm going to prove you wrong," Coop stated.
Buffy looked at her eldest cousin. "This was a mistake. I'm going to flame back home."
"No you are not," Prue ordered. "I know you are hurting, Buffy. But till I say otherwise. You are grounded literally. No flaming."
"Let's just stay focused. We have things to do," Phoebe decided.
Prue's gaze flickered to Coop. "Are you sure Drazi did this?" she asked uncertainly.
"Yeah, he's still here too," Coop admitted, looking over the crowd.
"Where?" Buffy questioned, wanting to take her frustrations out on something, anything.
Coop suddenly pointed at Drazi and the sisters plus Buffy turned to look. "There," he answered.
"Do you think he knows who we are?" Prue inquired.
Drazi made eye contact with Coop and then noticed Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Buffy. His smile fell and he hastily turned and started to hurry away.
"Apparently," Piper stated.
"He's getting away. Do you have the potion?" Coop wondered.
"Yes," Buffy snapped before taking off after him.
Prue was the first to follow after her. "Buffy…" she muttered under her breath in a disapproving tone that Buffy ignored.
Piper, Phoebe and Coop were quick to follow. "We're not going to catch up," Phoebe announced as they tried to traverse around the crowd.
"Piper, freeze him," Prue ordered.
"He's too far away," Piper snapped. "Can't somebody orb or something?"
"Well, we need to do something fast," Coop pointed out.
Buffy sped up but tripped on some steps in the way. She flamed out just as Prue was grabbing for her to keep her from falling. She appeared in bright flames, blocking Drazi's path.
"What?" Drazi demanded in surprise. He glanced behind him uncertainly and then back at Buffy as he pulled to a halt.
"Surprise," Buffy replied as a fireball formed in her hands. She threw it and it hit him sending him flying to the ground, knocking his head against a dumpster.
Piper, Phoebe, Prue, and Coop joined Buffy just as Drazi was getting to his feet. "Hiding behind witches' skirts," Drazi taunted to Coop.
"Stealing things that don't belong to you," Piper countered before flicking her wrists and freezing him. "Okay, go," she ordered.
Buffy threw the potion. It hit Drazi squarely in the chest and he unfroze as the potion took effect. "What the…" he managed to stutter before he began to melt into a large puddle of black goo.
"Did you get him?" Buffy wondered.
Coop was frowning at what was left of Drazi. "It looks like it," he answered but didn't appear a hundred percent convinced.
"Good," Buffy said as she looked at her cousins. "I'm flaming back to the Manor." Before any of them could stop her she disappeared in bright flames.
"But…" Piper prompted, hearing it in his voice.
"Well, my ring shouldn't have disappeared with Drazi," Coop explained.
"So that's it, right? We're done? You can just move on?" Phoebe pressed impatiently.
Coop smirked, forgetting about his ring as his eyes fell on Phoebe. "In a hurry to get rid of me, Phoebe?" he laughed, apparently amused.
"Look, Cupid, I know you're just trying to help but did you ever think that I may not be ready for love right now?" Phoebe inquired seriously.
"You and Buffy both can be if you both would let it," Coop countered lightly.
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Don't start. Just go," she retorted.
"What about your ring?" Prue interrupted with a thoughtful expression on her face as she eyed the black goo.
Coop frowned again. "They'll issue me another one when I get back…" he trailed off. "Mind if I look over your book before I leave? Just to check to see if it has any information on my ring?" he asked.
"Mmm… no, go ahead," Prue allowed after exchanging a glance with Piper, who nodded to her.
"Care to help me, Phoebe?" Coop offered.
Phoebe crossed her arms across her chest. "Me? Why me?" she demanded.
"Because your sisters all have dates tonight and you don't," Coop replied smugly.
"Hey, how'd you know..." Piper started and then sighed. "Never mind, scratch that."
"I got a condition," Prue told the cupid. "Get Buffy to help too."
Coop nodded in understanding. "I understand. Ever since Angel lost his soul, she has been hiding her emotions from you all, pretending to be fine when in reality she was no where near it. Helping her to believe in love again could help her to finally move past it."
As soon as they had turned their backs, there was faint green glow from the ring as it floated above the black goo. Suddenly Drazi reformed with the help of the ring. He grinned as he looked fondly at it. "Well, it looks like you can't kill love after all. But you sure can screw with it."
P4
Prue was looking at Piper a little apprehensively. "Very nice. So you like it?" she asked hopefully looking at Piper's necklace.
Piper rolled her eyes good-naturedly and nodded. "I love it," she admitted.
"Well, thank your sister," Dan told Piper. "She helped me pick it out."
"Hey!" Prue exclaimed in denial. Piper fixed her with a stern gaze and Prue sighed. "Okay, yeah, I did," she grumbled.
Piper took Dan's arm. "Well, thank you both and…" she looked at Dawn with a sly smile. "I'll thank you again later."
"Wow!" Jack said in surprise. "If that's all it takes, when can I buy one?" he asked Prue as both Dawn and Piper chuckled.
Prue looked offended. "Okay," she said.
"You know what? Why don't we find a table and get some food," Jack prompted, already leading Prue toward the table. The other couple quickly followed.
Halliwell Manor
"So what exactly are you looking for?" Buffy asked impatiently as she paced back and forth in front of her Book of Shadows.
Coop glanced up at her from his place with Phoebe in front of the Charmed Book of Shadows. "Information on the full properties of my ring," he answered.
Phoebe rolled her eyes, she and Buffy already knew that much. "Okay, but we vanquished Drazi already and you said yourself that 'they'll' issue you another ring so what's the big deal?" she pressed.
"I'm not convinced that he's been vanquished," Coop explained.
Phoebe fixed Coop with a curious gaze. "If you thought that then why didn't you say something before now?" she questioned.
"It's only a theory," Coop replied, flipping the family's Book of Shadows to another page. "But my ring grants me high resistance to magical attacks. If Drazi can use it, as he has already proven, perhaps the ring grants him the same properties…"
"That it gives you," Buffy finished with a sigh in her voice.
"Perhaps enough to protect him from being vanquished by your potion," Coop added.
Phoebe suddenly found herself more interested in Coop's extended stay. She looked down at the open page and saw it was Drazi's. "What did you do to piss him off anyways?" she wondered aloud.
Coop took a step away from the book to allow Phoebe a better look. "Drazi fell in love with a mortal woman. I redirected her love towards a mortal man away from Drazi. She's married now, very happy, but he blames me for denying him love," Coop explained.
"Demons can love?" Phoebe repeated thoughtfully.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Pheebs, really. You ask that after…"
"Sorry, Buffy," Phoebe apologized.
Coop nodded to Buffy. "Buffy's right, it's not unheard of. It was love that drew her and Angel together. More commonly though they love fear or evil but sometimes they fall for the very things they hate. Mortals being one of them," he continued. His gaze met first Phoebe and then Buffy's for a split moment before they looked down at the books. He smiled slightly. "Why do you two deny it when even a demon craves for it?" he asked carefully.
Phoebe froze mid-flipping of a page. "I don't. I'm just picky," she snapped without looking up.
"It's not that I deny it," Buffy countered with a sigh. "It's just right now I'm not interested. I hurt too much."
Coop nodded but obviously didn't believe them. However, he didn't say anything which Phoebe and Buffy found surprisingly more annoying.
Phoebe looked up at him after slamming the book shut. "Alright, since you're the master of love, why don't you tell us," she challenged.
Coop didn't immediately answer as he regarded them curiously. "You both are afraid," Coop eventually replied.
"Of what? What am I afraid of?" Phoebe demanded, her voice a higher pitch.
"Of being hurt… and being left behind," Coop stated. "We'll start with you, Phoebe. You move to the next guy without giving the previous one a chance and when they do stick around, you keep them at a distance until they give up and cancel. Why do you do that?" he questioned.
"I…" Phoebe started to deny but trailed off as she met Coop's gaze.
Coop smiled encouragingly. "Your sisters have their guys and they're happy. They have a perfect relationship while you're struggling to just get a date. You're afraid of being the only one unable to find that happiness," he guessed.
"When we went to the future, Piper was married… or had been. I had nobody. When Leo… left me in the cell, I realized it," Phoebe admitted.
"What else?" Coop prompted.
Phoebe hesitated and a silence fell between them for several moments before Phoebe spoke again. "It doesn't hurt when people leave."
"Your parents?" Coop pressed.
Phoebe nodded slightly. "Yeah."
"Your sisters?"
"Piper and Dan are pretty serious … we can't all live here together forever and it'll just be me," Phoebe explained.
"And me," Buffy whispered.
"You're not going to be alone, Phoebe. You're destined for a love just as great as your sister. But you have to let it," Coop promised. "Don't let this fear consume you." He looked at Buffy. "Let me ask you, Buffy, why is your heart closed?"
"Because of Angel," Buffy admitted. "I just…" she hesitated with a sigh, "…I just don't if I believe in love right now." She looked at Coop and gave him a sad smile. "How do you find love again after…?"
"After such a tragic end?" he questioned as Buffy nodded. "You look for it, you seek it out. You don't hide from it. That's what your doing right now, Buffy. Your hiding from it, afraid to take a chance. "
P4
Prue, Piper, Jack and Dan had a table near the stage. They had a plate of chicken wing appetizers in the middle.
"Having an in with the owners of one of the hottest clubs in town does have its benefits," Jack complimented.
"For free chicken wings," Dan added.
"To name one," Jack agreed.
"In the pleasure of our company," Piper laughed.
"And to name two more," Dan added.
"Thank you," Piper replied as she smiled at Dan kissed her forehead.
Prue suddenly stood up from her chair and waved for Piper to follow her. "Bathroom break!" she announced.
" Alright, yes ma'am," Piper replied. "See you boys in a minute."
"Alright," Jack said.
The sisters laughed as they ran to the bathroom.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"God, I have to pee," Prue exclaimed. They were forced to stop just outside the bathroom door because of the line to the women's bathroom. Her eyes landed on Piper's necklace. "You're okay with that, aren't you?" she asked.
Piper looked confused at the sudden question. "Okay with what?"
Prue reached out and fingered Piper's necklace. "This. I don't really want you mad at me," she clarified.
"Why would I be mad at you?" Piper questioned in surprise.
"Because I let Dan buy it for you," Prue explained.
"No, Prue, it's okay. It's great," Piper replied.
"And you don't wish that it came from Leo…" Prue added. Piper fell silent and Prue watched her calculatingly.
"I don't know. Dan's great but I can't help but remember our trip to the future and wonder if I should try harder for Leo," Piper admitted. She noticed her sister drop her gaze. "However, I'm not upset that he got it for me, much less you helping him. I can't hang around for Leo all the time when we have no idea what we're doing and Dan… well, you never know," she continued hastily. She looked away in a silent plea to drop the subject.
"I feel strange," Prue suddenly announced.
Piper looked at Prue in concern. "You feel strange?" she repeated. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well, I mean, we have these guys out there waiting for us, who care about us. Correct me if I'm wrong but things are going pretty well right now, right?" Prue explained.
Piper smiled a little in thought. "Yeah, nothing like a night on the town after a hard day of demon killing," she joked.
"Yeah, I'm serious," Prue countered. "I mean, think about it, Piper. We did great today and now it's like we're just…"
"Finding a balance in our lives?" Piper suggested.
Prue nodded. "Exactly," she insisted.
"I do feel pretty good," Piper admitted.
"Yeah I think we're gonna be okay. All of us," Prue stated.
Piper sighed softly. "Except there's our little secret," she pointed out.
"Oh, Piper, everybody has little secrets," Prue assured her. "Including Jack and Dan."
"Yeah, well, unless they're a transvestite, Nazi, war criminals with a great face lift… then I think we've got them beat," Piper retorted lightly.
The sisters shuffled down in line as someone came out of the bathroom. "Okay, so we're never going to have normal lives," Prue admitted.
"Not ever," Piper agreed.
"That doesn't mean we can't try sometimes," Prue said trying to be cheerful.
"With someone like Dan perhaps?" Piper asked, almost as if asking permission.
Prue wrapped her other arm around Piper and drew her closer. "With whoever, sweet girl, I just want you loved," she admitted.
"Thanks," Piper appreciated.
"You're welcome," Prue replied.
"I just hope we can get someone for Buffy," Piper said changing the subject to their cousin. "She needs to get her mind off Angel."
"That I can whole heartedly agree with," Prue said. "Though I think next time we go on a triple or quadruple date we should suggest she doesn't invite Willow or Xander. Not that I don't love those guys, I do. Their good people and good friends for Buffy. But for a date night, that does kind of defeat the purpose."
"True," Piper agreed just as several people came out of the bathroom. "About time." She and Prue hurried inside.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Jack pushed the empty plate that had been their appetizer to the side. "Dan, I will never understand the tandem pit stop thing that women do," he said.
"Yeah." Dan nodded in agreement while he transferred his gaze to his drink. "Hey, Jack. Speaking of mysteries…" he trailed off, debating whether to ask the question or not.
"Yeah," Jack prompted.
"Piper just sort of has this strange habit of just sometimes…" Dan started.
"Vanishing," Jack finished. "Prue does it too."
Dan seemed unsurprised. "I figured that. Does it bug you?" he questioned.
"A little, but I'm not gonna give her the third degree about it," Jack answered with a warning note in his tone.
"No," Dan immediately assured Jack. "It's just it's like time just stands still for a few seconds and when it starts up again, she's like a total different person," he amended.
"Ask her about it," Jack suggested the most common course of action.
"I know, I have. She gives me the run around," Dan returned.
"Then don't ask," Jack insisted as Buffy, Phoebe and Coop ran up to their table.
"Hey guys, are Prue and Piper around?" Phoebe demanded.
"The ladies room," Jack answered and then noticed Coop. "Hey, have we met? You look familiar."
"Yeah you look familiar," Dan added.
"I've been around," Coop offered.
"Yeah, okay, come on," Phoebe ordered, dragging Coop along after her and Buffy.
Dan watched Coop leave and then looked back at Jack. "Okay, that's another thing. There are strange people that always show up at their place. They pop in, they pop out. Who the hell are they?" he inquired.
Behind them, Drazi walked down the entrance stairs and turned toward them.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Prue and Piper noticed Phoebe, Buffy and Coop when they walked out of the bathroom. Phoebe and Buffy ran up to them with Coop trailing behind. "Hey!" Buffy greeted.
"Hey, yourself," Prue returned with a smile in greeting to Coop.
"Coop," Piper followed.
"Evening ladies. I trust everything's going well?" Coop wondered.
Piper nodded in satisfaction. "Very well," she admitted.
"Prue?" Coop said turning toward Prue.
"Well, it's a little early to tell but all the signs are pointing to maybe," Prue admitted. "Something tells me though that you aren't hanging around just because you can," she stated.
"We might have bit of a problem," Phoebe explained before glancing at Prue and Piper. "Actually, you two might want to check on your guys. Jack looked a little annoyed and Dan didn't look happy himself," she added.
Piper glanced back at their table where they could just see Jack and Dan at the table. "What do we do?" she demanded.
"Look, you go tell your boys you'll be back in a few minutes and keep your eyes open. We'll meet you at the car," Phoebe ordered, waving her hands for her sisters to move along.
Piper nodded enthusiastically. "Okay," she agreed. She and Prue ran back to their table.
"And don't dawdle," Buffy called after them, earning a wave of acknowledgement from Prue.
Coop watched them leave with a thoughtful expression. "Good job," he complimented with a glance at Phoebe. She just rolled her eyes.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Prue and Piper took their seats next to their respective guys. Dan appeared relieved when Piper returned. "Welcome back. I was starting to get a little worried there," he joked.
Drazi's ring glowed as he approached the table and time slowed all around them. He looked to Dan first. "Dan, Piper still loves Leo. Always has, always will. You are nothing more than geographically desirable. After all, a girl can't get much closer than the stud next door." Drazi smiled to himself in satisfaction and turned to Jack. "Jack, Jack, Jack. Does the term transmission man meaning anything to you? You are everything she always knew she never wanted." Drazi turned away and faced Piper. "And now for you, Piper…"
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Coop stumbled forward with a gasp of pain, barely keeping his feet by leaning heavily against the wall. Phoebe and Buffy jumped in surprise and raced over to him.
"What's the matter?" Buffy demanded.
"Is it Drazi?" Phoebe questioned.
"He's alive," Coop managed to choke out.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dan jumped up from his seat and stared at Piper accusingly. "Why don't you just admit it. You're using me to make Leo jealous, aren't you?" Dan demanded.
Piper looked at him in disgust as she stood from her seat. "Oh, can you just leave him out of this?" she snapped.
"I'd love to. What about you?" Dan retorted.
Buffy and Phoebe looked away from Coop before they ran through the crowd toward Prue and Piper as they saw them fighting.
Jack turned a cold eye on Prue. "Rebound guy?" he snapped. "Is that it? What makes you think I'm going to take this crap?"
Prue glared at Jack. She reached over and smacked him over the head. "What, you think I'm just gonna jump in the sack with you on the second date? Why don't you just drop dead," she stated harshly.
Piper paced around a few steps. "I can't believe you're still threatened by him," she screamed.
"You think I'm an idiot? You think I don't know?" Dan countered.
Phoebe cut in between them. "Uh, you guys…" she started.
"Shut up!" the two couples shouted and Phoebe immediately fell silent.
"Fine," Prue snapped at Jack. "Why don't we just end it?"
"You know what?" Jack replied with a sneer. "Fine."
"We are dating, aren't we?" Dan inquired.
"No, we're not. Not anymore," Piper answered. She reached up to her neck and pulled her necklace off before throwing it in Dan's face. "And you can have that back," she added. She stalked over to Prue.
Dan shrugged as if it didn't matter. "I'm sure Leo can replace it with something that means more anyway," Dan called after her.
"Probably," Piper agreed without a glance over her shoulder.
"I'm just glad that nothing ever happened," Prue told Jack.
"Yeah, well, you and me both," Jack agreed.
"Yeah, well, I'm really glad," Prue continued. "I mean, I learnt a valuable lesson. Never go out with a jerk."
With that, Prue and Piper stalked past Phoebe and Buffy and their men toward the club entrance. They didn't notice Drazi sneak around to the side nor the crowd of people watching their showdown. Buffy and Phoebe hurried after them. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait," Phoebe insisted.
"What the heck. Prue? Piper?" Buffy added.
"It's Drazi's spell. There's no reasoning with them right now," Coop called them back.
"If he did this, why didn't you sense him in here?" Phoebe demanded, falling into a panic mode.
"I didn't think he'd actually come here," Coop admitted.
Buffy glared at Coop. "Well, he did and now …"
Prue and Piper faced Phoebe, Coop, and Buffy. "What are you still doing here?" she asked, fixing her icy glare on Coop.
Piper followed her gaze. "You know what? None of this would have happened if you would've just left us alone. Now get out. Get out of my club," she ordered. She jabbed a finger toward the front door pointedly.
Buffy got in her middle cousin's face. "Piper!" she snapped at her middle cousin. "Unless you forgot. All four of us are partners. This isn't just your club!"
"Maybe I should change that?" Piper suggested glaring at Buffy.
Coop nodded while holding his hands up in a peaceful manner. Buffy and Phoebe stared at him in surprise. "Wait, where are you going?" Phoebe questioned.
"There's nothing I can do. They're trapped," Coop answered with a shrug.
Prue appeared offended. "Oh, we are not trapped. For the first time in my life I see things how they really are. Now whoever you are, whatever you're selling, just get out."
Buffy ran up to her cousins and took Prue's hands. "No. No. Listen to us. You guys are under a spell. Drazi's spell. Okay, this is not you. Listen to us,"she pleaded.
Piper fixed Buffy with an emotionless look. "If you're with him, why don't you go too," she suggested.
Phoebe and Buffy looked at each other, mirrored looks of hurt on their faces. "What?" Phoebe asked in surprise. Prue and Piper started to walk away again. "No, you guys," she tried but they kept going. Phoebe groaned and spun back to face Coop and Buffy.
Buffy caught sight of Drazi at the edge of the crowd. She narrowed her eyes and started stalking toward him.
"Buffy!" Phoebe exclaimed, grabbing Buffy's arm to stop her.
Drazi took the opportunity to dash toward the back. Buffy pulled her arm out of Phoebe's hand. "He's going to pay for this," she growled.
"Let her go," Coop told Phoebe as Buffy followed after Drazi.
"Why?" Phoebe asked looking at Coop dumbfounded.
"I understand now why her heart is closed. It's not because of what Angel did, not entirely anyways," Coop said. "She's afraid." He looked at Phoebe. "She's afraid of losing anyone else. She lost her mom, she lost Leo not long after she learned he was her father, she lost Angel and now she is afraid she is about to lose Prue and Piper, especially after Piper effectively told her if she sided with me to get out."
Phoebe stood dumbfounded for a moment. "Okay, uh, what do we do? Do we have a plan?" she panicked.
"Maybe. If destroying the loves that I put together is killing me, maybe the reverse is true. Patching everything up with everybody just might kill him," Coop suggested.
Phoebe looked confused. "I thought you needed the ring to do that."
"We're going to have to make do without it. The two of us should be able to fix this," Coop insisted.
"I'm sorry, did you say 'we?' You're the Master of Love," Phoebe countered.
Coop took Phoebe's hand. "Come on, I'll show you what we have to do and we better hurry or Buffy may find more than she's bargained for." He pulled Phoebe after him toward the stock room where they could beam out.
Halliwell Manor
"I cannot believe Jack. Who the hell does he think he is?" Prue exclaimed. She and Piper had just walked through the front door and threw their stuff on the floor.
"Jack? What about Dan?" Piper retorted, throwing her hands up in the air dramatically. "We're out on a date and he accuses me of being in love with someone else."
Prue rolled her eyes at the guys' actions. "Totally out of line," she agreed.
The two sisters dropped down on the couch and crossed their arms, still glaring daggers at various parts of the room. "We're better off without them," Piper announced.
"Certainly not worth crying over," Prue added. "Why are all guys such idiots?" she demanded.
"I don't know but I've never hated someone so much in my entire life," Piper answered shortly.
"Me either," Prue admitted.
Cindy and Max's Office Building
Coop and Phoebe stopped at the bottom of the stairs and Coop pointed up to where you could see Cindy walking along the second floor. "There she is. We've got to hurry," he announced.
"But wait, I'm still not exactly sure what the plan is," Phoebe admitted nervously.
"You just need to talk to her like I talked to you," Coop explained.
Phoebe didn't appear reassured. "How did you talk to me?" she demanded.
"She's like Buffy and like you, she's afraid of losing the people she loves too. Just talk to her," Coop answered with a shrug.
Phoebe frowned at the idea and spun on Coop. "Why can't you just talk to her then?" she asked. Coop smiled a little and Phoebe's eyes lit with realization. She crossed her arms with a huff. "How is this supposed to help me?"
Coop didn't immediately answer as he watched Cindy get closer. "You'll see," he replied. "I promised I'd help you, Phoebe. And in turn you will be able to help Buffy. Just trust me," he insisted. "Now here she comes…" He stepped out in front of Cindy. "Cindy, hi," he greeted.
Cindy paused at the bottom of the stairs and look at Coop, Jenny, and Phoebe warily. "Do I know you?" she asked.
"Not personally but I heard about Max. How is he?" Coop questioned.
Cindy looked uncomfortable at the mention of Max's name. "I don't know. Look, I'm really sorry about what happened. I'm not even sure how it happened but I'm sorry," Cindy apologized before walking quickly toward the exit.
Coop nudged Phoebe pointedly and she stepped after Cindy. "Uh, Cindy, Cindy. Look, sooner or later Max's pain will go away but yours won't," she blurted out.
"Excuse me?" Cindy prompted in confusion as she turned to reluctantly face Phoebe.
"I mean, it hasn't yet, has it? The pain of love loss deepens if you don't deal with it." Cindy rolled her eyes and started to walk away until Phoebe ran and caught up to her. "Look, I know, I know what it's like believe me. I closed myself off to love too because I was afraid. But you know what? Fear and love cannot live in the same house," Phoebe began. She glanced at Coop to find him nodding encouragement so she continued. "It's because the people that we love eventually leave us so we've given up on love."
Cindy shook her head. "You mean love has given up on me," she corrected.
"No, it hasn't," Phoebe promised with a soft smile at Cindy. "It can't. Your fear of loss has left you paralyzed. Believe me, I know. But you can change that. You can take the risk and love again," she insisted. "I mean, hey, they don't call it lover's leap for nothing, right?" Phoebe joked.
Cindy frowned and looked confused. "What?" Cindy questioned.
Coop couldn't contain a soft laugh that caused Phoebe to look at him. "Lover's leap is a reference to suicide," he explained.
Phoebe's eyes widened and she hastily jumped to correct herself. "Oh, let me rephrase that. Go to Max. Push through whatever hate or fear or doubt you think might exist between both of you. Just tell him what's in your heart," Phoebe suggested.
"I love him," Cindy admitted.
"Then tell him that. Now. Before it's too late," Phoebe insisted.
Cindy's eyes flickered to Phoebe and then to Coop. "Who are you?" she asked.
"Messengers," Phoebe answered after exchanging a quick look with Coop.
"Thank you," Cindy appreciated. She smiled gratefully at them before leaving.
Coop watched her leave before elbowing Phoebe lightly in the side. "Not bad… actually, you were very good," he complimented.
"I was good, wasn't I?" Phoebe laughed.
Coop nodded to her. "It was impressive really."
"So how exactly did that help me?" Phoebe questioned.
"I think you know but for the sake of answering, in order to let love in, you have to overcome the obstacles within yourself," Coop replied.
"You know, we have to go reconnect Prue and Piper's love connections before it's too late," Phoebe pointed out after a moment of thoughtful silence.
"You know, the more couples we put back together, the more Drazi's gonna come looking for me," Coop stated.
Phoebe tilted her head to the side. "I thought that was the plan," she admitted, a little confused.
"It is. I just thought I'd reiterate it," Coop answered with a shrug. "Next we need to help, Buffy. And with her we can help your sisters. Let's go," he decided, beaming them out once they turned a corner.
Streets of San Francisco
Drazi approached a couple that were standing next to each other and talking. He had just approached them when he doubled over in pain. The couple didn't seem to notice and they were walking off down the street. "Cupid, do you think you can undo what I've done? You're dead!" he yelled to the now empty street.
Buffy stepped out of an alley and grabbed Drazi by the front of his shirt. She slammed him up against the wall. "What did you say to them?" she demanded.
"Who?" Drazi questioned with a knowing look. He attempted to pry Buffy's hands open but she just added in more of her Slayer strength to grip his shirt tighter.
Buffy slammed him into the wall again. "You know who. My cousins," she growled. When he didn't receive an answer, she snatched the ring from Drazi. "You think it's funny to break people apart?" She let Drazi go and Drazi dropped to his knees though he was obviously inwardly fuming. "Show your face again and I swear I'll personally see that you're vanquished," she warned and then flamed out.
Memorial Cemetery
Buffy sat in graveyard her back against a tombstone. She had sat here with Angel one night just kissing instead of patrolling. Now it was a painful reminder of one of the many things she had lost.
"Hey, Buffy," Phoebe said as she knelt down in front of her cousin. "Whatcha doing?" she asked.
"Whatever," Buffy shrugged.
Coop gently nudged Phoebe. "The pain of love lost deepens if you don't deal with it," Phoebe told her cousin, echoing the words she had said to Cindy. "Look, I know, I know what it's like believe me. I closed myself off to love too because I was afraid. But you know what? Fear and love cannot live in the same house. It's because the people that we love eventually leave us so we've given up on love."
"How do I get love back?" Buffy whispered half to them and half to herself.
"After such a tragic end?" Coop asked as he knelt down next to Buffy, who nodded. "After loosing more than one person in your life?" Buffy nodded again as he smiled. "You look for it, you seek it out. You don't hide from it. That's what your doing right now, Buffy. Your hiding from it, afraid to take a chance. Afraid that you will lose someone else because you opened your heart to them. You have one person right now, beside you. Open your heart to her. Love your cousin and let her love you right back. And know that while distance may sometimes keep you apart that your love will never be lost."
As Buffy looked up at her cousin, Phoebe pulled her into her arms and held her. Loving her, not just as a cousin, but as a sister. "I love you, Buffy," she whispered into her cousin's ear.
"I love you, Phoebe," Buffy replied and for the first time in a month she smiled a smile that reached her eyes. "'I hold it true, whate'er befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.'"
"It's time," Coop said looking at the cousins.
"To reconnect Prue and Piper's love connections," Phoebe said.
Halliwell Manor
The doorbell rang and Piper scrambled to her feet. She opened the door and was surprised when Jack and Dan walked in without even asking permission.
"This better be good," Jack stated.
Piper ignored Dan pointedly and faced Jack. "Am I supposed to know what you're talking about?" she asked in a cold voice.
Dan rolled his eyes as he passed by. "Don't buy the innocent act. She pulls it all the time," he explained to Jack.
"Just cut to the chase. Why did you call?" Jack questioned.
"What? I didn't," Piper countered.
Jack laughed humorlessly as he moved to the base of the stairs. "Prue, I want to talk to you," he called out.
Dan pulled out his pager. "Isn't this your number? 'Come to my house a.s.a.p?'" he read the message with a pointed glance at Piper.
Piper rolled her eyes. "That's really pathetic, paging yourself," she taunted.
"Pathetic?" Dan repeated in disbelief.
"I'm sorry, I meant moronic," Piper amended.
"Prue!" Jack called out again.
"Why are you here?" Prue asked as she came down the stairs.
"You called," Jack replied.
Prue rolled her eyes. "Oh, you wish," she snapped.
"What is going on?" Piper exclaimed, obviously tired of the game that the guys were playing.
"Hate and it's gotta stop," Phoebe announced, causing Piper, Prue, Dan, and Jack to turn their glares on the Phoebe, Buffy, and Coop. "Buffy and I called Dan and Jack and asked them to come over here," she admitted.
Piper's glare was fixed on Coop. "What is he still doing here?" she demanded.
"I'm trying to help you," Coop answered.
"No reason to hang around here, that's for sure," Prue stated.
"Oh, on the contrary," Buffy said glaring at Prue. "I want all of you on the couch now," she ordered.
"Payson, just mind your own business." Jack snapped.
"Hey, don't talk to my cousin like that." Prue told him with a glare.
"Please," Coop cut in politely.
"Okay, everyone on the couch now." Buffy said, and it's evident in her voice she meant business. The glint in Buffy's eyes told Prue and Piper that the Slayer wanted to come out and play.
Piper and Prue walked to the couch and Dan and Jack followed.
"You don't look okay," Dan said looking at Coop. "Are you alright."
"I'm having a rough day," Coop admitted.
"But we can change that," Phoebe stated. "You are all acting like you are under some kind of spell."
Piper shot Phoebe a warning look while Prue's eyes flickered over at Jack and Dan to see if they picked up on the subtle statement. "Phoebe," both Piper and Prue scolded.
Buffy rolled her eyes dramatically. "Would you stop thinking and just feel?" she returned which effectively shut Piper and Prue up. "Look, I know that some ugly things were said tonight but you can get past that," she insisted. "Just as I finally did."
"Assuming that we want to," Prue argued stubbornly.
Phoebe turned her gaze on her eldest sister. "I know you want to, Prue, and you know it too," she countered.
"Remember how you felt the first time you Jack?" Coop asked Prue.
"How would you know?" Jack countered.
"Yeah, I hated him," Prue admitted after a tense moment.
"My point exactly. Opposites attract. But after a while he started to make you smile didn't he? He made you laugh. Look at him again. Remember that," Coop continued.
Prue hesitated before meeting Jack's gaze. She smiled a little.
Buffy seemed encouraged by Prue and Jack's positive response as she turned to Piper. "And Piper, I watch you when you talk to Dan and I see light and warmth and hope and I know you feel that way. You still feel that way." She then glanced at Dan. "And Dan, you don't need someone whispering in your ear telling you not to trust Piper. Trust yourself," she advised.
Dan nodded and faced Piper. "I'm not saying you have to tell me everything but when you deliberately keep secrets from me I…"
"It's not because I want to. I told you it has nothing to do with you," Piper interrupted apologetically.
"But does it have anything to do with Leo?" Dan questioned.
"No, it has to do with you and me and what I would like us to become," Piper assured him.
Coop leaned toward Buffy and Phoebe. "It's working. We need to move this along before he gets here," he whispered.
"Where is he?" Phoebe asked.
"Really close," Coop answered.
Phoebe and Buffy's eyes widened a little and they looked back at Prue, Piper and their boyfriends. "Okay, okay, okay, here's the plan. Jack, Dan, you go down to the corner market and get whatever you want. If the food of love is Cheetos and soda then play on. Um, can you pick up a couple of frozen pizzas?" she invented hastily.
"So we can talk," Jack stated.
Phoebe nodded. "Yes, that's very good, Jack. Very good, you're quick," she complimented as she ushered Jack and Dan toward the door.
"I'll drive," Dan offered.
"Yeah, okay, take your time. Bye bye," Buffy called after them and then shut the door.
Prue waited until the door was shut to say anything. "Hey, what the hell is going on?" she asked.
Buffy and Phoebe hurried over to Piper and Prue and took a seat next to them. "Okay, think, you guys. Do you remember Drazi? Well, he's still alive and if Coop is right, he's on his way here as we speak. Whatever bad feelings you had for Dan and Jack, Drazi did it. He's twisted your relationship with hate," Phoebe explained hastily.
"So what do we do now?" Piper questioned.
"Exactly what you're doing now. You let Dan and Jack into your hearts," Buffy answered.
"Okay, hold on. I don't love Jack," Prue countered.
"No, but you like him a lot," Coop reminder her. "And it's helped make you open to love."
Suddenly the sound of crashing glassware came from the kitchen.
Piper and Prue were on their feet and next to Buffy and Phoebe in seconds while Coop narrowed his eyes in the direction of the crash. "Drazi," Buffy guessed.
Phoebe was the first to start forward. "Coop, stay out here. We don't want him getting too close to you," she ordered. She, Piper, Prue and Buffy ran into the kitchen and froze by what they saw. What had once been the leftover Drazi vanquishing potion had been dropped in the sink where the faucet was turned on, washing it down the drain.
"Oh, this is bad," Piper whispered.
"Forget that, where'd he go?" Buffy snapped. As soon as she said it, she yelped in surprise as someone shoved her to the side. She fell into Piper, who fell over with her in her surprise.
Prue and Phoebe followed a second later, landing heavily on the ground next to Buffy and Piper. "Coop, look out!" Phoebe yelled a warning.
"Where is he?" Prue demanded. She, Phoebe, Piper, and Buffy scrambled back to their feet but not before another crash sounded, this time from the conservatory.
"Oh! Oh!" Buffy exclaimed, pointing frantically in the general direction.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Drazi let his intangibility drop as he turned the corner into the conservatory. "Hello, lover boy," he greeted sardonically. His hand slid into Coop's chest and clutched at the cupid's heart. Coop was forced back into a table, effectively knocking off a vase and several picture frames that shattered at their feet. "I should have finished you off the first time," Drazi growled, tightening his grip so that Coop grunted in pain.
"Hey!" Prue screamed as she, Piper, Phoebe and Buffy came around the corner. She raised her hand in preparation to telekinetically send him flying.
"Twitch your hand and he's dead," Drazi warned. Prue hesitated and Drazi smiled in satisfaction. "You're next, witch," he added, spitting 'witch' out like it was a curse. There was a mix of green and red light and both Drazi and Coop disappeared.
"Coop!" Buffy and Phoebe yelled. Their eyes scoured the room they had left him in only for the cupid to be absent.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
The four of them were up in the attic, surrounding both Book of Shadows. Phoebe and Buffy were frantically flipping from the Drazi page in both books for any information on Cupids to a way to call their lost cupid. The latter came up empty. Prue and Piper stood out of their way, tossing up ideas that were quickly shot down for one flaw or another.
"You guys, we have to find something quick," Phoebe insisted for probably the umpteenth time.
Prue sighed as she watched Phoebe and Buffy flip through the books. "Well, what do you two propose we do? The only way we know to make Drazi show up is to fix our relationships and put Max and Cindy's back together and we've already done that. There's nothing for us to fix," Prue pointed out.
"In other words, we need something that's strong enough to catch Drazi's attention. And it must be stronger than just repairing…" Piper guessed.
It was in that moment that Buffy remembered she had Coop's ring. She pulled it out of her pocket. "Maybe we could try scrying with this or something," she suggested. She obviously didn't really expect it to work and neither did the sisters but Prue agreed anyways.
"I'll…" Prue started to offer.
"No," Buffy objected. "For helping me, it's my turn to help him." She took the ring over to the map and the scrying crystal.
"I know this is going to sound a little dark, but we're assuming Coop's not already dead," Piper remarked.
Phoebe glared in Piper's direction. "He's not dead until I see proof and even if he was we still have to vanquish Drazi. You heard what he said, 'you're next, witch' and I for one don't particularly want to lose Prue to him either," she snapped.
"Neither do I," Buffy agreed. "Nor do I want to lose you, Piper. Or you, Phoebe." She paused in her scrying for a second. "Thanks to Phoebe and Coop. I figured out why I've been…well the way I've been. It's been one thing after another. I thought I got over it and I never did. First there was losing mom. Then I died briefly when Kendra was called. Then we lose Andy. Then I learn Leo is my father and I effectively lose him." She paused as she glanced at Piper. "And I don't blame you or him for that. I understand the situation."
Piper nodded. "I'm still sorry for that," she admitted.
"I know," Buffy replied as she smiled at Piper, showing her middle cousin there was no hard feelings. "Then there was Angel and him turning. His turning pushed me to the breaking point. It was one reason why when we were dealing with Ms. Hellfire I was so gungho on impersonating her. Because I didn't want to risk losing you guys too. You three are the one thing in my life I don't think I could surive losing."
"And you won't Buffy," Prue said as she, Piper and Phoebe pulled their cousin into a group embrace. They held her there for a moment, letting her know they were there for her and that they loved her. When they let Buffy go she went back to scrying for Coop.
The door to the attic slammed open so that Buffy, Piper, Phoebe, and Prue spun around in surprise to see Drazi leaning in the doorway.
"You couldn't leave well enough alone," Drazi growled, advancing quickly toward Buffy. He only made it halfway before Piper flicked her wrists and he froze mid-step.
"I think I understand," Buffy said as she looked at her cousins. "What we feel for each other is true love. No not that stuff in fairy tales. But the bonds that unite as a family. The bonds of…"
"Sisters," Prue, Piper and Phoebe said in unison as they pulled Buffy into their arms hugging one another just Drazi unfroze. The demon of hate collapsed, clutching at his chest. "No!" he yelled, forcing a step toward the group embrace.
Drazi tried to take another step but found himself melting. His hate-filled eyes settled on the group embrace but then he was gone with nothing to suggest he had ever been there.
Conversation ceased for a second time as the door to the attic opened again.
"Coop," Phoebe greeted in relief at seeing he was unharmed.
Coop, however, wasn't the only one at the door. Behind him stood, a fully corporeal Joyce.
Buffy broke from the group embrace and hurried into her mother's arms. "Mom," she whispered, tears falling freely from her eyes.
Joyce silently pulled her daughter into her arms while Piper, Phoebe, and Prue watched. "Oh, my precious girl."
"How did you…?" Piper started.
"I'm always around, Piper. Just as your mom and Grams are always around," Joyce answered the silent question as she continued to hug her daughter. "Although, your cupid helped a little in getting me down here." The five women glanced over at Coop.
Buffy slowly backed away from her mother and caught Coop's eye. "Thanks, Coop," she appreciated.
"Hey, you finally opening your heart to them and they to you saved my life, it was the least I could do," Coop assured her. "Consider it a belated birthday present. But now I have to go," he pointed out.
"I know," Buffy and Phoebe replied, returning his smile.
"I won't be far. Remember what you both have learned and you'll find that too," Coop promised with nod in the direction of Piper and Prue, indicating not just the love of family but the love of a lover. He leaned forward and kissed Buffy softly and then did the same with Phoebe. He then looked at Buffy and smiled. "Keep my ring. As a reminder." Then in a flash of pink, he was gone.
February 21, 1998 – Saturday
Streets of San Francisco
"You gotta remember though, the mission was successful. Bronson made it home," Dan pointed out as he walked next to Piper.
"Yeah, just to make a death wish," Jack returned in good-natured sarcasm.
Prue glanced over at Dan and Jack. "Oh no," she mumbled.
Jack squeezed Prue's hand in assurance. "You'll love it, I promise," Jack promised.
Prue and Piper exchanged a thoughtful glance. "Okay, we can go see it next," Piper agreed, earning a one-armed hug from Dan.
Phoebe and Buffy followed more slowly after Prue and Piper, kicking their feet against the ground absently. They paused and looked behind them as they heard footsteps behind them.
"Sorry, Phoebe. I almost forgot to get our parking validated," Kevin admitted sheepishly.
"No problem, Kevin," Phoebe laughed, intertwining her fingers with his.
Kevin smiled but pulled back a little so that they stopped. "Hey, I just wanted to say I'm really sorry I canceled on you the other day," he apologized.
"Love means never having to say you're sorry," Phoebe quoted.
Kevin looked confused by her answer. "What?" he questioned.
"It's nothing," Phoebe replied hurriedly. "We saw 'Love Story' here the other night and…" Phoebe started but trailed off with another look at Kevin. "… never mind," she finished.
"I love that movie," Kevin announced suddenly. They started walking again to catch up with their group.
"Really?" Phoebe asked in surprise.
Kevin nodded. "Yeah," he insisted.
"Me too," Phoebe admitted. "Now…" she whispered to herself just as she and Kevin rejoined her sisters and their guys.
Buffy smiled as Willow and Xander stepped up on either side of her. "Thanks for coming, guys," she said as she wrapped around her best friends.
Prue, Piper and Phoebe looked at their cousin and smiled. Yes it wasn't a date. But that didn't matter as much right now as Buffy had the people she loved the most with her. Which meant themselves as well as her friends.
"No, problem, Buff," Xander said. "And sorry for cancelling the other night."
"It's okay," Buffy told her friend. "Love means never having to say you're sorry," she echoed Phoebe's quote.
"Hi!" Prue greeted cheerfully.
Phoebe smirked. "Hello," she returned in the same voice.
"Let's grab some coffee," Jack suggested they came up on the coffee shop. "I'm buying."
Buffy looked at each of the people she loved; Prue…Piper…Phoebe…Willow…Xander. She smiled, she couldn't be happier than she was in that instance when she was surrounded by those she loved. "Sounds wonderful," she remarked.