Chapter 40: Pardon Our Past
March 10, 1998 – Tuesday
Halliwell Manor
A party at the Manor was slowly beginning to wind down. Piper was serving everyone a last drink, Dan was talking with Leo, and, lastly, Prue was showing a young couple to the door as they decided to call it a night.
"Great party," the woman offered whole-heartedly at the door.
"Drive carefully," Prue wished as a way of saying thanks.
"Will do, good night," the man replied. He waved one last time before the couple walked hand in hand to their car.
Prue closed the door behind the couple and turned back to the party to find Piper coming towards her. "Great party. Maybe we should do this more often," Prue admitted cheerfully but it was followed by a huge yawn.
Piper set the tray she was carrying down and glanced over to where Dan and Leo were chatting. "Yeah. Maybe next time we can trim the guest list by one?" she wondered.
"Piper, I had to invite Leo for multiple reasons," Prue insisted. "First he was at the club when I went to go pick up the supplies. He knew that were throwing a party. And second I thought it would give him and Buffy some time together. I just didn't know she had a test to study for."
"I can see the point of inviting him for Buffy," Piper admitted as she looked at her older sister. "But didn't you think maybe he'd feel a little awkward being here because of Dan?"
"It doesn't look like he feels too awkward to me," Prue admitted as she looked toward Leo before returning her glance to her sister. "Look, Piper, he's been mortal for what? A couple of weeks now? I mean, I felt bad for him. He doesn't know anybody and it's not like there's a fallen-Whitelighters-support group to join or anything."
"Prue, I'm not upset with you," Piper told her sister. "Nor am I upset that you invited him to spend time with Buffy. She is his daughter after all. I'm just…I'm…I'm, upset with the whole situation."
"Well, Leo's just going to have to accept the fact that you're with Dan now," Prue stated before looking at her sister quizzically. "You are still with Dan, right?"
"Yes. Of course," Piper agreed as Leo and Dan laughed.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Piper wondered.
"You," Prue suggested with a sly wink.
Piper sighed. "Great."
It was at that moment that Buffy and Phoebe appeared coming down the stairs but stopped halfway down when they noticed Piper and Prue looking at them. "Hey, you guys, give me a break. It's after midnight and I have my exam tomorrow," Phoebe pleaded.
"So do I," Buffy reminded them.
"Sorry. We didn't realize we were being that loud," Piper apologized.
"Why don't you two take a study break. Clear your heads. Come on down," Prue suggested.
A smirk crossed Phoebe's face but she shook her head. "I can't. I have too many phobias," she sighed. Piper looked at her confused. She seemed to notice as she explained further. "To learn for my Psych Exam. I had no idea there were so many. Claustrophobia, Arachnaephobia, um, kleptophobia, phallusophobia…"
"Relax-a-phobia." Prue suggested.
"I have to cram in five whole years of Civil War history," Buffy stated as she looked at her eldest and middle cousins. "And you know what they say. Those that fail History are doomed to repeat it in summer school."
"Cute," Phoebe chuckled at not only Prue's suggestion but Buffy's joke about her history class.
"Just trying to help," Prue told them.
"You can help by keeping it down," Buffy returned hopefully.
"Did I mention it's after midnight?" Phoebe prompted.
Piper nodded slightly. "Twice," she admitted.
"Don't worry, party's breaking up anyway," Prue added.
Buffy and Phoebe nodded. "Thank you," they called over their shoulders as they started back up the steps. Phoebe paused at the top and kissed her hands dramatically and threw them out to her sisters before she and Buffy disappeared.
Piper looked back over at Prue as soon as Phoebe was gone from view. "I'm going to tell Andy to take Prue upstairs. Be back," she decided only to stop walking when the doorbell rang.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy sat on her bed admist some papers, books, and her laptop, going through her notes.
"Good night everybody," Piper called from downstairs.
"Finally," she exclaimed when she heard Piper's announcement. She then threw her pen down in frustration as she heard the music start up again downstairs. She let out a loud groan and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. In her irritation, she didn't notice that the music hardly sounded like something that would be played at a party, at least this party.
She met Phoebe in the hallway and sighed. "I can get less sleep than you because of the Slayer part of me," she said. "But even then I am not going to get any studying done if their…"
"I know, Buffy," Phoebe agreed. "Okay, we asked you guys once to keep it down…" she started to rant as they walked down the stairs only to trail off when they saw there was no one in the room. They looked around for the source of the music and decided that maybe everyone had moved into the dining room.
They followed the noises through the eerily empty house but they were suddenly thrown against the wall. Buffy and Phoebe felt pressure around their neck as if someone was choking them and their were trapped against the wall. Their breath caught in their throat as their shirts fell off their shoulders followed by their bra strap. Their skirts began to be pulled up but as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Phoebe and Buffy collapsed to the ground, knocking into a table which in turn caused a lamp to fall off and shatter on the floor.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Prue, Piper, Leo and Dan were outside, they spun upon hearing the sound of the breaking lamp and Leo was the first to shove through the crowd to get inside. "Buffy? Phoebe?" he yelled. He then noticed Buffy and Phoebe on the floor.
He wasn't the only one as Piper, Prue and Dan crowded in to see what was going on. "Phoebe? Buffy?" Piper and Prue asked at the same time and they dashed forward to check on them.
"Hey. Are you both alright?" Prue questioned, kneeling down next to them.
Phoebe and Buffy, with a little help from Prue and Piper, sat up and pulled their bra straps and shirts back on. "Uh… yeah, I think so," Phoebe whispered, a little shaken by the ordeal.
"What happened?" Piper inquired gently.
Buffy shrugged slightly. "I don't know but I'd sure like to find out."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Prue was pacing along the couch in front of Phoebe and Buffy. Leo found his gaze drawn to the kitchen as Piper came back with two glasses of water.
"Thanks," Buffy and Phoebe said as Piper passed them the glasses of water.
"You sure you both are all right?" Dan asked curiously.
Phoebe nodded. "Yeah we're fine, really," she told him before looking at her cousin. "Right?"
"Right," Buffy agreed.
"You both are lucky," Dan told them. "Falling down like that, you really could have hurt yourselves."
"Oh. Okay," Piper interjected looking at Dan. "I'll walk you out."
"Okay," Dan agreed as Piper led him toward the door passing Leo. He stopped and looked back at the former Whitelighter. "Hey, uh, Leo. You coming?"
"He's my birth father," Buffy told Dan. "I want him here."
Dan looked at Leo with a raised eyebrow and then looked at Piper. "Really?"
"She's telling the truth," Piper explained as she led him outside. "She only found out three months ago. I would have told you but…"
"It's not your secret to tell," Dan said in understanding. "Believe me I understand she might be hesitant to reveal that." He leaned over and kissed Piper. "Good night."
"Good night," Piper returned. She watched him walk down the sidewalk before she walked back inside, closing the door behind her.
"Well, I thought he'd never leave," Leo admitted.
"Dad!" Buffy said. "Now's not the time."
Piper nodded in agreement as she sat down on the coffee table in front of her sister and cousin. "So what really happened?" she questioned.
"Okay, uh, we heard what we thought were party noises so we came downstairs to check and to yell at you guys and we…we were attacked by something invisible," Phoebe tried to explain.
"So what? Like a ghost?" Prue prompted.
Buffy shook her head slightly. "I didn't sense anything…It was more, uh, I don't know, like a, like a daydream," she replied.
"A daydream? Since when do daydreams attack people?" Piper inquired suspiciously.
Phoebe and Buffy glanced at each other. They appeared a little reluctant to elaborate more but decided it was best. "It wasn't really an attack. It was more of a… a seduction," Phoebe told them.
"An interesting daydream," Leo remarked.
"Dad!" Buffy yelled obviously embarrassed.
"Sorry, honey," Leo said as he sat next to Buffy and patted her hand.
"The real question then, I guess, is what was it," Prue stated.
Buffy and Phoebe turned to face Leo. "Have you ever run across anything like this, dad? I mean, as a Whitelighter?" Buffy asked hopefully.
"Not really," Leo admitted apologetically.
"Which means we have no idea if it's going to strike again or not," Piper pointed out. She dropped her head into her hands.
Gateway High School
Piper followed Buffy through the school as Buffy led her to her class. "This is so embarrassing. I haven't needed someone to walk me to school since the first grade," Buffy exclaimed.
"Get used to it. Until we figure out what happened, Prue and I are yours and Phoebe's bodyguards," Piper warned her cousin.
"Two things. First how did you get that past Principal Snyder?" Buffy questioned. "Second how do you know that you don't need the bodyguard? How do you know that he won't come after you next?"
Piper shrugged, apparently unconcerned. "On the first question, don't worry about it. It's all taken care of. And on the second, from yours and Phoebe's descriptions, it sounded very, uh, intimate. It makes Prue and I think that yours and Phoebe's is the only bodies it's interested in," she explained and Buffy didn't have much of an argument for that. "You know, are you sure you're up for taking this exam?" she asked in concern.
"I have to go to school sometime don't I. And this particular teacher doesn't believe in makeup exams," Buffy pointed out.
"Okay," Piper agreed.
Piper started to follow Buffy inside her class when Buffy spun around on her. "Oh, you're not going to sit beside me in all my classes," Buffy insisted.
"I'm not?" Piper questioned, tilting her head to the side in confusion.
"No, you are not. You're going to wait patiently out here or better yet with Giles. I can check in between classes, please," Buffy stated with a pleading look. "Willow and Xander will be in there. They can watch me during classes"
Piper stared at her for a moment before giving her the faintest of nods. "Alright, but if anything weird happens have one of them come get me," she ordered
"Okay," Buffy agreed immediately in her relief. She waved and hurried inside to get a seat.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Piper sat in Giles' office on her cell phone talking to Leo who was at P4. "How's Buffy?" he asked.
"Fine so far. She should be taking her test as we speak," Piper answered after a quick glance at her watch.
"So no more attacks after I left?" Leo pressed.
"Prue and I took turns watching them all night. Nothing happened," Piper explained, the relief evident in her voice.
"Really… well, that's, uh, good," he admitted.
Piper frowned as his tone clearly told her that he had something to add. "Wait a minute. I know that tone. What's up? What do you know?" she inquired.
"Nothing," Leo insisted. "Just…"
"Just what?" Piper prompted when he trailed off. "Come on, Leo. If it has anything to do with what happened, especially when it's your own daughter…"
"It may not," Leo interrupted. "I don't know. It's just…look, I was up all night trying to recall a similar situation another Whitelighter had with one of her charges. It had something to do with, uh… a past life coming back to haunt her present one," he began.
Piper just looked confused. "What?" she asked.
"Look, it's obviously very rare. It doesn't happen to most people but if I remember right, in this particular case, her past life was trying to warn her present one," Leo finished.
"Warn her? About what?" Piper wondered.
"I don't know. And that's what's so frustrating. 'Cause I don't have any way of finding out either," he ranted, perhaps a little sadly.
"Two things," Piper started. "One you miss being a whitelighter, don't you? And two, couldn't Buffy go up there and ask?"
"Yeah, times like this I do. When I know I could help and also when…" Leo trailed off, uncertain whether to continue. "… when I think that I'm never going to be with you," he admitted. "And about Buffy, yes she probably could. But given she is one of two people having this happen. I would highly suggest she not simply because what would happen if it happened when she…"
"You're worried about her," Piper admitted.
"Always," Leo answered. "You know I hated lying to her for nearly a year about me."
"Why did you?" Piper wondered.
"Simply put, I was afraid. Oh not of them, of course. They already punished me for that," he explained. "I was afraid that…"
"Buffy would reject you," Piper finished for him.
"Very much so," Leo agreed.
University of California, Berkeley
Phoebe was scribbling down the answer to question fifteen when she once again felt as if someone was choking her. She dropped her paper and pencil and her hands instinctively moved to her throat to try and loosen the pressure. Several people near her glanced over to see what was going on to see her suddenly thrown out of her chair by an invisible force. A girl screamed, alerting the rest of the room which quickly became much more alive.
Gateway High School
Several of Buffy's classmates glanced over at Buffy to see what was happening when Buffy was suddenly thrown out of her chair by an invisible force.
"Go get Piper," Willow ordered Xander.
Xander nodded as he shot out of his chair and raced to the teacher's desk. "Payson's cousin is on campus I'm going to go get her," he said as the teacher quickly gave him a hall pass. Sparing a look at Buffy and Willow he raced out of the room and down the corridor.
"Buffy," Willow said looking at her friend with concern. "Buffy." Her hand reaching out to push Buffy's hair away from her face. Buffy stopped choking as suddenly as it had started and she shot up, gasping for breath. "Are you okay?" she demanded.
Buffy nodded as Piper followed by Xander raced into the room. "Buffy?" Piper said as she knelt down next to her cousin.
"I need to…" Buffy started and her eyes flickered toward the heavens.
"Your dad said that wasn't," Piper started.
"Piper," Buffy looking her cousin in the eyes. "I need to know what the heck is going on."
Piper nodded as she looked toward the teacher. "I think under the circumstances I should take my cousin home."
The teacher looked at Buffy and then nodded. "That might be a good idea."
Piper helped Buffy to her feet and led her out of the room.
University of California, Berkeley
Prue turned away from the photograph display when a group of students hurried out of the classroom. She heard a scream and rushed forward. "Phoebe," she whispered. "Excuse me," she offered to the crowd of students that surrounded Phoebe. Prue knelt down next to her younger sister. "Phoebe, Phoebe," she called nervously, her hand reaching out to push Phoebe's hair away from her face. Phoebe stopped choking as suddenly as it had started and she shot up, gasping for breath. "Are you okay?" Prue demanded.
The Heavens
The door to the Elder's Assembly was opened to reveal Buffy flanked by several Whitelighters. She was pushed forward a couple steps and the other Whitelighters hurried back out and closed the door again. Buffy just glared over her shoulder for a minute before tossing her hair over her shoulder and boldly advancing on the Elders. "You know, you should really consider putting a sign up that points in your direction or maybe an information booth. It's really easy to get lost up here," she suggested with a cheeky smile.
One elder rolled his eyes but the others seemed to just ignore Buffy completely. "Ms. Halliwell, what is it you need?" he asked in tense politeness.
"I want to know what's hurting me and Phoebe," Buffy told him. "My father told Piper that he believes it might have something to do with our past lives or something," she admitted.
"Yes, it's a rare occurrence but not unheard of," another elder drawled although his eyes didn't leave whatever he was working on in front of him.
Buffy stayed silent, expecting them to give her a little more information. When they didn't offer any, she had to refrain from stomping her foot in frustration. "Is that all you can help me with? I was under the impression you could offer some kind of advice," she prompted, making it clear that she wasn't impressed with them so far.
"Yours and Phoebe Halliwell's past lives were placed under a curse that threatens you and her now. Find out what it was and you and she may be able to break it. It must be done by midnight," the first elder elaborated.
"Okay, anything else?" Buffy inquired.
Another elder glanced up from her work. "Both yours and the family's Book of Shadows are invaluable to you," she added.
Buffy just nodded and decided that must be everything they were willing to give her. She had a feeling that they didn't really know which was why they were so vague and cryptic to begin with. "Well, thanks," she offered only to apparently be ignored. She rolled her eyes dramatically and left the room so she could flame out.
Halliwell Manor
Buffy flamed into the conservatory where Piper, Phoebe, Leo, and Prue were gathered. Piper and Prue were sitting next to Phoebe. Prue and Piper were flipping through both Book of Shadows. Leo stood behind the couch, looking over the pages of Buffy's book as Piper flipped through it.
"Okay, it's official, they really don't like me," Buffy announced as the last of the flames faded away.
"They like you just fine," Leo countered. Buffy placed her hands on her hips and stared at her father disbelievingly. "Alright, so you're a little more headstrong than most Whitelighters…" he began.
"I'm not a Whitelighter," Buffy groaned, interrupting her father.
"It's in you, Buffy," Leo reminded his daughter. "Even though the Slayer influenced those powers, it still within you. You are part Whitelighter because you are my daughter."
Phoebe leaned forward slightly. "So what did they say?" she inquired hopefully.
"Not much," Buffy admitted apologetically. "They said that dad was right and yours and my past lives were put under a curse of some kind that is threatening us now and that both of our Book of Shadows are invaluable to us," she continued.
Leo fell silent as he thought over what Buffy had said and it took him a few minutes to notice that the sisters and Buffy were waiting for him to decipher it for them. "It means that there should be something in either or both Book of Shadows about past lives. Potions, spells, incantations, something like that," he explained.
"So past lives, what's up with them?" Buffy wondered as she slid into the seat across from Phoebe, Prue and Phoebe.
"Well, our past lives are how our soul evolves, how we grow as individuals from one lifetime to the next," Leo attempted to explain.
"Okay, then why is mine and Buffy's past lives trying to kill us?" Phoebe returned.
Leo moved over beside his daughter and slid down into the seat next to her. "Look, I don't think they are. I…I think they're trying to warn you both. Give you both a chance to do something about it. Maybe it's because you both get premonitions," he suggested.
"Leo's right. Here's a spell that will take you to that past life," Piper announced, pointing emphatically at the open page in Buffy's book.
Prue craned her head so that she could see the spell while Buffy stood up and moved beside Piper to look at the spell. "Wait, we're not doing this," Prue decided almost immediately.
"Looks like you don't have to. It's written in first person. Buffy and I can do it alone," Phoebe pointed out.
"Hence why it's in my book," Buffy said. "It's a Power of One deal."
"Phoebe, Buffy. "She flips through some pages looking for a return spell. "There's absolutely no spell to bring you back." Prue argued.
"Which means that she can probably come back whenever she wants to," Leo stated in assurance.
Prue was still shaking her head. "Probably? That's not good enough. What if they can't? They could be trapped in their past life where something awful may have happened to them," Prue fretted. "You could lose your daughter, Leo. Piper and I could lose not only our sister but our cousin."
"I don't like it anymore than you do, Prue," Leo said agreeing with what the eldest Halliwell was saying. "But we don't have a choice. The spell in first person. Only Buffy and Phoebe can cast it, because it's their past lives their going to. If you or Piper cast the spell, it is very likely you two will end up in a different lifetime.
"Someone should definitely go with you," Andy agreed.
"Leo's right," Phoebe pointed out before looking over at Prue. "And if Buffy and I don't go back, the same awful thing could happen to us in this life," she insisted. "We only have until midnight at best and I've just started turning my life around. I really don't want my past life to ruin it for me now," Phoebe pleaded. "And I don't want Buffy's to ruin it for her."
Prue, Piper and and Leo were all silent as Buffy moved around and sat next to Phoebe who slowly pulled Buffy's Book of Shadows toward them so they could read the incantation. "Ready?" Phoebe asked looking at her cousin.
"Whenever you are," Buffy answered.
"Remove the chains of time and space. And make my spirit soar. Let these mortal arms embrace. The life that haunts before."
Phoebe and Buffy's eyes closed as soon as the last words left their lips and they fell unconscious into Prue and Piper's laps.
March 10, 1924 – Monday
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe and Buffy were riding in their 1920's car that pulled to a stop at the driveway of the Manor. A greeter stepped off the sidewalk as soon as the car had stopped and opened the door so that Phoebe and Buffy could easily get out. They barely cast the greeter a glance before they walked up the steps, passing many couples both entering and leaving.
A woman approached them at the top of the steps. "Thanks for the love potion. It worked wonders," she appreciated with a pointed glance at the man next to her.
Phoebe and Buffy didn't answer, only gave a curt nod of acknowledgment and proceeded up the steps. The doorman opened the door wide for them. "Welcome back," he offered with a bright smile.
The moment Phoebe and Buffy crossed the threshold, the 1920's music was heard loud and clear. They ignored the party and the looks (some cheerful and some wary).
March 10, 1998 – Tuesday
Halliwell Manor
Piper had shifted Phoebe into a more comfortable position on the couch. "You think they're alright?" Piper asked with a hint of worry in her voice that she didn't bother to hide.
"They look alright so far," Leo pointed out. He had taken Prue's place and Buffy's head now rested in his lap as he ran his hand through her hair.
"How are you holding up, Leo?" Prue questioned with a wave at Buffy.
"You mean with knowing she might die if this curse isn't resolved?" he replied as Prue nodded. "It's hard, I won't admit it's not. A parent should never have to bury their child. But from the moment she joined you two and Phoebe. I knew I might have to do that."
"Leo, can I ask, before they clipped your wings. Was she…?" Piper wondered.
"My charge, no," Leo answered. "She never had a Whitelighter. In part that's because of the Slayer part of her. There is a rule against Slayer's getting Whitelighters, because their designated Champions for a group known as the Powers that Be. As you both know there is good and evil. The Powers are neutral, their about balance and believe good cannot exist without evil. That's why she never had a Whitelighter. But now that my wings have been clipped. She is yours and her own Whitelighter."
March 10, 1924 – Monday
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe and Buffy made their way to the conservatory where Dan was playing the piano and Piper was serving drinks. Dan noticed them in the doorway and his smile fell as Phoebe and Buffy glared at him. Dan forced himself to look away and back at his piano.
They turned around to continue their way through the house when another woman approached them. "Well, I was wondering where you two had went off to," the woman remarked.
Phoebe held up a small bag for the woman to see. "We had to get some herbs. We can't very well make our potions without them," she replied with a smile to the other woman.
"Would you like us to curse anyone for you?" Buffy asked eagerly.
The woman glanced behind her at a man that she was with. "Maybe later," she admitted.
Buffy and Phoebe laughed with the woman before she continued on. At least until Piper hurried by them to get to the bar. "Hurry up with that giggle water, Jake. We have thirsty people waiting," Piper ordered.
The bartender nodded just as Phoebe and Buffy came up beside Piper. "What's the matter, dear sister? You're not afraid of us, are you?" Buffy inquired upon seeing how Piper looked at her and Phoebe.
Piper just raised her eyebrows. "Should I be?" she returned stoically.
Buffy didn't immediately answer but instead turned her attention to Jake. "Our usual and bring it to our booth," she stated and then turned back to Piper. "Would you tell your husband to play something different? I'm bored with this old song."
Piper walked by her without another word and stopped next to Dan. "Don't worry about her, baby. Just keep playing," she assured him.
"Anything for you," Dan agreed.
Piper smirked over at Phoebe and Buffy who were clearly rather angry at not being taken seriously. They stalked off into the solarium. Piper watched them go before reaching up to take an empty make-up kit off the top of the piano.
Buffy and Phoebe walked into the solarium just as Prue took a picture of an old couple with her camera. The old couple thanked her emphatically with a, "Thanks, Mrs. Anthony." and walked off while Prue smiled and waved after them. Buffy and Phoebe ignored the line for the pictures and stalked toward Prue when Andy cut in front of them.
"You have to wait in line," Andy warned them, shifting none-too-subtly to show an older gun that he had.
"Mr. Anthony, you know we have no intentions of getting our pictures taken," Phoebe retorted with a hint of a threat in her voice. She and Buffy smirked up at him and let a finger trail down the front of his suit. "Don't worry, your wife will still be in one piece when we leave," she assured him. Prue seemed to notice the hold up and thus stepped between Andy and Buffy and Phoebe.
"Hello, cousin," Buffy and Phoebe greeted.
Prue didn't return the greeting. "We need to talk… soon," she stated instead.
"We're done talking," Buffy retorted. With the underlying threat in place, she and Phoebe walked off to another part of the house.
Piper came up to stand next to Prue and Andy. "Did you get the spell?" Prue asked without taking her eyes off the departing Phoebe and Buffy.
Piper silently opened the make-up kit which held a single piece of paper. Prue took it and slipped it into the top of her dress. "Is everything going to be ready, baby?" Prue questioned, glancing briefly up at Andy.
"Everything's set," Andy replied just as Phoebe turned to find them staring at her.
Buffy and Phoebe cast it out of her mind and walked into the next room.
Prue looked back at Piper. "Are you sure, you can do this, Payson?" she questioned. "I know their…"
Piper nodded. "I will always love her. She is my sister after all. But yes, Phoebe, I can do it."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy and Phoebe found a little girl sitting in front of a crystal ball with an older woman sitting across from her. "Say these words. Heed the…" the little girl started.
"Christina Larson, what in the devil are you doing?!" Phoebe demanded.
Buffy turned her glare to the other woman. "And you, get out of here," she ordered.
The woman scrambled off without a second to spare. Buffy and Phoebe turned back to Christina. "I told you to watch our things. That's all," Phoebe snapped while grabbing a porcelain doll and tossing it to the floor.
The doll shattered on the hard wooden floors and Christina ran toward it. "My dolly," she cried, tears forming in her eyes.
"Spells and charms are not toys, Christina. Do you understand me?" Buffy pressed.
Christina only hugged her broken doll against her chest, slowly rocking it in her arms. Buffy and Phoebe spun around for the door that led into the garden behind the house. They leaned against it until two men came up behind them and wrapped an arm around their waists. They smiled and let them pull their bodies up against them.
The next thing they knew, the men grabbed their throats and pushed them up against the wall. Their hands were magically pushed out of the way. "I've been looking all over for you," the men admitted in unison. The men loosened the pressure on their necks and attacked their lips with his. The mens' hands slipped off the sleeve of their dresses and then inched down their bodies to pull up their dresses.
Buffy and Phoebe's hands interlocked with the mens and they shifted against them. "Why must you tease us, Anton?" Phoebe sighed.
"Come with me," the men whispered in Buffy and Phoebe's ears. They tightened their hold on Buffy and Phoebe's hands and pulled them after them around to the very back of the house which was deserted of all people. The two men suddenly merged together to become one man. Anton slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out two small bottles. "Drink this," he ordered.
"What is it?" Buffy inquired.
"A potion to triple your power. In case your cousins are ready for us. It's the only way for us to succeed. You both do want that, don't you," Anton prompted. Buffy and Phoebe hesitated for a split moment before their faces slowly split into a smile. "That's my girls," he purred as Phoebe and Buffy drank the potion in one gulp. "Go ahead, test it," he prompted.
Phoebe and Buffy looked around to make sure no one was watching and then held their hands out. Fire shot from their hands and set two crates of wine ablaze.
March 10, 1998 – Tuesday
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe and Buffy shot up from their unconscious state with a gasp of surprise at what they had done. Piper reached toward Phoebe as Leo reached toward Buffy without a second to waste. "Okay, okay," Piper soothed, pushing Phoebe's hair away from her face.
"It's okay, Buffy," Leo soothed as he wrapped an arm around his daughter.
"Where am I?" Phoebe and Buffy demanded.
"You both are home, you both are home," Prue assured them. "You both are okay. What happened?"
Buffy and Phoebe just looked guilty. "We were bad… very, very, bad…" Buffy admitted.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Prue led the way up the stairs to the attic with Piper and Phoebe right behind her and Buffy and Leo followed a little slower. She opened the attic door and proceeded inside toward the shelves set up in the back. "Okay, I put the family tree on the third shelf from the bottom when I was done with it," she explained to Buffy and Phoebe. Phoebe skirted past her eldest sister to get to said shelves.
"Uh, I still don't understand," Piper admitted.
"We were all related. Prue, you and Phoebe were cousins with me and Piper. Piper, you and I were sisters," Buffy explained.
"And the four of us lived here at the Manor back in the twenties," Phoebe added.
"Together? Here?" Piper repeated and then rolled her eyes. "So much for evolution," she remarked.
Prue tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Wait, you saw us in our past lives? I mean, did we look the same?" she questioned.
Phoebe paused in her search as she seemed surprised by her answer. "Actually, yeah, you did. Kind of," she answered thoughtfully.
"Well, they probably looked the same to the two of you because your souls recognized their souls. I mean, we all tend to travel in the same circle of family, friends, even enemies throughout our various lives. And that's why our souls recognize each other. So we can keep finding each other. That's what soul mates means," Leo explained.
"Oh, uh, Prue, I guess you and Andy must be soul mates then. You two were married," Buffy commented off-handedly.
Prue smiled at that thought. "So what was it like?" she asked.
"It was really weird being back like that because it wasn't like I had any control over my actions. It was more like I was a visitor. Watching. Feeling," Buffy replied.
"Same," Phoebe added.
"Feeling bad?" Piper repeated what Buffy had said earlier.
Phoebe and Buffy's smiles fell a little. "Feeling very very bad," Phoebe admitted. Prue and Piper exchanged a glance and Phoebe threw her hands in the air. "Okay, I admit. I liked it. It felt good to be respected and powerful…" she trailed off and spun to face Leo. "…Hey, speaking of powers, how come I didn't get to keep that kickass power I had back then?" she demanded.
"Well, if you screw up, you regress. Your past self must have abused the power. That's why it was taken away from you," Leo explained.
"Then why wasn't I stripped of it, dad?" Buffy said as a fireball formed in her hand. "It's a little different but it's the same power."
"That's not your witch power," Leo reminded his daughter. "That's part of your Slayer slash Whitelighter powers. Remember the Slayer influenced your Whitelighter half. You too would have regressed. It is very likely why your witch powers are like Phoebe's."
"That kind of sucks," Buffy stated. "I mean, more for Phoebe than myself since she lost it entirely. I only got them back due to a technicality."
"Tell me about it cause it was so hot," Phoebe exclaimed. "Literally."
Prue looked over at Buffy and Phoebe slyly. "Yeah, apparently that wasn't the only thing that was really hot," she prompted eagerly.
Buffy let out an almost dreamy sigh. "Ooh, yeah, Anton was hot too. Ooh and he was such a good kisser." Her hand moved to her mouth.
"And so good with his hands," Phoebe added.
"Those hands…" Buffy readily agreed. "And he had this power to duplicate himself. While he was kissing Phoebe his duplicate was kissing me simoultaneously."
"Okay, that's enough details," Leo interrupted suddenly embarrassed to hear his daughter, more than Phoebe, talking about kissing a guy.
"You realize that he's probably the one that killed you both," Piper pointed out.
"Maybe," Phoebe allowed but she and Buffy didn't appear convinced. "But, you know, it could have also been Past Dan."
"Dan?" Piper repeated. "As in that Dan?" she inquired while pointing out the window. Phoebe and Buffy just nodded as Phoebe continued her search. "You saw him too?" she prompted for an elaboration.
Buffy looked at Piper. "He was your husband. Sorry, dad," she apologized with a sympathetic look at her father.
Piper's eyes widened and Leo actually smiled. "That's okay. I'm hoping Piper learns from her past mistakes," he stated.
"Huh," Piper muttered, hastily looking away from him.
Prue smirked at the development. "Huh," she laughed. Piper lightly pushed Prue's shoulder in a silent command to keep quiet.
"So what else did you two see?" Piper wondered.
"Um…" Phoebe looked around the attic and her eyes landed on Past Prue's camera. "Oh, Prue, this was the camera that you used in your past life," she informed them.
Prue appeared stunned for a moment moving to look at the camera. "Wait I… I was a photographer?" she asked.
"Yeah and apparently a really good one because people were lining up to get their portraits taken," Buffy explained.
"Really?" Prue pressed, a smile playing on her features.
Phoebe nodded. "Really. I mean, Andy was threatening people with his gun that got a little feisty when in line," she added.
Prue was still looking over the camera that was now in her hands. "So, um, any idea what kind of power I had?" she inquired hopefully.
"Uh, we don't know but whatever it was, it must have been pretty powerful because Anton had to triple mine and Buffy's," Phoebe answered before frowning up at the shelves. "You must have moved it again. The family tree is not up there," she exclaimed.
Buffy rolled her eyes dramatically and held her hand out. "Family tree," she called and the rolled-up paper appeared in her hands.
Piper stared at Buffy disapprovingly. "You couldn't have done that like twenty minutes ago?" she asked.
"And what? Some of what we've talked about while Phoebe was looking did need to be relayed. So…" Buffy retorted. She led the way to a large box and laid the paper out. Her cousins crowded around while Leo stood at Buffy's side and looked at it over her shoulder.
"Well, there we are at the bottom," Piper stated, pointing to their four names.
"And it needs to be amended," she stated noting the family tree still listed her as Buffy Summers and had Hank as her father.
"We'll fix it later," Prue promised. She then followed the lines up with her finger. "Right and here are Mom and Grams."
"Okay and this must be us again," Phoebe decided. Her hand moved over the names P. Bowen, P. Baxter, and two P. Russells.
"That one must be you, Prue. Married to J. Amthony, which was Andy's name, I think," Phoebe offered.
"And this is you and me, Piper," Buffy offered pointing at the P. Russells.
Phoebe's eyes widened in realization. "Wait a minute, what is today's date?" she asked.
"Uh, March 10th," Piper answered.
Phoebe sighed and pointed at P. Baxter. "This one is me. She died March 10th, 1924. The same age I am also."
Buffy looked back at the P. Russells and sighed. Then this one is me," she said pointing at one of the P. Russells. "And like Phoebe, she was the same age I am now."
"Certainly explains why the warnings are happening today," Prue agreed.
Phoebe and Buffy turned to face Leo. "So it doesn't mean that we're going to die today too, right?" Phoebe inquired.
Leo didn't answer as it was obvious he didn't know. However, Buffy guiltily raised her hand to get their attention. "Um, the Elders said that the curse had to be broken by midnight…" she admitted.
Everyone was silent for a split moment until Leo broke the silence. "Okay, we need to find out what this curse was," he decided.
"What was that little girl's name?" Phoebe asked looking at Buffy. "Christina…"
"Christina… Christina Larson!" Buffy said as she smiled. "Maybe she can remember what happened," she suggested.
Prue didn't appear convinced. "Can you say long shot?" she questioned.
"Well, it's the only shot Buffy and I got, Prue," Phoebe argued so that Prue reluctantly fell silent. "I'll call Darryl and see if he can track her down."
Buffy nodded and then frowned a little. "I just hope she's forgotten what you did to her doll," she sighed looking at Phoebe.
Retirement Home
Prue, Buffy, Piper, Phoebe, and Leo walked into the room of the elderly lady and Christina immediately pinpointed Phoebe and Buffy. She pointed accusingly at Phoebe and rolled her wheelchair forward a few inches. "My dolly! You broke my dolly!" she exclaimed.
"That's what I was worried about," Buffy groaned with a glance at Phoebe.
"No, no, that wasn't me," Phoebe insisted in what she hoped was a somewhat soothing voice. "It was just someone that looked like me… sort of. It's… it's hard to explain."
"But she recognizes your soul, that's a good sign," Leo pointed out.
Prue leaned toward Phoebe and Buffy. "Just let her know that you're the good Phoebe and Buffy and not the bad ones," she suggested.
Phoebe and Buffy hesitated a second but nodded and walked toward Christina who was watching them both warily. "Uh, you don't have to be afraid of us anymore. We're not going to hurt you, I promise," Buffy assured the elderly woman. They slowly knelt down next to Christina's wheelchair.
Prue was quick to notice how Christina seemed to hold up as Phoebe and Buffy approached her. "Ms. Larson, we were hoping you could help us with something," she admitted, earning a look from Christina.
"Do you remember when you were a little girl back in 1924? You used to go to a speakeasy that was run by four women. Two of them were sisters and the other two were their cousins. Do you remember that?" Phoebe asked softly.
A smile crossed Christina's face and she nodded enthusiastically. "Daddy was the bartender. He used to pick me up after school and take me there," she replied and let out a little giggle at the memories. "I liked the piano," she added. "If you were the only girl in the world and I…"
Phoebe and Buffy exchanged a glance with Prue and Piper as Christina sang a line of the popular bar song. Buffy hesitantly reached out to touch Christina's hand who trailed off at the contact. "The girls that looked like us, do you remember them?" Buffy questioned.
Christina drew her hand away harshly. "They were evil witches," Christina stated, her gaze shifting back to Prue, Piper and Leo. "I used to hide upstairs by the landing…" She slowly glanced over Buffy and Phoebe. "I saw everything."
"Did something happen to the bad witches?" Prue inquired.
"Oh, it was scary. Fire and screaming," Christina explained before pointing at Phoebe and Buffy. "And then… you two were murdered," she finished.
Buffy and Phoebe took a deep breath to calm themselves. "Do you remember who murdered us?" Phoebe questioned.
"Was it a man named Anton?" Prue asked.
Christina was no longer looking at them and her hand moved to her neck. "They were such pretty necklaces. Just ripped them off the bad witches and then strangled them," she exclaimed.
"Who strangled the evil witches?" Leo prompted gently as he looked at Buffy with concern.
Christina suddenly burst into tears. "That was my favorite dolly," she cried.
Phoebe dropped her head into her hand. "I'm so sorry," she apologized before standing up. She and Buffy backed out of the room. Piper, Prue and Leo followed her after a quick word to Christina.
Buffy looked over the many elderly people in the room. "Well, bright side, at least I don't have to worry about ending up in a place like this in my golden years," she sighed when she heard the footsteps following her and Phoebe.
Prue came up beside Buffy and Phoebe and gave them both a quick one-armed hug. "Hey, at least we have time to figure out what happened," she pointed out.
"Not much time. By midnight, I'll be dead," Phoebe argued. "I know Buffy and I won't make it to March 11th unless…"
"You both go back to the past again and find some answers," Leo interrupted.
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe and Buffy stormed into the Manor and shot straight toward the conservatory where the Buffy's Book of Shadows still lay.
"Whatever you two do, make sure you get back before your past lives gets killed. Otherwise, we may not be able to wake you up," Leo advised.
"Don't worry. Dying is one experience I don't plan on reliving a fourth time," Buffy assured her father with a faint smile.
Prue bit her lip as Buffy and Phoebe settled themselves comfortably on the couch. "Are you both sure you want to do this?" she asked gently.
"No," Phoebe and Buffy replied.
"But here it goes," Phoebe added.
Buffy and Phoebe took a deep breath and chanted the words. "Remove the chains of time and space. And make my spirit soar. Let these mortal arms embrace. The life that haunts before."
March 10, 1924 – Monday
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe and Buffy grinned in satisfaction as their enhanced pyrokinesis caused the crates to smoke and burn. Anton wrapped an arm around their waists and kissed first Phoebe and then Buffy's cheeks lightly. "It feels good to be bad, doesn't it?" he prompted.
Phoebe and Buffy slowly turned in his arms to face him. "Sometimes," they whispered.
"Second thoughts?" Anton guessed, seeing it in their eyes just as clearly as hearing it in their voices.
"They're my cousins, Anton," Phoebe answered as if that said everything.
"And Payson is my sister," Buffy reminded Anton.
"They're good witches, my loves, which is why I gave you those amulets…" Anton's hands reached out to Buffy and Phoebe's necks where said necklaces were. "They protect you both from their witchcraft so they can never harm either of you," he insisted only to trail off when he noticed their continued hesitance. "Hey, killing them is the only way for me to get their powers and once I have them… together… we will be unstoppable," he explained. Phoebe and Buffy smiled just a little and Anton took that as an invitation to duplicate himself and kiss them hard. After a few moments of indulgence, he pulled back and both halves of him merged back together. "First things first. Are you both ready?" he asked, earning a nod in answer. "Good, now remember, wait until after I lure Payson away from her piano man before you make your move."
"How are you gonna do that?" Phoebe questioned.
Anton smirked. "Easy. By posing as her former lover…" he replied. He waved his hand over his face and he shape-shifted into Leo. "… and fighting through her power. Shall we?" he suggested.
Buffy hesitated. "What about Anthony?" she pointed out.
"Hit him first before he has time to react," Anton advised.
Phoebe and Buffy nodded and smiled up at him. "Let's do this," they agreed.
Piper was content watching Dan play the piano when she glanced over and noticed Anton disguised as Leo. She frowned slightly before approaching him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, allowing him to move her into a corner away from prying eyes.
"Just missing you, baby," Anton explained while his hands moved over her body.
Piper grabbed his hands and pulled them off of her. "Stop it. We can't do this anymore. What is the matter with you? This isn't like you," she snapped at him.
"You're right. It's not," Anton agreed. He waved his hand over his face and reverted back to his form. Piper attempted to scream when she realized the trick but Anton threw a hand roughly over her mouth to muffle the sound. He nodded to Buffy and Phoebe and they made their way through the Manor to Prue.
Prue was just getting a young couple ready for a shot when Andy noticed Buffy and Phoebe coming toward them. He nudged Prue in the side and nodded silently in Buffy and Phoebe's direction.
"Do you wanna talk now? Upstairs?" Buffy offered.
Prue exchanged a glance with Andy as if they were having a silent conversation when Piper managed to free herself from Anton. She yelped as she hit the floor and gathered the attention of everyone around her. Phoebe and Buffy didn't waste a second. While Prue and Andy glanced over at Piper, they threw their hands out and sent a fireball blazing toward the couple. Andy threw his arm out in front of Prue so that the fireballs slammed into him, leaving a scorch mark on his jacket, killing him. Prue hesitated a split second before she raced toward Piper. The crowd in the Manor suddenly rushed for the door making it significantly harder to continue the fight.
Anton tightened his grip on Piper's throat until Dan came up behind him and hit him over the back with the end of a rake. Anton loosened his grip long enough to punch Dan and send him flying back into the wall where he didn't move. Piper flicked her wrists to freeze Anton but it only seemed to slow him down and he was back on top of her. "Oh, I'm gonna like having that power," he admitted.
Christina ran from the fight and up the stairs where she could see through the breaks in the rails.
Prue raced toward Anton and tackled him off Piper. He rolled with the motion despite his surprise and ended up on top of Prue. Piper scrambled to her feet and ran to the grandfather clock. She and Prue exchanged the faintest of nods and Prue threw her hand out at Anton so that ice crystals formed over him and numbed him temporarily. She rolled out from under him just as the grandfather clock (pushed over by Piper) collapsed on Anton.
"Now," Prue ordered. She and Piper grabbed ties off the curtains. They moved around Buffy and Phoebe and wrapped the ties around their throats. Prue and Piper then ripped the necklaces off Buffy and Phoebe and threw them to the ground.
"We know that Anton's a warlock," Piper admitted.
"And that he's fallen in love with you both," Prue continued.
"And he's turned you both evil," Piper added as a tear rolled down her cheek. She glanced at Prue hesitating. Did she really want to kill her sister? Someone she had promised her parents she would protect when they died.
Prue fumbled to open the piece of paper. "We can't have you guys join forces. Not in this life. Not in any life," she insisted.
"God forgive us," Piper whispered as she looked at Buffy. "Forgive me, my sister. I love you. I will always love you, Primrose." She shifted to be able to see the spell.
Buffy's lip trembled. "I love you, Payson, my sister."
"Evil witch in my sight." Prue and Piper chanted. "Vanquish thyself. Vanquish thy might. In this and every future life."
March 10, 1998 – Tuesday
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe and Buffy shot up off the couch with a gasp of surprise. They were breathing heavily as their gaze landed on Prue and Piper whom they instinctively backed away from.
"Phoebe, Buffy, what…? Prue started.
"What's the matter, Buffy?" Piper interjected before Prue could finish. She saw fresh tears in Buffy's eyes.
Phoebe just glared at them. "You! You were the ones that were trying to kill us!" she accused.
"Why, Payson?" Buffy asked looking at Piper. "Why did you want to kill me? Why, my sister?"
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Phoebe and Buffy hurried up the stairs, ignoring Prue, Piper and Leo who were following after them. "Phoebe! Buffy! Don't be ridiculous. You know we'd never hurt you," Piper called while stomping after them.
Buffy spun around to face Prue, Piper and Leo. "No? Tell that to Past Phoebe and Past Buffy. You two cursed them," she returned harshly.
"Phoebe…Buffy," Piper tried again only for Phoebe and Buffy to charge into their rooms.
Leo sighed and grabbed Buffy's arm as Prue grabbed Phoebe's. "Phoebe, Buffy, come on," Prue told them.
Phoebe and Buffy drew their hands back.
"Buffy, Phoebe, you both know they didn't try to kill you. You both know that it was their past selves," Leo argued.
Buffy and Phoebe hesitated just a moment. "We know. And it was our past selves that tried to kill them first," Phoebe admitted.
Phoebe and Buffy hurried into their rooms closing the doors behind them while Prue, Leo and Piper registered what they had said.
"Huh?" Piper asked.
Leo looked at Piper and Prue. "I'll deal with Buffy. You two help Phoebe." Prue and Piper nodded as they turned toward their sister's room.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Leo and stepped into his daughter's room. "Buffy," he said closing the door behind him. "That wasn't you."
"I know that, dad," Buffy said as she continued to stare out her window. "But I can still feel what she did and what her sister had to do to stop her. I could see it in Payson's eyes that it was tearing her up inside." She turned and looked at her father and he could see the tears that were falling down her cheeks. "This…" she held her hand out as a fireball formed in it, "should never have been given back to me. The Slayer was stupid to give me a fire based power when I abused it in my past life. How did it know I wouldn't abuse it again. And that scares me. That I could turn evil just like I was in my past life. What if that is really who I am?"
"Your not," Leo told her as he knelt down in front of her. "If that was who you were. I doubt you would have been given to me as my daughter. I doubt you would have been chosen as a Slayer if that was true. Deep down within you, you know what is true. You are Payson Penelope Halliwell-Wyatt, my daughter. Did you notice that you share the name of the person your past life…" He smiled. "What does that tell you? I don't think that is a coincidence, Buffy."
Buffy sat there pondering what her father had said and then she fell into his loving, caring arms.
"It's okay, Buffy," Leo soothed.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Phoebe, whatever happened, you can't blame yourself. It wasn't really you or Buffy just as it wasn't really us," Piper soothed gently.
Phoebe glanced over at her sisters, who stood beside her. "But that's the thing. It was me and Buffy or at least a part of us that I can relate to… And I don't mean hurting you guys. I can't even imagine that but being in our past lives, that powerful, evil feeling, it was… seductive," she admitted. She looked out the window and played with her hands. "And that's what scares me. I mean, what if that's who I really am."
Prue moved to sit down next to Phoebe. "But that's not who you or Buffy are, Phoebe. Not in this life. I mean, you both have evolved. You both have grown. You both are good now," she assured her baby sister.
"Buffy and I were good then too. Before we… before they turned. Before they fell in love with Anton," Phoebe explained before smirking a little at Piper. "Who, surprise, was a warlock," she stated sarcastically as Buffy and Leo entered the room. "And that's not the only surprise. Anton could glamour into looking like anyone he wanted to. That's how he lured Past Piper. He glamoured into her former lover," she added.
"Her former lover?" Piper repeated in surprise. "Who was that?" she wondered curiously.
"It was me," Leo admitted.
Piper turned around to face him. "Wha…"
"Or rather, Past me," Leo amended with a shrug of his shoulders.
"That makes no sense, dad," Buffy said in confusion. "You were serving in World War II when you died."
"I was 18, when I was drafted. I was planning on going into medicine in college and when I was drafted I asked to be assigned as a medic. I was given a crash course in triage and shipped out," Leo answered. "And my past life died the very year you and Phoebe's past lives were cursed."
"Him?" Piper demanded for further clarification.
"Yeah," Buffy and Phoebe answered.
"How did you know that?" Prue asked.
"When you become a Whitelighter, they let you see your past lives for perspective," Leo explained.
"Well, that explains a lot," Buffy pointed out.
"I'll say," Phoebe agreed.
Piper just shook her head emphatically. "Hold it. Wait a minute. You knew that we were lovers before and you didn't tell me? What did it just slip your mind?" she prompted for an explanation.
"No, I just…" Leo started.
"You just what?" Piper interrupted. "I'm getting a migraine," she exclaimed dramatically.
Leo rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. "Look, Piper, I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to influence you in the present. I wanted you to decide whether or not you wanted me in this life," he insisted.
Piper just turned away from him. "I need an aspirin."
"Hey, can we get back to our problem? Since we only have until midnight to live," Phoebe suggested waving her hand at herself and Buffy.
"Right, sorry," Piper agreed but glanced over her shoulder at Leo. "We will talk later," she warned him, earning a laugh from Buffy.
"Your in trouble, dad," Buffy teased.
Prue paced in a circle around the room. "I understand how Past Phoebe and Past Buffy were killed but not why killing them is going to kill the two of you," she admitted to Phoebe and Buffy.
"Because of the curse," Phoebe explained.
"Phoebe…" Buffy started as Prue, Piper and Leo looked at her. "That's your name in your past life, Prue. Anyways Phoebe and Payson didn't want to risk Primrose, my past life, Prudence, Phoebe's past life, and Anton getting back together in any lifetime. Anton was… is immortal and I guess they thought that he, Primrose and Prudence were soul mates or something."
"So he's probably still around right now?" Piper questioned.
Phoebe just shrugged. "Maybe," she replied uncertainly.
"How are we going to protect Buffy and Phoebe?" Leo wondered.
"The amulets," Phoebe announced suddenly.
"Your right, Pheebs," Buffy agreed. "They could protect us."
Everyone looked at Buffy and Phoebe in confusion. "What amulets?" Prue asked.
"The ones that Anton gave Phoebe and Buffy…I wonder if Christina knows where they are," Phoebe mumbled thoughtfully.
Piper didn't appear convinced. "76 years later? I don't think so," she pointed out.
"We probably have a better chance of looking in either Book of Shadows under Anton and, uh, seeing where he got the amulet in the first place," Prue offered as she started for the attic.
"Yeah. Good," Buffy agreed. "You guys go check that out and I'm going to run downstairs and grab something to eat. I'm starving. You know how much my Slayer metabolism wants." She looked at Phoebe. "Want to come with me, Pheebs?" she asked with a sly wink.
"Okay," Prue and Piper agreed distractedly before actually going up the stairs.
Leo started to follow when Buffy caught his arm. "Dad, wait. I want you to come with me and Phoebe to the retirement home," she admitted softly.
"What about Prue and Piper?" Leo questioned, pointing back toward the stairs.
Phoebe shook her head and looked at him pleadingly. "Buffy and I don't want them there. If we don't find the amulets, We're going to die, Leo. And we don't want them to see that," she explained.
"And you want me to watch my daughter die, is that it?" Leo asked Phoebe and Buffy pointedly.
"No," Buffy answered as she wrapped an arm around Leo. "But if we do die. Someone needs to tell them. I don't want to put you through this. But you're the better choice than they are. While yes you probably care for Phoebe. It's not like Prue and Piper do. It'll be easier for you than them."
Leo thought it over and then reluctantly agreed. Buffy took his and Phoebe's hands and they disappeared in a swirl of bright flames.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"If Anton is still around and truly in love with Phoebe and Buffy, he's going to be looking for them," Piper pointed out as she followed Prue into the attic.
"Yeah, I know but right now that is the least of our problems," Prue argued lightly while she flipped the family's Book of Shadows open.
Piper didn't appear convinced and reached out to stop Prue from flipping through the pages. "Is it?" she asked seriously.
"Yeah, I mean, we have to find something to save Phoebe…" Prue started but trailed off as Piper continued to stare at her. "Okay, what?" she prompted.
Piper's gaze flickered over to the attic window. "If he loves them, wouldn't he be trying to save them too?" she inquired.
"You think he thought about the amulets too?" Prue inquired.
Piper nodded ever so slightly. "And if he didn't know where it was either…."
"… he tried to go to someone who would remember where it went," Prue finished. "And so far no one seems to know where the amulets went and we don't even know what they look like."
Retirement Home
Christina was sitting in her wheelchair and facing the window when Buffy, Phoebe and Leo appeared in bright flames. "Christina? Hi, it's Phoebe. I'm sorry to bother you again but Buffy and I need your help with something. It's really important," Phoebe admitted. She and Buffy knelt down next to Christina and continued despite the fact that Christina showed no sign of having heard her. "We need you to try to remember back to that day the evil witches died and the pretty necklaces were torn off their necks. Do you remember that?" she asked gently.
Christina didn't respond and Phoebe glanced helplessly back at Leo. "Christina, I know this is difficult but please try. Buffy and Phoebe's lives depend on it," Leo attempted.
"Do you remember what happened to the necklaces, Christina?" Buffy questioned.
Christina turned in her wheelchair to face the three guests. "I was up on the landing, watching the whole scary thing," she explained.
"And the necklaces?" Phoebe pressed hopefully.
"It-It-It just slid across the floor and into the foyer," Christina replied, waving her hand for emphasis.
Buffy and Phoebe couldn't hold back the sigh of defeat and they stood back up from beside the wheelchair. Leo did the same although he appeared more angry. "Damn it. We're never going to find it this way," he stated.
Buffy and Phoebe paused in their pacing at Leo's words. "Maybe or maybe not," Buffy whispered as she suddenly had an idea. "Dad, do you think Phoebe and I can write a spell that can not only send us back but give us complete control over our actions as well?" she asked.
"I don't know. Why?" Leo returned suspiciously.
Phoebe realized where Buffy was going with her question. "Because if we can, we could go back to the past and find the amulets and hide them someplace safe so we know where to find them when we come back to the present," Phoebe explained in an enthusiastic voice.
Leo didn't look as enthusiastic about the plan. "The only way for you two to do that would be to switch life forces with Past Phoebe and Past Buffy…" he started and continued when Phoebe and Buffy stared at him in confusion. "In other words, you would be in 1924 and evil Phoebe and evil Buffy would be right here in your bodies," he elaborated.
"But just long enough for us to find the amulets and switch back," Phoebe insisted.
"Yeah, but if something goes wrong, we risk unleashing two powerful witches in the present and losing you both in the past," Leo argued.
"But if we don't do anything, dad, we're going to lose me and Phoebe anyways," Buffy pointed out. Leo didn't have an argument for that and she and Phoebe knew they had won.
"We have to find the amulets. It's our only hope," Phoebe stated. Her gaze flickered over the room and landed on a notepad and pen which she walked over to and she and Buffy began to think up a spell.
Leo watched them silently for a moment. "You both do realize that you won't look any different to them? They'll still think you're evil Phoebe and evil Buffy and try to kill you both," he reminded her.
Buffy sighed softly and looked at her father. "Dad, don't worry so much. You're mortal now. You'll get wrinkles," she replied, touching his face with her hand. Leo smiled a little at the joke.
"Be careful," he told them.
Phoebe and Buffy nodded as Phoebe finished the spell. They then made themselves comfortable on Christina's bed. "In this time and in this place. Take this spirit we displace. Bring it forth while we go back To inhabit two souls so black."
Leo watched as Buffy and Phoebe fell unconscious on the bed and they flashed a faint purple.
March 10, 1924 – Monday
Halliwell Manor
Prue and Piper had Past Phoebe and Past Buffy in a chokehold while Past Buffy and Past Phoebe struggled against them. "We'll… kill… you," Past Phoebe managed to get out just before she and Past Buffy flashed purple and the present Buffy and Phoebe took control. "No, uh, wait, it's not… we're not…" Phoebe tried but found it extremely difficult to get any words out.
Buffy knew she wasn't a Slayer in this time but she still knew how to fight as one. And as a result she had taught Phoebe some of what she knew. They pulled Prue and Piper over their shoulders, freeing themselves. Phoebe and Buffy flipped back to their feet much to the surprise of Prue and Piper.
"Where did they learn that?" Piper asked.
Prue just shook her head. "I don't know."
Buffy and Phoebe didn't wait for them to get over the shock. They took off for the foyer, searching the ground frantically for the necklaces. "Okay, the amulets. Where are the amulets?" Buffy mumbled.
"Why are they running from us? Why aren't they just using their powers?" Prue questioned suspiciously.
"They're probably trying to lure us into another trap," Piper decided which Prue quickly agreed with.
Phoebe and Buffy made sure to put the wall to the foyer between them and Prue and Piper as a safeguard.
March 10, 1998 – Tuesday
Retirement Home
Leo leaned over Phoebe and Buffy when they didn't move. "Phoebe, Buffy are you both alright?" he asked. "Are you both there?" he whispered.
Christina suddenly let out a terrified scream which caused Leo to turn around. As soon as he had, Anton threw him into the bathroom door which shattered with the force. He ignored the whimpering elderly woman and proceeded to Phoebe and Buffy's side. "If you were the only girl in the world and I the only boy…" he sang softly as he placed the amulets around their necks. He kissed the top of Phoebe's head and then Buffy's head and smiled. "Wake up, my sweets," he called.
Past Phoebe and Past Buffy opened their eyes and looked around them. They narrowed their eyes and turned to Anton for answers. "Anton, what's going on?" they questioned.
Anton pulled them carefully to their feet. "It's okay," he promised them.
"Where are we?" Past Buffy pressed.
"You've both been reincarnated. Reborn… to me," Anton replied and a smile crossed Past Phoebe and Past Buffy's faces just before he duplicated himself and pulled them both into a hard kiss.
March 10, 1924 – Monday
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe's eyes widened. "Alright, I know this is going to sound a little weird but we're a us from another lifetime. One where we've evolved. We're good sisters… happy sisters," Phoebe tried.
"And I'm a different me, again from another lifetime where we've evolved into good cousins…happy cousins." Buffy added. "So happy that we even still consider ourselves sisters. I was even named after you, Payson."
Piper looked toward Prue. "Must have cut off too much blood to their brains," she told her cousin.
"Must have," Prue agreed.
"Screw this," Phoebe whispered with a glance at Buffy. They shutting their eyes tight.
"In this time and in this place, take this spirit we displace. Bring us forth while they go back to their soul so black," Phoebe and Buffy chanted under their breath. Their eyes flashed open in horror as they realized their spell hadn't worked.
March 10, 1998 – Tuesday
Retirement Home
Leo was gingerly rubbing his jaw while Prue took Christina a glass of water. Christina was now comfortably resting in her bed.
"Here you go. Try taking a little sip," Prue offered, carefully giving her the glass.
Christina smiled gratefully up at Prue. "Oh, thank you, my dear," she appreciated and Prue smiled in return.
"The nurse will be right in," Piper said as she entered the room. "Is she okay?"
Prue gave her a slight nod of assurance while Leo replied. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks for asking," he stated sarcastically.
Piper cast him a glare. "You're not getting any sympathy out of me. You never should have let your daughter or Phoebe cast that spell," she snapped.
"Not to mention sneaking out of the house with them," Prue added. "Are we sure Evil Phoebe and Evil Buffy are the ones here?" she asked after receiving a glare from Leo.
"Unfortunately," Leo answered.
"With the amulets?" Piper prompted and Leo nodded. "Perfect," he sighed.
Prue forced her attention back on Christina. "Ms. Larson, can I get you anything else?" she offered.
"Some Jell-O would be nice," Christina suggested.
Prue blinked in surprise at the request but smiled nonetheless. "Some Jell-O…okay, I'll see what I can do. Would you excuse me for a second?" she asked before leaving Christina to stand next to Piper. "I don't think she has any idea what happened," she admitted.
"Well, that makes two of us. How the hell did Anton find the amulets?" Piper questioned.
"Who cares about that? We need to get our Phoebe and Buffy back and fast. The problem is they are the only ones that can say the spell," Prue pointed out.
"Don't forget that Evil Phoebe and Evil Buffy have the amulets now," Piper reminded her sister.
"Which means that she's protected and Phoebe probably can't come back," Prue followed her sister's train of thought. "We've got to get the amulet off them," she decided.
"Yeah, but only long enough for our Buffy and Phoebe to switch lives. They have to be wearing the amulets in the present to protect them from their past lives' curse," Leo added.
Prue appeared slightly overwhelmed by the specific issues. "Okay, bottom line, get evil Phoebe and evil Buffy, get the amulets. Any questions? Good. Let's hurry."
"Hurry where?" Leo questioned.
Prue turned back to Leo looking confused although Piper was nodding to Prue's thoughts. "Back to the Manor. If Anton. Evil Buffy and Evil Phoebe reunited then I have a feeling they're going to want to pick up right where they left off," she explained.
"Killing us," Piper finished.
March 10, 1924 – Monday
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe and Buffy desperately chanted the spell again only for it to fail. They scrambled to their feet and took off.
"Oh, there you both are." Anton said as he kissed first Phoebe then Buffy against their will. "You both are too good to be true."
"Thanks for reminding us." Buffy said as she kicked him and he flew crashing into the pool table, which broke beneath him.
Prue and Piper came up behind them and threw the ties around Buffy and Phoebe's necks.
March 10, 1998 – Tuesday
Halliwell Manor
Piper popped up from behind the couch to face Past Phoebe, Past Buffy and Anton. "Hey, how's it going?" she questioned.
"Behind ya," Leo called, stepping out from around the corner.
Past Buffy, Past Phoebe and Anton turned to him only for Past Phoebe to realize the trick. They spun around just as Prue stood up from behind the couch.
A fireball formed in Past Buffy's hand and she threw it at Prue, who held her hand up in a form of a block and the fireball deviated straight into Anton. He yelled as he was engulfed in the flames and disappeared. Past Phoebe and Past Buffy stared at the spot in a stunned silence before turning hate-filled eyes on Prue.
Piper ran up and hit Past Phoebe and Past Buffy over their heads to make sure they were knocked out. "Sorry Phoebe. Sorry Buffy," she said apologetically.
"Get the amulets," Leo ordered.
"Now what?" Piper inquired as she and Prue removed the amulets from Past Phoebe and Past Buffy's necks.
Leo motioned for the sisters to come close. "As soon as they move, find out which Phoebe and Buffy it is and be ready to put the amulets back on," he ordered.
March 10, 1924 – Monday
Halliwell Manor
"While they go back to their souls so black…" Phoebe and Buffy managed to finish despite the increasing lack of oxygen. They flashed a faint purple.
March 10, 1998 – Tuesday
Halliwell Manor
Buffy and Phoebe jolted up, gasping for breath and their eyes wide with fear. "Prue, Piper…" they whispered.
"Okay, it's them. Put them back on fast," Piper panicked. She and Prue hurried and replaced the necklaces around Buffy and Phoebe's necks. They all sighed in relief as the amulets began to glow. The glow faded away and Phoebe and Buffy were clearly left unharmed.
Leo grinned and threw his arms around Buffy's neck. "It's okay," he soothed as his daughter laughed softly and returned his embrace.
"You both are safe," Piper added as she and Prue pulled Phoebe to her feet and they pulled her into their arms.
"Thank you guys for saving our lives. All of them," Phoebe appreciated. She glanced at Buffy and Leo and smiled at the tearful reunion of father and daughter.
March 11, 1998 – Wednesday
Halliwell Manor
The next morning Phoebe and Buffy were sitting on Phoebe's bed when Prue walked in to check on them. "Hey, what are you guys doing?" Prue asked as she noticed Phoebe and Buffy over both Book of Shadows.
"We're just writing a little warning in the Book of Shadows about Anton," Buffy explained as she moved over to make room for Prue on the bed.
"You know, it's not just the both of you…" Prue told them. "I mean, we all have a little bad in us. It's just that when you turn bad things tend to catch on fire," she pointed out.
Phoebe laughed a little. "And this is supposed to make me feel better?" she asked.
"What I mean is that it's just as natural to be bad as it is to be good. That's how we know what good is. That's how we're able to make the choice to be good. Remember, Anton wouldn't have needed evil Past Phoebe and evil Past Buffy if you two hadn't evolved into good Phoebe and good Buffy," Prue elaborated.
"Wow, that's deep, Prue," Buffy joked and Prue lightly shoved her shoulder in response.
Phoebe smiled at the exchange. "Still, it's okay to be bad every once in awhile isn't it?"
"Oh, yeah," Prue agreed. "A lot," she laughed.
"Hey, is Piper downstairs?" Buffy asked looking at Prue.
"Yeah, why?" Prue wondered looking at her cousin.
"Just something I need to talk to her about," Buffy said as she got off the bed, leaving the room.
"What do you think she wants to talk to Piper about?" Prue wondered.
"To apologize," Phoebe said knowingly.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Leo ran a hand through his hair as he faced Piper. "So I, uh, hope you're not still upset with me. You know, for not telling you about our past lives together," he explained hesitantly.
Piper narrowed her eyes in a playful glare which allowed Leo to relax a little. "I'm not letting you off the hook for that just yet. I'm still not quite sure what it even means," she admitted and was followed by a thoughtful silence.
"Well, I'd like to think it means that we're destined to be together," Leo replied, watching her closely for a reaction.
Piper just rolled her and pushed him lightly to the door. "You know what, Leo? I've learned that you have to live in the present. Go from there," she countered although a small smile pulled at her features.
Leo turned back before she could successfully open the door. "Would that be a 'we'll see?'" Leo teased.
"Yes, we'll see," Piper repeated so that a grin spread across Leo's face. She pulled the door open and Leo's face immediately fell upon finding Dan on the threshold.
"Leo? What are you doing here?" Dan questioned suspiciously.
"I am Buffy's father," Leo replied as he glared at the man. "I am entitled to visit her, you know." He looked at Piper. "Would you tell her I will see her later?"
"I will," Piper answered. "Bye."
Leo forced a smile and a wave. "Okay, see you at work," he agreed before slipping out the door.
"Can I help you, Dan?" Piper asked politely.
Dan frowned and glanced over his shoulder to make sure Leo was gone. "Just hear me out," Dan replied, falling silent to wait to see if she would agree or not. Piper gave him a faint nod that she was listening. "I don't want you to feel as if I'm jealous because that's not what this is. I know in my gut that something's not right with him," Dan insisted.
"Are you talking about Leo?" Piper inquired.
"If Leo is his real name. You know, I had my brother-in-law who works for the state department check out his army records. But the only Leo Wyatt they came up with died almost sixty years ago in World War II," Dan explained.
"Well, there must be some kind of mistake," Piper argued.
Dan shook his head in disbelief that she would ignore what he had just said. "Piper, there is no record of him anywhere. I even had my brother-in-law check Payson's original birth certificate. The one listing her as Buffy Summers. Her father is listed as Hank Summers. He isn't even listed on her original birth certificate. If he were her father… Seriously it's almost as if he didn't have any past at all," Dan yelled.
"Are you talking about my dad?" Dan and Piper turned at the sound of the voice and found Buffy behind Piper. "Look, Dan. Leo is my father. I know that for a fact. Not long before my mom passed away she wrote me a letter," she said telling a small white lie, since there was in reality no letter. She just knew what was in her heart, that Leo was her father. "She left it with her attorney to be delivered to me on my seventeenth birthday. In that letter she told me that my real father is Leo."
Dan sighed as he turned away and took a moment to calm himself down. "Look, I'm sorry, okay, but I don't want to see either of you get hurt." He looked at Piper. "Even if we're not…" he trailed off.
"We appreciate the concern, Dan, but both Buffy and I would trust Leo with our lives," Piper assured him.
"Piper's right," Buffy agreed.
Dan just nodded, realizing there wasn't anything he could say to change their minds. "Okay," he allowed before turning back to the front door and he walked out the door.
Buffy looked at Piper. "Are you okay?" she asked. "I mean with Dan."
"I don't know," Piper admitted as she closed the door.
"While we're alone," Buffy said glancing back to make sure that Prue or Phoebe hadn't appeared behind them. "I need to apologize."
"For what?" Piper asked confused as she looked at her cousin.
"You are or were my sister in that lifetime," Buffy reminded Piper. "And I turned on you."
Piper sighed as she looked Buffy in the eyes. "It's in the past."
"No, it's not. Not for me." Buffy said. "For me it was just yesterday. I experienced it. I know that was your past life but it was still you. And I think it's why dad wasn't completely correct. Yes technically speaking I never got that witch power back. But I'm also being punished one other way. I was made your cousin along with Prue and Phoebe's."
Piper sighed as she shook her head. "Buffy…" she started.
"I know you all consider me a sister despite that we're cousins now," Buffy continued before Piper could say anything. "But you and I…I would like to think we are in fact still sisters."
Piper could feel her eyes moistening at what Buffy was saying. "I'd like that," she said as she pulled Buffy into her arms.
"Promise me something." Buffy prompted. "Promise me that if I ever show signs of turning evil. That you will bind my powers till you can turn me back. I don't want to ever put you through that again. I saw what having to cast that spell did to your past self. It was destroying you. You knew what you had to do was the right thing to do. But I could tell it was eating you up inside. And I don't ever want that to happen again."
Piper nodded. "I promise…" she hesitated. 'Buffy's right' she thought to herself. 'She isn't my cousin, not any longer. Prue, Phoebe and I do think of her as our sister. I think it's time we start seeing her that way.' "…my sister." She watched a grinned spread across Buffy's face. "What is it?"
"That's what you and I called each other in our past lives as Payson and Primrose Russell We refurred to each other as my sister," Buffy explained as she looked in her cousin's eyes. "It's just nice to hear you say it again. Even if it is in a different lifetime."
Piper smiled at her newfound baby sister. "How about I call into the school and tell them your sick. Then you and I can have a day just the two of us."
"I'd like that," Buffy agreed.