Chapter 43: Astral Monkey
May 4, 1998 – Monday
Halliwell Manor
"Morning." Phoebe said as she and Buffy entered the kitchen to find Piper going through the mail.
"Morning, my sister," Buffy added.
Piper looked up for the first time and saw that Buffy and Phoebe were still dressed in their pajamas. "Hey, Pheebs. Hey, Buffy."
"Uh, did you get the postcard from Dan?" Phoebe questioned looking at the mail.
"Yeah, it sounds like he and Jenny are having a great time," Piper admitted.
Buffy could see that something wrong with her middle cousin. "My sister, what is it? What's wrong?" she questioned sitting down next to Piper.
Piper slid the letter across the table. "He sent another," she told Buffy as Phoebe turned toward the cupboard.
"Who?" Phoebe questioned glancing over her shoulder at Piper and Buffy.
"Dr. Williamson," Buffy answered as she crumpled up the letter and tossed it in the nearby trashcan.
"Williamson?" Phoebe said as she turned to look at the two of them. "Isn't he the specialist that treated you both Oroya fever?"
"That would be him," Buffy stated.
Phoebe nodded as she turned back toward the cupboard and opened it. "Oh that was months ago," she reminded them. "What does he want?"
"He wants us to come in for blood work so he can make sure we're cured." Piper replied.
"And Dad brought us both back," Buffy added. "But we can't exactly tell him that."
"So just throw the letter away," Phoebe stated looking at the two of them.
"We have been," Piper replied with a sigh. "He just keeps sending more."
Phoebe frowned as she didn't find what she was looking for in cupboard. She looked down at the trashcan that Buffy had thrown the letter into. "Here's my Granola." She pulled out the empty box of Granola. "What's it doing in the trash?" She looked at Buffy and Piper. "I just bought this two days ago. Who eats this besides me?"
"Dad does," Buffy answered.
"I'll replace it, I promise." Piper added with a glance at Buffy to say your chipping in.
Phoebe sighed as she threw the box back in the trashcan and turned to face Buffy and Piper. "Um, I don't want either of you to think I mind because I don't but if Leo's gonna be living here then I think we should probably set some ground rules, you know."
"Leo doesn't live here," Piper immediately countered.
"He eats breakfast here," Phoebe interjected.
"Uh huh," Piper and Buffy agreed.
"A lot," Phoebe finished.
"Maybe dad just likes cereal," Buffy countered.
"You really think he's here that much?" Piper questioned.
"Between the two of you, yes. He's like the big brother I never wanted," Phoebe said as both Piper and Buffy glared at her. "I mean, had," she corrected.
"Morning," Prue greeted as she entered the kitchen. "Pheebs, Buffy, um, Evan Stone, have either of you ever heard of him?"
"Hello. Red Death," Phoebe said excitedly. "I've only seen that movie like five times."
"Yeah we've heard of him," Buffy admitted. "He's currently one of the A-list stars out there."
"Yes, I know, I'm doing a photo shoot with him today," Prue told them.
"How much do I hate you right now?" Phoebe wondered as she looked at her eldest sister. "Unless of course the tabloid rumours are true. In which case I really hate you. He is supposed to be..."
Prue put her finger to Phoebe's lips. "Shh!" she told her sister. "I do not want to know anything about him. I just wanna take his picture and leave. And I need to go get ready."
"Hey, Prue," Buffy said stopping her eldest cousin. "Do you think dad lives here?" she questioned.
"I mean, yeah, of course he does," Prue stated looking at Piper and Buffy. "But, I mean, it's fine as long as you both are happy, that's all I really care about, not that I was unhappy when I saw Leo all naked in the shower and just all wet."
"TMI, Prue," Buffy groaned. "That's my father, remember?"
Prue chuckled as she ruffled Buffy's hair.
"Okay," Piper said after a moment of quiet giggling at Buffy's expense. "So you guys just need to make up some ground rules, you know, what's acceptable and not acceptable and..." She and Buffy stood and followed Phoebe and Prue out of the room. "I'm serious."
"Well I do have one," Buffy said. "It's kind of the thing that says. I do not want to have him walking in on me or me him when either of us are in the shower. Talk about embarrassing, mainly for me."
"Yeah, I don't think he would like seeing his teenage daughter naked either," Piper agreed with another round of giggles.
"That said what are we going to do about the food situation," Buffy said. "After all dad doesn't get paid for being a Whitelighter. After all with the four of us already living here and Prue only just starting her new job…"
"Money has been tight," Piper finished for her cousin. "Maybe you and I should chip in," she offered. "After all we're the ones that want him here, right?"
"Right," Buffy agreed.
Vogue Theater
Prue walked into the theater carrying her camera bag. She spotted Evan Stone as his makeup artist applied makeup to his face. "Evan Stone?" she questioned.
"Yes," he replied glancing at her.
"Hi, uh, we have a date." Prue smiled. "I'm Prue Halliwell, 415 magazine," she introduced herself.
"Bring security," a woman said walking toward Prue and Evan. "I think I found another tabloid photographer."
"Me?" Prue said in surprise. "Uh, no, no, no. I am not with a tabloid." She tipped out the contents of her purse looking for her 415 press pass. "I am with 415." When she found the pass she held it up to show the woman she was who she said she was. "I have an appointment."
"Sorry," the woman apologized. "We've just had photographers sneaking in here all week. That's why I'm here." She held out her hand and Prue shook it. "I'm Lucy. Evan's publicist."
"Hi," Prue replied.
Lucy looked at Prue's pass and frowned. "And this is a temporary ID. This could be a problem."
"Yeah, well, that's because I'm a new employee at the magazine," Prue explained a little reluctantly. "I mean, you can call Gil Corso, I'm sure he'll be happy to confirm it."
"I'll keep an eye on her while you do that," Evan suggested. "Okay?" He smiled as Lucy walked off to find a phone.
"So what happens if Mr. Corso's in a meeting?" Prue wondered looking at Evan. "What, you send me flying with nagi kick?"
Evan chuckled. "I do. Wait you know aikido."
"Yeah, well, it comes in, uh, handy with my line of work," Prue replied cryptically. While each member of the family had taken some self-defense courses. Buffy had actually taught them the most, after all Buffy instinctually knew how to fight thanks to the Slayer.
Evan chuckled. "Photography business must be rougher than I thought," he joked.
"Only when publicists don't trust temporary ID's," Prue interjected with a chuckle of her own.
"Lucy's a really cool person," Evan told her. "Newly promoted. Just struggling to control her new power, that's all."
"I can certainly relate to that," Prue admitted.
Halliwell Manor
"You're calling us at home?" Piper asked clearly surprise. She held the phone between herself and Buffy as they talked to Dr. Williamson who had actually called them trying to get them to come in.
"Yes, Miss Halliwell," Dr. Williamson answered from the other end of the line. "I would like you and your cousin to meet me in my lab as soon as possible."
"We're not going anywhere," Buffy snapped.
"Look, you both don't understand, this is very important," he pleaded.
"Goodbye, Doctor," Piper said agreeing with Buffy.
"Look, I need your-" Dr. Williamson started.
Buffy took the phone out of Piper's hand and slammed it down on the cradle. "Who does he think he is?" she asked angrily as Piper shrugged.
"Piper?" Leo said as he entered the kitchen looking at the two women who meant the most to him. "Buffy?"
"Leo, hi," Piper greeted.
"Hi, daddy," Buffy said as she embraced her father.
"Are you both okay?" Leo questioned as he returned his daughter's embrace.
"I don't know." Piper shrugged. "That was Dr. Williamson," she informed him. "He's been sending us letters, trying to get Buffy and I back to the hospital for follow up tests and we're not going.
"Do we have training today?" Buffy questioned.
"No, Buffy," Leo answered
"Then what are you doing here?" Piper asked. "Please don't tell me there's a demon running around."
Leo smiled. "No, I just figured since it was your day off and since Buffy is home from school today. That maybe the two of you could spend the day with me."
"I would be happy to, dad," Buffy said happily.
Piper smirked. "Oh, did you now," she chuckled as she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend.
"Yes, I did," Leo answered looking at them with obvious concern. "Are you both sure that your alright?"
"Yes, dad," Buffy replied. Then she let out a sigh. "I mean, it's not like he's ever gonna figure out that you were the one who saved us so we're not gonna worry about it because there is nothing to worry about."
"What Buffy said," Piper agreed with a nod at her cousin.
Vogue Theater
"Uh, can you just lift your chin a little bit because there's a shadow," Prue said as she snapped another photo of Evan, who complied with her instructions. "Thanks." She smiled when she saw a monkey through the lens of the camera behind Evan. "What a cute monkey."
"Monkey?" Evan asked in clear confusion.
"Yeah, he's right behind you," Prue answered. And then her eyes went wide as the monkey disappeared in a red flash.
"What are you talking about?" Evan asked as he turned to see what she was looking at.
"Okay," Prue said as she began stuffing her camera back into her bag. "Thanks."
Evan raised an eyebrow as he turned back to Prue. "You're leaving?" he said in surprise.
"Uh, yeah," Prue answered as she smiled at him. "I'm finished."
Evan looked at a clock and then back at Prue. "We just got started." There was a hint of confusion in his voice.
"Right," Prue agreed. "And, uh, I got a great shot, it was perfect." She shouldered her camera bag and her purse and started for the exit.
"Ms. Halliwell." Evan said as he followed Prue. He smiled as Prue turned to face him. He held up a ring of keys. "Your car keys."
"Oh." Prue chuckled. She went to take the keys from him but he managed to drop them instead. They both knelt down to pick them up but he got to them first. She held out her hand as Evan placed the keys in them.
As they stand up and Evan leaned close to Prue. "You can take my picture anytime, Ms. Halliwell," he told her.
Prue smiled. "Thank you."
Halliwell Manor
Prue walked through the back door into the kitchen where she found Phoebe sitting at the kitchen table. "Hey, you are never going to believe what happened today," she told her younger sister.
"Yes I will," Phoebe countered. "I saw Notting Hill."
"What are you talking about?" Prue questioned as Phoebe pointed to card in a bunch of flowers that sat on the table in front of her. "They're from Evan," she said as he read the card.
"I hope you're happy, you're stealing away my dream man," Phoebe said jokingly. "'Prue, what really happened? Evan,'" she said reading the card. "Something happened?"
Prue sighed. "Yes, but not with Evan Stone. Is Piper and Buffy here?"
"Yeah, Piper's in the living room with Leo, again. And Buffy last I checked was upstairs doing her homework," Phoebe answered. "Their taking turns with Leo. So both Piper and Buffy get time with him. Buffy had him while you were on your shoot and Piper gets him this afternoon. You know something. Our family is confusing. If Piper and Leo get married like they did in the future. You do know that depending on how you look at it. Either Buffy is Piper's daughter-in-law and our niece or she's Leo's cousin-in-law."
"Yeah," Prue agreed. "Our family is a little confusing," She turned her attention to the kitchen door. "Buffy. Piper. Leo," she called out.
"Anyways are you gonna tell me why he sent you flowers?" Phoebe wondered.
Prue shrugged, she didn't have any idea to tell the truth. "You know, I just have no idea," she admitted to her sister.
"And they say the youngest is the most naive." Phoebe chuckled as Prue went to lean over to smell the flowers.
Buffy appeared in the kitchen in a swirl of flames. "Yeah, Prue?" she said stopping Prue before she could get in a sniff of the flowers.
"Prue, you're back early," Piper said as .she and Leo stopped behind Buffy.
"Yes, I am," Prue agreed before getting down to business. "That's because a monkey astral projected to me on the set today."
"A monkey?" Buffy questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Astral projected? Really?"
"Yeah," Prue answered as she thought back to her encounter with the monkey. "And it waved at me, okay, like it knew me or something. I think it wanted my help."
"I think you're working way too hard." Phoebe told her eldest sister.
"Yeah, new job, your trying to impress your boss too hard, Prue," Buffy agreed.
"You know, I saw it," Prue informed her sister and her cousin. "Okay, and it had like an ID bracelet from a hospital on its arm."
"Prue, I don't think monkeys can astral project." Buffy said. She turned and looked at her father. "Can they, dad?"
"Not without powers," Leo answered. "And it would have to have your powers too, you know, to find you, magic to magic."
"My power?" Prue questioned clearly confused. "How can it have my power? I have my powers. Alright, wait, so you're saying that a monkey is sharing my powers?"
"Is that even possible?" Phoebe wondered looking at the only two people who might be able to know or get the answer to the question.
"After all you've seen and done over the last two years, you tell me what's impossible." Leo answered with a glance at all four of his charges.
They all turned their attention back to Prue. "You said something about a hospital wristband?" she questioned.
Prue nodded. "Yeah, it had a rose on it."
Buffy frowned as she walked toward the trash can. "I think I know how the monkey got your blood, Prue," she said as she pulled the letter she had thrown into the trash that morning. She uncrumpled it and showed the letterhead to Prue. "Did it look anything like this?"
"Yeah. Exactly like this," Prue said and then she looked at the doctor's name on the signature line. "Wait, is this the same Dr. Williamson?"
Buffy and Piper nodded. "Yes," Piper answered. "He's been sending Buffy and I requests for weeks and he called this morning and said he wanted to see us."
"What?" Prue asked in sudden worry.
"Wait, you didn't tell me he called the two of you." Phoebe said clearly surprised.
"There was nothing to say," Buffy answered. "We hung up on him."
"Do you think he found out about our powers?" Piper asked looking at the other three Halliwells.
"B.O.S." Prue said as she turned toward the kitchen door.
"B.O.S.?" Phoebe said clearly confused on what Prue was referencing, "Oh, Book Of Shadows." She and Piper turned to follow Prue.
Buffy and Leo looked at each other as they heard the Elders calling for them both.
"Guys," Buffy said as Prue, Piper and Phoebe turned back to look at her and Leo. "Dad and I have to go."
"They say it's important," Leo added.
"Okay, um, come back soon," Piper said as she gave Leo a quick kiss.
"Okay," Leo agreed returning the kiss. He glanced at Buffy. "Follow me." Then he orbed out as Buffy disappeared in a swirl of flames.
"How much do you think we should worry?" Phoebe wondered.
Piper shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted.
The Heavens
"Roland," Leo said as he and Buffy approached the Elder.
"Leo, Buffy," Roland said greeting the father and daughter duo. "We have a major problem."
"Let me guess," Buffy said with a sigh of resignation. "It has to do with Dr. Williamson."
"It does," Roland answered looking at the youngest Halliwell. "I take it you already surmised what was going on?"
"Part of it," Buffy answered. "A monkey astral projected to Prue while she was taking pictures of Evan Stone, the…"
"I'm aware of who he is," Roland said. "We do actually get TV up here. My favorite of his is Red Death 2."
"Anyways dad said that likely the monkey had Prue's powers," Buffy continued. "And then Prue mentioned the monkey having a hospital bracelet. That's when things began to click into place. He took our blood when Piper and I had Oroya fever. I figured he had injected Prue's into the monkey she saw."
"Good thinking," Roland said as he looked at Leo. "You've trained her pretty well." He then let out a sigh. "But sadly he did not stop there. Not only did he inject that monkey with Prue's blood. He injected three others with yours, Piper's and Phoebe's blood. Then he injected himself with all four of your powers."
"Being mortal can he handle that?" Leo questioned.
"One, maybe, short term like a few minutes…an hour," Roland answered. "Longer than that no. And all four, definitely not."
"We have a bigger problem besides whether he can handle them don't we," Buffy said. "With Piper, Prue or Phoebe's he can minimize exposure. But mine there is no way to minimize that, if he's not careful. It's why I don't flame where anyone can see me. We're looking at exposure if he should learn how to control mine."
"You're right, Buffy," Roland agreed.
San Francisco Memorial
"Wow, what a mess," Phoebe said as she, Piper and Prue entered Dr. Williamson's lab.
"Well, too bad we can't ask them where Williamson is," Piper said as they saw four monkeys.
Prue immediately went to the monkey she saw at the theater. "That's the same monkey."
"It looks like it knows you," Phoebe admitted as all but one of the monkeys chattered at them. The fourth was quiet as it looked around as if searching for its counterpart.
"Okay, it looks like they know us," Prue admitted. "Come on," she told them as Piper and Phoebe moved in front of two of the cages.
"He named them after us," Piper said reading the name plate in front of the cages.
"That's really scary," Phoebe admitted.
"Alright, we need to, uh, take a look around and make sure there's nothing else here that could expose us," Prue instructed.
"Well, maybe that's why the monkey projected to you, Prue," Piper stated as they began to search for any thing that could expose them. "Maybe she was trying to warn you." She frowned as she noticed all the files on the table were marked: 'Halliwell.' "All of these files say Halliwell."
"Yeah," Prue agreed. "Well, look at all these tests that he took. Okay, not just on blood that he took from you and Buffy but blood that he took from Phoebe and me."
"He has spent months trying to figure out how Buffy and I survived the Oroya fever," Piper said in realization.
"This grant request says that he is looking for a universal antibody," Prue said looking at the other paperwork.
Phoebe opened the fridge and found several vials of blood marked: Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Payson. "Maybe he thought it was in your blood," she informed them taking out the vials.
The Prue-monkey waved its hand and a banana telekinetically floated toward it. The banana never reached the Prue-monkey as the Piper-monkey froze it in mid-air before the banana disappeared in a swirl of flames and reappeared in the Buffy-monkey's hand.
"Okay, so, um, I think it's safe to say that Dr. Williamson probably knows about us," Prue stated looking at the monkeys.
"Do you think he's been injecting our blood into those monkeys?" Phoebe wondered.
"I think that was what Buffy was getting at before the Elders called for her and Leo," Prue stated. "Regardless though we need to get them outta here before somebody walks in, sees something flying and everybody finds out about us."
They opened the cages and began picking up the monkeys. As Phoebe picked up the Phoebe-monkey she was instantly thrown into a premonition.
Dr. Williamson knelt next to a man using Prue's power to telekinetically lift a scapel.
"Okay," Phoebe said when she came out of the premonition. "Not only does Williamson know about our powers, but he's got one of them, telekinesis."
"Wait a minute," Piper said as realization dawned on her. "You remember what he was like when Buffy and I were sick. He had the CDC here, the media. If we don't stop him, the monkeys aren't going to be the only one's in cages."
"Ok first things first," Prue said. "Phoebe, call for Buffy. See if you can get her down here to flame these guys to the Manor. Piper, you and I are going to check and see if Dr. Williamson is still around."
Phoebe nodded as she watched her sisters leave the room. "Buffy!" she called out.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Piper and Prue walked down the corridor looking for Dr. Williamson. As they passed a nurses' station Prue noticed that she and Evan were on the TV behind the desk. "Wait."
"Who is this mystery woman in Evan Stone's life? Why did he send her flowers? Tune in tonight and find out," said the reporter.
"I thought you said nothing happened," Piper asked, having been filled in on the whole ordeal with Evan.
"Yeah, he was just returning my car keys," Prue answered.
"It was more than a miracle," a nurse said. "It was as if he was clairvoyant. He said his brother in-law was going to have a heart attack and ten seconds later he collapsed."
"And he could tell that just by looking at him?" another nurse questioned in surprise.
"No, he touched him first," the nurse answered.
"I would say we know he now has mine and Phoebe's powers," Prue said. "It's only a matter of time before he has yours and Buffy's. And Buffy's would be the worst one to discover. Hers would risk immediate exposure if he's not careful."
"Agreed," Piper said as she approached the nurses. "Excuse me. I'm a patient of Dr. Williamson. Do you know where I might find him?"
"He was heading towards the records room," the nurse answered.
Piper smiled in appreciation. "Okay, thank you." She turned and walked back over to Prue.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Dr. Williamson's long gone," Prue said as she and Piper walked past the nurse that Piper had frozen. She turned to leave when Piper stopped her.
"Wait, wait, wait. He came in here for a reason." Piper said walking over to a computer. She looked at the screen. "It's a list of names and addresses of people who were admitted in the jail ward in the hospital. Benny Ritter is highlighted." She hit the command to print the list. "Accessed by Dr. C. Williamson."
Benny Ritter's Apartment
Paramedics were loading Benny Ritter onto an ambulance as Prue, Piper and Phoebe walked up to the police line. When they left the hospital Buffy had yet to show up. So they took the monkeys and stashed them at the Manor. It was a problem with being up there, Buffy had told them that it seemed time moved at a different rate up there then it did down on earth.
"Should I be afraid to ask what you guys are doing in this part of town?" Darryl questioned as he approached the sisters.
"We're not sure," Piper admitted. "What happened?"
Darryl looked toward the ambulance and then back at the sisters. "Some low life named Benny Ritter had a kidney removed, not that he could tell us that, he was found sedated."
"Who is he?" Prue wondered.
"A drug dealer," Darryl answered. "Busted last week out on a technicality."
"Any idea who did it?" Piper asked, thought she already knew the answer.
"Med-techs said whoever gutted him, stitched him up, left a note, something about internal sutures secure, morphine for the pain." Darryl informed them.
"He left a note?" Prue asked, clearly surprised.
"Yeah, we'll definitely be looking for somebody with medical training," Darryl said.
"You can't," Piper said glancing at her sisters.
"I had a feeling you were gonna say something like that," Darryl admitted knowing the Halliwells well enough by now. "Wanna tell me why?"
"Only that it's supernatural," Prue answered.
Darryl hooked his thumb at the paramedics or the other officers. "I can't really tell them that."
"It's the best we can do for now, Darryl," Phoebe admitted. "You're the one that said you didn't wanna know what we were into."
"But I suppose you want me to keep you posted," he said knowingly.
"Yes, but more importantly just be careful," Prue instructed him as he walked away.
"So much for not hurting anybody," Piper said with a sigh of resignation.
"Well, we have to find him before the cops do," Prue instructed before looking at her middle sister. "Piper, what's wrong?"
Piper sighed as she looked at her sisters. "I keep thinking if Buffy and I'd answered one of his letters..."
Halliwell Manor
"Mr. Corso," Prue said as she spoke into the phone. "You know that I am not Evan Stone's girlfriend. Are you laughing at me?"
"Can somebody please help me?" Phoebe begged as she grabbed one of the monkeys.
"Okay," Piper said as she walked into the room carrying the family's Book of Shadows. "There is nothing in here about mortals or animals having powers, let alone how to get the powers out of them. And I checked both ours and Buffy's." Piper says.
"We'll find something, Piper," Phoebe soothed.
"Okay, um, when?" Piper said as she picked up one of the other monkeys. "Because Dr. Williamson has already stole somebody's kidney and what's gonna be next?"
"I'll explain everything just not now. Okay, bye." Prue said as she ended the call.
"Except for the magic monkey part, right?" Phoebe wondered.
"No," Prue agreed. "I thought I'd leave that part out."
It was at that moment they heard the sounds of voices coming from outside and saw camera flashes through the windows.
"What's that?" Piper questioned.
"Oh my God," Phoebe said as her eyes went wide as she looked out the window. "Oh my God. Oh my God. It's photographers. They're everywhere on the lawn."
"Okay, close-close the curtain," Prue instructed.
Phoebe nodded as she hurriedly closed the curtains just as the doorbell rang several times. "There are more coming. I'll be right there. More are coming."
Prue glanced at her sisters. "Do you think they saw anything?"
"Yeah, like stolen monkeys," Piper added.
"Who knows but at least they didn't see any magic," Phoebe said as she picked up a monkey just as Leo orbed in and Buffy flamed in. "Never mind."
The Buffy-monkey appeared in a swirl of flames in Buffy's arms. "Okay, that's what I was afraid of," Buffy admitted. "I take it all four of these guys have our powers?"
"Yep," Piper answered.
"Okay," Leo said looking at the sisters. "Right now Buffy and I've got some bad news about Dr. Williamson." He turned toward the window at the sound of the reporters outside.
"That's the press, they're after Prue," Piper informed Leo as they walked into the kitchen.
"So what's the bad news?" Piper asked handing her monkey to Prue.
"Well, simply put, Dr. Williamson is cosmically screwed," Leo told them.
"Short term he might have been able to be host one of our powers," Buffy said. "But over the long term, his body can't handle it."
"It took generations to prepare you all for that, you can handle it, he can't," Leo added.
"So what's going to happen to him?" Piper wondered obviously worried.
"He'll go mad." Leo says.
"And eventually die," Buffy reluctantly told them.
"Just from our powers?" Prue asked. .
Leo nodded. "Yes."
"Wait, are you saying that out powers are in our blood and he injected himself with it?" Phoebe questioned.
"Pretty much," Buffy said. "The spell that you cast to cure me and Piper changed everything."
"And now it's changing Dr. Williamson," Leo added. "See, your magic is meant for doing good but in the wrong person, somebody not ready for it, that need to do good things..."
"Could go bad?" Piper realized.
"Real bad," Leo agreed as he looked at both Piper and Buffy. "It's nobody's fault," he tried to reassure them. "Dr. Williamson chose his own path. This is not the consequence of anybody's actions except his own. Still, you have to find a way to stop him before things get worse."
"If they haven't already." Piper said with a glance at Buffy.
"Okay, I'm gonna make a potion to separate powers from witches," Phoebe stated as she moved to head upstairs.
"They're monkeys," Prue reminded her sister.
"With witches blood," Phoebe answered. "I don't know what else to do. Maybe if it works on them it will work on Williamson."
"Alright, I gotta figure out a way to get rid of these reporters otherwise we can't do anything and figure out a way to go talk to Evan," Prue said.
"I'm gonna go call Morris," Piper said. "He needs to know what he's up against."
"If only to keep yourself from being exposed as witches," Leo said with a sigh.
"Yeah, that too," Piper agreed.
Buffy smiled. "I have a way for you to go talk to Evan Stone, Prue."
"Flaming me over there could possibly risk expose…" Prue countered.
"I can set us down in a secluded part of the studio and then you can go talk to him," Buffy said cutting her eldest cousin off. "That way we don't have to worry about trying to sneak you out."
"Okay," Prue agreed. "But lets flame out from upstairs where those reporters on the front lawn don't see us leaving."
"Good thinking," Buffy said as she led Prue upstairs.
Vogue Theater
Evan was on set with two other guys rehearsing a scene as the director yelled, "And cut! Terrific guys, print that."
Evan smiled as he spotted Prue, who was standing next to Buffy. He walked over to them. He put his fists up and playfully pretended to fight Prue. He then turned to look at Buffy. "Who's your friend?" he asked Prue.
Buffy smiled. "Actually cousin," she answered. "Payson Halliwell. Prue's my legal guardian."
"Evan, our front yard is filled with photographers," Prue informed the actor. "Okay, they are watching my every move. I had to get Payson to give me a ride over so they wouldn't follow."
"Oh, come on, it'll blow over," Evan insisted. "You're a normal red blooded American girl with nothing to hide, right?"
"Right," Prue agreed. "But, uh, I can't really do my job with flash bulbs going off in my face every single second."
"On top of that. How long do you think it will be before they turn their attention on me or Prue's sisters," Buffy added.
"You can't fight back," Evan said in understanding. "That's like struggling in quicksand. Don't play. Look, whatever energy they're throwing at you will just pass right on by. Because eventually that energy comes back around leads to someone else."
"Yeah, uh, okay, we really appreciate the whole wax on wax off approach but couldn't your people just issue some kind of statement?" Buffy interjected. "I really don't wan't to have them hounding me on the way to school trying to get an exclusive on Prue because of that one article. Please."
Evan looked at the teenager and nodded. Now that he knew she was living with her cousin. It was unfair for her to be targeted to get at Prue just because of one picture with him. "You got a cell phone?" he asked them.
"Of course we do," Prue said as she and Buffy took out their cell phones. Evan smiled and took Buffy's. "So who are you calling?"
"Celebrity peep shows. They use tipsters to tell them what's going on, who's doing who. I'm the tipster," Evan answered as he dialed a number. "Copnec Julius. Shh." He modified his voice to disguise it as when someone came on the other end. "Hello, this is Julius. Evan Stone and his new girlfriend are at the baby sound stage. They're going off to dinner. Hurry down there if you want to catch them." He ended the call and handed the phone back to Buffy. "I say you've got about fifteen minutes to get out of here."
"You know you're going to get trampled." Buffy told him.
"I'll handle it," Evan said. "I'll just tell them I dumped your cousin. After all I have a bad boy image to keep up." He snapped his fingers and someone rushed over. He whispered in the man's ear.
"Thanks for the flowers," Prue said as she smiled at him.
"You deserve them," Evan told Prue. "Along with that quiet normal life you seem to want so badly."
"Thanks," Prue said as she smiled at him.
"Payson," Evan called out as Prue and Buffy were walking away. Buffy looked over her shoulder at him. "There will be something waiting for you when you get home. Consider it my apologies."
Sally Dopler's Residence
Sally was fixing up computer parts. "Bobby, been busy while I was gone. You got a buyer for these? 'Cause I've got somebody in county that might be able to move them for ya." She didn't get an answer from Bobby. "Bobby!"
Dr. Williamson walked toward her holding a cooler. "Was that his name?" He put down the cooler. Suddenly, he flew across the room as Buffy, Prue, Piper and Phoene rushed in.
"Get out of here now." Prue ordered the woman.
Sally grabbed some of the computer parts she had been working on on rushed out the door.
"Dr. Williamson..." Piper and Buffy said. .
"Piper." Dr. Williamson said looking at his former patients. "Buffy.".
"Listen to us, you're sick," Buffy explained. "You're doing terrible things."
Dr. Williamson shook his head. "I'm saving lives."
"No, you're hurting people," Piper countered as she and Buffy walked toward the doctor.
"Buffy, Piper, be careful," Prue pleaded.
Buffy nodded at Prue, letting her eldest cousin that he heard her. "We have medicine for you," she told the doctor. "We think it might help."
"You know, I really have you both to thank for all this," Dr. Williamson interjected. "I couldn't do it without you."
"Don't say that," Piper begged. "Here, take this, it will make you better." She held the potion, that stripped a witch's powers out to him.
"Piper…, Buffy." Prue cried as Dr. Williamson sent Buffy and Piper flying telekinetically. He waved his hand and sent Prue flying as well. .
Phoebe knelt down beside Buffy and Piper as the doctor walked toward her. She slowly stood up as she turned to face him. "We wanna help you," she told him.
Dr. Williamson smirked. "I don't want your help," he told her. "I'm doing great things, I'm saving lives. And I got a lot of work to do."
"Okay, uh, well, this is for the monkeys," Phoebe said as she punched him in the face. "And this is for my sisters and cousin." She went to kick him, but her attack never landed as he telekinetically sent her flying. She landed hard falling unconscious and dropping the potion.
Dr. Williams smiled as he stepped on the potion vial shattering it.
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe stood over a map holding a scrying crystal above it. "Any luck?" Prue asked as she came up beside her younger sister.
Phoebe sighed. "No, and I can't figure out another way to find him. All I have to do is locate him through his powers."
"Yeah, but his powers are our powers," Buffy said as she and Piper came up beside Prue.
"Right," Phoebe agreed. "So the crystal keeps circling our street. And I keep finding us."
"Okay, keep trying," Piper instructed her younger sister.
"Guys," Prue interjected. "We need to talk about what we're gonna do."
"What do you mean?" Buffy questioned. "I thought we already had a plan, I mean, we have the potion."
"No, not anymore, he trashed it," Phoebe reminded her cousin.
"So we'll make more," Piper countered.
"With what?" Phoebe wondered. "I have nothing else to use and the only shop that carries what I need closed four hours ago. And even if I made more elixir, Piper, Buffy, we'd never get it into him. He's much stronger than we are."
"Guys, he was our doctor." Buffy interjected. "He tried to save mine and Piper's lives, remember."
"He could of killed us," Prue countered.
"But he didn't," Piper reminded her sister.
"No, but he might be out there right now trying to kill someone else," Prue stated looking at the middle and youngest Halliwells, trying to get her point across to them. "Look, we need to face the fact that he's one innocent that we might not be able to save."
"But he needs help," Buffy pleaded. The one thing she had always hated was losing an innocent. She had already watched two innocents die to protect her, Piper, Prue and Phoebe. She didn't want to Dr. Williamson to be the third she lost.
"I know that, honey," Prue said as she wrapped an arm around her cousin in comfort.
Piper let out a sigh as she looked at hre cousin. She knew how Buffy felt. "Okay, then, so what are you suggesting?" she asked looking at her sisters. "You guys wanna vanquish him? You can't be serious, he's, he's not a demon, he's a human being."
"Not anymore," Prue countered sadly.
"But, okay, we can't use our powers to punish anyway you know that," Buffy said. "Or have you forgotten our little trip to the future."
Prue looked her cousin in the eyes. "We're not punishing anyone. We're saving lives," she said. She turned and looked at her middle sister. "Piper, all you have to do is freeze him."
"And then what? You're gonna move him in the path of an oncoming bus, drop a building on him, kill him?" Piper asked as Leo joined them. "Leo, tell me you found something, anything."
Leo looked at his daughter, he could sense her emotions pretty well right now. And while he looked at her, he addressed her and Piper, "I'm sorry. I don't think there's anyway out of this one."
"I don't believe this," Buffy cried.
"I found him." Phoebe said as her scrying crystal finally dropped.
Abandoned Building
Homeless people were sleeping as Buffy flamed in with Prue, Piper and Phoebe arrive. They found Dr. Williamson over a person, who thankfully was still alive..
"Dr. Williamson, we can help you but you have to stop hurting people." Piper called out to him.
"If you say so," Dr. Williamson retorted with a shrug. He went to throw a scalpel but Prue sent it telekinetically flying out of his hand scaring the homeless people, all of whom ran out the door.. "You should of stayed away." He flicked his wrist and a sent a circular saw blade telekinetically flying toward them.
Piper flicked her wrist freezing the blade in mid-air. "Okay, Piper, freeze him," Phoebe told her sister.
Piper flicked her wrist and froze him. But it was obviously quick that he was able to fight through her powers. "It's not working."
"Whatever you do, do not unfreeze that thing," Prue said motioning toward the saw blade.
Dr. Williamson flicked his wrist and sent another saw blade telekinetically flying toward them. Prue held up her hand and the second blade suddenly stopped in mid-air spinning in place. She could feel that she and Dr. Williamson were fighting for control of the saw blade as they constantly pushed it back and forth between each other.
"You know, I'm getting pretty good at this," he said.
"Okay, he's really, really strong," Prue admitted, she wasn't sure how much loner she could hold it though.
"I don't know how much longer I can hold this," Piper admitted.
"Piper, you do not let that go, okay, you do not let that go!" Phoebe ordered.
"Piper, when I tell you to, just let go." Prue instructed hre sister.
"What?" Buffy and Phoebe asked as they looked at the eldest Halliwell. .
"We're done playing around," Prue informed them. "Hit the deck now." She sent the saw blade she was telekinetically holding in place on a tangent away from them.
As the Halliwells ducked out of the way of the other blade it unfroze. It hit the wall behind them and flew back at Dr. Williamson, striking him in the chest. He pulled the blade out before collapsing to the ground.
"No!" Piper and Buffy cried and they ran over to the man who had tried desperately to save their lives.
"Oh, God. Please don't die," Piper begged as tears began to stream down her face.
"Come on," Buffy begged as she held her hands over the doctor. "Come on, work! Please don't let him die," she cried as tears began to stream down her face. No matter what her hands never glowed. No matter what she couldn't heal him as he died there in front of them.
"Buffy, Piper." Phoebe said as she placed a hand on their shoulders.
"I'm sorry," Piper and Buffy cried to the deceased man.
The Heavens
Buffy appeared in a swirl of flames. "I want to talk to an Elder," she said with a sigh.
"Yes, Buffy," Roland said as he approached the Slayer. Though he wondered if that title was true anymore.
"Dr. Williamson," Buffy said as tears glistened on her face. "Why couldn't I save him. Why couldn't I heal him?"
"I wish I had an answer for you, Buffy, that would make everything better," Roland replied sympathetically. "Some things are just meant to be, sadly. The only thing you can do is to remember him. So that his life was not for nothing."
Buffy nodded rejectedly as she flamed out.
Halliwell Manor
Later that evening Phoebe was placing hers and Prue's hospital files in the roaring fire in the fireplace. "Bye, bye, files," she said.
"Well, at least everything's back to normal..." Prue stated as she looked at the monkeys who were sitting on the couch eating stuff out of a bowl, "…for us."
"At least we're safe," Phoebe agreed.
"Yeah, what about them?" Prue wondered motioning toward the monkeys.
"Oh, they'll be safe tomorrow when I drop them off at the wild life conservatory," Phoebe said as she looked at the monkeys. "Hey, watch this. You guys, what do you think of evil?"
The Prue monkey covered its mouth. The Piper and Buffy monkeys covered their eyes. And the Phoebe monkey covered its ears.
Prue chuckled. "You're gonna miss them aren't you?" she asked.
"Yeah," Phoebe answered as Piper and Buffy entered the room carrying their hospital files.
"Hey, we've been wondering where you two have been." Prue said looking at Piper and Buffy with concern.
"Hey, you know what?" Phoebe said as she pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. "I have something for the two of you," She handed the paper to her middle sister.
"What is this?" Piper wondered.
Phoebe smiled at Piper and Buffy. "Uh, ground rules for me."
"I want a man who hates my brand of cereal so there'll always be some for me," Piper read. "A man who's love will catch me by surprise."
"What is this?" Buffy wondered as she looked at Phoebe.
"It's a wish list," Phoebe admitted. "I hope I find someone as great as Leo. You deserve the best, Piper, and I think you found it. And Buffy, he's a great father."
"Thank you, Pheebs," Buffy said. "But you guys don't mind he's hanging around a lot?"
"We just want you both to be happy," Prue answered as Piper and Buffy walked over to the fireplace and threw in their files. "Piper…Buffy."
"Are you two okay?" Phoebe wondered.
"No," Buffy answered.
"His name was Curtis," Piper said.
"Who's name was Curtis?" Phoebe wondered.
"Dr. Williamson," Buffy answered. "Piper and I read it in his medical bio. His first name was Curtis. He never married because he was working all the time."
"Saving lives was more important to him than having a life of his own," Piper added. "Now his life is over and Buffy and I can't help but feel responsible for that."
"We tried to save him," Phoebe told them.
Piper sighed. "But we didn't."
"Because we couldn't," Prue countered.
Buffy sighed and shook her head. "We couldn't," she said remembering her healing attempt and the Eldest saying that some things were just meant to be. She turned and headed for the stairs as Piper followed her.
"Should we, uh...?" Phoebe wondered. .
Prue shook her head. "No, not this time."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Piper and Buffy walked in to Piper's room and closed the door behind them. They moved to and sat on Piper's bed as their tears came. As they wrapped their arms around each other in an embrace, Leo orbed in. He sat down next to them and put his arms around them both and pulled them to him as he tried to comfort the two women he cared the most for…his girlfriend and his daughter.