Chapter 54: All Halliwell's Eve
October 31, 1998 – Saturday
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe was checking her makeup in a compact mirror as Prue walked in holding a bowl of candy. Prue set the bowl down upon the foyer table. Piper and Leo came down the stairs. They were all dressed up in costumes for Halloween.
Phoebe was Elvira, the mistress of the dark, wearing a black dress and a black wig.
Prue was wearing a black dress and a long black wig with butterflies pinned to it.
Piper was dressed as Glenda, the good witch from the Wizard of Oz, wearing a blonde wig and a pink fluffy dress.
Leo was dressed in his old World War II army uniform.
And Buffy…
Buffy came down the stairs and stopped before her cousins dressed in a leather dress and boots with resin cast armor armbands, knee guards and gauntlets. The glossy, knee-length leather boots shone like mirrors. The material at her hips swayed to mid-thigh in pleated lines of black, wide-set fabric that mimicked a skirt's folds. The top of the dress molded itself to her frame accentuating her figure. On the front over her breasts was the breastplate.
Prue looked Buffy over taking in her cousin's costume. "Xena?" she said surprised.
Buffy smiled. "In case we all change into our costumes again. I want to change into someone that can take care of herself. No offense to Lady Elizabeth but she was too prim and proper."
"Lady Elizabeth?" Phoebe asked looking over at her cousin.
"That was the name of my alter ego during the spell last year," Buffy answered. "From what I remember She wasn't high up, but she was nobility. I think a baron or a duke's daughter."
"Alright, people, let's go. Buffy and I were supposed to be at the club a half an hour ago," Piper said.
"Hey, are you good witch or a bad witch?" Prue asked Piper jokingly.
Piper smiled slightly and shook her head. "I'm going to be a very good witch from now on," she said.
"And you picked a role model that wears lots and lots of pink?" Prue asked with a smirk.
"Yes," Piper said as Buffy laughed.
"Glenda helped innocents didn't she?" Leo asked.
"Yes," Piper repeated.
"You had the answer all along? That's not help, that's mind games," Phoebe said.
"I'm not going to let you spoil my new attitude, I'm going to celebrate witches holiday with enthusiasm," Piper informed everyone.
"Same," Buffy agreed as she smiled at her father.
"The only problem is you never really know what you're celebrating when you celebrate Halloween," Phoebe said.
Buffy smiled. "I can answer that," she said. "After last Halloween, I wanted to know why vampires shun the holiday. So I did a little research. What I found made very little sense. All Hallows Eve, is the one night when the dead can return."
"I thought that was Mardi Gras?" Phoebe asked as Buffy shrugged.
"I don't know about that," Buffy said. "But I find it odd that vampires hate the holiday yet it's supposed to be their day."
"Yeah it does seem odd," Piper agreed. "Where's Darryl?"
"He's in the kitchen on the phone," Prue answered as Piper, Buffy and Leo started for the kitchen.
Phoebe held up a cardboard cutout. "Hook-nosed hags riding broomsticks," she said stopping the departing trio. "That's what we're celebrating. Personally I am offended by the representation of witches in popular culture."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Right, which is why you're dressed as the mistress of the dark."
"This costume happens to be a protest statement, Xena." Phoebe said sarcastically.
"Yeah and my protest statement says I don't want to be helpless and defenseless like I was last year," Buffy said. "Ever again."
Phoebe nodded remembering last Halloween. "Yeah, I can second that," she agreed.
Prue smirked at Phoebe. "I am impressed that you can make a protest statement and show cleavage all at the same time."
Phoebe grinned. "Thanks," she said looking down at her costume.
"Amazing," Prue said with a roll of her eyes.
"Let's go," Piper instructed as she, Buffy and Leo headed for the kitchen, Prue and Phoebe right behind.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Darryl was on the phone, dressed in his police academy uniform. As everyone walked through the door, he looked up.
"All right, Inspector, put down the phone, and no one gets hurt," Piper said.
"Yeah, sweetie, I've got to go," Darryl told his wife who was on the other end of the phone. "Give my love to your parents, okay? I miss you guys." He sighed heavily as he put his phone away. He missed his family and wished he could be with them.
"Nice costume," Piper commented on Darryl's uniform. She scooped popcorn into a dish.
"Yeah," Darryl said, looking down at what he was wearing. "It dates back to my rookie days. It still fits."
"Yeah, mine too," Leo said, looking down at what he was wearing.
Darryl looked bewildered at Leo. "Isn't that from World War II?" he asked, but Leo remained silent. "Who exactly are you?"
Prue grinned. "Uh, I will explain on the way," she answered as she grabbed some popcorn. "In the meantime, since we're both dateless, we can stick together."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "He's not dateless; he's married; you're dateless because you're picky," she smirked.
Prue just shrugged and kept stuffing popcorn into her mouth. "No, I'm not settling, alright. The perfect guy, a real man, is out there, and I will find him, trust me," she stated.
Buffy shook her head and laughed. "Mmm hmm."
"And they're going to love the popcorn and caramel in your teeth, too," Piper taunted as Prue used her fingernail to pull the popcorn out of her teeth. "Alright, Darryl, let's go, somebody get something."
"Um, we can't leave just yet because we have to wait for Cole," Phoebe stated as she, Prue, and Buffy each grabbed a plate of food.
"Cole Turner?" Darryl inquired, shocked. "The ADA? Are you dating him?"
Phoebe sighed. "Uh, no," she acknowledged, even though she hoped she would. "I simply sort of invited him to join us. It wasn't set in stone, but something had to have come up."
"She wants to, though," Buffy said intently while gazing at Phoebe.
Phoebe shook her head and smacked Buffy on the arm before following Prue and Piper. They left Darryl and Leo alone in the kitchen.
"Ooh—ooh, I want to take a picture of all of us first, but I have to get my broomstick," Prue said.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Cliché!" she exclaimed as Prue rushed to fetch her camera and the broomstick.
"Come on guys, hurry up," Piper said as the doorbell rang.
Phoebe approached the door and opened it, expecting to see children trick-or-treating. Instead, she discovered the Grimlocks, whom how briefly stolen Buffy's eyesight and whom they had previously defeated, standing on the front porch.
"Trick or treat?" one of the Grimlocks said.
"Oh my god, that is so weird," Phoebe replied, smiling. "They look just like the grim—" She couldn't continue what she was saying because the Grimlocks held out their hands and she and Piper started choking as they were magically strangled.
Buffy's eyes widened as she disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames. She flamed back in standing behind Phoebe and Piper.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Uh-oh," Leo said looking to the heavens as he heard a call from the Elders.
"Uh-oh, what?" Darryl wondered as he looked at the Whitelighter.
"Piper? Buffy?" Leo screamed to his girlfriend and daughter as he and Darryl hurried out of the kitchen, through the dining room, and into the foyer. "Prue? Phoebe?"
Buffy disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames with Piper and Phoebe just as Prue raced into the foyer. "Oh!" Prue gasped as she waved her hand at the Grimlocks, sending them flying into the living room just as Buffy flamed back in, Piper and Phoebe by her side.
"Didn't we already vanquish them?" Phoebe was perplexed.
"Yeah, and I lost my eyesight the last time we ran into them," Buffy reminded her cousins.
"If you did, I didn't know," Leo acknowledged as he surveyed his charges. "But that's not what I wanted to warn you about."
"What do you mean?" Prue inquired as a vortex formed behind the Halliwells.
"That's what I wanted to warn you about." Leo motioned toward the vortex.
"Oh," Prue exclaimed as she, Buffy, Piper, and Phoebe peered into the vortex as the Grimlocks strolled back into the foyer.
"Look out," Buffy exclaimed as she spotted the Grimlocks.
Piper froze the Grimlocks with a flick of her wrist. "Leo, what the hell is..." she began as a sucking wind drew her, Buffy, Prue, and Phoebe into the vortex. The vortex then closed behind them, leaving just their wigs behind.
October 31, 1670 – Friday
Jamestown, Virginia
Buffy, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe flew out of the vortex and landed beside what appeared to be a witch's altar. The altar was surrounded by a circle of lit candles and the walls were covered in ancient symbols.
"Is everybody okay?" Prue inquired, surveying Buffy, Phoebe, and Piper.
"Too soon to tell," Phoebe confessed, her hand resting on her brow.
Buffy patted herself down, assuring herself that everything was okay. "I'm good."
"Did the Grimlocks do this?" Piper was perplexed.
"Uh, unless we're dead and this is the hereafter," Prue replied, peering over the area. "I don't think so."
"Eternally Elvira, yecch," Phoebe scowled.
Buffy approached the altar. "Alright, uh, so this sort of looks like an altar," she said as she circled around it, inspecting it from every angle.
"A witch's altar," Piper said as she examined the altar. "What's going on?" she questioned as ten to fifteen men on horseback and on foot charged at them.
"There they are!" one of the men said.
"Kill the witches!" yelled someone else.
Phoebe scowled as she turned her gaze to Piper. "Oh, you had to ask," she sighed.
"Not good, not good, not good," Piper grumbled.
"I don't want to risk revealing we're real witches by flaming," Buffy explained. "So, run."
"Flee!" Piper concurred. "We're not in Kansas anymore," she said as the four of them dashed for the brush. They barely managed to hide from the approaching men. "Don't tell me we've time-traveled again," she grumbled as the men looked for them. "I hate time traveling."
"You do?" Phoebe inquired, raising her eyebrows at her middle sister. "Remember when I was burned at the stake the second time we time-traveled?"
"And the third time I was thrown into a future time where you were alone, Piper, and Prue, and Phoebe were dead, remember?" Buffy added. "If anyone ought to dislike time travel, it's me and Phoebe."
"Alright," Prue said, raising her hands to end the argument. "Let's try to avoid that happening again. From what they're wearing, it appears to be between the 1600s and the 1700s."
"Where the average witch's life expectancy is, what, fifteen minutes?" Phoebe said.
Buffy sighed. "Which most likely means we don't have any powers." The last time we traveled back in time, we didn't have any powers," she added as a shrub rustled behind them.
They turned around, surprised to discover one of the men standing there. "Find anything, Micah?" one of the others asked.
Micah fixed his gaze on the four of them. Piper attempted to freeze him despite not the fact they might not have their powers, but Prue grabbed her wrist and stopped her before she could find out. "No, nothing here," he said. "Ride on."
"Ride on, men," someone said.
Micah pressed his index finger to his lips. "Shh..." he murmured as he dashed out to join the other men.
Piper turned to face Prue. "Hi. Why didn't you let me freeze him?"
"Two things," Prue confessed. "First and foremost, Buffy is correct, and we most likely do not have our powers right now. Second, I don't know, there was just something..."
"You know what?" Piper replied after ensuring that the men were no longer there. "I don't care why we're here or how we got here," she said as they emerged from the brush. "All I want to do is get home. I've got a life to live and decorations to hang, so where the hell is the damn vortex?" she questioned, her gaze fixed on Buffy.
"Why are you looking at me?" Buffy inquired. "If they are the reason we're here. They didn't tell me," she remarked as someone unexpectedly approached them and threw sacks over their heads.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
They were able to see their surroundings when the sacks were removed from their heads. They were clearly in a cave somewhere.
In front of them, a woman curtsied. "Blessed be."
"Blessed be," Buffy replied as she noticed Prue, Piper, and Phoebe looking confused. She couldn't blame them of course, the whole situation was confusing. She wished the Elders had called her up there and filled her in before sending them to the past, assuming it was them who had done it.
"Our prayers were answered. We need your help," the woman stated.
"Excuse me?" Prue inquired.
"Please forgive me for the manner in which you were brought here, but we needed to ensure that you were the people we had sent for. If you were evil this doorway would have informed us," the woman said as she gestured to the cave's entrance.
"Huh, where can we get one of those?" Piper inquired.
Buffy fixed her focus on the woman, the Slayer within insisting that she protect her cousins until she learned more. "Alright, wait, uh, who do you think we are?"
"The most powerful good witches of all time, of course," the woman said.
"Okay, lucky guess," Phoebe confessed.
"And you are?" Prue inquired.
The woman grinned. "My name is Eva. I'm a midwife, a witch, and a free citizen of Virginia," she introduced herself before waving at the other women in the cave. "These good women are my coven. Come. We don't have much time left." The women gave Buffy, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe each a new dress. "No one can suspect you've come from the future. Witches must not have to hide in your time. What year are you from?"
"Uh, 1998," Piper confessed.
"What year is it right now?" Buffy asked.
"1670," Eva informed them.
"Oh," Phoebe murmured, her eyes wide as she gazed at the other Halliwells. This was the furthest they'd ever ventured in any of their previous trips through time.
"Okay, so why do you need our help?" Prue was curious.
"To save a magical baby who's prophesied to be born tonight," Eva said.
Piper smirked. "Save it from who?"
"A dark practitioner," Eva clarified. "She abducted the baby's mother with the intention of raising the child evil. If this occurs, good magic will never thrive in the new world. You must save Charlotte and bring her here so that we can deliver her baby within our own protective circle."
"Wait a minute, you have the power to transport us through time but not the power to set her free?" Piper seemed surprised.
"Of course, we cast spells to prepare for your arrival, but we know it was the power of All Hallows Eve that brought you here," Eva pointed out. "Not us."
"All Hallows' Eve?" Prue inquired, her gaze fixed on Buffy.
Buffy grinned. "Don't bother looking at me. According to my research, it was a day when the dead may return."
Eva grinned. "A witch's most sacred day," she explained. "The day when the source of all magic is accessible. How could you be unaware of All Hallows Eve?"
"It isn't what it used to be," acknowledged Buffy. "And whatever information has survived to our time appears to have been misconstrued."
"Wait a minute, uh, you can tap into that power to send us home, right?" Piper inquired.
"We assumed you could," Eva replied.
Piper sighed, looking at Buffy, Prue, and Phoebe. "They assumed that we could."
"Um, okay, well, uh, Piper, I have an idea," Prue explained. "So, what time is it?"
Piper looked down at her wristwatch. "It's 2:15."
"Time means nothing to them," Buffy told her cousins. "If it was them, they could send us back and no time would have passed in our time."
Eva grasped Piper's arm and examined the watch. "You've made a big clock so small. You must possess great magic.
Piper shook her head. "Just a good credit card," she said.
Buffy warned, "Piper."
"What?" Piper inquired, her gaze fixed on Buffy.
"We have to be careful about what we say," Buffy stated emphatically. "We can't change history beyond what we've been sent to do."
"Please excuse us for a minute," Prue said as she led Buffy, Piper, and Phoebe away from Eva. "We need to talk. All right, I think I've got this worked out. I believe Buffy is correct, and that they sent us here, which is what Leo was attempting to tell us."
"I forgot that Dad was trying to warn us," Buffy murmured.
"Oh, leave it to them to zap first and give instructions never," Piper grumbled.
"Now you see why I sometimes hate being a Whitelighter," Buffy stated as Piper nodded.
"And I think Buffy is correct that the only way they'll let us go home is if we bring that baby back here by midnight," Prue added, turning to Eva. "Alright, uh, Eva, do you have a plan?"
Eva smiled. "Yes." She raised a small bottle. "This vial contains a potion that will put the house guards to sleep." She handed the vial to Piper. "Then you'll use your powers to bring the mother back here."
"Ha, easy for her to say." Piper groaned as she gave Prue the vial.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy, Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Eva walked out of the brush at the edge of the village. The Halliwells had changed into the clothes Eva had given them and they now wore dresses and capes of the time period.
"We must be careful." Eva said.
"It looks like they're having a party," Phoebe remarked looking around.
Eva nodded. "It's the kidnapper, Ruth Cobb," she informed them. "She's doing it, pretending to mock All Hallow's Eve but I know better. She's really doing it to tap into the powers of dark magic."
"Looks like our welcoming committee." Buffy said spotting the men from earlier in the field.
"Witch hunters," Phoebe stated looking where Buffy was.
"Hunters of good witches maybe," Eva said angrily. "If they work for Ruth, they're after us."
"Not all of them," Prue said having spotted Micah.
Phoebe looked at Prue with a grin. "Hmm," she said as they walked closer to the village.
"Beware the talismans." Eva said as she pointed to the talismans hanging from the nearby tree. "They've barred our way each time we try to rescue Charlotte."
"Oh, honey," Phoebe scoffed. "Those don't really pack much of a punch where we come from."
"No, you don't realize…" Eva said as Prue, Piper and Phoebe walked forward.
Buffy shook her head as a bright light shone from the talisman and Prue, Piper and Phoebe flew backward.
"Ooh, what the hell was that?" Phoebe asked a bell rang as the village people started yelling and running around.
"Piper I would have thought you would remember talismans do work," Buffy said as she and Eva helped Prue, Phoebe and Phoebe up. "They kept Mark out of his mom's house after he died."
"No way talisman's have that much power," Prue said glaring at the talisman in question.
"They never have before," Eva admitted looking at the offending item. "Ruth's using the magic of All Hallow's Eve." She spotted guards coming toward them on horses. "Guards!"
"Alright, I've got him. I've got him." Prue said as she waved her hand to send the guards flying off their horses. "Uh…" she said when nothing happened.
"Have you forgotten, Prue?" Buffy asked. "In the past we don't have powers."
"What?" Eva asked confused.
"Run!" Buffy instructed just as a guard fired his gun at them hitting Eva in the arm. As Eva yelled in pain, she scooped the woman up and they ran into the brush.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Eva, we're sorry, we forgot that our powers…" Prue said when they returned to the cave.
"Just leave us," Eva said holding a cloth to her wound. "Just go back to wherever it is you came from. We asked for the most powerful witches of all time and instead, we get powerless frauds."
Buffy stood up in front of Eva and grabbed her using full Slayer strength, the only thing in their previous trip to the past that still worked. "Frauds?" she said.
Eva grimaced at the strength of Buffy's grip. "Ow!" she cried as Buffy released her. "How are you so strong?"
"Have you ever heard of the Vampire Slayer?" Buffy questioned as Eva nodded. "I am not only a witch, but a Slayer."
Eva looked at Buffy with newfound respect. "Protecting this baby is my destiny," she admitted.
Buffy smiled. "And we're going to help you," she informed the woman. "We're still witches. Something about time travel into the past strips us of our active powers. The only reason I'm still a Slayer is because the magic that gave me my destiny as a Slayer is different than that which gave us our powers," she informed Eva as a walked over.
"Bite down," the woman said handing Eva a small roll of cloth. Eva took the roll and put it into her mouth as the woman grabbed a poker out of the fire.
"Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa," Piper cried placing a hand on the woman's arm. "What are you doing?"
"Cauterizing her wound," the woman answered.
"Buffy," Piper said looking at her cousin. "See if you can… You keep saying time has no meaning to them. Maybe your Whitelighter powers don't either."
"Worth a try, I guess," Buffy admitted as she walked over to Eva and held her hands over Eva's wound and then sighed as her hands didn't glow. "Sorry," she admitted.
"Okay," Piper sighed. "Well since that didn't work, we still know some basics. Get some hot water and some soap and some clean cloths," she instructed the woman as Eva nodded. "Hurry," she said as the woman hurried away.
Buffy smiled. "I'll put pressure on the wound. This might hurt a little," she said as she wrapped her hand around Eva's arm and added in a small amount of Slayer strength. "It'll slow the flow of blood to the wound till we can get it cleaned and bandaged."
"Good thinking, Buffy," Prue said with a nod. She then turned back to Eva. "Eva, don't give up on us yet, alright, I know that we can help."
"Yeah," Phoebe agreed. "We have been through tougher jams than this before."
"We have?" Piper questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Haven't we?" Phoebe said looking at the other three Halliwells.
"Yeah," Buffy agreed.
"We were born witches," Prue said smiling at Eva. "That makes us innately magical. Maybe you can just teach us how to tap into it."
"There's not enough time," Eva said dismissing the idea.
Buffy smirked. "We're quick studies," she informed Eva. "Really quick studies. In our time we have only had our powers for two years. And I've only been a Slayer for three."
Eva took a moment to think about it and then nodded. "Very well."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Here," Eva said as she handed Buffy, Prue, Piper and Phoebe each a small doll made out of wheat.
"Dolls?" Piper said skeptically. "We tap into our powers with dolls?"
Eva chuckled. "It's not just a doll," she told them. "It's a totem. Reminds us of the wisdom and the power of women."
"Okay, but what does is have to do with..." Phoebe wondered looking at her doll.
"The witch's journey is a walk of wisdom collected over the years, Phoebe," Eva said as she cut an apple in half. "Wisdom gives us power. Power frightens the fearful and the ignorant."
"Well, that would certainly explain why in our time witches are made to look silly on Halloween," Buffy admitted looking at each of her cousins all of whom nodded.
"This magic, this knowledge is forgotten?" Eva asked with a raised eyebrow.
Buffy nodded. "Sadly yes," she admitted sadly. "All Hallows eve has been twisted it's true meaning forgotten."
"We could get it back if you teach us," Phoebe insisted.
"Here," Eva said as she picked up a witch's hat and placed it on Phoebe's head. "The conical hat is a spiritual point. It helps us to channel our magic. Keeps us centered, focused. The apple holds a pentacle in its heart." She held up half an apple to show them the pentacle. "Add a laurel leaf, you will block the path of evil." She placed a leaf over the center of the apple.
"A simple laurel leaf?" Prue questioned in disbelief.
Eva nodded. "Simple, but powerful," she informed them. "Remember, there is magic all around you, especially on this night."
"Uh, what's with the masks?" Piper wondered.
Eva looked toward Buffy. "You know the answer to that. For it is the one night of the year that demons walk freely on All Hallows Eve." She looked back at the other Halliwells. "So a mask allows you to hide your identity." She handed a mask to Piper. "Walk amongst them."
"Well that in part explains why children in our time dress up in costumes," Buffy said as she grinned. "It's a twisted version of the real tradition."
Phoebe looked toward a woman holding a broom, "Can I see that?" she asked as the woman handed her the broom. "Okay, now don't tell me we ride around on this thing."
Eva chuckled. "Anything's possible. Here," she said taking the broom from Phoebe. "The broom's traditional purpose is to sweep evil from your path. Sweep east to west," she demonstrated what she meant before handing the broom back to Phoebe. "Same path as the sun travels," she said as Phoebe swept the way Eva had showed her. "Like anything else in magic, it's how you do it, with knowledge and reverence."
"Wow, do I feel silly." Phoebe giggled as she received an electric shock from the broom. "Ah!"
"What happened?" Buffy questioned.
Phoebe shrugged. "Nothing," she said. "Must have been just a spark."
Eva grinned. "No, you felt the power," she informed Phoebe. "Alright, Sally will go with you to Ruth's house. She'll give you the last few things you'll need. I wish I could go with you."
"We'll do great," Prue insisted. "You've armed us well."
Eva nodded. "Remember, connect with the power of this day," she informed them.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
As the Halliwells and Sally walked toward the village, Sally gave them some things they might need when rescuing Charlotte. "Charlotte should be in the first bedroom at the top of the stairs," she told them. "Be careful, Ruth's guards are everywhere. If they see you with these tools, they'll know you as witches."
"Don't worry, we won't fail this time," Prue insisted.
"I know you won't," Sally said looking at the four of them. "Which of you will be standing guard for the others?"
"Phoebe and Buffy." Piper said looking at Phoebe and Buffy.
Sally nodded as she turned to Phoebe and Buffy. "If need be, this will turn away evil spirits," she said as she handed them both a small pumpkin with a star carved out of it. "Perhaps even a demon you think Ruth's summoned."
"Um, you're kidding, right?" Phoebe said with a raised eyebrow and Sally glared at her. "Okay, you're not kidding," she admitted as she and Buffy put the pumpkins in the pockets of their capes.
"Blessed be. Good luck." Sally said as she turned around and went back the way they had come from.
"Alright," Prue said as they put on their masks. "Trick or treat."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh boy," she said as they walked into the village. She and Phoebe turned and headed in a different direction than Prue and Piper.
"Care to know your future, milady?" A man asked as Phoebe and Buffy passed.
Buffy shook her head. "Oh, no thanks," she apologized. "We're both pretty familiar with it already."
"Are you certain?" he asked. "I can show you the first initial of your true love's name."
"Really? You can do that?" Phoebe asked surprised.
The man smiled. "With a simple peel of the apple."
"Prove it," another man said as he walked up beside Phoebe and Buffy.
"And why would you be interested, sir?" Buffy wondered looking at the newcomer.
"And why wouldn't you be?" he replied.
"Okay," Buffy said as she looked at the man. "How do we do it?"
The man smiled. "First," he said as he peeled an apple, "you must fill your heart, only thoughts of love. Then close your eyes and blow on the peel."
"You want to go first?" Phoebe asked looking at Buffy.
"Sure," Buffy said as she filled her heart with thoughts of love before closing her eyes.
"Now drop the peel into the water and watch," he instructed.
Buffy dropped the peel into the water as she opened her eyes. "And how is it that apple knows this big secret?" she wondered.
"It's simple, milady. Apples are the fruit of knowledge," the newcomer said as Buffy's apple peel formed the letter D.
"It is a D. The name of your true love begins with a D," the man said.
Buffy let out a sigh wishing the apple peel had form the letter A. She glanced at Phoebe. "Your turn."
Phoebe nodded as she dropped her apple peel into the water and it formed the letter C.
"And yours is C," the man said looking at Buffy. "The name of your true love begins with a C."
"Cole." Phoebe said glancing at Buffy who frowned.
The newcomer looked at Phoebe as someone walked past and bumped into her causing her to drop her pumpkin.
Ruth, who stood nearby, noticed the pumpkin and pointed toward Phoebe. "Witch!" she cried.
"No," the newcomer said as Micah and another man rushed over and searched both Buffy and Phoebe's pockets.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Uh-oh," Piper said spotting what was happening with Phoebe and Buffy. "Prue."
Prue turned and followed Piper's gaze to the other two members of their family. "Phoebe. Buffy," she said as she and Piper ran toward Phoebe and Buffy.
"Those two as well," Ruth said motioning toward Prue and Piper who the men grabbed. "There's your four," she told a man as everyone began yelling, 'Hang the Witches.' "Hang them! Hang them all!"
"My pleasure," Micah said as he looked at Prue.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy, Prue, Piper and Phoebe sat on four horses under a tree with a noose around their necks as the men from the village watched.
"Tell me this isn't happening." Piper pleaded.
"What a way to die, 300 years before I'm born," Buffy groaned sadly. "Well I always knew being a Slayer meant an early death."
Micah rode up on his horse stopping next to Prue. "Hang witch. Hyah!" he cried startling the horses who took off from underneath the four Halliwells. Buffy, Prue, Piper and Phoebe dropped toward the ground with the loss of their horses, the nooses stopping their fall and they hung there waiting for death to come. "Onward," he ordered as he and the men rode off back toward the village.
The four of them only hung there for a few minutes before Micah returned. After looking around to make sure no one was watching he pulled out a knife and cut them down. They fell to the ground with a groan of pain. "My apologies," he said as he got off his horse and cut the ropes from around their hands. "A trick I learned from the French. Run the noose line to the waist."
Phoebe smiled. "Yeah, well, it's a really good thing the other guards didn't see you do that," she said as they all stood up.
"Wait a minute, I don't understand," Buffy said glancing at her cousins. "How did you know you could trust him?"
Prue smiled. "By the look in his eyes," she said as she looked toward Buffy. "The same look I've seen in your eyes or Willow's or Xander's plenty of times, Buffy." She looked back at Micah. "So that would be…" she said as she removed her mask, "…the second time that you've saved our necks."
"And what beautiful necks they are," Micah said as he took Prue's hand in his own and brought it to his lips, kissing it. "I'm Micah."
Prue smiled dreamily. "I'm Charmed."
Buffy rolled her eyes at the way Prue said she was charmed. "Prue," she said pulling her eldest cousin's attention away from Micah. She then looked at Micah. "I hate to bust up the balcony scene, Romeo, but why do you keep saving us and why are you running with the witch hunters?"
"So I can undo their work whenever possible," Micah explained looking away from Prue at the others of her family. "I've seen what dark magic can do. If you're fighting that, I'm on your side. And I should get back before anyone gets suspicious."
"Thank you," Prue said as she leaned over and kissed Micah on his cheek.
Micah nodded. "Another time." He swung back up onto his horse and rode off toward the village.
"Who was that masked man?" Prue wondered.
"Okay, you finally found a real man," Phoebe smirked. "Too bad he lives in Colonial Virginia, Prue."
"We need to get out of here," Piper said looking at Prue. "Pay attention."
"Okay, any idea how we're going to save the baby?" Buffy wondered.
Piper smiled. "Well, they think we're dead now," she admitted. "They certainly aren't expecting us."
"I mean, besides you guys, we're witches and it's All Hallows Eve, so…" Prue added.
Buffy shook her head as she looked at Prue knowingly. "Alright, glow elsewhere."
Prue chuckled as she pulled Buffy into her arms. "Alright," she agreed.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Piper and Phoebe stood waiting for Prue and Buffy at the edge of the village. Prue and Buffy had gone to see if they could spot any of Ruth's men.
"I don't see Ruth or the guards," Prue said as she and Buffy walked up to them.
"My spidey senses are going off so much I can't tell what's what," Buffy regretfully admitted.
"What time is it?" Prue questioned looking at her sisters.
Piper pulled her watch out of her pocket and looked at it. "It's six o'clock. And we're running out of time and magic."
"Well, it doesn't change what we have to do," Prue admitted.
"How are we going to get past the talismans?" Phoebe asked motioning toward a talisman that was hanging in a tree not far off.
"Do you remember what Eva said?" Buffy questioned pointedly.
Phoebe thought back to after their first visit to the village before nodding. "The powerless frauds part?"
Buffy chuckled as she shook her head. "No, the magic is all around us," she informed them. "Well, it's time we learned how to access that." She picked up a broom and handed it to Phoebe. "Just sweep away evil."
"What? No funny hat?" Phoebe quipped.
Piper picked the flowers off a lavender bush. "Lavender. Didn't she say that was a protection herb?"
Prue turned and picked some wheat and started twisting it to form a doll. "And the wisdom of the women before us will guide us again. What about you Buffy?"
Buffy smirked. "I got all the magic I can handle even without powers," she informed them. "I'm the Slayer, remember?" She looked at Phoebe and nodded. "Okay, get sweeping."
"Ugh..." Phoebe cried as they walked closer to the house. "Okay, which way is east?"
"Uh, that way." Piper said motioning in the opposite direction of the setting sun.
Phoebe nodded as she began sweeping east to west. It wasn't long before the broom started giving off sparks of magic and it began to glow. "Whoa, did you see that?" she asked.
"Yeah, keep going," Prue said having noticed what was happening.
Phoebe continued to sweep as the talismans glowed and fell from the trees. "It's working."
"Alright, good." Buffy said appreciatively just as they spotted Micah being grabbed by some of the men.
"Micah," Prue cried as she started to walk toward him.
"Prue, you can't." Phoebe said.
"They found him out." Prue countered.
"They have," Buffy agreed. "But we have to get to Charlotte. What would he want you to do?"
Prue looked at Buffy for a moment and then nodded that Micah would want her to save Charlotte. They headed for the house and slipped inside quietly. Following Eva's directions the found Charlotte exactly where Eva had said she would be.
"Hi," Piper greeted.
"Who are you?" Charlotte asked confused as she looked at the four of them.
"Eva sent us," Prue explained. "Charlotte, we're here to take you back."
"You're lying," Charlotte said not believe a word Prue said. "I don't believe..." she let out a cry of pain as she felt a contraction. The baby was coming.
"Oh, okay, okay, uh, uh, how does Lamaze breathing go?" Prue asked looking at the rest of her family.
Buffy shrugged. "No idea."
"Uh…" Piper said trying to think. She took a few breaths trying to mimic what she had seen other women doing.
"Oh, that's it," Prue agreed smiling at her sister just as Charlotte screamed again as another contraction hit.
"Okay, okay, okay, um, try this. We can do this," Piper said as she pressed a spot on Charlotte's back with her fingers.
"How are you making the pain go away?" Charlotte wondered.
Piper smiled. "Uh, uh, good magic," she informed the woman. "Just keep breathing."
"Good magic?" Prue asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Acupressure." Piper informed her eldest sister. She then turned toward the youngest member of their family. "Buffy, I think it will be quicker and easier if you carry her."
Buffy thought about it and nodded in agreement. "Good idea," she agreed. "Alright, uh, we need to get you out of here. Come on, honey, it's okay." She started to lift Charlotte who screamed in pain. She groaned as she looked down at the mess running down her legs and at her feet. "Oh, oh, her water just broke."
"I see that," Piper grimaced, they were running out of time.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy while carrying Charlotte led her cousins across the field toward the cave. They were drawing near the witch's altar. "The altar." Phoebe said motioning toward the altar.
"Okay, just a little while longer, we're almost there," Piper said knowing the cave wasn't far beyond the field.
"I can't," Charlotte groaned.
Buffy smiled. "Yes, you…"
"I'm sorry," Charlotte cried.
"You can do this," Prue insisted.
Charlotte shook her head knowing she wouldn't make it to the cave. "No!"
"Charlotte." Prue started as Charlotte cut her off.
"The baby's coming now!" she said.
Buffy nodded as she made a decision. "This is good enough," she informed them as she set Charlotte down on the ground. "I'll do this," she said looking up at her cousins. "If the witch hunters show up, you guys keep them off us as long as you can."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
It was nearing 11 o'clock as Charlotte lay on the ground a blanket covering her from the waist down, Buffy sat between her knees prepared to deliver the baby.
"Um, it's almost 11 o'clock," Piper said checking her watch. "Do you think they gave up on us?"
"Uh..." Phoebe said having spotted torch light coming from the other side of the field. "No, I don't think so."
"Alright, what do we have?" Prue wondered.
"We've got big problems…" Piper insisted as she frowned, "…little time and little magic."
"Alright, didn't Eva say something about, uh, Charlotte giving birth in a protective circle?" Prue questioned.
Buffy looked up from where she sat at her cousins. "Can we make one of those?" she asked hopeful.
"I don't know," Piper shrugged. "We've got lavender and uh…" she hesitated trying to identify the herbs they had access to.
"Isn't rosemary supposed to be good for protection?" Phoebe wondered motioning toward a herb.
"Right, and apples and laurel leaves block the path of evil," Prue reminded them as Phoebe nodded. "Put it all together, it may just work," she said as Charlotte screamed in pain.
"You got this, Buffy?" Piper asked her cousin.
"I do," Buffy said, though her eyes hinted at the nervousness she felt. "Piper, why don't you hold her hand try and keep her calm while Prue and Phoebe work on the protection circle."
Piper nodded as she knelt down next to Charlotte and took the woman's hand.
"Alright, if ever there was a time that we were going to connect it needs to be now," Prue said as she turned toward Phoebe. "So, Phoebe, form a circle, I'll work on the apples," she said as Phoebe began throwing items on the ground to form the protection circle.
Buffy smiled as she looked up at Charlotte's face. "Okay Charlotte, you're going to have to try and be kind of quiet," she said as Charlotte whimpered in pain. "Okay, I know, I'm sorry, okay, um, don't worry everything's under control." She lifted up the blanket to look at Charlotte's sex and saw the baby's head crowning. "Oh my goddess, I see it, I see it."
Piper held Charlotte's hand. "Easy breaths in and out," she said soothingly.
"Really?" Phoebe asked as she ran over beside Buffy to see what her cousin saw.
"Phoebe, the circle," Prue cried reminding her sister they needed the circle finished.
Phoebe nodded. "The circle," she said returning to making the protection circle.
"Okay, um, just, just try not to push," Buffy instructed before looking up at her cousins. "Okay, uh, this baby is coming!"
"Yeah, well, so are they," Prue said motioning toward the men.
"Okay, we can do this," Piper told Charlotte as well as herself. "Yes, we can do this."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "You're not going to faint on me? Are you, my sister?" she asked as Piper looked up at her and simply smiled.
"We have to do this," Phoebe insisted as she walked over to Prue.
"Alright, here," Prue said handing Phoebe an apple. "Knowledge and reverence," she reminded her sister as they faced each other.
"Knowledge and reverence, knowledge and reverence, knowledge and reverence, knowledge and reverence," Phoebe and Prue chanted as the men drew closer.
"Here they come." Phoebe said looking toward the men.
"Prue," Buffy said motioning toward Charlotte.
"Right," Prue said. "Put it all together, it's going to work," she said as she and Phoebe threw the apples out as the protective circle formed around them.
"How cool is that?" Phoebe asked when one of the men hit the barrier and rebounded off it. "It actually worked." The men held up their guns and began shooting at them. "Or not!" she cried as she and Prue dove behind the altar out of the path of the bullets.
Buffy bowed her head as low as she could while still keeping an eye on Charlotte's baby. "It doesn't stop bullets," she stated.
"We are running out of ammo," Prue said looking at the altar.
"Prue, it's not like an apple's going to stop them anyway," Phoebe stated as the men continued shooting at them.
Buffy smiled as she finally delivered the baby and cut the umbilical cord with the knife she always carried in her boot. "It's a girl!" she announced as she wrapped Charlotte's baby in the blanket.
"Buffy, Piper, get Charlotte and the baby out of here," Prue instructed.
"Huh?" Piper and Buffy said, they weren't about to leave the rest of their family behind.
"Okay, I think I have an idea of what might really scare them." Phoebe said as she put on a witch's hat and grabbed a broom.
"What are you going to do?" Piper wondered.
Phoebe smirked. "I'm going to embrace the cliché," she informed her sister as she swept east to west and then sat on the broom. The broom rose up into the air.
"There's something you don't see every day." Piper remarked as Phoebe flew up into the sky.
"I think we now know where the scary witch stereotype comes from," Buffy informed them with a chuckle.
Phoebe flew over the men as she cackled scaring them off. She let out a giggle as she flew in front of the moon, truly embracing the cliché.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
She walks over to Charlotte and hands her back to her.
"Blessed be," Eva said as she handed Charlotte the baby.
"Blessed be," Buffy echoed.
Prue nodded. "Isn't the future beautiful?" she asked as Buffy, Piper and Phoebe nodded.
"It is, thanks to you," Eva said looking at the four of them. "You found the power."
"You showed us where to look," Phoebe reminded her.
Prue chuckled as she looked at Phoebe. "Like Buffy said, we know where all that flying hag stuff started. You only have yourself to blame, right Pheebs?" she asked as Phoebe giggled.
"I know it and I love it," Phoebe admitted as a smile graced her lips. "Now if I can just figure out how to take it back with me. Hey, what are they waiting for? Why haven't they sent us home yet?"
"Knowing them like I do," Buffy said. "There is something we still have yet to learn."
Piper looked down at her watch. "Well, it's almost midnight, so if we're going to learn anything more we'd better hurry," she said.
Charlotte smiled as she looked at the four of them. "I promise my daughter will know of you," she informed them. "Of the four powerful witches who came to bring her into this world. And we'll always be grateful, won't we Melinda?"
"Melinda?" Buffy asked with widened eyes of realization at what the Elders wanted them to learn. That she had just delivered her ancestor.
Charlotte nodded as she glanced down at her baby. "Yes, Melinda. Melinda Warren."
"Oh," Buffy said as she looked at Prue, Piper and Phoebe who all had the same looks of realization on their faces. says.
"What is it?" Charlotte questioned.
"I uh… I think we're related," Buffy informed her. "Our ancestor several generations removed was named Melinda Warren."
Charlotte nodded as she looked down at her daughter and smiled. Her lineage had lived on long into the future, she couldn't be happier. "Then the future is indeed beautiful," she said as she looked at Buffy. "May I ask your name. Everyone called you Buffy."
Buffy smiled. "I was born Buffy Anne," she informed the woman. "But I don't go by that name anymore. The only people that still call me Buffy are my friends and family. I changed my name to what my mom wanted to name me if my dad had let her… Payson Patricia."
Charlotte nodded as she smiled at Buffy. "Then for your help in delivering my daughter into this world," she said before looking at her daughter. "I am going to give her middle name in your honor… Melinda Payson Warren."
"Wow, thanks." Buffy said as she blushed at the compliment.
"It looks like we know how the family tradition of P names got started," Prue chuckled as she looked at Buffy. "You only have yourself to blame, Buffy."
Buffy smiled as she wiped a tear from her eyes. "Guess so and like Phoebe said I love it," she insisted as the vortex opened and the sucking wind drew her, Piper, Prue, and Phoebe in.
October 31, 1998 – Saturday
Halliwell Manor
"I told you they'd come," one of the Grimlocks said as the vortex opened.
Leo orbed in behind them. "Hey," he shouted as he threw a potion on one of the Grimlocks who disappeared as it was vanquished. The other Grimlock held up his hand and Leo began choking as he was strangled by the Grimlock's power. He dropped the potion just Buffy, Prue, Piper and Phoebe came out of the vortex.
"Hey, haven't we vanquished you somewhere before?" Prue asked as she waved her hand and potion flew onto the Grimlock who disappeared as he was vanquished.
Buffy and Piper ran over to Leo with worry etched on their faces. "Are you two alright?" he asked looking them over.
"Are we alright?" Piper said as she and Buffy helped him to his feet.
"Are you alright?" Buffy asked looking her father over for any injuries she needed to heal.
Leo smiled as he looked at the two people who meant the most of him. "It's been a long day."
"Yeah, tell us about it," Phoebe said.
"Yeah, guess what, Dad," Buffy said as she grinned at him. Leo turned to her and looked at her expectantly. "I delivered a baby who was then named after me."
Leo smiled as he hugged his daughter. "I'm proud," he said as Darryl stumbled down the stairs.
"Darryl?" Prue asked looking at the Inspector.
"Prue?" Darryl said in confusion and they realized the Grimlocks had blinded him.
"I got it." Leo said before he felt his daughter's hand on his arm.
"I've got it," Buffy insisted. "After all I know what it's like, remember?" Leo nodded and let her do it. She walked over to Darryl. "Open your eyes," she instructed as she held her hands over Darryl's eyes. As her hands glowed, the golden rays of healing healed his eyes restoring his sight. "Happy Halloween."
Payson's
Buffy, Prue, Piper and Leo stood at the bar as the group Snake River Conspiracy performed on stage.
Phoebe, holding a pumpkin, walked past a guy holding a broom. "Use that broom with reverence," she informed him before walking over to the bar. "Hey, Halloween is now officially my favorite holiday," she said as she sat the pumpkin on the bar.
Piper chuckled. "Who knew?"
"We didn't, but we should have," Phoebe admitted sadly. "So much knowledge, so much power that we lost. But we'll get it back."
"Okay, well, one crash course at a time," Prue informed her sister.
"Yeah, it's too bad Darryl didn't feel up to celebrating with us," Buffy added sadly.
"He saw a lot today," Leo informed them. "I think he needs some time to sort it all out."
"Yeah, well, so do we," Prue admitted looking at her cousin and her sisters. "I mean, it's bad enough that the triad wants us dead, but to send someone back to wipe out our whole line. Do your bosses have any clue who it is?"
Leo and Buffy looked at each other and then shook their heads. When they went up there to ask about who could have been after Charlotte's baby, they got no answered. "None that they're sharing," Leo admitted.
"That said I think it was that guy who was hitting on Phoebe at the party," Buffy said looking at Phoebe pointedly.
"Hang on, not every guy I meet wants to kill me," Phoebe cried. "Maybe he just liked me."
"Well, you saved Melinda," Leo said as he wrapped an arm around his daughter. "That's all that matters."
Buffy smiled. "And I helped to deliver our great, great, great, great, whatever, great grandmother. She even was named after me."
"You said that earlier," Leo said confused. "But her name is…"
Buffy smiled. "Charlotte said she was going to name her Melinda Payson," she informed her father. "In honor of me since I helped bring her into the world. You know I feel a little pride, not only am I named after our great grandmother but also after the woman who started our whole family line."
Phoebe sighed. "Too bad we couldn't save her from moving from Virginia to Salem. That would've been nice."
"Yeah, well, you can't change history for better or worse," Prue informed her sister. She then spotted a guy who resembled Micah walking toward her.
"Excuse me," he said. "Hi."
"Micah?" Prue asked confused.
He shook his head. "Mitch, actually," he informed her. "Forgive my directness but I've been watching you from across the room. Have we met?"
"You know, that's funny," Prue said with a chuckle. "I was going to ask you the same thing. Um..." She looked at her sisters and Buffy before she and Mitch walked off.
Phoebe chuckled as Cole walked down the stairs dressed as an angel. "Oh… my turn," she said as she walked over to him.
Buffy smiled as she glanced at the sign at the back of the stage that read: PAYSON'S.
"Penny for your thoughts," Piper said looking at her cousin.
"Just thinking of what happened tonight, how I am named after two women in our family," Buffy admitted. "Who without either of them we wouldn't be here. And who without them we wouldn't be sisters in all but name."