Chapter 110: A Witch's Tail Pt. 2
Buffy, Piper and Paige are sitting on the couch. Leo orbs in, he is soaking wet.
"Leo, the Persian." Piper says.
"I found Phoebe." Leo says.
"You did? Well, why didn't you bring her?" Buffy asks.
Leo sighs, "She's too fast... and slippery."
"It's official. Phoebe's on the run." Paige says.
"On the swim, technically." Leo says.
"Well, what the heck's she swimming from? She's got billboards, TV interviews, she got her divorce, she should be loving life." Piper says.
"That's right, you two don't know." Paige says.
"We don't know what?" Buffy asks.
"Well, I didn't wanna make either of you mad, you know, you both getting so panicky and all." Paige says.
"Yes, we've established, Buffy and I were spineless cowards in the face of evil. Now, what don't we know?" Piper says.
"Cole's back." Paige says.
Buffy and Piper starts to panic.
"What? Why don't I know about this?" Leo asks.
"Well Phoebe told me confidentially." Paige says.
Leo sighs, "Yes, but I'm your Whitelighter. As a witch you have a duty to let me know this sort of thing."
"I have a greater duty to my sister." Paige says.
"Excuse me, but he's the former Source of all evil." Leo says as Piper and Buffy tries to get their attention. "This is not something you just sweep under the rug." Buffy and Piper falls on the floor. Leo and Paige run over to them. "Take a deep breath, take a deep breath."
Leo and Paige help Buffy and Piper and they sit on the couch.
"Does he want our babies?" Buffy asks.
Paige shakes her head, "Oh, no honey, of course not. He's in love, he wants Phoebe back."
"Hey, that's it. If Cole and Phoebe declare their love..." Leo says.
"Cole's love is the problem, not the solution." Paige says.
"Paige, I know you hate Cole..." Piper says.
"Yeah, I do, I loathe and despise him, but that's not the point. Mylie said that mermaids are cold hearted, maybe that's why my spell turned Phoebe into a mermaid in the first place." Paige says.
"Wait a minute, we're talking about Phoebe here. Since when did Phoebe become cold-hearted?" Buffy says.
"Well, maybe she's been in the deep freeze ever since Cole came back." Paige says.
"So where do we go next?" Leo asks.
"I don't know. Book Of Shadows, library of congress, internet. Anywhere we can to get rid of Phoebe's tail." Paige says.
The next morning in the kitchen, Paige is there on the phone. "I am so sorry I am missing work, Mr. Cowan. I-I it's just my sister, she's had a fishing accident. Of course I'm grateful for the promotion, of course I am. And I'm gonna prove to you how grateful I am as soon as I get there and... Mr. Cowan?" Leo orbs in. "Hello?" She hangs up.
"I lost Phoebe." Leo says.
"You lost Phoebe?" Paige asks.
Leo nods, "Yeah, somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico. I was tracking her and, she's getting harder to sense. I think the mermaid in her is starting to take over."
"I'll just have to find a way to turn her back." Paige says as she sits down. "Look through these books." She places a book in front of her.
"Uh, you've been working on this all night?" Leo says.
"Yeah." Paige says.
"What have you learned so far?" Leo asks.
"I've learned that mermaids are cold blooded, they like shiny baubles, sea chanteys are the only songs they know, and my adoption file is short one document." Paige says.
Leo shakes his head, "You lost me with that last one."
Paige sighs, "Leo, it's my first day as a social worker and I'm already screwing up and failing big time. This kid's adoption is gonna fall apart without me."
"Well, you can't let that happen." Leo says.
Paige smiles, "I'm so glad you agree. I was thinking I can just cast a spell from here and create a file..."
"That's not what I meant. Go to work." Leo says.
"But what about..." Paige says.
Leo shakes his head, "But what about what? You're just an orb away."
"You sure you can handle this alone?" Paige asks.
"I'm not alone, I have Piper and Buffy." Leo says.
"Buffy and Piper. Okay, Leo, I don't know if it's because they're afraid of the demons or they have guilt over Phoebe, but they're not doing so well. I had to come down here to get any work done at all." Paige says.
"What do you mean?" Leo asks.
Paige sighs, "Go up the attic and see for yourself."
Leo nods and leaves the kitchen and heads up to the attic. He looks around for Piper and Buffy. He sees the sitting on the floor in the corner of the room; Piper is sbassinetbling words on the wall with chalk as she talks with Buffy. He walks over to them.
"No." Buffy says as she rubs a word out with her hand.
"Piper, Buffy, its okay." Leo says as he touches Piper's arm.
"Let go of me, we're almost done." Piper says.
"Buffy, Piper, you both need to take a break." Leo says.
Buffy shakes her head, "We just need one more verse."
Leo sighs, "Buffy, Piper, this is not helping Phoebe."
"Leo, we're scared." Piper says as Buffy nods in agreement.
"I know." Leo says.
"No, you don't. We're both scared all of the time." Buffy says.
Leo sighs, "Buffy, Piper, your both pregnant. Your hormones and adrenaline are running very high. It's okay to be afraid."
Piper shakes her head, "No, it's not. Did you see what our fear did to Phoebe? Buffy and I are supposed to be stronger than ever now that we're pregnant, for our daughters and our sisters. It's my job to take care of this family." Piper says.
Leo sighs, "Sometimes it's this family's job to take care of you, both of you. Sometimes it's my job."
"What do we do?" Buffy asks.
"You both need to figure out what's behind your fear." Leo says.
"Okay, well, therapy takes years and Phoebe needs us now." Piper says.
"The only way you two can help Phoebe is by removing your fear." Leo says.
"What did you say?" Buffy asks.
"I said you need to remove your fear and I can help you do that." Leo says.
Piper shakes her head, "I think you just did." She and Buffy stands up. "Right now we just need some time to figure this out, alone."
Leo leaves the attic. Buffy and Piper walks over to a blank wall and Piper writes "Fearless" with a piece of chalk.
Later Piper and Buffy have written a spell on the wall with chalk.
"Locked in, boxed in, full of fear our panic grows manic till we can't hear, in need of reprieve so that we can breathe, remove our fear please make it leave." Piper and Buffy chants as they glow. They turn and look in a mirror.
Downstairs Phoebe and Leo are there on the couch. Leo is dabbing Phoebe's wound with a cloth. "Ouch."
"Sorry, I was a medic, not a vet." Leo says.
Paige walks in holding a jug of water and a cup. "Here's your water."
"Oh." Phoebe says as she slurps it down. "Ugh, could use a little salt."
"That's about all I can do for you." Leo says.
"Okay, well, good enough. Will one of you orb me back to the ocean please." Phoebe says.
Paige shakes her head, "Wait, isn't there a demon after you?"
Buffy and Piper walks down the stairs.
"Demon? Did somebody say demon?" Piper asks.
"Yeah, one chased Phoebe back home." Leo says.
"Well, that was nice of it, welcome home." Buffy says.
"This isn't my home anymore." Phoebe says.
"So, what about this demon? Where is it? I'd like to thank it and then kill it." Piper says.
"So would I." Buffy says.
"Are you two sure you're okay?" Paige asks.
"Yeah, never better. Right, Buffy?" Buffy nods. "We're ready to face our fears." She stares at a painting on the wall. "Like that painting. I hung it on the wall because I was afraid to tell Leo that it was ugly but now..." She blows it up. "No offense, honey." She and Buffy sits on the couch. "So, uh, what does this demon look like?"
"Tall, dark and skeletal. Shoots electricity." Phoebe says.
"Paige, we need the Book of Shadows, can you orb it down here?"
"You want me to use magic for household chores? I thought you had a total fear of personal gain?" Paige asks.
"Ah, see, there's that word again, fear. It's very debilitating." Buffy says. "Book of Shadows!" The Charmed Book of Shadows flames into her hands and she hands it to Piper.
"Thank you sweetie." Piper says.
"Okay, um, I told you everything I know. Can I go home now?" Phoebe says.
"You are home. And you're insane if you think that I am going to take you anywhere." Paige says.
"Relax, Paige, everything will be fine." Buffy says.
"Glad you two are so calm. Why are you both so calm?" Leo asks.
"Well, we just did as you suggested and now we feel fine. So can we save Phoebe?" Piper says.
"Okay, you guys, I don't need saving. Okay, all I need are my sea friends and little shiny objects and to lay on a rock and to comb out my hair. I need water." Phoebe says as she reaches for the jug.
Piper finds Necron in the Book Of Shadows. "Got him."
Phoebe drinks straight from the jug. "Yeah, that's him."
"Necron... A skeletal being that hovers between life and death. Has the power to incinerate any living..." Leo reads.
"Yada, yada, yada." Piper and Buffy says.
"No wonder he's after Phoebe. If mermaids are immortal and he's stuck between life and death, then immortality would place him squarely in the life column." Paige says.
"Well, he cannot have my immortality. Will someone please get me back to the ocean before I suffocate. I need the water!" Phoebe says.
"You want water? I'll get you some water." Paige says.
Moments later Paige puts Phoebe in the tub in the upstairs bathroom.
"You are holding me hostage!" Phoebe says.
"Yep, looks like it." Paige says.
"Look, I am not a common goldfish. I cannot ignore the call of the sea." Phoebe says.
"Well, the call of the common bathtub is just gonna have to do." Paige says.
Phoebe flicks water at Paige.
Upstairs Buffy and Piper are making a potion and Piper puts an ingredient in a pot and it explodes, blowing everything in the room to pieces. Buffy and Piper are knocked backwards.
"Oops." Buffy and Piper says.
Paige runs in. "What is going on? Are you two okay?"
"Minor setback, it's fine." Piper says.
Paige grabs a fire extinguisher and puts out some small fires. "Minor setback? The room is on fire! You two are supposed to be figuring out a way to vanquish Necron, not yourselves."
"Oh, come on, we weren't using any of this junk anyway. Where's the fish girl?" Buffy says.
"She's downstairs cooling off in the tub. What are you two mixing up here anyway?" Paige says.
"Oh, a little burdock root and, uh, some eye of newt." Piper says.
"What? You're never ever supposed to mix those two things together. That is a volatile combination." Paige says.
"Well, Necron's a serious threat, we need a serious potion. Did you know in the book there's a witches be warned on skeletal beings? The last two that vanquished him, actually the only two that vanquished him, died in the process." Buffy says.
"Great, so the rate you two are going you'll be number three and four. You two know, you oughta be more careful." Paige says.
"Hey, a good plan violently executed this week is better than a perfect plan executed next week. That's Patton." Piper says.
"Why are you quoting Patton?" Paige asks.
"So we figure if we just double the burdock root..." Buffy says as she bends down to pick something up.
"Ay, no touch. I don't want either of you or my unborn nieces around that." Paige says as Buffy and Piper sigh. Someone decides right then to ring the doorbell. "You two shouldn't be inhaling all this smoke when you're pregnant anyway."
Buffy and Piper goes to answer the door.
"Ah, Paige, you're such a worry wart." Piper says.
Leo walks in. "What happened?"
"We were just getting ready to kick some demon ass. That's what we do, right?" Buffy says.
Piper hits Leo on the butt as the doorbell rings again. "Buffy and I'll get it, it's probably Phoebe's interview." She and Buffy goes downstairs.
"Well, send them away!" Paige says as Leo walks over to her. "Don't look at me, I don't know what's going on with either of them."
"Does it seem like they overcame their fear a little quickly to you?" Leo asks.
Paige shrugs, "I don't know. I guess it's better than their almost having a nervous breakdown like they were this morning."
"Not so sure." Leo says as he walks over to the wall with Piper and Buffy's chalk writings are.
"What are you looking at?" Paige asks.
"See if they had any help." Leo says.
"Magical help? Buffy and Piper would never do that." Paige says as she sees the fearless spell on the wall. "Oh, no, it's a fearless spell. Piper and Buffy wrote a fearless spell."
"Paige!" Phoebe calls out.
In the bathroom Buffy, Piper, Phoebe, Nancy O'Dell, and a camera crew are there. Phoebe is still in the bath, but now with bubbles added.
"Gosh, I am so sorry. Your sister said we were doing the interview in the bathroom." Nancy says.
"Well, that should've been your first clue that my sister sprang from the shallower end of the gene pool." Phoebe says.
"Oh, come on, Phoebe, you wanted fame. Go ahead and grab it. Carpe diem." Piper says.
"Don't you mention carp around me, please," Phoebe says.
"We're doing you a favor. People will think you're bold and daring. What's better than a celebrity who wants to do an interview in the nude?" Buffy says.
"I can be just as fascinating with my clothes on in a TV studio, thank you." Phoebe says.
"Well, actually, you can't. My show is called "At Home With Nancy O'Dell"." Nancy says.
"See? Fabulous." Piper says as Phoebe lays there in awe. "Fire away." She and Buffy leave the bathroom closing the door behind them.
"Piper. Buffy." Phoebe says.
Outside in the hallway Buffy and Piper are listening against the bathroom door. Paige and Leo walk down the hallway.
"What is going on? We heard Phoebe's scream..." Paige says.
"Shh... She's doing a TV interview." Buffy says.
"In the bathtub?" Paige asks.
"Don't worry she's not showing any tail. That Nancy O'Dell has, like, perfect teeth." Piper says.
"You two can't be serious. You're risking exposure to all of us." Leo says.
"Now see there's your risk-aversion side rearing its ugly head again." Piper says.
"Buffy, Piper, we know you cast a fearless spell." Paige says.
"Not a fearless spell, a freedom spell. You told us to get rid of our fear so that's what we did." Buffy says.
"Yes, but you two didn't get rid of it, you just suppressed it." Leo says.
"Well, what's the difference? We're free to be ourselves and to help others be themselves." Piper says.
"Okay, but Phoebe's self is a mermaid, and that self is about to be broadcast on the six o'clock news unless we stop it fast." Paige says.
Buffy shakes her head, "Now, see, you're only seeing the downside here."
"What's the upside?" Paige asks.
"The upside is Phoebe loves her job more than anything else and doing this interview will remind her of that and help bring her to her senses." Buffy says.
In the bathroom…
"People are chewing entire species into extinction. Take Chilean Sea Bass. I have yet to even spot one. And swordfish for example, you might as well be munching on a bald eagle." Phoebe says.
"I, uh, I didn't realize you had such a passion for fish." Nancy says.
Phoebe smiles, "Yeah, I do."
Buffy, Piper, Paige and Leo walk in.
"Okay, we're gonna have to end this now." Paige says.
"It's okay, ask one more question." Phoebe says.
"Um, well, so back to your advice to lovers, it's so real, so heartfelt, especially lately. Is there a lucky guy in your life that you get your inspiration from?" Nancy says.
Phoebe shakes her head, "No, there's not."
"Really? Then what's with all the love columns?" Nancy says.
Paige realizes something.
"I don't know." Phoebe says.
"I think I do. Okay, I'm sorry; we're really going to have to wrap this up. Leo." Paige says.
"Okay, come on, I'll show you downstairs." Leo says.
"But we're not finished yet." Nancy says.
"I think you are." Leo says.
Nancy sighs, "Oh. We'll reschedule. I'll have my people call your people, okay."
"Thanks." Phoebe says.
"Alright, bye-bye." Nancy says.
"Bye, Nance." Piper and Buffy says.
"Bye-bye." Nancy says as she, Leo and her crew leave.
"So how do you feel?" Buffy asks.
"Actually, thanks to the both of you, I feel free. Free from the shallowness of human pursuit. From craving wealth and fame. Now all I crave is the serenity of the sea." Phoebe says.
"Ooh, good job on the fearless spell." Paige says.
"What fearless spell?" Phoebe asks.
Two crows fly onto a tree branch outside the window.
"What the heck is their problem?" Piper says as they hear a zapping noise in the hallway. "Orb Phoebe to the attic."
"What about you two?" Paige asks.
"Just do it." Buffy says as she and Piper goes out in the hallway. Necron zaps in. Piper blows him up. She and Piper walks further down the hallway. "Okay, static man, very impressive."
Necron zaps in behind then, grabs them and then zaps back out with them.
Later in the Sea Hag's cavern, Buffy and Piper are tied to a steal rack, above the sea water.
"I think we've given your sisters enough time to worry about you two. Now, call for your Whitelighter." Necron says.
"Or what?" Piper asks as the rack she and Buffy are tied to sinks down knee deep into the water. "Oh, please, please, somebody help me, the mean demon is dipping me into the water and it's really cold."
"Attack!" Necron says.
Electric eels swim past the rack and electrocute Piper and Buffy.
"Is that the best you got?" Buffy asks.
"Again." Necron says.
The eels wrap themselves around the rack and electrocute Piper and Buffy, and they scream.
The rack rises out of the water.
"Okay, I've had enough. The treatment of us is shocking. Get it? Shocking?" Piper says.
"Do you two have a death wish?" Necron asks.
"You're not demon enough to kill us. You would've done it already if you were." Buffy says.
"On the contrary. I wasn't hungry until now. But it's just about my feeding time." Necron says as he holds out his hand.
Phoebe comes up from under the water. "Let them go, it's me that you want."
The auger shell appears in his hand.
"Oh, look out, Phoebe, he's packing the sea shell." Piper says.
"You know what this is." Necron says.
"Yeah. Auger shell. Sucks eternal life. Look, I will give you my immortality if you let my sisters go." Phoebe says as the rack flies across the water and hits the rock wall. Buffy and Piper's chains come undone and they fall to the ground. "No!" She swims over to Piper and Buffy.
"I promise I'll kill them unless you give me what I want first." Necron says.
"Buffy, Piper, are you two okay?" Phoebe asks.
Piper touches her bleeding stomach. "What did you do!"
The auger shell disappears and reappears over Phoebe's heart.
"Keep your promise, witch." Necron says.
On the beach Leo is waiting there as Paige orbs in. "Where you been?"
"I forgot the vanquishing spell in the attic." Paige says.
They orb out and into the cavern. Leo rushes over to Piper and Buffy.
"Honey, it's okay, I'm here." Leo says to Piper.
Necron zaps Leo and he flies across the room.
Paige hides behind a statue. "Phoebe!" Necron zaps the statue. "Shell!" The shell orbs onto Necron's heart. Paige holds Piper and Buffy's hand. "Piper, take Phoebe's hand." Piper take's Phoebe's hand. "Prepare for a big blast. Tide of evil wash the shore, bring it darkness evermore, with all our strength we fight this fate, make this evil obliterate."
Necron makes a huge explosion and knocks the girls across the room. Phoebe falls into the water. The rack slides into the water and drags Buffy and Piper in by their feet. They both try to frantically free their feet but can't.
Phoebe pokes her head out of the water and sees Paige unconscious nearby. "Paige, wake up! Paige!" She flicks water at Paige with her tail. "Wake up!"
Paige gains consciousness and sits up. "No wonder those demons carry warning labels."
"Tell me about it." Phoebe says.
"Leo, are you okay?" Paige asks.
"Yeah, I think so." Leo says as he gets up. "Where's Piper and Buffy?"
Under the water Joyce and Patty appears under water in a bright light.
"Piper, I know why you've been so afraid." Patty says.
"Payson, I know why you've been so afraid." Joyce says.
"You both don't want to leave your babies the way we left both of you." Patty says.
"But spells won't make that fear go away, only faith will. Have faith that your destiny is different than ours. Take our hands." Joyce says.
Joyce and Patty hold out their hands as Phoebe dives under the water. Patty and Joyce disappears Phoebe grabs Buffy and Piper's hands. Their feet are freed from the rack and Phoebe pulls them to the top. Buffy and Piper coughs.
"Mom. Aunt Joyce." Piper says.
"Mom. Aunt Patty." Buffy says.
"It's okay, sweetie, it's us." Leo says to Piper.
Phoebe looks at Piper, "Leo, heal her stomach."
Leo reaches for Piper's wound but it heals itself.
"How'd you do that?" Paige asks.
Leo shakes his head, "I didn't."
"The baby did." Piper says.
"What?" Phoebe asks.
"I guess she takes after her daddy." Piper says as she and Leo. "That must've been what mom and Aunt Joyce meant."
"Mom?" Phoebe says. "Aunt Joyce?"
Buffy nods, "They came to us in the water. They helped us understand why we've been so afraid. We don't wanna leave our babies without a mother."
"You have something that your mom didn't." Leo says to Piper.
"Oh, yeah, what's that?" Piper says.
"Me." Leo says.
"And me." Paige says.
"Buffy you have the same thing you had four years ago." Leo says.
"What's that?" Buffy asks.
"Us." Paige says. "Leo, me, Piper, and…" They notice Phoebe gone.
"…apparently not her." Piper says. "What do we do?"
"Nothing. I have a feeling she'll come back again." Paige says.
"How do you figure?" Leo asks.
"Just say I have a pretty good idea about what's going on inside of her head." Paige says.
On the beach Cole is standing there with his arms outstretched and eyes closed. Phoebe magically appears lying down in front of him. He opens his eyes.
"How did I get here?" Phoebe asks.
"I brought you here." Cole says.
"This isn't happening. This can't be happening. This goes beyond stalking." Phoebe says.
"I'm not stalking you. Paige sent me. I know why you ran, Phoebe." Cole says.
"You don't know anything about me." Phoebe says.
Cole shakes his head, "You thought you could escape into this big ocean, that the waves would wash away your pain? But they won't. Not until you admit what drove you here in the first place."
"I know what drove me here. You," Phoebe says.
Cole nods, "Yeah, but why? And don't say because you're scared of me, because you're not. Come on, you don't want to spend eternity alone just to avoid the truth. If not for me, be honest for your own sake. Don't lose yourself because of me."
"What do you want me to say?" Phoebe asks.
"You don't have to say anything. All you have to do to free yourself is admit how you truly feel about me. In your heart," Cole says.
They are silent for a moment and Phoebe turns back into a human. He helps her up and takes off his coat.
"How could you be so sure?" Phoebe asks.
Cole wraps his coat around her. "I had a feeling."
Phoebe sighs, "I do love you, and I always will but it doesn't change anything, it doesn't matter. It's over between us."
At South Bay Social Services Paige is packing up her desk and putting stuff in a box.
Mr. Cowan walks over to her. "Paige, I know I've been tough on you but I don't want you to quit. You've got a real gift at helping people."
"Don't worry, I'm gonna keep helping people. I just don't wanna split my focus anymore. Thanks for everything." Paige says and she hugs him.
In Piper's room at the Manor, Buffy, Piper and Leo are sitting on the bed looking at a photo. Leo gets up and walks away. Piper closes a photo album and her daughters baby book. She sticks the photo of her and Patty on the first page. "Grandma and Mommy" magically appear on the page. Piper smiles and closes the book.
Buffy pulls out a picture of her with Joyce out of a photo album and puts it into her daughter's baby book. On the page magically appears, "Grandma and Mommy." Buffy looks at Piper for a moment and then they hug each other smiling.