Chapter 149: Wrecked

Dawn woke to the sound of Celia crying. She looked over at the otherside of the bed and noted that Buffy was not there. She got out of bed and walked over to her niece, picking her up. Feeling Celia's diaper she found her niece just needed to be changed.

"Dawn?" Piper called out from the hallway. "Buffy?"

"I'm awake," Dawn said as she opened the door for Piper. "Buffy must still be out. What time is it?"

"Almost seven," Piper said. "Willow is not upstairs either. I just went up there to see what she wanted for breakfast."

"The books?" Dawn asked out of concern.

"Their up there," Piper said.

"So Buffy and Willow were out all night," Dawn said. "Where are they?"

"I don't know," Piper said. "But I'm sure they're. Probably just lost track of time."

In the the basement of a wrecked building, Buffy sat up amongst debris. She looked around dazed and disoriented. Then Spike sat up as too looked around dazed and disoriented.

"When ... When did the building fall down?" Buffy asked.

Spike shrugged. "Dunno. Musta been sometime between the first time and the ..."

What he is insinuating is causing Buffy's eyes to widen as the memory of what they had done the night before. "Oh," she said. "Oh my Goddess." She grabbed her clothes, or what was left of them and started putting them on. "Shoe. I need my shoe."

"What's the hurry, luv?" Spike asked.

"The hurry is, Celia," Buffy said. "I left her with Dawn all night and don't call me luv."

"Didn't seem to take issue with it last night. Or with any of the other little nasties we whispered," Spike said.

Buffy took that in as she began to freak out. She knew that last night was so wrong, so completely wrong. Jet it was also mind-numbingly wild and everything she needed. Escape. Release. Ecstasy. With Spike. "Can we - not? Talk?"

"I just don't see why you have to run off so quick," Spike said unable to hide his disappointment at her attitude. "I thought we could ..."

Buffy shook her head. "Not gonna happen. Last night was the end of this freak show-"

Spike's expression hardened as he caught Buffy by the wrists and yanked her toward him. "Don't say that."

"What do you think is going to happen, Spike?" Buffy asked as she tried to break away from Spike. "We're gonna read the paper together? Play footsie under the ... rubble?"

"Not exactly what I had in mind," Spike said as he started caressing Buffy.

"Stop—" Buffy said as she hit Spike's hand away.

"Make me," Spike said as he moved to touch her again. But she just hit him away again as they began to tussle. And then they kiss as she lay down on top of him, feeling him respond.

Suddenly Buffy pulled away from Spike as she realized what she was doing. "No. No. I have to ..."

"Stay. I'm stuck here. Sun's up," Spike said as they kissed again.

"Oh, Goddess ..." Buffy said.

"I knew. I knew - the only thing better than killing a slayer would be fuc—" Spike whispered.

Buffy, alarmed, jerked away from Spike. "What? That's what this was about? Doing a slayer?"

"Wouldn't throw stones, pet. You seem to be quite the groupie yourself," Spike said.

Infuriated, Buffy pushed off of Spike. "Shut up—"

"I'm just saying, vampires get you hot—" Spike smirked.

Buffy shook her head. "No. A vampire got me hot. One. But he's gone. You're just convenient."

That one statement hit Spike like a slap in the face as his expression went cold. "Before you go voicing any more of your theories, you might do well to remember that I can hurt you now."

"Right. Because I came back all wrong ... Know what's really wrong with me? You," Buffy said as Spike stood and started to get dressed.

"So, what?" he asked. "You go back to treating me like dirt until the next time you get an itch you can't scratch? Well, forget it. Things changed last night. I'm done being your whipping boy."

"Nothing changed. It was a mistake—" Buffy said.

Spike shook his head. "Bullocks. It was a bloody revelation. You can act as high and mighty as you like, but I know where you live now, Slayer. I tasted it."

"Get a grip, Spike. Like you're God's gift—" Buffy said as she found her other shoe.

"Hardly. Wouldn't be nearly as interesting, would it?" Spike asked. "I may be dirt, but you're the one who wants to roll in it, slayer. You never had it so good as me. Never."

"You're bent—" Buffy said.

Spike nodded. "Yeah. And it made you scream, didn't it?"

Buffy, freaked, backed away from Spike as her tone went deadly. "I swear, if you ever tell anyone about this, I will kill you."

"Right," Spike said as he got the seriousness of her threat. Then he smirked as he found her underwear. "You gonna want these too?"

Buffy spun around and clocked Spike hard. She then flamed out.

At the Manor Piper and Dawn stood in the kitchen making breakfast for themselves since Phoebe and Paige had left to run errands.

"Pancakes?" Piper asked.

"Uh, sure," Dawn said. "Should we have told Phoebe or Paige that …"

Piper shook her head. "Not yet. Willow and Amy probably just lost track of time. And you know Buffy, sometimes she …"

Just then the back door opened as Willow and Amy walked in. "... that last guy, I couldn't believe what you did. How's he going to eat?" Amy said.

"It'll probably wear off in a day or—" Willow said as she noticed Piper was there. "Hey."

"Hey we were just making breakfast," Piper said. "You two have fun?"

"Last night. It's nuts. Everything's so different. I mean, Buffy's club for instance. And Willow! She's a freakin' amazing witch now. I couldn't keep up with her last night—"

Piper turned to look at Willow and her expression hardened.

"Amy—" Willow started.

"It's true. I mean, I can do some transmogrify, but she's messing with dimensions and everything. It was awesome. This blowhard dude? First she made his mouth disappear, thank God, and—" Amy said before noticing that Piper was glaring at Willow. "—I'm talking too much. Sorry. But it's just, you know, been me and a bag of pellets for the last few years so—"

"Amy," Piper said. "Why don't you go into the dining room. I'll bring you some breakfast."

"Uh, Yeah. I should get home. Dad's expecting me. He promised to save me a bunch of melon rinds and stuff for breakfast," Amy said as they all looked at her as if she was crazy. "Kidding."

"Okay," Willow said. "I'll call you later?"

Amy nodded. "Yeah. Good." She turned and left out the door she just came though.

Just then Buffy flamed into the kitchen.

"Buffy! Where were you? Are you okay?" Dawn asked as she hugged her sister.

"I'm fine—" Buffy said.

Dawn shook her head as she noted at the bruises and sores Buffy is sporting. "You're not. You're all limpy and sore—"

"I'm not. Sore. I just had a ... fight, all-nighter kind of deal," Buffy said.

"Figured. I knew that's why you didn't call," Dawn said. "So what's the big bad? Should we be worried?"

Buffy shook her head. "No. I think we're safe."

"We have to talk," Piper said. "Seems Amy and Willow were using magic last night at Payson's P5."

Buffy glanced at Willow and frowned. "Is that true?" Willow sighed and nodded as Piper took the pancakes off the stove. "Will, we've had this talk about personal gain before."

"I know," Willow said. "I know."

"That was the reason you told us that Tara and you broke up," Piper said. "If you continue down this path we'll have to bind your powers."

Willow sighed. "I know."

"Why don't you get some sleep," Dawn suggested. "Both of you. You both had an exhausting night."

Buffy and Willow nodded.

"Celia?" Buffy asked.

"Is in the playpen in the conservatory with Wyatt," Dawn said.

Buffy smiled and hugged Dawn as she and Willow they left the kitchen.

"This isn't good is it?" Dawn asked.

"No," Piper said. "You call Paige. I'm going to call Phoebe."

Dawn nodded and walked into the foyer and picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello?"

"Paige," Dawn said. "It's Dawn. Family meeting."

"Okay," Paige said. "I'll be back asap."

An hour later Piper, Paige, Phoebe and Dawn sat in the living room. "Amy and Willow," Piper started. "Came home early this morning. Amy said they had been casting spells. Some of them sounded like their, while not personal gain, were serious misuses of her powers."

"What did Buffy think of it?" Phoebe asked.

"Buffy was out all night also," Dawn said. "She pulled an all-nighter slaying some demon. She came home after Willow."

"She listened but I don't think she heard," Piper added. "She gave Willow this, I'm not pleased look."

"Was Buffy really out slaying all night?" Paige asked.

"We don't know," Dawn said. "What do we do about Willow though?"

"I suggested to Dawn that we should keep an eye on her for now. And if it comes down to binding her powers later," Piper said.

"I think that is a good idea," Phoebe said.

That afternoon Dawn and Piper sat at the table across from Xander and Anya watching Buffy who was busying herself at the counter.

Xander tossed a book onto the pile atop the table, frustrated. "These demons are all starting to look alike. Reptile, reptile with horn, reptile with gills..."

"Hmmmmm," Anya said who had her nose buried in a book.

"And I'm still finding nothing of the steal a diamond, freeze a guy variety," Xander said as he sighed. "Ahn. Hand me that one next to you." Anya doesn't move from what she is reading. "Great. We're not even married yet and you've already stopped listening to me ..."

Xander glanced around the edge of the book and frowned. He snatched a bridal magazine from Anya's hands that had been hidden behind her book. "Anya!"

"I'm sorry, but this is pointless! We've been researching forever and we're not even close to finding out who robbed that museum—" Anya said as Buffy wandered over.

"What's up?" Buffy asked.

"Seems Anya doesn't want to research anything but bridal issues," Dawn said.

"Anya's got a theory," Xander added. "Martha Stewart froze that guy—"

Anya shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous! Martha Stewart isn't a demon!" she said. "She's a witch."

Piper looked up at Anya. "Really?"

Anya nodded. "Of course. Nobody can do that much decoupage without calling on the powers of darkness—"

"Hey. This is fascinating, really, but we've got work to do—" Buffy said.

"I certainly do. I still haven't decided whether to put my bridesmaids in cocktail dresses or the traditional burlap and blood larva—"

"The traditional what?" Piper and Xander asked at the same time.

"I was a demon for a thousand years," Anya said. "I can't be expected to turn my back on all the ways of my people—"

"Can I weigh in on the whole me wearing of larva—" Buffy started as Piper and Dawn nodded in agreement.

"No!" Anya and Xander said.

"At least I'm not asking you to perform the groom's rite of self-flagellation—" Anya said to Xander.

"Guys! Please. There's something out there—" Buffy said.

Xander nodded. "There is. And much as I hate to admit that my bizarre bride-to-be has a point - we're getting nowhere, Buff. Maybe it's time to try something new. Hit the streets. Get Spike on it—"

"No. No Spike," Buffy said and while Xander and Anya miss how much she rejected the suggestion. Piper and Dawn hadn't. Was that the reason Buffy had been out all night? "And we don't need to hit streets. We just need to stay put, away from ... distractions. We'll figure it out."

"What about Willow? Can't she do something?" Anya suggested. "Or maybe you, Dawn, Piper, Phoebe and Paige?"

"Willow is at home," Piper said. "Last report said she is sleeping. And Buffy, Dawn, Phoebe, Paige and I have been looking at this. And we've been coming up against a stone wall just like you are."

"Sleeping?" Xander asked. "Is Willow sick?"

Dawn shook her head. "She was out all night with Amy," she said.

Anya looked pointedly at Xander. "And I'm bizarre? At least I didn't dump you to hang out with an ex-rat."

Buffy shook her head. "It's not like that. Willow's just ... trying to help Amy through the transition—"

Xander nodded. "And since you all and Tara have that hangup about personal gain, which by the way I understand. She is going and making herself a new playmate to do magic with. Someone who won't monitor her."

"We're not monitoring her," Piper lied. She, Dawn, Phoebe and Paige had not told Willow or Buffy about the fact they had decided to monitor her use of magic.

"So you think Tara was wrong? To leave—"

"No," Dawn said. "Piper didn't say that, we just thing that what Willow is going through is hard enough. Believe me when I say if we thought Willow needed monitoring we would do it. Or even take more drastic measures. Such as binding her powers."

Across town Willow is heading down a street with Amy. Little did they know about a half a block back Phoebe and Paige were following them. They had tried calling Piper and Dawn at the Magic Box but had gotten Piper's message box on her cell phone.

"Do you sense that?" Paige asked as they turned down an alley.

"Yes," Phoebe said. "Something is here."

They watch as Willow and Amy disappear from sight. They walked up to where the two disappeared and felt around. "I think it's some kind of spell," Phoebe said. "Something I don't think I've seen before."

Phoebe and Paige stepped through whatever it was and into the interior of a building.

"Portal?" Paige asked.

"I think so," Phoebe said. "But to where?"

They looked around at the tattered couches and chairs that line the room they are in. They notice several individuals that are strung-out, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Where did they go?" Phoebe asked. "The two girls who came in before us?"

Noone answers them as Phoebe and Paige took another glance around the room and found another door and walk over to it. Phoebe opened the door and stepped through it followed by Paige.

"Ah the Charmed Ones," said a voice.

Phoebe and Paige look around the room, noting the wild paintings on the walls and soft pillows all over the floor. Then they see him standing in the middle of the room.

"And you are?" Paige asked.

"The name is Rack," Rack said. "I take it your looking for Strawberry and her friend. They are long gone. You see in here time moves differently. By the time you entered they had already left."

"What did you do?" Phoebe asked.

"Just helped Strawberry out with her little problem."

At the Manor Dawn shimmered into the manor as Piper stayed behind to watch Buffy. She heard the shower running in the bathroom. "Phoebe, Paige, Willow?" Then she heard softly almost drowned out by the running water, sobbing. "Will?"

Dawn shimmered into the bathroom. "Willow?"

"Dawn?"

"Is everything okay?" Dawn asked wondering where Phoebe and Paige were.

"I'm fine," Willow lied.

"If you need anything," Dawn said. "I'll be in my room."

"Okay," Willow said as Dawn shimmered out and into her bedroom.

Dawn picked up the phone and called Tara first to check on Wyatt and Celia. Tara had been kind enough to watch them for Buffy and Piper. She then called Piper and got Piper's message box. She left Piper a message before dialing Phoebe's cell and got the message box also.

Just then Phoebe and Paige appeared in the foyer of the manor. "Piper, Dawn, Buffy?" Phoebe called out.

Dawn came running down the stairs. "Where have you two been?" she asked.

"We trailed Willow and Amy to this guy called Rack. His place is hidden from view behind a portal," Paige said.

"Okay," Dawn said. "But Willow has been here for two hours now."

"Two hours?" Paige said as she looked at Phoebe. "We were at that guys place for five minutes."

"He did say time moved differently there," Phoebe said. "Though it seems time may move to his own whims. He said Willow and Amy had already been gone when we entered. He made it sound like they had been gone for hours. Even though we had only seen them enter a minute before. Then we enter and are there for five minutes, questioning him. And we appear back here and it's been two hours."

"Did you find anything out?" Dawn asked.

Phoebe shook her head. "Beyond the fact that this Rack guy is a warlock, no."

"A warlock?" Dawn asked. "Willow and Amy went to see a warlock and didn't get their powers stolen?"

"I know," Phoebe said. "Dawn, you want to help me check the books?"

"I'll go check on Piper," Paige said as she orbed out.

Dawn nodded and followed Phoebe upstairs.

They looked through both books till Dawn stumbled upon an entry in hers and Buffy's. "Found him. It says here he corrupts good witches with dark magicks and turns them evil."

Dawn ran over to Willow's corner and pulled back the corner. "I thought she was being a little too quiet. Will isn't here."

They proceeded to search the house and found that Willow was gone.

"Do you think you can shimmer us to this guys?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah," Dawn said as she took Phoebe's hand and shimmered out just as someone entered through the backdoor.

Paige, Buffy and Piper walked into the Manor ten minutes later. "Phoebe, Dawn, Willow?" Buffy called out. "Hello?"

They start toward the stairs when they heard something go bump from the kitchen. The turned and quickly walked through the dining room and listened. There was something or someone in the kitchen, they were sure. Buffy looked to Piper who nodded indicating she would freeze.

They burst into the kitchen to find Amy looking through the cabinet, who looked strung-out and pale.

"What are you doing here—" Buffy said as she grabbed Amy and slammed her up against the wall.

Amy laughed nervously. "Uh oh. Busted."

"Where's Willow, Dawn and Phoebe?" Paige asked.

"She said... She said I could—" Amy started.

Piper frowned as she saw a bag of herbs in Amy's hand and snatched it from her. "What are you doing with this?" she asked.

Amy tried to snatch the bag back. "It's not what you think."

Piper frowned. "So you weren't stealing herbs from us that can be used in potions? What's going on? Where's Willow, Phoebe and Dawn?"

"Willow. I saw her, but that was before—" Amy said as she tried to remember. She looked to Buffy. "I like your top. When does the Slayer find time to shop?"

"So they didn't let you in," Buffy said.

Amy shook her head. "Not that they know of."

"What else did you take?" Piper asked.

"Nothing—" Amy said as Buffy slammed her against the wall again. "Ow! That—"

"What else?" Buffy asked as she reached into Amy's pockets and started pulling out various other potion ingredients.

"Please, please ... I need this stuff," Amy said desperately. "Willow wants me to have it. She understands—"

"I don't think so," said Piper. "Willow knows we need these items for our potions."

"You should," Amy said. "She's as bad as me. Worse. I bet she's at Rack's right now."

Buffy shot Amy a chilling look. "Rack's?"

"I'm surprised you guys haven't heard of him," Amy said. "Only demons and witches can find him. He's got a place. He does spells. Heavy stuff. Willow's his new favorite."

Buffy looked at Piper and Paige and then back at Amy. "She's there? With Dawn? And Phoebe?"

Amy laughed nervously again. "Don't shake me again, super strength. I think I'm going to boot," she said, looking a little green around the edges.

"Tell me where this place is and I won't," Buffy said.

"Downtown. But it moves," Amy said.

"What do you mean it moves?" Paige asked.

"It's downtown... I don't know where it would be tonight, exactly," Amy said.

"So how do we find it?" Piper asked.

"You kinda have to feel it out ... Oh, God. I really am gonna be ..." Amy said as she began to look ill. "I'm gonna ..."

Buffy tossed Amy aside as the woman ran out of the kitchen and upstairs toward the bathroom.

"Paige," Piper said. "See what we know about this Rack."

Paige nodded and ran out of the kitchen.

"Buffy," Piper said.

"If Dawn or Phoebe are hurt," Buffy said.

"I know," Piper said.

Across town Phoebe and Dawn shimmered into Rack's. "Do you think we beat her here?" Dawn asked.

"I hope so," Phoebe said. "Follow my lead." She led Dawn to the door that led into the inner room and opened it burst in on Rack. "Where is Willow?"

"Why hello again, Premonition," Rack said. "And I see you brought someone different this time."

Dawn looked around the room ignoring Rack. Her eyes drifted to the ceiling, and too Willow, who hung suspended in mid-air. "Phoebe," she said.

Phoebe followed Dawn's gaze and looked up toward criss-crossing bursts of mystical energy, in which Willow seemingly was trapped.

Back at the Manor Buffy and Piper join Paige in the attic. "What did you find?" Piper asked.

"Seems like Phoebe or Dawn did the work for us," Paige said. "Your book, Buffy, was opened to the page on Rack. He's a warlock. No known vanquish. He corrupts good witches and turns them evil."

Buffy looked at Piper. "Amy, did she look a little weird to you?"

"Like she was strung out," Piper said. "Paige does it say how he corrupts them?"

"He gets them addicted," Paige said. "To the spells he performs on them. It's like doing cocaine or any other addictive substance. Once their hooked they want more. It says once a witch is corrupted. The only way to free a witch from Rack's is to treat them like any other addict and weed them off it. The problem is most don't survive the withdrawl."

"How do we find him?" Buffy asked.

"We sense him," Paige said. "Seems demons and witches can sense where he is located."

"I have an idea," Piper said. "Paige do you think you could sense Phoebe and Dawn?"

"I don't know," Paige said, "I've never tried it before."

"It'll be easier to sense them to sense this Rack," Piper said.

Paige nodded and closed her eyes concentrating. She then grabbed Piper and Buffy's hands and orbed out.

At Rack's Dawn powered up an energy ball. "Release her," she said.

"You can't kill me with that," Rack said. "It'll take more than two-fifths of the Charmed Ones."

"How about the Power of Five."

Rack, Phoebe and Dawn turned to face Piper, Paige and Buffy.

Rack looked at the ceiling and Willow fell to the floor. Then he looked at the sisters and then he and the room vanished.

"What the …" Dawn said.

"Good riddance is all I say," Piper said.

"Are you alright?" Buffy asked as Dawn nodded.

An hour later back at the manor Buffy sat on the edge of Willow's bed. "Will …"

"I …" Willow said.

"That guy was a warlock," Buffy said. "He was turning you evil."

"I didn't know," Willow said.

"I want you to drink this," Buffy said as she held up a potion bottle.

"What is it?" Willow asked.

"A binding potion," Buffy said. "It's only temporary till we help you through this, whatever it is you've been going through."

Willow sighed and nodded. She touched Buffy's arm and Buffy gasped. "What?"

"Premonition," Buffy said. "I think I just saw what would have happened if Piper, Paige and I had not got to you in time. Dawn would have had a broken arm. And Phoebe, she would be dead."

"Oh my goddess," Willow said. "How?"

"A demon," Buffy said. "Somehow you would have conjured a demon. The demon would have killed Phoebe and you and Dawn would have ran, got in a car and drove off. There would have been an accident and Dawn's arm would have been broken."

"I'm, I'm sorry, Buffy," Willow said as she broke down crying.

"Drink," Buffy said as Willow took the potion from her and drank it.