Chapter 163: Crimes and Witch Demeanors

"Buffy," Angel said when Buffy flamed into his office in the Hyperion hotel in Los Angeles. "This is a surprise. What brings you to L.A.?"

"Our daughter," Buffy said. "Or more importantly that Celia will not be absent a parental figure, other than myself."

"You fell in love?" Angel asked and Buffy could swear his voice had a twinge of sadness in it.

"I have," Buffy said. "To the most wonderful woman I've ever known."

"Woman?" Angel asked confused.

"Yes, woman," Buffy said. "I'm in love and engaged to be married to Dawn."

"Dawn …" Angel said as he tried to think of where he had heard that name before. "Your sister?"

"Yes," Buffy said. "The Elders did something right for a change. They gave her to me to be loved and in love with her. She is my reward for everything I've gone through as both the Slayer and a Charmed One."

"But your sister," Angel said. "Even I know that kind of relationship is frowned on."

"Angel, you don't chose who you fall in love with," Buffy said. "I should have remembered that when I started having feelings for Dawn. Ours was a forbidden relation. One that was frowned on, remember?"

"I remember," Angel said. "A vampire and a Slayer."

"That's right," Buffy said. "Ours was forbidden, just as Dawn and mine is by society's standards. Angel, Dawn makes me laugh in a way I haven't laughed in a long time. She makes me feel that I can face tomorrow and know I'm not going to die, because I have something to live for. A wife, a daughter. Two of the most important people in the world."

Angel nodded. "If she makes you happy," he said. "Then who am I to question. It's not like I don't understand, I do. Darla was my sire, as you know. And the sire could be considered your parent of a sort. Just as I could be considered Drusilla's because I sired her. And I did love them and had slept with them when I didn't have a soul."

"In a weird way that means a lot to hear you say that," Buffy said. "You aren't mad that I chose Dawn over you, are you? I know we broke up when you left San Francisco. But if the joy of conceiving Celia together taught us anything it was that we still love each other."

"Am I jealous of Dawn, a little. But I was truthful, if she makes you happy. Then I am for you. The both of you together will make good parents for Celia," Angel said.

Buffy smiled as she leaned in and kissed Angel on the cheek.

The next morning back at their house they sat in front of Grams and Joyce.

"So," Grams said as she shook her head. Two women in love she would be okay with. But two sisters? "You two want to get married."

"That's right," Buffy said as she looked between her mom and Grams. "We can't do it legally for more than one reason."

"Because the State of California, won't let you," Grams said as she sighed.

"That's right," Dawn said. "But also because legally Buffy and I are still sisters. No minister here on Earth would do it even if it was legal. That leaves us with the two of you. Grams you are of course our first choice, no offense mom, because you are the head of the entire Halliwell family. But mom is the head of the Summers family line, so she could do it too. We want you Grams, please."

"I just don't know, girls," Grams replied. "In my time this wasn't just forbidden, but unthinkable for two siblings to be in love with each other."

"Is that," Joyce piped in, "any different than what Leo and Piper went through with Elders. Remember what you told the girls when they found out about Paige. Which/Whitelighter relationships were not only forbidden but unthinkable before Piper and Leo were allowed to marry."

"It is different though," Grams replied.

"No it's not," Buffy said. "We are in love, that is all that matters."

"Is it?" Grams wondered.

"Mom," Joyce said. "Don't you want to see your granddaughters happy? The fact that they found love in a family that has as many heartaches as our as. That is a blessing."

"Was your marriage a blessing?" Grams asked Joyce. "Or Patty's to Victor?"

"Mine, yes and no," Joyce replied. "While yes Hank and I got divorced. We did have two wonderful daughters. I'm thankful for that. And Patty, well, she just fall out of love, that's the risk. But we all have to take the risk, just as you took with dad."

Grams smiled. "Despite the fact he took me down the hippie dippie trail, your father was a good man. While I know what happened was meant to happen and that he had to die. I still wish I could have had more time with him."

"We know," Dawn said.

Grams smiled at Buffy and Dawn. "I won't say that what you two share isn't wrong. But if it is meant to be, then who am I to stand in the way." She looked at Joyce. "With one compromise. You perform the ceremony with me."

Joyce returned Grams smile and hugged her mother. "I'd be happy to."

"While you two are here," Buffy said. "I think its time we learned the truth of the fued."

"She's right, mom," Joyce said. "They deserved to know."

Grams nodded in agreement as she looked toward her granddaughters. "As you know I disagreed with Victor on how to raise Prue, Piper and Phoebe. He wanted to raise them as mortals and I wanted to raise them as witches."

"But you didn't raise them as witches," Dawn said with a shake of her head.

"That was to protect them from Nicholas," Joyce said.

"Neither Patty nor your mother agreed," Grams explained. "They both wanted to raise the five of your as mortals and begin your magical training when you all entered your teenage years."

"If not for Nicholas,' Joyce said, "that is what would have happened."

"So that's why you both …" Buffy said. "Because you and aunt Patty wanted us to have a normal childhood? The gift of innocence?"

"That's right."

"Grams," Buffy said. "While Dawn and I as well as Prue, Piper and Phoebe all agreed it would have been nice to have had training before we learned of our destinies as the Charmed Ones. We also know that the greatest gift Aunt Patty and Mom gave us was the gift innocence. Children should not have to grow up in fear."

"Then why have you not bound Celia's powers?" Grams asked. "Why has Piper not bound Wyatt's?"

"Because we can teach them to control their powers now, and then not to use them in public," Dawn said. "We can prepared them for their destinies and when they learn control they can have a normal childhood free of demons since any demons that come after them because of their powers would have face to us. Sure that means we might be fighting demons, vampires and the forces of darkness for the next twenty years till they take over. But at least they will have the same gift we were given without the expense of not knowing their destiny."

Just at that moment the phone rang and Buffy moved over to the wall to answer it. "Halliwell residence, Payson speaking."

"It's Phoebe. Darryl's in jail."

"Dawn and I will be right there," Buffy said as she walked back over to Dawn, her mom and Grams. "Mom, Grams do either of you mind watching Celia for a bit."

"Sure, honey," Joyce said.

"I ought to get back up there," Grams added. "You will call me when you have settled on a date."

"We will," Dawn replied as Grams disappeared.

Thirty minutes later they sat with Phoebe, Paige and Darryl.

"I don't even know what happened. It's all kind of a blur," Darryl said.

"What are you talking about?" Phoebe asked. "It was self-defense. He shot first. Several times."

"He did?" Darryl asked.

"You don't remember any of that?" Buffy asked.

"Did you get hit on the head or something?" Paige wondered before looking at Phoebe. "Maybe when you pushed him down."

Phoebe shook her head. "No, he was fine after that. Something weird is going on here."

Just then Darryl's lawyer walked through the door. "Lieutenant Morris," he said as he glanced at Buffy, Dawn, Phoebe and Paige. "I'm sorry, but we really have to prepare for your arraignment."

"It's ok," Darryl said. "They're my friends."

"Yeah, and there's a problem here because this man is innocent," Phoebe added.

"Yeah? How do you know?"

"Because I was …" Phoebe started. "... driving around in the area."

The lawyer shook his head. "Perjuring yourself isn't going to help any, lady. The prosecution's evidence is overwhelming, trust me."

"Evidence?" Dawn wondered as she replayed the story that Phoebe and Paige had told her and Buffy on the way to the jail. "What evidence?"

"It's okay. Show them," Darryl said.

The lawyer set up his laptop and inserted a disk in the drive he hit play. The video showed Darryl alone, the burglar unarmed and backing away. And then Darryl shooting and killing the burglar.

Paige shook her head

"That's not what happened," Phoebe said absolutely stunned by what she had just seen.

Moments later after finding out where the so called video had come from; Phoebe followed by Paige, Buffy and Dawn stormed up to Inspector Sheridan who sat quietly at her desk.

"Inspector Sheridan," Phoebe said as Sheridan looked up at her.

"Yes."

"We would like to talk to you," Phoebe said.

"Easy," Dawn whispered.

"Do you have a personal grudge against Darryl Morris?" Phoebe pressed on ignoring Dawn's warning.

"Morris?" Sheridan asked.

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah. We know you faked the images on the tape. And we're here to let you know that we're not gonna sit around and watch you frame our friend"

"She's a little upset," Paige explained.

"Yes, I can see that," Sheridan said as she looked Phoebe in the eye. "And you are?"

"Phoebe Halliwell," Phoebe replied.

Sheridan nodded as she recognized the family name. "Halliwell. Hmm. Your name certainly pops up in his file plenty. For the record, I didn't fake anything, 'cause I was there, undercover, and I saw it go down with my own eyes. I've been Investigating Morris for a few weeks now, trying to figure out why so many of his suspects over the last five years just vanish or mysteriously wind up dead. Now I know. He takes the law into his own hands. Excuse me." She stood up and walked away.

Dawn looked at Buffy, Paige and Phoebe. "Well …?"

"If she was lying, I couldn't sense it," Phoebe said.

"She really believes what she said," Buffy added.

"Then how do you explain what happened?" Paige inquired of Phoebe.

"Can I make a suggestion?" Dawn asked as they looked at her. "The same folks that helped me out of my suddenly being five years older may know something."

Phoebe, Paige, Buffy and Dawn all looked at each other. Moments later Paige orbed the four of them into a busy marketplace.

Multiple people who saw them orb in screamed and ran from them in fright.

"Sure hope this works," Paige said with a sigh.

"It will," Dawn said as she waved her hand. "Coffee cart."

The large gourmet coffee orbed out as the vendor and his customers ran.

They slowly made their way through the market and as they passed a flower cart Phoebe chanted, "Flowers that bring desire, Make them turn into fire," and the flowers burst into flames.

The crowd around the flower cart screamed and ran. Suddenly everyone with the exception of the four of them froze in their tracks. They turned to find the Cleaners standing behind them.

"I see you got our message," Phoebe said.

"What do you think you're doing now?" a Cleaner said.

"Well, we didn't know how else to call for you," Dawn said. "Figured you weren't listed in the yellow pages. And we don't currently have access to an Elder like when you fixed my problem."

"What do you want?" he asked.

"We want to know why you framed Darryl Morris," Buffy said.

"That was your doing, wasn't it?" Phoebe added.

The Cleaner nodded. "Magic was exposed. We were forced to clean it up."

"Change what was," the other Cleaner added.

"To protect you."

"Other than the deal with Dawn being trapped in the sixties. We resolved this thing about you guys intervening when we don't want you too. We clean up your own magical messes."

"But you didn't even know about this one. You didn't realize you were being followed. Taped," the Cleaner said.

"With the exception of Dawn's trip to the past, we always manage to fix these things somehow," Paige argued.

"No, you wouldn't have," he said. "That's why we were put on the case to begin with. It was anticipated."

"You know what?" Phoebe asked. "I don't care. If you don't free Darryl Morris, we're just gonna keep exposing magic –"

The Cleaner held up his hand to silence her. "This will not be like our first encounter, Miss Halliwell. We're under strict orders not to negotiate with you this time."

Phoebe looked at Paige, Buffy and Dawn, the question in each of their minds.

"Strict orders from whom?" Buffy asked.

"The Tribunal," Leo said with a sigh when they had gone to Magic School and summoned him. "It's a council made up of Elders, the Powers that Be and Demons to monitor magic, to make sure nobody ever finds out about its use."

"At whatever the cost," Gideon added.

"Which is why they created the cleaners and gave them the power to erase events, memories."

"Or in this case, to change them," Paige said.

Leo nodded. "It's just part of the grand design—to allow magic to influence but not take over free will."

"It's the one thing both good and evil along with the Powers could agree upon," Gideon said.

"Ok, so how do we find this tribunal?" Buffy asked.

"Hey. What are you guys doing here?"

They all turned to face the source of the voice and found Piper standing behind them. She noticed the look on Buffy, Dawn, Phoebe and Paige's faces and instantly knew something was up. "Uh-oh. What's wrong?"

"It's Darryl," Leo said.

"With the exception of when they helped me out of my jam," Dawn said. "The cleaners have struck again. He's in jail for murder."

"What?" Piper asked shocked. "Why? What happened?"

"Someone was in a hurry," Paige said with a glance at Phoebe.

"Oh, wait. Are we blaming me for this?" Phoebe asked. "Did we or did we not catch the demon?"

"Yeah, but you forced the premonition, so maybe we could've been more careful, and maybe we could've seen that somebody was watching," Paige said.

"You forced the premonition," Buffy said with a sigh. "You didn't tell me and Dawn that."

"And if I hadn't, we would've never caught the killer," Phoebe argued.

"All right, guys, this isn't helping," Leo said.

Phoebe sighed. "I know. It isn't. There's only one thing that will." She along with the others turned and looked at Gideon.

Moments later Gideon orbed Phoebe, Paige, Buffy, Dawn and Leo into the Tribunal hall. They stood on a large circular platform surrounded by a black void.

"Where are we?" Paige wondered.

"Nowhere," Gideon said. "Anywhere. You don't want to know. You should know that the tribunal is not like anything you've ever faced before. They are not a power to be trifled with."

"We understand," Phoebe said.

"Do you?" Gideon asked. "You might not like what's been happening to your friend, but be aware before you embark upon this journey that where it ends might just be worse."

"Call them," Dawn said.

Gideon raised his arms high above his head and proclaimed in a loud booming voice into the void around them. "Di! Ecce hora! Uxor mea me necabit!"

Wind began to blow around and then above them in the black void appeared six large floating heads: Two Elders, Two Demons and Two Powers that Be.

"What reason have you to call the Tribunal?" Crill, one of the demons, said.

"To challenge the actions of the cleaners on behalf ... of The Charmed Ones," Gideon said.

"The Charmed Ones?" Thrask, the other demon, asked. "But there are only four."

"The other is with child," Aramis, one of the Elders, said. "I assume the sisters will speak for her in abstentia."

"Yeah. In abstentia. Your ... Greatness?" Phoebe said.

"There's six of them," Dawn said. "How do they break a tie?"

"You don't want to know," Leo replied.

Aramis and the other Elder, Adair, looked at each other. "Your request has been granted."

Immediately, two tables appeared apart from each other. One table had one chair for the prosecution; the other table had five three chairs for the defense. The girls looked at the tables. Behind them, flames appeared as a demon materialized next to the prosecution table. Everyone turned around and looked at Barbas.

"Barbas?" Buffy asked with a frown. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"You missed me," Barbas said with a smile.

"Didn't we vanquish you?" Paige wondered.

"To the fires of hell," Barbas replied. "I've been granted a temporary leave of absence in order to act as your opposing counsel."

"We liked his pitch," Crill said.

"Pitch? What pitch? How did he even know about it?" Leo wondered.

"We have the right to choose anybody we wish," Thrask said.

Phoebe sighed. "Gideon ..."

"Your Honors, in the interests of facts –" Gideon said.

"On that fairness issue, I submit that in order to expedite matters and to keep The Charmed Ones honest –" Barbas stated.

"Us ... honest?" Dawn said.

"Uh, for their own good, we graphically remind them as to what exactly is at stake here so they do not foolishly try some trickery in order to slip away like they did the last time they faced the Cleaners," Barbas suggested.

"It is done," Zanael, one of the PtB, said.

"What is done?" Buffy wondered.

"I'm not sure," Gideon said as he walked around the center of the platform and a hologram of Darryl and Sheila appeared.

"Darryl?" Paige said.

The public defender walked up Darryl's cell doors. "The governor denied the stay."

"What stay?" Leo asked. "What's going on?"

"In fairness to the balance," Uziel, the other PtB, said. "We have accelerated time. But only for the execution."

"Execution?" Buffy asked her eyes widening.

"ou have until midnight to convince us, or his sentence will be carried out," Adair said.

"Magic will be protected one way or the other," Aramis added as the hologram disappeared.

"We didn't know signing up for this would put Darryl on death row," Dawn said as she looked to Gideon.

Gideon sighed. "I warned you about invoking the tribunal."

"Yeah, well, you didn't warn us they would call upon our worst enemy," Buffy said.

"Gideon, your case," Aramis said.

"Yes, your honor, in just a few more moments, if you please," Gideon replied.

"We don't," Thrask said. "You're the ones who called for us. Proceed."

"We called for justice, not the Demon of Fear," Phoebe said.

Barbas casually tinkered with his fingernails. "I don't see the problem with me being here."

"There's a conflict of interest, and we believe that the tribunal should recognize this," Phoebe said before adding softly. "I think this is a setup."

"Phoebe –" Leo warned.

"How dare you question our integrity," Adair said.

"Not yours," Phoebe said as she pointed to Barbas, Thrask and Crill. "Theirs. Barbas has tried to kill us three times in the past." She stepped into the circle at the center of the plotform as it hummed and glowed she quickly took a step back. But it was too late as a hologram of Phoebe appeared.

Phoebe walked around the house looking for a woman who had called the real estate office she had been working at. She had left Buffy out front to wait for her. "Mrs. Joffee. It's SWA Properties," she said.

"Hello, dear."

Phoebe turned to find Barbas standing behind her.

"Thanks so much for coming out," he said.

Leaning up against the prosecution's table, Barbas watched, amused by the memory.

Barbas passed his hand in front of Phoebe's face reading her fear.

"I know how you kill," Phoebe said. "But there are no elevators around here."

"Elevators?" Barbas said mockingly. "That's what you think your greatest fear is? You mortals need to look deeper, down where the real truth lies. Your greatest fear is losing a sister or your cousin. I get two for one.

"Let go," Phoebe said as Barbas grabbed her. "Or I'll scream."

"Go ahead, I could use the fix," Barbas said. "Besides it will get the witch, your cousin, running back here to check on you."

Phoebe kept quiet and waited for Buffy to get impatient and come around …

"Phoebe," Buffy said.

"Right here," Barbas said in Phoebe's voice. Buffy turned to find him standing behind her.

"Really not much you can do to me," Buffy told Barbas. "It's not dark so you really can't attack me with my fear."

"You think your greatest fear is dying at the hands of a vampire. You really should look deeper," Barbas said as he passed his hand over her. "Well that is a nice surprise, it looks like I will get three for the price of one. Your greatest fear is that you will lose a cousin."

Barbas smiled as the hologram disappeared. "Ah, the good old days."

"What the hell was that?" Dawn asked.

"The Circle of Truth, it's enchanted," Gideon said. "It reads thoughts and shows what needs to be seen. You must be careful."

"Maybe you better just sit down," Paige suggested to Phoebe.

"If I may, it is not my past evils that's in question here," Barbas said. "What is in question here is these five witches' so-called right to be continually cleaning up after their own magical asses."

"We have to get out of here," Buffy suggested. "We have to figure out how this happened."

Gideon shook his head. "You can't. If you leave, Lieutenant Morris dies."

"Does it really matter if we were set up?" Paige asked. "The point is, Phoebe and I were exposed."

"But if we can prove he orchestrated the exposure, it might," Leo said.

"Go find out what you can. Hurry," Dawn said as Leo orbed out.

"Was I boring him?" Barbas asked.

"With all due respect, if it truly is our case to present, may I?" Gideon asked as Barbas sweeped his hand grandly out in front of him for Gideon to proceed. "To better put this particular situation into its proper context, it bears reminding your honors of the long history, the long, successful history, The Charmed Ones have of shielding their magical tracks. If I may show you some examples ..."

"Proceed," Uziel said.

"The Charmed Ones have never once failed in their duty to keep the big secret. Witness," Gideon said as he waved his hand over the Circle of Truth and another hologram of the past appeared.

Phoebe, Piper, Buffy, Darryl and Paige exited the elevator into Cole's apartment.

"I, uh, made an appointment for you at missing persons today." Darryl said.

"Wait, you want Phoebe to report Cole as missing?" Paige wondered.

Darryl nodded. "She has to otherwise somebody else will and she'll become the prime suspect in his disappearance."

Phoebe sighed. "So you want me to pack up his stuff so it looks like he left me."

"That's right," Darryl said. "We cannot give the police any reason to suspect foul play. I mean, technically you four did kill him." He spotted a black stain on the floor. "What is that?"

"Well, that's where we, you know." Piper said.

Darryl sighed as he took a look around the apartment. "This place looks like a crime scene. Is there anything you can do?"

Paige smiled. "Let the object of objection become but a dream, as I cause the seen to be unseen."

The scorch mark along with every other damage items is suddenly repaired and the apartment is once again pristine.

Gideon stepped back out onto the platform as the hologram disappeared. "As you've just seen, Lieutenant whom the Cleaners would have die to cover magic, is here instrumental in keeping it protected."

"Could you play that hologram just a tiny bit longer?" Barbas asked as Gideon stared at him. "Humor me."

"Do it," Crill said as the hologram appeared once more.

Phoebe smiled. "Thanks."

"I just wish I could make the rest of your pain go away that easily," Paige said as she moved next to Phoebe intending to comfort her sister.

"So do I. Murdering witch!" Phoebe said as she hit Paige in the face knocking Paige to the floor.

Barbas smiled in amusement as the hologram disappeared.

"That's not fair. I was under the influence of evil," Phoebe said .

"Yes, you were, but then, it seems like you girls so often are under the influence of one thing or another," Barbas said as he waved his hand at the Circle of Truth and another hologram appeared.

Phoebe, Buffy and Darryl sit in the San Francisco Police Department opposite Inspector Miles.

"Listen, ma'am, I've gotta call them as I seem them. You turn up pregnant and he takes off, your husband fits the classic profile of a dead beat dad." Inspector Miles said as he picked up some books.

"Make it go out." Buffy whispered when she noticed a fireball in Phoebe's hand. .

"I can't make it go out." Phoebe whispered as she flung the fireball into the trash can.

"Phoebe?" Darryl said as he noticed the fire. "I mean ... fire!"

Phoebe put her hands on the table as the hologram disappeared.

"Wait. You're gonna love this one," Barbas said as he smiled with glee.

"I frankly don't see the relevance of this," Gideon said as he surged to his feet. "It's wholly beside the point."

Barbas shook his head. "No, no, no. That is precisely the point. The Charmed Ones are so influenced by outside forces, how can we ever expect to continue to trust them to clean up after themselves?"

"We cleaned up after each and every one of our messes," Dawn said.

"But how close you came to not," Barbas said. "I want to remind everyone of the recent incident where Dawn herself was trapped in the past for five years and the Elders petitioned this very tribunal to fix that mess."

"We are aware," Adair said.

"Continue, Gideon," Aramis said.

"Where is Leo?" Phoebe whispered to Buffy, Dawn and Paige all of whom shrugged as another hologram appeared.

Paige and Dawn had returned home to find that Piper had cast a spell the had erased the manor from existence.

"Piper, what did you do with the house?" Paige asked.

Piper rushed up the front steps looking for the house. "Oh, my god. What have I done?"

"The spell, Piper," Dawn said. "You need to reverse it fast."

"I'm not sure I can," Piper said.

"Well, then, you'd better make us disappear, because this one's gonna be tough to explain," Paige said.

Dawn walked up the steps next to Piper. "Shall we see if Buffy's augmentation got passed to me too?" she said as she took Piper's hand.

Piper looked at Dawn and smiled before returning her gaze to where the house had been. "Let the object of objection return. So that its existence may be ... reaffirmed."

All around them, from the ground up, the house reappeared. Walls, floor, ceiling, furniture—everything.

"Nicely done," Paige said.

"So then, despite what Barbas would have you believe, regardless of outside influences, the sisters have always managed to protect magic, and therefore, based upon all the evidence, we ask the tribunal—no, we demand that the cleaners be forced to reverse what they have done, that Lieutenant Morris be freed, and that The Charmed Ones be allowed to do what they have always done so well—cover their own tracks. Respectfully," Gideon said.

Barbas applauded loudly and mockingly. "Bravo! Really very compelling stuff, counselor. In fact, I think that you've just successfully argued my case."

"Now what's he up to?" Dawn asked.

"Now obviously, this whole thing has now become much, much bigger than just a simple case of whether the good lieutenant bites the dust, because as we've just seen, the recklessness displayed by these five witches has now become of epidemic proportion," Barbas said.

"Objection!" Gideon shouted. "May I remind my counterpart that this is simply a question of simply whether or not the situation should be reversed. It is not an indictment on The Charmed Ones."

"Maybe it should be," Barbas said.

"This is what he's up to," Phoebe said quietly.

Barbas waved his arm at the Circle of Truth and another hologram appeared. "Voila! Where were The Charmed Ones to clean up this mess?"

Cole nursed a drink at the bar of a local biker bar when two thugs walk in with automatic weapons and proceed to rob the patrons. Cole stared aimlessly at his bottle completely ignoring the ruckus behind him.

"All your money! Hurry up! Watches, wallets—huh?" said one of the thugs.

The bartender reached around the bar and aimed to shoot the men, but the thug that had spoken spotted him and shot the bartender in the chest.

Cole watched all of this without batting an eye. He put his empty glass down on the counter and reached for the bottle for a refill.

"Come on. Nothing's changed. Give me the money. Hurry up!" the thug said and then gunfire erupted his weapons fire shattering Cole's glass.

Cole looked down at the wound in his hand and at his broken glass. The wound healed as he put the glass down and slowly stood up. He looked over at the two thugs and swung his arm throwing the first thug against the back wall. He swung his arm again and other thug is thrown against the side wall.

As the first thug reached for his gun, Cole threw a fireball vanquishing him.

"That is absurd. That was Cole," Phoebe said as she sprang to her feet. "We weren't responsible for that. We weren't even there."

"Ah, but you were there, Phoebe," Barbas said. "It was your cold rejection of his love that drove him to that reckless despair. So I say that you were responsible. Hexes, possession, evil influences, affairs of the heart. I say we're lucky that all the magic has not been exposed beyond repair long before now."

Phoebe sat back down and put her head on her arms.

"If we want to protect all that we are, all that this tribunal stands for, then I say we should not be just deciding the fate of some poor, pathetic mortal. No, we should be deciding the fate of these five, and whether they should ever be permitted to practice magic again."

One by one, the members of the Tribunal nodded their heads in agreement.

"So be it," Aramis said.

Gideon turned and quietly conferred with the sisters making sure they wanted to continue.

"Yeah," Paige said. "If they're gonna put us on trial, too, it might be the only way to save Darryl. We have to stand on our record."

"If all the good Buffy, Piper and I've done in the last six years, Paige has done in the last three and Dawn in the last two isn't good enough, then nothing is," Phoebe said.

"Very well," Gideon said as he turned to Barbas. "Your witness."

"Now, let's see. So many holograms ... so little time," Barbas said.

"Barbas," Thrask warned.

"Oh, well,' Barbas said. "I guess I should ask one of the cleaners a few quick questions."

"As you wish," Crill said as a Cleaner appeared in the witness chair.

"You have been assigned to watch The Charmed Ones since they first became witches, have you not?" Barbas asked.

"That is correct."

"Would Lieutenant Morris be the first policeman to die in order to clean up one of their little magical messes?"

The cleaner shook his head. "No."

"No, no, no," Buffy whispered as Dawn draped a hand around her. "Not Andy, please don't drag him through the mud and with him Prue's good name."

Rodriguez kicked open the front door of the manor and threw lightning at Prue as Piper pushed her out of the way and the two of them fell to the floor.

"No!" Andy shouted as he ran in and shot at Rodriguez who threw lightning at him sending him flying into a glass cabinet.

"Andy!" Phoebe and Buffy shouted.

"Are you both okay?"Piper asked as she froze Rodriguez.

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah, is Prue okay?" she asked as Buffy knelt next to Prue.

"Yeah, she's out cold," Buffy said.

They turned and ran to check on Andy. Piper checked for a pulse and her eyes widened. "Oh my God. He's dead." She said.

"Truly tragic," Barbas said as the hologram disappeared. "That was their sister Prue's first true love. I wonder whatever happened to her."

Buffy surged to her feet as Gideon put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Don't!" Gideon said. "It's not worth it."

Buffy sighed as she sat back down. "Maybe not but it would have made me feel better."

"Anyone else?" Barbas asked.

"There was another," the cleaner said. "An FBI agent."

"That's right," Barbas said as he waved his hand.

Piper, Phoebe, Buffy and Paige sat around the dining room table as Agent Jackman threw a thick folder on the table and slid it over to the girls. "In case you're wondering, that's just a copy."

They looked in it to find photos of themselves being spied on.

"Pursued to agenda trust, Agent Jackman." Phoebe said.

"If I wanted to expose you, I could've done that six months ago when that file first crossed my desk." Agent Jackman said.

"Expose us as what?" Paige wondered.

"Witches. It's the only logical explanation for all the unsolved cases, the missing persons, the mysterious deaths."

"Seems like that stream of unsolved deaths left in The Charmed Ones' wake keeps right on growing. So I guess the obvious question is how many more inspectors must die before it comes to an end?" Barbas asked.

"A rhetorical question?" Gideon asked.

Barbas shook his head. "Actually, no. In fact, that is what I think becomes the salient question because the deaths could end with Lieutenant Morris. That's what I think. What do you think?"

"Objection," Phoebe said. "Why should we care what he thinks?"

"Phoebe," Gideon warned.

"I care," Crill said.

"Of course you care," Phoebe said. "You're a demon."

"I care, too," Adair said.

"Oh. Well, then never mind," Phoebe said.

"I think ..." the cleaner said, "there will always be another Inspector Sheridan to pick up on their trail."

Paige sighed. "Wait a minute."

"Unless ..." Barbas said as the cleaner looked at the sisters.

"Unless it ends with Morris," the cleaner said.

"What?" Dawn whispered.

"No further questions, rhetorical or otherwise," Barbas said and with a wave of his hand the cleaner disappeared. He then looked toward Gideon. "Oh, sorry. Did you have more questions of him?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact," Gideon said.

"No," Paige interrupted. "We're fine. Carry on."

"Paige, what are you doing?" Gideon asked.

"Unfortunately for us, ending the stream of deaths with Morris only solves our problem of the past. It does absolutely nothing to protect us against our future problems. So how much longer can we afford to tempt the gods of fate with the recklessness of The Charmed Ones, and at what point does that day finally come when it's just simply too late to clean up after one of their little magical messes? And then all of magic is exposed to the world forever because of them, and that is the question you're going to have to answer because I rest my case." Barbas finished as he sat down.

"Gideon," Uziel said.

"Nothing further," Gideon replied.

"We will return with the verdict," Zanael said as the six of them disappeared.

"Ok, this better be good," Buffy said.

"Leo," Paige said looking around just as Leo and Chris orbed in. "Hey, you guys are speaking now."

"Uh, let's not make a big deal about it, ok?" Chris said.

"Fine," Paige said. "What'd you find out?"

"Ok, you know that phantasm you and Phoebe vanquished?" Leo asked. "Apparently Barbas sent it so you'd follow it."

"And apparently he gets a get out of hell free card if he wins the case," Chris added.

Buffy sighed. "I knew this was a setup."

"But we can't prove it, so we've been trying to find another phantasm, but we can't find –" Leo said.

"If it's anywhere, it has to be inside Inspector Sheridan," Dawn suggested. "It's the only way Barbas knew she'd be in the right place at the right time."

"Ok, go get her. Bring her back here. Hurry," Phoebe said as she waved them away and Leo and Chris orbed out.

Just then Piper appeared next to them. "How did I get here?" she said.

"Piper!" Phoebe said. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know," Paige suggested.

"Why don't you go back? Go," Paige said.

"She can't." The turned to see the tribunal had returned and that it had been Trask to speak. "We have brought her to hear the judgment ..."

"Since it impacts all of you," Adair said.

"This doesn't look good," Dawn said.

"Where the hell is Leo?" Paige wondered.

"As to whether or not The Charmed Ones shall be allowed to continue to practice magic, the judgment is ... in favor of the sisters," Aramis said.

"But against the Lieutenant," Zanael said. "The trail of exposure must end with him."

Phoebe surged to her feet. "You have got to be kidding me, right? I mean, you can't really be doing this."

"Phoebe, they have already," Gideon said.

Phoebe walked around the table as she motioned to Barbas. "Look, he doesn't care about protecting magic. All he cares about is himself and getting out of purgatory. Not only did he set us up, but he set you up, too."

"Always trying to blame somebody else, aren't you?" Barbas asked.

"You son of a –" Phoebe said as she took a step toward Barbas.

Gideon grabbed Phoebe and pulled her back, turning her to face him. "Listen to me. You have to stop this. Do you understand? They haven't taken away your powers yet, but they still can."

Dawn stepped out from around the table. "Then let them. If this is the thanks that we get for all of our good work, if this is the way the system works, then you can keep our stupid powers."

"Dawn!" Gideon said.

Paige and Buffy walk around the table joining Phoebe and Dawn and throwing in their weight on giving up their powers.

"Buffy! Paige!" Gideon said as he shook his head.

Piper took joined her sisters. "No, she's right. If Darryl dies, that's it. We're done. We quit."

"You know, that would solve any of our future exposure issues, now, wouldn't it?" Barbas gloated.

"You'd have us erase your memories?" Aramis asked. "Change all that you know?"

"All that you are?" Adair added.

"If necessary," Buffy said.

"Very well," Aramis said.

Just then Leo and Chris orbed in with Inspector Sheridan struggling between them. "Get off of me!" she said as she freed herself from their grip. "What is this? Wh-where am I?"

"That's a nice act," Chris said. "It's very convincing."

"Objection!" Barbas said. "He cannot bring a mortal down here. It is outrageous."

"Sit down and shut up," Leo said.

Barbas automatically started to sit down, then paused as he realized who gave that order. He stood back up and put his hands behind his back.

"What is the meaning of this?" Crill asked.

"Watch," Chris said as he pushed Inspector Sheridan down toward the Circle of Truth. She fell forward activating a hologram.

Inspector Sheridan sat at her desk inside the San Francisco Police Station. Suddenly, she heard the wail of a phantasm as it rose out from the floor behind her. She put her pen down on her desk and turned around as the Phantasm possessed her. She sighed, gotup and walked over to a filing cabinet where she pulled out a thick file labeled: DARRYL MORRIS.

Inspector Sheridan turned to glare at Barbas. "What now?" she hissed.

"Oh, surrounded by idiots," Barbas said as he sat down.

Leo threw a potion and it hit Inspector Sheridan. The Phantasm rose out of her body as she fell to the ground unconscious.

Chris took out a crystal tipped wand and held it up pointed at the Phantasm, who wailed and screamed as it was sucked into the wand's crystal tip.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Barbas?" Uziel asked.

Barbas shrugged. "I'm a demon. What do you expect?"

"Based on the evidence, I beg you to reverse the decision before it's too late," Gideon said.

"It is done," Aramis said a second later.

"And as for you, Barbas –" Adair said.

"Oh, no," Barbas said as he got to his feet. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Just because I'm the one that set this whole thing up does not necessarily mean that I am not right. The Charmed Ones are reckless with magic."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh, please."

"You've seen, I've seen, we've all seen it time after time, and it doesn't even include what got them into this whole mess in the first place," Barbas said.

"Uh ... I think that would be you," Barbas said.

"Ah, Phoebe, that would be you, with your ongoing zeal to force your premonitions, to short-circuit the process, take the easy way, and for what?" Barbas asked. "Each and every time, it was for personal gain. I don't know, but it just seems to me like selfish behavior like that, there's got to be some consequences, or, well ... what's the point?"

The Elders, PtB and the demons looked to each other.

"Phoebe will be stripped of her powers," Crill said.

"What?!" Phoebe asked.

"Just your active powers. Empathy, premonitions," Adair said.

"Levitation," Thrask added.

"You can earn them back, but only if you're more careful with your powers," Zanael said.

"If you're all more careful," Aramis said as the tribunal members vanished.

"You can't just say that and leave," Dawn said.

"Gideon, get them back here now," Piper said as she glanced at Gideon.

Phoebe shook her head. "No. It's ok. I mean, it might be kind of refreshing to not rely on my powers so much anymore, you know? Besides, they're not the only ones that think I've been misusing them."

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked.

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah. Let's get out of here."

With a final look at Barbas, Paige orbed the five of them out of the Tribunal Hall.