Chapter 11: Look Who's Barking
May 28, 2001 – Monday
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe sat on the couch with the Book of Shadow's in her lap. She was gluing pictures of Cole in the book before she wrote about Cole's human form on the page adjacent to the Belthazor page.
"Why didn't you invite him in?" Phoebe questioned as she looked up at her elder sister as Prue walked through the front door.
"Who?" Prue asked.
"Your date," Faith said as she came down the stairs. "The guy you've been kissing on the porch for the last 10 minutes."
"Eavesdropping were the two of you?" Prue asked looking between her youngest sister and daughter.
"Well, I'm single again, so I have no choice but to live vicariously through your love life," Phoebe said.
"And I am your daughter," Faith added. "Which means I want the best for you, mom."
"Wow, I'd forget about my love life if I were the two of you, lately mine's been rated PG for pretty grim," Prue said, as she sat down.
"That's because no one ever makes it through the threshold, Prue," Phoebe told her sister. "And don't get me wrong, I'm glad that you're out there looking, but you can't keep saving yourself for Mr. Right. I need more vicarious thrills than that."
"And I would like it if you had what Buffy and I do," Faith added.
"I am not saving myself for Mr. Right," Prue interjected. "I mean, Mr. Interesting would do, or Mr. Personality, or even Mr. Take-My-Breath-Away. I don't care."
"Ooh, be careful with the last one," Faith said as she chuckled. "They tend to surprise you in all the wrong ways and sometimes in all the right ways."
"I take it Buffy is the one who takes your breath away?" Prue asked teasingly.
"You better believe it," Faith smirked.
Prue looked over at her sister and saw what Phoebe was doing. "Cole likes walks in the park, jazz, and fine wine. PJ, what are you doing?"
"Well, Cole's a demon," Phoebe answered. "We write about demons in the Book of Shadows, don't we?"
"Right, but this kind of stuff? Do you really think that's necessary?" Prue asked, as she gave Phoebe a look.
"Well, yeah," Phoebe agreed. "If it prepares future witches in case he attacks. Absolutely. I mean, the more that they know about Cole, the better chance they have of hurting him before he hurts them."
"Do you want to talk about it, Aunt Phoebe?" Faith asked as she sat across from her mother and aunt.
"There's really nothing to talk about," Phoebe told her niece and sister. "I loved, and I lost and right now I'm moving on."
"What was that?" Prue asked when they heard the sounds of an explosion come from the kitchen.
"Aunt Piper," Faith called out as the three of them head into the kitchen.
"Where is she?" Prue asked.
"In the bunker formerly known as the basement," Phoebe said.
"I thought she was getting a handle on her new powers," Prue said.
"Yeah, she doesn't take after me," Faith said. "Now her new powers have a handle on her."
"Piper," Prue called out from the doorway to the basement.
"What?" Piper called back.
"Honey, are you okay?" Phoebe said.
"I'm fine. The Christmas decorations are not," Piper answered.
"Can we come down?" Prue questioned hopefully.
"No. Stay away from the door," Piper countered. "It's not safe."
"Piper, that's ridiculous," Phoebe replied with a glance at her sister and niece. She lowered her voice to whisper to them, "Maybe we should back up just a little."
They moved away from the door. "Aunt Piper," Faith called out, as dogs started barking from outside.
"Who let the dogs out?" Prue quipped.
"You can't stay down there forever," Phoebe said.
"Yes, I can," Piper countered.
"No, you can't, Aunt Piper," Faith objected. "You have P3 to run. Uncle Leo who can't stand to live without you. And a dinner to prepare for as Buffy is bringing her mom to meet you, mom and Aunt Phoebe."
"That's right, and two sisters and a daughter who need you to fight evil with them," Phoebe added.
"Aunt Phoebe, do you want her to come up or do you want her to stay down there?" Faith asked.
Kit hissed as Prue, Faith and Phoebe looked at the cat. "What is going on?" Phoebe asked. Kit ran through the kitchen knocking over the trash can. As she ran past Faith, she knocked over some cooking utensils.
"What was that? What happened?" Piper called out.
"Nothing, just relax. It was only Kit, don't blow anything up," Phoebe said.
"What the hell is going on out there?" Prue asked.
May 29, 2001 – Tuesday
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe was writing in the Book of Shadows as Prue and Faith joined her in the living room. "Morning," Prue and Faith said.
"Morning," Phoebe replied.
"You're not still writing in there about Cole, are you?" Prue asked.
"I'm not writing about Cole," Phoebe answered.
"Good," Prue said.
"I'm actually writing about his demonic half now," Phoebe said, as Prue sat down at the table with a cup of coffee.
"Is, Aunt Piper, up?" Faith questioned.
"No, she's locked herself in her bedroom," Phoebe answered.
Faith sighed as she turned and headed back upstairs.
"Huh, looks like we weren't the only ones annoyed by the dogs barking last night. It says that there was a record number of noise complaints," Prue said looking at the newspaper in her hands.
"Yup," Phoebe said.
"It says here at the exact same time there was a man murdered in our neighborhood," Prue said, before taking a sip of her coffee.
"Do you mind?" Phoebe asked.
"No motive, nothing stolen," Prue continued, "nothing that suggests how he was killed, lots of shattered glass everywhere."
"You know this isn't going to work, you trying to distract me with..." Phoebe started as Buffy and Joyce appeared in a swirl of fiery flames.
"Ooh, that will take some getting used to," Joyce said as she moved to sit in a chair.
"Morning, Buffy," Phoebe and Prue said.
"Morning, Prue, Phoebe," Buffy said returning the greeting. She turned to her mother and smiled. "Mom, this Prue and Phoebe Halliwell. Prue is Faith's mom."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Aunt Piper," Faith called as she knocked on her aunt's door.
"Go away, Faith," came Piper's voice from the other side of the door.
"You don't have to fix us breakfast or lunch or nothing, Aunt Piper," Faith said. "But Buffy and Mrs. S. will be here any minute. Please for me."
The door opened as Piper sighed. "Only because your asking, Faith," she admitted. "But the first time something explodes."
"I understand, Aunt Piper," Faith said.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Thank you for inviting me," Joyce said as she looked at each of the Halliwells, Grams, Patty and Leo.
"You're welcome," Prue said. "You are practically family since our daughters will one day be married with a baby of their own."
Joyce looked at Prue with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean?" she asked.
Prue looked toward Buffy with a raised eyebrow of her own. "You didn't tell her?"
Buffy shook her head with a sigh. "Didn't know how to."
"What are you talking about?" Joyce said looking between her daughter and Prue.
"I think I can answer that," Patty said as she stepped forward.
"Let me introduce my mother, Joyce," Prue said. "Mom, this is Joyce Summers, Buffy's mom. Joyce this is my mother, Patricia Halliwell, for whom Faith was named after. And that woman over there is my grandmother, Penelope Halliwell, we call her Grams. And my father, Victor Bennett. According to Grams, women in our family keep our last names."
"It's nice to meet you," Joyce said.
"I just want to say," Victor interjected. "That Buffy is a great girl." He winked at the blonde Slayer. "She must get it from you."
"Sometimes I do wonder," Joyce chuckled. "But thank you." She looked at Prue, Piper and Phoebe. "I remember when Leo introduced himself to me that he said you three were witches." She looked at the rest of the family. "Are you all witches or a warlock?"
"Warlocks are evil, mom," Buffy interjected.
"Patty and I are ghosts," Grams said.
"And I'm like you," Victor said. "What they call a mortal."
"Ghosts," Joyce said. "Wow. Not something you see every day. You look…"
"We can be solid, but we're still dead," Patty interjected. "I died in 1977."
"And I've only been dead for little under four years," Grams added.
"Now you were saying about the married and daughter stuff?" Joyce said bringing them back to the topic they started on before introductions were made.
"Phoebe has the power of premonition. She can foresee the future. When I was still pregnant with her," Patty said as she sat next to Joyce, opposite Buffy. "she gave me three premonitions while still within my womb. The first was of a time that Prue, Piper and Phoebe traveled to the past. The last one was of the day that Piper and Leo got married. The second one is of a time still in the future. In that premonition I saw Faith and Buffy married with a daughter." She smiled as she looked at her granddaughter and Buffy. "One thing I have no revealed about that premonition, I know your daughter's name. She was named after two people you both care about the most. Prudence Joyce Halliwell-Summers."
Prue and Joyce looked at each other and smiled at the reveal that their granddaughter would be named of the two of them.
"Halliwell women…" Grams started.
"Mom," Patty said cutting off her mother. "Her last name is hyphenated. The Halliwell name is still in there."
Grams thought about it and then nodded.
"Mrs. S," Faith said drawing Joyce's attention. "Would you like a drink?"
"Sure," Joyce answered. "Water would be fine."
Faith nodded as she headed for the kitchen. She didn't make it five feet before she tripped and found herself face first on the floor.
"Faith!" Prue said as she hopped up and rushed over to her daughter. As she helped Faith to her feet, she saw scars underneath Faith's shirt. "Faith?" she said as a frowned creased her face. "Why do you have scars on your back?"
Victor frowned as he looked at his granddaughter. "Faith, you didn't tell your mother about the scars?"
Prue spun on her father. "Dad you knew? How? When?"
"When I took Faith out to lunch last month," Victor said. "I helped her with her coat. That was when I saw the scars. I didn't broach it with Faith at the time. Because I felt it was something she would want to reveal when she was ready to tell us about them."
"They're not a big deal I've had them all my life," Faith told them.
"Let me take care of them," Leo said as he moved to Faith.
"Okay, Uncle Leo," Faith reluctantly agreed. She removed her shirt and stood before the assembled group in only her bra and jeans. Behind her she heard gasps of surprise, not only at the scars that covered her back but the burns as well.
Joyce's eyes went wide in realization as she looked back and forth between her daughter and Faith. "Faith, it's you."
"What do you mean?" Prue questioned looking at the mother of her daughter's girlfriend.
"Back in Los Angeles when Buffy was around three of four years old. Buffy kept mentioning a girl that wasn't in her daycare was being whipped and burned," Joyce explained.
Buffy looked at her mother as the long-buried memory surfaced. "I remember that. I never saw her face. I only ever saw her back." She looked at her girlfriend. "She was a brunette just like Faith."
"My ex-husband and I worked with the daycare to find the girl," Joyce added. "But we never did." She looked at Faith. "Because you weren't in Los Angeles."
"Because I was in Boston," Faith said. She looked at her girlfriend. "Which means. We've always been drawn to each other. First with Grandma Patty's premonition. Then your vision. And finally, as Slayers."
"I wonder since I saw that, if I've always had powers," Buffy said. "I could understand if that vision happened in the last couple years that it could have been because of the Slayer. But something I saw fifteen years ago. That's not because of the Slayer."
"It is possible that you have always been a gifted witch," Leo admitted. "I would have to ask my bosses of course. But you could be the start of a new magical line."
"Like Melinda was with us," Prue said as Leo nodded.
"Exactly, Prue," Leo agreed. He looked at Joyce. "Which means you are a progenitor."
"What exactly is that?" Joyce wondered.
"The beginnings of a new magical line," Grams answered. "You can do magic, but you won't have powers like us. It is your children, in this case Buffy, who has powers."
"If you are a progenitor," Leo said looking at the Summers matriarch. "I will see if I can have you added as my charge." He turned and held out his hands over Faith's back and they began to glow golden just as Faith began to scream in pain.
"Stop!" Everyone turned at the sound of the new voice and saw a man in a bowler hat. "Whitelighter, stop healing her. You are only hurting her."
"You," Buffy growled as she advanced on the man she recognized.
"Hello, Slayer," the man said with a smirk.
"Who is he?" Piper asked looking at Buffy.
"The name is Whistler," Whistler answered for the Slayer. "I'm a Balance demon. I work for the Powers that Be."
"You do remember what I said last time we met," Buffy snapped glaring at the man.
"I do remember the imagery, yes," Whistler answered.
"What imagery?" Phoebe wondered.
"That I would wear his ribcage as a hat," Buffy answered with a small chuckle. "What are you doing here?"
"Simple I go where I am needed or where the Powers want me to go. Since you both have come into your powers you fall under the Elders jurisdiction. So, when it comes to the two of you, I am on loan to the Elders. And since I know what was going on they had me come down instead of calling the Whitelighter up."
"Why is my granddaughter in pain?" Victor asked.
"The whip," Whistler answered. "The Source created it and gifted it to the Lehane woman. "It is enchanted to reject a Whitelighters healing touch." He looked at Faith who had turned to look at him. "The only way for your back to heal. Is to find the whip and destroy it."
"Why Faith?" Prue asked.
Faith sighed knowing full well what she had to do. "I have to confront her don't I?" she asked.
"Confront who?" Piper wondered.
"The woman that whipped her," Joyce said as Faith nodded.
"But you said she's dead," Prue reminded her daughter.
"Technically speaking she was saved due to the pact she made with the Source. When Faith wished for her death to the vengeance demon, Hallfrek, who granted it by causing the heart attack that killed her. The Source saved her, after all he has her soul. Till recently she was tortured for failure to properly condition and then bring his chosen heir to him."
"What do you mean till recently?" Buffy asked.
"I am a demon, remember?" Whistler told the blonde Slayer. "Which means, while the Source hates me and any who work for the Powers. We're still allowed into the Underworld. I'm typically the one the Powers sends to mediate with the Source. On my last trip just a short time ago. I learned that she was given a small reprieve. Twenty-four hours. She must take Faith to the Source or he will return her to purgatory where she will experience eternal torture."
"So, I destroy her whip and she dies for good," Faith asked.
"Faith, whatever you do. Don't eat or drink anything she gives you," Whistler informed the brunette Slayer.
"I didn't intend to," Faith admitted. "I figured she might try and drug me again." She looked at her family. "I might have an idea on setting a trap for her." She turned to her grandfather. "Gramps, I'm going to need yours and Buffy's help for this." She looked at Prue. "Mom, I need a potion to combat any drugs she might use."
"I believe I can help with that," Grams said.
"What do you me to do?" Victor asked.
"Take me and Buffy out to dinner," Faith answered. "To that restaurant you took me to for lunch. If I know that woman, she will come to me and I will destroy her."
"How will you get the whip?" Buffy wondered.
"Simple call and ask for Lily," Faith answered. She looked back at her grandfather. "Tell her not to sample my food. I've been reading up on the restaurant's policies and some of their clients pay extra to put on an improv dinner show."
"That they do," Victor said.
"That gets the whip by putting on a little improv," Buffy said. "How do we destroy it?"
"If I remember the restaurant has a fireplace," Faith answered.
"It does," Victor said.
"Which means we have a way of killing her," Buffy said. She turned to Whistler. "Once the whip is destroyed can we heal her then?"
"Should be able to," Whistler answered. "Now that you have a plan I will go. Good luck." He disappeared in a flash of light.
"Can we talk about something else other than that woman?" Faith wondered. "Like how cute a baby I was."
Prue smiled. "Sure, honey."
Grams nodded. "One thing I want to know young lady is how you always found you way out of your playpen or crib," she said. "How did you do it? You must have had some Slayer energy even back then. Because you wore me out. I had to take a nap and leave you Phoebe in charge of you."
Everyone looked at Phoebe, who was trying hard not to laugh. "You let Faith out," Piper accused her younger sister.
"Piper you didn't see her looking so cute telling me phe putty," Phoebe told her sister.
Faith chuckled. "I was just learning to talk, Aunt Phoebe.
"You actually remember that?" Joyce said in surprise.
"When Faith was kidnapped, Grams cast a spell to strip her from our memories," Prue told Joyce. "When we learned the truth, Grams reversed the spell. It had the side effect and restoring even Faith's memories, despite the fact they would have been something she would have likely forgotten due to age."
"Anyways Aunt Phoebe was always my favorite babysitter," Faith said.
"I made your baby food," Piper said before looking at Joyce. "I may own the nightclub, P3. But I've always dreamed of being a chef. When Faith was born, I was eleven years old and I was already into cooking."
"Yeah you did," Faith said as she smiled at her elder aunt. "I really like the flavors you made. I was wondering, Aunt Piper, if you could make them. Because I sometimes eat baby food if I have an upset stomach. You know there was one flavor I did hate that you made. Turkey, carrots and spinach with broccoli."
Piper groaned. "Now you tell me." She glanced at Prue. "Your daughter use to spit up on me all the time. And what she didn't spit up…"
"Went Through me really fast," Faith finished.
Grams sighed. "Which explains why we had to buy so many diapers for you when you were a baby," she said.
Joyce looked at the brunette Slayer. "Faith, isn't this even remotely embarrassing for you?"
"Mrs. S," Faith said. "If it were the woman who kidnapped me, then yes. But everyone here is family, and I don't hide things from my family. Including you and Buffy. After all, one-day you will be my mother-in-law and Buffy will be my wife."
"Faith," Phoebe said. "I was wondering something. When you first came to the house when we brought you and Tom. You didn't ask for the bathroom why was that."
"Because your told me the bathroom was on the left," Faith answered. "So, if I know where the bathroom is I don't have to ask. Tiny loophole in that woman's rules. It's slowly taken time to break the habit she's ingrained in me." She looked toward Victor. "But when you and I went to the mall and found it closed. I really had to pee."
"I would say," Victor said. "I remember when we left you had five bottles of water. Why would you drink that many in one setting?" Faith looked down, not wanting to meet anyone's eyes. "Unless you thought that even now there were still drugs in your system."
"Another habit that has been hard to break," Faith admitted. "I would drink tons of water to try and flush them out of my system."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy took Joyce back to Sunnydale then she went to meet Faith and Victor at the restaurant. In the meantime, Phoebe had return to the Book of Shadows. As she flipped to the page on Belthazor she was thrown into a premonition.
A girl stood in a phone booth as the glass shattered around her. She covered her face as blood trickled down her face.
"What? What did you see?" Prue asked when Phoebe came out of the premonition.
"I saw a little girl," Phoebe answered. "She couldn't have been any older than 14 or 15. Before Buffy brought her mom, I think you mentioned something about shattered glass?"
"I did," Prue said.
"I think you're right. I think a demon was responsible for that man's death," Phoebe said, before she stood up with the Book of Shadows. "And I think I know which one." She walked into the living room and put the book on the chair. She cleared the table as Prue followed her.
"Uh, Phoebe, what are you doing?" Prue asked.
Phoebe turned the table onto its side. "We'll use the magic to magic spell to summon Cole and then we vanquish his sorry ass."
"Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. What makes you think that Cole's responsible?" Prue. asked.
"Because I was holding the Belthazor page when I got the premonition," Phoebe said.
"Okay, but shattered glass, an old man, and a teenager? That's not exactly his MO." Prue said.
"Then why else would I get the premonition?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't know, Pheebs, but I think that you're barking up the wrong demon. Look, I know that he hurt you but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's..." Prue started.
"I can do this with you or without you. Just please, get the vanquishing potion," Phoebe said.
"And what if the potion doesn't work?" Prue asked.
"It'll work. It has to" Phoebe said, before she flipped through the book and found the spell. Prue hurried to get the potion.
Acquerello
"Thank you for inviting me to dinner with you and Faith, Mr. Bennett," Buffy said as she smiled at the older man.
"Victor," Victor corrected. "Please, or I will have call you Ms. Summers."
"Victor," Buffy said.
Lily walked out of the kitchen with their food and a box. F
"Thanks, Lily," Faith said as Lily sat the box down next to her. "Who's the box from?"
"A woman," Lily answered. "She claimed to be your mother."
"Thanks, Lily," Faith said as Lily nodded and headed back into the kitchen.
Faith sighed as she looked at the box. "This is it, get ready." She opened the box and pulled out her old baby doll. "Kiko."
Halliwell Manor
Prue and Phoebe sat behind the overturned table. "Magic forces black and white, reaching out through space and light, be he far or be he near, bring us the demon Belthazor here," they chanted. "Magic forces black and white, reaching out through space and light, be he far or be he near, bring us the demon Belthazor here."
A tunnel of wind appeared in the center of the room and then all of a sudden it died off when nothing appeared. "Wait a minute, what happened?" Phoebe said. "Why didn't it work?"
"I don't know," Prue answered, as they moved into the middle of the room.
"Damn it," Phoebe said, before running her fingers through her hair.
"Alright, we're just going to have to find the girl another way," Prue said. "Was there anything in your premonition that might help?"
"Dark alley, late at night, phone booth," Phoebe listed. "I mean, there's nothing much to go on when I didn't get a lot to begin with."
"Okay, so we'll have to go to the first victim's apartment and see if there's anything there" Prue said.
"Should we get Piper?" Phoebe asked.
"No, let's not put her anymore on edge then she already is," Prue answered. "We were lucky that when Joyce was here it was mostly light hearted. Come on."
Victims House
Prue and Phoebe and an police officer looked around the house. "So, what kind of specialists are you anyway?" he asked.
"Inspector Morris didn't tell you?" Phoebe asked.
"No, he didn't," he said, as Prue noticed a photo album on the floor.
"Can I pick this up?" Prue asked.
"Sure, Forensics is done here," he said, before Prue picked it up. "Are you those psychics we keep hearing about he was working with?"
Phoebe chuckled. "Psychics. Right, that's a good one."
"Is this the victim's wife?" Prue asked motioning toward a picture.
"Yeah. She died a couple of months ago. Sad to say the poor guy never got over it," he said.
"Any suspects?" Phoebe asked.
"All we know is whoever did it busted through that window. Although, three stories up, nobody can figure out how," he said.
"Do you see any scorch marks by where the body was?" Phoebe asked.
"No, I don't think there would have been a body if that particular weapon had been used," Prue said.
"Are you from Arson?" he asked.
"Uh, no, she was just curious of how he died," Prue said, trying to cover up Phoebe.
"He drowned in his own blood according to the M.E. All his blood vessels just burst. No reason. Are you Feds?" he said.
"Actually, Inspector, we're witches, okay? We actually think a demon might have done this. Probably my ex-boyfriend and if he did do this then we have to find him and vanquish him. Satisfied?" Phoebe said, giving him a look.
"That's very funny," he said, before leaving the room.
"Okay, are you out of your mind?" Prue asked, giving her sister a look.
"Well, it got rid of him. So, what do you think?" Phoebe asked.
"Definitely supernatural, but was it Belthazor?" Prue asked.
Acquerello
"Hello, honey," came a voice from behind Faith. They turned and saw Mrs. Lehane. "Did you miss mama?"
"No," Faith countered. "I didn't miss you, you cold unfeeling bitch."
Mrs. Lehane smirked as she slapped Faith's face hard. "Little girls shouldn't say naughty words."
Faith chuckled. "I am not a little girl. And you were never my mother. You were my abuser. All the school projects I made you threw them into the fireplace and burned them. You drugged me constantly. Whipped me and beat me. Never hugged or kissed me. You never thought I was worth anything."
"Faith was the second plan with this family," Mrs. Lehane said as she looked at the blonde Slayer and Victor. "The first plan was a Charmed One."
"What do you mean?" Victor questioned.
"The last time you talked to your eldest daughter over the phone she begged you to persuade her grandmother to let her go to a photography school in England," Mrs. Lehane said. "What happened?"
"I didn't," Victor answered. "But that was…"
"It doesn't matter if she would have agreed or not," Mrs. Lehane interjected. "Because he not only wanted to end the threat of a Charmed One, but convert one to his side by making her his heir. Because she didn't go to England, he had to come up with another plan."
Halliwell Manor
Prue and Phoebe sat on the couch looking at the Belthazor page in the Book of Shadows. "I'm telling you, it has to be Cole," Phoebe said.
"Pheebs, just because you want it to be him doesn't necessarily make it him," Prue said, giving her sister a look.
"This isn't about me and Cole, this is about what I saw. My premonitions are always directly connected to what I'm touching at the time. You should know this," Phoebe said.
"Oh, okay, well, wait a minute. What if the back of your hand was touching..." Prue started, before she turned the page. "...this page? Right, a Banshee, and whatever that is."
"It's a demon who feeds on souls and great pain" Leo said as he and Piper came down the stairs.
"Are you okay?" Prue asked her middle sister.
"Joyce's visit helped somewhat," Piper admitted. "That said I don't want to hurt anybody either."
"Well, since you can't freeze us, you probably can't blow us up either," Prue said, as Piper sat down beside them.
"Just keep your hands where we can see them," Phoebe said.
"Alright, so the Banshee," Prue said.
"Well, they're pretty rare. What they do is hunt for their victims with a high-pitched call. Something beyond our range to hear," Leo said.
"Okay, so then how do they find their victims?" Prue asked.
"By hearing the inner cry by zeroing in on the waves of pain that emanate from the stricken," Phoebe said, reading the page.
"Then their call turns into a scream that kills," Leo said.
"Well, that explains the broken blood vessels and the shattered glass. Looks like it's not Cole after all," Prue said.
"So, what do we do? Wear earplugs?" Piper asked.
"Uh, there is no spell to vanquish the Banshee but there is one to track one. Okay, so all we need is a designated tracker," Phoebe said.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Prue stood in a circle of candles as Leo, Piper and Phoebe stood outside. "Are you sure about this?" Phoebe asked.
"Well, with everything that you and Piper are going through right now. And since Faith or Buffy isn't here. I don't really have much of a choice," Prue said. "Besides, it's just a tracking spell. What's the worst that could happen?"
"With our history, don't go there," Piper said.
"Yeah, well, it's almost night and that's when the girl in Phoebe's premonition was attacked. So, let's do this," Prue said.
"The piercing cry that feeds on pain, and leaves more sorry than a gain, shall now be heard by one who seeks, to stop the havoc that it wreaks," Piper and Phoebe chanted.
They heard the clap of thunder as bright orbing lights surround Prue who disappeared. "Prue?" Phoebe asked.
"Oh my god," Piper said as she looked down to see Prue had been turned into a dog.
Acquerello
"Playtime is over, Faith. Come to mama," Mrs. Lehane ordered.
Faith stood up, pretending to act like a terrified little girl. She could tell the other restaurant's clientele wasn't sure what exactly was going on. "Okay, mama, can I be whipped now?"
Mrs. Lehane smiled as she took out the whip. "Yes, you may." She walked over to Faith, who kicked her legs out from under her.
Faith grabbed the whip and ran to the fireplace.
"Faith Elizabeth Lehane!" Mrs. Lehane yelled. "You are in so much trouble. Give mam her whip back, right now."
"My name is Patricia Andrea Halliwell," Faith said calmly. "I am the daughter of Prudence Halliwell and Andrew Trudeau. I will no longer be your whipping girl. You are not my mother. Your husband kidnapped me. And now I send you away forever."
"Enjoy eternal torment," Buffy whispered to Mrs. Lehane with a smirk.
Faith smirked as she threw the whip into the fireplace. She watched as Mrs. Lehane burst into flames before disappearing. She looked at the restaurant's clientele. "Thank you, everyone, for participating in our improv dinner show tonight." She walked back over to the table and waved Lily over. "Can I get this remade?" she asked motioning to the plate of food.
"Of course, Patricia," Lily said as she took Faith's food away. "And may I say. I think you put that trauma behind you."
"You remembered what I said," Faith said.
"How could I forget my favorite customer," Lily said as she smiled at Faith. She turned and headed back into the kitchen.
"Victor!"
Victor, Faith and Buffy looked up at the sound of the voice and saw three people walking toward them.
"Hello, Mark, Samantha," Victor said as he stood and shook the man and woman's hands. He looked at the woman with them. "Melissa, right?"
"Yes," Melissa replied.
"I would like to introduce the three of you to someone," Victor said as he turned toward Faith. "Patricia Andrea Halliwell." He looked back at the three of them. "Your granddaughter Mark…Samantha, Andy's daughter."
"You mean I am an aunt," Melissa said in surprise.
"You are," Victor said. He looked back at Faith. "Faith, Mark and Samantha are your grandparents, Andy's parents. And Melissa is his sister, your aunt."
Faith smiled as she stood up and hugged each of them in turn.
"I think this might be the most perfect time," Buffy said as Faith turned and looked at her. She smiled as she got out of her chair and knelt down on one knee. She pulled a ring box out of her purse and opened it. "Patricia Andrea Halliwell," she said loud enough for the entire restaurant to hear. "Will you marry me?"
Everyone turned to watch and listen for Faith's answer.
Faith was silent for a moment, considering what Buffy, her friend…her girlfriend…her fellow Slayer, had just asked her. She had never fantasized about having a Cinderella wedding, meeting her Prince…or in this case Princess…Charming or anything of that nature like other girls. But in that moment, she couldn't picture herself not being married to Buffy and spending the rest of her life with the blonde Slayer. As she looked at Buffy a grin spread across her face from ear to ear. "Buffy Anne Summers…Yes, of course, I will marry you," she said excitedly.
The entire restaurant burst out into applause as Buffy stood up and slipped the ring onto Faith's finger.
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe was looking under the bed trying to get Prue to come out. "Come on, Prue. Come on, come on out. We're still your sisters, you know," she said as Prue whimpered. "Oh, gee, honey, don't sound so sad, it's going to be okay."
"How? How is this going to be okay?" Piper asked waving her hands around. "How are we going to explain to Faith that we turned her mother into a dog?"
"Hands in your pockets," Phoebe ordered as Leo walked into the room.
"What did you find out? Why did the spell backfire?" Piper asked.
"I don't think it did" Leo said.
"What are you talking about, Leo? Prue is walking around on all fours and barking. If that's not a backfire, then what is?" Piper said.
"Shh, you're scaring her," Phoebe said as Prue whimpered.
"Alright, all I'm saying is that you guys cast a tracking spell, and since dogs can obviously hear a Banshee's call, what happened make sense. Prue should be able to track it now," Leo said.
"Yeah, if she ever comes out," Phoebe said she looked back under the bed. "Prue, honey, okay, you can't stay under there all night. Okay, if you won't come out for you, will you at least come out for an innocent? We can't save that teenage girl without you," she said reasoning with her eldest sister. "That's a good girl." She smiled as Prue came out. "That's a good girl. Who's a good girl."
"Well, at least we know she understands what we're saying," Piper said.
"She's such a pretty dog," Phoebe said.
"What else did you expect?" Piper asked.
"A Doberman?" Leo asked, just as Prue growled at him. "Easy."
"Oh, honey, watch your orbs," Piper said.
"Mom!" Faith called from downstairs. "I'm home and I have news!"
Piper and Phoebe looked at each other. "Uhm, Piper," Phoebe said.
"I'm on it," Piper said as she hurried out of the room.
"So, what do we have to do to get our real sister back?" Phoebe asked.
"Once the Banshee is vanquished, the spell should reverse itself," Leo said as Prue ran out of the room.
"Well, that if the Banshee doesn't show up until like next year? Then what do we do then?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't think you'll have to wait that long. Banshee's have an insatiable appetite for pain. They feed every night," Leo said.
"Okay, what do we do once she finds the demon? I mean, there's no vanquishing potion, there's no power of three," Phoebe said, before hearing Prue bark followed by a crash.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Where is mom, Aunt Piper?" Faith asked looking her elder aunt in the eyes. "I have some news." She held out her hand to Piper.
Piper looked at the ring on her niece's finger and then at Buffy and smiled. "You proposed?"
"Yep," Buffy said. "And she said yes."
Piper smiled as she looked back at her niece. "Congratulations, honey."
"So where is mom?" Faith asked as they heard a bark followed by a crash. They turned and saw Prue chasing kit through the house. "Uhm when did we get a dog?"
"We didn't," Piper answered. "That's your mom."
Faith looked at Piper with wide eyes. She then knelt down as Prue came running by before skidding to a stop and coming back to her. "Mom?" she said as Prue rubbed up against her. "Well this is not how I wanted to tell you." She held her hand out in front of Prue to show her the ring. "Buffy asked me and I said yes."
Prue began wagging her tail in excitement.
"So, what happened?" Buffy asked as Leo and Phoebe came down the stairs. "Backfire from a spell?"
"Not according to Leo," Piper answered. "We cast a spell to track a banshee and it transformed Prue into a dog." She looked up at her husband. "Maybe you should go up there and see if they know how to vanquish a banshee."
"Good idea," Leo agreed. "And just remember what we talked about when it comes to your new power. Just try and relax." He then orbed out.
"I really wish everybody would quit telling me to relax," Piper said as Prue ran over to the front door.
"What is it, mom?" Faith asked as she and Buffy followed Prue into the foyer.
. "Do you think she hears the Banshee?" Piper asked as she and Phoebe followed Faith and Buffy.
Prue barked as Faith opened the door. "Wait," Phoebe called after her sister.
"Stay here," Faith said looking at her aunts. "Just in case the Banshee should come here. After all you both have things going on that could potentially call it. Buffy and I will follow mom."
Streets of San Francisco
"This is worse than I thought," Faith admitted.
"I know," Buffy agreed as she glanced at where Prue was. "In the time since I became the Slayer I never imagined anything like this."
"All I know is this can't go on much longer," Faith said.
"So, what are we gonna do?" Buffy asked.
"Rock, paper, scissors?" Faith suggested.
"No," Buffy answered. "You're her daughter. It should be you."
Faith groaned as she took a plastic bag from Buffy just as Prue came out from behind some bushes. "One thing I never imagined was having to clean up after my own mother."
"Just picture it as practice for when we have our daughter," Buffy suggested as they heard several dogs down the street start barking. "Do you think?" she questioned as Prue barked.
Prue took off down the street. "Well I can practice later," Faith said as she and Buffy took off after Prue. "Mom, Wait!"
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
In an alley a teenage girl stood in a phone booth. "Mom? Dad? Are you there? Pick up please, it's me. Mom?" she let out a sigh of relief as someone picked up on the other end. "Oh, thank God. I'm so sorry, I never should have went away. I want to come home." She glanced out of the phone booth as she heard the Banshee's scream. "I don't know. Somewhere in San Francisco."
The Banshee jumped on top of a dumpster and screamed. The glass of the phone booth shattered raining glass over the girl. She jumped to the ground and let out a high-pitched scream. The girl covered her face just as Prue ran around the corner and attacked the Banshee.
"Mom?" Faith called as Buffy ran over to the girl.
"It's okay, it's okay. Run, run," Buffy instructed and the girl took off. "Faith," she said nodding toward the Banshee that Prue was barking at. A fireball formed in Faith's hand and she threw it narrowly missing the Banshee and hitting the dumpster instead.
The Banshee fell back as Prue continued to bark. She got to her feet and ran off.
"Prue," Buffy yelled at her eventual mother-in-law took off after the Banshee. "Wait, Prue!"
The Banshee ran into the street and jumped on a car. She leapt across the street onto another car. Prue continued the chase running into the road. Prue heard the sound of a car horn as she was hit by a passing car. The driver got out and rushed to Prue.
"Oh, God," he said. "You stay there, baby. You're alright. Good girl. Shh. Can somebody give me a hand here? It's alright, good girl, good girl. Can somebody help?"
Halliwell Manor
Buffy and Faith entered the kitchen where Piper and Phoebe waited, they weren't sure how they had managed to lose Prue but it had happened.
"And where is Prue?" Piper asked.
"We lost Prue," Buffy answered with a sigh. "We came across the Banshee, and saved your innocent. But Prue took off after the Banshee."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Piper flipped through a phonebook as Faith talked to Darryl on her phone. "No, Uncle Darryl," Faith said. "I know you can't put out an APB for a dog, but couldn't you at least ask the other cops to keep an eye out for mom?"
"Yeah, that I can do, Faith," Darryl answered from the other end of the phone. He could hear the worry in Faith's voice.
"Thank you, Uncle Darryl," Faith said. "Call my cell if you hear anything. Bye." She ended the call with a sigh as she sat down.
"Do you think that the animal shelters are even open this late?" Phoebe wondered.
"They better be because this is a disaster, I am very worried," Piper answered.
"As am I," Faith and Buffy added.
"Well, don't worry, we will find her," Phoebe told the three of them. "And we will find the Banshee." She pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge. She looked at Buffy and Faith. "At least you two saved that girl. I'm going to check the Book of Shadows."
"Why?" Piper asked.
"So, we can cast the tracking spell on me," Phoebe answered.
"You want to turn yourself into a dog too?" Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow looking at Phoebe.
"Know any better way to find the Banshee and to find Prue?" Phoebe asked Buffy.
"No, but—" Buffy started.
"Okay then, I'll go get the book," Phoebe said, before walking away.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Phoebe walked into the attic and over to the Book of Shadows. She flipped through it, stopping at the Cole/Belthazor page. She stared at it for a moment then picked the book up. She sat down on a chair as tears began to fall down her cheeks. She wanted him back so badly.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Well, there isn't any shelter open," Piper said as she spoke into the phone. "This is an emergency. Well, there's got to be some place." She sighed frustratedly. "Never mind." She then ended the call.
"Hey, Uncle Leo," Faith said when Leo orbed in.
"Hey, Faith," Leo said as he hugged his niece.
"We lost mom," Faith admitted.
"What?" Leo asked confused.
"She ran off after the Banshee attacked," Buffy explained.
"Wait a minute, you fought the Banshee and you guys and Phoebe are okay?" Leo asked.
"It was just Faith and I who fought her," Buffy answered. "And yeah we're okay."
"Why do you ask?" Piper wondered looking at her husband.
"Because the Elders just told me that Banshee's are former witches," Leo explained. "A Banshee's scream doesn't kill witches; it turns them into Banshees."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Why Cole? Why did you have to do that to me?" Phoebe cried as vases and bottles around the attic started to shake.
As she stood up, she heard the Banshee's scream getting closer and closer. The bottles shattered into little pieces before the windows shattered as well. She fell to the floor in obvious pain.
The Banshee flews through the window and let out a high-pitched scream as Buffy, Faith Le and Piper rushed into the room. The Banshee went for Faith as a fireball formed in the brunette Slayer's hand. Faith threw the fireball, catching the Banshee on fire before the Banshee exploded.
"Shut her up," Piper said with a smile of approval at her niece. She turned toward Phoebe. "Pheebs, are you okay?"
They watched as Phoebe's hair turned startling white as she turned into a Banshee. She pushed that out of the way before running to the window, screaming.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Are you okay?" Leo asked. Though the question was directed at all three of them, he was looking at Piper and Faith.
"Are we okay? Prue is a dog and Phoebe is a Banshee. I think Buffy and Faith will agree that we are not even in the vicinity of okay," Piper told her husband.
"Piper's right," Buffy agreed. "I know Prue and Phoebe are no relation to me. But at the same time, since I met you guys. I've come to care for all of you. And not just because you all are my future in-laws or Faith's family. But because you are my friends."
"How did this happen?" Faith wondered. "What are we supposed to do?"
"And you know, you could have told us about the witches turn into Banshees thing a little bit earlier," Piper added.
"Look all three of you, just try and relax," Leo instructed.
"Would you stop telling me to relax!" Piper snapped as she blew up a sewing machine. "That was Grams' sewing machine!"
"Well, we don't have time for you to lose it," Leo told them.
"Well, too bad," Faith snapped. "Because I have already lost it. I finally put that bitch and what she did behind me only to lose mom and Aunt Phoebe."
"Listen to me," Leo instructed the three witches. "We have to save Phoebe before she hurts someone. If she kills just one person, she stays a Banshee forever."
"Okay, could you give us all the bad news at once?" Piper asked. "Do you have to keep doling it out for dramatic effect?"
"We have to find Phoebe," Leo said.
"How, without Prue to track her?" Buffy wondered.
"What if we used Aunt Phoebe's plan?" Faith asked.
"What plan?" Leo wondered.
"Aunt Phoebe was going to have us cast the spell that transformed mom on her," Faith answered.
"I don't know if that's a good idea," Piper said with a sigh. "I don't want to risk losing you too, Faith. Especially after what has happened for you tonight."
"What happened?" Leo wondered.
"After vanquishing that bitch, I met my grandparents and aunt from my dad's side of the family," Faith answered as she held up the hand that sported her engagement ring. "Then Buffy proposed and I accepted."
Leo smiled as hugged Faith again. "Congratulations, Faith. Now you guys can do this. We will find a way to save Phoebe and find Prue."
"I don't know if I can," Piper admitted. "Not alone."
"You're not alone, Aunt Piper," Faith said. "You have me and Buffy. Your niece and future niece-in-law."
"You also have me," Leo added.
Piper looked from her husband to her niece and finally to Buffy and nodded. "It's just if anything happens to them."
"I know, Aunt Piper," Faith said as she pulled Piper into her arms. "I know how you feel. It is because of you, mom and Aunt Phoebe that things have changed for me. I hate to think of the path I might have tread if I hadn't come to find you."
Piper smiled at her niece as she brushed a strand of hair from Faith's face. "So where do we begin?"
"I think I know," Buffy said.
Guy's Apartment
Prue was asleep on the couch as the guy that rescued her talked on the phone. "Are you kidding?" he asked as Prue opened her eyes and looked around. "I'd love to go but I can't. The vet said someone has to keep an eye on the dog. I have a soft spot for animals. Sue me. No, no tags. Maybe I should write an article about irresponsible pet owners, make them feel like dirt." He noticed Prue moving around on the couch. "Hold it. I've got to go." He hung up the phone and moved over to Prue. "Hey, what are you doing? You're supposed to be resting." Prue tried to get of the couch but he held her there. "No, no, you're not going anywhere. Not until you're better."
Parking Garage
Phoebe was lurking behind some cars as a woman walked past. The woman stopped and looked around as she got her car keys out. She then started walking again as she approached her car. "Oh, Ramone," she said when she spotted him leaning against her car.
"I was beginning to think you stood me up," Ramone said he embraced her.
Phoebe ran behind a wall and screamed.
Guy's Apartment
Prue was lapping up the beer that the guy had been drinking straight from the beer bottle. "Oh, you like the imported stuff? That's my kind of girl," he said as Prue stood and ran over to the door. "What is it? What's the matter?" he questioned as Prue barked at him. "Shh, you're going to wake the neighbors." Prue barked again, this time more insistently. "Okay, you want out, I get it." He opened the door and Prue ran out. "Hey!" He grabbed his keys and ran outside chasing Prue. "Come here!"
Halliwell Manor
Leo, Piper and Faith followed Buffy down the stairs as the blonde Slayer carried the Book of Shadows.
"Buffy, think this through, please," Leo said.
"I have," Buffy answered as she looked at Faith. "I know how I would feel if I was in Phoebe's place, if Faith was in Cole's place. Cole is the answer, I know it."
"The last time Cole was here he killed a witch, remember?" Leo reminded the blonde Slayer.
"That's what those are for," Buffy said motioning to the potion vials that Faith and Piper held.
"Well, what if he makes his move before you three get a chance to vanquish him?" Leo asked.
"I'll freeze him," Piper said, she and Faith had agreed with Buffy's plan of summoning Cole.
"So, you're confident in your powers?" he asked his wife.
Piper shrugged as they walked into the conservatory. "Maybe I'll blow him up."
"But what if he blows us up first?" Leo asked.
"Well, you're already dead, what's the difference," Piper reminded her husband.
"The difference is that I don't want you or Faith or Buffy to join me," Leo admitted. "Especially so soon after Buffy proposed to Faith."
"Uncle Leo," Faith interjected. "We love you. But we don't have any options. We're down Aunt Phoebe and mom. And I really want my mom to walk me down the aisle."
"Faith's right," Buffy agreed. "Now, Banshee's target people who are in pain, that's why it went after Phoebe, and Cole is the source of Phoebe's pain."
"So, if we can get him to find her and eliminate that pain," Piper added. "Then we might be able to get Phoebe back."
"Do you all really think he'll help us?" Leo wondered.
"Feelings like the ones I share with Faith," Buffy said. "Like Phoebe shares with Cole. Don't go away."
"Buffy's right," Piper agreed looking at her husband. "You and I should know."
Buffy sat the book down and flipped to the spell to summon Cole. "Magic forces black and white, reaching out through space and light, be he far or be he near, bring us the demon Belthazor here," she, Faith and Piper chanted as a tunnel of wind appeared in the room materializing Cole.
"You rang?" Cole said looking at the three witches. "You three are not who I was expecting."
"Phoebe's in trouble," Piper informed the demon. "She's been turned into a Banshee."
"A Banshee?" Cole chuckled. "Well, that's different."
"It happened because she was hurting, over you," Buffy insisted. "And believe me I know how that might feel, Cole. Because I can easily put myself in Phoebe's place and Faith in yours."
"We think you're the key to turning her back," Piper said.
"Sorry," Cole apologized with a shrug. "I don't do good anymore."
"Not even for somebody you love?" Faith asked as she waved her hand in front of him.
Cole looked at Faith's hand and saw the engagement ring. Inwardly he smiled, outwardly his face remained impassive. "Love-d. Past tense."
"I think we've heard enough," Leo informed his charges.
"Feelings like that don't just die, Cole," Piper insisted.
"Wrong," Cole countered. "They died when Phoebe gave up on me. Now all I can do is return the favor."
"Your wrong," Faith snapped. "They didn't die, Cole. You know how I know. I've been in love with Buffy lot longer than anyone realized. I remember the first time I saw her, she took my breath away. I know how I felt when I killed Finch. How I thought she would hate me, despite the fact I continued to love her. And as you can see by the ring on my finger. She never once gave up on me because the feelings were always there."
"Phoebe loves you, Cole," Piper said. "Just like Buffy loves Faith and Faith loves Buffy. And I know that you love Phoebe. All we're asking you to do is find her and tell her."
"It's over," Cole countered. "In more ways than one."
"Throw the potion," Leo instructed.
"You're right, Cole, it is over," Piper said as she threw her potion.
Cole chuckled when nothing happened. "Surprise! Did you really think that I would come here without magical protection? Question is, do you have any protection for yourselves?"
"Don't threaten them," Leo instructed.
"I suggest you and Buffy get Piper and Faith out of here, Whitelighter, before there's nothing left to save," Cole said as Prue ran into the room and barked at Faith.
"Mom!" Faith said happily.
"Prue?" Buffy and Piper added.
"Prue?" Cole said as the house started to shake. "What's going on?"
"Aunt Phoebe is home," Faith answered as the windows shattered.
Phoebe flew in and dove for Cole, screaming.
Cole morphed into Belthazor and shimmered out, taking Phoebe with him.
"What just happened?" Piper asked.
"We better find them," Leo said.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"You think she's alright?" Leo asked.
"No, I don't," Piper answered. "Either way, Phoebe's screwed."
"No, I mean Prue," Leo said looking at Faith who was cuddled up next to Prue. "She seems kind of down."
"Well, she would be," Piper answered. "We're about to lose a sister. The only thing that would be worse…"
"Is if Prue lost Faith," Leo said. "Do you think Cole will actually hurt Phoebe?"
"In self-defense he might," Buffy answered as she rubbed Faith's back in small circles.
"Did you see her?" Piper questioned. "She was pissed off. On the other hand, if she kills him then she's a Banshee forever."
Prue pulled away from Faith and ran over to the door. "Mom?" Faith said as she followed Prue to the door. Prue barked at her. "What is it?" Prue pulled on her jeans. "Aunt Piper, Uncle Leo, Buffy," she called over her shoulder as she opened the door. "I think mom hears Aunt Phoebe."
"Hurry, hurry!" Piper instructed everyone as they followed Prue out the door. "Go-go-go-go!"
Memorial Cemetery
Belthazor pushed Phoebe across the mausoleum. He then fell back over the crypt as Phoebe kicked him. She jumped on him, scratching him. She screamed as Belthazor pushed her off. With a roar he grabbed her around the neck.
"Don't make me kill you," Belthazor said as Phoebe pushed him away. "Damn it, Phoebe." He morphed back into Cole. "I love you."
Phoebe screamed and after a long moment she reverted to normal, she was no longer a Banshee.
Streets of San Francisco
Prue ran down the street as Faith and Buffy chase her. Suddenly Prue morphed back into a human, holding her hip. "Ow, ow, ow, ow. My hip."
"Mom!" Faith said excitedly as she wrapped her arms around Prue.
"Hey," Prue said as she returned Faith's embrace and then leaned against her daughter taking her weight off her injured hip. "I hear congratulations are in order."
"Thank you, mommy," Faith said happily. "And I want you to walk me down the aisle."
"I would be happy to, Faith," Prue said as Piper and Leo caught up to the three of them.
"Prue?" Piper said surprised to see Prue returned to normal. "You're back!"
"She is," Buffy said as she smiled at Prue.
"What happened?" Piper wondered noticing that Prue was holding her hip.
"Oh, I had a little accident," Prue said. She noticed the look of worry in her daughter's eyes. "It's okay, Faith." She looked over at her brother-in-law. "Leo, not that I'm complaining, but why am I human again?"
"The spell must've played itself out," Leo answered. "Phoebe must not be a Banshee anymore."
"So, does that mean Phoebe's alive, or…?" Piper wondered.
Memorial Cemetery
"Stay away from me. Just stay away," Phoebe said.
"Phoebe..." Cole started.
"I don't want to hear your lies, Cole," Phoebe said cutting him off.
"They're not lies," Cole countered. "You're not the only one hurting here. We both are. That's why we're drawn into this mess. I tried to deny it too, I tried everything to break my feelings for you, even magic. But nothing works."
"It doesn't change anything," Phoebe said.
"No, it doesn't. It doesn't change the fact that I killed a witch. Even if I was tricked into doing it," Cole said.
"What do you mean?" Phoebe wondered.
"Forget it, it doesn't matter," Cole said.
"Yeah, well, maybe it matters to me," Phoebe admitted.
"Raynor cast a spell. He made me kill her against my will," Cole admitted.
"And why would he do that?" Phoebe asked.
"Because he wanted to turn me," Cole answered sadly. "And he knew the only way to do that was to destroy the one thing that was keeping me good. He knew that my killing a witch would destroy your faith in me."
"I don't know what to say," Phoebe admitted.
Cole smiled as he brought his hand up to Phoebe's face. "There's nothing to say. Like you said, it doesn't change the fact that I did it, or that we'll always love each other. I guess it's a pain we both have to live with." He shimmered out leaving Phoebe alone and in tears.
Streets of San Francisco
"I sense her," Leo informed Piper, Prue, Faith and Buffy. "Phoebe's alive."
"So, Phoebe/Banshee…" Prue started.
"Is Phoebe, Phoebe," Leo answered. "Looks like your plan worked after all."
"Yeah, but if she had to vanquish Cole then she's probably not doing very well," Piper said. "Why don't…" she started.
Buffy grabbed Faith's hand and they disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames.
Prue scratched her head as Piper touched her hair. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"I think you've got fleas," Piper admitted with a small chuckle.
"You know what?" Prue said. "That's so not funny because I think I do." She looked at her sister and brother-in-law pointedly. "And you will say nothing of that to Faith. Because you have no idea how hard it was being a dog, okay. I mean, peeing outside, eating everything and anything and just smelling everything."
"Yeah I think Faith said she even had to…" Piper started as Prue shook her head. "Must have been 'ruff'. No pun intended."
"Ha, ha," Prue chuckled as Piper giggled. "At least I got to meet a really cute guy."
"You met a guy?" Piper questioned as Prue nodded. "As a dog?" Prue nodded again. "How?"
"Well, he ran me over," Prue answered.
May 30, 2001 – Wednesday
P3
The club was closed as Piper was hosting Buffy and Faith's engagement party. "Here you go," she told the couple as she handed them a couple of sodas.
"You know, you might want to raise the drink prices when you reopen tomorrow," Phoebe said.
"Why?" Piper wondered.
Prue held up a piece of paper. "The bill, from the window repair guy."
Piper glanced at the bill and frowned. "Oh, ouch. Which means I need to raise them double."
"Why?" Buffy wondered.
"To pay not only for the windows but for your wedding of course," Piper answered as she smiled at her future niece.
"Mom, are you looking for someone?" Faith asked as Prue glanced toward the door.
"A certain journalist with an empty fridge and a soft spot for a man's best friend," Prue answered.
Phoebe chuckled. "He hit you, you hit on him, it's only fair."
"Hey, how could I resist a guy who put up fliers to find me," Prue said as she spotted the guy coming through the door. "Excuse me." She stood up and walked over to him. "Hi."
"Is this place open?" he wondered looking around.
"Private party," Prue answered as they walked toward a booth. "For my daughter's engagement."
Piper looked at her younger sister. "It's good to see you out. It's been a while."
"Yeah, I guess we're both out of hiding," Phoebe admitted. "You know, I've been wanting to thank you."
"For?" Piper asked.
"Calling Cole," Phoebe answered.
"Then you should be thanking your future niece," Piper told her sister. "After all it was Buffy's idea. She could see herself and Faith in yours and Cole's place."
Phoebe nodded as she turned and looked at Buffy. "Then thank you for calling Cole," she said. "If you hadn't, I'd probably still be screaming."
"As Piper said. I could see myself and Faith in yours and Cole's place," Buffy admitted. "And I knew that you both still loved each other. Just as I have always loved Faith. Since the first time I saw her."
"When I arrived in Sunnyhell?" Faith asked.
"No, since I saw you in my vision when I was in daycare. When I saw what you were going through at the Lehanes," Buffy answered. "Since that day, I've felt like Prince Charming wanting to save my Cinderella from her evil step-mother."
Phoebe smiled at her niece and Buffy. "I think I am going to follow your guys example."
"What do you mean?" Piper wondered.
"If Buffy can help to save Faith. Then I think I can save Cole," Phoebe answered. "After all they both have had something happen to them against their will. And if Faith can come back from that and even find love with Buffy. Then Cole can to, right?"
"Phoebe," Piper started.
"He loves me, Piper," Phoebe told her sister. "Which means that there's still good in him. I can bring him back. I know I can." She turned and walked away.
"She's right, Aunt Piper," Faith agreed watching her youngest aunt. "If I can come back and overcome the trauma of my childhood. Then so can Cole."