Author's Note: Yes, 'She's a Man, Baby, A Man' is a Charmed season 2 episode and there will likely be a reference to that fact in the chapter. The reason I am retooling that episode is the daughter Patty saw in her premonition. There were only a few options. One, mystically created and as I said in my author's note in 'A Knight to Remember,' Dawn is going to be Faith's sister, which means we already have one mystically created person and I didn't want to do that twice. Option two was adoption. I wanted Faith pregnant so that option was out the window. That left only a handful of routes to go. Sperm donor, a surrogate and what I am doing here. Transforming Buffy into a man. Charmed had a perfect way to do that so that's what I went with, enjoy.
Chapter 20: She's a Man, Baby, A Man
October 1, 2001 – Monday
Abandoned Street, Sunnydale
Faith flew through the air, several feet down the street, before she landed unceremoniously on the warm cobbled ground. She groaned upon hearing Buffy's unabashed laughter and she forced herself to her feet. Faith met Buffy's gaze in an attempt to salvage any dignity she had left. Even from this distance and the dim lighting…it was past midnight…of the street lamps, she could see Buffy's wide grin.
"Come on, Faith? What was that?" Buffy teased. Her laughter had softened so it was now more of a giggle.
Faith frowned and rolled her eyes. She should have known that Buffy would play dirty and hit her with her telekinesis before she was even in position. "A miscalculation," she answered.
Buffy smiled innocently and batted her eyelashes. "I love you," she called in her cutesy voice.
"Love you too," Faith repeated, offering Buffy a smile of her own. However, this time she didn't take her eyes off Buffy as Buffy slowly approached her. Buffy nodded, seemingly satisfied, and threw her hand out at Faith. Faith felt her arm go numb for a split moment and she was pushed back a step but managed to absorb the majority of her wife's telekinetic blast…unlike the previous time.
Faith smirked as she flipped up on her feet and then using every ounce of Slayer speed and strength she flipped up and over Buffy landing behind the blonde Slayer. Just as Buffy was about to turn around, she grabbed her wife her from behind. Faith covered Buffy's mouth so that when she yelped it was muffled and then carefully led her to the wall of another building. Faith's arm went numb several times as Buffy threw weak telekinetic blasts at her but Buffy never could get a good throw at Faith the way she had her wife. "So, do I get anything for winning this round?" Faith whispered seductively in Buffy's ear. She felt Buffy shiver slightly at their close proximity as she spun Buffy to face her.
Buffy leaned against the wall and tried to keep her mind focused on their task… not her hormones. Needless to say, it was a losing battle. "We're supposed to be sparring," Buffy pointed out but it was a half-hearted attempt as Faith kissed a particularly sensitive spot at the base of her neck.
"Hmm… I've got a better idea," Faith countered lightly, pulling back so that she could see Buffy's face. Her hands ran lightly down Buffy's back and she flashed her wife another grin. "I asked your mom to put a portable air conditioner in our room. It should be cool by now," she added as an extra perk.
"But…" Buffy started but trailed off. Who was she kidding? She didn't want to spar either. Not in this heat. It was close to midnight, she was wearing about as little as socially acceptable, and she was still burning up. Stupid heat wave. Not to mention Faith. Faith always knew how to make her cave. She pulled Faith close until their lips met. Faith pressed her up against the wall as the kiss deepened.
Faith suddenly felt weightless and instantly knew Buffy had flamed them out of the empty street.
U.C. Sunnydale
Willow tossed and turned in her bed as her dream began to heat up.
"I can't believe we're doing this. You've got to be the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on." The man complimented as he lay back on the large king-sized bed. "Either I'm dreaming or I'm falling in love." He continued. 'Willow' licked her lips slightly and began to unbutton the man's shirt. "Oh man, I'm definitely falling in love…" 'Willow' pulled him up, caressing his face lightly with the tips of her fingers. "Where have you been my entire life? You are irresistible." The man whispered. 'Willow' shoved her tongue down the man's mouth. He screamed and writhed beneath her.
Willow screamed in her sleep. She gripped her sheets and pulled them tightly around her despite how hot she suddenly was from her dream.
Halliwell Manor
Faith and Buffy were startled awake as a knock came at their bedroom door.
"Come on," Buffy groaned looking at the alarm clock beside the bed. "We don't have to be at our first class for another three hours."
"I will see what's up," Faith said as she got out of bed. When she opened the door she found Paige waiting. "Aunt Paige?"
Paige sighed as she looked at her niece. "Faith, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for thinking that you and Cole were the same."
"We are Aunt Paige," Faith replied, she heard Buffy come up behind her and wrap an arm around her. "Before Emma vanquished his demonic half, he was part demon and I am part demon…"
"You're not…" Paige started.
"Technically speaking I am," Faith cut in. "I am the Source's heir, remember?" she reminded her aunt as a fireball formed in her hand. "How else do you think I can create this? This is an upper level demonic power. Anyways as I said we both shared that. We also both killed, Aunt Paige. And yes I've killed, remember. I have a human death on my hands. If not for the Watcher's Council the police would be hunting for me now. I am exactly like Cole."
Faith glanced at her wife remembering a conversation they both had with Prue. She looked back at Paige. "I'm going to be blunt here, in the beginning I didn't trust Cole. He tried to kill mom, Aunt Piper and Aunt Phoebe multiple times. He even went back in time to change our past. We could either be evil or never born now if he had succeeded. Now that said I see the love he has for Aunt Phoebe and it's just like the love I have for Buffy. So I gave him the benefit of the doubt."
"Did Prue trust Cole?" Paige wondered.
"Not at first," Buffy answered.
"Buffy's right," Faith added. "At first she didn't. But as Cole proved he was good she tolerated him. Was she a hundred percent on his side, no. After all he did briefly turn back to evil and only came back to good when mom died. Aunt Phoebe's love brought him back. Two days before mom passed away, she pulled Buffy and I aside."
"She had us promise that if we ever thought that Cole was a threat first to Phoebe and second to the rest of the family that we would vanquish him," Buffy told the youngest Halliwell sister.
"Now that he's human?" Paige questioned.
"While we can't use our powers against him, the promise still stands. All of this said you hurt Faith, Paige," Buffy said, bringing them back to the original conversation.
Paige sighed and nodded. "All I can say is I'm sorry, Faith."
U.C. Sunnydale
Buffy and Faith were just exiting their first class of the day and was on their way to the student center for a break until their next class. Everywhere they looked, they saw people with large bottles of ice-cold water or makeshift fans to guard against the heat, but what really got to them were the number of couples.
"Buffy! Faith!" came a voice from down the corridor.
The Slayers turned and saw Willow hurriedly approaching. "Hey, Red," Faith greeted her friend.
"Scooby meeting," Willow informed them and they instantly knew something was up. They darted down the corridor till they found an empty lecture hall and stepped inside.
"What is it?" Buffy asked worriedly.
Halliwell Manor
Darryl knocked on the front door and a second later Piper opened it. "Darryl," she said surprised to see him. She opened the door wider to allow him to enter. "What is it?"
"You know that since Faith saw Andy in her dream and that he wanted her to see me as her uncle and that I was to be considered her godfather," Darryl started. "That I have been keeping tabs on things in regards to her. Especially now that she and Buffy are going to college in Sunnydale. Four men have been killed over the last four nights in Sunnydale. Ever since this heat wave started. The Sunnydale police think the murders are going to continue but they don't have any suspects."
"How did they die?" Piper wondered.
"According to the reports I managed to get," Darryl answered. "Severe cerebral trauma. Although the medical examiner can't figure out exactly how. He also can't figure out how all of the men were drained of their testosterone."
"Your sure?" Piper said in surprise.
"Yeah?" Darryl said seeing that Piper knew something. "What?"
"Do you remember two years ago," Piper answered. "You went to Prue and told her about a string of murders with the victims being drained of their testosterone."
"Now that you mention it, I do remember that," Darryl said. "Are you telling me, we have a copycat?"
"No, I think we have another Succubus," Piper answered. "And I bet all the men were using a dating service."
"Yeah," Darryl said. "A place called 'Fine Romance.' It's a chain establishment, they have office here in San Francisco as well."
"I know," Piper admitted. "And if memory serves me right you were staking it out to try and capture the Succubus last time."
"I know whoever it is, is after men. But I'm worried about Faith," Darryl told the eldest Halliwell sister. "If the pattern continues, somebody's going to die tonight."
"Buffy and Faith are in Sunnydale right now for classes," Piper said. "We'll take care of it."
U.C. Sunnydale
Willow sat on a couch of the lounge with a small electronic fan blowing at top speed on her. Buffy sat down beside her and Faith with three cans of soda. "I'm telling you, last night's dream was no dream," she explained to her friends. "I don't know how, since I thought I was a progenitor not gifted like you two. But I'm almost positive I could have had a premonition." She leaned forward for emphasis… or maybe it was just to grab the can of soda that she then rubbed against her forehead and neck. "I was so turned on and then… and then… I killed him," she finished, finally opening the can and taking a sip of the drink.
Buffy looked frustrated as she attempted to use a hand-held fan to cool herself off. "Will, you didn't kill anyone."
"I could feel his body shake uncontrollably beneath mine," Willow countered. "I can still taste his blood…"
It was at that moment Faith's cell phone began to ring. She looked at the caller ID that read: Manor. "Aunt Piper?" she asked hitting the speakerphone button.
"Darryl came to visit," Piper explained from the other end of the phone. "He has been keeping track of things in regards to you, Faith. Said there were reports in Sunnydale of four men being killed in the last few nights. And that they were all drained of their testosterone."
"Okay, that's weird," Buffy said.
"It gets weirder, I'm afraid," Piper told them. "Prue, Phoebe and I have faced a demon once before who did this. She's called a Succubus."
"She must have been what I was dreaming about," Willow admitted.
"Willow?" Piper asked in confusion.
"It appears, Red, might be gifted," Faith said. "She might be getting premonitions. She saw a guy killed in her dream last night."
"How long have these dreams been going on, Willow?" Piper wondered.
"The last four nights," Willow answered.
"Since the murders began. I would say, that you definitely are gifted, Willow," Piper said. "Phoebe was getting the same dreams when we faced a Succubus last time. It's possible you may not get premonitions though. It is of course a possibility. We never really were sure how Phoebe received the visions from the Succubus herself. You could be psychically or even telepathically linked."
"We should find out how…" Faith started.
"The Succubus is finding them through a dating service," Piper cut in. "That's how the last one did it."
"How did you vanquish it last time," Buffy asked.
"Prue did it," Piper answered. "We transformed her into a man to lure the Succubus to her. She had to resist and reject the Succubus. Then using her power, she threw her into some candles and the Succubus was burned alive."
"I'm coming back to San Francisco," Buffy said. "Your going to cast that spell on me."
"Why you?" Faith asked.
"Because…" Buffy grinned as she disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames.
Faith groaned as she looked at Willow. "I guess you and I should check the dating service for likely candidates."
Fine Romance Dating Service
Faith and Willow hadn't even managed to take three steps through the front door before they were approached by an employee.
"Hi, welcome to Fine Romance. I'm Kylora. How can I help you?" she asked them.
Faith and Willow were quick to notice that Kylora had many admirers from the men crowding around the room and that the blonde employee stood as if she was modeling for them. Faith and Willow exchanged a glance before Willow pushed Faith slightly forward. "My friend, Faith, would like to sign up," Willow answered with a false smile at Kylora.
Faith turned to face Willow in surprise. "I would?" she questioned under her breath.
"Yes, you would while I look around," Willow insisted without looking at Faith.
Faith grimaced but quickly turned it to a smile. "Right," she agreed and then reluctantly let Willow leave her with Kylora.
Kylora took hold of Faith's arm and pulled her toward her desk. "Well, Faith, today is your lucky day because we are running a special. One-year, unlimited access to our internet and video library with a money-back guarantee for only $3500." She announced excitedly.
Faith's jaw dropped at that price. "3500 bucks? Okay, I could buy a man for that," she pointed out in disbelief.
"Oh, I can always tell the frustrated ones. You've been having man trouble lately, haven't you?" Kylora guessed in a sympathetic tone. Faith looked offended and had to fight off the urge to throw her wedding ring in Kylora's face.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Willow walked hesitantly through the hallways, touching random stuff. Faith had informed her that if she had the power of premonition that Phoebe had found it easier to get one by touching stuff. She turned out of the way as someone went past her and she accidently backed into a man that was coming from recording his personality.
"Oh! Oh!" Willow exclaimed, attempting to string the words to an apology together.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." The man that she had hit apologized repeatedly.
"Oh, sorry… I-I didn't see you." Willow admitted, smiling slightly.
The man didn't answer immediately as he was checking Willow out. "It's not a problem. It's not a problem at all." He finally managed to assure her.
Willow smiled awkwardly and couldn't think of anything else to say. "Uh… Uh, do you work here?" she asked.
He laughed softly. "No, actually, I just signed up," he explained, pointing behind him to the room he had just left.
"Really?" Willow pressed.
"Yeah…" The man answered, a little embarrassed. He paused and realized he hadn't introduced himself. "Oh, um, I'm Alan. Alan Grant." He held his hand out for her to shake.
"Willow." Willow introduced herself and shook his hand. As soon as she touched him, she was pulled into a premonition that showed he was the next victim. She watched as his face changed to one of concern as the premonition ended. "Uh, uh, I have to go," she announced suddenly. "Okay? I'm sorry. Excuse me," she mumbled, spinning around and racing down the hall.
"But, Willow…" Alan called after her.
Willow glanced over her shoulder. "Sorry," she apologized without stopping.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Congratulations, Faith, your days of having trouble with men are over." Kylora exclaimed while checking over the check Faith had written.
Faith let out an internal sigh. She was sure the inheritance Prue had left her had not been meant for this.
"See you at tonight's mixer?" Kylora suggested as much as asked.
Faith laughed at the situation she found herself in. "Okay, you know, for your information, I do not have man troubles. Financial ones, now, yes, but definitely not any man troubles," she ranted as Willow ran up to her.
"We're out of here," Willow insisted. She started pulling Faith toward the door.
"Aunt Piper is going to kill me," Faith muttered as they exited the building.
"Why?" Willow wondered as she looked at the Slayer.
"3500 bucks for a sting operation, that's why," Faith admitted.
"Sorry, Faith," Willow apologized. "But I do know who the next victim is."
Halliwell Manor
Buffy kneeled down in a circle of chalk and lit candles with the Book of Shadows open to the Succubus page. "Everybody ready?" she asked cheerfully.
Phoebe shook her head hastily but Piper was the one that spoke. "Let's just get this over with."
"By the forces of heaven and hell. Draw to us this woman fell. Rend from her foul desire. That she may perish as a moth to fire."
As soon as Buffy finished the chant, the fire from the candles erupted around her so that Piper and Phoebe had to turn away from the heat. After a moment, there was glow around Buffy that Piper and Phoebe, unlike when Prue was transformed, didn't miss as the flames died away.
"Well it worked," Buffy said in a deep voice.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Confidence is everything. It makes the way they walk, the way they talk, the primal protective instinct…" Piper was saying.
"And the handshake. Can't forget the handshake." Paige piped up.
Piper nodded in agreement. "And the handshake. Confidence, confidence, confidence," she repeated as if to drill it into Buffy's head.
"Sports. Men like sports," Phoebe added helpfully.
"And cooking outdoors and stuff," Piper continued.
"Oh, and sincerity. That's the key," Paige stated.
"But what really makes a man is the clothes he wears, the car he drives, and the money he earns… according to Cosmo," Phoebe explained.
Buffy appeared overwhelmed. "I don't think I can remember all that," he muttered.
"That's not confident," Piper berated instantly.
Phoebe laughed but spoke up before Buffy could say anything. "Okay, let's just start with your walk," she suggested.
"All you have to do is visualize a man that you admire and then emulate him," Piper instructed. "The walk will follow," she promised.
Buffy nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, I can do that."
Paige, Piper, and Phoebe backed away to give Buffy room to move in front of them. "Alright, go," Piper allowed. Buffy strutted across the room and made a girly spin back to face the three sisters. Piper frowned slightly. "I hope that wasn't supposed to be anyone I know…" she mumbled.
"That was Richard Simmons all the way," Paige guessed teasingly.
Buffy huffed as Piper and Phoebe burst out laughing. Paige attempted to keep her face expressionless. "Um, maybe you should try shuffling your feet. Men do that a lot. It might help…" Paige suggested, turning red again as she tried to hold her giggles in.
Before Buffy could try it again, the sound of orbing could be heard as Leo orbed in with Faith and Willow.
"Ooh, just the person we need," Phoebe said. "Leo, you need to teach Buffy how to be a man."
"Wow, Buffy," Faith said as she admired her wife, turned husband. "You look dashing."
"Faith," Buffy groaned.
"Alright," Leo reluctantly agreed. "Faith and Willow have information on the Succubus in Sunnydale." He turned to the blonde Slayer. "Come on," he said as he led Buffy out of the room.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"First you need to come up with a name, Buffy," Leo said as he looked at the Slayer. "Buffy is noticeably feminine. And if your going to attract the succubus so you can vanquish her. Then you need to perfect everything, including a name."
"What did Prue name herself when this spell was cast on her?" Buffy wondered.
"Manny Hanks," Leo answered.
"Then we'll just go with that," 'Manny' said.
"Now let's start with a handshake," Leo said as he stuck out his hand and 'Manny' took it. 'Manny's' face creased with pain at the rough handshake.
"I think I just realized that I'm no longer a Slayer," 'Manny' said.
"Well as long as the spell is in place you are no longer a woman," Leo said. "So, it would make sense that since only women are Slayers that you would no longer be one. Once the spell ends your Slayer powers should come back."
"What about the witch powers?" 'Manny' wondered.
"They shouldn't be affected," Leo answered. "Now let's work on your walk. After all women do walk a little bit differently than men."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"So, what happened?" Piper demanded.
"I had this hot flash," Willow answered. "I don't know if it's a psychic or telepathic connection. But I can see what she sees, feel what…"
"She feels," Phoebe finished for the redheaded witch. She looked at her sisters. "If you remember, Piper, I was that way when I was psychically linked to the Succubus we faced." She looked back at Willow. "Did you feel excited?"
"Uhm," Willow said embarrassed at the turn of the conversation.
"It's okay, Willow," Phoebe said as she put an arm around Buffy's friend in comfort. "When it happened to me. I could tell she was in heat and as a result so was I."
Willow nodded. "Which would explain that I've been…" She trailed off as her sight blurred into a new vision. She clenched onto Phoebe's arm to keep herself steady until it passed. "It just happened again. I saw egg sacs," she announced.
"One last thing, Aunt Piper," Faith said with a sigh. "I just spent 3500 bucks."
"The dating service?" Piper asked as Faith nodded. "I'll cover it."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
'Manny' watched as Leo walked, talked and even stood. "What else?" he asked the Whitelighter.
"There are things like sports," Leo admitted. "When this was happening last time, Dan, was Piper's boyfriend. He was an ex-baseball player. He and I struck up a conversation around his career."
Faith, Willow, Paige, Piper, and Phoebe walked into the room and gathered around 'Manny.' "So?" Piper pressed curiously.
"We're totally screwed." 'Manny' answered seriously.
Fine Romance Dating Service
'Manny' sat in a room where they were recording about what he felt was important in a relationship. Piper had loaned him her credit card to pay for a membership. "I like commitment," he said and then stopped as if that was everything. The woman behind the camera made a motion for him to elaborate or continue. He sighed before reluctantly continuing. "You know, someone that's not going to run away from a thrill or run to another hot woma… err, man just because. I'm not a toy and I believe women deserve to be treated with respect, not something to be tossed away," he finished with a slightly louder voice than necessary.
The woman behind the camera, Jan, peeked around at 'Manny.' "Can I just say… wow. You really know what women want to hear," she sighed, almost dreamily.
'Manny' smirked. "Imagine that," he muttered under his breath.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"We're looking for someone named Alan who signed up earlier today," Faith explained to Kylora at the receptionist desk.
Kylora thought the name over while taking a folder from one of the workers. "Um, Dr. Alan Grant?"
"Yeah, I guess that's him. Do you have any way I can get in touch with him…" Willow started but Faith slammed her foot down on Willow's toes to make her be quiet.
"Kylora, since I signed up this morning, can I see his file?" Faith questioned with a falsely bright smile.
Kylora's eyes flickered up to meet hers. "Sorry, those are classified, but you can view his tape…" She started as Piper froze the room.
"No offense, Faith, but how much Slayer strength did you use, because that hurt," Willow said.
"Sorry, Red," Faith admitted as she went around the desk to pull out Alan's file. "Okay, Aunt Piper," she said when she was back in position.
Piper flicked her wrists and the room unfroze.
"I think I'll have a look around first. I might come back," Faith interrupted Kylora and then ran off with Willow and Piper and the Alan's file before Kylora could respond.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Faith, Willow and Piper flipped through Alan's file for information that could help them. "Do you think the Succubus already got Alan?" Willow asked nervously. "I mean, what if we're too late?" she worried.
"You would know if we were too late," Piper pointed out. "When Phoebe was going through this, she saw everything that happened to Prue when she was a man."
"I'm going to go get Buffy, rescue her from any girls," Faith announced, getting to her feet.
"I will go with you," Piper said.
As they left, Willow made eye contact with Alan and she walked up to him. "Hi," she greeted cheerfully. She was only doing this because he was an innocent. She wasn't about to cheat on Oz again, not after doing it a half a year ago with Xander.
"Hi," Alan returned with a wide smile upon seeing her.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
'Manny' paced around the video tape room. "So, from your experience, how long should it take for me to get a date?" he asked curiously.
Jan smiled sweetly. "Mr. Hanks. Something tells me that you could be dating as soon as tomorrow. This is one great tape," she complimented, holding said tape up.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Willow and Alan settled comfortably on the couch, passing the time with some chitchat.
"Do you, uh, want to get out of here and take a walk or something?" Alan asked hopefully.
"I can't," Willow declined apologetically.
Alan didn't appear fazed. "You can't? Why not?" he wondered.
"I'm uhm. It's hard, I mean, to explain, you know?" Willow stammered before trying to use her hand to fan herself. "Is it really hot in here?"
Alan watched her curiously for a moment. "You know what? I'm going to get you something to drink. I'll be right back," he offered, standing up and heading to the juice bar.
"Okay, alright." Willow agreed. As soon as he had left, she was pulled into another vision of the Succubus. She saw the Succubus enter the room. "Oh, no, she's here." she whispered. She saw Faith and 'Manny' on one side of the room, Piper standing a few feet away more toward the center of the room. She decided Piper would be the best so she took off in that direction. "Piper!" she called only to be intercepted by the returning Alan.
"Hey, what's going on? Are you okay?" Alan asked, quickly picking up on her hurry.
Willow eagerly took one of the drinks from him. "Yeah, uh, we need to get out of here fast, okay? Follow me," she ordered and changed directions toward Faith, who had just spotted her and was approaching with 'Manny.' "Um, Alan, this is my friend, Faith. If you could just stay with her for a minute, I'll be right back," she promised, running to get Piper's attention.
"It's nice to meet you," Faith greeted, shaking hands with him while 'Manny' stayed a few steps away.
Willow didn't hear any more after that as she bolted up to Piper. "Uh, I had another vision. She's here. I felt her." she explained, obviously speaking of the Succubus.
"What? Where is she?" Piper demanded, glaring around at the crowd as if she'd be able to spot the Succubus.
"I don't know but she's in the room somewhere. She could be after Alan." Willow worried, pointing in the direction of Faith and Alan.
"Well, get him out of here. Fast," Piper decided.
Willow nodded and started back toward Faith and Alan. She only made it a couple of steps before a man stepped in front of her. "Oh, where are you going, honey?" he asked her while grabbing onto her wrist.
Willow glared at him. "Excuse me," she offered and tried to go around him.
The man leaned down toward her. "No, no, no, I'd like to have a little talk with you… in private," he explained, showing her his badge. Willow glanced at it and saw it was for the Sunnydale Police Department. Before she could say anything, she was drawn into another flash from the Succubus where she saw it had seen Alan.
"What the hell's the matter with you, Smith? Let go of her. I can vouch for Ms. Rosenberg," said Darryl as he approached.
"Darryl?" Willow said in confusion. Why was the inspector in Sunnydale?
"Hey, Willow," Darryl said. "I'm here to assist the Sunnydale police in relation to a string of unsolved murders two years ago that happened in San Francisco."
Willow nodded in understanding at what Darryl meant by assist. She looked past him at Faith, 'Manny' and Alan. "Faith! Manny! It's Alan! Take him out, fast!" she yelled.
'Manny,' misinterpreted the order. He stepped forward and slugged Alan in the face. Alan crashed to the ground and the crowd stepped away.
"Oh my god! Manny, stop!" Faith screamed as Piper ran up to her. She was ready to join the fight, but Piper pulled her back.
Faith broke out of Piper's grasp and grabbed 'Manny's' arm and attempted to pull him toward the door.
Willow was helping Alan to his feet when Smith ran up to 'Manny.' "Sorry, doll," he told Faith, grabbing her arm and pushing her out of the way. Darryl came up behind Smith, he reached out and caught Faith around the waist, looking ready to explode.
"Alright, Man, you're under arrest." Smith stated to 'Manny.'
'Manny' responded by punching him so hard that he flew several feet and hit a table. Darryl grabbed 'Manny' and handcuffed his hands behind his back. "That's it, you're under arrest, pal." Darryl decided. "Get up, Smith," he called to Sunnydale detective.
Smith stood and walked over to Alan and handcuffed Alan.
"Uncle Darryl," Faith said drawing Darryl's attention to her. "That's Buffy," she said nodding toward 'Manny.'
Darryl nodded in understanding that Buffy had been magically transformed. Not that he could do anything right then about it.
Willow took one look at him and knew not to argue so she ran to join Faith and Piper. "This is… This is bad. This is really bad." Piper observed, biting her lip slightly as Smith and Darryl 'Manny' and Alan out.
"Hopefully once they get to the station, Uncle Darryl will be able to straighten it out," Faith said.
"If he understood your hint," Piper said.
Willow grabbed onto Faith's arm as she was struck with another vision. She saw the Succubus zero in on the arrested 'Manny.' "It's getting worse," she whispered. "The Succubus isn't attracted to Alan anymore. She's attracted to Buffy."
"Well at least that part of the plan worked," Faith said with a sigh. "Now how do we help Buffy vanquish him without losing my wife in the process?"
Sunnydale Police Department
"I can try and talk to them," Darryl said to Faith, Willow and Piper. "I managed to talk my Captain into loaning me to the Sunnydale police since I was part of the case last time. I'm only here to help catch her. I have no jurisdiction to try and get Buffy released. Especially when she punched a cop."
"We know, Uncle Darryl," Faith said. "But the murders won't end with Buffy in jail. The Succubus could get bored and go find another innocent man to kill."
Darryl sighed. "What about this Dr. Alan Grant?"
"He's a potential victim," Willow answered. "As long as he's here, he's safe. They can't let him out."
"Alright, I will see what I can do," Darryl said as he walked toward Smith.
October 2, 2001 – Tuesday
Summers Home
'Manny' walked through the house after fixing the air conditioner with a tool belt fastened around his waist. He saw Joyce attempting to open a jar but failing. Ever the helper, he took it from her and easily opened it before giving it back to her.
"Thanks, Buffy," Joyce appreciated and then gave 'Manny' a curious look. "So, what are you thinking about right now?" she asked.
"Sex." 'Manny' answered without a thought. "I can't seem to get it out of my head. Men have some serious needs."
Joyce chuckled. "That they do. Uhm, Buffy, I'm wondering if you had the same thought I had?"
"What?" 'Manny said' looking at his mother.
"Patty foresaw you and Faith with a daughter. What if this is how she's conceived? While you're like this," Joyce suggested.
'Manny' thought about it for a moment. "Maybe your right, mom. But would Faith be interested in having sex with me like this?"
"Only one way to find out," Joyce said as she noticed Faith and Willow approaching. She decided to change the subject quickly. "Did you fix the air conditioning?"
"Yeah, I just had to clean the filter. Air flow clog must have thrown the breaker." 'Manny' assured her.
"Oh, thank god, I think I can feel it!" Faith exclaimed as she, Piper, Tara and Willow walked up next to them.
Willow pulled a thermometer out of her mouth. "102.5 degrees. Probably normal for a Succubus," she stated and glanced at 'Manny.' "This sucks," she groaned.
Joyce frowned at the temperature reading. "I'll get a cold towel. Coupled with the air conditioning maybe it'll get your temp. down a little," she offered, heading for the kitchen.
"I think you should just go see a doctor," Tara voiced her opinion.
Piper shook her head. "There's nothing he can do. It's the connection to the Succubus."
"It's getting stronger," Willow added. "Probably because she missed her nightly feeding. She didn't get Alan or Buffy. She needs to kill. I can feel it."
"So since last night was a bust, do we have a plan B?" Faith asked.
'Manny' instantly spoke up. "We might already have one. My video was so awesome that I already have twenty dates lined up. One's probably the Succubus so I told all of them to meet me at the Bronze tonight," 'Manny' announced. "Starting at six."
The Bronze
"I just hope that the Succubus gets here fast because I'm dying," Willow groaned. She led the way through the crowd with Piper, trying to join up with Faith and 'Manny.'
"Okay, focus on the plan." Piper ordered. "Manny lures the Succubus into the alley and then I freeze her, Faith will be on stand-by if we need her …"
"And Manny will do whatever it takes to make that bitch burst into flames," Willow finished with a nod. She caught sight of Faith and 'Manny' not far from them. She started to follow after them when she saw 'Manny' turn around and check out another woman's butt. "Uh, did Manny just check out that girl's butt?" she asked uncertainly.
Piper glanced around in time to see Faith grab 'Manny's' arm and obviously start lecturing him.
"Prue did the same thing," Piper admitted. "The longer she was a man the more she became one mentally. Kind of like when Buffy and Faith were made children again. They began to regress mentally. The same type of thing is going on here."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Faith pulled 'Manny' hastily through the crowd after the incident with the other woman. "Alright, I know you're supposed to be practicing but can you try not to check out other women," she pleaded. They stopped next to the bar and Faith turned to face 'Manny.' He just shrugged as if he wasn't really listening and continued to scan the crowd. "You are going to regret that as soon as you turn back into a woman," she pointed out.
"I already know the plan. We should get started." 'Manny' finally decided, ignoring whatever Faith had said previous.
Faith just sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Fine, stay here at the bar until I call you. As soon as I do, lure her to the alley and we got it from there," she reminded before stalking off toward Piper and Willow.
'Manny' sat down at the bar to wait out the Succubus. Someone sat down next to him with a drink but he didn't so much as offer a glance until the other man said, "Hi."
'Manny' glanced over in surprise, recognizing his voice anywhere. Xander. "Hey," he replied hesitantly. "I guess you don't recognize me."
Xander looked over at 'Manny' and stared at him as if trying to place if he knew the guy or not. "No, should I?" he questioned before taking a large sip of his drink.
"I'm Buffy, Xander," 'Manny' answered.
Xander looked at his friend with wide eyes. "How?"
"Spell," 'Manny' admitted. "We're tracking a demon who's targeting men."
"So, you turned yourself into one to draw the demon out," Xander said in understanding. "Wow."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Piper looked up as Faith joined her and Willow. "Where's Buffy? I lost her…" she admitted, unable to find Buffy's unfamiliar male self in the crowd now that Faith had left her. "Err… him," she corrected herself.
"At the bar right there," Faith answered, pointing at 'Manny.' "Talking to Xander, actually."
Willow suddenly grabbed onto the edge of the bar as she got another vision from the Succubus.
"Red?" Faith called with a worried expression.
Willow saw the Succubus moving through the crowded bar. "The Succubus. She's here. I'm seeing what she's seeing," she whispered.
"What? Where is she?" Piper demanded.
"She's here somewhere," Willow replied, trying to pinpoint a location. 'Manny' was suddenly in her vision. "She just spotted Buffy."
Faith spun around to see who was around 'Manny' and her eyes landed on Jan the camerawoman. "Oh, oh! The camera lady." She pointed out of the crowd.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"How does Faith feel about this?" Xander wondered.
"I really haven't asked," 'Manny' admitted as his phone went off. He quickly answered it when he saw it was Faith. "Yeah?"
Faith paced nervously in a circle. "She's seen you. Get into position. It's Jan the camerawoman from Fine Romance," she ordered.
"Kay. I'm going," 'Manny' agreed and then ended the call. "I will see you later, Xander. Hopefully when I'm back to normal." She then headed for the Bronze's rear entrance and headed out into the back alley.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Willow ran through the crowd and intercepted Jan in the hopes of distracting her from 'Manny.' "Hi, hi, hi, hi, Jan, right? From Fine Romance?" she guessed, feigning interest.
Jan narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Yes, have we met?" she wondered.
Willow didn't answer as she had another vision where the Succubus could see 'Manny' in the alley. "It's not you," she realized, backing away slowly.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
'Manny' spun around as he heard footsteps coming up behind him. He expected to see Jan or Faith but instead he was faced with Kylora.
The hot blonde receptionist of Fine Romance slowly advanced toward him. "Hello, Manny," she greeted with a bright smile.
'Manny' didn't hesitate and threw his hand out toward her trying to telekinetically throw her back away from him, but nothing happened. "What's going on?" he whispered to himself but Kylora heard it.
"You're falling in love," Kylora told him while leaning slightly forward. "You want me. You need me. Tell me I'm irresistible. Tell me," she pleaded, taking another step toward him.
"You're irresistible," 'Manny' repeated as if in a trance.
Kylora's razor-sharp tongue shot forward to take 'Manny.' Faith jumped from the shadows at the last minute and grabbed Kylora throwing her away from 'Manny.' "Not him you don't, you creepy, self-centered, bit…" Faith stopped abruptly as Kylora stood back up and her tongue shot back out at them.
"Oh my god!" Piper screeched, flicking her wrists and freezing Kylora as she and Willow came running from inside the club.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"What are you doing, Faith? You were supposed to be an emergency only player," Piper pointed out.
"It was an emergency. My wife didn't use her powers and Ms. Succubus over there was going to kill her," Faith insisted, her voice rising.
Willow glanced at the surprised 'Manny.' "Why didn't you use your power?" she demanded.
'Manny' shrugged apologetically. "I tried but it didn't work and before I could try again, I just felt…"
Just then Kylora unfroze.
"Oh no!" Piper screamed, jumping backwards and Kylora tried to make a run for it by them. Faith and Willow grabbed 'Manny' and forced him behind them and up against the alley wall.
Smith ran in ahead of Darryl and pointed his gun at Kylora. "Freeze right there," he ordered. Kylora barely cast him a glance as she threw him across the alley where he was knocked out against some debris.
Darryl turned the corner just in front of her with his gun pointed. "San Francisco PD. Freeze!" he yelled. Kylora didn't stop running. "Stop!" he tried one last time.
Kylora's tongue shot out at them and the sounds of gunshots filled the air. Her body dropped, one bullet through her head, another through her heart.
Darryl kneeled down next to Kylora's body. "She's dead," he pronounced after failing to feel a pulse. He stood and walked toward Piper, Faith, Willow and 'Manny.' "Everybody okay?" he asked.
"This is too easy," Piper said looking at Kylora's body.
'Manny' looked down at himself and then leaned toward Piper. "I think your right it is too easy. Because I would have changed back, right? Does that mean she wasn't the only one?"
"I don't know," Piper admitted trying to remember when she, Prue and Phoebe vanquished the last Succubus.
Coroner's Office
The coroner pulled a white sheet over the dead body of Kylora before answering Darryl and Smith's questions. "The toxicology report won't be back for a week but the preliminary blood panel did show something odd. This woman's endocrine system showed high levels of testosterone," he explained.
Smith tore his gaze away from the sheet covering the body to look at the coroner in surprise. "Testosterone? How is that even possible?" he asked.
"You don't want to know, Smith. Trust me," Darryl offered under his breath.
The coroner was filling out his report and didn't hear Darryl. "Won't know for certain until the autopsy but if it turns out to be accurate, you've definitely got the killer you've been looking for," he answered.
"I'm telling you, there's something really weird about all this," Smith insisted, earning a calculating look from Darryl. "It's a real shame, she's a babe."
Darryl rolled his eyes at the comment. The coroner chose to ignore him and left into another room. Darryl followed and Smith started to but paused at the door and turned back. "Hey, Smith, come on," Darryl ordered upon realizing the Sunnydale cop wasn't with him. Smith didn't reply and he sauntered back over to Kylora's body and pulled the sheet back. "You ever heard of respecting the privacy of the dead?" Darryl asked sarcastically, coming back in to pull Smith out.
"What, Morris? Have a little…" Smith stopped abruptly when Kylora's eyes shot open. "Oh!" He jumped backwards just as Kylora's tongue shot at him. Darryl cursed in surprise and grabbed Smith's arm before dragging them out of the room and away from the Succubus.
Summers Home
"I think I know why it felt too easy," Phoebe said from the other end of the phone. "Prue vanquished the last one with fire. And the book does say that she will burst into flames. Darryl may not have killed her."
"Do you remember how Prue did it exactly?" Piper questioned.
"Not offhand," Phoebe replied sadly. "Maybe because Buffy didn't use her powers?"
'Manny' glared at Piper in frustration. "I tried to use them. They didn't work," he snapped.
Further conversation was temporarily stalled as Faith's cell began to ring. "It's Uncle Darryl," she said as she walked out of the room to answer the call.
"Okay, Phoebe, we'll call if we have anything further," Piper said as she ended the call. She turned and saw 'Manny' looking at the doorway Faith had walked through. "Penny for your thoughts."
"I'm thinking about the daughter Patty foresaw us having," 'Manny told the eldest Halliwell sister. "Mom had the thought of maybe trying to see if Faith and I could conceive her while I'm like this. I'm just wondering if Faith would be interested in me like this."
Faith came back into the room with a worried expression. "We were right it was too easy. The Succubus is still alive. She attacked that other officer with Uncle Darryl and then left the building," she explained quickly.
"Is Darryl okay?" Piper asked.
Faith nodded. "He's fine, got himself and the Sunnydale cop out of there. He's trying to get Smith to calm down, I think," she assured them.
"Okay how am I supposed to do anything differently?" 'Manny' questioned. "She put me in a trance and I felt that if I rejected her, she would be devastated and I couldn't do that."
"Great. We're dealing with a sensitive man-killing demon." Willow groaned.
Piper rolled her eyes. "I'm going to call Phoebe back."
'Manny' started for the stairs. "While you guys figure this out, I'm going to go take a leak."
"Don't forget to put the seat back down!" Piper, Faith and Willow yelled after him.
"Yeah, uh huh." 'Manny' waved the request off.
Willow felt her vision blur as a hot flash from the Succubus shot through her. She slowly dropped into a chair.
"Willow?" Piper called.
Willow saw 'Manny' in the bathroom and Kylora coming up behind him in the mirror. 'Manny' spun around to face her. "She's here," Willow whispered. "The Succubus… she's in the house."
Faith looked horrified for a split second before she dashed up the stairs for the bathroom and 'Manny.' She had just disappeared when Willow and Piper heard a crash of breaking glass. "Buffy?" Willow screamed, running out with Piper. They reached the door to the bathroom only to find Faith already in there and no 'Manny.'
"She's not here!" Faith exclaimed.
"Where'd she go?" Piper demanded. They turned around and saw the broken glass of the bathroom window.
Kylora's Apartment
'Manny' was lying seemingly frozen on the bed as Kylora advanced with seductive steps. "I watched your tape over and over again. The things you said, I…" She trailed off with a dreamy look. Her eyes flickered over him and she sat down on the edge of the bed. "You can't resist me…"
Summers Home
"You're the only one who can find Buffy, Willow." Piper said looking at the redheaded witch. "Phoebe was able to talk through the Succubus if memory serves me right. It was how Prue broke the trance."
"It's worth a try, Willow," Faith said using Willow's name for the first time.
"Did you?" Willow asked as Faith nodded. She smiled as she wrapped an arm around the Slayer.
"I've always done nicknames because it was easier than letting people in," Faith admitted.
Willow nodded. "Then maybe it should be you and I? If I have a connection the Succubus and your holding my hand…"
"Would that work, Aunt Piper?" Faith wondered looking at her aunt.
"It might," Piper said. "Try it."
Willow held out her hand and Faith took it. Piper took her free one. They fell silent as they attempted to connect with each other.
Is it working?
Yes, I can hear you, Faith.
Alright, Willow, let's go find Buffy.
Yes, let's go find my wife!
How do I do that?
Alright, um, it's like finding the right thread. You just, uh, find Buffy's thoughts and you follow it. You'll probably find her emotions first and if you keep following, you'll reach her.
Maybe?
Oh guys, I think I found her so keep up.
Kylora caressed 'Manny's' chest as she slowly moved to straddle him. "Tell me you want me," she pleaded.
"I want you." 'Manny' repeated.
Ew… no Buffy.
"Tell me you need me." Kylora continued.
"I need you."
Willow, tell her she's a woman. Force her to say it aloud… it should jolt her out of the trance.
I bet this is really confusing to poor Buffy… You're not a man, you're a woman. Say it. I'M A WOMAN!
"I'm a woman." 'Manny' repeated aloud.
Kylora paused and looked at 'Manny' with a funny look. "What?" she asked.
Ha! That face is priceless!
"Tell me I'm irresistible."
Do something, Willow, before she kills Buffy.
Damn it, Willow. If you don't stop her from killing my wife, I'm going to be severely pissed off at you!
Resist Buffy! Only a man is powerless against her.
'Manny' stood up from the bed. "I can resist you. And, actually, I'm rejecting you," he stated.
"What? You can't resist me! I'm irresistible," Kylora screeched. 'Manny' advanced forward and Kylora prepared to use her razor-sharp tongue.
"Not this time." 'Manny' flicked his wrist and Kylora flew back into the wall and knocked over several candles. The candles caught the floor around her on fire and she was engulfed in them. The flames rose until she was vanquished with a final cry and then died away again.
'Manny' looked down at himself and frowned. "She's vanquished why am I still…"
Tell Buffy, I think I know.
Buffy, Piper says she thinks she knows. Get back here and she will tell you.
Summers Home
'Manny' appeared in a swirl of fiery flames in the middle of the living room to find Piper, Faith, Joyce and Willow waiting.
Piper grabbed 'Manny' and led him out of the room. "I think the reason you haven't changed back. Is because you know that your mother was right. This is how your daughter is conceived."
'Manny' thought about it. "Would you tell Faith I would like to see her?"
Piper nodded as she walked back into the living room. "Faith, Buffy wants to talk to you."
"Okay, Aunt Piper," Faith said as she walked into the dining room. "Babe, Aunt Piper said you wanted to see me?"
"My mom had a suggestion," 'Manny' told her. "She thought maybe while I was like this that you and I…well we could try conceiving our daughter. Anyways I eventually told Piper when she noticed my mind wasn't on the Succubus. So, when I didn't turn back, she suggested that was why. I just want to…"
Faith didn't let 'Manny' finish. She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the dining room and up the stairs to their bedroom.
Within moments those downstairs could hear the sounds of destiny hopefully moving forward.
October 3, 2001 – Wednesday
P4
The next night, the Halliwells met for the show put on by the Creed. Buffy and Faith were the last to arrive and they practically skipped toward Piper, Phoebe and Paige.
Phoebe smiled as Buffy and Faith joined them. "Oh, well, well… and I thought the heat wave was over," she teased.
"Yeah, Buffy, you look hot." Piper agreed.
Buffy looked down at her chosen outfit for the night, she was wearing a pair of leather pants, a t-shirt and jacket she had pulled from Faith's side of the closet. "I'm just glad that I can steal Faith's clothes again." She admitted with a pointed glance at her wife.
"You're lucky I missed seeing you wear them too," Faith said good-naturedly. "Seriously, though, it's great to see you."
"And you can walk without looking stupid!" Paige exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Buffy's shoulder. "Your all ladyfied again." She fell into a fit of giggles.
Buffy rolled her eyes at them. "If you guys are done making fun of me, I think I am going to ask my lovely wife to dance," she announced. She took Faith's hand firmly and pulled her to the dance floor just as Creed began to perform their song, 'With Arms Wide Open.'
Author's Note: For the scene at P4, I first looked for a popular band that might have been doing club tours in 2001. Then I looked for popular bands period. I was set to have it be Lil' Romeo singing his song 'My Baby.' But I decided I'm going to see if there were any songs about actual babies. I found Creed's, 'With Arms Wide Open' which was about the birth of Scott Stapp's son and his warming to the idea of being a father. I felt that song would be much more fitting for this chapter. So yes, as of this chapter Faith is now officially pregnant. She won't discover that for about five chapters though.