Chapter 38: School Hard in Wonderland Pt 2

Phoebe rushed into the Conservatory of the Manor to share her news only to find Piper, Paige, Buffy and Leo lounging on the chairs. "The teens are being lured by a fairy tale," she said.

"Yeah," Piper said. "Alice in Wonderland. We know."

"What do you mean you know?" Phoebe asked. She was confused how they had already figured it out.

"Billie," Paige answered.

"Billie? Who is Billie?" Phoebe asked just as confused as before.

"Paige's new charge," Buffy answered.

"What I don't understand is why Alice in Wonderland," Leo said. "Why did the demon pick that one?"

"Are you kidding?" Phoebe said as if the answer was obvious to everyone. She sat down next to Piper. "It's all about the loss of innocence, the need for escape, the search for one's identity."

"Well, if that's the case, I'm surprised it didn't lure us, too," Piper said.

"I think it was meant to," Buffy said. "Either that it was meant to lure me back to San Francisco away from Sunnydale. Why else would a demon go through all that trouble? What, just to mess with a couple of kids?"

"Possibly," Leo said.

"I agree with Buffy," Paige said. "I think these signs are too elaborate not to be meant for her or us."

"And Billie," Piper added.

"Well, no, I don't think it was meant for her," Paige said. "I think she just found it."

"Which makes her one smart witch," Phoebe said.

"Maybe too smart for her own good," Buffy said. "Paige let it slip apparently that I was her girlfriend. If Billie puts two and two together."

"She could figure out who you are and likely from there who we are," Piper said with a sigh. "Regardless you think this is a trap?"

"Very well could be," Buffy answered.

"Ok, then what do we do?" Phoebe asked. "I mean we can't go after the demon."

"You can't but I can," Buffy said.

"Not alone, Buffy," Piper said. "And if we don't help Buffy, then more innocents will be hurt."

"Innocents are always going to get hurt," Leo said. "There was a reason you all agreed Buffy has to remain in Sunnydale and only be on call for Wyatt and Chris's protection."

"I know, Leo, but it's a little bit different when we're aware of it," Piper said. "I don't think this is something we can ignore. So how do we find them?"

"Well, Billie knows how," Paige said. "I'll go get her scrying stuff and you stay and make potions, okay?"

"What if Piper is right and she figures us out?" Phoebe asked.

"I don't think she's going to figure this out because to her this is all just a lovely little game," Paige answered.

"Yeah, well, it's one we'd better win," Piper said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the Sunnydale Library Dawn, Xander and Willow were telling Giles, Jenny and Joyce about the vampire that threatened to kill Buffy on Saturday.

"Whoever he is, we'll need all the help we can get come this Saturday," Jenny said.

Xander eyed The Attack of Saint Vigeous engravings in the tome in front of him. "This Night of Saint Vigeous deal, if they're going to attack in force shouldn't we be thinkin': vacation?"

"We can't run, that would be wrong," Willow said. "Could we hide? I mean if that vampire is leading the attack…" she shuddered loudly "…sorry, was that audible?"

"I'm sure he's no worse than any other creature you've faced –" Giles said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Somewhere in San Francisco, Billie was walking cautiously through the sewers. Out of the shadows in front of her come Haas and Black Heart. "We've been waiting for you," Haas said as he hit Billie, who flew backwards across the tunnel and hit the ground with a thud. " Ah! I'm curious. Which one are you? Phoebe? Piper? Paige?"

"I think you have me confused with somebody else," Billie answered.

"I think not," Haas said. He turned and looked at Black Heart. "Send her through. Then after her sisters find her wandering the streets and come looking for revenge, we will send them through, too."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the attic of the Manor Piper and Phoebe were filling vials with potion as Paige and Buffy orbed in.

"Where's Billie?" Piper asked.

"In big trouble," Paige said.

"Apparently," Buffy said as she sat Billie's laptop on the table, "she decided to go after the demons by herself."

"What?" Piper said, shocked that Billie did that.

"Know where to find her?" Phoebe wondered.

"This is her laptop," Buffy said. "The one Paige said that Billie had showed how she scryed with."

"She was scrying with a computer?" Piper asked surprises.

"That's pretty state of the art," Phoebe said.

"Right," Paige said. "Well, it just might get her killed faster."

Buffy sat at the table and opened up the laptop and using it started to scry for Billie. "Yeah it could, but if it doesn't. Remind me to ask her how she set it up," she said as the computer beeped and a red dot appeared on the map that was displayed on the screen. " Got her."

"Hang on a second. Wait one second. What if Billie doesn't need saving?" Piper said.

"What?" Paige asked.

"You have any idea what she's talking about?" Phoebe asked.

"I think I know," Buffy said. "And I don't think your right, mom. I don't think she is part of the trap. She just stumbled into it."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

All Billie could see was the shaft of white light behind her, flashes of images and all she could hear was overlapping voices.

"Why is everyone like a desk, huh?"

"Ha ha ha!"

"Twinkle, twinkle!"

"Off with her head!"

Billie gasped out as Black Heart appeared before her carrying an executioner's axe. "Ha ha ha!" Black Heart laughed as she swung swings the axe. Billie ducked out of the way of Black Hearts swing. She

tucked and rolled backward, pulling out her athame.

White alphabet letters appeared and disappeared around her. The voices get louder and louder. Billie put her hands over her ears to block out the sounds. Suddenly, she' was pulled down further into the darkness. There, everything stopped. Billie turned around and screamed as she spotted a giant red-eyed rat. "Oh! Help!"

"Kill her!"

Unsure what to do Billie turned and started running.

"I said Kill her! Right now!"

"Off with her head! Kill her!"

Behind Billie was a deck of cards with Haas' image on some of them. "Run for your life, girl!" Haas yelled at Billie who tucked and rolled. When she stood up, everything stopped again. Suddenly, she found a thick set of shackles around her wrists. She shook them, but they wouldn't come off.

Billie pulled back and found herself standing in an old-fashioned witness box. "What is happening to me? she asked. She looked around saw Haas and Black Heart's heads floating in front of her.

"I'll be the judge and the jury, said the cunning old fury," Black Heart said.

"And I'll try the whole case then condemn you to death," Haas said as a large swinging executioner's axe materialized into the air. The axe swung and headed for Billie. Before it could reach her it vanished and reappeared as it hit Black Heart instead as the demon was vanquished. Haas looked at Billie as his floating head vanishes. The shackles around Billie's wrists vanish as well.

"Billie, are you all right?" Paige said from out of the darkness.

"Yeah," Billie answered as she walked through the sewers. She found Haas standing in front of the Paige, Phoebe, Piper and Buffy.

"What have you done? How did you do this? You killed her," Haas said.

"Bright side?" Piper said. "At least she got to meet us first."

"I should've never underestimated you. I knew you were alive," Haas said.

"Too bad you won't be around long enough to tell anybody," Phoebe said.

Haas pulled back his hand as he was about to power up an energy ball. He never got the chance to throw it though as Buffy, Piper, Phoebe and Paige each threw their potion vials vanquishing him.

"Wow!" Billie said, excitedly as she rushed towards them.

"You're welcome," Piper said.

"I can't believe this. You guys really are The Charmed Ones," Billie said as Piper cleared her throat. "I did a little research after you left."

"Let me guess, what set you off was Paige saying she was my girlfriend," Buffy said as Billie nodded. "Yes.:

"The newspapers said they died died in some terrible accident," Billie said as she looked at Buffy. "And that you being Piper Halliwell's step-daughter was her heir."

"They didn't die," Buffy said. "They had to fake their deaths for reasons that are complicated. Let me introduce you." She waved towards the sisters in turn. "That's my girlfriend, Paige … that's Phoebe … and my step-mom, Piper."

Phoebe sighed. "What do we do?"

"Blow her up?" Piper suggested.

"Piper!" Paige said.

"What?" Piper asked. "Do you have any better ideas?"

"I'm not going to tell anyone if that's what you think. I promise," Billie said.

"What's the catch?" Buffy wondered.

"Well, show me the ropes. Teach me everything you know about witchcraft. Everything," Billie answered.

"Forget it," Phoebe said.

"Wait a second. What do you have to offer?" Paige wondered.

Billie smiled. "I can help you guys fight the demons so you don't have to do it

all the time. I mean, I assume that is why you faked your own deaths, right?"

"Well that would solve the problem of me not being around all the time," Buffy said. "Mom, you would have someone on call to help out when I'm not available because of school."

Paige sighed. "All right. One condition. Lose the cheap vinyl outfit."