Piper, The Vampire Slayer?

[noazmale]

CHARMED
"Piper, The Vampire Slayer?"
(A Charmed/Buffy The Vampire Slayer Crossover)
by J. B. Tilton
email: [e-mail]
Rating: T

Disclaimer: “Charmed” and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, and “Buffy, The Vampire Slayer” and all related characters and events are the property of Josh Whedon, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

(Authors note: This story takes place between season 4 episodes “Marry-Go-Round” and “The Fifth Halliwell”.)

* * *

A warlock attacks Piper in her club. When the smoke clears, Piper finds herself in a strange place. And she’s expected to do the last thing in the world she could have imagined.

* * *

ONE

Piper put another case of alcohol up on the bar. The bartender would be in soon to set up for the night. He’d be pleasantly surprised when he found his job nearly half done.

After the last week, preparing to open the club was a welcomed change. Phoebe’s wedding had been a disaster, as usual. The never-ending demon attacks had seen to that.

But thankfully she and Cold had finally been able to get married. Even if it was in the middle of the night in a cemetery. Well, it could have been worse. Cole could still have been a demon.

Piper thought about the other women in Melinda Warren’s line. She wondered if any of them had ever had anything that resembled a normal wedding. With demons out to destroy them at every turn, she finally decided a “normal” wedding probably wasn’t something the Warren women had much experience with. She couldn’t help but wonder what Paige’s wedding would be like when, and if, she decided to settle down.

A noise brought her out of her thoughts. She looked around the club. Nothing seemed out of place. She was alone at the club. Phoebe and Paige were at work and Leo was off doing whatever White Lighters did.

She heard the noise again. This time she was sure. It was the sound of a chair being scooted across the floor. She looked in the direction from which the sound had come. The corner was dark. It was hard to tell if anyone was there.

She reached down and flipped the switch for the overhead lights. Lights came on all over the club, illuminating the entire area. As she looked over in the corner once more, she saw a man sitting at the table. He looked to be about forty. He was dressed in slacks and a dress shirt. An ornate ring was on one finger. He wore a mustache and a goatee. He sat smiling at Piper.

“Now that’s a shame,” said the man. “I was so enjoying watching you work. It’s nice to see young people who still have a good work ethic.”

“We don’t open for a few more hours,” said Piper. “How did you get in here?”

“A simple locked door isn’t a problem for me,” said the man. “I learned how to get around them long ago.”

“What do you want?” asked Piper.

“You,” said the man, “not to put too fine a point on it.”

“I think you’d better leave,” said Piper, “before I call the police.”

“Oh, I can’t do that I’m afraid,” said the man. “My employers wouldn’t be happy if I left before our business was concluded.”

“Your employers?” questioned Piper. “What employers and what business are you talking about?”

“Well,” said the man, “my employers told me I might find you here. A Charmed One without her sisters or even that annoying White Lighter around to bother with.”

Piper looked at the man intently. She had never seen him before, but she knew who he was. Or rather, what he was.

“Warlock,” she gasped.

“Theodore Collier, at your service,” said the warlock, smiling at her.

[noazmale]

TWO

“You picked the wrong sister to mess with, bub,” said Piper.

Piper raised her hands and froze the warlock in place. Except he didn’t freeze. He stood up and smiled at Piper. He reached inside his shirt and pulled out an amulet hanging around his neck.

“A little insurance,” he said. “This little trinket insulates me from your power. As the most powerful of the Charmed ones, I decided you should be the first. With you out of the way, your sisters should not be a problem.”

“First?” asked Piper, trying to buy time. “First for what?”

“Oh, surely you know that,” said the warlock. “I’m a warlock. It shouldn’t be difficult to guess what I’m after.”

“My power,” said Piper.

“Sadly, no,” said Collier. “I’m one of the few warlocks that can’t steal another’s powers. But that was a good guess. The logical one, actually.

“No, my job is to get you out of the way. While I can’t steal your power, I am well equipped to perform the little task for which I was hired. Now, hold real still. This won’t hurt a bit. At least, I don’t think it does.”

He held out his hand and a blue beam shot from his fingertips. Piper dropped behind the bar and the beam narrowly missed her, striking a half full bottle of bourbon on the shelf. The bottle simply vanished.

Piper made her way to the end of the bar and then stood up. The warlock hadn’t moved. He stood looking around trying to figure out where Piper had gone. Her power might not work on him, she reasoned, but it would still work on other things.

Piper exploded the light fixture directly over the warlocks’ head. He covered his head with his arms as the fixture and broken glass rained down on him. Piper turned and ran into the back of the club, slamming the door closed behind her. She had only scant moments. The warlock would be after her immediately.

“Leo,” she called out.

Before she could call again, the warlock blinked into the room

“It won’t be that easy, witch,” he said.

He raised his hand and the blue beam again shot out at Piper. Instinctively, she brought her explosive power to bear on the attack. Her power collided with the blue beam, exploding it on contact. Piper was bathed in a blue light and almost immediately lost consciousness.

* * *

Piper opened her eyes. She was apparently lying on the ground staring up at a cloudless, moonless sky. She stood up and looked around. The first thing she noticed was her clothes. She was dressed completely differently from what she had been at the club. She was now dressed in a red, one-piece suit. Something she might have worn ten years ago, but not today.

The second thing that caught her attention was her location. She wasn’t in the club any longer. Instead, she was standing in the middle of a cemetery. And it was the middle of the night.

“This is weird,” she said. “Leo? Leo, I need your help.”

“I’ll be Leo,” said a voice behind her. “And I know I can help you.”

She turned to see a man staring at her. Well, not a man actually. His forehead had a wrinkled ridge and his eyes were yellow. Two elongated fangs extended from his mouth.

“Demon,” thought Piper.

She’d never seen this kind of demon before but she knew it was a demon of some kind. And from the looks of it, this one would be a vampire.

[Piper Halliwell]

Great story going on!

[noazmale]

THREE

“You really should have a dermatologist look at that skin problem,” said Piper.

“Oh, we have a funny one,” said the vampire. “Let’s see how funny you are when I’m gorged on your blood.”

The vampire started moving toward her. Piper reached out and exploded the vampire. It vanished into a pile of dust.

“Not tonight,” she said calmly.

“Whoa, Piper, you learned a new trick,” said a female voice behind her.

Piper whirled around ready for another attack. She saw two people standing several feet from her. One was a young girl with straight brown hair. The other was a tall lanky boy. Both were holding sharpened wooden stakes in their hands. Both appeared to be about sixteen years old.

“Gee, Pipe,” said the boy, “where’d you learn to do that? Sure beats staking them.”

“Who are you kids?” asked Piper.

“You know us,” said the girl. “Me, Willow. You know, best friend, confident, that sort of thing. This is Xander. What’s the matter Piper? Did you hit your head?”

“Yeah,” said Xander, “and what’s with the kids remark? We aren’t exactly children even if we aren’t the Slayer.”

“Piper,” said a whiney female voice to Piper’s left, “that was my date you just blew up.”

Piper turned to see another young woman walking up to her. The woman was very attractive with long brown hair. And her clothes were very expensive.

“Uh, Cordy,” said Xander, “your date turned out to be a vampire.”

“Well that’s just great,” pouted Cordy. “No wonder he wanted to cut through the cemetery. Now who’s going to take me to the Winter Formal?”

“Do you always whine so much?” asked Piper.

“Cordelia sort of has a corner on the whiney market,” said Xander. “That’s what makes her so endearing to us.”

“Who are you people?” asked Piper. “And where am I?”

“Is she okay?” asked a man wearing a leather jacket approaching the small group.

Piper couldn’t help but notice how good-looking he was. And even under the jacket she could tell he kept in shape. He appeared to be older than the others.

“Piper, are you okay?” asked the man.

“Who are you?” asked Piper. “How do you all know who I am?”

“Angel, we think she hit her head,” said Willow, a look of pure innocents on her face.

“She doesn’t look hurt,” said Angel. “Are you sure she hit her head?”

“I didn’t hit my head,” protested Piper. “One minute I’m fighting a warlock, the next minute I’m here. Wherever here is.”

“A warlock?” asked Xander. “Where is he?”

“Where am I?” demanded Piper. “And who are all of you?”

“If she encountered a warlock,” said Angel, “she might be under a spell. We should get her to Giles.

“Good idea,” said Willow. “Giles will know what to do.”

“Hello,” said Piper, “standing right here. I’m not going anywhere until someone tells me where I am and what’s going on.”

“You’re in the Sunnydale cemetery,” said Willow.

“Sunnydale?” questioned Piper. “As in Sunnydale, California? How the hell did I get here?”

“We came out hunting vampires,” said Xander, “like you do every night.”

“What do you mean like I do every night?” asked Piper.

“You know,” said Xander, “patrolling, staking the evil uglies, protecting people who live over the Hellmouth.”

“The what?” asked Piper.

“You’re Piper Summers,” said Willow. “And you slay vampires.”

Piper just stared at the group of lunatics.

[noazmale]

FOUR

“Mr. Giles,” said an exasperated Piper, “I don’t know who you all think I am, but my name is not Summers. It’s Halliwell, and I live in San Francisco with my two sisters.”

“Piper, please just calm down,” said Giles. His British accent was actually soothing to Piper. “It appears the warlock you encountered has apparently cast a spell to confuse you. Not to worry. I’m sure we’ll find a way to undo what he’s done.”

“I’m not under a spell,” insisted Piper. “He wasn’t trying to cast a spell. He was trying to kill me. I was in my club getting ready to open it when he attacked.”

“Your club?” questioned Giles.

“Yes,” said Piper. “It’s called P3. It’s in San Francisco and my sisters and I own it.”

“Piper, you don’t own a club,” said Angel. “You’re not even out of high school yet.”

“What are you talking about?” questioned Piper. “I graduated from high school ten years ago.”

Giles walked over to a bureau in his living room. He opened one of the drawers and pulled out a hand mirror. Then he handed the mirror to Paige.

“Does it look like you’re old enough to have graduated ten years ago?” asked Giles.

A shocked Piper looked at herself in the mirror. It was obviously her. But the reflection couldn’t possible be her. The reflection staring back at her was the way she had looked in high school. She couldn’t have been over sixteen.

“This is impossible,” said Piper.

“No, it’s not,” said Giles. “As we’ve told you, you’re simply under a spell. A spell to confuse you.”

Giles picked up his glass and took a drink from it. This gave Piper an idea.

“Mr. Giles,” she said, “drop your glass.”

“I beg your pardon?” questioned Giles.

“You want me to accept what you’re telling me?” asked Piper. “Fine. Drop your glass.”

“I hardly see how,” began Giles.

“Just do it,” said Piper. “We can settle this one way or another.”

Giles looked around the room. Finally he just shrugged and then held the glass out at arms length. He opened his hand and the glass fell to the floor. The glass had fallen only a foot or two when Piper reached up and froze it in place. It hung suspended in midair.

“Does this spell give me that ability, too?” asked Piper.

“Remarkable,” said Giles, looking over the glass. “Simply remarkable. How are you able to do this?”

“Because,” said Piper, looking around the room and taking a deep breath, “I’m a witch. That’s one of my abilities.”

“She can blow things up, too,” said Willow proudly.

“She sure can,” said Xander. “We saw her. She blew this vampire up. It was so cool.”

“Giles,” said Angel, “something strange is going on here. Piper’s never had abilities like that before.”

“That’s because I’m not Piper Summers,” said Piper. “I’m Piper Halliwell.”

“That’s simply not possible,” said Giles. “I’ve known you for almost two years. And aside from these new powers you appear to have, you’re the same girl I’ve always known.”

“You said you’re a witch,” said Angel.

“Yes, I am,” said Piper.

“What about your sisters?” asked Angel. “Are they, by any chance, witches, too?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact they are,” said Piper.

“What is it, Angel?” asked Giles. “You look like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary.”

“I’ve been hearing rumors in the demon underground,” said Angel. “Rumors about three powerful witches who live in San Francisco. Witches who are also sisters.”

He looked at Piper.

“The Charmed Ones,” he said finally.

[noazmale]

FIVE

“Yes, that would be us,” said Piper. “My sisters and I are the Charmed Ones.”

“That just can’t be,” said Giles. “As I’ve told you, you’ve been in Sunnydale for two years.”

“Then how do you explain my powers?” asked Piper.

“Simply because I can’t explain something doesn’t mean there isn’t a logical explanation,” said Giles.

“I can prove it,” said Piper, jumping up and running to the phone. “Call my house. Talk to one of my sisters. They’ll tell you who I am.”

“You want me to call San Francisco?” asked Giles. “At this hour?”

“Phoebe stays up late,” said Piper. “Chances are, Paige is on a date, but if she isn’t I’m sure she’ll be up. I’m sure Leo is there, probably wondering where I am. Cole might even be there.”

“Who are Leo and Cole?” asked Willow.

“Leo is my husband,” said Piper. “Cole is Phoebe’s husband. They just got married about a week ago.”

“Your husband?” shrieked Xander. “Pipe, you naughty girl, you.”

“Piper,” said Piper. “My name is Piper, not Pipe.”

“Piper, you’re only sixteen,” said Giles. “You aren’t old enough to be married.”

“Just call the house,” said Piper. “Once they tell you who I really am, we can start to figure out what’s going on here.”

Giles walked over and took the phone from Piper. She dialed the number and Giles waited for someone to answer. Finally, a female voice answered on the other end.

“Hello?” questioned the voice.

“Yes, hello,” said Giles. “I’m sorry to bother you at this hour. I’m trying to reach the Halliwell residence.”

“This is the Halliwell residence,” said Phoebe. “Look, if you’re selling something, you’re wasting your time.”

“No, I’m not selling anything,” said Giles. “My name is Rupert Giles and I live in Sunnydale. This may sound like an odd thing to ask, but would you happen to have a sister named Piper?”

“Piper?” questioned the woman. “No, I don’t. Is this Piper trying to find a lost relative or something?”

“Yes, something like that,” said Giles. “The young lady believes that her sisters live at this residence.”

“Well,” said the woman, “my name is Phoebe Halliwell and I have an older sister and a younger one. But neither is named Piper I’m afraid.”

“This is a Phoebe Halliwell and she says she has two sisters, but none named Piper,” Giles said to Piper.

Piper grabbed the phone from him.

“Phoebe?’ she questioned into the phone. “Phoebe, it’s me, Piper. Somehow I ended up in Sunnydale. Tell Leo to come get me. Something screwy is going on here.”

“I’m sorry,” said Phoebe, “but I don’t know anyone named Piper. And I certainly don’t have a sister named Piper.”

“Phoebe, this isn’t funny,” said Piper.

“I’m not trying to be funny,” said Phoebe. “I don’t have a sister named Piper. I don’t know how you know Leo, but he’s certainly not going to come get you. My husband is not in the habit of going out in the middle of the night to get strange women.”

“Your husband?” questioned Piper.

“Yes,” said Phoebe. “Leo is my husband. Now, I suggest you look elsewhere for your missing family. You obviously have the wrong number.”

The line went dead.

“This is insane,” said Piper.

“Obviously this spell is quite potent,” said Giles.

“She didn’t know me,” gasped Piper. “My own sister didn’t know me. What’s going on here?”

“You’re under some kind of spell,” said Giles. “Obviously this warlock you encountered is trying to help the vampires. Perhaps by mixing up your mind so you don’t remember you’re the Slayer. Perhaps these new powers are part of the spell to further disorient you.”

Piper just stared at Giles. Could he be right?

[noazmale]

SIX

“No,” said Piper. “My sisters and I are the Charmed Ones. We protect the innocent and fight demons. We certainly don’t slay vampires.”

“Technically speaking,” said Giles, habitually cleaning his glasses, “vampires are demons.” He glanced over at Angel. “Well, most of them, anyway.”

Piper picked up a pad and pen and drew the triquetra on it. She showed it to Giles.

“Listen,” she said, “my name is Piper Halliwell. My sisters and I are the Charmed Ones. This is the triquetra, our symbol. I don’t know what’s going on here, but my name is not Summers and I’m not this Vampire Slayer.”

“Piper,” began Giles.

“Giles, let’s listen to her for a moment,” said Angel.

“Does that symbol mean something to you?” asked Giles.

“Not especially,” said Angel. “But she drew it with her right hand. Piper is left-handed.”

“He’s right,” said Willow. “Piper has always been left-handed.”

“So you believe me?” asked Piper.

“I’m not sure what to believe,” said Angel. “All I know is that the Piper I know is left-handed. And you are obviously right-handed.”

“That’s because I’m not Piper Summers,” said Piper. “I’m Piper Halliwell.”

“That could simply be part of the spell she’s under,” said Giles.

“If she is under a spell,” said Angel. “I know it sounds crazy, but what if she’s telling the truth? What if she’s not our Piper?”

“I suppose there’s a slight possibility,” said Giles. “But if she’s not our Piper, where is our Piper? And where did she come from?”

“What about another dimension?” offered Willow. “We’ve had people from other dimensions before. Well, not people exactly. More like demons. Actually, they were demons.”

“Wil,” said Xander, “you’re rambling.”

“Oh, right, sorry,” said Willow.

“I have an idea,” said Angel. “Why don’t we go out and get something to eat. It’s been a long night. I’m sure we could all use something to eat.”

“Well, I could stand for a bite,” said Piper. “Maybe we’ll be thinking clearer on a full stomach.”

“Perhaps that’s a good idea,” said Giles. “I suppose we could all do with a break. Angel, why don’t you . . .”

“I’ll come along,” said Angel.

He opened the front door, standing behind it. Piper looked out and saw the newly risen sun.

“We’ve been here all night?” she asked. “It doesn’t seem like it.”

“You ready?” asked Angel, looking at her.

“Yeah, I guess so,” said Piper. “Only I’m not familiar with Sunnydale. You’ll have to pick the place.”

“Out there?” asked Angel.

“Unless there’s a restaurant in the back of the house,” said Piper. “Do you have a particular place in mind?”

“Look at her, Giles,” said Angel. “She honestly has no idea.”

“Good lord, you’re right,” said Giles. “I suppose it could be part of the spell.”

“Enough with the spell,” said Angel. “I don’t think she’s under any kind of spell. What purpose would it serve to change her memory of me?”

“Quite right, of course,” said Giles. “I suppose that means we have to consider that she’s telling the truth.”

“You guys are certainly acting weird,” said Piper.

“Perhaps from your perspective,” said Giles. “They truth is, Angel can’t go outside. Something you’d be aware of if you were really Piper Summers.

“Yeah,” said Xander. “One step outside and it’s boyfriend flambé.”

Everyone looked at Xander.

“What?” he asked. “It’s not like it’s a big secret or anything.”

“What does he mean ‘boyfriend flambé’?” asked Piper.

“It’s quite simple,” said Giles. “Angel can’t go outside during the day because he’s a vampire.”

[noazmale]

SEVEN

“A vampire?” questioned Piper. “If he’s a vampire, then how come . . .”

“I was cursed by gypsies,” said Angel. “They restored my soul to me. So, I’m not exactly your typical vampire.”

“I see,” said Piper. “And the boyfriend part? Does that mean that you and your Piper . . .”

“You’re doing the horizontal mamba,” beamed Willow. “Oh, I’m sorry. That sounded awful.”

“Piper Summers and I have been . . . involved for more than a year,” explained Angel. “Well, maybe involved is too strong a word.”

“I see,” said Piper again. “Well, I guess breakfast at a restaurant is out of the question.”

“We could order out,” suggested Xander.

“I suppose I could prepare something,” offered Giles. “However, I must warn you, I’m not really a very good cook.”

“I am,” said Piper.

“You cook?” asked Willow.

“Actually, I’m a chef,” said Piper. “Or at least I used to be. Just show me to the kitchen.”

“That’s not the Piper I know,” said Xander. “The Piper I know can’t even boil water.”

“She may not be the Piper we know,” commented Giles. “Angel may be right. She may well be someone other than our Piper.”

“You mean she is from another dimension?” asked Willow timidly.

“I can’t say,” said Giles. “Something is definitely different. We just have to figure out how to determine what.”

Piper amazed them all with her ability to make a feast out of the simplest ingredients. She said it wasn’t difficult if you know how.

“Well,” said Giles when they had finished, “that was definitely something our Piper could not have done. Perhaps there’s more to this than simply altering your memories.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling you,” said Piper. “My memories haven’t been altered. I was attacked by a warlock and ended up here.”

“Who was this warlock?” asked Angel. “Did you recognize him?”

“No,” said Piper. “I’ve never seen him before. He said his name was Theodore Collier.”

“The name is not familiar,” said Giles. “I suppose there is something about him in one of my books. We might be able to figure out who he is and what he’s done.”

“Except that doesn’t help us to put things back the way they’re supposed to be,” said Angel. “Even if we figure out what happened, how do we fix it? None of us is an expert in the Craft. Changing things back could be complicated.”

“I guess I’m something of an expert,” said Piper. “I have been a witch for almost four years. But I’ll probably need some help.”

“Which leads us back to our first problem,” said Giles. “We don’t know enough to attempt putting things right again.”

“No, but I know someone who does,” said Piper. “I’ll bet Phoebe and Paige are still Charmed Ones. Collier might have switched me with this Piper Summers but he obviously couldn’t change my powers. They can help me.”

“That means we have to go to San Francisco,” said Angel.

“All right,” said Xander, rubbing his hands together, “road trip. I’m up for it.”

“For us,” said Giles. “Not for you.”

“But,” Willow began to protest.

“There are still vampires in Sunnydale,” said Giles. “Whether or not she’s our Piper, someone has to stay here and make sure they don’t run amok.”

“Right,” Willow said. “Got to prevent the amok running.”

“I never get to go anywhere,” complained Xander.

“Sheesh,” said Piper, “you sound like that whiney girl who was with us earlier.”

“Whiney girl?” questioned Giles.

“Cordelia,” said Willow, rolling her eyes. “She complained because Piper blew her date up.”

“Yes, well, I’m sure he deserved it,” said Giles.

“He was a vampire,” said Angel.

“Oh, that makes a difference,” said Giles. “We should leave right away. We can take my car.”

“I’ll ride in the trunk,” said Angel.

“It’s apt to be a bit uncomfortable,” said Giles.

“I’ll manage,” said Angel.

“Well,” said Giles, “I suppose we should be going then.”

Piper, Giles, and Angel left Xander and Willow to head for San Francisco. It was clear that neither Xander nor Willow appreciated being left behind.

[charminggrl]

OMG this story is sooo good please continue

[noazmale]

EIGHT

“Is Angel going to be okay back there?” asked Piper as Giles drove them to San Francisco.

“I should think so,” he replied. “It is a rather large boot for a vehicle this size.”

“Boot?” questioned Piper. “Oh, of course. You’re English.”

“British actually,” said Giles.

“Right, British,” said Phoebe.

“Perhaps a fine distinction that may be lost on most Americans,” said Giles.

“So,” said Piper, “if I’m only sixteen, won’t my mother be worried about me? About her Piper, anyway?”

“Your mother died some months ago,” said Giles. “That is, her mother died some months ago. It was all quite sudden.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Piper. “I didn’t know. So, where do I live now?”

“Actually, I’m your legal guardian,” said Giles.

“Really?” questioned Piper.

“Yes,” said Giles. “It’s been quite trying at times, I can tell you. But I must say it’s also been quite rewarding as well.”

“I guess I can be a handful,” said Piper.

“Quite,” said Giles. “But you are one of the most gifted Slayers there’s ever been.”

“So I keep hearing,” said Piper. “So, have Angel and I . . . been together long?”

“About a year, as I understand,” said Giles. “But contrary to what Willow may have said, I don’t believe there’s been any, uh, intimacy involved. Angel seems a bit uncertain in that respect.”

“It kind of seems strange,” said Piper. “The Slayer and a vampire together. Kind of like a witch and a warlock getting together. You’d think the two would be mutually exclusive.”

“It took some getting used to,” said Giles. “But as Angel said, he’s not your typical vampire.”

“So it would seem,” said Piper. “Giles, what if I can’t get back to where I belong? What if I’m trapped here? My sister is married to my husband. I’m involved with an undead creature I don’t even know. And on top of everything else, I’m an adolescent again. It just makes me want to scream.”

“Go ahead if it will make you feel better,” said Giles. “But let’s not jump to conclusions. Perhaps these Charmed Ones will be able to return things to their proper state.”

“I hope so,” said Piper. “All of this is enough to give me a headache.”

They continued to talk as Giles drove to San Francisco. Piper told him about being a Charmed One and he told her what it was to be the Slayer. Piper could tell that Giles was very proud of Piper Summers. He obviously looked on her as the daughter he never had.

San Francisco didn’t seem any different. From what Piper could tell, it hadn’t changed at all. Then she assumed most major metropolitan areas were probably be pretty much the same. It would only be in the microcosm of individual areas that any appreciable difference would be noticed.

Piper saw her car sitting in front of the manor as they drove up to it. That was a good sign. It meant she wasn’t crazy or that her memories hadn’t been altered. The manor also looked exactly as it always had. Even the new drapes she had recently hung in the living room could be seen through the windows.

“Now you’ll see I’m not crazy,” said Piper as she and Giles walked up to the front door.

She grabbed the doorknob and turned it. The door refused to open. The door was locked. Piper reached for her keys, but they were gone.

“Damn,” she said. “I must have lost my keys in the cemetery last night.”

“Perhaps if you were to knock,” suggested Giles.

Piper knocked on the door loudly.

“Now you’ll see you’re all wrong,” she said, looking at Giles. “You’ll see I’m a Charmed One and not the Slayer. And we’ll get this all sorted out.”

Piper heard the door being unlocked, and then opening. It would probably be Phoebe or Paige opening the door. Leo and Cole usually left that responsibility up to one of the sisters since it was, after all, their house. As the door opened, Piper froze. It wasn’t Phoebe or Paige who had opened the door. Nor had it been Leo or even Cole. The person who had opened the door couldn’t possible be there.

Prue Halliwell stood at the door looking out at Piper.

[noazmale]

NINE

“Can I help you?” asked Prue, looking at Piper and Giles.

“Oh my God, Prue,” said Piper. “You’re alive.”

She grabbed Prue and hugged her close repeating “you’re alive” over and over again.

“You’ll have to forgive her,” said Giles, pulling Piper away from Prue, “she has a tendency to be a bit overemotional at times.”

“Okay, whatever,” said Prue, a perplexed look on her face.

“Wait a minute,” said Piper, wiping tears from her eyes, “you can’t be here. You’re dead. You died fighting the Source. I watched you buried.”

“Young lady,” said Prue, “I’m not sure what that means, but I can assure you I’m very much alive.”

Just then Phoebe came down the stairs. She was putting on a pair of earrings that Piper recognized as ones Leo had given her as a wedding present.

“Who’s this?” asked Phoebe.

“Phoebe,” said Piper, pushing past Prue into the house, “do you know what’s going on here?”

“Okay, I’ll bite,” said Phoebe, “what? And who might you be?”

“Phoebe, it’s me, Piper,” said Piper. “Don’t you recognize me?”

“No,” said Phoebe. “Should I?”

“Miss Halliwell?” questioned Giles. “I’m Rupert Giles. I believe we spoke on the phone last night.”

“Oh, yes, Mr. Giles,” said Phoebe. “So, this must be the young girl who’s looking for her family.”

“Young girl?” questioned Piper. “I’m older than you are.”

“Okay,” said Phoebe, obviously not believing Piper. “As I told you last night, we don’t have a sister named Piper. You obviously have the wrong Halliwell residence.”

“No, I don’t,” protested Piper.

“Piper,” began Giles.

“No,” said Piper. “Giles, something very strange is going on here. Prue’s the oldest, I’m the middle sister, and Phoebe’s the youngest. Our mothers’ name was Patty and our grandmothers’ name was Penny. We called her grams. Our dads’ name is Victor Bennett.”

“You seem to know a lot about us,” said Prue suspiciously. “Just who are you and what do you want?’

“I want things back the way they’re supposed to be,” said Piper. “I was fighting a warlock at the club and . . .”

“Warlock?” questioned Phoebe. “You fought a warlock?”

“Yes,” said Piper. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I was fighting this warlock and somehow ended up in Sunnydale.”

Phoebe raised her hands and Giles froze in place. She turned to Prue.

“If she was fighting a warlock,” said Phoebe, “maybe she’s an innocent who needs our help.”

“I’m no innocent,” said Piper. “And since when can you freeze things?”

Prue and Phoebe just stared at Piper.

“You aren’t frozen,” said Phoebe.

“Of course not,” said Piper. “You know good and well that power doesn’t work on good witches.”

“No, it doesn’t,” said Phoebe. “Which means you must be a witch.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” said Piper. “Giles thinks I’m something called a Vampire Slayer. That warlock I was fighting did something and everything got changed around.”

Just then another woman came out of the kitchen. She looked to be about twenty-five and had blonde hair. She looked at the scene with a puzzled look on her face.

“Pheebs,” she said, “why is there a stranger frozen in the doorway? And who’s this?”

“I’m Piper,” said Piper. “Who the hell are you?”

“I’m Buffy,” said the woman.

“This is Buffy Halliwell,” said Prue. “She’s our younger sister.”

[noazmale]

TEN

Everyone sat in the living room. The sisters weren’t very comfortable with a vampire in the house. When Giles explained about Angels’ “condition”, they decided it would be relatively safe at least for a while. Angel sat in one corner of the room away from the sunlight.

“Then you are these Charmed Ones Angel and Piper mentioned?” Giles asked.

“Yes,” said Prue. “We became the Charmed Ones about four years ago when Buffy read an incantation out of a book.”

“The Book of Shadows,” said Piper. “Only as I remember it, Phoebe read the incantation. She’s actually the younger sister.”

“Then who am I?” asked Buffy.

“I don’t know,” said Piper. “I’ve never met you. Prue was the oldest, I was second, about what Phoebe’s age is now, and Phoebe was the youngest. She’d be about what your age is now.”

“The Piper I know,” said Giles, “is the Slayer. A girl who’s born with the abilities and strength to fight and slay vampires.”

“Then why isn’t he dead?” asked Buffy, looking over at Angel.

“Technically speaking, I am,” said Angel. “But as Giles explained, I have a soul. So I’m not like other vampires.”

“So you say,” said Buffy.

“You’ll have to cut her some slack,” said Phoebe. “She almost became a vampire a while back.”

“That happened to us, too,” said Piper. “Only it was Paige who almost became the vampire. We were only able to save her by destroying the queen before Paige made her first kill.”

“Those would be a lower level of vampire,” said Angel. “They’re kind of a rare form of vampire who usually live on animal blood. The queen was made when a vampire animal turned her. They’re called a Karish. All of the vampires of that line are linked. Kill the queen and all of her victims die, too. It doesn’t work that way with ‘normal’ vampires.”

“Who’s Paige?” asked Prue.

Piper explained to them who Paige was. About the death of Prue fighting the Source and how the Power of Three was restored in Paige.

“That never happened,” said Buffy. “We vanquished the Source weeks ago, but Prue never died.”

“I don’t understand,” said Piper. “How can things be so similar and yet so different at the same time? Just what did that warlock do to me?”

“Why are you talking about warlocks?” asked Leo, walking into the room.

“Leo,” gasped Piper.

“Do I know you?” asked Leo.

“You used to,” sighed Piper. “We used to be married.”

“I’m sorry,” said Leo. “I think I would have remembered something like that.”

“Not necessarily, honey,” said Phoebe. “Not if what she tells us is true.”

“Well, I still think I would be a bit old for her anyway,” said Leo.

“You’re a little old for any of us,” said Piper, “considering you’re over eighty years old.”

“What?” asked Leo, feigning surprise.

“Leo’s a White Lighter,” Piper explained to Giles and Angel. “That’s sort of an angel who helps witches. Leo, this is Giles and Angel.”

“What’s going on?” Leo asked Phoebe.

“She tells a very interesting story,” said Phoebe. “And she’s a witch. My freezing power doesn’t work on her.”

“So, what’s this story?” asked Leo.

He listened patiently as they explained to him what Piper remembered and what things apparently were like now. They also explained about Angel being a vampire and having a soul.

“That is certainly interesting,” said Leo. “But you can’t be a Charmed One. These three are the Charmed Ones. There are only three of them, not four.”

Piper reached out and froze Giles and Angel.

“Then how do you explain that?” asked Piper. “Does anyone but a Charmed One have the power to stop time?”

Piper then unfroze Giles and Angel.

“No,” said Leo, “but you could have found a way to duplicate that power. It doesn’t make you a Charmed One.”

“How do I convince you I’m telling the truth?” asked Piper.

Everyone looked around but no one spoke. There didn’t seem to be any way for Piper to prove her claims. Finally, Angel spoke up.

“Well,” he said, “if the rumors I’ve heard are true, there might be a way. Assuming you’re willing to take a chance.”

[Leo_The_Elder (He's Back!)]

This story is DOODY!

[noazmale]

dude12 said:

This story is DOODY!

Okay, you might want to explain exactly what you mean by that because I find that statement kind of insulting if I'm understanding it right.

[noazmale]

ELEVEN

“This is insane,” said Buffy as Phoebe stood in the entryway holding the Book of Shadows. “If this is a trick, she could disappear the moment she steps outside.”

“On the other hand,” said Piper, “if I’m not a Charmed One, I won’t be able to take the book out of the manor.”

“She’s right,” said Prue. “This should settle the matter one way or another.”

Phoebe handed the book to Piper. Piper looked around at the others and then stepped to the open door. She hesitated for a moment. What if this didn’t work? She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and stepped through the doorway.

When she opened her eyes, she was outside the house standing on the front porch. There were no magical barriers that had prevented her from taking the book out of the house. She stepped back into the manor and handed the book to Phoebe.

“Satisfied?” she asked.

“That’s impossible,” said Leo.

“If what you’ve said is true,” said Giles, “it would also appear that Piper’s story must also be true. Although I am at a loss to explain it.”

“The rumors I’ve heard say the book protects itself,” said Angel, “and that only one of the Charmed Ones can physically remove it from the house. The three of you as much as confirmed that those rumors are true. So, if she’s not a Charmed Ones, how was she able to take the book out of the house?”

“This is crazy,” said Prue. “It’s the Power of Three, not the Power of Four. And Piper’s not even a Halliwell. This shouldn’t be happening.”

“Piper,” said Phoebe, “you said this all started when that warlock attacked you at your club.”

“Yes,” said Piper. “He had an amulet that protected him from my power.”

“How did you get away from him?” asked Prue.

“I don’t really know,” said Piper. “He shot these blue beams from his fingertips. When he tried to shoot me with that beam, I used my explosive power on it. The next think I knew, I was here.”

“A blue beam?” asked Leo.

“Yes,” said Piper. “It was strange. He said he was one of the few warlocks who couldn’t steal a witch’s powers. But he said something about his employers wanting us out of the way.”

“What did he look like?” asked Leo.

“About forty, I guess,” said Piper. “Dressed casually. He had a goatee and was wearing some kind of ring. I couldn’t tell exactly what the ring looked like, though.”

“Collier,” said Leo.

“Yeah,” said Piper. “He did say that was his name. Theodore Collier.”

“You know him, honey?” asked Phoebe.

“Not personally,” said Leo. “But I know of him. He’s no ordinary warlock. As far as I know, he’s the only one who shoots blue beams from his fingertips. It would also explain a great deal.”

“Who is he?” asked Prue.

Leo took the Book of Shadows from Phoebe and flipped through the pages. He stopped at one and then handed the book back to Phoebe. She read the entry out loud to everyone.

“Theodore Collier,” she read, “dimensional warlock. Ability to move between different dimensions at will. Powers include blinking and a blue beam of light that is believed to move others from one dimension to another. Hires out as a mercenary by using his power to move witches out of their dimension into another dimension where their powers don’t function. Possesses an amulet that protects him from witches powers.”

“Not a nice guy,” said Prue.

“So what happened?” asked Piper. “He used his power to move me into another dimension?”

“So it would seem,” said Giles.

“It would seem that in this dimension,” said Leo, “you were born as the Vampire Slayer instead of a Charmed One.”

“But I still have my powers,” said Piper. “How is that possible?”

“When you exploded that beam he shot at you,” said Prue, “it must have deflected the beam partially. Just enough to send you somewhere other than where he intended to send you.”

“Right,” said Phoebe. “And it must actually have caused you to exchange places with this Slayer. Putting you here and sending her to your dimension.”

“If that’s true,” said Piper, “then my sisters are stuck in my dimension without the Power of Three.”

“There’s another problem,” said Giles. “Since the beam was deflected, you were probably sent to a random dimension. Which means we have no way to determine where you really belong. We may not be able to send you back where you belong.”

[noazmale]

TWELVE

“This is kind of strange,” Piper said to Phoebe, “seeing you and Leo together.”

“Buffy made a play for him when we first met him,” said Phoebe. “She finally admitted she was only interested in him because I was.”

“That’s exactly what happened to me,” said Piper. “Only it was you, not Buffy. In my dimension, you’re my younger sister.”

“So in your dimension,” said Buffy, “if you’re Phoebe and Phoebe is me, does that mean I’m this Slayer?”

“I don’t know,” said Piper. “As I said, I’ve never met you before.”

“I suppose it’s possible there is no Slayer in your dimension,” said Prue. “If what Mr. Giles says is true, things could be very different in that respect.”

“I suppose,” said Piper.

“You miss her, don’t you?” asked Prue.

“Who?” Piper asked.

“Your Prue,” said Prue.

“Yes I do, very much,” said Piper. “She helped keep us together after dad left and mom died. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know what would have happened to us.”

“She sounds a lot like our Prue,” said Phoebe.

“Almost no difference from what I can see,” said Piper. “I guess some things stay constant no matter what dimension you’re in.”

“Probably not,” said Giles, walking up to them. “Prue is who she is because of the choices she’s made in her life. It is quite possible there are Prue’s who are completely different.”

“What do you mean?” asked Prue.

“Every choice has consequences,” said Giles. “According to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, every choice that can be made is made. Only in different dimensions. Here, you chose to turn left while in another dimension you chose to turn right. Each having its own consequences.”

“So it’s possible there’s a dimension where we don’t even exist?” asked Buffy.

“Most assuredly,” said Giles. “In some dimension, your mother decided not to have children. Or your parents never got married. Here, Buffy was born into the Halliwell family, while in her dimension Piper was.”

“And somewhere there’s a dimension without me,” said Angel. “I never met Darla and she never made me what I am.”

“Precisely,” said Giles.

“This can give you a headache,” said Phoebe.

“I suggest you try not to think about it too much,” said Giles.

Just then Leo orbed in. He had gone to check with the Elders about Piper. And to see about returning her to her own dimension.

“Well?” asked Phoebe and Piper in unison.

“Oh fun,” said Buffy. “Questions in stereo.”

“Buffy,” snapped Phoebe.

It reminded Piper so much of her and her Phoebe.

“What did you find out?” asked Phoebe.

“It’s not good,” said Leo. “The Elders think we’re right. Our Piper and this Piper have somehow switched places. Enough of each was transferred to the other dimensions to transfer their powers and abilities with them. That’s why Piper can be a Charmed One and still be only sixteen.”

“At least I understand that part,” said Piper.

“What about Collier?” asked Prue.

“They can’t locate him,” said Leo. “They think he’s in another dimension right now. It’s very difficult to locate him in another dimension. If he moves before they can find him, they’ll have to start over again. They think that until he returns to our dimension, there’s not a whole lot they can do.”

“So I’m stuck here,” said Piper.

“That’s about the size of it,” said Leo. “There’s more. They do have the power to search other dimensions. It’s difficult and time consuming, but they can do it. But finding the right one could take years.”

“Great,” said Piper.

“It’s also possible they may never find the right one,” said Leo. “And even if they do, it’s very possible they might not even know it’s the right one. In short, unless Collier is able and willing to point out the right dimension, the Elders think it’s quite likely that there’s no chance of getting you home. Ever.”

[noazmale]

THIRTEEN

“What do you mean they can’t return me?” demanded Piper. “How hard can it be to find a dimension where I’m supposed to be a Charmed one but I’m not?”

“Much more difficult than you might imagine,” interjected Giles. “Remember, according to the theory, every decision that can be made has already been made in some dimension.”

“So?” asked Piper.

“Imagine all the decisions you’ve made over the years,” said Giles. “Every day you make hundreds of them. When to get up, what to wear, what to eat, when to leave for school or work, how to get there, what to do first, second, and so on. Many decisions are not made consciously. For example, many people take the same route to work. While they do not necessarily consciously decide to do so, they make the decision all the same.”

“Okay, so there are a lot of decision,” said Piper.

“Now,” said Giles, “multiply that by every person on Earth. Or more accurately, by every person who has ever lived and is living now. Then you begin to understand how complex the problem actually is.”

“It’s hard to grasp something like that,” said Buffy. “I mean, the number would be huge.”

“Nearly infinite actually,” said Giles.

“How do you know all this?” asked Prue.

“Giles is almost a walking encyclopedia,” smirked Angel.

“Hardly,” said Giles. “I’m the head librarian at Pipers’ high school as well as being her Watcher. One has a tendency to pick up things. I also enjoy reading a great deal.”

“So there’s no way to send her back?” asked Phoebe. “No way to get our Piper back?”

“Not without an idea of what dimension she belongs in,” said Giles. “Unfortunately, most of what we know about other dimensions is purely speculation. Scientific theories and postulations mostly. Nothing very concrete, I’m afraid.”

“Not necessarily,” said Prue. “Leo, aren’t there demons who can move through dimensions?”

“She’s right,” said Piper. “I remember a demon named Abraxus. He stole the Book of Shadows once and started undoing all of our vanquishings. He was in another dimension.”

“Yes, but I don’t see how that does any good,” said Leo. “I doubt if a demon is going to help us.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” said Angel, smiling. “It all depends on how you ask them.”

“It’s unlikely they could help at any rate,” said Giles. “The sheer numbers of possible dimensions makes it improbably.”

“It’s all we have right now,” said Phoebe. “What about a Power of Three spell? Is it possible we could use that to send her back?”

“It might,” said Leo. “But a Power of Three spell isn’t all powerful, you know that. Even it has its limits.”

“It’s one more chance,” said Buffy. “I’ll start working on one right away.”

“We should check the Book of Shadows,” said Piper. “It’s possible there’s something in there that can help us.”

“Good idea,” said Phoebe. “I’ll see what I can find.”

“Ideally,” said Giles, “it would be most helpful to find this warlock. If he has the power to send Piper here, it is logical to assume he must have the power to return her.”

“The Elders can’t locate him anywhere,” said Leo.

“Is it possible he could hide himself from these Elders?” asked Angel.

“I suppose it’s possible,” said Leo. “A powerful enough magic might hide him from them.”

“Once it gets dark,” said Angel, “I’ll look around. If this warlock is this powerful, someone knows something about him. I’ll see if I can find anyone who does.”

“I’ll go through my books,” said Giles. “Perhaps I can find out something through those.”

“I saw those in the trunk,” said Angel. “Do you always carry so many books in your car with you?”

“One never knows when one is going to need reference material,” said Giles. “Such as now.”

“Geek,” Buffy whispered to Piper.

“Buffy,” snapped Prue.

“No, I suppose she’s right,” said Giles. “I suppose by today’s standards, I am something of a geek.”

“That’s no reason for her to be rude,” said Prue. “Okay, everyone knows what to do. Let’s get started.”

“Prue is a rather strong willed individual, isn’t she?” Giles asked Leo while everyone set about their tasks.

“She always has been,” said Leo. “It’s one of her greatest strengths. What do you think our chances are?”

“Virtually impossible, I’m afraid,” said Giles. “They simply don’t understand the enormity of the problem. Unless we get some sort of break, I’m afraid things are going to remain as they are.”

“That’s what I think, too,” said Leo. “I’m going to check with the Elders again. They might have an idea or two.”

As Leo orbed out, Giles thought about Piper. Neither the world nor Sunnydale could be without a Slayer for long. And even with her Charmed powers, this Piper was ill equipped for the constant onslaught of vampires that deluged Sunnydale. If she were forced to stay here, she probably wouldn’t last long.

[noazmale]

FOURTEEN

Their search to find a way to return Piper to her own dimension was not going well. Giles’ books and the ones he had managed to borrow from a local library gave little concrete information on dimensional travel. Most seemed to indicate that it was tricky under the best of conditions.

The Book of Shadows was of little help. There was nothing specifically about dimensional travel in the book. The few demons it made reference to were not likely to provide them with any help. Even assuming they could find one of them.

Piper did notice that the Book of Shadows was somewhat different from her own. Nothing major, just creatures she had never heard of and a few missing that she knew had been in her Book of Shadows. While looking through the book, she came across the entry for Belthazor.

“Well, now,” said Piper. “He might be able to help if he was my Belthazor.”

“What do you mean?” asked Phoebe. “According to this entry, this Belthazor is a demonic mercenary. One who specializes in destroying witches. More than likely he’d tried to kill us instead of helping us.”

“He did,” said Piper.

“Really?” asked Phoebe. “So you’ve encountered him before? Well, considering you’re still alive, I assume you vanquished him.”

“Not exactly,” said Piper. “At least, not in the normal sense of vanquishing.”

“I don’t understand,” said Phoebe. “What do you mean not in the normal sense of vanquishing? Just exactly how did you defeat him?”

‘You married him, sweetie,” said Piper. “Oh, I’m sorry. I call my Phoebe that. It’s just so natural for me.”

“That’s okay, I don’t mind,” said Phoebe. “After all, in a way, you are kind of my sister. But what do you mean I married him?”

Piper told Phoebe about their encounters with the Belthazor of her dimension. She ended with the very strange wedding between Cole and Phoebe in a graveyard in the middle of the night.

“Whoa,” said Phoebe, “that is so weird. I married a demon. It seems so unlikely.”

“It’s unlikely that a witch would marry a White Lighter, too,” said Piper. “But we both did.”

“I see your point,” said Phoebe. “I know ADA Turner. We had the same encounter with the demonic judge you mentioned. But Turner has never posed a threat to us. As far as I know, he’s just another innocent in this dimension.”

“Maybe he is here,” said Piper. “Or maybe he’s just biding his time. I’d keep an eye on him if I were you. Our Cole Turner was born about one hundred years ago. My Phoebe found out about him by checking public birth records.”

“When this is all over,” said Phoebe, “I think I’ll do the same thing. If the Turner of this dimension is Belthazor, we need to know about it. He could be a threat.”

“Well, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to stop him the way we did,” said Piper. “I doubt your husband would approve of you becoming involved with anyone else, least of all an upper level demon sent to kill you.”

“You’re right about that,” said Phoebe. “You seem to be taking this pretty well. Leo and me, I mean.”

“Well,” said Piper, “I understand he’s not really my Leo. It was hard at first. But you and he seem as happy as my Leo and I are. And I know we’ll find a way to put things right and I’ll be back with my Leo in no time.”

“I hope you’re right,” said Phoebe. “We haven’t found much that’s of any help yet. But we’ll keep looking.”

“Excuse me,” said Leo, sticking his head in the door. “I hate to break up this bonding session, but Giles says he’s found something.”

“Coming, honey,” said Piper and Phoebe in unison.

The two just giggled as Leo looked at them perplexed. When they got to the living room, everyone else was already there. Everyone but Angel. It was still dark out and he was still searching the demonic underground for any leads or help.

“Leo said you found something,” Piper said to Giles.

“Yes,” said Giles. “One of the books I borrowed from the library has some fascinating information on cross dimensional exchange. According to the theory, a person is anchored, so to speak, in his or her own dimension. It’s theorized some form of a silver cord keeps that person anchored so they don’t end up between dimensions.”

“And that’s good?” asked Buffy.

“Oh, absolutely,” said Giles. “Without this cord, there’s no way to move into another dimension. The person would be trapped forever between all the dimensions in a sort of limbo.”

“Okay,” said Prue, “so we just figure out a way to find this cord and trace it back to Pipers’ dimension. Then we know where to send her.”

“That could be a problem,” said Giles. “The longer a person is out of their own dimension, the more strain the cord is under. Something akin to steadily stretching an elastic band longer and longer. It’s only a matter of time before that cord snaps under the strain. If that happens, Piper will be lost forever.”

[charminggrl]

ok its getting really really good now

[noazmale]

FIFTEEN

“How long,” asked Phoebe, “before this silver cord breaks?”

“I’m not sure,” said Giles. “There doesn’t seem to be a consensus on that. Anywhere from a few minutes to several months or possibly longer. I’ll keep looking to see if I can narrow it down. But at any rate, we’re running out of time.”

“That means we could also lose our Piper,” said Prue. “Assuming that both of these silver cords react the same. When this Pipers’ cord snaps, our Pipers’ cord snap at the same time.”

“That’s a reasonable assumption,” said Giles.

“I remember when a warlock stole Prue’s body while she was astral projecting,” said Piper. “We only had twenty-four hours to get her back.”

“That was different,” said Leo. “Prue had left her body. You’ve moved between dimensions. I’ll let the Elders know what we’ve found out. Maybe that will give them some ideas about what we can do next.”

Leo had no sooner orbed out than the front door to the manor opened. The sun would be up in a few minutes and Angel walked in. He was not alone. A small creature stood next to Angel. It was about three feet tall and was covered in fur. Its’ tail twitched like a cats’ tail. Its’ face was very human-like and reminded everyone of a small child.

“This is Salos,” said Angel. “I think he can help us, but he won’t talk to me. He’ll only talk to Piper.”

“A Trinsor demon,” said Giles. “Harmless for the most part. But they do have one remarkable trait. They can move freely into other dimensions. It’s very rare to find one outside their own dimension.”

“You want to talk to me, Salos?” asked Piper. “Okay, talk.”

“Slayer,” said Salos. “Blood drinker bring Salos to Slayer. Slayer need Salos help. Slayer help Salos. Salos help Slayer.”

“He sounds like a child,” said Buffy.

“He’s not much more than that,” said Angel. “That’s why they stay in their own dimension. No natural predators there.”

“Okay, Salos,” said Piper, “you say you need my help. What do you need?”

The little demon kept rubbing his head on his shoulders. First it would rub the left side and then it would rub the right side. Piper couldn’t help but like the little creature even if it was a demon.

“Slayer want evil man witch,” said Salos. “Salos find for Slayer. Not hard. Slayer help Salos.”

“Evil man witch?” questioned Prue. “Accurate enough description for a warlock, I guess.”

“Okay, Salos,” said Piper. “What do you need my help with?”

“Mate,” said Salos.

“Excuse me?” asked Buffy.

“Mate,” repeated Salos.

“Is he saying what I think he’s saying?” asked Phoebe. “Does he want to mate with Piper?”

“That’s not going to happen,” said Piper.

“I think he means something else,” said Giles. “Salos, what about your mate?”

“Mate taken,” said Salos. “Evil thing keep. Slayer get mate. Salos find evil man witch.”

“He wants you to free his mate,” said Giles. “Apparently, she’s being held captive by someone or something.”

“Oh, that’s different,” said Piper. “Salos, who has your mate?”

“Evil thing,” said Salos. “Big evil. Salos no fight. Salos not strong. Slayer strong. Kill much evil things. Slayer stop evil thing. No eat mate.”

“Eat mate?” asked Piper. “No, Salos, we would never eat your mate.”

“That’s not what he means,” said Angel. “I think I know who might be holding his mate. It’s a demon named Malcor. He runs what you might call the demonic mafia. They operate outside the normal demonic rules.”

“So where is this Malcor?” asked Prue. “In the underworld?”

“No, he wouldn’t dare show his face there,” said Angel. “Regular demons despise him. But he does have a taste for Trinsor demons. When he captures one he fattens it up and then . . . well, I think you get the picture.”

“Okay, so where do we find this Malcor?” asked Buffy.

“I know where he hangs out,” said Angel. “But I guarantee you he knows who you are Piper. At least, who our Piper is. He’ll be ready for you.”

“Except we have an ace up our sleeve,” said Piper.

“What’s that?” asked Angel.

“He’ll be expecting the Slayer,” said Piper, “not a witch. Besides, I have an idea for how to get Salos’ mate back with a minimum of trouble. Now, Angel. Tell us everything you know about this Malcor.”