Confrontation (AU Story)

[noazmale]

THIRTY-SIX

Piper put Watt into his playpen and gave him his bottle. The infant began to hungrily devour the liquid as if he hadn’t been fed in days. Xander and Dawn had been gone for two days. They had arrived at Giles’ friend and their call had allowed Buffy to relax, knowing they were well away from the danger.

“Where are Angel and Spike?” she asked as Buffy came into the room.

“They left as soon as it got dark,” said Buffy. “Spike thinks he’s learned something about grown up Wyatt. Apparently some new power has moved into the fringes of the demonic community here. He went to check it out.”

“And Angel?” Piper asked.

“I don’t know,” said Buffy. “Things are kind of strained between us right now. He doesn’t confide in me like he used to.”

“I’m sorry about that,” said Piper. “For a vampire, he’s pretty caring.”

“It’s because he has a soul,” said Buffy. “He’s trying to make up for all the evil he did when he was Angelus. It’s a pretty big load to carry.”

“I can imagine,” said Piper. “Phoebe’s in the attic with Willow. They seem to be hitting it off rather well. She’s giving Willow a crash course in the Book of Shadows.”

“Willow always was the studious type,” said Buffy. “Any idea where Chris and Leo are?”

“Leo is with the Elders,” said Piper. “They’re still trying to locate Wyatt. Chris is with Giles in the study.”

“We were,” said Chris as he and Giles walked into the living room. “Giles knows a lot about demons. More than most mortals. We’ve been trying to figure out the best way to protect baby Wyatt when The First attacks.”

“All ready taken care of,” said Piper, looking at her son.

“You’ve formulated a plan then?” Giles asked.

“In a manner of speaking,” said Piper, unable to stifle a small laugh. “I’m sorry. It’s just that your choice of the word ‘formulate’ just struck me funny, that’s all.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” said Giles, confused.

“Well,” said Piper, looking at Wyatt again, “I just gave Wyatt his formula. And that should protect him until this is all over.”

“How can formula protect him?” Chris asked. “There’s nothing magical about it.”

“There is about this one,” said Piper. “I took what you told me about The First and I think I’ve come up with a vanquishing potion. I can’t be sure of course until we use it but it’s the best I could come up with.”

“Excellent,” said Giles. “The only problem is using it against The First when it attacks. Things can get quite hectic in combat. Are you sure you’ll be able to use the potion in time?”

“I don’t have to,” said Piper. “I put it in Wyatt’s formula. That’s why what you said struck me as funny. All we have to do is put some of the potion in his formula every time we feed him. Then, when The First tries to possess him, boom. It’s all over.”

“Is that wise?” Chris asked. “Feeding a vanquishing potion to Wyatt? You don’t know how that might affect him.”

“It’s the best I could come up with,” said Piper. “Besides, it shouldn’t hurt him. It’s designed for The First. And I was even able to make his formula the base of the potion. That took some doing, let me tell you. But as long as we keep feeding it to him, it should be in his system when that thing attacks. If we can’t vanquish it another way, the potion should do the trick.”

“Excuse me a second,” said Chris. “I’ll be right back.”

Chris orbed out of the manor without another word.

“I’d still be careful,” said Giles. “Potions can be notoriously unpredictable. It might be best if you varied the potion-based formula with regular formula.”

“That’s a good idea,” said Piper. “Especially if this goes on for a while.”

“I don’t think that’s likely to happen,” said Buffy suddenly.

Everyone turned and saw a strange man standing over the playpen where Wyatt sat drinking his bottle. The man smiled an evil smiled and reached for the young infant. Buffy didn’t hesitate. He leapt across the room, stepping up on the edge of the playpen, launching herself at the man. Just as she cleared the side of the playpen, Wyatt’s force field activated. Caught off guard, Buffy collided with the force field and fell to the floor. She was slightly dazed but otherwise uninjured.

“Oh no you don’t,” said Piper raising her hands to bring her explosive power to bear.

The man raised his hand and it glowed a light blue. Piper’s power bounced harmlessly off the man causing no harm to him. The man then reached into the playpen for baby Wyatt. Without warning Wyatt’s force field suddenly vanished leaving the baby at the man’s mercy. And no one close enough to stop him.

[noazmale]

THIRTY-SEVEN

Suddenly, Chris orbed in behind the man. At nearly the same instant, Leo orbed in next to the playpen. Chris grabbed the man by the back of his shirt collar and threw him away from the playpen. The man fell to the floor and slid toward the solarium.

“What’s the matter, Keltrack?” Chris asked. “The outer fringes of the underworld no longer good enough for you?”

“You stay away from my son,” Leo said.

The man looked at Leo for a moment without attempting to rise.

“An Elder?” questioned the man. “Your son? That bastard set me up. I should have known no one would pay that much for an ordinary human baby.”

The commotion brought Phoebe and Willow down from the attic. Piper rushed over and scooped Wyatt out of the playpen as the Phoebe and Paige moved up between the man and the playpen. Giles, having no powers of his own, moved over and stood next to Piper, ready to offer whatever assistance he could. Willow moved over and stood between Leo and Giles. Buffy recovered from he failed assault and moved up next to Leo, ready to defend Wyatt against any attack.

“Look, I don’t want no trouble with you,” said the man, standing up and putting his hands up as if to ward of another attack. “I didn’t know it was you I was coming after. If I had known I would never had taken the job. We all know what happens to demons that go up against you.”

“Well, you’ve got trouble in spades,” said Phoebe.

“Who sent you?” demanded Paige.

“I don’t know,” said the demon. “Some human just appeared out of nowhere. He had power that would have rivaled the Source. He paid me an outrageous fee to snatch the kid. He didn’t want the kid hurt. Just that I was to snatch him and deliver him over. He didn’t say nothing about it being the Charmed Ones’ baby. Believe me, if I had known if was you kid I was being hired to get I would have told the guy to take a flying leap.”

“I say we just vanquish his butt,” said Paige.

“Hey, wait a second,” the demon protested.

“I have a better idea,” said Piper, handing Wyatt over to Giles. She walked up to the demon and stood toe-to-toe with him. “I want you to deliver a message for me. Your kind isn’t welcome here. Ever. Any demon that comes here, I don’t care what it’s for, gets vanquished. If they show up we’re just going to vanquish them and not worry about asking any questions. So you’d better tell all your friends that if this guy tries to hire anyone else to come here, they’d better think long and hard. Whatever he pays them won’t do them any good if they’re dead.”

“I’ll tell them,” said the demon.

Piper walked back over and stood next to her sisters.

“Oh, and just one more thing,” she said.

Suddenly Piper raised her hand and the demons’ right hand exploded. He screamed in agony and grabbed his right wrist with his left hand. He looked up at Piper, fear and agony in his eyes.

“Just in case they think I’m bluffing,” said Piper. “Tell them that’s just a little demonstration of what they can expect the second they shimmer in here.”

The demon didn’t say a word. He just shimmered and was gone.

“That was Keltrack,” said Chris. “He was banished by the Source several decades ago. He’s been living in the outer reaches of the underworld since where all banished demons go. It’s just like the first time. Wyatt hired those demons to harass you constantly until he felt the time was right. Then he attacked.”

“So, why’s he doing it now?” Buffy asked. “You said he didn’t kill them earlier because he needed them to vanquish some Collector demon from taking baby Wyatt. Well, we all know it was no Collector demon that attacked Wyatt. It was The First. Which means he didn’t need to let you live. In fact, by killing them he could have prevented them from giving baby Wyatt the potion Piper gave him. So why go through the whole thing over again?”

“That’s a good question,” said Leo.

“Chris,” said Piper, “how did you know that demon was going to attack? You orbed out just before it did.”

“He didn’t,” said Leo. “I called him. After he had orbed to me we sensed the demons’ attack so we got back here as quickly as we could.”

“Have you found out something?” asked Phoebe.

“A little,” said Leo. “As I’m sure everyone has already learned, grown up Wyatt is back in town.”

“It would appear so,” said Phoebe. “And apparently he told that demon that baby Wyatt was just another human child. What I don’t understand is why the demon didn’t know this was our house. I thought all the demons knew where we lived now.”

“Not all of them,” said Chris. “Ones like Keltrack wouldn’t have any way of knowing that. They’re forbidden from interacting with other demons. It’s part of their banishment. So there’s a lot that most demons know that they won’t. But apparently they’ve heard of you. I guess word about who you are has spread to even them.”

“It’s the other reason I summoned Chris,” said Leo. “Let’s all have a seat. I guess I should just tell everyone since we’re all here together. What we’ve learned isn’t good.”

Everyone took a seat in the living room wondering what terrible news Leo had to bring them.

[noazmale]

THIRTY-EIGHT

“First,” said Leo, “Piper, you have to stop giving Wyatt that potion. One of the other Elders had a premonition about it. If you keep giving it to him it’s going to make him violently ill. Even though it’s not designed for him, it’s still a vanquishing potion. And it’s going to have an affect on him.”

“Well, so much for my bright idea,” said Piper, taking the bottle from the infant. “We’ll just have to come up with another solution.”

“There’s more isn’t there?” asked Giles.

“Yes,” said Leo. “Evil activity is on the increase. The Druids have their hands full. Their antagonists have suddenly launched nearly full-scale attacks against them. So they aren’t going to be able to provide us with any assistance.”

“That’s just great,” said Paige.

“There’s also indications that someone is reorganizing the underworld,” said Leo. “Michael told me that a lot of the demonic leaders are starting to work together. Demons who totally hate each other. Rumors are that a new leader is working behind the scenes. Someone with enough power to control all the demons.”

“That would be Wyatt,” said Chris. “In the future, he has many demons working for him. Most of the demonic leadership is dead. Those that aren’t follow him without question.”

“He hasn’t vanquished any of them yet,” said Leo. “Either he’s waiting for the right time or he’s changed his tactics. If the demons begin to cooperate, witches everywhere are going to be at a distinct disadvantage.”

“Is Michael okay?” Piper asked. “If this Wyatt is from the future he might know about Michael. That could put him at risk.”

“I don’t think Wyatt ever knew about Michael,” said Chris. “He never made any moves against him. If he had known, I’m sure he would have vanquished him immediately.”

“So how do you know?” asked Phoebe.

“It became too dangerous for Michael to stay in the underworld,” said Chris. “He knew I was trying to stop Wyatt so he came to me. I helped hide him. I know a few places someone can hide where they won’t be detected.”

“We could take Wyatt there,” suggested Piper. “Until this is all over. At least he won’t be in danger there.”

“I doubt that would work,” interjected Giles. “The First is a very powerful force. From all indications it would be able to sense him no matter where he is. And we wouldn’t be here to protect him.”

“Giles is right,” said Leo. “The First pre-dates most demons and witches. There aren’t many places it can’t get to. The Elders have been researching it. And I’ve told them what Giles told us about it. Still, there’s very little we do know.”

“Well, we’d better think of something soon,” said Willow. “Without the amulet I don’t know how we’re going to defeat The First. Even with all the power we have here, we still don’t have a way to defeat it. And every minute we delay is that much more dangerous.”

“I shall redouble my research efforts,” said Giles. “But without Xander to help I’m afraid it’s going to be more difficult.”

“I’ll help,” said Paige. “It beats sitting around waiting to be attacked.”

“I’ll help, too,” said Phoebe. “And when Angel and Spike get back maybe they’ll have some more information for us.”

“I’m going to see about working up a new potion,” said Piper. “At least we have the one I already made. Maybe I can’t give it to Wyatt but at least we have it on hand.”

Phoebe and Paige moved over next to Giles and Willow to begin with the research. Piper left Wyatt with Leo and went into the kitchen to start work on another vanquishing potion. Chris was left to his own devices.

[noazmale]

THIRTY-NINE

Cole moved through the swirling mists that were the home to the Avatars. Lucan and Mellock were all ready waiting for him. Mellock was holding a potion vial as Cole approached.

“You sent for me?” questioned Cole.

“Yes,” said Lucan. “We’ve decided that the Slayer cannot wait any longer to achieve her new destiny. This turn of events with The First Evil and Wyatt Halliwell has shown us that they are not strong enough to defeat both. If that should happen, the balance between good and evil will be irreparably altered. That cannot be allowed.”

“We want you to give the Slayer this,” said Mellock, handing the potion vial to Cole.

“What is it?” Cole asked.

“It won’t harm the Slayer,” said Lucan. “It is simply a rare potion that will cause her to sleep for a time. When she awakes, she’ll have the power they need to defeat The First and Wyatt Halliwell. Once that happens, the balance will be maintained. And the Slayer can then move on to her new destiny.”

“Just what is this new destiny?” asked Cole. “I doubt she’ll drink this without at least a few answer. Answers I don’t have to give her.”

“As we said,” said Mellock, “that has not been made clear to us yet. But she cannot achieve it if she dies. So these current evils must be defeated. She will need her new power to do that. It might be best if she did not know she was taking it. That would make matters ultimately easier.”

“It’s going to be tricky,” said Cole. “She’s usually with someone. I’ll have to wait until she’s alone before I can give her this. It might be a while.”

“At the first opportunity,” said Lucan. “Then, this entire matter will be behind us. And we can move on to other matters. You’ve performed your duties well. I can see we made a wise choice in asking you to join us.”

“Why not just make the amulet available to them again?” questioned Cole. “It would certainly make it possible for them to defeat The First.”

“That’s problematical,” said Lucan. “The First would be expecting that. It will be guarding against that very closely.”

“But more importantly,” said Mellock, “it’s simply too dangerous. You saw what happened when you used the amulet at Sunnydale. If effectively defeated The First but the cost was enormous. The entire town was completely destroyed. Luckily there were few innocents in the town at the time.

“That is not the case here. There would be no logical reason we could use to try to evacuate San Francisco. When the power of the amulet was unleashed, can you imagine the hundreds of thousands who would die? Not to mention the destruction of virtually the entire city.”

“I thought that was because of the Hellmouth collapsing?” questioned Cole.

“Partially,” said Lucan. “It certainly accounted for a larger area of destruction than normal. But the power of the amulet is incredible. And there are certainly more magical beings in San Francisco than there were in Sunnydale. That magic would certainly account for a larger destruction area in San Francisco than simply the amulet alone.”

“I see,” said Cole. “I guess it is too dangerous. So this seems to be the best course of action.”

“Exactly,” said Lucan. “But you can rest assured that only those involved in this are at risk this time. And with your help, we can keep that risk to a minimum.”

“I guess so,” said Cole. “I’d better get going. I’ll need to watch her closely if I’m going to take advantage of the first opportunity to give her this.”

“Very well,” said Lucan. “Simply keep us apprised of any developments.”

“Of that you can be sure,” said Cole.

Cole took the potion and walked away into the swirling mists. Lucan and Mellock watched as he disappeared into the mists beyond.

“It’s nearly finished,” said Mellock. “I must admit I’m a bit surprised he agreed so readily. He’s been one of the tougher recruits to make let go of his past. But as you said, he’s performed admirably.”

“I knew he was a wise choice,” said Lucan. “For nearly six years we’ve wondered how we would deal with this latest threat. Your solution has proven to be exactly what we needed.”

“Yes,” said Mellock. “I’m glad it will be over soon. Maintaining the balance becomes more difficult each year.”

“I know,” said Lucan. “But it will soon be over. And things can return to what they should be. It will be nice to have the old days back.”

“So true, my old friend,” said Mellock. “So true.”

* * *

Cole sat looking at the vial Mellock had given him. It would only make her sleep, they had told him. Well, he knew it would do much more than that. If it made her sleep, it would probably induce a coma. Which meant any of her defenses would be down while she slept.

There was only one reason Cole could think of that they would want Buffy’s defenses down. They had obviously planned carefully for this event. He wasn’t quite sure why they wanted to accomplish this particular goal but he was sure what that goal was. Which also didn’t make any sense.

Unless it was only the first step in the end of the plan. And it wasn’t hard to figure out what the next step would be. With their powers, it would be easy for them. Especially if Lucan, Mellock, and Trembor joined forces. They were the original Avatars. They would be the most powerful.

Except for him, of course. In their entire history they had never had a half demon as an Avatar. They believed his powers as Belthazor had been destroyed. But he was still half demon. Nothing could change that.

Buffy had been through a great deal in her life. He could empathize with that. His own history mirrored hers to some extent. They had both died twice. They had both been betrayed by those closest to them. They had both fallen in love with their enemy. And they had both turned against their superiors. Buffy hadn’t vanquished hers but she had abandoned them all the same.

Cole was pretty sure what the Avatars were planning. Their self-proclaimed goal was to maintain a balance between good and evil. In a way, Cole could understand the need for this balance. He had been on both sides of the fight.

But if there was going to be a balance, it should be a natural balance. The Avatars sought to impose an artificial balance. That was as bad, if not worse, than forcing one side or the other to be superior.

Cole knew what he had to do. It was not going to be easy, he knew that. But then, as someone had once said, anything worth having didn’t come easy. Resolute in his determination, Cole vanished from the realm of the Avatars.

[noazmale]

FORTY

Angel and Spike had little to report when they returned just before sunrise. They had learned that some powerful human had recently arrived in the demonic underground of San Francisco. This human was organizing the demons into a sort of underworld right in the city. But there was no substantial information identifying who or what that human was.

“I don’t think there can be any question who that human is,” said Giles. “I doubt there’s another human with that level of power.”

“This is strange,” said Chris. “He didn’t do this the first time. He started out by destroying the leadership of the underworld. This time he seems to be deliberately avoiding them. That would give them time to organize against him.”

“Except they aren’t doing that,” said Angel. “All that we can find out is that the demonic underground is apparently ignoring this. They don’t seem to consider it much of a threat.”

“That is odd,” said Leo. “The demons on the Earthly plane would answer to senior demons in the underworld. If someone is organizing them without the consent of the demonic leaders in the underworld, they should be concerned about it.”

“He also seems to have completely forgotten about us,” said Paige. “Other than that one demon he sent against us he hasn’t done anything else. I don’t suppose we can hope he’s gotten distracted and forgotten about us completely.”

“Hardly,” said Chris. “He didn’t come all the way back from the future to just forget about us. No, this has to do with his plans, whatever they are. Only I can’t figure out what he thinks this is going to accomplish. Sooner or later the demonic leadership will find out what’s going on and move to stop him.”

“Can they?” Piper asked. “Stop him, I mean.”

“I doubt it,” said Chris. “They couldn’t stop him before. There’s no reason to believe they could this time.”

“Only they’ve been warned this time,” said Buffy. “That should help make a difference.”

“Not enough,” said Chris. “They just weren’t strong enough to stop him. Even if they all went after him at the same time. Once he started vanquishing the demonic leadership, the other leaders banded together to stop him. As you can see, they were less than successful.”

“Maybe he’s trying to change things,” offered Phoebe. “Maybe he’s trying to make things go more in his favor this time. I’m sure he had some setbacks during his quest for world domination.”

“Sure,” said Chris. “You can’t just set out to take over the world and the underworld without some things going wrong. But all things considered, what went wrong wasn’t all that important.”

“Not to you,” said Leo. “But maybe it was to him. There might have been a setback that he wants to change. That could be why he’s going about things differently this time.”

“That would be a reasonable hypothesis,” said Giles. “But he is taken an awful risk. By changing things from what happened before he risks changing other major events. Even the most minor alteration could have major repercussions.”

“I thought you couldn’t change the past?” Paige asked. “That’s what we’ve always been told. What’s happened has happened. You can’t go back and alter them.”

“Nothing major,” said Leo. “For example, you couldn’t go back to Dallas in November of 1963 and prevent President Kennedy from being assassinated. But if you go back a few days earlier and make some minor adjustments it might affect the major event. Kennedy would still be assassinated but the circumstances would be different.”

“And there’s no guarantee that what he wants to change is anything major,” said Phoebe. “Maybe something that would be considered minor. If that’s the case, he could conceivably change it.”

“Which means the major events will still happen,” said Piper. “Including The First taking over my son.”

“I don’t know,” said Chris. “Some things have all ready changed. Nothing major so far but enough.”

“Uh, guys,” said Willow suddenly, “were you expecting any company you hadn’t told us about?”

Everyone looked up to see a man standing in the foyer to the manor. He stood with his hands folded in front of him, smiling at the group. No one moved. There had been no indication that he had appeared. He was just suddenly there.

“Hello, Phoebe,” said Cole. “Hi Piper, Paige. It’s good to see you again Leo. Even considering the differences we used to have. We need to have a chat. Things are worse than you think.”

Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Leo just stared at Cole in total amazement. Even considering all that had happened recently, he was literally the last person they ever expected to see again.

[noazmale]

FORTY- ONE

“Restin,” said Buffy, “what are you doing here? You said that your dealings were with me, not them.”

“His name isn’t Restin,” said Phoebe deliberately. “It’s Cole Turner. Except that we vanquished Cole. This has to be another trick by The First.”

“Oh, I’m real enough,” said Cole, walking into the living room. “I’m sorry about all the subterfuge. It was necessary. But now I’m here to set things straight.”

“No,” said Buffy. “I’ve dealt with The First before. You can be very convincing. If you’re taking the form of Cole Turner then you can’t be Turner. They say you were vanquished and I believe them.”

“Really?” asked Cole, holding his hand out. “Touch me. If I really am The First you won’t be able to touch me. The First is a spirit being. It can’t directly affect the physical world.”

Tentatively, Buffy reached out and took hold of Cole’s hand. He was solid enough. Buffy took hold of flesh and blood. Which meant he couldn’t be The First.

“I don’t understand,” said Paige. “How could you be here? We were in that awful alternate reality. Phoebe vanquished you with that potion we made. How can you be here now?”

“Do you really think that would be enough to vanquish me?” asked Cole. “Phoebe, do you remember when you came to me in the Wasteland? Do you remember what I told you then?”

“That you couldn’t be vanquished like other demons,” said Phoebe. “You were a demon but you had a soul. That protected you from ending up like the other vanquished demons.”

“Exactly,” said Cole. “When I altered reality I went back to being Belthazor. I had never become the Source. When you vanquished me, you vanquished Belthazor not the former Source. But I still have a soul. Even in that altered reality. I could still be vanquished but my soul would also still protect me as it did the first time. Only this time I had the assistance of hindsight. I knew what I had to do to get out of the Wasteland.”

“We vanquished you once,” said Piper, “it shouldn’t be a problem to do it again.”

She raised her hands and used her explosive power on Cole. Cole simply raised his hand and caught her magic. Then, with less trouble than it took to think about it, he simply dissolved the magic.

“That won’t affect me any more,” said Cole, smiling. “A lot has changed since you last vanquished me. I’ve changed, though I’m sure you won’t believe that.”

“You lied to me,” said Buffy.

“I suppose that depends on your point of view,” said Cole. “The Cole Turner I was is gone forever. I’ll never be that person again. As I said, a lot of things have changed.”

“You’re evil,” said Phoebe. “You’ve always been evil and you’ll always be evil. What kind of game are you playing with Buffy?”

“No game,” said Cole. “And as far as my being evil, I’m above all the good versus evil thing now. Those are the concepts of lesser beings. I’ve moved on.”

“You think yourself superior to us?” asked Giles.

“I am in many ways,” said Cole. “It depends on your definition of superior. Do I think I’m better than you? No, not better. Not worse. Just different. On a higher plane, so to speak.”

“What do you want?” Phoebe asked.

“Just what I said,” said Cole. “We need to talk. Things are different from what you think. Wyatt and The First are not your major problems. They are secondary compared to the true threat against you.”

“True threat?” questioned Piper. “What true threat?”

“Something you don’t even know is involved,” said Cole. “A group of people who have their own agenda for the human race. And who have been manipulating things practically from the very beginning.”

“That group you said you belonged to,” said Buffy.

“Yes,” said Cole. “I wasn’t aware of what they were doing at first. But I’ve figured out what they’re up to. And I don’t agree with what they’re doing. They have to be stopped.”

“What group?” Phoebe asked. “Some secret faction of demons?”

“Hardly,” said Cole. “They call themselves Avatars. You would know them better by a different name. Dark Mages.”

[noazmale]

FORTY-TWO

“Dark Mages?” questioned Leo. “What would they have to do with this? They’re dedicated to maintaining a balance between good and evil.”

“Really?” Giles asked. “Why on Earth would they do such a thing?”

“Because they don’t believe either good or evil will ultimately win the fight,” said Chris. “They don’t believe there can be a resolution to the question. But why would they be involved in this? There’s never been any indication anyone other than Wyatt was involved. Him and The First, now that we know which demon infected Wyatt.”

“They weren’t originally,” said Cole. “They weren’t aware of what was going on until you came back from the future. In some ways their surveillance of the mortal realm is more complete than even that of the Elders. When you came back from the future they were aware of it. They’ve been watching you ever since.”

“You still haven’t answered my question,” said Leo. “What do the Dark Mages have to do with any of this?”

“Nothing directly,” said Cole. “At least not yet. They’ve simply been watching and planning. And I think they plan to strike very soon. They sent me to prepare the way. By becoming friends with Buffy and getting her to trust me. When you went to get her they knew there was a chance their plans would be exposed. So they’ve been watching very closely ever since.”

“You talk a lot but you don’t say much,” said Angel.

“You noticed that, too?” questioned Buffy. “I mentioned it to him before. He only said he told me what I needed to hear. That anything else was extraneous information.”

“At the time,” said Cole, “I believed it. But then, I wasn’t aware of what the Avatars were planning.”

“We can’t trust him,” said Paige. “He tried to kill Piper and me. If it weren’t for Phoebe, he would have succeeded, too. He used to be the Source. Undisputed ruler of the underworld. Angel and Spike said that a human with incredible power was trying to organize the demonic underworld. How do we know that person isn’t him?”

“That’s a very good question,” said Buffy. “For that matter, how do we know this is really Cole Turner? Paige said that White Lighters have the ability to change their form. She can do it and she’s only half White Lighter. If Wyatt is Leo and Piper’s son, he must be half White Lighter, too. For all we know he’s Wyatt in his shape changed form.”

“That wouldn’t be very smart,” said Piper. “Considering how much we all hate Cole, it wouldn’t be very smart to pose as him. Or to expose himself to us now.”

“She has a point, however,” said Giles. “How do we know this really is Cole Turner and not Wyatt trying to throw us off our guard?”

“I don’t think it is,” said Willow. “Remember, I helped fight The First. The power I sensed from it is different from the power I’m sensing from him. He might be able to change his form but I doubt he could change that.”

“Whoever he is,” said Angel, “he’s obviously no friend. I’m with Paige and the others. We can’t trust him.”

“Here, here, mate,” said Spike. “There are too many bleeding players as it is. A bloke practically needs a scorecard to keep up with everyone. We can’t go throwing in new players at this stage of the game especially if we aren’t sure which side he’s really on.”

“Take care, vampires,” said Cole. “You may have souls but you’re still vampires. I could make the same arguments against you.”

“Except they’ve proven their on our side,” said Phoebe. “You’re still half demon. And you’ve proven you aren’t. Whether you’re Wyatt or Cole, we can’t trust you. And you’re definitely not welcome here.”

“I’ll admit I made some mistakes in the past,” said Cole. “But as I said, I’ve moved beyond that now. I’m not trying to get us back together, Phoebe. I now know that is never going to happen. I couldn’t accept that for a long time. I can now. My only objective here is to stop the Avatars from completing their plans. And help you defeat both Wyatt and The First.”

“Why should we believe you?” asked Piper. “You’ve lied to us before.”

“If I was lying,” said Cole, removing a potion bottle from his pocket, “I wouldn’t give you this.”

“What is it?” asked Phoebe taking the bottle from Cole.

“Something the Avatars wanted me to give to Buffy,” said Cole. “They said it would only make her sleep and allow her new powers to develop. They claimed those powers would be needed to fight The First. But I don’t believe them.”

“And what do you believe?” asked Giles.

“I believe they want to incapacitate Buffy,” said Cole. “So that when The First attacks, she’ll be unable to fight back.”

“Why would they do that?” asked Leo. “That would give The First the upper hand. It would violate their tenant of maintaining the balance.”

“No it wouldn’t,” said Cole. “In fact, it would help them to facilitate their greatest victory in that goal.”

“What are you blathering about?” asked Spike.

“If this incapacitates Buffy as they claim,” said Cole, “she would be vulnerable to any attack made against her. The Avatars know that you’ll probably come up with a protection for young Wyatt. Which will prevent the grown up Wyatt from becoming evil. When The First strikes, it will be vulnerable. You’ll attempt to vanquish it and it will need to get away quickly.”

“It won’t do any good,” said Piper. “No matter where it goes, we’ll follow it and put an end to it. That way my baby will never be at risk again.”

“Not if you can’t find it you won’t,” said Cole. “And that’s their plan. To give The First the perfect hiding spot. A place you’d never think of looking.”

“Just where might that be?” asked Buffy.

“Inside you,” said Cole. “In the induced coma, you won’t be able to resist it. It can take possession of you and the others will simply think that it’s fled. While they’re looking all over the world for it, it will be hiding inside you. So that it can destroy the others without suspicion.”

“The First can’t possess a human,” said Giles. “All of our texts are clear on that matter. It can’t affect the physical world.”

“Your texts are wrong,” said Cole. “Under specific circumstances, it has a brief window of opportunity where it can inhabit a human body. Once it does that it only has to bide its time until its power is replenished. In physical form, that time will be a fraction of what it normally would be.”

“I’ll ask again,” said Leo. “Why would they do this? How does this help them with their goal to maintain the balance between good and evil?”

“In human form,” said Cole, “even The First has the constraints of that form. I believe that once it inhabits Buffy, the Avatars plan to kill her. If that happens, The First would be killed, too. Wiping out one of the greatest evils in history.”

[noazmale]

FORTY-THREE

“There’s a flaw in your theory,” said Giles. “The First is predominantly a spirit being. Even if Buffy should be killed while it’s inhabiting her, it would simply be returned to its spirit form.”

“No, Cole might have a point,” said Leo. “In order to inhabit a human body, it would have to bond with the spirit of that body. In essence, the two would form to make a third, separate entity. That entity would control the body, dominated by the presence of The First.”

“And if the body is killed while it’s still inside,” continued Chris, “the human spirit would be released. To move on to its reward or punishment, whichever that is. But being joined, as they would be, the human spirit would take a great deal of power that had once belonged to The First. Possibly stripping away enough of that power to make The First just another spirit being. Incapable of ever being a threat again.”

“Precisely,” said Cole. “That’s why the Avatars wanted me to give Buffy that potion. To prevent her from resisting when The First attempts the take over.”

“Why Buffy?” asked Willow. “Why not Piper or Phoebe or Paige? Or me for that matter? Why go after Buffy specifically?”

“The First couldn’t go after a magical being,” explained Cole. “Even you, Willow, though you are not what might be called a ‘true’ witch, you still possess magic. That would prevent The First from possessing you four. Your magicks would conflict with each other.”

“So why Buffy?” asked Giles. “If this is possible, why not just attack some unassuming mortal who has no magic?”

“Because most bodies couldn’t withstand the infusion of magic The First would bring with the joining,” said Cole. “The body has to be a mortal being to prevent the conflict of magic. But it has to be sturdy enough to withstand the infusion of magic that The First possesses. There are few people in the world who fit that description.”

“The Slayer would be perfect for something like that,” said Angel. “Not magical but definitely not normal.”

“Right,” said Spike. “Which also explains why it doesn’t go after another demon or one of us. Blighter probably couldn’t inhabit a dead body. Which means vampires are safe from its attacks.”

“That’s right,” said Cole. “If Buffy took that potion, when The First was defeated by the Charmed Ones, it would find the perfect hiding place in Buffy. And as I said, since no one believes it can affect the physical world, no one would think to look inside another person. Hiding in plain sight, as it were.”

“I still don’t see where maintaining a balance comes in,” said Paige. “If they are successful, they effectively rid the world of a powerful evil. From all accounts one of the most powerful evils in existence. Wouldn’t that leave things a bit lop-sided?”

“Killing Buffy while she’s inhabited by The First is, I believe, only the first part of their plan,” said Cole. “As we’ve said, their purpose is to maintain a balance between good and evil. If they destroy a powerful evil like The First, they’d have to destroy an equally powerful force for good. And in doing that, they would set back magic at least three hundred years.”

“You’re talking about us,” said Phoebe. “The Charmed Ones. We’ve often been told we’re the most powerful witches in history. The greatest force for good that has ever existed. Or ever will exist. If they effectively destroy an evil as powerful as The First, they’d have to destroy an equally powerful force for good. Which means they’d have to kill us.”

“That’s part two of their plan,” said Cole. “To maintain the balance, they’ll turn on you once The First is finished. With no Source in the underworld and the Elders at only a fraction of the power they once had, there won’t be a champion on either side. It could take generations or even longer before either side could recoup from a loss like that. If they could even recover. Each side will continue with the fight as they have for millennia. With hundreds of thousands of mortals in the middle. If they succeed, there might never be a resolution to the conflict. It could go on forever."

[noazmale]

FORTY-FOUR

“If you’re telling the truth,” said Phoebe. “Your track record in that area isn’t exactly impressive.”

“Granted,” said Cole. “I haven’t always been the most reliable person. But like I said, that Cole Turner is gone forever. I don’t have a reason to lie to you this time.”

“Unless you’re working with The First,” said Buffy. “The last time it had this mock priest working for it. He killed a lot of my friends. He maimed Xander. And he tried to kill me more than once. We still have only your word about all this. It could still be a trap set by The First or Wyatt.”

“Then why would I warn you?” asked Cole. “Why would I tell you about the Avatars plans? Piper can check out that potion. She can tell you it will do exactly what I’ve said it would do. If I were working for either of them, I wouldn’t have warned you. I’d have just given you the potion and let The First take you over.”

“Or it could all be an elaborate plan to draw our attention away from what they’re really doing,” said Giles. “Buffy and Phoebe have good points. What you’re saying is incredible. While it may sound plausible the most effective schemes usually do. Scams, I believe the Americans call them.”

“We just have no reason to believe you, Cole,” said Phoebe. “There’s too much history between us. It can be dangerous to be allied with you as Piper, Paige, and I have found out on many occasions. There’s too much at stake here. We just can’t take that risk.”

“I understand,” said Cole. “And I can’t say that I blame you. I still love you, Phoebe, but that part of our lives is over. Even if you don’t believe me I’m not going to stand by and watch you be destroyed. I’ll be keeping an eye on you. And if you need my help, I’ll be here.”

Cole suddenly vanished from the manor. Everyone looked at each other wondering how much, if any, of what he had told them was true. Finally, Piper said she was going to check out the potion and see exactly what it would do.

* * *

“Do you believe him?” Angel asked Buffy.

“I don’t know,” said Buffy. “It makes sense. We defeated The First in Sunnydale. It makes sense that it would change its tactics the next time it attacked. That’s what I would do. But Giles can’t find any information that would corroborate Cole’s claim that The First can inhabit a body.”

“Maybe the Elders would know something about that,” said Willow. “They seem to have a lot of information.”

“We do,” said Leo. “But we don’t know everything. The First was defeated thousands of years ago. We’ve always believed it had been vanquished. At least to the point where it wouldn’t post a threat again. What little we do know from that far back was passed down by word of mouth. And there aren’t very many Elders or White Lighters who remember too much from so long ago.”

“What if he’s told us is true?” questioned Chris. “Even part of it? If it is and we ignore him, we could be putting ourselves in even greater danger.”

“Which would also be true if he’s lied and we believe him,” said Giles. “I’m not a military man but I do know that in order to mount an effective offensive you have to have accurate information. Without it you’re just shooting blind.”

“And that would put the innocent at risk,” said Paige.

“The innocent are always at risk, love,” said Spike. “That’s why we’re in this bloody war in the first place.”

“I only meant they’re at more risk,” said Paige. “If we plan a strategy based on faulty information, someone could get hurt. Not just one of us but the innocent, too. There has to be some way to find out if Cole is telling us the truth.”

“You really think it’s Cole?” Angel asked Phoebe. “You said this Wyatt could shape shift. Are you sure it wasn’t him just looking like Cole?”

“I don’t know,” said Phoebe. “He certainly looked and sounded like Cole. And I didn’t sense any anger or hatred from him like I did when Wyatt was here. Or when we faced The First in the nursery. If it is Cole, he’s not the man he used to be. He could never block Piper’s power before, even after he came back from the Wasteland.”

“What about this Wasteland?” Giles asked. “Is it some sort of demonic burial ground or something?”

“Something like that,” said Paige. “It’s supposed to be where vanquished demons go. Some kind of beast absorbs their essence.”

“Cole didn’t suffer that fate because he had a soul,” said Phoebe. “It’s also how he was able to come back from there. But I know what you’re thinking. Unfortunately it wouldn’t help us. There are only two beings that inhabit the Wasteland and neither is going to be able to help us. Or rather they won’t help us.”

“I see,” said Giles. “Still there must be a way to corroborate what Cole said. I’ll just have to continue my research.”

“Let’s get to it, then,” said Paige. “The sooner we can figure this out the better I’ll like it.”

[noazmale]

FORTY-FIVE

“How’s it coming?” Leo asked Piper in the kitchen.

“Slow,” said Piper. “I have figured out what ingredients is in this potion. From what I can tell it would do exactly what Cole claimed. It’s a very powerful sedative. Not strong enough to kill someone but powerful enough to put them in a near-coma for a while.”

“Which means they would be defenseless against possession,” finished Leo.

“I would suppose,” said Piper.

“What’s on your mind?” asked Leo.

“What do you mean?” Piper asked.

“Come on, Piper,” said Leo. “We were together for a long time. I can read your moods. Something is on your mind and it isn’t the potion. Is it Wyatt or The First?”

“Actually,” said Piper, “it’s Cole right now. Did he seem different to you?”

“Different how?” Leo asked.

“I don’t know,” said Piper. “Before he was always kind of defensive around us. Even when he was helping us he still seemed just a little nervous. Like we didn’t really trust him or something.”

“We didn’t,” said Leo.

“That’s beside the point,” said Piper. “I didn’t get that impression this time. He seemed relaxed almost. It’s hard to explain.”

“I didn’t notice,” said Leo. “But then, I wasn’t really worried about his mood at the moment.”

“I know,” said Piper. “I just sensed something different about him, that’s all.”

“I thought Phoebe was the empath?” Leo asked, smiling.

“It wasn’t like that,” said Piper. “It was more his body language and the tone of his voice. I think that since Phoebe became an empath she might rely on it a little too much. She forgets there are other indicators of what a person is thinking and feeling.”

“You might be right,” said Leo. “Well, I’m going to check in with the Elders. I’ll let them know what Cole told us and see if we can find out anything. If you need me, just call.”

“Okay, sweetie,” said Piper as she went back to work on the potion.

Leo smiled as he orbed out. It had been a long time since Piper had called him that. He had missed it. And it wasn’t just Cole that seemed to be changing. The tension that had existed between Piper and him seemed less intense this time. Maybe things were beginning to change.

* * *

Angel and Spike went out just after sunset as they usually did. Searching the demonic underground was tedious work. No demon wanted to talk with a vampire that had a soul. But even after more than one hundred years, Angelus’ reputation still permeated the underground. And more than a few demons knew Spike. They had just entered a demonic “bar”.

“What do you think, mate?” Spike asked. “Play it cool or should we just start busting heads?”

“That bartender,” said Angel. “I remember him. It was about one hundred twenty years ago. We met in a little place just outside of Paris. If I remember correctly, he was pretty well connected with some higher-level demons. Let’s play this one cool. He’s bound to be more cooperative that way.”

They headed for the bar. The bartender was a rotund demon with a yellowish hue to his skin. His eyes were bright green and seemed to glow against the backdrop of his head. He had only three fingers on each hand and those were long and spindly. As Angel and Spike walked up to the bar, he was cleaning a glass.

“Angelus?” questioned the bartender as the two walked up to the bar. “Well, as I live and breathe, it is you.”

“You aren’t alive and you don’t breathe,” said Angel, smiling.

“True enough,” said the bartender. “Still, it’s only a figure of speech. It’s been a long time, my friend. Much too long.”

“Spenger,” said Angel, “this is Spike.”

“Not the Spike?” questioned the demon, a broad smile on his face.

“You sure you’re a demon?” asked Spike.

“Reclamation demon,” said Spenger. “Though I’ve been retired for about sixty years. You’ve heard of us, haven’t you? We reclaim souls that have escaped the underworld. Pretty easy work, to be honest. Now, what can I get you boys?”

“Just looking for some information,” said Angel.

“For my friend, Angelus, anything,” beamed the demon.

“It’s Angel now,” said Angel.

“Yes, of course,” said Spenger. “I heard about that nasty business with the gypsies. Shame, really. You did some fine work when you were Angelus. Now, what kind of information are you looking for?”

“Information on The First,” said Angel, his voice lowered so no one would overhear him.

“The First Evil?” questioned Spenger. “Now there’s a nasty piece of work. Been vanquished a few thousand years I believe. Why would you be interested in that?”

“It’s back,” said Angel. “I need to find someone who knows about it. Things that aren’t in the books.”

“Hmm,” said Spenger. “That’s a tough one. Not many demons still around from when that thing roamed the land. What with Slayers and witches and Druids and such. And most of the ones who are still around are retired, like me. Or stay in the underworld.”

“Anything at all,” said Angel. “It’s important.”

“Yeah, bloke,” said Spike. “You might say we’re working against a deadline here.”

“Well,” said Spenger, “the only one I can think of would be Lemmick. He was around back then. But I gotta warn you. He’s not the most sociable demon. Keeps to himself pretty much these days.”

“Lemmick?” questioned Angel.

“Yeah,” said Spenger. “A Revenant demon. Missed his mark after he was conjured. Been hanging around ever since. Seems his mark died before Lemmick could get to him. He’s kind of bitter about it.”

“I can imagine,” said Angel. “Where can I find this Lemmick?”

“Lower levels,” said Spenger. “There’s a warehouse in the warehouse district that serves as a sort of homeless shelter for disenfranchised demons. He stays in the lower levels there most of the time.”

“Thanks, Spenger,” said Angel, tossing a fifty dollar bill up on the bar. “You’ve been a big help.”

“Any time, any time,” said the demon, picking up the bill. “Don’t be a stranger. Next time, the drinks are on the house.”

“Friendly fellow,” said Spike as he and Angel left the bar. “He seemed to like you well enough.”

“Yeah, I did him a favor once,” said Angel. “I guess he’s still appreciative of it.”

“Angelus did someone a favor?” questioned Spike. “How come I never heard about it?”

“Long story,” said Angel. “The sun is going to be up soon. We need to get back to the manor. We can go see Lemmick later tonight.”

“Right,” said Spike. “Never met a Revenant before.”

“Not many have,” said Angel. “Most don’t live more than a few days. Come on. We’d better hurry. I don’t want to get caught out here when the sun comes up.”

“Good idea, mate,” said Spike. “Lead the way.”

Angel and Spike headed for the manor as quickly as possible. With luck, they would get there just before the sun rose.

[noazmale]

FORTY-SIX

“A Revenant demon?” questioned Giles when the two vampires had returned to the manor. “How extraordinary.”

“What’s a Revenant demon?” asked Piper. “I never heard of it.”

“Not many people have,” said Giles. “They are ancient demons. Actually, they aren’t demons at all. They’re conjured beings. Their only purpose is to destroy those they’ve been conjured for.”

“Oh great another demon to worry about,” said Paige.

“Not likely, love,” said Spike. “As the bookworm said, they’re conjured for specific people.”

“Spike’s right,” said Leo. “Revenants are conjured to exact vengeance on someone’s enemies. The only people who need fear them are the ones they’ve been conjured to go after. But it’s been hundreds of years since a Revenant was conjured. It’s not likely that any would still be alive today.”

“It would if it missed its mark,” said Angel. “That could only mean the target died before the Revenant could get to it.”

“Wouldn’t that just end the enchantment?” asked Phoebe. “If the Revenant is conjured to kill someone and that person dies, doesn’t that fulfill the purpose of summoning it?”

“Not in this case,” said Giles. “You see, the enchantment to summon a Revenant is very complex. The purpose of the ritual is to instill the desire in the Revenant to cause the victim an excruciating death. The demon is bound to its victim in a sense. It’s drawn to its victim no matter where the victim is. And the Revenant exists until it carries out its purpose.”

“Unless the victim dies first,” said Angel. “If the victim dies of, say, a heart attack before the Revenant can get to them, then the Revenant can’t complete its purpose. So it just continues to exist. But with no purpose.”

“Bummer,” said Paige. “So this thing just hangs around with nowhere to go and nothing to do?”

“Essentially,” said Giles. “It’s bound to a person who is no longer alive. With no way to complete the purpose for which it was created.”

“Which is going to make it difficult to get information from,” said Angel. “Threats aren’t going to work. There’s nothing we can threaten it with. We can’t kill it and it knows that.”

“What about a Power of Three spell?” Phoebe asked. “Wouldn’t that destroy it?”

“Not permanently,” said Leo. “The enchantment of the ritual would reconstitute it in a short time. As Giles said, it has only one purpose. To destroy the one it’s bound to. To my knowledge, no one has ever been able to destroy a Revenant permanently.”

“I have an idea,” said Willow.

“We’re all ears,” said Piper. “We need whatever information this Revenant has and anything that will help us we’ll listen to.”

“Well,” said Willow, “my mom used to say you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

“And your point being?” asked Spike, just a bit annoyed.

“Instead of threatening it,” said Willow, “why not offer it something it wants instead.”

“That’s a good idea except there’s nothing it would want,” said Angel. “It can’t fulfill its purpose and it doesn’t need anything to survive.”

“Well,” said Willow, “I would think that if it can’t fulfill its purpose because the victim is dead then maybe it just wants to go back to whatever it was before it was conjured. What if we offer to do that for it? You think it might help us then?”

“Just how are we supposed to do that?” asked Chris. “You heard what Leo and Giles said. It can’t be vanquished.”

“No,” said Willow, “but what about undoing the binding of the enchantment? If it’s no longer bound to a victim wouldn’t it just cease to exist then?”

“She has a point,” said Piper. “We might not be able to vanquish it, but if we can break the binding it’s under that might just be the same as fulfilling its purpose.”

“It’s worth a try,” said Angel. “After all these thousands of years I’ll bet it would jump at the chance to end it.”

“So we’re going to entice a demon to help us by offering to vanquish it?” Paige asked. “That’s a new one.”

“It should be easy enough to write a spell for it,” said Phoebe. “If Giles and Angel will tell me everything they can about this Revenant it shouldn’t be difficult to come up with a spell for it.”

“Get started,” said Piper. “But it also means that the three of us will have to go see this demon. Leaving Wyatt and the manor vulnerable. We certainly can’t take Wyatt with us. Leo, what about taking him up there for a while?”

“That’s not a good idea,” said Leo. “For some reason, The First has never learned where the Elders are. I guess it just doesn’t consider them enough of a threat to find out. But if I take Wyatt up there, it might be able to sense him there. That could put them all at risk from an evil at least as powerful as the Titans.”

“Okay,” said Piper, “then what do we do?”

“You leave him here,” said Chris. “Leo and I can stay and watch him. If nothing else we can always orb him away if there’s an attack.”

“And I’ll be here,” said Willow. “I may not be a Charmed One but I’m pretty powerful if I do say so myself.”

“I’ll be here, too,” said Buffy. “Other than busting heads and staking vampires there’s not much else I can do to this Revenant demon. And since that won’t be effective, I wouldn’t be much help. I can help protect Wyatt while you guys are getting the information we need.”

“Thanks, everyone,” said Piper. “I appreciate all the help. Especially you, Buffy. I know you’re usually the one giving the orders and being in control. It can’t be easy having to give up some of that to someone else. I know. I’ve been there.”

“Well,” said Buffy, “the object here is to defeat these evils. The First is my evil. But Wyatt is yours. I know when I’m out of my element. Let’s just hope this Lemmick has something useful for us.”

“I’m sure he will have,” said Angel. “If he’s been around as long as Spenger claims he’ll have accumulated a lot of knowledge. Not all it will be in Giles’ books.”

“We should go right after sunset,” said Spike. “That should give us enough time to get there, get the information we need and get back before the sun comes up.”

“Good idea,” said Phoebe. “I should have the unbinding spell done by then.”

“Then all we can do is wait for now,” said Piper. “And hope Wyatt or the The First don’t attack before then.”

It was a fear they all lived with. That one or both of their adversaries would attack before they were ready. And their greatest fear was that both would attack at the same time. None of them knew if they could withstand that. And secretly Piper wondered if she would be able to withstand Wyatt’s attack. In all likelihood, she might be forced to vanquish her own child. And she wasn’t sure she could do that.

[noazmale]

FORTY-SEVEN

The warehouse Spenger had told Angel about looked totally deserted. As if no one had been around it in several years. Angel explained that was all an illusion. Carefully tended to make it appear to have been abandoned so that no one would inadvertently stumble into the place.

“It’s sort of a safe house for demons,” Angel explained. “Factions that would normally tear each other apart aren’t allowed to fight in here. That way any demon can come here and rest up or regain their strength without fear of attack.”

“What about us?” Piper asked. “You and Spike should be okay here. But we’re not demons. Do we need to worry about demons attacking us?”

“I don’t know,” said Angel. “The rule is that no fighting is allowed. Anyone who does is permanently banished from here. But then again, nothing but demons has ever come here. I can’t honestly say what the reaction will be. They certainly won’t be happy to see you.”

“Well, we’re not really happy to be here,” said Paige. “But it’s necessary. Let’s just mind our own business and hopefully they’ll just leave us alone.”

Together, the five walked into the building. Once inside it was clear this was anything but an abandoned building. Much of the building had been cubicled off to form sleeping areas. There even appeared to be a kitchen at the back where who knows what was being served. Piper preferred not to think about what the “cuisine” for many of the demons might be.

“Welcome to the Overworld,” said man walking out of the shadows in front of them.

Only this was no man. He was clearly a vampire. He had the wrinkled brow, yellow eyes, and fang teeth characteristic of all vampires. And behind him walked two more vampires. Obviously the welcoming committee for this place.

“All are welcome,” said the first vampire. “Then he noticed the three humans standing behind Angel and Spike. “What’s this? Did you bring us a little something to snack on?”

“Back off, fang boy,” said Piper. “I don’t want any trouble with you but you start anything and you’re going to regret it.”

“A witch?” questioned the vampire. “Three witches?” He turned to Angel. “Are you insane bringing them here? Do you have any idea what the residents are going to do when they find out you’ve brought witches to this place?”

“The rules say no fighting,” said Angel. “They’re willing to abide by them if no one bothers them. Besides, we aren’t here for a fight. We’re just looking for some information.”

“But they now know of this place,” said a second vampire. “What’s to keep them from returning later?”

“Listen,” said Phoebe, “we don’t have any interest in you or your friends. As Angel said, we just want some information. Once we get that we’ll forget this place even exists.”

“I can’t allow that,” said the first vampire. “It’s too much of a risk.”

“That’s not your decision, mate,” said Spike. “Now, why don’t you run along and fetch your master for us. That’s a good little demon.”

“Why should we?” questioned the third vampire. “Three against two. And I’m sure some of our friends will help us with the witches. Considering how many demons are here at any given time it would seem you’re badly outnumbered.”

“Maybe so,” said Angel, suddenly changing into his vampire form, “but I guarantee the three of you won’t live long enough to see it. Now do as Spike says and go get the head demon.”

“Spike?” questioned the first vampire. “You’re Spike? I heard the Slayer had staked you.”

“The news of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” said Spike. “And unless you want Angelus to loose his temper, I think you’d better run along real quick like.”

“Angelus?” questioned the first vampire, fear in his eyes. “You’re Angelus? Hey, we don’t want any trouble. Just wait here and I’ll get Gangis for you. He runs the place.”

Without another word the vampire turned and disappeared down a dark corridor.

“Seems he’s heard of you,” said Paige.

“Most vampires have,” said Spike. “Angelus was something of a real terror in the day.”

Suddenly the vampire returned with another demon. This one looked almost human. Except for the glowing red eyes, pale blue skin, and forked tongue, he might even have passed for human. He walked up and stood in front of Angel and Spike.

“Well, well, well, Angelus,” said the demon. “It’s an honor to have you here. And Spike as well. We’ve heard of him too. Morgan tells me you’ve brought witches here.” He glanced over at the three sisters. “That’s unprecedented. I’m not sure they will be welcome here.”

“The rules say no fighting,” said Angel. “It doesn’t say no fighting for only demons. If no one bothers them, they won’t bother anyone else. And once we’ve left they’ll forget about this place so you don’t have to worry about them coming back.”

“I see,” said the demon. “Well, you’re right. The rules do say no fighting.” He turned back to the first vampire. “Morgan, pass the word. As long as the witches behave themselves I’ll expect all of our guests to act appropriately. Angelus’ word is good enough for me. Even if he does have a soul now.”

“Thanks,” said Angel. “Like we told him, we’re only here for some information.”

“Lemmick, no doubt,” said the demon.

“You know why we’re here?” asked Piper.

“It wasn’t hard to figure out,” said the demon. “There’s a mysterious human who’s been organizing demons for the past few days. And rumor has it that The First Evil is back. Somewhat surprising considering that the Slayer was supposed to have vanquished it in Sunnydale some months ago.”

“It’s back,” said Angel. “That’s why we need to see Lemmick. We need to find out what he knows about it.”

“That may be difficult,” said the demon. “Lemmick stays in the lower levels most of the time. He rarely comes out. And he’s never received any guests. He doesn’t even like talking to other demons. I doubt he’ll talk to a couple of vampires and some witches.”

“Just tell him we’re here,” said Angel. “And also tell him we have a proposition for him. One I’m sure he’d be interested in.”

“There’s not much he would be interested in,” said the demon.

“He’ll be interested in this, mate,” said Spike.

“I’ll pass on the message,” said the demon. “You can wait here. I shouldn’t be long.”

The group waited impatiently while the demon went to deliver the message.

[noazmale]

FORTY-EIGHT

Angel, Spike, and the sisters cautiously entered single room that comprised the lower level of the Overworld. Gangis was surprised when Lemmick had agreed to see them. But he escorted them to the entrance to the lower level and left them alone.

They noticed the Revenant as soon as they entered the room. It was hard not to. The creature stood over nine feet tall. His skin was a dark gray as if made from stone. It had no hair and its head was squarer than that of a human. But the most disturbing thing about it was that it had no eyes; only empty sockets where the eyes should have been.

“Lemmick?” questioned Angel as they entered the room.

The demon looked at him with its empty eye sockets.

“You must be the infamous Angelus,” said the demon in a deep base voice. “And that would be Spike. Two legendary vampires come to see me. I understand you’ve brought witches with you.”

“Yes,” said Piper stepping up next to Angel. “I’m Piper Halliwell….”

“A Charmed One,” Lemmick finished. “And your two sisters. I should be honored. Such distinguished company.”

“Thanks for seeing us,” said Piper. “I understand you don’t normally see people.”

“I was bored,” said Lemmick. “And Gangis said you have a proposition for me. One you thought I would be sure to be interested in. I was curious what you thought I might be interested in.”

“We need some information and we’re willing to pay for it,” said Angel.

“I have no need of money,” said Lemmick. “And the type of payment most demons receive doesn’t interest me either. I don’t see what you could possibly offer me that you thought I would be interested in.”

“How about a way to complete your mission?” Paige asked.

“Interesting,” said Lemmick. “But I’m afraid that isn’t possible. If you know who I am you also know what I am. And you must know I can never complete my mission. A jealous husband killed my target before I could get to him. Since I can’t destroy him, as I was summoned to do, it’s not possible for me to complete my mission.”

“What if we could do something about that?” Piper asked. “Would that be worth something to you?”

“What could you do?” Lemmick asked. “Resurrect my target? That would do no good. It wouldn’t be the original target. Which means it would do no good for me to kill him.”

“We can do the next best thing,” said Paige. “If you know who we are then you know what we can do. We’ve got a spell that might unbind you from your target. If you’re not bound to him then you don’t need to complete your mission.”

“And I would be allowed to finally return to the Earth,” said Lemmick, closing his eyes. “I have thought of that for thousands of years. But the magic that created me is powerful. It would take a powerful magic to undo it.”

“We can,” said Piper. “Nothing is stronger than the Power of Three. So we’re willing to make a deal with you. Tell us what you know about The First Evil and we’ll free you from your binding.”

“An intriguing offer,” said Lemmick. “How do I know you will do as you say once I have told you what I know?”

“You have my word,” said Piper. “Tell us what you know, no matter how much or how little it is, and we’ll use our magic to free you.”

“The First Evil,” said Lemmick. “A powerful force. Unmatched in its hatred of all humanity. It was vanquished long ago.”

“It’s back,” said Angel. “And we need to know what you know so we can fight it.”

“You have made an offer,” said Lemmick. “My knowledge of The First may be insufficient to what you offer in payment.”

“Well, in all fairness,” said Phoebe, “we aren’t exactly sure our spell is going to work, either. But whatever you can tell us will be enough.”

“An agreeable exchange,” said Lemmick. “Sit down. I will tell you all I know of the one called The First Evil.”

The five sat and listened intently as Lemmick told what he knew of The First. Some, he admitted, was only speculation or rumor. And some he wasn’t clear on the specifics. But when he had finished, he had told them more than they had hoped to learn.

“Now,” said Lemmick, “I have completed my part of the bargain. You know all that I do about The First Evil. I will have my payment. Give me the rest I have longed for all these millennia.”

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige stood up and joined hands. Together, they intoned the spell they hoped would free the Revenant from its walking death.

“Magic cast from distant past, binding this demon to his quest.

“An unnatural creature summoned for vengeance unable to find his rest.

“We call upon the Power of Three to vanquish the binding and set him free.

“Undo the power that holds him bound, and free his spirit to return to the ground.”

They had no sooner completed the incantation than the Revenant turned completely to dust and collapsed on the floor. Satisfied they had successfully broken the binding on the demon, the group turned to leave the lower level and the warehouse that was a haven for demons.

[noazmale]

FORTY-NINE

“How’s Wyatt?” Piper asked as soon as they returned to the manor.

“Sleeping like a baby,” said Buffy. “It’s been real quiet around here. Did you find out anything?”

“Plenty,” said Angel. “Apparently what Cole told us was true. At least what Lemmick could verify. Under the right circumstances The First is able to inhabit a human child.”

“What circumstances?” asked Leo. “Don’t worry. Chris is with Wyatt right now. If there’s any trouble he’ll orb Wyatt away immediately.”

“Good,” said Piper as they all gathered in the living room. “Well, it happens at most once every century or so. When the five inner planets are in a particular alignment. Apparently that alignment is occurring right now. From the time it starts until they pass through the alignment The First has the opportunity to take on corporeal form. And it has to join with the baby while it’s still in that form.”

“But there are other restrictions,” said Angel. “The child must be strong enough to withstand the magic The First will infuse them with. Only certain children have that strength. And the child must be under one year of age, preferably under six months.”

“Well, so far, Wyatt fits that,” said Leo.

“However,” said Paige, “the most important restrictions are that it can only take place on the second day of the full moon. Something about some mystical energy radiated by the moon at this time. Lemmick couldn’t remember exactly what the reasoning was.”

“Plus,” said Phoebe, “the most opportune time is between sunset and midnight on Friday the 13th. The most effective time is just a few minutes before midnight until a few minutes after midnight.”

“The so-called witching hour,” said Buffy.

“Yes,” said Piper. “That’s supposedly when its power will be the strongest. It will be the perfect time for it to try to inhabit Wyatt.”

“The full moon begins in three days,” said Giles, consulting one of his books. “It’s expected to be full on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.”

“And today is the 9th,” said Buffy. “That makes Friday the 13th. Which means that’s probably going to be when it attacks.”

“That would make sense,” said Leo. “It would probably wait until it’s at its strongest. Now all we have to do is come up with a way to fight it when it’s in its corporeal form.”

“That’s the best part,” said Piper. “While it’s in its corporeal form it’s just as vulnerable as any human. It’s magic is suspended until it completes the possession. Once it attacks I’ll just blow it up and that will be the end of it.”

“Need I remind you,” said Giles, “that we aren’t talking about a being. The First Evil is more a force of nature than a living creature. If you destroy its corporeal form it will simply revert back to its spirit form.”

“True,” said Paige, “but according to Lemmick it will destroy a lot of The Firsts’ power. Make it even weaker than it is now. Which means it will take considerably longer before it can replenish that power.”

“Interesting,” said Giles. “And you got all this from a creature created solely for the purpose of destroying someone else? I wouldn’t think it would have that much knowledge.”

“It’s been around for several thousand years, Giles,” said Spike. “There’s no telling what it learned in that time.”

“What about him?” Leo asked.

“Gone,” said Piper. “He agreed to our deal. He turned to dust right before our eyes.”

“At least he’s a peace now,” said Paige. “I can’t imagine living as long as he did with not purpose to life at all.”

“He wasn’t really alive,” said Leo. “He was a created being. Created out of anger and hatred.”

“I know,” said Paige. “But I still felt sorry for him. He never asked to be what he was.”

“Whatever,” Piper said. “At least we now have something to go on. Our next order of business is to locate grown up Wyatt and decide what to do about him. Oh, this is getting complicated. First there’s Wyatt coming back from the future to kill his little brother. Then The First Evil shows up wanting to possess my son to turn him into the evil that’s come back to kill Chris. Then these Avatars or whatever they are show up wanting to kill all of us. And to top things off, Cole, whom we thought was vanquished for good, shows up claiming to want to help us. Is it me or does this sound like a bad B movie?”

“It’s not just you,” said Buffy. “When we defeated The First, I thought we were finished with it forever. I’ve spent the last couple of months trying to figure out what to do next. When Cole showed up claiming to be this Restin with a new destiny for me, I thought I was going crazy.”

“Well, it does all seem to be interrelated,” said Giles. “What we’ve not figured out yet is what Wyatt is doing here. Admittedly, he came back to kill Chris. But other than that first attempt you told us about, he hasn’t done anything. If that’s why he’s returned he seems to be taking his time accomplishing his goal.”

“Maybe his objective has changed,” said Leo. “Maybe after he got back here he decided on a different course of action.”

“That’s possible I suppose,” said Giles. “Only we have no way of know what his objective is.”

“Well,” said Piper, “I’m going to get started on what we’re going to do on Friday. Just in case I can’t blow up The First for some reason. I have four days to come up with something and now that I know what to expect it should be easy.”

“Good idea,” said Leo. “I’m going to go see the Elders and let them know what you’ve found out.”

“I’ll do some research,” said Giles. “Perhaps there’s something we can learn that might shed some light on what he has planned.”

“Okay,” said Leo. “Phoebe, Paige, I’ll need you to give Chris a break. We’ve been working pretty hard watching over him.”

“No problem,” said Phoebe. “At least I get some time to with my nephew. I never complain about that.”

“I’ll help Piper,” said Willow. “Maybe we can learn something from each other.”

“Great,” said Piper. “I appreciate the help.”

‘Spike and I will go out once it gets dark again,” said Angel. “Finding someone who’s organizing demons should be easier than finding someone who knows about an ancient evil. If he is organizing the demonic underground it shouldn’t be hard too find out who he is or where he is. We’ll just pretend we want to join him.”

“Bloody good idea,” said Spike. “Once we’re inside maybe we can take this blighter out.”

“Don’t even try,” said Piper. “He’s much too powerful for you to deal with. Just get what information you can and then get back to us with it.”

“But if we get the chance,” Spike protested.

“No,” said Angel, “she’s right. If he’s as powerful as they say we wouldn’t last very long against him. No, the best thing to do is find out what we can and get back here.”

“I’ve never known you to run scared,” said Spike, “no matter what you were facing.”

“And I’m not now,” said Angel. “But I do know when I’m in over my head. Come on, Spike. Let’s get some rest so we’ll be ready for tonight.”

“Right, mate,” said Spike. “We’ll be in the basement if you need us.”

They all began to prepare for their encounter with The First and to find out what they could about grown up Wyatt’s plans. They also knew it was going to be a long three days.

[noazmale]

FIFTY

Angel and Spike had no trouble finding the human who was organizing the demonic underground. Even the lowest level demons were aware of it. This human, so the demons claimed, possessed power that surpassed even the Source. He was recruiting demons from all areas to organize them into one massive force instead of the multitude of factions that now existed.

Contests were held to see who would have the honor of being chosen as the new leadership for this force. Most demons did not enter the contests. They were to the death and the winners moved on to the next level. When the contests between specific areas were finished, those demons still alive were summoned to a secret meeting place. No one knew what happened there. The demons weren’t seen again.

“He’s probably keeping them secluded,” suggested Angel. “To build up their mystique so that when they take their place as the new leaders the others will be too afraid to challenge them.”

“You don’t think he’s killing them?” asked Spike.

“I don’t think so,” said Angel. “If there was any hint they were being killed the demons wouldn’t be so eager to join him. No, there has to be some other reason he’s keeping them hidden.”

“Well, we certainly can’t join in the festivities,” said Spike. “He’d recognize us the moment we entered the secret location.”

“I know,” said Angel. “Let’s keep checking. See if we can get any clue to what he’s up to.”

It was about an hour before sunrise on Friday morning when the two finally returned to the manor. The others had started to worry because they had been gone for so long without any word.

“So, did you find out what’s going on?” Piper asked.

“Some,” said Angel. “He’s organizing the demonic underground into one massive army. He’s selecting the most powerful demons to serve as his leaders for this army. But we couldn’t find out where they are. Only the winners of the combats who decide the most powerful demons are told the location. And obviously Spike and I couldn’t enter the combats.”

“No, he’s seen you,” said Phoebe. “Besides, he wants to kill Spike for what he did to The First in Sunnydale. God only knows what he’d do to you if he got his hands on you.”

“Probably just kill me to get me out of the way,” said Angel.

“This is bad,” said Leo. “The infighting between the different demonic factions is part of the reason the demons can’t be more successful against the forces of good. If they start cooperating we’re going to have one big mess on our hands.”

“I did learn an interesting bit of news,” said Spike. “Apparently there’s supposed to be some big celebration tonight or tomorrow. I suppose it’s the announcement of which demons are going to be the new leaders. Whatever it is, it’s supposed to be bloody big.”

“Well, at least that means he’ll be occupied tonight,” said Piper. “We only have to worry about The First attacking. He’ll be too busy with his celebration.”

“That’s certainly different,” said Chris. “The first time around he vanquished the demonic leaders. Why would he be trying to organize them into one force this time around.”

“From what you’ve told us of the future,” said Giles, “a good many people died. Perhaps he’s planning to prevent some of those deaths this time. It would certainly be easier to take over the underworld with an army behind him as opposed to going it alone.”

“Any word about the reaction of the leaders in the underworld?” asked Leo.

“None,” said Angel. “I got the impressions they weren’t aware of what was going on. I can’t see them just sitting back and doing nothing if they did know. What about the preparations for tonight?”

“All ready,” said Piper. “I finally decided to go with something simple. A while back I had to create some potions when we lost our powers. So I decided to just rely on those. I’ve created explosive potions for Phoebe, Paige, and Willow. That way if I can’t get to The First before it gets to Wyatt, at least maybe they can.”

“Is that all, love?” Spike asked.

“No,” said Piper. “In a little while I’m going to put a charm on the manor that will let us know if anyone or anything enters it. That way we’ll know if The First tries to sneak in.”

“Plus,” said Phoebe, “we’re going to use an energy barrier around Wyatt’s playpen similar to the one we used against the Source. Inside there, with his force field activated, he should be completely protected from possession.”

“Sounds like you’ve been busy,” said Angel.

“They’ve been quite busy,” said Giles. “They are quite resourceful. In many ways they remind me of Buffy, always using some quite unorthodox tactics to accomplish their goals.””

“Willow’s been busy, too,” said Piper. “She’s come up with a spell to enhance Buffy’s abilities. Even if one of us can’t use a potion against The First, she might be able to beat it to death.”

“I’m sure going to give it a try,” said Buffy.

“Well, we seem to be as ready as we’ll ever be,” said Chris. “I guess all we can do now is wait for sunset.”

[noazmale]

FIFTY-ONE

The day seemed to drag by for the group of protectors. They were all anxious to get the business over with. Once The First was vanquished they could then turn their attention to grown up Wyatt. It was causing Piper no little concern. Although she hadn’t told anyone she had finally accepted that the evil out to destroy them was indeed her baby son. She walked into the kitchen and found Chris eating a sandwich.

“Left over roast beef,” said Chris. “It’s very good. You’re a very good cook.”

“I am a chef,” said Piper, “even if I don’t get the chance to do it any longer. Chris, I want to apologize. For acting the way I did the other day. I can see now that you’ve just been trying to protect us all. I can’t say I agree with everything you’ve done but I do know your heart was in the right place.”

“You don’t owe me an apology,” said Chris. “I know how it looked. I didn’t tell you the truth when I came back. And I did lie to you about some things. But I just didn’t know what else to do. I was sure you wouldn’t believe me if I told you the truth. I had to try to arrange things so that you were protected but so that things didn’t end up like they did the first time.”

“It must have been terrible for you,” said Piper. “My little boy trying to protect his family and the whole time we were doubting you and believing the worst about you. I can’t imagine what it must have been like.”

“Your little boy?” Chris asked, a glimmer of hope in his eye.

“Yes,” said Piper smiling. “I know that the Wyatt who attacked us here is the same Wyatt in his playpen right now. Well, not exactly the same. But I know he’s the same baby all grown up. If that’s true, then you must be who you say you are. My second son. It’s a lot to take in.”

“Piper,” said Chris, “mom. I never wanted to hurt you. Any of you. If I could have stopped Wyatt any other way, I would have. But I’m just not strong enough to fight him. I never understood why he was so much stronger than I was before. We both had the same parents. We should have been more or less equal. Now I understand. It wasn’t just his power. It was the power of The First. That’s what made him so much stronger than me.”

“No one could blame you,” said Piper. “Like Angel said, you were outmatched. At least being his brother protected you from him to a degree. It gave you the opportunity to come back here and try to make a change.”

“Yes,” said Chris. “You died when I was so young. A lot of my memories of you are vague recollections. I’ve gotten to know you better this time than I did when I was growing up. Whatever happens tonight, I’m glad for that.”

“So am I,” said Piper, hugging him close.

“Looks like she’s finally accepted it, sis,” said Phoebe from the doorway to the kitchen.

Piper and Chris looked up to see Phoebe and Paige standing in the doorway, smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Leo stood behind them smiling at Piper.

“We were thinking about going over our strategy one last time,” said Paige. “Just to make sure everything was ready.”

“When we saw the two of you there,” said Leo, “none of us had the heart to say anything. I’d say you’ve done a bit of bonding in the last few minutes.”

“You could say that,” said Piper as Phoebe and Paige moved in so the three sisters could share a hug.

Leo moved up and stood in front of Chris.

“So, you’re my son,” said Leo. “I know this is late but I’m sorry for doubting you. But under the circumstances….”

“No apology necessary,” said Chris, looking at Piper. “I think we’ve all agreed I gave you good cause to doubt me. I’m just sorry I had to do what it the way I did. It wasn’t easy being here day after day and not being able to tell you the truth. I’m just glad it’s all out in the open now. Friends? I can’t blame you if you slap it away.”

Chris stuck out his hand so that Leo could shake it.

“I’m not about to shake your hand,” said Leo.

Chris was beginning to think Leo was still holding a grudge when Leo suddenly embraced the boy, hugging him close. Chris hugged him back, the first time he had been able to hug his father in nearly twenty years.

“Well, now,” said Giles from the kitchen door, “I hate to interrupt the family bonding moment, but it’s important we go over our strategy. It will be sunset very soon and we really should be ready.”

“Don’t mind him,” said Buffy from behind him, “he’s just a natural killjoy. I think it’s great.”

“Giles is right,” said Leo, pulling away from Chris and wiping a tear from his eye, “we have time to get acquainted later. Right now we have to make sure we’re prepared for The First when it attacks.”

“All ready,” said Piper, putting her arm around Chris and Leo’s waists. “Let me escort my two favorite men to the meeting.”

Smiling, the five followed Giles and Buffy back into the living room to go over their strategy one last time.

[noazmale]

FIFTY-TWO

Cole walked through the swirling mists of the Avatars’ realm. Lucan, Mellock, and Trembor were waiting for him.

“Is it done?” asked Mellock without preamble.

“Not yet,” said Cole. “I should be able to give her the potion later today. They’re preparing for an attack by The First. They think it’s going to attack later tonight.”

“They would be correct,” said Lucan. “Probably at midnight when its power will be at the greatest. It is important that the Slayer take the potion before sunset. So that she will be ready for when The First attacks. If you wait beyond sunset it will be too late.”

“I’ve all ready spoken to her,” said Cole. “I’ll be able to put the potion in whatever she drinks at dinner tonight. If I understand correctly how the potion works, it will make her drowsy. She’ll decide to lie down for a while and will soon be fast asleep.”

“Excellent,” said Trembor. “Then she will be ready for The First when it attacks. This will all be over very soon.”

“What of Wyatt?” Cole asked. “What are your plans for him?”

“I assume you are talking about the adult Wyatt who has come back from the future,” said Lucan.

“Of course,” said Cole. “If they defeat The First tonight the child won’t be possessed. But the adult Wyatt will still be here. Since he’s out of his own time, the changed events won’t change for him until and if he returns to the future. What do you plan to do about him?”

“Trembor, Mellock, and I will be there,” said Lucan. “Once they have defeated The First, we will combine our power and send the adult Wyatt back to his own time. Once he arrives there he should revert to normal. That will end his threat to the Charmed Ones forever.”

“I see,” said Cole. “Sounds like a good plan. It’s too bad we can’t tell them what you’re going to do. It would save them a lot of grief if they knew what was going on.”

“And it might warn The First,” said Lucan. “It’s too great of a risk. Besides, it will be over soon. Then they can enjoy a long deserved rest.”

“Yes, of course,” said Cole. “Should I let you know when I’ve given Buffy the potion?”

“No,” said Trembor. “You’ve demonstrated that you can handle assignments on your own. It would be best if you remained at the manor until we arrived. But take care not to be seen by the Charmed Ones. That could cause additional problems we aren’t equipped to deal with just yet.”

“Don’t worry,” said Cole. “Buffy asked me if I was Cole. I told her that the Charmed Ones vanquished Cole Turner. And that I couldn’t be him if he had been vanquished.”

“And did she believe you?” asked Mellock.

“Of course,” said Cole. “A little double talk to confuse the issue. I told her the truth just not all of it. She’s a Slayer. There are many things she doesn’t know about magic. Like a demon with a soul is protected from the Wasteland. She told the Charmed Ones what I said. They seemed satisfied that I was someone else.”

“Excellent,” said Lucan. “You should be going. It wouldn’t do to miss your opportunity when time is so crucial.”

“Yes,” said Cole. “I’ll wait to see you this evening.”

“I still say we should have someone watching him,” said Mellock as Cole walked away. “To make sure there are no complications.”

“Nonsense,” said Trembor. “His assistance with the Slayer in Sunnydale has proven he’s reliable. It would be an insult to continue to watch him after he’s proven himself.”

“Besides,” said Lucan, “as an Avatar he would sense anyone watching him even one of us. It would be counterproductive.”

“Only a few more hours,” said Mellock. “A few more hours and everything we’ve worked for will come to fruition.”

“Yes,” said Lucan. “Come. We must prepare for this evening. In the morning things will be as they should be.”

The three Avatars moved off to prepare for the coming battle.

* * *

Cole finally had the final piece of the puzzle. He had figured out nearly everything except for one crucial piece of information. When the Avatars planned to put their plan into action. Tonight at midnight would be that time. He had suspected as much. But now he knew for sure.

Lucan, Mellock, and Trembor would be preparing for the coming battle. He would need to prepare as well. Buffy and the girls already knew he was still alive. They may not trust him but his arrival tonight would not come as a total surprise. But before he went to the manor he had to make one quick stop.

There was one little aspect of the Wasteland that few knew. Phoebe had sent her astral form there to say goodbye to him. It was the only way for a non-demon to enter the Wasteland. Only a demon, or partial demon, could physically enter the Wasteland. Not even the Avatars had the power to circumvent that restriction.

But he was no ordinary Avatar. He was half demon. Even as an Avatar he would have no problem entering the Wasteland. Cattarrin, the ruler of the Wasteland, and the Beast would be little problem for him. Cattarrin would be busy with other matters. And the Beast posed not threat. His powers as an Avatar would protect him from it.

He thought about what he was planning. Not in his wildest dreams did he ever think his life would come to this. Maybe when this was all over he’d search out others like himself. Offer them the freedom that he himself would soon have. Freedom and peace that he had never known.

Confidently Cole vanished from the Avatar’s realm to make his preparations. Before the sun rose on Halliwell Manor in the morning things would be as they should be. And not even the great power of the Avatars would be able to stop him.

[noazmale]

FIFTY-THREE

Piper looked at the clock for the hundredth time. There was tension in the Halliwell Manor. Everything was ready. Wyatt was inside the protective shielding that had once held the Source captive. His force shield wasn’t up but that would be an automatic reaction when The First arrived.

Phoebe and Paige stood in the living room near Wyatt’s playpen. Each held their vial of the explosive potion Piper had brewed. They were ready for any attack that might come. Leo and Chris were also in the living room. Their roles were simple. Leo would provide any healing that might be necessary. Chris was ready to grab Wyatt and orb him away in an instant if things didn’t go as planned.

Giles and Willow stood at the top of the stairs waiting. Buffy stood near the front door, Angel close by. Spike was across the foyer standing by the kitchen door. They had no idea how The First would attempt to get to Wyatt. But there was no way to get to him without going past at least one of the defenders.

Piper was so nervous her hands were starting to sweat. She had never been so anxious. She had fought demons before, powerful ones. But this time was different. If they failed, her son would pay the price for that failure. She was prepared to die if need be to stop the evil from taking her son. And she knew that every other person in the manor would also never stop fighting as long as they had breath in them.

She looked at the clock again. 12:03. It seemed as if she had been standing there for hours. It had only been thirteen minutes. Still there was no sign of The First. Piper couldn’t understand why it had not come. This was the time when it would be at it’s strongest. The time when it was more assured of success than any other time.

12:04. The manor was quiet. Piper could hear her own heartbeat. It seemed to be rapid. Her breathing was in short breaths. And she could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins. This was different from most of their battles. Usually they were in combat so fast they barely had time to think. This time it seemed they had nothing but time.

12:05. Why wasn’t The First here yet? Its power would soon begin to wane. If it didn’t attack soon, every minute that went by made it less likely that it would succeed. Piper couldn’t believe it had just suddenly decided not to attack. The opportunities like this were so rare it wouldn’t waste even a single one. So why wasn’t it here all ready?

12:10. Still the defenders waited for the attack. And still no attack came. Midnight had come and gone without so much as a peep from their adversary. Piper looked at the others in the manor. The looks on their faces told her they were thinking the same thing she was. They had miscalculated.

“Well, I’m through waiting,” said Piper when the clock struck 12:12. “If it was coming it would have been here by now. We can’t stand around here all night waiting for it to show up. We’ll just have to refigure this.”

“At least Wyatt is safe,” said Paige, picking up one of the crystals and deactivating the shield around him. “And he didn’t even have to use his force shield. But it doesn’t make sense that The First wouldn’t attack when it was at it’s strongest.”

“Whatever happened,” said Angel, “there’s probably something we missed. Something that would give us a better idea of when it’s going to attack.”

“You think it’s still going to attack?” asked Phoebe, moving up next to Piper. “Maybe it learned we were ready for it and decided not to. From what Chris said, we weren’t prepared the first time around. And we all know our actions affect future events. Maybe our being ready has changed things.”

“I doubt it,” said Chris. “The First wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to take on corporeal form. Once in that form it’s power would be incredible. And knowing the power that Wyatt has the lure to take over his body would be almost irresistible to it. I think Angel is right. We’ve overlooked something.”

“Well, whatever it is,” said Giles, coming down the stairs with Willow, “we’ve certainly miscalculated. It’s all ready 12:15 and still nothing. I’ll go through my references again on The First.”

“I’ll help,” said Willow. “I think I was about to fall asleep up there. I never knew how boring it could be to just wait for a fight that never comes.”

“We still have grown up Wyatt to worry about,” said Spike. “He’s celebrating tonight but he could be back here tomorrow. Any ideas what we’re going to do about him?”

“I’m still working on that,” said Piper. “But maybe this has changed him, too. Maybe because The First didn’t get to Wyatt tonight it will change the grown up Wyatt back to what he was supposed to be. We might not have to worry about him at all.”

“Not right away,” said Chris. “Until Wyatt returns to the future any changes we make here won’t affect him.”

“My, my, my,” said a voice from next to the playpen. “Philosophical discussions at this time? I would have thought you would have been more of a challenge than that.”

Everyone turned to see Leo standing next to the playpen. He was leaning on the edge of the playpen smiling at everyone. Except that he was also standing next to Piper. Two Leo Wyatt’s in the same room.

“What’s going on?” Piper asked.

“It’s The First,” said Buffy, moving up next to Piper. “I told you it could take the form of anyone who’s died.”

“Correct,” said The First. “And since you have to die to become a White Lighter, hubby qualifies. Oh, but then, you do, too, don’t you.”

They all watched as the Leo next to the playpen suddenly changed into Piper. They had become so involved in their conversation of what had gone wrong that none of them were standing next to the playpen. Only The First stood next to the playpen ready to possess the small child inside.

[noazmale]

FIFTY-FOUR

Willow incanted a spell and flames erupted around The First. The demon howled in agony and then suddenly the flames vanished.

“My, you are a powerful one, aren’t you?” questioned The First. “But not powerful enough.”

“Get away from my baby,” said Piper slowly and deliberately.

“I can’t do that,” said The First. “This is my big opportunity. He’s perfect. The child of a Charmed One. Powerful enough to withstand my magic and yet still human. With his power combined with mine, no one will be able to stop me. I can finish what I started. What that accursed Slayer stopped me from doing.”

“I thought you said her power was suspended when she took human form?” Leo questioned Piper and the others.

“That’s what Lemmick said,” said Piper.

“Lemmick was wrong,” said The First. “Right now you’re probably wondering how you made such a dreadful mistake. It’s nearly 12:15. Well past midnight. My power should be waning. Only you made the same mistake that humans have been making for hundreds of years. You relied on your clocks and watches.”

“Heavens,” said Giles, “it’s right. What a fool I was. I should have realized.”

“Realized what?” asked Phoebe.

“I’ve existed for thousands of years,” said The First. “Long before the invention of clocks and watches and most other artificial time pieces. Midnight is not usually when your clocks show twelve o’clock. Midnight is exactly halfway through night. When there’s equal time between dusk of the previous day and dawn of the following day. That would be approximately 12:17 by your clocks today. You thought the danger had passed. But because of your foolishness you’ve only given me the opportunity to complete what I’ve started. And no one can stop me.”

“Well, I don’t want to stop you, but I do have a slight alteration to your plans,” said a voice from the solarium.

Everyone looked over to see grown up Wyatt standing in the door of the solarium. Behind him stood two demons in human form. Suddenly, nearly a dozen other demons in human form shimmered into the manor. Piper, her sisters, and their friends were badly outnumbered. Even as powerful as they were, sheer numbers could still defeat them.

“My little addition to the party tonight,” said Wyatt. “Mom, dad, I’m home. Had a rough day at the office. But things are better now. I’m with my loving family.”

“Who you murdered,” said Chris, glaring at Wyatt.

“Preemptive strike,” said Wyatt. “If I hadn’t gotten to them first they would have gotten to me.”

“Wyatt,” said Piper, “it’s me, your mother. How could you do this to us? To your own family?”

“It was easy,” said Wyatt. “With all your nagging and constantly telling me I couldn’t use my powers for personal gain. While all around me the demons and warlocks did whatever they wanted without so much as anyone saying a cross word to them. And you.” He looked at Leo. “One of heralded Elders. Savior of mankind by helping to defeat the Titans. My father, the legendary Leo Wyatt. Did you really think you could bind my powers without me learning about it? Oh, of course, it hasn’t come to that yet. But it did. You said I was a danger to everyone, especially myself. That the only way to protect me and everyone else was to bind my powers so I couldn’t hurt anyone else. You shouldn’t have tried to do that.

“And finally we have little brother. I offered you power at my right hand. No one would have dared challenge you. Everyone – demons, witches, White Lighters, warlocks – they would all have answered to you. I offered you unlimited power over everyone. And how did you repay me? By trying to kill me and then by coming back here to prevent me from getting the power that is rightfully mine.”

“Who are you?” demanded The First. “You seem familiar but I don’t recall ever meeting you.”

“That’s because I am you,” said Wyatt, smiling. “I’m from the future, just like little brother there.” He looked down into the playpen. “I’m him all grown up.

“But I’m also you. The reason I seem so familiar is because you’re sensing your own power in me. And you’re right. When our powers combined, we became unstoppable. The Elders, the demonic leadership, even the famous Charmed Ones weren’t strong enough to stop us.”

“So why change things?” Chris asked. “You didn’t organize the demonic underground on Earth before. You just wiped out the demonic leadership in the underworld and took over. Why do everything you’ve done since you came back? I thought you had come back to kill me?”

“I did,” said Wyatt. “But, of course, my first attempt failed. That damned Druid interfered. And as long as he has that sword of his not even I can challenge him. So I had to make a few changes to my plans. All in all I think they’ll work out quite well. I organize the demonic underground and when it’s time for me to take out their leadership my followers will step in and take control immediately. It won’t take as long to take over the underworld that way.”

“Wyatt,” said Leo, “son, we can talk about this. We can make changes. There’s no reason for you to do all this. If we made mistakes, it’s only because we loved you and wanted what was best for you.”

“Love,” scoffed Wyatt. “That’s such an outdated concept. There really is no such thing. There’s only power. Those who have it rule those who don’t.”

“I see there is something of me in you,” said The First. “So, what are you doing here now? Come to stop me from possessing the child?”

“Heavens, no,” said Wyatt. “If I do that I can never go back. Once I return to the future I’ll change. But I knew that eventually Chris would tell them what had really happened. I also knew they would be ready for you when you got here. So I brought some friends to the party.” He indicated the demons standing around the manor. “My lieutenants, if you will. The most powerful demons in the underground. We’re here to make sure you are successful. Once it’s done we’ll dispose of them. I’ll make sure you get a good home with a deserving demon. And I’ll tell the demon what you will need to know as you grow up. That way it will be easier to take over the mortal plane. And we can establish the order it needs. Also, with them dead, there won’t be any siblings to try to come back and change things.”

“I like your thinking,” said The First.

“Our thinking,” said Wyatt. “There was a lot of destruction when I took over. A lot of people died who didn’t have to. This time around we should be able to prevent that. Now, if you’d care to slip into something a little less ancient, my friends and I will see to it that you aren’t disturbed.”

The First turned back to the playpen. Baby Wyatt sensed the evil over him and immediately activated his force shield. Grown up Wyatt just smiled and passed his hand over the shield. It vanished. Piper could do nothing but stand and watch as The First prepared to take her son.

They were too badly outnumbered. Grown up Wyatt stood next to The First prepared to defend the evil while it possessed the young child. Even if they should attempt to defend themselves against the intruders, it would cost them valuable time. Time enough for The First to complete the possession. Time enough to thwart everything they had done to prevent it.

[noazmale]

FIFTY-FIVE

As The First reached for the young child, baby Wyatt suddenly orbed and was gone.

“No,” screamed The First.

“Relax,” said Wyatt. “He’s upstairs in his crib. It’s where he feels the safest. He won’t be able to use his force shield for a while. Just get up there and finish the job. Leave these others to us.”

“I’m afraid we can’t allow that,” said a voice from the foyer.

Everyone turned to see Lucan, Mellock, and Trembor standing together. The First looked at them, contempt in its eyes, and hissed “Avatars”. Wyatt just smiled.

“I was wondering when you’d show up,” he said. “I knew you’d try to stop me. Just as you did the first time. Only you’re too late. Not even you power can stand up to the power I wield.”

“We cannot allow this joining,” said Lucan. “It would further upset the balance between good and evil. For too long has that balance been corrupted. When the Charmed Ones received their powers, they provided a distinct unfair advantage to the side of good. When The First attempted to take over the world in Sunnydale, we knew that evil would eventually come here. The resulting destruction during that conflict would have been catastrophic.”

“You have no say here, Dark Mage,” said Wyatt. “You couldn’t stand against me before and you can’t stand against me now.

“The Dark Mages,” Chris whispered to Leo. “Wyatt is right. Not even they have the power to stand against him. The first time he nearly destroyed them.”

“That’s right, little brother,” said Wyatt. “And I will this time, too. Only now I know where they make their home. The first time I didn’t know that until our battle was nearly over. I’ll take the fight to them, there. The destruction won’t be as bad that way.”

“Restin has failed,” said Mellock, looking at Buffy. “The Slayer is not unconscious.”

“You mean Cole Turner?” asked Buffy. “Oh yeah, we know who he really is. And why you wanted me to drink that potion. But that ain’t gonna happen. And we may not win today but we’re going to take a lot of you with is.”

“Amen sister,” said Paige. “This is starting to give me a headache. Everyone is standing here talking about what’s going to happen to Piper’s baby. Well, in case you all hadn’t noticed, you don’t have a say in it. She’s his mother. She makes the decisions what happens to him. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to just stand by and watch as anyone corrupts him to evil.”

“Brave words, Auntie Paige,” said Wyatt. “Especially from someone who’s about to die. Do you really think I care what you think? You’re not really even a part of this family. Just a half sister of a witch and a White Lighter who couldn’t follow the rules. Now, Prue. There was a true Charmed One. You could never live up to her.”

“And I stopped trying a long time ago,” said Paige. “I’m not Prue. I never could be. And I may be only a half sister but I’ve never been treated as anything but a sister. So come on, boy. Let’s see what you have. Give us your best shot.”

“As I said,” said Lucan, forming an energy ball in his hand, “we cannot allow that. You’re all too powerful. Good and evil were never meant to have such power. There can never truly be a winner to this conflict. If evil should ultimately win, it would not stop with good. It would devour everything in its path until it turns on itself.

“If good should ultimately prove victorious, it would become complacent in its victory. Pat itself on the back, so to speak, for vanquishing evil and protecting humanity. But humanity is both good and evil. Eventually that evil would rear its head again and the battle would begin anew.”

“And what do you plan to do about it?” Wyatt asked. “You don’t really think an energy ball is a threat to me, do you?”

“Not to you,” said Lucan, “but to the child it is. Without his force shield he can’t defend against it. And none of you are fast enough to get to him in time. With the child dead, your power will be gone. The first will not be able to possess the child thus preventing you from ever coming to power. And we can dispose of all of you and finally restore the true balance nature intended there to be between good and evil. You’ve lost, Wyatt Halliwell. You’ve all lost. And humanity will be saved in the process.”

Suddenly the energy ball leapt off his hand and shot up the stairs, disappearing around the corner. Piper screamed knowing that her son lay defenseless in his crib. Leo orbed out immediately in what he knew was a vain attempt to protect his son.

The First howled in anger and turned to face Lucan. Each of the defenders turned to face the demons next to them. Piper collapsed on the floor sobbing uncontrollably. Phoebe and Paige moved in to protect her knowing that her anguish would be all consuming. As it would be for any mother who had just lost her only child.

Furious, Wyatt seemed to ignore everyone as he turned and began to move toward Lucan. He would be protected from any changes as long as he remained in the past. Which meant he would retain the power granted him by the original fusion of himself and The First. But Lucan and the others weren’t so lucky. They would pay for their interference.

The battle that would spell the end to the Charmed Ones, Wyatt, Chris, and all the others gathered in the room was about to begin in earners. And most of them knew they probably weren’t going to survive it.