Title: Borrowed Demons
Series: Help From The Future For The Past
Author: Kimberly aka last_days_of_pern
Email: [email protected]
Feedback: *Stands up* Hi my name in Kimberly and I'm a feedback
addict :P
Rating: Pg-13, R at most
Pairing: Willow/Tara, Buffy/Faith, Anya/Xander, Cordelia/Kate,
Dawn/Danny, Iz/Samantha, Giles/Tabitha
Disclaimers: I own nothing please don’t sue me.
Summary: Willow and Tara Rosenberg-MaClay decide to take a trip to
San Francisco to escape evil demons, and visit their friends the
Charmed ones before they are dragged back to school for their junior
year. But while there they end up helping the Charmed ones deal with
their own demons.
*****************************************************************
*W&T's apartment*
Willow and Tara lay in bed together, their arms surrounding each
other. "Someone's knocking on the door." Willow stated mater-of-
factly, snuggling closer to Tara in the process.
"Yup."
"We should probably answer it."
"Probably."
"Are we going to?"
"It was your suggestion." Willow scowled at Tara's words but started
to get up anyway. Tara just watched silently as her lover stumbled
around the room looking for her discarded cloths.
Willow finally made it to the door wearing a robe that was barely
staying on as she tried to hurry, when she flung the door open it was
to two very amused looking slayers. "We ah, interrupt ya durin'
somethin' Red?"
Willow narrowed her eyes as the slayers walked in, "maybe, what's
up?"
"Well we gave you guys nine days, nine whole days of not disturbing
your marital bliss, so we thought…"
"That we would disturb your marital bliss," Faith finished for her
lover, who rewarded her with a playful smile.
Tara chose that moment to come out of the bedroom, fully dressed,
looking as though she had spent the day being up and around rather
than in bed, in Willow's arms. Willow her eyes still narrow from the
slayer's entrance gave Tara another scowl, "I'm gonna get dressed."
As she walked by Tara to the bedroom Tara leaned in and
whispered, "aw but you look so cute all half covered like that," then
she kissed her cheek and moved into the living room to join Buffy and
Faith before her wife could retaliate. She knew Willow would get her
back later in bed, and she couldn't wait. "So what can we do for our
favorite slayers?"
"It's a nice day out, we figured we'd drag you guys out to get some
sun, you can't stay in here forever, you'll starve…"
"Which is where lunch comes into the plan." This time Buffy finished
Faith's sentence, suspiciously sounding practiced. Which wasn't
entirely out of the question, after all if they wanted the Wiccans
out of their apartment they would have to put up a unified front, and
begging wasn't out of the question either.
“I’d say we had plenty eat.” Tara replied with her most vixeny smile.
Buffy and Faith’s eyes both bulged so far out Tara thought they would
pop out.
"Actually there is a spell to replenish the body, we'd never have to
shop again, and no starving." Willow said as she walked out of the
bedroom, now fully clothed.
"Hmmm, sounds like a plan," Tara said playfully, kissing Willow as
she joined them in the living room.
"We'll have to try that sometime huh B?" Buffy slapped Faith on the
arm lightly, but didn't respond verbally. Faith just gave her normal
grin, she really did like the idea of not letting B out of bed for a
week, but there was slaying, and Dawn, and their friends. Damn when
did she become an adult and all responsible. Now she was the one who
scowled. Buffy thinking it was the slap to the arm leaned over and
gave her a kiss on the corner of the mouth. The smirk was back in
place.
"So you mentioned lunch, is this a free thing?" Tara asked smiling at
how cute the slayers could be when they weren't acting all tough;
those few moments when they forgot there were people around and hid
all their walls. Adorable, as long as Cordy didn't see they'd be
fine. The girl still went off on rambles about when the Wiccans got
too cute.
"Completely free, I'm celebratin'," Faith said a proud look firmly in
place.
"Celebrating what?"
"I passed the test, so I want to take my tutor and her wife out to
lunch, along with my gorgeous girlfriend of course." This
proclamation started a round of congratulations and hugs, then twenty
minutes later they finally made it out the door for lunch.
*****************
*Magic Box*
"Hey you, what are you doing here in the middle of the day?" Cordelia
asked when Kate walked in and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"I have great news that just couldn't wait!"
"Ok, what's up?"
"Brace yourself now, I just got promoted! I'm captain of the `weird
stuff' division. Yeah that's not it's official name but you get my
point." Cordelia hopped up and down a few times then threw her arms
around Kate's neck.
"I'm so proud of you Katie!" Cordelia leaned in and gave Kate a long
passionate kiss, which is what the scene was when the slayers and
Wiccans walked in.
Faith gave off a whistle as she saw the scene and Buffy joined her
with a catcall or two, making the women blush the shade of Willow's
hair. "Not that we mind the show, but what's up?" Faith asked
eventually.
Before Kate could answer Cordy beat her to it, "Katie got promoted!"
She hopped up and down again a few times.
Faith smiled and then gave a look of fear, "oh god don't do that, I'm
getting flashbacks from when you turned five," a little shiver ran
through her body but she shook it off.
"Yeah well…" Cordy stuck her tongue out at Faith who was now sitting
at the table reserved for Scooby gang members in the middle of the
store.
"Your face is gonna freeze that way."
"All right children that's enough," Kate said in a mock `adult' tone.
"Yes mom." Cordy and Faith answered simultaneously, both cracking up
when they realized what they had done.
Cordelia ran up to Faith, "pinch, poke, speak and you owe me a coke."
Then smiled triumphantly as Faith sat back in her chair, a none too
pleased look on her face.
"That's great Kate, congrats," Tara said as she and Willow settled
into seats at the table as well.
"Looks like we have lots to celebrate tonight." Buffy added happily.
"Lots?"
"Faith and Marci both passed the GED, you got promoted, Willow and
Tara finally left their apartment, lots to celebrate. Only question
is, how?"
"Bronze?"
"Ha ha ha, you owe me a coke now," Cordy shouted gleefully. Faith
went back to pouting silently.
"The Bronze sounds like fun Buffy, what time should we all meet?"
"I dunno, I’ll ask Sam and Iz, Giles and Tabby what their up to tonight
then call you."
"What's up with Giles and Tab anyway, they have been getting awfully
close lately, she's always here, with him, together. It's like when
Jenny was around."
"Who?" Kate asked confused.
"Jenny Calendar, she was the computer teacher, and who I learned my
first spell from, she was a cyber Wiccan. Angelus kinda killed her
though, Giles hasn't really been with anyone since then."
"Unless you count my mother," a shiver ran through Buffy's body, "I
still have nightmares about band candy." Kate still looked somewhat
confused but decided that with the Scooby gang; some things were just
better not known.
"Well I think they make a cute couple, now all we have to do is find
Marci someone and we will all be happily involved." Tara piped up.
"Oooh we have a mission for tonight then," Willow said happily.
Deciding that is was safe to talk again Faith asked, "thought the
mission was to celebrate?"
"That too."
"Ok, operation get Marc a… Anyone know whether Marc likes guys or
girls?" Faith asked the subject had never come up before.
"Well we have to talk to her about going tonight anyway, we'll slip
that in and find out." With that Buffy and Faith left for home to get
plans together for the night, while Cordelia and Kate celebrated by
kissing each other some more, and Willow and Tara snuck out to have
some more snuggle time before the night at the Bronze.
*******************
*W&T's apartment*
When Willow and Tara got home their answer machine was blinking,
Willow pushed the play button and listened to the single message.
"Hey Will Tara this is Phoebe, we wanted to congratulate you on the
big day, and ask you to come visit sometime before school starts back
up. Just give us a call and we'll set something up, love ya, bye."
"That sounds like fun, we have any plans coming up?"
"Bed."
"Other than that," Willow smirked at her lover, Tara could have a one
track mind sometimes, she was just glad that she was the one track.
"Nope."
"Well then we'll have to call Phoebes tomorrow and visit them."
"Bed now?" Willow's only answer was to attach her lips to Tara's and
start walking them to the bedroom.
****************
*The Bronze*
Willow and Tara walked into the Bronze hand in hand, and only twenty
minutes late too. When they arrived at the designated Scooby area
Faith and Buffy were out on the dance floor along with Iz and
Samantha, leaving Cordy and Kate on the sidelines. "Hey you guys
finally made it." Kate said happily as the Wiccans walked up to
them, "want something to drink?" Both shook their heads no.
"Where's Marci, thought we were supposed to be finding her dream…
whatever." Willow asked as she sat down with Tara next to her.
"She couldn't come, her aunt in San Francisco wants her to go visit
for a few days, and she's packing tonight."
"What a coincidence."
"Huh?"
"Tara and I are going to visit P3 up in San Fran. Maybe we'll run
into each other."
"Willow honey it's a big city, I doubt we'll run into her unless it's
a planned running into thing." Tara said smiling at her wife.
"Hey was wonderin' if you guys would ever show up," Faith playfully
said as she and Buffy came back from the dance floor.
"We can't stay long though, we're going to visit the Hallowell
sisters, we wanted to come and do a little celebrating with you
though." Buffy put on her best pout when she heard Willow's
words. "What?"
"You guys are taking off and leaving the rest of us here no fair,
Marci gets a vacation, and you get a vacation," Buffy turned to
Faith, "why don't we get one?"
"Maybe we should all take a Scooby style vacation once Marc and the
Wiccans get back." Buffy smiled and clapped. "Has anyone else noticed
that?!" At the blank stares Faith got she explained, "ever since you
three were turned back into adults, you've been acting a lot like
little kids, it's disturbing." The three women in question looked at
each other and all three stuck their tongues out at Faith. "I'm gonna
get some drinks," Faith grumbled as she walked over to the bar.
"She's just too easy to torture, it's kinda fun," Cordelia laughed as
Faith left, waiting till she was out of hearing range before she
spoke.
"You're evil, but I love you anyway," Kate said in Cordy's ear,
kissing the lobe as she did.
"Hey look at the time, we should go, we're all celebrated out
anyway," Cordelia grabbed Kate's hand and pulled her up, "bye all,
have fun in the city by the bay Will Tara." And with that they rushed
out of the Bronze to Kate's car and home, they had some more personal
celebrating to do.
"So how long are you guys going to be gone?" Buffy asked after
Cordelia and Kate's hasty departure.
"About a week or so," Buffy stuck out her bottom lip in a definite
pout. "But when we get back I like Faith's idea of going on a Scooby
vacation, demons always slack off during the summer anyway, so we'd
have plenty of time."
"I'm gonna miss my bestest buddy though," Buffy continued pouting.
Samantha and Iz came off the dance floor and saw Buffy
pouting. "What's up Buff? You look like someone just took your
favorite toy." Iz said way too cheerfully for the slayer's liking.
"Willow and Tara are leaving us."
"What for good? Why?"
"No not for good Iz, we're just going to visit some friends for a
week or so." Tara answered to calm Iz down.
"Oh," Iz slapped Buffy on the arm, "thanks for scaring me."
"Anytime." Iz mock glared at Buffy, but couldn't hold the façade for
very long and smiled.
"Dance?" Tara asked Willow, who nodded in response, and they spent
the next hour or so dancing in each other's arms, whether it was a
slow song or not.
**************
*W&T's apartment*
"Hey Marci it's Willow."
"Hey, sorry I couldn't make it to the Bronze tonight. I had to pack."
"No problem, Kate told us, what I'm call about is Tara and I are
going to be in San Francisco too, and we thought we could meet up
while we're there."
"Cool, sounds like fun."
"Great, well we still have to pack, so I'll talk to you tomorrow,
bye."
"Bye Will."
"So?" Tara asked as Willow hung up the phone.
"She said it sounded like fun, so we're calling her tomorrow to set
it up."
"Goody, now we have to pack, remember where we put the suitcases?"
"Um, hall closet?"
"Good a place as any to start looking.”
****************
*Summers' Home*
"Aw come on B, stop poutin' already, they ain't gonna be gone that
long." Faith said as the slayers were getting ready for bed.
"I'm not pouting," Buffy pouted.
"Then why is your bottom lip still stickin' out?"
"'Cause maybe I'm inviting you to suck on it." Buffy said defiantly,
if she was pouting she'd be damned before she admitted it to anyone.
"Well then how could I resist such a good invitation," pushing Buffy
on to the bed, where they took turns sucking on each other, thanking
god for slayer stamina all the time.
**************
*Kate and Cordelia's apartment*
"So how does it feel to be a captain?"
"It feels great, this is something I would have never gotten if I
stayed in L.A."
"Have I mentioned lately how glad I am that you stayed here with me,
I don't know what I would do without you." Kate kissed Cordelia
lightly on the nose, and then the lips.
"I never could have gone on in L.A. without you, or anywhere without
you for that matter, I love you so much Delia."
"I love you too Katie," Cordelia rolled so that she was laying on top
of Kate and proceeded to show her just how happy, and how much she
loved Kate. They may not of had slayer stamina, but you would never
know that by the way the kept going, and going, and going…. And damn
pink bunnies now, all the animals are turning pink.
***************
*Bus station; San Francisco*
"Do you see them yet?" The youngest Hallowell sibling asked.
"Phoebe if we saw them then we wouldn't be standing here still
looking now would we." Prue responded.
"Alright you two, behave," Piper said, always the peacekeeper.
"Oh, oh, there they are, TARA, WILLOW OVER HERE!" Phoebe shouted
getting the attention of the two Wiccans, and half the bus station.
"Hey Phoebes it's good to see you again too," Tara choked out as
Phoebe crushed her into a huge hug.
"So how is married life treating ya?"
"Great!" Tara and Willow answered at the same time.
"Anyone else just see Tony the Tiger go by?" Phoebe laughed. It was
going to be a good week. Her best friend and her wife there visiting,
maybe this would help her start forgetting Cole.
****************
*Hallowell Manor*
"Pass the milk…. thanks." Piper, Phoebe, Prue, Leo, Willow, and Tara
were all sitting around the table enjoying a nice, demon free
breakfast, which of course is the best kind.
"So your friend is meeting us at P3 tonight?" Piper asked as Phoebe
passed the milk back across the table.
"Well that's the plan," Willow said taking a bite of her Cheerios.
"Which friend is it?"
"Oh she wasn't around when you guys visited. She's a recent
inductee."
"Inductee?" Leo asked, not to sure he wanted to know the answer.
"The Scooby gang, the demon fighters of Sunnydale, oh and some in
L.A. too, we're expanding." Willow explained.
"Scooby gang, I bet the demons shake in fear," Willow was about to
respond when Leo looked upward, gave Piper a look, and then just
orbed out.
"No fair that's cheating, he can't just disappear when I've got a
good comeback," Willow pouted.
"It's ok honey," Tara said smiling at her wife with googly eyes,
something all newlyweds do, and they were newly weds after all. "So
what's the plan for today?"
"Well I have a shoot, and Piper has inventory, so Phoebe gets to do
the tourist thing with you." Prue said putting her bowl in the sink
and grabbing her photo equipment.
"Well sounds like we got the better part of the deal," Phoebe said
smiling at her sisters and friends, she was feeling way better today
than she had the past week since Cole killed that woman, but she was
trying not to think about that.
"Yeah, yeah, see you all at the club later, have fun and don't wear
yourselves out to much, bye," Prue and Piper left at the same time
leaving just Phoebe, Willow, and Tara to figure out what to do with
rest of the day.
"Well Phoebes this is your city what shall we do?"
"Hmm, we could go see the Golden Gate Bridge, oooh we have to go by
China Town, and there's lots more to do too." The phone started to
ring and Phoebe hopped up to answer it, "Hallowell residence, Phoebe
speaking…. yeah sure just one sec…. Willow it's for you, Marci."
"Um, ok, Marci everything ok?…. Ok I'll ask…. Anyone object to Marci
hanging out with us for the day, her aunt had something come up and
she's all by her lonesome."
"Nope."
"More the merrier."
"Ok we'll pick you up…. Ok see you there in about an hour? Alright
bye."
"Well at least I won't be stuck with you love birds all by myself
now," Phoebe smirked and dodged the balled up napkin Tara threw at
her.
***************
*Cliff overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge*
"Wow." Marci said in awe as she gazed down from the cliff at the
bridge.
"I concur," Willow said equally in awe.
Tara smiled and said to Phoebe, "wonder how they would have acted if
they were in New York with us."
"If I remember correctly someone here commented continuously on
the `big pretty buildings'," Phoebe finished the statement in her
best Tara impersonation; Tara however didn't see it as very funny.
"When did you go to New York?" Marci asked curiously.
"Oh it was a couple of years ago, I went to live to escape my family,
and Tara came to visit me for the summer."
"We had the worst apartment ever, I still have nightmares about that
place." Tara said shuddering some.
"Aw, it wasn't that bad," Tara just gave Phoebe a look that
said `you're kidding right?', "well ok maybe it was that bad, but it
was all we could afford at the time."
"Sounds like you guys had fun." Willow said watching the interaction
between her wife and Phoebe thinking how adorably cute it was.
"Well I wasn't getting along with Piper and Prue at the time, Grams
was gone, Tara was the only family I had left, or so it seemed. I
would have never survived that time without ya," Phoebe finished
directed at Tara.
"Well I would have never had the courage to leave after mom died if
it wasn't for you," Tara responded.
Marci watched in amusement, "I feel a hug coming up." Tara and Phoebe
who were in fact about to hug each other decided not to just to prove
Marci wrong.
Willow decided to pipe up, "well it's been a full day, shouldn't be
going and getting ready to go to the club, I'm supposed to call Buffy
too."
"Alrighty then, to the manor it is, where should we drop you Marci?"
"I'll tell you on the way."
"Gotcha off we go," the four took one last look at the bridge and
then climbed into Piper's car that they were borrowing for their
sight seeing adventures.
****************
* P3*
The four women who had spent their day sightseeing had just finished
relating their tale to Piper, Leo, and Prue who were a somewhat
attentive audience. Piper and Leo were busy looking at each other
while Prue was looking over the crowd. "Oh no."
"What?" Piper asked, recognizing Prue's tone as trouble. She let her
gaze travel to where Prue's was and saw Cole coming into the
club, "Uh oh."
The others stopped telling their tale and looked up, Willow and Marci
had no idea what was going on, Tara figured it out from what she had
been told about Phoebe's ex-lover, and Phoebe herself had a look of
something between shock and anger. "What is he doing here?!" She
decided on anger as she spoke, she jumped up and headed off to yell
at him before her sisters could stop her.
"What's going on?" Marci asked, somewhat scared due to Phoebe's
reaction to the guy coming into the club.
"That's Phoebe's ex-boyfriend, Cole aka Balthazar. He's half demon;
he tried to win control over his demon half, but lost. He killed a
woman and Phoebe dumped him, but he's bad at taking a hint." Leo
explained to the newcomers what had come over his sister-in-law.
"Ouch," Marci said to herself.
It only took a few minutes, and the threat of bodily harm from a
couple of bouncers to get Cole to leave, and Phoebe came back to the
couch where her group was sitting, looking a lot more tired than she
did before she got up. "Well that was the exact opposite of fun." She
sat down heavily and let out a sigh, so much for forgetting about the
guy for a while.
"Are you ok?" Piper asked concern written all over her face.
"Yeah… I just need to have some fun. Hey Marci want to dance?"
"Um, sure." Phoebe grabbed her hand and pulled her out on the dance
floor, Marci had a big grin in place the second Phoebe's hand touched
her own.
Tara watched as the two went out to the floor, and instead of finding
some guys started dancing with each other, she then leaned in next to
Willow's ear and whispered, "looks like we found someone for Marci."
Willow gave Tara a somewhat shocked look, then in her head went over
the day, the two did seem to click. She looked out at them now, they
were burning up the dance floor together, they made a cute
couple. "And someone to take Phoebe's mind off Cole."
"Now all we have to do is make them realize this," Tara said still
watching her best childhood friend and one of her new friends
together, "wait till Buff hears this, I picture clapping and jumping
up and down." Willow smiled at the image, also picturing the look of
exasperation on Faith's face, this was going to be fun all the way
around.
****************
*Sunnydale; Summers' Home*
Buffy and Faith lay in bed together, just snuggling and enjoying the
peacefulness of the day. The ringing phone disturbed their little
cocoon of silence, "rock, paper, scissors?" Faith asked not wanting
to get up as much as she knew Buffy didn't want to either.
"1…2…3… Butthead." Buffy reluctantly got up and answered the ringing
phone, "hello?"
"Buffy it's Willow."
"Hey Will what's up?"
"Guess what Tara and I did."
"Um, went sightseeing?"
"Yeah that too… We found someone perfect for Marci."
"That's great Willow, who?"
"Phoebe."
"As in Tara's friend, youngest of the Charmed ones?"
"Yup the one and only."
"And they're going along with this."
"Oooh, you should have seen them on the dance floor together last
night, kinda reminded me of you and Faith when she first came to
Sunnydale."
"Cool, you two going to play matchmaker?"
"Yup. Oh I have to go now, talk to you later. Bye."
"Bye Willow." Buffy hung up the phone and climbed back into bed where
Faith was waiting with open arms. "Will and Tara are going to try and
set Marci up with Phoebe."
"She called to tell you that?"
"Yup."
"Sheesh, they've been gone for two days and you talk to each other as
much now as you did when she was here." Faith grumbled half-heartily.
"She's my best friend, and `sides we were wanting to find someone for
Marci, now we don't have to look. She compared them on the dance
floor to you and me the first time you came here."
Faith rolled over and rested her head on Buffy's chest, "you know
that's where I fell in love with you."
"Huh?"
"On the dance floor, that's when I fell in love with you. But I think
I love you more now then I did then."
"Love you too."
***************
** *Hallowell Manor*
Willow hung up the phone as Phoebe dragged herself into the kitchen
in search of some much-needed coffee. "Hello sunshine," Tara said in
a way too cheerful voice, mocking Phoebe's hangover.
"Bite me."
"Well you seemed to be having fun last night, possibly too much?"
Piper asked smirking at her little sister.
"I was drowning my pain, what's wrong with that?" Phoebe asked
finally finding the coffee and pouring herself some. Truth was once
she was out on the dance floor last night she completely forgot about
any pain she had, and it wasn't the alcohol that made her forget.
Images of her and Marci dancing flooded her dreams last night, but
she would be damned if she was going to admit that to anyone else.
"We have trouble," Prue stated coming in the door, "we need to look
in the Book of Shadows, now!"
Piper and Phoebe hurriedly followed their sister up the stairs to the
attack, Willow and Tara following along more slowly, not wanting to
give up their demon free vacation. "What's up Prue?" Tara asked as
she and Willow walked into the room.
"I was attacked at the beach this morning. By big, ugly, and from
what I could tell, stupid."
Willow leaned over and whispered in Tara's ear, "sounds like one of
Buffy's descriptions." Tara smiled but didn't respond.
"Here, that's him… Goolach demon, hmm should be easy to vanquish
that's good."
" And here we thought we could vacation without demons, should have
known better really." Tara said contemplatively.
"What no demons, you can borrow some of ours," Phoebe smiled,
paybacks for Tara being all cheery when she was hungover.
"Borrowed demons eh, not so sure I like that idea actually." Willow
said thinking about the unborrowed demons she had to deal with.
"Well the three of you don't have to worry about it, we don't even need the
power of three, so you can go do more sight seeing while Piper and I
do the vanquish." Prue said taking charge as always.
"Hey if they don't have to help how come I do?" Piper pouted but
followed Prue out of the room anyway, "Leo get down here, if I have
to help so do you." As they were walking down the stairs Leo orbed in
and could be heard whining along with Piper.
"So sightseeing, what do you guys want to see today?"
Willow put a thoughtful look on her face and said, "I don't know, why
don't we call Marci and see what she's doing." Willow lightly elbowed
Tara in the side.
"Oh right, Marci, we should definitely call her, yup." Tara glared at
her wife and rubbed the side where Willow had hit her, a pout on her
face. Willow gave her a look promising that it would be made up
later, so she cheered up.
"You two are acting weird," Phoebe commented as she walked out of the
room, although she was thinking it was an absolutely great idea to
call Marci.
****************
"Tell me why we're at a school during the summer."
"Because I wanted to show Tara my school, school phobia?"
Marci narrowed her eyes at Phoebe comment but smiled nonetheless, "I
just took the GED, so I'm avoiding schools for awhile. I was thinking
about…" Phoebe and Marci walked on further ahead leaving Willow and
Tara to trail them, Tara gave Willow a knowing look. It seemed as
though Marci and Phoebe may not need any pushes in the right
direction, they were going along all by themselves.
"Hey isn't that Piper and Prue, what are they doing here?" Willow
asked as she and Tara quickened their pace to catch up. The got to
the space between two buildings where the rest had disappeared just
in time to see Piper throw something at the demon, Prue chanted and
poof, one vanquished demon. "Well that seemed easy enough."
"Easy?!" Piper said exasperated, "easy?! We chased that thing for two
miles, Leo orbed mid-chase `cause they," Piper pointed
heavenward, "needed him, leaving Prue and I to finish it, easy?! Yeah
a regular piece of cake."
"Piper decaf for now on `k?" Prue gave them an apologetic smile and
followed after her younger sister, hoping her car wouldn't take the
brunt of Piper's frustration. With her new power showing up all she
had to do was raise her hands when she was upset and explosions
popped up, everywhere.
"Well things are never boring here are they?" Willow asked her gaze
following the elder two of the Charmed three.
"Are they in Sunnydale?" Phoebe asked by way of an answer.
"Good point, ok where to now?"
"Lunch, I'm starved," Marci answered first.
"Great, I know the coolest little café you'll love it," Phoebe
grabbed Marci's good hand and started pulling her toward the car.
"You know Tara a thought just hit me…"
"Did it hurt?" Tara asked playfully.
"Ha ha, ha, no think about it if Marci and Phoebe really do hook up,
then one of them would have to move."
"It won't be Phoebe, she's too close to her sisters, not to mention
the whole being part of the Charmed ones."
"Then that would mean Marci would have to." A frown covered Willow's
face; she didn't want anymore of her friends leaving, at least all
the others had all moved to L.A. So if she wanted to see one, she
could see them all, and the drive there was shorter.
"I think you're jumping the gun a little here Willow, they may not
even want to date each other, Phoebe did just come off a really….
weird relationship, and Marci could be straight."
"I guess you're right, but…"
"No buts, let things happen naturally, then we'll worry whether one
of our friends is moving or not, ok?"
"Yeah ok." Willow pouted all the way to the car, then to the café,
and finally cheered up once lunch was ordered, she would have fun and
worry about the other stuff it came up, just like Tara said.
****************
*San Francisco; Café*
"Well I'm stuffed," Marci stated happily, "guess you were right about
my liking this place Phoebe."
"A.) I said you would love it, which you obviously did leading me to
point B.) I'm always right, it's a gift."
"Yeah I'm sure," Marci reached out and playfully slapped Phoebe's
arm, when her hand made contact Phoebe went rigid with a
premonition. "Phoebe what's wrong?" Marci asked worriedly.
Phoebe was getting a preview of their first kiss. Normally she didn't
get feeling with her premonitions, but with this one she did, and she
liked what she felt. Soft, softer than any kiss she had ever had, she
liked it, and that scared the hell out of her. She jumped up
quickly, "I need to use the ladies room." With that she practically
ran in the direction of the bathrooms.
Marci looked to Tara for some kind of an answer for what just
happened, "Tara?"
"I'll go see if she's ok, back in a sec." Tara got up and made her
way towards where Phoebe had disappeared, and it didn't take her long
to find the other girl. Phoebe was leaning against the wall just
before the restrooms, obviously trying to catch her breath. "Phoebe,
what's up?"
"Premonition." Phoebe stated plainly, as if it was obvious.
"That bad?"
"That good."
Ok now Tara was really confused, "huh?"
"I kissed her Tara."
Yup still confused, "huh?"
"In my premonition I was kissing Marci, and damn can that girl kiss
too."
"Ok I'm missing the problem here, I mean I know you, and I KNOW from
your track record you have nothing against dating girls, so what
gives?"
Phoebe slunk to the floor and sat there staring off into space for a
minute before answering Tara's question. "That's just it Tara, look
at my track record. I fall in love, I get screwed over, or I screw
them over. Nothing lasts. Cupid himself told me I kept my heart off
limits. So I tried, I gave Cole my heart, and look what happened, I'm
scared Tara. Just from that premonition I know I could fall in love
with Marci, but that scares the hell out of me."
Tara knelt down next to Phoebe and asked gently, "do you think she
would ever hurt you like that?"
"No. But what's to say I wouldn't hurt her, I'm known to do that
without even trying."
"Phoebe you of all people should know that just `cause you're scared
you shouldn't not do something. I mean you went off to New York by
yourself, you were scared then, but only good things came out of it,
right?"
"Yeah, I guess, well there was that one guy… never mind."
"Phoebe what's scaring you the most, I know it can't be
loving, `cause you do that so well. Piper and Prue could testify to
that. So what is it?"
"I don't know, the whole act I guess, giving up my heart, hoping
neither hearts get smashed, the whole Charmed lifestyle mixed in with
the normal relationship issues, plus the long distance thing… It's
just too much Tara, and we're not even together yet. What should I
do?"
"Well Marci definitely won't be scared off by the Charmed lifestyle,
she's been living with the Scoobies for awhile now. And everyone
takes a risk when giving their heart away. I mean I took a huge
chance telling one of my best friends, my only friend in Sunnydale,
who had only dated guys, that I was in love with her. And look how
that turned out, we're now happily married. And as for my advice, I
say you have to at least give it a chance, or you'll always wonder
what if."
"Damn you and your logic." Phoebe smiled and got up, "well I guess I
should explain the sudden disappearance there, she's probably freaked
out." Phoebe handed Tara the keys, "think you two can make it back to
the manor so Marci and I can talk?"
"Sure thing, if all else fails, we'll ask for directions." Tara smiled
at her oldest best friend in the world and gave her a hug, then
together they walked back to the table where a worried looking Marci
and Willow were sitting patiently.
Tara walked up to Willow and whispered in her ear what was going on,
then they said goodbye and left, leaving Marci and Phoebe alone at
the table. "Phoebe are you ok?"
"Come on let's take a walk, I'll explain on the way."
"Ok." Phoebe paid the bill and the two girls set off on foot, with no
real destination in mind. "Well first off the freaking out thing when
you touched me was a premonition."
"Of?"
"Me and you."
"Oh god, we're not going to die or anything like that are we?"
"No, it was a… good premonition, or I guess it could be seen as bad,
I saw it as bad at first, well no not bad just scary, but then once I
talked to Tara I saw it as good. You might see it as bad though, but
in the premonition you didn't, and…"
Marci placed her hand on Phoebe's arm, then moved it up to her chin
to move Phoebe's eyes so that they were looking into her own, "you're
babbling Phoebe, just tell me."
"It was of us kissing." Phoebe said in a rush, Marci caught the words
however, and didn't seem to think it was bad, quite the opposite
actually. She leaned forward and let her lips touch Phoebe's gently.
Fireworks, sparks, lightning, and many other words flooded Phoebe's
mind as their lips caressed each other. Neither deepening the kiss,
nor demanding more, just a gentle joining of their mouths. In a word,
perfect. "Wow," Phoebe said as they separated.
Marci smiled and let her hand fall and take Phoebe's in it, entwining
their fingers, "yeah that's a good way to put it. That scared you?"
"Honestly, yeah… But it doesn't anymore."
"Good, I wouldn't want to freak you out."
"Please once I heard the story of you being an invisible assassin,
this isn't even on the freak worthy list."
Marci's smiled brightened, "good, so which way to the manor?"
"Oh right," Phoebe gave a sheepish grin, "actually it's only like two
miles this way."
"Lead on."
****************
*Hallowell Manor*
"How do you think it's going?" Willow asked her wife as the walked
into the manor.
"Hopefully good, Phoebe was pretty freaked at first, but that's
understandable considering the Cole fiasco she just came out of."
"Yeah, I hope it works out for them, it would be nice."
"I don't think either would ever break the other's heart on purpose,
so I think they have a good chance at it working out."
The girls continued their conversation completely unaware of Cole
standing in the other room, listening to every word they said. And he
didn't look too happy at hearing Phoebe was replacing him; he had
still been hanging onto the hope that he could get Phoebe back. But
now it looked like he wouldn't even get the chance. The demon in him
was yelling for the blood of the person who dare try and take his
place in Phoebe's heart. And the human part of him was weeping for
the lost love, and possibly the loss of his humanity.
The one thing that had enabled him so far to keep what little
humanity in him was Phoebe. And right now his demon half was winning
the internal argument about what to do. If he couldn't have Phoebe,
then nobody would.
"We're back," Phoebe called out as she and Marci entered the manor.
Tara noticed the linked hands and smiled, "things go well?"
"Yup." Phoebe answered happily.
Marci turned her head to look at Phoebe, then something in the other
room caught her attention, it was a man, the man from the club last
night. "Why is he here?" She asked confused as to why Tara and Willow
let him stick around.
"Who?" All three other girls asked in unison.
"I'm guessing you mean me." Cole said as he walked out into the
open, "hello Phoebe."
"Cole, I thought I told you I never wanted to see you again, what are
you doing here."
"Well I had the whole plan that involved winning you back, but those
two," he motioned to Willow and Tara, "seem to think you're quite
happy with her," he now pointed to Marci. Phoebe stepped in front of
Marci protectively.
"Cole leave now, and I might let you live." Phoebe said in her most
venomous voice, meaning every word of what she spoke.
Cole smiled, a disarming smile that just put everyone further on
edge, "alright, I'll go now, but there is nothing saying I won't come
back, and honestly right now I don't know what I'll do when I do. But
I will be back for you Phoebe in one way or another." Then he just
shimmered away leaving the four women standing there.
"Uh oh." Phoebe said tiredly.
***************
"HE WHAT?!" Piper screamed. "This is just great now we have Balthazar
after us again."
"No just me." Phoebe said, placing a hand over her eyes in an effort
to shut out the world. The small circles Marci was rubbing on her
back the only comfort she had.
"Oh and that it so much better." Piper said sarcastically, motioning
wildly with her hands, a flowerpot blowing up in result. No one ever
seemed to flinch though.
"I'll take care of this Piper, we'll just make up the potion and I'll
vanquish him."
"Oh `cause that worked so well last time." Piper was bordering on
angry now, thinking about the months Phoebe had lied to them about
vanquishing Cole, or rather the lack of vanquish.
"Don't. Even. Go. There." Phoebe said standing up to her sister, a
deadly glint in her eyes, that however didn't make Piper waver at
all.
"What's to say you won't just pretend to vanquish him again, fall in
love or whatever all over again, and then what? More months of lies?
No way Phoebe.”
"I have a good reason to get rid of him once and for all this time."
Phoebe sent a loving look behind her to Marci.
This however was completely lost on Piper, "right, like the whole him
trying to kill us wasn't a good enough reason the first time."
Phoebe was about to respond with one of those comments that you
prayed later that you could take back, but Prue's entrance kept her
from doing so, which was probably a good thing. "Ok I got here as
fast as I could, what's up?"
Phoebe and Piper were just staring at each other, Leo was hiding in
the corner, Marci was standing behind Phoebe for support, and Tara
and Willow were sitting on the couch wearily. Tara was the first one
to answer, "Cole came and pretty much told Phoebe he was after her
blood."
"Oh yeah, well then we vanquish him and go to P3 to celebrate,
right?"
"Exactly my thoughts," Phoebe said still staring at Piper
dangerously. Which sort of threw Prue off, Phoebe and Piper never
fought, even in the worst of times. There had to be more that no one
was telling her.
"And?"
"Phoebe thinks we're just going to let her go kill him on her own,
after last time I say big bad idea!"
"Ok," Prue said drawing the word out, "why don't we all sit down and
talk about this, civilized like." This was definitely a new
experience for Prue; she was usually one of the fighters, not the
peacekeeper.
Everyone did as Prue said and sat down, calming some, but not
much. "I can handle this alone Prue."
"I'm sure you can Phoebe, but you're not going to," Phoebe was about
to interrupt but Prue didn't let her, "it's called the power of three
for a reason Phoebe, and you don't go up against a threat as big as
Balthazar without doing it with every resource you have. The power of
three plus two really strong Wiccans has a whole lot better of a
chance of coming out alive, then if you went in alone, right?"
"Yeah, I guess," Phoebe reluctantly agreed with her sister's logic,
but still wasn't happy about it, at all.
"Sorry guys, looks like you'll be doing some demon fighting on you
vacation after all," Prue said apologetically.
"No problem, we're glad to help," Tara answered for both herself and
Willow.
"What about me? I want to help too." Marci said.
"Oh no, no way, not going to happen, I'm not putting you in
danger `cause I dated a psycho demon." Phoebe answered immediately.
The elder two Charmed Ones thinking that Phoebe merely didn't want to
put an innocent and her new friend in danger, not having been
informed of the shift in their relationship yet.
"Phoebe's right, you really shouldn't have to throw yourself to the
wolves." Leo answered speaking for the first time since Piper had
stated yelling.
Marci looked pleadingly into Phoebe's eyes, "please, I want to help."
Phoebe's heart broke when she looked into Marci's eyes, begging for
the chance to help, to be trusted to help. "How are you at making
potions?"
Marci perked up immediately, she got to help, but didn't have to put
her already tortured arm in danger, and well the rest of her wasn't
to happy with danger either, but she would have gladly done whatever
was asked of her. "I'm great at throwing things into pots and
stirring."
"Sounds qualified to me," Phoebe smiled at her girlfriend, or was
she. They hadn't gotten that far into their conversation, so far all
that had been established is that they both liked each other, and
then there was also the kiss. The kiss that made her go weak in the
knees just thinking about it. They would defiantly have to talk once
this whole stupid thing was over and behind them.
"Great. Um, don't suppose you have the recipe?"
"Oh yeah, Piper?" Piper the one who was normally the throwing things
in and stirring, er, potion making, had kept track of all the potions
they had used, and would be the one to know where to track it down.
"Follow me," Piper led the way to the kitchen, not even looking at
Phoebe, she was somewhat ashamed of the way she acted, or overreacted
as the case may be. She knew she would have to apologize later, and
that meant Phoebe would gloat, oh and how she hated those moments.
Leo followed after them, like the good little puppy, um, husband,
that he was.
"Well now all we have to do is come up with a way to get Cole to come
to us," Prue said thinking out loud.
"Oh that will be easy." Phoebe stated rather matter-of-factly.
"How's that?" Willow asked, not knowing if the Charmed ones had a
special demon magnet or not.
"We have what he wants…me."
****************
*San Francisco; Mausoleum*
"Phoebe what makes you so sure he'll come back here?" Tara asked,
even being a full-fledged Scooby cemeteries and mausoleums,
especially cemeteries and mausoleums at night, made her nervous.
"Yeah he'll come back here, it always comes back here, so it only
makes since that it would end here," Phoebe answered looking around.
"Since when did dealing with demons make sense?"
"Good point, but trust me I know Cole, he'll come here."
"Oh goody," Tara mumbled under her breath, the only one hearing her
was her wife, Willow.
"Are you ok?" Willow asked just as quietly.
"Peachy," Tara answered sarcastically, and was about to apologize for
snapping at her when Cole shimmered in.
"Well Phoebe I didn't expect you to make this this easy on me." Cole
said, now walking towards the witches gathered in the room.
"Who said anything about easy? Piper now!" Piper threw up her hands
and there was a small explosion at Cole's feet. Prue quickly knocked
him back into the wall while he was disoriented, and Phoebe stepped
up to him, "goodbye Cole, for good this time." With that she threw
the potion that Marci had mixed up for her. And poof, a cloud of
dust, a flash of light, some smoke, and he was gone, for good this
time.
"Well that was fun, can we go now." Tara whined from where she and
Willow stood, just in case the Charmed ones had needed backup.
"Let me get this straight, you have two friends who are slayers, and
this place creeps you out? Tara my friend you are weird."
"Oh god, coming from you that is bad," Tara laughed with her long
time friend as they all walked out of the creepy mausoleum.
"So P3 for the customary celebratory drinks?" Piper asked, it really
was handy having a club of your own, of their own actually.
"Well I have to talk to Marci…about things." Prue and Piper looked as
though they were going to comment but Tara came to Phoebe's rescue.
"And Willow and I have an early bus ride, we should pack, and stuff."
"Prue?"
"Oh yeah I'm there, there was this really cute guy there the other
night, I'm hoping he's a return customer." Prue smirked as she
climbed into the driver's side, thinking just how she could show her
appreciation of his patronage to the club. Piper just shook her head,
she was planning on getting Leo out on the dance floor sometime that
year, and she was running out of time.
It didn't take long for the group to get back to the manor, where a
very anxious Marci was waiting, none to patiently. "Everything go
ok?" She asked as soon as Phoebe walked through the door, followed by
Willow and Tara. "Oh god where are Prue and Piper? Are they ok?"
"Marci calm down, they're fine, just going to the club to have some
fun."
"Oh thank god, when I didn't see them come in, I thought…"
"Thanks for caring so much, that means a lot to me." Phoebe said
sincerely, looking around she noticed that Willow and Tara had
managed to sneak off with out either of them seeing them. Sneaky
little Wiccans. But at the same time she was grateful, she and Marci
needed to have a talk, one of those serious kind, yuck.
***************
"There's something I've wanted to do all night," Willow said as she
and Tara walked into the Hallowell guestroom.
"Oh yeah, what's that?"
Willow walked over to her wife and hugged her, then laid a passionate
kiss on her lips. "That."
"Not that I'm arguing, `cause I so am not, but what was that for?"
"Have I ever told you how cute you are when you don't like being
somewhere, and are all nervous. You get this adorable little crease
on your brow, and…" Tara's lips descended to Willow's in another
passionate kiss.
"We should pack, for the trip home," Willow said as they came up for
air.
"Yup, we should." And with that their lips met again, and darn it,
they didn't get any packing done that night.
******************
"So are you sure you're ok?" Marci asked as Phoebe sat on the couch
next to her.
"Yeah," Phoebe answered very unconvincingly. Marci pulled Phoebe
closer so that her head rested on her legs. Her left hand idly
playing with the other girl's hair lightly.
"Want to talk about it?"
"What are we?" Phoebe asked changing the subject to what was actually
on her mind.
"Um, people?"
Phoebe smiled and lightly slapped Marci's leg, "I meant to each
other. I mean we kissed earlier, and now this…" Phoebe indicated the
intimate position they were in.
"I really like you Phoebe, and I could see myself doing even more
than that in time."
"But we don't have time, I mean you're leaving with Will and Tara
tomorrow morning."
"Do you believe in fate, or destiny?"
"Marci I'm one of the Charmed ones, it's a job requirement."
"Well, my aunt the one I came to visit, asked me to stay. She runs a
store in her neighborhood, but is getting too old to manage it, she
asked me to. And I don't think that it's a coincidence that she asked
me here now, and to stay. And the fact that our common friend Tara
happened to be coming here at the same time."
"Are you saying we were destined to meet? To what? Be together?"
"Is that so far fetched?"
"What did you say?" Phoebe asked changing the subject again.
"Yes."
Phoebe sat up and looked Marci in the eyes, "you're staying?"
"Yup, now about that time I was talking about… Phoebe would you like
to go out with me sometime?"
"Are you asking me on a date?"
"Yup."
"Then my answer is yes. Marci?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I kiss you?" Marci just shook her head up and down. Phoebe
leaned in and kissed her. When they pulled apart they looked into
each other's eyes, and then their lips met again, longer this time.
******************
"Well I hope you had fun." Prue said as she, Piper, Leo, Marci,
Willow, Phoebe, and Tara stood at the bus station.
"Lots, tons even," Willow answered giving the eldest Charmed a
hug. "Next time you guys get to come back to Sunnydale for a visit.
"Deal," Piper answered giving Willow then Tara a hug.
"Faith's going to be upset," Tara said smiling as she hugged
Marci, "she was all looking forward to you two looking for employment
together."
Marci smiled as well, "tell her something came along that I just
couldn't pass up." Phoebe grabbed Marci's hand, and they all waved to
Willow and Tara as they boarded the bus. Prue and Piper looked at
Marci and Phoebe and just silently thanked whoever that at least this
time it wasn't a demon.
******************
*Sunnydale; Bus Station*
"Oh there it is," Dawn shouted excitedly as she saw Willow and Tara's
bus pull up. As soon as the Wiccans got off the bus they were
bombarded with hugs from their friends.
"Sheesh you would think we've been gone a decade," Tara grumbled good-
naturedly.
"We missed you, so how was the trip?" Buffy asked, helping her
friends with their bags, slayer strength did come in handy every now
and then.
"Good." Tara answered simply.
"Hey where's Marc?" Faith asked.
"She stayed in San Fran."
"Why?"
"Remember Willow calling to tell Buffy that Marci and Phoebe would
make a good couple?"
"Um, yeah…"
"Well turns out they do, plus Marci's aunt needed help with her
store."
"Pictures!" Buffy suddenly exclaimed, getting everyone's
attention. "I mean you guys got to go on vacation and we didn't, so
you have to show us pictures!"
"Chill B, they've been back for ten minutes, it takes at least an
hour to get pics developed." Buffy pouted at Faith's statement,
jutting her bottom lip out.
"I still wanna go on vacation, it's not fair, school starts back up
in two weeks."
"Should we tell her now?" Faith asked the others assembled around the
car.
"Yeah," Dawn answered excitedly.
"What?" Buffy asked, threatening to go into another pout.
"We girlfriend are going on an Alaskan cruise."
"Me and you?"
"The whole Scooby gang, even talked Giles and Tabby into it." A huge
smile spread out on Buffy's face and she started hugging everyone,
which she promptly stopped when she accidentally hugged some
stranger, who looked really freaked.
Tara yawned, the lack of sleep along with the long journey between
places catching up to her first, "can we get some sleep first? I'm
pooped." This just started another round of Buffy jumping up and
down, and hugging.
This was going to be one interesting vacation.
TBC in “Vacation in Hell”
