Dawn tore her eyes off the TV and followed Willow with her eyes. "Wait a minute, you're witches right? The Charmed Ones?" she asked and looked at them carefully. "Oh, this just got interesting" Dawn said and switched off the TV.
"Yes. How did you�?" Phoebe asked.
"I'm a witch too, I've heard all about you, except there are three of you, the last I've heard was the funeral of� hmm�" she looked up, trying to remember the name that was on the edge of her tongue, "Prudence� yeah, Prudence Halliwell".
"You're dead?" Dawn asked in slight shock as she scanned Prue from head to toe.
"I was� that's what we were doing� at the cemetery�" Prue said and glanced at Buffy.
"The Devil, right? You killed The Devil, according to the prophesy�" Willow spoke with excitement in her voice, "yes." Prue said and looked at her.
"Wow� I've heard about you but it's really awesome meeting you" Willow said and smiled, "I actually wasn't quite sure you're real".
"That we are�" Piper said and smiled, "so Buffy, what are we doing here?"
"Well, according to what you've told me, it's pretty strange that a Vampire would go after you intentionally" Buffy said and looked at Phoebe, "you'd be surprised how many Demons and Warlocks go after us� daily�" Phoebe said, "Although Vampires is a first".
"Spike, get over here!" Buffy called, sitting by the kitchen table with Willow, Prue and Piper.
Spike walked into the kitchen, holding a cigarette in his mouth and a lighter in his right hand, "you rang me lady?" he asked.
"Yes. Do you know about the Vampelore?" She asked and turned her head to him, while leaning on the counter.
Spike's face turned pale to the sound of that name. "Wh... Where did you a� find that name from?" he asked and glanced at Prue.
"It just came to mind" Buffy said.
"No!" Spike raged all of a sudden, "that name cannot just come to mind, Buffy" he said firmly and walked away.
"Is he always this charming?" Piper asked and smiled. "Oh, I don't know what came over him" Buffy said and looked at Willow. "Do you have Vegenzo herb?" Piper wondered and looked at Willow. "I haven't brought any with me" Willow replied.
"Hmm, why don't we go back to our house?" Prue suggested and looked at Buffy, "Hey," Phoebe said as she entered the kitchen, followed by Anya and Dawn.
"Hey Phoebes" Prue said and followed her with her eyes as sat beside her, "I was just telling Buffy that we should all go back to the Manor," Prue said.
Phoebe nodded in agreement and glanced at Dawn, "But Prue, straying a little from the subject, we still haven't finished working on the grave yet".
"What, you wanna go back there now?" Piper asked.
"Yes. It's perfect. We'll know just what we're up against if we do" Prue said, siding with Phoebe.
"Prue!" Piper said, trying to hint her to stop.
"Piper," Prue said gently and turned to her, "It'll be alright. You know I never break my promises," she said and touched Piper's hands.
Buffy turned to Dawn and smiled; "we should get going" she said and stood up, walking out of the kitchen.
"Spike? You coming?" Buffy asked firmly, picking up her jacket, "Sure, why not? You're going off to get killed; I might as well come and have myself a free show" Spike said and stood up, picking up a black leather jacket and putting it on as he stepped outside the house and approached Prue's new car.
"Like the car?" Prue asked, stepping down the stairs and towards Spike.
"Tickles my fancy," Spike said, lightening a cigarette.
"Buffy, wait!" Dawn called out, grabbing her coat that hung on a coat hanger by the door.
"You are no coming with us, Dawn," Buffy said decisively, as if it was from regularity to her.
"Yes I am Buffy. I so did not come here to just sit around in this crummy house all day long, alone!" Dawn raged and looked at Buffy, expecting her speech to make immense on Buffy and to cause her to change her mind.
"You are not coming Dawn. The only reason you're here is that I didn't want to leave you home alone. And besides, you're not alone; Xender and Anya are staying with you".
"We are?" Anya asked, confused.
"Yes. The less people we are the better, and besides, I need someone to hold down the fort" Buffy said and headed to the door.
"Buffy!" Dawn whined, clamping her hands strongly against her legs with anger.
"So, what are you? Some kind of a super witch? You must be if you have Vampelore on your back," Spike said in a low hoarse while leaning on the door of the car.
Prue nodded and looked at him, "so where do you fit in the slaying process?" she asked, looking at him. Spike turned his eyes to her and stood up, rising to his full extent, slowly pacing towards Prue. She raised her eyes up to look at his. "I'm a vampire," he said, looking at her.
Prue's face turned to an expression of shock, "you're a wha� a what?" she asked.
"A vampire, but don't worry, I'm practically always good" he said, emphasizing the word good, without taking his eyes away from hers.
"So, Buffy, it's true that in order to kill a vampire, I have to stick a stake into its heart?" Phoebe asked with curiosity as they walked down the stairs and towards Prue and Spike.
Spike turned his head halfway to them and hastily stepped away from Prue.
"So what's the plan?" Willow asked.
Phoebe walked towards Prue and combined her hands with Prue's arm, to keep warm.
"Well, we planned going to the Manor first, but as I understand there's a Demon tendency to attack there, and Vampires act alike. So, we went for the graveyard visit" Buffy said and looked at Willow, then turned to Spike.
"Wait, why don't we split?" Spike suggested suddenly, turning away from Buffy.
"Split? We don't know what we're up against" Phoebe said and glanced at him.
"Well, he does have a point" Prue said and glanced at Piper, "We have better way of commencing if we check The Book," she said.
"We should to this Aright, so who's going to back to The Manor?"
"I guess I'll go," Willow said and glanced at Piper and Phoebe.
"We still need The Power Of Three" Phoebe said and looked at Prue with discontent. After a short pause, she spoke again, volunteering to go along with Willow. That out of many more was the reason she wished for an active power, at these times, Martial arts and levitation combined with premonitions just didn't cut it.
At last, they arrived at the cemetery. Prue marched ahead together with Buffy, talking with great interest about each other's 'work'.
Spike followed bravely, putting out a cigarette and lightening another one afterwards. Piper glanced at him and exceeded her walk, catching up to Buffy and Prue.
"You want one?" Spike asked, suggesting out of full manor, and looked at Piper.
"Ah, no thanks. I'm trying to cut down" Piper said and smiled uncomfortably, immediately turning to Prue, who smiled secretly.
~~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~~
Now when nighttime fell upon you, I conjure thee to be mine.
Thou peers have come with you, but they cannot defend you.
The horrors you'll be through, in time are due.
So run no more my child and hide, for I conjure thee now.
I call upon my featured sons to bring me what is mine.
When lessened rain drops from the sky, and leafs fall from the trees, I shall reveal myself to you and feed upon thy Rees.
And whilst my whispers mystery you, and might become of odd, you will feel the befalling breath, the last one spill Your Blood.
~~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~~
"Here we are" Prue said and stopped a few feet away from her tomb.
"Ah, my shovel" Piper said and bent down, picking up the shovel that lay still on the dug up dirt; "I completely forgot about it. We still have to finish digging this up" Prue said, remembering and sighed, looking at the grave.
"Okay," Phoebe murmured as she opened the front door, "our humble home" she said stretching out her hands in the air and closed the door after Willow.
"I wouldn't exactly put in as humble�" Willow said, looking around the house.
"Come on, The Book's in the Attic" Phoebe said and walked towards the stairs.
"What do you have to do? Is digging up the grave gonna make everyone forget you died?" Buffy asked.
"No," Prue answered and stood up, "but it will set the grounds for some kind of a spell we have to come up with".
"Why can't you just write a spell that would include vanishing the grave?"
"I'm afraid it's not that simple. See, they," Prue lowered her voice and hinted up, "aren't exactly into the whole easy way out of things, so we have to destroy the only solid proof of my death ourselves; physically speaking, of course" she said and glanced at Piper. "Of course" Piper agreed, nodding her head.
"Oh" Buffy hummed and turned to Spike. "Are you going to tell us about that Vampelore guy? It is pretty odd that I haven't heard of him".
"Not quite as odd, love" Spike responded, cooler than before.
"I gather he's a vampire right? Then why make such a big deal out of it? We're four witches and a vampire slayer. The vampire slayer" Prue said, this time in an assumable tone and looked at him.
"That's exactly where your wrong, Prue" Spike said and turned to her. His eyes pierced through hers; she looked at him in a scattered way, feeling her heart skipping a beat as he looked at her.
"See, Vampelore�" Spike stopped and turned away from Prue, Piper and Buffy and sharply listened in.
"What?" Prue asked and looked at Spike, who was now fixated on the graves in front of them.
"Okay, so what are we looking for?" Phoebe asked herself silently, trying to remember the name Spike had mentioned. "Vampelore; whatever you can find on him will do," Willow answered out of the blue, without paying much attention to Piper as she walked around the Attic, passing her hands on some of the antiques there with interest.
Phoebe peered up at her from The Book and looked back down as her hand stopped on one of the pages. "I think I got it" she said and started reading aloud: "Vampelore, A.K.A The Eshenter. The ruler of the Dead and half living� known to have been vanquished once before being outlasted to immortality�" Phoebe stopped and looked at Willow, who now stood by her side, "so what, he's some kind of Dracula?"
"No, Buffy already killed Dracula" Willow said with simplicity and looked down at The Book, "it�s such a beautiful book," she said, straying off the subject.
"Yes. It belonged to out ancestors, I guess it's kind of a family heritage" Phoebe smiled, "Willow, if Vampelore is immortal then how do we vanquish it?" she asked.
"Well, maybe there's a spell we can concoct or a potion?" Willow suggested.
In Ambush, I await, until thou are alone.
Intruding in your house, your shelter, your home.
I wait for time to come, when you will be my own. My sacred, future bride, to you I give my all.
I follow thee with need, with eager and anxiety. For a taste of what is yours, I cross the great divine. The border between death and life is no longer to be bind.
"Well, it's worth a shot. But I'm gonna call Prue, just to let them know what we're up against" Phoebe said and headed out of the Attic, "Phoebe, Wait" Willow called and followed her; thwarting the long awaited attempt of conquest.
"What?" Phoebe asked and turned to Willow, then headed down the stairs while Willow explained to her about her predictions of what is going on.
Phoebe picked up her cell phone and dialed Prue's number, whilst Willow headed up to the attic to get The Book along with several items they needed for concocting a potion.
Suddenly, the lights went out.
Phoebe lifted her eyes up and quickly headed towards the electrical circuit that was behind the house in the back yard. She walked into the kitchen slowly, watching out from bumping into all the furniture.
"Phoebe?" Willow asked, holding The Book in her hands. She stood on the dark Attic's threshold and looked out the hallway, calling for Phoebe, who didn't answer.
"Hello?" Prue called into her cell but she got no answer, "Phoebe! Are you there?"
"What's going on?" Piper asked and looked at Prue, who glanced at her and then aimed her attention back to the phone, "Phoebe!?"
Phoebe opened the electrical circuit closet but it was pretty hopeless since she couldn't see a thing. A flash light wasn't found at sight.
Suddenly, Phoebe heard rustling behind her. She turned in fear and hesitation, "who's there?" she asked in a shaky voice.
"Phoebe? Answer me!" Prue yelled.
"Who's there?" Phoebe asked once more, this time being adjacent to the back door. She tried overlooking to what was there; the streetlights that stood a few meters away lit very dimly.
Everything happened so quickly that she didn't even have time to blink, let alone try to fight him off of her. She felt gravitation loosen away from her and a terrible dizziness befall her.
"Phoebe?" Willow called out, while the lights turned on. She looked around in question and hurried to the kitchen. She ran out of the open backdoor and out to the backyard. "Phoebe?" she called and suddenly heard callings coming from beneath her. She looked down to her feet and picked up Phoebe's cell phone. "Hello?" she asked in a shaken up voice.
Prue looked at Piper with bewilderment, "Willow?" she asked.
"Yeah".
"It's Prue. What's going on? Where's Phoebe?" Prue asked.
"I� I don't know, the lights went out and when I came down here, she was already gone".
"Gone? What do you mean Gone?! Are you sure she isn't in the house?" Prue asked and glanced at Spike and Buffy, who stood by her grave.
"Yes, I am sure".
"W� well, we'll be right t�" Prue stopped as she noticed something or more likely someone creeping up behind Piper.
"Piper, look out!" Prue yelled and ran towards her, dropping the phone on the ground.
Piper turned around and in an instinct reaction froze the man that now hovered above her in mid air. His were hands sprung towards her and his face were contorted showing his teeth.
Prue bent down quickly, looking for a sharp wooden stick of some sort, while Spike and Buffy were fighting off about three other vampires. Piper ran towards them, distracting one of them away from Spike and freezing him.
"You know, your power comes quite in hand here," Buffy said, exhaling.
"Oh, I think you'll like my power even more" Prue said and lifted her hand up, tossing another vampire who had just peered behind a grave, onto a tree.
Buffy smiled to her and turned to finish off the wounded vampire. She punched him down, avoiding his fists and kicks and moved swiftly, taking the stake out of her inner pocket and stabbing the vampire.
"Okay, five down" she said, clapping her hands together cleaning out the dust, and walked towards the rest.
"We have to get to the Manor, and fast," Prue said decisively and began pacing away from the graves surrounding her.
"Wait". Spike said, standing still.
Prue stopped and turned back to him, "Look, Phoebe could be in danger, for all I know� -"
"For all you know," Spike interrupted and approached her, "He probably took her. You won't find her at the Manor, or any clues," he said, almost answering Prue's next assumption.
"Who? Who took her?" Piper asked.
Spike turned to Buffy and exhaled the cold air, "Buffy, do you recall killing Themro?"
"Themro? Doesn't ring any bells," she said.
"It was right after my," he glanced around, "my last killing".
"Oh, that. Right, right� what about him?"
Prue exchanged looks with Piper and then turned back to them.
"Well, he's a major link in what we have to do here in San-Francisco" Spike said and glanced at Prue; "Spike, there's something here that I don't like, okay? And I think, no, I know that it has something if not everything to do with us and Phoebe's disappearance" Buffy said and gave Spike a cold steel look.
Spike turned away from her and to Piper and Prue, "I'm sure we're being watched as we speak. I do suggest however, we get on out of here and discuss it on the way".
"On the way where?" Prue asked, following Spike with her eyes.
"Away of here" Spike replied shallowly and looked at her, as if calling her to follow him.
Phoebe opened her eyes and looked around her. She rose suddenly in fear, pulling the red satin sheets off her. The large bed was covered in white cloth, and the entire large room was very glamorous; Golden paintings on the walls and furniture; large crystal lamps sheen above her.
Phoebe stood up and walked around the room, she glanced down at herself as if falling for a moment, as she noticed the Red Dress that she had on; Three black striped ran down the dress in a horizontal way, and a large cleavage was quite obtrusive. Phoebe glanced down at her dress again and turned suddenly as she heard a sound of a shutting door.
She watched the man who approached her very carefully, "where am I?" she asked finally after taking courage.
The man was dressed in black from head to toe. His appearance at whole wasn't very intimidating until Phoebe saw his face. A large scar sprawled down his cheek; his eyes were black with red dots in them and an ominous glare glinted from him.
"Isn't it beautiful? I had it custom made" he said, without taking his eyes off Phoebe.
She looked at him in misunderstood and glanced down at herself, the dress tightened around her waist. Phoebe took a deep breath and raised her look to face him. "Who are you?" she asked, watching his body moves very carefully.
"Haven't you guessed by now, dear?" he asked, approaching her, with confidence but slowly. He was toying with her, and was enjoying it since he knew very well whom she was, being able to sense her fear very instinctively.
Phoebe walked to the bedside, groping the wooden bedbar with her left hand. She walked with fear and great hesitation but tried to show as little of that as she possibly could.
"I have learned everything of you, I've been watching you" he said and looked at her sharply.
"What do you want from me?" Phoebe asked.
"I will make you my queen," he said and reached his hand to touch her face. Phoebe shivered and sharply moved her head away from him.
"Sorry," Phoebe said, still holding tightly onto the bedbar, "But I'm," she started and quickly levitated up, and kicked him over to the other side of the room. "Already taken" she added, out of breath and hurried to the other side of the room, to the only visible door she could see, she had to get out of there or at least get a message through to her sisters.
