Chapter 1: Welcome to the Hellmouth
Chapter Text
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Shadow Over Hellmouth
Written by Mark Moore
"Welcome to the Hellmouth"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon
Author's note: I'm a longtime Buffy fan, having watched it from its beginning on The WB to its end on UPN. This fic is a rewrite of the series, a slimmed-down, streamlined, remixed retelling of the Buffy saga.
This isn't a completely unrecognizable update or modernization of the series. The original time setting is retained. The characters are still recognizably the characters (with some differences!). Without giving too much away, I've toned down the campiness and witticism (I attended high school just before the series aired; teens are not that witty), amped up the Lovecraftian horror, and brought the characters down to Earth.
Each chapter will consist of anywhere from one to a few scenes, so it'll take a while for each individual story to conclude. I'm releasing it this way to have more frequent updates. I do plan to do the entire series (Goddess willing), so come along for the ride; there might just be some surprises in store.
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
She had been having the nightmares a lot recently. They were always the same: an underground lair of some kind, a cemetery, visions of vampires, other demons, and various events and artifacts.
Buffy Summers woke up with a start. "Fuck!"
"Buffy?" her mother called from out in the hallway.
Buffy sat up in bed. "I'm up, Mom!"
"Don't wanna be late for your first day!"
Buffy sighed. "No. Wouldn't want that."
Joyce Summers pulled up in front of Sunnydale High School in her Jeep. "Okay!"
Buffy unfastened her seatbelt, opened the passenger door, and got out of the Jeep.
"Have a good time. I know you're gonna make friends right away; just think positive." Joyce gave Buffy a thumbs-up.
Buffy looked through the open car door and gave her mother a quick nod. She turned to go and closed the door behind her.
"And honey?"
Buffy looked back at her mom.
"Try not to get kicked out?"
"I promise."
"Okay."
Buffy faced the school and let out a deep breath. Joyce drove off.
Soon, Buffy walked into the main office. There was a receptionist sitting at the desk.
Buffy walked up to the desk. "Excuse me, I'm Buffy Summers, the new transfer student."
"Oh, yes, of course." The woman picked up the phone receiver and called the principal's office.
"Yes?"
"The new transfer student's here."
"Send her in."
She hung up. "You can go in."
"Thanks." Buffy walked over to Principal Flutie's office and opened the door. She walked into the office and closed the door behind her. "Hi."
Principal Flutie gestured at the chair in front of his desk. "Have a seat."
Buffy sat down. She noticed he had her school records.
He walked around the desk to his chair as he looked them over. "Buffy Summers, sophomore, late of Hemery High in Los Angeles." He sat down in his chair. "So what happened?"
Buffy didn't know how to start.
"Why'd you hit your gym teacher?"
"He was being a bully."
"Is that your excuse?"
"No." Buffy paused and sighed. "My parents had recently gotten divorced. The judge split up the kids. My mom got me, and my dad got my sister. I was so angry. I'm still angry. That stupid gym teacher just made himself the perfect target. That's all."
"I see." He paused in thought for a while. "Welcome to Sunnydale! A clean slate, Buffy, that's what you get here. What's past is past."
"Thank you, sir."
"Buffy, don't worry; try to relax. We want to service your needs and help you to respect our needs. If you need help, we have an excellent guidance counselor."
Buffy nodded.
"Do you have your schedule?"
"Yeah, my mom picked it up for me already."
"Okay, well, good luck. I'll see you around."
Buffy nodded, stood up, and walked over to the door.
Buffy exited the main office. She opened her bookbag and rummaged through it as she walked into the hall right in front of a girl. The girl bumped into her, making her lose her grip on the bag and spill its contents.
"Oh! Sorry!" Buffy cried.
"That's okay."
Buffy looked down at the mess. "Shit..." She squatted down and started picking up her stuff.
The girl squatted down next to her and helped her gather her things. "Let me help you."
Buffy looked at the girl and smiled. "Thanks."
Buffy thought the girl was very beautiful; she had long blonde hair and blue eyes.
"I don't know you, do I?" the girl asked.
"I'm Buffy. I'm new."
The girl smiled. "I'm Tara."
They finished gathering up everything.
Buffy put her items back in her bag and smiled. "Thanks."
"Any time. I'll see you around."
"Great!" Buffy exclaimed, perhaps too enthusiastically.
They stood up.
"It was nice to meet you." Buffy turned and started walking down the hall.
In World History class, Buffy was half-listening to the teacher talk about the Black Death and taking notes. A beautiful girl was seated next to her and also taking notes; she had long brown hair and dark brown eyes.
"If you'll look at the map on page 63, you can trace the spread of the disease into Rome, and then north..."
Buffy didn't have a book and looked around for help. The girl noticed and shared her book.
Buffy smiled. "Thanks."
The bell rang. The other students got up to leave.
"No homework. Finish reading the chapter by tomorrow."
The girl smiled at Buffy. "Hi! I'm Cordelia." She offered her hand.
Buffy accepted it. "I'm Buffy."
"If you're looking for a textbook of your very own, there's probably a few in the library. You can borrow one until you get a permanent copy."
"Oh, great, thanks."
They stood up.
"Where would that be?" Buffy asked her.
"I'll show you, come on."
They walked out of the classroom.
"So you're from Hemery, right? In L.A.?" Cordelia asked.
"Uh, yeah."
"Oh, I would kill to live in L.A.; that close to that many shoes?"
Buffy had to laugh at the absurdity of that statement.
"Well, you'll be okay here. If you hang with me and mine, you'll be accepted in no time. Of course, we do have to test your coolness factor. You're from L.A., so you can skip the written, but let's see. Vamp nail polish."
"Huh?"
"Exactly! So over. James Spader."
Buffy was confused. "That's an actor, right?"
Cordelia was displeased and made a face. "Ooh, yikes! Frappuccinos."
"I'm not into coffee."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. John Tesh."
"Who?" Buffy asked.
"That's the right attitude! You passed!"
Buffy forced a smile. "Oh, goody!"
They turned toward a drinking fountain. Tara was there. She straightened up and saw them coming.
"Willow! Nice jeans! Good to know you've seen the softer side of Sears."
Tara stared at her in annoyance. "The name's Tara, and my dad picked it out."
"No wonder you're such a guy magnet."
Tara frowned at her. "Fuck you."
"Oh, I bet you'd like that, but I'm not a dyke. Are you done?"
Tara looked at the fountain and then back at Cordelia. She turned and left without a word.
Buffy watched her go. "That was horrible of you."
"You wanna fit in here, the first rule is: know your losers." Cordelia took a drink from the fountain.
"She's not a loser. She's nice...and sweet...and kind."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. Tara walked through the door at the end of the hall and looked back at them before disappearing from sight.
Buffy and Cordelia continued their walk to the library.
"And if you're not too swamped with catching up, you should come by the Bronze tonight."
"The what?"
"The Bronze. It's the only club worth going to around here. They let anybody in, but it's still the scene. It's in the bad part of town."
"Where's that?"
They stopped outside the library doors.
"About a half-block from the good part of town." Cordelia laughed. "We don't have a whole lot of town here. But, um, you should show!"
"Well, I'll try." Buffy looked toward the library. "Uh, thanks."
"Good. So, um, I'll see you in gym, and you can tell me absolutely everything there is to know about you." Cordelia waved and walked off.
Buffy waved back. "Great!" She looked away. "Oh, that sounds like fun."
She went into the library and looked around. It looked deserted.
"Hello? Is anybody here?" Buffy called.
She looked on the counter and saw a newspaper with a picture that's been circled. The caption above the picture read 'Local Boys Still Missing'. Someone came up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around, startled.
"Ooh!" Buffy exhaled. "Anybody's here!"
It was an older man with short black hair, blue eyes, and glasses.
"Can I help you?"
And he was British.
"I was looking for some, well, books. I'm new."
"Miss Summers?"
"Good call! Guess I'm the only new kid, huh?"
"I'm Mr. Giles. The librarian. I was told you were coming." He headed around behind the counter.
"Great! So, um, I'm gonna need Perspectives on 20th Century-"
"I know what you're after!" With a big grin on his face, he pulled out a large old book with the word VAMPYR written in gold leaf on the front cover.
Buffy looked up at him with an uneasy gaze. "That's not what I'm looking for."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm way sure."
Giles was confused. "My mistake." He put the book back behind the counter.
Buffy quickly walked out of the library.
Chapter Text
After eating lunch, Buffy left the cafeteria and walked outside. She saw Tara sitting under a tree and taking out her lunch.
Buffy approached her. "Hi, Tara."
Tara looked up. "Hi."
"May I join you?"
"Sure."
Buffy sat to her right and set down her bookbag. "If you don't mind, I want to ask you for a favor. It involves hanging out with me for a while."
"What is it?"
"I kinda have this burning desire not to flunk all my classes, and I heard a rumor that you were the person to talk to if I wanted to get caught up."
"Oh, I could totally help you out! Uh, if you have sixth period free, we could meet in the library?"
"Or not. Or we could meet someplace quieter. Louder. Uh, that place just kinda gives me the wiggins."
"Oh, it has that effect on most kids. I love it, though; it's a great collection, and the new librarian is really cool."
"He's new?" Buffy asked her.
"Yeah, he just started. He was a curator at some British museum - or the British Museum; I'm not sure. But he knows everything, and he brought all these historical volumes and biographies."
"Cool. Hey, how come Cordelia called you 'Willow' earlier?"
Tara pointed up at the tree. "Because I like to sit under this willow tree while eating lunch. Stupid nickname from an idiot."
"Ah. So what do you do for fun?"
Tara shrugged. "Read, watch TV, go online, listen to music. The usual. You?"
"Same."
"I also take karate."
"Oh. I took karate back in L.A.; it was pretty fun."
"Well, maybe you can join my class."
Buffy smiled. "Yeah, maybe. And you should come to the Bronze tonight."
Tara frowned a bit at the thought of it but then nodded. "Okay."
"Is she bothering you?"
Buffy looked and saw Cordelia standing in front of them. "Not at all. I'm enjoying her company."
Cordelia frowned at Buffy. "Whatever. I don't mean to interrupt your downward mobility, but I just wanted to tell you that you won't be meeting Coach Foster, the woman with the chest hair, because gym was canceled due to the extreme dead guy in the locker."
"What?" Buffy asked.
"What are you talking about?" Tara asked.
"Some guy was stuffed in Aura's locker!"
Buffy frowned, worried. "Dead."
"Totally dead. Way dead."
"How did he die?" Buffy asked her.
"I don't know."
"Well, were there any marks?" Buffy pressed.
"Morbid much! I didn't ask!"
Buffy picked up her bookbag and stood up. "Um, I gotta book. I'll see you girls later." She walked away in a hurry.
Cordelia stared after her. "What's her deal?"
Tara stared after Buffy.
Buffy sneaked up to an outside entrance of the gym and tried opening the door. It was locked. She pulled with all of her strength. Suddenly, the door broke. She stared at it for a moment, surprised, but then she went in, looking around to make sure no one saw her.
She entered the girls' locker room. She found the body and pulled back the sheet.
Buffy saw two puncture wounds on the boy's neck. She stared in silence for a moment before leaving.
After school, Buffy barged into the library. "Okay, what's the sitch?"
"Sorry?" Giles called from somewhere among stacks of books.
"You heard about the dead guy, right? The dead guy in the locker?"
Giles stepped into the light. "Yes."
She dropped her bag on a table and headed up the stairs. "'Cause it's the weirdest thing. He's got two little, little holes in his neck, and all his blood's been drained." She walked up to him. "Isn't that bizarre? Aren't you just going 'Ooh'?"
"I was afraid of this."
"Afraid of what?" Buffy asked him.
Giles was in silent thought.
"That book that you showed me earlier. Is this a vampire attack?"
Giles stared blankly, deep in thought.
"What the fuck is going on?!" Buffy finally demanded.
Giles finally looked at her. "Yes, it's a vampire, and you're not prepared to face it."
Buffy was surprised. "Face it?"
"Yes, it's your destiny, but you're not up to speed. Our fault. I need to get you ready."
"Wait, wait! It's my first day! I was afraid that I was gonna be behind in all my classes, that I wouldn't make any friends, that I would have last month's hair. I didn't think there'd be vampires on campus. So...bye." Buffy turned away to go.
"Is he - w-will he...rise again?"
Buffy turned back to look at him. "How the fuck would I know?"
"To make you a vampire, they have to suck your blood, and then you have to suck their blood."
"So it's like a whole big sucking thing." Buffy paused in thought. "Then I doubt it. His body was pale, like it had been completely drained of blood, and I didn't see any blood on his lips."
Giles nodded. "Good."
Buffy raised an eyebrow.
"Well, not good, but, that is..." Giles paused to collect his thoughts. "Mostly, they're just going to kill their victims in order to feed."
"Makes sense." Then she thought for a moment. "Why am I still talking to you?" Buffy turned and walked down the stairs.
Giles moved over to the railing. "You really have no idea what's going on, do you? You think it's coincidence, your being here? That boy was just the beginning."
"Oh, why can't you just leave me alone?" Buffy asked him, exhausted.
"Because you are the Slayer." Giles walked down the stairs. "Into each generation, a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil."
"Not interested."
"Selfish girl."
"Yeah, well, maybe I am. So what?" Buffy asked.
Giles paused in thought for a moment. "What do you know about this town?" He went into his office.
"It's two hours on the freeway from Neiman Marcus?"
"Dig a bit in the history of this place. You'll find a - a steady stream of fairly odd occurrences. Now, I believe this whole area is a center of mystical energy." Giles came back out with four books. "That things gravitate towards it that - that - that you might not find elsewhere." He set the books on the table.
"Like vampires."
He put the volumes into Buffy's arms one by one. "Like zombies, werewolves, incubi, succubi, everything you've ever dreaded was under your bed but told yourself couldn't be by the light of day. They're all real!"
"What? You, like, sent away for the Time-Life series?"
"Uh, w-w-w-yes."
"Did you get the free phone?"
"Um, the calendar."
"Cool!" Buffy gave back the books. "But I can't do this. Hey, I know! Why don't you kill 'em? You know much more about this shit than I do."
"I-I'm a Watcher. I - I haven't the skill-"
"Oh, come on, stake through the heart, a little sunlight. It's like falling off a log."
"A - A Slayer slays. A Watcher-"
"-watches?" Buffy finished.
"Yes. No!" Giles set down the books. "He - He trains her. He - He - He prepares her."
"Prepares me for what? For having to spend all of my time fighting for my life? For the inevitable confrontation that ends up getting me killed? Go ahead! Prepare me!" Buffy yelled.
They just looked at each other for a moment.
Finally, Buffy exhaled, turned, picked up her bookbag, and left the library in disgust.
Giles hesitated for an instant. "Damn!" He ran after Buffy.
After they were gone, unseen by either of them, Tara walked out from behind the stacks in shock.
Out in the hall, Giles caught up with Buffy. "It's getting worse!"
"What's getting worse?" Buffy asked.
He guided her over to the wall. "The influx of the undead, the...supernatural occurrences; it's been building for years. There's a reason why you're here and a reason why it's now!"
"Because now is the time my mom moved here."
She tried to evade him, but he put his arm out to stop her.
"Something's coming. Something - Something - Something is - is gonna happen here. Soon!"
"Gee, can you vague that up for me?"
"The signs, as far as I can tell, point to a crucial mystical upheaval...very soon. Days. Possibly less."
"Oh, come on! This is Sunnydale! How bad an evil can there be here?"
Giles paused and then tried a different approach. "How much fighting experience do you have?"
"Practical?" Buffy asked. "Not much, but I'm eighth kyu in karate."
Giles was confused. "Is that good?"
Buffy made a face and shrugged. "Eh. But my new friend, Tara, also takes karate and has asked me to join her class."
Giles nodded. "Good, you should. I'm not good at teaching fighting, anyway. I'll see to the more...academic aspects of your training. If you're free-"
"I'm not. I have plans."
He sighed. "Buffy-"
"Sorry. Listen, I gotta go, but it's been so fun chatting with you." Buffy turned and walked away.
Chapter Text
That evening, in Buffy's bedroom, Buffy changed outfits and checked herself out in the mirror.
Her mother came into the room. "Hi, hon."
Buffy looked at her. "Hey!"
"Are you, uh, going out tonight?"
"Yeah, I'm going to a club."
"Oh. Will there be boys there?"
"No, Mom. It's a nun club."
"Well, just be careful."
"I will."
"You know, I think we can make it work here. I've got my positive energy flowing. I'm gonna get the gallery on its feet. Oh, uh, we may have found a space today."
"That's great."
"Oh, and that school is a - a very nurturing environment, which is just what you need."
"Well, actually-"
"Oh, not too nurturing. I know, I've read all about the dangers of over-nurturing. It's hard. New town and everything. It is for me, too. I'm trying to make it work." Joyce took her daughter's hands in hers. "I'm going to make it work."
"I know."
"Oh, you're a good girl, Buffy." Joyce patted her on the head. "You just fell into some bad habits. But that is all behind us now."
"It is."
They let go of each other's hands.
"Okay. You have fun."
Buffy was walking down a dark street. She sensed she was being followed. After walking for a while, when she got a chance, she ducked down an alley and looked around for a place to hide. A cat yowled and kicked some cans as it ran away. Buffy spied a bar above her. In desperation, she jumped and was surprised when she was able to grab hold of it. She pulled herself up and did a handstand on the bar.
A man with short black hair and dressed almost entirely in black came into the alley but seemingly didn't see her. He slowly walked along and passed underneath her. She swung down and kicked him in the back, knocking him to the ground. Buffy positioned herself above him with a foot on his chest.
"Uh, heh. Is there a problem, ma'am?"
"Yeah, there's a problem. Why are you following me?"
"I know what you're thinking. Don't worry, I don't bite."
She backed off and let him get up, but she kept her fighting stance.
"You're pretty spry." He massaged his neck.
"What do you want?"
"The same thing you do."
"Okay. What do I want?"
He stepped toward her. "To kill them. To kill them all."
"Sorry, that's incorrect. What I want is to be left alone!" She started a determined walk away.
"Do you really think that's an option anymore? You're standing at the Mouth of Hell. And it's about to open."
She stopped, turned to him, and looked at him with a wide-eyed gaze.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small box. "Don't turn your back on this."
He tossed her the box. She caught it.
"You've gotta be ready."
"What for?"
"For the Harvest."
"Who are you?"
"Let's just say...I'm a friend." He started to leave.
"Yeah, well, maybe I don't want a friend."
He turned back to face her. "I didn't say I was yours." He turned and left.
Buffy stared after him for a moment, then she opened the box. It contained a silver cross pendant and chain. She took it out, held it in her hand, and took another glance in his direction. He was gone.
Buffy put on the cross necklace and went to the Bronze. People were arriving and meeting. Buffy walked up to the entrance, gave the doorman some cash, and went inside.
A band was performing loudly on the stage, and the dance floor was crowded with people.
Buffy saw a guy waving in her direction and waved back, but then she noticed someone behind her waving back and put her hand down, embarrassed.
She found the bar and saw Tara sitting there, drinking a cola.
"Hey!" Buffy greeted.
Tara smiled. "Hi!"
Buffy walked around her and sat on the stool next to her.
Tara turned to face her. "What do you think of the place?"
Buffy shrugged. "Eh, a little too loud for my taste. I can't say I care for the music either."
Tara nodded. "Same."
Buffy looked closer at Tara. "Cute banana."
Tara blinked in confusion. "What?"
"Your pendant."
"Oh, it's not a banana; it's a crescent moon."
Buffy laughed in embarrassment. "Oh. Sorry."
Tara smiled. "It's okay."
"Any particular meaning behind it?" Buffy asked her.
"Well, I'm a Wiccan, and I figured this would cause me less problems at school than a pentacle."
Buffy was confused. "Is that like a Popsicle?"
Tara laughed. "No, it's a pentagram - a five-pointed star - with a circle around it."
"Oh. So is Wicca like...witchcraft or something?" Buffy asked.
Tara shrugged. "Depends on who you ask, but there's definitely overlap, and I'm a witch, too, so...yeah."
"So you cast spells? Do magic?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah. Just low-level stuff for now. Mostly, I can make candle flames flicker."
Buffy nodded. "Cool. So you don't want people to find out?"
Tara shrugged. "Well, I generally don't tell people, but I also don't go out of my way to hide it. I just like to avoid confrontation."
Buffy nodded.
"You, on the other hand, well, you don't seem too shy, wearing that big cross."
Buffy had completely forgotten about the cross and briefly looked down at it. "Oh, this? I just got it." She shook her head. "Never mind. Well, my philosophy..." She paused. "Do you wanna hear my philosophy?"
"Sure."
"Life is short."
"Life is short."
"Not original, I'll grant you, but it's true, you know? Why waste time being all shy and worrying about what people think of you? Seize the moment, 'cause tomorrow you might be dead."
Tara nodded. "I see your point, but it's also important not to do anything stupid."
"True." Buffy looked up and saw Giles on the upper level. "Um, I'll be back in a minute." She stood up.
"Okay."
Buffy walked over to the stairs and up them. She found Giles. "So...you like to party with the students. Isn't that kinda skanky?"
"Oh, right, this is me having fun. Watching...clown hair prance about is hardly my idea of a party. I'd much rather be at home with a cup of Bovril and a good book."
"You need a personality, stat!"
Giles pointed to the crowd below. "This is a perfect breeding ground for vampire activity. It's dark, it's crowded..." He trailed off. "Besides, I knew you were likely to show up, and I have to make you understand-"
"-that the Harvest is coming. I know, your friend told me."
"What did you say?"
"The Harvest. That mean something to you? 'Cause I'm drawing a blank."
"I'm not sure. Uh...w-who told you this?"
"This...guy. Dark, gorgeous in an annoying sort of way. I figured you two were buds."
"No. The Harvest. Did he say anything else?"
"Something about the Mouth of Hell. I really didn't like him!"
Giles moved around Buffy, leaned on the railing, and looked down at the crowd. "Look at them, throwing themselves about, completely unaware of the danger that surrounds them."
"Lucky them."
"Or perhaps you're right. Perhaps there is no trouble coming. The signs could be wrong. It's not as though you've been having the nightmares."
Buffy kept her mouth shut.
Down below, Cordelia was hanging out with her friends and engaging in a mostly one-sided conversation.
"My mom doesn't even get out of bed anymore, and the doctor says it's Epstein-Barr. I'm like pleeease! It's chronic hepatitis - or at least chronic fatigue syndrome. I mean nobody cool has Epstein-Barr anymore."
A boy walked over to her. "Hey, Cordelia!"
Cordelia frowned at him. "Do I know you?"
"Jesse. Hey, you, uh, you look great!"
"Well, I'm glad we had this little chat."
Jesse coughed. "Listen, uh, you know, you wanna dance, you know?"
"With you?"
"Well, uh, yeah."
"Well, uh, no! C'mon, guys."
Cordelia and her friends left.
"You have, haven't you?" Giles asked Buffy.
Buffy remained silent a while longer and then sighed. "Yeah. Okay, listen, I'm willing to slay vampires. It's not like I have all these fluffy bunny feelings for them. I'm just not gonna get way extracurricular with it, you know? If I see one, sure, I'll-"
"Will you be ready?" Giles asked her. "There's so much you don't know about them, about your own powers. A vampire appears to be completely normal until the feed is upon them. Only then do they reveal their fangs."
"A lot of good that'll do me."
"A Slayer should be able to see them, anyway. Without looking, without thinking. Can you tell me if there's a vampire in this building?"
"Maybe-"
"You should know. Even through this mass and this...din, you should be able to sense them. Well, try! Reach out with your mind."
Buffy looked around.
"You have to hone your senses, focus until the energy washes over you, until you - you feel every particle o-of-"
Buffy pointed. "There's one."
"W-Where?"
"Right there, talking to that girl."
"You don't know-"
"Oh, please! Look at his jacket. He's got the sleeves rolled up. And the shirt! Deal with that outfit for a moment."
"It's dated?" Giles asked.
"It's carbon dated. Trust me, only someone living underground for ten years would think that was still the look."
"But you didn't...hone."
The guy and girl started walking away together.
"Oh, no." Buffy started down the steps to rescue the girl.
Giles was at a loss for what to do.
Buffy lost track of them. She tried the back. She broke a leg off a stack of chairs and began to stalk.
Cordelia came out of the restroom and surprised her. Buffy reacted, taking Cordelia by the throat and pushing her up against a wall.
Buffy then recognized her. "Cordelia!" She let her go.
"God! What is your childhood trauma?!" Cordelia demanded.
Her friends appeared in the restroom door behind her.
"Sorry." Buffy turned and left.
Cordelia briefly looked at her groupies and took out her cell phone. "Excuse me, I have to call everyone I have ever met, right now."
Giles caught up with Buffy on the main floor. "That was quick. Well done! I-I need to go to the library. This Harvest thing-"
"I didn't find them!" Buffy cried.
He grabbed Buffy by the arm and turned her to face him. "The vampire is not dead?"
"No, but my social life is on the critical list."
Giles let go of her. "So what do we do?"
"I'll take care of it!"
"I-I-I need to come with you, yes?"
"And do what?" Buffy asked him. "Don't worry. One vampire, I can handle." She turned and walked away.
Buffy exited the Bronze and searched for the girl.
Tara came outside. "Hey, you're leaving already?"
"Oh, Tara! Yeah, sorry. I'm looking for a girl. She left with a guy. I need to find her. Where would he take her?"
"Why?" Tara asked her. "Oh, hey, I hope he's not a vampire, because then you might have to slay him."
Buffy was taken aback. "Was there a - a school bulletin? Was it i-in the newspaper? Is there anyone in this town who doesn't know I'm the Slayer?"
"I was in the library. I overheard your conversation with Mr. Giles."
Buffy sighed. "It's true. Just tell me, where would they go? We don't find her, and there's gonna be one more dead body in the morning!"
"Well, he's a vampire, right?" Tara paused to allow Buffy to come to the obvious conclusion.
Chapter Text
Buffy and Tara went to the cemetery and entered a mausoleum that they heard conversation coming from. There were four people in there: the girl and guy that Buffy saw leave together, another blonde girl, and a boy with black hair. The latter boy obviously had been bitten on the neck. Everyone else appeared to be unharmed.
"Well, this is nice. I-It's a little bare, but a dash of paint, a few throw pillows...call it home!" Buffy moved behind the coffin to draw the vampires away from the others.
"Who the hell are you?" the blonde woman asked, clearly showing her fangs.
"You mean there's actually someone in this town who doesn't know already?" Buffy asked her. "Whew, that's a relief, I'm telling you! Having a secret identity in this town is a job of work."
"Help me!" the human girl begged.
"Prepare to die!" the male vampire exclaimed.
"Okay, first of all, what's with the outfit? Live in the now, okay? You look like DeBarge!" Buffy told him.
The vampires closed in on her.
Buffy turned to the female vampire. "Now, we can do this the hard way or...well, actually, there's just the hard way."
"That's fine with me!"
"Are you sure? Now, this is not gonna be pretty. We're talking violence, strong language, adult content-"
The male vampire roared behind Buffy. She pulled the chair leg out from inside her shirt. He attacked from behind, but Buffy crudely jammed the makeshift stake into his chest. He fell to the floor. Buffy turned around and thrust the stake into his heart. He died, a look of shock on his face. Everyone stared at the scene in horror.
Buffy was shaken but forcefully composed herself. "See what happens when you roughhouse?"
"He was young and stupid!" the female vampire exclaimed.
"Tara, get them out of here!" Buffy ordered.
"Right!" Tara ran over to the girl and boy. "C'mon!"
"Don't go far!" the female vampire told them.
She and Buffy started to fight. She punched high, but Buffy blocked. Tara helped the girl pick up the boy. The female vampire threw a backhand punch, but Buffy blocked again and followed up with a front snap kick to her stomach. As she leaned forward from the pain, Buffy slammed her elbow into the vampire's back. Tara and the girl helped the boy out, and they started to run. The vampire hit the wall and fell to the floor, winded.
Buffy sighed. "You know, I just wanted to start over. Be like everybody else. Have some friends, y'know, maybe a dog. But, no, you had to come here; you couldn't go suck on some other town."
"Who are you?" the vampire asked her.
"Don't you know?" Buffy asked her, surprised.
Suddenly, a male vampire grabbed Buffy by the neck from behind. "I don't care!" He threw her across the room. He grabbed the female vampire and lifted her to her feet. "You were supposed to be bringing an offering for the Master! We're almost at Harvest, and you dally with this child!"
"We had someone, but then she came. She killed Thomas. Luke, she's strong."
"You go, Darla. I'll see if I can handle the little girl."
He approached Buffy as she started to get up, still a little dazed. Darla quickly climbed the steps, looked back once, and ran out of the door. Luke attacked Buffy with a double punch, but she blocked it and delivered a punch to his gut and a hopping front snap kick to his jaw. He stepped back but wasn't fazed.
"You're strong." He landed a solid backhand fist on her, sending her flying. "I'm stronger!"
Outside, Tara and the girl were supporting the boy as they ran through the cemetery.
"We'll get the police; it's just a few blocks up!" Tara told them.
They were stopped and surrounded by a group of vampires, including Darla.
Back in the mausoleum, Luke was getting impatient. "You're wasting my time."
Buffy backed away, up the stairs, toward the exit. "Hey, I had other plans, too, okay?"
Luke shoved the heavy lid off the coffin. Buffy did a cartwheel onto and over it to avoid it and kicked Luke in the chest with both feet, knocking him down. She pulled the stake out of Thomas' body and lunged at Luke, but he was too quick for her and grabbed her by the wrist.
"You think you can stop me? Stop us?" He grabbed the stake with his other hand and broke it. Then he grabbed her by the shirt. "You have no idea what you're dealing with."
He threw Buffy onto the rim of the now open coffin. She rolled off, onto the floor, dazed.
Luke got up and started toward her. "'And like a plague of boils, the race of man covered the Earth, but on the third day of the newest light would come the Harvest, and the blood of men will flow as wine, when the Master will walk among them once more! The Earth will belong to the Old Ones.'" Luke got in her face. "'And Hell itself will come to town.'"
He grabbed Buffy and growled. He lifted her by the throat and threw her toward the coffin. Buffy did a front layout and landed in the coffin next to a skeleton, and she let out a quick scream but then remained silent, only breathing. She couldn't see or hear Luke. She slowly started to get up.
Suddenly, Luke jumped up and into the coffin. He smiled widely. "Amen!"
Luke tried to bite Buffy but burned himself on the cross hanging around her neck and jerked back. Buffy seized the opportunity and push-kicked him out of the coffin. She climbed out of it and raced outside. She ran to catch up with Tara and the others. She heard a vampire roar and a girl screaming and ran toward the sounds.
Tara was on the ground, about to be bitten. "No! Get off!" She tried punching the vampire that was upon her.
"Hey!"
The vampire looked up, and Buffy snap-kicked him off Tara. He got up and ran away. Tara was shocked by what she saw. Buffy quickly started the hunt again.
"Hey, assholes!" Tara called in desperation.
The vampires were distracted. Buffy took advantage of the opening and jumped in, high-punched one, and side-kicked the other. She noticed a dry branch on a tree and broke it off. As one of the vampires got up, she plunged the stick into his chest. Then she quickly killed the other.
Buffy looked around. She saw the girl that she had come to rescue nearby, and she saw Tara, but that was it.
"Where's the guy that was bleeding?" Buffy asked Tara.
"I don't know! They surrounded us. I think that vampire girl grabbed him and took off."
"Which way?"
"I don't know."
Buffy looked to the girl. "Did you see where they went?"
The girl shook her head. "No, sorry."
Buffy stood up straight and slowly scanned the cemetery - to no avail.
Chapter 5: The Harvest
Chapter Text
"The Harvest"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
The next day, after they had eaten lunch, Buffy and Tara went to the library to meet with Giles, who they had already informed of the most recent events on the night before. Tara found last year's yearbook and scanned the photos until she found the boy that had been taken: Jesse McNally. Buffy and Tara were hoping Giles had devised a plan of action. What they got instead was a history lesson. Buffy paid only partial attention to it, devoting the rest of her attention to examining the wooden stakes and bottles of holy water that Giles had given her.
Giles spun the globe dramatically and then stopped it. He made his way down to where Buffy and Tara were sitting at a table. "This world is older than either of you know. Contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons, demons walked the Earth. They made it their home, their...their Hell. But in time they lost their purchase on this reality. The way was made for mortal animals, for - for man. All that remains of the Old Ones are vestiges, certain magicks, certain creatures-"
"And vampires."
Giles looked at Buffy and nodded.
"So vampires are demons?" Tara asked Giles.
"The books tell the last demon to leave this reality fed off a human, mixed their blood. He was a human form possessed, infected by the demon's soul. He bit another, and another, and so they walk the Earth, feeding, killing some, mixing their blood with others to make more of their kind, waiting for the animals to die out - and the Old Ones to return."
Buffy thought about that in silence, an unease coming over her. "Does that mean...humanity is futile? That our lives amount to nothing? Because the entire human race will just get wiped out someday?"
Giles paused in thought, trying to find words to assure the girl. "No, Buffy, no. For as long as there have been vampires, there's been the Slayer. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One. The Slayer hunts vampires. Buffy is a Slayer. Don't tell anyone, either of you."
"We won't." Buffy paused in thought. "Well, there was that girl that I rescued last night, but...who'd believe her, y'know?"
Giles sighed and looked squarely at Tara. "Well, I think that's all the vampire information you need."
"Except for one thing: how do you kill them?" Tara asked him.
Buffy gave her a sharp look. "You don't. I do."
"I can help. Jesse might need-"
"Jesse is my responsibility. I let him get taken."
"You're being too hard on yourself. If you hadn't shown up, they would have taken the girl, too."
Buffy thought about that and felt a bit of comfort. She looked at Giles. "This big guy, Luke. He talked about an offering to the Master. Now, I don't know what or who, but if they weren't just feeding, then Jesse may still be alive. I'm gonna find him."
"Shouldn't we call the police?" Tara asked.
Giles gave her a look. "And they'd believe us, of course."
"Well, we don't have to say vampires. We could just say there's a bad man."
Buffy looked at her. "They couldn't handle it even if they did show up. They'd only come with guns."
"You have no idea where they took Jesse?" Giles asked her.
"I looked around, but soon's they got clear of the graveyard, they could have just - voom!"
"They can fly?" Tara asked her.
"Well, I was going for drive."
"Oh." Tara thought for a moment. "I don't remember hearing a car."
"Let's take an enormous intuitive leap, shall we, and say they went underground."
Buffy looked at Giles and then thought about what he'd said. "Yeah. Vampires really jam on sewer systems. You can get anywhere in the entire town without catching any rays. But I didn't see any access around there."
Tara looked at her. "Well, there's an electrical tunnel that runs under the whole town."
"If we had a diagnostic of the tunnel system, it might indicate a - a meeting place. It would, uh...I suppose we could go to the Building Commission."
Buffy was getting impatient. "We so don't have time."
"Uh, guys?" Tara asked. "There may be another way."
Buffy and Giles looked at her.
"May I use the computer?" Tara asked Giles.
"Of course."
Tara walked over to the computer and sat down. Buffy and Giles walked over and watched as she connected to the Internet and then brought up the city plans on the computer monitor.
Buffy nodded. "There it is."
"That runs under the graveyard." Tara looked closely. "I don't see any access."
"So...all the city plans are just, uh, open to the public?" Giles asked her.
"Um, well, i-in a way. I sort of stumbled onto them when I accidentally decrypted the city council's security system."
Buffy smiled in amusement. "Someone's been naughty." She quickly grew impatient, though. "There's nothing here! This is useless!"
Giles looked at her. "I think you're being a bit hard on yourself."
"You're the one that told me that I wasn't prepared enough. Understatement!" Buffy sighed. "I thought I was on top of everything, and then that monster, Luke, came out of nowhere..." She paused as she thought back to the fight in the mausoleum.
"What?" Tara asked her.
"He didn't come out of nowhere. He came from behind me. I was facing the entrance, he came from behind me, and he didn't follow me out. The access to the tunnels is in the mausoleum! The girl must have doubled back with Jesse after I got out! God! I am so mentally challenged!"
"So what's the plan?" Tara asked her. "We go and rescue Jesse, right?"
"There's no 'we', okay? I'm the Slayer, and you're not."
Tara was hurt. "I can take care of myself, and I can help you."
"Tara, this is deeply dangerous."
"Buffy, I'm not anxious to go into a dark place full of monsters. But I do want to help. I need to."
Giles looked at her. "Well, then help me. I've been researching this Harvest affair. It seems to be some sort of preordained massacre. Rivers of blood, Hell on Earth, quite charmless. I'm a bit fuzzy, however, on the details. It may be that you can wrest some information from that dread machine."
Tara and Buffy stared at him.
He looked back at them. "That was a bit, um, British, wasn't it?"
Buffy smiled. "Welcome to the New World."
Giles looked at Tara. "I want you to go on the 'Net."
"Oh, sure, I can do that." Tara began to type.
"Then I'm outta here. If Jesse's alive, I'll bring him back." Buffy started to leave.
"Do I have to tell you to be careful?" Giles asked her.
Buffy turned back, gave Giles a look, and left.
Outside, Buffy made strides for a side gate.
"And where do we think we're going?" Mr. Flutie asked her.
"We?" Buffy turned to face him. "I...Me..."
"We're not leaving school grounds, are we?"
"No! No, I'm...just admiring the fence. You know, this is quality fence work."
"Because if we were leaving school grounds on our second day at a new school, after getting kicked out of our old school for delinquent behavior..." He paused. "Do you see where I'm going with this?"
"Mr. Giles."
"What?"
"He asked me to get a book for him. Uh, from the store, 'cause I'm a big reader. Did it mention that in my transcripts?"
"Mr. Giles?"
"Ask him."
Mr. Flutie swung the gate closed. "Well, maybe that's how they do things in Britain; they've got that royal family and all kinds of problems." He locked the gate. "But, here at Sunnydale, nobody leaves campus while school's in session. Are we clear?"
"We're clear."
"That's the Buffy Summers I want in my school. Sensible girl with her feet on the ground!" He turned and left.
Buffy watched him go. When he'd gone a ways, she crouched and tried leaping the fence. She had no idea if she could do it or not, and she was surprised when she was successful.
Back in the library, Giles looked at Tara. "Thank you for your assistance. You should get to class."
Tara stood up, pensive.
"Buffy will be okay. Whatever's down there, I think she can handle it."
"I hope so."
Giles sighed. "If you must go, go!"
Tara took off running.
Buffy came into the mausoleum slowly, looking and listening. She scanned around. Satisfied that no one was there, she walked down the steps to the floor. She heard a rat behind her and twisted to look toward the sound. She continued and found the tunnel access. It was locked with a chain. She lifted the lock. She then heard a man sigh behind her.
"I don't suppose you've got a key on you?" Buffy asked him.
"They really don't like me dropping in."
Buffy turned to face the man from last night. "Why not?"
"They really don't like me."
"How could that possibly be?" Buffy asked sarcastically.
"I knew you'd figure out this entryway sooner or later. Actually, I thought it was gonna be a little sooner."
"Sorry you had to wait." Buffy sighed. "Okay, look, if you're gonna be popping up with this cryptic wise man act on a regular basis, can you at least tell me your name?"
"Angel."
"Angel. It's a pretty name." Buffy turned to the tunnel entrance.
"Don't...go down there."
Buffy turned back to face him. "Deal with my going."
"You shouldn't be putting yourself at risk. Tonight is the Harvest. Unless you can prevent it, the Master walks."
"Well, if this Harvest thing is such a suckfest, why don't you stop it?"
"'Cause I'm afraid."
Buffy looked at him for a moment and then spun around quickly, kicking open the doors to the tunnel. She turned back to him.
"They'll be expecting you."
"Someone that I let get taken is down there. I'm trying to fix my mistake. Do you understand?"
Angel lowered his eyes as a look of sadness filled them.
"That wasn't supposed to be a stumper."
They looked at each other a moment longer.
"When you hit the tunnels, head east towards the school. That's where you're likely to find them."
"You gonna wish me luck?"
Angel said nothing. They looked at each other for another moment, then Buffy turned and headed into the tunnels.
Chapter Text
Inside the tunnels, Buffy came down a flight of stairs. She looked around. She heard rats. One crawled across her shoes. She slowly started down the tunnels. There were lights at intervals.
"Did you see anything?"
Buffy exhaled in fright. "Tara, what are you doing here?!"
"I followed you."
"Well, you-"
"I couldn't just stay behind and do nothing. I'd just worry, and...I need to help you."
Buffy stared at Tara for a moment, considering it, then nodded her head for her to follow. They started down the tunnel and soon reached the top of some stairs.
Back in the library, Giles was reading from a volume: "'For they will gather and be gathered. From the Vessel pours life.' P-Pours life..." He turned the page back to a picture of Satan feeding power to a man. "'On the night of the crescent moon, the first past the solstice, it will come...' Of course. That's tonight!"
In the computer lab. Cordelia was struggling with her assignment. "No! It's supposed to find the syntax and match it. Or wait..."
"Are we going to the Bronze tonight?" Harmony, Cordelia's friend, asked her.
"No, we're going to the other cool place in Sunnydale."
Harmony was confused.
Cordelia looked at her. "Of course, we're going to the Bronze. Friday night? No cover? But you should have been there last night, 'cause I ran into Buffy, and can she be any weirder? She attacked me! Do you believe it?"
Harmony sighed. "I think we did this part wrong."
"Why do we have to devise these programs? Isn't that what nerds are for?" Cordelia asked.
Harmony shrugged. Cordelia found Harmony, who had blonde hair and blue eyes, attractive and cool but utterly useless. She almost wished Tara was here.
Cordelia stared at her screen. "Okay, and then pattern run, right? Or go to end? That's it!"
"Maybe!" Harmony added.
Cordelia looked at her. "So, anyway, I come outta the bathroom, and she comes running at me. Screaming! With a stick! 'I'm gonna kill you! I'm gonna kill you!' I swear!"
"Who?" Harmony asked.
"Buffy!"
"The new girl?" Harmony asked. "What's her deal?"
"Well, she's crazed. She's a psycho loony!"
Harmony thought for a moment. "She's not a psycho. You don't even know her."
Cordelia was surprised. "Excuse me?"
"She saved my life last night."
"For real?" Cordelia asked.
Harmony nodded. "Her and Tara."
Cordelia was shocked. "Okay, I need details."
Harmony paused in consideration. "I went off with a guy that turned out to be a creep. He took me to the cemetery. Buffy...handled him, and Tara and I helped some guy out of there, but I don't know what happened to him."
Cordelia sat in stunned silence, not knowing how to process that. Finally, she frowned. "You went to the Bronze without me?!"
Down in the tunnels, Buffy and Tara were still searching.
"They're close."
"How can you tell?" Tara asked.
"No more rats."
Tara spotted Jesse on the ground. "Jesse!"
"Oh, no!" Buffy exclaimed.
Jesse quickly got to his feet.
"Jesse, are you okay?" Tara asked him.
"I am not okay - on an epic scale."
Buffy noticed the shackles around Jesse's ankle.
"We gotta get outta here!" Jesse exclaimed.
"It's cool, Buffy's a superhero."
"Hold on." Buffy broke the shackles.
"Do you think anyone heard that?" Tara asked.
They saw shadows moving on the walls and started to run down the tunnel.
"They knew you were gonna come. They said that I...I was the bait."
Tara rolled her eyes. "Oh, great, now you tell us."
They rounded a corner and were met by vampires.
"Oops!" Buffy exclaimed.
"Oh, no, no, no, no!" Jesse exclaimed.
"Do you know another way out?" Buffy asked him.
"I dunno. Maybe. C'mon!"
They ran. At another intersection, they saw eyes to their right.
"Wait, wait. They brought me through here. There. There should be a way up. I hope!"
Jesse led them to a chamber.
"I don't think this is the way out!" Buffy yelled.
"We can't fight our way back through those things. What do we do?" Tara asked.
"I got an idea." Jesse bared his fangs. "You can die!"
Tara stared at him in shock and sadness. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry? I feel good! I feel strong! I'm connected to everything!"
Buffy began struggling with the door, trying to close it.
"I know what the Master wants. I'll serve his purpose. That means you die. And I feed."
Buffy looked back at them in anguish. "Tara, take my cross!"
She couldn't reach it, but Buffy's words gave Tara an idea. She held her crescent moon pendant up to Jesse's face. Jesse stepped back and growled.
Buffy shrugged. "Or that'll work, too, apparently."
Jesse knocked Tara's arm to the side, making her hit the wall. He jumped to the other side of the room, facing Tara. Buffy grabbed him from behind and threw him out of the chamber and into the advancing vampires, knocking them all down. She went back to trying to close the door.
"Help me!" Buffy yelled to Tara.
Tara jumped up to help, and together they got it to move. They closed it on a vampire's arm. The vampire pulled its arm back out of the door, and Buffy slammed it shut and closed the latch. The vampires began pounding on the door.
"We need to get out of here!" Buffy exclaimed.
She and Tara desperately looked around.
Tara spotted a grate in the ceiling. "Up there!"
Buffy leaped on top of a barrel and began to pry the grate open. The vampires started to bend in a corner of the door. They twisted it and pushed it in further.
Buffy got the grate open. "Go!"
She helped Tara crawl up into a ventilation duct. Tara got through the grate. Buffy followed her quickly, a vampire right behind her. Tara and Buffy crawled like mad. Tara found a ladder up to a manhole and started climbing the rungs. Buffy followed.
Tara pushed open the manhole cover and climbed out into daylight in the middle of a power substation. She turned to help Buffy out. The vampire grabbed Buffy's ankle and tried to pull her back down.
"Tara, pull!" Buffy begged.
Tara pulled on her, and the vampire's hand was exposed to the sunlight and burned. The vampire let go. Tara tumbled backward to the ground, and Buffy landed on top of her. They stared at each other for a moment.
Buffy cleared her throat and gave Tara a smile. "Thank you. I'm glad you came."
Tara smiled back at her. "Me, too."
Chapter Text
By the time that Buffy and Tara got back to school, the last class of the day was over. They went into the library, where Giles was still doing his research.
"Buffy? Tara?" Giles asked.
Buffy nodded. "Yeah."
"Did you find Jesse?" Giles asked.
Tara sighed. "Yeah."
Giles stared at them for a moment. "Was he dead?"
"Worse." Buffy sat down at the end of the table. "We were too late. And they were waiting for us."
Giles sighed. "At least you two are okay."
Tara sat to Buffy's left at the table and looked at the book that Giles was reading. "Did you find anything of interest?"
"Perhaps. I searched through the old newspapers around the time of the big earthquake back in 1937. For several months before, there were a rash of murders."
"Great!" Tara caught herself. "I - I mean, well, not great in a good way." She paused awkwardly. "Go on."
"Well, they were the kind that I was looking for." Giles showed them the newspapers. "Throats, blood. It's all coming together. I rather wish it weren't."
"So, Giles!" Buffy suddenly exclaimed. "Got anything that can make this day any worse?"
Giles went over to the whiteboard and put down his pen. "How about the end of the world?"
"Knew I could count on you."
"This is what we know. Some sixty years ago, a very old, very powerful vampire came to this shore, not just to feed."
Buffy raised her hand. "He came 'cause this town's a mystical whosit."
"Yes. The Spanish who first settled here called it 'Boca del Infierno'. Roughly translated, 'Hellmouth'. It's a sort of, um, portal between this reality and the next. This vampire hopes to open it."
Buffy nodded. "Bring the demons back."
Tara went pale. "End of the world."
"Fortunately, he didn't succeed. There was an earthquake that swallowed half the town, including him. You see, opening dimensional portals is a tricky business. Odds are he got himself stuck, rather like a, uh, cork in a bottle."
Tara made the connection. "And this Harvest thing is to get him out."
"It comes once in a century - on this night. The Master can draw power from one of his minions while it feeds. Enough power to break free and open the portal. The minion is called the Vessel, and he bears this symbol." Giles picked up a marker, uncapped it, and drew a three-pointed star on the whiteboard.
Buffy thought about it. "So...I dust anyone sporting that symbol, and no Harvest."
"Simply put, yes."
"Any idea where this little get-together is being held?" Buffy asked.
"There - There are a number of possibilities."
Tara had a sudden realization. "They're goin' to the Bronze."
"Are you sure?" Buffy asked her.
"Come on. All those tasty young morsels all over the place? That's where they're gonna be, trust me."
Giles grabbed his coat and started out of the library. Buffy and Tara began to follow.
Giles put on his coat. "Then we should get there. The sun will be down before long."
"I gotta make a stop. Won't take long."
Giles looked at Buffy in surprise. "What for?"
"Garlic. You didn't give me any."
Buffy got a clove of garlic from her refrigerator, and then she went up to her room. She went to her closet and pulled out a heavy black jacket.
Her mother walked into the room. "Buffy?"
Buffy was startled and looked at her. "Mom!"
"You're going out?"
"I have to." Buffy put on her jacket.
"I didn't hear you come in last night."
"I was really quiet."
"It's happening again, isn't it? I got a call from your new principal. Says you missed some classes today?"
"I was running an errand."
"We haven't finished unpacking, and I'm getting calls from the principal."
"Mom, I promise, it is not gonna be like before. But I have to go."
"No."
"Mom?!"
"The tapes all say I should get used to saying it. No."
"This is really, really important."
"I know. If you don't go out, it'll be the end of the world. Everything is life or death when you're a teenage girl."
"Look, I don't have time to talk about this-"
"Buffy, you've got all the time in the world; you're not going anywhere. Now, if you wanna stay up here and sulk, I won't hold it against you. But if you wanna come down, I'll make us some dinner."
Buffy's mind raced as she considered her options. She thought of telling her mother everything quickly, but she couldn't prove it at the moment, and her mother would likely take it as a sign of lunacy. She felt confident that she could successfully knock her mother out cold. She could also just forcefully brush past her. However, assuming she managed to save the world tonight, she would have to live with the consequences of her actions, and her life would be more difficult as a result. She balled her hands into fists, pressed her fingernails into her palms, and kept her mouth shut.
Joyce left the room, pulling the door closed behind her.
Buffy couldn't believe what just happened. She leaned against the closet door, took a deep breath, and exhaled. "Fuck it."
She went over to her door to make sure her mother wasn't nearby. Then she walked over and climbed out the window onto the roof. She crawled to the edge, carefully stood up, took a deep breath, and jumped down. She had never done this before and wasn't sure of her success, but she managed to land on her feet and seemingly not break any bones, though it still hurt. She silently thanked her karate lessons and then headed to the Bronze.
Inside the Bronze, on the upper level, Cordelia and her friends found a table.
"Senior boys are the only way to go. Guys from our grade, forget about it; they're children, y'know?" Cordelia asked.
They all sat down.
"Like Jesse. Did you see him last night, following me around like a little puppy dog?"
They all giggled.
"You just wanna put him to sleep. But senior boys, hmm, they have mystery. They have..." Cordelia paused in consideration. "What's the word I'm searching for? Cars! I just am not the type to settle. Y'know? It's like when I go shopping. I have to have the most expensive thing. Not because it's expensive, but because it costs more."
One of her friends was confused. "You know, I-"
"Hello, Miss Motormouth, can I get a sentence finished?" Cordelia interrupted. "Oh, I love this song! Come on!"
Cordelia and her gang stood up, made their way down to the dance floor, and started to move to the sound of the song that was playing on the speakers.
Once the song was over, Cordelia stopped dancing. She started to leave, but Jesse was standing in front of her, fingers on his lips.
"Uh, what do you want?" Cordelia asked him.
Another song started. Jesse lowered his hand, took hers, and led her back onto the dance floor.
"Hey! Hello! Caveman brain! What are you doing?" Cordelia protested.
"Shut up!" Jesse began to dance with her.
Cordelia relented. "Well, just one dance."
Suddenly, the power shut off. The people started complaining and wondering what happened.
Luke got up on the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen! There is no cause for alarm. Actually, there is cause for alarm. It just won't do any good." He bared his fangs and laughed.
There were screams from the crowd.
Cordelia was confused. "I thought there wasn't any band tonight." She looked at Jesse next to her.
Jesse smiled at her and bared his fangs. Cordelia inhaled in fright.
"This is a glorious night!" Luke declared. "It is also the last one any of you shall ever see. Bring me the first."
A vampire brought the doorman to Luke.
"What do you guys want, man, huh?" the doorman asked. "You want money? Man, what's wrong with your teeth?"
Luke grabbed him by the throat. He wrapped his other arm around the doorman's head. "Watch me, people. Fear is like an elixir. It's almost like blood."
Luke bit the doorman and fed on him. The doorman screamed.
Luke dropped the doorman's body. "Next!"
Chapter Text
Outside, Buffy, Tara, and Giles arrived running.
Buffy tried the door. "It's locked!"
"We're too late!" Giles exclaimed.
"I didn't know I was gonna get grounded!" Buffy explained.
"Can you break it down?" Tara asked her.
Buffy tried a roundhouse kick on the door. "Ow! Fuck! Nope! Um..." She paused in thought for a moment. "You guys try the back entrance, and I'll find my own way."
"Right." Giles headed off. "Come on."
"Uh, wait! Guys! Here!" Buffy took out a stake and a bottle of holy water and handed them to Tara. "You get the exit cleared and the people out. That's all! Don't go Wild Bunch on me."
Giles nodded. "Uh, see you inside, then."
Giles and Tara ran around to the back.
Tara tried the door. "Shit! It's locked, too!"
Inside, Luke had finished with the latest male that he'd drained and dropped his body. Cordelia watched in horror. Darla took hold of Cordelia to take her to Luke.
"This one's mine!" Jesse told Darla.
"They're all for the Master."
"Until he's freed, the priority is on the males. They have more vitality."
Cordelia looked at Darla and frantically nodded in agreement. "Yes, listen to your friend!"
Darla pulled on Cordelia.
Jesse let go of her. "I don't get one?"
Buffy broke an upper window and crawled into the building.
"I feel the Master's strength growing!" Luke exclaimed.
Buffy saw Luke on the stage.
"I feel him rising. Every soul brings him closer! I need another!"
Buffy came to a realization. "The Vessel."
The vampire on the upper level saw Buffy and growled. She looked over at him.
"Tonight is his ascension. Tonight will be history at its end!" Luke declared. "Yours is a glorious sacrifice! Degradation most holy. What? No volunteers?!"
Darla brought him Cordelia. "Here's a pretty one."
Cordelia screamed when she saw Luke up close. He caressed her face. He was about to bite her when Buffy kicked the vampire down from above them. Luke watched him land with a thud.
Buffy approached the railing. "Oh, I'm sorry, were you in the middle of something?"
"You!" Luke exclaimed.
"You didn't think I'd miss this, did you?" Buffy asked him.
"I hoped you'd come."
"Be right down!" Buffy stepped away from the railing and executed a roundoff to get down. She landed on a pool table.
A vampire attacked from her right. Buffy did a front walkover off the table, grabbing a pool cue on the way. When she landed, she thrust it into her attacker. Cordelia stared at her in shock.
"Okay, Vessel boy." Buffy removed her jacket. "You want blood?"
"I want yours!" Luke released Cordelia. "Only yours!"
Buffy shrugged. "Works for me."
She ran and cartwheeled up onto the stage - and immediately launched into a full spinning hook kick. Luke staggered into a pile of chairs. Buffy assumed a fighting position. Luke got up and growled. He came at her and swung, but she ducked the punch and came up behind him. He tried a backhand punch, but she blocked him, held onto his arm, and gave him three roundhouse kicks to his stomach before he shook loose. She took out a stake and lunged at him. He blocked the lunge, knocking the stake from her grip. He lifted her up and threw her into a pile of boxes.
Giles and Tara finally managed to bust open the back door.
"Hurry!" Giles exclaimed, running inside.
Tara ran in to see what was going on. She saw Buffy was down and froze in shock. Then Buffy got up.
Tara breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention to the crowd. "C'mon! Let's go!"
Giles guided the people to the back door. "Hurry up! Come on! Through this door! Come on! This way!"
Buffy spun around and landed a backhand punch on Luke's face, knocking him into another pile of stuff. He was dazed. Buffy turned to see a vampire grab Tara. Buffy grabbed a cymbal from a drum set and threw it at the vampire like a Frisbee. Tara saw it coming and ducked. The cymbal decapitated the vampire. Buffy flinched and felt a bit sick. Luke grabbed her from behind.
"I always wanted to kill a Slayer!" Luke exclaimed.
Giles and Tara were still guiding people out.
"One at a time! Quickly! Quickly!" Giles crossed to the other side of the room in front of some stairs. "We're going to have to open the front as well!"
Darla leaped onto him from behind, knocking him to the floor.
"Master! Taste of this...and be free!" Luke roared and moved in to bite Buffy.
She sensed his proximity and snapped her head back to land a headbutt on his face, knocking him off her and back to the wall. She turned to him, winded. "How'd it taste?"
Giles and Darla were struggling on the floor.
Tara approached them while opening her jar of holy water. "Get off him!"
Darla was distracted and looked up. Tara splashed her with the holy water. It burned her face and steamed. She got up and ran from the club, screaming.
Tara noticed Cordelia was on the floor with Jesse above her. She struggled, and he grabbed her arms.
"Hold still! You're not making this easy!" Luke told her.
Tara came up behind him, her stake in her left hand. "Hey, asshole."
Jesse turned around and stood up. Tara pointed her stake at Jesse's chest and gulped.
Jesse looked at Tara and laughed. "What the fuck are you gonna do? Stake me? Put me out of my misery? You don't have the guts."
Tara was angered by that comment and thrust the stake into his heart. Jesse groaned and fell to the floor. Tara breathed heavily, trying to compose herself, and then she looked at Cordelia, who was staring up at her in shock.
Tara offered her right hand to Cordelia. "Are you okay?"
Cordelia nodded and took hold of Tara's hand. "Yeah. Thank you."
Tara gave her a weak smile and helped Cordelia to her feet.
Buffy grabbed a microphone stand and held it like a javelin.
Luke smiled. "You forget: metal can't hurt me."
"There's something you forgot about, too. Sunrise!" Buffy threw the stand at the window behind Luke.
He ducked, and it broke the window behind him. A bright light poured in through it. Buffy spied the stake that she dropped on the stage and picked it up. Luke got up and shielded his face with his hands, expecting to be burned. He stopped when he realized it was only a bright lamp.
Buffy lunged at him from behind and jammed the stake into his back. "It's in about nine hours, moron!"
Luke began to stagger off the stage and then just fell off. Buffy stared at Luke's corpse. Two vampires approached Tara and Cordelia. Buffy lifted her gaze to meet theirs. The vampires panicked and ran away.
Buffy hopped down to the floor. Tara, Cordelia, and Giles met her.
Giles looked at Buffy. "I take it it's over."
"Did we win?" Tara asked.
Buffy shrugged. "Well, we averted the apocalypse. I give us points for that."
"Okay, what the fuck is going on?" Cordelia demanded. "Were those really-"
"Vampires." Buffy sighed. "It's a long story, but the short version is I'm the Slayer, chosen to fight the forces of evil."
"Chosen by who?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy opened her mouth to reply but then realized she didn't have an answer. She looked to Giles, who simply shrugged.
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Cordy, this is a very serious - and potentially very messy and complicated - situation. Don't blab."
"Are you nuts? Do you think I would tell people that I spent the whole evening with you?" Cordelia asked her. "Besides, it was all so creepy. That Luke guy? And all the screaming? I don't even want to think about it. So your secret's safe with me."
Buffy smiled. "Thank you."
Cordelia smiled back at her.
"What about everyone else?" Tara asked. "There must be been dozens of witnesses."
Buffy, Giles, and Tara thought about it in silence for a moment.
Buffy finally shrugged. "Well, come what may, I suppose."
Cordelia grinned. "You forget: most people are fucking idiots with malleable marshmallow fluff for minds, and I'm the motherfucking Queen Bee. I'll run interference for you."
Buffy guessed that was the best that they could hope for. She looked around at the carnage, and a feeling of melancholia overtook her. "One thing's for sure: nothing's ever gonna be the same."
Buffy wondered how she was going to climb back up to her bedroom. Luckily for her, the back door had been left unlocked, and her mother never suspected she'd been out.
Buffy spent the weekend worrying, but no one called or came by to question her, so she slowly started to calm down.
On Monday morning, at Sunnydale High, everything seemed normal, which surprised her. Buffy walked along and overheard Cordelia.
"Well, I heard it was rival gangs. You know, fighting for turf? I mean...I don't even remember that much, but I'm telling you: it was a freak show!"
"Oh, I wish I'd been there!" one of her female friends exclaimed.
"You should have been there. It was so creepy." As Cordelia walked past Buffy with her friend, she quickly gave Buffy a thumbs-up.
Buffy smiled at her and mouthed "Thank you", and then she met Tara. "What, exactly, were you expecting?"
"I don't know. Something. I mean...the dead rose. We should at least have an assembly."
Buffy smiled. "Well, we can thank the motherfucking Queen Bee for making our lives a little easier."
They ran into Giles, and the three continued to walk.
"I managed to wipe the tapes from the Bronze's security cameras." Giles pushed up his glasses. "As to the live witnesses, people have a tendency to rationalize what they can and forget what they can't."
Tara remembered killing Jesse and shuddered. "Well, I'll never forget it. None of it."
"Good!" Giles exclaimed. "Next time, you'll be prepared."
"Next time?" Tara asked him.
"We've prevented the Master from freeing himself and opening the Mouth of Hell. That's not to say he's going to stop trying. I'd say the fun is just beginning."
"More vampires?" Tara asked.
They stopped walking.
"Not just vampires. The next threat we face may be something quite different."
Buffy forced a smile. "I can hardly wait!"
"We're at the center of a mystical convergence here. We may, in fact, stand between the Earth and its total destruction."
Buffy grinned. "Well, I gotta look on the bright side." She put an arm around Tara. "I've made a great friend!"
Tara smiled and put an arm around Buffy. "Awww, ditto, sweetie."
Chapter 9: Witch
Chapter Text
"Witch"
Based on the Episode Written by Dana Reston
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
Buffy had decided to try out for the cheerleading squad. She got dressed up in a uniform, went to the library at Sunnydale High School, and told Giles of her plan.
His reaction wasn't what she'd been expecting.
"This is madness! What can you have been thinking? You are the Slayer! Lives depend upon you!" Giles began pacing. "I make allowances for your youth, but I expect a certain amount of responsibility, and instead of which you enslave yourself to this, this..." He stopped pacing. "Cult?"
"You don't like the color?" Buffy asked him.
"I d..." He paused, exasperated. "Do you, um..." He put some books on a cart. "Do you ignore everything I say as a, as a rule?"
"No, I believe that's your trick."
Giles pushed the cart to the counter.
Buffy skipped in front of him and posed. "I told you: I'm trying out for the cheerleading squad!"
"You have a sacred birthright, Buffy. You were chosen to destroy vampires, not to...wave pompoms at people. And as the Watcher, I forbid it." He went back to the table.
"And you'll be stopping me how?" she asked.
"Well, I..." He sat on the edge of the table and crossed his arms. "By appealing to your common sense, if such a creature exists."
"I will still have time to fight the forces of evil, okay? I just wanna have a life. I wanna do something normal. Something safe."
Later, Buffy and Tara walked into the gym. Cheerleader tryouts were about to start. Girls were stretching and practicing, doing back handsprings, cartwheels, and walking handstands. One girl did a roundoff followed by a back handspring.
"Giles didn't approve, huh?" Tara asked Buffy.
"He totally lost his water. We haven't seen a vampire in over a week. I'd say he should get a girlfriend, if he wasn't so old."
Tara shrugged. "Honestly, even though I don't agree with his reasoning, I do think it's pretty pointless."
Buffy looked at her questioningly.
"Cheerleading. Learning and performing a bunch of routines to cheer on sports teams during tribalistic rituals to determine who's the 'best' at throwing a fucking ball around?" Tara shook her head. "I can't think of a bigger waste of the limited amount of time that we have in this world." She paused in consideration. "Except maybe getting into heated arguments about fictional characters and universes on the Internet."
Buffy's face twisted in confusion. "So you're saying I'm shallow?"
Tara sighed and avoided answering the question. "I know it means a lot to you, even though I don't find any value in it. I'm here to support you, because we're friends."
"Thanks."
They noticed a girl named Amber, who had dark brown hair, doing the splits between two chairs.
"Oh, hey!" Tara took a bracelet out of her jeans pocket and offered it to Buffy. "Here's a good luck charm for tryouts."
Buffy took the bracelet and examined it. It was silver and had a triple moon symbol on it. "Oh, how sweet!" She put the bracelet on her left wrist.
Cordelia approached them. "Just look at that Amber. Who does she think she is, a Laker Girl?"
Joy, the black-haired cheerleading squad leader, stepped up with her clipboard. "Okay, listen up! Let's begin with Amber Grove. If you're not auditioning, move off the floor."
"Amy! Hi!" Tara called.
Amy Madison, a beautiful girl with long black hair, came over. "Hi!"
"I didn't know you wanted to be a cheerleader. You lost a lot of weight."
"Had to."
"Do you know Buffy?" Tara asked her.
Amy looked at Buffy. "Hi."
"Hi."
Amy looked at Amber. "Oh, how I hate this. Let me count the ways."
"Twilight Zone" by 2 Unlimited started playing.
Buffy looked at Tara and Amy and smiled. "Let Mortal Kombat begin!"
Tara and Amy laughed.
Amber began her routine. It was very athletic. She started off with a needle split lift, followed by a double spin and a jumping double spin. After landing, Amber launched herself into an aerial and a cartwheel. Jazz slides were then followed by a single spin. Everyone in the gym was intent on watching her.
Amy looked at Buffy. "She trained with Benson. He's one of the best coaches money can buy."
"They have cheerleading coaches?" Buffy asked her in surprise.
"Oh, yeah! Don't you have? I train with my mom: three hours in the morning, three at night."
Buffy smiled dementedly. "Hmm, that much quality time with my mom would probably lead to some quality matricide."
"Oh, I know it's hokey, but she's really great."
Cordelia turned away from Amber with a look of contempt on her face. "Hmph!"
Buffy watched Amber in amazement. Amy and Tara were impressed, too. Amber's hands began to smoke.
"What the fuck?" Buffy asked.
"That girl's on fire!" Tara exclaimed.
Cordelia was facing away and didn't see the smoke. "Enough of the hyperbole!"
Amber's hands caught fire. She dropped her pompoms and screamed. Amber flailed her hands in the air. Buffy jumped up onto the stands and pulled down a banner. She ran back to Amber, knocked her down, and snuffed out the flames with the banner. Everyone stared in shock.
Holding her close, Buffy tried to comfort Amber. "It's okay, it's okay, you're gonna be...okay."
Later, in the library, Tara was sitting at the table, watching Buffy pace in front of her.
Buffy sighed. "I've seen some pretty cringeworthy things recently, but...nobody's hands ever got toasted before."
Giles came out of the cage. "I imagine not."
Buffy came to a stop and ran her hands through her hair. "So, this isn't a vampire problem."
"No."
Buffy turned to Giles. "But it is funky, right? Not of the norm?"
"Quite. Spontaneous human combustion is - is rare and - and scientifically unexplainable, but there have been cases for hundreds of years. Usually, all that's left is a pile of ashes."
Tara looked at Giles. "That's all that would have been left, if it hadn't been for Buffy."
Buffy sighed. "So we have no idea what caused this. That's a comfort."
"But that's the thrill of living on the Hellmouth!" Giles sat on the edge of the table. "There's a veritable cornucopia of - of fiends and devils and - and ghouls to engage."
Buffy and Tara stared at him.
Giles shrugged. "Pardon me for finding the glass half full."
"Any common denominators in cases of spontaneous combustion?" Buffy asked him.
"Uh, rage. In most cases, the person who combusted was - was terribly angry or - or upset."
Tara thought about it. "So maybe Amber's got this power to make herself be on fire."
"I need to get the skinny on Amber. Find out if she's had any colorful episodes before. I'll ask around about her." Buffy started to walk away.
Tara stood up and walked over to Buffy. "I'll hack into the school's computer system."
Buffy looked at her. "You don't have to get involved. I don't like putting you in danger."
"I can handle myself."
Buffy stared at her for a moment. "Okay, just walk softly - at least until we know a little more. I mean...what if Amber isn't causing these problems herself?"
Giles looked at them. "Well, then we have to determine who or what did and, uh, deal with it accordingly."
After school, Buffy came home and entered through the kitchen. There were several wooden boxes and crates on the counter. Joyce was trying to pry one open with a crowbar.
"Hey!" Buffy greeted.
"Hi, how was school?" her mother asked.
"Mm, a reverent joy. What's all this?"
"It's for the tribal art display."
"Cool!" Buffy examined a piece. "We had tryouts today."
"Oh, great! How'd it go?"
"I didn't actually get to try out. There was an accident. Pretty fierce competition, though."
"Oh, I know you'll do fine. Keep on pluggin'. Just have to get back on the horse."
"Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"What was I trying out for?"
"Oh, uh..." Joyce stopped prying at the crate and looked at Buffy. "Some activity? I have no idea. I'm sorry."
"That's okay. Your platitudes are good for all occasions."
Joyce sighed. "I'm distracted." She started prying again and grunted. "Got a lotta inventory to go through here." She grunted again. "This is my gallery's first major show." She sighed and gave up. "You know, it might not physically kill you to give me a hand here." She went to check her clipboard.
Buffy grabbed the lid of the crate and effortlessly tore it off. "It was cheerleading."
"Oh good! I'm glad you're taking that up again; it'll keep you out of trouble."
"I'm not in trouble."
"No, not yet."
Buffy was hurt and got angry.
Her mother looked up from her clipboard and noticed. "I mean...you stopped cheerleading just before the trouble, so it's good you're going back." She came back to the crate and partially lifted out a statue. "Oh, dear."
"What?"
"The fertility statue. You don't need to see it." Joyce replaced the crate's lid and went back to her clipboard.
Buffy rolled her eyes, smiled, and shook her head. "Y'know, there's this girl, Amy, and, um, she trains with her mom, like, three hours a day."
"Uh-huh."
"Sounds like her mom's pretty into it."
"Sounds like her mom doesn't have a lot to do." Joyce walked out of the kitchen with a piece of art.
The next day, tryouts resumed in the gym.
Joy was pacing. "Despite the terrible thing that happened yesterday, we still have to pick new cheerleaders. If you make the team, you'll find your names posted in the quad after lunch. Let's begin with group performance."
Amy looked at Buffy. "Why do my hands have to sweat when I get nervous?"
Buffy looked at Amy. "Don't worry. You'll do great."
"Five, six, seven, eight!" Joy called.
The girls started performing their routine. "Sunnydale! Sunnydale! We never fail! We never fail! Jump and shoot! Swish and score! The other team is such a bore! Yeah!"
Amy blew the cartwheel and crashed into Cordelia.
Cordelia yelped as she fell and then quickly got up. "You saw that, right? That wasn't me! You saw that, right?" She looked at Amy and back again. "Right?"
After tryouts, in the hallway, Buffy saw Amy admiring the trophies in the case with a longing look. Buffy came up next to her.
Amy noticed her, smiled, and pointed to a picture in the case. "That's my mom!"
"No!" Buffy looked at the inscription. "Catherine Madison. Get down with your bad self!"
"Her nickname was Catherine the Great. She took that team and made them tri-county champions. Y'know, no one's ever done that before - or since. She and my dad were Homecoming King and Queen. They got married right after graduation."
"That's kinda romantic."
"Well, he was a big loser. Never made any money. Ran off with Miss Trailer Trash when I was twelve."
"Okay, that part's less romantic. My folks split up, too."
"Drag, huh? Uh, he left my mom with nothing. She put herself through cosmetology school." Amy smiled. "Bought me everything I ever wanted." She shook her head. "And never once gained a single pound."
Buffy walked around to face Amy. "Uh, she sounds really great, Amy, but, um, it doesn't mean that you need to lock step as far as this cheerleading thing."
"She was the best! And I can't get my body to move like hers! I choked in there so bad!"
"No, Amy, you did fine."
Amy walked away, dejected. "I'm gonna get changed."
"Wait!" Buffy called. "No..."
Tara walked by. "Hey, Amy!" She came over to Buffy. "Is she okay?"
"No, she's - she's wiggin' about her mom, big cheer queen back when."
"Yeah, her mom's kinda-"
"Nazi-like?" Buffy guessed.
"Ja. If she gains an ounce, she padlocks the fridge and won't eat anything but broth."
"So, mommy dearest is really...Mommy Dearest?" Buffy asked her.
"There's a bitter streak. But Amy's nice. We used to hang in Junior High. When her mom would go on a broth kick, Amy'd come over to my house, and we'd stuff ourselves with brownies!"
They started walking down the hall.
"Hey, any word on Amber?" Buffy asked Tara.
"Nothing thrilling. Average student. Got detention once - for smoking."
Buffy thought about it. "Hmm."
"All pretty normal."
"So we just have to wait and we'll see what happens. Maybe nothing will."
In the girls' locker room, Cordelia changed into her regular clothes and walked over to Amy. Amy closed her locker and started to go but was surprised by Cordelia.
"I have a dream. It's me on the cheerleading squad, adored by every varsity male as far as the eye can see! We have to achieve our dreams, Amy. Otherwise we...wither and die!" Cordelia told her.
"Look, I'm sorry about-"
"Shhh! If your supreme klutziness out there today takes me out of the running, you're gonna be so very beyond sorry!" Cordelia smiled. "Have a nice day."
Cordelia turned and left. She threw her scrunchie into her open locker and slammed the door as she rounded the corner.
After lunch, a crowd gathered in front of the bulletin board in the quad as Joy posted the list of names for the cheerleading squad. Buffy and Amy were at the back. A girl rushed away in tears.
Amy shook her head. "I can't take this."
Joy stepped away from posting the list on the bulletin board.
Lishanne Davis saw her name on the list. "Yes!"
Cordelia came out of the crowd and looked at Amy. "You're lucky!"
"I made it?" Amy asked her.
"I made it!" Cordelia told her.
Buffy and Amy waited until the crowd cleared, and then they walked over to the bulletin board and looked at the list.
Buffy was a bit disappointed. "I'm the first alternate."
"And I'm number three." Amy looked at Buffy, badly disappointed, and walked away.
Buffy walked with Amy. "At least, it's over. And you know what I think we should do about it? Brownie pig-out, my house, after school."
"It's just how many more hours a day can I practice? Y'know, how much more can I do?" Amy asked her. "This would never happen to my mother. Never." She walked off.
Buffy stared after her in concern.
Chapter Text
The next morning, after getting dressed for school, Buffy went down to the kitchen and toasted half of a bagel in the toaster. The toaster popped up, and Buffy took out the freshly toasted bagel. She took it to the island in the middle of the kitchen for more preparation.
Her mother came in with a book. "Look what I found. It's my yearbook from junior year. Oh, look! There I am." She put the book down on the island and went to get a cup of coffee.
Buffy looked at the picture. "Mom, I've accepted that you've had sex. I am not ready to know that you had Farrah hair."
"This is Gidget hair. Don't they teach you anything in history?"
"Well, it's really cool, but I gotta book."
"Well, I was thinking. I know the cheerleading thing didn't work out. Maybe you should think about joining the yearbook staff. I did; it was a lot of fun."
"Not really my tip, Mom." Buffy opened the refrigerator.
"I was, uh, photo editor. I got to be on every page; made me look much more popular than I was."
"And have you seen the kids that do yearbook? Nerds pick on them." Buffy walked to her bag.
"Some of the best times I had in school were working on the yearbook!"
Buffy faced her mother. "Oh, this just in: I'm not you! I'm into my own thing."
"Your own thing, whatever it is, got you kicked out of school, and we had to move here to find a decent school that would take you!"
Buffy stared at her mother, deeply hurt. "It was the divorce, Mom! It was Dawn and me being split up! It was me losing my friends! That's what it was!" She took her bag and started to go.
"Honey, uhhh-"
Buffy opened the door and left without another word, slamming the door behind her.
Later, at school, Buffy came out of a classroom. She saw Cordelia approaching.
Buffy smiled. "Hey, Cordy."
Cordelia walked past Buffy in a daze and headed for a locker. Buffy saw Cordelia trying to work the combination on the locker. Tara walked over to Buffy.
"Is that even Cordelia's locker?" Buffy asked her.
"Huh?" Tara asked. "Oh, I don't know."
Buffy watched Cordelia go. "I better check this out." She looked at Tara. "Hold onto my book for me?"
"Sure."
Buffy gave her book to Tara and followed Cordelia.
Outside, Buffy looked around for Cordelia. She saw her and started to follow.
Mr. Pole, the Driver's Ed. teacher, was waiting impatiently for Cordelia. He turned and saw her coming.
"Nice of you to join us, Cordelia. We didn't keep you waiting or anything, did we?" he asked her. "It's your turn to drive. Okay, people, let's buckle up."
Cordelia went around the front of the car. "I don't wanna drive today, Mr. Pole."
"Show me some moves, or you'll be taking the bus to college." He got into the passenger seat.
Cordelia got into the driver seat. Buffy watched from behind a school bus.
"Okay. Check the brake. Check the mirror. Start the engine."
Cordelia turned the key, and the engine started.
"Hello? Put the car in drive."
Cordelia struggled with the shifting lever.
"Let's move forward through the cones with a gentle even turn to the-"
The car took off backward, crashed into some signs, and stopped. Cordelia got it in drive, and the car raced forward, burning rubber.
"Slow down. Slow, slow. Turn right! Turn right!"
Cordelia lost control as the car raced along the course, knocking down cones and signs. Buffy began running after them.
"Brakes! Brakes!"
The car crashed through the fence and bushes, racing out onto the street, where it came to a sudden halt. Another car just managed to swerve around them.
"Everybody out!" Mr. Pole ordered.
They all got out. Cordelia was in a daze, and she walked into the middle of the street. A delivery van was coming the other way, but it didn't slow down. Buffy came running. Cordelia turned to see the van coming and screamed. Buffy leaped over the Driver's Ed. car and grabbed Cordelia, pulling her down and out of the way. The van took out the open car door as Buffy and Cordelia rolled to a stop.
"Oh, my God, I - I can't see anything!" Cordelia exclaimed in fright.
"It's - It's okay, it's..." The words died on Buffy's lips as she saw Cordelia's eyes, completely white and devoid of irises. "Oh, God!"
"What's happening? I can't see anything!" Cordelia cried.
Later, in the library, Buffy, Tara, and Giles were sitting at a table.
"Witchcraft. Blinding your enemy to disorient and disable them is - it's classic!" Giles exclaimed.
Buffy smiled. "First vampires, now witches. No wonder you can still afford a house in Sunnydale."
"Why should someone want to harm Cordelia?" Giles asked.
"Maybe because they met her?" Tara suggested.
"And setting Amber ablaze?" Giles asked.
Buffy came to a realization. "They're both cheerleaders."
Giles looked at her. "Someone doesn't like cheerleading."
Buffy shrugged. "Or likes it too much."
"Amy!" Tara exclaimed.
"Amy!" Buffy repeated. "She's desperate to get on that team, and I've got this feeling she'd do just about anything to make her mom's dream come true."
"Uh, let me make sure I have this right. This witch is casting horrible and disfiguring spells so that she can become a cheerleader?" Giles asked them.
Buffy nodded. "I think you're underestimating the amount of pressure a parent can lay on you. If you're not a picture-perfect carbon copy, they tend to wig."
Tara nodded. "Cheerleading was kind of her mom's last hurrah. We have to stop Amy. We should grab her and-"
Giles raised a hand. "I think we should be sure she's the witch before we arouse her suspicions. She's - She's capable of some fairly unpleasant things."
"Okay, all right." Buffy stood up. "So...you're in high school, you are desperate to make the team and please your mom, so you turn to witchcraft. What's the first thing you're gonna do?"
"Check out the books on witchcraft!" Tara replied.
She and Buffy went over to the computer to access the online library card catalog.
Tara looked at the results. "Witches: Historic Roots to Modern Practice - checked out by Amy Madison."
Buffy looked. "The Pagan Rites - checked out by Amy Madison."
Giles walked over to them. "We have to find a conclusive test. There may be something in here." He paged through a book. "Yes, this should do it. You'll need some of her hair, a little quicksilver, and some aqua fortis."
Tara looked at him. "Well, that's just mercury and nitric acid. You can get that in the science lab."
"'Heat ingredients and apply to witch, and if a spell has been cast in the previous forty-eight hours, witch's skin turns blue.' Hmm." Giles shut the book. "Oh, and you'll need some Eye of Newt."
In Science class, Dr. Gregory held a frog up for the class to see. "Those of you in track one may begin your dissections...now." He indicated where the students should cut their frogs. "Those of you in track two, take your hydrochloric acid and your ammonium hydroxide and carefully pour them into your beakers." He began to pour. "Now slow, slow..."
Tara took an eye out of her frog.
"...capping one, I'm being safe. And you get..."
Tara dropped the eye into her beaker. "Eye of Newt."
The ingredients in Dr. Gregory's beaker reacted and began to bubble and smoke.
"...that." Dr. Gregory smiled.
Lishanne was sitting at a lab table with Buffy.
"Isn't this exciting?!" Lishanne asked Buffy.
"Oh, yeah!" Buffy looked at Amy. "Amy, help me. Um, which is the hydrochloric acid, and which is the, uh, ammonium hydroxide?"
"Well, the bottle that says 'hydrochloric acid' is usually the hydrochloric acid."
"Read the bottles. Good concept!" Buffy laughed nervously and dropped her pencil. "Oops."
She crouched down to pick up the pencil. She reached into Amy's bag and pulled some hair off her brush. She got up and tried to pretend nothing happened. She glanced at Amy to gauge her reaction. Amy smiled back weakly. Buffy waved her pencil and smiled back. She headed back to her lab table, relieved at having avoided a close call. She put the hair on Tara's bench as she walked by. Tara picked up the hair and mixed it into the concoction. Amy looked back at them to see what they were doing. Tara looked back nervously and then took the beaker and poured some of the liquid into a test tube.
"All set." Tara handed the tube to Buffy. "Do you have a plan?"
"Spill it on her. Try and make it look natural." Buffy slowly made her way over to Amy.
"Lishanne, can you tell me why these chemicals have this reaction?" Dr. Gregory asked.
Buffy poured some of the mixture onto Amy's arm and feigned an accident, drawing in her breath. She saw the liquid turn blue on contact.
"Lishanne?" Dr. Gregory asked. "Are you...? Oh, my God!"
Buffy looked over at Lishanne and saw her shaking her head violently. She no longer had a mouth. Buffy stared in amazement and horror. She looked back at Amy, who looked amazed and horrified, too. Tara was stunned.
Later, out in the hallway, Buffy and Tara were discussing the result of their experiment.
"Did you see?" Tara asked Buffy. "Amy was as freaked out as the rest of us. Does that mean it's not her?"
"The test was positive!" Buffy replied. "She's our Sabrina. I just don't think she realizes what she's doing."
"Well, should we talk to her?" Tara asked.
Buffy thought about it. "Maybe we should talk to her mother. I wonder if she knows what she's created."
Chapter Text
The next morning, Buffy woke up when her alarm clock went off. She slapped it with her hand hard enough to smash it.
"Oh! Oops! Oh..." Buffy sat up. "Mmm..."
After getting dressed in her cheerleader outfit, Buffy came dancing into the kitchen. "Macho, macho, man! I want to be a macho man. Macho-" She noticed a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. "Oh, hey, juice!" She grabbed the glass and drank the juice. "Mmm, quality juice. Not from concentrate!"
Joyce glanced at Buffy. "You're in a good mood."
"I am! I'm on the squad, which is great, 'cause I feel like cheering and leading others to cheer. Ooh, hey, juice!" Buffy took a second glass and drank the juice.
"Listen, honey, about yesterday, I really-"
"Mmm! That is totally yester. Besides, it's not like you were wrong, y'know. I did get kicked outta school. I'm just wacky that way!"
"Still, I just want you to know that, despite the problems you've had, I really-"
"Mom, you just don't get it. And, believe me, you don't want it. Y'know, there are just some things about being a Vampire Slayer that the older generation-"
"A what?"
"It's a...long story."
"Buffy, are you feeling well?"
"What? Oh, I'm - I'm fine, y'know? What, like, I can't be in a good mood? Is it, like, a new house rule? Fine, y'know? It's just fine, fine, fine, 'cause...I'm a macho, macho man! I want to be a macho man!" Buffy bobbed her head. "Macho, macho man!" She opened the door and walked outside. "I want to be a macho man!"
Later, in the gym, during cheerleading practice, Buffy was positioned next to Joy in the lineup.
"Five, six, seven, eight!" Joy called.
The cheerleaders began practicing a routine.
"Turn up the music!" Buffy exclaimed.
The routine continued until Buffy stomped on Joy's foot.
"Ow!" Joy yelled. "Get it together, Buffy! We have a game in less than four hours!"
Tara came into the gym.
Buffy jumped gleefully. "Tara! My bud's here! I love my bud! Hi!" She noticed everyone staring at her. "Hi. Oh..."
She got back in line, and the routine continued. Tara gazed worriedly at Buffy. The cheerleaders continued with a series of assisted cartwheels.
Suddenly, Buffy overthrew Joy's aerial, sending her crashing into the gym wall.
Joy got up as Buffy came running over.
"Did I do that?" Buffy asked her.
Joy pushed Buffy. "You are so out of here!"
Tara ran over to Buffy and looked at Joy. "It was an accident."
Joy shrugged. "Sucks for her. Who's our next alternate? Oh. Amy, you just made cheerleader."
Buffy shook her head. "No, no, no. You don't want her; she's a witch."
Joy looked at Buffy. "I don't give a fuck if you dislike her."
Tara looked at Buffy. "Let's go."
The two of them walked away and out of the gym, Tara gently holding onto Buffy's arm. They walked down the hall.
"She's a witch!" Buffy exclaimed.
Tara looked at her. "Buffy-"
"I just got kicked off the team, didn't I?" Buffy asked her.
"I don't think it was your fault."
"Hmm, I know you don't. That's 'cause you're my friend. You're my Tara-shaped friend!" Buffy leaned her head on Tara's shoulder. "Do you have any idea why I love you so, Tara?"
Tara looked at her in surprise. "You do?"
"Totally!" Buffy told her. "You're not like other girls at all."
Tara shrugged. "I can't argue with that. I love you, too, Buffy. I'm just concerned that-"
Buffy grinned and spontaneously kissed Tara on the lips. "Let's get naked and fuck - right here, right now. I'm that comfy with you."
Tara stared at her worriedly. "Sweetie, I think you might be-"
"Oh! I - I don't feel so good."
"Buffy?" Tara asked.
Buffy collapsed into Tara's arms.
Tara took Buffy to the library. "Giles!"
Giles ran over and helped Tara support Buffy. "What happened?"
"She was acting weird and hyper during cheerleading practice, and then she just collapsed. I think she's under a spell." Tara thought for a moment. "Or on drugs."
They lay her in a chair. Giles went and wet a cloth. He brought it to Tara and then sat down to consult his books. Tara supported Buffy's head and pressed the cloth to Buffy's forehead. Buffy's eyes had a glazed-over look to them.
"We've gotta get her to a hospital!" Tara exclaimed.
"They can't help her. This is a bloodstone vengeance spell." Giles took Buffy's pulse. "Hits the body hard like a - a quart of alcohol, and then it e-eradicates the, uh, immune system."
"A vengeance spell, like she's trying to get even with Buffy?" Tara asked him.
Buffy moaned. "'Cause she knows I know she's a witch."
"The others, she just wanted out of the running. You, she intends to, um..." Giles paused, unsure how to tell her.
"Kill?" Buffy supplied.
"How much time do we have?" Tara asked Giles.
"Oh, uh, I'm sure, uh-"
"Truth. Please." Buffy locked eyes with him.
"Couple of hours. Three at most."
"Well, how do we reverse the spell?" Tara asked Giles.
Giles stood up." Well I-I've been researching that, and, uh, we can reverse all the spells if, um..." He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "We can just lay our hands on - on Amy's spell book."
"And if we can't get a hold of it?" Tara asked him.
"Well, the other way is to cut the witch's head off." Giles put his glasses back on.
Tara stared at him in shock.
"It's not Amy's fault."
Tara looked at Buffy.
"She only became a witch to survive her mother."
Tara stared into Buffy's eyes. "Look, I don't care why. I just care that you go on breathing."
"Giles, where would she be casting these spells?" Buffy asked.
"Oh, she needs a - a sacred space, a-a-a pentagram, um, large pot."
"Her home. Okay. Help me up."
Tara and Giles helped Buffy stand up.
Buffy looked at Giles. "We'll just go to her house, and we'll get her book."
Tara nodded. "Okay."
"Uh, no!" Buffy exclaimed. "Just me and Giles. You stay here and keep an eye on Amy."
Giles took Buffy from Tara. "And keep her away from the science lab. We'll need it to cast our counter-spells."
"Right." Tara looked at Buffy and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Be careful."
Buffy weakly nodded. Giles and Buffy left the library.
Tara stared after Buffy in worry. "Come back to me."
Giles drove to Amy's house, Buffy sitting in the passenger seat of the gray 1963 Citroën DS. They got out of the car.
"Can you walk?" Giles asked her.
"Yeah."
They walked up to the front door. Giles knocked. After not receiving an answer for a while, he knocked some more. Buffy was very tired and out of it. Giles knocked again.
The door opened. Catherine, Amy's mother, stood there.
"Who are you?" Catherine asked. "Wha-, um, uh, is there something wrong?"
"Mrs. Madison, we need to talk to you about your daughter."
"I'm not allow..." She paused. "You'll have to come back later."
She tried to close the door, but Giles prevented her and pushed his way in. Buffy slowly followed.
"Excuse me!" Giles told her.
"What?" Catherine asked.
Giles turned to help Buffy. "You all right?" He looked for a place to sit her down. "Um, in here."
He led Buffy into the living room.
"Your daughter is meddling with something very dangerous. Are you aware of that?"
He sat Buffy on the couch.
"Uh, I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, I think you know only too well."
"You've got to go. She's gonna be home soon, and you-"
Giles indicated Buffy. "This girl is very sick." He got very angry at Catherine. "Now, you will shut up, and you will listen to me! Your daughter has access to some very powerful magics, and somehow your obsession with cheerleading has made-"
"I don't care about cheerleading!" Catherine exclaimed. "It's not my fault she's doing shit."
Buffy saw a plate full of brownies on the coffee table and started to come to a realization.
"As her mother, you should assume some responsibility for her actions."
Catherine laughed. "Well, you know, these kids today! I..." She calmed down a bit. "She's out of her mind. Ever since Dad - her dad - left, I can't control her."
Buffy slowly got up.
"You're afraid of her?" Giles asked Catherine.
"Amy?" Buffy asked.
Catherine looked at Buffy in surprise. Giles looked at Buffy, still puzzled.
"Are you Amy?" Buffy asked.
Giles looked back at Catherine. "I don't understand."
"She switched!" Buffy exclaimed. "She switched your bodies, didn't she?"
Amy looked down, defeated.
"Good Lord!" Giles exclaimed.
"She wanted to relive her glory days!" Buffy added.
Amy looked back up. "She said I was wasting my youth. So she took it!"
Giles gestured at the couch. The three of them sat down.
"I didn't know anything about her powers. I mean...when Dad was here, they would fight and yell, and he would...call her a witch and...I mean...I would...just thought he meant..." Amy paused. "Oh, God, when he left, I wanted to go with him. But she wouldn't even let me call. She went crazy. I mean...she'd lock herself upstairs for days, and she was always coming down on me, telling me I didn't deserve to have it so easy, and that I didn't know...how hard it was to be her, and...I guess she showed me, huh?"
Buffy took her hand. "Amy, it's gonna be okay."
"A few months ago, I woke up in h-her bed! I didn't know where I was, and...then I looked in the mirror..."
"She locked herself upstairs?" Giles asked her.
"Yes."
"Where?"
Giles broke in the door to the attic, went in, and started to look around.
Amy came in after him. "Don't! If she finds out I've been here, she'll kill me!"
Giles walked around a cauldron to a rack with hanging dolls. He saw two dolls bound together for a body-switching spell and took them in his hand. "My God!" He sighed. "I believe we can reverse your mother's spell. Well, all of them, in fact." He let go of the dolls.
"You could?" Amy asked him. "Really, you could?"
"We need to find her books. There'd be specific volumes she'd need for this kind of casting." He began to look around some more. He found a trunk and knocked off the things on top. "Collect those dolls and, uh, any other personal effects..."
As he started to open the trunk, a black cat jumped at him and surprised him.
"Ah! Nice kitty..." Giles calmed down. "Let's see what you were guarding." He opened the trunk and looked inside. "Ah, yes!" He took out a book. "This is it."
Buffy looked as Giles and Amy came back down the stairs and into the living room.
"Did we find?" Buffy asked Giles.
"We found. Come on."
He helped Buffy up from the couch. She'd gotten weaker.
"But where are you going?" Amy asked Giles.
"We're going to school." Giles realized Buffy was too weak to walk and picked her up in his arms. "And you're coming with us."
Chapter Text
Tara was sitting in the bleachers in the gym. "Twilight Zone" by 2 Unlimited was playing again. The Sunnydale High basketball team, the Razorbacks, came through the doors and onto the court. Amy - or rather Catherine - was with the other cheerleaders and clearly very happy to be there. Tara watched her.
Giles carried Buffy into the science classroom and lay her down on a lab table, knocking everything off it in the process. He took off his coat.
Giles looked down at Buffy. "I'm gonna stop this. I promise."
Buffy looked up at him. He folded his coat and put it under her head as a pillow. Her vision was blurred.
"You just hang on."
Buffy moaned. Giles went to the box of books and other things that Amy had set on Dr. Gregory's bench and reached in to get the spell book.
"How is she?" Amy asked Giles in concern.
"We only have a few minutes left."
In the gym, the cheerleaders were doing a very repetitive cheer. Tara was bored out of her mind, and she wanted to be anywhere else, but she reminded herself of what was at stake.
In the science classroom, Amy was cutting an eye from a frog and was squeamish about it.
"Right! Here we go!" Giles exclaimed.
Buffy was getting weaker.
Giles mixed a potion. "The center is dark. Centrum est obscurus. The darkness breathes. Tenebrae respiratis. The listener hears. Hear me!"
In the gym, the cheerleaders were doing a counting chant. Catherine stopped chanting, startled. Tara noticed. Catherine took up the count again - but had a worried look on her face.
"Oh, it's...it's working!" Amy exclaimed.
Giles took the book up from the table. "Unlock the gate. Let the darkness shine. Cover us with holy fear."
Amy staggered back and covered her face.
"Show me-"
The lights went out in the classroom.
Some of the cheerleaders were lifting Catherine. Once up, she thrust her fists into the air and gave the crowd a big smile. Her smile suddenly faded, and she began to lose her balance. Tara watched. The cheerleaders supporting Catherine struggled for control, but they collapsed. The crowd reacted to the fall.
"Amy, what's your problem?" Joy asked.
Catherine shot her a dirty look. Joy was taken aback. Catherine got up, looked around, and ran from the gym.
Tara stood up, got down from the bleachers, and ran after her.
"She's coming!" Amy exclaimed.
Giles briefly looked at her, worried.
In a hallway, Catherine violently pushed open a door.
Tara got in front of her. "Amy!"
"Get out of my way!" Catherine yelled.
"Wait!" Tara pleaded. "I need to talk to you. I can help you."
"Help me? With what?"
"Witchcraft. I can help you use it in a positive manner."
Catherine punched Tara hard in the face, knocking her to the floor. She started running to the lab.
Giles was holding up his arms. "Corsheth and Gilail! The gate is closed! Receive the dark! Release the unworthy! Take of mine energy and be sated!" He plunged his hands into the mixture that he'd concocted.
Giles took his hands out of the brew. Amy looked at the door and saw it was being yanked on.
"Be sated! Release the unworthy!"
Buffy couldn't keep her eyes open and was just rolling her head slowly.
"Release! Release!"
Buffy was lying prone. Catherine made a hole in the door, reached through, and got the door open. She marched in, ax in hand, straight over to Buffy.
"Release!"
Catherine started to wield the ax but stopped as the spells were all broken. She looked around, a bit confused, stepped back, and lowered the ax. She was back in her own body.
Buffy had her strength back and got up from the table. Giles saw she was okay.
Amy was back in her own body as well. "Buffy?"
"Amy?" Buffy asked.
Catherine lunged at Buffy from the side and tackled her to the floor, knocking her out.
Giles advanced, holding his arm out and pointing. "You...You..."
Catherine growled and looked at him. She used her powers to force him back and push a table against him, knocking him down and out. Amy just stood there watching, still holding the ax in both hands.
Catherine got up and confronted her. "You! You little brat!"
Amy held the ax threateningly. "Mom! Please!"
Catherine held out her hand, and the ax flew from Amy's hands to hers.
"How dare you raise your hand to your mother?!" Catherine asked her. "I gave you birth. I gave up my life, so you could drag that worthless carcass around and call it living?" She swung the ax into a lab table. "You've never been anything but trouble. I'm going to put you where you can't make trouble again!"
Buffy jumped up behind Catherine. "Guess what."
Catherine turned to face her.
"I feel better!"
Buffy punched Catherine, and she flew through the air, landed on a lab table, and rolled off, hitting a shelf full of bottles along the way.
She quickly got up. "That body was mine! Mine!"
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh, grow up!"
Catherine growled, held her arm out toward Buffy, and used her powers to send her flying against the wall. Buffy hit the wall and fell to the floor. She got up, craning her neck.
Catherine began to cast a spell: "I shall look upon my enemy!" She looked up at Buffy, and her eyes became pitch black. "I shall look upon her, and the dark place will have her soul!"
Buffy looked around for a way to stop her. She saw the pole holding up the mirror above her.
"Corsheth, take her!"
Buffy did a standing hook kick, knocking the pole out from under the mirror and letting it flop down. Catherine's spell leaped from her hands and was reflected by the mirror back at her. The power of the spell enveloped her, and she screamed. The energy twisted around her and disappeared with a roar, taking her with it.
Buffy surveyed the scene. Amy was badly shaken. Buffy saw Giles unconscious on the floor.
He woke up. "Well, that was, um, interesting."
Buffy gave him her hand and helped him up.
"You guys okay?" Buffy asked Giles and Amy.
"I'm fine!" Amy replied.
"I assume the, uh, all the spells are reversed. It was my first casting, so..." Giles inhaled. "I may have got it wrong."
"You saved my life! You were a god!" Buffy told him.
Amy looked at him. "Well, I didn't think you'd pull it off."
Giles looked at her in annoyance.
Amy sighed. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault. If I hadn't checked out those books-"
"It's quite all right. It wasn't your fault."
"I'll pay the late fees."
"I'll take care of it. Don't worry about it. Just...get back to living your life."
Amy smiled.
Suddenly, Tara came rushing in and grabbed Amy tightly.
Amy smiled seductively. "Oh, hey, Tara. Back to our old games, I see."
"Tara, what are you doing?" Buffy asked her.
Tara looked at Buffy. "Saving you?"
"Get your hands off of her."
"But she's evil."
Giles looked at Tara. "It wasn't exactly her."
"It was my mom."
"Oh!" Tara released her.
Amy was disappointed. "You didn't have to let go."
"Tara, can we talk privately?" Buffy asked her.
Tara figured she knew what was coming, and her mood soured. "Yeah."
Buffy and Tara walked out into the hallway.
"So...about all of that stuff that I said earlier..."
Tara braced herself. "Yeah?"
"I 100% meant it."
Tara was surprised. "Really?"
"Yeah. If I didn't mean it or didn't want to accept it, I'd just tell you that I wasn't myself. But I was. It was just me on speed." Buffy grinned. "I love you, Tara."
Tara grinned. "I love you, too, Buffy."
The two girls kissed on the lips, and then they hugged each other and started making out.
"Although, maybe we can take things a bit slower than I'd suggested earlier?" Buffy suggested between kisses.
"Yeah, that's fine."
"But not too much slower."
"Oh, definitely not."
Later, after Buffy came home and went up to her bedroom, she scooped her smashed alarm clock into a wastebasket.
Her mother came into the room. "I don't get it."
Buffy looked at her. "What?"
"I've been doing a lot of thinking about...where you're coming from, how to relate to you, and I've come to a very simple conclusion: I don't get it."
"I'm inscrutable, huh?"
"You're sixteen. I think there's a - a biological imperative whereby I can't understand you, because I'm not sixteen."
"Do you ever wish you could be sixteen again?"
"Oh, that's a frightful notion." Joyce sighed. "Go through all that again? Not even if it helped me understand you."
"So...about me being a Vampire Slayer..."
Joyce smiled at her daughter. "Whatever, sweetie. Good for you."
"It's a really interesting story."
"Maybe some other time."
Buffy smiled back at her. "I love you, Mom." She jumped up and kissed her mother on the cheek, then she ran from the room.
Two days later, at school, Buffy and Amy were walking together in a hallway.
"My dad is so impossible!" Amy told Buffy. "He doesn't ever want me going anywhere! He wants to spend total quantity time together. And I'm like 'Dad, I can go out; it's perfectly safe!' But he's got all this guilt about leaving me with my mom. And he's being a total pain."
Buffy smiled. "You're loving it."
Amy smiled. "Every single minute. This Saturday night, he wants to stay in and make brownies. Well, the brownies were my idea."
Cordelia came up behind them. "Hey, I'm really sorry you guys got bumped back to alternate." She suddenly reconsidered. "Hold it, wait, no, I'm not!"
Amy smiled. "Well, I know that I'll miss the intellectual thrill of spelling out words with my arms."
Cordelia looked at her. "Ooh, these grapes are sour!"
Amy looked at Buffy. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that you wanted to be on the squad."
"Oh, hey, that's okay. Cheerleading's just a little too hairy for me these days."
Amy took a breath. "That's for sure."
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Actually, Cordy, I'm just gonna quit the squad."
Cordelia was surprised. "You are? Why?"
"It just doesn't seem important anymore, like, at all. I just feel I can make more productive use of my free time. Y'know, do something that actually makes a difference in people's lives."
Cordelia suddenly felt shallow, and she didn't like it. She cleared her throat, her eyes downcast. "Yeah, well, anyway, thank you for saving my life."
Buffy smiled. "Hey, we girls always got each other's backs, right?" Buffy asked her.
Cordelia smiled. "Right."
Buffy grinned. "Is this a hugging moment?"
Cordelia frowned. "What? Ew, no. Get away from me, loser!" She walked away.
Buffy and Amy laughed and stopped at the trophy case. They went around to the front of the case and looked at Catherine's picture.
"Catherine the Great."
"And there's been no sign of her?" Buffy asked Amy.
"That last spell. She said I'd never make trouble again. Wherever she is, I don't think we'll have to worry."
They looked at Catherine's cheerleading trophy.
Buffy shuddered. "Twisted."
They turned and walked away.
Amy smiled. "I'm just happy to have my body back. I'm thinking of getting fat."
Buffy smiled. "Y'know, I hear that look's in for spring."
Chapter 13: Teacher's Pet
Chapter Text
"Teacher's Pet"
Based on the Episode Written by David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
Buffy was sitting in science class. The lights were off, because Dr. Stephen Gregory was giving a slide show. At the table next to Buffy, Blayne Moll was lightly snoring.
Buffy looked at him. "You're drooling."
There was no response.
"Blayne!" Buffy exclaimed softly.
He woke up and shook his head.
Buffy indicated the corner of her mouth. "You've got a little..."
He picked up on her gesture and quickly wiped the drool off his mouth and chin.
"Their ancestors were here long before we were. Their progeny will be here long after we are gone. The simple and ubiquitous ant." Dr. Gregory turned off the projector, turned the lights on, and began walking up the aisle. "Now. If you read the homework, you should know the two ways that ants communicate." He stopped at Blayne's lab table and leaned on it to face Buffy. "Miss Summers."
Buffy looked at him. "Ways that ants communicate."
He nodded. "Mm."
"With other ants."
"From the homework."
Tara tried to get Buffy's attention.
Dr. Gregory stared at Buffy. "Ants are communicating..."
Buffy saw Tara's signals. "Um, uh, uh..."
Tara hovered her hand over Blayne's back and made a stroking motion.
"Touch..."
Dr. Gregory nodded. "Mm-hm."
"And, um..." Buffy looked at Tara again.
Tara was sniffing Blayne.
Buffy was confused. "B.O.?"
Several students laughed. Tara chuckled in amusement.
"Thank God someone finally found the courage to mention that!" Blayne's friend yelled.
"That would be touch and smell, Miss Summers. Is there anything else Miss Maclay would like to tell you?"
Tara quickly turned away in her seat. The bell rang.
Dr. Gregory started to move back to the front of the class. "All right, chapters six through eight by tomorrow, people." He stopped and looked back at Buffy. "Can I see you for a moment?"
Buffy nodded. As the other students left, Dr. Gregory went over to the projector and idly reviewed his slides. Buffy followed him and leaned against a lab table.
"I gather you had a few problems at your last school?"
"Well, what teenager doesn't?" Buffy asked him.
"Cut school, get in fights, punch a teacher..." He looked at her. "Principal Flutie showed me your permanent record."
He walked to the front of the class, and Buffy followed him.
"Well, my parents were going through a messy divorce."
He briefly looked at her. "I'm sorry to hear that." He went to the closet, got his other glasses from his coat, and cleaned them. "But I suspect you'll be okay." He looked at her, then back at his glasses. "You have a first-rate mind, and you can think on your feet. Imagine what you could accomplish if you actually did the-"
"The homework thing."
"The homework thing. I understand you probably have a good excuse for not doing it." He closed the closet and walked back to his lab table. "Amazingly enough, I don't care. I know you can excel in this class, and so I expect no less. Is that clear?"
"Yeah! Sorry."
"Don't be sorry; be smart." He looked at another slide. "And please don't listen to the principal or anyone else's negative opinion about you. Let's make 'em eat that permanent record. Whadaya say?" He looked up at Buffy and gave her a little smile.
She smiled back. "Okay! Thanks."
He nodded. She grabbed her bag.
"Chapters six through eight!"
Buffy looked back at him with a smile and left the classroom.
That evening, Buffy and Tara went to the Bronze. They got red cups filled with regular Pepsi from the bar and strolled as they sipped their drinks.
"How long have you been practicing?" Buffy asked Tara.
"Always, I mean...since I, um, was little. My - My mom used to. She, um, she had a lot of power."
Blayne approached the girls as his friend watched. "Babes!"
The girls looked back at him. He came up to them with his arms wide open and grabbed them both around the shoulders.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Buffy asked him, offended.
"Work with me here. My boy had the nerve to question my manliness. I'm just gonna give him a visual."
Buffy and Tara pulled away from him.
Buffy stared daggers at him. "Don't ever do that again."
Buffy and Tara walked away.
Tara rolled her eyes. "Goddess, what an asshole."
Buffy was distracted. "I don't believe it."
Tara was confused. "You were there."
Buffy saw Angel and walked over to him. Tara followed.
"Who's that?" Tara asked Buffy.
"Angel."
"That weird guy that warned you about all the vampires?"
"Yeah." Buffy looked at him. "Well! Look who's here!"
"Hi."
"I'd say it's nice to see you, but then we both know that's a big fib."
"I won't be long."
"No, you'll just give me a cryptic warning about some exciting new catastrophe and then disappear into the night. Right?"
"You're cold."
"You can take it."
Angel took off his jacket. "I mean...you look cold." He put his jacket around her shoulders.
"A little big on me." Buffy noticed a series of cuts on Angel's arm. "What happened?"
"I didn't pay attention."
"To somebody with a big fork?"
"He's coming."
"The Fork Guy?"
"Don't let him corner you. Don't give him a moment's mercy. He'll rip your throat out."
"Okay, I'll give you improved marks for that one. Ripping a throat out, it's a strong visual; it's not cryptic!"
"I have to go." Angel turned and left.
Buffy stared after him. "Sweet dreams to you, too."
The next morning, at Sunnydale High, Buffy and Giles were walking along in front of the school. Giles was eating an apple.
"That's all he said? Fork Guy?" Giles asked her.
"That's all Cryptic Guy said: Fork Guy."
"I think there are too many guys in your life." Giles laughed.
They met Tara sitting on a bench.
"I'll see what I can find out." Giles looked up at the sky. "God, every day here is the same."
"Bright, sunny, beautiful; how ever can we escape this torment?" Buffy asked.
Tara gave her a smile. Buffy put down her bag, sat down next to her, and kissed her on the lips.
"Really." Giles looked at Tara. "Good morning, Tara."
Tara smiled at him. "Good morning."
Giles turned and left.
Tara looked at Buffy. "Oh, while walking past the office, I heard Dr. Gregory isn't coming in today."
"What happened? Is he sick?" Buffy asked her.
Tara felt uneasy. "They didn't say anything about sick, something about missing."
"He's missing?"
"Seems that way."
"Could you help me?"
Buffy and Tara looked toward the sound of the voice. A beautiful young woman with neck-length black hair stood before them.
"I'm looking for Science. 109."
Before either girl could answer, Blayne appeared behind the woman. "Hi! Blayne Moll. I'm going there right now. It's not far from the varsity field where I took All-City last year." Blayne smiled smugly.
"Oh! Thank you, Blayne!"
The woman and Blayne left.
"Substitute science teacher?" Buffy asked Tara.
"Guess so."
Buffy and Tara walked into science class. The woman was writing her name (Natalie French) on the board. Buffy spotted Dr. Gregory's glasses on the floor and picked them up.
"What's wrong?" Tara asked Buffy.
"Dr. Gregory dropped his glasses. Why wouldn't he pick them up?" Buffy set the glasses on the lab table and gave Natalie a glance as she walked to her stool.
Natalie faced the class. "My name is Natalie French, and I will be substituting for Dr. Gregory."
"Do you know when he's coming back?" Buffy asked her.
"No, I don't, um..." She checked her roster. "Buffy. They just call and tell me where they want me."
"I'll tell you where I want you."
Buffy looked at Blayne in disgust.
"Excuse me, Blayne?" Natalie asked.
"Uh, I was just wondering if you were gonna pick up where Dr. Gregory left off."
Natalie smiled. "Yes. His notes tell me you were right in the middle of insect life." She picked up a mantis mounted in a clear plastic box. "The praying mantis is a fascinating creature. Forced to live alone. Who can tell me why? Buffy?" She put the mantis back down.
"Well, the words 'bug-ugly' kinda spring to mind."
That aroused lots of muffled laughter.
"There is nothing ugly about these unique creatures. The reason they live alone is because they're cannibals!"
"Eww!" Buffy shuddered.
"Oh, well, it's hardly their fault! It's the way nature designed them: noble, solitary, and prolific. Over 1,800 species worldwide, and in nearly all of them the female is larger and more aggressive than the male."
Blayne looked at Buffy. "Nothing wrong with an aggressive female."
Buffy angled her head and gave him a dirty look.
Natalie picked up her notebook and started to walk around the room. "The California Mantis lays her eggs...and then finds a mate..."
She looked at Blayne. He stared back.
"...to fertilize them. Once he's played his part, she covers the eggs in a protective sack and attaches it to a leaf or twig out of danger. Now, if she's done her job correctly, in a few months she'll have several hundred offspring." She made her way back to the front of the class and put down her notebook. "You know, we should make some model egg sacks for the science fair. Who would like to help me do that after school?"
All of the boys raised their hands.
Natalie smiled. "Good!"
During lunch, Buffy and Tara went to the cafeteria and got in line.
Buffy looked at the sign. "Hot dog surprise. Be still, my heart."
Tara smiled. "Call me old-fashioned, but I don't want anymore surprises in my hot dogs."
Blayne came up next to Tara, getting lots of food. "Gotta carb up for my one-on-one with Miss French today. I came in first. Guess that's what they call natural selection." He left.
The girls rolled their eyes. Buffy went over to get some utensils. As she walked back, Cordelia came in through the exit and bumped into her.
Cordelia frowned at Buffy. "Excuse you!" She went behind the counter, showing a piece of paper to the cafeteria workers. "Medically prescribed lunch. My doctor ships it daily. I'll only be here as long as I can hold my breath."
She opened a refrigerator and screamed. Inside was a headless body. Buffy and Tara ran to see what was wrong.
Cordelia backed away from the fridge. "His head! His head! Oh, my God, where's his head?!"
Buffy arrived to see what was inside. She stared in disbelief.
Tara was close behind and had to look away when she saw. She vomited onto the floor.
The name on the body's lab coat was "Dr. Gregory".
Later, in the library, Giles poured a glass of water. He brought it over to Buffy, who was sitting on the steps with Tara and Cordelia. All three girls were deeply sad. Buffy had been crying.
Giles handed the glass to Buffy. "Here. Drink this."
Buffy took the glass. "No, thank you." She took a sip.
Cordelia stared at the floor "I've never seen..."
Giles looked at her.
"I mean...I've never seen anything like..." Cordelia paused and swallowed her disgust. "That was new."
"Who would wanna hurt Dr. Gregory?" Tara asked.
Giles thought about it. "Uh, he didn't have any enemies on the staff that I'm aware of. He was a civilized man. I liked him."
Buffy stared straight ahead sadly. "So did I."
Tara looked up at Giles. "Well, we're gonna find out who did this. We'll find them, and we'll stop them."
Buffy continued staring straight ahead. "Count on it."
"What do we know?" Giles asked.
"Oh, not a lot, um..." Buffy sniffed and wiped a tear from her nose. "He was killed here on campus. I'm guessing the last day we saw him."
"How do you work that out?" Giles asked her.
"He didn't change his clothing."
"This is a question that no one particularly wants to hear, but...where did they put his head?" Cordelia asked.
Tara thought about that. "Good point. I didn't wanna hear that."
"Angel!" Buffy stood up. "He warned me that something was coming." She took another sip of water as she walked over to the table.
"Yes. Yes, he did, didn't he?" Giles asked. "I wish I knew what he meant. I've been trying to gather more information about the Master, our, uh, local vampire king. There was one oblique reference to a - a - a vampire who displeased the Master and cut his hand off in penance."
"Cut off his hand and replaced it with a fork?" Buffy asked him.
"I don't know what he replaced it with."
"So...why would he come after a teacher?" Cordelia asked.
"I'm not certain he did. There was an incident two nights ago..." Giles walked over to the counter, picked up a newspaper, and returned with it. "...uh, involving a homeless person in Weatherly Park. He was practically shredded - but, uh, nothing like Dr. Gregory."
Buffy looked at the paper. "Fork Guy doesn't do heads."
"Not historically."
"And Dr. Gregory's blood wasn't drained."
"So there's something else out there? Besides Silverwareman?" Cordelia asked. "Oh, this is fun; we're on Monster Island."
"We're on a Hellmouth. It's a center of mystical convergence." Buffy paused in thought. "Guess it's the same thing." She walked toward Cordelia.
"Well, unpleasant things do gravitate here, it's true, but, uh, we don't know there's anything besides this chap. He's still our likely suspect."
Buffy looked at Giles. "Where was that guy killed? Weatherly Park?"
"Buffy." Giles walked toward her. "I know you're upset, but, uh, this is no time to go hunting, not until we know more. Please promise me you won't do anything rash?"
"Cross my heart."
That night, Buffy climbed a fence and walked through the park, carefully looking around.
A bum came up to her. "Shouldn't be out here at night, little lady. Dangerous." He left.
Buffy noticed another bum on the ground in front of a bench, and she checked him out. He was okay, just asleep. Buffy continued stalking. Dogs barked in the distance. Buffy found some shrubbery covering a sewer access hole. She moved it aside, and Fork Guy jumped out at her.
She rushed backward. He swung with his claw but missed. She slammed her straight arm into his gut, then again into his back. He swung again, but Buffy dodged him. She backhand-punched him in the face, did a roundhouse kick to his jaw, and backhand-punched his face again. He took another swing at Buffy, but she evaded it. She front-kicked him. He lunged at her, and she grabbed his arm and flipped him over onto his back.
Buffy tried to stake him, but he rolled away and back onto his feet. She kicked him again, and he staggered backward and fell. Buffy heard voices and turned to see people with flashlights coming over the hill.
"Hold it!"
"Police!"
"Did you see that?"
"I got nothing here!"
Buffy looked back and forth between Fork Guy and the police. The vampire ran off.
"I heard it."
"Spread out."
"Let's go over here."
"This way, this way."
"All right."
Buffy made tracks after the vampire and followed him to the fence at the edge of the park. Natalie was walking home on the other side with grocery bags in her arms. The vampire stalked her and climbed over the fence. Buffy came running up. The vampire landed behind Natalie. Buffy reached the fence and watched. Natalie stopped and turned to face the vampire. The vampire hissed and ran away in fear. Natalie watched him go. Buffy couldn't believe what she was seeing.
The vampire crossed the street, lifted a manhole cover, and climbed down. Natalie continued her walk home. The vampire pulled the manhole cover back into place. Buffy stared after Natalie.
Chapter Text
The next morning, at Sunnydale High, Buffy went to the library. Giles was behind the counter, looking through some files.
"Hey, Giles."
Giles looked at her. "Buffy."
"Sooo...I went hunting last night."
Giles stared at her in disapproval. "You went hunting last night."
"Yes."
He walked into his office. She followed behind him.
"When you assured me you wouldn't." Giles took a sip from his mug.
"Yes, I lied; I'm a bad person; let's move on."
Giles opened his file cabinet. "Did you see someone with a fork?"
"More like a jumbo claw."
Giles turned to face her. "Oh. Well, uh, at least you're not hurt."
"And I saw something else. Something much more interesting than your average, run-of-the-mill killer vampire."
"Oh?"
"Do you know Miss French, the teacher that's subbing for Dr. Gregory?"
Giles smiled. "Yes. Yes, she's lovely. In a - a common, extremely well-proportioned way." He put some files away.
"Well, I'm chasing Claw Guy last night, and Miss Well Proportioned is heading home. The Claw Guy takes one look at her and runs screaming for cover."
Giles was confused. "He what? Ran away?"
"He was petrified."
"Of Miss French?"
"Uh-huh! So I'm an undead monster that can shave with my hand. How many things am I afraid of?"
"Not many. And not substitute teachers, as a rule."
"So what's her deal?" Buffy asked.
"I think perhaps it would be a good idea if we kept an eye on her."
"Then I better get to class." She left the office, left the library, and rushed down the stairs in the halls.
Principal Flutie stopped her. "You were there. You saw Dr. Gregory, didn't you?"
"Um, you mean yesterday in the cafeteria when we found him-"
"Don't say dead! Or decapitated. Or decomposing. I'd stay away from D-words altogether. But you witnessed the event, so this way, please." He started down the hall.
Buffy stopped him short. "Well, no, I'm gonna be late for biology-"
"Extremely late!" He started down the hall again. "You have to see a counselor. Everyone who saw the body has to see a crisis counselor."
"But I really don't need-"
"We all need help with our feelings. Otherwise, we bottle them up, and, before you know it, powerful laxatives are involved. I really believe, if we all reach out to one another, we can beat this thing. I'm always here, if you need a hug." He jumped back. "But not a real hug! Because there's no touching; this school is sensitive to wrong touching."
"But I really, really don't-"
"No, you have to talk to a counselor and start the healing. You have to heal."
"But, Mr. Flutie, I-"
"Heal!" He sat her down in a chair outside the counselor's office and walked off.
Buffy leaned back in the chair, bummed. Then she heard Cordelia inside the office.
"I don't know what to say. It was really...I mean...one minute, you're in your normal life, and then who's in the fridge? It really gets to you, a thing like that. It was...let's just say I haven't been able to eat a thing since yesterday. I think I lost, like, seven and a half ounces? Way swifter than that so-called diet that quack put me on. Oh, I'm not saying that we should kill a teacher every day just so I can lose weight; I'm just saying, when tragedy strikes, we have to look on the bright side. You know? Like, how even used Mercedes still have leather seats!"
This was too weird for Buffy. She stood up, ran to science class, and looked in through the door window. Students were concentrating on papers on their desks.
"Oh, great, a pop quiz."
Natalie suddenly straightened up. Buffy looked in. She saw Natalie turn her head around 180 degrees. Buffy stared at her in amazement. She quickly rolled away from the window.
Later, Buffy found Tara and filled her in on what she saw as they made their way to the library. They went in.
"No, I'm not saying she craned her neck. We are talking full-on Exorcist twist."
"Ouch!" Tara said, uncomfortable.
"Which reminds me: how come Blayne, who worked with her one-on-one yesterday, isn't here today?"
Tara shrugged, sat down in front of the PC, and began a search.
Buffy looked at Giles. "Any luck?"
"Um, I've not found any creature as yet that strikes terror in a vampire's heart."
"Try looking under things that can turn their heads all the way around."
"Nothing human can do that."
"No, nothing human. There are some insects that can. Whatever she is, I'm gonna be ready for her." Buffy turned and hopped up the stairs to the stacks.
Giles took off his glasses. "What are you going to do?"
Buffy turned back to look at him. "My homework."
She continued up into the stacks. Tara looked up at her and smiled, then continued her search.
Buffy came running back. "Where are the books on bugs?"
Eventually, Buffy found what she was looking for. She came out of the stacks with a book. "Dig this: 'The praying mantis can rotate its head 180 degrees while waiting for its next meal to walk by.'" She slammed the book shut. "Ha!"
Giles and Tara stared at her in confusion.
"Well, c'mon, guys. Ha!" Buffy exclaimed.
Tara shrugged. "Well, Miss French is sort of big. For a bug?"
Giles nodded. "And she is, by and large, woman-shaped."
Buffy made her way down to them. "Okay. Factoid 1: Only the praying mantis can rotate its head like that. Factoid 2: A pretty whacked-out vampire is scared to death of her. Factoid 3: Her fashion sense screams predator. Factoid 4: Praying mantises give off a chemical attractant called pheromones."
"If you're right, then she'd have to be a shapeshifter or a perception distorter. On a helpful note, I had a chum at Oxford, Carlyle. Advanced degrees in entomology and mythology."
"Entomawho?" Buffy asked.
"Bugs and fairy tales."
"I knew that."
"If I recall correctly, poor old Carlyle, just before he went mad, claimed there was some beast-"
The PC beeped.
Tara looked at the screen. "Buffy, Blayne's mom called the school. He never came home last night."
"The boy who worked with Miss French yesterday?" Giles asked.
"Yeah!" Tara confirmed. "If Miss French is responsible for..." She trailed off and shuddered.
Buffy put her hands on Tara's shoulders. "Okay, don't panic. I need you to hack into the coroner's office for me."
"Well, what are we looking for?" Tara asked her.
"Autopsy on Dr. Gregory. I've been trying to figure out these marks that I saw on his corpse. I'm thinking they were teeth. And, uh, these cuddlies?" Buffy pointed to a picture of a mantis. "Should definitely be brushing after every meal."
Tara started typing.
Buffy looked at Giles. "And you were saying something about a beast?"
Giles got up to go to his office. "Oh, uh, yeah, I just need to make one transatlantic telephone call." He stopped and turned back. "Um, this computer invasion that Tara's performing on the coroner's office. One - One assumes it is entirely legal?"
Tara and Buffy grinned. "Entirely!"
"Of course!" Buffy added.
"Right. Wasn't here, didn't see it, couldn't have stopped you."
Buffy nodded. "Good idea."
A bit later, Giles was on the phone in his office. "Frankly, madam, I haven't the faintest idea what time it is, nor do I care. Now, unlock his cell, unstrap him, and bring him to the telephone immediately. This is a matter of life and death!"
"Got it!" Tara exclaimed. "Coroner's report, complete with - yuck! - color pictures."
Buffy looked at the screen. "There are teeth marks, which match perfectly the one insect that nips off its prey's head."
Tara stared at the screen, feeling queasy. "Okay, I - I don't like this."
"Huh!" Buffy exclaimed. "It's the way they feed, head first. It's also the way they mate. The female bites off the male's head while they're fucking."
"Ew, enough!" Tara told her. "I love you, sweetie, but you're grossing me out."
Buffy smiled in embarrassment. "Sorry, hon." She kissed Tara on the lips.
"I - I understand, Carlyle. Yes, I-I'll take every precaution. Uh, absolutely, i-i-it sounds exactly like the creature you described. Y-You were right all along about everything. Well, n-no, you weren't right about your mother coming back as a Pekinese, but...uh." Giles paused. "Try to rest, old man. Yes. Ta! Bye now!" Giles hung up and came out of his office. "Dr. Ferris Carlyle spent years transcribing a lost pre-Germanic language. What he discovered, he kept to himself until several teenage boys were murdered in the Cotswolds. Then he went hunting for it."
"It being...?" Buffy asked him.
"Uh, he calls her a She-Mantis. This type of creature, the Kleptes-Virgo, or - or virgin-thief, appears in - in many cultures. The Greek sirens, the Celtic sea maidens, who - who tore the living flesh from the bones of, um..."
"Giles, while we're young!" Buffy yelled, impatient.
"Uh, well, basically, the, uh, the She-Mantis assumes the form of a beautiful woman and then lures innocent virgins back to her nest."
"Virgins?" Buffy asked. "Well, Blayne's not a, uh...I mean...he's probably-"
Tara looked at Buffy. "-gonna fucking die!" She stood up and went to the phone.
"Okay, okay." Buffy walked around Giles. "So this thing is breeding, and we need to find it and snuff it." She faced Giles. "Any tips on the snuffing part?"
"Uh, Carlyle recommends cleaving all body parts with a sharp blade."
"Slice and dice."
"Well, whatever you do, it had better be certain and swift. This beast is extremely dangerous."
"Well, your buddy Carlyle faced it, and he's still around."
"Yes, in a straitjacket, howling his innards out day and night."
"Okay, Admiral, way to inspire the troops!"
"Sorry..."
Tara walked back over to them. "Blayne told his mom he was going to his teacher's house to work on a science project. He didn't tell her where."
Buffy looked at Tara. "See if you can get her address off the substitute rolls." She looked at Giles. "And you need to record bat sonar - and fast!"
"Bat sonar, right." Giles stopped and looked at Buffy in confusion. "What?"
"Bats eat them." Buffy led Giles to the stairs. "The mantis hears sonar, its entire nervous system goes kaplooey."
"Where am I gonna find the-"
"In the vid library?" Buffy suggested. "There're no books, but it's dark and musty; you'll feel right at home; go!"
Giles walked off.
Buffy sighed. "I guess I'll handle the armory."
While Buffy went home, Tara managed to find Miss French's record. She printed it.
Buffy returned.
Tara looked at her. "Getting the address."
"Great!" Buffy exclaimed. "Giles?"
Giles held up a tape recorder. "Recording bat sonar is something soothingly akin to having one's teeth drilled."
Buffy took the tape recorder. "Let's roll!"
They all headed for the door.
Tara looked at the record. "According to Miss French's personnel record, she was born in 1907. She's, like, 90 years old!"
"And extremely well preserved!" Giles put in.
Giles drove the girls up to Miss French's house. They got out of the car and ran up to the door.
"What now, exactly?" Giles asked Buffy. "We can't just kick the door down."
Buffy thought about that. "Yeah, that would be wrong."
She got ready to kick, but the door opened. An old lady was standing there.
"Hello, dear! I thought I heard..." The lady paused and stared at Buffy. "Are you selling something? Because I'd like to help you out, but, you see, I'm on a fixed income."
"I'm looking for Miss French."
"I'm Miss French."
"Natalie French, the substitute biology teacher?" Buffy asked her.
She laughed. "Goodness, that's me! I taught for over thirty years. I retired in 1972."
Buffy looked at Giles. "I can't believe this! She used Miss French's records to get into the school. She could be anywhere!"
"No, dear! I'm right here!" Miss French told her.
Buffy looked at her. "I'm sorry. It seems we've got the wrong person."
"That's quite all right, dear. Have a good day."
"Yeah, you, too."
Miss French closed the door.
Giles, Tara, and Buffy walked back to the car.
"What do we do now?" Tara asked.
Giles shrugged. "Abject prayer and supplication would spring to mind."
"I saw her walking past this park with her grocery bags. She lives in this neighborhood."
"I'm gonna start banging on doors." Tara headed for the next house.
Buffy stopped Tara. "Wait, no, we do not have time for that!"
Tara shrugged. "We have to do something."
"We will."
Buffy led them to the manhole cover where she saw Claw Guy go in.
Buffy lifted it off and started to climb in. "I won't be long." She went down.
"W... Buffy?" Giles asked.
"Come on, Buffy!" Tara yelled into the hole.
Soon, Buffy pushed Claw Guy out of some bushes. His arms were tied behind his back.
"You!" he yelled.
"Me!" Buffy shoved him down the street, pushing Claw Guy down the sidewalk in front of her.
Giles and Tara followed.
"Come on! Come on, where is she? Which house is it?" Buffy asked Claw Guy. "I know you're afraid of her; I saw you! Come on!"
Claw Guy began to react.
"Come on. What? What is it? This is her, isn't it? This is her house?" Buffy asked him. "This is it! Better than radar!"
She let go of him. Claw Guy cut the ropes with his blades.
"Buffy!" Tara warned.
He swung at Buffy, but she leaned back in time, only to trip and fall backward over the miniature picket fence running along the walk to the house. Claw Guy jumped to follow. Buffy crawled backward on her ass until she hit the fence on the other side of the lawn. She ripped a picket from the fence and thrust it into Claw Guy as he took another swing at her. He fell over dead. Giles breathed a sigh of relief.
Chapter Text
Amid Blayne's cries, Buffy smashed the basement window and slid in.
"Uh, hey, o-over here, hello!" Blayne called. "In the cage!"
Buffy pulled her bag through the window and looked at Natalie. "Let him go!"
She ran down the stairs and set the bag down. Tara climbed in the window, too. Buffy pulled two cans of insect spray from the bag and sprayed Natalie in the face. Giles climbed in as Tara ran behind Buffy to open the cage. The spray disoriented Natalie. Giles came down the stairs.
"Help me! Help me!" Blayne cried.
"Get him outta here!" Buffy told Tara and Giles. She pulled the tape recorder and a machete from her bag.
"Hey, help me! Help me!" Blayne called.
Natalie retreated to the back of her nest.
Buffy started to close in on her. "Remember Dr. Gregory? You scarfed his head? Yeah, well, he taught me: you do your homework, you learn stuff. Like what happens to your nervous system when you hear this!" She played the tape.
"-extremely important to file not simply alphabetically..." It was Giles' voice.
Buffy stared at the recorder in disbelief and then looked at Giles. "Giles!"
Giles pointed at Natalie. "I-It's the wrong side!"
Natalie knocked the tape recorder and machete from Buffy's hands. Giles watched the recorder fly past him, hit the ground, and slide under a refrigerator. He scrambled to get it. Buffy turned her attention back to Natalie. Natalie tried to trip Buffy, but she jumped over her claw.
Tara came up next to her with a can of bug spray and sprayed it into Natalie's face. Buffy pushed her away from danger, and Natalie took the opportunity to knock her down. Buffy raised herself onto her hands and one leg and with the other did two crouching side kicks to Natalie's legs to keep her at bay. Giles searched under the refrigerator. Buffy kicked again. She saw the machete on the floor and grabbed it. Giles got the recorder, jumped around on the floor with the recorder in front of him, and played the tape. The sounds of bat sonar severely hurt and disoriented Natalie. She flailed her claws around.
"Bat sonar. Makes your whole nervous system go to Hell. You can go there with it!" Buffy slashed at Natalie fiercely and repeatedly with the machete, hacking her to pieces. She was winded afterward.
Giles got up. Tara let Blayne out of his cage. The four of them looked at the carnage.
Giles found his voice first. "Well, I...I'd say it's deceased."
"And dissected." Tara looked at Buffy. "You okay?"
"Yeah."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips.
Blayne looked at the others. "Thanks, you guys."
Giles nodded. "Pleasure..."
Tara thought for a moment. "It's kinda weird how she only went after virgins."
Blayne laughed and looked back and forth between the girls. "What?"
Tara shrugged. "That's what I heard."
"Flag down on that play, babe. I am not-"
"Well, you see, that's the She-Mantis' modus operandi. Uh, she only preys on the pure." Giles barely resisted the urge to smile.
"My dad's a lawyer. Anyone repeats this to anybody, they're gonna find themselves facing a lawsuit."
"Blayne! Shut up!" Buffy commanded.
Later that evening, at the Bronze. Buffy and Tara were at the bar, sipping from a tall glass of regular Pepsi with two straws while reading their science books. Buffy was wearing Angel's jacket. Angel came up behind her. Buffy sensed him and looked up at him.
Angel smiled. "I heard a rumor there was, uh, one less vampire walking around, making a nuisance of himself."
"There is. Guess I should thank you for the tip."
"Pleasure's mine."
"Course, it would make things easier if I knew how to get in touch with you."
"I'll be around."
"Or who you were?"
Angel just smiled and moved around to the other side of her.
"Well, anyway, you can have your jacket back."
"It looks better on you."
He turned and left. Buffy stared after him. Angel gave another look back and disappeared into the crowd.
Buffy resumed sipping and reading.
Tara looked Buffy up and down. "Cool jacket."
The next day, in science class, there was a new science teacher.
"All midterm papers will be exactly six pages long. No more, no less. One third of your grade will be dependent on those papers. No more, no less."
Buffy wasn't paying attention. She was daydreaming, thinking of the person that wasn't here.
The bell rang. Buffy snapped out of her thoughts. Everyone got up. Most of the students left.
On her way out, Buffy saw Dr. Gregory's glasses still on the lab bench where she had left them. She picked them up and remembered him. Tara stood behind Buffy and watched, guessing what Buffy must have felt. Dr. Gregory was the one teacher at this school that had shown any faith in Buffy and had refused to prejudge her, and now he was gone.
Buffy saw Dr. Gregory's jacket still hanging on the hook on the closet door. She walked over and put the glasses in a pocket. It was all that she could do at the moment.
She turned and saw Tara standing there, waiting for her. Wordlessly, she walked over to her, they joined hands, and they walked out of the classroom together.
Chapter 16: Never Kill a Boy on the First Date
Chapter Text
"Never Kill a Boy on the First Date"
Based on the Episode Written by Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
Buffy was fighting a vampire in a cemetery. She kicked him in the face with a high roundhouse kick, forcing him to step backward to keep his balance. The vampire did a jumping half-twisting crescent kick, which Buffy ducked. He tried two punches, and Buffy neatly blocked them. On his third punch, she grabbed hold of his arm and hit him in the face with a high front snap kick. Letting go of the vampire's arm, Buffy punched him squarely in the midsection and followed up with a swinging punch to his face, sending him to the ground.
"We haven't been properly introduced." Buffy pulled out a stake. "I'm Buffy, and you're history!"
She plunged the stake into him as he got up. He fell to the ground.
Giles popped up from behind a crypt. "Poor technique." He came around to her. "Prioritizing sub par. Execution was adequate - but a bit too bloody for my taste."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Giles, don't mention it. It was my pleasure to make the world safe for humanity again."
"I'm not saying that your methods are without merit. It's, uh, y-you're spending too much time and energy. It should simply be plunge and move on. Plunge and..." Something caught his attention. "Hello." Giles bent over to pick up a ring with his pen.
Buffy saw the ring. "Oh, that's great! I kill 'em; you fence their stuff."
Giles gave her a look.
"What is it?" Buffy asked him.
"I don't know."
"But it bothers you."
"Yes! Well, I...I thought this vampire was just on a random kill, but it may be something else."
"Something big?"
"Yes. I'd best consult my books."
The next morning, in the school library, Buffy was sitting on a table and studying the ring.
Giles made his way down to her from the stacks while leafing through a book. "That symbol on the ring - I believe it's the rune for fidelity, but, uh, it doesn't connect with any of the sects that I've studied."
"What about this?" Buffy showed him the ring. "On the inside. It's a sun and three stars. Haven't we seen that somewhere?"
"Let me see." Giles took the ring and looked closely. "No, I - I don't think this, um, represents any..."
Buffy looked in a book. "Wait, it's right here. Sun and three stars. Yuck, check these guys out." She handed Giles the open book. "Told you it looked familiar."
"Oh, the Order of Aurelius. Yes, you're right."
"Ooh, two points for the Slayer, while the Watcher has yet to score!"
A boy with dirty blond hair came into the library and approached them. "Excuse me?"
Buffy looked at him but didn't say anything.
Giles looked up at him. "Oh. Owen. What do you want?"
"A book?"
"Oh!"
Buffy looked at Giles. "See, this is a school, and we have students, and they check out books, and then they learn things."
"I was beginning to suspect that was a myth."
"I lost my Dickinson."
Buffy looked at Owen in surprise, a little grossed out. "Huh?"
"Emily. Dickinson. It's dumb, but I like her around. Kind of a security blanket."
"I have something like that. Well, it's an actual blanket. Uh, and I don't really carry it around anym-more..." Buffy shut up to avoid further embarrassing herself.
Giles pointed at the stacks. "Poetry."
Owen looked at Buffy. "I didn't think I'd find you here." He went up the stairs.
Buffy felt a bit offended. She got off the table and followed Owen. "Why not?"
"I - I didn't mean...I mean...I think you can read."
Buffy stared at him, irritated. "Thanks."
"But you don't seem bookwormy." He found his book. "The type of person to lock themselves in a dark room with a lotta musty old books." He looked up from the book. "Oh, and I've offended you."
"Forget it."
Owen started back down the stairs.
Buffy followed. "I love books."
Owen saw the book that they were consulting earlier on the table and headed over there to take a look. "What's this?"
Buffy shrugged. "Ancient shit. Order of Areola or something. Kinda interesting."
Giles walked around Buffy, took Owen's book, and headed to the checkout station. "Oh, Emily Dickinson."
Owen smiled. "I'm a big fan."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, her shit's not that intricate. You can sing any poem of hers to the tune of 'The Yellow Rose of Texas'."
Owen looked at her in confusion.
Buffy smiled. "Because I could not stop for Death, he kindly stopped for meeeeee! The carriage held but just ourselves and Immortalityyyyyy!"
Giles briefly stared at Buffy in bewilderment, and then he looked at Owen. "Yes, uh, she's quite a good poet, I mean for a..." He took Owen's library card.
"A girl?" Buffy asked, offended.
"For an American." Giles scanned the book and library card.
Owen looked at Buffy. "I'll, uh, see you in math...if I open my eyes at some point." He took the card and book from Giles and left.
"The Order of Aurelius is a very old and venerated sect. If they're here, it's for a good reason."
Buffy looked at Giles, uneasy.
Later, in the cafeteria, Buffy and Tara paid for lunch. They headed for a table, set down their trays, and sat down.
"So...how'd the slaying go last night?" Tara asked Buffy.
"It went fine. There's some new hoity-toity vampire sect in town."
"That's bad."
Owen walked over to their table. "Hey."
Cordelia came over, too, from another direction. "Owen, a bunch of us are loitering at the Bronze tonight. You there?"
"Who's all going?" Owen asked her.
"Well, um, I'm gonna be there."
"Who else?"
"You mean besides me?" Cordelia asked, surprised.
Owen looked at Buffy. "Buffy, what about you?"
"What?" Buffy asked, surprised.
"No, no, no!" Cordelia told him. "She, uh, she doesn't like fun."
"How 'bout we meet there at eight?" Owen asked Buffy.
"Oh, I didn't plan on going out tonight."
"Oh. Because your mom-"
"My mom?" Buffy asked, surprised.
"Yeah. I saw her at Walmart last night, and we got to talking...about you..."
Buffy stared at him in dread.
"...and I asked her if she thought you'd like to go out with me, and she was like 'Yeah! Of course! That's great!'"
Cordelia burst out laughing. Buffy felt really embarrassed.
"So how 'bout it?" Owen asked Buffy.
Buffy looked to Tara for help.
Tara shrugged. "If you say no, you might get a lecture from Mom. If you say yes, it's a night away from Mom."
Buffy looked at Owen. "Fine."
Owen grinned. "Great!" He walked away.
Cordelia walked away, laughing again.
Buffy groaned. "Fuck me."
Tara took Buffy's hand in sympathy, and they interlaced their fingers.
"Let me guess: you haven't told your mom about us."
Buffy shook her head. "I'm sorry."
Tara shook her head. "It's all right. Do it when you're ready."
After school, Buffy and Tara went to the library to get an update from Giles.
Giles walked over to them. "We've got big trouble. A violent and disturbing prophecy is about to be fulfilled."
Buffy nodded. "The Order of Areola."
"Aurelius. You were spot on about the connection." Giles walked over to the table. "I've looked at the writings of Aurelius himself, and he - he prophesied that the brethren of his order would come to the Master and bring him the Anointed."
"Who's that?" Tara asked him.
"Well, I - I don't know, exactly. A-A-A-A warrior, but - but it says he will rise from the ashes of the Five on the evening of the thousandth day after the Advent of Septus."
Buffy smiled. "Well, we'll be ready whenever it is."
"Which is tonight."
Buffy took in the information. "Tonight, okay..." She realized the conflict. "Guess I'll have to blow off my date." She panicked and looked at Tara. "Not literally!"
Tara laughed in amusement.
Giles looked at Buffy sternly. "Buffy, this is no ordinary vampire. But we have to stop him before he reaches the Master. The dark forces are aligning against us, and we have a chance to beat them back. Tonight, we go into battle!"
That evening, in a graveyard, Giles and Buffy were sitting on a large gravestone.
Giles sniffed. "Perhaps I miscalculated."
"I'm thinking yes." Buffy sucked the rest of her Pepsi from her cup.
"Well, you know what they say. 90% of the vampire slaying game is - is waiting."
"You couldn't have told me that 90% ago?" Buffy asked him. "I could have been making out with my girlfriend."
"Well, we-we've certainly waited here long enough." Giles got up.
"Besides, there aren't any fresh graves. Who's gonna rise?" Buffy asked him.
"Apparently no one tonight."
"Then I can bail?" Buffy asked him. "I can go to the Bronze and find Owen. Apologize to him for blowing him off. Not literally."
"Oh, very well then."
Buffy hopped down. "Good night." She left.
Giles was puzzled. "'Five shall die, and from their ashes the Anointed shall rise.' I was sure it was tonight."
Buffy went into the Bronze and looked around for Owen. She saw Owen dancing with Cordelia. After a moment, Buffy shrugged and walked away.
Chapter Text
The next morning, at school, Buffy got a book from her locker and closed it.
Owen came up to her. "Hey, Buffy!"
"Oh. Hey."
"W-Where were you last night?" Owen asked her.
"I was running late. When I eventually got there, I saw you were with Cordy."
"Ah. How 'bout we try it again for tonight?"
Buffy really wished he hadn't asked that, and she was about to decline, but then she considered her rejection might make its way back to her mother, and then she'd hear about it. She decided to be noncommittal. "Tonight? You and me?"
"Well, we could invite the chess club, but they drink and they start fights."
"Oh, no, it's just...you and Cordelia were...somewhat...all over each other."
"I danced with her a couple of times." Owen made a look of distaste. "She's kinda grabby."
Buffy suppressed a laugh. "Okay, sure."
"Great! I'll pick you up at seven?"
"'Kay."
"Um, I'll see you then!" Owen left.
It took Buffy a while to realize she should probably mention her newly-scheduled date to Giles. She went to the library after eating lunch and walked into his office. He had a headache from researching and was just sitting down to have some tea.
"Hey, how's it going?" Buffy asked him.
"Uh, all right."
"That's great! Hey, remember that date that I had with Owen last night?"
"Uh, yeah. How did that go?"
"Cordy kept him company. But he came up to me this morning and wanted to reschedule for tonight. I didn't want to, but I eventually agreed, so I figured I should let you know."
Giles was frustrated with her. "Buffy, this is so irresponsible of you."
"I know. Listen, I'd totally cancel the date, but then my mom'd be up my ass - and not in a good way."
"What if you're needed tonight?"
"Then get a hold of me. I don't wanna go on this date, anyway. We'll probably be at the Bronze shortly after seven."
Giles sighed. "Very well."
That evening, in Buffy's room, Buffy and Tara were sitting on Buffy's bed and making out. Buffy ran out her tongue. Tara took Buffy's tongue between her lips and sucked on it. Then Tara ran out her own tongue. Buffy took Tara's tongue between her lips and sucked on it.
The doorbell rang.
An angry Buffy let Tara's tongue slip from her mouth. "Fuck! He would have to show up!"
Tara was disappointed but remained hopeful. "Maybe it's not him."
The girls stood up and walked over to the door. Buffy opened it. They left the room and walked downstairs.
Buffy walked over to the front door, unlocked it, and opened it. Giles was standing there.
"We need to talk."
Buffy stepped aside.
Giles came into the house. "My calculations may not have been as far off as I thought." He held up a newspaper.
Buffy looked at it. "'Five Die in Van Accident'?"
"'Out of the ashes of five shall rise the one.' That's the prophecy. Five people have died!"
"In a car crash."
"I know it doesn't quite follow, but - but it's worth investigating. Look! Among the dead was Andrew Borba, whom the police sought for questioning in a double murder. Now, he may be the Anointed One. The - The bodies have been taken to - to Sunnydale Funeral Home. W-We can-"
Owen showed up at the open door. "Hey!" He came into the house and saw Giles. "Uh, hi!" He looked at Buffy. "Ready to go?"
Buffy looked at Owen and then back at Giles. Giles sighed.
Buffy sighed, frustrated that they hadn't left sooner. "I won't go far, okay? If the apocalypse comes, beep me."
Owen looked at her, confused. "Is everything cool?"
Buffy looked at him. "All set."
Buffy waited for everyone else to leave the house. Then she walked outside, locking and closing the door behind her.
"Well, bye." Buffy waved to Tara and Giles and left with Owen.
"Is something going on?" Tara asked Giles.
Giles looked at her. "Oh, uh, probably not, no. I, uh, I suppose I'll just, uh, go to the funeral home in case, just see if anything comes up. Good night." He started to leave.
Tara felt concerned for his safety and walked after him. "I'll come with you. It's not like I have anything else to do tonight."
At the Bronze, Buffy was sitting at a table with Owen and listening to a one-sided conversation.
"The thing about Emily Dickinson I love is - is she's just so incredibly morbid. A lot of loss, a lot of death. It gets me. With a lot about bees, for some reason."
Buffy mindlessly sipped Pepsi through her straw. "Did she have a tragic and romantic life? With a lotta bees?"
"Kind of sequestered and uneventful. Which I can really relate to. I...don't get out much."
"You don't say."
"It's my fault. I just find most girls pretty frivolous. I mean...there's a lot more important things in life than dating, y'know?"
Buffy looked down at her beeper.
"Oh. Did I say something wrong?"
Buffy finished her soda and stood up. "Come on."
They walked to the dance floor. Buffy and Owen danced close.
"It's weird."
"What is?" Buffy asked.
"You! One minute, you're right there. I've got you figured. The next, it's like you're two people."
Cordelia entered the Bronze with some of her friends. She saw Buffy with Owen. "Aren't there laws against this sort of thing?" She walked over to them. "Owen! Look at you, here all alone..."
Owen looked at her. "Cordelia, I'm here with Buffy."
"Oh! Okay. Do you wanna dance?"
"No, I'm still here with Buffy."
"You are so good to help the needy. Well, when you're ready for the big leagues, let me know." Cordelia walked away.
Giles drove up to the Sunnydale Funeral Home. It was quiet.
Giles looked at Tara. "Wait here."
He got out, slinged his bag over his shoulder, and started around his car to the building. The night was creepy, and he had a look around. He continued toward the building but stopped short when he sensed something. He looked around again to his right. Nothing. As he turned back, he saw one of the brethren in front of him. He started to back away, but another one was behind him.
"Damn!" Giles cursed.
Giles was caught between two of the brethren of the Order of Aurelius. He pulled a cross from his bag and held it up to them. They cowered away in pain. Giles made a dash for the building, opened the door, and ran inside.
Giles looked around and put his cross back into his bag. He ran to the flower room door and found it locked. The brethren came into the building after him.
Giles found the door to the morgue unlocked and rushed in. He slammed the door behind him and looked around. He grabbed a filing cabinet, tilted it, and dragged it over to block the door. It worked; the brethren couldn't readily open it. Giles looked around for a way out. The windows were barred. He saw Tara through the bars.
"Ah!" Giles exclaimed, startled.
Tara raised the window sash. "Giles, it's me!"
"I told you to wait in the car."
"I saw two guys going in after you. Are they-"
Giles looked at the door. "They are!" He looked back. "Uh, listen, you should get to safety."
"Can you get out this window?" Tara asked him.
Giles tested the bars. "I'm afraid not."
"Look, I hate to state the obvious, but this looks like a job for Buffy."
"Uh, she has her - her...beeping thing!" Giles looked around. "Um, no phone, of course."
"Look, I'll get her. Just, uh, hang in there." Tara left.
Giles was worried. "Do hurry."
At the Bronze, Buffy and Owen were standing by the stairs.
"Do you want something to eat?" Owen asked her.
"Sure. Just make it something fattening."
Cordelia was looking on from the shadows by a door. "What a disgusting display. Is that really appropriate behavior in a public forum? I mean...I've never seen a girl throw herself at a guy like that. Uhhh!"
The door opened, and Angel came in.
"Ooh! Hello, salty goodness!" Cordelia looked at her friend. "Pick up the phone; call 911. That boy is gonna need some serious oxygen after I'm through with him."
She started to follow Angel but stopped when she saw him go over to Buffy.
"Buffy."
Buffy looked at him. "Angel."
"Why is this happening to me?" Cordelia asked no one in particular.
"I was hoping I'd find you here."
"You were?" Buffy asked Angel.
"Some serious stuff happening tonight. You need to be out there."
"Tried. Failed."
"What do you know?" Angel asked her.
"Prophecy, Anointed One, yada, yada, yada..."
"So you know. Fine. I just thought I'd warn you."
Owen returned with a cheeseburger. "Here you go."
Buffy took the cheeseburger. "Thanks." She started eating it.
"You're here on a date?" Angel asked Buffy, surprised.
"Not that it's any of your business, but yeah." Buffy briefly looked at Owen. "Um, Owen, this is Angel. Angel, this is Owen."
"Hey."
"Hey! So...where do you know Buffy from?" Owen asked him.
"Work."
Owen looked at Buffy. "You work?"
Tara came running up, out of breath. "Buffy!"
"Look at this!" Owen exclaimed. "You show up everywhere. Interesting."
Tara looked at Owen. "You don't know the half of it." She looked at Angel. "What are you doing here?"
"I guess it's the same thing you're doin' here."
Tara slowly nodded. "Ah, probably." She looked at Buffy meaningfully and nodded toward the door.
Buffy understood. She looked at Owen. "Uh, excuse me, I have to leave. Thanks for the burger."
"You gotta leave?" Owen asked her, surprised.
"Yeah, sorry."
Buffy and Tara started walking toward the entrance.
"Where are we going?" Buffy asked Tara.
"The Sunnydale Funeral Home."
"The funeral home?" Buffy asked.
"Actually, that sounds kinda cool!" Owen exclaimed, following them. "Do you think we could all sneak in?"
"Bite me!" Buffy muttered to herself.
"What's that?" Owen asked her.
Buffy sighed and looked at Owen. "Um, Owen, I gotta go."
"I thought we were going to the funeral home."
"No, you can't."
"Buffy..." Owen took her hand.
Buffy pulled her hand away.
"What's the deal?" Owen asked her. "Do you wanna bail on me?"
Buffy sighed again. "You remember when you said I was like two different people? Well, one of them has to go."
Owen stared at her for a moment and eventually just nodded his head.
Buffy left with Tara.
Chapter Text
Everything seemed quiet at the funeral home. Buffy and Tara came in through the front door.
"Which way?" Buffy asked Tara.
"The room's around back."
They went off to their left. Around a corner, they hit a dead end.
"Damn it!" Buffy cursed.
"This is so cool!"
Startled at the sound of the voice, Buffy and Tara turned around.
"Uh, Owen! You can't be here!" Buffy told him.
"Oh, and I suppose you guys are allowed? What are we doin' here? Are we gonna see a dead body?"
"Possibly several." Buffy looked at Tara. "Tara, watch him." She ran back the way that they came.
"Is she mad?" Owen asked Tara.
"Oh, she just wants to make sure there're no guards, so we don't get in trouble."
"Good thinking."
They started after Buffy.
Buffy was quietly walking down a hall, looking and listening. She found the morgue door open and went in. The place was a shambles.
"Giles?" Buffy asked.
His bag was on the autopsy gurney. The window bars were torn open. She found his cross.
Suddenly, one of the doors to a body storage drawer opened in front of her, and the drawer rolled out. Buffy jumped back, startled.
"Giles!" Buffy exclaimed upon seeing him.
"It is you. Oh, good."
"What happened?"
"Uh, two more of the brethren came in here. They came after me. But I was more than a match for them."
"Meaning...?"
"I hid. Uh, this, uh, chap was good enough to bunk with me till they went away." Giles jumped down off the cadaver.
"Well, w-were they here after you, or w-was it that prophecy thing?" Buffy asked him.
"Ah, well, that's what we have to find out. I don't know what these brethren mean to do exactly. Find the Anointed or - or - or - or give him something perhaps; uh, it's all - all very vague! And the Anointed may be long gone!"
"But he may not be."
"We must find out."
"Okay, I just need to get Tara and Owen out of harm's way first."
"Owen? You brought a date?"
Buffy sighed. "I didn't bring him; he came."
"Buffy, when I said you could slay vampires and have a social life, I didn't mean at the same time."
"I know. I'll get rid of him." Buffy started to leave.
"Y-You can't make him go out there alone; we don't know where the brethren are. I-I'll just-"
"No! No, Giles, he sees you, he's gonna have more questions than he already does right now. I'll take care of it." Buffy ran out into the hall and looked around for the others.
They came around a corner and saw her.
"Is everything okay?" Tara asked Buffy.
"It is."
"And we'll be leaving?" Tara asked her.
"We're not done lookin' around yet!" Owen exclaimed.
"He's right. So let's find a nice, safe, fun room to look around in."
Buffy led them down the hall. They reached the office door.
Owen looked at Buffy. "We tried the office here, but it's locked."
Buffy broke the lock. "No, it's not!" She went in.
Owen followed her in. "Well, I don't think we'll find much in here."
Buffy looked around. "That's the plan."
"Okay." Owen was confused. "What?"
Tara walked into the office.
Buffy finished looking. "I have to go now." She laughed nervously. "Um, to the bathroom; I have to go to the bathroom. If you hear anything, like a security guard or something, just be really quiet." She looked at Tara. "And barricade the door."
Buffy went out into the hall again and looked around on her way back to the morgue.
Tara closed the office door and started to pile furniture in front of it.
"What are you doing?" Owen asked her.
"Uh, just in case!"
Owen saw a curtain and drew it open. Behind the window, he saw a body covered with a sheet. "Oh, my!"
Tara turned around to look.
Once Buffy got back to the morgue, she and Giles started looking through the body drawers, hoping to find the Anointed One.
Buffy opened one. "Ewww, parts!"
"Keep looking; he must be here somewhere."
They kept looking. Soon, there was only one storage cell left. Giles opened it quickly, and Buffy pulled out the drawer. It was empty.
Buffy sighed. "Nothing."
"The Anointed must be gone."
"I guess. I mean...this is where they keep all the dead bodies, right?"
"Mm-hm."
Back in the office, Owen was looking at the body with fascination. Tara was worried.
"I read a lot about death, but...but I've...never really seen a dead body before."
The body's hand moved.
"Do they...usually move?" Owen asked Tara.
The hand moved again. Tara approached to have a closer look. The hand reached up and pulled the sheet off. A male vampire sat up and faced them. He stood up, looked down at himself, and flexed his hands.
He looked back up at them. "I have been judged!"
"What's goin' on?" Owen asked.
He and Tara backed away from the window slowly. The vampire approached the window and smashed it with his forehead.
In the morgue, Buffy and Giles heard the window being smashed.
"Oh, no!" Buffy started running to the office.
The vampire laughed. "He is risen in me! He fills my head with song!"
Tara and Owen frantically began moving the furniture away from the door.
The vampire stepped through the opening. "Pork and beans. Pork and beans! I can smell you."
Tara and Owen got the furniture moved. Tara opened the door, and they ran out.
The vampire followed at a quick walk. "You're the chaff, unblessed. I'll suck the blood from your hearts; he says I may!"
Buffy met Tara and Owen running down the hall.
Tara pointed behind herself. "He's in there!"
"Uh, go! Get out!" Buffy told them.
Tara looked at Owen. "She'll be okay. C'mon!"
They continued running. Buffy tried to find the vampire. She could hear him singing as he came down the hall toward her.
"Shall we gather at the river? The beautiful, the beautiful river?"
She decided to try to head him off another way.
Tara and Owen found the exit but were blocked by the brethren. Owen screamed. Tara pulled him around and behind herself. Instead of attacking, the brethren closed the gates. The hall was empty, but they could hear the vampire singing.
"I think he's coming this way!" Tara told Owen.
They ran and found themselves at the same dead end as when they first got there.
"Oh, God, this is too much! Owen cried.
Buffy rushed into the morgue. Giles was still there.
"What've you got?" Buffy asked him.
"What?"
"What'd you bring? Do you have a stake?"
"Oh, uh..." Giles handed her a stake.
"Thank you!" Buffy started back out the door.
"W-What should I do?" Giles asked her.
Buffy faced Giles. "Um, go outside and make sure the others are okay."
The vampire came up behind Buffy, grabbed her, and threw her into a cabinet. She hit the floor, unconscious.
Giles rushed to her aid. "Buffy!"
"Somebody's gotta help Buffy!" Owen started to run to the morgue.
"Owen!" Tara ran after him.
In the morgue, Buffy was awake again - but still on the floor.
The vampire approached Giles. "They told me about you while I was sleeping."
Giles held up his cross. It was painful to the vampire.
"Uh! Why does he hurt me?" He slapped Giles' hand away, and the cross went flying. He grabbed Giles and threw him into the crematory controls.
The fires in the chamber lit. Giles fell unconscious. The vampire bent down to pick Buffy up.
Owen came running in. "Buffy!"
The vampire raised her above his head.
"No!" Owen grabbed a tray and swung it into the vampire's back, stunning him.
His knees buckled, and he let go of Buffy. She staggered into an open body drawer door and fell down, unconscious. Tara ran into the morgue. The vampire turned, grabbed Owen by the neck, and growled as he moved in to bite. Owen grabbed an urn from a shelf and smashed it over the vampire's head. He fell. Tara ran over to help Buffy.
Buffy woke up again and tried to get up. Tara reached out her hands and helped Buffy up.
"Did you see that?" Owen asked them. "He tried to bite me! What a sissy!"
The vampire got back up, grabbed Owen, and smashed a body drawer door into the back of his head, knocking him out.
"No!" Buffy exclaimed.
"Dead!" The vampire let Owen fall. "He was found wanting!"
Buffy got him solidly in the gut with a front snap kick. He rolled over the autopsy gurney and onto the floor. She ran around to the far end of the gurney. He quickly got up. She pushed the gurney into his gut and then pushed down on her end, so it pivoted up to hit him in the chin. He staggered back and fell. She jumped up onto the gurney and did a roundoff onto the floor as he got up. He swung widely at Buffy's face, but she blocked it. He tried again with his other arm, hitting Buffy solidly in the face and knocking her to the ground. He taunted her as she quickly got up. Buffy blocked another punch and then hit him in the face with an open-hand punch. Blocking a second punch from him, she hit him in the gut with another open-hand punch. As he leaned forward from the pain, she kneed him in the gut and then shoved him backward into a counter.
Giles regained consciousness.
The vampire turned back to Buffy. "Your turn!"
He lunged at Buffy, but she sidestepped him and used his forward momentum to launch him into the air. He landed on the gurney, and it rolled over to the crematory. The gurney stopped when it hit, but the vampire continued to slide through the open door. Giles kicked the gurney away and slammed the crematory door shut. The vampire screamed. Buffy watched him burn through the small window. Then she noticed Owen trying to sit up.
"Does anyone have an aspirin?" Owen asked. "Or sixty?"
Buffy walked over to Owen.
"What happened to that guy?" Owen asked her.
"Oh..." Buffy paused and thought for a bit. "We scared him away."
"Oh, good. 'Cause, y'know, I would've-"
"I know. Here..." Buffy helped him up. "I'm sure this isn't exactly what you had in mind for our first date."
Owen rubbed his head. "Yeah! I was hoping maybe we'd finish at Ben & Jerry's."
"We still could."
"No, I - I - I think I'll just walk home." He started to go but stopped and looked at her. "Uh, which way's home?"
"I'll get you there."
"No, I'll - I'll go it alone."
Tara came over. "I'll make sure he gets home safely." She led Owen away.
Buffy watched them go.
Giles came over behind her. "Well, it's been quite an evening."
"I'm never letting my mom interfere in my love life again."
"Yes, um, good idea, that."
The next day, at school. Buffy and Tara were walking along the balcony, holding hands. They rounded the corner and started down the stairs.
Owen walked over to them. "Hi."
"Hi." Buffy paused and waited in awkward silence for him to say something. "This is going well."
"I don't really know how to say this, but...about last night-"
"You don't even have to. I'm sure you were pretty freaked out."
"Totally. And...I was wondering when I could see you again."
Buffy was surprised.
"I think you're the coolest!" Owen gushed.
"Really?" Buffy asked.
"I mean...last night was incredible! I never thought nearly getting killed would make me feel so...alive!"
Buffy and Tara started to walk.
"So that's why you wanna be with me."
Owen followed her. "Oh, absolutely! When can we do something like that again?"
"Something like...?"
"Like...walk downtown at three in the morning a-and pick a fight in a bar. How about tonight?"
They stopped walking.
"Tonight would...be...not a workable thing."
"Tomorrow, then. I-I'm free any night this week."
"I'm not. Please don't take this personally. It's not you; it's me."
Owen got a look on his face. "Right. It's you."
"Really, it is me." Buffy held up her and Tara's hands. "I'm gay."
Owen was shocked.
"Maybe I should've told you sooner. I'm not sure. I just didn't want my mom finding out before I could tell her myself."
Owen frowned.
"Anyway, I was kinda hoping that...maybe you and I could still be..." Buffy paused awkwardly.
Owen was very disappointed. "I - I get it. You just wanna be friends."
"That'd be nice."
"Friends. Yeah. Great." Owen left.
Tara looked at Buffy. "Are you okay?"
Buffy looked at Tara and smiled. "Yeah. I still have you." She kissed Tara on the lips.
Giles came up behind Buffy. Buffy noticed Giles and looked at him. He was at a loss for words. Buffy and Tara walked over and sat on a bench. Giles followed them.
"I was ten years old when my father told me I was destined to be a Watcher." Giles sat next to Buffy. "He was one, and his, uh, mother before him, and I was to be next."
"Were you thrilled beyond all measure?" Buffy asked him dryly.
"No, I had very definite plans about my future. I was going to be a fighter pilot. Or possibly a grocer. Well, uh...my father gave me a very tiresome speech about, uh, responsibility and sacrifice."
"Sacrifice, huh?"
"It comes with the job: not just sacrifice of the things that we want to do but also the things that we don't want to do."
Buffy stared at the ground and thought about that. "Keep my life simple, is that it? No friends tagging along on adventures. No going out on dates to satisfy Mom."
Giles didn't say anything.
"You and Tara know the score; you're careful. Two days in my world, and Owen really would get himself killed. Or I'd get him killed." Buffy faced Giles. "Or someone else."
"I - I went to the funeral home of my own free will."
"And I should've been there."
"Buffy-"
"I blew it!" Buffy blurted on the verge of tears.
"I have volumes of lore, of prophecies, of predictions. But I don't have an instruction manual. We feel our way as we go along. And I must say, as a Slayer, you're - you're doing...pretty well."
Buffy smiled. "Well, at least I did stop that prophecy thing from coming true."
"You did! Handily. No more Anointed One. And I would imagine the Master, wherever he is, is having a fairly bad day himself." Giles smiled.
Buffy laughed. Tara joined in.
After a while, though, Buffy grew serious. "I really should tell my mom, though."
Giles sighed. "Buffy, every person that knows you're the Slayer-"
"What?" Buffy asked in confusion. "Oh, no, my mom already knows about that; she doesn't give a shit."
Giles was bewildered.
"No, I meant about me being...unavailable for dates." Buffy looked at Tara. "And I really want you there when I tell her."
Tara smiled at Buffy. "Of course."
Buffy smiled right back at her.
Chapter 19: The Pack
Chapter Text
"The Pack"
Based on the Episode Written by Matt Kiene and Joe Reinkemeyer
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
At the Sunnydale Zoo, Buffy was walking along a path by herself. She and her class were on a trip. She noticed Kyle DuFours and his gang ahead of her. She was passingly familiar with them.
Kyle smiled. "Oh, look. It's Buffy and all her friends."
Buffy smiled back at him. "That's a witty."
"Do you ever wonder why nobody cool wants to hang out with you?" Tor Hauer asked her.
"Just thankful."
"Were you this popular at your old school? Before you got kicked out?" Rhonda Kelley, a girl with short, dark brown hair asked her.
The group laughed, and they continued on their way, leaving Buffy standing there alone.
"Careful! She might beat you up!" Tor called as they left.
Buffy walked over to the elephants and was reading the plaque when Tara came running up.
"Hey! Buffy! You missed it!" Tara told her.
"Missed what?" Buffy asked her.
Tara grinned in excitement. "I just saw the zebras fucking! It was like the Heimlich - with stripes!"
"And I missed it. Yet somehow I'll find the courage to live on." Buffy began walking.
Tara walked alongside her. "Where were you?"
"Uh, I was looking at the fishes."
"Was it cool?"
"It was fishes."
Tara stared at her, not satisfied.
Buffy finally smiled. "They were pretty."
Tara grinned.
They went to the Hyena House. It was closed, but Kyle, his gang, and another boy named Lance Lincoln ducked underneath the tape. Buffy and Tara saw them go in.
"What are Kyle and his buds doing with Lance?" Tara asked.
"Dunno. What is it with those guys?" Buffy asked her.
"They're obnoxious. Professionally."
"Should I extract Lance?" Buffy asked her.
Tara thought about it. "Nah."
"You don't think we should follow?" Buffy asked her.
Tara shook her head. "Kyle and those guys are assholes, but they're all talk. Mostly."
"Why don't we-"
"Yeah, why don't we?" Tara agreed.
They ducked under the tape and started in but were caught in the act by a zookeeper.
"Oh, hold it, hold it, are you blind, or are you just illiterate?" he asked them. "Because hyenas are very quick to prey on the weak."
Buffy looked at him nervously. "Oh, w-we were just gonna take-"
"You're not going in there. Anyone that does is in a world of trouble."
Tara shook her head. "No - No one's going in there."
She and Buffy came back out.
"Why is it off limits?" Buffy asked the zookeeper.
"It's a quarantine. These hyenas just came in from Africa, so keep out. Even if they call your name."
Buffy was confused. "What are you talking about?"
"The Masai tribesmen told me that hyenas are capable of understanding human speech. They follow humans around by day, learning their names. At night, when the campfire dies, they call out to a person. Once they separate him, the pack devours them."
Buffy smiled, uncomfortable. "Lovely."
That evening, Buffy and Tara went to hang out at the Bronze. They came from the bar. Tara had a glass of Pepsi. Buffy had a glass of Pepsi and a croissant. They made their way over to an empty table and sat down.
Tara noticed Lance. "Lance!"
He walked over to them, checking out a girl on the way. She stared after him.
He came up to Buffy and Tara's table. "Girls!"
"Boy!" Buffy replied.
He saw Buffy's croissant. "Hungry!" He tore a piece off and ate it.
Buffy stared at him in anger but didn't say anything.
"Lance, you still want me to help you with geometry tomorrow?" Tara asked him.
Lance took a swig of Buffy's drink. She fumed.
Tara felt uncomfortable. "We can work after class..."
Lance gave Tara a thumbs-up signal. "Yeah." He looked at Buffy. "What is this shit?"
"Well, it was my buttery croissant."
"Man, I need some food! Birds live on this!"
Buffy and Tara looked at each other and then at Lance.
He looked back and forth at them. "What?"
"What's up with you?" Buffy asked him.
"Is something wrong?" Tara asked him.
Lance looked at Tara. "I'm just...restless." He looked up and scanned the area a bit, and then he leaned toward Buffy and sniffed her hair.
"Okay, now what?" Buffy asked him, weirded out.
"You took a bath."
"Yeah, I-I often do. I'm actually known for it."
"That's okay."
Tara and Buffy exchanged another look.
Buffy looked at Lance. "And the weird behavior award goes to..."
Lance saw Kyle and the others come in.
Buffy saw them, too. "Oh, great. It's the winged monkeys."
Kyle and company came over to them. Lance stared back at them. Kyle stopped at their table, and he and Lance stared each other down.
They went around to another table that was occupied.
Kyle looked at the boy at the table. "Y'know, I don't understand why you're sitting at our table."
"Yeah, shouldn't you be hovering over the football stadium with 'Goodyear' written on you?" Rhonda asked him.
They all laughed. Lance was watching and laughed also as he turned back to Buffy. Buffy didn't think it was funny and stared coldly at him.
Lance stopped laughing. "Kid's fat."
"You're an asshole." Buffy stood up and looked at Tara. "Wanna head to karate class?"
"Sure." Tara finished her drink and stood up.
In the dojo, Buffy and Tara were wearing protective gear and sparring. Buffy did a roundhouse kick, followed by a high punch and a swinging middle punch. Tara successfully blocked them all and then countered with the same moves, which Buffy blocked. Buffy continued, doing a full spin and finishing with a backhand punch. She did a full-spinning jumping high-wheel kick followed by a right-middle punch, a high roundhouse kick, and a front snap kick. Then she jumped high and did a twin straddle kick. Tara had difficulty blocking all of the moves. Buffy landed back on her feet and moved in to attack again.
Tara suddenly jumped back. "I yield."
Buffy stopped short. She and Tara bowed to each other while maintaining eye contact.
Tara smiled at her. "You're very good."
Buffy smiled teasingly. "Well, that last roundhouse was kinda sloppy. Are you sure you don't wanna do it again?"
Tara laughed. "Fuck no."
Buffy laughed, too. The two of them went and put their gear away.
"So, after class, do you wanna come home with me?" Buffy asked Tara.
Tara smiled seductively. "Ooh, baby."
Buffy playfully punched Tara's arm. "I mean to talk with my mom."
Tara nodded. "Sure."
Buffy and Tara came into the house through the living room. Tara closed and locked the door behind her.
"Mom?" Buffy called.
"I'm in the kitchen."
Buffy and Tara walked into the kitchen.
Joyce was just setting a dinner for two of baked chicken legs and mashed potatoes with gravy on the table.
Joyce looked up. "Hi, Tara."
Tara smiled. "Hi, Mrs. Summers."
"How was karate class?" Joyce asked them.
"It was fine." Buffy sat at the table and picked up her fork. "Hey, can Tara join us for dinner?"
"Sure. I made enough." Joyce set an extra plate and fork for Tara next to Buffy.
Tara sat down. Her mouth watered as her meal was set before her. "Thank you."
Joyce smiled at her and then sat down. The three of them started eating.
Buffy felt a bit nervous. "Mom?"
"Yeah?"
Buffy hesitated. Then she swallowed. "There's something that I need to tell you."
"You slay werewolves as well."
"No." Buffy paused and thought about it. "Well, not yet. But that's not it. I'm..." She froze.
"Yes?" Joyce asked.
Buffy looked to Tara for guidance. Tara smiled and nodded.
Buffy looked at her mom and stared into her eyes. "I'm gay."
Joyce was surprised. "Oh."
"And, um..." Buffy took Tara's hand in her own. "Tara's my girlfriend."
Joyce didn't say anything for a while. Buffy and Tara waited - but not in such paralyzing fear that they didn't eat.
Finally, Joyce smiled. "I'm happy for you two."
Buffy smiled. "Awww, this is such a beautiful moment."
Joyce looked at Tara. "I have a feeling that you'll be a calming, stabilizing influence on Buffy."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "And the moment's passed."
The next morning, at school, Buffy heard a commotion in the halls. Soon, she saw what was going on. A small pig was running around. The students in the hall were startled and tried to get away.
Mr. Flutie chased the pig. "Look out! It's gotten loose!"
Buffy reacted quickly to catch the pig and picked him up.
"Lordy, Herbert!" Mr. Flutie exclaimed. "Gave Mr. Flutie quite a scare, didn't he? Students, I'd like you all to meet Herbert, our new mascot for the Sunnydale High Razorbacks!"
The students all clapped.
Buffy smiled as she looked at Herbert. "He's so cute!"
"He's not cute. No! He's a fierce Razorback!" Mr. Flutie declared.
The students all clapped again.
Buffy studied Herbert. "He doesn't look mean, Mr. Flutie."
"He's mean; he's ready for action! See?" Mr. Flutie indicated Herbert's helmet with foam tusks. "Here are the tusks." He gestured at a piece of serrated green foam tied to Herbert's back. "The scary Razorback!"
Buffy nodded. "You're right. He's a fine mascot and will engender school spirit."
"Uh, he better. Costs a fortune to feed him." Mr. Flutie looked at Herbert. "All right, let's get you back into your cage."
Herbert squealed when Buffy wanted to hand him to Mr. Flutie.
Mr. Flutie pointed behind himself. "This way."
Outside, Tara was helping Lance with his geometry.
"I'm not getting this."
"It's simple, really. See, 'The bisector of a vertex is the line that divides the angle at that vertex into two equal parts.'"
"It's like a big blur, all these numbers and angles."
"It's the same stuff from last week. You had it down then."
"Why do I need to learn this?" he asked her.
"'Cause otherwise you'll flunk math?"
"Explain the part where that's bad." Lance rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"You remember: you fail math, you flunk out of school, you end up being the guy at the pizza place that sweeps the floor and says 'Hey, kids, where's the cool parties this weekend?' We've been through this."
Lance rubbed his right temple.
"Do you have a headache?" Tara asked him.
"Yeah, and I think I know what's causing it." He threw his geometry book into the trash. "Ah! That's better; it goes right to the source of the pain."
"Lance-"
"Look, forget it, okay? I don't get it. I won't ever." He got up. "I don't care." He threw his math notebook into Tara's lap and left in a huff.
Tara watched Lance go, concerned.
Buffy followed Mr. Flutie to the faculty room with Herbert in her arms. They stopped outside.
"See, the problem is you kids today have no school spirit. Hold on, let me get his outfit off." Mr. Flutie removed Herbert's outfit. "Today, it's all gangs and drugs and those movies on Showtime with the nudity."
Buffy gave him a look.
"I don't have cable; I only heard. When I was your age, we cared about the school's reputation and the football team's record, all that stuff! Of course, when I was your age, I was surrounded by old guys telling me how much better things were when they were my age." He went into the faculty room.
Buffy looked at Herbert. "Yeah!"
Lance came into the hall from outside. Herbert squealed and reacted to his presence as he walked by. Buffy was confused as she watched Lance pass. She tried to keep Herbert from jumping out of her arms.
Later, in the gym, Buffy, Tara, and various other students were gathered.
Coach Herrold walked over to them. "All right, it's raining; all regular gym classes have been postponed, so you know what that means." He held up a large rubber ball. "Dodgeball! Now, for those of you that may have forgotten, the rules are as follows: you dodge."
He tossed the ball to Buffy. He blew his whistle, and the two groups moved back from center court. He whistled again, and the ball throwing commenced. Lance nailed his first victim. Buffy and the gang members easily dodged the balls. Lance nailed another victim. Buffy threw a ball and hit her mark. Lance threw again and nailed Tara hard on the back. She gave him a hurt and confused look as she walked off the court. Tara sat down, crossed her arms, and kept looking at him.
A few seconds later, just the gang and Lance were left on one side, Buffy on the other. The gang looked at her, and then they each threw their ball at her hard. Buffy rapidly knocked each of the balls away, surprising everyone - including herself. She stared at the gang. They stared back. She watched as they left.
"God, this game is brutal. I love it!" Coach Herrold exclaimed.
Later, in a hallway, Tara was waiting for Lance and went up to him when he came from the other hall with the gang.
"Lance, what's wrong with you?" Tara asked him.
He looked at the others briefly and pulled Tara aside. "I guess you've noticed that I've been different around you lately."
"Yes."
Buffy came around the corner to her locker and saw them. She worked the combination.
"I've, um, I've decided to drop geometry. So I won't be needing your math help anymore. Which means I won't have to look at your pasty face again."
He and the others laughed. Tara turned and left without a word.
Buffy watched her quickly walk by. "Tara-"
"I'm fine. I just need a minute."
Buffy slammed her locker and approached Lance with her arms crossed. He stopped laughing.
"You gonna say something to me?" Buffy asked him.
Lance just looked at her and started laughing again more loudly. He went back to the gang, and they left.
Buffy went after Tara, who had gone into the girls' restroom. Buffy entered and found Tara standing in front of a mirror and gripping the sink. It seemed to Buffy that Tara was more angry than sad.
Tara saw Buffy's reflection in the mirror and sighed. "After everything that I've done for him. After all of the hours of my life that I've devoted to helping him. If this isn't the biggest 'Fuck you', I don't know what is."
Buffy came up behind Tara and hugged her around the waist. "Fuck him. Don't give him another thought."
Tara took a few deep breaths. She began to feel calmer in Buffy's arms. She leaned her head back.
Buffy left a trail of soft kisses on Tara's neck. "Besides, I love your pasty skin. I find it sexy."
"Really?" Tara asked her.
Buffy arrived at Tara's mouth. "Really."
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. Tara released her grip on the sink, and her hands went to rub Buffy's legs. Tara parted her lips, and Buffy slipped her tongue into Tara's mouth. They lazily french-kissed for a while.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Cordelia walked into the restroom. Buffy pulled away from Tara.
Cordelia gave them a glance and then went to the mirror next to them to check her reflection. "Little tip for ya: ya might wanna use a stall to minimize the chance of anyone seeing you."
Buffy and Tara looked at each other, embarrassed.
Buffy cleared her throat. "Anyway, I think something's wrong with him. There's no explanation why he's hanging out with the dode patrol. Something's going on. Something weird." She headed for the restroom door.
Tara followed her. "What're you gonna do?"
"Talk to the expert on weird."
Chapter Text
Soon, in the library. Giles was going about his work, and Buffy was following him as they talked.
"Lance has taken to teasing the less fortunate?" Giles asked her.
"Uh-huh."
"And...there's been a noticeable change in both clothing and demeanor?"
"Yes."
"And, well, otherwise all his spare time is spent lounging about with imbeciles?"
"It's bad, isn't it?" Buffy asked him.
"It's devastating. He's turned into a sixteen-year-old boy. Course, you'll have to kill him."
"Giles, I'm serious."
"So am I. Except for the part about killing him. Testosterone is a great equalizer. It turns all men into morons. He will, however, get over it."
Buffy was exasperated. "I cannot believe that you, of all people, are trying to Scully me. There is something supernatural at work here." She grabbed some books. "Get your books! Look stuff up!"
Giles took the books. "Look under what?"
"I don't know." Buffy sighed. "That's your department."
"The evidence that you've presented me with is sketchy at best."
"He scared the pig."
Giles gave her a look.
"Well, he did..."
"Buffy, boys can be cruel. They tease; they - they - they prey on the weak. I-I-It's natural teen behavior pattern."
"What did you just say?" Buffy asked him.
"Um, they tease."
"They prey on the weak. I've heard that somewhere bef..." Buffy suddenly remembered. "Lance has been acting totally wiggy ever since we went to the zoo. Him and Kyle and all those guys, they went into the hyena cage. Oh, God, that laugh..."
"You're saying that, uh, Lance is becoming a hyena."
"I don't know. Or been possessed by one? Not just Lance; all of them."
"Well, I-I-I've cer-certainly never heard of, uh..."
Tara came into the library. "Herbert! They found him."
"The pig?" Buffy asked her.
Tara nodded. "Dead. And also eaten. Principal Flutie's freaking out."
Buffy looked at Giles. "Testosterone, huh?"
Giles headed toward his office.
"What're you gonna do?" Tara asked him.
"Get my books. Look stuff up."
Tara was sitting at the table, researching. Buffy was sitting on the stairs behind her with a book.
"Wow! Apparently, Noah rejected the hyenas from the Ark, because he thought they were an evil, impure mixture of dogs and cats." Buffy paused and thought for a moment. "Wait, then how are hyenas still around?"
"Because the flood story, like most of the Bible, is bullshit." Tara shrugged. "Anyway, hyenas aren't well liked."
"They do seem to be the schmoes of the animal kingdom." Buffy stood up and came over to Tara.
"Why couldn't Lance be possessed by a puppy or - or some ducks?" Tara asked.
"That's assuming 'possession' is the right word."
Giles came over from the cage. "Oh, I'll say it is. The Masai of the Serengeti have spoken of animal possession for - for generations. I...I should have remembered that."
"So how does it work?" Buffy asked him.
"Well, apparently there's a - a sect of animal worshipers known as Primals. They believe that humanity, uh, consciousness, uh, the soul, is a - is a perversion, a dilution of spirit. Uh, to them, the animal state is holy. They are able, through trans-possession, to - to, um, draw the spirit of certain animals into themselves."
"And then they started acting like hyenas."
"Well, only the most predatory of animals are - are of interest to the Primals, so, uh, yes, yes, that would fit, yes."
"So...what happens to the person once the spirit's in them?" Buffy asked him.
"If it goes unchecked..." Giles handed Buffy a book open to a certain page.
Buffy took one look and slammed the book shut. "I gotta find Lance." She quickly left the library.
Tara picked up the book and opened it to the bookmark. There was a drawing of people with limbs bitten off, heads missing, and other massive injuries.
Buffy came into the faculty room and looked around. She inspected Herbert's cage, which had been mangled.
Buffy sighed. "They are strong."
She stepped on something that crunched and crouched down to the floor. She found parts of Herbert: some vertebrae and other bones. She picked up a rib.
Buffy got back up and turned around, only to be startled by Lance. "Lance."
She tried to evade him, but he was quick to match her movement.
Buffy sighed. "This is ridiculous. We need to talk."
She faked him out and jumped on him, knocking him down with her on top, holding down his arms.
Lance smiled. "Been waitin' for you to jump my bones."
Lance growled and rolled Buffy over onto her back, so he was on top and had her arms pinned down.
Buffy struggled. "Get off of me."
"Is that what you really want?" Lance asked her.
Buffy continued struggling.
"We both know what you really want. You want danger, don't cha? You like your men dangerous."
"I don't like men at all. I'm gay."
"I can fix that."
Buffy was disgusted with him. "You're in trouble, Lance. You are infected with some hyena thing; it's like a demonic possession!"
"Dangerous and mean, right? Well, guess who just got mean."
Buffy threw him off her and quickly got up to face him. He got up, too, and began to approach her as she backed away.
"Look, Lance, I don't wanna hurt you-"
He grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her against the vending machine. "Now, do you wanna hurt me?"
Buffy struggled, but the possessed Lance was too strong.
"Come on, I like it when you're scared."
She continued struggling.
Lance sniffed her. "The more I scare you, the better you smell."
He moved in and kissed her roughly on the neck.
Buffy shoved him off her and got into a fighting stance. "That does it, you punk-ass motherfucker!"
In the library, Tara was watching footage of feeding hyenas on the PC. She looked up when she heard the door open and stopped the playback. She saw Buffy dragging Lance into the library and went over to them.
"Hurry up. We gotta get him locked up somehow before he comes to."
"Oh, my Goddess, Lance!" Tara looked at Buffy. "What happened?"
"I hit him."
"With what?"
"A desk."
Tara opened the cage door, and Buffy dragged him in.
"He tried his hand at felony sexual assault."
Tara looked at her girlfriend in shock. "Oh, Buffy, are you okay?!"
"Yeah."
They arranged Lance on the floor of the cage.
Buffy locked the cage. "There, that oughta hold him. Where's Giles?"
"He got called to some teachers' meeting. What are we gonna do? I mean...how do we get Lance back?"
Giles came into the library.
Buffy looked at him. "Right now, I'm a little more worried about what the rest of the pack are up to."
"The rest of the pack were spotted outside Herbert the mascot's cage. They were sent to the principal's office."
Tara looked at him. "Good! That'll show 'em."
Giles was silent.
"Did it show 'em?" Tara asked him.
Giles sighed but remained silent, searching for what to say.
"They didn't hurt him, did they?" Buffy asked him, worried.
"They, uh, ate him."
Tara had to sit down. She and Buffy couldn't believe what they just heard.
"They ate Principal Flutie?" Buffy asked.
"Ate him up?" Tara asked.
"The, uh, official theory is that wild dogs got into his office somehow. There was no one at the scene."
"But Lance didn't." Tara looked at Buffy. "He - He was with you."
Giles saw Lance in the cage. "Oh! Uh, well, that's a small mercy."
"Giles, how do we stop this? How do you trans-possess someone?" Buffy asked.
"I-I'm afraid I still don't have all the pieces. Um, the accounts of the Primals and their methods are a bit thin on the ground. There is some talk of a-a-a predatory act, but the exact ritual is - is, um..." Giles picked up a book. "The Malleus Maleficarum deals in particulars of demonic possession, which...may apply..." He looked through a few pages. "Yes, one - one should be able to transfer the spirits to another human."
"Oh, that's great. Any volunteers?" Buffy asked him.
"Oh. Good point."
"What we need to do is put the hyena back in the hyena."
"B-But until we know more, uh-"
"Betcha that zookeeper could tell us. Maybe he didn't quarantine those hyenas, because they were sick."
Giles nodded. "We should talk to him."
"Okay." Buffy started to go but stopped. "Oh, wait, somebody's gotta watch Lance."
Tara stood up. "I will."
"Tara, are you sure?" Buffy asked her. "If he wakes up-"
Tara held her hand out for the keys. "I'll be all right. Go."
After a moment's hesitation, Buffy gave Tara the keys to the cage, kissed her on the lips, and grabbed her coat. She looked at Giles. "C'mon."
Tara watched them leave then looked over at Lance in the cage. She slipped the keys into her pocket.
Later, Tara was watching the hyena video again.
"Tara."
Tara stopped the video and turned to look at Lance. "How are you feeling?"
"Like somebody hit me with a desk." He looked around. "What am I doin' here?"
Tara got up and went toward the cage. She didn't say anything. She focused on his aura.
"You guys got me locked up now." Lance stood up.
Tara stared stone-faced at him. "'Cause you're sick. Buffy said you tried to rape her."
Lance was silent for a moment. "Tara, I know there's something wrong with me. I think it's gettin' worse. But I can't just stand around waitin' for Buffy to decide it's time to punch me out again." He sighed. "Look, I want you to help me."
"I am helping you."
Lance sighed. "You're doing what you're told."
"Buffy's trying to help you, too. You know that. Or Lance does."
"Yeah, Buffy's so selfless. Well, if I'm so dangerous, how come she left you alone with me?"
"I told her to."
"Why?"
"'Cause I know you better than she does, and I wanted to be here to see if...you were still you."
"You know I am. Look at me." He paused and stared at her. "Looook."
Tara turned and walked away from him without a word.
Lance banged on the cage. "Let me out! Let me out!"
"The students have been possessed by the hyenas?" the zookeeper asked.
Giles nodded. "Yes."
"Are you sure?"
Buffy nodded. "We're really, really sure."
"Y-You don't seem enormously surprised by this."
"The zoo imported those hyenas from Africa. There was something strange about them from day one. I did some homework. That particular breed is very rare. Totally vicious. Historically, they were worshiped by these guys-"
"Primals."
"Yeah! Creepy guys! Now, they had rituals for taking the hyena spirits, but I-I don't see how that coulda happened to your kids."
"Uh, we don't know exactly how the ritual works. We know that it involves a, um, um, predatory act and some kind of symbol."
"Predatory act? Of course. That makes sense. Where did you read that?" the zookeeper asked.
"Do you have Sherman Jeffries' work on - on cults and on-"
"Boys?" Buffy interrupted.
Giles briefly looked at her. "Sorry."
The zookeeper looked at Giles. "Look, I think we may have enough information, so that together we could pull off a reverse trans-possession."
"What do we do?" Buffy asked him.
"We've gotta get those possessed students over to the hyena cage right away! I'll meet you there. We can begin the rituals."
Buffy thought about it. "W-Well, we can guarantee one of them, but there are four more, and we have no idea where they are."
"No, I wouldn't worry about that. After hyenas feed and rest, they will track the missing member of their pack until they find him. They should come right to you."
Buffy was suddenly very worried. "Tara!"
Chapter Text
In the library, Tara was watching the hyena video again.
Lance paced in the cage. "Tara-"
"I'm not listening."
"Taaaraaa..."
Tara ignored the call.
"Taaaraaa..."
Tara turned to the cage. "Lance, shut up!"
"Taaaraaa..."
Tara looked up at the window where the sound was coming from, saw Kyle, and started. Kyle and another member of his gang, a blonde girl named Heidi Barrie, kicked in the windows. Tara got up and ran from the library.
In the hall, Tara stopped at the intersection. She ran to a door and tried it, but it was locked. She ran to another door on the other side of the hall and found it open. She went in and closed the door behind her.
Inside the classroom, Tara hid under the teacher's desk.
She heard the door open. She stayed quiet under the desk. When she heard the door close, she came out from under the desk. She looked toward the door, saw Lance, and screamed as she jumped back against the window blinds. Lance growled and leaped over the desk at her. She ran around the desk to get away and tipped over a student desk to block Lance's way. He came after her and tripped over the desk.
Tara ran toward the door but was met by Heidi. Buffy came up behind Heidi and hit her on the back with a fire extinguisher, knocking her down and out. Tara came out of the room and ran over to Giles. Lance got up and rushed Buffy. She kicked him, and he fell in the hall outside the classroom. Buffy discarded the extinguisher. The other three pack members appeared at the end of the hall.
"Run!" Giles yelled.
The pack members came running. Giles and Tara ran back into the classroom, and Buffy followed, closing and locking the door behind her. The pack pounded on the door but couldn't get in and soon left.
Buffy listened. "I think they're going."
Tara looked at her. "They could be faking it."
"No, they're hungry. They'll be looking for somebody weak. I'm really sorry, Tara. I didn't know they were gonna come after Lance."
"It's okay."
Giles looked at them. "We must lead them back to the zoo, if we're going to stop this."
"And before their next meal." Buffy sighed. "Guess that's my job."
"Well, individually, they're almost as strong as you. As a group, they're-"
"They're tough, but I think they're getting stupider. You guys go to the zoo, and I will bring them to you." Buffy opened the door and left the classroom.
Buffy followed the pack to a family's house, where she saw them attacking a family that was inside a Jeep, which was parked in the driveway. Buffy came running up, grabbed Rhonda, and threw her off the hood to the ground. She climbed to the roof and did an in-to-out axe kick, knocking Kyle off. She looked down at Lance's feet sticking out of the window.
"Joey!" the mother called.
"Didn't your mom teach you?" Buffy asked Lance. "Don't play with your food."
Lance crawled out and looked up at her. The pack gathered around him and looked up at her.
Buffy straightened up and put her hands on her hips. "C'mon. You know what you want."
She turned, jumped off the car, and started running down the street. The pack gave chase.
Giles and Tara arrived at the Hyena House at a run.
"The pathway to the Hyena House. Where's the zookeeper?" Tara asked Giles.
"Uh, he must be inside. I-I'll go in and prepare things. You just warn, uh, us when you hear Buffy and the others approaching."
He ran in. Tara turned around to watch and wait.
Giles ducked under the tape and came into the main area. "Doctor? Uh...zookeeper?"
He heard a door close and was startled by the zookeeper, who was all made up.
"Oh!" Giles exclaimed. "Oh, of course, the, uh, Masai ceremonial garb. Yes. Very good. Are you, uh, otherwise prepared for the trans-possession?"
The zookeeper nodded. "Almost."
Giles noticed the markings on the floor. "Oh, right! The, uh, sacred circle. Yes, you'd need that to, um..." He paused and thought about that. "This would be here when...when the children first came. Why would you..." He figured it out and sighed. "How terribly frustrating for you that a bunch of schoolchildren could accomplish what you could not."
"It bothered me. But the power will be mine."
Giles tried to get away, but the zookeeper hit him in the gut with his stick and again on the back, knocking him out.
Later, outside the Hyena House, Tara heard Buffy and the pack coming and ran in.
"They're almost here! Giles! Giles!" Tara saw the zookeeper. "Where are the hyenas for the trans-possession?"
"They're right here in the feeding area."
Tara ran to see the hyenas.
He stopped her. "Stay back! They haven't been fed."
"Where's Giles?" Tara asked him.
"He's...laying in wait."
"They're almost here. Shouldn't you bring the hyenas out?"
"When the time is right. I'm gonna need your help." He tried to bind her wrists.
Tara pulled her hands away. "What are you doing?"
"They're right behind me!" Buffy called from outside.
"Buffy!" Tara called.
The zookeeper took Tara and positioned her in front of him. "Here."
"What is this?" Tara asked him.
"A predatory act, remember?" He held a knife to her throat.
"Uh, right." Tara elbowed him in the ribs and ran away.
Buffy came running in but stopped short when she saw Tara running toward her.
"Buffy, it's a trap!" Tara warned.
Lance grabbed Buffy from behind, and they fell to the floor. The others came in and got on top of her, too.
"Yu Ba Ya Sa Na!" the zookeeper chanted.
The pack looked up at him, and their eyes all flashed green. Then the zookeeper's eyes flashed green. He turned to Tara and growled. He dropped the knife and moved in to bite her.
"Tara!" Buffy knocked the pack off her, got up, and punched the zookeeper.
Kyle and his gang saw the fight and began to crawl away on their asses. The zookeeper charged Buffy, but she knocked him back down. He charged her again, but Tara tossed him over onto his back. He got up and tried again. Buffy got under him, and she and Tara threw him up and into the hyena pit. He tried to climb out but was dragged back down by the hyenas. Kyle and his gang got up and scrambled away.
Buffy and Tara ran to the pit to see if they could save the zookeeper, but they were too late. They looked away in disgust. Tara vomited onto the floor, and Buffy soon followed.
Buffy wiped her lips clean with the back of her hand. She looked at Tara. "Are you okay?"
Tara looked at Buffy weakly, vomit still dripping from her lips. "I don't know. I've never, y'know, killed anyone before. Not a living person, I mean."
"We weren't the ones that killed him."
"True, but do you think we're maybe...culpable?" Tara asked her.
Buffy thought about that for a moment. "What's the alternative?"
Tara stared at her in silence for a moment and then finally nodded.
Giles came out of the back room. "Uh, did I miss anything?"
Buffy looked at him. "Yes. Consider yourself lucky."
At school, the next morning, Buffy walked into the library before her first class in order to check in with Giles. She was surprised to see Kyle, Rhonda, Tor, and Heidi sitting at the table. Giles was standing near them.
"Oh. Am I interrupting?" Buffy asked.
"No, it's quite all right." Giles adjusted his glasses. "I had asked them to come in. We're discussing what had occurred yesterday."
"I see." Buffy walked over to them. "How much do you remember?"
Heidi stared at Buffy. "All of it."
Buffy took a moment to process that. "I'm sorry that I couldn't help you earlier."
Rhonda looked at her. "Well, you did what you could, and we appreciate that."
"Well, I'm a Vampire Slayer. Hyenas are kinda new to me."
Giles looked to the heavens in exasperation. "I had left that detail out, Buffy."
"Sorry." Buffy sat on the edge of the table. "What's gonna happen to them?"
"Well, they won't face any criminal charges - unless they confess, but they've all agreed they're going to try to live with it."
Buffy looked at them. "It wasn't your fault." She looked at Giles. "Right?"
Giles hesitated. "As far as I can tell, they're not at fault."
Buffy didn't quite believe him. She wondered where human culpability in this matter began.
Heidi stared down at the table. "Sure feels like we are, though."
"It will take time, but I'm hopeful that they can make a bit of a recovery."
Rhonda stared dead ahead. "I'd just be satisfied, if the nightmares stopped."
Buffy tried to imagine what they were going through. She looked at Giles. "What about Lance?"
"I met with him briefly, but he didn't seem interested in talking."
Later in the day, Buffy and Tara were walking across the quad, holding hands.
"I heard the vice-principal's taking over 'til they can find a replacement."
Buffy looked at Tara. "It shouldn't be too hard to find a new principal. Unless they ask what happened to the last one."
They started to climb the stairs. They came across Lance at the top. The three of them paused awkwardly.
Finally, Lance grinned. "Hey, Tara, Buffy, what's up?"
"Really? Is that how you're gonna play it?" Buffy asked him, disgusted.
Lance stared at her in confusion.
Tara gave him a dark look. "We know there's no memory loss."
Lance looked at them with a pained expression. "I'm so sorry." He looked at Buffy. "Especially for what I almost did to you."
"You mean rape me?" Buffy asked him bluntly.
"Uh, yeah."
"Well, it wasn't really you, but you did just pretend you'd forgotten about it."
Lance nodded. "I know."
Buffy stared at him. "And I never can."
Lance stared at her in silence for a moment and then nodded and walked away, ashamed. The girls stood in silence for a moment.
Buffy finally looked at Tara. "C'mon. We're gonna be late."
Chapter 22: Angel
Chapter Text
"Angel"
Based on the Episode Written by David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
At the Bronze, Buffy and Tara were sitting at a table.
"Horses, like big...tall...teeth that can take your arm off horses?" Buffy asked Tara, worried.
"Well, sure. I learned to ride when I was a kid. It's fun." Tara smiled at her. "And, by the way, most horses don't like arm very much."
Buffy was uncertain. "I had a bad birthday party pony thing when I was four. I-I look at horses, and I see really big ponies."
"You should ride with me sometime. I guarantee safety and fun."
Buffy smiled. "Well...if you promise you'll look after me." She put her hand on Tara's knee.
The two of them watched a cockroach being chased by a girl along the floor.
"Get it! Go get it, right there!" a boy cheered her on.
"I got it!" She held the roach up to the bartender and dropped it into his jar. "Free drink, please."
The bartender nodded and went to get the drink.
Tara smiled. "Ah, the fumigation party."
"Hmm?" Buffy asked, confused.
"It's an annual tradition. The closing of the Bronze for a few days to nuke the cockroaches?"
"Oh." Buffy saw Cordelia standing a distance away, smiled, and waved. "Hey, Cordy!"
Cordelia hesitated and then walked over to their table. "Hey. What's up?"
"Just sitting here, watching our barren lives pass us by." Tara saw a roach. "Oh, look, a cockroach." She stomped it.
"Whoa, well, let's stop this crazy whirligig of fun! I'm dizzy!" Cordelia mocked.
Buffy yawned. "I'm gonna call it a night." She got up.
Tara was disappointed. "Oh, don't go! It's early! We could, um, dance!"
"Rain check?" Buffy bent over and kissed Tara on the lips. "Good night."
"Good night."
Buffy bumped into Cordelia.
"Ouch! Please get your extreme oafishness off my two-hundred-dollar shoes!" Cordelia yelled at her.
"I'm sorry. Good night." Buffy walked away.
Tara sighed, took off her shoe, and held it up to Cordelia. "Want a free drink?"
Cordelia was disgusted. "I'll pass, thanks." She stood up. "Good night."
"Good night."
Cordelia walked away.
Tara stood up and walked over to the bar. She held up her shoe to the bartender. "Free drink, please."
Buffy made her way out of the Bronze. She passed the stairs, sensed something, and turned to look. Nothing. She continued out.
Cordelia caught up to her. "Hey, walk with me? Safety in numbers, y'know."
"Yeah, okay."
Buffy and Cordelia walked along a street. Buffy sensed something and stopped to look behind her. Nothing.
"What is it?" Cordelia asked.
"I'm not sure."
They walked past an alley.
Buffy heard a breath and stopped. "It's late, I'm tired, and I don't wanna play games. Show yourself."
A vampire roared and dropped down to the sidewalk behind the girls. Buffy reached into her coat, pulled out a stake, and quickly spun around to stake the vampire. Another one grabbed her arm as she swung.
"Wuh!" Buffy exclaimed.
A third vampire came up on her other side and grabbed her other arm.
"Ooh!" Buffy exclaimed. "Okay, okay, nice..."
They pulled her into the alley and up against a fence.
"Buffy!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"Cordy, run!" Buffy ordered.
Cordelia ran into the alley. "Let her go!"
The first vampire swatted Cordelia away and then approached Buffy.
Buffy put on a brave face. "Okay, okay, look, I really don't want to have to fight all three of you...unless I have to."
She snap-kicked him in the penis, elbowed the third, and tried to punch the second. He blocked her swing and thrust his knee into her gut, slamming her into the fence. The other two recovered and grabbed her again.
The second one slowly approached her with death in his eyes. Buffy was terrified and struggled to get away. He came up to Buffy, grabbed her head, and moved in to bite.
Suddenly, Angel came up behind him, grabbed him by the hair, and pulled him off her. He punched him. "Good dogs don't bite!"
Buffy was surprised but quickly regained her head. Using the support of the two vampires holding onto her arms, she kicked up with both feet and hit them both in the face with a straddle kick. One of them grabbed her again and held her against the fence. Angel continued to fight the other two, punching one and snap-kicking the second. One of them pulled a piece of iron bar off a window.
"Look out!" Buffy yelled.
Angel turned around, only to be sliced in the chest with the bar. Buffy shoved an open palm into her assailant's chin, pushing him off her, punched him once in the gut, and then slammed both fists into his head. Angel was bent over in pain and was about to be stabbed again. Buffy quickly side-kicked his attacker in the face, and he fell back away from Angel.
Buffy helped Angel and Cordelia up. "Run!"
They ran out of the alley. The vampires got up and gave chase.
Buffy, Cordelia, and Angel jumped over the bushes in front of Buffy's house and ran onto the porch. The vampires were hot on their trail.
Buffy got the front door open. "Get in! C'mon!"
She rushed inside. Cordelia was right behind her. Angel was right behind her. Buffy slammed the door on one of the vampire's hands. He struggled a moment but pulled his hand back out. She slammed the door shut and locked it. The vampire looked in through the glass. Another one looked in through the window.
Angel looked at Buffy. "It's all right. A vampire can't come in unless it's invited."
"I've heard that before, but I've never put it to the test." Buffy leaned on the door and then saw his wound. "Oh. I'll go get some bandages; just...take your jacket and your shirt off."
Buffy headed into the kitchen. Cordelia followed her. Angel looked out the window one last time and followed them. He took off his jacket and his T-shirt.
Buffy looked at him from behind and saw his tattoo. She brought over the first aid kit and sighed. "We were lucky you came along." She looked at him. "How did you happen to come along?" She began to bandage him.
"I live nearby. I was just out walking."
"So...you weren't following me?" Buffy asked him. "I just had this feeling you were."
Angel smiled. "Why would I do that?"
"You tell me. You're the mystery guy that appears out of nowhere. I'm not saying I'm not happy about it tonight, but...if you are hanging around, I'd like to know why." Buffy finished bandaging him.
"Maybe I like you."
"Oh." Buffy paused awkwardly.
Cordelia grinned. "Buffy's a great big lesbo."
Buffy forced a smile. "Angel, Cordelia. Cordelia, Angel."
Cordelia and Angel smiled at each other.
Buffy heard the door open and quickly went to intercept her mother. She was also worried about the vampires outside. She pulled her mother into the house and closed the door.
"Hi! What are you doing?" Joyce asked.
"There's a lot of weird people outside at night..."
Joyce started toward the kitchen.
Buffy went after her. "...I just feel better with you safe and sound inside. You must be beat."
"I am. We're a little gallery. You have no idea how much-"
"Well, then why don't you go upstairs and get into bed, and I can bring you some hot tea?"
"That's sweet!" Joyce was suddenly suspicious. "What'd you do?"
"Can't a daughter just be concerned about her mother?" Buffy asked her.
Cordelia and Angel came into the living room behind Buffy.
Joyce saw them. "Hi."
Angel smiled. "Hi."
Cordelia smiled. "Hi."
"Oh!" Buffy exclaimed. "Okay, um, Cordy, Angel, uh, this is my mom. Mom, these are Cordelia and Angel. Uh, we ran into each other on the way home."
Angel nodded. "Nice to meet you."
Cordelia nodded. "Yeah."
"What do you do, Angel?" Joyce asked.
"He's a student."
Joyce gave Buffy a disbelieving look.
"Uh, first year community college. Angel's been helping us with our history; you know I've been toiling there."
"It's a little late for tutoring." Joyce looked at Angel. "Besides, my daughter's girlfriend is smart enough to tutor her."
Buffy rolled her eyes.
"I'm gonna go to bed, and, uh, Buffy?" Joyce started up the stairs.
Buffy smiled. "I'll say good night and do the same!"
Joyce looked back down at her daughter and nodded. She looked at Cordelia and Angel. "It was nice to meet you." She headed upstairs.
Angel looked at Buffy. "Community college student?"
Buffy shrugged. "Well, I literally know nothing about you. I had to bullshit."
The three of them headed for the front door.
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Cordy, would it be possible for Angel to stay at your house tonight?"
"What?" Angel asked in surprise.
Cordelia grinned. "I suppose so."
"Wait, why?" Angel asked Buffy.
"Precautionary measure." Buffy unlocked the front door and held it open.
Angel looked at Cordelia. "Look, I don't wanna get you in any trouble-"
Cordelia gave Angel a look of concern, though that wasn't the first thing on her mind. "And I don't wanna get you dead. They could still be out there."
Angel hesitated and then nodded. "All right."
He and Cordelia walked outside.
"Good night! We'll hook up soon and do that study thing!" Buffy shouted for her mother's benefit. She closed and locked the door and headed upstairs.
Cordelia lived in a nice, upscale house - not significantly different than Buffy's but somewhat newer. Cordelia unlocked and opened the front door and went inside. Angel walked into the house and then closed and locked the door.
They went up the stairs and into her bedroom. She closed the door quietly.
Cordelia moved to the center of the room. "So, uh, oh...two of us, one bed." She faced him and grinned. "Works for me!"
Angel stared at her, embarrassed.
Cordelia relented, feeling sorry for him. "Um, why don't you take the bed? Y'know, you're wounded."
"I'll take the floor."
"Uh, no, that's not-"
"Oh, believe me, I've had worse."
"Okay. Um, then why don't you check and see if the Fang Gang has followed us and, um, keep your back turned while I change?"
Angel went over to the window to have a look. Cordelia went to her closet and changed.
"I don't see them."
"Y'know, Buffy's the Chosen One; it's her job to fight guys like that. What's your excuse?"
"Uh, somebody has to."
"Well, what does your family think of your career choice?"
"They're dead."
Cordelia finished changing and went over to him. "Was it vampires?"
Angel faced her. "I-It was."
"I'm sorry."
"It was a long while ago."
"So...this is a vengeance gig for you."
Angel paused. "Y-You even look pretty when you go to sleep."
"Well, when I wake up, it's an entirely different story." Cordelia smiled in amusement. "And look who's suddenly over Buffy."
"Not over. It's just...she's not really attainable, is she?"
Cordelia cast a downward glance. "Not with that plumbing."
They went over to her bed.
Cordelia handed him the comforter from it. "Here. Sleep tight."
He laid the comforter down on the floor next to her bed. She got into her bed, and he lay on the comforter.
"Angel?" Cordelia asked.
"Hmm?"
"Do you snore?"
"I don't know. It's been a long time since anybody's been in a position to let me know." He turned his head to look at her.
She smiled and settled in to sleep.
The next morning, before classes, Buffy, Cordelia, and Tara went to the school library. The three girls sat down at the table, and Buffy and Cordelia recounted the events of the previous night to Giles.
"You left the Bronze and were set upon by three unusually virile vampires." Giles put a book in front of them. "Did they look like this?"
"Yeah. What's with the uniforms?" Buffy asked him.
"It seems you encountered the Three. Warrior vampires, very proud and very strong. Uh, o-obviously you're hurting the Master very much. He - He wouldn't send the - the Three for just anyone. You must step up your training with weapons."
"Weapons?" Buffy asked in surprise.
Tara felt uncomfortable. "Do you think that's necessary?"
Giles looked at Tara and then back at Buffy. "You and Angel are - are not in any immediate jeopardy. Eventually, the Master will send someone else, but in the meantime the Three, having failed, will offer their own lives in penance."
"Do you have any weapons?" Buffy asked him.
"Yes, locked up in the cage. Wait a moment, please."
Giles went and picked up a sign that read "Library CLOSED for filing. Please come back tomorrow." He set it just outside the library. Then he went over to the cage, unlocked it, and unlocked the weapons case.
Buffy checked out the weapons case. "Cool! Crossbow!" She lifted it out and saw the bolts. "Huh. Check out these babies." She took out a bolt. "Hmm. Goodbye, stakes; hello, flying fatality. What can I shoot?"
"Um, nothing. The crossbow comes later." Giles took the crossbow from her and went to put it back.
Buffy was disappointed and pouted. She walked out of the cage.
"You must first become proficient with the basic tools of combat."
Buffy was already bored.
Giles came back with two poles and two sets of head pads. "And let's begin with the quarterstaff, which, incidentally, will, uh, require countless hours of vigorous training." He handed her one staff and one head pad set. "I speak from experience."
"Giles, twentieth century?" Buffy asked him. "I'm not gonna be fighting Friar Tuck."
"You never know with whom or what you'll be fighting." Giles put on his head pads. "And these traditions have been handed down through the ages."
Tara was concerned. "Mr. Giles, do you really think you're up to doing this at your age?"
Giles looked at her, offended.
"Well, that is..." Tara paused for a moment. "I took a few classes in bōjutsu. I might be a better instructor for her."
"I am perfectly capable of holding my own, Tara."
Tara folded her arms over her chest. "Fine, get your ass kicked."
Giles gave her a sharp look of reproach.
Tara felt a bit uncomfortable. "Um, sir."
Giles grabbed his staff and looked at Buffy. "Now, you show me good, steady progress with the quarterstaff, and in due course we'll discuss the crossbow. Put on your pads."
Buffy laughed. "I'm not gonna need pads to fight you."
"Well, we'll see about that. En garde!"
He made several thrusts, and she parried them all. She took the offensive, pushed his staff to the floor, and punched him in the face. She came around with the staff into his back - and again to knock his legs out from under him. He fell onto his back. She stood over him.
Giles was stunned. "Good."
Buffy reached out to him. He clasped her hand, and she pulled him to his feet. Tara smiled. Cordelia laughed in amusement.
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Wanna go a few rounds, Cordy?"
"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Cordelia asked her. "Get me on my back. Get on top of me. Have your way with me."
Buffy frowned. "I'm just trying to help you, just in case you need to defend yourself."
"Hey, fighting is your thing. I don't break a sweat, if I can help it."
Buffy smiled. "Right, that's why you're a cheerleader."
Cordelia had no retort but to stick out her tongue.
Giles cleared his throat. "Let's move on to the crossbow."
That night, after a cheerleading practice that ran late, Cordelia went home, ate a late dinner, and then headed upstairs and into her room.
She closed the door and looked around. "Angel?"
"Hey."
She turned on her desk lamp. "Brought you some dinner. It's a little plateless, sorry." She handed him a plastic bag full of food that she pilfered from dinner.
He accepted it and looked at it.
"So! What'd you do all day?" Cordelia asked him.
"Uh, I read a little."
Cordelia looked over to her diary. It was out of place.
"And just thought about a lot of things. Cordelia, I-"
"My diary? You read my diary?" Cordelia went to put it in a drawer. "That is not okay! A diary is like a person's most private place!" She went back to him. "I...You don't even know what I was writing about! 'Blowjob Queen' is the name of a highly artistic erotic film. 'Pulsing Cock' is the name of a band that I like-"
"Cordy-"
"And 'Massive Load' is a programming command that Ms. Calendar recently taught us in computer class, and-"
"The maid moved your diary when she came in to straighten up. I watched from the closet. I didn't read it, I swear."
Cordelia just looked at him. "Oh!" She looked down, realizing what she'd just said. "Oh."
"It's all right. None of my business." Angel paused for a moment. "You've got a lot of clothes. When do you find time to wear them all?"
"I've got it all scheduled in my day planner."
"I did a lot of thinking today. I really can't be around you."
Cordelia looked up.
"Because when I am-"
Cordelia looked down, disappointed but trying to hide it. "Well, hey, whatever. Your loss."
"When I am, all I can think about is how badly I want to kiss you."
Cordelia looked up at him. "Kiss me?"
"I'm older than you, and this can't ever..." Angel paused. "I better go."
"H-How much older?" Cordelia asked him.
"I should-"
"-go." Cordelia approached him. "You said-"
They kissed. When their lips parted, Cordelia stared into Angel's eyes. They kissed again. They kissed passionately. She put her arm around him. The kiss went on for several moments. Angel suddenly pulled back and looked away.
"What? What is it? What's wrong?" Cordelia asked him.
He turned to face her and growled. She saw fangs in his mouth and screamed. He took a last look at her and jumped out the window. He slid down the roof and off onto the ground. Cordelia went to the window and watched him run away.
Her mother came running into the room. "Cordy, what happened?"
Cordelia backed away from the window. Her mother took her by the shoulders.
Cordelia looked at her mother and shook her head. "Uh, nothing. I saw a shadow."
They both looked out the window.
Chapter Text
The next morning, at Sunnydale High, Cordelia, Buffy, Tara, and Giles were walking up the steps from the street toward the building. Cordelia had just told them what had happened.
"Angel's a vampire?" Tara asked in surprise.
"I can't believe this is happening. One minute, we were kissing, and the next minute..." Cordelia looked at Giles. "Can a vampire ever be a good person? Couldn't it happen?"
"A vampire isn't a person at all." Giles cleared his throat. "It may have the movements, the - the memories, even the personality of the person that it took over, but i-it's still a demon at the core; there is no halfway."
"Well, then what was he doing? Why was he good to me?" Cordelia asked.
"Was it all some part of the Master's plan?" Buffy asked. "It doesn't make sense."
They reached a bench. Cordelia, Tara, and Buffy sat down.
Giles crouched down in front of Buffy. "Uh, it is a Slayer's duty-"
Cordelia looked at Giles in anguish, and he shut up.
Tara looked at Cordelia. "I-I know you have feelings for this guy, but it's not like you're in love with him, right?"
Cordelia looked away.
"You're in love with a vampire?!" Buffy asked her. "What, are you outta your mind?!"
Cordelia looked at her. "Just shut up." She stood up and started walking away. "What?!"
Buffy, Tara, and Giles looked at Cordelia. She was looking at another girl wearing the same dress that she was.
"Where did you get that dress?" Cordelia pursued her. "This is a one-of-a-kind Todd Oldham. Do you know how much this dress cost? Is this a knockoff?" She checked the label. "This is a knockoff, isn't it?! Some cheesy knockoff! This is exactly what happens when you sign these free trade agreements!"
The two girls disappeared into the building.
Buffy, Tara, and Giles looked at each other.
"Um..." Tara stopped talking, realizing she had no words.
Later, in the library. Buffy, Tara, and Cordelia were sitting at the table and looking through books.
Giles came up behind Cordelia. "Here's something at last."
Cordelia started. "Can you please warn us before you do that?"
"There's nothing about Angel in the texts, but it suddenly occurred to me that it's been ages since I've read the diaries of any of the Watchers before me. There's mention some two-hundred years ago in Ireland of - of Angelus, the one with the angelic face."
Cordelia looked at him. "They got that right."
"Does this, uh, Angel have, um, a tattoo behind his right shoulder?" Giles asked.
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, it's a, it's a bird or something."
Tara looked at Giles. "So...Angel's been around for a while."
"Not long for a vampire. Uh, two-hundred-forty years or so."
"Huh!" Cordelia exclaimed. "Two-hundred-forty. Well, he said he was older."
Giles sat down at the table. "Angelus leaves Ireland, uh, wreaks havoc in - in Europe for, uh, several decades, and then, um, about eighty years ago, the most curious thing happens. He - He comes to, uh, to America, um, shuns other vampires, and - and lives alone. There's - There's no - no record of him hunting here."
"So he is a good vampire?" Tara asked him.
"I say that there's no record, but, uh, vampires hunt and kill. It's - It's what they do."
Cordelia looked at Giles. "He could've fed on me; he didn't."
"Question: a hundred years or so before he came to our shores, what was he like then?" Tara asked Giles.
"Uh, like all of them. Uh, a vicious, violent animal."
Later, at night, Tara was tutoring Buffy in the library.
"Okay, so let's review. Reconstruction began when?" Tara asked.
Buffy didn't reply. She was lost in thought.
Tara looked up from her history book. "Buffy?"
"Huh?" Buffy looked at her. "Oh! Um, Reconstruction..." She paused. "Uh, Reconstruction began after the...construction, which was...shoddy, so they had to reconstruct."
Tara stared at her. "After the destruction of the Civil War."
"Right. Civil War. During which Angel was already, like, a hundred and change..."
"You're thinking about Angel?" Tara smiled. "Should I be jealous?"
Buffy smiled. "Nah, sweetie. It's just...I'm the Slayer, and he's a vampire, but he's never done anything to hurt me...or Cordy."
"What are you gonna do?" Tara asked her.
"I dunno." Buffy sighed. "I need to stop thinking about this. Okay, let's give another half-hour, and maybe something will sink in."
"Okay. The era of the Congressional Reconstruction, usually called Radical..."
Buffy came home. She went through the living room and the dining room and entered the kitchen. "Hey! I'm home."
She froze with fear. Angel was holding onto her mother. There were bite marks on her neck. Angel bared his fangs and growled at Buffy. The image was seared into Buffy's memory; she would remember it forever.
After a moment, Buffy regained her composure - or at least enough to be able to lunge at Angel and beat him to the point that she threw him through the living room window.
Angel tumbled over the porch, through the bushes, and onto the lawn.
Buffy went over to the broken window and looked out at him as he got up. "You're not welcome here. You come near us, and I'll kill you."
Angel just looked at her.
"I will fucking kill you!" Buffy swore. "Now, get the fuck out of here!"
Angel turned and ran away.
Buffy ran over to the phone, grabbed it, dialed 911, and went over to kneel by her mother. "Mom! Mom, can you hear me?!"
"911. What's your emergency?"
"Yes, I need an ambulance, 1630 Revello Drive! My mother cut herself; she lost a lot of blood! Please, please hurry!" Buffy dropped the phone. "Mom!"
"Hey, Buffy!"
Buffy looked up to see Tara come in through the kitchen door.
"Oh, my Goddess! What happened?!" Tara asked.
"Angel!"
The ambulance arrived in time. Joyce was stabilized and taken to the hospital. Buffy and Tara rode with her in the ambulance. Then they had to wait until the okay was given to see her. Tara sat down.
Buffy went over to the pay phone, took out a small book, opened it, picked up the receiver, put in money, and called the number that Giles had given her.
"Hello, this is Rupert Giles."
"Giles, it's Buffy! I'm at the hospital!" Buffy started crying.
"Buffy?!" Giles asked in concern.
"It's my mom! It was Angel! Please hurry!" Buffy cried.
"I'll be right over!"
Buffy slammed the receiver down. She picked it up, put in more money, and called Cordelia.
"Hello?" Cordelia asked.
"Cordy, it's Buffy! Don't let Angel near you! He just attacked my mom! We're at the hospital!"
"What?!" Cordelia asked in disbelief.
"Please! For your own safety!" Buffy begged.
She slammed the receiver down and walked back over to Tara. Tara had gotten up, gone to the vending machine, and returned with two cans of regular Pepsi. She offered one to Buffy.
Buffy took the can. "Thanks."
They sat down and waited. Tara reached over and put her free hand on top of Buffy's.
"Ms. Summers?"
Buffy looked up at the doctor. "Yes?!"
"Your mother is awake."
Buffy stood up. "How is she?!"
"Her blood count was a little low. We gave her some iron. She should be fine, but we'd like to keep her overnight for observation."
"Can we see her?" Buffy asked.
"Yes."
Buffy looked at Tara. Tara stood up. The two of them walked into the room.
Buffy ran over to her mother, who was lying in bed. "Mom!"
"Buffy!" Joyce cried.
Buffy carefully hugged her mother and then let her go. "Do you remember anything, Mom?"
"Just, um, your friend came over. I was gonna make a snack."
"My friend?" Buffy asked in confusion, then remembered her mother had met Angel already.
"I guess I slipped and cut my neck on..." Joyce paused. "The doctor said it looked like a barbecue fork." She looked at Buffy. "We don't have a barbecue fork." She looked past Buffy. "Are you another doctor?"
Buffy looked and saw Giles. "Oh! Um..." She paused. "No, Mom, this is Mr. Giles."
"Oh, the librarian from your school!" Joyce was confused. "What's he doing here?"
"Uh, I-I just came to pay my respects, wish you a speedy recovery."
"He's my Watcher. In charge of my Slayer training."
Giles rolled his eyes, angry. "Buffy!"
Joyce stared at them awkwardly. "Oh. Okay. So...it wasn't a barbecue fork, was it?"
Buffy shook her head. "It was a vampire."
Joyce looked distressed.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it. Get some rest now." Buffy gave her mother a kiss.
Tara walked over to Joyce and smiled. "Get better, Mrs. Summers."
Joyce smiled at her. "I will, Tara, thank you."
Buffy, Giles, and Tara went out into the hall.
Buffy looked at Giles. "She's gonna be okay. They - They gave her some iron. Her, uh, blood count was a-a little-"
"-a little low. It presents itself like mild anemia. Uh, you - you were, uh, lucky you got to her as soon as you did."
"Lucky?" Buffy asked. "Stupid."
Tara looked at her girlfriend. "Buff, it's not your fault."
Buffy looked at her. "No? I invited him into my home."
Tara put her hands on Buffy's shoulders. "You didn't know what he was. You can't blame yourself, sweetie."
Buffy stared at her girlfriend and slowly nodded. Tara kissed Buffy on the lips.
Cordelia ran over to them. "Hey."
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Thanks for coming."
"Of course." Cordelia hugged Buffy.
Buffy hugged Cordelia.
"How is she?" Cordelia asked.
"She'll be fine."
"I'm so sorry! I can't believe Angel did this!" Cordelia cried.
"I saw it with my own eyes."
"I had feelings for him! I cared about him!"
Tara looked at Cordelia. "If you care about somebody, you care about them. You can't change that."
Cordelia and Buffy released each other.
"I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch." Buffy started to leave.
Tara watched her go. "Uh, we'll keep an eye on your mom."
Giles chased after Buffy. "Buffy!" He blocked her way.
"You can't stop me. The Three found us near the Bronze, and so did he. He lives nearby."
"This is no ordinary vampire. If there is such a thing. Now, he knows you; he-he's faced the Three! I think this is gonna take more than a simple stake."
"What do you suggest?" Buffy asked.
Giles got his keys out of his pocket, took one key off the key ring, and offered it to her. "This is the key to my office. The keys for the cage and the weapons case are in my desk."
Cordelia walked over to Buffy. "I'll drive you."
A bit later, Giles and Tara were sitting in chairs by Joyce's bed.
"She talks about you all the time. It's important to have teachers who make an impression."
"She makes quite an impression herself."
Tara mentally noted how Joyce was avoiding talking about vampire slaying. She found that interesting.
"I-I know she's having trouble with history. I-Is it too difficult for her, or is she not applying herself?" Joyce asked Giles.
"She lives very much in the now, um, and, uh, history, of course, is - is very much about the, uh, the then. B-B-But there's no reason-"
"She's studying with Tara; she's studying with Darla."
Tara looked up in confusion.
"I-I mean...she is trying."
"Darla?" Giles asked her. "I-I-I don't believe I know, uh-"
"Her friend, the one who came over tonight."
"Darla came to your house tonight? Sh-She's the friend that you mentioned earlier?"
"Yes, she's the..." Joyce couldn't bring herself to say it and fell silent.
Giles and Tara looked at each other.
Giles got up and looked at Joyce. "Excuse us." He grabbed his coat.
He and Tara walked out into the hall.
"So it wasn't Angel after all!" Tara exclaimed.
"Buffy's going after the wrong vampire."
Chapter Text
Cordelia and Buffy arrived at the Bronze. Cordelia parked her car, and she and Buffy got out of it. Buffy had the crossbow held ready.
"Wow, it's a lot easier to find parking here when the place is closed."
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Wait here, Cordy. If I'm not out in ten minutes, go and tell Giles."
"But-"
"I mean it. I don't want you to get hurt...or worse."
Cordelia thought about that and nodded.
Buffy went through a hole in a fence and went toward the entrance. She heard glass breaking above her and turned to the noise. She looked around as she went to the wall, where there was a ladder. She started to climb.
Once she got inside, Buffy went down the stairs. When she got to the bottom, she quickly turned to have a look around.
Buffy heard a noise and pivoted toward it. "I know you're there. And I know what you are."
"Do you?" Angel asked.
She faced his voice.
"I'm just an animal, right?"
"You're not an animal. Animals, I like."
She kept looking around herself. He growled and came out of the shadows to face her. She trained the crossbow on him.
"Let's get it done!" Angel growled and began to run. He jumped onto a pool table.
Buffy followed him with her aim and shot - but missed. Angel jumped up onto the catwalk above. Buffy couldn't see him in the shadows. He swung down and kicked her in the back, knocking her onto a pool table. She did a standing back kick at him behind her and sent him into the wall. She ran around the table and dove for the crossbow. She rolled onto her back and took aim at him. He slowly got up and growled.
"C'mon! Don't go soft on me now!" Angel told her.
"Buffy!" Cordelia called.
Startled, Buffy launched the bolt. It hit the wall next to Angel.
Angel smiled. "Little wide."
Buffy got up. "Cordy, I told you to wait by the car."
Cordelia walked down the stairs. "Sorry, Buffy, I had to be here." She looked at Angel. "Why? Why didn't you just attack me when you had the chance? Was it a joke? To make me feel for you and then...?" She choked up.
When Angel didn't answer, Buffy stared him in the eyes. "I've killed vampires. I've never hated one before."
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Angel asked her.
"I invited you into my home, and then you attacked my family!" Buffy yelled.
"Why not?" Angel asked her. "I killed mine. I killed their friends...and their friends' children. For a hundred years, I offered ugly death to everyone I met, and I did it with a song in my heart."
"What changed?" Cordelia asked him.
Angel looked at her. "Fed on a girl about your age. Beautiful. Dumb as a post...but a favorite among her clan."
"Her clan?" Cordelia asked.
"Romany. Gypsies. The elders conjured the perfect punishment for me. They restored my soul."
"What, they were all out of boils and blinding torment?" Cordelia asked him.
"When you become a vampire, the demon takes your body, but it doesn't get your soul. That's gone! No conscience, no remorse. It's an easy way to live. You have no idea what it's like to have done the things I've done...and to care."
"They dragged you out of the afterlife and punished you for something that a demon did?" Cordelia asked him in shock. "That is so fucked up."
Angel shrugged. "Maybe, but it worked. I haven't fed on a living human being since that day."
"So you started with my mom?" Buffy asked him.
Angel looked at her. "I didn't bite her."
"Then why didn't you say something?" Buffy asked him.
"But I wanted to. I can walk like a man, but I'm not one. I wanted to kill you tonight."
Buffy stared daggers at him. "Try it, asshole."
He just looked at her in silence.
"What's the matter?" Buffy teased. "Not as easy as it looks?"
"Sure it is!"
The three of them turned toward the voice and saw Darla coming out of the shadows.
Tara and Giles were walking down a street.
"We're near the Bronze. What now?" Tara asked.
"Keep looking for her."
"What if we find her, and she's fighting Angel and some of his friends? What the fuck are we gonna do about it?" Tara asked.
Giles had no answer.
"Do you know what the saddest thing in the world is?" Darla asked.
"Bad hair on top of that outfit?" Buffy guessed.
"To love someone who used to love you."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "You guys were involved?"
"For several generations." Darla smiled at Cordelia. "I made him." She looked at Angel. "There was a time when we shared everything, wasn't there, Angelus? You had a chance to come home, to rule with me in the Master's court for a thousand years, but you threw that away because of her. You love someone who hates us. You're sick. And you'll always be sick. And you'll always remember what it was like to watch her die." She looked at Buffy and smiled. "You don't think I came alone, do you?"
"I know I didn't." Buffy raised the crossbow and aimed it at Darla.
"Hmm, scary." Darla revealed two pistols from behind her back, one in each hand. "Scarier!"
Buffy couldn't argue with that; she froze. Darla shot Angel. He staggered back onto a post. Cordelia let out a scream.
"Oh, don't worry. Bullets can't kill vampires. Can hurt them like hell, but..." Darla giggled.
Buffy retreated. Darla started shooting at her. Buffy did a diving shoulder roll over a pool table and took cover behind it. Cordelia joined her.
Outside, Tara and Giles heard the shots from inside the Bronze.
"Did you just hear...?" Tara asked Giles.
They ran to find a way in.
Buffy reloaded the crossbow.
"So many body parts, so few bullets. Let's begin with the kneecaps. No fun dancing without them."
Darla capped off a few more rounds, and the pool table took a few hits. Buffy stood up with the crossbow and took a shot at Darla. Darla doubled over when it hit her in the abdomen. Buffy watched as she straightened back up again.
"Close, but no heart." Darla grabbed the bolt, pulled it out, and tossed it aside.
Tara and Giles were crawling along the floor.
"Buffy, it wasn't Angel who attacked your mom; it was Darla!" Tara called out.
Darla turned toward the voice and let loose a hail of bullets as Tara and Giles hugged the floor for cover. Angel pulled the bolt from the wall. Darla turned her attention back on Buffy and hopped up onto the pool table.
Buffy knocked Cordelia flat on the floor, jumped up, grabbed the edge of the table, and pulled, knocking Darla onto her back. She pushed the table away, took hold of Cordelia's hand, and lifted her to her feet. The two of them started to run for cover. Buffy pushed Cordelia to run in another direction. Darla fired off a few rounds as she rode the table across the floor. Cordelia hid under the staircase and watched. Buffy leaped for cover over a glass case in a dive roll as bullets broke it all around her. The pool table stopped sliding, and Darla got up to look for Buffy. She hopped off it and advanced on the counter while shooting.
Tara got up and messed with the lighting system controls. The strobes came on. Darla looked up at her and stopped shooting. Buffy took the opportunity to change position. Darla saw her move and let loose another volley.
"C'mon, Buffy. Take it like a man!" Darla yelled.
Angel came up behind her, roared, and plunged the bolt into her back.
Darla was surprised and cried out in pain. She turned to look at her attacker. "Angelus?"
She fell to the floor. Buffy rose up to watch her die.
Angel looked up from Darla's body to Buffy. She came out from behind the counter. He looked at her a moment longer and then turned and left.
"Angel!" Cordelia yelled, running toward him.
Buffy looked at her. "Let him go."
Tara and Giles ran over to them. Tara hugged Buffy, and Buffy hugged her back.
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "I was so worried, sweetie."
Buffy reached up and lovingly stroked Tara's hair. "I was downright frightened. The guns. I just..." Buffy started crying. "One of my worst fears is being shot."
Tara nodded. "I can so relate, but you were amazingly brave."
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips, and they released each other.
Buffy looked at Cordelia and walked over to her. "Do you wanna talk?"
Cordelia started crying and shook her head. "No." She wiped away her tears. "C'mon, I'll drive you guys home."
"Actually, Giles left his car at the hospital, and I need to get some information on my mom's discharge tomorrow."
Cordelia nodded.
Joyce was asleep by the time that they arrived back at the hospital, but Buffy received the relevant information, and Cordelia drove her and Tara home.
Buffy woke up early the next morning and drove to the hospital. Joyce was discharged and wheeled outside. She stood up, and she and Buffy walked over to the Jeep. Buffy headed toward the driver side.
"Oh, I can drive, sweetheart."
Buffy unlocked the door. "It's okay, Mom, I've got it."
Soon, they were on the road, spending most of the trip in silence.
Buffy briefly looked at her mother. "You don't have to worry about Darla anymore."
Her mother didn't reply.
That evening, Buffy, Tara, and Cordelia were hanging out at the Bronze. They were sitting at a table and eating pizza for dinner.
Tara smiled. "Ah, the post-fumigation party."
"Okay, so what's the difference between this and the pre-fumigation party?" Buffy asked her.
"Much hardier cockroaches."
Buffy laughed.
Tara looked at Cordelia. "So...no word from Angel?"
"Nah. It's weird, though. In his way, I feel like he's still watching me."
"Well, in a way, he sort of is." Buffy pointed. "In the way of that he's right over there."
Cordelia looked over where Buffy was pointing and saw Angel. She looked back at Buffy and then started to stand up.
Buffy gently touched Cordelia's hand. "Cordy, I realize you like him, but...it's a bad idea."
Cordelia stared at her.
Buffy shrugged. "What kind of a relationship can you two have together? Him worrying about you? You growing old, wrinkly, and toothless and eventually dying and leaving him in even more pain?"
Cordelia frowned at Buffy. "We'll figure it out."
Buffy sighed. "Cordy, there's one other thing. He might have a soul, but that doesn't stop the bloodlust. I came across him looking at my mom with..." She paused and swallowed. "I will never forget that moment as long as I live. If I had arrived a minute later, he might have killed her."
Cordelia stared at her.
"That's all."
Cordelia stood up. Buffy and Tara watched as Cordelia made her way through the slow-dancing crowd over to Angel.
Cordelia and Angel reached each other.
"I just wanted to see if you were okay. And Buffy's mother."
"We're both good. You?" Cordelia asked.
"If I can go a little while without getting shot or stabbed, I'll be all right. Look, this can't-"
"-ever be anything. I know. For one thing, you're, like, two-hundred-twenty-four years older than I am."
"I just gotta...I gotta walk away from this."
Cordelia nodded. "I know. Me, too."
Neither of them moved.
Cordelia stared at Angel. "One of us has to go here." Her voice was barely a whisper.
"I know."
They looked at each other a moment longer and then closed in to kiss. Their kiss became passionate. Cordelia reached her hands up to Angel's neck. Eventually, they finished kissing and separated.
"You okay?" Cordelia asked him.
"It's just-"
"-painful. I know. See you around?" Cordelia asked.
He didn't reply. Cordelia turned and walked away.
Chapter 25: I Robot, You Jane
Chapter Text
"I Robot, You Jane"
Based on the Episode Written by Ashley Gable and Thomas A. Swyden
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
In the library at Sunnydale High, a book-scanning project was going on. Tara and a few other computer science students were seated at the table, scanning the books into the library's computer system. Buffy was hanging out there, too, and Giles expected her to help out. She was starting to regret her decision to accompany Tara to this project.
Buffy lifted the lid off a box and looked in. "Oh, great! A book!"
Buffy pulled the book out of the box and blew some of the dust off it.
Giles looked at her. "Oh, uh, I, uh, haven't gone through the new arrivals. Uh, put it in, uh, in - in that pile." He pointed with his book.
"Here, I'll get it." A boy named David Kirby got up from his computer.
"Oh, thanks, Dave. The Katrina pile."
Dave took the book from Buffy and went over to the pile of books next to Katrina Silber, a girl with long brown hair with blonde highlights.
"Uh, when I've examined it, you can, uh, uh, skim it."
Jennifer Calendar, the computer science teacher, looked at Giles. "Scan it, Rupert. That's scan it."
Giles gave her a look. "Of course."
"Oh, I know, our ways are strange to you, but soon you will join us in the twentieth century. With three whole years to spare!"
"Ms. Calendar, I'm sure your computer science class is fascinating, but I happen to believe that one can survive in modern society without being a slave to the, um, idiot box."
"That's TV. The idiot box is TV." Jenny indicated a computer. "This is the good box!"
"I still prefer a good book."
"The printed page is obsolete." Fritz Siegel stood up. "Information isn't bound up anymore. It's an entity. The only reality is virtual. If you're not jacked in, you're-"
"Jacked off?" Buffy finished, giving him a demented smile.
Fritz frowned at her, grabbed his books, and left.
"Thank you, Fritz, for making us all sound like crazy people." Jenny looked at Giles. "Fritz...Fritz comes on a little strong, but he does have a point. You know, for the last two years, more e-mail was sent than regular mail."
"Oh..."
"More digitized information went across phone lines than conversation."
"That is a fact that I regard with genuine horror."
"I'll bet it is." Jenny looked at the students. "All right, guys, let's wrap it up for today."
Katrina looked at her. "I've just got a few more. I'll hang for a bit."
Jenny smiled. "Cool! Thanks!"
Tara stood up, grabbed her bag, and pulled it onto her shoulder. "Ready to go, sweetie?"
"Hell yeah." Buffy followed her girlfriend to the door.
"Cordy, you wanna stay and help me?" Katrina asked.
Cordelia smiled at her. "No, I have a life." She turned and walked away.
"See you tomorrow!" Katrina called.
Cordelia waved without looking at her. Jenny stared at Cordelia.
Giles started to walk away. "I'm - I'm just gonna stay and clean up a little. I'll, uh, I'll be back in the Middle Ages."
"Did you ever leave?" Jenny asked him.
Giles stopped and looked back. Jenny was pleased with his reaction to her comment. He continued up the stairs.
A week later, Buffy was in a hall at Sunnydale High School. She noticed Katrina and ran to catch up with her as she slowly walked down the hall.
"Katrina! Katrina, hey, wait up!" Buffy reached her.
Katrina looked at her. "Oh, Buffy, I didn't even see you."
"Or hear me. What was up last night? I tried your line, like, a million times."
"Oh, I was - I was talking."
"Talking to...?" Buffy asked.
Katrina didn't answer.
"Okay, that's it, you have a secret, and that's not allowed."
"Why not?" Katrina opened her locker.
"'Cause...there's a rule."
"Well, I sort of met someone."
Buffy's face lit up. "I knew it! This is so important! When did you meet?"
"Last week after we did the scanning project in the library." Katrina closed her locker.
"Girl or guy?" Buffy asked her.
"Guy."
"Does he go here? What's his name? Have you kissed him? What's he like?"
"No, Malcolm, no, and very nice."
"You are a thing of evil for not telling me this right away!"
"Well, I wasn't sure there was anything to tell. But last night, oh! We talked all night; it was amazing. He's so smart, Buffy, and - and he's romantic, and we agree about everything!"
"What's he look like?" Buffy asked her.
"I don't know!" Katrina continued down the hall with a big smile on her face.
Buffy was confused and stared after her a moment, then started to follow.
Katrina and Buffy walked into the computer lab. Fritz and Dave were there, typing away.
"So...you've been seeing a guy, and you don't know what he looks like?" Buffy asked Katrina. "Okay, this is a puzzle. No, wait, I'm good at these. Does it involve a midget and a block of ice?"
Katrina gave her a look. "I met him on-line."
"Oh!"
Jenny strode quickly into the room wearing dark glasses and holding a mug of coffee in one hand and her books in the other. "Morning, kids!"
Buffy turned to look at her.
Jenny noticed Buffy as she headed to her desk. She put her mug down. "Buffy, are you supposed to be somewhere?" She took off her glasses.
"No, I have a free."
"Cool!" Jenny exclaimed. "But this is lab time, so let's make it a nice, short visit, okay?"
"Sure."
"You've got mail."
"It's him!" Katrina typed to get the message.
Buffy looked over Katrina's shoulder at the e-mail, which read "I'm thinking of you."
"He's so sweet!" Katrina exclaimed.
Buffy nodded. "He's a sweetie." She smiled nervously.
"What should I write back?" Katrina asked.
"Uh, Trina, I think it's really great that you have this cool pen pal, but don't you think you're kinda rushing all into this? Y'know what I mean?" Buffy asked.
"'I'm thinking of you, too!' No, that's incredibly stupid!"
"Trina, down, girl!" Buffy admonished. "Let's focus here, okay? What do you actually know about this guy?"
"Oh, see, I knew you'd react like this."
"Like what? I just wanna make sure you're careful, that's all."
"Buffy-"
"He could be different than you think."
"His name is Malcolm Black, he's eighteen, he lives in Elmwood, which is about eighty miles from here, and he likes me!"
"Short, tall, skinny, fat?"
"Why does everything have to be about looks?" Katrina asked her.
"Not everything, but some stuff is. I mean...what if you guys get really, really intense, and then you find out that he...has...a hairy back?"
"That stuff doesn't matter when you really care about each other. Maybe I'm not his ideal either."
"Hey, I'm just trying to make sure that he's good enough for you. I think it's great that you met someone."
Jenny was sitting at her desk. She got up holding some papers and walked over to Fritz. "Hey, Fritz, I'm, uh, lookin' at the logs. You and Dave are clockin' a pretty scary amount of computer time."
"New project."
"Ooh, will I be excited?" Jenny asked.
"You'll die."
Buffy aimlessly wandered the halls to kill time before her next class. She walked by the A/V Club room and saw Tara sitting on the couch and watching TV.
Buffy walked into the room. "Hey."
Tara looked at her and smiled. "Hey."
Buffy walked over, sat to Tara's left on the couch, and kissed her on the lips. "I didn't know you were in A/V Club."
"Well, not officially, but I have a reputation for knowing how to work a VCR, so I was asked to make a few copies of this video of the golf team."
Buffy looked at the TV. Three members of Sunnydale High's golf team were out on the green, looking directly at the camera. The one in the middle seemed to be the leader, and he did all of the talking.
"I'm just saying you better come out and support the team. Or else..." He looked at his buddies. "Boys?"
The three of them converged on the camera and raised their golf clubs threateningly.
"What's up?!" one of the other boys yelled before taking a swing.
The picture suddenly cut off.
Buffy stared at the screen, making a face.
Suddenly, a music video for the golf team came on. It highlighted the various team members in action on the green. The song accompanying the video was "So What'cha Want" by Beastie Boys. Buffy stared at the screen. However, when she witnessed a member of the golf team vigorously cleaning his shoe and making an orgasm face, she rolled her eyes and looked away.
"Mute it."
Tara picked up the remote control and pressed the Mute button. She looked at Buffy. "What's up?"
"Well, it's Katrina."
"What about her?"
"Well, first, thank you for introducing me to her. She's been a great friend."
Tara grinned. "Isn't she? She's so smart! She's into engineering and computers-"
"Yeah, well, it's just that-" Buffy stopped talking as she noticed Katrina walking by out in the hall.
Katrina was off in her own world and didn't notice them.
"Trina!" Buffy called.
Katrina snapped out of her daze and walked into the room. "Hey, guys."
"We goin' to the mall tonight?" Buffy asked her. "I wanna check out this new restaurant in the food court, Wok Like An Egyptian."
Katrina was confused.
Tara grinned. "It's owned by an Egyptian immigrant that loves Chinese food, so he decided to create his own cuisine that fuses the two. I've eaten there already. It's delicious. In particular, their Allah Forbids It! menu rocks my taste buds."
Katrina smiled. "Sorry, I think I'm gonna call it an early night."
"Oh, Malcolm, right?" Buffy asked her.
Katrina nodded. "Have a good time, though!" She quickly left.
Buffy and Tara watched her go and then turned their attention back to each other.
"Who's Malcolm?" Tara asked Buffy.
"Some guy that Trina's been seeing online."
"You - You can date on a computer?" Tara asked her, surprised.
"Apparently." Buffy was confused. "I'm surprised that you don't know. You're good at all that computer stuff."
Tara felt a bit embarrassed. "Well, I do gaming and hacking and coding and researching and shit like that, but I avoid socializing. Everyone's spelling is really bad, and it's...depressing."
Buffy smiled briefly but then frowned. "This Malcolm guy. What's his deal? I mean...tell me you're not slightly wigged. I mean...just not knowing what he's really like. Or who he really is."
Tara thought about it. "I guess so. But what can we do about it?"
The next day, Buffy was in the girls' locker room. Suddenly, Katrina came barging in.
"Whoa!" Buffy exclaimed. "You're the late girl."
"I overslept."
"Till fifth period? Talkin' to Malcolm last night?"
"Yeah." Katrina saw Buffy's look. "What?"
"Nothing."
"You're having an expression."
"I'm not. But if I was, it'd be saying 'This just isn't like you.'"
"Not like me to have a boyfriend?"
"He's boyfriendly?" Buffy asked.
"I don't understand why you don't want me to have this. I thought you'd be happy for me."
"I just want you to be sure. To meet him face to face. In daylight. In a crowded place with some friends. Y'know, before you become all...obsessive."
"Malcolm and I really care about each other. Big deal if I blow off a couple classes."
"I thought you said you overslept."
"Malcolm said you wouldn't understand."
"Malcolm was right."
Later, Buffy walked into the computer lab, saw Dave, went over to him, and sat in the chair next to him. "Dave?"
He was oblivious.
"Hey, Dave, anybody home?" Buffy put her hand on his shoulder.
Dave jumped in his seat. "Oh, what do you want?"
"I wanted to ask you something, if you have a minute."
"What is it?"
"Well, you're a computer geek - genius, and, uh, I sort of have a technical problem. If I wanted to find out something about someone, i-if someone e-mailed me, could I trace the letter?"
"Well, you could pull up somebody's profile based on their user name."
"But they write the profile themselves, right?" Buffy asked. "And so they could say anything they wanted."
"True."
"Wow! I had knowledge!" Buffy exclaimed.
Dave smiled.
"Well, is there a way to find out exactly where a letter - an e-letter - came from? I mean...the actual location of the computer?"
"That's a challenge."
"'Cause, you see, Katrina's got this boyfriend, Malcolm, and to tell you the truth, I think-"
"Leave Katrina alone."
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked, uneasy.
"That's none of your business."
Buffy thought of something. "Dave, are you Malcolm?"
Dave turned back to the PC. "Of course not." He started typing.
"Dave, what's going on?" Buffy asked.
"Look, I'll talk to you later, okay? I've got work to do."
Buffy got up and left the computer lab. She sighed. "So do I."
Buffy went to the library and told Giles about her concerns.
Buffy followed Giles down the stairs to the counter. "I'm telling you, something is going on. It's not just Trina. Dave, Fritz, they're all wicked jumpy."
"Those boys aren't sparklingly normal as it is."
"Giles, trust me."
"I-I do! I-I-I really don't know how to advise you. Things involved with a computer fill me with a childlike terror. Now, if it were a nice ogre or some such, I'd be more in my element. Well, I-I suppose you could, um, tail Dave, see if he's up to something."
"Follow Dave?" Buffy asked. "What, in dark glasses and a trench coat? Please. I can work this out myself."
After school, Buffy walked over to her locker, unlocked it, and took out her skateboard.
Cordelia walked over to her own locker. Buffy noticed she was wearing dark glasses and a dark coat.
"Cordy?" Buffy asked.
Cordelia looked at her. "Yeah?"
"Can I borrow your glasses and coat?"
Cordelia was confused. "Why?"
"Recon. Please, it's urgent."
Cordelia sighed and took them off. "Yeah, okay."
After Buffy put the coat and glasses on, she went outside to the student parking lot. She saw Dave get into his car, start it, and drive off. She watched him go, and then she dropped her skateboard on the pavement, got on, and followed him.
Buffy followed Dave to a building with a sign that read "CRD". He drove around back to the loading dock. She followed him. Dave drove up and got out. Buffy got off her skateboard, picked it up, walked over to the fence, and looked in. She saw Dave go up to a technician and start talking to him. After a moment, Dave and the technician went inside. Buffy waited a while and then left.
Chapter Text
The next day, at Sunnydale High, Buffy and Tara walked into the library before their first class.
"Giles, I followed Dave to a building yesterday after school. He met with someone, and they went inside." Buffy went and sat on the table. "Whatever Dave is into, it's large."
"What was the name of this place?" Giles asked her.
Buffy thought about it. "It said 'CRD'. But I couldn't get close enough to see what it was."
Tara looked at her. "Calax Research and Development. It's a computer research lab. Third largest employer in Sunnydale till it closed down last year."
"It closed?" Buffy asked her.
"Uh-huh."
"Looked pretty functional from where I stood. I don't have a clue what they were doing."
"And what do they need Dave for?" Tara asked.
"Something about computers, right?" Buffy guessed. "I mean...he is off-the-chart smart."
"We still don't know an enormous amount. Whatever is going on there may be on the up-and-up."
Tara looked at Giles. "No, if CRD opened, it would've been on the news."
Buffy nodded. "Besides, I can just tell something's wrong. My spider sense is tingling."
"Your...spider sense?" Giles asked in confusion.
"Pop culture reference. Sorry."
Giles cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I think we're still at a standstill. Uh, uh, short of breaking into the place, I don't see-"
"Breaking in!" Buffy slid off the table. "Then this is the plan!"
Tara grinned. "I'm free tonight!"
"Tonight it is!" Buffy went over to Tara.
"A moment, please, of quiet reflection. I do not suggest that you illegally enter the-"
Jenny entered the library.
"-data into the file, so the book will be listed by title as well as by author."
Jenny looked at Giles. "I just came by to check your new database, make sure your cross-reference table isn't glitching, 'cause I'm guessing you haven't gone anywhere near it."
"Uh, I'm still sorting through the chaos you left behind you."
"Hmm." Jenny looked at Buffy and Tara. "You're here again? Kids really dig the library, don't cha?"
Buffy grinned. "We're literary!"
Tara smiled. "To read makes our speaking English good."
"We'll be going now." Buffy looked at Tara and then turned to leave.
Giles looked at them. "Uh, w-we'll, uh, continue this conversation at another time."
Buffy briefly looked at him. "I think we're done."
Buffy and Tara left the library.
Buffy looked at Tara. "'To read makes our speaking English good'?"
Tara shrugged. "I panicked, okay?"
In the computer lab, Katrina was chatting on-line with Malcolm.
Malcontent: I've never felt this way about anyone before, Katrina. Kat69: I know what you mean. I feel like you know me better than anyone. Malcontent: I do. Kat69: Do you think we should...meet? Malcontent: I think we should soon. Kat69: I'm nervous. Malcontent: I'm not. Isn't that strange? Kat69: That's what Buffy doesn't understand, how comfortable you can make me feel. Malcontent: Buffy just makes trouble. That's why she got kicked out of her old school.
Katrina was puzzled and paused for a moment.
Kat69: How did you know that? Malcontent: It's on her permanent record.
She didn't respond, still puzzled.
Malcontent: You must have mentioned it. Kat69: I guess. Malcontent: Let's not worry about her anymore. Kat69: I have to sign off. I'll talk to you later. Malcontent: Don't. Kat69: Bye.
Katrina closed the chat program, turned off the monitor, got up, and left.
In the library, Jenny and Giles were in the middle of an argument.
Jenny was exasperated. "You're a snob!"
Giles was incredulous. "I am no such thing."
"Oh, you are a big snob. You - You think that knowledge should be kept in these carefully guarded repositories where only a handful of white guys can get at it."
"Nonsense! I simply don't adhere to a-a knee-jerk assumption that, because something is new, it's better."
"This isn't a fad, Rupert! We are creating a new society here."
"A society in which human interaction is all but obsolete? In which people can be completely manipulated by technology, well, well..." Giles paused. "Thank you, I'll pass."
Jenny cleared her throat. "Well, I think you'll be very happy here with your musty, old books." She opened the book that Buffy had unboxed.
"These musty old books have a great deal more to say than in any of your...fabulous Web pages."
"Hmm." Jenny paged through the book. "This one doesn't have a whole lot more to say."
Giles stared at the empty book.
"What is it, like a diary?" Jenny asked.
"How odd. I haven't looked through all the volumes yet; I didn't, um..." Giles closed the book and saw the etching on the cover.
"What is it?" Jenny asked.
"Uh, nothing, um, a-a diary, yes. I imagine that's what it is." Giles paused to think. "Well, it's been so nice talking to you." He headed to his office with the book.
'We were fighting."
"Must do it again sometime, yes. Bye, now."
She watched him disappear into his office.
At the end of the school day, Buffy walked out of the school.
Dave came up to her. "Buffy!"
"Dave! How're you doing?" Buffy asked.
"Okay. Uh, look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I haven't been getting much sleep lately, y'know?"
"Don't sweat it."
"Katrina was looking for you."
"Good, I need to talk to her. Do you know where she is?"
"She said she'd be in the - in the girls' locker room."
"Great. Thanks." Buffy looked at him a moment and then went to find Katrina.
Buffy walked into the girls' locker room. It was deserted. Buffy slowly walked down the aisle and into a row of lockers.
"Trina?" Buffy called. She walked further. "Katrina?"
Suddenly, she heard the sound of water coming from the shower.
"Trina? You taking a shower?" Buffy asked.
She went to the shower and saw it was on, but no one was there.
"I guess not." Buffy walked into the shower to turn off the water. "This is how droughts get started." She turned the water off.
"Buffy! Get out!" Dave called.
Buffy turned to him and noticed the exposed wires on the floor. They began to spark. She leaped out of the shower. An arc of electricity followed her for an instant. She landed on a changing bench and rolled off onto the floor. Dave ran from the locker room. Buffy sat up and looked over toward the showers. Then she looked down and realized the soles of her shoes were smoking.
Buffy stared at her shoes in shock. "Holy shit."
Later, in the library, Buffy sat at the table while Tara paced.
"I'm gonna fucking kill Dave!" Tara exclaimed in anger.
"He tried to warn me."
"Warn you that he set you up?" Tara looked at Giles. "Is she gonna be okay?"
"She was only grounded for a moment." Giles sat down and handed Buffy a mug of tea. "Still, if you'd been anyone but the Slayer-"
"Tell me the truth: how's my hair?" Buffy asked.
"It's great! It's your best hair ever!" Tara smiled and kissed Buffy on the lips.
Giles nodded. "Uh, oh, yes."
Buffy took a sip of hot tea. "I just...I don't understand what would make Dave do a thing like that."
"I think perhaps I do." Giles stood up and went over to get the book from his office. He came back, holding it up. "Does this look familiar to either of you?"
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, sure. Looks like a book."
Giles set it on the table. "In the Dark Ages, the souls of demons were sometimes trapped in certain volumes. They remained locked within the book, harmless, unless the pages were read aloud. Unless I'm mistaken, this is Moloch, the Corrupter. A very deadly and seductive demon. He draws people to him with promises of love, power, knowledge. Preys on impressionable minds."
Tara looked at him. "Like Dave's."
Giles nodded. "Dave and who knows how many others."
"And Moloch is inside that book?" Buffy asked.
"Not anymore." Giles opened the book.
"You released Moloch?" Tara asked him.
"Way to go!" Buffy yelled.
"I didn't read it!" Giles insisted. "That dreadful Calendar woman found it, and - and it was already blank."
"Okay, so a powerful demon with horns is walking around Sunnydale, and nobody's noticed?" Buffy asked.
"I-If he's so big and strong, why bother with Dave?" Tara asked. "I mean...why didn't he just attack Buffy himself?"
"I don't know. And I don't know who could've read that book. It wasn't even in English."
"Where was it?" Buffy asked.
"Uh, in a pile with others that were, um, uh, scanned."
They looked over at the PC.
"And that released the demon?" Tara asked.
"No, he's not out here." Buffy pointed to the PC. "He's in there."
Tara realized what had happened. "The scanner read the book. It brought Moloch out as information to be absorbed."
Buffy looked at her. "He's gone binary on us."
"You girls are saying Moloch is in this computer?" Giles asked them, dumbfounded.
Buffy nodded. "And every computer connected to it by a modem."
Giles thought about that. "He's everywhere."
"What are we gonna do?" Tara asked.
"Katrina scanned him into her file. It may be...a futile gesture, but I suggest we, um, uh, delete it."
"Solid!" Buffy got up and walked over to the PC.
Tara looked at her. "Don't get too close."
Buffy sat down in front of it. "Okay. Okay." She turned on the monitor. "So which file do you think it is? 'Katrina'? That's probably it, right? I'll just delete the whole thing."
Buffy dragged the file icon to the Recycle Bin and gasped in fright when Moloch's demonic face appeared on the screen.
"Stay away from Katrina! It is none of your business!" Moloch warned.
The screen returned to normal.
Buffy stared at the screen in shock. "So that's what Malcolm looks like. So much for delete file."
Giles was grim. "This is very bad."
Tara nodded. "Just think of all of the horrible shit that can he do."
"You mean besides convince a perfectly nice kid to try and kill me?" Buffy asked. "Let's see. How about mess up all the medical equipment in the world?"
Giles looked at Buffy. "Randomize traffic signals."
Buffy looked at Giles. "Access launch codes for our nuclear missiles."
"Destroy the world's economy."
"I think I pretty much capped it with that nuclear missile thing."
Giles nodded. "Right, yours was best."
"But what can we do about it?" Tara asked.
"I think the first thing we do is find Katrina. She's probably talking to him right now. God, that creeps me out!" Buffy exclaimed.
"What does he want with Trina?" Tara asked her.
"Let's never find out." Buffy got up. "Okay, I'm gonna check the computer lab, and you guys call her home."
Buffy walked into the computer lab and looked around. It was dark.
"Trina?" Buffy called.
The PCs suddenly all came on, startling her. She backed further into the room while looking around more. She turned around and jumped as she bumped into Dave. He was hanging from the ceiling with a note pinned to his shirt: "I'm sorry. I've been a terrible person. I'm a coward, and I can't go on living like this. Forgive me, Mom and Dad. At least now I'll have some peace. Remember me. Love, Dave."
Buffy stared at his lifeless body in horror, and then she vomited.
In the library, Tara was on the phone, trying to reach Katrina. She gave up. "No answer."
"Damn it!" Giles cursed.
Tara hung up. "Well, it wasn't busy either, so she's not on-line."
Buffy came back into the library.
Tara looked at Buffy. "She's not home."
"What did you find?" Giles asked Buffy.
Tara felt a sudden dread. "Katrina isn't-"
"Dave. He's dead."
"How?" Giles asked Buffy.
"Well, it looks like suicide."
Tara thought about it. "With a little help, perhaps?"
"I'd guess Fritz. Or the other zomboids from CRD." Buffy looked at Tara. "Okay, you and I are gonna go to Trina's house." She looked at Giles. "Giles, you need to come up with a way to get Moloch out of the 'Net."
"I-I have records of the ceremonies, but - but that's for a creature of the flesh. Th-This could be something completely different."
"Then get Ms. Calendar. Maybe she can help you."
"Well, even if she could, how am I gonna convince her that there's a demon in the Internet?"
"Okay, fine, then you can stay here and come up with a better plan." Buffy looked at Tara. "C'mon."
Katrina came home. She unlocked the front door and went in. "Mom? Dad? Sis?" She closed the door.
She went to her bedroom. She dropped her bookbag on her bed and opened it.
"You've got mail."
Katrina looked at her PC. She walked over to her desk, moved the mouse to turn the screen on, and checked her e-mail. She opened the e-mail from Malcolm. It read: "No more waiting. I need you to see me."
She turned off her monitor and went back to her bag. The monitor came back on by itself.
"You've got mail."
Katrina stared at it in disbelief. The doorbell rang; after another look at her computer, she went to answer it.
"Dad, did you forget your keys again?" Katrina opened the door.
No one was there. She turned to go back in. As she started to close the door behind her, she felt someone reach around her head with a cloth splashed with chloroform. Katrina struggled with her attacker briefly but then lost consciousness.
Tara and Buffy arrived at Katrina's house on Tara's scooter. Tara parked in the driveway, and they got off. They found the door open.
"Trina?!" Buffy called frantically.
They went inside.
Tara looked around. "This isn't good."
"Trina?!" Buffy called again.
They headed for Katrina's bedroom.
"Trina?!" Buffy called again.
They walked into the room and saw Katrina wasn't there.
"Okay, any thoughts?" Tara asked Buffy.
Buffy looked around and saw the e-mail on the computer. "'No more waiting. I need you to see me.'?" She looked at Tara. "See him how? Where?"
"What about CRD?" Tara suggested.
"The research place?"
"I'm guessing that's Moloch Central."
"Guessing that's our best lead. Let's just hope Giles can back us up."
They left the house.
In the library, Giles was researching in his office and listening to the radio.
"A spokesman for the archbishop denied the allegations, blaming computer error for the apparent financial discrepancy."
"Binding rituals..."
"In Washington, D.C., the FBI today reported that all of its serial killer profiles have been mysteriously downloaded from its central computer."
Jenny knocked on the door. "Hi. I got your message. What's so urgent?"
Giles turned off the radio and got up. "Um, thank you for coming. Uh, I need your help." He laughed nervously. "But before that, um, I need you to believe something that, um, you may not want to. Uh, there's, uh...something's got into the, um...i-i-inside, um..." He took a breath and let it out. "There's a demon in the Internet."
"I know."
Giles was surprised to hear that. He unfolded his arms and stood up. "You already know? How exactly is that?"
"Come on, there've been portents for days. I mean...power surges, on-line shutdowns. You should see the bones I've been casting. I knew this would happen sooner or later. I mean...it's probably a-a mischief demon, y'know, like Kelkor, or-"
"It's Moloch."
"The Corrupter? Oh, boy." Jenny sighed. "I shoulda remembered; I just don't-"
"Uh...you don't seem exactly surprised by..." Giles paused and stared at her. "Who are you?"
"I teach computer science at the local high school."
"A profession that hardly lends itself to the casting of bones."
"Wrong and wrong, snobby. You think the realm of the mystical is limited to ancient texts and relics? That bad old science made the magic go away?" Jenny shook her head. "Mm. The divine exists in cyberspace same as out here."
"Are you a witch?" Giles asked her.
Jenny shook her head. "Mm. I don't have that kinda power. 'Technopagan' is the term."
Giles let out a chuckle.
"There are more of us than you think."
"Well, uh, you can definitely help me." Giles got the book. "Um...what's in cyberspace at the moment is less than divine."
They went out into the main area.
"I have the binding rituals at hand, but I'm completely out of my idiom."
"Well, I can help! I think. I hope. I mean, well, this is my first real..." Jenny sat down at the PC. "Do you know how he got in?"
"He was, uh, 'scanned' is the term, I believe."
"And you want him back in the book?"
"Ideally."
Tara and Buffy arrived at Calax Research and Development. Tara parked her scooter. She and Buffy got off, took off their helmets, and stored them. Buffy walked over to a nearby pay phone, took out her book, opened it, picked up the handset, put in money, and called the school's library. The phone rang twice.
"Buffy?!" Giles answered.
"Yeah."
"Katrina?"
"Not at home. It looks like she was taken somewhere."
"Where are you?"
"CRD. Whatever Moloch wants Trina for, it's probably in there."
"Ms. Calendar and I are, uh, working to get Moloch off-line."
"Here's a tip: hurry!" Buffy hung up.
"What do we do now?" Tara asked her.
Buffy looked at her girlfriend in worry. "I'm not sure, sweetie."
Chapter Text
Katrina woke up feeling groggy. It was dark. She was lying on a table in a laboratory. After a moment, she sat up and looked around. She saw Fritz and a technician standing there - and beyond them a computer monitor.
"Welcome, my love. I can't tell you how good it is to see you with my own two eyes."
Katrina looked toward the source of the voice and was terrified. A metal hand slapped down on the monitor - a hand belonging to a hideous robot. Katrina breathed hard, very afraid.
"Katrina."
Katrina couldn't manage to raise her voice above a whisper. "Malcolm."
Fritz and the technician came to get her and took her by the arms.
Moloch slowly came closer. "This world is so new, so exciting. I can see all of it. Everything flows through me. I know the secrets of your kings. But nothing compares to having form again. To be able to walk..." He put his hand on Fritz's head. "...to touch..." He broke Fritz's neck. "...to kill."
Katrina watched Fritz's dead body fall. She looked back up at Moloch.
"Fuck it, we're going in." Buffy walked over to the fence and started climbing.
Tara did likewise. Once Buffy reached the top, she jumped down and landed on the other side of the fence. Tara, however, had to settle for climbing down the other side.
"Back way?" Tara asked.
Buffy nodded. "Back way."
They walked to the back entrance. Buffy kicked the doors open. She walked in determinedly. Tara followed.
In the school library, Jenny was lighting candles. "The first thing we have to do is form the circle of Kayless. Right?"
"Form a circle?" Giles asked her. "But there's only two of us. That's really more of a line."
"You're not getting it, Rupert. We have to form the circle inside." Jenny sat at the PC. "I'm putting out a flash. I just hope enough of my group responds."
"Won't Moloch just shut you down?"
"Well, I'm betting he won't figure out what we're doing until it's too late."
"Hoping and betting, that's what we've got."
"You wanna throw in praying?" Jenny asked him. "Be my guest."
"I don't understand. What do you want from me?" Katrina asked Moloch.
"I want to give you the world."
"Why?"
"You created me. I brought these humans together to build me a body. But you gave me life. Took me out of the book that held me. I want to repay you."
"By lying to me? By pretending to be a person? Pretending you loved me?"
"I do!"
In the lobby, Buffy and Tara walked up to the guard. He got up to stop them, but Buffy punched him out and continued walking.
Tara noticed the guard's monitor. "Buffy!"
Buffy came back to look. "It's her!"
"Yeah, but who's that?"
"Don't you see?" Moloch asked. "I can give you everything! I can control the world! Right now, a man in Beijing is transferring money to a Swiss bank account for a contract on his mother's life. Good for him!"
Katrina tried to ignore him and stared at the monitor.
Buffy and Tara went through the doors and found themselves in a hall.
Buffy found the door to the lab and tried to force it open. "I can't bust it. It's heavy steel."
"Then let's find another way in." Tara started toward the next set of doors.
Suddenly, an alarm went off, and red lights flashed. Tara jumped to the door to try it. It was locked.
Tara came back to Buffy. "What's goin' on?"
Buffy spied a security camera. "Building's security system is computerized."
A gas began to spray into the hall. Buffy and Tara pounded on the doors. Tara began to cough.
"Almost there."
"Couldn't you just stop Moloch by - by entering some computer virus?" Giles asked Jenny.
"You've seen way too many movies. Okay! We're up. You read, I type. Ready?"
"Uh, I am. By the power of the divine, by the essence of the word, I command you..."
"Let me leave!" Katrina demanded, surprising herself with her own forcefulness.
"But I love you!" Moloch exclaimed.
"Don't say that!" Katrina yelled. "That's a joke! You don't love anything!"
"You are mine!"
"I'm not yours! I'm never gonna be yours! Never!" Katrina yelled.
Moloch lowered his head and considered for a moment. Katrina watched and waited.
Moloch raised his head again. "Pity."
"By the power of the circle of Kayless, I command you..." Giles paused when he saw Jenny's typing. "Kayless with a 'K'."
Tara slid down the wall to the floor, almost unconscious. Buffy was still weakly hitting the door.
Moloch had Katrina cornered. He reached up and put his hand on her head. "I'll miss you."
Katrina screamed and started pounding on him with her fists.
"Demon, come!" Giles commanded. "I command you!"
Moloch screamed and lifted his arms in pain, letting go of Katrina. He began to writhe.
Buffy managed to get the door open and came into the lab with Tara close behind. Buffy leaped into a jumping side kick, making a dull thud when she connected with Moloch's chest, but he only staggered a bit, and she just fell to the floor.
"Ow! Shit!" Buffy yelled in pain. "Guy's made of metal!"
The technician grabbed Tara from behind and pulled her away. Buffy quickly got up and looked at Katrina.
Moloch continued to writhe in pain. "No! I won't go back!"
Buffy grabbed Katrina's hand, and they ran out of the lab.
Tara pushed the technician back into a wall, turned around, and punched him out. She quickly followed Buffy and Katrina out.
In the library, the computer sparked several times. Wind was blowing inside, and the computer monitor was flashing. Giles and Jenny watched the screen flicker.
The computer monitor stopped flashing. Smoke came out of the back of the monitor.
Jenny nodded. "He's out of the 'Net. He's bound."
Giles went over to the book, picked it up, and opened it to look. "He's not in the book."
Jenny got up and looked at it also. "He's not in the book. Well, where is he?"
Buffy and Katrina opened a set of doors and saw a guard and two technicians running toward them. They pushed the doors closed.
"Let's go this way!" Tara began to run the other way.
"Wait!" Buffy warned.
Suddenly, Moloch crashed through the wall between them. He looked at Tara and backhanded her in the face. Tara fell to the floor, unconscious. Moloch turned and advanced on Buffy and Katrina. He started to swing at Buffy, and she tried to block the hit, but he didn't budge and just pushed her aside and into the wall. She slid to the floor, a bit dazed.
Katrina got a fire extinguisher and slowly approached Moloch from behind.
"I was omnipotent. I was everything! Now, I'm trapped in this shell!" Moloch reached out to grab Buffy by the head.
"Malcolm!" Katrina yelled.
Moloch turned to face her.
"Remember me, your girlfriend?!" Katrina pounded the extinguisher into his chest hard enough to make him bend back. "Well, I think it's time we break up!" She hit him again, even harder.
She tried again for his face, but this time he grabbed the extinguisher from her and threw it down. He grabbed her and shoved her down the hall into Tara, who was just getting up. They both crashed to the floor.
Buffy recovered from her daze and stood up to face Moloch.
He turned his attention to her. "This body's all I have left. But it's enough to crush you!"
Buffy looked around for a way to deal with him. She noticed a power junction box on the wall. She faced him again and eased her way in front of the box. "Take your best shot."
Moloch reared back for a punch and swung. Buffy ducked away, and he punched right into the electrical box. It shorted out, and Moloch was enveloped by high-voltage electricity. Buffy ran over to Tara and Katrina and crouched down to protect them, shielding them with her body. Moloch's circuitry overloaded, and his body exploded. His head landed right in front of them.
The next day, in the computer lab, Jenny was standing at her desk and typing on her PC. Giles came in, cleared his throat, and knocked on the open door.
Jenny turned to see who was there and smiled. "Well, look who's here! Welcome to my world. You scared?"
"I'm remaining calm, thank you. Uh, I just wanted to, uh, return this." Giles held up a small, curly earring. "I found it among the new books, and naturally I thought of you."
"Cool. Thanks." Jenny took it.
"Uh, well, I'll - I'll see you anon." Giles began to go.
"Can't get outta here fast enough, can you?" Jenny asked him.
Giles came back in. "Truthfully, I'm even less anxious to be around computers than I used to be."
"Well, it was your book that started all the trouble, not a computer."
Giles was at a loss for words.
"Honestly, what is it about them that bothers you so much?" Jenny asked him.
"The smell."
"Computers don't smell, Rupert."
"I know! Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower or a-a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences...long forgotten. Books smell. Musty and - and - and - and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer is, uh, it...it has no - no texture, no - no context. It's - It's there, and then it's gone. If it's to last, then - then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible; it should be, um...smelly."
"Well! You really are an old-fashioned boy, aren't you?" Jenny asked him.
"Well, I-I don't dangle a corkscrew from my ear."
"That's not where I dangle it." Jenny walked past him and smiled.
Giles followed her with his gaze, puzzled.
Buffy walked by the A/V Club room and saw Tara sitting on the couch. She walked in.
"Hey. Copying another tape?" Buffy sat to Tara's left on the couch.
"Uh-huh."
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips and then looked at the television screen. It was another amateur music video. Three white boys were attempting to dance to a G-Funk beat. Two of them had black hair, and the other had blond hair. The three of them were wearing oversized blue jean shorts, Lakers jerseys, red bandanas, and snap back caps. One of the black-haired boys was taller than the others, and he appeared to be the leader and did all of the singing.
"You don't see what I see every day as Warren Mears. You don't hear what I hear, but it's so hard to live through these years. You don't see what I see every day as Warren Mears. You don't hear what I hear, but it's so hard to live through these years."
Buffy couldn't help laughing in amusement. "What the hell is this?"
"Some lame-ass music video." Tara picked up the remote control, pressed Mute, and set it down.
The two of them watched the video in silence for a while. Warren and his friends were cruising around Sunnydale in a station wagon, and Warren occasionally pointed a finger gun at the camera.
"'Yeah, you may be from Compton, but we're from Sunnydale, motherfuckers! You better recognize!'" Buffy mocked.
Tara laughed.
Buffy grew serious and looked at Tara. "Have you seen Trina today?"
"Not yet."
Just then, Katrina walked into the room. "Hey."
Buffy looked at her and scooted closer to Tara. "Hey. How are you feeling?"
Katrina sat to Buffy's left on the couch. "Okay, I guess. Thanks again for saving me."
"No problem."
"So...do you do shit like this often?" Katrina asked her.
Buffy nodded. "Unfortunately. I should probably get some business cards printed up."
Katrina laughed but then grew serious. "I'm really sorry for how I talked to you."
Buffy smiled at her. "Ain't no thang."
Katrina grinned.
Tara looked at her. "Well, I just hope you've learned to be more cautious when it comes to potential love interests."
Katrina was momentarily distracted by the music video but then looked at Tara. "Oh, yeah, definitely. I mean...a robot. What the fuck?"
"Yeah, that's life on the Hellmouth." Buffy shrugged. "We gonna go out to eat tonight?"
Tara nodded. "I'm down."
Katrina was hesitant. "I dunno."
"Oh, c'mon!" Buffy pleaded. "It'll be fun!"
"Well, I had plans."
"Plans?" Buffy asked, concerned.
"Well, I'm trying to reverse-engineer Moloch's robot body. That thing's fucking amazing!" Katrina exclaimed.
Buffy and Tara stared at Katrina in horror.
Katrina waited a moment and then grinned. "Psych!" She started laughing.
Buffy playfully punched Katrina's arm. "Don't do that!"
"So where are we going for dinner?" Tara asked them.
"Checkers? Doublemeat Palace?" Buffy suggested.
Katrina thought about it. "Mmmm, how about Wok Like An Egyptian?"
Buffy smiled. "Ooh, good choice! You're gonna love it, trust me."
Chapter 28: The Puppet Show
Chapter Text
"The Puppet Show"
Based on the Episode Written by Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
Buffy finished her breakfast of bacon, eggs, and sausage; stood up; and took her plate and utensils to the sink.
"Did you like your breakfast?" Joyce asked her.
"Yeah, it was fine."
Joyce looked at her. "Just fine? Not super? Great? Outstanding?"
Buffy picked up her bookbag and skateboard. "Someone's in need of a compliment. It's just breakfast, Mom."
"It's not that. It's just...you seem so difficult to impress these days."
"You know what would impress me?" Buffy asked her. "My own car."
"Nice try. Now, get going. You're gonna be late."
Buffy headed for the door. "It's okay, I'll just McFly it."
It took Joyce a moment to realize what Buffy meant. "No! You will go to and from school under your own power, young lady!"
Buffy sighed and opened the door. "Fine. Oh, hey, I'll be a bit late getting home. There's something that I wanna check out after school."
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina walked into the Sunnydale High School auditorium. They went down the center aisle and saw Giles sitting in a seat. He did not want to be there.
Buffy drew a breath. "If it isn't the great producer!"
They went into the seats and sat around Giles.
Katrina smiled. "Had to see this to believe it."
Giles looked at them. "Oh. You four."
"The school talent show. How ever did you finagle such a primo assignment?" Buffy asked him.
"Our new Fuehrer, Mr. Snyder."
Tara smiled. "I think they call 'em 'principals' now."
"Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but, uh, he would have none of it."
Buffy smiled. "Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny."
"If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated - or at least, um, helped."
"Nah!" Buffy replied. "I think I'll take on your traditional role...and watch!"
"And mock!" Amy added.
"And laugh!" Tara added.
The four girls all laughed.
"Yes, well, moving along..." Giles checked his clipboard and looked up. "Cordelia Chase!"
Cordelia walked out onto the stage and over to the microphone stand. She picked up the microphone and waited.
"Ready when you are."
Cordelia started dancing in place. "Stage light splashing! The feeling's smashing! My heart and soul belong to you! And I'm here now, singing! All bells are ringing! My dream has finally come true!"
Buffy laughed in amusement. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me."
"Shh!" Giles admonished her.
"Stage fright, go away! This is my big day! This is my time to be a star! And the thrill that I feel, it's really unreal! I can't believe I've come this far! This is my time to be a star!" Cordelia sang.
"Thank you, Cordelia. Uh, Lisa Campiti! Please!"
Cordelia put the microphone back on its stand and walked down off the stage as Lisa set up with her tuba. Cordelia walked over to Giles and the others as Lisa began her solo. Giles rubbed his eyes. Cordelia sat next to Buffy.
Buffy looked at Cordelia and smiled in amusement. "I can't believe you picked that fucking song."
"Yeah, well, I was gonna go with 'The Greatest Love of All', but then I remembered that episode of Hey Dude where Melody wanted to sing it in a beauty pageant, and Jake said the performance rights were too high."
Buffy stared at her, unsure how to react. "I don't think anybody would have fucking cared. And you watch Hey Dude?"
Cordelia frowned at Buffy. "If you tell anybody, I will fucking end you."
"O-kay. I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles to this business he calls a show."
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina got up and started back up the aisle. Principal Snyder was waiting there for them.
"Principal Snyder!" Buffy exclaimed in surprise.
"So. We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of."
"No!" Buffy replied in a panic. "No, we don't. W-Unless you do."
"And we think our afternoon classes are optional. All four of you left campus yesterday."
"Yeah, but we were fighting a demon-"
"Fighting?" Snyder asked Buffy.
Buffy shook her head. "Not fighting."
Katrina shook her head. "No, we, uh, left to avoid fighting."
"Real anti-social types. You need to integrate into this school, people." Snyder crossed his arms. "I think I just found four eager new participants for the talent show."
"What?" Buffy asked in horror.
"No!" Amy yelled.
"Please?" Tara begged.
"I've been watching you four. Always getting into one scrape or another."
Buffy looked him in the eyes. "Well, we're really, really sorry, but about the talent show, pleeease, you can't make us-"
"My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was eaten. You're in my world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time." Snyder started past them down toward the stage.
"Can I just mention...that detention is a time-honored form of punishment?" Amy asked.
Buffy nodded vigorously in agreement.
"I know the four of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh. At." Snyder continued down to the stage.
Buffy spaced out and moaned. She walked back into Giles' row, sat next to him, and looked to him for sympathy. He had none to give and tried to hide a smirk. Cordelia was gone. The tuba solo was over.
"Thank you!" Giles told Lisa.
Lisa left the stage. Giles made some notes. Buffy put her feet up on the chair in front of her, bored. She started to doze off.
After a while, Giles looked up. "Morgan Shay!"
Buffy suddenly woke up, startled.
"Morgan Shay!" Giles called again.
Morgan came onto the stage with his dummy and set up.
Buffy frowned. "Ewww, dummy!"
Tara sat behind Buffy. "I think dummies are cute. You don't?"
Buffy shook her head. "Uuuhhh. They give me the wig. Ever since I was little."
"What happened?" Tara asked her.
"I saw a dummy. It gave me the wig." Buffy paused. "There really wasn't a story there."
Amy and Katrina joined Tara, sitting down to watch more of the tryouts.
"Hi. I'm Morgan." He moved the dummy's head. "And I'm Sid!"
He was an awful ventriloquist, and Giles winced. Buffy raised her eyebrows and stared in disbelief.
"Hey, Morgan, would you like to tell some jokes? Would I?! As a matter of fact, it is! It's also a wood nose and a wood mouth!"
Tara couldn't believe his act either. Morgan laughed nervously for Sid. Buffy looked at Giles. He took off his glasses.
"I didn't sleep at all last night. All right, time out. Let's stop this before someone gets hurt. Kid, you are the worst. Even I can see your lips move."
Buffy started to giggle. Giles looked up again and put his glasses back on, intrigued now that he saw he may have at least one good act.
"C'mon, Sid. You're spoiling my act. I worked on these jokes for weeks. You call those jokes? My jockey shorts are made out of better material."
A few students had gathered at the edge of the stage to watch Morgan's act and laughed.
"And they're edible!"
That got more laughs from the students. Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina were into it now, too.
"There, you see?" Giles asked. "I'm sure you four can come up with something...equally exciting. Okay, thank you! Marc Roberts, please!"
Marc came out onto the stage with a hat and set up.
"I reach into the hat, and out...comes..." Marc lifted the hat and looked around frantically. "Has anybody seen a rabbit?" He began to search along the floor.
Buffy turned around, hopped over her seat, and sat to Tara's right. She kissed her girlfriend on the lips and smiled. "Hi."
Tara smiled. "Hi."
Buffy looked at her friends. "So what do you wanna do?"
Katrina shrugged. "A scene from a play, maybe?"
Amy smiled. "Or maybe magic?"
Tara thought about it. "I like Trina's idea. A dramatic scene is the easiest way to get through the talent show, because it doesn't require an actual talent."
"But we have talent. We can do stuff." Amy looked at Buffy. "Buffy, uh-"
"What am I gonna do?" Buffy asked her. "Slay vampires on stage?"
Amy smiled. "Maybe in a funny way!"
Buffy looked at her skeptically.
Amy looked at Tara. "Tara, you can do stuff. Uh, the piano..."
Buffy looked at Tara in surprise. "You play?"
"A little."
"Well, that's cool. You can accompany us, and we can attempt to sing."
"Oh, i-in front of other people?" Tara asked her. "Then, no, I don't play..."
"Oh, c'mon!" Amy exclaimed. "Did you hear Cordy? She was horrible. All that we have to do is be slightly better."
Buffy thought about it. "Yeah, and it's not like we even have to win; it's just a lame-ass talent show."
"So are we going with singing or the play?" Katrina asked.
Buffy thought some more. "What if we half-ass a play for the talent show, and we form a band for ourselves?"
Tara stared at Buffy in horror. "A band?"
"Where did this come from?" Katrina asked her.
"Well, I could use a car, but my mom won't get me one. If we can get decent enough, maybe we can get some gigs at the Bronze, and I can pay for it myself."
No one said anything for a while.
Finally, Amy grinned. "That's good! Money's good!"
Giles turned around and looked at them in annoyance. "Will you girls please take this conversation elsewhere?"
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina stood up and walked up toward the exit.
Sid whistled at the girls. They looked at him and Morgan.
"Mm, mm, mm. Look at the goodies!"
Morgan looked embarrassed.
Tara went over to him. "Morgan, you're really getting good! Where did you come up with that voice?"
"It's kind of an imitation of my dad."
"Sounds real!" Buffy complimented.
"It is real. I'm the one with the talent here. The kid's dead weight." Sid looked at Tara. "How about you and I do a little rehearsin' on our own, honey?"
"Uh, hey!" Buffy objected.
Tara leaned against Buffy. "Sorry, Morgan, not interested."
"Aw, c'mon! You know what they say: once you go wood, nothin's as good!"
Buffy crossed her arms. "Okay, Morgan. We get the joke. Horny dummy, ha, ha, it's very funny, but you might wanna consider getting some new schtick. Unless you want your prop ending up as a Duraflame log."
Morgan and Sid exchanged a look.
Sid looked at Tara. "Hey, Tara, let me know how you would handle this hypothetical situation. You and your friend, Jack, go out horseback riding."
"I don't have a friend named Jack."
"It's a hypothetical. Anyway, when you finish your ride, Jack is scared and has trouble getting down. Would you help jack off the horse?"
Tara was about to answer, but then she realized it was a trap, so she smiled dementedly. "No, I'd suck it off."
"You'd what?" Sid asked in surprise.
Tara stared at Sid. "You heard me. I'd take that horse's sweet, delicious cock in my mouth and give it the best blowjob that I could, and then I'd drink all of its cum, which is truly sweet ambrosia."
Sid didn't say anything. His mouth just hung open.
"That's what all of the cool dykes and fags are doing these days." Tara looked up at Morgan. "Ain't that right, Morgan?"
Morgan stared at her for a moment, frowned, turned, and walked away. He came across Harmony. "Hey, Harmony, let me know how you would respond to this hypothetical situation..."
"And I prefer silicone rubber, dummy!" Tara yelled after him.
Buffy started laughing, and Amy and Katrina joined in.
Meanwhile, Principal Snyder had gone to Giles. "Kids today need discipline. That's an unpopular word these days, 'discipline'. I know Principal Flutie would have said 'Kids need understanding. Kids are human beings.' That's the kind of woolly-headed, liberal thinking that leads to being eaten."
"I-I think perhaps it was a little more complex than, um-"
"This place has quite a reputation. Suicide, missing persons, spontaneous cheerleader combustion. You can't put up with that. You've gotta keep an eye on the bad element." Snyder turned around and nodded toward the girls. "Like those four. Kids. I don't like them. From now on, you're gonna see a very different Sunnydale High. Tight ship, clean, orderly..." He faced Giles. "...and quiet."
Suddenly, a scream filled the auditorium. Giles stood up. A blonde girl named Emily Djiemanowicz came running out from backstage.
"Emily! What is it?!" Giles asked her.
Emily was on the verge of hysterics. "It's Lisa! I just found her backstage! Her-Her heart's been cut out of her chest, and she's been stuffed head-first into her tuba!"
Giles stared at her, aghast. Then he slowly turned to look at Snyder, who was scowling.
The girls stood in shock upon hearing this news.
Katrina frowned. "Damn! I hate this school."
Tryouts were canceled for the rest of the day. The paramedics came and took the body away. The tuba was also confiscated for evidence. A police officer questioned Emily.
"Can I go now?" Emily asked him. "I've got a cross-country meet at Melville."
"Sure, Miss Djiemanowicz. Thank you for your cooperation."
Emily walked over to Giles. "Is it okay if I do my dance routine tomorrow, Mr. Giles?"
"Of course, Emily. Of course."
Emily walked away. As she passed Buffy, who was heading toward Giles, Buffy briefly put a comforting hand on Emily's shoulder.
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina walked over to Giles.
"Uh, it must have happened just after, uh, her tryout."
"Vampire?" Buffy asked him.
"Um, I think not."
"Her heart being removed, does that mean anything to you? Besides..." Buffy shuddered. "Oooooooh?"
"Uh..." Giles sighed. "There are various demons which - which feed off human hearts, but..."
They looked and saw a police officer walking by with a knife inside an evidence bag.
Buffy nodded. "But demons have claws. And teeth."
Amy nodded. "They got no use for a big old knife."
Giles nodded. "Which more than likely makes our murderer-"
"Human." Buffy stared at him darkly.
"Did I mention that I hate this school?" Katrina asked.
Tara felt sick. "So Lisa was killed by a regular human person."
Giles nodded. "The evidence certainly points that way."
"No, wait. I-I'm not buying, you guys. Remember the Hellmouth?" Buffy asked. "Mystical activity is totally rife here. This to me says demon."
"I'd like to think you're right. A demon is a creature of evil, pure and very simple. A person driven to kill is - is, um, it's more complex."
Tara nodded. "The creep factor is also heightened. It could be anyone."
"Uh, demon or no, we have some investigating to do. I suggest we start with your...your talent show compatriots. One of them may have been the last to see her alive."
The next day, after eating a quick lunch, the interviews began. Buffy went out to the track to talk to Emily, who was doing some stretching exercises.
"Em, can I talk to you?" Buffy asked.
"Sure."
"How are you holding up?"
Emily shrugged. "As well as can be expected, I guess."
"Oh, congrats on taking first yesterday."
Emily smiled. "Thanks."
"Um, about Lisa..."
"I didn't know her too well. There's that whole dancer/band rivalry, y'know?"
"I've heard about that."
"But I did speak to her a little the day that..." Emily paused. "Yesterday."
"How did she seem?"
"She was happy. I guess. She was psyched to be doing the show. She was a really good musician." Marc shuffled a deck of cards. "Here, pick a card."
"Uh, um..." Giles reached for a card.
"No, wai-wai-wai-wait. Not that one. Pick this one."
Giles took the card. "Do you remember the last time you saw her?"
"She was talkin' to someone."
"Who?"
"That smart guy. The one with the dummy. What's his name?" Elliot asked, walking into a classroom.
"Morgan?" Tara asked, following him.
"Yeah, that's it. He was actin' kinda strange."
"Strange how?"
"It's just such a tragedy for me. Linda was, like, my best friend." Cordelia picked up her pom-poms, ready to practice a cheer.
Amy looked at Cordelia in surprise. "Lisa."
"Right, Lisa!" Harmony unlocked her locker and opened it. "Sweet, sweet girl! Such a tragedy!"
Katrina rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure you feel that way. Anyway, you didn't notice anything strange?"
"You mean other than that asshole with the dummy?" Harmony asked her.
"Oh, don't get me started on him. I thought he was funny at first, but he turned out to be a misogynist." Katrina shuddered. "And that stupid joke about the horse. I mean...you'd have to be a complete retard to fall for that."
Harmony smiled, embarrassed. "Um, right! Totally!"
"Well, Morgan's just strange. He's always rubbing his head a lot and moaning." Emily got a bottle of Gatorade from a cooler. "Especially yesterday."
"He seemed kinda paranoid..." Marc nodded. "Lookin' around at everyone..."
"And I think I saw him arguing...with his dummy."
Tara made a face.
"All I can think is...it coulda been me!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Amy rolled her eyes. "We can dream."
After talking to Emily, Buffy went in through the front side door of the auditorium. She looked around and walked over to the stage. She saw Sid on a stool, facing the curtain.
"Right now, you and me gotta be on the lookout. Figure out who's gonna be next." Morgan walked onto the stage. "How are we supposed to..." He saw Buffy. "Oh, hi."
"Hello."
"I was just working on throwing my voice." Morgan walked upstage.
"Uh, Morgan, did you notice anything weird going on around here yesterday?" Buffy asked him.
Morgan gathered Sid up. "Weird? What d'you mean?" He went down the steps from the stage.
"With Lisa. Did she say anything to you? Was she arguing with anyone?"
Morgan went over to Sid's case. "No. She was playing." He opened the case. "Sid and I were talking."
"Talking."
"Rehearsing."
"So...you didn't notice anything weird at-"
Morgan held his hand to his forehead in pain and sat down. "Ohhh!"
"Morgan, are you okay?" Buffy asked him.
"Look, sweetheart! He answered your question. Now, leave him alone!"
Morgan's pain subsided, and he looked up at Buffy.
"Okay, Morgan, how 'bout talking to me yourself now?" Buffy asked him.
"He said all he's gonna say."
Buffy stared at Morgan, losing patience with him.
Morgan looked nervously between Buffy and Sid. He got up. "It's okay, Sid. We're done." He put Sid in his case.
"I'm sorry. Look, I didn't mean to make you mad."
"No! I'm..." Morgan lowered his voice. "It's him!" He indicated Sid. "He's..." He closed the case. "We have to go." He grabbed the case and left.
Buffy was taken aback. "Cute couple."
After school, the five girls went to the library.
Amy looked at the others. "Okay, next time we split up, someone else is on Cordy detail. Five more minutes with her, and we woulda had another organ donor."
Katrina looked at her. "At least, you didn't get Harmony."
Tara looked at the others. "I think I had a bit more luck. Everyone I talked to seemed to point their fingers at the same person."
They all went into Giles' office.
"Morgan?" Buffy asked.
Tara nodded. "Morgan."
Giles looked at them. "I fear I was led to the same conclusion."
"Well, what do we do?" Tara asked. "We don't slay him, right? We wanna bring him to justice."
Amy shrugged. "Speak for yourself."
Katrina raised a hand. Amy slapped her five.
"We could set up a complex sting operation where we get him to confess!" Tara suggested.
Buffy looked at her friends. "Whoa, hey, you guys, all we know is that Morgan is a grade A large weirdo. That doesn't lead directly to murderer."
"Guy talks to his puppet!" Katrina exclaimed.
Tara nodded. "And for his puppet."
"Well, yeah, but what about the whole 'it's a demon' theory?" Buffy asked.
Giles looked at her. "I'm looking into that, but, uh, my investigation is somewhat...hampered by our life in the theater."
"Uh, priority check, Giles?" Buffy weighed the two with her hands. "Talent show, murder."
"Yeah, we can't do the talent show; it's unthinkable. I'm not able to think it!" Katrina exclaimed sarcastically.
"Principal Snyder is watching us all very closely. Now, if he chooses, he can make all our lives extremely difficult. A Slayer cannot afford that! We will find this murderer, but in the meantime...the show must go on."
Buffy pouted. "This is so unfair."
"Buffy, you, uh, watch Morgan. Check his locker; see if there's anything there."
"Like a heart?" Tara asked him.
"Or something."
Buffy nodded. "All right."
"I'll pull up his locker number." Tara went to the PC.
Buffy quietly went through the doors from the stairwell and into the hall, looking around to see if anyone was there. She passed a door and heard a sound. She twisted around to look behind her toward the sound but saw nothing. She went back to looking for Morgan's locker and found it.
Buffy started to work the combination. "Okay...two to the left, three to the right..." She looked in both directions again and then slammed her palm into the lock.
When she took her hand away, there was a clean hole. She reached in with her fingers and undid the latch. She looked around in the locker and was about to take Sid's case out when someone grabbed her hand from behind, startling her.
"Principal Snyder!" Buffy exclaimed.
"What are you doing?" Snyder asked her.
"Uh, looking for something."
"School hours are over. You, therefore, should be gone."
"And I'm going any minute now." Buffy laughed nervously.
"There are things I will not tolerate: students loitering on campus after school, horrible murders with hearts being removed, and also smoking."
"Well, I don't do any of those things. Not...ever."
"There's something going on with you. I'll figure it out sooner or later."
Buffy smiled.
"Do you need something here?" Snyder asked her.
"Oh!" Buffy looked into the locker. "Yeah! Right! Um, a friend wanted me to get something...out of his case!" She pulled the case partially out of the locker, opened it, and was surprised to find it empty. She quickly closed it and looked at Snyder. "He must've taken it and just forgotten to tell me."
"Mm-hmm. Get along home now. It's late." Snyder turned and headed down the hall.
Buffy watched him go.
That night, Buffy got ready for bed. She pulled down the cover and sheet.
Her mother knocked on the door and came in. "Hi, hon. How's it, uh, going with the talent show?"
"It'll be over soon."
Joyce let out a laugh. "It can't be that bad! I, for one, am looking forward to seeing your act."
"Seeing?" Buffy asked, surprised. "I-In the sense of actually attending?"
"Of course!"
"Uh-uh! No, Mom, y-y-you can't! And, I mean, if I know you're out there watching, I'll freeze up; stage fright."
"But I wanna support what you're doing!"
"Look, Mom, if you really love me and wanna show your support, you'll stay away. Far away."
"Honey, is there, uh..." Joyce paused. "Is there something bothering you? I-I mean...besides your fabulous debut."
"Well, you heard about the murder, right?" Buffy asked her.
"Yeah, horrible. Is that why you don't want me to attend?"
"Well, yeah."
"Honey, what are the chances of a murderer striking the same talent show twice?" Joyce asked her.
"We're on a Hellmouth, Mom."
"Still." Joyce smiled at her. "Get some sleep."
"Good plan." Buffy got into bed. "Oh, Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"The girls and I have an idea of forming a band."
"A band?"
"Yeah. To perform gigs and stuff. I figure maybe I could earn money to buy my own car."
Joyce looked at her daughter skeptically. "A used car. No frills."
"That's fine."
"Can you even sing? Or play an instrument?"
Buffy shrugged. "I can sing better than Cordy. As for an instrument, Tara's on keyboard. I was thinking maybe a guitar."
Joyce considered it. "Well, you don't have any other after-school activities..."
"Well, you know, except..." Buffy made downward thrusting motions with her right hand.
Joyce stared at her in confusion.
Buffy sensed her confusion and picked up a stake from her night stand. She made downward thrusting motions with it.
Joyce continued staring at her. "That's...nice, sweetheart, but you should be more careful. I'll get you a dildo, if you want."
"Oh!" Buffy realized how she appeared and blushed. "No! But yes! Thank you! Much appreciated! But I meant vampire-"
Joyce raised a hand. "Yeah, yeah, okay. Anyway, my point is, if this is something that you want to pursue, go for it. It'll be a good lesson in responsibility."
Buffy smiled. "Thanks, Mom."
Joyce smiled. "Good night."
"Good night."
Joyce left the room and closed the door behind her. Buffy reached over and turned off her lamp in front of the window.
Buffy woke to the sound of quick, light footsteps and sat up. More footsteps. She saw something go under her bed and leaned over the edge to look underneath. Nothing. She sat back up and saw Sid there. She screamed and knocked him off the bed. Sid ran away. Buffy quickly got out of bed as her mother rushed into the room and turned on the light.
"Honey, what is it?" Joyce asked.
Buffy ran over to her mother, frightened. "In the bed, in the covers, there's something!"
"Where?"
They went to the bed to investigate.
"There's something there."
Joyce grabbed the covers and went through them. "Well - Well, there-there's nothing there now. Are - Are you sure you didn't have a nightmare?"
"No! There's some..." Buffy paused. "There is..." She sighed and put her hands on her head. "Yeah..." She paused. "You're probably right." She sighed again and dropped her hands. "I'm sorry I got you up."
"Don't worry about it. I was dreaming about bills." Joyce kissed Buffy's forehead and then pointed. "Sweetheart, you shouldn't go to sleep with the window open." She touched her daughter's cheek and then left the room.
Buffy looked at her window, confused. "I didn't."
Chapter Text
The next morning, at Sunnydale High School, before classes, Tara, Amy, and Katrina were sitting in seats and watching the dress rehearsals.
Marc was standing on the stage, doing his magic act. "And my lovely assistant steps into the box..."
Harmony stepped into the box.
He closed the door and turned the box around.
"And...behold!" Marc opened the box.
Harmony was still there.
"You were supposed to leave!" Marc yelled at her.
Harmony rolled her eyes. "You were being uncommunicative!"
Tara, Amy, and Katrina laughed. Marc closed the door to the box and butted his head against it.
Giles came out from backstage with Cordelia close behind.
"I don't understand why I...why I have to follow Brett and his stupid band."
"Because we have to clear their equipment before the finale. I told you."
"But the mood! It'll be all wrong!" Cordelia got in front of him and stopped him. "My song is about dignity and human feelings and personal...hygiene or something."
"It's about you."
"Point taken. Anyway, it's sappy, and no one is gonna be feeling sappy after all that rock and roll."
Giles didn't want to hear it. He gave Cordelia a look like something was wrong.
"Uhhh, what?" Cordelia asked.
"Oh! I'm sorry. Um, your hair, uh-"
"There's something wrong with my hair?" Cordelia pulled it behind her ears.
Giles remained silent but continued to stare.
"Omigod!" Cordelia quickly left.
Giles saw Buffy come down the aisle and went over to her. "Hello. You look a bit worse for, uh..."
Buffy headed into the seats to her friends.
Giles followed her. "What, exactly, are you the worse for?"
"Where's Morgan?" Buffy sat next to Tara.
"Uh, I-I...haven't seen him."
"Did he do something to you?" Tara asked Buffy in concern.
"No, it was his...Sid, the dummy."
Giles gave her a look.
"Okay, everyone look at me like I'm in a bunny suit, 'cause that's how stupid I feel saying this." Buffy paused. "I think Sid was in my room last night."
"With Morgan?" Katrina asked.
"No. He was alone. And alive."
"Did you see him?" Amy asked her.
"Well, I saw something. I-It ran across my floor, under my bed, and then it attacked me."
"Attacked you? How?" Giles asked her.
"It was like it pounced on my face."
"Like a cat."
Buffy looked at Tara. "Yeah, exactly! But when I turned the lights on, it was already gone. I-I think it went out my window."
Amy nodded. "Like a cat."
"Yeah! No! It was Sid, the dummy."
Giles looked at her skeptically. "Or possibly the nightmare of somebody who had...dummies on her mind."
Katrina looked at Buffy. "You did say they creep you out."
"Excuse me? Can I have a little support here, please?" Buffy asked. "I'm not just some crazy person; I'm the Slayer."
"If you think there's something to this, we should look into it." Tara kissed Buffy on the lips.
Buffy smiled. "Thanks, sweetie."
All of them saw Morgan walk by, carrying Sid. Morgan opened Sid's case.
Buffy frowned. "I'd like to see Morgan without his better half for a few minutes. Bet he could tell me something."
Morgan sat down with Sid on his lap.
"Oh, uh, i-if it's any consolation, I...I may have found a possible demon culprit." Giles held up a book. "The-There's a reference in here to a brotherhood of seven demons who take, uh, the form of young humans. Every seven years, these demons need human organs, a-a-a brain and a heart, to maintain their humanity. Otherwise they - they - they revert back to their original form, which is, uh, uh, slightly less appealing." He handed Katrina the book open to a sketch of one of the demons.
Tara looked at Giles. "So Morgan could still be the guy, only demon Morgan instead of crazy Morgan."
Morgan fussed with Sid's shoes.
"It's said that these demons are - are - are preternaturally strong, and - and - and...Morgan is - is..." Giles paused. "Well, he seems to be getting weaker every day."
Morgan put his hand on his head. Buffy observed him.
In history class. Mrs. Jackson walked around the room while she lectured. "It was as a result of this that President Monroe put forth the eponymous, meaning named after one's self, Monroe Doctrine, which in one sense established the U.S. as a local peacekeeper."
Buffy wasn't paying attention; she was intently watching Sid. Sid turned his head back to look at her and lowered his brows. Buffy was creeped out and looked down at her desk. A moment later, she looked back up at him. Sid just stared back.
Cordelia noticed and leaned over to Buffy. "Looks like someone digs you. That's adorable. You and the dummy could tour in the freak show!"
Cordelia smiled smugly as she leaned back into her chair. Buffy said nothing; she just looked back at Sid, then down at her desk again.
"Okay, who can tell me how Spain responded to this policy?" Mrs. Jackson asked.
Sid was whispering to Morgan.
"Morgan?" Mrs. Jackson asked. "Morgan?"
Morgan looked at Sid, then up. "What?"
Sid looked at Mrs. Jackson. "Morgan has other things on his mind."
Most of the students laughed.
Mrs. Jackson approached Morgan. "Give me your puppet."
"I'll put him away."
Mrs. Jackson took Sid. "You'll get it back after school." She opened a cupboard, put Sid in, and closed it. "Okay, then. In the first part of the nineteenth century-"
"I'm still watchin' you."
Buffy looked at the cupboard.
"Morgan, that is enough!" Mrs. Jackson yelled.
Cordelia and Buffy looked at Morgan. Cordelia looked back at Buffy, then at Mrs. Jackson.
After school, Buffy, Tara, Amy, Katrina, and Giles walked to the library, their arms full of an assortment of random costumes for their dramatic scene.
"So...have you decided which scene you're performing?" Giles asked them.
Buffy shook her head. "Nah. Snyder's making us do this. We're just gonna make up random shit."
Tara smiled. "Random Shit: A Dramatic Interpretation."
They walked into the library.
Cordelia was sitting on the table, holding Sid.
"Where did you get that?" Buffy asked her, dumping the costumes on the table.
"Oh, I, uh, took it out of Mrs. Jackson's cupboard. I thought you said you wanted to be able to speak to Morgan alone."
Buffy stared at Sid uncomfortably. "Okay. I'll go find Morgan."
Giles looked at her. "I imagine he's looking for his puppet."
Buffy started to leave but stopped and gave Cordelia a look. "You watch the dummy." She went out the door.
Giles looked at Tara, Amy, and Katrina. "Girls, we have some hunting of our own to do."
The four of them went up into the stacks.
Giles looked at the girls. "You concentrate on re-animation theory. I'll peck about in organ harvesting. Unless, of course, you prefer-"
Katrina quickly shook her head. "That's okay, you can have the organs."
Amy nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely."
Buffy went to the auditorium and walked alongside the front of the stage. "Morgan?" She went up the stairs to the stage. "Morgan?"
Buffy drew a curtain aside, but no one was there. She took the steps down to the makeup area and tried a door. It was locked. She heard another door close and turned toward the sound. A gust blew through another curtain. Slowly, she walked toward it. She quickly turned her head when she sensed something behind her - and saw Principal Snyder at the top of the steps to the stage.
"Principal Snyder!" Buffy exclaimed.
"Looking for something?" he asked her.
"Have you seen Morgan Shay?" Buffy asked him.
Snyder came down the steps. "You know, with everything that's been going on recently, I'm not sure how safe it is for a girl like yourself to be here...alone."
"Well, I was just leaving." Buffy gave him a look. "And I know how to take care of myself."
They stared at each other a moment.
"All right, then." Snyder went back up the stairs and left.
Tara looked at Giles. "Look what I found in the section on toys and magic: 'On rare occasions, inanimate objects of human quality, such as dolls and mannequins, already mystically possessed of consciousness, have acted upon their desire to become human by harvesting organs.'"
Giles thought about it. "Lisa's heart."
Tara nodded. "Morgan's dummy."
"Mm."
Cordelia got up to get a reference book. When she got back to the table, she noticed Sid was gone. "Oh, shit!"
Giles, Tara, Amy, and Katrina ran out of the stacks.
"What does 'Oh, shit!" mean, Cordy?!" Katrina demanded.
"He's gone!" Cordelia indicated the chair where she'd placed Sid. "Sid's gone!"
"What?" Giles asked. "Oh!"
Tara threw up her hands in exasperation. "You had one job!"
"Sor-ry!" Cordelia exclaimed. "I just got up for a sec. Fucker's fast."
Amy sighed. "Okay, don't panic. Let's just look for it."
Backstage, Buffy continued to look around. She heard some creaking. "Morgan?"
She backtracked a bit and went toward the noise. She pushed some clothes on a rack aside but saw nothing. She continued and eventually stumbled on something. She looked down and saw Morgan's body lying there.
"Morgan!" Buffy slowly backed away, horrified. "Demon's got himself a brain."
She kept backing through a bead curtain and heard a snapping noise above. She looked up and saw a wrought-iron chandelier falling on her.
Then there was nothing.
Buffy woke up and moaned. Her vision was a bit blurred. She heard quick little footsteps and immediately became alert. She saw Sid run across the catwalk above her. She tried to lift the chandelier off herself, but it was very heavy. Sid came down, and Buffy saw him in the shadows.
"Whoever's out there, I'm gonna hurt you! Badly!" Buffy threatened. "If you'll just gimme a minute..."
She tried lifting again - but to no avail. She looked back to where she saw Sid and saw his knife poised above her. She turned her head just in time to avoid being stabbed in the face. Sid lifted the knife and tried again - but missed. Buffy flailed out with her left arm and knocked him away. She tried lifting again, and this time she shifted the chandelier enough to get out from underneath it. Sid attacked her from behind as she slid out, but she knocked him away and into a wall. His knife went sliding across the floor. Buffy got up and jumped over on top of Sid, pinning him against the wall with her arm.
Sid sighed. "You win. Now you can take your heart and your brain and move on."
"I'm sure they would have made great trophies for your case."
"That woulda been justice."
Buffy smiled. "Yeah, except for one thing: you lost, and now you'll never be human."
"Yeah, well, neither will you."
Buffy was confused. So was Sid, it seemed.
"What?" they asked in unison.
They stared at each other a while longer.
Buffy thought for a moment. "Come with me."
Buffy took Sid to the library.
Giles looked at her. "Oh, thank heavens."
Katrina smiled at Buffy. "You found it!"
Cordelia approached Buffy. "Let's chop it up!" She got another idea and grinned. "Ooh, no, let's set it on fire!"
Buffy stared at her in amusement. "Down, Cordy. We've got some shit to sort out."
"But then we burn it, right?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy set Sid on the table. Everyone gathered around.
Buffy folded her arms. "Talk."
"This is what I do. I hunt demons. Yeah, you wouldn't know it to look at me. Let's just say there was me, there was a really mean demon, there was a curse, and the next thing I know I'm not me anymore. I'm sitting on some guy's knee with his hand up my shirt."
"And ever since then you've been a living dummy?" Amy asked him.
Sid looked at Buffy. "The kid here was right all along. I shoulda picked you to team up with. But I didn't, because-"
"Because you thought I was the demon."
"Who can blame me for thinking?" Sid asked her. "Look at you! You're strong, athletic, limber, nubile..." He shook his head. "I'm back! In any case, now that this demon's got the heart and brain, he gets to keep the human form he's in for another seven years."
The tea kettle whistled.
Giles went to tend to it. "I must say: it's a welcome change to have someone else explain all these things."
"There were seven of these guys. I've killed six. If I can get the last one, the curse will be lifted, and I'll be free. I'm sure it's someone in that stupid talent show."
Buffy thought about it. "Yeah, but now that demon has what he wants. He'll be moving on."
Sid nodded. "So...once we know who's missing from the show..."
"We'll know who our demon is!" Buffy exclaimed in realization.
"The show!" Giles exclaimed, remembering.
"What?" Buffy asked him.
Giles came back to them. "It's gonna start! I'm supposed to be there!"
Buffy looked at Tara. "Okay, um, start pulling everyone's addresses in the talent show. I-If they're not there, maybe we can catch them at home."
Tara nodded. "On it." She headed to the PC.
Sid looked at Giles. "And you, get 'em all on stage; form the power circle. Then we can see who's a no-show."
"Um, uh, the what?" Giles asked him.
"The power circle. You get everyone together; you get 'em, you know, revved up."
"Right." Giles was still confused but left.
Cordelia followed him.
Soon, Giles was backstage and trying to take charge of a chaotic situation. "Fifteen minutes to curtain, everyone! Uh, fifteen minutes!" He turned to go back out.
Cordelia chased him down. "I-I can't go out there. All those people staring at me and judging me like I'm some kind of...Buffy! What if I fuck up?"
"Cordelia, there, uh, there-there's, uh, uh, an adage, uh, that, uh, if you're feeling nervous, then, uh, you should imagine the entire audience are in their underwear."
Cordelia frowned in disgust. "Eww! Even Mrs. Franklin? Uhhh!"
"Perhaps not."
"Yeah."
Giles looked at everyone. "Um, all right, um, we'll assemble on the stage in five minutes for the, um, uh, power thing."
Up on the catwalk, Buffy and Sid were sitting and waiting to see who was missing from the circle.
"So...what's your deal, kid? I don't figure you for a demon hunter."
"I'm a Vampire Slayer."
"You?! You're the Slayer?"
Buffy nodded.
"Damn! I knew a Slayer in the '30s. Korean chick. Very hot. Man, we had some times."
Buffy gave him a look.
"Hey, that was pre-dummy, all right? Now, I was a guy!"
"So...you kill the demon, and the curse is lifted, right?" Buffy asked him.
"That's the drill."
"You don't actually turn into a prince, do you?" Buffy asked him. "I-I mean...your body..."
"Is dust and bones. When I say free-"
"You mean dead."
"Don't get sniffly on me, sis. I've lived a lot longer than most demon hunters. Or Slayers, for that matter."
Buffy looked down, depressed about her lot in life.
Sid put his hand on her knee. "Of course, if you want to snuggle up and comfort me-"
Buffy took his hand off her knee. "So...that horny dummy thing really isn't an act, is it?"
"Nope!"
"Yuck!" Buffy exclaimed in disgust.
They looked down onto the stage.
"I-Is everybody here?" Giles asked.
The students gathered on the stage.
Sid nodded. "Okay, here comes our line-up."
"Quickly, everyone!" Giles told the students. "Uh, um, power circle."
The students arranged themselves in a circle and held hands. Buffy and Sid scanned the group for any missing members.
Giles looked around as well. "Well, that's that, then. Um, everybody, uh, get ready!"
The circle broke up quickly as they scrambled to get ready. Giles scratched his head, confused.
Buffy bent down and slipped underneath the catwalk railing. "Hold on." She dropped to the stage below, landed squarely on her feet, and walked over to Giles.
Giles looked at her. "No one's missing."
"So the demon isn't in the show."
"It seems not. Uh, tell the others. Look, it's nearly curtain. I must get the show rolling."
"Right."
"Right."
Buffy looked for Sid up on the catwalk, but he was gone.
"Sid?" Buffy called.
Giles saw Principal Snyder nosing around backstage. Snyder faced him. Giles wasn't sure why he was there. Snyder put his fist into his palm and walked away. Giles followed him.
Buffy was still looking for Sid. "Sid?"
She stopped next to a workbench. Something dripped onto her arm from above. She shook it off and looked up. She reached up to a shelf to see what was dripping, and a brain fell down and into her hands. She let out a startled yelp and dropped the brain. It jiggled when it hit the floor.
Buffy stopped in the girls' restroom to wash her hands, and then she went to the library. Tara was sitting at the PC. Amy and Katrina were standing near her.
Buffy stared at her hands. "Okay, I just had a seriously fucking gross encounter with a brain. One guess who it belonged to."
Katrina was disgusted. "Eww!"
"You found Morgan's brain?" Amy asked Buffy.
Buffy nodded. "Uh-huh."
Tara turned back to face the monitor and started typing. "That's weird."
"Oh, and Sid took off." Buffy walked up to her, staring at her hands. "I'm never gonna stop washing my hands. Hell, I'm gonna soak 'em in goddamn bleach when I get home."
Everyone was silent for a while.
"Why would the demon have rejected the brain?" Buffy asked. "I-I mean...I thought Morgan was the smartest kid in school."
Tara briefly looked at her. "He was; look at his grades: all As." She looked back at the screen. "He was even taking college classes. Wait a second."
"What?" Buffy asked her.
"All these sick days."
Katrina looked at the screen. "He was off for, like, half the year!"
Buffy frowned. "Check the school nurse's file."
Tara typed and brought it up. "Look at this! 'In case of emergency, contact Dr. Dale Leggett, California Institute of Neurosurgery, Cancer Ward.'"
"Brain cancer?" Amy guessed.
Tara nodded. "That's why he had all the headaches."
Buffy felt uneasy. "This means that whatever's out there still needs a healthy, intelligent brain. And it's gonna be looking for the smartest person around."
"Who's got the highest GPA?" Katrina asked Tara.
Tara started typing.
Amy looked at them. "But what are the chances of the killer having that information?"
Tara thought about that and stopped typing. "Good point." She sighed.
Buffy started pacing nervously. "This is ridiculous. We can't just sit here and wait for him to strike. We have to figure out who we're dealing with. Okay, so we ruled out all the people in the talent show..."
Tara looked at her. "That's because they were all there. But that's before we found the brain."
Buffy nodded. "Right. So it probably is one of them. And - And Giles doesn't know! He's with them all right now!"
Amy shrugged. "Giles can handle himself. I mean...he is really...smart!"
Buffy thought about that, and then she turned around, ran, slammed the door open, and ran out and down the hall. "Giles!"
Tara stood up, and she, Amy, and Katrina ran after Buffy.
Chapter Text
Backstage, Giles was helping Marc set up, and he had a pair of weights in his hands. "Yes, if you - you calibrated the units of weight, then you could calculate the, uh, specific maximum velocity achieved before the point of impact."
"Gee, Mr. Giles, you're really...smart! Could you do me a favor?" Marc asked.
"All right, but it needs to be quick."
"I want you to help me test my guillotine. Check this out." Marc placed a honeydew melon on it and let the blade fall.
The blade sliced the melon in half.
Giles picked up a half-melon. "Oh, my!"
"Pretty cool, huh?"
"Are you sure there's no one else who could help you out?" Giles asked him.
"My assistant quit on me. You won't have to say anything. I'll - I'll show you. Lie down."
Giles inspected the guillotine. "Uh, uh, how - how, exactly, does it work?"
Marc pulled the blade back up by its rope and tied it down. "A good magician never tells his secrets." He shook his sleeve. "C'mon. We haven't got much time."
Giles lay down on the guillotine bench. Marc strapped him in.
"Sh-Sh-Shouldn't it be aimed at my neck?" Giles asked.
"No. No, this way, your scalp gets sliced off, and your brains just...come pouring out." Marc slid the head restraint down onto Giles' forehead. He reached over and locked it down with a padlock.
"What, exactly, is the trick?" Giles asked.
"Trick?" Marc pulled the chest restraint tighter.
"Marc?"
Marc went over to the block where the rope holding the guillotine blade was tied down. He grabbed his hatchet and took a swing at the rope. Giles was terrified. Marc took another swing. The rope was half cut now.
"M-Marc?"
A third swing, and the rope was almost cut through. The blade slipped a bit. Giles looked up at it in terror. Another swing, and the rope hung by a thread. Marc raised the hatchet for the final cut.
Buffy lunged at him and tackled him to the floor. She leg-sweeped Marc, kicking his legs out from under him as he tried to get up. She stood up and adopted a fighting stance. As Marc tried to get up again, she threw an inverted crescent kick to his face, and he went down again. Marc growled as he started to get up, and Buffy saw the skin on his face was beginning to turn back into its demon state.
"Ewww!" Buffy exclaimed, disgusted.
Marc took advantage of her distraction, jumping up and punching her, then he followed up with a backhand fist to her face. She spun around and fell to the floor. The rope stretched and snapped, and the blade began to fall. Giles yelled out and clamped his eyes shut.
At the last instant, Katrina grabbed the rope from midair and stopped the blade. Giles heard it stop and opened his eyes. He saw it go back up as Katrina pulled on the rope. Buffy got up - but was punched by the demon and fell again. Tara and Amy went to Giles and began to undo the restraints.
"Where are the keys?" Tara asked Giles.
"Marc's got it!"
"Tara!" Katrina kicked the hatchet over to her.
Tara picked it up and began to hack at the lock.
"Hurry!" Giles pleaded.
Buffy got up again and ran over to Marc. She grabbed him and fell backward, pulling him down with her and flipping him over onto his back. She flipped up to her feet and turned to face him in a front stance. When he got up, she punched him in the face and kicked him in the stomach with a hopping front-snap kick. He staggered backward and stumbled into his disappearing-act box, and the door closed on him. Tara kept hacking at the lock on the guillotine.
"How do you lock this thing?" Buffy asked.
That wouldn't have made any difference, because Marc just punched through the box and reached for her. She quickly backed away as he kicked and shoved his way out of the box. He had completely reverted to his demon form. He came at her, grabbed her by the neck, and lifted her from the floor.
"What's happening?!" Giles asked.
Tara kept hacking. The demon slammed Buffy up against a wall with his hand around her throat. He pulled her away and slammed her into the wall again. Amy reached out with her left hand and concentrated. She managed to make Marc stop slamming Buffy, but her hold on him was tenuous, and she was struggling. Katrina could only watch as she held on to the rope. Tara got the lock to break and quickly pulled it off. She and Giles pushed the head restraint up, and he got out as fast as he could. He reached down to undo the restraint at his feet. Tara ran over and pulled Marc backward, knocking him to the floor. Marc got up, but Tara gave him a swift high kick to his face, and he spun around. Buffy hit the demon in the face with an open-hand punch, followed by a backhand punch.
Sid finally showed up, jumped onto the demon's back, and began stabbing with his knife. "I found you!"
Giles got himself loose. He got off the bench as Buffy did a full spinning side kick to the demon's gut, making him stagger back onto the bench and land with his neck in the guillotine.
"Let go!" Buffy yelled to Katrina.
Katrina let go, and the blade fell, chopping off the demon's head. Its body slumped lifeless on the bench. Tara cringed at the sight. They all stared at what was left of the demon.
"Uh...I must say, all of you..." Giles paused. "Your t-timing is impeccable."
"And now for the big finish." Sid positioned himself over the demon's chest with his knife.
"What are you doing?" Buffy asked him.
"It's not enough. He'll come back. You have to get the heart. Then all of this'll be over."
Buffy held out her hand for the knife. "Let me."
"I got it. Thanks."
He wielded back with the knife and plunged it into the demon's heart. He pulled back to do it again, but his aim was true the first time, and he just slumped over onto the demon with the knife still in his hands, now a lifeless puppet. Buffy looked at Sid sadly and let out a deep breath. Giles took off his glasses.
Buffy gently lifted Sid from the demon and held him in her arms. She started to walk off stage. "It's over."
She stopped as the curtain was drawn and looked out at the audience. Giles put his glasses back on and stared out as well. Tara was still holding the hatchet as she stood there, looking out at the audience with a nervous look on her face. Amy and Katrina looked out, too.
Buffy looked at Giles. "Giles?"
"Um, go to the library and get your costumes. By the time that you get back here and get changed, most of the other participants will have gone. You may go last."
The gang quickly got off the stage and headed for the side door.
Katrina looked at Amy and grinned. "That was awesome!"
"How did you do that?" Tara asked Amy.
Amy shook her head. "I don't know. I just...concentrated, reached out with my mind. It's like the power came from within me."
Buffy smiled at Amy. "Well, I'm grateful. Thank you."
Amy smiled back at her.
"Um, guys?"
The four girls turned around. Harmony was standing there.
"What's up?" Buffy asked her.
"Um, I don't have a partner for the talent show, so I was wondering, whatever weird thing that you're doing, can I be a part of it?" Harmony asked them.
Buffy smiled in amusement. "Oh, honey, you have no idea what you're asking."
On their way to the library, they briefly hashed out what they were going to do. They got the costumes, returned to the auditorium, went backstage, entered a dressing room, and changed into costumes of their choice. Buffy dressed as Velma Kelly from Chicago, wearing a wig of short, straight black hair and a short, tight black dress. Harmony dressed as a Swedish milkmaid. Amy dressed as a witch and then put Harmony's hair into two braids. Harmony found fake vampire teeth and decided to put them in her mouth. Katrina dressed as a cowgirl. Tara dressed as a fairy.
"I'm gonna go out and let Mr. Giles know we're about ready." Tara opened the door and walked out of the dressing room, closing the door behind her.
Buffy ran over to Amy and Harmony and sat next to Harmony. "Omigod, I'm so nervous. I can't go out there. How did I ever think I could perform in front of people?"
"Wait, so the band's not happening?" Katrina asked her, disappointed.
"I dunno. I want it to. I just..." Buffy groaned.
Harmony rubbed Buffy's shoulders. "Oh, somebody's got stage fright."
"I knew it! I knew this would happen! And my mom's not even here! I hope. Gah!" Buffy exclaimed.
Harmony was a bit nervous. "Um, I've got some coke."
Buffy shrugged. "Eh, I prefer Pepsi, but okay."
"No, I mean..." Harmony pressed her index finger to her nostril and snorted.
"Oh." Buffy paused and thought about it. "Got a key?"
"Nah, Cordy drove me today. Just do it off my nail." Harmony opened her purse and got out a small plastic bag containing fine white powder.
Harmony opened the bag, swiped up some of the cocaine on her finger, and snorted it up her nose. Then she got some for Buffy. Buffy leaned in, pressed a finger to one nostril, and snorted the cocaine up the other nostril.
Amy looked at Harmony. "Give me some."
Harmony did. Amy snorted the cocaine up her nose.
Harmony looked at Katrina. "Want some, Trina?"
Katrina smiled and shook her head. "No, thanks. I'd rather be aware of what's going on around me."
Harmony shrugged, closed the bag, put it back in her purse, and closed her purse.
The door opened, and Tara walked into the dressing room. They could hear music playing.
"Stage light splashing! The feeling's smashing! My heart and soul belong to you!"
Tara closed the door. "Cordy's on right now. We're next."
Harmony stood up and ran up to Tara in excitement. "Isn't this exciting? Our first production! I can't wait till our scene! I love you! Oh!" She hugged Tara.
Tara tentatively hugged Harmony, confused.
Harmony suddenly looked Tara in the eyes, serious. "Don't step on my cues."
"What cues? We're fucking winging this. Are you fucking high?" Tara asked her.
Harmony nodded. "Uh-huh." Then she realized she maybe shouldn't have admitted that. "On...life!" She started laughing awkwardly.
Tara rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She looked at her girlfriend. "Buffy, you ready?"
Buffy stood up, smiled, and nodded. "Uh-huh! Ready to kick some dramatic ass!"
Tara nodded, unsure what to say. "Uh-huh. Good. Good." She kissed Buffy on the lips. "Let's go."
Buffy looked at Katrina, lifted her hat, stuffed her hair under it, and set the hat back on her head. "You're Cowboy Guy."
Katrina was confused. "Um, okay."
Tara opened the door, and they left the dressing room and headed toward the stage.
"This is my time to be a star!" Cordelia finished.
The audience applauded.
"Thank you, Cordelia Chase. Next, we have...um, just a moment, please." Giles came backstage. "All right, everyone!"
Buffy was excited. She could barely contain herself.
Giles clapped his hands for attention. "Pay attention!"
The five girls gathered around Giles.
"In just a few moments, that curtain is going to open on our very first production. Stay in character, remember your lines, and energy energy energy!"
Buffy was really excited. It was all that she could do to not bounce off the walls. Harmony walked over to Giles.
"Just do your best and-"
Harmony grabbed his shoulders and tried to bite him.
"-power through it." Giles looked at Harmony. "Stop that."
Harmony stopped for a moment.
"All right, you're in costume, and there are some props over here." Giles gestured at some items that hadn't been put back into storage.
Harmony was still trying to bite Giles.
Giles looked at Harmony. "That's very annoying." He looked at all of them. "Now, go on out there, do your best, and have a wonderful time."
Harmony kept trying to bite Giles.
Giles looked at her. "Stop it." He looked at all of them. "Good luck, everyone! Break a leg!" He went out onto the stage.
Buffy and Tara walked over to the props. They lifted a sofa and moved it into place. Harmony picked up a yoke with buckets on either end.
"Now, doing a dramatic scene, here are Buffy Anne Summers, Tara Maclay, Amy Madison, Katrina Silber, and Harmony Kendall."
The audience applauded. The girls took their places. Katrina stood on the left with her hands on her belt. Harmony put on the yoke and stood in the middle. On the right, Buffy reclined seductively on the sofa. Amy waited off to the left, and Tara waited off to the right. The curtain was drawn.
Katrina swaggered over to Harmony and pushed up her cowboy hat. "Why, hello, little lady. Can I hold those milk pails for you?"
That got some laughter from the audience.
Harmony smiled. "Why, thank you, but they're not very heavy. Why have you come to our lonely, small town, which has no post office and very few exports?"
"I've come looking for a man." Katrina looked directly at the audience. "A salesman."
Tara and Amy came onto the stage, walked behind the other girls, and pretended to engage in a magical battle. They were completely ignored by the others.
Harmony dropped the yoke on the floor, walked over to the sofa, and sat down. She started crying. Buffy stood up and angrily walked over to Katrina. Katrina stood expressionless, staring directly at the audience and refusing to make eye contact with Buffy.
Buffy stared at Katrina with contempt. "But what else could I expect from a bunch of low-rent, no-account hoodlums like you? Hoodlums, yes, I mean you and your friends, your whole sex, throw 'em in the sea for all I care, throw 'em in and wait for the bubbles, men with your groping and spitting all groin no brain three billion of you passing around the same worn-out urge. Men! With your...sales!" Buffy said all of this in one breath without pause or inflection.
Harmony sobbed throughout.
Tara bopped Amy on the head with her magic wand.
Amy fell on her ass. "I am vanquished!"
Tara faced the audience, raised her wand in the air with her left hand, and gestured at the fallen Amy with her right hand. "Lo! I have slain the witch!"
Aside from Harmony's continued sobbing, they were done. They hadn't come up with any additional material. They just waited awkwardly for any kind of a reaction from the audience.
Mercifully, Giles gestured for the curtain to be lowered. The performers breathed a sigh of relief.
Tara drove Buffy home on her scooter. As they reached the house, they saw a large, dark blue van parked in the driveway.
"What the fuck?" Buffy asked.
Tara parked in the driveway. She and Buffy got off the scooter and stored their helmets. Buffy picked up her bookbag. They walked up to the front door. Buffy took out her house key and unlocked the door.
Buffy opened the door and let Tara walk in first. Then Buffy walked in. She closed and locked the door.
They walked into the dining room.
Joyce was putting dinner on the table. "Oh, hey, girls. How was the talent show?"
Buffy smiled tightly. "Oh, it was...somethin'."
Tara nodded. "Samuel Beckett would be very proud."
Joyce realized she had set three plates on the table automatically. "Oh! Tara, are you staying for dinner?"
Tara hadn't planned on it, but she welcomed the offer with a smile. "Um, okay, thank you."
Joyce sat at the head of the table. Buffy sat to Joyce's right, and Tara sat to Joyce's left.
"Um, Mom, whose ugly-ass van is that in the driveway?" Buffy asked.
"Yours."
Buffy was about to cut her steak, but then she looked up at her mother in shock. "What?!"
"Well, you kept asking for a car, and you mentioned wanting to start a band, so I figured you could haul your gear in a van. It's a '74 Ford Ecoline, but it's in decent shape. Are you serious about being a musician?"
Buffy nodded. "Yes!"
"All right. Then you can start paying me back when you start getting gigs. I want it all paid back by the time that you finish college."
Buffy nodded. "Okay. Thank you." She paused and frowned. "How much we' talkin' 'bout?"
"A little over five grand."
Tara whistled.
"That's...doable." Buffy didn't sound convincing, not even to herself. She stuck a piece of steak in her mouth and chewed.
After dinner, Tara and Buffy went upstairs and entered Buffy's bedroom. Buffy turned on the light and then turned to face Tara. The two girls hugged each other and started making out.
Buffy's eyes widened when she noticed something, and she abruptly stopped kissing Tara. "Holy shit."
"What?" Tara turned and looked.
Sitting on a stand next to Buffy's bed was a wine-red electric guitar.
"It's yours, too."
Buffy and Tara looked at Joyce, who was standing in the doorway.
Joyce smiled. "It's a '95 Gibson Les Paul Studio. You don't have to pay me back for it; it's a freebie. There's also an amplifier, a microphone, and a stand in the basement. I figure you can use it as a practice space - and do the laundry."
Buffy smiled in amusement. "Well played." She walked over and hugged her mother. "Thank you."
Joyce hugged her daughter. "Sure. You and your friends are responsible for getting the rest of your gear."
Buffy and Joyce released each other.
Tara smiled. "I can bring my synthesizer over tomorrow, and we can jam."
Buffy laughed. "It'll probably sound more like jelly." She curled her arms around Tara's neck. "Still, I bet I can get a few pleasant notes out of you tonight."
"Okaaay, that's my cue to leave." Joyce headed for the door. "Tara, don't stay too long."
Tara nodded. "Right. Good night, Mrs. Summers."
"Good night, girls."
Buffy nodded. "Good night, Mom."
Joyce closed the door behind her.
Tara lay on Buffy's bed. Buffy lay on top of her, and the two girls resumed their makeout session.
Chapter 31: Nightmares
Chapter Text
"Nightmares"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
Buffy quietly made her way into what she knew to be the Master's lair, stake in hand. She stopped and took a look around. Slowly, she made her way down to the floor below. She raised the stake to be ready. Buffy continued into the lair. She spun around and raised the stake when she sensed the Master behind her. He hissed loudly. Buffy froze with fear and dropped the stake. He was grotesque: no hair, blood-red eyes, pasty wrinkled skin, pointed ears, and pointed fingernails. He was dressed in black leather.
Buffy slowly retreated as the Master advanced on her. When she couldn't retreat any further, she watched as the Master reached out with his hand and clasped it around her neck. She looked up at him as he closed in for the bite.
"No! No!" Buffy screamed.
"No..."
"Yes."
Buffy woke suddenly, opening her eyes wide. She was in her room. She'd been having a nightmare. Her mother was sitting on the edge of her bed and had shaken her awake.
"It's time to get up for school."
"Mom?"
"Are you all right?"
"No. Uh, yeah! Yeah! I'm - I'm fine! Oh..." Buffy sat up. "School! Great." She got out of bed.
"You wanna go to school?" Joyce stood up.
"Sure! Why not?"
"Okay." Joyce opened the blinds. "Good day to buy that lottery ticket. I spoke with your father."
"He's coming, right?"
"You're on for this weekend."
"Good."
"Get dressed. I'll drive you. He'll pick you up after school."
Joyce pulled her Jeep up in front of the school. She looked at Buffy. "You're awfully quiet this morning."
"I didn't sleep well."
"I'll say. I came in to check on you twice. You were yelling in your sleep. Do you know what you were dreaming?"
Buffy paused and debated whether she should tell her mom or not. Deciding it would just worry her, she shook her head. "Not really. Oh, no, my bag! I-I packed it for the weekend, and I forgot it!"
"You and your dad can swing by the house and get your bag. It's not an international crisis."
"Okay. Yeah, I just, uh, had meant to bring it. H-He's picking me up here, right? A-At 3:30?"
"Honey, a-are you worried your father isn't gonna show?"
"No! N-Not really. Should I be?" Buffy asked her.
"Well, of course not! I-I-I just, I-I know it's a hard situation. You just have to remember that your father adores you. No more than I do, by the way."
Buffy smiled. "Goodbye."
"Have a great day."
"Thanks." Buffy unfastened her seatbelt, opened the door, got out of the Jeep, and closed the door.
She went into the school and headed for her locker.
Tara walked up beside her and smiled. "Hey, you."
Buffy looked at her and smiled. "Hey."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "Heading to your locker?"
"Uh-huh. Oh, the weekend with my dad is on, so no practice for the next few days."
"Okay. So...do you see your dad a lot?" Tara asked her.
"Not a whole lot. He's still in L.A.; he, like, comes down for weekends sometimes."
"When did they get divorced?"
"Well, it wasn't finalized till last year, but they were separated before that."
"Musta been harsh."
They reached Buffy's locker.
"Yeah, that's the word you're looking for." Buffy worked the combination. "I-I mean...they were really good about it around me, anyway, but still..."
"My parents don't even bicker. Sometimes, they glare."
Buffy detected a sort of sadness in Tara's voice, and it made her sad as well.
"Do you know why your folks split up?" Tara asked.
Buffy opened her locker. "I didn't ask. They just stopped getting along. I'm sure I was a really big help, though, with all the anger and acting out and everything. I was in so much trouble. I was a big mess."
"Well, I'm sure that didn't have anything to do with him leaving."
"No." Buffy closed her locker, unconvinced.
Tara smiled in an attempt to cheer Buffy up. "And he still comes down on weekends."
"Sometimes."
They walked to class.
"So where are we on the band?" Buffy asked, changing the subject.
"Trina is working on getting a bass guitar. Amy's gonna get an SR-16 drum machine."
They entered the classroom.
Cordelia was checking her makeup in her mirror. Wendell Sears came over and stopped to look at his paper in the light.
"Hello? Doofus!" Cordelia called.
Wendell looked at her.
"You're in my light."
"Wendell, what is wrong with you?" Buffy asked. "Don't you know that she is the center of the universe, and the rest of us merely revolve around her?"
"Why don't you revolve yourselves out of my light?" Cordelia suggested.
The bell rang. Buffy, Tara, and Wendell went to their seats.
Buffy looked at Tara. "Uh, Wendell was in Cordelia's light."
Wendell looked at them. "I'm so ashamed."
"Hey, guys, was there any homework?" Buffy asked them.
Tara looked at her. "We're doing active listening today."
They sat down.
"Chapter five? Active listening? Where you put on your big ears and really focus on the other person?" Buffy asked.
Wendell looked at her. "Ms. Tishler demonstrated it yesterday."
"With you!" Tara added.
"She was wearing that tight sweater?" Buffy asked.
Tara nodded. "The midnight blue angora."
"All right, take your seats. In a moment, we will choose partners and practice what we read about in chapter five. Before we do, let's review. Isaacson's research led him to conclude that one of our most fundamental needs after food and shelter is to be heard."
Buffy dropped her pencil and bent down to pick it up.
"Wendell, would you read the first two paragraphs on page seventy-eight..."
As Buffy sat back up, she saw a young boy standing at the door, looking in at her.
"...where Isaacson describes the rapid improvement active listening brought to some special needs clients?"
Wendell opened his book. He screamed and dropped it on his desk when there were suddenly a bunch of tarantulas crawling out of it. Ms. Tishler and the students closest to him screamed and quickly got out of their chairs and away from him. The tarantulas crawled all over Wendell.
"Please! Get 'em off of me! Help! Help! Get 'em off of me! Help me! Oh, please help me! Please! Please help me!" Wendell begged.
Later, Buffy came around a corner and was met by Tara.
"Oh, Buffy, I've been looking for you. About the spiders, did you talk to Mr. Giles about them?" Tara asked her.
"Yeah." Buffy detected a hint of fear in Tara's voice. "Kinda wigged, huh?"
"I don't like spiders, okay? Their furry bodies and their sticky webs, and what do they need all those legs for, anyway? I'll tell you: for crawling across your face in the middle of the night. Ewww! How do they not ruffle you?"
"It's not that I'm unruffled; it was pretty intense. Still, welcome to the Hellmouth, the center of mystical convergence and supernatural monsters."
They entered the library.
"Anyway, Giles said he was gonna look it up. Giles?" Buffy called.
Tara looked at her. "Maybe he's in the faculty room."
Giles came out of the stacks and looked around, bewildered.
"Hey, Giles! Wakey, wakey!" Buffy called.
"I was, uh, in the stacks. I got lost."
"Did you find any theories on spiders coming out of books?" Buffy asked him.
Giles was mildly confused. "I couldn't find anything, uh, particularly illuminating. Um, I think perhaps you'd best have a chat with Wendell himself."
"Okay. If he can still talk." Buffy gave Giles an odd look, slightly concerned.
She and Tara started out of the library. Giles looked back into the stacks, still confused.
Buffy and Tara went outside and found Wendell sitting on a bench.
"Hey, Wendell. How are you?" Buffy asked.
Wendell looked up. "Huh?"
"You okay?" Buffy asked him.
"Do you guys want something?" Wendell asked them.
Buffy shrugged. "We just thought you might wanna talk about what happened."
"I don't know what to say about that."
Buffy sighed. "Yeah, it's difficult. I understand. You saw two-hundred arachnids; you freaked; anybody would have."
Wendell was impressed. "Very good. They're not insects. They're arachnids. I didn't expect you to know that."
"Yeah, well, I, uh, I...had a good teacher." Buffy fought back tears.
"Spiders are arachnids. They have eight legs. Insects only have six. Why does everyone make that mistake?" Wendell asked her.
"Don't know. Has anything like this ever happened before?" Buffy asked him.
Wendell nodded.
"When?" Buffy asked.
"Lots of times."
Tara made a face. "Ew! You must hate spiders more than I do."
Wendell smiled and laughed. "I don't hate spiders. I love 'em. They hate me."
Cordelia walked by behind Wendell and turned to Buffy. "I hope you studied for the history test."
"What history test?" Buffy asked her in surprise.
"The one we're having in fourth period right now."
"There's a history test? Nobody told me there was a history test!" Buffy yelled. "I haven't...I...Okay, I will catch up with you guys later." She ran off.
Tara sat down next to Wendell. "What do you mean, you love spiders?"
"I had the best collection in the tri-county area. Browns and tarantulas and black widows. Then my folks shipped me off to wilderness camp. All my brother had to do was maintain their habitats. Instead, he left their heat lamp on for a week. When I came home, they were all dead. That's when the nightmares started."
"The nightmares?" Tara asked.
"It's always the same. I'm sitting in the classroom, teacher asks me to read something, I open up my book, and then there they are. They're comin' after me. God, can you blame them after what I did?"
"And that's how it happens? Every time?" Tara asked.
"Earlier in class, I thought I'd just nodded off again. But then everyone else started screaming, too."
Buffy was looking for her history class.
Cordelia was waiting by the door, holding it open. "You don't know where class is, do you?"
"Uh..."
"Hardly a shocker. You've cut history just about every time we've had it."
"Well, I was there the first day. I think."
"It's in here."
"I haven't been to class; I haven't read any of the assignments; how am I gonna pass this test?" Buffy asked her.
"Blind luck?" Cordelia suggested.
Buffy was sitting at her desk and looking around at the other students. The teacher walked by. Buffy looked over at Cordelia, who apparently wasn't having any problems with the test. Cordelia turned the page, looked back at Buffy, and went back to taking the test. The teacher came by again and stopped to glance at Buffy's work. He continued, apparently satisfied. Buffy flipped through the short-answer test. All of the pages were still blank. She glanced up at the clock. 11:20. She looked at the space for her name.
"Well, at least I know my name."
She started to write, but her pencil broke. She let out an exasperated sigh. She grabbed her sharpener and sharpened her pencil. She looked back up at the clock, and it was now 12:10 already. She stared at it in disbelief. She looked around at everyone. The teacher was watching her intently and tapping his pencil. She looked back down at her test, and the bell rang.
All around her, the students got up and began turning their tests in as she just sat and watched. Buffy saw the same boy outside the door with a sad look on his face. He walked off down the hall. The classroom was empty now, and Buffy was sitting at her desk alone.
After class, Buffy wandered aimlessly, lost in a daze.
Giles came out of the library and walked over to her. "Buffy."
Buffy stopped and looked at him.
"There's been an incident. A student was attacked rather mysteriously."
"Who?" Buffy asked.
"Her name is Laura Egler."
"Is she all right?" Buffy asked him.
"She's been taken to the hospital. Come on."
Buffy and Giles walked through a hallway in Sunnydale Memorial Hospital, looking for Laura's room.
"I think they said room 3016."
"Do you know the girl?" Giles asked her.
"To say hi to. Laura's nice enough. Nobody saw who attacked her?" Buffy asked.
"Well, I was rather hoping that Laura did."
Buffy and Giles entered Laura's room. Laura was lying in bed; she had long brown hair with blonde highlights but also had cuts and bruises all over. She saw them and looked up at Buffy.
"Hey, Laura."
"Hi."
"I hope we're not intruding, um..." Giles held out a small potted flower arrangement.
Buffy took it from him and set it next to the bed.
"That's okay. I don't wanna be left alone."
"You understand we're anxious to make sure this - this doesn't happen again."
Buffy sat in a chair next to Laura's bed. "Can you tell us what happened?"
"I was in the basement. I went down for a smoke. There was...someone there."
"Someone you knew?" Buffy asked.
"I've never...seen anything like it."
Buffy exchanged a look with Giles and then looked back at Laura. "It?"
"Can you describe it?" Giles asked Laura.
Laura was having trouble talking about it and couldn't answer.
Buffy sympathized. "Hey, that's okay. Don't worry about it."
"Yes, you - you - you just rest now."
"You know, but-"
"Hi, Laura."
Buffy looked and saw a nurse had come in. She looked back at Laura. "-i-if you remember anything? You can tell us. Even if it may seem weird."
"She needs her rest now."
Buffy stood up. She and Giles started to go.
"'Lucky nineteen.'"
Buffy and Giles stopped and turn around.
"I'm sorry?" Giles asked Laura.
"It's what he said, right before..." Laura paused. "He said 'lucky nineteen'. That's weird, right?"
"Yes. Yes, it is."
"Feel better." Buffy smiled at Laura.
Giles nodded. "Take care."
They left the room.
Giles saw Laura's doctor in the hallway. "Doctor, is she gonna be all right?"
"You family?" the doctor asked.
Buffy shook her head. "Friends."
"She'll recover. She's got a couple of shattered bones, a little internal bleeding; she got off pretty easy."
"Easy?" Buffy asked in disbelief.
"Have you looked up the word lately?" Giles asked him.
"Well, the first one's still in a coma." The doctor stopped at another room.
"First what?" Buffy asked him.
"First victim." He looked into the room. "They found him a week ago. Exact same M.O. as the girl, only he's in worse shape. If he doesn't wake up soon..." He paused. "Somebody's gotta stop this guy."
Buffy looked at the bruised boy in the room, her anger growing. "Somebody will."
Tara was walking down the hall to her locker. She worked the combination and opened her locker. As she exchanged books, she saw a punk nearby.
"Listen, I'm not afraid of him. Hey, if he wants to fight, then I'm takin' him down. I'm not backin' off on this. This is about honor. I'll break his neck!"
The punk's mother suddenly appeared in the hall. "Oh, there's my little baby!"
"Mom, what are you doing here? Mom..."
The mother laughed and kissed him. "How's my little pookie?"
"Mom, Mom, please don't kiss me in front of the guys! It's embarrassing, Mom! Please!"
She continued laughing. "You cute little rascal, you!"
"Mom..." He paused. "Thanks, but, Mom, please, my friends are right here..."
Tara closed her locker and headed to her next class, a bit amused.
In the library, Giles was going over a number of newspapers. "This can't be happening. This can't be..."
Buffy came into the library. "What's the word?"
"Oh, uh, I've got back issues of the, uh, papers, um, to try to do some research."
"Did you find anything?"
"I don't know."
Buffy was confused. "You don't know if you didn't find anything."
"I'm having a problem."
"What is it?"
"I-I can't read!" Giles exclaimed.
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked. "You can read, like, three languages."
"Five, actually, on a normal day. Th-The words here don't make any s-sense. I-It's gibberish!" Giles stepped away in frustration.
Buffy looked at the paper. "That's him."
"Who?"
"The kid I've been seeing around school. 'Twelve-year-old Billy Palmer was found beaten and unconscious after his Kiddie League game Saturday. Doctors describe his condition as critical.' When was this published?" She looked at the date. "Last week. It says he's in a coma in intensive care. This is the boy from the hospital!"
"The first victim? Uh..." Giles paused in confusion. "You-You've seen him around the school?"
"Yeah, first when the spiders got Wendell, and - and then when I didn't know a thing on the history test. I thought it was weird seeing this kid around, but I forgot about it."
"Uh, the boy's been in a coma for a week. How can this be possible?"
"What, am I knowledge girl now?" Buffy asked. "Explanations are your terrain."
"Uh, well, um, there's astral projection, uh, the theory that, while one sleeps, one has another body, a-an astral body, which can travel through time and space."
"Billy's in a coma. That's like sleep, right?"
"In a manner of speaking, a-a-although one doesn't always awake from a coma."
"Could I be seeing Billy's asteroid body?" Buffy asked him.
"Astral body, and I-I don't know. As usual, one doesn't have an inordinate amount of information to work with."
Buffy thought of something. "Lucky nineteen."
"There you are! I've been looking everywhere. Why aren't you in class?"
Buffy looked toward the source of the voice. Her father, Hank Summers, had entered the library.
"Dad, what are you doing here?" Buffy asked him. "Y-You're not supposed to pick me up till after school. Is something wrong?"
"Well, I-I need to talk to you."
"Something is wrong. Is it Mom?" Buffy asked.
"No, no, it's not your mother; she's fine." Hank lowered his voice. "Could I speak with you for a moment? Privately?"
"Um, sure! Yeah." Buffy looked at Giles. "Uh-oh! I'm sorry. Dad, this is Mr. Giles, the librarian. Uh, this is my dad, Hank Summers."
"My pleasure." Giles shook Hank's hand.
"Likewise."
"I'll be back." Buffy followed her father out of the library.
Giles tried reading the papers again.
Buffy and her dad walked outside.
"I came early, because there's something I've needed to tell you. About your mother and me. Why we split up."
"Well, you always told me it was because-"
"Uh, I know we always said it was because we'd just grown too far apart."
"Yeah, isn't that true?" Buffy asked him.
"Well, c'mon, honey, let's - let's sit down."
They sat on a bench.
Hank sighed. "You're old enough now to know the truth."
"Is there someone else?" Buffy asked.
"No. No, it was nothing like that."
"Then what was it?"
"It was you."
"Me?" Buffy asked in surprise.
"Having you. Raising you. Seeing you everyday. I mean...do you have any idea what that's like?"
"What?" Buffy asked in shock.
"Gosh, you don't even see what's right in front of your face, do you? Well, big surprise there; all you ever think about is yourself. You get in trouble. You embarrass us with all the crazy stunts you pull, and do I have to go on?"
"No. Please don't."
"You're sullen and...rude, and...you're not nearly as bright as I thought you were going to be..." Hank paused. "Hey, Buffy, let's be honest. Could you stand to live in the same house with a daughter like that?"
"Why are you saying all these things?" Buffy started crying, and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Because they're true. I think that's the least we owe one another."
Buffy began to sniff and cry freely.
"You know, I don't think it's very mature, getting blubbery when I'm just trying to be honest. Speaking of which, I don't really get anything out of these weekends with you. So...what do you say we just don't do them anymore?"
Buffy stared at him in shock.
Hank patted her on the leg. "I sure thought you'd turn out differently." He got up and left.
Buffy couldn't do anything but watch him go for a moment, and then she looked down. She looked up again and saw Billy looking at her. Billy turned and left. Buffy fought back the tears.
Tara came into the library and walked over to Giles. "Where's Buffy?"
Giles looked at her. "Uh, she - she just stepped out. Her - Her father came by early. He - He needed to talk to her."
Tara sat on the edge of the table. "I've got a theory. Something is bringing people's nightmares to life."
Giles stared at her doubtfully.
"I'm just saying...Wendell had a dream, and then that exact thing happened."
"Eerie, I admit, but do you think that ties in with Laura?" Giles asked her.
"I dunno. Maybe she dreamed about getting beat up. We should ask Buffy when she gets back here."
Giles pondered the situation in silence for a moment. "I-I dreamt that I got lost in the stacks, and I...I couldn't read. Of course!"
"So...why is this happening?" Tara asked.
"Billy."
"Who's Billy?" Tara asked.
"He's a boy in the local hospital. He was beaten. He's in a coma. Somehow, I think he's crossed over from the nightmare world he's trapped in."
"And he brought the nightmare world with him. How could he do that?" Tara asked.
"Things like that are easy when you live on a Hellmouth."
"Well, um, we have to stop it."
Giles nodded. "And soon. Or else everyone in Sunnydale is gonna be facing their own worst nightmares."
Tara got off the table. She and Giles walked out of the library to find Buffy.
"Buffy doesn't know this is happening. And given the sort of thing that she tends to dream about, it's imperative that we find her."
Tara knew exactly what he was talking about. Buffy had shared descriptions of her nightmares with her.
Tara looked at Giles. "Probably faster if we split up to look for her."
"Good idea."
He and Tara went off in opposite directions.
In the hallway, Cordelia opened her locker and looked at her mirror. Her hair had become totally frizzy, and she freaked out. She tried to force a comb through it to no avail.
"I don't understand! This can't be happening! I was just at the salon!" Cordelia put her hands on her head in terror. "Oh, my God!"
She tried the hair on the other side of her head, but it was just as bad.
Outside, Buffy was walking along sadly with her arms crossed. She noticed Billy going down some stairs to the gym entrance. When the students had all come out, he went in.
Buffy followed him in and found him sitting on the stands. "Billy?"
He looked at her a moment.
Buffy came closer. "Are you Billy Palmer?"
"I'm Billy."
"Why are you here?" Buffy sat down next to him. "Did something bad happen to you after your game?"
"Something bad?" Billy ran his hands through his hair. "I-I don't remember."
"Do you remember playing baseball?" Buffy asked him.
"Uh-huh. Yeah. I play second base."
"Are you 'lucky nineteen'?"
Billy looked at her. "That's what he calls me."
"Who?"
"The Ugly Man. He wants to kill me. A-And he hurt that girl."
"Why does he want to kill you, Billy?" Buffy asked.
"He's..." Billy fell silent.
"Billy, it's okay! What? Just tell me."
"He's here!"
Buffy suddenly felt a sharp blow to her back and got knocked down from behind. Then she saw the creature, which Billy called the Ugly Man; he was a tall, bulking figure in dark clothing with a bald head and a deformed, burned face. He hit Buffy in the face with his club-like arm, knocking her off the stands and onto the floor. She quickly got up as he tried another swing and missed. She ducked a third swing, kicked him in the jaw with a high side kick, and followed up with a spinning out-to-in crescent kick to his face. He wasn't fazed. He swung again with his club arm and hit her squarely in the back, knocking her into the stands. He swung again as she got up and knocked her legs out from under her, making her fall backward and onto the floor again.
Buffy rolled out of the way as he swung again, got up, and quickly followed Billy, who was already gone out the door, as well as she could; she was limping.
Once outside the gym doors, Buffy closed the door, picked up a hockey stick, and slid it through the door handles to slow the Ugly Man down. He pounded on the door as she leaned against it.
Buffy looked around, saw Billy, and went over to him. "Billy!"
"I'm sorry, I can't help it."
"Who is he?" Buffy asked him.
"He's the Ugly Man."
"He's too strong! I can't fight him! We have to find my friends. They can help us."
"We have to hide."
"No! He'll find us!" Buffy yelled.
"Yes, but we have to hide. That's how it happens. We hide, and then he comes."
Buffy stared him straight in the eyes and tried to muster a forceful tone. "We find my friends."
Billy nodded. They went to find the others.
Chapter Text
Tara went down the stairs and walked down the hall. She froze in shock when she saw her locker. The word "DYKE" was spray-painted on it in black paint.
Tara punched her locker in frustration and then turned to see if anyone else was around. "Who did this?!"
"Me."
Tara looked and saw Cordelia standing there.
"Why?!" Tara cried.
"Because I can't stand you. Who gave you permission to exist?" Cordelia asked her.
A tear ran down Tara's cheek. "Cordy..."
"Don't 'Cordy' me, you fucking deviant." Cordelia suddenly punched Tara in the face, knocking her back against her locker.
Tara stared at Cordelia in anguish, and then she punched her in the face. Cordelia staggered backward. Tara ran past her and over to the door to the basement. Cordelia ran after her. Tara opened the door and went in. She turned around, closed the door, and locked it.
Cordelia started pounding on the door. "Open the fucking door, you fucking cunt! I'm gonna kill you, you fucking bitch! Open it!"
Tara stood with her back pressed against the door, sobbing.
Buffy and Billy came out of a door, outside.
Buffy was confused. "Wha...? I was sure this led to the library."
Billy looked at a couple students playing on the other side of the fence.
Buffy went over to him. "They're just playing. What is it? What's bothering you?"
"Baseball. When you lose, it's bad."
"Did you lose your game last week?" Buffy asked him.
Billy nodded. "It was my fault."
"Why was it your fault?"
"I missed a ball, and I should have caught it."
"You missed one ball, and the whole game was your fault? What, you were the only one playing? There wasn't eight other people on your team?" Buffy asked him.
"He said it was my fault."
"Who said?" Buffy was suddenly disturbed. "Billy, did he hurt you after the game?"
"Can we go another way to find your friends?" Billy asked her.
"Sure. Okay. We can go around the cafeteria."
Suddenly, the Ugly Man came in their direction and punched a student out.
"Bad idea!" Buffy looked around. "Uh, this way! C'mon!" She pushed Billy ahead of her through some bushes.
When they got through to the other side, they were in the cemetery, and it was night.
"What just happened?" Buffy asked, confused.
"Is this where your friends are?"
"No, it's not." Buffy walked and looked around. "I don't see the Ugly Man. I also don't know where the sun and the rest of the world went."
"Look at this."
Buffy looked down where Billy was looking and saw a freshly dug grave with an open pine coffin inside.
Billy looked at her. "I guess we're gonna bury someone. I wonder who died."
"Nobody died."
Buffy and Billy looked up at the Master in surprise.
"What's the fun of burying someone, if they're already dead?" he asked.
Buffy stared at him in disbelief. "You!"
"So! This is the Slayer! You're prettier than the last one."
"This isn't real. Y-You can't be free!"
"You still don't understand, do you? I am free, because you fear it. Because you fear it, the world is crumbling. Your nightmares are made flesh. You have little Billy to thank for that."
Buffy looked behind her, but Billy was gone. She turned back to the Master. "This is a dream."
"A dream is a wish your heart makes." The Master grabbed Buffy by the neck. "This is real life." He pulled her around, so her back was to the open grave. "Come on, Slayer! What are you afraid of?"
He growled and bared his teeth but didn't bite. He threw her into the coffin at the bottom of the grave, and the lid slammed shut.
"No! Help me!" Buffy yelled.
"How 'bout being buried alive?" The Master laughed maniacally.
Buffy heard the sound of dirt being shoveled into the grave.
"Somebody help me! Please! No! No! Please! No! No! No! Somebody help me! Please! No!" Buffy screamed, panicking.
The first shovelful of dirt hit the coffin, and some fell in through the cracks of the poorly constructed coffin.
"Please! No! Help me! No!" Buffy screamed.
The next shovelful of dirt covered the crack between the boards.
"Help!" Buffy screamed.
"This can't be real! This can't be real!" Tara cried. Suddenly, she came to a realization, and she wiped away her tears. "This isn't real!"
She felt a sudden surge of power. The pounding ceased.
Cautiously, Tara unlocked and opened the basement door. No one was standing on the other side. Cordelia was nowhere to be seen. Tara exited the basement and walked through the hall. She looked at her locker. It wasn't defaced.
Tara went through a door. Cordelia ran up to her.
Tara stared at her, uncertain. "Cordy?"
"Tara?" Cordelia asked.
"Listen. Our nightmares are coming true. But we can will them away."
Cordelia shook her head. "This school has so much weird shit happening, I fucking swear."
"C'mon. Let's find the others."
They started walking.
"What happened to you? Your hair's a mess." Tara paused in thought. "Oh. I guess I kinda answered my own question."
Cordelia closed her eyes and concentrated intensely on her hair. She eventually added humming for good measure. She opened her eyes and looked at Tara. "How's my hair?"
"Still a mess."
"I thought you said we can will our nightmares away."
"Well, I did." Tara paused and thought about that.
"So...what was your nightmare?" Cordelia asked.
Tara hesitated. "You...being a homophobic cunt, defacing my locker, punching me, and threatening to kill me."
Cordelia looked at Tara in shock. "Is that how you see me?!"
Tara shrugged timidly.
Cordelia stopped walking. "Is that something that you're genuinely afraid of?"
Tara stopped walking as well. "One of the things, I suppose."
Cordelia stared into Tara's eyes. "I would never do that."
"Oh, really?" Tara asked, recalling Cordelia's past behavior toward her.
Cordelia sighed. "I admit I might have done that in the past. Minus the murdering part. Maybe. But hanging around you weirdos has changed me. A little. I no longer view you as quite so detestable."
"Thanks?" Tara asked, confused. She started walking again. "C'mon, we gotta find Buffy and Mr. Giles."
Cordelia walked alongside Tara. They turned a corner and walked right into Giles.
"Ow!" Giles exclaimed.
"Sorry!" Tara apologized.
"No sign of Buffy?" Giles asked them.
Tara shook her head. "Not yet."
They walked out of the building and stopped. People were running past them.
Giles looked at the girls. "Things are getting worse. In a few hours, reality will fold completely into the realm of nightmares."
"Well, what do we do?" Tara asked him.
"The only thing I can think is to try and wake Billy."
Tara shook her head. "Uh, no, we can't leave without Buffy."
"Agreed, but who knows where she might have gone?" Giles asked.
Tara saw a dimensional rift to the graveyard across the street. "Excuse me, when did they put a cemetery in across the street?"
"And when did they make it night over there?" Cordelia added.
They walked across the street, through the rift, and into the cemetery.
"Whose nightmare is this?" Cordelia asked.
Giles looked at a gravestone. On it was inscribed "Buffy Summers" and, below that, "1981 - 1997".
"It's mine."
They all gathered around the grave. Tara didn't know what to think and fought back tears.
Giles kneeled next to it. "I've failed...in my duty to protect you. I should have been more c-cautious. Taken more time to train you. But you were so gifted. And the evil was so great. I'm sorry..." He lay his hand on the fresh soil.
As he started to get up, a hand reached up through the dirt and grabbed his. Tara and Cordelia screamed. Giles tore himself away as Buffy came up through the dirt, out of the grave. She brushed herself off.
"Buffy?" Giles asked.
Buffy looked up. "I thought I was dead!" She grinned, revealing fangs in her mouth.
"Buffy, your teeth!" Tara exclaimed.
Buffy felt her teeth and realized what had happened. "Oh, shit!"
Tara took a couple steps toward her. "Buffy-"
Buffy turned away. "Don't look at me!"
Tara hugged her and kissed her on the lips. "I'm not afraid of you."
"You're not?" Buffy asked her.
"How could I be?" Tara smiled. "You're Buffy, the love of my life."
Giles was surprised. "You never told me you dreamt of becoming a vampire."
Buffy was horrified. "This isn't a dream."
"No. No, it's not. But there's a chance that we can make it go away. This all comes from Billy. Now, if - if we can only wake him up, I believe that the nightmares will stop, and reality will shift back into place, but we must do it now! I need you to hold together long enough to help us. Can you do that?" Giles asked her.
Buffy looked at Giles and nodded. "Yeah. I think I can."
"Thank you."
Tara let go of Buffy.
"Well, we better hurry...'cause I'm getting hungry." Buffy started walking away.
Cordelia followed her. "That is a...joke, right?"
Tara and Giles followed.
Cordelia looked at Giles. "Are you sure everything will go back once he's awake?"
"Oh, uh, positive."
"Well, how do we wake Billy up?" Cordelia asked him. "What if we can't?"
"Cordelia, do shut up."
Pandemonium reigned in the hospital. Buffy, Giles, Tara, and Cordelia ran down the hall to Billy's room. The doctor was there, looking into Billy's room.
"Doctor!" Giles called. "Is the boy Billy still here?"
"My hands!" The doctor raised his hands, showing they were severely crippled. He went away.
Giles, Tara, and Cordelia ran into Billy's room. Buffy remained in the hall as a lookout. She found a mirror and checked her reflection. She bared her teeth and felt her fangs.
"What now?" Cordelia asked.
"Um..." Giles bent down to Billy. "Billy! Billy?"
"That won't work." Billy's astral body was standing by the curtains.
Giles looked up at him. "Billy! Uh, Billy, you have to wake up."
"No. I told her. I have to hide."
"Why? From what?" Giles asked him.
"From him!" Buffy saw the Ugly Man coming toward her.
Giles ran over to the window to look.
"What do we do?" Cordelia asked.
"I think I know." Buffy took off her jacket.
Tara heard buzzing outside and peeked through the blinds to see giant black wasps flying over the town. "Whatever it is, it better be soon!"
"Glad you showed up!" Buffy told the Ugly Man. "You see, I'm having a really bad day."
"Lucky nineteen!" the Ugly Man exclaimed.
"Scary! I'll tell you something, though. There are a lot scarier things than you." Buffy took two steps forward. "And I'm one of them."
The Ugly Man stopped in his tracks and looked at her. Buffy roared and ran to attack. She jumped on him, knocked him down, and punched him twice in the face. She tried for a third punch, but he blocked her and got his foot under her stomach. He pushed hard, and Buffy fell backwards. She got up quickly and roundhouse-kicked him in the gut, making him double over, but he pushed her into the window of Billy's room and then threw her into the opposite wall. He tried to punch her with his club arm, but she ducked, and his arm slammed into a wall. She came up behind him and side-kicked him in the back. He slammed into her, knocking her through the door into Billy's room and against his bed. She got up to face him as he came in after her. He swung again with his club arm, but she grabbed it and roughly brought it down, breaking it over her knee. He wailed in pain, and she body-checked him into the wall, where he hit his head and slumped to the floor, unconscious. Everyone just stared at him.
"I-Is he dead?" Billy asked.
Buffy looked at him. "Come here, Billy."
"I-I don't-"
"You have to do the rest."
Billy slowly came around the bed and over to the Ugly Man.
"What are they doing?" Cordelia asked.
Giles gestured for her to be quiet.
Tara understood what was happening. Buffy took Billy's hand in her own. He looked up at her.
Buffy looked down at him. "No more hiding."
Billy looked down at the Ugly Man. Buffy let go of his hand, and he reached for the Ugly Man's neck. He peeled back his face, and a bright light streamed out.
In the next instant, everything was back to normal. The Ugly Man was gone, Buffy was herself again, Cordelia's hair was stylish, and the hospital was functioning. Buffy smiled and felt her teeth. Tara breathed a sigh of relief. Cordelia checked her reflection in the mirror. Billy woke up and opened his eyes.
"Hey, he's waking up!" Cordelia announced.
They all gathered around Billy's bed.
"I had the strangest dream. And you were in it, and you..." Billy paused in confusion. "Who are you people?"
They all smiled.
"Let's get a doctor." Giles turned toward the door.
A man came in as Giles and Cordelia were about to go get a doctor.
"Oh! Huh. Billy's got company." The coach took off his cap. "I-I-I'm his Kiddie League coach. I come by here every day, just hoping against hope that he's gonna wake up soon. He's, uh, my lucky nineteen."
Buffy and Giles exchanged a look.
"So, um, how is he?" the coach asked.
Buffy stepped aside. "He's awake."
"What?" the coach asked in surprise.
"You blamed him for losing the game. So you caught up with him afterwards, didn't you?" Buffy accused him.
"What are you talking about?" he asked her.
Billy sat up. "You said that it was my fault that we lost."
The coach turned and tried to get away. Tara grabbed him by the jacket and stopped him. Cordelia helped keep him in place.
"It wasn't my fault. There's eight other players on the team. You know that." Billy lay down.
Buffy looked at Billy. "Nice going!" She smiled at him.
Billy smiled back.
Before they left the hospital, Buffy stopped in Laura's room. She was awake and reading a book.
Buffy knocked on the open door. "Hey."
Laura looked at her and smiled. "Hey, Buffy."
"Just so you know, that thing that attacked you won't be bothering you anymore. I took care of it."
Laura grinned. "That's great. Thank you."
"How are you feeling?" Buffy asked her.
"Better. Still got a way to go, though."
"If you want, I can bring you some of my paperbacks from home to read."
"That'd be great, thanks."
Buffy smiled. "Feel better, Laura."
"Thanks for visiting."
Back at the school, Buffy and Tara were walking along outside, holding hands.
"Well, it seems everything's back to normal."
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. I'm kinda gonna miss the fangs, though."
Tara looked at her in surprise. "Seriously?"
Buffy looked at her. "Uh-huh. They were fucking dope. They would've come in handy. Sometimes, I just can't tear through beef jerky."
Tara laughed. "So...what was it like? Being a vampire."
Buffy thought about it. "I felt stronger. More powerful. Like I had all of the strengths and none of the weaknesses of both a Slayer and a vampire. A Slaypire, if you will."
"Did you still feel like yourself?" Tara asked her.
"What do you mean?"
"Did you still have your soul?"
Buffy shrugged. "I assume so. I mean...I have it now, right? I mean...how do I know if I have a soul or not? I'm just...me...as far as I'm concerned. Besides, I wasn't bitten, so I wasn't a 'real' vampire. I just had a taste of it." She looked at Tara and couldn't hold in her laughter.
Tara smiled and rolled her eyes.
Buffy suddenly grew somber and shook her head. "I just can't believe a Kiddie League coach would do something like that."
Tara looked at her. "That shit gets intense. I'm surprised it wasn't one of the parents. I'm just glad he's behind bars, where he belongs."
"That was pretty heroic, Tara, grabbing him and all."
"Well, I just did what anyone else would've."
"Personal question?" Buffy asked.
"Sure."
"When I was a vampire, were you still, like, attracted to me?" Buffy asked her. "Not in love; I know that. I mean, like, aroused."
"Yeah. Is that fucked up?" Tara asked her.
Buffy thought about it and shrugged. "Nah." She was silent for a moment and then smiled. "It kinda turns me on."
Tara smiled sexily. "Oh, yeah? Gonna bite me?"
Buffy grinned. "You into that?"
"Maybe."
They moved closer together. But then they were interrupted by a honking sound. They looked.
Hank drove up, honked, got out of the car, and waved. "Hi!"
Buffy smiled. "Hi, Dad!"
Hank came up the steps and hugged his daughter. "Hi, sweetheart! Oh, it's so good to see you!"
Buffy hugged him. "Same."
Hank released her. "How was your day?"
Buffy released him. "Fine. You know, usual."
"Buffy!"
Buffy looked. Dawn ran up the steps and threw her arms around her big sister in a big bear hug.
Buffy grinned and hugged her little sister. "Hey, Dawn!"
Dawn looked at Tara and then at Buffy. "Who's your friend?"
Buffy cleared her throat and let go of Dawn. "Um, Dawn, Dad, this is Tara." She put an arm around Tara's waist. "My girlfriend."
Hank was stunned. He slowly regained his composure. "Oh." He nodded at Tara. "Hello."
Tara nodded at Hank. "Hello."
Dawn, meanwhile, could barely contain her excitement. Every so often, a squeal escaped her lips. Eventually, unable to control herself, she hugged Tara.
"Oh!" Tara exclaimed in surprise. She gently hugged Dawn.
After an awkward moment, they released each other.
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips and then smiled. "Have a nice weekend, sweetie. I'll see you on Monday."
Tara smiled. "Okay. Stay safe. I love you."
"I love you, too."
Buffy, Dawn, and Hank headed down the steps.
Dawn looked at Buffy. "So you're going blonde?"
"What?" Buffy asked. "Oh! Yeah. You like it?"
Dawn shrugged. "It's okay. But what's wrong with brown hair?" She then shook her head to whip her hair in her attempt at a glamour pose.
Buffy smiled in amusement. "Nothing, you Twinkie. I just felt like a change."
They got into the car and fastened their seatbelts. Hank started the car and started driving.
"Oh, Dad, we gotta stop by the house, so I can get my bag."
"Okay."
Buffy looked at Dawn. "So what have you been up to?"
Dawn smiled. "I came up with this new creation. I call it burger in a bowl."
Buffy stared at her in confusion.
"Basically, you take ground beef, season it with black pepper, add chopped onion and slices of cheese, and nuke it in the microwave. Then you add ketchup, mustard, and mayo, and voila!" Dawn smiled proudly. "Burger in a bowl."
Buffy thought about that for a moment. "That's actually a decent idea for a change."
"So what have you been up to?" Dawn asked her.
"Oh, let's see. Moved to a new town. Transferred to a new school. Made some new friends. Fell in love. Started a band. Discovered I'm a Vampire Slayer. Fought a witch. Fought a praying mantis. Dealt with a gang of bullies that were possessed by hyenas. Fought a robotic demon. Teamed up with a living puppet to defeat an organ-harvesting demon. And...temporarily became a vampire."
Dawn stared at her sister for a moment, and then she looked straight ahead. "My burger thing's cooler."
Hank looked at his daughters in the rear-view mirror. "So...where do you two wanna stop for dinner?"
Dawn looked at Buffy. "Doublemeat Palace?"
Buffy shrugged. "Okay."
Dawn looked out the window as they arrived on Revello Drive. "Whose ugly-ass van is that in the driveway?"
Chapter 33: Out of Mind, Out of Sight
Chapter Text
"Out of Mind, Out of Sight"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon, Ashley Gable, and Thomas A. Swyden
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
At Sunnydale High School, Cordelia, Harmony, and boy named Mitch Fargo were walking down a hall. Cordelia had her arms around Mitch.
Cordelia smiled. "I just love springtime. Me and bright spring fashions!"
Mitch smiled. "Spring training."
Cordelia grinned. "Me at the end-of-school dance."
Harmony grinned. "The end of school."
"Definitely. My favorite time of year." Cordelia giggled. "I am, of course, having my dress specially made. Off the rack gives me hives."
"Lemme guess: blue, like your eyes!" Mitch laughed.
Cordelia forced a laugh. "My eyes are hazel, Helen Keller."
Harmony smiled. "You two will look so fine together in the May Queen photo."
"Well, I haven't been elected May Queen yet."
They reached the library doors. Suddenly, Buffy came barging out. She bumped into Mitch and dropped her bag, spilling out its contents: a couple stakes, a couple crosses, a mace, and other stuff.
"Uhhh! Behold, the weirdness!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Buffy looked up. "Sorry!" She gathered up her stuff and put them back in her bag.
Cordelia, Harmony, and Mitch continued down the hall.
"Okay, this is me." Mitch kissed Cordelia on the lips. "See ya."
"See ya."
Mitch went into a classroom. Cordelia and Harmony continued walking.
Harmony looked at Cordelia. "I'm kinda surprised that you're going with Mitch."
Cordelia looked at Harmony. "Why?"
"Well, I thought you'd be going with Angel."
Cordelia sighed. "Angel and I are, well, I don't know what we are. I brought it up to him recently, and he suggested I find a human date. I was like 'Have you seen the assholes that I go to school with?'"
Harmony laughed. "Good point. And he still declined?"
"Yeah. I can't figure out what his deal is. Does he want to be with me or not?" Cordelia sighed again. "It's so frustrating."
Later, in English class, they were discussing The Merchant of Venice.
"'If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?'" Ms. Miller looked at the class. "Okay. So talk to me, people. How does what Shylock says here about being a Jew relate to our discussion about the anger of the outcast in society?"
"Well, how about color me totally self-involved?" Cordelia replied.
"Care to elaborate?" Ms. Miller asked her.
"Yeah. With Shylock, it's whine, whine, whine, like the whole world is about him. He acts like it's justice, him getting a pound of Antonio's flesh. It's not justice; it's yicky."
"But has Shylock suffered? What's his place in Venice society?" Ms. Miller asked.
Tara raised her hand. "Well, everyone looked down on him."
Cordelia looked at her. "That is such a Twinkie defense. Shylock should get over himself. People who think their problems are so huge craze me. Like this time I sort of ran over this girl on her bike. It was the most traumatizing event of my life, and she's trying to make it about her leg! Like my pain meant nothing."
"Well, Cordelia's raised an interesting point here."
The bell rang.
"Which we'll pursue at a later time."
The students got up to leave.
Cordelia walked up to Ms. Miller's desk. "Ms. Miller?"
"Good observations today, Cordelia. It's always exciting to know someone's actually done the reading."
"Thanks. Um, I wanna talk to you about my final paper. I'm really unfocused. I have all these thoughts, and I'm pretty sure they all contradict each other."
"Well, I have your outline here, but why don't you stop by tomorrow after school? We'll go over it then."
"That'd be great! Thanks a lot." Cordelia started to leave.
"You're welcome. I'll see you then."
"Okay! Bye!" Cordelia went into the hall and saw Harmony. "Harmony!"
Harmony smiled. "Hi!"
"They called and said the dress is ready. It's so great!" Cordelia exclaimed, excited. "Mitch is gonna die!"
Later, Cordelia was handing out chocolates in the hallway while campaigning for May Queen. "Now, remember who to vote for for May Queen! As in me!"
"Thanks." A boy took the offered chocolate and walked away.
Cordelia saw Harmony and walked over to her. "Hi! Isn't this the bomb? I'm such the campaign strategist."
Harmony took one chocolate and saw the "C" on the wrapper. "'C'. For Cordelia?"
"No, 'C' for Wilma, little brain! Of course, 'C' for Cordelia! This way, people will associate me with something sweet!" Cordelia absently continued to the next student. "Here's a chocolate..." She saw it was Buffy and pulled her hand back. "Oh. I don't think you need to put on any extra weight." She left.
"Well, I-I don't even like chocolates." Buffy turned and walked to her locker. "Okay, that was the lamest comeback of our times."
Tara arrived and kissed Buffy on the lips. "So...what's Cordelia up to?"
Buffy worked the combination. "Bribery. She's desperate to be May Queen."
"Oh. Uh, Cordelia just has a history of trying too hard." Tara shook her head. "I don't understand why anyone would wanna be May Queen, anyway."
Buffy opened her locker. "I was May Queen."
"You were?" Tara asked, surprised.
"At my old school." Buffy switched out books, closed her locker, and turned back to face Tara. "Well, we didn't call it 'May Queen', but we had the coronation and the dance and all that stuff. It was nice."
Tara still didn't get the appeal, but she didn't say anything.
Suddenly, a boy came running down the hall. "Guys! C'mon!"
Buffy looked up.
"Mitch got whaled on! I think he's dead!"
Buffy and Tara looked at each other and then followed the boy.
Principal Snyder was standing in front of the door to the gym, talking to the students. "Dead? Of course not. What are you, ghouls?"
They all turned to look when the paramedics opened the doors to the gym and wheeled Mitch out.
"There are no dead students here. This week. Clear back, make room, all of you."
Buffy grabbed the gurney and stopped it. "Mitch, what happened?"
"I don't know. I-I heard something. I tried to grab a-a bat...that hit me."
"What hit you?" Buffy asked him.
"The bat! By itself; the thing was floating; it knocked me out."
The paramedics wheeled him away.
Buffy looked at Tara. "I'd better check out the scene." She started toward the locker room.
"Where do you think you're going?" Snyder asked her.
Buffy stopped and faced him. "Um, Mitch wanted me to get his comb. He - He likes his comb."
"I don't think Mitch needs his comb right now. I think Mitch needs medical attention. And you need to stay away from the crime scene. Always sticking your nose in."
"Sue?" Tara asked loudly, looking at the closest student. "What did you say? Mitch was gonna sue the school?"
Snyder looked at Tara. "Sue? Who?"
Buffy mouthed "Thank you" to Tara and quickly went into the locker room.
Tara was a bit nervous. "Well, his dad is the most powerful lawyer in Sunnydale."
"Hold on. What have you heard?" Snyder asked her.
"His dad, the lawyer. You haven't heard of him? Other lawyers call him 'The Beast'."
The locker room was deserted. Buffy walked quietly and looked around. She saw the bat on the floor and went over to it. She nudged it with her foot, and it just rolled away. She went into the nearest row of lockers, where four of the locker doors were damaged and wide open. She looked into one of the lockers and noticed a large letter on the door next to it. She closed all of the lockers and saw the word "look" painted in red.
Buffy told Tara what she had found later in the cafeteria during lunch.
"'Look'? That's all it said?" Tara asked. "Look at what? Look at Mitch?"
"Maybe. All I know is it's a message."
Giles came over to them. "Ah, here you are."
Buffy glanced at him and then looked back at Tara. "And monsters don't usually send messages. It's pretty much crush, kill, destroy. This was different."
"I'd have to say you're right."
Buffy grinned. "I love it when he says that!" She looked at Giles. "Any theories?"
Giles sat down at their table. "Uh, I'm, uh, it's a bit of a puzzle, really. Um, I've never actually heard of anyone attacked by a lone baseball bat before. Assuming the bat itself is not possessed, uh, there are a few possibilities that bear investigating. Uh, someone with telekinesis, uh, the power to move objects at will, uh, uh, an invisible creature, um, or possibly a poltergeist."
"A ghost?" Tara asked.
"Yes, and a very angry one."
Buffy stuck a fry in her mouth. "Yeah, I'd say. The locker room was a real scene."
Tara felt upset. "If it's a ghost, then we're talking about a dead kid."
Buffy was somber. "I guess so. You know, why don't you compile a list of dead or missing kids? It's probably a good place to start."
Tara nodded. "Okay."
Giles nodded. "And, uh, I'll research all the possibilities, ghosts included."
"What are you gonna do?" Tara asked Buffy.
"Gonna find out what I can about Mitch. This attack wasn't random. Gonna ask around, talk to his friends."
Later, Harmony found Cordelia at the drinking fountain on the balcony.
Harmony smiled. "Hi!"
Cordelia stopped drinking and looked at her friend. "Oh, hi."
"Cordelia, you weren't in fifth period."
"I went to the hospital."
"Oh, Mitch. How is he? Will he be okay?"
"Well, the doctor says he'll be fine. They're gonna send him home tomorrow. But...you should've seen him lying there. All black and blue? How's he gonna look in our Spring Fling pictures? How am I ever gonna be able to show them to anyone?" Cordelia asked.
"Well, they can do wonderful things with airbrushes these days."
"You think?" Cordelia asked her.
Cordelia and Harmony walked along the balcony toward the stairs.
"I just hope they can prop him up long enough to take the picture."
"Cordelia, can I talk to you?"
Cordelia looked and saw Buffy standing in the doorway. "Oh, great."
"Uff!" Harmony felt something push her backward, and she tumbled down the stairs.
Buffy, Cordelia, and others ran down after her. Principal Snyder saw it happen, too.
"Harmony!" Cordelia yelled.
Buffy and Cordelia crouched down next to Harmony.
"Oh, for heaven's sakes! Clear back, everyone! Give her some air!" Snyder looked at a student. "You! School nurse, now!"
The student nodded and ran off.
"Ow! Fuck! Oh, my ankle!" Harmony cried. "I think it's broken."
"What happened?" Buffy asked her.
Snyder looked at Buffy. "Hey! Who's the principal here?" He looked at Harmony. "What happened?"
"She fell!" Cordelia told him. "She - She - We were standing at the top of the stairs, and she just fell! All by herself!"
"No! I was pushed!" Harmony corrected.
Buffy got up when she heard laughter and footsteps going up the stairs. She followed the sounds up the stairs. Snyder bent down and touched Harmony's ankle.
"Ow!" Harmony cried in pain.
"Don't sue."
Buffy reached the top of the stairs and still heard the laughter. She saw a door close and followed whoever it was inside.
"Is anybody here?" Buffy called.
She felt something bump her and heard footsteps going into the band room. She looked around, confused.
"Hey! Who's here?" Buffy asked.
She went into the band room and heard activity somewhere.
"Okay, I know someone's here. Look, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna talk to you." Buffy looked around for a while and finally left.
After school, students were leaving for the day. Buffy, Tara, and Giles were standing outside the main entrance.
"Giles, have you ever touched a ghost?" Buffy asked.
"Uh, no. From what I've heard, uh, having a-a ghost pass through you is a singular experience. It's a - It's a rather, uh, cold, amorphous feeling. It makes your hair stand on end."
"You see, that's my problem. I touched the thing, but it didn't go through me. It bumped into me. And it wasn't cold."
"So...we're talking about what, an invisible person?" Tara asked.
Buffy looked at her. "A girl. She laughed."
Giles pondered that. "A girl on campus with the ability to become invisible. It must be a fairly heady experience...having that ability."
"How'd she get it? Is she a witch?" Tara asked. "'Cause we can fight a witch."
Giles thought about it. "Hmm. Greek myths speak of cloaks of invisibility, but they're usually for the gods."
Buffy looked at him. "This girl's sorta petty for a god."
"She's got a grudge. But why Harmony?" Tara asked.
"Harmony and Mitch. The common denominator is...Cordelia!" Buffy realized.
"So what now?" Tara asked her.
"First thing tomorrow, why don't you pull up that missing kids list?" Buffy suggested.
"Got it." Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "I'll see ya then."
Buffy smiled. "Bye."
Giles looked at Buffy. "So...I'll look into ways that you can de-cloak an invisible someone. What about you?"
"I think Cordelia's gonna be workin' on her May Queen dress tonight. Maybe there'll be some action. Guess I'm gonna start the hunt."
"How, exactly, do you propose to hunt someone you can't see?" Giles asked her.
Buffy gave Giles an inquisitive look.
That night, Buffy and Giles walked back into the school.
Giles looked at Buffy. "You may have to work on listening to people."
"Very funny."
"I thought so."
Buffy heard activity to her left. She found the room where Cordelia and her friends were getting her dress ready. They fussed over the dress. Buffy heard the conversation and laughter coming from the room.
"Should I wear my hair up? Do you think I should wear it up?" Cordelia asked her friends.
Buffy peeked through the door to watch.
"How does the, um, hem go?" Cordelia asked. "Is it - Is it long enough, or..."
Buffy smiled.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy looked down and remembered her own experience as May Queen. As she turned to go, she heard a flute playing. She began to follow the sound.
In the library, Giles went up the stairs and stopped when he heard the music. The music stopped, and he continued into the stacks. He heard a squeaking and stopped again.
"Who's there?" Giles asked.
After a moment, he took a few steps to a glass-enclosed bookcase and saw his reflection - and Angel next to him. He turned away, startled, and saw Angel standing there.
"Don't worry. I'm not here to eat."
"Cordelia told me you don't feed from humans anymore."
"Not for a long while."
"Is that why you're here? To see her?"
"I can't. It's, uh..." Angel paused. "It's too hard for me to be around her."
"What can I, uh..." Giles paused. "What can I do for you?"
"I know you've been researching the Master."
"Yes, the vampire king. I've tried to learn as much as I can about him for the day that Buffy must face him."
"Something's already in motion, something big, but I don't know what. You've read all the Slayer lore there is, right?"
"I-I've studied all the extant volumes, of course. But the, uh, most salient books of Slayer prophecy have been lost. The Tiberius Manifesto, the Pergamum Codex-"
"The Codex?" Angel asked.
"It's reputed to have contained the most complete prophecies about the Slayer's role in the end years. Unfortunately, the book was lost in the fifteenth century."
"Not lost. Misplaced. I can get it."
Giles gasped, astounded. "That would be most helpful! Uh, m-my own volumes have...been rather useless of late."
Angel looked at the book that Giles was holding. "Legends of Vishnu?"
Giles was a bit embarrassed. "There's an...invisible girl terrorizing the school."
"That's not really my area of expertise."
"Nor mine, I'm afraid. Uh, it's fascinating, though. By all accounts it's a-a-a wonderful power to possess. Um, speaking of..." Giles pointed at Angel's reflection in the bookcase's glass and raised an eyebrow.
Angel smiled. "Don't believe everything you read."
The next day, at school, people were gathered in the quad, where a stage had been set up. Buffy and Tara were there. Buffy leaned on a nearby pillar.
Principal Snyder was standing on the stage. "The winner is Cordelia Chase! Let's bring up our new May Queen."
Buffy, Tara, and the other students applauded.
Cordelia walked onto the stage and over to the microphone. "Thank you for making the right choice - and for showing me how much you all love me."
The crowd applauded again.
"Being this popular is not just my right, but my responsibility, and I want you to know I take it very seriously. It all began when..."
Buffy stared at Cordelia. "Last night was a bust. But I still think Cordy's the key."
Tara held up a sheet of paper. "This is the dead and missing list. I pulled up their classes, activities, medical records..."
Buffy took it. "Good work."
Tara noticed two men in black suits loitering by some stairs. "Has Cordelia hired a bodyguard or something?"
Buffy didn't care. She was reading the list. "Hey, check out this one. It's the most recent disappearance, Marcie Ross; disappeared, like, six months ago."
Tara looked at her. "I don't know her."
"Her only activity was band. She played the flute."
"So?"
"Well, last night, when I was hunting, I heard this flute, but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. And it was in the band room that I lost Miss Invisible yesterday. You know what? This all tracks. I'm gonna check it out. See you later?"
"Okay, I'll see you after geometry." Tara kissed Buffy on the lips.
"Ask not what your school can do for you; ask: 'Hey! What am I wearing to the Spring Fling?'"
Buffy chuckled, looked at Cordelia, and then walked away.
Buffy looked around the band room and almost ran into a chair. She noticed a boot print on it, guessed it was used as a step to climb, and looked up. She noticed in the corner of the ceiling that there was an access hatch. She climbed up onto the cabinet and crawled over to the hatch. She lifted it up and put it aside as she poked her head in and had a look around. She climbed up onto the ceiling and began to crawl through the space. Near a skylight, she found some things. A flute was there, and Buffy picked it up to look at it. Buffy picked up a teddy bear, looked at it, and put it back. She looked under some sheet music, found a yearbook, pulled it out, and opened it.
"Marcie Ross. So it is you." Buffy sat there and reflected for a moment, and then she closed the yearbook and took it with her as she started back to the hatch.
Once out, she closed the hatch and climbed back down from the cabinet.
Cordelia arrived at Ms. Miller's classroom and knocked on the door.
After waiting a while, Cordelia opened the door and walked in. "Ms. Miller?"
She found Ms. Miller slumped over on her desk. A plastic bag was over Ms. Miller's head.
"Oh, my God! Ms. Miller!" Cordelia ran over and lifted her up. "Oh, my God!" She pulled the bag off Ms. Miller's head. "Are you okay?"
Ms. Miller drew a sudden, deep breath and began coughing.
"Ms. Miller, what happened?" Cordelia asked.
"Attacked. Didn't see."
They heard the noise of a piece of chalk writing on the board. Cordelia and Ms. Miller turned to see a floating piece of chalk finish writing the word "listen".
Chapter Text
Buffy met Tara after their final class, and they went to the library. They sat at the table, and Buffy told Giles and Tara about what she'd found.
"A nest?" Giles asked.
"It looked like she'd been there for months. It's where I found this." Buffy opened the yearbook and put it on the table for Tara to see.
"Oh, my Goddess!" Tara exclaimed. "'Have a nice summer.' 'Have a nice summer.' This girl had no friends at all."
Giles looked at the girls in confusion. "Uh, once again, I teeter at the precipice of the generation gap."
Buffy looked at him. "'Have a nice summer' is what you write when you have nothing to say."
Tara nodded. "It's the kiss of death."
Buffy looked at her. "You didn't know Marcie Ross?"
Tara shook her head. "Never met her. Why?"
"'Cause you wrote it, too." Buffy pointed to Tara's signature.
Tara looked. "'Have a nice...'" She sighed. "Fuck, I'm horrible."
Buffy put a comforting hand on Tara's shoulder. "You don't remember her?"
"No, I probably didn't see her except to sign the book. I mean...this is a big school." Tara looked at her printouts and suddenly felt even more horrible. "Uh, scratch that. I had four classes with her last year."
Buffy thought about this. "So...no one noticed her, and now she's invisible."
"What, she turned invisible, because no one noticed her?" Tara asked.
Giles hit the table. "Of course!" He got up. "I've been investigating the mystical causes of invisibility when I-I should have looked at the quantum mechanical!"
Buffy and Tara looked at him in confusion.
"Physics."
"I think I speak for both of us when I say 'Huh?'" Buffy asked.
Giles got a book. "It's a rudimentary concept that - that reality is shaped, even - even...created by our perception."
Buffy started to get it. "And with the Hellmouth below us sending out mystical energy..."
"People perceived Marcie as - as - as invisible, and - and - and - and she became so."
"This isn't this great power that she can control. It's something that was done to her. That we did to her."
Tara looked at Buffy. "Well, not you, sweetie. You weren't here yet."
Buffy smiled. "Oh, yeah."
"What does she want?" Tara asked.
Cordelia came into the library.
"Just what we thought. Cordelia." Buffy turned to a certain page in the yearbook to show Tara the marked-up picture of Cordelia.
"What?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy, Tara, and Giles looked at her.
"I knew you'd be here. Buffy, I, uh, I-I know we've had our differences, with you being so weird and all..." Cordelia sighed. "Well, anyway, despite all of that, I know that you share this feeling that we have for each other, deep down..." She paused. "Somebody is after me! They just tried to kill Ms. Miller! Uh, she was helping me with my homework. And Mitch! And Harmony?! This is all about me! Me, me, me!"
"Wow! For once, you're right!" Buffy told her.
"I'm coming to you for help, because you're always around when all this weird shit is happening. And I know you're very strong, and you've got all those weapons..." Cordelia paused. "Please! I don't have anyone else to turn to!"
Giles got up and offered her a chair. "Please. Sit down."
"Okay. Thanks." Cordelia sat down.
Giles sat down as well.
"Okay." Buffy sighed. "Cordelia, your attacker is an invisible girl."
Tara looked at Cordelia. "Who is really, really fucking pissed at you."
"Well, I don't care what it is, just get rid of it!" Cordelia demanded.
"Well, it's not that simple; it's a person; it's..." Buffy showed her the yearbook. "It's this person. Now, do you have any idea why she'd be so-"
"Oh, God! Is she really wearing Laura Ashley?" Cordelia interrupted.
"So homicidal?" Tara finished Buffy's question.
Cordelia sighed in frustration. "I have no idea! I've never seen this girl before in my life!"
Buffy sighed. "Tell us about the attack on Ms. Miller."
"I came to her classroom, and she was being suffocated with a plastic bag." Cordelia smiled. "I totally saved her life. Anyway, then we see this message being written on the chalkboard: 'listen'."
Giles thought about that. "So we now have two messages from Marcie: 'look' and 'listen'."
Tara looked at him. "Messages we don't understand."
Buffy looked at her. "I don't think we're supposed to...yet. Marcie's not quite ready. But from what she did to Cordelia's picture, I would say that she's wigged on the whole May Queen thing. Maybe she's gonna do something about it."
Tara thought about it. "Stop the coronation tonight, maybe. Keep you guys away from the Bronze?"
"Nothing is keeping me from the Bronze tonight!" Cordelia declared.
Buffy looked at her. "Uh, can we just revel in your fabulous lack of priorities?"
Cordelia looked at her. "If I'm not crowned tonight, then - then Marcie's won! And that would be bad. She's evil, okay? Way eviler than me."
Buffy looked at Giles. "Cordelia has a point."
Cordelia looked at Giles. "Buffy's with me on this."
"Anyway, continuing the normal May Queen activities may be the best way to draw Marcie out. We can use Cordelia as bait."
"Great!" Cordelia looked at Buffy. "Bait?"
Giles looked at Tara. "Tara, you'll help me begin our research anew. Unless we find a way to cure Marcie's invisibility, then Buffy will be..."
Buffy felt solemn. "A sitting duck."
They all got up to do their tasks.
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "C'mon."
"Well, I have to try on my dress. And am I really bait?" Cordelia asked.
"Uh-huh." Buffy headed toward the doors.
Cordelia followed her with a sigh. "Great."
As they walked through the halls, Buffy filled Cordelia in on the details regarding Marcie and her disappearance.
"So...how much the creepy is it that this Marcie's been at this for months? Spying on us? Learning our most guarded secrets? So...are you saying she's invisible, because she's so unpopular?" Cordelia asked Buffy.
"That about sums it up."
Cordelia sighed. "Bummer for her. It's awful to feel that lonely."
"Hmm. So you've read something about the feeling?" Buffy asked her.
Cordelia stopped Buffy and looked her in the eyes. "Hey! You think I'm never lonely, because I'm so cute and popular? I can be surrounded by people and be completely alone. It's not like any of them really know me. I don't even know if they like me half the time. People just want to be in a popular zone. Sometimes, when I talk, everyone's so busy agreeing with me, they don't hear a word I say."
"Well, if you feel so alone, then why do you work so hard at being popular?" Buffy asked her, genuinely curious.
"Well, it beats being alone all by yourself." Cordelia continued down the hall.
After considering that for a moment, Buffy quickly followed.
Back in the library, Tara heard a flute play. "Shhh! Listen!"
She and Giles listened for a moment and looked in the direction of the music.
Giles stood up. "Come on."
Tara stood up. They left the library.
"We could...talk to her. Perhaps reason with her. Or possibly grab her."
Tara looked at Giles. "You think that'll work?"
Giles shrugged. They started down the hall.
Buffy opened the door to a mop closet, went inside, and turned on the light.
"If you ever tell to anyone that I changed in a mop closet..."
"Your secret dies with me." Buffy looked around. "Looks okay. But hurry."
"Okay."
Buffy left the closet, Cordelia went in, and Buffy closed the door.
Giles and Tara went down the stairs, into the basement, and looked around. They listened for the next direction to take.
Tara heard the flute through a pair of heavy metal doors. "Over here."
She opened the door, and Giles followed her into the boiler room.
"Marcie?" Giles called. "We know what happened to you. Please, can we talk to you?"
"I'm sorry I ignored you." Tara followed the sound of the flute over to a shelf and found a tape recorder playing. "Shit." She looked at Giles. "I think it's a trap."
They heard the sound of feet running. The door slammed shut. They heard a hissing sound.
"What's that sound?" Giles asked.
"You know what you were saying before?" Buffy asked Cordelia through the door. "I understand. Somehow, it doesn't seem to matter how popular you are when-"
"You were popular?" Cordelia asked in disbelief. "In what alternate universe?"
"In L.A. Th-The point is...I did sort of feel like something was missing."
"Is that when you became an angry bitch and got kicked out?" Cordelia asked her.
"Okay. Can we have the heartfelt talk with a little less talk from you?" Buffy asked.
She got no response.
"Cordelia?" Buffy asked.
She heard noises inside the closet and some muffled screaming.
"Cordelia!" Buffy tried the door, but it was locked. "Cordelia!" She punched through the door and reached in to unlock it.
She opened the door, ran in, and saw Cordelia being pulled through the ceiling.
"Buffy!" Cordelia cried.
Buffy jumped and tried to grab her legs, but Cordelia was pulled through too quickly. Buffy stepped back, took a running jump up to grab a pipe, and swung herself up and through the opening.
Buffy looked around the ceiling crawl space and found Cordelia lying there.
"Cordelia!" Buffy kneeled next to her. "Cordelia!" She took her pulse. "Oh, my God!"
Buffy looked around for what to do when she felt a kick. She rolled away and fell through a ceiling panel and onto a desk below, smashing it and getting knocked out.
Buffy woke and lifted her head to look around. She saw a syringe at the last moment as she was injected in the neck. Buffy's vision blurred, and in just a few seconds she fell back to the floor, unconscious.
"It's gas." Giles checked the furnace. "She's snuffed out the pilot light! The gas is on full!" He looked around. "I can't find the shutoff valve."
Tara found the valve handle on the floor. "Okay, that's bad. How 'bout the door?"
Tara slammed herself into it, but it didn't budge. She spotted a bar, grabbed it, and started to swing it at the door like a ram.
"No!" Giles screamed. "One spark, and you'll take the whole building with us!"
"Oh, shit." Tara stopped hitting the door. "Sorry."
Giles tried to turn the gas valve off with his bare hands with some success. "That should give us a few minutes, but we b..." He paused. "If we don't get out of this room soon..."
"Why is Marcie doing this?" Tara asked him.
"The loneliness, the constant exile; she's..." Giles coughed. "She has gone mad!"
Tara thought for a moment. "Is there a way to prevent sparks?"
"Perhaps." Giles took off his jacket and wrapped it around the bar. "One, two, three!"
The two of them rammed the door with the bar, and it made a deep, loud boom, but it didn't budge.
"Again!" Giles told her.
They tried. The door still wouldn't budge.
They kept trying until they were too weak. Tara and Giles dropped the bar and sat on the floor.
"Mr. Giles, you are..." Tara paused. "I'm blacking out on you." She collapsed onto Giles but remained barely conscious.
Giles weakly slapped against the door. It suddenly opened, and Giles fell through it.
Angel stood in the doorway and looked around and down. He quickly grabbed Giles and helped him up. "Come on!"
He helped Giles out of the room. Angel pulled Tara up, and she got out by herself. Giles slammed the door closed. They all coughed and tried to breathe.
"What happened?" Tara asked, her mind still cloudy.
Angel looked at her. "You tell me."
Tara shook her head and slowly sobered up.
"I brought you the Codex." Angel handed the book to Giles. "I came in through the basement. I smelled the gas."
"Yes, w-w-well, shut it off; otherwise, uh, the whole building will go up!" Giles told him.
Angel nodded. "I'll get it. It's not like I need the oxygen."
"Come on, let's get out of here." Giles went up the stairs.
Tara waved bye to Angel and then followed Giles.
Cordelia woke up and looked around. She and Buffy were in the Bronze and tied to the May Queen and King thrones, respectively. Buffy woke up.
Cordelia looked at her. "Buffy? You're awake?"
Buffy was a bit disoriented. "Yeah."
"I can't feel my face!" Cordelia cried.
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.
"My face. My face is numb. What is she doing?"
"I don't know."
Cordelia looked at the curtain. "Learn" was written on it in glitter.
"What does that mean?" Cordelia asked Buffy.
"I don't know."
A tray was wheeled over to Buffy and Cordelia.
"Uh, I'm disappointed. I'd really hoped you guys had figured it out by now."
"Well, why don't you explain it?" Buffy asked. "C'mon, Marcie, what are we supposed to learn?"
"Yeah, what do you wanna teach us?!" Cordelia asked.
"You don't get it. You're not the student. You're the lesson."
"What did you do to my face?" Cordelia asked her.
"Your face. That's what this is all about, isn't it? Your beautiful face. That's what makes you shine just a little bit brighter than the rest of us. We all want what you have. To be noticed, remembered. To be seen."
"What are you doing?" Cordelia asked.
"Well, I'm fulfilling your fondest wish." Marcie pulled off the cloth covering the tray, revealing several surgical instruments.
Cordelia gasped when she saw them.
"I'm gonna give you a face no one will ever forget."
Buffy was starting to panic. "Marcie, you can't do this."
"What are you gonna do? Slay me?"
"Marcie, you know this is wrong."
Buffy suddenly felt a punch to the face.
"You shoulda stayed outta my way. Y'know, I-I thought - I thought you would understand my vision, but you're just like them." Marcie took a scalpel from the tray and swung it at Cordelia's face.
Cordelia gasped. "Please don't do this!" She watched the blade float in front of her and broke down crying. "Nooohohoho!"
"You should be grateful. I mean...people who pass you in the street are gonna remember you for the rest of their lives."
Buffy struggled to reach for the tray while Marcie concentrated on Cordelia.
"Children are gonna dream about you. And every one of your - your friends who comes to the coronation tonight will take the sight of the May Queen to their graves."
"Wait!" Cordelia screamed.
"No, we really have to get started. The local anesthetic's gonna wear off soon, and I don't want you to faint. It's less fun if you're not awake. Let me see. I think we should start with your smile. I think it should be wider."
"Marcie, I know you think I don't understand, but I do!" Cordelia insisted.
"Yeah, I'll bet you know how I feel. I'm sure you can just be with all your friends and feel so alone, 'cause they don't really know you. You're just a typical, self-involved, spoiled little brat, and you think you can charm your way out of this, don't you?! Isn't that what you think?!" Marcie swung the scalpel and cut Cordelia's cheek.
Buffy looked at Cordelia in shock. Tears streamed down Cordelia's cheeks as she sobbed.
"I see right through you."
Buffy freed her legs and kicked the instrument tray into Marcie. Marcie stumbled back into the curtain. Buffy quickly pulled the rest of the ropes off and got out of her chair.
"Oh, my God! Get me out of here, please!" Cordelia begged.
Buffy started working on Cordelia's ropes. "Hold still!"
Buffy heard Marcie getting back up, and Marcie kicked Buffy away from Cordelia.
Cordelia screamed, crying more than ever. "Uh, huh, huh, oh, my God!"
Buffy got up. "Y'know, I really felt sorry for you. You've suffered. There's one thing I really didn't factor into all this. You're a thundering loony!"
"Shut up!" Marcie yelled.
"Just a sick, fucked-up bitch!" Buffy added.
"Shut up!" Marcie screamed, knocking Buffy down again.
"Buffy, are you okay?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy tried to get up, but Marcie kicked her back down.
"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" Cordelia cried.
Buffy tried to get up again, but Marcie punched her and knocked her onto the chair.
"Buffy!" Cordelia screamed.
Buffy fell off the chair and tipped it over onto herself in the process.
"Buffy! Oh, my God!" Cordelia screamed.
Buffy got up again and took a blind swing.
"Hey, moron! I'm invisible!" Marcie knocked Buffy down. "How are you gonna fight someone you can't see?"
"Oh, my God!" Cordelia was in hysterics.
Buffy was distracted by it. "Cordelia, shut up."
Cordelia suddenly felt very meek. "Okay."
Buffy closed her eyes and tried to sense where Marcie was. The floor creaked, and Buffy spun around and landed a punch right on target. Marcie staggered back into a red banner, and it wrapped around her and got pulled down with her. She got up with the banner draped over her head.
"I see you." Buffy punched Marcie again, knocking her down once more.
The side door opened, and several people in black suits came in.
"Everybody stay where you are."
Two men ran over to Buffy and Marcie.
One of them had his gun drawn. "FBI! Nobody move!"
Another held out his hand to keep Buffy back. "Okay, we'll take it from here now, ma'am." He helped Marcie up.
"Take what from where?" Buffy asked, confused.
"I'm agent Doyle; this is Agent Manetti. We're here for the girl."
"Well, where were you ten minutes ago, when she was playing surgeon?" Buffy asked him.
"I'm sorry, we came as fast as we could."
"Oh, my God!" Marcie exclaimed.
Doyle handed Marcie off to another agent. "We'll take it from here on."
"C'mon." The other agent took Marcie away.
"You can cure her?" Buffy asked Doyle.
"We can rehabilitate her."
Manetti looked at Buffy. "In time, she'll learn to be a useful member of society again."
Marcie was led out of the Bronze by the other agents. "Where are we going?"
Doyle nodded. "Very useful."
Buffy realized something. "This isn't the first time this has happened, is it? It's happened at other schools."
Manetti shook his head. "We're not at liberty to discuss that."
Doyle nodded. "It would be best for you to forget this whole incident."
"Do you know that you guys are very creepy?" Buffy asked them.
Doyle ignored that. "Thank you for your help."
"Oh, and, uh...have a nice day."
Buffy watched them go.
"Can I get untied now?" Cordelia asked Buffy.
Buffy turned to Cordelia and kneeled down to untie her. She smiled up at Cordelia.
Tara came in through the side door. "Buffy, what the hell happened? Who were those guys?"
"FBI." Buffy finished untying Cordelia and stood up.
Cordelia stood up. "Thanks." She touched her cheek and then looked at the blood on her hand. She looked at Buffy. "Is it bad?"
"It'll heal." Buffy looked at Tara. "C'mon, let's get our Queen cleaned up. She's got a big night."
Buffy and Tara washed and disinfected Cordelia's wound in the ladies' restroom. Tara told Buffy and Cordelia about her and Giles' little adventure, selectively removing Angel's involvement to avoid drama from Cordelia. When they came out of the restroom, people were already starting to gather for the coronation.
"So...why is the coronation being held at the Bronze?" Tara asked, confused.
Buffy looked at her. "Same reason that the Spring Fling will be held here later this month: Snyder's a cheap-ass bitch that wants to shave a bit off the school's electrical bill."
Tara nodded in understanding. "Ah."
Buffy shuddered. "I just can't believe how twisted Marcie got."
Cordelia looked at Tara. "By the way, how did you guys get out of the boiler room?"
Tara was nervous. "Oh, well, when the gas was coming down, we-"
"Janitor, um, found us. Shut the valve off." Giles came up and walked alongside them.
Tara nodded. "We were lucky."
Buffy thought this seemed suspicious. "I'll say."
Cordelia looked at all of them. "Listen, um, I guess I just want to say thank you, all of you. You really helped me out, and you didn't have to. So...thank you."
Buffy looked into Cordelia's eyes. "Of course, we had to help you. That's what friends do for each other."
Cordelia grinned.
Tara looked at Cordelia. "Listen, we're gonna grab dinner after the coronation. Want to join us?"
Mitch came up behind Cordelia. "Whoa, whoa. You're not hangin' with these losers, are you?"
Cordelia looked at him, and then she looked at the others. She looked back at him. "Fuck off, asshole."
"Excuse me?!" Mitch asked, stunned.
Tara smiled. "I believe she said 'Fuck off, asshole.'"
Mitch looked at Cordelia. "But we're gonna get crowned soon!"
Cordelia shook her head. "Not together. I don't wanna be seen anywhere near you."
"All right, fine! Fuck this! I'm outta here!" Mitch turned and stormed off.
Cordelia looked at Tara and Buffy. "So...dinner, huh? What are we talkin' 'bout?"
Buffy and Tara looked at each other, shrugged, and took out their wallets to count their money.
Cordelia waved a hand. "Fuck it! I'm in such a good mood! My treat! Let's hit Olive Garden!"
Buffy and Tara smiled and pocketed their wallets.
Cordelia sighed. "It's gonna be weird having my picture taken without the May King, though."
Buffy looked and saw Angel standing nearby. He suddenly looked embarrassed. He had come to check on Cordelia and clearly hadn't planned on being spotted. Buffy motioned with her head to come over. He seemed hesitant.
"Get your ass over here, Angel!" Buffy yelled.
Cordelia, Tara, and Giles looked at him in surprise. Embarrassed, Angel walked over to them.
Angel looked at Cordelia. "Hey."
"Hey, yourself."
Angel looked at Tara and Giles. "So...are you two feeling all right?"
Tara nodded. "Uh-huh. You got us out of there just in time."
Cordelia and Buffy looked at Giles in surprise.
"Well, uh, that is, you see..." Giles paused and looked sheepishly at Cordelia. "I told a porkie."
Buffy cleared her throat. "Anyway, Cordy's in need of a May King, since the elected one bailed."
Angel was uncertain. "Oh, gee, I dunno-"
Cordelia pouted. "Pleeeaaassseee!!!"
Angel sighed. "Okay, fine."
Cordelia grinned. "Whoo!" She looked at Buffy and Tara. "So what's this I hear about you bitches forming a band? Do you have a manager yet?"
Buffy and Tara felt a building sense of dread.
"Because I've got a ton of ideas!" Cordelia continued.
"And now, let's welcome our May King and Queen, Mitch Fargo and Cordelia Chase!" Principal Snyder announced.
"Whoo! C'mon!" Cordelia grabbed Angel's hand and dragged him to the stage.
Buffy cast her eyes heavenward. "Oh, thank fucking God!"
After some initial confusion, Cordelia was crowned May Queen, and Angel was crowned May King. Everyone applauded for them. Cordelia pulled Angel into a deep tongue kiss, which Principal Snyder tried to break up. Cordelia and Angel had their photos taken together and separately. Even Buffy and Tara surprised Cordelia by kissing her on the cheeks for a photo. Then Cordelia and Angel danced together, and Buffy and Tara danced together. Harmony recorded the entire thing for posterity with her video camera. It was a fun night.
But then Buffy thought back to her nightmares, and a shadow fell over her soul. She wondered just what was in store for her as the school year approached its end.
Chapter 35: Prophecy Girl
Chapter Text
"Prophecy Girl"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina were gathered in Buffy's basement after school. Buffy and Katrina were tuning their guitars. Katrina had bought a black 1986 Washburn B-2 bass guitar and a microphone and stand for herself. Tara was noodling on her synthesizer, a 1993 Roland JV-50, and Amy was noodling on her drum machine; each of them had bought her own microphone and stand. Cordelia and Harmony were also there. Harmony was setting up her video camera on her tripod, and Cordelia was waiting impatiently.
Buffy stopping messing with her guitar. "Okay, I think we're ready."
Cordelia sighed. "Finally! If I'd known this would take so long, I'd have gone to the park and made out with Kevin."
"Who's Kevin?" Buffy asked, confused.
"Kevin Benedict. My date for the Spring Fling."
"What happened to Angel?" Buffy asked her.
"He's being his usual Angelic self. Not sure if he wants to go. Doesn't wanna commit. Fuck!" Cordelia exclaimed in frustration.
Buffy crouched down and adjusted the volume on the amplifier. "Oh, thanks again for the amp, Cordy."
"Yeah, just put it to good use."
Buffy straightened.
Harmony smiled. "Ready whenever you guys are. Just tell me when to hit Record."
"You got a kick-ass song ready?" Cordelia asked them.
Buffy was uncertain if that was the right term, but she nodded.
Tara nodded. "Buffy selected it herself."
Cordelia shrugged. "Oh, well. Just be sure to kick ass extra hard, if you wanna have a shot at playing at the Spring Fling."
Buffy frowned, guessing Cordelia was insulting her taste in music. She switched on her microphone. "Okay, Harm."
Harmony pressed Record on her video camera.
Buffy nodded to Tara. Tara started playing her synthesizer. She carried the musical performance. The others came in as needed. Buffy sang lead on this song; the others contributed backing vocals.
"Grow up!
Gotta grow up!"
"Yeeeaaahhh!" Buffy yelled.
"Gotta grow up sometime. Ooh, ooh!"
"Dunno where I'm goin'.
My head is feelin' strange.
My heart is beating overtime.
My body's goin' through a radical change!
I'm feelin' new emotions.
I can't turn back now.
Standin' at the crossroads,
I'll get through somehow.
"Guess I gotta grow up. Oh!
I gotta...grow up.
I gotta grow up sometime.
Ooh, I wanna find a way...to grow up.
Oh, I gotta...grow up.
Gotta grow up sometime,
And I wanna have a say!"
"Gotta grow up."
"People say 'Don't hurry.
Enjoy it while it lasts.'"
"While it lasts..."
"Youth is wasted on the young.
I better slow down. I'm movin' too fast!
A scary kind of feeling,
A fear of the unknown.
Like wakin' in the darkness,
Have to face it on my own!
"Guess I gotta grow up!
Ooh, I gotta...grow up.
I gotta grow up sometime.
Wanna find a way...to grow up. Yeeaahh!
I gotta...grow up!
I gotta grow up sometime,
And I wanna have a say.
"Letting go of childhood things can sometimes make you sad,
Like hangin' out all day and playin' pretend."
"Ooh, ooh, ooh!"
"Givin' up all my toys hasn't been so bad,
'Cause the girl next door has become much more...than just a friend, oh!"
"Gotta!
Gotta grow!"
"Yes, I gotta grow up!"
"Grow up!"
"I gotta...grow up!
Gotta grow up sometime!
I wanna find a way..."
"...to grow up!"
"Grow up!
I gotta...grow up!
Gotta grow up sometime,
And I wanna have a say!"
"Gotta grow up!
Grow up!
Gotta!
Gotta grow!"
"Gotta grow up! Ooh, ooh!
Gotta grow up!
Gotta grow up sometime!
Yeeeaaahhh!
I gotta grow up!"
The band stopped playing and stared straight at the camera.
Harmony pressed Stop. "Okay."
The band members relaxed.
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "That's the song that you went with?"
Buffy frowned. "Hey, you went with one of Minmei's songs during the talent show."
Cordelia was silent for a moment. "Okay, point."
Harmony took the tape out of her video camera, put it in its sleeve, peeled off a sticker, stuck it on the end of the tape, picked up her marker, and uncapped it. "Okay, um, what's the name of your band?"
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina looked at each other.
Buffy grinned as a name occurred to her. "Girls, I've got it! I humbly propose...Buffy and the Slayerettes."
"Are you serious?" Amy asked, frowning.
"What?" Buffy asked her.
"It's egotistical."
Buffy pouted.
Tara came to Buffy's defense. "It makes perfect sense, sweetie. You're the Slayer, and we're, like, the Slayerettes!"
Buffy grinned.
"What about Slayer?" Harmony suggested.
Katrina looked at Harmony. "I think that's taken."
"What about Kitten Feet?" Tara suggested.
"What about Nova Satori?" Cordelia suggested.
Everyone else looked at her.
Tara grinned. "I like it! The Latin word for new and the Japanese word for enlightenment. It's so meaningful."
Buffy made a face. "It's also the name of a Robotech character."
"Well, does anyone have any other suggestions?" Cordelia asked.
No one said anything for a while.
Katrina shrugged. "Buffy and the Slayerettes sounds good."
Amy was hesitant, but then she shrugged. "Yeah, okay."
Harmony wrote the band's name on the label.
Cordelia took the tape from her. "I'll deliver this to Principal Snyder tomorrow."
Buffy shook her head. "Oh, no, make a copy and give the copy to him. We should keep the original tape for ourselves."
"Okay."
Everyone started unplugging and packing up their gear.
After the other girls had left, Buffy and Tara went up to Buffy's bedroom. Tara had left her keyboard by the front door. Buffy closed and locked her door. She and Tara sat on Buffy's bed, hugged each other, and started making out.
Suddenly, though, Buffy flashed back to her nightmares, and she became less enthusiastic.
Tara noticed something was wrong. "What is it?"
"It's, um..." Buffy paused. "It's my nightmares. They're becoming more frequent. I confront the Master, and he kills me."
"It might be just a dream, sweetie."
"Or a prophecy." Buffy felt uncomfortable. "I mean...I usually don't believe in that kind of stuff, but...I just have this bad feeling."
Tara ran her hand through Buffy's hair. "It's okay, sweetie."
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. "I love you so much." She kissed her again and then looked Tara in the eyes.
Tara tried to read Buffy's look. She pulled back, reached up, and slowly started unbuttoning her flannel shirt. For her part, Buffy took off her Straight Outta Swans Crossing T-shirt.
Tara reached back, unfastened her bra, and took it off, exposing her breasts to Buffy. Buffy stared at them, and then she unfastened her own bra and took it off, exposing her smaller breasts to Tara. Buffy felt a bit embarrassed.
Tara took hold of Buffy's hands and placed them on her breasts. Buffy enjoyed the feeling of Tara's breasts in her hands. They were very weighty but also very soft. Buffy cupped the breasts and squeezed them. She took Tara's nipples between her thumbs and index fingers and pulled on them.
Finally, Buffy removed her hands from Tara's breasts. Her hands suddenly felt agonizingly empty. Still, she waited.
Tara was confused. "Don't you wanna...?" She suddenly realized Buffy's intention. "Oh, you want us to fondle each other first."
"Yeah."
The two girls laughed in embarrassment. Some miscommunication was bound to happen. Buffy suddenly realized real-life sex didn't always go as smoothly as in the movies or on television. It made Buffy feel good to know that; she had no expectations to live up to.
Tara put her hands on Buffy's breasts, which weren't as big as Tara's but still filled her hands. She enjoyed the feel of Buffy's breasts in her hands. Tara cupped the breasts and squeezed them. She took Buffy's nipples between her thumbs and index fingers and pulled on them. She gave Buffy's breasts as much attention as Buffy had given hers.
Finally, Tara removed her hands from Buffy's breasts. "Okay, um, do you wanna suck them?"
"Oh, yeah, definitely." Buffy cupped Tara's right breast with her left hand, lowered her head, and kissed the nipple. Then she parted her lips and took Tara's nipple into her mouth. She closed her lips around Tara's nipple and sucked on it gently. She put her right hand on Tara's left breast and fondled it, so she could pleasure both of Tara's breasts at the same time.
Tara let out some delightful moans. "You can suck harder, sweetie. I like that. Just don't use your teeth too much."
Buffy hadn't considered using her teeth at all, but, now that she had permission, she sucked harder and lightly plucked at Tara's nipple with her teeth. The moans coming from Tara's mouth signaled her approval. Buffy switched to Tara's left breast, giving her nipple the same loving oral attention as she'd given its twin. Her left hand took over for her mouth at Tara's right breast. Tara removed Buffy's scrunchie, letting her hair fall free, and ran her fingers through Buffy's hair.
"Okay, let me suck your tits now."
Reluctantly, Buffy let Tara's nipple slip from her mouth. Tara gave Buffy's breasts the same loving attention as Buffy had given hers, sucking first her right nipple and then her left while stimulating the other with a hand. Buffy was able to get more enjoyment out of the sensation than when she sucked her own tits, because she didn't have to strain her neck. Buffy ran her fingers through Tara's hair.
Tara let Buffy's nipple slip from her mouth and stared at her for a moment. Buffy stared back at her. Tara reached down and unfastened her belt.
"Wait."
Tara stopped.
"I'm not ready for that yet."
"Okay."
That evening, Buffy walked into the park. She was chasing down a vampire that had eluded her in the cemetery. Buffy noticed Cordelia's car, a red 1995 Chrysler Cirrus with the license plate "QUEEN C", was parked in the distance with its windows all fogged up.
Buffy smiled. "Get it, Cordy."
Suddenly, the vampire landed in front of her and knocked her backward. Buffy fell, hit the ground hard on her back, and exhaled.
Inside her car, Cordelia was in the middle of a makeout session with Kevin. She broke off her kiss. "What was that?"
"What was what?"
Buffy propped herself up. The vampire approached her and growled.
"Someone's out there."
"That's silly! Who would be out there?" Kevin asked.
Cordelia frowned. "Oh, I have an idea."
Buffy rolled in a reverse somersault and came up standing, ready to fight. The vampire growled at her. She pulled a stake out from under her jacket behind her back and held it pointing out from her hips, so the vampire could see. He frowned at the sight of it as Buffy put on an evil smile. This infuriated the vampire, and he launched himself at her.
She hit him with an out-to-in crescent kick and then followed up with a high front snap kick, stunning him. She immediately plunged the stake home, and he fell over backward and hit the ground.
Buffy smiled. "Three in one night. Giles would be so proud."
In the school library, Giles was sitting at the table, researching. He got up and went into his office to get some tea.
He sat down at his desk with his cup of tea to read the text of the Codex. "'Ho korias phanaytie toutay...tay nuktee.' 'The Master shall rise...' Yes, yes, this is it! 'The Master shall rise, and the Slayer...'" Giles looked up in disbelief. "My God!"
He considered what he'd just read for a moment and then reached for his tea. The cup began to jiggle, and he looked at it curiously. A few seconds later, the whole building began to shake, and he realized he was experiencing his first earthquake. He got up and looked around at everything shaking. His teacup vibrated off the desk and smashed to pieces on the floor.
Giles went out of his office and saw several bookshelves fall over as the walls and the floor sustained severe damage.
In the park, Cordelia and Kevin held onto each other as they rode out the quake.
Buffy looked around her at the shaking trees. Car alarms were going off everywhere.
When the earthquake subsided, Buffy immediately walked over to Cordelia's car and knocked on the driver-side window.
Cordelia rolled down the window. "I figured it was you."
"I didn't do it!" Buffy protested.
"Not the quake, but I figured you were, y'know, doin' your thang." Cordelia made downward thrusting motions with her left hand.
Kevin raised his eyebrows in confusion.
Buffy smiled in amusement. "Yeah, that's me: jacking off in the park at all hours of the night."
"Are you okay?" Cordelia asked her, suddenly serious.
Buffy sobered as well. "Yeah. You?"
"Yeah."
The next morning, at Sunnydale High School, Giles came out of his office and walked over to the cage.
Buffy came into the library. "Morning!" She looked around at all of the damage.
Giles looked at her like he'd just seen a ghost.
"Wow. The damage looks fairly structural. Are we safe in here?" Buffy asked him.
"Buffy!" Giles exclaimed in relief.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" Buffy patted her face.
"No! Uh, and - and yes, we're - we're safe." Giles indicated the stacks. "Uh, but probably best not to go up there."
"How're you doin' there, Giles? Get much sleep last night?" Buffy asked.
"Um...I-I-I've been working."
"Me, too. I went hunting last night, and it is awfully sweet of you to ask. It's getting hairy out there, Giles. I killed three vampires last night, and one of them was practically on school grounds."
"Their numbers are increasing."
"And they're getting cockier. Look, I'm not loving it. Last night was a pretty close call. I got my ass kicked. Well, not literally, but I landed on my ass, and it's still sore - along with my back. And then there was that goddamn earthquake. Cordy was in the park, too. We both came out of it fine. Cordy then called Tara, Amy, and Katrina on her cell phone. They were all at home when it happened and rode it out just fine, but they were pretty shaken."
Giles was distracted. "Yes."
"Giles, care?" Buffy asked him. "I'm putting my life on the line battling the undead. Look, I broke a nail, okay? The least you could do is exhibit some casual interest. You could go 'Hmm'."
Giles was still distracted. "Hmm? Oh, sorry. Um, yes, I'm very glad that you're all right. Uh, I-I need to verify, um...I just can't really talk right now."
"Fine. That's okay. I can't put it off any longer. I have to meet my terrible fate."
Giles turned around quickly. "What?!"
"Biology."
The bell rang as Buffy left the library to go to class. Giles watched her go.
After class, Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina went out the doors onto the balcony and headed down the stairs.
Buffy sighed. "Wow. That was boring."
Amy sighed. "I don't feel that boring covers it."
Buffy shook her head. "No, boring falls short."
Tara looked at them. "Even I was bored. And I'm a science nerd."
Buffy looked at her. "Don't say that."
"I'm not ashamed. It's the computer age. Nerds are in. They're still in, right?" Tara asked.
Katrina smiled. "Definitely. The nerds shall inherit the Earth."
They reached the bottom of the stairs.
Cordelia came over to them, grinning with excitement. "Guys, great news! Snyder approved you to play at the Spring Fling!"
The other girls grinned.
"That's great!" Buffy exclaimed.
"Yeah, so...here's the thing." Cordelia paused. "It's one song only."
"What?!" Amy asked, angry.
Tara looked at her. "Well, it's better than nothing."
Buffy nodded. "We can make it work. We just gotta pick the right song."
Cordelia nodded. "Damn right you do. Okay, so I called the Bronze to get you guys scheduled. You're sandwiched between Cunt Thrust and Rectal Warriors."
Katrina smiled in amusement. "Ooh, kinky."
In his office in the library, Giles called Angel on the phone. "Hello. Uh, this is Giles. Uh..." He paused. "Uh, Rupert Giles."
"Oh. Hey."
Jenny walked in and stood by his office door.
"I-I need to see you."
"It's daytime. Might be a problem."
"No, I-I realize that. Uh..." Giles paused. "Come after sundown."
"Okay."
"Good. I'll see you then." Giles hung up.
"You know, that outfit looks just like the one you wore yesterday. Only wrinklier. Were you here all night?" Jenny asked.
"Sorry, uh...I'm not really up to, uh, socializing just now."
"Something's going on, Rupert, and I'm guessing you already know what it is."
Giles turned around and got up. "What do you know?"
"Well, I have been surfing the 'Net, looking for unexplained incidents. You know, people are always sending stuff my way. They know the occult's my turf." Jenny smiled briefly, but she quickly sobered. "Now, here is the latest. A cat last week gave birth to a litter of snakes. A family was swimming in Whisper Lake when the lake suddenly began to boil. And Sunnydale Memorial Hospital last night, a boy was born with his eyes facing inward. I'm not stupid. This is apocalypse shit. And throw in last night's earthquake, and I'd say we've got a problem. I would say the end is pretty seriously fucking nigh."
"I don't know if I can trust you."
"I helped you cast that demon out of the Internet. I think that merits some trust. Look, I'm scared, okay? Oh, plus I've got this - this crazy monk e-mailing me from Cortona about some Anointed One?"
"The Anointed One?" Giles asked in surprise. "He's dead!"
"Someone's dead?" Jenny asked.
"Uh, who is this monk?" Giles asked.
"Uh, a Brother Luca something? Keeps sending out global mailings about a prophecy."
"I need you to talk to him, find out everything he knows."
"Look, Rupert, you haven't told me jack shit, so what's with the order?" Jenny asked.
"Just do it!" Giles yelled. "I'll e-explain later."
"You better."
Cordelia and Kevin were walking in the hallway.
"I'll get everything tonight after practice. The guys'll help me."
Cordelia looked at him. "Well, it's all in the A/V room. The sound system and the decorations..." She paused. "And, oh, Aura needs help, um, moving the coolers."
"Don't sweat it!" Kevin told her.
"Well, bring everything to the Bronze, and I'll meet you there in the morning!" Cordelia told him.
"Done!"
Cordelia giggled. "You're so sweet! Why're you so sweet?"
"I dunno! 'Cause I'm usually mean as a snake!"
Cordelia smiled at him. She spotted Tara. "Tara!" She looked at Kevin. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Okay." Kevin left.
Tara walked over to Cordelia.
"Tara! I really like your outfit!" Cordelia praised.
Tara smiled in amusement. "No, you don't."
"No, I really don't, but I need a favor."
"What kind?" Tara asked.
"Well, the Bronze won't let us use their sound system, and I need someone who knows how to hook one up. If you could just show up tomorrow morning, I'd be really, really grateful! I mean...I'd talk to you at the dance and everything."
"Sure."
"Great! Tomorrow at ten?" Cordelia asked.
"Sure."
That night, Buffy and Tara went to karate class and had a decent sparring session. Buffy was able to best Tara, but it was clear to Buffy that Tara was nearly her equal.
After class, they went into the women's locker room and changed from their gi back into their normal clothes. Buffy and Tara headed to the sinks and looked at themselves in the mirror. Buffy absently turned on the water. After looking in the mirror another moment, she looked down and saw blood was pouring from the faucet.
"Holy shit!" Buffy exclaimed.
Tara looked at her. "What?!" She looked down at the sink. "Ah, what the fuck?!"
"What the fuck's going on?!" Buffy asked.
Tara shook her head. "I dunno! That's some goddamn fucking Biblical shit right there!"
"I need to tell Giles about this. God damn it, I don't have my book on me." Buffy looked at her. "Babe, do you mind stopping off at the school on our way home?"
"Not at all."
Buffy walked into the library. "Giles, you are not gonna believe this."
She stopped when she heard Giles talking and looked into his office.
"It's clear. It's what's gonna happen. Uh, it's happening now!"
Angel moved into the light to read the Codex, and Buffy saw him.
"Angel?" Buffy headed toward the office.
"It can't be. You've gotta be wrong."
"I've checked it against all my other volumes. It's very real."
Buffy stopped at the door.
"Well, there's gotta be some way around it."
"Listen. Some prophecies are - are a bit dodgy. They're - They're mutable. Buffy herself has - has thwarted them time and time again, but this is the Codex. There is nothing in it that does not come to pass."
"Then you're reading it wrong."
"I wish to God I were! But it's very plain! Tomorrow night, Buffy will face the Master, and she will die."
Buffy was stunned.
"Well, have you verified the text?" Angel asked.
Unable to control herself or process this information, Buffy began to laugh hysterically. Angel and Giles saw her and exchanged a look. She slowly started to walk away from the office door. Angel came out of the office after her. She stopped by the table and faced them. Giles stood in his office doorway.
"So that's it, huh?" Buffy asked. "I remember the drill. One Slayer dies, next one's called! Wonder who she is." She looked at Giles. "Will you train her? Or will they send someone else?"
"Buffy, I-"
"They say how he's gonna kill me?" Buffy asked him. "Do you think it'll hurt?" Tears were flowing freely from her eyes.
Angel tried to put a hand on her shoulder.
Buffy put up her hands and quickly stepped away, repulsed by him. "Don't you fucking touch me!" She looked at Giles accusingly. "Were you even gonna tell me?"
"I was hoping that I wouldn't have to. That there was...some way around it. I-"
"I've got a way around it. I quit!" Buffy yelled.
Angel shook his head. "It's not that simple."
"I'm making it that simple! I quit! I resign! I-I'm fired! I am fucking done with this shit!" Buffy screamed. "You can find someone else to stop the Master from taking over!"
"I'm not sure that anyone else can. All the...the signs indicate-"
"The signs?" Buffy picked up a book and threw it at Giles, somewhat restraining herself and hitting the wall instead of him. "Read me the signs!" She picked up another book and threw it at him, missing him again by sheer force of will. "Tell me my fortune! You're so useful sitting here with all your books! You're really a lotta help!"
"No, I don't suppose I am."
"I know this is hard."
Buffy turned on Angel, enraged. "What do you know about this? You're never gonna die!"
"You think I want anything to happen to you?" Angel asked her. "We just gotta figure out a way-"
"I already did. I quit, remember? Pay attention!" Buffy yelled.
Giles stared at her. "Buffy, if the Master rises-"
Buffy yanked the cross from her neck. "I don't care!" She closed her eyes and took a few breathes. When she'd calmed down somewhat, she opened her eyes. "I don't care. Giles, I'm sixteen years old. I don't wanna die."
Giles was at a loss. Buffy threw her cross to the floor. Angel didn't know what to say either. Buffy turned and walked out of the library without looking back.
Buffy stormed out of the school and headed to the student parking lot. Tara was waiting on her scooter.
"Well?" Tara asked her.
"Drive me home." Buffy got on the scooter, behind Tara.
Tara saw Buffy's tears. "What happened?"
Buffy picked up her helmet and put it on. "I'll explain once we get there."
Buffy and Tara were sitting on the bed in Buffy's bedroom. They were looking through a photo album. The door opened, and Buffy's mother came in.
"Hi, honey. You all right?" Joyce asked.
"Sure."
Tara kept quiet.
"Probably just full from that bite of dinner you nearly had. Feel like telling me what's on your mind?"
Buffy turned to her mom. "Mom, let's go away!" She smiled.
"What?" Joyce asked, surprised.
"Anywhere, just for a while, all weekend!"
"Honey, I-"
"No, it'll be great! You and me, a mother-daughter thing. We can talk about all the embarrassing things you love to bring up."
"You know the gallery's open on weekends."
"Mom, please!" Buffy begged.
"Isn't the Spring Fling tomorrow night?"
Buffy hesitated. "I-I guess."
"Aren't you two gonna go?" Joyce asked them. "You've already gone through the fitting for your tux."
Buffy wasn't sure what to say.
Joyce went over to Buffy's closet. She opened the closet to reveal a beautiful black tuxedo. "I stopped by the store and picked it up this afternoon." She paused for a reaction from Buffy. "I already paid the rental fee. It would be a shame to let it go to waste."
Buffy got up. "Mom, we can't afford this."
"The way you've been eating, we can afford it."
Buffy went over to look at it. "It's beautiful."
"I think you should wear it. To the dance."
"No, I-I can't go to the dance."
"Says who? Is it written somewhere?" Joyce asked. "You should do what you want." She paused. "Homecoming, my freshman year of college. I didn't have a date, so I got dressed up, and I went anyway."
"Was it awful?" Buffy asked.
"It was awful. For about an hour."
"Then what happened?" Buffy asked.
Joyce smiled. "I met your father."
"He didn't have a date either?" Buffy asked her.
"He did. And that's a much funnier story that you will not get to hear. Oh, but it was a beautiful night!" Joyce sighed at the memory.
"And you had your whole life ahead of you."
"Yeah."
"Must be nice."
"Strongly consider going, honey. You might regret it if you don't."
Buffy didn't say anything.
"Well, good night."
"Good night."
Tara looked at Joyce. "Good night, Mrs. Summers."
Joyce looked at Tara and smiled. "Good night, Tara."
Joyce left the room, closing the door behind her.
Buffy looked from the tuxedo to Tara and then walked back over and sat on the bed. She put her left hand on top of Tara's right hand. "What do you think I should do, sweetie?"
"Well, we are scheduled to play. You don't wanna lose out on money and give the band a bad reputation, do you?" Tara asked her.
Buffy laughed despite how she was feeling.
Tara looked at the tuxedo. "And that's a really nice tux."
Buffy rested her head on Tara's shoulder. Tara lovingly stroked Buffy's hair.
The next day, after school, Cordelia and Tara walked down the stairs at school.
"Oh, Kevin said that he'd bring everything to the Bronze last night. He promised!" Cordelia complained. "We'll never get everything ready in time."
Tara looked at her. "He probably forgot. It's not that big a deal. We can just lug our amp over there, and everyone can use it."
"Uh, you don't understand. I'm not mad! He totally flaked on me. On me!" Cordelia exclaimed. "And I don't even care. God help me, I think it's cute! Oh..."
Tara smiled. They reach the A/V Club room. They saw Kevin and his friends through the windows.
"There they are! They're watching music videos. That's so cu..." Cordelia stopped herself. "That's not cute. That's annoying. I'm annoyed."
"Right. I'm furious." Tara didn't sound convincing, especially not to herself.
"Men. I don't know why I put up with them." Cordelia looked at Tara. "You've got the right idea."
Tara made a face. "It's not like I have a choice."
Cordelia smiled. "C'mon, Tara, gay me up."
"It doesn't work that way."
"Obviously, Kevin has underestimated the power of my icy stare." Cordelia opened the door.
Kevin's body fell out into the hall. He had a vampire bite on his neck.
Cordelia screamed in horror. "Oh, my God! Kevin!" She kneeled by him, lifted him up, and cradled his dead body in her arms. "No!"
Tara looked up and slowly went into the room. She saw the death and devastation. The room was trashed, and four boys were slumped over, all dead. There was a bloody handprint on the TV screen.
"Kevin!" Cordelia wailed, distraught.
Tara vomited onto the floor, repulsed and maddened by the scene surrounding her.
Principal Snyder ran over to them. "What's going on?!" He looked down and saw Kevin's corpse. "Oh, dear. Okay, um, Ms. Chase, would you please...?"
Tara turned around, refusing to look at the carnage any longer, yet she would see it for the rest of her life. She walked over to Cordelia and gently touched her shoulder. "Cordy."
Cordelia somehow managed to lay Kevin on the floor, and then she stood up. She and Tara walked away from the body, and then they hugged each other.
Cordelia sobbed. Tears ran down her cheeks. Tara just held her. Snyder was on his radio, calling to report the situation to the school deputy. Cordelia looked Tara in the eyes. Tara gently wiped away her tears and then kissed Cordelia on the forehead. It was all that she could offer, for she knew no words would bring comfort.
Snyder walked over to them. "When the deputy arrives, tell him what you know. Then go home. But I want you two to see the school counselor first thing Monday morning. Understood?"
Cordelia and Tara nodded.
In her room, Buffy was wearing her rented black tuxedo, black dress shoes, a white button-up dress shirt, and a black tie. She was looking at herself in the mirror.
Joyce came rushing in. "Buffy?! There's something on the news. Tara."
Buffy looked at her in shock. "Is she okay?!"
"She's..." Joyce paused. "She came across dead bodies at school. She and Cordelia did. Total massacre. They're pretty shaken."
"Where are they?!" Buffy asked frantically.
"Uh, I'm not sure. I assume they went home."
"I gotta go see them." Buffy put on her leather jacket, grabbed her keys off her dresser, and ran out of the room.
Buffy parked her van in Tara's driveway, got out, and walked up to the front door. It was sunset. She rang the doorbell.
Soon, the front door opened. Tara was standing there, crying.
Buffy swept her up in a big hug.
Buffy and Tara went to Tara's bedroom and sat on her bed. Buffy noticed Tara's rented tuxedo hanging in her closet. She sat and listened as Tara recounted what had happened.
Tara was hugging her knees and crying. "I've seen so much. I thought I could take anything. But, Buffy, this...this was different."
"It'll be all right."
"I'm trying to think how to say it...to explain it, so you understand."
"It doesn't matter as long as you're okay."
"I'm not okay. I knew those guys. I go to that room every day. And when I walked in there, it...it wasn't our world anymore. They made it theirs. And they had fun." A tear rolled down Tara's cheek. "What are we gonna do?"
"What we have to." Buffy got up but then made a decision and sat back down.
Tara looked at her, confused.
Without saying a word, Buffy lay Tara back, parted her legs, and unfastened Tara's belt. She unbuttoned and unzipped Tara's blue jeans. Tara lifted her ass off the bed. Buffy slid Tara's pants down her legs, and then she slid Tara's panties down, exposing Tara's pussy. Tara lay down again.
Buffy lay down between Tara's legs and gently touched Tara's pussy with her fingers. Buffy easily slid her left index finger into Tara's sopping, warm pussy. Her middle finger followed.
Buffy started slowly finger-fucking Tara. Tara let out a series of approving moans and felt her arousal building.
Buffy withdrew her fingers from Tara's pussy and looked at them. They were wet. Buffy took them into her mouth and sucked them. Tara stared at her.
Buffy kissed Tara's pussy, technically achieving her very first experience with oral sex. Then Buffy started licking Tara's pussy. She also pressed her lips against it and started eating it. She decided it was exactly what she should have expected: perfectly pleasant but also perfectly ordinary, no real taste to speak of. However, in this moment, she found it to be the most delicious thing that she had ever tasted. Tara watched her, and Buffy wondered whether Tara was getting any pleasure out of this.
Sensing Buffy's doubts, Tara smiled and ran the fingers of her right hand through Buffy's hair. "You're doing fine, sweetie."
Buffy paused her licking for a moment to insert her left index and middle fingers into Tara's pussy. She started masturbating her, built up a gentle rhythm, and then resumed licking her. She reached out with her right hand, took hold of Tara's left hand, and interlaced fingers with her. Tara let out a series of approving moans. Minutes went by, and then finally Tara felt her orgasm approach.
At last, Tara climaxed and cummed into Buffy's waiting mouth. Buffy withdrew her fingers and pressed her lips directly to Tara's pussy, drinking her squirting cum like it was mouth spray. Tara's moans delighted Buffy. Once Tara's orgasm had subsided, and her squirting had stopped, Buffy licked Tara's pussy of the remaining cum. She enjoyed the taste, it being very much like her own.
Buffy moved up, lay on top of Tara, smiled, and kissed Tara on the lips. The two girls french-kissed, and Tara tasted herself on Buffy's lips and tongue. It was a taste with which Tara was already very familiar, but she enjoyed having it served to her in this manner.
Buffy ended the kiss, pulled back, and swallowed the remaining cum that was in her mouth. Some of Tara's cum was still on Buffy's lips.
Buffy stared into Tara's blue eyes. "I love you."
Tara smiled. "I love you, too, sweetie."
Buffy got off the bed. "I'm gonna go and check on Cordy now."
"Oh, she's not at home."
"Where is she?" Buffy asked, surprised.
"She's moving the sound system to the Bronze. She asked me for help setting it up, but...I wanted to go home." Tara felt ashamed.
"Hey, you needed time to yourself. It's understandable."
Tara smiled weakly.
Buffy sighed. "Promise me you'll stay in tonight, okay?"
Tara nodded. Buffy started to go.
"Buffy?"
Buffy stopped and turned back.
Tara smiled through her tears. "I like your tux."
Buffy looked down at it and smiled weakly, then looked back up. "Take care." She turned and left Tara, wondering if she'd ever see her again.
Tara looked down sadly and stayed on her bed.
In the school library, Giles was getting weapons out of the cage and preparing them.
Jenny watched him. "Okay, so this Master guy tried to open the Hellmouth. But he got stuck in it, and now all the signs are reading that he's gonna get out, which opens the Hellmouth, which brings the demons, which ends the world."
"Yes. That about sums it up, yes."
"The part that gets me, though, is where Buffy is the Vampire Slayer. Why the hell was she chosen?" Jenny asked. "What criteria did...whoever...use?"
"You know how to get in touch with this, uh, Brother Luca chap?" Giles asked, ignoring the questions.
"Hmm. As far as I can tell, no one can. He's disappeared. Did send out one last global, though. A short one."
"What did it say?" Giles asked.
"'Isaiah 11:6', which I dutifully looked up."
"'The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf, the lion, and the fatling together, and the little child to lead them.'"
"That's kinda warm and fuzzy for a message of doom."
"Well, that depends where he's leading them to. Aurelius wrote of the Anointed One, 'The Slayer will not know him, and he will lead her into Hell.'"
"So Luca thinks the Anointed is a kid."
"If the vampire that Buffy killed was in fact not the Anointed, then it may well be."
"Well, then we need to warn her."
"I don't intend involving her at all."
"What do you mean?" Jenny asked.
"Buffy's not gonna face the Master. I am."
"No, you're not."
Giles and Jenny looked over and saw Buffy approaching.
"So...I'm looking for a kid, huh? And he'll lead me to the Master?" Buffy asked.
"Buffy, I'm not gonna send you out there to die. Now, you were right. I-I've waded around in these old books for so long, I've forgotten what the real world is like. I-It's time I found out."
"You're still not going up against the Master."
"I've made up my mind."
"So have I."
"I made up my mine first!" Giles insisted. "I'm older and wiser than you, and just...just do what you're told for once! All right?"
"That's not how it goes. I'm the Slayer."
"I don't care what the books say. I defy prophecy, and I am going. There's nothing you can say will change my mind."
"I know." Buffy pretended to turn to go, but then she threw a hard punch to his face, knocking him out.
Giles fell backward to the floor. Jenny scrambled to his aid. She lifted Giles' head in her hands and got under it with her knees. She looked up at Buffy.
"When he wakes up, tell him..." Buffy paused. "I don't know. Think of something cool; tell him I said it."
Jenny stared at Buffy. "You fight the Master, and you'll die."
"Maybe." Buffy picked up the crossbow. "Maybe I'll take him with me."
She left the library. Jenny turned her attention to Giles.
Outside the school, Buffy walked a short distance, looking all around, when she came upon a little boy with black hair.
"Help me..."
Buffy lowered the crossbow and walked over to him. She instinctively knew he was the Anointed One, probably remembering him from a flash in one of her nightmares. "It's okay. I know who you are."
He held out his hand. She took it, and he started to lead her away to the Master.
Chapter Text
Tara sat in silence on her bed, thinking. Something about Buffy's behavior was bothering her. She suddenly had a suspicion of what was going on. She got off her bed, pulled up her blue jeans and panties, buttoned and zipped her jeans, and fastened her belt. She picked up her phone's handset and called a number.
"Hello?" Amy asked.
"Amy, it's me, Tara. What are you doing?"
"I was just about to take my drum machine to my car and head to the Bronze. Why?"
"Get to the library ASAP. Also, call Katrina and get her to come, too. We've got a situation. It's Buffy."
"What about Buffy?" Amy asked.
"I'll explain later. Hurry!" Tara slammed the phone handset down.
Tara arrived at the library first. Giles was sitting at the table, holding an ice pack to his jaw. Jenny was sitting next to him.
Giles looked at her. "Tara, Buffy-"
"I know. Hang on. Let's wait 'til everyone's here." Tara sat at the table.
Soon, Amy and Katrina arrived.
"Okay, what's this pow wow about?" Amy asked.
Amy and Katrina sat at the table.
Tara took a deep breath and let it out. "Buffy has gone to fight the Master."
"She what?" Katrina asked.
"There was something going on with her." Tara shook her head. "I could feel it, but I didn't do anything." She pounded a fist on the table. "I should have fucking stopped her!"
"Why would she do that?" Katrina asked.
Tara looked to Giles and stared pointedly at him.
Giles cleared his throat. "Yesterday, Buffy overheard Angel and me discussing a prophecy in which the Slayer confronts the Master and is killed."
Katrina was confused. "So...why did she go?"
Giles shrugged slightly. "Because she believed it to be the right thing to do."
"What do we do?" Amy asked him.
"We stay calm, first thing."
"How could you let her go?" Amy asked him.
"As the soon-to-be-purple area of my jaw will attest, I did not let her go!" Giles yelled.
"Well, how can we help her?" Tara asked.
Jenny looked at them. "Uh, I'm sorry to bring this up, but we also have an apocalypse to worry about. Once the Master gets free, the Hellmouth opens, the demons come to party, and everybody dies."
Tara looked at her. "We can't prevent that. Only Buffy can. We gotta help Buffy."
Amy nodded in agreement. "Save the cheerleader, save the world."
The others stared at her.
Amy shrugged. "What? It's true."
Giles shook his head. "We don't even know where she's gone."
Katrina thought about it. "No." She smiled. "But I can find out."
The Anointed One, who Buffy learned was named Collin, guided Buffy into the tunnels. She had the crossbow up and ready. He led her down some stairs and into a round side tunnel.
Katrina knocked on the door to Angel's apartment.
Angel opened the door. "Oh. Hey. Katrina, right?"
"Yeah. Mind if I come in?" Katrina asked him.
Angel stepped aside.
Katrina walked into the apartment.
Angel closed the door. "What's up?"
Katrina looked at him. "Buffy's gone."
"Whadaya mean?" Angel asked her.
"She's gone to fight the Master."
"He'll kill her."
"We're not gonna let it happen."
"Well, what do you propose we do about it?" Angel asked her.
"You can find this Master guy, right? He's underground, right?" Katrina asked. "Let's fucking go."
"You're way outta your league, kid. The Master'll kill you before you can even breathe. If you're lucky."
"Please!" Katrina begged him. "It's Buffy! Our friend! Cordelia's friend!"
Angel stared at her for a moment. "C'mon!"
Back in the library, Giles came out of the stacks with an armful of books. "The Master is as old as any vampire on record. There's no telling how powerful he'll be if he reaches the surface."
"Okay, here's my question: the Hellmouth opens."
Giles looked at Jenny. "Yes."
"Where?" Jenny asked. "If he's underground, and it's right where he is, where's it gonna open?"
"Good point. Uh, well, look, you have a look through the Black Chronicles..." Giles handed her one of the books.
"Okay."
"Uh, Tara? Amy?" Giles asked.
"Huh?" Tara asked, snapped out of her near-constant worry.
Giles sat down at the table. "Could you look through the local histories, please? Check for any common denominators, uh, locations of incidents and such."
Tara nodded. "Right, okay."
Amy nodded. "On it."
Collin stopped at the entrance of the Master's lair, and Buffy looked at him. He pointed down below, inviting her to enter, and left the way that they came. Buffy watched him go. Then she turned and made her way down to the floor below. She looked around. There were hundreds of candles burning everywhere.
"Welcome." The Master's voice seemed to be coming from all directions.
"Thanks for having me."
The Master stepped into the light. He looked just as grotesque as he had in her nightmares.
"Y'know, you really oughta talk to your contractor. Looks like you got some water damage."
"Oh, good. The feeble banter portion of the fight. Why don't we just cut to the-"
Buffy spun around and launched a bolt in the direction of his voice. With his lightning reflexes, the Master caught it in mid-flight right in front of him at chest level. Buffy quickly reloaded the bow.
"Nice shot. You're not going to kill me with that thing."
"Don't be so sure."
"You still don't understand your part in all this, do you? You are not the hunter. You are the lamb."
In the library, Giles, Jenny, Tara, and Amy were at the table, studying their volumes.
"Well, let's think about this, then. The vampires have been gathering; they know he's coming; they will be his army."
"Do you think they'll gather at the Hellmouth?" Jenny asked Giles.
Tara looked at her. "Well, the last time the Master tried to rise was the Harvest. He sent a bunch of vampires to get him fresh blood."
Jenny looked at her. "Well, where did that go down?"
Giles came to a realization. "The Bronze."
"The Spring Fling!" Amy exclaimed.
Giles started to stand up. "We have to warn them."
Jenny stopped Giles. "No! We'll go. You have to concentrate on demon killing. My car's in the lot."
Jenny, Tara, and Amy stood up.
Tara looked at Amy. "Amy, maybe stay and do some research on some magic that might help?"
Amy sat down. "Yeah, okay."
Tara and Jenny started walking toward the library exit.
"Stay close together! And for goodness' sake, be careful!" Giles told them.
Tara briefly looked back at him. "We will."
In the Master's lair, Buffy was slowly walking around, searching for the Master. She came upon a dead and rotted body. She winced and continued her search. "You know, for someone who's all powerful, you sure do like to hide."
"I'm waiting for you. I want this moment to last."
"Well, I don't."
She searched for a few moments longer, then the Master suddenly came to stand right behind her.
"I understand."
She turned around, and the Master knocked the crossbow out of her hands. He grabbed her by the neck. He had his hand around Buffy's throat. She swung up with her arm, knocked his hand away, and started to run. He held his hand out toward her, and she froze, caught by his hypnotic powers. She looked back at him and couldn't move. He approached her, making slow twisting motions with his hand. He came up behind her, gently took off her leather jacket, and let it fall to the ground. Buffy was panting hard with fear.
"You tried. It was noble of you. You heard the prophecy that I was about to break free, and you came to stop me. But prophecies are tricky creatures. They don't tell you everything. You're the one that sets me free! If you hadn't come, I couldn't go. Think about that!"
Buffy was frozen with fear. The Master waited a moment longer and then bent down and bit her at the base of her neck. He drank a few sips and let her go.
"Oh, God! The power!"
Buffy fell to her knees.
"And by the way..."
She fell face down into a pool of water.
"I like your tux."
That was the last thing that she heard before she drowned.
In the school's faculty parking lot, Jenny dug in her bag for her keys as she and Tara headed for her car.
"What if they get to the Bronze before we do?" Tara looked behind them.
Jenny looked up and stopped. "Don't need to worry about that!"
Tara caught up to her. "Why not?"
"'Cause they're not goin' to the Bronze."
They looked out onto the field and saw a hoard of vampires approaching. They looked across the parking lot and saw more of them. They turned to go back and saw even more of them blocking their way. They were surrounded.
In the tunnels, Katrina and Angel saw the light coming out of an adjoining tunnel.
"What was that?" Katrina asked him.
"It's too late. He's gone up."
They broke into a run for the Master's lair. Angel got there first, looked around, and spotted Buffy. He scrambled down to the floor and rushed to her as Katrina reached the lair's entrance. Katrina stopped and stared at Buffy in the pool. Angel reached her and quickly pulled her out of the water. He held her and tried to listen for breathing.
Angel looked up at Katrina. "She's dead!"
Katrina looked down at them and swallowed hard. She ran down to Buffy and Angel. "No. She's not dead."
"She's not breathing."
"But if she drowned, uh, there's a shot! CPR! Stand aside!"
Angel stood up and got out of the way.
Katrina kneeled down by Buffy's face, tilted her head back, put her mouth on hers, and blew into her lungs. She let go and began to pump her chest.
The vampires were advancing on Tara and Jenny.
"Why are they coming here?" Jenny asked.
"Not caring!" Tara yelled at her.
They heard a car screech to a stop behind them.
"Get in!" Cordelia yelled.
Katrina breathed into Buffy's lungs again and continued to pump her chest. She wasn't about to give up on her friend.
Suddenly, Buffy opened her eyes wide and drew a breath. She lay still for a moment as she looked around with her eyes.
"Buffy!" Katrina exclaimed in relief.
Buffy turned her head to the side and coughed out a bunch of water. Katrina and Angel looked at each other and smiled. Katrina put her hand on Buffy's forehead and stroked it gently. Buffy looked up at her, surprised to see her.
Katrina smiled at her. "Buffy."
"Katrina?" Buffy asked.
Katrina grinned. "Welcome back."
Katrina and Angel helped Buffy stand up.
Katrina tried to be as gentle as she could. "Easy. Easy."
Buffy fully stood up straight. "The Master?"
Angel picked up Buffy's leather jacket and offered it to her. "He's gone up."
Buffy took the jacket and started to go, putting it on as she walked.
Katrina shook her head. "No. You're still weak."
Buffy stopped. "No. No, I feel strong. I feel different." She looked back at them. "Let's go!"
Jenny and Tara got into the back seat of Cordelia's car and slammed the doors shut.
"I was sitting where Kevin and I used to park, and all of a sudden these vamps are coming at me!" Cordelia explained.
They all screamed as a vampire jumped on top of the car.
"What do we do now?" Jenny asked.
"We've gotta get to the library!" Tara replied.
"Library! Great!" Cordelia acknowledged.
Cordelia burned rubber and made a fast U-turn, throwing the vampire off the roof of her car, and headed toward the school building. The car's engine raced as Cordelia gunned it toward the doors.
Tara shrugged. "Of course, we generally walk there, but have at it, Speed Racer."
They crashed through the doors and into the hall. The car crashed through another set of doors and skidded to a stop in front of the library. Vampires were running into the hall as the ladies got out of the car, screaming as they ran into the library.
They pushed the doors closed just as the vampires got there. They leaned against the door.
"What's happening?" Giles asked.
"Guess!" Jenny replied.
A vampire punched through the small round window in one of the doors and grabbed at them. Giles grabbed a bookcase and carried it over to the door. Tara grabbed a sign and started hitting the vampire's arm with it.
Giles got the bookcase in place. He grabbed the copier and pulled it over, too. "Why are they coming here?!"
"Not caring!" Tara yelled at him.
They piled more things in front of the door. Giles looked at the back of the library and saw vampires trying to get in.
Giles pointed. "They're coming in through the stacks!"
Jenny looked at Tara and Amy. "C'mon!"
Jenny, Tara, and Amy ran to the back of the library.
"The bookshelves!" Jenny yelled.
They lifted a bookcase against the French doors that led to the stacks and leaned against it.
"My office..." Giles went to secure his office, leaving Cordelia alone at the main doors.
A green tentacle inched toward Tara's leg. A vampire punched through the other library door window and grabbed Cordelia's arm.
Cordelia screamed. "Somebody help!"
Outside, Buffy marched determinedly toward the school with Katrina and Angel close behind.
"So...how do you know where the Master's going?" Katrina asked Buffy.
"I know."
A vampire tried to block their way into the school.
Buffy was completely unimpressed. "Oh, look, a bad guy."
Buffy punched him on her way by, and he fell flat on his back.
The trio went inside the building and over to the stairs leading to the roof.
Buffy looked at Katrina and Angel. "Okay, you two wait here; keep the rest of the vampires off me."
Katrina nodded. "Right."
"Angel, you ready?" Buffy asked.
Angel bared his fangs. "I'm ready."
"One way or another, this won't take long." Buffy looked at them both once more and then headed up to the roof.
In the library, Cordelia hit the vampire's hand and then bit it. The vampire screamed and let go.
"See how you like it, asshole!" Cordelia yelled.
"This won't keep 'em out for long!" Tara yelled.
Tara looked down and saw the tentacle wrap itself around her ankle; she screamed loudly.
Jenny grabbed hold of her. "Giles! Giles!"
Giles ran out of his office in time to see a huge, green, multi-headed and multi-tentacled demon burst through the floor. "The Hellmouth!"
Cordelia couldn't believe what she was seeing. The creature had three heads and reached all of the way to the ceiling.
"What the fuck is that?!" Cordelia asked.
"Dinner." Amy concentrated and thrust her hands palms outward toward the creature.
Nothing happened.
Amy stared at it in dismay. "Well, fuck."
Buffy arrived on the roof of the school.
A short distance away, the Master looked in through the skylight and clapped his hands idly. "Yes. Come forth, my child. Come into my world."
"I don't think it's yours just yet."
The Master turned his head and stared at her in surprise. "You're dead!"
"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty. Which is more than I can say for you."
"You were destined to die! It was written!"
Buffy shrugged. "What can I say? I flunked the written."
The Master growled and reached his arm out to try his hypnosis on her again. "Come here!"
Inside the library, Tara screamed as the Hellmouth creature tried to drag her away from Jenny.
"Giiiles!" Jenny screamed.
Giles grabbed an ax from the table and rushed up the stairs to their aid.
"Giles!" Jenny screamed.
Giles swung the ax into one of the heads, and the creature roared in agony.
Buffy slowly approached the Master, faking being hypnotized. He grabbed her by the throat again.
"Did you really think you could best me here, when you couldn't below?" He let go of her neck.
Buffy looked at him curiously. "You have fruit punch mouth."
"What?"
Buffy swung a wide hard punch to his mouth, and he fell down.
Buffy stared down at him. "Save the hypnosis shit for the tourists."
As he got up, she did a swinging roundhouse kick that connected squarely with his face. He swiped at her, and she jerked back, but he managed to slice her with his fingernails across her upper-right chest, tearing her shirt and drawing blood. She punched him in the kidney. He punched her in the jaw. She tried to punch him again, but he blocked her and punched her in the face, sending her flying backward into the wall behind her.
Giles swung again with the ax and hit the creature. He tried again, but this time it knocked him off the mezzanine and onto the large table below. It broke when Giles hit it, and one side fell over onto its end, leaving a huge spike pointing upward.
One of the creature's heads hovered above Giles. Another one faced Tara and Amy and laughed.
At the bottom of the stairs, two vampires attacked Katrina and Angel. Angel started to fight one while the other jumped on Katrina's back. She elbowed him in the ribs, and he fell off her. Angel staked the one that he was fighting, and Katrina punched out the other. Angel offered her an extra stake. Katrina took the stake and plunged it into her foe's heart.
Buffy launched herself into a front tuck over the Master's head and landed between him and the skylight. She kicked him in the side with a side snap kick, but he quickly turned around and grabbed her by the neck again.
"Where are your jibes now?" he asked her.
She looked behind her and saw the upended table through the skylight.
"You laugh when my Hell is on Earth?" he asked her.
"You're that amped about Hell..." Buffy grabbed him by the neck. "Go there!"
Buffy lifted him up and flipped him over herself and through the skylight. He fell down and was impaled on the table. Buffy watched from above. Giles got up. The Hellmouth creature quickly disappeared back into the floor. The vampires were all gone. Buffy headed downstairs.
Cordelia pushed the last of the junk away from the main library doors and pulled the door open for Buffy, Katrina, and Angel, who walked into the library.
Cordelia hugged Angel, and he hugged her in return. Cordelia passionately kissed Angel on the lips. Tara ran over to Buffy and threw her arms around her in a tight hug. Without waiting, Tara passionately kissed Buffy on the lips. Buffy hugged Tara.
After a moment, they all walked over to the Master's body.
"The vampires?" Giles asked.
Cordelia looked at him. "Gone."
"The Master?" Angel asked.
Giles looked at him. "Dead. The Hellmouth is closed." He looked at Buffy. "Buffy..." He got no response. "Buffy?"
Buffy looked at him. "Oh, sorry. It's just been a really weird day." She smiled.
"Yeah! Buffy died and everything!" Katrina told them.
Giles looked at Buffy. "I should have known that wouldn't stop you."
Buffy smiled at him again.
Tara looked at Buffy in concern. "You died?!"
"Just a little. I drowned in a shallow pool of water. It was quite embarrassing, actually." Buffy looked at Katrina and smiled. "But Katrina brought me back to life."
Katrina smiled back at Buffy.
Amy noticed a wound on Buffy's neck. "Your neck."
Buffy touched the wound. "Oh. Yeah. The Master fed on me."
Angel looked at her in concern. "But you didn't feed on him, right?"
"I...don't know, actually. I lost consciousness soon after." Buffy suddenly felt uneasy.
"Well, what do we do now?" Jenny asked.
Giles looked at all of them. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd like to get out of this place. I don't like the library very much anymore."
"Hey!" Katrina exclaimed. "I hear there's a dance at the Bronze tonight. Could be fun."
"Yeah!" Cordelia agreed. "Especially since you're scheduled to play there."
Tara was concerned and looked at her girlfriend. "Buffy?"
Buffy smiled. "Sure! We saved the world. I say we party!" She looked down at her tuxedo. "I mean...I got all pretty."
"And what about him?" Jenny indicated the Master's body.
Buffy looked at it. "He's not going anywhere. Loser."
They all started to go and chatter. Buffy trailed the group.
Giles looked at Jenny. "I'm not dancing, though."
"We'll see."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "You can come with us, Angel."
"I..." Angel sighed.
"C'mon!" Cordelia insisted. "You are the May King, after all!"
Angel smiled. "All right."
Buffy felt pangs. "I'm hungry."
Katrina looked at Cordelia. "So what's the story with the car?"
Cordelia looked at Katrina and smiled. "Oh, that was me, saving the day!"
"Is anybody else hungry?" Buffy asked. "I'm really, really hungry."
Angel looked back at Buffy. "By the way, I really like your tux."
"Yeah, yeah. Big hit with everyone."
After picking up needed items at home, Cordelia, Amy, Katrina, Giles, and Jenny drove to the Bronze in their respective cars, Buffy drove her van, and Tara rode her scooter. Angel rode with Cordelia.
The Spring Fling was already somewhat underway. However, when Cordelia arrived, wearing her crown, everyone stopped and applauded for her. Cordelia smiled and waved to them, Angel on her arm. She had forced him to wear his crown. He timidly waved at the crowd for a bit, clearly uncomfortable.
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina set up their gear and then took to the dance floor while waiting for their turn to play. Buffy danced with Tara, Cordelia danced with Angel, and Amy and Katrina, who hadn't gotten around to getting dates, danced with each other. Giles stood in constant vigil at the punch bowl, ignoring Jenny's logical arguments in favor of dancing.
Finally, Cunt Thrust finished performing. The audience applauded.
"Way to go, Brett!" Amy cheered.
When the band had unplugged their gear and vacated the stage, Buffy and the Slayerettes took to the stage and plugged their gear into the sound system. Harmony set up her video camera on her tripod and pressed Record.
"Y'know, guys, I was thinking." Buffy looked at her bandmates. "Why don't we go to L.A. for the summer?"
"What?" Tara asked in surprise.
"Yeah. We can stay with my dad and Dawn. I just wanna get the fuck outta here for a while."
Cordelia overheard and walked over to the stage. "I'm in."
Buffy hadn't considered that. "Oh, um, sure, Cordy, you can come." She looked at the others. "Tara, Amy, Katrina?"
Tara looked at Buffy. "I'd like to, but I need to clear it with my parents. I'll, uh, I'll - I'll ask my mom."
Amy frowned. "Sorry, I can't go. I'm vacationing in Avalon."
Cordelia smiled. "France?"
Tara smiled. "Glastonbury?"
Amy shook her head. "Santa Catalina Island."
"Trina?" Buffy asked.
Katrina shook her head. "My sister's coming home from college. We're gonna hang."
Buffy was disappointed. "Oh. Well, tell Amelinda that I said hi."
"Have you guys decided on a song?" Cordelia asked them.
Buffy looked at her. "We were talking it over during the dance, and yeah."
They were done checking their instruments. Cordelia left to go dance with Angel.
Buffy looked at Amy. "Okay, Amy, you start with the drum machine." She looked at Tara. "Tara, you then come in on keyboard. I'll sing the first two verses; you'll sing the first chorus and third verse."
Tara nodded. "Okay."
Buffy looked at Katrina. "Katrina, you'll sing the fourth verse."
Katrina nodded. "Right."
Buffy looked at Amy. "Amy, you'll sing the second chorus."
Amy nodded. "Okay."
"I'll sing the third chorus. Okay, let's do it." Buffy faced the audience and turned on her microphone. "Hello. We're Buffy and the Slayerettes. I'm Buffy Summers, the lead guitarist. These are Tara Maclay, the keyboardist; Katrina Silber, the bass guitarist; and Amy Madison, the drummer."
The other three girls each waved in turn as Buffy introduced them.
"What kinda drum is that?!" a guy yelled from the audience.
Various other people laughed. Amy frowned.
Buffy ignored them. "This song is kinda old, but we hope you'll enjoy it. 3, 2, 1!"
Amy started playing a beat on her drum machine. Soon, Tara started playing her synthesizer. Buffy swallowed, nervous, and mentally prepared to sing to a large audience for the first time in her life.
"Now,
The mist across the window hides the lines,
But nothing hides the color of the lights that shine,
Electricity so fine.
Look and dry your eyes.
"We,
So tired of all the darkness in our lives,
With no more angry words to say, can come alive,
Get into a car, and drive
To the other side."
"Me, babe, steppin' out
Into the night,
Into the light.
You, babe, steppin' out
Into the night,
Into the light.
"We
Are young but getting old before our time.
We'll leave the TV and the radio behind.
Don't you wonder what we'll find
Steppin' out tonight?"
Cordelia stared into Angel's eyes. "So...I'm going away for the summer."
"Oh?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, to L.A.; me, Buffy, and Tara."
Angel was silent for a moment. "I'll miss you."
Cordelia grinned. "Yeah?"
"Uh-huh."
Cordelia kissed Angel on the lips. They kissed for the rest of the song, and then they turned and applauded the band when they were done.
Buffy, Tara, Katrina, and Amy took bows. Then Buffy and Tara hugged each other and kissed each other on the lips in celebration of getting through their first public performance.
Chapter 37: When She Was Bad
Chapter Text
"When She Was Bad"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
Author's note: Hey, I'm just giving some advance notice regarding the schedule of this fic. I try to put out four chapters per month (roughly one per week), but four of my relatives are coming down to visit from October 15-19 for my birthday, so it's possible that chapter 39, which is the first half of the next episode, will be delayed.
Buffy woke up. It was still mostly dark, but the room was slightly lit by light from the still-to-rise sun. Dawn lay asleep to her left, snoring loudly. Careful to not disturb her, Buffy got out of bed and left the bedroom through the open door.
She walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and got out a small bottle of orange juice. She closed the fridge, unlocked and opened the back door, and walked outside.
Standing there in the pre-dawn darkness, Buffy closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She let out her breath slowly and then opened her eyes. It was mostly silent, but sometimes a distant siren could be heard. Turning to face east, she opened her bottle and drank her orange juice.
"Hey."
Buffy briefly looked over her shoulder and saw Tara. "Hey."
Tara came and stood to Buffy's right. Buffy offered her the bottle. Tara took it, took a few gulps of orange juice, and offered the bottle back to Buffy, who took it.
"Couldn't sleep either?" Tara asked her.
"Nope. I guess the anticipation of tomorrow is making me nervous." Buffy paused to finish her drink. "First day of junior year."
"That's not why you're up."
"Oh?" Buffy asked.
"Something's bothering you."
"What makes you say that?" Buffy asked.
"Well, for one thing, we still haven't made love...fully."
Buffy didn't say anything.
Tara sensuously rubbed her side against Buffy. "I wanna taste you, sweetie."
"Kinda difficult, given the sleeping arrangements."
Tara shrugged. "Fine, be that way. I'll have to settle for having hot, sweaty sex with Cordy. By the way, we left your old bed sheets covered in cum stains."
Buffy didn't even crack a smile. She just closed her bottle and set it on the nearby grill.
Tara looked at Buffy in concern. "Okay, now I know something's wrong. Spill."
"My cum?" Buffy asked sarcastically.
"Buffy!" Tara yelled in anger.
It wasn't often that Tara raised her voice. Buffy looked at her in surprise.
"What's going on?" Tara asked firmly but with a note of love.
Buffy tried to collect her thoughts. "Okay, I'm cookie dough. I'm not done baking. I'm not finished becoming whoever the hell it is I'm gonna turn out to be. I make it through this year, and the next year, and the next year, and maybe one day I turn around and realize I'm ready. I'm cookies. And then, you know, if I want someone to eat me—"
Tara had heard enough. "I'll have you know I love eating cookie dough."
"Probably not the healthiest thing."
Tara smiled. "But it nourishes my soul."
Buffy smiled despite herself. "When we get home, you can enjoy soft, sweet, delicious cookie dough me. We'll sixty-nine and everything, I promise."
Tara grinned.
"I'll even lick your asshole." Buffy suddenly lost her smile, worried. "If...that's something that you're into."
"It...wasn't, but you're definitely welcome to do it." Tara gently kissed Buffy on the lips. "Now, tell me what's really going on with you."
Buffy stared at her girlfriend and sighed, and then she looked east. "Give it a few more seconds."
Tara looked east. The sun was rising. The two girls watched the sunrise for a couple minutes in silence.
Tara looked at Buffy. "I don't understand."
Buffy looked at her. "Kiss me."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips.
Buffy broke the kiss and turned her head. "No, my neck. Kiss it. Lick it."
Tara started kissing Buffy's neck gently. It was the same spot where the Master had bitten Buffy, but the wound had completely healed by now, leaving no sign. Tara stuck out her tongue and licked the length of Buffy's neck repeatedly, confused as to what Buffy was getting at. Then she smelled it. It was very faint, but it was unmistakably the smell of burning hair. Some of the ashes got into Tara's mouth. She swallowed some of it, but then she turned and spat the rest out.
Tara looked at Buffy. "What the fuck?"
"Something happened to me. I'm not sure what. I think...I got partially turned."
"Is that even possible?" Tara asked in surprise.
"I dunno."
"Well, when we get back, Mr. Giles can figure it out. Or maybe Angel."
"Angel?" Cordelia asked, walking outside. "What about Angel?"
Tara wasn't sure how to handle this. "Um..."
Buffy shook her head. "Never mind. I'm just going through some shit."
"So...any big plans for our last day in L.A.?" Cordelia asked.
Tara smiled. "I've got an idea."
"Does it involve celebrities?" Cordelia asked her.
Tara grinned. "No, but I guarantee safety and fun."
Buffy, Tara, and Cordelia were riding horses along a trail.
"So...what do you think?" Tara asked them.
Buffy smiled. "I like it. It's very relaxing."
Cordelia smiled and looked down at the horse that she was riding. "This guy is a cutie."
"So what are we gonna do next?" Tara asked.
Cordelia looked at them and grinned. "I vote shop!"
Buffy frowned. "I'm hungry."
Tara looked at Buffy and then at Cordelia. "Maybe we can stop for lunch first."
"Yeah, okay." Cordelia sniffed as she noticed an odor. "Anyone else smell that? Smells like something's burning."
Buffy looked at her. "It's me. I, uh, have a skin condition."
Cordelia, Buffy, and Tara got their Checkers food and walked over to a table. They sat down, took their food out of the bags, and started eating.
Cordelia smiled. "I can totally picture myself living here someday."
Tara stuck a fry in her mouth. "I dunno if I can. I heard it's pretty violent."
Buffy looked at Tara. "I grew up here. It's safe enough."
Just then, a blue pickup truck pulled into the parking lot. "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio and L.V. was blasting from the speakers. Tara looked at Buffy with a doubtful smile. Buffy shrugged.
The truck parked. A young, bald, black man and a young black woman got out and went over to the order window.
Cordelia looked at Buffy and noticed her skin was flaking. "Buffy, you need some moisturizer, stat!"
Buffy wiped dandruff off her face and out of her eyebrows.
After an afternoon of shopping and getting pampered at a spa, the ladies returned to the house and packed their suitcases. They loaded them into Cordelia's trunk and back seat.
Buffy went out to check the mail. When she came back in, Dawn was putting dinner on the table. Tara and Cordelia walked into the kitchen.
"Ooh, what smells good?" Tara asked.
Dawn smiled. "My newest culinary creation!"
Cordelia stared at the substance in the bowls in dread and crossed herself.
Dawn stuck out her tongue. "Try before you pass judgment upon pizza in a pot."
"Pizza what?" Cordelia asked.
Dawn smiled. "Have you ever had a craving for pizza but didn't want the bread?"
Cordelia shook her head. "No."
Dawn stuck out her tongue again. "Well, anyway, I mix ground beef, olive oil, chopped onion, garlic powder, sliced sausage, pepperoni slices, sliced bacon, olives, tomato sauce, cheese, and Italian herbs in a pot, bake it in the oven, and voila!" Dawn smiled proudly. "Pizza in a pot."
Cordelia looked at Tara.
Tara shrugged. "Let's give it a try."
Dawn put the pot and large spoon in the sink. She, Tara, and Cordelia sat at the table.
Hank Summers came in from the dining room. "Hey, girls."
Dawn smiled. "Hey, Dad."
Buffy smiled. "Hey."
Tara smiled. "Hi, Mr. Summers."
Cordelia smiled. "Hey."
Hank smiled. "Boy, oh, boy, somethin' sure smells good!"
Dawn grinned. "I call it pizza in a pot."
Cordelia looked at Hank. "Personally, I'm not too excited. Now, if it was pot in a pizza..."
Tara laughed.
Buffy held up the mail. "Oh, Dad, I got the mail."
"Anything good?" Hank asked.
Buffy looked at the envelope. "Lindsey McDonald of Wolfram & Hart, Attorneys at Law."
"Oh." Hank walked over and took the envelope. "I wonder what he wants."
"Who is that?" Buffy asked him.
"My, uh, my divorce lawyer."
Buffy frowned. "Oh."
"What else ya got?" Dawn asked her.
Buffy walked over to the table, holding a flier. She sat down. "Missing person flier. Girl went missing last year." She set the flier on the table.
Dawn, Tara, and Cordelia looked at it. The photo showed a young woman with long, dark brown hair.
"She's cute. I hope they find her." Cordelia ate a spoonful of pizza.
Tara rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.
"What the hell kind of name is Winifred, though?" Buffy asked.
Tara shrugged and ate a spoonful of pizza. She smiled. "Mmmm! This is so good!"
Dawn looked at Cordelia and grinned. "See?!"
Cordelia shrugged. "It's okay."
After dinner, everyone went out to the driveway.
Hank and Buffy hugged each other.
"Have a safe trip."
"Thanks, Dad."
They released each other.
Dawn hugged Buffy. "Visit again soon."
Buffy hugged Dawn. "I'll try, Booger."
They released each other.
Hank waved at Tara and Cordelia. "See ya, girls."
Tara and Cordelia waved back. "Bye."
Buffy looked at Cordelia and held out her hand. "Gimme the keys."
"What? Why?" Cordelia asked.
"I wanna sit up front with Tara."
Cordelia shook her head. "I ain't sittin' in the back with the fuckin' luggage. Besides, if I die in a car crash, it's going to be at my own hand."
Buffy and Tara looked at each other.
Tara gestured at the car. "You can have it, Buff."
"You sure, sweetie?" Buffy asked.
Tara nodded. Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. Dawn grinned and squealed in excitement.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "C'mon! The sooner that we leave, the less traffic laws that I have to break!"
Cordelia drove past the Welcome to Sunnydale sign. Buffy was sitting in the passenger seat. Tara was sitting in the back seat. The three ladies were rocking out and singing along to "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by the Verve, which was playing on the radio.
Tara grinned. "We oughta perform this sometime!"
"Can you play the violin?" Cordelia asked her.
Tara shook her head. "No, but I've been meaning to try."
Buffy looked out the window as they approached the cemetery. "Hey, Cordy, pull over."
"What is it?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy smiled. "I see our peeps!"
Amy and Katrina were on their way home. They had gone to Baskin-Robbins to get some ice cream. They walked on the sidewalk along the border of the cemetery.
Katrina still had her ice cream cone and took an occasional lick. "Y'know, I just gotta say that this has been the most boring summer ever."
Amy shrugged. "Yeah, but, on the plus side, no monsters or stuff." She stepped over to the wall and hopped up to sit on it.
"I'm glad that school is starting up again. I can join engineering club."
"There weren't any summer programs that you could join?" Amy asked her.
"Not around here. Still, I got to hang with my big sis for a bit. That's something at least. How was your vacation?" Katrina asked her.
"Good. I mostly did some reading and practiced the craft."
"Getting better at it?" Katrina asked her.
"Yeah. Have you heard from the girls?" Amy asked her. "Did they mention when they might be gettin' back?"
"I haven't heard from them. I got a couple e-mails when they went to L.A., but then, like, nothing."
"Well, they're probably with Dawn and Buffy's dad, having a good time."
"Yeah." Katrina hesitated and then suddenly tapped Amy's nose with her ice cream.
"Trina!" Amy exclaimed, surprised.
Katrina smiled.
Amy pouted. "My nose is cold."
"Let me get that for ya." Katrina leaned in and licked the chocolate ice cream off Amy's nose.
"Trina!" Amy exclaimed, giggling.
"I'm sorry, I can't help myself. Your nose looks so tasty." Katrina looked into her eyes. She brushed her hand against her cheek.
After another moment, Katrina started to move in for a kiss. Amy responded in kind and tilted her head. They stopped just short of making contact and lingered there a moment. Then Katrina closed the gap and kissed Amy full on the lips. Amy kissed Katrina back.
When their lips parted, Katrina saw a vampire standing on the other side of the wall. Amy noticed her glance and looked, too. She screamed and jumped off the wall as Katrina pulled her away from the vampire.
"You didn't happen to bring any stakes, did you?!" Katrina asked her.
"No!"
"Great! Me neither!" Katrina replied, upset at herself for her own stupidity.
Katrina put herself between Amy and the vampire. Amy watched as Katrina punched the vampire in the face. The vampire wasn't fazed. He grabbed Katrina and tried to bite. Katrina struggled with him to keep from being bitten. Amy raised her hand, palm outward, and willed the vampire's head to stay in place, so he couldn't bite Katrina.
After a few moments of wrestling, Buffy grabbed the vampire by the shoulder and pulled him off Katrina. Buffy punched the vampire in the face, kneed him in the penis, and flipped him over onto his back.
Buffy turned to Amy and Katrina. "Hi, guys!"
The vampire got up. Buffy turned her attention back to him and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into a tree, where he got impaled on a dead branch.
Buffy stared at his body for a moment and then turned back to face Amy and Katrina. "Miss me?"
Amy grinned. "Buffy!"
"Hey!" Katrina hugged Buffy.
Buffy hugged Katrina. "Hey, Trina!"
They released each other.
"Hey, Amy!" Buffy hugged Amy.
Amy hugged Buffy.
"Girl, your timing really doesn't suck." Katrina laughed at her own dorky joke.
"When'd you get back?" Amy asked Buffy.
"Uh, just now. I saw you two walking and jumped out of the car to say hi. Good thing I did. I figured you two losers would be getting into some kind of trouble."
Amy felt a bit offended. "I think we had the upper hand. I-In a subtle way."
"Does either of you even have a cross? A stake? Holy water?" Buffy asked them. "Very sloppy."
Katrina shrugged. "Well, it's been a slow summer. I mean...that's the first vampire that I've seen since you killed the Master."
Buffy thought about that. "It's like they knew I was coming back."
The three of them started to walk toward Cordelia's car.
"So...what about you? How was your summer? Did you slay anything?" Katrina asked Buffy.
"No. Uh, just hung out; partied some; shopping was also a major theme."
Katrina smiled. "Well, you haven't lost your touch. That vampire..."
"I did kinda whale on him, didn't I?" Buffy asked. "So...how did you guys fare? Did you have any fun without me?"
Katrina shrugged. "Sure. I hung out with my sis."
Amy smiled. "I practiced my magic in Avalon, which is something that I can definitely say truthfully."
Katrina looked at Buffy. "Mr. Giles and Ms. Calendar buried the Master."
They stopped walking.
Katrina pointed. "Right out by that tree. Mr. Giles buried the bones, and Ms. Calendar poured holy water, and they got to wear robes. Very intense. You shoulda been."
Buffy looked.
"Have you seen Mr. Giles?" Katrina asked Buffy.
"Why would I do that?" Buffy asked her. "I'll see him at school."
Katrina smiled. "I'm really glad you're back."
Buffy looked at the tree again. "Me, too."
They started walking again and reached the car. Cordelia and Tara were standing in front of it, waiting.
Amy and Katrina smiled. "Hey."
Cordelia and Tara smiled. "Hey."
Buffy's beeper suddenly beeped. She took it out of her pocket and checked the phone number. "Shit, it's my mom. She's probably wondering if I'm back yet. I guess I gotta go home."
Tara smiled. "I'll join you."
Suddenly, her own beeper went off. She took it out of her pocket and checked the phone number.
Tara sighed. "Fuck, never mind. I'll help you carry in your suitcases, anyway."
While Cordelia waited in the car, Buffy and Tara unloaded Buffy's suitcases, four in total, from the car and lugged them to the front door.
The front door opened, and Joyce walked outside.
Joyce smiled. "Welcome home, sweetie!"
Buffy smiled. "Thanks, Mom. I'd hug ya, but..."
Joyce looked. "How is it that you've returned with double the suitcases that you left with?"
Tara smiled. "Magic. Hi, Mrs. Summers."
"Hi, Tara."
Buffy and Tara walked into the house, upstairs, and into Buffy's bedroom. Buffy hit the light switch with her elbow.
The two girls dropped the luggage on the floor.
Buffy looked at Tara and smiled. "Thanks. I wish you could stay. Rain check on the fuck?"
Tara smiled. "Of course."
"Great." Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. "See ya at school tomorrow."
"See ya."
The next morning, at Sunnydale High, Cordelia and two of her friends walked down some stairs and across the quad.
"It was a nightmare, a total nightmare. I mean...having to share a bed with Tara. She wears stupid pajama shorts and has belchy lemonade breath. I mean...who the fuck gets up in the middle of the fucking night and has lemonade as a midnight snack?" Cordelia sighed. "I was totally sleepless for three months. No one has suffered like I have. Of course, I think that that kind of adversity builds character. Well, then I thought, I already have a lot of character. Is it possible to have too much character?"
Nearby, Giles and Principal Snyder were walking along the colonnade.
"The first day back. It always gets me."
"Yes."
"I mean...it's incredible. One day, the campus is completely bare. Empty. The next, there are children everywhere. Like locusts. Crawling around, mindlessly bent on feeding and mating. Destroying everything in sight in their relentless, pointless desire to exist."
They stopped. Snyder looked around, observing the students.
"I do enjoy these pep talks. Have you ever considered, given your abhorrence of children, school's principal was not, perhaps, your true vocation?" Giles asked him.
"Somebody's got to keep an eye on them. They're just a bunch of hormonal time bombs." Snyder took two steps away from Giles. "Every time a pretty girl walks by, every boy turns into a gibbering fool."
Giles spotted Jenny coming toward them. "Ms. Calendar!"
"Mr. Giles!" Jenny exclaimed.
"Well, I, uh, um..." Giles paused. "Hello!"
"You see the way these kids gaze at each other...all moony."
Jenny smiled. "It's good to see you."
"Yes."
"You think they're thinking about learning?" Snyder asked.
"Uh, were you headed to the, uh, faculty room?" Giles asked Jenny.
"Sounds like fun!" Jenny replied.
They headed off to the faculty room, leaving Snyder behind.
They walked inside and through the student lounge.
"How was your summer?" Giles asked.
"Extreme. I did Burning Man in Black Rock, ohhh, such a great festival; you should've been there. They had drum rituals, mobile sculptures, raves, naked mud dances; you would've just...hated it with a fiery passion!"
"I can't imagine finding any redeeming, uh..." Giles stopped at the base of the stairs. "Naked?"
"Hmm. And you probably spent all summer with your nose in a book."
"Yes. I suppose you'd consider that frightfully dull."
"Depends on the book." Jenny smiled.
Amy and Katrina came down the stairs. Buffy and Tara were not far behind them.
Tara smiled. "Hello, Mr. Giles."
Giles smiled. "Nice to see you all."
Jenny smiled. "Hi, kids."
"Hi!" Tara replied.
Giles looked at Buffy. "How are you?"
"Live and kicking."
Tara looked at Giles. "Buffy killed a vampire last night."
Giles looked around to see if anyone overheard. "Uh, I think you can get a little more volume, if you speak from the diaphragm."
Tara frowned. "Sorry."
"We've got vampires?" Jenny asked. "I thought the Hellmouth was closed."
Giles looked at her. "Well, it's - it's closed - but not gone. The mystical energy that emanates from it is still concentrated in this area."
Katrina sighed. "Which means we're still the undead's favorite party town."
Giles thought for a moment. "I wonder if they're here for any purpose, particularly."
Buffy shrugged. "You're the Watcher. I just work here."
"Yes, I-I must consult my books."
"While you're doing that, I want you to look up something else."
"Yes?"
"I've felt different ever since the Master killed me, and I was brought back to life. Stronger. The sunlight has been setting my hair on fire and causing my skin to flake. Is it possible for me to have been partially turned into a vampire?" Buffy asked him.
Giles stared at her in surprise. "I don't know, but I will research it."
"Thanks."
The bell rang.
Amy looked at the other girls. "We better get to class."
They all started making their way to their classes.
"Oh, uh, Buffy!" Giles called.
Buffy looked back.
"Uh, I realize you've only just returned, but, when you're ready, I-I think we should start your training again."
"I'm ready. I'll see you after school." Buffy started to go again.
"Well, I-I-I understand if - if you want a few days to-"
"I'm ready." Buffy left.
In the library, after school, Buffy did tumbling and kicking exercises that took her all around the library. Then she and Tara continued training with the quarterstaff. Buffy swung it at Tara's hand pads. Tara retreated as Buffy hit. Tara ducked a swing, but Buffy continued around with the quarterstaff and knocked her back into the chairs by the table. Next, Buffy practiced her punches on the wooden punching dummy. She had a flash of the Master and began to go crazy on it, throwing continuous rapid punches.
Giles was concerned. "Buffy, that's enough."
She kept whaling on the dummy.
"Buffy!" Tara yelled.
Buffy kicked it, and it broke.
Giles looked at it. "Uh, safe to say you've stayed in shape."
Buffy was breathing hard. "I'm ready. Whatever they've got coming next, I'm ready." She bunched her hair above her head. "Yeah."
Tara looked at her in concern.
In the student lounge, Buffy was upstairs on a couch, off in her own world. Tara, Amy, and Katrina came up the stairs to her.
"Buffy?" Katrina asked.
There was no response.
"Buffy!" Amy called.
"Fine!" Buffy replied. "I'm fine."
"Good!" Amy replied. "It's good that you're fine."
Tara sat next to Buffy on the couch. Amy and Katrina sat on the couch opposite them.
"What were you thinking about?" Tara asked Buffy.
"Nothing."
Tara gave her a doubtful look.
"I wasn't thinking anything, really."
"What'd you do last night?" Tara asked her.
"Mm. Slept. I had weird dreams."
"Tell me about them."
"Buffy!" Giles called.
"Giles!" Buffy got up. "What is it? You look worried."
"This vampire activity, I think I know what they're up to."
"Well, we'll deal with it."
"I hope it's that simple."
"It is not to worry. Trust me."
"Oh, I don't know." Giles chuckled. "I mean...I've killed you once; it shouldn't be too difficult to do it again."
"What?" Buffy asked, confused.
Giles took a hard backhand swing at her face, knocking her down onto the table between the two couches. He got on top of her and began to choke her. Tara, Amy, and Katrina just sat on the couches. Amy smiled at Katrina. Buffy reached up to Giles' face and tried to push him off. She clawed at him and suddenly pulled off a mask, revealing the Master underneath. Buffy stared up at him in wide-eyed terror.
Buffy woke from her nightmare with a start. She was in her bedroom. It was night. She looked around and over at her open window. She sat up and rubbed her face. When she looked back at her window again, Angel was there, leaning against the sill.
Buffy started. "Holy shit!"
"Sorry. Mind if I come in?" Angel asked.
"Be my guest."
"How are you?"
"Peachy. So,...is this a social call? It is kinda late. Or, well, it is for me, anyway. What is it for you, lunch hour?" Buffy asked.
"It's not a social call."
"Ah. So...lemme guess. That means grave danger." Buffy smiled despite herself. "Goddamn, it's good to be home."
"I'm sorry. I wish I had better news."
"So...some of your cousins are in town for a family barbecue, and we're all on the menu!" Buffy exclaimed.
"The Anointed One. He's been gathering forces somewhere in town. I'm not sure why."
"Guess I'll find out soon enough, huh?" Buffy asked.
"You don't sound too concerned."
"I can handle myself. Besides, I could use a little action, anyway."
"Don't underestimate the Anointed One just because he looks like a child. He has power over the rest of them. They'll do anything for him."
"Is that it? Is that everything?" Buffy asked him. "Y'know, 'cause you woke me up from a really good dream." She turned away from him and lay back down.
"Sorry. I'll go."
Cordelia walked back into her bedroom, sipping lemonade from a champagne flute. She saw Angel at her window, leaning against the sill.
Cordelia smiled. "Hello."
"Hey. How are you?" Angel asked.
"Good, now that you're here."
Angel kissed Cordelia on the lips. Cordelia pulled him into a deep kiss.
When their lips parted, Cordelia stared into Angel's eyes and grinned. "Goddamn, I've missed you."
The next morning, Buffy was sitting at the island in the kitchen, eating a breakfast of sausage links and eggs. Her mother took the pan and spatula to the sink. "It Doesn't Matter" by Alison Krauss was playing on the radio.
"How are your new classes?" Joyce asked.
"Good."
"Good." Joyce paused and looked at her. "Is there the slightest chance that, if I asked you what was wrong, you would tell me?"
Buffy looked over at her mother and hesitated. "It involves the kind of stuff that you don't like to talk about."
Joyce didn't say anything else; she just turned her attention to the dishes.
At school, Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina were hanging out at Buffy's locker.
"Angel stopped by?" Tara asked. "What did he say?"
"Oh, something's up." Buffy closed her locker. "Nothing I can't handle."
They began to walk down the hall to class.
"Oh, hey, did you guys hear that Cibo Matto's gonna be at the Bronze tonight?" Katrina asked.
Tara smiled. "Cibo Matto? They're playing?"
"We should attend, no?" Katrina asked.
Cordelia came out of class. "Oh, look, it's the Four Musketeers."
They looked at each other, not sure what to make of that.
Buffy looked at Amy. "Was that an insult?"
"Kinda lacked punch."
Tara smiled at Cordelia. "The Three Musketeers were cool, and there are four of us, so that makes us 1.333333 times as cool."
"I see your point."
Amy looked at Cordelia. "I woulda gone with Stooges."
"Well, I just meant that you guys always hang out together. So...did you guys fight any demons last night?"
Buffy shook her head. "Nah. I patrolled a bit, didn't find anything, and headed home."
"Really?" Cordelia asked, surprised. "What about big squiggly demons that come from the ground? Cause Angel says shit's goin' down."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Angel always says shit's goin' down. He told me that last night."
Cordelia stared at her in astonishment. "He was in your bedroom?!"
Buffy looked around nervously to see if anyone overheard - or, more importantly, cared - and then looked back at Cordelia. "Cordelia, your mouth is open, and sound is coming from it. This is never good."
That night, at the Bronze, Cibo Matto was on stage, playing "Spoon". Amy and Katrina were sitting at a table.
Amy had a cup of ice cream and swallowed some. "I just think something's up is all."
"Ames, you're paranoid."
"Buffy's never acted like this before. Ever since she got back, she's...different."
"Buffy's always been different."
"She's never been mean."
Katrina sighed. "Any sign of her? She said she was coming."
"No. The band's cool, though."
"Yeah, cool."
Amy dipped her nose into her ice cream and smiled, trying to get Katrina's attention.
Katrina looked at her, laughed, and licked the ice cream off Amy's nose. She then took Amy's nose between her lips and sucked on it for a bit, then she kissed Amy on the lips. The two girls giggled.
The band started their next number, "Sugar Water". Buffy, Tara, and Cordelia walked into the Bronze. Angel saw them come in and came over to them.
Cordelia smiled at him. "Hi."
"Hi."
"So...is there danger at the Bronze? Should I beware?" Buffy asked him.
Angel looked at her. "I can't help thinking I've done something to make you angry. And that bothers me more than I'd like."
Cordelia gave him some side eye.
Buffy shook her head. "I'm not angry. I don't know where that comes from."
"What are you afraid of? Me?" Angel asked her.
"Could you contemplate getting over yourself for a second?" Buffy asked him. "It's not you, dead boy."
Buffy and Tara headed over to Amy and Katrina's table. Cordelia watched Buffy go and wondered about her attitude.
"Hey!" Buffy exclaimed.
Tara smiled. "Hi."
Amy smiled. "Hi."
Katrina smiled. "Hey."
"What's wrong with Angel?" Amy asked Buffy.
"Beats me." Buffy looked at Tara. "Let's dance." She pulled at her shirt.
Tara smiled. "Okay."
Buffy pulled Tara by her shirt to the dance floor. Amy and Katrina looked at each other, and then they stood up and walked out onto the dance floor, holding hands.
Buffy and Tara began to slow dance. Buffy's movements were very sensual. Buffy turned around and spooned in against Tara, pulling her arms around her waist. Buffy grinded her hips and shoulders against Tara. She reached up with her hand and stroked Tara's face. Cordelia noticed a hint of jealousy in Angel's eyes, so she took him by the hand and dragged him out onto the dance floor. Buffy continued her grinding. She turned to Tara and tilted her head to hers, close enough to kiss. Tara closed the gap and kissed Buffy on the lips. Buffy stuck out her tongue and licked Tara's lips. This was a bit much for Tara, considering the audience that they had, but she decided to put up with it, sticking out her tongue and french-kissing Buffy.
Cordelia and Angel stayed at the Bronze long after Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina had left for the night. Finally, the two of them went outside.
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Sorry about Buffy's 'tude."
Angel shrugged. "It's all right. I've heard worse. Do you want me to walk you to your car?"
"No, thanks, I'm good." Cordelia kissed Angel on the lips. "Good night."
"Good night." Angel turned and walked away.
Cordelia walked toward her car, but she was suddenly grabbed by two vampires coming out of the shadows and dragged into an adjacent building.
Chapter Text
The two vampires forced Cordelia down a flight of stairs, into a basement. At the bottom, they shoved her into a room. She was frightened and looked around. She took a step sideways and bumped into a hand. She looked down and saw it was Jenny.
Cordelia crouched down to see if she was okay. "Ms. - Ms. Calendar?"
Jenny was unconscious.
"Oh, God, Ms. Calendar?"
In the cemetery, Buffy was going to check out the Master's grave. When she got there, she found it dug open and his bones exhumed. She stepped back slowly and thought she saw the Master out of the corner of her eye. She quickly turned to look, but no one was there.
The next day, in the student lounge, Giles was getting a soda from the vending machine. Tara was with him.
"She's possessed!" Tara insisted.
"Possessed?" Giles asked.
"That's the only explanation that makes any sense. I mean...haven't you noticed she's been a bit...bitchy lately?" Tara asked him.
"Are you overlooking the idea that she may just be...bitchy?" Giles asked her. "She is, after all, a teenage girl."
"That isn't Buffy. I know her. She's possessed."
"Possessed by what?"
"Aaaaa possessing thing!" Tara offered.
"Well, that narrows it down." Giles took a sip of his soda and winced at its sweetness.
"Well, you're the expert. Hey, maybe the Master did turn her when he killed her. That's what it was! I mean...why else would she be acting like such a bitch?" Tara asked.
"I suggest that, uh, the explanation for her behavior may be something more - more mundane."
The bell rang, and the students around them began to leave for class.
Giles sat down. "She may simply have what you Americans refer to as issues. Uh, her experience with the Master must have been extremely traumatic. Well, she was, for at least a few minutes, technically dead."
Buffy arrived and stood in the doorway.
"I-I don't think she's dealt with that on a conscious level."
Tara noticed Buffy.
"She's convinced herself that she's invulnerable...for the very reason that she feels-"
"Mr. Giles." Tara nodded at Buffy.
Buffy walked up to them. There was an awkward moment of silence.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Giles asked Buffy.
"Like a rock. Master's gone."
"I'm sorry?" Giles asked.
"The Master. I went by his grave last night, and they have a vacancy."
"Good God!" Giles exclaimed.
"What would somebody want with Master bones?" Tara asked.
Buffy stared at Giles. "They're gonna bring him back. They're gonna bring the Master back to life, and I seem to recall you telling me he was history."
"Buffy, I-I-I've never heard of a-a revivification ritual being successful."
"But you've heard of them?" Buffy asked him. "Thanks for the warning."
"Well, Buffy, Mr. Giles did bury him and-"
Buffy shot Tara a look. "Look, this is Slayer stuff, okay? Could we have just a little less from the civilians, please?"
Tara recoiled in shock. She couldn't believe Buffy had spoken to her that way.
Buffy was just as shocked at her own words and immediately regretted them. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry, Tara. I-"
"I believe some of us have class?" Snyder interrupted. "And some of us have jobs."
Giles looked at Buffy and Tara. "Y-Yes, well, I'll, uh, I'll see you both, uh, in the library later. We'll - We'll continue this discussion."
Buffy and Tara walked away.
Buffy looked at Tara. "Tara, sweetie-"
"We're good." Tara took Buffy's hand and gave her a smile.
Buffy smiled back at her and leaned in for a kiss. Tara kissed Buffy on the lips.
Snyder watched them go. "There're some things I can just smell. It's like a sixth sense."
"No, actually, that would be one of the five."
"That Summers girl. I smell trouble. I smell expulsion - and just the faintest aroma of jail."
"Well, before you throw away the key, you might consider giving her the benefit of the doubt. She may surprise you."
"You really have faith in those kids, don't you?" Snyder asked Giles.
"Yes, I do."
"Weird."
In the library, after school, Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina had come to help Giles research. They were sitting at the table.
"All right, all right, I-I-I've got something. It's Latin, so bear with me. Uh, to revive the vampire, they need his bones, uh...w-which they have, and, um, the blood...this is very unclear - of the closest person...uh, someone connected to the vampire."
Buffy looked at Giles. "That'd be me."
"Perhaps."
"We were close. We killed each other. It really promotes togetherness."
Katrina looked at Giles. "Well, is there anything on when the ceremony might take-"
A rock came crashing through a window.
"Whoa!" Katrina exclaimed.
Buffy caught the rock in her hands. It had a note wrapped around it and kept in place with a bracelet.
"This is Cordelia's." Buffy took off the note. "'Come to the Bronze before it opens, or we make her a meal.'"
"What do we do?" Tara asked.
Buffy sighed. "I go to the Bronze and save the day." She stood up and started to go.
Amy looked at her. "I don't like this."
"Nor I!" Giles added.
Buffy turned back to look at all of them. "Yeah? Well, you guys aren't going."
"What do you mean?" Tara asked.
"I can't do it anymore. I can't look after the four of you guys while I'm fighting."
"Well, what about the rest of the note?" Katrina asked.
"What rest of the note?" Buffy asked her.
"The part that says 'P.S. This is a trap'?"
"You'll be playing straight into their hands." Giles took off his glasses.
"I can handle this."
"Stop saying that! Goddess, what's wrong with you?" Tara asked her.
Amy stared at Buffy. "Cordelia may be dead."
"This is my fight." Buffy left, grabbing her coat and bag on the way out.
Tara just watched her go. Amy and Katrina shook their heads. Giles put his glasses back on.
When she arrived at the alley outside the Bronze, Buffy sensed Angel as she neared the entrance. "Free relationship advice for ya: being stalked isn't really a big turn-on for girls."
"You need help. Someone to watch your back."
"Sure you don't mean my neck?" Buffy asked him.
Angel came around her. "Why are you ridin' me?"
"Because I don't trust you. You're a vampire."
Angel gave her a look.
"Oh, I'm sorry, was that an offensive term? Should I say 'undead American'?" Buffy asked sarcastically.
"You have to trust someone. You can't do this alone."
"I trust me."
"You're not as strong as you think."
Buffy gave him a challenging look. "You think you can take me?"
"What?"
"Oh, c'mon! I mean...you must've thought about it. What would happen if it ever came down to a fight, you vampire, me the Slayer, I mean...you must've wondered! Well, why don't we find out?"
"I'm not gonna fight you."
"Come on!" Buffy goaded him. "Kick my ass!"
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Angel asked her.
"I do."
"Well, you're wasting time."
"Just stay out of my way." Buffy walked around him to the entrance.
"Happy to oblige."
Buffy went in and looked around as she slowly walked through an empty Bronze. She came upon a girl crying in a corner. The girl had long brown hair.
Buffy stopped walking, suspicious and sensing Angel behind her. "That's not Cordelia."
The girl laughed and turned around, baring her fangs. "Cordelia couldn't make it."
"Where is she?" Buffy asked her.
"I'm not supposed to tell."
"I don't like this."
"Don't like what?" Buffy asked Angel.
"There's the bait. Where's the hook?"
The vampire attacked.
Buffy flipped her over onto her back on the floor and pinned her down with her foot. "You're right. Why would they send just one?"
In the library, the others were continuing their research.
Tara sighed. "I still think we should've gone with her."
Amy looked at her. "Buffy's about to lose it. I think we should be trying to reach minimum safe distance."
Katrina looked at Amy. "Amy, you know it's a trap!"
"Ah!" Giles suddenly exclaimed. "Ah, ah, ah! Uh, uh, the Latin is - is translated from the Sumerian, a-a-and rather badly. Closest to the Master actually translates as 'nearest'. Physically. The - The - The person or persons who were with him...when he..." He looked up. "It is a trap."
Several vampires were on the mezzanine level above.
"It just isn't for her."
In the Bronze, Buffy bound the vampire's wrists. "Watch her. Don't kill her unless you have to." She shoved her over to Angel.
"Buffy! What's goin' on?" Angel asked.
"I'll be back."
Buffy rushed into the library and stopped short when she saw the place was a shambles. The center table had been tipped over onto its side. Behind it, Katrina regained consciousness and got up, using the table for support.
"Trina!" Buffy rushed over to her to help, gently steadying her. "What happened?"
Katrina was out of breath. "Vampires."
"Where are the others?"
"I don't know."
"We - We just have to think. Where would they have taken them?"
Katrina was on the verge of tears. "Amy..."
"Trina!" Buffy yelled. "Focus!"
Katrina forced herself to get her emotions under control.
"Why did they take them and not you?" Buffy asked her.
"Giles said the ritual was, um..." Katrina paused. "They needed people who were close to the Master. Physically close. When he, uh-"
"The ones who were with the Master when he died."
"Giles, Tara, Amy, Cordelia..."
"Ms. Calendar."
"Odds are they've got a complete set by now."
"We need to find out where."
"How?" Katrina asked.
In the Bronze, Buffy was interrogating the female vampire. Katrina had followed Buffy in, but Buffy had told her and Angel to wait outside.
Buffy threw her down onto the floor. "One more time: where are they?"
"You're too late. Your friends are dead."
Buffy lifted her back up. "Tell me where they are!"
The vampire laughed. "What are you gonna do? Kill me?"
"As a matter of fact..." Buffy threw the vampire onto a pool table. "...yes. But since I'm not gonna kill you any time soon, the question becomes..." She indicated the cross that she wore on her necklace. "...how are we gonna pass the time till then?"
"You think that scares me?" the vampire asked her. She licked the cross.
Buffy unzipped the girl's pants. "No, but I bet it'll hurt like a motherfucker when I rip up your cunt with it."
The vampire suddenly lost her sense of humor. "Wait!"
Buffy waited.
"Let's make a deal."
Buffy entered an old brick warehouse through a side door. Katrina and Angel followed her in. The Master's skeleton had been laid out on a table. Many vampires were there. Tara, Amy, Giles, Cordelia, and Jenny were hanging upside-down and unconscious above the Master's bones from an overhead conveyor.
"Witnesses to our Master's wretched demise. They will breathe their last this night. The blood that pours from their throats will bring new life to the Old One. We gather for his resurrection. For the dawn of this new hell."
Buffy looked up at the five of them hanging upside-down.
"Buffy! Buffy!" Katrina called in a low voice.
Buffy faced her.
"We gotta do something now!" Katrina insisted.
"You two get the others out of here."
Angel looked at Buffy. "We need you to distract the vampires."
Buffy nodded. "Right."
"What are you gonna do?" Katrina asked her.
"I'm gonna kill them all. That oughta distract them."
One of the vampires was holding a kukri. "For the old one. For his pain. For the dark."
"For the dark!" the other vampires echoed.
The head vampire kissed the blade. Buffy assumed a fighting stance and thrust a stake through another vampire from behind, and he instantly died. The head vampire looked at her in disbelief and then roared. Three vampires began fighting her. She easily kept them at bay. Katrina and Angel seized the opportunity to climb the ladder to the platform above to get the others off the conveyor. Buffy continued to fight the vampires below. Katrina and Angel pulled on the chain, bringing the others back over to the platform.
"The sacrifices! Stop them!" the head vampire ordered.
A vampire responded to his command and ran to the ladder to the platform. Buffy continued to fight below as Katrina and Angel kept pulling on the chain. She did a flip over some wooden boxes, grabbed one on the way, and smashed it onto a vampire's head. She kicked the vampire in the face, knocking him down and breaking a few pieces of wood off the box. She got tackled by another vampire.
On the platform above, Giles, Jenny, and Cordelia were already off the conveyor. Katrina and Angel lifted Tara and Amy off as well. Giles rolled on the floor in semi-consciousness. They laid Tara and Amy down and tended to them all. A vampire finally made it up to the platform and growled. Angel looked at him and growled back. The vampire attacked, and Angel rushed to meet him. They fought.
Below, one of the vampires was on top of Buffy. She reached up with a broken piece of wood and jammed it into the vampire's back, killing him. She shoved his body off her. The vampire that she had knocked down before with the box got up and rushed to attack her.
Above, Angel and his opponent fell through a poorly covered hole in the platform. Jenny was awake now and crawled over to Giles, who was also awake now and trying to sit up.
"Are you all right?" Giles asked her.
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"Where's Buffy?" he asked.
Katrina was at the edge of the platform, holding the still-unconscious Amy and Tara with her arms and watching the fight below. "Uh, she's working out her issues."
Buffy was still fighting a vampire below. Underneath the platform, Angel's attacker tried to jam a piece of wood into his chest, but Angel stopped him and jammed it into his instead. Buffy kicked the vampire that she was fighting into a storage rack, and he went down with it.
"Enough!"
Buffy turned to look at the head vampire, who was standing in the doorway with a large sledgehammer.
"Your day is done, girl. I'll grind you into a sticky paste and hear you beg before I smash in your face."
"So...are you gonna kill me, or are we just making small talk?" Buffy asked him.
He raised the sledgehammer in indignation and yelled as he began his attack. The other vampire rushed at her from the other side. Buffy calmly looked at the tall wooden torch post in front of her, broke it off, and turned it a few times in her hands. The vampire impaled himself on the broken end. The head vampire ran into the burning end and was set ablaze. He backed up and screamed as the flames spread over him. He made a last desperate attempt to get Buffy and raised the sledgehammer over his head - but was too late as the flames engulfed him and burned him up. The sledgehammer fell to the floor with a loud clang. Buffy dropped the post and looked over at the Master's skeleton.
On the platform above, Tara and Amy were awake now.
"What's going on?" Tara asked.
Amy looked at her. "It's over."
Katrina shook her head. "No, it's not."
Below, Buffy bent down and picked up the sledgehammer. She slowly walked over to the Master's skeleton and looked at it a moment. Then she swung the hammer back behind her and arced it directly into the Master's skull, shattering it to pieces. She kept whaling on the Master's skeleton as Amy, Katrina, Cordelia, Jenny, Angel, and Giles looked down from above. Tara came up behind her and watched her continue until there was nothing left on the table. She stopped and burst into tears, dropping the sledgehammer to the floor.
"It's okay. It's okay."
Buffy turned around and leaned into her, crying into her shoulder. Tara gently held onto her as she cried.
Eventually, Buffy looked Tara in the eyes. "I am so sorry!"
In response, Tara kissed Buffy full on the lips and held her tight.
At the school, the next day, Jenny and Cordelia walked across the quad.
"What an ordeal. And you know what the worst part is?" Cordelia asked her.
"What?" Jenny asked.
"It stays with you forever. No matter what they tell you, none of that rust and blood and grime comes out. I mean...you can dry-clean till judgment day, but you are living with those stains."
"Yeah, that's the worst part of being hung upside-down by a vampire who wants to slit your throat: the stains."
"I hear ya!" Cordelia agreed.
Buffy and Giles walked the other way on the other side of the quad.
"I don't think I can face them."
"Hmm?" Giles asked. "Of course, you can."
"I can't!" Buffy insisted. "What am I supposed to say? 'Sorry I almost got your throat slit. What's the homework?'"
"Punishing yourself like this is pointless."
"It's entirely pointy. I was a moron. I put my best friends in mortal danger on the second day of school."
"What are you gonna do? Crawl inside a cave for the rest of your life?" Giles asked her.
"Would it have cable?" Buffy asked him.
"Buffy, you acted wrongly; I admit that. But believe me, that was hardly the - the worst mistake you'll ever make. Uh, that wasn't quite as comforting as it was meant to be."
"Well, points for effort. Oh, did you find out what's wrong with me?"
"What? Oh, yes, as far as I can tell, you weren't turned into a vampire, but you were technically dead long enough for a minor demon of some sort to enter your body. A human soul can suppress a powerful demon, as in Angel's case, so this should cause you no trouble. I wouldn't worry about it."
Buffy nodded. "Just enjoy the power boost. Gotcha. But what about my skin?"
Giles shrugged. "You're on your own with that one."
Buffy rubbed her eyebrows and watched the flakes fall. The bell rang.
"See ya." Buffy walked away.
Tara walked over to her and kissed her on the lips. "Hey, babe."
"Hey." Buffy paused. "Once again, I'm really fucking sorry."
Tara smiled. "Once again, you're really fucking forgiven."
Buffy sighed, uncertain. Tara took hold of Buffy's hand, and they walked to class together. They entered the building.
"I'm worried. What if the others aren't as forgiving as you?" Buffy asked Tara.
Tara smiled. "I don't think you have to worry." She looked straight ahead and nodded.
Buffy looked. Amy and Katrina were standing outside the classroom. They looked at Buffy and smiled. Buffy and Tara stopped in front of them.
"I almost got you all killed due to my own stubbornness. I don't deserve your friendship, but I appreciate it."
Amy shook her head. "It's okay, Buff."
Katrina shook her head as well. "We never would have joined your little gang, if we weren't willing to take on the risks."
Tara looked at Buffy. "That's true for all of us."
Buffy smiled and kissed Tara on the lips. Then she looked at Amy and Katrina. "So what's this I hear about you two being a couple?"
Amy and Katrina smiled. Katrina opened the door, and they all walked into the classroom. Buffy closed the door behind her.
They all went and took their seats. Buffy sat by the window and looked outside. The sun wasn't shining on this side of the building yet.
Suddenly, a figure in a hoodie and gloves came out from behind a tree. Carefully, she removed her hood and looked at Buffy.
Buffy nodded and mouthed "Be good, Tara." Tara nodded, put her hood back up, and walked away.
With that, Buffy turned her attention to learning. Still, part of her wondered why she'd spared the vampire. She guessed she'd be learning a lot of new things this year.
Chapter 39: Some Assembly Required
Chapter Text
"Some Assembly Required"
Based on the Episode Written by Ty King
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
In the cemetery, Buffy was sitting on top of the gravestone of Stephan Korshak, playing with her yo-yo. "C'mon, Stephan, rise and shine. Some of us have a ton of trig homework waiting."
"Hey."
Buffy inhaled a quick, startled breath and turned around to face her stalker. It was Angel.
"Is this a bad time?" Angel asked her.
"Are you crazy?" Buffy asked him. "You don't just sneak up on people in a graveyard. You make noise when you walk. You stomp or...yodel."
"I heard you were on the hunt."
"I'm supposed to be, but...lazy bones here doesn't wanna come out and play."
"When you first wake up, it's a little disorienting. He'll show."
"It's weird to think of you going through that."
"It's weird to go through. So, uh, you're here alone?" Angel asked.
"Yeah! Why?"
"I just thought you'd have somebody with you. Cordelia or someone."
Buffy stared at him in surprise. "Cordelia."
"Or someone."
"Nope." Buffy hopped down off the gravestone. "Why? Need an excuse to see her?"
Angel was hesitant. "No."
"'Cause, y'know, you can just ask her to hang. Go out on dates. Fuck." Buffy shrugged. "Whatever."
They started walking.
"What does she like to do?" Angel asked her.
"Talk. A lot."
Angel sighed. "I know, but besides that."
Buffy shrugged. "Ride horses. Drink coffee."
"I could do those things, I suppose."
"Glad I could help."
Suddenly, Stephan the vampire lunged at her and knocked her into Angel. They fell to the ground, but Buffy quickly got up. Stephan threw a few punches, which Buffy easily blocked. She punched him in the face several times and kicked him in the jaw, sending him stumbling into a large adjacent gravestone.
Buffy looked around frantically. "Where's my stake? I-I know I had a stake!"
"I didn't see a stake!" Angel replied.
Stephan grabbed a shovel that was lying by the other gravestone and came at them again. Angel attacked, but Stephan brought the shovel up and hit him in the side of the face, knocking him onto his back. He left Angel lying there and stepped toward Buffy. She met him and jumped over the shovel when Stephan swung it at her legs. He swung it at her again, but she caught it, hit him again, and broke the handle. She spun around with her half and jammed the broken handle into his chest. He fell over backward, dead. Angel got up, holding the side of his head.
Buffy was out of breath and a bit disoriented. She fell into an open grave with an open and empty coffin at the bottom. "Oof! Uhhh..."
Angel came over and bent down to look. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." Buffy sat up and sighed. "God damn it, I wish people wouldn't leave open graves laying around like this." She stood up slowly.
"So. Another vampire has risen tonight."
Buffy poked her head out of the grave and looked across the grass. "I don't think so. Look at those tracks. Whoever was buried here didn't rise from this grave." She climbed out of the grave and found a girl's shoe. "She was dragged from it."
The next day, at Sunnydale High School, Buffy walked into the library and saw Giles sitting in a chair and talking to another empty chair across from him.
Giles cleared his throat. "W-W-W-What I'm proposing is, um...and I-I don't mean to appear indecorous, is - is, um, a-a-a-a social engagement, um, a-a-a-a-a date, if you're amenable."
Buffy stopped and listened to him.
Giles was displeased with himself. "You idiot!"
Buffy smiled in amusement. "Boy..."
Giles was startled and quickly got up and faced her.
"I guess I never realized how much you like that chair."
"I-I-I was just working on..." Giles knocked over a few books.
"Your pickup lines?" Buffy guessed.
Giles bent down. "Um, in a manner of speaking, yes." He picked up the books.
"Then if you wouldn't mind a little Gene and Roger, you might wanna leave off the 'idiot' part. Being called an idiot tends to take people out of the dating mood." Buffy went to the table. "You also might wanna avoid words like 'amenable' and 'indecorous', y'know. Speak English, not whatever they speak in, um..." Buffy blanked.
"England?" Giles suggested.
"Yeah. You just say 'Hey, I got a thing; you maybe have a thing; maybe we could have a thing.'"
"Oh, thank you, Cyrano."
"I'm not finished. Then you say 'How do you feel about Mexican?'"
"About Mexicans?" Giles asked, confused.
"Mexican. Food. You take her for food, for which you then pay." Buffy sat at the table.
"Oh. Right."
Buffy smiled. "Tacos kick ass, but burritos are better."
"I'll certainly keep that in mind."
"So this chair-woman. We are talking Ms. Calendar, right?" Buffy guessed.
"W-What makes you think that?" Giles asked her.
Buffy shrugged. "Simple logic. Ms. Calendar is hot, especially for someone in your age bracket. She already knows that you're a school librarian, so you don't have to worry about how to break that embarrassing news to her. And she's the only woman I've actually ever seen speak to you. Add it all up, and it all spells 'duh'. Now, is it time to have a talk about the facts of life?"
"You know, I'm suddenly deciding this is none of your business." Giles started up the stairs.
"Y'know, because that whole stork thing is a smokescreen."
Giles stopped and looked back at her. Buffy laughed to herself.
"So, um, how did things go last night? Did Mr. Korshak show up on schedule?"
Buffy shrugged. "More or less. Angel and I took care of him. There's something else, though. We found an empty grave."
"Another vampire?" Giles asked.
"No. No, this one was dug up, and the body was taken out."
"Grave robbing? That's new. Interesting."
Buffy stared at him. "I know you meant to say gross and disturbing."
"Yes, yes, yes, of course. Uh, terrible thing. Must - Must put a stop to it. Damn it."
"So. Why does someone want to dig up graves?" Buffy asked.
"Well, I'll, uh, collect some theories. Uh, it would help if we knew who the body belonged to."
"Meredith Todd. Ring a bell?" Buffy asked him.
"No."
"She died recently. She was my age."
Giles indicated the PC. "Why don't we ask Tara to, uh, fire this thing up and, uh, track Meredith down?"
In the hallway, sign-ups for the science fair were going on. Tara was writing in her entry.
"Smile!" Eric Gittleson took her picture with his camera.
Tara looked at him, angry. "Hey!"
He turned around and saw another girl. "Oh, look at those legs!" He went to take her picture.
Chris Epps came up behind Tara. "Eric, will you knock it off?"
Eric looked at him, upset to have his fun spoiled.
Tara smiled. "Hey, Chris!"
"Hey." Chris picked up a sign-up sheet.
Tara watched what he was writing. He looked up at her.
"Oh, I-I was just wondering what you were gonna do this year."
"Why?"
"'Cause every year you win, and I place second, so I just thought I'd see what I'm up against."
"You know what the key is? If Dr. Clark doesn't understand your experiment, he gives you higher marks, so it looks like he understands your experiment." He saw Tara's entry. "'The Effects of Sub-Violet Light Spectrum Deprivation on the Development of Fruit Flies'?" He smirked. "That should do the trick."
Cordelia showed up and signed up. "Okay, I'm doing this under protest. It is not fair that they're making participation in this year's science fair mandatory. I don't think anyone should have to do anything educational in school, if they don't want to."
Tara looked at Cordelia's entry. "'The Tomato: Fruit or Vegetable'?"
"I wanted to do something I could finish in a weekend, all right?" Cordelia asked her.
Tara shrugged. "Well, it's a fruit. Captain N says so."
Cordelia stuck out her tongue at her.
Eric took a flash picture of Cordelia.
"Stop it!" Cordelia told him. "What are you doing?"
Eric took another picture.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "We are under florescent light, for God's sake."
"The camera loves you!" Eric told her.
"I didn't think yearbook nerds came out of hibernation till spring."
Eric snapped another picture. "It's for my private collection." He winked.
"Eric! Will you quit it?" Chris asked.
Buffy made her way through the crowd. "Comin' through. Sorry."
Eric took her picture.
"Uh, sorry to interrupt, Tara, but it's the Bat Signal."
"Okay, sure. See you later, Chris. Thanks for the tip."
"Okay."
Cordelia watched them go. Eric raised his eyebrows at her.
Cordelia was disgusted. "Uhhh!" She left.
In the library, Tara sat down in front of the PC. "This shouldn't take long. I'm probably the only girl in school who has the coroner's office bookmarked as a favorite place."
Cordelia came into the library. "Hi. Sorry to interrupt your little undead playgroup, but I need to ask Tara if she'll help me with my science fair project."
Tara didn't look at her. "It's a fruit."
"I would've asked Chris to help me, but then that would've brought back too many memories of Daryl."
"I found it!" Tara exclaimed. "Meredith Todd died in a car accident last week."
"Of course, I have learned to deal with my pain."
"How was her neck?" Buffy asked Tara.
"Fine, except for being broken."
Giles came out of his office.
"Hello!" Cordelia yelled. "Can we deal with my pain, please?"
"There, there." Giles patted her on the shoulder and continued up into the stacks.
"It says that Meredith and two other girls in the car were killed instantly. They were all on the Fondren High Pep Squad, on the way to a game."
Buffy stared at the screen. "You know what this means." She looked at Tara. "She wasn't killed by vampires. Somebody did dig up her corpse."
"Eww!" Cordelia exclaimed. "Why is it that every conversation you people have has the word 'corpse' in it?"
"Okay, so we got a body snatcher. What does that mean?" Tara asked.
Giles came back over to them. "Uh, h-here's what I've come up with. Demons who eat the flesh of the dead to absorb their souls. Or, i-i-it could obviously be a-a voodoo practitioner."
"You mean making a zombie?" Tara asked him.
"Uh, zombies, more likely. For most traditional purposes, a voodoo priest would require more than one."
Buffy thought about that. "So...we should see if the other girls from the accident are AWOL, too. Maybe we can figure out what this creep has in mind, if we know whether or not he's dealing in volume."
Cordelia grimaced. "So...you weirdos are digging up some graves tonight?"
Tara grinned. "Oh, boy! A field trip!"
"So...we're set, then. Say...nineish? BYO shovel?" Buffy suggested.
"And I'll pack some food. Who else likes those little powdered doughnuts?" Tara asked.
Buffy raised her hand. "Me."
"Cordelia?" Tara asked.
Cordelia forced a smile. "Damn, I have cheerleader practice tonight. Boy, I wish I knew we were gonna be digging up dead people sooner. I would've canceled."
"All right, but, if you come across the army of zombies, can you page us before they eat your flesh?" Buffy asked her.
Cordelia huffed and left the library.
"Buffy?" Giles asked.
"Huh?" Buffy replied.
"Zombies don't eat the flesh of the living."
Buffy smiled. "Yeah, I knew that. But did you see the look on her face?"
In the cemetery that night, Giles, Buffy, and Tara were digging. The girls munched doughnuts.
"What was Cordelia's whole riff about painful memories? Who's Daryl?" Buffy asked Tara.
"Daryl Epps. Chris' older brother. He was a big football star. All-State two years ago. He was a running..." Tara paused and tried to think of the term. "He was a running..." She gave up. "Uh, someone who runs and catches. All of the girls were crazy for him."
"And he broke Cordy's heart?" Buffy asked. "Thus possibly proving its existence."
"He died. Rock climbing or something? He fell."
"Man, that's lousy. Poor Chris."
"Ever since then, Chris has been really quiet. Kind of in his own world. I heard their mother doesn't even leave the house anymore."
Giles looked at them. "I think we're there."
"By the way, are we hoping to find a body or no body?" Tara asked.
"Um, body would mean flesh-eating demon; no body would point towards the, uh, army of zombies thing. Take your pick, really. Right, then, uh..." Giles looked at Buffy. "Go on." He indicated the casket.
"Move over."
Giles and Tara moved aside. Buffy opened the casket.
At school, after cheerleading practice, the cheerleaders were heading home.
Cordelia looked at the other girls. "Guys, if we don't get this down by tomorrow, no one's gonna be led by our cheers. Practice."
A girl nodded. "Okay. See ya later."
Cordelia continued on to her own car as the others got in theirs. They drove off before Cordelia reached her car.
Cordelia heard something by the fence and stopped to look around. "Hello?"
She continued to her car and started to dig in her pack for her keys. She got them out and ran the rest of the way to her car. She nervously fumbled with the lock. She dropped her keys, and they rolled under the car. She kneeled down and reached for them frantically.
On the other side of her car, she could see someone in black shoes approaching. She quickly got up and started to run. The man followed her. She got in a dumpster and lowered the lid. She heard him walk past. When he was gone, Cordelia lifted the lid and checked to see if the coast was clear. She pushed the lid up all of the way, then turned around again to hop out - but was startled by Angel.
"Cordelia. This is the last place I expected you to hang out."
"Oh, God!" Cordelia exclaimed quietly. "God, it's you. Why were you following me?"
"I was worried about you. Also, I'm looking for Buffy."
"Buffy?" Cordelia asked. "Well, she's, uh...big shock, she's at the graveyard. But you're in luck. It just so happens that my night is free." She tried to get out. "Uh, hold on, my skirt is caught." She reached behind her and got her skirt loose. "There."
She picked up what was holding her skirt and saw it was a hand. She dropped it and screamed.
Giles, Buffy, and Tara headed for the library.
Buffy looked at Giles. "So...both coffins are empty. That makes three girls signed up for the army of zombies."
They went in through the doors.
"Is it an army, if you just have three?" Tara asked Buffy.
Angel got up from the table and faced them. Cordelia clung to his arm and got up, too.
Buffy shrugged. "Zombie drill team, then."
"You're back."
Buffy looked at Angel. "Angel." She looked at Cordelia. "And Cordelia."
Giles looked at Angel. "Um, as long as you're here, perhaps you could be of some help. Hmm?"
Buffy nodded. "We were investigating. Somebody's been digging up the bodies of dead girls."
Angel nodded. "I know. We found some of them."
"You mean, like, two of the three?" Buffy asked him.
"I mean, like, some of them. Like parts."
Cordelia shuddered. "It was horrible. Angel saved me from an arm. God, there were so many parts; they were everywhere. Why are these terrible things always happening to me?"
Tara looked at Buffy and Giles. "So much for our zombie theory."
Giles looked at Tara. "So much for all our theories."
"I don't get it. Why go to all the trouble to dig up three girls only to chop them up and throw them away?" Buffy asked. "It doesn't make any sense. Especially from a time management standpoint."
Angel looked at her. "Well, what I saw didn't add up to three whole girls. I think they kept some parts."
Buffy was grossed out. "Could this get yuckier?"
Tara looked at her. "They probably kept the other parts to eat."
Buffy made a face at her. "Question answered."
"Why dispose of the remains five miles from the cemetery at a school of all places?" Giles asked.
"Maybe because whoever did it had some business in the neighborhood. Like, say, classes?" Buffy suggested.
Giles nodded. "Oh. Ah."
Angel shook his head. "This was no hatchet job. Whoever made those incisions really knew what they were doing."
Giles was in disbelief. "Yes, really. What student here is gonna be that well versed in physiology?"
Tara thought about it. "Well, I can think of five or six guys in the science club. And me."
Buffy looked at her. "So, Tara, come clean. Promise to never do it again, and we'll call it a night."
Tara stuck out her tongue at her.
Buffy smiled. "Tara, why don't you get these guys' locker numbers, so we can do some checking?"
Cordelia shook her head. "No. I have to go home now. I have to take a bath and burn my clothes. I don't wanna go alone. I'm still fragile." She looked at Angel. "Can you take me?"
"Isn't your car here?"
"True dat! I'll drive!" Cordelia led the way out of the library.
Angel looked at the others, shrugged, and followed.
Soon, Buffy and Tara were in the halls, working locker combinations from lists.
Giles looked at them. "You understand, in my capacity as school official, this search is completely unauthorized, and I-I cannot condone it."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Fine, your butt's covered. Wanna grab a locker?" She handed him a sheet.
"Uh, yes, yes, of course." Giles took the sheet.
Buffy approached another locker. "Okay, Eric. Let's see what's on your annoying little mind."
Tara was looking in another locker. "Nothing in here but back issues of Scientific American. Ooh, I haven't read this one!"
Buffy briefly looked at her. "Focus, babe."
Giles closed a locker. "Nothing remarkable here."
Tara opened another locker. "Guys!"
Buffy and Giles went over to see.
"Chris Epps' locker." Tara looked at the book titles. "Gray's Anatomy, Mortician's Desk Reference, Robicheaux's Guide to Muscles and Tendons."
Giles reached in and pulled out a newspaper folded open to a picture of the three cheerleaders. The title above the picture read "Tragic Accident Kills Three".
Giles showed them the newspaper. "I think it's fair to say Chris is involved."
Tara was confused. "He's into corpses, all right, but we still don't know why."
"Yes, we do." Buffy opened Eric's locker door and showed them a collage of a woman made from parts of various pictures.
The next morning, at school, Buffy went up to Tara, who was sitting by the railing on the balcony.
"Any sign of our suspects?" Tara asked her.
Buffy sat down to her right and kissed Tara on the lips. "Not yet. I don't get it. Why would anybody wanna make a girl?"
Tara shrugged. "They're sick fucks."
"Uh, Eric's sick enough to do something like this, but what about Chris?" Buffy asked. "He seems like a human person."
"I dunno. That thing with his brother was really hard on him. And he talked about death a lot. Maybe he just wanted to get one-up on it."
"But it's not doable. I mean...making someone from scraps, actually making them live."
"If it is, my science project's definitely coming in second this year." Tara smiled.
Buffy spotted Giles. "And speaking of love..."
Tara was confused. "We were talking about the re-animation of dead tissue."
"Do I deconstruct your segues?" Buffy asked her. She stood up and walked down the stairs. "Hey."
Giles was distracted. "Oh! Yes. Hello."
"Still no sign of our mad doctors?" Buffy asked.
"What? Oh! Uh, corpses, yes. Evil. Huh. Very good."
They saw Jenny stop and talk to a student.
"Did you bring it?" Jenny asked.
The student shook his head.
"Tomorrow."
"I forgot it."
Giles was still distracted. "Very, very good."
Buffy looked at him in amusement. "Okay, Giles, just remember: 'I feel a thing; you feel a thing...' But personalize it."
"Personalize it?"
"She's a technopagan, right? Ask her to bless your laptop." Buffy started to leave. "Have fun."
Tara joined her.
"What?" Giles asked. "Oh! Don't-"
Tara smiled. "Best of luck."
She and Buffy walked off together.
"-leave?" Giles finished.
Jenny walked by. "Good morning, Rupert." She continued without stopping.
"Uh, Ms. Calendar?" Giles asked.
Jenny looked at him but kept going. "Oh, no, please call me Jenny. Ms. Calendar's my father."
Giles followed her. "Jenny, then."
They went inside and walked together.
"You know, uh, Jenny, um..."
"Hmm?"
"Would it a-appear indecorous..." Giles paused. "Uh, no, not in-in-indecorous, um..."
"Yeah...?" Jenny asked.
"Well, um..." Giles paused. "Wha..." He sighed. "Ah, ah, um..."
"Rupert, look, I've gotta get inside and set up the lab."
"What - What I'm proposing is-"
The bell rang.
"Ah! I gotta go! Sorry!" Jenny went into her room.
"You idiot!" Giles admonished himself.
Jenny stuck her head back out of her classroom. "Hey! Listen, if it's important, why don't you just tell me at the game?"
"Game? Oh, uh, you're going to the football game?" Giles asked.
"Yeah. You seem surprised." Jenny smiled.
"No! No, I-I-I-I-I-I just assumed that you - you - you spent your evenings downloading incantations and - and - and casting bones."
"On game night? Are you nuts? You're going, too, right?" Jenny asked.
"Oh, of course. Always - Always do."
"So...we should just go together! Look, I could pick you up after school, and we'll grab a bite to eat on the way, if you like. How do you feel about Mexican?" Jenny asked.
Giles nodded.
"Good! Okay! And whatever it is you wanna tell me, you can just tell me then. Okay?"
"Okay! Tonight, then."
Jenny smiled and went back into her classroom.
"That went well. I think."
In the science classroom, Tara was looking through a book. "I still don't get how Chris could do it. I mean...arresting the cell deterioration is one thing, but..." She sighed. "Maybe an electrical current combined with an adrenaline boost."
Buffy came into the room. "Well, it's official. Chris and Eric didn't come to school today."
Tara looked at her. "Maybe they finished their project."
Buffy was wigged. "God! What if it worked? What - What if that poor girl is walking around?"
"Poor girls, technically."
"What could she be thinking?" Buffy asked.
"And what are they gonna do with her?" Tara asked. "Fuck her?"
Buffy shuddered. "Eeewww!"
Giles came into the room. "I don't think we need to worry about that just yet. I spoke to a press person this morning about the remains. The police have finished sorting through them, and apparently they found three heads in the dumpster."
Buffy thought about that. "They only had three girls."
"Precisely."
"So...they don't have the whole, uh, package?" Tara asked.
Buffy thought some more. "Heads must be no good."
"Based on what the police have put together, I would say they're one step short of completing their masterpiece."
Tara thought about that and shuddered. "One step."
Chapter Text
In the library, Tara was sitting at the PC. "I checked the obits. Nothing that would make for a likely candidate."
Buffy was confused. "They seem kinda picky for guys who had three heads to begin with."
Tara looked at her. "Formaldehyde."
Giles looked at the girls. "Formaldehyde. Yes, yes, yes, yes, of course; it accelerates neural decay in the brain cells."
Tara nodded. "After a couple days, they're useless. They're gonna need something really fresh."
"How fresh?" Buffy asked her.
"As fresh as possible." Tara paused as an unsettling thought came to her. "Buffy, you don't think that they would-"
"I think anybody who cuts dead girls into little pieces does not get the benefit of any doubt. I wanna end this thing now."
Giles nodded. "I second that."
"Okay, fine. Tara, you go to Eric's; we can go to Chris' and meet up."
Giles suddenly remembered something. "Oh! I'm supposed to be at the big game, I-I believe it's called."
Buffy nodded. "Fine. Go ahead. We'll take care of this."
"Well, yes, but shouldn't I-I-I, um-"
"Okay, then why don't, uh, we all meet there?" Buffy suggested.
"Fine. Yes."
Tara stood up. "Buffy?"
Buffy looked at her.
"Don't be too hard on Chris. I mean...he's not a vampire."
"No. He's just a ghoul."
The two of them left the library.
Buffy walked up to the front door of Chris' house and rang the doorbell. She waited.
Soon, the door opened. Chris' mother was standing there.
"Hi. Um, I'm a friend of Chris'. I kinda need to talk to him. Uh, do you know if he's home?" Buffy asked.
Chris' mom went back inside and sat down in front of the TV. Buffy went in and closed the door.
"So...is he home?" Buffy asked.
"Westbury game. November 17, '95. Daryl rushed 185 yards that night. Four TDs. He was MVP, and he made All-City that season."
"Sorry, that was before I moved here. Um, but is Chris home?" Buffy asked again.
"I dunno. Is today a school day? Oh, watch! Watch this move! Daryl takes a kickoff; he sheds one, two, three defenders; and he breaks into the open field for a ninety-five-yard touchdown!"
Buffy noticed the basement door. It had "Keep Out" and "No Admittance" signs on it.
"He woulda been nineteen next week."
Buffy went over to the basement door and opened it. She went in, closed the door behind her, and quietly made her way down the stairs.
She looked around a bit and then went over to a table. There, she found pictures of herself and Tara. She also found plans for the body with Cordelia's face pasted on top.
"Cordelia!" Buffy whispered.
The door opened. Buffy looked up and then quickly hopped over to the open basement window and climbed out.
In the girls' locker room at school, Cordelia was putting on her lip gloss.
Joy Wilmshurst, the cheerleading squad leader, walked by. "Cordelia. You coming?"
"Yeah, I'll be right out." Cordelia finished putting on her lip gloss and saw Chris appear behind her in the mirror. She was startled and turned to face him. "Oh, God! Chris, you scared me. What are you doing in here?"
He looked down and away from her.
"Is something wrong?" Cordelia asked.
Suddenly, a bag was put over her head. Cordelia screamed as she was dragged off.
Buffy ran around a corner in the halls and saw Joy coming down the stairs.
"Joy! Where's Cordelia?" Buffy asked.
"Cordelia has a game to think about. She doesn't need losers like you." Joy tried to go.
Buffy blocked her way, pissed that Joy was still upset at her over the tryouts mishap last year. "I'm sorry, what the fuck did you say?"
Buffy ran down the adjoining hall and stopped to look into the girls' locker room. Eric had Cordelia on the floor, trying to tie her hands. Eric saw Buffy and got up to defend himself. Buffy ran in and jump-kicked him, knocking him down.
Buffy crouched down and pulled the bag off Cordelia's head. "Are you okay?"
"Oh, my God, Buffy!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Eric got up and ran away.
Buffy looked at him and then back at Cordelia. "Don't worry, he's gone."
"I was on my way down to the field when Chris came in, and all of a sudden someone jumped me."
"Shh! Quiet down. Relax. Take it easy."
Cordelia heard music and stood up. "That's the fight song. Oh, my God, it's time for the cheerleader pyramid at mid-field. I've gotta go."
"Well, are you sure you're okay to go out there?" Buffy asked her, standing up straight.
"Yeah, you don't understand; I have to go. I'm the apex!" Cordelia ran out of the locker room.
Buffy heard a noise and looked around. "Chris?" She walked slowly. "I know what you're trying to do. You and Eric. I know about the bodies from the cemetery. But you haven't hurt anyone yet."
Chris stepped out into the open.
"Look, I know what it's like to lose someone that you're close to. But that's no excuse. What you're doing is wrong."
"I have to do this for him. He needs someone."
"Who? Eric? He needs industrial strength therapy!"
"He always looked out for me. Stood up for me. He's all alone. Everybody loved him. And now he's all alone."
"Who are you talking...?" Buffy suddenly realized. "Oh, my God!"
Buffy and Chris went into Chris' basement and quickly descended the stairs.
"Daryl! Daryl? Daryl!" Buffy took a quick look around. "He's not here. Where else could he be?"
"But he would never go out. U-Unless..."
"He's gonna pick up where you left off." Buffy made quick strides to get out of the basement and over to the game.
At the game on the school's football field, Cordelia was doing a cheer with the squad: "Go, Razorbacks, go! Go, team, go! Go, Razorbacks, go! Go, team, go!"
On the field, the ball was snapped, thrown, caught, and ran in for a touchdown. The crowd went wild.
Jenny and Giles were leaving the refreshment stand. His arms were full of snacks and drinks.
Jenny looked at him. "I don't know what it is about football that does it for me. I mean...it lacks the - the grace of basketball, the, uh, poetry of baseball. At its best, it's unadorned aggression. It's such a rugged contest."
"Rugged. American football." Giles laughed.
They climbed into the stands.
"And that's funny because?" Jenny asked.
They sat down.
"No!" Giles laughed. "I just think it's rather odd that a nation that prides itself on its virility should feel compelled to strap on forty pounds of protective gear just in order to play rugby."
"Is this your normal strategy for a first date? Dissing my country's national pastime?" Jenny asked.
"Did you just say 'date'?" Giles asked.
"You noticed that, huh?" Jenny asked.
Tara walked over to them. "Hi, Ms. Calendar! Hi, Mr. Giles."
Jenny smiled. "Hey, Tara. What's up?"
Tara sighed. "Eric's was a bust. Nothing there but a bunch of computer equipment and a prodigious pornography collection. Did Buffy get back yet?"
Giles looked at her. "No, uh, no. Uh, perhaps you should, uh, circulate nearer the field; see what you can find."
Tara slipped under the railing and sat in front of Giles and Jenny. The teams were getting in position for the next play. The ball was snapped. A player on the field got tackled but had gained several yards and got high fives from his teammates. Tara was bored.
Cordelia took a break from cheerleading and walked over to the coolers next to the bleachers for a drink. She got out a bottle of Gatorade, opened it, and started drinking. Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind. She screamed, but her yell was drowned out by the crowd cheering another touchdown. The other cheerleaders jumped and waved their pompoms. On the field, the players helped the scoring team member up and patted him on the back.
Buffy and Chris arrived by the bleachers.
"I don't see her. Do you?" Buffy asked Chris.
"No."
Buffy let out a frustrated breath.
Cordelia was taken to the old science lab at the school. She was blindfolded and was being tied to a gurney.
"Please, what's going on?" Cordelia asked. "Just take off the blindfold. I promise I won't scream! I promise!"
"She's beautiful!"
"No! It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."
There were two of them, but Cordelia couldn't make out who they were.
"Please? Just take off the blindfold! I promise I won't scream! I promise!" Cordelia pleaded.
"Cordelia?"
Her blindfold was taken off. Cordelia saw Daryl Epps - her old, deceased love interest - standing before her. His face was hideous; she thought he looked like Frankenstein's monster. She screamed at the top of her lungs.
Eric was also there. "You can scream all you want. We're in an abandoned building."
Cordelia screamed for help at an even higher pitch.
Eric held up a pan and threatened to hit her with it. "Okay, that's enough."
Cordelia stopped her screaming, and Eric put the pan back down.
"You were always good to me. Always noticed me. But I ignored you. I'm sorry. I'm glad I have a second chance to tell you that."
"D-Daryl?" Cordelia asked in disbelief.
"I was thoughtless. I see that now. But I've changed. I've learned to appreciate how much it meant that you wanted to be with me."
"We're ready."
Cordelia looked at Eric. "Ready? Ready for what?"
"You're gonna feel a little pinch, maybe some discomfort around the neck area. But don't worry. When you wake up, you'll have the body of a seventeen-year-old. In fact, you'll have the body of several."
Eric lifted the sheet, and Cordelia let out a very intense scream when she saw the body.
Back at the game, Buffy walked over to the cooler and found Cordelia's pompoms. "He was here, Chris. Where did he take her?"
"To the rest of the body. To the lab."
"Where is that?"
"I promised him that I-"
"Look, he'll kill Cordelia!" Buffy yelled at him. "You can't just give and take lives like that. It's not your job."
"He's in the old science lab. Everything's set up there."
"Thank you. Now, find Tara and tell her what's going on." Buffy left quickly for the lab.
Tara was just about to doze off.
"Tara!"
Tara's eyes snapped open. "Whuh?! Huh?!" She saw Chris standing in front of her. "Chris! What's up?"
"Buffy told me to find you. Eric and Daryl have Cordelia. They're in the old science lab. They're about ready to cut her head off. Buffy went on ahead."
"Oh, shit!" Tara stood up. "C'mon! Ms. Calendar! Mr. Giles!" She ran toward the lab.
In the lab, Eric was pouring gasoline into a sink.
Cordelia was frightened. "Daryl, please. You don't have to do this."
"We have to. So we can be together."
"We'll be together, anyway! I'll be with you, I promise!" Cordelia lied.
"Is that right?"
"Mmm-hmm!"
"You see anything you like?" Daryl went over to the other body and lifted the sheet. "And when you're finished, you won't go out. You won't run away. But we can hide together."
Cordelia was very frightened. "Please! Please!"
Eric held a knife into a flame a moment and then came over to her. "Sterile enough for government work." He bent over Cordelia to begin the procedure.
"No! No, please!" Cordelia begged.
There was a loud pounding on the door. It was broken open, and Buffy ran in. Eric turned around, saw her, and threw the knife at her. She caught it in midair.
"Buffy, help me!" Cordelia cried.
Eric ran away.
Buffy looked at Daryl. "Daryl, listen. I know what you're doing, okay? Your brother sent me to stop you."
"He wouldn't do that. My brother loves me."
"Buffy, they're crazy!" Cordelia told her.
Buffy looked at her. "It's okay, Cordelia. I'm gonna get you outta here."
"No, I'm not done with her yet!" Daryl turned to the instrument tray and fumbled around for something. "I'm not finished!" He took a cleaver back to Cordelia and tried to start hacking at her neck.
Buffy rushed over, grabbed Daryl's arm, knocked the cleaver away, and punched him in the face. She scrambled around the table to continue the fight, but Daryl punched her hard in the face. He grabbed her, slammed her head into the instrument tray, and threw her over Cordelia and onto the floor.
"I won't live alone!" Daryl yelled.
He pushed Cordelia's gurney aside, and it knocked over the can of gasoline. The gas started pouring out onto the floor.
"I'm getting out of here!" Eric yelled.
Daryl grabbed Eric by the shirt. "You have to help me!"
"Let go!" Eric yelled.
Daryl threw Eric aside and faced Buffy again. Eric slid into a barrel head first. Daryl came at Buffy. She kicked him in the knee, making him collapse to the floor. She kicked him again in the gut as he tried to get up. He tried to get up again, and she kicked him in the face. He was not fazed, got up, and tried to swing at her. She ducked it. He tried again, and she ducked again and kicked him in the chest, sending him staggering backward and knocking the Bunsen burner to the floor, igniting the gasoline.
Tara arrived. "Buffy!"
"Get Cordelia!" Buffy told her.
"Tara!" Cordelia called.
Tara ran over to Cordelia and tried to untie her.
"Get me out of here!" Cordelia begged.
Daryl grabbed hold of Buffy and flipped her over onto the floor. As she got up, he grabbed a canister and threw it at her. She ducked it. The flames around Cordelia and Tara were starting to get higher. Buffy kicked Daryl twice in the side.
"C'mon! C'mon! Get it off!" Cordelia yelled at Tara.
Daryl grabbed Buffy again, lifted her, and held onto her while she struggled to free herself. Tara was getting nowhere with Cordelia's bindings and tried to find a knife.
"Get it off! Get me outta here! C'mon!" Cordelia yelled at her.
"I'm fucking trying!" Tara yelled back in frustration.
Buffy continued to struggle in Daryl's grip. Giles and Jenny arrived. Tara gave up looking and decided to just wheel Cordelia out. Giles spotted Eric, picked him up, and got him out. Tara gave the gurney a good shove and hopped on. They rolled through the flames while Cordelia screamed. Tara hopped off, and Jenny helped her stop the gurney. They got Cordelia loose. Buffy hit Daryl in the neck, and he let go of her. She tried to kick him again, but he grabbed her leg, lifted her up, and threw her to the floor. Buffy was stunned and lay there while Daryl grabbed a desk and raised it over his head.
"Daryl!" Chris yelled.
Daryl looked behind him and saw his brother there.
"Don't!" Chris pleaded.
Daryl looked back at Buffy and then noticed the body surrounded by flames. He tossed the desk aside and rushed over to it. "She's mine!"
"Daryl!" Chris yelled.
Buffy got up and stopped Chris from running into the flames after Daryl.
"Daryl!" Chris yelled.
Jenny watched, stunned as Giles came back into the room behind her and looked on as well.
"No. We'll be together always. No! Mine!" Daryl yelled.
The flames engulfed Daryl and his bride-to-be.
Later, outside, there were fire engines and police cars all over the place. Buffy, Cordelia, and Tara were standing with Chris.
"The first time he woke up after..." Chris paused. "He said I shouldn'ta brought him back. I-I was just...tryin' to look out for him. Like...he woulda done for me."
Angel suddenly arrived. "I saw the fire. I figured you'd be here. Is everyone okay?"
Buffy looked at him. "Yeah. We're okay."
Cordelia threw her arms around Angel and hugged him. He hugged her.
Cordelia looked at Tara. "Tara? I just wanted to thank you for saving my life. What you did in there was really brave and heroic, and I just wanted to tell you, if there was anything that I could ever do to...repay you..."
Angel gave Cordelia a look.
Cordelia realized what she'd just said. "Oh! I don't mean lesbo shit."
Tara smiled. "It's okay. No repayment expected or required."
Cordelia smiled back at her.
Nearby, Giles walked up to Jenny. He handed her a cup of coffee. "Sorry about all this."
Jenny took the cup. "It's okay. Although, a good rule of thumb for a first date is don't do anything so exciting that it'll be hard to top on the second date."
"Believe it or not, since I've moved here to live on top of the Hellmouth, the events of this evening actually qualify as a slow night." Giles paused and considered. "Did you just say 'second date'?"
"You noticed that, huh?" Jenny smiled.
Giles smiled back and took a sip of his coffee.
Later that night, Buffy, Cordelia, and Angel were strolling through the cemetery.
"God, the whole thing was so fucking creepy." Cordelia paused and considered. "Well, at the same time, I mean...he did do it all for his brother."
Angel looked at her. "Sounds like he took it a little over the edge."
"Love makes you do the wacky."
"What?" Angel asked her, confused.
Cordelia smiled. "Crazy shit."
"Oh."
Cordelia was concerned. "Is something wrong? You seem less communicative than usual."
Buffy had stayed out of their conversation, focusing on looking all around for vampires, but she couldn't help interjecting. "That's sayin' somethin'. I fucking swear he used to be a Trappist monk. Yo, Angel, where's the beer?"
Cordelia shot her a look. "Buffy, shut up." She looked at Angel. "Fess up."
Angel was hesitant. "Maybe it bothers me a little that...I can't be there for you 24/7. Other guys get to be in your life. They get to be there when I can't. Take your classes, eat your meals, hear your jokes and complaints. They get to see you in the sunlight."
Cordelia smiled at him. "I don't look that good in direct light."
Buffy's jaw dropped. "Holy shit, Cordelia Chase downplaying her looks. Stop the fucking presses."
They ignored her.
Angel stared into Cordelia's eyes. "It'll be morning soon."
Cordelia stared into Angel's eyes. "I should probably go." She paused. "I could walk you home."
They looked at each other for a moment, and then Angel offered her his hand. Cordelia took hold of Angel's hand, and they interlaced their fingers.
Angel looked at Buffy. "Good night."
Cordelia looked at Buffy. "Yeah, good night."
Buffy smiled. "Good night."
Cordelia and Angel walked off. Buffy watched them go, and then she decided to call it a night and go home.
Chapter 41: School Hard
Chapter Text
"School Hard"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
At Sunnydale High, Buffy had been summoned to Principal Snyder's office, along with Sheila Martini, a girl with short brown hair. The two of them had to sit in front of Snyder's desk and listen to one of his lectures.
"A lot of educators tell students, 'Think of your principal as your pal.' I say 'Think of me as your judge, jury, and executioner.' Tell me, who do you think is the most troublesome student in this school?"
Buffy was apprehensive.
"Well, it is quite a match between you two. On the one hand, Buffy hasn't stabbed a horticulture teacher with a trowel."
Sheila frowned. "I didn't stab anyone with a trowel. They were pruning shears."
"On the other hand, Sheila has never punched a teacher. The two of you seem to be tied in the class-cutting and fight-starting events. You really are neck and neck here. It's quite exciting."
"What does the winner get?" Sheila asked him.
"Expelled."
Buffy looked at him in shock.
"Thursday is Parent-Teacher Night. Your parents, assuming you have any, will meet your teachers, assuming you have any left. I've decided to put the two of you in charge of this event. You have three days to prepare the refreshments, make the banners, and transform the school lounge into a habitable place for adults. This will incur my good will. And may affect what I tell your parents when I meet them. Are we clear?" Snyder asked.
"I'm clear." Buffy looked at Sheila. "Don't you feel clear?"
Sheila just looked back at her.
Buffy looked at Snyder. "We're very clear."
"Good. Because you mess up this time, and your parents will be coming to clean out your lockers."
After the final bell rang, Buffy and Sheila walked out of the building through the school's main entrance.
"Well, it shouldn't be that hard. We can work on the banners at lunch tomorrow and figure out refreshments then?" Buffy suggested.
"Yeah, sure, whatever. Hey, meatpie!" Sheila walked off.
Tara, Amy, and Katrina met up with Buffy.
"Snyder's got you guys making party favors, huh?" Katrina asked Buffy.
"His two worst students. That's what Mom sees when she looks at me. A Sheila."
Tara put a hand on Buffy's shoulder. Sheila kissed an older boy with long, blond hair.
"Well, Sheila's definitely intense. That guy with her?" Amy nodded at him. "That's the guy she can bring home to Mother."
Tara stared at Sheila. "She was already smoking in fifth grade."
"It's not fair. I'm the Slayer. That requires a certain amount of cutting and fighting. What's Sheila's excuse?" Buffy asked.
"Homework. She won't do it. And most teachers respect that now." Katrina sighed and shook her head. "Oh, you might wanna keep away any sharp implements when you're working with her."
"Do you think any other Slayers ever had to go to high school?" Buffy asked.
Tara, Amy, and Katrina thought about it, but then they just shrugged.
That evening, Buffy was standing at her mirror in her bedroom, trying to brush her hair. "Ow!"
"What's wrong?" Joyce asked.
"I spent a good part of my allowance on this new cream rinse, and it's neither creamy nor rinsey."
"Life is hard, dear."
"Don't I know it. Is that a split end?" Buffy asked.
"Y'know, instead of buying that cream, it would've been nice if you'd given me back that money as payment toward your van."
Buffy thought about that. "Yeah, that's true. Sorry. Take what's left out of my wallet."
"You sure?"
Buffy nodded. "We've got a gig at the Bronze tomorrow night."
Joyce walked over to Buffy's dresser, opened a drawer, took out her wallet, and opened it. "I got the mail."
"Good."
"Which included a reminder notice about Parent-Teacher Night. Thursday."
"That's good."
"Which you were planning on telling me about...?"
"Oh, for..." Buffy paused in thought and then faced her mom. "...the last two weeks."
"Uh-huh. So...what do you think your teachers are gonna tell me about?"
"Well, I think they'll all agree that I always bring a pen to class, ready to absorb the knowledge." Buffy sat on her bed.
"And, uh, this absorption rate? How is it reflected in your homework and test scores?"
"What can you really tell about a person from a test score?" Buffy asked.
"Whether or not she's ever going out with her friends again."
"Oh, that."
"Well, I look forward to meeting your principal."
"Won't that be something?"
Joyce came over to the bed. "Look, sweetheart. Life is more than grades and homework and not getting kicked out of school." She sat next to Buffy.
"I know."
"But we moved once because of you getting in trouble. And I had to start a new business, not to mention a new life in a whole new town."
"And you don't wanna do it again."
"What I don't want is to be disappointed in you again."
"Mom, that's the last thing that I want, too." Buffy sighed. "I'm trying; I really am. I just...I have a lot of pressure on me right now."
"Wait till you get a job."
Buffy got up from her bed and walked over to her desk. She pulled open the top left drawer. In it were a jar of holy water, a cross, a few stakes, and a set of brass knuckles.
Buffy looked at her mother. "I have a job."
Joyce stared at her daughter for a moment. "Sleep tight." She got up and left the room.
The next day, in the school lounge, Buffy and Tara were working on a banner.
"Sheila's a no-show?" Tara asked. "She goes to this really rank bar. The Fish Tank? Sometimes, they have raids and other stuff that can make you tardy."
"D'you think you can help me cram some French tonight? I don't want Mr. DeJean telling my mother I'm an imbecile."
"I thought we were performing at the Bronze tonight."
Buffy nodded. "We're going to the Bronze. I can study and party and do Parent-Teacher Night and make my mother proud as long as I don't have to-"
"Buffy!" Giles called.
He and Jenny came walking in.
-fight vampires."
Giles looked at Jenny. "There is nothing in the chronicles about a-an extraneous lunar cycle."
"The Order never accurately calculated the Mesopotamian Calendar. Rupert, you have got to read something that was published after 1066."
"Very funny."
"What's up, guys?" Buffy asked.
"W-um, Ms. Calendar has been researching, well, uh, surfing on her computer, a-and she's..." Giles paused. "Well, according to her calculations, this Saturday is the night of St. Vigeous."
"Let me guess: he didn't make balloon animals."
"No, he led a crusade of - of, uh, vampires. They swept through Edessa, Harran, and points east."
Jenny nodded. "And they didn't leave much behind."
"Well, if I survive Parent-Teacher Night tomorrow, I'll see what I can do about Saturday."
"You're being a tad flip, don't you think?" Giles asked her. "This is serious."
"And getting kicked out of school is laughs aplenty?" Buffy retorted.
"You know what happens when you - you let your life interfere with your slaying."
"Okay, well, if my slaying doesn't get me expelled, then I promise my banner making won't get me killed, okay? Just please let me get through this week."
"This Saturday's going to need a great deal of preparation."
Tara looked at Giles. "Well, I'll help. I'll whittle stakes, a-and I can research stuff. I can probably convince Amy and Trina to help, too."
"Yes, your help will be greatly appreciated, but, when it comes to battle, Buffy must fight alone. You are, after all, the Slay-" Giles saw Snyder in the hall. "-slay-ve. Slaves. You're - You're all slaves to the, uh, television."
Jenny nodded. "Yes."
"Young people nowadays." Giles looked at Jenny. "Shall we go?"
"Mm, let's."
They left.
Snyder came over and looked at Tara. "You wouldn't be helping Buffy in Sheila's place, would you?"
Tara was nervous. "Yes, sir."
"She ditched." Snyder took a deep breath. "Mm. I feel an expulsion coming on."
Buffy looked at him. "No. No, actually, Sheila's been helping us for hours. Um, she just went to get some more paint."
Buffy noticed Snyder looking behind her, turned around, and saw Sheila standing there.
"Oh! Oh, is there no more teal in the art room?" Buffy went over to Sheila. "I know you wanted everything to be perfect, but let's just go with what we have."
"Just make sure everything is perfect on Thursday." Snyder turned and left.
Sheila looked at Buffy. "Thanks for covering. Guy's a serious rodent."
"No problem."
"Did you really punch a teacher one time?"
"Yeah."
"Cool."
That evening, at the Bronze, Tara helped Buffy with her French at a table.
"La vache...doit me...touche...de la...jeudi." Buffy looked at Tara.
Tara was smiling in amusement and desperately trying to hold in her laughter.
"Was it wrong? Should I use the plural?" Buffy asked her.
"No. But you said 'The cow should touch me from Thursday.'"
"Maybe that's what I was feeling."
"Kinky, but you said it wrong."
"Oh, je stink."
"You're just not focused."
Buffy sighed. "It's all of that bullshit that Snyder's having me do...and what he'll say to my mom tomorrow."
Cordelia walked over to them. "Hey! You guys busy?"
Tara looked at her. "Well, we are studying."
"Here?" Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Good luck."
Buffy looked at her. "What do you want, Cordy?"
"You're up after this song."
"What?" Buffy asked in surprise. "I thought we went after Horrible Cereal Noise."
Cordelia shook her head. "No, they're after you. You're up after Imperialist Vermin."
Buffy sighed. "Fuck. Okay, thanks."
Cordelia left and walked over to Harmony, who was setting up her video camera on her tripod.
Buffy stood up. "Well, my brain's fried, anyway."
Tara stood up. "You've been studying only twelve minutes."
"Come on."
Buffy and Tara joined Amy and Katrina on the stage and set up their instruments.
Buffy looked at them. "Okay, we all sing the refrain. I'll sing the first verse. Tara, you'll sing the second verse. Amy, third. Trina, fourth. We'll all sing the fifth verse."
The others nodded.
Angel walked over to Cordelia and Harmony. "Hey."
Cordelia looked at him and grinned. "Hey!"
Buffy turned on her microphone and waited for the signal from Harmony. Harmony gave her a thumbs-up.
"Hi, we're Buffy and the Slayerettes. This first song...might seem a bit unusual to some of you, but we're changing things up tonight. So grab your friend or your sweetie, get up, and dance!"
The band members started playing their instruments. Cordelia took hold of Angel's hand and dragged him onto the dance floor. Buffy, Amy, and Katrina danced lively. Tara didn't move much but smiled widely, enjoying herself.
"What shall we do with a drunken sailor?
What shall we do with a drunken sailor?
What shall we do with a drunken sailor
Early in the morning?"
"Weigh heigh and up she rises.
Weigh heigh and up she rises.
Weigh heigh and up she rises
Early in the morning."
"Put him in the longboat 'til he's sober.
Put him in the longboat 'til he's sober.
Put him in the longboat 'til he's sober
Early in the morning."
"Weigh heigh and up she rises.
Weigh heigh and up she rises.
Weigh heigh and up she rises
Early in the morning."
"Give 'im a dose of salt and water.
Give 'im a dose of salt and water.
Give 'im a dose of salt and water
Early in the morning."
"Weigh heigh and up she rises.
Weigh heigh and up she rises.
Weigh heigh and up she rises
Early in the morning."
"Tie him to the taffrail when she's yardarm under.
Tie him to the taffrail when she's yardarm under.
Tie him to the taffrail when she's yardarm under
Early in the morning."
"Weigh heigh and up she rises..."
Suddenly, a man with slicked-back, bleached blond hair, dressed all in black, started talking loudly near the stage. "Where's the phone?! I need to call the police! There's some big guy out there trying to bite somebody!"
Buffy quickly set down her guitar, jumped off the stage, and ran from the dance floor.
Tara, Amy, and Katrina looked at each other in concern. The audience started booing.
Tara faced forward, smiled nervously, and decided to continue performing, singing some verses herself:
"Óró, sé do bheatha bhaile.
Óró, sé do bheatha bhaile.
Óró, sé do bheatha bhaile
Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh.
"Óró, sé do bheatha bhaile.
Óró, sé do bheatha bhaile.
Óró, sé do bheatha bhaile
Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh.
"’Sé do bheatha, a bhean ba léanmhar,
Do bé ár gcreach tú bheith i ngéibhinn,
Do dhúiche bhreá i seilbh meirleach,
'S tú díolta leis na Gallaibh.
"Óró, sé do bheatha bhaile.
Óró, sé do bheatha bhaile.
Óró, sé do bheatha bhaile
Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh."
Buffy ran outside to the alley. A vampire had found a young woman. She trembled with fear as he grabbed her neck and moved in for the bite. Buffy grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him off her.
He somersaulted and rolled up to his feet. "Slayer!"
"Slayee!" Buffy did a roundhouse kick to his face.
He only flinched a bit. He swung at her, but she sidestepped the blow. She swung back, and he grabbed her arm, swung her around, and threw her into a metal roll-up door. She hit it high and hard and fell to the ground but quickly got up again. He swung again and hit the metal door with his fist when she ducked the punch.
Tara, Amy, and Katrina arrived.
Buffy blocked the vampire's punch and held onto his arm. She looked behind her at the others. "Get her out of here!" She turned her attention to punching the vampire repeatedly in the face.
Tara and Amy grabbed the woman and pulled her away and out of danger.
"And a stake would be nice!" Buffy exclaimed to the rhythm of her punches.
Katrina ran into the Bronze to find a stake.
Buffy punched the vampire's face again and then his chest. He got loose from her and landed a punch on her face. She went spinning down to the ground and lay there, momentarily stunned.
The vampire loomed over her. "I don't need to wait for St. Vigeous. You're mine."
He bent down to get her, and she kicked him in the face. He staggered backward as she maneuvered to her feet.
"Spike! Gimme a hand!" the vampire yelled.
Buffy looked over at the man in the shadows. It was the same guy from inside the Bronze.
Katrina ran back out with the stake. "Buffy!"
Buffy turned to her, and Katrina threw her the stake. Buffy caught it out of the air and, in a smooth, swift motion, plunged it home into the vampire's chest. He died and fell to the ground.
Spike came out of the shadows, slowly clapping his hands. Buffy looked at him with a confused expression on her face. Tara, Amy, and Katrina saw him, too.
"Nice work, love."
"Who are you?" Buffy asked him.
"You'll find out on Saturday."
"What happens on Saturday?" Buffy asked him.
"I kill you."
Buffy was speechless and just watched him leave.
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina went to the school library and told Giles and Jenny what had happened. Then the girls and Jenny sat at the table. Giles brought a lot of books over to them, and they started looking through them, doing research.
"Spike. That's what the other vampire called him? That's a little unorthodox, isn't it?" Giles asked.
Buffy shrugged. "Maybe he's reformed."
Giles thought for a moment. "Perhaps he went by another name in...times past."
Jenny shrugged. "Well, whoever he is, we'll need all the help we can get come this Saturday."
Giles looked at Buffy. "Well, he can't be any worse than any other creature you've faced."
"He's worse."
They all looked and saw Angel.
"Once he starts something, he doesn't stop until everything in his path is dead."
Buffy smiled nervously. "Oh, goody! Who wants pizza? I'm thinking pepperoni."
"Or hamburger?" Amy suggested.
"Or three meat?" Katrina suggested.
"How about we go all of the way with supreme?" Tara suggested.
Giles looked at them. "Uh, we do have slightly more urgent matters to discuss."
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, like keeping my mom away from Principal Snyder tomorrow night?"
Jenny nodded. "And not dying Saturday."
"Angel, do you know if this Spike fellow goes under any other name?" Giles asked.
There was no response. They all looked where he was, but he had disappeared. The library doors finished shutting.
"So...supreme?" Buffy asked.
The next evening, in the school library, Tara checked the crossbow. Jenny walked behind her with extra pieces of wood to make stakes and set them on the table between Cordelia and Katrina, who were whittling away. Jenny continued walking over behind Buffy. Buffy held up a large, sharp machete, then started chopping a cucumber with it. She was preparing a vegetable tray. Amy was researching spells.
Giles consulted a book. "For three nights, the unholy ones scourge themselves into a fury, um, culminating in a savage attack on the night of St. Vigeous."
"Ooh!" Buffy suddenly exclaimed. "Parents start arriving in an hour. Okay, so, um, banners are in place, the lounge is comfy..." She paused in thought. "What am I forgetting?"
"Punch?" Tara suggested.
"Punch. I need - I need punch!" Buffy exclaimed.
"My fingers are cramping. How long have I been doing this?" Cordelia asked.
Katrina looked at her. "Three minutes."
"So...can I go now?" Cordelia asked. "She doesn't need this many stakes. I mean...if this guy Spike is as mean as you all said, it should be over pretty quickly."
Buffy looked up at her.
Cordelia looked at her. "We're still all rooting for you on Saturday. I'd be there for you myself, if I didn't have a leg wax."
"You guys hold down the fort. I'm punch bound." Buffy left the library.
Later that night, in the school lounge, Buffy was doling out the punch into cups.
Tara came over. "What kinda punch did you make?"
"Uh, lemonade." Buffy handed her a cup. "I made it fresh and everything."
"How much sugar did you use?" Tara took a sip.
"Not a whole lot."
"It's very good."
"Thanks. Okay, now all I have to do is keep my mother and Snyder from crossing paths for the rest of the night."
Tara saw Joyce. "Hi, Mrs. Summers."
"Hi, Tara. Hi, honey. Did you, uh, do all this?" Joyce asked.
"Yeah!" Buffy picked up a cup. "Um, here, have some lemonade." She saw Snyder. "Right after Tara shows you the library. I have to stay here and host." She put the cup back down.
"Great, the library." Tara put her arm around Joyce's shoulder. "Oh, shit, no, Mr. G-Giles and everyone are doing important research. They might not appreciate being interrupted."
Buffy nodded. "Right. French class, it is!"
Tara led Joyce away.
Snyder came up to Buffy. "Was that your mother?"
Buffy grabbed a cup and a ladle full of lemonade and turned toward him. "Here." She faked a spill. "Oh! Oh, sorry! Um, yeah! Yeah, I was gonna introduce you, but, um, she wouldn't have said much. Y'know, she doesn't speak a word of English."
Snyder made tracks to follow Joyce and Tara. Buffy let out a worried moan and looked up at the clock. 6:15.
At 8:45, Cordelia walked into the school lounge. "Giles has us locked up in that library, working on your weapons. Even slaves get minimum wage." She stared at Buffy's face.
"What?" Buffy asked her.
"You're starting to look a little slagged. What, are you just skipping foundation entirely now?"
"Cordelia, I have at least three lives to contend with, none of which really mesh. It's kind of like oil and water and a...third unmeshable thing."
"Yeah, and I can see the oil." Cordelia saw Joyce talking to Tara. "Is that your mom?"
Buffy looked.
"Now, that is a woman that knows how to moisturize. Did it, like, skip a generation?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy was fed up with her. "Cordelia, it's my fucking skin condition. I'm trying to moisturize, but it-"
Joyce came over. "Well, I believe that I have seen every classroom on campus, and, just as I get there, all your teachers miraculously have stepped out."
Buffy noticed Snyder coming back into the room. "Oh! Oh. Um, but you haven't seen the boiler room yet. And, you know, that's really interesting, what with the boiler being in the room and all." She laughed nervously.
Snyder came up to the group.
Joyce offered her hand to him. "Hi. I'm Joyce Summers. I'm Buffy's mother."
Snyder ignored her hand. "Principal Snyder. I'm afraid we need to talk. My office is down here."
Joyce followed Snyder to his office. Cordelia watched them go with a huge smile on her face.
Buffy was worried. "He didn't look very happy."
Tara looked at her. "But you did such a good job."
"When they're done talking-"
"What?" Buffy asked Cordelia.
"My guess?" Cordelia asked. "Tenth high school reunion, you'll still be grounded. Face it, girl: you're fucked."
Buffy gave her a look. Cordelia headed over to the punch table.
Buffy looked at Tara. "Couldn't you have stalled her any longer?"
Tara frowned at Buffy. "You fucking owe me the best orgasm of my life."
Buffy was worried. "I'll tongue-fuck your brains out...if I'm allowed to do anything ever again."
In the library, Giles and Jenny continued their research while Amy and Katrina whittled stakes.
"Oh, there you are."
Jenny looked at Giles. "There who is?"
"Our new friend, Spike. He's known as 'William the Bloody'. Earned his nickname by torturing his victims with railroad spikes. Very pleasant. Well, here's some good news: he's barely two-hundred. He's not even as old as Angel is." Giles frowned. "Oh."
Amy and Katrina looked up at him. "What?"
"Spike has fought two Slayers in the last century, and...he's killed them both."
Chapter Text
In the lounge, Buffy and Tara saw Snyder come back in with Joyce.
Joyce came up to her daughter. She looked very upset. "We're going home. Now."
Buffy and Tara exchanged a concerned look. Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. Buffy started to follow her mom out. She turned her head to look back at Snyder, who was going around, turning off the lights. Joyce waited for Buffy to join her, and they walked out of the room.
Snyder went to another switch by the back wall next to a large window and turned it off. Two vampires suddenly came crashing through the window.
Buffy looked back into the room. Several more vampires followed, and they stormed into the room. The people panicked and began to run around. Buffy went back into the room. The vampires had lined themselves up.
"What can I say?" Spike asked Buffy. "I couldn't wait."
Spike attacked. Buffy grabbed a chair and threw it at him, tripping him up. She grabbed Tara's hand, ran back out of the room with her, and grabbed her mother's hand. Cordelia ran after them. They turned down the hall to the right, but more vampires came in that way, so they went the other way.
Another vampire was guarding an exit. Buffy, Tara, Cordelia, and Joyce headed in another direction.
"Everybody, this way! C'mon! C'mon!" Buffy ordered.
Snyder and several others ran past her as she shoved a cleaning cart into the two vampires chasing them. Tara and Cordelia nearly tripped over them. They headed to their right, but a vampire grabbed Cordelia, and she screamed.
Tara grabbed a bust from a display pedestal and wielded it back for a swing. "Hey!"
The vampire looked up, and Tara swung the bust hard into his face, knocking him off Cordelia. Tara grabbed her hand and pulled her into a closet.
Giles, Jenny, Amy, and Katrina ran out of the library.
"What the hell?!" Giles asked.
They saw Buffy's group running toward them.
"Spike and an army! Look out!" Buffy warned.
They looked behind them and saw a vampire. Jenny screamed.
"Back!" Giles ordered.
They ran back into the library and held the door shut as the vampire slammed into it.
Buffy opened the door to the science classroom. "In here! Now!"
The people all ran into the room. Buffy followed them in last and closed the door as the two vampires came running into the hall and began banging on the door.
Snyder and another man maneuvered a storage cabinet in front of the door. Buffy ran over to the other door and closed and locked it. The power went out.
In the library. Giles, Jenny, Amy, and Katrina looked up from barricading the doors as the lights went off and the emergency lights came on.
Giles tried the phone. "They've cut the phones." He had an idea. "Wait a minute. There's an old, boarded up-cellar behind the stacks. You can get out that way." He looked at Amy and Katrina. "Find Angel. He knows about Spike. We need him."
Amy shook her head. "No, I'm not going anywhere until I know that Tara and Buffy are all right."
"No one will be all right unless we get some help!" Giles yelled.
Amy sighed.
Katrina looked at her girlfriend and gave her a smile. "They'll be all right, sweetie. They can take care of themselves."
Amy reluctantly nodded.
"Who are those people, and what do they want?" a man asked.
Joyce shook her head. "I didn't get much of a look, but is there something wrong with their teeth? I-"
"Yes! PCP! It's a gang on PCP!" Snyder declared. "We've gotta get out of here." He grabbed a desk, set it in front of a window, and started climbing.
"You can't go outside! They'll kill you!" Buffy warned him.
"You don't tell me! I tell you!" Snyder yelled back.
Buffy pulled him down. "They will kill everybody in this room. Nobody goes out, nobody comes in until I say so. Do you hear me?"
"Who do you think you are?" Snyder asked her.
"I'm the one that knows how to stop them. I'm the motherfucking Slayer." Buffy looked up and walked across the room, trying to find a way into the ceiling.
Joyce grabbed her by the shoulders. "Buffy, are you crazy? You can't go out there."
"I know. That's why I'm going up there." Buffy grabbed a stool, set it on a lab table, climbed up, and pushed a ceiling panel aside. She looked down at her mom. "Don't worry, Mom." She lifted herself up into the ceiling.
Tara and Cordelia were still hiding in the closet. Cordelia was holding a broom for defense. They were listening to what was going on outside.
"Slaaayer! Here, kitty, kittyyy. I find one of your friends first, I'm gonna suck 'em dry. And use their bones to bash your head in."
Spike kicked a door open.
"Are you getting a word picture here?"
"Oh, God, oh, God!" Cordelia whispered.
Tara clasped her hand around Cordelia's mouth to keep her quiet. "Shut the fuck up. He'll hear you."
"Spike! Listen..."
"Someone's in the ceeeeeiling!" Spike sang in a sing-song voice.
Giles stuffed several stakes into his jacket pockets, grabbed a battle-ax from the table, and headed toward the door.
"Hey-hey-hey-hey! What are you doing?" Jenny asked.
Giles started to push his way through the barricade that they constructed.
"There are at least three vampires in that hall! God only knows how many others in the building!" Jenny told him.
Giles looked at Jenny. "Listen! I am the Watcher! I am responsible for her, and I have - I have to go!" He started pushing things aside again.
"Rupert!" Jenny yelled.
He looked back at her again.
"Be careful."
"Push these back as soon as I-"
Buffy broke through the ceiling and dropped to the floor. Jenny stepped back in surprise. Giles lifted his ax.
"Buffy!" Giles lowered the ax. "You're all right!"
"How are the others?" Jenny asked her.
"Principal Snyder, my mother, and four others are locked in the science room across the hall. Tara and Cordelia ran the other way. I don't know if they're..." Buffy started crying.
Jenny put her hands on Buffy's shoulders.
"Where are Amy and Katrina?" Buffy asked.
"They got out through the stacks. They're getting Angel."
Jenny helped Buffy put crosses and stakes into Katrina's bookbag.
"Good." Buffy put on Katrina's bookbag. "Okay, I'm gonna take the vamps out in the hall. After that, you get my mother and the others out the same way."
"Let me help you."
"Giles, my mother's in that room. If I don't make it out of here, I know you'll make sure she does."
"Bloody right, I will. Fair enough. What's your plan?"
"Well, they split up to hold us here, so I'm gonna take 'em one on one. Set 'em up and knock 'em down." Buffy grabbed a stool and positioned it under the hole in the ceiling. She got up on the stool and lifted herself back up.
"Watch your back!" Giles called.
Katrina and Amy had gone to Angel's apartment, gotten him, and returned to the school with him. They saw a man lying dead on the grass.
"You know a lot about this Spike guy, so...um...you got a plan?" Katrina asked.
"Katrina, I'll pretend to take you as a meal and fake being evil. Lure them into complacency. Then we attack." Angel looked at Amy. "Amy, you follow at a distance and work your magic, if things start getting out of hand."
Amy nodded. "Got it."
Angel grabbed Katrina by the throat and dragged her into the building. Amy waited for a moment and then followed them.
"I think he's gone." Cordelia reached for the door.
"He could come back!" Tara whispered back.
Cordelia looked at Tara. "What are we gonna do?"
Tara thought for a moment. "Can you fight?"
Cordelia shook her head. "Fuck no."
"Well, then I think the best course of action is to stay here and keep quiet. Buffy will find us."
"You certainly have a lot of faith in her."
Tara was surprised. "And you don't?"
Cordelia felt bad. She didn't say anything else.
In the ceiling space, Buffy saw a pole poke through right in front of her. She began backing up.
Buffy broke through the ceiling behind a vampire. She pulled him down with her as she dropped from the ceiling and quickly killed him with a stake. Buffy got up and looked through the hole in the door to the science classroom. Her mother was standing there, watching her, visibly shaken.
"Buffy! Are you okay?" Joyce asked.
"I'm fine, Mom."
"Buffy, look, uh, get out of here, okay? We'll be all right!"
"Look, just hang on for one more minute until I tell you to open the door."
Buffy quietly made her way to the other hall, stake in hand. She peeked around the corner and saw the other vampire standing there with his back to her. She heard a noise behind her and looked.
"Sheila! Where've you been?" Buffy asked.
"Sorry I'm late. There's some really weird guys outside."
"Shh! Yeah, I know. They're trying to kill us."
Sheila picked up a ax and smiled. "This should be fun."
Buffy slowly headed back to the other hall.
Angel came into a hall with Katrina. Amy stood around the corner, watching and waiting.
Spike was poking a pole into the ceiling. He saw Angel. "Angelus!"
Angel wrapped his arm around Katrina's neck. "Spike!"
"I'll be damned!" Spike tossed his pole aside.
He and Angel greeted each other with a hug and a laugh.
"I taught you to always guard your perimeter. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should have someone out there."
"I did. I'm surrounded by idiots. What's new with you?" Spike asked.
"Everything."
"Yeah. Come up against this Slayer yet?" Spike asked him.
"She's cute. Not too bright, though. Gave the puppy-dog 'I'm all tortured' act. Keeps her off my back when I feed!" Angel laughed.
Spike laughed. "People still fall for that Anne Rice routine. What a world!"
Katrina pretended to go along with it. "I knew you were lying, asshole."
Angel gave Katrina a squeeze to shut her up.
Katrina gritted her teeth. "Undead lying motherfucker."
Angel grabbed her by the hair and shirt and held up her exposed neck. "Want a bite before we kill her?"
Buffy and Sheila were about to round the corner.
"Stay behind me." Buffy went into the other hall and quietly made her way to the vampire, holding her stake up and ready.
Behind her, Sheila raised the ax and followed.
The vampire suddenly attacked and ducked as Buffy thrust the stake. Buffy momentarily lost her footing but quickly regained it. Sheila swung the ax at the vampire, but he dodged. The ax got buried in the wall. The vampire smiled as he straightened back up, thinking he avoided her blow, but then looked down at the stake protruding from his chest. He collapsed to the floor. Buffy looked over at Sheila and smiled. Sheila smiled back at her. They slapped a high five.
Buffy rushed back to the classroom door. "Mom, now!"
Joyce opened the door. "Okay, come on, let's go!"
Everyone rushed out of the classroom and into the library.
"C'mon! Hurry!" Joyce urged.
Buffy looked at Giles. "Get them out!"
"You're coming, too!" Joyce told her.
"In a minute! Go!" Buffy ordered and then rushed off.
"Buffy!" Joyce cried.
"I haven't seen you in the killing fields for an age."
"I'm not much for company."
"No, you never were. So...why're you so scared of this Slayer?" Spike asked Angel.
"Scared?" Angel asked.
"Yeah. Time was you would've taken her out in a heartbeat. Now, look at you. I bet this, uh, tortured thing is an act, right? You're not...housebroken?"
"I saw her kill the Master. Hey, you think you can take her alone? Be my guest. I'll just feed and run." Angel roared and bent to Katrina's neck.
Spike held up his hand. "Don't be silly! We're all friends. We'll do it together. Let's drink to it."
They both slowly leaned in to Katrina's neck. At the last moment, Spike punched Angel in the face, making him stagger back.
"You think you can fool me?!" Spike asked him. "You were my Yoda, man!"
"Things change."
"Not us! Not demons! Man, I can't believe this. You Uncle Tom!" Spike grabbed his pole from the floor. "Come on, people! This isn't a spectator sport!"
The vampires roared and attacked. Katrina prepared to fight.
"Katrina, run! There's too many of them!" Angel yelled.
Katrina barged out the door behind her and ran. Angel followed as the other vampires gave chase. Sheila and Amy ran after them.
Spike looked up. "Fe, fi, fo fum. I smell the blood of a nice...ripe..." He turned to face Buffy. "...girl."
Buffy raised the ax, which she had taken from Sheila. "Do we really need weapons for this?"
"I just like them. They make me feel all manly." Spike dropped the pole and slowly stepped toward Buffy.
Buffy dropped the ax.
"The last Slayer I killed...she begged for her life."
Buffy slowly walked to the middle of the hall, watching him intently.
"You don't strike me as the begging kind."
"You shouldn'ta come here."
"No. I've messed up your doilies and stuff. But I just got so bored." Spike smirked. "I'll tell you what. As a personal favor from me to you, I'll make it quick. It won't hurt a bit."
"No, Spike. It's gonna hurt a lot."
They stared to fight.
Outside, Katrina and Angel fought the other vampires. Katrina avoided several punches and kicks. Her own punch missed, and she got kicked to the ground from behind.
Katrina got back up and punched the vampire in the face. "Fuck, I wish I had some of those stakes on me!"
A vampire caught Katrina by the neck from behind. Angel punched him off her.
Amy was doing her best to hold the vampires in place with her magic. "Fuck, there's too many of them!"
"You can control stuff with your mind?" Sheila asked her.
Amy nodded.
Sheila offered her the stake that Buffy had traded her for the ax. "What can you do with this?"
Amy looked at it and then at Sheila. "Toss it in the air."
Sheila tossed the stake as high as she could.
Amy took control of the stake and rapidly plunged it into the heart of one vampire. Then she pulled it out and plunged it into the heart of another. And then another. And another. The remaining vampires ran from the fight.
Katrina looked over at Amy in amazement and grinned. Amy smiled back at her.
In the library, Joyce was following everyone out through the stacks when she stopped and wondered what happened to her daughter.
"Come on, everyone. This way!" Giles told them.
Buffy and Spike exchanged several blows. He threw her into the wall. Buffy ducked a punch and landed four of her own in a row. Spike grabbed her arm and shoved her into the wall. She slid down it quickly, and Spike's next punch went through the wall. She got behind him and kicked him high and hard in the neck.
"Now, that hurt!" Spike yelled.
He pulled his arm out of the wall, ripping a stud out with it, and swung it into Buffy's face. She flew back and landed on the floor, stunned.
"But not as much as this will." Spike stood over her and wielded back the stud to slam it into her.
Suddenly, he got hit in the head with the ax. He went sprawling to the floor and looked up at his attacker.
Joyce stood above him with the ax in her hands, ready to swing again. "You get the hell away from my daughter!"
Spike held the stud above himself to protect against any blows. Buffy got to her feet.
"Women!" Spike got up and ran through the lounge and out the broken window.
Joyce exhaled and dropped the ax. "Nobody lays a hand on my little girl."
They embraced. Buffy looked out the window. Eventually, they let go of each other.
"If anyone's hiding, you can come out now! It's safe!" Buffy called.
The closet door opened, and Tara and Cordelia ran out. Tara ran over to Buffy and hugged her. Buffy kissed Tara passionately on the lips and hugged her. Cordelia watched and smiled slightly.
Tara finally ended the kiss and looked into Buffy's eyes. "I knew you'd save me."
Cordelia looked at Buffy. "She never had any doubt."
Buffy looked at Cordelia, and then she looked at Tara and smiled. The three friends shared a group hug.
Later, outside, the police were everywhere. Giles and Jenny walked out of the building.
Jenny smiled. "Well, another wonderful, fun-filled evening."
"Uh, yes. You know, um, I will understand if you decide to start avoiding me."
Jenny took Giles' arm, and they walked off together.
Katrina, Amy, and Angel were hanging out together.
"So...when you gave him my neck to chew on, why didn't you clock him before he had a chance to clock you?" Katrina asked Angel.
"I couldn't make the first move. I had to see if he was buying it or not."
"A-And if he bit me, what then?" Katrina asked him.
"We would've known he bought it."
Katrina frowned.
Cordelia ran over to Angel and hugged him. "Angel!"
"Hey, Cordy!" Angel hugged her. "Are you all right?"
Cordelia kissed Angel passionately on the lips.
"I'll take that as a yes." Angel smacked his lips. "Cherry?"
"Raspberry."
"Ah."
Buffy, Tara, and Joyce were hanging out together.
"So...what did you and Principal Snyder talk about, anyway?" Buffy asked her mom.
"Principal Snyder said you were a troublemaker."
Buffy looked down in shame.
"And I couldn't care less."
Buffy looked back up.
"I have a daughter who can take care of herself. Who's brave and resourceful and thinks of others in a crisis. No matter what you think you need to do outside your normal life, I'm gonna sleep better knowing all that."
"About how long till this wears off, and you start ragging on me again?" Buffy asked her.
"Oh, at least a week and a half."
Buffy grinned. "Very cool!" Then she grew somber. "It's not 'what I think I need to do', Mom; it's what I need to do. Period."
"But why?" Joyce asked, upset.
Buffy shrugged. "It's just the way that it is. In every generation, there is a Chosen One. Right now, that's me. I alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. I am the Slayer."
"I wish it didn't have to be."
"I know. Sometimes, I wish that, too." Buffy shrugged again. "But this is my life, Mom, whether we want it so or not. I'm sorry that my grades have suffered. I'll try to do better."
Joyce smiled appreciatively. They met up with Amy, Katrina, Cordelia, and Angel.
"What up, buttercups?" Buffy asked them.
Katrina grinned. "Oh, nothing. I just learned my girlfriend's a total badass, that's all." She kissed Amy on the lips.
Tara grinned. "I know the feeling." She kissed Buffy on the lips.
Suddenly, Harmony walked over to them. "Hey, guys, what's going on?"
Amy looked at her in surprise. "Harmony, you don't know?"
Harmony shook her head. "Nuh-uh."
"What, were you hiding under a rock?" Buffy asked her.
Harmony shook her head. "No, I sneaked down to the boiler room to do some coke-"
Joyce shot her a look.
"-the best damn soda on the planet!" Harmony grinned and chuckled nervously.
Buffy noticed the expression on Cordelia's face. "You all right, Cordy?"
Cordelia shook her head. "I just felt so powerless...and frightened."
Katrina put a hand on Cordelia's shoulder. "Honestly, I felt that way, too, Cordy."
"What if this happens again?" Cordelia sighed in frustration. "We are so unprepared."
Buffy thought for a moment. "So let's prepare you."
The others looked at her in confusion.
The next afternoon, after school, Buffy and her mother were hanging out in the kitchen. Buffy sipped Red Bull as she and her mom walked over to the window. Buffy was wearing her karate gi. She and her mom looked out the window into the backyard.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Buffy?" Joyce asked. "You're taking these girls' lives into your hands."
"No, that's just it, Mom: I'm not. I'm putting these girls' lives into their own hands, giving them the skills that they need to survive." Buffy stared intensely. "They're not Slayers, but they do have...potential."
Buffy finished her drink, tossed her can in the recycle bin, opened the door, and walked outside.
Tara, wearing her karate gi, was standing in front of the students and demonstrating punches and kicks. They copied her movements. The class currently included Cordelia, Harmony, Amy, Katrina, Sheila, Amber Grove, Lishanne Davis, Rhonda Kelley, Heidi Barrie, Emily Djiemanowicz, and Laura Egler. Stakes, a crossbow, arrows, and various other weapons sat on a nearby table. Against the far fence, various targets had been set up.
Tara noticed Buffy's arrival. She stopped performing moves. "Heisoku Dachi."
The ladies stood at attention, their feet together, their toes pointed straight forward.
Buffy stood to Tara's right and faced the students. "Ladies, today, you start to reclaim your power. You stop being victims and start being victors. When your back's against the wall, you do not hold back, you do not apologize, and you show no mercy. You show each and every asshole vampire, demon, and other monster that you come across just what we women can do. Welcome to Slayer School."
Chapter 43: Inca Mummy Girl
Chapter Text
"Inca Mummy Girl"
Based on the Episode Written by Matt Kiene and Joe Reinkemeyer
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
Buffy and Tara were walking past the rose gardens toward the Sunnydale Natural History Museum. Their class was on a field trip.
"This is so unfair."
Tara looked at Buffy. "I don't think it's that bad."
"It's the Ueber-suck. Mom could've at least warned me."
"Well, a lot of parents are doing it this year. It's part of this whole cultural exchange thing. The exhibit, the dance..." Tara grinned. "I have the best costume for the dance! I worked really hard on my costume. It's pretty cool."
"A complete stranger in my house for two weeks. I'm gonna be insane!" Buffy exclaimed. "A danger to myself and others within three days, I fucking swear."
"I think the exchange student program's cool."
Buffy gave Tara a look.
"I do!" Tara insisted. "It's a beautiful melding of two cultures."
"Have you ever done an exchange program?" Buffy asked her.
"No, but I've read about them. It'll be fun, trust me."
They climbed the steps to the building entrance and the cultural exchange exhibit.
Inside, Cordelia and two other girls were looking over the pictures of the exchange students.
"Ooh! There's mine! Sven. Isn't he lunchable? Mine's definitely the best." Cordelia walked past Buffy.
"What're you lookin' at?" Buffy asked her.
"Pictures of our exchange students. Look. 100% Swedish, 100% gorgeous, 100% staying at my house! So how's yours? Visually, I mean."
"I don't know. Guy-like?" Buffy guessed.
"Nothing more specific than that?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy shrugged. "I was just told 'guy'."
"You didn't look at him first?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy stared back at her, waiting for her to put it together.
"Right. I forgot who I was talking to. Well, he could be dogly. You live on the edge." Cordelia walked off.
Buffy rolled her eyes. She and Tara stopped at the end of a row of display cases, and Buffy noticed a boy scraping a mask.
"What's he doing?" Buffy asked Tara.
"Uh, that's Rodney Munson." Tara shrugged. "No fucking clue what he's doing."
Another student went up to Rodney and got growled at.
Buffy smiled. "I better stop him before he gets in trouble."
"I got it. The non-violent approach is probably better here." Tara went over to Rodney.
Buffy followed her. "I wasn't gonna use violence. I don't always use violence. Do I?"
Tara looked at her and smiled sweetly. "The important thing is you believe that."
"What're you-" Rodney looked up. "Oh. Tara, hi."
"That's probably not something you're supposed to be doing. You could get in trouble."
"Oh, no. And they might kick me outta school?" Rodney asked her facetiously.
Tara smiled. "Are we still on for our chem tutorial tomorrow?"
"Yeah. I think I got almost all fourteen natural elements memorized."
"There're over ninety."
Rodney suddenly looked worried.
"Welcome, students. We shall now proceed into the Incan burial chamber. The human sacrifice is about to begin."
Buffy and Tara looked at each other in amusement. They all walked into the entry to the Inca exhibit.
"Five-hundred years ago, the Incan people chose a beautiful teenage girl to become their princess."
They took the steps up to a platform where the Incan stone coffin and mummy were on display. Buffy and Tara looked into the coffin at the discolored, shriveled mummy.
"The Incan people sacrificed their princess to the mountain god Sabancaya, an offering buried alive for eternity in this dark tomb."
Buffy looked at Tara. "They could've at least wrapped her in those nice white bandages, like in the movies?"
"The princess remained there, protected only by a cursed seal placed there as a warning to any who would wake her." The museum guide pointed to the plate in the mummy's hands.
Cordelia and a few other girls were still looking at the exchange student pictures and laughing.
Tara looked at Buffy. "When's the exchange student making his appearance?"
"His name's Ampata. Gonna be at the bus stop near the Bronze tomorrow night."
"Now, if you'll follow me this way, please."
They all walked past the coffin and followed the guide to the next destination on the tour.
"Y'know, it occurs to me that this will be the last night for a while that I'll have my room to myself." Buffy paused for a moment and then looked at Tara. "My mom's working late tonight."
Tara looked at Buffy. Buffy was smiling seductively at her. Tara smiled back.
That evening, in Buffy's bedroom, Buffy and Tara were lying in Buffy's bed. Buffy was topless. Tara was naked and on her back, and Buffy was lying between her legs and eating Tara's pussy. Tara let out a series of quiet moans that were music to Buffy's ears. Buffy toyed with her for a while, occasionally kissing and licking Tara's anus. Tara found it to be a bit odd but still enjoyable. Buffy licked Tara's asshole and poked it with her tongue, and then she resumed eating her pussy. Finally, Tara had an orgasm and cummed into Buffy's waiting mouth. They released each other's hand, and then Buffy moved up, lay on top of Tara, and kissed her on the lips. Tara parted her lips. Having gained admittance, Buffy's tongue slipped into Tara's mouth, and Tara's tongue greeted it. The two ladies softly, gently, lazily french-kissed each other for a while. Tara tasted her own cum on Buffy's tongue. When their tongues parted, Buffy swallowed the rest of Tara's cum.
Buffy got off Tara. Tara sat up and moved aside, and Buffy lay on her back, resting her head on her pillow. Tara unfastened Buffy's belt and unbuttoned and unzipped her blue jeans. Buffy lifted her ass off the bed, and Tara pulled Buffy's jeans and panties off her. Tara gazed at Buffy's pussy for a moment, and then she lay between Buffy's legs, settling in for a long feast.
Buffy watched in anticipation. Tara started kissing and licking Buffy's pussy, soon realizing it was exactly what she should have expected: she was kissing and licking flesh, and there was no particular taste to it. Tara loved it nonetheless and licked Buffy eagerly. Buffy was mesmerized by the sight. Tara looked up at her and, grinning, licked the length of Buffy's pussy. She inserted her left index and middle fingers into Buffy's inner sanctum and masturbated her. This, combined with Tara's loving licks, brought Buffy great pleasure. Tara took hold of Buffy's left hand with her right hand and interlaced fingers with her. Buffy reached down with her right hand and ran her fingers through Tara's lovely blonde hair.
Soon, Buffy felt her orgasm approach. She let out a series of quiet moans that were music to Tara's ears. Tara withdrew her fingers from Buffy's pussy and sucked them clean, and then she pressed her lips directly to Buffy's pussy, frenching it, eating it. Finally, Buffy cummed hard, releasing all of her pent-up sexual desires directly into Tara's waiting mouth. The jets of cum came in short bursts, and Tara eagerly consumed it all. Then she licked up the rest from Buffy's pussy.
Tara moved up, lay on top of Buffy, and smiled. "How'd you like that?"
Buffy struggled to catch her breath. "Holy shit, that was fucking amazing."
"It was my first time eating a girl. I'm glad that you liked it."
Buffy smiled. "You're very talented."
"Thank you." Tara smacked her lips in appreciation. "You taste good, sweetie. Salty and sweet. Delicious and nutritious."
"I want a taste."
Tara obliged, passionately kissing Buffy on the lips. She shoved her tongue into Buffy's mouth, allowing Buffy to taste herself. It was a taste with which Buffy was already very familiar, but she enjoyed having it served to her in this manner.
Tara suddenly broke the kiss. "Do you - Do you wanna sixty-nine?"
Buffy grinned. "Of course."
"Turn around."
Buffy turned around and straddled Tara's head. She lowered her pussy down to Tara's waiting mouth. Tara put her hands on Buffy's ass. Buffy lowered her head to Tara's pussy. Tongues and fingers went to work, and each girl soon had another nice orgasm, though not nearly as intense as their first.
"All right, I wanna be on top now."
Buffy smiled in amusement, realizing Tara was pretty much insatiable. Still, she readily complied. She got off Tara, and Tara sat up and vacated her spot. Buffy lay back on the bed and lay her head on the pillow. Tara got on top of Buffy, facing her pussy. She straddled Buffy's head and lowered her pussy down to Buffy's waiting mouth. Buffy put her hands on Tara's ass. Tara lowered her head to Buffy's pussy. The two of them went at it. Buffy decided, in the case of sixty-nine, she preferred being on the bottom, because she enjoyed the feel of Tara's full, naked body on top of her, the weight pressing down upon her. She guessed Tara probably had similar feelings, so they would alternate. Still, she greatly enjoyed being beneath Tara.
After their latest orgasms and helpings of cum, Tara got off Buffy and sat on the bed. Buffy sat up. They gently kissed.
Tara smiled. "I love you."
Buffy smiled back at her. "I love you, too."
The next morning, at Sunnydale High, as students were arriving for school, Buffy and Tara were sparring in the library. Giles was sitting at the table and observing.
Buffy smiled. "Oh, I've got my costume for the dance."
"You're not going."
"Excuse you?" Buffy asked Giles, not taking her eyes off Tara.
"You are the Chosen One."
"Mm. Just this once, I'd like to be the Overlooked One."
"Well, I'm...afraid that is not-"
He was interrupted by Tara being kicked back against the table.
Buffy frowned. "Oh! Sorry, babe!"
Tara regained her footing and grinned. "It's okay. I kinda liked it."
Giles tried to remember what he was saying. "You have responsibilities that other girls do not."
"Oh! I know this one!" Buffy exclaimed. "Slaying entails certain sacrifices, blah, blahbitty blah, I'm so stuffy, gimme a scone."
"It's as if you know me. Your secret identity is gonna be difficult enough to maintain while this exchange student is living with you."
"After last week, what secret identity?" Buffy asked him. "Besides, I think going to the dance like a normal person would be the best way to keep that not-so-secret secret. Giles, come on, budge! No one likes a non-budger."
Giles didn't say a word. Buffy stopped fighting Tara, faced Giles, stepped back, and went at him for an especially hard kick.
"Fine!" Giles exclaimed, terrified.
Buffy stopped her kick at the last instant.
"Go."
Buffy smiled. "Yay! I win."
She and Tara took off their protective gear.
Tara suddenly remembered something. "Oh! Rodney's missing."
"Trouble with Mr. Munson again?" Giles asked her.
"His parents say he never came home last night."
Buffy thought about it. "Y'know, I don't think I remember seeing Rodney on the bus back from the field trip."
Tara shook her head. "I didn't either. I hope he didn't get in trouble at the museum."
Buffy chuckled. "Hey, maybe he awakened the mummy."
Tara giggled. "Right, and it rose from its tomb."
Buffy smiled. "And attacked him." She nodded in delight.
Their smiles faded as they realized that may not be so far-fetched.
After school, Buffy, Tara, and Giles went to the Inca exhibit at the museum. They climbed the steps to the platform where the coffin was on display.
"There was a seal?" Giles asked.
Buffy stepped up to the coffin and looked in. "It was right here. And it's broken." She picked up the largest piece.
"Does that mean the mummy's loose?" Tara asked her.
"No, comfy as ever." Buffy handed the piece to Giles.
Giles looked at it. "Look at this series of pictograms."
Suddenly, a man came out of nowhere and yelled, jumped up behind Giles, and swung at him with a knife. Giles ducked the blow and got behind him. The man swung back the other way again blindly, looked into the coffin, and was surprised by what he saw there. Buffy jumped onto the man's back. He knocked Buffy off and ran off the platform and away.
Buffy quickly got up. "Who the fuck was that?"
Giles shook his head. "I haven't the faintest idea. Let's just get out of here before he comes back."
Buffy and Giles hurried down the steps to leave.
Tara noticed something about the mummy. "Mr. Giles, were the Incas very advanced?"
"Yes, yes, very."
"Did they have orthodontists?" Tara asked him.
Buffy and Giles walked back up the steps and looked into the coffin at the mummy. There were metal braces on its teeth.
Buffy felt the blood drain from her face as she came to a horrific realization. "Holy shit. Rodney."
They returned to the school library.
"Rodney looked like he had been dead for five-hundred years. How could that be?" Tara asked.
Buffy shrugged. "Maybe we should ask that crazy man with the big old knife."
Tara looked at her. "I don't think he seemed overly chatty. Besides, the way he bolted when he saw Rodney, I'd say he was as freaked as we were."
"My resources on this subject are extremely limited. I-I gather that this particular mummy was from the Sabancaya region of southern Peru. It's very remote. Now, if there's an answer, then it's - it's locked in the..."
Buffy looked at Giles. "In the seal."
Giles looked at the seal. "It's gonna take me weeks to...translate these pictograms. Well, we'll start tonight with-"
"Ampata!" Buffy suddenly exclaimed.
"I was gonna suggest hunting."
"No, I'm late. I told my mom I'd pick him up. Ampata's there alone. And I-I don't know how good his English is. He's here from South A...South America." Buffy paused in thought. "Hey, y'know, maybe he could translate the seal."
Giles shrugged. "Maybe."
Buffy and Tara arrived at the bus stop and looked for him.
"Forty minutes late. Welcome to America!" Buffy exclaimed sarcastically.
"What if he left already?" Tara asked her.
"Then my mom's gonna fucking kill me. Ampata? Ampata Gutierrez?" Buffy called. "Ampata?"
"Here!"
Buffy and Tara turned around and saw a young teenage girl walking toward them.
"Hello." She came over and stood before them. "I am Ampata."
Buffy and Tara were surprised to find Ampata was a girl.
Buffy was showing Ampata around the Summers house. Tara was tagging along.
"Dining room..."
They went into the kitchen from the dining room.
Buffy turned on the light. "And this is the kitchen."
"It's very good!" Ampata exclaimed.
"Yeah, you got your stove, your fridge; it's fully functional. We're very into it. Would you like a drink?" Buffy opened the fridge. "Uh, let's see, we've got milk and, uh, oh, older milk..." She paused. "Juice?"
"Please."
Buffy got the carton of orange juice out and closed the fridge. "So...have you ever been to America before?" She got out three glasses and set them on the island.
"Uh, I-I have toured."
"Where did you go?" Tara asked her.
Buffy poured the juice.
"I was taken to Atlanta, Boston, New York."
"New York!" Tara exclaimed in delight. "That's exciting. What was that like?"
"I did not see so much. I listened much."
After Tara had gone home, Buffy and Ampata went up to Buffy's room. Ampata sat down on her bed, which had been brought into the room, and was surprised at the springiness of it.
"Hey! Sorry about the teeniness of the room."
"My old one was much smaller."
Buffy sat on her own bed. "What's it like back home?"
"Cramped and...very dead."
"Well, you'll feel right at home in Sunnydale."
"Oh, no! Ohhhh!" Ampata got up. "But...But you have so much here!" She picked up a picture.
"How 'bout friends?" Buffy asked her.
"They are..." Ampata put the picture down. "It is just me."
"I've been there. But hey! You'll meet lots of people tomorrow."
"Thank you." Ampata went back to her bed. "You must teach me everything about your life. I want to fit in, Buffy. Just like you. A normal life."
Buffy resisted the urge to laugh. "One normal life. Comin' up." She reached over to turn off her light.
The next morning, outside the school, Cordelia and Devon MacLeish went down some stairs to the van that was used by his band, a zebra-striped 1980 Volkswagen Transporter Type 2 (T3) Kombi.
"Devon, I told you I'd be at the dance tonight, but I am not one of your little groupies. I won't be all doe-eyed looking up at you, standing at the edge of the stage."
"Got it." Devon looked over at another guy. "Who's that guy?"
Cordelia looked also. "Sven! Momento! Needa!" She looked at Devon. "This whole student exchange thing has been a horrible nightmare. They don't even speak American." She sighed. "Bye!"
She started back up the stairs toward the school. She turned back when she noticed Sven wasn't following.
"Sven!" Cordelia yelled. "Come?"
Sven started to follow her.
Buffy and Ampata arrived for school.
"Your first day of school. Nervous?" Buffy asked her.
"It is just more people than I have seen in a long time."
"Ah, don't worry. You will have no problems making friends. As a matter of fact, I know someone who's dying to meet you."
Giles shook Ampata's hand and smiled. "How do you do?"
"Hi."
"I was - I was wondering if you could, um, translate this?" Giles showed her the seal.
Buffy smiled and rolled her eyes. "That was in no way awkward."
Ampata took the seal and looked at it in disbelief.
"Something wrong?" Buffy asked her.
"Uh, no! Uh, it is..." Ampata paused and looked at Giles. "Uh, why are you asking me?"
"Well, uh, uh..." Giles coughed. "It's, well, it's an artifact...from - from, uh, your...region. I-It's, uh, from the tomb of a-an Incan mummy, a-a-actually. We were trying to translate it, uh, um, as a-a project for our, um..."
"Our archaeology club."
Giles briefly looked at Tara, impressed with her quick thinking. "Very good."
"It is broken. Where are the other pieces?" Ampata asked.
Buffy gestured at it. "That's all we found."
"Hmm. It is very old and valuable." Ampata held the seal out to Giles. "You should hide it!"
"Is - Is, uh, anything you recognize here? Um, um, this - this, um..." Giles paused and pointed out a figure. "This ch-chap here with the knife, for instance?"
"Well, I-I do not know exactly, but...I-I-I think this represents, I believe the word is...'bodyguard'?"
Giles took the seal. "Bodyguard? Interesting."
"Legend has it that he guards the mummy against those who would disturb her."
"Well, uh, yes, well, that's, um, that's a very good starting point for our, um...club." Giles looked at Buffy. "Um..."
"Oh, and, uh, a-as club president, I have, um, lots to do. Lots of...stuff. Dull stuff. Uh, oh, Tara, maybe you could stay with Ampata for the day?"
"I'd love to."
Giles looked at Tara. "Tara, it'd help to have you for additional research. We'd cover more ground that way."
Suddenly, a short boy with short black hair walked into the library.
"Who is that?" Ampata asked.
Buffy and Tara looked at him.
Tara looked at Ampata. "Jonathan Levinson. I tutor him sometimes."
Ampata stared at him. "He is a god."
Buffy and Tara looked at each other skeptically.
"You must introduce me to him."
Buffy shrugged and walked over to Jonathan. "Jonathan, there's someone that I want you to meet."
Jonathan looked at her skeptically. "Me? Why?"
"Just trust me."
Jonathan held up a book. "But I just came in to return this."
Buffy took the book from him and tossed it on the counter. They walked over to Ampata.
Buffy gestured. "Jonathan, Ampata. Ampata, Jonathan." She looked at Jonathan. "Listen, we're gonna be doing...archaeology club shit, so I need someone for Ampata to hang with for the day."
Jonathan was confused. "We don't have an archaeology club."
Buffy stomped on his foot.
"Ow!" Jonathan yelled.
Buffy leaned down, close to his ear. "She thinks you're a god."
Jonathan looked at Ampata in wonder. "It'll be my pleasure."
Ampata smiled. "Yes! That will be fun."
Jonathan gestured for Ampata to go ahead of him. As she walked out, he turned to Buffy and Tara, let out a breath, and followed her.
"Right. I'll, uh, continue with the translation. Buffy and Tara, you research this, uh, bodyguard thing." Giles headed toward the stacks.
Later, Buffy was inspecting the seal under a magnifying lamp. "Ha! Or possible ha." She looked at Tara and Giles. "Do you think this matches?"
Giles inspected the seal. "Good Lord!" He looked at Buffy. "Good work!"
"My work?" Buffy asked him.
"Yes. This is most illuminating. It seems Rodney's killer might be the mummy."
"Where does it say that?" Tara asked him.
"Well, here. It implies that the mummy is capable of...feeding on the lifeforce of a person, effectively freeze-drying them, you might say. Extraordinary."
"So...then we just have to stop the mummy. Which leads to the question: how do we a) find and b) stop the mummy?" Buffy asked him.
"Well, the answer to that is somewhere still in here. Or in the rest of the seal."
Suddenly, Ampata and Jonathan ran into the library.
"Help!" Jonathan cried.
Buffy, Tara, and Giles looked at them.
"What's wrong?" Giles asked them.
"We were attacked!" Ampata exclaimed.
"On the bleachers out at the football field!" Jonathan added. "Big guy with a knife!"
Buffy, Tara, and Giles looked at each other in concern.
Giles came out of his office with a cup of tea and set it on the table in front of Ampata. "Here you are."
"Thank you."
"Why's this guy so into us? I mean...what's he want?" Tara asked.
Jonathan looked at her. "He said 'Give me the seal.'"
Giles looked at him. "Apparently, this is more popular than we realized. I just don't know what we - we should do with it."
"Destroy it."
Giles gave Ampata a surprised look.
"If you do not, someone could die."
"I'm afraid someone already has."
"You mean the man with the knife killed someone?" Ampata asked him.
Buffy looked at her. "Uh, no. Well, not exactly."
"You are not telling me everything." Ampata looked at them all.
Buffy looked at her. "You're right, Ampata. We're not. But please believe me when I say we're trying to help."
"Please understand me. That seal nearly got us killed. It must be destroyed!" Ampata got up and ran from the library.
A moment later, Jonathan got up and ran out after her. "Ampata!"
Buffy and Tara looked at each other, a bit surprised and confused. Buffy stood up and walked out of the library to look for them.
In the hall, Ampata was drinking at the water fountain. Jonathan was standing back at a distance and watching her.
"Is she okay?" Buffy asked him.
"Wigged. I'm tryin' to convince her that our lives aren't just danger and peril around here."
Buffy looked over at Ampata sympathetically, then back to Jonathan. "You should take her to the dance."
Jonathan looked at Buffy in surprise, then he smiled and went over to Ampata.
Buffy walked back into the library.
"How is she?" Tara asked her.
"Wigged. I suggested Jonathan take her to the dance." Buffy sat back down at the table. "I don't get it. Why would the bodyguard have such a jones for a broken piece of rock?"
Giles thought about it. "Well, um, perhaps...he needs to put it together with the other pieces."
Buffy shrugged. "If he has them. I mean...we didn't find them."
Giles nodded. "And if he didn't, then - then they'd still be at the museum."
"So...maybe we should go there and find them. And odds are he'll show up, too, right?" Buffy suggested.
Giles nodded. "And hopefully we'll be ready."
Buffy grinned. "Hey! Look at us! We came up with a plan. A good plan."
Giles nodded. "All right. We'll meet there tonight after it closes."
"No!" Buffy exclaimed. "Bad plan. I have other plans. Dance plans."
She got a stern look from Giles.
Buffy sighed. "Delayed plans."
That evening, in Buffy's room, Buffy got dressed in her Sailor Moon costume.
Ampata came in, wearing her Inca Princess costume. "Buffy, I do not have any lipstick."
She saw a trunk, a large suitcase, and a backpack in the room.
"Oh! You can borrow one of mine. There should be some on the desk."
"What is that?" Ampata indicated the trunk.
"The station sent the rest of your stuff."
"Oh. Of, of course. I-I forgot all about it. Uh, I will unpack it later."
"No worries. I can do it."
"Uh, but...it is almost time for the dance!" Ampata exclaimed.
"I'll be late."
"Why?"
"I have work to do. It's really nothing for you to worry about." Buffy sat on her bed.
"Oh, I am not worried, thanks to Jonathan." Ampata went to the desk.
"He seems very happy around you."
Ampata sat at the desk. "I am happy, too." She opened a lipstick and held it up for an opinion. "Mm, this one?"
"Ooh, no, that clashes. There should be a gold one in there somewhere."
"Thank you. You are always thinking of others before yourself. You remind me of someone from very long ago: the Inca Princess."
Buffy grinned. "Cool! A princess."
She got up from her bed and opened Ampata's backpack while Ampata tried out a lipstick.
"They told her that she was the only one. That only she could defend her people from the netherworld."
Buffy pulled out a pair of boy's briefs and looked at them in confusion.
"Out of all the girls in her generation-"
Buffy looked over at Ampata and saw she was about to open the top-left drawer where she kept her Slayer stuff. She rushed over.
Ampata pulled open the drawer and looked in curiously. "-she was the only one-"
Buffy quickly pushed the drawer closed. "-chosen."
Ampata looked up at Buffy. "Do you know the story?"
"It's fairly familiar." Buffy handed her the gold lipstick.
"She was sixteen, like us. She was offered as a sacrifice and went to her death. Who knows what she had to give up to fulfill her duty to others? What chance at love?"
"Who knows?" Buffy went back to Ampata's trunk. "I'll just unpack the rest of your stuff for you." She lifted the lid.
"No, really, let me-"
The doorbell rang and distracted Buffy.
"Oh!" Buffy let the lid fall back down as she got up to get the door. "That's either Tara or Jonathan. Possibly both. I'll get it."
Buffy left her room, hopped down the stairs, and opened the door.
Jonathan came in, dressed as Luke Skywalker. He turned on his toy lightsaber. "I've come for the dance."
"And, uh, what culture are you?" Buffy asked him.
"I'm a Jedi, a force of good in the galaxy and part of the resistance against the evil Galactic Empire." Jonathan looked Buffy up and down. "Care to battle?"
Buffy smiled. "Sorry, I'm too busy fighting evil by moonlight. Speaking of which, new line-up. You and Tara are taking Ampata. Giles and I are hunting mummies."
Tara arrived, dressed as Sailor Mars. She had even dyed her hair raven black.
Buffy grinned. "Hey, babe! Wow, are we in sync or what?!"
Tara grinned. "The red thread of fate binds us."
"Anyway, Giles and I are on mummy duty." Buffy offered her keys to Tara. "Take Ampata and Jonathan to the dance in my van. I'll be along when I can."
"Okay." Tara took Buffy's keys and offered her own keys to Buffy. "Here, take my scooter."
Buffy took Tara's keys. "Thanks."
Ampata appeared on the stairs and smiled down at Jonathan. "Hello, Jonathan."
"Hho hee ze thee ai uh..."
Buffy laughed. "I can translate American salivating boy talk. He says you're beautiful."
Jonathan looked at Buffy. "Hyav su."
Buffy looked at him. "You're welcome."
Ampata reached the bottom of the stairs and stood next to Jonathan, beaming a huge smile.
Joyce came in to have a look. "Ampata, don't you look wonderful?!"
"Thank you. Well, good night, then."
Jonathan paused a moment and looked at Buffy. "Be careful."
"I will."
Jonathan turned to go.
"Hey!" Buffy called.
He turned back.
Buffy smiled. "You look good."
Jonathan gave her a smile and then left.
Joyce came over to the door to watch them go, too. "Look at that. Two days in America, and Ampata already seems like she belongs here. She's really fitting in. Hmm!" She turned and headed up the stairs.
Buffy paused in thought. "Yeah. How 'bout that?"
Chapter Text
Dressed in a skimpy midriff-baring outfit and a lei, Cordelia followed a group of girls into the Bronze. Dingoes Ate My Baby were playing tonight. The place was packed.
Cordelia stopped to look around. She spotted Tara. "Oh! Near faux pas! I almost wore the same thing."
"Ha, ha."
"What do you think of the band?" Cordelia asked her.
Tara shrugged. "Not really my style."
Cordelia nodded in agreement. "I had tried to get you guys booked for the dance, but Dildos Ate My Baby beat us to it."
Tara laughed. "Dingoes, Cordy, not Dildos."
"Whatever, like there's a difference."
Tara nodded. "There's a big difference. You wouldn't want your partner to shove a dingo up your ass."
Cordelia looked at her in surprise.
Tara shrugged. "Well, most people wouldn't. Some might be into that sort of thing."
Cordelia stared at her.
Tara felt a bit embarrassed. "I'll shut up now."
Cordelia rolled her eyes and continued on her way, leaving Tara standing there alone. Tara watched Ampata and Jonathan dance.
Cordelia found her friend Gwen Ditchik, a girl with long blonde hair. Gwen was dressed in a kimono and a black wig.
Cordelia smiled. "Hey!"
"Where's Sven?" Gwen asked her.
"Ohhh, I keep trying to ditch him. He's like one of those dogs that you leave at the Grand Canyon on vacation? It follows you back across four states."
Suddenly, Sven arrived.
"See?" Cordelia asked Gwen. "My own speechless, human boomerang."
"He's kinda cute. Maybe it's nice skippin' all that small talk."
"Small talk? How 'bout simple instruction?" Cordelia looked at Sven. "Get punchy." She pointed at him. "You! Fruit drinky!"
"He can follow me." Gwen took Sven's hand and led him away.
Back at the Summers house, there was a knock on the front door. Buffy went to the door and opened it. Giles was standing outside.
"Thank heavens you're home." Giles walked in.
"Yup! Not at the dance. Not with my friends. Not with a life." Buffy paused in confusion. "What are you doing here? I thought we were gonna meet at the museum to find the bodyguard."
"No, he's already been found. In a school restroom. Mummified."
"Okay, I don't get it. Why would the mummy kill her own bodyguard?"
"Well, I've cross-referenced, and, uh, I've looked at the pictograms anew. He was a guard, all right. But it was his job to ensure that the mummy didn't awaken and escape."
"So...Ampata translated wrong."
"Perhaps."
Buffy thought for a moment. "Hold on a sec. She was wiggy about the seal from minute one."
"Yes, I suppose she was."
"Her trunks!" Buffy ran up the stairs.
"I beg your pardon?" Giles followed Buffy upstairs.
Buffy ran into her room and dug through the items in Ampata's backpack and suitcase. "Look! What girl wears boys' undies?"
Giles went through Ampata's things. "It's certainly all boys' clothes. Why would a girl pack these?"
Buffy tore open the lock on the trunk and lifted the lid. She nearly vomited. "How 'bout this one? What kind of girl travels with a mummified corpse? And doesn't even pack a lipstick?"
Giles looked. "Dear Lord."
"Tara's with her. I had sent her with her..." Buffy abruptly dashed out of the room and headed downstairs. "If anything happens to her..."
Giles followed her. They went outside. Buffy closed the front door. They walked to Giles' car and Tara's scooter, which were parked on the street.
"I should've guessed. Remember Ampata wanted us to hide the seal?" Buffy asked him.
"And then she wanted us to destroy it becau..." Giles paused. "Oh, wait!"
He didn't say anything.
Buffy was confused. "Uh, waiting..."
"Well, we already know that the seal was used to contain the mummy. If breaking it freed her-"
"-reassembling it will trap her."
"I'll go to the museum. I'll try to piece together the fragments there."
"Okay, I'll get Tara. Oh, and Jonathan. Before he gets smoochy with Mummy Dearest."
At the Bronze, Tara's mind had wandered.
Jonathan came over to her. "Have you seen Ampata?"
Tara looked at him and shrugged.
"What was that?" Jonathan asked her.
"I shrugged."
"Next time, you should probably say 'shrug'." Jonathan walked off.
Gwen and Sven walked by in front of her.
"I thought this exchange student thing would be a great deal. But look what I got stuck with! 'Momento!' 'Punchy fruity drinky!' Is Cordelia even from this country?" Sven asked Gwen.
At the museum, Giles was reading from a book while assembling the seal. "'Incan Cosmology unites the bird head with its paler twin.'" He looked around for the proper piece. "Um..." He found it. "Oh! Here. Its paler twin."
He tried the fit of the piece, and it was a match.
Buffy rode into the parking lot of the Bronze, parked Tara's scooter, took off her helmet, stored it, got off the scooter, and ran into the Bronze.
Buffy searched through the crowd and finally found Tara. "Where's Jonathan?"
"He's looking for Ampata."
"We need to find him. Ampata's the mummy."
Tara frowned. "Oh, shit."
"Where'd they go?" Buffy asked her.
"Backstage, I think."
They rushed off to find Jonathan. They ran backstage and found Jonathan on the floor, leaning against the wall in the hall.
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked him.
"I think so. Boy, that was some kiss!"
"Where's Ampata?" Buffy asked him.
"She said something about the seal."
"The seal! Giles!" Buffy realized. "C'mon."
She and Tara helped him up.
"What's goin' on?" Jonathan asked them.
"He doesn't know?" Tara asked Buffy in surprise.
"We'll tell him on the way."
In the museum, Giles was trying to put the last pieces of the seal together. "There, that's it." He sniffled. "Just one more piece."
Suddenly, Ampata reached around his shoulder from behind and pulled him up. She took the seal from his hand and threw it to the floor, smashing it to pieces. She grabbed him by the neck and lifted him onto the rim of the stone coffin.
Buffy arrived. "I'll say one thing for you Incan mummies."
Ampata looked at her.
"You don't kiss and tell." Buffy made a long, high leap onto the platform and adopted a fighting stance. "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
"Looks like you've been keeping secrets from me!" Ampata shoved Giles into the coffin. "You're not a normal girl."
"And you are?" Buffy asked her.
Buffy did a roundhouse kick to Ampata's face and another kick to her side. She threw a punch, but Ampata was strong, too, and caught Buffy's fist and swung her around onto the rim of the coffin. She grabbed Buffy's neck and tried to choke her. Buffy headbutted Ampata, making her stagger back. She tried to kick, but Ampata ducked it. Buffy lunged for her, and Ampata grabbed her by the shoulder and diverted her into the coffin. She closed the stone lid on the two of them.
Tara came running in as Ampata started to leave.
Ampata grabbed Tara by the neck and picked her up. "This won't hurt!"
Tara began to choke. Ampata moved in to kiss her.
"Let her go!" Jonathan nervously walked in. "If you're gonna kiss anybody, it should be me."
"Jonathan, we can be together." Ampata looked at Tara. "Just...Just let me have this one."
"No. You leave her alone."
"I must do it. I must do it now! Or it is the end for me and for us!" Ampata tried to kiss Tara again.
Jonathan jumped in to stop her. "No!" He pulled Tara away from her. "You want life? You're gonna have to take mine. Can you do that?"
Ampata looked into his eyes as she considered. Her skin had mummified up to her neck. "Yes!"
She grabbed his neck and tried to pull him to her as he held her away by her arms. Tara pulled Ampata away from him and turned her around to face her. Ampata hissed at her and gripped her arms.
Tara held up an omamori and pressed it to Ampata's forehead. "Akuryo Taisan!"
Ampata's skin started burning. Buffy kicked at the lid of the coffin and got it open. Tara kept holding Ampata at bay with her magic and watched as she turned back into a mummy.
Buffy came up behind Ampata and pulled her off Tara. Ampata's grip on Tara's arms was so tight that Ampata's arms were torn from her hands at the wrists. Tara was freaked out and shook the dead hands off herself. Buffy looked at Ampata's body and dropped it, too. The head broke off the body as it hit the floor. Buffy was grossed out and vomited onto the floor.
Tara just stared at what was left, then looked at Jonathan and went over to him. She crouched down next to him. "Thank you. That was really brave of you."
Jonathan was holding his arm and rubbing his shoulder. He looked up at her a moment, then back down at his hands. "Well, I kinda figured, if you died, who's gonna tutor me?"
Tara stared at him in surprise. Jonathan looked up at her and then suddenly laughed. Tara laughed as well. They stood up. Giles was out of the coffin now. The four of them started to go. Giles looked back briefly as they left the exhibit.
Buffy dropped Jonathan off at home, and then she and Tara returned to the Bronze to enjoy what was left of the dance. They walked onto the dance floor, hugged each other, and started dancing.
Cordelia walked by, having a conversation with Gwen on her cell phone. "Gwen, I can't make out a word that you're saying. Don't talk with your mouth full. Just...are you having a good time?"
"Mmmm-hmmm..."
"Good. I'm glad. See ya at school tomorrow."
"Mmm-hmm."
Cordelia ended the call and looked at Buffy and Tara, who were looking back at her.
"What happened to Sven?" Buffy asked Cordelia.
Cordelia shrugged. "Gwen took him home with her. His dick is currently in her mouth."
Buffy smiled. "Go, Gwen."
Cordelia forced a smile. "I'm happy for her. It isn't often that she gets laid." Then she sighed.
Tara looked at her. "Plus you have a boyfriend."
"Theoretically. However, theories require proof."
"Yeah, well..." Tara pointed.
Cordelia looked behind her. Angel was standing in the distance, wearing a white-and-gold charro suit and sombrero.
Cordelia stared at him. "Oh, my God."
Angel walked over to her. "May I have this dance?"
"Uh-huh."
Cordelia and Angel hugged each other and started dancing.
Tara lay her head on Buffy's shoulder, completely content. Buffy hugged her girlfriend and realized just how lucky that she was. It was a good night for both of them.
Chapter 45: Reptile Boy
Chapter Text
"Reptile Boy"
Based on the Episode Written by David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
At the Summers house, at night, Buffy and Tara were hanging out in Buffy's room. They were naked and having a sixty-nine on Buffy's bed. Buffy was on top. Tara had a firm grip on Buffy's ass and was eagerly eating her pussy. Buffy was eating Tara's pussy with equal fervor. On Buffy's computer, "Prologue" by Loreena McKennitt played.
"I'm gonna cum, sweetie!" Tara got out between licks.
"Me, too!" Buffy replied.
Soon, both girls orgasmed and cummed into each other's mouth. They drank deeply of each other.
Tara grinned. "You taste so good, sweetie."
Buffy grinned. "So do you. Do you wanna forty-six now?"
"Forty-six?" Tara asked in confusion.
"Well, this is a sixty-nine, right?" Buffy asked her.
"Yeah."
Buffy lifted herself up a little and crawled back a bit, so her face was over Tara's breasts. She lowered herself onto Tara, took Tara's left nipple between her lips, and started sucking on it. Tara took Buffy's left nipple between her lips and started sucking on it. After a few minutes, Buffy switched to Tara's right nipple, and then Tara switched to Buffy's right nipple. They sucked for a few more minutes. The song had long since ended, but neither of them wanted to get up to put on another one.
Buffy released Tara's nipple. "That was forty-six."
Tara released Buffy's nipple.
Buffy lifted herself up a little. "Scoot down."
Tara scooted down, so her legs hung over the foot of the bed.
Buffy crawled back a bit. "And this...is twenty-three." She kissed Tara on the lips.
Tara parted her lips. Buffy slipped her tongue into Tara's mouth. The two of them french-kissed for a while. Buffy pulled back a bit. Tara stuck her tongue out of her mouth, and Buffy licked it.
Finally, Buffy turned around, lay next to Tara, and hugged her with her right arm. She kissed Tara on the lips and smiled. "Happy Birthday, sweetie."
Tara smiled. "Thanks. And thanks again for the CD."
"You like it?" Buffy asked her.
"Well, I've heard only the first track so far, but yeah."
"I'm glad."
Tara snuggled against Buffy. "This is the best birthday ever. I'm so giddy."
Buffy grinned. "Me, too. I am giddy and up. There's a kinda hush all over Sunnydale. No demons or vampires to slay, I'm here with my love..."
The two girls soon drifted off into a peaceful slumber, perfectly content.
The next day, at Sunnydale High School, Cordelia, Tara, and Buffy walked down the stairs and headed down the hall.
"You dreamed about Angel again?" Tara asked Cordelia.
Cordelia nodded. "Third night in a row."
"What did he do in the dream?" Tara asked her.
"Stuff."
Tara stared at Cordelia, confused. Cordelia smiled wide.
Buffy looked at Tara. "They totally fucked."
Tara got it. "Oh! Stuff! Was it one of those vivid dreams where you could feel his lips and smell his hair?"
Cordelia nodded. "It had surround sound. I'm just thinking about him so much lately."
Tara smiled at Cordelia. "You two are so right for each other. Except for the, uh..." She hesitated.
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Vampire thing."
Tara looked at Buffy. "That doesn't make him a bad person. Necessarily."
Buffy had her doubts. "Remember when he nearly fed on my mom?"
"But he didn't."
Buffy frowned. "Because I showed up and kicked his undead ass."
Cordelia sighed. "I'm brainsick. I can't have a relationship with him."
Tara looked at Cordelia. "Not during the day, but you could ask him for coffee some night."
They stopped walking. Tara and Buffy got a drink at the fountain. The bell rang.
Buffy suddenly remembered. "Oh! I told Giles I'd meet him in the library ten minutes ago! Aw, he won't be upset. There hasn't been much paranormal activity lately." She headed for the library.
Soon, Buffy found herself sitting at the table and being lectured to by Giles as he paced in front of her. She watched him with bored disinterest.
"Just because the paranormal is more normal and less...para of late is no excuse for tardiness or letting your guard down."
"I haven't let my guard down."
"Oh, really? You yawned your way through weapons training last week, you - you - you - you skipped hand-to-hand entirely..." Giles paused. "Are you gonna be prepared, if a demon springs up behind you and does this?"
He swung his arm over her shoulder from behind, but she grabbed it and pulled it behind his back, forcing him to bend over and wince in pain. She had a bored look on her face.
Giles was in pain. "Yeah, well, I'm - I'm not a demon. Which is why you should let go now."
She let him go.
"Thank you." Giles straightened up and rubbed his wrist. "When you live on top of a...a mystical convergence, it's only a matter of time before a fresh hell breaks loose. Now is the time that you should train more strictly, you should hunt and patrol more keenly, you should hone your skills day and night."
"And the little slice of life that still belongs to me from, I don't know, seven to seven-oh-five in the morning, can I do what I want then?" Buffy asked him, angry.
"Buffy, you think I don't know what it's like to be sixteen?"
"No. I think you don't know what it's like to be sixteen. And a girl. And the Slayer."
"Fair enough, no, no, I-I don't."
"Being the Chosen One doesn't exactly do wonders for your social life."
"That's exactly where - where being...different, uh, comes in handy."
"Right! Who needs a social life when you've got your very own Hellmouth?" Buffy asked sarcastically.
"Yes! Y-You - You - You have a duty, a-a-a purpose; y-y-you have a commitment in life. Now, how many people your age can say that?" Giles asked her.
"We talkin' foreign or domestic? How 'bout none?"
Giles had had enough. "Well, here's a hard fact of life: we all have to do things we don't like! And you have hand-to-hand this afternoon and patrol tonight. So I-I suggest you come straight here at the end of - of period six, a-and you get your homework done. And don't dawdle with your friends."
Buffy pouted.
"And - And don't think sitting there pouting is gonna get to me, because it won't."
Buffy gave him her best pouty look.
Giles looked away. "It's not getting to me."
"Get off my ass, Giles!" Buffy exclaimed in frustration.
Giles looked at her in shock. "I beg your pardon."
"I train enough with Tara and the other girls."
"Which I haven't supervised. You haven't allowed me in this...'Slayer School'."
"Because you don't meet the qualifications." Buffy looked down at his pants.
Giles sighed. "Well, how do I know you're learning the proper techniques?"
"I just showed you. Do you want some more proof?" Buffy asked him.
Giles held up his hands defensively. "No. No, that's quite all right."
Buffy stood up and headed for the doors. "You're just going to have to trust me, if you're capable of doing that."
In front of the building, after school, Buffy was sitting on the railing of the stairs to the street.
Tara walked over to her. "What a long day. Aren't you supposed to be doing your homework in the library?"
Buffy took Tara's arm. "Nah. I got out of training. I'll do my homework at...home. I'm hanging with my girlfriend."
Cordelia walked by and bumped into Tara. She continued down the stairs without so much as an acknowledgment. A black BMW pulled up to the curb. The windows were all darkly tinted.
Buffy looked at Tara in concern. "You okay?"
"Yeah."
They both watched Cordelia, who pushed her sunglasses on top of her head as the driver's window lowered.
"Cordelia."
"Hi, Richard. Nice car."
Tom Warner, in the passenger's seat, noticed Buffy sitting on the railing and pointed her out to Richard.
Richard smiled at Cordelia. "So, uh, we're having a little get-together tomorrow night at the house, and it's gonna be a really special evening."
"Oh! I would - I would love - love to go!" Cordelia replied, excited.
"So...who's your friend?" Richard indicated Buffy.
Cordelia looked. "Her? Oh, she's not my friend."
"She's amazing!" Tom exclaimed.
"She's more like a sister, really!" Cordelia immediately clarified. "We're that close."
"Well, why don't you introduce us?" Richard suggested.
Cordelia realized she'd trapped herself. "Okay." She went to get Buffy.
Buffy looked at Tara. "So...you wanna fuck again tonight?"
Cordelia reached for Buffy's hand. "Come on. Richard and his fraternity brother wanna meet you."
"Well, I really don't wanna meet any fraternity boys."
Cordelia pulled her. "And if there was a God, don't you think he'd keep it that way?"
Tara watched in sympathy as Cordelia dragged Buffy away. Cordelia brought Buffy over to Richard and Tom, who had gotten out of the car.
"Hi, sweetheart. I'm Richard. And you are?"
"So not interested." Buffy tried to leave.
Cordelia grabbed Buffy's hand. "Heh, she's such a little comedian."
"What, she likes to play hard to get?" Richard asked her.
Tom looked at him. "No, Richard. I think you're playing easy to resist."
Buffy started to leave again.
Tom paced her. "Uh, feel free to ignore him. I do all the time."
She stopped.
"I'm Tom Warner. I'm a senior at UC Sunnydale, and I...and I just feel like a complete dolt meeting you this way, so...here I stand in all my doltishness."
Tara was within earshot of Buffy and Tom and overheard the conversation.
"I'm Buffy Summers."
"Oh, nice to meet you. Are you a senior here?"
"Junior."
"Oh. I major in history."
"Mm. History stumps me. I have a hard enough time remembering what happened last week."
"No, nothin' happened last week; don't worry, I was there. So, uh, my friend invited your friend to a party we're having this weekend. You know, actually, he's not even really my friend. I only joined the fraternity, because my father and grandpa were in it before me. Y'know, it meant a lot to them. Oh, I know, I talk too much, anyway. They're really dull parties full of really dull people, so...would you like to come and save me from a really dull fate?"
"Oh. No, I'm involved."
"Well, sure, of course, you are. Well, thanks for letting me ramble."
"Y'know, people underestimate the value of a good ramble. Well, bye." Buffy turned to go but stopped and looked at him. "It was nice to meet you."
"Oh. Same here."
Buffy hopped up the stairs and over to Tara. She kissed Tara passionately on the lips. When she ended the kiss, she looked at Tom, who turned and walked away.
Buffy looked at Tara and smiled. "That oughta get 'em off my ass."
Tara smiled. "Good. I don't like sharing your ass."
Buffy strolled through the cemetery at night, keeping a careful watch. Cordelia was tagging along and playing with a stake.
"Buffy, did you lose weight? And your hair..." Cordelia paused. "All right, I respect you too much to be dishonest. The hair's a little..." She smiled widely. "Well, that really isn't the point here, is it? The Delta Zeta Kappas have to have a certain balance at their party, and Richard explained it all to me, but I was so busy really listening that I didn't hear much. Anyway, the deal is they need you to go. And if you don't go, I can't. And I'm talking about Richard Anderson, okay? As in Anderson Farms, Anderson Aeronautics, and Anderson Cosmetics." She sobbed. "Well, you see why I have to go. Buffy, these men are rich. And I am not being shallow. Think of all the poor people I could help with all my money!"
"Don't you already have a boyfriend?" Buffy reminded her.
Cordelia sighed. "Yeah, but-"
Buffy looked at her. "Don't be like that, Cordy. If you don't wanna be with Angel, you should let him know."
Cordelia was frustrated. "But I do wanna be with Angel."
Buffy sighed. "Then don't go to the fucking party!"
Cordelia thought for a moment. "But I wanna go to the fucking party!"
Buffy was about ready to punch Cordelia in the face. She dug her fingernails into her palms.
"Maybe..." Cordelia hesitated. "Maybe we can go, so I can make some connections? It might be useful for a future career or something."
Buffy sighed. "Fine, I'll go."
Cordelia was surprised. "You'll go?" She gave Buffy a huge smile. "Great! I'll drive. Oh, Buffy, it's like we're sisters! With really different hair."
"Uh-huh. You do know I'm a natural brunette, right?" Buffy asked her.
"Oh, I know you're a bottle blonde. I meant my hair's just better overall."
Buffy spotted a bracelet on the ground and bent down to pick it up.
"There's blood on it."
Buffy got up, startled, and faced Angel.
Cordelia faced Angel and smiled." Hi. It's nice to see you."
"Blood?" Buffy asked Angel.
"I can smell it."
"Oh." Buffy looked at the bracelet. "It's pretty thin. It probably belonged to a girl."
"Probably."
Cordelia sighed and rolled her eyes. "I-I was...just thinking...wouldn't it be funny some time to see each other when it wasn't a blood thing." She smiled briefly. "Not funny ha, ha."
"What are you sayin'? You wanna have a date?" Angel asked her.
"No."
Angel was confused. "You don't wanna have a date?"
"Who said 'date'? I-I-I never said 'date'."
"Right. You just wanna have coffee or somethin'."
Cordelia was hopeful. "Coffee?"
"I knew this was gonna happen."
"What? What do you think is happening?" Cordelia asked him.
"You're sixteen years old. I'm two-hundred-forty-one."
"I've done the math."
"You don't know what you're doing; you don't know what you want..."
"Oh. No, I-I think I do. I want out of this conversation." Cordelia started to walk past him.
Angel bumped into her. "Listen, if we date, you and I both know one thing's gonna lead to another."
"One thing already has led to another. You think it's a little late to be reading me a warning label?" Cordelia asked him.
"I'm just tryin' to protect you. This could get outta control."
"Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?" Cordelia asked him.
He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her closer. She drew a startled breath.
"This isn't some fairy tale. When I kiss you, you don't wake up from a deep sleep and live happily ever after."
"No. When you kiss me, I wanna die." Cordelia pulled herself free and ran off.
"Cordy!" Buffy gave Angel a death stare and then ran after her friend.
Buffy and Cordelia went to Buffy's house. Buffy called Tara and invited her over, and then Buffy ordered a large supreme pizza for the three of them. They sat at the dining room table and ate it.
"You're going to the fraternity party?" Tara asked Buffy. "What made you change your mind?"
"Cordy. Talking. Repeatedly."
Cordelia stuck her tongue out at Buffy.
"Also, I wanna keep an eye on her. Those frat guys creep me."
Tara smiled at Buffy. "You wanna protect her."
Buffy smiled back at her.
Tara looked at Cordelia. "So what happened with Angel?"
"Nothing, as usual. A whole lotta nothing with Angel."
"I don't understand. I mean...he likes you. More than likes."
"Angel barely says two words to me. And when he does, he treats me like I'm a child."
Joyce walked into the dining room. "Oh. Hey, girls. What's going on?"
Buffy looked at her. "We're having a girls' night in."
"And you ordered pizza."
Buffy rolled her eyes, picked up the change, and offered it to her mother.
Joyce took the cash. "Good night, ladies."
The three girls looked at her. "Good night."
Joyce went into the living room and went upstairs. The girls resumed eating their pizza.
Tara looked at Buffy. "Oh, you said you were gonna call Mr. Giles."
"Oh, right." Buffy stood up, picked up the bracelet, walked over to the phone, picked up the handset, and called Giles.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Giles, it's me."
"Oh, Buffy. Um, how did patrolling go?"
"I found a bracelet. There's an inscription that reads 'E-N-T'. It's broken in two. I don't know what the rest of the letters might have spelled. And there's blood on it."
"Blood."
"Yeah."
"You should probably make the rounds again tonight, and we should try to figure out who that bracelet belongs to, and - and-"
"No."
"I beg your pardon?"
"We can work on the bracelet, but I'm not going out again tonight. And I'm not available tomorrow night either."
"Why not?"
"Cordelia needs me."
"Buffy, this is a little more important than-"
"I said no. Are we clear?" Buffy asked him.
"Buffy, you're being difficult."
Buffy smiled. "Thank you. Look, I'll take an early pass tomorrow evening and, um, one later on, but for the bulk of the evening-"
"Yes, yes, of course. Well, good night."
"Good night." Buffy ended the call and put down the handset.
She walked back over to the dining room table, sat down, and dropped the bracelet on the table.
Tara picked up the bracelet. "I've seen something like this before."
Cordelia looked at Buffy "Okay, listen up. This isn't about fun. This is about duty - your duty - to help me achieve permanent prosperity. Okay? Dos and don'ts: don't wear black, silk, chiffon, or spandex; these are my trademarks; and don't do that weird thing with your hair."
Buffy was confused. "What weird thing with my-"
"Don't interrupt. Do be interested if someone should speak to you. It may or may not happen, but do be polite. And laugh at the appropriate intervals. Do lie to your mom about where we're going. It's a fraternity, and there will be drinking. And possibly orgies."
Buffy and Tara laughed.
"Makeup, makeup..." Cordelia paused in thought as she studied Buffy's face. "Well, give it your all and keep to the shadows. We're gonna have a blast!" She smiled.
Buffy let her head fall to the table.
The following night, Cordelia drove onto the street in front of the fraternity house and parked in front of another car.
Cordelia looked at Buffy. "Are you ready for this?" She checked her hair.
"I dunno. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."
"Me, too. Let's go!" Cordelia unfastened her seatbelt, unlocked and opened the door, got out of the car, and locked and closed the door. "C'mon!"
Soon, Buffy and Cordelia were inside the fraternity house.
"You know what's so cool about college?" Cordelia asked Buffy. "The diversity. You've got all the rich people and all the other people." She spotted Richard. "Richard!"
"Welcome, ladies." Richard handed them drinks.
Cordelia smiled. "Thank you."
Buffy smiled. "Thank you."
"Have you seen our multi-media room?" Richard asked them.
"Oh, the one with the cherry walnut paneling and the two forty-eight-inch televisions on satellite feed?" Cordelia asked him. "No. Wanna show me?" She smiled.
Richard looked at Buffy. "What about...?"
"Oh, her? She's happiest by herself."
Cordelia and Richard went off and left Buffy standing there by herself. Buffy was bored and lonely and fidgeted with her hands, nearly dropping her glass. She decided to sniff her drink. She stirred it idly for a moment, then thought better of drinking a drink offered to her by a stranger and put it down. She looked around the room at the people dancing.
The dance crowd separated for a moment, and a young man on the other side of the room looked at her. He raised his drink to her. Buffy noticed him but didn't react.
Suddenly, a drunk man started to stagger toward Buffy. "New girl!" He grabbed the young man for balance and pulled him away before he even got his drink to his lips.
"Easy, man!" the young man told him.
"Dance!" the drunk man exclaimed.
Buffy stared at him in wide-eyed surprise when she saw him coming for her.
He laughed and staggered over to her. "C'mon, sweetheart, ha, ha, yeah!"
Tom arrived in the nick of time and took her arm. "Can I have this dance?"
"C'mon!" the drunk man exclaimed.
Tom pulled her away to the dance area just as the drunk man was about to crash into her.
Buffy looked at Tom. "Thanks."
"No. We're not all a bunch of drunken louts. Some of us are sober louts. I'm really glad that you decided to come."
Buffy looked down.
"And you're not."
Buffy looked at him. "Not really, but I have an obligation to my friend."
"You're big on responsibility. I like that. But there's such a thing as being too mature. You should relax. Enjoy yourself once in a while."
"You think I'm too mature?"
Tom chuckled. "I talk too much. Have you picked up on that yet? Anyway, the, uh, the Hulk is gone, so you don't have to dance with me."
"'Kay." Buffy pulled away from him.
"Ouch."
Buffy strolled out of the house alone, onto the patio. It was chilly, and she rubbed her arms a bit and crossed them. She stepped on a piece of glass and looked down. There were several small pieces there, and she crouched to pick one up. She looked up above her and noticed the door to the balcony had been boarded up. She stood back up.
"You okay?"
Buffy dropped the piece of glass, startled, and looked at Tom. "Yeah. I was...just thinking."
Richard came outside and handed them both drinks. "To my Argentinean junk bonds that just matured into double digits!"
Tom nodded. "Uh, to maturity."
"What the hell? I'm tired of being mature." Buffy gulped the drink.
The two boys raised their eyebrows and drank theirs also.
Tara was sitting at her desk in her bedroom at home, talking with Giles on the phone. They were playing word games, trying to figure out what the word on the bracelet might be.
Tara typed the words as they thought of them. "Bent."
"Sent."
"Rent."
"Uh, Lent. Dent."
"Went. Kent." Tara realized something. "Kent! That's it!"
"Her boyfriend's name was Kent?"
"No! Kent Preparatory School. Just outside of town. That's where I've seen these bracelets." Tara Alt+Tabbed to Netscape Navigator and started typing. "I'm pulling up their school newsletter for the past few months. See if there's anything about-"
"A missing girl."
The most recent issue of the newsletter had a picture of a girl with long brown hair on the front page. The title of the article read "Callie Our Hearts & Prayers Are With You".
"Callie Megan Anderson. Missing for over a week. No one's seen her; no one knows what happened to her. This being Sunnydale and all, I guess we can rule out something good."
"I'm calling Buffy."
"She's with Cordy. Anyway, there's no point in disturbing them until we know more." Tara turned her attention back to her PC.
Some more information came up.
"Like...if there're others. Brittany Oswald, junior at St. Michael's, disappeared a year ago. So did Kelly Percell, sophomore at Grant."
"A year."
"Almost to the day."
"An anniversary or perhaps some other event significant to the killer."
"Killer? Now there's a killer?" Tara asked him, worried. "We don't know that there's a-"
"No, but this being Sunnydale and all." Giles sighed. "We need to know where Buffy found that bracelet, and then we can begin our search there."
"Good idea. Call Angel. He was there when Buffy found it. We're gonna need all the help we can get."
Buffy was at the front door of the fraternity house. She was woozy from the drink and steadied herself against the wall. Buffy made her way over to the stairs. She knocked down a drink but couldn't react fast enough to catch it. Through hazy eyes and a wobbly head, she slowly started to make her way up the stairs to find a place to rest.
Once upstairs, Buffy pushed open a bedroom door, walked in, and bumped into a sculpture. "Ooh! Ooh, sorry..." She steadied herself and headed for the bed. "Okay." She crawled onto the bed. "Nice bed. Just need to stop spinning for at least..."
She lay down and fell asleep.
Chapter Text
Cordelia woke up and found herself shackled to a wall. Buffy and another girl were also shackled to the wall.
"Buffy? Where the fuck are we?" Cordelia asked.
"In the basement, far as I can tell."
"What's happening? What did they do to us?" Cordelia asked her.
"They drugged us."
"Why? What are they gonna do to us?"
"I don't know."
"I wanna go home."
"No one's going home. Ever. Look, one of them's different than the others." Callie Anderson looked at Tom. "Nicer."
Buffy looked at him. "Tom."
Richard finished carving symbols into Tom's body. He got up and turned to the girls. Two other guys helped Tom on with his robe.
Callie stared at Tom. "He's the one to watch out for."
Buffy shook her chain a bit and looked up where it was anchored.
Tom looked at her. "She's last."
"Last? For what?" Cordelia asked.
Tom walked over to the well and picked up a bag.
"Who's first?! Answer me! Who's first?!" Cordelia yelled.
Tom let three stones drop out of the bag and into his hand.
"Three stones." Buffy looked at Cordelia and Callie. "Three of us."
Cordelia began to panic. "Buffy..."
"Stay calm. We'll get outta this."
Tom poured water over the stones.
"Why'd I ever let you talk me into coming here?" Cordelia asked Buffy.
Buffy couldn't believe her ears. Tom was done with his stone-cleansing ritual and faced the girls. He stared at Buffy.
Giles had set up a conference call between himself, Tara, and Angel.
"She found the bracelet in the cemetery. Near the south wall."
"South wall."
"South wall." Tara paused and thought for a moment. "That's near the university and...the fraternity house!"
"A fraternity?" Giles asked.
"Yeah."
"Could they be taking these girls?" Angel asked.
"Yeah."
"Let's get out there!" Angel exclaimed.
"Buffy!" Tara suddenly exclaimed.
"W-W-We don't know that it's concrete. Uh, let's not disturb her until-"
"Is there! With Cordelia. They went to a party at the Zeta Kappa house."
"What?" Giles asked in disbelief.
"Did...Cordy have a date?" Angel asked.
Tara wasn't sure how to respond. "Well..."
Angel huffed.
"Well, why do you think she went to that party?" Tara asked him. "Because you gave her the brush-off."
Angel was speechless.
"Anyway, we've gotta help Buffy. I'll meet you guys there." Tara ended the call, put down the handset, stood up, and hurried out of her bedroom, grabbing her keys on the way.
In the basement, the ritual was continuing.
Tom was standing on the basement stairs, holding a sword. "Machida." He started down the stairs.
"In his name!" the fraternity brothers replied.
"We who serve you, we who receive all that you bestow, call upon you in this holy hour."
"In this holy hour!"
Tom turned to walk toward Richard, holding the sword horizontally in both hands. "We have no wealth, no possession...except that which you give us."
"Except that which you give us!" the brothers exclaimed.
Tom placed the sword on Richard's arms. "We have no power, no place in the world...except that which you give us."
"Except that which you give us."
Richard hugged the sword to his chest, crossing his hands over his heart.
"What are they, some kind of cult or something?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, a psycho cult."
Cordelia looked at her. "You've gotta do something."
"It's been a year since our last offering." Richard lowered the sword and rested the tip on the floor. "A year in which our bounty overflowed. We come before you with fresh offerings."
"Offerings? He's talking about us?" Cordelia asked.
Callie looked at her. "Do you see anyone else chained up in here?"
"Accept our offering, Dark Lord, and bless us with your power. Machida!"
"Machida!"
Tom tossed the stones into the well at the center of the basement, one at a time.
Cordelia was frightened. "What's down there?"
"Come forth and let your terrible countenance look upon your servants and their humble offering. We call you, Machida."
"In his name. Machida."
Cordelia looked at Buffy. "There's something down there, and he's gonna throw us down there with it."
"I don't think so."
"No? Well, that's good! That-That's-"
"I don't think we go to it. I think it comes to us."
Cordelia was terrified. "Ooohhhhhhh! No!"
Tom looked up, awaiting Machida's arrival. Suddenly, Machida rose out of the well. It was half-man, half-snake, green, and scaly.
"Oh, my God!" Cordelia screamed.
Machida growled as he looked at the girls. Cordelia kept screaming at the top of her lungs. Buffy stared at Machida in wide-eyed horror and then tried to yank her chains from the ceiling.
"C'mon, Buffy! Oh, my God! Oh, c'mon! Oh!" Cordelia yelled.
Machida remained stationary and spread his arms.
"For he shall rise from the depths, and we shall tremble before him. He who is the source of all we inherit and all we possess. Machida."
"Machida."
"And if he is pleased with our offerings, then our fortune shall increase."
"Machida. Let our fortunes increase."
"And on the eighteenth day of the tenth month, he shall be enhungered. And we shall feed him."
Machida gazed over at the girls.
"Feed him?" Cordelia asked.
Machida rose before her.
"Feed him?!" Cordelia repeated.
Buffy renewed her efforts to break the chains from the ceiling.
"Oh, no!" Cordelia cried.
Machida closed in on Cordelia, and she screamed.
"Hey, reptile boy!" Buffy yelled.
Machida looked at her.
"No woman speaks to him!" Tom yelled, angry.
Buffy smiled. "You don't want her. Look at her. She's all skin and bones. A half-hour later, you'll be hungry."
Tom came over to Buffy. "I told you to shut up!" He backhand-punched her and held up his sword. "You speak again, and I'll cut your throat."
Outside, Tara, Angel, and Giles walked through the bushes from the street to the lawn.
Tara looked around. "Looks like everyone's gone. I think Buffy's still inside somewhere with Cordelia. Her car's still here."
They looked up at the house and walked up to it. Tara stepped up to the door and knocked. There was no answer. Tara backed up a bit and then kicked the door open. She ran into the house.
A guy that was standing inside started yelling.
Tara ran at him and shoved him against the wall. "Where are they?!" She punched him in the face and knocked him down.
Angel came in behind her and punched out another guy. Giles followed them in.
In the basement, two brothers unchained Cordelia and held her.
"Something's going on upstairs." Tom looked at the brothers. "Go. Go!"
Several of them rushed upstairs to see what was going on. Buffy looked up at her chains again, then back at Machida.
"Feed, Dark Lord!" Tom exclaimed.
Machida rose above Cordelia, then moved in to take her from the brothers' grip. She screamed loudly and struggled. Buffy yanked hard at her chains again, and they finally broke loose from the ceiling. She quickly stepped over to Machida and punched him in the face. He pulled back away from them, holding the side of his face. Buffy started fighting the brothers. Tom took a swing at her with his sword.
Upstairs, Angel threw a brother to the floor. Tara jumped over him, ran to the basement door, and went in. Giles struggled with a door. A brother tried to grab him from behind, but he elbow-punched him and knocked him out.
Tara ran back out of the basement. "Some guy's attacking Buffy with a sword! Also, there's a really big fucking snake!"
Angel punched another brother and sent him reeling into the sill of an opening in the wall.
"Guys! Buffy! Snake! Basement! Now!" Tara yelled.
She headed back into the basement as the others jumped to follow. Angel punched out a brother who was giving chase.
"You bitch!" Tom yelled at Buffy. "I'll serve you to him in pieces."
He attacked her with the sword, but she caught the blade in her chains, threw a loop of it around his neck, and pulled him in.
"Tom, you talk too much. Be a good little boy and shut the fuck up." Buffy shoved him away.
He rolled over a table, knocking everything off it. Machida grabbed Cordelia and started to drag her away as the others came down the stairs.
Buffy picked up the sword and jumped up onto the edge of the well. She held the sword above her head, ready to strike. "Let her go, wormy!"
Machida didn't heed her warning and continued to hold onto Cordelia, so Buffy wielded back the sword and slashed it into him. He dropped Cordelia and reared back, screaming in pain. A moment later, he dropped to the floor, dead. Buffy made a face at the grossness of it. Tara walked down the rest of the steps and went over to free Callie. Buffy walked down to look at what was left of Machida. Giles was behind her. Angel helped Cordelia up.
"You did it! You saved us!" Cordelia grabbed Angel in a tight hug and kissed him passionately on the lips. "I've never been so happy to see anyone in my whole..." She suddenly stopped and let go. "You guys." She started crying. "I just...hate you guys! The weirdest shit always happens when you're around!"
Angel brought Tom over.
Cordelia grabbed him by the shirt. "And you! You're going to jail for fifteen-thousand years!" She let go of him and started up the stairs.
Angel shoved Tom up the stairs ahead of him. Giles put his fists on his hips and gave Buffy a stern look. Buffy shrugged it off.
"You lied to me. You were very nearly devoured by a giant demon snake. The words 'let that be a lesson' are a tad redundant at this juncture."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh, bite me. I didn't lie to you. I said Cordelia needed me, which was true; I came to keep an eye on her. And I won, didn't I?"
Giles sighed. "I'm sorry. I...I drive you too hard, because I-I know what you have to face. From now on, no - no more pushing, no more prodding. Just, uh, an inordinate amount of nudging."
Buffy smiled at him and then started up the stairs. Tara, Callie, and Giles followed.
Later that night, at the Bronze, Jonathan Levinson was at the bar, anxiously waiting for a large cup of cappuccino. "C'mon, hurry!"
"Here you go." The barmaid handed him the large cup and saucer.
He took it and a plate with a muffin over to Cordelia.
"Thank you, Jonathan." Cordelia looked at the cappuccino. "Did we forget something?"
"Um...cinnamon, chocolate, half-caf, nonfat."
Cordelia just looked at him.
Jonathan realized his mistake. "Extra foam!"
Cordelia grabbed the muffin and waved the cappuccino away. She stepped over to Tara, Callie, and Buffy at their table. "Young men are the only way to go." She sat down.
Callie looked at Buffy. "So...do you do this often? Fight giant snakes, I mean."
"Well, the snake was a new one, but I've fought vampires, a witch, a giant praying mantis..." Buffy shrugged. "I pretty much do it all. Call me Buffy the Everything Slayer."
"You're amazing." Callie sipped her Pepsi. "Well, I'm sorry for all of the shit that my older brother put you through. He's a dick. I'm glad he's behind bars."
Buffy smiled at her. "Y'know, I could teach you to fight like that...if you're interested in learning."
Callie smiled at her. "I'd like that."
Tara looked at Cordelia. "Have you heard from Angel?"
"Not since we left the frat house."
"He got so mad about you being in danger. How many guys can-"
Angel came down the stairs and over to their table. "Cordy."
Cordelia looked at him. "Angel."
"I hear this place, uh, serves coffee. I thought maybe you and I should get some. Sometime. If you want."
Cordelia permitted herself a bit of a smile. "Yeah. Sometime. I'll let you know."
Angel eyed her suspiciously. Cordelia looked away with a smile on her face.
Chapter 47: Halloween
Chapter Text
"Halloween"
Based on the Episode Written by Carl Ellsworth
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
At Pop's Pumpkin Patch, Buffy landed flat on her back on top of a pumpkin on the ground aglow with a candle. She looked up at the vampire that just threw her and saw him coming toward her. She grabbed a squash lying on the ground behind her and threw it at him, hitting him in the forehead. She followed it up with a pumpkin. The vampire staggered back a few steps. Buffy hopped back to her feet. She pulled a stake out of her shirt and launched it at him. He grabbed the scarecrow and pulled it over in front of him, so the stake impaled it instead. He shoved the scarecrow aside and came at her with a roundhouse kick. They started fighting hand-to-hand.
A few hits later, the vampire knocked Buffy into the hay wagon. She held onto the side of the wagon and kicked the vampire to the ground. She turned around with her back to the wagon and grabbed the railing as the vampire got back up. She raised her legs and grabbed the vampire's head in a scissor hold. She twisted her body and flipped him over sideways onto the ground. Stepping away from the wagon, she spied the sign counting off the days until Halloween and then looked down at the vampire. He tried to grab for her legs, so she jumped over him and somersaulted to the countdown sign. She pulled it out of the ground and swung it at his legs as he came for her, knocking them out from under him. She raised the sign and jammed the end of the signpost into his chest. The vampire fell to the ground, dead. Buffy left the sign stuck in him and walked out of the pumpkin patch.
At the Bronze, Cordelia spotted Angel sitting alone at a table, looking very bored. A huge spider web and other Halloween decorations adorned the staircase behind him.
Cordelia walked over to his table. "I know. Is the Bronze so not happening? Or what?" She set down her drink and sat down.
Angel smiled. "Hi."
Cordelia smiled. "Hi!"
"I'm waiting for the band to start."
Cordelia grinned. "Great! We're waiting for Buffy, but she's nowhere to be seen. It's like she thinks being in a band gives her an obligation to flake."
Angel smiled at the joke.
Buffy walked in, looked around, and saw Angel at the table with Cordelia, laughing.
"So I told Devon, 'You call that leather interior? My Barbie Dream Car had nicer seats!'"
Cordelia and Angel both laughed.
Buffy walked over to the table. "Hey. Sorry I'm late. Slayer shit."
Cordelia waved her away. "Whatever. As long as you made it."
Angel reached up to Buffy's hair and pulled out a piece of straw.
Buffy was embarrassed but smiled. "Hey, it's a look. A seasonal look."
Cordelia stood up and looked at her. "Buffy. Love the hair. It just screams street urchin." She went to the bar.
Angel rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to her. Please. You look fine."
Buffy shrugged.
Cordelia came back. "Cappuccino?" She held the cup up to Angel.
Angel looked at her and then at the cappuccino. He took it. "Thanks."
Cordelia sat back down at the table and waved Buffy away again. Buffy walked onto the stage, where her bandmates had already set everything up.
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "Hey. How'd it go?"
"Good. Are we all settled on this song?" Buffy asked her.
Tara nodded. "Uh-huh."
"Because it's set in spring."
"Yeah, but remember when we had cheerleader tryouts and a delayed basketball season this past spring, due to deaths?" Tara asked her. "This town is used to things occurring out of season."
Buffy smiled. "Good point."
They went through a sound check and sorted out everyone's parts. Buffy looked at her bandmates for a signal. They nodded to her.
Buffy faced the audience and turned on her microphone. "Good evening. We're Buffy and the Slayerettes. Thank you all for coming. We hope you enjoy."
Cordelia took Angel's hand and stood up. Angel stood up. They walked onto the dance floor and held each other close. Tara kicked off the song on her keyboard. Buffy came in with her guitar. Katrina added her bass guitar. Amy added a drum beat. Buffy sang the first verse. Tara sang the second verse. Amy sang the third verse. All four of them sang the chorus and the various "Ooh" sounds.
"When in the springtime of the year,
When the trees are crowned with leaves,
When the ash and oak and the birch and yew,
Are dressed in ribbons fair,
When owls call the breathless moon
In the blue veil of the night,
The shadows of the trees appear
Amidst the lantern light."
"We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day.
Now returning back again,
We bring a garland gay."
"Who will go down to the shady groves
And summon the shadows there
And tie a ribbon on those sheltering arms
In the springtime of the year?
The songs of birds seem to fill the wood
That, when the fiddler plays,
All their voices can be heard
Long past their woodland days."
"We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day.
Now returning back again,
We bring a garland gay."
"And so they linked their hands and danced
'Round in circles and in rows,
And so the journey of the night descends
When all the shades are gone.
A garland gay we bring you here,
And at your door we stand.
It is a sprout well budded out,
The work of our Lord's hand."
"We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day.
Now returning back again,
We bring a garland gay."
"We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day.
Now returning back again,
We bring a garland gay."
The audience cheered and applauded.
The next day, at Sunnydale High School, sign-ups were being taken for the volunteer safety program for Halloween. Principal Snyder took one of the clipboards and looked around the hall. He grabbed the next girl that walked by and pulled her aside.
"Hey!" the girl yelled.
"You're volunteering." Snyder held out the clipboard and pen to her.
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina witnessed this as they came in from the other hall.
"But I have to get to class."
Snyder just shrugged. The team walked past him.
Amy frowned. "Snyder must be in charge of the volunteer safety program for Halloween this year."
Tara frowned. "Note his interesting take on the volunteer concept."
"What's the deal?" Buffy asked them.
They reached Tara's locker, and she worked the combination.
Katrina looked at Buffy. "Oh, a bunch of little kids need people to take them trick-or-treating. Sign up and get your own pack of sugar-hyped little runts for the night."
Buffy was filled with fear. "Yikes. I'll stick to vampires."
Snyder put his hand on her shoulder, and she spun around to face him.
"Miss Summers. Just the juvenile delinquent I've been looking for."
"Principal Snyder!"
"Halloween must be a big night for you. Tossing eggs, keying cars, bobbing for apples, one pathetic cry for help after another." Snyder led her to the sign-up table. "Well, not this year, missy."
Tara, Amy, and Katrina went and stood behind her.
Buffy smiled at Snyder. "Goddamn, I'd love to sign up, but I recently developed carpal tunnel syndrome and can tragically no longer hold a flashlight."
Snyder held up the clipboard and pen. "The program starts at six; the children have to be back at eight. Remember, costumes are mandatory."
Buffy reluctantly grabbed the pen and clipboard and signed herself up. Snyder held pens out to Tara, Amy, and Katrina, too. They looked at him, begging not to be put through this. Tara gave in and took a pen. Amy and Katrina followed. Buffy offered the clipboard to them, and they signed up. Then the four girls walked away, upset.
Katrina sighed. "I can't believe this. We have to get dressed up and the whole deal?"
Amy nodded. "Snyder said costumes were mandatory."
Buffy sighed. "Great. I was gonna stay in and veg. The one night a year things are supposed to be quiet for me."
Tara looked at her in surprise. "Halloween quiet? Oh, I figured it'd be a big night for vampires."
Buffy shook her head. "Not according to Giles. He swears that tomorrow night is, like, dead for the undead. They stay in."
Giles came out of the library. "Buffy!"
Buffy looked at him.
"Excellent! Yes, I-I just wanted to talk to you about tomorrow night. As it should be, uh, calm, you might work on some new battle techniques."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "You're beginning to scare me, Giles. You need to have some fun. You know, there's this place you can go, right, and you sit in the dark, and there are these moving pictures, right, and the pictures tell a story."
"Yes, yes, ha, ha, very droll. I'll have you know that I have very, uh, many relaxing hobbies."
"Such as?" Buffy asked him.
"Well, um..." Giles paused in thought. "I enjoy cross-referencing."
"Do you stuff your own shirts, or do you send them out?" Buffy asked, completely misunderstanding him.
Giles looked at her in confusion.
After school, Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina went to Ethan's Costume Shop, a new pop-up business in town, to shop for costumes. The store was full of mothers with their kids looking for Halloween costumes. Buffy was handling a plastic pumpkin when it suddenly lit up and screamed. She quickly put it back on the counter. Tara came over to her.
Buffy looked at her. "What'd you get?"
Tara held up a revealing fairy costume.
Buffy smiled. "Ooh! Sexy fairy!"
Amy walked over to them, holding a bag.
Tara looked at her. "What'd you get, Ames?"
Amy pulled a toy military rifle out of her bag and held it up for Tara to see.
Buffy was confused. "That's not a costume."
Amy looked at her. "I got fatigues from an Army surplus closer to home. Call me the Two-Dollar Costume Queen, baby!"
She smiled at Tara. Tara smiled back. Katrina walked over to them, holding a bag.
"What'd you get, Trina?" Amy asked her.
Katrina pulled a white lab coat and a pair of glasses out of her bag. "Sexy scientist." She looked at Buffy. "What about you, Buff?"
"I haven't decided yet." Buffy suddenly noticed a costume. She slowly started walking over to it: a frilly, red, billowy eighteenth-century gown. "Look at this."
Tara smiled. "It's amazing."
Buffy felt the dress. "Musta been wonderful. Put on some fantabulous gown and go to a ball like a princess...and have horses and servants...and yet more gowns."
Katrina stared at the dress. "Yeah, if you don't mind living back in the Suck Times, when there was no Discovery Science Network, and women weren't able to pursue meaningful careers."
Buffy frowned. "Thank you, Trina."
Ethan came over to them. "Please, let me." He took the dress off its dressmaker's mannequin.
Buffy was nervous. "Oh, i-it's-"
"Magnificent. Yes, I know. There." Ethan held it up to her in a mirror. "My. Meet the hidden princess. I think we found a match. Don't you?"
Buffy looked at Ethan. "Oh, uh, I-I'm sorry. There's no way I could ever afford this."
"Oh, nonsense. I feel quite moved to make you a deal you can't refuse."
Buffy looked back into the mirror, took the dress from Ethan, and smiled dreamily as she held it up to her chin.
The next afternoon, in Buffy's room, Buffy was at her long mirror, wearing her gown and a long, black wig. She put on the second of a pair of earrings. Tara was in the bathroom, changing.
Buffy turned to the bathroom door. "Okay, Tara, come out. I want to see my sexy fairy girlfriend."
Tara opened the door and walked out wearing black knee-high boots; a short, black leather skirt; a burgundy, long-sleeved, V-necked, midriff-baring top; and translucent plastic wings. She walked into Buffy's bedroom.
Buffy smiled. "Wow! You're a dish!"
Tara smiled. "You like?"
"Yeah. Close the door."
Tara kicked the door closed behind her. Buffy put her hands on Tara's shoulders and gently pushed her back against the door. Then she dropped to her knees and lifted Tara's skirt. To her delight, Tara wasn't wearing panties. Buffy grinned and kissed Tara's pussy. Tara put her hands on Buffy's head and ran her fingers through Buffy's hair, enjoying the oral sex that Buffy had by now become so proficient in providing. Buffy licked and ate Tara's pussy eagerly, savoring her wetness. Eventually, Tara had a pleasant orgasm, letting out moans from her mouth and cum from her pussy. Buffy drank all of the cum, quenching her thirst. Buffy stood up and kissed Tara on the lips. They lazily french-kissed for a while until...
The doorbell rang.
Buffy broke the kiss. "Fuck! That's them. Are you ready?"
"Yeah. Just give me a moment to catch my breath." Tara stepped aside.
Buffy opened the door, walked into the hall, went down the stairs, looked through the peephole, and opened the door. Amy and Katrina entered the house, wearing their costumes.
Amy saluted with her toy rifle in her hand. "Private Madison reporting for doody!"
Buffy laughed.
Tara walked downstairs. "Hi."
"Ready to head out?" Katrina asked.
Buffy sighed. "Yeah. Let's get this over with."
At the school, children were arriving in costume to be taken trick-or-treating. Buffy was standing in the hall by the stairs, holding a clipboard, waiting for her charges.
Snyder brought them to her. "This is your group, Summers. No need to speak to them. The last thing they need is your influence. Just bring them back in one piece, and I won't expel you." He started to leave.
Buffy bent down to the kids. "Hi."
"Uh-uh!"
Buffy straightened back up and rolled her eyes.
Cordelia came into the hall, wearing a tight-fitting catsuit, and walked up to Daniel Osbourne, the lead guitarist of Dingoes Ate My Baby, who was checking his guitar at his locker.
"Oz. Oz."
Oz looked up at her. "Hey, Cordelia. Jeez, you're like a great big cat."
"It's my costume. Are you guys playing tonight?"
"Yeah, at the Shelter Club."
"I might stop by, if there's enough time left in the evening."
"Thanks?" Oz guessed, confused.
Cordelia turned and walked off. Tara walked down the hall in her fairy costume.
Oz turned around and bumped right into her. "Oh! I'm sorry."
"Sorry."
Tara and Oz continued down the hall on their separate ways.
Amy was briefing her group. She got them all lined up and standing at attention. "Okay, on sleazing extra candy: tears are key. Tears will normally get you the double-bagger. You can also try the old 'you missed me' routine, but it's risky. Only go there for chocolate. Understood?"
They all nodded their heads.
"Okay, troops." Amy turned and faced down the hall.
The kids followed her lead.
"Let's move out."
Nearby, Katrina observed the situation. "She's way too into character." She looked at her group of kids. "C'mon, everyone!"
The kids happily followed Katrina.
Out on the streets, Buffy's group was coming back from a house. They walked by a student, dressed as a vampire, escorting a group of kids.
Buffy crouched down to see what her kids got. "What did Mrs. Davis give you?"
They all pulled out toothbrushes.
"She must be stopped. Let's hit one more house." Buffy got up. "We still have a few more minutes before I need to get you back."
A wind began to blow. Buffy sensed something wasn't quite right.
Elsewhere, Tara followed her charges along the porch to the front door of a house. One of the kids, wearing a green monster mask on his head, rang the bell and stepped back. An old lady opened the door. The kid with the mask pulled it down over his face.
"Trick-or-treat!" the kids exclaimed.
The lady smiled. "Oh, my goodness, aren't you adorable!" She looked into her empty candy bucket. "Oh, dear! Am I all out? I could've sworn I had more candy."
The kid wearing a red rubber cap with horns morphed into a horned, red-skinned monster.
"I'm sorry, Mister Monster." The lady bent down. "Maybe I-"
The kid with the green mask had changed into a monster also and grabbed the lady by the neck and began to choke her. The other kids screamed and ran away.
"No! Let her go!" Tara yelled.
The red monster attacked the green one, and he let go of the lady. The two monsters were at each other's throats.
"Stop! What're you doing?!" Tara yelled.
The lady ran into the house and slammed the door shut.
"Stop! Hey!" Tara tried to pull them apart.
The two monsters kept fighting.
Elsewhere on the same street, Amy and Katrina were standing around, watching all of the parents and children running around them. Things were being thrown, and windows were being broken.
Amy and Katrina jerked back, feeling like they'd just been hit by something. Amy bent over slightly, looked down, and lowered her toy rifle. Slowly, she straightened back up and surveyed the scene around her. She raised her rifle again and cradled the fully automatic M-16 in her hands. She shouldered the weapon and spun around, scanning for a target. When she didn't immediately find one, she took the rifle from her shoulder and held it ready. Ignoring her and standing behind a tree, Katrina adjusted her glasses and took in the surrounding chaos in wonder.
Back on the porch, Tara suddenly felt the wings on her back - actually felt them. Her wings started flapping, and she rose into the air.
"Omigoddess! I'm a real fairy!" Tara suddenly grinned in delight. "Fucking cool!"
She heard automatic rifle fire and turned to look, suddenly landing on her feet with a thud.
"Amy?" Tara ran out into the street and came up behind Amy. "Amy!"
Amy spun around and pointed her M-16 at her.
Tara raised her hands, frightened. "It's me, Tara!"
"I don't know any Tara."
"Amy, quit fucking around. This is no time for jokes." Tara suddenly came to a realization. "Oh, shit."
"What the fuck's going on here?" Amy asked.
Katrina was taking in the situation and walked over to them. "Clearly, this is mass hysteria, perhaps the result of an airborne hallucinogen."
"You don't know me?" Tara asked Amy.
Amy lifted the rifle away from her. "I suggest you find cover." She started walking past her.
Tara got in front of her. "No, wait!"
Amy walked around her. Tara flew into the air and lowered herself in front of her.
Amy pointed her weapon at her again. "What are you?"
"Amy, listen to me. I'm on your side, I swear! Something crazy is happening. I was dressed as a fairy for Halloween, a-and now I am a fairy. And you were supposed to be a soldier, and now I-I-I guess you're a real soldier."
"You expect me to believe that?" Amy asked her.
A monster appeared across the street, growling. Amy pointed her rifle at it. It ran away.
Tara flew in front of her. "No! No guns! That's still a little kid in there!"
"Step out of the way!" Amy told her.
"No guns! That's an order!" Tara yelled back.
Amy lowered the rifle.
"We just need to find..." Tara looked around and saw her. "Buffy!"
Tara ran across the street, over to Buffy. Amy and Katrina followed.
"Buffy! Are you okay?" Tara asked her.
The monster was back with a friend, and they both roared as they approached.
Amy shouldered her M-16 again and took aim. "This could be a situation."
"Buffy, what do we do?" Tara asked.
Buffy fainted and fell to the ground. Amy fired off a couple dozen rounds at the approaching monsters. They turned and ran. Amy lowered her rifle. Tara kneeled beside Buffy, who was lying against a tree.
"Buffy, are you all right?" Tara asked.
"What?" Buffy asked, slowly waking up.
"Are you hurt?" Amy asked.
"Buffy, are you hurt?" Tara asked.
Buffy sat up, confused. "Buffy?"
Tara looked at Amy and Katrina. "She's not Buffy."
"Who's Buffy?" Amy and Katrina asked.
"Oh, this is fun." Tara looked at Buffy. "What year is this?"
Tara took Buffy's hand and helped her up.
"1775, I believe." Buffy was confused and hyperventilating. "I-I don't understand. Who are you?"
Tara smiled sadly. "We're friends."
"F-Friends of whom? Y-Your dress..." Buffy looked around. "Everything is strange! How did I come to be here?"
"Breathe, okay? Breathe. You're gonna faint again." Tara looked at Amy and Katrina. "How are we supposed to get through this without the Slayer?"
"What's a Slayer?" Amy and Katrina asked.
A monster came around the tree behind Buffy and roared, fangs bared and claws raised to attack. Buffy screamed and backed off. Tara got in front of her to protect her.
Amy jumped in and whacked the monster across the face with the butt of her rifle, knocking it down and out. "I suggest we get inside before we come across anything-"
"A demon! A demon! A demon!" Buffy screamed, clutching Tara in fear.
A sport utility vehicle came driving down the street with its headlights on.
Tara looked at Buffy. "That's not a demon. It's a car."
"What does it want?" Buffy asked her.
"Is she insane?" Amy asked Tara.
Tara looked at her. "She's never seen a car."
"She's never seen a car?" Amy asked in disbelief.
"She's from the past."
"And you're a fairy."
"Yes! Now, let's get inside."
"I just want you to know that I'm taking a lot on faith here. Where do we go?" Amy asked her.
Tara thought. "Where's the closest...?" She made a decision. "We can go to a friend's."
Chapter Text
Amy opened the door and scanned the kitchen of the Summers' house. "All clear!" She walked inside.
Tara walked in. "Hello? Mrs. Summers?"
There was no response.
Tara shrugged. "I guess she's gone."
Buffy and Katrina walked in. Amy closed the door.
"Where are we?" Buffy asked Tara.
"Your place. Now, we just need to-"
There was a banging at the front door. Amy went to investigate, and Katrina, Tara, and Buffy followed.
"Don't open it!" Tara told Amy.
Amy briefly looked at her. "Could be a civilian."
"Or a mini demon."
Buffy noticed a picture on a table and went over to look. She picked it up and saw it was of her wearing a spaghetti strap top. She turned around as Tara came over to her.
"This..." Buffy paused. "This could be me."
"It is you. Buffy, can't you remember at all?" Tara asked her.
"No! I-I don't understand any of this! Uh, uh, th...this is some other girl!" Buffy put the picture back. "I would never wear this, that low apparel, and I don't like this place, and I don't like you, and I just wanna go home!"
"You are home!" Tara told her.
Buffy was practically in tears. Tara hugged her. Buffy started to resist but felt a sense of comfort in Tara's arms and slowly calmed down.
"Do you see anything?" Katrina asked Amy.
Amy scanned the outside through one of the small windows in the door. She moved away just as a monster punched through the glass and reached for her. It pulled its hand back as Amy raised her M-16.
"Not a civilian!" Tara told her.
"Affirmative!" Amy took aim through the broken portal.
"Hey! What did I say?!" Tara asked her.
Amy let loose a volley of bullets. Tara winced at the noise. Buffy bowed her head and covered her ears. Tara hugged her tightly. Katrina stared at Amy in awe. Amy rolled away from the door when she'd finished her burst.
"Big noise scare monster, remember?" Amy asked Tara.
Tara nodded. "Got it."
They heard a woman screaming outside.
Amy looked out again. "Shit!" She opened the door and went out to rescue whomever it was, pulling the door closed behind her.
Katrina shook her head in wonder. "What a woman."
Tara and Buffy walked over and watched through the window.
Outside, Cordelia screamed as she ran from a sasquatch. "Somebody help me!" She looked back at the monster chasing her and screamed. When she turned back around again, she ran into Amy. "Amy! Help me!"
"Come inside!" Amy took her by her elbow and led her to the house.
Amy opened the front door, and she and Cordelia quickly went in.
"Cordelia!" Tara exclaimed.
"Wait a..." Cordelia paused in confusion. "What's going on?"
Tara walked over to her. "Okay, your name is Cordelia, you're not a cat, you're in high school, and we're your friends."
"That's nice, Tara. And you went mental when?" Cordelia asked her.
"You know us?" Tara asked in surprise.
"Yeah. Lucky me. What's with the name game?"
"A lot's going on."
"No shit. I was just attacked by Jo-Jo, the Dog-Faced Boy. Look at my costume!" Cordelia showed the torn sleeve. "Do you really think that Party City's gonna give me my deposit back? Not on the likely."
Tara started walking toward the door. "Okay. You guys stay here while I get some help. If something tries to get in, just fight it off."
Buffy looked at her. "Well, i-it's not our place to fight. Uh, surely some men will protect us."
Tara stared at Buffy in horror.
Cordelia looked at Tara. "What's that riff?"
"I-It's like amnesia, okay? They don't know who they are. Just sit tight." Tara started to go.
"Who died and made her the boss?" Cordelia asked.
Tara opened the door, walked outside, flapped her wings, and flew into the air. Buffy stared in wide-eyed amazement.
Cordelia put her hands on her hips. "Show-off."
Amy closed the door and looked at Katrina. "You! Give me a hand with that table."
Katrina frowned at her. "I don't respond well to orders, babe. Try asking nicely. You never know. I might say yes."
Amy frowned in confusion. "Why do you call me 'babe'."
Katrina paused in thought. "I suppose...because I like you."
Amy laughed. "Dykes aren't allowed in the military."
Katrina felt like she'd been stabbed.
"Now, give me a hand!" Amy ordered.
The two of them walked over to the table, picked it up, and upended it against the window. Amy went into the dining room. Katrina stared after her, upset.
Amy brought a chair over from the dining room. She looked at Cordelia. "You! Check upstairs. Make sure everything's locked up." She positioned the chair to help hold the table in place.
Cordelia headed upstairs.
Buffy looked at Amy. "Surely, there's somewhere we can go. A safe haven."
Amy looked at Buffy. "Tara said stay put."
"But-"
"Ma'am, in the Army, we have a saying: sit down and shut the fuck up!" Amy yelled.
Buffy gasped. "Such foul language! A proper lady would never say such things!"
Amy saw a picture on the floor. "Whoa!"
She picked it up. It was of herself, Katrina, Buffy, and Tara.
Amy stared at the picture. "She must be right. We must have some kind of amnesia."
"I don't know what that is, but I'm certain I don't have it. I bathe quite often!" Buffy declared.
Amy showed her the picture. "How do you explain this?"
"I don't! I was brought up a proper lady. I-I wasn't meant to understand things. I'm just meant to look pretty, and then someone nice will marry me. Possibly a baron."
Amy rolled her eyes. "Sooner or later, you're gonna have to fight!"
"Fight these low creatures?" Buffy asked in a snotty tone. "I'd sooner die." She crossed her arms.
"Then you'll die."
Angel came in from the kitchen. "Oh, good! You guys are all right. It's total chaos out there."
Buffy, Amy, and Katrina all looked at him. "Who are you?"
In the school library, Giles was going through a stack of cards that he'd pulled from the card catalog. He heard yelling and sirens outside and looked up, wondering what was going on. He saw Tara fly though the doors and jumped in complete surprise, letting the cards fly all over the place.
"Jeez!" Giles exclaimed.
Tara slowed down her flying, landing on her feet. "Hi."
Giles calmed down a bit. "Uh...ah...huh..."
"Okay, somebody wanna fill me in?" Angel asked.
"Do you live here?" Amy asked him.
"No, and you know that." Angel looked at Buffy. "Buffy-"
Buffy jumped.
"I'm lost here. You..." Angel paused in confusion. "What's up with your hair?"
Cordelia came back downstairs. "They don't know who they are; everyone's turned into a monster; it's a whole big thing." She smiled at Angel. "How are you?"
The lights went out. Buffy grabbed Cordelia in fright.
"Do you mind?" Cordelia asked her, annoyed.
Buffy let go of her.
Amy looked at Angel. "You take the princess and secure the kitchen." She looked at Cordelia. "Catwoman, scientist, you're with me."
Cordelia and Katrina followed Amy as Angel and Buffy headed for the kitchen.
Angel saw the kitchen door was open. "I didn't leave that open." He quietly moved toward the door as he looked around for an intruder. He closed the door.
The basement door behind Buffy opened, and a vampire attacked her. She tried to push the door closed on him.
Angel grabbed the vampire and wrestled him to the floor. "A stake!"
"A what?" Buffy asked.
"Get me a stake!" Angel yelled.
Buffy looked around and grabbed a knife that she saw on the counter.
"Hurry up!" Angel turned to look at what was keeping her.
Buffy screamed at the top of her lungs. She ran for the door.
"Buffy, no!"
Buffy opened the door and ran out.
Giles was in the cage, getting a stack of old papers. He blew the dust off them and walked back out.
Tara was looking at a book. "I don't even know what I'm looking for."
"Well, all right, l-let's - let's - let's review." Giles set the papers on the table. "Um, so everybody became, uh, whatever they were masquerading as."
Tara nodded. "Right. Amy was a soldier, Katrina was a scientist, and Buffy was an eighteenth-century girl." She smiled. "And I'm a fairy!"
"How whimsical."
"Well, this is nothing. You should see what Cordelia was wearing. A-A-A unitard with cat things, like ears and stuff."
"Good heavens. Uh, sh-sh-she became an actual feline?" Giles asked.
"No! She was the same old Cordelia. Just in a cat costume."
"She didn't change."
"No. Hold on..." Tara paused in thought. "Party City. She told us she got her outfit from Party City."
"A-A-And everyone who changed, they - they - they - they acquired their costumes where?" Giles asked.
"We all got ours at a new place. Ethan's."
Cordelia, Angel, Amy, and Katrina went out on the street, looking for Buffy.
Amy had her rifle raised and ready. "Are you sure she came this way?" she asked Angel.
"No."
Cordelia looked at him, detecting worry in his voice and realizing he still had feelings for Buffy. "She'll be okay."
"Buffy would be okay. Whoever she is now, she's helpless."
Cordelia stared at him. "You don't know Buffy."
Buffy ran between all of the trash that was piled up in an alley. She stopped running and leaned against a crate. She sniffed and looked around, frightened. She tried to decide what to do. She lifted her skirt a bit and started to walk. She turned around to look behind her and took a few steps backward. When she turned back around, a pirate startled her.
He smiled widely at her, showing his rotten teeth. "Pretty, pretty!"
Buffy tried to run away, and he gave chase.
Giles looked around as he walked into Ethan's Costume Shop. Tara flew in behind him and landed next to him.
Giles was startled. "Are you going to fly everywhere?"
"Wouldn't you?" Tara asked him.
"Hello! Anyone home?" Giles called.
Tara saw a curtain to the back room partially open. "Mr. Giles..."
They slowly went in and saw a statue there. Its eyes glowed green.
"Janus. Roman mythical god."
"What does this mean?" Tara asked him.
"Primarily the division of self. Male and female, light and dark."
Ethan arrived. "Chunky and creamy. Oh, no, sorry, that's peanut butter."
Giles stared at Ethan as though he'd seen a ghost. "Tara, get out of here, now."
"But-"
"Now!"
Tara flew out of the room.
"Hello, Ethan."
"Hello, Ripper."
Buffy backed away from the pirate. She turned to run but tripped and fell. Her gown billowed out around her. He grabbed her as she tried to get up and shoved her against a crate. He pushed her hair away from her frightened face and moved in to kiss her. Amy came running and tackled him down to the pavement. She got up and pulled him up and into a metal warehouse door. She punched him in the face and gut.
He pushed her off and into the opposite alley wall and punched her back in the gut. Amy grabbed his arm and pulled it behind his back, forcing him to bend over, and kneed him in the stomach. Cordelia arrived behind Buffy with Katrina and Angel.
"Buffy! Are you okay?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy saw Angel with his fangs bared, yelped, and cowered behind a box.
"What's your deal? Take a pill!" Cordelia told her.
The pirate attacked Amy with his sword. Amy sidestepped him, grabbed him by the wrist, and twisted his arm around, making him drop the sword. She lifted him back up and punched him, sending him sprawling into a pile of trash.
"He's - He's a vampire!" Buffy exclaimed in shock, staring at Angel.
Cordelia looked at Angel. "She's got this thing where she thinks..." She stopped, exasperated. "Uhhh, forget it." She looked at Buffy. "It's okay. Angel is a good vampire. He would never hurt you."
Buffy slowly stood up. "Really?"
"Absolutely. He's our friend."
Angel headed over to Amy fighting the pirate. Amy punched the pirate, sending him into the pile of trash and a stack of boxes again. Several boxes fell off the top and onto him. He was knocked out cold.
Tara flew down the alley from the other end. "Guys!"
"Tara!" Angel exclaimed.
"Guys, you gotta get inside." Tara looked back.
They saw Spike and his monster gang coming.
"We need a triage!" Amy exclaimed.
Angel pointed the other way. "This way! Find an open warehouse."
Amy turned and picked up her rifle. "We're on the move!" She quickly headed down the alley.
Cordelia, Katrina, and Tara followed her. Angel lifted Buffy and carried her away. Spike and the monsters walked after them at a quick, deliberate pace.
"What? No hug? Aren't you pleased to see your old mate, Rupert?" Ethan asked.
"I'm just surprised I didn't guess it was you. This Halloween stunt stinks of Ethan Rayne."
"Yes, it does, doesn't it? Don't wish to blow my own trumpet, but it's genius. The very embodiment of 'be careful what you wish for'."
"It's sick, brutal, and it harms the innocent."
"Oh, and we all know that you are the champion of innocents and all things pure and good, Rupert. It's quite a little act you've got going here, old man."
"It's no act. It's who I am."
"Who you are? The Watcher, sniveling, tweed-clad guardian of the Slayer and her kin? I think not. I know who you are, Rupert, and I know what you're capable of." Ethan stopped and considered for a moment. "But they don't, do they? They have no idea where you come from."
"Break the spell, Ethan. Then leave this place and never come back."
"Why should I? What's in the bargain for me?"
"You get to live."
"Oh, Rupert, you're scaring me."
Giles punched him in the gut with his left hand, making him double over, and followed up with a right hand to the face.
Angel had gotten ahead of the others and found an open warehouse. "Over here!"
Amy pushed the door aside, and they all hurried in.
"Check if there are any other ways in!" Amy slid the door closed again.
Angel set Buffy back down on her feet next to Cordelia. "Just stay here."
The monsters arrived and started pounding on the door from outside. Amy picked up a large grate and set it in front of the door on top of some barrels that she'd already moved into place. Buffy was holding on tightly to Cordelia.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Oh, faboo, more clinging."
Amy picked up another grate and set it behind the first one as the monsters got the door open. They pounded against it as she tried to hold it in place.
"Go!" Amy yelled.
They all started running again (except for Tara, who flew), and Amy followed when she could no longer hold the grating against the monsters. The grates fell to the floor as two monsters came in and pushed the barrels aside. Spike followed them in and looked around. He led the monsters off after them.
Ethan was on the floor, severely beaten up. "And you said the Ripper was long gone."
"Tell me how to stop the spell."
"Say 'pretty please'."
Giles kicked him hard in the kidney, and he yelled out in pain.
Spike had caught up with them, and the monsters held Amy and Angel. Spike slowly closed in on Buffy as she backed away, trembling.
"Look at you. Shaking. Terrified. Alone. Lost little lamb."
Buffy had backed up against a crate and couldn't go any further.
Spike slapped her across the face with the back of his hand. "I love it."
Angel struggled with the two monsters holding him. "Buffy!"
Spike put his left hand around her throat and bent her backward onto the crate. He stroked her forehead with his right hand. Amy struggled with her two captors. Spike grabbed Buffy's hair and closed in for the bite.
Giles kicked Ethan again. "Now, tell me how to stop the spell."
"Janus. Break its statue."
Giles grabbed the statue and lifted it over his head to smash it.
Amy got free of the monsters and punched one in the face, the other in the gut, and then shoved the second monster into the first. Spike closed in on Buffy. Katrina and Cordelia ran over to him, jump-kicking him. He staggered a bit but then swatted them away. Katrina and Cordelia fell to the floor but managed to grab hold of his legs, causing him some difficulty. Tara swooped in and kicked Spike repeatedly in the face, but he grabbed one of her legs, swung her around, and threw her away. Amy turned her attention to Spike, grabbing her M-16.
Giles threw the statue hard to the floor, smashing it into tiny pieces.
Amy shouldered her toy rifle. "What the fuck?"
The monsters had all turned back into children and student escorts. The kids were frightened and began to cry and complain.
"I'm scared! I want my mommy!" one child yelled.
Spike looked back at them and straightened up. He pulled on Buffy's hair to pull her up and found he had just a wig in his hands. He looked at Buffy.
Buffy got up off the crate and smiled at him. "Go fuck yourself, you shit-brained, fuck-faced, ball-breaking, duck-fucking pain in the ass!"
Amy grinned. "She's back!"
Buffy punched Spike in the gut, twice in the face, and kicked him in the chest, making him stagger back into a set of mobile stairs. He grabbed a length of pipe that was leaning there and swung it at her. She caught the end of it and pulled him around and into the crate that he had her against. She used the pipe like a quarterstaff and swung it into his jaw and jabbed him in the stomach. He doubled over in pain.
"You know what? It's good to be me." Buffy brought the pipe up into his chin from underneath.
He flew back onto the crate, then slid off onto the floor.
Giles looked behind him and saw Ethan had gone.
Buffy was through fighting. Spike got up and growled at her, then made a hasty retreat. Buffy dropped the pipe and turned to the others, who walked over to her.
Katrina smiled. "Hey, Buff. Welcome back."
Buffy smiled. "Yeah! You, too."
"You guys remember what happened?" Cordelia asked.
Amy nodded. "It was way creepy. It's like I was there, but I couldn't get out."
Cordelia nodded. "Yeah, I know the feeling. This outfit's totally skintight."
She looked at Angel as he came over to her.
"You okay?" Angel asked her.
"Yeah."
Angel put his arm around her shoulders. Cordelia leaned in and kissed him on the lips. They walked away.
Tara indicated the kids. "Well, I guess we better get them back to their parents."
Buffy looked around. "Yeah, everybody seems to be here."
As Buffy and Tara tried to calm and organize the kids, Amy nervously looked at Katrina. Katrina stared back at her, upset.
"What I said..." Amy paused. "I am so sorry."
Katrina thought for a moment and then sighed. "It's okay. It wasn't you."
"But what if it was?" Amy asked. "What if there's part of me that's...homophobic?"
"Then you confront it." Katrina paused and stared into Amy's eyes. "Do you feel any sense of guilt or disgust when we're together?"
Amy shook her head. "Of course not. I love you."
"I love you, too." Katrina pulled Amy into a hug and kissed her passionately on the lips. "It's just...if you ever feel anything negative, talk to me. Deal?"
Amy smiled. "Deal."
Katrina and Amy held hands and walked out of the warehouse together.
Buffy looked at the kids. "Okay, kids, follow us."
She and Tara led the kids out of the warehouse. They walked along a street.
"I don't get something."
Tara looked at Buffy. "Oh."
"Everyone in costume got amnesia and assumed the persona of a character, right?" Buffy asked her.
Tara nodded. "Everyone that bought a costume at Ethan's, yeah."
"So why were you still you?" Buffy asked her.
Tara stopped in her tracks and thought about that. "I have no idea. Maybe I'm just a fairy at heart."
Buffy stopped and looked at a tag that was attached to Tara's costume. She took hold of it.
Tara looked at it. "Oh. Yeah, I left it on, so I could return it tomorrow."
"Assuming he hasn't closed up shop by then." Buffy noticed something and started peeling at the sticker on the tag with her fingernail.
"What is it?" Tara asked her.
Buffy pulled the "Ethan's Costume Shop" sticker off the tag. Underneath was text that read "Party City".
Buffy frowned. "This costume isn't from Ethan's. It's from Party City."
Tara looked at the tag in surprise. "Weird. I guess someone must have returned it there, and Ethan took it and decided to resell it."
"So it wasn't enchanted by Ethan's spell." Buffy looked at Tara. "Then how-"
Tara suddenly levitated. She looked at Buffy in wonder and then grinned. She flapped her costume's wings. The kids gasped in delight.
Buffy grinned. "Fairy cool!"
Tara reached out to Buffy with both hands. Buffy took hold of Tara's hands. Tara lifted Buffy up, and they hugged each other. The two girls rose into the air, and Tara kissed Buffy on the lips.
The next day, Giles came in the front door of Ethan's. The place had been emptied. He walked over to the main counter and looked around. He saw a note propped up on another counter and went over to it. He picked it up and silently read it: "Be seeing you..."
Chapter 49: Lie to Me
Chapter Text
"Lie to Me"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
Buffy and Cordelia walked along the roof of a building across the street from Sunnydale Park after dusk, keeping watch.
"Is this really necessary?" Cordelia asked Buffy.
"We have a better view from up here." Buffy sensed something and headed for the edge of the roof.
Cordelia followed her. She and Buffy looked over the edge, onto the mostly deserted playground, and saw Angel and a woman with long black hair standing close together.
"Angel?" Cordelia asked in surprise. "Who's that with him?"
"Shh."
Cordelia briefly looked at Buffy. "Oh, that's right: super hearing."
"This can't go on, Drusilla. It's gotta end."
Drusilla tilted her head and reached up for a kiss. "Oh, no, my pet. This is just the beginning." She pulled away without kissing and gave him an evil smile. She kept her head turned to him as she slowly walked away.
Cordelia swallowed at what she saw. Angel watched Drusilla go for another moment, then turned to leave also. Cordelia stepped away from the edge of the roof and ran off. Buffy followed her.
The next morning, at Sunnydale High School, Jenny and Giles walked down the stairs.
"It's a secret!" Jenny insisted.
"What kind of a secret?" Giles asked her.
"Uh, the kind that's secret. You know, where I don't actually tell you what it is."
"I think it's customary that, when two people are going out on an evening, that they - they both have an idea of where they're going."
"Oh, come on! Where is your sense of adventure?" Jenny asked him.
"Well, I-I..." Giles paused. "Uh, how will I know what to wear?"
Jenny looked at his tweed suit. "Do you own anything else?"
"Uh, w-well, not as such, no, um..."
Jenny laughed. "Rupert, you're gonna have to trust me."
"All right, all right, I p-put myself in your hands."
"That sounds like fun." Jenny started on her way. "Okay, tomorrow night, 7:30, right?"
"Yes."
Buffy walked up to him as Jenny left. "Hey."
"Hello."
They started walking to the library.
"Um, did we hunt last night?" Giles asked.
Buffy nodded. "Cordy and I did a couple quick sweeps downtown."
"Any encounters?"
"Nothing vampirey."
"Uh, I've been researching your friend, Spike. Uh, the profile is fairly unappetizing. But I-I still haven't got a bead on why he's here."
"You'll figure it out."
They stopped outside the library.
"Why don't you take the night off?" Giles suggested.
Buffy smiled. "Okay. That'd be nice." She walked off to class.
In history class, Cordelia was paying half-attention to the lecture. She was still distracted by what she'd seen last night.
"Well, it seems like Louis XVI was just sort of a weak king."
"That's fair enough. Uh, any other impressions?" the teacher asked.
Cordelia raised her hand.
"Cordelia."
"I just don't see why everyone's always picking on Marie Antoinette. I can so relate to her. She worked really hard to look that good, and people just don't appreciate that kind of effort. And I know the peasants were all depressed-"
Buffy looked at her. "I think you mean 'oppressed'."
"Whatever. They were cranky. So they're like 'Let's lose some heads'. Uhhh! That's fair. And - And Marie Antoinette cared about them. She was gonna let them have cake!"
"Yes, well, that's a very interesting perspective. Um, would anyone else like to comment?" the teacher asked.
The bell rang.
"No homework tonight. Read the next chapter by tomorrow."
The students gathered up their things, stood up, and left the classroom.
Buffy, Tara, and Cordelia walked together in the hall.
"Do you know who she was?" Tara asked them.
Buffy shook her head. "No. Dark hair. Old dress. Pretty."
"Vampire?" Tara asked.
Buffy thought about it. "I don't know. I don't think so. They seemed pretty friendly."
Cordelia looked at her. "Buffy, do we have to be in total share mode?"
They headed into the lounge.
Buffy smiled at her. "Aw, you just need cheering up. And I know just the thing! Girls' night out at the Bronze!"
"I dunno." Cordelia crossed her arms, depressed.
Tara sat on a couch. Cordelia sat next to her.
"I'd suggest a box of Oreos dunked in apple juice, but not everyone has your taste."
Buffy turned around and saw a boy standing there. "Ford?"
"Hey, Summers!"
They embraced.
"How ya been?" he asked.
"Oh, my God! What are you doing here?" Buffy asked him.
They let go of each other.
"Uh, matriculating."
Buffy's mind immediately went in the gutter. "Huh?"
"I'm finishing out my senior year at Sunnydale High. Dad got transferred."
Buffy grinned. "This is great!"
"I'm glad you think so. I didn't think you'd remember me."
"Remember you? Duh! We only went to school together for five years. You were my best friend." Buffy turned to Tara and Cordelia. "Um, this is Ford! Uh, Billy Fordham, this is Tara and Cordelia!"
Buffy and Ford went to sit on the other couch.
Cordelia smiled at Ford. "Hi."
"Hey."
Tara smiled at Ford. "Nice to meet you!"
"Uh, Ford and I went to Hemery together in L.A." Buffy looked at Ford. "And now you're here. For real?"
"Dad got the transfer, and boom; he just dragged me outta Hemery and put me down here."
"This is great!" Buffy paused and considered. "Well, I mean...it's hard, sudden move, all your friends, delicate time, very emotional."
"So you two were friends in fifth grade?" Tara asked.
Buffy thought about it. "Well, not right away. At first, Ford wouldn't give me the time of day."
Ford smiled. "Well, I was a manly sixth-grader. I couldn't bother with someone that young."
Buffy nodded. "It was terrible. I moped over you for months. Sitting in my room, listening to that Divinyls song, 'I Touch Myself'."
Ford looked at her in surprise.
Buffy smiled. "Psych."
Ford laughed.
"Hey, are you busy tonight?" Cordelia asked him. "We're going to the Bronze; it's the local club, and you have to come."
Buffy looked at Cordelia in shock.
"I'd love to! But if you guys already had plans..." Ford paused. "Would I be imposing?"
Buffy looked from Cordelia to Ford. "Well, if it's fine with my friends, it's fine with me."
Tara smiled. "Sure."
"Okay, then! I-I gotta find the admissions office, uh, get my papers in order." Ford got up.
"Well, you know what?" Buffy got up. "I'll take you there, and I'll see you guys in French!"
Ford looked at Tara and Cordelia. "It was good to meet you."
Buffy and Ford left the lounge.
That evening, at the Bronze, Tara, Cordelia, and Ford were playing pool. Ford sank his shot and set up for another as Buffy arrived at the table.
Buffy smiled. "Ford! You made it."
"Wasn't hard to find."
Tara looked at Buffy. "Buffy, Ford was just telling us about the ninth-grade beauty contest and the, uh, swimsuit competition."
Buffy looked at Ford. "Oh, my God, Ford, stop that! The more people you tell, the more people I have to kill." She quickly looked at Tara. "Just kidding, sweetie. I would never kill you." She looked at Cordelia, paused in consideration, and shrugged.
Cordelia rolled her eyes.
Ford smiled. "You can't touch me, Summers. I know all your darkest secrets."
"Yeah, okay. I'm gonna go get a drink. Ford, try not to talk." Buffy headed for the bar.
"Me, too." Cordelia followed.
They arrived at the bar and found Angel there.
Buffy and Cordelia looked at him. "Hi."
"Hey! I was hoping you'd show."
Buffy and Cordelia looked at each other in confusion, unsure who he meant.
Cordelia saw he had a drink. "You drink! I mean...drinks. Non-blood things."
"Yeah, I eat, too. Not for nutritional value; it just kind of passes the time. There's a lot about me you don't know."
"I believe that."
Over at the pool table, Tara and Ford were racking the balls up. Ford saw Buffy and Cordelia with Angel.
"That's Angel. He's Cordy's boyfriend."
"He's not in school, right?" Ford asked. "He looks older than her."
Tara shrugged. "You're not wrong."
"So. What'd you do last night?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"Nothin'."
"Nothing at all. You ceased to exist?"
"No, I mean I stayed in, read."
"Oh." Cordelia went back to the pool table without another word.
Angel stood there confused for a moment, then followed her.
"Didn't want that soda after all?" Ford asked Cordelia.
"Not thirsty."
Tara smiled. "Hey, Angel."
Ford nodded. "Hi."
Buffy returned with two glasses of regular Pepsi, one for herself and one for Cordelia. She set Cordelia's glass down on the pool table and turned to Angel. "This is Ford. We went to school together in L.A."
"Nice to meet you." Angel shook Ford's hand.
"Whoa! Cold hands!" Ford exclaimed.
Tara shrugged. "You're not wrong."
Cordelia gave Tara a look.
"So...you're here visiting Buffy?" Angel asked Ford.
"No, I'm actually here to stay. Just moved down."
"Hey, Angel? Do you wanna play?" Tara offered.
"Y'know, it's getting really crowded in here tonight. Um...I'm a little hot. Good night." Cordelia looked at Ford. "You wanna take a walk?"
The others felt awkward.
"Um, sure! That'd be nice."
"Okay, then, um..." Cordelia picked up her glass, gulped down her drink, set the glass back down on the pool table, and looked at the others. "I'll see ya tomorrow." She led Ford out past Angel.
Angel looked at them. "Good night."
Ford looked at him. "Take care."
Buffy finished her drink and set her glass on the table. "So much for girls' night. Maybe I oughta go out and do a sweep." She looked at Tara. "Do you mind?"
Tara shook her head. "No, go ahead."
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. "See ya tomorrow, sweetie. Good night."
Tara smiled. "Good night."
Buffy walked off.
Angel looked at Tara. "He just moved here?"
"Yeah. Well, Angel, we could still play." Tara moved the rack into position.
When she looked back up, Angel was gone.
Outside, Cordelia and Ford strolled slowly along through the alley.
"So...that was your boyfriend?" Ford asked her.
"No. Uh, yeah. Maybe. Could we lay off the tough questions for a while?" Cordelia asked him.
"Sorry. So! What else do you do for fun around here?"
Cordelia heard noises coming from around the corner and suspected a vampire. "Uh, could you go back to the Bronze and get Buffy for me? I need to tell her something."
"Uh, okay." Ford headed back.
"Good. Run! Thanks!" Cordelia called.
He started to jog. Cordelia could hear a woman crying. She opened her purse, took out a stake, and started running in the opposite direction. When she was almost there, a woman came running around the corner and past her. Cordelia continued on and was startled by a metal trashcan flying in front of her and into a stack of crates. She could hear punching and grunting. She saw someone hit the pavement face first. She peeked around the corner and saw a vampire get up and take a swing at Buffy. Buffy ducked the punch and kicked the vampire in the face. The vampire swung again, and Buffy grabbed his fist and held on while she punched him in the face. Cordelia watched as Buffy pulled out a stake and thrust it into the vampire's chest. He staggered back against the wall and fell to the ground.
Cordelia walked into the alley and over to Buffy. "Hey."
Buffy looked at her. "Hey. Cordy, what are you doing here?"
"I heard the commotion and sent Ford to get you. I hadn't realized you'd already left the Bronze. In the meantime, I thought I'd-"
Buffy smiled. "Try to help."
Cordelia put her stake back in her purse and closed it. "Yeah."
"What's goin' on?"
Buffy and Cordelia were surprised and spun around to face Ford.
Buffy caught her breath. "Jesus Fucking Christ, Ford! You startled me!"
"Sorry. I just wanted to see you slaying a vampire."
Buffy raised her eyebrows.
"I know, Buffy. You don't have to lie. I-I've been trying to figure out the right time to - to tell you. I know you're the Slayer."
Buffy shrugged. "So does everyone else in this town. So what?"
At the Sunset Club, Chanterelle, a beautiful teenage girl with long blonde hair, was hanging out, idly passing the time. There was a knock on the heavy metal door, and someone opened the door to let Ford in. A welder was cutting the knob off the inside door. Ford went down the stairs to the main area. Dark gothic music set the mood, and everyone was dressed in black and pale makeup. "Never Land" by The Sisters of Mercy was playing. Chanterelle headed toward the stairs. Diego met Ford at the base of the stairs, and Chanterelle overheard their conversation.
"Ford? Hi, Ford?"
"Hey!"
"Well, how'd it go?"
"It went good."
"Good? That's - That's it? That's all we know? Well, when are we-"
"Soon."
"Oh, soon, okay. Y'know, you could gimme a little more information here. I'm trusting you. I'm out on a limb here. Not to mention the lease is almost up on this place. Who's gonna cover that?"
"Marvin-"
"Diego! C'mon, man, it's Diego now."
"Diego." Ford took out a pill. "Ritalin. Everything's gonna be fine."
Ford popped the pill as Chanterelle walked over and handed him a drink.
Ford looked at Diego. "Just make sure you're ready when I say. True believers only."
Chanterelle smiled. "I can't wait!"
"Right, whatever, I still think I should be in on the plan."
"Diego, you gotta trust me." Ford saw a scene from the 1974 Jack Palance movie, Dracula, playing on the TV. "A couple more days, and we'll get to do the two things every American teen should have the chance to do: die young and stay pretty."
He looked spaced out as he mouthed the words of Jack Palance in the movie: "So...you play your wits against mine. Me, who commanded armies hundreds of years before you were born. Fools!"
Tara was standing in her bedroom, brushing her hair in front of her mirror. Her room was neat and clean, and everything was in place just so except for some clothes on her bed. She was in her nightshirt and pajama shorts. There was a knocking on her balcony door, which caught her off guard. She dropped her brush on the bed, went to the door, and pushed the blinds apart to see who it was.
"Oh!" Tara opened the door. "Angel! What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk to you."
Tara looked around. "Oh, well..."
She gestured for him to come in, but he just stayed standing there.
"Well?" Tara asked.
"I can't. Unless you invite me, I can't come in."
"Oh!" Tara was a bit nervous. "Well, okay, I invite you. To come in."
Angel came in. "I-If this is a bad time, I-"
"No!" Tara replied. "I just...I'm not supposed to have boys in my room."
"Your parents don't know you're gay?" Angel asked in confusion.
Tara shook her head. "They do, but my dad thinks it's a phase that I'll grow out of. He thinks I secretly crave cock and want to be gangfucked by a bunch of guys and other such 'unholy abominations in the sight of God'."
Angel smiled in amusement. "I promise to behave myself."
Tara was still nervous. "Okay. Good."
"I guess I need help. I want you to track someone down. On the 'Net." Angel eyed her laptop.
Tara smiled. "Oh! Great! I'm so the 'Net girl." She went and sat at her desk.
"I just wanna find everything I can. Records, affiliates; I'm not even sure what I'm looking for yet."
Tara typed. "Good. What's the name?"
"Billy Fordham."
Tara was surprised and faced him. "Uh, Angel? If I say something you really don't wanna hear, do you promise not to bite me?"
"Are you gonna tell me that I'm jealous?"
"Well, you do sometimes get that way."
"You know, I never used to." Angel sat on Tara's bed. "Things used to be pretty simple. A hundred years, just hanging out, feelin' guilty..." He paused. "I really honed my brooding skills. Then she comes along. Yeah, I get jealous. But I know people. And my gut tells me this is a wrong guy."
Tara nodded. "Okay." She turned back to the laptop and typed. "But if there isn't anything weird..." She paused. "Hey, that's weird."
"What?"
"I just checked the school records, and he's not in them."
Angel stood up and walked over to get a closer look.
Tara stared at the screen. "I mean...usually they transfer your grades and shit, but he's not even registered."
"He said he was in school with you guys, right?"
"Let me just see if I can-"
"Tara? Are you still up?" her mother called.
Tara got up and looked at Angel. "Fuck! Go!" She looked at her bedroom door. "Iiiiiii'm just going to bed now, Mom!"
Angel went back out onto the balcony.
Tara held the door. "Come by tomorrow at sunset. I'll keep looking."
"Don't tell Cordy or Buffy what we're doing, all right?" Angel asked her.
"You want me to lie to them?" Tara asked him in shock. "They're my friends! Buffy's my girlfriend!"
"Just don't bring it up until we know what's what."
"Okay. I-It's probably nothing."
"That'd be nice."
Tara closed the door and fretted a bit, nervous about what she had to do.
The next day, at school, Tara wanted to get a drink from a drinking fountain. Buffy, Cordelia, and Ford came into the hall from outside.
"Tara!" Buffy called.
Tara didn't even press the button on the fountain before immediately turning around, hoping to get away. She realized she'd never be able to get away with it and so turned to face them. She fidgeted nervously with her hands.
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. "What's up?"
"Nothing."
"Do you wanna hang?" Buffy asked. "We're cafeteria-bound."
Tara was jumpy. "I-I-I'm gonna do work in the computer lab on school work that I have, so I cannot hang just now. Hi, Cordy. Hi, Ford."
Cordelia stared at Tara in suspicion. "Hey, freak."
Ford nodded. "Morning."
Buffy stared at Tara. "Okay, babe, fess up."
"What?"
"Are you drinking Red Bull again?" Buffy asked her. "'Cause we've talked about this."
Tara laughed out loud, surprised and happy that an explanation for her nervousness had presented itself. "It makes me jumpy. I have to go. Away." She hurried off.
Buffy was taken aback.
"Nice girl!" Ford exclaimed.
Buffy stared after Tara. "There aren't two of those in the world."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Thank fucking God."
Giles met them in the hall. "Buffy! Um..." He paused. "Yes, uh..." He set down his briefcase and searched his pockets. He found a slip of paper. "Ms. Calendar and I are going...somewhere tonight, and she's given, oh, given me the number of her beeper thingy, uh, in case you need me for, um..." He eyed Ford. "...study help, uh, suddenly." He picked up his briefcase.
Buffy took the slip of paper from him. "He knows, Giles."
"What?"
Buffy indicated Ford. "Ford knows I'm the Slayer."
Ford nodded. "I know."
"Oh! Uh, very good, yes. Uh, um, Buffy...your blatant disregard for maintaining any semblance of secrecy-"
"I didn't tell him. He knew."
"Oh! Uh, right then. Well, uh, just remember, if you-"
"Go! Experience this thing called fun. Do they know about 'fun' in England?"
"Yes, but it's considered very poor taste to have any."
Buffy laughed. "I'll try not to have a crisis."
Giles accepted that and headed back to his library.
That night, outside the school, Buffy and Ford were strolling along. Buffy had taken Ford on a tour of the town.
"And on your right, once again, the beautiful campus. I think you've now seen everything there is to see in Sunnydale."
"Well, it's...really..."
"Feel free to say dull."
"Okay. Dull's good. Or maybe not so dull."
Buffy saw two vampires running.
"Is that more vampires?" Ford asked.
"Must be the weather." Buffy pulled out a stake and a cross and handed the cross to Ford.
He took it and reached into his back pocket to pull out a stake of his own. He smiled and waved it about.
"Stay close to me." Buffy hopped up the steps that the vampires just ran up and cautiously looked around. She looked around a corner and saw nothing.
"Maybe they were just passing through."
Buffy turned around. "I don't think so."
A blonde female vampire grabbed her from behind and tried to bite. Buffy did a high kick into her face, then grabbed her by the arm and flipped her over onto her back. A male vampire rushed her and grabbed her, pulling her over a railing with him. She landed in a crouch on the grass below and got up while the vampire rolled to his feet. She kicked him in the jaw, making him fall backward. Buffy knocked the vampire out with a punch to the face and staked him. She ran back up the stairs to Ford, who was crouched where the female vampire had been.
"Where's the other one?" Buffy asked him.
"She ran away." Ford coughed. "But I gave her one hell of a facial scar to remember me by!"
Tara and Angel were walking down the alley to the Sunset Club.
"The only thing I could track down was this address. The Sunset Club. Still didn't find anything incriminating."
"He leaves no paper trail, no records; that's incriminating enough." Angel knocked on the door.
The viewport opened, and the doorman looked out.
"We're friends of Ford's."
The doorman nodded and opened the door. Angel and Tara walked in through the outside door and inner door and looked around. It was gloomy in the extreme.
Tara was well aware of how she was standing out in her colorfully striped shirt. "Yep, we blend right in."
"Let's look around. You check out downstairs."
Tara walked down the stairs. "Reptile" by Creaming Jesus was playing. Tara walked by a man standing in a coffin, dressed as a movie vampire.
The man waved. "Hi!"
Tara waved back and looked around more.
Chanterelle got up and walked up behind her. "You're a newbie. I can tell."
Tara turned to face her. "Oh, no. I come here all the time."
"Don't be ashamed! It's cool that you're open to it. We welcome anyone who's interested in the Lonely Ones."
Angel came down the stairs behind them.
"The Lonely Ones?" Tara asked Chanterelle.
Angel looked at Tara. "Vampires."
"Oh! We usually call them the nasty, pointy, bitey ones."
"So many people have that misconception. But they who walk with the night are not interested in harming anyone. They are creatures above us. Exalted!" Chanterelle exclaimed.
Angel looked at her. "You're a fool."
Tara gave him a look.
Chanterelle looked at him. "You don't have to be so confrontational about it. Other viewpoints than yours may be valid, you know." She walked away.
"Nice meeting you." Tara turned to Angel. "You really are a people person. Now, nobody's gonna talk to us."
"I've seen enough. I've seen this type before. I mean...they're children making up bedtime stories of friendly vampires to comfort themselves in the dark."
"Is that so bad?" Tara asked him. "I mean...the dark can get pretty dark. Sometimes, you need a story."
"These people don't know anything about vampires. What they are, how they live, how they dress..."
A young man dressed exactly like Angel came down the stairs behind him and looked him up and down before continuing on. Angel cleared his throat. They started up the stairs to get out of the club.
Tara looked at Angel. "I'm still curious why Ford, the best friend of the Slayer, is hanging with a bunch of vampire wannabes. Something's up with him."
Buffy walked into the library, followed by Jenny and Giles.
"Sorry to beep you guys in the middle of...stuff, but it seemed really weird."
Giles looked at Buffy. "No, you did the right thing. Absolutely."
Jenny stopped in her tracks. "You hated it that much?"
"No! But - But, uh, vampires on campus is - could have implications. Very, very grave-"
"You coulda just said something."
"Uh, honestly, I-I've always - I've always been interested in - in, uh, monster trucks."
Buffy looked at Jenny in surprise. "You took him to monster trucks?"
"I thought it would be a change!"
Giles nodded. "It was a change."
"Look, we could've just left."
"Wha-What, and miss the nitro-burning funny cars? No, couldn't have that."
"Okay, can we get back on the vampire tip here?" Buffy asked. "These guys were here with a purpose."
Giles nodded. "Yes, yes, and, uh, we must, uh, ascertain what that purpose is."
"Where's your friend?" Jenny asked Buffy.
"I sent him home."
Giles sat at the table. "Oh, uh, good. Yes, the less he's involved in all this, the safer he'll be."
"He did fight a vamp his first time out."
Giles took an open book from on top of another and exposed an old picture of Drusilla.
"Gotta give him credit for..." Buffy noticed the picture. "...that."
"Something wrong?" Jenny asked.
Buffy picked up the picture. "Who's this?"
Giles looked. "Um, she's called Drusilla, a sometime paramour of Spike's. She was killed by an angry mob in Prague."
"Well, they don't make angry mobs like they used to, 'cause this girl's alive. Cordy and I saw her with Angel."
Giles was taken aback. "With Angel?"
"Isn't he supposed to be a good guy?" Jenny asked.
Buffy put the picture back down. "Supposedly."
Jenny looked at Giles. "I think maybe we need to read up on this nice lady."
Giles got up and headed for his office. "Well, some of my new volumes may be more helpful. Uh, my own research is-"
The blonde vampire from earlier ran into him as she ran from his office. Jenny drew a startled breath. Buffy went to Giles' aid but was knocked to the floor underneath him when the vampire gave him a hard shove. The vampire jumped up onto the table and leaped over the mezzanine railing, making her escape through the stacks.
Jenny helped Giles and Buffy up. "Are you guys okay?"
"A book! It took one of my books!" Giles exclaimed.
Jenny smiled in amusement. "Well, at least someone in this school is reading."
Buffy looked at them. "He said he scarred it. That's the vampire Ford said he fought. He said he gave it a facial scar."
Jenny looked at her. "She seemed pretty to me."
When Buffy got home, she called Cordelia and invited her over. Then she brewed tea. When Cordelia arrived, the two ladies sat at the island in the kitchen, nursing their cups of tea, and Buffy told Cordelia what she'd learned.
Angel slowly pushed the door open. "Buffy. May I come in?"
Buffy looked up. "Sure. I thought, once you were invited, you could always just walk in."
"I can. I was just being polite." Angel walked in and closed the door. "We need to talk."
"Do we?" Buffy took a sip of tea.
"What about?" Cordelia took a sip of tea.
Angel briefly looked at Cordelia but then looked back at Buffy. "It's about your friend, Ford. He's not what he seems."
"Who is these days?" Cordelia asked him.
Angel ignored her. "Tara ran him down on the computer."
Buffy was surprised. "Tara?"
"We found this address; we checked it out, and it turned out-"
Buffy was in disbelief. "Wow. It's like a great big exciting conspiracy."
"What are you talking about?" Angel asked her.
"I'm talking about the woman I love and trust and the vampire that I've chosen to work with for the sake of my friend going behind my back!" Buffy yelled.
"Who's Drusilla?" Cordelia asked him.
Angel lowered his eyes, seeing he'd been caught in a lie.
Cordelia stared at him. "And don't lie to me. I'm tired of it."
"Some lies are necessary."
"For what?" Cordelia asked.
"Sometimes, the truth is worse. You live long enough, you find that out."
Cordelia stared at him. "I can take it. I can take the truth."
"Do you love me?" Angel asked her.
"What?" Cordelia asked in surprise.
"Do you?" Angel asked again.
Cordelia took a moment to consider her answer. "I love you. I don't know if I trust you."
"Maybe you shouldn't do either." Angel turned away.
"Maybe I'm the one who should decide!" Cordelia yelled.
"I did a lot of unconscionable things when I became a vampire." Angel turned back to face her but didn't make eye contact. "Drusilla was the worst. She was...an obsession of mine. She was pure and sweet and chaste..."
Cordelia came to a realization. "And you made her a vampire."
"First, I made her insane." Angel looked at her. "Killed everybody she loved. Visited every mental torture on her I could devise."
Cordelia looked away. Buffy stared daggers at him.
"She eventually fled to a convent, and, on the day she took her holy orders, I turned her into a demon."
Buffy thought those were an interesting choice of words.
Cordelia slowly looked at Angel. "Well. I asked for the truth."
Angel looked at Buffy. "Ford's part of some society that reveres vampires. Practically worships them. I don't know what he wants from you, but you can't trust him."
Buffy took that into consideration.
The next day, at school, Buffy walked up some stairs to the quad.
Ford met her there. "Buffy!"
"Ford."
"I had a great time last night. Well, an interesting time."
Buffy crossed her arms. "I'm glad."
"Do you wanna go out again tonight?"
"Not busy."
"I sort of had an idea. It's a..." Ford paused. "It's a secret. Kinda wanna surprise you."
"I like surprises."
"Can you meet me here?"
"Sure."
"At nine?"
"At nine."
Ford smiled. "It's gonna be fun!" He walked off.
Buffy just stood there for a moment before uncrossing her arms and continuing on her way.
Later, Tara was sitting on a step of the stairs in the hall. Buffy came down behind her.
Tara got up. "Buffy!"
Buffy didn't really want to face her but did.
"Did, uh, Angel-"
"He told me everything."
"I'm so sorry that I kept stuff from you, sweetie. When Angel came to my room, he was just really concerned for Cordy...and you, and he didn't want me to say anything in case he was wrong."
"It's okay. I know he put you in a difficult position." Buffy smiled weakly and kissed Tara on the lips.
"Did you find out what Ford is up to?" Tara asked her.
"I will." Buffy walked off.
Tara sadly watched her go.
Late that afternoon, at the Sunset Club, Chanterelle was sitting and drumming her fingers. Diego paced nervously.
Ford came down the stairs and ignored Diego. "Chanterelle. Is everything ready?"
"Of course. It's ready." Diego tried to get Ford's attention. "Hi, I took care of it. I always take care of it."
"Is it time? Tonight?" Chanterelle asked Ford.
"You nervous?" Ford poured wine into goblets.
"Yes. No. I'm ready for the change. Do you really think they'll bless us?" Chanterelle asked him.
Ford took a goblet and handed her the other. "I know they will." He smiled at Chanterelle.
Chanterelle smiled back.
"Everything's falling into place." Ford took a sip of wine.
"What about your friends? Are they comin'?" Diego asked him.
"What are you talking about?" Ford asked him.
"Your friends. They came. Last night. A guy and a girl."
Chanterelle looked at Ford. "The guy was mean."
"Oh, Christ! Why didn't you tell me about this?" Ford asked Diego.
"I have to do everything around here. Sorry, Mr. Flawless Plan Guy, it slipped my mind."
"It's gonna be all right, isn't it?" Chanterelle asked Ford.
Ford winced in pain and put his fingertips to his forehead.
"They're not gonna let us down?" Chanterelle asked Ford.
"It's gonna be fine."
Chanterelle stared at him. "I need them to bless me."
"It's gonna be fine!" Ford yelled.
"No."
They all looked at Buffy at the top of the stairs.
"It's really not."
Ford looked at Diego. "It's kinda drafty in here."
Buffy started down the stairs. "I'm sorry, Ford. I just couldn't wait till tonight! I'm rash and impulsive. It's a flaw."
Ford stared at her. "We all have flaws."
"I'm still a little fuzzy on exactly what yours is. I think it has to do with being a lying piece of shit." Buffy reached him.
"Everybody lies."
"What do you want, Ford? What's this all about?" Buffy asked him.
"I really don't think you'd understand."
"I don't need to understand. I just need to know."
"I'm gonna be one of them."
"You wanna be a vampire?" Buffy asked in surprise.
"I'm going to."
"You know, vampires are a little picky about who they change ov..." Buffy figured it out. "You were gonna offer them a trade!"
"I don't think I wanna talk anymore."
Buffy grabbed him by the throat and shoved him up against a pillar. "Yeah, well, I still feel awfully chatty! You were gonna give them me! Tonight!"
Ford nodded. "Yes."
"You had to know I'd figure it out."
"Actually, I was counting on it." Ford smiled.
Buffy let go of his throat and backed away. He coughed a bit and then laughed.
"What's supposed to happen tonight?" Buffy asked him.
"This is so cool! It's just like it played in my head. You know that part where you ask me what's supposed to happen?" Ford snickered. "It's already happening."
Diego swung the inner door shut with a loud clang. Buffy ran back up the stairs and pounded on the door.
"Rigged up special. Once it's closed, it can only be opened from the outside. As soon as the sun sets, they'll be comin'."
Buffy looked at Ford. "Ford, if these people are still around when they get here-"
"We'll be changed. All of us." Diego smiled.
Chanterelle smiled. "We're going to ascend to a new level of consciousness! Become like them. Like the Lonely Ones."
Ford grinned. "This is the end, Buffy. No one gets outta here alive."
Buffy hurried back down the stairs. "There's gotta be another way out of here!" She looked around.
"This is a bomb shelter, Buffy. I knew I wasn't gonna be able to overpower you. But this is three feet of solid concrete. Trust me when I say we're in for the long haul."
Buffy looked at Ford. "At least let the other people go."
"Why are you fighting this?" Chanterelle asked her. "It's what we want!"
Diego looked at Buffy. "It's our chance for immortality."
"This is a beautiful day. Can't you see that?" Chanterelle asked her.
"What I see is that, right after the sun goes down, Spike and all of his friends are going to be pigging out at the all-you-can-eat moron bar. God damn it, you fucking mental dwarfs!" Buffy yelled.
Diego looked at his friends. "Okay, that's it. I think we should gag her."
Buffy stared at him. "I think you should try, motherfucker."
"She's an unbeliever. She taints us."
"I am trying to save you! You are playing in some serious traffic here! Do you understand that? You're going to die! And the only hope you have of surviving this is to get out of this pit right now, and, my God, could you have a dorkier outfit?" Buffy asked.
Diego was offended. Chanterelle smiled.
Ford looked at Diego. "I gotta back her up, D. You look like a big ninny."
Ford's alarm went off.
Ford looked at his watch. "4:58. Sunset."
They all walked away from Buffy. She looked around for what to do next. Buffy ran back up the stairs to the door.
Ford followed her. "Hey, you never give up, do you?"
"No, I don't."
"That's a good quality in a person. Too many people, they just lay back and take it, but us-"
"Us?" Buffy turned to him. "We have something in common now?"
"More than you think."
"Yeah, well, let me explain something to you. You're what we call the bad guy."
"I guess I am!" Ford chuckled.
Buffy looked down at the people. "These people aren't gonna get changed, are they? The rest of them, they're just fodder."
"Technically, yes. But I'm in. I will become immortal."
"Well, I've got a newsflash for you, brain trust: that's not how it works. You die, and a demon sets up shop in your old house, and it walks, and it talks, and it remembers your life, but it's not you." Buffy had her doubts about that narrative, but she repeated it anyway in a desperate attempt to save these people.
"It's better than nothing."
"And your life is nothing?" Buffy asked him.
Ford snickered.
"Ford, these people don't deserve to die!" Buffy pleaded.
"Well, neither do I! But apparently no one took that into consideration, 'cause I'm still dying."
Buffy began to realize what he was up to.
"I look good, don't I? Well, let me tell you something: I've got maybe six months left, and by then what they bury won't even look like me. It'll be bald and shriveled, and it'll smell bad. No, I'm not going out that way."
Buffy turned away.
"I'm sorry, Summers. Did I fuck up your righteous anger riff? Does the nest of tumors liquefying my brain kinda spoil the fun?"
Buffy faced him. "I'm sorry. I had no idea. But what you're doing is still very wrong."
"Okay, well, you try vomiting for twenty-four hours straight, because the pain in your head is so intense, and then we'll discuss the concept of right and wrong." Ford pointed down. "These people are sheep. They wanna be vampires, 'cause they're lonely, miserable, or bored. I don't have a choice."
"You have a choice. You don't have a good choice, but you have a choice! You're opting for mass murder here, and nothing you say is gonna make that okay!" Buffy yelled.
"You think I need to justify myself to you?"
"I think this is all part of your little fantasy drama! Isn't this exactly how you imagined it? You tell me how you've suffered, and I feel sorry for you. Well, I do feel sorry for you, and, if those vampires come in here and start feeding, I'll kill you myself!" Buffy swore.
"You know what, Summers? I really did miss you."
Buffy could only look at him. Outside, a car came screeching to a halt.
"Ford, help me stop this."
Ford was silent.
"Please!" Buffy begged.
Ford remained silent.
Buffy ran around to the stairs again. "People, listen to me! This is not the mothership, people! This is ugly death come to play!"
Ford backhand-punched her across the face, and she went tumbling to the bottom of the steps. He came down after her and punched her in the back as she tried to get up, sending her to the floor again. They heard the outside door open and looked up. Chanterelle started up the stairs to meet them. Ford checked on Buffy, who was out cold on the floor.
Chanterelle reached the top of the steps as the inner door opened. Spike walked up to her and smiled, baring his fangs. He roared at her, and she flinched a bit but didn't back down. He tore the choker off her neck. She started to cry in fear.
"Take them all. Save the Slayer for me."
The vampires ran and jumped down the stairs to the people below and began feeding. Spike grabbed Chanterelle by the neck and bit her violently.
Buffy woke and got up, and Ford tried to hit her with a crowbar. She grabbed his arm in mid-swing and pulled him around, making him hit his head on a concrete pillar. He fell unconscious to the floor. She looked at the mayhem going on around her and spotted Drusilla standing by herself on the balcony.
Buffy took a running leap off a couch up to the balcony railing, quickly climbed over, grabbed Drusilla from behind, and held a stake to her chest. "Spike!"
Spike stopped feeding on Chanterelle and looked over at them. Drusilla stared at the stake poised in front of her.
"Everybody stop!" Spike commanded.
They all stopped feeding.
"Good idea. Now, you let everyone out, or your girlfriend dies." Buffy shrugged. "You know what I mean."
"Spike?" Drusilla asked, frightened.
"It's gonna be all right, baby. Let them go!" Spike commanded.
They all let go of their victims, and the people hurried up the stairs and out.
Buffy stared at Spike. "Down the stairs."
Spike slowly backed down the stairs. Buffy forced Drusilla ahead of her, still holding the stake ready. When Buffy reached the top of the stairs, she stared at Spike for a moment. She looked at Drusilla and shoved her down the stairs at Spike. He caught and steadied her as Buffy turned and rushed out the door. He started to give chase as Buffy swung the door shut behind her.
Buffy walked out of the building and saw the people help and support each other. Tara walked up to her, and Cordelia and Angel were close behind.
Buffy looked at them. "You guys are just in time."
"Are there vampires?" Tara asked.
"They're contained. They'll get out eventually, though. We should probably go. We can come back when they're gone."
"Come back for what?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy looked back at the entrance. "For the body."
Cordelia paused in sadness. Angel put a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off. He silently walked away.
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Are you okay?"
Cordelia wiped away a tear. "I, uh, I just need some time to myself."
"If you need to talk...or just be with someone-"
"I'll barge in on you at an inconvenient hour." Cordelia offered Buffy a weak smile and walked away.
Buffy walked over to Chanterelle and checked on her neck wound. "It'll heal."
Chanterelle sighed. "I dunno if I will."
Buffy put an arm around her and hugged her. "It'll take time."
Tara walked over to them and looked at Chanterelle. "What's your name?"
"Chanterelle." She paused. "Joan Appleby. That's my birth name."
"Why'd you come here?" Buffy asked her.
"I just..." Joan paused. "I just never felt like I belonged anywhere. When I learned the Lonely Ones - vampires...were real, and others shared my fascination with them, I finally felt like I belonged somewhere."
Buffy smiled. "If you're looking for a place to belong, Tara and I run a class. Karate. Vampire slaying-"
Joan shook her head. "I appreciate the offer, but no; thanks. I've had enough of vampires to last me a lifetime."
"What are you gonna do?" Tara asked her.
Joan thought about it. "Get the fuck out of town, for one. Maybe head down to L.A."
Buffy smiled. "Good choice."
"After that..." Joan shrugged. "Well, I'll figure it out when I get there."
The next day, Buffy returned to the Sunset Club. She found the door broken and twisted. She looked down below and saw Ford lying there. She descended the stairs and touched his dead body in sorrow. Then she went back up the stairs, left the club, and searched for a pay phone to call the police.
Three days later, at night, Buffy and Giles went to the cemetery.
Buffy had tears in her eyes as she laid a bouquet of red roses on Ford's grave. She stood up again and walked back to Giles. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say."
"You needn't say anything."
"It'd be simpler if I could just hate him. I think he wanted me to. I think it made it easier for him to be the villain of the piece. Really, he was just scared."
"Yes, I suppose he was."
"Nothing's ever simple anymore. I'm constantly trying to work it out. Who to hate. Who to trust. It's just, like, the more I know, the more confused I get."
"I believe that's called growing up."
"I'd like to stop then, okay?" Buffy suggested.
"I know the feeling."
"Does it ever get easy?" Buffy asked him.
Ford suddenly rose from his grave, a vampire just like he wanted, and attacked Buffy. She plunged a stake into his heart with no more effort than swatting a fly. He stepped back and looked at the stake protruding from his chest. He looked back up at her and fell backward. Buffy and Giles kneeled on the ground and began the process of putting him back in his grave.
"You mean life?" Giles asked her.
"Yeah. Does it get easy?"
"What do you want me to say?"
Buffy looked at him. "Lie to me."
Giles considered a moment. "Yes, it's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true, the bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats, and, uh, we always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody lives happily ever after."
"Liar."
Chapter 50: The Dark Age
Chapter Text
"The Dark Age"
Based on the Episode Written by Dean Batali and Rob Des Hotel
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
In the library of Sunnydale High School, at night, Buffy was doing step aerobics to "Techno Syndrome (Mortal Kombat)" by The Immortals on Mortal Kombat: The Album.
"Test your might. Test your might. Test your might. Test your might. Mortal Kombat!!! Fight. Mortal Kombat!!! Finish him! Excellent. Kano. Liu Kang. Rayden. Johnny Cage. Scorpion. Sub-Zero. Sonya. Mortal Kombat!!!"
Giles was sitting at the table with his hands to his ears, not relishing the music. He raised his head. "Must we have this noise during your calisthenics?"
"It's not noise! It's music!" Buffy replied.
"I know music. Music has notes. This is noise."
"I'm aerobicizing! I must have a beat!" Buffy insisted.
"Wonderful. You work on your muscle tone while my brain dribbles out of my ears."
Buffy continued aerobicizing through "Scorpion (Lost Soul Bent On Revenge)", "Sonya (Go Go Go)", and "Rayden (Eternal Life)". Once that song was over, Buffy decided she had finished her aerobics. She strolled to the table and turned off her boombox.
Giles smiled. "Ahhh! Very good. And the rest is silence."
Giles was having a nightmare, flashing back to his youth. He had visions of rituals and tattooing.
"Time to go to sleep!" young Giles exclaimed and then screamed.
He saw a vision of a demon.
Giles woke with a start. He looked around as he sat up in bed, concerned but relieved to find it was only a nightmare.
At Sunnydale High School, Buffy and Tara were sitting under the willow tree.
Buffy smiled. "I'm on a beach, but not one of those American beaches, one of those island beaches where the water's way too blue, and I'm laying on my towel, and it's just before sunset, and you're massaging my feet!"
Tara smiled. "Oh, that's good! Uh, I'm in Florence, Italy; I've rented a scooter that's parked outside; and I'm in a little restaurant, eating ziti, while I've secretly got a vibrator in my pussy and enjoy a delightful orgasm."
"Ooh! Very impressive. You have such an eye for detail."
"Do you think Giles ever played Anywhere But Here when he was in school?" Tara asked Buffy.
They saw him coming toward them.
Buffy stared at him. "Giles lived for school. He's actually still bitter that there are only twelve grades. He probably sat in math class thinking 'There should be more math. This could be mathier.'"
"C'mon, you don't think he ever got restless as a kid?" Tara asked.
"Are you kidding? His diapers were tweed."
Tara chuckled.
Buffy saw Giles about to walk by. "Giles!"
Giles turned and saw them. "Oh! There you are." He came over.
"Hey, morning. Say, is that tweed?" Buffy stared at his jacket.
"What?" Giles asked, preoccupied. "Oh, uh, yes. Um, now, uh, look, tonight is very important, um..." He headed inside.
Buffy stood up and followed him. "Now, that's a surprise."
Tara stood up and followed Buffy. They entered the school and followed Giles to the library.
"So...what's on tap tonight that's so important? Uprising, prophesied ritual, preordained deathfest?" Buffy asked.
"Um, a medical transport is delivering the monthly supply of blood to the hospital."
"Mm. Vampire Meals on Wheels." Buffy stopped at her locker.
"Hopefully not. Uh, we'll meet outside the hospital at 8:30 sharp. I'll bring the weaponry."
Buffy smiled. "I'll bring the party mix!"
"Just don't be late."
"Have I ever let you down?" Buffy asked him.
"Do you want me to answer that, or shall I just glare?"
Jenny arrived. "Morning, England."
"Oh, hello, Ms., uh, uh, tuh, Jenny."
Jenny looked at Tara. "Tara, we still on for tomorrow?"
Tara smiled and nodded.
"What's tomorrow?" Buffy asked Jenny.
"I'm reviewing some computer basics for the couple of students who've fallen behind. Tara's helping out for extra credit." Jenny looked at Giles. "Walk me to class?"
Giles smiled. "Pleasure."
Jenny and Giles headed for her class. Buffy and Tara watched them go.
Buffy smiled. "Look at them."
Tara smiled. "A twosome of cuteness. Can't you just imagine them getting together?"
Their expressions changed to ones of being grossed out after they thought of Jenny and Giles having sex.
Jenny smiled. "Oh! Thank you so much for loaning me the Forrester book. It's wonderful!"
Giles smiled. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it!"
"Yeah, it was so romantic, so evocative."
"That edition was my father's. I-I-I must've read it...twenty times."
"Yeah, y'know how you have to - to dog-ear your favorite pages, so you can go back to them?" Jenny asked him.
"Uh, uh, uh, what?" Giles asked.
"Well, I mean...I-I practically had to fold back every single page. So finally I just - I just started underlining all the pages I really wanted to discuss."
"U-U-Underlined...?" Giles asked in horror.
"But then, of course, I spilled coffee all over it; I can't even read it-"
"It's a first edition!" Giles exclaimed.
"I'm lying, Rupert." Jenny smiled. "The book's fine." She held it up. "I just love to see you squirm." She handed him the book.
Giles smiled in relief. "Yes, well, I, uh...trust I gave good...squirm."
"Did anyone ever tell you you're kind of a fuddy-duddy?" Jenny asked him.
"Nobody ever seems to tell me anything else."
"Did anyone ever tell you you're kind of a sexy fuddy-duddy?" Jenny asked.
"Well, no. Actually that - that part usually gets left out." Giles smiled. "I c-can't imagine why."
"This weekend."
"Would you like to go out?" Giles asked her.
"Mm, no, I think I'd like to stay in."
They drew together for a kiss as the bell rang. They touched lips but broke it off as students began pouring into the halls.
Giles cleared his throat. "Uh, this Saturday, then."
"Saturday night." Jenny cleared her throat. "I'll see if I can make you squirm."
They looked at each other for a moment before Giles headed off to his library. He walked in to discover a female detective and two police officers there.
"Rupert Giles?" the detective asked.
"Yes?"
"Detective Winslow. You're gonna have to come with me."
"Why?"
Cordelia walked into the library. "Well, evil just compounds evil, doesn't it? First, I'm sentenced to a computer tutorial on Saturday; now, I have to read some computer book..." She paused in confusion. "There are books on computers? Isn't the point of computers to replace books?"
"Cordelia, I'm a little busy right now." Giles pointed out the detective.
"Oh! Great!" Cordelia stepped up to Detective Winslow. "Can you help me with a ticket? It's totally bogus. It was a one-way street. I was going one way."
"Cordelia!" Giles exclaimed.
"What?! Why does everyone always yell my name? I'm not deaf!" Cordelia yelled back. "And I can take a hint." She paused, unsure. "What's the hint?"
"To come back later."
"Yeah, when you've visited decaf land." Cordelia turned and headed toward the doors.
"There was a homicide on campus last night. The victim had no identification, but he was carrying this slip of paper with your name and address on it." Detective Winslow held up the slip in a baggie.
Giles set down his briefcase. "My name? Where do you want me to go?"
They went to the city morgue.
The coroner opened one of the body storage doors and pulled out the drawer. "Have you had your breakfast?"
Giles shook his head. "No."
"That was probably a good idea." He pulled back the sheet to reveal a man's body.
It was bruised all over - with two especially dark bruises on the throat. Giles looked down at him in recognition.
"Do you know him?" Detective Winslow asked.
"Yes. Yes. I-I mean...I did. His name's Philip Henry. He was a friend of mine in London. I...I haven't spoken to him in twenty years."
"Can you think of any reason why he might've wanted to contact you?"
"No." Giles saw a tattoo on Philip's right arm, near the inside elbow.
"Do you know what that is? The tattoo."
"No. No, I don't."
That night, Buffy was waiting on Giles at the Emergency Room entrance of Sunnydale Memorial Hospital.
Buffy sighed. "'Don't be late.' Sheesh." She helped herself to some party mix from a plastic bag.
She walked over to a pay phone to try calling but stopped when she saw the blood van pull up. The driver got out with his clipboard as two ER doctors came out to meet him.
"Hey, fellas."
"Hey."
Buffy watched them go to the back of the van and get out the insulated container. They started back with the driver, and he got back into the van.
Buffy realized something was wrong. "Since when do doctors take deliveries?"
The van backed out of the ambulance slot. The doctors waved to the driver.
"See ya."
The van drove off, and behind it a car engine started, and a pair of headlights came on. The old convertible pulled up into the light as the doctors set the container down. One of them opened the lid, took out a bag of blood, and began to suck on it.
The driver of the car got out. "Hey! No sampling the product!"
The doctor vampire hissed but put the bag back down and dropped the lid closed. Buffy ran to attack. She kicked the first doctor vampire down, then the second, and did a roundhouse kick to the driver's face. The first one got up, and she tried kicking him again, but he grabbed her leg and threw her onto the hood of the car. She scissor-kicked him in the neck, and he staggered away and fell. A fourth vampire ran up as Buffy got up and took out a stake.
Buffy turned to attack him. "Angel!"
"Buffy! Look out!" Angel jumped up onto the car's hood and leaped off to tackle the driver vampire coming at her from behind.
Angel punched him in the face, but he stayed up. The second vampire jumped up onto the hood and swung at Buffy. She ducked the punch and jabbed him in the chest. The first vampire jumped up on the hood, too, and Buffy knocked him back off with a punch to the face. She punched the second one in the face, too, and he fell down on the hood on his back. She jumped off the car and thrust her stake into the first vampire as he tried to get back up. The second one was off the car again and grabbed her by the shirt from behind. She swung around with the stake and got him in the chest also. Angel, in the meantime, roundhouse-kicked the driver and sent him spinning into the car. The vampire quickly sat up in the driver's seat and floored it as Angel tried to chase him. The car raced off, leaving Angel and the blood behind.
Buffy opened the lid to check on it. "How did you know about this?"
"It's delivery day. Everybody knows about this. They only ruined one bag."
Buffy stood up and looked after the car, which was long gone. Angel kicked the lid back closed.
"Do you think you could make sure the hospital gets the rest?" Buffy asked him.
Angel just nodded, not insulted by the query.
"Thanks. I'm worried about Giles. He was supposed to meet me here."
"Maybe he's late."
"Giles? Who counts tardiness as, like, the eighth deadly sin?" Buffy asked.
"Right. Go."
Buffy hurried off.
Buffy walked to the door to Giles' apartment and knocked.
Giles opened the viewport and looked out at her, then opened the door. "Buffy. I-It's late. Uh, are you all right?"
"I was gonna ask you the same thing."
"Yes, I'm fine, fine. Look, I'm, uh, I'm rather busy a-at the moment, so, uh, I'll see you on Monday at - at school." Giles started to close the door.
Buffy held it open with her hand. "Giles, did you forget? The hospital, vampires, handy carryout packets of blood?"
"Oh! Yes, uh, are you all right? W-Were you hurt?"
"No. I mean...my feelings a little. What's wrong?" Buffy asked him.
"Nothing - Nothing - Nothing's wrong. I-I'm just in the, uh, middle of something extremely important, and, uh, I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to say good night now."
He closed the door in her face, leaving her confused and taken aback. She could hear Giles on the phone but left him alone to his work.
"Yes, I'm - I'm sorry to disturb you. It's, uh...I-I realize it's, uh, five in the morning there, um..." Giles paused. "Uh, I-I'm trying to reach Diedre Page. My name is Rupert Giles; uh, uh, she knows me. It's - It's very important."
"I'm afraid Ms. Page is deceased."
"I'm terribly sorry. I..." Giles paused. "I-I didn't know. W-When did she, uh, pass away?"
"Three days ago."
"Ohhhh. That recently." Giles sat at his desk. "Um, yes, yes, um, we were friends when we were young. My condolences."
He hung up the phone and stared off into space with his fingers to his lips while he considered and remembered. He took off his glasses and reached for his drink. The bottle next to it was almost half-empty already. He gulped the rest from the glass and set it back down. He thought another moment before grabbing his pen and crossing Diedre's name off a list of five names: Thomas Sutcliff, Philip Henry, Diedre Page, Ethan Rayne, Rupert Giles. He got up and went into his bathroom to the sink in front of the mirror. He rolled up his sleeves, and on his left arm, just above the inside elbow, was the same tattoo that Philip had. He reached into the sink full of water, cupped his hands, and splashed some on his face.
Giles looked up at himself in the mirror. "So. You're back."
The next morning, at Sunnydale High, Jenny, Tara, Harmony, and Cordelia headed for the computer classroom.
Cordelia frowned. "This isn't right. School on a Saturday. It throws off my internal clock."
"When are we gonna need computers for real life, anyway?" Harmony asked.
"Hmm, let's see. There's home, school, work, games..." Jenny unlocked the classroom door.
They all went into the room. Tara, Harmony, and Cordelia each took a seat in front of a PC. Harmony took the one next to Tara, and Cordelia took the one next to Harmony.
"All right, guys. The first thing we're gonna do is...Buffy!" Jenny exclaimed.
Harmony laughed. "Ooh, kinky."
Buffy walked over to Jenny. "I want to talk to you for a second."
"Something wrong?" Jenny asked her.
"Is there some crisis that requires instant action? Very far from here?" Cordelia asked.
"It's Giles."
Jenny was worried. "Well, he's all right, isn't he?"
"I don't know. Uh, he didn't show up when he was supposed to last night, and then, when I went over to his place, he was acting...well, very anti-Giles. He wouldn't let me in, and he looked really bad. I-I think he might've been..." Buffy didn't want to believe it. "I think he was drinking."
"He was home alone, drinking?" Jenny asked her.
"Yep, yep, I knew this would happen. Nobody can be wound as straight and narrow as Giles without a dark side erupting. My Uncle Rory was the stodgiest taxidermist you've ever met by day. By night, it was booze, whores, and fur flying." Cordelia looked at Buffy. "Were there whores?"
Buffy looked at her. "He was alone."
"Give it time."
"So...none of you guys have noticed anything different lately?" Buffy asked them.
"No!" Tara replied.
Jenny shook her head. "Not really."
"Uh, you haven't seen anything weird?" Buffy asked.
Harmony shook her head. "Nope."
Cordelia shook her head. "No, he seemed perfectly normal yesterday when I saw him talking to the police."
Everyone stared at her.
"And you waited till now to tell us this, because...?" Buffy asked Cordelia.
"I didn't think it was important."
"Well, what were the police talking to him about?" Jenny asked Cordelia.
"Oh, don't tell me; I know this one. Um..." Cordelia thought for a moment. "Something about...a homicide."
"That's it. I-I'm calling him right now." Buffy went to find a phone.
Jenny rubbed her head with worry.
Buffy headed for Giles' office in the library when she heard something in the stacks and stopped in her tracks to look. She saw a shadow move across one of the bookcases in the anteroom. She went up the stairs and through the French doors. Slowly, she walked down the main aisle, looking around and down each side aisle. She looked up and saw a man and dashed away just in time to avoid being crushed under a falling bookcase. He tried to make his escape, but he was limping heavily and couldn't run.
Buffy grabbed him by the arm and turned him around. "I know you! You were in that costume shop."
"Oh, I'm pleased you remember." He tried to go.
Buffy stopped him. "You're the unlubed assfuck that sold me that dress for Halloween - and nearly got us all killed!"
"But you looked great."
Buffy punched him squarely in the jaw.
"Owww!" Ethan straightened back up, holding his jaw. "So now we're even?"
"I'll let you know when we're even. What're you doing here?"
"Snooping around."
"Honesty. Nice touch."
"It's one of my virtues." Ethan smiled. "Not really."
"I've got a great idea: why don't I just call the police and have you arrested for breaking and entering, and then I can get back to my fun Saturday?" Buffy suggested.
"Yes, the police. Well, they'll have all those questions, and they'll really need Rupert to answer them all."
"You know Giles."
"We go back. Way back. You don't happen to know where he is, do you?"
Buffy walked into Giles' office, picked up the phone's handset, and called Giles' home phone number.
Ethan followed her. "Ask him about the Mark of Eyghon. The name's Ethan Rayne."
The phone rang.
"Hello."
"Giles, it's me."
Giles sighed. "Buffy, u-unless this is an emergency, I'll see you on Monday."
"What's the Mark of Eyghon?" Buffy asked him.
He was silent.
"Giles?" Buffy asked.
Ethan grinned. "Cat got his tongue?"
"I'm in your office with someone who claims to be an old friend of yours. Ethan Rayne?"
"He's there with you?" Giles asked. "Listen, Buffy, you're...you're in grave danger while Ethan's there. I want you to put the phone down and get out of the library as soon as possible."
"I'm not going anywhere until you give me some fucking answers!" Buffy told him.
Philip came crashing through a window in Giles' office. Ethan stepped behind Buffy and held her in front of him.
"Buffy?" Giles asked.
Buffy dropped the handset and backed out of Giles' office, Ethan behind her. Philip came out of the office and straight for Buffy. She kicked him in the chest and rolled over the counter. He came through the door and at her again. Ethan climbed over the counter, too.
"Ethan!" Philip called.
Tara walked in, followed by Cordelia, Harmony, and Jenny.
"Don't let him get away!" Buffy told them.
Tara pushed Ethan up against the counter, but he pushed her aside. The doors were held wide open by Harmony and Jenny, and Ethan tried to make his escape past them, but Cordelia kneed him in the penis, and he collapsed.
Buffy looked around for what to do with Philip and spotted the open cage door. She backed toward it, then turned and made like she was running in. Philip hurried to follow, but she sidestepped the door and kicked him into the cage as he ran by. She slammed the door shut and locked it. Ethan was still lying in pain on the floor.
A while later, Ethan was sitting in a chair at the table, being watched by Buffy. The others observed Philip.
Tara had seen enough and walked over to Buffy. "I'm not gonna get close enough to feel his pulse, but...he looks dead."
Harmony looked at them. "Except for the walking and attacking Buffy part."
"He's dead." Ethan looked at Philip's body. "Sorry, Philip. Really, I am."
Giles barged into the library. "Is everyone all right?"
Cordelia grinned, proud of herself. "Super! I kicked a guy!"
Jenny looked at Giles. "We're okay."
"Deadguy here interrupted our tutorial." Harmony looked at Philip. "Been meaning to thank you for that."
Philip jumped at her, and Harmony backed off.
Giles walked over to have a look at Philip. "It can't be!"
"Yes, it can."
Giles turned to Ethan.
"Hello, Ripper."
"I thought I told you to leave town."
"You did. I didn't."
Giles approached him.
"Shop's lease is paid till the end of the month."
Cordelia looked at Harmony. "Uh, why did he call him Ripper?"
Harmony shrugged.
Giles grabbed Ethan by the hair on the back of his neck and lifted him out of his chair. "You should've left when I told you."
Cordelia suddenly got it. "Ohhhh..."
"Giles?!" Buffy asked in surprise.
"You put these people in danger. The people I care about."
"If you cared so much about them, why didn't you leave town?" Ethan pushed Giles' arm away. "You've been having the dreams. I know. I have. We both know what's coming."
"What dreams?! What the fuck is going on here?!" Buffy demanded.
"Tell her, Ripper."
Buffy stared at Giles. "Giles-"
Philip broke the cage door and threw it open into Jenny, knocking her out. Harmony quickly moved away and pushed Cordelia with her.
"Jenny!" Giles scrambled to her aid.
Buffy got between Ethan and Philip and kicked Philip in the chest three times, forcing him back against the cage. He slid down to the floor but got back up and came for Buffy again. Before he could reach her, his eyes went wide, he began to convulse, and he collapsed to the floor, next to Jenny. He disintegrated into a puddle of slime. It began to spread out. Everyone stared in horror.
Cordelia stared at the slime. "I'm gonna be in therapy till I'm thirty."
Buffy looked around. "Where's Ethan?" She ran off. "Where'd he go?"
The slime oozed its way to Jenny, and her hand stirred when it made contact. She regained consciousness.
Giles helped her sit up. "Are you all right, Jenny?"
"Ow!" Jenny cradled her head in her hand.
"Careful!"
"Ohhh..."
"Can you stand?" Giles helped her up.
"I think so."
Cordelia looked at everyone. "This is what happens when you have school on Saturday."
Tara gave her a look.
Jenny was unsteady. "Mm."
"Lean on me." Giles pulled her close. "It'll be all right."
Jenny pulled away to look at him. "Promise?"
"I promise."
"I believe you." Jenny closed her eyes and leaned on his shoulder, hugging him close.
After searching the school grounds for a while, Buffy strode back into the library. Giles was at the table, stroking Jenny's hair as she rested her head against her hand.
"How's your head?" Giles asked her.
"Throbbing."
"I lost Ethan. Giles, what's going on?" Buffy asked.
"It's complicated, Buffy, and, quite frankly, it's private."
"I don't care from private! I care from dead guys attacking us. I care from you drinking in your apartment."
"I wasn't..." Giles paused. "I was just trying to find a solution."
"Giles, share! What is the Mark of Eyghon?" Buffy asked.
"Hey!" Giles stared at her. "This is not your battle!" He stood up. "And as your Watcher, I'm telling you unequivocally to stay out of it!"
Buffy couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"I have to get Jenny home." Giles helped her up.
"Mm. Thank you."
Jenny rested her head on his shoulder as the two of them walked from the library. Buffy walked over to the others, who were sitting on the counter.
"We have work to do. Tara, I want you to find out anything and everything you can about the Mark of Eyghon."
Tara nodded. "I'll try the 'Net, but 'Mark of Eyghon' sounds like Mr. Giles and his books sorta deal."
"Then we hit the books."
Tara hopped off the counter and headed up into the stacks. Cordelia and Harmony hopped off the counter and smiled at Buffy.
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "What?"
"What about us?" Cordelia asked.
Harmony nodded. "We care about Giles."
Buffy thought for a moment. "Cordy, how do you feel about digging through some of Giles' personal files and seeing what you can find?"
"I feel pretty good about it. Does that make me a sociopath?" Cordelia thought about it. "Nah." She headed for the office.
"Harm, help me and Tara look through books."
Harmony saluted Buffy. "Righty-ho, boss."
Buffy went into the stacks to help Tara, and Harmony followed her.
Giles took Jenny to his apartment.
Jenny was sitting on the couch. "Thanks for bringing me here. Not quite ready to be home alone just yet." She accepted a drink from Giles.
Giles walked around the couch and sat down next to her.
Jenny took a sip of the drink. "Ooh!"
"Jenny, uh...I'm so very sorry about all of this." Giles set down his drink and took off his glasses. "I, uh...I never meant for you to be involved in - in, uh, any of this."
"So I got involved." Jenny leaned forward. "That's what happens when two people get involved."
Giles looked at her and smiled. He started to make a move in to kiss her but stopped himself. "I really am, however, gonna have to get you home. It's not, uh...I'm not a very safe person to be around at the moment."
"Nothing's safe in this world, Rupert. Don't you know that by now?" Jenny reached up and stroked his head behind his ear.
In the library, Tara had found something and went over to Buffy with her book. "Ah! Aha! It's not Egyptian; it's Etruscan, mistaken for Egyptian by the design pattern. Look, the Mark of Eyghon, worn by his initiates. 'Eyghon, also called the Sleepwalker, can only exist in this reality by possessing an unconscious host. Temporary possession imbues the host with a euphoric feeling of power.'"
"Yeah, but what about non-temporary?" Buffy asked her.
"'Unless the proper rituals are observed, the possession is permanent, and Eyghon will be born from within the host.'"
Harmony was disgusted. "I'm guessing eww!"
"Wait. Hey, listen. 'Once called, Eyghon can also take possession of the dead, but its demonic energy soon disintegrates the host, and it must jump to the nearest dead or unconscious person to continue living.'"
Buffy was confused. "I still don't get what this has to do with Giles."
Tara shook her head. "I don't know about Mr. Giles, but ancient sects used to induce possession for bacchanals and - and orgies."
Harmony felt like vomiting. "Okay! Giles and orgies in the same sentence. I coulda lived without that one."
Buffy thought of something. "Uh, wait a minute. The dead guy's all puddly now."
"So the demon's gone. There was no one dead to jump into. I mean...we're all not dead, right?" Harmony asked.
"No, no one dead." Buffy came to a realization. "But someone unconscious."
Tara and Harmony realized what happened.
In Giles' apartment, Giles was in the kitchen, preparing tea, when he heard a sound. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Jenny asked from the living room.
"I thought I heard something." Giles walked into the living room with the tea.
"I didn't."
"Here." Giles handed her a cup. "Drink that, and then I'll drive you home."
Jenny took a sip. "You could take me home." She set the cup down. "Or you could take advantage of me in my weakened state."
In the library, Buffy was on the phone. "Thank you, operator." She hung up. "Shit. There's no answer at Ms. Calendar's, and Giles' phone is out of order. I'm gonna go over there." She strode out.
"Jenny, uh..." Giles moved away. "I'm - I'm really very attracted t-to you."
"Good." Jenny followed.
"But, um, now really isn't the right time." Giles faced her.
"Oh, there's never been a better time." Jenny pushed him back onto a chair, climbed onto his lap, and kissed him hard.
Giles pushed her away. "It's not right. I would be taking advantage."
Jenny got off him. "God, you just don't change, do you?" She paced.
"What?" Giles asked in confusion.
"It's not right; it wouldn't be proper; people might get hurt. You're like a woman, Ripper. You cry at every funeral. You never had the strength for me. You don't deserve me. But guess what? You've got me." Jenny took his head. "Under your skin." She spoke that last line in a deep male voice. She grabbed his hair and lifted him to his feet. She kissed him roughly. When she pulled back, her face had started the transformation to Eyghon. "Was it good for you?" She smashed his head into the phone on the desk. "Aw, you never had the stomach. But that's okay. 'Cause I'm about to rip it out!"
She pulled him back, and he cried out as he staggered backward into the bar and stumbled to the floor.
Buffy kicked open the door and kicked Jenny/Eyghon hard in the jaw, sending her back over the couch and onto the floor. She got up again and walked around the couch, eyeing Buffy.
"Back off!" Buffy warned.
Jenny/Eyghon stopped and laughed. "Three down, two to go. Be seeing ya." She ran and dove through the window.
Buffy crouched down beside Giles. "Are you all right?"
"Oh, Jenny! Oh, God!" Giles cried.
"Giles, how do we stop this?" Buffy asked him.
"Oh, God, what have I done?" Giles asked.
"Talk to me!" Buffy pleaded. "Giles, you're scaring me."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, be Giles. C'mon, we fight monsters. This is what we do. They show up, they scare us, I beat 'em up, and they go away. This isn't any different!" Buffy insisted.
"It is different."
"Because you don't know how to stop it?"
"Because I created it!"
In the library, Cordelia walked out of Giles' office.
"Did you find anything?" Tara asked her.
"The most meticulous banking and phone records you've ever seen. And, um, this." Cordelia handed her a picture of a young Giles in a leather jacket, playing an electric bass.
Harmony looked over at the picture. "Holy shit."
Tara giggled. "Oh, my fuck. That's Giles?"
Giles and Buffy sat on the couch.
"I was twenty-one, studying history at Oxford. And, of course, the occult by night. I hated it. The tedious grind of study, the...overwhelming pressure of my destiny. I dropped out, I went to London..." Giles sighed. "I fell in with the worst crowd that would have me. We practiced magicks. Small stuff for pleasure or gain. And Ethan and I discovered something...bigger."
"Eyghon."
"Yes. One of us would, um..." Giles nervously poured a drink. "...go into a deep sleep, and the others would, uh, summon him. It was an extraordinary high!" He smiled nervously. "God, we were fools."
"You couldn't control it."
"One of us, Randall, he lost control. Eyghon took him whole. We tried to exorcise the demon from Randall, but it killed him. No. We killed him. We thought we were free of the demon after that. But now he's back. And one by one, he will kill us all."
"Three down, two to go?" Buffy asked him.
Giles nodded.
"Then it's going after Ethan." Buffy got up. "I better beat it there."
Giles got up. "We'd better."
"I'd better. Giles, you're barely mobile, and speed is of a serious essence here."
Giles sat back down. "I don't know how to stop it without killing Jenny."
"I've got the girls working on it. I'll, um, try to contain it until we figure something." Buffy started to go.
"Buffy?"
Buffy stopped and looked at him.
"I'm sorry."
Buffy stared at him for a moment. "I know." She left.
Buffy opened the door to Ethan's Costume Shop and looked in. "Ethan?" She walked in and closed the door. "Ethan?" She looked around. "Giles told me everything. Look, it's coming for you."
Ethan came out of the back room. "And you came to protect me? I'm touched."
"Don't worry, it's nothing personal. To protect Giles, I have to protect you." Buffy walked past him.
"How does Ripper inspire such goodness?"
"'Cause he's Giles."
"And I'm not. Still, lucky me."
"Hmm. Lucky you."
"Well, we can't run. Eyghon will find us." Ethan showed Buffy his tattoo. "This mark's like a homing beacon."
"That's okay. I'm not much into running."
"Aren't we manly?"
"One of us is. You're gonna hide till it's over."
"Excellent plan."
"Is there a way in through the back?" Buffy asked him.
"Uh, there's a back door. It's locked. I think it's solid."
"We'll set up there. Let's go."
"Oh, no, please." Ethan indicated she should go first.
Buffy headed toward the back and suddenly felt a sharp blow against the back of her head. She lost consciousness before she hit the floor.
Buffy woke up and found herself lying face-down on a table in the back room of Ethan's shop with her arms tied together underneath.
Ethan was humming while he worked. "Wakey, wakey. You're missing all the fun."
"What fun?" Buffy asked.
"Your initiation." Ethan set down a tray of tattooing instruments.
"You know what? I'm not really interested in joining your club."
"Too late. I already voted you in."
Buffy struggled.
"Y'know, I hope you're not taking this personally, Buffy. I actually kinda like you. It's ju-It's just that I like myself a whole lot more. If you think of it karmically, this is - this is really big for your soul."
Buffy struggled with the rope.
"You know, taking my place with the demon, giving so that others may live."
Buffy gave him a death stare. "I'm gonna kill you. Will that blow the whole karma thing?"
"Sweet child." Ethan took the tattoo ink and needle. "Now, this may sting a little just at first. But don't worry, that'll go away once the searing pain kicks in."
Buffy struggled harder. "Fuck you, asshole!"
Ethan bent over her to begin. "You can go ahead and scream if you like." He started tattooing her on the back of her neck.
In the library, Tara, Harmony, and Cordelia were researching books.
"We have to figure out how to kill this thing, and we need to do it fast." Tara took a sip of tea.
Cordelia looked at a passage in her book. "Uh, 'hot lava.'"
Tara looked at her. "That's for a heretic."
"Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, okay. Uh, ooh, ooh! 'Bury a potato!' No, that's for warts. Who writes this shit?" Cordelia asked.
Harmony pointed at a passage in her book. "I've got the solution right here. 'To kill a demon, cut off its head.'"
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Brilliant, retard."
Harmony was hurt. "I'm trying, okay?!"
Tara sighed. We don't have time for this shit. Our friends are in trouble. Now, we have to put our heads together and - and get them out of it. Now, we've done the research. We just have to figure out how to use it."
Harmony thought of something. "Oh, hey! Why don't we find another dead body for the demon to jump into?!"
Cordelia nodded. "Yes! At the cemetery."
"Well, that won't kill the demon. It'll only give it a change of scenery." Tara suddenly had a revelation. "Oh. Oh! Oh, I've got it!" She stood up and ran for the phone. "I've got it!"
Harmony and Cordelia smiled and followed her.
In his shop. Ethan had finished Buffy's tattoo. "Hmm. I think I missed my calling as an artist."
"Ethan, listen to me. This is a bad idea. You're dealing with something very dangerous."
Ethan rolled up his left sleeve. "But it will get Eyghon off my scent."
He picked up a bottle of sulfuric acid. Buffy drew a breath in fright, thinking the acid was meant for her.
"Now, relax. I'm finished with you. This is for me."
Buffy had found an exposed screw on the underside of the table and began scraping her rope against it. Ethan steeled himself for the burn of the acid. He slowly poured it onto his Mark of Eyghon tattoo. Buffy looked at him like he was insane. He did his best not to scream but let out a few grunts of pain. Buffy kept scraping the rope on the screw.
Giles was about to leave his apartment when he was caught by a waking nightmare and collapsed to the floor, unable to remain standing. He had visions of the Mark of Eyghon and various friends incarnate of Eyghon - and finally of Buffy with her new tattoo.
Giles woke. "Oh! Ethan..." He paused. "No. No!"
He quickly got up, grabbed his coat, and staggered out the door, still weak and not bothering to close it behind him.
Ethan wrapped his arm in a bandage. "Well, I hate to mutilate and run, but..."
He and Buffy saw a diffuse green light shine through the shop windows and the shadow of Jenny/Eyghon coming to the door.
The door opened, and Jenny/Eyghon stepped in, well on her way to transforming into Eyghon. "It's your time."
Buffy was almost through the rope under the table. Jenny/Eyghon stepped up to Ethan. He stared at her in fear. She sniffed a few times and realized he was not the one that she was after anymore. She turned to Buffy, and her eyes glowed. Jenny/Eyghon shoved Ethan aside just as Buffy got through the rope. Buffy rolled off the table and onto the floor as Jenny/Eyghon lunged for her. She kicked up and flipped Jenny/Eyghon and the table over and onto the floor. They both got up. Jenny/Eyghon held the table in her hands and rushed Buffy with it, pushing her into some crates.
Giles barged in through the door. "Eyghon! Take me."
Jenny/Eyghon tossed the table aside and turned to face Giles.
"Buffy, get out of here!" Giles yelled.
Jenny/Eyghon slowly advanced on Giles.
"No!" Buffy got between them. "No!"
Jenny/Eyghon stretched her arm out at Buffy, and she went flying into a pile of boxes.
Jenny/Eyghon grabbed Giles by the collar, pulled him around and down to the floor, and stood over him. "I've been waiting a long time to do this."
As she bent down to grab Giles, Angel ran in through the door, grabbed her, and pulled her to the crate, banging her head into it. He took her by the neck and started to choke her. Tara, Harmony, and Cordelia ran in next. Tara held Giles back as he got up.
"He's killing her!" Giles yelled.
"No! Trust me! This is gonna work!" Tara yelled back.
Angel continued choking Jenny/Eyghon. Harmony helped Buffy up. Finally, Eyghon had to jump and did so - right into Angel. He dropped Jenny as he was thrown back into the wall and began convulsing. When Jenny hit the floor, she was herself again. Tara let go of Giles, and he immediately got on his hands and knees next to Jenny.
"Jenny!" Giles called.
Angel's face twisted and contorted as the demons inside him fought it out. He was thrown to the crate and hit his head. His face went through a few more contortions when Eyghon suddenly appeared, apparently gaining the upper hand. After a moment, Angel's face shifted back to normal, then back to Eyghon, then back to normal again. He was thrown back against the wall. Another moment's struggle, and the demon inside Angel threw Eyghon out. Without a host body to occupy, Eyghon quickly crumbled into ashes. Angel gasped and collapsed to the floor. Cordelia, Buffy, Tara, and Harmony all ran over to his aid.
Giles reached out to Jenny. She shifted to look at him.
"Jenny!"
"Rupert..."
Ethan got up and ran from the shop.
Buffy looked at Tara and smiled. "You knew that, if the demon was in trouble, it was gonna jump into the nearest dead person."
Angel looked at Buffy. "I put it in danger."
"And it jumped." Tara stood up.
Angel got up. "I've had a demon inside me for a couple hundred years...just waitin' for a good fight."
Cordelia smiled and stood up. "Winner and still champion." She kissed Angel on the lips.
Harmony stood up and looked around. "Uh, I think that Ethan guy disappeared again."
Buffy stood up and frowned. "Damn. I really wanted to hit him till he bled."
Cordelia shrugged. "Well, at least it's over."
Cordelia, Angel, Harmony, Tara, and Buffy looked over at Jenny and Giles. Jenny clung to Giles as they walked out of the shop.
On Monday morning, at school, Tara, Cordelia, Harmony, and Buffy walked across the quad.
"You know what the worst thing is?" Buffy asked. "I was saving up for some very important shoes, and now I have to blow my entire allowance to get this stupid tattoo removed. Let's just hope my mom doesn't see it first."
Tara looked at Buffy. "Let me try something."
The four of them stopped walking.
Tara pressed her left hand to the back of Buffy's neck and concentrated. When she removed her hand, the tattoo was gone, and Buffy's skin was undamaged.
Tara smiled and kissed the back of Buffy's neck. "All gone."
Buffy smiled. "Thanks, sweetie."
Cordelia looked at Tara. "Puttin' that demon into Angel was pretty brill, Tara."
Tara looked at Harmony. "Well, Harmony inspired me."
Harmony smiled. "Yay, me!"
Tara looked at Cordelia. "I wasn't sure it was gonna work."
Buffy smiled. "But it did."
Cordelia smiled. "Like a charm."
Buffy had an idea. "Hey! Maybe you should consider a career as a Watcher."
Tara shook her head. "Oh, no, I don't think I could handle the stress. I don't see how Mr. Giles does it."
They saw him walking.
"I don't think he has a choice." Buffy kissed Tara on the lips and looked at her friends. "I'll see you all later."
Buffy followed Giles from a distance and entered the building.
Jenny walked to the stairs and was about to start up.
Giles caught up with her. "Uh, uh, Jenny! Jenny..."
Jenny stopped and turned to face him. "Rupert, hi."
"Uh...I-I-I tried to call you last night, s-see how you were."
"Yeah, I-I-I, uh...I left my phone off the hook. I seem to need a lot of sleep lately."
"But - But you're all - all right? Is - Is - Is there anything you need?"
"Mm, no, I'm fine. I mean...I'm not...fine, but...I'm coping."
"I-I would like to help."
"I know."
"Perhaps we could, um, talk sometime, um...dinner - or - or a drink?" Giles offered. "When you're feeling stronger."
"Sure, sometime."
Giles reached out to her.
Jenny took a backward step up and away from him and drew a deep breath. "Yeah. Sometime." She paused. "I better get to class."
"Yes, of course."
He watched her go up the stairs. When she was gone from sight, he looked down sadly; after a moment, he started to go to his library.
Buffy caught up to him. "Hey."
They rounded the corner and stopped.
"Is she okay?" Buffy asked him.
"Um...I don't know."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"I don't think she'll ever really forgive me. Maybe she shouldn't."
"Maybe you should."
"I never wanted you to see that side of me."
"I'm not gonna lie to you. It was scary." Buffy took a deep breath and let it out. "I'm so used to you being a grownup, and then I find out that you're a person."
"Most grownups are."
"Who would've thought?"
"Some are even, uh...shortsighted, foolish people."
"So, after all this time, we finally find out that we do have something in common. Which, apart from being a little weird, is kind of okay." Buffy paused in consideration. "I think we're supposed to be training right now."
Giles knew Buffy would never volunteer training and recognized it as her way of saying things were okay between them. "Yes. Yes. Um, need to concentrate on your flexibility."
"And you know what? I have just the perfect music." Buffy held up the Divinyls album, The Collection. "Go on, say it. You know you want to."
"It's not music; it's just, uh, meaningless sounds."
"There. Feel better?" Buffy asked him.
"Yes. Thanks."
They headed toward the library.
"Bay City Rollers. Now, that's music."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "I didn't hear that. Divinyls. 'I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore'. Perfect training song."
Chapter 51: What's My Line
Chapter Text
"What's My Line"
Based on the Episodes "What's My Line (Part 1)" Written by Howard Gordon and Marti Noxon and "What's My Line (Part 2)" Written by Marti Noxon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
At Sunnydale High School, the career fair was going on in the lounge. Tara walked into the hall from outside and looked around at some of the displays being set up on her way to sign up for the career aptitude test. Buffy, Amy, and Katrina were already sitting at a table, filling out their tests. Tara headed for their table with a test to join them.
Tara sat down and kissed Buffy on the lips. "Hi."
Buffy smiled. "Hi."
Tara started filling out her test. "I'm kinda curious to find out what sort of career I could have."
Cordelia had a clipboard and was taking her test as she walked into the lounge, accompanied by two of her groupies.
"'I aspire to help my fellow man.'" Cordelia marked her test. "Check. As long as he's not smelly, dirty, or something gross."
"Do I like shrubs?" Buffy wondered out loud.
Amy looked at her. "That's between you and your god."
Buffy looked at Katrina. "What'd you put?"
"I came down on the side of shrubs."
"Go with shrubs! Okay!" Buffy marked her answer, frustrated. "Uhhh! I shouldn't even be bothering with this. It's all mootville for me. No matter what my aptitude test says, we already know my deal. Pointy wooden things..."
"Then why are you even taking the test?" Amy asked her.
"It's Principal Snyder's hoop of the week. He's not happy unless I'm jumping. Believe me, I would not be here otherwise."
"You're not even a bit curious about what kinda career you could've had?" Katrina asked her. "I mean...if you weren't already the Slayer and all."
"Do the words 'sealed in fate' ring any bells for you, Trina? Why go there?" Buffy asked her.
Katrina was hurt by that comment.
Buffy was ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry, it's just...unless Hell freezes over, and every vamp in Sunnydale puts in for early retirement, I'd say my future is pretty much a non-issue."
Tara put a comforting hand on top of Buffy's hand. "Only if you allow it to be, sweetie."
That night, Buffy and Cordelia walked through the cemetery at a relaxed pace. They paused for a moment but continued on, scanning the graveyard around them as they went. They stopped again when they heard clinking noises coming from a mausoleum. They looked at it and saw light coming from inside. They walked over to it, pushed the door open a bit, and peeked in. A man with glasses was chipping away at the wall, exposing a chamber behind it. He reached in for something as Buffy and Cordelia pulled their heads back out and closed the door. They walked down the steps and turned around to wait for him to come out.
A few moments later, the man opened the door and stepped out.
"Does 'rest in peace' have no sanctity to you people?" Buffy asked him.
He bared his fangs.
Buffy frowned. "Oh, you're not a people."
Another vampire came up behind her. She sensed him, turned around, and kicked him in the gut, then the jaw, then again in the gut. He took a swing at her, but she grabbed his arm and punched him twice in the face. He swung at her with his other arm, but she ducked and caught it, too. She yanked it back, snapping it. While she had him leaning back, Cordelia thrust a stake into his back, hitting his heart. Buffy let his body fall to the ground.
"One down." Buffy turned and saw the other vampire missing. She looked around but saw no sign of him anywhere. "One gone." She looked at Cordelia. "Cordy, why didn't you get the other guy? He looked like a nerd. I could have handled this guy on my own."
Cordelia frowned at her. "You're welcome."
Buffy and Cordelia went to Buffy's house, grabbed some drinks from the fridge, and went up to Buffy's room. Angel was there, waiting and looking into Buffy's bookcase. Angel took her stuffed pig from the shelf. Without a word, Buffy tossed her bag loudly onto the floor.
Angel turned around, startled. He gently squeezed the pig. "Buffy! You scared me."
"Now you know what it feels like, Stealth Guy." Buffy crouched down by her bag and reached into her hair to pull out a few clips. "Just dropping by for some quality time with Mr. Gordo?"
Angel was confused. "Excuse me?"
"The pig." Buffy opened her trunk and dumped the bag in.
"Oh." Angel chuckled. "I, uh..."
"What's up?" Buffy walked to her desk.
"Nothing." Angel tossed the pig onto a chair, walked to the foot of her bed, and sat down.
Buffy dropped her hair clips into a desk drawer and faced him. "Only you don't have a nothing face. You have a something face. And you don't have to whisper. Mom's in L.A. till Thursday. Art buying or something."
"I wanted to make sure you two were okay. I had a bad feeling."
Buffy sighed. "There's a surprise. Angel comes with bad news."
Angel sighed and turned away, tired of the same old reaction from her.
"I apologize on behalf of my so-called friend." Cordelia walked over to him and sat next to him on Buffy's bed. "She's been Miss Cranky Bitch all day. It's not you."
Angel looked at Buffy. "Well, what is it then?"
"It's nothing."
Angel wasn't buying it.
Buffy sighed. "Uh, we're having this thing at school."
"Career week?" Angel asked.
Buffy was surprised. "How did you know?"
"I lurk."
Buffy was creeped out. "Right. Well, then you know it's a whole week of 'what's my line', only...I don't get to play. Sometimes, I just want a normal life. Like I had before. I wish I could be a regular kid."
Cordelia saw a picture on her desk, stood up, walked over, and picked it up. It was of Buffy and Dawn as children on ice skates.
"Was this part of your normal life?" Cordelia asked her.
"Oh, my God." Buffy laughed. "Our Tonya Harding phase. Our rooms in L.A. were pretty much shrines. Wall-to-wall Tonya posters. We even got the Tonya haircut, thereby securing places for ourselves in the Geek Hall of Fame."
"Hmm, you wanted to be like her?" Cordelia asked.
"We wanted to be her. Our parents were fighting all the time, and skating was an escape. We felt safe."
"When was the last time you put on your skates?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy inhaled and slowly exhaled. "Oh, shit, I dunno. About a couple of hundred demons ago."
Angel stood up and stepped close to them. "There's a rink out past Route 17; it's...closed on Tuesdays."
Buffy looked at him in confusion. "Tomorrow's Tuesday."
Angel stared at Cordelia. "I know."
Cordelia was turned on. She looked at Buffy. "Teach me to skate."
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "O...kaaay."
The next day, at school, Cordelia and Buffy were going over the results of the career aptitude test posted on a bulletin board in the quad.
Cordelia found herself on the A-D list. "Oh, here I am. 'Personal shopper or motivational speaker.' Neato!"
"Motivational speaker? On what? Ten ways to a more annoying you?" Buffy asked her.
Cordelia found Buffy's results. "Oh, what about you? You're..." She giggled and left.
"What?" Buffy frantically looked herself up. "What?!"
Tara, Amy, and Katrina walked out of the building and stared across the quad.
Buffy met up with them. "Wouldn't you three say you know me about as well as anyone else? Maybe even better than I know myself?"
"What's this about?" Tara asked her.
"When you look at me, do you think 'police officer'?" Buffy asked. "They just put up the assignments for the career fair. They assigned me to the booth for law enforcement professionals."
Tara, Amy, and Katrina looked at each other.
Katrina looked at Buffy. "It makes a certain amount of sense, if you think about it."
Amy nodded and looked at Buffy. "I agree."
Buffy thought about it, shrugged, and nodded. She spotted Giles walking along with a tall stack of old books in his arms.
Buffy frowned. "Giles is on this Tony Robbins hyper-efficiency kick. Expects me to check in every day after homeroom." She kissed Tara on the lips and walked off after Giles.
Tara, Amy, and Katrina walked over to the bulletin board.
Amy checked for her name. "'Culinary arts.'"
"Mmmm, you're definitely good at that, babe." Katrina stuck out her tongue and made a few rapid licking motions.
Amy laughed, caught Katrina's tongue between her lips, and playfully sucked on it. "What'd you get?"
Katrina checked for her name. "'Mechanical engineering.' Cool."
Tara checked for her name. "I'm not on the list. This must be a mistake."
In the library, Giles walked to the table, balancing his stack of books. He carefully set them down and leaned over a bit to straighten the stack, but he over-leaned, and the books began to fall over. He reacted quickly to try to stop them.
"Ah!" Giles exclaimed.
Buffy put her hand on top of the stack just as he did, and they pushed it back up.
Giles was relieved and exhaled. "Buffy. Thank you."
Buffy sat down at the table.
"I've been, uh, indexing the Watcher diaries covering the last couple of centuries. You would be amazed at how numbingly pompous and long-winded some of these Watchers were."
"Color me stunned."
"So, uh, I trust last night's patrol was fruitful?"
"Semi. Mm, I caught one out of two vamps after they stole something from this jumbo mausoleum."
"They were stealing?"
"Yeah! They had tools, flashlights, whole nine yards. What does that mean, anyway? 'Whole nine yards'?" Buffy wondered.
Giles began to pace.
"Nine yards of what?" Buffy whined. "Now, it's gonna bug me all day. Giles, you're in pace mode. What gives?"
"Um, this vampire who escaped, did you see what he took?"
"No, but I could take a guess and say it was something old."
"You made no effort to find out what was taken?"
"Have a cow, Giles!" Buffy yelled. "I just figured it was your everyday vamp hijinks."
"Well, what if it wasn't? This could be very serious! I mean...i-i-if you'd made an effort to, uh, to be more thorough in your observations-"
"Y'know, if you don't like the way I'm doing my job, why don't you find somebody else? Oh, that's right, there can be only one. As long as I'm alive, there is no one else. Well, there you go! I don't have to be the Slayer. I could be dead."
"That wasn't terribly funny. You notice I don't laugh."
"Wouldn't be much of a change. Either way, I'm bored, constricted, and I never get to shop. So, really, when you think about it, what's the diff?" Buffy asked.
"Do we have to be introspective now? Our only concern is to discover what was stolen from that mausoleum last night."
Tara was at the career fair in the school lounge.
Amy walked over to her. "Hey, what's up?"
"I'm looking for Buffy."
"Oh, she went with Giles about an hour ago. Some kind of field trip deal."
"If she doesn't get back soon, Principal Snyder's really-" Tara spotted him on the stairs. "-done a great job with the fair this year, hasn't he, Amy?"
Snyder walked over to them. "Where is she?"
"Who?" Tara asked.
"You know who."
"You mean Buffy?" Tara looked around. "I just saw her-"
"And don't feed me that 'I just saw her a minute ago, she's around here somewhere' story."
"But I did...just see her a minute ago, and she is...around here somewhere!" Tara lied.
"Right." Snyder walked off.
Two recruiters in dark suits approached Tara.
"Tara Maclay?"
Tara faced them.
"Come with us, please?"
"Excuse me?" Tara asked.
"Let's walk."
The two men took her by the arms and guided her to a curtained-off area of the lounge. Tara looked back at Amy. They pulled the curtain aside for Tara. She stepped through, and they followed her, letting the curtain fall closed again behind them.
"What is all this?" Tara asked.
"You've been selected to meet with Mr. McCarthy, head recruiter for the world's leading software concern. The jet was delayed by fog at Sea-Tac, but he should be here any minute." The recruiter indicated the couch. "Please, make yourself comfortable."
"But I didn't even get my test back."
"The test was irrelevant. We've been tracking you for some time."
Tara was worried. "Is that a good thing?"
"I would think so. We're extremely selective. In fact, only one other Sunnydale student met our criteria."
Without another word, the two recruiters turned and left through the curtain. Tara was a bit stunned but stayed and turned around to see who the other student was. Oz was sitting there on the couch. She stepped over to the couch and sat down on the other end. She folded her hands in her lap and looked over at Oz. He noticed someone sit and turned to look. When he saw her, he did a double take.
Buffy swung open the metal gate to the cemetery entrance and strode in, holding a flashlight.
Giles was running to catch up with her. "Buffy! Slow down! Please!"
"Giles, we have work to do, remember? Get with the program."
Giles held his chest as he breathed hard to catch his breath from running after her. They continued walking to the mausoleum.
"You're behaving remarkably im-immaturely." Giles panted.
"You know why? I am immature. I'm a teen. I have yet to mature."
"I was...simply offering some...constructive criticism." Giles panted.
"No! You were harsh! God, you act like I picked this gig. But remember, I'm the picked."
"What you have...is more than...a gig. It's a sacred duty. Which...shouldn't prevent you from e-e-eventually procuring some...more...gainful f-f-form of employment. Uh-uh-uh, such as I did."
"Uh, Giles, it's one thing to be a Watcher and a librarian. They go together like chicken and...another chicken...or...two chickens...or...something; you know what I'm saying! The point is...no one blinks an eye, if you want to spend all your days with books. What am I supposed to do? Carve stakes for a nursery?"
Giles had gotten in front of her as they made their way past several gravestones.
"Um, point taken. I must, however, admit...I-I've never really..." Giles paused in consideration. "Well, now, there's a thought; have you ever considered law enforcement?"
"Actually, yeah. Dunno if it'd be a good fit, though. I'm not one for following orders."
"You don't say."
Buffy stopped in her tracks, raised her flashlight, and jerked it at the mausoleum behind him.
"What?" Giles turned to look. "Oh!"
They walked up the steps and went in. The chamber was bare except for two large stone vases and a pile of rubble on the floor. They walked down the steps.
"May I?" Giles reached for the flashlight.
Buffy handed it to him. "Be my guest."
Giles turned on the flashlight and walked over to where the wall had been broken into. "It's a reliquary. Used to house items of religious significance. Most commonly a finger or some other body part from a saint."
Buffy was grossed out. "Note to self: religion: freaky."
She leaned against the wall as Giles scanned around the rest of the room with the flashlight.
Giles spotted a name engraved on a stone high above. "Du Lac. Oh dear, oh dear."
"I hate when you say that."
"Josephus du Lac was buried here. He belonged to a religious sect that was excommunicated by the Vatican at the turn of the century."
"Excommunicated and sent to Sunnydale. There's a guy big with the sinning."
"You remember the book that was stolen from the library by a vampire a few weeks ago?"
"Yeah."
"It was written by Du Lac. Damn it! I let it slip my mind with all the excitement."
"I'm guessing it wasn't a Taste of the Vatican cookbook."
They started out of the mausoleum.
"No, the, uh, book was said to contain rituals and spells that reap unspeakable evil. However, it was written in archaic Latin, so that nobody but the sect members could understand it."
They walked outside.
"So...everything's cool then."
"It's not. First, the book was taken from the library, and now the vampires have stolen something from Du Lac's tomb."
"You think they figured out how to read the book?" Buffy asked.
"Something's coming, Buffy, and, whatever it is, I can guarantee it's not good."
Later, in the library, Tara, Buffy, Amy, and Katrina were sitting at the table.
"So Mr. Giles is sure that the vampire who stole his book is connected to the one you slayed last night?" Tara paused in thought. "Or is it slew?"
Giles came out of the stacks with a National Geographic magazine. "Both are correct, and, yes, I'm sure. Du Lac was both a-a...a theologian and a mathematician." He came down the stairs. "This article describes an invention of his, which he called 'The Du Lac Cross'. The cross was more than a mere symbol." He handed the open magazine to Tara. "It was used to understand certain mystical texts, to, uh, decipher hidden meanings, and so forth."
"So you're saying these vampires went to all this hassle for your basic decoder ring?" Buffy asked him.
Giles was taken aback by the metaphor. "Uh, actually, yes, I-I suppose I am."
Tara was looking at the article. "According to this, Du Lac destroyed every cross except the one buried with him."
"Why destroy your own work?" Buffy asked.
Giles paced. "Perhaps he feared what might happen, if it fell into the wrong hands."
Amy shuddered. "A fear we'll soon get to experience for ourselves, up close and personal."
Giles looked at her. "U-Unless we can preempt their plans."
"How?" Katrina asked.
"Uh, by learning what's in the book before they do. Which means we can expect to be here later tonight." Giles sat down.
Buffy got up. "I really have to bail, but I promise I'll be back bright and early tomorrow and ready to slay."
Giles looked at her. "This is a matter of some urgency, Buffy."
"I realize that. Well, you have to admit I kinda lack in the book area. I mean...you guys are the brains; I'd only be here for moral support, anyway."
Tara looked at Giles. "She should go. Y-Y'know, gather her strength."
Giles paused in consideration. "Perhaps you're right. There may be fierce battles ahead."
Buffy smiled appreciatively at Tara, bent over, kissed her on the lips, and made tracks for the door.
Buffy met up with Cordelia at the ice skating rink, and Cordelia paid extra for them to be let inside. Buffy had brought her own ice skates, and Cordelia rented a pair. They laced up and then hit the ice. Cordelia was having difficulty maintaining her balance, but Buffy joined hands with her and helped her out.
Buffy smiled. "You're getting it."
Cordelia smiled. "It's not much different than roller skating." She suddenly slipped and fell on her ass, pulling Buffy down on top of her. "Ow! God damn it! On second thought..."
Buffy got off her and helped her to her feet. "Watch me for a bit."
Buffy skated gracefully by herself. She made use of the whole rink, doing practiced turns and spins. Cordelia watched in awe. Buffy skated along, still by herself. She did a crouching maneuver but wiped out and slid backward against the sidewall.
Cordelia skated over to her. "You're good!" She helped Buffy to her feet.
Buffy rubbed her sore ass. "I'm okay. Dawn's the ice princess."
Suddenly, a large man reached down, put his arm around her neck, and lifted her off the ice. He lay her down on the railing and began to choke her.
"Buffy!" Cordelia yelled.
Buffy tried to pry his hands from her throat as she struggled to breathe.
Angel came running across the ice. "Buffy!"
He leaped and tackled the man, knocking him off Buffy. She fell from the railing onto the ice with her knee. Angel lifted the man to his feet and punched him in the face. He wasn't fazed and returned with a double-fisted punch to Angel's stomach, sending him back into the wall. Angel came off the wall and jabbed him in the face again, but he just shrugged it off. He punched Angel in the face and gut, making him stagger into the wall again. He grabbed Angel by the throat and lifted him up.
"Angel!" Cordelia skated toward them at a fast pace.
The man turned to face her. Cordelia grabbed a net that was hanging there and used it to swing up with her foot and hit him in the throat with the blade of her skate, crushing his trachea. He let go of Angel and grabbed his own neck, unable to breathe. He took a few steps onto the ice and collapsed there, dead.
Cordelia landed on the ice with a thud. Buffy rubbed her knee. Angel crouched over the dead man and lifted his hand to inspect his ring.
Cordelia got to her feet. "The Hellmouth presents: Dead Guys On Ice. Not exactly the evening we were aiming for."
Angel looked closely at the ring. "You're in danger, Buffy. You know what the ring means?"
"Cordy just killed a Super Bowl champ?" Buffy quipped.
Angel was annoyed with her. "I'm serious! You should go home and wait until you hear from me." He dropped the dead man's hand and stood up.
Buffy mock-saluted him. "Yes, sir."
Cordelia skated over to him.
"Are you okay?" Angel asked her.
Cordelia put her gloved hand on his cheek and saw the cut above his eye. "What about you? That cut!" She lowered her hand.
"Forget about me. This is bad, Cordy. We gotta get you girls outta here."
"What, you mean hide?" Buffy asked, upset.
"Let's just get you someplace safe!" Angel insisted.
"No! Your eye!" Cordelia cried.
She reached back up to him, and he shook her off.
"Hey! Don't be a baby. I'm not gonna hurt you."
"It's not that. I-"
"What?" Cordelia asked.
"You shouldn't have to touch me when I'm like this."
Cordelia looked at his vampire fangs. "Oh." She removed her glove and reached up to touch his brow and his wound, brushing gently across and down his cheek. "I didn't even notice."
She moved closer to kiss him. He responded, and they kissed gently. The kiss became more passionate as she reached her hand behind his neck to draw him closer. Angel put his arms around Cordelia.
Buffy and Cordelia went to the school. They stopped in the cafeteria, so Buffy could grab an ice pack from the freezer. Then they went to the library. Giles and Tara were at the table. Amy and Katrina had gone to the restroom.
"Date ended early?" Tara asked.
Giles shot her a look.
Tara was embarrassed. "Oops."
Giles stood up and stared judgmentally at Buffy.
Buffy shrugged. "Okay, look, Cordy had a date with Angel at the ice rink, and I showed up early to teach her how to skate. Then some asshole attacked me. Angel came to my rescue, but he was no match for this guy. Cordy ended up killing him." She walked over to Giles and took the ring out of her pocket. "Angel found this on him, but he wouldn't specify what it was and basically just told me to hide. Mean anything to you?"
Giles took the ring and looked at it. "Not sure." He inspected the ring under a magnifying lamp.
Buffy went and sat on the steps, holding the ice pack to her knee. "This guy was hardcore, Giles. And Angel was power-freaked by that ring."
"I'm afraid he was not overreacting. This ring is worn only by members of the Order of Taraka. It's a society of deadly assassins dating back to King Solomon." Giles sat down. "Their credo is to sow discord and kill the unwary. I need to think." He took off his glasses.
"These assassins, why are they after me?" Buffy asked.
"'Cause you're the scourge of the underworld?" Tara guessed.
"I haven't been that scourgey lately."
Giles rubbed his eyes. "I don't know, I don't know." He sighed. "I think the best thing we can do is to find a secure location. Somewhere out of the way you can go until we decide on the best course of action."
Buffy got up. "Okay, now you and Angel have both said to head for the hills. Are you saying I can't handle this, that I'm not strong enough to fight these people?"
"They're a breed apart, Buffy. U-Unlike vampires, they have no earthly desires but to collect their bounty. They find a target, and, uh...they eliminate it."
Buffy absorbed this solemnly.
"You can kill as many of them as you like; it won't make any difference. Where there's one, there will be another, and another. They won't stop coming until the job is done. Each one of them works alone. His own way. Some are human; some...a-are not. Y-You won't know who they are until they strike."
"Human?" Cordelia asked, uneasy.
Giles, Buffy, and Tara looked at her.
"Was the guy that I killed human?" Cordelia wondered. "He looked human."
Buffy stood up, put the ice pack on the table, walked over to Cordelia, and put her hands on her shoulders. "You were heroic, Cordy. You saved our lives. Thank you."
Cordelia stared at her, still upset. "Do you...think maybe we should hide? I...I don't wanna be alone."
"Yeah. Okay."
Tara looked at them. "Take care."
Buffy looked at Tara and smiled. "Thanks." She bent over and kissed her on the lips. "Good night."
"Good night."
Buffy and Cordelia left the library.
Cordelia and Buffy walked down the stairs to the hall outside Angel's apartment and over to his door. There was no answer when Cordelia knocked.
"Angel?" Cordelia called.
She tried the doorknob, but it was locked.
"Stand aside."
Cordelia stood aside. Buffy twisted the knob hard, breaking it and opening the door. She slowly walked in and had a look around. Cordelia followed and closed the door. She turned on the lights.
The apartment was sparsely furnished. A modern desk strewn with papers was against the far wall with a dozen old pictures hanging on the wall around it. The floor was bare concrete, and Cordelia's heels clicked quietly as she slowly walked over to an ivory statue enclosed in a glass display case. She looked at it for a moment before going on. She looked around as she continued and passed an elegant antique armoire. Finally, she found his unmade bed and slowly went over to it and sat down. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, weary from the day's events. A moment later, she lay herself down on the bed, resting her head on his pillow and curling up. She hugged her arms close to her heart and fell asleep. Buffy stared at her in sympathy and silently got in bed behind her, guarding her.
In the library, Giles walked out of his office, cleaning his glasses.
Tara and Amy were sitting at the counter, going through a volume.
Tara sighed. "I wish there was more we could do."
"We're doing all that we can." Giles put on his glasses. "The only course of action is to try and find out what was in that stolen book." He read a card from the catalog.
"I'm worried about Buffy and Cordy."
Katrina hung up the phone. "Well, they didn't go to Cordy's; her mom says she hasn't come home. They didn't go to Buffy's either. I let the phone ring a few dozen times before I remembered her mom is out of town."
Giles looked at her. "Well, maybe Buffy unplugged the phone."
Amy shook her head. "No, it's a statistical impossibility for a sixteen-year-old girl to unplug her phone."
Tara nodded in agreement. "Totally. Although, in my case, it's because I tie up the phone line to be on the 'Net."
"Well, perhaps my words of caution were...a little too alarming."
Tara looked at him. "It's good that they took you seriously, Mr. Giles. I just wish we knew where they were."
The next morning, after sunrise, Giles was at his desk in the library, studying a book while holding the phone, waiting for Amy to answer.
"Hello?" Amy asked.
"Amy?"
"Hey, Giles. Any news on Buffy?" Amy asked.
"No, no, I-I haven't heard from Buffy yet. Look, look, I-I-I think you should go to her house and check on her."
"When?"
"Well, ri-right a-right away."
"Dad's got the car today. What do you want me to do? Walk?" Amy asked.
"I-I-I don't know, get Katrina to drive you." Giles hung up without waiting for a response.
He picked up the book that he was reading and headed back into the main room with it. There, he saw Tara asleep in front of the PC with her head resting on the keyboard.
Giles closed his book, crouched slightly, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder to wake her. "Tara?"
Tara woke with a start and sat bolt upright. "Huh?!"
"Are you all right?" Giles asked her.
"Mr. Giles, what are you doing here?" Tara asked, confused.
"It's the library, Tara. You fell asleep."
Tara looked around. "Oh! I..." She stood up and headed for the phone. "Shit, I gotta call my parents. They're probably worried sick. Or, at least, Mom is." She looked back at Giles. "I'm sorry. I conked out."
"What? Please. You've gone quite beyond the call of duty." Giles followed her to the phone. "But - But I-I...uh, fortunately, I think I may have found something, finally."
Tara picked up the handset. "You did?"
"I-I found a-a description of the missing Du Lac manuscript. It's a ritual, Tara. Now, I-I, uh..." Giles began to pace. "I haven't managed to decipher the exact details, but I-I...I believe the purpose is to restore a weak and sick vampire back to full health."
"A vampire like Drusilla?" Tara asked.
"Exactly."
Katrina drove onto the street in front of Buffy's house and parked her car, a silver 1993 Ford Escort LX wagon, in the driveway. Katrina and Amy got out of the car and walked up to Buffy's house.
Katrina looked at Amy. "Her van's not here."
"Or it's in the garage." Amy took the steps up to the porch and knocked on the door. She looked in through the glass. "Buffy!" When she didn't see anyone stirring inside, she walked over to the window and tried to open it. Then she tried another window. She got the window open. "Buffy could be in trouble." She stepped through the window and went into the house. She opened the door for Katrina. "Buffy! I'm gonna check upstairs."
Katrina walked in and closed the door behind her.
Amy climbed the stairs. "Buffy?"
Katrina spun her keys around as she walked into the living room and looked around. She was about to check the dining room when she heard a knocking at the door and went to answer it. When she opened it, a man with glasses was standing there.
"Good day. I'm Norman Pfister with Blush Beautiful Skin Care and Cosmetics." He held up his case. "I was wondering if I might interest you in some free samples?"
"No, thanks." Katrina started to close the door.
Norman shoved the door open, knocking Katrina backward. "I insist."
She saw a mealworm crawl out of his sleeve and onto his hand. Amy came back down the stairs and saw Norman. Katrina slowly backed away from him.
"Hey, what's up?" Amy asked Katrina.
"Um, he's a salesman, and he was just leaving, right? Uh, okay! Buh-bye! Thank you!" Katrina yelled.
Amy reached to guide him out. "Okay, Mary Kay, time to-"
Another mealworm crawled across Norman's cheek and into his right ear.
Amy backed away. "Time to run!"
She broke into a run, guiding Katrina away with her as Norman transformed into a mass of mealworms. They quickly crawled across the floor. Amy and Katrina ran into the kitchen for the back door, but Norman was already there, reassembled and waiting for them. Katrina screamed, and Amy grabbed her hand and pulled her away. They opened the door to the basement and hurried in, closing the door behind them. The mealworms tried to come under the door, but they stomped on them.
"Find something to cover the crack under the door!" Amy grabbed a broom and swept the mealworms back under the door with it.
"Uhh..." Katrina found a roll of duct tape.
Amy swept at the mealworms while Katrina pulled a length of tape off the roll and stuck it to the bottom of the door.
"Eww! Eh! Eh!" Katrina exclaimed in disgust.
In Angel's apartment, Cordelia and Buffy were sleeping on his bed. Buffy stirred and woke. She heard a noise, opened her eyes to look up, and immediately shoved Cordelia to the floor and rolled to the far side of the bed as a hatchet struck the pillow where Cordelia's head was. Cordelia woke up and looked around, disoriented. Buffy looked at their attacker. It was a young black girl with long curly hair tied back and large hoop earrings. She swung again and hit the mattress when Buffy sidestepped the blow.
Buffy did a flip over her back and onto the floor behind her, ready to fight. "You must be number two!"
"What the fuck's going on?" Cordelia asked.
The girl swung with the hatchet. Buffy ducked the swing and grabbed the bed curtain. She pulled it down and over the girl's head and knocked her to the floor with a kick to the head. The girl quickly scrambled out from under the curtain and held the hatchet up and ready.
Buffy smiled. "Thanks for the wake-up, but I'll stick with my clock radio."
The girl swung the hatchet, and Buffy caught it. The girl pulled her around and slammed her into the wall, pushing the hatchet into her chest. Buffy pushed the hatchet up and away from her. The girl pulled down on it, flipping Buffy over onto her back. She bore down on her.
"Come on, don't make me do the chick fight thing."
"Chick fight?" the girl asked in a Caribbean accent.
"You know." Buffy let go of the hatchet with one hand and dug her nails into the girl's hand.
She gritted her teeth and grunted in pain. Buffy grabbed the girl's arm and rolled her over and away. They both scrambled to their feet. Buffy kicked the hatchet out of the girl's hand. The girl tried two kicks, which Buffy easily blocked. Buffy ducked a swing to her head and swung back, but the girl grabbed her arm in mid-swing and flipped her over onto the coffee table, smashing it. Buffy let out a pained breath. The girl reached down for her. Buffy kicked up with both legs into the girl's face and made her fall backward to the floor. They both scrambled to their feet again. Buffy did a roundhouse kick to the girl's face. She fell again but hopped right back to her feet. They faced each other, ready to continue the fight.
"Who are you?" the girl asked.
"Who am I? You attacked me! Who the fuck are you?!" Buffy demanded.
"I am Kendra! De Vampire Slayer!"
Buffy looked at her in utter disbelief, out of breath. "Okay, one more time. You're the who?!"
"I'm de Slayer."
"Nice cover story. But here's a tip: you might wanna try it on someone who's not the real Slayer."
"Ya can't stop me! Even if ya kill me, anodder Slayer will be sent to take me place."
"Could you stop with the Slayer thing? I'm the fucking Slayer!" Buffy told her.
"Nonsense! Dere is but one, and I am she."
"Okay, a scenario." Buffy sniffed and held up her hand. "You back off, I'll back off, but you promise not to go all wiggy until we can go to my Watcher and figure this out."
"Wiggy?"
"You know. No kick-o, no fight-o?" Buffy explained.
Kendra considered the offer for a moment, then relaxed her stance and crossed her arms. "I accept your scenario."
"So. You were sent here?" Buffy asked.
"Yes, by my Watcher."
"To do what, exactly?"
"To do my duty. I am here to kill vampires."
Cordelia suddenly came up behind Kendra, raising a sword that she'd found. Kendra spun around to attack her.
"Whoa, whoa, both of you, calm the fuck down!" Buffy ordered. "Cordy! Kendra! Time out!"
Cordelia and Kendra eyed each other suspiciously, but Cordelia slowly lowered the sword, and Kendra relaxed.
Cordelia looked at Buffy in exhaustion. "Okay, this is really starting to become a habit with you."
Buffy was wigged and tense as she walked down the hall, Kendra and Cordelia right behind her. Buffy held her hand to the back of her neck and shoulders. She jumped when a boy barged through the doors in the hall in front of her.
She walked through the doors and scanned the students in the hall, paranoid about them looking at her. The police recruiter looked at her, and she stared back. A teacher came down the stairs in front of her and looked at her as he ran a comb through his hair. Several students walked past her, giving her the occasional glance.
Buffy heard a locker slam behind her and spun toward the noise, noticed Oz quickly bearing down on her, took him by the neck, and shoved him into the wall. "Try it, asshole!"
Oz was confused. "Try what?"
Buffy realized she'd made a mistake and let go of his neck. "Uh..." She let out a breath. "I-I'm sorry."
"Still not clear what I'm supposed to try."
"Nothing. God, I'm...sorry, I..." Buffy stepped away from him, looked both ways down the hall, and quickly headed off in the direction that she was going.
Oz moved away from the wall and shuddered. "That is a tense person."
Kendra looked at Cordelia. "Is she always this paranoid?"
Cordelia nodded, memories of their altercation at the Bronze earlier in the year coming back. "Oh, yeah. I've got stories."
Soon, in the library, Buffy, Cordelia, and Kendra filled Giles in on what had happened. Kendra stood at attention as Giles paced. Buffy just leaned on a chair with her left hand and had her right hand on her hip. Cordelia stood with her arms crossed.
"And your Watcher is - i-is Sam Zabuto, you say?" Giles asked.
"Yes, sir."
"We've never met, but he-he's - he's very well respected."
Buffy was surprised. "What, so he's a real guy? As in non-fictional?"
"And you are called...?" Giles asked Kendra.
"I am de Vampire Slayer."
Buffy looked at her. "We got that part, hon. He means your name."
"Oh. Dey call me Kendra. I have no last name, sir."
"Can you say 'stuck in the '80s'?" Buffy asked in a haughty tone.
Giles looked at her. "Buffy, please. Uh, there's obviously some - some misunderstanding here."
Tara walked into the library and grinned in delight when she saw Buffy. She strode toward her girlfriend. "Hey!"
Kendra marched around Buffy to intercept her. "Identify yourself!"
Tara was taken aback, and her smile faded to a frown.
"Back off, Pink Ranger!" Buffy warned Kendra. "This is my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" Kendra asked in confusion.
"Yeah." Buffy sidestepped Kendra and kissed Tara passionately on the lips.
"I don't understand."
Buffy finished the kiss and looked at Giles, exasperated. "You try. I'm tapped." Buffy sat down in a chair at the table.
Tara sat in Buffy's lap and smiled teasingly. "Well, not recently."
Buffy smiled at Tara. "We'll fix that."
Giles looked at Kendra. "Uh - Uh, Kendra, uh, Buffy's identity i-is pretty much an open secret in this town. Buffy and Tara are in love."
"And you allow dis, sir?" Kendra asked, shocked.
Buffy gave Kendra a death stare.
"Well, uh-"
"But de Slayer must work in secret for security."
"Of course, uh, but, uh, with Buffy, however, it-it's, um, some flexibility is required."
Buffy gave Giles a death stare.
"Why?" Kendra asked.
Tara was confused. "W-What's goin' on?"
Buffy looked at Tara. "Apparently, there's been a really big mix-up."
Giles looked at Tara. "Uh, it seems somehow that, uh, another Slayer has been sent to Sunnydale."
"Is that even possible? I mean...two Slayers at the same time?" Tara asked him.
"Not to my knowledge. Um, th-the new Slayer is only called after the previous Slayer has died. Uh..." Giles paused in thought and realized something. "Oh, good Lord! You were dead, Buffy."
"I was only gone for a minute."
"Clearly, it doesn't matter how long you were gone. You were physically dead! Thus causing the activation of the - the next Slayer." Giles nodded toward Kendra.
"She died?" Kendra asked in surprise.
Buffy shrugged. "Just a little."
Giles nodded. "She drowned, but she was revived."
"So there really are two of them!" Tara exclaimed.
"It would seem so. This is completely unprecedented! I'm quite flummoxed." Giles sat down.
"What's the flum? Whoever's in charge of the Slayer line fucked up." Buffy stared pointedly at Giles. "And no one on the Watchers Council caught it." She shook her head in disappointment and then shrugged. "It's a mistake; she isn't supposed to be here; she goes home!" She looked at Kendra. "Look, no offense, I really don't mean this personally, but I'm not dead, and frankly having you around creeps me out just a little bit."
"I cannot just leave. I was sent here for a reason. Mr. Zabuto said all de signs indicate dat a very dark power is about to rise in Sunnydale."
"And what's your great plan for finding this dark power? You just gonna attack people randomly till you find a bad one?" Buffy asked her.
"Of course not."
"Then why the hell did you attack me?" Cordelia asked her.
Kendra looked at her. "I tought you were a vampire."
Cordelia smiled. "Oh, a swing and a miss for the rookie."
"I had good reason to tink you were. Did I not see you kissing a vampire?"
"Look, you saw me with Angel, and he is a vampire, but he's good."
"Angel? You mean Angelus? I've read about him. He is a monster."
Giles shook his head. "No, no, no, he's - he's good now."
Tara smiled. "Really!"
Cordelia nodded. "He had a gypsy curse."
"He has a what?" Kendra asked her.
"Y'know what, just trust me on this one, okay? He's on the home team now."
"I cannot believe you. He looked to me just like anodder animal when I-"
"When you what?" Cordelia confronted her. "What did you do to him?"
"I-"
"What did you do?!" Cordelia demanded, enraged.
Cordelia barged through the door of Willy's Bar, a sleazy joint. Kendra and Buffy followed.
"Angel?!" Cordelia called in worry.
Kendra walked into the cage where she left him and looked around. "No ashes."
"What?" Cordelia asked her.
"When a vampire combusts, he leaves ashes."
"Yeah, I know the drill."
"So I did not kill him."
Cordelia stared at her. "And I don't need to kill you."
Willy showed up at the door. "Whoa! There's a lotta tension in this room."
Kendra attacked him and pushed him out of the back room and onto the floor.
"Doesn't anyone just say 'Hello' where you come from?" Buffy asked her.
Kendra turned Willy over on the floor and grabbed him by the shirt, ready to punch. "Dis one is dirty! I can feel it!"
"That's really good for you, Percepto Girl." Cordelia lifted Willy up. "But we're not gonna get anything out of him if he's, oh, say..." She slammed him into the bar. "...unconscious." She looked at Willy. "Where's Angel?"
"My buddy Angel? You think I'd let him fry? I saved him in the nick! He was about five minutes away from being a crispy critter."
"Where'd he go?" Cordelia asked him.
"Uh, he said he was gonna stay underground. You know, recuperate."
"Are you telling me the truth?" Cordelia asked him.
"I swear on my mother's grave! Should something fatal happen to her, God forbid."
"Den he is all right. We can return to Mr. Giles for our orders."
Cordelia let go of Willy. "You girls go ahead. I don't take orders. I do things my way."
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Cordy, let's go. We won't get any more out of him."
They started to leave.
Willy stepped away from the bar. "I-I have to ask."
The girls looked back.
"Has any of you girls considered modeling? I have a friend with a camera? Strictly high-class nude work. You know, art photographs. But naked."
Buffy, Cordelia, and Kendra looked at each other and just walked out without a word.
"You don't have to answer right away."
Back at Sunnydale High, Giles, Kendra, Tara, and Buffy walked down the outside stairs and headed into a hall.
"Kendra, I-I've, uh, conferred with your Watcher, Mr. Zabuto, and, uh, we both agree that, uh, until this matter with Spike and Drusilla has been resolved, that you two should work together."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh, that'll be a treat."
"So...you believe dat Spike is attempting to revive dis Drusilla to health?" Kendra asked.
"Yes, well, I-I-I-I think that's the, uh, the dark power that your - your Watcher re-referred to. You see, uh, you see, Drusilla's not only evil; she's, uh, well, she's also quite mad, and - and - and - and, if she's restored to her full health, then, uh, well, there's no - absolutely no telling what she might do."
"Den we will stop Spike."
"Ooh, good plan, let's go, charge!" Buffy mocked.
Giles looked at her. Buffy-"
Buffy looked at Kendra. "It's a little more complicated than that."
Giles nodded. "Yes, I'm - I'm afraid it is. You see, Spike has also called out the Order of Taraka to keep Buffy out of the way."
"De assassins? I read of dem in de writings of Dramius."
"Oh, really? W-W-Which volume?"
They exited the hall and walked along the colonnade.
"I believe it was six, sir."
"Um, how do you know all this?" Buffy asked Kendra.
"From me studies."
"So...obviously you have a lot of free time."
"I study, because it is required."
Giles smiled.
"The Slayer Handbook insists on it."
"There's a Slayer Handbook?" Tara asked in surprise.
"Wait. Handbook? What handbook? How come I don't have a handbook?" Buffy asked Giles.
"After meeting you, Buffy, I realized that, uh, the Handbook would be of no use in your case."
"Well, what do you mean it would be of no use in my case? Wha-What's wrong with my case?"
"Uh, Kendra, um, perhaps you'd like to show me the - the part in, uh, Dramius Six where, uh, uh, where it refers to the Order of Taraka. Really, I-I-I seem to have never been able to get through that book. It was a bit stodgy."
Kendra smiled. "It was difficult. All dose footnotes."
Giles and Kendra laughed out loud.
Buffy looked at Tara. "Hello, and welcome to Planet Pocket Protector."
Giles looked at Buffy. "Oh, well, B-Buffy, Principal Snyder was snooping 'round after you."
Buffy stopped walking. "Eee. Career fair."
"Best make an appearance, I think."
"Right."
"Buffy's a student here?" Kendra asked him in surprise.
"Yes."
"Riiight, of course. And I imagine she's a cheerleader as well."
"Oh, no, well, a-a-actually, she gave up her cheerleading."
Kendra gave him a look.
"Uh, it was quite an amusing story, actually. Uh, uh, let's go and find the book, shall we?"
The two of them headed off to the library. Buffy and Tara continued their walk.
"Get a load of the she-Giles."
Tara nodded. "Creepy."
"Ew. I'll bet Giles wishes I was more of a book geek."
"Mr. Giles is enough of a book geek for the both of you."
"Yeah, but did you see how they were vibing? 'Volume six, ha, ha, ha!'"
"Buffy, no one could replace you. You'll always be Mr. Giles' favorite."
"I wonder."
"Of course, you will. You're his Slayer."
"No. I wonder if it would be so bad, being replaced."
"You mean, like, letting Kendra take over?" Tara asked her.
"Maybe. I mean...maybe, after this thing with Spike and the assassins is over, I could say 'Kendra, you slay; I'm going to Disneyland.'"
"But not forever, right?"
"No, Disneyland would get boring after a few months. But I could do other stuff. Career day stuff. Maybe I could even have a normal life."
In Buffy's basement, Katrina made tracks for the stairs.
Amy got up to stop her. "What are you doin'?"
Katrina stopped and faced her. "Going to see if he's gone."
"What if he isn't?"
"Won't know until we try."
Katrina rushed up the stairs with Amy right behind. They stopped at the top, crouched down, and gave each other anxious looks. Amy grabbed one end of the tape and pulled it off. There weren't any worms on the other side. Amy moved the broom aside and opened the door slowly. They both looked out for any sign of the mealworms.
Katrina looked at Amy. "He's gone."
Amy stepped out and peeked around the corner, down the hall to the dining room. The coast looked clear, so Amy made a dash for the front door. Katrina followed a moment later, and, when she ran through the dining room door, mealworms began falling onto her from the ceiling. She screamed as they fell on her en masse and ran for the door. Amy threw the door open and dashed into the front yard.
Katrina followed her out, screaming. "Amy, oh my God! Get them off of me!"
Amy turned to look.
"Get 'em off!" Katrina cried.
Amy ran for the hose.
Katrina was terrified. "Get 'em off of me! Oh, my God, get 'em off me!" She screamed.
Amy grabbed the hose and started spraying the mealworms off her. Katrina kept screaming and turned her back to her, then her front again. Amy kept spraying as Katrina tried to brush them off. Katrina turned around again to let Amy spray her back again and reached down the back of her shirt to get some mealworms out.
Katrina turned back around. "Okay, okay, let's get outta here! Amy, let's go!" She ran for her car.
Amy dropped the hose and followed her. They got in the car. Katrina started her car, put it in Reverse, backed out of the driveway, put it in Drive, floored the gas pedal, and burned rubber into the street. Further down the block, she screeched around the corner.
In a hall at the school, Buffy and Tara strolled along past the career fair displays.
"My tests say that I should look into law enforcement - duh! - and environmental design."
"Environmental design. That's landscaping, right?" Tara asked.
"I checked the 'shrub' box. But landscaping was yesterday, so law enforcement it is."
They stopped near the steps to the couches in the lounge. Buffy looked around and noticed Oz looking over at Tara.
Buffy looked at Tara. "Hey, Tara, that guy over there is totally checking you out."
Tara looked. "Oh, that's Oz. He's expressing computer nerd solidarity."
Oz got up and started to walk over.
"Really? Then why is he on his way over here right now?" Buffy asked her.
Tara was surprised when she saw him coming.
"Hey."
Tara smiled. "Hey!"
"So, uh, did you decide? Are you gonna be a Corporate Computer Suit Guy?"
"Oh. Uh, well, I-I think I'm gonna finish high school first. What about you?"
"I'm not really a computer person, you know. Or a work-of-any-kind person."
"They why'd they select you?"
"Oh, I sorta test well. Y'know, which is cool. E-Except that it leads to jobs."
"Well, don't you have some ambition?" Tara asked him.
"Oh, yeah! Yeah. E-flat, diminished ninth."
Buffy smiled. "You play?"
"Yeah, I'm the lead guitarist in Dingoes Ate My Baby. Well, the E-flat, it's - it's doable, but that diminished ninth, y'know, it's a man's chord. Now, you could lose a finger."
Buffy and Tara frowned.
"Did I say something wrong?" Oz asked.
"Uh, on behalf of all female guitarists, yeah!" Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. "I'm gonna see if I can help take a bite out of crime." She walked away.
Tara looked at Oz. Oz stared back at her, expressionless. Tara smiled.
Buffy signed up at the law enforcement table and joined the group.
Patrice, the recruitment officer, picked up the clipboard and looked it over. "All right, listen up and answer when I call your name. Buffy Summers."
Buffy raised her hand. Patrice calmly put the clipboard back down. Quickly, she drew her gun and aimed it at Buffy. Buffy reacted in a flash and pushed the recruiter's hands and weapon up into the air as the first round went off. Panic set in throughout the hall, and people started to run and duck for cover. Buffy kept struggling with the officer, and another round went into the ceiling. Buffy kneed her in the gut, and she dropped the gun and fell to the floor. Buffy started to run as Patrice got to her knees and pulled out her backup gun. Another bullet flew at Buffy as she dove over a table.
Buffy stood up again and looked around at everyone. "Get down!" She started to run again, right past Tara and Oz.
Patrice followed Buffy with her aim.
"Look out!" Oz lunged for Tara and pulled her to the floor with him - but took the next bullet meant for Buffy in the arm.
Patrice kept following Buffy with her gun and shot off the cranium of a skeleton. Buffy ran down the hall and around the corner and leaned against the wall, breathing hard and waiting for Patrice to make her next move. When she was about to come around the corner, Buffy leaped over a table and tackled her to the floor. She dropped her backup gun, and it slid away. Buffy got to her feet and adopted a fighting stance. Patrice got back to her knees, pulled out her small ankle backup, and aimed it at Buffy as she stood back up. Before she could get off a round, Kendra kicked the gun out of her hands. She followed it up with a kick to Patrice's face, making her fall flat on her back. She made her stand next to Buffy. Patrice grabbed Jonathan as a hostage, pulled out a short blade, and threatened him with it. The two girls watched her slowly back toward the door at the end of the hall with the boy in tow. Halfway there, she dropped Jonathan and made a dash for the door. Kendra didn't hesitate to give chase. Buffy rushed over to Tara and Oz and kneeled down next to them. Oz was holding his arm.
"How is he?" Buffy asked Tara.
"He's shot!" Tara looked at Oz. "Are you okay?"
"I, uh, I'm shot!" Oz took his hand away briefly and chuckled. "Y'know." He laughed. "Wow! It's odd! And painful."
Buffy got up again when Kendra showed back up.
"She's gone."
Buffy looked around at the scene.
They went to the library. Giles got the first-aid kit out, and Tara wrapped Buffy's knee.
Buffy looked at Giles. "She was definitely one of the Taraka gang, Giles, and way gun happy."
"This, um, Oz chap, he-he-he's all right?" Giles asked.
Tara looked at him. "The paramedic said it was only a scrape. Thank Goddess."
Cordelia, Amy, and Katrina walked into the library. Kendra tried to head them off.
"Down, girl!" Buffy ordered.
"What the fuck happened out there?" Amy asked.
Giles walked over to the table. "We had a-a rather violent visit from the Order of Taraka."
"You wanna talk Order of Taraka?" Katrina asked. "We just met the king freak." She saw Kendra. "Who are you?"
Giles looked at Kendra and then back at the other girls. "Oh, forgive me. Uh, Amy, Katrina, this is Kendra. Uh, i-it's rather complicated, but she's also a Slayer."
Katrina headed for the table and sat down. "Hi. Nice to meet you."
Amy looked at Buffy. "A Slayer?"
Buffy hopped off the counter. "Long story."
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Cordelia walked to the table and sat down.
"Katrina, um, this - this, uh, assassin you encountered, what, uh, what did he look like?" Giles asked.
Katrina found a mealworm in her hair and freaked out. She dropped it onto a book on the table. "Like that!"
Amy shook her head. "No, this dude was a man of bugs, not a man who was a bug."
"I stand corrected." Katrina slammed the biology book shut on the mealworm, killing it.
"The, uh, the - the - the important thing is everybody's all right. Still, it's quite apparent that we're under serious attack."
"These Taraka fuckers are definitely serious." Buffy looked at Kendra. "Fortunately for me, so is Kendra."
"And, uh, I fear the worst is still to come. I've - I-I've discovered the remaining keys to Drusilla's cure. The, uh, the ritual requires that - the presence of her sire, and it must take place in a church at night."
Cordelia was suddenly very concerned.
"And I-I'm sure the assassins were here to kill Buffy before she could put a stop to things."
"They need Drusilla's sire. You mean the vamp that made her?" Cordelia asked Giles.
"Yes."
"Cordy, what is it?" Tara asked.
Cordelia looked down. "Angel. He's Drusilla's sire. Will this ritual kill him?"
"Yes, I'm afraid it will."
Cordelia looked up. "We need to find this church. We need to find where this ritual is gonna take place!"
"Agreed, and we must work quickly." Giles checked his watch. "We have five hours before sundown."
Tara opened her laptop. "Don't worry, Cordy, we'll save Angel."
"Angel? But our priority is to stop Drusilla!" Kendra yelled.
"Angel's our friend!" Katrina yelled at her.
Cordelia looked at Kendra. "Look, you've got your priorities, and I've got mine. Right now, they mesh. So...are you gonna help me, or are you gonna get out of my way?"
Kendra considered. "I'm wit you."
"Good. 'Cause I've had it. Spike is going down. You can attack us; you can send assassins after Buffy; that's fine. But nobody messes with my boyfriend!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Buffy frowned. "I think I'm offended." She looked at Tara. "Am I offended?"
Tara shrugged.
Later, Giles came out of the stacks and headed toward the stairs with a large volume full of pictures. Tara was sitting on the steps, Web surfing on her laptop.
Giles looked down at her screen and sat down next to her. "There are forty-three churches in Sunnydale?" He pulled out a roll of mints. "That seems a little excessive." He tore off some wrapping.
"It's the extra evil vibe from the Hellmouth. Makes people pray harder. Plus, y'know, Christians argue about everything and gotta worship separately from each other, each little group in its own way."
Giles offered her a mint, and she smiled and took one.
Giles got back up and continued over to Amy, Katrina, and Cordelia at the table. "Well, check and see if any of them are closed or abandoned."
Amy looked at Giles. "We got monsters, we got demons, but no bug dude or police lady."
Giles set the volume down in front of them and opened it. "Well, you should have better luck with this one. There's a whole section devoted to the Order of Taraka."
In Giles' office, Kendra looked through the window at them doing their research. Buffy was sharpening a knife.
"Did anyone explain to you what 'secret identity' means?" Kendra went to the desk and picked up the crossbow.
"Nope. Must be in the handbook. Right after the chapter on personality removal. Be careful with that thing!" Buffy warned.
"Please. I'm an expert in all weapons."
The bolt flew off the crossbow and broke a lamp. Buffy started.
Giles heard the noise from the main room. "Is everything all right?"
Buffy smiled. "Yeah, it's okay. Kendra killed the bad lamp."
"Sorry! Dis, uh, trigger mechanism is different." Kendra set the bow down. "Perhaps, when dis is over, you can, uh, show me how to work it."
Buffy shrugged. "When this is over, I'm thinking extra large supreme pizza and teen video movie fest. Possibly something from the Ringwald oeuvre."
In the main room, Katrina turned the page and found a drawing of the bug dude. "Oh, here we go!"
Giles and Tara walked over to have a look.
"Okay. Okay. He can only be killed when he's in his disassembled state."
In the office, Kendra was handling a stake. "Your life is very different dan mine."
"You mean the part where I occasionally have one? Yeah, I guess it is." Buffy carved at a stake.
"De tings you do and have, I was taught, distract from my calling. Friends, school...even family."
"Even family?" Buffy asked, surprised.
"My parents, dey sent me to my Watcher when I was very young."
"How young?" Buffy asked.
"I don't remember dem, actually. I've seen pictures. But, uh, dat's how seriously de calling is taken by my people. My modder and fadder gave me to my Watcher, because dey believed dat dey were doing de right ting for me and for de world." Kendra put down the stake.
Buffy gave her a sympathetic look.
"Please, I don't feel sorry for meself. Why should you?" Kendra asked.
"I don't know, I...I guess it just sounds very lonely."
"Emotions are weakness, Buffy. You shouldn't entertain dem."
"Kendra, my emotions give me power. They're total assets!" Buffy insisted.
Kendra picked up her knife. "Maybe. For you. But I prefer to keep an even mind." She wiped the blade.
Buffy put down her knife. "Mm. I guess that explains it."
"Explains what?" Kendra asked.
Buffy played with the stake. "Oh, well, when we were fighting, uh, you're amazing! Your technique, it's flawless; it's, hmm, better than mine."
"I know."
Buffy smiled. "Still, I woulda kicked your ass in the end. And ya know why? No imagination."
Kendra rubbed her blade more vigorously. "Really? Ya tink so?" She put down the rag.
"Oh, I know so. You're good, but power alone isn't enough. A good fighter needs to know how to improvise, to go with the flow. Uh - Uh, seriously, don't get me wrong, y-you really do have potential." Buffy put away the stake.
Kendra held her knife ready. "Potential? I could wipe de floor wit you right now!"
Buffy looked Kendra in the eye. "That would be anger you're feeling."
"What?"
"You feel it, right? How the anger gives you fire? A Slayer needs that."
They both looked over at Cordelia as she walked into the office.
Cordelia grabbed a book from the desk and noticed Kendra's knife. "Nice knife. Keeps the boys in line, I bet."
"I'm not permitted to speak with boys."
"Unless you're pummeling them." Cordelia had a realization. "Wait a minute."
"What?"
"That guy!" Cordelia exclaimed. "The sleazy asshole you nearly decked in the bar."
"You tink he might help us?"
Cordelia smiled. "I tink we might make him!"
Cordelia shoved Willy up against the shelves of liquor bottles in his bar.
"Ah! Honest! I don't know where Angel is!" Willy insisted.
"What about this ritual? What have you heard?" Cordelia asked him.
"N-Nothing! I-It's all hush-hush!"
"Just hit him, Cordelia!" Kendra told her.
Cordelia looked at Kendra and then back at Willy. "She likes to hit."
"You know, m-maybe I did hear something about this ritual. Yeah, i-i...i-it's coming back to me. But, uh, I'd have to take you there."
"Let's go." Cordelia started to drag him out of the bar.
Kendra stepped in front of her. "First, we must return to de Watcher."
Cordelia stopped. "Excuse me? While we run to Giles, this whole shit could go down!"
"But it is procedure."
"It's brainless, you mean! If we don't go now, Angel could die." Cordelia started out again.
"Is dat all you're worried about? Your boyfriend?" Kendra asked her.
Cordelia stopped again. "No, it's not all, but it's enough."
"It's as I feared. He clouds your judgment. We can't stop dis ritual alone!"
"Are you listening to me? He could die!" Cordelia yelled.
"He's a vampire. He should die. Why am I de only person who sees it?"
Cordelia stared at her for a moment. "If I kill you, will another Slayer be called?"
Kendra stared at Cordelia in shock. Cordelia turned around again and headed for the door with Willy in tow.
"Are you dat big a fool?" Kendra asked.
Cordelia flipped Kendra off, shoved Willy out ahead of her, and left Kendra behind in the bar.
Buffy was waiting outside. "Where's Kendra?"
"She wanted to check in with Giles. We so don't have the time."
Buffy nodded. "Mm, girl's got a major stick up her ass. Oh, well. Good riddance, then."
Cordelia nodded. "We're on our own."
Willy led them down an arched hallway in a church.
"Here ya go. Don't ever say your friend Willy don't come through in a pinch."
They rounded a corner, and Patrice and a vampire were waiting there for them.
"Here ya go. Don't ever say your friend Willy don't come through in a pinch."
Norman and another vampire blocked their escape from behind.
Willy barged through a pair of doors and strode into the nave with the vampires and assassins escorting Buffy and Cordelia close behind.
Angel and Drusilla were both strapped together to a chain that hung from the ceiling near the altar. Angel's right hand was tied to the chain above his head. Drusilla's left hand was clasping Angel's left hand, and a dagger was stabbed through both of them.
"It's payday, pal. I got your Slayer."
Spike strode up the aisle to meet him, angry. "Are you tripping?! You bring her here?! Now?!"
"You said you wanted her."
Cordelia saw Angel and Drusilla tied together at the altar.
"In the ground, pinhead! I wanted her dead."
"Now, that's not what I heard. Word was there was a bounty on her dead or alive."
"You heard wrong, Willy."
Cordelia was on the verge of tears. "Angel."
"Yeah." Spike stepped over to Cordelia. "It bugs me, too, seeing him like that. Another five minutes, though, and Angel will be dead, so...I forebear. Don't feel too bad for Angel, though; he's got something you don't have."
Cordelia was angry. "What's that?"
"Five minutes. Patrice!"
She let go of Buffy and drew her gun. Buffy struggled to get loose from the vampire holding her. The other door suddenly burst open, and Kendra came in, doing a series of backflips, ending in a flying double kick, one foot to the back of each of the vampires' heads. They fell to the floor, pushing Buffy and Cordelia into Spike and knocking him down. Kendra landed on her feet, ready to fight. She wasted no time running over to Spike as he got up, meeting Buffy and Cordelia there to fight him.
"Who the hell is this?!" Spike demanded.
Kendra grabbed him by the shirt.
Buffy smiled. "It's your lucky day, Spike."
"Two Slayers!" Kendra decked him.
"And a pissed-off girlfriend!" Cordelia kneed him in the penis.
"No waiting!" Buffy jabbed him.
Spike fell but quickly got up. Buffy broke off to fight Patrice, and Cordelia broke off to run to the altar, leaving Kendra to take care of Spike. He ducked a roundhouse kick from her. Buffy faced off with Patrice. Patrice extended her arms down, and a blade slid out from each sleeve. One of the vampires got up from the floor next to them and started to reach for Cordelia when a bolt impaled him. He fell while Giles looked on from the door, still holding the crossbow. Cordelia gave him a thankful nod, ran to the altar, and pulled the dagger out of Angel and Drusilla's hands. Buffy and Patrice began to fight hand to hand. Patrice thrust one blade, then the other, at Buffy, but she caught her arms and held them up while she kneed Patrice in the stomach. Buffy followed up with a kick to her face and sent her stumbling back into the wall. Spike landed a punch on Kendra, knocking her down, and she scrambled to avoid his follow-up kick. The other vampire got up also, and Giles ran to engage him. He swung the crossbow at him, but the vampire grabbed it, and they struggled over it. Giles swung at the vampire and hit him in the face. Tara jumped up onto his back and started choking him with her arm.
Katrina spotted Norman. "Hey, larvae boy!"
Norman saw her.
"Yeah, that's right, I'm talkin' to you, ya big cootie!"
Norman smiled and started after her. Katrina scrambled for the doors and carefully stepped through as she closed them behind her to avoid stepping into the puddle of liquid adhesive that Amy had poured there. She still had the bucket in her hand.
"Welcome, my little pretties!" Amy exclaimed.
Norman came under the door as a mass of mealworms. The mealworms got stuck in the adhesive, and Katrina and Amy began to stomp them to death.
"Die! Die, motherfucker! Die, die, die! Die!" Katrina screamed.
Amy put her hand on her lower back to calm her. "I think he did, Trina."
Back in the nave, Giles punched the vampire twice while Tara kept holding on. Kendra jumped over Spike when he tried to knock her legs out from under her. She tried another roundhouse kick, but he blocked it. He used the momentum of the block to spin around and hit her again. Patrice got back up and came for Buffy. She ducked a kick from Buffy and lunged at her with her blades, but Buffy handily blocked her. She swung at Buffy's face with one, but Buffy ducked out of the way.
Kendra swung at Spike and was blocked. Spike landed another hit on her. Buffy punched Patrice in the face and sent her staggering back into the wall again. Spike punched Kendra again and followed up with a roundhouse kick. She hit the floor and scrambled back up again.
Buffy noticed her getting knocked around. "Switch!"
She bent over, and Kendra rolled over her back to face Patrice, immediately landing a punch and knocking her into the wall a third time. Buffy faced Spike.
Spike smiled. "I'd rather be fightin' you, anyway."
"Mutual."
She blocked his thrust, then kicked him in the face and again in the gut. He doubled over and fell to the floor but quickly got back up. Buffy blocked a punch from Spike, and another, but then he landed punches to her stomach and face. She blocked his next swing and held his arm while she punched him twice in the face. She grabbed his coat and pulled him around and threw him over several pews and into the wall. Behind another pew, Willy got up. Spike growled as he stood back up and saw Willy trying to sneak out of the church.
Spike rushed over and grabbed him by the back of the neck. "Where are you going?"
"Now, there's a way in which this isn't my fault!"
"They tricked you."
"Mm-hm! They were duplicitous!"
"Well, then I'll only kill you just this once." Spike went for the bite.
"Spike!" Drusilla cried, weakly.
Spike stopped before biting Willy and looked over at her. He saw Cordelia trying to untie them. He let go of Willy and rushed over to the altar, grabbed Cordelia, and shoved her to the floor. He backhand-punched her as she got back up, knocking her down again. Willy wasted no time running out of the church past Tara and Giles, who were still fighting the other vampire.
Giles had a stake raised to kill him. "Hold him steady!"
"Stop struggling, you fucking asshole!" Tara snapped the vampire's neck, causing him to stop moving. "Now, Mr. Giles!"
Giles plunged the stake into the vampire's heart, killing him. Amy and Katrina ran into the back of the nave. Patrice threw Kendra over a knocked-over pew and climbed over after her. She swung at Kendra twice but missed both times when Kendra ducked. She swung again and this time slashed her in the arm.
Kendra grabbed her wound and looked down at it. "Dat's me favrit shirt! Dat's me only shirt!"
Now, Kendra was really mad, and she kicked Patrice in the back of the knee, making her lose her balance. She grabbed Patrice by the arm and threw her into a cabinet in front of the organ, smashing it to pieces and knocking her out. Kendra ran over to join the others. Spike took a torch from its wall hanger and threw it into a pile of old drapes, setting them ablaze.
"Look out!" Amy yelled.
Spike unstrapped Drusilla from Angel. "Sorry, baby. Gotta go." He lifted her into his arms and started up the aisle. "Hope that was enough."
With nothing holding him up anymore, Angel fell to the floor behind them. Cordelia crawled over to him and saw Spike making his escape. She stood up and grabbed the censer from the altar. She swung it around her head by its chain a few times and launched it at Spike. It hit him in the back of the head, and he stumbled into the church organ. The keyboard console collapsed under his weight.
Cordelia grinned. "I'm good!"
A moment later, the organ superstructure collapsed onto Spike and Drusilla - with its huge brass pipes clanging and rolling everywhere.
Cordelia turned her attention back to Angel and helped him sit up. She cradled his head with her arm. "Hi."
Kendra saw the way that they looked at each other. Cordelia brushed Angel's cheek. Giles and the others watched them through the flames.
Kendra ran over and crouched down next to Cordelia and Angel. "Let's get him out!"
Angel moaned as they began to help him up.
"Careful!" Cordelia admonished her.
Kendra nodded. "C'mon."
With their help, he got to his feet. Kendra got under his arm to support him. The others ran out of the church as the three of them made their way up the aisle and out the other door.
The next day, Tara walked into the school lounge and saw Oz getting a box of animal crackers from a vending machine. His arm was in a sling.
Oz straightened up and saw Tara there. "Oh, hey!" He offered the box. "Animal cracker?"
Tara smiled. "No, thank you. How's your arm? You can still play the guitar okay?"
"Oh, not well, but not worse."
They started to walk down the hall. Oz tried to open the box.
Tara took the box from him and opened it. "Y'know, I never really thanked you."
"Ooh, yeah, please don't. I don't do thanks."
Tara handed back the open box.
"I get all red. Have to bail. It's not pretty."
Tara smiled. "Well, then forget that thing. E-Especially with the part where I kind of owe you my life."
Oz pulled out a cookie and stopped. "Oh, look! Monkey! And he has a little hat. And little pants."
Tara smiled. "Yeah, I-I see!"
"The monkey's the only cookie animal that gets to wear clothes, you know that?" Oz asked her.
"I'll...take your word for it."
They continued down the hall.
"So I'm wondering...do the other cookie animals feel sorta ripped? Like, is the hippo going 'Hey, man, where are my pants? I have my hippo dignity!' And you know the monkey's just 'I mock you with my monkey pants!' And there's a big coup in the zoo."
Tara was utterly bewildered. "O...kaaay."
In front of the school, Buffy and Cordelia were walking Kendra to her taxi.
Kendra looked at Buffy. "Tank you for de shirt; it was very generous of you."
"Hey, it looks better on...well, me, but no worries. Now, when you get to the airport-"
"I get on de plane with me ticket and sit in a seat. Not de cargo hold."
"Very good."
"Dat is not traveling undercover."
"Exactly. Relax! You earned it. Sit in your seat, you eat your peanuts, you watch the movie, well, unless it's about a dog or Chevy Chase."
"I'll remember." Kendra opened the cab door.
Cordelia looked at Kendra. "I, um...I just wanted to apologize for what I said...and to thank you...for helping me save Angel."
"Mm. Am not tellin' me Watcher about dat. It is too strange dat a human loves a vampire."
Cordelia smirked. "Tell me about it."
"Still, he is pretty cute."
Cordelia grinned. "Yes, it is."
Buffy looked at Kendra. "And they haven't fired me for working with him."
Kendra looked at Buffy. "You always do dat."
"Do what?"
"You talk about slaying like it's a job. It's not. It's who you are."
"Did you get that from your handbook?"
"From you."
"I guess it's something I really can't fight."
Cordelia smiled. "Buffy's a freak."
"Not de only freak."
Buffy smiled. "Not anymore."
They looked at each other for a moment, then Buffy made a move to hug Kendra, but she backed away.
"I don't hug."
"Right. No. Good. Hate hugs."
Kendra smiled at them and got into the cab. Buffy and Cordelia held up their hands in goodbye. They watched as the taxi pulled away.
Chapter 52: Ted
Chapter Text
"Ted"
Based on the Episode Written by David Greenwalt and Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
Buffy was driving down her street at night on the way to her house. Tara was sitting in the passenger seat. Amy, Katrina, and Cordelia were sitting in the back seat.
Tara looked at Buffy. "Buffy."
"Huh?" Buffy asked.
"Should the new Alien have retconned Alien 3 instead of cloning Ripley?" Tara asked.
"Uuummm...yeah, probably."
"Are you okay, sweetie?" Tara asked.
"I'm sorry. I was just-"
"Thinking?"
"No, not thinking. Having a lot of happy non-thoughts. I love it when things are quiet around here."
Amy nodded. "Yeah, with Spike and Drusilla out of the way, we can just chill."
"So...we're pretty sure that there're not more Tarakan assassins coming our way?" Katrina asked.
Cordelia nodded. "Angel's sources say the contract's off."
"How is Angel?" Amy asked her.
Cordelia smiled. "Getting better."
"And you're loving playing nursemaid?" Katrina asked her.
"Oh, yeah!"
Buffy pulled into her driveway, parked her van, shut off the engine, and took the key out of the ignition. Everyone unfastened their seatbelts, unlocked and opened the doors, and got out. They closed the doors, walked over, and climbed the steps to the porch. Buffy reached up to put her house key in the door lock. When she pushed on it to insert it, the door just swung in.
Buffy stared in, concerned to find the door unlocked. "You guys wait here a second."
She slowly walked in and looked around. After a few seconds, she heard a glass fall and break in the kitchen.
"No!" her mother cried out from the kitchen.
Buffy rushed through the dining room to the kitchen door and pushed it open. There, she caught her mother locked in an embrace with and kissing a man.
"Mom!" Buffy exclaimed in surprise.
They broke off their kiss, and all three of them stared awkwardly at each other.
"Oh, my..." Buffy exhaled. "I'm sorry, I..." She exhaled again. "I heard-"
"Uh, I-I-I broke a wineglass. Y-Y-You're home early."
The man smiled. "Hi."
"Hi."
Joyce looked at the man. "Oh! Uh, this is my daughter, Buffy." She looked at Buffy. "Buffy, this is Ted."
Buffy just stared at him, unsure how to react.
Buffy's friends had been invited to stay for dinner. They and Buffy were sitting at the island.
Ted was cooking. He opened the oven and slid in a baking sheet full of mini pizzas. "Okay, here we go!"
At the kitchen door, Joyce emptied the dustpan full of broken glass into the trashcan.
Buffy looked at her. "So. All these late nights at the gallery recently, I gather, you were cataloging more than art."
"Well, I...I've been looking for the right moment to introduce you two. He's a wonderful man."
Buffy looked over her shoulder at Ted cooking. "How'd you meet?"
"Oh, he sells, uh, computer software. He redid my entire system at the gallery, freed up a lot of my time."
"To meet new people. And smooch them in my kitchen."
"You weren't supposed to see that."
Ted took the cast-iron pan from the stove, went over to the island with it, and scooped out several finished pizzas.
Tara smiled. "I like my new 9-gig hard drive."
Ted looked at her. "But you don't love it, 'cause, without the DMA upgrade, your computer's only half a rocket ship."
"Yeah, but who can afford the upgrades?" Tara asked him.
"Well, you can! I get the demos for free; I don't see why I shouldn't give 'em to you for the same price! Any friend of Buffy's..."
Tara squealed with delight. Katrina munched on one of the mini pizzas.
"What?" Ted asked in confusion.
"Oh, that's the sound she makes when she's speechless with geeker joy. This pizza rocks my taste buds. What's your secret?" Katrina asked him.
"Well, after you bake it, you fry it in herbs and olive oil, but you gotta use a cast-iron skillet." Ted knocked his pan. "No room for compromise there."
Amy looked at Ted. "Y'know, you should market these things."
Ted laughed at that and took the plate with the pizzas over to Buffy. "Hungry?"
"No, thanks."
"Buffy, I want to apologize. That wasn't how I wanted us to meet. I wanted it to be...perfect. I'm very fond of your mother; I guess that's pretty obvious." Ted gestured toward the picture of the two of them on the refrigerator. "I know you're the most important thing in her life, and, well, gosh, that makes you pretty important to me, too."
Joyce came over to stand next to Ted. "Buffy, I really want you to be okay with this."
Ted shook his head. "Beg to differ: we really want you to be okay with this."
They both smiled at Buffy.
"I'm okay."
"You are?" Joyce asked her.
"I am." Buffy smiled stiffly.
In the park, Buffy was fighting a vampire. She picked him up and threw him onto an empty picnic table. He crashed down onto it, and it collapsed underneath him. He shook off the blow as he got back up and came at Buffy again. She grabbed the metal lid from a trashcan while Giles looked on. She used it as a shield to block the vampire's punch and then hit him over the head with it. He fell to his knee but got back up. She hit him with it again, and he fell to his other knee and quickly got up again. She hit him a third time, and he staggered again.
"Buffy? I-I believe he's - he's, um..."
Buffy swung down with the lid from above onto the vampire's head. He just absorbed the blow and came at her with a punch. She blocked the swing with the lid again and swung it around onto his head from above again. Giles winced at what he was seeing. Buffy blocked another punch, then discarded the lid and kicked the vampire in the face.
"It-It's - It's staking time, really. Don't you think?" Giles asked her.
Buffy kicked the vampire again and followed up with a punch to the jaw. Giles sat down on a bench to wait, holding his bag in his lap. Buffy threw a right jab to the vampire's face. She followed up with a kick to his knee, making the vampire fall to the ground. She pulled a stake out of her jacket and cleanly jammed it into his chest, killing him.
Buffy looked around as she walked over to Giles. "Any others?"
"Well, for their sakes, I certainly hope not."
"What?" Buffy asked, surprised. "I kill vampires; that's my job."
"Well, true, true, although you don't usually beat them into quite such a bloody pulp beforehand. Everything all right?"
"Yeah! Fine!" Buffy walked around him, stepped up onto the bench, and sat on the backrest. "I killed a vampire here on Wednesday. Why are they hanging out at the park?"
"Well, they're...scattered, you know. Now their leaders are gone, with any luck dead. In times of crisis, they usually return to the easiest feeding grounds."
"Vampires are creeps."
"Yes, that's why one slays them."
"I mean...people are perfectly happy getting along, and then vampires come, and they run around, and they kill people, and they take over your whole house, they start making these stupid fucking little mini pizzas, and everyone's like 'I like your mini pizzas', but I'm telling you, I am-"
"Uh, uh, Buffy! I-I believe the...subtext here is - is...rapidly becoming, uh, uh, text." Giles cleared his throat. "Are you sure there's nothing you want to share?"
"No. Forget it." Buffy looked around again. "Think there'll be any more? I-I can wait."
The next day, at Sunnydale High, Tara and Buffy were walking in a hall.
"So he's a good cook. Well, what does that really tell you about a person?" Buffy asked.
"You don't like him?" Tara asked.
"I don't know him. I-I mean, so far, all I see is someone who apparently has a good job, seems nice and polite, and my mother really likes him. I'm just saying there's something a little too clean about this clown."
They arrived at the vending machines.
"Buff, you're lacking evidence." Tara put her coins into the machine and selected a regular Coke.
"Okay, I admit it's weird. Seeing my mother frenching a guy is definitely a ticket to Therapyland, but it's more than that. I'm pretty good at sensing what's going on around me, and there is definitely something wrong with this...Ted."
Tara spotted Ted coming down the stairs behind Buffy. "Ted!"
"Of course, Ted. Who'd you think I was talking about?" Buffy asked her.
Tara grinned nervously. "Hi, Ted! Ted, who's here."
Ted smiled. "Hello, kids!"
Buffy turned quickly to face him. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm updating the software in the guidance office." Ted pulled several disks from his pocket and handed them to Tara. "Which reminds me, your upgrades."
Tara eagerly accepted the disks. "Oh, what a day! Thank you!"
Buffy gave Tara a look.
"Think nothing of it. Buffy, do you like miniature golf?"
Buffy shrugged. "It's okay."
"Well, your mother and I were thinking maybe, this Saturday, we could drag you out to the course, spend some time swinging the iron with the stuffy old people."
"Well, uh-"
"I'm making a picnic basket. With mini pizzas. And cookies!"
"You know what, I - I would love to, honestly, but, um, unfortunately, I have that thing on Saturday." Buffy looked to Tara for support.
"Ohhh, that thing. That thing."
Ted stared at them. "I detect a fib."
Buffy slumped her shoulders in defeat. "Fine."
Ted grinned. "Great!"
Buffy could only smile half-heartedly. Tara put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
In Ms. Calendar's classroom, she was gathering assignments from the desks.
Giles walked up to the door and stepped in. "Hello, Jenny."
"Rupert. Hi."
"Some of your, uh, textbooks were delivered to the library. Um, do you want me to, uh, hang on to them?"
"Yeah, that's fine. I'll send the kids by to pick 'em up."
"Right. Good." Giles turned around and started out of the room.
"Pretty flimsy excuse for coming by to see me."
Giles came back in. "You should have heard the ones I threw out." He smiled briefly. "I just...I wanted to, uh...see how you were doing."
"I'm doing pretty good, actually. I've stayed out of mortal danger for four whole weeks. I could get used to it."
Giles smiled at that.
"I'm still having trouble sleeping, though."
Giles stepped closer. "Oh, of course. Um...you - you - you need time."
"Or possibly space. Rupert, I know you're concerned. But having you constantly poking around, making little puppy-dog eyes at me, wondering if I'm okay..." Jenny sighed. "You make me feel bad that I don't feel better. I don't want that responsibility."
"Sorry." Giles looked down. "I certainly don't mean to make, um, 'dog eyes'...at you. I'm just-"
"Worried. I know."
"I shouldn't have bothered you." Giles turned and walked out of the room with his head hung down.
Jenny watched him go and sighed. She went back to collecting the papers.
That evening, in Angel's apartment, Cordelia was replacing the bandage on his right hand while he lay in his comfy chair.
Buffy was pacing back and forth, her arms crossed. "So Mom's like 'Do you think Ted will like this?' and 'This is Ted's favorite show' and 'Ted's teaching me computers' and 'Ted said the funniest thing', and I'm like 'That's really great, Mom', and then she said I was being sarcastic, which I was, but I'm sorry if I don't wanna talk about Ted all the fucking time."
Angel looked up at her. "So...you gonna talk about something else at some point?"
Buffy sighed. "I'm sorry. I just have so much shit to deal with; I don't need some guy in my life."
Cordelia finished wrapping the bandage.
Angel handed her a piece of tape while looking at Buffy. "No, but maybe your mom does."
Cordelia took the tape and put it on the bandage.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Well, sure, if you're gonna use wisdom."
Angel chuckled. "Loneliness is about the scariest thing there is."
"Okay, so my mom needs a guy in her life. Does it have to be Ted?" Buffy asked.
"Do you have somebody else in mind? There's a guy out there that would satisfy you?" Cordelia asked her.
"My dad?" Buffy suggested.
Cordelia looked at her.
"Yeah, okay, that's not gonna happen. Fine, fine, I'll give Ted a chance. I'll play mini-golf, and I'll smile and be the dutiful daughter. Do I have to like him?" Buffy asked.
Angel shrugged and smiled at Cordelia. "Kiss me."
Cordelia smiled. "Gladly!" She leaned over him and kissed him lightly on the lips.
Cordelia got in his lap, and they kissed more passionately. Buffy awkwardly watched them and silently critiqued Cordelia's technique.
On Saturday, Buffy, her mom, and Ted went to the mini-golf course. The group walked up to the next hole, a five-par cuckoo clock.
Joyce looked at Ted. "That picnic was delicious. You know how rare it is to find a man that cooks?"
Buffy rolled her eyes.
"I know I've been looking a long time for one."
Ted looked at Buffy. "So, Buffy, I bet the boys are lined up around the block, tryin' to get a date with you."
Buffy laughed. "Nah. I'm gay."
Ted frowned.
"Not that I exactly go out on dates, anyway. Tara and I mostly just hang out."
"Well, with all of that free time, I hope that means your grades will be picking up soon." Ted bent down to position his ball for his shot.
"My grades?" Buffy paced over to her mom. "How does he know about my grades?"
"I told him. He wants to know everything about you. He's concerned. That's a good thing."
Ted made his shot.
"Ooh, nice shot, Ted!" Joyce cheered.
At the next hole, with a castle, Buffy was ready to take her shot.
"Keep your eye on the ball. Watch those elbows!" Ted yelled.
Buffy swung a bit too hard, and the ball ricocheted off the castle and into the rough behind it.
"Oh! Bad luck, little lady!" Ted exclaimed.
Buffy started to walk to retrieve her ball for another try.
Joyce shook her head. "Oh, we won't count it."
Ted looked at her. "We won't?"
Buffy stopped and turned back to look at them.
"Well, it's just miniature golf."
"It is, but the rules are the rules. And what we teach her is what she takes out into the world when we're not there, whether it's at school or an unchaperoned party." Ted looked at Buffy. "I don't mean to overstep my bounds; this is between you and your mother; I just think right is right."
Joyce looked at Buffy. "He has a point."
"Fine. I'll just go hit my ball from the rough." Buffy went over to her ball behind the castle and picked it up. She stepped onto the green and, thinking no one saw her, dropped her ball into the hole. "Hey, how 'bout that?! Got a hole in two!"
"Beg to differ."
Buffy turned her head to see Ted standing next to the castle, where he could see.
Buffy shrugged. "Okay, so fine my score or whatever."
"I think you're missing the point here, little lady. Right is right; wrong is wrong. Why don't people see that?"
"It's just a game?" Buffy guessed.
"Right, it's just a game; do your own thing; well, I'm not wired that way." Ted started hitting his ankle with his club pretty hard. "And I am here to tell you it is not a game! It does count, and I don't stand for that kind of malarkey in my house!"
Buffy gave him a death stare. "Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not in your house."
"Do you want me to slap that smart-ass mouth of yours?" Ted threatened.
Buffy couldn't believe her ears. She noticed her mother come around the castle.
Ted followed her gaze. "Who's up for dessert? I made chocolate chip cookies!" He smiled.
Joyce opened the Ziploc bag of cookies. Buffy stared at them and couldn't believe Ted just threatened her.
"Yeah! I-I made, uh, too many, so you guys are gonna have to take some home!" Ted exclaimed.
Joyce had a cookie and was munching away. "Mm! Buffy, you've got to try one of these! They're really good! Mm!"
Ted offered her one with a smile. Buffy just kept looking at them in disbelief.
On Monday morning, at the Summers house, Buffy wandered into the kitchen.
Joyce got the orange juice from the refrigerator and brought it to the island. "Good morning, sunshine!"
"Hey."
Joyce set down the carton. "I've got juice; I've got sticky buns; oh, don't they smell good?!"
Buffy picked up part of a bun.
"Ted made them."
Buffy put it back down.
Joyce smiled. "What?"
"I'd just like to eat something around here that Ted didn't make."
"Oh, what kind of an attitude is that?" Joyce asked her.
Buffy sighed. "Look, Mom, I know you think he's great and all, but I-"
Joyce poured some juice. "Y'know, he went out of his way to be nice to you, and you couldn't say two words to him on Saturday." She poured another glass. "I do not expect you to love him right away, like I do, but I do expect you to treat him decently."
"You love him?" Buffy asked in surprise.
Joyce put down the juice carton. "I-I don't know." She sighed. "That just slipped out." She took the juice back to the fridge. "But I guess; I mean...it's not exactly like men beat down the door when you're a single-"
"When you're a single parent."
Joyce sighed. "Honey, look. I wouldn't have anything to do with anybody, if they didn't care about you. But he does! I don't understand why you can't see that!"
"He threatened me."
"What?" Joyce came back to the island.
"He threatened me. He said that he was gonna slap my face."
"He said no such thing! Honey, Ted told me what happened. He caught you cheating, didn't he?"
Buffy sighed. "Yeah, I dropped my ball in; put me in jail; but he totally wigged!"
"And he didn't say anything about it in front of the others, did he?"
"Uh, no, but I don't think that's the-"
"Well, I thought that that was pretty decent of him! Ted said we are just gonna have to give you time to come around. Oh, speaking of which, he's making dinner for us tonight, so I'd like you at home, please, promptly at six." Joyce pointed down for emphasis.
Buffy gave her mother a look and stalked out of the kitchen.
Tara and Buffy were walking across the quad at the school.
"What do you mean, check him out?" Tara asked.
"I mean investigate him. Find out his secrets; hack into his life."
"Buffy, it just seems like you want him to be corrupt or something."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "The guy lost his shit over mini-golf."
"So he's a little uptight. Last I heard, that's not a slaying offense."
Buffy looked at her girlfriend and frowned.
"Don't gimme the look, I'm on your side. I'm just saying there are some things in life you have to accept."
Buffy and Tara sat on a bench.
Buffy looked at Tara. "And I'm saying Ted ain't one of 'em. Tara, I'm not wrong here. Ted has a problem with me. He acts like I'm in the way or something. And Mom's been totally different since he's around."
"Different like happy?"
"Like Stepford. Will you help me?"
Tara put a hand on top of Buffy's hand. "You know I will. What do you want me to look for?"
"Let's start small. Can you find out where he works?"
Tara nodded.
Buffy walked into the office space of Lorrin Software, spotted Ted at his desk, and moved into the snack area to observe him. Another man had the desk next to Ted's. They were both talking with customers over their headsets.
"Yeah, i-i-it's a terrific product. No PC should be without it."
"No, Mrs. Lawnsdale, it is not an inexpensive piece of software. As a matter of fact, it's a very expensive one. Which removes the risk of crashing your whole system. Of course, if you prefer something cheap, I can always recommend..." Ted paused. "Trust me, you won't be sorry. Thank you very much."
Ted took off his headset and put it down. Buffy saw him get up and quickly crouched down and hid under the snack table. Ted walked over to the sales board and made another hack mark by his name.
"Goin' to lunch!" Ted walked out the door.
Buffy stood back up and watched him leave. She glanced over at his desk and then back at the sales board again.
"You're new, aren't ya?" The man showed up next to her and grabbed the coffee pot.
Buffy looked at him. "Oh..."
"I'm Neal." He poured a cup.
"I'm B..." Buffy paused. "Linda." She thought of her favorite singer. "Belinda. I'm just temping for the day." She looked at the board. "Wow, that guy's a salesman. I guess he's the one to beat around here."
"Nobody beats 'The Machine'. The guy's a genius. Knows everything about computers, never loses a client..." Neal paused. "If I sound bitter, I am." He took a sip of his coffee.
"Well, nobody likes an overachiever."
Neal chuckled.
"Uh, he's probably got ex-wives and - and families to support."
"He's just got a girlfriend. I'm amazed he let her clutter his desk."
He looked at Ted's desk, and Buffy followed his gaze. There was a single picture frame on it beside the computer and nothing else.
"Thank God he's taking off for the wedding."
Buffy was surprised. "The wedding?"
"Yeah, he's got it set for two months from now. Believe me, I am counting the days." Neal spotted his boss. "Uh-oh, the ueber-boss. Back to the salt mines." He walked off.
Buffy casually made her way to Ted's desk, looking around to see if anyone noticed her. She looked at the picture, and it struck her as familiar. She took it, opened up the back, and pulled it out. She noticed it was folded; she unfolded it and saw it was the picture of her and her mother from their refrigerator at home - with her own face folded back.
That evening, Buffy, Joyce, and Ted were seated at the dining room table for dinner. Ted was saying grace. Joyce had her eyes closed. Buffy just sat awkwardly and waited for Ted to finish.
"We thank you for what we are about to receive, and we ask that you bless this house and help the people in it to be more productive, more considerate, and more honest. Amen."
Joyce opened her eyes. "Amen."
Ted and Joyce laid their napkins in their laps. Joyce took up her fork and started in.
Ted looked at Buffy. "We missed you at church yesterday, Buffy."
Buffy looked at him. "I'm not religious."
"So I gathered. Don't worry, we'll fix that."
Buffy gave him a death stare.
"Well, another great day at work! How was school today, Buffy? Did you learn anything?" Ted asked.
"Quite a bit."
"Good for you! Well, Joycie, what do you think?"
"I think every home should have one of you. I wish I'd brought you home last month, so you could cook us Thanksgiving dinner. It's fantastic!" Joyce smiled and looked at Buffy. "Don't you think?"
Ted smiled at Buffy.
Buffy shrugged. "Looks good."
"Well, you know, little lady, it's not just for looks; it's for building strong bodies."
Buffy just sat there, staring at Ted.
Joyce looked at Buffy. "Honey?"
Buffy looked at the two of them. "Are you two engaged?"
Ted raised his head.
"Goodness, no! Whatever gave you that idea?" Joyce asked.
"Now, Joycie, let me handle this." Ted looked at Buffy. "Buffy, your mother and I are taking it one step at a time. And if things go the way I hope, maybe someday soon, I just might ask her to tie the knot. How would you feel about that?"
Buffy kept her mouth shut, greatly upset.
"It's okay to have feelings, Buffy, and it's okay to express them."
Buffy stared at him, resisting the urge to vomit. "I'd feel like killing myself." She meant it.
"Buffy!" Joyce exclaimed in shock.
Ted looked at Joyce. "No, no, I-I told her to be honest." He looked at Buffy. "Sweetheart, you should try and get used to me, 'cause you know what? I'm not going anywhere."
"Yeah, well, I am. In thirteen months, I'm gone."
Ted was confused. "What happens in thirteen months?"
Joyce stared at Buffy. "She turns eighteen."
Buffy nodded. "On January 19, 1999, I'll be out of your hair, and you two can live happily ever after."
"Is that really how you want it?" Joyce asked her.
"Yeah."
Joyce shook her head, upset. "Well, good luck to you, then."
Buffy stared at her mother. "May I be excused?"
"You can go to your room, young lady; that's where you can go."
Buffy got up and left the table without another word.
After climbing out her window and jumping down to the ground from her roof, which she hadn't done since moving to Sunnydale nine months earlier, Buffy went to the park and sat on a swing, tapping a stake in her hand, hoping some vampires would show up.
"Vampires..." Buffy paused for a bit. "Here, vampires..."
She sighed, frustrated that she couldn't work out her anger, and decided to head home.
Buffy climbed up to her window and crawled inside her room. Inside, she found Ted waiting in a chair for her to come home.
"What are you doing in here?" Buffy asked him, both surprised and angry.
"Your mother told you to go to your room, Buffy. You and I both know she didn't mean climb out a window and go gallivanting about town."
"First of all, this is my room; if you want to enter, come and knock on my door and wait for my permission." Buffy saw her Slayer stuff lying on her desk and got pissed. "Second, you've been going through my things?"
"Yes, I have."
"That's my personal property! How dare you?!" Buffy yelled, enraged.
"I don't see how it's any different from you snooping around my office, do you?" Ted raised her diary, which was open. "The horrible things that you wrote about me! And the lengthy descriptions of sick, depraved sex! What would your mother think of this?"
"It's none of your fucking business!" Buffy told him.
"Beg to differ, little lady. Everything you do is nothing but my business from now on."
"I think you better get out of here. Now!" Buffy ordered.
"Or what?" Ted stood up and stepped toward her, trying his best to intimidate her with his stature. "You'll slay me? I'm real. I'm not some goblin you made up in your little diary. Psychiatrists have a word for something like this: delusional." Ted held up her diary. "So, from now on, you'll do what I say, when I say, or I show this to your mother, and you'll spend your best dating years behind the wall of a mental institution. Your mother and I are going to be happy. You're not going to stand in the way. Sleep tight!" He started to walk away and opened the door to go out.
Buffy followed him and grabbed hold of his hand that had her diary. "That's mine, and you are not leaving this room with it!"
"Take your hand off me."
"No."
Ted slapped her hard, almost punching her, and made her hit the wall.
"Oh!" Buffy straightened back up to face him and gave him an evil grin. "I was so hoping you'd do that."
Buffy punched him squarely in the jaw, and he staggered back into the open door. He pushed himself upright and backhanded her in the face, making her fall against the side of her bed and onto the floor. He picked her up by the shirt collar, but she kicked him in the shin.
Joyce came to the door to see what all of the noise was about. She stared at the scene in horror. "Buffy! Stop that!"
Unheeding, Buffy elbowed Ted in the face.
"Stop it!" Joyce screamed.
Unheeding, Buffy kicked Ted in the chest, making him stagger backward, out into the hall, where Joyce had to quickly move out of the way.
Buffy followed Ted into the hall and punched him in the face again. Ted tripped down to the end of the hall before regaining his balance.
Buffy ran over to Ted and kicked him again, spinning him around and knocking him over. Ted fell down the stairs, tumbling to the bottom. When he hit the floor, his neck broke with an audible crack.
Joyce ran down the stairs after him. "Ted..." She kneeled next to him and tried to shake him awake. "Ted! Ted!"
Buffy slowly descended the stairs, staring silently, stunned at how far that she'd taken it.
Joyce took Ted's arm to feel for a pulse. When she didn't find one, she dropped his arm and looked up at Buffy in horror. "You killed him!"
Buffy stared down at Ted's unmoving body, not believing what just happened. "What?!" she finally blurted out.
Joyce stared at her daughter in horror for a moment longer, and then she ran away to pick up the phone.
Buffy slowly walked down the stairs, her eyes fixated on Ted's body.
"I'm at 1630 Revello Drive! My boyfriend is dead!" her mother cried.
Buffy stared into Ted's eyes as she stepped over his body. She saw no life in them.
"Yes, I'm pretty sure! There's no pulse!"
Buffy stared. Nothing from Ted.
"Yes, the front door will be open! He's at the bottom of the staircase!"
Buffy stared. Nothing from Ted.
"Please hurry!"
Buffy stared. Nothing from Ted.
"Ted?" Buffy asked weakly. "Say something."
Ted said nothing.
"Ted, you..." Buffy paused, nearly paralyzed. "Ted, you..." She paused again. "Ted, wake up."
Nothing from Ted.
Joyce ran over and unlocked and opened the front door.
Buffy looked at her mother in fear. "Mom, I-"
"Shut your goddamn mouth!" Joyce told her, upset. "Get out of my sight. I don't want to look at you."
Buffy walked outside and sat down on the porch steps, by the pillar. She sat there, stunned, scared.
Alone.
Chapter Text
The police and medical personnel arrived within a few minutes. The EMS people went into the house first, followed by a uniformed officer. Buffy sat listlessly through the entire thing.
"He's over here!" her mother called.
Buffy was vaguely aware of the flashing lights from the patrol car and the ambulance. She heard radio chatter between the officer in the house and his partner in the patrol car, the latter of which got on the police radio. She didn't understand all of what they were saying, but she was able to piece together that Ted's death had been confirmed, and the coroner's office was being notified.
Soon, a hearse arrived. The driver and his partner got out and opened the back. They took a gurney and a body bag out and went into the house. Joyce, the EMS personnel, and the uniformed officer came out of the house and walked down the steps. The EMS personnel got into the ambulance and left.
The coroners wheeled Ted's body, zipped up in the body bag, out of the house on the gurney. Joyce watched as the coroners wheeled Ted's body away.
A police detective approached Joyce. "Ma'am, I'm Detective Stein. I'm sorry, but I need to ask you a few questions. Your relationship with the deceased?"
"We were, uh, seeing each other."
"Can you tell me what happened?"
"He fell. Down the stairs, he fell."
Buffy looked at her in surprise and realized her mother was covering for her.
"I see. Uh, did he slip? Do you know what made him fall?" Detective Stein asked.
"I hit him."
Detective Stein turned to look at Buffy sitting on the steps.
"I hit him."
The guilt that Buffy was feeling was unbearable. She had felt compelled to speak up. Her mother looked at her in dismay.
Detective Stein looked at Joyce. "Is this your daughter?"
There was a slight pause that did not go unnoticed by Buffy.
"Yes. Buffy."
"We're going to have to question her down at the station."
"Couldn't you do it here?" Joyce asked him.
"No, ma'am."
Joyce sighed. "All right." She looked at her daughter. "Buffy, get in the Jeep."
"Ma'am, we have to transport her ourselves." Detective Stein nodded at the two uniformed officers.
The two officers approached Buffy.
One of the officers looked at her. "Ms. Summers, please stand up, put your hands behind your back, and face the pillar."
Joyce looked at Detective Stein. "Is that really necessary?"
"Afraid so, ma'am."
Buffy stood up and did as ordered. A pair of handcuffs were fastened around her wrists. One of the officers took Buffy over to the patrol car. His partner opened the back door, and Buffy got into the back seat. The door was closed.
Soon, they were on their way.
The back door of the patrol car was opened. Buffy got out with assistance. She and the officers walked into the police station, Detective Stein and Joyce following.
Stein picked up a pen and notepad from his desk. "Please sit by my desk and wait, Ms. Summers."
Buffy was about to sit down when her mother did instead. The officers took Buffy to the interrogation room, Detective Stein leading the way.
They entered the interrogation room. Stein nodded to one of the officers, who took the handcuffs off Buffy's wrists. Buffy sat in a chair at the table. The officers left the room and closed the door. Stein sat across from Buffy.
Stein turned on a tape recorder, inserted a blank tape, cued it, and pressed Record. "Monday, December 8, 1997, 9:32 PM. Detective Paul Stein, homicide." He looked at Buffy. "Please state your full name for the record."
"Buffy Anne Summers."
"And your date of birth?"
"January 19, 1981."
"Oh, your birthday's coming up."
Buffy didn't say anything.
"Buffy. Is that your legal name?"
"What?" Buffy asked.
"Well, is it short for Elizabeth?"
Buffy stared at him in confusion. "No. It's just Buffy." She paused. "Buffy is short for Elizabeth?"
"Well, it's a pet form. It means 'God is my oath.'"
Buffy didn't say anything.
"Okay, start at the beginning. When did you meet Mr. Buchanan?"
"Am I under arrest?" Buffy asked him.
"No."
"Then why'd you bring me here in handcuffs?" Buffy asked him. "Why couldn't my mom drive me?"
"There are reasons for why we do things a certain way. That's not important. Now, when did you meet Mr. Buchanan?"
"Last Thursday evening. I'd just returned from the movies with my friends, and I came upon my mom and Ted in the kitchen."
"So you've known...you knew him for four days."
Buffy looked down to avoid eye contact with him. "Yes."
"What was your relationship like?"
"I...didn't want to have one with him."
"Why's that?"
"Because he's not my dad."
"It must be weird, huh? Seeing your mother date someone new?"
"Uh-huh."
"Is your mother widowed or divorced?"
"Divorced."
"When did that happen?"
"Last year."
"How did you handle that?"
Buffy froze in terror.
Stein moved on. "Was Mr. Buchanan attempting to have a relationship with you?"
"At first."
"What do you mean?"
Buffy was about to bring up the folded-up picture but then realized that would raise a lot more questions. "He...seemed nice, outgoing. He seemed like he wanted to be my friend. But he wasn't my dad, and I did the bare minimum during his attempts to bond with me. And I got the feeling that there was something off about him."
"Off? In what way?"
"We had gone to play mini-golf on Saturday. He caught me cheating and confronted me about it. He was really strict about following the rules. But this was just mini-golf, and he went insane."
"Did anyone else witness this?"
"No. My mom was there, but she didn't see or hear it. He was a total Two-Face."
"Did you tell your mom about it?"
"Yeah, this morning. She didn't believe me."
"What happened earlier this evening?"
"My mom wanted me home at six. Ted was cooking us dinner."
"How did that go?"
"Bad. We got into an argument."
"About what?"
"Ted being in our lives. He wanted to marry my mom in...someday. I said I was moving out when I turned eighteen. My mom sent me up to my room. I sneaked out through my bedroom window."
"Where'd you go?"
"To the park."
"To do what?"
Buffy hesitated. "To get away for a while and clear my head. I eventually came home and climbed back in through the window. He was in my room. And we got into an argument."
"About what?"
"He, um..." Buffy hesitated.
"Was this the first time that you two had had an argument?"
Buffy looked up. "No. He threatened me. He - He said that he would slap me."
"That was tonight."
"No. But he had my diary, and I-I tried to take it back, a-and that's when he hit me."
"Where?"
Buffy raised her hand to indicate her right cheek.
Detective Stein leaned over to have a look. "Well, it doesn't look like he hit you very hard."
Buffy was offended at the comment but restrained herself. "I don't bruise easily."
"So you've been hit before?"
"Yes."
"But Ted never hit you."
"I told you-"
"Before tonight. Ted never hit you before tonight?"
"Right."
"What happened next?"
"I hit him. He hit me again. I fell down. He picked me up. I kicked him and elbowed him. I kicked him again. We were out in the hall now. I punched and kicked him again. He fell down the stairs.
"Sounds like you did most of the hitting."
"What do you want? I-I told you what happened; I didn't mean to!" Buffy cried, desperately trying to convince herself more so than him.
"I believe you. Things get outta hand. He's a big guy." Stein wrote some notes on his pad.
Buffy could only watch.
Stein pressed Stop on the tape recorder and turned it off. He picked up his pad and stood up. "Wait here. I'm going to speak with your mother. Do you need anything? Water? Restroom?"
"No. Thank you."
"Okay, sit tight."
Stein left the room, leaving Buffy alone with her thoughts. She wondered what Stein was asking her mother and what she was telling him.
Eventually, the door opened. Stein was standing there. "You're free to go, Ms. Summers."
Buffy stood up and followed him. Her mother was still sitting by Detective Stein's desk. Buffy looked away from her in shame.
"If we have anymore questions, we'll be in touch."
"Thank you." Joyce stood up. "Let's go."
Buffy followed her mother out of the police station, her head hung low.
"What's going to happen?" Buffy asked her.
"Nothing...for now. They have to examine it further. I might have to get you a lawyer."
"I'm sorry."
"Save it." Joyce unlocked and opened the driver-side door of the Jeep and got in. She unlocked the passenger-side door for Buffy.
Buffy opened the door and got into the Jeep. She closed the door and locked it. She fastened her seatbelt. Joyce slammed her door shut, put the key in the ignition, started the Jeep, backed out of the parking space, and started driving toward home.
Buffy looked down sadly. She glanced over at her mother briefly, then out the side window.
When they got home, they went into the house. Joyce had left the lights on. Buffy stood in place, unsure what to do. She stared at the floor at the bottom of the stairs.
"Shower, then straight to bed."
Buffy silently walked upstairs. She went into the bathroom, turned the light on, closed the door, and stripped naked.
She got into the bathtub and took a shower, which lasted longer than necessary. She was in a daze and mostly just stood there, letting the warm water beat against her body.
She got out and toweled herself dry. She brushed her teeth. She realized she'd forgotten to get her pajamas, so she turned off the light, opened the door, and made a quick dash across the hall to her bedroom.
She closed the door and got into bed. She pulled the sheet and cover on top of her naked body and lay there, staring at the ceiling. She closed her eyes, wishing she could go to sleep, but her body was still full of adrenaline, and it was three hours before she finally fell asleep.
Buffy woke up the next morning, got out of bed, and got dressed. She didn't feel like dressing up, opting instead for a plain black T-shirt and blue jean overalls. She tied her hair back with a scrunchie. She didn't bother with makeup. She looked at herself in her full-length mirror. She stared long and hard at herself; she seemed child-like, but she knew she was anything but.
She opened the door, walked downstairs, and walked through the dining room and into the kitchen.
The kitchen was empty.
"Mom?" Buffy timidly called. "Where are you?"
There was no answer. Buffy searched the kitchen for a note but didn't find one. She guessed her mother had left for work very early. She hadn't even made breakfast.
They were out of breakfast cereal. Buffy opened the refrigerator and searched it. She found a package of pork cotto salami with peppers and ate all of the remaining slices. She threw the package in the trash, washed her hands, and peeked outside. The Jeep was still parked on the street. Buffy realized her mother hadn't left for work after all; she was just avoiding her.
Buffy decided to go to school. She went upstairs and back into her bedroom. She grabbed her keys off her dresser. She went through her usual weekday morning routine of checking to make sure the correct items were in her bookbag, and then she lugged it downstairs and walked through the dining room and into the kitchen. She left her mom a quick note, "Went to school", on the island.
She opened the door, went outside, closed the door, and locked it.
She walked over to her van, which was parked in the driveway. She unlocked and opened the driver-side door, got in, threw her bookbag on the passenger seat, closed and locked the door, fastened her seatbelt, put the key in the ignition, started the engine, put the van in Reverse, and back out onto the street. She put the van in Drive and started driving to school.
Buffy found it very weird to be doing all of these mundane things now. She had recently committed a horrific act of violence, and now those same hands and feet that had ended a man's life were operating her van to drive her to school like usual.
Buffy stared straight ahead. "Just another day, I guess."
Buffy parked her van in the student parking lot, got out, and made her way to the front entrance. She walked inside, and she noticed everyone seemed to be looking at her as she slowly made her way to the lounge. She realized word had gotten out and mentally chastised herself for not anticipating it.
She walked into the lounge. Tara and Amy were sitting on one couch, and Katrina and Cordelia were sitting on the other couch. Buffy climbed the steps up to the couches.
Tara stood up and immediately hugged Buffy tightly. "Are you okay, sweetie?"
Buffy hugged Tara tightly. "Physically. Mentally, I'm a fucking mess."
Tara gently kissed Buffy on the lips.
"So you heard what happened?" Buffy guessed.
Tara nodded. "Yeah."
Amy nodded. "Everyone has."
Buffy sighed. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
"How come you're here?" Katrina asked her.
"I couldn't stay at home. Mom won't even look at me."
Tara and Buffy released each other and sat next to Amy, Buffy being in the middle.
"What happened?" Tara asked Buffy. "Unless you don't want to talk about it."
"We had a fight, and I lost my temper. I really let him have it."
Cordelia was confused. "The paper said he fell."
Buffy gave her a dark look. "He fell. Hard."
"What was he?" Amy asked her.
"What?" Buffy asked, confused.
"What was he? A-A demon? Some kind of dark god?" Amy asked.
Buffy looked at her a moment and then lowered her eyes in shame.
Amy realized in sudden horror what that meant. "Oh, shit."
Cordelia sighed. "Goddamn."
Tara tried to be optimistic. "But I'm sure it wasn't your fault. He started it."
Buffy looked at her sadly. "Yeah. That defense only works in six-year-old court, babe."
"Court? Wa-Wait. Are they charging you with something?" Katrina asked her.
Buffy shook her head. "I-I don't know. Not yet."
Tara looked at her sympathetically.
Buffy lowered her eyes again. "He was a person, and I killed him."
"Don't say that!" Cordelia yelled.
Buffy looked up at her. "Why not? Everyone else is. And it's the truth."
Tara put her left hand on top of Buffy's right hand. "It was an accident."
Buffy looked at her. "I'm the Slayer. I had no right to hit him like that."
Tara was on the verge of tears. "Look, Buffy, I don't know what happened, exactly. But I do know you. And I know you would never hurt anyone intentionally. Well, you know, unless-"
"Unless they were dating my mother?" Buffy guessed.
Tara had no response to that.
"I gotta go."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips again. "Take care, hon."
Buffy got up and left at a quick pace. Her friends watched her go and looked at each other for what to do. They felt helpless to help her.
Buffy strode around a corner and into another hall. Ahead of her, Giles came out of a classroom and nodded to a man standing outside the door, then saw her coming.
"Buffy?" Giles asked.
Buffy stopped in her tracks but stayed to face him.
"Are you all right?" Giles asked her.
Buffy just looked at him in silence. She didn't want to be there.
"Oh, uh, stupid question, I'm sorry. Look, i-i-if there's anything you need, of course, just - just ask."
Buffy noticed the man guarding the door. "What's going on?" She walked toward the classroom.
"Oh, you needn't worry about that. They're just asking a few questions, your - your - your behavior and...um...uh..."
Buffy looked into the room through the door window and saw Detective Stein talking with two of her teachers, one of which was Ms. Calendar.
"Of course, I told them you, uh...I..."
Buffy quickly walked off.
Buffy realized the police had searched through her locker, because her items weren't as she had left them. She noticed people glancing at her in all of her classes, and none of her teachers called on her to answer any questions.
She was relieved when lunch came. She went to the cafeteria, waited in line, and grabbed a tray. She got her lunch and paid. As she walked to find a table, she realized everyone was looking at her. She went to the girls' restroom, went into a stall, locked the door, sat on the toilet, and ate her lunch alone.
She heard the restroom door open, followed by footsteps. She saw two pairs of legs stop in front of the sinks.
"Buffy? What about her?"
"Well, the chatter in the caf is that she totally murdered her mom's boyfriend."
"Neg!"
"Pos! She beat the shit out of him and kicked him down a flight of stairs!"
"Neg-ly!"
"Well, I heard from Blue, and she said that-"
"Buffy Summers, please report to the main office."
"Ooh, busted!" the girls exclaimed simultaneously.
Buffy stood up, unlocked and opened the door, and walked out of the stall. She saw Aphrodisia and Aura, two of Cordelia's friends. She dumped her trash in the trash can, set the tray on top of it, and left the restroom without a word.
Buffy walked into the main office.
A young woman with long brown hair looked at her. "Buffy Summers?"
"Yeah."
The woman offered Buffy her right hand. "Lilah Morgan, Wolfram & Hart. I'm your attorney."
Buffy thought the name of the law firm sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it and didn't particularly care at the moment. "Oh?"
"Yes, your mother contacted me last night. I drove up here overnight. I went to your house, but your mom told me that you'd gone to school."
Buffy didn't say anything.
"Let's go in here." Lilah opened the door of an unused office.
Buffy walked into the office. Lilah followed her and closed the door behind her. She went and sat behind the desk. Buffy sat in the chair in front of the desk.
Lilah set her briefcase on the desk and opened it. She took out a stapled group of papers and set them in front of Buffy. "The police faxed over the transcript of their interrogation. Please read it and verify its accuracy."
Buffy took a few minutes to read through the transcript. "Looks accurate."
Lilah took the papers and put them back into her briefcase. "I spoke with Detective Stein on his way out of the school. I informed him that any further questioning would not occur outside my presence."
Buffy kept her head lowered. "Am I going to jail?"
Lilah closed her briefcase. "Not if I can help it. I'm gonna work my ass off for you."
"How can my mom afford you?"
"We came to an arrangement. Don't concern yourself with it. Okay, so there's good news and bad news. The good news is you didn't confess to murder."
"I-I didn't-"
"Let me finish. The bad news is you described the fight in detail, which certainly makes it seem like you gave much more than you took. More good news: you're young, pretty, and white, which slightly lowers the odds of prosecution. More bad news: you have a history of violence. More good news: you're a local hero. More bad news: our great state's for-profit prison system is always in need of fresh meat. More good news: the local officials would probably rather classify this as an unintentional homicide to avoid bad press."
Buffy didn't say anything.
"If they end up charging you, would you be willing to accept a plea deal?"
"I-I dunno, I-I guess. Depends what it is."
"Okay."
"What happens next?" Buffy asked her.
"Well, I won't keep you now, but we need to schedule a time for us to sit down and go through the fight step by step, moment by moment, and examine your thought process in detail."
"My thought process?" Buffy asked. "My thought process was 'Got hit. Hit back. Got hit again. Hit back again.'"
"And again and again and again..." Lilah stared into Buffy's eyes. "Did you ever think to stop hitting him?"
Buffy hesitated.
"Whatever you tell me, I will keep in confidence, but I need to know."
"No. I didn't."
Lilah opened her briefcase and checked the transcript. "You said 'We were out in the hall now.' Elaborate on that."
"He staggered backward, out into the hall, after I kicked him in the chest. I followed him into the hall and punched him in the face. He tripped down to the end of the hall and regained his balance. I ran over to him and kicked him again, spinning him around and knocking him down the stairs."
Lilah stared at Buffy for a long moment in disbelief. "We're damn lucky that you were vague about that with the police. Don't you ever repeat this to anyone. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Is there anything else that I need to know?"
"No. That's it."
"You're sure?"
"Yeah. You can ask my mom. She'll confirm it."
"Your mom?" Lilah asked, shocked. "Your mother was there?!"
"Yeah. She came into my room. She saw most of the fight. She had yelled at me to stop. Twice." Buffy shook her head in shame. "I didn't listen."
"Your mother had told the police that she only saw him fall down the stairs."
"She was covering for me." Buffy swallowed. "I don't know why, but she did."
"A mother's first instinct is often to protect her child, no matter what they've done." Lilah paused in reflection. "Why did you decide to speak up?"
"The guilt. It was unbearable. I thought, if I accepted responsibility-"
"Some responsibility."
Buffy stared at her for a moment. "-it might make things easier."
"Has it?"
Buffy was on the verge of tears. "Fuck no."
Lilah checked the transcript. "You mentioned Mr. Buchanan had been reading your diary. The police will probably want to see it. Do not hand it over to them. I've already told your mother the same. We'll treat it as a Fifth Amendment issue."
"What does that mean?" Buffy asked her, confused.
"You have a constitutional right against self-incrimination."
"Oh."
"I would like to see the diary myself, if you don't mind."
Buffy hesitated.
"Is it bad?" Lilah guessed.
Buffy stared at her. "Very. I wrote such horrible things about him. I...I wished he was dead."
Lilah stared at her for a moment and then nodded.
Buffy sighed and then nodded. "Come by tomorrow."
"What time?" Lilah asked.
"Any."
"Don't you have school?"
Buffy shook her head. "It's been a shitty day. I don't think I can go through it again."
"It might be worth trying. Probably better than just languishing at home."
Buffy considered it. "Okay. Come by first thing tomorrow morning."
"Okay." Lilah put the transcript back into her briefcase and closed it. "I'm gonna be working on this. Your mother has my card. I'll be in touch. Call me if you need anything."
"Okay."
They stood up.
"Don't discuss what happened with anyone."
Buffy was suddenly scared.
Lilah sighed. "You told your friends, didn't you?"
"Yeah."
"Well, no more talking about it, got it?" Lilah asked her.
"Got it."
"We don't want your friends being questioned and your words being used against you." Lilah opened the door.
"Okay." Buffy walked out.
Lilah walked out and closed the door behind her. "It was nice to meet you, Buffy."
"Yeah. Same."
Lilah's cell phone rang. Lilah took it out and answered the call. Buffy headed for the door.
"Hello? Holland. Yeah, I just met with her."
Buffy left the office and didn't hear the rest of the conversation.
Buffy couldn't wait for the end of the school day to come. She thought back to Lilah calling her a local hero and guessed no one was willing to say anything to her, but that didn't stop them from staring at her. Also, Principal Snyder followed her between classes, keeping a close eye on her.
When she stopped by her locker after her last class, she found a note inside: "Hey, killer, how much do you charge? I need someone to off my girlfriend."
"Well, well, leaving for the day, are you, Ms. Summers?"
Buffy turned and looked at Snyder.
"Why don't you take the rest of the week off?"
"Why don't you stop following me around and instead try to find out who wrote this?" Buffy offered him the note.
Snyder took it and read it silently. "You can count on it."
Buffy slammed her locker shut and walked away.
As she passed by the A/V Club room, she saw Tara inside, sitting on the couch. Buffy opened the door and walked into the room.
Tara looked at her. "Hey, sweetie. How are you doing?"
Buffy shrugged. "Mom got me a lawyer. I met with her during lunch." She sat to Tara's left on the couch. "Also, some sick fuck left a note in my locker, wanting me to kill his girlfriend. I gave it to Snyder."
Tara was disgusted. "These fucking people. They're absolutely horrible when they have anonymity."
Buffy looked at the TV. A music video for the school's wrestling team was playing. It showcased various members (with their names appearing on the screen), in turn, in matches. It also showed the two wrestling coaches at the end, sitting on chairs and "observing". The song used for the video was "Head Like a Hole" by Nine Inch Nails.
Tara looked at the TV and then back at Buffy. "Oh, I'm making copies of some videos for the wrestling team to be sent out."
After that video was done, Tara changed tapes and started making copies of another music video. This one, using "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, featured one member of the wrestling team running in a hoodie through downtown Sunnydale. He did various goofy things such as running right up to the camera and staring into it "threateningly" and showing off his "prowess" by shaking a vending machine. The video climaxed with him running up the steps to the local courthouse and jumping in triumph with his arms raised. Buffy silently wondered if she'd be seeing the inside of the courthouse before long. This was followed by a very long, very slow crawling text (to pad out the video until the song finished) informing viewers of the date, time, and location of the next match ("in the Razorbacks' lair"). Buffy recognized the wrestler as the guy that had stolen a single french fry off her tray earlier in the school year. She'd wanted to beat him up for it.
Buffy sighed. "I gotta get out of here."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "Take care. I love you."
"I love you, too." Buffy stood up, walked over to the door, opened it, and walked out.
Tara watched her go, feeling helpless.
Later, Tara went to the library, sat at the table, and surfed the Internet for information about Ted Buchanan on her laptop in an attempt to help Buffy. Cordelia, Amy, and Katrina joined her at the table, curious to see if she could find anything. Giles was behind them in the cage, getting together some weapons.
"Do you really think finding dirt on Ted will help Buffy?" Amy asked Tara.
Tara shrugged. "It can't hurt."
Giles came out of the cage with his bag in one hand and the crossbow in the other.
Katrina looked at Tara. "But even if you find something, Buffy didn't know about it before she killed him. It can't be used to excuse her actions."
Tara nodded. "True, but it might dissuade the police from charging her or the D.A. from prosecuting her."
Giles set the bag on the table and put the crossbow in.
"What are you looking for?" Cordelia asked Tara.
Tara shrugged. "Anything. Uh, history of domestic violence, a criminal record..."
Giles went back into the cage for more weapons.
Cordelia was confused. "I don't get it. Buffy's the Slayer. Shouldn't she have-"
"What, a license to kill?" Tara asked her.
"Well, not for fun. But she's like this supergirl. Shouldn't there be different rules for her?" Cordelia asked.
Tara shrugged. "Sure, in a fascist society."
"Right! Why can't we have one of those?" Cordelia asked.
Tara shook her head in distress. "Buffy's not going to jail. It's not fair."
Giles came back out of the cage. "Whatever the authorities have planned for her, it can't be much worse than what she's doing to herself." He added an ax and other stuff to the bag. "She's taken a human life. The guilt, it-it's - it's pretty hard to bear, and it won't go away soon."
Cordelia looked at him. "I guess you should know, since you helped raise that demon that killed that guy that time?"
"Yes. Do let's bring that up as often as possible." Giles headed back to the cage.
Amy looked at Giles. "So, Giles, you takin' over tonight?"
"Um, well, Buffy's not in any shape to patrol." Giles came back to the table. "The least I can do is pick up the slack. Someone has to." He added several crosses to the bag.
Tara looked at him. "Mr. Giles, you shouldn't go out there without the Slayer."
"Until Buffy regains her equilibrium, there is no Slayer."
Cordelia looked at him. "If you need help-"
"No, uh, Buffy needs your help more than I. You carry on investigating, see if you can find out as much about this Buchanan chap as possible." Giles took up the bag to go.
Tara looked at him. "Be careful."
"I-I will." Giles left the library.
Katrina looked at the other girls. "I don't care what he says. The Slayerettes are gonna step up and help out."
"Not to mention the extended line-up!" Harmony exclaimed, striding into the library.
Tara, Amy, Katrina, and Cordelia looked. Behind Harmony came Amber Grove, Lishanne Davis, Rhonda Kelley, Heidi Barrie, Emily Djiemanowicz, Laura Egler, Sheila Martini, and Callie Megan Anderson.
Amber stepped forward. "Buffy saved my life."
Lishanne nodded. "And she helped me get my voice back."
Rhonda stepped forward. "Whatever Buffy did...or didn't do, whatever she was thinking, I did worse."
Heidi stepped forward. "Me, too. It doesn't matter if we were possessed. We still remember committing that unspeakable act. So we know what Buffy's going through."
Emily stepped forward. "Everyone in this school is indebted to Buffy Summers."
Laura stepped forward. "Especially me. She was so kind to me when I was attacked. I don't care what anyone says. She has a pure soul."
Sheila shrugged. "Plus, y'know, I'm kinda looking to kick some ass."
Callie stepped forward. "We will put all of the skills that Buffy has taught us to good use in the days, weeks, or even months ahead. However long it takes."
Harmony smiled. "Slayer School's got this."
Tara, Amy, Katrina, and Cordelia grinned.
After driving aimlessly for a while to avoid it for as long as possible, Buffy finally decided to go home.
After parking her van, Buffy went into the backyard and opened the back door that led into the kitchen. Joyce was packing away a bunch of baking pans and bowls.
Buffy came in and stood at the door, fidgeting with her hands. "Can I help?"
"It's done. I've been meaning to clean out this junk for months."
Buffy stood in awkward silence for a moment as her mother continued to avoid eye contact with her.
"Do you, uh, have homework?" Joyce finally asked.
"I didn't mean to kill him." Buffy wasn't entirely sure about that, but she felt the need to say it.
"I don't wanna talk about this."
"Mom, please, you have to know-"
"I can't, not yet. Please, Buffy, just go to your room."
Buffy was about to burst into tears as she turned to go to her room.
"Fuck!" Tara pounded the table with her fist in frustration. "Ted's got no criminal record! Shit! This guy's like citizen of the year!"
Cordelia was sitting at the PC, doing her own research. She stood up, grabbed some printouts, and walked over to the other girls. "I hit pay dirt! I got some personal records, marriage certificates, and an address." She put the printouts on the table.
"How does that help us?" Amy asked her.
Cordelia grinned. "I haven't mentioned the best part." She tapped the top printout. "Ted had been married four times. Each time, his wife disappeared without a trace, but there was never any evidence of foul play."
Katrina grinned. "Well, let's check out his place and get our Slayer back on her feet before somebody else gets hurt."
Tara, Amy, and Katrina stood up. Tara impulsively hugged Cordelia tightly. They all headed out of the library, Cordelia grabbing the printouts on the way.
In the park, Giles was walking slowly past some bushes, weapons bag in hand, when he was startled and spun around, holding up a cross.
"Ah!" Giles exclaimed.
Jenny smiled. "Yeah, I get that reaction from men all the time."
"Jenny! What are you doing here?" Giles asked her.
"I saw your car back there. I wanted to apologize."
"Well, now is...not the best time to go ta-"
"No, no, please, please, lemme just - lemme get this out." Jenny sighed. "I was sooo...harsh the other day. I am so sorry. I mean...I know how badly you must feel about putting me in danger before, and-"
Giles looked past her. "Right in harm's view now."
A vampire came out of the bushes behind Jenny and growled at them. The vampire roared and attacked. Jenny screamed in fright and jumped aside, so the vampire crashed into Giles, grabbing him and pulling him to the ground with him.
Giles held his cross in the vampire's face and looked at Jenny. "My bag!"
She spotted it on the grass, several feet away. She ran to it, dug in it, and came up with a crossbow. Giles punched the vampire, jarring him enough to roll free. He pulled a stake from his coat, but the vampire knocked it away. Jenny stood, trying to take aim. Giles and the vampire continued to wrestle, constantly turning, so Jenny still didn't have a clear shot. At one point, the turning stopped, and Jenny decided it was time for her to shoot.
"Say good night, asshole!" Jenny exclaimed.
The vampire turned Giles around just as Jenny let the bolt fly, and it hit Giles in the lower left of his back.
"Ahhh!" Giles screamed in pain.
Jenny lowered the crossbow and looked at them, shocked by what happened. "Oh, shit!"
The vampire let go of Giles and stepped back. Giles grabbed the shaft of the bolt and bent over in pain.
"Oh, no!" Jenny bent down to the bag and searched frantically for another bolt.
The vampire laughed. "Nice shot, lady!"
Giles rent the bolt from his back and jammed it into the vampire's chest. Jenny found another bolt and stood back up to see Giles let go of the bolt. The vampire fell to the ground, dead.
Jenny stared in shock and relief at what she'd just seen, and then she kneeled next to Giles and helped him sit up straight on the ground. He took out a handkerchief and pressed it to his wound.
"Oh, God, I am so sorry!" Jenny apologized.
"I think I'm all right."
"No, you're just in shock."
"No, no, really, I, uh, I don't think it went in too deep. The...advantages of layers of tweed. Better than Kevlar." Giles lifted the handkerchief off his wound.
Jenny saw the blood and was squeamish. "Oh, okay, all right, we have to get you to the hospital."
"Yes, yes."
"C'mon." Jenny took his arm and pulled him up.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Oh!" Giles cried out in pain.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Jenny apologized.
"Let's move slowly, shall we?"
"Sorry! Okay..." Jenny went around to his other side and took his arm to help support him. "Okay..."
They started to limp away, and Jenny began to laugh.
"What? Wha-What is it?" Giles asked, confused.
"Some night, huh?" Jenny asked.
Giles smirked.
"Yeah, you really know how to woo a girl back, don't cha?" Jenny asked.
Giles laughed. "Ow! Ow!"
"Hospital."
"Yes."
Jenny looked at Giles, embraced him, and kissed him on the lips as they walked to her car.
Buffy was sitting at her desk in her room, trying to do her homework. She heard a noise.
"Mom?" Buffy called.
There was nothing but silence.
Buffy sighed. "The hell with this."
She got up and strode over to her window. She tried to lift the sash, but it was stuck in place.
Buffy looked at it and saw the problem. "She nailed it shut. Well, it's official, this day can't get any worse."
"Beg to differ."
Buffy spun around to see Ted standing there. "You died."
"That's right, little lady, you killed me. Do we have something to say about that? Are we sorry?"
"What are you?"
"I'm a salesman! That's what you should've remembered. No matter how you put him down..."
He grabbed her by the strap of her overalls and yanked her across the room. She fell into her desk chair-
-and woke up with a start. Buffy was sitting at her desk. She had fallen asleep while doing homework.
Buffy started crying. "Fuck..."
Buffy's phone rang. She stood up, walked over, picked up the handset, and answered the call.
"Hello?" Buffy asked.
"Hey, Buffy, it's me."
"Dad?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah. Your mother called me last night and told me what happened."
Buffy didn't say anything.
"Well, anyway, I just wanted to let you know I still love you, and I'm here to listen, if you wanna talk."
"Thank you."
"Dad, I wanna talk to her."
"Dawn, I'm not sure it's appropriate. We're having an adult discussion."
"I know what happened. I was listening in on you last night."
Hank sighed. "Dawn wants to talk to you. Just...be careful what you tell her."
"I will."
"I love you, Buffy."
"I love you, too, Dad."
"Hey, Buff."
"Hey, Dawnie."
"So...is it true? Did you really kill a guy?"
"Yeah. I really did. I wish it wasn't true, but it is."
"How did it happen?" Dawn asked.
"I...think you don't need to hear the graphic details. But, uh, I hit him. A lot. And, uh, he, uh, he f-fell to his death." Buffy put her fingers to her face and wiped away her tears, but they kept coming.
"Are you okay?" Dawn asked her.
"No. Not at all."
"Was it your fault?" Dawn asked her.
"I..." Buffy paused. "Let's not go there."
"Are you gonna go to jail?" Dawn asked.
"I don't know. Nothing's happened yet, but Mom got me a lawyer."
"I know. Dad recommended the law firm to her."
Buffy suddenly remembered where she'd heard the name Wolfram & Hart.
"Anyway, I just wanted to how you were doing."
"Thanks, Dawn, that means a lot."
"Well, um, I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Good night."
"Good night."
Dawn hung up. Buffy hung up as well and then returned to her desk, sat down, picked up her pencil, and tried to resume doing her homework.
Tara, Amy, Katrina, and Cordelia arrived at Ted's small workshop. Katrina looked in through the multi-paned window and saw the place was dark and empty. She broke one of the panes with a crowbar and used it to knock out the broken glass.
"Careful!" Tara cautioned.
Katrina reached in through the window and opened the door from inside. She looked in as Tara walked to stand in the doorway also, and they scanned around the place with their flashlights.
Slowly, they walked in with Amy and Cordelia right behind them.
Katrina shined her flashlight around. "Let's look around."
Tara looked over the paperwork that they had on Ted.
"I'll take the back." Cordelia walked away.
"I'll help you look." Amy went after her.
Katrina looked after them. "Check for evidence."
Tara and Katrina looked around in the front area. Eventually, Cordelia and Amy returned.
Amy shook her head. "Nothing interesting back here."
Cordelia looked down. "Ugh! This rug? It doesn't go with the rest of the decor."
Katrina looked down at the Oriental rug. She and Tara exchanged a look. Katrina stepped back off the rug and lifted it back. Underneath was a trap door.
"What do you think's under there?" Tara asked.
"Only one way to find out." Katrina opened the trap door.
There was a visible ladder and, beyond that, darkness.
Katrina pushed down the ladder, and it unfolded into the basement below. She climbed down the steps and reached up her hand to steady Cordelia as she followed. Tara climbed down behind them, and finally Amy climbed down.
Katrina found a switch on the wall and flipped it. The lights came on. They all looked around. The place was furnished as an apartment.
Cordelia shrugged. "Feels like home. If you're a psycho."
They continued looking around. Cordelia checked out some magazines on the coffee table. Tara found a window and pulled aside the curtains. There was just a wall on the other side of the glass.
Katrina found a closet door. "Whatcha got in the closet, Ted?" She opened the door and looked inside with her flashlight and couldn't believe her eyes. She quickly slammed the door shut, turned to the side, and vomited on the floor. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Let's go."
"But we need evidence!" Cordelia insisted.
"We got it."
Amy looked at Katrina. "What's in there, babe?"
"His first four wives."
Tara, Amy, and Cordelia started back up the stairs. Katrina turned off the light switch and followed them up.
Tara rang the doorbell at the Summers' house. Eventually, the door opened. Joyce was standing there.
"Tara."
"May I see Buffy?" Tara asked her.
Joyce stepped aside. "Yeah, sure. Come in."
"Thank you." Tara walked into the house.
Joyce closed and locked the door. "I'll get her."
"Wait."
Joyce looked at her.
"We did some checking. It turned out that Ted had previously been married four times. It turned out that he was holding them prisoner in a secret apartment beneath his workshop. When he got dissatisfied with one, he'd kill her and find another."
Joyce started.
"We led the police there, including Detective Stein. They're combing through the place right now." Tara paused and then sighed. "I realize this doesn't excuse Buffy's actions, but...I thought you'd like to know she probably saved your life."
Joyce stared at her in stunned silence for a while. "Thank you, Tara." She started to go.
"One more thing."
Joyce looked at her.
"Don't be too hard on her. Please. She's been hard enough on herself already, and she's pretty much ostracized at school."
"Good."
Tara was dismayed. "Please, Mrs. Summers, I beg you. Discipline her if you must, but don't hate her."
"I don't...I don't hate her. I still love my child." Joyce turned and walked upstairs.
Tara stood and waited. Soon, she heard pounding.
"Tara's here!"
Then she heard a door slam. Tara guessed Joyce had done the bare minimum of banging on Buffy's door, informing her of her visitor, and then retreating into her own bedroom before Buffy could open her own door, still unwilling to look at her.
Buffy walked down the stairs. "Hey."
"Hey. How are things?" Tara asked her.
Buffy shrugged. "My life is shit. My mom won't look at me. She doesn't even wanna talk about what happened. I guess I can't blame her. I can't imagine what she's thinking. It must be difficult having such a colossal fuck-up for a daughter." She paused. "On top of that, I recently woke up from a nightmare - a nightmare that I wish had been real."
"Let's sit and talk."
Buffy sat on the coffee table, facing Tara, who sat on the sofa.
"First, I want you to know the Slayerettes and all of Slayer School are gonna help Mr. Giles patrol for as long as you need to take time off."
"Thank you."
"Also, we did some checking. It turned out that Ted had previously been married four times. It turned out that he was holding them prisoner in a secret apartment beneath his workshop. When he got dissatisfied with one, he'd kill her and find another. Trina found their bodies in a closet."
Buffy was both surprised and not surprised at the same time.
"We led the police there, including Detective Stein. They're combing through the place right now." Tara paused and then smiled. "You were right about him. You probably saved your mom's life."
"Yeah, but I didn't know any of this when I..." Buffy fell silent.
Tara put a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "I know. But maybe...this new evidence will make them go easy on you."
"Do I deserve it?" Buffy asked her.
Tara stared at her love sadly.
"What the fuck is wrong with me?!" Buffy cried.
Tara smiled. "There's nothing wrong with you, sweetie."
"Then why am I in this situation?" Buffy asked her. "Most people go their entire lives without killing anyone."
"Well, I said that there was nothing wrong with you, but...you are different. You've always struck me as someone whose anger is very close to the surface. So that requires extra discipline. Extra care to not go over the edge."
"But I fell right over that edge. No, I gladly jumped over."
"Buffy-"
"Tara, I was angry. I was enraged. I didn't give a fuck. I wanted-"
"Shut up."
Buffy looked at Tara, stunned.
Tara felt ashamed for coming on too strong. "Sorry. I just don't want you confessing anything to me."
Buffy nodded in understanding. "Because you don't want to be put in a position to testify against me."
Tara nodded. "Whatever you believe, whatever your personal truth is, keep it to yourself. Process it. Accept it as part of who you are. But above all, learn to live with it."
Buffy gave her a dark look. "What if I can't?"
Tara was frightened. "Buffy, are you-"
"No. I haven't reached that point yet."
"If you feel yourself contemplating suicide, get help. I don't care from who. Just get help. Because your life is worth living, Buffy."
"Is it?"
"Yes! Goddess, yes!" Tara cried. "You are a light in this world, Buffy Summers! A light that may have dimmed somewhat, but I have no doubt that it'll shine brighter than ever! You inspire those around you! If you weren't loved, we wouldn't all be stepping in to help out. We are giving to the world a small measure of what you've given us. You are loved, Buffy. We all love you. I love you."
Buffy was close to tears as she contemplated this. "I don't deserve you!"
"Let me be the judge of that."
"I feel...irrevocably changed."
"No, you're the same Buffy."
"'The same Buffy.'" Buffy shuddered at that idea.
Tara was concerned. "Buffy, I-I promise...there's nothing wrong with you."
"There has to be! This just can't be me; it isn't me." Buffy started to cry. "Why do I feel like this?"
"Because you're not a psychopath."
"I murdered him! I wanted him dead!" Buffy met Tara's eyes, but only for a moment, then looked away.
Tara frowned. "Oh."
"Yeah. 'Oh.'"
Tara rubbed her knees nervously. "Oh, huh. Really. Goddamn."
"He was everything that I hated. It was partly his fault, but it was mostly mine. I just unleashed all of my pent-up rage on him, and then..." Buffy paused and looked Tara directly in the eyes. "Don't tell anyone, please."
"I won't."
Buffy started crying. "The way they would look at me...I just couldn't..."
"I won't tell anyone. I wouldn't do that."
"What do I do? Where do I go from here?" Buffy asked her.
"You take it minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day."
Buffy just stared at her tearfully.
"Do you want me to stay with you?" Tara offered. "So you're not alone?"
Buffy choked on her words.
"I-It's okay if you do. A-And Buffy, it's okay if you don't. You're going through a really hard time, and you're-"
"What? Say it. I'm a murderer. What's okay about that?" Buffy asked her.
"It's not that simple."
"It is! It's wrong. I'm wrong. Tell me that I'm wrong, please..." Buffy started to cry profusely. "Please don't forgive me, please..." She sobbed uncontrollably. "Please don't..." She slid off the table, onto the floor, kneeling, putting her head in Tara's lap.
Tara put her hands comfortingly on Buffy's head and made a mental note to call her parents.
Buffy continued sobbing, muffled by Tara's jeans. "Please don't forgive me..."
Tara stroked Buffy's hair gently as she continued crying.
Chapter 54: Bad Eggs
Chapter Text
"Bad Eggs"
Based on the Episode Written by Marti Noxon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
Things had not been going well for Buffy in the month since she'd taken Ted Buchanan's life. Christmas was a non-event, which Buffy had mixed feelings about, considering it would have been a reminder of the fact that the family was no longer together. She hadn't received a present; she hadn't expected any. She gave her mother some money toward her van, and that was it. On the plus side, Buffy and Tara made love.
Buffy sometimes met with Lilah to discuss legal strategy, not that there was much to discuss. The police hadn't questioned her again, and they were still apparently "looking into it" and hadn't made a decision on whether to charge Buffy with a crime (murder or otherwise) or not. Buffy hated the lack of news but also welcomed it. She still had nightmares, but they didn't come as often.
Since Buffy was taking a break from her Slayer duties for the foreseeable future, her mother had seen fit to ground her for the foreseeable future, which included confiscating her keys. Buffy spent most of her time in her bedroom, where she did homework, studied, and practiced music, not that there were many gigs lined up.
And so it went, day after day. Buffy didn't complain. She knew she was on thin ice with her mother and didn't have the moral authority to win an argument, which was why, in early January, it surprised her when her mother suggested they go to Sunnydale Mall together to hang out. Buffy readily agreed. She guessed her mother was trying to reach out to her and rebuild their relationship.
Buffy and her mother were walking along near the railing on the second floor. Joyce had a shopping bag in each hand, and Buffy had on a small backpack.
"Come on, Mom, please?" Buffy begged.
"I'm sorry, honey."
"Don't you understand how important this is?"
"It's an outfit. An outfit that you may never buy."
"But I looked good in it."
"You looked like a streetwalker."
"But a thin streetwalker."
Her mom gave her a look.
"That's probably not gonna be the winning argument, is it?" Buffy guessed.
"You're just too young to wear that."
"Yeah, and I'm gonna be too young to wear it until I'm too old to wear it."
"That's the idea." Joyce stopped and looked around. "The stores are closing, and I still need to order the flyers for the opening." She considered, then put both bags in one hand and pulled out a slip of paper. "Okay. I'll go to the printers and then get our food; you go to the tailor and pick up my outfit from Everyday Woman." She handed Buffy the slip of paper.
Buffy looked at the paper. "Everyday Woman?"
"Mm-hm. There's the receipt."
"Why didn't you just go to Muu-Muus R Us?" Buffy asked her.
"Do now, make fun of your mother later." Joyce walked off.
Buffy reluctantly started for the tailors. She got on the escalator to go to the ground floor. She looked around idly as she descended. She saw a cowboy and his girlfriend come up the other escalator. She noticed the cowboy had fangs. Immediately, she turned and ran back up the escalator, weaving between the people coming down on it behind her.
The cowboy and the girl went around a corner. Buffy walked quickly to catch up. She entered a back hallway. Buffy slowly walked past a bank of payphones by the restrooms and looked around for them, apparently having lost them. She continued down the hall and heard a pinball machine. Reaching the rear door of the arcade, she saw the metal gate had been bent and forced open. She quietly squeezed by the gate and went in.
The place was deserted and quiet except for the sound of the one machine. She walked around one side of a bank of game machines.
"Turn around, baby, I have somethin' to show ya."
"Wait a sec. This is my high score."
Buffy reached them. The girl was hammering away at the flipper controls.
The cowboy took off his hat and came up behind the girl. He took her hair and swept it away from her neck. His fangs were out. "Well, ain't you just got the prettiest little neck I ever did see?" He moved in for the bite.
"Boy, you assholes really never come up with any new lines, do you?" Buffy asked him.
The two of them looked over at Buffy, annoyed.
"Do you mind?" the girl asked her. "We were talking here."
Buffy stared down the vampire. "But you promised you'd never cheat on me again, honey."
The girl pulled her bag onto her arm. "Um, I better go."
"But I ain't done yet."
She turned to look at him and gasped in fear when she saw his teeth. She ran from the arcade.
The vampire looked back at Buffy. "All right, sugar lips." He put on his hat and faced off with her. "Giddy-up!"
He threw a punch at Buffy, but she blocked it and punched him in the face and the penis. He grabbed his penis, and Buffy shoved him into another pinball machine.
He looked up at her and gave her an evil smile. "Well, you're a rough one, ain't cha! I like that!"
He came at her again with a swing, which she readily blocked. He swung again, and she ducked the blow. He grabbed her by the arms and threw her into a pinball machine. The plate glass on the top and back panel shattered as she landed on it hard.
The cowboy rushed over and grabbed her by the straps of her backpack. "You must be that Slayer I've been hearin' so much about. Lyle Gorch. Pleased to meet cha!"
Buffy got her leg between them and kicked him off her. He staggered into another machine.
"Pleasure's mine!" Buffy yelled.
She leaped off the machine at him, and he ducked and rolled out of the way. She spun around to face him and had a stake in her hand, up and ready.
Lyle rolled up to his feet, grabbing his hat in midair along the way, and put it back on. He pointed at her. "This ain't over!" He spun around and hightailed it out of there.
Buffy walked into the food court and spotted her mom at a table with their food from Wok Like An Egyptian, waiting for her. Joyce stared at the food, looking bored and watching it get cold. She looked up as Buffy arrived.
"Oh, bliss." Buffy sat down and looked at her food. "Mall food." She looked up.
"Buffy?"
"Mom?" Buffy asked.
"Where's my dress?"
Buffy was confused. "Your dr...? Oh." She winced. "Oh, God."
"Let me guess: you were distracted by clothes."
Buffy cringed. "More like a guy."
Joyce raised an eyebrow.
"Of the fangy variety."
Joyce leaned back. "Buffy..."
Buffy sighed. "Look, I-I can go get it right now."
"They're closed. I'll just have to fit it in tomorrow."
"Sorry."
"A little responsibility is all I ask. Honestly, don't you ever think about anything besides clothes?"
"Saving the world from vampires?" Buffy suggested pointedly.
Joyce crossed her arms and shook her head. "I swear, sometimes, I don't know what goes on in your head."
Buffy just looked back at her, and then she frowned. "I saved a girl's life. I'm not going to apologize for that."
Joyce sighed. "All right, I get it. Don't worry about the dress."
Buffy picked up her plastic fork, stabbed at some pork, and stuck it in her mouth.
"But you're still grounded until further notice."
"Yes, ma'am."
The next day, at Sunnydale High School, in Teen Health class, the teacher, Mr. Whitmore, was writing 'sex' on the board.
"S-E-X. Sex." Mr. Whitmore faced the class. "The sex drive in the human animal is intense. How many of us have lost countless productive hours plagued by unwanted sexual thoughts and feelings? Of course, for teenagers such as yourselves, these feelings are even more overwhelming. With all sorts of hormones surging through your bodies, compelling you to action, it's often difficult to remember that there are negative consequences to, uh, having sex. Would anyone care to offer one such consequence?"
Cordelia raised her hand, and Mr. Whitmore indicated her, giving her the floor.
"Well, that depends. Are you talking about sex in the car or out of the car?" Cordelia asked him.
Mr. Whitmore looked confused.
"Because I have a friend, not me, that was in a Miata at - parked at the top of the hill, and then she kicked the gearshift, and - and-"
"Yeah, I-I was thinking of something a little more commonplace, Ms. Chase."
Tara raised her hand. He indicated that she should speak.
"How about pregnancy? That would be a major one, right?" Tara asked.
"Thank you, Ms. Maclay! Among teens, unwanted pregnancy is the number one negative consequence of sexual activity. So, as discussed last week, I present you with..." He took a sheet off two trays of eggs. "...your offspring. You may go it alone or pair into parenting teams. If you opt for the latter, you and your partner will share equally in the daily task of raising your egg. Now, please choose a partner, if desired, and come pick up your children."
In the library, Buffy walked over to the card catalog, pulled out a drawer, and began going through the cards. Giles was in the cage behind her. Cordelia opened the door for Tara, and they walked in.
"Buffy! How come you weren't in class?" Tara asked.
"Vampire issues. Did Mr. Whitmore notice I was tardy?"
Cordelia looked at her. "I think the word you're searching for is 'absent'. Tardy people show."
Buffy frowned. "Right."
"And, yes, he did notice, so he wanted me to give you this." Tara handed her an egg.
Buffy rolled the egg around in her hands. "As far as punishments go, this is fairly abstract."
"No, it's your baby!" Tara smiled.
Buffy was confused. "Okay, I get it even less."
"You gotta take care of the egg. It's a baby. You gotta keep it safe."
"I can't do this! I can't take care of things! I killed my Giga Pet. Literally. I sat on it, and it broke." Buffy set the egg down on top of the catalog, moaned, and quickly walked over to a book re-shelving cart.
"You'll do fine!" Tara assured her.
Buffy looked at Tara. "Why aren't we partnered?"
Tara shrugged. "I figured it'd be impractical, what with you being grounded and all."
Buffy nodded, suddenly feeling worse. "Right."
"Success!" Giles came out of the cage with a book. "At last. Your playmate is a fellow of repute, it seems."
He moved to set the book on top of Buffy's egg. She inhaled in fright and quickly snatched it away. Tara and Cordelia looked on in wide-eyed surprise.
Giles pointed out a picture in the book. "That's, um, Lyle Gorch, and that one's his brother, Tector. They're from Abilene. They, uh, they made their reputation by massacring an entire Mexican village in 1886." He took off his glasses to clean them.
Buffy looked at the photograph. "Friendly little demons."
"That was before they became vampires."
Buffy raised her eyebrows at Giles. Tara and Cordelia exchanged a look.
"B-But, um, the good news is that they're...not amongst the great thinkers of our times. I doubt if they're up to much. They're probably just drawn here by the, uh, Hellmouth's energy." Giles put his glasses back on.
"Okay, so should I take 'em on, or are you still in your funk?" Cordelia asked Buffy.
Buffy looked at Cordelia, hurt.
"I-I don't think you should underestimate them. I mean...y-you may need to have some help if - if - if - if..." Giles noticed the eggs. "Why do you all have eggs?"
Tara looked at Cordelia and smiled. "Hey, maybe you can have Angel help you find the Gorches."
Giles was still confused. "Yes! Yes, yes, that's not a bad idea. Strength in numbers."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh, right. I see a lotta hunting getting done in that scenario."
Cordelia stared at Buffy. "Please. Like Angel and I are just helpless slaves to passion. Grow up!"
That evening, in the park, Cordelia and Angel were locked in a passionate kiss.
Cordelia broke off. "I really-"
"I know."
They continued kissing.
After a few seconds, Cordelia broke off again. "You know, this isn't hunting in the classical sense. We should-"
"You're right."
They kissed some more. A few moments later, they broke off again.
"Okay."
"Okay." Cordelia kissed Angel. "Okay."
They walked side by side for a few paces.
"You see anything?" Cordelia asked him.
"No."
"Okay." Cordelia faced him. "Enough hunting."
They began their passionate kissing with renewed vigor.
Buffy walked into her room and over to her bed. "Okay, little egg dude." She sat down and opened her egg diary. "Let's see. Feeding? Check." She marked it. "Burping? Eeeew..." She made a face. "Check." She marked it. "Diapers?" She looked at the egg's basket. "Sort of, in theory, I guess." She marked it and put the pen in the binder coil. "Okay." She set the notepad down and crawled under the covers. She yawned and looked at her egg in its basket on her night stand. "Good night, Eggbert." She tapped her egg gently and then reached up and turned off the light. She pulled up the covers and settled in to sleep.
In the morning, Buffy's alarm went off, and she woke. She reached out to hit the snooze button.
Buffy ran her hand through her hair, sat up, and moaned. "Oh..." She paused in discomfort. "Oh, God..."
She got up out of bed.
Buffy walked into the kitchen, set her egg down on the island, sat down on the stool, took the cup that was sitting there, and sipped the tea.
Joyce brought the toast over to the island on a plate. "At least eat something."
"Not that hungry."
Joyce looked at her daughter sadly, broke off a piece of toast, and munched it. She indicated the egg. "How's the parenting going?"
"Fine."
"Are you sure your egg is secure in that?"
Buffy looked at her. "Did I ask for backseat mommying?"
Joyce gave her a look. "Are we a little touchy this morning?"
"No, I just feel all funky."
"Hmm." Joyce felt her forehead. "You don't have a fever."
"Oh, no, it's not that; I just...I didn't sleep well."
Joyce bent down to her daughter. "What's the matter? Is it...?"
"No. Not this time."
"Your egg keep you up all night?" Joyce joked.
Buffy gave her mom a look. "You're killing me. Parenting's a pain in the ass!"
Joyce straightened up and smiled smugly. "Wait till it starts dating."
Buffy let out an exasperated breath and stood up. "I'll be in the Jeep." She picked up her egg and left.
In the library, Giles was returning some books to the shelves. He walked out from behind the stacks to see Cordelia, Tara, and Buffy looking up at him from the bottom of the steps.
"Oh! Why are you three hanging about? Don't you have classes to go to?" Giles asked them.
Tara shook her head. "Teen Health got canceled."
Cordelia nodded. "Mr. Whitmore's out."
Buffy and Tara walked up a few steps.
"Well, then, can you give me a hand?" Giles asked them.
"No. Sorry." Buffy and Tara sat down on the steps.
Cordelia hopped up the steps to the mezzanine level and started to shelve some books.
"How did the, um...hunt go last night, Cordelia?" Giles asked.
"No go."
"Uh, 'no', 'no' you didn't go, or - or - or you were unsuccessful?" Giles asked in confusion.
"No Gorches."
"Apparently, Cordy has decided the problem with the English language is all those pesky words." Buffy looked at her. "You...Angel...big...smoochies?"
Cordelia stared at her. "Shut...up."
Giles looked at Buffy and Tara. "Buffy, Tara, you two seem a little sluggish. Are you quite sure everything's all right?"
Buffy and Tara exchanged a look.
Tara shrugged. "Maybe something we ate."
Cordelia grinned. "Each other?"
Tara blushed.
Buffy sighed. "Not since New Year's."
"Or perhaps it's the burden of parenthood. Notice how seriously you two have taken this egg thing."
Buffy and Tara clutched their egg baskets.
"While I, in turn, have, uh, well, chosen a more balanced approach." Cordelia took her egg out of her shirt pocket and started tossing it around.
Tara was concerned. "Cordy, maybe you shouldn't-"
"That's exactly what I'm talking about." Cordelia tossed her egg repeatedly. "You can't stress over every little thing! A child picks up on that. Which is a one-way ticket to Neurotic City."
She tossed the egg again but missed the next catch. Buffy and Tara gasped in fright as the egg hit the floor. Giles let out a yelp, too, but then stared at the egg curiously. It just wobbled to a stop, unbroken.
Tara was surprised. "It didn't break!" She grew suspicious and eyed Cordelia. "How come it didn't break?"
"Which is another secret to conscientious egg care: pot of scalding water and about eight minutes."
"You boiled your young?" Tara asked her in shock.
"Yeah! I know it sounds cruel, and I'm not necessarily suggesting boiling an actual human baby would yield the same results, but sometimes you gotta be cruel to be kind! I mean...you can bet that little Cordelia here is thick-skinned now." Cordelia reached down for the egg and picked it up.
"Technically, that would be cheating, yes?" Giles reached up to put a book on a high shelf.
"No! It's like a shortcut. You know, when you run a race?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy looked at her. "That would also be cheating."
Giles looked at Cordelia. "I suppose there is a sort of...Machiavellian ingenuity to your transgression."
"I resent that!" Cordelia told him.
Giles gave her a look.
"Or possibly thank you." Cordelia shrugged. "Anyway, maybe I'll sweep the cemetery?"
"And Angel's helping you, right?" Tara asked her.
Buffy chuckled. "'Helping'."
Cordelia gave Buffy a look. "He does what he can."
That night, in the cemetery, Cordelia and Angel were engaged in a passionate kissing session once again.
"Ahh..." Cordelia kissed Angel and then broke off. "As much as I hate to say this, we should really go kill bad guys." She kissed him again.
"It's late. You should really get home. Hmm?" Angel kissed her.
"What about the Gorches?" Cordelia kissed him.
"I'll hunt." Angel kissed her.
"Really?" Cordelia pulled back and smiled. "You'd do that?"
"Not like I have an early day tomorrow."
Cordelia kissed him. "Mm, true."
They started walking.
"I still have to go home and fill out my egg diary."
"Your what?"
"Oh, I told you, that faux parenting gig we're doing at school." Cordelia faced him. "Like I'm really planning to have kids anytime soon. Uh, maybe someday, in the future, when I'm done having a life, but...right now, kids would be just a little too much to deal with."
"I wouldn't know." Angel looked at her. "I don't..." He paused. "Well, you know, I-I can't."
"Oh." Cordelia looked away briefly, then back at him. "That's okay, um...I-I figured there were all sorts of things vampires couldn't do. You know, like work for the telephone company or volunteer for the Red Cross or...have little vampires."
"So you don't think about the future?" Angel asked her.
"No."
"Never?"
"No."
Angel swallowed. "You really don't care what happens a year from now? Five years from now?"
"Angel, when I look into the future, a-a...all I see is you! All I want is you."
"I know the feeling."
He reached down to kiss her. He found her lips, and she responded. They kissed more and more passionately.
Buffy walked into her room, and her egg rocking in its basket immediately grabbed her attention. She stared at it a second and then walked over to it. She bent down to look at it closely, not having expected it to hatch and curious about it. She got closer and closer, staring at it intently. The top half of the shell cracked into thirds. Suddenly, two of the pieces flew away while the third just fell back, and she saw a purplish-gray thing with tentacles was curled up inside of it. It jumped out at her, and she reacted instantly. It missed her, landed on the floor, and quickly crawled under her bed.
Buffy was stunned but quickly regained her composure and reached down into her wicker laundry basket for her iron. She stood back up and looked at the darkness under her bedspread. Slowly, she approached her bed and kneeled down. She quickly raised the spread and looked underneath with the iron held ready to smash anything that might come at her. Nothing.
She stood back up and scanned around her room. Whatever it was, it was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, it fell onto her shoulder from above. It tried to crawl down her back, but she grabbed it and flung it off. It crawled quickly behind her desk and along the wall, past her bookcase, toward her bed. She looked for a different weapon and grabbed a pair of scissors from her desk. The creature, in the meantime, had disappeared again. She approached her bed with the scissors held ready to stab.
Behind her, the hatchling crawled up the wall. Buffy sensed it and swung around with the scissors and stabbed it dead center. She pulled it off the wall, impaled on the scissors, and slammed it to the floor. She stepped on its tail to hold it down while she stabbed it several more times.
Satisfied of its demise, she dropped the scissors and crawled backward to lean against her bed. Her next thought was to call Tara. She frantically grabbed for her phone on the night stand and knocked it and the clock to the floor. She grabbed the receiver and nervously tapped in the numbers. The phone started ringing.
"Come on! Pick up!" Buffy exclaimed in frustration.
"Hello?" Tara asked.
"Tara! Are you okay?"
"Why shouldn't I be?"
"Your egg! I-Is it doing anything?"
"Doing what?"
"Break it! Right now! I want you to smash it with something heavy!"
"Buffy, what-"
"My egg! It went...It went postal on me! The thing hatched, and it - it sprung this creepy-crawly thing, and it attacked me!"
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, no, I'm fine, but - but your egg!"
"I-Is totally normal. Uh, I put it in the fridge."
"Oh."
"Maybe it's a trap. Something the Gorch bothers planted for you?"
"Maybe. Yeah, uh...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have woken you. Uh, g-go back to sleep."
"You sure?"
"Yeah! Yeah, I'm - I'm better. I'm - I'm fine."
"Okay. I'll see ya tomorrow."
Buffy lowered the phone and turned it off. She put her phone and its cradle back on her night stand behind her clock.
Suddenly, she heard her door open and her mother coming in.
"What's going on in here?" Joyce asked her. "Buffy, who are you talking to at this hour of the night? Who was that on the phone?" She came in further.
"Tara. Some kind of hellspawn hatched from my egg, so I was just calling to make sure her egg wasn't doing the same."
Joyce crossed her arms. "You're gonna have to do much better than that, young lady."
Buffy indicated the dead creature.
Joyce looked down at it and made a face, grossed out. "Oh, God!"
The next morning, Joyce pulled their Jeep to a stop in front of the school. "Now, school ends at 2:30. I want you to go to the library at 2:33 and study until I pick you up there at 5:30. Understood?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Have a nice day."
Buffy unfastened her seatbelt, grabbed her backpack, and got out of the car. She closed the door behind her and pulled on the backpack while she watched her mother drive off. She climbed the stairs up from the street and went over to Cordelia, who just finished talking with a friend. She had a teddy bear backpack.
"Nice bear. Listen, is your-"
"Hey, I'll have you know that my father brought this bear back from Gstaad years ago. Then, all of a sudden, these trendoids everywhere started sporting them. So I'm totally not wearing it. Then I thought, hey, I'm the one who started this nationwide craze! What am I ashamed of?"
"Okay, Soliloquy Girl, I just wanted to ask about your egg."
"My egg?" Cordelia asked.
"Yeah. Your egg. The one Mr. Whitmore gave you."
"It's in my bear."
"So...your egg isn't acting odd or anything?"
"It isn't acting anything. It's an egg, Buffy; it doesn't emote." Cordelia saw another friend. "Shanisse!" She walked away. "Is that your real hair?"
Buffy watched her go. Tara put her hand on Buffy's shoulder, and she turned to face her.
"Hey!" Tara greeted.
"Hi!" Buffy kissed Tara on the lips.
Buffy and Tara joined hands and walked across the grass. Behind them, Cordelia caught up as she looked through a book.
"So...was there anymore hatchling activity last night?" Tara asked Buffy.
"No. Uh, you were probably right. It was just a trap from them set for me." Buffy saw Cordelia and indicated her. "And, mm, everyone else's egg seemed perfectly normal."
"Did you bring the thing that attacked you?" Tara asked her.
"Yeah. Giles wants to see it. He's in full research mode."
"Okay. Well, bring it to the science lab, and I'll get Mr. Giles, and we'll analyze it."
Buffy nodded. "Great. You know, I always say that a day without an autopsy...is like a day without sunshine."
In the science lab, the hatchling was laid out in a dissection tray. Cordelia tapped her fingers on the table as she and Buffy looked at it.
"Can I just say Gyughhh!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"I see your 'Gyughhh!' and raise you a Nyaghhh!" Buffy replied.
"What is it?" Cordelia asked her.
"We don't know what it is, Cordelia; that's why we're here."
Tara walked into the lab.
Buffy looked at her. "Hey, where's Giles? I know he won't wanna miss this."
"He said to get started. He'll be by as soon as possible."
"So...okay! Get started, Buffy! Dissect it or something." Cordelia handed her a scalpel.
Buffy took the blade. "Me? Why do I have to dissect it?"
"Uh, because you're the Slayer?" Cordelia reasoned.
"And I slayed! My work here is done." Buffy put the scalpel on the table in front of Cordelia.
"Guys..." Tara took the scalpel and started the dissection.
"Do we even know what to look for? I mean...how are we supposed to figure out what this thing is?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy nodded at it. "Turn it over. Maybe we missed its ID bracelet."
The two of them watched for a while as Tara worked.
Buffy stared at it. "So...now I guess, uh, we know what happened to Mr. Whitmore."
"He saw this and ran away?" Cordelia guessed.
Buffy looked at her. "Try best-case scenario."
Tara dropped one hand down but continued working. "It's possible that Mr. Whitmore wasn't harmed. Maybe the offspring simply used him to return to the mother bezoar."
"Yeah. Maybe he..." Cordelia turned to Tara. "What?"
Tara held up a metal bar, which she wielded like a baseball bat.
Buffy looked at her. "What's a bez-"
Tara hit Buffy in the face with the bar, knocking her down and out.
Cordelia looked at Tara. "Tara! What-"
Tara picked up a microscope and hit Cordelia over the head with it.
Buffy regained consciousness and found herself in a dark room that she guessed was a utility closet. She reached up for the light string and gave it a yank. She took a quick look around and then looked down at Cordelia, still out cold on the floor.
"Hey! Cordy!" Buffy slapped Cordelia's cheek. "Hey! You all right?"
Cordelia woke, moaned, and blinked her eyes. "What the fuck happened?" She rubbed her head. "I think I have head trauma."
Buffy helped her sit up. "Tell me about it." She felt her head. "I'm gonna have a big bump."
Buffy offered her hands to Cordelia. Cordelia took hold of Buffy's hands. Buffy helped her stand up.
"Thanks. What - What the fuck's goin' on? Tara?" Cordelia asked.
They looked around the room.
"Something to do with the hatchlings, I'm sure of it." Buffy tried the door but found it locked.
"What, is she possessed?" Cordelia asked.
"I don't know. But she sure wanted us out of the way."
Cordelia held her head in pain. "Well, why not kill us?" She let go of her head. "Why, uh, why drag us in here?"
Buffy spotted two eggs on the floor. Cordelia followed her gaze. One of them was rocking.
"Oh, shit." Cordelia stepped back. "Bad now."
Buffy looked around for something heavy and saw a toolbox. She picked it up from the shelf, raised it, and smashed it onto the two eggs. A dark blue slime squirted out around the toolbox. Then she kicked open the door.
Cordelia held her head again. "Thank you." She moaned and followed Buffy out.
Buffy and Cordelia rushed into the library.
"Giles!" Buffy called.
"Giles!" Cordelia called.
They looked around but found the place deserted.
Cordelia looked at Buffy. "He must be out somewhere."
Buffy looked at her. "Well, he picked a helluva time to get a life."
"What are we gonna do?" Cordelia asked her.
"We can't fight these things until we know something about 'em."
Cordelia thought. "All right, Tara said something. Uh, a name. What was it?"
"A bozo! Not a bozo."
"A bezoar."
"That's it! Okay, so now...we look it up?" Buffy guessed.
"In what?" Cordelia asked her.
"A book?" Buffy suggested.
They looked over at the counter, where there were several books lying open, and went over to them.
"Giles said he was gonna try to find something..." Buffy took the book on top that was open to a picture and turned it around to look at it.
The sketch was of a disk-shaped, tentacled monster.
Buffy was grossed out. "And I'd say he found something."
Cordelia moved around her to have a look herself, stepped on half of an eggshell, and looked down at it. "I'd say something found him."
"'Pre-pre-historic parasite. The mother hibernates underground, laying eggs. The offspring then attach themselves to a host, taking control of their motor functions through neural clamping.'"
"'Neural clamping.' That sounds skippable."
"So...our people are taking orders from the mama bezoar. Which begs the question-"
"What does Mama want?" Cordelia asked.
"Somebody help me!" a male student screamed out in the hall.
They ran out to investigate.
"Get this thing off me! Get this..." He paused. "Somebody help me! Help!"
Buffy and Cordelia arrived and saw Jonathan Levinson get up.
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked him.
"I'm fine. I slipped." Jonathan turned and headed down the hall.
Buffy and Cordelia exchanged a look, each catching his deadpan tone.
"I think I hear Mommy calling."
Cordelia nodded. "Uh-huh."
They followed Jonathan down the hall.
Jonathan walked into the boiler room. Buffy and Cordelia peeked in and, seeing no one else was there, followed him in. Around the corner from the boilers, they saw Jonathan climb through a hole and head down a tunnel.
"Do we really wanna go in there?" Cordelia asked Buffy.
"We really don't."
They exchanged another look and made for the hole. Buffy climbed in and looked back at Cordelia before continuing down the tunnel.
"Careful." Cordelia started through as well but didn't lift her foot high enough and tripped through the hole and fell into the tunnel.
Jonathan walked into the room below. Behind him, Buffy and Cordelia peeked into the room. There was digging and egg-gathering activity going on.
"What are they diggin' up?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy saw the pink mother bezoar in the pit. "Oh, shit."
She saw Tara handing Mr. Whitmore an egg.
"We can't let them spread those eggs."
"I'll handle it. Um, can you, uh, hold down the fort?" Cordelia asked Buffy. "That is...are you okay?"
"I'll manage, but I'm gonna need a weapon. I'm gonna need a big weapon."
"Yeah."
Buffy headed back up the tunnel to see what she could find in the way of a weapon. Cordelia went into actress mode and started walking into the room, staring blankly ahead. Giles handed her a chunk of concrete to carry away. She took it and dropped it to the side. Harmony and another student started into a utility tunnel with a box of eggs. Cordelia followed them.
Buffy stepped through the hole back into the boiler room and looked around for anything that might be of use. She spotted a barrel with several scrap pieces of pipe and grabbed the largest one. She turned and saw the Gorch brothers.
"I told you this weren't over."
"She's so cute. And little. Think we can keep her?" Tector asked.
"Guys, this really isn't a great time."
"Oh, it's gonna be." Lyle smiled.
Buffy jammed the pipe into both of their faces and again into Lyle's gut. Tector punched her, and she stumbled toward the hole a bit but turned around and kicked him in the chest, sending him back into some metal shelves.
"All right! That's my brother!" Lyle charged Buffy and grabbed her.
They went flying through the hole and into the tunnel. They tumbled out of the tunnel and onto the floor. They both quickly got up and faced off, but Lyle was distracted by all of the activity.
"What the hell is this?" Lyle asked.
Buffy saw her mother with a pick going back to continue digging next to Tara.
"Mom?" Buffy called.
Joyce looked up at her.
Tara looked up at Buffy and Lyle. "Kill them."
Several students started to advance on Buffy and Lyle. She did a roundhouse kick and got two of them. Lyle ducked a swing with a shovel from another and hit him in the back, knocking him to the floor. Buffy followed up her kick with two more and then sidestepped Giles as he swung his crowbar at her. He stumbled past her and into the wall behind her. Lyle backhand-punched another one and picked the one up from the floor and threw him back.
Buffy pushed a boy with a pick away from her and followed up with a kick to his head, making him flip over backward. Giles came at her again from behind, and she grabbed him and shoved him into the next attacker. Lyle punched a girl, and she spun away. Buffy kicked another one in the gut.
Lyle picked another one up off the floor and tossed him aside. "What the hell is goin' on?!" He punched another student.
Buffy kicked still another. "Long story."
Lyle hit a boy over the head with a chunk of concrete. The students had all been knocked back, so Lyle turned his attention back to Buffy. He smiled at her and took a swing. She ducked it and punched him in the gut and face. He swung again, and she ducked again. His momentum turned him around, and she kicked him in the back. The students started coming again, and Buffy and Lyle each punched one.
In the utility tunnel, Harmony and the other student turned a corner and walked down a side tunnel. Cordelia followed them at a short distance behind. The far end of the tunnel appeared to exit onto a body of water. Cordelia walked up behind the student and shoved him into the wall, knocking him out. Harmony turned and saw, set the box down, and took a swing at Cordelia. Cordelia ducked away and got around her, blocking her way to the water and holding her hands out in front of her.
"Harmony!" Cordelia cried. "I don't wanna hurt ya. Some of the time."
When Harmony didn't make another move against her, Cordelia bent down to pick up the box. Harmony punched down at her head.
Cordelia stood back up and yelled out in pain and frustration, trying to restrain herself. "That's my bump!"
Cordelia couldn't hold back any longer and punched Harmony. Harmony spun around and fell unconscious to the floor. Cordelia raised her hands in disbelief and regret.
In the underground room, Buffy and Lyle continued to fight the students coming at them. Lyle got hit and staggered into the wall. Buffy kicked one.
Tector finally showed up at the tunnel mouth and rubbed his hands together. "Well, all right!" He spit into both hands to get ready to fight but noticed the mother bezoar and let it distract him. He walked over to the edge of the pit and looked in. "Well, looky there!"
He bent over the pit for a better look. The mother bezoar opened its eye and looked up at him.
Tector smiled. "Well, hello!"
Mama sent up a tentacle and wrapped it around his neck. He began to choke as he struggled not to get pulled in. He lost out and fell into the pit. Buffy and Lyle watched it happen.
"Tector!" Lyle yelled.
Tector's boots disappeared into the pit.
"Tector?" Lyle asked.
The bezoar let out a deep, loud belch.
Lyle looked over at Buffy. "This is all your fault!"
"How?" Buffy asked him, incredulous.
Lyle took her by the shoulder and flipped her over onto her back. Joyce came up to her and swung her pick down at her. Buffy rolled out of the way, but her feet ended up over the bezoar's pit. Mama wrapped a tentacle around her ankles and pulled her in. Buffy grabbed Joyce's pick and dragged it in with her.
Buffy and the mother bezoar began to fight. She slashed at the bezoar repeatedly, and it screamed in agony. With each slash, more and more of the bezoar's blood and slime covered Buffy. The bezoar let out a dying scream, and its eye closed. Buffy threw the pick out of the hole. Buffy reached up and pulled herself up and out of the pit. She was streaked with blood and slime. She stood up and faced Lyle. He couldn't believe his eyes.
Lyle nodded. "All right." He tipped his hat. "It's over." He turned and hightailed it out of there.
Buffy just watched him go. Then she looked all around. The students and adults were all lying on the floor, unconscious, the hatchlings all fallen from their hosts.
Buffy walked over to Tara and gently shook her. "Tara, sweetie."
Tara slowly regained consciousness and opened her eyes. "Hey, Buffy. What happened?"
"You were infected. I killed the mother parasite, and everyone's cured."
"Oh. Nifty." Tara stood up. "I'll help you wake everyone up."
"Thanks."
Tara stared at her girlfriend. "You look like shit."
"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if there's at least some shit on me. Actually, y'know what? I'm gonna go to the girls' locker room and hit the shower. Can you get everyone out?" Buffy asked her.
Tara smiled. "Sure."
"Thanks." Buffy walked off.
Tara, Cordelia, Harmony, and several other students walked out of the school building. Some were dirty and dazed. Fire trucks and police cars could be heard arriving.
Giles tried to calm several others with an explanation but was himself confused as he made his way over to Tara, Harmony, and Cordelia. "Yes, yes, uh, i-i-it was a-a-a gas leak, everyone. Uh, well, just, uh, get some air, and a...good night's rest, you know, uh, you'll be fine. These gas things...will happen." He looked at Cordelia. "W-W-What was it, really?"
"Stick with the gas thing. I'll fill you in tomorrow."
"Right." Giles walked off.
Cordelia faced Tara and Harmony. "How you guys doin'?"
"Did I really hit you?" Tara asked her.
Cordelia nodded. "You knocked me out."
"Did I hit you?" Harmony asked her.
Cordelia nodded hard. "Yes, everyone hit me."
Harmony smiled. "Good. Well, I don't mean 'good' because I hit you, but I didn't wanna be left out."
Tara saw Buffy approaching and walked over to her. She was washed up and changed into her gym clothes.
"How is she?" Buffy asked her.
"Who do you mean?" Tara asked her.
"My mom."
"She's a bit confused, but it's goin' around." Tara nodded in the direction of Buffy's mother.
Buffy looked. Joyce came walking toward them, looking around for Buffy. Buffy waved to her. Joyce walked up to her. They clasped hands.
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked her.
"Buffy, I was worried you'd gotten caught in the building. There - There was a gas leak."
"Not a gas leak. A parasite under the school that spread its spawn via eggs and mind-controlled everyone into doing its bidding." Buffy paused in thought. "This sounds familiar."
Tara looked at her. "Early TNG episode."
Buffy looked at her. "Right."
"I went looking for you in the library."
"Yeah, well, I was kinda busy with a parasitic invasion."
"I thought I made it pretty clear that you weren't to leave the library till I came."
Buffy stared at her mother in disbelief. "The other side of that is I saved everyone's life-"
"Well, I'm not really interested in the other side right now. You did your job. Good for you. I don't care. Young lady, you have to learn some responsibility, okay? Once and for all."
"You attacked me with a pick!" Buffy yelled at her.
"I wasn't myself! You were still yourself last month!" Joyce yelled back at her daughter, enraged.
Buffy fell silent, suddenly filled with renewed shame. "I'm grounded?" she finally guessed.
"You're already grounded."
"Oh, yeah."
"Until further notice, you are confined to your room. You will not leave your room at any time except to go to school or the bathroom. Am I making myself clear?"
"You're clear. I won't leave my room."
"You're damn right, you won't. Which means: no after-school socializing, no Bronze, no nothing. Not until I say so. Do you understand?"
Buffy lowered her eyes. "Yes, ma'am."
Joyce stalked off angrily.
Tara looked at Buffy sadly. "Hang in there, Buffy."
Buffy looked at her and slowly nodded.
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Buffy stood there and then followed her mother a moment later.
Later that night, Buffy and Tara were kissing. Buffy was inside her room, at her window, and Tara was standing outside, on the roof.
Tara broke off the kiss. "Are you sure you're not gonna get in trouble?"
"Hey, I earned this." Buffy kissed her. "Besides, I'm not breaking any rules."
"Buffy? Are you going to bed?" Joyce called from the hall.
"In a minute!" Buffy called back.
She turned back to Tara and smiled at her. They started kissing again.
Chapter 55: Surprise
Chapter Text
"Surprise"
Based on the Episode Written by Marti Noxon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
In Cordelia's room, at night, she slept fitfully. She woke with a start and put her hand to her head. She reached over to her lamp, turned it on, and let out a sigh. She took her glass from her night stand for a drink but found it nearly empty. She got up to fill it.
Cordelia walked out of her room, holding the glass, and walked down the hall. She sensed something and turned. There was nothing there. Cordelia shrugged it off and moved to the bathroom door. She opened it and suddenly found herself at the Bronze.
Cordelia ventured in and looked around the room. She walked through the crowd, to the stage. It was empty, no band tonight. She turned around and smiled warmly. Angel was standing at the pool table. He smiled and started toward her. Cordelia began to walk toward him.
Drusilla suddenly appeared behind Angel. She thrust a stake into his back and pulled it out. He arched backward in pain.
"Angel!" Cordelia screamed.
They reached out for each other. Before she could touch him, he fell to the floor, dead.
Drusilla lowered the stake and took the few steps over to Cordelia. "Happy Birthday, Cordelia."
Cordelia woke from her nightmare and quickly sat up, surprised and confused.
Cordelia went to Angel's apartment and knocked on his door.
"Hold on."
Cordelia stood there with a worried look on her face.
Soon, the door opened, and Angel was standing there, shirtless.
"Hey. Is everything okay?" Angel asked her.
"That's what I was gonna ask you. You're okay, right?" Cordelia asked him.
"Sure. I-I'm fine." Angel gestured for her to come in. "What's up?"
She walked in and put her bag down. He swung the door partially closed and walked over to grab a shirt.
"Um...I-I had this...dream that Drusilla was alive."
Angel pulled on the shirt. "What happened?"
"She killed you. Right in front of me."
"It was just a dream. It wasn't real."
"But it felt so real."
Angel put his hand to her cheek. "It wasn't. I'm right here."
Cordelia sighed. "Yeah, but...what if Drusilla is alive? We never saw her body."
"She's not. But even if she was, we'd deal."
"W-W-What if she is-"
He grabbed and kissed her, and she responded. A couple of kisses later, they broke off and looked at each other.
"What if what?" Angel asked her.
"I'm sorry. Were we talking?" Cordelia whispered.
Angel leaned over to kiss her again. They put their arms around each other and held each other closely as they kissed.
Cordelia suddenly broke off and looked down. "I'm sorry. I, um...I-I have to go to school." She turned and quickly headed for the door.
"I know." Angel followed her, took her arm, turned her around, and kissed her again passionately.
They took hold of each other again. They stopped kissing a moment later but kept touching foreheads.
"Oh, God, you feel..."
"You have to go to school." Angel guided her to the door.
"Right. I know. This is me." Cordelia backed into and shut the door. "I'm going."
They began kissing passionately again. After a while, they stopped and looked at each other.
"You still haven't told me what you wanted for your birthday."
Cordelia smiled. "Surprise me."
Angel smiled. "Okay. I will."
They kissed.
Cordelia smiled. "This is nice. I like seeing you first thing in the morning."
"It's bedtime for me."
"Well, then I like seeing you at bedtime. Um..." Cordelia paused. "Um, heh..." She paused again. "Y-You know what I mean."
"I think so." Angel paused. "What do you mean?"
"I like seeing you. The part at the end of the night where we say goodbye..." Cordelia paused. "It's getting harder."
"Yeah. It is."
Harmony and Cordelia were walking across the lawn under the trees at Sunnydale High.
"'I like you at bedtime?' You actually said that?" Harmony asked in disbelief.
"I know, I know."
"God, that's like...I-I dunno, that's moxie or something."
"Totally unplanned. It just...came out."
Harmony giggled. "And he was into it? I mean...he wants to see you at bedtime, too?"
"Yeah, I-I-I think he does. Well, I-I mean he-he's cool about it."
"Well, of course he is. 'Cause he's cool. I mean...he would never...you know..."
"Push."
"Right. H-He's not the type."
"Harm, what am I gonna do?" Cordelia asked.
"What do you wanna do?" Harmony asked her.
"I don't know. I...I mean..."
They sat on a bench.
"I want us to make love. I've just never been with..." Cordelia fell silent.
"A vampire?" Harmony guessed.
"Anyone."
Harmony stared at her in wide-eyed surprise. "But...all of those phone calls where you bragged-"
"Purely oral. Nothing more."
"Wow..."
"Yeah."
The school bell rang.
"Oh..." Cordelia got up and walked away.
Harmony got up and followed her. She looked over to the side and saw Oz sitting at a bench with his guitar. She looked at Cordelia. "Uh, I'll see you in class."
"Okay." Cordelia walked off.
Oz was practicing with his guitar.
Harmony walked around the bench and stood next to him. "Hey."
Oz looked up. "Hey."
"Do you guys, uh, have a gig tomorrow night?" Harmony asked him.
"Oh, no. Practice. See, our band's kinda moving towards this new sound where...we suck, so...practice."
"Okay, cool, well, if you wanna blow it off..." Harmony took a card out of her purse and held it out to him. "It's Cordelia's birthday, and we're throwing her a surprise party."
Oz nodded. "All right. I'm in." He smiled and took the card.
Giles walked out of the lounge and saw Harmony. "Oh, good morning." He leaned close to her ear. "Is everything in order for the party?"
"Absolutely. You ready to get down, you funky party weasel?" Harmony asked him.
Giles looked at the stairs and saw Jenny and Cordelia coming down.
"Here comes Cordelia." Giles looked at Harmony. "Now remember: discretion is the better part of valor."
"You coulda just said 'Shh!' God, are all you Brits such drama queens?" Harmony asked him. She looked at Cordelia. "Hey, Cordy."
"Hey."
They all walked into the lounge.
Harmony and Cordelia sat at a table.
Giles sat also. "You all right, Cordelia? You seem a little fatigued."
"Rough night. I had a dream that Drusilla was alive, and she killed Angel. I-It just really freaked me out."
"You fear it was more of a-a...a portent?" Giles asked.
"See, I don't know. I don't wanna start a big freakout over nothing."
"Still, best to be, uh, on the alert. If Drusilla is alive, i-i-it could be a fairly...cataclysmic state of affairs."
"Again, so many words! Couldn't you just say 'We'd be in trouble'?" Harmony asked him.
Giles gave her a look. "Go to class, Harmony."
"Gone." Harmony got up and started away but stopped. "Notice the economy of phrasing: 'Gone.' Simple. Direct." She pointed at Giles and left.
"Maybe I should get 'gone', too." Cordelia stood up.
Giles stood up. "Uh, don't worry unduly, Cordelia. I-I-I'm sure it's nothing."
"I know. I should keep my cool, but...it's Angel, which automatically equals maxi-wig."
"Hmm."
"What?" Cordelia asked him.
"Well, it's usually Slayers that have prophetic dreams. Slayers and..." Giles trailed off.
"What?" Cordelia asked him, worried.
Giles stared at Cordelia. "Potential Slayers."
Cordelia stared back at him in disbelief.
Jenny cleared her throat. "Or it could be nothing. Or you could just have the gift of sight. I've had prophetic dreams, and I'm not a potential Slayer...as far as I know."
Giles briefly looked at her. "Uh, yes, of course."
That afternoon, after school, Buffy and her mother were sitting at the island in the kitchen, eating takeout cheeseburgers and fries for dinner. They each had a large cup of regular Pepsi.
"Mall trip for your birthday on Monday. Don't forget."
Buffy looked at her. "Space on a mom-sponsored shopping opportunity? Not likely."
Joyce couldn't help but smile - briefly. "Hmm. So...does, um, seventeen feel any different than sixteen?"
"Not really. Speaking of birthdays, though, the gang's throwing a surprise party for Cordy at the Bronze tomorrow night. May I go?" Buffy asked her.
"What do you think?" Joyce asked her.
"I think..." Buffy sighed. "Forget it."
"No, I want to hear your thoughts."
Buffy tried to organize her thoughts. "Well, I know I have no right to ask it, but it wouldn't be for me; it'll be a quiet celebration for Cordelia. She's done so much in picking up the slack for me. The least that I can do is show up at her party and thank her."
"And maybe get her an extra-nice gift?" Joyce suggested.
Buffy nodded in agreement.
Joyce shrugged. "We'll go out shopping after dinner."
The next day, Ms. Calendar walked into her classroom and over to her desk with an arm full of papers. She set down her mug and a couple of other things and began to go through them.
"Jenny Calendar."
Jenny spun around, startled. Standing there was a man in a dark suit and hat. She stared at him in surprise.
"You startled me."
"You look well." He stepped up to her desk.
"Yes, I'm fine." Jenny walked around her desk. "I know I haven't written as much lately. I've been busy."
"I cannot imagine what is so important to make you ignore the responsibility to your people."
"Well, I've been working and-"
"The elder woman has been reading signs. Something is different."
"Nothing has changed. The curse still holds."
"The elder woman is never wrong. She says his pain is lessening. She can feel it."
Jenny looked down. "There is..."
"There is what?"
Jenny looked up. "A girl."
He sighed in disgust. "What? How could you let this happen?"
"I promise you. Angel still suffers. And he makes amends for his evil. He even saved my life."
"So you just forget that he destroyed the most beloved daughter of your tribe?! That he killed every man, woman, and child that touched her life?! Vengeance demands that his pain be eternal as ours is! If this - this girl gives him one minute of happiness, it is one minute too much!"
"I'm sorry. I thought-"
"You thought what?! You thought you are Jenny Calendar now?! You are still Janna of the Kalderash people! A Gypsy."
Jenny sighed in disgust. "I know..." She paused. "Uncle. I know."
"Then prove it. Your time for watching is past. The girl and him, it ends now! Do what you must to take her from him!"
"I will see to it."
In the library, Cordelia was sitting at the table while Giles paced behind her.
"I had the same dream last night. It was just like my dream from the previous night. Every gesture, every word." Cordelia looked up at him. "It was so fucking creepy."
"Yes, well, I-I-I'd imagine it would be...fairly unnerving." Giles sat on the end of the table.
Harmony came bounding into the library. "Hey! It's the woman of the hour!" She jumped over to the table, hugged Cordelia's shoulders, and gave her a big smile. She let go and went around to the other side of the table.
Cordelia just looked down and pulled her hair behind her ear.
Harmony lost her smile. "What's wrong?"
"I-It's just that, um, Cordelia had the same nightmare last night."
Cordelia looked at Harmony. "Which means Drusilla might still be alive." She looked at Giles. "Giles, in my dream, I couldn't stop her. She blindsided me. A-Angel was gone before I knew what happened."
"Even if she is alive, uh, we can still protect Angel. Dreams aren't prophecies, Cordelia. B-B-B-Buffy dreamt that the Master had risen, but she stopped it from happening."
Cordelia frowned. "No, she didn't. She fulfilled it."
"Fair point. But you can still prevent this."
"Okay, so...fine. We're one step ahead, but I wanna stay that way."
"Absolutely." Giles stood up. "Let me read up on Drusilla, uh, see if she has any particular patterns." He started toward his office. "Why don't you meet me here at 7:00? We'll map out a strategy."
"What am I supposed to do until then?" Cordelia asked him.
"Go to classes, do your homework, have supper..."
"Right. Be that Cordy." Cordelia got up from the table, grabbed her bag, and headed out of the library.
Harmony pointed at the door. "Well, that's not a perky birthday bitch. So much for our surprise party. I bought little hats and everything. Oh, well. I guess I'll tell the others." She started to go.
"No, you won't."
Harmony stopped and looked at Giles.
"We're having a party tonight. Cordelia's surprise party will go ahead as we planned. Except I won't be wearing the little hat."
"But Cordy and Angel-"
"May well be in danger...as they have been before and, I imagine, will be again. One thing I've learned in my tenure here on the Hellmouth is that there is no good time to relax. And Cordelia's turning seventeen just this once, and she deserves a party."
Harmony smiled. "And anyway, Angel's coming. So she'll be able to protect him and have cake."
"Precisely. See to the preparations." Giles went into his office.
"Righty-ho, boss." Harmony left the library with a happy bounce in her step.
That night, Cordelia walked down a hall in the school.
Jenny saw her. "Cordy."
Cordelia was startled. "Oh, my fucking God, I didn't see you there."
"Sorry. Um, Giles wanted me to tell you that there's been a change of plans. Uh, he wants to meet you someplace near his house, 'cause he had to run home and get a book or something."
"'Cause heaven knows there aren't enough books in the library."
"Uh, he's...very thorough."
"Oh, which is not to bag. It's kind of manly in an obsessive-compulsive kind of way, don't you think?" Cordelia asked her.
"Mm-hm. Um, you know, my car's here. Why don't I drive you?"
"No, "I'll drive you." Cordelia started out to the parking lot.
Jenny watched her go a few steps and then followed.
Cordelia drove her Chrysler Cirrus slowly along the street, near the alley outside the Bronze. "Are we goin' to the Bronze?"
"I'm not sure. Giles gave me an address. We're just following his directions."
They rounded a corner, and Cordelia saw something going on.
"This looks funky." Cordelia hit the brake and parked her car.
A truck was parked in an adjacent loading area. A man jumped off the truck bed while another walked across the loading dock.
"No, Cordy, maybe you shouldn't."
"It'll just take a sec." Cordelia unfastened her seatbelt, unlocked and opened the door, got out of the car, and went to investigate.
Jenny sighed. "What is this?" She leaned her head on her hand.
Cordelia walked up to the truck and stopped by the cab. She saw a vampire with glasses carrying a wooden box. "Hey, that's not yours."
He growled at her.
"You really should speak with someone about this klepto issue."
The truck's engine started. Cordelia turned and reached for the door handle. The vampire made a hasty escape. The truck door swung open before Cordelia could reach it, and a vampire kicked out at her, hitting her in the arm, but not hard. She grabbed for him and pulled him out of the cab and onto the ground. The vampire with glasses lifted the box onto the back of the truck. The other vampire got up from the pavement, and Cordelia punched him, knocking him back down again. She backed up toward the truck to get around him, but a third vampire standing in the bed grabbed her by the jacket and lifted her up. He got her in a full nelson hold. She pushed him back into a large box. He was stunned and let go of her. She snapped her head back and butted him hard. The other vampire had climbed onto the truck bed also and came at her. She punched him, turned and punched the one behind her, turned and punched the other one again, then kicked him in the chest, making him fall and roll over a crate. She blocked a swing from the one behind her, grabbed his arm, and shoved his head into the crate.
Inside the Bronze, Angel peeked out from behind a pillar and looked around. "Where is she?"
The others peeked out from behind the pool table and looked up at him.
"Shhh!" Harmony told him. "I think I hear her coming."
Outside, Cordelia punched one of the wooden bed retainers and broke off a piece. She jammed it into one of the vampires' chests, killing him. The other grabbed her from behind, lifted her up, and carried her onto the loading dock. He threw her at a door. She hit it and rolled away.
Inside, the gang heard the fighting going on outside and looked toward a window. Cordelia and the vampire came crashing through and hit the floor. Almost everyone got up to look. Cordelia scrambled to her feet and kicked the vampire as he came for her. He stumbled back a few steps. The others came closer to see. Cordelia bounded onto the stage, grabbed a drumstick from a drum set, spun around with it, thrust it into the vampire's chest, and pulled it back out. The vampire fell over, dead. Oz watched in astonishment.
Harmony jumped up from behind the pool table with her arms raised high. "Surprise!"
The others all looked back at her.
Oz nodded. "That pretty much sums it up."
Cordelia hopped down from the stage. Angel went over to her. Harmony lowered her arms.
"Cordy, are you okay?" Angel asked.
"Yes. W-What happened?" Giles asked her.
Cordelia pointed behind her. "Uh, there were these vamps outs..." She looked around. "W-What's going on?"
"Oh, um...a surprise party." Giles blew on a party favor.
Harmony smiled. "Happy Birthday."
Cordelia smiled. "You guys did all this for me?" She looked at Angel. "That is so sweet."
"You sure you're okay?" Angel asked her.
"Yes, I'm fine."
Tara looked at Oz. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. First time seeing a vampire."
Buffy walked over to Cordelia and smiled. "Wow, Cordy, you really kicked some serious ass."
Cordelia grinned. "Thanks." Then she grew somber. "You came. Are you not grounded anymore?"
"No, I still am. My mom dropped me off and will pick me back up."
"How are you doing?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy shrugged. "I'm taking it one day at a time. That's all I can do. Thank you for pitching in, Cordy; it means a lot."
Cordelia gently rubbed Buffy's arm. "Of course."
Tara walked over to Cordelia. "Cordy, I figured maybe you'd like to sing for a certain someone. I brought my keyboard. I'd learned to play 'To Be in Love'."
Cordelia grinned. "Yes, that'd be great! Thanks! Okay, have a seat, everyone, and prepare to be moved!"
Harmony set up her video camera on her tripod and started recording. Buffy, Amy, and Katrina sat at one table. Giles, Angel, Harmony, and Oz sat at another table.
Tara and Cordelia walked onto the stage. Tara's keyboard had already been set up, and she went and stood behind it. She turned it on. Cordelia went and stood by the microphone. She turned it on. Tara started playing. Cordelia smiled at Angel and started singing:
"To be in love
Must be the sweetest feeling that a girl can feel.
To be in love,
To live a dream
With somebody you care about like no one else:
A special man,
A dearest man,
Who needs to share his life with you alone,
Who'll hold you close and feel things
That only love brings,
To know that he is all your own.
"To be my love,
My love must be much more than any other man.
To be my love,
To share my dream,
My hero, he must take me where no other can,
Where we will find
A brand-new world:
A world of things we've never seen before,
Where silver suns have golden moons,
Each year has thirteen Junes;
That's what must be for me
To be in love."
Everyone applauded for Cordelia. Cordelia smiled and took a bow. She walked off the stage. Angel stood up. They embraced and kissed.
Jenny walked into the Bronze, carrying the box. "Hey, can somebody give me a hand here?"
Giles stood up and walked over. Angel and Giles took it from her and set it on a table.
Jenny looked at them. "Those creepy assholes left this behind."
Everyone else stood up and walked over to get a look.
"What is it?" Cordelia asked.
"I have no idea. Can - Can it be opened?" Giles asked.
"Yeah. This looks like a release right here." Cordelia worked the latch and opened the box.
Inside was an arm clad in armor. Cordelia looked over at Giles in disgust. Suddenly, the arm raised up, grabbed Cordelia by the throat, and began choking her. Cordelia struggled with the arm. Angel tried to pull it off her. Between them, they got it off, and Angel stuffed it back into the box while Cordelia stepped back and tried to catch her breath. Giles slammed the lid shut. Cordelia coughed as Angel helped her aside.
"Good heavens. Cordelia, are you all right?" Giles asked.
Cordelia rubbed her throat. "Damn, that thing had major grip."
"W-What was that?" Tara asked.
Amy looked at her. "It looked like an arm."
Angel stared at the box. "It can't be. She wouldn't."
"Angel?" Cordelia asked.
"It-It's a legend...way before my time...of a demon brought forth to rid the Earth of the plague of humanity...separate the righteous from the wicked...and to burn the righteous down. They call him the Judge."
"The Judge? This is he?" Giles asked.
"Not all of him."
Cordelia raised her hand. "Um, still needing backstory here."
"Um..." Giles paused. "He - He - He couldn't be killed, yes? Um, a-an army was sent against him. Most of them died...but, uh, finally they were able to dismember him, but, uh...not kill him."
Angel nodded. "The pieces were scattered...buried in every corner of the Earth."
Jenny looked at him. "So all these parts are being brought here."
Cordelia felt a sense of dread. "By Drusilla."
Angel looked at her. "She's just crazy enough to do it."
"Do what, reassemble the Judge?" Katrina asked.
Angel nodded. "And bring forth Armageddon."
"Is anybody else gonna have cake?" Harmony went to the pool table.
Giles looked at Jenny. "We need to get this out of town."
Jenny nodded. "Angel."
"What?" Cordelia asked.
Jenny looked at Angel. "You have to do it. You're the only one that can protect this thing."
"What about me?" Cordelia asked her.
Jenny looked at her. "What, you're just gonna skip town for a few months?"
"'Months'?" Cordelia asked in surprise.
"She's right. I gotta get this to the remotest region possible." Angel went to Cordelia.
"But that's not months."
Angel gestured grandly. "I gotta catch a cargo ship to Asia, maybe trek to Nepal..."
"You know, those newfangled flying machines really are much safer than they used to be."
"I can't fly. There's no sure way to guard against the daylight. I-I-I don't like this any more than you do, Cordy. But there's no other choice."
"When?" Cordelia asked him.
"Tonight. As soon as possible."
Cordelia stared at him sadly. "But it's my birthday."
"I know. I'm so sorry."
Cordelia stood in silence for a long moment, trying to process this. She wiped away tears. "I'll drive you to the docks."
Cordelia and Angel made their way to a ship. Angel had the box on his shoulder. They walked arm in arm. Cordelia leaned into him, and he kissed her on the head. When they reached the gangplank, Angel set the box down. They took a few steps away from the box.
"I should go the rest of the way alone."
"Okay."
"But I'll be back. I will."
"When? Six months, a year? You don't know how long it's gonna take or if we'll even..." Cordelia looked down.
"Hey..." Angel raised her chin. "If we'll even what?"
Cordelia had tears in her eyes. "Well, if you haven't noticed, someone pretty much always wants us dead."
"Don't say that. We'll be fine."
"We don't know that."
"We can't know, Cordy. Nobody can. That's just the deal." Angel reached into his pocket. "I have something for you. For your birthday. I...I was gonna give it to you earlier, but..." He showed her a ring with an intricate design.
"It's beautiful."
"My people - before I was changed - they exchanged this as a sign of devotion. It's a Claddagh ring. The hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty...and the heart..." Angel paused. "Well, you know..." He cleared his throat. "Wear it with the heart pointing towards you. It means you belong to somebody. Like this."
He showed her his own ring on his finger. Cordelia touched his hand, leaned over, and kissed the ring.
"Put it on." Angel took the ring from her and slipped it onto her finger.
Cordelia sobbed. "I don't wanna do this."
"Me either."
"So don't go."
They kissed. She put her arms around him. After several kisses, they stopped and looked at each other.
"Cordy...I-"
Two vampires suddenly jumped at them from some cargo netting. One pulled Cordelia off Angel and threw her back. The other began to fight with Angel. Cordelia rolled to her feet. The vampire swung at her but missed. She grabbed him and started pummeling his gut. Angel flipped the other one over onto his back. He got up, and Angel swung at him three times, but he blocked all of them. Angel's next punch landed on the vampire's face. Cordelia ducked a swing, lifted herself up on the dock railing, and kicked her assailant in the chest with both feet, sending him staggering back into the gangplank. She gave chase and grabbed him by the back of the shirt and hair. He growled. The vampire with glasses dropped out of the cargo netting, ran over to the box, grabbed it, and started to run.
"Angel! The box!" Cordelia yelled.
Angel ducked a roundhouse kick, grabbed the vampire's arm, and flipped him over onto his back. He ran after the vampire with glasses and tackled him to the deck. Cordelia's attacker shook free of her and shoved her into a stack of crates. He followed up with a roundhouse kick, but she ducked it, and he just hit the crates. She made a grab for him, but he punched her in the face. Angel got ready to punch the vampire with glasses but got distracted when the vampire that he was fighting before grabbed the box and made a run for it. Cordelia's opponent grabbed her by the jacket and roared as he swung her around, over the railing, and into the water.
Angel saw her go flying. "Cordy!" He jumped over the railing and into the water after her.
In the school library, Giles, Tara, Amy, Katrina, and Harmony were researching the Judge.
Giles looked up from his books. "They should be back by now."
Harmony looked at him. "Maybe Cordy needed a few minutes to pull herself together. Poor Cordy, on her birthday and everything."
Cordelia walked into the library.
Giles stood up. "What happened?"
"Dru's guys ambushed us. They got the box."
"Where's Angel?" Giles asked her.
"Uh, he's getting clothing. I-I had some here. We got wet. Giles, what do we know?" Cordelia asked him.
"The more I study the Judge, the less I like him. His touch can literally burn the humanity out of you. A true creature of evil can survive the process. No human ever has."
"Can this guy be stopped? Without an army?" Cordelia asked him.
"Um..." Giles checked a book. "'No weapon forged can kill him.' Not very encouraging. If we could only stop them from assembling him."
"We need to find his weak spots, and we need to figure out where they'd be keeping him."
"This could take time."
"Better do a round robin." Tara looked at Amy. "Amy, you go first."
"Good call." Amy stood up and headed for the phone.
"Round robin?" Giles asked in confusion.
Katrina looked at him. "It's when everybody calls everybody else's parent and tells them they're staying at everyone's house."
Cordelia nodded. "Thus freeing us up for world saveage."
"Dad, hi. Amy. Yeah, uh, Tara and I are gonna be studying all night long, so I'm not gonna be coming home."
Much later, almost everyone was in full research mode.
Katrina walked over to Amy at the table with another open book. "I think I read this already."
Amy smiled. "They all look alike, don't they?"
Giles came out into the main room. "Angel? Any luck?"
Angel came down out of the stacks. Giles saw Cordelia asleep in his office and held up his hand to silence Angel. He followed Giles' gaze into the office. They saw Cordelia with her head down on the desk.
"Sh-sh-sh." Giles waved Angel to follow him. "Seems Cordelia needed some rest."
"Yeah. She hasn't been sleeping well. Tossing and turning."
Everyone looked at him.
"She told me. Because of her dreams?"
They all went back to their tasks.
Cordelia walked into Spike's warehouse, looking at the party decorations. All around, candles on tall sticks had burned way down. She went to the table and walked around it. On the other side, she saw Jenny walking the other way. She was confused about that but got distracted by several boxes sitting on the floor and went over to them.
"Now, now."
Cordelia spun around to see Drusilla on the upper level, holding Angel in front of her.
"Hands off my presents." Drusilla put a sharp blade to Angel's neck.
"No!" Cordelia yelled.
Cordelia woke from her nightmare with a start and found herself sitting at Giles' desk in his office. "Angel!"
"Cordy, it's okay."
She turned to him.
"I'm here."
She hugged him close.
"I'm right here."
After Cordelia composed herself, she and Angel went into the main room and into the cage. Cordelia put various weapons into her bag and then strode out of the cage. Angel followed her out.
Giles looked down at them from the stacks. "Cordelia, what's happening?"
Angel looked at him. "She had another dream."
Cordelia looked at Giles. "I think I know where Spike and Drusilla are."
Giles came down the stairs. "That's very good, however, you - you do need a plan. I-I know you're concerned, Cordelia, but you can't just go off half-cocked."
"I have a plan. Angel and I go to the factory and do recon, figure out how far they've gotten assembling the Judge. You guys check any places the boxes could be coming into town. Shipping yards, airports, anything. We need to stop them from getting all the boxes in one place."
"Yes. Yes, well, um, actually, that's quite a good plan."
Cordelia stared at him seriously. "This thing is fucking nasty, and it's real, Giles. We can't wait for it to come get us."
"Right."
Cordelia and Angel made tracks for the door.
Cordelia and Angel sneaked quietly along the upper level of Spike's warehouse. They looked down at the party going on below. They walked to the railing.
"I saw this. The party."
They saw the Judge walk into view, flanked by Spike, with Drusilla following. The Judge stopped and sensed something.
"What? What is it?" Spike asked.
The Judge looked around, then up at Cordelia and Angel and growled.
Angel looked at Cordelia. "We gotta get outta here."
They tried to make a run for it, but there were vampires heading them off on both sides. Cordelia and Angel were captured and brought before Spike, Drusilla, and the Judge.
Spike looked at them. "Well, well. Look what we have here. Crashers."
Cordelia smiled. "I'm sure our invitations just got lost in the mail."
"It's delicious." Drusilla licked her fingers and looked at Angel. "I only dreamed you'd come. Rrrr."
Angel struggled. "Leave her alone."
"Yeah, that'll work. Now say 'pretty please'." Spike smiled.
The Judge looked at Cordelia. "The girl."
"Chilling, isn't it?" Drusilla asked him. "She's so full of good intention."
Angel got himself between the Judge and Cordelia. "Take me!"
"No!" Cordelia yelled.
"Take me instead of her!" Angel yelled.
Spike raised his hand. "Uh, you're not clear on the concept, pal. There is no instead. Just first and second."
Drusilla nodded. "And if you go first, you don't get to watch the girl die."
Angel's captors pulled him back. The Judge reached for Cordelia. Angel looked up and around for a way out of this. Drusilla wrapped her arms around Spike and smiled. Angel saw the chains holding up Spike's video monitors. Then he saw Cordelia getting ready to defend herself.
"Don't touch him!" Angel warned her.
Cordelia kicked the Judge in the chest and knocked him back. Angel shook off his captors and lunged for the chains. The Judge came to a stop beneath the monitors, and Angel released them. They crashed to the floor on top of the Judge, hard enough to knock a hole in the floor.
Cordelia struggled free also and ran to Angel. She saw the hole in the floor. "This way!"
They went to the hole, and Cordelia jumped down into the sewers below. She rolled away from the hole, and Angel dropped down behind her. They got to their feet and started down the tunnels.
Cordelia and Angel pulled a door closed behind them as their two pursuers dropped through the hole and started after them. They looked around to see where they went but didn't see anyone. They started down the tunnel, checking the side tunnels as they went, and continued past the door. When they'd gone by, Cordelia opened the door and checked if the coast was clear. Seeing no one, she stepped over to a ladder and started up.
When she reached the top, she lifted a manhole cover up, pushed it aside, and quickly climbed out into the pouring rain.
Angel followed right behind. "Come on. We need to get inside."
Angel opened the door to his apartment, and they walked in. He turned on the light. Cordelia closed the door behind her. He took off his heavy coat and lay it aside. Cordelia was soaked through to her skin without a coat or jacket.
"You're shaking like a leaf."
"Cold."
"Let me get you something." Angel got some things from his armoire and handed them to her. "Put these on. Get under the covers, just to warm up."
Cordelia walked over to his bed and sat down. She looked up at him.
Angel faced away to give her privacy. "Sorry."
Cordelia took off her top shirt and winced and inhaled in pain.
"What?" Angel asked her.
"Oh, um..." Cordelia paused. "It's okay. I just have a cut or something."
"Can I...?" Angel paused. "Lemme see."
Cordelia clutched her shirt to her chest. "Okay."
Angel turned around and sat down behind her on the bed. He gently touched her back and looked at the cut. "It's already closed. You're fine."
She was still turned away from him. They were both affected by being this close. This vulnerable. She leaned back into him. His arms went around her. He breathed her in.
"You almost went away today."
"We both did."
Cordelia started sobbing. "Angel...I feel like if I lost you..." She paused. "But you're right, though. We can't be sure. Of anything..."
"Shhh. I..."
She turned. They were face to face.
"You what?" Cordelia asked him.
"I love you." Angel's voice was pained. "I try not to, but I can't stop."
"Me, too. I can't either."
They started to kiss.
After a moment, Angel broke off. "Cordy, maybe we shouldn't-"
"Don't. Just...kiss me."
He did. They kissed tenderly, full of emotion. They lay gently back on the bed. Angel kissed Cordelia passionately.
Cordelia broke the kiss. Angel lifted himself off her, uncertain. Cordelia lifted herself off the bed slightly and pulled off her shirt. She sat up and unfastened her bra, exposing her large, firm, young breasts, the envy of many of her friends. She took the bra off and tossed it aside.
Angel bent over and covered her mounds with kisses. Then he took Cordelia's right nipple into his mouth, closed his lips around it, and gently sucked on it. He soon repeated the actions on its twin. Cordelia ran her fingers through his hair and moaned her approval.
Angel pulled back and took off his shirt. Cordelia reached down and unfastened Angel's belt. Angel took off his shoes and socks and dropped them on the floor. Then Cordelia unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. He quickly took them off, followed by his underwear. He tossed them aside. Cordelia stared in awe at Angel's large, erect penis.
The horny brunette bent over and took his erection into her mouth. Angel moaned his approval and leaned back.
"Mmmm..." Cordelia moaned as her lips slid up and down her lover's cock.
She could feel his orgasm approach. His cock pulsed, and he cummed into Cordelia's mouth. She eagerly swallowed all of his cum.
Cordelia let Angel's penis slip from her mouth and grinned. "Mmmm, hello, salty goodness."
She sat up straight and took off her shoes and socks, dropping them on the floor. She unfastened her belt and unbuttoned and unzipped her blue jeans. She took them and her panties off at once and tossed them aside. She lay back on the bed, resting her head on the pillow, and parted her legs invitingly.
Angel stared at Cordelia's pussy and then lay between her legs and got to work. Cordelia moaned as Angel kissed and licked her wet pussy. He put fingers inside and gently masturbated her.
Minutes of ecstasy went by. Cordelia moaned in delight as Angel serviced her. She could feel her orgasm approach and finally let loose, cumming into Angel's mouth. He lapped at her sex eagerly.
Angel moved up, lay on top of Cordelia, and kissed her on the lips. Cordelia parted her lips, and they french-kissed. Cordelia could taste her essence on Angel's lips and tongue.
When their lips parted, Cordelia rubbed her pussy with her fingers and smiled seductively.
"Are you sure?" Angel asked her.
Cordelia nodded. "I want you inside me. Just fuck me, Angel."
Angel positioned his penis at the entrance to Cordelia's womanhood. He slowly pushed in. Cordelia felt him fill her. She let out a series of quiet moans.
Finally, he was fully sheathed inside her. He paused for a moment, letting her get used to it, and then he slowly started thrusting in and out of her.
Their lips met in a passionate kiss as they continued their lovemaking. Angel groaned and cummed inside Cordelia. Cordelia deeply felt the throbbing and the squirting.
"Sorry. I thought I'd last longer."
Cordelia smiled. "It's okay. You did fine. When you get it up again, we can go again." A thought occurred to her. "Hey, do you have any lube?"
"Um...I'm not sure. Why?"
Cordelia grinned. "Because I was kinda hoping we could try anal."
"Oh." Angel looked very uncomfortable.
"What?" Cordelia asked him. "Don't tell me, in two centuries, you never fucked a lady up her ass."
"Well...Darla...if you considered her a lady."
"Well, okay then! Just get some of that hair gel that you, no doubt, buy in bulk and fuck my ass!" Cordelia told him.
"Um, Cordy, can we maybe pick this up tomorrow?" Angel asked her. "I'm feeling kinda drained."
Cordelia felt a bit disappointed. "Yeah, okay. I should probably get some sleep, anyway. I've got school tomorrow."
Angel pulled out of her, got up, and went and turned off the light. Cordelia settled into a comfortable sleeping position. Angel rejoined her on the bed, and they snuggled together.
As Cordelia drifted off into a peaceful slumber, she sighed in contentment. "Best birthday ever..."
Chapter 56: Innocence
Chapter Text
"Innocence"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
Cordelia stirred in Angel's bed and reached over for him. She opened her eyes, suddenly wide awake when she didn't find him there, and looked around. She sat up in bed. Outside, it was still raining hard, and lightning struck. She looked around the room again, but Angel was nowhere to be seen.
"Angel?" Cordelia called.
Receiving no response, Cordelia slowly put her clothes back on while waiting for the rain to let up.
After retrieving her car from the warehouse and driving home, Cordelia quietly opened the kitchen door of her house, looked around, walked in, and carefully closed the door behind her. She kept an eye out for her mother as she went around to the stairs. Once there, she started up, stomping rather loudly.
"Morning."
Cordelia stopped her ascent and went back down a few steps. Her mother came over to the base of the staircase.
"Morning."
"So...did you have fun last night?" Charisma Chase asked her.
"Fun?" Cordelia asked, nervous.
"At Harmony's."
"Yeah." Cordelia smiled. "Yeah, fun at Harmony's."
"You hungry?"
"No. Uh, no, I've had my fill. I-I'm, uh, just gonna go take a shower."
Charisma folded her arms and looked up at Cordelia curiously. "Is something wrong?"
Cordelia's eyes went wide, but she quickly regained her composure. "No." She shook her head. "What would be wrong?"
Her mother stared at her. "I don't know. You just look..." She shook her head, smiled, and went into the dining room.
Cordelia breathed a sigh of relief and headed up the stairs.
Katrina walked into the school library. Giles looked up at her.
"Well, the bus depot was a total washout."
Jenny and Tara looked at her, concerned. Amy and Harmony, sitting on the counter, also were worried.
"No vampires transporting boxes?" Giles asked Katrina.
"No, but a four-hundred-pound wino offered to wash my hair." Katrina looked at everyone. "What's up? Where's Cordy?"
Harmony shook her head, worried. "She never checked in."
Giles sighed. "If the bus depot is as empty as the...docks and the airport..."
"Do you think this Judge guy's already been assembled?" Amy asked him.
"Yes."
"Then Cordy could be..." Harmony shuddered. "Okay, we gotta find 'em. Um, we gotta go to that place, that, uh, that factory. That's where they're holed up, right?" She hopped down and looked at all of them. "Let's go."
Giles looked at her. "Now, Harmony, i-i-if Cordelia and Angel were - were...harmed, then we don't stand to fare much better."
Tara shook her head. "No, Harmony's right! We're going to the factory!" She started walking toward the exit.
"Yeah!" Harmony followed her.
Amy hopped down and followed them. Katrina followed as well.
Just then, Cordelia walked into the library.
"Cordy!" Harmony exclaimed, grinning. "We were just going to rescue you." She threw Giles a dirty look. "Well, some of us were."
"Well, I-I would have."
"Where's Angel?" Jenny asked Cordelia.
"He didn't check in with you guys?" Cordelia asked in surprise.
Giles shook his head. "No."
"What happened?" Harmony asked Cordelia.
Giles stared at Cordelia. "The Judge, i-is he-"
"No assembly required. He's active."
"Oh, damn it." Giles removed his glasses.
"He nearly killed us. Angel got us out."
"Why didn't you call?" Giles asked her. "We - We - We thought-"
"Well, we - we had to hide. Uh, we got stuck in the sewer tunnels, and, with the hiding, we just split up..." Cordelia paused. "Uh, no one's heard from him?"
Harmony offered her a smile. "I'm sure he'll come by."
"Yeah, I'm - I'm sure you're right."
Giles stared at Cordelia seriously. "Cordelia, the Judge, we - we must stop him."
"I know."
"What can you tell us?"
"Not much. I, um...I kicked him. It was just like a sudden fever. If he'd got his hands on me-"
"In time, he won't need to. The stronger he gets, he'll be able to reduce us to charcoal with a look."
"Also, not the prettiest man in town."
"I better continue researching, must look for a weak spot. The rest of you should get to your classes."
Jenny nodded. "Yeah, I better go, too."
They all started out. Cordelia was the first one out the door.
Harmony went after her. "Cordy, wait up!"
Jenny stopped on the way out and looked at Giles. "I'll, uh, go on the 'Net and search for anything on the Judge."
"Thank you."
Tara looked at Giles. "After classes, I'll come back and help you research."
"Thank you, Tara."
Harmony walked out of the library. Cordelia was about to go up the stairs when Harmony caught up and stopped her.
"You don't think Angel would have gone after the Judge himself, do you?" Harmony asked her.
"No, he'd know better than that. Maybe he just needed..." Cordelia paused and shook her head. "I don't know. I just - I wish he'd contact me. I need to talk to him."
They started up the stairs. Jenny looked around the corner and watched them go up.
After school, in the library, Tara walked by the counter, looking through a book. Amy and Katrina were sitting on top of the counter, also studying books. Giles was in his office, reading through yet another book.
Harmony was on the phone with Cordelia. "Okay. No, no, he didn't, but I'm sure he'll-"
"Ugh! I wish I knew what he was doing!" Cordelia interrupted.
"Well, Cordy, he probably has some plan, and he's trying to protect you."
"Like what?" Cordelia asked her.
"Well, I-I don't know what. I'm not in on the plan. It's his plan."
"Oh, God, what if he's dead?!" Cordelia asked.
"No. Don't even say that! Angel is not dead."
"Are you guys gonna be at the library still?" Cordelia asked her.
"Yeah, of course we'll be here."
"All right. I'll check in with you later. I'm gonna check his apartment first."
"Okay, bye."
"Bye."
Harmony hung up and looked at the others. "She's checked every place she can think of. She even beat up Willy the snitch a couple of times. Angel's vanished."
Giles stood in his doorway. "But he does do that on occasion, no?"
"Oh, yeah, but she's extra wigged this time. I guess 'cause of her dreams. God, what if something really happened to him?" Harmony asked.
"Is she gonna join us here?" Giles asked her.
"Yeah. She's just stopping at his apartment first."
Amy slammed her book shut. "Nada."
Katrina slammed her book shut as well.
"Did you find anything?" Amy asked her.
Katrina shook her head. "This book mentions the Judge but nothing useful. Big, scary, no weapon forged can stop him, took an army to take him down. Blah, blah, blah."
"We need some insight, a weak spot."
"Well, we're not gonna find it here."
Cordelia opened the door to Angel's apartment, walked in, and closed it behind her. She walked over to the bed and saw it had been made. One of his shirts was laid out on it. She went over to the bed and reached for the shirt. Cordelia heard something, turned, and saw him standing behind her, shirtless.
"Angel!" Cordelia ran to him.
"Hey!"
"Oh!"
"Hey."
Cordelia kissed him, and they hugged.
"Oh, my God! I was so worried!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"I didn't mean to frighten you."
"Where did you go?"
"Been around."
"Ohhh. Oh, my God!" Cordelia hugged him again. "I was freaking out! You just disappeared."
"What? I took off." Angel went to his bed for the shirt.
Cordelia was confused. "But you didn't say anything. You just left."
Angel pulled on the shirt. "Yeah. Like I really wanted to stick around after that."
"What?"
"You got a lot to learn about men, kiddo. Although I guess you proved that last night."
"What are you saying?"
"Let's not make an issue out of it, okay?" Angel went for his coat. "In fact, let's not talk about it at all." He pulled it on. "It happened."
"I-I don't understand. Was it m-me?" Cordelia asked meekly. "Was I not good?"
Angel laughed. "You were great. Really. I thought you were a pro."
"How can you say this to me?" Cordelia asked on the verge of tears.
"Lighten up. It was a good time. It doesn't mean like we have to make a big deal."
"It is a big deal!"
"It's what? Bells ringing, fireworks, a dulcet choir of pretty little birdies?" Angel laughed. "Come on, Cordy. It's not like I've never been there before." He reached his hand up to her face.
Cordelia jerked back. "Don't touch me."
Angel shook his finger at her. "I should've known you wouldn't be able to handle it." He started to go.
"Angel!" Cordelia yelled.
He stopped and faced her.
Cordelia stared at him, teary-eyed. "I love you."
Angel pointed coolly at her. "Love you, too." He turned away. "I'll call you."
He went out the door. Cordelia could only watch him go, extremely upset and confused.
Buffy and her mother were sitting at the island in the kitchen. Joyce had ordered a large supreme pizza for dinner, and they were eating it in silence.
"How was school?" Joyce finally asked.
Buffy shrugged. "It was okay."
There was a knock at the kitchen door. They looked. Lilah was standing outside.
Joyce stood up, walked over, and unlocked the door. "Lilah. What's up?"
"I have news. May I come in?"
"Of course." Joyce stepped aside.
Lilah walked into the kitchen. Joyce closed and locked the door.
Lilah looked at Buffy. "How are you doing, Buffy?"
Buffy shrugged.
"There's a deal on the table."
"A plea deal?" Buffy asked.
Lilah shook her head. "Actually, no, it doesn't require you to plea to anything." She sat down at the island. "The deal is...any potential charges go away...if you agree to work for the Sunnydale Police Department."
Buffy raised her eyebrows. She wasn't expecting this. "They want me to be a cop?"
"No. For one thing, you're underage. Basically, you'd still be the Slayer, but you'd be required to periodically check in with the police and keep them informed of all of the goings-on. In exchange, they will provide you with any assistance that you require."
"I see. And the charges are gone?" Buffy asked her.
Lilah shrugged and nodded. "In effect. But, Buffy, there's no statute of limitations on murder. The police could choose to charge you at any time in the future, if you fuck this up."
Buffy was genuinely curious. "Define fucking this up."
"Killing or harming innocent civilians. Abusing your privileges. Talking publicly about the deal." Lilah helped herself to some pizza.
"Well, I'd need to let my Watcher know. And the Slayerettes would need to know as well."
"The Slayerettes?" Lilah asked in confusion, a slice of pepperoni balancing on her lower lip.
"My friends. They've been protecting Sunnydale while I've been...laying low."
"I see. Well, I suppose that'll be okay, but we'll have to clear it with the police. So...you interested?" Lilah asked her.
Buffy suddenly hesitated. She looked at her mother. "What do you think I should do?"
Joyce waved her hand. "It's your decision."
"But still...I could use some moral guidance."
Joyce stared at her daughter. "You deserve to be punished. You know this."
Buffy nodded. "I know. But maybe...this is my punishment. Being thrown back into my work. Being held to task. Being held accountable for my actions."
Joyce shrugged. "Maybe."
"You yourself wanted to protect me. To keep me free."
"So I did."
Realizing she'd get nothing more from her mother, Buffy looked at Lilah. "I'll take the deal."
Lilah nodded. "Let's go to the station. Just remember: keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking."
When they got to the police station, Detective Stein took them into the interrogation room and presented them with a lot of paperwork. Lilah carefully went through it all with Buffy and Joyce.
"Please sign and date where marked, Ms. Summers."
Buffy did.
Detective Stein looked at Joyce. "Mrs. Summers, as Buffy's legal guardian, you are to ensure her day-to-day compliance with these terms and conditions."
Joyce nodded. "I understand."
"Please sign and date where marked."
Joyce did. Then Lilah did.
Afterward, Buffy was taken to have her picture taken. She also had to sign her name and be fingerprinted. Then she was sent to Detective Stein's desk to wait. She sat down in front of the desk. Her mother and Lilah were talking privately a distance away.
Detective Stein arrived, sat down at his desk, and pushed a card and a badge to Buffy. "Your ID and shield. You are required to keep them on your person at all times when you are out of your house."
Buffy picked them up and looked at them.
"Are we clear?" Detective Stein asked her pointedly.
Buffy looked at him. "Yes, sir."
"Welcome to the Sunnydale Police Department." Detective Stein stood up. "Before we go, there's someone that wants to meet you."
Buffy stood up, curious. She followed Detective Stein. Her mother and Lilah joined them. They headed toward the lobby.
Buffy looked at Lilah and leaned over to her ear. "How did you get them to agree to this?"
"Oh, it wasn't me. It was-"
"Mayor Wilkins!" Detective Stein greeted.
Mayor Richard Wilkins was waiting in the lobby for them. He looked to be a somewhat older man with short, neatly trimmed brown hair. Buffy stared at him in surprise.
Mayor Wilkins grinned. "There's the woman of the hour!" He offered Buffy his right hand.
Buffy timidly offered her right hand to the mayor. He clasped it and eagerly shook it. Buffy felt uncomfortable. When he released her hand, Buffy rubbed it.
"Paul, can I get a picture with this young lady?" Wilkins requested.
"Sure." Detective Stein did not sound enthusiastic.
Wilkins offered Stein a Polaroid camera. Stein took it.
Wilkins looked at Buffy. "Put the badge on. Show your ID."
Buffy clipped her badge to her shirt. She took out her wallet, put her identification card in front, opposite her driver's license, and held it facing forward. Mayor Wilkins put an arm around Buffy's shoulders and pulled her close. Buffy felt very uncomfortable.
"Smile!" Wilkins told her, flashing a grin.
Buffy forced a smile. Stein took a picture. It came out, and he offered it to Wilkins.
"Oh, one more for the newest of Sunnydale's finest."
Stein took another photo. He gave the first one and the camera to Wilkins and the second one to Buffy. Buffy put her wallet back into her pocket.
"Well, I gotta skedaddle! Nice to meet you, Buffy! Be seeing you!" Wilkins hurried out the door.
"Same!" Buffy called back.
Detective Stein walked away without saying goodbye, bringing the proceedings to an unceremonious end.
Lilah looked at Buffy and smiled. "Well, I suppose congratulations are in order. It looks like you got an early happy birthday."
Buffy didn't say anything.
Lilah cleared her throat, looked at Joyce, and offered her right hand. "Joyce."
Joyce shook her hand. "Lilah."
When they let go, Buffy impulsively hugged Lilah tightly. Lilah let out a startled yelp.
"Thank you!" Buffy told Lilah, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wanted to kiss Lilah on the cheek but restrained herself.
Lilah gently hugged Buffy. "Stay out of trouble. Keep your nose clean. And listen to your mother."
"I will!" Buffy promised.
They released each other. Lilah nodded at mother and daughter and then turned and walked outside.
Buffy looked at her mother, who stared at her for a moment and then walked outside without a word. Buffy followed her silently.
Jenny went to her Uncle Enyos' hotel room. He was currently lecturing Jenny.
"You know what it is, this thing vengeance?" Enyos asked her.
"Uncle, I have served you. I have been faithful. I need to know-"
"To the modern man, vengeance is a verb, an idea. Payback. One thing for another. Like commerce. Not with us. Vengeance is a living thing. It passes through generations. It commands. It kills."
"You told me to watch Angel. You told me to keep him from the girl. I tried. But there are other factors. There are terrible things happening here that we cannot control."
"We control nothing. We are not wizards, Janna. We merely play our part."
"Angel could be of help to us. I mean...he may be the only chance we have to stop the Judge."
"It is too late for that."
"Why?"
"The curse. Angel is meant to suffer, not to live as human. One moment of true happiness, of contentment, one moment where the soul that we restored no longer plagues his thoughts, and that soul is taken from him."
"Then...if, somehow, if...if it's happened...then Angelus is back."
"I hoped to stop it. But I realize now it was arranged to be so."
"Cordelia loves him."
"And now she will have to kill him."
Jenny stood up. "Unless he kills her first! Uncle, this is insanity! People are going to die."
"Yes. It is not justice we serve. It is vengeance."
Jenny sighed and grabbed her coat and bag. "You are a fool. We're all fools."
Amy and Katrina were on their way back to the library from the restroom.
"What about the Judge? Where do we stand?" Katrina asked Amy.
"On a pile of really boring books that say exactly the same thing."
"Lemme guess: 'no weapon forged'."
"'It took an army.'"
"Yeah, where's an army when you need one?" Katrina asked.
Amy suddenly had an idea.
"What?" Katrina asked her.
Amy shook her head. "I had an idea, but it's too fucking crazy to work."
"What is it?" Katrina asked out of curiosity.
The lights suddenly went out.
"What's going on?" Katrina asked.
"Let's get to the library."
"Amy. Katrina."
They turned to look. Angel - or rather Angelus - was standing there.
Katrina smiled. "Angel."
Amy smiled. "Thank Goddess you're okay. Did you see Cordelia?"
"Yeah. What's up with the lights?" Angelus asked them.
Amy shook her head. "I don't know."
"I...I got something to show you."
"Show us?" Katrina asked.
"Yeah. Trina, go get the others."
"Okay." Katrina turned and ran off.
"And Amy. Come here."
Amy slowly walked toward him. "What is it, Angel?"
"It's amazing."
Katrina was running for the library, but suddenly she stopped and turned around, realizing something was wrong.
Jenny arrived in the hall opposite Angelus, holding up a cross. "Amy, get away from him."
Amy stopped and looked at her. "What?"
"Walk to me."
"What are you talking about? It's Ang-"
Angelus had sneaked up behind her and grabbed her by the throat. She struggled initially but then concentrated and slowly pulled back his fingers. However, Angelus was able to get his fingers back around Amy's throat with some effort.
Katrina ran through the door from the other hall. "Don't do that!"
"Oh, I think I'll do that."
Amy gasped. "Angel..."
"He's not Angel anymore. Are you?" Jenny asked him.
"Wrong. I am Angel." Angelus tightened his grip on Amy. "At last!"
Katrina stared in horror. "Oh, my God." She was about to run toward them and attempt to tackle Angelus to the floor.
Angelus wagged a finger at her. "I got a message for Cordy."
Cordelia arrived behind him. "Why don't you give it to me yourself?"
Angelus spun around with Amy to face her. "Well, it's not really the kind of message you tell. It sort of involves finding the bodies of all your friends."
He tightened his grip on Amy even more, and she let out another pained yelp.
Cordelia stared at him. "This can't be you."
"Gee, we already covered that subject."
"Angel, there must be some part of you inside that still remembers who you are."
"Dream on, schoolgirl."
Katrina took the cross from Jenny and started toward Angelus.
"Your boyfriend is dead. You're all gonna join him."
Cordelia stared daggers at him. "Leave Amy alone and deal with me."
Angelus pinched Amy's cheek. "But she's so cute and helpless. Really a turn-on."
Katrina shoved the cross into Angelus' face from behind. "Get away from my girlfriend, you fucking asshole!"
He reeled back and dropped Amy. She cried out as she fell backward into Katrina, and they collapsed against the wall. Angelus turned to Jenny and warded her off with a hand as he started to back down the hall. When he reached Cordelia, he grabbed her by the shoulders. She inhaled in fright.
"Things are about to get very interesting." Angelus kissed her, shoved her into the wall, and backed out the door.
Amy and Katrina got up.
"Cordy, you okay?" Katrina asked her.
Cordelia just stared at the door.
They returned to the library, where they informed Tara and Harmony of what had happened. Giles paced. The girls sat at the table. Jenny was leaning against the shelves behind them.
"And we're absolutely certain that - that Angel has reverted to his former self?" Giles asked.
Amy nodded. "Absofuckinglutely."
"Giles, you wouldn't have believed him. He was so..." Katrina shuddered. "He came here to kill us."
"What are we gonna do?" Harmony asked.
Giles looked at her. "I'm leaning towards blind panic myself."
Jenny looked at him. "Rupert, don't talk like that. The kids."
"I'm sorry. It's just that things are bad enough with the Judge here. Angel crossing over to the other side...I-I-I wasn't prepared for that."
"None of us were."
Harmony noticed Cordelia looking down sadly. "Are you okay?"
Cordelia shook her head.
"Is there anything I can do?"
Cordelia shook her head. "I should've known. When I saw him at his apartment, he was different. The things he said-"
"What things?" Giles asked her.
"It's private."
"But you didn't know he had turned bad?" Jenny asked her.
Amy looked at Jenny. "How did you?"
Jenny looked at Amy. "What?"
"Well, you knew. You told me to get away from him."
"Well, I saw his fangs."
"If only we knew how it happened." Giles sat on the table.
"What do you mean?" Tara asked him.
"Well, something set it off. Some - Some, uh, event must've triggered his transformation." Giles looked at Cordelia. "Well, if anyone would know, Cordelia, it - it should be you."
"I don't."
"Well, did anything happen last night that - that might-"
"Giles, please, I can't." Cordelia stood up and ran from the library.
"Cordelia, I'm sorry, but we can't afford to...Cordelia!" Giles yelled.
Harmony watched Cordelia run, realizing what had happened. "Giles, shut up."
Giles sighed. "I'm not sure what we should do about Cordelia."
Jenny looked at him. "Assuming they don't attack tonight, I think we should just let her be."
Harmony nodded. "I agree."
Giles shook his head. "I-I-I can imagine what she's going through."
Harmony shook her head. "No, I don't think you can."
There was a knock on the front door. Buffy walked over and looked through the peephole. She saw Tara and Amy standing outside. She unlocked and opened the door.
Tara offered Buffy a weak smile. "Hey."
"Hey."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "How are you feeling?"
Buffy shrugged. "Well, I'm off the hook for..." She fell silent.
"Did your lawyer cut a deal?" Tara asked her.
"Something like that." Buffy stepped aside. "Come in. We've got leftover pizza in the fridge. I'll tell you all about it."
Tara and Amy walked into the house. Buffy closed and locked the door.
"So what's been going on?" Buffy asked them as she headed toward the kitchen. "How's Cordy?"
Tara and Amy followed her.
"She's a mess." Amy sighed. "Better reheat all of that pizza. Shit just got real."
Buffy, Tara, and Amy were sitting at the island, eating pizza. Tara and Amy filled Buffy in.
"This is great. There's an unkillable demon in town, Angel's joined his team, Cordy is a basket case..." Tara sighed. "I'd say we've hit bottom."
"I have a plan."
Buffy and Tara looked at Amy.
"I don't know what's up with Angel, but I think I may have a way to deal with this Judge asshole. I had dismissed the idea at first. Too crazy. But with you working for the police..." Amy paused and stared at Buffy. "Just how much assistance do you think they can provide you?"
Buffy raised an eyebrow.
Cordelia walked into her room and gently closed the door behind her.
She sniffed as she unbuttoned her coat. She took it off and tossed it onto her desk chair. She looked down at the ring on her hand that Angel gave her. She pulled it off her finger and looked at it, bursting into tears. She went to her bed and lay on it, clutching the ring and crying uncontrollably. She curled up on her bed. Eventually, she fell asleep.
Cordelia and Angel were in bed, caressing each other. Cordelia ran her hand down his back, over his tattoo. They both had on their rings. Angel kissed her gently on the neck. Cordelia held him with her ringed hand. She kissed his fingers. They moved sensually, fully nude, him gently fucking her in the ass.
Cordelia gasped in delight. "Oh, yes, that's it, Angel. Fuck my ass."
Angel kissed her lips tenderly. "I love you."
She opened her eyes and for an instant saw his fangs.
A funeral was being held outside in bright daylight. Angel walked up to the grave. Cordelia looked over at him.
Angel looked up at her, his face bathed in sunlight. "You have to know what to see."
She looked at him, not really understanding, and then back down at the grave. She looked over at the other people attending the funeral and saw Jenny lifting the veil from her face.
Cordelia woke with a start, eyes open wide, in the light of day. She suddenly realized Jenny had something to do with this.
She couldn't locate her keys, but that didn't deter her. She walked to school. Once she got to school, Cordelia marched straight to Ms. Calendar's classroom.
There were students sitting at all of the computers, but Cordelia didn't care. Jenny and Giles saw her come in and smiled in greeting.
"Oh, Cordelia."
Cordelia went right past Giles, straight to Jenny, put her hand around her throat, and shoved her back onto her desk.
"Cordelia!" Giles tried to pull her off.
"What do you know?!" Cordelia demanded of Jenny.
A male student got up. "Should I get the principal?"
Giles looked at the class. "No, I-I-I'll deal with this. Y-Y-You're - You're all dismissed!"
All of the students got up and left the classroom.
"Did you do it? Did you change him?" Cordelia asked Jenny, tightening her grip around her neck.
Jenny gasped for air.
"For God's sake, calm down!" Giles told Cordelia.
"Did you know this was gonna happen?" Cordelia asked, digging her fingernails into Jenny's throat. "Answer me, you fucking cunt!"
Jenny struggled to breathe and felt herself losing consciousness.
Buffy happened to walk by the classroom, looked in, and gasped in shock. She ran inside. "Cordy, don't!"
"I'll fucking kill you!" Cordelia threatened Jenny.
Buffy pulled on Cordelia's shoulders. "Cordy, stop! Stop it!"
"Stay out of this, Buffy! The bitch deserves it!" Cordelia told her, her eyes fixated on Jenny.
"Cordy, don't become me!" Buffy pleaded.
Cordelia faltered.
"Don't become me! You're better than me!" Buffy started crying. "Show me up! Prove you're better than me!"
Cordelia let go and stepped back, horrified at what she'd almost done. She looked at Buffy. "Oh, God, Buffy, thank you. If you hadn't gotten through to me, I would have choked the life out of her."
"Why did you think she deserved it?" Buffy asked her.
"She had something to do with Angel's transformation."
Giles looked at Cordelia. "You can't go around accusing everybody-"
"I didn't know...exactly."
Giles, Cordelia, and Buffy looked at Jenny.
"I was told...Oh, God. I was sent here to watch Angel. They told me to keep you and Angel apart. They never told me what would happen."
Giles was surprised and confused. "Jenny!"
"I'm sorry, Rupert. Angel was supposed to pay for what he did to my people."
"And me? What was I supposed to be paying for?" Cordelia asked her, angry.
"I didn't know what would happen until after. I swear I would've told you."
Cordelia felt sick as her suspicion was confirmed. "So it was me. I did it."
"I think so. I mean...if you-"
"I don't understand."
Jenny looked at Giles. "The curse. If Angel achieved true happiness, even just a moment of..." She paused. "He would lose his soul."
Giles looked at Cordelia. "W-W-W-H-H-How do you know you were responsible f-for-"
Cordelia gave him a look.
Giles took off his glasses. "Oh."
They all looked down.
"If there is anything that-"
Cordelia looked at Jenny. "Curse him again."
"No, I-I can't. I mean...that magic is long lost even to my people."
"You did it once. It might not be too late to save him."
"It can't be done. I can't help you."
"Then take me to someone who can."
Jenny, Cordelia, and Giles walked into the hotel room.
"Oh, my God." Jenny rushed in to her uncle.
He was laid out on the bed, dead and covered with blood. Cordelia looked up at the wall behind him. A message was written there in blood: "WAS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO."
Giles looked at Cordelia. "He's doing this deliberately, Cordelia. He's trying to make it harder for you."
Cordelia stared at the message. "He's only making it easier. I know what I have to do."
"What?" Giles asked her.
"Kill him."
In Giles' office, Buffy lifted a long crate onto his desk. Giles, Amy, and Cordelia were standing nearby.
"Happy Birthday, Cordy. I hope you like the color." Buffy stepped back.
Buffy and Cordelia looked down at the box. Giles positioned a crowbar on the lock.
Buffy was tense. "Giles, we go to the factory first, but they might not be there. They're on the offensive. We need to figure out where they'd go."
Giles lifted on the crowbar and broke the clasp. "Agreed." He opened the box.
Cordelia looked into the box. "This is good." She looked at Buffy. "But it clashes with my outfit. You should use it, Buffy."
Buffy looked at her in surprise. "You sure?"
"Yeah. There's only one target that I'm after."
Jenny arrived in the doorway. "Do you, uh..."
Giles looked at her.
"Is there something I can do?" Jenny asked.
Cordelia avoided eye contact with her. "Get out."
"I-I just want to help."
Giles looked away. "She just said get out."
Cordelia looked at Giles. He looked sadly into the crate. Jenny turned around and left.
Amy looked at Buffy. "Do you want me to show you how to use it?"
Buffy nodded. "Fuck yeah."
Buffy, Cordelia, Harmony, and Giles went to Spike's warehouse. It was deserted.
Buffy walked up to the table. "I knew it."
Giles looked up and around. "We haven't a bead on where they would go?"
Buffy sighed. "I don't know, uh...somewhere crowded, I guess. I mean...the Judge needs bodies, right?"
"The Bronze?" Cordelia suggested.
Harmony looked at her. "It's closed tonight."
Cordelia sighed. "There's not a lot of choices in Sunnydale. It's not like people are gonna line up to get massacred."
Harmony thought for a moment. "Uh, guys? If I was gonna line up, I know where I'd go."
The team assembled, and Buffy drove them to the Sunnydale Mall. Buffy, Cordelia, Tara, Amy, Katrina, Harmony, and Giles crowded into an elevator. Buffy hit the button for the second floor, and the elevator carried them up.
The doors opened, and Buffy strode out. Giles and Amy followed, carrying the crate on their shoulders. The others brought up the rear.
Buffy marched toward her target, full of determination, crossbow in hand. "Everybody keep back. Damage control only. Take out any lesser vamps if you can. I'll handle the Smurf."
Buffy headed toward the refreshment stand, climbed on top of it, stood next to the Pepsi dispenser, and readied her crossbow. Her friends were standing around the refreshment stand, and Amy was opening the crate.
A young couple came up the stairs on the right. The Judge extended his arms, and his energy arced out to and through them. The Judge's energy arced through everyone in the area. They all froze where they stood. The Judge smiled widely. Angelus and Drusilla were enjoying the show.
Drusilla bounced with glee. "Oh, goody!"
Buffy fired a crossbow bolt. It hit the Judge in the chest and broke his concentration. The arcs of energy disappeared, and the people were all dazed.
The Judge grabbed at the bolt and pulled it from his chest. "Who dares?"
Angelus and Drusilla looked over at the refreshment stand.
Buffy smiled. "Think I got his attention."
"You're a fool. No weapon forged can stop me."
Buffy lowered the bow. "That was then."
Amy handed her the weapon from the box, and she raised the anti-tank rocket launcher to her shoulder.
"This is now." Buffy powered it on.
Angelus and Drusilla exchanged a look. Buffy set her sights and opened the trigger guard. The rest of the team took cover behind the snack counter. Angelus and Drusilla began to run. Buffy took aim. The Judge just looked at her. Angelus and Drusilla leaped over the stair railing. Buffy was ready.
"What's that do?" the Judge asked her.
Buffy pulled the trigger, and the rocket flew straight into the Judge's chest as Angelus and Drusilla flew over the railing. The Judge disappeared in an explosion of flame and smoke. The people in the mall screamed and started to panic and run. Angelus and Drusilla hit the floor below. Bits of charred Judge fell all around them. Buffy looked up from the rocket launcher's sights and looked over at them in satisfaction. Angelus got up and ran off. Drusilla freaked out and ran the other way. The team looked over the counter at what was left of the Judge. The smoke cloud from the explosion billowed its way up to the ceiling.
Buffy handed the weapon down to Amy, who put it back in the crate.
"Do you think he's dead?" Amy asked her.
"We can't be sure. Pick up the pieces and keep them separate."
They all started over to collect what was left of the Judge.
"Pieces? We get the pieces. Our job sucks!" Harmony complained.
Buffy jumped down from the refreshment stand and grinned. "Ooh, Pepsi!" She looked around. "Excuse me? I'd like to make a purchase?"
A frightened employee stood up behind her. "Um, on the house!"
"Cool!" Buffy grabbed a large cup and filled it with regular Pepsi.
Refreshment in hand, Buffy casually sipped her drink as she went to find a payphone to call the police.
Angelus came by and looked over at Cordelia. Frightened customers were running every which way. Cordelia saw him and started to give chase. Angelus struggled past some people and ran. Parts of the Judge lay everywhere and were still burning. The smoke reached the sprinklers, and they turned on everywhere.
Cordelia arrived at the side hall where she last saw Angelus. The sprinklers rained down on her, and she was getting soaked. She couldn't see Angelus anywhere. Suddenly, he came at her and hit her from behind. She fell over backward.
"You know what the worst part was, huh? Pretending that I loved you. If I'd known how easily you'd give it up, I wouldn't have even bothered."
Cordelia got up. "That doesn't work anymore. You're not Angel." Even as she said it, though, she was having her doubts.
"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? It doesn't matter. The important thing is you made me the man I am today!" Angelus smiled evilly.
Cordelia kicked him in the face. He blocked her next swing and punched her in the face and in the gut. He grabbed her and swung her around to throw her, but her footing was good, and she regained her balance. He kicked her in the face, and this time she fell to the floor. Angelus grabbed Cordelia as she tried to get up and heaved her over onto her back again. She rolled around to her feet and came at him. She swung, but he blocked and hit her instead. He followed up with a backhand punch, and she hit the floor again.
"Not quittin' on me already, are ya?"
Cordelia looked up at him.
"Come on, Cordy. You know you want it, huh?"
She leaped up and kicked him in the face. He arched backward and then snapped forward. Cordelia kneed him in the chin and then delivered a series of punches to his gut. She ended with a punch to his face. He wasn't fazed and lunged at her. She grabbed his arm and diverted him into a display case. He crashed through the glass but immediately straightened back up, breaking the top pane and the frame of the case as well. She kicked him in the face and again in the chest, and he staggered backward into a potted tree. She pulled out a stake and stood ready to finish the job. Angelus straightened up and faced her. Cordelia didn't move to strike but instead lowered the stake and just stared at him.
"You can't do it. You can't kill me."
Her anger took over, and she kicked him extremely hard in the penis. Angelus grabbed his penis and moaned in extreme pain. He collapsed to his knees.
Cordelia turned her back on him and walked away. "Give me time."
Buffy pulled up in her van on the street in front of Cordelia's house to drop her off. She looked over at her and shut off the engine. They unfastened their seatbelts. The only noise was that of the crickets outside.
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "It's not over. I suppose you know that. He'll come after you, especially. According to Giles, he's likely to strike out at the things that made him the most human."
Cordelia looked at her. "You must be so disappointed in me."
"No." Buffy shook her head. "No, no, I'm not. Far from it."
"But this is all my fault."
"No, it's not. I know you loved him. And...he...has proven more than once that he loved you. You couldn't have known what would happen. The coming months are gonna be hard...on all of us."
Cordelia shook her head, ashamed of herself. "But you're still dealing with your...issues, and here I was, needing you to help my sorry ass."
Buffy stared into Cordelia's eyes. "I will always have to deal with my issues. I made my bed, and I have to lie in it. But I was going insane with nothing to do, and I needed to get back into action, so don't blame yourself for that. If it's guilt you're looking for, Cordy, I'm - I'm not your girl. All you will get from me is - is my support. And my respect. And my love. You supported me when I was at my lowest, and now I'm doing the same for you. That's what friends do for each other. You have the potential to be a great Slayer, Cordelia. If whatever...powers that be...choose you, well, they could do worse."
Cordelia smiled at Buffy through her tears. They hugged each other warmly.
When they released each other, Buffy suddenly remembered something. "Oh!" She opened the glove compartment and took out a small, wrapped present. "Here's your present. I know it's two days late, but after the party was interrupted..."
Cordelia took the present and unwrapped it. It was a small jewelry box. She opened it. Inside was a silver necklace and silver heart locket.
Cordelia touched it with her fingers. "Oh, my God, it's beautiful. Thank you." She looked at Buffy. "But I'm not dating you."
Buffy laughed for the first time in a long while. "Tara will be glad to hear that. I had gotten it for you to put a picture of Angel inside, so he'd always be close to your heart."
Cordelia smiled warmly at Buffy. "Thank you."
Cordelia was sitting on the couch in the living room, her legs drawn up.
Her mother came in, holding a plate with two cupcakes, one with a candle, and a large coffee mug. "Daddy sends his wishes. He's sorry he couldn't be here."
"Uh-huh. But my birthday was two days ago, y'know. January 14?" Cordelia reminded her.
"Was it?" Charisma set down the plate and mug and looked around for the matches. "Harmony dropped off the rest of your real cake earlier." She found the matches.
"No. This is good."
Charisma sat back on the couch with her legs drawn up. "So what'd you do for your birthday? Did you have fun?"
Cordelia looked down, then back up. "I got older."
Charisma looked into her face. "You look the same to me."
She leaned forward to the table and struck a match to light the candle. The wick started to burn, and she blew out the match. She set the matchbook and spent match on the table and leaned back on the couch again, facing her daughter.
"Happy Birthday." Charisma smiled. "I don't have to sing, do I?"
Cordelia looked down at her hands. "No."
Charisma indicated the burning candle. "Well, go on, make a wish."
Cordelia stared at it for a long moment. "I'll just let it burn."
Charisma reached up and stroked her daughter's hair. Cordelia leaned over and rested her head on her mother. Charisma continued gently stroking Cordelia's hair.
Chapter 57: Phases
Chapter Text
"Phases"
Based on the Episode Written by Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
At Sunnydale High, Buffy, Tara, and Oz were walking down the hall together.
"So did you like the movie last night?" Tara asked Oz.
"I don't know. T-Today's movies are kind of like popcorn. You know, you forget about them as soon as they're done."
"So you're basically saying you just don't like the Spice Girls?" Buffy guessed.
Oz nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."
Buffy smiled at him. "So tell me what you want, what you really, really want."
"I do remember I liked the popcorn."
Neither Buffy nor Tara knew how to build off that.
That night, Cordelia and Harmony were sitting in Cordelia's father's car in a secluded area of the park and snorting lines of cocaine.
"How are you holding up?" Harmony asked her.
Cordelia nodded. "I'm holding. I was going on two minutes there without thinking about Angel."
Harmony smiled, trying to be cheerful. "Well, there you go." She heard some rustling outside. "Did you hear that?"
"What is it?" Cordelia asked her.
"I thought I heard something."
An instant later, Harmony heard more rustling, louder this time.
"Okay, now I know I heard something."
A hairy arm with a clawed hand punched through the convertible top. Cordelia screamed and made a grab for the keys.
"Get us outta here!" Harmony cried.
The creature on the roof of the car snarled as it reached around for them inside. The keys weren't in the ignition, and Cordelia frantically searched for them on the floor.
Cordelia screamed. "Where are the keys?"
"We should be moving! Let's go!" Harmony yelled.
Cordelia found the keys. "Oh, I got 'em! Got 'em!"
She fumbled with the keys but managed to get them into the ignition and started the car. She put it into reverse and screamed as she gunned the car backward a ways and then slammed on the brakes. The beast tumbled off the back and into a tree. Cordelia got the car in drive and sped away. There was a gaping hole in the ragtop as Cordelia maneuvered back to the road and raced off.
The next day, in the school parking lot, Buffy inspected the hole in the roof.
"And you're sure it was a werewolf?" Buffy got off the car.
Cordelia pretended to think about it. "Well, let's see, um, six feet tall, claws, a big old snout in the middle of his face like a wolf. Um, yeah, I'm sticking with my first guess."
Oz nodded. "Seems wise."
Harmony thought of something. "Oh, oh, and then there was that little thing where it tried to bite us."
Cordelia looked at Harmony. "It was so awful."
"I know."
"Daddy just had this car detailed."
Giles came up behind Buffy with a newspaper.
"So what's the word?" Buffy asked him.
"Well, it seems there were a-a number of other attacks by a wild dog around town." Giles handed the paper to Buffy. "Several animal carcasses were found mutilated."
"You mean...like bunnies and stuff?" Tara asked, and then she was upset. "No, don't tell me."
Buffy looked at Tara reassuringly. "Oh, don't worry. I mean...they might not look it, but bunnies can really take care of themselves."
Tara calmed down and smiled. "Yeah."
Buffy smiled. "Yeah."
Giles took the paper back. "Yes, uh, um, fortunately, no people were injured. Well, for now. But my guess is that this werewolf will be back at next month's full moon."
"What about tonight's full moon?" Tara asked him.
Giles was confused. "Pardon?"
"Well, last night was the night before the full moon. The full moon in tonight: February 11."
Cordelia looked at Tara. "You sure?"
Tara gave Cordelia a look.
"Right. Never mind."
Giles thought about that. "Meaning the accepted legend that werewolves only prowl during a full moon might be erroneous."
Cordelia shrugged. "Or it could be bullshit."
Buffy looked at Giles. "Looks like Giles has some schooling to do."
"Yes, I must admit I-I am intrigued. Werewolves, it's...it's one of the classics." Giles started walking away. "I-I'm sure my books and I are in for a fascinating afternoon." He left.
Buffy, Tara, Harmony, and Cordelia watched him go.
Buffy smirked at Giles' typical behavior. "He needs to get a pet."
Later, in the gym, the class was seated on the bleachers, listening to Litto, the female self-defense coach.
"Sunnydale is becoming more dangerous all the time. And a full moon like tonight tends to bring out the crazies, but, with some simple basics of self-defense, each of you can learn how to protect yourself."
Buffy and Tara exchanged amused smiles.
"What you wanna do is gain advantage of the situation as quickly as possible. Your attacker may have the benefit of surprise. But if you plot ahead, then you can turn that advantage to yourself. By being prepared, you have the power. Okay, everyone get into your assigned groups."
The students all got up from the bleachers and went down to the floor. Larry Blaisdell took off his sweat jacket and went to the table in front of them to check which group that he was in.
Cordelia saw his arm all wrapped up in a bandage just above the elbow. "What happened?"
"Oh, last week, some huge dog jumped out of the bushes and bit me. Thirty-nine stitches. They oughta shoot those strays."
"I've been there, man." Oz held up his finger. "My cousin Jordy just got his grownup teeth in? Does not like to be tickled."
Larry just shook his head and then went over to Theresa Klusmeyer, a girl with long black hair, who was doing stretching exercises.
Larry leaned close to her ear. Theresa!"
Theresa straightened up, startled.
"Be still, my shorts. We're in the same group." Larry chuckled and nodded. "I may have to attack you."
"No, a-a-actually, I think, uh, in our group, there are a few of us."
Buffy joined Theresa. "And I'm one of the few."
Tara and Cordelia joined her. Larry smiled in amusement.
A few minutes later, everyone was lined up and paired off, girls in front, boys in back.
"Okay, everyone, listen up. I wanna show you what to do should you be attacked from behind." Coach Litto looked at Buffy. "In this situation, bend forward, using your back and shoulders to flip the assailant over to the ground." She bent Buffy over to demonstrate.
The other girls all bent over, too. The boys followed Larry's lead and put their arms around the girls' necks. Buffy grabbed Larry's arm and immediately flipped him over hard onto the mats in front of them. Cordelia followed suit with Jonathan, and Tara did likewise with Oz. Larry, Jonathan, and Oz groaned as they lay there. Buffy, Cordelia, and Tara smiled at each other. Coach Litto looked over at them.
Later, in the library, Giles was demonstrating the phases of the moon to Buffy and Cordelia using a large Earth globe with a smaller moon globe attached by a bar. "And, uh, while there's absolutely no scientific explanation for lunar effect on the human psyche, uh, the phases of the moon, uh, do seem to exert a great deal of psychological influence. And th-the full moon is - is - seems to bring out our darkest qualities. Y-You see, uh, the - the werewolf, uh, is such a-a potent e-e-extreme representation of our inborn animalistic traits that it e-emerges for three full consecutive nights: the full moon and, uh, the two nights surrounding it. And it, uh, acts on - on pure instinct. No conscience, uh, uh, predatory, and - and aggressive."
Buffy smiled. "In other words, your typical male."
"Let's not jump to any conclusions."
"I didn't jump. I took a tiny step, and there conclusions were."
"The point is that our Wolfman could also be a-a-a Wolfwoman, or - or anyone who was bitten by a werewolf."
"So then I'm guessing your standard silver bullets are in order here?" Cordelia asked.
"No. No bullets. No matter who this werewolf is, i-it's still a human being, who may be completely unaware of his or her condition."
Buffy nodded. "So tonight we bring 'em back alive."
That night, Buffy, Cordelia, and Giles went to a secluded area of the park. Several cars were parked there with couples making out. The moon was full. Giles walked by some cars, holding his flashlight out in front of him. Buffy and Cordelia met up with him.
"Anything yet?" Giles asked them quietly.
Cordelia nodded, keeping her voice low. "Yes. And you won't believe what I saw. Brittany Podell was making out with Gwen Stadeel, but she goes with Barrett Williams."
Giles and Buffy gave her a look.
"If she ever found..." Cordelia noticed their looks. "No, um, no, no sign of the werewolf. How about you?"
Buffy shrugged. "Uh, the same."
Giles looked around. "I thought we might, uh...I thought we might knock on a few windows, uh, ask if anyone has seen anything yet."
Buffy gave him a look. "Giles, no one's seen anything."
"Oh, yes. No, of - of - of course not, no. Yes." Giles went off to continue looking.
Buffy and Cordelia stared after him a moment and then headed off into the bushes themselves. They separated. Buffy scanned around with her flashlight as she walked into a small clearing. Suddenly, she heard a noise like a latch releasing and yelped as she found herself being pulled up in a net trap.
Below her, a hunter pointed his scoped, double-barreled flintlock up at her and pulled back the hammer. "Gotcha!" He took a closer look at what he'd caught. "What the hell?"
"Cordy! Giles!" Buffy yelled.
Giles came running. "Hey!" He saw Cain with his gun. "Whoa!" He held his arms up.
"Hands are good right about there."
"Who - Who are you? What are you doing?" Giles asked.
"The name's Gib Cain. I'm the one with the gun, which means I'm the one who gets to do the interviewing."
"Ahem. Hey, before we get all chummy here, how about we do something about me being in this net thing?" Buffy asked.
Cain hesitated.
Cordelia suddenly arrived next to him and pulled the gun from his hands. She pointed the gun at Cain. "You heard the lady. Release her, asshole."
Cain sighed, pulled out his buck-knife, and cut the rope holding up the net. It fell, and Buffy hit the ground fairly hard.
Giles reached down to untangle the net. "You all right?"
"Yeah." Buffy got up.
"Gotta say, I'm impressed."
Giles looked at Cain. "Excuse me?"
Buffy looked at Giles, then back at Cain.
"Well, it's good to get the fruit while it's fresh."
Giles frowned. "You'd be wise to take that back."
"Hey, what a man and a girl do in Lovers' Lane at night is nobody's busi-"
Giles made a move toward Cain, but Buffy held him back.
"Oh, okay, hey, enough, repulsive brain. It's not what you think." Buffy looked at Giles. "We're hunting werewolves."
Cain laughed.
Buffy shrugged and smiled. "Okay, it's funny if you don't believe in werewolves."
"No, it's funny thinking about you three catching one. I mean...this guy looks like he's auditioning to be a librarian, and, you, well, you're girls."
"Can I shoot him?" Cordelia asked Buffy.
Buffy raised a hand to stop her.
Giles smiled in amusement. "I assure you they're quite capable."
"Uh-huh. Lemme ask you something, sweethearts. Exactly how many of these animals have you taken out?"
"As of today?" Buffy asked.
"I tore a tooth from the mouth of every werewolf that I killed." Cain held out his necklace. "This next one will bring the total to an even dozen."
"So you're just gonna kill it?" Buffy asked, shocked and suddenly overcome with a sense of guilt.
"Well, see, that's the thing. Their pelts fetch a pretty penny in Sri Lanka, and it's a little hard to skin 'em when they're alive."
"Y-You hunt werewolves f-for sport?" Giles asked him.
"No, no, I'm in it purely for the money."
"And it doesn't bother you that a werewolf is a person most days out of the month?" Buffy asked him.
"That's why I only hunt 'em on three days." Cain crouched down to collect the net. "I'd really love to stay and chat, but I'm on a tight schedule. Any idea where else the boys and girls like to get together around here?"
"You're looking for a party?" Buffy asked him.
"No, but the werewolf is. They're suckers for that whole sexual heat thing. Sense it miles away. Since this little doggie ain't here, I guess he found another place." Cain stood up.
Buffy shrugged. "Sorry. Wish I could help you."
"But you don't know shit?" Cain shook his head. "Goddamn, what a surprise." He grabbed his gun from Cordelia and left.
Buffy turned and headed back to her van. Cordelia and Giles followed him.
"Where are we going?" Giles asked Buffy.
"I think I know where to look. We just have to make it there before mein furrier."
Tara was driving home from the store on her scooter. Ahead of her, Theresa was walking home. She passed a house with a fenced-in front yard overgrown with weeds. She heard some rustling and stopped to look around. Seeing nothing, she continued. She heard more rustling and stopped to look again. Something let out a low growl, and Theresa decided it was time to run. She looked back again, slammed into Angelus, and screamed. Tara frowned and slowed her approach, pulling to the side of the road.
"Everything okay?" Angelus twirled a daisy.
"Yeah, I just, uh, I-I thought I heard something...behind me."
Angelus walked around her to have a look, then turned back to her. "No one there."
"Oh. I guess I was wrong. I could have sworn that-"
"It's okay. It can get pretty scary out here, all alone at night."
"Yeah."
Tara got off her scooter and hurried toward them.
"Hey, don't I know you from somewhere? Don't you go to school with Cordelia?"
"Oh, you know Cordelia?" Theresa smiled.
Angelus chuckled. "Yes, I do, very well."
Theresa kept smiling. "Oh."
"Come on, I'll get you home."
"Back off, asshole!" Tara held out her silver crescent moon pendant to Angelus.
Angelus stayed in place.
Tara kept her eyes fixated on him. "Theresa, get on my scooter. I'll drive you home."
Theresa quickly went and sat on Tara's scooter. Tara slowly backed up, then she turned, ran, got onto her scooter, started it up, and tore off down the road, Theresa holding onto her.
"Who was that guy?!" Theresa asked Tara.
"Angelus! He's a vampire! Stay away from him!" Tara warned her.
Buffy parked her van in the alley outside the Bronze. They saw patrons fleeing for their lives.
Giles looked at Buffy from the back seat. "Looks as though your hunch was right."
"Who could resist Sunnydale's own house of hormones?" Buffy opened the door and got out.
Cordelia opened the passenger door and got out. They made a dash for the door as it was about to be shut by the bouncer.
"Coming through!" Buffy yelled.
She and Cordelia rushed through the door. The door was closed on them, and they looked back at it as it slammed shut with a thud. They slowly stepped into the main area and looked around. The place had been trashed by the panicked people. Tables and chairs were lying everywhere; spilled drinks were splattered on the floor. Buffy saw a shadow behind a bead curtain and made for it. As she walked, she took off her backpack and pulled out a chain. She entered the restroom and backstage area. Buffy saw the bead curtain that led to the stage office swinging. She climbed the few steps and went in. She went through another door to the stage. The chain was wrapped around her forearm, ready to use against the werewolf. Slowly, she stepped out onto the stage.
When she'd passed the drums, the werewolf came out from behind the stage curtains, snarling. Buffy spun around to face it and dropped her backpack. She quickly unraveled a length of chain from her arms and got ready. She threw the chain out, and it wrapped itself perfectly around the werewolf's neck. It began to struggle and yank at the chain, pulling Buffy into and over the drums. The chain fell from the werewolf's neck, and it made a dash for a window. The werewolf crashed through and out into the alley.
"Cordy!" Buffy yelled.
Cordelia ran over to the window and looked out. There was no sign of the werewolf.
"It's gone!" Cordelia called.
Later, the Bronze employees were back and began to straighten things up. Buffy put her chain back into her backpack as Cain watched.
"You let it get away."
"I didn't let it do anything. I had the chain around its neck."
"Chain? What were you gonna do, take it for a walk?"
"I was going to lock it up."
"That's beautiful." Cain approached her. "This is what happens when a woman tries to do a man's job."
"Pipe down, motherfucker!" Cordelia yelled at him, angry. "She did the best that she could!"
Buffy got up and put on the backpack as Giles came up behind Cain.
"Now, you look here, Mr. Cain. This girl risked her life trying to capture a beast that you haven't as yet been able to find." Giles took his bag off his shoulder.
"Uh-huh. And Daddy's doing a great job carrying her bag of milk bones."
Giles threw down his bag but restrained himself.
Cain stepped closer to Buffy. "You know, sis, if that thing out there harms anyone, it's going to be on your pretty little head. I hope you can live with that."
Buffy stared him down. "I live with worse than that. You don't wanna fuck with me."
Cain shook his head. "First, they tell me I can't hunt an elephant for its ivory..." He turned and left. "Now, I've gotta deal with People for the Ethical Treatment of Werewolves."
"Pillock!" Giles exclaimed under his breath. "Right, let's move out. He grabbed his bag and went.
Buffy and Cordelia followed right behind.
They went back to the park. After patrolling for a while, Buffy and Cordelia headed back toward Buffy's van.
"Giles?" Cordelia asked.
When they didn't see anyone in it, they ran up to it.
"Giles!" Buffy yelled. She reached the open window and looked in.
Giles woke and sat up in the back seat. "Uhh!" He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
Buffy smiled. "We didn't see you there. I thought something had happened."
"Oh, no, I'm, uh..."
Buffy opened the driver door and got into the van. Cordelia opened the passenger door and got into the van. A newscast was playing on the radio.
Giles yawned. "I'm okay. I'm just, um, fine...uh, just, uh, I'm, uh...." He paused. "Uh, any sign of the, uh, werewolf?" He put his glasses back on.
Buffy shook her head. "No. I'm guessing you didn't see anything either from that vantage point of having your eyes closed."
"It's, uh, it's, it's, uh, gonna be light soon, so we'd better-"
"Wait." Buffy turned the radio's volume up.
"Police say that the incident was apparently connected to the animal mutilation which occurred last night. The coroner's office has identified the body as that of Sunnydale High School student Larry Blaisdell, age seventeen. The authorities ask that anyone with further information..."
"Buffy, Cordelia, we're gonna get this thing. We have another whole night."
Buffy and Cordelia looked at him.
"There's nothing more we can do now. It's nearly sunrise. That werewolf won't be a werewolf much longer."
A few hours later, inside the school library, Buffy paced, Tara was sitting at the table with Giles behind her, and Cordelia was leaning against the counter.
Buffy was frustrated. "I can't believe I let that thing get away. Cain was right. I shoulda killed it when I had the chance."
Oz came in. "Killed what?"
"Uh, the, uh, the werewolf. It - It - It was out last night."
"Is everybody okay? Did anyone get bitten or - or scratched?" Oz asked.
Tara shook her head. "No, we're fine."
"Gladness."
Cordelia looked at him. "Yeah, but he got someone. Larry."
"'Got' as in..."
"He's dead."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"And I coulda stopped it." Buffy sat next to Tara at the table and pounded the table with her fist in anger. "God damn it!"
Cordelia sighed. "He was an asshole, but-"
"But he didn't deserve to die." Buffy looked at Cordelia.
Cordelia looked at Buffy sadly.
Giles cleared his throat. "Well, we - we have one more night."
"Another night?" Oz asked.
Buffy nodded. "Oh, yeah. Believe me, I'm gonna give that wolfie something to howl about."
"Hmm."
Cordelia walked over to the table. "But while we hang here doing nothing, there's a human werewolf walking around out there, probably making fun of us."
Tara looked at her. "But there's really no way to tell who it is."
Cordelia shrugged dismissively. "Oh, sure there is. Giles knows shit." She closed her eyes. "I'm a big, bad wolf. I'm on the prowl." She sniffed. "I'm sniffing, I'm snarling, I'm a slobbering predator, I'm..." She opened her eyes. "Wait a second! It's right in front of us. It's obvious who I am. I'm Theresa! Larry was always hitting on her! Perfect motive!"
Buffy thought about that. "Larry was awfully gleeful about tormenting Theresa."
Giles shook his head. "Still, that doesn't necessarily mean that-"
"I'm gonna go talk to her. Gonna force a confession out of her." Cordelia started to leave.
"Hold on. We need to cover our bases. Tara, um, check the student files. See if anybody else fits the profile. Uh, Buffy?" Giles asked.
"Where are we going?" Buffy asked him.
"I-If none of that works, I think I may have an alternative." Giles went into his office.
Buffy got up and followed Giles.
Cordelia looked at Oz. "Are you okay?"
"What?"
"You kind of knew Larry."
"Oh, yeah, I, uh, I'm trying not to think about it. It's...It's a lot."
Tara smiled at him. "It is. But we can do stuff to help. Sometimes, it feels good to help."
"Uh-huh."
"Well, like...looking up stuff. I'm gonna be doing that most of the night. You could help me."
"I can't. Um, uh, I'm busy."
"Oh."
"I...I gotta go." Oz jogged out of the library.
Tara watched him go, confused about his behavior. Then she looked at Cordelia. "Cordy, I don't think Theresa's the werewolf. Last night, while you and Buffy were going after it, I saved her from..." She fell silent.
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "From who?"
"Angelus."
Cordelia reflected for a moment. "She could have died. If I had just killed him at the mall..."
Tara put a hand on Cordelia's hand.
A while later, Tara was 'Net-surfing on her laptop.
Buffy walked out of Giles' office and went over to her. "So what's the scuttlebutt? Anybody besides Theresa fit our werewolf profile?" She sat on the table.
"There is one name that keeps getting spit out. Aggressive behavior, run-ins with authorities, about a screenful of violent incidents."
"Okay, most of those were not my fault. Somebody else started 'em. I was just standing up for myself."
Tara looked up at Buffy and smiled. "I know, sweetie."
Buffy bent down and kissed Tara on the lips.
Tara looked back at her laptop. "I'll keep looking." She went back to work.
Buffy looked at the clock on the wall. "Maybe later?"
Tara checked the time in Windows. "Oh, shit, yeah. Thanks." She shut down her laptop, stood up, and put her laptop in its case.
Buffy slid off the table, and Tara followed her as she got her stuff for class.
Tara and Buffy walked out of the library.
Buffy stopped at her locker and reached for the combination lock. She worked the combination, opened her locker, took off her pack, and stuck her pack in her locker. She closed her locker, stopped, and considered.
"What is it?" Tara asked her.
"Nowhere in any of the reports did it say anything about him being mauled." Buffy looked at Tara. "I mean...they were linked to the animal attacks, so we just assumed werewolf."
Tara thought about that. "Vampire?"
"Possibly. After school, I'm gonna go to the funeral home to check it out."
"Okay. I'll see you later. Cordelia asked me to look over her history homework before class. I think that means I might have to do it."
"Okay." Buffy puckered her lips.
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips and then walked away.
After school, Buffy and Cordelia went to the funeral home. Larry was laid out in his coffin with a scarf around his neck.
Buffy pulled it back and saw the bite. "Shit."
"So that's good, right?" Cordelia asked her. "I mean in the sense of the werewolf didn't get her, and..."
Buffy gave her a look.
Cordelia felt ashamed. "No. There is no good here."
"No good. Instead of not protecting Larry from the werewolf, I was able to not protect him from something just as bad." Buffy went over to the guest register and looked at all of the signatures. "He had a lot of friends." She took the pen and added her own.
Theresa walked into the room. "Oh. Sorry, I didn't realize anyone else was here."
"Were you and Larry close?" Cordelia asked her.
Theresa walked over to them. "No, not at all. In fact, I found him really annoying. Still...no one deserves this. To be murdered. Y'know?"
Buffy lowered her eyes. "Yeah. I know."
Theresa took the pen from Buffy and signed her own name in the guestbook, then she offered the pen to Cordelia. "Anyway, I just came to pay my respects, and, holy shit, Larry's a vampire."
Larry sat up, looked over at them, and growled. Buffy and Cordelia turned around and saw him hop out of the coffin. Buffy lunged at Larry, grabbed him, and tried to wrestle him to the floor, but Larry threw her down instead. He dove after Cordelia and tried to pin her, but Cordelia rolled him over and got on top. She made a quick grab for a wooden easel holding a flower wreath and broke off a leg. She was about to thrust it into Larry's chest.
"Angel sends his love."
Cordelia was caught off guard by that and hesitated a moment. Larry kicked Cordelia's arm and sent the stick flying away. He punched her in the face, knocking her to the floor. Buffy was on her feet again and ran at him. He grabbed Buffy by the shoulders, wrestled her onto her back, and pinned her. Buffy struggled to keep him at bay.
Standing behind him, Theresa grabbed the easel and jammed one of its legs through Larry's back, striking his heart. He fell on top of Buffy, dead. Buffy shoved him off her and stared up at Theresa. Theresa tossed the easel aside and offered a hand. Buffy took it. Theresa pulled Buffy to her feet.
Buffy smiled. "Thanks."
Theresa smiled. "No problem."
"Hey, listen, I teach a class at my house. It's about self-defense and also fighting vampires and other monsters. You interested?"
"Maybe. You think I have potential?" Theresa asked.
Buffy nodded. "I think you do." She turned to look at Cordelia. "Cordy..."
"Angel." Cordelia got to her knees.
Buffy leaned down to her and offered a hand. "Are you okay?"
Cordelia took her hand. "This isn't happening." She pulled herself up and hugged Buffy. "He's gonna keep coming after me."
Buffy hugged Cordelia gently. "Don't let him get to you. He's not the same guy you knew."
Cordelia pulled back a bit and looked at Buffy. Buffy looked back kindly. Cordelia let go and walked out. Buffy and Theresa went after her.
Tara walked over to the front door of Oz's house and knocked. She waited a while and then knocked again. No response. She continued knocking insistently. Eventually, the door opened. Oz was standing there.
"Tara! What are you doing?" Oz asked her.
"I came to see if you were okay. You'd left pretty abruptly."
"Tara, this is not a very good time." Oz doubled over in pain and hugged his chest. "Get outta here!"
She stared at him, confused. He fell to the floor and began to rapidly grow hair and mutate into a werewolf. Oz's fingers grew longer and hairier. Oz moaned in pain.
Tara stared at him in horror. "Oh, fuck."
Oz the werewolf leaped to his feet and growled at her. She screamed and jumped backward, away from him. She turned and started to run back to her scooter. She got on, put the key in the ignition, and drove off. Tara drove as fast as she could.
In the library, Giles opened a gun case, undid the straps, and pulled out the stock. He grabbed the barrel and scope assembly and clicked them into place.
Buffy and Cordelia walked up behind him.
Buffy sighed. "Sorry we're late. we had to do some unscheduled slayage in the form of Larry."
Giles stopped his assembling to look at them. "He's a vampire?"
Cordelia nodded. "Was. Angel sent him to me. A little token of his affection."
"Cordelia, I'm so sorry."
Cordelia held up her hand. "Not now, Giles. We can all have ourselves a good cry after we bag us a werewolf."
Giles plugged in the laser sight and held the tranquilizer gun up to check the scope. He checked the trigger mechanism of the gun. "All set." He grabbed a dart. "Let's go find this thing." He started out.
Buffy and Cordelia followed him.
"One question: how exactly do we find this thing?" Buffy asked.
Tara barged into the library. "It's Oz! It's Oz!"
"Wh-What's Oz?" Buffy asked her.
"The werewolf."
"Are you certain?" Giles asked her.
Tara nodded frantically. "He - He changed right in front of me."
"Where is he now?" Buffy asked her.
"I dunno. I eventually stopped and noticed he wasn't following me. In the woods, maybe."
They all started out of the library.
"I put enough Phenobarbital in this thing to sink a small elephant. It should be enough for a large werewolf." Giles grabbed his coat from the counter and held the door open for the girls.
Buffy drove them to the woods. They got out of the van and searched. Soon, they found what they were looking for. The werewolf was approaching a pile of meat that Cain had left out for him.
Cain cocked his flintlock's hammer back and lifted it to his shoulder. "That's it. Let me see you. Come on, suppertime."
The werewolf was on top of the bait now.
Cain took aim. "Good doggy. Now play dead."
He was about to pull the trigger when Buffy kicked him from the side. He fell to the ground, and his gun fired wild. The werewolf looked up from its meal at the commotion. Buffy grabbed Cain's gun and wrestled him for it. She flipped the rifle over, and he followed, landing on his back and letting go of the gun in the process. As he tried to get up, Buffy swung the butt of the rifle around and knocked him down and out. The werewolf came at her, and she ducked his lunge. The werewolf grabbed Buffy and lifted her off her feet. She pushed him back using Cain's gun to keep from being bitten. Giles tried to get a clear shot, but the werewolf turned and held Buffy up between them.
"Careful!" Tara told him.
Giles couldn't get a clear shot. "Damn it!" He kept looking for an opening but was quickly getting frustrated.
Buffy raised the rifle high and smashed it down on the werewolf's head. It dropped her and fell back, stunned. It quickly got up and swiped at her, knocking the gun from her hands. Then the werewolf shoved Buffy away and right into Giles, Cordelia, and Tara, bowling them over. It started to come at them. Tara scrambled for the tranquilizer gun and brought it up to bear. The werewolf charged, and Tara pulled the trigger. The dart hit it in the chest, and it staggered backward a bit before falling over, unconscious.
Tara silently offered the gun back to Giles, unnerved.
"You saved us." Giles took the gun from Tara.
Cordelia hugged Tara, who started shaking. Tara hugged her. Buffy walked over to get Cain's gun.
Cain got to his feet and straightened his coat. "No wonder this town's overrun with monsters. No one here's man enough to kill 'em."
"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure of that."
Cain turned to see Buffy with his flintlock. She grabbed the end of the barrel and bent it into a nice arc right in front of him and then thrust it at him. He looked at her in astonishment.
"How about you let the door hit you in the ass on the way out of town?" Buffy suggested.
Cain made a move to go but stopped to give her another look. She stared back at him, and then he left. Buffy, Cordelia, and Tara looked down at Oz the werewolf.
"You think it'll be okay?" Cordelia asked.
The three girls looked at Giles.
"He'll be a little sore in the morning, but...he'll be Oz."
The next day, at Sunnydale High, Cordelia, Tara, and Buffy walked past the trophy case and into the lounge.
"This is all so weird. I mean...how are we supposed to act when we see him?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy shrugged. "Well, it's gotta be weird for him, too. Now that we know so much."
Cordelia shook her head. "All I know is I'll never be able to look at him the same again."
Tara looked at her. "He's still a human being. Most of the time."
Chapter 58: Passion
Chapter Text
"Passion"
Based on the Episodes "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" Written by Marti Noxon and "Passion" Written by Ty King
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
At Sunnydale High School, in American Literature class, the bell rang.
Ms. Beakman nodded. "Papers on my desk. Anybody tries to leave without giving me a paper is looking at a failing grade."
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina packed their books, notebooks, and pencils into their bookbags, stood up, and got in line to hand in their papers.
Buffy handed in her paper.
"Thank you."
Buffy looked behind her at Tara. "I'll see you in a few seconds."
"Okay." Tara kissed Buffy on the lips.
Buffy headed out of the room as Tara held up her paper as well.
"Thank you."
Tara followed Buffy out. Amy stood in front of Ms. Beakman and stared her down. There was a long silence as Amy concentrated on staring into the teacher's eyes. Katrina, standing behind Amy, slowly lost her smile as she saw what was going on.
A moment later, Ms. Beakman smiled at Amy and gestured as though she was accepting a paper from her. "Thank you, Amy."
Amy smiled and started out of the classroom. Katrina walked up to the desk, staring open-mouthed after Amy, and handed her paper in, also.
"Thank you."
Katrina left the classroom and caught up with her friends. Buffy and Tara walked down the stairs. Amy hopped down past them with a big smile on her face and headed into the lounge. Buffy and Tara headed down the hall. Katrina reached the bottom of the stairs behind them and followed as she watched Amy go off in the other direction.
Katrina caught up to them. "Did you guys see that?" She pointed at Amy.
"See what?" Buffy asked her.
"In class. I think Amy just worked some magic on Ms. Beakman."
"You mean like witchcraft?" Buffy asked.
Katrina nodded. "Uh-huh."
Tara frowned in concern. "Her mom was a witch."
Buffy nodded. "And an amateur psycho. Amy's the last person that should be messing with that shit."
Tara shrugged. "I don't quite agree. Magic can be a useful tool, but it shouldn't be used frivolously and dishonestly. The power needs to be respected, and the practitioner should be humble."
Katrina thought for a moment. "Maybe I should go talk to her."
"Buffy!" Giles approached them. "Buffy...might I have a word?"
"Have a sentence, even."
Giles got the joke. "Oh. Good. Well, uh..."
He happened to glance off into Jenny's classroom as she was talking to a student by the door.
"Back it up before you leave." Jenny stepped into the hall and stopped.
She and Giles exchanged looks with each other. Buffy noticed the exchange and looked down sadly.
Jenny shrugged and smiled thinly at Giles. "Rupert."
"Ms. Calendar." Giles looked down.
Jenny glanced down briefly and back up, then stepped toward him. "I'm glad we ran into each other, actually. I was hoping that we could, uh..." She gestured toward her room. "Do you have a minute?" She fidgeted with her hands.
"Um..." Giles paused. "Actually, not - not just now. Um, I, uh, have a matter to discuss with - with Buffy."
Buffy nodded. "Right. Let's go." She gave Jenny a quick glance and squeezed between her and Giles, heading for the library.
Katrina and Tara watched in silence. Giles looked up at Jenny for a moment, then slowly turned to follow Buffy. Jenny dropped her arms in despair, looked at Katrina and Tara, and then started down the hall the other way.
Katrina headed to the lounge and entered it. Amy was just getting a regular Pepsi from the vending machine.
"Ames, can I talk to you?" Katrina asked.
Amy straightened up and looked at her. "Sure."
"Earlier...in class...did you use magic on Ms. Beakman?"
Amy realized she'd been caught. "Yeah. Are you gonna tell on me?"
"Well, I'm just...concerned. Ethically, it doesn't seem right. You're using magic to get grades on work that you didn't do." Katrina stared hard into Amy's eyes. "And you manipulated her mind. Bent her to your will."
Amy thought about that and felt ashamed. "All right. I won't do it anymore."
"I'm glad." Katrina kissed Amy on the lips.
Amy smiled. "But I'm still using that spell that I learned to fuck myself with my dildo without using my hands."
Katrina laughed. "Fair."
Buffy was sitting at the table in the library, hugging her knee, when Giles came in and walked toward her slowly with his hands in his pockets.
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked him.
Giles looked at her. "Me? I-I-I'll be fine." He scratched his nose, then pocketed his hand again. "Um, I was more concerned about you, actually. How are you feeling?"
Buffy shrugged. "I'm as comfortable with myself as I'll ever be, I guess. Why?"
"Uh, since Angel, um...uh...turned..." Giles sat on the table and folded his hands. "I've, um, been reading up on - on his earlier activities. Y'know, uh, feeding patterns a-and the like."
"And?"
"He-He-He's rather prone to, uh...well, um, brutal displays of, uh..." Giles paused. "He would think of it as affection, I suppose."
"Like what?"
"No, no, uh, no need to go into details." Giles got up and stepped away.
"That bad?"
Giles faced her. "Suffice it to say I-I thought it would be best if Cordelia stayed off the streets for a few nights, and she agreed with me." He sat across from her. "Are you ready to resume patrolling full time?"
"Sure. Might as well earn my keep."
"Sorry?" Giles asked, confused.
"For patrolling and slaying. I get paid. Didn't I tell you?" Buffy asked him. "One of the perks of being a public employee. Well, that and not going to prison."
Giles stared at her, a bit embarrassed. "Oh. You get paid. How...delightful."
Buffy smiled. "What a novel concept, huh?"
That evening, at Cordelia's house, she and her mother were lounging back on the couch, watching TV. The coffee table in front of them was full of plates of cookies, cheese puffs, and other snacks. Cordelia had a bowl of popcorn in her lap. They heard a knock at the door and looked over in that direction.
Cordelia looked back at her mom, sighed, and handed her the popcorn. "Here."
Charisma started to munch on it. Cordelia got up to answer the door. She opened it and looked out. She was puzzled when there was no one there. She looked further out and in both directions. She shrugged, went back inside, and closed the door. When she stepped back into the living room, her mother was gone. She looked back behind her, through the foyer, and into the dining room beyond. Charisma was nowhere to be seen.
Cordelia was concerned. "Mom?"
She walked through the dining room and into the kitchen.
"Mom?"
She walked around the island, looking around all the while, then quickly out the window when she heard a noise, but saw nothing and continued toward the kitchen door. She looked back into the dining room. When she reached the kitchen door, she was startled by her mother coming back in from outside and gasped.
"Cordy, it's me."
"Yeah. You just startled me a little."
"I was just checking the back door." Charisma closed the door. "Somebody, um, left this for you."
She set a long black box with a black bow on the island for Cordelia to see. She looked up at her mother and raised her eyebrows for an instant before lifting the lid off the box. Charisma looked down, curious to see what was in it. Cordelia stared down at it and saw a dozen red roses along with a card bearing a single word: "Soon". Her mother looked up at her with a little smile, but it faded when she saw how Cordelia was just staring down at the card without saying a word or reacting in any way.
The next day, at school, Amy headed toward the stairs. Suddenly, a boy rushed over to her, took her by the arm, and pulled her aside.
"Hey! What are you doing, asshole?" Amy asked him.
Amy looked at the boy. He had short black hair and looked kind of familiar to her, but she couldn't place where she'd seen him.
"Amy. Good to see you." He took a quick look around. "You're a witch."
Amy glanced around. "No, I'm not. That - That was my mom." She smiled.
"Yeah, I'm thinking it runs in the family. I saw you working that mojo on Ms. Beakman." He gestured behind himself. "Maybe I should go tell somebody about-"
"That's not even..." Amy paused, angry. "That is so mean!"
He glared back. "Blackmail is such an ugly word."
"I didn't say blackmail."
"Yeah, but I'm about to blackmail you, so I thought I'd bring it up."
Amy folded her arms. "What do you want?"
He chuckled. "What do I want? I want some respect around here. I want, for once, to come out ahead. I want the Hellmouth to be working for me. You and me, Amy...we're gonna cast a little spell. A love spell."
"A love spell?"
"Yeah. You know, just the basic can't eat, can't sleep, can't breathe anything but little old moi."
"Intent has to be pure with love spells."
"Right. I intend revenge against my ex. Pure as the driven snow. I want her to want me. Desperately. So I can break up with her and subject her to the same hell she's been puttin' me through. Now, are you gonna play, or do we need to have another chat about invisible homework?"
Amy studied his face for a moment. "What's your name?"
"Warren."
"Warren...Mears?" Amy guessed.
"Yeah."
Amy grinned. "Oh, you wanna talk blackmail, motherfucker? Well, I work at the local video store, and I think someone's mom might deserve a phone call to inform her of what her underage son is renting with her card. Buns of the Magnificent Seven, Ram a Llama's Ding Dong, Shitty Titty Bang Bang, and, oh, yeah, Attack of the Human Ass. And it ain't about a weredonkey."
Warren frowned. "You wouldn't."
Amy's grin widened. "Try me, asshole. We ain't doin' this shit. You don't wanna fuck with Diana."
Warren sighed and walked away.
In the library, Giles was at the table, studying a book. Cordelia strode in and up to the table. She slapped the card that came with the roses into the book in front of him. Giles startled a bit and looked up.
"'Soon' what, Giles? You never held out on me until the big, bad thing in the dark became my ex-honey."
Giles looked at the card. "Where did this come from?"
"He said it with flowers. Look, this isn't the time to start becoming Mr. Protective Guy. I can't just hang around, and I can't prepare when I don't know what's coming."
Giles sat up in his chair. "N-No, of - of course, you're right." He gestured to another chair. "Uh, s-s-sit - sit down." He stood up.
Later, Giles was sitting on the table, looking through a book. Buffy and Cordelia were sitting in chairs across from him.
"Look, here's another. Here. Um, yes, uh...'Angel nails a puppy to the-'"
"Skip it." Cordelia looked up at him.
"Uh, but it-"
"I don't wanna fucking know. I don't have a puppy. Skip it." Cordelia stared at him.
Giles closed the book. "Right you are. I'll get another batch." He got off the table and headed into his office.
Cordelia leaned back and sighed.
Buffy looked at her. "You okay?"
"I dunno. I'll live. Thanks for taking over patrolling."
"Of course."
Giles came back out of his office and sets his books down on the table.
Jenny walked into the library and strode up to Giles. "Rupert, we need to talk. Look, Rupert, I know that you're angry at me, and I don't blame you, but I am not just gonna go away. I mean...I care far too much about you to give up on us."
Giles thought about it. He looked at the girls. Cordelia rolled her eyes and shrugged.
Buffy shrugged as well. "Giles, you might wanna consider it. I mean...she wasn't exactly the only one keeping a secret, and yours almost cost her her life."
Giles cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I suppose you're right, Buffy." He looked at Jenny. "I shall consider it. Good night, Ms. Calendar."
Jenny frowned, sad. "Good night, Rupert." She turned and walked out of the library.
Giles stared after her for a moment and then sat down and helped the girls research.
The next morning, Cordelia stirred and woke in her bed. She opened her eyes to look over at her clock, but they fixed on an envelope left next to her on her pillow. She let out an inquiring moan, pushed her hair back, and picked up the envelope as she sat up. She looked down at it and saw it was blank. She opened it, took out the paper inside, unfolded it, and could only stare at it in disbelief. On it was a pencil sketch of her sleeping.
Later, in the library, Giles was behind the counter, checking in various books. Cordelia walked past him toward the table as he looked up.
"He was in my room."
"Who?"
"Angel. He was in my room last night."
He walked out from behind the counter and followed her over to the table. Buffy and Harmony were there also.
"Are you sure?" Giles asked Cordelia.
"Positive. When I woke up, I found a picture he'd left me on my pillow." Cordelia crossed her arms. "Wait, I thought vampires couldn't come in unless you invited them in."
"Yes, but, uh, once you've invited them in, thereafter they're - they're always welcome."
Buffy thought about that in silence, suddenly filled with worry.
Cordelia realized something. "Oh, God!" She looked at Buffy and Harmony. "I invited him in my car once." She looked at Giles. "That means he can come into my car whenever he wants." She looked away, disgusted.
"Giles, there has to be some sort of spell to reverse the invitation, right? Like a barrier, a 'no shoes, no pulse, no service' kind of thing?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, that works for a car, too?" Cordelia added.
"Yes, well, I-I-I could check in my books." Giles looked at Cordelia. "So Angel has decided to step up his harassment of you?"
"By sneaking in her room and leaving shit at night? Why doesn't he just slit her throat or strangle her while she's sleeping or cut her heart out?" Harmony asked.
Cordelia, Buffy, and Giles gave her appalled looks.
"What? I'm trying to help."
"Yes." Giles looked at Cordelia. "Uh, uh, look, it's - it's classic battle strategy to throw one's opponent off his game. He-He-He's just trying to provoke you. Uh, to taunt you, to - to goad you into, uh, some mishap of some sort."
Harmony looked at Giles. "The nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah approach to battle?"
"Yes, Harmony, once more, you've managed to boil a complex thought down to its simplest possible form."
Harmony smiled.
Cordelia remembered something. "Giles, Angel once told me that, when he was obsessed with Drusilla, the first thing h-he did was to kill her family."
Harmony looked at her. "Your mom."
"I know. I'm gonna have to tell her. I've gotta do something. Giles, Angel has an all-access pass to my house, and I'm not always there when my mother is. I can't protect her."
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Same here. And same goes for Tara as well."
Giles was flustered. "I told you I will find a-a spell."
"What about until you find a spell?" Cordelia asked him.
Buffy gently put her hand on top of Cordelia's. "Until then, you and your mother are welcome to ride around with me in my van."
Cordelia smiled at her. "Thank you."
Giles looked at Cordelia. "Cordelia, I-I understand your concern, but it's imperative that you keep a level head through all this."
"That's easy for you to say. You don't have Angel lurking in your bedroom at night."
"I know how hard this is for you."
Cordelia gave him a look.
"All right, I don't. But you don't have the luxury of being a slave to your - your passions. You mustn't let Angel get to you. No matter how provocative his behavior may become."
"So what you're basically saying is 'Just ignore him, and maybe he'll go away'?" Cordelia asked him.
Giles sighed. "Yes. Precisely."
"Don't forget, I need your sample spreadsheets by the end of the week."
The bell rang, and Jenny walked around behind her desk.
"Oh, and I want both a paper printout and a copy on disk. Thank you." Jenny looked down at her desk for a second, then back up and reached her arm out to get Tara's attention before she left. "Tara."
Tara approached the desk. "Yes?"
"Um, I might be a little late tomorrow. Do you think you could cover my class till I show?"
"Sure."
"Cool. And I'll try not to be too late, okay?"
"Okay."
Giles arrived at the door. Jenny and Tara looked over at him.
"Hi, Mr. Giles."
"Hi, Rupert."
Giles looked down. Tara hurried past him, out of the classroom. Giles stepped into the classroom. His hands were in his pockets.
"How have you been?" Jenny asked him.
"Uh, not so good, actually. Uh, since Angel lost his soul, he's regained his sense of whimsy."
"Well, that sounds bad." Jenny crossed her arms.
"He's been in Cordelia's bedroom. I-I-I need to drum up a spell to, uh, keep him out of the house."
Jenny reached down to her desk and picked up an old book. "This might help." She handed it to Giles. "I've been doing a little reading since Angel changed." She crossed her arms again. "I don't think you have that one."
"Thank you." Giles leafed through it.
"So...how's Cordy doing?" Jenny asked him.
Giles closed and lowered the book. "How do you think?"
Jenny faced away. "I know you feel betrayed."
"Yes. Well, that's one of the unpleasant side effects of betrayal."
Jenny looked down at her desk. "Rupert...I was raised by the people that Angel hurt the most. My duty to them was the first thing I was ever taught. I didn't come here to hurt anyone, a-and I lied to you, because I thought it was the right thing to do. I...I didn't know what would happen. I didn't know I was gonna fall in love with you." She paused for a moment before looking back up at Giles. They exchanged a meaningful look, but then she looked away again.
"Oh, God. Is it too late to take that back?" Jenny asked him.
"Do you want to?" Giles asked her.
Jenny looked at him. "I just wanna be right with you. I don't expect more. I just want so badly to make all this up to you."
"I understand. But I'm not the one you need to make it up to."
She nodded, understanding.
Giles gave her a little smile and raised the book. "Thank you for the book." He turned and walked out of the room.
She just watched him go.
That evening, Cordelia and Charisma were having dinner in the dining room at Cordelia's house. Cordelia was just picking at her food.
Charisma put down her fork, folded her hands, and leaned forward on the table toward her daughter. "Okay. What's wrong?"
Cordelia looked at her mom. "It's nothing." She looked at her plate.
"Come on. You can tell me anything."
Cordelia eyed her, put down her fork, put her hands in her lap, and looked over at her mother. "I'd been seeing a guy. His name is Angel."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Uh, he...I-I..." Cordelia looked down. "Oh, God. Um..." She looked back up. "We're sort of dating, were dating, um, going through a serious off-again phase right now."
Charisma smiled. "Don't tell me. He's changed. He's not the same guy you fell for?"
Cordelia smiled nervously. "In a nutshell." She lost the smile. "A-Anyway, um...since he changed, he's been kinda following me around. He's having trouble letting go."
Charisma was concerned. "Cordy, has he done anything-"
"No! No, it's not like that. He's just been hanging around...a lot. Just sending me notes, that kind of thing."
Charisma gave her a concerned look.
"I just don't wanna see him right now. I mean, if he shows up, I'll talk to him. Just...don't invite him in."
Charisma laughed. "What is he? A vampire?"
Cordelia made a goofy face and laughed nervously. "Uh, yeah, kinda."
Charisma stared at her daughter in disbelief.
Tara was in her room, naked, walking around with her cordless phone to her ear. "I agree with Mr. Giles, Buffy. We need to just try and not let him get to us." She headed for her desk. "Angel's only doing this to try to get us to do something stupid." She closed her laptop and went to her new aquarium.
"I just hope Giles can find a keep-out spell soon. I know I'll sleep easier when I can...sleep easier."
Tara sprinkled fish food into her tank. "I'm sure he will." She put away the food. "Until then, try and keep happy thoughts and-" She saw a blank envelope on her bed.
"And what?" Buffy asked.
Tara didn't reply.
"Tara?" Buffy asked.
Tara held the phone between her cheek and shoulder and reached down for the envelope.
"Tara?"
Tara turned back toward her aquarium and looked at the fishless water. She opened the envelope and found a string. She pulled on it, and out came her fish, strung together one after the other. Tara lost her grip on her phone, and it fell to the floor.
"Tara?!" Buffy cried. "Are you okay?!"
Tara dropped her dead fish on her bed and picked up the phone. "Buffy!"
"What is it?!" Buffy asked her.
"My fish! Angel c-came into my room, scooped up all of my fish, killed them, s-strung them all together, and put them in an envelope for me to find!" Tara frantically cried.
"Oh, my God. I'm so sorry."
"May I come over and spend the night with you?" Tara asked her. "I don't wanna be alone."
"Of course."
"Thank you."
After Tara got dressed, she drove to Buffy's house. Buffy put on some tea, and it was ready by the time that Tara arrived. The two of them sat at the island, sipping their tea. Behind them was a string of garlic cloves hanging on the wall. There were two stakes on the island just in case.
Tara was fidgeting nervously while she looked around, and she was crying. "My poor fish."
Buffy rubbed Tara's back.
"Still, I'm glad my parents didn't let me have a cat."
Buffy sighed. "That sick fuck."
Tara sipped her tea and tried to calm down.
The next morning, Jenny walked around the railing in front of a shop called Dragon's Cove and took the steps down to the entrance. She opened the door, walked in, and looked around.
The shopkeeper looked up from his work. "Welcome. How may I serve you today?" He spoke with a Rumanian accent.
Jenny faced him. "Uh..."
"Love potion? Perhaps a voodoo doll for that unfaithful-"
"I need an Orb of Thesulah."
The shopkeeper dropped the accent. "Oh, you're in the trade. Sorry about the spiel, but I get a lot of tourists shopping for love potions and mystical revenge of past lovers." He went behind the sales counter. "Sad fact is...Ouija boards and rabbits' feet, that's what pay the rent around here." He went into the back. "So how did you hear about us?"
Jenny checked out a few things. "My Uncle Enyos told me about you."
The shopkeeper looked out at her. "So you're Janna, then."
She looked at him.
"Sorry to hear about your uncle."
"Thank you."
The shopkeeper came back with a round wooden box. "He was a good customer. Well, no, there you go." He set it down and opened it. "One Thesulan Orb. Spirit vault for the rituals of the undead.
Jenny took the box, handing over her credit card.
"I don't get many calls for those lately. Sold a couple as New Age paperweights last year. Yeah, I just love those New-Agers, boy. They helped to send my youngest to college. By the way, you do know that the transliteration annals for the ritual of the undead were lost. Without the annals, the surviving text is gibberish."
"And without a translated text, the Orbs of Thesulah are pretty much useless. Yeah, I know."
"Well, I only mention it, because I have a strict policy of no refunds." He put the lid on the box.
"It's okay. I'm working on a computer program to translate the Rumanian liturgy to English based on a random sampling of the text."
"Yecchh. I don't like computers. They give me the willies."
Jenny took the box. "Well, thank you."
"You're welcome."
She took the lid off the box as she slowly walked toward the door.
"By the way..."
She looked back.
"Not that it's any of my business, really, but, uh, what are you planning on conjuring up? If you can decipher the text?"
"A present for a friend of mine." Jenny lifted the Orb.
"Really? What are you gonna give him?"
She looked into the Orb, and it began to glow.
"His soul."
At Sunnydale High School, Tara and Cordelia were chatting as they walked along the sidewalk and then up the steps.
"I have to go. I have a class to teach in about five minutes." Tara saw Jenny arriving. "Oh, shit. She's here. Five hours of lesson planning yesterday down the drain..."
Cordelia saw Jenny, too. "You know what? I'll see you in class." She jogged up to Jenny and got in front of her. "Hey."
"Hi."
Cordelia looked at Jenny a moment, then averted her eyes.
"Uh, is there something that..." Jenny paused. "Did you want something?"
"Look...I know you feel badly about what happened, and I just wanted to say..."
Jenny looked at her expectantly.
"Good. Keep it up."
Jenny was not surprised. "Don't worry, I will." She started to walk away.
Cordelia held up her hand. "Oh, wait. Um..." She looked at her. "He misses you. He doesn't say anything, I mean, but I know he does. And I don't want him to be lonely. I don't want anyone to."
"Cordy, you know that, if I have a chance to make this up-"
"We're...good here. Let's just leave it." Cordelia walked away.
Jenny watched her go.
In the lounge, Giles was talking with a couple of students while searching through his briefcase for some flyers. "I put it here somewhere." He found the flyers. "Oh, yes, yes. That's it." He handed the flyers to the students. "Could you, um, hang those up?"
The students nodded.
"Thank you."
Buffy arrived.
"Buffy. So, uh, so how was your night?"
"Sleepless, but no human fatalities."
"I-I found a ritual to revoke the invitation to vampires."
Cordelia walked up to them. "Oh, thank fucking God. I actually had to talk my grandmother into switching cars with me last night."
"Um, the - the - the, uh, the ritual's fairly basic, actually. It's just the recitation of a few rhyming couplets, burning of, uh, moss herbs, sprinkling of holy water, hanging of crosses or other holy objects..."
Buffy nodded. "All stuff I have in my house."
After school, Buffy, Cordelia, and Tara went to Tara's house, where Tara performed the ritual on her house at the front door. Then they went to Tara's room.
"Okay, Cordelia, we'll do your car and house next."
"Right. Thanks." Cordelia picked her coat up from Tara's bed and saw a blank envelope there. "Oh." She picked it up. "This must be for you." She handed the envelope to Tara.
Tara gave Buffy a worried glance and opened it. When she saw what was in it, she handed it to Cordelia. "It's for you."
Cordelia unfolded the paper and saw a pencil sketch of her mother sleeping. "Mom."
Buffy looked at her friends. "Okay, Tara, you take Cordy home. But first call Amy and tell her the ritual, then have her meet me at my house."
Tara nodded. "Okay."
Tara drove Cordelia home on her scooter. They went into the house, where Tara did the ritual. They heard Cordelia's mother pull into the driveway and also heard the conversation outside. Angelus was there.
"Mrs. Chase, I need to talk to you."
"You're Angel."
"Did Cordy tell you about us?"
"She told me she wants you to leave her alone."
"I-I can't. I can't do that."
"You're scaring her."
"You have to help me."
"Charisma...I need - I need to be with her. Y-You can convince her. You have to convince her."
"Look, I'm telling you to leave her alone."
"You have to talk to her for me, Charisma. Tell her I need her."
"Please, look, I-I just wanna get inside, okay?"
"You don't understand, Charisma. I'll die without Cordy. She'll die without me."
"Are you threatening her?"
"Please..." Angelus paused. "Why is she doing this to me?"
"I'm calling the police now."
"I haven't been able to sleep since the night we made love."
Cordelia's eyes widened in horror as she heard that.
"I need her. I know you understand."
Charisma opened the door. "Just leave us alone." She rushed in.
Cordelia and Tara walked down the stairs.
Tara held the book. "'...His verbes, consenus rescissus est.'"
Angelus tried to get in the house but came up against an invisible barrier.
Cordelia walked up to him. "Sorry, Angel. Changed the locks." She slammed the door in his face.
Charisma looked at her daughter in shock.
In the computer classroom, Jenny was at her desk, working on the translation program. She took a sip of coffee from her mug and set it back down. She typed a few keystrokes, then stared at the screen.
Behind her, Giles arrived and stood in the doorway. "Hello."
She started and looked at him. Quickly, she typed a few keystrokes, and the screen changed.
Jenny turned back to him. "Oh! Hi."
Giles stepped into the room. "You're working late."
"Special project."
"Oh."
"I spoke to Cordy today."
"Oh! Yes?" Giles sat on her desk.
"Mm." Jenny looked away. "She said you missed me." She played with a pencil.
"Well, uh, she's...a meddlesome girl."
Jenny looked at him. "Rupert..." She paused. "Okay, I don't wanna say anything if I'm wrong, but I may have some news. Now, I need to finish up here. Could I see you later?"
"Y-Yes, yes. You could stop by my house."
"Okay." Jenny smiled.
Giles smiled and got up. "Good." He smiled wider, then left.
Jenny turned her attention back to her computer.
Later, Jenny was still working at her computer. She tapped a few keys, then looked up at the screen. A percent-complete status bar appeared over the Rumanian text, and the bar zipped across it.
"Come on, come on..."
The bar disappeared, and a translation scrolled up next to the original text.
"That's it!" Jenny exhaled and smiled. "It's gonna work!" She saved the result. "This...will work."
She printed out a hard copy, shut down her computer, and then popped out an unlabeled yellow floppy disk and set it aside by some books near the edge of her desk. There was a knock at her door. Jenny turned and looked. Oz was standing there.
"Hey, Oz, what are you doing here?" Jenny asked.
"Just returning some audio equipment to the music room. The teacher had let my band borrow it." Oz walked over to Jenny. "Maybe don't tell anyone? I'm not suppose to have keys."
Jenny smiled. "Your secret's safe with me...if you do me a favor."
"Name it."
Jenny wheeled her chair over to the printer and picked up the printout. She stood up and offered it to Oz. "Drop this off to either Tara or Amy. Tell them that it's for Angel's soul."
Oz took the printout. "Done."
Jenny picked up the Orb of Thesulah and offered it to him. "They'll need this, too."
Oz took it.
"Thanks. You're a lifesaver."
"I do what I can."
"Well, good night."
"Good night."
Jenny picked up her purse and headed out of her classroom, eager to make up with Giles and imagining where the night would lead. "All right, Jenny, this is where you get off."
Cordelia was sitting on her bed in her room. Charisma was pacing, trying to take in what she was hearing.
Finally, Charisma sat next to her daughter on the bed with her eyes closed. "Was he the first?" She opened her eyes. "No, wait." She stood up. "I don't wanna know." She started pacing. "I don't think I want to."
"Yeah. He was the first. I mean...the only." Cordelia shrugged. "As far as intercourse goes, anyway."
Charisma stopped and looked at her daughter. "He's older than you."
"I know."
"Too old, Cordy. And he's obviously not very stable. I really wish..." Charisma sat again. "I just thought you would show more judgment."
Cordelia sighed in frustration and looked at her mother. "I told you. He wasn't like this before. This is what happens when someone loses their soul."
"Are you in love with him?"
"I was."
"Were you careful?"
Cordelia looked away. "Mom, this is no time-"
Charisma got up again. "Don't 'Mom' me, Cordy. You don't get to get out of this. You had sex with a guy you didn't even see fit to tell me you were dating."
Cordelia nodded. "I made a mistake."
"Yeah, well, don't just say that to shut me up, because I think you really did."
Cordelia looked up at her. "All right, fine! You want me to be honest?! I don't regret making love to the man that I loved!"
"Was it really worth it?!" Charisma asked her.
Cordelia stood up and stared at her mother. "Fuck yeah, it was! At least Angel..." She paused. "At least he cared enough about me to remember when my fucking birthday was!"
Charisma was stung. "Well, I'm - I'm sorry about that, but you've gotta understand I'm busy."
"Yeah! You and Dad are always both so fucking busy!" Cordelia yelled. "It's like I don't even have parents!"
"I'm sorry about that, Cordy."
Cordelia sighed, shook her head, and sat back down on the bed, trying to calm down.
"But don't expect me to ever stop caring about you, because it's never gonna happen. I love you more than anything in the world." Charisma sat next to Cordelia on the bed. "Even if I don't always show it. But I'll try to do better. I want to be a part of your life, not apart of it."
Cordelia stared blankly at her.
Charisma looked at her. "That was a pun."
"Oh."
They looked at each other for a while longer, and then Cordelia hugged her mother, and her mother hugged her in return.
The next morning, Jenny and Giles were walking to her classroom. They were holding hands. When they got close to her classroom, Jenny was surprised to see police officers walking into and out of the room. Principal Snyder was standing outside.
"What's going on?" Jenny asked Snyder.
"There was a fire here last night. Someone broke in and trashed your computer."
Jenny let go of Giles' hand and ran into her classroom. Her computer had been thrown off her desk, onto the floor. It had caught fire, and there were black scorch marks on the floor. Jenny crouched down and examined the wreckage.
Giles crouched down next to her. "Do you think it was-"
"Fuck yeah." Jenny looked at him. "Angelus."
Snyder looked into the room. "Consider yourself lucky."
Jenny and Giles stood up and looked at him in surprise.
"That's minor damage compared to what they did to the music room. Looks like a brawl broke out in there." Snyder walked away.
Jenny had a sinking feeling. "The music room..."
Giles looked at her in concern. "What is it?"
Jenny froze for a moment, then she shook her head. "Nothing. I hope."
After school, Cordelia and her mother were sitting in the kitchen of their house, eating takeout from Wok Like An Egyptian at the island.
"So what do you think of the Allahu Ak-broccoli?" Cordelia asked her mother.
Charisma shrugged and nodded. "It's pretty good...for poor food."
The maid walked into the kitchen, holding a package. "Miss Cordelia, this was on the front porch for you." She set it on the island.
Cordelia looked at the package. "No return address."
Charisma looked at her. "Do you think it's from...?"
Cordelia felt a sense of dread. The maid got a pair of scissors and cut the tape. Cordelia opened the box and pulled out a bunch of paper and bubble wrap. Then she let out a scream.
Inside the box, facing up, was Oz's severed head.
The police were kept busy that afternoon. Buffy had received Oz's left arm. Tara had received his right arm. Amy had received his left leg. Katrina had received his right leg. Harmony had received his chest. Giles had received his ass. Jenny had received his penis. The police questioned all of them.
Afterward, Giles called an emergency meeting, and they all met at Buffy's house and sat at the dining room table. Joyce brought extra chairs.
Tara stared blankly at her untouched glass of orange juice. "I can't believe it."
"What kind of sick fuck would do this?" Harmony asked.
Buffy looked at her and Cordelia. "Angelus."
Cordelia looked at Buffy in distress.
"But why Oz?" Amy asked.
Katrina nodded. "Yeah, seems pretty random."
"It was."
Everyone looked at Jenny.
Jenny was uncomfortable but forced herself to look at them. "Oz had come by the school last night to return some borrowed music equipment. He stopped in my room, and we talked for a bit. I agreed to keep quiet about him having access to the school after hours, if he agreed to drop off a printout to either Tara or Amy, so I could save myself a bit of time. I assume Angelus got to him shortly after I'd left. He got killed, because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. If I had been there alone, it might have been me."
Everyone sat in silence for a while, thinking about that. Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Tara shuddered and started crying. Buffy rubbed her back and kissed her on the forehead.
Finally, Tara looked at Jenny, angry. "What the hell was so fucking important that it cost Oz his life?"
"I was working on a spell to restore Angel's soul. I succeeded...I think. It would have worked. Now, all of that work is gone. My hard drive was trashed, and there was no sign at the school of the printout, the backup floppy disk, or the Orb of Thesulah, which was required for the spell to work. Somehow, Angelus must have found out what I was doing, and he destroyed it all."
"Why the fuck didn't you tell us all of this?" Buffy asked her, angry. "God, why are we kids so much better at communicating than you supposed adults?"
"I didn't want to get your hopes up. But you're right. I-I went about it wrong. I should have told you. I should have worked on it at home, where Angel wasn't invited." Jenny started crying. "If there's any way that I can make it up to you-"
"You can't." Giles put his glasses back on. "All that we can do is plan our next move."
Cordelia looked at Jenny. "Yeah, so get off your ass and walk like an e-gypsy out of here."
"Cordy..." Buffy put her hand on Cordelia's hand. "I understand you're upset. We all are. But we need all of the help that we can get."
Cordelia begrudgingly shrugged and nodded. She looked at everyone. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't kill him for you...for him...when I had the chance. I wasn't ready. But I think I finally am. I can't hold on to the past anymore. Angel has gone. Nothing's ever gonna bring him back."
Chapter 59: Killed by Death
Chapter Text
"Killed by Death"
Based on the Episode Written by Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
Buffy hooked her hands over the top of the perimeter wall of the cemetery and pulled herself up. She coughed while she pulled her legs over. She jumped down the other side. When she hit the ground, she couldn't keep her balance and had to use her hands to keep from toppling over. She breathed heavily through her mouth, because her nose was stuffed up. Every now and then, she sniffled. She pulled a stake out of her jacket. She put her hand on her forehead and moaned as she stood up. Slowly, she started to make her way across the graveyard.
She was still sniffling and rubbing her nose. She sensed something and tried to concentrate while she slowly approached a small mausoleum. She raised her stake and jumped around the corner, swinging it to strike at whatever was there. Tara screamed and reflexively jumped back, holding on tightly to her own stake. Cordelia let out a high-pitched scream behind her. The girls both reflexively held up holy symbols at Buffy: Tara a pentacle and Cordelia a cross.
Buffy stared at them. "Non-vampire. Plus two."
Tara put her pentacle away. "Hi."
They all stepped out into the open.
"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked them.
"What are you doing here?" Tara asked her.
"Well, I'm patrolling!" Buffy replied.
Tara was concerned. "Buffy, you're sick."
"No, I feel fine. I mean, I'm...the world's spinning a little bit, but I like it; it's kinda like a ride."
Cordelia shook her head. "Half the school's out with this flu. It's a serious deal, Buffy. We're all concerned about how gross you look."
"I'm touched. Really. But I have work to do."
Tara frowned. "Buffy, come on, one night of rest is not gonna kill you."
"No, but it might kill somebody else."
Cordelia stared at her. "You mean Angel might."
Buffy turned away.
"It's okay, you can say it. Buffy, this is not the time to challenge Angel." Cordelia gestured with her stake. "He's at full strength; you're only half a Slayer."
Buffy looked at her. "Yeah, but I'm still a Slayer, and I fucking swear Angel's not gonna kill anybody else."
"Aw, c'mon."
Buffy turned to face Angelus.
"Just one more."
He attacked, and the girls screamed. He ran right past Buffy, straight for Cordelia, and tackled her to the ground. Buffy grabbed him by the back of his coat and pulled him off her. She turned him around, took him by the coat collar, and swung at him with her stake. He blocked her with his arm, grabbed her, and made her drop the stake.
"Not feeling well, cunt?" Angelus asked her.
Buffy looked at him and punched him in the jaw. He glared back at her and tried to kick her, but she grabbed his foot and shoved his leg up, making him fall hard onto his back.
"That helps."
Angelus scrambled to all fours. She came at him from behind and tried to kick him, but he kicked out with his leg into her chest, and she staggered back a ways until she regained her balance. He got up and came toward her. She took a couple of swings at him, but he evaded them easily. He blocked a third, grabbed her arm, and took her by the throat.
"You know, you being off your game's kinda takin' the fun out of all this."
He punched her in the face, and she stumbled backward again.
"Nope, still fun!"
He punched her in the gut, then grabbed her by the neck and shoved her around and into a corner column of the small mausoleum. She was dazed and tried to regain her balance but didn't get a chance, because Angelus wasted no time punching her in the face and knocking her flat on her back.
He got on top of her and pinned her arms down. "Uh-oh. This does not look good for our heroine."
He started to bend down to bite her, but just then Tara threw her jacket over Angelus' head. She grabbed his head under the jacket, punched him, and kneed him twice in the face. Angelus fell over onto his back. Tara and Cordelia pulled out their holy symbols and held them out at him as he got up, and he had to back off.
Cordelia stared at him. "Don't think I won't kill you right fucking now." She raised her other hand and lunged at him with her stake.
Angelus evaded her. Buffy got to her feet.
Angelus slowly backed away. "We'll have to do this again sometime." He turned and walked off.
Cordelia started to go after him.
"Let him go." Buffy just watched him go. "You're not his match yet."
Cordelia was offended. "Yeah, well, neither are you."
"Fair point."
"Buffy, are you okay?" Tara asked in concern.
Buffy put her hand to her forehead. "I told you guys to leave, I..." She started getting dizzy. "I...Oh..."
She fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Buffy!" Tara kneeled next to her and cradled the fallen Slayer in her arms.
Tara rushed into the emergency room's waiting room at Sunnydale Memorial Hospital with Buffy in her arms. Cordelia was right behind her.
"We need help!" Tara cried. "Somebody, please, now!"
An intern approached them. "What happened?"
"She fell. The flu."
Cordelia nodded. "She fainted."
A nurse brought over the gurney.
The intern pulled the gurney up. "It's gonna be okay. Let's get her up."
Tara laid Buffy out on the gurney. The intern took out his pocket light and checked Buffy's eyes for a response. The nurse took notes while he spoke as they started to wheel her into the emergency room. Tara and Cordelia followed.
"Patient's unconscious. Pupils are unequal and unresponsive."
"What does that mean?" Cordelia asked.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Tara asked.
"Please, you gotta give us some room."
Dr. Wilkinson arrived. "What do we have?"
"High-grade fever, possible fractures."
"Get her into Trauma 1, give her a CBC, Chem 7, type, and screen."
"Right."
The intern and nurse took Buffy through the doors to the emergency room beyond. Tara and Cordelia tried to follow, but Dr. Wilkinson blocked their way.
"I'm sorry, you can't go any further."
"Someone should be with her!" Tara cried.
"I'm sorry! You can't go any further." She backed in and closed the door in their faces.
They looked through windows for a couple of seconds.
Tara looked at Cordelia. "I'll call Mr. Giles, tell him what happened. You call Buffy's mom."
The two of them went to find the phones.
Later, Cordelia and Tara were sitting in a row of chairs in the waiting room, worried. Giles was waiting by the door and nervously cleaning his glasses. The elevator door opened, and Joyce came out. She saw them sitting there.
"Where is she?" Joyce asked them.
They got up.
Giles walked over also. "She's still in the emergency room."
"I wanna see her." Joyce started out of the waiting room.
Cordelia shook her head. "They won't let us in there."
Joyce stopped and looked back at her.
Just then, Dr. Wilkinson came to the door. "Mrs. Summers?"
Joyce faced her. "Yes?"
"I'm Dr. Wilkinson."
"Is Buffy okay?"
"We were able to stabilize and-"
"Is she okay?" Joyce asked insistently.
"She's going to be fine."
Joyce was relieved. "Thank you." She put her hand to her face.
"Good. Good." Tara rubbed her hands. "That's good." She looked up. "Thank you, my Lady."
"I wanna keep her here a few days, though. She still has some healing to do."
Giles and Joyce looked at Dr. Wilkinson anxiously.
They went to a hall upstairs near Buffy's assigned hospital room. They were all waiting for her to be brought up. When they saw her coming, they all approached the bed. She had an IV in her right hand. Her left forearm was wrapped in an elastic bandage.
"Buffy?" Joyce reached the bed. "Hi, sweetheart."
They all accompanied her toward her room.
Tara looked at her. "Hey, Buffy, we're all here."
Buffy was groggy. "Hey. Here we are. It's all of we. Are we taking me home?" She tried to get up.
Dr. Wilkinson pushed her back. "No. Buffy, you need to lie down, honey."
"Yeah? Lie at home. My bed is better than any bed that's...not my bed."
Dr. Wilkinson looked at Joyce. "She's still a little out of it."
Joyce nodded back.
Buffy looked at Tara. "Shhh!" She pointed at her. "Hospital zone. No singing."
"She'll feel better after she's been here a while."
Buffy looked at Dr. Wilkinson. "No!" She tried to get up again. "Lemme go. Look, I wanna go."
The orderly pushing the bed, two nurses, and Dr. Wilkinson struggled to get her to lie back down. Buffy put up a fight.
"Buffy, what's wrong?" Tara asked.
"No! No! Let me go!" Buffy cried.
Cordelia looked at Tara. "I think she wants to go."
They managed to get her pushed back down on the bed.
"No, don't do that! Stop it!" Buffy cried.
"Hold her steady!" Dr. Wilkinson ordered.
Buffy was delirious. "Giles, tell them! The vampires! I need to kill the vampires!"
"This'll help you relax." Dr. Wilkinson put a needle against Buffy's inside elbow and injected her with a sedative.
Cordelia cringed and looked away.
"Ow!" Buffy winced in pain. "No!"
When the doctor pulled the needle back out, she lay back and breathed heavily.
"They're out there!" Buffy told Giles insistently.
Giles smiled reassuringly. "Yes, uh, well, we'll, uh, we'll get those, uh, vampires later."
Tara smiled reassuringly at her love. "The Slayerettes can handle it, sweetie. You get some rest."
The sedative took effect, and Buffy began to relax. One of the nurses checked her IV.
Her mother leaned in and stroked her hair. "Honey, listen..."
"I wanna go home."
"It's gonna be okay. I promise."
They started to wheel her away again.
"Please don't make me stay here..."
"I promise."
They all followed as Buffy was taken to her room. They waited outside. The door closed, and Tara looked in through the narrow window.
After a moment, Tara looked over at Giles. "That was a new experience. I'm not used to seeing Buffy scared like that."
Joyce looked at them all. "Yeah, she just hates hospitals. Ever since she was a little girl."
"What happened?" Tara asked her.
"When she was eight, her cousin Celia died in a hospital. Buffy was alone with her at the time."
"Yuck!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"Yeah, they were very close." Joyce looked in at Buffy. "Well, it looks like she's asleep. I should go call her father." She headed toward the nurse's station.
Giles accompanied her. "Um, I-I think there's a-a phone..."
"Thank you for coming. I-I really appreciate the way you look out for her."
"Oh..."
"All of you."
"Well, we're, uh, we're very fond of her."
They stopped at the nurse's station.
"The, uh, the telephone." Giles started away.
Joyce stopped him. "Buffy's been so down since...well...you know. She was starting to regain her sense of humor, but then that boy, Oz, was killed, and she went into a funk again. I mean...she never gets sick."
Giles looked down. "Well, Slayers generally aren't supposed to, but I'm sure she'll be, uh..." He looked up and smiled reassuringly. "She'll be fine."
"I'm sorry, I-I babble when I'm nervous; I just wanted to..." Joyce paused. "Well, if - if you need anything..."
Giles nodded. "Thank you. Thank you." He walked off.
"Do you think she's gonna be okay in here?" Tara asked Cordelia.
Cordelia was pacing. "I don't know; Lysette got her nose done here, and she came in looking for the Gwyneth Paltrow, and it looked more like the Mr. Potato Head." She stepped over to the door and looked into Buffy's room.
"Cordy...Buffy's not here for cosmetic surgery."
"I know, but...how can a Slayer even get sick?" Cordelia asked. "Seems like a big oversight."
"You mean like a new Slayer being activated just because Buffy stopped breathing for a few minutes?" Tara asked her. "That kind of oversight?"
Cordelia faced her.
Tara shrugged. "The gods are drunk. Or idiots. Take your pick."
"And why is there usually only one Slayer at a time?" Cordelia went on. "Who's patrolling the rest of the world?"
Tara crossed her arms. "All very good questions, Cordy. I don't have a fucking clue. Ask whatever...powers that be."
Cordelia suddenly thought of something and grew somber. "Do you think Angel will attack Buffy in here?"
"He can come in; it's a public building."
"Then one of us should be here at all times."
That night, Buffy stirred in her bed. She took a deep breath as she woke up. She blinked her eyes several times before looking over at the door. It was standing open, and a young boy was there, just silently staring in at her. A few moments later, he started away down the hall. She continued to look out the door, and a man in a black suit and hat walked by.
He glanced into Buffy's room as he walked by. She saw his face. It was all disfigured, his nose was long and bent down to a point, his teeth were all long fangs, and his fingers were grossly elongated. He looked back after the boy and continued to follow him out of view. Buffy raised her head in disbelief. She pushed her hair back with her bandaged hand and slowly sat up. She got out of bed and steadied herself to a stand. She tied her robe closed as she walked out of the room.
The hall was deserted except for the janitor mopping the floor behind her. As she walked, she had a flashback to her youth, and the corridor was suddenly brightly lit. Buffy walked down the bright but deserted hall. She saw a cart of surgical instruments and looked around nervously as she walked. She approached Celia's room. Sunlight was pouring brightly from the door. She edged up to it and went in.
Buffy slowly went over to the curtain pulled around Celia's bed.
Buffy stirred and woke from her dream. Her door was open, but there was no one there. She pushed her hair back with her bandaged hand and slowly sat up. She felt the IV in the back of her right hand and looked at it. She pulled the tape off and the needle out. She covered her face with both hands, drew them back through her hair, and started to get out of bed. She steadied herself to a stand. She tied her robe closed as she walked out of the room.
She walked down the hall, holding her robe closed with her hands. It was deserted except for the janitor mopping the floor behind her. She heard coughing coming from a room and looked in.
A woman was tucking in an old man and comforting him. "You'll be fine. Is that better?"
She continued down the hall and looked into the next room. An old woman was sitting on the edge of the bed with her face in her hands. She continued, heard the old woman cough, and let out a little cough of her own. She passed another doorway.
Buffy walked toward the door to the children's ward as two orderlies wheeled a child covered with a sheet out of the ward.
"Man, I hate it when you lose the young ones."
They went down the hall past Buffy. She looked at the gurney as they went by. She turned back to the children's ward door and slowly approached it. She could hear Dr. Wilkinson and another doctor arguing inside in hushed tones, so she didn't go in.
"I'm just saying...step back on the dosage until we can analyze the results."
"There isn't time. I should think that would be clear to you by now."
Buffy peeked into the room and saw them arguing. From his badge, Buffy learned the other doctor was named Backer.
"The normal course of treatment-"
"They aren't responding to the normal course of treatment." Dr. Backer gestured to the kids. "Look, they're getting worse."
"Raising their temperatures is poten-"
"Dr. Wilkinson! I have the consent of the parents."
"They're desperate! They don't understand what you're-"
"You know what? If - If you have a problem with my methods, just take it up with the board."
"I have!"
Buffy had heard enough and turned away to go. There in front of her was the little boy that she saw in her dream and a little girl. She stopped, and they looked at each other.
"He comes at night. The grown-ups don't see him. He was with Tina. He'll come back for us."
"Who?" Buffy asked him.
"Death."
Buffy looked back and forth between the two kids in disbelief.
Cordelia was sitting on a chair outside the waiting room across from the nurses' station that was down the hall from Buffy's room. An open bag of Krispy Kreme doughnuts was sitting on the table between her chair and the next one. Cordelia held a cup of coffee in one hand and a copy of Cosmopolitan that she brought with her in the other. She took a long sip of coffee. There were two police officers talking to a security guard. Nurses and orderlies were going about their tasks. Cordelia heard someone whistling a few bars of "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and looked to see who was coming. When she saw Angelus, she quickly got up and faced him down in the hall.
"Visiting hours are over."
"Well, I'm pretty much family."
"Yeah. Why don't you come back during the day?" Cordelia suggested. "Oh, shit, no, I guess you can't."
"If I decide to walk into Buffy's room, do you think for one microsecond that you could stop me?" Angelus asked her.
"Maybe not. Maybe that security guard couldn't either. Or those cops. Or the orderlies. But I'm kinda curious to find out. You game?" Cordelia challenged him.
Angelus paused. "Buffy's White Knight. You in love with her?" He leaned in close. "Honestly, I've suspected you're a closeted dyke."
Cordelia fought her nervousness. "You're gonna die. And I'm gonna be the one to kill you."
Angelus gave Cordelia one final look and then went back into the waiting room. Cordelia shuddered, covered her mouth, and let out a sigh of relief.
Celia was on the bedroom floor, covered with pillows, and writhing around, pretending to be trapped under a pile of snow and ice. "Help me, help! Avalanche! Help! Help! I'm trapped! Avalanche! Help! Help!"
Buffy ran in through the door and stopped in a heroic stance with her hands on her hips. "Power Girl to the rescue!" She kneeled down and started to heave off the pillows - as though they were huge, heavy blocks of ice and snow - and thudded them aside.
"Help me! Help! Help! Please, help!" Celia cried.
Buffy got the last pillows off Celia's face, and she sat up.
"You saved me! Thank you, Power Girl!"
The two girls embraced.
"You're safe now."
Buffy walked into Celia's hospital room. She slowly approached the curtain around the bed and opened it enough to look in at her cousin. She stepped through. Celia was lying there, peacefully asleep.
Buffy woke with a start.
Dr. Wilkinson came in. "Good morning."
Buffy moaned, rubbed her eyes, and sat up. "Could've fooled me."
"How are you feeling? Looks like your fever's gone down."
"Well, good! Thanks for having me. Let's try and keep in touch." Buffy tried to get out of bed.
Dr. Wilkinson pushed her back. "Not so fast." She inspected Buffy's bandaged arm. "Hmm."
"Good 'Hmm' or bad 'Hmm'?"
"Swelling's...gone!" Wilkinson looked up. "Does this hurt?"
"Nope."
"Amazing." Wilkinson got the chart.
"Well, then I should probably go, right?" Buffy tried to go again.
Dr. Wilkinson stopped her again. "No. Soon. We have to make sure that fever is gone. That's a strong virus you have. Maybe not as strong as you, but-"
"I-Is that the same virus the kids have?" Buffy asked her.
Before Dr. Wilkinson could answer, there was a knock on the door.
"May we come in?" Giles asked.
"Please!" Wilkinson replied.
Giles, Tara, and Cordelia walked in.
"Maybe you can keep our patient from bolting." Wilkinson looked at Buffy. "Rest! Hmm?" She left.
Tara set school books on the bed. "For milady."
"Homework!" Buffy exclaimed in horror.
"It's my way of saying 'Get well soon'."
"You know, chocolate says that even better."
"I did all your assignments. All you have to do is sign your name."
"Chocolate means nothing to me."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips, stepped back, and looked at Cordelia.
"Nobody told me I was supposed to bring a gift." Cordelia looked at Giles. "I was out of the loop on gifts."
"It's - It's tradition among, um...people. Um..." Giles walked up to the bed. "Grapes." He set down the bag. "Well, did you, uh, pass the night well enough?"
A nurse came into the room and walked around the bed.
"Not really. Something happened I thought you-"
The nurse checked Buffy's IV.
"You know what?" Buffy asked. "Let's take a walk."
Tara pushed Buffy along in a wheelchair outside the hospital's main entrance while Cordelia and Giles walked alongside.
Buffy smiled. "Now, this part, I could get used to."
"Do you want me to go really fast?" Tara asked her.
Giles gave her a look.
Tara got serious. "Not that I would."
Giles looked at Buffy. "We were discussing, um, stuff."
"Yes, stuff. Um, you know, a girl died here last night."
"How?" Tara asked.
"Well, the flu."
Cordelia looked at Buffy. "Flu doesn't exactly sound monsterrific."
"I know. But there's this Dr. Backer, and he's been giving them these experimental treatments."
They stopped by a bench, and Giles sat.
"I-I'm not sure what he's up to, but he's a little creepy. A-And then there was this kid, Ryan. He said he saw something."
"Saw what?" Giles asked.
"Death."
"Death?" Cordelia asked her.
"The Death? As in the sub-boss in Castlevania games?" Tara asked.
Giles was skeptical. "Buffy, a-a-a frightened child-"
"Yeah, but I thought I saw something. I'm not sure; I was really out of it, but-"
"But you do know that you saw Death." Cordelia stared into Buffy's eyes.
Buffy shrugged. "Maybe it wasn't Death. Maybe it was something else."
"So this isn't about you being afraid of hospitals, 'cause your friend died, and you wanna conjure up a monster that you can fight, so you can save everybody and not feel so helpless?" Cordelia asked her.
"Cordelia, have you actually ever heard of tact?" Giles asked her.
"Tact is just not saying true stuff. I'll pass."
Tara looked at Buffy. "Your mom did tell us about your cousin."
Cordelia sat also.
"This has nothing to do with that. This little boy, Ryan, is afraid of something, something real. As long as I'm forced to stay here, I'm gonna find out what."
"What can we do to help?" Tara asked her.
That evening, after hours, Cordelia and Tara quietly walked into the hospital's records room. The place was deserted.
"You had to ask that, didn't you?" Cordelia whispered.
They walked over to a records cabinet.
"We just gotta figure out what killed this little girl, Tina." Tara opened a cabinet door.
Cordelia leaned against the wall. "This is what happens when you're compassionate towards sick people. They take advantage of you."
Tara gave Cordelia a look. "Uh-huh. Buffy almost died just to put you out."
"I didn't wanna be the first one to say it."
Tara found nothing and pointed over to the cabinet to her right. "You there." She pointed to her left. "Me here."
"Right."
Tara went on to the next one around the corner. Cordelia reluctantly went back to the one on the other side of the door where they came in. She opened the cabinet and looked in.
Tara found the file that she wanted and walked back over to Cordelia. "Got it. Tina was one of Dr. Backer's patients. I'll take this to Mr. Giles and help him research. Stay here and protect Buffy."
"Right."
Later, Tara and Giles walked into the Sunnydale High School library.
"So...where do we start?" Tara asked him.
"Hmm? Oh, I don't know. Maybe look into the history of the hospital, bizarre incidents, that sort of thing."
"I'm sensing a little less than full committal here."
They stopped by the counter.
"Oh, I-I suppose so. Cordelia may be Homerically insensitive, but she may also be right. Death and disease are - are things, possibly the only things that - that Buffy cannot fight. It's only natural for her to try to create a-a defeatable opponent."
"That's true. But we live on the Hellmouth; these kids may have seen a monster."
Giles started toward the stacks. "What, a monster that grown-ups can't see? Doesn't ring a bell." He paused. "Unless..."
Tara sat on the table. "Unless?"
"Well, sometimes, small children do see something we adults don't: us. Our true selves, our - our...our hidden faces."
"So the kids might be afraid of a regular person?" Tara came to a realization. "Like the weird doctor!"
"Stanley Backer was his name, no?"
"Let's look him up." Tara went to get her laptop.
Buffy walked along the hall outside the children's ward, stopped by the door, and looked into the room. Ryan was sitting at a table, drawing a picture with crayons.
Buffy walked over to him. "Hey. Remember me?"
"You shouldn't be here."
"Why not?"
"Contagious."
"Nah. I already got what you got." Buffy sat down by the table.
Ryan went back to drawing his picture.
"Oh, what, you think because I'm a grown-up? Believe me, I'm not that grown up."
She took a look at his picture. It was of the monster that he'd seen coming after the other kids. Buffy briefly flashed back to when she saw it walk past her door in her dream.
"He'll come again tonight."
"Ryan, listen to me."
He looked at her.
"I'm not gonna let this thing hurt you. Any of you. Grown-ups don't believe you, right? Well, I do. We both know that there are real monsters. But there's also real heroes that fight monsters. And that's me."
Ryan looked away and went back to drawing his picture. "Can't fight Death."
In the library, Tara was sitting at the table, surfing for information on her laptop. Giles was standing behind her, looking over her shoulder. Dr. Backer's medical database file came up on the screen.
"Our Dr. Backer has something of a rap sheet."
Tara nodded. "Reprimands for controversial experiments, risky procedures, a malpractice suit. Looks like it was dropped suddenly."
Giles took off his glasses. "Factor in Buffy's observation that he gives her the, um, uh, wiggins..." He turned away and thought.
"This may be our Death guy?" Tara asked.
Giles turned back to her. "I just wish I knew what he was doing to these children."
Tara looked up at him.
Buffy entered the hall outside Dr. Backer's office. He walked out and made his way to the children's ward. Buffy followed him. He went through one of a pair of doors. Buffy stopped and waited behind the other door, suspicious.
"Uhh!" Dr. Backer yelled out in pain. He screamed.
Buffy slowly approached the door to the ward and looked in, then she walked through, but she quickly had to step back and out of the way as Dr. Backer came flying out and onto the floor. He groaned, and she bent down to help him, but something pushed her away and threw her back into the wall. She hit it hard and slid down to the floor, unconscious.
The next morning, Buffy was back in her hospital bed, looking at the picture that Ryan drew. The grapes that Giles gave her were on a plate on the table. Giles arrived in the doorway and knocked. Buffy looked up as he, Cordelia, and Tara walked into the room. Tara closed the door behind her.
Giles nodded. "Uh, well, it looks as if you, uh, were on to something."
"I know."
Giles walked around the bed and sat in a chair. "The, uh, the - the girl, Tina, um, it's apparent that she - she died of the fever, simple enough, but - but her records show her improving and then suddenly deteriorating w-w-w-without any apparent cause."
Tara nodded. "So we checked Dr. Backer out. This guy was not a solid citizen."
"It wasn't Backer. He was clean."
"What do you mean 'clean'?" Cordelia asked her.
"What do you mean 'was'?" Tara asked her.
"He's dead. This thing killed him - and not with kindness." Buffy handed Giles the picture.
"You saw it?" Tara asked her.
Giles looked at the rough child's drawing.
Buffy shook her head. "No, it's invisible. I saw Backer nearly shredded, and the fucking thing knocked me down. But it's real. Which means I get to fight it."
Giles took off his glasses. "Um, this is your work?" He indicated the picture.
"No, one of the kids."
"Oh. Um..." Giles paused. "Well, it would help if - if we knew what it was." He sighed. "I-It's invisible to you, but the - the children can see it."
Cordelia looked at Buffy. "But you said you did see something two nights ago."
"Uh, yeah, but I was pretty delirious. I mean...it doesn't make any sense. Why would I see it then and not last night?"
The door to the room opened, and Buffy's mother came in.
Joyce smiled. "Good morning."
Giles put his glasses back on.
Joyce set down the bag that she brought with her. "Honey, I-I just talked to the doctor, and she said I can take you home."
Buffy considered a moment. "No. I should stay here."
Joyce was confused. "But, honey, I thought you'd be raring-"
"Weird shit's going down here. Kids are dying." Buffy paused. "I need to find out what's stalking them."
"Are you sure?" Joyce asked her.
"Oh, yeah, but just for a day...or s-so."
"Okay, well, I'll, uh, I'll talk to the doctor." Joyce frowned in confusion. "What should I tell her?"
Buffy smiled. "Bullshit. I'm still sick. Cough, cough. Sneeze, sneeze."
Joyce smiled and went back out of the room. Cordelia closed the door behind her.
"So what's the plan?" Tara asked.
"Giles, see if you can get a mug shot on that guy. I need to know what I'm fighting."
"Right. Yes." Giles stood up and walked around the bed.
"I'll check Backer's office. See if I can find any Post-its marked 'Why a monster might want me dead'."
Cordelia smiled in amusement. "Sounds like a plan."
"Course, if I find anything, I won't know what it means, so, Tara..."
Tara nodded. "Oh, yeah, I'll research that medical shit on the 'Net."
Buffy nodded. "Right. Go!"
Giles nodded. "W-W-We'll call you if we...know something."
He started out with Cordelia and Tara close behind.
"Know something soon."
The three of them left the room and started toward the waiting room.
Giles looked at the girls. "I'd best head for the library. Research beckons."
Tara nodded. "I'm on sentry duty."
Giles nodded. "Well, you two, stay alert."
They stopped outside the waiting room.
Tara looked at Cordelia. "Finding out who this thing is takes priority. Cordy, you should go with Mr. Giles."
Giles was bewildered. "Why do I have to have-"
Cordelia shot him a look.
"Uh, good thinking. I-I-I could do with a research assistant."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Let's go, tact guy."
"Yes." Giles went to the elevator.
Cordelia looked at Tara. "Be careful." She followed Giles.
Tara sat down on the chair across from the nurse's station.
That evening, Buffy opened the door to Dr. Backer's office and poked in her head. Seeing it was empty, she opened the door further to let Tara in, checked the hall, and closed it behind her.
She started to look around and checked out the reference volumes on the shelves by the fridge.
Tara looked over the papers on his desk. "It's weird going through his things."
Buffy opened the fridge.
"Look, he didn't finish his coffee. Guess he won't." Tara felt sad as she looked at the printouts.
Buffy closed the fridge. "Yep, another person I wasn't in time to save." She went to the desk. "It's too bad Angel didn't put me in the hospital sooner." She paused and made a face. "There's something I never thought I'd hear myself say."
The two of them kept looking.
Tara read a paper. "Hey, wait, I think I have something."
"Hmm. Sherlock."
"Okay, this makes sense. Dr. Backer was trying to inoculate the kids with a controlled dosage of the same virus they already had."
Buffy gave her a confused look.
"Oh, raising their temperatures to burn the fever out of them."
"Would that work?" Buffy asked.
"According to this, it was starting to. So he really was trying to help the kids."
"Till that thing stopped him."
In the library, Giles and Cordelia were going through a stack of books on the table. He had Ryan's drawing for comparison. She turned a page and found a picture of a demon. He took a sip of his tea.
"Eww, what does this do?" Cordelia asked him.
Giles put his mug down. "What?"
"What does this do?" Cordelia pushed the book toward him.
"Uh, it, uh, extracts vital organs to replenish its own mutating cells."
"Wow!" Cordelia leaned over to look at his book. "What does this one do?" She pointed to a drawing.
Giles looked up at her. "Um, i-it elongates its mouth to, uh, engulf its victim's head with its incisors."
"Ouch. Wait, what does this one do?" Cordelia pointed to another.
Giles was frustrated. "It asks endless questions of those with whom it's supposed to be working, so that nothing is getting done."
Cordelia was amazed. "Damn, there's a demon for everything."
Giles slapped down Ryan's picture and got up from the table in disgust. He took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. "I don't even know if we're on the right track. Since this, uh...miscreant has only been seen by select individuals, there's a chance we won't ever...find a picture of it."
"Well, it's not in here." Cordelia closed her book.
On the cover was a drawing of the monster that they were seeking. Giles looked down at it and put his glasses back on. She noticed his gaze and looked at the book's cover also.
Soon, in Giles' office, Cordelia was on the phone with Buffy. "It's called Der Kinderstaad."
"Who is this?" Buffy asked.
"It's me. I've got your monster!"
"Where's Giles?"
Cordelia paced, looking at the book. "Looking up shit."
"Well, can you put him on?"
"Hey!" Cordelia closed the book and headed for the desk. "I found your guy, okay? Just listen."
"Right."
Cordelia sat down in Giles' chair, set the book on the desk, and opened it. "The name means 'child death'. This book says that he feeds off of children by sucking the life out of them. Eew! But anyway, afterwards, it looks like they died, because they were sick."
"So it did kill Tina."
"Yeah, that's my take. 'Cause it would be looking at the children's ward as basically an all-you-can-eat kind of thing, y'know."
"Backer was curing the kids and taking away the Kinderstaad's food."
Cordelia nodded. "Hence the slice-age."
Giles walked into his office, holding a book. "I found a picture of how it kills. Let me talk to her."
Cordelia took the book and looked. "Oh! Eww!"
"What?" Buffy asked.
"Oh! Uh, you should see this thing! The way it does its thing, I mean, eww!" Cordelia handed the phone to Giles and got up. "Why do I let you guys drag me into this shit?" She left.
"Uh, uh, Buffy? Are you - Are you still there?" Giles asked.
"Hanging on every 'eww'."
Giles sat down. "Uh, the, um, the Kinderstaad gorges by sitting atop his prey, pinning it down, uh, helplessly. Then he slowly draws out the life. I-It must be, uh, h-horrifying for the victim."
Buffy didn't respond.
"Buffy? Hello?"
Buffy pulled aside the curtain around Celia's bed. "Celia?"
Celia woke and started to scream. She held her hands in front of her as if trying to push something away.
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked her.
Celia kept screaming at the top of her lungs in complete terror.
"I don't know what to do, Celia!" Buffy cried.
Celia continued screaming and swatted with her hands at something unseen.
Buffy looked toward the door. "Help! Help! Help! Somebody help!"
"Get it off of me!" Celia screamed.
Buffy looked at her cousin. "Come on, Celia!"
"Get it off of me!" Celia screamed.
Buffy was holding the phone to her ear and staring off into space.
"Buffy, w-what is it?" Giles asked.
Tara took the phone. "Thanks." She hung up.
"It killed Celia."
"Your cousin?" Tara asked.
Buffy looked at Tara. "We have to get this thing, Tara, before it gets any more kids."
"You will. We will."
"But how? I-I can't even see it."
"You saw it once."
"Did I? Uh, maybe my mind was playing tricks on me. I mean...I was crazed with that fever. Who knows..." Buffy suddenly had an idea.
Buffy opened the door of Dr. Backer's refrigerator. The light came on.
"Buffy, think about this."
"I have. Lots of thoughts." Buffy crouched down.
"It's crazy."
Buffy searched the test tubes. "The fever. That's how you see the Kinderstaad. That's why Celia could see it. That's why Ryan still can." She found the right one. "It's the only way." She stood back up and faced Tara.
"But how are you gonna fight this thing with a 107-degree temperature?" Tara asked her.
"I guess we'll find out." Buffy uncapped the tube and raised it to drink the serum.
Tara quickly stopped her. "Buffy!"
"Tara, I'm going to do this."
"Buffy, that's 100% pure. It'll kill you in an instant."
"Oh. They really should put that on the label."
Tara reached into the refrigerator for a bottle of drinking water and grabbed a beaker that was sitting on top. Buffy closed the fridge while Tara set the beaker on the desk and opened the bottle.
"It needs to be diluted." Tara poured some water into the beaker and closed the bottle.
"Okay, but this better work fast."
Tara took the test tube and drew some of the serum into a dropper. She held it over the beaker and let a single drop fall in.
"Faster than that."
Tara looked at her, worried, but gave in and put another drop into the water.
Buffy took the beaker, held it up, and looked at it, then over at Tara. "Here's to my health." After another moment's hesitation, she quaffed the water and serum.
Tara and Buffy walked around the corner and headed toward the children's ward. Buffy was already feeling the effects of the virus and walked unsteadily, breathing heavily. Tara supported her.
"Oh, God. I'm not sure this was such a good idea."
"Hang in there. You'll be okay."
"Okay. I'm okay."
They reached the door to the ward, and Buffy looked in through the door's window. The beds were all empty.
"The kids. They're gone."
She and Tara exchanged a surprised and very worried look.
"What could have happened?" Tara asked her.
"I don't know. Maybe we're too late. Maybe they moved." Buffy felt her forehead. "Maybe I don't...I'm burning up!" She looked back into the room and started to see something. "Babe?"
"What?"
"I think it's in there."
A form began to take shape as though unfolding. It stepped over to a bed, and suddenly the Kinderstaad was clearly visible to Buffy. It looked into a bed and found it empty. She stared at it through the door's window. The monster looked over at another bed and noticed her staring. It straightened itself up and looked at her. Buffy's eyes went wide with fear. It just giggled maniacally and took off its hat to her. It kept an eye on her for another moment as it turned toward the other door to the ward, then put the hat back on and walked to the other door. The Kinderstaad opened it and went through. When the door closed, Buffy saw the sign on the door: "Basement Access". Buffy frantically tried to follow, but the door to the ward was locked, and the virus had weakened her enough so she couldn't break it open.
"It's going after them!" Buffy turned to Tara. "We gotta get 'em."
Dr. Wilkinson came around the corner. "Buffy?"
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Okay, we'll get 'em in a second."
Dr. Wilkinson quickly approached her. "What's wrong?"
Buffy took out her wallet, opened it, and flashed her police identification. "Emergency. We need to get in there."
"What the hell is that? You should be in bed." Dr. Wilkinson put her arm around Buffy.
"No!" Buffy protested. "I need to go after them!"
"No, you're coming with me." Wilkinson started to pull her away.
"No!" Buffy pushed the doctor away and started to run down the hall.
Tara quickly followed.
Buffy and Tara ran through a pair of doors. Two security guards were coming down the adjacent hallway. They headed the girls off at the intersection.
"Okay, come on now." A guard held his baton threateningly. "We can do this the easy way."
Buffy showed him her identification. "As you rent-a-cops may or may not know, I'm a police-sanctioned Slayer. We have a supernatural situation with lives at stake. If you wanna be useful, prevent anyone from going down into the basement. But let me pass and do my job, or, I fucking swear, I'm gonna ram that baton up your ass."
The two guards looked at each other, and then they looked at Buffy and nodded.
Buffy and Tara ran around the corner and down the other hall.
Tara supported Buffy as they hurried down the basement tunnels under the hospital.
Tara looked at Buffy. "You don't know how to kill this thing."
"I thought I might try violence."
"Solid call."
They ran down the tunnel and heard the kids screaming. Buffy grabbed a large section of pipe and pulled it loose. They arrived at the children. The Kinderstaad was leaning over Ryan. It took his head to hold him steady. The monster's eyes bugged out and split open. They extended from their sockets down toward his forehead. The monster drooled heavily and licked its lips. Its eyes made contact with Ryan's forehead. He screamed as his energy was drained. Buffy hit the Kinderstaad in the head with the pipe, and its eyes snapped back into their sockets.
Buffy stood over it with the pipe held ready. "You make me sick."
The Kinderstaad stood up and faced her. She swung the pipe at it again, but the monster blocked it and knocked it from her grip.
Although Tara couldn't see it, she saw Buffy was fighting something and took the opportunity to go to Ryan and lift him up from the floor. "Up." She carried the boy over to the other kids.
Buffy was not in top form as she fought the Kinderstaad, and it gained the upper hand and punched her twice in the face, then threw her against a pipe.
Tara found the other children and started to herd them away. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! Hurry!" She followed them, throwing a few glances over at Buffy along the way.
Buffy swung twice at the monster, but it just leaned back and avoided the blows. It grabbed her again and threw her into another pipe. She recovered quickly, spotted a raised grating, and hopped up onto it. She took a good look at the Kinderstaad and then jumped from the grate and landed a hard kick on its face. It stumbled back and to its knee as she landed on her feet. She kicked it three more times while it tried to get back up.
Tara ran back after leading the kids away and watched her fight. She saw her kick, but to her it looked like she was fighting thin air. She heard her get hit, and she spun around and let out a grunt of pain. The monster took her by the shoulder and backhand-punched her in the face again. He took her by the throat, lifted her up, and threw her into some sections of large duct tube. Buffy was dazed and just lay there on the pipe. The Kinderstaad reached down for its hat, brushed it off, and put it back on. Buffy recovered from her daze - but not in time to get away as it kneeled and reached for her head. It held her steady with both hands. Its eyes bugged out and split open again. She reached up for its head with both hands and gave it a good, quick twist. The monster's neck snapped loudly, and it fell over dead next to her. Buffy stood up and looked down at the Kinderstaad's prone body.
Tara finally dared to come closer, concerned. "Are you okay?"
Buffy looked up at her. "Actually, I think I'm starting to feel better. Let's-" She took a step but lost her balance and fell into Tara. "Oh!"
Tara put her arm around her to support her, and they started walking.
"He's dead, right?" Tara asked. "I mean...I heard something snap."
"That would be his neck." Buffy briefly flashed back to Ted's neck breaking, and she wished she would lose consciousness.
Despite being sick, Buffy was discharged from the hospital, because they really didn't want her there. Buffy and Tara were lying back comfortably on Buffy's bed in her room, watching Ghost in the Shell on TV.
Joyce walked in with a tray containing two sandwiches on plates and two glasses of juice. She also held an envelope. "Here you go, honey. Peanut butter and jelly, without the crust, just the way you like it." Joyce sat on the bed next to Buffy and put the glasses on the night stand.
"And the juice?" Buffy asked.
Joyce handed Buffy and Tara their plates. "Two parts orange, one part grapefruit."
Buffy smiled. "That's my drink."
"I measured it exactly." Joyce got up to go.
Tara smiled. "Thanks, Mrs. Summers."
"Thanks, Mom."
Joyce smiled. "Anything to help my daughter get well. Oh, Buffy, here. Um, this came in the mail." She handed the envelope to Buffy.
Buffy read the return address and smiled. "It's from Ryan." She opened it.
"The boy from the hospital?" Joyce asked.
Buffy took out the paper inside and unfolded it.
Joyce looked down at it and smiled. "Oh, he drew you a picture."
The picture was of Buffy standing over the Kinderstaad with her foot up on its chest. The monster's neck was split open, and blood was gushing out.
Joyce stared at the picture. "How...nice."
Chapter 60: I Only Have Eyes for You
Chapter Text
"I Only Have Eyes for You"
Based on the Episode Written by Marti Noxon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
Splendid was the band tonight at the Bronze. They were on the stage, performing "Charge". Tara was looking around for Buffy. She turned around, looked up, and spotted her on the upper level, leaning against the railing and watching the band.
"Hey."
At the sound, Buffy turned to face the boy behind her, a little surprised.
"I'm Ben. We had Algebra II together last year."
Buffy shrugged. "Sorry, I don't remember you."
"Ms. Jackson? Second period? You sat in the seat three over and one behind."
"Oh! Yeah, I remember now; it's the one with the desks and the chalkboards and pencils and shit, right?" Buffy replied sarcastically.
"That's the one." Ben chuckled.
Buffy smiled and pointed at her head. "Like a steel trap."
"So...I was wondering...you know the dance two nights from now? Are you going?"
"You mean the Sadie Hawkins thing? The deal where the girls ask the boys?"
"Yeah. And I thought maybe, you know, if you're free, you might ask me."
Buffy made a face. "Oh, goddamn..." She sighed. "I-"
Ben held up his hand. "Oh, oh, hey, hey, no, don't - don't worry about it-"
"No, no, you seem like a really great guy; it's me. I-I'm gay."
"Oh. That's - That's too bad."
Buffy frowned. "I don't think so."
"Okay, well, I better..." Ben indicated away and went away.
Buffy glanced down at the band and then headed for the stairs. When Buffy reached the bottom of the stairs, Tara met her.
Tara grinned. "Hey!"
Buffy smiled. "Hey."
"Wanna dance?" Tara asked.
"Sure."
They joined hands, walked out onto the dance floor, hugged each other, and started dancing close with their arms around each other and smiling.
Buffy stared into Tara's eyes. "After, I'm gonna stop by the library and see if Giles wants me to patrol."
Tara was a bit disappointed. "Awww. I was hoping we could go back to your place and have some fun."
"Sorry, Mom's home early tonight. Rain check?" Buffy asked.
Tara smiled. "Sure."
Buffy walked around the corner into a hall at Sunnydale High School and saw a boy and a girl. The boy had a gun trained on the girl.
"Hey!" Buffy yelled.
"Oh, my God!" The girl turned and started walking away.
Buffy started running at the boy.
"Don't walk away from me, bitch!" the boy yelled.
Buffy ran at the boy full steam. He looked at her just as she grabbed his arm, raised it, and brought it down over her shoulder, making him drop the gun. She elbowed him hard in the gut, knocking the breath out of him. She turned around, grabbed him by the shirt, and yanked him hard to the floor. His spun a turn and a half on his way down and landed hard on his back. The girl just looked on in shock. Buffy bent down to pick the boy up by the collar. George the janitor arrived at a run and went over to the girl. They looked over at Buffy and the boy. She pushed him away.
He was in open-mouthed shock over what just happened. "What happened?"
"What happened?! You just went O.J. on your girlfriend!" Buffy told him.
His girlfriend looked down, away from him.
"This is nuts! I...I don't know why I got so mad."
"Because you're a fucking asshole?" Buffy suggested.
The girl shook her head. "He's not. We weren't even fighting a few minutes ago."
The boy shook his head. "We weren't, I-I swear to God!"
"If you weren't fighting, then why'd you have a gun?" Buffy asked him.
"I don't - I don't know. I don't even know where I got it."
George looked around the hall. "I don't see any gun."
Buffy looked at him, confused. The boy took a look around also.
The next day, Buffy was summoned to Principal Snyder's office. He came in and closed the door behind him.
Snyder headed to his desk. "I'm sure you know why I asked you here."
He passed Buffy as she took a seat.
"To thank me?" Buffy guessed.
Snyder walked around his desk. "That's right, I wanna thank you. What would Sunnydale High do without you around to incite mayhem, chaos, and disorder?"
"I don't incite! I stopped that boy from killing his girlfriend; ask him. Ask the janitor."
"People can be coerced, Summers. I'm no stranger to conspiracy. I saw JFK. I'm a truth seeker. I've got a missing gun and two confused kids on my hands. Pieces of the puzzle. And I'm gonna look at all the pieces carefully and rationally, and I'm gonna keep looking until I know exactly how this is all your fault."
Buffy was about to respond when his secretary buzzed him on his office intercom.
"Mr. Snyder, Billy Crandle chained himself to the snack machine again."
"Pathetic little no-life vegan." Snyder walked around his desk to go take care of Billy.
Buffy stood up to go also.
"Not so fast, missy. I'm not done with you yet. You stink of lies."
He pointed to her chair, and she sat back down and sighed. He left the office and closed the door behind him.
She heard something hit the floor and looked down at it. It was a book. She got up and bent down to pick it up. She looked at the cover. It was a Sunnydale High School yearbook from 1959. Over to Buffy's right was a bookcase with copies of all of the yearbooks since Sunnydale High opened. She looked over at its space on the shelf, shrugged, and put it back.
In the computer science class, Ms. Calendar walked along the front of the classroom. "So...for next time, read the chapters on information grouping and binary coding."
Giles looked into the classroom from the hall.
Jenny smiled. "I bet you'll think coding is pretty cool. I mean...if you find two-digit, multi-stacked conversions and primary number clusters a big hoot."
Everyone in the class laughed. The bell rang, and the students began to leave. Jenny watched them go and noticed Giles waiting just inside of the doorway.
"Rupert." Jenny went to him.
"I-I-I just stopped by to - to see how you were doing."
Jenny smiled. "That's sweet."
Giles looked down, away from her.
"I want to show you something." Jenny went to her desk, opened a drawer, took something out, walked back over to Giles, and held up a light pink quartz stone strung on a thin leather thong. "It's a rose quartz. It has healing powers."
Giles looked at her hands.
"I want you to have it."
Giles slowly took the necklace from her. He gently turned it over in his hand. "Oh, thank you, Jenny, that's, um...that's very thoughtful of you." He turned and left the classroom.
Jenny watched him go with a small smile on her face.
In history class, Buffy had her chin propped up in her hand, bored with the lecture and trying not to fall asleep to the drone of the male teacher's voice.
"Before 1935, the New Deal focused on revitalizing stricken business and agricultural communities. And the New Deal also tried to regulate the nation's financial hierarchy to avoid another disaster like the 1929 stock market crash."
Buffy couldn't help but close her eyes for a moment. The next thing that she knew, she heard a woman's voice, and she shook herself out of her reverie.
"Don't forget, your assignments are due on Friday, class."
The students began to leave. Buffy looked around and was taken aback by the sudden changed appearance of the classroom and the different dress and hairstyles of the other students.
"I told Ms. Hall we'd go help decorate the gym. Who are you taking?" A girl handed a flyer for the Sadie Hawkins Dance to another girl.
Buffy could see the year on it read 1959.
"David said yes."
"Oh, you're kidding! He's so dreamy!"
Buffy looked all around, confused.
The teacher was collecting papers. "Thank you."
A boy went up to the desk and handed in his paper also.
"Thank you, James. How are you enjoying that book I loaned you? The Hemingway."
Buffy observed and listened to the conversation.
"I like it. Very much. It's honest."
He slowly reached for the teacher's hand and gently took it.
She sighed. "Yes, it's, um...it's based on a true story, actually. He fell in love with his-"
They were interrupted by the door opening and let go of their hands.
Suddenly, Buffy found herself back in her history class as her teacher continued his lecture while writing on the board.
"Hours, child labor..."
Buffy stared in surprise at what the teacher was writing.
"...And collective bargaining."
The teacher looked back at the class. The students all started laughing. He looked back at the board and saw he'd just written "DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME BITCH!" in huge letters.
"Oh, my God!" He quickly grabbed an eraser and frantically wiped it away.
"Did you see what he wrote?" a boy asked.
Later, in the library, Tara was at the table, studying. She looked up when she heard the doors open and saw Buffy walk in.
Buffy sat down next to her and kissed her on the lips. "Hi."
Tara smiled. "Hi."
Giles was kneeling and going through some books on a shelf.
Buffy looked at him. "Hey, Giles, my history teacher started doing some freaky channeling thing in class."
Giles stood up. "Ooh! Sounds like paranormal phenomena."
Tara smiled. "A ghost? Cool!"
Buffy frowned. "Maybe not. I sensed anger issues."
"What makes you say that?" Tara asked her.
"It made the teacher write a sentence with a wordy dird. In all caps. With a missing comma."
Tara mock-gasped.
Giles thought about it. "Well, that's a fairly accurate definition of a poltergeist."
"So we have some bad boo on our hands?" Buffy asked him.
"Yes."
"Well, why is it here? Does it just wanna scare people?" Tara asked him.
"Unfortunately, he doesn't know exactly what he wants. That's - That's the trouble. See, uh, many times, the spirit is plagued by all manner of worldly troubles. Being dead, it has no way to, uh, to make its peace. So it - it lashes out, growing ever more confused, ever more angry."
Buffy thought about that. "So it's a normal teenager, only dead."
"Well, what can we do? Is there any way to stop it?" Tara asked.
Giles sat on the table. "Uh, the only tried and true way is to work out what unresolved issues keep it here and - and - and, um, resolve them. Only if we can find out who this spirit is." He paused and considered. "Or was."
That evening, Giles was sitting in his office, researching. He could hear a conversation between two people in the hall faintly.
"I'm not afraid to use it, I swear! If I can't be with you-"
"Oh, my God!"
"Don't walk away from me, bitch!"
Giles looked up from his desk. He got up, took off his glasses, and walked out of his office to the area behind the checkout counter. There, he heard a faint male voice.
"I need you."
He looked around for a moment, then he went out into the hall and arrived at the hall intersection.
"Don't!"
Giles looked in the direction of George's voice and saw him out on the balcony, holding a gun up to Ms. Ellen Frank.
"Don't do that, damn it! Don't talk to me like I'm some dumb-"
The gun went off. Giles rushed to the other side of the intersection and hid behind the corner, watching the events as they unfolded. Outside, Ms. Frank went into shock from the bullet wound and began to fall backward. She tumbled over the balcony railing, down to the base of the stairs below. George panicked and ran into the hall. As he reached the intersection, Giles rushed out, grabbed him, and tackled him to the floor. George lost his grip on the gun, and it slid away. George raised his head as Giles got to his knees behind him and held him down.
"What's going on?" George asked.
"What's going on? You just shot a woman."
George was stunned by the realization that it actually happened.
The next morning, Giles was in his office, and Buffy and Tara were standing outside his door.
"It was just as with the - the couple you encountered two nights ago, Buffy. The - The janitor remembered everything. He - He knew he'd killed this poor woman, but he had no idea why. Well, they - they had no intimate relationship."
He came out with a few books and headed into the main area. They followed.
"What about the gun? Did you find it?" Tara asked.
"No, no. The police, everybody, we - we - we - we searched high and low." Giles went into the cage with the books and put them away.
Buffy was confused. "I'm still fuzzy about what's going on. These fights these couples keep having, it's sort of...specific."
Tara nodded. "She's right. It's a pattern." She sat at the table and typed at her laptop. "Let me do a crosscheck on other shootings at the school."
Buffy sat next to her. "Good idea. What do we know?"
Tara found something. "Oh, goddamn, we know plenty."
She scrolled through a newspaper article on her laptop. The title read "Sunnydale High Jock Kills Lover, Self".
"It says a student murdered a teacher on the night of the Sadie Hawkins Dance. The rumor was they were having an affair, and she tried to break it off. After he killed her, he went into the music room and shot himself."
Buffy took a deep breath and let it out. "Jesus Christ. It is one of those two, right?"
"It all fits: the gun, the Sadie Hawkins Dance."
"Which is tonight."
"How come we've never heard about this murder-suicide thing before? When did it happen?" Giles asked Tara.
"1959."
Tara and Giles both looked at Buffy, surprised.
"How did you know?" Tara asked her.
A short while later, Buffy set the 1959 Sunnydale High yearbook on the desk and opened it to a picture of the teacher. She pointed at it. "Okay, here's the new strangeness. I dreamt about this woman, Grace Newman, yesterday." She turned more pages. "Her and this guy." She pointed.
"Jim Stanley?" Tara asked. "He's the one. He did it. Your dreams are getting wicked accurate, Buff."
"He couldn't make her love him, so he killed her." Buffy turned away in disgust. "Fucking sicko." She stepped away.
Tara stared at his picture. "He looks so normal in this picture. He was smart, too. He made the honor roll."
Buffy looked back. "Smart. He killed a person and killed himself. Those are pretty much two of the dumbest fucking things you could do." She felt guilt anew and started crying.
Tara took Buffy's hand. "I know. I'm not excusing his behavior. And you-"
Buffy wiped away her tears. "I feel lousy. For her."
"Just her?" Tara asked her.
Buffy shook her head. "No." She cleared her head. "Anyway, let's focus on this, not me."
"Whose ghost do you think we're dealing with? His or hers?" Tara asked her.
"Well, considering how violent it is, I'm gonna say his."
Tara sat down. "Maybe Amy and I can find a way to communicate with them, and...we can find out what he wants."
"Who cares what he wants?" Buffy asked. "We need to shut him down before some other innocent guy goes and kills some poor nice girl and then blows his fucking brains out all over the music room wall."
Later, in the cafeteria, kraut dogs and spaghetti were on the menu for lunch. Cordelia opted for spaghetti and, after paying, walked over to Buffy and Tara's table with her tray.
"I hope you guys aren't going to the Sadie Hawkins Dance tonight, 'cause I'm organizing a boycott." Cordelia sat down. "Do you realize that the girls have to ask the guys? And pay and everything? I mean...whose genius idea was that?"
Buffy stared at her while slowly chewing her hot dog. "You do realize you were the one that got us the gig at the dance, right?"
Cordelia stared at Buffy for a moment in stunned confusion. "Whatever! We need to nip this thing in the bud. I mean, otherwise, things are going to get really scary."
Suddenly, they heard several students scream. The hot dogs and spaghetti had all turned into snakes. A boy pulled his snake dog away from his mouth. He had a snake protruding from his lips. He dropped the bun, spat out the snake, and quickly got up, backing away from his table. Buffy and the others looked back at their table and saw snakes all over it as well. They quickly got up, except for Cordelia, who was too busy screaming to think. When she finally looked at the table again, a snake lunged at her and bit her on the cheek. She reacted fast, throwing the snake off her and running. Buffy felt a piece of live snake squirming in her mouth and spat it out onto the floor. She stepped on it, squishing it under her shoe and splattering its blood.
Snyder came through the door and saw the mayhem. He stepped back just as a student came running by and fell over a table.
Moments later, the cafeteria was deserted.
That night, at Buffy's house, the gang was hanging out in her room. Buffy and Tara were on her bed, Amy was in her wicker chair, and Cordelia was kneeling and leaning against the bed.
Cordelia felt where a paramedic had dressed her snakebite. "Perfect. I'm gonna be scarred and swollen. Why didn't they just kill me?"
"Remember the plan to contact the spirit and talk to it?" Tara asked. "Fuck that plan. Buffy, you were right. The time for touchy-feely communication is passed. I've done some homework and found the only solution is the final solution."
"Genocide?" Amy asked sarcastically.
Tara shook her head. "Not quite. Exorcism."
"Are you crazy?" Cordelia asked her. "I saw that movie! Even the priest died."
"What's the deal?" Buffy asked Tara.
Tara laid down a map of the school building, and they all leaned in to look.
"Okay, see here, the balcony? That's where the original teacher died back in 1959 and that teacher last night. That's the hot spot where all the bad mojo is coming from. We need to create a Mangus-tripod."
"A what?" Cordelia asked her.
Tara pointed. "One person chants here on the hot spot. And the other three chant in other places around the school, forming a triangle. It's supposed to bind the bad spirit and keep it from doing any more harm."
"Well, I'll take the hot spot." Buffy took the map. "If there's trouble, that's where it'll be."
Tara nodded.
"This ghost, this James guy, is fixating on you, Buffy. The dreams, the yearbook..." Amy paused. "You sure you can handle it?"
"Well, I'm hoping he'll show. I truly am."
Later that night, at the school, they all went into the hall from outside.
"Okay, we all have our places. We do the chant and light the candle at midnight exactly. Any questions?" Buffy asked them.
"Yeah, what if this mangled triangle thingy doesn't work?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy thought for a moment. "Bad things will come about."
Cordelia frowned.
Buffy nodded. "Okay, let's do this."
They all continued into the student lounge.
"No problem. This will be a piece of cake. Right?" Cordelia asked.
They heard a creaking and then a crashing noise. They jumped and looked in that direction and saw the doors at the end of the hall had slammed shut on their own. One by one, the other doors at the ends of the two intersecting halls slammed shut.
Tara left the lounge and entered the hall outside the school library. She walked along and slowed down to look down the other hall before continuing. Behind her, Giles opened the door, and she screamed out in fright. He started and yelled out, too.
"God, Tara, what are you doing here? You're not supposed to be inside."
"Me? What about you?" Tara asked him.
"I'm cataloging some volumes that just came in."
Tara nodded. Giles went back into the library, and the door swung shut behind him.
Cordelia walked into a girls' restroom with her candle and flashlight and looked around. The place was deserted. She saw her reflection in the mirror with a bandage on her cheek. She walked over to it and set the candle down on the shelf. She pulled off the bandage and winced at the pain. Leaning toward the mirror, she inspected the twin fang marks on her cheek.
In the hall, Buffy walked along and heard the song "I Only Have Eyes For You", by the Flamingos, playing somewhere. Down another hall, she could see shadows in a bright light dancing against a wall.
She walked toward the sound and through a pair of doors.
Beyond them was another set of doors to the music room. A Class of '59 Sadie Hawkins Dance flyer was taped to one of the door windows. She stepped over to the other door and looked in. There she saw James and Grace dancing slowly to the music.
Amy walked into the cafeteria and looked around. There were still a few snakes there.
Amy shuddered. "Ew, creepy."
Tara stepped up to the landing up the stairs from the student lounge and looked around nervously.
Buffy was watching James and Grace slowly turn as they danced. When James turned into view again, Buffy saw his face was all rotted. Buffy stared back in open-mouthed shock. James and Grace were suddenly gone.
In the girls' restroom, Cordelia dug in her purse for some makeup. When she looked back up and was about to put some on, the side of her face with the snakebite suddenly became rotten. She screamed at the top of her lungs.
On the landing, Tara set her candle down on the floor. Below her, the floor suddenly started to swirl, and a green demonic hand reached up and grabbed her, pulling her down. She screamed for all that she was worth and grabbed the stair railing to keep from being pulled in.
"Mr. Giles!" Tara screamed.
Giles heard her screams and came running. "Tara!"
"Mr. Giles! Mr. Giles!" Tara screamed.
The pull was too strong, and she lost her grip on the railing.
"Where are you?!" Giles ran into the lounge area.
"Please! Help! Help me!" Tara screamed.
He turned and saw her sinking into the floor. He scrambled up the stairs to her aid.
"Help! Help! Help! Help!" Tara screamed.
He grabbed her arms and started to pull. She screamed again as the pit continued to try to suck her in. Giles let out a grunt and managed to slowly lift her out. When she was free of the pit, she suddenly snapped into his arms, and they both went rolling down the stairs.
Buffy arrived at the balcony. Suddenly, she sensed something and stared off into space. She had a vision of Ms. Newman running out of the hall, onto the balcony, being chased by James with his gun.
"Stop!" James yelled.
Ms. Newman faced James. "Just calm down."
James shook the gun at her. It went off. Ms. Newman clutched her chest over the bullet wound. She pulled her hand away and looked at the blood. James walked into the music room and put on a record. He started crying, raised the gun to his head, and pulled the trigger.
James came up to Buffy with a rotted face and grabbed her by the arms. "Get out!"
The vision of him faded quickly, and she took a few steps back.
In the girls' restroom, Cordelia was panting with fear, covering her face with her hands. She looked into the mirror again and saw her face was suddenly normal again. She pulled her hands away, took a closer look, and began to calm down a bit.
In the lounge, Giles got up and went up a few steps to make sure that the pit was gone. He came back down to Tara. "Are you all right?"
Tara was still frightened and shook her head. Giles sat down. The town clock began to strike midnight.
"Oh, Goddess. Oh." Tara scrambled back up to the landing to light the candle.
Giles followed. "Careful up here!"
In the girls' restroom, Cordelia was nervous but ready with her candle and lighter.
On the balcony, Buffy struck a match and lit her candle.
On the landing, Tara struggled with her lighter. The flame wouldn't ignite. Giles crouched down, took it from her, and lit the candle.
Tara stared at the flame. "I shall confront and expel all evil."
In the girls' restroom, Cordelia lit her candle. "I shall totally confront and expel all evil."
In the cafeteria, Amy sat on a table with her lit candle before her. She had her legs crossed, hands folded, and eyes closed. "Out of marrow and bone..."
On the balcony, Buffy stared at the flame. "Out of house and home...never to come here again."
On the landing, Tara and Giles looked around. Nothing was happening.
In the cafeteria, Amy opened her eyes. Nothing happened there either.
In the restroom, Cordelia looked around also. All seemed quiet.
On the balcony, Buffy watched as a breeze blew out her candle. She looked in the direction of the gust.
On the landing, the candle there had been blown out, too. Tara and Giles exchanged a look.
In the cafeteria, Amy's candle was out also. She looked around nervously.
In the girls' restroom, Cordelia watched the smoke drift from the glowing wick.
In the lounge, Tara and Giles walked down the stairs and looked down the hall. They heard a faint buzzing. It steadily got louder. At the far end of the hall, they saw a huge, dark swarm of wasps coming toward them.
"Oh, my God!" Giles exclaimed.
They both broke into a dead run. As they rounded a corner, Buffy and Cordelia joined them from another hall.
"You all right?" Giles asked them.
Amy ran out of the cafeteria and kept pace. They reached the far end of the hall, where the doors were jammed shut.
"Get back!" Buffy told Giles.
Giles backed off, and Buffy kicked the door open, shattering the glass. They all immediately ran out. The wasps were right behind them.
When they reached the street, Amy looked back and stopped. "That’s it."
The others all stopped and turned to look as well.
"I'd say school's out for good."
They all stared in amazement. Giles took off his glasses. The wasps had arranged themselves in a wall around the school, so nothing could get in or out.
In the living room at Buffy's house, Buffy leaned against the wall. The others were seated around the coffee table.
Giles poured some tea for himself. "The good news is none of you girls were shot. Well, we've established, based on all the parallels and - and - and Buffy's visions, that it's James' spirit."
"So what do we do, Mr. Giles?" Tara asked. "About James."
"Well, he's obviously reliving the night of the Sadie Hawkins Dance when he killed Ms. Newman. It-It's - It's common enough for a spirit to do this, to...recreate a-a tragedy."
Cordelia munched a cracker. "Hey. If Sunnydale High School shuts down forever, do we automatically graduate?"
Amy ignored her. "But why? What does he want?"
"He's - He's trying to...resolve whatever issues are keeping him in limbo. W-W-What, exactly, those are, I'm not-"
"He wants forgiveness."
Everyone looked at Buffy. Her head was lowered, and she was staring uncomfortably at the floor.
Giles leaned back. "Yes." He got up. "I imagine he does." He went to her. "But when James possesses people, they act out exactly what happened that night. So he's experiencing a form of purgatory instead. I mean...he's - he's doomed to - to kill his Ms. Newman over and over and over again, and...forgiveness is impossible."
Cordelia finished her cracker. "Good. He doesn't deserve it."
Giles looked at her. "To forgive is an act of compassion, Cordelia. It's - It's not done, because people deserve it. It's done, because they need it."
Cordelia stood up. "No. James destroyed the one person he loved the most in a moment of blind passion. And that's not something you forgive. No matter why he did what he did. And no matter if he knows now that it was wrong and selfish and stupid; it is just something he's gonna have to live with."
Buffy looked at her. "He can't live with it, Cordy. He's dead."
Cordelia just looked at them all for a moment, then stalked off into the kitchen.
"Okay. Over-identify much?" Amy munched her cracker.
Buffy sat down on the couch, put her hands over her eyes, and started crying. Tara gently rubbed her back.
Cordelia walked into the kitchen. She had her hands in her pockets and found a folded sheet of paper. She pulled it out and unfolded it. It was a Class of '59 Sadie Hawkins Dance flyer. She put down the flyer.
"I need you." It was a faint male voice.
Cordelia went out the kitchen door.
In the living room, Tara got up from the couch. "So what do we do next? Do we go in again?"
Giles shook his head. "Well, not now. No, the, uh...the spirit is too angry, too - too powerful. No, we have to work out exactly how and - and if this thing can be defeated."
The school was still surrounded by the swarm of wasps. Cordelia walked up to it, anyway. The swarm parted to let her in. When she reached the doors, they opened for her, and the swarm closed the gap behind her.
Tara walked into the kitchen. "Hey, Cordy, are you-" See saw the flyer lying on the island and picked it up. "Oh, Goddess. Mr. Giles!"
Giles came in.
Tara held up the flyer. "She went back."
They all went to the school and stood in front of it, looking at the swarm.
"So what now?" Amy asked.
Buffy was confused. "I don't get it. Is she trying to be a big loner hero or something?"
Giles looked at her. "No. I believe she's under the spirit's thrall. He's - He's calling her."
"But why?" Buffy asked.
"James needs her to re-enact everything that happened on the night that he - he killed Ms. Newman. He wants to change things, make - make a happy ending."
"But it can't ever happen!" Tara told him. "It always ends the same, which means Cordy just went in there to get shot, Mr. Giles."
"Yes. But the school's deserted. There's no way for James to...to play his part. There's - There's no man inside for him to possess."
Amy thought about that. "So Cordy should be safe until we find a way to get her out."
Tara looked at her. "In theory, yeah."
Inside the school, Cordelia walked idly through the halls. She stopped by the trophy case and turned around.
"Fun fact about wasps. They have no taste for the undead. Not that a sting would do me any damage; it's just...tonight's special. I wanted to look my best for you."
Cordelia had her back to Angelus. "You're the only one. The only person I can talk to."
"Goddamn, Cordy. That's really pathetic."
Cordelia faced him. "You can't make me disappear just because you say it's over."
Angelus approached her. "Actually...I can. In fact...I just want you to be able to have some kind of normal life. We can never have that, don't you see?"
"I don't give a damn about a normal life!" Cordelia cried. "I'm going crazy not seeing you. I think about you every minute."
Angelus put his hand on Cordelia's cheek. She looked down sadly.
"I know. But it's over. It has to be!" Angelus turned around and started to leave.
Cordelia looked up again and started to chase after him, angry. "Come back here! We're not finished!" She grabbed him by the arm and turned him around to face her. "You don't care anymore, is that it?"
Angelus was sobbing. "It doesn't matter; it doesn't matter what I feel."
"Then tell me you don't love me!" Cordelia cried. "Say it!"
"Is that what you need to hear? Will that help? I don't. I don't. Now, let me go." Angelus tried to go.
"No. A person doesn't just wake up and stop loving somebody!" Cordelia yelled.
Angelus looked at her. Cordelia took a step back, raised a revolver, pulled the hammer back, and aimed it at him. Angelus looked at the gun and then at Cordelia, frightened.
"Love is forever. I'm not afraid to use it, I swear!" Cordelia yelled. "If I can't be with you-"
"Oh, my God!" Angelus turned around and started walking out of the hall, toward the balcony.
"Don't walk away from me, bitch!" Cordelia yelled.
Angelus ran out of the hall. She ran after him. Angelus barged through the door, out onto the balcony.
"Stop it!" Cordelia walked out the door. "Stop it! Don't make me!"
Angelus stopped next to the balcony railing and breathed heavily with fear. "All right. Just..." He turned around to face Cordelia. "You know you don't want to do this. Let's both...just calm down. Now, give me the gun." He held out his hand.
"Don't! Don't do that, damn it!" Cordelia yelled. "Don't talk to me like I'm some stupid-"
The gun went off. Angelus flinched from the wound and clutched his hand to his chest. He pulled it away and saw the blood. He looked up at Cordelia. She stared back in open-mouthed shock at what she just did.
"James." Angelus went into shock from the bullet wound and began to fall backward. He tumbled over the balcony railing, down to the base of the stairs below.
Cordelia just stared in shock. She saw Angelus below, seemingly lying dead at the base of the stairs with his eyes closed. She slowly went back into the hall.
Cordelia slowly walked into the music room and over to the record player at the back of the room. She turned it on and began playing the record. She looked over into a mirror, and James looked back at her. Her eyes were full of tears as she looked at him. She looked down at the gun in her hand. She raised it slowly, but a hand took it and pushed it back down. She turned and found herself face to face with Angelus.
"Grace!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"Don't do this."
"But - But I killed you."
"It was an accident. It wasn't your fault."
"Oh, it is my fault. How could I-"
"Shhh. I'm the one who should be sorry, James. You thought I stopped loving you. But I never did. I loved you with my last breath."
Cordelia let out a few sobs.
"Shhh..." Angelus leaned close. "No more tears."
Cordelia and Angelus kissed. They held each other tightly as they continued kissing for a long time. Above them, in the ceiling, a bright light appeared, and the spirits of Grace and James left this world for the next. As quickly as it appeared, the light was gone. Cordelia and Angelus gently broke off their kiss and opened their eyes.
"Angel."
Suddenly, he growled, pushed her away, and ran from the room, leaving Cordelia there in shock.
Later, in the library, Giles paced behind the counter. The door opened, and Buffy, Tara, and Amy walked in.
Tara smiled. "Everything seems normal. Not a snake, not a wasp."
Buffy nodded. "Yep. School can open again tomorrow."
Amy nodded. "And they rescheduled the dance for tomorrow night, so we'll still get paid."
They all leaned against the counter.
Cordelia walked out of Giles' office, where she had been resting.
"Are you feeling any better?" Giles asked her.
Cordelia walked over to them, melancholy. "James picked me. I guess...I guess I was the one he could relate to. He was so sad."
"Well...they can both rest now."
"I still..." Cordelia sighed. "A part of me just doesn't understand why she would forgive him."
"Does it matter?" Giles asked her.
Cordelia thought about that. "No. I guess not."
Chapter 61: Becoming
Chapter Text
"Becoming"
Based on the Episodes Written by Joss Whedon and the Novel Go Ask Malice: A Slayer's Diary Written by Robert Joseph Levy
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
In the cemetery, Buffy and Cordelia fought a pair of vampires. Buffy kicked one, and Cordelia kicked the other. One of the vampires rushed Buffy, and she flipped him over onto his back.
"Nice try."
The other one came at Cordelia again with a swing. She ducked it and punched him in the face, in the gut, and again in the face. He fell to the ground, dazed. The first one knocked Cordelia down and came at Buffy again with a kick, but she blocked it with her arm, backhand-punched him in the face, jabbed him in the gut, and grabbed his arm, twisting it up high and forcing him to his knees in pain. The second vampire got back up and rushed her. Without letting go of the first one, she cleanly jammed her stake into the other one's chest, and he fell over, dead.
Buffy turned her attention back to the one that she was holding and punched him in the face, making him roll away. "I want you to get a message to Angel for us. Tell him we're done waiting. We're taking the fight to him. You got that? Need me to write it down for you?"
The vampire got up and charged her. She grabbed him and pulled him around and down to the ground and immediately plunged her stake home.
"All right, I'll tell him myself." Buffy got up and walked over behind a gravestone, where she reached down to help Cordelia up.
Cordelia took hold of Buffy's hand, and Buffy pulled Cordelia to her feet.
Cordelia moaned. "Thanks." She rubbed her neck. "What is that, um...five vampires in three nights?"
"Yep. But no Angel. Are you, uh, really that anxious to come up against him?" Buffy asked her.
"I want it over with."
Buffy nodded. "I hear that. Oh, we better go." She sighed. "I haven't even started studying for finals yet."
They left the cemetery.
In Cambridge, Massachusetts, a seventeen-year-old girl named Faith Lehane was walking down the street with her boyfriend, Kenny (also known as Killian, the lead drummer of her favorite band, Freak Wharf). Faith had long, dark brown hair and brown eyes. She was from South Boston and had had a rough childhood, but she had been taken away from that life over two months ago by Professor Diana Dormer of Harvard University. She was a sixty-year-old Brit, had short gray hair and blue eyes, and wore wire-frame glasses and tweed suits. Faith had initially mistaken her for a lesbian. Diana had informed Faith that she was a Potential Vampire Slayer, subject to possible activation immediately upon the death of the current Slayer. Faith had accepted it easily enough, because she had already encountered - and killed - a child vampire. At Diana's insistence, she kept her double life a secret from everyone, including Kenny.
"I'm sane enough to rejoin the band, so Freak Wharf are heading out on tour for a couple of weeks. Do you want me to bring anything back from out on the road?"
"Just give me one of those plastic globes with the snow inside, the tackier, the better."
"Anything for my girl."
Faith winked; she could tell he was kind of joking but kind of not.
He tried to cover it up. "By which I mean...I'll add you to the list."
Then Faith punched him in the arm.
He howled. "Damn, girl, you got a mean left hook! You're too strong."
Faith smiled. "Damn straight."
She thought she wasn't that strong, but maybe someday she would be.
The next day, Giles walked into the research lab at the Sunnydale Museum of Natural History. There was a large rectangular chunk of rock in the room. A female technician ran a brush across the rock. Dr. Doug Perren, one of the museum curators, was also in the room.
"Hello?" Giles asked.
Doug came to greet him. "Rupert Giles?"
"Yes."
"Doug Perren." He shook Giles' hand. "Thanks for coming."
"Oh, not at all. I'm...flattered to be asked."
"I spoke with Lou Tabor at the Washington Institute, and he told me we had the best authority on obscure relics right here in Sunnydale."
"Oh..." Giles laughed. "He may have, uh, exaggerated a little." He saw the obelisk. "Ah, is this the...?"
"This is our baby."
They approached it.
"Construction workers dug it up outside of town. Don't have a clue what it is. Any ideas?"
Giles touched and looked at the rock. "A few. None I'd care to share until I can verify." He noticed the runes on it. "You have, uh, carbon-dated it?" He inspected the writings.
"The results'll be back in a couple of days. I'll go out on a limb and say old."
Giles smirked and picked up a jar and a scraper. "Um, yes, it - it certainly...predates any, uh...settlements we've read about." He pointed. "Um, may - may I?"
"Yeah. Sure."
Giles leaned in and began to scrape at the corner of the obelisk, catching the debris in the jar. He dug into an apparent groove. A few scrapes later, he stopped and tapped the scraper clean on the jar. "I assume you've, uh, you haven't tried to open it."
"Open it?" Doug leaned over to see what Giles had discovered. "Ah, I'll be damned. I figured it was solid. What do you think is in there?"
Giles stared intently. "I don't know."
"Well...I guess we won't know until we open it up."
Giles considered. "Yes, but could I ask, um...would you wait? I, uh...I'd like to work on translating the text. It - It - It might give us an indication of...what we'll find inside."
"You don't want to be surprised?"
"A-As a rule, no."
"All right. You're the expert. But I'm pretty damn curious, though."
Giles removed his glasses. "Yes. Yes, so am I."
In the cafeteria at Sunnydale High, Buffy, Tara, Cordelia, Harmony, Amy, and Katrina were sitting at a table, eating lunch. Amy was sitting on Katrina's lap.
Cordelia sighed. "Angel's too much of a coward to take me on face-to-face."
"Do you think you're ready to fight Angel?" Harmony asked her.
"I wish people would stop asking me that. Yes, I'm ready. I'm also willing and able."
Buffy nodded. "And I'll be there to help you. Just the one test I might actually pass."
Tara was concerned. "Having some problems?"
Buffy nodded.
"Sixth period, after my computer class, we'll rock on your subjects."
Buffy smiled. "Ready to rock."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. Buffy parted her lips, and Tara stuck her tongue into Buffy's mouth.
Snyder came into the cafeteria behind them. "That's enough of that." He looked at Amy. "And you! Are we having a chair shortage?"
Amy slid off Katrina's lap and into her chair.
"These public displays of affection are not acceptable in my school. This isn't an orgy, people. It's a classroom."
Buffy nodded. "Yeah! Where they teach lunch."
Snyder glared at her. "Just give me a reason to kick you out, Summers. Just give me a reason." He walked off.
"How about because you're a tiny, impotent Nazi with a bug up his ass the size of an emu?" Cordelia suggested.
Buffy nodded. "Sums it up."
Cordelia nodded. "Don't you think?"
Tara smiled at Buffy. "Do you wanna come by my house tonight and study, too?"
"Maybe. We - We do have to patrol."
"Again? Do you really expect Angel to turn up tonight?" Tara asked.
Cordelia shook her head. "No, we don't expect him to. But that's usually when he does."
After school, Tara was tutoring Buffy in the computer science classroom. Jenny was sitting at her desk, working on her computer.
Buffy gave up in frustration and slapped down her pencil. "Waah! This doesn't make any sense." She pouted at Tara.
"Well, sure it does. See..." Tara took the paper and looked. "Oh, no, this doesn't make any sense."
Jenny stifled a laugh.
Buffy shrugged. "It's senseless." She played with her pencil.
"It is, but at least you know that, so you're learning." Tara looked at the problem more closely.
"Yay, me. Well, it doesn't matter, anyway. I mean...when in the real world am I ever gonna need chemistry or history or math or the English language?"
Tara shot Buffy a glance. "Okay. I see your problem."
"I'm a moron?" Buffy asked.
Tara gave Buffy a look. "Will you stop that? You're not stupid! You've just had a lot on your mind. You can learn this really easily, but, if you're just gonna give up, then don't waste my time."
Buffy was impressed. "Wow. You'd make a really good teacher." She smiled.
"Okay. Look at this..."
Jenny reached for a floppy disk from a tray on her desk, but it slipped from her fingers and fell into the space between the desk and the filing cabinet next to it. She looked over into the space and saw the disk - and another one next to it. She reached down for them and pulled them out. The second disk was an unlabeled yellow disk.
A sudden feeling overwhelmed her, and she inserted the yellow disk into her computer's floppy drive. The program on the disk started up, and the Rumanian text scrolled into the left-hand window. The translation program's percent-complete bar appeared, and the bar began to zip across the screen. Jenny watched as the bar reached the far side. It disappeared, and the English translation scrolled into the right-hand window.
Jenny stared at the screen in shock. "Holy shit."
Buffy and Tara looked at her.
"What?" Tara asked.
Jenny looked at them. "The restoration spell for Angel's soul. I found it."
Jenny printed out the spell, Buffy rounded up the gang, and they went to the library. Amy, Katrina, Harmony, and Cordelia were sitting at the table.
Giles walked up to Buffy, Tara, and Jenny. "What are you saying?"
"The curse." Jenny held out the printout. "This is it. I found the floppy disk on the floor in my classroom. Angelus must have knocked it out of the way while he was destroying my work...and thus failed to do so."
Giles took the printout and stared at it.
"This is good, right?" Cordelia asked. "I mean...we can curse him again."
Buffy paced, thinking.
Giles looked at Cordelia. "Um, well, this, um...certainly points the way, but...the ritual itself requires a great knowledge of the black arts."
"Got it." Jenny smiled at him.
Harmony was confused. "But you're not a practicing witch."
"No, but Tara and Amy are." Jenny looked at them. "What do you say, girls?"
Tara took the printout and looked at it. "I may be able to work this."
Giles was very concerned. "T-Tara...channeling...such potent magicks through yourself, it could open a door that you may not be able to close."
Buffy looked at her girlfriend. "I don't want you putting yourself in any danger, sweetie."
"And I don't want danger, but maybe if Amy and I split the work between us..." Tara looked at Amy.
Amy thought about it and looked at Katrina.
Katrina shrugged. "It's your decision, babe."
Amy looked at Tara. "I'm in."
Tara looked at Buffy. "What do you wanna do?"
Buffy sighed. "I-I don't know."
Cordelia looked at Buffy. "What happened to Angel wasn't his fault."
Buffy nodded. "True, but-"
"So we reinstate the curse." Cordelia looked at Jenny. "By the way, that's a really fucked-up curse. What were you people thinking? Or were you all as brainless as that Gypsy bimbo that Angelus killed? Angel's soul was gone. He wasn't responsible for what Angelus did. But you dragged Angel's soul back from the afterlife and made him suffer for Angelus' crimes."
Jenny stared at Cordelia, helpless. "Yeah, that was pretty fucked up."
"Maybe not."
Everyone looked at Buffy.
"'There are countless ingredients that make up the human body and mind, like all the components that make up me as an individual with my own personality. Sure, I have a face and voice to distinguish myself from others, but my thoughts and memories are unique only to me, and I carry a sense of my own destiny. Each of those things are just a small part of it. I collect information to use in my own way. All of that blends to form a mixture that forms me and gives rise to my conscience.'" Buffy sighed. "I've been thinking...a lot...about what makes a person who they are. At first, I believed the line that Giles had fed me about a demon entering the victim's body and gaining control, and the actual person - the soul - had moved on."
Cordelia nodded. "Angel had told me the same thing."
"But what if it's not quite so clear-cut?" Buffy asked. "It's the same human brain, after all. The same electrical impulses."
"Angel does talk about the nasty shit that Angelus did as if he himself had done it. And it is the basis for his whole redemption shtick..." Cordelia thought for a moment and then shook her head. "But Angel said, when his soul was restored, he didn't remember anything that had happened for a while - until he accessed the memories stored in his brain."
Buffy shrugged. "The innocent soul re-entering the body and accessing the memories of the atrocities committed by the demon? Or the demon-influenced Angel with a human brain becoming momentarily disoriented by his soul re-entering his body? When it comes to theological shit like this, we can only make guesses, and we can rely on only the testimony of people forming thoughts with human brains."
Giles thought about that. "I see what you're getting at, Buffy. Hell, humanity has debated the existence of the soul itself for as long as humanity has existed."
Buffy nodded. "Right, and I still can't say for certain that I have one. I certainly don't feel like it, sometimes. I mean...what is a soul, anyway?"
Giles adjusted his glasses. "The - The immortal essence of the person; that which survives death."
Cordelia thought about that. "Y'know, Angel told me that he had no memory of the afterlife."
Buffy looked at her. "Maybe there's nothing. Maybe the soul goes into some kind of ether and just...stays there."
Tara tried to be optimistic. "Well, maybe for just a little while, until it's reincarnated...or - or something."
Cordelia looked at her. "Angel's soul was out of his body for a long-ass time. If it was gonna go into a new body, it would have done so already."
Tara felt depressed.
Amy forced a smile. "Maybe there is an afterlife, but you're not allowed to remember it upon returning to the mortal realm."
Buffy shrugged. "I dunno. Look, we can speculate all day, but the point that I'm trying to make is...maybe Angelus and Angel are one and the same. Maybe there's not much difference between humans and vampires."
Everyone was silent for a moment.
"Oh, my God." Cordelia looked at Buffy. "If that's true...you're the most prolific serial killer in history."
Buffy stared at her. "Thanks, Cordy, that makes me feel a lot better about myself."
Giles sighed. "This is a slippery slope that you're heading down. I'd advise putting the matter aside until Angelus is dealt with."
"But this goes to the very heart of what I am!" Buffy insisted. "I...I spared a vampire already."
Everyone looked at her in surprise.
"When?" Harmony asked.
"At the beginning of the school year, when some of you were kidnapped to resurrect the Master. A vampire girl had been left as a decoy for me to find at the Bronze. I...tried torturing her for information. I scared her enough that she wanted to make a deal: she'd tell me where you were and swear off killing humans forever, and I'd spare her life...er...undeath. I agreed." Buffy paused. "Her name was Tara."
Tara was surprised.
Buffy shook her head. "Anyway, to be continued."
Faith was training with Sensei Kanno, who she had started with a few weeks ago, in jujutsu. He had brought armed combat into the moves that he'd been teaching her. Her favorite weapon was the tanto, which was like a knife or small sword. She had her eye on one special tanto at the dojo that was ivory-handled and kept in a matching ivory sheath.
He noticed her interest in it. "I might give it to you, if you advance further in your other techniques. You have a problem exploring the spiritual and philosophical aspects of the discipline, which carries over into other areas, especially now that we've started aikido training."
"Hey, just give me a shot. I'm willing to work at anything, especially if it gets me that knife."
He gave her a look.
"What, there's nothing wrong with the reward system, is there?"
He didn't reply.
"So what's the deal? How did you come to be involved with me? With the Prof?"
"My wife was killed by a vampire in Japan in the '60s, and that's when I started studying martial arts, eventually mastering nine different combat traditions and becoming a kind of personal trainer for Potentials - as well as three different Slayers over the past twenty years."
"So...the Watchers Council must love you, helping out with the heavy lifting and all."
He shook his head. "I don't do it for them. I do it for my wife. I do it for vengeance. Now, what are the four qualities you must attain in order to perform your duties, should you be called?"
"Agility, clarity, stamina, and strength, Sensei!" Faith replied confidently.
He nodded his approval. "Good. Very good."
"So...what do you think, you know, if I'm called?" Faith asked him. "Do I have the right stuff?"
"Let's work on your sweep and ankle lock technique, and I'll let you know at the end of the lesson."
But he never did. And she forgot to remind him.
In her room at home, Cordelia piled a bunch of stakes and crosses into her bag while talking on the phone with Buffy.
"Well, I'll do a couple of sweeps on the south side of town, and then we'll meet up in the park."
"Sounds good. So...what are you gonna do regarding Angel?" Buffy asked her.
Cordelia went over to her desk and grabbed a couple more stakes from the top-left drawer. "I don't know. I don't know what I wanna do."
At the bottom of the drawer, she saw the Claddagh ring that Angel gave her and stared at it sadly for a moment. She reached in for it and held it gently with her fingers, remembering.
"I'll - I'll see you in a little while, okay?" Cordelia turned off the phone and set it down.
She held the ring with both hands again and gazed at the design: two hands for friendship, a crown for loyalty, and a heart for love.
Buffy and Cordelia walked through the park on patrol and headed into some bushes. Buffy stopped and jerked her head aside when she heard something snap.
"What is it?" Cordelia asked.
"Shhh." Slowly, Buffy took a few more steps to investigate.
She heard another sound behind her and spun around to look. Nothing. Again, she took a couple of steps. Suddenly, someone came out of the bushes to stand right behind her. Buffy instantly pivoted around with her fist held up, ready to punch. She stayed herself when she recognized Kendra.
Buffy sighed. "You know, polite people call before they jump out of the bushes and attack you."
"Just wanted to test your reflexes."
"How about testing my face-punching? 'Cause I think you'll find it's improved."
"I was on my way to your house. Saw you walking. Couldn't help meself."
Buffy smiled. "Which begs the question, and don't think I'm not glad to see you, but...why are you here?"
Kendra started to answer.
"Oh, wait, no, let me guess. Your Watcher informed you dat a very dark power is about to rise in Sunnydale."
"Dat's about it."
"Great. So...you have any idea what this dark power is?" Buffy asked her.
Later, at the library, Giles walked out of his office, into the main room, where Buffy, Cordelia, and Kendra were waiting at the table. Tara, Amy, and Jenny were behind the counter, researching in a book.
"I've been on the phone to the museum. The artifact in question is missing, and the curator has been murdered. Vampires." Giles leaned on the table.
"And you're sure this was the tomb of Alfalfa?" Buffy asked him.
"Acathla. And yes, the information provided by Kendra's Watcher seems conclusive." Giles straightened back up.
Tara walked out from behind the counter. "Mr. Giles, please explain the whole 'he will suck the world into Hell' thing."
Giles put on his glasses. "Well, the, uh, the Demon Universe exists in a dimension separate from our own." He sat on the table. "With one breath, Acathla will create a vortex, a-a kind of, um...whirlpool that will pull everything on Earth into that dimension, where any non-demon life will suffer horrible and...eternal torment."
"So that would be the literal kind of 'sucked into Hell'." Buffy smiled nervously. "Neat." She frowned and turned to Tara, Amy, and Jenny. "Ladies, I think you should try the curse."
Cordelia nodded. "Yeah, totally."
Kendra shook her head. "Angel should be eliminated."
Cordelia turned on her. "Hey, back off, Miss Cleo!"
Buffy looked at Kendra as well. "Oh, we'll fight him. We'll kill him if we have to. But if we don't get there in time, or if we lose, then Tara and Amy might be our only hope."
"We have dis." Kendra pulled a sword from her bag. "Blessed by the knight who first slew the demon."
Giles looked at the sword, intrigued.
"If all else fails, this might stop it. I tink."
Giles approached. "Ooh. May I? May I?" He took the sword from Kendra. "Thank you. Well, l-let's, uh, hope all else doesn't fail." He looked at Jenny. "Um, how close are you to f-figuring out the ritual of the curse?"
"I need about a day."
Tara looked at Buffy. "This means I can't help you study for tomorrow's final."
"Eh, I'll wing it. Of course, if we go to Hell by then, I won't have to take 'em." Buffy was suddenly worried. "Or maybe I'll be taking them forever."
Giles looked at Buffy and Cordelia. "Angel has a ritual of his own to perform before he can remove the sword and awaken Acathla. With any luck, it should take some time."
The next day, Tara, Buffy, Amy, Cordelia and the rest of the class were taking one of their final exams. Everyone was intent on it. Buffy looked up and glanced around briefly, then turned her attention back on her paper. Everyone was concentrating on the test, and no one noticed a mysterious figure come in and pull a shawl away from its face.
"Tonight...sundown..."
Everyone looked up.
"At the graveyard..."
The teacher got up. "Excuse me..."
Exposed now to the daylight, the vampire began to smoke.
"You will come to him." He took the shawl off. "You will come to him, or more will die." He pointed at Buffy and Cordelia and ignited.
Buffy and Cordelia watched, taken aback by the vampire's direct approach at delivering his message.
"Tonight!"
The students screamed, jumped out of their chairs, and began to run from the room. Tara and Amy also jumped up but didn't run. Buffy and Cordelia remained calmly in their seats.
"His hour is at hand!"
He combusted in a flash of flame and smoke. Buffy and Cordelia just stared at the empty space before them.
Later, in the library, Jenny, Amy, and Tara were researching at the table. Kendra approached with her sheathed sword. Cordelia, Giles, and Buffy were up on the mezzanine.
Buffy looked at Giles. "She said more would die. We have to go."
"Den I should go wit you."
Buffy faced Kendra. "No. I need you here just in case." She headed for the stairs. "We can take care of ourselves." She went downstairs. "And look, as long as Angel's fighting us, then he can't do this end-of-the-world ritual thingy, and that's a good." She reached the table. "Ladies, what do you think?"
Jenny looked over their research. "We just want to cross-check-"
"We don't have time. If this is gonna work, it has to work now."
Jenny nodded. "Okay. Then we need maybe a half-hour once we're all set up."
Giles looked at the shelves. "Which means you just have to hold Angel off. Don't let him close on you." He pulled out a book. "If the curse succeeds, you'll - you'll know."
He tossed the book down to Jenny. Jenny checked the title and handed it to Tara.
Cordelia walked downstairs and looked at Buffy. "Why don't we just wait here to find out if it worked, see if he phones us?"
"We can't risk him killing any more people. We better go." Buffy started out.
Cordelia shrugged and followed her. "You're the Slayer."
Kendra cleared her throat. Cordelia ignored her.
"Good luck!" Amy called.
"Thanks!" Buffy called back.
Tara looked at Buffy. "Be careful."
Buffy turned and walked back over to her. "I will." She kissed Tara on the lips and started out again.
"Here..." Kendra grabbed a stake from the table.
Buffy stopped and looked back.
Kendra came over to her and held up a twisted but very sharp stake. "In case de curse does not succeed, dis is my lucky stake. I have killed many vampires wit it. I call it Mr. Pointy."
"You named your stake?" Buffy asked in surprise.
Kendra was a bit embarrassed. "Yes."
Buffy smiled. "Remind me to get you a stuffed animal." She accepted the stake from Kendra and looked it over. "Thanks."
Kendra sighed. "Watch your back."
Buffy left the library and caught up with Cordelia.
Faith sneaked Kenny up to her room for sex. She closed and locked the door, turned on the light, and started stripping.
Kenny smiled in amusement and took a gulp of his beer. "You're in a hurry."
"It's fucking, baby. I'm always in a hurry. Besides, you're leaving on tour tomorrow, and I wanna make sure you remember what you're coming home for." Faith pulled down and kicked off her jeans, leaving herself naked. She looked at the beer bottle and frowned. "I wish you wouldn't drink, though."
"Why not? You do."
"Yeah, but you know I have 'issues around drinking' because of my mom, but that doesn't seem to stop you from pounding it back until you pass out every night." Faith almost regretted bringing it up, and she hated playing the goody two-shoes, but it had been driving her crazy, and there was more than one reason that it was bothering her.
"What's the big deal?" Kenny eyed her worriedly. "It's not like I'm a mean drunk or anything."
Faith stared at him in concern. "It's not good for you. It's going to fuck with your meds."
"Not a problem." Kenny took a long swig of beer. "I'm not taking my meds anymore."
"Are you fucking crazy?!" Faith exclaimed in shock. "You're totally schizo! Drinking is just going to make you more crazy!"
"Well, sorry, but you know what? We don't all have our own personal Mary Poppins to come flying in on her magic umbrella to take care of us. Some of us have to solve our own problems."
"So, what, you're just going to start hallucinating again or whatever, full tilt boogie? Isn't that, I don't know, gonna start bothering you?"
"That's what the drinking's for." Kenny tilted the lip of the bottle in her direction. "Anyway, baby, stop worrying about me. Let's just have some fun tonight. I'm not going to be back until next month."
Faith playfully punched him in the leg. "I'm going to miss you."
"Thanks." Kenny rubbed at his new charley horse. "I think."
Faith took the bottle and gulped down the rest of the beer while Kenny stripped. She walked over to her bed and pulled down the cover and sheet. Kenny got onto the bed and lay on his back. Faith grinned, dropped the bottle on the floor, got on the bed, lay between his legs, and took his cock into her mouth. She sucked him eagerly, bobbing her head up and down.
Buffy and Cordelia walked through the cemetery, watching all around as they went.
Angelus walked out from behind a small mausoleum. "Hello, lover. I wasn't sure you'd come."
"After your immolation-o-gram? Come on, I had to show."
Angelus smiled at her. "You certainly are becoming. Did you get all dressed up for me?"
Cordelia ignored him. "Shouldn't you be out destroying the world right now, pulling the sword out of Al Franken or whatever his name is?"
"There's time enough. I wanted to say goodbye first. You are the one thing in this dimension I will miss."
"This is a beautiful moment we're having. Can we please fight?" Cordelia asked.
"I didn't come here to fight."
Cordelia raised her eyebrows. "No?"
"Gosh, I was hoping we could get back together. What do you think? Do we have a shot?"
Cordelia gave him a look.
"All right. We'll fight." He rushed at her.
Faith had to wait a while after Kenny cummed in her mouth for him to get it back up. Finally, it was time for round two.
"Okay, hop on, baby."
"Where's the condom?" Faith asked him.
Kenny made a face. "Aw, shit, I forgot."
Faith rolled her eyes. "Then up the ass it is."
"C'mon, baby, it's not a big deal, is it? Come on."
"No, fuck you, I'm not getting pregnant!" Faith told him. "You know the rule: if no business up front, then party in the back."
Kenny sighed. "All right."
Faith opened the drawer of her night stand and took out a tube of lube. She opened it and squirted some on his cock. She also squirted some on her fingers and lubed her asshole.
Finally, Faith mounted Kenny and spread her ass cheeks. He pressed his cock at her anus. She carefully took it in. As it filled her, Faith gasped in pleasure. She slowly started riding him.
Faith moaned. "Yeah, that's it. Fuck my ass."
In the library, Amy and Tara were sitting cross-legged on the table. Before them was Giles' spare Orb of Thesulah within a sacred circle and surrounded by candles, bones, and stones. Amy cast some stones. She looked at them and then gave Jenny a nod.
Jenny consulted her printout. "Ceea ce este pierdut va fi găsit."
Amy concentrated. "What is lost will be found."
Tara swirled incense into the air.
"Nici mort, nici al fiinţei."
"Neither dead nor of being."
"Invoc spiritul pasajului."
"I invoke the spirit of the passage."
Cordelia ducked a punch from Angelus and came up behind him. He spun around to block her return swing. He blocked another jab from her and punched her in the face. He followed up with a left hook, and Cordelia lost her balance and nearly fell down. Angelus grabbed her by the back of her coat and threw her over onto the ground.
Cordelia rolled away and onto her back and looked up at him. "Come on, ladies." She swiftly got back to her feet to continue fighting.
Buffy restrained herself and held back. She knew this was Cordelia's fight. Still, she couldn't help but worry for her friend. She clutched Mr. Pointy close, ready to stab Angelus if need be.
In the library, Kendra guarded the main doors.
"Te implor, zeilor; nu ignoră aceasta rugăminte!" Jenny recited.
"I call on you, gods; do not ignore this supplication!" Amy exclaimed.
Suddenly, a vampire came out from the stacks and attacked Giles from behind. The main doors flew open, and Kendra spun around to defend as two more vampires walked in. Giles elbowed the vampire on his back, knocking him into a bookcase, and pointed to the steps as a fourth vampire appeared from the stacks.
"Get out! Go!" Giles told everyone.
Amy and Tara got off the table. They and Jenny made for the stairs. Kendra punched the first of the two vampires to reach her. The fourth one jumped and landed on Giles' back, pulling him down, over the mezzanine railing, and into the table. Amy and Tara ran up the stairs. Having punched down the one vampire, Kendra grabbed the other and shoved her into the wall. The first one got up and rushed in to fight. Giles grabbed a vase from the table and smashed it over his attacker's head. A vampire rushed Amy, but Amy sidestepped him. He spun around, grabbed Amy, and shoved her into a bookcase. The one down below hopped up onto the table, ran across it, and leaped over the railing above. Tara saw him coming and hid behind a bookcase. The vampire didn't stop and just pushed the case over. Tara got out of the way just in time, and the books and case landed on the floor. Tara did a roundhouse kick to the vampire's face, knocking him out.
The vampire that Kendra was fighting ducked her swing. Amy's opponent grabbed her arm, looped his own around it tightly, and pulled down, breaking it. Amy yelled out in pain. Kendra ducked a roundhouse kick from her enemy and blocked several swings. Amy grabbed her tormentor's hair and smashed his head down on the railing. Below, Giles ducked a swing and punched the vampire in the gut. Kendra landed two punches in the face of her attacker. Giles pounded his assailant on the back, but he just roared and spun around with a punch to Giles' face, knocking him out. Amy picked the dazed vampire up and shoved him into the other one going at Jenny, knocking him down.
"Go!" Amy grabbed her broken arm and winced in pain.
Jenny and Tara ran out through the stacks. Amy watched Kendra's opponent punch her in the face, but Kendra ducked and backed into her and came up holding back the vampire's head. She plunged her stake into her heart, killing her. Amy winced again in pain. Kendra looked around for her next target. She saw the one going for Giles and rushed over to pull him off. She shoved him around to the floor. He tried to get up, but she just punched him back down. He tried again, and she grabbed him and threw him through the window, into Giles' office. Just then, another one tackled her from the side.
In the cemetery, Cordelia punched Angelus, but he took it in stride. She swung again, but he grabbed her arm and held on tight. She swung with the other one, but he grabbed it, too, and then pushed her away.
"Jeez, is it me, or is your heart not in this?" Angelus asked her. "Maybe I'll just go home, destroy the world."
Buffy walked over to him. "Well, I think Mr. Pointy'll have something to say about that. Come on. Let's finish this. You and me."
Angelus chuckled. "Y-You bitches never learn, do you? This wasn't about you. This was never about you." He chuckled again.
Buffy realized the trap was set for the others and began to run. "Shit! Cordy, come on!"
Cordelia ran after her.
"And you fall for it every single time!" Angelus yelled after them.
Buffy and Cordelia ran like mad to get to the school. They raced through the park, leaping a bench as they ran.
In the library, a vampire punched Kendra, and she stumbled but regained her footing. Up in the stacks, the other one came at Amy and punched her in the face, knocking her out.
Faith was frantically fucking Kenny with her asshole, sliding up and down his cock. "Yes! Fuck me!" She leaned over to his ear. "Fuck my ass!"
And then Faith started to get a feeling like something was different all of a sudden. And then she knew - and panicked.
All of a sudden, there was a rush of energy, of adrenaline, running through her. Her body was humming, alive, overwhelmed, filling up with strength, with power.
"Fuck!" Faith screamed primally, having an orgasm and cumming all over his chest.
Faith's anal sphincter muscles clamped down hard on Kenny's erect penis, breaking it. He screamed in pain.
"Omigod, help!" Faith got off him, ran to the door, unlocked it, and opened it. "Help! Prof, help!"
"Faith?" Professor Dormer ran into the room. "Faith, what is it? What's wrong?"
"I hurt Kenny! Help him!"
Professor Dormer ran from the room to call an ambulance.
Buffy and Cordelia ran across the school grounds. Buffy threw open the door, and they rushed into the hall. They rounded a corner and ran down the hall. They barged into the library and stopped.
They looked around at the damage, and then Buffy saw Kendra lying on the floor. She ran to her and skidded down next to her on her knees. She felt for her pulse, found none, and realized she was dead. She took her hand. Buffy reached up to Kendra's face with her other hand and stroked it gently.
"Freeze!"
Buffy and Cordelia looked back and saw a police officer pointing his gun at Buffy.
"Put your hands up. Back away from the girl slowly."
Another officer came in behind the first, gun drawn and surveying the scene.
Buffy slowly got to her feet and raised her hands. "Look, I didn't do anything."
"Do it! Now!"
The second officer holstered her gun and crouched down to feel for Kendra's pulse. "This one's dead."
"What about up there?" The first officer nodded toward the mezzanine.
Buffy and the second officer looked up at the stacks and saw Amy lying unconscious on the floor behind the railing.
"Amy..." Buffy started to go to her.
The second officer grabbed her and pushed her back. "Get her out of here!"
"Wait! Just see if she's okay! Please!" Buffy begged.
The second officer handed her off to the first and then went to check on Amy.
"Hey, wait just a minute, asshole!" Cordelia objected.
"Cordy!" Buffy warned her.
"You shut the hell up and stay right where you are!" the first officer told Cordelia. "We'll be questioning you shortly!"
Cordelia stared helplessly at Buffy.
Buffy gave her a faint smile. "It'll be okay. Angelus set this up. We both know it."
The first officer led Buffy out of the library. Buffy offered no resistance.
"Please. You don't understand."
"You'd do well to keep your mouth shut, missy."
They turned down the hall and saw Snyder coming down, followed by two more officers.
"But I didn't do anything."
"Why do I find that so very hard to believe?" Snyder asked.
The officer looked at the other officers. "In there." He looked at Snyder. "You know this girl?"
"Buffy Summers. If there's trouble, she's behind it."
Buffy got angry. "You stupid little troll. You have no idea!"
"Attitude problem. Serious."
The officer looked at Buffy in surprise. "So...it's you. We finally got you on something."
Buffy faced the officer. "Look, I just wanna know if my friends are okay."
"All right, that's enough." He spun her back around and got out his handcuffs.
"Agreed." Buffy pulled away from him, took out her wallet, opened it, spun around, and showed him her identification. "This is a supernatural situation. The dead girl is named Kendra. She was a Vampire Slayer, just like me. No doubt, the vampire known as Angelus orchestrated her murder and called the police to implicate me."
The officer stared at her identification. "You expect me to believe that?"
"It's true. Call Detective Stein."
"Detective Stein."
"He's my primary contact in the department."
"I'm surprised you didn't name-drop Chief Munroe."
Buffy shrugged. "He's too busy to deal with me, apparently."
The second officer came out of the library - with Cordelia right behind her.
"Let her go. This one vouched for her."
"She told me a wild story. Gonna have to call to confirm."
"How's Amy?" Buffy asked.
Cordelia walked over to her. "They called an ambulance. She's gonna be taken to the hospital."
Buffy nodded. "Ride with her. I'll follow as soon as this shit's cleared up."
Cordelia nodded.
Faith had somehow managed to put her clothes back on before the paramedics arrived. Professor Dormer had sent her into the living room to wait, but Faith could hardly sit still.
Diana walked into the living room and put a glass of water into Faith's hand. "Here, drink this."
Faith brought it halfway up to her lips before it shattered in her hand, the glass spraying everywhere across the floor.
Diana gasped. "Good Lord." She took Faith's hand in hers, opening up the palm and laying it flat.
Faith watched a cut open up across its surface, but it didn't hurt.
"Your hand." Diana looked up at her.
They met each other's eyes. Faith knew Diana could tell she wasn't fazed by her wound. For a few seconds, they just stared at each other in complete shock.
"Faith, do you know what's-"
"Don't." Faith pulled her hand away from her.
Diana looked hurt.
"Sorry. It's just that...I'm really freaked out about it all of a sudden."
"Of course, of course, you must be. This is-"
"I'm totally juiced, like I'd bitten down on a power line." Faith nervously and frantically rubbed her hair rapidly with her hands. "I need a moment." She closed her eyes, letting her head drop between her knees.
Diana let Faith sit in silence for a couple of minutes as she listened to the sound of the blood rushing to her head. Everything - her heartbeat, her breath, the ticking of the grandfather clock on the other side of the room - all of it seemed so loud all of a sudden, pressing, crowding into her head, invading. She felt like screaming but practiced the deep and round breathing that her sensei taught her, and everything slowly started to return to normal.
"How do you feel?" Diana finally asked, sitting down next to her on the couch.
Faith was scared. "Powerful. Alive. Like I could kick some demon ass." She stood up, searching her racing mind for the right words to describe this new sensation. "I feel...I don't know..."
"Chosen."
"Yeah. Chosen."
Buffy walked into the hall outside the emergency room at Sunnydale Memorial Hospital. On the wall, she found a slot with a few patient histories and checked the names on them. There were none that she was interested in. She continued down the hall. She checked another series of slots for names on paperwork but found nothing. Further down the hall, she turned down the left passageway. Behind her, Amy walked up and touched her on the back.
Buffy gasped and spun around but was very relieved to see her standing there. "Amy!" She hugged her tightly. "Ohhh..."
Amy hugged her back, and they held each other for a long moment, then Buffy let go.
"I was so worried; I didn't know if you were okay."
Amy held up her arm in a cast. "I'm okay...all things considered."
"Well, what about the others?" Buffy asked urgently. "Are they okay?"
"Tara and Ms. Calendar escaped for sure, but I haven't heard from them yet. I don't know about Giles."
Buffy was angry with herself. "I never should've let you guys try to do that curse. Angel must've known."
Buffy and Amy heard some footsteps behind them and turned to see who it was, and they saw Katrina walk in.
Amy walked over to her. "Hey."
"Hey."
They kissed and held each other close.
Then Tara and Jenny arrived, followed by Cordelia, who had gotten a coffee.
Tara ran over to Buffy and hugged her.
Buffy hugged Tara and kissed her on the lips. "You okay?"
Tara nodded. "We ran. I think we made it through three counties before we realized nobody was chasing us. Not too brave."
"It was the right thing to do."
"Did Giles keep up with you?" Amy asked them.
Jenny looked at her. "I didn't see Rupert."
"Is he in the hospital?" Buffy asked Amy.
Amy shook her head. "Not that I've seen."
"He wasn't in the library." Buffy gave them a very concerned stare.
"Mm..." Giles stirred a bit and exhaled. "Ohhh..." He lifted his head.
Giles was lying on the floor in a mansion. Angelus was lying on the floor, facing him and waiting for him to regain consciousness.
"Hi, Rupert. I wasn't sure you were gonna wake up. You had me worried." Angelus hopped to his feet.
Giles stood up slowly. "What do you want?"
"I wanna torture you. I used to love it, and it's been a long time. I mean, the last time I tortured somebody, they didn't even have chainsaws." Angelus strolled past Giles, over to Acathla.
Giles turned to watch him and saw the stone demon with the sword protruding from its chest.
Angelus noticed Giles' stare. "Oh, yeah. Acathla. He's an even harder guy to wake up than you are. I mean...I performed the rituals, said all the right phrases...blood on my hand. Got nothing. Big doughnut hole for my troubles. I figure you know the ritual. You're pretty up on these things. You could probably...tell me what I'm doing wrong." He approached Giles. "But honestly, I sorta hope you don't..." He stopped in front of him. "'Cause I really wanna torture you." He stared evilly at Giles.
Buffy looked at Cordelia as they walked toward Giles' apartment. "I don't suppose you feel any stronger."
It took Cordelia a moment to get what Buffy was asking. "No. Sorry. Not me."
The door to Giles' apartment was ajar, so Buffy and Cordelia just walked right in.
"Giles! Giles!" Buffy looked around but didn't see him.
"I don't think he's here."
Buffy and Cordelia pivoted around to face a man with short black hair and a New York accent coming down the stairs from the loft. He wore a fedora.
"Who are you?" Buffy asked him.
"Whistler."
"What are you doing here?"
Whistler reached the base of the stairs and pointed at Cordelia. "I'm waiting for you."
"Why?" Cordelia asked him.
"'Cause I need a date to the prom."
Cordelia was not in the mood for jokes right now, so she took the two steps over to him, grabbed him by the throat, and shoved him up against the wall. "I have had a really bad day, okay? If you have information worth hearing, then I am grateful for it. If you're gonna crack jokes, then I'm gonna pull out your rib cage and wear it as a hat." She let go of him.
"Hello to the imagery! Very nice." Whistler grew serious. "It wasn't supposed to go down like this." He moved away from the wall. "Nobody saw you coming. I figured this for Angel's big day. But I thought he was here to stop Acathla, not to bring him forth. Then you two made with the smoochies...now he's a creep again. Now, what are you gonna do? W-What are you prepared to do?"
"Whatever I have to."
"Maybe I should ask...what are you prepared to give up?"
Cordelia sighed. "You don't have anything useful to tell us, do you? What are you, just some immortal demon asshole sent down to even the score between good and evil?"
"Wow. Good guess." Whistler grinned.
Cordelia stepped up to him. "Well, why don't you try getting off your immortal ass and fighting evil once in a while?"
She and Buffy started to leave.
"The sword isn't enough. You gotta be ready. You gotta know how to use it!"
Cordelia flipped him off. She followed Buffy out the door and slammed it behind her.
Buffy and Cordelia walked through the park.
"What do you think our next move should be?" Buffy asked Cordelia.
Cordelia shrugged. "You're the Slayer."
Buffy shrugged. "Well, I'm a Slayer, not the Slayer."
Cordelia looked at her. "No, Buffy, you are, because..." She didn't feel the need to finish the sentence.
"The Slayer line no longer runs through me, Cordy. Another Slayer must have been activated. It's just a matter of who...and where...she is."
Suddenly, Spike showed up. "Hello, cuties." He smiled.
Spike took a step toward Buffy, and she immediately decked him twice in the face. He grabbed her by the shoulders to restrain her, but she brought her knee up into his gut.
"Now, you hold on a second!" Spike gave her a good shove away from himself.
Buffy reached into her coat and pulled out a stake.
Spike jumped back and held up his hands in surrender. "Hey! White flag here. I quit."
"Let me clear this up for you. We're mortal enemies. We don't get time-outs."
"You want to go around, pet, I'll have a gay old time of it. You want to stop Angel...we're gonna have to play this a bit differently."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Buffy asked him.
"I'm talking about putting him in the bloody ground."
Buffy chuckled and lowered her stake. "This has gotta be the lamest trick you guys have ever thought up."
"He's got your Watcher. Right now, he's probably torturing him."
"What do you want?" Buffy asked him.
"I told you. I want to stop Angel." Spike snickered. "I want to save the world."
"Okay. You do remember that you're a vampire, right?" Cordelia asked him.
"We like to talk big." Spike indicated himself. "Vampires do. 'I'm going to destroy the world.' That's just tough-guy talk." He stepped over to Buffy's van. "Strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood." He sat on the hood. "The truth is...I like this world. You've got...dog racing, Manchester United. And you've got people. Billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs. It's all right here. But then someone comes along with a vision. With a real...passion for destruction. Angel could pull it off. Goodbye, Picadilly. Farewell, Leicester Bloody Square. You know what I'm saying?"
Buffy nodded. "Okay, fine. You're not down with Angel. Why would you ever come to me?"
Spike stood and took a drag off his cigarette but didn't look at her. "I want Dru back. I want it like it was before he came back. The way she acts around him-"
"You're pathetic."
He punched her in the face.
Buffy punched him right back. "I lost a friend tonight!"
"I wasn't in on that raiding party."
"And I may lose more! The whole Earth may be sucked into Hell, and you want my help, 'cause your girlfriend's a big ho?" Buffy asked him. "Well, let me take this opportunity to not care."
"I can't fight them both alone, and neither can you!" Spike told her.
"I'm not alone. I've got Cordelia."
Spike snickered. Buffy punched him hard in the jaw, making him flinch. He straightened back up and felt his jaw, checking for blood.
Buffy stared at him. "I fucking hate you."
"And I'm all you've got."
Buffy looked down briefly. "All right. Talk." She went over to the driver-side door and unlocked it. "Let's get inside."
In Angelus' mansion, Giles was sitting in a chair with his hands bound behind his back and bleeding from rope burns. Angelus was sitting in a chair and watching Giles as he cleaned his glasses. He breathed on the lenses, polished them clean, and inspected his work.
"Rupert, buddy...I'm here to tell you...I'm impressed." Angelus chuckled, dropped the cleaning cloth, got up, and went over to Giles. "Hey. Uh..." He slid the glasses onto Giles' face. "How you holdin' up?"
Giles looked up at him weakly. "Never...better."
"Glad to hear it." Angelus kneeled next to him. "Now..."
Giles breathed painfully.
"Tell me when it hurts." Angelus smirked.
Buffy and Spike eyed each other as they and Cordelia headed up the walk to Buffy's house.
Just then, Joyce pulled up in her Jeep and saw them from her open window. "Buffy?!"
Buffy gave her a glance but went right back to watching Spike.
Joyce stopped the car. "Where have you been?" She got out. "Are you okay?" She ran over. "The police were here! I've been looking for you!"
"It was a misunderstanding. Cordy and I got it cleared up. Mom, let's - let's go inside, and I can explain."
Joyce was hysterical. "Who is this man?" She looked at Spike. "Who are you?" She looked at Buffy. "Are you okay?"
"Mom!" Buffy yelled in frustration, then she calmed down a bit. "I'm - I'm okay."
"Buffy, terrible things have happened. What were you doing?"
"You know what? Why don't we go inside, and - and we can talk about this?" Buffy nodded and started toward the door.
Spike and Cordelia followed.
"I'm - I'm not sure how I feel about this."
Buffy turned around to face her. Suddenly, a vampire rushed across the porch; pushed Buffy, Cordelia, and Spike aside; and jumped down the steps at Joyce, ready to fight. She screamed and did some fast backpedaling. Buffy grabbed him by the shoulders from behind and forced him around to face Cordelia. Buffy pulled out a stake while Cordelia gave him a series of punches to the face. Cordelia's last blow sent the vampire spinning around and staggering away. Buffy thrust the stake into his chest, and he instantly died. Joyce just stared in shock.
Spike stepped down from the porch and looked at the body. "One of Angel's boys."
"Yeah, probably watching me." Buffy looked at Spike. "Or you." She looked at Cordelia. "Or you."
Cordelia shrugged. "Yeah, well, he won't get a chance to tattle on us now."
A short while later, Buffy and Cordelia were in Buffy's kitchen, sitting at the island and on a conference call with Tara and Amy (who had been discharged from the hospital).
"I'm sorry we didn't get to cure Angel."
Cordelia smiled faintly. "Don't be, Tara. It just wasn't meant to be. I know I'm never gonna get him back the way he was. It just makes it easier."
"I guess. Any luck finding Mr. Giles?" Tara asked.
Buffy smiled. "Yep. I got a lucky break."
"What?" Tara asked her.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Oh, c'mon, tell us!" Amy begged.
Buffy suppressed a laugh. "Spike has agreed to help us!"
"You're fucking kidding!" Amy exclaimed in surprise.
Buffy laughed. "I shit you not. Angel and the others are holed up outside town in a funky-looking mansion."
"On Crawford Street?" Amy guessed.
"That's the one."
"That makes sense. What's the drill?" Amy asked.
"We're gonna hit it come daybreak."
"You'll need backup."
"No. You stay away. We're covered."
"Do you, um...do you think Mr. Giles is still alive?" Tara asked her.
"I think he is." Buffy paused. "I hope he is. Anyway, we'll be in touch. I love you, Tara."
"I love you, too, Buffy."
All of the girls said "Bye." Buffy ended the call. She and Cordelia stood up and left the kitchen.
As they made their way through the dining room, they could hear the conversation between Joyce and Spike in the living room.
"Have we met?" Joyce asked him.
"Um...you hit me with an ax one time. Remember? Uh, 'get the hell away from my daughter'."
"Oh." Joyce let out a little chuckle.
Spike sighed with boredom.
"So, do you, uh, live here in town?" Joyce asked him.
Buffy walked into the room with her arms crossed. Cordelia was right behind her. Joyce sat nervously on the couch with the toes of her shoes turned in. Spike was sitting in an adjacent wicker chair. Joyce lifted her glass, took a sip of her drink, and winced at its strength. Upon seeing the girls, they both got up.
"All right, talk. What's the deal?" Buffy asked Spike.
"Simple. You let me and Dru skip town, I help you kill Angel."
Joyce was confused and looked at Cordelia. "Angel? Your boyfriend?"
Buffy shook her head. "Forget about Drusilla. She doesn't walk."
"There's no deal without Dru."
"She killed Kendra."
Spike was surprised. "Dru bagged a Slayer?" He chuckled. "She didn't tell me!" He looked at Joyce, smiling. "Hey, good for her!"
Buffy gave him a look.
Spike lost the smile. "Though not from your perspective, I suppose."
"I can't believe I invited you into my house."
Joyce was relieved. "So you didn't kill that girl."
"Of course not. Why would you-" Buffy immediately shut up and glared at her mother.
"What?" Spike asked her, curious.
Buffy firmly shook her head. "Never mind."
"Oh, there's a story there."
"Shut up, Spike!" Buffy warned.
"Look." Spike pulled Buffy aside. "This deal works for me one way. Full stop. Me and Dru for Angel. I'll take her out of the country. You'll never hear from us again, I bloody well hope."
"Fine. Get back to the mansion. Make sure Giles is all right. Be ready to back us up when we make our move."
Spike walked around her toward the door.
Buffy looked at him. "If Giles dies..."
Spike stopped and faced her.
"...she dies."
He gave her a final stare and headed out the door.
"We should call the police." Joyce headed for the kitchen.
"They're up to speed on the situation."
Joyce stopped and faced her daughter.
"You thought I was guilty?" Buffy asked her, angry. "Jeez, feelin' the love in this room!"
"No, I didn't think that."
"Bullshit!" Buffy exclaimed. "You heard about a connection between me and a homicide and automatically assumed I was guilty!"
Joyce turned and headed for the kitchen. Buffy and Cordelia followed.
They entered the kitchen, and Joyce reached for the bottle of Jack Daniel's on the island.
Buffy took the bottle from her mom. "Admit it!"
"Well, can you blame me?!" Joyce yelled. "You already murdered my boyfriend!"
"I know! I fucking know!" Buffy yelled back. "And I'm gonna live with that for the rest of my life! But are you constantly gonna think the worst of me?!"
"You're goddamn right I am!" Joyce told her.
"Fuck this, we've got shit to do." Buffy put the bottle back on the island.
"Do what? Buffy, what is happening?" Joyce asked her.
"The end of the fucking world!" Buffy replied.
"What?!" Joyce asked in shock.
"Just have another drink." Buffy turned away from her mother and started to walk off.
Joyce threw her glass aside in anger, and it broke on the floor.
"Don't you talk to me that way!" Joyce yelled, enraged.
Buffy stopped in her tracks.
"You don't get to just dump something like this on me and pretend it's nothing!" Joyce told her.
Buffy looked at her. "I'm sorry, Mom, for everything, but I don't have time for this." She started for the door again.
"No! I am tired of 'I don't have time' or - or 'you wouldn't understand'."
Buffy stopped and faced her.
"I am your mother, and you will make time to explain yourself."
"I told you."
"Well, I just don't accept that!" Joyce replied haughtily.
Buffy stepped closer. "It's upon us, whether you accept it or not."
"Well, it stops now!" Joyce yelled angrily.
"No, it doesn't stop! It never stops!" Buffy yelled.
"Well, then send Cordelia or one of your other girls!" Joyce told her.
"I'm the fucking Slayer!" Buffy told her. "Do - Do you think I chose to be like this? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is? I would love to be upstairs, watching TV or fucking my girlfriend or...God, even studying! But I have to save the world...again."
"No. This is insane." Joyce took Buffy by the shoulders. "Buffy, you need to delegate."
Buffy threw off her mom's arms. "What I need is for you to chill. I have to go!"
Joyce shook her head. "No. I am not letting you out of this house."
"You can't stop me."
Joyce grabbed her. "Oh, yes, I-"
Buffy shoved her mother back into the island violently, making her knock over several things. She paused for a moment to reflect on the irrevocability of that action, stared at her mother's shocked face, and then headed for the door, opened it, and stepped out.
"You walk out of this house, don't even think about coming back!" Joyce yelled angrily.
Buffy just gave her a long stare and left. Cordelia gave Joyce a brief look and hurried after Buffy.
The two of them headed for Buffy's van.
"Cordy, can I crash at your place tonight?" Buffy asked her.
"Of course. So what's the plan?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy took out her keys and unlocked the driver-side door. "Tomorrow morning, we go to the mansion, you fight Angel, Spike will keep Drusilla in check, and I will help each of you as needed."
"I get priority, right?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy smiled and opened her door. "Yes, my queen."
Buffy got into the van and unlocked the passenger-side door. Cordelia got into the van. The girls closed their doors and fastened their seatbelts. Buffy put the key in the ignition.
"You bring the sword?" Cordelia asked her.
"Fuck!" Buffy exclaimed. "The police must have it. Wait, no, I didn't see them take it. It must still be at the school. Fuck!" She sighed. "Okay, we'll stop there on the way to the mansion, and I'll run in and grab it."
"Okay." Cordelia paused. "Buffy...what your mom said..." She paused again. "Did you really murder Ted? I mean...not just kill...but murder?"
Buffy was silent for a moment. "Yeah. In my heart, I'd wanted him dead. I used him striking me as an excuse to pummel him far beyond merely subduing him. And then, when I'd knocked him into the hallway, I went out and punched him in the face. He tripped to end of the hall and regained his balance. I followed him. When I saw him standing at the edge of the staircase, I made one final kick, sending him falling to his death. I might not have been thinking about that, specifically, but what else could I have reasonably expected to happen?"
Cordelia took a moment to take all of this in. "Yeah, well...serves him right."
Buffy didn't reply; she just started the engine.
It was close to midnight when Diana drove herself and Faith down Brattle Street in her shiny new Porsche; Faith wasn't sure exactly where they were going. She had gotten worried for a moment, because that was the way back to Belmont, until, halfway down a darkened block, Diana cut the engine.
Diana pointed at a long black gate on the other side of the street. "This is the north entrance of Mount Auburn Cemetery."
Faith could just make out, through and over the bars, the tips of crooked gravestones jutting out from a landscaped hilltop.
"It's the final resting place of some of the most prominent of your countrymen: Oliver Wendell Holmes, Winslow Homer, Longfellow..."
Faith chuckled. "Heh. Those sound like porn names."
Diana made a disapproving face. "The cemetery is also the epicenter for vampire risings and sightings in the greater Boston area. It will become your second home, requiring that you inspect the grounds, nightly if possible, keeping a watchful eye on freshly dug graves and any disturbances that may indicate demonic activity, vampire or otherwise. Tonight, your lifelong war on the undead truly begins. Are you ready, Faith, to accept your destiny?"
Faith opened the glove compartment and pulled out a stake. "Fuck yeah. Let's go find shit to kill."
It didn't take long. One of the iron bars on the fence was loose, and Faith popped it out from where the post met the crossbar and bent it up, so she and Diana could slip through.
They weren't in the cemetery five minutes before they saw a lone figure passing through the gravestones about a hundred yards ahead of them, his pale face shining in the moonlight; he turned in their direction for just a second, but it was all that Faith needed to see his bloodsucking fangs.
"Bingo." Faith moved to cut him off before they lost him.
"Faith, wait."
Faith went ahead, anyway, the thrill of the chase, along with the new hum in her blood, the new strength and speed, all of it making her feel warm, high, alive.
She jumped up onto a gravestone and used it as a springboard to launch herself the last few yards toward the vampire, landing on his back hard, knocking him to the ground. She raised her stake, but, as she went to stick it deep in his back, he flipped over and was now on top of her, pinning her arms over her head and leaning in to bite her. She started panicking, forgetting her training, dropping her stake as he held her wrists.
Fortunately, Diana saved her, driving a stake of her own into him and killing him.
Faith got up. "Thanks, Prof. You saved my ass."
"You'll get the hang of it. Just try not to freeze up. Go forward with the knowledge that everything you need is inside of you: the agility, the clarity, the stamina, and the strength. It's all there; just trust in that. Allow your instincts to move you through combat. Remember who has the power." Diana looked over Faith's shoulder then.
Faith turned. Two more vampires, having spotted them, were approaching fast.
"And here's your chance to use it."
Faith nodded and, retrieving her stake, assumed the formal battle stance that her sensei had taught her as Diana stepped back and flattened herself against the side of an old mausoleum.
Faith held her stake back in one hand, her other forearm crossing her and facing forward, ready to push back a frontal attack. "Okay, gents, time to get some wood."
The first one lunged at her, but she sidestepped him, spinning around and delivering a roundhouse kick right to the jaw just as he was turning back in her direction; she could hear a snapping sound as he went down. The next one managed to tackle her, but she rolled with it, using his momentum to right herself before sending him over her back and his head into a gravestone, which split right down the middle. The first one barely had time to get up before she punched him in the chest, hard, then grabbed his skull and drove it into her raised knee. He pulled back, and an arc of blood sprayed from his nose, spattering across her face. She didn't flinch, though, instead surging forward, thrusting the stake into him with all of her strength, so hard that it went all of the way through him, the tip coming out the other end.
They were now face to face, practically kissing. His eyes, wide with shock, looked at the fresh hole in his chest, then back at her. She laughed and shoved him off the stake, and he fell to the ground, dead. Now, the second one was up and running, but she ran after him, cutting through the rows of tombstones before catching him against the fence as he tried to scale it. She grabbed him by the back of his suit jacket and yanked him down, staking him in the back. He fell to the ground, dead.
Faith leaned against the fence and caught her breath while Diana made her way over to her, a little smile on her face.
"Congratulations. It seems you're a natural, as they say."
"That's me." Faith slid her stake into the inside pocket of her leather jacket.
Amy smiled. "Thank you for meeting with us, Ms. Calendar."
"Of course." Jenny handed each of the girls a can of regular Pepsi.
Amy, Tara, and Katrina were sitting on the couch in the living room of Jenny's apartment. It was early the next morning, and they had gathered there before school.
"So Buffy and Cordy are going for the big showdown, huh?" Katrina asked. "Wish we could help. You know, without dying."
Amy looked at all of them. "I wanna try again."
"Try what?" Tara asked.
"The curse. We never got to finish it. Maybe we can restore Angel's soul."
Katrina looked at her girlfriend worriedly. "I don't like it. You're talking about fucking with powerful magic, and you're weak."
Amy smiled weakly. "I'm okay."
"Look, it's not a good idea."
"This can help Cordy and Buffy. If we turn Angel back soon enough, we can stop him from ever awakening Acathla."
Katrina sighed and relented. She kissed Amy on the lips. "Be careful."
"I will." Amy looked at Jenny. "Ms. Calendar, go to Buffy and Cordy. Tell them what we're doing. Maybe they can stall."
"Right." Jenny walked away in determination. "I'm coming, Rupert."
In Angelus' mansion, Giles was still tied to his chair and hung his head weakly.
"You know, I can stop the pain. You've been very brave..." Angelus put his hand on Giles' shoulder. "...but it's over." He walked behind him. "You've given enough." He leaned down to Giles' ear. "Now, let me make it stop."
Giles was panting and shaking with pain. "Please!"
Angelus kneeled to face him. "Just tell me what I need to know."
"In order...to be worthy..."
"Yeah?"
"You must perform the ritual...in a tutu."
Angelus glared at him.
Giles didn't back down. "Pillock!"
Angelus stood up. "All right. Someone get the chainsaw."
Spike wheeled himself into the room in his wheelchair. "Now, now, don't let's lose our temper."
"Keep out of it, sit 'n' spin."
"Look, you cut him up, you'll never get your answers."
"Since when did you become so levelheaded?"
"Right about the time you became so pig-headed. You have your way with him, you'll never get to destroy the world. And I don't fancy spending the next month trying to get librarian out of the carpet. There are other ways."
"Enlighten me."
"Hmm." Spike looked behind himself. "Drusilla? Sweetheart?"
Drusilla came in behind him and walked up to them.
"Do you want to play a game?" Spike asked her.
She put her arm on his shoulder, and they both looked over at Angelus.
The main area of the library was cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape. Buffy walked in and just grabbed and pulled down the tape. As she headed toward the table, she looked down at the chalk outline of Kendra on the floor and passed it slowly, careful not to step on it. When she reached the table, she looked for a moment, and then she reached under the table, pulled out Kendra's large duffel bag, and set it on the table. She went through it.
"You do know this is a crime scene, don't you?"
Buffy looked up at Principal Snyder approaching.
"But then...you're a criminal, so that pretty much works out." Snyder stopped walking.
"Not in the eyes of the law, I'm not."
"In case you haven't noticed, the police of Sunnydale are deeply stupid." Snyder took a few steps closer. "It doesn't matter, anyway. You've proved too much of a liability for this school." He took a breath. "These are the moments you want to savor. You wish time would stop, so that you could live them over and over again." He smiled smugly. "You're expelled."
Buffy reached into the bag and pulled out the sword blessed by the knight that first slew Acathla. She held it up and turned it in her hand. Snyder looked at it, looked at her, and gulped. Buffy gazed at the polished blade, started out of the library, and leaned the blade into his face as she passed him. He bent back nervously and watched her go. This time, she made no attempt to avoid the chalk markings on the floor.
In Angelus' mansion, Drusilla kneeled behind Giles, patting the sweat from his forehead. "Is that better?" She patted more. "Hmm?" She pulled away the cloth. "Poor thing." She ran her finger down his cheek. "Let's see what's inside." She ran her hand up the back of Giles' head and over the top. She closed her eyes. She gasped and removed her hand. She leaned over to Giles' ear. "Of course." She stood up and went around to his other side and held up two fingers to hypnotize him. "Look at me."
Giles turned his head weakly to look away, trying to resist.
Drusilla came around the rest of the way in front of him, waving her fingers. "Mm-mm-mm-mm."
Finally, Giles could no longer resist and looked at her.
Drusilla waved her fingers around some more and drew them in toward her own eyes. "Be...in me."
In his weakened state, Giles quickly fell under her spell.
Drusilla looked into his eyes and smiled. "Hmm. See with your heart."
She covered his eyes with her hand; when she took it away, he saw Jenny kneeling before him.
Giles smiled. "Jenny!"
"Shh."
Giles tried to get up. "We have to get out of here."
"No-no-no-no-no. Slowly." She brushed her hand over his temple, down his cheek, and over his lips.
Giles stared into her eyes.
"Did you tell Angel? About the ritual?"
Giles was breathing erratically. "No." He was desperate. "We have to get...him away from Acathla."
"Why? Is he close to figuring it out?"
Giles nodded, anxious to go. "Later."
"Tell me what to do."
Giles looked at her, helpless and confused.
"It's all right. Just tell me what to do."
"We have to get Angel away from Acathla."
"Angel himself? He's the key?"
"H-H-His - His blood..." Giles paused. "H-He mustn't-"
"Shh." She kissed him. "Mm."
They kissed passionately. Giles was in pure bliss. She stopped kissing him.
"Sorry. I was in the moment."
Giles opened his eyes; saw Drusilla, Angelus, and Spike; and realized he'd been tricked.
Cordelia walked into Giles' apartment and looked around. She entered the kitchen and saw Whistler there, checking out the refrigerator.
"Whistler. What did you mean, the sword isn't enough?" Cordelia asked him.
Whistler found a bottle of beer. "You know, raiding an Englishman's fridge is like dating a nun. You're never gonna get the good stuff."
"Tell me how to use it."
Whistler took a swig and looked back at Cordelia. "Angel's the key." He closed the fridge. "His blood will open the door to Hell. Acathla opens his big mouth, creates a vortex. Then only Angel's blood will close it. One blow will send 'em both back to Hell. But I strongly suggest that you get there before that happens, 'cause the faster you kill Angel, the easier it's gonna be on you."
"Don't worry about me."
"It's all on the line here, kid."
"I can deal." Cordelia left.
Cordelia walked toward the mansion at a determined pace with the sword wrapped in a cloth. Buffy followed right behind her.
Suddenly, Jenny ran up to them. They stopped walking.
"Ms. Calendar!" Buffy exclaimed.
"I'm here to help."
"You're not here to fight." Buffy started walking. "You get Giles out, and you run like fucking hell, understood? I can't protect you."
Jenny started walking and stared at her. "I didn't ask you to."
Cordelia started walking as well. She pulled off and discarded the cloth. "Well, don't count on me to help you. I'm gonna be too busy killing."
Jenny looked at the sword. "That's a sweet sword, Cordy."
"It's a present for Angel."
"About that..." Jenny paused. "Amy told me to tell you that she and Tara are gonna try the spell again. Stall, if you can. Buy them some time."
Cordelia looked at Buffy in surprise. Buffy looked at Jenny and nodded.
Cordelia looked at Jenny and nodded as well. "All right, Mama Bamayama, let's hope your juju works."
In Jenny's living room, they had everything set up on the coffee table: the Orb surrounded by the candles within a sacred circle. Katrina stood on one side and waved burning herbs and incense over the Orb. Tara stood on the other side, holding the printout of the Rumanian curse. Amy sat on the floor, behind the coffee table.
"Are we ready?" Amy asked them.
Katrina nodded. "Stinky herbs are a go."
Tara nodded. "Ready."
Drusilla handed Angelus a knife.
"Now, Acathla...you will be free." Angelus drew the blade across the palm of his hand and winced in pain but didn't take his stare off the demon. He dropped the knife. "And so will we all."
Cordelia walked in quietly behind another vampire. She raised her sword and decapitated him with a single swing. His body and his head fell to the floor. Drusilla and Angelus turned their heads to look.
Cordelia met their gazes. "Hello, lover."
"I don't have time for you." Angelus seemed bored.
"You don't have a lot of time left."
"Coming on kind of strong, don't you think? You're playing some deep odds here. Do you really think you can take us all on?"
"No. I don't."
Buffy arrived. Spike got up out of his wheelchair behind Angelus with a determined look on his face and whipped him hard across the back with an andiron. Angelus cried out in pain and collapsed to the floor. Drusilla twisted her head to look at Spike. He continued to whale on Angelus as hard as he could. Buffy started for Drusilla, but another vampire attacked her. She spun around to face him, but he punched her, and she fell to the floor. She tripped him when he came at her again and maneuvered to her feet, ready to fight. He came at her again with a series of punches, all of which she easily blocked.
Spike kept pounding on Angelus. "Painful, isn't it?" He kept swinging the andiron.
Drusilla began to freak and jumped on Spike, taking him down to the floor with her. Buffy's assailant backhand-punched her in the face, and she went staggering into a chair by the wall. She quickly recovered to block another swing, brought her knee up into his gut, and kicked him in the face, knocking him to the floor. She spied a pile of broken wood fragments and went to it. The vampire got to his feet just as Jenny walked into the room and surprised him with a punch. Buffy picked up a suitable piece of scrap wood and got back into the fight. Jenny backed off to go look for Giles. The vampire ducked a roundhouse kick and blocked another kick. Spike and Drusilla got up from the floor and faced each other off.
"I don't want to hurt you, baby."
She grabbed him by the throat and shoved him into the wall.
Spike slapped her arm aside and punched her in the face. "Doesn't mean I won't."
Amy cast her stones and gave Tara her cue. Katrina kept waving the burning herbs and incense.
Tara consulted the printout. "Ceea ce este pierdut va fi găsit."
Amy concentrated. "What is lost will be found."
Katrina swirled incense into the air.
"Nici mort, nici al fiinţei."
"Neither dead nor of being."
"Invoc spiritul pasajului."
"I invoke the spirit of the passage."
Jenny pushed aside a curtain to another room and found Giles still tied to a chair. "Rupert!"
Giles' head was tilted back, and he was very weak.
"Rupert!"
Giles lifted his head slowly. Jenny crouched behind the chair and began to untie the ropes.
"Jenny?"
"Can you walk?" Jenny asked him.
"You're not real."
"Sure, I'm real."
"It's a trick. They get inside my head, make me see things I want."
Jenny untied the ropes and went around to look into Giles' face. "You're just gonna have to trust me."
He groaned as Jenny got under his arm and helped him out of the chair.
"Come on."
They made their way through the main hall as fast as they could and out the door. Buffy and the vampire continued to fight. Drusilla swiped at Spike with her hand and left four parallel scratches across his cheek. She followed up with a punch that knocked him to the floor. Buffy was still fighting the vampire. She blocked a kick from him, punched him, spun around, and punched again, and he fell onto his back. Buffy quickly followed him down with her stake and jammed it into his chest, killing him.
Cordelia ran back into the room, having chased Angelus all over the mansion. Suddenly, a blindingly bright light emanated from Acathla, and Buffy looked up from her kill in time to witness Angelus pulling the sword from the demon's heart. With a few telltale sparks, the light was suddenly gone. Angelus whipped the sword around in his hand and held it up to look at it. Cordelia scrambled toward him with her own sword.
Drusilla looked up from her fight and gazed at Acathla with a smile. "Oh...here he comes."
Spike came up behind her and grabbed her around the throat with his arm, choking her.
Cordelia held up her sword and faced off with Angelus. He held his own, ready to fight her also.
"You almost made it, Cordy."
"It's not over yet."
"My boy Acathla here is about to wake up. You're going to Hell."
"Save me a seat."
She thrust at him with her sword, but he parried and swung around with a thrust of his own, which she also parried. They clashed blades several times, and Cordelia ducked a wide arcing swing from him. They faced off again and traded one thrust and parry after another. Angelus tried another arcing swing from above, but she easily ducked and sidestepped out of the way. They faced off again in front of Acathla and traded a few more blows. Angelus tried a swing from above a third time, and again Cordelia ducked it and escaped to the side. She jumped up on a low table and swung at him again. He parried and swung at her legs. She jumped up and over his blade and landed on the floor. He tried for her legs again, but she blocked his attempt with her blade.
Again, they traded several swings, and Angelus tried a wide swing again and this time cut her superficially on the arm. He tried to take advantage of her distraction and came at her with his sword held high, intending to swing from above, but she dropped to the floor and rolled out of the way, so he only managed to smash a bowl on a table behind her. Cordelia kicked his legs out from under him and scrambled back up. He turned to face her, still on his knees, and swung three times in rapid succession, all of which she parried. He swung a fourth time, and this time Cordelia knocked his sword into the table with her parry and pinned it there. He backhand-punched her in the face, and she spun away. He pulled the sword from the table and swung it hard at her. She blocked it with hers and kicked him in the gut, making him double over. She jumped over him, into the clear, and raised her sword to continue the fight. He thrust, and she parried. Then he kicked her in her sword arm, and she stumbled back a step.
Amy got weaker as she chanted and breathed heavily.
Katrina was worried. "Amy?"
Tara was worried as well. "Are you okay?"
Without warning, Amy's head snapped back, and she looked up with her eyes wide open. Her head snapped back down, and her eyes stared into the Orb.
"Te implor, zeilor; nu ignoră aceasta rugăminte!" Amy chanted in Rumanian as though possessed.
Katrina looked at Tara. "Is this a good thing?"
Tara shrugged helplessly. "I call on you, gods; do not ignore this supplication!"
"Lăsa orbită să fie vasul care-i vă transportă sufletul la el."
Katrina was freaked out. "Hey, speak English!"
"Shh!" Tara hushed her. "Let this Orb be the vessel that will carry his soul to him."
At the mansion, the fight had moved out into the atrium. Cordelia hit the ground and scrambled back to her feet as Angelus slowly advanced. She thrust, and he parried. She spun around and swung at him, and he blocked her. Her sword bounced off his and fell with the tip onto the low wall of a planting bed. Angelus stomped on the blade before she could raise it again and knocked it from her grip. He spun around and elbowed her in the face, knocking her back into a stone table, which collapsed and fell with her.
Deep thundering growls and noises came from Acathla as he began to wake.
Cordelia was backing up against the wall without her sword while Angelus slowly and deliberately advanced on her, holding his. Angelus played with his sword, idly pointing it at Cordelia. She looked up at him, frightened.
"Now that's everything, huh?" Angelus asked her. "No weapons...no friends...no hope."
Cordelia closed her eyes and steeled herself for whatever was coming.
"Take all that away...and what's left?" Angelus drew the sword back and thrust it directly at her face.
Buffy arrived just in time. With lightning-fast reflexes, she swung up with both arms and caught the blade between the palms of her hands. "Me."
She shoved the blade away from her, and the hilt of the sword hit Angelus in the face. He staggered back, and she hopped to her feet and kicked him in the chest. He stumbled back even more, and she reached down and picked up Cordelia's sword. She tossed it to her friend. Cordelia caught it, swung it around, and thrust at him, but he managed to parry. They exchanged several blows, blocking each other. Cordelia spun around and swung her sword down at him from above. He held up his own to block, but she hit it hard, and he fell to one knee. She swung again, and he blocked. She spun around with a roundhouse kick to his side, and he collapsed to the ground.
Cordelia kicked Angelus, and he went flying through the door, hit the floor, and rolled to a stop. Before he could get all of the way back to his feet, Cordelia leaped in and swung her sword at him. He almost missed parrying her blow, and he stepped back to get his footing. They exchanged a few more swings. Angelus missed a block and got sliced on his hand.
The coffee table lurched hard.
"Aşa să fie! Aşa să fie! Acum!" Amy chanted.
"So it shall be! So it shall be! Now!" Tara translated.
Angelus had dropped his sword and held his cut. Cordelia did a high kick to his face, and he fell backward into Acathla and landed on his knees before her.
"Acum!" Amy exclaimed.
"Now!" Tara translated.
The Orb glowed brightly for a brief moment and went dark. Amy suddenly relaxed and looked around blankly.
Cordelia raised her sword to dispatch Angelus but stayed herself when he suddenly gasped loudly and groaned in pain. She saw his eyes glow bright red for an instant and go back dark. He looked up at her but quickly collapsed to the floor, crying. Cordelia stared down at him but still held her sword raised behind her.
Angel raised himself back up, his eyes heavy with tears, and looked into her eyes. "Cordelia?" He started sobbing. "What's going on?"
She just looked at him, confused but not yet ready to lower the sword.
Buffy also stared at him, uncertain. "Careful, Cordy."
Angel looked around a bit and got to his feet. "Where are we? I-I don't remember."
Finally, Cordelia slowly lowered her sword. "Angel?"
Angel saw her wound. "You're hurt."
She looked down at her wound and felt his gentle touch on her arm. She ignored her cut, looked back up at him, and stepped closer.
Angel embraced her tightly. "Oh, Cordy...God."
She still wasn't completely sure that it was true but accepted the hug.
"I...I feel like I haven't seen you in months."
Finally, she accepted it, closed her eyes, and breathed out a deep sigh.
"Oh, my God, everything's so muddled. I..." Angel held her even more closely. "Oh..." He sighed deeply and kissed her on the shoulder. "Oh, Cordy..."
She cried into his shoulder and hugged him back. Behind him, Acathla let out a low rumble. Buffy stared in shock as Acathla's face contorted. His brows angled down, his eyes glowed red, his mouth opened grotesquely, and the swirling vortex to Hell opened, small at first, but growing steadily in size and emanating a deep, red glow.
"Cordy!" Buffy exclaimed.
Cordelia let go of Angel, saw the vortex, and looked into Angel's face. "Oh, God, no."
"What's happening?" Angel asked her, confused.
Buffy walked up behind Cordelia and put her hand on top of Cordelia's sword hand. "Cordy, you have to..."
"Shh. Don't worry about it." Cordelia brushed her fingers over his lips and across his cheek. She laid her hand on his cheek and kissed him softly.
He returned the kiss, and it became more passionate. Behind him, the vortex had grown to about five feet across and continued to get larger.
Cordelia broke off the kiss and looked deeply into Angel's eyes. "I love you."
"I love you."
Cordelia touched his lips with her fingers again. "Close your eyes."
She nodded reassuringly, and he closed his eyes. She tried hard not to start crying and kissed him again gently. She stepped back, drew back her sword, and thrust it into his chest. His eyes whipped open in surprise and pain, and a bright light emanated from the sword. She stepped away from him. He reached out to her and looked down at the sword thrust completely through him. He looked at her imploringly, completely bewildered by this turn of events. She could only stare at the sword protruding from his chest and slowly stepped further back.
"Cordy..."
Behind him, the power of the sword began to swirl into the vortex. Cordelia stepped further back, still looking only at the sword in his chest and not into his face. The vortex had enlarged to about twelve feet across, and the two energies began to interact. Angel still held out his hand to Cordelia. When the vortex finally met him, it suddenly closed into Acathla's mouth without so much as a spark, taking him with it. Cordelia stared at the stone demon for a long moment, a light of awareness dawning in her eyes as she truly realized what she had done, what she had lost. She began to sob, her heart breaking. She dropped the sword.
Buffy walked over and swept Cordelia up in a big hug. Cordelia hugged Buffy and sobbed into her neck.
Buffy drove Cordelia home at her insistence. They hugged again, and then Cordelia went into her house without another word. Buffy went to her house, sneaked inside, and packed her most important possessions. Then she went to Jenny's apartment and rang the doorbell.
The door opened. Jenny was standing there.
"Buffy, you made it!" Jenny exclaimed.
"Yeah."
Jenny stepped aside. Buffy walked into Jenny's apartment. Jenny closed and locked the door. Tara, Amy, and Katrina were sitting on the couch. Giles was standing nearby.
Tara stood up, ran over to Buffy, and hugged her tightly. "Thank Goddess!"
Buffy hugged Tara tightly and kissed her passionately on the lips.
"Are you okay?" Tara asked her.
"Yeah, except..." Buffy paused.
"Except what?" Tara asked her.
"Snyder expelled me."
Tara sighed. "Oh, shit."
They released each other.
"Where's Cordy?" Katrina asked Buffy.
"She's safe." Buffy looked at all three of her friends. "The spell worked."
Amy grinned. "I'm glad! So Angel-"
"Angel's in Hell."
"What?" Amy asked in shock.
"Angelus had already awakened Acathla, and the portal to Hell had opened. Cordy reunited with Angel, and then she thrust the sword into him and sent him to Hell." Buffy started crying. "God damn it, this is so fucked up."
Tara felt bad. "We should check on her."
Buffy shook her head. "She wants to be left alone." She looked at Giles. "How are you feeling?"
"I've been better." Giles paused. "And you?"
Buffy shrugged. "My life is shit. I got kicked out of school - again. My relationship with my mom is destroyed. I can't go back home."
Tara looked sadly at her girlfriend. "I'm sure, if you explained to your mom-"
"No. We had it out last night. She made her position perfectly clear." Buffy paused and sighed. "I gotta get outta here."
"And go where?" Jenny asked her.
Buffy shrugged. "I dunno. L.A., maybe. See my dad and Dawn. I'm not sure. I just gotta get out of this fucking town - at least for the summer."
Soon, they were standing outside by Buffy's van.
Buffy looked at all of them. "When I get back, I don't suppose any of you would be willing to take me in."
Jenny looked at her. "I'm sure all of us would, but you should try reconciling with your mother first."
"Take care, Buffy." Amy hugged Buffy.
Buffy hugged Amy. "I will."
They released each other.
Katrina hugged Buffy. "Sunnydale won't be the same without you."
Buffy hugged Katrina. "Thanks, Trina."
They released each other.
Buffy looked at Giles. "If the new Slayer is located before I return, maybe request she come here?"
Giles adjusted his glasses. "Well, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather have the old Slayer."
Tara put her hands on Buffy's cheeks and kissed her full on the lips. Buffy hugged Tara.
Tara finished the kiss and hugged Buffy. "Take as much time as you need, sweetie. I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too."
They released each other.
Buffy took one final look at all of them, and then she got in her van, started the engine, and drove off.
She got onto a two-lane road leading out of town. She drove past a sign that read "NOW LEAVING SUNNYDALE" and, underneath that, "come back soon!"
Cordelia was lying on her bed in her bedroom, watching TV and crying.
There was a knock at her door.
"Go away!" Cordelia cried.
"Cordy, it's me, Harmony. Ms. Calendar called and told me what happened. Can I come in?"
Cordelia sniffed. "Yeah, all right."
The door opened, and Harmony walked into the room. She closed the door behind her.
Cordelia didn't say anything. She had the remote control in her hand and was staring at the TV. Harmony walked over and lay down to Cordelia's left on the bed. She looked at the TV. It was her recording of Cordelia's performance from her birthday party in January. Cordelia pressed Play.
"To be in love
Must be the sweetest feeling that a girl can feel.
To be in love,
To live a dream
With somebody you care about like no one else:
A special man,
A dearest man,
Who needs to share his life with you alone,
Who'll hold you close and feel things
That only love brings,
To know that he is all your own."
Cordelia started sobbing uncontrollably as she she remembered all of the good times that she'd shared with Angel and how, in the end, she'd been forced to damn him. She broke down in tears. Harmony gently put her arm around Cordelia and hugged her close.
"To be my love,
My love must be much more than any other man.
To be my love,
To share my dream,
My hero, he must take me where no other can,
Where we will find
A brand-new world:
A world of things we've never seen before,
Where silver suns have golden moons,
Each year has thirteen Junes;
That's what must be for me
To be in love."
Chapter 62: Anne
Chapter Text
"Anne"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
In Sunnydale, Tara, Amy, and Katrina were patrolling the cemetery at night. They arrived at Andrew Hoelich's gravestone and waited. A bouquet of fresh flowers was there. A hand came out of the freshly-filled grave and clawed for solid ground. Slowly, Andrew pulled himself out of his grave, now a newly-made vampire. He growled when his head cleared the earth and continued to climb out on his stomach. He crawled along the ground, pulling out his legs, and stopped when he saw a pair of wide-spread legs standing before him. He looked up to see who it was.
Tara smiled mischievously and kicked him in the face. While he was dazed, Amy and Katrina each grabbed one of his arms and pinned him to the ground. Tara crouched down, drove a stake through his back, and hit his heart, killing him. Amy and Katrina let go of his arms. The three girls stood up.
Tara smiled at her friends. "Great job, team."
The three of them started walking.
"Have you heard from Buffy?" Katrina asked Tara.
"Yeah, she called me yesterday."
"How is she?" Katrina asked her.
Tara shrugged. "Okay. A bit distant and distracted, but she says she's doing all right, all things considered."
"Any chance you'll tell us where she is?" Amy asked her.
Tara shook her head. "Buffy doesn't want anyone finding her right now."
"Did she say when she's coming back?" Amy asked her.
Tara nodded. "When she works through her shit, no sooner."
Amy marveled at her. "You're the most patient girlfriend ever."
Tara smiled, a bit embarrassed.
"But she is coming back, right?" Katrina asked her.
Tara nodded. "That's what she says." She smiled at Katrina. "Why so eager? You got a crush on her?"
Katrina smiled. "Well, we did share a kiss."
"She was dead."
"Details."
Tara rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I guess we should pack it in. Big day tomorrow."
On a beach, a wave crashed on the sand. In the far distance, a pier stretched out into the water. Cordelia walked naked across the sand. She stopped and looked out over the ocean. She closed her eyes and raised her head to just feel the sun on her face and listen to the waves come in. A pair of hands reached around her waist and clasped in front, and she covered them with hers. She looked back at Angel leaning his head over her shoulder.
Cordelia reached up with her hand and brushed it against his cheek. "How did you find me here?"
"If I was blind, I would see you."
Cordelia lowered her hand to take his again at her waist and closed her eyes. She embraced his arms tightly to her. "Stay with me."
"Forever. That's the whole point. I'll never leave." Angel leaned close to her ear. "Not even if you kill me."
Cordelia's mood turned from contented to dismayed.
Cordelia woke from her dream and looked around her bedroom sadly. Slowly, she settled back down and wept.
She didn't fall asleep again for a long time.
Buffy opened the door to her mother's bedroom as quietly as possible and tip-toed inside. She tried very hard to not wake her.
She saw her mother fast asleep in her bed, face down, helpless.
Buffy climbed onto the bed and on top of her mother. Joyce woke suddenly, but Buffy straddled her mother with her legs and put her hands around her mother's neck. She started choking her.
"Buffy...do you love me at all?" Joyce asked sadly.
Buffy woke up with a start. She looked around. She was lying in her bed in her tiny apartment in a run-down neighborhood on the south side of downtown Los Angeles, near 11th Street.
Slowly, she got up and went over to the window overlooking the street below. She didn't particularly care if anyone saw her naked. She looked past the sidewalk and into the street. A police siren got louder as it neared, and, an instant later, an LAPD squad car raced across the intersection at the end of the block against the red light.
Buffy sighed and, feeling dirty after her nightmare, went into her tiny bathroom and took a shower in an attempt to cleanse herself.
The next morning, Buffy went to work her shift at a small, sleazy diner known as Helen's Kitchen.
The cook put two burgers with fries up on the pick-up counter. A waitress walked past the counter to hang an order on the spinner. Buffy walked behind her to pick up the two burgers. She had cut her hair short due to the heat and to prevent it from getting in the way. She was sad and bored. She took the two plates, walked them over to a nearby table, and set them down in front of two roughneck types. They both eyed her lecherously.
Buffy took out her order pad. "Anything else?"
"That'll do us, Peaches."
Buffy tore off their bill and put it on the table. "Pay at the counter."
"Sure you don't want me to work it off for you?"
The other roughneck laughed at that. Buffy walked away, and, as she went, he reached out with his hand and slapped her on the ass. Buffy stopped in her tracks. The two men just chuckled. She turned her head slightly but thought better of doing anything about it. She walked up to another table, where a young couple was sitting. They were too into each other to notice Buffy.
"You guys ready?" Buffy asked them.
The guy was still looking at his girl. "Yeah. I think we're good. Um..." He looked at Buffy's name tag. "Anne."
Buffy glanced at them briefly, then looked down at her pad to take their order. "What'll you have?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of change. "Well, okay..." He paused. "What can we get with this?"
He dumped the change onto the table. It was mostly pennies plus a few nickels and dimes.
Buffy stared at it. "Um..."
The blonde girl looked at her boyfriend. "Can we get cake?"
"Don't be stupid. We gotta eat healthy. We can't have cake." He looked at Buffy. "Can we get pie?"
"We've got a peach pie." Buffy wrote the order. "I can't guarantee there's a peach in it."
The girl looked at her boyfriend. "We shouldn't have blown all our money."
"Come on, it was worth it."
She smiled. He looked up at Buffy as the two of them held out their forearms.
"Hey, check this out."
Buffy looked at their arms as they held them out together and saw they each had a tattoo of half of a heart with a ribbon across it. On their respective halves of the ribbon, they had the other's name tattooed. He had "Lily", and she had "Rickie".
"It's nice. It's nice and, uh, permanent." Buffy smiled weakly, thinking it was a bad idea.
Rickie looked at Lily. "Yeah, forever." He put his arm around Lily. "I mean...that's the whole point."
Lily looked at him and smiled. Buffy looked at Lily, and there was a spark of recognition in her mind.
Lily looked up at Buffy and thought she also recognized her. "Hey, do I know you?"
Buffy stared at her, thinking about it. "I don't think so." She wasn't sure.
Lily looked harder. "Really? Where're you from?"
Buffy avoided the issue. "I'll get your pie."
Lily watched as Buffy went to the cash register. Rickie distracted her, and they were in their own little world again.
At the register, Buffy put down the order and gave Rickie and Lily another look.
The other waitress looked at her. "Friends of yours?"
"I'm not sure."
In the Sunnydale High School library, students were busy looking for books that they would need during the semester. Tara and Giles walked out of the stacks on the mezzanine level. Tara had several books in her arms.
"So...any luck at the cemetery?" Giles asked her.
They walked down the stairs.
Tara smiled and nodded. "We staked a few."
They split up as Giles headed through the door to go behind the check-out counter.
"For God's sake, be careful."
They met at the counter.
"I mean, uh, I appreciate your efforts to keep the vampire population down until Buffy returns or the new Slayer is located, but, uh..." Giles paused. "Well, if anything should happen to you and...you should be killed, I should take it somewhat amiss." Giles scanned Tara's books to check them out.
Tara smiled sweetly. "Well, we try not to get killed."
The phone in Giles' office rang. Tara took the books and stacked them together again.
"Good." Giles went to get the phone.
Tara picked the books up and started out of the library. Before she could take more than a few steps, Cordelia walked up to her.
Tara smiled sweetly at her. "Hi, Cordy."
"Hey, Tara." Cordelia put her bag on the counter.
"How are you?" Tara asked her.
Cordelia shrugged. "Shitty. You?"
Tara felt awkward and didn't reply. She just smiled nervously and shrugged.
After her shift was over, Buffy walked along the street in front of Helen's Kitchen. She went over to a nearby taco stand.
The vendor looked at her. "Hey, Anne."
Buffy smiled. "Hey. Pork today."
"You got it."
A homeless man was sitting on the curb.
Another man approached the man and crouched down beside him, holding out one of his leaflets. "Hey, how are you? Can I talk to you for a moment? I have something you might be interested in."
"$2.00."
Buffy paid the vendor.
He handed her a corn tortilla taco stuffed with ground pork and topped with onions, cilantro, and salsa. "Buen provecho."
Buffy took the taco. "Thanks."
Buffy continued walking to her van, munching on her taco along the way, and passed a store with a recessed entryway.
A homeless woman was cowering there. "I'm no one."
Buffy looked at the woman.
"I'm no one."
Buffy looked away from the woman. She felt bad about it.
"I'm no one."
In the library, Giles was on the phone in his office.
"Yes? Thank you, thank you." Giles put the phone down, grabbed his coat, and quickly walked out of the office. "I have a lead."
Tara and Harmony looked up from doing their homework at the table.
"A friend in Oakland has a-a-a sketchy report of a...young girl fending off a group of vampires...about a week ago." Giles grabbed his overcoat and bag and looked at his watch. "There's a plane out in about an hour."
Tara and Harmony exchanged a look.
"And what makes this different from the last nine leads?" Harmony asked him.
"Well, there's a meal on this flight."
Harmony rolled her eyes. "Look, I don't mean to shit on the party here; it's just...you get your hopes all up, and then it's nothing, and I feel bad."
Tara gave Giles a hopeful smile. "But it's good that you're looking, though. You shouldn't give up."
"Yes, one must try. Well, I-I-I should go." Giles rushed out.
"You think maybe he'll find her?" Harmony asked Tara. "The new Slayer?"
Tara shrugged. "Who knows?"
They went back to doing their homework.
Buffy parked her van on a street at night and got out. She locked the door and closed it. Buffy slowly walked to her apartment.
Behind her, Lily followed her. "Anne?"
Buffy didn't respond.
"Anne?" Lily called louder.
Still no response from Buffy.
"Buffy?" Lily asked.
Buffy stopped in her tracks.
Lily caught up. "Don't be mad. I won't turn you in or nothing. I guess you don't recognize me."
Buffy thought for a moment. "Lily?"
"I mean from before. I was calling myself Chantarelle then. I used to..." Lily sighed. "Well, I was in this cult that worshipped vampires. So lame, I know."
Buffy suddenly remembered her. "Yeah...I, uh, I remember."
"But...you kinda saved us. I never thanked you or anything."
"Did you tell anyone who I was?"
"Oh, no! Not - Not even Rickie. I mean...I was so surprised to see you here, waiting tables..." Lily paused. "But I wouldn't tell. I know how it is when you gotta get lost."
"It's not that. It's just..." Buffy sighed. "I had to take a break from my life, figure out what I'm gonna do next."
They started to walk again.
"Do you, uh, do you live nearby?" Buffy asked her.
"Well, there's a couple of places. Uh, they're abandoned, and a lot of people stay there." Lily paused. "So how come you came up with Anne?"
"It's my middle name."
"Lily's from a song. Rickie picked it. I'm always changing, anyway. Chantarelle was part of my exotic phase."
"It's nice. It's a mushroom."
"It is? That's really embarrassing."
"Um, well, i-it's an exotic mushroom, if that's any comfort."
"Well, before that, I was following this loser preacher and calling myself Sister Sunshine."
Buffy made a face. "I like Lily."
"It's cool for now. Hey, do you have any money?"
They stopped, and Buffy gave her a surprised look.
"I didn't mean that like..." Lily paused. "Well, I just mean...I know this guy; he's gonna have this kinda rave thing in his basement. We could go. I mean...I could show you if you had..." She paused again, embarrassed. "'Cause I'm broke."
"I-I don't think so. I just kind of...I want to be alone."
"I didn't mean to bug you."
"No! I-I didn't - I didn't mean that; it's just..." Buffy paused. "Well, a-a lot of people like that, it's - it's too much."
Lily crossed her arms, very disappointed.
Buffy looked down, took out her wallet, and started to dig through it. "I-I do have the money, though, so...why don't you and Rickie go, and then maybe I could meet you some other time-"
Lily raised her hands and waved off the offer. "No. It's okay, it's okay. Forget about it. Just-"
A homeless man rudely pushed his way between them. The two girls both stared after him.
Lily frowned. "That's not very polite."
The man turned around and looked blankly back at them.
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked him.
"I'm no one." He turned back around and walked into the traffic in the intersection at the corner of 11th Street and Broadway.
Buffy's eyes widened with concern. The man stopped in the middle of a lane in front of an oncoming pickup truck and faced it, arms stretched wide. Buffy rushed into the street. The pickup driver honked his horn and slammed on the brakes. The truck started to skid. Buffy pushed the man out of the way in time to save him - but not in time to avoid getting hit herself. She got hit hard in the legs by the bumper. Her body snapped down hard onto the hood of the truck, and she slid into the windshield. She bounced back and slid off the hood as the truck screeched to a halt. She hit the pavement, flipped over backward, and rolled to a stop in the middle of the street.
The driver quickly got out of the pickup cab and ran over to Buffy lying in the street, but Lily reached her first. Buffy was on her hands and knees, trying to get up. People from all around came rushing into the street.
"Are you okay?" Lily asked Buffy.
"Jeez, I didn't see you." The driver took her by the arms and helped her up.
"Oh..." Lily paused. "Maybe - Maybe you shouldn't move."
The driver nodded. "Maybe you should lie down."
Buffy looked around at all of the people gathering. "No, I'm fine."
"Somebody call an ambulance!" the driver yelled.
Buffy held up her hands to fend off everyone's help. "No! I'm okay, I just...I need to go." She ran off, not the least bit hurt.
As she neared her apartment further down the street, Buffy walked at a brisk pace as she went around a corner. There, she bumped into the man from earlier and knocked all of his leaflets onto the sidewalk.
"Whoa!" He saw his leaflets. "Oh..."
They both crouched down to pick up the papers.
"Where are you running to?"
"Sorry."
"Maybe I should ask...where are you running from?"
They finished gathering up his leaflets and stood back up.
He took a good look at Buffy. "You're pretty new around here. Uh, you've got the 'look', though."
"The 'look'?"
"Like you had to grow up way too fast. What's your name?"
"Anne." Buffy pushed past him to go.
"Hey, um, I'm Ken. Here, go ahead, take one of these."
He held out a leaflet, and Buffy looked at it. It read "Come home to Family Home" and had a drawing of a house and a silhouette of a man reaching out to hug a child. The address given was on Hill Street, which was nearby.
"Don't be shy about stopping by. I mean...I guess you're not starving, but...we're not just interested in feeding the body. You might find something you're missing."
Buffy looked at him. "I'm all right."
Ken gave her a look of disbelief. "Then why are you here?"
Buffy looked away.
"This is not a good place for a kid to be. You get old fast here."
Buffy looked at him knowingly.
"The thing that drains the life out of them is despair. I mean...kids come here, and they got nothing to go home to, and...this ends up being the last stop for a lot of them. Shouldn't have to be that way."
Buffy looked down the street. She saw a woman alone in the street, a boy and girl huddling together on the curb, a young boy begging from a businessman that rejected him as he walked by, and a woman with a dirty face. Buffy felt sad.
A while later, Buffy was back in her apartment. She showered and then opened a can of SpaghettiOs for dinner. She got a spoon from a drawer. She went and sat calmly on the edge of her bed, naked, holding the can of SpaghettiOs in her lap. She just stared blankly into the room, breathing calmly.
Once her nerves were calmed, she ate her meal, set the can on her night stand, lay down, and waited for sleep to come.
The next morning, Giles walked up to the Summers' house, climbed the steps to the front porch, and knocked on the door.
Soon, the door opened, and Joyce was standing there.
Joyce was surprised to see him. "Uh, hello."
"Hello. Um, may I..." Giles gestured inside.
"Oh, uh, of course." Joyce waved him in. "Come on in."
"Thank you." Giles slowly walked into the living room. "I've, uh, just come back from Oakland. A friend of mine called with a lead. Stories about someone fighting vampires." He took off his glasses. "It, uh, didn't pan out, I'm afraid." He started to clean them. "No new Slayer. No vampires. Bunch of school kids in heavy mascara listening to extremely silly music."
"Well, thank you for going. The sooner that you can get a new Slayer in Sunnydale, the sooner that our lives can get back to normal."
Giles frowned but ignored her remark. "How are you doing?"
Joyce stepped into the living room and crossed her arms. "I can hardly, uh..." She sighed and smiled weakly. "I can hardly leave the house. I'm just afraid she'll call, and she'll need my help."
Giles put his glasses back on. "Buffy is the most capable child I've ever known. I mean...she may be confused, unhappy, but I honestly believe she's in no danger."
Joyce lowered her arms. "I just wish I could talk to her. The last thing we did was fight." She fidgeted with her hands.
"Joyce, you mustn't blame yourself for her leaving."
Joyce nodded. "I don't." She took a breath. "I blame you." She exhaled.
Giles was taken aback.
"You've been this huge influence on her, guiding her. I feel like you've taken her away from me."
Giles was speechless for a moment while he considered his answer. "I am far from being a parental figure to Buffy, and I haven't had much of an influence. If anything, she's taken her training into her own hands and is now mentoring a team of extraordinary young women. I didn't make Buffy who she is."
"And who exactly is she?"
Giles just looked at her for a moment. "She's your daughter, and you're damn lucky to have her."
At Helen's Kitchen, Buffy was filling the sugar dispensers at the counter.
Lily entered and walked up to her. "Buff...um, Anne? Can I talk to you?"
Buffy glanced up at her but didn't stop her work. "Look, this really isn't a good time. Can it wait?"
"Rickie's gone. I haven't seen him for more than a day. I...He's never left for that long. I think something's...happened. Maybe something's happened."
"Well, did you call the police?"
Lily sighed. "Rickie skipped out on his parole. Uh, they would just cause more trouble."
Buffy sighed. "I don't know, did you - did you ask around?"
"Can you help me?" Lily asked her. "That's who you are and stuff, right? I mean...you help people, and...you know...you know how to do stuff."
Buffy stared at her in sympathy.
"Please." Lily was on the verge of tears. "I don't know what to do."
Buffy nodded. "Okay. After my shift is over, we'll check around."
Lily smiled in appreciation. "Thank you."
Lily and Buffy walked into the blood bank.
"We gave blood lots of times, 'cause you get a few bucks. And they have cookies!" Lily told Buffy.
Buffy smiled. "You're a fan of the sugar rush?"
Lily smiled. "It's nice."
"Hi. Are you here to donate blood?" a nurse asked them.
"Uh, we're looking for a friend."
"Rickie T.? We come in sometimes."
"Rickie, sure. Uh, he's not here."
"Well, do you know if he's been in the last day or so?" Buffy asked her.
"Well, let me check the sheet."
"Ow!" a man exclaimed.
Buffy felt squeamish as she looked over and saw him being stuck with a needle. "This'll probably go faster, if we split up."
Lily nodded in agreement. "Can I come with you?"
"Okay, where did I lose you on the whole splitting-up thing?" Buffy asked her.
Lily smiled. "Oh. Sorry."
"I was thinking we could check out some of your hangouts and, um, I guess...meet later at my place."
"Okay."
"Sorry, guys. He hasn't been here."
Buffy nodded. "Thanks."
"I'll tell him you were looking."
Buffy smiled. "Great."
They left the blood bank.
That night, Buffy walked into an abandoned building. A homeless man stirred from his sleep as he heard her but soon went back to sleep. Buffy made her way through the building, being careful not to step on anyone. Some of them watched her as she went by. She walked slowly along a dark hall and turned a corner. She was startled by a man with his arms full walking the other way behind her. She continued along and soon noticed an old man lying on the floor, dead. Next to his head was an empty bottle of drain cleaner, an apparent suicide. Buffy kneeled next to him and felt for a pulse. Nothing. She put his arm down and saw there was a tattoo of half of a heart on his forearm with a banner across the heart and the name "Lily" tattooed on it.
Buffy looked at the old man, confused. "Rickie?"
Lily was in Buffy's apartment, waiting for her to return. She found Buffy's stuffed duck and picked it up to stroke it.
Buffy opened the door, walked in, and closed it behind her.
Lily put the duck down and stepped closer to Buffy. "Did you find Rickie? I thought of..." She paused. "Well, he likes to go to this movie house; you can get in around the back-"
"Lily...I think he's dead."
Lily was suddenly very sad and lost. "But...he takes care of me."
"I'm sorry."
"We're gonna get a place. His cousin can get him a job at the car wash."
"Lily, there's..." Buffy sighed. "There's something else." She sat on the bed. "The - The person that I found...was old. He - He looked about eighty."
"Well, that's not Rickie!"
"I'm sure it was. I-I don't know how, but...it was like something drained the life out of him."
"Do you mean like a vampire?"
"No. A vampire couldn't accelerate the aging process. Maybe it was something in his blood." Buffy had a thought. "When was the last time you guys gave blood together?"
"I don't understand. Maybe it's not Rickie, okay?"
Buffy stood up. "Lily, this is something you're just gonna have to deal with."
Lily was flustered. "But he didn't do anything wrong! Why would this happen to him?"
"That's not the point."
Lily calmed a bit.
"These things happen all the time. You can't just...close your eyes and hope that they're gonna go away."
"Is it 'cause of you?" Lily asked her.
Buffy was confused. "What?"
Lily stared at her. "You know about monsters and shit. You could have brought this with you."
Buffy was very annoyed. "I didn't bring anything with me. You came to me with your problems. I agreed to help. It was Rickie. I'm sure of it. He had the same matching tattoo. If you can't deal, then I'm sorry."
Lily couldn't take it. She held up her hands to deny what she was hearing, opened the door, and walked out of the apartment. She slammed the door shut behind her. Buffy sighed, worried for Lily.
Out on the street, Lily stopped walking and leaned against the iron gates pulled across a storefront.
Ken came up behind her. "Are you okay?"
Lily shook her head, barely able to keep from crying.
"Hey, it's okay. Maybe I can help."
Lily sniffled. "You can't." She breathed deeply.
"Look, I know you all think I'm a big square handing out leaflets about hope. But hope is a real thing, just like despair. And hope can fill up a part of you that's missing."
"But Rickie is-"
"Rickie? Say, are you Lily?" Ken smiled. "Right! He was talking about you."
Lily faced him. "You've seen Rickie?"
"Oh, sure! Rickie's with us now."
"She said he was dead."
"Well, someone's sure handed you a tall tale. Rickie's no more dead than I am. Why don't you come to Family Home? We'll get you taken care of."
Lily considered for a moment. Ken smiled at her, and she nodded in agreement. He took her by the arm and led her away.
Buffy returned to the blood bank, broke in, and looked through a filing cabinet to find Rickie's records. She grabbed it and a few others, closed the cabinet, and took the folders over to a desk. She turned on a lamp and began to go through them. First, she pulled out Rickie's and opened it. She scanned his latest donation form. It looked normal - except for the word "candidate" in the comments box.
"Candidate for what?" Buffy opened another record and saw "candidate" again.
"What are you doing?"
"Breaking into your office and going through your private files." Buffy looked at another file. "Candidate for what?"
"I'm calling the police." The nurse stepped toward Buffy to get to the phone.
Buffy reached over to the phone and yanked it off the wall. It fell to the desk with its wires torn.
"Now, you've got a whole shitload of candidates here. I wonder if any of them are missing like Rickie." Buffy faced the nurse. "Goddamn, I bet they are."
"You're getting yourself in a lot of trouble."
"I don't want any trouble. I just want to be alone and quiet in a room with a chair and a fireplace and a tea cozy. I don't even know what a tea cozy is, but I want one. Instead, I keep getting trouble, which I am more than willing to share."
The nurse looked at her nervously.
"What are you doing with these kids?" Buffy asked her.
"Nothing. I just...I give him the names of the healthy ones."
"Give them to who?" Buffy asked her.
At Family Home, Ken looked at Lily, who was wearing only a simple long tunic.
"Well, don't you look nice?" Ken asked her.
"I guess."
"Well, you don't want to wear your own outfit to the cleansing. It'll get soaked."
"A cleansing is like a baptism? Right?" Lily asked him.
"Not quite the same." Ken indicated the way.
Lily followed him. "Will I see Rickie after?"
"Oh, of course. He's waiting for you. He's very excited."
They walked for a while in silence. Then Ken opened a door.
Ken and Lily walked into the room, which had at its center a small rectangular pool of what looked like black tar. Ken closed the door.
"We come to this station to wash away the past. Go ahead, kneel." Ken indicated the edge of the pool.
Lily kneeled down.
Ken squatted next to her. "We let the water run over the sin and the pain and the uncertainty."
"It looks kinda...dirty."
Ken smiled. "Yeah."
Buffy walked up to the front door of Family Home and knocked. The door opened. A man was standing there.
"Yes?" he asked.
"I...I need help."
"Oh?"
"You know, I just...I woke up, and I looked in the mirror, and I thought 'Hey, what's with all the sin? I need to change.' I'm...I'm dirty. I'm - I'm bad with the...sex and the envy and that - that loud music us kids listen to nowadays. W..." Buffy could tell that the guy wasn't buying it. "Oh, I just suck at undercover. Where's Ken?"
The man tried to slam the door closed, but she kicked it open, and it slammed into his face instead. She marched in.
Lily reached down to the black water in the pool. For a moment, she hesitated, but then she put her hand in. The liquid was thick and pitch-black, and her hand disappeared in it.
Buffy swung open the door, banging it loudly into the wall.
Ken looked at her and stood up. "This is a private moment. If you could just-"
"How do you make 'em old, Ken? Do you feed on youth? What's the deal?" Buffy asked him.
"Do you really wanna know?" Ken asked her.
Lily looked back. "What's going on?"
Buffy was surprised to see Lily here. Suddenly, something grabbed Lily. She screamed as she was pulled into the pool and disappeared into the black slime. Buffy ran to help, but Ken grabbed her and choked her with his arm around her neck. Buffy grabbed his arm and tried to snap her body back to make him release her, but instead they just both fell into the pool as well.
Buffy and Ken fell out of a black pool in the ceiling and into a dimly-lit passageway. Buffy briefly looked up at the pool, then looked around to see where she was. She saw Lily leaning against the wall, holding her head.
"Lily..." Buffy rolled over onto her hands and knees and quickly crawled over to Lily.
Lily was in pain. "Oh..."
Buffy looked up at the pool in the ceiling. The waves from her fall through it were beginning to dissipate.
"Oh, my face!" Ken exclaimed.
Buffy looked over at Ken.
"Ow! My face!" Ken turned toward them and began to pull it and his hair off. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to glue that thing on?!"
Beneath his mask, Ken's face was red, and his head was bald. There appeared to be pieces of skin missing from his forehead, revealing the even redder flesh beneath. Lily began to panic. Buffy started to get to her feet and tried to pull Lily up with her.
Ken stood up. "Guards!"
Buffy took Lily's hand and began to run, pulling her along. Buffy and Lily ran through a maze of halls and came out on a ledge that overlooked what looked like a large iron works.
Buffy and Lily took in the scene. There were huge vats of molten metal, sparks were flying through the air from one side, and it was hot and smoky. Buffy looked closer and, in the shadows, saw people being used as slave labor, kept in line by more guards with whips. Zombie-like humans pounded the metal on anvils, pushed wheelbarrows from place to place, and swung sledgehammers. Some of them coughed hard as they worked. The guards watched and cracked their whips every so often.
"Welcome to my world. I hope you like it."
Buffy and Lily looked back at Ken. He hit Buffy hard in the face with a club, knocking her out.
Ken looked at Lily. "You're never leaving." He smiled and licked his lips.
Buffy regained consciousness, rolled onto her side, and felt her head where Ken hit her. No blood, but she was still a bit dazed. Buffy was lying on the floor in a cell. Lily was sitting on the floor, behind her, leaning against a pillar.
"Oh. Unh..." Buffy slowly sat up. "Lily..."
"I always knew I would come here...sooner or later. I knew I belonged here."
Buffy looked around. "Where?"
"Hell."
Buffy turned her head toward Lily. "This isn't Hell."
"Isn't it?" Ken asked.
Buffy spun her head around to look at Ken but quickly regretted moving it so fast. She was in pain. "Unh..." She rubbed her forehead.
"What is Hell but the total absence of hope? The substance, the tactile proof of despair. You're right, Lily. This is where you've been heading all your life. Just like Rickie."
"Rickie...?" Lily asked him.
"He forgot you. Well, it took him a long time. He remembered your name years after he'd forgotten his own. But, in the end-"
"Years? But-"
"Oh. Uh, interesting thing: time moves more quickly here than in your reality. A hundred long years will pass here. On Earth, it's just a day."
Buffy nodded in realization. "So you just work us till we're too old and spit us back out."
"That's the plan. See, Lily, you'll die of old age before anyone wonders where you went. Not that anyone will; that's why we chose you."
Buffy stared at him. "You didn't choose me."
"No. But...here you are."
The huge steel door of a personnel elevator split open, the upper half rising, the lower half sinking. A group of young slaves, including Buffy and Lily, was herded out. Buffy tripped and fell to the floor. The other slaves stopped walking. A guard started to explain things to the new recruits as Buffy slowly got back to her feet.
"You work, and you live. That is all."
The guard had even less skin on his head than Ken, just a few patches around his eyes and across the top of his head sewn together. His chin and cheeks were exposed flesh and muscle, and he had no lips covering his teeth. Buffy was standing again, holding her head in pain.
"You do not complain or laugh or do anything besides work. Whatever you thought, whatever you were, does not matter. You are no one now. You mean nothing."
The guard walked to one end of the group and faced the boy standing there. Behind them, the elevator doors closed with a slam.
"Who are you?"
The boy was afraid. "Aaron."
The guard whaled hard on him with his club, and the boy grunted in pain and fell to the floor, unconscious. Buffy immediately sobered and stared intensely ahead.
The guard advanced to Lily. "Who are you?"
"No one."
The guard continued to the next person, a boy. "Who are you?"
"No one."
The guard reached Buffy. "Who are you?"
Buffy looked at him for a moment and then smiled, friendly. "I'm Buffy. The Vampire Slayer. And you are...?"
The guard was incensed at her insubordination and roared as he wielded back his club to strike her. He swung at Buffy, but she sidestepped him and grabbed his arm as he bent over from his follow-through. Buffy slammed her other forearm down on the guard's, breaking it. He fell to the floor in pain. She picked up his club and swung it at another guard, striking him in the head. She swung again the opposite way at a third guard, hitting him in the gut. They both fell, unconscious.
Buffy looked over at the group of would-be slaves. "Anyone who's not having fun here, follow me."
She started to run, and the group followed her.
The vats of molten metal glowed brightly. There were sparks flying everywhere. On a ledge, two guards were watching the slaves work. Another guard was walking down a metal staircase. Buffy and the small group hid beneath it.
Buffy looked up at the guards. "There's no way we can get back up there without meeting new people." She looked at Lily. "Okay. Lily, when those guards leave, and they will leave, I want you to take these people and get them up there, okay? Fast and quiet."
"You're leaving me? But-"
"Lily...you can handle this. 'Cause I say so."
Suddenly, a siren began to wail loudly.
"We've gone public. Okay, quick, get them up. Go! Quiet!" Buffy ordered.
Lily began to lead them away but then went back to Buffy. "I'm sorry I said this was your fault before."
"Lily, this can wait."
"Well, in case we die-"
"Go! Go!" Buffy told her.
Lily ran off to lead the group out. Buffy saw two guards coming for them and led them away at a run. She wound around through the slaves still blindly working away. The guards were big and bulky compared to her relatively slim figure darting through the maze, but they managed to keep up. She saw a pole jutting out of the floor and grabbed onto it, swung around once, and knocked one of the guards out with an aerial side kick. She let go of the pole and began to run again. She reached a platform, shoulder-rolled onto it, and rose to a standing position. Her pursuer jumped up onto the stage and tried a backhand swing at her with his sledgehammer, but she ducked and blocked his second swing. The guard kicked up with his knee and got Buffy in the stomach, stunning her. He punched her, making her fall to the floor. He took a swing at Buffy's head, but she clamped her hands around the hammer's handle and yanked him up and over her. He slammed down hard onto his shoulder and rolled off the platform. Buffy still had his hammer and quickly got to her feet. The two other guards on the ledge left their post and began to approach her.
Lily led the group to a set of stairs. She ushered them up. "C'mon, c'mon, everybody go! Go!"
One after the other, they quickly climbed the stairs. Lily brought up the rear.
On the platform, Buffy continued to fight another guard. She quickly hit him in the head with a full spinning out-to-in crescent kick. He took the blow hard and fell off the platform. Still another guard took a swing at Buffy's legs with his sledgehammer, but she jumped high to avoid the swing. Buffy swung her hammer into the guard's face, knocking him down. As he tried to get up, Buffy knocked him down again with a snapping roundhouse kick to his arm, kicking his hammer away in the process. The guard got to his feet. Buffy swung her hammer in an uppercut, striking him in the jaw and sending him flying off the platform in a backflip. Yet another guard jumped up onto the platform and tackled Buffy, struggling to get the hammer out of her hands.
Buffy did a roundhouse kick to the guard's face, and he stumbled backwards. Another guard came up to the edge of the platform, holding a battle-ax with a curved blade. He looked at the fighting for a moment, then moved to jump up onto the platform.
The guard on the platform tried to pound Buffy's head with his club, but she held her hammer high, blocking his attack and making him drop his weapon.
Buffy swung down with her hands, carrying the guard's hands as well. She grabbed him by the neck, spun around once, and threw him through the air. He hit a steel beam and slumped to the ground. The guard with the battle-ax was up on the platform now and took a wide swing with it at Buffy, but she leaned aside, and he missed.
Buffy managed to duck the guard's next swing, avoiding decapitation. He swung again from above, but she blocked his attack with her hammer, and the head of the ax embedded itself in the handle. Buffy performed a front snap kick that dislodged the ax and knocked the weapon out of the guard's hands and spinning up into the air. She kneeled down and knocked his legs out from under him with her hammer. While she was crouched, she looked up at the battle-ax as it fell and caught the airborne weapon. She got to her feet, as did her assailant. Buffy did another roundhouse kick to his face, and he went flying off the platform.
Buffy looked around, temporarily without an opponent. Suddenly, a guard jumped up. Buffy swung a backhand punch at his head, but he blocked it and shoved her arm out of the way. He punched her with a backhand fist. She stumbled a little but recovered in time to duck his second swing at her head. She did a side kick to his rear that sent him off the platform. Two more guards tried to climb onto the platform. Buffy crouched and quickly threw her battle-ax spinning end over end at one of them. It sliced deeply into his chest, and the power behind her throw sent him falling off the platform. The other guard tried a wide swing, but Buffy blocked it, grabbed onto his arm, and sent him somersaulting through the air and off the platform. Another guard attacked. Buffy smashed her elbow into his nose and followed it up with a full spin and a backhand punch to the head. He fell down awkwardly. Another one leaped up and caught Buffy unaware with a high punch to her face. She stumbled backwards but didn't fall. Two more guards joined him and tried to surround her. Buffy snap-kicked one in the face and side-kicked another. Buffy did a full spinning hook kick to the third, smacking him soundly in the skull. One of the guards punched Buffy hard in the face, and she staggered. He grabbed her by the neck while she was trying to regain her balance and yanked her head up fast and hard. He held her while two other guards punched her in the stomach.
The group of slaves ran down a dimly-lit corridor, trailed by Lily. They rounded a corner. As Lily was about to follow them, Ken grabbed her from behind, pulled out a large knife, and held it to her neck. She didn't struggle as he led her off, back to the ledge.
On the platform, the guards kept on punching Buffy. Finally, she was able to retaliate and swung an arm out, backhand-punching two of them and high-punching the third, knocking him down. She swung her arm out in a wide arc and hit the first two with the one blow, knocking them down as well. A fourth guard roundhouse-kicked her in the stomach, and she stepped back to regain her balance. He latched onto her arm and tried to throw her, but Buffy reversed the move and managed to throw him off the platform instead. A guard dove head-first for Buffy's legs. She leaped up and pulled her legs up into a tuck-jump over him. He dove right underneath her. Buffy ran and jumped off the platform, grabbing a pole. It bent under her weight, and she rode it down to the floor below. She began to run, and the chase was on again. She didn't get very far when she looked up and saw Ken coming back out onto the ledge, holding his knife to Lily's neck. Buffy stopped in her tracks. The guards chasing her quickly caught up and grabbed her by the arms.
"One of you fights...and you all die!" Ken let go of Lily and pushed her aside. He stared intently down at Buffy. "That...was not...permitted."
"Yeah, but it was fun."
Ken smiled. "You've got guts. I think I'd like to slice you open and play with them." He held up his knife. "Let everyone know!"
Lily cowered behind him. Ken seemed to have forgotten she was there.
"This is the price of rebellio-"
Lily pushed him from behind, and he fell screaming from the high ledge to the floor below. The guards holding Buffy just watched as he hit bottom with a loud thud. Buffy gave Lily a surprised look and then quickly took advantage of the distraction and backhand-punched her captors, one in the face and the other in the penis. While the second one was dazed, she shoved her weight against him, and he fell backward onto a barrel. The first one punched high, but she blocked, grabbed his arm, and flipped him over onto a pile of burlap sacks. Buffy jumped up onto the pile and stepped across her fallen attacker. He tried to grab her but missed. She jumped high into the air and grabbed hold of a heavy chain hanging from above. She climbed it hand-over-hand as quickly as she could to the ledge where Lily was still standing.
The two of them ran through the door and quickly found their way to the others, who were struggling with a heavy iron gate.
Lily looked at Buffy. "They'll be coming."
Buffy crouched down and took hold of the gate, bracing herself for a very heavy lift. She began to raise the gate, straining as she went. She grunted. "Okay...this...works...the abs...and...the glutes." She grunted again.
As soon as she got it high enough, Lily waved to the others to crawl underneath. They all scrambled to the other side.
"I'm gonna feel this for a week!" Buffy held the gate up over her head and squeezed her head and shoulders between two of the bars to get to the other side.
Suddenly, Ken appeared behind her, bloodied from his fall, and tackled her to the floor. His club went flying. The gate fell down behind him. He suddenly arched up and screamed in pain. Buffy rolled to a stop out of his reach. She got to her hands and knees and looked over at him as he continued to scream in pain. Two of the gate's bars had impaled themselves through his calves. The slaves helped each other up through the black slime of the pool in the ceiling. Buffy got to her feet and picked up Ken's club. She approached him, and he arched his back to look up at her.
"You've ruined..." Ken paused. "You-"
"Hey, Ken, wanna see my impression of Gandhi?" Buffy wielded back the club and brought it down hard onto his head, crushing his skull.
Lily walked up behind her and looked at him squeamishly. "Gandhi?"
Buffy shrugged. "Well, you know, if he was really pissed off."
The homeless people walked out of the pool room at Family Home. Lily was kneeling by the pool, helping Buffy out. She yanked her legs from the slime and rolled onto the floor. They both got up and looked at the pool.
Lily pointed. "What do we do about-"
With a flash of light, the pool mysteriously tiled itself over to match the tiles along the edges. It now appeared to be a six-inch-deep, empty ceremonial pool. The two girls just stared at it in wonder.
Back in her apartment, Buffy finished cleaning herself up in the kitchen. Lily was looking at the folding doors that separated the kitchen from the rest of the apartment.
"Let me give you the tour." Buffy walked into the main room and slowly turned to face Lily. "This concludes our tour."
Lily leaned against the wall. "It's really nice."
Buffy leaned against the dresser. "All the rent's paid up for the next three weeks." She turned around and opened one of the dresser drawers. "I spoke to Mitch at the diner." She pulled out her uniform. "He said you can start on Thursday." She stepped over to the bed. "He's, uh..." She laid down the uniform. "He's kind of...repulsive, but, uh, he won't give you a hard time."
Lily sat down on the bed and put her hand on the uniform.
"Um...I'll call and check up on you."
"I'm not...great at taking care of myself."
"Gets easier. Takes practice. But I believe you have it in you." Buffy smiled at Lily. "You're as strong as steel."
Lily looked up at Buffy, smiled briefly, and looked back down at the uniform and the name tag pinned to it. "Hey..." She looked back up at Buffy. "Can I be 'Anne'?" She smiled at Buffy.
Buffy smiled back at her. "If that's what you want."
"Thank you."
"Well, I better get going." Buffy hugged Anne. "You'll do good."
Anne hugged Buffy. "Thank you for saving my life...again."
Buffy had to make one stop before she left Los Angeles: her old house. She rang the doorbell and waited.
Soon, the door opened. Her father was standing there.
Hank smiled. "Buffy!"
Buffy smiled. "Hi, Dad."
They hugged each other.
"Where have you been?" Hank asked her. "Your mother, Dawn, and I have been so worried."
"I've been living in an apartment in the city. Got a job waiting tables."
Hank let go of Buffy. "Well, come in!"
Buffy walked into the house. Hank followed her, closed the door, and locked it.
"Are you hungry? Thirsty?" Hank asked her.
"Nah, I'm good, thanks. I'm just about to head back to Sunnydale, but I thought I'd stop by and let you guys know I'm okay. Where's Dawn?" Buffy asked.
"In her room."
Buffy headed toward Dawn's bedroom.
"You don't have to leave right away. You can stay the night."
Buffy looked back at her dad and smiled. "Yeah, okay, thanks."
Buffy knocked on Dawn's bedroom door. She heard music playing inside. Soon, the door opened. Dawn was standing there. Buffy clearly heard "Cruel Summer" by Ace of Base blaring from Dawn's boombox.
Dawn grinned. "Buffy!" She jumped at her big sister and hugged her.
Buffy hugged her little sister. "Hey, Dawnie."
"Where were you?!"
"In the city. I should have visited earlier, but I needed some time to myself. Heading back to Sunnydale tomorrow morning."
"Cool."
They released each other and walked into Dawn's bedroom. Buffy closed the door behind her. They went and sat on Dawn's bed. Dawn turned off the boombox.
"So is it true you got kicked out of school again?" Dawn asked her.
Buffy sighed. "Yeah. I dunno what I'm gonna do. GED certification, maybe."
"Mom's been worried sick."
Buffy was surprised. "She kicked me out of the house!"
Dawn was surprised. "What?!"
"Yeah, she couldn't handle the fact that I was going off to save the world, and she still resented me for mu-killing her boyfriend, so she was like 'You walk out of this house, don't even think about coming back!'" Buffy shrugged. "Since I didn't feel like letting the world end, I walked out of the house."
"Wow." Dawn thought of something and smiled. "Hey, you can live here - with us!"
Buffy smiled. "That'd be nice, but Sunnydale needs a Slayer. I guess, for the foreseeable future, that's me."
"So where will you live?" Dawn asked her.
"I'm gonna try to reconcile with Mom first. If that doesn't work out..." Buffy shrugged. "I'll see if one of my friends' families will take me in. Or maybe Giles or Ms. Calendar."
The next morning, Buffy walked up to the front porch of her mother's house and knocked. She waited.
Eventually, the door opened. There stood her mother, looking sad, tired, and disheveled. For a long moment, they just looked at each other without saying a word. Then they stepped toward each other and held each other close for a long, tight embrace.
Chapter 63: Welcome Home
Chapter Text
"Welcome Home"
Based on the Episode "Dead Man's Party" Written by Marti Noxon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
In her room, Buffy took the last of her things out of her bag, walked over to her closet, and dumped them in. She turned around and looked at the room that she'd missed so much for the last few months. It all seemed so familiar - and yet not. She realized it was too neat and clean. She grabbed her wallet and keys off her dresser and headed over to her mother's room.
Joyce was hammering a nail into the wall by the window to hang an ancient tribal mask.
Buffy stepped into the room. "Mom-"
Joyce was very startled and jumped, accidentally slamming the hammer through the drywall. "Oh! Buffy."
Buffy cringed at the sight of the hole in the wall.
Her mother pulled the hammer out and turned to face her, smiling while still holding the hammer in one hand, the mask in the other. "Um..."
"Sorry."
"No, no! Don't worry about it. I-I guess I just got used to all the quiet while you were gone." Joyce smiled. "But it's no problem."
She looked down at the mask in her hand and turned around to hang it on the wall over the hole. It was carved from a reddish wood with cutouts for eyes, which were slanted inward to appear very evil. There was a series of long, pointed teeth with extra-long fangs for incisors set into the upper lip. There was no lower-jaw portion.
"Uh, look!" Joyce hung the mask on its hook. "It's, uh, Nigerian." She faced Buffy again. "We got a very exciting shipment in at the gallery." She glanced around the room. "I, um, thought I'd hang a few pieces in here. It cheers up the room."
Buffy looked at the mask. "It's angry at the room, Mom. It wants the room to suffer."
Joyce nodded. "You have no appreciation of primitive art." She saw Buffy was holding her wallet and keys. "You going out?"
Buffy nodded. "I'd like to find Tara and the others. Tara said they'd be out on patrol."
"Uh, can I make you a sandwich or something before you go? You must be starving."
"I was un-until that four-course snack you served me after dinner." Buffy paused. "Do you not want me to go?"
"No, no. I-I just want to put this whole thing behind us, get back to normal." Joyce inhaled deeply. "You go. Have a good time."
"Okay." Buffy smiled and gave her mom a little wave, then left the room.
Buffy walked along behind a truck near an alley, looking around. She heard something fall to the ground and break and stopped to look in the direction of the sound. Slowly, she started to walk in that direction.
Buffy walked around the corner and looked down the adjoining way. There, she saw a woman dressed in black, walking suspiciously as though looking for something. She began to follow silently but didn't notice an empty aluminum can on the pavement and stepped on it. The woman reacted instantly to the noise, spun around, and swung at her with a stake. Buffy threw up her arms and cross-blocked the swing, then deftly took the stake from the woman's hands and raised it to counter-attack. The woman stepped back, and the silver cross hanging from her neck swung around, standing out in marked contrast to the rest of her attire. Buffy saw it was Katrina and stayed her attack. Katrina was taken completely by surprise and just stared back at her.
Buffy lowered the stake. "Didn't anyone ever warn you about playing with pointy sticks?" She shook it at her. "It's all fun and games until somebody loses an eye."
"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!" Katrina breathed hard, trying to catch her breath. She looked at her, trying to convince herself that it was really her, and finally managed a weak smile. "God damn it, Buff!"
Suddenly, a vampire smashed his way out of a crate leaning against a wall. He lunged at Katrina and Buffy, knocking them and himself to the pavement. Katrina quickly tried to grab the vampire as he got up, but the demon grabbed Katrina instead and pulled her up. He drew his fist back for a punch, but Buffy jumped in and hit the vampire in the stomach with a powerful side kick, making him fall backwards into a pile of trashcans and bags.
"Come in, Trina! Everything okay?" Amy asked over the walkie-talkie on Katrina's belt.
The vampire was back on his feet and came at them.
"Oh!" Buffy exclaimed.
He tackled Katrina and sent her reeling backwards into a chain-link fence. Buffy tried to stake him, but he sidestepped her and shoved her into the fence as well. Katrina tried to go up behind him, but the vampire swung out with a backhand fist to Katrina's face, knocking her to the ground. Buffy got to her feet and sweep-blocked two punches from the demon. She high-clocked his third punch and got a hand under his chin to hold him at bay. He pushed her back into the fence as the two struggled for control. Now, Tara, Amy, and Harmony arrived, running. Tara and Harmony grabbed the vampire by the arms and dragged him off Buffy and across the alley, slamming him hard into a steel roll-up door. Buffy caught her breath as she looked on in astonishment. The vampire growled at the girls as Amy tried to move in with a stake, but the vampire roundhouse-kicked Amy, sending her to the pavement next to Katrina. He then shoved Harmony away, and Buffy quickly moved to catch her, so she wouldn't get hurt. The vampire then threw Tara aside, and she fell onto Katrina and Amy.
Harmony recognized her savior and smiled. "Oh, hey, Buffy."
Buffy pushed her aside and wielded back her stake when she saw the vampire come after them. Harmony lost her balance and fell to the pavement next to Tara. Buffy plunged her stake cleanly into the vampire, and he died and fell to the pavement. Buffy looked over at her friends staring up at her from the ground. They were all breathing hard.
Buffy gave them a little wave and a weak smile. "Hey, guys."
She reached out her hands and helped her friends to their feet: first Tara and Harmony, then Amy and Katrina.
Tara pulled Buffy into a hug and kissed her passionately on the lips. When she finished the kiss, she grinned. "Welcome home, sweetie."
Buffy smiled. "Goddamn, it's good to be home."
They all went to Giles' apartment building. Buffy reached for the knocker and tapped it a few times. Giles opened the door and saw Buffy standing there, flanked by the others. His face remained expressionless for a long moment.
Giles smiled. "Welcome home, Buffy."
Buffy smiled at him. He pulled the door open further and stepped back, so they could all walk in.
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina went and sat on the couch. Harmony sat in a facing chair. Giles closed and locked the door and leaned on the backrest of another chair.
"I got in a few hours ago, but I wanted to go see my mom first."
"Yes. Yes, of course. How - How did you find her?"
Buffy was confused. "Well, I pretty much remembered the address."
"Ah, eh, I mean, uh-"
The tea kettle in his kitchen began to whistle.
"How are things between you?" Giles noticed the whistling. "Ah. Excuse me. Would anyone like any tea? Cookies?" He went into the kitchen.
They all answered in the affirmative and then waited in silence for a while.
"So were you, like, living in a box or what?" Harmony finally asked Buffy.
"Got an apartment in a shitty neighborhood in downtown L.A.; got a waitress job at a shitty diner; met that girl that was in that vampire cult with Ford. Remember her?" Buffy asked.
Tara smiled. "Oh, yeah. How is she?"
Buffy nodded. "She's doing okay. We had a little adventure together. Got thrown into a hell dimension and rescued a bunch of teens that had been kidnapped by a demon for forced labor."
Amy nodded. "Ah. Cool."
The others stared at her.
Amy was a bit embarrassed. "Well, not cool, but, y'know, cool that you rescued them."
Buffy laughed. "What about you guys? What's up with you?"
Katrina shrugged. "Oh, you know, same old, same old."
Buffy grew somber. "How's Cordy?"
Harmony sighed. "Cordelia's parents dragged her onto a luxury vacation. She fucking hated it."
Buffy made a face. "I feel for her."
Giles walked back into the living room, carrying a tray with a teapot and teacups on it. "Here we are then." He set the tray on the coffee table. "Cheer us up."
He sat down in his chair and took the teapot. The five girls each took a cookie from the tray.
"So, Giles, any news on the new Slayer?" Buffy asked, munching on her cookie.
"No luck, just a bunch of false leads. I've had to rely on my personal contacts, because the Watchers Council is being tight-lipped on the matter."
"Well, y'know, if you need me to get back in the field, I-I can."
Giles poured tea into six cups. "Perhaps you could use a little time to adjust before you throw yourself back into your Slayer activities."
Buffy thought about it. "Um..."
Tara smiled at her. "You can leave the slaying to us while you settle in. We got you covered."
Buffy smiled. "I noticed. You guys seem down with the slayage, all tricked out with your walkies and everything."
Harmony made a face. "Yeah, but the outfits suck. This whole Rambo thing is so over. I'm thinking more sporty, like Hilfiger maybe."
Amy nodded. "Still, we're getting good. We killed...nine out of ten."
Katrina looked at Amy. "Six out of ten."
Amy nodded at Buffy. "Six out of ten."
Harmony rolled her eyes. "Whatever, we were kicking a little undead ass."
Buffy smiled. "Well, thank you for the offer, but I think I just wanna get back to my normal routine. You know, school, slaying...kid's stuff. In fact, I'm jonesing for a little brainless fun." She looked at Tara and smiled seductively. "What are you doing tonight?"
"I had some schoolwork, but...I can change my plans." Tara smiled at her.
Buffy briefly kissed Tara on the lips.
Giles raised his cup. "As for school, Buffy, uh, you know you'll have to talk to Principal Snyder before-"
"On it. Mom is making an appointment with His Ugliness. I know she can break him."
Giles looked up from his tea and gave her an unsure little grin.
Buffy and Tara had been making love for an hour in Tara's bedroom. Tara was currently lying on her chest, and Buffy was licking Tara's pussy and anus repeatedly.
Buffy stopped and smiled. "Your turn."
Tara sat up and smiled. "You're insatiable."
Buffy grinned. "So are you!" She lay on her chest.
Tara lowered her head and gently licked the entire length of Buffy's pussy and then licked Buffy's anus as well.
Suddenly, the door opened.
"Tara, are you-"
Tara and Buffy looked in panic. Tara's mother was standing in the doorway.
Aine Maclay blushed. "Oh, dear!"
Tara and Buffy futilely tried to get under Tara's bed sheet.
"I didn't know you were home, Mom!" Tara exclaimed.
Aine looked away. "Obviously. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to do anything special for your birthday."
Tara shrugged. "I dunno. Checkers? Uh, the - the restaurant, n-not the board game."
"Okay. Anything else?"
Tara thought about it. "Um, maybe we could do a spell together. Peace on Earth or something?"
"Sure, sure, that sounds good." Aine paused awkwardly. "Well, carry on."
She quickly left the room and closed the door behind her.
Buffy and Tara looked at each other, uncertain.
"Sixty-nine?" Buffy eventually suggested.
Tara shrugged, smiled, and nodded. "Okay. Gotta love the classics."
The next morning, Joyce and Buffy went to Principal Snyder's office at Sunnydale High and met with him.
Snyder looked at Joyce and Buffy intently from behind his desk. "Absolutely not. Under no circumstances."
"But you can't keep her out of school. You don't have the right."
"I have not only the right but also a nearly physical sensation of pleasure at the thought of keeping her out of school. I'd describe myself as tingly."
"Buffy was never charged."
"Yes. And while she may live up to the not-a-convicted-murderer requirement for enrollment, she is a troublemaker, destructive to school property and the occasional student. And her grade point average is enough to..." Snyder's eyes glazed over for an instant. "I'm sorry. Another tingle moment." He smiled smugly.
"I don't see how you can be so cavalier about a young girl's entire future!" Joyce replied with controlled anger in her voice.
"I'm quite sure that a girl with the talents and abilities of Buffy will land on her feet." Snyder leaned toward Buffy. "In fact, I noticed as I came in this morning that Hot Dog on a Stick is hiring."
Buffy gave him an angry stare and flipped him off.
"You will look so cute in that hat."
"Let's go, Mom." Buffy got up and walked toward the door.
Her mother stood up and faced Snyder. "This isn't over. If I have to, I'll go all the way to the mayor." She followed Buffy out.
Joyce took Buffy for lunch at Wok Like An Egyptian in the mall. The two of them set down their trays at a table in the food court, sat down, picked up their plastic forks, and started eating.
Joyce swirled a pork dumpling around in sauce. "What's this called?"
"Fatwa dumplings in Firdaus sauce with a side of mashallah potatoes." Buffy smiled. "It tastes heavenly but will still damn you to Hell."
Joyce took a bite of her dumpling and nodded her approval. "Don't worry about school, honey. If we can't get you back into Sunnydale, maybe we can swing private school."
"Private school? You mean like jackets and kilts? You want me to get field hockey knees?" Buffy asked her.
Joyce smiled. "It's not that bad."
"What about home schooling?" Buffy suggested. "You know, it's not just for scary religious people anymore."
"We'll work something out. Okay?"
Buffy nodded.
Much later, Buffy returned home from grocery shopping and walked up the path toward the house. The front door opened, and Buffy saw a woman come out and pull the door closed behind her. She looked at her, confused.
The woman saw her and smiled. "Oh, my word! Oh, you must be Buffy!" She stepped down from the porch. "Look at you. Aren't you a picture?"
Buffy was unsure. "Thank you?"
"Oh, I'm Pat, from your mom's book club." She offered her hand.
They shook hands.
"I'm sure she mentioned me."
"Actually-"
"I, um, I sort of took it upon myself to look after her while you were, you know, off and away or what have you, and..."
Buffy looked aside, not believing this conversation.
Pat inhaled and exhaled. "Well, between, uh, your situation and reading The Deep End of the Ocean, she was, uh, she was just a wreck. You can imagine."
Buffy gave her a thin smile and a weak nod.
"Anyway, I'm off. We're making empanadas in my Spanish class tonight." Pat giggled. "You go be with your mom. You two need to rebond." She smiled and went on her way.
Buffy walked up to the porch, opened the door, walked into the house, closed the door, and walked through the dining room and into the kitchen.
Buffy set the two bags on the island. Joyce was taking some notes from a book.
"Pat wishes us quality time." Buffy went to the cupboard.
"Oh. I met her in a-"
"Book club." Buffy got out a glass.
"Yeah."
"Got it." Buffy stepped over to the fridge and got out a pitcher of Tang.
Joyce looked up. "I had a thought. What if I invited Tara and Mr. Giles and everybody over for dinner tomorrow night?" She smiled. "Don't you think that would be nice?"
Buffy opened the pitcher and poured herself a drink. She looked up at her mom and gives her a little smile and a nod. "It'll be fun."
"Great. Oh. What about Cordelia?"
Buffy thought about it as she drank her drink. "Extend the invitation but don't get upset if she declines."
"Right. Uh, do me a favor? Run down and get the company plates."
"Mom, Tara and everybody aren't company-plate people. They're normal-plate people."
"We never have guests for dinner. Indulge your mother?"
Buffy just sighed and headed for the basement door, recognizing this as just busy work. She opened the door, turned on the light, and headed down. She looked around for a while.
Buffy grabbed a step stool and set it down in front of an old bookcase full of stuff. She stepped up on it and looked up where the good china was. She reached for the box and started to pull it down, when a dead and rotting cat suddenly fell off it.
"Oh!" Buffy jerked her head forward.
The cat fell behind her to the floor.
Buffy looked down at it squeamishly. "Eww."
In the backyard, Buffy grunted as she shoveled out a bunch of dirt among some bushes to make a shallow grave for the cat. "Next time, I get to pick the mother-daughter bonding activity."
Joyce lifted a bag with the cat over the hole and dropped it in. "Do you wanna say something?"
Buffy paused in thought, wishing Tara was here. She looked down at the bag. "Goodbye, stray cat who lost its way. We hope you find it."
Joyce nodded. Buffy filled the hole back in, feeling sad for the cat.
In Cordelia's room, at 11:34 that night, she reached over to the lamp on her night stand and turned it off. She lay back in her bed and hugged the covers to herself. She looked around in the dark, lonely room and waited to fall asleep.
Cordelia walked into the hall at Sunnydale High from outside. The door closed behind her with an echoing clang, startling her. She looked back at it but then continued walking. The school was deserted. She walked past the empty lounge, toward the library. The doors were wide open, and she looked in for a moment. It was just as deserted as the rest of the school.
The sun shone brightly down on the quad. Cordelia slowly walked down the outside stairs, all the while looking around for any indication that anyone else was there. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she turned out into the quad. She stopped when she saw Angel coming toward her but then kept walking as he got behind her and followed her across the quad.
Cordelia looked at him. "Am I dreaming?"
Angel smiled and chuckled. "I'm probably the wrong person to ask."
Cordelia looked ahead again.
"You'd better go."
Cordelia looked at him. "I'm afraid."
Angel shrugged and looked at her. "You should be."
He stopped walking. She turned and walked away. The school bell rang.
The school bell blended into the sound of Cordelia's alarm buzzer going off. Cordelia woke from her dream. She turned over and looked at her alarm clock. 7:00 AM. She reached over and turned it off.
In the Summers' kitchen, Buffy stared into the refrigerator, trying to decide what she wanted to drink, while she listened to her mother talking.
"I've been on the phone with the, uh, Superintendent of Schools. At least, he seems more reasonable than that nasty little horrid, bigoted rodent-man. Anyway, um, I'm going in to speak with him this afternoon. Uh, as for private schools, uh, Miss Porter's accepts late admissions."
Buffy took out a can of regular Pepsi, closed the fridge, and turned to give her mom a look.
"I, uh, I wrote the information down for you."
"A girls' school?" Buffy went to the island to read the slip of paper. "So now it's jackets and kilts?" She looked back at her mom. "Care to throw in a little foot-binding?"
Joyce set down her coffee mug and stepped over to her daughter. "Buffy, you made some bad choices. You just might have to live with some consequences."
Buffy looked down at the island, knowing her mom was right.
"Nothing's settled yet." Joyce looked for something to do and spied the trash. "I just wish they didn't punish you for doing your job." She tied off the trash bag. "I mean...it's not your fault you have a special circumstance. They should make allowances for you."
"Mom, I'm a Slayer. It's not like I need to ride a little bus to school."
Joyce walked to the door with the trash. "I mean...I would think they would be happy to have a...a superhero. Is that the right term? I mean...it's not offensive, is it?"
She opened the door to take out the trash and gasped in fright when she saw the dead cat run in. It stopped and meowed at them menacingly.
Buffy opened the front door to admit Giles, who was holding a cage.
"Welcome to the Hellmouth Petting Zoo." Buffy indicated upstairs.
Giles looked up and started to climb the stairs while Buffy closed the door behind him. She followed him up.
The cat was hiding under the bed in Joyce's bedroom. Giles grabbed it by the back of its neck and pulled it out.
"Oh, my God, what a stench!" Giles took the cat over to the cage, put it in, and closed the latch.
Buffy smiled. "You know, I wanted Forest Pine or April Fresh, but Mom wanted Dead Cat."
Joyce looked at the cat, grossed out by its appearance and smell.
"I'll, uh..." Giles stepped back for a moment, overcome by the stench. "Ugh! I'll get it back to the library, see if we can determine its exact origins." He lifted the cage and turned to face Joyce.
She looked at it, then up at Giles.
Giles noticed the mask on the wall behind her. "It's, uh...striking and...Nigerian."
"Oh. Yes. I-I-I have this wonderful dealer who specializes in ancient artifacts. I don't know if you-"
"You know, I love art talk as much as the next very dull person, but we have work to do, Giles. Research mode." Buffy headed for the door.
"Sh-Sh-Shouldn't you stay with your mother, perhaps, Buffy? I mean...you must have-"
"Please, no. I-It's fine. She can go with you."
"A-Actually, she can't. Um..." Giles looked at Buffy. "You're not allowed on school property."
"Oh." Buffy smiled ironically.
"I'm sorry. Um, uh...I'll - I'll call as - as soon as I know something." Giles reached for the doorknob.
The cat growled and hissed.
"Oh, we'll see you tonight?" Joyce asked him.
"Tonight, then. Yes." Giles opened the door and left.
Later, in the library, the caged cat was on the table. Katrina was inspecting it closely. Tara and Amy were engrossed in research. Cordelia kept her distance. Harmony shared Katrina's fascination - but from a bit further off.
"It looks dead." Katrina looked at Harmony. "It smells dead."
Harmony nodded in agreement.
Katrina looked back at the cat. "Yet it's movin' around. That's interesting."
"Nice pet, Giles. Don't you like anything regular? Golf, USA Today, or anything?" Cordelia sat opposite Tara to help research.
Giles walked down from the stacks. "I'm trying to find out how and why it rose from the grave. It's not as if I'm going to take it home and offer it a saucer of warm milk."
Harmony looked at him. "You shouldn't, anyway, Giles. Milk isn't good for cats. You might kill it."
Giles stared at her.
Harmony thought for a long moment. "Oh, right."
"What about Buffy's welcome-home dinner tonight?" Tara asked. "I had told her mom we'd help out. Bring stuff. I'm bringing burgers and fries."
Amy looked at her. "I'm baking some brownies."
Harmony smiled. "Cake."
Katrina smiled. "Chips."
"I'm the dip."
Everyone looked at Cordelia. She didn't notice and continued reading.
"Uh, you gotta admire the purity of it." Amy chuckled.
Cordelia looked up at everyone. "What? Onion dip. Stirring, not cooking. It's what I bring."
Harmony smiled at her friend. "Oh, don't worry, I'm not cooking either. The cake's from a deli."
Cordelia made a face. "Giles, your cat stinks."
"It's not my-"
The cat meowed again. Giles continued to page through a book. He flipped a page but looked over at the cat instead. He flipped another page before turning his attention back to it.
At the Summers' house, the dining room table was beautifully set with Joyce's best china, crystal, and silverware. Buffy was dressed up for the occasion. She was putting the last setting into place when the doorbell rang. She looked over the table one last time and then went to open the door. Through the window, she saw Pat waiting there, holding a large plastic food container. Buffy opened the door.
"Hey, there you are!" Pat came in. "Not thinking about any more flights of fancy, I hope."
Buffy couldn't believe her comments and just closed the door.
"Joyce said there was room for one more, so I said forget facial night and let's party!" Pat smiled. "I bet you like empanadas." She held out the container to Buffy.
Buffy took it and gave her a fake smile. "Do you wanna see my mom?"
"Please."
"Mom!" Buffy whined loudly and frantically.
Pat looked up the stairs and saw Joyce arrive at the top.
Joyce walked downstairs. "Oh, Pat! Good. Buffy, I hope you don't mind."
The two women embraced.
"Hi! You look great!" Pat complimented.
The doorbell rang again, and, taking the empanadas under one arm, Buffy turned around to answer it.
Tara was standing outside, holding some paper bags. She smiled. "Hi." She kissed Buffy on the lips.
Buffy smiled. "Hi." She stepped aside.
Tara walked inside. "The others should be here soon."
Eventually, most of the guests had arrived. Buffy, Tara, Amy, Katrina, Cordelia, Harmony, and Jenny sat down to dinner at the dining room table. Joyce and Pat didn't.
"Did Giles say he was going to be late?" Buffy asked.
Jenny looked at her. "Uh, he was at the library last time I saw him. But he'll be here. He wants to celebrate your homecoming." She smiled.
Buffy stood up. "I'm gonna get some more ice." She headed toward the kitchen.
When she was near the door, she overheard the sound of drinks being poured into glasses and then the sound of the glasses clinking together. Buffy stopped and listened.
"Whew!" Joyce exclaimed.
"Now, how you holding up, Joyce, hmm?" Pat asked. "Really."
"Really? I'm...I don't know. While Buffy was gone, all I could think about was getting her home. I just knew that, if I could put my arms around her and tell her how much I loved her, everything would be okay."
"But?"
"Having Buffy home, I-I thought it was gonna make it all better, but, in some ways, it's almost worse."
Buffy took it hard and went back to the table. She sat down.
"Where's the ice?" Katrina asked her.
"Fuck the ice." Buffy popped open a warm can of regular Pepsi and took a swig. She looked down and sniffled.
"What's wrong?" Tara asked her in concern.
"Apparently, my coming home has made things 'almost worse' for my mom."
Tara put her hand on top of Buffy's hand.
In the library, the cat meowed acridly in its cage.
Giles was looking through his books yet again. This time, he found what he needed and quickly read. "Oh, Lord!"
He went into his office and set the book down on his desk. He turned the page and saw a picture of the mask that he'd missed before.
He grabbed the phone and quickly dialed Buffy's number. He got a busy signal.
He slammed the phone down and quickly gathered up his things. The cat snarled and hissed.
Giles was speeding along to Buffy's house as best as he could in his decrepit car. He looked left and right in anger and fear. "Unbelievable. 'Do you like my mask? Isn't it pretty? It raises the dead!' Americans." He looked ahead in time to see he was about to hit someone. "Jesus!"
He slammed on the brakes and began to skid. He hit the man, who fell onto the hood of the car, bounced off the windshield, and slid off as the car came to a stop. The man rolled a few times on the pavement before coming to rest.
Giles stared in shock at the man lying in the road. "My God!"
He quickly got out of his car.
"Are you all right?" Giles rushed over to the man and felt for a pulse on his neck. "Are you hurt?"
The man rolled over, and Giles saw he was in an advanced state of decay.
"Good God!"
The zombie grabbed Giles by the coat and lifted him up as it got to its feet. Other zombies started approaching from an alley.
Joyce walked back into the dining room, clearly drunk. Buffy and her friends looked at her.
"What is this?" Joyce asked. "What the fuck are you looking at?"
"Mom, please, could you - could you just-"
"No, I can't just! Buffy, what is this?"
"I overheard you. Talking to Pam. You don't really want me here, do you?" Buffy asked her. "I make life too difficult for you, don't I?"
"Oh, Buffy..."
Buffy thought for a moment. "Would it be better, if I move out?"
Joyce stared stoned-faced at Buffy.
Buffy looked at Jenny. Jenny nodded. Buffy stood up and headed for the stairs.
"If you think you can just take off any time you feel like-"
Buffy turned on her mother. "Stop it! Please! Just shut your fucking mouth!"
"Don't you leave this house, young lady!" Joyce warned her.
Buffy turned and resumed her determined walk.
"You know what? That's it." Joyce ran up behind Buffy, grabbed her arm, and turned her around to face her. "You and I are going to have a talk."
Buffy looked at her friends staring at them. "Mom, please-"
"You know what? I don't care. I don't care what your friends think of me, or you for that matter, because you put me through the wringer, Buffy." Joyce inhaled. "I mean it." She exhaled and inhaled. "And I've had schnapps." She exhaled. "Do you have any idea what it's been like?"
"Mom, this isn't the time-"
"You can't imagine months of not knowing. Not knowing whether you're lying dead in a ditch somewhere or, I don't know, living it up-"
"But you told me! You're the one who said I should go. You said, if I leave this house, don't come back. You couldn't deal. Don't you remember?"
"Buffy, you didn't give me time. You just dumped this thing about the end of the world on me, and you expected me to get it. Well, guess what? Mom's not perfect, okay? I handled it badly. But that doesn't give you the right to punish me by running away."
"Punish you? I didn't do this to punish you!"
"Well, you did. You should've seen what you put me through."
"Great. Thanks."
"You know, maybe you don't want to hear it, Buffy, but taking off like you did was incredibly selfish and stupid."
"Fuck you!" Buffy screamed at her mother. "We know what this is really about, so let's not pretend, okay?! I fucked up! I know this! But you have no idea! You have - You have no idea what I was feeling!"
"Did you even try talking to anybody?" Joyce asked her.
"I have. There was nothing that anybody could do. Okay? I just had to deal with this on my own."
"Yeah, and you see how well that one worked out. You can't just bury shit, Buffy. It'll come right back up to get you."
The zombie had Giles bent back on the hood of his car. Giles got his foot underneath him and push-kicked him off. He rolled off the hood and scrambled back into the car, locking the door. The zombies started pounding on the car. Giles reached for the ignition and discovered the keys missing. He searched his pockets. Nothing. He looked out onto the street, and there they were.
"Oh, good show, Giles."
He thought for a moment what to do, then reached underneath the dash and pulled out some wires. Quickly, he unraveled and stripped the appropriate ones. A zombie punched through the window and reached in for him. Giles touched the wires together. They sparked, and the engine started up.
"Like riding a bloody bicycle!" Giles put the car in gear and drove off, leaving the zombies behind.
Buffy was silent for a long time, thinking. She finally turned around and timidly looked at her friends. "I'm a murderer. Some of you already know, and some others of you might have had your suspicions. That's primarily what our fight was about."
Everyone was silent for a moment.
Joyce smiled in satisfaction. "Here comes your comeuppance."
Cordelia didn't think this was fair and stood up. "Time out, bitch! Put yourself in Buffy's shoes for just a minute. Okay? 'I'm Buffy, freak of nature, right? Naturally, I use my freaky strength to punish evil in all its forms.'" She shrugged. "'So I killed your asshole boyfriend. Big whoop! Get over it!'"
"Cordy! Get outta my shoes!" Buffy snapped.
Cordelia was hurt. "I'm just trying to help, Buffy."
Buffy managed to control herself a bit, but she was near the breaking point. "I know. I'm sorry."
A zombie suddenly smashed through the living room window and came in. Others followed right behind.
"What the fuck?!" Amy exclaimed.
A zombie grabbed Cordelia, and they started to wrestle. Cordelia got the upper hand on the slow-moving zombie and threw him back out of the window. Tara, Amy, Katrina, Harmony, and Jenny scrambled to help out. A zombie dove through the kitchen door window. The Slayerettes and Jenny all tried to drive the zombies out but weren't very organized about it. Katrina broke away from the crowd.
"Trina, kitchen!" Buffy called.
"I got your back!" Katrina told her.
Buffy tossed her an andiron from the fireplace, and Katrina ran into the kitchen with Cordelia close behind. A zombie attacked Buffy, and she launched herself into a hopping side kick to his gut. She sidestepped a punch and swung under his arm with an uppercut to his jaw, but he wasn't fazed. He swung at her with both arms, knocking her aside. Joyce watched Buffy fight, cringing at every blow. Buffy punched the zombie twice in the face and then ducked past him as he lunged at her with his arm, trying to grab her. He turned around and tried to make a grab for her, but Joyce came up behind him with a vase and smashed it over his head. The rest of them were having limited success keeping the zombies out of the house. Buffy leg-sweeped the zombie and knocked him down.
"Are these vampires?" Joyce asked her.
"Uh, I don't think so."
"Buffy, heads up!" Tara tossed Buffy a piece of the broken window frame.
Buffy caught it out of the air and tried staking the zombie. He just looked up at her as though she pinched him.
"No, not vampires."
The zombie started to get back to his feet.
In the kitchen, Katrina swung the andiron at one of them, making him stagger a bit. Cordelia looked around and found a stake on the counter. She jammed it into the zombie's gut. He staggered back again. The zombie came at Katrina again. Another one was trying to crawl in through the window over the sink.
"Damn, this fucker wobbles, but he won't fall down!" Katrina swung the andiron at the zombie's legs and knocked him to the floor.
In the living room, Joyce hit the zombie repeatedly over the head with a broken piece of wood. Jenny was holding a vase and smashed it over the zombie.
"We got to get 'em back outside!" Buffy told them.
"On three!" Joyce told them.
Harmony grabbed the zombie by the back. Amy and Joyce each grabbed an arm.
"One...two...three!" Joyce counted.
Together, they dragged him to the front door, where Buffy was waiting to slam it shut. The three of them threw the ghoul out and barricaded themselves against the door. The zombie slammed himself against it, trying to get back in.
"Okay! We're gonna have to barricade this door!" Buffy realized.
In the kitchen, Katrina and Cordelia had their zombie pinned face down to the floor with his arms behind him.
"We need some help out here!" Buffy called.
Katrina looked at Cordelia. "I got him. Go help Buffy."
Cordelia rushed into the living room to help while Katrina tied up the zombie.
In the living room, some of the ladies scrambled to get some things to barricade the front door while others leaned against it to keep it closed.
"Tara, take my place!" Jenny called.
Jenny went to grab a small table. Tara took her place at the door. Jenny dragged the table back and positioned it against the door. She leaned into it while Tara went off to get another one. Katrina showed up to help, too. Suddenly, the zombie punched through the door and made a grab for Amy's shoulder.
"Upstairs!" Buffy called.
Buffy ran up the stairs and into her mother's room. Tara, Katrina, and Joyce followed her.
At the top of the stairs, Joyce saw Pat lying unconscious on the floor further down the hall. "Oh, Pat!"
She rushed over to Pat. Tara and Buffy ran over to help also.
Joyce stared down at her friend. "Oh, God..."
Pat woke, and Tara and Joyce helped her up, each getting under one arm.
"Careful!" Buffy told them.
"Oh..." Pat moaned.
Katrina watched the stairs. "Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry."
Joyce looked at Pat. "I got you. Okay."
They dragged her toward the bedroom. Katrina ushered them in and followed.
Downstairs, the stand at the door had to be abandoned. Harmony ran out the back, and Amy followed her. Cordelia helped Jenny get away from the zombie outside the door, and they tried to run up the stairs, but another zombie grabbed Jenny from behind and pulled her down to the floor.
"Ms. Calendar!" Cordelia reacted quickly, running back down and holding her hand out to Jenny.
Jenny waved her off. "Go! Go!"
Cordelia started to run toward the back, and Jenny scrambled out of the zombie's reach, running right behind her.
In Joyce's bedroom, she and Tara had to drag Pat the rest of the way in and lay her down on a large, padded wicker chair and footrest while Buffy and Katrina tried to get the door closed to keep a zombie out.
Tara felt for a pulse on Pat's neck. "She's..."
"Oh, God! Pat! She's dead!" Joyce cried.
The zombie gave the door a good bump, knocking Katrina back and into the far wall. The impact vibration knocked the mask from its hook. Buffy managed to shove the zombie back a bit. Tara and Joyce ran to help. Katrina got back up, and now all four of them were pushing against the door to get it closed.
"What do we do if they get in?" Joyce asked.
Katrina shrugged. "I kind of think we die."
Cordelia and Jenny were hiding inside a downstairs closet. It was absolutely dark.
"I don't hear anything. Should we check?" Cordelia asked Jenny.
Jenny exhaled. "Let's go for it."
Jenny opened the door and looked out. No zombies. She looked the other way. The coast appeared to be clear. They could, however, hear noises coming from upstairs. Jenny gave Cordelia a glance and looked around again to be absolutely sure that at least there wasn't anything going on downstairs.
Cordelia saw a pair of ski poles in the closet and handed one of them to Jenny. "Here."
"Thanks."
Together, they started down the hall, toward the stairs. They reached the kitchen door. Cordelia looked in and started when suddenly Giles arrived there, having come in through the back door. She held her ski pole up to his neck. Jenny held her ski pole pointed at Giles' gut.
"Cordelia, Jenny, it's me! It's me!" Giles exclaimed.
"How do we know it's really you and not zombie Giles?" Cordelia asked him.
Giles gave her a look. "Cordelia, do stop being tiresome."
Cordelia was quickly convinced. "It's him."
She and Jenny both drew back their weapons. The noises upstairs seemed to get louder. They started moving toward the stairs again.
Jenny looked up. "I think the party's moved upstairs."
"That makes sense. It's the mask in Joyce's bedroom they're after."
"Mask?" Cordelia asked Giles.
"The mask holds the power of a...zombie demon called Ovu Mobani - Evil Eye. I don't think we can get past them."
They crouched by the stairs and tried to look upstairs.
"Well, what happens if they get the mask?" Jenny asked him.
"If one of them puts it on, they become the demon incarnate."
Cordelia sighed. "Worse than a zombie."
"Yes, worse."
In Joyce's bedroom, the zombie at the door overpowered Buffy and the others, pushing the door in violently. Joyce and Katrina fell to the floor. The zombie came in and backhand-punched Buffy, sending her into the wall. Katrina tried to grab the zombie from behind, but it threw a backhand punch and hit her in the jaw. Katrina went flying in a high arc onto the bed and rolled off the far side onto the floor. Joyce saw Pat stand up and looked at her, amazed.
Joyce got up from the floor and went over to Pat. "Oh, God! We thought you were..."
She tried to hug Pat, but Pat grabbed her outstretched arms and pushed her hard onto the bed. Joyce rolled off next to Katrina. Pat bent down to pick up the mask and held it to her face as she stood back up. The eyes suddenly glowed a very bright red, and the mask integrated itself into Pat's face. The zombie immediately stopped fighting Tara and fell to his knees, screaming and cowering before Ovu Mobani incarnate. Tara looked at Mobani, transfixed by its stare.
"I live, you die."
Buffy tried to get between them. Ovu Mobani turned to her, and its eyes flashed, mesmerizing Buffy. It backhand-punched her and sent her flying in a high arc against the closet door. Buffy was only slightly dazed and quickly raised herself up on her hands. She saw Tara back away from Mobani fearfully.
"Tara, don't look!" Buffy told her.
Mobani's eyes flashed again at Tara, and she froze. The demon strode over to her and grabbed her by the jaw and the back of her head. Buffy lunged at Mobani, grabbed it, and dove out of the bedroom window.
The two of them fell onto the roof and rolled down and off. They hit the railing of the back porch and broke it, fell over some bushes, and rolled into the backyard.
Giles, Jenny, and Cordelia were on the stairs. They heard the crash through the window.
"Out back!" Giles told them.
They rushed back down the stairs, but a zombie arrived from the dining room and took Giles by the neck.
Outside, Buffy and Ovu Mobani got to their feet.
Buffy looked away and quickly put some distance between herself and the demon, shading her eyes as she went. "Not looking."
She could hear Mobani make tracks after her.
"Not looking!" Buffy insisted.
With Ovu Mobani no longer in Joyce's bedroom, the zombie had quit its cowering and begun attacking the mortals. Katrina and Tara each had the zombie by an arm, and Joyce swung a baseball bat hard into his back. The zombie screamed and flailed its arms, shaking Katrina and Tara loose. He turned to face Joyce, who kept swinging the bat. The zombie blocked the blows with its arm, but Joyce didn't stop.
Outside, Mobani tackled Buffy to the ground and turned her over. Buffy immediately covered her eyes with her arm, and the demon's eye flashes had no effect on her. Buffy snap-kicked Mobani off her, and the demon flew across the yard and landed hard on its back.
On the stairs, Jenny and Giles tried to use a ski pole to hold the zombie at bay, but it wasn't working very well.
"Tell Buffy Mobani's power lies in his eyes!" Giles told Jenny.
Jenny kicked the zombie twice in the shoulder, trying to force him back, so she could get down the stairs. The zombie wasn't fazed, so Jenny just hopped over the stair railing instead.
"She has to go for the eyes to defeat him!" Giles added.
Outside, Buffy got to her hands and knees and scrambled over to the shovel. Behind her, Mobani was coming for her again. Buffy turned around with the shovel raised, but the demon flashed its eyes at her again, this time making her freeze.
Behind them, Jenny ran out of the kitchen door. "Buffy!"
This distracted Ovu Mobani and brought Buffy out of her trance. Mobani flashed its eyes at Jenny, making her freeze on the porch.
Buffy stood back up and raised the shovel. "Hey, Pat!"
Ovu Mobani snapped its head around to look at Buffy again, who jammed the shovel into the demon's eyes, embedding it in its head. Mobani grabbed the shovel handle and tried to pull it out but couldn't.
Buffy smiled. "Made you look."
In a flash of brilliant white light, Ovu Mobani disappeared.
In Joyce's bedroom, she was still beating on the zombie. In a flash of light, he disappeared. Joyce's next swing went wild, and she stopped.
On the stairs, Cordelia was helping Giles hold the zombie at bay with the ski poles when he disappeared in a flash of light, making her fall forward. She reacted quickly and steadied herself against the wall.
Outside, Buffy just stared where Mobani was.
On the porch, Jenny shrugged. "Never mind."
Inside, Cordelia and Giles walked down the stairs. Behind them, Joyce ran down and into the living room, looking for Buffy. She saw her and Jenny walk in through the kitchen.
"Honey!" Joyce embraced her daughter tightly.
Buffy hugged her mom back.
"Oh!" Joyce exclaimed.
They released their embrace. Tara and Katrina walked downstairs.
"Are you all right?" Joyce asked Buffy.
"Yeah."
Joyce panted. "So...is this a typical day at the office?"
"No. This was nothing."
Buffy and Tara held hands, and then Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. Jenny and Giles hugged each other, and Jenny passionately kissed Giles on the lips. Joyce looked around at the mess in the house.
Suddenly, Amy and Harmony ran in through the kitchen. Amy was holding a can of hairspray, and Harmony was holding a lighter.
"All right, where are they?!" Amy demanded.
"I'm gonna barbecue every motherfucking last one of them!" Harmony declared.
Cordelia smiled smugly. "We took care of them, geniuses."
Harmony frowned, disappointed. "Oh. Really?"
"All of them?" Amy asked.
Katrina smiled. "Yeah, babe. We appreciate your enthusiasm, though." She smiled. "You're hot when you're pissed."
"How were you two gonna kill the zombies?" Jenny asked.
Amy raised the can of hairspray. "With our keen fashion sense!"
Harmony raised the lighter. "And my convenient love of pot!"
Katrina smiled and went to hug her girlfriend. Amy kissed Katrina on the lips. They held each other close for a long time.
Buffy sighed. "Well, I guess I better call the police and inform them of what happened." She walked over to the phone, picked up the handset, and pressed the Phone button. She listened. "There's no dial tone."
Joyce looked at her. "Oh, I turned on the handset in the kitchen to block the line and give us a peaceful evening. Go and turn it off."
Tara's pager started beeping.
Tara looked at it and then headed for the kitchen. "I'll get it. I need to see what my family wants." She looked at Buffy. "That okay, sweetie?"
"Yeah, sure, the police can wait."
Tara walked through the dining room and into the kitchen. She picked up the handset, turned it off, and turned it back on. She called home.
"Tara?!" her father asked.
"Yeah, Dad. What's up?" Tara asked him.
"Get to the hospital! It's your mom!"
Tara was suddenly very scared. "What happened?!"
"What do you think?! Just hurry up, child!"
"On my way!" Tara turned off the handset and set it on the charger. She went back to the living room. "Something's happened to my mom! I gotta get to the hospital!"
"What happened?!" Buffy asked her.
"I don't know!" Tara replied. "Dad told me to get there!"
Buffy followed her. "I'll drive you." She looked at her mother. "Mom, would you please handle things here?"
Joyce nodded. "Of course."
Tara walked to the front door without thinking and tripped over the fallen furniture. "Fuck!"
Buffy quickly cleared it for her and opened the door for her. Tara walked outside, and Buffy followed.
So did the rest of them.
Tara walked up to the nurse's station in the emergency room's waiting room at Sunnydale Memorial Hospital.
"Excuse me. My name is Tara Maclay. My mother, Aine, was admitted here."
The nurse checked. "Um, she's in surgery right now. If you'll have a seat, Miss."
"If I'll have a seat, what?" Tara asked her. "Is someone gonna tell me anything?"
"When there's something to tell. Please have a seat."
"Are any of my relatives here yet?" Tara asked her.
"I don't know, ma'am. No one else has asked about your mother."
Buffy put a hand on Tara's shoulder. "C'mon, Tara, let's sit."
The two girls went over to the chairs. Tara sat down.
"Do you want something to drink?" Buffy asked her.
Tara shrugged helplessly.
"Okay." Buffy walked over to the vending machine.
Tara lowered her head and nervously rubbed her knees.
Buffy came back with two cans of regular Pepsi. She offered one to Tara.
Tara took the can. "Thanks."
Buffy sat to Tara's right.
They held hands and waited.
The others eventually all arrived. Joyce arrived last. Everyone sat and waited. There was still no sign of Tara's family.
Eventually, Steve Maclay, Tara's father, walked into the waiting room. He was followed by Donald Maclay, Tara's brother, and Beth Maclay, Tara's maternal first cousin.
Tara looked at them, not particularly happy to see them. "She's in surgery. No word yet."
"I know that, dummy!" Steve snapped at his daughter.
Tara's friends stared at him in shock.
"What is this, a whole hootenanny?" Donald asked.
Tara looked at him. "They're my friends, Donny. Do you know what it's like to have friends?"
"Say that again, and I'll beat you down!" Donny threatened her.
"Shut up, asshole!" Cordelia yelled in anger.
Before anyone could say anything else, the doctor arrived and walked over to them. "Maclay family?"
Steve walked over to him. "That's me. And my son, Donny. How is she?"
Tara stood up and walked over to the doctor. "How's my mom?!"
Steve gave her a sharp look. "He was just getting to that. Let the man talk."
Tara recoiled. "Yes - Yes, sir."
The doctor looked at her. "Are you Aine's daughter?"
Tara nodded. "Yes. T-Tara."
"I'm Dr. Aaron Kriegel. I operated on your mother. She suffered hemorrhaging caused by a ruptured artery in her brain. She's out of surgery, but, quite honestly, it did not go well. There was too much bleeding." He paused for a moment. "It would be best if you said your goodbyes now."
Tara started crying in shock.
"I'm so sorry. I'll take you to her. Follow me, please."
Tara looked at Buffy in despair. Buffy mouthed "Go" to her. Tara and her family followed Dr. Kriegel out of the waiting room.
"Can you believe those guys?!" Joyce asked in anger.
"What assholes!" Amy exclaimed.
"Who's that girl that was with them?" Harmony asked.
Buffy looked at her. "That was Tara's cousin, Beth. I've met her a few times, but I really don't know much about her."
Katrina sighed. "That family seems very fucked up."
Buffy nodded. "They are. It's a broken home. Tara tries to not have me over when the men are home."
"And did you notice Beth never spoke?" Katrina asked. "It's like she has no agency in the presence of men."
Jenny nodded. "I noticed that."
"So what do we do now?" Joyce asked.
Giles shrugged. "Nothing we can do but wait for the inevitable, I suppose."
That came sooner than anyone could have guessed. Tara burst into the waiting room in tears. Buffy immediately stood up, ran over to her, and hugged her.
"She was dead by the time that we got to the room!" Tara wailed. "I didn't even get to say goodbye!"
Buffy hugged Tara tightly. "I'm so sorry."
Tara sobbed into Buffy's shoulder.
Everyone else waited their turn, and then they each offered Tara a hug and condolence.
Tara's family had stayed with Dr. Kriegel to discuss things, not that Tara or any of the others missed them.
Finally, they came back into the waiting room.
"Stupid kike doesn't know what he's talking about!" Steve yelled in anger.
Joyce, Giles, Jenny, and Katrina stared at him in shock. Most of the teenagers were confused.
"What's a kike?" Cordelia asked quietly.
Katrina looked at her. "It's an ethnic slur for Jews. My dad told me that his dad and granddad used to be call that."
Amy was surprised. "I didn't know you were Jewish."
Katrina shook her head. "Oh, I'm not. My grandpa converted to Catholicism after the war, after a nun had lied about her identity and was taken to the gas chamber in place of his sister."
"And your great-grandpa?" Amy asked her.
Katrina shook her head. "He died in the death march west from Auschwitz as the Red Army approached."
Amy gulped.
"But enough about me and my family." Katrina focused her attention on Tara.
Steve looked at his daughter. "Get in the RV. We're taking you home."
Buffy got between them and stared at him. "You're not taking her anywhere."
"Oh, yes, I am. She's my daughter."
Buffy crossed her arms. "Funny how you forgot to mention that earlier."
"Why you little-"
"Pillock!" Giles exclaimed in anger. "You're abusing this poor girl!"
Donny pointed at him angrily. "Shut up! You ain't even an American citizen!"
"And that makes you special?!" Tara asked him, crying. "Everyone's from somewhere!"
"Don't talk to your brother that way!" Steve told her.
Buffy looked at her mother. "Mom."
Joyce looked at her.
"Please."
Buffy didn't have to say anything else. Joyce immediately knew. She could see it in Buffy's eyes.
Joyce stood up and walked over to Tara. "Tara?"
Tara looked at her.
"Would you like to live with us?" Joyce offered.
Tara nodded, unable to say anything.
Joyce put an arm around Tara's shoulder. "Come on. Let's go home." She looked at Buffy. "Buffy will pack up your things and bring them."
Buffy nodded.
Joyce and Tara started walking away.
"Fine! Go with them, you demon!" Steve yelled. "See if we care! But you'll come back to us!"
Cordelia stood up, walked over to Steve, and punched him in the face. He stared at her, enraged.
Cordelia shrugged. "Have your lawyer call my dad's lawyer."
Buffy took Tara's belongings and loaded them into her van, not bothering to pack them in boxes. She was assisted by Beth and, surprisingly, Steve and Donald, who seemed eager to erase all traces of Tara from the house.
As Buffy was loading the last few items into her van, Beth approached her.
"Buffy?" Beth asked.
Buffy looked at her. "Yeah?"
"My aunt had gotten something for Tara and was going to give it to her on her birthday next month." Beth held up a tartan. "It's the tartan of the Clan MacLea."
Buffy took it. "It's beautiful."
"Beth! Let the interloper go and get in the house!" Steve called.
Beth felt scared and awkward.
Buffy nodded. "Good night. I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you."
Buffy got in her van and quickly put distance between herself and that house.
Buffy helped Tara move into her room, although Buffy did most of the work. Tara mostly sat on their bed, clutching the tartan to her chest and crying.
The two of them showered and then settled into bed for the night.
Tara was still sniffling. "Buffy?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you and your mom gonna be all right?"
"I don't know."
"Well, p-please try to w-work it out. At least, you still have a mom."
Buffy thought about that. "I'll try."
"Good."
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. "Try to get some sleep, sweetie."
"Thank you, Buffy, for everything."
Buffy lovingly stroked Tara's hair. "Welcome home, Tara."
The next day, Giles went to Principal Snyder's office and knocked on his door. He opened the door and walked in.
Snyder was getting some files from his cabinet. He glanced over to see who it was and went to his desk. "Do we have an appointment?"
"I'd like to have a word with you."
Snyder dropped the files on his desk and turned to face Giles. "If that word is 'Buffy', then I have two words for you: 'good' and 'riddance'. Now, if you don't mind, I have an appointment with the mayor."
"You can't keep her out of this school."
Snyder pulled on his jacket. "I think you'll find I can."
"You had no grounds for expelling her."
"I have grounds, I have precedent, and a tingly kind of feeling."
"Buffy Summers is a minor and is entitled to a public education. Your personal dislike of the girl does not legally entitle you to-"
"Why don't you take it up with the city council?" Snyder grabbed the files and his briefcase and headed for the door.
"I thought I'd start with the Supreme Court of California."
Snyder stopped and faced him.
"You're powerful in local circles, but I believe I can make life very difficult for you, professionally speaking. And Buffy will be allowed back in."
"Sorry. I'm not convinced." Snyder tried to go again.
Giles moved to stop him, but he was interrupted by a knock on the open door. He looked. Jenny was standing there, holding some forms.
"Jenny? What are you doing here?" Giles asked her.
"Dropping off some paperwork...but also apparently stopping you from doing something stupid." Jenny walked into the office and gave Snyder a smile. "I couldn't help overhearing. Did I understand you correctly? Were you denying Buffy Summers readmittance to this school, despite the fact that she saved our asses during Parent-Teacher Night last year?"
Snyder frowned and hesitated. "You're exaggerating her contribution."
"Bullshit. She saved a lot of lives that night, and she continues to save lives. It seems to me that this school is better off with Buffy than without her. Don't you agree?" Jenny asked him.
Snyder was silent for a long moment. "I'll consider it."
Jenny smiled. "Great." She tossed the forms onto his desk. "Enjoy your good-old-boys power lunch."
Jenny turned and left the office, and Giles quickly followed.
"Thank you for the assistance, Jenny, but I had the situation handled."
Jenny laughed. "You would have gotten your ass fired, Rupert."
"I seriously doubt it."
"Oh, please. In what universe does a physical confrontation with your boss not get you fired?" Jenny asked him.
After school let out, Buffy met with Cordelia at a local coffee shop called Espresso Pump on Maple Court. Cordelia got an espresso, and Buffy got an unsweetened green tea.
"How's Tara doing?" Cordelia asked her.
"She's...dealing. She's settling in. The other girls are collecting her assignments from her teachers and bringing them to her. But I wanted to see how you were doing. We didn't really get to reconnect last night, what with everything that happened."
Cordelia took a deep breath and slowly released it. "I'm managing. The others have been here for me, if I...need someone."
Buffy nodded.
"Do you think...?" Cordelia paused. "Do you think whatever...powers are in charge of the afterlife separated Angel's soul from his body, so he wouldn't suffer in Hell?"
Buffy thought about it. "I...don't know." She offered Cordelia a faint smile. "I hope so."
Cordelia nodded, having to be content with that. The two girls sat in awkward silence for a while.
"I don't suppose you could insult me, huh?" Buffy asked her. "Cheer me up?"
Cordelia thought about it for a moment. "Runaway."
Buffy smiled. "Moper."
Cordelia smiled and giggled. "Quitter."
"Whiner."
"Bailer."
"Harpy."
"Delinquent."
"Tramp."
"Bad seed."
"Floozie."
"Freak."
Buffy grinned. "Bitch."
Cordelia grinned. "Cunt."
Buffy was on the verge of laughing. "Cocksucker."
Cordelia took mock offense. "Carpetmuncher."
Buffy flipped Cordelia off. "Dickfucker."
Cordelia flipped Buffy off. "Asslicker."
Buffy couldn't think of another insult and burst out laughing. Cordelia did as well.
After a while, Buffy got her laughter under control. "Thanks. I really needed that."
Cordelia got her laughter under control as well. "Me, too."
The bus stopped at the bus stop near the Bronze. Faith picked up her bag, stood up, and got off the bus. She took in her surroundings as the bus pulled away.
"Welcome home, Faith."
Chapter 64: Faith
Chapter Text
"Faith"
Based on the Episode "Faith, Hope & Trick" Written by David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
It was lunch hour at Sunnydale High School. Seniors were coming and going along the sidewalk past the stairs at the front of the school. Tara, Amy, Katrina, Cordelia, and Harmony crossed the street.
They began walking into the small park in front of the school. They saw Buffy just inside the park. She had laid out a blanket in the shade of a palm tree by a bench and was setting out serving plates of food and bottles of Perrier. The group began to walk toward her.
Amy smiled. "Hey, Buffy."
Buffy smiled. "Hey."
They kneeled on the blanket.
"What's for lunch?" Katrina asked.
"Oh, I just threw a few things together."
Cordelia was impressed with Buffy's offerings. "When did you become Martha Stewart?"
"First of all, Martha Stewart knows jack shit about hand-cut prosciutto." Buffy handed out the Perrier bottles.
Tara took her bottle. "I don't believe she slays, either."
Harmony looked at Tara. "Oh, I hear she can, but she doesn't like to."
Buffy opened her bottle. "Second of all, way too much free time on my hands since I got kicked out of school." She took a drink.
"Oh, I know they'll let you back in." Tara took a drink.
"Don't you and your mom have a meeting with Principal Snyder?" Amy asked Buffy.
Buffy nodded. "We're seeing Snyde-Man tomorrow." She noticed a boy and leaned over to Cordelia. "Yo, Scott Hope at eleven o'clock."
Cordelia looked.
"He likes you. He wanted to ask you out last year."
"Oh?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy nodded but then shrugged. "But I heard it's because he likes when you do that thing with your mouth that boys like."
Cordelia snapped her head around at Buffy and gave her a shocked look. Buffy chuckled.
Scott finished talking with his friends and came toward them. Cordelia watched him approach.
As he passed, he looked over at Cordelia and smiled. "Hi, Cordy."
Cordelia smiled back. "Hi."
Scott just continued on his way.
"I think that went very well. Don't you think that went very well?" Buffy asked her, mildly interested.
"He didn't try to slit our throats or anything." Cordelia nodded. "That's progress." Then she sighed and looked at Buffy. "Look, I'm not trying to snare Scott Hope. I just want to get my life back, you know, do normal shit. Shop and hang out and go to school and save the world from unspeakable demons. You know, I wanna do girly stuff!"
At the Bronze, Cordelia and Angel danced slowly to the music. They held each other close and looked deeply into each other's eyes as they slowly danced.
"I miss you." Cordelia moved her left hand with her Claddagh ring down Angel's arm to take his hand.
The ring was loose on her finger, and, before she could clasp his hand, it fell off and clinked on the floor. Cordelia and Angel both looked down at the ring. Angel reached down to pick up the ring. The music faded out. Angel stood back up, holding the ring. He gave Cordelia a wounded look. She looked at the ring, frightened. Suddenly, she flashed back to the mansion and saw herself thrusting the sword through Angel - and his surprised and pained face as the vortex closed and he disappeared into Acathla's mouth with it.
Cordelia started crying. "I had to."
Angel's breath was shaky. He looked down at the ring in his fingers. He clenched it in his fist. Blood began to ooze from between his fingers and drip to the floor. He looked intensely at Cordelia. "I loved you."
Cordelia watched aghast as the blood continued to drip. Then a bloodstain appeared on his shirt at mid-chest. It grew quickly and began to soak the front of his shirt.
Cordelia drew a frightened, worried breath and reached out to his wound. "Oh, God! Angel..."
"Go to Hell!" Angel stared at her with intense anger in his eyes.
Cordelia looked up from his chest wound to his face. It had turned green, and one side was rotting.
Angel smiled and laughed smugly as he looked back at her. "I did."
Cordelia woke from her dream with a start and jerked her head from the pillow. Realizing it was only a dream, she put her hand to her head and pulled it back through her hair. She sat up in bed and looked over at her night stand. She reached over, pulled open the drawer, and lifted out a chain on which she had placed her Claddagh ring. She sat up straight in her bed and looked closely at the ring again: two hands for friendship, a crown for loyalty, and a heart for love.
The next morning, in Snyder's office, he sat behind his desk, calm. "Here are the terms of your re-entry, Missy. Take 'em or leave 'em."
Buffy took a letter opener from his desk and began to play with it.
"One: that you pass a makeup test of every class you skipped out on last year."
Buffy looked around absentmindedly and tapped the letter opener on her hand.
"Two: that you provide, in writing, one glowing letter of recommendation from any member of our faculty who is not an English librarian."
Buffy's tapping was beginning to annoy him.
"Three: that you complete an interview with our school psychologist, who must conclude that your violent tendencies..." Snyder stood up and walked around his desk toward Buffy. He paused for a moment, then snatched the letter opener from Buffy's hand. "...are under control."
Joyce looked at him. "I'm not sure I like your attitude, Mr. Snyder. I spoke with the school board, and according to them-"
"I'm required to educate every juvenile who is not in jail where she belongs." Snyder walked back around his desk. He stopped and looked out the window with his back to them. "Welcome back."
Joyce and Buffy gave each other a smile.
Buffy stood up. "So let me get this straight. I'm really back in school, because the school board overruled you."
Snyder faced her.
"Wow. That's like having your whole ability to do this job called into question, when you think about it."
Joyce got up also. "I think what my daughter's trying to say is...Nyah, nyah-nyah-nyah, nyah."
She gave Snyder a defiant look, and the two women turned and walked out of the office, proud of themselves.
Tara and Buffy walked into the library. The place seemed to be empty of people.
"Giles say what he wanted?" Buffy asked.
They stopped at the counter.
"No. I think he just wanted to check in with you."
Giles suddenly rose up from behind the counter, startling the girls.
"Sweet fucking Jesus!" Buffy exclaimed. "Could you not give me a heart attack on my first day back?"
"S-Sorry." Giles was preoccupied and nodded absently. "Buffy?"
"That's my name. Ask me again, and I'll tell you the same."
"Er, yes, very cute. Buffy-"
"That's my name. Ask me again, and I'll tell you the same."
Giles searched beneath the counter. "I have some things for you."
"Giles, contain yourself. Yes, I'm back in school, but you know how it embarrasses me when you gush so."
Giles looked up from his searching.
"Let's just skip all that and get straight to work."
Giles slowly straightened up. "Oh, ahhhh..." He paused. "Well, I, um..." He paused again. "Well-W...O-O-Of course, it's wonderful to have you back; i-i-it goes without saying."
Buffy raised her eyebrows at him and smiled.
Giles found what he was looking for and put a stack of books on the counter. "Books for your classes."
Buffy frowned and whined. "Oh, yeah. Guess I'll need those, huh?"
Tara smiled. "Yeah, they'll probably come in handy."
Buffy checked her watch. "Oh, shit, I have to go take an English makeup exam." She got her pile of books from the counter. "They give you credit just for speaking it, right?"
She just got looks from Tara and Giles.
Buffy whined. "Oh..." She kissed Tara on the lips and headed out the door to go take her exam.
That night, Buffy and the Slayerettes went to the Bronze - as spectators, not performers. The band tonight was Darling Violetta, playing "Cure". Most couples were dancing normally, but there was one couple that was a bit more energetic about it.
The gang found an alcove furnished like a turn-of-the-century parlor, with a loveseat, a couple of armchairs, tables, and a lamp with a pink shade. Amy and Katrina were sitting on the loveseat, having some romantic smoochies. Tara was sitting on an armrest of the loveseat. Cordelia and Harmony were sitting in the armchairs.
Buffy left the bar, carrying drinks, and headed for them. Cordelia stood up and went and sat on the loveseat's other armrest.
Buffy sat in the chair. "Don't let me interrupt."
Amy and Katrina looked up from their kissing. Buffy smiled and passed out the drinks.
Katrina looked at her. "So how'd your first day back go?"
"I passed my English makeup exam."
Amy smiled. "That's good."
Scott approached them. "Hi, Cordy."
Cordelia smiled at him. "Hi, Scott. What are you doing here?" She shot Buffy a look.
Buffy shook her head.
Scott gave her a smile. "Hi."
Things were a bit awkward now.
Scott looked around for something to comment on. "Don't you love this song?"
"Uh, yeah! Actually, I do." Cordelia grinned. "It's like my theme song!"
"Well, would you like to...?" Scott indicated the dance floor.
"Dance? Um...I don't know. I'm bad with...well..." Cordelia fidgeted. "Thank you for asking, it's just that there-"
"Okay, you know what? I'm just gonna go stand by the dance floor. If you change your mind, you can mosey on over, and then if not, then you don't mosey. No harm, no foul, right?"
"Right."
Scott walked off to find a place to wait. Cordelia rolled her eyes and flopped her head back.
The gang just sat in silence for a while, drinking.
"Check out Slut-O-Rama and her Disco Dave." Cordelia pointed and looked onto the dance floor.
They looked and saw an energetically dancing couple. Although the girl's style was more contemporary, the guy was dancing way too fast for the music - with an unmistakable '70s disco influence.
"What was the last thing that guy danced to, KC and the Sunshine Band?" Cordelia asked.
The couple continued to dance, getting close and touching each other at one point, then separating again. Buffy began to really wonder about them. The couple got close again, and the girl extended her arm, pointing at the door. The guy took the hint and led her out with his arm around her. Buffy watched them go, suspicious of his intentions. She saw him say bye to his buddy and head for the door.
"I don't think that guy thrives on sunshine." Buffy quickly put down her drink, stood up, and started out after them.
The others stood up and followed her.
As Cordelia crossed the room behind the dance floor, Scott saw her coming and stepped over to intercept her.
"Hi."
Cordelia stopped short, startled. "Hi." She frowned. "Oh, no, I..." She pointed at the door. "I-I have to-"
"Oh. Uh, uh, sorry, my bad."
"I-I-I have to go." Cordelia hurried out.
Buffy strode out of the Bronze first and looked around. Tara walked out right behind her, followed closely by the others.
"Where'd she go?" Buffy took a few steps down the alley to the left to check things out.
The others looked around also.
Cordelia looked at Harmony. "I bet it's nothing. She's probably just giving him head."
Buffy walked back over to them.
"Hey!" a girl called out in a complaining tone.
They also heard a loud noise, as though something was just broken. Amy pulled a stake out of her jacket. Buffy took it from her and headed in the direction of the noise. They all followed Buffy.
They came across the couple from the dance floor. The boy had the girl up against a section of temporary chain link fencing that was leaning against the building.
"Stop struggling. This won't hurt." The boy moved in to bite the girl.
She grabbed him by the neck, pushed him away a bit, and elbow-jabbed him in the face. He staggered back and regained his balance as she jumped onto a crate. She did a jumping roundhouse kick to his face, knocking him to the pavement.
The girl noticed Buffy and approached, smiling. "It's okay, I got it. You're, uh, Buffy, right?"
Buffy was taken aback. Just as she was about to answer, the vampire came up behind the girl and grabbed her by the shoulders. She snapped her head back to head-butt him in the face and grabbed onto his arm.
"I'm Faith." She twisted the vampire around and shoved him into the section of chain link fence.
Harmony looked at Cordelia. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say there's a new Slayer in town."
Cordelia crossed her arms. "About time she showed up."
Faith kneed him in the gut from behind. The vampire whirled around and tried to backhand-punch her, but she easily ducked it. She punched him in the gut and then again in the face. Everyone just watched her fight. She did a high side kick to the vampire's jaw, grabbed onto his shirt and neck, and threw him to the ground. The vampire did a no-hand front roll to control his fall while Faith reached over to Buffy for the stake and jerked it from her hand.
"Can I borrow that?" Faith asked her.
The vampire used the momentum of his roll to get back to his feet and ran at Faith, throwing a punch as he came. She ducked it, hooked her hand on his shoulder, turned him around, and pushed him back into the fence. She raised the stake and jammed it cleanly into his chest and jerked it back out. The vampire fell to the ground, dead. Buffy stared in amazement.
Faith faced her and handed her back the stake. "Thanks, B. Couldn't have done it without you."
She walked past them all. Buffy turned to stare after her, unsure how to react.
They went back into the alcove, where Faith joined the gang. Buffy and Katrina sat on the loveseat, and Tara and Amy sat on their respective girlfriends' laps. Harmony sat on one of the loveseat's armrests. Cordelia and Faith sat in the armchairs.
"Let me introduce you." Buffy gestured at each of her friends in turn. "Tara Maclay, Katrina Silber, Amy Madison, Harmony Kendall, Cordelia Chase."
Faith nodded. "Faith Lehane."
Tara grinned in delight. "Oh! Bandia duit!"
Faith stared at her in confusion. "Huh?"
Tara shook her head. "Never mind. So, Faith, tell us some of your stories."
"The whole summer, it was, like, the worst heat wave. So it's about a hundred-eighteen degrees, and I'm sleeping without a stitch on. And all of a sudden, I hear this screaming from outside. So I go tearing out, stark nude, and this church bus has broke down, and there's these three vamps feasting on half the Baptists in South Boston. So I waste the vamps, and the preacher comes up, and he's hugging me like there's no tomorrow, when, all of a sudden, the cops pull up, and they arrested us both." Faith tore into the muffin that she was holding. "God, I could eat a horse. Isn't it crazy how slayin' just always makes you hungry and horny?" She gobbled a piece.
The others all turned their heads to look at Buffy.
Buffy stared back, wide-eyed and suddenly uncomfortable. "Well...sometimes I-I crave a cheeseburger afterwards. And I sleep in the nude, but that's mostly for comfort."
Faith smiled teasingly at Buffy. "Suuure, B."
Buffy blushed. "So, Faith, you're from...?"
"South Boston. But my Watcher is a professor at Harvard, so I've been living in her place in Cambridge."
"But why were you called here?" Katrina asked Faith.
"Well, I wasn't. My Watcher went off to some retreat thing in England, and so I skipped out. I figured this was my chance to meet the infamous Buff and compare notes."
Buffy gave her a little smile.
"It must have taken quite a lot of cash to get from Massachusetts to here, and you don't exactly look rich, so how'd you manage?" Cordelia asked Faith.
Faith felt a bit offended but smiled. "Well, I got a job over the summer circumcising babies. The pay wasn't that great, but I got to keep the tips."
Buffy spat out some of her soda.
"Is that a lucrative career path?" Harmony asked Faith.
Cordelia rolled her eyes.
"So, B, did you really use a rocket launcher one time?" Faith asked her.
Buffy leaned forward. "Uh, yeah, actually, it's a funny story. There was this Big Bad known as the Judge. It was written no weapon forged could defeat him. Well, as Amy pointed out, that was written a long-ass time ago, so I called up the Sunnydale PD and asked them to call up the nearest Army base, and they got me the launcher. Blew him to bits at the mall."
"Wait, so the police know you're a Slayer?" Faith asked her, surprised.
Buffy nodded, took out her wallet, opened it, and showed Faith her police identification. Faith raised her eyebrows. Buffy closed her wallet and put it away.
"Oh, there's this Big Daddy Vampire out of Missouri who used to keep alligators as pets. So he's got me rasslin' one of 'em, okay? The thing must have been twelve feet long." Faith shook her head. "I tell ya, I never had more trouble than that damn vamp." She looked at Buffy. "So what about you? What was your toughest kill?"
Buffy thought for a moment. "Well, I wanna say the Master. He was the first Big Bad that I went up against. I actually died a little."
Faith took a sip of her drink. "Yeah, I saw."
Buffy stared at her in surprise.
"I dreamed it."
Buffy nodded, a bit weirded out.
"So what's your stance on witches?" Amy asked Faith. "'Cause Tara and I practice."
"Hey, as long as you don't go hexin' me, we're five-by-five, you know?" Faith asked.
Amy nodded. "Fair enough."
"The vamps, though, they better get their asses to Defcon One, 'cause you and I are gonna have fun, you know, Watcherless and fancy-free." Faith pointed to Buffy and smiled.
"Watcherless?" Buffy asked, confused.
Faith looked around at everyone, confused. "Didn't yours go to England, too?"
The next day, Buffy and Tara picked up Faith on their way to school. They went to the library and filled Giles in. Buffy and Faith sat at the table. Tara sat on it.
Giles stood at the end of the table with his hands in his pockets, reminiscing about the gatherings. "There's a Watchers' retreat every year in the Cotswolds." He walked to the other end of the table and smiled. "It's a lovely spot. It's very s-serene. There's horse-riding and hiking and punting and lectures and discussions. It-I-It's...It's a great honor to be invited." He frowned, a tad bitter. "Or so I'm told."
Faith smiled flirtatiously. "Oh, it's boring. Way too stuffy for a guy like you."
Buffy made a face. "Um, maybe I should introduce you again. Faith, this is Giles."
Tara smirked.
"I see him. If I'd've known they came that young and cute, I would've requested a transfer."
Giles took off his glasses.
Buffy was grossed out. "Raise your hand if 'ew'." She raised her hand.
Giles chuckled, went to the copier, and grabbed the current newspaper. "Well, um, uh, leaving aside for a moment my, uh, youth and beauty, I'd - I'd say it was, um, fortuitous that Faith arrived when she did." He came back with it.
"There's big evil brewin'?" Buffy guessed.
Giles nodded.
Buffy looked at Faith. "You'll never be bored here, Faith."
Faith grinned at her.
"'Cause this is Sunnydale, home of the big brewin' evil."
"Yes, well, I don't know how big an evil it is, but, uh, two people have disappeared from the Sunset Ridge District." Giles handed Buffy the newspaper.
She and Faith quickly scanned the article.
"Well, I'm good for patrolling. Late-ish, though. I promised Mom I'd be home for dinner." Buffy handed Tara the paper.
Tara nodded toward Faith while looking at Buffy with big eyes.
Buffy turned her eyes to Faith and got the hint. "Um, to which you're also invited, of course, dinner with us."
"Dyin' to meet the fam. I'm in."
"Great! Great, then we can patrol, also together."
"Hey, don't you have that health science makeup?" Tara reminded Buffy.
Buffy looked at her. "Oh, shit, yeah. Actually, I could use a little coaching."
Tara hopped off the table, smiling, and looked at Faith. "You know, you can hang out with me while she's testing. You wanna?"
"Okay." Faith looked at Buffy. "Hey, later." She stood up and looked at Giles. "We will talk weapons."
She followed Tara out of the library.
Giles watched her go and pointed. "This, um, this new girl seems to have a lot of zest." He sat on the table and smiled.
Buffy nodded absently, lost in thought. She stood up and pulled on her backpack. "Giles, look, I've got makeup tests to pass, missing people in Sunset Ridge, and a zesty new Slayer to feed." She grabbed her books. "I gotta book it."
Giles nodded. "Yes, yes, of course."
She walked out of the library to go take her test.
Tara and Faith walked in through the door at the end of the hall. Tara was giving Faith the tour.
Tara pointed at the door. "And over here, we have the cafeteria, where we were mauled by snakes." She pointed down the hall. "And this is the spot where Angel tried to kill Amy." She pointed and smiled. "Oh, and over there in the lounge is where Spike and his gang nearly massacred us all on Parent-Teacher Night."
Faith was finding it all pretty incredible and smiled. They reached the stairs.
Tara pointed up to the landing. "Oh, a-and, up those stairs, I was sucked into a muddy grave."
They stopped walking.
"And they say young people don't learn anything in high school nowadays, but, um, I've learned to be afraid." Tara smiled.
Faith grinned and laughed. "You're a hoot and a half. If I'd had a friend like you in high school, I...probably still would've dropped out. But I might've been sad about it, you know?"
Tara gave her an understanding nod.
Faith crossed her arms. "Hey, so what's up with B? I mean...she seems wound kinda tight. Needs to find the fun a little? Like you."
"Well, um, she-"
Faith spied the drinking fountain and pointed. "Oh. Water."
Tara turned to watch her go to the fountain.
Cordelia approached behind her. "What is it with you and Slayers?"
Tara jerked around to face her. "Holy shit, Cordy!"
Cordelia smiled teasingly.
Faith finished her drink. Scott came out of the cafeteria and almost bumped into her. She jumped back.
"Oh. Excuse me."
"Sorry." Faith looked at him curiously. "I know you from somewhere."
"The Bronze. You're friends with Cordelia, right?"
"Yeah. I'm Faith." Faith held out her hand.
Scott accepted it. "I'm Scott. Nice to meet you."
Faith grinned. "Nice to meet you!"
They let go of their handshake.
Buffy hopped down the stairs and joined Tara and Cordelia. "Well, I'm two for two with makeup tests. Proud, yes, but also humble in this time of darkness."
Cordelia stared at Scott talking and laughing with Faith. "Does anyone believe that is her actual hair color?" She rolled her eyes in disbelief and walked away. Then she sighed and decided to head over to Faith and Scott. She smiled. "Hey!"
"Hey, Cordy! Uh, Faith has been telling me all about you."
Cordelia smiled big. "She's funny." She took Faith's arm. "And she's leaving. She has to go. She's got a dinner date with Buffy."
Buffy blushed in surprise and stifled a laugh.
"Oh..."
Faith looked at him. "Bye."
Cordelia pulled her away and down the hall.
Faith gestured back. "He's a cutie. Is he seeing anybody?"
Cordelia just ignored her and continued down the hall, Buffy and Tara close behind.
That evening, at the Summers' house, Joyce was serving dinner to Faith.
"So you're a Slayer, too. Isn't that interesting?!" Joyce smiled. "Do you like it?" She set down the bowl.
"God, I love it!" Faith replied.
Buffy wanted the bowl. "Uh, Mom?"
Joyce waved her off. "Uh, just a second, honey." She scooped broccoli onto Faith's plate. "You know, Buffy never talks that way. Why do you love it?"
Buffy gave up and grabbed a pair of tongs to take some fries for herself.
"Well, when I'm fighting, it's like the whole world goes away, and I only know one thing: that I'm gonna win, and they're gonna lose. I like that feelin'." Faith dug into her food.
Joyce smiled at that and took her seat.
Buffy smiled weakly. "Well, sure. Beats that dead feeling you get when they win and you lose."
Faith shook her head. "I don't let that kind of negative thinking in."
Tara was impressed at that.
Joyce pointed at Faith. "Right." She shook her finger. "Right. That could get you hurt. Buffy can be awfully negative sometimes." She looked at Buffy. "See, honey, you gotta fight that." She smiled.
Buffy smiled back weakly. "I'm working on it." She kept taking fries.
Joyce noticed Faith's empty glass. "Oh, Faith, can I get you another soft drink?"
Faith handed over the glass. "Oh, you bet."
"Right." Joyce went into the kitchen.
"She's really cool, huh?" Faith asked Buffy.
Buffy nodded. "Best mom ever."
"So how come you're here, T?" Faith asked Tara.
Tara chewed on a couple fries. "My, uh, my mom died last week, and my dad and brother are assholes, so Mrs. Summers took me in."
Faith grinned and nodded. "Wow! How about that?!"
"As I said, best mom ever." Buffy looked back into the kitchen. "Excuse me." She got up and left.
Faith grabbed a bottle of hot sauce, gave it a sniff, and poured a lot of it over her fries. She picked up a handful of fries, stuffed them in her mouth, and grinned. "So B's not driving stick."
Tara was surprised and blushed. "W-W-W-W-W-Well-"
"W-W-W-W-What? You gonna get that sentence out sometime tonight?" Faith asked her.
Tara lowered her head.
Faith felt ashamed and tried to lighten the moment. She grinned at Tara. "Or pussy got your tongue?"
Tara looked at her in surprise. Faith laughed, and Tara nervously joined in.
Buffy walked into the kitchen.
Joyce got out a bottle of regular Pepsi, brought it to the island, and opened it. "I like this girl, Buffy." She poured the soda.
"She's very personable." Buffy sat on a stool. "She gets along with my friends, my girlfriend, my Watcher, my mom." She leaned back and looked into the dining room. "Look, now she's getting along with my fries." She leaned forward.
Joyce closed the soda bottle. "Now, Buffy-"
"Plus, at school today, she was making fuck-eyes at Cordy's not-boyfriend. This is creepy."
Joyce crossed her arms. "Does anybody else think Faith is creepy?"
Buffy pouted. "No, but I'm the one getting Single-White-Femaled here. Mom, I'm just getting my life back. I'm not looking to go halfsies on it."
"Well, you went halfsies on it for most of your life."
"Oh, yeah, that was fun. I never figured out how Dawn was able to snap my Belinda CD in half."
Joyce laughed. "Anyway, there are some things I'd be happy to see you share. Like the slaying. I mean...two of you fighting is safer than one, right?"
"I guess."
"Unless, I mean...you heard her. She loves the slaying." Joyce leaned over the island. "Couldn't she take over for you?"
"I've actually been thinking about that, but...she's still too new to the job."
"But you're going to college next year. I think it would be-"
"Next year is next year. A lot can happen between now and then. Faith could be recalled to Cambridge or reassigned elsewhere. One of us could die."
"Die?" Joyce straightened back up.
Buffy realized she'd just said way too much.
Joyce started to pace nervously. "Oh, I hate this. I hate your life."
"Mom, I-"
Joyce faced her daughter. "Look, I-I know you didn't choose this; I know it chose you." She took a breath, suddenly very solemn. "I have tried to march in the Slayer Pride parade, but...I don't want you to die."
Buffy lowered her eyes, shook her head, and gave her mother a warm hug.
"Oh..."
"I'm not gonna die. I know how to do my job." Buffy released the hug. "Besides, like you said, I've got help now."
She looked into the living room to see Faith picking at everything in sight and stuffing it into her mouth.
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "I've got all the help I can stand."
Later that night, Buffy and Faith strolled along in an alley, looking around for any vampires. There was construction equipment lying around.
"Didn't we, um, do this street already?" Faith asked.
"Funny thing about vamps. They'll hit a street even after you've been there. It's like they have no manners."
Faith shrugged. "Mm. You've been doing this the longest."
"I have."
"Yeah. Maybe a little too long."
Buffy looked at Faith. "Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing."
"You got a problem?"
Faith spread her arms. "I'm five-by-five, B, living entirely large, actually wondering about your problem."
"Well, I may not rassle alligators-"
"Maybe it's time you started, 'cause obviously something in your bottle needs uncorking. What is it? That guy you killed?" Faith gestured wildly and kept looking around.
Buffy stopped in her tracks. "What do you know about that?"
Faith faced her. "Just what I've heard at school: definitely disproportionate retribution, possibly murder, longtime anger issues stemming from your parents' divorce and separation from your sister. You oughta deal and move on, but you're not."
"I am trying, but it's very difficult. It's not just something that I can get over." Buffy stepped closer. "I got an idea: how about, from now on, we don't hear from you on Ted or my parental issues or anything else in my life? Which, by the way, is my life."
"What are you getting so strung out for, B?"
"Why are your lips still moving, F?"
"Did I just hear a threat?"
"Would you like to?"
"Wow. Think you can take me?"
"Yeah." Buffy looked over Faith's shoulder. "I just hope they can't."
She shoved Faith aside as a vampire attacked, making her fall to the ground. Buffy punched the vampire in the gut, and he went flying onto his back. A second one came in and took a swing at Buffy, but she ducked him. She middle-blocked his wide punch and low-blocked his next punch. She then punched him in the face and the gut. She took his head in both hands and twisted. His body followed the motion, and he log-rolled down to the ground. Faith got back up and grabbed a nearby trashcan. A third vampire ran in and punched Buffy in the face. He went around behind her and tripped her with his outstretched leg, making her fall to the ground.
Behind him, Faith crammed the trashcan down over his head, blinding him. She took hold of the can and pushed him into a sheet of drywall. The board broke and fell on top of him as he fell over. One of the others dove for Buffy, but she rolled out of the way and onto her feet. Immediately, she crouched down and staked him in the chest. The other one grabbed her from behind and pulled her away. Faith's opponent was back up, and she spun around once and did a side kick, getting him in the stomach. The kick forced him back, and he knocked his head hard into a low pipe behind him. Buffy's attacker threw her onto a stack of plywood. She hit the wall behind it but quickly got to her feet. The vampire jumped onto the stack just in time to be side-kicked in the stomach. He flew back and landed on a dumpster hard on his back, rolled off, and fell to the ground. Faith's assailant punched her in the face, but she wasn't fazed in the least. She blocked two punches with her forearms and then backhand-punched him in the face.
"My dead mother hits harder than that!" Faith grabbed him by the sweater and threw him onto a couple of sheets of drywall laid across two sawhorses.
They broke instantly under his weight. She ran up to him, grabbed his sweater, and punched him in the face. Buffy flipped her opponent in an awkward open front layout, and he landed hard on a large duct pipe, which crushed under him. She looked over at Faith, who was whaling away on her vampire with continuous punches to the face.
"Faith! Stake him already and give me a hand!" Buffy told her.
Still another vampire grabbed her by her jacket and threw her to the ground. She landed on her stomach near a piece of wood lying there. The vampire and her original attacker both made a grab for her.
Meanwhile, Faith kept whaling on her victim, punching every few words. "This is me, you undead bastard!"
Buffy reached desperately for the piece of two-by-four in front of her.
"For Kakistos, we live! For Kakistos, you'll die!" a vampire declared.
Buffy glanced up at him for an instant, then continued desperately clawing for the hunk of wood. "Faith!"
Faith paid her no attention and just kept punching her vampire to a pulp.
"Oh!" Buffy kept reaching for the two-by-four.
Faith continued her pounding.
Buffy finally managed to grab the board, and she swung it up and beaned one of the vampires in the face with it and, turning to the other, push-kicked him off her. She quickly got to her feet and looked over at Faith. "Faith!"
The one that she kicked off made a grab at her from behind, and she instinctively turned and jammed the makeshift stake home. The vampire died. She reached into her jacket for a proper stake and headed over to Faith.
Faith was still whaling on the vampire, long after he was too dazed to fight back. "You can't touch me!" She shook the vampire a bit before going back to punching him.
Buffy walked up behind her, grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her off him. She then thrust down with her stake and killed him. Without skipping a beat, she confronted Faith with her behavior. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about you 'living large' on that vampire!"
"God, if doing violence to vampires upsets you, I think you're in the wrong line of work!"
"Yeah, or maybe you like it a little too much."
"I was getting the job done."
"The job is to slay demons! Not beat them to a bloody pulp while their friends corner me!"
Faith shrugged. "I thought you could handle yourself." She walked off.
Buffy let out an exasperated sigh.
The next day, at school, Buffy and Giles walked out of the cafeteria and toward the library.
"What you must realize, Buffy, is that you and Faith have very different temperaments." Giles sipped his coffee.
"Yeah, and mine's the sane one."
Giles chuckled.
"The girl's not playing with a full deck, Giles. She has almost no deck. She has a three."
"You said yourself that she - she killed one. Sh-She-She's just a plucky fighter who got a little carried away. Which is natural. She's focused on the slaying. She doesn't have a whole other life here, as you do."
"She doesn't need a life. She has mine."
"I think you're being a little-"
"No, I'm being a lot. I know that. But she nearly got us both killed. The girl needs help."
"All right. I'll see if I can reach her Watcher at the retreat." Giles checked his watch. "They're eight hours ahead now. I guess they're probably sitting down to a nightcap."
Buffy continued on toward the library, but Giles just stood there and started to stare off into space.
"I wonder if they still kayak. I used to love a good kayak."
Buffy turned around and walked back over to him.
"You see, t-they don't even consider..." Giles saw her looking at him. "Sorry. I digress."
They both continued walking.
"The, um, vampires that attacked you, can you furnish me with some details that might help me trace their lineage? I mean...ancient or - or - or modern dress. Amulets, cultish tattoos..." Giles sipped his coffee.
"Uh, no tats. Shitty dressers. And, uh..." Buffy paused and thought. "Oh, the one that nearly bit me mentioned something about kissing toast. He lived for kissing toast."
"You mean 'Kakistos'?" Giles asked her.
Buffy tried to remember. "Maybe it was taquitos. Maybe he lived for taquitos." She whined. "Now, I want taquitos." She realized he had said something and looked at him. "What?"
"Kakistos." Giles headed into the library.
Buffy frowned. "Is that bad?" She followed him.
Giles quickly paced in and set his things on the counter. "'Kakistos' is Greek. It means the worst of the worst." He headed behind the counter. "It's also the name of a vampire so old that his hands and feet are cloven." He went into his office and came out with a book, setting it on the counter and leafing through it.
"Now, this guy shows up a few days ago, right? Right around the same time my bestest new little sister makes the scene."
Giles looked up and considered. "You think he and Faith are connected?"
"Giles, there are two things that I don't believe in: coincidence and leprechauns."
"Well, Buffy, it's entirely possible that they both arrived here by chance simultaneously."
"Okay, but I was right about the leprechauns, right?"
Giles thought for a moment. "As far as I know, yes."
"Good. Okay, you get England on the phone. I'm gonna talk to Faith, see if 'khaki trousers' rings-"
"Kakistos."
"Kakistos rings a bell. Or an alarm."
"Right."
"Right." Buffy headed out.
Buffy strode toward the lounge and was about to round the corner toward the exit when Cordelia and Scott approached her from opposite sides, inadvertently blocking her path.
Scott smiled. "Hi."
Cordelia was surprised to see him. "Scott!"
"How are you?"
"Uh, o-okay."
Buffy raised her hand. "You know, I-I gotta-"
"Think of this as my last-ditch effort. I realize that one more is gonna qualify as stalking. I've given it a lot of thought - some might say too much thought - to - to how I might be a part of your life. It begins with conversation. We all know this. Maybe over a cup of coffee, or maybe at the anime festival playing on State Street all this weekend."
Cordelia found this to be a very sweet overture and smiled warmly. She took a moment to consider his offer. "You know, come to think of it, I-I am an anime fan. I...I like what I've seen of it so far. I...I think it might be time to see a little more."
Scott took and released a breath, smiling. "Cool. Oh." He reached into a pocket. "Um, I got you a little present." He pulled out a small box and held it out to her. "The guy in the retro shop said that it represents friendship, and that's something I would very much like to have with you."
Cordelia took the box, looked up at him, and back at the box. She took off the lid and looked at what was inside. It was a Claddagh ring.
"You like?"
She immediately had an anxiety attack and dropped the box. The ring fell free of its padding and hit the floor with an echoing clinking. Giles came down the hall toward them just in time to see it fall.
"I can't. I-I-I-I can't do this." Cordelia took a quick breath.
Scott bent down to pick up the box and the ring. He looked at her and at the ring. "Okay. I get the message." He left.
Cordelia just stood there as if in a trance.
Buffy reached out to her. "Are you all right?"
Cordelia shoved off her caring hand, not realizing who it was. "Uh..." She looked at her friend. "Buffy, I, uh..." She wiped a tear. "Yeah, I'm fine." She tried to settle herself.
"You sure?" Buffy asked her.
"Yeah, thanks." Cordelia walked away.
Buffy noticed Giles. "Hey, did you reach the retreat?"
Giles looked at the floor. "Yes, I did."
"W-What did her Watcher say?"
"Her Watcher's dead."
Buffy stared back in disbelief.
Buffy pulled up to a cheap hotel in a run-down neighborhood. She parked her van, got out, and made sure to lock and close the door. She headed to Faith's room.
The hotel manager was having a talk with Faith. "The room's eighteen dollars a day. That's every day."
"Yeah, I know. I'll get it to you by tomorrow, I swear."
The manager sighed and shrugged. "It's not like I own the place."
Faith gave him a smile. "But I bet you will someday."
"Not if I listen to broads like you."
Buffy arrived at the door and stepped in.
The manager indicated Buffy. "Roommates are extra."
"I'm just visiting."
The manager gave up and walked out of the room. Buffy reached for the door to pull it shut.
"So...what brings you to the poor side of town?" Faith asked.
Buffy slammed the door closed and faced Faith. "Cloven Guy. Goes by the name Kakistos."
Faith was taken aback. "What do you know about Kakistos?"
"That he's here."
The look on Faith's face betrayed her apprehension at hearing this.
"We're not happy to see old friends, are we? What'd he do to you?"
Faith quickly grabbed her bag. "It's what I did to him, all right?" She put it on the bed and started to stuff her things into it.
"And what was that? Faith, you came here for a reason. I can help."
Faith looked up from packing. "You can mind your own fucking business." She pointed at herself. "I'm the one that can handle this."
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. You're a real badass when it comes to packing."
Faith gave her a look.
"What was that you said about my problem? Gotta deal and move on? Well, we have the 'moving on' part right here. What about dealing? Is that just something you're gonna dump on me?" Buffy asked her.
Faith finished packing. "You don't know me. You don't know what I've been through. I'll take care of this, all right?" She headed for the door.
"Like you took care of your Watcher?" Buffy asked her.
This stopped Faith cold. She let go of the doorknob and looked down sadly. A moment later, she turned to Buffy.
"He killed her, didn't he?" Buffy asked.
Faith was angry. "They don't have a word for what he did to her."
There was a knock at the door. Faith looked through the peephole and saw it was the manager, looking very strung out.
Faith sighed. "Oh, what now?"
"Faith, you run, he runs after you."
"That's where the head start comes in handy." Faith opened the door and saw Kakistos standing behind the dead manager, holding him up. Faith stepped back into the room, aghast.
Kakistos dropped the manager's body and smiled at her. "Faith." He roared and grabbed Faith by the neck.
She grabbed his wrist and tried to pull him off her, but he was too strong.
"No!" Faith cried.
Buffy rushed up between them; shoved Faith back into the room, forcing Kakistos to let go; and slammed the door on his arm. He yelled in anger and pain and eventually had to pull his arm out.
Buffy slammed the door shut, locked it, and put on the safety chain. "I just bought us a little more-"
Kakistos punched through the door and tried to reach for Buffy.
"-time!" Buffy finished.
Faith panicked. "No! Nooooo!"
"Scream later! Escape now!" Buffy ran for the bathroom, dragging Faith behind her.
Faith kicked out the bathroom window and scrambled through. Buffy jumped through right behind her. They landed in the alley behind the hotel.
"Let's go!" Buffy yelled.
She took Faith's hand again, and they started to run. They reached a fork in the alley and took the left one. Without looking back, they sensed they were being followed.
They reached a warehouse. Buffy jumped and went crashing in through a window, and Faith jumped in behind her. They scrambled to their feet and saw the vampire chasing them run right past.
"We're okay." Buffy faced Faith. "What happened?"
Faith was too freaked out to think straight.
"Faith, what happened?" Buffy asked again.
Faith was frightened. "I...I was there when he killed my Watcher, and I saw what he did to her...what he was gonna do to me. I tried to stop him, but I...I couldn't. And I ran."
Buffy was breathing hard. "Faith, first rule of slaying: don't die. You did the right thing. Okay? You didn't die. Now, you do the math. One of him, two of us."
Faith looked past Buffy, shaking her head. "No."
"Yes."
Faith was getting panicky. "No."
Buffy turned around to see what she was looking at. There on the floor lay bodies.
Faith stared at the bodies. "This is his place."
"He drove us here."
One of the vampires arrived at an entrance and growled at them. They began to run through the warehouse. The vampire gave chase. Two others came in the other side and tried to head them off. Buffy stopped by a bucket and, putting her foot in, kicked it into one vampire's face. He stumbled backward and over a chair. She did a full spinning hook kick to the other vampire and a side kick to another one behind her. He fell backwards over a table. Buffy ran and jumped onto the table, log-rolled over it, and kicked him in the back as he tried to get back up. Kakistos walked into the building, his one-eyed gaze fixed on Faith. Buffy rolled to a stand on the table. She picked up a crowbar and swung it baseball-style at yet another vampire advancing towards her, hitting her squarely in the neck and knocking her down and out.
Buffy saw Kakistos advancing on Faith. "Faith!"
Faith looked at her.
"Don't die!" Buffy threw her the crowbar.
Faith caught the crowbar in mid-air, but, before she could swing it at Kakistos, he punched her hard and knocked her into a bunch of large wooden beams leaning against the wall. She hit the floor as the beams went tumbling. Buffy knife-handed her attacker in the neck and threw him into an assisted front tuck off the table. Kakistos calmly stepped up to Faith as she scrambled up against the wall, cowering. He reached down and grabbed her by the shirt, picking her up off the floor.
"No!" Faith yelled.
Once he had her up, he punched her squarely in the face. Buffy was no longer on the table, and she roundhouse-kicked over it, knocking the legs out from under a vampire standing on it. He rolled off the table and onto his back, and Buffy staked him cleanly. She looked up at Faith being whaled on by Kakistos. Kakistos finally hit Faith hard enough to knock her from his own grip onto the floor. He roared loudly. Buffy jumped up and ran over to attack him. She roundhouse-kicked him in the back of the knee, spun around, and tried to backhand him in the face, but he blocked it. She spun around the other way and backhanded him in the face. Buffy tried to stake Kakistos, but the stake couldn't easily penetrate his thick hide and so had no effect on him. He grabbed Buffy by the hair, lifted her, and threw her back. Buffy backhanded Kakistos, landing a hard punch. He swung at her, but she ducked. She stood up and tried to stake him again, but, even though the stake went in deeper this time, it still had no effect on him. Again, he grabbed her by the head and shoved her back into the wall. Faith recovered from her daze and saw him looming before her - but looking at Buffy instead of at her.
"I guess you need a bigger stake, Slayer!" Kakistos laughed maniacally.
Faith saw one of the fallen beams had a broken end. She lifted it up over her shoulder, and, before Kakistos could turn his attention back onto her, she thrust the beam through his chest and out his back. He looked down at it and back up at Faith, and then he fell over, dead. Buffy stared in amazement. Faith heaved a few heavy breaths. Buffy pulled the hair back from her face and stepped over to Faith, who looked around to make sure nothing else was about to attack. They both looked down at the body of Kakistos.
"You hungry?" Buffy asked Faith.
"Starved."
They both headed out of the building.
The next day, at Sunnydale High School, Giles got up from his desk and walked out to the table in the main room of the library. "The Council has approved our request. Faith is to stay here indefinitely." He walked around the table. "I'm to look after you both until a new Watcher is assigned." He picked up some papers.
Buffy was sitting on the table, and Faith was sitting in a chair.
"Good. She really came through in the end." Buffy slid off the table. "She had a lot of shit to deal with, but she did it. She got it behind her." She looked at Faith and smiled.
Faith smiled back at her.
In the hall, Cordelia was waiting behind a classroom door for Scott and stepped out into the hall when she saw him come out. "Scott."
Scott stopped. "Uh, hello." He pulled on his backpack.
"Hey. Uh, I was, um, I was waiting for you to get out of class."
"Oh. Um, why?"
"Um..." Cordelia paused. "There was someone a while ago, and, uh, the ring sort of confused me. But I liked what you said about friendship. I liked it a lot. And anime. Big fun. And I'm capable of big fun, even though there's no earthly way you could possibly know that about me. Wow. If I knew I was gonna go on this long, I probably would've brought some water." She sighed. "Uh, what I'm trying to say is, um...if you would still like to go to the anime festival, and I would understand it if you didn't, I'd pretty much love to go with you."
Scott looked around awkwardly. "Uh...Ahem." He shrugged. "I don't know, Cordy. I'm - I'm really gonna have to think about this."
Cordelia nodded in understanding.
Scott started down the hall for a few steps, stopped, and immediately came back. "Okay. You know what, I thought about it, and I'm in. When do you want to go?"
Cordelia smiled. "Uh, well, I have one thing that I have to do tonight, and then I'm good."
Scott smiled. "Good."
Cordelia smiled back at him warmly.
Cordelia went to the mansion that night. She slowly walked into the great room where Acathla stood from a side door to the spot where she slew Angel. She looked down at the floor, and the tears began to come. She slowly crouched down and looked at her Claddagh ring. "Goodbye." Gently, she placed the ring on the floor. She reflected for a moment before standing back up, looking at the great hall around her. She turned around and slowly started to walk away, toward the main door.
Chapter 65: Beauties and Beasts
Chapter Text
"Beauties and Beasts"
Based on the Episode "Beauty and the Beasts" Written by Marti Noxon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
Tara and Buffy walked through the cemetery, holding hands.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Buffy asked her.
Tara shrugged. "I gotta do it sometime."
"But why on your birthday?" Buffy asked her.
"Because it's hers, too."
Buffy stopped walking. Tara walked by herself past many graves before coming up to a tombstone. She put a handful of opals on the headstone and kneeled in front of it. The following text was carved on the stone: "Aine Maclay" and "Oct 16, 1961 - September 17, 1998".
"Hey." Tara touched her mother's name on the headstone. "It's me. I'm sorry that I didn't visit earlier. Dad didn't invite me to your funeral." She sighed. "I wasn't surprised. I expected nothing less of him. I've moved in with Buffy, and we've started our senior year. I decided to come and visit you on our birthday. That seemed best. Buffy's not throwing me a party. At least, I hope she isn't. She knows I don't care for them." She grinned. "But we'll have our own little party later tonight." She cackled in glee, but then she grew sad again. "I really miss you, but I trust you're in a better place and watching over me. I love you." She took a small silver pentacle out of her pocket and put it on her mother's headstone. "Be at peace." Then she bent forward and kissed her mother's name. "Happy Birthday, Mom."
Tara stood up, swatted the dirt off her blue jeans, and walked back over to Buffy. They joined hands and silently walked out of the cemetery.
Two days later, Faith, Buffy, and Cordelia were strolling through the cemetery on patrol.
"Nice place. Do you ever catch kids doing the diddy out here?" Faith asked.
Cordelia shook her head. "No. There's a smooch spot up by the woods. That's usually where kids go."
"Yeah? Bet you and Scott have been up there, kicking the gearshift." Faith grinned.
Cordelia gave her a look. "Hardly. Only been on a few dates."
"But you like him. And when you think about him, you get that good, down-low tickle, right?" Faith asked her.
Cordelia smiled. "Yeah, I guess, but..." She realized what she may have meant and gave her some side-eye. "How low?"
Faith grinned broadly. "You tell me."
"How about not?" Cordelia looked around dreamily and sighed. "But he is...nice, and he's funny."
"And quite a muffin." Faith gave Cordelia a smile.
Cordelia smiled back. "Blueberry. That crunchy, munchy stuff on top. But my most favorite thing so far is that he doesn't seem to be any kind of Hell Beast."
"All men are beasts, Cordy."
"Okay, I was hoping to not get that cynical till I was at least forty."
"It's not cynical. I mean...it's realistic. Every guy from...Manimal down to Mr. I-Love-The-English-Patient has beast in him. And I don't care how sensitive they act. They're all still just in it for the chase."
Cordelia had to tacitly admit that Faith may have had a point.
"So either of you gotten laid yet?" Faith asked.
Buffy and Cordelia looked at her in surprise.
Faith shrugged. "Just making conversation."
Cordelia nodded. "I have."
Buffy nodded. "Me, too."
Cordelia shook her head. "Buffy doesn't count. She's a lesbo."
Buffy playfully backhand-slapped Cordelia on the arm.
"So, B, you've never sucked dick?" Faith asked Buffy.
Buffy was surprised at Faith's bluntness. "Not in this universe."
"You've never been curious?" Faith asked her. "The wonderful feeling of having a warm, hard, pulsating cock between your lips?"
Buffy felt a bit embarrassed. "Well..."
Faith grinned. "Ooh, do tell."
Buffy shook her head. "No, it's embarrassing!"
"C'mon, B!" Faith pleaded.
"C'mon, Buffy!" Cordelia begged. "Spill!"
"Okay, okay." Buffy took a breath and let it out. "Sometimes, I would take a piece of sausage out of fridge and give it a blowjob."
Faith and Cordelia stared at her in shock.
"I warned you." Buffy shrugged. "I guess I like the feeling of my mouth being filled but just...don't like men."
Cordelia rolled her eyes and shook her head. "On that pathetic note, let's change the subject. Celebrity crush. Mine is still James Spader, of course."
Buffy frowned. "I still don't know who that is."
"What about yours, Faith?" Cordelia asked.
Faith thought about it. "Gina Gershon."
Buffy smiled. "Ooh, nice."
"What about you, Buffy?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy grinned. "Sarah Michelle Gellar. I've had a crush on her since Swans Crossing. I even sat through the nonsense of All My Children just to watch her scenes."
There was silence for a moment.
"Ooh, favorite music!" Faith suggested. "For me, it's Freak Wharf. Also, Darling Violetta and anything with Marc Ferrari."
Cordelia grinned. "Ooh, I'm right there with you on Darling Violetta. Also, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, and 98 Degrees. Oh, have you heard '...Baby One More Time'? It's by this new artist named Britney Spears."
Faith shook her head. "No, but I'll check her out."
Buffy smiled. "I doubt you'd like her. My kid sister's into her."
"Thanks for the warning. So who are you into, B?" Faith asked.
"Let's see. Divinyls, Jennifer Paige..." Buffy thought for a moment. "Oh, 'Til Tuesday, Madonna, Katrina and the Waves, Billy Idol. And my favorite singer ever is Belinda Carlisle."
"Really? So I guess you must really be into the Go-Go's, huh?" Faith asked her.
Buffy thought about it. "Eh, not really. I've always been more of a Bangles girl."
Faith found that a bit odd but just shrugged.
The next day, at Sunnydale High School, Tara, Cordelia, and Buffy climbed the outside stairs from the quad up to the balcony.
"Hey, Cordy!"
She looked along the balcony to see Scott approaching at a quick pace.
"That's what I stopped you for, basically. Hey."
"Okay." Cordelia smiled. "Hey."
Scott's friends, Debbie Foley (a beautiful girl with short blonde hair and blue eyes) and Peter Clarner, approached the group. Tara noticed them and held up her hand in greeting. Debbie was holding a bouquet of flowers.
Tara smiled. "Hi, Debbie."
Debbie smiled. "Hi, Tara."
Buffy saw Debbie's bouquet. "Those are pretty flowers."
"Thanks. Pete brought them for me." Debbie smiled at him.
Pete smiled. "Yeah. Only the best for my girl."
"What time is it?" Buffy grabbed Scott's watch. "Oh, shit, I have to go see Mr. Platt today."
"Platt? The school counselor?" Debbie asked her.
"I get to convince him that I'm Little Miss Stable, so I can stay in school."
Scott nodded. "Stable. Okay. Topics to avoid. The little men that live in your teeth...your compulsion to paint circus clowns..."
Buffy smiled. "But if God keeps telling me to kill, it just seems snotty not to, you know?"
"Platt creeps me out. I would totally quit going, but I'm flunking senior bio, and my teacher says I have success issues." Debbie giggled.
"Senior bio?" Tara asked her. "If you want my notes, they're yours. I can even tutor you."
Debbie grinned. "Thanks! That'd be great!"
The bell rang.
"We'd better go." Cordelia looked at Scott. "I'll see you."
"Yep."
They kissed lightly on the lips. Buffy kissed Tara on the lips, turned, and headed into the building. Tara gave Debbie, Pete, and Scott a wave, and she and Cordelia followed Buffy.
Tara and Cordelia walked into the library.
Giles was standing behind the counter, reading an article in the paper. He looked up and smiled stiffly. "It's good to see you. Um, no need to panic."
Cordelia stared at him, suspicious. "Just a thought: poker: not your game."
Tara was worried. "Is something wrong, Mr. Giles?"
Giles walked out from behind the counter and started to pace. "There was, uh, p-possibly a murder...last night. A male student was - was found i-i-in the woods."
"Which student?" Tara asked.
"Jeff Orkin. I'm afraid he was - he was, um, terribly mauled. Now, uh, much as I hate to think it, i-i-it could be the handiwork of - of...a werewolf...or some such creature."
Buffy opened the door and entered the school psychologist's office. She closed it behind herself and stepped up to the desk.
Mr. Platt was sitting in his chair, facing away, looking out the window while his cigarette smoldered in his fingers. "Two o'clock. Miss Summers." He made no move to turn around to face her.
Buffy smiled. "Buffy Summers, reporting for sanity."
Her smile faded when she realized he still wasn't going to turn around. Instead, he just blew out a huge cloud of cigarette smoke.
"Look...I know that I have to do this, and I-I'll cooperate, and I'll look at your ink blots and everything, but...I don't wanna talk about my life or my childhood or...anything, for that matter, actually. And, uh...I don't wanna be friends here."
Mr. Platt finally turned. "We're not gonna be friends." He smiled at her. "You have friends already, I hope." He waved his hand at her. "Friends are a good thing." He took another drag from his cigarette. "Mm-hm." He crushed it out. "They like you, agree with you, tell you what you wanna hear." He reached into his desk drawer. "That's not what you need right now." He pulled out a can of deodorizer. "What you need is a trained, not-too-crazy professional who will always give you his honest opinion."
He popped the top off the aerosol can and gave a couple of sprays around himself. Buffy just gave him an odd look and said nothing.
"Which I offer." He looked back at her for a moment before gesturing to a chair. "Have a seat."
He capped the can and put it away as she sat in the chair.
"Not too crazy? Those are your credentials?" Buffy asked him doubtfully.
He stood up and started to walk around his desk. He sat on it. "Look, Buffy, any person - grownup, shrink, pope - any person who claims to be totally sane is either lying or not very bright. I mean...everyone has problems. Everybody has demons, right?"
Buffy averted her eyes. "Gotta say I'm with you on that." She looked down at her hands.
"Excellent. So...the hope I bring you is: demons can be fought."
Buffy looked up at him in surprise.
"People can change. You can change. Now. Your turn." Platt crossed his arms. "Let's start with why you ran away."
Buffy looked up for a moment, then began to fidget and lean back in her seat. She smiled weakly. "That's a long story."
"Mm." Platt shrugged. "Bore me."
"You know, I'm - I'm really over it. I-I'm moving on; I feel good; I-I even made a new friend last month."
"All good things." Platt gestured widely with his arms. He inhaled and leaned back. "But still, you're - you're bringing me in at the end of the movie."
Buffy felt awkward. "I have long had issues with my mother, starting from her divorce. Our family was separated. She took me away from my sister and moved us out here to Buttfuck, Nowhere."
"That last part was because you'd been expelled from your old school."
"Yeah, but still...it was tough not being with my sister."
"Divorce is ugly. I get it. What happened once you got here?"
"Well, I found out that I'm a Vampire Slayer. The Chosen One. I didn't want the fucking job." Buffy looked him in the eyes suddenly. "Sorry."
Platt waved it off.
"I eventually grew into it, though. Mom didn't wanna hear about it at first, but she eventually grew to accept it."
"When you saved the day during Parent-Teacher Night last year?"
Buffy looked at him in surprise. "How'd you know?"
Platt shrugged. "Had a feeling that was the turning point."
"Anyway, my life was good until ten months ago, when..I discovered my mom was dating someone."
"You killed him."
Buffy gave Platt a dark look. "You're goddamn right I did."
"Why?"
Buffy paused for a moment. "There are certain things that I can't say. And besides, I'd already gone over it with the police and with my lawyer."
"Well, then tell me things that you can say."
"He hit me first. I hit him back. There was a fight, and it ended with me taking his life. My mom and I didn't have a relationship after that, but we managed to work our way back to one. But then, near the end of the school year, we had another fight about...what I'd done and my role as a Slayer. Uh, it - it ended badly, she kicked me out of the house, and I...took off...for the summer...to clear my head."
"And then?"
Buffy shrugged. "I came back home."
"Why? Did you miss your mother?"
Buffy shrugged. "A bit, but mostly I missed my friends and my job. My mom accepted me back, but we soon got into another fight."
"How did that end?"
"Inconclusively. There was an attack on our house, and later my girlfriend's mom died, and that...brought things into perspective. Life is short. Tomorrow, you might be dead. I mean...I've always known that, but seeing my girlfriend being so devastated by her mother's death..." Buffy paused. "She suggested I work things out with my mom."
"Did you?"
Buffy shrugged. "I guess. It's been around a month, and we haven't fought since. I think we've come to a kind of agreement to let the past be the past. I mean...I can't guarantee she doesn't think 'That filthy murderer' whenever she looks at me, but...it's been peaceful."
"Does it bother you...how your mother and friends and teachers and schoolmates see you?"
Buffy shrugged. "I think about it. It's hard not to. I see their stares, hear their whispers...every fucking day."
"Do you feel any shame?"
"Of course."
"Remorse?"
Buffy hesitated and then just shrugged.
"Well, tell me more about this guy."
Buffy looked up at him for a long moment before letting out a breath and looking down at her hands again. "He was my first...human kill. A-As it turned out, he was a serial killer, so I probably saved my mom's life."
"So it was okay that you killed him."
"I-I didn't say that."
"But you believe it."
"A little. I know I shouldn't, but...it does ease the pain somewhat."
"Do you love yourself, Buffy?"
Buffy looked up at him, surprised and unsure how to respond.
"Look, lots of people lose themselves in depression. It's - It's no shame. They write songs about it. The hitch is...you can't stay lost. Sooner or later, you...you have to get back to yourself."
Buffy considered that. "And if you can't?"
"If you can't..." Platt inhaled. "Well, depression becomes your master, and you're just its dog."
She didn't expect to hear it put quite that way.
Buffy walked into the library and found Giles pacing and Tara and Cordelia sitting on the steps.
Buffy set her bag on the table. "What's up?"
Giles looked at her. "Dead student. There's a werewolf roaming the woods, or perhaps it's something else entirely."
Buffy nodded. "It's okay. We'll work together, and we'll figure this out."
"Yes. Um..." Giles thought. "Buffy. You and Faith patrol the cemetery."
Buffy nodded.
"Cordelia, you, uh, you patrol the woods."
"Why do I get the creepy old woods?" Cordelia complained.
"Well, you are a Potential Slayer, are you not?" Giles asked her.
Cordelia shrugged. "Potentially."
"But not an activated Slayer. Therefore, you probably shouldn't be patrolling the cemetery, where you'd likely find something, on your own. Better to patrol the woods, where you'll likely find nothing."
Cordelia nodded.
"Uh, Tara, um, check out the morgue."
Tara nodded. "Right."
Buffy looked at Tara. "I'll call them and ask them to let you examine the body."
Giles nodded. "Well, I have some research materials at home I need to look up. Good luck to you all."
Later that night, Cordelia patrolled through the woods by herself, looking around and listening carefully. Cordelia thought she heard something and raised her stake. She saw a figure dash by. She ran after it through the bushes. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks when she saw it come straight for her. She stared in disbelief as the man rushed her and knocked her down as he ran by. Cordelia steadied herself on the ground and looked up as he went. He stopped and looked back at her. It was Angel, and he growled and snarled at her. There was blood around his mouth. She could only stare at him in complete surprise.
Angel continued to growl at Cordelia. He charged her as she got up. She grabbed him and threw him to the ground but also fell under his weight. Angel rolled to a stop and crawled quickly back to her before she could get back up. He lunged at her, and she used his momentum to flip him over herself and onto his back. She rose to one knee and punched him as he tried to regain his footing. He took the blow in the head but just spun around and delivered a solid backhand punch to her face, making her fall onto her back. Angel jumped on her again, but she used her leverage to send him onto his back once again. He twisted his body, reached over, and punched her in the gut. She quickly rolled away and got to a standing position. She did a full spinning low hook kick, hitting him in the head as he tried to stand. He slumped down on all fours, and, as he looked up at her, she punched him solidly in the face, making him slump to the ground, badly beaten. After a few breaths, he lost consciousness, and his body relaxed. Cordelia breathed hard as she looked down at him, still not believing what she saw.
Cordelia drove Angel to the mansion and brought him inside. She looked around, found a trunk, and knocked a bunch of dolls from it. She threw open the lid and dumped the contents out onto the floor. There, she found a heavy chain and shackles.
She went back into the main room, and she threw one end over an iron bracket holding up the high marble fireplace mantel and locked the shackles on Angel's wrists. She stepped back as he lay unconscious on the floor, with one arm held high by the chain. He woke up and got to his knees.
Suddenly, he lashed out at her, but she jumped back in time, and he missed. He leaned against his bonds and growled at Cordelia, then crouched down and cowered like a trapped animal. She walked around him in a wide arc and stopped when she noticed the place where he fell from the dimensional portal. There was a silhouette of him on the floor surrounded by scorch marks. Angel continued to growl and struggle with the chain. Cordelia cringed to see him like this. She kneeled down by the silhouette for a closer look. Angel made another attempt to grab her, and she jerked back, but he was too far away to do any harm. She looked back down at the scorch marks and winced at the sound of Angel struggling behind her. He soon stopped and slumped to the floor with one arm raised high by the chain.
Jenny woke up, heard the doorbell ring, groaned, got out of bed, put on a robe, tied it up, and left her bedroom. In the living room, Faith was oblivious as she moved around to "Teenage Hate Machine" by Marc Ferrari on her portable CD player.
Jenny rolled her eyes. "Don't trouble yourself; I'll get it." She walked over to the door, looked through the peephole, and unlocked and opened the door.
Buffy was standing there. "Hi."
Jenny smiled. "Buffy, hi."
"How's our new Slayer fitting in?" Buffy asked her.
Jenny gestured toward Faith and stepped aside. Buffy walked into the apartment. Jenny closed and locked the door.
Buffy walked up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. Instinctively, Faith spun around and landed a swinging backhand punch to Buffy's face.
"Oh!" Buffy stumbled backward and steadied herself against the couch.
"Oh, shit! Uh, Buffy! Are you okay? What are you doing here?" Faith asked, pulling her headphones from her ears and letting them hang from her neck.
Buffy held her jaw. "Uh, bleeding internally, but I'll live."
"God, I'm sorry." Faith shrugged with the CD player. "I guess I didn't hear you."
"Figured as much. Ow. Again." Buffy took a breath and arched her back. "Uh..." She paused. "Actually, I-I-I came to pick you up for patrolling."
"How come?"
"Dead student. Possible werewolf attack." Buffy shrugged. "Or something else. Not sure yet."
"Werewolf? Shouldn't we hit the woods?" Faith asked.
"Cordy's got that. Giles wants us on the cemetery."
"That's cool. I was going kinda crazy in here, but I can get in a few stakings before sunrise." Faith headed for the door.
Buffy followed her. "Knock yourself out. Not literally, though."
"Yeah. Later, J. Be back in a while."
Jenny waved. "Take your time."
Faith unlocked and opened the door and walked outside. Buffy followed her and closed the door behind her. Jenny walked over, locked the door, went over to the couch, lay down, and soon fell asleep.
Cordelia walked into the library and turned her attention to the card catalog. She pulled out the first drawer and began to search through them.
The next morning, Giles arrived with a cup of coffee in his hand. It was overcast today, and the weather report had said there might be a thunderstorm later in the day. He took a sip from his cup and headed over to where he saw Cordelia in the stacks, curled up and asleep in a chair with a book on her lap and a drawer from the card catalog next to her on a step stool. Other books were lying on the floor around her. He quietly took the steps to the upper level and reached down for one of the books. As he did so, Cordelia stirred from her slumber and looked up at him.
"Hey."
"Hmm. Hello." Giles sipped his coffee.
Cordelia quickly realized what it must look like, her surrounded by all of these books, and tried to play it off. "Oh. Shit." She stood up. "Those vampires were after some nutty books."
"Vampires?" Giles asked.
"Yeah, a whole gang of them. A lot of crazy shit went down." Cordelia forced a grin. "But I managed to kick their asses!"
"Exploring Demon Dimensions and Mystery of Acathla."
"Yeah!" Cordelia walked toward the stairs. "Freaky deaky."
"Cordelia..."
She realized he hadn't bought it and leaned against the railing. He gave her his attention and slowly came over to her as she spoke.
"What if...I told you that...I had a dream about Angel...and, um...it brought up some questions?" Cordelia asked him.
"I'd say it was to be expected. Must have been some dream. I didn't think you knew what a card index was for." Giles sipped his coffee.
"I dreamt that he came back." Cordelia sat down on the steps.
Giles came down to sit with her. "Of course. It's perfectly understandable."
"This was vivid. Really vivid. Three-dimensional, Sensurround, the hills are alive..."
Giles took off his glasses and considered for a moment. "Do you believe it was a prophecy?"
"No. I-I don't know. I..." Cordelia inhaled deeply. "I guess it just...it made me wonder."
Giles looked away in thought.
"Is there a chance even? Could it happen?" Cordelia asked.
"Well, there's no record of anyone returning from a demon dimension once the...gate was closed. I-I-I can't imagine how it could happen or - or why."
"Let's just pretend for a second that...Angel somehow found his way back to Sunnydale. What would he be like?"
"I really can't say. From what is known about that dimension, i-it would suggest a world of...brutal torment. And time moves quite differently there, so...he would've been down there for hundreds of years." Giles looked up at her.
"Of torture."
"It would take someone of extraordinary...will and character to survive that and, uh, retain any semblance of self." Giles swallowed hard. "Most likely, he'd be - be a monster."
Cordelia felt hopeless. "A lost cause."
"Maybe. Maybe not. In my experience, there are...two types of monster. The first, uh, can be redeemed - or, more importantly, wants to be redeemed."
"And the second type?"
"The second is void of humanity, cannot respond to reason...or love."
Cordelia looked down in despair.
Later, in the cafeteria, Cordelia had a plate of various flavors of Jell-O and looked for a place to sit.
Scott waved to her. "Cordy. Over here."
Cordelia walked over to him, sitting with Debbie and Pete, and set down her plate. "Hey." She sat down.
Scott saw what was on her plate. "Hey. Uh...I can't - I can't back you on that lunch. Nutritional demerits."
"Oh. My stomach doesn't want hard food today." Cordelia pointed at the green Jell-O. "But there's fruit in it."
"Those are marshmallows."
Cordelia looked at it. "Oh."
Debbie and Pete gave her curious looks.
Cordelia sighed. "I'm...I'm really out of it today. I didn't sleep well last night."
Scott turned to face her completely. "So...I, uh, I wanted to tell you that you look great today. But now I wanna raise that to amazing, because you didn't sleep well."
"Uh..." Cordelia gave him a weak smile. "That's really sweet. Um..." She stood up. "And I-I wish I didn't have to, but I just remembered that I do, so, uh, I'll see you later." She patted him on the shoulder as she walked around him on the way out, leaving her Jell-O behind.
"Uh, yeah."
Debbie and Pete followed her briefly with their gazes. Then Debbie shrugged and took the Jell-O for herself.
"Check out Scotty liking the manic-depressive chick."
Cordelia walked out of the cafeteria and paused for a moment to reflect on Pete's comment before continuing down the hall.
Cordelia walked into the mansion through the heavy drapes hanging across the side entrance. Angel crouched against the wall, whimpering. Cordelia stopped at the wall opposite him and looked at him suffering. Slowly, she walked toward him. Angel just remained hunched over in his crouch, not looking up or giving any indication that he knew she was there.
"Angel?" Cordelia asked.
He didn't seem to hear her.
"Do you understand me?"
Still nothing from him. She walked even closer. The tattoo on his back beckoned to her. Slowly, she reached out and touched him lightly on the shoulder. He suddenly and very violently lashed out at her and roared. She instantly took several steps backward away from him. He went back to his pathetic whimpering. Cordelia looked at him, terribly hurt, and rushed from the mansion.
Buffy opened the door to Mr. Platt's office, walked in, and closed it behind her. She found him turned away again, looking out of the window, his cigarette smoldering between his fingers.
"'Two o'clock. Buffy Summers, right?'" Buffy asked, anticipating would he would say.
She received no response.
"Mr. Platt?"
Nothing.
She noticed his cigarette now. It was burned completely down to the filter, not once having had the ashes tapped off. She realized something was very wrong. She didn't dare check, though. She couldn't bring herself to. She simply turned, opened the door, and left to go get Principal Snyder.
Tara was at the quad, waiting for Debbie, and then gave up and started to head for the library.
Just then, Debbie ran up to her. "Sorry I'm late." She smiled. "Did you bring the notes?"
"Yeah." Tara noticed her black eye. "Oh, shit. You okay?" She handed her the notes.
"What? Oh, yeah!" Debbie laughed. "I'm such a klutz! I, um, oh..." She paused to think. "Doorknob." She laughed. "Um..." She paused again. "Thanks." She started to go.
Tara gently raised her hand, concerned. "Hey, um..." She paused for a moment. "If you wanna talk..."
Debbie shook her head and smiled. "Thanks again for the notes." She left.
Tara stared after her, worried, and then headed for the library.
In the library, Giles paced and talked while Buffy, Faith, and Tara listened.
"This creature is especially brutal. I believe the phrase coined by the coroner when describing Mr. Platt was 'pureed'. But he did confirm that Platt was killed shortly before Buffy found him. Our task now is to determine what sort of killer we are dealing with. Clearly, we're looking for a depraved, sadistic animal. We have two victims: Jeff Orkin and, uh, now Platt. Uh, maybe there's something they had in common."
Faith raised her hand. "Missing internal organs."
"Besides that."
Tara thought for a moment. "Debbie."
Giles looked at her.
"Well, victim number one, Jeff. He was in computer class with us last year. They used to horse around."
"They were fucking?" Faith asked her.
Tara shook her head. "I don't think so, but he hid her textbook once."
Buffy thought for a moment. "And we know that Debbie knew Platt. I mean...she was seeing him and way vocal about not having love for the guy."
Tara was concerned. "I just saw Debbie a while ago sporting a nasty black eye."
Faith thought for a moment. "Okay, so pretend Debbie wanted Platt dead. Maybe he fought back."
Buffy shook her head. "No. Platt was dead in an instant." She sighed. "He didn't even drop his cigarette." She had a thought. "Now, what if boyfriend Pete's the one doling out the punishment?"
Giles nodded. "We should find them both immediately."
He and Buffy grabbed their coats.
Tara looked at them. "Well, Debbie was in the quad."
"All right. We'll split up. Um, Faith, you and I team. Tara, stick with Buffy."
They all headed out.
Buffy opened the door to the girls' locker room, and she and Tara entered. Debbie was trying to hide her black eye with makeup.
"Debbie?" Buffy asked her.
"What?" Debbie put away her makeup.
Buffy walked up to Debbie at the mirror. "What's going on, Debbie? I'll bet you know."
Debbie shook her head. "You're wrong. I don't know anything."
"People are dying."
Debbie looked at her and Tara. "It...It's not his fault. I mean...he's not himself when he gets like this."
Buffy stared at her. "You mean Pete."
Debbie was upset. "It's me. I make him crazy. He - He just does what he does, because he loves me too much."
Tara was confused. "But weren't Mr. Platt and Jeff murdered by an animal?"
"Pete's not like other guys, is he, Debbie?" Buffy asked.
Debbie realized they knew more than they were letting on. "I-I've gotta go." She grabbed her purse and started to leave.
Buffy took her by the arm and stopped her. "You have to talk to us."
Debbie shook her head.
"We can't help you until you do."
"I didn't ask for your help!" Debbie yelled at her.
"Well, when are you going to?" Tara asked Debbie. "I mean, if Pete kills you, it'll be too late."
"Debbie, we're running out of time. Where can we find him?" Buffy asked.
"I-I don't know."
"You're lying."
"What if I am? What the fuck are you gonna do about it?" Debbie asked her.
Buffy took her by the arm again and pushed her up against the sink in front of the mirror. "Look at yourself. Why the fuck are you protecting him? Anybody who really loved you couldn't do this to you." She took a few steps away.
Debbie turned around to face Buffy. "Would they take him someplace?"
"Probably."
Debbie shook her head, sobbing. "I could never do that to him."
Tara sighed.
"I'm his everything."
Buffy was disgusted. "Great. So...what? You two live out your Grimm fairy tale? Two people are dead."
Debbie just shook her head and said nothing.
"Who's gonna be next?" Buffy asked her.
Debbie went and sat on a changing bench, hugging herself and looking off into space. "He does love me. He does love me."
"This is useless." Buffy sighed. "I have to go. I have to find Pete."
"He does love me."
Tara tried to get Debbie to stand up and go with her. "Come on."
Debbie resisted. "He does love me. He does love me. He does love me."
Buffy sighed and looked at Tara. "Stay with her."
Tara nodded. Buffy left the restroom.
Tara sat to Debbie's left on the bench. "Talk to me."
Debbie shook her head. "He does love me."
"No. He doesn't. This isn't love, Debbie. It's abuse."
Debbie shook her head. "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about."
Tara paused, hesitating. "I do. I've seen it. I've seen my mother receive it...at the hands of my father."
Debbie looked at her. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."
"No, no, I didn't mean to..." Tara sighed. "I'm only telling you this, because...I know it's not m-my place, but..." She paused. "There's things...thoughts and reactions I had that...I couldn't...understand...or even try to explain to anyone else."
Debbie looked down, pensive.
"Thoughts that...made me feel like I was losing it...or...like I was some kind of ho-horrible person. I know it's different for you...because it's always different, but...if you ever need..." Tara trailed off. "I wish I'd spoken up. I wish I'd done something!" She started crying.
They sat there, looking at each other. Then they both looked down at the floor.
Debbie looked back up at Tara. "Pete talked me into going into a supply room to make out just before I was to meet you in the quad. We sometimes do that. Sometimes, I give him blowjobs. Anyway, Pete was drinking some kind of concoction that he'd made. I-I was trying to get rid of it...to help him. I know how he gets. He noticed and got mad at me. He said he didn't need it anymore; he was 'way, way past that now'. He started getting violent and blamed me and my 'stupid, grating voice' for how he got. Then he...transformed in front of me. I don't know what the fuck he was taking, but it scared the shit out of me. He said I was the reason he started the formulas in the first place: to be the man I wanted. He accused me of 'whoring around with other guys' and 'taunting' him. That's when he backhand-punched me in the face and shoved me to the floor. After I stood back up, he swung another backhand punch at me, and I fell to the floor again. This time, I stayed down and cowered. I think...I think he killed Mr. Platt."
"He did."
Debbie started crying. "I was very afraid."
Tara shook her head, rubbing Debbie's shoulder. "There's no shame in that."
"He then calmed enough that he changed back to his regular self. He tried to be gentle with me."
"Let me guess: he apologized and said he'd never do it again."
Debbie shook her head, sobbing. "He said 'Hey, Debbie. Hey, listen. You know you shouldn't make me mad. Huh? You know what happens.'"
Tara sighed. "Fucking Christ."
"He did ask me if I was all right."
Tara rolled her eyes. "Oh, la-dee-da. Don't try to justify his behavior. He's the asshole, Debbie."
Debbie kept crying.
"Please help us stop him. Please."
Debbie nodded. They stood up and left the locker room.
Buffy was searching for Pete in a hall. Debbie and Tara ran up to her.
"Any luck?" Tara asked Buffy.
Buffy shook her head. "Nada."
Suddenly, they heard a scream coming from the lounge. The three of them began running toward the lounge. Faith and Giles arrived, running from another hall.
"What was that?" Giles asked.
"Someone that needs help!" Buffy replied.
"Get the dart gun!" Tara told Buffy. "We need some heavy shit to put him down!"
Buffy turned and ran toward the library.
Faith, Tara, Debbie, and Giles ran into the lounge. Pete had Cordelia cornered.
Giles ran over to Pete, waving his arms. "Hey, you! Over here!"
"Are you suicidal?!" Faith asked him.
Buffy arrived with the dart rifle. "Got it!" She cocked it and took aim past Giles.
Debbie couldn't help herself and shoved Buffy aside to protect her boyfriend. "Pete, watch out!"
The gun went off, and the dart hit Giles in the hip.
"Ow!" Giles exclaimed in pain.
Tara shoved Debbie in anger.
Buffy couldn't believe she shot Giles. "Oh! Sorry!"
"Oh, right. Bloody priceless."
The drug took effect quickly, and Giles staggered and fell to the floor.
Buffy tried to take aim again but couldn't get a clear shot. She tossed the rifle to Faith. Pete was near the stairs. Buffy ran toward Pete and up the stairs. She stopped halfway up to deliver a roundhouse kick to his head. He stumbled up the stairs and onto the upper-level floor. Buffy pursued him as he got to his feet. She punched him with a right, followed by a left. He staggered over to the table, grabbed it, and threw it onto her. It landed on top of her with a loud thud, dumping its contents all around her. Pete roared, leaped down, and stopped by the vending machine. Faith rushed over to him. He jumped on her, and she dropped the gun as she was pulled down to the floor.
Faith struggled to keep Pete at bay. "Where's the gun? Where's the gun?!"
Tara got behind Pete and punched him in the back of the head. "Get off her!"
She started to run toward Cordelia. Pete released Faith and started to run after her.
"Get the gun! Get the gun!" Tara yelled back at Faith.
Faith scrambled to her feet with the rifle.
"Hurry!" Cordelia yelled.
"Cordy, follow my lead!" Tara called.
Cordelia got ready. "Okay!"
Tara did a roundhouse kick to Pete's face. Cordelia did a roundhouse kick to the back of Pete's head. The two girls alternated for a while. Faith took aim and shot, hitting Pete in the ass. He yelped and whimpered. At first, it didn't seem to affect him much, but then his features slowly returned to normal.
Pete ran out the door. Buffy moaned and finally managed to walk down the stairs.
Tara put a hand on Buffy's arm. "Are you okay, sweetie?"
"I'll live. Where's Pete?" Buffy asked.
"He ran out the door."
Suddenly, Cordelia grabbed the dart rifle from Faith and ran out the door as well.
Tara looked at her and then back at Buffy. "Aaannnddd...so did Cordy."
Debbie ran out the door as well.
"And Debbie."
Faith ran out the door as well.
"And Faith."
"Shit. Okay, Tara, stay with Giles. Make sure he's okay." Buffy ran out the door.
Debbie found Pete out in the quad and ran over to him. "Pete! You're all right! God, you're all right."
She threw her arms around him and hugged him close, but he didn't hug her back.
"Buffy almost shot you. Did you see? I stopped her." Debbie let go of her hug and looked at him.
"How did she know, Debbie? Did you run your big mouth?"
Debbie was frightened. "No! She just knew. It seemed like she just knew."
"So you filled in the blanks!" Pete shoved her to the ground.
"No!" Debbie screamed and looked up at him. "No!"
"But what did I expect from a fuck-up like you?" Pete asked her.
Debbie shook her head. "I-I didn't...Pete..."
"You're nothing but a waste of space." Pete moved to grab her.
"No!" Debbie yelled.
Cordelia shot Pete in the ass with a dart. Distracted, he turned around. Cordelia performed a front snap kick to Pete's face. Buffy arrived and tried to get Debbie away from the battle. Pete grunted and grabbed her from behind. He threw her, and she hit the ground, dazed. Pete smiled as he came for her.
Faith arrived, grabbed Debbie by the arms, and pulled her to her feet. "C'mon!"
Debbie shook her head. "No, I can't leave! They'll kill him!"
Faith stared directly into Debbie's eyes. "If you stay, he'll kill you!"
Without waiting for a response, Faith pulled Debbie back into the school building.
Pete grabbed Buffy by the arm and backhand-punched her. "All the same!" He punched her again. "You're all the same!"
He backhand-punched her a third time, and she fell from his grip. As he advanced on her, she push-kicked him off and away from her. Sensing someone, Buffy and Cordelia looked and saw Angel standing there. He roared deeply and attacked Pete. Pete came to meet him. Angel swung his chains at him and got him in the face. He swung the chains the other way and got Pete in the face again. Pete lunged at Angel and bent him backward with his hands around Angel's throat. Buffy stood up and stepped back, next to Cordelia; the two girls watched them fight. Pete pulled Angel up and threw him to the ground. Then he turned his attention back on Buffy and Cordelia and started to advance on them.
Behind him, Angel got up and came at him, wrapping the chains around his neck. He lifted Pete over his back and slammed him down on the ground. Angel pulled at the chain, choking Pete. Cordelia winced when she saw. Angel gave Pete's neck a twist and broke it. He let go, and Pete fell dead to the ground. Angel looked down at his kill and began to calm down. Pete had changed back to his normal state. Angel breathed heavily as he looked up and over at Cordelia. They just stared at each other for a moment while Angel caught his breath. He slowly started to go to her. He stopped in front of her. She looked at him, not knowing what to expect.
He gave her a long and intense look. "Cordy?"
He fell to his knees and held her tightly. Cordelia was surprised by this turn of events and wasn't sure what to do.
Angel just kept holding her even tighter and started to sob into her jacket. "Cordy..."
She finally seemed to accept he was back and shed a few tears. Her head was too heavy with thoughts and emotions for her to speak.
Buffy observed them, unsure what to do. Finally, she walked over to them. "Cordy..."
Cordelia looked at her. "I, uh, I came across him last night while patrolling the woods. I took him back to the mansion and chained him up until I could look into it and...figure out what to do. He must have gotten loose."
Buffy didn't say anything.
"Please don't tell anyone. Not yet. I don't know how they'd react - especially Giles."
"You're asking me to cover for him - and for you."
"I know. Please?" Cordelia begged. "I'll tell everyone eventually; I just gotta figure out how."
Buffy sighed. "Yeah, okay, get outta here. I...I killed Pete as far as anyone knows."
"Thank you." Cordelia turned her attention to Angel and helped him to his feet.
Buffy watched as the two of them ran away.
Later, at the mansion, Cordelia watched as Angel lay asleep on the floor. He moved slightly, and his face contorted in anguish and pain as he dreamed.
Cordelia was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, watching him sleep, and contemplating her life.
She eventually stood up and left.
Cordelia arrived at Buffy's house and went to the backyard. Slayer School was in session. Debbie was there, sitting on a bench and crying.
Cordelia walked over to Buffy, Faith, and Tara. "Hey. So...what's the story? What happened?"
Tara looked at her. "Well, we got a hold of, uh, Pete's lab books and shit. He was afraid Debbie was gonna leave him, so he mixed this potion to become super macho; basically, it was a bunch of steroids mixed with who-knows-what-else."
Buffy nodded. "The only thing was, after a while, he didn't need the potion to turn into a bad guy. He did it just fine on his own."
"So those were, like, real killings. He wasn't under the influence of anything?" Cordelia asked her.
"Just himself."
"Great. Now, I'm gonna be stuck with serious thoughts all day."
Buffy stared at her for a moment and then saw Debbie sitting by herself. "Uh...we'll end break in a bit. Just give me a while."
Tara nodded. "Take your time, sweetie." She gently kissed Buffy on the lips.
Buffy walked over and sat down next to Debbie on the bench. "I don't know what to say that's not gonna sound stupid or obvious."
"I've been friends with him since before we started school."
"Is there anything I can do?" Buffy asked her.
Debbie looked at her for a long moment. "You never really know what's going on inside somebody. Do you? I mean...you think...if you care about them...but you never really do."
Buffy briefly looked at Cordelia and thought of her and Angel. Then she turned her attention back to Debbie. "No, I don't suppose we do. I, uh, I want to apologize for earlier. I came off sounding like an insensitive ass."
Debbie shook her head. "Lives were at stake. I understand that now."
"But still...I'm sorry."
Debbie gave her a weak smile, but it quickly faded. "It's partly my fault, isn't it? Those deaths?"
Buffy thought back to Cordelia sparing Angelus in the previous school year. "Maybe. But you loved him, and love...can be very powerful, overriding sound judgment." She thought about how she agreed to cover for Cordelia and Angel recently.
"Am I gonna go to jail?" Debbie asked her.
Buffy shook her head. "No. I kept you out of it in my official report."
Debbie was confused.
"Long story. Anyway, you're free."
"Am I?" Debbie asked her, feeling more weighed down than ever.
Buffy gave Debbie a smile. "It'll take time. And counseling. And courage. People will talk, gossip, spread rumors based on either half-truths or complete bullshit. They'll try to cast you as the villain, drown out your voice, make sure you aren't heard. I've seen it happen, both in the media and in my own life. But you can put that ass behind you and reclaim your life. This is a good first step. We're all here to help you. That's what we're all about."
Debbie smiled. Buffy hugged Debbie, and Debbie hugged Buffy back. They sat in silence for a while, embracing each other. Then they released each other.
Buffy motioned with her head. "C'mon."
She stood up, and so did Debbie. Buffy went over to join Tara and Faith at the front of the class, and Debbie went over to join the other students. Buffy nodded, and she, Faith, and Tara faced the students.
"Yoi!" Tara commanded.
The entire class gave Tara and Buffy their attention.
Buffy smiled. "Let's give a warm welcome to our newest student, Debbie Foley."
Everyone applauded for Debbie.
Buffy suddenly grew serious. "Heiko Dachi!"
The ladies stood at attention; their feet shoulder-width apart, facing forward; their arms alongside their bodies; their backs and necks straight; their pelvises tilted upward. Debbie copied their stance.
"Tsuki!" Faith commanded.
The ladies punched.
Faith repeated the command for a while, and the ladies kept punching. Debbie concentrated on just doing as she was told. It was all that she knew how to do at the moment, but Buffy knew, in time, that would change.
She had potential.
Chapter 66: Homecoming
Chapter Text
"Homecoming"
Based on the Episode Written by David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
At the Bronze, Buffy, Tara, and Cordelia were sitting at the bar, nursing sodas and snacks. Cordelia was preoccupied as she idly played with a cookie. Harmony, Amy, and Katrina walked behind them and took a place at the end of the bar.
Harmony smiled. "I think we should get a limo."
"A limo?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah!" Harmony replied.
"A big, expensive limo?" Amy asked.
Katrina smiled. "That sounds like fun! And it is our last homecoming dance, so maybe we should make a big deal of it."
Tara frowned. "Limos are gas guzzlers. They should be outlawed."
Buffy shrugged. "Well, if it's a dollar issue, we could all take my van."
Cordelia gave Buffy a disbelieving look. "Van? The Homecoming Queen doesn't go to the dance in a van. Use your head."
Tara rolled her eyes.
Harmony looked at Cordelia. "Well, technically, you haven't been elected yet..."
Cordelia gave her a look.
"Although you certainly and without a doubt will be." Harmony looked at the others. "Who else likes a limo?"
Katrina looked at Buffy. "If we all split the cost..."
Buffy shrugged. "Um...maybe."
Cordelia sighed. "Scott hasn't asked me to the homecoming dance yet."
"Oh, um...well, I just...I assumed that you would think it was corny or something, but I-I'm in...I mean, you know, if you are, if you want to."
Cordelia turned around to see Scott standing behind her. "Uh, sure...I do. You know, i-if you want to."
"Well, I do if you want to. Do you want me to get you another drink?"
"Um...no, actually. Uh...I-I'm a little tired. I think I'm gonna call it a night. But I'm excited about the dance." Cordelia smiled.
"Me, too."
Cordelia leaned toward him, tugged gently on his jacket, and kissed him on the lips.
Cordelia, holding a small paper bag, walked through the atrium of Angel's mansion. The drapes were whipped aside, and Angel jumped back a little, startled.
"I-It's just me." Cordelia held out the bag. "Here."
Angel took the bag and opened it as he walked back into the room. Cordelia followed him in but kept her distance. There was a fire going in the fireplace. Angel remained faced away from her. He pulled a quart-sized clear plastic container out of the bag. It was filled with blood. Angel lifted it to his nose and sniffed.
"How are you feeling?" Cordelia asked him.
Angel jerked his head away slightly from the tub of blood, then lowered it to take off the lid. "It hurts...less."
"Good." Cordelia was unsure how to continue. She turned around and took a few steps away before facing him again. "I haven't...told Giles and the others that...you're back."
"Giles..." Angel remained faced away from her.
"And I'm not going to. Not yet. I don't know how they'd react - especially Giles. They might not understand that you're...better. Buffy knows, because she saw you last month, but she's agreed to keep the secret. A-A-And I'm gonna keep helping you get better. It's just that everything's different now. I'm a senior. I'm really working harder in school." Cordelia smirked slightly. "I'm even thinking about college. A-And I'm involved with someone."
This caused Angel to turn around and give her a surprised look. Cordelia started and took a step back. He reached out and straightened the lapel of her leather jacket. Cordelia took it from him, and he let go. He turned away again, wincing from his body aches as he did so.
"His name is Scott. He's a nice, solid guy. He makes me happy...and that's what I need: someone I can count on."
"I don't think we should see each other anymore."
Cordelia was taken aback. "You don't?" She was confused. "When did this happen? Where was I?"
It was the next day, and they were standing in an outside hall at school.
"Cordy, it's just...before we were going out, you - you seemed so...full of life, like a force of nature. Now, you just seem distracted all the time, and-"
"Yeah, I know, it's...I'm getting better. Honest. In fact, from here on, you are gonna see a drastic distraction reduction."
Scott didn't react at all to her attempt at a joke.
"'Drastic distraction reduction.' Try saying that ten times fast."
"I'm really sorry." Scott started walking away sadly.
Cordelia just watched him go, and then she walked slowly and sadly.
Later, yearbook pictures were being taken in the lounge. After their pictures were taken, Tara, Amy, and Katrina started to walk out of the lounge. They reached Cordelia, who was looking at the other girls that were running for Homecoming Queen.
"Whatcha doin'?" Amy asked her.
Cordelia started and faced her. "Checking out the I-laughingly-use-the-phrase competition."
She looked over at Holly, an Asian girl with long brown hair, playing with her hair and talking to a couple of boys.
"Holly Charleston: nice girl, brain-dead, doesn't have a prayer."
She shifted her gaze to Michelle, a girl with long blonde hair, who was handing out campaign flyers.
"Michelle Blake: open to all mankind, especially those with a letterman jacket and a car." Cordelia looked at Amy, concerned. "She could give me a run." She crossed her arms.
"Where's Buffy?" Tara asked. "She's gonna miss the yearbook pictures."
Katrina smiled. "Buffy and Faith are in the library, getting all sweaty."
Cordelia suppressed a giggle. "They're training. I'll go and remind her. I have to go to the nurse's office for an ice pack, anyway."
"Did you hurt yourself?" Katrina asked her.
Cordelia smiled. "No, silly. It shrinks the pores!" She walked off.
In the library, Faith held up her padded hands as Buffy threw several punches to them. After a particularly hard punch, Faith had to shake out her hand and take off the pads.
"Goddamn! You throw some wicked punches, B!" Faith exclaimed.
"Thank you." Buffy headed toward the book cage.
Faith followed and set down the pads. Buffy picked up her jacket and pulled it on.
Cordelia walked into the library. "Buffy, yearbook photos, lounge."
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Thanks." She left the library.
"Hey, C, how are you holdin' up?" Faith asked.
Cordelia shrugged. "I'm trying not to think about it. It hurts my brain. I mean...who in their right mind would dump me?"
Faith wiped her cheek with a towel. "Well, fuck him, all right? You move on, and...you party heavily, and you'll be fine. I mean...you're still going to that dance, right?"
Cordelia opened a juice bottle. "Maybe." She took a swallow.
"You got the tix already. Why don't we go together?" Faith suggested.
Cordelia closed the bottle. "I don't know about that." She smiled.
"Come on. We'll find a couple studs, we'll use 'em and...discard 'em. That's always fun." Faith nodded and took a swig of her own drink.
"Okay, I'm in. Not the stud-using part, though." Cordelia smirked and rolled her eyes. "Or...probably not."
Later, in the quad, Buffy noticed a teacher come down the stairs while looking over some reports and ran up to her.
"Ms. Moran?"
The teacher looked up.
"Hi!" Buffy smiled. "I'm so glad that I ran into you."
They walked slowly.
"Um, I had this little incident last year of getting kicked out of school. And I'm back now, though; I've done all of my makeup tests; but I still need one written recommendation from a teacher. I think the word that Principal Snyder used was 'glowing'." Buffy smiled awkwardly. "Uh, to put in my file, so I can prove that I belong here."
Ms. Moran was confused. "And, um, you are...?"
Buffy was taken aback. "Buffy. B-Buffy Summers. Third row. I sat by the window. Uh, your class: Contemporary American Heroes from Amelia Earhart to Maya Angelou. The class that changed my life?"
"Were you absent a lot, um...?"
"Buffy?" Buffy reminded her.
In the cafeteria, Tara and Buffy were sitting at a table. Buffy just stared off into space while Tara picked at her food.
Cordelia walked over to a student, holding out a flyer, and touched her on the arm. "Hi. I hope you'll consider me for Homecoming Queen." She walked off.
"I can't believe it. My favorite teacher, and she didn't even remember who I was. I'm like a non-person." Buffy looked at Tara. "Am I invisible?" She waved her hand in front of her. "Can you see me?"
"Big as life."
"At Hemery, I was Prom Princess, I was Fiesta Queen, I was on the cheerleading squad. And the yearbook was, like, a story of me. Now, it's senior year, and I'm going to be one shitty picture on one-eighth of one shitty page." Buffy settled her gaze on a campaigning Cordelia.
Cordelia handed a flyer to a student. "Thanks for your support." She smiled and walked over to the group's table. "Buffy, you look so cute in that outfit."
"You've already got my vote, Cordy."
"Good, I am under a lot of pressure here."
"Oh, yeah, campaigning. Rough gig."
"What would you know about it? Just because you were Guacamole Queen when you were three doesn't mean you understand how this works."
"Obviously, it involves handing out entirely lame flyers."
"No. It involves being part of this school. Now, if it was about monsters, blood, and innards, then you'd be a shoo-in. I'd like to see you try to win the crown."
"You would?" Buffy asked her, then stood up. "Then you will."
"What does that mean?" Cordelia asked.
"I'm gonna show you how it's done. I'm gonna run for Homecoming Queen, and I'm going to win."
"This is starting to be sad."
Buffy shook her head. "Sorry, Cordy, but you have no idea who you're fucking with."
"What? The Slayer?"
"I'm not talking about the Slayer. I'm talking about Buffy. You've awakened my inner Sydney Rutledge. And that crown is going to be mine."
"Buffy?" Tara asked.
Buffy looked at her.
Tara shook her head. "N-Never mind."
"No, what is it?" Buffy asked her.
"It's just...well, it's Homecoming Queen. Do you think anybody's gonna care in a year?" Tara asked her.
Buffy was confused. "You don't want me to have a happy high school memory?"
"I just...don't want you to be dragged down to her level."
Cordelia frowned at Tara. "Thanks."
"S-Sorry." Tara tried to think of a more tactful way of making her point. "It's just...high school politics. Stupid, temporary high school politics. We'll be pretty much irrelevant as soon as we graduate, and, within four years, there won't be a student here that ever met any of us. If we attend college, no admissions office is gonna give a shit about who was Homecoming Queen. No employer is gonna give a shit. I-I just don't think it's worth expending so much time and energy trying to achieve temporary glory that ultimately won't mean anything to anybody except yourself."
Buffy found this conversation familiar and realized Tara had expressed similar sentiments when Buffy had tried out for the cheerleading squad during their sophomore year. She thought about it for a while and then looked at Cordelia. "I withdraw my challenge." She sat back down.
Cordelia stared at them for a while, suddenly feeling a bit shallow, and then went on campaigning.
The next day, at Sunnydale High, Cordelia walked down the stairs to the quad with a bounce in her step. At the bottom, she faked dropping her stack of flyers. Scott quickly kneeled down to pick them up.
"Sorry."
"Here."
He handed her the flyers, and they both stood back up.
Scott looked at the flyers. "For what it's worth, you have my vote."
Cordelia smiled. "Thank you."
Scott nodded his head back at her and left.
Cordelia smiled to herself and pulled out her campaign notebook. She opened it to a list of names and checked off Scott's name. She closed it, noticed another boy coming, and tossed her flyers on the ground again, making like it was an accident. The boy bent down to pick them up.
After securing his vote, Cordelia noticed the bulletin board on which Holly and Michelle each had a flyer posted. Cordelia walked up to the board and posted her much larger flyer right on top of theirs.
Later, in the quad, Holly was about to offer a brownie to a boy when Cordelia walked up to him and gave him a huge chocolate cupcake. She gave him a radiant smile and then smiled smugly to herself as she walked off.
After giving away two more chocolate cupcakes, Cordelia walked over to a column to post a flyer. Michelle walked up to the two students and smiled brightly as she handed them each a basket full of sweets and chocolates. Michelle then held open a bag for them to dump their cupcakes into. Cordelia watched as Michelle stepped over to a trashcan and dropped the bag into it. Michelle gave her a smug look and smiled before walking off.
Later, Buffy was walking with Tara in a hall.
"So...I spoke to the limo people, and we're all set for tomorrow night. They'll pick up Faith, then me and you, then Cordy, then Harmony, then Amy, then Trina."
Tara nodded. "Cool. And our gear?"
"I'll bring it to the gym later today."
They passed Jonathan Levinson, who took a big bite out of a chocolate cupcake as he walked slowly along.
Cordelia was walking with him with her arm around his shoulders. "You know, Jonathan, I've always felt a special bond between you and me."
"Michelle gave me six bucks."
They stopped walking.
"That buys a whole lotta cupcakes." Jonathan took another bite.
On Saturday night, Buffy was wearing her rented black tuxedo, black dress shoes, a white button-up dress shirt, and a black tie. Tara was dressed similarly. They walked down the steps from the porch and walked over to the limousine waiting for them on the street. The driver held open the door for them, and Buffy got in. Buffy looked next to her and found Cordelia sitting there, wearing a green satin dress with a corsage on her wrist.
"What's going on here? Where's Faith?" Buffy asked her.
Cordelia shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe there was a mix-up. But we gotta pick her up and get our asses to the dance. I got you this gig, y'know."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "I know."
Tara bent over and looked into the limousine. "Hey, do you mind if I skip out on the limo?"
Buffy was confused. "But you pitched in."
"I know, but I figured, if I take your van, I can pack up our gear and bring it home after the dance. Save you a trip."
Buffy smiled. "Good thinking. Thanks, babe."
Tara smiled, kissed Buffy on the lips, and backed out of the limousine. She went back into the house to grab Buffy's keys.
The driver closed the door.
Buffy looked around and noticed the corsage waiting for her in a small box between them. "They bought us corsages?"
Cordelia shrugged. "I took the orchid."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Okay."
The driver got in and started the car. He put the car in gear and drove off.
The limousine drove at a steady speed along a lonely stretch of road in the woods.
"I don't see what the big deal is."
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "I'm not making a big deal. You wanted the orchid, you got the orchid."
"It goes with my complexion better."
The driver pulled the limousine to the side of the road and stopped.
"It does have that sallow tint." Buffy noticed the car stop. "What's going on?"
They heard the driver's door slam and his footsteps as he ran off. Buffy gave Cordelia a concerned look. She opened her door and got out of the car. Cordelia got out behind her and swung the door shut. They looked around, surprised to find themselves in the middle of the woods.
"What is this?" Cordelia asked. "Okay, guys, we've had enough of your stupid little game!"
Buffy noticed a VCR and a monitor waiting for them on a rock. "What's massively wrong with this picture?"
They walked up to it. A sign on the VCR read "Press Play", which Buffy did.
A black man appeared on the screen. "Hello, ladies. Welcome to SlayerFest '98."
Buffy and Cordelia stared at the monitor in disbelief.
"What is a SlayerFest, you ask? Well, as in most of life, there's the hunters and the hunted. Can you guess where you two fall? From the beginning of this tape, you have exactly thirty seconds-" He checked his watch. "-no, that's seventeen now - to run for your lives." He smiled. "Faith...Buffy...have a nice death."
The picture faded to black, and the word "SlayerFest" appeared in red and white.
"Hello! How stupid are you people?" Cordelia pointed at Buffy. "She's a Slayer." She put her hand to her chest. "I'm a Homecoming Queen!"
They heard a distant gunshot, and an instant later the monitor exploded. Cordelia gasped in fright, and the two of them began to run.
With the exception of Faith (who Jenny drove), the rest of the gang drove to the homecoming dance in the school gym and soon realized Buffy and Cordelia hadn't yet arrived.
"Where are they?" Katrina asked.
Tara shook her head. "I don't know."
Amy was idly nibbling on a finger sandwich. "Should we go on?"
"Without Buffy?" Tara asked in surprise.
Faith walked up behind them. "Any word?"
Harmony looked at her. "None. Guys, I think you better take the stage." She walked off.
Faith glanced around and saw Scott behind her, dancing with a girl.
Faith looked at Tara, indicating behind them. "Asshole!" She huffed and walked off.
Giles found them and rushed up behind them. "We have to find Buffy. Something terrible's happened."
Tara, Amy, and Katrina looked at him, upset by this news.
Giles smiled. "Just kidding. Thought I'd give you a scare." He saw Amy's sandwich. "Are those finger sandwiches?" He went off to find the buffet table to get a few sandwiches of his own.
Buffy and Cordelia jogged through the woods at a brisk pace. Buffy scanned the forest around them as they went.
Cordelia just followed her. "I have an idea. We talk to these people, we explain that I'm not a Slayer, and they let me go."
They slowed to a walk. Buffy ignored Cordelia's comment and kept scanning around them. Cordelia looked down and saw Buffy was about to step into a bear trap.
"Look out!" Cordelia yelled.
With her fast Slayer reflexes, Buffy instantly lifted her foot back up, and the trap snapped shut empty.
Knowing someone must be near, Buffy grabbed Cordelia and pulled her to the ground. "Get down!"
A shot was fired and missed. Buffy grabbed the sprung trap and hurled it at the shooter. It hit him hard, and he staggered back and stepped into another bear trap. He grunted when it snapped shut on his leg. Buffy hurried over to him with Cordelia not far behind. He wore a werewolf pelt and a necklace of werewolf teeth. He reminded Buffy of Gib Cain. He looked human, but that didn't bother Buffy.
Buffy picked up his rifle and pointed it at him. "That's gotta hurt like a motherfucker."
He tried to pry open the trap.
"Now, I can let you out of that, or I can put a bullet in your head. How many are there in this little game, and what are they packing?" Buffy asked.
He just stared at her, refusing to speak. Buffy pumped a fresh round into the gun's chamber.
"There's me, two Germans with AR-15s and grenade launcher...yellow-skinned demon with long knives...vampire couple from Texas named Gorch."
"That everybody?" Buffy asked him.
"Everybody who's out here. Germans are wired. Their boss is tracking them on computer. Now, get me out of this!"
"Could I just ask you an eensy favor?" Cordelia asked him. "Could you just tell your friends that I'm not a Sla-"
Cordelia screamed and jumped back as the demon's serrated weapons sliced into the tree in front of her.
Giles selected a few finger sandwiches from the buffet table.
Jenny walked over to him. "Ooh, looks delicious, but I'm trying to cut down on my finger consumption."
Giles looked at her.
Jenny smiled. "I'm just fucking with you, Rupert."
Giles nodded and laughed awkwardly. "Ah, yes, uh, v-very clever."
Behind Jenny and Giles, Faith moved around the table and over to Scott. He was dancing slow and close with his date. Faith touched the couple, and they pulled apart.
"Scott? There you are, honey! Hey, good news." Faith put her hands on his chest. "The doctor says that the itching and the swelling and the burning should clear up, but we gotta keep using the ointment."
Scott's date wasn't sure what to make of that.
Faith turned to her and touched her on the shoulder. "Hi." She turned back to Scott, grabbed him by the lapels, and gave him a little pull. She let go of him and walked away.
Scott turned back to his date, thoroughly embarrassed. "Uh..."
Giles chewed on a bite of his finger sandwich and stepped over to Tara, Amy, and Katrina. "I suspect the, uh, finger food contains...actual fingers."
They didn't react.
"Is something wrong?" Giles asked them.
Tara looked at him. "Buffy and Cordelia haven't arrived."
Katrina looked at him. "The limo never picked us up. I called the police, but there haven't been any reports of crashes."
"Oh, I'm sure they're all right. Probably a flat tire or engine trouble or something. I-I-I think I'll retreat to the library until the coronation."
He got no reaction from any of them. Giles then headed out of the gym to go to his library.
Katrina started walking toward the stage. "All right, fuck it, we're going on."
Amy and Tara followed her.
"You sure?" Amy asked Katrina.
Katrina nodded. "Yeah, I can play a six-string."
They went up on the stage. Katrina cut the prerecorded music and adjusted the amplifier. Tara went and stood behind her keyboard, and Amy stood behind her drum machine.
Katrina picked up Buffy's guitar and turned on Buffy's microphone. "Hello. We're Buffy and the Slayerettes, uh, minus Buffy at the moment. Sorry for the delay. I'm Katrina Silber, and I'll be taking over on lead vocals and guitar until Buffy shows up. Tara Maclay on keyboard. Amy Madison on drums."
Buffy kicked the door into a run-down cabin in the woods, and she and Cordelia rushed in. Buffy held the rifle in one hand as she pushed the door shut with the other and pulled a chair over to barricade it. She started to go to each window to close the shutters and draw the drapes over them.
"We should be safe in here for a while. You need to find a weapon."
Cordelia was panting with fright. "Safe? I'm not safe. I'm gonna die!"
Buffy pulled back the drapes from another window to close its shutters, but it came loose in her hand and fell to the floor.
Buffy shrugged. "Yeah, you are if you just stand there." She pulled the drapes across to at least block the view and went on to do the rest of the windows.
Cordelia was sobbing. "I'm never gonna be crowned Homecoming Queen. I'm never gonna graduate from high school."
Buffy allowed her attention to be diverted by Cordelia for a moment. She sighed and went over to her. "Yes, you are. We are gonna get out of here, and we are gonna head back to the library, where Giles and the rest of the weapons live. Then I'm gonna take out the rest of these guys just in time for you to enjoy your sweeping victory as Homecoming Queen. So shut up for fuck's sake." She headed back to a window.
"I know what you're up to."
Buffy turned back to face her.
"You think, if you get me mad enough, I won't be so scared. And hey! It's working! Where's a damn weapon?" Cordelia looked around and saw an end table with drawers, walked over to it, and started searching for anything that she could use.
Buffy resumed her surveillance at the window. Cordelia found a spatula and took it over to Buffy.
"That's it?" Buffy asked her.
"Just this and a telephone."
"A telephone. And you didn't think that'd be helpful?"
"No, this is better for..." Cordelia swung it a few times and realized it probably wouldn't be of much use. "Oh." She sighed.
Buffy walked over to the phone and picked up the handset. She took out her book, opened it, and called Giles' office. The phone rang four times, and then it went to the answering machine.
"You've reached the Sunnydale High School Library. Please leave a message after the beep."
After Giles' message, the machine beeped.
"Giles, it's me...and Cordelia. We're in a cabin in Miller's Woods, and we're in big trouble. If you get this message, Giles, get help and get out here-"
The phone clicked and went dead.
"Hello?" Buffy asked.
"What happened?" Cordelia asked her.
"It went dead."
Giles walked into his office, noticed there was a message for him on his machine, and pressed the playback button. He took a sip of his tea as the machine rewound briefly, beeped, and played Buffy's message.
"Giles, it's me...and Cordelia. We're in a cabin in Miller's Woods, and we're in big trouble."
That's when Giles lost consciousness.
In the cabin, Cordelia sat down on a cot. "Why is it, every time I go somewhere with you, it always ends in violence and terror?"
Buffy stared out a window. "Welcome to my life."
"I don't wanna be in your life. I wanna be in my life."
Buffy looked back at her. "Well, there's the door." She pointed with the rifle. "Please feel free to walk out at any time and live your life." She walked over to another window and looked out again.
"All I wanted was to be Homecoming Queen."
Buffy turned to face her again and lowered the gun. "And that's all I want for you, Cordelia." She sighed, looked down at her tuxedo, and headed back to the other window again. "I won't be able to return this tux." She looked out again.
"Where'd you learn how to handle a gun?" Cordelia asked her.
Again, Buffy turned around to face her. "From Giles. He insisted on some firearms training back in sophomore year. I did only enough to have the knowledge to be able to use a gun, if I happen to come across one in the field, but I made it clear to him that I was uncomfortable with it and would not continue with it."
"Why?" Cordelia asked.
"Because it's a coward's weapon." Buffy lowered her head and stepped over to her. "The ability to kill someone from a distance, perhaps never even making eye contact with your enemy." She sighed and shook her head. "If you wanna kill me, at least meet me on the field of battle, face to face, on equal footing; don't just pick me off from a distance."
"Would you have killed that guy?" Cordelia asked her.
"The werewolf hunter?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah. He was helpless, but you threatened to shoot him, anyway."
Buffy sighed. "I don't know. I hope not, but I don't know. I hate what I've become."
Cordelia kept respectfully silent.
"You couldn't understand." Buffy shrugged. "This is a bloody, thankless job, and sometimes I feel I have the wrong temperament for it."
"Then why do you keep doing it?" Cordelia asked her. "Why not leave it to Faith?"
Buffy nodded. "Maybe...in time. But I have to admit it's grown on me. And I think, despite what you said, it's grown on you, too."
Cordelia gave her an understanding look and a small smile. "Maybe."
Buffy raised the rifle in her hands. "Now, let's get you to the dance." She pumped the rifle. "You look cute in a tiara."
Cordelia let out a little laugh. Then they heard a growl outside the cabin.
Cordelia looked around. "Do you hear-"
Suddenly, the demon came crashing through a window. He immediately grabbed Buffy and threw her down onto an old mattress and pillow on the floor, making her drop the rifle. She rolled out of the way as he swung at her with his green serrated blades, and they just sliced into the pillow. Buffy rushed to the far wall and took down a set of antlers to use for defense. He swung his blades at her while Cordelia slapped him on the back with her spatula from behind. Buffy blocked the blades with the antlers and shoved the antlers aside. He went down with them.
"Cor, the gun!" Buffy yelled.
The demon got to his knees and took a wide swing at Buffy, cutting her slightly on the arm and making her fall.
"Ooh!" Buffy exclaimed.
Cordelia found the rifle on the floor and picked it up. The demon stood up and tried another swing, but Buffy grabbed the end of the rug that he was standing on and yanked it out from under him, making him fall backward and hit the floor hard on his back. Cordelia had the gun raised now and waved it around, looking for a target. He got back to his feet, and Cordelia shot but missed, hitting a bottle on a shelf instead.
Buffy looked at her. "Cordelia, the spatula."
The demon took a lunging swing at Buffy. She avoided it and grabbed the hanging lamp above her and used it to support herself to deliver a solid mid-air roundhouse kick to his face. He went flying backward into a desk against the wall and fell to the floor.
Cordelia tried to get Buffy's attention. "Buffy!"
Buffy looked over at her, and Cordelia tossed her the rifle. She aimed it at the demon as he got up from the floor. He roared and started to come at her. Buffy pulled the trigger, but the chamber was still empty from Cordelia's shot, so the hammer just clicked on nothing. Buffy quickly raised the rifle above her head to block his swing. His blade embedded itself in the rifle's stock, and Buffy twisted it around, pulling his arm with it and pinning him down.
Suddenly, a grenade penetrated a window shutter and fell to the floor in front of Buffy and the demon. They looked at each other and let go of the rifle. Buffy grabbed Cordelia and started to run toward a window with her in tow. The demon ran for another window. Buffy and Cordelia both jumped and crashed through the glass.
Buffy and Cordelia ran like mad. Behind them, the cabin exploded in a huge fireball, sending bits of debris flying everywhere and knocking them to the ground. They both looked up at each other, panting.
Buffy nodded. "We gotta get back to the library."
They got up and started running through the woods.
At school, Buffy and Cordelia ran around a corner and headed for the library.
"Jungle Bob and spike-head are down and out. We've lost the Germans twice, but they seem to keep finding us. If we take them out and the Gorches, we can still make homecoming."
"Those animals!" Cordelia yelled. "Hunting us down like poor, defenseless...well, animals."
They walked into the library.
"We just need to find Giles-"
The female Gorch roared and grabbed Buffy by the arm. She swung her around and let go, but Buffy maintained her balance and didn't fall. Gorch did a roundhouse kick to Buffy's face, making her stagger a bit. She grabbed Buffy by the back of the neck and shoved her into a bookcase, bringing her head down onto the shelves and breaking several of them as she fell to the floor. Lyle smiled at his wife's clever move, but Buffy did a sweep kick, knocking her legs out from underneath her and making her fall also. Buffy scrambled to her feet.
"Buffy!" Cordelia yelled.
Buffy looked at her.
Cordelia tossed the spatula to Buffy, who grabbed it in mid-air and turned to face Lady Gorch with it. Gorch grabbed the coat rack as she got up. Buffy lunged at her with the handle of the spatula and impaled her on it. Gorch shoved the base of the coat rack into Buffy's face and made her stumble back into the walls. She fell over a wastebasket and into a potted tree before falling to the floor, unconscious. Gorch dropped the coat rack and noticed the spatula sticking out of her chest.
Lyle's face took on a look of terror. "Candy!"
Candy died before his eyes and fell to the floor.
"Oh, Candy..." Lyle headed for Buffy on the floor.
Cordelia calmly stepped over and headed him off.
"I'm gonna kill both you Slayers for this! You hear me?" Lyle threatened.
"I hear you, you redneck moron. You got a dress that goes with that hat?" Cordelia asked him.
"I'm gonna-"
"Rip out my innards, play with my eyeballs, boil my brain and eat it for brunch?" Cordelia guessed. "Listen up, retard. Buffy and I have taken out four of your cronies, not to mention your girlfriend."
"Wife!"
"Whatever. The point is...I haven't even broken a sweat. See, in the end, Buffy's just the runner-up. I'm the Queen." Cordelia got in his face and glared at him. "You get me mad, what do you think I'm gonna do to you?"
Lyle was taken aback by that and considered his next move. Cordelia raised her eyebrows at him impatiently.
Lyle thought better of taking her on and gave her a quick nod. "Later." He cautiously edged his way around her and headed out of the library.
Giles woke up and got up from the floor. Cordelia smiled, impressed with herself.
A short while later, Buffy was awake again, and Giles started to deal with the mess left by the Gorches.
Buffy smiled at Cordelia. "That should teach him to mistake you for a Slayer."
Giles looked at them. "Yes, well, I'm sorry that you got mixed up in all of this, Cordelia."
Buffy looked at him. "Aw, it's okay. It gave Cor and me a chance to spend some quality death time."
"And we got these free corsages." Cordelia looked at hers.
Buffy pulled hers out to look at it. "Jungle Bob...said that the Germans were hooked into a computer system." She gave her corsage a more thorough inspection. Inside, she found a small transmitter. "And they're hooked into us."
They both looked up when they heard a door slam out in the halls.
Cordelia quickly pulled her corsage off and gave it to Buffy. "Oh, God, get rid of these things!"
Buffy looked at Giles. "I need some wet toilet paper."
Cordelia stared at her in confusion. "Yeah! That'll help."
Katrina danced in place on the stage as she led the band through the latest song:
"The reflex
Is an only child
Who's waiting by the park.
The reflex
Is in charge of finding
Treasure in the dark
And watching
Over lucky clover;
Isn't that bizarre?
And every little thing the reflex does
Leaves you answered with a question mark."
Faith shook her head. "Oh, hell no." She ran up on the stage and over to Katrina. She put her hand over the microphone. "Enough of this candy-ass bullshit. Let's kick some ass!"
"Huh?" Katrina asked.
Faith stared at her. "Let me play."
Katrina looked at Tara and Amy. They shrugged. Katrina looked at Faith and relented, handing over Buffy's guitar. Faith took it. Katrina walked over to her usual spot and picked up her bass guitar.
Tara looked at Faith. "Faith, do you even know how to play?"
"A little."
Amy looked at Faith. "Well, what are you gonna play?"
"Don't worry about it, Ames, just improvise. Okay, Sunnydale High, are you ready to rock?!" Faith asked.
The audience cheered.
Faith started playing the guitar. Tara, Amy, and Katrina immediately recognized the song and did their best to add their own instrumentation, even though they hadn't practiced this song.
"It's getting late; have you seen my mates?
Ma, tell me when the girls get here.
It's seven o'clock, and I wanna rock.
Wanna get a belly full of beer.
My old man's drunker than a barrel full of monkeys,
And my old lady, she don't care.
My sister looks cute in her braces and boots,
A handful of grease in her hair.
"Oh,
Don't give us none of your aggravation.
We had it with your discipline.
Oh, Saturday night's alright for fighting.
Get a little action in.
Get about as oiled as a diesel train.
Gonna set this dance alight.
'Cause Saturday night's the night I like.
Saturday night's alright, alright, alright, ooh."
Buffy and Cordelia waited in the library. They heard the music coming from the gym - and Faith's vocals - and looked at each other and smiled in amusement.
"Well, they're packed pretty tight in here tonight.
I'm looking for a dolly who'll see me right.
I may use a little muscle to get what I need.
I may sink a little drink and shout out: 'She's with me!'
A couple of the sounds that I really like
Are the sounds of a switchblade and a motorbike.
I'm a juvenile product of the working class
Whose best friend floats in the bottom of a glass.
"Oh,
Don't give us none of your aggravation.
We had it with your discipline.
Oh, Saturday night's alright for fighting.
Get a little action in.
Get about as oiled as a diesel train.
Gonna set this dance alight.
'Cause Saturday night's the night I like.
Saturday night's alright, alright, alright, ooh."
As Faith began the guitar break, Buffy suddenly ran across the hall and ducked into a classroom. One of the Germans followed her in.
"Oh,
Don't give us none of your aggravation.
We had it with your discipline.
Oh, Saturday night's alright for fighting.
Get a little action in.
Get about as oiled as a diesel train.
Gonna set this dance alight.
'Cause Saturday night's the night I like.
Saturday night's alright, alright, alright, ooh."
As Faith started another guitar break, the assassin scanned around in the dark room as he walked through the room.
Buffy rose up from behind a low bookcase. She threw a wad of wet toilet paper with the transmitters, and it hit the assassin on his back. He spun around to look which direction that he was hit from.
"Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!
Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!
Saturday! Saturday! Saturday night's alright!"
The assassin in the hall started to shoot through the wall. The other one turned toward the fire and shot back. They kept shooting at each other through the wall until they hit each other and died.
"Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!
Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!
Saturday! Saturday! Saturday night's alright!"
Buffy looked at the destroyed windows from behind the cover of the bookcase.
"Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!
Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!
Saturday! Saturday! Saturday night's alright, whoo!"
Faith finished playing. The audience cheered and applauded. Faith, Tara, Amy, and Katrina took bows.
Buffy walked back into the library.
Cordelia looked at her. "Are they...?"
Buffy nodded somberly. "They're dead. They, uh, shot each other."
Cordelia nodded.
Buffy shook her head. "Anyway, let's get to the gym. You've got a tiara to win."
The time to announce the Homecoming Queen had arrived.
Jonathan Levinson stepped up to the mic. "Hey, guys, the moment we've all been waiting for."
Tara gave the others a concerned look. "They're gonna announce the Queen. Where are they? What's keeping them?"
Amy noticed Buffy and Cordelia work their way through the crowd behind them. They were still dirty and disheveled from their ordeal.
Amy raised her eyebrows. "I'm gonna go with mud wrestling."
"Oh, God! What did you two do to each other?" Katrina asked.
Buffy smiled. "Long story."
Cordelia nodded. "Got hunted."
Buffy shrugged. "Apparently not that long."
Tara looked at the two of them in disbelief.
Buffy smiled. "Tell you one thing, though: you don't wanna fuck with Cordelia."
"In this envelope, I hold the name of this year's Homecoming Queen."
Buffy looked at Faith and smiled. "Hey, you kick ass! I wish I was here to see your performance."
Harmony smiled. "I've got it all on tape."
Faith smiled. "Make me a copy."
Cordelia smiled. "After all that we've been through tonight, this whole who-gets-to-be-queen-capade seems pretty...damn important."
Buffy smiled and shook her head.
"And the winner is..." Jonathan opened the envelope and checked the name. "Hey, I believe we have a first for Sunnydale High. We have a tie."
Buffy and Cordelia exchanged a look and smiled.
"The winners are Holly Charleston and Michelle Blake!" Jonathan announced.
Buffy and Cordelia's smiles faded. Michelle and Holly pushed between them to get to the stage. Everyone in the crowd applauded as the two queens made their way to the stage. Cordelia and Buffy couldn't believe it. On the stage, Jonathan held up the homecoming tiara and waved it first over Michelle's head, then Holly's. The crowd continued to applaud.
Michelle stepped up to the microphone. "I'm just so honored!" She giggled.
Buffy and Cordelia exchanged another look, rolled their eyes, and turned to go.
"I can't believe it! I mean...that you would pick me...or us...out of every girl in the whole school! It's just...it's so wonderful!" Michelle exclaimed.
Cordelia rolled her eyes again as the two of them left.
Michelle started to weep. "I promised myself I'm not gonna cry..."
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked Cordelia.
Cordelia sighed. "No, but...I'll get over it...I guess." A tear ran down her cheek.
Buffy pulled Cordelia into a big hug.
Chapter 67: Band Candy
Chapter Text
"Band Candy"
Based on the Episode Written by Jane Espenson
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
In the Sunnydale cemetery, at night, Buffy was sitting on a blanket with her legs covered by another one.
Giles was standing behind a nearby gravestone. He had a book open. "'And on that tragic day, an era came to its inevitable end.' That's all there is. Are you ready?"
"Hit me."
"Which of the following best expresses the theme of the passage? A) Violence breeds violence, B) All things must end, C)-"
Buffy looked down at her answer sheet and filled in a bubble with her No. 2 pencil. "'B'. I'm going with 'B'. We haven't had 'B' in forever."
Giles was exasperated. "This is the SATs, Buffy, not connect-the-dots. Please pay attention. A low score could seriously harm your chances of getting into college."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Goddamn, thanks. That takes the pressure right off."
"This isn't meant to be easy, you know. It's a rite of passage."
"Well, is it too late to join a tribe where they just pierce something or cut something off?" Buffy asked sarcastically.
"Buffy, please concentrate." Giles looked back at his book.
Buffy saw a vampire approach behind him. "Roll!" She tossed her notebook and answer sheet off her lap and scrambled out from under her blanket and to her feet.
Giles looked up. "What?"
He saw her rushing toward him, instantly realized he needed to get out of the way, and shoulder-rolled onto the ground, out of danger. Buffy vaulted herself over the gravestone, finished in a roundoff to the ground, and, without a moment's hesitation, side-kicked the advancing vampire in the stomach. He went flying backward, landing hard on his back. Buffy rushed him, grabbed his legs, and pushed them up, forcing him into a back roll away from her.
The vampire ended up in a standing position and tried to punch her but missed her entirely. She tried a punch, but he middle-blocked her and took a swing with his free hand at her face. She ducked both it and the next punch that he threw. She straightened back up and roundhouse-kicked him in the side, but he kept his balance and tried to roundhouse-kick her in turn. She ducked it, and his momentum carried him around in a spin. He came to a stop facing her and tried to punch her in the face, but she grabbed onto his arm and blocked his next punch. He brought his free hand up again, but she smashed her forearm down to block it. Seeing an opening, Buffy took her pencil and stabbed him cleanly in the chest. She pulled it back out, and the vampire died and fell to the ground.
Buffy started back to her blanket. She looked at the tip of her pencil and saw it was broken. "Hmm. I broke my No. 2 pencil. We'll have to do this again sometime."
Giles extended his hand to her, holding a sharpened No. 2 pencil. "C) All systems tend towards chaos."
She flipped her broken pencil at him and snatched the new one from his hand. Giles watched her old pencil fly by him and hit the ground next to him.
Buffy sat back down cross-legged on her blanket and picked up her notebook and answer sheet. "I just know that us and the undead are the only people in Sunnydale working this late." She pouted up at Giles and waited for him to start reading again.
The next day, Buffy and Tara arrived at the top of the outside stairs and started down to the quad at Sunnydale High.
"And then I was being chased by an improperly filled-in answer bubble screaming 'None of the above!'" Buffy recounted.
"Wow. I hope that wasn't one of your prophecy dreams."
Buffy gave Tara a look.
Tara felt a bit embarrassed. "Probably not."
They reached the bottom of the stairs and continued to walk along the colonnade.
Tara looked at Buffy. "We could work on it tonight."
Cordelia walked out through the breezeway and walked behind them. "Work on what tonight? Oh, God. Are we killing something again?"
Buffy sighed. "Only my carefree spirit."
Tara looked at Cordelia. "Buffy SAT prep."
"Tara is helping." Buffy sighed again. "I hate they make us take that thing. It's totally fascist, and, personally, I think it, uh, discriminates against the uninformed."
"Actually, I'm looking forward to it. I do well on standardized tests."
Buffy and Tara gave her looks.
"What? I can't have layers?" Cordelia asked.
The group entered the hall near the cafeteria.
"So, Buff, study tonight?" Tara asked.
"Uh, yeah. Before dinner. Then Giles has me."
Cordelia gave her a look. "Ew."
Buffy playfully backhand-slapped her on the arm. "Sicko."
They turned into the cafeteria.
Buffy looked around. "It's like being in the Real World house, only real."
"Hmm?" Tara asked, confused.
They saw a table piled up with boxes of Milkbar fund-raiser chocolate bars. Other students were each taking a box as Snyder checked their names off on his clipboard.
Tara smiled. "Ooh, candy bars! Lots of 'em!"
Buffy grinned. "Yes! Candy bars kick ass!"
Snyder held out a box to Tara.
"Principal Snyder, thank you!" Tara took the box.
"It's band candy."
"Let's hear it for the band, huh?" Buffy asked. "Very generous."
"You will sell it to raise money for the marching band. They need new uniforms."
Buffy gave him a weak smile. "I'm sure we love the idea of going door to door and bothering people, but we're not in the band."
"And if I'd handed you a trombone, that would've been a problem, Summers." Snyder held out a box. "It's candy."
Buffy took it.
"Sell it." Snyder offered another box to Cordelia.
Cordelia took it with a smile, wrapping her middle finger around the front of it.
He stared at her and then walked off, leaving them all staring at their boxes.
In the kitchen at Buffy's house, she, her mother, and Tara were eating Chinese food for dinner at the island.
"But you're not in the band."
Buffy gestured at the boxes. "And yet."
"Buffy, what would I do with forty chocolate bars?" Joyce asked her.
"You could hand them out at the gallery. 'Buy something Pre-Columbian, get a free cavity.'"
Joyce considered. "Twenty." She took them out of the box and handed her daughter back the box.
"You're a good mom." Buffy set down the box.
"I'm the best."
Tara smiled. "Best enough to buy twenty more bars from your favorite witch?"
Joyce looked at her and pushed her box in her direction. "Nice try, Tara."
Tara sighed. "Great. I hope Amy's in the mood for an expensive pig-out session."
Buffy chuckled, picked up her egg roll, and took a bite. "Mm...I gotta go." She got up and grabbed her box of candy bars.
"What, you're going out?" Joyce asked her.
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips and looked at her mother. "Giles. Slay-study double feature. Could be late."
"Again? Honey, don't you think Mr. Giles is monopolizing an awful lot of your time?"
"And does he ever say he's sorry?" Buffy asked before heading toward the door.
In the library, Giles was tying a blindfold tightly around Buffy's head.
"Ow!" Buffy yelled.
"Sorry."
"Why do I put up with this shit?" Buffy asked.
Giles walked around her. "Because it is your destiny...and because I just bought twenty 'cocorific' candy bars." He handed her a large rubber ball.
"Okay, you're just doing this to take funny pictures of me."
Giles walked around her. "I'm doing it to test your awareness of an opponent's location during a fight in total darkness. Now, wait five seconds and then throw the ball at me." He silently backtracked and took several steps away from her toward the cage.
"You ran out of new training ideas about a week ago, huh?" Buffy asked him. "Okay. Five, four, three, two, one."
She turned around and faced the door to Giles' office. He smiled, thinking she was completely clueless as to where he was. Buffy threw the ball. It hit the wall high above the checkout counter and bounced off.
"It's not that simple, is it-"
The ball bumped him in the side of the head.
"Ow. Ahem. Yes, well, very good."
Buffy took off the blindfold. "Thanks!"
Cordelia arrived at Angel's mansion, holding a small paper bag. The door to the atrium was open. She saw a shirtless Angel come into view, practicing the slow, elegant forms of T'ai Chi. He brought his arms down together in front of him and then over to his right. As he brought his left arm up across his abdomen, he crossed his right arm over his left. His motions remained fluid as he slowly moved his left arm out in front of him, palm up, and extended his right arm out to his side. He drew his arms together again, this time crossing his left arm over his right, and repeated a mirror image of his last move. Never stopping his motion, he brought both hands to his waist, palms facing forward, and slowly raised his right arm and swept it across in front of himself, palm down, while he swept his left arm across below his right, palm up. Cordelia walked into the doorway and stopped just to watch him, amazed at the fluidity and smoothness of his motions. Angel didn't notice her and continued the exercises. He had his arms extended, his left hand angled up sharply from his forearm and his right hand clasping the heel of his left. He brought them around in a broad sweeping motion toward Cordelia and then raised them, separated them, and spread them apart with his palms facing away from him. He raised his head as he did so and saw Cordelia standing there, watching him.
"Cordy."
Cordelia looked down briefly, slightly embarrassed to be caught watching him like that, and then looked up at him again with a little smile on her lips. "I didn't know you could do that."
Angel gave her the briefest glimpse of a small smile as he tried to straighten himself up from his slightly bent stance. "I-I'm feeling better." He couldn't maintain his posture and bent back over, supporting himself with his right hand on his knee.
Cordelia rushed to his aid. "Angel..." She got under his left arm and helped him stand up straight. "Let's...get you inside."
They slowly made their way back into the mansion. There was a warm fire going in the fireplace. They stopped and let go. Angel faced Cordelia and sat on the edge of the couch. She stepped closer to him but stopped. Angel just looked up at her. She sighed, put the bag down next to him, stepped over to an adjacent couch set at a right angle to his, and sat also - but very stiffly.
Angel leaned back on his cushions. "How is, uh...Scott?"
"Scott?" Cordelia smiled weakly and looked down. "Oh, um...boyfriend Scott. Uh..." She inhaled deeply. "A-Actually, he's not..." She looked up at him. "He's fine." She exhaled and nodded.
Angel gave her a little nod.
Cordelia indicated the bag that she left next to him. "Uh, that's for you."
Angel reached for it.
"Uh...i-it's fresh from the butcher."
"Thanks." Angel reached in and took out a quart-sized plastic tub of blood. He gave it a brief look, then slipped it back into the bag and set it aside.
Cordelia looked away shyly, knowing he didn't want to eat in front of her.
"You're being careful, right?" Angel asked her.
Cordelia looked up, surprised. "With Scott?"
"The slaying."
"Oh." Cordelia smiled and exhaled. "Uh...yeah. Of course." She nodded a lot. "Full of carefulness."
Angel looked down. "I worry about you." He looked at her.
Cordelia paused briefly. "I worry about you."
Angel stared down again for a moment, stroking the cushions. "I'm getting stronger."
Cordelia gave him a little smile. "Yeah, pretty soon, you won't even need me."
Angel nodded a little. "That'll be better."
Cordelia was unsure how to take that. "Yeah."
They continued to sit in silence.
The next day, Buffy and Cordelia had study hall in the science classroom and were sitting together at a table.
Cordelia sighed. "I heard that there was a secret rule that, if a teacher's more than ten minutes late, we can all leave."
Buffy looked up from studying. "It's Giles' turn to watch study hall. He'll be here." She looked back at her book. "He's allergic to late."
Cordelia sighed. "He is wound a little tight. I had this romance novel checked out from the library for, like, a year, and he made me pay the fine, even though it was huge."
Buffy gave her a look.
"I was sad to return it." Cordelia smiled. "It was perfect for slow, romantic nights for one..."
They both went back to their studying.
After a while, Cordelia suddenly turned to face Buffy. "I can't believe this. Where the fuck is Giles already? I'm bored, and he's not here to give me credit for it."
Buffy looked over at the classroom door, suddenly concerned. The door opened.
Ms. Barton came in and clapped her hands a few times to get the students' attention. "Hey! We're all stuck here, okay? So now let's just sit quietly and..." She indicated a book on the teacher's desk and smiled. "...and pretend we're reading something until we're really sure that old Commandant Snyder's gone. Then we're all outta here!" She smiled widely.
Buffy was confused.
"I guess Giles isn't coming?" Cordelia asked Buffy.
Buffy was very concerned. "I guess not."
Buffy walked up to the door outside Giles' apartment and stopped. She peered in through the viewport, saw Giles, opened the door, and went in. Giles was crouched by a cabinet where he kept his vinyl record collection, looking at an album. Buffy closed the door behind her. The sound got Giles' attention, and he looked up.
"Buffy." Giles slipped the record into the cabinet.
Buffy walked further into the apartment. "Uh...sorry. I...I was just worried. You were a big not-there in study hall, and after your lecture to me on not ducking out..." She noticed Joyce sitting on his couch and was confused. "...and what is my mother doing here?"
Giles stepped over to Joyce, his mouth full of chocolate. "We had an opportunity for, um, you might say...a summit meeting. It took priority over study hall. I called in."
Buffy was still confused. "Oh."
Joyce looked at her. "We were talking about you, honey."
She and Giles both nodded.
Buffy was very confused and suspicious now. "About...?"
"A-About your work/life balance." Joyce looked to Giles for support.
Giles sat on the coffee table. "Uh, your home life and your duties as a Slayer."
Buffy stared at them warily. "Uh-huh."
Joyce nodded. "We're working out a coordinated schedule for you."
"It'll be tight, but, uh, I think we can fit in all your responsibilities." Giles smiled.
Buffy gave them an uncertain smile. "Sounds nice and structured."
"We've got more work to do here, honey. Why don't you give us a little more time?" Joyce asked.
Giles got up and walked over to the fireplace mantel to stare at a picture.
"Sure." Buffy stared at them for a moment longer and then turned and walked toward the door.
"Bye, honey. Drive careful."
Buffy opened the door. "Uh-huh!" She ran out the door without looking back, pulling it closed behind her.
Joyce turned to face Giles. "Do you think she noticed anything?"
Giles turned to face her, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He lit his lighter. "No way!"
He held the flame to his cigarette. Joyce smiled and reached down for a bottle that she had squirreled away under the end table. She twisted off the cap. Giles closed his lighter and took a drag. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and took a deep breath.
That night, Buffy and Tara walked up to Jenny's apartment. Buffy rang the doorbell.
Soon, the door opened. Jenny was standing there.
"Hey, Buffy, Tara. Faith'll be right out."
"I-I was actually h-hoping to see you, too, Ms. Calendar." Tara held up her box. "Would you like to buy s-some chocolate? It's for the marching band."
"Sure. Come in." Jenny stepped aside.
Buffy and Tara walked into the apartment.
Jenny closed and locked the door. "How much?"
"$2.00 each. I've got forty bars."
Jenny picked up her wallet off the coffee table and opened it. She took out a $10 bill and offered it to Tara. "I'll take five."
Tara opened her box, took out five chocolate bars, and offered them to Jenny. Jenny took them.
Tara took the $10 bill and smiled. "Thank you."
The toilet flushed. Soon, the bathroom door opened, and Faith walked out.
Buffy smiled. "Ready to go?"
"Yup."
Jenny smiled. "Have fun, you three. Stay safe."
Buffy looked at Jenny. "Ms. Calendar?"
"Yeah?"
"Um...I don't know if this is anything, but I had a weird encounter with my mom and Giles this afternoon. She was at his apartment."
"At his apartment?" Jenny asked in surprise.
Faith grinned. "Go, Joyce!"
Jenny glared at Faith.
"Anyway, I think she wanted me otherwhere. They said they were planning my future. Working out a schedule. I think it's easier for them to live my life if I'm not actually there."
Jenny frowned. "Odd."
"Yeah. Anyway, see ya later." Buffy turned and headed toward the door.
Tara and Faith followed her. Buffy unlocked and opened the door and walked outside. Tara and Faith followed. Faith closed the door behind her.
They started walking toward the van.
"Are - Are you sure about the Bronze?" Tara asked Buffy. "I mean...the SATs are tomorrow."
"I can study at the Bronze." Buffy smiled. "A little dancing, a little cross-multiplying."
In Giles' apartment, he was lying on his back on the floor, coat and tie gone, shirt unbuttoned to reveal his undershirt, getting ready to light a pair of cigarettes as he grooved to the sound of Cream singing "Tales of Brave Ulysses" on vinyl playing on his record player.
Joyce was sitting cross-legged in front of his record cabinet, looking through his albums as she grooved also. "You got good albums."
"Yeah, they're okay." Giles lit the cigarettes.
"Do you like Seals and Crofts?"
Giles turned his head to give her a look.
"Yeah, me neither."
Giles handed her one of the smokes.
"Thanks." Joyce took a drag. "So how come they, uh, call you Ripper?"
Giles sat up. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
The song went into a guitar riff between verses.
"Hmm, wait a minute. Listen to this bit." Giles got into it, smiling, bobbing his head, and waving his cigarette to the beat.
Behind him, Joyce took another drag.
"It rocks!" Giles exclaimed.
"It's good."
Giles got up and went to look into the mirror above the record cabinet. "Man, I gotta get a band together." He started running his fingers through his hair.
Joyce stood up. "Hey, Ripper, you wanna watch TV?" She leaned against the cabinet. "I know how to order pay-per-view."
Giles took off his outer shirt. "No, let's go out and have some fun. Tear things up a bit."
"Okay. We could go to the Bronze."
"Not bloody likely. That place is dead."
Tara, Faith, and Buffy walked into the Bronze. They looked around at the unusual mix of people in the crowd. A guy had his head tilted back as the bartender poured orange juice and vodka directly into his mouth. His friends surrounded him and goaded him on. There were unusual numbers of older people there. "Rock and Roll All Nite" by Kiss played on the sound system. The dance floor was very crowded with people of all ages. Even the older couples were dancing to the beat. Tara, Faith, and Buffy gave each other very amazed and concerned looks. They continued through the crowd.
Buffy looked around. "Let's do the time warp again."
Tara shrugged. "Maybe there's a reunion in town or - or a Billy Joel tour or something."
Ms. Barton walked past the three girls.
"Ms. Barton?" Buffy asked in surprise.
Ms. Barton stopped and faced her. "Buffy? Whoa!"
"Are you okay, Ms. Barton?" Tara asked.
Ms. Barton smiled widely. "Oh, I'm cool, Tara." She looked around. "Yeah, uh, uh, are there any nachos in here?"
"A-Are you sure you don't need some fresh air, Ms. Barton?" Buffy asked.
Ms. Barton laughed hysterically. "Okay..." She went into the crowd.
Buffy looked around. "Faith..." She couldn't find her. "Faith? Faith!"
Tara tapped Buffy on the shoulder and then pointed. Buffy looked. Faith was sitting at the bar, leaning back against the counter, and the bartender was pouring orange juice and vodka directly into her mouth.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Great."
Snyder spotted them from behind and came up between them, smiling hugely. "Hey, gang!" He put his arms around the girls' shoulders. "This place is Fun City, huh?" He laughed.
"Principal Snyder?" Buffy asked in surprise.
"Call me Snyder. Just a last name, like...Barbarino." Snyder let go of the girls and pumped his arms and fists around wildly.
Tara leaned slightly away from him.
"Ooh! I'm so stoked!" Snyder exclaimed.
Tara had no idea what to make of this.
Snyder came back down from his outburst and let out a breath. "Hey, did you see Ms. Barton? I think she's wasted. I'm gonna have to put that in her next performance review, 'cause...'cause I'm the principal!" He smiled, laughed, turned around, and headed back into the crowd.
Tara looked at Buffy. "I don't like this. They could have heart attacks."
"Uh, well...ma-maybe there's a doctor here."
Snyder stuck his head between the girls. "I got a commendation for being principal. From the Mayor! Shook my hand twice."
Buffy looked at him. "That's nice."
Snyder nodded and inhaled deeply. Two attractive women walked past them with drinks.
Snyder made eyes at them. "Whoa! There are some foxy ladies here tonight!" He headed off after them.
Buffy and Tara walked in the other direction.
"What's happening?" Tara asked.
"I don't know, but it's happening to a whole lot of grownups."
They stopped by the stairs.
Tara looked around at the crowd. "They're acting like a bunch..."
"They're acting like a bunch of us."
Tara was confused. "I don't act like this. I was gonna say 'morons' or 'assholes' or something."
Faith rejoined Tara and Buffy. "What up, bitches?"
Buffy made a face upon getting a whiff of Faith's breath. "Had enough?"
"Lighten up, B!" Faith offered Buffy a red cup.
Buffy held up a hand and shook her head. "I'm driving."
Faith offered the cup to Tara. Tara accepted it and took a sip of Faith's screwdriver. She made a face but didn't give the cup back. They all observed the crowd.
"Something's definitely changing them."
"A spell?" Tara asked Buffy.
Buffy shrugged.
Faith smiled. "Looks like a fun spell to me."
Suddenly, the music stopped, and a group of older men started singing "Louie Louie" up on the stage. They were off key, out of sync, and basically just plain terrible, but the crowd danced to them, anyway. An old nerd walked by as the girls stared.
Tara made a face. "It just gets more upsetting."
Several older couples on the dance floor kissed passionately.
Buffy pointed at the stage. "No vampire has ever been that scary."
"Fight!" a patron yelled suddenly.
Snyder turned to face the group, smiling and nodding his head vigorously. "Fight!"
Tara let out a helpless sigh.
Buffy started to head out. "We've gotta figure out what's going on. This has Hellmouth fingerprints all over it."
Tara and Faith followed her. Buffy stopped by a pinball machine where she saw a woman hold out a candy bar to her boyfriend. He took a huge bite while he kept playing the game.
Snyder caught up to them. "Hey, where are we going?"
The four of them headed for the club's exit. The three teenagers rushed out and headed for Buffy's van.
"Wait up, you guys!" Snyder came out the door. "Hey! You guys aren't trying to ditch me, are ya?"
Buffy, Tara, and Faith got into the van. Snyder followed them.
"We should find Mr. Giles. He'll know what's going on, right?" Tara asked Buffy.
"Sure. Except, for all we know, he's sweet sixteen again." Buffy pulled on her seatbelt and started the van.
Snyder opened the door behind her and got in, sitting to Faith's left. "I said wait up!" He slammed the door.
Faith looked at him. "Uh, Snyder..."
"No time. He's coming with us." Buffy put the van in Drive and slammed on the gas, burning some rubber in her hurry to get going.
"Whoa, Summers! You drive like a spaz!" Snyder yelled.
Buffy drove along the street at a fast clip.
Tara looked back at Faith. "It'll be okay when we get to Mr. Giles'."
"Of course, I mean, even if he's sixteen, he's still Giles, right?" Faith asked. "He's probably a pretty together guy."
Tara was suddenly worried. "Yeah, well..."
"What?" Faith asked.
"Giles at sixteen?" Buffy asked. "Less Together Guy, more Bad-Magic-Hates-The-World-Ticking-Time-Bomb Guy."
Faith thought about that. "Well, then I guess your mom's in a lotta trouble."
Snyder raised his eyebrows and nodded.
In the shopping district, Giles and Joyce walked along with their arms around each other.
"Must be exciting being from England." Joyce chewed her gum.
"Not particularly." Giles kicked a can. "You cold?" He took a puff of his cigarette.
"Nah-uh. I feel...special, like I'm just waking up, kinda."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah, like, uh, getting married and having kids and everything was just a dream, and now things are back like they're supposed to be."
"Yeah?"
They walked past a boutique with some retro clothes on display in the window and stopped to look.
Joyce spied a feathered wrap. "That's cool!" She nodded, smiled, and chewed. "Very Juice Newton."
Giles checked his hair in the reflection. "You fancy it?"
"Yeah, but the store's closed."
Giles took a final drag from his cigarette, then tossed it aside. He grabbed a trashcan and idly swung it toward the store's display window. Joyce quickly stepped away. The glass shattered and fell everywhere when the can hit, and an alarm went off. Joyce smiled widely and giggled hysterically while Giles climbed in and took the wrap off the mannequin. He grabbed the hat from the mannequin as well and set it on his head. Joyce looked around to see if anyone was coming.
Giles came back out and hopped down to the sidewalk from the window opening. "Woo-hoo!"
"Oh, Ripper! Wow, that was sooo brave!" Joyce exclaimed.
He helped her on with the wrap.
Suddenly, a police officer arrived behind them and aimed his gun at them. "Hold it!"
Giles and Joyce froze.
The light was green as Buffy approached an upcoming intersection.
"This is great! Let's do doughnuts in the football field, huh?" Snyder suggested.
They headed into the intersection. A Jeep came in the other direction.
"Oh, my Goddess, look out!" Tara warned.
They all tensed up for the impact. The Jeep hit them hard on the left back-seat door, making them spin around a quarter-turn.
The police officer had his Beretta M9 Pistol aimed at Giles, who let go of Joyce to face him. Joyce backed away slowly.
Giles took the hat from his head and tossed it aside. He stepped toward the officer and waved his arms around, taunting him. "Oooh...copper's got a gun!" He jumped around a bit, taunting the officer some more. "You'll never use it, though, man."
"Will so."
Giles spied a candy bar in the officer's front jacket pocket.
"Ripper, be careful!" Joyce warned.
This distracted the officer, and Giles batted his gun-holding hand aside, grabbed it, and held onto it as he head-butted the older man in the forehead and kneed him in the balls and again in the gut. The cop doubled over in pain. Giles twisted the officer's arm up above his head and took the Beretta from him and then kneed him in the face. The cop fell over, unconscious.
Giles stuck the gun into the back of his pants. "Told him he'd never use it."
He smiled and sashayed coolly over to Joyce as she leaned against the police car.
"You are sooo cool." Joyce laughed. "You're like Burt Reynolds."
In a flash, Giles had one hand around her neck and the other around her back. She started and gasped but didn't struggle. Instead, she took the gum out of her mouth, and they kissed passionately. Giles leaned her back over the hood of the car.
Buffy's van and the Jeep were stopped side by side, facing in opposite directions.
The driver of the Jeep quickly got out. "Sorry! Gotta go!"
He ran off laughing as Buffy and the others got out of the van.
Buffy's first instinct was to chase the man, but she let him go and looked at the dent in the van. "God damn it." She closed her door.
Snyder swung his door closed as well, but it wouldn't shut properly anymore.
"Are you guys okay?" Buffy asked them.
Snyder nodded as he also looked at the dents. Tara and Faith walked around the van. Off to the side, they saw three men sitting in the playground, laughing and smoking.
"Shit." Buffy sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I was gonna make another payment to my mom for the van, but now I'm gonna have to spend it on repairs instead. Fuck!"
Tara rubbed Buffy's back.
Buffy looked at the other side of the street and saw five guys hanging out by a tree. "Something's weird."
"What?" Faith asked her.
"No grownups."
Two women strutted past the men by the tree, munching on chocolate. The guys gave them catcalls. Snyder started to unwrap a bar of his own.
Buffy looked around. "No one's protecting their houses. Everyone's just...wandering."
A man ran up behind Snyder, grabbed his chocolate bar, and ran off with it.
"Hey!" Snyder yelled.
Tara and Faith stared at the man as he ran away.
"Hey, give it!" Snyder ran after the man.
Tara looked at Buffy. "Defenseless."
"So where are all the vampires?" Buffy asked.
The three ladies considered this strange dilemma.
Buffy continued looking around. "Soup's on, but no one's grabbing a spoon."
"Something's happening...someplace else." Faith looked at Buffy.
Buffy looked at Faith. "I'd say something big."
Snyder returned, upset. "That guy took my candy!"
Buffy suddenly got it and gave Tara and Faith an astonished look. "The candy. I-It's gotta be the candy! It's cursed."
Tara and Faith exchanged a look.
Snyder was worried. "A curse?! Oh, I've got a curse."
"Goddess, using candy for evil!" Tara cried.
Buffy looked at Snyder and jumped at him, pushing him up against the Jeep. "Who's behind it?"
"I don't know. It came through the school board." Snyder shook his head. "If you knew that crowd-"
"Where did it come from? Do you know where to get it?" Buffy asked, losing her patience.
"Yeah."
Buffy looked at Tara. "You get Cordelia. Go to the library and look it up."
"Got it."
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. "Be careful, sweetie."
"I will. You, too, okay?" Tara asked.
Buffy nodded and looked at Faith and Snyder. "Ratboy and us are going to the source." She shoved him toward the van.
Buffy pulled her van to a screeching halt at the loading dock behind the Milkbar factory. Two men had cases of chocolate open and were throwing them out into a crowd. The crowd was getting larger and rowdier by the minute. Buffy, Faith, and Snyder got out and marched over to the crowd. Just as she passed her mother and Watcher, Buffy stopped in her tracks. She turned to face them. Giles and Joyce were into some serious snogging.
"Mom? Giles?!" Buffy asked in surprise.
Giles ignored her. "Go away. We're busy."
"Mom!" Buffy pulled her mother away from her Watcher.
"Hey!" Joyce yelled.
Buffy was shocked. "Where did you get that coat? Never mind. Listen-"
Giles grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "Back off!"
"Giles, think about this. You wanna fight me, or you wanna let me talk to my mother?" Buffy asked him.
Giles realized he wouldn't have a chance against her and backed down, yanking his hand from her and up to the side of his face, where he grabbed a cigarette from behind his ear. Buffy turned back to her mother as Giles put the cigarette into his mouth and reached into his pocket for his lighter.
"Mom, look at me. Do you know who I am?" Buffy asked her.
Giles lit his smoke.
Joyce smiled. "Of course. You're Buffy." She looked over at the crowd. "Hey, look. They're - They're giving away candy. You want some candy?"
"No, I don't! And you don't need any more either."
Joyce was very annoyed. "I'm fine. I can have more if I want."
"You are not fine. You need to go home."
Joyce was angry now. "Fuck you. I want candy!"
"Mom!" Buffy yelled.
"You wanna slay shit, and I'm not allowed to do anything about it. Well, this is what I wanna do, so get off my back!" Joyce yelled.
"Mom, please, this is-"
Giles reached for Joyce. "Oh, for God's sake." He pulled her away. "Just let your mum have the sodding candy. C'mon, Joyce..."
Buffy held her mother back and stepped over to Giles. "Listen to me. You need-"
"No, you listen to me." Giles pointed at her. "I'm your Watcher, so you do what I tell you." He pointed at her van. "Now, sod off!"
Buffy grabbed the cigarette from his mouth, threw it down, and stomped it out. "Take her home." She headed for the crowd.
Giles grabbed Joyce's hand and started after her. "Joyce..."
Buffy and Faith pushed their way through the crowd toward the loading dock. Buffy stepped up on a crate and dispatched one of the men tossing candy to the crowd by punching him in the back of the knee. He crumpled and fell off the end of the dock. Faith log-rolled onto the platform and flipped up to her feet. The other man threw away the box of candy bars that he just grabbed, and Faith ducked, thinking it was being thrown at her. The man tried to punch her, but she punched him in the side and then backhand-punched him in the face, following up with two more punches to the gut and the face. She ducked his attempt at a punch and roundhouse-kicked him in the back, knocking him into the factory wall. She grabbed onto his shirt, spun halfway around, and launched him off the dock and into the air towards another wall. He hit it hard and slid to the pavement.
Buffy hopped up onto the platform but then saw Giles and her mother at the base of the dock, stuffing chocolate bars into their pockets, and walked over to them.
"Mom!" Buffy grabbed her by the arms and pulled her up.
"Hey!" Joyce yelled.
Giles looked up. "Oy! You leave her alone!"
Faith kicked in the door to the factory as Giles hopped up onto the dock. He followed Faith, Buffy, and Joyce into the building.
Buffy pulled her mother into the shipping area and let go of her. "Stay."
The place was piled to the ceiling with cases of Milkbars. Buffy looked around to see what she could find. Across the room from the conveyor where the boxes were sealed, she saw a man on a phone, listening. He was there alone. Faith, Giles, and Snyder came into the shipping area behind her.
Snyder sniffed. "It smells so chocolaty."
Buffy approached the man on the phone.
Giles looked around. "This is far out."
"Yeah, I've been out there. Town's wide open. You guys can go anytime."
Buffy immediately recognized the voice and crossed her arms as she closed the distance between them. "Ethan Rayne."
He turned to face her, and his eyes went wide with surprise. Upon hearing the name, Giles approached him also. Faith and Joyce were close behind. Together, the four of them made an imposing sight.
"Might wanna hurry."
"Ethan."
"Ripper." Ethan wasted no time breaking into a fast run.
Buffy and Giles gave immediate chase.
Buffy briefly looked back at Faith. "Look after my mom!"
Ethan ran under the inclined end of the conveyor and pulled a rack behind him to block their way, but the two of them just jumped over the low end of it instead and continued the chase.
In the library, Cordelia and Tara sat at the table, looking through the more promising volumes.
"At first, it was fun, you know?" Cordelia asked. "They seemed like they were in this really good mood - not like parents - and then-"
"Badness?" Tara guessed.
"Mom started borrowing my clothes. There should be an age limit on spandex pants. And Dad, he just locked himself in the bathroom with old copies of Esquire."
Tara flipped a page. "Freaky shit."
Cordelia stared into her book. "You wanna swap? This book is really thick, and I'm not sure it's in English." She traded with Tara.
Buffy and Giles rushed to keep up with Ethan, running through the maze of cases of candy bars. They made several twists and turns, and finally Buffy ran around a corner to discover she'd lost him. Behind her, Giles stopped running, too.
Giles breathed heavily to catch his breath. "Where..." He panted. "Bloody hell!"
Buffy looked at him. "That's what smoking will do to you. Now be quiet."
"Well...where'd the bastard go?" Giles asked.
Buffy was annoyed. "Shh!" She looked around and listened carefully. She went around a corner and stopped.
"What?" Giles asked.
Buffy pretended to go on but then suddenly did a half-spinning hook kick into a crate. She yanked away a chunk of wood, reached in, and pulled Ethan's head out. "Look. A box full of farm-fresh chicken."
Ethan gave her a nervous smile, but it quickly faded.
Buffy pulled him out of the crate. "So, Ethan, what are we playing? We're pretty much in a talk-or-bleed situation. Your call."
"Hit him."
Buffy glared at Giles for an instant, then looked back at Ethan.
"I-I'd just like to point out that this wasn't my idea."
Giles paced behind Buffy.
"Meaning...?" Buffy asked.
"I'm subcontracting. It's Trick you want. I'm just helping him collect a tribute...for a demon."
"He's lying. Hit him!" Giles yelled.
Buffy briefly glanced at him. "I don't think he is, and shut up."
"You're my Slayer." Giles excitedly pointed at Ethan. "Go knock his teeth down his thr-"
"Giles, shut the fuck up!" Buffy yelled at him.
Giles turned away from her and continued pacing.
Buffy looked at Ethan. "What demon?"
"I don't remember."
Buffy punched him solidly in the nose. He stumbled back against the broken crate.
Giles jumped and swung his fist through the air, smiling. "Yes!"
Buffy gave Giles a glaring look. He lost his smile.
"Lurconis. Demon named Lurconis. They wanted a way to get the tribute away from people."
"So you're just Diversion Guy?" Buffy asked him.
"More than a diversion. Well, they said the tribute was big, so big that people would never let them take it. That people had to be out of it. And later on, when the candy wore off, they'd blame themselves."
Buffy sighed. "Hence, land of the irresponsible. So...where's Trick?"
"I don't know exactly."
"Hit him again."
Buffy held up her fist and gave Ethan a threatening look.
Ethan warded her off with his hand. "No! I-I-I really don't know. Delivering the tribute."
Buffy stepped closer. "Which brings us to the bonus question, and believe me when I say a wrong answer will cost you all your points."
Behind her, Giles leaped up joyously with a huge smile on his face, anticipating a good fight.
"What's the tribute?" Buffy asked.
"I don't know."
Buffy sighed, grabbed Ethan by the shirt, and dragged him away.
A short while later, Ethan was leaning against a table while Faith stood nearby, keeping an eye on him. Snyder crouched nearby as well.
Buffy was on the phone with Tara at the library. "Right. Lurconis."
"Lurconis. A demon. What's his deal?" Tara asked.
"See if it says anything about a tribute."
"A tribute? Like what?"
"I don't know." Buffy looked at Ethan. "My source is all tapped out."
"She whupped you good, huh?" Snyder threw two punches. "Yah! Wah!" He stood up proudly. "I can do that. I took Tae Kwon Do at the Y."
He went into a series of kicks and punches, grunting with each one as he advanced toward Joyce, trying to impress her. She just rolled her eyes, looked away, and sighed, unimpressed. Snyder realized it didn't work and leaned against the wall. Joyce blew a bubble with her gum.
Suddenly, they heard a noise near the exit. Buffy looked at Faith and pointed in the direction of the noise. Faith went to investigate.
"I'm not finding anything. Are you sure it's not a witch or a vampire or something?" Tara asked Buffy.
"No, no. It's definitely a demon. A big one."
Ethan spied a crowbar on the table and, being unguarded now, reached for it and began to advance toward Buffy.
Giles noticed his advance. He pulled back the hammer on his stolen Beretta and pointed it at Ethan's neck. "I wouldn't."
Ethan stopped cold in his tracks. Buffy turned around and swung the telephone receiver hard into Ethan's chin. He spun down to the floor, dropping the crowbar. Giles aimed the gun at the back of Ethan's head, execution style.
Buffy handed the phone to her mother. "Giles, give me the gun." She held out her hand.
He just stared at Buffy and didn't give in.
Buffy stared back. "Giles..."
He kept the gun aimed right where it was.
"Now." Buffy's tone was sternly insistent.
After another moment, Giles reluctantly gave up his weapon. Buffy stuffed it into the back of her pants.
Joyce held the phone out to Buffy. "Uh, it's, um, it's Tara." She smiled and winked. "She wants you real bad."
Buffy took the phone. "Uh-huh?"
"Okay, Cordy just found it. 'The tribute to Lurconis is made every thirty years.' I-It's a ritual feeding. A-And this one's late, so it's probably, you know, a big meal. Oh. And..." Tara paused. "Oh. Lurconis eats babies."
Buffy immediately hung up and started to go. "Come on." She took her mother's hand.
"Well, what about that man?" Joyce asked her.
Buffy turned to see Giles holding the crowbar over Ethan, who was still on the floor.
"Uh, see if you guys can find something to tie him up with."
"Um..." Joyce reached behind her and pulled out a set of handcuffs, dangling them from her thumb and giving her daughter a sheepish but mischievous look.
"Never tell me." Buffy grabbed the cuffs and headed over to Ethan.
In the maternity ward at Sunnydale Memorial Hospital, Buffy held an identification wristband left behind in one of the empty cribs. Giles was outside the room, talking with the nurse on duty.
"I didn't see anything. I don't know where they are."
Joyce was sad and worried. "Something's gonna eat those babies?"
"What can I do?" the nurse asked.
"I think that is so wrong." Snyder shook his head.
"Get off my back about it!" the nurse yelled.
Giles came into the room. "She says she never saw who took them. Dozy cow."
Buffy looked at him. "I know who took them."
Giles nodded. "Well, then let's do something. Let's find the demon and - and...kick the shit out of it."
"Is that what happens now?" Snyder asked.
"Yeah, if we knew where they were." Buffy paced.
Giles suddenly remembered a passage from a book. "'Lurconis dwells beneath the city, filth to filth.'"
Buffy stopped pacing. "What?"
"Ooh!" Giles faced her. "I know this." He tried to remember more. "Uh...I knew this. 'Lurconis' means...'glutton'. And we'll find it, um...in the sewers."
"The sewers?" Joyce went to Giles for a hug.
Snyder nodded. "Uh, good. You go do that thing with the demon, and I'll stay here in case the babies, you know, uh...find their way back."
Joyce let go of Giles, sad. "The babies must be so scared."
Giles looked at Snyder. "You filthy little ponce." He stepped toward him. "Are you afraid of a little demon?"
"If you want to splash around in the poo, you're the filthy one!" Snyder shoved Giles.
Giles shoved him back.
Buffy got between them, very annoyed. "Okay, you know what? Everybody just stop it and calm the fuck down! Okay, listen to me. I need help, okay? Giles, I need grownups."
Snyder and Giles continued trying to stare each other down.
"These children are gonna die, if we don't act now, okay, and think clearly." Buffy got Giles' attention. "There is no room for mistakes. Besides which...you guys are just wigging me out."
Snyder gave in and looked away.
Giles gave him one last stare and then stepped back over to Joyce. "Sorry."
Joyce nodded. "We'll behave."
The two of them hugged again.
"Good." Buffy looked at Snyder. "Snyder, go home."
"I can do that." Snyder left.
Buffy turned to face Faith and Giles. "Faith, Giles, we're going to the sewers."
Giles kissed her mother.
Buffy cringed. "And don't do that!" She stalked out of the room.
They broke off their kiss and reluctantly followed her. Faith brought up the rear.
Buffy, Faith, Giles, and Joyce approached a manhole. Buffy took the cover off and tossed it aside.
Suddenly, Buffy remembered something. "Let's get this over with. I've got the SATs tomorrow."
Joyce rolled her eyes. "Oh, blow them off. I'll write you a note."
"No. It's okay."
Faith looked at Buffy. "You got your books in the van, right?"
"Yeah."
"So stay here."
"Huh?" Buffy asked, surprised.
"Go on, B. Study. I'll take care of it."
"You sure?" Buffy asked her.
"No prob."
Buffy stared at her for a moment. "Okay. Keep my mom and Giles safe."
Faith nodded. "Go. I've got this."
Buffy headed back to her van.
Faith dropped down into the sewers from above through a manhole. She was in a round storm drain tunnel near a large chamber lit by firelight from torches and candles. Mayor Wilkins was standing in the back to observe the ritual. He was on his cell phone. A black man, who Faith guessed was Trick, was nearby, watching four vampires as they chanted in Latin. They were dressed in red robes, standing on the wide concrete rim of a small pool. One of them stepped down with a shallow bowl of water taken from the pool and began to anoint each of the babies with it. All but one of the babies were quiet. Suddenly, the mayor turned his head to face Faith.
"Hi." Faith moved to start her attack.
Behind her, Giles climbed down a few rungs of the ladder and dropped down the rest of the way. The robed vampires quickly moved to attack them. Mayor Wilkins made a hasty retreat. The first vampire swung wildly at Faith, but she ducked him, and his momentum carried him past her. She roundhouse-kicked the second one and turned back to the first one and shoved him away from her. He smashed into the ladder. Turning back to the second one, Faith delivered another roundhouse kick. The first one tried to kick her from behind, but she middle-blocked him and roundhouse-kicked him in the side. Giles and Joyce ran over to the table with the babies and wheeled it away. The third vampire did a jumping roundhouse kick, which Faith easily ducked. The second lunged at her, but she jumped into the air between them and landed behind them. The third one threw a punch at her, which she quickly middle-blocked. The second one swung at her, and she ducked it and punched him in the face. She punched the third one in the face, did a half-spin, and hit the second one in the face with a backhand punch. He went staggering backward into Trick. Faith pulled out a stake.
Giles and Joyce got the babies to a safe distance, where Giles left them and went back to the fight. Trick shoved the second vampire off him, who then went stumbling toward Giles. Giles clumsily front-snap-kicked him in the face, and he went flying right back into Trick. The first vampire tried to attack Faith again, but she cleanly staked him. She immediately took a step to her side, back-middle-blocked the third one as he tried to grab her from behind, and staked him. He fell to his knees. The second vampire was up again and ready to attack. Faith side-kicked him, and he flew backward onto the rim of the pool and back-rolled into the water. Suddenly, they all heard a deep rumbling. The vampire tried to get up out of the water. They kept listening to the rumbling as it got louder. The vampire climbed onto a pedestal in the middle of the pool.
"What the hell's that?" Giles asked.
The vampire got to his knees. Just then, a huge demon snake appeared through another tunnel by the water. It saw the vampire on the pedestal, engulfed him, and retreated back into the tunnel.
Faith stared after it. "Lurconis, I'm thinking."
"Ordinarily, I like other people to do my fighting for me, but I just gotta see what you got."
Faith looked at Trick. "Just tell me when it hurts."
She started to advance on him, but Giles rushed past her and pushed her back.
"Giles! No!" Faith yelled.
He threw a solid left to Trick's face, but he wasn't fazed. He grabbed Giles by the shirt and threw him into the pool. Trick made a dash for it. Giles started to climb out of the water at the rim of the pool. The rumbling started again, quicker this time. Faith looked around frantically for a way to stop the demon. She spied a gas pipe above her and leaped up to grab it. It broke under her weight, and gas began to hiss out of it. Giles was out of the water now and rolled over the rim of the pool and down to the floor. Faith angled the gas pipe into one of the torches, and it burst into flames. She aimed it at Lurconis, and the snake demon reared back and screamed in pain. Joyce watched in terror. Faith waved the pipe around until Lurconis was engulfed in flames. She pushed the gas pipe aside as the demon retreated back into its tunnel, screaming.
"You and me, girl."
Faith spun to face Trick, who was smiling down through the open manhole.
"There's hard times ahead." Trick got up and made himself scarce.
Faith sighed. "They never just leave. Always gotta say something."
Joyce came out of the shadows and over to Faith. "Can I go home now?"
Giles got up, soaked to the skin.
Faith nodded. "Yeah, you can go home - just as soon as you help me get these babies to safety."
Joyce went back to the babies. "Poor babies. Come on..."
Faith joined her. Giles went over to help as well.
Faith walked into Jenny's apartment and stopped in her tracks. Jenny and three other women were dancing naked around the coffee table while "Mystic Warrior" by Kate Price played on the stereo. The air was heavy with the smell of marijuana.
Faith kicked the door closed and folded her arms, giving them a smile. "Well, well."
The women stopped dancing.
Jenny looked at Faith and gave her a goofy, stoned smile. "Hey, Faith. You're home early."
"Looks like you've had a better night than me. Hey, how much of that candy is left?" Faith asked her.
"None. We ate it all. Why? Wanted some?" Jenny asked her.
Faith shook her head. "No, no, I'll explain later when you're...yourself."
"What am I if not myself?" Jenny paused in thought. "Whoa, that was, like, deep and shit."
"Yeah, well, I'm gonna shower and hit the sack."
"What's your hurry?" Jenny asked her, smiling. "Join us. We've got extra grass."
Faith paused and considered. She shrugged. "Why the fuck not?" She quickly stripped off all of her clothes and joined the women.
Jenny offered Faith a joint. Faith put it in her mouth, and Jenny lit it with her lighter. Faith took a drag and then blew the smoke in Jenny's face.
The following Monday afternoon, at Sunnydale High, Buffy and Giles walked toward the street in front of the school.
"It was just too much to deal with. It was like nothing made sense anymore. The things that I thought I understood were gone. I just felt...so alone."
"Was that the math or the verbal?" Giles asked her.
"Mostly the math."
"Well, if you scored low, then you can take them again."
"More SATs?" Buffy sighed. "Is there really a point? I could die before I even apply to college."
The brakes of Joyce's Jeep squealed as she pulled to a stop at the curb. Buffy and Giles took the steps down to the sidewalk.
"And then, you very possibly might not."
"Well, let's just keep hope alive."
Joyce got out, closed her door, and walked up onto the curb.
"Hello." Giles smiled awkwardly.
"Hi."
"Hey, Mom, what are you doing here?" Buffy asked her.
"I wanted to see if maybe you'd like to go for some post-SATs victory ice cream at Dairy Queen."
"Well, not sure about the 'victory' part, but I'm down." Buffy started walking. "Uh, mine or yours?"
"Mine. I really don't wanna be seen riding around in a damaged vehicle."
Buffy rolled her eyes. Then she noticed her mother wasn't moving. She and Giles were standing near each other but unwilling to look each other in the eye.
Buffy looked at each of them a few times and smiled in amusement. "Uh, hey, the way things were going, be glad that's the worst that happened. At least, I got to the two of you before you actually fucked." She walked around to the passenger's side to get in.
Giles and Joyce both looked at the pavement, embarrassed and not willing even to go there, but knowing they did.
"Right."
"Indeed."
"Y-Yes."
They both quickly pivoted and headed off in opposite directions.
Chapter 68: Revelations
Chapter Text
"Revelations"
Based on the Episode Written by Douglas Petrie
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
It was especially crowded tonight at the Bronze. Buffy and the Slayerettes were on the stage, just finishing the last song of their set. Harmony was sitting at a table with Cordelia. It was so crowded that they had to share it with some other people. The song ended. The crowd began to applaud and cheer as the band members took their bows.
Buffy smiled and waved. "Thank you for coming out. Good night."
The band packed up their gear.
"Hey, you notice Buffy acting sort of different?" Harmony asked Cordelia.
Cordelia looked at her. "No, not really. Why?"
"Well, I just mean, you know, she's off by herself a lot more, and she's kind of...distracted."
Cordelia smiled. "Think maybe she has a new honey?"
"A girlfriend? Why wouldn't she tell us?" Harmony asked her.
"Excuse me? If you were cheating, would you let anyone know?"
"But we're Buffy's buds. She'd tell us."
The band headed down the stairs at the side of the stage to join the girls at their table.
"Tell you what?" Buffy asked them.
"About your new girlfriend, who we made up. Unless we didn't?" Harmony gave her an inquiring look.
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "This was a topic of discussion?"
"So...are you dating somebody or not?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy angled her eyes up and swayed around a bit, considering what she should say. "I wouldn't use the word 'dating', but I am going out with somebody." She looked at them. "Tonight, as a matter of fact."
Tara stifled a giggle.
"Really? Who?" Harmony asked.
Faith put her hand on Cordelia's shoulder and pulled her aside a little, so she could squeeze in. "Yo, what's up?" She nudged Buffy's shoulder. "Hey, time to motorvate."
Harmony made a disgusted face. "Ew, do that in private."
Cordelia rolled her eyes.
Buffy put her arm around Faith. "Really, we're just good friends." She looked at Tara and offered her guitar to her.
Tara took it. "Be careful, sweetie."
"I will." Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. "See you at home."
The two Slayers headed out of the club together.
In the cemetery, Buffy and Faith both rolled onto their backs, side by side, each with a vampire on top of them. Buffy backhand-punched her attacker while Faith struggled to get control over hers. Buffy's vampire tried to punch her, but she redirected his arm to hit the ground next to her. Giles watched calmly while sitting behind them on a nearby bench. Buffy was still on her back while her assailant was now standing over her, throwing punches down at her. Faith log-rolled away from them, taking her attacker with her. Giles took off his glasses and began to clean them.
Faith managed to roll on top of her vampire. She yanked him by the lapels of his jacket to a standing position, spun half-way around, and threw him into a log roll over a stone bench. He hit the ground and kept on rolling. Buffy was up now and ducked a half-spinning jumping hook kick from her vampire, and then sidestepped to avoid a punch. Faith jumped up onto the bench and then back down to the ground. Her attacker aimed a punch at her face but rethought his maneuver and decided to snap-kick her in the gut. Thinking quickly, Faith grabbed his foot and threw it over his head, forcing him to flip over in a back layout. He landed hard on his stomach. Buffy threw a punch at her assailant's face, but he ducked it. She tried for another one, but he blocked it. She then aimed for his stomach with another punch but was blocked yet again. The vampire tried to punch her, but she latched onto his arm and yanked him backwards, then forwards, and twisted his arm, sending him flipping onto his back. Giles calmly watched and took notes.
Faith had a firm grip on her attacker and threw his head backward, sending him flying backwards onto a bench. His momentum carried him sliding over it. Faith jumped up onto the bench, following him over, ready to attack. Buffy sent her vampire spinning back to the ground with a two-kick combination of a roundhouse followed by a hook kick. She paused for a moment to let him get back up, and then roundhouse-kicked him in the gut, followed immediately by a punch to his face as the momentum of her kick carried her around. Giles picked up his cup of coffee and continued his calm vigilance.
Faith jumped down from the bench and roundhouse-kicked her vampire in the face. Buffy roundhouse-kicked hers again in the stomach. Faith punched her vampire in the stomach and took aim with her stake. Buffy shoved hers against Faith's, and they ended up back to back. The Slayers both plunged their stakes into their respective demons simultaneously, causing them both to fall over, dead. After a moment, they gave each other a high five and headed over to Giles.
"Synchronized slaying."
"New Olympic category?" Faith asked.
"Whadaya think?" Buffy asked Giles.
Giles lowered his coffee cup but kept it held at mouth level.
"Sloppy."
They all turned to look at the woman who'd just walked into view. Her hair was pulled up in a severe hairstyle, and she had a very serious look on her face.
"You telegraph punches, leave blind sides open, and, uh, for a school-night slaying, take entirely too much time. Which one of you is Faith?"
Giles looked back at the girls.
"Depends. Who the hell are you?" Faith asked.
Giles turned back to the woman.
"Gwendolyn Post, Mrs. Your new Watcher."
The two Slayers exchanged a look, then looked over at Giles. He was still holding his cup and staring at Mrs. Post, too dumbfounded to speak.
In the library, Giles was leaning against the stair railing, cleaning his glasses. Buffy was sitting near the middle of the large central table. There were several books lying open on it. Faith was standing by a corner of the table, addressing Mrs. Post, who was looking through some of Giles' collection.
"I'm telling you, I don't need a new Watcher. No offense, lady."
Gwendolyn looked at her.
"I just have this problem with authority figures. They end up kind of dead." Faith nodded sarcastically and took a seat next to Buffy.
Gwendolyn walked past the table. "Duly noted, and, fortunately, it's not up to you."
Buffy and Faith exchanged a look. Gwendolyn walked around the table below the railing of the upper level, looking around at the few stacks there were in the study area of the library, apparently unaware that the main stacks were up the stairs and through a set of French doors, well out of view.
"Mr. Giles, where do you keep the rest of your books?"
"I-I'm sorry." Giles slipped on his glasses. "The rest?"
"Yes, the actual library."
Giles gave her a confused look.
"Oh." Gwendolyn smiled thinly. "I see."
"I can assure you, Mrs. Post, this is the finest occult reference collection-"
"This side of the Atlantic, I'm sure. Do you have Hume's Paranormal Encyclopedia?"
Giles looked away, knowing, while his collection was superior, it was still not complete.
"The Labyrinth Maps of Malta?"
Buffy gave him a hopeful look.
"It's on order."
"Well, I suppose that you have Sir Robert Kane's Twilight Compendium?"
"Oh! Uh..." Giles looked around. "Yes, I..." He spotted the book. "Yes!" He pulled it out. "Yes, I do." He held it up.
Gwendolyn was unimpressed. "Of course, you do." She paced past him. "I have been sent by the Council for a very important reason. Faith needs a Watcher. I am to act in that capacity and report back."
Faith leaned forward in her chair. "Excuse me, Mary Poppins, you don't seem to be listening."
"Faith, if the Council feels that you need closer observation, then...we will all, of course, cooperate."
Faith leaned back again, not at all happy with the situation.
"The Council wishes me to report on the entire situation here-" Gwendolyn looked at Giles. "-including you."
That took Giles by surprise.
"Mm! Academic probation's not so funny today, huh, Giles?" Buffy rolled her eyes innocently.
Giles glared at her. She just gave it right back to him.
"The fact is...there is talk in the Council that you have become a bit too...American."
Giles was taken aback. "Me?"
"Him?" Buffy asked, surprised.
"A demon named Lagos is coming here to the Hellmouth. Mr. Giles, an illustration of Lagos, if you please."
Giles was a bit flustered. "Oh, uh..." He looked at the books on the table. "Yes. Uh..." He sat at the table and began to look through one of the books.
"Perhaps later."
Giles stopped looking, very taken aback. He began to seethe.
"Lagos seeks the Glove of Myhnegon. No record of this glove's full power exists, but we do know it is highly dangerous and must not fall into the hands of a demon. Lagos must be stopped."
Giles folded his hands over his books and looked up at her. "What do you propose?"
"Well, if it's not too radical a suggestion, I thought we might kill him."
Giles turned his head away from her and took off his glasses.
"I suggest two Slayers at full strength for a coordinated hunt."
Buffy gave Faith a look. Faith just gave Gwendolyn an even stare.
"We believe the glove to be buried in a tomb somewhere, so Lagos will be headed for the cemetery."
Giles put his glasses back on and started to look through his books again.
"Anything in your books that might pinpoint the exact location of the tomb would be useful, but then...we cannot ask for miracles."
Giles let his book drop to the table and made a point of looking directly away from her, rubbing his fingers, keeping his cool.
"We will begin tomorrow at sunset. Faith..."
Faith almost started.
"With me, please." Gwendolyn gave Faith a thin smile and walked from the library.
Faith gave Buffy a glance, then followed her out.
Giles visibly relaxed when they'd gone. "That was bracing." He slapped his glasses onto the table and leaned his lips into his fist.
"Interesting lady. Can we kill her?" Buffy asked him.
Giles lowered his fist. "I think the Council might frown upon that." His expression indicated he'd considered it, anyway, but soon discarded the notion. "Well..." He stood up. "How do you feel about a spot of training?"
Buffy considered it. "Sure, why not? I'll humor you."
The next evening, in Angel's mansion, he and Cordelia were practicing T'ai Chi in front of the great fireplace. Angel concentrated on the exercises, but Cordelia watched his moves and did her best to mirror them. They each began with their arms stretched high above and ahead of them, hands together. They lowered their arms to waist level with a graceful bend at the elbows. Cordelia glanced over at Angel, watching his elegant movements. She turned her attention back to the exercise and crossed her right wrist over her left. They both swept their crossed arms in a wide arc from left to right and then drew their hands in to their waists and made a quarter-turn to their left, so Cordelia had her back to Angel. They both extended their arms and slowly raised them, never stopping their fluid movements, until their hands were again held high. Angel took the two steps over to Cordelia and put his hands over hers. Cordelia looked up at his hands on hers as he pulled her arms down and around her. She slowly turned to face him. Their lips almost met when Cordelia suddenly pulled away and walked over to one of the two couches set at right angles to each other to get her things.
"Uhh...I gotta go." Cordelia pulled on her backpack and started to leave. "Better hurry before somebody figures out what we're doing."
Angel pulled on his shirt. "What are we doing?"
Cordelia stopped. "Training. And almost kissing."
Angel looked at her and stepped toward her as he buttoned his shirt.
Cordelia turned to face him. "Sorry. It's just...old habit." She smiled weakly but then lost the smile. "Bad, bad habit to be broken."
"It's hard."
"Oh, yes, it is." Cordelia suddenly pulled her eyes away from Angel's pants. "It's not hard. Cold turkey. That's the key to quitting."
They both looked at each other for a long moment, knowing it was just not that easy.
"You think they make a patch for this?" Cordelia asked weakly and desperately.
"You have to go."
"I really do."
Angel looked away.
Cordelia turned again to go. She got only a couple of steps when she sighed and turned to face Angel again. "I think I'm gonna try and vent a little hormonal angst by going out there and helping Buffy and Faith kill a Lagos, whatever that is."
Angel faced her again upon hearing that demon's name. "Lagos?"
"Some demon looking for some all-powerful thingamabob-"
Angel sat, suddenly worried.
"-and we gotta stop him before he unleashes unholy havoc-" Cordelia saw his worried look. "-and it's another Tuesday night in Sunnydale."
Angel couldn't bring himself to look at her again and so just stared off into space. "Be careful."
Cordelia turned and headed out of the mansion.
In the library, Giles was sitting at the large table, reading through a book with a dozen other volumes open and spread out in front of him. Tara was standing behind the railing of the stack level behind him. Amy and Katrina were standing at the end of the table.
Giles looked up from his book. "Oh, this is intolerable." He slammed the book shut. "There's not a word here about Lagos or the glove." He stood up. "We don't have time for this near-missing." He dropped the book in frustration and turned to Tara, Amy, and Katrina. "Just find out all you can about the demon, its - its - its strengths, its - its weaknesses, its places of origin-" He began to pace but then stopped and yanked off his glasses. "-and most importantly...what it plans to do with this blasted glove." He made frustrated tracks into his office.
Katrina stared after him for a moment, then started up the stairs to the stack level for more research.
Amy stepped over to meet her. "Ugh...it's late. I'm tired. What does he want from us, anyway?"
They headed into the stacks.
"The number of a qualified surgeon to remove the British flag from his ass?" Katrina guessed.
They stopped at a spot where a few books were lying open on the floor and sat down. Katrina took one of them and started to look through it.
"My eyes are all blurry." Amy leaned forward and rested her head in her hands for a moment, then started rubbing her temples with her fingers. "Ohh..." She moaned as she rubbed.
Katrina looked over at her, concerned. She set down her book, nudged a bit closer, and reached over to do the rubbing for her. When she felt her fingers at her temples, Amy dropped her own hands into her lap and let her minister to her, letting out a few more moans.
Katrina finally stopped rubbing. She leaned back, away from her. Amy sat up a bit. Katrina took her book again to continue her research. Suddenly, Amy reached for her, grabbed her face, and planted a hard kiss on her lips. Katrina responded and put her hands around her to pull her closer. They kissed passionately for a few seconds, when Giles suddenly came walking by, his attention focused on a book in his hands as he read. Amy and Katrina didn't notice him at all.
"Amy, Katrina..."
They stopped kissing and quickly scrambled to their feet.
"...you can stop your, uh, studying."
They weren't yet sure if they'd been caught, since Giles was looking at a bookcase.
"I've got what I need."
Amy and Katrina breathed sighs of relief.
"What have you got?" Katrina asked, trying to be cool.
"Uh, the probable location of the Glove of Myhnegon." Giles faced them. "It's, uh, housed in the Von Hauptman family crypt."
"Yeah, well, that's great, Giles. Um, how'd you find it?" Amy asked him.
"I looked." Giles continued his reading but then looked up from his book. "I'd say we're done."
The three of them left the stacks and walked down the stairs.
"Are the girls still at the cemetery?" Katrina asked him.
"Uh, I'm not sure."
"Well, someone should let them know."
"I'll do it!" Tara gathered her things and left the library.
Cordelia, Faith, and Buffy walked along a path in the cemetery.
"Ronnie, deadbeat. Steve, klepto. Kenny...drummer. Eventually, I just had to face up to my destiny as a loser magnet. Now, it's strictly get some, get gone. You can't trust guys."
Cordelia shrugged. "You can trust some guys."
Faith gave her a doubtful look.
"Really, I've read about them."
Faith laughed. "Yeah. So...what about you?"
"You mean, like, me and guys me?" Cordelia asked her.
"Mm-hm."
"Not much to tell these days."
"Yeah, but you gotta have stories. I mean...I've had my share of losers, but you...you fucked the undead. What was that like?" Faith asked her.
"Life with Angel's...was complicated. It's still a little hard for me to talk about."
"Well, try."
They stopped walking.
"Look, Faith, all the Angel issues are still kind of with me, so, if you don't mind, I'd rather not."
Faith shrugged. "Yeah." She shrugged again. "Yeah, whatever."
Buffy looked away.
"You know what? We haven't found shit tonight. Why don't we just blow this off?" Faith suggested.
Buffy stretched. "Yeah. I am kinda beat. But - But there's just the far end."
"I'll swing through it. It's on my way, anyway."
"Alone?" Buffy asked. "I-I don't know if I'd-"
"I got Miss Priss on my back now. I don't need another babysitter. I'll holler if I'm having any fun."
Buffy smiled thinly. "Okay."
Faith nodded. "Later." She left.
"Thanks."
"Yeah, thanks."
Faith waved at Buffy and Cordelia without looking back at them. They watched her go for a moment before turning and heading back to their vehicles.
Faith walked around a hedge, scanning the graveyard as she went. Suddenly, the lid of a stone coffin slammed into the ground in front of her. She jerked back, startled but unhurt. In front of her, she saw Lagos, a warrior demon, grabbing things out of the coffin and throwing them aside as he quickly rummaged through it.
"Son of a bitch. It's my lucky day." Faith started to run toward him and jumped into a flying side kick to Lagos' back.
He hardly budged and turned his head to see who was disturbing him. Faith grabbed his arm and whipped him around to face her. She backhand-punched him in the face and instantly followed up with another swing to his face, then punched him in the gut and again in the face. She pushed him away slightly to get some distance between them, and then roundhouse-kicked him in the side. Unfazed and tired of the interruption, Lagos grabbed her by the neck and threw her high and far. She slammed into the side of a mausoleum and fell to the ground. Lagos turned his attention back to the open coffin. Faith scrambled to her feet and started to run at him again. Lagos heard her coming this time and turned to face her. She tried to grab his neck, but he blocked her arm and did an uppercut to Faith's diaphragm, which made her airborne once again. She hit the ground hard and started to struggle for breath.
Soon, he wasted no time getting out of there, stomping right past Faith, not giving her even so much as another glance. With her breath knocked out of her, Faith was unable to get up to pursue him.
Eventually, Faith was able to get to her feet. She resumed her patrol.
Tara arrived and ran over to Faith. "Hey! Faith! Where are Buffy and Cordy?"
"I gave them the rest of the night off. Why? What's up?"
"Mr. Giles says the glove is housed in the Von Hauptman family crypt."
"Okay, thanks."
"Do you need any help?" Tara offered.
"Nah, I got it. Thanks."
Faith found her way through the gravestones to the Von Hauptman family crypt. She found the crypt and peeked at it from behind a bush, making sure no one and nothing else was around. She stepped out from behind the bush, looking around while she made her way toward the crypt.
She stopped in her tracks when she thought she heard a noise. Sure enough, a second later, she could hear the sound of stone grinding against stone coming from inside the crypt. She swiftly ducked behind a group of bushes, crouched down, and waited to see who would come out. A figure soon came out of the crypt and pulled the door closed. In its arms, it held something wrapped in a bunch of rags. The figure turned its back to Faith as it grabbed the outer iron gate and swung it closed as well. Faith rose up just a bit, so she could better see who it was. The figure turned around again and began to cautiously make its way out of the graveyard. As it neared Faith, she saw it was a man, though she didn't know it was Angel. She didn't take her eyes off him as he walked past. When Angel was far enough ahead of her, she walked out from behind the bushes.
Faith pulled out her stake and started to follow.
In the atrium at Angel's mansion, Faith sneaked down the stairs to the main gallery and tiptoed over to a window where she could see inside. There, to her shock, she saw Cordelia with Angel, kissing passionately.
Suddenly, Cordelia broke it off and took a couple of steps backward and looked away from his face. "Oh, God...Angel..."
Angel was confused. "Cordy..."
"What am I doing?" Cordelia looked at him. "What are you doing?"
Angel was still confused. "I don't know."
"Shame on you!" Cordelia yelled.
Angel didn't know how to respond to that. He put his hand to his forehead.
Cordelia headed over to her things on the couch. "Oh, God, I...I don't even know why I came back here." She started to pull on her jacket.
Angel stepped over and took it from her hands. "It's good you did."
Cordelia looked at him, waiting for an explanation.
"I think I have what you're looking for."
He led her by the hand over to a pedestal where the thing that he got from the crypt lay, still wrapped up in rags.
"Great..." Cordelia stared at it. "Just, wherever this was gift-wrapped, remind me not to shop there."
He unwrapped the rags to reveal their contents. It was an ancient-looking glove made of leather, chain mail, and plate mail. There were small spikes along the plates that covered the back of the hand and the forearm. Ringed around the opening were ten hinged claws that looked something like crab legs but made of steel and very sharp.
"Glove of Myhnegon."
"The world's ugliest fashion accessory." Cordelia reached out to touch it.
Angel quickly stayed her hand with his. "No, don't. Once you put it on, the glove can never be removed."
"So...no touching." Cordelia nodded and looked at their hands. "Kinda like us."
Angel got the hint and released her hand. He wrapped the glove back up in the rags.
"You hold on to it. I'll...I'll tell Giles in the morning. At least, he'll be happy."
In Giles' apartment, he was researching through a book at his desk. Gwendolyn walked around to Giles' side.
Giles found something. "Ah! Yes. There we are."
In the book was a sketch of a battle scene with an inset of the glove. It resembled the real thing only vaguely.
Giles set the book down for her to see. "There's a wood engraving. See? The Glove of Myhnegon."
Gwendolyn looked at it, unimpressed. "Yes, engraved by Father Theodore of Wolsham."
"Yes."
"Based, I believe, on very sketchy and unreliable folk legends. The pictures are fun to look at, Mr. Giles, but one really ought to read the nice words as well."
Giles looked up from the books but stared ahead, not wanting Gwendolyn to see the look of raw annoyance in his eyes. In the kitchen, the tea kettle began to whistle.
"Ah." Giles stood up. "Yes." He put his hands in his pockets. "Some tea, perhaps?"
He strode into the kitchen. Gwendolyn took the few steps over to the bar where he had two cups already set out for the tea and sat on one of the stools. Giles grabbed the kettle from the stove.
"I know that you must find me tiresome, but it's insidious, really."
Giles poured the hot water into one of the cups.
Gwendolyn looked down at the teabag in her still empty cup, took it out, and set it aside. "A person slips up on the little things, and soon everything has gone to Hell in a handbasket."
Giles didn't say anything to her rejection of his teabag. She opened her purse and pulled out a small box with her own supply of tea.
"For example...Buffy, your Slayer..."
Giles struggled to control his voice. "Mrs. Post..." He poured her hot water. "I can assure you that Buffy is both dedicated and industrious, and I am in complete control of my Slayer."
Suddenly, his apartment door whipped open, and Faith ran into the room.
"Giles! We have a big problem." Faith noticed Gwendolyn. "It's, uh, Cordy."
Gwendolyn gave Giles a snooty look.
"Will you excuse us?" Giles walked very stiffly from the kitchen and nodded to Faith to follow.
They went to the far side of the room and whispered between themselves.
"Angel's still alive."
Giles looked at her in wide-eyed surprise. "The vampire."
"Back in town. Saw him myself. Toting the popular and famous glove."
"Angel."
"Guy like that, with that kind of glove, could kill a whole mess of people."
"W-Was he alone?" Giles asked her.
"No. Cordy was with him."
"Cordelia knew he was alive. I can't believe her."
"She seems to think he's clean, but I say we can't afford to find out. I say I deal with this problem right now. I say I slay."
Gwendolyn took her own teabag and put it in her cup to steep. "Would you like some assistance?"
Giles and Faith stopped their whispering and looked at her.
Giles smiled thinly. "Thank you. That won't be necessary."
They went back to their private discussion.
"Hold off on that for the moment, Faith. I'll confront Cordelia about this directly tomorrow."
Faith relented and sighed. "Yeah, okay."
The next morning, at Sunnydale High, Buffy and Cordelia walked into the library. Giles paced slowly in the main area. He slowly turned to see them.
Cordelia smiled. "Lagos is out of luck. I got the magic mitten thingy."
They stopped to see Giles looking glum.
"What's with the tragedy mask?" Cordelia asked.
Giles indicated a chair. "Better take a seat, Cordelia."
Cordelia crossed her arms, refusing to budge. "What's going on?"
"I know Angel is alive."
Cordelia was shocked. Buffy looked away.
"Faith saw you with him. It would appear that you've been hiding him and that you lied to us."
"It's not what you think. He's better now."
"Better for how long, Cordelia? Did you even think about that?" Giles asked her.
"What is this, Demons Anonymous?" Cordelia started to leave. "I don't need an intervention."
"Oh, don't you?"
Cordelia stopped and faced him.
"You must've known it was wrong seeing Angel, or you wouldn't have hidden it from all of us."
"I was going to tell you; I was. I-It was just that I...I didn't know why he came back. I just wanted to wait."
"For what? For Angel to go psycho again?"
"We're not together like that."
"But you were kissing him."
Cordelia stepped toward him. "You're not the Watcher of me. What gives you the right?"
Giles flinched.
"He's better now. I swear. Look, he's the one that found the Glove of Myhnegon. H-He's keeping it safe for us in the mansion."
Giles sighed.
"Back off, Giles!" Buffy told him. "I trusted Cordy, and, so far, nothing bad's happened!"
Giles looked at Buffy in shock. "You knew?"
"Yeah."
Giles sighed again. "Our...priority right now is to retrieve the Glove of Myhnegon and try to destroy it."
Giles went into his office, his hands firmly stuffed into his pockets. Once there, he took off his jacket and hung it around the back of his chair. Buffy and Cordelia followed him and stopped by the office door. Giles didn't face them and instead unbuttoned his vest.
Buffy thought for a moment. "I know this is a lot to absorb, but Angel did find the glove, and that was a good-"
"Be quiet." Giles slowly turned to face her. "I won't remind you that the fate of the world often lies with the Slayer. What would be the point? Nor shall I remind you that you've jeopardized the lives of all that you hold dear by harboring a known murderer. But sadly, I must remind you that Angel tortured me...for hours...for pleasure. You should have told me he was alive. You didn't. You have no respect for me or the job I perform."
Buffy and Cordelia looked at each other. Giles turned back to his desk, sat down, and leaned back in thought. Buffy and Cordelia just stood in the doorway for a long moment before leaving quietly.
They left the library and walked down the hall.
"So...are you going to the Bronze tonight?" Buffy asked Cordelia.
"Actually, I'm gonna head for a not-so-secret rendezvous with Angel. Why?" Cordelia asked.
"Well, I'm gonna try and kill this Lagos guy. Peace offering to Giles."
Cordelia was confused. "But Angel has the glove now."
"Yep. But Lagos doesn't know that. I figure, sooner or later, he's bound to show up at that crypt, looking for it."
"Ah, but instead he finds a Buffy in a not-so-good mood."
"That's my brilliant plan."
There was a knock at the door of Jenny's apartment. Faith opened it, stake raised and ready. She was surprised to see Gwendolyn standing there. She lowered the stake as Mrs. Post entered.
"A word of advice? Vampires rarely knock. Especially in daylight." Gwendolyn closed the door.
"Oh, right."
Gwendolyn looked around. "So...this is your home."
"Yeah." Faith sat on the couch.
"I'm going to be very hard on you, Faith. I will not brook insolence or laziness. And I will not allow blunders like last night's attack. You will probably hate me a great deal of the time."
Faith smiled sardonically. "You think?"
Gwendolyn stepped over to the couch. "But I will make you a better Slayer, and that will keep you alive." She sat next to Faith. "You have to trust that I am right. God only knows what Mr. Giles has been filling your head with."
"Giles is okay."
Gwendolyn stood. "His methods are unfathomable to me. I find him entirely confounding. And why does he let Buffy socialize so much? It hardly seems..." She paused. "No matter. Would you like to do some training?"
"Training?" Faith stood up. "As in kicking and punching and stabbing?"
Gwendolyn smiled. "Yes, that's the idea."
"I'm your girl."
In Giles' office at the library, he was researching at his desk. He heard footsteps and turned around to stand up and see who it was.
"You wanted to see me, Mr. Giles?" Gwendolyn asked.
Giles grabbed his coat. "Yes. I do apologize for bringing you in at this late hour." He pulled it on.
"Please. A good Watcher must be awake and alert at all hours."
"Would you like some tea?" Giles tossed his glasses onto his desk and stepped over to his tea-making implements to prepare his teapot and two cups.
"God, yes, please. I'm completely knackered." Gwendolyn went to Giles' chair. "I spent the afternoon training with Faith." She sat down. "She doesn't lack for energy."
Giles chuckled. "She's your first Slayer, I take it?"
"If you're questioning my qualifications-"
"No, I'm not." Giles poured water from the kettle into his teapot. "I, uh, have the utmost respect for your methods..." He faced her, holding the teapot. "...in my own American way." He leaned against his desk. "I also have the glove."
Gwendolyn looked at him expectantly.
"Oh, not actually on me, but, uh, I believe it's safe. It's in a mansion on Crawford Street. A-A-A friend of Cordelia's is keeping it there."
Gwendolyn stood up. "Well. We must get to it. Immediately. Hide it before someone else finds it."
"Or better still, destroy it."
Gwendolyn was surprised. "Destroy it?"
Giles stood up and set down the teapot. "Yes, I-I...I didn't think it could be done either, but..." He went to his desk for a book and showed her. "It involves transforming fire into Living Flame and immolating the glove."
Gwendolyn read the pages where Giles indicated.
"I-I-It's complex, but, uh, I believe I have all the necessary materials." Giles went back to his desk and checked his gathered inventory.
"Well, I must say, Mr. Giles...good show."
Giles suddenly felt a sharp pain across the back of his neck. His knees gave, and he stumbled but didn't fall. He turned to face Gwendolyn, giving her a stunned look.
"Good show indeed."
She swung his wooden tribal statue again at his temple. It hit him hard, and he fell, unconscious, to the floor.
In front of the Von Hauptman family crypt, Cordelia paced, and Buffy sat on a stone bench, while they waited for Lagos to show up.
Cordelia stopped pacing. "Um, not to downplay my own slaying abilities, which in some circles are considered formidable, but shouldn't Faith be here?"
"I tried calling, but Ms. Calendar said she wasn't home. Look, if you're feeling any demon-o-phobia, please, splitting is totally an option. You're not the one in trouble with Giles. You don't have to deal with him."
"That's true." Cordelia continued pacing.
"I can't really blame him, considering what Angel did to him."
"You mean Angelus, right?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy shrugged. "Who the fuck knows? I'm the one that started questioning the traditional Watcher line about the difference between humans and vampires. Y'know, I remember reading recently that, until 1869, the Catholic Church taught abortion wasn't homicide as long as it occurred before the ensoulment of the fetus, which no one could agree when that happened. Guesses ranged from 40 days to 166 days. Even when the new teaching took effect, it wasn't because of a belief that ensoulment happened at conception, only that the potential for ensoulment that came with conception must be protected."
Cordelia was a bit surprised. "So?"
"So...if the fetus doesn't yet have a soul upon conception...are the two even the same being?" Buffy asked. "When we die, our bodies decay - including our brains. That leaves only our souls with the potential to experience any kind of afterlife...if one exists. But are they really us or supernatural beings of divine origin that happen to have all of our memories?"
Cordelia shook her head. "It's too late for this shit, Buffy. I'm getting a fucking headache." She stopped pacing. "It's weird, though. Now that my secret...Angel, it's all out in the open...I feel better."
"Well, sure you do. This big burden's been lifted."
Cordelia saw Lagos. "There's a demon behind you."
Buffy looked behind her and kicked her legs up to spin herself around on the bench. She used the momentum of the spin to start a running attack. She jumped into a twin pike kick to Lagos' stomach. It had no real effect on Lagos, just making him take a step backward as she fell flat to the ground. Cordelia tried the same attack and got the same result. Lagos reached down for Buffy and grabbed her by the neck. He pulled her up only to flip her back down to the ground in a sloppy front tuck. She landed hard on her back. Cordelia wanted to help but was still struggling to stand back up. Buffy got to her feet and went at Lagos with a combination of a punch to the gut and the face, a half-spin, a backhand punch to the face, another half-spin, and another backhand punch. She tried for an elbow jab, but he blocked it, grabbed her arm, reached for her leg, and lifted her up above his head.
Cordelia was afraid for her friend and waved her hands wildly in protest. "Don't-"
Lagos suddenly dropped Buffy, and she landed hard on her back. Cordelia cringed at the sight. Buffy quickly got to her feet and stepped to her right as Lagos swung a fist at her head. He missed her and smashed his fist into a stone cross. Taking advantage of the opening, Buffy stepped in and front-snap-kicked him in the gut, following up with a roundhouse kick to his face, a full spin, and another roundhouse kick to his balls. Lagos doubled over in pain. Cordelia grinned at how painful that it looked.
Buffy spied the battle-ax on his back. "Now, we're talking."
She grabbed the ax, pulled it from its sheath, and swung it around as Lagos straightened back up. In one stroke, Lagos was suddenly headless. His head rolled along the ground a ways before coming to rest.
Cordelia pumped her fists into the air in front of her. "Yes!" She started doing an impromptu cheer but quickly played down her gesture into crossed arms.
Buffy walked back to her. "Sorry about that." She looked at Lagos' body. "Come on. Let's go bring Giles some happiness."
She shouldered the battle-ax, and the two girls headed for Buffy's van.
Faith barged into the library and head for the cage - and the weapons cabinet within. She opened the cabinet doors, reached in, and gathered an array of weapons. She closed the doors when she had what she wanted. She started to head out, when she heard a moan coming from Giles' office.
Faith hurried into the office. She set down the weapons when she saw Giles on the floor and kneeled down to help him. She held his head. "Giles, can you hear me?" She waited a moment. "Shit." She grabbed the phone and dialed 911.
"911. What's your emergency?"
"Yeah, I have a medical emergency. Sunnydale High. Private office in the library." Faith hung up, picked up the weapons, and strode out.
Later, Buffy and Cordelia opened the doors to the library and walked in.
Buffy smiled. "Giles is gonna be psyched that we showed up stuffy old Mrs. Post."
They saw the paramedics there with Giles on a gurney.
Buffy tossed the battle-ax over the counter. "Oh, my God." She ran to Giles' side.
"Sunnydale Memorial..."
"What happened?" Buffy asked him.
"...Caucasian male, mid-forties..."
"Giles..."
"...Blunt object head trauma. Notify ER, we're bringing him in."
"What happened?" Buffy asked.
"No time for this." The paramedic started to wheel him out.
"Wait..."
The paramedics stopped at Giles' voice.
"Buffy, you must...must destroy the glove."
"You want him to live?" a paramedic asked Buffy sternly. "Get out of the way."
She and her partner quickly rolled Giles from the library.
"Use...Living...Flame..."
"Move!" a paramedic yelled.
They slammed the library doors open with the gurney and turned down the hall.
Cordelia looked at Buffy, worried and wanting to know what went down. "What the fuck happened here?!"
Buffy looked around. She noticed a bolt from the crossbow lying on the floor and picked it up. "I don't know, but I think Faith's on the hunt."
"For what?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy looked at her. "If I was Faith, and I came across Giles like this, I'd also come to my own conclusions."
Cordelia stared at Buffy in worry. "Angel. Shit, I'm really starting to not like that bitch!"
Buffy stepped over to the telephone and picked up the receiver. She called home.
"Hello?" Tara answered.
"Tara, it's me. Get to the library and go through Giles' research. Figure out how to destroy the glove."
"Okay."
"Hurry! Get Amy to help, if you need to! Cordy and I are going to the Crawford Street mansion!" Buffy slammed down the receiver and then ran from the library.
Cordelia followed close behind.
Faith barged into Angel's mansion holding a long club with a steel hook embedded in the business end. Gwendolyn was on the floor, nearly unconscious. Angel grabbed her by the shoulder.
"Mrs. Post!" Faith yelled.
Angel let go of Gwendolyn, roared, and faced his new adversary.
Faith was intensely angry. "I can't believe how much I'm gonna kill you."
Angel stood his ground. "You're not getting that glove."
"You wanna bet?" Faith asked.
Before she had a chance to attack with her club, Angel did a low in-to-out crescent kick, knocking it from her hands. Faith body-checked him, but he easily absorbed the blow, taking only a slight step backward. Angel did a backhand swing to Faith's head, making it snap back and to the side. She whirled back around, infuriated, and delivered a backhand punch to his face, followed immediately with another punch. Angel tried to return with a punch, but he swung too wide, and Faith had plenty of time to duck it.
Angel's follow-through left him in an awkward position, and Faith took immediate advantage. She bent over his right side and held onto him for support as she kicked up backwards, hitting him in the head with a reverse snap kick. He was dazed with pain. She stepped away from his side and stomped down on the back of his right knee, causing him to collapse. Faith grabbed Angel by the shirt and launched him into the air. He landed on one side of the couch and backrolled over the coffee table to the other section set at a right angle. He was severely stunned. Faith ran over to him, saw he was defenseless, and raised her stake. She swung down hard with it directly at his chest, when suddenly an arm reached in and stayed her swing. She looked to her side and saw it was Buffy.
Faith was very confused. "What?"
Buffy grabbed her by the waist and threw her away from Angel.
In the library, Tara and Amy were grinding and mixing powders for the spell to invoke Living Flame.
"Think we got it?" Amy asked.
Tara looked at Amy, worried. "We'll have to test this."
"I'll double-check."
Amy read through her book, and Tara noticed her suddenly intent stare while reading.
"What?" Tara asked.
"I know what the glove does." Amy angled the book, so she could read, and pointed to a passage.
Tara quickly absorbed the information. "There's no time to test this."
She quickly grabbed a plastic bag and pulled it open. Amy blew out the candles on the table, grabbed the grinding bowl, and poured the mix into the plastic bag. Tara spun the neck of the bag to seal it, and they both raced out of the library.
In Angel's mansion, Buffy was faced off against Faith, ready to fight.
"I can't let you do it, Faith."
"You're confused, Twinkie." Faith smiled ironically. "Let me clear you up." She pointed at Angel. "Vampire." She pointed at herself. "Slayer." She pointed at Angel again. "Dead vampire."
"There's a lot that you don't understand."
"Faith..."
The two Slayers looked over at Gwendolyn.
Gwendolyn was weak from her fight. "She doesn't know. She's blinded by loyalty to a friend who's blinded by love."
"Faith, no."
"Trust me."
Faith looked back and forth between them.
Buffy dropped her guard. "Faith, we can figure this out-"
Faith did a full spinning hook kick to Buffy's face. She took the hit hard, falling to her knees. Faith delivered two roundhouse kicks to Buffy's gut while she was still on the floor. Buffy stood up and did an uppercut punch to Faith's right arm, knocking the stake from her hand. Buffy backhand-punched Faith in the face and punched her in the chest. She shoved Faith backward, and Faith took a few stumbling steps, trying to steady herself. Buffy did a jumping double roundhouse kick, alternating her legs, both of which were blocked by Faith. Buffy tried a backhand punch, but Faith blocked it.
Buffy whirled around and punched Faith in the face with her other hand, catching Faith off guard. Faith leaned in again and tried to punch Buffy, but she middle-blocked it and punched Faith in the gut and again in the face. Faith dropped to the floor but thought fast and tried to sweep-kick Buffy's legs out from under her, but Buffy jumped to avoid it. Faith scrambled back up, and the two girls faced off again. Buffy blocked two roundhouse kicks from Faith. Buffy tried a high out-to-in crescent kick, which Faith easily ducked. Faith rose back up and did a spinning back kick that hit Buffy squarely in the back, sending her to her knees. Faith rushed up behind her and grabbed her in a choke hold around her neck. Buffy grabbed Faith's arm and twisted her body around, trying to throw Faith off - but to no avail. She grabbed Faith's fingers and pulled them backward, cracking her knuckles.
"Auuuugh!" Faith screamed.
Now Buffy was able to throw Faith off with a twist of her body, and both girls ended up on the floor. Faith rolled into a wall, hitting her back against a corner. Buffy scrambled to her feet and ran at Faith, but she snapped out her leg and tripped Buffy, making her fall again. Buffy rolled over her back and to her knees. While she was still crouched, Faith came in for an axe kick, trying to hit her on the way down. Buffy cross-blocked her leg, grabbed her ankle, and raised her arms, throwing Faith off balance and to the floor. Faith quickly got to her feet, and the two Slayers faced off once again.
Buffy rushed Faith and grabbed her by the waist. The two of them went crashing through the French doors out into the atrium. When the glass had fallen, they both rolled away from each other and to their feet, facing off a fourth time. Faith gave Buffy an angry look, spun all of the way around, and backhand-punched Buffy in the face. Faith tried another backhand punch, which Buffy blocked. Faith punched Buffy in the gut and did another backhand punch to her face, this time connecting and forcing Buffy to her hands and knees. Faith advanced on her, but Buffy did a crouching back kick to her stomach, making her stagger backward into a metal garden chair. She quickly got up, grabbed the chair, and threw it at Buffy, who sidestepped it, and it clanged to the stone walk.
Amy and Tara ran into the mansion and found Gwendolyn still dazed by the wall.
"The glove!" Gwendolyn exclaimed. "It's in the trunk."
Amy nodded reassuringly. "We'll get it."
Gwendolyn looked at her. "Help Faith."
In the atrium, Faith did a half-spinning crescent kick, which Buffy ducked but got hit instead with Faith's next roundhouse kick. Faith swung a punch at Buffy, but she ducked it and blocked a backhand from Faith as well. Buffy faked a punch and instead elbowed Faith in the gut. Faith ducked the next punch. Buffy pushed Faith backwards and did a half spinning hook kick to her face, almost making her lose her balance.
Amy looked at the two Slayers fighting it out. She rushed out to intercede. Tara helped Gwendolyn to her feet.
Faith did a jumping roundhouse kick, which Buffy ducked.
Amy rushed out through the broken doors. "What are you...?" She saw them faced off again and got between them. "Stop! Guys, listen!"
Faith grabbed her by the shirt and threw her into a lamppost. She bounced off it and hit the stone walkway hard. Back at the doorway, Buffy did a diving punch, knocking Faith in the head and making her cry out in pain.
Inside, Gwendolyn made a beeline for the trunk with the glove. She threw the lid open and unfolded the rags wrapped around the glove. Reverently, she took the glove out of the trunk and cradled it in her hands. She smiled wickedly. "Finally."
Behind her, Tara was confused by her words and actions. Gwendolyn swung the glove around in a wide arc, hitting her in the face. She fell to the marble floor, unconscious.
In the atrium, Faith punched, but Buffy blocked. Buffy tried to punch but was also blocked. Faith tried again and was blocked again. Buffy grabbed onto Faith's throat, and Faith reached up to try to pry Buffy's hand off her.
Up in the sky, lightning struck, and thunder boomed. Buffy and Faith stopped their fighting to see what was going on. Gwendolyn was wearing the Glove of Myhnegon on her right arm. The metal claws surrounding the glove's opening had closed, puncturing her arm, all ten permanently embedded in her forearm's flesh. She held up her gloved arm and smiled maniacally at the sight, seemingly oblivious to the pain. Her arm was extended above her, up toward the huge skylight. Lightning struck again above the skylight. Buffy and Faith stared at Gwendolyn, still holding onto each other, not yet willing to take the chance on releasing their grip. Gwendolyn stared intently up at the sky, awaiting her reward for being the new wearer of the Glove of Myhnegon. The two Slayers realized their fight was no longer with each other and let go.
"What's going on?" Faith asked.
Gwendolyn allowed herself to be distracted, lowered her gloved arm, and looked over at Faith. She smiled maliciously. "Faith! A word of advice: you're an idiot."
Faith and Buffy both looked at her in disbelief.
Gwendolyn once again raised her arm to the sky. "Tar tríom!"
On the floor, Tara woke up and turned around just in time to see a blindingly bright bolt of lightning smash through the skylight and strike the glove. Shards of shattered glass fell everywhere, but Gwendolyn ignored them and rejoiced in her newfound power.
Gwendolyn turned to face the Slayers and extended the glove toward them. "Tar tríom!"
The bolt of energy leaped from the glove at the two girls. They scrambled out of the way, and the bolt hit a tree in the atrium, instantly setting it ablaze. Buffy and Faith looked at it in amazement, then turned their attention to what they could do about Gwendolyn. Angel also came to now and quickly took in the situation. Tara got to her feet and began backing away, stiff with fear, staring at Gwendolyn in shocked horror.
The would-be Watcher spun around and aimed the glove at her. "Tar tríom!"
Thinking fast, Angel jumped to his feet and rushed toward Tara. A lightning bolt shot through the skylight, hit the glove, and was redirected at Tara. Angel reached her just in time and roughly tackled her to the floor, out of harm's way. The bolt hit the fireplace instead and left a deep scorch mark in the marble.
Buffy came up with a plan. She looked at Faith. "Can you draw her fire?"
"You bet I can."
"Go do it."
Faith got to her feet and ran into the mansion. Gwendolyn saw her coming. Faith ducked into a hallway and kept running. Gwendolyn surmised Faith would appear at the other hallway leading from the opposite end of the room and extended her arm in that direction.
"Tar tríom!" Gwendolyn exclaimed.
Another lightning bolt struck the glove and was sent in the direction of the hallway just as Faith ran out of it. She dove behind the couch, avoiding the blast from the glove.
Thrilled with the power that was now hers, Gwendolyn held the glove up before her, staring at it with lustful desire in her eyes. "There's nothing you can do to me now."
Buffy sifted through the broken glass, found a larger shard, got to her feet, and ran into the mansion.
"I have the glove. With the glove comes the power."
"I'm getting that."
Gwendolyn looked over at Buffy in surprise.
"Just keep your Power Glove off my friends!" Buffy threw the shard of glass end over end.
It flew like a spinning blade at Gwendolyn and sliced cleanly through her upper arm, severing it and the glove from her body. With nothing to control it now, the power of the glove became erratic, and small bolts and sparks leaped from it in random directions. Cordelia arrived at just that moment, tired of waiting in Buffy's van. Another bolt of lightning struck through the skylight and, not having a target this time, hit Gwendolyn in the chest - with a few small tendrils going in through her eyes. She screamed at the top of her lungs as her body began to writhe in pain.
Everyone watched helplessly as she kept screaming, and the lightning bolts kept coming. Buffy shut her eyes to the sight. A moment later, with one final bright lightning strike, what was left of a one-armed Gwendolyn vanished in a bright flash of light and energy. A few small arcs of electricity were all that remained as the last of the energy dissipated, and the mansion was again in relative darkness. Buffy opened her eyes. Tara and Angel got to their feet. Cordelia ran over to Angel to check on him. He hugged her. She kissed him passionately on the lips. Outside, Amy got up also and headed inside. Faith stood up from behind the couch. All that was left in the center of the room were bits of glass and framework from the skylight, a cloud of smoke slowly rising upward, and the Glove of Myhnegon with Gwendolyn's severed arm still firmly in its grip. One by one, the ten claws opened up, releasing it.
The next day, in the Sunnydale High student lounge, Tara and Buffy were sitting on one of the couches across the coffee table from Amy and Cordelia, who were sitting on the other.
"So there's no more glove thingy?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy shook her head. "No. Little Living Flame, little mesquite, gone for good."
"What are you and Angel gonna do?" Amy asked Cordelia.
Cordelia shook her head. "I don't know."
"Well, he saved me from a horrible, flamey death. That sort of makes me like him again." Tara smiled thinly.
Behind Buffy, Giles cleared his throat, and she turned to face him. He was leaning against the railing with a large bandage on his left temple.
"Let me guess: Gwendolyn Post: not a Watcher."
"Yes, she was." Giles cautiously took the steps. "She was, uh, kicked out by the Council a couple of years ago for misuses of dark power. They swear there was a memo."
"Well, I better go. Damage control." Buffy got up and looked at Cordelia. "You coming?"
Cordelia shrugged and stood up. The two girls headed out of the lounge.
Tara sighed. "The whole Angel thing is so weird."
Giles slowly sat next to Amy. "Yes, well, we'll have to see how that unfolds, won't we?"
Buffy and Cordelia walked up to Jenny's apartment. Buffy knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Buffy opened the door, peeked in, and then walked into the room. "Hey."
Cordelia followed. Faith was lying on the couch, flipping through a magazine and watching Dragnet in black and white.
"How are you?" Buffy asked Faith.
"Five-by-five."
"I'll interpret that as good."
Faith didn't respond but just continued paging through her magazine.
"Look, Gwendolyn Post, or whoever she may be, had us all fooled. Even Giles."
Faith didn't look up. "Yeah, well, you can't trust people. I should've learned that by now."
"I realize this is gonna sound funny coming from someone that just spent a lot of time kicking your face...but you can trust me."
Cordelia nodded. "And me."
Faith looked up, amused. "Is that right?" She tossed the magazine aside.
Cordelia sighed. "I know I kept secrets, but I didn't have a choice. And I swore Buffy to secrecy, so don't blame her. But please believe us: we're on your side."
"I'm on my side, and that's enough."
Buffy shook her head. "Not always."
Faith shrugged. "Is that it?"
Buffy felt sad. "Yeah, I guess."
"All right. Well, then, I'll see you." Faith averted her eyes and stared at the TV.
Cordelia and Buffy took the hint and turned to go.
Faith shook her head, having a second thought. "Uh, Buffy?"
Buffy faced her expectantly. "Yeah?"
Faith reconsidered again for a long moment and changed her mind again. "Nothing."
Buffy lowered her eyes, disappointed. Slowly, she turned back to the door and followed Cordelia out, closing the door behind her.
Faith looked around the living room and inhaled and exhaled deeply. She sat alone on the couch, staring out of the window for a moment, then back at the TV.
Chapter 69: Lovers Walk
Chapter Text
"Lovers Walk"
Based on the Episode Written by Dan Vebber
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
At Sunnydale High School, Amy and Katrina slowly walked together across the lawn toward the walkway to the main entrance. In their hands, they had the results of their SATs. They folded up their score reports as they neared a bench at the side of the walkway. Amy sat down. Katrina sat down next to her. Behind them, Cordelia approached.
"You guys get your scores?" Cordelia asked.
Amy looked back at her. "Yeah. How did you do?"
Cordelia nodded. "Good. Trina?"
Katrina nodded. "Good."
Buffy and Tara walked up the steps from the street, sad looks on their faces, and joined the gang.
Amy stood up. "Buffy! Tara! Hey! Did you get your SAT scores?"
Tara nodded. "I did good."
Buffy gave Amy a weak nod. "They're just test scores, right?" She handed them to Amy. "What do they really mean, anyway?"
Amy unfolded it and read. "1430?! Buffy, you kicked ass!"
Cordelia's eyes went wide with amazement. Amy folded the report and handed it back to Buffy. Buffy handed her scores to Katrina for her to see.
Katrina smiled. "Buff, that's amazing."
"Let me see that." Cordelia yanked it out of Katrina's hand before she could even begin to unfold it and checked it out.
Katrina looked at Buffy. "With scores like that, you can apply pretty much anywhere you want."
Amy nodded. "Buffy, this could, like, change your whole future."
Buffy was unsure what to make of it. "The thought had occurred to me."
"Then why the sour puss?" Amy asked her.
"I don't know. I guess...my future. I never really thought about it. I wasn't even sure I was going to have one."
Tara nodded sadly. The others stopped to consider that. Cordelia handed Buffy back her scores.
In the library, Giles looked over Buffy's SAT score report while she played with a contraption from Giles' huge pile of camping equipment and clothing laid out on the big table.
"Buffy, this is - this is remarkable."
"So is this." Buffy put the thing down. "Where is this retreat thingy, the Yukon?" She reached for something else.
"It's quite nearby, actually."
Buffy found a compass.
"It's, um, it's the clearing at the top of Breaker's Woods."
Buffy opened the compass and saw there was a mirror inside the lid. She quickly checked her hair.
"It's the site of some fascinating druidic rituals."
Buffy closed the compass. "Okay, but you're just going for a few days, right?"
Giles took the compass from her.
"I mean...you're not gonna settle there and grow crops or anything."
Giles was confused. "What? Oh, my gear. No, no, this is - this is basic necessities."
"Giles, you pack like me."
Giles gave her a little smile. "Here." He handed Buffy her scores. "I suspect your mother will want to, uh, put it on the refrigerator."
Buffy put the report away. "Yeah. She saw these scores, and her head spun around and exploded."
Giles was unsure what she meant. "I-I've been on the Hellmouth too long. That was metaphorical, yes?"
"Yes. She was happy."
Giles smiled in relief and went over to the cage.
"She started with all this crazy talk about me going to college, maybe someplace else."
Inside the cage, Giles paused from pulling down a book.
"I know. I know, I said that you were gonna have a goat. Responsibilities and all. I know the drill."
"She may be right." Giles came back out of the cage.
"Yeah, I know, I figured you'd-" Buffy gave Giles a bewildered look. "Okay. Be kind, rewind."
"With scores like these, Buffy, you could have a first-rate education. I'm - I'm not suggesting that you...ignore your calling, but, um...you need to look to your future." Giles went back to the table. "And with Faith here, i-i-it may be that you can...move on. For a-a time, at least." He packed the book.
Buffy was unsure how to react. "Wow. You think Faith's ready to take over?"
"Well, let's, um, let's discuss it when I get back. I-In the meantime, um, I'd like you to continue training while I'm - while I'm gone, and, um, please don't do anything rash."
"I make no promises."
Giles gave her a sharp look. Buffy couldn't hold in her laughter.
After school, in the kitchen at Buffy's house, she was making microwave popcorn. Her mother had her hands full of college brochures. Tara was sitting at the island.
"Carnegie Mellon has a wonderful design curriculum. Oh, and Brown University's history program is..." Joyce paused. "You like history, right?"
"Could we talk about this another time?" Buffy got a large bowl. "All day, it's been like 'Congratulations! Go away.'" She took the bowl to the island.
"That's not it. It's just you belong at a-a good old-fashioned college with - with keg parties, not here with Hellmouths and vampires."
The microwave beeped.
"Not really seeing the distinction." Buffy went to get the bag of popcorn.
"Y'know, you're always talking about how you wish you could lead a more normal life. Well, this is your chance!"
"Yeah, it's just not that simple." Buffy took the popcorn to the bowl. "I have responsibilities." She opened the bag.
"I know, I know, but I spoke with Mr. Giles, and he said-"
"-that Faith could be Miss Sunnydale in the Slayer Pageant. I know." Buffy dumped the popcorn into the bowl.
"It's time to think about your future, Buffy, about your whole life. I mean, honestly, is there anything keeping you here?"
Buffy sat down and looked at Tara, then back at her mother.
"Oh."
"W-We talked about it last night, and B-Buffy and I d-decided we're gonna wait and see if we're both accepted to any colleges, and then we'd attend together." Tara grabbed a handful of popcorn and nervously stuffed it into her mouth.
"And if you're not?" Joyce asked.
Buffy and Tara looked at each other worriedly, neither of them having an answer.
Joyce sighed. "Well, I'm sure you two will figure it out. I mean...you're not the only couple that's ever had to make this kind of decision."
In Angel's mansion, he placed another log on the fire. Cordelia was on the couch with a pile of brochures on her lap.
"College, huh?" Angel asked.
"Higher education. Kind of an intense proposition."
"Where do you wanna go?" Angel slowly came over to her.
Cordelia closed her brochure. "I have no idea. My mom was the one that got all these. She's so excited; she can't stop talking about it."
Angel sat across from her.
"I had a really hard time coming up with an alibi, so I could come over here."
"She doesn't know about me."
"Big no. She's having enough trouble dealing with the Potential Slayer issue. I don't think she's ready to process the information that...you and I are friends again. Anyway, I think this college jones is just a reaction to the whole Potential Slayer thing."
"She wants you to get out."
"Someplace a little less Hellmouthy." Cordelia nodded. "She has a point." She drew a breath. "Y'know, but there are reasons to stay, too."
"What are they?"
Cordelia was taken aback. "Um...you know...Buffy and Faith could die at any time. What do you think I should do?"
"As a friend, I..." Angel stood up. "I think that you should leave." He went to the fireplace. "This is a good opportunity for you." He leaned against the cold stone, facing away from her.
Cordelia got up to gather her brochures. "Yeah. It's not like there's any great thing keeping me here." She stuffed them into her bag.
Angel turned around when he heard the papers rustling.
Cordelia zipped her bag closed and pulled it onto her shoulder. "Thanks for the advice. It's another perspective to consider."
"Where are you going? You just got here. It's early."
"Yeah, well, my mom starts worrying a lot earlier these days. I'll stop by soon." Cordelia left without looking back.
Later, in Buffy's backyard, Tara and Katrina were practicing a kata together.
"Thank for taking the time to teach me this, Tara. I think I'm starting to get it."
"Of course."
Suddenly, Spike hopped the fence behind them, ran over, and grabbed Katrina around the neck.
"Trina!" Tara yelled.
Spike started to choke Katrina, who struggled hard but couldn't get free.
"I need to borrow the witchy girl. You don't mind, do you?" Spike asked Katrina.
Katrina kicked out with her legs against the wall and shoved Spike and herself across the yard and into a bench. Spike wasn't fazed and threw Katrina aside to the ground. She tried to get up, but Spike punched her hard. Tara grabbed a stake and ran at Spike with it.
Spike stopped her in mid-thrust. "Threatening me? That's not nice."
Katrina got back up.
"We're all gonna be very best friends." Spike yanked the stake from Tara's grip and swung it around into Katrina's temple.
Katrina went down, out cold.
"Trina!" Tara cried.
In Spike's factory, Katrina was laid out on a ruined bed. Tara nervously sat on the edge, fidgeting with her hands.
Spike dumped a box full of supplies on the bed next to Katrina. "A spell. For me. You're gonna do a spell for me."
"Uh, what kind of spell?" Tara asked.
"A love spell! Are you brain dead?" Spike went to the dresser. "I'm gonna get what's mine." He grabbed a bottle. "What's mine." He uncorked it. "Teach her to walk out on me." He took several good swallows, then looked over at Tara. "What are you staring at?"
Tara averted her eyes. "Nothing."
"You can do it, right? You can make Dru love me again? Make her crawl!"
"I-I can try."
Spike grabbed her neck. "What are you talking about, trying? You'll do it!"
"Yes, I'll do it!" Tara cried.
Spike let go of her and broke his bottle against a bedpost. He grabbed her again and threatened her with the sharp edges. "You lie to me, and I'll shove this through your face! You want that?"
Tara was terrified. "No..."
"Right through to your brain!"
"No, please, no..."
Spike shoved her aside and leaned against the bedpost, calming down. "She wouldn't even kill me." He dropped the broken bottle, walked around Tara, and sat down next to her. "She just left. She didn't even care enough to cut off my head or set me on fire." He sniffed. "I mean...is that too much to ask? You know? Some little sign that she cared?" He paused for a moment to inhale and exhale deeply. "It was that truce with Buffy that did it. Dru said I'd gone soft. Wasn't demon enough for the likes of her. And I told her it didn't mean anything, I was thinking of her the whole time, but she didn't care. So...we got to Brazil, and she was...she was just different. I gave her everything: beautiful jewels, beautiful dresses with beautiful girls in them, but nothing made her happy. And she would fliiirt!" He sniffed. "I caught her on a park bench, making out with a chaos demon! Have you ever seen a chaos demon? They're all slime and antlers. They're disgusting." He looked at Tara's pretty young face and stroked her silky blonde hair. "She only did it to hurt me." He took his hand off her. "So I said 'I'm not putting up with this anymore.' And she said 'Fine!' And I said 'Yeah, I've got an unlife, you know!' And then she said...she said we could still be friends." He leaned over and sobbed on Tara's shoulder. "God, I'm so unhappy!"
Tara tentatively patted his knee. "There, there."
"I mean...friends! How could she be so cruel?" Spike raised his head and looked at her neck. "Mmm. That smell..." He paused. "Your neck..." He leaned in to take a better whiff and then leaned back, baring his fangs. "I haven't had a woman in weeks."
Tara looked at him and jumped up in fright. "Whoa! No! Hold it!"
"Well, unless you count that shopkeeper." Spike stood up.
Tara was panting with fright. "Now, now, hold on! I-I'll do your spell for you, and - and - and I'll get you Drusilla back, but - but there will be no bottle-in-face, and there will be no 'having' of any kind with me. All right?"
Spike grabbed her by the neck and bent her over but made no move to bite her. "All right." He pushed her away. "Get started."
Tara stepped around the bed to where Spike dumped the box of supplies. "Now, I'm not a powerful witch, you know. I-I don't know if this is gonna work right away."
"Well, if at first you don't succeed, I'll kill her, and you try again."
Tara looked through the supplies. "This isn't enough."
"What?" Spike came toward her.
Tara was nervous. "Well, there are other ingredients, a-and a-a-a book. I need a-a spell book. This isn't it."
"You've got one, though, at home?"
"No, but I know where you can get one."
Spike got in her face. "Where?"
Buffy was skipping rope in her bedroom while listening to "Carry On" by Sailor Moon on her boombox. Suddenly, Amy and Cordelia stormed in. Buffy dropped her rope, turned off her boombox, and went to meet them.
Cordelia panted. "Thank God you are here."
"What's up?" Buffy asked her.
Amy was worried. "I haven't been able to get a hold of Trina."
"She's in the backyard with Tara."
The three of them went downstairs and outside. They looked at the mess.
Cordelia shook her head. "I don't know what could have happened."
Buffy looked around. "Whatever happened, there was obviously a fight."
Amy studied the scene. "I don't see any blood."
Buffy thought. "Yeah, either they were taken, or they ran, or maybe-"
Cordelia pointed. "You're having too many ors! Pick one!"
"I don't know. I need you guys to find Giles, okay? I'm gonna look for them. Maybe they didn't get too far."
"Where is Giles?" Cordelia asked.
"Uh, he's at a retreat in the clearing in Breaker's Woods."
Amy nodded. "Yeah, I know the spot, but it's like a forty-five-minute drive."
"So motor!" Buffy told her.
Amy frowned.
Buffy softened a bit and put a hand on Amy's arm. "I'll find them."
Amy nodded. They all went on their respective missions. Cordelia and Amy headed for Amy's car. Buffy went back into her house.
Joyce was having some tea. "Hi, Buffy. You still working out?"
"Uh, no, Mom, actually-"
"I was hoping that we could have a college talk. I admit I...overreacted before. You don't have to go all the way across the country." Joyce sat at the island. "I, um, picked up some brochures from some nearby schools, okay?"
"That's great, but now's really not a good time-"
"Hello, ladies."
Buffy's eyes widened with recognition; her expression turned to horror when she realized it was Spike. She turned around. Joyce stood up. Spike ran into the kitchen.
Buffy grabbed Spike, spun him around, knocked him onto his back on the island, and kept him pinned there by the throat.
"Oh! Oh, no!" Joyce cried.
"You shouldn't have come back, Spike."
"I do what I please."
"Okay, I-I'm confused again."
Spike made a grab for Buffy's arm. Buffy took Spike's arm and pinned it to the island. Buffy grabbed a wooden stirring spoon and made a move to stake him.
"Tara!" Spike yelled.
Buffy stayed her thrust. "You took Tara."
"You do me now, you'll never find the little witch."
"And Katrina?" Buffy asked.
"Her, too."
"What, Katrina's a witch?" Joyce asked, confused. "I-"
Buffy grabbed Spike by the coat and lifted him off the island. "Where are they?"
Spike shoved Buffy off. "Doesn't work like that, peaches. Your friend's gonna work a little magic for me. She does my spell, I let them both go."
"You're not famous for keeping your promises, Spike."
"Well, you wanna tag along, that's fine. But you get in my way, and you kill your friends."
Amy sped along the road to Breaker's Woods in her car, a white 1992 Mercury Topaz sedan.
"What if they were kidnapped by Colombian drug lords?" Cordelia asked. "They could be cutting off their ears right now! Or other parts."
Amy ignored her, concentrated, and stopped the car.
"Hello?" Cordelia asked.
Amy rolled down her window and felt the air. "It's Tara. She's nearby."
"What? You can sense her?" Cordelia asked.
"Yeah. She's afraid." Amy put the car in reverse and backed up a bit.
"Oh, my God. Is this some witch thing? This is very disturbing."
Amy put the car in drive and turned down a side street.
Buffy knocked on Jenny's apartment door. Soon, it opened. Faith was standing there.
"Hey, B, what's up?" Faith asked.
"Tara and Trina have been kidnapped. I figured I might need some help on this one."
"Count me in." Faith got her jacket and then walked out of the apartment, locking and closing the door behind her.
The two girls walked to Buffy's van, opened the doors, and got in. Spike was sitting in the back seat.
Faith closed and locked the passenger-side door and fastened her seatbelt. "Who's the Billy Idol wannabe?"
Spike rolled his eyes. "Oh, please! That wanker stole his look from me!"
Buffy closed and locked the driver-side door, fastened her seatbelt, and started the engine. "Okay, so this is gonna take a bit of explaining."
Buffy parked her van on the street that Spike indicated, and she, Faith, and Spike got out and started walking.
"Look, I just need a few supplies, and then I'll take you to..." Spike stopped and grabbed his head. "Oh, God."
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked. "Not that I care."
"Oh..." Spike groaned. "My head. I think I'm sobering up. It's horrible." He bent over. "Oh, God. I wish I was dead."
Faith pulled out a stake. "Well, if you close your eyes and wish really hard..."
Spike straightened up. "Hey! Back off!"
Buffy got between them. "Faith, we still need him to find the others."
Faith lowered her stake. "Need him? He's probably just got them locked up in the factory."
"Well, hey, how thick do you think I am?" Spike asked her.
"Fine. Can we just get this over with?" Faith started down the road.
Buffy and Spike followed close behind.
"Oh, God."
"Now what?" Buffy asked.
"We killed a homeless man on this bench. Me and Dru. Those were good times." Spike stepped over to the bench and sat on it. He chuckled. "You know, he begged for mercy, and, you know, that only made her bite harder."
He looked to Buffy and Faith for a reaction, but they just stared back blankly.
"I guess you had to be there." Buffy continued on her way.
They soon arrived at the magic shop. Buffy kicked the door open, and they walked in.
There was yellow police tape stretched across the room, separating the counter and the shelves of merchandise from the entry area.
"Your work?" Buffy yanked down the police tape and tossed it aside.
"Here's your list." Spike handed it to Buffy.
Buffy read it. "'Essence of violet', 'cloves'..." She looked at Faith. "Faith?"
"Right." Faith started to look.
"'Set of runic tablets'. Spike can get the rat's eyes."
Buffy and Spike also started looking for ingredients.
"I used to bring her rats. With the morning paper."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Great. More moping. That's gonna get her back."
"The spell's gonna get her back."
Faith briefly looked at him. "Lot of trouble for somebody who doesn't even give a fuck about you."
"Shut your gob!" Spike yelled at her.
Faith shrugged. "She really is just kind of fickle."
"Shut up!" Spike ran at Faith, turned her around, and punched her in the face.
Faith grabbed his arm in mid-swing before he could do it again. Buffy grabbed him from behind, and, between her and Faith, Spike got thrown back, though he managed to keep his footing.
"What do you know? It's your fault! She belongs with me." Spike sobbed. "I'm nothing without her."
Buffy stared at him. "That, I'll have to agree with. You're pathetic, you know that? You're not even a loser anymore; you're a shell of a loser."
"Yeah. You're one to talk." Spike went back to looking for stuff.
"Meaning?" Buffy asked him.
Spike faced her. "For all your talk about human superiority and souls, you're no better than me. You're a murderer."
Buffy froze.
Spike gave her a tiny smile. "Oh, touched a nerve, did I? We're a lot more alike than you care to admit."
Buffy stared at him for a moment, then looked away and went back to searching. "Fuck you. At least, I can learn from my mistakes and better myself."
"Hmm!" Spike grabbed a bottle. "Eye of rat."
In the basement of Spike's factory, Tara was pounding against the door with her shoulder, letting out a good grunt each time. After several hits, she heard Katrina moan below. She walked down to the bed to check on her. The side of her head was covered in dried blood.
"Trina?" Tara sat on the bed. "Are you okay?"
Katrina tried to sit up. "Dizzy." She winced. "Kind of nauseous, too. Do I remember having a fight with Spike?"
"You do."
Katrina felt the caked blood on the side of her face. "I won, right? Kicked his ass?"
"No on both counts, but you were really brave. Do you need to barf?" Tara asked.
"No, I'll be okay." Katrina looked around. "Where are we?"
"The factory. We're locked in the basement."
"That burnt-out place in the middle of nowhere? Why didn't he just kill us?" Katrina asked her.
"He - He wants me to do a love spell."
"What?"
"Drusilla broke up with him. He's out of control."
Katrina tried again to sit up. "So what are our options?" She winced.
"Well, I figure either...I refuse to do the spell, and he kills us, or I do the spell, and he kills us."
"Give me a third option."
"He's so drunk that he forgets about us, and we starve to death."
"Tara, we're not gonna die."
Katrina tried to get up. Tara helped.
"If he's so drunk, he'll get sloppy, and then we'll make our move."
They collapsed back onto the bed.
"Trina, he killed two Slayers. Even though he's drunk, he's still dangerous. If I see an opening, I'll fly us out of here."
The door opened. Amy and Cordelia walked down the stairs.
"Guys!" Cordelia called.
"Shhh!" Amy cautioned. "We might not be alone."
Tara looked at them. "Thank Goddess! One of you give me a hand. Trina's hurt."
Amy rushed over, and she and Tara helped Katrina to her feet and supported her.
Katrina smiled at Amy. "Hey, babe."
Amy kissed Katrina on the lips. "Hey. We got you. C'mon."
Spike, Buffy, and Faith walked out of the magic shop, each holding a bag of love spell ingredients.
"Okay, Spike, we got the shit. Where are they?" Buffy demanded.
"What's your hurry?" Spike asked her.
Buffy stared at him. "My hurry is my intense desire to get you the fuck out of my life. You tend to cause trouble."
"I'll be out of your life in a few short hours. No trouble at all."
"Hello, Spike."
Without any warning, they found themselves confronted by one of Spike's former men. They looked around at the gang of vampires surrounding them.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "No trouble at all."
Buffy, Faith, and Spike faced off with the gang.
"Lenny. How have you been?" Spike asked.
"Better since you left. You should have stayed gone."
"Is that right?" Spike tossed his bag aside.
"You know, he was just leaving." Buffy looked at Spike. "Don't you start anything."
"This pissant used to work for me."
Buffy looked at Faith. "The guys are in trouble. We can't risk this."
"Look, I don't think we have a choice."
Lenny looked at the girls. "You other two can walk away from this."
Spike looked at Buffy. "I die, your chums die."
Buffy looked at Lenny. "Sorry. We're staying."
"Not for long!" Lenny yelled.
Buffy moved first off to her left. Faith reacted instantly and moved off to her right. Buffy threw her shopping bag at one vampire, catching him off guard, and did a front snap kick to his gut. He fell immediately. Another vampire rushed her, and she did a full spinning wheel kick to his face.
A vampire swung at Faith, but she ducked it and punched him in the gut. Faith turned around and backhand-punched another vampire in the face, followed up with an elbow to his gut.
A vampire front-snap-kicked Spike in the chest, sending him flying onto the hood of a car and landing hard on his back. Another vampire entered the fray, wielding a length of pipe. He swung it down at Spike, but Spike rolled out of the way and onto his hands and feet and hopped up onto the roof of the car.
A vampire got a firm hold of Faith's sleeve and twisted it around, forcing her to do a log roll to the ground. She used her momentum to roll back up to a standing position. Another vampire lunged at Faith, but she grabbed him and lifted him into the air, sending him head first into a nearby garbage can. Another vampire ran at Faith from behind, but she crouched down and sweep-kicked him in the legs, making him trip and flip over into a diving shoulder roll.
Another vampire joined Spike on the roof of the car, but Spike just punched him dead in the face, and he flew backward onto the hood and windshield of the car. A second vampire jumped onto the car and tried to get at Spike.
A vampire tried to slam Buffy into a low wall, but she used her momentum and his leverage to jump sideways over the wall, into the outdoor table area of the Espresso Pump. She landed on a table on her back, rolled off, and came up in a standing position. A vampire inside the café rushed her, and she did a full spinning hook kick, which connected with his stomach.
A vampire swung at Spike, who was still on top of the car, but missed as Spike redirected the hit, pushed down on his shoulder, and kicked him in the ass, causing him to fall onto the trunk of the car and slide off the back. Buffy side-kicked a vampire in the neck, and he flew backwards into some chairs. A vampire came straight for Spike. He sidestepped him and stuck his arm straight out, which the vampire ran right into, causing him to flip underneath the arm, land on the hood of the car, and roll off.
A vampire swung at Faith with a pipe but missed. On the next swing, Faith grabbed hold of the pipe and twisted it around, wresting it from the vampire's grip and knocking him out cold. Faith spun halfway around and slammed the end of the pipe into another vampire's balls. The force of the blow lifted him from the ground. Faith dropped the pipe and punched the vampire in the face, sending him spinning to the pavement.
A vampire jumped over a chain into the café. Buffy saw him coming, grabbed a round metal table, and swung it at him, smacking him hard in the face and knocking him to the floor. Buffy looked around for a weapon and spied a mop by the wall. She stomped on the base, breaking the mop head off and leaving her with a long wooden pole. As a vampire attacked again, she swung the pole at his stomach, and he fell to the floor. As the other one tried to get up again, Buffy slammed the pole down onto his face, sending him back to the floor also.
Spike had a vampire by both arms and twisted him around, making him fall in a spin onto the roof of the car and then roll off onto the sidewalk. Behind him, another vampire jumped up onto the hood of the car with a length of pipe. Buffy swung her pole at a vampire and got him in the stomach. Spinning around to face another one, she slammed the pole into his head and roundhouse-kicked him in the side, sending him stumbling into a wall. A third vampire jumped in and tried to front-snap-kick her. His kick was too weak, and she was able to block it with her pole. Then she thrust it up into his neck and threw him to the wall as well. He landed against the other vampire, and Buffy shoved her makeshift stake through both of them. She let go of the pole and ran out of the café.
Faith had a firm grip on a vampire's collar and punched him hard in the face, sending him spinning wildly to the ground. They all noticed they were temporarily without opponents and so regrouped in front of the magic shop, but it didn't take long for several members of the gang to surround them. Buffy made a break for the shop's door while Faith and Spike slowly backed in that direction as well. At the last instant, they also ran into the shop and slammed the door closed as the gang of vampires gave chase.
Once inside, Buffy headed behind the counter to see what she could find for a weapon. Faith and Spike grabbed one of the bookcases and slid it over against the front window.
Behind the counter, Buffy smashed the shopkeeper's chair and picked up the legs to use as stakes. She walked back out from behind the counter. "Go!"
She handed them each a chair leg, and the three of them made their stand, just waiting for the already teetering bookcase to give and the gang to storm into the shop.
Spike smiled. "This should be a kick."
Buffy side-eyed him. "I violently dislike you."
Suddenly, the back door was kicked in, and a vampire came in. Faith turned and attacked. The vampire lunged at her, but Faith ducked and got underneath him, lifting him and sending him flying over her head and onto a table arrayed with books and candles. Two more vampires rushed in and made their way toward Buffy. Faith slammed the back door closed and leaned against it. Buffy push-kicked the rolling ladder used to reach the upper shelves, and it smashed into the two vampires coming at her, knocking them to the floor.
The first vampire was off the table and tackled Spike into a wall of shelves filled with jars. Several of them broke, and Spike and the jars went crashing to the floor. Faith struggled to keep the door closed. One of the vampires who came after Buffy swung at her, but he missed as she stepped behind the sliding ladder. He punched again, this time through the rungs, but she sidestepped it.
Buffy grabbed the arm that the vampire punched through the rungs of the ladder and held onto it as she swung her stake home. She pulled it back out and let go, and he fell to the floor, dead. She then turned her attention to her other attacker and roundhouse-kicked him in the face as he was trying to get up. She grabbed him by the shirt and shoved his head into a display case, breaking the glass, then yanked him up through the glass top as well. She pulled the dazed vampire around and shoved his head between the rungs of the ladder and push-kicked it away. The back door was beginning to give, and so was the bookcase at the front window.
Buffy looked at Faith. "We need to get out of here!"
"Can we get to the roof?" Faith asked.
Buffy scanned the ceiling for a possible way out. Just then, the back door finally gave. Faith was knocked to the floor, and the heavy door fell on top of her. Lenny stepped on top of it, scanned the room quickly, and headed straight for Spike. Behind him, another vampire ran in, and Buffy rushed to engage him. She roundhouse-kicked him in the face and tried to follow up with a backhand punch. He blocked the hit and wrapped his arm around hers and yanked her arm downward. She yanked back up and pulled her arm free and punched him twice in the face. Faith lay dazed under the door. Lenny reached Spike and immediately punched him hard in the face, making him jerk aside but not fall.
"Yeah. I heard you'd gone soft. Sad to see it, man."
Spike was incredulous. "Soft?"
"Yeah, like baby food."
Behind Spike, the vampire that he'd been fighting got up.
Spike smiled. "Well, then, let's give baby a taste."
He did a back kick, hitting the vampire behind him in the groin. Lenny tried to punch, but Spike ducked and punched him instead. Spike spun around and backhand-punched the vampire behind him in the face, who fell immediately. He ducked another punch from Lenny, grabbed onto his jacket, pulled him around roughly, and smashed his face into the table. Buffy punched her vampire in the gut and high-punched him in the face. While he was stunned, she grabbed onto his head and yanked it around and down to her left side, flipping him over onto his back. She ran over to Faith, pushed the heavy door off her, and helped her up.
"I'm all right." Faith saw the bookcase at the front window shake violently. "That window's about to go." She spied what might be the answer. "B."
On a shelf, they saw several dozen small bottles of holy water.
Spike repeatedly smashed Lenny's head onto the table. "Baby like his supper? Baby like his supper?" He lifted Lenny and flipped him over onto the table on his back. "Why doesn't baby have a nap?"
He raised his stake high and plunged it violently into Lenny's chest. Lenny looked stunned as he died. Spike smiled with the thrill of the kill.
"Spike! Get down!" Buffy warned.
He ducked to the floor as the bookcase at the front finally gave way and fell with a crash, along with plenty of broken window glass. Spike looked up to see the vampires storm the shop. They quickly realized their peril as Buffy and Faith began throwing the bottles of holy water at them like grenades. They broke when they hit, spraying the vampires and burning them. Spike caught some wayward drops and quickly pulled his coat over his face and stayed down. The burning holy water soon had the attacking vampires making a hasty, screaming retreat.
Spike stood back up and watched them run, letting out a breath of satisfaction. "Now, that was fun."
He faced Buffy and Faith only to get disbelieving looks.
Spike smiled. "Oh, don't tell me that wasn't fun." He chuckled. "Oh, God! It's been so long since I had a decent spot of violence." He stopped and considered. "Really puts things in perspective."
"Could we just do the damn spell now?" Buffy asked him impatiently.
"Oh, sod the spell." Spike waved it off. "Your friends are at the factory."
Buffy and Faith couldn't believe their gullibility.
Spike smiled. "I'm really glad I came here, you know? I've been all wrongheaded about this. Weeping, crawling, blaming everybody else. I want Dru back, I've just gotta be the man I was, the man she loved. I'm gonna do what I shoulda done in the first place: I'll find her, wherever she is, tie her up, torture her until she likes me again." He walked past them toward the back door. Just before he went out, he turned back and smiled thoughtfully. "Love's a funny thing." He headed out the back.
Cordelia stepped through the makeshift door and stopped just inside the atrium of Angel's mansion.
Angel was sitting there. "Hey." He stood up. "I was wondering when you were coming."
"I've had quite a day." Cordelia paused. "I'm not coming back."
Angel just looked at her.
"We're not friends. We never were. And I can fool Giles, but I can't fool myself." Cordelia shook her head. "What I want from you, I can never have. You don't need me to take care of you anymore. So I'm gonna go."
"I don't accept that."
"You have to."
"How can..."
He took a step toward her, and she backed away.
"There's gotta be some way we can still see each other."
"There is: tell me that you don't love me."
Angel said nothing. After a long moment, Cordelia turned and went back into the mansion and left.
Chapter 70: Amends
Chapter Text
"Amends"
Based on the Episodes "The Wish" Written by Marti Noxon and "Amends" Written by Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
In the park, a monster with a pair of green scaly legs firmly planted to the ground had Buffy pinned high against a tree by her neck. Buffy's legs were dangling and kicking. The monster made gurgling noises and low-pitched roars. The monster's face had tentacles coming off the back of his head as well as the front in place of lips. His teeth were placed vertically between the two center tentacles. His scaly green skin glistened with slime.
"Nnnrrf! Nnnrrf!" Buffy yelled out desperately.
Near a picnic table, Amy and Katrina frantically searched through their bag of demon-killing implements.
"Oh, God! Demon! Demon! What kills a demon?!" Katrina asked.
Buffy struggled with the monster's hand at her neck but couldn't get it to budge and had a hard time breathing. "Nnnrrf! Nnnrrf!"
Amy found a knife and ran with it to Buffy's aid. She tossed the knife to Buffy, who blindly grabbed it from behind out of mid-air and stabbed the monster in the chest. The monster immediately fell over, dead, taking Buffy down with it. Amy and Katrina helped her up.
"Okay. That was too close for comfort. Not that slaying is ever comfy, but...you know what I mean?" Buffy took a deep breath. "If you guys hadn't been here to help..."
Amy put a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "But we were, and we did, and - and we're all fine."
Buffy smiled and looked down at the monster. "I'll call it in in a bit."
They walked over to the picnic table. Buffy sat cross-legged on one end of the table, Katrina sat on the other, and Amy sat on the bench below and between them and grabbed a bottle of Gatorade.
"So how come Faith was a no-show? I thought mucusy demons were her favorites." Katrina munched on a fried pork skin.
"Couldn't reach her...again. She hasn't been hanging out much." Buffy reached for a fried pork skin. "I'm a little worried. Slaying's a rough gig. Too much alone time isn't healthy. Shit gets pent up." She munched on it.
"What should we do?" Katrina asked.
Buffy shrugged. "I dunno. I guess she's just spent so much time without any real friends that she's used to it. She's had a rough life."
"Well, police business aside, does this cap us off for the day?" Amy asked, munching on a fried pork skin.
"You got plans?" Buffy asked.
Amy shrugged. "I was thinking we could hit the mall. Do some Christmas shopping."
Katrina nodded. "I'm in."
Buffy shrugged. "Okay, but I can't stay too long. I'm helping Cordelia give our newest Slayerettes some field training."
Buffy drove her van down a street. Cordelia was sitting in the passenger seat. Nancy O'Brien and Nicole Bilderback, the two newest Slayerettes, were sitting in the back seat. Nancy had long brown hair, and Nicole was Asian and had long black hair.
"How long is this gonna take?" Nicole asked, bored.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Patience, Nikki."
Nancy nodded. "Yeah, you in a hurry to get killed?"
Nicole stared at Nancy.
Suddenly, they came across Harmony fighting two vampires in the middle of the street. Buffy hit the brake, and the van screeched to a stop next to Harmony. Cordelia opened her door and jumped out with a large cross in hand to ward the vampires off. They had to back away. Buffy trained the crossbow on them. Nicole opened the sliding door, and she and Nancy jumped out, Nicole with a stake held ready, Nancy with another cross.
"I've got them! Get Harmony!" Cordelia ordered.
Nicole and Nancy picked Harmony up and carried her into the van. The vampires growled angrily as they watched their prize being stolen from them. When Nicole and Nancy had Harmony safely inside, Cordelia fought one of the vampires. The other tried to attack her from behind, but Buffy fired a bolt into its back, making it fall to the pavement in pain. Cordelia staked the first vampire and then quickly turned and plunged her stake into the second vampire's heart. Cordelia hopped back into the van. They slammed the doors shut, and Buffy took off.
Harmony poked her head between the front seats and looked at Cordelia. "Thanks for saving me."
"What were you thinking, walking around alone at night?" Cordelia asked her.
"The parking lot was full, so I had to park elsewhere, and it was just a short walk to the Bronze, so I figured I was okay." Harmony paused. "Guess I wasn't, huh?"
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "You're lucky we showed up."
Nicole smiled at Harmony. "Nice bag. Prada?"
Harmony smiled. "Good call! Most people around here can't tell Prada from Payless."
Cordelia looked back at Harmony's handbag. "Hey! I got one just like that last week! Copycat."
Harmony frowned. "Am not."
"Harmony, if you had an original thought, your head would explode."
The next evening, Cordelia visited the Sunnydale shopping district. In the window of an audio/video store, a TV was tuned to KTLA, an affiliate of The WB in Los Angeles.
"It's going to be sunny and warm with temperatures continuing in the high 70s throughout the holiday weekend. Just a little warm to light the Yule log, but it should make for a very nice Christmas."
Cordelia walked past the shop window and crossed the street. Somewhere on the block was a group of carolers singing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". Cordelia passed a Santa Claus ringing a bell and collecting for the Salvation Army. A passerby dropped some coins into his pot.
"Merry Christmas!" Santa cheered.
Cordelia stopped short when she unexpectedly ran into Angel. They were both surprised and didn't say anything for a moment.
Angel broke the silence. "Hi."
"Angel..."
Another awkward silence set in for a while.
"So...are you shopping?" Cordelia realized how silly that that sounded. "You're probably not shopping."
"I couldn't sleep."
"Vampires probably not that big on Christmas, now that I think about it."
"Not as a rule."
"But you're good?" Cordelia asked him.
"I'm - I'm all right. You?"
"Yeah!" Cordelia smiled. "Yeah, I'm good." She looked down at the boxes that she was carrying. "I, um, I was just getting some Christmas gifts for the gang. Um, I'd better go before the magic store closes."
Angel was looking behind her.
Cordelia noticed Angel's distraction. "Angel?" She looked behind herself and saw nothing, then turned her concerned attention back to Angel. "What is it?"
Angel was frozen with fear.
The next day, at Sunnydale High School, the bell rang, and students began to pour out of the classrooms, into the halls. Buffy, Cordelia, and Tara walked out of one and headed over to their lockers.
"And then he just bailed. He didn't say anything. He just took off. It was so weird."
The girls all worked their locker combinations.
"Do you think something's wrong?" Tara asked Cordelia. "Maybe you should tell Mr. Giles."
They all opened their lockers and got what they needed.
"No. I don't wanna bug Giles. He's still kinda twitchy when it comes to the subject of Angel." Cordelia took off her jacket and hung it in her locker, then closed the door.
Buffy took a paper bag from her locker and then closed the door. Tara zipped up her bookbag and closed her locker as well. They all started down the hall.
Tara shrugged. "Maybe Angel just has the holiday blues. Everybody gets 'em. Especially when they're alone."
"It's just so frustrating. I'm trying to do the right thing and stay away from him and get over it, and then, boom, there he is. I just want a nice, quiet Christmas vacation."
The gang headed into the student lounge. A Christmas tree was set up there.
"So...you doing anything special?" Cordelia asked Buffy and Tara.
"Tree. Nog. Roast beast. Just us and Mom and, I hope, an excess of gifts. What are you doing for Christmas?" Buffy asked Cordelia.
"Mm. Nothing fun. Parents are attending a corporate Christmas party. I may or may not go."
They took the steps up to the couches. Harmony was sitting on one of the couches with Nicole. Buffy took her bag over to the Holiday Food Drive collection box behind the couches and started pulling cans of food out of her bag and putting them in the box. Cordelia and Tara sat on the couch opposite Harmony and Nicole. Buffy joined the group again.
"What about you Cordettes?" Cordelia asked Harmony and Nicole.
Harmony smiled. "Well, I'll be in Aspen. Skiing. With actual snow."
Buffy smiled in amusement. "I hear that helps."
"It must be a drag to be stuck here in Sweatydale, but I'll be thinking of you guys." Harmony smiled.
Buffy and her mother walked through a Christmas tree lot, trying to find the right one. Other shoppers were also selecting trees. Off to one side, the tree merchant was spraying fake snow onto a tree.
Joyce looked over one of the snowed trees. "Do you wanna get one with snow on it? Be very Christmasy."
They continued through the tree lot.
"I think those are just for display."
"Oh. You know, honey, I was thinking. Maybe we should invite Faith to spend Christmas Eve with us."
"I don't know. Faith and I don't really hang out. Or talk or make eye contact lately."
Joyce looked over another tree. "Do you really wanna let her spend Christmas Eve all by herself?"
"She has Ms. Calendar...who, I now realize, doesn't celebrate Christmas." Buffy smiled and gave in. "I'll ask her. Worst she can do is - well, the worst she can do is serious bodily harm, but she'll probably just say no."
"You're a doll."
"What about Giles? I mean...he doesn't have any fam-"
"No, I'm sure he's fine."
"We could at least ask him and see-"
"He doesn't wanna spend Christmas Eve with a bunch of girls." Joyce took a deep breath. "Let's split up." She went off to her right.
Buffy sighed and continued looking. She noticed an area where a bunch of the trees were all brown and walked over to them for a closer look.
The tree merchant came up to her. "Bunch of them up and died on us. Don't know why. If you want one, I can make you a hell of a deal."
"No, thank you."
"Oh, honey, this one's perfect!" Joyce called from a distance.
Buffy went to see what her mother had found.
Buffy walked up to Jenny's apartment and knocked on her door.
"Yeah?" Faith called.
Buffy opened the door and walked in.
"Hey, what's up?" Faith asked.
Buffy closed the door. "Hey."
Faith turned off the TV. She stood up and faced Buffy. "What's going on? Scary monsters?"
Buffy stepped further in. "No. Um, we're having Christmas Eve dinner at my house, and I thought that, um, if you didn't have plans..."
Faith smiled sharply. "Your mom sent you down, huh?"
Buffy was taken aback. "No."
"Well, thanks, but I got plans. There's this big party I've been invited to. It should be a blast." Faith smiled evasively.
Buffy was unconvinced. "Okay. Cool. But if you change your mind, the offer-"
"That's nice of you. Thanks. But I got...I got that big party that I've been invited to, so..." Faith smiled dismayingly.
Buffy stepped toward the door but looked around and noticed the Christmas lights that Faith had strung up around the room. "I like the lights."
"Yeah. Well, 'tis the season. Whatever that means."
In Giles' kitchen, he was cooking dinner and took a taste. There was a knocking at his door.
"Just a minute!" Giles went to the door, opened it, and was surprised to see Angel standing there.
For a long moment, neither of them said anything.
"Hello."
"Um...I'm sorry to bother you."
Giles found himself unable to keep from laughing bitterly. "Sorry. Coming from you, that phrase strikes me as rather funny. 'Sorry to bother me.'"
"I need your help."
"And the funny keeps on coming."
"I understand I have no right to ask for it, but there's no one else."
"All right." Giles walked back into the apartment and tossed his kitchen towel onto the counter. He headed down the hall.
"I...I can't come in unless you invite me."
Giles got a crossbow out of a closet, loaded it, and returned from the hall, raising it at the ready. "I'm aware of that." He walked back to the door. "Come in."
Slowly and not without reservation, Angel stepped into the apartment. Giles' aim did not waver.
"I've been seeing...I've...I've had dreams lately about the past. It's...It's like I'm living it again. It's - It's so vivid; I...I need to know. I need to know why I'm here."
"Here? Back on Earth?"
"I should be in a demon dimension, suffering an eternity of torture."
"I don't feel particularly inclined to argue with that."
"But I'm not. I was freed, and I don't understand why."
"Knowing why you were back would give you peace of mind?"
"It might."
Giles decided it was probably okay to put down his weapon and bent to his side to set the crossbow down. "You think that's something you ought to have? Because, sir, to be blunt, the last time you became complacent about your existence turned out rather badly."
Angel began to pant with short, rapid breaths.
Giles noticed the look of fear on his face focused behind him. "What?" He looked around his apartment.
"Don't you see her?"
"Who?"
Angel began to make his way to the door. He began to freak out. "I can't!"
He ran out of the door, into the night. Giles was left standing there, very confused.
Cordelia found herself at a dinner party in a house. The affair was very formal. The guests conversed. A woman climbed the stairs while two other guests came down. Underneath, Angelus was talking with a maid.
Margaret was nervous. "Sir, please, I should return to the party."
"Margaret, Margaret, there's no hurry."
Margaret tried to pull away. "Mistress will be wondering-"
"Shh. Mistress will be wondering how to get the good Reverend Chalmers into bed and will not notice the absence of canapé." Angelus stroked her chin. "Stay with me."
Margaret was worried. "Sir, people might talk. I'll be put out in the streets. My little boy would...I can't lose this job."
Angelus grabbed her firmly. "Then you must keep quiet."
"You're hurting me!"
"Ah! Cry out. Call for help. I'm sure Mistress will believe your behavior beyond reproach." Angelus sneered.
"Please!"
Angelus shook her. "Come, make a scene, huh? Shall I?"
"No."
"No, no. We'll be as quiet as mice."
Margaret looked down, defeated, having no choice but to give in. When she looked back up at him, his fangs were bared.
"No matter what."
Margaret was terrified. "Sir! My son!"
"Oh, he'll make a fine dessert, huh?"
She gasped as he grabbed her roughly and bit her. He drank her dry and let her body collapse to the floor. Cordelia stared at him in shock. When he looked up, he was shocked to see her.
Cordelia awakened with a startled twist of her head and stared into the darkness of her room, surprised and confused.
The next day, Cordelia went to Giles' office at the library and told him about her dream.
"You had a dream about Angel."
"I was in Angel's dream."
Giles took off his glasses. "I'm not sure that's-"
"Giles, there was shit in this dream that I couldn't possibly know about. It was Angel's past, he was dreaming it, and somehow I got sucked in."
Giles looked up at Cordelia.
"There's something wrong with him."
Giles looked down, then drew and released a measured breath. "I know. I've seen him. He wanted to know why he was back."
"Is there a way for us to find that out?"
"Uh, possibly. I-I've been looking." Giles put his glasses back on.
"Well, let me look, too."
Giles gave her an inquiring glance.
Cordelia met Giles' coldly appraising eyes with her own steady gaze. "I'm not seeing him anymore. I'm trying to put all this behind me, and I'm not gonna be able to as long as we're both doing guest spots in each other's dreams."
Giles leaned back in his chair and considered the truth of that.
"So we'll help him?" Cordelia asked.
Giles realized he had no choice. "Yes."
"Where do we start?"
Giles stood up. "Well, we start, not surprisingly, with research." He went to a small bookcase and handed her a book. Um, the Black Chronicles." He handed her another book. "And, uh, the diary of Lucious Temple, an acolyte of Acathla, expert on demons. You can skip the passages on his garden unless you're keen on growing heartier beets."
Cordelia was eventually joined by Buffy and Tara, who had stopped by the library. The three of them all sat at the center table, doing research. Giles dropped off a few more books for them to look through. Buffy eventually ordered a large supreme pizza and went outside to receive it. She returned with it and dropped it on the table. The researching continued. Cordelia eventually went up into the stacks and soon fell asleep with several books lying on the floor around her. She rolled from her side onto her back.
Cordelia was lying in her bed, and she slowly opened her eyes. Angel was sitting at her side, looking down at her, waiting for her to awaken. He reached for Cordelia's hand with his. They touched fingertips briefly before intertwining their fingers and clasping hands.
Next, Cordelia was facing Angel, sitting on his lap with her legs circling around his waist. They were kissing passionately, holding each other as closely as possible, caressing each other tenderly. Cordelia tugged at Angel's shirt, and he helped her pull it up and off, baring his chest.
Now, it was Angel's turn to slip the satin pajama top from Cordelia's shoulders. They held each other tightly as they kissed longer and more intensely.
Cordelia and Angel were lying in bed together, making gentle, passionate love. They changed positions as Angel rolled on top of her, the muscles of his back flexing under his tattoo. They caressed each other for several moments. Angel tenderly kissed Cordelia where her neck joined her shoulder, and he slid his hand up and along her outstretched arm, reaching and clasping her hand as they continued making love. Suddenly, over Angel's shoulder, Cordelia saw a figure, sightlessly observing them from where he was standing at her door. It had no eyes but instead had runes branded in the flesh where eyes should be.
There were several sudden flashes of light. Angel removed his hands from their tender clasp and then, as a thunderclap was heard, grabbed Cordelia's wrists hard, forcibly pinning her down to the bed. He rose over her and then bit her savagely on the neck.
Cordelia woke in startled shock. She walked out of the stacks and down the stairs.
"Here, Cordelia. Take a look." Giles went to the table with a pile of very old and worn sheets of paper. "These letters contain references to a-a-an ancient power known as the First."
"First what?" Cordelia asked.
"Evil. Absolute evil, older than man, than demons. It could have had the power to bring Angel back."
Cordelia picked up one of the letters with sketches of the eyeless figure. "These guys, I-I saw them in my dream. I-I fell asleep up there."
"You had another dream? With Angel?"
Cordelia nodded.
"What happened?"
"Oh, we don't need to get sidetracked. Who are these guys?"
Giles sat at the table. "Um, they're known as the, uh, as the Bringers o-o-or Harbingers. They're high priests of the First. They, uh, they can conjure spirit manifestations and set them on people, influence them, haunt them."
"These are the guys working the mojo on Angel?" Cordelia asked him. "We gotta stop them."
"Y-You can't fight the First, Cordelia. It's not a-a physical being."
"Well, I-I can fight these priest guys. If I can find them."
"Find who?" Buffy asked, returning from the restroom.
Tara was right behind her.
The next day, Buffy and Cordelia entered Willy's Bar. He was wiping down a few bottles and putting them away when he saw them.
"Hey! It's the Slayer. What brings the, uh, Slayer down here?" Willy asked, deliberately loud.
Several vampires at the bar got up and quietly left.
Buffy walked up to the bar. "Hey, Willy, how you been?"
Willy poured a drink for a customer. "Keeping out of trouble, as God is my witness." He came over to them. "So...w-what can I do for you? Couple of drinks?"
Cordelia briefly exchanged a look with Buffy and then looked at Willy. "Yeah. Let me get a double shot of, um...of information, pal."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Three priests. They call themselves the Bringers."
Cordelia shrugged. "Bringers, Harbingers. They have a 'no eyes' kinda look."
"Doesn't ring a bell."
"How about I ring that bell for you?" Cordelia asked him menacingly. She looked at Buffy hopefully. "Does the threatening come now?"
"Maybe you shouldn't help." Buffy looked at Willy. "They would've come to town recently. They'd be holed up somewhere summoning the spirit of the First."
Willy looked around the bar carefully, then leaned in toward them. "Well...I heard a few things, you know, from the underground."
"The underground?" Cordelia asked.
"Yeah, you know. From things that live under the ground. Apparently, there's been a lot of migration out of Sunnydale from the lower inhabitants. Something's scaring them off, and these are things that aren't easily scared. Could be your priest guys are underground."
"Underground where?" Buffy asked.
"I do not know."
Buffy nodded. "Okay. Thanks."
Cordelia nodded. "See you around."
They started to leave the bar.
"Hey, kids."
Buffy and Cordelia faced him.
"Merry Christmas."
Buffy just gave him a look, and then she and Cordelia left.
They stepped into the heat of the day and started down the block, toward Buffy's van.
Cordelia wiped her forehead. "Damn, is it hot. It was so nice and cool in there."
Buffy was in a bad mood. "Yeah, a nice cool waste of our fucking time."
They stopped walking.
Cordelia looked at Buffy. "We know underground. That's a start."
"Sure, in a town with fourteen-million square miles of sewer."
"Plus a lot of natural cave formations and a gateway to Hell. Yeah, this does resemble square one. I don't know what to do."
Buffy gave her a smile. "I think, right now, the best plan is to deck the halls with boughs of holly. Hell, I'm lucky that we have a tree to deck, considering a lot of the ones at the tree lot were dead. Look, we'll catch the bad guys...sooner or later."
Cordelia hesitated and then gave Buffy a small smile.
That evening, at the Summers' house, Christmas music played in the background. Buffy and Tara put the finishing touches on the tree.
Joyce placed another log on the fire. She stood up and inspected the result. "There we go."
Buffy gave her an amused smile. "Nothing like a roaring fire to keep away the blistering heat."
"Oh, come on. It's lovely. Maybe I should turn the air conditioning on."
Buffy nodded. "Maybe you should."
Joyce rolled her eyes. Buffy and Tara finished trimming the tree.
Joyce held up an angel and a star. "Angel or star on top?"
Buffy thought about it. "Uh...star. Star."
The doorbell rang. Buffy and her mom exchanged an inquiring look, wondering whom it could be. Buffy went to the door, unlocked it, and opened it.
Faith looked at Buffy uncertainly. "Hey."
Buffy smiled. "Hi!"
"Uh, looked like that whole party thing was gonna be kind of a drag." Faith dropped her eyes for an instant. "I didn't really have anything..." She paused. "You know."
"I'm glad you came."
Faith smiled. "Uh...here." She handed Buffy three gifts.
"Why don't you come in from the entire lack of cold?" Buffy offered.
"Mm."
Faith stepped in, and Buffy closed the door.
Faith pointed. "Uh, that one is for your mom, and that one's for Tara. They're pretty shitty."
"Faith, you made it." Joyce took the gifts from Buffy. "Oh, that is so thoughtful."
Faith smiled, embarrassed. "They're shitty."
"You know, I'm gonna go upstairs and get your gifts. Excuse me." Buffy walked upstairs.
Faith walked further into the living room.
Tara smiled at her. "Hi, Faith!"
Faith smiled. "Hey, T."
"Uh, would you like some nog?" Joyce asked Faith.
Faith nodded. "Uh, yeah." She paused briefly before remembering her manners. "Uh, please."
Cordelia walked down the hall and into her room. She had opted to stay at home, and now she was feeling lonely.
Once in her room, she heard her door slam behind her. She spun around to find Angel there. He looked very tired and somewhat disoriented.
"Angel."
"Huh...Cordy."
"What is it?"
Angel looked around apprehensively and cleared his throat. "I gotta...I...Look, I, uh, I had to see you, um..." He saw her bed, and it confused him. "I don't know, I...You shouldn't be..."
"Just tell me what's going on."
Angel's gaze focused on her neck. "You have to stay away from me."
Cordelia was bewildered. "You came to see me to tell me that I can't see you?"
Angel panted heavily and struggled hard with himself for control.
"Angel, something is doing this to you."
He started to move toward her.
Cordelia backed away, worried and frightened. "You just have to control it, okay? I-I know that you're confused."
"I think you're the one who's confused. I think you need to..." Angel struggled for control of his mind. He grabbed his hair with his hands in desperation.
"Angel, how can I help you?" Cordelia implored.
"Leave me alone!" Angel ran toward her window and dove out.
Cordelia was in shock over it all.
Cordelia went to Giles' apartment.
"Giles, we have to do something. Soon. Now."
"I'm still not sure what."
Cordelia was desperate. "Find me these priest guys. Find me something I can pummel."
"Let's not lose our heads."
"Giles, he's slipping."
Giles had no response to that.
"I think we're losing him."
"Look..." Giles put on his glasses. "You realize if he...truly becomes a danger, you may have to kill him. Again. Can you do that?"
Cordelia couldn't bring herself to answer.
A while later, Cordelia read aloud from a book. Behind her, Giles sat on the stairs and read to himself from another.
"'A child shall be born of man and goat and have two heads, and the First shall speak only in riddles...' No wonder you like this shit." Cordelia closed the book. "It's like reading The Sun."
Giles found something. "Yes. Ah."
Cordelia looked up at him. "Priests?"
"Um..." Giles paused. "Yes, but, uh, more - more posturing, I'm afraid. Um, 'For they are the Harbingers of Death. Nothing shall grow above or below them. No seed shall flower, neither in man nor...'" He gestured that it went on and on. "They're rebels, and they'll never, ever be any good. Nothing specific about their haunts."
"Let me see that."
Giles handed her the book.
"'...the Harbingers of Death. Nothing shall grow above or below...'" Cordelia was suddenly lost in thought.
"What?"
Cordelia kicked open the gate to the Christmas tree lot and sought out the dead trees. Once there, she studied them for a moment. Six trees that had died were arranged in a circle. All of the trees around them were fine.
Cordelia looked around for something to dig with and found a long-handled ax. She swung it at the ground, and, after a couple of hits, she broke through. A few more swings, and the hole was large enough for her to get through. She crouched down and dropped herself into it.
Cordelia dropped down into a cave. There were groups of candles burning here and there. She cautiously looked around and started to make her way deeper into the cave. She could hear chanting coming from nearby. She didn't have to go far before she found a table with the priests sitting around it.
"All right, ten more minutes of chanting, and then you guys have to go to bed."
The priests got up, and Cordelia jumped down to fight them. She swung the handle of her ax into one priest's stomach, and he went down. She swung it into another one, who doubled over. She followed up with another swing to his head, and he went down, too. The third one ran away. Cordelia used the ax to destroy the arrangement of artifacts on the table. The next thing that she knew, Oz was in the cave with her.
"Hmm. I'm impressed."
Cordelia hesitated at first, surprised to see Oz there, but quickly realized it was not really him. "You won't get Angel."
"Hmm. You think you can fight me? I'm not a demon, little girl. I am something that you can't even conceive. The First Evil. Beyond sin, beyond death. I am the thing the darkness fears. You'll never see me, but I am everywhere. Every being, every thought, every drop of hate."
Cordelia lost her patience. "All right, I get it. You're evil. Do we have to chat about it all day?"
"Angel will be dead by sunrise. Your Christmas...will be his wake."
"No."
"You have no idea what you're dealing with."
"Lemme guess. Is it...evil?" Cordelia asked sarcastically.
The apparition of Oz shrunk and was replaced for an instant by an image of a huge horned and clawed beast coming at her, roaring and with eyes glowing red. It faded as quickly as it appeared. Cordelia stared in shock at the place where it appeared.
"Dead by sunrise!" the First screamed.
Cordelia ran from the cave, terrified for Angel's life.
Cordelia ran into Angel's mansion. "Angel!"
She looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen. She walked toward the doorway to the atrium and looked out. She saw the steps leading up and ran toward them. She ran up the steps and ended up at the hills behind the mansion.
Cordelia ran through the bushes, frantically looking for Angel. She climbed further up Kingman's Bluff and found him standing at the top of the cliff, looking out over a peaceful residential area of town.
"Angel."
He briefly glanced in her direction before looking back out over the rooftops. Cordelia slowly walked over to him.
"I bet half the kids down there are already awake. Lying in their beds...sneaking downstairs...waiting for day."
Cordelia was out of breath. "Angel, please. I need for you to get inside. Th-There's only a few minutes left."
"I know. I can smell the sunrise long before it comes."
"I don't have time to explain this. You just have to trust me. That thing that was haunting you-"
"It wasn't haunting me. It was showing me."
Cordelia was confused. "Showing you?"
"What I am."
"Were."
"And ever shall be. I wanted to know why I was back. Now, I do."
"You don't know. Some great evil takes credit for bringing you back, and you buy it? You just give up?"
"I can't do it again, Cordy. I can't become a killer."
"Then fight it."
"It's too hard."
Cordelia was desperate. "Angel, please, you have to get inside."
"It told me to kill you. You were in the dream. You know. It told me to lose my soul in you and become a monster again."
"I know what it told you. What does it matter?"
"Because I wanted to! Because I want you so badly! I want to take comfort in you, and I know it'll cost me my soul, and a part of me doesn't care." Angel sobbed.
Cordelia was at a loss for words.
"Look, I'm weak. I've never been anything else. It's not the demon in me that needs killing, Cordy. It's the man."
"You're weak. Everybody is. Everybody fails. Maybe this evil did bring you back, but, if it did, it's because it needs you. And that means that you can hurt it. Angel, you have the power to do real good, to make amends. But if you die now, then all that you ever were was a monster." Cordelia looked out at the sky as it began to lighten. "Angel, please, the sun is coming up!"
"Just go."
"I won't!"
"What, do you think this is simple? You think there's an easy answer? You can never understand what I've done! Now, go!"
"You are not staying here." Cordelia grabbed his arm. "I won't let you!"
"I said leave!" Angel jerked his arm free of her grasp.
In her anger and desperation, Cordelia punched him. He reacted by shoving her away from him roughly, making her fall face forward, hard, to the ground.
"Oh, my God..." Angel went to her and crouched over her, grabbing her by the shoulders and turning her around to face him.
Cordelia feared his intentions. "No! No!"
Angel grabbed her roughly by the arms and held her firmly. "Am I a thing worth saving, huh?" He shook her. "Am I a righteous man?" He shook her. "The world wants me gone!"
Cordelia was in tears. "What about me? I love you so much..." She paused. "And I tried to make you go away..." She paused again. "I killed you, and it didn't help." She shoved him off her and got up. "And I hate it! I hate that it's so hard...and that you can hurt me so much." She sobbed. "I know everything that you did, because you did it to me. Oh, God! I wish that I wished you dead. I don't. I can't."
Angel got up now, too. "Cordy, please. Just this once...let me be strong."
"Strong is fighting! It's hard, and it's painful, and it's every day. It's what we have to do. And we can do it together. But if you're too much of a coward for that, then burn. If I can't convince you that you belong in this world, then I don't know what can. But do not expect me to watch. And don't expect me to mourn for you, because-"
Cordelia stopped in mid-sentence, because it had inexplicably begun to snow. She and Angel both looked up at it coming down, lightly at first and gradually heavier. Snowflakes swirled around them in the gentle morning breeze, and the ground around them started to become white. Angel looked around in amazement. Cordelia walked to the edge of the hill and looked out at the town as the roofs on the houses below also started to become white. She turned to Angel, and they looked at each other, stunned by this apparent miracle.
Cordelia and Angel walked along, hand in hand, still looking up at the snow as it came down. They entered the shopping district. The trees in the street were aglow with Christmas lights. The street and a few parked cars were covered with about two inches of snow. The street was otherwise deserted. A weatherman could be heard on the TV in the window of the audio/video store.
"And while most of Southern California is enjoying a balmy Christmas, an extreme cold front has sprung up out of nowhere around Sunnydale, where they are reporting heavy snowfall for the first time in, well, ever. Sunnydale residents shouldn't expect to see the sun at all today. That cold front isn't going anywhere. With temperatures in the high 30s, means you better bundle up if you're planning to go outside and enjoy the change in the weather."
Cordelia and Angel continued walking in silence down the street. Cordelia looked over at Angel. He looked exhausted but at peace. He noticed her gaze and smiled at her.
"Cordy!"
"Did you hear that?" Cordelia looked straight ahead. "It sounded like Buffy."
"Cordelia!"
"And Giles."
Angel looked straight ahead. Soon, Buffy, Faith, Tara, Amy, Katrina, Jenny, and Giles arrived on the street. They were bundled in heavy clothes.
"You guys!" Cordelia waved.
Her friends walked over to her.
"What's going on?" Cordelia asked in surprise.
"Thank Goddess you're okay!" Tara exclaimed.
Faith indicated Buffy with her thumb. "B tried calling you last night to see if you wanted to come over, but you didn't answer."
Cordelia was surprised and patted her jacket. "I left home in such a hurry that I forgot my cell phone."
Amy gave her a small smile. "Well, anyway, we were so worried about you. I even tried doing a locator spell."
Cordelia smiled warmly, overcome with emotion. "Awww, you guys, you were searching all night for me?!"
Buffy hesitated, a bit embarrassed. "Well, actually, we ate dinner, opened presents, watched TV, then my mom took us to Midnight Mass, and I refilled my holy water supply, then we came home, then I tried calling you again, then I called Giles-"
"And woke me up."
"Uh-huh, and then I got really worried and organized a search party."
Cordelia's smile faded somewhat. "Oh. Well, it's the thought that counts." She quickly looked to Angel for confirmation. "Right?"
"Right."
Katrina smiled. "Well, we're just glad that you're all right."
"Are you two back together?" Jenny asked, noticing Cordelia and Angel were holding hands.
Cordelia briefly looked at Angel and then back at Jenny. "Yeah. It looks like we are. Uh, we're being careful, though. No happiness here. Wow, how am I gonna explain this to my mom? She's expecting me to leave town after graduation."
"Is that what you want?" Tara asked her.
Cordelia shook her head.
Buffy smiled. "Well, we've got that New Year's Eve concert at the Bronze, right?"
Cordelia was confused. "Yeah, so?"
"So I've got a plan. But that's for later. Right now, you guys are all invited over to our house for Christmas morning reheated leftovers."
The gang started walking.
Buffy grinned. "You guys are in for a feast. I'm talking roast turkey, roast beef, roast pork, roast chicken, macaroni salad, potato salad, yams, cranberries, cheese, pierogi..."
Cordelia sighed. "There goes my diet."
Six days later, Buffy and the Slayerettes were performing at the Bronze. Harmony was recording their concert with her video camera.
"Okay, I know there's only a few minutes left until midnight, but we've got one more song before then. This is for our good friend and manager, Cordelia Chase." Buffy nodded at Cordelia.
Cordelia, standing in the center of the dance floor, nodded back at Buffy. Her mother, Charisma, was sitting at a table, watching.
Tara started playing the opening notes on her keyboard. Buffy added her guitar, Katrina added her bass guitar, and Amy added her drums. Buffy sang the lead vocals, but the others joined in occasionally:
"Welcome to your life.
There's no turning back.
Even while we sleep,
We will find you
Acting on your best behavior.
Turn your back on Mother Nature.
Everybody wants to rule the world."
The crowd parted. Angel, wearing a tuxedo, approached Cordelia.
"It's my own design.
It's my own remorse.
Help me to decide.
Help me make the
Most of freedom and of pleasure.
Nothing ever lasts forever.
Everybody wants to rule the world."
Angel offered his hand. Cordelia took it. They held each other close and danced together.
"There's a room where the light won't find you,
Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down.
When they do, I'll be right behind you.
So glad we've almost made it.
So sad they had to fade it.
Everybody wants to rule the world."
Cordelia and Angel let go of each other. Cordelia took Angel's hand, and the two of them walked over to her mother.
Cordelia smiled. "Mom...this is Angel."
Charisma looked warily at Angel for a moment, but then she smiled and offered her hand. Angel shook it. Cordelia grinned.
The band finished the song. Everyone cheered and applauded.
A local radio station was put through the Bronze's sound system. As the new year approached, the entire crowd started counting down.
At midnight, everyone cheered. Couples kissed. Buffy kissed Tara. Amy kissed Katrina. Cordelia kissed Angel. Jenny kissed Giles. Faith and Harmony felt left out, since they weren't dating anyone. Faith initially paid her little regard but then gave her a second glance, which turned into an appreciative look.
"What the hell?" Faith put her hands on Harmony's cheeks and kissed her full on the lips.
Harmony was a bit surprised and was about to protest but then changed her mind.
When their lips parted, Harmony stared into Faith's eyes. "You better call me."
Faith gave her a noncommittal smile.
Tara started playing her keyboard and sang:
"Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And auld lang syne?
"For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne."
Buffy raised her arms and grinned. "Happy 1999, everybody!"
Chapter 71: Gingerbread
Chapter Text
"Gingerbread"
Based on the Episode Written by Thania St. John and Jane Espenson
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
At night, in the park, Buffy slowly strolled along the perimeter and into an area surrounded by bushes. She heard a rustling sound coming from the bush directly in front of her and stopped instantly, her gaze fixed on the shaking branches. She pulled out her stake and got ready to fight, when suddenly she heard a voice to her left.
"Is it a vampire?"
Buffy snapped her head to the left and saw her mother walk toward her, carrying a bag in one hand and a large thermos in the other.
"Mom, what are you doing here?"
Joyce held up the bag and thermos. "I brought you a snack. I thought it was about time for me to come out and watch. Y-You know, the slaying."
"You know, the slaying is kind of an alone thing."
"But it's such a big part of your life, and I'd like to understand it. It's, um, you know, something we could share."
"A-Actually, it's pretty dull, you know; it's bam, boom, stick..." Buffy's attention was back on the rustling bush, and she nudged her mother to the side a bit.
Suddenly, a vampire jumped out at her and ran straight for her. She ducked as the vampire lunged at her with his arms outstretched. She got back up and delivered a right hook to his face, followed by a backhand punch on the backswing and a left to the face, making him take a step back.
"Good, honey! Kill him!" Joyce cheered.
Buffy did an out-to-in crescent kick, which he easily ducked. She tried to punch him in the face again, but he grabbed onto her shoulders and rolled onto his back, sending her rolling over him and onto her back. She let out a pained grunt and looked around to get her bearings.
Joyce pointed. "Buffy, he-he's over here!"
The vampire faced her and roared.
"Oh, my God! It's Mr. Sanderson from the bank!" Joyce exclaimed.
He came at Buffy with a front snap kick, which she low-blocked. He tried to punch her, but she ducked it. Buffy did a half-spinning in-to-out crescent kick, followed swiftly by a leg sweep, knocking the vampire's legs out from under him. She stood back up and got ready to punch him, but he'd had enough. He scrambled to his feet and hightailed it out of there.
Joyce pointed with the thermos. "And he's getting away!"
Buffy gave her a stern look. "Stay!" She ran off after the vampire.
The vampire surprised Buffy and knocked her to the ground. The vampire bent over her. She grabbed him and pulled him over and down onto the ground next to her. She scrambled to her knees and jammed her stake home. The vampire died.
Buffy got to her feet and went back to where she'd left her mother. She wasn't there. Buffy went searching for her.
She found Joyce over at the carousel.
"Mom?" Buffy asked.
There was no response.
When Buffy was close enough to get a good look, she stopped in horror, shocked at what she saw. The body of a young boy lay dead on the carousel, and next to it, on the sand, lay the body of a young girl. Each of the children had one arm outstretched, and drawn in black on the palms of their hands was a triangle. It had a wide U-shaped symbol in the middle with its ends extending out from the triangle and bending in a sharp arc at the tips.
"Oh, shit." Buffy looked at her mother. "Mom, I'm gonna go and call the cops. Are you gonna be okay here?"
"I, uh..."
"Look away, if you have to."
Joyce nodded. Buffy walked off to find a pay phone.
Several police cars and a coroner's van had arrived, and the detectives were looking over the scene. No one had touched the bodies yet. The police photographer stepped up to the carousel and took aim at the young boy with his camera. A series of black-and-white photos followed.
Buffy was finishing an interview with a police officer.
"So...nothing supernatural as far as you can tell, Ms. Summers?" the officer asked her.
"Well, there's that symbol. It might be something. But I'm not an expert on all things Twilight-Zoney." Buffy sighed. "Can her mother and I leave now?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Buffy walked over to her mother. The police bustled with activity around them.
"All right, let's move here. Somebody pull that car out."
Buffy reached her mother. "They said we can go home now."
Joyce was distraught. "They were little kids. Did you see them? They're so tiny."
"I saw."
Joyce shook her head. "Who could do something like this? I just..." She looked down sadly.
"I'm so sorry that you had to see this. But I promise everything is gonna be okay."
"How?"
"Because I'm gonna find whatever did it."
"I guess. It's just you can't...you can't make it right."
Buffy hugged her mother closely. Joyce began to sob.
"I know. I'm sorry. But I'll take care of everything. I promise. Just try and calm down."
The next morning, in the Sunnydale High School library, Buffy looked up at Giles standing at the top of the stairs to the book stacks.
Buffy was upset. "Don't tell me to calm down!"
Giles was taken aback. "I-I-I only meant-"
"They were kids, Giles. Little kids! You don't know what it was like to see them there. My mom can't even talk. I was worried that she was gonna crash the Jeep on her way home."
Giles took a few steps down. "I'm sorry. I...I just want to help."
Buffy calmed a bit. "I know."
Giles came down the rest of the way and went over to the center table. Buffy followed and leaned against the back of a chair.
"Do we know how? Uh..." Giles fumbled for words. "It wasn't a vampire?" He sat on the table.
"No. There were no marks."
Giles lifted his mug for a sip of his tea but stopped as Buffy continued.
"Wait. I-I mean...there - there was a mark, um, a-a symbol." Buffy stepped around the chair, grabbed a pen from the table, and sat to draw it.
Giles hurriedly set down his mug and quickly reached over to stop Buffy before she could deface the parchments lying there in front of her.
"Oh, uh, eighteenth century, papal encyclical. Write on this." Giles gently picked up the parchments and nudged a spiral notebook over to her.
Buffy flipped the notebook to a blank page and drew as Giles set down the parchments and picked up his mug again.
"I-It was on their hands. The cops are keeping it quiet, but I got a good look at it." Buffy pushed the drawing over for Giles to see. "There. Find me the thing that uses this symbol and point me at it."
"Hmm."
"Hmm what? Giles, speak."
"What? Oh, sorry. Um, no, it..." Giles picked up the notebook. "I just wonder if we're looking for a thing. The use of a symbol o-o-on a victim like this suggests a-a ritual murder and a cult sacrifice by a group."
"A group of...human beings? Someone with a soul did this?" Buffy asked, sickened at the thought.
"Yes, I'm afraid so." Giles went over to the bookshelves behind the table and started his research.
"Okay. Then, while you're looking for the meaning of that symbol thingy, could you also find a loophole in that 'Slayers don't kill people' rule?" Buffy asked him.
Giles looked back at her from his crouched position and stood up. "Buffy, this is a dreadful crime, I know, and you have every right to be upset, but...I-I wonder if you're not letting yourself get a shade, uh...more personal because of your mother's involvement."
Buffy stood and faced him. "Oh, it's completely personal. Giles, find me the motherfuckers that did this. Please."
In the cafeteria, Tara and Katrina both took their trays and headed for an empty table. They sat down and started eating their lunch. Amy found them.
Tara smiled. "Hey, Amy."
Amy sat down.
Katrina smiled. "Hey, sweetie."
Amy had a huge smile on her face, pleased to show off her new short and darker hairstyle. "Hi, guys."
Katrina kissed Amy on the lips. "Hey, Amy, I like your new hair."
"Thanks."
Katrina looked at all of them. "So...Buffy's birthday is next week. Any idea on what to get her?"
Tara saw Buffy approaching. "Shh. Hi, Buffy."
"Buffy! What's up?" Katrina asked her.
Buffy sat down. "You guys didn't hear?"
"Hear what?" Katrina asked, looking from Buffy to Tara.
Tara squirmed. Katrina looked back at Buffy.
"A murder. Somebody killed two little kids."
Katrina was shocked. "Oh, no."
"They were, like, seven or eight years old. My mom found the bodies during patrol last night."
Amy was shocked. "Oh, my Goddess."
"Why was your mom there?" Katrina asked Buffy.
"More bad. She picked last night, of all nights, for a surprise bonding visit. She's completely wigging."
"Who's wigging?"
Buffy snapped her head around, saw Joyce standing there, and stood up. "Um...everyone. You know, 'cause of what happened."
"Oh, it's so awful. I-I had bad dreams about it all night."
Amy looked at her. "Hi, Mrs. Summers."
"Oh, hi, everybody."
Katrina nodded. "Hi."
"Buffy, have you talked to Mr. Giles yet about who could have done this?" Joyce asked.
"Yeah. He, uh...he thinks it might be something ritual. A cult. Uh, he's still looking. In the meantime, we're gonna add to my patrol and - and, y'know, keep an eye out."
"A cult. Like witches."
Tara coughed. Amy looked away.
"Oh, I-I-I know you kids think that stuff's cool. Buffy told me you dabble. But anybody who could do this isn't cool. Anybody who could do this has to be a monster. It's-"
"You know what? Uh, would you guys excuse us for a little bit?" Buffy asked.
Joyce nodded. "Uh, n-nice to see you."
Buffy led her out of the cafeteria. They walked into the hall and slowly started down it.
"Are your friends gonna help with the investigation, too?" Joyce asked.
"Mom, I really think..." Buffy paused. "Maybe this isn't the best place to talk about this."
"Are you embarrassed to be hanging out with your mother? I didn't hug you."
They stopped by the stairs.
"No. It's just..." Buffy paused. "This hall is about school, and you're about home. Mix them, my world dissolves."
"It's just...I keep thinking about who could have done such a thing. I have to help."
"Well, Giles can always use help in the library."
"I called everybody I know in town. I told them about the dead children. They're all just as upset as I am."
Buffy was confused. "You called everybody that you know?"
"And they called all their friends. And guess what? We're setting up a vigil, for tonight, for City Hall. The mayor is even gonna be there. Now, we are gonna get some action." Joyce smiled.
Buffy was less than thrilled. "Uh-huh. That's great. Uh..." She paused. "But you know what? A lot of times, when we're working on stuff like this, we like to keep the number of people that know about it kind of...small."
Joyce considered. "Oh. Right. Well, I-I'm sure there won't be all that many people."
That evening, at Sunnydale City Hall, a large crowd had gathered in the main conference room. Many of them were holding up signs with pictures of the two children and the words "Never Again!" Buffy and Tara walked in and looked around at the crowd.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "This is great. Maybe we could all go patrolling together later."
Tara gestured at Joyce. "At least, your mom's making an effort. My dad's probably...standing right in front of me right this second."
Her father saw them and came up to them.
"Dad?" Tara asked in disbelief.
Steve gave her a curt nod. "Tara."
"Dad, what are you doing here?" Tara asked.
"I got a call."
Joyce came over to join them. "I'm glad you could come."
Giles also showed up. He kept his hands in his pockets. "There you are. I almost didn't find you in this crush." He noticed Joyce and grew nervous. "Oh, uh, Mrs., uh...uh, Joyce. Quite a turnout you have here."
"Oh, well, it's - it's not just me, but thank you. Well, it's, uh, it's been a while."
Giles was uneasy. "Right. Not since, um..." He paused. "Not since..." He paused again. "Not for a while."
Steve looked at him. "There's a rumor going around, Mr. Giles."
Giles was suddenly worried. "R-Rumor about us?"
Joyce shot him a look of dismay.
Giles got the hint. "A-A-About what?"
"About witches."
Tara and Buffy exchanged a look.
"People calling themselves witches are responsible for this brutal crime." Steve stared pointedly at his daughter.
"Indeed?" Giles asked. "How strange."
There was some electronic feedback when the mayor tested the microphone as he stepped up to the lectern.
"Oh. Oh, a-are we starting?" Joyce asked.
The mayor cleared his throat and sniffled. Joyce made her way around, behind everyone, over to Buffy, who was frowning up at the mayor.
"Hello, everybody."
Joyce leaned over to Buffy's ear. "He'll do something about this. You'll see."
Everyone settled down to listen to what the mayor had to say.
"Um...I wanna thank you all for coming in the aftermath of such a tragic crime. Seeing you all here proves what a caring community Sunnydale is. Now, sure, we've had our share of misfortunes, but we're a good town with good people, and I know that none of us will rest easy until this horrible murder is solved." Mayor Wilkins picked up one of the signs. "With that in mind...I make these words my pledge to you." He held it up for everyone to see. "'Never again!' Now, I ask you to give your attention to the woman who brought us all here tonight, Joyce Summers."
He stepped away as Joyce walked to the front of the room and stepped up to the lectern.
"Thank you." Joyce considered her words for a moment before beginning. "Mr. Mayor, you're dead wrong."
People began to murmur.
"This is not a good town. How many of us have - have lost someone who - who just disappeared? Or - Or got skinned? Or suffered neck rupture? And how many of us have been too afraid to speak out? I-I was supposed to lead us in a moment of silence, but...silence is this town's disease. For too long, we-we've been plagued by unnatural evils. This isn't our town anymore. It belongs to the monsters and - and the witches and the Slayers."
Buffy looked at her mother in open-mouthed shock. She and Tara exchanged a worried glance. Giles couldn't believe what he was hearing either.
"I say it's time for the grownups to take Sunnydale back. I say we start by finding the people who did this and making them pay."
The people in the crowd began to applaud. Buffy was too much in shock to do anything but stare at her mother.
The next day, at Sunnydale High, Amy was walking through a hall and saw Michael, a fellow witch that she knew. Michael had his locker open and checked his black makeup in the mirror stuck to the inside of the locker door. A group of guys came up to him, and Roy, their leader, slammed the locker door shut.
Michael looked at him. "Watch it."
Roy smiled smugly. "Oh, sorry. Did I make you smudge your eyeliner?"
Michael rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"You gonna put a spell on me?" Roy asked him.
Amy came to Michael's defense. "Hey, what is your problem?"
Roy grabbed Michael by the shirt and slammed him up against the lockers. "Everyone knows he's into that voodoo witchcraft. I heard about those kids." He slammed Michael again. "People like him...gotta learn a lesson."
"And what about people like me?" Amy asked him.
"Get in my face, and you'll find out."
Amy got in his face and stared him down, giving him a slight smile. "Try me, asshole."
Buffy stepped up behind Amy and gave him a smile. He noticed her and suddenly thought better of going any further. He let Michael go and straightened his shirt a bit.
"No problem here." Roy nodded to the other boys. "We're walking."
Buffy followed them for a few steps, then turned back to Amy and Michael. "You guys okay?"
"Yeah. We're fine." Michael walked off.
Amy smiled. "Thanks, Buffy." She walked off.
Buffy looked back down the hall to make sure the gang was still headed away. Giles came around the corner, and Buffy started toward him but was headed off by Cordelia.
"You'll be one busy little Slayer, baby-sitting them."
"I doubt they'll have any more trouble."
"I doubt your doubt. Everyone knows that witches killed those kids, and Amy is a witch. And Michael is whatever the boy of witch is, plus being the poster child for yuck."
"Corde-"
"Expect badness. Always."
Buffy thought about that in silence for a moment and then nodded. Cordelia turned and left.
"But witches didn't do it!" Buffy yelled loudly after her, more for others to hear. She turned to Giles.
"Actually, I think they may have. My research keeps bringing me back to European Wiccan covens."
"You found the meaning of the symbol?" Buffy asked him.
Giles sighed. "I'm pretty sure, yes. There's a-a piece of information I need that's in a book that Amy borrowed. Can you find it?"
"Well, I just saw her a while ago, but I'll look for her after my next class."
Giles nodded. He went down the hall, toward the library.
Buffy looked around into the student lounge to see if Amy happened to be there. She saw Katrina sitting on one of the couches and headed over to her.
Katrina smiled. "Buffy, hi."
"Hey. Is Amy around?"
"Yeah. She's in the bathroom." Katrina pointed.
Buffy pointed. "Those her books?"
"Yeah."
Buffy found the book in question and picked it up. Underneath it was a spiral notebook. On the exposed page was the triangle symbol. Buffy picked it up and stared.
Amy walked out of the bathroom and over to her. "Hey, Buff. Whatcha looking for? You wanna borrow something?"
Buffy held up the notebook. "What is this?"
Amy took and closed it. "Why do you wanna know?"
"This is a witch symbol."
"Okay, yeah, it is."
"Amy..."
"What?" Amy asked defensively.
"That symbol was on the murdered children."
"Buffy, I didn't do anything wrong. The - The symbol is harmless. I used it to make a protection spell for all of us. With Michael. Please, you have to believe me!" Amy pleaded.
Before they could get any further into it, they were distracted by the sounds of many lockers suddenly being slammed shut. They could hear a man talking.
"Please step back. Stay away from the lockers. This is police business."
Buffy, Amy, and Katrina exchanged alarmed looks. They all headed into the hall to see what was going on.
A police officer was going from locker to locker, opening them with a master key.
At another locker, another officer took some books from a student. "Hand them over, please. The books."
Yet another officer took a string of garlic cloves from a locker and set it on a cart with a bunch of other things that they'd confiscated. Principal Snyder stood in the hall, gloating as the police continued their search. Several officers kept the students at bay. A detective led a boy away. Tara joined the group as they watched all of the activity.
Snyder smiled smugly. "This is a glorious day for principals everywhere. No pathetic whining about students' rights. Just a long row of lockers and a man with a key."
An officer found a voodoo doll in a locker.
Tara leaned over to her friends. "They just took three kids away."
"What are they looking for?" Buffy asked.
Amy looked at her. "Witch stuff. I bet they got my spells."
Buffy discreetly took Giles' book from her arms. An officer looked through a girl's purse.
Another officer stepped up to Amy. "Okay, Amy. You'll have to come with me."
Amy started down the hall in front of him. Katrina accompanied her, holding her hand.
Another police officer looked at some students. "Stay away from the locker."
One of the officers had reached Cordelia's locker and pulled out a can of hairspray.
"Hey! Get your grubby custodial hands off that." Cordelia tried to approach.
The police officer pushed her back. "Miss, you have to stay back. Miss, stay back."
"That hair spray costs $45, and it's imported!" Cordelia yelled.
In the library, a police officer kicked open the cage door and strode out into the room with a stack of books in his hands. He carried them over to the table and dropped them unceremoniously into a box. Another officer came down from the stacks with another armful of books. Buffy walked into the library as still another officer walked out, carrying one of the boxes. She headed straight for Giles and Jenny, who watched helplessly.
"Giles."
"They're confiscating my books."
Jenny put her hand on his shoulder.
"Giles, we need those books."
"Believe me, I tried to tell that to the nice man with the big gun."
They moved to the side to talk. Giles watched the activity around him, seething with anger.
"No. There's something about the symbol that we're missing. Amy said she used it in a protection spell. It's harmless. Not a big bad. So then why would it turn up in a ritual sacrifice?" Buffy asked.
"I don't know. Ordinarily, I would say let's widen our research."
"Using what? A-A dictionary?" Buffy set the book on the counter.
Jenny sighed. "They confiscated my laptop, but I've got another one at home. I can research from there."
Giles stepped back into the room. "This is intolerable. Snyder's interfered before, but I-I won't take this from that twisted little homunculus."
Snyder walked into the library, holding a cup of coffee. He smirked. "I love the smell of desperate librarian in the morning."
Giles approached him angrily. "You get out! And take your marauders with you."
"Oh, my. So fierce." Snyder walked past him. "I suppose I should hear you out. Just how is, um..." He took a book from an officer and read the title. "Blood Rites and Sacrifices appropriate material for a public school library? Chess club branching out?" He sipped his coffee.
"This is not over."
"Oh, I should say it's just beginning. Fight it if you want. Just remember, lift a finger against me, and you'll have to answer to MOO."
Buffy was incredulous. "Answer to MOO? Did that sentence just make some sense that I'm not in on?"
"'Mothers Opposed to the Occult.' A powerful new group." Snyder sipped his coffee.
"And who came up with that lame-ass name?" Buffy asked him.
Snyder headed out. "That would be the founder. I believe you call her 'Mom'."
Buffy couldn't believe it.
That night, Amy came home after driving around town to clear her head. She unlocked and opened the front door and went in.
In the living room, she found her father looking over a bunch of her things taken from her room.
Her father noticed her come in. "Oh, sit down, honey."
Amy went to the couch. "Principal Snyder talk to you?" She took off her backpack and sat on the couch.
"Yes. He's quite concerned." Carl Madison looked at an old picture of the two of them together.
"Dad, I know what this looks like, and I can totally-"
"Oh, you don't have to explain, honey. This isn't exactly a surprise." Carl turned over the picture.
Amy fidgeted, confused. "Why not?"
Carl shrugged. "Like mother, like daughter. I figured it was just a matter of time." He set the picture down.
Amy frowned.
"Oh, honey..." Carl put down the picture and got up to go over to his daughter. "I understand." He sat next to her.
"No, you don't." Amy faced him. "Dad, this may be hard for you to accept, but I can do stuff. Nothing bad or dangerous, but I can do spells."
"You think you can, and that's what concerns me. The delusions."
"Dad, how would you know what I can do? You never ask. It's always all about what you wanna do."
"That's it. You're grounded."
Amy was surprised. "Grounded? This is the first time ever I've done something you don't like, and I'm grounded? I'm supposed to mess up. I'm a teenager, remember?"
"You're upset; I hear you-"
Amy stood up. "No, Dad, hear this! I'm a witch!"
Carl was disgusted now. "Oh, Amy!" He got up. "That's enough! Is that clear? Now, you will go to your room and stay there until I say otherwise. And we're gonna make some changes." He shook his head. "I don't want you hanging out with those friends of yours. It's clear that they encourage this little obsession."
At Buffy's house, Joyce was at the dining room table, surrounded by posters of the two children. She had a MOO button pinned to her blouse. Her laptop was open, and a phone and fax machine sat nearby. The place was set up like a command center. Behind her was a whiteboard full of statistics. Buffy stood near the table.
"I don't want you seeing that Amy anymore. I've spoken with her father. I had no idea her forays into the occult had gone so far."
Buffy was in disbelief. "You're the one who ordered the raid on the school today."
"Honey, they opened a few lockers."
"Lockers. First syllable: 'lock'. They're supposed to be private. And they took all of Giles' books away."
"He'll get most of them back. MOO just wants to weed out the offensive material. Everything else will be returned to Mr. Giles soon."
"If we're gonna solve this, we need those books now."
"Sweetie, those books have no place in a public school library. Especially now. Any student can waltz in there and get all sorts of ideas." Joyce got up and stepped over to Buffy. "Do you understand how that terrifies me?"
"Mom, I hate that these people scared you so much. And I-I know that you're just trying to help, but you have to let me handle this. It's what I do."
"But is it really? I mean...you patrol, you slay. Evil pops up; you undo it. A-A-And that's great! But is Sunnydale getting any better? Are they running out of vampires?"
"I don't think that you run out of-"
"It's not your fault. You don't have a plan. You just react to things. I-I-It's bound to be kind of fruitless."
Buffy was taken aback. "Okay, maybe I don't have a plan. Lord knows I don't have lapel buttons-"
"Buffy-"
"-And maybe next time that the world is getting sucked into Hell, we won't be able to stop it, because the Anti-Hell-Sucking Book isn't on the approved reading list!" Buffy yelled.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put down-"
"Yeah, well, you did." Buffy shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I have to go. I have to go on one of my pointless patrols and react to some vampires. If that's all right with MOO." She turned around and headed for the door, then stepped back into the room. "And nice acronym, Mom." She left.
Buffy visited the playground where the children were found. The carousel was bedecked with candles and flowers and pictures of the children. Buffy quietly walked up to it. She pulled her arms to her body for warmth. To her right, she noticed Faith approaching.
"Hey."
Buffy smiled. "Hi. How are you?"
"I'm all right. I think I'm better than you right now."
They both looked over at the carousel.
"I heard about this. People are talking. People are even talking to me."
"It's strange. People die in Sunnydale all the time. I've never seen anything like this."
They both strolled over to a bench.
"They were children. Innocent. It makes a difference."
They sat facing each other.
"And Mr. Sanderson from the bank had it coming?" Buffy sighed. "My mom...said some things to me about being the Slayer. That it's fruitless." She shook her head. "No fruit for Buffy."
"She's wrong."
"Is she? Is Sunnydale any better than when I first came here? Okay, so I battle evil. But I don't really win. The bad keeps coming back and getting stronger. Like that kid in the story, the boy that stuck his finger in the duck."
"Dike."
Buffy gave her a confused look, slightly shocked.
Faith smiled. "It's another word for dam."
"Oh. Okay, that story makes a lot more sense now."
"B, you know, I'm still figuring things out. There's a lot I don't understand. But I do know it's important to keep fighting. I learned that from you."
"But we never-"
"We never win."
"Not completely."
"We never will. That's not why we fight. We do it, 'cause there's things worth fighting for. Those kids. Their parents."
Buffy had an epiphany. "Their parents."
"Look, I know it's not much."
"No. No, it's a lot."
In the library, Giles was at the table, trying to do some online research. He lost his connection.
"'Session interrupted'?" Giles asked, frustrated. "Who said you could interrupt, you stupid, useless fad! No, I said fad. And I'll say it again." He typed.
Katrina and Harmony walked up to him.
Harmony smiled. "We found your books."
Giles looked at them hopefully as the two girls went to stand behind him.
Katrina shook her head. "We can't get them. They're locked up in City Hall."
Buffy strode into the library. She went straight over to Giles.
Harmony smiled. "Oh! Buffy, Trina and I found out-"
"What do we know about these kids?" Buffy asked.
"What?" Giles asked her.
"Facts. Details."
"Well, they were, uh, found in the park."
"No. Where did they go to school? Who were their parents? What are their names?" Buffy asked.
Giles took off his glasses. None of them had answers for any of her questions.
"We know everything about their deaths, but we don't even know their names."
Katrina realized something. "That never came up. Ever."
"And if no one knows who they are, where did these pictures come from?" Buffy asked.
Giles put his glasses back on and stared at the screen. "I just assumed someone had the details. I never really..." He paused in thought. "Well, that is strange."
Buffy nodded. "We need to get some information."
Giles got up. "Yeah, well, somebody else do it. This thing's locked me out."
Katrina took Giles' place. "I can look around, but Tara would really know the sites we need."
"That's great. She's confined to our room, and my phone was confiscated. The wrath of MOO."
Harmony looked at them. "What about Ms. Calendar?"
Buffy nodded. "Hey, yeah, she's got a laptop at home that they haven't gotten to."
Katrina nodded. "All right, we're in chat. If anybody's identified the kids, she'll send us the links."
Katrina opened the pages as Jenny found them.
Giles looked closely at the screen. "Oh. 'Two Children Found Dead. Mysterious Mark...' No. No. These children were found near Omaha in 1949."
Harmony frowned. "Yeah, they ain't ours. Keep going."
Before Katrina could move on, the accompanying image loaded.
Buffy stared at it in surprise. "Wait. Those are the same kids."
Giles looked at the image. "Fifty years ago."
Katrina loaded up the next page. "'1899. Utah...' 'Two Children...' 'Rural Community Torn Apart by Suspicion.'"
Giles was confused. "A hundred years ago? How is this possible?"
"There's no mention of who they were."
Buffy thought about it. "They've never been seen alive, just dead. A lot."
Katrina opened the next page. This one was dated 1649 and had a hand drawing of the two children. Jenny typed a message in the chat.
Katrina switched back to the chat window and read it. "Ah. 'There were more articles. Every fifty years. All the same.'"
Giles was intrigued. "From as far back as 1649. Can I see that?"
Katrina surrendered her place to Giles.
Giles read the German and translated it. "Written by a cleric from a village near the Black Forest. He...found the bodies himself. Two children...Greta Strauss, age six; Hans Strauss, eight."
Harmony gave a faint smile. "So they have names. That's new."
Giles stood up and paced while Katrina sat down and kept looking for more information on the Web.
"Uh, wait, wait a minute. Uh..." Giles paused. "Uh, there is a fringe theory held by a few folklorists that some regional stories have actual, um, very literal antecedents."
"And in some language that's English?" Buffy asked.
"Fairy tales are real?" Katrina guessed.
"Hans and Gre...Hansel and Gretel?" Buffy guessed.
"Wait. Hansel and Gretel? Breadcrumbs, ovens, gingerbread house?" Harmony asked, confused.
"Of course!" Giles exclaimed. "Well, it makes sense now."
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, it's all falling into place. Of course, that place is nowhere near this place."
Giles sat on the table. "Some demons thrive by fostering hatred and - and, uh, persecution amongst the mortal animals. Not by - Not by destroying men, but by watching men destroy each other. Now, they feed us our darkest fear and turn peaceful communities into vigilantes."
Buffy picked up on that thought. "Hansel and Gretel run home to tell everyone about the mean old witch."
Giles nodded. "And then she and probably dozens of others are persecuted by a righteous mob. It's happened all throughout history. It happened in Salem, not surprisingly."
Harmony looked at them. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm still spinning on this whole fairy tales are real thing."
Giles stood and began to pace again.
"So what do we do?" Katrina asked.
Buffy went to the counter. "Giles, we need to talk to Mom. If she knows the truth, she can defuse the whole thing." She grabbed her coat.
Just then, Michael ran into the library with a slight limp. He had been beaten and bruised. He had a black eye, and his face was bloody.
"What happened?" Buffy asked him.
Harmony and Katrina walked over to them.
"I was attacked!" Michael exclaimed, out of breath.
"By whom?" Buffy asked.
Michael hugged himself. "My dad. His friends. They're taking people out of their homes. They're talking about a trial down at City Hall. They got Amy."
Buffy had a horrible feeling. "Tara..." She looked at the others. "Michael, stay here and hide. Giles, we'll go find my mom."
Katrina and Harmony ran out of the library. Giles grabbed his coat.
"Tell Tara to get out of her house!" Michael called after them.
Giles looked at Michael. "Stay in my office."
He and Buffy ran out also.
Buffy opened the front door and quickly entered the living room of the Summers' house. Giles was right behind her. Several people were gathered there.
Joyce looked up in surprise. "Buffy! Mr. Giles! Did something happen?"
"Mom, we need to talk to you. Now."
Joyce put down her notebook. "Well, of course, honey." She looked at the others. "Um, go on without me." She went to Buffy.
"No, we need to talk alone."
They started into the dining room.
"Look, there's more to this than-"
Suddenly, Joyce held a cloth up to Buffy's mouth and nose, and two of the men there jumped Giles from behind, wrestling him to the floor. Buffy quickly collapsed to the floor, overcome by the fumes from the cloth.
Buffy wasn't completely knocked out yet and could hear a conversation between her mother, a girl, and a boy.
"You were right. I-It was easy."
"I told you."
"It gets even easier."
"But I'm still scared of the bad girls."
Buffy's vision began to blur.
"You have to stop them. You have to make them go away. Forever."
Buffy passed out.
Tara was sitting on her and Buffy's bed in their room. She heard the door unlock and got up from the bed. She ran over to the door as it opened.
"Mrs. Summers, we really have to talk."
There, she saw her foster mother surrounded by several other adults.
"It's time to go. Oh, and get your coat. It's chilly out."
Tara was very confused. "Go? Go where?"
"I said get your coat, witch!" Joyce yelled angrily.
Tara slammed the door on them. The adults started to pound at it. Tara desperately tried to keep them out.
At Sunnydale City Hall, a crowd was gathered in a room. A few of them were bearing torches. They all calmly watched as Steve and Carl finished tying Tara and Amy to stakes.
Joyce smiled. "Hold still. Be good girls."
Buffy was between Tara and Amy, unconscious and also tied to a stake. Piled all around them were the library books that MOO had deemed offensive, ready to burn.
"No!" Tara yelled. "Why are you doing this to me? Dad?"
"There's no cure but the fire."
Amy struggled against her ropes. "Buffy! Wake up!"
"This is crazy, Mrs. Summers!" Tara yelled.
"Buffy! Buffy!" Amy yelled.
At the Summers' house, Cordelia kneeled over Giles and gave him a sharp slap to the face. "Wake up!"
She slapped him two more times, and he began to come out of it. She was about to slap again, when he suddenly reached up and blocked her swing.
"Cordelia?" Giles asked.
"Took you long enough to wake up. My hand hurts."
"Pity." Giles rubbed his temples. "Oh...why are you here?"
"Things are way out of control, Giles. First the thing at school, and then my mom confiscates all of my black clothes and scented candles."
Giles sat up.
"I came over here to tell Buffy to stop this craziness and found you all unconscious...again. How many times have you been knocked out, anyway?" Cordelia asked him.
Giles found his glasses.
"I swear, one of these times, you're gonna wake up in a coma."
"Wake up in a...?" Giles put his glasses on. "Oh, never mind." He struggled to his feet. "We need to save Buffy from Hansel and Gretel." He headed for the front door.
Cordelia followed him out. "Now, let's be clear. The brain damage happened before I hit you."
At Sunnydale City Hall, Katrina and Harmony slammed up against the doors and barged in. There, they encountered four men guarding the doors to the room where the girls had been tied up. The two girls stopped to face the men.
"What's with the grim?" Harmony asked. "We're here to join you guys."
They slowly approached the men, who eyed them suspiciously.
"No, really. Why should you guys have all the fun?" Harmony asked. "We wanna be part of the hate."
"Just so we're clear, you guys know you're fucking nuts, right?" Katrina asked them.
The men lunged for the girls, who made a fast break and ran down the hall.
Buffy began to stir back to consciousness.
"Buffy!" Tara exclaimed.
Buffy struggled against her bonds.
"Good morning, sleepyhead."
"Mom, you don't want this."
"Since when does it matter what I want?" Joyce asked Buffy. "I wanted a normal, happy daughter. Instead, I got an angry, murderous Slayer."
Carl joined Joyce, bearing a torch. "Torch."
Joyce took it. "Thanks. This has been so trying. You've been such a champ."
"Oh, you, too, Joyce."
"We should stay close, have lunch."
"Oh, I'd like that. How nice."
Joyce bent down to set fire to the books.
"Oh, you can't be serious!" Amy yelled.
"Mom, don't!" Buffy pleaded.
Joyce touched the torch to the books, and they began to burn. Others with torches set the books ablaze all around them.
"Mom, look at me! You love me. You're not gonna be able to live with yourself if you do this!" Buffy yelled.
"You earned this. You toyed with unnatural forces. You murdered the love of my life. What kind of a mother would I be, if I didn't punish you?" Joyce asked her. "Don't worry, it'll be permanent soon."
The flames were getting very close to Tara.
"Buffy, I can't take it! It's too hot!" Tara cried.
"I'm sorry, Tara. If it wasn't for me, none of this would have happened."
Amy had lost all patience. "All right. You wanna fry a witch? I'll give you a motherfucking witch! Goddess Khione, work thy will!"
Buffy shuddered. "Uh-oh."
Amy's eyes turned pitch black, and the energy of her spell began to swirl around her.
"Break these bonds!" Amy exclaimed.
She shivered as the spell's power increased around her, building ever greater strength. Finally, she was engulfed by a sudden burst of ice and wind. People in the crowd screamed as they watched. An instant later, Amy's ropes dropped to the books below. Everyone stared in amazement. Buffy and Tara looked over to see what happened to her. Then Amy levitated across the floor. The frightened adults jumped out of her way.
Buffy could only watch Amy go. "Hey! Do us!"
Amy turned and cast the whirlwind of ice at the flames, dousing them. Then Amy psychically snapped Buffy and Tara's ropes.
Tara levitated. "You've seen what we can do! Another step, and you will all feel our power!"
The people stared at them in shock and horror.
The children suddenly appeared.
"But you promised."
"You have to kill the bad girls."
Giles and Cordelia raced to Sunnydale City Hall in his car.
Cordelia looked through the things that Giles brought with them and was disgusted. "I can't believe you had this shit in your apartment. It smells foul."
"Shred the wolfsbane. That's the, uh, the leafy stuff. And then you can crush the satyrion root." Giles tried to remember a spell. "Luften sie den something. Schlumer? Schluter?"
Cordelia crushed the roots. "What are you muttering about?"
"It's a part of an incantation. It's in German, and without my book-"
"What does it mean?"
"It's about, uh, lifting a veil. Um, it should, uh, make the demons appear in their true form, which, with any luck, will, uh, negate their influence. And, uh, drop a toadstone into the mixture."
Cordelia picked it up. "This?" She sniffed it. "It doesn't look like a toad."
"No reason it should. It's from inside the toad."
Cordelia quickly dropped it in. "I hate you."
Katrina and Harmony had lost the posse and were trying to find another way in. They each struggled with doors, but they were all locked.
Katrina pounded on a door in frustration. "We gotta get inside."
They looked around for where to go next. Then they heard Buffy, Amy, and Tara scream.
Katrina shuddered. "Well, that sounded unholy."
"It sounds like she's right...above us?" Harmony guessed.
Katrina hopped up on a bench below a ventilation shaft grate. She banged on it a couple of times, and it gave way. She climbed in. Harmony was right behind.
"They hurt us."
"Burn them."
Joyce lit another torch and approached them. Amy immediately extinguished it.
"Mom, dead people are talking to you. Do the fucking math!" Buffy yelled in anger.
"I'm sorry, Buffy."
Cordelia and Giles barged into the hall outside. Giles heard the noises coming from inside and rushed over to the doors but found them locked. He looked around in desperation and unexpectedly reached into Cordelia's hair and pulled out a hairpin.
"Ouch! You got hair with that!" Cordelia complained.
Giles ignored her protests and kneeled down in front of the doors. He carefully inserted the pin into the lock and began to pick it.
"God, you really were the little youthful offender, weren't you?" Cordelia asked him. "You must just look back on that and cringe."
"Shh!"
Giles got the door open and ran in, followed by Cordelia.
Buffy saw them. Giles pointed Cordelia to a fire hose in the corner. She went to it and smashed the glass with her elbow, holding up her hand to protect her face from the glass. The noise got the crowd's attention.
"Stop them!" Joyce ordered.
Cordelia pulled out the hose and turned it on, spraying the advancing crowd. Giles started reciting his incantation in very bad, unintelligible German, muffled by the sound of the water spraying.
"You like that? Huh? How 'bout some more?!" Cordelia yelled at the people.
After a while, Cordelia turned off the water. Hansel and Gretel slowly walked up to them, closing in on Giles.
Giles raised the bottle with his potion high. "Ihr Goetter, ruft Euch an! Verbergt Euch nicht hinter falschen Gesichtern!" He threw the bottle to the floor, smashing it in front of the children.
The potion began to steam around them. Hansel and Gretel looked at each other and embraced. A moment later, the two children morphed into a single demon standing over seven feet tall. Its ears were pointed, and huge fangs jutted from its lower jaw. Its skin was red and mottled, and its hair was long and tangled.
Cordelia stared at it. "Okay, I think I liked the two little ones more than the one big one."
Joyce stared up at the demon in horror. "Oh, my God!"
The other people in the room all ran out, screaming.
"Protect us! Kill the bad girls!" the demon yelled.
"You know what?" Buffy asked. "Not as convincing in that outfit."
The demon roared and came at her. Buffy reached behind herself and grabbed the stake that she had been tied to, breaking it. It was top heavy and forced Buffy to bend over, so the tip was pointing at the demon, who couldn't stop his advance and impaled himself through the neck. Joyce looked on in disgust.
Buffy couldn't straighten herself back up with the weight of the demon's body at the other end of the stake and so couldn't see the result of her unwitting maneuver. "Did I get it? Did I get it?"
Tara smiled. "Yeah, sweetie, you got it."
Buffy got out from under the stake and straightened herself. She and Tara hugged each other and kissed each other on the lips.
Suddenly, the ceiling gave way above them, and Katrina and Harmony crashed down. The books broke their fall. They looked up weakly at Buffy and the dead demon.
Harmony smiled. "Hi, guys!"
Katrina smiled. "We're here to save you."
The two girls got to their feet. Amy walked over to Katrina and kissed her on the lips, and then they, Giles, Buffy, Tara, Cordelia, and Harmony stared at Joyce, who looked away in shame.
A short while later, at the Madisons' house, Katrina was helping Amy pack all of her belongings into their cars.
Carl just sat silently on the living room couch, ignored by both of them.
At Giles' apartment, he and Jenny had laid out what he could salvage from the fire on a blanket on the living room floor.
Giles was examining each of the books, but he had to take a break as sadness overwhelmed him. He took off his glasses and cried.
Jenny hugged him around the shoulders. "How bad is it?"
"Once I retrieved my books from the police station, I identified forty-one missing books that were not among them. Of those, seven received minor damage from the fire." He paused. "The rest are lost."
Jenny rubbed his back. "I'm sorry. Give me the names, and I'll try to track down replacement copies on the 'Net."
"It's not that simple. Ten of those books were one-of-a-kind, handwritten manuscripts, centuries old. Irreplaceable." Giles stood up, walked into the kitchen, opened a bottle of whiskey, poured himself a shot, and gulped it down.
Jenny watched in sadness, then she picked up Giles' notebook and looked over the list of titles.
At the Summers' house, in the kitchen, Buffy, Tara, and Joyce sat at the island in silence, nervously clutching cups of tea.
Joyce finally sighed. "I'm so sorry."
Buffy looked at her, unmoved. "Are you?"
"Yes, but you've gotta understand I was under the influence of those demonic...things."
"You said some very specific, hurtful things. I wonder how much of that was demonic and how much of it was you."
Joyce sighed. "Do you really wanna get into that?"
Buffy suddenly grew angry. "I fucked up! I know that! I murdered your overbearing, creepy boyfriend, who turned out to be a murderer himself! Okay?! You think I don't think about that every single day of my life?! It hasn't gone away! It's never gonna go away! I have to live with it for the rest of my life! That could be a century, a few decades, a few years, a few days, or even just a few hours! I could get killed by a vampire or die in a car crash or have a sudden heart attack or brain aneurysm! I don't know! But I could be going about my business and suddenly find myself burning in Hell!"
Tara looked at Buffy. "Is that something that really worries you?"
"A little." Buffy shrugged. "Catholic guilt."
Tara felt sorry for Buffy but could understand how she was feeling.
Buffy stared into her mother's eyes. "My point is I know I did something truly vile, but I'm repentant over it. But you tried to burn your own daughter alive, because some supposed ghosts told you to."
Joyce started crying. "I'm really sorry."
Buffy didn't say anything for a moment. She took a sip of tea and tried to calm down. Then she looked at her mother again. "I turn eighteen next Tuesday."
"What are you saying?" Joyce asked her.
"Nothing more than that...for the moment. We'll see how it goes. But right now, I don't feel safe in this house."
Chapter 72: Helpless
Chapter Text
"Helpless"
Based on the Episode Written by David Fury
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
In Jenny's apartment, Buffy suddenly hit the floor hard on her back. She had her right knee pulled up to her chest. Faith crouched over her, holding herself up with her arms and grinning down at her. Buffy used her leg to throw Faith over her head. Faith flipped backward and landed flat on her back. Buffy did a kick-up, bringing her up to a standing position, and spun around to face Faith as she got to her feet. Faith hesitated for a moment before lunging at her with a wide punch that she easily ducked. Buffy came up behind her, and Faith turned around to face her. Faith tried a left-hand punch, but she inner-form-blocked it and flew into a half-spinning in-to-out crescent kick. Faith ducked it but got knocked off her feet when Buffy kept on spinning downwards with a back leg sweep, sending her to the floor. Buffy scrambled to grab a baguette from the coffee table and rolled toward Faith. She came up straddling her at the waist and plunged the long, thin loaf at her chest, stopping just short of penetration.
"Gotcha!" Buffy declared.
"Uhh! Right in the heart."
Buffy smiled. "Satisfied?"
Faith grinned. "Very."
Buffy was taken aback. "Okay." She set aside the baguette, stood up, and took a few steps away. "I didn't mean 'satisfied' like-"
Faith grabbed the baguette and got up also. "No, I-I wasn't trying to-"
"'Cause we're not having satisfaction in the personal sense."
"Of course." Faith exhaled.
Buffy smiled. "I should go." She walked past her. "Giles is-"
"-is waiting for you." Faith turned with her. "I..."
Buffy faced her.
"I know."
Buffy smiled. "Thanks. For the workout."
Faith nodded. "Um, am I gonna see you next weekend?"
"Um, actually, I-I do have a thing."
"Oh, a thing." Faith tried to be cool. "A date?"
Buffy nodded. "Nice attempt at casual. Actually, I do have a date." She stepped closer. "Older man. Very handsome. He likes it when I call him 'Daddy'."
Faith smiled. "Huh, your father." She frowned. "It is your father, right?"
Buffy gave her a big reassuring grin and nodded. "He's taking me to the ice show."
Faith sighed with relief.
"Which should be big fun. I could use a little fun."
Faith chuckled. "If you say so."
"Look, I know you probably think it's just a big, dumb, girly thing, but it's not. I mean...a lot of those skaters are Olympic medal winners. Every year, when I was little, my dad took me to the ice show on the weekend after my birthday, bought me cotton candy and one of those souvenir programs that has all the pictures, and, okay, it's a big, dumb, girly thing, but I love it."
Suddenly, the door opened, and Jenny walked in, carrying two reusable cloth bags full of groceries.
She kicked the door closed behind her and took a moment to survey the living room: pillows tossed everywhere, snack bags and crumbs on the floor, an overturned end table.
Jenny sighed. "Get a room, you two." She made her way to the kitchen.
"Would love to, seeing as I don't have one!" Faith yelled after her.
Buffy blushed.
In the Sunnydale High School library, Buffy was sitting at the table while Giles dangled a pink crystal in front of her. She played with a long, thin, translucent one. There was a rather large collection of crystals of various colors, shapes, and sizes on the table.
"This one?" Giles asked.
"Amethyst."
"Used for?"
"Breath mints?" Buffy looked up at him.
Giles was exasperated. "Charm bags, money spells, and for cleansing one's aura."
"Okay, so how do you know if one's aura's dirty? Somebody come by with a finger and write 'wash me' on it?" Buffy asked.
Giles set down his crystal, took off his glasses, and propped his arms on the table, leaning toward Buffy. "Buffy, I'm aware of your distaste for studying vibratory stones, but, since it is part of your training, I would appreciate your glib-free attention."
"Sorry. It's just, with Faith playing Anywhere But Here, I feel like somebody should be patrolling."
Giles looked over the crystals. "Well, Faith is not interested in proper training, so I must rely on you to keep up with yours."
"I hate being the good one."
"And as for patrolling, well, you'll be there soon enough." Giles was suddenly curious. "Why so anxious?"
"I guess it..." Buffy was suddenly self-conscious about her crystal and quickly put it down. "I just have some...energy to burn."
Giles put his glasses on, selected the largest blue crystal, and set it in front of Buffy. "Well, in due time, but, uh, for the present, if it's not entirely beyond your capabilities, try to concentrate."
Buffy sighed and stared into the crystal.
Later that night, in the playground, a vampire front-rolled down the slide and onto the ground.
Buffy ran down the slide after him and stopped next to him in a ready stance. "Wow, that was really funny-looking!" She grinned widely. "Could you do it again?"
"I'll kill you for that." The vampire jumped up.
"For that? What were you trying to kill me for before?" Buffy asked him.
The vampire swung at her, but she ducked it and came up behind him. He faced her just in time to take a roundhouse kick in the shoulder. He swung again, but she ducked it and punched him in the gut, then rose back up and backhand-punched him in the head. Then she shoved him back a step, so she could follow up with a half-spinning wheel kick, making the vampire stumble back and fall onto the carousel.
Buffy strode toward him. "Okay, so here's the deal." She raised her stake.
Suddenly, she was overcome by dizziness. She closed her eyes and stepped back unsteadily in pain. The vampire seized the opening and rushed her, grabbed her by the jacket, swung her around, and threw her onto a picnic table. She rolled off it and onto the ground. The vampire jumped on top of her, straddling her. She turned her head away in fright. He grabbed her right wrist with one hand and with the other grabbed her hand and twisted it around, hurting her and making her cry out. Her stake was now pointed at her own chest, and the vampire used his weight to slowly push it down at her.
"Lemme know if I'm not doing this right."
Her eyes went wide with terror as she struggled desperately with him. The vampire leaned hard on the stake, slowly pushing it closer to Buffy's chest. She struggled hard to keep him at bay, but she was losing the battle. In a desperate attempt to get him off her, she head-butted the vampire. He was slightly stunned and stopped pushing down on the stake but remained on top of her. She then slapped him in the face hard and shoved him off her. He rolled away and onto all fours. Buffy scrambled to get the stake, rolled back onto her back, and braced the stake against her chest, pointing upward. The vampire jumped to his feet and lunged angrily for her, landing on top of her and impaling himself. Buffy waited a moment before she shoved his body off her and raised herself into a sitting position. She took a few breaths before standing up.
The next morning, in the library, Buffy stood by the table, concentrating on a target that she set up against the railing of the stack level. She raised a knife and threw it. It glanced off the target and clinked as it hit the floor.
Giles came into the library with his briefcase and a cup of coffee and headed toward his office. "Bit early in the day." He sipped his coffee.
"Giles, something's wrong."
Giles stopped. "Wrong?"
He saw the target with a few knives stuck awkwardly into it. None of them were anywhere near the center.
"Ah. Perhaps you shouldn't-"
Buffy threw a knife and missed.
"-do that anymore." Giles set down his briefcase.
"On top of that, I got a bad case of the dizzies last night and almost let a vamp stake me. With my own stake!" Buffy told him.
Giles sipped his coffee again as Buffy threw yet another knife. It flew wild.
"I'm way off my game. My game's left the country. It's in Cuernavaca. Giles, what's going on here?" Buffy asked.
Giles sat. "Well, perhaps you've got a bad flu bug or something."
"No. No, not sick. I can't get sick. My dad's coming to take me to the ice show. If I cancel, it's gonna break his heart."
"Well, just, um, take it easy for forty-eight hours. You know, forego patrolling until you feel yourself again." Giles got up again and went to get his briefcase.
Buffy picked up a couple more knives from the table. "No. No, I just need to spend a little more time training."
She threw one. This time, it went very wild and broke one of the reading lamps. Giles didn't see it, but he sure heard it.
"I'm gone!" Buffy turned and left.
"Thank you!" Giles went into his office without looking at the damage.
Buffy and Tara walked into the living room of their house. Buffy closed and locked the front door.
"Buffy?" Joyce called from the kitchen.
"Present."
Buffy and Tara walked through the dining room and into the kitchen.
A large birthday floral arrangement was on the island, complete with helium balloon and card. The tickets to the ice show were attached to the card. Joyce was at the stove, making dinner.
Buffy saw the flowers and smiled. "Ooh, present!"
"Uh, they're not. They're from your father."
Tara smiled. "I think it's sweet that your dad wants to take you to the ice show like when you were little. Especially now that he's not around so much."
Buffy took the card and tickets from the arrangement and looked at them. She was disappointed.
"His, uh, quarterly projections are unraveling, and he can't afford to take off right now. He promises to make it up to you. It's all right there in the letter. Buffy sadly folded up the tickets and the card without even opening it.
"I-If you want, I could ask somebody to cover for me at the gallery. I-I mean...if you want me to take you."
Buffy thought about it. "Only if you really wanna go." She looked at Tara.
Tara smiled. "I'd love to, i-if it's okay with you, Mrs. Summers."
Joyce smiled. "Have fun, you two."
Later, in the library, Giles got out the crystals again and carefully laid them out on the table. Buffy sat and watched him.
"I think we should start with the grounding crystal again." Giles set the largest blue crystal on the table in front of Buffy. He absently set the box aside. "Now, look very carefully for the tiny flaw at its core." He leaned against the table.
Buffy started to concentrate on the crystal. At its center was a small stake-shaped flaw in an otherwise nearly clear blue crystal. Buffy heard faint wind chimes and slowly went into a trance.
Giles leaned over further and looked into her face. "Buffy?"
Satisfied that she was caught in the crystal's thrall, he pulled a small case from his briefcase, set it on the table, and opened it. Inside was a hypodermic needle, a test tube full of a clear yellow liquid, and an alcohol-soaked gauze pad. Keeping a careful eye on Buffy, he took the pad and leaned toward her. He took her arm, pushed up her sleeve, and wiped the pad on a spot near the inside of her elbow. He filled the syringe, tapped it to get any air bubbles to the tip, and pushed on the plunger until the fluid began to squirt out. Again, he checked to be sure Buffy was under, then he took her arm in one hand and, with the other, stuck in the needle. Slowly, he depressed the plunger, all of the while keeping an eye on his charge. She didn't stir in the least. He pulled the needle back out. Buffy did not bleed from the site. Quickly, he put everything away. Buffy remained in the crystal's thrall. Giles sat on the table, trying to be casual, and waved his hand between Buffy and the crystal. She came out of her trance and looked up at him.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Buffy rubbed her temples. "Did I zone out on you? It's just...I'm nursing that flu bug."
"It's best to take care of that. Perhaps we should, um..."
"Call it a night." Buffy sighed. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Thanks." She got up weakly and groaned as she walked out of the library.
Giles smiled to himself. "Good night."
The next day, at Sunnydale High, Buffy and Tara walked from the stairs in the quad. They heard a boy raising his voice and looked in his direction. He was talking to Harmony.
"You don't do that to me! I waited for you at the Bronze all night!"
"And the big deal is?" Harmony asked him.
"You made me look like some kind of dork in front of my posse!" He grabbed her arm.
Harmony was offended and slapped his arm away. "First of all, 'posse'? Passé! Second of all, anyone with a teaspoon of brains knows not to take my flirting seriously."
She tried to leave, but he grabbed her by both shoulders and pushed her against a tree.
"Hey! I'm not through here."
Buffy immediately moved in and grabbed the boy's arm. "Oh, I beg to differ."
She tried to yank at it but found she had absolutely no strength. He scoffed at her and nudged her away rather hard. Buffy fell backward, stumbled onto a bench, and rolled off onto the ground.
Harmony was incensed and shoved him away from her. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"Ow."
She started pounding him in the chest with punches. He quickly backed away, but Harmony kept up with him and wouldn't let up.
"God, the chick started it!" the boy cried.
Tara got down to her knees to help Buffy up. "Are you okay?"
Buffy slowly sat up, very confused.
In the hall, Giles was heading toward the library with a stack of magazines.
Buffy caught up with him. "Okay, I just got swatted down by some no-neck and rescued by Harmony. What the hell is happening?"
"I'm sure it'll sort itself out."
Buffy was desperate to know. "You're not getting the big picture here. I-I have no strength. I have no coordination. I throw knives like-"
"A girl?"
Buffy was confused by his reaction. "Like I'm not a Slayer."
Giles sighed. "For whatever reason, you kept your Slayer powers even after you died, and, through a fluke, there are now two Slayers. It's possible that your Slayer powers left you and were given to Faith. Look, Buffy, I-I-I assure you, um...given time...w-w-we'll get to the bottom of - of whatever's causing this, um...anomaly."
"Promise me."
"Yes. I give you my word." Giles headed down the hall for his library.
Inside an abandoned boardinghouse, Quentin Travers, a member of the Watchers Council, and Giles were sharing a cup of tea. The place was dark and musty. A few of the wall lamps were lit, and there was a fire going in the fireplace. It was clear, though, that no one had lived here for years. The furniture was torn, and the books on the shelves were strewn about. The windows were bricked shut.
"You're having doubts. Cruciamentum is not easy...for Slayer or Watcher. But it's been done this way for a dozen centuries. Whenever a Slayer commits murder and is found guilty. It's justice."
"It's an archaic exercise in cruelty. To lock her in this...tomb...weakened, defenseless." Giles looked at the crate behind him. "And to unleash that on her." He stared at the crate in the other room for a long moment before turning back to Quentin. "If any one of the Council still had actual contact with a Slayer, they would see, but I'm the one in the thick of it."
"Which is why you're not qualified to make this decision. You're too close."
"That's not true."
"Look at it this way. A Slayer is not just physical prowess. She must have cunning, imagination, a confidence derived from self-reliance. Once this is all over, if she survives, your Buffy will be stronger for it."
"Or she'll be dead for it."
"That is the aim, yes. It is effectively a death sentence, after all." Quentin calmly sipped his tea.
Giles fumed.
"Rupert, if this girl is everything you say, then you've nothing to worry about."
Giles wasn't so sure. He set down his cup, stood up, put on his glasses, and left without saying a word.
In the library, Buffy and Tara were at the table, doing research into Buffy's condition.
Buffy dropped her book onto the table, got up, and walked toward the stairs.
Tara got up and followed. "Buffy."
They stopped.
"I hope you get your powers back."
"Thanks, Tara." Buffy started up to the stacks.
"But what if you don't?"
Buffy stopped and sighed. "Okay...if I don't get my powers back, then I don't. I'll deal. I lived a long time without them. I can do it again. My strength comes from more than my Slayer powers."
Giles walked into the library.
Buffy ran up to him. "Giles. Did you find anything?"
"Uh, no. Not yet."
Tara walked over to Buffy. "Sweetie, let's call it a night. We'll have a nice, quiet celebration at home."
Later, in their living room, Buffy and Tara were sitting on the couch. Buffy unwrapped a book, Tara's birthday gift to her. She opened it and leafed through it. It was a copy of Shadows over Innsmouth, an anthology collection that included "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" by H. P. Lovecraft and works by other authors. On the title page, Tara had written "To My Dearest Buffy, Love, Tara".
Buffy was on the verge of tears. "Thank you. That's beautiful."
"You really like it?" Tara asked her.
"Of course, I do. It's sweet and thoughtful and...full of neat words to learn." Buffy kissed Tara on the lips.
Tara smiled. "I love you."
Buffy smiled. "I love you, too. But will you still love me if I become helpless and boring?"
"Buffy, you could never be helpless or boring, not even if you tried."
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Don't be so sure. Before I was a Slayer, I was..." She paused in consideration. "Well, I-I don't wanna say shallow, but...let's say Cordelia looked like a classical philosopher next to me."
Tara laughed out loud. Buffy couldn't help but join in.
"So...about time we shower and...get to bed, huh?" Tara suggested flirtatiously.
Buffy smiled. "You know I love a good birthday fuck, but I'm gonna get some exercise in first and try to strengthen my weak muscles."
Later that night, Giles opened the door to the boardinghouse and took a tentative look inside. Everything seemed quiet.
"Quentin?"
He stepped in and closed the door, still wary of the place. He went into the sitting room. Nothing seemed amiss. He walked back out and down the hall, looking up the stairs. Still, all seemed well, but it was just too quiet. He took a few steps up to the landing.
"Hello? Quentin? Hob-"
He noticed the stair railing felt clammy and looked at his hand. It was covered with fresh blood. From the landing, he looked into the other room and saw the closed crate standing there. He rushed down the stairs and looked for a weapon. He grabbed one of the stair rail supports and broke it out with the heel of his other hand. He headed straight for the crate, intending to kill whatever was inside, but found it empty. Alarmed, he looked around and then down at the floor. There, he saw tracks of blood leading into the kitchen. He followed them, ready for anything. Holding his makeshift stake up and ready, he grabbed the doorknob and swung it open, but nothing was there to meet him. He searched for the light switch, first on one side, then the other, and flipped it on when he found it. He saw what was left of Hobson lying on the table. It looked like he had received a horrific mauling. Giles immediately dropped the stake, backed out of the kitchen, put his hand to his mouth, and did his best not to vomit. Quickly, he regained his composure and made tracks out of the house.
Buffy went out for a jog. She watched as a car passed and then stepped into the street to cross it. Near the other side of the street, she walked past a couple of guys just hanging out by a car.
"Let's find out. Hey, sweet girl!" one of them called.
Buffy stopped cold.
"How much for a blowjob for me and my buddy?"
They laughed to themselves. Buffy began to turn around but thought better of taking them on in her weakened state. She continued along the street.
She rounded a corner and heard humming but didn't see anyone around. She stopped and looked behind her but saw no one there either.
She started to walk again as she turned back and ran right into a vampire. He held onto her by the arms while she tried to pull away.
"Let me go."
She pulled harder, and he yanked her back.
"You didn't say please!"
Buffy started to struggle in earnest. "Help me! Somebody, please!"
She got her left arm loose, pulled her right arm out of her jacket, and let her left arm slip out of the other sleeve as she began to run. Another vampire headed her off and roared at her. She screamed and began to run back the other way, dodging the first vampire, who made no move to give chase. The second vampire, however, continued to run after her.
"Help me, please! Somebody!" Buffy screamed in desperation.
She turned and ran along an alley behind a row of houses.
"Somebody, please help me!" Buffy cried.
At the far end of the alley, she encountered a fence. She tried to climb it but didn't have the strength. She dropped back down, checked behind her, and saw the vampire coming. She looked down and saw the fence had been cut at the base, and so she quickly got down and crawled through it. He caught up and grabbed her by the leg. She kept crawling, making him lose his balance and grip, but he scrambled to grab her foot. He couldn't get a good hold of it, though, and Buffy slipped through and began to run.
Buffy ran into the street and tried to flag down a car. "Stop! Please, I need help!"
The driver honked his horn and swerved sharply to get around her, but he just kept going.
"Please, stop!" Buffy begged.
She looked over at the vampire and saw him climbing the fence. Another car honked at her and screeched around her. A third car came in the other direction. Buffy thought she recognized it. She did when it stopped.
Giles pushed open the passenger-side door. "Hurry!"
She jumped in, and Giles gunned it just as the vampire got there. He grabbed the door and got his feet up just inside the car. Buffy hit him repeatedly as they sped along, and eventually he couldn't hold on any longer. He dropped out of the car.
In the library, Buffy was sitting at the table, wrapped in a blanket. "When I hit him, it felt like my arm was broken; it hurt so much. I can't be helpless like that. Giles, please, we have to figure out what's happening to me."
Giles opened his briefcase and pulled out the case with the syringe. He opened it, let out a deep sigh, and set it in front of her. "It's an organic compound...of muscle relaxants and adrenal suppressors. The effect is temporary. You'll be yourself again in a few days."
Buffy couldn't believe her ears or eyes. She reached out to the tube of liquid and touched it. "You?"
"It's your punishment, Buffy." Giles took off his glasses. "It's given to any Slayer that has been convicted of murder. You were tried in absentia by the Watchers Council and found guilty of one count of murder and one count of abusing your Slayer powers." He swallowed hard. "The Slayer is disabled and then entrapped with a vampire foe whom she is not expected to defeat." He paced toward his office. "The vampire you were to face...has escaped." He stopped at the door, facing away from her. "His name is Zackary Kralik. As a mortal, he murdered and tortured more than a dozen women before he was committed to an asylum for the criminally insane. When a vamp-"
Buffy stood up and threw the syringe case at him but missed, hitting the wall beside him. She sobbed angrily. "You fucking bastard. All this time, you saw what it was doing to me. All this time, and you didn't say a word!"
Giles faced her. "I wanted to."
Buffy sobbed. "Liar."
"In matters of tradition and protocol, I must answer to the Council."
"Fuck the Council!" Buffy ran her hands through her hair in disbelief of her betrayal.
"My role in this...was very specific. I was to administer the injections and to direct you to the old boardinghouse on Prescott Lane."
Buffy cried and shook her head. "I can't...I can't hear this."
"Buffy, please."
Buffy looked him in the face. "Who are you?" She lowered her hands. "How could you do this to me?"
Giles reached out to her. "I am deeply sorry, Buffy, and you have to understand-"
Buffy backed away, shaking with hatred, and warned him off with her hand. "If you touch me, I'll kill you."
Giles lowered his hand. "You have to listen to me. I will attempt to keep you safe, I promise you. Now, whatever I have to do to deal with Kralik...and to win back your trust-"
"You stuck a needle in me. You poisoned me!" Buffy interrupted, sobbing.
Behind them, Cordelia walked into the library. "What's going on?" She saw Buffy's tear-streaked face. "Oh, God. Is the world ending? I have to research a paper on Bosnia for tomorrow, but, if the world's ending, I'm not gonna bother."
Buffy started to walk out of the library.
"You can't walk home alone, Buffy. It isn't safe."
Buffy stopped. Cordelia didn't understand and looked at her.
Buffy faced away. "I don't know you."
Cordelia faced Giles. "Did something take her memory?" She turned to Buffy. "He's Giles. Giiillles." She grinned. "He hangs out here a lot."
Buffy turned around. "Cordelia, could you please drive me home?"
Cordelia was surprised and looked at Buffy in concern. "Of course."
Buffy turned and walked out.
Cordelia looked at Giles. "But if the world doesn't end, I'm gonna need a note." She followed Buffy out of the library.
Cordelia pulled up in front of Buffy's house and parked her car. She looked at Buffy. "Are you gonna be okay?"
Buffy shook her head. "I dunno. Vampires, I can handle...usually. But what do I do when people want me dead?"
"Fight back."
Buffy stared at her for a long moment. Then they hugged each other.
When they released each other, Buffy unfastened her seatbelt, unlocked and opened the passenger-side door, and got out of Cordelia's car. She closed the door, and Cordelia drove off.
Buffy walked up to the front porch and saw the front door standing open. Concerned, she walked into the house.
"Tara?" Buffy called.
There was no response.
"Mom, you home yet?" Buffy called.
No response.
She noticed something. Taped to the door frame was a Polaroid photo. She pulled it down to look at it. It was of her mother with Kralik behind her, holding her by the neck. She turned the picture over, and on the back was written "come".
Soon, up in her room, Buffy had a heavy leather bag open on her bed. She pulled a knife and several stakes from her trunk and dropped them into the bag. At her desk, she opened the top left drawer with her Slayer stuff and pulled out a bottle of holy water. This she dropped into the pocket of her overalls. She closed the bag and heaved it up by the strap and onto her shoulder. It was very heavy, and she had to lean to the side quite a bit to counterbalance it as she walked out of her room.
Tara walked up the stairs at that moment. "Buffy, what's going on?"
"Where were you?" Buffy asked.
"I went out looking for you when you didn't come home. Is something wrong?"
Buffy headed down the stairs. "Long story. Short version is Giles is an asshole, and Mom's been kidnapped by a vampire. I'm going to rescue her."
Tara followed Buffy down the stairs. "I'm coming with you."
"No. Stay inside. Lock the doors."
"But your powers-"
"They'll come back." Buffy faced Tara and kissed her on the lips. "I love you."
Tara was worried, thinking that had a finality to it. "I love you, too, sweetie. Stay safe."
Buffy turned and headed out the front door. Tara closed and locked it.
Buffy arrived at the abandoned boardinghouse. The sign outside read "Sunnydale Arms, Rooms for Let, Breakfast Included, Inquire Within". Buffy opened the front door quietly and looked in. She had her crossbow up and ready. The front rooms were empty and quiet, so she stepped in.
She took one of her stakes and put it down between the door and the frame to keep it open. Again, she raised her bow and looked around the front rooms. She stepped in further and looked through the archway into the sitting room. The fire was going there. She walked once around the room and then set her bag down on the old couch. She continued to explore the area quietly, fearful and nervous. She approached a door and cautiously took hold of the knob. Quickly, she twisted it and pulled the door open, only to find it had been bricked up on the other side. She closed it.
The door leading outside closed, and the latch echoed loudly. Buffy spun around to face the noise.
In Giles' office, he was on the phone, trying to reach Quentin. The other end of the line kept ringing. Just then, Quentin arrived at the door and walked in.
Giles saw him and set the phone back down in its cradle. "I was just trying to reach you."
"I was on watch over by the boardinghouse." Quentin paced away.
"Then you know what's happened."
"Yes."
Giles was angry. "He's killed Hobson and made Blair one of his own. Your perfectly-controlled punishment seems to have spun rather impressively out of control, don't you think?"
Quentin turned and gave him a long look, then paced back the other way to the teapot. "It changes nothing." He lifted the lid from the teapot.
"Well, then, allow me." Giles leaned on his desk. "I've told Buffy everything."
Quentin looked up from the teapot. "That is in direct opposition to the Council's orders." He set the lid back down.
"Yes." Giles crossed his arms. "Interestingly, I don't give a rat's ass about the Council's orders. There will be no execution."
Quentin poured a cup of tea. "The execution has already begun. Your Slayer entered the field of play about ten minutes ago."
Giles stood up, surprised. "Why?"
"I don't know. I returned there just as she entered."
Giles grabbed his keys from his desk and started out of the office.
Quentin tried to stop him. "Now, Giles, we've no business-"
Giles grabbed him by the coat and shoved him up against the door frame. "This is not business!" He let the man go and strode out of the library.
In the boardinghouse, Buffy slowly moved out of the sitting room, back into the foyer. She looked around before entering it, then went back over to the door to check it. It was locked shut. She yanked at it several times, but she couldn't budge it. Blair came up behind her and growled. Buffy spun around and aimed the crossbow at him. She pulled the trigger, but the bolt flew right past his face. Blair grabbed the bow, jerked it out of her hands, and threw it down. He grabbed her by the throat and began to choke her. Buffy grabbed onto his arm and stomped on his foot. Blair let go. She shoved him aside and ran into the sitting room. She opened her bag and tried to reach in, but Blair reached for her over the back of the couch. Buffy jumped away and ran to the far wall by the bookcase. Blair moved to follow, but Buffy pushed the bookcase over on top of him. He struggled underneath it but couldn't lift it off. Buffy climbed over it and went to her bag, opened it, and reached in. Blair reached out from under the bookcase and grabbed her ankle. Buffy screamed and looked around for a weapon. She spied the andirons, grabbed the tongs, and started to whale on Blair's arm. She had to hit him several times before he finally let go. Buffy grabbed her bag and ran out of the room. She stopped in the hallway and looked around.
"Hide and seeeek..."
She looked all around her.
"Hide and seek!"
The hall, the stairs, and the adjacent room were empty. There, she saw Kralik's crate. The crate door was closed and looked locked. She approached it, and it suddenly swung open. Kralik jumped out and grabbed her by the throat. Buffy gasped in fright but didn't struggle.
"Why did you come to the dark of the woods?" Kralik asked.
He yanked her bag out of her hands and looked into it. Inside was a smaller bow, several stakes, and a few knives.
"To bring all these sweets to grandmother's house?" Kralik asked.
He dropped the bag and pulled her closer. Buffy surprised him by holding up a cross. He leaped back from her in fear. She held it out at arm's length, shaking nervously. Kralik stared at her for a while, smiling evilly, then suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled it and the cross into his chest. There, he rubbed it around and laughed as it burned against his skin.
"Oh, oh, no, no. Just a little lower." Kralik nudged it down to his penis. "Right..." He inhaled in ecstasy. "Oh, yes. Yes. Oh." He gasped. "Oooh! Thank you very much."
Buffy let go of the cross and ran in terror. She ran into the kitchen and locked the door. She noticed a body but didn't have time to really look at it before she was distracted by Kralik pounding on the door. She ran to the counter and rifled through the drawers, looking for anything that she could use. She found nothing but then looked up when the pounding stopped. Her breathing was shallow and panting with fear. She looked around again but couldn't find anything of use. Slowly, she stepped back to the door and quietly opened it.
The coast was clear, so she walked into the hall. She constantly looked around as she made her way toward the stairs. When she was almost there, she made a dash for them and started to run up. Kralik punched his arm through the railing and tripped her, making her fall and cut her forehead against the steps. He grabbed her leg and pulled her down a ways. She struggled to get away. She grabbed a broken piece of the railing and stabbed at his arm with it. He let go and ran up the stairs after her. Buffy scrambled to her feet, ran to the top, and started down the hall.
At a bend in the hall, she stopped and looked around. The hallway was empty, so she ran to the first door. It was locked, so she went to the next. It opened, and she ran in, slamming the door behind her.
The room was pitch dark. Buffy searched around until she found a string hanging from the ceiling. She pulled it, and the light went on. She stared in shock at the walls around her. They were covered with Polaroids of her mother. She grabbed one off the wall to make sure. Just then, she heard Kralik pounding at the door. He punched through and reached in, searching for the knob to unlock it. She ran to another door, opened it, and ran out into the hall. Just as she reached the end, Kralik stepped out in front of her.
"If you stray from the path, you will lose your way."
He reached out and put his hand on her cheek. She tried to push him away, but he was too strong and bent down toward her neck.
"I won't take it all. I won't take it all."
She strained hard to keep him at bay. Suddenly, Kralik had an attack. He grabbed his head and began to scream. Buffy tried to get past him, but he shoved her into the wall, stunning her. He pulled out his pill bottle and struggled to get it open. Buffy regained her head and grabbed the bottle out of his hands. She ran down the hall, away from him.
"No! No! No!"
Buffy reached the far end of the hall and leaped into the laundry chute.
Buffy slid down the chute, out of it, and onto a table in the basement. It broke beneath her, and she fell to the floor in a cloud of dust. Her mother was there, tied to a chair and gagged.
"Buffy?" Joyce asked, muffled.
Buffy got up and scrambled over to her mother. She tried to untie her but couldn't.
"Buffy, we have to get out-"
They heard pounding at the basement door. Buffy stopped struggling with the ropes. She looked around and saw a glass near the wine racks. She quickly ran over to it, took the bottle of holy water out of her pocket, opened it, and poured the holy water into the glass.
Kralik smashed the door in and came running down the stairs. "Where are they? Where are they?!"
He ran into the room, and Buffy faked trying to get past him and up the stairs. He grabbed her and shoved her against a wall. He saw the pill bottle in her hands and snatched it from her. He struggled with the lid as he stumbled over to where he saw the glass of water near the wine racks. He got the lid off, popped a couple of pills, and gulped down the water. He gasped for air and took several deep breaths as he began to calm down. He smiled evilly over at Buffy and took some forced steps in her direction. Buffy just watched him come.
"You don't seem to understand your place in all of this. Do you have any idea..." Suddenly, Kralik realized something was very wrong and stopped in his tracks. "Oh, my!" He looked down at the glass in his hand. "What have you...?" He began to shake and looked back up at Buffy. "My pills!"
She pulled the now-empty bottle of holy water from her pocket and held it up for him to see.
Kralik dropped the glass and began to shake violently, grunting and groaning in pain. "No. No..."
Smoke began to puff out of his clothes.
Buffy watched coolly. "If I was at full Slayer power, I'd be punning right about now."
"No! No!" Kralik screamed loudly one final time and then burned to death from the inside out.
Buffy closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. She pocketed the bottle and rushed over to her mother. She pulled the gag from her mouth and began to work on the ropes again.
Joyce was breathing heavily. "Buffy, thank God you're okay. Oh, that man..."
Buffy was straining. "I can't get these. They're too tight."
"Can't you just..." Joyce jerked in her chair, suggesting Buffy just tear the ropes.
"Not right now." Buffy looked around. "Maybe there's some clippers around."
She stood up to look around, when suddenly Blair lunged at her. Giles was right behind him.
"Oh, Buffy!" Joyce yelled.
Blair grabbed Giles and threw him against a shelf rack. Blair punched him in the face and in the gut. Giles doubled over but thrust up with his arm, plunging a stake into Blair's chest, killing him. Slowly, Giles straightened up.
He and Buffy looked at each other for a long time.
Later, in the library, Buffy was sitting at the table. Quentin stood calmly at the head as he spoke. Giles leaned in the doorway to his office. Tara arrived at the library but hung back by the door and watched in silence.
"You have placed me in an awkward situation, Miss Summers. No one expected you to survive. The Council is very...perturbed."
Buffy stared at him with controlled fury.
"But you'll be pleased to hear the Council had decided to absolve you of guilt in the slim chance of your victory, so there's no need for you to fear retribution."
Buffy continued staring at him silently.
"I understand that you're upset-"
"You understand nothing. You set that monster loose, and he came after my mother."
"You think we were unfair?"
"I think you better leave town before I get my strength back."
"We're not in the business of fair, Miss Summers; we're fighting a war."
"You're waging a war. She's fighting it. There is a difference."
"Mr. Giles, if you don't mind-"
"It is done. We're finished."
"Not quite. She survived. You didn't." Quentin faced him. "I've recommended to the Council, and they've agreed, that you be relieved of your duties as Watcher immediately. You're fired."
Giles was taken aback. "On what grounds?"
"Your affection for your charge has rendered you incapable of clear and impartial judgment, and that is useless to the cause."
Buffy looked at Giles. Giles looked down.
"It would be best if you had no further contact with the Slayer."
Buffy broke her stare and considered Quentin's words.
Giles shook his head with hostility. "I'm not going anywhere."
"No, well, I didn't expect you would adhere to that. However, if you interfere with the new Watcher or countermand his authority in any way, you will be dealt with. Are we clear?"
"Oh, we're very clear."
Quentin bowed slightly to Buffy. "Congratulations."
Buffy looked up at him with a stare of hatred. "Bite me."
Quentin chuckled ruefully. "Yes, well, colorful girl."
He turned and left the library, not paying Tara any mind. Giles looked up again and put on his glasses. He looked over at Buffy. She gazed down into space for a moment, then sniffed and put her hand to her forehead. She sniffed again, reaching out for the cloth that was lying on the table, next to a bowl of water, and picked it up. Giles walked over to her and put his hand on the cloth. Buffy recoiled in terror.
Tara stared at her love sadly and walked over to the table. "Back off, Giles."
He did and retreated into his office.
Tara sat down to Buffy's right and put her hand on the cloth. Buffy let her take it from her hand. Tara dipped it in the water, reached out, and gently patted it over the gash in her forehead. Buffy winced in pain but didn't pull away. She looked at her girlfriend with love in her eyes. Tara turned the now-bloody cloth over and continued to lightly dab it on her wound.
Chapter 73: Bad Girl
Chapter Text
"Bad Girl"
Based on the Episode "Bad Girls" Written by Douglas Petrie
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
In the cemetery, Faith and Buffy both fell backwards onto the mound of a fresh grave, fighting a pair of leather-uniformed vampires. But this didn't stop Faith from wanting to continue her conversation with Buffy.
"So, what, you're telling me never?!" Faith asked Buffy while struggling.
Buffy was also struggling. "Faith! Really, now is not the time!"
"I'm curious! Never ever?!"
The two Slayers both kicked up with their legs and sent the vampires rolling over and off them and then did back rolls up to a standing position.
"Come on, really. All this time, and not even once?" Faith blocked a high punch from her assailant, grabbed onto his shoulder, and flipped him forward.
He landed hard on his back.
"How many times do I have to say it?" Buffy ducked a swing. "I have never..." She did a backhand punch at her attacker. "...sucked a..."
The vampire staggered backward into a lamppost from the force of her punch.
Buffy did a full spin toward him. "...dick!"
She jammed her stake home, and the vampire died. Buffy looked over at Faith, who was still fighting.
"Realized I was gay before I ever went that far with a guy."
Faith leaped at her assailant, did a log roll in midair, and came down hard on him with her knee digging into his back, shoving him into the ground. She raised her stake and plunged it into his back, killing him instantly. She got up and stepped over to meet up with Buffy.
"So what about Tara?" Faith smiled sexily. "I mean...I'm sorry, it's just, all this sweating-nightly, side-by-side action, and you never put in for a little after-hours fuck?" She stuck out her tongue, made licking motions, and moaned.
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Thanks for the poetry. And not usually. I'm often sweaty and beat once I get back from patrolling, so it's just shower and out like a light." She grinned. "We fuck before patrol."
Faith grinned and started to leave. Buffy was about to follow her but then noticed something. She took a closer look at the boot prints on the muddy ground.
Buffy grabbed Faith's arm, looking down. "Hey. There's one more."
The two of them started to walk, following the extra set of prints, which led behind a gravestone.
"Okay. Count of three. One-"
Faith jumped ahead and shoulder-rolled over the gravestone. The vampire wasn't there, but he came running at her. He was also dressed in the leather uniform.
Buffy disapprovingly watched the fight start. "Three."
Faith tried to do a roundhouse kick at the vampire, but he caught her leg right before it connected with his head. He grabbed her shoulder, spun halfway around, and threw her against a tall gravestone. She hit the ground hard and immediately started to get back up. Buffy ran around them to catch the demon from behind as he looked down at Faith and pulled out two swords, one with a long blade, the other short. He spun his head around to see Buffy. She stopped in her tracks, holding her stake up in her hand. The vampire swung his long sword in a wide arc and sliced off the tip of the stake.
Buffy jumped in surprise but quickly dropped what was left of the stake as the vampire swung his sword down on her. She high-blocked the attack with her left arm, grabbed his left arm with her right hand, grabbed his right arm with her left hand, and brought both of his arms down hard, forcing him to drop the swords. She high-punched him in the head and tried to follow up with a double roundhouse kick with alternating legs. The vampire knife-hand-blocked both kicks. He gained the upper hand, grabbing Buffy by the shoulders, and tried to get in closer for a bite. She struggled to keep him at bay. Finally, Faith ran up behind him and thrust her stake into his back. He screamed and threw up his hands, then fell, dead, between the two girls, leaving Faith smiling at Buffy and Buffy leaning against a gravestone, catching her breath.
Faith took a step toward her, raising her hand for a high five. "Nicely diverted, B!"
She stopped mid-step when Buffy didn't return the gesture.
"Diverted?" Buffy asked, panting. "That was me fighting for my life, Miss Attention Span."
Faith sighed and turned to go. "This isn't a Tupperware party. It's a little hard to plan."
Buffy followed. "The count of three isn't a plan. It's Sesame Street."
Faith stopped and faced Buffy. "Hey, they're toast, and we're here, so it couldn't have been too bad, right?" She checked her arm. "Who were those guys, anyways?"
"I don't know." Buffy sniffed. "They didn't seem local." She looked where the swords were. "Look, why don't we grab the weapons? Maybe Giles..."
The swords weren't there anymore. Buffy gave Faith a confused look.
The next day, at Sunnydale High School, Buffy and Tara were walking through a hall.
Buffy looked at Tara. "I'm worried that I won't pass Mrs. Taggart's chemistry test tomorrow."
Tara smiled. "I can help. Chemistry's easy. Tonight?"
Buffy smiled. "Thanks."
The bell rang.
"Oh. I have to go see Giles, report on last night's patrol."
"Oh, yeah. He said he wanted to talk to you."
"What about? Is he okay?"
Tara was slightly concerned. "He's looked better."
In the library, Giles was sitting on the study table, facing the doors with his arms crossed, very bored while a somewhat foppish, well-tailored young man went through some books in a box on the table.
"Of course, training procedures have been updated quite a bit since your day. Much greater emphasis on field work."
"Really?" Giles asked, very bored.
"Oh, yes." The man walked around to another box. "Not all books and theory nowadays." He reached in for some books. "I have, in fact, faced two vampires myself. Under controlled circumstances, of course."
Giles uncrossed his arms. "Well, no danger of finding those here."
The man looked up. "Vampires?"
"Controlled circumstances."
Buffy entered the library.
"Hello, Buffy."
The man overheard, looked at her, and smiled condescendingly. "Well..." He stepped to the head of the table. "Hello." He smiled smugly.
Buffy gave him a quick look up and down and then looked at Giles. "New Watcher?"
"New Watcher."
The man took a step toward her and held out his hand in greeting. "Wesley Wyndam-Pryce."
Buffy made no move to return the gesture but continued to eye him critically.
A moment later, Wesley stepped back. "It's very nice to meet you."
Buffy stepped over to Giles, never removing her eyes from Wesley. "Is he evil?"
Wesley was perplexed. "Evil?"
"The last one was evil."
"Oh, yes. Gwendolyn Post. We all heard. No. Mr. Giles has checked my credentials rather thoroughly and phoned the Council, but I'm glad to see you're on the ball as well." Wesley took a secretive step toward her. "A good Slayer is a cautious Slayer." He stepped back.
Buffy looked at Giles. "Is he evil?"
"Not in the strictest sense."
"Well, I'm glad that's cleared up." Wesley walked around the table and picked up his Watcher diary. "As I'm sure none of us is anxious to waste any time on pleasantries, why don't you tell me everything about last night's patrol?" He flipped to a blank page.
"Vampires."
"Yes?"
"Killed 'em."
"Anything else you can tell me?"
Buffy glanced at Giles. He nodded that she should cooperate.
"Uh..." Buffy thought as she sat down on the table. "One of them had swords. I don't think he was with the other two."
"Swords?" Wesley set down his diary, went back to his box of books, and began to rifle through them. "Swords..." He found the book that he wanted and began to leaf through it. "One long, one short?"
"Mmm. Both pointy." Buffy looked at Giles. "With, like, jewels and things."
"Sounds familiar."
Wesley came back with the book. "It should." He held it out in front of Giles.
Giles took it. "El Eliminati. Fifteenth century-"
"Fifteenth century duelist cult, deadly in their day. Their numbers dwindled in later centuries due to an increase in anti-vampire activity and a lot of pointless dueling."
Buffy and Giles both looked up at him, surprised by his rudeness.
"They eventually became the acolytes of a demon called Balthazar, who brought them to the New World, specifically here."
Giles closed the book and handed it back. "You seem to know a lot about them."
"I didn't get this job because of my looks." Wesley went back to his box.
"I really, really believe that." Buffy nodded.
Wesley looked at her snidely. "I've researched this town's history extensively."
"So why have we not seen them before this?" Giles asked him.
Wesley came back. "They were driven out a hundred years ago. Happily, Balthazar was killed. I don't know by whom."
"And they're back 'cause...?" Buffy asked.
"Balthazar had an amulet purported to give him strength. When he was killed, it was taken by a wealthy landowner named..." Wesley saw their looks. "I don't want to bore you with the details."
"A little bit late." Buffy yawned.
"...named Gleaves. It was buried with him, and I believe the few remaining Eliminati are probably looking for it. For sentimental value."
"A-And you don't think that this, uh, amulet poses any threat?" Giles asked him.
Wesley stepped back to his box. "Oh, no, not at all. Nonetheless, we may as well keep it from them. Buffy, you will go to the Gleaves family crypt tonight and fetch the amulet." He reached in.
"I will?" Buffy asked, offended.
"Are you not used to being given orders?"
"Whenever Giles sends me on a mission, he always says 'please'. And afterwards I get a cookie." Buffy grinned at Giles.
Giles smiled back modestly.
Wesley came back. "I don't feel we're getting off on quite the right foot."
Just then, they heard footsteps and looked up to see Faith walk in.
"Ah. This is perhaps Faith."
Faith stopped and critically looked Wesley up and down. "New Watcher?"
Buffy and Giles nodded. "New Watcher."
Faith snickered. "Fuck that." She turned right around and walked out.
Buffy looked at Giles. "Now, why didn't I just say that?"
"Uh, Buffy, would you...?"
"I'll see if I can get her back." Buffy slipped off the table and walked out. "Don't say anything terribly interesting while I'm gone."
Wesley watched her go. He and Giles both reached into their pockets for handkerchiefs, took off their glasses, and began to clean them.
"They'll get used to me."
Giles noticed their tandem actions, immediately stopped cleaning, and put his glasses back on before Wesley had a chance to turn around. When he did, Giles just smiled up at him, covering his handkerchief with his hands.
Buffy caught up with Faith as they walked around a corner in the quad.
"Faith, wait. Look, I know this new guy's a dork, but..." Buffy paused. "Well, I have nothing to follow that. He's pretty much just a dork."
"You're actually gonna take orders from him? After what the Watchers did to you?" Faith asked her.
"Yeah, I get where you're coming from. I've just barely managed to forgive Giles since the shit that they pulled last month. But we do need the resources of the Watchers Council for research purposes." Buffy sighed and shrugged. "That's the job. What else can we do?"
"Whatever we want. We're Slayers, girlfriend, the Chosen Two. Why should we let him take all the fun out of it?" Faith asked her.
"Oh, that would be tragic, taking the fun out of slaying, stabbing, beheading."
"Oh, like you don't dig it."
Buffy shrugged. "I don't."
"You're a liar. I've seen you. Tell me staking a vamp doesn't get you a little bit juiced. Come on, say it." Faith stopped and folded her arms, waiting for Buffy's answer.
Buffy couldn't help but smile and looked down to hide it.
Faith laughed. "You can't fool me. The look in your eyes right after a kill? You just get hungry for more."
Buffy shook her head, suddenly angry. "You're way off base."
"Tell me that, if you don't get in a good slaying, after a while, you just start itching for some vamp to show up, so you can give him a good..." Faith grunted and punched.
"You realize I'm not comfortable with this."
"Hey, slaying's what we were built for. If you're not enjoying it, you're doing something wrong." Faith started to leave.
Buffy sighed. "What about the assignment?"
Faith looked back. "Tell you what: you do the homework, and I'll copy yours." She grinned and left.
That night, Buffy slowly walked up to the Gleaves family crypt and turned on her Maglite. She stepped up to the door and opened it.
The large room was dark and dusty. In the center were two stone coffins. There were several drawers on one wall and a few urns on shelves. Buffy took the steps down into the room and went to the first coffin. She pushed the heavy lid aside and looked into it with the flashlight. All that was left of the body was the skeleton and a pile of hair and fibers.
"Strike one. No amulet there."
She went to the next coffin and pushed its lid aside. The body in this one had dried out and looked mummified. The clothes were still more or less intact, and around its neck hung the amulet.
"Game over."
She reached in for it but jerked back up when she heard noises coming from outside. Through the door, she saw torches coming closer and heard voices. She quickly jumped up onto the first coffin, rolled into it, and twisted off her Maglite just as the door opened. Buffy pulled the lid of the coffin back into place. Inside her coffin, Buffy looked over at the skull beside her but remained quiet and absolutely still. When Buffy heard the door close, she pushed the lid back open and climbed out, only to be startled by Faith's hand on her shoulder.
"Faith!" Buffy exclaimed.
"What are you doing, hiding in there?" Faith asked her.
"Looking for the amulet. Wasn't counting on the Special Guest Stars. Six against one." Buffy gestured at the coffin. "Hence the hiding."
"Well, it's six against two now, so come on." Faith rushed out of the crypt.
Buffy climbed out of the coffin and followed her out.
They got out in time to see the last two Eliminati jump down through a manhole into the sewers below. Faith made tracks for it.
"Wait. Stop. Think!" Buffy told her.
Faith stopped, defiant. "No, no, no!" She started again.
Buffy chased her. "It's a manhole. Tight space, no escape, six against two, not unlike three against one."
Faith grabbed Buffy's arm. "And there might be more, so come on." She let go.
"You're just gonna go down there. That's your plan."
"Who said I had a plan? I don't know how many's down there, but I wanna find out. And I'll know when I land." Faith shrugged and smiled. "If you don't come in after me, I might die!"
Without any further hesitation, she jumped in. Buffy couldn't believe it but realized she couldn't let her do it alone and jumped in after her.
In the library, Wesley was at the study table, going through a mass of books. Giles paced nervously.
"These are all the diaries, then? Yours included?" Wesley asked him.
"That's everything. Knock yourself out. Please?"
Wesley flipped through Giles' diary. "Oh, yes! Here's your first entry. 'Slayer is willful and insolent.'" He smirked. "That would be our girl, wouldn't it?"
Giles continued pacing and took off his glasses. "Well, you have to get to know her."
"Mm. 'Her abuse of the English language is such that I understand only every other sentence.'" Wesley looked up. "Oh, this is going to make fascinating reading."
Giles checked his watch. "She should be back by now."
Wesley checked his watch. "Not to fret." He reached for a mint. "My mission scenario has her back in one minute." He popped the mint. "Shouldn't be any trouble."
In the sewer, Buffy and Faith had their hands full fighting the Eliminati. Buffy did a low front snap kick to one of them on the ground. Faith backhand-punched another, and his head snapped hard to the side.
Buffy grabbed yet another and shoved him aside. "We're surrounded!"
"You noticed that, too?!" Faith backhand-punched another Eliminatus.
Buffy ducked a vampire's swing and did a roundhouse kick to the back of his knee, making him collapse to the floor. Faith sidestepped her attacker, grabbed his arm, swung him around, and threw him toward a wall. Buffy did a full spinning hook kick to an incoming vampire and followed up with a roundhouse kick to his head. Another one came at her from the side and tried to bring his sword down on her from above, but she stepped back in time, and it just clanged on the floor.
Faith threw her vampire up against a wall, and he collapsed to the floor. She did a half spinning hook kick to another Eliminatus behind her, and he fell dazed onto a raised area. Another vampire jumped up onto it and leaped at Faith. She sidestepped him and pulled him down over the other one.
Buffy did a back elbow jab at a vampire's face, causing him to step backwards and trip over a fallen vampire. Another one jumped into the fray and tried to punch her, but she middle-blocked him, grabbed onto his arm, and threw him up against the rock wall. He tried to come at her again, but she side-kicked him soundly in the gut, forcing him back up against the wall. The Eliminatus who was down was up again, and she front-snap-kicked him, knocking him hard onto his back.
Faith turned around just in time to get punched in the face by the lead Eliminatus. He tried to punch her again, but she ducked it and rose back up to roundhouse-kick him in the side of the head. Buffy blocked two punches from the vampire against the wall and punched him in the face and again in the gut. He went down.
Faith did a half spinning, jumping out-to-in crescent kick to the head of one of them. Then she high-blocked a punch from one behind her. Buffy got a roundhouse kick in the head and fell to the ground by a pool of water. Her attacker advanced on her, and she roundhouse-kicked him in the back of the knee, making him lose his balance. Faith punched one in the head, but he came back with a punch to Faith's gut and grabbed her.
"Lemme go!" Faith yelled.
He shoved her hard against a concrete wall. Buffy saw her predicament and threw her stake into the vampire's back as she got up from the floor. He fell down, dead. Faith gave Buffy a smile. However, with her attention on Faith, Buffy didn't notice the one behind her, and he grabbed her and held her still for the leader.
He held out his long sword, pointing it at her chest. "Let's settle this honorably."
Buffy jumped up against the one holding her and did an out-to-in low crescent kick, knocking the sword out of the leader's hand. It went flying into the pool of water. Then she shrugged off the one holding her, and he fell to the floor. The leader grabbed hold of her, though, and tried to thrust at her with his short sword. She jerked out of the way in time and grabbed hold of his arm, but he used this to his advantage and grabbed her around the back with his other arm, pinning her against the edge of the pool.
"Well, then, let's just settle it."
He dunked her head into the water. She struggled to get back up but couldn't get a good grip on anything in the filthy water. In the meantime, another vampire got Faith in a full Nelson hold. She saw Buffy struggling in the water.
"Buffy!" Faith struggled with her assailant. "You son of a bitch!"
The leader kept holding Buffy's head underwater. She struggled valiantly to get up but just couldn't. It wasn't much longer before she started to get weak from lack of oxygen and stopped struggling, apparently passing out. He held her under for another few seconds, then let go and turned his attention to Faith. Buffy remained motionless in the water. He grinned widely at Faith, who kept struggling but to no avail.
Suddenly, Buffy leaped up, his long sword in hand, and swung it around at his head. He was too quick, though, and ducked it but was left off balance in a crouch.
"I hate it when they drown me."
She swung at him again, but he reacted instantly, somersaulting out of the way and back to his feet. He faced her, wielding his short sword. She made quick work of it, knocking it out of his hand with her first swing. She swung at him again widely, but he managed to dodge her. Faith broke out of the Nelson hold, spun around, and punched the vampire in the face. He staggered against the wall. She grabbed him and pulled him around, and he flew up and over the small raised area.
"B! Gotta go!" Faith yelled.
Buffy missed another swing but was determined. "We came for the amulet."
She jabbed the sword straight at the leader, getting the tip right between the chain holding the amulet at his waist. She lifted the sword, drawing the chain out from under his belt, and it slid down the length of the blade to the hilt. He hightailed it out of there. Buffy pulled the amulet from the sword and held it in her hand.
Faith walked up next to her, breathing heavily. "Tell me you don't get off on this!"
Buffy smiled at the amulet. "It didn't suck."
The next day, in the library, Wesley had the amulet in hand and inspected it under a magnifying glass. Giles stood in his office doorway. Buffy sat at the table.
"Well..." Wesley paused in consideration. "Looks authentic enough." He looked up. "Of course, there are tests to be made before actual verification."
"How about verifying that your 'nearly extinct' cult was out in magnum force last night?" Buffy asked him. "Faith and I got into a serious party situation."
"Are you all right?" Giles asked her.
"I had to lather, rinse, and repeat about five-million times to get the sewer out of my hair, but, otherwise, I'm of the good. Thank you for asking." Buffy gave Wesley a look, making it very clear that he should have asked as well.
"Perhaps there were a few more than we'd anticipated, but I'd expect you to be ready for anything." Wesley looked her in the eye. "Remember the three key words for any Slayer: preparation...preparation...preparation."
"That's one word three times."
The school bell rang.
Buffy got up. "I have a Chem test. So sad that I'm actually happy about that." She started out. "Giles, we need to talk."
Wesley stood up pompously. "Buffy..."
She stopped but didn't face him.
"I must ask you to remember that I am your Watcher."
She faced him.
"From now on, anything you have to say about slaying, you will say to me. The only thing you need discuss with Mr. Giles is overdue book fees. Understood?"
Buffy turned to Giles. "We'll talk."
"Of course."
Buffy left for her test.
Wesley looked at Giles. "You're not helping."
"No. I feel just sick about it." Giles took off his glasses and went into his office.
In Chemistry class, Mrs. Taggart passed out the exam booklets. Buffy and Tara were at the second-to-last table by the windows. Cordelia and Harmony were at the table behind them.
Mrs. Taggart handed Tara and Buffy their tests. "All right. You have one period to fill out your test booklets. Periodic charts are located on the back." She walked toward the front. "You're on the honor system, so remember: no talking." She then left the room.
Buffy opened the booklet but was interrupted, along with the rest of the class, by Faith rapping on the window pane, trying to get Buffy's attention.
Faith lifted the sash, leaned in, and smiled. "Hey, girlfriend." She looked around. "Bad time?" She leaned over to the next window, wiped the dust from it with her sleeve, exhaled to fog it, and used her index fingers to draw a heart with a stake through it. She looked at Buffy, smiled, and bounced her eyebrows.
Buffy considered for only a moment before deciding to blow off the test. She slid down from her lab stool and headed for the window.
Tara was shocked. "Buffy!"
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Cordelia asked Buffy.
Faith smiled and leaned back in to wait for her partner.
Harmony looked at Cordelia. "Is she allowed to do that?"
Cordelia stared at Harmony but didn't say anything.
"Buffy!" Tara tried again.
Buffy ignored her and climbed out the window. Faith lowered the sash after Buffy had climbed out. The Slayers walked away from the building.
"What's up?" Buffy asked.
"Vampires."
"Uh, Faith, unless there's a total eclipse in the next five minutes, it's daylight."
"Good for us, bad for them. Found a nest."
Buffy smiled, suddenly comprehending. "Has potential."
Buffy and Faith kicked in the door to the vampire nest. There were vampires lying all over the floor, waiting out the day. Bright sunlight washed in and onto one of them, who quickly burst into flames. The lot of them scrambled to their feet and began to run. The Slayers smiled into the nest.
Faith pulled out a stake. "Rise and shine, people."
Buffy pulled out a stake. "It's your wake-up call."
They both ran in for a good fight.
That evening, at the Bronze, Faith and Buffy were on the dance floor, gyrating to the hard techno sound of "Chinese Burn", performed by Curve. Three boys came over to them and danced around them. They pretty much ignored the guys and just humped the air around them. Eventually, Buffy noticed Angel standing at the side. When he saw her notice, he made a move to go. Buffy squeezed out from the crowd to go to him. Faith didn't miss a beat and started to paw at the boys, keeping them well entertained.
"What's the matter?" Buffy asked him.
"We better sit down. Come on."
He led her away to a small alcove behind the stairs. Angel sat.
Buffy plopped down next to him. "What's the what?"
"Balthazar."
"Dead demon."
"Not as dead as you think. Word on the street puts him in the packing warehouse on Devereau. He's looking for-"
"His amulet. It's supposed to restore his strength."
"From what I'm hearing, that's not something we'd like to see happen."
"No problem. We got the amulet."
"I know. I spoke to Giles, but he said you gave it to someone."
Wesley poked his head around the stairs and pointed accusingly. "Ah. There you are."
"Ah. Speak of the really annoying person."
Wesley looked around. "You're certainly giving me a run for my money." He sat next to her and leaned in close. "I think we ought to establish that, if you're going to go out slaying, you leave me a number where I can contact you."
"Where's the amulet?" Angel asked him.
Wesley snapped his head around and looked at Angel in surprise. "Who are you?"
"A friend. Do you have it?" Angel asked him.
"It's somewhere safe."
Buffy looked at his jacket, reached in, and pulled out the amulet.
"How did you know?" Wesley asked her.
"It pooches your jacket." Buffy tossed it to Angel.
"Now, hang on a minute..."
Angel held it up. "Walking around with this thing is like wearing a target."
"You're gonna put it somewhere safe that's actually safe?" Buffy asked Angel.
Angel stood up. "Yeah. I'll do it now."
Buffy stood also. "I'll do some recon on Balthazar."
Wesley joined them in standing, incredulous. "If I may...Balthazar is dead. Am I the only one that remembers that?"
They ignored him.
"Be careful."
Buffy smiled. "You know me."
"I mean it."
They both went in opposite directions, leaving Wesley behind.
Buffy walked onto the dance floor and grabbed Faith. She pulled her out of the crowd and toward the door.
Faith let herself be led away but pointed back at the boys. "Call me!"
Faith and Buffy looked for the packing warehouse and found it. They looked in through a crack in the door and saw Balthazar surrounded by the Eliminati. Balthazar was enormously obese with very pale, pasty, slimy skin. He sat suspended in a tank of filthy water while one of the Eliminati poured ladle after ladle of it over him in an effort to keep his skin moist.
"Okay, we got ten, maybe twelve bad guys and one big demon in desperate need of a Stairmaster."
"I say we take 'em all, hard and fast and now."
"We need a little more firepower than none. We should head back to the library."
"Well, I guess Jacuzzi Boy isn't going anywhere." Faith looked around. "I just...wish we had..." Across the street at the end of the alley, she saw Meyer's Sport and Tackle shop. She pointed Buffy in that direction. "Ah. That is too good." She headed for the store.
Buffy stayed put.
Faith looked around. "C'mon, B!"
Buffy adamantly shook her head. "Faith, what the fuck are you doing?!"
"When are ya gonna get this, B? Life for a Slayer is very simple: want...take...have."
"Think they're insured?" Buffy asked her.
"Strangely, not my priority. Now, c'mon!"
"I'll pass."
Faith dismissed Buffy and continued toward the store. Buffy watched in disbelief.
Faith kicked in the front door and went inside. She walked through quickly, looking for anything useful to her.
Faith found the Archery counter. "Ah. Score."
She spied a small crossbow, complete with 4x optical sights, on display beneath the glass countertop. She broke the glass with her elbow, reached in, and pulled it out. She checked the trigger mechanism. She walked to a vertical case and broke it. She reached in for a set of nunchucks and stuffed them into her pants. She turned around, saw a compound hunting bow under the glass of another display case, and kicked it in. Faith pulled the bow out and looked it over, then smiled. But before she could get any further, she was surprised by a gunshot. She spun around to see she'd been caught by two police officers. They both had their service revolvers aimed at her.
"Drop the weapons and get down on the ground! Now!" One of the police officers took a step closer, eyeing her. "I said drop the weapons, or I fire."
Faith gave in but wasn't gentle with the hunting bow, simply extending her arm and tossing it aside. The two officers visibly relaxed a bit but kept their guns up and ready.
"Now spread 'em."
"You wish."
The officers tensed up again.
"Hands in the air where I can see 'em. Slow!" one of the officers ordered.
Faith smiled at him but did as she was told and raised her arms over her head.
"Good." He looked at his partner. "Now cuff 'er."
His partner holstered his gun and reached into his belt for his cuffs. Faith checked out the one still holding the gun. She was handcuffed behind her back and taken outside.
As Faith was led over to the police car, she noticed Buffy watching her from the alley, upset. Faith smiled at her.
Faith got into the back seat of the police car, and the door was closed. The officers got into the front seat, and soon they were on their way. A heavy steel mesh separated her from the officers in the front seat.
"That's some artillery you were puttin' together. You with one of them girl gangs?" one of the officers asked her.
"Yeah. The Slayers."
The officer laughed. Faith didn't think it was funny. She slouched down in the seat. Faith raised her legs and push-kicked hard into the steel mesh, making it buckle and tear at the edges and hit the officers in the backs of their heads. The driver lost control of the car, and it swerved screechingly to the left and smashed into a parked car. The damage wasn't terribly serious, but the police car's radiator had burst, and the steam rose thickly, obscuring the view. Both officers were unconscious. Faith climbed over the seat, grabbed one of the officers' keys, and climbed out the front passenger-side door.
Faith looked around and spotted Buffy at a distance. "B!"
Buffy ran over to her. "What the fuck, Faith?!"
Faith was impatient. "I can't save the world in jail." She held up the keys.
Buffy sighed, grabbed the keys, and slowly fumbled with the keys, trying to unlock the cuffs. She looked at the officers. "We should call an ambulance."
"Five people already have, the racket I made, and they're fine."
Buffy saw she was right. One of them was already regaining consciousness. She got the cuffs unlocked.
"Come on. Let's get outta here." Faith started to run but looked back when Buffy didn't immediately follow. "Come on!"
Buffy saw the other officer start to come to as well. She looked around quickly a last time and ran after Faith.
They ran back to Buffy's van, and Buffy drove Faith home without comment. The whole time, and even as she drove home, she was contemplating what to do regarding Faith's actions.
Once home, Buffy quietly walked upstairs and entered her bedroom without attracting her mother's attention.
Tara was waiting for her. She stood up from the bed and crossed her arms, upset. She didn't say anything.
Buffy closed the door. "Hey."
"What the fuck was that?" Tara demanded.
"You're angry with me. I get it."
Tara started crying. "No, you don't. I spent hours last night tutoring you, because I wanted you to pass that test. More than any other person that I have tutored, Buffy, I was invested in you passing, because I love you, and you blew it off like it was nothing, like I was nothing. I'm not angry at you, Buffy. I'm disappointed."
Buffy broke down in tears, disappointed in herself for hurting Tara, who took her in her arms and hugged her.
"I'm sorry. I'm s-so sorry." Buffy looked into Tara's eyes. "Did you - Did you tell Mom?"
"No. When Mrs. Taggart came back, I pleaded with her to let you retake the test. I-I lied to her, told her you had a sudden panic attack. She agreed to let you retake the test on Monday, but you'll have to do it during lunch."
Buffy started crying all over again. "Thank you."
"Forget it. Let's shower and get to bed."
The next morning, at Buffy's house, Buffy entered the kitchen through the back door, bringing the paper in with her. She was engrossed in an article about the break-in and police car accident. There was no mention of either herself or Faith by name.
"Admit it."
Buffy looked up, surprised.
Her mother leaned on the island. "Some days, don't you wanna just wake up and say to Hell with the diet? Wanna make waffles? Big Saturday brunch?"
"No, thanks. I'm not really that hungry." Buffy turned the page.
Joyce sighed and went to the dish cabinet. "So...what did you and Faith do last night?"
"Nothing. Uh..." Buffy smiled thinly. "Nothing really important."
Joyce got a coffee mug. "Don't worry." She grabbed the coffee pot. "I'm not gonna meddle in your slaying." She poured a cup. "Just as long as you're careful."
Buffy was engrossed in reading. "I am."
Joyce stepped over to the island. "You sure about those waffles?"
Buffy looked up and closed the paper. "Yeah. But if you want them, I can help you make them."
"No." Joyce sighed. "They only don't have calories, if I make them for you."
Buffy didn't get it.
"Mom logic. You, uh, done with the paper?"
Buffy got up. "Yeah." She left the kitchen.
That evening, in their room, Buffy and Tara were sitting on their bed.
Buffy was sniffing a small black felt pouch that Tara gave to her. "Mmm."
"You like it?" Tara asked.
"It smells good. What is it?"
"A protection spell."
"Protection spell?" Buffy asked, wary. "Tara-"
"Amy and I worked it out together. It's fine."
"Good deal." Buffy sniffed. "I'm surprised, though, 'cause usually spell stuff's more-"
"Stinky. Yeah. That's why I added lavender."
There was a knock at the door.
Faith opened it and walked in. "Ready? Time to motor. Hey, Tara."
Tara was unenthused. "Hi."
Faith paced back toward the door.
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips and stood up. "Thanks for the protection spell."
Tara nodded.
Buffy gave her felt pouch a squeeze and followed Faith out of the room.
In Giles' office, Wesley checked out some of the pictures on the wall while Giles sat at his desk, fidgeting with his glasses.
"I didn't say you had emotional problems." Wesley turned to Giles. "I said you had an emotional problem. It's quite different."
"My 'attachment' to the Slayer is not a problem. In point of fact, it's been a very-"
"The way you've handled this assignment is something of an embarrassment to the Council."
Giles was miffed. "If you want to criticize my methods, fine. But you can keep your snide remarks to yourself. And while you're at it, don't criticize my methods." He put on his glasses.
"The fact is you're no longer qualified to act as Watcher." Wesley paced behind Giles. "It's not your fault. You've done well. It's simply time for somebody else to take the field." He turned around.
Giles looked at him, then past him, through the window, to the main area. "Now's a good time to start."
Wesley turned to look as well, and there they saw four Eliminati come to take them to Balthazar.
Buffy and Faith walked around a corner, into an alley near the packing warehouse.
Faith had the compound hunting bow with her and got an arrow ready. "You're quiet tonight."
"I just wanna get this done."
"Yeah." Faith smiled. "I'm dying to test out the longbow. I think it might be my new thing."
Buffy was upset. "I can't believe you went back for that shit."
"Hey, how do you feel about getting some ribs? You know, after we're done?" Faith suggested.
They were surprised by an Eliminatus doing a front tuck from above and landing in their way. The vampire roared and came at Buffy. She sidestepped him, grabbed him, and shoved him into the back of a truck. He came at her again and did a front snap kick at Buffy, which she blocked. She returned with a roundhouse kick to his gut, knocking him to the pavement. Buffy jumped on him, and they began to struggle. Another vampire joined in as Faith struggled with her bow, but they were in too close of quarters for her to use it against him.
"Fuck it!" Faith dropped the bow but held on to the arrow.
She ducked a roundhouse kick from the demon, and the momentum of the kick without a hit made him keep spinning before he landed. Faith did a side kick to his side, and he staggered into the side of a truck. Faith ran at him with her arrow and plunged it home as he turned around to attack again. He fell to the pavement, dead. Buffy got up, holding her stake, having just killed hers as well.
"I think we've got more comin'!" Faith told her friend.
They started quickly in the direction of the packing warehouse.
Buffy huffed. "We're never gonna make it to the warehouse."
"If they keep coming one at a time, we got a shot."
Suddenly, another Eliminatus landed in front of them and thrust at Faith with his short sword. She reacted instantly, catching his arm and shoving him into a crate, then pulling him off and swinging him backward onto a pile of several chords of wood. Buffy stepped right in and staked him. The two Slayers continued along the alley at a brisk pace.
At the end of the building, an arm reached out and grabbed Buffy by the shoulder. Instantly, she grabbed the man and threw him against a dumpster. Faith jumped right in to stake him. He slumped down to the ground, hurt by the impact against the heavy steel container. Faith was too caught up in things and didn't realize he was human.
"Faith, no!" Buffy yelled.
Faith swung down with her stake and plunged it into his heart, then pulled it out. He grabbed his chest in pain and surprise. Blood poured out freely, pumped out by his now-punctured heart. Faith backed away as Buffy quickly got down beside him to try to help him. He pulled his hands away and looked down at them covered in his own blood, shaking hard as he went into shock.
Buffy looked at the wound and saw its severity. "Don't move!"
Faith was shocked. "I didn't...I didn't know. I didn't know."
"We need to call 911, now!" Buffy yelled to Faith behind her.
Faith was paralyzed with fear. The man shook even harder as the blood loss increased. He looked up at Buffy.
"Don't move, i-it's okay..."
She tried to apply pressure to the wound, but the blood just kept coming.
"I-I need - I need something to stop the-"
He began to convulse. His eyes went wide as blood began to trickle from the corner of his mouth. He tried to say something but couldn't get the words out. Buffy could only watch in despair, unable to help. He looked down at his chest one last time, then reached up to Buffy, but his arm never made it. It fell to his side, and his body relaxed against the dumpster, finally dead. His eyes remained wide open, staring up into nothing. Buffy stared back at him in open-mouthed horror.
Faith began to panic. "We gotta go!" She grabbed Buffy and pulled her up. "Come on, we gotta go!"
They ran from the scene. The Slayers ran down the alley. Buffy stopped to look back.
Faith grabbed her arm to get her to follow. "Come on." She climbed up on some crates and jumped over a wall.
Buffy decided to continue down the alley to a fence and climbed over it instead.
She ran to a street. Buffy waited for a car to pass on the street and walked into another alley. There, she was surprised by Angel coming out of the shadows.
"Angel!" Buffy exclaimed.
"Buffy, I've been looking for you."
He took one of her hands and held it up to see the blood on it. Buffy jerked it back.
"Your hand."
"It's okay."
"I've just been to the warehouse. I was waiting for you. They got Giles."
Buffy was instantly worried.
Faith slowly stepped up to the man's body. In the distance, she could hear a police siren getting closer, then further away. Faith kneeled down beside the man and reached out for the wound. She touched it and immediately yanked her hand back. She looked at him, full of guilt and horror at making the worst mistake that she possibly could: killing a human.
In the packing warehouse, Giles and Wesley were being held before Balthazar, but he was ignoring them for the moment as he insistently instructed the vampire with the ladle.
"The front! The front! Moisten the front!"
He groaned as a ladle full of water was poured across his chest. Giles and Wesley watched in disgust.
Wesley was very nervous. "Oh, God!" He looked around desperately. "Oh, God!"
"It doesn't seem too promising, does it?" Giles asked him, calmly.
Wesley was trying not to panic. "Stay calm, Mr. Giles. We have to stay calm."
"Well, thank God you're here. I was planning to panic."
Wesley looked at Balthazar. "What is that thing?"
"That would be your demon. You know, the dead one?" Giles asked sarcastically.
"There's no need to get snippy."
Balthazar finally turned his attention to the Watchers. "Bring them closer."
Two of the Eliminati grabbed them and shoved them closer.
"You know what I want."
"If it's for me to scrub those hard-to-reach areas, I'd like to request you kill me now."
Giles was hit hard in the back for his insolence.
"Ow."
Wesley began to panic. "Are you out of your mind? This is hardly the time for games!"
"Why not?" Giles asked him. "They're going to torture us to death, anyway."
Balthazar snickered happily. "You're not wrong about that." He wheezed.
"Now, hold on. We - We - We can deal with this rationally. We have something you want. You have something we want."
"Hmm...a trade. Intriguing." Balthazar paused in consideration. "No. Wait. Boring. Pull off his kneecaps!"
Two of the vampires grabbed Wesley.
Wesley was horrified. "Nooo! No, no, no!"
They let go.
Wesley caved. "The Slayer g-gave it to someone. A tall man, a friend...a friend of hers. I can tell you everything."
"Quiet, you twerp!" Giles muttered under his breath. "They'll kill us both."
Wesley panicked. "But I'd like to have my kneecaps."
"You will tell us everything!" Balthazar demanded.
"Yes! Sir."
"What is this friend's name?"
Wesley was at a loss. "I didn't actually catch it."
Giles tried to fake him out. "Look, um, tell you what: let Captain Courageous here go, and I'll tell you what you need to know. How's that deal?"
"There is one deal! You will die quickly, or you will die slowly! The man who has my amulet! What is his naaame?!"
"His name is Angel." Angel walked into their midst and immediately grabbed the two Eliminati holding Giles and Wesley, pulling them away and slamming one of them into a wall, the other into some metal shelves.
Another one moved to take their place holding the Watchers, but Giles headbutted him, and he fell.
Buffy jumped in now, too, coming from the other direction, backhand-punched one vampire, and punched another in the face. The first one raised his sword and tried to attack, but she blocked him and grabbed his arm. She brought it down and kneed him in the gut, making him drop his sword. Giles saw Buffy catch it and turned his tied hands toward her. She swung the sword in a high arc and brought it down on the ropes binding his wrists, slicing them cleanly. The pieces fell to the floor as Giles grabbed Wesley and pushed him out of harm's way.
Buffy swung the sword back at the Eliminatus, but he caught her hand and swung the sword down against the edge of Balthazar's pool, forcing her to drop it. He did a backhand swing at Buffy's face, making her trip forward, but she returned with a back kick at him and then shoulder-rolled onto a large crate to avoid being sliced by another one's sword.
Balthazar flailed his arms in a tantrum. "Un..." He sputtered. "Unacceptable!"
Angel ducked a swing from an Eliminatus and then did a right hook to his face and punched him hard in the gut. He turned around and backhand-punched the one behind him, blocked a return swing, and punched him again.
"Unacceptable!" Balthazar screamed, very displeased.
Out of the way of the fight, Giles untied Wesley's hands. Behind him, a vampire roared, and he looked back in time to see and duck his sword. It hit on a shelf, and Giles grabbed the blade and back-elbowed the vampire in the face, taking the sword from him. He swung it around and jammed the hilt of the sword into his face as well, then spun around in time to take on another one.
The Eliminatus swung his sword at Giles, who parried it with his own. The vampire swung again, and again Giles blocked it. The demon spun around and swung down from above, but again Giles had his sword up in time to block. He swung his arms around and down, forcing the Eliminatus' sword to the floor and making him bend down with it, and then kneed him in the face. The vampire jerked backward and fell to the floor, dropping his sword.
In the meantime, the one whose sword was taken away by Giles grabbed Wesley from behind, pinning his arms behind his back.
"Giles!" Wesley yelled.
Giles raised his sword and started to swing it. "Down!"
Wesley bent over fast, and the blade caught the vampire on the neck and sliced through. The beheaded Eliminatus fell to the floor. Wesley stood back up, shocked at what just happened.
Buffy got to her feet on a raised area of the floor. An Eliminatus came at her with a sword, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him past her, over a crate, and into a barrel. Another one swung at her, and she middle-blocked him, punched him in the gut, ducked another swing, and then backhand-punched him in the face. He fell to the floor. Buffy picked him up and sent him spinning into a huge pile of rope. As he tried to come at her again, she did a full spinning wheel kick to his face. He quickly regained his balance and tried to punch her, but she redirected his fist and held onto it while she elbowed him in the face. She swung him around and threw him into a bunch of stacked oil barrels.
Angel delivered a side kick to his attacker. Another one tried to front-kick him, but he grabbed his leg and threw him into a back layout. Another one came for Buffy. She just grabbed him by the arms and threw him from the raised floor to below. She blocked a roundhouse kick from another and nearly got punched in the face. She punched him in the gut, and he doubled over, backing away a bit. This gave her room to fly into a double spinning out-to-in jumping crescent kick. The vampire flew upward, spinning fast, and landed hard on a crate, then rolled off onto the floor below.
An Eliminatus got Angel in the face with a jumping out-to-in crescent kick, but he was not fazed. Angel blocked a high punch from him, punched him in the gut, grabbed onto him, and threw him through the air and into a wall.
Balthazar held out his arms. The air between him and Angel became disturbed, and Angel found himself being sucked back toward him. He landed on his back on the edge of the pool. Balthazar seized his head in both hands. Angel struggled to get away, but the grip was extremely tight. Buffy saw what was happening and looked for a way to help. She spied an electrical cable hanging down from a lamp directly above Balthazar. She grabbed it and yanked hard, and the lamp fell from the roof with sparks flying right into the pool. Balthazar immediately let go of Angel and writhed in agony as he was electrocuted. Giles and Wesley stared in amazement. Soon, Balthazar seemed dead, and the circuit breakers shut off the power. Buffy rushed over to help Angel. He was shaken but fine. She looked at Balthazar and was startled when his eyes whipped open, and he took a sudden breath.
Balthazar was weak and wheezing. "Slayer! You think you've won." He chuckled and wheezed. "When he rises...you'll wish I'd killed you all." He let out his last breath and died.
Buffy looked at Angel, wondering what he meant.
Faith was in the bathroom in Jenny's apartment, scrubbing at her shirt in the sink, when she heard a knock on the door and looked up.
"Faith, it's me."
Faith left the shirt in the sink and went to answer it.
There was a long moment of silence as the two Slayers stared at each other.
"Hey."
"Hey." Faith walked back to the bathroom and continued scrubbing the shirt.
Buffy walked into the apartment, closed the door, and followed Faith to the bathroom.
"So...I, uh..." Buffy saw Faith scrubbing. "How are ya doin'?"
Faith still scrubbed. "I'm all right. You know me."
"Faith, we need to talk about what we're gonna do."
Faith looked at Buffy. "There's nothing to talk about. I was doing my job."
"Being a Slayer is not the same as being a killer."
Faith finished scrubbing. "Yeah, well, you're both, so don't get all high and mighty."
"Faith, please don't shut me out here. Look, sooner or later, you're gonna have to deal."
Faith looked the shirt over. "Wrong."
"I can help you."
"I don't need it." Faith pulled the plug from the sink and hung the shirt to dry.
"Yeah? Who's wrong now? Faith, you can shut off all the emotions that you want. But eventually, they're gonna find a body."
Faith faced Buffy. "Okay, this is the last time we're gonna have this conversation, and we're not even having it now, you understand me? There is no body. I took it, weighted it, and dumped it. The body doesn't exist." She turned away.
Buffy was shocked. "Getting rid of the evidence doesn't make the problem go away."
Faith faced Buffy. "It does for me."
Buffy was very concerned. "Faith, you don't get it. You killed a man."
"No, you don't get it." Faith smiled daringly. "I don't care!" She turned away again to tend to her things.
Buffy was speechless with disbelief.
Chapter 74: Consequences
Chapter Text
"Consequences"
Based on the Episode Written by Marti Noxon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
Buffy was underwater, frantically trying to get to the surface. Copious amounts of bubbles rose through the water, some larger, some smaller, as she did her best to hold her breath but couldn't continue for much longer. Below her, the man that Faith had killed grabbed her ankle and pulled her down. She kicked her legs and flailed her arms, desperately trying to shake loose. Eventually, she managed to break free of his grip and swam to the surface. She broke through and drew a deep breath. There, kneeling on the dock above, she saw Faith, who reached down and shoved her back underwater.
Buffy woke with a start from the nightmare and drew several deep breaths to calm herself as she realized it was all just a dream. She sat up in bed and looked around her room. Tara was still sleeping peacefully next to her. Careful to not wake her, she pushed the blankets back, got up, put on her robe, tied it, and walked out into the hall, where she could hear the news on the TV in her mother's room.
"We go now live to our field reporter, who is standing by at the waterfront with this breaking news about the murder that has shocked the mayor and residents of Sunnydale."
Buffy could see the TV from the hall. It was showing footage of a boat retrieving a body.
"Fishermen discovered the body today, the victim of a brutal stabbing. Authorities and citizens alike were shocked when the slain man was identified as Deputy Mayor Allan Finch."
Buffy couldn't believe that not only did they found the body, but that he was also a public figure.
"Still reeling from the news, Mayor Wilkins had this to say."
The news cut to the mayor at a press conference.
"Mr. Finch was not only my longtime aide and associate; he was a close personal friend. I promise you I will not rest until whoever did this is found and brought to justice. Thank you very much."
Joyce noticed Buffy standing behind her. "Oh, honey, you're up." She turned back to the TV. "Oh, it's just terrible, isn't it?"
Buffy didn't know what to say or how to react.
On Monday, in the Sunnydale High School library, Buffy was sitting on the study table, and Faith was sitting in a chair at the table. Wesley paced. Giles was sitting at the far end.
"I want you to look into this. Find out everything you can about the murder of the deputy mayor."
Buffy was nervous and confused. "But that's...I-I mean...that's..." She paused. "That's not really our jurisdiction, is it?"
"It's no big, B. We'll get into it if he wants."
Giles shook his head. "No, Buffy's right. The deputy mayor's murder was the result of human malice. There's nothing supernatural about it."
Wesley looked at him. "We don't know that for certain. I say it merits investigation."
Giles got up and walked around the table. "Which I'm sure the police are doing. Meantime, if you ask me, there are better uses for the Slayers' time."
"Ah. But I don't believe I did." Wesley held the daily paper out to him. "Ask you."
Giles yanked the paper away. "Considering the success of your previous adventure..."
Cordelia walked into the library. Giles looked over at her.
"Don't let me interrupt. Wait. Let me interrupt. I'm in a hurry." Cordelia raised her eyebrows.
"What did you need?" Giles asked her.
Wesley turned to see who had spoken and was immediately taken by her beauty. He stared at her with his mouth agape, looking her up and down.
"Uh, Psych class. Freud and Jung. Book me?" Cordelia requested.
"Happily."
Cordelia noticed Wesley and smiled. "Check out Giles: The Next Generation. What's your deal?"
"Uh, I, uh..." Wesley swallowed. "Well...I'm a..."
Faith was quite amused. She leaned forward on the table. "New Watcher."
"Oh."
Wesley turned to Buffy, irritated. "Does everybody know about you?"
"Pretty much." Buffy took out her wallet, opened it, and showed Wesley her police identification.
Wesley adjusted his glasses and read it. "Oh, bloody hell."
Buffy closed her wallet and pocketed it. "Hey, I gotta get paid somehow, considering you assholes are exploiting me as free labor."
Wesley huffed, summoned his poise, turned to Cordelia, and held out his hand. "Wesley Wyndam-Pryce."
Cordelia took it. "I'm Cordelia."
Wesley smiled. "And you teach Psychology."
"I take Psychology."
Giles walked behind Wesley with Cordelia's books. "She's a student."
Wesley immediately dropped Cordelia's hand. "Oh, well. I, uh..." He swallowed. "Yes." He squared his shoulders. "In fact, I am...here to watch...girls. Uh, uh, Buffy and Faith, to be specific."
At the checkout counter, Giles stamped the due date into the books. "Here we go."
Cordelia looked at Giles. "Thanks." She looked at Wesley. "So...welcome to Sunnydale." She went to retrieve her books.
Wesley watched her ass admiringly. "My. She is cheeky, isn't she?"
Faith was still amused. "Uh, first word: jail, second word: bait."
"Ahem." Wesley pulled out his handkerchief. "Well, uh..." He dabbed his mouth. "Where were we?"
Buffy slipped off the table. "Done. I mean...we were done, right?"
Faith stood up. "Uh, yep. Off to patrol. So we'll see ya."
Wesley drew himself up. "One moment, girls. I'm your commander now, and, on the matter of this murder, I am resolved. Natural or super, I want to know."
Faith shrugged. "Fine by me. Always ready to kick a little bad guy ass."
Faith touched her hand to Buffy's shoulder, and the two of them walked out of the library.
"Faith, we need to have a discussion. Now."
Faith eyed Buffy.
Buffy opened the door to an empty classroom. The Slayers walked in. Buffy pulled the door closed behind her. Faith checked the other door to make sure it was closed, which it was. They met in the center of the room.
"So...you gonna rat me out? Is that it?" Faith asked Buffy challengingly.
Buffy looked into Faith's eyes imploringly. "Faith, we have to tell. I can't pretend to investigate this. I can't pretend that I don't know. I am trying to protect you. Look, if - if we don't do the right thing, it's only gonna make things worse for you."
"Worse than jail for the rest of my young life? No way!" Faith countered.
"Faith, what you did was-"
"What we did. Yeah. We. You were right there beside me when this whole thing went down. Anything I have to answer for, you do, too. Especially the part about you freeing me from those cuffs. You're a part of this, B. All the way."
Faith walked out of the classroom, leaving a shocked Buffy behind.
After a moment, Buffy walked out of the classroom and walked toward the student lounge.
There, she saw Tara sitting alone on a couch and went to her. Tara noticed her coming, looked up from her book, and took a deep breath.
"Hey."
"Hey." Tara scooted over.
Buffy sat to Tara's right and kissed her on the lips.
"Where's Faith?" Tara asked. "I-I saw her around. Figured you two were gonna go kill some more nasty shit."
"Not right now. I-I, um, I think she bailed." Buffy let out a deep breath.
"Are you okay?" Tara asked her.
Buffy took hold of Tara's hand and laid her head on Tara's shoulder. Neither of them said anything for a long moment.
That night, Faith and Buffy broke into Allan's office in Sunnydale City Hall. Buffy closed the door behind them, checking to make sure they weren't seen. She turned on the light. They both looked around the office.
"I'm telling you, we did the world a favor." Faith went to his chair. "This guy was about as interesting as watching paint dry."
"Faith..."
"I'm joking. Jeez, lighten up a little, B." Faith looked across his desk and noticed a picture of him with the mayor.
Buffy went through the papers in his inbox.
Faith picked up the picture and stared at it, cradling it gently. "He came out of nowhere."
Buffy felt sympathetic toward Faith. "I know."
"Whatever." Faith put down the picture. "I'm not lookin' to hug and cry and learn and grow. I'm just saying it happened quick, you know?"
She pulled open his drawer. Everything inside was neat and in place. Buffy started to go through some papers lying on top of his filing cabinets.
Faith lost her patience. "You know what? Let's just blow. Who cares what this guy was about? It's kind of moot now, don't you think?"
"I don't think he was in that alley by chance. I think he was looking for us. I'd like to know why."
Buffy opened a file drawer. It was empty.
"So, what, you think there's some big conspiracy?" Faith asked her.
Buffy closed the drawer and opened another. All of the folders in it were also empty.
"You were saying?" Buffy asked her.
"So his papers are gone. That doesn't prove anything."
"Except that somebody didn't want us to prove anything."
Faith began to get it.
Buffy walked over to the door, opened it, and peeked out into the hall. The hall was clear, so she stepped out into it. Just then, the mayor's door opened further down the hall, and a black man stepped out. Buffy recognized him from the SlayerFest '98 video. The mayor was right behind him. Buffy looked back at Faith, and they both scrambled back into Allan's office and closed the door quietly. They could still hear them talking out in the hall.
"Get as many men on it as you can."
"Yeah. We'll be wanting to turn up the heat."
When she was confident that they were gone, Buffy opened the door, and she and Faith left the office and carefully made their way to the front entrance. They left the building and walked down the steps.
Buffy and Faith stepped off the sidewalk and into the street.
"So the Mayor of Sunnydale is a Black Hat. That's a shocker, huh?" Faith asked.
"Actually, yeah. I didn't get the bad guy vibe off of him."
Faith was exasperated. "When are you gonna learn, B? It doesn't matter what kind of vibe you get off a person. 'Cause nine times out of ten, the face they're showing you is not the real one."
They stepped up onto the opposite sidewalk.
"I guess you know a lot about that."
Faith stopped and faced Buffy. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It's just...look at you, Faith. Less than forty-eight hours ago, you killed a man. A-And now it's all zip-a-dee-doo-dah? It's not your real face, and I know it. Look, I know what you're feeling, because I felt it, too."
"Do you?" Faith asked insolently. "So fill me in, 'cause I'd like to hear this."
"Dirty. Like something sick creeped inside you, and you can't get it out. And you keep hoping that it was just some nightmare, but it wasn't. And we are gonna have to figure out-"
"Is there gonna be an intermission in this?"
"Just let me talk to Giles, okay? I swear-"
"No! We're not bringing anybody else into this. You gotta keep your head, B. This is all gonna blow over in a few days."
"And if it doesn't?"
Faith shrugged. "If it doesn't, they got a freighter leaving the docks at least twice a day. It ain't fancy, but it gets you gone."
"And that's it? You just live with it? You see the dead guy in your head every day for the rest of your life?" Buffy asked her in disbelief.
Faith stepped closer. "Buffy, I'm not gonna see anything. I missed the mark Saturday night, and I'm sorry about the guy. I really am! But it happens! Anyway, how many people do you think we've saved by now? Thousands? And didn't you stop the world from ending? Because in my book, that puts you and me in the plus column."
"We help people! It doesn't mean we can do whatever we want."
"Why not? The guy I offed was no Gandhi. I mean...we just saw he was mixed up in dirty dealings."
"Maybe, but what if he was coming to us for help?"
"What if he was? You're still not seeing the big picture, B. Something made us different. We're warriors. We're built to kill."
"To kill demons!" Buffy hesitated briefly. "But it does not mean that we get to pass judgment on people like we're better than everybody else!"
"We are better!"
Buffy was taken aback.
Faith was exhilarated. "That's right, better. People need us to survive. In the balance, nobody's gonna cry over some random bystander who got caught in the crossfire."
Buffy felt sad. "I am."
Faith looked at her with disdain. "Well, that's your loss." She turned her back on Buffy and walked away.
Buffy walked up to the front porch of her house. Her mother met her at the door. When she opened it, Buffy could see Detective Stein standing behind her.
Joyce didn't look happy. "Buffy."
Buffy looked at him, eyes widening. "Detective Stein."
"Ms. Summers, I'd like to ask you a few questions."
Buffy paused for a moment. "Not without my lawyer present."
Joyce looked at her in shock.
Buffy looked at her. "I didn't do it." She looked at Detective Stein. "But I know who did. But I need to get my lawyer here."
"How long will that take?"
Buffy looked at her mother.
Joyce looked at Detective Stein. "Maybe four hours?"
"All right. Come to the station at that time."
There was a knock on Jenny's apartment door. She walked over to it, looked through the peephole, and unlocked and opened the door. Detective Stein was standing there.
"Yes?" Jenny asked.
"Jenny Calendar?"
"Yes, and you are?"
Detective Stein took out his identification and showed it to her. "Detective Paul Stein, Sunnydale PD. Does Faith Lehane live here?"
Jenny turned in worry just as Faith arrived behind her.
A while later, Jenny sat on an armrest of the couch with her feet together and her hands folded in her lap, listening to the detective question Faith. Faith sat on the couch.
"Tell me again. You got home at what time Saturday night?"
"Late. Um, a-a little past 1:00, I guess."
"Maybe you can explain to me what a girl your age is doing out all night."
"Just hanging."
"Hanging. By yourself?"
"No. I was with my friend, Buffy. We were at B's, watching TV."
Jenny listened anxiously to them.
"What did you watch?"
"Some old movie."
"Hmm." Stein nodded. "That's funny, 'cause I got a couple of witnesses who put you near the alley."
"Witnesses?" Faith asked innocently.
He walked around her, eyeing her suspiciously. "Somebody stabbed this guy through the heart. Strange thing is...the weapon, it was made out of wood. Any of this mean anything to you?"
"Yeah. That whoever did it wasn't hip to the Bronze Age."
Detective Stein inhaled deeply and sighed.
"Is that it? I'm kinda beat."
"Yeah, I have enough for now. Faith, if you know something, if you're protecting someone, I promise you it'll be better for everyone if you just come clean."
"You mean am I covering for someone? Hardly. I'm not the throw-myself-on-the-sword type."
"Well, call me if you remember anything." Detective Stein handed her his card.
Later, at the police station, Buffy was sitting in the interrogation room with her lawyer, Lilah Morgan, and Detective Stein.
"Who killed Deputy Mayor Allan Finch?" Detective Stein asked.
"To be clear, my client, Buffy Anne Summers, will receive immunity in exchange for her cooperation, correct?" Lilah asked, then gestured at the tape recorder.
Detective Stein rolled his eyes and then lowered his head toward the tape recorder. "That is correct." He straightened. "Ms. Summers?"
"It was Faith Lehane, the other Slayer. We were in an alley near the packing warehouse. Mr. Finch just came out of nowhere, surprising us. Faith thought he was a vampire, and, in the heat of the moment, she staked him. It was an honest mistake. I tried to stop the bleeding, but it was too much. She fled the scene and pressured me to do so as well. Later, I went to her place to try to talk to her, but she told me that she'd weighted the body and dumped it. She wants to forget it ever happened."
"Is Ms. Lehane the person that was responsible for the break-in at Meyer's Sport and Tackle and the subsequent assault on two police officers on Friday night?" Detective Stein asked her.
"Yes, sir. I was with her when she decided to go into the store to get weapons, but I did not join her." Buffy paused and thought for a moment. "I freed her from her handcuffs."
"Buffy!" Lilah admonished.
"You did what?" Detective Stein asked Buffy.
"She had gotten a hold of the keys after the crash, and she called me over to uncuff her. I...I'm sorry."
Detective Stein shook his head and wrote something down. Lilah glared at Buffy.
After they had finished, Buffy, Tara, and Joyce left the police station and headed toward the Jeep.
"And Faith acts like she doesn't even care. The way she talks, it's like she didn't even make a mistake."
Tara took it all in. "Do you think she's, like, i-in shock?"
Buffy sighed. "I don't know. Now, I'm gonna tell Giles. He might know what to do."
Buffy walked into the library quietly and walked past the counter. "Giles?"
She stopped when she saw him come out of his office.
"Buffy."
"Uh..." Buffy sighed. "I don't really know how to say this, so I'm - I'm...I'm just gonna say it. I know I've kept things from you before, but..."
Giles turned his head slightly as Faith walked out of his office, too. Faith gave her a steely look, having expected Buffy to keep things quiet. Buffy was at a loss for words, surprised at seeing Faith still free.
"It's okay, Buffy. I told him."
Buffy was surprised. "You told him?"
"I had to. He had to know what you did."
Buffy was confused. "What I did?" She realized Faith had told Giles a bold-faced lie. "Giles, no. Tha-That's just not what happened."
"I don't want to hear it, Buffy."
Buffy was shocked. "No! It-"
"I don't want to hear any more lies."
Buffy frantically looked at Faith. "You can't be serious! You're setting me up?"
"Get in my office, now. Faith, I'll talk to you in the morning."
Buffy looked at Giles imploringly. "Giles, please, you have to-"
"Now!" Giles yelled sternly.
Buffy couldn't believe what was happening. Faith walked around Giles. Buffy went into his office.
Faith stopped and faced him. "Um..." She paused, trying to think of something to say. "Sorry." She left at a brisk pace.
Giles looked down for a moment, then went into his office.
Buffy faced him. "Giles, I didn't do this. I swear. The killing, i-it...it was-"
"Faith. I know."
Stunned, Buffy realized he was just playing Faith's game.
"She may have many talents, Buffy, but, fortunately, lying is not one of them."
"Oh. Oh, God." Buffy sat in his chair. "I thought-"
"I'm sorry. I needed her to think that I was on her side. I don't know how far she'll take this charade."
"Try far. Like, all the way."
"You should have come to me right off." Giles sat facing her.
"I know. Well, I-I wanted to."
"But Faith wouldn't hear of it?"
"It's not all her fault, Giles. We both thought it was a vampire. I-I only realized it a second before."
"Buffy, this is not the first time something like this has happened."
Buffy was confused. "It's not?"
"The Slayer is on the front line of a nightly war. Now, it's - it's tragic, but accidents have happened."
"W-What do you do?"
"Well, the Council investigates, um, metes out punishment if punishment is due. But I...I have no plans to involve them. I mean...it's the last thing Faith needs at the moment. She's unstable, Buffy. I mean...she's utterly unable to accept responsibility."
"She's freaking. So - So then we just have to help her deal, right?"
"She's in denial. There is no help for her until she admits what happened."
Buffy was uncertain. "I-I could talk to her."
Giles sighed. "Perhaps."
"Or maybe I'm too close. Maybe - Maybe one of the others could."
"We should meet. It - It may be that they're seeing a different side of her."
"Okay."
"In the meantime, no one else is to know. Understood?"
Buffy made a guilty face.
"I mean...this is...extremely delicate. If we scare her off now, we may lose her forever." Giles paused when he noticed her expression. "What?"
"I already told the police."
Giles sighed.
"They came to my house, Giles."
"Well, then you did the right thing, of course. Who else knows?"
"My mom, Tara, and my lawyer."
Giles nodded.
Later, Buffy, Tara, Cordelia, Harmony, and Giles met at Buffy's house and sat at the dining room table, eating a late dinner of a large supreme pizza.
Tara looked at Buffy. "Well, maybe we should all talk to Faith together."
"You mean...like an intervention?" Buffy asked.
Giles shook his head. "No, Faith is too defensive for a confrontation like that. She'll respond better to a one-on-one approach."
Harmony smiled. "Well, I can be the one...on her one."
The others gave her confused looks.
"Let's rephrase. I think she might listen to me. We kind of have, um, a connection."
"A connection?" Buffy asked her. "Why would you think that-"
"I'm just saying it's worth a shot. That's all."
Buffy and Tara exchanged a look.
Giles shook his head. "No, I don't - I don't see it, Harmony. I mean...of - of all of us, you're the one person, arguably, that Faith has had the least contact with."
"Yeah, but we hung out a little...recently, and she seemed to be, um...responsive."
Tara picked up on that and figured it out. She twiddled her thumbs.
"When did you guys hang out?" Buffy asked Harmony.
"Oh, she was fighting one of those, uh, apocalypse demon things, and I helped her. Gave her a ride home."
"And you guys talked?" Buffy asked her.
Harmony shook her head. "Not extensively. No."
"Then why would you..." Buffy figured it out also and widened her eyes with surprise. "Oh."
Giles got it, surprised. "Oh!"
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Yes, they fucked. God, you dumbasses."
Giles shook his head. "Fine, fine, let's - let's - let's move on."
Buffy nodded. "All right. Look, I-I know that you mean well, Harmony, but, um, I-I just don't see Faith opening up to you. She doesn't take the people that she has a...'connection' with very seriously. And they're - they're kind of a big joke to her. No offense."
"Oh, no! I mean...why would I be offended by that?" Harmony asked her sarcastically.
Giles nodded. "However, i-if you still want to be of assistance, I-I-I need some help with research. There's still the business of the mayor and Mr. Trick to attend to."
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, they - they seemed pretty cozy that night."
"Yes. Uh, Tara, c-c-can you, um, access the mayor's files?" Giles asked.
"I can try."
"Good, yes, because clearly we, uh, we need to take a harder look at him. He's - He's, um, he's obviously up to something."
"What about Faith?" Buffy asked.
Giles sighed. "I don't know. I need time."
"She needs help now."
Giles looked at her.
"I owe her that."
Later, in Jenny's apartment, Faith was lying on the couch, idly watching TV. She heard a knock at her door. She rolled off the couch and went to answer it. Harmony was standing outside.
Faith was bored. "What?"
"I just, uh, came by to see how you are, actually."
"I'm sick of people asking me that, for one thing."
A long moment of silence ensued.
"Can I come in?" Harmony asked. "Just to talk. I promise."
Faith was skeptical. "Like you could make something happen, if I didn't want it to?"
"Hey, yeah. Got me there. Pretty much not gonna try to...take you under any circumstances." Harmony held out her arm. "See, here, feel that." She pointed to her biceps. "Probably like a wet noodle to you, huh?"
Faith stepped aside. "Five minutes."
"That's all I need." Harmony walked into the apartment.
Faith closed the door.
"I'm, um, quick as a bunny and poetic as a unicorn."
Faith looked at her in confusion and turned off the TV. "Clock is running."
"It's just, uh...I heard about what happened, and I thought you might need a friend."
"So then go talk to Buffy. She's the one who killed a guy."
"Yeah. I heard that version."
Faith was not amused. "Version?"
Harmony sighed. "Either way, i-it sounds like it was an accident, and that's the important part."
Faith got angry. "No, the important part is that Buffy is the 'accidental murderer'."
"Faith, you may not think so, but I sort of know you. And I've seen you post-battle. And I know firsthand that you're, um...like a wild thing. And half the time, you don't know what you're doing."
"And you're living proof of that, aren't you?" Faith asked her snidely.
"See, you're trying to hurt me. But right now, you need someone on your side. What happened wasn't your fault."
Faith gave her a sexy look. "I know what this is all about." She stepped closer and ran her fingertips all around her face. "You just came by here, 'cause you want another taste, don't you?"
"No!" Harmony yelled. "I mean...it was nice. It was great. It was kind of a blur. But, okay, someday, sure, yay, but not now. Not like this."
Faith grabbed hold of her head. "More like how then? Lights on or off? Kinks or vanilla?"
Harmony jerked away. "Faith, come on. I came here to help you." She looked her in the eyes. "I thought we had a connection."
Faith couldn't help but think that was funny and laughed at her gullibility. Harmony started to cry.
Faith heard a noise behind her and looked over just in time to be knocked unconscious by Angel.
Harmony yelled as Faith fell to the floor. She looked at Angel.
"Harmony, could you...could you help me chain her up, please?"
Harmony wiped away her tears and nodded. "Gladly."
Upon regaining consciousness, Faith found herself chained to the fireplace mantle. She rubbed her wrists. "Finally decided to tie me up, huh? I always knew you weren't really a one-woman guy."
Angel played with a bat. "I'm sorry about the chains. It's not that I don't trust you..." He paused. "Actually, it is that I don't trust you." He set the bat aside, walked over to her, and crouched before her. "I bet you're not big on trust games, now, are you, Faith?"
"You gonna shrink me now? Is that it?"
"No, I just wanna talk to you."
"That's what they all say. And then it's just 'Lemme stay the night. Won't try anything.'"
"You wanna go the long way around, hey, I can do that." Angel stood up. "I'm not getting any older." He turned his back on her and walked out into the atrium.
Buffy was waiting there and stood up when she saw him. "How's she doing?"
"It's like talking to a wall. Only you get more from a wall."
"But you'll keep trying, right?" Buffy asked him.
"Sure. We're just getting started."
"So...what do I do?" Buffy asked, eager to help.
"Look, right now, there's nothing that you can do."
"Well, this could take a while, right?" Buffy went to the stairs. "So...I'll just go to Faith's, and I'll get some of her stuff. That way, she'll see that we're on her side."
"That's a good idea."
"Okay." Buffy glanced at Faith. "I'll be back."
"Look, I...I don't want you to get your hopes up, Buffy. She may not want us to help her."
"She does. She just doesn't know how to say it."
"She killed a man. That changes everything for her."
"I...I know." Buffy shook her head. "But Giles said, with counseling, they might not even need to lock her up."
"That's not what I mean. She's taken a life."
"I know."
"She's got a taste for it now."
"That's bullshit. I took a life, and I have no desire to do so again." Buffy turned and left.
Later, Angel paced past Faith. "I know what's goin' on with you."
"Join the club. Everybody seems to have a theory."
"Hmm." Angel faced her. "But I know what it's like to take a life. To feel a future, a world of possibilities, snuffed out by your own hand. I know the power in it. The exhilaration. It was like a drug for me."
Faith looked up at him. "Yeah? Sounds like you need some help. A professional, maybe."
"Hmm." Angel went to the coffee table. "A professional couldn't have helped me." He sat on it. "It stopped when I got my soul back."
"Goody for you. If we're gonna party, let's get on with it." Faith held out her wrists. "Otherwise, could you let me out of these things?"
"Faith, you have a choice. You've tasted something few ever do." Angel stood up and paced. "I mean...to kill without remorse is to feel like a god."
Faith struggled angrily, yanking at the chains impatiently. "Right now, all I feel is a cramp in my wrist, so let me go!"
Angel crouched. "But you're not a god. You're not much more than a child. Going down this path will ruin you. You can't imagine the price for true evil."
"Yeah?" Faith sneered. "I hope evil takes MasterCard."
Angel smiled and straightened up. "You and me, Faith, we're a lot alike. Time was...I thought humans existed just to hurt each other." He sat next to her. "But then I came here. And I found out that there are other types of people. People who genuinely wanted to do right." He looked at her. "And they make mistakes. And they fall down. You know, but they keep caring. Keep trying. If you can trust us, Faith, this can all change. You don't have to disappear into the darkness."
Suddenly, there was a loud pounding on the door. It was broken in, and Wesley strode straight toward them, holding a large cross and flanked by three others. Angel rushed to head them off but had to step back from Wesley, who nervously held the cross in his face. One of his cronies blindsided Angel with a right hook, and he fell to the floor. Another quickly threw a net over him, and the third started to beat him with a crowbar while the others tied Angel up. Wesley went over to Faith and removed the shackles from her wrists. While she rubbed them and watched Angel get whaled on, Wesley pulled out a set of heavy cuffs and chains, and, before she knew it, her wrists were bound once again.
Faith was confused. "What?"
Wesley lifted her up and guided her out. "By the order of the Watchers Council of Britain...I am exercising my authority and removing you to England, where you will accept the judgment of the disciplinary committee."
One of the men helped hold Faith, and they all left the mansion, leaving Angel behind, entangled in a mass of net and rope.
Faith was put into the back of a stepvan, and they were soon driving down a boulevard. Faith was chained to a bench on one side. Wesley and one of his men sat on the bench opposite her.
"I'm sorry for the extreme measures. Unfortunately, this is a rather extreme circumstance."
"Whatever."
"Please believe nobody is rushing to judgment. The first priority of both myself and the Council is to help you."
Faith pulled at the ring holding her to the bench.
"Ah, now, none of that." Wesley looked at his crony. "Tighten her restraints." He looked at Faith. "Faith, there's no point in fighting this."
Faith kicked the man in the knee, and he fell to the floor.
Faith pressed down on his face with her boot. "Have to disagree with you on that one. Now, unlock these, or I'll pop this guy's head like a grape."
Wesley hesitated, then spied a wrench on the floor.
Faith saw it, too. "Don't even think about it." She held up her cuffed wrists for him to unlock.
Wesley gave in, stood up, pulled the keys from his pocket, and stepped over to set her free. "Faith, you can't keep running."
She punched him hard in the jaw, and he fell onto the wrench. He grabbed it and tried to swing at her with it, but she grabbed his wrist.
"Wrong again, Wes." Faith grabbed his jacket with her other hand and headbutted him hard.
He fell down, unconscious. She went to the doors, kicked them open, and jumped out onto the street. She rolled a few times before coming to a stop and watched the van drive away. She looked around to get her bearings and made her getaway.
Buffy arrived at Angel's mansion with some of Faith's things. Once inside, she noticed Faith was gone, and then she saw Angel still struggling to get out of the ropes. She rushed over to help him out.
Later, in the library, Tara, Cordelia, Harmony, Jenny, and Giles were all there with Buffy and Angel. All of them were sitting at the table except Angel, who stood.
Angel looked at them. "It was the new Watcher. He had a couple of guys helping him."
"Then he figured it out?" Jenny asked.
Giles nodded. "Which means that Faith will be soon on her way back to England to face the Watchers Council."
"And then what?" Buffy asked him.
"Most likely, they'll lock her away for a good long while."
"So we head them off at the airport and stop them."
"Can I...?" Cordelia paused. "I-I'm just wondering. Why?"
Buffy gave her a look.
"She murdered someone and accused Buffy. Then she hurt Harmony. I hate to say it, but maybe she belongs behind bars."
Giles thought about that.
Tara hesitated. "Because she loves her."
Buffy looked at her, mildly surprised and a bit defensive.
Tara looked her girlfriend in the eyes. "I can see it. The way that you are around her. The way that she makes you feel."
Buffy struggled for words. "Tara-"
Tara gently pressed her index finger to Buffy's lips. "We'll talk later. Right now, our friend needs our help."
Buffy gathered herself and looked at all of them. "She's out of control, I know. But Angel was getting somewhere with her. She was opening up. If we could just stop Wesley."
Wesley walked into the library. "That's no longer an issue."
"You let her get away?" Giles asked him.
"'Let' wouldn't be the way I'd phrase it, but..." Wesley hesitated. "Yes, she escaped."
Giles rolled his eyes and took off his glasses.
"That's good work. First, you terrorize her, then you put her back in the streets." Angel sat on the table.
"That was hardly my plan. I was trying to save her."
Buffy looked at him accusingly. "But you didn't! You probably destroyed her, you fucking asshole!"
"Buffy, that's enough." Giles put his glasses back on.
"I better find her before she does any more damage." Buffy stood up. "We're gonna need to split up. I'll check the docks. That's probably where she is. Giles, why don't you go to the stores? Maybe she's stocking up on food or...other things before she skips town. Ms. Calendar, the bus stops. Tara, Cordy, Harm, her haunts, and be careful."
Harmony made a face, upset.
Buffy softened a bit and looked at her sympathetically. "Are you up to it?"
Harmony hesitated.
Cordelia put her arm around Harmony. "We'll team up. I won't let anything bad happen to you."
Harmony gave her a small smile. "Thank you."
Cordelia smiled back at her.
They all got up to leave.
"I'll try the airport." Angel left.
Everyone walked past Wesley on their way out.
"What can I do?" Wesley asked Buffy. "I want to help."
Buffy looked at him resentfully. "You still got your ticket back to the mother country?"
She followed the others out, leaving him standing there alone.
Buffy walked along a dock, watching for Faith. There was an old, rusty cargo ship docked there. She passed underneath the gangplank and stopped when she heard Faith behind her.
"You don't give up, do you?" Faith was on the ship, at the top of the gangplank.
Buffy looked at her. "Not on my friends, no."
"Yeah, because you and me are such solid buds, right?" Faith walked down the gangplank.
"We could be. It's not too late."
Faith was disgusted. "For me to change and be more like you, you mean? Little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes?" She stopped halfway and leaned on the railing. "It ain't gonna happen, B."
"I'm a long way from Little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes, Faith, and nobody is asking you to be like me, but you can't go on like this."
Faith grinned evilly. "Scares you, doesn't it?" She climbed over the railing and hopped down to the dock.
"Yeah, it scares me. Faith, you're hurting people. You're hurting yourself."
Faith approached Buffy. "But that's not it. That's not what bothers you so much. What bugs you is you know I'm right. You know in your gut we don't need the law. We are the law."
'No." Buffy turned her back and walked away.
Faith followed right behind. "Yes. You know exactly what I'm about, 'cause you have it in you, too."
"No, Faith."
"I've seen it, B. You've got the lust."
Buffy stopped in her tracks.
"It was good, wasn't it? The killing?" Faith asked, taunting her.
"No!" Buffy continued walking.
Faith followed. "See, you need me to toe the line, because you're afraid you'll go over it again, aren't you, B? You can't handle watching me living my own way, having a blast, because it tempts you! You know it could be you!"
Buffy had had enough. She stopped, faced her, and backhand-punched her in the jaw.
Faith stood up, smiling wickedly. "There's my girl."
Buffy tried to get away. "No. I'm not gonna do this."
Faith didn't let her go. "Why not? It feels good. Blood rising."
Buffy heard a noise above, looked up, and noticed a pallet of crates above them, falling directly at Faith. She shoved her out of the way but got struck herself and went down. She was dazed but not out.
Faith got up and went to help Buffy, when Mr. Trick and three other vampires suddenly attacked. Faith spun around when she heard them roar but was soundly punched in the face by Trick, forcing her body to snap to the side. He and another one grabbed her by her jacket and threw her to the ground. As Faith tried to get to her feet, the second vampire roundhouse-kicked her in the face. She blocked it and dropped a bit but managed to get up and block an uppercut from the third one by grabbing his hand. She backhand-punched him in the face, making him step back to keep his balance, and turned to face the second vampire. She high-blocked a wide swing from him and punched him, making him fall, but the third one behind her flat-handed her in the back, and she stumbled.
Buffy started to come out of her daze. "Oh, God..."
The third vampire held Faith with her arms behind her back. She tried to get free by snapping her heel backwards and striking his kneecap. That had no effect, so she snapped her head back and butted him dead in the nose, but the vampire still didn't let go of her. The second vampire launched into a half spinning hook kick intended for Faith, but she ducked it, and the demon holding her took the blow, let go of her, and went down. Faith flew into a full spinning, jumping, out-to-in crescent kick, hitting the second vampire hard in the face and sending him spinning to the ground. The first vampire ran at her, but she sidestepped him and shoved him into the third, who was just getting up. He wasn't knocked down, though, and came at her. She grabbed him and pulled him with her toward the water and threw him off the dock.
Buffy was out of her daze now and, with difficulty, pulled her legs out from under the pallet of crates that fell on her. She got to her feet but was immediately punched by Mr. Trick. She fell, spinning, onto the crates and rolled off onto the concrete. She got to her feet as Trick approached and tried to backhand-punch him, but he middle-blocked it, so she punched him in the gut instead. Her jab was weak, though, and had no effect on him. Trick did a painful right hook to her face. Buffy stumbled backward. Trick advanced and swung again, this time snapping her head back with a powerful uppercut, making her fall onto another pile of crates.
Faith did a half-spinning hook kick, connecting with the second vampire's jaw. He fell onto an open barrel and struggled not to fall in. The first one came at her again, but she had her stake out now and jammed it home. He fell over, dead. She looked over and saw Buffy struggling with Mr. Trick. He wrapped a cord around her neck and began to choke her. But Faith wasn't finished with her fight yet. The second vampire threw off the barrel, only to become intimate with her stake and die.
Faith saw Trick yank at the cord around Buffy's neck and pull her off the crates. He pulled her up and swung her around into a pallet leaning against still more crates. She hit it hard and fell to the pavement. Faith looked around, trying to decide what to do. She saw Trick pick Buffy up again and slam her against the huge crates. Buffy struggled to get loose, but the cord around her neck was too tight.
"I hear, once you've tasted a Slayer, you never wanna go back." Trick opened his fang-filled mouth wide and moved in for the bite.
Buffy struggled to keep him away but couldn't.
Suddenly, Mr. Trick stopped and looked up in wide-eyed shock. "Oh, no." He shook his head. "No, this is no good at all."
He began to fall as Faith pulled her stake back. The two Slayers looked at each other uncertainly for a long while. Faith lowered her stake. Buffy massaged her neck.
"Need a ride home?" Buffy finally offered.
Faith stared at her for a moment longer. "Yeah."
Faith sat in silence as Buffy parked her van and shut off the engine.
"Remember what we talked about, Faith."
Faith looked at Buffy and nodded. She unfastened her seatbelt.
"All right, you better get in there. If Ms. Calendar's home already, she's probably worried sick about you."
"Right." Faith unlocked the passenger door. She hesitated. She looked back at Buffy. Then Faith leaned over and kissed Buffy on the lips.
Buffy was caught by surprise. Hesitating for a moment, which she ended up hating herself for, Buffy pushed Faith away. "No."
"No?" Faith asked. "C'mon, B."
Buffy shook her head. "I'm in love with Tara." She was about to bring up Faith's treatment of Harmony but then stopped herself, not wanting to push Faith away.
Faith shrugged. "Whatever. Your loss." She opened the door and got out of the van. She closed the door.
Buffy started the engine, looked at Faith, put the van in Drive, and drove off.
Later, at home, Buffy sat at the island in the kitchen. Tara poured some hot water into Buffy's mug from the kettle. Buffy inhaled the aroma of peppermint tea.
"So she saved you." Tara poured water into her own mug.
"She could have left me there to die, Tara, but she didn't."
"She agreed to come back to town with you. That..." Tara paused as she put the kettle back on the stove. "That's a good first step." Tara returned to the island and sat to Buffy's right. "She still has a lot to face before she can put this behind her."
"I'm not gonna give up on her."
Tara smiled. "Then I think she stands a chance."
Buffy hesitated. "Babe-"
"It's okay. She's a Slayer. I get it." Tara put her hand on top of Buffy's hand.
"It just...happened. It's not that I don't love you - or that you're not enough for me." Buffy stared into Tara's eyes. "You know that, right?"
"Have you ever...wondered what it would be like...if we'd never gotten together?" Tara asked her.
"Never!" Buffy adamantly replied. "Have you...ever wondered what it would be like...if you and Amy had gotten together?"
"Of course. She's my friend. I'd often fantasized about her."
Buffy frowned.
"But I didn't know she was gay, sweetie, and then I met you, and you told me that you loved me, and you kissed me, and I wouldn't trade that for anything."
Buffy stared into Tara's eyes and smiled. They interlaced their fingers. Tara stared into Buffy's eyes and smiled back at her, then she kissed Buffy on the lips.
Faith knocked on the door to the mayor's office and then stood there, arms crossed. Eventually, the door opened, and the mayor was standing there. He looked surprised to see Faith.
"You sent your boy to kill me."
"That's right, I did."
"He's dead."
"I thought he might be. What with you standing here and all."
Faith stepped brazenly into the doorway. "I guess that means you have a job opening."
The mayor stepped back to let her enter and closed the door.
Chapter 75: Enemies
Chapter Text
"Enemies"
Based on the Episodes "Doppelgangland" Written by Joss Whedon and "Enemies" Written by Douglas Petrie
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
At Sunnydale High, Tara was sitting under the willow tree, relaxing.
Beside her, Buffy did sit-ups. "The Watchers Council shrink is heavy into tests. He's got tests for everything. T.A.T.s, Rorschach, associative logic..." She grunted and sat up. "He even has that test to see if you're crazy that asks if you ever hear voices or you ever wanted to be a florist." She did some stretching exercises.
Tara looked over at Buffy. "Hey, you wanna go to the Espresso Pump and get sugared up on Earl Grey?"
"I'm gonna pass. Hit the pool and do some laps."
"How come the sudden calisthenics? Aren't you sort of naturally buff, Buff?" Tara smiled and giggled. "Buff Buff."
"Well, they've got us running around on the physical side, too. A lot of reflex evaluation and precision training, you know. I-I just..." Buffy paused. "Well, I-I wanna do..."
Tara smiled knowingly. "Better than Faith?"
Buffy was embarrassed. "So very shallow."
Tara didn't respond to that. "You'll definitely ace her on the psych tests."
Buffy paused in consideration. "I know Faith's not gonna be on the cover of Sanity Fair, but...she had it rough. A really shitty set of circumstances, yet she still didn't fuck up as bad as me."
Tara thought about that in silence. She reached over and took Buffy's hand in her own.
Later, Tara and Buffy pushed the doors open and walked into the library.
"So he threatened you? With what?" Buffy asked.
"Well, i-it wasn't exactly anything he said. It was all in his eyes."
Buffy frowned. "Snyder needs me to kick his ass."
"Oh, no, Buffy, don't get in trouble. I stood up to him and told him no."
They reached the study table. Tara set down her books.
Buffy sat on the table and smiled. "Good for you."
"What's that?" Giles asked from his office.
Buffy looked at him. "Snyder wanted Tara to tutor some jock."
"I just hate the way he bullies people. He just assumes everyone's time is his." Tara lifted her bookbag from her shoulder and set it down also.
Giles came out of his office, sucking on a lollipop. "Tara, get on the computer. I want you to take another pass at accessing the mayor's files."
"Okay." Tara headed behind the counter to use the computer there.
Faith walked into the library, followed by an out-of-breath Wesley.
Faith smiled. "Well, that was a blast."
"How did it go?" Giles asked.
Faith pointed at Wesley behind her. "Princess Margaret here had a little trouble keeping up."
Wesley made it to the counter and leaned heavily against it. Buffy raised her eyebrows at the sight.
Giles looked at Wesley. "How did it go?"
Wesley panted heavily. "Faith, uh...did quite well on the obstacle field. Still a little sloppy, though."
Faith shot him an incredulous look.
"Do you feel up to, uh, taking Buffy out, or shall I?" Giles asked him.
"Oh, no, no, no. I'll be fine. Just give me a minute. And some defibrillators, if it's not too much trouble."
"You're gonna love it, B. It's just like fun, only boring." Faith grimaced.
Giles looked at her sternly. "Faith, this evaluation is a necessary part of the Council's-"
"I know. I'm on board here. Just shooting my mouth off."
"I better change." Buffy got off the table and started to walk out.
As she passed by, Faith leaned toward her.
"Good luck." Faith reached out, lightly brushed Buffy's shoulder with her hand, and gave her a little smile.
Buffy returned the smile weakly and continued out. Wesley took a deep breath and followed her.
Faith noticed Tara at the computer and hopped up on the counter to sit and watch. "Whatcha doin'?"
"I'm trying to access the mayor's personal files."
Faith was surprised. "Can you do that?"
"Well, he's got some tricky barriers set up."
"Can you get past 'em?" Faith asked warily.
"Possibly."
Faith watched intently as Tara continued her hacking.
Later, in a spacious new studio apartment, Mayor Wilkins considered Faith's report. "That's very interesting."
"Yeah, I thought so, too." Faith looked around. "Are you serious about this place?" She continued exploring.
"Of course, I am. No Slayer of mine is gonna sleep on a couch in some hippy-dippy witch's apartment. She has a very unsavory reputation. There are immoral liaisons going on there."
Faith checked out the kitchen. "Yeah, plus all the fucking that she does with her boyfriend. Bitch is loud. This place is the kick!" She walked past a leather punching bag hanging in a corner and continued into the sleeping area.
"Keep your things at your old place in case you need to see your friends there, but from now on..."
Faith jumped up on the bed and bounced.
"Oh, hey, hey, hey! Shoes! Shoes!" Mayor Wilkins yelled, appalled.
Faith hopped off the bed and went up to the mayor. She smiled sultrily. "Thanks, Sugar Daddy."
"Now, Faith, I don't find that sort of thing amusing. I'm a family man." He stepped aside to let Faith continue looking around. "Now, let's kill your little friend."
Faith gave him an uneasy look.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't ask you to do it. Not this early in the relationship."
Faith sat, doubtful.
"Besides, I think a vampire attack would be less suspicious, anyway. In the meantime, let's take a look at the rest of the apartment, huh?"
Faith stood up again.
"If I'm not mistaken, some lucky girl has herself a PlayStation."
Faith grinned broadly. "No way."
Mayor Wilkins grinned back proudly. "Yes way!" He chuckled happily.
Faith headed over to the TV to check it out.
That evening, Cordelia and Angel walked out of the Sun Cinema, having just watched Le Banquet D'Amelia. They were less than happy with their movie-going experience. Angel buttoned his coat and put his hands into his pockets while Cordelia crossed her arms against the cold.
Cordelia felt uneasy. "Well..."
"Well."
They began walking along the street.
"That was...very...artistic." Cordelia gave Angel a glance with raised eyebrows, trying to gauge his reaction.
"Yeah."
"It wasn't what I expected." Cordelia laughed nervously. "I-I've never actually seen..." She paused, unsure how to put it. "Well, we..." She paused again. "From the title, I thought it was about food."
"Well, there was food..."
They exchanged a quick glance but couldn't face each other.
"Right. Th-The scene with the...food. So...feel like getting some hot chocolate?" Cordelia uncrossed her arms and let them swing. "Or some cold shower?"
"I'm sorry." Angel shook his head. "I wanted to take you out somewhere fun. It's been a long time since I've been to the movies. They've changed."
Cordelia smiled and nodded. "A little scary." She stopped and faced Angel. "And a little not, which is also scary. I'm sorry." She inhaled. "I-I just don't like getting you worked up like that. We can't actually do any of those things." She exhaled. "You'd lose your soul, and...besides, I don't even own a kimono."
"Cordy, you don't have to worry about me." Angel grinned.
"I just don't like to rub your nose in it." Cordelia realized what she'd said. "Suddenly wondering where that expression comes from."
"Look, I don't need to see movies to get worked up. Just being around you does that just fine. It doesn't mean that I'm gonna lose control, or that I'm only frustrated around you. It feels nice just to feel."
"It doesn't drive you crazy? When we're close?"
"Watch this."
He slowly kissed her. She responded in kind, and they kissed. Angel put his arms around her as they kissed again and again. All too soon, it was over, and nothing bad had happened.
"See? Safe as houses."
Cordelia looked into his eyes and moved in for another kiss. Angel obliged, and they exchanged several.
Faith walked up to them and grinned naughtily. "Check out the lust bunnies."
Cordelia and Angel slowly stopped and let go of each other.
Cordelia gave him a little smile, turned to Faith, sighed, and smiled weakly. "Patrol?"
"Council has you back on active duty?" Angel asked Faith.
"Finally. They want me down by Mercer. B's waiting. Just came by to see if you wanted to join us, C-Grade."
"Don't call me that." Cordelia paused and considered. "Okay." She turned to Angel. "Good night." She backed away slowly while still holding his hand.
"I'll see you soon."
When she got close enough, Faith grabbed Cordelia's arm.
Faith smiled. "Don't worry, big guy. Just keeping her warm for you."
Cordelia gave Angel one last smile and then let herself be led away.
The two of them walked in silence for a while as they headed toward Cordelia's car.
"So how far did you get with him?" Faith eventually asked.
Cordelia looked at her.
"Did he fuck you up the ass?" Faith asked.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "None of your fucking business." She paused. "And no. Unfortunately."
Faith grinned. "Too bad. Anal's great. I was doing it when I was activated. Broke my poor boyfriend's dick."
"That's great for you, Faith. That's really great." Cordelia suddenly noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and stopped. She looked to her left.
In an alley, a girl with long brown hair was being held by a guy, who had his face pressed to her neck.
Faith looked. "Necking session?"
Cordelia noticed the girl's arms were limp at her sides. "That's one way of putting it."
The two girls ran into the alley. Cordelia grabbed hold of the girl, putting her arms around her waist. Faith jumped over both of them and kicked the guy in the head. He lost his grip on the girl and fell on his back. Faith pulled a stake out of her jacket, mounted him, and drove her stake into his heart, killing him.
"Omigoddess!" the girl exclaimed in fright.
"It's okay. You're safe." Cordelia turned the girl around and looked at her.
The girl appeared to be about her age. She had light wounds on her neck, and there were some blood stains.
Cordelia examined the bite marks. "You'll be fine. They'll heal."
"Was that a vampire?" the girl asked.
"Uh-huh. What's your name?" Cordelia asked.
"Sandy. Sandy Gray." The girl pressed her right hand to her neck wounds. "Am I gonna...become one of them?"
"No, not unless you sucked him off as well." Cordelia suddenly realized how that sounded and made a face. "I mean...did you drink any of his blood?"
"Uh, yeah, a little."
Cordelia looked closely at Sandy's lips. There was blood on them.
"I-I met him at the Bronze, and he bought me a drink. We left together and stopped here to make out. He - He had me under some kind of spell. I couldn't resist him. I-I'm sorry."
"Shhh, it's not your fault." Cordelia gave her a smile. "Do you go to Sunnydale High?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Go home and get some rest. If you feel anything unusual, call the library."
Sandy looked at her in confusion.
"It's where we meet. Someone there can help you. Me, Buffy, Giles, Wesley, Tara, Harmony..." Cordelia reconsidered. "Maybe not Harmony."
"Okay. Thank you both for saving my life." Sandy turned to leave.
"You gonna be okay getting home?" Faith asked her.
Sandy glanced back at her. "Yeah, my car's nearby."
Faith and Cordelia looked at each other and shrugged, and then they went on their way.
Later, in the cemetery, Cordelia, Buffy, and Faith slowly walked among the gravestones, although none were particularly alert.
"I gotta tell you, C-List. The willpower thing? Nice job."
Cordelia was preoccupied. "Thanks." She was confused and looked at Faith. "What?"
"The 'close but no cigar' deal with Angel. I don't know if I could handle, you know, the way you're not handling it." Faith giggled naughtily.
Cordelia was annoyed. "Faith, when it comes to Angel, do me a favor..." She saw something behind Faith. "Duck!"
Faith reacted instantly and dropped. Cordelia swung a hard right at a demon standing behind Faith, catching him off guard and causing him to stumble into the side of a mausoleum. Faith jumped back up, and the two Slayers pinned the demon against the wall.
"Oooowww! Ooh! What are you, nuts? Goin' around punching people?" the demon asked.
Faith pulled him away from the wall as Buffy pulled off his hat, revealing his horns and pointed ears.
"People?" Buffy asked.
She and Faith both reached into their pockets for stakes.
"So what, I'm a demon. That makes it okay?" He jumped back and held up his hands defensively when he suddenly saw both stakes up and ready to be plunged into his chest. "Jeez! Hold it! Whoa!" He inhaled a frightened breath. "Stake me now, and you'll never find out what I got for ya. Huh? Think about it." He looked at Buffy. "Demon seeks Slayers?" He looked at Faith. "Highly unusual?"
Buffy gave him a hard nudge to the shoulder. He let down his guard, and they lowered their stakes. Cordelia took a stake out of her own jacket and held it ready.
Faith nodded. "Talk fast."
"How'd you like to get your hands on the Books of Ascension, huh?" He smiled wickedly.
Buffy shrugged. "Never heard of 'em."
"Books of Ascension. Very powerful works, and I am not talking about the prose. They deal with some, uh, dark stuff, and the mayor, he would hate it if somebody got a hold of them before he, uh..." He shrugged. "Well, you know."
"Don't know. Before he what?" Buffy asked.
The demon faced Buffy. "Hey, hey, read 'em and weep. That's all I got to say. Tomorrow, I get the books." He faced Faith. "Meet me here, and, if the price is right, well, I give the books to you."
Buffy smiled impatiently. "Not really looking to trade with a demon."
"And if this were still a barter economy, that would be a problem. I want cash, princess. Five large for the whole set."
"So you can buy - I'm guessing here - some skin care products?" Faith asked.
The demon pointed at her and smiled at her joke. "Plane ticket out of the Hellmouth before it's 'Adios, Slayer loco.' So, five Gs? Whadaya say?"
"I think 'Die, fucker' sums it up, wouldn't you say?" Faith asked him.
The demon wasted no time getting out of there. Faith made a move to give chase, but Buffy stayed her, and they just watched him run.
"Oh, let him go. I don't think he falls into the deadly threat to humanity category."
"Demon's a demon."
Buffy thought about that for a moment and felt uncomfortable. "I'd like to know more about these Books of Ascension. Anything that would pin the mayor down would be great."
"Yeah..." Faith paused. "It'd be great."
Sandy parked her red 1990 Volkswagen Beetle in the driveway of her house, shut off the engine, took the key out of the ignition, unfastened her seatbelt, unlocked and opened the driver-side door, and got out. Each action was painful for her. She could sense something was wrong. She locked and closed the door and walked up the path to the front porch.
She climbed the steps, opened the screen door, unlocked the front door, and went inside. She closed and locked the door.
She turned off the porch light and living room light and walked upstairs.
She headed down the hall and entered her bedroom. She turned on the light and closed the door.
Each action was painful for her.
"Sandy? Is that you?" her mother called.
"Yeah!" Sandy replied.
"Did you have a nice night out?!"
"Yeah!"
"There's hamburgers in the fridge, if you want a bite!"
"Thanks! I'm pretty beat, though, so I'm gonna go to bed!"
"Good night!"
"Good night, Mom!" Sandy turned off the light and walked over to her bed. "Besides, I had a bite."
Sandy flopped down on her bed and was soon unconscious.
Later, in the mayor's office, Faith sat in one of the chairs facing his desk as he paced behind her.
"And what, exactly, did this demon look like?" Wilkins asked her.
"Demonic."
"Ah." He headed around the desk. "And you say he has the Books of Ascension or will soon, and he was, what, willing to sell them?"
Faith nodded. "That's what I said."
Mayor Wilkins rocked on his heels. "Hmm." He looked at Faith. "You know what I wish? I wish you'd pull your hair back.
Faith raised her eyebrows at his segue.
He shook his head. "I know, I know, fashion isn't exactly my thing, but, gosh darn it, you know, you've got such a nice face." He shrugged. "I can't understand why you hide it."
Faith felt uneasy. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever. It's just a matter of time before this demon guy's gonna spill. Then Buffy and the Super Friends are gonna-"
"You know, you worry too much for a girl your age. That's unnecessary stress. Luckily, I've got just the thing." He went over to a low cabinet, where a pitcher of milk and four glasses were set on a tray. He poured a glass and took it over to Faith. "There you go."
Faith took the glass but just stared at it while the mayor leaned back against his desk and crossed his arms.
"Now, first, you load up on calcium, then find this demon, kill the heck out of him, and bring the books to me."
Faith leaned forward and put the glass down on the desk. "And if Buffy gets to him first?"
"Oh. Well..." Wilkins sighed. "Frankly, I don't like to think about that. I like good, positive 'up' thoughts. If you failed me in that way, well, you know, replacing Mr. Trick was chore enough."
He chuckled, but Faith didn't think it was funny and fidgeted in her seat.
"Oh, come on, don't worry. Drink up. There's nothing uncool about healthy teeth and bones."
Faith just gave him a doubtful look.
In the library at Sunnydale High School. Buffy, Cordelia, and Tara were at the study table. Giles leaned in the doorway to his office, eating a banana while listening to Wesley grill Buffy about her encounter.
"And you say this demon wanted cash?" Wesley started to pace. "That's very unusual."
"Demons after money." Giles shook his head. "Whatever happened to the still-beating heart of a virgin? No one has any standards anymore." He took a bite.
"Well, he said the books were worth the price."
"What's this 'Ascension' mean?" Cordelia asked.
Wesley was at a loss and looked to Giles.
Giles furrowed his brow. "I'm not sure."
"No, not, uh, not really a common term in demonology."
Tara recalled something. "Oh, the - the Mehrenstadt Text. Uh, I think, in the section on genocide, they mention Ascension."
Buffy was impressed. "Wow." She looked at Cordelia. "We have a winner."
Cordelia looked at the Watchers. "And more importantly, two losers."
Giles went into his office to retrieve the volume in question. He came back from his office, flipping through the book. "Oh, yes, yes, here we are. There's a reference here to the journal of...Desmond Kane, pastor of a town called Sharpsville. 'May 26, 1723. Tomorrow is the Ascension. God help us all.' It was the last anyone heard."
"Of Kane?" Wesley asked.
"Of Sharpsville."
Wesley stepped over to look.
"The town more or less disappeared."
Buffy nodded. "So Ascension possibly not a love-in."
Giles looked at her. "I think you should meet with this demon, Buffy."
"Yeah? Anybody got five-thousand dollars?"
Wesley looked at her. "Tell you what. Why don't we try to find this demon sooner rather than later, perhaps persuade him to lend us the books free of charge?"
"I think Faith might be useful in that persuasion part."
"Hmm, I imagine so. Where is Faith, anyway?"
Faith kicked open the door to the demon's apartment and marched in. He was frantically packing his things for his exodus.
"Hey! Slayer! Um, you know, I-I wasn't expecting company. Give me a minute, and I'll have the place tidied up for you." He smiled.
"You got the books?" Faith asked.
"Well, that depends. You got my money?"
She faked him out with a little nod but then punched him with a hard left backhand, making him spin halfway around.
He straightened back up slowly and faced her again. "Y-You're tough in negotiations, and I respect that."
She made a move to hit him again, and he retreated to the kitchen but covered it by turning on the light. He pointed behind her, and she turned to see five old leather-bound books on the bed.
"Check 'em out. Now, uh, that is quality merchandise. That's worth five-grand, easy."
Faith quickly looked through each volume, checking for authenticity. "Books of Ascension."
"Mm-hmm. Original editions and everything. Um..." He paused. "Great condition. Okay, it's a little worn on one spine, some slight foxing, but otherwise perfect. Now, the five-grand, it's, um, you know, negotiable."
Faith pulled out a knife. "I don't like to haggle."
She spun around and plunged the blade into the demon's gut. He doubled over and began to fall. She yanked the knife back out and let him drop, then turned her attention back to the books. However, the demon wasn't dead yet, and he grabbed her ankle, making her drop one of the books. He got himself back to his feet and went for her neck, but she stabbed him again and wrestled him down. He got the upper hand, falling on top of her, but she reached up with her knife and stabbed him in the back. He jerked in pain but kept fighting. She stabbed him again, and this time he died, his body lying heavy on top of her. She rolled him off and dropped her knife. Her hands were stained with the demon's blood. She rolled onto her side and sat up, staring down at her hands.
Faith quietly arrived at the door to Angel's bedroom.
Angel was reading. He turned around to look. "Faith." He set down the book and stood up.
"Angel. I got nowhere else to go."
He looked doubtful.
"Look, I hate asking for help...but I'm asking, 'cause, uh...I'm in trouble, like the real bad kind."
Angel sighed. "It's okay." He went to her.
"No, it's a couple county lines over from okay, believe me."
"I believe you. Look, just talk. Come on." Angel gestured, inviting her in. "Start from the beginning."
Faith paced to his nightstand. "Mind if I skip past the 'Mom never loved me' part and get right to it?" She touched the lampshade and faced him. "I'm scaring myself."
"I know the feeling."
"That's why I came to you. I don't wanna get all twelve-steppy, but remember when you told me that killing people'd make me feel like some kind of god?" Faith showed him her blood-splattered hands. "I think I just came down to Earth."
Angel took her hands in his to get a good look.
"It's not human, if that's what you're thinking, not that that makes me feel any better or this guy any less dead." Faith stepped over to the bed and sat down.
"Faith, you need help. You can't do this alone." Angel sat also - but not too close.
"I know. For real now, I'm scared. Scared of what I am, what I'm turning into: cold-blooded, straight-up killer...like you." Faith looked at him with a very worried expression.
Angel shook his head. "Not like me. I didn't have a choice. But you do. Look, you can stop this."
"Believe me, I don't wanna end up the way everybody said I would, dead or alone or a loser."
"You don't have to."
"I dunno. Maybe it's too late for me." Faith looked down.
"It's not."
"Angel, I'm so scared." Faith reached out to him and hugged him close.
Angel hugged her back. "It's all right. Shh. It's okay."
They slowly pulled apart, but she left her hands around his neck, facing him, lips almost touching, moving in slightly closer in the hope that it might become a kiss. But Angel stopped her, putting his hands on her arms and pulling them from around his neck.
"Whoa." Angel shook his head. "Whoa, Faith. I..." He paused. "Look, I can be here for you, but not like that, all right? I'm with Cordy."
"Cordy, yeah." Faith looked away. "I didn't mean it like that." She looked back. "Maybe I did, but I wouldn't press it." She looked deeply into his eyes. "You love her, don't you?"
"I love her."
"Good for you. The two of you, you're lucky." Faith nodded her head slightly and just looked into his eyes for a moment. "We friends?" She smiled and briefly touched his shoulders again.
"We're friends."
"Then I'm lucky, too. I better go." Faith got up and walked out of the bedroom.
Angel followed her into the main hall. "Where?"
Faith faced him. "I need to cool down, spend some time alone. Don't worry about me; you've been a big help, just knowing somebody cares."
They looked at each other for a long moment.
Faith stepped closer. "Hey, I know I shouldn't be asking this, but...do you think, if things were different, that things between you and me'd be different, too?"
Angel shook his head. "We'll never know."
"Right. How could we?"
"Take care of yourself."
She stepped up to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Just as she did so, Cordelia walked up to the atrium door and saw them.
"Lifetime of practice."
Cordelia watched them as they separated and Faith left. Rather than go in, she turned around and left also.
In Faith's apartment, she was sitting on her couch, filling in the mayor, who was leaning against the kitchen table.
"It's not like I wasn't trying, okay?"
"Hey, there's no need to convince me. I'm sure you gave it your level best. I just don't understand what that boy could be thinking."
"Try Cordelia Chase, like in a big fat one-track way."
"Hey, come on!" Wilkins stood up. "Don't be discouraged. You're a bright, young, energetic girl with a whole life ahead of her, and I won't tolerate brooding. So you couldn't give him that one moment of true happiness."
"I was thinking more along the lines of a long weekend, but okay."
"And he spurned your advances. So be it. There's more than one way to skin a cat. And I happen to know that's factually true." Wilkins paced. "We wanna take Angel's soul away. If we can't do it by giving him happiness, well, by golly, we'll just have to do it in the most painful way imaginable." He smiled.
In the library, Giles walked out of his office, toward the study table, and removed his spectacles.
Wesley took the steps down from the stack level, concentrating heavily on the book in his hands. "Find anything?"
"A six-course banquet of nothing with a scoop of sod-all as a palette cleanser." Giles sat at the table.
Wesley followed him to the table. "I've had no better luck." He put his book down and sat across from Giles. "There must be something about this Ascension somewhere."
Giles pulled out his handkerchief. "Perhaps I should contact the Council, maybe run a search through..." He blew his nose daintily.
"Uh, no, I don't, uh..." Wesley paused. "It should be I that..." He paused again. "The Council isn't entirely aware that I'm letting you work for me."
Giles looked up at Wesley.
"Uh, with me. I don't think they'd be very happy at the idea of the two of us collaborating."
Giles put away his handkerchief. "Well, I wasn't about to burst into glorious song about it myself. I'll let you call them."
Buffy walked into the library and toward the table.
"I think the most expedient plan would be to find these Books of Ascension themselves."
Buffy walked around Wesley.
"Buffy, you and Faith must find this demon." Wesley concentrated on the book again. "And soon."
Buffy sat at the table. "Well, I'll go back to the scene, see if I can track him."
"Wait for Faith."
"That could be hours. I'll just go myself."
Wesley looked up. "Buffy, this is a job for the both of you. This demon could be anywhere. If these books are as important as he says, he has good reason to hide. Finding him's going to be extremely difficult."
Tara walked into the library. "Found your demon." She pulled out a scrap of paper with the address.
Wesley looked up at her incredulously, mouth agape.
Buffy looked at him. "Fashion tip, Wes. Mouth looks better closed."
Wesley closed up and gave Buffy a look.
Tara handed Buffy the paper. "Got the address. I bribed Willy the Snitch."
"How much?" Buffy asked her.
"Twenty-eight bucks." Tara looked at Giles. "Does the Council reimburse for that kind of stuff?"
"Did you get a receipt?"
"Damn!" Tara walked around Giles and took a seat next to Buffy.
Buffy read the address. "I know this. It's down by the bus station. Not the nicest part of town." She kissed Tara on the lips. "Good job, sweetie." She got up.
Giles was disgusted. "Again, see? No standards. I mean...any self-respecting demon should be living in a pit of filth or a nice crypt."
Faith walked into the library.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'll remember to mention that."
"Mention what? Where're we going, girlfriend? Faith asked.
She took Buffy's arm as she was about to pass, but Buffy pulled it back.
"Uh, actually, I can handle this one solo."
"Why should you get to have all the fun?" Faith smiled at everyone. "Share, share, that's fair, right?" She faced Buffy.
"Right." Buffy showed her the address. "Found our demon."
Faith took it. "Oh. Well. Just go look him up." She smiled weakly.
Buffy wasted no time getting on her way. A moment later, Faith followed.
"Is it me, or did it just get really cold in here?" Tara asked.
The Watchers weren't sure what to make of it.
Faith opened the door and just walked into the demon's apartment, knowing what was there.
Buffy followed her in. "Faith, careful."
"Right."
Buffy closed the door quietly and then followed Faith into the apartment. "Missed you earlier."
"Yeah, I was patrolling. No shortage of scum you gotta watch in Sunnydale, right?" Faith asked.
"So I've heard."
Faith reached around the wall, into the kitchen, and switched the light on. They both saw the mess on the bed and then the body on the floor.
"Looks like somebody got here first."
"Bettin' they got the books, too. Some hit." Faith looked at Buffy.
"This wasn't just a hit. This is somebody's idea of a party."
"Maybe the guy put up a fight."
They both just looked at the dead demon for a moment.
"We gotta get going. Come on." Faith tugged at Buffy's arm. "Nothing we can do here now." She started out but stopped. "You coming?"
She opened the door and waited for Buffy, who took one last look and then walked out the door. Faith followed her, pulling the door shut behind her.
The next morning, Sandy woke and got out of bed. She looked out the window. The sun wasn't up yet. She went to a mirror on her dresser and checked her neck. The bite marks were gone.
After taking a shower and putting on some fresh clothes, Sandy went downstairs for breakfast. She walked into the kitchen. Her mother and younger sister were sitting at the kitchen table, eating.
Megan Gray smiled at her daughter. "Morning."
"Hey." Sandy headed for the refrigerator and opened it.
"If you're looking for the burgers, I took the rest of them."
Sandy looked back at her thirteen-year-old sister. "Seriously, Kendra?"
"I tried to stop her. Just have some cereal, sweetie."
Sandy sighed and closed the refrigerator. She opened the freezer, took out two hamburger patties, grabbed a skillet from under the counter, and walked over to the stove.
"Seriously?" Megan asked.
Sandy set the skillet on the stove and turned on the burner. "I'm in the mood for...meat." She wasn't sure why, but she had had trouble searching for the right word.
Megan shook her head and continued eating her cereal.
Sandy took the butcher paper off the patties and put the patties on the skillet. She threw the paper into the trash basket under the counter and then stared at the patties, waiting impatiently.
The patties started to sizzle. Sandy stared intensely at them. She watched the juices pop. Red juices. Eventually, she couldn't restrain herself. Sandy grabbed a chunk of meat off one of the patties and shoved it into her mouth.
"For God's sake, Sandy, what's wrong with you?" Megan asked her. "Wait for them to cook."
"But they're starting to burn."
"No, they're not." Megan sniffed. "But something is."
Sandy noticed the light from the rising sun starting to shine through the kitchen window. She averted her eyes, shut off the burner, ate some more juicy raw meat, and then headed toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Megan asked her.
"I feel sick. I need to lie down. Call the school. Let them know I'll be out." Sandy left the kitchen.
In the student lounge at Sunnydale High, Cordelia and Harmony were sitting on one of the couches, reading.
Harmony noticed Cordelia wasn't really into her book. "Are you okay? Y-You seem a little on edge. Is there anything that's wrong?"
Cordelia shook her head. "It's nothing."
She looked at her friend, who gave her a look of disbelief.
"It's nothing."
Harmony intensified her look.
"All right, all right. Stop with the third degree. It's Faith."
Harmony turned her body to give her friend her full attention. "What about her?"
"I went to Angel's last night, and Faith was there. They looked sort of..." She sighed quietly. "...intimate."
"No way!" Harmony exclaimed.
"Faith would never do that." Even as she said it, Cordelia had her doubts.
"Faith would totally do that. Faith was built to do that. She's the 'Do That' girl."
Cordelia's anxiety was building. "Comfort, remember? Comfort here?"
Harmony tried to be comforting. "But, Cordy, Angel..." She paused. "There's no way he would ever do that. I mean...you're the only thing in the world to him."
"Sometimes, I wonder. Angel and Faith have a lot in common..." Cordelia paused. "And there's so much he doesn't tell me."
"But it's so clear, the way he feels about you. Cordy, y-you have to look at their actions."
Cordelia was sad. "I was."
"Well, what did he say?"
"Say? You mean when I straightforwardly asked him what the fuck was going on?" Cordelia asked.
"So you bailed?"
"I couldn't, I mean, not then..."
Harmony held up her hand. "Hey, enough. Stop with the crazy. Go talk to Angel."
Cordelia started to get up and smiled at her friend. "Thank you." She gathered her books and left.
Harmony smiled to herself and went back to her reading.
Megan knocked on her daughter's open bedroom door. Sandy was lying on her bed. She was jittery and anxious and unable to sleep. She was hearing strange noises and sweating profusely.
"Sweetie?" Megan asked. "How are you feeling?"
"Mom...I don't know what's wrong with me."
Megan looked at her daughter in concern. "Honey, have you been doing drugs?"
"No."
Megan gave her a doubtful look. "Be honest with me."
"I am!" Sandy snapped.
Megan recoiled. Sandy started crying.
"Do you think maybe you were...poisoned...last night?" Megan suggested.
"Yeah, that's a definite possibility." Sandy sat up. She reached for her phone and picked up the handset.
"Are you calling a doctor? I can drive you to the ER."
"A doctor can't help me." Sandy turned on the handset. "Could you bring those burgers up here, please?"
"Sure." Megan turned and left the bedroom.
Sandy dialed the school's phone number. The phone rang three times.
"Sunnydale High School. How may I direct your call?"
"The library, please."
"One moment."
Sandy was put on hold. She raised her free hand in front of her face and looked at it. It was shaking.
"This is Rupert Giles. I'm the librarian. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"
"Sandy Gray. I-I'm a student there. Listen, this might sound weird, but two of the students saved me from a vampire attack last night."
Giles paused momentarily. "I see."
"I think one of them was Cordelia Chase. I didn't recognize the other one. But I'm starting to feel really sick and hallucinate some weird shit, and Cordelia told me to call the library, if that happened."
"What - What sort of symptoms are you having?"
"Uh, sweating, jitters, agitation, irritability, restlessness. Um...hunger. I think. Cravings, definitely. Photosensitivity. Also, shaking, and I'm hearing weird noises, and my teeth hurt."
Giles was silent for a long moment. "I see."
"What's happening to me?" Sandy asked, afraid. "Am I becoming one of them?"
"I fear you already may be one of them. Tell me...do you have any sense of...disassociation? Like you're not yourself? Like you're...someone else?"
"No, why?"
"Um, never mind that. Listen, Sandy, I want you to stay inside and away from direct sunlight. Can you do that?"
"Yeah."
"I'll be over as soon as possible."
"Please hurry." Sandy ended the call.
Her mother returned to her bedroom and offered her a plate with two partially-eaten burger patties on it, now fully cooked. Sandy snatched the plate out of her mother's hand and started chowing down. Megan could only look at her daughter in worry.
Buffy followed Giles up to the front porch of Sandy's house. Giles rang the doorbell. They waited.
"What do we do, if she's already turned?" Buffy asked.
Giles gave her a brief glance but didn't reply.
The front door opened. Megan was standing there. She pushed open the screen door.
"Mrs. Gray?" Giles asked.
"Uh, Ms. I never married. You're from the school?"
Giles nodded. "Rupert Giles." He gestured at Buffy. "Buffy Summers."
Megan stepped aside. "Please come in."
"Thank you." Giles walked into the living room.
Buffy followed him into the house. Megan closed and locked the front door.
"Where is she?" Giles asked.
"She's in her room." Megan looked up the staircase. "Sandy, honey, they're here!"
Soon, Sandy walked downstairs. "Hello. Mr. Giles?"
Giles nodded. "Yes." He gestured at Buffy. "And this is Buffy Summers."
Sandy looked at Buffy. "The Vampire Slayer? Y'know, I've never actually seen you at school."
Buffy shrugged. "Not surprising, since I often miss classes."
"Let's sit down, shall we?" Giles suggested.
Buffy and Giles sat on the couch. Sandy walked over and sat to Buffy's left. Buffy felt a bit nervous.
"Does anyone want anything to drink? Eat?" Megan offered.
No one said anything for a while.
Giles eventually shook his head. "Uh, no, thank you." He looked at Sandy. "But speaking of drink...Sandy, you mentioned you had indescribable cravings."
Sandy nodded. "They're getting worse."
"I've got a theory." Giles looked at Buffy and nodded.
Buffy took a rosary out of her coat pocket and dangled the crucifix in front of Sandy.
Sandy looked at it but didn't react. Buffy moved the crucifix closer to Sandy's face.
Sandy's eyes darted back and forth in confusion. "Is something supposed to be happening?"
Buffy moved the crucifix close to Sandy's lips. "Kiss it."
"What?" Sandy asked.
"French-kiss Jesus!" Buffy ordered.
Sandy hesitantly pressed her lips to the crucifix. Then she stuck out her tongue and licked it.
Buffy observed her for a moment and then looked at Giles and pulled the crucifix away from Sandy. "Sometimes, it doesn't work. Maybe because they didn't have faith in it in life or whatever. I dunno."
Sandy was hesitant. "Well, I'm a Wiccan."
Megan looked at her daughter in surprise. "Since when?"
Sandy shrugged. "Been for quite a while. Is - Is that okay?"
Buffy smiled. "I have a couple Wiccan friends. It's fine."
"Yes, now that that's settled, how do we test if Sandy's a vampire?" Giles asked.
Buffy hesitated, and then she scraped the left side of her neck with the nail on her index finger, cutting the skin and letting her blood flow.
Sandy stared at the blood, feelings of bloodlust overwhelming her. She bared her fangs and lunged at Buffy. Buffy swiftly got out of the way, got to her feet, and kicked Sandy, pinning her against the couch with her foot.
Buffy stared at Sandy in despair. "There's our answer."
Megan started crying. "Omigod, my poor baby!"
Buffy gave Sandy a sorrowful look. "I'm so sorry." She hesitated for a moment, and then she withdrew a stake from her coat.
Sandy stared at Buffy in fright.
"No!" Megan ran over to Buffy. "Please don't hurt my baby!"
Giles looked at Megan. "Please get out of the way, Ms. Gray, and let the Slayer do her job."
"No!" Megan knocked Buffy's foot away with her arm and hugged her daughter. "Please don't kill her!"
Giles sighed. "She's already dead."
Megan looked at Buffy, her face red from crying. "Please! I'm begging you! Please spare her! She's my child!"
Buffy hesitated, and then she put the stake back inside her coat. Megan stood up straight and got out of the way.
Giles looked at Buffy, disappointed. "Buffy-"
"Not a goddamn word out of you." Buffy looked from Giles to Sandy. "Sandy, there are things that you're going to need to know, but I gotta get back to school, because lunch is almost over. I'll be back tonight, I promise. Don't get exposed to direct sunlight. You'll die. You're craving blood. Drink as much of it as you can." Buffy looked at Megan. "Go to the butcher shop or the meat-packing plant."
Megan nodded.
Buffy looked at Sandy and then kneeled on the floor and gently put her hands on her shoulders. "You're going to have to adjust to your new life, er, undeath, but it's doable. Do you trust me?"
Sandy nodded. "Yeah."
Buffy smiled. "Okay. I trust you, too."
She stood up and headed for the front door. Giles stood up, nodded to the Grays, and followed Buffy.
Buffy unlocked and opened the front door, pushed open the screen door, and walked outside. Giles followed, closing the front door behind him.
They walked down the steps and headed to Giles' car.
"You're taking a serious risk with that girl, Buffy. If anything should happen to anyone-"
"It won't. She's scared, Giles. I believe her fear and her basic goodness will keep the demon in check."
"She is the demon, Buffy. She has no soul."
"She still has a brain, does she not? That's as much - if not more - her than an abstract concept such as a 'soul'." Buffy paused and reflected on her words. "Jesus Christ, what happened to my vocab? I've been hanging around you way too long."
Faith arrived at Angel's mansion that evening. He had just finished tending the fire. When he stood up and turned around, he saw Faith standing there.
"Faith."
"Hey. Sorry to bust in uninvited."
"What do you want?"
Faith approached him. "Look, I'm not so good at apologies, mostly 'cause I think the world's out to fuck me, so I'm generally more owed than owing."
Angel retreated, walking around the table.
"But I've been thinking about last night, and I want you to know I'm really sorry."
He stopped and faced her, so she stopped as well.
"It's all right, Faith."
"No, it's not all right. Yeah, I was freaked. I needed somebody, but you're with Cordy. I should know better."
"Okay."
She tried to step closer, but again he retreated, taking a step backward.
"You don't trust me."
"I-It's not that."
"Hey, no problem. Join the club." Faith turned away.
Angel sighed deeply. "Look, Faith..." He paused. "Look, I know what you're going through, all right? I know how hard it can be." He stepped closer. "I-It's important that you have somebody who's been there, okay, who understands what you're going through..."
He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. She pulled away and took a step back.
"And I wanna trust you."
Faith looked disgusted. "Chump."
Suddenly, she lashed out with her arm and splattered a vial of blood onto his shirt. He jumped back. Angel looked up at her with a look of shock and betrayal. Out of the shadows behind them, a shaman appeared and held out his blackened hands, weaving them around as he chanted.
"Faith!" Angel cried desperately.
"I wanted to do this the old-fashioned way, but, hey, your loss."
"You don't have to do this."
Faith stared at him evilly. "I know, but it's fun. Now, relax. It'll all be over soon."
A ball of energy appeared between the shaman's hands, and a bolt shot out and surrounded Angel.
"No!" Angel screamed.
He found himself surrounded by a globe of energy. The globe flashed brightly again and again. Angel bent over backward in pain as the shaman completed the spell. Faith enjoyed the spectacle. The globe flashed and dissipated in a burst of energy. Angel collapsed to the floor, face down.
When it was done, the shaman backed away and disappeared into the shadows.
Slowly, Angel got up. Faith approached him from behind. Angel spun around and confronted her, baring his fangs. She smiled a little smile. He breathed heavily and growled at her. Quickly, he grabbed her arms, pulled her to him, and kissed her hard and fast.
Faith had her hands around his neck and was kissing him back just as forcefully. They continued sucking face for a long moment, then, just as quickly as he started it, he stopped it by shoving her away to arms' length. Faith smiled at him lustfully.
"Thanks...so much."
He took a backhand swing at her and sent her flying against a cabinet. She fell hard to the marble floor. He strolled toward her. He front-snap-kicked her in the gut as she was trying to get up, sending her back to the floor.
"No, really. Don't get up."
Faith clutched her abdomen in pain.
Angel meandered around the table and in front of the fireplace. "Ah...no tortured humanity to hold me down..."
Faith made a determined effort and did a kick-up to get to her feet.
"But you know what bothers me?" Angel asked her.
Faith tried to attack, but he reacted quickly and grabbed her by the neck, squeezing her hard.
"You don't seem to be getting the big picture here, Faith. Now, I don't know why you turned me, but let me tell ya..." Angel grabbed her hair and pulled her head aside, exposing her neck. "I'm just glad you did."
Faith jerked her knee up and got him hard in the balls, making him stumble back a step. She followed up with a low jumping snap kick to his gut, making him stumble back even further, but he managed to keep his balance.
"I got my reasons." Faith pulled out her stake and adopted a ready stance.
"Let me guess: you summoned back the true Angelus, because...you need a new boy toy. Sorry, it doesn't work that way."
Angel swung a left at Faith's head, which she easily ducked. She plunged her stake at him, but he middle-blocked her arm, then low-blocked her other one. She tried swinging her stake at him again, but he grabbed hold of her wrist before she had a chance to connect. The two of them struggled, he to hold her stake at bay, she to plunge it home.
"You wanna be smart, you listen to me."
"Funny thing about vampires, Faith..." Angel paused. "We don't establish meaningful dialogue with Slayers."
Faith did a hard front kick to the back of Angel's leg, making him flip down onto his back. She immediately straddled him and tried to stake him, but he caught her wrist and laughed at her while she struggled.
"I should've known you'd like it on top."
"You wanna listen, or you wanna die?" Faith asked him.
Angel chuckled. "As long as you're there, I mostly want you to wriggle. But I'm listening."
"Last time you got like this, Cordy kicked your ass all the way back to Hell. Do you wanna do better this time?" Faith asked.
"Still listening."
"Good boy. Now, all you gotta do is play nice and call truce, and I'll hook you up with the real power in this town. Interested?"
"Very."
"Then get ready to meet the new boss." Faith quickly leaned in and licked him across the face, then kissed him hard with all of the lust of a Slayer gone bad.
He kissed back, pulling her down onto him.
Sandy walked outside and down the steps of her front porch. She took a deep breath, inhaling the night air. She smiled tentatively, still unsure.
In the library, Tara, Buffy, Harmony, and Cordelia were all sitting around the table. Wesley was at the head of the table, lecturing. Giles leaned against the bookshelves behind him.
"Our enemy has us at a disadvantage. We seem consistently to be one step behind him. Now, he has the Books of Ascension. We must take definitive action. Where's Angel?" Wesley asked.
Cordelia shook her head. "I don't know. I went to the mansion, but he wasn't there."
"And Faith?" Wesley asked.
Buffy shook her head. "She's missing, too."
Harmony looked at Cordelia. "Which means nothing. Two unconnected events."
"What should we do?" Buffy asked Wesley.
Giles looked at her. "Buffy, I think you should try to retrieve the Books of Ascension. Check out the mayor's office, but be damned careful. Do not confront the mayor. We don't know a thing about him."
"I'll go home and stock up on weapons. Slip into something a little more break-and-enterish." Buffy got up and put on her coat.
"Right. Tara, how far did you get with the mayor's files?" Giles asked.
"It's all bad news. By the time I got through the encryptions, the files were empty. I guess he saw me coming."
"Well, what about the Hall of Records?" Buffy suggested. "Go to the source."
Wesley pointed. "Good idea. There must be information on the mayor there."
"Wesley, why don't you take the group and start looking?" Giles suggested.
"Right." Wesley grabbed his coat.
Cordelia stood up, grabbed her coat, and pulled it on. "Anyone mind if I skip the trip? I'm gonna cruise town and look for our missing peeps."
Tara and Harmony got up also.
Harmony smiled brightly at Cordelia. "Oh, I play that game with my parents every Easter. It's really fun."
Cordelia made a face, confused.
"I'll drive!" Harmony turned and left the library.
Cordelia looked at Buffy. "If I don't find them soon, I'll meet up with you, and we can scope out the mayor's office together."
"Cordy-"
"I have spoken."
Buffy sighed. "Fine."
Giles looked at everyone. "Anyone finds anything, check in with me. Be careful."
Tara looked at Buffy and kissed her on the lips. "Yeah, be careful, sweetie."
"I will."
Buffy, Tara, and Cordelia followed Harmony out of the library.
In the mayor's office, Faith had her arm linked with Angel's, having just introduced him to the mayor, who was sitting at his desk with his legs crossed.
Faith smiled widely. "So! Can I keep him?" She rubbed his shoulder.
"Let's just take things step by step for a moment. Now, then, Angelus..." Wilkins paused. "May I call you Angel?"
"Well, actually, I'm thinking more along the lines of you calling me Master."
"Ahh. You know, Angelus, attitude may get you attention, but courtesy wins respect." Wilkins chuckled. "I am the one responsible for your 'new' attitude."
Angel stepped up to the desk, took the steel letter opener, and let it drag across the desktop before picking it up. "That's why I'm here."
"No trouble with the transition? No side effects?"
Angel paced and played with the letter opener. "Hmm. Had a soul, now I'm free."
"That's terrific! Poetic, too. Not that I read much poetry. Except for those little ones in the Reader's Digest. You know, some are quite catchy." Wilkins chuckled.
"Hey, I don't mean to rush things here, but are you trying to get to some kind of a point?" Angel asked impatiently.
Mayor Wilkins smirked. "Kids today. Rush, rush, rush. Well, the point, Angel, is you're a very powerful young man. Good for Faith. And there just may be a future for you here in Sunnydale. I see you're admiring my letter opener."
"Well, actually, I was thinking of stabbing you through the heart with it." Angel slapped it into his palm several times.
The mayor uncrossed his legs and turned his chair to give Angel a clear shot. "Please do."
Angel gave Faith a look to see if she'd move to defend him. She gave him a brief glance, having no intention whatsoever of intervening, and just calmly looked back at the mayor. In an instant, Angel swung back his arm and threw the blade at the mayor's chest. Just as quickly, the mayor whipped his hand up in defense, and the letter opener stabbed cleanly through it but stopped just short of penetrating his chest.
He looked down at his hand, apparently not in any pain, turned it over to check out both sides, and held it up for them to see. "Nice shot."
He pulled his hand back, took the handle of the blade with his other hand, and slowly pulled it out. Again, he held his hand up for them to see. The wound at the center of his palm quickly closed up and was fully healed within two seconds, leaving no trace of a scar behind. Angel was dumbfounded.
The mayor opened his box of moist towelettes and pulled one out. "You see, I'm what you might call...impervious." He stood up and wiped the letter opener. "Can't be killed or harmed in any way." He walked around his desk. "And that's just the cornerstone in my plans for this great town of ours." He handed Angel the opener.
Angel took it. "Hmm. Can't be killed, but you don't like germs."
"Yuck. Eww. Awful things. Unsanitary. But my question is, now that Faith has brought you back, what are your intentions?"
"Well, gee, sir, I thought I'd find that Slayer that's giving you so much trouble and torture, maim, and kill her."
Mayor Wilkins smiled brightly. "Fine! You know, it's nice to see you're not one of those slacker types running around town today." He laughed. "Torture Buffy. Uh, killing her's fine, just make it a slow one-"
"My favorite kind-"
"Wonderful. Wonderful." Wilkins chuckled. "Have fun."
Faith smiled. "Let's do it." She took Angel by the arm and led him out of the office.
The Mayor grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. "Uh...try to have her home by 11:00."
Angel gave him a sly grin and put the letter opener into Wilkins' jacket pocket. He and Faith then left.
In Buffy's room, she and Cordelia were busy loading Buffy's weapons into a bag when Faith opened the door and walked in.
"Knock knock."
Cordelia looked up and saw Faith and Angel. "Where have you guys been?"
Angel went to her. "I'm lookin' for you. Good thing we found you before you left." He kissed her lightly on the head.
Faith smiled. "We got the books."
They had Buffy's attention now.
Angel nodded. "They're at the mansion."
"We'd take 'em to Giles ourselves, but I think strength in numbers is the way to go. Come on." Faith turned and headed out.
Buffy picked up her heavy bag.
"Let me get those for you." Angel took them from her and headed out after Faith.
Buffy and Cordelia followed right behind him.
The four of them entered Angel's mansion through the atrium.
"Okay, let's get the books someplace safe. Where are they?" Buffy asked.
Angel let Buffy's bag fall onto the coffee table and turned to face the fire. "Actually, we have a slight change in plan, Buff."
Faith watched Buffy from behind, arms crossed.
"What's the matter with you?" Buffy asked.
"Nothing." Angel faced her and bared his fangs. "Matter of fact, I haven't felt this good in a long time."
"Angel?" Cordelia asked.
Angel approached her. "You know, I never properly thanked you for sending me to Hell."
"No..." Cordelia backed away.
"Yeah, and I'm just wondering...where do I start? A card? Fruit basket? Hmm?" Angel grabbed her roughly by the arms. "Evisceration?"
"No!" Cordelia yelled.
"Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Maybe there's still some good deep down inside of me that remembers and loves you, if only you could reach me." Angel shook her.
Cordelia winced.
"Then again, we have reality."
Cordelia knocked him off her and stepped back. "I will kill you before I let you touch me." She backed away.
Buffy looked at Faith. "Faith, we need to get out of here. Now."
Faith blocked the doorway. "Speak for yourself, B. Me? I like it here."
Angel let out a low growl behind Cordelia. She turned around only to be punched in the face with a hard right. She fell to the floor, unconscious. Buffy reacted quickly, but Angel knocked her to the floor as well, and she lost consciousness. Angel looked up at Faith, then down again at the girls. Faith stepped over to him and looked down at them also.
"One thing I learned about Cordy: she's so cute when she's sleeping."
Faith smiled. "Hmm."
In the library, Tara and Harmony were at a table in the stacks, helping Wesley with research.
Harmony yawned. "Hey, I know a way to make investigating the mayor even more boring."
Tara and Wesley glanced at her.
"On second thought, no, I don't."
"Hey..." Tara paused as she noticed an old campaign picture of the mayor slipped into a book. "Whoa." She took out the picture. "Holy shit. Guys, check this out."
She held the picture up to a recent campaign picture for comparison. Wesley got up and walked around behind her for a look.
Harmony leaned over to look also. "Wow. Like father, like son."
"How about like exact same guy like exact same guy?" Tara corrected.
Wesley looked at the dates. "Mayor Wilkins is over a hundred years old. He's not human."
Cordelia and Buffy stirred. Angel was kneeling before Cordelia, finishing chaining her to the fireplace mantel as she began to come around. Buffy was chained to Cordelia's right. Faith watched from the couch.
"Mornin', sleepyhead. You know what I just can't believe? All of our time together, and we never tried chains."
Buffy began to realize their predicament as she woke.
Angel stood up. "Well, can't dwell on the past. Especially with the future we have ahead." He stepped away.
Faith smiled. "Bondage looks good on you, B. The outfit's all wrong, but hey..."
Buffy looked at Faith. "You don't know what you're doing."
"Really?" Faith stood up. "Weird, 'cause something about all this just feels so right. Maybe it's one of those unhappy childhood things. See, when I was a kid, I used to beg my mom for a dog." She went over to Angel. "Didn't matter what kind; I just wanted, you know, something to love." She grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him close to her for a deep, passionate kiss.
Cordelia couldn't bear to watch.
Eventually, Faith turned back to Buffy. "A dog's all I wanted."
Angel kissed her neck.
"Well, that and toys."
She reached down to pull a dark blue sheet back from a set of surgical instruments, all laid out for the torture session to come. Buffy and Cordelia yanked at their chains.
Faith reached down and picked up a large forceps. "But Mom was so busy, you know, enjoying the drinking and passing-out parts of life that I never really got what I wanted." She shrugged and smiled evilly. "Until now." She approached Buffy.
"Faith, listen to me very closely. Angel's a killer. When he's done with us, he'll turn on you."
Angel checked out a pair of bone sheers. "She's right. I probably will."
"Yeah? Huh. Guess we'll just have to keep you around a while, then." Faith went right up to Buffy. "Before we get started, I just want you to know: if you're a screamer, feel free."
"Why, Faith? What's in it for you?" Buffy asked, her voice filled with fear.
"What isn't? You know, I come to Sunnydale, I'm a Slayer, I do my job kicking ass better than anyone. What do I hear about everywhere I go? Buffy. So I slay, I behave, I do the good-little-girl routine, and who does everybody thank? Buffy."
"That's not my fault."
"Everyone always asks 'Why can't you be more like Buffy?' But did anyone ever ask if you could be more like me?"
Angel didn't bother looking at her. "I know I didn't."
Faith gave Angel a quick glance before concentrating on Buffy again. "You get the Watcher, you get the mom, you get the Slayerettes. What do I get? Jack shit." She hit Buffy on the shoulder. "This was supposed to be my town!" She stomped off.
"Faith, listen to me."
Faith spun around. "Why? So you can impart some special Buffy wisdom? That it?" She went back to Buffy. "Do you think you're better than me? Do you?" She got in her face. "Say it." She turned and went back to the tools. "You think you're better than me." She put the forceps back down.
"I am."
Faith turned to Buffy, a look of disbelief on her face.
"Always have been."
Cordelia looked at Faith. "Me, too, F-Minus."
"Um, maybe you didn't notice: Angel's with me." Faith slipped her arm around him and checked out his instrument of choice: a long curved scalpel.
"And how did you get him, Faith? Magic? You cast some sort of spell?" Cordelia asked. "Because in the real world, Angel would never touch you, and we both know it."
Faith grabbed the scalpel in her right fist, stomped over to Cordelia, and punched her squarely in the jaw with a left backhand punch.
Cordelia took the hit in stride and looked Faith right in the eyes. "You had to tie me up to beat me. There's a word for people like you, Faith: loser."
Faith slammed the butt end of the scalpel into the wall between Buffy and Cordelia's faces. She smiled sweetly. "Uh-huh. You're just trying to make me mad, so I'll kill you. But I'm too smart for that." She grabbed Cordelia's jaw. "Stick around." She let go and went back to the instrument table.
"For what? Your boss' lame-ass Ascension?" Buffy asked her. "Like we couldn't stop it."
Faith faced her, smiling, and shrugged. "Ya can't."
Cordelia stared at her. "We will."
"Keep dreaming. No one can stop the Ascension. Mayor's got it wired, C-Ya. He built this town for demons to feed on, and, come Graduation Day, he's gettin' paid. And I'll be sittin' at his right hand. Assuming he has hands after the transformation. I'm not too clear on that part. And all your little lame-ass friends are gonna be Kibbles 'n Bits. Think about that when your boyfriend's cutting into you."
Buffy stared at her. "I never knew you had so much rage in you."
"What can I say?" Faith smiled back at Angel. "I'm the world's best actor." She looked back at Buffy.
"Fourth best."
Faith looked back at him, no longer smiling.
Buffy looked at Angel. "Graduation Day. You think we missed anything?"
"I think we know everything she knows."
"May I say something?" Cordelia asked.
Faith looked at Cordelia and Buffy. They gave their chains a good shake, and they fell from their wrists to the floor.
Cordelia held up her free hands for Faith to see, wiggling her fingers. "Psych."
"You played me." Faith glanced at Angel, then back at Buffy and Cordelia. "You played me!"
Faith grabbed Angel, swung him around toward Cordelia, and followed through with a swipe at Buffy with the scalpel, which Buffy sidestepped. Angel went careening into Cordelia, knocking them both to the floor.
Buffy roundhouse-kicked Faith in the back. She stumbled forward but came back up and backhand-punched Buffy with a right, followed by a left hook to the face, sending Buffy tumbling away in a shoulder roll over toward the instrument table. She grabbed a second scalpel on the way up, but Faith did a roundhouse kick to her face, keeping her down. Buffy did a backward leg sweep, which Faith jumped easily. On the way down, she dropped to Buffy's level and brought the scalpel up to her neck while the other Slayer did the same.
They both stopped in a standoff, both in a position to kill at the slightest provocation.
Faith glanced down at the blade at her neck, then looked up at Buffy. She smiled. "What are you gonna do, B? Kill me? You're not ready for that." She knocked Buffy's hand away, grabbed her shoulder, pulled her forward, and kissed her soundly on the lips. "Yet."
She released her, jumped up, and ran out into the atrium and away. Buffy just watched her go.
Cordelia rushed up to her friend and got down next to her. "Are you okay?"
Buffy just stared blankly out the door for a moment before getting to her feet. Cordelia looked over at Angel, knowing, although it was all planned, it was never meant to get that intense or that intimate. He looked away.
At Sunnydale High, in the library, the shaman spoke briefly with Giles on the stack level.
"The task is finished."
"Yes. Thank you for coming to me and for that rather effective light show you put on."
The shaman nodded. "This restores the balance between us, Rupert Giles. My debt to you is now repaid in full. Do not call upon me again."
"I shan't. Peace with you."
"And with you." He took a few steps backward and faded from view.
Giles turned around and walked down the steps to the others.
"His debt to you is repaid? What did you do?" Tara asked him.
"I introduced him to his wife."
"Well, I, for one, protest. You've pitted Slayer against Slayer in a dangerous charade that could've gotten them both killed. Without informing me!" Wesley yelled angrily.
Giles just gave him a stare.
"I'm telling the Council." Wesley headed toward the office.
"I think you should."
Wesley stopped and looked back.
"We have a rogue Slayer on our hands. I can't think of anything more dangerous."
Buffy looked at Giles, worried. "At least, now, we know."
Tara put a comforting hand on top of Buffy's hand.
Giles shrugged. "And we know a little bit more about the Ascension."
"Graduation Day." Harmony smiled at Cordelia. "At least, Angel's not bad, though. That's good, right?"
Cordelia couldn't bring herself to smile back. "He was only acting, Harm. It was just an act."
In Faith's apartment, she was staring out the window at the town beyond.
The mayor was sitting in the leather chair, mulling things over. "Well, you win some, you lose some. From where I'm sitting, it's batting average that counts. So you lost some friends."
Faith turned around and walked into the room. "I wouldn't exactly call them friends."
"Well, look, what are you worried about? Chin up! You don't see me looking disappointed, do ya? Heck no! You know why?" Wilkins got up. "Because I know you'll always have me, Faith. I'm the best, the most important friend you'll ever have. Besides, once the Ascension starts, the 'in crowd' you're so concerned about? Whoo! They'll be lucky if there's enough of them left to fill a pothole. Promise."
Faith didn't find that thought terribly uplifting. She stepped over to a chair and sat.
"Still unhappy? Hmm. Okey-doke. I've got two words that are gonna make all the pain go away." Wilkins crouched next to her. "Miniature...golf." He laughed at his own sense of humor.
At first, Faith could only raise her eyebrows at him, but soon she saw the silliness of his words and couldn't help but shake her head and smile.
The next day, Buffy was leaving her first-period class. She headed for her locker.
"Buffy."
Buffy turned around. A figure wearing a hoodie, gloves, and sunglasses approached her. When the hood and sunglasses were removed, Buffy saw it was Sandy.
"Sandy." Buffy paused. "How-"
"Carefully. Very. Carefully." Sandy shrugged. "Besides, I don't wanna miss any more school."
Buffy laughed. "I'm sorry that I didn't get back to you yesterday. I was dealing with some crazy shit."
"It's all right."
"How are you holding up?" Buffy asked her.
Sandy shrugged. "Well, the blood's taking a little getting used to, but I think I prefer pig over cow, and chicken comes in dead last."
Buffy shrugged. "Well, that's a basic truth of life. But you're staying away from the human stuff, right?"
Sandy nodded. "Right."
Buffy nodded. "Good girl."
Sandy smiled goofily. "You could say I'm a 'vegetarian'."
Buffy found that lame but didn't comment on it. "Hey, after school, do you wanna go out? I know a place." She considered for a moment. "I wouldn't exactly recommend it, but it's a safe haven for your kind."
"My...kind..." Sandy didn't like the sound of that, but she forced a smile. "Sure. Sounds like fun."
Buffy and Sandy walked into Willy's Bar. They went over to the counter and sat next to each other on stools, Sandy to Buffy's left.
"Can we be in here?" Sandy asked. "We're not legal."
Buffy shook her head. "Trust me, Willy does not fucking care."
Willy walked over to them. "Aw, great, you. Hey, everyone, it's the Slayer!"
Various patrons started to stand up.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Sit your asses down. I'm not here to start a fight." She looked at Sandy. "Order something. It's on me."
Sandy looked at Willy. "Vodka tonic."
Buffy thought for a moment and looked at Willy. "Same."
Willy started preparing the drinks.
"So what else do I have to know?" Sandy asked. "About being a vampire."
"Um, holy water might hurt you. Maybe. Or maybe not. Keep a vial of blood on you for sudden cravings. Resist the urge to do evil. Fight your inner demon."
"What's with all of the weird shit that I've been hearing?" Sandy asked her.
"Those are the worms in the earth."
Sandy made a face. "Oh. Lovely."
"You'll also find your strength and speed have increased. Comparable to that of a Slayer." Buffy paused and thought about that, never having made the comparison before.
"Anything else?" Sandy asked.
Buffy thought for a moment. "That's about the it. If you need more expertise, I can introduce you to Angel. He's a vampire with a soul. He'll be a good guide."
Sandy froze, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Well...you don't have a soul." Buffy sighed. "I'm sorry, I guess I should have mentioned that, but I thought you knew."
"Do you sense the presence of your own soul?" Sandy asked her.
"No, I don't suppose I do." Buffy sighed again. "Sorry. The way that I've had the process explained to me is a demon comes into your body, and your soul leaves."
"So...am I still me?" Sandy asked, confused.
"The fact that you have to ask that indicates to me that you are. Listen, the way that I see it is, as long as you've got that brain inside your head, and it's fired up and running, you're still you."
"If my brain's still functional, why would my soul leave my body?" Sandy asked.
Buffy shrugged. "The demon kicked it out, I guess."
"So why does Angel still have a soul?"
"It was restored through magic."
"So why doesn't the demon kick it out again?" Sandy asked.
Buffy was genuinely stumped. "I...don't know. Maybe the spell strengthened it?"
"You don't seem to have many concrete answers. What if I really am just a demon?" Sandy asked her.
"You have a demon in you, and you have to fight it, but you also have a human mind and human will. I have faith in you, Sandy."
The girls had been so engrossed in their discussion that they hadn't noticed the two glasses in front of them until now. Sandy picked up her glass and sipped her drink. Buffy picked up her glass, sniffed her drink, and made a face.
Sandy looked at her and smiled. "If you're not used to it, it's best to just chug it."
Buffy downed the vodka tonic, stuck out her tongue in disgust, and made a series of vocalizations to match.
A sudden thought occurred to Sandy. "If you're right about me still being me because of my brain, then isn't that true for all vampires? And wouldn't you be destroying what's left of them when you kill them?"
Buffy looked at her and thought of her theory that the physical human person and the soul might be separate entities. She looked at Willy and set her glass on the counter. "I'll have another."
Cordelia walked into Angel's mansion. She saw Angel sitting against the wall by the fireplace, rubbing his hands.
"How you doin'?" Angel asked her.
"Been better."
"Not hard to believe. You were a real soldier last night, Cordy." Angel stood up and faced her.
"That's me. One of the troops." Cordelia looked down.
"I know how hard it was for you."
Cordelia was deeply disturbed. "I really doubt that." She looked at him.
"If there's anything I can do to make it better..."
Cordelia attempted a smile. "Look, I know you only did what I asked, and we got what we wanted."
Angel shook his head. "I never wanted it to go that far."
"I know that. It's not even a question of that. I-It's just...after...I need a little bit of a break."
Angel didn't say anything.
"Please?" Cordelia asked imploringly.
After a moment, Angel gave her the barest of nods. Cordelia turned to go.
"You still my girl?" Angel asked her.
Cordelia turned around again and gave him a little smile. "Always."
Again, she headed toward the door and went out.
Chapter 76: Earshot
Chapter Text
"Earshot"
Based on the Episode Written by Jane Espenson
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
Buffy ran along the street near the park at night. She took a quick look behind her and veered off into the park. She stumbled beside the swing set and fell hard to the ground. She rolled onto her right elbow and looked up at the demon that had been chasing her, uncharacteristically frightened of it. The demon came into view as it closed in on her.
Buffy's scared, anxious look was gone, replaced by one of determination. From her position on the ground, Buffy roundhouse-kicked the demon in the back of its knee, which made it fall and smack its forehead into the metal structure of the swing set. The demon quickly got back to its feet, as did Buffy. She got it in the head with a high roundhouse kick, and it fell once again. She pulled out a knife and held it ready.
"You demons can't resist a run and stumble, can you?" Buffy asked it.
The demon gave her a steady look, and Buffy saw it had no mouth. She raised the knife, and, just as she threw it, her arm was blocked by the demon's companion. The one on the ground caught the knife out of mid-air. The second demon grabbed hold of Buffy and tried to throw her, but she was too strong, and instead it got thrown against the swing set. It fell to the grass, but both it and the first demon stood up and faced off with Buffy, the first behind the second.
Suddenly, the second demon ducked, and the first threw the knife at Buffy. She reacted instantly and snatched it from mid-air. The second demon stood back up as Buffy gave them a startled look. It rushed her, and she roundhouse-kicked it in the face, grabbed it by the shoulders, heaved it up and over onto a picnic table, and plunged the knife into its chest. The demon let out a muffled groan while the other one ran off. Buffy pulled out the knife and turned to look for the other one - just in time to see it disappear among the bushes across the street.
"One down, one gone."
The next morning, at Sunnydale High, Buffy and Tara pushed open the library doors and entered, making their way to the study table.
"So scabby demon got away?" Tara asked.
"Scabby demon number two got away. Scabby demon number one: big check in the slay column."
"I don't like this whole no-mouth thing. It's disquieting."
"Well, no mouth means no teeth." Buffy thought for a moment. "Unless they have them somewhere else..." She found that last thought very disquieting.
She and Tara reached the table and sat next to each other. Already there were Amy and Katrina, deep into their research.
Giles walked down from the stacks, holding a book, and walked over to the table. "Morning, girls. We've been researching the, uh, mayor's forthcoming Ascension."
"What do we know?" Buffy asked.
Giles reached for his mug on the table. "Based on the supposed date, Graduation Day, and the mayor being impervious to harm, I've cross-referenced, and I've eliminated several possibilities. It's not the ritual flaying of the demon Azarath, nor the, um..." He noticed everyone's expectant looks. "I don't know what's gonna happen." He put his book on the table, his hand in his pocket, and stared down at the floor.
"You don't know anything? The whole Faith-Angel thing was for nothing?" Buffy asked him, scratching her hand.
Giles noticed and thought nothing of it. "No, no, no. Um, if nothing else, Angel's charade has brought Faith's treachery into the open, and this information about the Ascension will prove useful..."
Wesley made a loud entrance and scrambled toward the table. Just before he reached it, he slowed and adopted an air of superiority.
"...eventually; I just need to put it together..." Giles noticed Wesley and looked to his left, where he is now standing.
"Terribly sorry, I was detained. Official Council business."
Buffy gazed down at the table, and Amy and Katrina exchanged a look.
"Mr. Giles, you were speaking?" Wesley asked.
"I was just filling Buffy in on my progress regarding the research of the mayor's Ascension."
"Oh. And what took up the rest of the minute?" Wesley asked haughtily.
Giles was disappointed with himself. "Touché." He made his way around Buffy and Tara to the far end of the table. "Of course, my work is unofficial. I'm sure, however, with the resources of the Council at your disposal, you will have something to add." He took a seat at the head of the table and gave Wesley a wry grin, putting him on the spot.
Wesley stepped up, puts his briefcase down on a chair, and did his best to save face. "Well. I am pleased to state...with certainty...that the demon Azarath will not in any way be-"
The kids immediately realized he had nothing to add, and so all got up, grabbed their books, and started out of the library to go to class.
"-involved in-"
They passed him without so much as an acknowledging look.
Wesley just stood there, turning as he watched them leave. "I'm sure we'll find out more soon!"
Giles was rather amused but did his best to cover it up. Wesley sat in Buffy's chair, looked again toward the door, then over to Giles.
"The demon Azarath?" Giles asked flippantly. He looked away and took a sip from his mug.
In the hall, Cordelia and Harmony were walking to class.
"So...have you talked to Angel lately?" Harmony asked.
"Not really. Seeing him bad, even pretend bad, and with Faith..."
"He only kissed her for the greater good." Harmony stopped at her locker and opened it.
Cordelia stepped around Harmony. "I don't know." She leaned against the lockers. "To the naked eye, it looked like fun."
Harmony gave her a look. "Or maybe it wasn't. Maybe he wasn't even tempted."
Cordelia sighed. "I just wish I could be sure."
"As always, I advise you to ask."
"Like he'd tell me?"
Harmony frowned at Cordelia. Cordelia worked the combination on her locker. Harmony zipped up her bookbag and pulled it on.
When the itching wouldn't stop, Buffy returned to the library and recounted what happened last night. They were in Giles' office, and Buffy was inspecting her hand under the magnifying lamp at his desk.
Giles had his nose in a book. "You touched one of the demons." He moved over to his desk.
Buffy nodded. "A good touch. Not a bad touch. Anyway, it's been itching like fucking crazy."
Giles leaned down for a look.
Buffy let out a heavy sigh. "No big." She switched off the light, pushed it away, and looked up at Giles. "Just another problem for the good people at Lubriderm, right?"
Giles set the book down in front of her, open to a sketch of the demon. "Is this the demon in question?"
The sketch was of a demon with horned ridges on both sides of its head that started from the eyebrows and got higher as they continued back; uneven, blotchy skin; glaring eyes; and no mouth.
"In the disgusting flesh."
Giles picked up the book and read. "Hmm."
Buffy gave him a concerned look. "What?"
"It says it can infect the host." Giles sat and continued reading.
"Infect?"
Giles was absorbed in the book and didn't respond.
"Infect?!" Buffy asked again, more concerned.
Giles still said nothing and just turned the page.
"Giles!" Buffy yelled sharply to get his attention.
Giles looked up at her. "Hmm?"
"Infect?!" Buffy asked yet again.
Giles looked down at the book. "Oh, um, in-in-infect the host with an aspect of the demon." He furrowed his brow. "That's all it says."
Buffy was suddenly very worried and snatched the book from Giles' hands. "An aspect of the demon?" She read.
"It is rather terse, isn't it?"
"You mean like a part of it?" Buffy asked.
Giles shrugged. "There could be any number of explanations for your hand. Um, a-a new f-fabric softener can cause irritation."
She paid him no mind, instead concentrating on reading the book.
"In any case, I-I-I would advise not to attempt to track the one that got away." Giles stood up, looking at the book. "Let's minimize your exposure."
"A part of the demon. I hope it's not the outside part."
Outside, in the quad, Cordelia and the rest of the cheerleaders were leading a pep rally for the basketball team. They were spelling out the names of each team member while the marching band drummers kept time.
"H! O! G! A! N! It's Hogan! Gooo, Hogan!"
The crowd cheered as Hogan stepped up, palming a basketball high over his head. Buffy, Tara, and Amy were sitting on a stone bench.
Buffy stroked her hair. "Is it me, or is this really fucking lame?"
Amy nodded. "It's definitely fucking lame. Goddess, I do not miss this shit at all."
Tara was reading the school paper. "Well, according to Freddy's latest editorial, 'The pep rally is a place for pseudo-prostitutes to provoke men into a sexual frenzy, which, when thwarted, results in pointless athletic competition.'" She folded the paper and dropped it onto her lap.
Buffy sat quietly next to her.
"The school paper is edging on depressing lately." Tara set the paper onto the bench. "Have you guys noticed that?"
Buffy reached up to scratch her head. Tara noticed and gave her a concerned look. Buffy dropped her hand to her shoulder and looked back.
"What are you doing, Buffy?" Tara asked.
Buffy lowered her hand into her lap. "Nothing."
Tara's concerned look intensified.
Buffy caved, embarrassed. "Checking for horns." She got up and walked away.
Tara stood up, went after her, took her arm to stop her, and turned her around. "Uh, y'know, Buffy, I don't even think Mr. Giles was right about you becoming like a demon. I mean...he's totally burnt. Y'know, dealing with Faith and this Ascension thing. Between you and me, he's not doing his best work."
"But what if he is right? I'm suddenly gonna grow this demon part, and we don't even know what it is. I mean, it could be claws or scales..."
Tara was suddenly very distressed.
"What?" Buffy reached her hand to her neck.
"Was it a male demon?" Tara asked.
Buffy's expression became wide-eyed, shocked at the thought.
The Sunnydale Razorback mascot clapped his hands.
"T! O! M! It's Tom! Gooo, Tom!" Cordelia and the others cheered and waved their pom-poms.
"It's just...I'm scared, babe. There's this thing in me, and I can't find it; I-I can't stop it. What if it changes me?" Buffy asked.
"...Seven, eight! P! E!"
"I mean...not just the way I look."
"R! C! Y!"
"All of a sudden, I-I could be something that's not me anymore."
"It's Percy! Gooo, Percy!"
"I-I would be frightened, too, but I'm sure you're gonna be okay."
Buffy gave her an unconvinced look.
Later, Buffy walked into a hallway, staring at the floor, not paying attention to where she was going. She ran into Mr. Beach.
"Ooh! Whoa, there." He smiled. "You watch where you're going now."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Beach. I will."
Mr. Beach walked off. Buffy picked up a feeling from him about wishing to get rid of all of the students. He entered his classroom.
Buffy was taken aback by his thoughts and shocked as she realized she could read his mind but continued walking slowly along the corridor.
A boy passed in front of her. His dream was to make it big in software and show up everyone that mocked him. He headed into the cafeteria.
Buffy saw a girl at the drinking fountain. She was upset with herself for taking French, which she had thought would be easy. The girl saw Buffy but ignored her.
Buffy noticed a group of boys loitering by the soda machine in the student lounge. One of them reached down to pull up his very loose-fitting pants, afraid that they would fall right off someday.
Buffy smiled at that. She continued walking along the hall, starting to get a feel for her new power. She walked past a boy, who looked hard at her when he noticed her pass by. He found her attractive. Then his thoughts made Buffy uncomfortable.
Buffy strode away, almost bumping into another boy. She took one look at him, knew his thoughts, and gave him a look of shock and disgust. She ran down the hall to the library.
In the library, Giles searched through a bookcase while Buffy talked to him.
"Is this the thing? The aspect thing?" Buffy stepped in his way. "Because I've gotta say, if it is, it is way better than a tail. I mean...I have a hard enough time as it is finding jeans that fit right-"
"Buffy, slow down. Just, um..." Giles pulled a book from over her head. "I-I'm not even convinced that this is genuine mind-reading."
He went down the stairs. Buffy followed.
"I mean...y-you're most likely projecting your-"
"When I walked in a few minutes ago, you thought 'Look at her shoes. If a fashion magazine told her to, she'd wear cats strapped to her feet.'" Buffy sat on the study table.
Giles turned and gave her a look of open-mouthed amazement. "I, um..." He gestured. "Of course. The demons are telepathic."
"I know. You just told me."
Giles gave her an inquiring look.
"That's why they don't need mouths. And you should have known."
Giles was amazed. "Uh, uh..." He paused. "This is astounding."
Buffy gestured toward the doors. "It was happening out in the hallway. I mean...Principal Snyder has 'Walk Like an Egyptian' stuck in his head. And the boys of this school are seriously fucking disturbed. Half of them wanna rape me. It's weird, but, Giles, think about it. I mean...think about what I could do."
"Oh, it could be very useful. You could, uh, anticipate your opponent's every move, uh, turn his plans against him."
Buffy was upbeat. "Oh, way better than that!"
Later, in Buffy's English class, they were right in the middle of discussing Othello. The teacher, Ms. Murray, was near the back of Buffy's row.
"Jealousy!" Buffy answered.
Ms. Murray turned to Buffy, surprised. "Buffy! Right." She walked to the front of the class. "Very good."
Buffy smiled to herself.
I knew that.
Buffy looked. The thought had come from Nancy Doyle, a girl with shoulder-length, curly brown hair.
"Jealousy is the tool that Iago uses to undo Othello. But what's his motivation? What reason does Iago give for destroying his superior officer?"
Buffy concentrated. "Well, he was passed over for promotion. Cassio was picked instead. A-And people were saying that Othello slept with his wife."
Buffy looked back at Warren Mears, disturbed at his thoughts of fucking Ms. Murray.
Buffy smiled smugly at Nancy as she sensed her hatred of her.
"Any other reasons?" Ms. Murray asked the class.
"Race!" Nancy blurted out.
"Um...good, Nancy."
Nancy smiled smugly at Buffy.
"Can't overlook that. Just like now, the world of Shakespeare has its own..."
Buffy sensed the thoughts of a boy sitting behind her and to her right. He thought they were scrambling for the teacher's praise.
"You could make the argument that the two slights against Iago, that were pointed out earlier, that they wouldn't have bothered Iago as much if he..."
Buffy leaned over to Tara. "Tara. Who's that guy?"
Tara glanced quickly. "It's Freddy Iversen. He writes those editorials for the school paper. He's sardonic."
"Iago makes a lot of references to Othello's color, but he never specifically cites race as a motive. Is there something else at work here?" Ms. Murray scanned the class for responses.
"Well, he, um, he sort of admits himself that his motives are..." Buffy inhaled deeply, concentrating. "...spurious?"
Ms. Murray listened intently.
"He, um, he does things, because he e-enjoys them."
Nancy fumed, annoyed that Buffy was stealing her thunder.
"It's like, he's not - he's not really a person. He's, uh...the...dark half of Othello himself."
Ms. Murray walked out from behind her desk. "Buffy. Really. Very astute! I said something quite like that in my dissertation."
"I know." Buffy realized her faux pas and tried to cover it. "Uh, I mean...I agree. With that." She smiled weakly.
Buffy gave Nancy a triumphant glance. Nancy looked down, defeated, and took notes.
"Yes, and doesn't that also explain Othello's readiness to believe Iago? Within seconds, he turns on Desdemona. He believes that she's been unfaithful. And we're all like that. We all have our little internal Iagos that tell us our husbands or our girlfriends or whatever don't really love us. We can never really see what's in someone's heart."
Cordelia considered how this applied to her own life.
After school, Buffy was at her locker, putting some books away.
Cordelia cleared her mind, walked over to her, and grinned. "Hey, buddy. How's it goin'?"
Buffy eyed her suspiciously. "What do you want, Cordy?"
"Are you goin' on patrol tonight?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Can I come along?"
"Sure."
"Great. I'll pick you up after the game."
"Uh, Cordy, this isn't the cemetery." Buffy looked out the window at Angel's mansion.
"Just making a quick stop." Cordelia unfastened her seatbelt and unlocked her door.
Buffy looked at her. "For what?"
Cordelia looked at her. "Look, I know you're not that smart."
Buffy raised her eyebrows.
"Yet you kicked ass in English class today. What's your secret, huh? You got some kind of special insight? You can read minds?" Cordelia asked.
"Uh, yeah, actually. Y'see, this demon that I was fighting-"
"I don't care. I don't care. Listen, I want you to read Angel's mind."
"Why? You don't trust him?"
Cordelia hesitated. "Well, y'see, ever since the whole Faith thing-"
"Cordy, that was just acting."
"Was it?" Cordelia asked her. "I need to be sure. Please?"
Buffy sighed, unfastened her seatbelt, and unlocked her door. "Fine. Let's get this over with, though. I've got vamps to kill."
They opened their doors, got out of the car, and closed their doors. They walked up to the atrium entrance.
"Speaking of vamps, I heard you spared one recently. What's that about?" Cordelia asked.
"Long story, but I feel it was the right thing to do."
Cordelia and Buffy entered the mansion. They both started moving into the main room, to the couch.
"Angel?" Cordelia called.
Angel entered the room. "Cordy. Buffy."
"Um, you look good. I mean...I-I know I saw you last night, but sometimes things can change real quick."
She sat on the couch, and he plopped down next to her, still trying to shake the sleep from his eyes. Buffy just paced behind the couch.
"I mean...really quickly. Listen to me; I'm talking like Faith."
Angel gave her an inquiring look. Buffy looked at him for a reaction. When she didn't get one, physically or mentally, she looked at Cordelia and shrugged.
"Y'know, not that she was so bad to have around." Cordelia looked at him. "Y'know, before the evil."
Angel just sat there.
"Y'know, I think she was hurting a lot. And some people, protective-type people, might be drawn to that, I-I guess."
Buffy continued staring hard at him, expecting something but getting nothing, while he just sat there. She craned her neck forward in disbelief, thinking she ought to be getting something at least. She tried again.
"Well, the thing about Faith-"
"You can't get into my mind."
The girls gave him surprised looks.
"How did you...?" Cordelia was taken aback. "Why not?"
"Because you didn't ask." Angel turned and looked at Buffy. "I sensed your intrusion. It's like...leaning against a door and feeling a nudge from the other side."
Cordelia leaned back into the couch and crossed her arms.
Angel stood up. "You got your aspect of the demon."
Buffy raised her eyebrows.
"Giles and I talk." Angel leaned on a far corner of the couch, rubbing his hands while he looked at her.
"Yeah. Giles doesn't know how long it's gonna last. I-It's okay. A-A little headachy but-"
Angel turned to Cordelia. "You don't have to play games with me, Cordy. Ever."
"Well, you're not exactly Joe Here's-What-I'm-Thinking."
Angel opened his hands. "So ask me."
Buffy smiled. "Oh, but that would've made sense."
Angel ignored her, focusing on Cordelia. "What do you wanna know about? Faith? How I felt kissing her? Pretending to have no soul, watching you suffer?"
Cordelia shrugged, slightly hurt. "Well, since you bring it up."
"I hated hurting you. More than I could stand."
"Look, the thing about Faith..." Cordelia sighed heavily. "...I'd understand." She looked away. "Y'know, she has that whole bad-girl thing working for her."
"Kissing her meant nothing. I-I don't want a bad girl. I've done that before."
She looked at him.
Angel moved around the end of the couch. "I've lived a long time, Cordy, and I'm past that." He sat. "I've been with dozens of girls like her. More."
Cordelia was not liking this. "Oh, this honesty shit is fun." She smiled ironically.
Angel looks at her, shaking his head. "And there's no comparison. In two-hundred-forty-three years, I've loved exactly one person."
Cordelia liked that better. "Oh." She moved closer to him. "It is me, right?" She smiled, looking for more assurance.
"Next time, just ask."
"Okay." Cordelia looked down.
Angel looked at Buffy. "And Buffy, be careful with this gift. A lot of things that seem strong and good and powerful, they can be painful."
"Like, say, immortality?" Buffy asked playfully.
"Hmm, exactly. I'm dying to get rid of that."
Buffy raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Funny."
"I'm a funny guy."
The next day, in the library, Buffy was sitting on one corner of the study table with Tara next to her, in a chair. Amy and Katrina sat across from them. Cordelia was leaning against the stair railing, while Wesley and Giles stood near the head of the table.
"So you can read our minds, our every thought?" Amy asked Buffy.
"Every one."
Cordelia was bored. "I don't see what this has to do with me."
Tara tried to be optimistic. "Well, I think it's great, right? I mean...you enjoy your other Slayer powers." She smiled tentatively.
Buffy smiled back. "Yeah, it'll be fun." She was impressed with herself. "I mean...did you see Nancy Doyle's face in English class yesterday?"
Tara nodded. "Yeah, she's super competitive. You can tell it was just killing her."
"I think there must be, uh...some precedence for occurrences such as this. I'll - I'll - I'll research it. Uh, Wesley, can you give me a hand?" Giles asked.
"Of course. Where do you think we should start?"
He and Giles walked away to talk about it without disturbing the others. Giles went up to the stack level.
"Chances are you're all going to be thinking whatever you least want Buffy to hear. It's a question, of course, of mental discipline." Wesley glanced aside, lusting after Cordelia. He looked the other way, mentally chastising himself.
Buffy rested her chin on her hand and gave Wesley a knowing smile. Wesley looked down, chastising himself again. He looked up. Buffy wiggled her eyebrows at him.
"Excuse me." Wesley turned and went into the office.
"What's it like, Buffy?" Tara asked.
Cordelia moved to take a seat at the table.
"I don't know. I mean...it's a little weird but..." Buffy paused and looked at them imploringly. "Look, please don't for a second think that I don't need you, because I do. And I wanna share this with you. It's like all these doors are opening to all these little worlds, and I can just walk right inside."
Giles came back down from the stack level with several books.
Cordelia leaned back in her chair. She leaned forward and looked at Giles. "Can I go?"
Wesley poked his head out of the office. "Excuse me, can you hear me thinking in here? I could go out into the hall."
"Y'know what, you stay. I'm getting a headache; I'll go." Buffy slid off the table, grabbed her bag, and left.
Giles watched her leave, concerned.
It was between classes, so it was busy, and Buffy was bombarded with thoughts coming from all directions. Some were stronger than others and were easier for her to pick out, while others just contributed to the background noise. As she went along, she looked around at everyone, trying to determine who was thinking what. A boy was lusting after her. A girl hated her own body. A boy was bored. Another boy was convinced that no one was ever going to love him. A girl was worried that she would never get breasts. A boy was concerned about an upcoming test today. Another boy was upset at his bad luck. A girl was upset that she was still a virgin. Another girl admired a boy's ass.
Buffy walked past Nancy, who was talking to a group of friends. Nancy noticed her as she left them and crossed the hall behind Buffy, hating her.
In Giles' office, he was researching and set his mug down when he found something. "Here."
He picked up the book and turned around to face Wesley, who stepped over to have a look.
"A man in Ecuador. Quite recently." Giles put the book back down on the desk, so they could both read.
"Can we contact him?" Wesley asked.
"I'd say not. He can't communicate with anyone."
"Dead?"
"No, he's in complete isolation." Giles looked up at Wesley. "The power...he can't shut it off."
Later, in the cafeteria, Buffy was at the serving counter, getting her lunch. The background noise, both in her ears and in her head, was getting much louder because of the lunch crowd. The lunch lady scooped a spoonful of mashed potatoes onto her plate. A girl was hoping things would get better. A boy hated school. Another boy regretted taking Honors Math, believing he was too stupid.
Jonathan was standing next to Buffy in line. He wondered if he was normal. Buffy gave him a disturbed glance, which he noticed.
"Are you through with the mashed potatoes?" Jonathan asked her.
She gave him a puzzled look. He thought she didn't even know he was here. Buffy heard overlapping chatter and thoughts.
"I'm finally gonna get my driver's license!" a girl exclaimed.
A boy desperately wanted a car. Another boy lusted after Buffy. A third boy thought nothing mattered.
Buffy put her plate on her tray and stepped away from the serving counter. The thoughts were becoming garbled, coming at her faster and faster from all directions.
Freddy Iversen followed her as she went to find a place to sit. He was horny and trying to see into the armhole of her top.
Buffy became increasingly troubled and confused. All of the thoughts were now just a big noise, mixing with the chatter in the cafeteria, so none of it was at all clear. Caught in a sea of confusion, she meandered between the tables aimlessly. Her eyes darted all around, trying to make some sense of the chaos, but the voices and thoughts just got louder and louder. It was too much for her, and she closed her eyes, trying to shut it out.
Suddenly, all of the thoughts dimmed, replaced by one overpowering, deeply disturbed thought: This time tomorrow, I'll kill you all.
She stopped in the middle of the room and opened her eyes, horrified by what just went through her mind. Shocked by what she just heard, Buffy lost her equilibrium and dropped her tray. It crashed loudly to the floor. All around her, the students started to applaud, and suddenly her head was once again filled with their sounds and thoughts. Buffy was too freaked out to pay their laughter any mind and instead started to frantically go from one student to the next, her only concern being to find out whose thought that that was. She touched a boy at the table in front of her. He thought she had gone nuts. A girl passed in front of her, hating being here. Buffy turned wildly, touching everyone who came within reach, trying to get the voices and thoughts under control. A girl was convinced that Buffy had done that before. Buffy rushed to another table and touched a boy, who looked at her in surprise and thought she was a show-off. Jonathan passed by, and she grabbed him by the shoulders. He was surprised that she touched him. She let go of him, and, without anyone to concentrate on, Buffy's mind was filled with negative thoughts.
The thoughts overwhelmed Buffy, and she put her hands over her ears in a desperate attempt to shut them out. The room spun out of control, and she became disorientated. Finally, she snapped and collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Buffy regained consciousness and found herself outside, beneath the willow tree. Tara, Amy, Giles, Katrina, and Cordelia were all leaning over her. Their thoughts flooded into her mind.
Tara smiled, relieved that she was waking up. Amy breathed a sigh of relief that Buffy was okay. Giles was immensely relieved. Katrina stared at her, noticing her eyes opening. Cordelia hugged herself, cold.
"Are you all right?" Giles asked Buffy.
Buffy looked up at them, still a bit confused.
Cordelia nodded at the others. "I told them not to move you. They probably severed your spinal cord."
Tara gave her an exasperated look.
"I'm okay." Buffy tried to get up.
"Buffy..." Tara helped her sit up.
"No, really, I'm okay. Listen. There's a killer in the cafeteria." Buffy looked at Giles. "Someone was thinking it; they thought 'This time tomorrow, I'll kill you all.' I have to find them." She struggled to her feet.
Tara offered her support.
"Wha...? D-D-Did you recognize a-a-a voice?" Giles asked Buffy.
"No."
"Boy or girl?" Tara asked.
"I don't know. I mean...it was...hardly human; it was so full of anger and pain."
She started to walk back to the cafeteria, but, as soon as she looked in that direction, her mind was bombarded with a mass of indecipherable thoughts. Buffy was overwhelmed. Her eyes shot wide open and then immediately clamped shut.
Tara rushed to catch her as she began to collapse again. "Buffy, you can't."
Buffy briefly put a hand to her head against the pain but was determined. "No, I have to find them."
"Are you sure they meant it?" Amy asked her.
"Yeah, I mean...who hasn't just idly thought about taking out the whole place with a semi-automatic?" Cordelia asked.
She got looks from everyone.
Cordelia was defensive. "I said 'idly'."
"I know the difference. He..." Buffy paused. "She..." She paused again. "Whoever, they meant it. They're gonna do it."
Tara stared at Buffy sadly, noticing she looked so tired. Katrina thought a shooting was horrible. Cordelia was impatient and still cold. Buffy put both hands over her face. Amy wondered who the shooter could be.
"Shut up!" Buffy yelled.
She saw them all looking at her.
Buffy sighed. "I'm sorry, I...It's just..." She paused. "Could you guys not think so loud? Or so much?"
Giles looked at her. "Buffy, you should go home."
"I'll - I'll - I'll take you home, sweetie." Tara took her arm.
"Yeah, okay." Buffy started to go with her but quickly turned back to the others. "No. Look, I need you guys to go back into the cafeteria, make a list of everyone who's there. We have to find the killer before lunch tomorrow."
Tara nodded, nudging Buffy toward the student parking lot. "We'll do it, Buffy. A list of all the students."
"Yeah. Nancy was there; she's scary."
Tara nodded.
"And, uh...oh! Teachers, too. Uh, Mr. Beach. He - He - He thought something about - about getting rid of all the students-"
"Come on." Tara guided her away to the van.
The others headed back into the school.
Buffy put her hands to her temples. "I can't shut it out, Tara. It's like this invasion of my head. It's like there're these strangers walking around in there." She looked back at her friends going the other way. "Look at this; I can't even be around people anymore. Not that they're really clamoring to be near me, anyway. Even you."
"I-I-I'm sorry, Buffy. It's, uh, it's hard for all of us. But, uh, Wesley and Mr. Giles are - are looking for a way to help."
"But I'll be okay, right? I-I mean...even if they can't get rid of it?" Buffy asked.
"You'll be fine, I promise." Tara walked ahead, believing, if it didn't go away, Buffy would go insane.
Buffy stopped, watching her in disbelief.
In the library, Amy, Tara, and Cordelia all sat at the table while Katrina paced.
Tara stared at her notebook. "I think we have everyone that was in the cafeteria. I'll do some computer work, match it against the FBI mass-murderer profiles, see if maybe we can rule some people out."
Katrina leaned on the table. "I'm still having trouble with the fact that one of us is just gonna gun everybody down for no reason."
Cordelia looked at her. "Yeah, because that never happens in American high schools."
Amy sighed. "It's bordering on trendy at this point."
"But what gives them the right to take other people's lives?" Cordelia asked, genuinely angry. "What gave those two assfucks the right to kill all of those people at Columbine last week?"
Tara took a breath. "Look, I know we're all on edge. The whole country is. So-Sometimes, w-when people are bullied-"
"That's no excuse!" Cordelia yelled.
Katrina nodded. "Right. Fuck them. No one has the right to just end another person's life for no legitimate reason. And being bullied is not a legitimate reason."
Tara got defensive. "I-I kn-know. I-I-I just-" She swallowed and tried to compose myself. "I'm sorry. One of my biggest fears is getting shot." She twiddled her thumbs nervously. "I-I'm sorry."
No one said anything for a while. Amy put a hand on Tara's shoulder to comfort her.
"Let's get to work." Tara picked up her notebook. "We have till lunchtime tomorrow. We hope." She stood up and went to the computer.
In Buffy's room, her mother tucked her into bed. "There. You look better already." She smiled.
"Thanks, Mom."
Joyce walked into the hall. "I'm, uh, I'm just gonna get you another pillow."
"I really don't need one."
Joyce returned with a pillow. "But you...need another blanket." She laid the pillow on Buffy's bed and went into the hall again.
"Uh, Mom, I'm fine!"
Joyce returned with a blanket. "How, um..." She paused. "How 'bout some soup? Chicken and stars?" She put the blanket on Buffy's bed.
"Mom, please, just come sit with me?" Buffy indicated a spot next to her.
Her mother backed off slightly, reluctant to stay in the room. "Um, I-I've, uh...I-I've got laundry."
Buffy was confused. "Why are you...?" She sat bolt upright. "You had sex with Giles?!"
Joyce sighed, mortified that she'd been found out. She couldn't bring herself to utter a single word.
"You had sex with Giles?!" Buffy asked her again, not wanting to believe it.
Joyce turned and walked out frantically. "It was the candy; we were teenagers-"
"On the hood of a police car?!" Buffy asked.
Joyce stopped in her tracks and faced her daughter, trying to pull herself together. "I'll be downstairs. You feel better." She hurried away.
"Twice?!" Buffy asked in utter disbelief.
Cordelia entered Mr. Beach's classroom. He was wiping his notes of Henry VIII from the chalkboard.
"Hi, Mr. Beach."
He faced her.
"I was just wondering, were you planning on killing a bunch of people tomorrow? Oh, it's for the yearbook." Cordelia smiled sweetly at him.
In Buffy's room, she was standing by her open window, looking out over the street. As people walked past, she sensed their thoughts: a man wishing he'd quit his job, a wife knowing about her husband's mistress, a woman eager to share her pregnancy news with a man, a woman with a drinking problem, a child upset that her parents were fighting again. Buffy closed her eyes in despair, then reopened them, looking sadly out the window. The thoughts started to merge. Buffy pulled her window shut and turned away to her bed, but the thoughts wouldn't stop. Buffy lay down and pulled up the covers, putting her hands to her head in a vain, painful effort to shut everyone out. Desperate for some peace, Buffy grabbed a pillow and covered her head with it.
In the library, Giles and Wesley were researching and preparing the beginnings of a potion. Wesley ground some herbs while Giles came back to the table with more vials of liquid to add to the dozen already on the table.
"Well, it seems to be coming along all right."
"Yes, Buffy is being driven mad, we have no proof that this is gonna work, and it still requires the heart of the second demon, which we have no idea how to get without the Slayer." Giles whipped off his glasses and dropped them onto the table in disgust, then put his fists on his hips.
"Negative thinking doesn't solve problems." Wesley walked to the office.
Giles sat at the table. "Who is going to get the demon heart? Berk."
In the student lounge, Tara was interviewing Nancy before classes started.
"Do I often imagine classmates are spying on me or otherwise acting suspiciously?" Nancy asked.
Tara nodded. "Right."
Nancy frowned. "Not till just now."
Tara marked her sheet, but the irony of the comment wasn't lost on her.
In the library, everyone was reporting back to Tara. Most of them were sitting at the table.
"He's the only one we couldn't find?" Tara asked.
Katrina nodded. "Yeah, Freddy Iversen."
"The newspaper guy?" Cordelia asked.
Amy stepped up with the latest issue of the school paper, The Sunnydale High Sentinel, and sat on the edge of the table as she opened it. "Check out today's editorial, titled 'The Big Game Draws Mindless Brain-Dead Mob'."
Cordelia got up. "Does he mention the cheerleaders? Because we were on!" She read over Amy's shoulder.
In Buffy's room, she moaned restlessly in bed, putting her hands to her ears. Joyce and Giles were standing by her door, watching her. He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Joyce sighed. "I can't stand this. I keep wondering if I'm hurting her with my thoughts."
"You're not. Not anymore. She can't pick one thought out of the...out of the din."
Suddenly, there was a pounding at the front door. They both ran to the stairs.
In the foyer, Wesley hurried to open the door as Giles and Joyce scrambled down the steps. Wesley grabbed the knob and pulled the door open wide, getting out of the way, so Angel could rush in out of the daylight. He had a heavy blanket over himself, and smoke was rising from it.
Angel pulled it off and let it fall to the floor, revealing a flask containing a blue fluorescent liquid. "I got it."
Buffy woke as Angel pulled her to a sitting position.
Buffy was only semi-conscious. "No, no."
"I'm gonna help you."
He gently held her up and reached for the flask. He put it to her lips. She struggled weakly but couldn't resist taking a few swallows. Angel put the flask back on the nightstand and gently lay her back down. Suddenly, she twisted in her bed and lashed out with her arms, going into convulsions.
Angel grabbed her by the shoulders and struggled to hold her down. "Giles!"
Buffy woke again some time later. She looked over at Angel, and he looked back.
"Angel?" Buffy asked.
Joyce sat down at the end of her bed. Behind her were Giles and Wesley.
"Thank God. A-Are you all right? Do you hear thoughts?" Joyce asked.
Buffy concentrated for a moment and then half-smiled. "No." She looked at Giles. "Did you find the killer?"
Buffy, Tara, and Cordelia walked into Freddy's office through the front door. He was working at his desk. Freddy stood up and was about to exit through the side door when Amy walked through it, heading him off. He backed up to his desk. Katrina entered behind Amy.
"Okay, Buffy." Freddy sat. "You got me. What are your friends gonna do? Hold me down?"
Buffy was upset. "You better believe it, motherfucker! You can't threaten a big murder without getting us pretty damned pissed."
"Murder? What murder? You're not here about the review?"
"The review?" Buffy asked in confusion.
"Yeah." Freddy looked for it. "Last Thursday."
He handed Buffy the paper, and Cordelia looked over her shoulder.
"'Buffy and the Slayerettes played their instruments as if they had plump Polish sausages taped to their fingers.'" Buffy made a face.
"Sorry, ma'am."
Buffy considered. "No, it's fair." She put the paper down on Freddy's desk.
"I just get a lot of hate mail, and I thought you were gonna come and deliver some personally."
Cordelia sat on his desk and picked up a few letters to the editor. "We have no shot. The killer could be anyone. We lose."
Tara looked at her despairingly.
Buffy looked at all of them desperately. "We still have a few minutes."
They all looked at her.
"Okay, here's the new plan: We're gonna get Snyder to evacuate the school. I just hope the killer's not waiting outside."
Cordelia read one of the letters. "'By this time tomorrow, you'll all know what I've done. I'm sure you'll understand that I had to do it, and, although death is never easy, it's the only way.'" She was annoyed. "God! Doesn't anybody write in to praise the cheerleaders?"
Tara took the letter from Cordelia.
Cordelia folded her arms over her chest. "We are so unsung."
Tara read the letter. "It's from Jonathan Levinson."
"Split up. Find him!" Buffy commanded. She turned and left the office.
The others followed suit.
Tara ran into the library. "Jonathan? Are you in here?"
She saw it was deserted and hurried out to continue her search.
Katrina burst in through the cafeteria's side doors. "Jonathan! Jonathan!" She scanned the room.
Amy ran into the gym. "Jonathan! Jonathan!" She went to search the boys' locker room.
In the student lounge, Cordelia was doing a student-to-student search and roughly pulled one boy around to check his face. It was not him, so she quickly moved on to the next one, grabbed him by the shoulders, and looked hard at him. She shoved him back when she saw he was not Jonathan either.
In the quad, Buffy moved quickly through the crowd of students, looking all around for Jonathan. She saw Theresa talking to some people here, Nancy sitting and reading a book there. Buffy noticed the clock tower above Nancy and shielded her eyes as she looked up at it. There she saw Jonathan, just visible through an open shutter. He leaned into the light, and Buffy saw the rifle in his hands. She thought fast about how to get up there to stop him and ran across the quad to the stairs. There she took another look up, then jumped onto the stair railing and ran up it. This attracted the attention of the students, including Nancy, who looked up from her reading. Buffy reached the top, stopped, and leaped up, grabbing the gutter at the edge of the roof. She swung her body forward and pushed off with her feet to do a kip-up to a front handspring, flipping herself up and over onto the rooftop.
Nancy was unimpressed. "Uh! I could've done that." She frowned and returned to her reading.
Buffy ran across the roof tiles and crashed through the shutters of another window. She dropped to the floor as she landed. Jonathan swung around, startled, pointing the rifle at her. Buffy looked up and froze.
"Get away from me."
Buffy slowly rose to her feet, watching the gun. "Okay, Jonathan, you wanna point that somewhere else?"
"Don't you try and stop me."
Buffy held up her hands. "No, no stopping." She took a slow step. "Just here for the view." She pointed. "Hey, look, City Hall."
"Go away."
Buffy remained calm. "Never gonna happen."
"You think I won't use this?"
Buffy stepped forward. "I don't know, Jonathan, I just-"
Jonathan reacted defensively, aiming the rifle directly at her. "Stop doing that!"
Buffy was confused. "Doing what?"
"Stop saying my name like we're friends. We're not friends. You all think I'm an idiot. A short idiot!"
"I don't."
They looked at each other for a moment.
Buffy shrugged. "I don't think about you much at all. Nobody here really does." She paused. "Bugs you, doesn't it? You have all this pain and all these feelings, and nobody's really paying attention."
"You think I just want attention?"
"No, I think you're up in the clock tower with a high-powered rifle, because you wanna blend in. Believe it or not, Jonathan, I understand about the pain."
"Oh, right. 'Cause the burden of being beautiful and athletic, that's a crippler."
Buffy reconsidered. "You know what, I was wrong. You are an idiot." She grew intense and stared straight into his eyes. "My life happens to, on occasion, suck beyond the telling of it. Sometimes more than I can handle. And it's not just mine. Every single person down there is ignoring your pain, because they're too busy with their own." She moved toward the window. "The beautiful ones, the popular ones, the guys that pick on you..." She paused. "Everyone."
She looked down at the quad. Jonathan stepped up as well.
"If you could sense what they were feeling, the loneliness, the confusion..." Buffy paused. "It looks quiet down there. It's not. It's deafening." She looked down at the floor and then turned to him. "You know I could've taken that by now."
Jonathan nodded sadly. "I know."
Buffy held out her hand. "I'd rather do it this way."
After a moment, he handed her the rifle. She took it and pulled back the bolt, ejecting the bullet. It clanged loudly against the wall and fell to the floor. She put the rifle down.
Jonathan shook his head. "I just wanted it to stop."
"Yeah, well, mass murder?" Buffy asked. "Not really doctor-recommended for that kind of pain. Besides, prison? Y'know, it's a lot like high school, only, instead of noogies, you get ass-raped."
Jonathan shuddered, and then he grew somber. "I'm in trouble, huh?"
Buffy nodded sadly. "Yeah. Actions having consequences, y'know."
After the school day had ended, Tara and Buffy walked down the steps at the front of the school, holding hands.
Giles met them. "Hello."
Buffy looked at him. "Hey, Giles."
They continued walking.
"How are you?" Giles asked Buffy.
Buffy smiled. "Loving the quiet. Nobody in here but me."
"Jonathan? How's he?" Giles asked.
Buffy sighed. "Pretty shitty. His parents are freaking. I asked Snyder to have mercy on him, but he got expelled. And toting a piece to school, not exactly winning him any leniency from the SPD. I talked with Detective Stein, but...I don't know. He could still be facing jail time. I suggested they get him some counseling, at least."
They turned toward the parking lot.
"It was good of you to plead on his behalf."
"Well, it's nice to be able to help someone in a non-slaying capacity."
Tara looked at Buffy. "You helped not just him but countless other students today. You're a hero."
Buffy blushed. Tara kissed Buffy on the lips.
"I'm glad to see you've recovered from your psychic encounter more or less intact. Feel up to some training?" Giles asked.
"Sure. We can work out. Y'know, if you're not too busy fucking my mother." Buffy walked off, annoyed.
Beside her, Tara laughed after hearing that comment. Giles stared after Buffy, very taken aback, and walked smack into a tree.
Chapter 77: Choices
Chapter Text
"Choices"
Based on the Episode Written by David Fury
Author's note: I use episode transcripts as the base of each story in this rewrite series. Starting with this episode, the transcripts are noticeably less detailed and much shorter. The fight scenes suffer the most, but there's a general reduction in detail and description throughout. I'm not sure if someone else took over doing the transcripts or what. Anyway, I'm going to try my best to flesh the details out as needed, but writing fight scenes definitely isn't my strong suit.
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
In the mayor's office, Faith was sitting at the desk with her eyes closed.
The mayor stood by her side. "All right, you can open them up now."
Faith opened her eyes, saw the present laying on the desk in front of her, and smiled up at him. "Fab. What's the occasion?"
"Faith! As if I need a reason to show you my affection. Or appreciation for running a small errand at the airport."
"Airport? What's next? Gonna want me to help a buddy of yours move a sofa?"
"This isn't a free ride, young lady. You know, I'm beginning to think that somebody's getting a little spoiled. Maybe I should take this back."
Faith clutched the present. "Sorry...sir."
"That's my girl." Wilkins chuckled and gestured at a plate of cookies on the desk. "Another cookie?"
Faith took one.
"Now. A package is arriving tomorrow night from Central America. Something, and I can't stress this enough, something crucially important to my Ascension. Without it..." Wilkins paused. "Well! What would Toll House cookies be without the chocolate chips? A pretty darn big disappointment, I can tell you." He giggled. "Open your present."
Faith picked up the box and opened it. The present was a knife with an intricate design. Faith smiled.
"There. That look on your face is my reward."
"This is a thing of beauty, boss."
"Well, it cost a pretty penny. So...you just take good care of it. And you be careful not to put somebody's eye out with that thing - until I tell you to."
"Any particular eyes in mind?" Faith asked.
At night, in the graveyard, Buffy, Cordelia, and Angel were fighting three vampires. Cordelia tripped her opponent into Angel's legs.
"Sorry, honey!" Cordelia yelled.
"That's okay."
They finished off all three vampires.
"Well, there's something you don't see every day. Unless, of course, you're me." Buffy took out a roll of Mentos and popped one into her mouth.
"That was bracing. Want to do another sweep?" Angel asked.
Buffy shrugged. "It's what I live for. Sad to say."
Cordelia sighed.
"You too tired?" Angel asked her.
"No. It's just..." Cordelia paused. "Do you get the feeling that we're kind of in a rut?"
"A rut?" Angel asked her.
"You never take me any place new."
"What about that fire demon nest in the cave by the beach? I felt that was a nice change of pace."
"So this is our future?" Cordelia asked. "This is how we're going to spend our nights when I'm fifty and you're...the same age you are now?"
Buffy looked at her. "Cordy, you don't have to do this."
Cordelia looked at her. "And let you spend every night with my boyfriend?"
Buffy pointed at herself. "Great big lesbo, remember?"
They heard a growl nearby.
Angel looked at Cordelia. "Let's just get you to fifty."
Cordelia nodded. "Liking that plan."
The three of them ran toward the next creature.
Cordelia returned home and entered the living room.
"Cordy, is that you?" her mother called.
"Yeah!" Cordelia replied.
"Please come into the kitchen."
Cordelia walked through the dining room and entered the kitchen. Her mother was sitting at the island. Her father, Don, was standing behind her. Both of them looked upset and nervous.
"What's going on?" Cordelia asked.
Charisma nodded at the empty stool next to her. "Sit down, honey."
Cordelia did, wary. "Is something wrong?"
Charisma looked into her daughter's eyes. "There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just come out with it. We're in deep financial trouble. Your father...cheated on his tax returns for the past twelve years. Well, the IRS came knocking today. They'd been auditing him."
Cordelia looked at her father, who quickly looked away, and then she looked back at her mother.
"How much does he owe?" Cordelia asked her.
"More than we have. Much more. We have until the end of the week to move out."
Cordelia couldn't believe this was happening. "And go where?!"
"Most likely a motel. You, uh, you can't take anything that was bought with our money, except a few clothes. It's all being confiscated to be sold at auction."
Cordelia felt like her entire world was ending. "But the prom! I've had my eye on a dress!"
Charisma shook her head. "I'm sorry, dear. If you want it, you'll have to earn the money and buy it yourself." She held up her hands, palms up. "We're broke."
Cordelia sat and thought about that in silence for a long time. She eventually started crying. Her mother offered her a tissue.
Cordelia took it and wiped her tears. "What about college? Financial aid?"
"I-I don't think that'll be possible. The state deadline's passed, and so have the deadlines for many colleges."
Cordelia blew her nose.
"However..."
Cordelia looked at her mother.
"I've got enough cash stashed in places that they don't know about. It might be enough to get you through the first year of...a smaller school...like UC Sunnydale."
"And then?" Cordelia asked.
Her mother shrugged. "Good question."
The next morning, in the Summers' house, Buffy sat at the dining room table, eating a breakfast of sausage links, bacon, and eggs and flipping through a book.
Joyce entered from the hall. "Buffy? When were you going to tell me?"
"All right, busted. I didn't think you'd miss them." Buffy took off the earrings.
"You were accepted to Northwestern University. Honey, I'm so proud of you! That's wonderful!"
Buffy was less enthusiastic. "Right! It's wonderful."
"I mean...it's not cheap, but, uh, I know we can make it work, if your father pitches in. Not that Northwestern is your only option. It's a great school, though. I am so proud of you."
"You said that before."
"And will again soon."
"Mom, you know that I can't...I-I just can't decide on a school right now. I mean I want to sleep on it, you know, mull it over. Also find out where Tara got accepted."
"I know, sweetheart. I'm just so pleased that you have so many choices. Ooh, you know what? Your aunt Arlene and her family are in Illinois. I've got to call and tell them. Oh, Buffy?"
"I know, you're proud of me."
"Uh, don't forget to put my earrings back in my dresser before you go out."
At Sunnydale High School, during lunch, Tara sat next to Buffy at an outdoor table, sharing fries.
"Sounds like your mom's in a state of denial."
Buffy hesitated. "More like a continent. She just has to realize that I can't go away. Faith's turn to the dark side of the Force pretty much put the proverbial kibosh on any away plans for me. UC Sunnydale - at least, I got in. You, too!"
Tara smiled. "And I'm perfectly satisfied with that."
Buffy hesitated again. "Anywhere else?"
Tara shook her head. "Nowhere that you did. UC Sunnydale it is."
Amy and Katrina walked by, holding their lunch trays.
"Mind if we join you?" Amy asked.
Buffy gestured at the bench. Katrina and Amy set down their trays and sat on the bench, opposite Buffy and Tara, respectively.
"What's up?" Buffy asked.
Amy looked at Katrina and smiled.
Katrina grinned. "I got into Caltech!"
Buffy grinned.
Tara gasped and grinned. "Holy shit, Trina, that's amazing! They're crazy selective!"
"They've got a kick-ass engineering program!" Katrina gushed.
"I'm so happy for you, Trina! What about you, Amy?" Buffy asked.
Amy smiled good-naturedly. "Well, unfortunately, I'm not as smart as my smartypants girlfriend. I'm going to UC Sunnydale."
Buffy grinned. "Cool! So are we!"
Tara frowned in concern. "What does this mean for your relationship?"
Amy shrugged. "Well, it's not too, too far away."
Katrina nodded. "Right, and I'll be coming home for all breaks." She looked at her girlfriend and smiled at her. "We'll make it work."
Amy grinned and kissed Katrina on the lips.
Buffy smiled and looked at Tara. "That reminds me: I haven't kissed you nearly enough today." She kissed Tara on the lips.
Buffy and Wesley walked into the library.
"I don't understand."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Well, I don't think I can talk any slower, Wes. I'm tired of waiting for Mayor McSleaze to make his move while we sit on our asses, counting down to Ascension Day. I mean...let's take the fight to him."
"No. No! Much too reckless. We're at a distinct disadvantage. We don't know anything about the Mayor's Ascension-"
Giles was listening from the door of his office. "She's right. Time's running out. We need to take the offensive." He looked at Buffy. "What's your plan?"
"I gotta have a plan? Really? I can't just be proactive with pep?" Buffy asked.
"No. You want to take the fight to them? I suggest the first step would be to find out exactly what they're up to."
Buffy smiled. "Oh. I actually knew that. I thought you meant a more specific plan, you know, like with maps and shit. Great. We'll find out what they're up to."
That night, at the airport, Faith watched as a small plane taxied to a stop, and a demon left the plane, carrying a box handcuffed to his right hand. A vampire waited by a limo with a briefcase.
"Is he in the car?"
"No, I'll take you to him." The vampire opened the limo door.
The demon kicked the limo door shut. "The mayor was supposed to be here in person with the money. Well, the price just went up. I don't like surprises."
Faith drew back the string on her bow, aimed, and shot him through the back with an arrow. The head of the arrow exited through the front of his shirt.
"Surprise." Faith climbed down from her hiding place and approached the body.
"You killed him."
"What are you, the narrator? Keys to the cuffs?" Faith asked the vampire.
The vampire searched the demon's clothing. "Nothing."
Faith pulled out her flashy new knife.
"That won't cut through steel."
"No, but it will cut through bone."
The limo pulled up in front of Sunnydale City Hall. Faith got out of the limo, walked up the steps, and carried the box inside. Buffy was watching from the bushes.
Faith kicked in the door to the mayor's office and carried the box inside.
Wilkins grinned. "Hey-ho! There it is! Hahahaha! Uh, what happened to the courier? I was supposed to pay him."
"Huh. Made him an offer he couldn't survive." Faith took the money.
Wilkins chuckled. "You are one heck of a girl, you know that? I mean, geez, the initiative, the - the skill."
"Go on, go on." Faith sat down.
"I will. You know, I'll tell you, if Buffy-"
Faith propped her feet on the desk.
The mayor frowned. "Hey, hey, hey, hey."
Faith dropped her feet.
"If Buffy Summers walked in here and said she wanted to switch to our side, I'd say 'No, thanks, sister, I've got all the Slayer one man could ever need." Wilkins chuckled.
Faith sighed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Oh, it's cause I used the B-word, huh? Don't tell me you're still sore about her not returning your advances."
"No, I'm over it."
"Good. You can do better."
Faith was fidgeting and began toying with the clasp of the box.
The mayor slammed his hands down on top of the box. "Don't do that."
Buffy followed the limo into a parking lot. The limo pulled to a stop. The vampire driver heard her and looked back through the rear window. Buffy smashed the driver-side window with her fist and pulled his upper body out of the window.
Buffy was peppy. "So...what's in the box?"
The next day, after school, in the library, Buffy sat at the table, looking at a book. Katrina and Wesley looked on.
"The Box of Gavrock. It houses some great demonic energy or something, which His Honor needs to chow down on come A-Day."
Tara and Giles entered the library. Giles carried some large drawings.
"What's that?" Wesley asked him.
"Maps. And stuff." Giles set them on the table.
Tara nodded. "Plans for City Hall. They were in the Water and Power mainframe."
"The box is being kept under guard in a conference room on the top floor." Buffy pointed to a map sheet. "There. Unfortunately, that's all I could get out of my informant before his aggressive tendencies forced me to introduce him to Mr. Pointy."
Wesley looked at all of them. "Well, now, here's what I think we should do-"
"I figure we can enter through the skylight. I'll take Angel with me."
Giles looked at Buffy. "Agreed."
Tara pointed on the map. "And there's a fire ladder on the east side of the building, here."
Wesley nodded. "Yes, yes, fine, but we still need to consider whether the mayor-"
"It won't be enough to simply have possession of the box."
Tara looked at Giles. "Right, we have to destroy it. Not just physically - ritually, with magic. But I...I d-don't trust myself to do it."
Katrina looked at her. "I'll ask Amy to help with that."
Wesley shook his head. "Hang on. We don't know what such a ritual would require."
Giles flipped through a book. "I think the Breath of the Atropyx is standard for this sort of thing. Fairly simple recipe. Tara?"
Tara nodded. Wesley attempted to read over Giles' shoulder, but Giles handed the book to Tara, who handed the book to Katrina.
Katrina took the book. "On it."
"All right, stop! I demand everyone stop this instant!" Wesley yelled.
Everyone looked at him.
"I'm in charge here, and I say this is all moving much too fast. We need time to fully analyze the situation and devise a proper and strategic stratagem."
Buffy stared daggers at him. "Wes, hop on the train or get off the tracks."
"The mayor will most assuredly have supernatural safeguards protecting the box."
There was silence.
"Oh, we all forgot about that, did we?" Wesley asked smugly.
"Looks like a job for Wiccan girl." Buffy looked at Tara. "What do you say, sweetie? You up to it?"
Tara was a bit nervous but nodded. "Uh-huh."
Buffy nodded. "Let's get to work." She stood up.
The gang filed past Wesley. Giles pushed a map into Wesley's hands. Wesley moped for a moment, then turned to follow.
Harmony was walking along a street and paused at the window of a shop called April Fool. She saw Cordelia inside, holding up a dress. She opened the door and went inside.
Harmony walked over to Cordelia. "Hey, Cordy!"
Cordelia started and looked at her. "Harm!"
"Shopping for a prom dress, too, huh?"
Cordelia forced a grin. "Uh, yeah!"
"Hey, did you get into any schools?" Harmony asked. "All that I managed is UC Sunnydale."
Cordelia hesitated and then took envelopes from her purse. "Read 'em and weep. UC Sunnydale, USC, Colorado State, Duke, and Columbia."
Harmony grinned. "Wow! These are great colleges. I'm so happy for you."
Cordelia nodded stiffly and put the letters away.
"Have you made a choice yet?" Harmony asked her.
Cordelia shook her head. "Not yet."
Harmony nodded. "Well...see ya." She left.
Cordelia dropped her smile, unhappy.
That evening, Buffy brought her van to a stop in a parking lot, parked it, and shut off the engine. She unfastened her seatbelt. Tara was riding shotgun. Angel, Giles, and Wesley sat in the back. Tara unfastened her seatbelt. Buffy and Tara unlocked and opened their doors and got out. Angel unlocked and opened the sliding door and hopped out. Buffy, Tara, and Angel closed the doors.
Giles looked at them. "Now, remember, if anything should go awry, Wesley and I will create a diversion."
Wesley nodded. "Let's synchronize our watches. I have twenty-one-four-"
Buffy and Tara held up their bare wrists.
Wesley sighed. "Yes, typical."
Giles looked at them. "Be careful, all of you."
The trio marched off.
Giles turned to Wesley. "Tea?"
Angel pulled down the fire ladder. Tara started climbing.
In the library, Amy placed a large ceramic pot on a pedestal. Katrina entered, carrying a paper bag.
"You got the goods?" Amy asked her.
Katrina smiled. "That's what you said last night."
Amy chuckled.
"Yeah." Katrina started pulling plastic bags out.
"Well, we better be sure. Destroying this box is a pretty delicate operation." Amy dropped three gold pieces into the pot.
On the roof of City Hall, the trio could see the box through the skylight. Angel opened the skylight. Buffy handed Tara a book and a bottle containing sand. Tara thought a spell while pouring the sand over the box. As the sand fell, a blue force field appeared around the box, then suddenly disappeared.
Tara looked at Buffy. "I think that did it."
"Four stars, Tara. Now, get going." Buffy kissed Tara on the lips.
Tara left by the fire ladder. Angel fit Buffy with a harness and set up a pulley system. He lowered her down over the box.
"How are you doing?" Angel called.
"I feel like I'm in Mission: Impossible." Buffy reached for the box. "Got it!"
As she lifted the box off the table, an alarm bell rang. Angel pulled on the cord, but Buffy didn't move.
"Angel!" Buffy yelled.
"It's jammed."
"I'd like very much to come up now, please. Angel!"
"I know!"
Two vampires entered the room with a growl.
"Don't suppose you want to help me get down."
They growled.
"Didn't think so."
Angel leaped down to the table. They fought. Buffy got in a kick using a vertical spin in the trapeze harness, then got out of it. Buffy and Angel escaped the room with the vampire guards in pursuit.
Buffy and Angel ran out of the building and darted right. They ducked behind some bushes. As the vampires left the building, Buffy's van accelerated past the door, and the vampires chased it. Buffy and Angel stood up and watched from their hiding place in the bushes, then ran the other way.
Faith approached the wrecked conference room, holding a knife to Tara's neck. She saw the mayor surveying the damage while the vampire guards stood with their heads down.
"Well, this is very unfortunate. I just had this conference room redecorated, for Pete's sake. At taxpayers' expense. And, oh, yeah..." Wilkins' cheerful facade broke, and, with a burst of rage, he smashed a chair. "They've got my box."
Faith walked into the room with Tara.
"Yeah, they do, but looky what we got."
The mayor gave her a big smile.
In the library, Buffy, Amy, Katrina, Cordelia, Giles, Wesley, and Angel were standing.
"How did you guys let...?" Buffy paused. "How did this happen?"
Giles looked at her. "We thought she stayed with you."
"They must have grabbed her when she hit the ground." Angel looked at Buffy. "Buffy, I'm sorry."
"Look, it's nobody's fault, okay? We just need to focus and deal." Buffy paused. "I swear I won't let them hurt her."
Amy looked at her. "We go back. Full-on assault."
Giles looked at Amy. "They'll kill her."
Wesley looked at Giles. "We're assuming they haven't already."
Buffy shook her head. "No. No, they know what she means to us. She's too valuable as long as we still have the box. We trade."
Wesley looked at her. "We can't."
"No, it's the safest plan." Buffy looked at Giles. "It's the only way, right?"
"It might well be."
"Look, we call the mayor and arrange a meeting."
Wesley stared at her. "This box must be destroyed." He looked at Giles. "Giles, you know I'm right about this."
"Wes, you want to duck and cover at this point?" Buffy asked him.
Wesley looked at her. "Damn it, you listen to me! This box is the key to the mayor's Ascension. Thousands of lives depend on our getting rid of it. Now, I want to help Tara as much as the rest of you, but we will find another way."
Buffy stared at him. "There is no other way."
"You're the one who said take the fight to the mayor. You were right. This is the town's best hope of survival."
"You think I care about that without Tara here with me?" Buffy asked him. "Are you made of human parts?"
"All right!" Giles yelled. "Let's deal with this rationally."
Buffy looked at him. "Why are you taking his side?"
Wesley looked at the teens. "You'd sacrifice thousands of lives? Your families, your friends? It can all end right here. We have the means to destroy this box."
Buffy walked behind Wesley, picked up the pot for the box-destroying ritual, and threw it into a display case, smashing both to shards. Everyone looked at each other.
Buffy looked at Wesley. "The town can be evacuated. People can be relocated. No extinguished human life can be brought back." She looked at Giles. "Giles, make the phone call."
In City Hall, in a musty storeroom, Tara was banging on a locked window, trying to open it. She gave up on the window and pulled out a desk drawer.
A vampire guard entered the room. "What are you doing?" The vampire slowly approached her with a hungry look.
Tara slowly backed away and assumed a fighting stance. The vampire made a move to grab her shoulders, but Tara dodged and punched him in the face, then she followed it up with a front snap kick to the chest. He fell to the floor, out cold.
Tara left the room and started down a hallway. A door opened, and she heard Faith and the mayor. Tara quickly hid in another room and listened as they passed.
"She's not gonna be brain-dead, but she'd be to come back here tonight."
"Ever had a dog?" Wilkins asked Faith.
"What?"
"I did. Rusty. Irish setter. A dog's friendship is stronger than reason, stronger than its own sense of self-preservation. Buffy's like a dog, and, hey, before you can say Jack Robinson, you'll get to see me kill her like one."
Faith and the mayor walked down the hall. Tara started to run the other way but stopped at the open door to the mayor's office.
She entered, opened the mayor's cupboard, and found skulls and magic stuff. She found a hidden compartment containing the Books of Ascension and began skimming the pages. She tore some out, folded them, and stuffed them in her pocket.
"Check out the bookworm."
Tara looked. Faith was standing in the office doorway.
"Faith!" Tara exclaimed.
"Anyone with brains, anyone who knew what was going to happen to her, would try to claw her way out of this place. But you, you just can't stop Nancy Drew-ing, can you? Guess now you know too much, and that kinda just naturally leads to killing."
"Faith, wait. I want to talk to you."
"Oh, yeah? Give me the speech again, please. 'Faith, we're still your friends. We can help you. It's not too late.'"
Tara looked at her sympathetically. "You know, it didn't have to be this way. But you made your choice. I know you had a tough life and went through shit with your parents. I know you had a lot of bad breaks. And I'm sorry. But, you know, you had a lot more in your life than some people. I mean...you had friends in your life like Buffy. Now, you have no one. Was it worth it?"
"You're begging for some deep pain."
"I'm not afraid of you."
Faith pulled out the fancy knife. "Let's see what we can do about that." She held it up to Tara's neck.
The mayor was standing in the doorway. "Girls, I hope I don't have to separate you two. Faith, you can play with your new toy later. Something's come up."
Faith kept holding the knife to Tara's neck, staring into her eyes.
"Faith! You know I don't like repeating myself."
Faith stared at Tara. "I got someone. I got him."
"I just received a heck of an interesting phone call."
It was arranged for the swap to occur in the Sunnydale High cafeteria. Buffy, Cordelia, Amy, Katrina, Giles, Wesley, and Angel waited for the mayor. Angel held the box. Giles held a baseball bat.
Katrina tested a locked door. "The whole place is locked down, except for the front."
Amy looked at her. "Yeah, it gives me that comforting trapped feeling."
Buffy looked at her. "One way out means one way in. I want to see them coming."
The lights went out, leaving the room dimly lit by outside lights.
Amy looked at Buffy. "Guess they're shy."
Angel shrugged. "I can see all right."
Cordelia gave him a look and then rolled her eyes.
Two vampire guards pushed open the front doors, followed by the mayor, then Faith holding Tara. The two groups stopped and glared at each other. The mayor and Buffy advanced to within arm's reach.
"Well, this is exciting, isn't it?" Wilkins chuckled. "Clandestine meetings by dark of night. Exchange of prisoners. I just - I-I feel like we should all be wearing trenchcoats."
Buffy stared at him. "Let her go."
"No. Not until the box is in my hands. So you're the girl that's been causing me all this trouble." Wilkins looked at Angel. "Hey, Angel. Been a while. Still don't understand why it couldn't work out with you and my Faith. Guess you kind of just have strange taste in women."
Cordelia frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, what can I say?" Angel asked. "I like them sane."
Tara made a sound as Faith tightened her grip.
Buffy didn't take her eyes off Wilkins. "Cordy, Angel, shut up."
"Well, I wish you kids the best; I really do. But if you don't mind a bit of fatherly advice, I, uh, I-I just don't see much of a future for you two. I don't sense a lasting relationship. And not just because I plan to kill you. You two have a bumpy road ahead."
Cordelia crossed her arms. "I don't think we need to talk about this."
"God, you kids, you know. You don't like to think about the future. You don't like to make plans. Unless you want Faith to gut your friend like a sea bass, show a little respect for your elders."
Angel stared at him. "You're not my elder. I've got a lotta years on you."
"Yeah, and that's just one of the things you're going to have to deal with. You're immortal; she's not. I married my Edna May in ought-three, and I was with her right until the end. Not a pretty picture. Wrinkled and senile and cursing me for my youth. Wasn't our happiest time. And let's not forget the fact that any moment of true happiness will turn you evil. I mean...come on. What kind of a life can you offer her? I don't see a lot of Sunday picnics in the offing. I see skulking in the shadows, hiding from the sun. She's a blossoming young girl, and you want to keep her from the life she should have until it has passed her by. My God! I think that's a little selfish. Is that what you came back from Hell for? Is that your greater purpose?" Wilkins stared at Angel for a moment and then shook his head in disgust. "Make the trade."
Angel and Faith traded. Buffy motioned for Tara to get behind her. Faith held the box in the center of the room.
Wilkins smiled. "Well, that went smooth."
Snyder and two police officers entered through the front door.
"Nobody moves!" Snyder yelled.
The mayor stepped back into the shadows as Snyder advanced. One police officer locked the doors behind him.
"I knew you kids were up to something."
Buffy stared daggers at him. "Snyder, get out of here."
"You're not giving orders, young lady. I suppose you're going to tell me I won't find drugs in this box." Snyder took the box from Faith and turned away.
Faith pulled her knife.
Buffy looked at Faith. "Wait!"
"Principal Snyder."
Snyder turned at the mayor's voice, then focused on the drawn knife.
"I think we have a problem."
"Mr. Mayor, I had no idea you..." Snyder paused. "I'm terribly sorry."
"No, it's I who should apologize. Coming down here at night. What must you be thinking? But you see, I just needed to-"
Behind Snyder, one of the police officers was opening the box.
"No! Don't do that!" Wilkins yelled.
A spidery creature leaped out of the box, onto the police officer's face. He started screaming. The police officer attempted to pull the spider off his face but couldn't. He collapsed to the floor and stopped moving. The spider released him and skittered away into the shadows. The whole thing happened so quickly that no one moved to interfere. Everyone started shifting positions, looking for the creature.
Wesley looked around frantically. "Oh, God."
"Where did it go?" Katrina asked.
Snyder looked at the remaining cop. "Get that door open!"
"No! You can't let that thing out of here!" Buffy yelled.
The police officer fumbled nervously with his keys and dropped them.
Katrina looked around. "I still want to know where it went."
Buffy looked at all of them. "Listen."
They heard subtle noises on the ceiling: skittering feet, a low keening. Everyone looked up. The spider dropped onto the mayor's face, and he fell backwards onto a table.
"Boss!" Faith rushed to his aid. She pulled the spider off and flung it into a wall.
It righted itself and skittered out of sight. Giles and Wesley climbed up on chairs. The mayor sat up with wounds on his face, which rapidly faded away. Snyder stared in horror at the mayor's face.
Wilkins nodded at the box. "Wouldn't leave that open."
Buffy slammed the lid of the box shut just as a creature was climbing out. Severed limbs clattered on the floor. As she was crouched at the box, one of the spiders dropped on her back. She flipped onto her back, crushing it against the floor. Faith saw a second spider climbing the wall behind Wesley and drew back her arm.
Wesley saw her. "No!" He ducked.
Faith snapped the knife into the spider, killing it. The mayor strode over to the box and picked it up.
"Is that all of them?" Amy asked.
"Uh, not really. You see, there's about fifty...billion of these happy little critters in here. Would you like to see?" Wilkins offered.
The cop finally got the front doors open. He and the two vampire guards raced out of the room.
Wilkins raised his hand. "Raise your hand if you're invulnerable."
There were no replies.
"Faith, let's go." Wilkins headed for the door.
Faith stared at the impaled spider on the wall.
"Faith."
Faith stared a moment more, then followed him. Snyder was holding a chair at chest height, legs pointed outward. He turned as Faith walked by, keeping the chair between them.
"Snyder, you alive in there?" Buffy asked.
"You. All of you. Why couldn't you be dealing drugs like normal people?" Snyder walked out cautiously, still holding his chair like a security blanket.
Wesley looked at all of them. "Well, that went swimmingly."
"We did all right." Buffy pulled Tara into a hug and kissed her on the lips.
In the library, Buffy and Tara sat cross-legged on the counter. Giles and Wesley stood back.
"You actually had your hands on the Books of Ascension?" Giles asked Tara.
"Volumes One through Five."
"Is there anything you can remember that could be of use to us? Anything at all?" Giles asked.
"Well, I was in a hurry. Actually, there were a few pages that looked kind of interesting, but I didn't have a chance to read them fully."
Giles was disheartened.
Tara pulled the folded pages out of a pocket. "See what you can make of them?"
Giles smiled like a kid at Christmas, grabbed the pages, and rushed off.
Buffy smiled at Tara. "This is your night for suave, babe. You should get captured more often."
"No, thank you."
"Well, let's hope there is something useful in those pages. The mayor has the Box of Gavrock. As of now, we are right back where we started. Wouldn't you say?" Wesley asked.
Buffy frowned, unhappy.
The next day, after school, in April Fool, Cordelia was holding the dress in front of her, looking in a full-length mirror.
Mrs. Finkle entered the room behind her. "Chase! What are you doing? Your break's been over for ten minutes. I still need you to re-stock the shelves and clean out the storage room. Let's go."
Cordelia looked at the dress for a few seconds more, then went back to work.
That night, in Angel's bedroom, Cordelia and Angel were holding hands, sitting on his bed, leaning against the headboard.
"It's gonna be fun. Buffy, Tara, and I are going to go on Saturday to check out the campus. I'll be close to your place. I don't know what the mayor was talking about. How could he know anything about us?" Cordelia asked.
"Well, he's evil."
"Big time. He doesn't even know what a lasting relationship is."
"No."
"Probably the only lasting relationship he's ever had is with evil."
"Yeah."
"Big, stupid, evil guy. We'll be okay."
"We will."
Cordelia leaned her head against Angel's chest, not very okay.
Chapter 78: The Prom
Chapter Text
"The Prom"
Based on the Episode Written by Marti Noxon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
Cordelia was napping in Angel's bed. Angel smiled at her as she woke.
Cordelia smiled. "What? Do I have funny bed hair or something?"
"Or something?"
"I guess we got a little carried away with the whole post-slayage nap thing." Cordelia felt her hair. "Ohhh, not good." She sat up.
"Where you going?"
"To go kill a cat on my head."
"I think you look perfect."
"Oh, yeah, I really like..." Cordelia paused and reconsidered. "Okay!" She lay down. "You know, this place really isn't girl-friendly. Maybe we should think about getting a drawer, you know, for some of my stuff. Because that's what couples do: they have drawers."
"Mmmm, that's right."
"You know, I-I figure, that way, sometimes I could spend the night. Like, after the prom, it would be nice to be able to just come back here and spend some time together."
"The prom?"
"End-of-high-school rite-of-passage thingy. Think cotillion with spiked punch and electric sleigh."
"Right."
"Oh, don't worry, it's at night. And lots of girls have older boyfriends. You'll blend."
"I think maybe you should go, huh?" Angel suggested.
"Nooo..." Cordelia groaned. "Must be a few more hours before sunrise."
She got up and walked to the window. When she pulled back the blackout curtain, it let in a blast of sunlight directly onto the bed. With an exclamation, Angel rolled out of bed, away from the light, apparently unharmed.
Cordelia pulled the curtains closed suddenly. "Ooh, sorry. I guess it's later than we thought."
Angel had a worried look.
Buffy, Cordelia, and Tara were sitting at a picnic table outside Sunnydale High.
Cordelia smiled. "Well, at least, we all have someone to go with now. Some of us are going with demons, but I think that's a valid lifestyle choice. More importantly, I have my eye on the kick-assiest dress."
Buffy smiled. "Cool."
Tara smiled. "I'm sure it'll look nice on you."
"Angel's gonna lose it." Cordelia suddenly grew serious. "But not his soul. He's gonna lose it. His it."
In the library, Buffy and Tara were in the middle of a discussion.
Buffy nodded. "So it was blue and sorta short."
"Not too short, medium. And it had this weird, sorta fringey stuff on its arms."
Giles walked in. "What's that, a demon?"
"A prom tux that Tara was thinking of renting. Can't you ever get your mind out of the Hellmouth?" Buffy asked him.
"I'd be delighted to. However, the day of the mayor's Ascension is fast approaching, and we don't know what to expect."
"Well, what about the pages that Tara stole from the mayor's book?" Buffy asked him. "Look, she put her life on the line there, pal. Don't tell me they're useless."
"On the contrary, no, we, uh, we know the Ascension refers to a human transforming into a demon, the living embodiment of an immortal. And Graduation Day, our Mayor Wilkins is scheduled to do just that."
Wesley entered, followed closely by Cordelia.
"Trouble is...we don't know which demon he is going to become."
Giles looked at Wesley. "There are thousands of species."
"So it's safe to say we shouldn't waste any time on such trifling matters as a school dance."
Cordelia was offended. "You take that back!"
"Except, of course, on the actual night; I will be aiding Mr. Giles and Ms. Calendar in their chaperoning duties."
"What? Excuse me?" Giles asked in surprise. Then he relented. "Fine, fine, fine."
Buffy looked at Tara. "We'll get you a tux. I still haven't decided on mine either. You know, we should check April Fool."
"Don't go there!" Cordelia suddenly exclaimed. "I shop there."
"I myself will be wearing pink taffeta, as chenille would not go with my complexion. Can we please talk about the Ascension?" Giles asked.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Giles, we get it. Miles to go before we sleep. But especially if we're all gonna vaporize or something on Graduation Day, we deserve a little prommy fun. One night of glory, not too much to ask."
That night, Buffy, Cordelia, and Angel entered a sewer tunnel through a manhole in the roof, climbed down the ladder, and started walking.
Buffy sniffed. "I always say patrol's not complete without a trip to the stinky sewers."
Angel looked straight ahead. "I'm sure I saw him come down here."
"Couldn't we just let this be the vamp that got away? We could say he was this big." Cordelia held her hands apart.
"What can I say? I need closure."
"You need clothes. You don't have a tux, do you?" Cordelia asked him.
"Since when did patrolling go black tie?"
"For the prom, silly."
"We have more important things to think about right now than a dance, Cordy."
Buffy lowered her eyes and let out a low whistle.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Sorry, Giles. I'll just be quiet."
"Come on, don't be that way."
A vampire dropped from the roof, growling.
"Not now, you two." Buffy casually staked the vampire and shoved him to the floor.
Cordelia turned to Angel. "I'm not being that way. Every time I say the word 'prom', you get grouchy."
"I'm sorry. I'm just worried that you're getting too...invested in this whole thing."
"What whole thing? Isn't this the stuff that I'm supposed to get invested in? Going to a formal, graduating, growing up."
"I know."
"Then what? What's with the dire?"
"It's, uh, it's nothing."
"No, you have 'something' face."
"I think we need to talk, but not now and not here."
Buffy nodded. "Agreed, mostly because I don't wanna hear it."
"No. No, if you have something to say, then say it."
An uncomfortable silence passed between them.
"Angel, drop the cryptic. You're scaring me."
"I've been thinking...about our future. And the more I do, the more I feel like us, you and me being together, is unfair to you."
"Is this about what the mayor said? Because he was just trying to shake us up."
"He was right."
"No. No, he wasn't. He's the bad guy."
"You deserve more. You deserve something outside of demons and darkness. You should be with someone who can take you into the light. Someone who can make love to you."
"I don't care about that."
"You will. And children."
"Children? Can you say jumping the gun?" Cordelia asked him. "I kill my goldfish."
"Today. But you have no idea how fast it goes, Cordy. Before you know it, you'll want it all, a normal life."
Cordelia shook her head. "Fuck that. I don't want a normal life."
"But you will someday, and that's all the more reason why you should have a real relationship instead of this - this freak show."
Cordelia was stunned. Buffy was avoiding eye contact with them and popped a Mentos.
"I didn't mean that."
"I'm gonna go." Cordelia turned to leave.
Angel grabbed her arm. "I'm sorry. Cordy, you know how much I love you. It kills me to say this."
Cordelia looked at him. "Then don't. Who the fuck are you to tell me what's right for me? You think I haven't thought about this?"
"Have you, rationally?"
"No. No, of course not. I'm just some swoony little schoolgirl, right?"
"I'm trying to do what's right here, okay? I'm trying to think with my head instead of my heart."
"Heart? You have a heart?!" Cordelia asked him.
"Don't."
"Don't what? Don't love you? I'm sorry. You know what? I didn't know that I got a choice in that. I'm never gonna change. I can't change. I want my life to be with you."
Angel was silent for a moment. "I don't."
Cordelia was stunned. "You don't want to be with me? I can't believe you're breaking up with me."
"It doesn't mean that I don't-"
"How am I supposed to stay away from you?"
"I'm leaving. After the Ascension, after it's finished with the mayor and Faith. If we survive, I'll go."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"Is this really happening?"
Buffy looked at Cordelia and gently put an arm around her. She looked at Angel. "We're leaving. If you wanna stay down here, feel free. It's where you belong."
Cordelia was crying. Buffy gently nudged her. They turned around and walked away, leaving Angel behind.
Cordelia laid her head on Buffy's shoulder, sobbing.
"Do you want me to drive you home?" Buffy asked her.
Cordelia suddenly stood up straight and looked at Buffy in panic. "No!"
Buffy looked at her in surprise.
"Can I stay at your place?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy gave her a sympathetic smile. "Of course."
In Buffy's bedroom, Buffy, Cordelia, and Tara lay on the bed, Cordelia between Buffy and Tara. Buffy was wearing a pair of seldom-used pajamas, and she had let Cordelia borrow another pair. Tara wore pajama shorts and a sleeveless undershirt.
"So...that's it?" Tara asked Cordelia.
"That's it. Assuming we survive this Ascension thing, he's gonna leave town."
Tara sighed. "Well, he's a fool. And he's an asshole for doing it right before the prom."
Cordelia sighed. "I agree with that, but he's right. I mean...I think, maybe in the long run, that he's right."
Tara thought about it. "Yeah, I think he is. I'm sorry. It must be horrible."
"I think horrible is still coming. Right now, it's worse. Right now, I'm just trying to keep from dying." Cordelia's face contorted in pain.
Buffy sighed. "Oh, Cordy."
Cordelia leaned over onto Buffy's neck and started sobbing. "I can't breathe, Buff. I feel like I can't breathe."
Buffy and Tara pressed close against Cordelia, shielding her in a protective cocoon. They lovingly stroked Cordelia's hair.
The next day, Harmony was walking on the sidewalk and saw Cordelia inside April Fool. She opened the door and entered.
Cordelia was admiring the same dress from before.
Harmony walked over to her. "Okay, how long does it take you to buy a damn dress?"
Cordelia started and looked at her. "Harm! I, uh, I'm considering things a little more carefully nowadays. I don't want to get stuck with another dud."
"Is this a customer or a friend?" Rhonda, a salesgirl with shoulder-length blonde hair, asked Cordelia.
"A friend."
"So you better get back to work and quit goofing. Mrs. Finkle so has it in for you."
"You work here?" Harmony asked Cordelia in surprise.
Cordelia sighed. "Yes. Yes, I work here."
"But, uh, why?"
"I'm trying to buy a dress."
"But don't you already have all the dresses?"
"I have nothing, okay? No dresses. No cell phone. No car. Everything's been taken away, because Daddy made a little mistake on his taxes. For the last twelve years. I'm broke. I can't go to any of the colleges that accepted me. And I can't stay home, because we no longer have one."
"Uh, wow."
"Yeah, neato. Now, I have to work part time just to get a lousy prom dress on layaway. And I have to wear a name tag. I'm a name tag person."
Suddenly, a roughly humanoid, snarling creature burst through the front window of the shop. Harmony pushed Cordelia out of harm's way and attempted to grapple the creature. It pushed her down and jumped on top of her. Then it attacked a man wearing a tuxedo, rending and tearing savagely.
In the library, Buffy, Tara, Amy, Katrina, Cordelia, Harmony, Giles, and Wesley sat around the table, watching a surveillance tape of the attack.
Harmony pointed. "Right there. See, it's - it's like he just realized he forgot to put money in the meter or something."
"You know the part that totally weirded me out?" Cordelia asked. "That thing had good taste. I mean...he chucks Harmony and went right for the formal wear."
Harmony nodded. "Yeah!" She thought about it and looked at Cordelia, frowning. "Hey!"
"I'm serious. Look at the outfit that you're wearing. Now, look at the kid that the monster went after. Very smooth lines 'til he was shredded."
Buffy looked away from the TV screen. "I don't want to see it again."
Giles looked at her. "Buffy, I know it's horrible, but, if you're going to hunt this creature, you should study it."
"Think I got it."
Wesley looked closely at the video. "If I'm not mistaken, this is a hellhound."
Giles nodded. "Yes. It's particularly vicious. It's sort of a demon foot soldier bred during the Machash Wars. Trained solely to kill. They feed off the brains of their foes."
"Look!" Cordelia pointed. "Right there, zoom in on that."
Tara looked at her. "It's a video tape."
Cordelia looked at her. "So? They do it on television all the time."
Katrina shook her head. "Not with a regular VCR, they don't."
"Perhaps we could stay on the topic for once. What were you doing this afternoon?" Wesley asked Cordelia.
"What? Um, I was-"
"Burning a hole in Daddy's wallet - as usual. I just bumped into her during my dress hunt."
Cordelia looked at Harmony in surprise.
Amy noticed something. "What's that? Pause it."
Tara paused the tape. A male teen could be seen peering through the shop's broken window.
Cordelia stared at him. "Hello, hellhound raiser."
Giles got last year's yearbook off a shelf, and Amy flipped through it at the counter.
Katrina pointed at a photo. "Tucker Wells. He's in my chem lab."
Wesley looked at her. "Let me guess. He was quiet, kept to himself, but always seemed like a nice young man."
Katrina shrugged. "He didn't seem the murderous type, anyway. Something must have happened to him."
Cordelia looked over at Buffy. "How's it going over there, Buff?"
Buffy was leaning against the counter, nearly asleep. "Fine."
"Well, I just wanted to say that your impersonation of an inanimate object is really coming along."
"Thanks."
Harmony looked at Buffy, and then she looked at Cordelia. "What's she supposed to be?"
Cordelia gave her a look.
Tara was at the PC. "I got into Tucker's e-mail account. Listen to this message Tucker sent to this kid, David Metz, at school last week: 'The Sunnydale High lemmings have no idea what awaits them. Their big night will be their last night.'"
Harmony was reading over her shoulder and smiled. "Ha! Shows what he knows. We're the Razorbacks."
Tara gave her a look. Harmony just smiled at her.
Giles thought about it. "So...we have a threat against the students on their big night, a hellhound trained to attack people in formal wear-"
"Oh, are we all catching up now?" Cordelia asked him.
Giles ignored her. "Tucker is planning to attack the prom tonight."
Amy rolled her eyes. "Once again, the Hellmouth puts the special in special occasion."
"Why do we even buy tickets for these things?" Katrina asked.
Harmony frowned. "Wonder if I can take my dress back."
Cordelia looked at her. "Don't you dare."
"But Tucker is going to-"
"No!" Cordelia yelled.
Buffy woke up, startled.
"Nobody fucks with the prom!" Cordelia declared. "You guys are going to have a prom. The kind of prom that everyone should have. I'm going to give you all a nice, fun, normal evening if I have to kill every single person on the face of the Earth to do it."
Harmony stared at her, confused. "Yay?"
"Okay, Wes, why don't you go to Tucker's house?" Cordelia suggested. "He's probably not there, but it's worth a shot."
"All right. Perhaps strength in numbers would be-"
"You can take Buffy."
"If that's your plan, all right, all right. What about the others?" Wesley asked.
"Trina, why don't you and Amy track down this David kid that Tucker e-mailed? See what he knows, if he's involved?" Cordelia suggested.
Katrina nodded. "We're on it."
Cordelia looked at Tara and Harmony. "And you know what? Could you two check the magic shop?"
"Magic shop?" Harmony asked.
Tara looked at her. "Yeah. It's right next to April Fool on Maple Court."
Harmony looked at Cordelia. "Okay. Why?"
"See if anyone's been in, buying supplies to raise a hellhound."
Tara nodded. "Gotcha."
"Giles, you said this thing eats brains. Any brains?" Cordelia asked.
"Um, I suppose."
"Then Tucker must be feeding it, right?"
Cordelia went to the meat-packing plant. She saw a guy in a white coat and a hard hat. She walked over to him. "Excuse me. You look like you work here."
"I do."
Cordelia grinned. "Great! Can I ask you a few questions?"
"Sure."
Cordelia walked with him next to hanging carcasses.
"Do you ever get any orders for some weird items?" Cordelia asked.
"Like what?"
"Cow brains. What about cow brains?" Cordelia asked.
"Yeah, yeah. This kid orders cow brains a couple of times a week."
"I need to ask him a few questions. Does he pick it up here?" Cordelia asked.
"Nah, nah." He took out a pen and notepad and wrote something down. He tore off the page. "Goes to this address." He handed her the note. "Good luck. He's a weird kid."
Cordelia smiled and took the note. "Thanks. Thanks a lot."
The packer walked away. Cordelia looked up to see Angel nearby, paying another packer for a plastic bag.
Angel saw her. "What are you doing here?"
"Hello to you, too."
"Sorry. I'm just surprised."
"Me, too. I don't know why, though. Where did I think you get your blood, McPlasma's?"
"How are you?"
"Right as rain, whatever that means."
Angel gave her a doubting look.
"Don't look at me like that. I can lie to you if I want to now. We're ex, remember?"
"If it means anything, I miss you."
"Could we not, please? When I think about us, I have this tendency to sort of go catatonic. And I really can't afford to do that right now. Gotta stop a crazy from pulling a Carrie at the prom."
"You still planning to go?"
"Strictly in the managerial capacity. But it's fine. I mean...the..." Cordelia paused. "I'm cool with going stag. I accept I won't be with you or share a dance with you. But I'm certainly not going to let some subhuman ruin it for the rest of the senior class."
"Let me help you."
"I'm okay."
"If you ever need my help-"
"Look, I got it!" Cordelia yelled. She paused and considered. "Thanks." She left.
Cordelia stopped by April Fool on her way back to the school. She walked over to Rhonda. "Hey, Rhonda, would you be willing to let me cover any of your shifts? I kinda need the money."
"Um...sure. Tomorrow afternoon?" Rhonda offered, restocking a rack.
"That'd be great."
"It's yours."
Cordelia grinned. "Great! Thanks!" She turned to leave.
"Hey! Don't forget your dress. Aren't you wearing it tonight?" Rhonda asked.
Cordelia looked at her, embarrassed. "As much as I hate to admit it, I haven't finished paying for it yet."
Rhonda took the dress off the paid rack. "Well, somebody did."
Cordelia was surprised. "What? Who?" She looked at the receipt.
Cordelia entered the library. Giles was sipping coffee. Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina were sitting at the study table, glum.
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Zeroes all around, Cordy."
Tara shrugged. "Sorry."
Cordelia smiled. "Make not with the long faces. I got the address. Now, the prom starts in a little while. I want you guys to go on, and I'll catch up with you as soon as I put a lid on this asshole."
Amy was surprised. "What? No way."
Katrina shook her head. "We can't just leave you, Cordy."
Giles looked at her. "Cordelia, they're right. You need-"
"To see taillights. Hit the door. I have everything under control."
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Cordy, it makes sense for me to go-"
"Have. A. Nice. Time." Cordelia stared at her.
The four girls reluctantly stood up.
Cordelia looked at them. "Now, remember: you're on directly after Self-Moralizing Commie Scumbags, performing last."
Buffy nodded. "Got it."
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina left the library.
Cordelia looked at Giles. "I want you at the gym. Keep an eye on them until I get there." She marched into the book cage and began loading up Buffy's weapons bag.
"I don't have to tell you that you're being rather rash. Finding an address hardly adds up to case closed."
"Look, it's done. You want to go after them and tell them that they can't go? That all of their planning and dreaming was for nothing? That they can't spend tonight with their honeys, of all nights?" Cordelia asked him.
"Angel's not taking you, is he?"
"Angel's leaving me. He's leaving town."
"Oh, Cordelia, I'm sorry. I don't really know what to say. Um, I understand that this sort of thing requires ice cream of some kind?"
"Ice cream will come. First, I want to take out psycho boy."
"You sure?"
Cordelia nodded. "The great thing about being a Slayerette: kicking ass is comfort food."
The prom was held in the school gym. The lights were flashing, and students were dancing. Jenny, Giles, and Wesley stood by a table, munching hors d'oeuvres.
Wesley stuck a cracker sandwich in his mouth. "Well, I must say this is all rather odd to me."
Giles nodded. "Oh, yes. At an all-male preparatory, they didn't go in for this sort of thing."
"No, of course not. Unless you count the nights you made the lowerclassmen get up as girls and watched them-"
Giles shot him a look, which shut him up. Jenny stopped eating mid-bite, intrigued.
"Dip is tasty, isn't it?" Wesley asked.
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina arrived.
Buffy smiled nervously. "We got in. Maybe we should dance before we get besieged, bedeviled, or beheaded or something."
Tara smiled. "It's not gonna happen."
"You're not even a little nervous?" Amy asked her.
"You think Cordy is going to let us down?" Tara asked her.
Amy didn't reply. She just forced a smile and shrugged.
"Want to have some punch?" Katrina asked.
Buffy shrugged. "Sure. Not too much, though. I don't play well while drunk."
They headed toward the punch bowl.
Cordelia sneaked down a staircase inside Tucker's house and found Tucker about to release a caged hellhound.
"You're ready to go."
"Sorry, new plan." Cordelia threw him away from the cage. "The prom's a go, and you're pathetic."
"Maybe. Maybe not." Tucker broke a vase over Cordelia's head.
"Motherfucker!" Cordelia brushed the shards off her jacket.
He brandished a screwdriver at her. She saw video tapes on top of the TV with labels indicating films such as Prom Night IV and Pump Up the Volume.
"So that's how you did it? That's how you brainwashed the hounds to go psycho on prom?" Cordelia asked him.
"Neat, huh?"
"I don't get it. What kind of sicko wants to destroy the happiest night of a senior's life?"
"I have my reasons."
"Whatever. Every maladjust has his reasons. Luckily for me, you're an incompetent maladjust." Cordelia disarmed him and tied his hands behind him with an electrical cord. She opened a door and started to push him through it. "Now, I'm gonna lock you in here, and then I'm gonna party like it's..."
In the room were three empty cages before three blank TV sets.
"Gotta have a redundancy system. Any incompetent knows that. My three fiercest babies are on their way to the dance right now. You think formal wear makes them crazy, wait 'til they see the mirror ball."
"Shit!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Tucker started laughing. Cordelia punched him in the face, knocking him out.
Back at the prom, Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina had gotten their instruments set up.
Amy smiled as she adjusted some settings on her drum machine. "You all will be happy to know I have saved enough money to buy a real, actual drum set."
Katrina smiled. "Kickass, babe."
"When are you gonna buy it?" Tara asked Amy.
"Next week. I should be able to get enough practice in to be able to play decently enough at the graduation celebration at the Bronze."
Buffy thought about that. "Assuming we'll be alive to play it."
Everyone was silent for a moment.
Tara gave them a hopeful smile. "Well, that's the goal, right?"
Buffy forced a smile. "Yeah. All right, let's do this."
The four of them turned on their microphones.
Buffy looked out at the audience. "Hi, we're Buffy and the Slayerettes. I'm Buffy Summers, the lead guitarist. On keyboard is Tara Maclay. On drum machine is Amy Madison. On bass guitar is Katrina Silber. By the way, Katrina is leaving town after graduation to attend Caltech! Whoo!"
There was a smattering of applause and cheers from the audience.
"Yeah, so we'll be needing a new bassist after graduation, so, y'know, if you're interested, y'know, get in touch with us." Buffy looked at Tara. "Okay-"
"Hold it!"
There was murmuring from the crowd. Buffy looked. Faith was walking up toward the stage. Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina stared at her, slack-jawed. Harmony, who was videotaping the band with her video camera, was shocked to see Faith at the prom. Jenny and Giles were worried.
Faith got up on the stage and walked over to Buffy. "Forget about me?"
"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked her.
"I'm here to perform. I'm part of the band, ain't I?" Faith asked.
Buffy stared daggers at her. "News to me."
"C'mon, B, what are we startin' off with?" Faith asked her.
Buffy looked at her bandmates. They shrugged.
Buffy looked at Faith. "'Kids in America' by Kim Wilde. Know it?"
"Yep."
"Great..."
"We'll alternate lines. You sing the first verse, and I'll join in near the end. I'll start the next two verses, and you'll join in."
"Fine." Buffy looked at Tara and nodded.
Tara started playing her keyboard.
"Looking out a dirty old window.
Down below, the cars in the city go rushing by.
I sit here alone, and I wonder why.
"Friday night, and everyone's moving.
I can feel the heat, but it's soothing, heading down.
I search for the beat in this dirty town."
Faith removed the microphone from the stand.
"Downtown, the young ones are going.
Downtown, the young ones are growing."
"We're the kids in America. Whoa-oa!
We're the kids in America. Whoa-oa!
Everybody live for the music-go-round!"
Faith started playfully touching Buffy, running her index finger up and down her chest.
"Bright lights, the music gets faster.
Look, girl, don't check on your watch, not another glance."
"I'm not leaving now, honey, not a chance."
In the audience, Harmony stared at them in shock. Tara, Amy, and Katrina played uneasily. Faith smiled sexily.
"Hot shot, give me no problems.
Much later, baby, you'll be saying never mind."
Faith playfully pushed Buffy away. Buffy stared at her and shook her head.
"You know life is cruel; life is never kind."
Faith and Buffy came back together.
"Kind hearts don't make a new story.
Kind hearts don't grab any glory.
We're the kids in America. Whoa-oa!
We're the kids in America. Whoa-oa!
Everybody live for the music-go-round!"
Harmony frowned, her initial shock turning to anger. The rest of the audience, by contrast, was getting into the performance. Jenny and Giles were concerned but went along with it. Faith snuggled up close to Buffy.
"Come closer, honey, that's better.
Got to get a brand new experience, feeling right.
Oh, don't try to stop, baby, hold me tight."
"Outside, a new day is dawning.
Outside, suburbia's sprawling everywhere.
I don't want to go, baby."
"New York to east California, there's a new wave coming, I warn ya.
We're the kids in America. Whoa-oa!
We're the kids in America. Whoa-oa!
Everybody lives for the music-go-round!"
Outside the gym, the three hellhounds loped toward the building doors. Cordelia dropped the trailing hound with a crossbow bolt. The other two turned and chased her.
Cordelia turned and ran. "That's right. Follow Cordy. Good dogs."
They chased her for a few moments, then heard Buffy and the Slayerettes playing "Kids in America" and reversed course.
"Oh, come on. That song sucks."
Cordelia chased them into the building. The hounds were pawing at closed doors at the end of the hallway. Cordelia approached, and they attacked her. She wrapped one in a hanging banner, then wrestled the other one for a while. She pulled out a knife and plunged it in the hellhound's chest, killing it. The first one escaped the banner just as a male student opened the doors into the hall.
"Get back!" Cordelia grabbed the hound before it could attack the student, grappled with it, and finally snapped its neck. She let its lifeless body fall to the floor.
The student was shaken. "Bathroom?"
Cordelia pointed in the direction to go in.
"Th-Th-Tha-"
"You're welcome." Cordelia looked down, sighed, shrugged, grabbed a hellhound by the paws, and started dragging it across the floor to dump it outside.
After a long while, Cordelia entered the gym in her new dress. Buffy saw her, and they exchanged nods and smiles. Wesley was struck by a coughing fit. Giles was not facing the door and looked askance.
"Sauce is hot." Wesley's eyes lingered on Cordelia. "Very hot."
Buffy, Tara, and Harmony met her.
Tara smiled. "Cordy, you look awesome."
Cordelia smiled. "So do you."
"Everything cool?" Buffy asked.
"Coolest. Devil dogs are history. How's the prom?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy smiled. "Everything's perfect."
Cordelia gave them a big smile.
Harmony smiled. "You look amazing, Cordy."
"Thank you." Cordelia emphasized this by raising her eyebrows and staring at her friend.
Harmony took Cordelia's hands in her own. "It looks good on you."
"Well, duh."
They shared a laugh, and then Harmony, Buffy, and Tara walked away.
Wesley approached Cordelia. "May I say...you look smashing."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Cordelia asked him.
"N-Nothing." Wesley stood there for a moment, unsure what to do, and finally turned and walked back to the table.
Jenny laughed. "Smooth move, Wes."
Harmony retrieved an item that she had stashed away, walked onto the stage, set the item down, and turned on the center microphone. "May I have everyone's attention, please?"
Some people gave her their attention.
Harmony waited a moment longer and then raised her hands above her head and waved them. "Yoohoo, up here! Thank you! We have an award to give out. Is Buffy Summers here tonight?"
The crowd turned and found Buffy at the punch bowl, getting drunk now that her gig was over. She was nervous to suddenly be getting a lot of attention.
"The prom committee asked me to read this." Harmony held up a note. "'We're not good friends. Most of us never found the time to get to know you, but that doesn't mean we haven't noticed you. We don't talk about it much, but it's no secret that Sunnydale High isn't really like other high schools. A lot of weird stuff happens here.'"
"Zombies!" someone in the crowd yelled.
"Vampires!" someone else yelled.
"Hyena people!" a third person yelled.
"Snyder!" someone else yelled.
That got quite a bit of laughter.
Harmony waited for the laughter to die down. "'But, whenever there was a problem or something creepy happened, you showed up and stopped it. Most of the people here have been saved by you, or helped by you, at one time or another. We're proud to say that the Class of '99 has the lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in Sunnydale history.'"
That received applause from the crowd.
"And we know at least part of that is because of you. So the senior class offers its thanks and gives you, uh, this." Harmony held up a multicolored, glittering, miniature umbrella with a small metal plaque attached to the shaft. "It's from all of us, and it has written here: 'Buffy Summers, Class Protector'."
The crowd broke into sustained applause and cheering. As Buffy walked to the stage, she looked and saw her close friends - as well as many members of Slayer School. Buffy stepped up onto the stage, and Harmony presented the umbrella to her. Buffy took her award, faced the audience, and smiled.
Later, as "Wild Horses" by The Sundays played on the sound system, Jenny and Giles walked onto the dance floor and began to dance. Amy and Katrina were dancing close - as were Harmony and Tara.
Cordelia was watching the dancers from a distance, feeling lonely.
Buffy walked up behind her. "Hey."
"Hey." Cordelia nodded at Harmony and Tara. "What's that about?"
Buffy sighed. "Harmony's still feeling upset about Faith, and she didn't accept when anyone else asked her to prom, so Tara's dancing with her for a while."
"Glad someone's happy."
Buffy looked at Cordelia in sympathy. "You did good work tonight, Cordy."
"Thanks. And you got a little toy surprise. Can I see it?" Cordelia asked. "I wanna see what I chipped in on."
Buffy offered the umbrella to Cordelia. "Listen, Cordy, I know about your financial situation."
Cordelia took the umbrella and looked at Buffy, embarrassed. "Omigod, did Harmony blab?"
"No. I just noticed you weren't driving your car anymore, and I saw you shopping at 7-Eleven recently."
"Oh." Cordelia looked down and started examining the umbrella.
Buffy smiled at her. "It means a lot to me that you contributed what little money that you have to this. I had no idea that you could be so generous."
"Every now and then, people surprise you."
Buffy looked past her. "Every now and then." She took her umbrella back and left.
Cordelia turned to see Angel at the door. They walked toward each other and met by the punch bowl.
"I never thought you'd come."
"It's a big night. I didn't want to miss it. It's just tonight. It doesn't mean that I-"
"I know. I mean...I understand."
"Dance with me?" Angel asked.
Cordelia offered her left hand to Angel. He took hold of it. They walked to the center of the dance floor, held each other close, and danced.
Chapter 79: Graduation Day
Chapter Text
"Graduation Day"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
In a hallway of Sunnydale High, students were picking up graduation caps and gowns. Cordelia and Amy were signing for their gowns.
Cordelia sighed. "I can't believe this loser look. I lobbied so hard for the teal. No one ever listens to me. A lone fashionable wolf."
Amy smiled. "I like the maroon. Has more dignity."
"Dignity? You? In relation to clothes? I am awash in a sea of confusion."
A short distance away, Tara was standing at the foot of a stairwell.
Harmony walked down the stairs. "Tara, will you sign my yearbook?"
"Yeah. You have to sign mine, too."
They swapped maroon Sunnydale High '99 yearbooks - with the phrase "The Future Is Ours" on the front cover - and wrote messages for each other.
Harmony felt a bit melancholy. "You know, I really wish we woulda got to know each other better."
"Me, too."
"I mean...you're so smart. I always wanted to be like that."
"Thanks. You're so sweet."
"I hope we won't lose touch."
"No, we'll hang out."
They swapped yearbooks again.
Harmony smiled. "Bye!"
Tara smiled. "Bye!"
Harmony left as Buffy walked down the stairs.
Tara looked at Buffy and smiled. "Hey."
"Hey." Buffy kissed Tara on the lips.
Katrina walked over to them. "Hey, guys. Excited for graduation?"
Buffy shook her head. "No, I'm not. I guess I'll miss stuff, but I just don't get the whole graduation thing. I mean...you get a piece of paper, and nothing changes. I don't even think I'm gonna go."
"What do you mean, not go? Why not?" Katrina asked her.
"Ascension. Mayor becoming a demon. Snacking up on populace. I was planning on fighting him."
"You can't do both?" Katrina asked her.
Amber Grove walked over to them. "Both what?"
"Go to graduation and fight the mayor."
"The mayor? What, you guys didn't hear?" Amber asked them.
"Hear what?" Buffy asked her.
"Guess who our commencement speaker is?" Amber rhetorically asked.
Buffy sighed. "I don't believe this. The mayor at graduation? A hundred helpless kids to feed on. Got any other surprises for us?"
Faith knocked at the door of an apartment.
"Just a moment!"
Soon, a man opened the door. He was balding and wore glasses and a bow tie.
Faith smiled. "Hi, I'm looking for Professor Wirth."
"Oh, well, that's me, but I should ask you to come back during office hours. Students generally make an appointment."
"Uh, I'm not from the college. I work for Mayor Wilkins. I'm Faith."
"Oh, well, come in, please." Wirth stepped aside. "I was so surprised when he called. Didn't expect a politician to be interested in my research."
Faith walked into the apartment. "He's a big fan, professor."
Wirth closed the door. "Oh, Lester's fine."
"We alone here, Lester?" Faith asked him.
"Well, yes. Lifelong bachelor. I like my space."
"I hear that." Faith took out a knife. "You want to turn and face the wall, Lester?"
"What are you doing?"
"I'll make it quick."
"Put that away. I'll scream."
"Who wouldn't?" Faith asked.
"Please."
"Sorry, friend, boss wants you dead."
"Why?"
Faith stabbed him. "You know, I never thought to ask."
In Faith's apartment, she was changing into a pink and white dress in her bedroom. She was barefoot. The mayor was in the living room.
"And everything went smoothly with Mr. Wirth?" he asked.
Faith smiled. "Not if you're Mr. Wirth."
The mayor giggled. "Well, that's swell. You know how I feel about loose ends. And the big day is so close, you can smell the excitement in the air. Say, are you ever coming out of there?"
"I don't know."
"Aw, come on."
Faith entered the living room.
"Wow, aren't you a vision?"
"I feel I look stupid in this."
"You look lovely. Perfect for the Ascension. Any boys that manage to survive will be lining up to ask you out."
"It just isn't me, though."
"Not you? Let me tell you something. Nobody knows what you are. Not even you, little Miss Seen-It-All. The Ascension isn't just my day. It's yours, too. Your day to blossom, to show the world what a powerful girl you are. I think of what you've done, what I know you will do." Wilkins caressed her face. "No father could be prouder."
"I hope I don't let you down."
"Impossible. Now come on, change back into your street clothes. I'll buy you an Icee."
They shared a smile.
The next day, in the Sunnydale High School library, Giles and Wesley were fencing. Tara was sitting at the table. Buffy stood to the side, holding up a newspaper headline: "PROFESSOR FOUND MURDERED".
"Faith."
"You sure?" Giles asked her.
"One of her pieces. I recognize the brush work."
Giles took the paper and held it in one hand, reading while parrying Wesley's light attacks.
"Brutally stabbed. Mr. Wirth, visiting professor of geology. There's nothing in here that bellows motive."
"Random killing, perhaps? Fit of rage?" Tara suggested. "Everybody does seem to be going a bit mad lately. Faith has something of a head start."
Buffy shook her head. "Doesn't read. I think it's homework."
Giles stopped sparring. "The mayor wanted the good professor out of the way."
"Which leads to the question, how come? I'm gonna destroy the entire city, but I take the time to kill harmless Lester first?" Buffy asked.
"Tying up loose ends?" Giles suggested. "Lester had something or knew something."
"Then I wanna know, too. The mayor's trying to hide. I say we go seek."
"Ah. By attempting to keep a valuable clue from us, the mayor may have inadvertently led us right to it." Wesley made a flourish with his sword.
"What page are you on, Wes?" Buffy asked him. "'Cause we already got there."
"Yes, well. You will go tonight. Look over his apartment. Anything of note, report back here."
"I just love it when you take charge, you man, you."
"Uh, we...was that a yes?" Wesley asked her. "I have trouble keeping track."
"I'll go."
Giles looked at her. "Be careful. If Faith should show up-"
"I don't think she'll show. Been there, killed that. She's not much for follow-up."
"Nonetheless, keep watch. Faith has you at a disadvantage, Buffy."
Buffy sighed. "I hear you. I can't kill her, fun as it may sound. I can make her cry uncle, though, and I mean to."
Wesley looked at her. "Don't let your feelings about Faith interfere with your work."
"Stopping Faith is my work. Take a beat to love the synergy."
"Faith is a footnote. Our priority is stopping the Ascension."
"Easier said than done, Monarchy Boy."
"Buffy, if you don't have something constructive to add..."
Buffy turned and left the library.
After school, in the Summers' house, Buffy went into her mother's bedroom, took a suitcase out of the closet, opened it, put it on the bed, and started packing her mother's clothes.
Joyce walked into the bedroom. "Buffy, I'm home. Do you wanna go to, uh,...? What are you doing? You're running away again? And you're taking my clothes."
"Mom, I need you to leave town. Tonight."
"Buffy, I'd miss your graduation."
"Yeah, that's sort of the idea."
"There's no way. I wouldn't dream-"
"Mom, graduation is a pointless ceremony where you sit around and listen to a bunch of boring speeches until someone hands you a piece of paper that says you graduated, which you already know, and maroon does nothing for my complexion, so don't argue, okay?"
"What, is some terrible demon going to attack the school?"
Buffy glared at her but kept packing.
"Oh, I see. Oh, you know, Buffy, looking back on everything that's happened, maybe I should have sent you to a different school."
"Just promise me that you'll be far away from here."
"I'm not leaving you to face an awful monster. If I go anywhere, you're going with me."
"You know that I can't."
"Well, then I can't either."
"Mom, I know that sometimes you wish I was different."
"Buffy, no."
"I wish I could be a lot of things for you. A great student, a star athlete, remotely normal. I'm not. But there is something I do that I can do better than almost anybody else in the world. I'm gonna fight this thing, but I can't do it and worry about you."
"Buffy, you just can't-"
"You stay, you'll get me killed. You'll have to trust me on this. Can you do that?"
In Katrina and Amy's room in the Silbers' house, Amy was lying on their bed, naked, reading on her laptop and nibbling on a slice of cheddar cheese. Katrina was typing on her computer at her desk, also naked.
Amy sighed. "Oh, this is so frustrating."
"Nothing useful?" Katrina asked her.
"No." Amy sighed again. "Oh, who am I kidding? I'm not going to find a spell to stop the Ascension. I'm a shitty witch."
Katrina stood up, walked over to the bed, and lay down, facing Amy. "No, you're not."
"Everything's really scary now, you know, and I don't know what's gonna happen. We're probably just gonna die."
"We're gonna figure this out." Katrina leaned forward and kissed her, slowly.
Amy broke the kiss. "Trina..."
"If we do die, we should savor every moment that we have left."
Amy thought for a moment and then kissed Katrina on the lips.
After a bit of making out, Amy broke the kiss, lay down on her back, and spread her legs. Katrina lay down between Amy's legs and gently started licking Amy's pussy.
Amy moaned her approval and ran her fingers through Katrina's hair. "Harder, baby. Harder."
Katrina's tongue picked up speed. She plucked at her lover's pussy with her teeth, being careful not to hurt Amy. "You like that?"
"Mmm, yeah." Amy looked at Katrina's face between her legs. "Turn around. I want us to cum together."
Katrina briefly broke contact with Amy's pussy. She turned herself around and lay on top of Amy, facing the opposite direction. Amy put her hands on Katrina's ass and pulled her close, mashing her pussy against her lips. Amy went to work on Katrina's pussy with her tongue. Katrina lowered her head and resumed licking Amy's pussy.
As the minutes passed, the two lovers went from licking to eating. Nothing mattered but their pleasure. They were insatiable, almost chewing on each other, but they never did anything to hurt each other. Amy took a moment to wet the index finger of her left hand in her mouth, and then she pressed it against Katrina's asshole. Using her hands to spread Katrina's anus, Amy slowly worked her index finger into her girlfriend's asshole while still eating her pussy. For her part, Katrina didn't express any surprise. Anal sex was just another activity that they enjoyed immensely. Katrina took a moment to wet her own index finger in her mouth, and then she reached down and started working it into Amy's asshole.
More minutes passed. They didn't rush their orgasms. They went slow, prolonging their pleasure. They finger-fucked each other's assholes and ate each other's pussies. When their orgasms finally came, their bodies quaked, their anal muscles clamped down on each other's fingers, and they cummed into each other's mouths.
Then they went at it again.
In Professor Wirth's apartment, Buffy was collecting papers and books and putting them in a file box.
Angel arrived at the open front door and stumbled over the door jamb. "Ow."
"Stealthy."
"Not my best entrance. I think they were mopping in the halls."
"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked him.
"I checked in with Giles. He asked me to back you up."
"He's afraid I'll run into Faith."
"And you're not?"
"It's gonna happen sooner or later."
"What's that?"
"A report. Excavation of some old lava bed. Guy was a volcano-ologist or something."
"Anything in there that connects him to the mayor?"
"I looked through it, but the only thing I understood were the commas. Gonna bring it to Giles, see if he can do better." Buffy picked up the file box.
"Let me give you a hand." Angel took the box.
They left the apartment. Buffy closed the door behind her.
They walked down the hall and left the building.
"You know what?" Buffy asked. "Thank you, but I can take it from here."
"It's all right. I'll walk you to your van."
"Look, I don't need an escort. I'm a big girl. Superpowers, remember? I don't need you crowding me."
"I didn't think I was."
"No, of course, you don't. I just wish it was over, done."
"It's not that simple. I mean...once the mayor-"
"I know, world in peril, and we have to work together."
"I'll get out of your face." Angel dropped the box at her feet and turned away.
Suddenly, Buffy heard the sound of an arrow striking. The arrow was fired above and behind Angel and had passed through his back, so the point stuck out the front of his jacket. He fell, and Buffy caught him.
"Angel!" Buffy exclaimed.
Behind a neon sign atop a nearby building, Faith and a vampire looked down at them.
"Missed the heart."
Faith stared down at Angel. "Meant to."
Buffy drove Angel to the school and took him into the library. Angel sat in a chair.
Giles cut the arrow shaft where it entered Angel's back. "There."
"Okay, ready?" Buffy grasped the arrow's point.
"Yeah."
"On three. One." Buffy pulled the arrow out.
"I knew you were going to do that."
Giles looked at the exit wound. "Not too much blood here."
"I heal pretty fast. I should be all right."
Buffy swabbed the exit wound. You're lucky Faith's such a suck shot."
"You sure it was her?" Giles asked her.
"Well, I've narrowed down my list of one suspect."
Buffy and Giles continued bandaging Angel.
Wesley was sitting at the table, reading. "Fascinating."
"What?" Giles asked him.
"It seems our Mr. Wirth headed an expedition in Hawaii, digging in old lava beds near a dormant volcano."
Buffy yawned. "I'm not fascinated yet."
"He found something underneath. A carcass buried by an eruption."
"A carcass?" Giles asked.
"A very large one. Mr. Wirth posits that it might be some heretofore undiscovered dinosaur."
"A demon?" Angel asked.
"Yes, that would be something that the mayor would want to keep a secret. If it's the same kind of demon he's turning into, and it's dead, it means that, well, he's only impervious to harm until the Ascension. In his demon form, he can be killed."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Great. So all we need is a million tons of burning lava. We're saved."
Angel looked at her. "Well, it's a start, anyway."
Buffy looked at him. "Okay, you've been a real klutz today. You need-"
"Damn." Angel fell to the floor, unconscious.
Giles sniffed the arrow's point. "We'll have to run some tests."
Buffy felt Angel's forehead. "You're burning up."
"It's poison. I can feel it."
Giles looked at Buffy. "Call the others. Get them here. We need to move him to the safety of his own bed before the sun comes up."
"Will you be able to find out what this is?" Buffy asked him.
Wesley looked at her. "The Council has all the known toxins on file, mystical or otherwise. I'll contact them immediately."
Buffy looked at him. "Thanks." She looked at Angel. "You're going to be okay."
In Katrina and Amy's bedroom, the two lovers cuddled in their bed. Katrina stroked Amy's hair.
Amy smiled. "That was nice."
They kissed. The phone rang.
Katrina answered it. "Hello?"
"Trina, it's me. You and Amy get to the school. Angel's been poisoned."
"On our way." Katrina hung up and looked at Amy. "We've gotta go."
Faith entered the mayor's office as he placed the Box of Gavrock on his desk.
"He's dropped, boss."
"Applause, applause."
"Right in the back. He pitches over, and Buffy's freaking, looking around, all panicked. It's a good time."
"Well, that should keep her occupied for a spell."
"What next?"
"The Ritual of Gavrock. I have to ingest several of the inhabitants of this box."
"Ingest?"
"Eat."
"You're wicked gross."
Wilkins chuckled. "Well, you don't have to watch. Just, you know, go home, take it easy. It's a big day tomorrow."
"You gotta give me something to do. There's no way I'm sleeping. Don't you need anyone dead? Or maimed? I can settle for maimed."
He chuckled again. "You little firecracker."
"My mom used to call me that when I was little. I was always running around." Faith fell silent as she remembered her mother. "Tomorrow, at the Ascension and all that, am I going to get to fight?"
"If everything goes smoothly, you won't have to. But how often do things go smoothly?"
"So you'll still need me in there."
"Always."
"When I was a kid, a couple of miles outside of Boston, there was this quarry. And all the kids used to swim there and jump off the rocks. And there was this one rock like forty feet up. I was the only one that would jump off it. All the older kids were too scared."
"Not you, though."
"Nah. I could do it easy."
"Get some rest."
"Good luck with your spiders there." Faith turned and left the office.
Tara, Amy, and Katrina were gathered in the Sunnydale High School chemistry lab. Tara was peering through a microscope.
Amy tore a page out of a notebook and handed it to Katrina. "They should have all this at the magic shop. I can run a trace analysis, see if it's a mystical poison."
"I'm a little short on cash."
"Just tell them it's for me."
"Right."
Inside Angel's mansion, Angel lay in bed, sweating.
Cordelia held his hand and soothed him with a cool, wet rag. "It'll be okay. You'll be okay."
Buffy and Giles were standing at a distance. They heard a door opening. Wesley entered the bedroom, looking upset.
"Did you reach the Council?" Giles asked him.
"Yes. They - They couldn't help."
"Couldn't?" Buffy asked.
"Wouldn't. It's not Council policy to cure vampires."
"Did you explain that these were special circumstances?" Giles asked him.
"Not under any circumstances, and, yes, I did try to convince them."
Cordelia looked at him. "Try again."
"Cordelia, they're very firm. We're talking about laws that have existed longer than civilization."
Cordelia gave him a death stare. "I'm talking about watching my lover die. I don't have a clue what you're talking about, and I don't give a fuck."
Giles looked at her. "Cordelia, we'll find a cure."
Wesley looked at Buffy. "The Council's orders are to concentrate on-"
"Orders?" Buffy asked, offended. "I don't think I'm gonna be taking any more orders. Not from you, not from them."
"You can't turn your back on the Council."
"They're in England. I don't think they can tell which way my back is facing."
"Giles, talk to her."
Giles walked to Buffy's side. "I've nothing to say right now."
"Wesley, go back to your Council and tell them, until the next Slayer comes along, they can close up shop. I'm not working for them anymore."
"Don't you see what's happening? Faith poisoned Angel to distract you, to keep you out of the mayor's way, and it's working. You need a strategy."
"I have a strategy. You're not in it."
"This is mutiny."
Buffy paused and stared at him for a long time. "I like to think of it as graduation. Giles, I can't stay here any longer. I'm gonna see if I can help the others."
"Of course."
"Cordy?" Buffy asked.
"I've got this. Go."
Wesley looked at Buffy. "Buffy, you don't know what you're doing."
"Get a job." Buffy marched off.
Buffy went back to the library and met up with Tara, Amy, and Katrina.
Amy looked at Buffy. "Finding the poison wasn't that hard. It's a mystical compound. The Latin name translates roughly to Killer of the Dead. Used on vampires."
"And the cure?" Buffy asked her.
"There aren't a lot of instances of it being cured."
"But there are some?" Buffy asked her.
"One or two. Pretty vague accounts. How is he?" Amy asked her.
Katrina was reading something on the PC. "Hold it."
"You got something?" Tara asked her.
"I'm not sure."
Buffy looked at her. "Be sure."
"Okay. Killer of the Dead. That's our boy, and here's a vamp that walked away from it."
"Does it talk about the cure?" Tara asked her.
Katrina frowned. "Damn."
"Nothing?" Buffy asked her.
"No, it's in here, but..."
Tara read over her shoulder. "Wait, completely reversed the effects. Oh."
"What?" Buffy asked.
Katrina looked at Buffy. "The only way to cure this thing is to drain the blood of a Slayer."
Buffy stared at the screen for a long time. "Good."
Tara looked at Buffy in confusion. "Good?"
"It's perfect. Angel needs to drain a Slayer, then I'll bring him one."
Tara stared at Buffy in shock. "Buffy, if Angel drains Faith's blood, it'll kill her."
Buffy gave Tara a dark look. "Not if she's already dead."
Later, in the library, Buffy and Tara headed into the book cage.
Tara felt troubled. "Buffy...are you sure about this?"
"It's time."
"We're talking to the death."
"I can't play kid games anymore. This is how she wants it."
"I just don't want to lose you."
"I won't get hurt." Buffy reached into a weapons cabinet and picked up Faith's fancy knife.
"That's not what I mean." Tara paused for a moment. "You can't kill one person to save another. It's murder."
Buffy hesitated for a moment, then she shook her head. "I owe it to Cordy."
"Sweetie-"
"Just get me an address."
They stared at each other for a moment, then Tara left, upset.
In Faith's apartment, she was lying on her bed and reading a comic book while "Fishfuck" by Gwar blared from her stereo.
Buffy entered the room, behind her, and turned off the stereo. "Thought I'd stop by."
"Is he dead yet?" Faith asked her, not looking around.
"He's not gonna die. It was a good try, though. Your plan?"
"Uh-huh. The mayor got me the poison. Said it was wicked painful."
"There's a cure."
Faith finally looked at her. "Damn. What is it?"
"Your blood. As justice goes, it's not un-poetic, don't you think?"
Faith stood up. "Come to get me? You gonna feed me to Angel? You know you're not going to take me alive."
"Not a problem."
"Well, look at you. All dressed up in big sister's clothes."
"You told me I was just like you. That I was holding it in."
They approached until they were standing face to face.
"Ready to cut loose?" Faith asked her.
"Try me."
"Okay, then. Give us a kiss."
Buffy stared at Faith for a long moment.
In the library, Giles suddenly remembered something. "Right. Right." He headed for a bookshelf.
"Something about the demon?" Tara asked him.
Giles pulled out a book. "The local villagers near the volcano site made reference to the legend of Ollokai. Might be a bastardization of Olvikan."
"Who's Olvikan?"
"I know it's a demon, a very old one. Might have a picture." Giles flipped pages and then stopped.
Tara looked over his shoulder and unfolded a page twice like a centerfold. "Holy shit."
Later, in the library, Giles came out of his office, massaging his right shoulder, while Harmony walked in, carrying a Styrofoam cup.
"Any word from Buffy?" Harmony asked.
Giles sat down at the table. "Not yet."
Harmony offered him the cup. "Here is your cup of coffee. Brewed from the finest Colombian lighter fluid."
Giles took the cup. "Thank you." He took a sip. "Horrible." He took another sip.
Harmony sat down across from Giles. "Aren't you supposed to be drinking tea, anyway?"
"Tea is soothing. I wish to be tense."
Harmony shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat."
Giles put down his cup. "Look through the, uh, Kepler volumes.
Harmony picked up a book.
"Any reference to the demon Olvikan."
Harmony opened the book.
"Powers, weaknesses, hat size, anything. There's got to be something."
In the mansion, Angel was laying in bed. The arrow wound was red and inflamed. He was twisting restlessly, clearly in pain, and moaning softly. Cordelia dabbed at his sweaty forehead with a wet rag. Angel opened his eyes.
Cordelia smiled. "You're awake."
Angel reached for her hand. "You've been watching over me?"
Cordelia nodded.
Angel took her hand and started kissing it. He lay his other hand on Cordelia's right arm. "I thought - I thought I'd never see you again." He shook his head. "I can't leave you. I was wrong. I need you."
Cordelia sadly pulled her hand out of his and patted his hand. "No. You were right."
Angel lifted his head and tried to sit up. "Where is Buffy?"
Cordelia pushed him back down, worried. "She'll be back soon."
Angel sunk back and closed his eyes.
Cordelia heard the door open. She looked behind her. Buffy walked in slowly, staring at the floor. Cordelia stood up. Buffy walked up to her, looking unhappy.
"Did you find Faith?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy just looked at her, saying nothing.
"You didn't...?" Cordelia paused. "She's not here?"
"How is he?" Buffy asked her.
"He comes in and out. I think the...pain is...less. Now."
Buffy and Cordelia walked into the library. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at them. Buffy mentally noted who was there: Tara, Amy, Katrina, Harmony, Jenny, Giles, and Wesley.
Faith walked into the library. "Well, well, well."
Everyone stood up in surprise.
"Faith!" Tara exclaimed.
Faith took out her knife and raised it high.
Tara held out her hand. "Stop!"
Faith plunged the knife downward, jamming it into the counter. Buffy and Cordelia didn't react at all. Faith started laughing. Tara smirked, realizing the truth. The others stared in confusion.
Faith took a bow. "Everybody give it up for the world's greatest actress."
Buffy and Cordelia turned to her and applauded. Tara joined in.
Giles frowned in confusion. "I don't understand."
Buffy smiled and walked over to the table. "It was all a ruse. She's on our side."
Cordelia and Faith joined the others at the table.
Buffy sat down. "Everybody have a seat. We'll explain."
Everyone else sat down.
Buffy took a deep breath and let it out. "Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer..."
Everyone stared at her, confused.
"What?" Buffy asked. "If there was a show about me, that's what it would be called. Anyway..."
The two Slayers looked at each other uncertainly for a long while. Faith lowered her stake. Buffy massaged her neck.
"Need a ride home?" Buffy finally offered.
Faith stared at her for a moment longer. "Yeah."
Neither of them said anything as Buffy drove.
Faith looked out the window. "This isn't the way back to Jenny's place."
Buffy didn't say anything.
"Where are we going?" Faith asked her.
"You'll see. Just be patient."
Soon, Faith realized Buffy was pulling into the parking lot of the police station.
"Oh, fuck no!" Faith declared, scrambling to unfasten her seatbelt.
"Calm down, Faith. I wanna talk with you." Buffy parked her van and shut off the engine. "Look, life dealt you a shitty hand. I get that. I can't imagine what you've been through."
"That's right, you can't."
"And you made an honest mistake. Yes, it was horrible, and it was tragic, and I know it haunts you. In that respect, I can imagine what you've been going through. But guess what, Faith. You're better than me. Of the two people in this van, you alone haven't gone over the edge. Let's keep it that way."
Faith was wary. "What are you suggesting?"
"I'm suggesting...we go in there...and you confess-"
Faith started to shake her head in protest.
"-in exchange for the same kind of deal that I have."
"What, and work for the cops? No, thanks."
"It's better than going to prison. And it's better than running away and not dealing with it. Because you'll always wonder...is today the day that I get caught?"
Faith considered that and decided to stay where she was at the moment.
"You're angry. You have all of this rage inside you. Believe me, I know how that feels. And anger...can lead to tragedy. I believe this is a healthier alternative."
"How, um...how do you know the police will offer me a deal?" Faith asked.
"Because we're gonna offer them the mayor."
Faith gave her a look of confusion.
"The mayor's dirty. He's gotta have his hands in the police department for them to bend to his will and offer me the deal. I'm willing to bet they don't like being told what to do and will be more than happy to be rid of him. We won't go to Chief Munroe; he might be in the mayor's pocket. We'll go to Detective Stein; he's my contact in the department and the one that investigated our respective...incidents. He really didn't seem to enjoy welcoming me to the department. He should be able to work something out for you, if we can take out the mayor."
"But how are we gonna do that?"
"I have a plan. It's very risky. It involves you turning to the dark side and going to work for the mayor."
Faith was intrigued.
"You'd be on your own, no help from us. Honestly, you shouldn't even have any contact with us. The mayor probably has spies everywhere, so you would need to keep up the act the entire time. I'll do the same. I might have to let a few others in on it, but most people won't know the truth. If you reveal yourself as a bad guy, they'll believe it. Would you be okay with that?"
Faith shrugged. "Story of my life." She paused. "Do you really think we can pull this off?"
Buffy nodded. "I think so. We'll just have to act our asses off and give the performance of a lifetime."
Faith chuckled despite her feeling of dread. "No pressure, right?" She shrugged. "What the hell? Let's do it."
Buffy and Faith walked into the police station and over to the reception desk.
"Excuse me?" Buffy asked the attending officer.
He looked up. "Ms. Summers."
"Detective Stein's working tonight, isn't he?" Buffy asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, he's at his desk."
Buffy looked at Faith. "C'mon."
Faith followed Buffy over to Detective Stein's desk, where he was doing paperwork.
"Detective Stein?" Buffy asked.
He looked up. He was surprised to see Faith.
"Interrogation room free?" Buffy asked him.
The three of them went into the interrogation room, and Buffy laid out her plan.
Stein sat in silence for a while as he considered it. "Okay."
Buffy and Faith were surprised.
Stein gave them a small smile. "I hate that son of a bitch."
"So...if I do this...and the mayor's taken down...I get the same deal as Buffy?" Faith asked him.
"Well, I'll need to convince Chief Munroe, but I'll...hold off on that for now. Things are kinda weird around here."
Buffy frowned. "Weird how?"
"There's actually a 'do not arrest' order in place regarding you, Ms. Lehane. One guess as to who gave it."
Faith nodded. "The mayor. Why?"
Stein shrugged. "Beats me, but Munroe doesn't like it. Convincing him to actually hire you would be a neat trick."
Buffy smiled. "Well, I'm sure you can pull it off." She thought for a moment. "Maybe even ask the governor for a pardon."
Stein stared at her humorlessly. "Don't push it, Summers."
Faith sat in silence as Buffy parked her van and shut off the engine.
"Remember what we talked about, Faith."
Faith looked at Buffy and nodded.
Faith walked up the steps of Sunnydale City Hall, went in, and walked straight past the reception desk in the lobby.
"Hey, state your business!" the receptionist yelled. "Excuse me!"
Faith ignored her. She found the mayor's office and stood there for a moment, unsure. She took a deep breath.
Faith knocked on the door to the mayor's office and then stood there, arms crossed. Eventually, the door opened, and the mayor was standing there. He looked surprised to see Faith.
"You sent your boy to kill me."
"That's right, I did."
"He's dead."
"I thought he might be. What with you standing here and all."
Faith stepped brazenly into the doorway. "I guess that means you have a job opening."
The mayor stepped back to let her enter and closed the door.
Faith stepped closer. "Hey, I know I shouldn't be asking this, but...do you think, if things were different, that things between you and me'd be different, too?"
Angel shook his head. "We'll never know."
"Right. How could we?"
"Take care of yourself."
She stepped up to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Just as she did so, Cordelia walked up to the atrium door and saw them.
"Lifetime of practice."
Cordelia watched them as they separated and Faith left. Rather than go in, she turned around and left also. "You're overdoing it, bitch."
In Faith's apartment, she was sitting on her couch, filling in the mayor, who was leaning against the kitchen table.
"It's not like I wasn't trying, okay?"
"Hey, there's no need to convince me. I'm sure you gave it your level best. I just don't understand what that boy could be thinking."
"Try Cordelia Chase, like in a big fat one-track way."
"Hey, come on!" Wilkins stood up. "Don't be discouraged. You're a bright, young, energetic girl with a whole life ahead of her, and I won't tolerate brooding. So you couldn't give him that one moment of true happiness."
"I was thinking more along the lines of a long weekend, but okay."
"And he spurned your advances. So be it. There's more than one way to skin a cat. And I happen to know that's factually true." Wilkins paced. "We wanna take Angel's soul away. If we can't do it by giving him happiness, well, by golly, we'll just have to do it in the most painful way imaginable." He smiled.
"Oh?" Faith asked.
"We can have his soul removed forcefully. There are few that can do it. I know of a mage, but scheduling a man of his talents will be quite the chore."
"Yeah, well, let me know when you get it set up, huh?" Faith forced a grin. "I'd like to be there for it."
Wilkins smiled. "Sure thing."
Faith walked into the library.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'll remember to mention that."
"Mention what? Where're we going, girlfriend? Faith asked.
She took Buffy's arm as she was about to pass, but Buffy pulled it back.
"Uh, actually, I can handle this one solo."
"Why should you get to have all the fun?" Faith smiled at everyone. "Share, share, that's fair, right?" She faced Buffy.
"Right." Buffy showed her the address. "Found our demon."
Faith took it. "Oh. Well. Just go look him up." She smiled weakly.
Buffy wasted no time getting on her way. A moment later, Faith followed.
"B, wait up." Faith quickened her pace and walked beside Buffy. She leaned over to Buffy's left ear. "There's something that you need to know."
"All right, stop! I demand everyone stop this instant!" Wesley yelled.
Everyone looked at him.
"I'm in charge here, and I say this is all moving much too fast. We need time to fully analyze the situation and devise a proper and strategic stratagem."
Buffy stared daggers at him. "Wes, hop on the train or get off the tracks."
"The mayor will most assuredly have supernatural safeguards protecting the box."
There was silence.
"Oh, we all forgot about that, did we?" Wesley asked smugly.
"Looks like a job for Wiccan girl." Buffy looked at Tara. "What do you say, sweetie? You up to it?"
Tara was a bit nervous but nodded. "Uh-huh."
Buffy nodded. "Let's get to work." She stood up.
The gang filed past Wesley.
Buffy learned over to Tara's left ear. "Sweetie, before we go on this mission, there's something that you need to know...just in case you get caught."
"What?" Tara asked.
Buffy was about to reveal the secret to her but then hesitated, fearing what would happen. "If you get captured, hope it's by Faith. You might be able to reason with her. Everyone else, probably not."
Tara nodded.
On the roof of City Hall, the trio could see the box through the skylight. Angel opened the skylight. Buffy handed Tara a book and a bottle containing sand. Tara thought a spell while pouring the sand over the box. As the sand fell, a blue force field appeared around the box, then suddenly disappeared.
Tara looked at Buffy. "I think that did it."
"Four stars, Tara. Now, get going." Buffy kissed Tara on the lips.
Tara left by the fire ladder. She climbed down to the ground. Suddenly, she was yanked close to someone.
Faith held a knife up to Tara's throat. "Well, well."
"Faith..."
Faith stared at her for a moment. "Come with me. And keep your mouth shut."
Faith pulled her, and they started walking. They walked up the steps of City Hall and went inside.
Faith approached the wrecked conference room, holding a knife to Tara's neck. She saw the mayor surveying the damage while the vampire guards stood with their heads down.
"Well, this is very unfortunate. I just had this conference room redecorated, for Pete's sake. At taxpayers' expense. And, oh, yeah..." Wilkins' cheerful facade broke, and, with a burst of rage, he smashed a chair. "They've got my box."
Faith walked into the room with Tara.
"Yeah, they do, but looky what we got."
The mayor gave her a big smile.
Faith smiled. "Hi, I'm looking for Professor Wirth."
"Oh, well, that's me, but I should ask you to come back during office hours. Students generally make an appointment."
"Uh, I'm not from the college. I work for Mayor Wilkins. I'm Faith."
"Oh, well, come in, please." Wirth stepped aside. "I was so surprised when he called. Didn't expect a politician to be interested in my research."
Faith walked into the apartment. "He's a big fan, professor."
Wirth closed the door. "Oh, Lester's fine."
"We alone here, Lester?" Faith asked him.
"Well, yes. Lifelong bachelor. I like my space."
"I hear that." Faith took out a knife. "You want to turn and face the wall, Lester?"
"What are you doing?"
"I'll make it quick."
"Put that away. I'll scream."
"Who wouldn't?" Faith asked.
"Please."
"Sorry, friend, boss wants you dead."
"Why?"
Faith stabbed him in the shoulder, not too deeply. "You know, I never thought to ask."
Wirth groaned in pain. "You're...not...a very good...killer."
Faith leaned very close to him. "Yeah, I know, but I gotta make it look like I tried. Hide here for a few hours to make sure no one's watching the place, then get out of town." She withdrew the knife. "Either the mayor's going down, or the town is."
Faith and a vampire positioned themselves behind a neon sign atop a building near Professor Wirth's apartment building and looked down at it. Buffy and Angel left the building. Faith readied the arrow, drew it back in her bow, and waited.
"You know what?" Buffy asked. "Thank you, but I can take it from here."
"It's all right. I'll walk you to your van."
"Look, I don't need an escort. I'm a big girl. Superpowers, remember? I don't need you crowding me."
"I didn't think I was."
"No, of course, you don't. I just wish it was over, done."
"It's not that simple. I mean...once the mayor-"
"I know, world in peril, and we have to work together."
"I'll get out of your face." Angel dropped the box at her feet and turned away.
Faith fired at Angel. The arrow passed through his back, so the point stuck out the front of his jacket. He fell, and Buffy caught him.
"Angel!" Buffy exclaimed.
"Missed the heart."
Faith stared down at Angel. "Meant to."
Buffy noticed a piece of paper rolled up around the back of the arrow, untaped it, unrolled it, and read the note: "B, Cure is the blood of a Slayer. Or two. You and me. Let me know when ready."
In Faith's apartment, she was lying on her bed and reading a comic book while "Fishfuck" by Gwar blared from her stereo.
Buffy entered the room, behind her, and turned off the stereo. "Thought I'd stop by."
"Is he dead yet?" Faith asked her, not looking around.
"He's not gonna die. It was a good try, though. Your plan?"
"Uh-huh. The mayor got me the poison. Said it was wicked painful."
"There's a cure."
Faith finally looked at her. "Damn. What is it?"
"Your blood. As justice goes, it's not un-poetic, don't you think?"
Faith stood up. "Come to get me? You gonna feed me to Angel? You know you're not going to take me alive."
"Not a problem."
"Well, look at you. All dressed up in big sister's clothes."
"You told me I was just like you. That I was holding it in."
They approached until they were standing face to face.
"Ready to cut loose?" Faith asked her.
"Try me."
"Okay, then. Give us a kiss."
Buffy stared at Faith for a long moment, and then she kissed her on the lips.
When their lips parted, Faith grinned.
Buffy smiled. "You did good. C'mon, let's get the fuck outta here."
Cordelia heard the door open. She looked behind her. Buffy walked in slowly, staring at the floor. Cordelia stood up. Buffy walked up to her, looking unhappy.
"Did you find Faith?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy just looked at her, saying nothing.
"You didn't...?" Cordelia paused. "She's not here?"
"How is he?" Buffy asked her.
"He comes in and out. I think the...pain is...less. Now."
Buffy turned around. "Come in."
Faith walked into the room and over to Cordelia and Buffy.
Buffy and Faith each held up a bag of blood.
Buffy smiled. "And that brings us to the present. Everyone all caught up?"
Amy smiled. "Goddamn, you sure pulled one over on us."
Faith took some folded-up pages out of her pocket, unfolded them, and set them in front of Giles on the table. "You'll find out everything that you'll need to know about the Ascension here, G-Money."
"Don't call me that." Giles took the pages and started reading them.
Faith shrugged. "Long story short: About eight-hundred years ago, in the Kastka Vallies above the Urals, there was a sorcerer there who achieved Ascension. Became the embodiment of the demon Lo-Hash. It decimated the village within hours. Maybe three people got out."
"Ahem, I'm sorry, but Lo-Hash was a four-winged soul killer, am I right?" Wesley asked Giles.
Giles nodded.
"I was given to understand that they're not that fierce. Of all the demons that we've faced-"
"You've never seen a demon."
Buffy looked at Faith and raised her hand. "Uh, excuse me? Kind of professionally, three years running."
"All the demons that walk the Earth are tainted - are human hybrids like vampires. The Ascension means that a human becomes pure demon. They're different."
"Different?" Giles asked.
"How?" Buffy asked.
"Well, for one thing, they're bigger."
"What about the spiders? The mayor had a box of spiders that he had to eat. The Box of...I want to say Grav-Locks?" Buffy guessed.
Giles looked at her. "Gavrock."
Mayor Wilkins entered the library, alone. The group stood up, shocked. Wilkins was surprised to see Faith with the others. Faith shrugged.
"You betrayed me?" Wilkins asked in disbelief.
Faith shrugged. "Actually, deceived is more like it."
Cordelia nodded. "We put one over on you."
"So all of that was an elaborate act?" Wilkins asked.
Buffy shrugged. "What do you want us to say? Life's a show, and we all play our parts."
Wilkins regained his composure. "So...this is the inner sanctum. Faith told me this is where you folks like to hang out, concoct your little schemes. I tell you, it's just nice to see that some young people are still interested in reading in this modern era. So...what are kids reading nowadays?"
The mayor walked to the table and picked up a page. Giles stood his ground and didn't flinch at the proximity.
"'The beast will walk upon the Earth, and darkness will follow. The several races of man will be as one in their terror and destruction.' Aw, that's kind of sweet. Different races coming together."
"You never get even a little tired of hearing yourself speak, do you?" Buffy asked him.
Wilkins chuckled and looked at Giles. "That's one spunky little girl you've raised. I'm gonna eat her."
Giles grabbed Wesley's sword from the table and thrust it through the mayor's chest.
Wilkins staggered back but regained his balance. "Whoa! Well, now, that was a little thoughtless." He pulled the sword out of his chest. "Violent outbursts like that in front of the children? You know, Mr. Giles, they look to you to see how to behave."
Buffy stared daggers at him. "Get out."
Wilkins took a handkerchief and slowly wiped the blood from the sword. "I smell fear. That's smart. Some of your deaths will be quick, if that's worth anything. Well, see you all at graduation." He tossed the sword back to Giles. "You don't want to miss my commencement address. It's going to be one heck of a speech." He left the library.
Buffy took a moment to regain her composure. "Call everyone. Meeting. My house. One hour. We're going to war."
Later, at Buffy's house, everyone was gathered in the backyard: Buffy, Tara, Amy, Katrina, Cordelia, Harmony, Faith, Jenny, Giles, Amber Grove, Lishanne Davis, Rhonda Kelley, Heidi Barrie, Emily Djiemanowicz, Laura Egler, Sheila Martini, Callie Megan Anderson, Theresa Klusmeyer, Debbie Foley, Nancy O'Brien, and Nicole Bilderback.
"So...am I crazy?" Buffy asked everyone.
Amy hesitated. "Well, 'crazy' is such a strong word."
Giles chewed on his glasses. "Let's not rule it out, though."
"You don't think it can be done?" Buffy asked him.
"I didn't say that. I might, but not yet."
Cordelia grinned. "I personally don't think it's possible to come up with a crazier plan."
Buffy gave her a sarcastic smile. "Thank you."
"My point, however, is, crazy or not, it's pretty much the only plan. Besides, it's Buffy's, and she's slay gal, you know, Ms. Little Likes-To-Fight. So-"
"Thank you, Cordy." Buffy looked at everyone. "Well, I'm going to need every single one of you on board." She looked at Amy. "Especially you, Amy. You're sort of the key figure here."
Amy took a deep breath and then let it out. "What do I have to do?"
"Do you remember any of your military training from when you became G.I. Jane?" Buffy asked her.
Amy pointed at her. "Uh, rocket launcher?"
Buffy shook her head. "Rocket launcher not going to get it done. I mean...it took a volcano to kill one of these fuckers last time."
Rhonda rolled her eyes. "Great. We're doomed."
Buffy gave her a sharp look. "We're not doomed."
"Then what would you call it?" Heidi asked Buffy.
Buffy looked at her. "I can requisition the required materials through my contact in the police department."
Amy nodded. "I'll provide you with a list, but I'll need to calculate the strength needed."
Katrina looked at Amy. "I can help you with that. I'll also work on the detonator."
Buffy nodded. "Good."
Giles walked towards her. "Um, Buffy, all of this is rather dependent on your being able to control the mayor."
Faith looked at Buffy. "Play on his human weakness."
Giles thought about it. "His weakness."
Faith nodded. "Right."
"Which is?" Giles asked her.
Faith and Buffy looked at each other for a moment and eventually shrugged.
Giles put his glasses back on. "Well, let's - let's, uh, let's think."
"Well, Faith, you hung with him the most. Is there something that he's afraid of?" Katrina asked.
Faith thought about it. "Well, he's not crazy about germs."
"Of course, that's it. We attack him with germs!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Buffy looked at her and rolled her eyes. "Great! We'll corner him, and then you can sneeze on him."
Cordelia gestured excitedly. "No! No, we'll get a box with the Ebola virus, and - and...or it doesn't even have to be real; we can just get a box that says 'Ebola' on it and, um, chase him with the box." Cordelia snapped her fingers.
No one said anything. Cordelia frowned. Harmony patted Cordelia's shoulder in support.
Katrina thought for a moment. "Faith."
Faith glanced over at her. "What?"
Katrina looked at her. "He was positively shocked when he saw you with us, like you'd committed the ultimate betrayal. You are his weak link."
Faith nodded. "Human weakness never goes away. Not even his."
Buffy looked at Faith. "We can work that."
The door in the fence opened. Wesley entered the backyard and walked over to Buffy. "You haven't an enormous amount of time."
Buffy looked away. "The Council is not welcome here. I have no time for orders."
"I'm not here for the Council. Just tell me how I can help."
Buffy looked at him.
"So there is something I can do."
"There is plenty. There is chores for everyone."
Later, in the library, Wesley was reading while Buffy and Angel listened. Buffy stood next to Wesley with her arms crossed.
"'Darkness will follow, and day becomes night.'"
Buffy thought about it. "An eclipse."
"Standard procedure for an Ascension?" Wesley guessed.
Angel stepped up to them. "That puts me back into the game."
Buffy looked at him. "Yeah, it does. You and Amy are going to work together. Also, bring in Cordelia."
"Cordelia?" Angel asked, uncomfortable.
"She's the best of the Potentials, and she's a good archer."
Angel stared at her in surprise.
"Rich-people hobby learned while she was rich. Is there gonna be a problem?" Buffy asked him.
"No. No problem."
Sandy Gray walked into the library. "Hi, Buffy."
Buffy looked at her. "Sandy. Hi."
Sandy walked over to her. "I heard what's going on. I went to your house, and they told me you were here. I wanna help."
Buffy was surprised. "You?"
"Is that so surprising?" Sandy asked her.
"Well, it's just...the mayor's gonna have vampires on his team. You might be put in a position to kill them."
"I know."
"Are you okay with that?" Buffy asked her.
"Well..." Sandy paused and wrung her hands. "This is my school, too. My graduation. I want to contribute."
Buffy smiled at her. "It just so happens that there'll be an eclipse. You'll be in Angel's group." She gestured at him.
"Thanks." Sandy walked over to Angel.
Buffy walked over to look over Amy and Katrina's shoulders as they were looking through some books on the table.
"So...how are we coming on volcano detail?" Buffy asked them.
Katrina looked at her. "I think we can work it out."
Amy nodded. "Fun with chemistry."
Buffy nodded. "I'll call Detective Stein and see about getting the materials. That oughta be a fun conversation."
"Who's going to blow it up?" Katrina asked.
Buffy turned to Giles coming up beside them. "You feel up to it?"
Giles took off his glasses. "Uh, I suppose it should be me. It's strangely fitting in a grotesque fashion."
Later, Amy, Cordelia, Gwen Ditchik, Holly Charleston, Michelle Blake, and Angel were in Buffy's backyard. The girls were practicing their archery skills against a target.
"So when you say the mayor will be 'big'..." Gwen looked at Cordelia.
Cordelia shrugged. "That's all I know. Big."
Gwen was uncertain. "You better not be fucking with me, Cordy."
"Pull back!" Amy ordered.
The archers pulled their strings.
"Aim!" Amy ordered.
They aimed.
"Fire!" Amy ordered.
The archers let their arrows fly. Cordelia's arrow hit the bullseye. Everyone else's arrows missed.
Holly looked at Michelle. "Maybe we should try the crossbow."
Michelle shrugged. "Yeah, maybe."
Angel looked over at Cordelia. "If we get through this, I'm just going to go. I'm not going to say goodbye."
Cordelia slowly looked down.
"You understand?"
"No, of course, I don't. You just show up at the prom, and then you disappear into the ozone. For all I know, you left town."
"Are you mad at me for being around too much or for not being around enough?"
"Duh. Yes."
"Which?"
"What?"
"I don't get you."
Cordelia picked up another arrow. "No, you don't, not anymore."
"Are you just making this harder to make this easier on yourself?"
"Could we stop with the brainteasers? I just wish it was over, done."
"It's not that simple. I mean...once the mayor-"
"I know, world in peril, and we have to work together. This is my last office romance, I'll tell you that."
"I'll get out of your face." Angel put down the arrow that he had been playing with and turned away.
"Isn't it even a little hard for you?"
"How can you ask me that? Just because I'm not acting like a brat doesn't mean I don't feel-"
"It's nice to know what you think of me!" Cordelia yelled.
Angel looked at her. "What do you expect me to say when you just attack?"
"I just can't do this anymore. I can't have you in my life when I'm trying to move on." Cordelia swallowed hard.
Angel hesitated a moment, then turned to leave quietly. Cordelia took a slow breath.
Later that night, after everyone else had left, Buffy and Tara showered, brushed their teeth, got into bed, and snuggled with each other. Tara gently kissed Buffy's neck repeatedly.
Buffy was pensive. "I'm worried, babe."
"Me, too, but worrying's not going to change anything."
"I don't know if they're ready."
"You've trained them well. They're as ready as they'll ever be."
"Not Slayer School. The senior class. I don't know most of them. They're not fighters. And I'm asking them to stand and fight tomorrow."
Tara had an idea and looked Buffy in the eyes. "What if we held a pep rally?"
Buffy stared at Tara blankly. "Huh?"
The next morning, Buffy was walking through Faith's apartment, her arms crossed in front of her. There were cardboard boxes stacked everywhere. Faith was packing.
"I'm glad that you're getting out of this place."
"Hey, it ain't easy givin' all this up, but no way in Hell am I staying here any longer." Faith shrugged. "Besides, if we win, the mayor won't be around to pay the rent, and I sure as fuck can't afford it."
"Moving back in with Ms. Calendar?" Buffy asked her.
Faith walked up behind Buffy and stopped next to her. "Actually, if we survive, I'm gonna head out."
Buffy was surprised. "Oh?"
"Sunnydale doesn't need two Slayers." Faith smiled. "And we both know you're not going anywhere, and I ain't stickin' around just so you can fuck your girlfriend 24/7."
Buffy laughed. "It wouldn't be 24/7. Gotta set aside time to eat."
Faith grinned. "Why? You'd be doing that, anyway."
Buffy playfully elbowed Faith in the ribs.
Faith sobered. "It's better this way. It just feels right."
"A higher power guiding us?" Buffy asked her.
Faith looked at her, then turned and walked away. "I'm pretty sure that's not what I meant." She stood in front of the broken window, looking out. "They are never going to fix this, are they?"
"Where will you go?" Buffy asked her.
Faith turned around and gestured widely with a short laugh. "Beats me."
Buffy gave a little laugh in return and looked down.
Faith walked towards her. "Getting towards that time."
Buffy looked at all the boxes and the weapons laid out on the table beside her. "How are you going to fit all this shit?"
"Not gonna. It's yours."
Buffy was shocked. "I can't use all of this!"
"Just take what you need." Faith reached her right hand up to touch Buffy's cheek. "You're ready?"
"Yeah." Buffy looked at Faith, then softly kissed her on the lips.
Harmony parked her pink 1997 Mazda MX5 Miata in the student parking lot and put the roof up. She shut off the engine.
Cordelia was sitting in the passenger seat. She was lost in thought and casually pushed the stuffed unicorn that dangled from the car's rearview mirror. She eventually looked at her friend. "Angel's leaving after graduation."
Harmony looked at her.
"If we survive. He's just gonna leave. He told me last night."
Harmony frowned. "Sorry."
Cordelia sighed. "And I'll be stuck here on the Hellmouth, wondering where the fuck he is."
Harmony wasn't sure what to say. "Yeah, that does kinda suck."
Cordelia gave her a look, and then she opened her purse and took out an envelope.
"What's what?" Harmony asked her.
"I dunno. A graduation card or something from Mom. She made me promise not to open it until after the ceremony." Cordelia paused in thought for a moment. "Fuck it. She opened the envelope and took out a card.
Cordelia opened the card, and a lot of money fell into her lap. She quickly gathered up the bills.
Harmony stared. "Holy shit. How much is that?"
Cordelia counted the money. "There's gotta be...at least ten-grand here. What the hell is my mom thinking? She can't afford this."
"What does the card say?" Harmony asked.
Cordelia looked at it. "'Dear Cordy, I am so very proud of you on this day. From graduating high school to saving the town, you have truly exceeded all of my expectations.'" She paused and frowned, offended. "'You are a light that burns bright, and I know you'll achieve even greater things, so take this money, go to Hollywood, and follow your dreams. Love, Mom'" She broke down and started crying.
Harmony put a hand on Cordelia's shoulder to comfort her. "Are you...gonna go?"
Cordelia wiped away her tears and looked at her. "I dunno. What do you think I should do?"
"Well, you've always wanted to act."
Cordelia sniffed. "Yeah." She paused and considered it. "Y'know, maybe I should. I could use a change. Besides, Sunnydale has two Slayers; L.A.'s got no one to protect them."
Harmony smiled. "You gonna be a champion of the helpless?"
"I guess." Cordelia closed the card and put it back in the envelope. "Yeah, living in L.A. will be nice. I can follow my dream, do some good, and put Angel behind me."
Harmony grinned. "That's the spirit."
Cordelia put the envelope back in her purse and stashed it under the seat. "Okay, let's get to the locker room."
The senior class met in the gym. Most of the students sat in the bleachers. The varsity cheerleading squad ran into the gym. The crowd cheered. Joy Wilmshurst, Cordelia, Amber Grove, and Lishanne Davis jumped and waved their pompoms.
Buffy, Tara, Amy, Katrina, Faith, and Harmony ran into the gym. They were each wearing a Sunnydale High School cheerleading uniform. Buffy and Harmony jumped and waved their pompoms. Faith, Tara, Amy, and Katrina were far less enthusiastic.
Faith looked at Tara, Amy, and Katrina. "This so isn't me."
Amy nodded. "I know the feeling."
"What the fuck, Summers?" Joy asked, annoyed. "You guys aren't cheerleaders. If anything happens to those uniforms-"
"Y'know what, Joy?" Buffy asked her. "If we survive graduation, bill me."
Joy rolled her eyes.
Lishanne laughed. "She really told you, Joy."
Joy shot her a look. "Shut up."
"All right, can I have everyone's attention, please?!" Buffy requested.
The crowd was talking loudly and ignoring her.
"Excuse me, you're being rude!" Harmony yelled.
They ignored her, too.
Cordelia whistled sharply. Everyone settled down.
"Thank you all for coming. Later this afternoon, we'll attend our graduation ceremony. We have plenty of work to do between now and then. I have worked closely with many of you, and I am confident that we will go out there and do our best. Whatever happens-"
The sound of the door opening interrupted Buffy. She looked and saw Mayor Wilkins walk into the gym. He took a seat on a bleacher in the first row. Buffy looked at him. He gave her a small smile and then gestured for her to continue. Buffy stared into his eyes. He stared straight back at her.
Without taking her eyes off the mayor, Buffy stomped her left foot twice on the gym floor, and then she followed that up by clapping her hands. She repeated the actions and kept it up. She looked to her friends. Cordelia dropped her pompoms, stomped her foot twice, and clapped her hands. The rest of their friends and the cheerleading squad joined in. Then the students sitting in the bleachers joined in. The entire senior class was involved. The loud sounds of stomps and claps filled the gym.
Having no microphone set up, Buffy was forced to raise her voice much higher than normal:
"Buddy, you're a boy,
Make a big noise,
Playing in the street,
Gonna be a big man someday.
You got mud on your face,
You big disgrace.
Kicking your can all over the place, singin'
We will, we will rock you.
We will, we will rock you.
"Buddy, you're a young man,
Hard man,
Shouting in the street,
Gonna take on the world someday.
You got blood on your face,
You big disgrace,
Waving your banner all over the place."
"We will, we will rock you!"
"Sing it!" Buffy yelled.
"We will, we will rock you!"
"Buddy, you're an old man,
Poor man,
Pleading with your eyes,
Gonna make you some peace someday.
You got mud on your face,
Big disgrace.
Somebody better put you back into your place."
"We will, we will rock you!"
"Sing it!" Buffy yelled.
"We will, we will rock you!"
"Everybody!" Buffy yelled.
"We will, we will rock you!"
Mayor Wilkins stood up and walked out of the gym. The senior class didn't let up until he was gone.
Later, in the student parking lot, Katrina was taking sacks of fertilizer from Buffy and Tara out of Buffy's van and putting them into a shopping cart.
Buffy nodded. "Okay, put these with the others."
"When should I wire it?" Katrina asked her.
"Shortly before the ceremony's about to begin."
"Okay. And until then?"
Tara smiled. "Just relax. Have a good time."
Katrina looked at her dubiously, shut the van's sliding door, and started moving off with the shopping cart.
Tara looked out the window at her. "I guess that's it. Won't be long now."
Buffy was concerned. "You nervous?"
Tara swallowed. "Yeah."
Buffy took her hand. "We'll make it through this."
"Are you sure?" Tara asked her.
Buffy smiled. "Yeah."
Tara and Buffy leaned forward, and they kissed softly. Buffy put her hand up to caress the side of her head. They kissed some more.
Tara pulled away just a little and slowly opened her eyes. "How long till graduation?"
"A little while."
Tara moved to kiss her again. The two girls sat down and started making out. They slowly undressed each other. Once they were naked, Buffy lay down on her back. Tara immediately knew what Buffy wanted; a sixty-nine with Tara on top was Buffy's preference. Tara got into position, laying down on top of her girlfriend in the opposite direction.
Buffy put her hands on Tara's ass, drawing her close. Tara lowered her head and started eating Buffy's pussy. Buffy ate Tara's pussy. They continued like this for many minutes, the silence broken by only their moans and the occasional vehicle outside. They were content to shut out the world as much as possible and have a loving moment together - perhaps their last ever.
When their orgasms came, they cummed into each other's mouths, nourishing each other. Then they made out for a while, tasting themselves on each other, and then wordlessly got dressed and went about their business.
Buffy walked into the library. She found Emily, Laura, Sheila, Callie, Theresa, Debbie, Nancy O'Brien, and Nicole taking books off the shelves and packing them into boxes.
"How's it going in here?" Buffy asked them.
Sheila rolled her eyes. "It's boring. When are we gonna see some action?"
Buffy looked at her. "You'll see it soon enough. Then you'll wish for boring."
Callie looked at Buffy. "It's coming along fine. We should have it all cleared out before the ceremony."
Buffy nodded. "Good."
Laura looked at Buffy. "I'm scared, Buffy."
Buffy put a comforting hand on Laura's arm. "Stay focused, Laura. Just remember your training."
"Will our training be enough?" Theresa asked Buffy.
"You are all excellent Slayerettes, and you all have amazing potential. I'm proud of all of you."
Debbie smiled. "Thank you, Buffy."
Buffy smiled at her.
Emily looked at Buffy. "Buffy, I'd like to volunteer to do the final run."
Buffy raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Emily nodded. "I'm on the track team. It's kind of my specialty."
Buffy gave her a smile. "I appreciate the offer, Emily, but you don't have Slayer speed. Faith and I will handle it."
Emily nodded.
Giles walked over to them. "Ladies, anyone have any more boxes ready?"
Nancy picked up a box and offered it to Giles. "Here you go, Mr. Giles."
Giles took the box. "Thank you, Nancy."
Nicole picked up a box and put it on top of Nancy's box. "And another one, Mr. Giles."
Giles struggled to hold both of them. "Uh, yes, very good. Thank you, Nicole." He turned and slowly, awkwardly walked away.
Buffy walked into Giles' office, where Angel was sorting through weapons.
Buffy looked at the weapons. "This isn't going to be enough."
Angel was still looking down at the stuff on the table. "Giles is on it."
"So...are we sure that everyone knows what their position is?" Buffy asked him.
"Yeah."
Buffy hesitated. "Cordy says you're leaving after, so I'll say this now. I know I've been a bit of a hardass around you-"
"You have every right to be. I nearly bit your mother."
"And I still don't fully trust you." Buffy drew in a breath and then sighed. "Still. You've proven yourself. So...thanks."
Angel didn't say anything or even look at her. Buffy turned and left without a word.
Katrina found Giles struggling with the boxes in the parking lot. She walked over to him and took the top box. "Here, let me help."
"Oh, thank you, Katrina." Giles fumbled for his keys and unlocked the passenger-side door of his car. He opened the door and put his box on the seat.
Katrina put her box on the floor of the car. "Have you gotten everything away from here?"
"Yes, uh, mostly. Ms. Calendar has been taking boxes to my apartment as well. Whatever we can't get off campus should be safe in our vehicles."
"The detonator's hooked up. It's outside the library, a fairly safe distance away. Just push down on the plunger when ready."
Giles nodded. "Very good." He paused and considered. "Are you sure it will work?"
Katrina laughed. "After all that I went through to MacGyver this shit, it better work."
Giles chuckled. "Ah, yes."
Katrina turned and walked away. She headed for the quad. On her way, she was joined by Amy.
Amy kissed Katrina on the lips and smiled. "Hey, you."
Katrina smiled. "Hey."
Cordelia and Harmony joined them. Then Buffy and Tara did.
"Everybody ready?" Buffy asked.
"Would you know I'm lying if I said no?" Harmony asked her.
"Buffy!"
Buffy turned around. Dawn was running right for her.
Buffy walked toward her in disbelief. "Oh, no, no, no. Shit, no. Fuck! Dawn, what are you doing here?!"
Dawn grinned. "Dad and I came to surprise you for your graduation."
Hank Summers walked up to Buffy and smiled. "Surprise!"
"Dad, this really isn't a good time. You and Dawn need to get out of here."
Hank frowned. "Why?"
"Because it's dangerous. Look, there's no time to explain. I just need you to do as I say."
Dawn grinned. "Is there gonna be a big battle? 'Cause I want in."
"Yes and hell no." Buffy turned Dawn around. "Get going!"
Music started playing.
"C'mon, it's starting!" Tara told them.
Dawn turned around and ran past Buffy.
Buffy turned around and looked at her. "Dawn! If you get killed, I'm telling!"
Cordelia looked at Buffy and smiled. "Way to lay down the law, Buff."
"Fuck you. Let's take our seats." Buffy walked past Cordelia.
They all entered the quad.
The students took their seats in the quad. The music stopped, and the students sat down. Tara sat Buffy's right.
Principal Snyder was standing at the podium. "Congratulations to the Class of 1999. You all proved more or less adequate. This is a time of celebration, so sit still and be quiet." He surveyed the students. "Spit out that gum. Please welcome our distinguished guest speaker: Richard Wilkins III." He looked at one of the students. "I saw that gesture. You see me after graduation." He turned and clapped.
The students clapped. The mayor shook Snyder's hand and stepped up to the podium. He smiled and took out some cue cards.
Wilkins cleared his throat and surveyed the students. "Well. What a day this is! Special day. Today is our centennial: the one-hundredth anniversary of the founding of Sunnydale, and I know what that means to all you kids: not a darn thing. Because today, something much more important happens: today, you all graduate from high school. Today, all the pain, all the work, all the excitement is finally over. And what's a hundred years of history compared to that? You know what, kids?"
Buffy stared at him. "Oh, my God. He's going to do the entire speech."
Tara frowned. "God damn it, just ascend already."
"Evolve!" Buffy muttered.
"For all of you, it may be that there is a place in Sunnydale's history, whether you like it or not. It's been a long road getting here. For you, for Sunnydale. There has been achievement, joy, good times, and there has been grief. There's been loss. Some people who should be here today aren't. But we are. Journey's end. And what is a journey? Is it just distance traveled? Time spent?" Wilkins shook his head. "No. It's what happens on the way; it's the things that happen to you. At the end of the journey, you're not the same. Today is about change. Graduation doesn't just mean your circumstances change; it means you do. You ascend to a higher level. Nothing will ever be the same."
A shadow fell across the mayor.
"Nothing."
He looked up. Buffy and the other students looked up to see the sun being totally blocked.
Wilkins flinched in pain, then swallowed. "And so as we look back on..." He turned half to the side, groaning. "...on the events that brought us to this day."
Buffy took her hat off. "Come on, fucker."
"We..." He stopped in pain again.
All of the students were watching tensely.
"We must all..." Wilkins screamed.
The students and the faculty looked at each other uneasily.
"It has begun. My destiny." Wilkins smiled. "It's a little sooner than I expected. I had this whole section on civic pride." He shuffled cue cards. "But I guess we'll just skip to the big finish!"
Buffy and Tara looked at each other as the mayor started to grimace and stretch and grow. His suit split around him, and Snyder was leaning back in his seat, looking taken aback. The mayor suddenly transformed into a big snake-like demon with clawed mandibles surrounding its mouth. It kept growing, stretching higher as the faculty abandoned their seats. The students got up but stayed in place, staring up at the mayor, who seemed to stretch up above the roof of the school.
The parents in the back began to panic and left. A group of vampires came up the steps behind the students.
"Now!" Buffy commanded.
All of the students took off their gowns, revealing crosses, axes, and other assorted weaponry.
Buffy stared up at the mayor. "Flame units."
Several students - including Theresa, Joy, Nicole, Lishanne, Sheila, and Amber - pointed flamethrowers at the mayor and started flaming him. The mayor swayed above the students, screaming. Buffy nodded at Amy.
"First wave!" Amy commanded.
A group of students - including Tara, Nancy O'Brien, Gwen, Holly, Michelle, and Debbie - aimed crossbows loaded with lance points at the mayor.
"Fire!" Amy ordered.
The mayor screamed and swayed, then lunged down and swallowed a male student in the first row. Buffy stared in shock as some of the students started milling around.
Snyder was upset. "This - This is simply unacceptable!"
Three of the male students broke and ran right into the group of vampires waiting on the steps. Katrina looked over as they were quickly killed by the vampires.
Katrina turned back around. "Amy?"
Amy stared straight up at the mayor. "Arm archers."
Katrina, Cordelia, Rhonda, Heidi, Callie, and Laura picked up longbows and arrows. The vampires slowly moved up the steps as the kids lit their arrows on fire and took aim.
"Fire!" Amy ordered.
The students let fly a mass, and several vampires were hit and set on fire. Amy looked back at the students in front of the mayor. Jonathan came flying through the air and landed on top of some students, knocking them down.
"Fall back!" Buffy yelled to the students around her.
"Fire!" Amy ordered the archers.
The students let fly with the fire arrows again, and several more vampires got hit. The vampires turned to leave, only to find themselves confronted by another group of students led by Angel, who was flanked by Sandy and Wesley. They looked at each other for a moment, then Angel's group attacked. Angel started beating up some vampires. Wesley ran up and right into a vampire's fist and fell on his back. Angel fought three vampires at once, easily holding his own. Sandy could manage only one vampire, not being quite as skilled yet. The flame units once more shot fire at the mayor.
Buffy got up on a chair and looked up at the mayor.
Snyder looked up. "This is not orderly. This is not discipline!"
The mayor's snake head whipped around.
"You're on my campus, buddy!" Snyder told the mayor. "And when I say I want quiet, I want-"
The mayor's head came down and swallowed Snyder. Buffy and Amy looked on in horror.
"Fall back! Get back!" Buffy yelled to the students around her. She got down from her chair and turned to Tara. "Get into position!"
"Good luck!" Tara left.
Buffy looked at Amy and Katrina. "Amy, Trina, take 'em down."
Amy and Katrina pulled stakes out of their back pockets.
"Everyone: hand to hand!" Amy commanded.
Faith reached into her jacket.
"Everyone! Let's go! Move! Move!" Amy ordered.
Angel sent a vampire flying, then took care of two others. Sandy staked her first vampire in the heart and then took on another. Their group was driving the vampires back up the steps.
One of the vampires turned around. "Get the kids!"
The other vampires turned to follow his lead only to find themselves confronted with a mass of armed and angry teenagers with baseball bats, crosses, and stakes. Harmony got bit, but Callie started whaling on her attacker with a bat. Harmony broke free, turned around, and staked the vampire in the heart. Jonathan jumped a vampire and fell down the steps with him. Amy was struggling with another vampire, and Katrina sneaked up behind him and staked him through the back.
"Right flank, close in. Close!" Amy pushed the dead vampire off herself. "Rhonda and Heidi, you girls are right flank!"
Angel punched another two vampires. Sandy killed her second vampire. Cordelia staked a vampire coming at her in good form. Tara moved down the steps, pulling Dawn with her.
Tara offered Dawn a stake. "Here. In case you need it. But please don't need it."
Dawn took the stake. "Thanks."
Wesley was still laying on his back, lifting a hand, and looking around, groaning. "How about some help here?"
A vampire ran at Dawn. She nervously raised her stake and thrust it toward his chest. He grabbed her wrist, but Dawn bit his arm through his shirt. He screamed in pain. Dawn thrust the stake into his chest, killing him. He fell to the ground.
Dawn bent over and pulled the bloody stake from his corpse. "Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!"
She stood up straight. That's when she noticed three more vampires approaching her.
Dawn frowned. "Oh, Fudgsicles."
Suddenly, an arrow struck the central vampire in the heart, killing him. Dawn looked behind her.
Jenny approached her, readying another arrow. "Get back, miss!"
Dawn ran past Jenny. Jenny let her second arrow fly, killing another vampire. Then she killed the third vampire and then turned and ran out of there.
Emily picked up a longbow and arrow, lit the arrow on fire, and ran across the quad to the stairs. There she looked up, then jumped onto the stair railing and ran up it. This attracted the attention of Nancy Doyle, who looked up and followed Emily's lead. They reached the top, stopped, and leaped up, grabbing the gutter at the edge of the roof. They swung their bodies forward and pushed off with their feet to do a kip-up to a front handspring, flipping themselves up and over onto the rooftop of the clock tower.
Nancy looked at Emily. "I had to try it at least once."
Emily nodded. "Nice job. Let's fry this fucker."
They drew back the strings of their bows and let their arrows fly. Their arrows hit the mayor, who screamed in pain.
Amy looked at Tara. "Ready?"
Tara nodded. "Ready."
Tara and Amy flew into the air and spun in a circle around the mayor, dodging his mouth and hitting him repeatedly with fire that they blasted from their hands.
"Hey!" Faith held her knife in her right hand and was looking up at the mayor. "You remember this? You gave it to me." She looked at the knife, then back up at the mayor. "Bet you were pleased as punch about it, too: Daddy giving his little girl a gift."
The mayor gnashed his teeth and growled. Tara and Amy grabbed hold of Emily and Nancy, respectively, and flew out of the way.
"You want to get it back from me, Dick?" Faith asked him.
Faith turned and ran to the school with the mayor in pursuit. She handed the knife off to Buffy and then ran to take cover. Buffy opened the door and ran into the hall. The mayor barreled down the door and some of the surrounding wall as he pursued her. Buffy kept running towards the library while the mayor tore through the school like a freight train. Buffy ran into the library and vaulted a banister, looking back at the mayor. The mayor looked around the library and saw the barrels of diesel fuel and bags of fertilizer stacked everywhere. Buffy kept running and jumped out of a window.
Buffy crouched down next to Faith. Giles, on Faith's other side, pushed down the plunger. A fire cloud erupted from the top of the school. Tara, Amy, Katrina, Cordelia, Harmony, Jenny, Dawn, Sandy, and Angel looked up at the explosion. Some more explosions erupted from the school. Debbie lay on the steps, looking up at them. Emily protectively wrapped her arms around Laura as she looked at another explosion. More explosions erupted all along the school. Buffy stared at the explosions, then looked over at Giles.
Later, police cars and fire trucks were parked in front of the school. The air was dark and smoky. Two firefighters wheeled a gurney with a groaning Wesley over towards an ambulance.
"If I could could just get something for the pain. It's rather a lot of pain, actually. Aspirin? If you would...uh...uh..."
The firefighters started sliding the gurney into the ambulance.
"Perhaps I could just be knocked unconscious."
They slid him into the ambulance. Buffy and Cordelia walked by. Buffy watched Wesley being put in the ambulance. Cordelia kept looking around her.
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "We got off pretty cheap, considering."
Cordelia still looked around. "Seems like we did."
They walked a few more steps, then Cordelia stopped, still looking around.
Buffy stopped beside her, her hands buried in her pockets. "He made it through the fight."
Cordelia whipped around to look at her.
"Guess maybe he..." Buffy took a deep breath. "...he took off after."
Cordelia blinked and looked down. Buffy hugged Cordelia with one arm, then turned and walked away. Cordelia stood there, again looking around.
Giles walked up to Buffy. and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"
Buffy laid her head to one side. "I'm tired."
Giles smiled. "I should imagine so. It's been quite a couple of days."
"I haven't processed everything yet." Buffy let out a small laugh. "My brain isn't really functioning on the higher levels." She took a deep breath. "It's pretty much: fire bad; tree pretty."
Giles shook his head. "Understandable. Well, when it's working again, congratulate it on a good campaign. You did very well."
Buffy nodded. "Thank you. I will."
Giles put his glasses on. "I, uh, I managed to ferret this out of the wreckage." He reached into his jacket and pulled out her high school diploma. "Now, it may not interest you, but I'd say you earned it."
He handed it to Buffy, who looked at it and took it.
Giles took a deep breath and looked around, taking off his glasses. "There is a certain dramatic irony that's attached to all this. A synchronicity that borders on predestination, one might say."
Buffy looked at him. "Fire bad; tree pretty."
Giles looked at her. "Yes, sorry." He put his glasses back on. "I'm going to see to Wesley, see if he's is still...whimpering." He suppressed a laugh.
He walked off, and Buffy looked after him.
Faith walked over to Buffy and put an arm around her. "Hey, girlfriend."
Buffy smiled in amusement. "Hey."
"Check it out." Faith held up a piece of paper.
Buffy looked at it but was too tired to comprehend it. "Lots of pretty letters. What do they all say?"
"It's my pardon."
Buffy smiled, surprised. "You're kidding."
"Nope. Chief Munroe just handed it to me. See? It's signed by Governor Davis and everything."
Buffy looked at the signature. "Pretty letters."
Faith laughed.
Buffy smiled at Faith. "You're free."
Faith offered Buffy another piece of paper. "Not just me."
Buffy took it and looked at it. It was a pardon for her. She started crying.
"It's over." Buffy wiped away her tears.
Cordelia was having no luck finding Angel. Suddenly, she turned around, a slight frown on her face. Her eyes locked on something, and her face cleared. Angel was standing beside a fire truck, looking at her. Both just stared at each other. Cordelia blinked, and her face fell. She hugged herself a little closer. Angel was first obscured by some firefighters walking by, then by a cloud of smoke. The smoke blew by, and he stepped back, slowly turned around, and walked off. Cordelia watched him leave. Angel disappeared into the smoke.
Jenny walked over to Buffy. "Hey."
Buffy looked at her. "Ms. Calendar."
Jenny smiled. "You're no longer a student. Jenny's fine."
"Jenny." Buffy made a face. "It'll take a while to get used to that."
Jenny laughed. "Anyway, you lost something." She looked over at Dawn.
Dawn walked over to them, grinning. "That was so cool! When's our next battle?!"
"Uh, how about the Twelfth of Never?" Buffy suggested.
Dawn pouted and crossed her arms.
Buffy held up her diploma for them to see. "Check it out."
Jenny smiled. "I never thought I'd live to see the day."
Amy was sitting on a stone bench in front of the school, Katrina was sitting beside her, and Tara and Harmony were standing behind them.
Cordelia walked up to them. "Well, that's the most fun you can have without having any fun."
Tara smiled. "How about the part where we kicked some demon ass? I didn't hate that."
"Hear, hear!" Amy cheered.
Buffy, Dawn, and Faith walked up.
"You guys want to take off?" Buffy asked. "I think we've done pretty much all we can."
Cordelia raised her eyebrows and nodded. "I'm for it."
Tara looked at Buffy. "Are you okay?"
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. I could use a little sleep, though."
Tara nodded emphatically. "Yeah."
Buffy stretched. "If someone could just wake me when it's time to go to college, that'd be great."
Tara smiled at her and kissed her on the lips.
"It was a hell of a battle!" Buffy exclaimed.
They all looked quietly at the school and listened to the crickets chirping.
Cordelia suddenly clapped her hands loudly, breaking the silence and startling everyone. "All right, people, come on! We've got the graduation party at the Bronze to get to!"
Buffy groaned. "I can't fucking sing tonight."
Cordelia grinned. "Fine. I will."
Amy and Katrina got up from the bench. The group of eight friends walked off.
The Bronze was packed with the surviving graduates. Buffy and the Slayerettes had taken the stage and performed for a while, but they were now taking a break, so Brett and his band, Cunt Thrust, had taken the stage and were performing "School's Out". Harmony had set up her video camera, pointed it at the stage, and was recording the entire graduation concert.
"You didn't tell me there was gonna be a giant snake!" Hank exclaimed.
Buffy shrugged. "I didn't know."
Dawn grinned. "It was so cool. I killed a vampire."
"Yeah, well, don't tell your mother. I'll never hear the end of it."
"So you're heading to L.A., huh?" Faith asked Cordelia.
"Yeah."
Faith considered. "Want a buddy for your road trip?"
Cordelia was surprised. "You wanna move to L.A.?"
Faith shrugged. "It's as good a place as any that doesn't suck. Besides, B's got a handle on things here."
Cordelia shrugged and nodded. "Okay."
"Y'know what?" Buffy asked. "Save your money. I'll drive you two down there myself."
Cordelia smiled. "Thanks, Buffy."
Buffy nodded. "No problem. Just let me know when you two are ready to blow this town...so to speak."
Faith laughed.
"There's also a girl there that I want to introduce you to. Her name's Anne."
"The girl that was in that vampire cult, right?" Cordelia asked.
"Yeah. She's living in my old apartment. It's not much, but, if you need a place to stay, she might be able to take you in." Buffy paused in consideration. "Well, one of you, anyway. Also, she's working at the diner that I used to work at. You might be able to get jobs there."
Faith nodded. "Thanks."
Cunt Thrust finished performing. Buffy, Cordelia, Faith, Tara, Amy, Katrina, Harmony, and various other members of the audience applauded.
"Speaking of thanks..." Katrina nodded toward the stage.
Cordelia, Katrina, and Tara walked onto the stage. Tara turned on her keyboard.
Katrina turned on her microphone. "Excuse me. Could everybody settle down, please?"
The crowd didn't pay any attention to her.
Cordelia turned on Buffy's microphone. "Hey!"
Everyone stopped talking and looked at her.
Cordelia smiled. "Thank you."
Katrina looked out at everyone. "As you all know, I'm leaving the band while I go to college."
Cordelia nodded. "And I recently decided to go to L.A. to pursue my dream of becoming a world-famous actress."
"So tonight is our last performance with the band, but, before we go, we have a message." Katrina's eyes sought out Buffy. "Buffy Summers, would you please have a seat close to the stage?"
Buffy went and sat at a table close to the stage, surprised.
Katrina smiled. "This is for you." She looked at Tara and nodded.
Tara started playing her keyboard.
Katrina looked at Buffy and sang:
"Say goodbye,
Not knowing when
The truth in my whole life began.
Say goodbye,
Not knowing how
To cry; you taught me that.
And I'll remember
The strength that you gave me
Now that I'm standing on my own.
I'll remember
The way that you saved me.
I'll remember."
Cordelia looked at Buffy and sang:
"Inside,
I was a child
That could not mend a broken wing.
Outside,
I looked for a way
To teach my heart to sing.
And I'll remember
The love that you gave me
Now that I'm standing on my own.
I'll remember
The way that you changed me.
I'll remember."
Tara played her keyboard for a while. Cordelia and Katrina waited. Then Cordelia sang:
"I learned
To let go
Of the illusion
That we can possess."
Katrina sang:
"I learned
To let go.
I travel in stillness,
And I'll remember
Happiness.
I'll remember."
Tara played her keyboard for a while. Cordelia and Katrina waited, then they sang in unison:
"And I'll remember
The love that you gave me
Now that I'm standing on my own.
I'll remember
The way that you changed me.
I'll remember."
Tara played a bit longer and then ended the song. The audience cheered and applauded. Buffy wiped away tears and clapped her hands. Cordelia, Katrina, and Tara walked off the stage and over to Buffy. Buffy stood up and hugged Cordelia and then Katrina.
Buffy was crying. "I'm gonna miss you guys. Promise you'll come and visit."
Cordelia and Katrina nodded.
Faith walked over to Buffy and put an arm around her. "You gonna miss me, too?"
Buffy blushed. "Of course."
Tara gave Buffy a pointed look. Buffy laughed nervously. Tara shrugged and waved it off.
Buffy looked at her bandmates. "C'mon, girls, let's set up for the big finale."
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina headed for the stage. Suddenly, they heard music and looked. Jenny and Giles were on the stage. Jenny had hooked up her laptop to the amplifier and was playing a karaoke track, and she and Giles were holding microphones.
Tara smiled. "Uh, it might be a while."
Giles looked at Jenny, smiled, and sang:
"No more timing
Each tear that falls from my eyes.
I'm not hiding
The remedy to cure this old heart of mine.
"I can dream about you,
If I can't hold you tonight.
I can dream about you.
You know how to hold me just right."
Amy smiled in surprise. "Holy shit. Who knew Giles could sing?"
Jenny looked at Giles, smiled, and sang:
"Moving sidewalks,
I don't see under my feet,
Climbing up from
Down here below,
Where the street sees me lonely for you.
"Oh!
I can dream about you,
If I can't hold you tonight.
I can dream about you.
You know how to hold me just right."
Giles sang:
"I can dream about you.
I'm gonna press my lips against you and hold you to me.
I can dream about you.
You know you got me spellbound.
What else can it be?
"Moving sidewalks,
I don't see under my feet,
Climbing up from
The pain in my heart,
'Cause it's you that I need."
When the song was over, the audience applauded. Jenny disconnected her laptop, and she and Giles walked down from the stage.
Buffy grinned. "You've been holding out on us."
Jenny smiled. "Well, I'm trying to get Rupert to come out of his shell."
Giles adjusted his glasses. "I rather like my shell, thank you very much."
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina walked onto the stage. Jenny and Giles headed for the bar. Cordelia, Faith, and Harmony were left by themselves.
Faith looked at Harmony. "So, uh, we haven't gotten a chance to talk."
Harmony shrugged and crossed her arms. "So talk. I suppose you expect me to believe the way that you treated me was all an act."
Faith sighed. "No. It wasn't. The act didn't begin until I went to work for the mayor. I'm...not the best person, and I'm sorry for the way that I treated you."
"And now you're leaving."
"Well...not right away."
"So...what? You want a long-distance relationship?" Harmony asked her.
Faith shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe. We'll figure it out. But for now, let's just enjoy now."
Harmony was hesitant.
"Kiss already!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Harmony kissed Faith on the lips. The two girls hugged each other. Cordelia smiled.
The band started playing their instruments. That was Cordelia's cue to make her way to the stage. She climbed the steps and walked over to the microphone. She gripped it tight and looked out at the audience.
"I've got a dream 'bout an angel on the beach,
And the perfect waves are starting to come.
His hair is flying out in ribbons of gold.
In his touch, he's got the power to stun.
"I've got a dream 'bout an angel in the forest,
Enchanted by the edge of a lake,
His body flowing in the jewels of light
And the earth below him starting to shake.
"But I don't see any angels in the city,
I don't hear any holy choirs sing,
And, if I can't get an angel,
I can still get a boy,
And the boy'll be the next best thing-
The next best thing to an angel.
A boy'll be the next best thing."
The other ladies started playing faster. Cordelia started dancing.
"I've got a dream 'bout a boy in a castle,
And he's dancing like a cat on the stairs.
He's got the fire of a prince in his eyes
And the thunder of a drum in his ears.
"I've got a dream 'bout a boy on a star,
Lookin' down upon the rim of the world.
He's there all alone and dreamin' of someone like me.
I'm not an angel, but at least I'm a girl."
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina joined in the singing:
"I've got a dream, when the darkness is over,
We'll be lyin' in the rings of the sun.
But it's only a dream,
And tonight is for real.
You'll never know what it means,
But you'll know how it feels.
It's gonna be over (over)
Before you know it's begun.
(Before you know it's begun, oh!)
"It's all we really got tonight.
Stop your cryin'; hold on tonight.
Before you know it, it's gone: tonight.
Tonight is what it means to be young.
Tonight is what it means to be young."
Giles, Jenny, Dawn, Faith, and Harmony walked up onto the stage and joined in:
"Let the revels begin; let the fire be started.
We're dancing for the restless and the broken-hearted.
Let the revels begin; let the fire be started.
We're dancing for the desperate and the broken-hearted.
"Let the revels begin; let the fire be started.
We're dancing for the restless and the broken-hearted.
Let the revels begin; let the fire be started.
We're dancing for the desperate and the broken-hearted.
"Say a prayer in the darkness for the magic to come.
No matter what it seems,
Tonight is what it means to be young.
"Tonight is what it means to be young.
Before you know it, it's gone.
Tonight is what it means to be young.
Before you know it, it's gone!"
The lights started flashing off and on and running the spectrum of colors, bathing the singers in an otherworldly glow. The band went into an intense instrumental break. Cordelia, Faith, and Harmony starting clapping, and the entire crowd soon joined in, raising their hands above their heads and making a sound like thunder. Cordelia started pumping her right fist into the air, overcome with emotion.
"I've got a dream, when the darkness is over,
We'll be lyin' in the rings of the sun.
But it's only a dream,
And tonight is for real.
You'll never know what it means,
But you'll know how it feels.
It's gonna be over (over)
Before you know it's begun.
(Before you know it's begun, oh!)
"It's all we really got tonight.
Stop your cryin'; hold on tonight.
Before you know it, it's gone: tonight.
Tonight is what it means to be young.
Tonight is what it means to be young.
"Let the revels begin; let the fire be started.
We're dancing for the restless and the broken-hearted.
Let the revels begin; let the fire be started.
We're dancing for the desperate and the broken-hearted.
"Let the revels begin; let the fire be started.
We're dancing for the restless and the broken-hearted.
Let the revels begin; let the fire be started.
We're dancing for the desperate and the broken-hearted.
"Say a prayer in the darkness for the magic to come.
No matter what it seems,
Tonight is what it means to be young.
"Tonight is what it means to be young.
Before you know it, it's gone.
Tonight is what it means to be young.
Before you know it, it's gone!
"The things they say and then the things they do.
Nothin's gonna stop us if our aim is true.
"The things they say and then the things they do.
Nothin's gonna stop us if our aim is true.
"The things they say and then the things they do.
Nothin's gonna stop us if our aim is true."
The band finished playing. The audience cheered and applauded wildly. The band members took bows, and then they hugged each other.
Buffy grabbed Tara and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. Katrina did the same to Amy, Faith did the same to Harmony, and Jenny did the same to Giles.
It was a night that each of them would remember forever.
Chapter 80: The Freshman
Chapter Text
"The Freshman"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "The Freshman" Written by Joss Whedon and the Angel Episode "City of..." Written by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
At night, in the cemetery, Buffy was pacing back and forth. Tara and Amy were seated cross-legged, reading papers and munching on brownies.
Buffy sighed. "Anything?"
Tara smiled. "Ah! 'Introduction to the Modern Novel'. 'A survey study of twentieth-century novelists.' Open to freshmen; you might like that."
"'Introduction to the Modern Novel'?" Buffy asked. "I'm guessing I'd probably have to read the modern novel."
"Maybe more than one."
"I like books. I just don't want to take on too much. Do they have an introduction to the modern blurb?"
Tara smiled. "Oh! 'Short Story'."
"Well, that's good."
"Oh, no. It conflicts with Psych."
"Maybe I shouldn't take Psych."
"Yeah, but didn't you wanna explore that as part of understanding the human brain to help you come to a conclusion about vampires?" Tara asked her. "A-And you can use it as your science requirement. Anyway, Professor Walsh is supposed to be great. She's, like, world-renowned."
"How do you get to be renowned? I mean, like, do you have to be 'nowned' first?" Buffy asked.
"Yes, first, there's the painful 'nowning' process. Wait! 'Images of Pop Culture'. This is good. T-They watch movies, T-TV shows, even commercials."
"For credit?" Buffy asked.
"Heh. Isn't college cool?" Amy asked. "I'm taking it. I've kind of an expert on TV-watching. Easy A." She took a bite of a brownie.
"How'd I miss that one?" Buffy walked over and sat between them.
Tara looked at her. "Well, you did sort of wait till the last minute with your course selection."
"Well, I've been busy! It's been a very slay-heavy summer. I just haven't had a whole lot of time to think about life at UC Sunnydale."
"It's exciting, though, isn't it?" Amy asked.
Tara nodded. "Yeah! It's gonna be an adjustment."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it's, like, five miles away. It's uncharted territory." She sighed. "It's gonna be tough, though...with a roommate."
Tara nodded. "Yeah. It's still bullshit that they didn't put us together."
"Yeah, so much for my dream of sex between classes."
Tara nodded. "Yeah, no sex in college? What is this world coming to?"
"Not orgasm, that's for sure. Have you heard anything from Trina?" Buffy asked Amy.
"Yeah, she arrived at Caltech yesterday and was assigned to Blacker House temporarily until the end of rotation."
"I'm psyched about college. Definitely. I just need to figure out how it's going to work with my extra-curricular activities. I just can't let it take the edge off my slaying. I gotta stay sharp." She looked behind her toward the fresh grave. "Is this guy ever gonna wake up?"
The next morning, Buffy was standing in the middle of the campus' quad with students milling all around her. She was looking around.
"Freshmen! We're doing this by folder color! If you're not holding on to a yellow folder, you're in the wrong group. You belong up by Weisman Hall." A student volunteer pointed.
Buffy looked at the folders in her arms but didn't see a yellow one. She started to walk in the indicated direction.
Tara and Amy met up with her.
"Buffy, hey!" Amy called.
"Girls, am I glad to see you."
They continued walking.
"I got all my courses...except for 'Modern Poetry'; I had to switch to 'Modern Music'. Have you met your roommate yet?" Tara asked Buffy.
"No."
"Me neither. I hope she's tolerable."
Amy nodded. "Same."
"Are we heading anywhere near Weisman Hall?" Buffy asked. "I still need to get my I.D. card."
Amy nodded. "Yeah."
Later, Buffy, Tara, and Amy were indoors, walking along a hallway.
Tara looked at Buffy and Amy. "Let's check out the library."
They started climbing a flight of stairs.
Amy looked at Buffy. "It's too bad Giles can't be librarian here. Be convenient."
They reached a landing and turned left to continue up another flight.
Tara looked back at her friends. "Well, he says that he's enjoying being a gentleman of leisure."
"Gentleman of leisure? Isn't that just British for unemployed?" Buffy asked.
Amy nodded. "Uh-huh, he's a slacker now."
They reached another landing and turned to climb yet another flight.
Buffy remembered something. "Oh, I spoke with the manager at the Bronze. She said we can use it as a practice space."
Amy nodded. "Very cool. I've been eyeing a drum set at the mall."
They entered the library, a huge room with a vaulting cupola ceiling.
Buffy took it all in. "Holy shit."
Later, they went to the campus bookstore. Students were milling about, carrying books in shopping baskets. Buffy carried an armful of books.
Amy walked up with a basket. "Here."
"Thanks." Buffy put the books in the basket. "Can't wait till mom gets the bill for these books. I hope it's a funny aneurysm."
"'Introduction to Psychology'. Oh, up there." Tara indicated three of four books stacked on the edge of the top of a bookshelf.
"I'll get 'em." Buffy reached up and accidentally knocked the books off. "Whoa, oh."
They fell on the head of a young man crouched underneath. He staggered back but recovered.
"Oh, ah. Oh, God, I'm so sorry."
He stood up. "I'm okay. It's okay. Well, that was bracing."
"I'm so..." Buffy paused. "The books were just too high, and then everything was bad." She bent down to pick up the books.
"Let me give you a hand." He bent down and picked up some books. "Let's put a few of these down here." He put them on a lower shelf. "So, uh, are you girls taking Intro Psych, or do you just want me dead?"
Buffy nodded. "Uh-huh. I mean the first one."
"Well, you'll have a lot of fun. Professor Walsh, she's quite a character."
"You've taken it?" Tara asked him.
"I'm a TA; I'll be helping the professor out. I'm sorry, I've forgotten my manners in all the concussion. I'm Riley."
"Tara, and this is my girlfriend, Buffy, and my friend, Amy."
Riley briefly frowned but then quickly put on a smile. "It's nice to meet you three."
Tara, Amy, and Buffy nodded.
Buffy worked her way through milling students, both male and female, down the dorm corridor in Stevenson Hall. She entered a dorm room with two beds and two desks. She saw another young woman there, unpacking a suitcase laying on one of the beds.
Buffy smiled. "Hi."
The woman looked up and smiled. "Oh, hi! Are you Buffy?"
"Yeah."
"Kathy."
"Hi, it's nice to meet you."
"Yeah!"
Buffy put her things down on a desk and crossed over to the bed and sat down. "So, it's, uh...it's a pretty nice room."
"Hmm! I was surprised, 'cause you hear horror stories about freshmen housing. You took the right side?"
"Yeah, um, but if you want it-"
"No, no. I just wanted to make sure that's what you wanted. Excited for classes tomorrow?"
"Painfully."
Kathy laughed. "I bet there's going to be a lot of parties to go to this week, too. Not that I'm a crazy partier. Oh, and I'm not always this hyper either. I'm just excited."
"Yeah, me, too."
Kathy crossed the room and picked up a folded poster and carried it to a wall on her side of the room. "I am really glad they put me with somebody cool. I can tell that you're cool. I just know that this whole year is going to be super fun!"
She unfolded the poster onto the wall, revealing it to be of Celine Dion.
That night, Buffy was laying in bed, listening to Kathy snore, smack her lips, and mumble in her sleep.
The next day, Buffy and Amy were sitting in a lecture hall while Professor Reegert gave his introductory lecture.
"The point of this course is not to critique popular American culture. It is not to pick at it or look down upon it. And it is not to watch videos for credit."
That got small laughter from various students.
"The point is to examine..."
"Do you know if this class is full yet?" Buffy whispered to a student beside her.
"And there are two people talking at once, and I know that one of them is me. And the other is...a blonde girl. You, blonde girl. Stand up. I'm very excited to hear what you have to say that's worth interrupting my lecture for."
Buffy stood up, nervous and embarrassed. "I was just asking if the class was still open, if I could still sign up."
Professor Reegert picked up a clipboard. "If your name isn't on this sheet, then you are wasting everyone's time. Are you on the sheet?"
"They told me that if I just-"
"Do you understand? You are sucking energy from everyone in this room. They came here to learn. Get out!"
Buffy was upset. "I didn't mean to...suck."
"Leave!"
She started to leave.
"Thank you."
She walked out.
Amy stood up, angry.
"And what do you want?" Reegert asked her.
"You were out of line, asshole. Fuck you and fuck this class." Amy picked up her bookbag and left the room, flipping him off without looking at him.
Amy caught up with Buffy and touched her gently on the arm.
Buffy looked at her. "You didn't have to leave."
"I didn't want to stay."
Buffy smiled at her.
Later, Buffy was looking around a busy hallway.
Riley came up to her. "If, uh, you're looking for Psych, it's through here." He pointed.
"Oh, thanks. How's your head?" Buffy asked.
"Sorry?"
"Yesterday. In the bookstore. You don't remember."
"Oh, no, sure, I remember you. My head is fine; it just stung for a bit, and I lost most of my basic motor functions. It's no biggie."
They reached the lecture hall and went inside.
"We're here. I'm sorry, I'm trying to remember you."
"Buffy."
"Buffy, right."
"Thanks." Buffy started toward the tiers and turned back. "You know, I was just wondering. Professor Walsh isn't planning on yelling at me and kicking me out of the class, is she?"
"It's not in her lesson plan."
"Great." Buffy turned back to the tiers and spotted Tara.
Tara waved to her, and Buffy climbed up to sit beside her.
"How was Pop Culture?" Tara asked.
"Ugh. I'll tell you later."
Professor Walsh, an older woman with short blonde hair, came into the lecture hall, and Riley handed her a sheet of paper.
"Okay. This is Psych 105, 'Introduction to Psychology'; I'm Professor Walsh. Those of you who fall under my good graces will come to know me as Maggie. Those of you who don't will come to know me by the name my TAs use and think I don't know about, 'The Evil Bitch Monster of Death'. Make no mistake: I run a hard class, I assign a lot of work, I talk fast, and I expect you to keep up. If you're looking to coast, I recommend 'Geology 101'; that's where the football players are."
In Los Angeles, Cordelia, Faith, and Anne were finishing up their shift at Helen's Kitchen. Cordelia collected dishes and silverware and took them to the pick-up counter. Anne and Faith wiped down tables.
"So...you gals up for some clubbing tonight?" Faith asked.
Anne sprayed a table. "I'm down."
"What about you, C?" Faith asked.
"Sorry, I'll be partying in a much more upscale fashion. My friend, Margo, is hosting a fancy Hollywood party. I'm gonna rub some elbows. By the way, Anne, I need a ride."
"So get a cab."
Cordelia's jaw dropped. "Aaaaaannnnnneeeeee!"
"Hey, it was your idea to not move in with us."
"That bed can't comfortably hold three, and you know it."
Faith smiled and hugged Cordelia from behind. "Comfort is subjective."
Cordelia wiggled out of Faith's grasp. "Ew."
Anne wiped up a ketchup stain from a table. "Look, sweetie, I'm perfectly willing to pick you up for work and drop you off at home...for every...single...one of your shifts, but I'm not your chauffeur. Call a cab or get your own car."
Cordelia pouted and gave Anne a sad look.
"Not gonna work."
That night, Buffy was walking along a walkway, looking around. She looked behind her and collided with another student. "Ooh!"
"Wow, sorry."
"No, I-I wasn't looking."
"Did you, uh, lose your way?" he asked.
"Me? Oh, no, no, I'm just going to Stevenson Hall. Which I know is on the Earth planet. Recently voted 'Most Pathetic'. Uh-huh."
"Hmm, well, I'm lost, and I have a map." He held it up. "So..."
"Ooh, I come in second. I'm Buffy, by the way."
"Eddie."
"Okay, so..."
They both studied the map.
"That's Stevenson Hall, right?" Buffy asked.
"Okay, and this is Dunwirth Building; that's my dorm. It's just...It's us I can't find-"
"Are we the blue part?" Buffy asked.
"No...yes!"
"Okay, right, so I-I came from there; then we just wanna go that way to the bike path." Buffy pointed.
"You sound very certain; I'm in."
They started walking, and he saw the books in Buffy's arms.
"You're taking Psych 105 with Professor Walsh."
"Yeah; I mean...I'm gonna try. She's not afraid of the long words, huh?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, she's pretty intense. A lot of the courses are really tough."
"I'm a little upset. I had it on good authority that this was a party school."
"I think it's supposed to get easier."
"I still feel like carrying around a security blanket."
"Of Human Bondage. Have you ever read it?" Eddie asked her.
Buffy thought about it. "Oh, no, but I think I've seen the porn film adaptation."
Eddie laughed. "No, there's no actual bondage; it's just a novel. I've read it, like, ten times. I always keep it by my bed. Security blanket."
"I don't really have a security blanket...unless you count Mr. Gordo."
"Mr. Gordo?"
"Stuffed pig. Oh, bike path. So it's nice to know that I'm not the only entirely confused person on this campus."
"I suspect there's a lot of us."
"Well, I'll look for you in Psych."
"Yeah, maybe we can help each other figure out what the hell they're talking about."
Buffy laughed. "Okay."
"Maybe even make it through the year." Eddie laughed.
"Good night."
"Night."
Buffy walked away.
At the party, Cordelia was talking to two guys in business suits.
Margo Ridgeley, a woman with long red hair, was walking around, video-taping the people there. "Cordy! Smile for the camera."
Cordelia looked at her and smiled. Margo video-taped her for a while and then walked off.
Cordelia looked back at the men. "You know, they asked me to come back and read for a third time! I'm an actress. I don't put up with things like that!"
"Cordelia?"
Cordelia turned and saw Angel. She walked over to him. "Oh, my God. Angel?"
"Nice to see a familiar face."
"I didn't know you were in LA." Cordelia paused. "Are you living here?"
"Yeah. You?"
Cordelia quickly remembered her script. "Malibu. A small condo on the beach. It's not a private beach, but I'm young, so I forbear."
"You're acting?"
"Can you believe it? I mean...I just started it to make some quick cash, and then boom; it was, like, my life! So are you still..." Cordelia held up her hands like claws and made a face. "...Grrr?"
"Yeah, there's not actually a cure for that."
"Right. But you're not evil, I mean...you're not here to bite people?"
"No, I'm here with a friend." Angel pointed out a woman with long blonde hair wearing a black, sleeveless evening dress. "Tina."
"Oh, good. Well, it was nice seeing you, but I've got to get mingly. I really should be talking to people that are somebody." Cordelia walked away.
Cordelia returned to her apartment. It was really poor. There were plaster patches on dirty yellow walls. She was hanging up her dress in a bare closet while listening to a message on her answering machine.
"You have one new message."
"Cordy, Joe at the agency. No luck again. We're having trouble booking auditions. The networks say they've seen enough of you. So, you know, no need to call. We'll let you know if the situation changes. Bye."
Cordelia took out some of the star-shaped sandwiches that she stashed away at the party with a sigh.
"You have no more messages."
Cordelia sat on the couch and started eating a sandwich in silence.
The next day, Psych class was over; students were gathering their things and leaving. Buffy was looking around for Eddie.
"You looking for someone?" Tara asked her.
"Yeah. A new friend that I met yesterday. He's supposed to be in this class."
Buffy went and found Eddie's resident advisor, who showed Buffy Eddie's empty single dorm room in Dunwirth Hall.
"Yeah, Eddie just took off, packed his stuff, left a note. Happens sometimes. People just can't handle it. There's always a few kids who lose it early in the first semester and just bail."
Buffy crossed to the bed and picked up the note. She sat on the bed while reading it. The note read "This is too much to handle. I can't take it anymore. No time to say goodbye! Eddie"
"Weak ones, I guess." The resident advisor left.
Buffy laid the note on the bedside table and noticed the drawer was partly open. She opened it to reveal a paperback book. It was Eddie's copy of William Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage. She took it out of the drawer and looked at it intently.
Buffy drove to Giles' apartment. She got out and walked up to the front door. Buffy opened the door while knocking. She entered, closed the door, and walked to the middle of the room. "Memory of a Free Festival Part 1" by David Bowie was playing in the background.
"Giles?" Buffy called.
"Rupert, is this blue cheese, or is it just cheese that's gone blue?" Jenny reached the front room and saw Buffy. She was completely naked but didn't attempt to cover herself. "Buffy!"
Buffy averted her gaze, shocked. "Ms. Calendar! Um, Jenny! Um...you know, the door was open, so I just..." She stopped talking, embarrassed.
"It's okay. Do you want me to put something on?" Jenny asked her.
"Um..." Buffy swallowed. "I don't want to inconvenience you."
Giles coughed, and the music cut off. Giles came out of the hallway. He was wearing a bathrobe.
Jenny turned and looked. "He appears. Rupert, you have a guest."
"Buffy! Hello."
"Is this a bad time?" Buffy asked him.
"No! How's, uh, how is university?" Giles asked her.
"Pretty much the same as high school - in the sense that I need help."
"Ah...help...yes."
"But...this just looks like a bad time."
Jenny smiled. "No, not at all."
"So, uh, trouble with, uh, studies?" Giles asked Buffy.
"This is a bad time."
"You keep saying that."
"Well, it looks pretty bad! I think someone had just a little too much free time on their hands."
"I'm not supposed to have a private life?" Giles asked her.
"No!" Buffy whined. "'Cause you're very, very old, and it's gross."
"Well, before I succumb to the ravages of age, why don't you tell me what brings you here?" Giles suggested.
Buffy slowly looked at him and Jenny. Jenny smiled sweetly and waved at her.
"There's this student missing."
"Yes?" Giles asked.
"Eddie. He's supposed to have left school but...I just don't think he did. I met him outside last night, and then I went back where we met, and it looked there had been a struggle."
"And?"
"And we need to stop this!" Buffy told him. "And Eddie's RA said kids disappear a lot. There could be a gang of vampires working the campus. We need research an-an-and charts and shit."
"I-I still don't see where I fit in. You haven't described anything that you can't do yourself."
"Okay, remember before you became Hugh Hefner, when you used to be a Watcher?" Buffy asked him.
"Officially, you no longer have a Watcher. Buffy, you know I'll always be here when you need me. Y-Your safety is more important to me than anything, but you're going to have to take care of yourself. You're out of school, and I can't always be there to guide you."
Buffy was upset. "I'm sorry to bug you."
"Buffy, I-"
"Oh! No! I mean...yeah, you're...you're right. I can handle it. It's just that...I'm on it."
"I-I'm here if you need me."
Buffy turned and left the apartment.
Jenny gave Giles a disapproving look and walked to the door. "Buffy."
Buffy was halfway to her van, but she stopped, turned around, and walked back over to Jenny.
"Listen, uh, I'm waiting to hear if a position for a computer teacher will be opening up at UC Sunnydale. If it does, I'm in, and I'll be around to help you. In the meantime, you've got my e-mail address, right?" Jenny asked her.
Buffy frowned in thought. "I think so? But I know Tara and Amy do."
"Cool. Well, if you still need any help, e-mail me."
Buffy smiled. "Thanks."
Jenny smiled.
In her apartment, Cordelia was sitting on her bed in the lotus position with her eyes closed. "I am somebody. I matter. People will be drawn to my positive energy and help me to achieve my goals. I am right where I am supposed to be..." She fell forward to the bed, face down. "...and not dying for something to eat!"
The telephone rang.
Cordelia jumped up and grabbed it. "Hello, Cordelia Chase."
"Cor, it's Margo. You were such a hit at my party last night."
"Oh, thanks!"
"Guess who saw my videotape of the party and guess who wants to meet with you."
"A director? A manager? An assistant to an assistant who wants to spring for lunch?"
"Russell Winters."
"The investment guy?"
"Oh, oh, Cordelia. He is a lot more than that. He helps people get started in their careers. And he wants to meet you - tonight."
"Tonight?"
"He'll send a limo for you at eight."
That night, Buffy was walking along outside, and there were students everywhere.
"How am I supposed to hunt in this mob? Don't you people have homes?" Buffy asked.
She saw a young man walking away, he looked over at her, and she saw it was Eddie.
"Eddie?" Buffy ran after him. "Eddie! Eddie, hey, wait up!" She caught up with him in a secluded spot next to a bulletin board. "God, I was worried that something had happened to you-"
He turned around, baring his fangs.
"-and of course it has, 'cause you're a vampire." Buffy paused, stunned and upset. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not." Eddie attacked.
Buffy used his own momentum to keep him off balance and staked him when he charged again. He fell to the ground, dead.
"Slayer!"
Buffy turned and saw a young, attractive blonde woman watching from a concrete dais.
The woman hopped down and walked toward her. "Wow, um, I heard you might be coming here."
Other vampires came out of hiding and surrounded Buffy.
"This is, I mean...what a challenge! The Slayer!" the woman exclaimed.
"And you are?" Buffy asked her.
"I'm...I'm Sunday, I'll be killing you here in a minute or so."
"You know, that threat gets more frightening every time I hear it."
"Uh...are we gonna fight? Or is there just gonna be a monster sarcasm rally?" a male vampire, who sounded like Jeff Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, asked.
A fat female vampire licked her lips. "I'm in for a piece."
Buffy smiled. "Everybody gets to play."
Sunday rolled her eyes. "Guys, this is totally mine."
SpicoliVamp looked at her. "Okay, but you gotta share the eatin'. 'Cause I'm thinkin' Slayer's blood's gotta be - whoa! - like Thai stick."
Buffy suppressed a chuckle. "I thought people were suppose to get smarter in college."
Sunday nodded. "Yeah, I think you had a lot of misconceptions about college. Like that anyone would be caught dead wearing that."
Buffy looked down at her clothes. When she looked up, Sunday punched her. Buffy fell, and Sunday tried to kick her, but Buffy blocked it and threw two punches. Sunday ducked one and blocked the other and landed another punch, sending Buffy sprawling again. When Buffy tried to get up, Sunday kicked her in the face. Buffy tried to slug her in the stomach, but Sunday grabbed her wrist and threw her onto the dais. Buffy tried to hit back, but Sunday grabbed her by the throat.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but..." Sunday punched her in the face again. "...you fight like a girl."
She threw Buffy off the dais and somersaulted off. Buffy got to her feet and kicked her in the midsection. She missed another kick to the head but landed one to Sunday's face. She threw a punch, but Sunday grabbed her arm, swung her around, and threw her onto the hood of a pickup truck parked nearby. Buffy tried to get up, but Sunday jumped onto the hood and kicked her in the back, sending her up onto the roof. Buffy tried a left-handed punch, but Sunday grabbed her wrist, jumped onto the roof, and brought her knee up into her arm. There was a cracking sound. She threw Buffy, who bounced off the hood onto the ground. Buffy stood up, holding her left arm close to her chest. She looked at the other vampires, who were smiling, and took off. She fell once onto the grass but got up and ran away.
Cordelia was riding in the limousine.
"People will be attracted to my positive energy and help me achieve my goals. Oh, yeah!"
The limousine drove through a big metal gate onto the grounds of Russell's mansion.
Buffy went to her dorm room. Kathy was asleep and snoring again. Buffy was sitting on her bed, bruised and tending to her arm. She carefully moved it away from her chest, holding it with her other hand, and grunted in pain.
Cordelia followed a butler through Russell's huge foyer. They entered one of the rooms.
Russell got up to greet her. "I'm Russell. Thank you so much for coming." He looked at his butler. "That'll be all, Franklin. We'd like to be alone."
The butler left the room.
Cordelia looked around. "Wow, what a nice place. I love your curtains. Not afraid to emphasize the curtains."
"Well, I have old-fashioned tastes."
"I grew up in a nice home. It wasn't like this, but we did have a room or two that we didn't even know what they were for - until the IRS got all huffy about my folks not paying taxes for, well, ever. They took it all."
"Margo tells me you're an actress. It's going well?"
Cordelia sat down. "Oh..." She hesitated. "Yeah, it's great! I've had a lot of opportunities. The hands in the liquid-gel commercial were almost mine by one or two girls. And well...it's not everything...I..." She paused. "I've tried really hard, you know. Usually, when I set out to achieve something, I succeed at it - right away. But I...I don't know anybody."
"Now, you know me. You don't have to worry anymore."
Cordelia looked down then back up at him. "What do you want me to do?"
Russell stepped closer. "Just tell me what you want."
"Oh, God. I'm sorry! I'm getting all weepy in front of you. I probably look really scary." Cordelia got up and looked around the room. "I finally get invited to a nice place...with no mirrors...and lots of curtains..." She looked at him in realization. "Hey, you're a vampire!"
"What? No, I'm not."
"Are too!"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Hey, I'm from Sunnydale. We had our own Hellmouth! I think I know a vampire when I'm...alone with him...in his fortress-like home. And, you know, I think I'm just feeling a little light-headed from hunger. I'm just wacky. And kidding! Ha, ha."
"Truth is...I'm glad you know. It means we can skip the formalities." Russell lunged at her.
Cordelia turned and ran out of the room. Russell gave chase.
Cordelia ran up the white marble stairs. Russell grabbed her with a growl. The lights suddenly went out. He let go of Cordelia.
"Russell Winters."
"Angel?" Cordelia asked.
Angel slowly stepped out of the dark at the end of the open landing. "I have a message for you - from Tina."
"You made a very big mistake coming here."
"You don't know who he is, do you?" Cordelia grinned. "Oh, boy! You're about to get your ass kicked!"
Angel pulled out a stake and attacked Russell. They were pretty evenly matched. After some back and forth, Russell managed to throw Angel down.
Cordelia looked and saw two bodyguards with drawn guns charging up the stairs. "Angel?"
Angel waited until they were all on the runner that he was laying on, then pulled it out from under all three of his opponents as he got up.
"Kill them!" Russell ordered.
Angel took a shot in the chest, then turned to pick up Cordelia. While more bullets hit him in the back, he jumped over the banister to the floor below.
"Angel! Ah!" Cordelia yelled.
He set her down. They ran out the front door.
Cordelia and Angel ran up to Angel's car, a 1968 black Plymouth Belvedere GTX convertible. Angel hunched over and inspected it; the front of the car was dented and steaming.
The driver looked at him. "You know, I've had a bit of an accident, but we'll talk later."
Cordelia got into the passenger seat while Angel fell into the back seat.
The driver started the car and backed up. "Name's Doyle. Nice to meet you."
"Cordelia. Cute accent."
"Thanks."
"What is it?" Cordelia asked.
"Irish."
"Oh." Cordelia turned around and looked at Angel. "Why don't you have an accent like that?"
Angel groaned in pain.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Sure, avoid the question." She looked at Doyle. "So what's your story?"
Doyle started driving on a road. "I've been sent...by the Powers That Be."
Cordelia was confused. "The powers that be what?"
"I'm honestly not sure. They don't speak to me direct. I get...visions...which is to say great splitting migraines that come with pictures. A name, a face. I don't know who sends them. I just know whoever sends them is more powerful than me or you, and they're just trying to make things right."
"Uh-huh. You see shit in your head." Cordelia looked straight ahead. "Great."
Cordelia supported Angel, and they walked into an office building. Doyle followed. They walked down a couple steps and through one of the offices on the ground floor and got into an elevator. Doyle pulled the metal grating closed and pressed a button, and the elevator went down.
The elevator stopped. Doyle pulled the metal grating open, and they got out of the elevator. They entered Angel's apartment.
Tina walked out of the bedroom. "Angel! What happened?"
Cordelia looked at her. "He's been shot."
Doyle went to get some supplies. "I'll get it out. Get his coat off and sit him down."
Cordelia helped Angel take off his coat. She tossed it aside and helped him sit on the couch.
Doyle returned and started working on digging the bullet out of Angel's chest. Cordelia and Tina got out of the way.
"So what's your story?" Cordelia asked Tina.
Angel screamed. Cordelia looked and saw blood. She turned to the side and vomited.
"Lass, I'm gonna need your help once it's out."
Cordelia looked at Tina and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Long version, please."
"Uh, my name is Christina Clarke. I was born in 1967 in Missoula, Montana. Lots of open land, lots of nothing else. Um, I was a Girl Scout. I came here to become a movie star. But they weren't hiring."
Cordelia nodded. "What do you do?"
"I'm a waitress at The Coffee Spot."
Cordelia suddenly didn't feel so bad about her lot in life. "Oh. And Russell?"
"He is someone I made the mistake of trusting. He likes...He likes pain. I mean...he really does. He talks about it like it was a friend. And you don't leave him; he tells you when he's had enough. I knew this girl, Denise Perkins; she tried to get away. She disappeared off the face of the Earth. He murdered her."
"I'm sorry."
"Got it!" Doyle exclaimed.
"Finally! I thought I was going to faint while barfing!" Cordelia walked over and sat next to Angel on the couch and picked up a piece of gauze. "Okay."
She dabbed at the wound with the gauze, and Angel flinched.
"Sorry. So...it's over, right? We're going to be okay. You put the fear of God into that Russell guy." Cordelia taped a piece of gauze over the bullet hole. "He's not going to come looking for us, right?"
They all just looked at each other in silence.
Tina shook her head. "No fucking way. Russell's not exactly big on God. Or letting go."
The next day, Buffy decided to drive home to visit her mom.
Buffy entered through the kitchen door, still favoring her left arm. "Mom?"
She went upstairs, and Joyce, coming out into the hallway, saw her.
"Buffy."
"Hi."
"Honey, how are you?"
Joyce hugged her, and Buffy hugged back, one-armed.
"I'm okay."
"How's college? You've been fighting."
"Oh, uh, they started it."
"Just as long as you're being careful. I-I really didn't think you'd show up here for a while."
They walked towards Buffy's room.
"Oh, I didn't have classes today, and I have an annoying roommate, and everything's just been so hectic, so I figured it'd be nice to come and crash for-"
They reached her room, and Buffy saw it was crammed with wooden crates.
"Oh, well, yeah. You know, I-I didn't think you'd be back for a couple of weeks. Uh, but I didn't move anything; it's still your room."
"You filled it with packing crates."
"Yeah, but I didn't move anything."
"If it's still my room, shouldn't I still be able to fit in it?"
"Well, it's just for a couple of weeks while we do inventory at the gallery. I just really didn't think you'd be back so soon."
"Neither did I."
"Do you want some tea or something?" Joyce offered.
Buffy smiled. "Yeah. That'd be nice."
Buffy drove back to the university. At the dorm, Buffy found all of her things were missing.
She walked to the bare bed, picked up a note that was lying there, and read it silently: "This is all just too much for me. I have decided to take off. Sorry I didn't have time to say goodbye but I need to be by myself. Good luck this year. Buffy"
She sat on her bed, holding the note.
While staying at Angel's for her own protection, Cordelia decided to make herself useful by dusting the office - and also to subtly apply for a job. Tina was helping out.
Cordelia dusted some cobwebs off the wall. "Well, at least, we won't have to worry about Russell anymore."
Tina smiled. "I know. I can't believe Angel kicked him out a window."
Cordelia smiled. "That's my guy." Then she realized what she'd said and grew somber.
"You're involved?" Tina asked, surprised.
"Uh, were."
"And you wanna work for him?" Tina asked.
"Well, Doyle thinks it'd be a good idea, and it'd beat working as a waitress." Cordelia looked at Tina. "No offense."
Tina made a face. "None taken. Well, see ya around."
"See ya."
Tina walked out the front door.
Cordelia continued dusting. Suddenly, a cockroach ran across Cordelia's foot. Cordelia screamed.
Angel and Doyle soon burst into the office, Angel carefully avoiding the sun streaming in through the windows.
Cordelia waved the duster with her hand. "Ah! Look over there! A cockroach! In the corner. I think it's a bantamweight!" She looked at Angel. "Okay, first thing: we need to call an exterminator - and a sign painter. We should have a name on the door!"
"Okay. I'm confused."
"Your little mission? So I was just saying, if we're going to help people, maybe a small charge. You know, something to help pay the rent - and my salary. You need somebody to organize things, and you're not exactly rolling in it, Mr. I-was-alive-for-200-years-and-never-developed-an-investment-portfolio."
"You want to charge people?"
"Well, not everybody. But sooner or later, we are going to have to help some rich people, right?" Cordelia looked at Doyle. "Right?"
"Possibly, yeah."
Cordelia looked at Angel and pointed. "Hand me that box. So I think that we should charge based on a case-by-case analysis, but with me working for a flat fee. I mean...um...that is...if you think that you can use me?"
After a moment, Angel handed her the box with a smile.
"Of course, this is just temporary - until my inevitable stardom takes effect." She took the box from him and walked away with a smile.
Buffy went to Tara's dorm room in Stevenson Hall. She knocked on the door.
Soon, the door opened. Tara was standing there.
Tara smiled. "Hey."
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. "Hey."
Tara stepped aside. "Come in."
Buffy walked into Tara's dorm room.
Tara closed and locked the door.
Buffy looked at her. "Your roommate out?"
"Yeah, thank Goddess. She's really annoying and seems like a party gal." Tara smiled. "Wanna fuck?"
Buffy smiled. "Tempting, but I actually need your help first."
"With what?"
"There's this vampire cunt that kicked my ass last night. I think she turned that friend that I told you about, 'cause I had to stake him. I need your hacking skills."
"Sure." Tara walked over to her desk and sat down. She opened her laptop and turned it on.
"And contact Ms. Calendar, uh, Jenny. There's gotta be a reason that that girl's so powerful. I wanna know what it is."
Buffy was reading over Tara's shoulder. "Kids disappearing every year. Not too many, just enough so that everyone thinks they up and left."
Tara shook her head. "I can't believe the vampires took your stuff. Murder I expect, but petty larceny seems so...petty."
"They have to be keeping it somewhere, on campus or at least nearby. Hey, how far back do the disappearances go?"
"Uh...they weren't too common before '82." Tara's face brightened. "Match number! Check this out." She Alt-Tabbed to another window with a newspaper article.
Buffy looked at it. "'Psi Theta loses its charter. Building to be closed for renovation.'"
"1982. Look at this." Tara Alt-Tabbed to another window. "'Former Psi Theta fraternity house lies dormant while zoning issues drag on before the city council.' We have a winner."
"Looks pretty cherry."
"You up for a little reconnaissance?" Tara asked.
Buffy looked at her in confusion. "You mean where we all sculpt and paint and stuff?"
"No, that was the Renaissance."
"Oh. I've had a really long week. Let's go look at the house."
Suddenly, an alert sounded.
Tara Alt-Tabbed to her e-mail inbox. "Jenny replied to my e-mail." She opened it. "She sent an attachment."
She downloaded the PDF file. Then she opened it and read it silently for a while.
Tara couldn't believe it. "Holy shit."
"What is it?" Buffy asked her.
"I know why Sunday's been giving you so much trouble."
It was nighttime. Buffy and Tara arrived at the exterior of a building with signs posted reading "This Property Closed to the Public" and "Keep Out". Tara hugged Buffy and flew them up to the roof.
Up on the roof, Buffy cleared some debris from the skylight that she was laying on. She saw the vampires inside a cluttered room, going through her things. Tara worked her way to the skylight.
Buffy grinned. "Score!"
Sunday was holding a skirt up to herself and mockingly shaking her hips. "Look how tough I am."
"Oh! That's my skirt! You're never going to fit in it with those hips! We have to kill them!" Buffy declared.
"Let's put this bitch in the ground!" Tara agreed. "We need weapons."
"I don't see my weapons trunk down there. It was right by my bed." Buffy noticed something. "Mr. Gordo? Go to my room. If it's not there, try Amy's. I'll keep an eye...my diary?!"
"Uh-oh, score!" SpicoliVamp declared.
"I'll hurry!" Tara flew away.
Buffy stared down at the vampires with an evil smile on her lips. "Laugh all you want; this time, we play it my way. And the rules are just going to be a little bit-"
The skylight gave way, and Buffy fell into the room.
Buffy hit the floor. "Unh!"
The vampires all stopped what they were doing and looked at her.
"Ah. Ah." Buffy looked up at the vampires. "Oh."
"Say, don't I know you from...beating the shit out of you?" Sunday asked her.
Buffy stood up. "I just thought I'd drop in." She smiled. "Get it? Drop in?"
The vampires didn't say anything.
Buffy frowned. "Damn, tough room."
"I must say, you've really got me now. I mean...it's a diabolical plan: throw yourself at my feet with a broken arm and no weapons of any kind. How'm I going to get out of this one?" Sunday asked.
"You got a nice set-up here, but you made one mistake."
"Yeah? What was that?" Sunday asked her.
Buffy was stumped. "Well, I'm not actually positive, but, statistically speaking, people usually make at least-"
Sunday punched her in the face.
Amy went to Buffy's dorm room and knocked on the door. Soon, the door opened. Kathy was standing there.
"Hello?" Kathy asked.
"Hi, I'm looking for my friend, Buffy. Is she here?" Amy asked her.
"Oh. Uh, Buffy actually took off and moved back home."
"What?" Amy asked, surprised.
"Yeah. It seems kind of weird." Kathy handed the note to Amy.
Amy read the note. "Yeah, weird's a pretty good word for it. Buffy wouldn't just take off."
"Does Buffy have a history of emotional problems?" Kathy asked her. "'Cause on my request form, I was pretty specific about a stable non-smoker."
Amy handed back the note. "I don't think this is her handwriting. Let's think this through. Now, either Buffy took off, or she was robbed, or-"
"It's vampires!" Tara ran into the hallway.
Amy looked at her. "Tara!"
Tara ran up to them. "Vampires took Buffy's stuff. And now she wants us to help get it back." She looked at Kathy. "Excuse me."
Kathy stepped aside. Tara walked into the room, and Amy followed.
"Wait a minute, who are you?" Kathy asked her.
"Tara, Buffy's girlfriend." Tara looked around and underneath Buffy's bed. "They took the chest." She turned around and headed for the door. "C'mon, Amy. It's nice meeting you, Kathy."
Tara and Amy left the room.
"You, too!" Kathy called.
Tara looked at Amy. "Let's go to your place, get supplies."
"Okay. Do you have anything that we can use?" Amy asked her.
Tara shook her head. "Nah, you've got all the good shit. My broke ass can't afford it."
"Is Buffy in danger?" Amy asked her.
"She's in a holding pattern; we've got some time."
Buffy fell as she got hit again. On the floor, she looked over and saw her trunk. She started to crawl toward it.
Sunday stepped in front of her and grabbed her left arm. "You know, this arm's not looking so good. It might have to come off."
"You want to know the truth?" Buffy asked her. "I only need one."
She hit Sunday with a roundhouse punch with her right fist, sending her spinning. She rolled to her feet and kicked Sunday in the face and flipped her over the couch, onto the coffee table. She caught some broken wood from the coffee table with her foot and kicked Sunday in the face with it. Sunday fell into a pile of clutter.
The fat vampire ran in to help. Buffy grabbed a tennis racket, stepped onto the arm of a chair, roundhouse-kicked Sunday, and did a backhand swing with the racket into the fat vampire's face, sending her flying over the couch and breaking the frame off the racket, making a perfect stake. Sunday moved in for some close-in fighting. The door opened, and Tara and Amy ran into the room. SpicoliVamp saw Amy struggling with a crossbow and rushed her. Amy got the crossbow up just in time and shot the bolt through SpicoliVamp's heart.
"Whoa!" SpicoliVamp fell backwards, dead.
The fat vampire decided to leave and ran out of the room. Sunday was lying on the floor with Buffy standing above her.
Buffy stared down at Sunday. "When you look back at this, in the split-second it'll take you to die, I think you'll find the mistake was touching my shit."
Sunday got to her feet and rushed Buffy, who swung one-armed at her, which Sunday blocked, eventually catching her arm in a hold.
"What about breaking your arm?" Sunday grabbed at Buffy's left arm. "How'd that feel?"
"Let me answer that with a headbutt." Buffy did and sent Sunday staggering.
Amy fired off more bolts from the crossbow. Those that didn't directly hit vampires, Tara redirected mid-air. Amy faced off with a vampire. Tara, behind the vampire, hit him on the head with a karate chop, then ducked down. When the vampire turned, Amy pushed him over Tara, who straightened up and flipped the vampire onto his back. Amy moved in for the kill, firing a bolt into his heart.
Buffy made a fist with her left hand. "And for the record, the arm is hurt..." She uppercut Sunday, sending her flying. "...not broken."
Besides Sunday, there were no more vampires left in the house. Tara and Amy walked up behind Buffy.
"Hey, Buff. Need a hand?" Amy asked her.
Buffy brandished a stake with a twirl. "No, thanks." She twisted around and threw the stake.
Sunday did a spinning jump kick, knocking the stake away. She then turned and ran out the door.
"Should we follow her?" Tara asked.
Buffy thought about it. "Nah. Let's just pack up my stuff and get it to my dorm."
"But aren't you concerned that she'll cause more trouble?" Amy asked her.
"She will. They all do. But I'm not ready to defeat her yet."
"Why not?" Amy asked her, confused.
Buffy turned and looked at her. "Because she's a Slayer."
Buffy opened the door to her dorm room, and she, Tara, and Amy walked in. Tara and Amy carried Buffy's stuff in boxes; Buffy carried her trunk with her good arm.
Kathy looked at them from the fridge. "I have so many questions."
"No doubt." Buffy dropped her trunk on the floor and kicked it under the bed.
"Where do you want your stuff?" Amy asked Buffy.
"Oh, just drop it anywhere."
Amy and Tara did.
Kathy glared at them. "Well, that isn't very orderly."
"So...college not so scary after all, huh?" Tara asked Buffy.
Buffy smiled. "It's turning out to be a lot like high school, which I can handle. At least, I know what to expect."
Chapter 81: Living Conditions
Chapter Text
"Living Conditions"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Living Conditions" Written by Marti Noxon and the Angel Episode "Lonely Heart" Written by David Fury
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
Buffy and Kathy were in their dorm room. Kathy had an ironing board out and was ironing jeans. Buffy was reading a CD jewel case. "Bailamos" by Enrique Iglesias was playing on Kathy's portable stereo.
"Wow, this music is so...so..." Buffy stopped talking, not wishing to offend Kathy.
"I know. This song is super fun. Isn't it?"
"You bet. It just gets funner and funner every time you play it." Buffy set the jewel case down on Kathy's bed and got a jacket from her closet.
"Going out?"
"Yeah. I'm seriously caffeine deprived. Figure I'd head down to The Grotto and get a jolt and, you know, do some slaying."
"Oh. It's late. Won't you be up all night?"
Buffy picked up her backpack. "Comes with the job. I mentioned that, right?"
"I guess I just didn't realize you'd be coming and going at all hours. Well, not that I mind. I'm just surprised."
"I'll be quiet as a mouse, I promise. Okay?" Buffy started toward the door.
"Oh! Say, Buffy, I wanted to show you this little system I implemented." Kathy went over to the night stand separating the beds and got a small notepad and a pen. She brought them back.
"Oh, goody. System."
"Just log every call you make in here, and that way, when the bill comes, it won't be a problem. I figure 'Stitch in time...'"
"'...catches the worm.'"
Kathy cheerfully made a "You got it" gesture.
"You bet. Okay, then." Buffy turned and started to go.
"Also..."
Buffy stopped and turned back.
"I noticed that some of my milk was missing. Did you-"
"Oh! Yeah, actually, I did. I meant to-"
"No! It's totally okay; I was just wondering."
"Yeah, I-I-I was making hot cocoa, and I just-"
"Buffy, it's fine. I just wanted to make sure..."
The song ended, and Kathy went over to the stereo to restart it.
Kathy came back. "...that we didn't have a thief or something."
"Like who?"
"I don't know; it's no big deal. Please, feel free."
"Okay, I'm really sorry. I have to..." Buffy started to go again.
"Have a good time."
"Yeah, you, too. With ironing." Buffy left.
Cordelia walked into the outer office of Angel's new business. "Hello." She walked into Angel's office and saw Angel and Doyle. "They're finally in."
Doyle looked at Angel. "They're in." He went to stand next to Cordelia.
Angel was confused. "Okay...?"
Cordelia smiled and held up a stack of cards. "Your cards."
Doyle nodded. "The cards."
"Your calling cards. We talked about this. To leave with people, so they know how to reach you."
Doyle grinned. "Great idea! Calling cards. It's not like you have a signal folks can shine in the sky whenever they need help, you know?"
Angel took a card from Cordelia. "Hey, look at that; there is our number. It's right next to a...a...um...a...a butterfly?"
Doyle looked at Cordelia's face, then back down at the card that he was holding. "It's obviously not a butterfly, you idiot. It's a...a bird. No, no, wait, it's an owl. A...A bird that hunts at night. Brilliant! It's a...a-"
"It's an angel!" Cordelia yelled in frustration.
"An angel. Right. It's an angel!" Angel exclaimed.
Doyle looked at Cordelia. "Brilliant. So obvious and so clever on so many levels... "
"Oh, shut up!" Cordelia hit Doyle in the chest with the back of her hand.
Doyle doubled over with pain. "Oh, jeez..."
Cordelia was taken aback. "Come on, don't be such a baby. I barely hit you."
Doyle moaned and kicked the desk, then fell back, throwing the cards up in the air.
Angel jumped to grab him. "Hey, hey, hey, Doyle! Are you okay, man?"
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"What did you see? What did you see?"
"It's a bar. Uh, I think I recognize it. It's one of those terminally...stuck-in-the-Eighties places."
"Yeah, and?" Angel asked.
"That's it. No faces popped out at me, man. Just - Just a feelin'."
"What feeling?" Cordelia asked him.
"Something's gonna happen."
Angel stared at him for a moment. "Looks like you got your wish. Looks like we're going out after all."
Buffy and Tara were walking along a wooded path at night; there were trees and bushes all over.
"So you had trouble getting past Kathy?" Tara asked.
"Yep. She made big with the questions. Kathy's nice and all, but she's...she's sort of...I don't know, like, 'mini-mom of Momdonia'."
Tara chuckled.
"Wait." Buffy stopped, looking around. "Did you just hear something?"
Tara paused to listen. "Sorry, no."
They started walking again.
Buffy sighed. "Damn, I could use a little play tonight. Listening to the best of VH-1 all day sort of put me on edge."
"Ugh."
"''Cause it's the funnest!' Well, no big. College is a time of change, right? I bet, before too long, she'll be trip-hoppin' all over the place."
"Yeah! I mean...this whole dorm thing is just an adjustment we need to make, you know? I mean...my roomie is kind of challenging, too."
"And what are we if not women up to a challenge?" Buffy asked.
"Exactly! Well, here's where I get off."
They stopped at a branching path.
Buffy and Tara hugged each other. Buffy kissed Tara passionately on the lips. They made out with each other for a while.
Buffy reluctantly broke the kiss. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Good night."
"Good night. Happy hunting."
"Wish me monsters."
Tara made a face and walked away. Buffy walked on. Walking along a path, she heard a noise.
"Tara?" Buffy paused. "All right, why don't you quit hiding and come out and face me like a...thing?"
Kathy came running up with a bounce in her step. "Hey, I caught you."
"Is everything okay?" Buffy asked her.
"Oh, everything's super. I just decided a decaf latte sounded like heaven after all."
"So you're coming along."
"Why not? This way, you won't have to walk these spooky paths alone." Kathy went on ahead with a skip.
"Great! That's just great." Buffy followed her.
"This is neat, isn't it? The fresh air, the trees, the smell of-"
Buffy heard the growl of something rushing them and pushed Kathy into the bushes, where she landed in the dirt.
A hooded, orange-skinned demon with green glowing eyes ran up and swung a club. Buffy grabbed its arm, broke its hold on the club, and threw it off balance onto the ground. It got up and took two swings, but Buffy blocked them and gave it three quick right punches to the face. The demon tried a roundhouse punch, which Buffy ducked under. She sweeped the demon's legs out from under him, and he rolled over his club, grabbing it. Rolling to his feet, he ran off. Kathy climbed out of the bushes, and Buffy went to help her.
"What the blizzard was that all about?" Kathy asked.
"Demon."
"What were you thinking, taking him on like that?"
Buffy stared at her. "It's my job. What part of this are you not getting?"
"I mean...it's just you could've gotten hurt or something." Kathy looked down. "And look at my sweater; it's ruined!"
Buffy stared daggers at her. "Yeah, sorry about that. Here, we'll go get you cleaned up."
They walked back the way that they came.
Angel, Cordelia, and Doyle walked down the steps leading into a nightclub named D'Oblique.
"Ooh, classy! Okay, now what?" Cordelia asked.
Angel looked at them. "All right. Look, let's split up. Look for someone that might be in trouble."
Doyle looked at them. "Or for something that's about to cause it."
Cordelia handed Angel a couple of his new calling cards, and they split up.
Cordelia walked up to a black guy and handed him a calling card. "Hi! If you're in trouble, just call this number. We can help!" She moved on to a couple sitting at a table and handed a card to the girl. "Hi. Being harassed by someone or something? Just dial us up, day or night." She looked at the guy. "You look troubled. Are you troubled...or is that just your lazy eye? Anyway, call us; we are very discreet." She moved on to the next table. "Hi, how are you?"
Doyle grabbed her and pulled her away from them. "Hey, hey, hey! This isn't a marketing seminar here, princess. You've got to stay a bit more below radar."
"What radar?"
"The police? You know, the service our friend Angel provides...might put some people in mind of the v word."
"Vampire?"
"No, vigilante."
"Yeah, well, vampire vigilantes still have to pay their bills. If we have to rely on you to get one of your visions every time we need a client, we'll be broke in a month."
"You know there are laws against this. You need to chat people up a little more casual-like. You know, hi, what's your name? How's life treatin' ye? What's that, you say? Minions from hell gettin' you down?"
"I'm an actress, a student of the human animal. I don't need to talk to people to know their story." Cordelia turned to point at a guy dancing. "You see jazz hands over there? Mama's boy. Peter Pan complex." She pointed at a short-haired blonde. "Self-absorbed closet dud with a big 'the world owes me' chip on her shoulder." She pointed to a girl with long blonde hair leaving with a dark-haired guy. "Check out Sarah, Plain and Tall. Has or comes from big money."
"How do you know all that?"
"Well, you've got to be rich to snag the Calvin Klein model she's leaving with."
"Yeah, well, they're all riveting insights and such, but we need to find someone that's in trouble."
"How's Angel doing?" Cordelia asked.
Detective Kate Lockley, a young blonde woman with blue eyes, was sitting at the bar with a drink. She saw Angel standing by the bar. A guy punched him in the nose and then walked away from him, shaking his head.
"No, seriously, I wasn't hitting on you!" Angel massaged the bridge of his nose with a sigh and leaned back against the bar.
"Are you okay?" Kate asked him.
"What?"
"No, no, nothing. Sorry."
"No. Am I okay?"
"Well, you just looked...bad. Not that you look bad; you look very nice..." Kate shut up. "I think I'm just going to have my drink."
"Thanks."
"For thinking you look bad or thinking you look good?"
"You choose. I'm Angel."
"I'm...I'm Kate. So do you come here a lot?"
"First time. It's really..."
"Easy? Yeah. I prefer those cool bars that are hard to get into, but I can't get into them. Anyway, this is close to home. So...did you...did you just stop in?"
"I'm sort of looking for someone."
"I'm sorry, if I'm keeping you-"
"No, no, no, I'm just looking for someone to...rescue?" Angel paused. "Are you maybe in need of some...rescuing?"
Kate stared at him in disbelief. "Well, that's the strangest line I'm going to hear tonight."
"No, it's not a line. I'm-"
"Oh, I didn't mean..." Kate paused. "That was harsh."
"No, hey, you know...I'm not very good at this...talking."
"Well, I'm the expert. I'm sure you can see..." Kate paused. "Well, the answer is...no, I don't need rescuing. I gave up on the knight in shining armor concept a while ago. Anyway, I don't expect to find him here at the International House of Posers."
"People can surprise you."
"I sound like a big hypocrite, don't I? Ragging on this place. I still come here most every night. How else are you going to meet somebody outside of work? It's either this or sit at home alone in the dark."
Angel looked at the ceiling. "Hmm. Wouldn't want that."
"So...what do you do?"
"Do?"
"For a living."
"I...uh...well, basically, I...um...I help...I'm a veterinarian."
"Really. Well, I always say a man that loves animals is a man you can trust."
"So you got everyone figured out, huh?" Doyle asked Cordelia.
"Not everyone. I mean you I don't get."
"Me?"
"Yeah, I mean...what's with those vision things of yours?"
"They're messages I get, you know, from the higher powers, whoever they may be. You know, it's my gift!"
"If that was my gift, I'd return it. I mean you get those headaches, and you do this bleh thing with your face."
"What thing with my face?" Doyle asked, downing a drink.
"Plus, your visions are kind of lame. A bar? That's nice and vague! I mean they should send you one of those self-destructing tapes, you know, that come with a dossier?"
"Well, I'm sure to mention it-"
A blond guy came up, holding a calling card. "Hey, you're the one handing out those cards?"
"Do you need help?" Cordelia asked him.
"Well, I was wondering if that is really your number. Do you mind if I ring you up sometime for a date?"
Doyle looked at him. "Yeah, she minds."
Cordelia put a hand on Doyle's chest. "I can handle this, okay?" She looked at the guy. "Yes, I mind. This is a business card. We offer our services to people in need."
"Well, I might be in need of a little service. You charge by the hour?"
"Excuse me?"
"All right. Just everyone relax here a little bit. The lady is with me, all right?" Doyle tried.
Cordelia gave him a sharp look. "No, I'm not."
The blond guy looked at Doyle. "Hey, nobody is talking to you, asswipe."
Kate and Angel were sitting at the bar.
"I guess I just...I just have a hard time, you know...trusting people. Male people particularly. In a place like this, it's not like anyone is just going to come up to you and show you who they really are. Everybody is too busy trying to get...I don't know...whatever it is they're looking for."
"What are you looking for?" Angel asked her.
"Depends on how many daiquiris I've had. Oh, God, way to come off like a drunken slut. Slut's better then a hypocrite, though, right?" Kate took a sip of her daiquiri. "I'm moving up."
"Kind of hard on yourself."
"That's me, a self-flagellating hypocrite-slut. What was your question?" Kate asked him.
"What are you looking for?"
"I guess I'm just trying to make a connection. The more I come to places like this, the harder it gets. What about you?"
Angel sighed. "I honestly don't know. But I'll know it when I see it."
"Would you...?" Kate changed her mind. "I'm sorry. Forget it."
"What?"
"I was just going to ask you...if you would like to go someplace...more quiet." Kate hoped she sounded seductive.
"Um, I can't. I've got to stay here."
"Right."
"I would-"
"No, that's okay."
"Listen, I don't want any trouble, okay?" Doyle asked the blond guy.
A second guy came up. "Hey, what's the trouble?"
"No trouble. Did I not just get through saying that we don't want any trouble? We are trouble-free, okay?" Doyle insisted.
The blond guy looked at his friend. "Turns out she's a hooker, and her pimp here is giving me a hard time."
Cordelia was enraged. "That's it!"
"Down, Cord-"
"Did you hear what that asshole just said about me?" Cordelia asked him.
"Everyone just simmer down here, okay? Violence isn't going to solve a thing here." Doyle stepped forward and head-butted the blond guy. "On the other hand, it is kind of festive."
The three guys started fighting.
"Oh, my fucking God!" Cordelia exclaimed, annoyed.
The bartender, a young black man, came up to break up the fight, and the second guy hit him in the face.
"Oh, my God!" Cordelia considered stepping in and kicking their asses, but then she remembered they were human, and she wasn't sure if she would face any legal consequences for fighting. That was the last thing that she needed at the moment. "God damn it, I wish Faith was here."
Angel came up and grabbed the chair away from the blond guy as he got ready to hit Doyle with it. He used the chair to block the blond guy's punches, then threw him into the wall. Both guys went up against Angel, but he held them off easily. Then he and Doyle threw them into a pile, and the bartender stepped between them.
Cordelia pointed to the two guys. "Those two assholes started it!" She pointed at herself and shook her head. "Me, I did not participate."
The two guys started to protest.
"Not a word. Not a word! Every time with you guys. Out! Come on. Let's go!" the bartender yelled.
As the bartender ushered the two guys out, a starry-eyed woman with long black hair walked up to Angel and Doyle.
"Wow, are you okay?" she asked.
Doyle held the side of his head. "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks."
The girl ignored him and smiled at Angel.
Angel looked around for a moment. "Yeah...uh...I'm...I'm okay. Are you okay?"
The woman walked over to the bar with a smirk. "Well, now. That's for you to find out."
Angel followed her after a moment. "No, I...I mean...I'd really like to know. So how do you want to do this? Twenty questions?"
Kate disappointingly watched Angel talk to the girl.
The woman laughed. "My name's Marcie. I'm from Barstow."
"So...Marcie from Barstow. That doesn't even rhyme or anything."
"It's wild, us meeting over a bar fight. Isn't it great when two people make a connection?" Marcie asked him.
Kate left the club.
Hours later, Cordelia, Angel, and Doyle were sitting around a table, the only patrons left.
"You know, I'm having a hard time believing that Doyle's vision meant I was supposed to come here to break up a bar fight."
"Yeah, well, if it was, I'm in for some serious Worker's Comp."
"All right, think. Could either one of you sense that anyone here tonight needs help?"
Cordelia looked at him. "Yeah, everybody."
"This socializing thing is brutal. I mean...I was young once. I used to go to bars. It wasn't anything like this."
"I used to go to taverns. Small towns, where everybody used to know each other."
Cordelia looked at Doyle. "Yeah, like high school. It was easy to date there. We all had so much in common. Being monster food every other week, for instance."
"Well, you're in the big, bad city now, huh? Where everyone's a stranger, hiding behind walls, keeping secrets."
The bartender came up to the table. "Sorry, folks, got to kick you out now."
"Sure." Cordelia looked at Angel. "I guess the single life's particularly tough on you."
"Why?"
"Well, a couple of hundred years ago, all you had to worry about was a hangover. Today, because of your curse thingy, you can't sleep with anyone, or else you might feel a moment of true happiness, lose your soul, become evil again, and...kill everyone."
"Thanks, Cordelia, I always appreciate your perspective."
"No problem. Hey, the last thing I want is to show up at the office and find that I'm working for a homicidal monster."
The three of them got up and left.
The next day, Buffy entered the computer lab. Jenny was sitting at her desk. Buffy knocked on the door.
Jenny looked at her. "Buffy. Hey."
Buffy walked over to her. "Got a sec?"
"I've got several. What's up?"
Buffy sat down on the edge of Jenny's desk. "Demon. Last night. Made with the pummeling, but he got away."
"What kind of demon?"
"Um, had a cloak on...and glowing green eyes...and skin had a, like, super-bad, fake rub-on tan."
Jenny was confused. "Huh?"
"Orangey?"
"Ah. Anything else?"
"My roommate, Kathy, was there, but she didn't see anything."
"You took your roommate patrolling with you?"
"Well, I invited the whole dorm, but she was the only one that could make it."
Jenny chuckled. "From what you described, I'm not familiar with the creature, but I'll look into it and e-mail you when I've found something."
"Cool." Buffy stayed where she was.
Jenny stared at her for a moment. "Anything else?"
"What are you doing today?"
"Uh, getting ready for class, then teaching class, uh, looking into your demon, more classes, and, uh, go home."
Buffy grinned. "That sounds like fun."
"Fess up, Buffy. What's going on?" Jenny asked her.
"It's no big. I just figured I'd hang here, you know, until my roommate goes to class."
"Ah, I see."
Buffy shrugged. "I know, it's probably just me having a bitch attack. But it's not...me."
"Buffy, living with somebody is never easy."
"I know, Jenny, but..." Buffy paused. "Okay. When she sharpens her pencils, she measures them with a ruler to make sure they're all the same size."
Jenny made a face. "Which is fucking weird, I agree, but everybody has their idiosyncrasies." She paused as she considered Giles'. "All that you can do is learn to tolerate them."
"Okay. You know what? You're right." Buffy stood up. "Take a mental pic; this is the new Buffy. Kinder, gentler...roommate extraordinaire."
At Rocket Cafe, the university dining hall, Buffy got a tray and started back to the end of the line. She noticed Kathy and quickly brought the tray up to hide her face. She ducked into the line in front of a male student.
"Ex-boyfriend? Or loan shark?"
Buffy turned around to face him. "Excuse me?"
"The person you're hiding from."
"Oh. I'm sorry, I just cut you-"
"No, stay. Stay. I'll watch your back."
They got to the self-serve area and started getting their food. Buffy picked up a slice of pepperoni pizza, a cup of green Jell-O, and a carton of chocolate milk.
"Freshman, huh?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"There are signs." He got a single-serving box of cereal and stuffed it into the breast pocket of his shirt. "For instance, people who've been around for a while know how to use their dining hall card."
"It's not for food?"
"Work it right, and you can get three meals' worth, which equals fewer punch cards used annually."
"And more cash from Dad, which you get to keep for yourself."
"Right! The goal is to polish off as much as humanly possible at one sitting. Enough to get you through the rest of the day, if necessary. While chipmunking items for future consumption."
"Ah, got it."
"Excess dry goods fit nicely in a backpack or your pocket." He took something and put it into his pants pocket. "The wetter items - macaronies, your turkey loaf - then you're into Ziplocs. It's not for beginners."
"I'll just take it slow."
They reached the cashier and handed over their cards for punching. Buffy looked over and saw Tara, Amy, and Harmony seated at a table. Amy saw her and waved for her to come over.
"So."
"So...those are my friends and my girlfriend."
He saw the gang at the table. "Oh. Are you...?"
"Gay?" Buffy smiled. "Yeah."
"Oh. Uh, I have someone waiting. Otherwise, I'd...heh, uh..." He walked away.
Buffy went over to the gang's table and sat down.
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "Hey."
Buffy smiled. "Hey."
Amy nodded at the guy. "Buffy, that guy that was talking to you? Parker Abrams. Major douchebag."
"Yeah, I kinda figured. Thanks."
"So...what's up? Any vamp action?" Amy asked.
"I did get jumped by a demon of non-specific origin last night."
Kathy came up and set her tray on the table. "Hi, everybody." She got a chair from another table and moved it over. "Squeeze in." She sat down.
"You all know my roomie, Kathy?" Buffy asked.
Tara looked at Kathy. "Hi."
Harmony smiled. "Hi!"
Amy looked at Kathy. "Hey, Kath."
Buffy looked at Kathy in surprise. "Is that my sweater?"
"I didn't think you'd mind. I mean...you got mine all muddy."
"I was saving you from a demon!"
"It's not a problem, is it? I mean...I figured we're almost like sisters now, living together and everything."
Buffy sighed. "No, it's...it's fine. I just wished you'd asked."
"So, where're you from, Kathy?" Harmony asked.
"Nebraska, originally." Kathy picked up a big, sloppy hamburger from her tray and bit into it.
Buffy's senses intensified, focusing in on a blob of ketchup oozing out of the hamburger. She watched it as it dropped onto her sweater. Buffy's eyes narrowed.
That night, at the office, Cordelia was sitting in front of a computer, and Doyle was looking through some newspapers.
Doyle shook his head. "This is completely whacked, man. I don't even know what I'm looking for anymore."
Angel came to stand behind Cordelia. "You're looking for any events in and around that bar."
"Okay, I'm in the newsgroup search engine. Now, what is the name of that place again?" Cordelia asked him.
"D'Oblique. Capital D, apostrophe, o-b-l-i-"
"Not so fast. Okay, Capital D...apostrophe, apostrophe, apostrophe...oh, I got it. Okay. Now, what's after that again?"
Doyle got up and walked up to the keyboard. "You know, I need a break. Let me...uh...let me get in here." He turned the keyboard towards him and started typing really fast.
"How'd you pick up computer skills?" Angel asked him.
"Downloading pictures of naked women?" Cordelia guessed.
"Well, that's more or less accurate. Hello! We've got two hits." Doyle clicked on the first one.
Angel looked. "Look at that. 'Search continues for Heather Nolan, missing since late last month. The 24-year-old paralegal vanished after leaving a downtown bar called D'Oblique.'"
Cordelia looked at him. "Missing girl. That sounds a little more up your alley."
"What's the second one say?" Angel asked Doyle.
"'Badly mutilated body found in the dumpster nearly three weeks ago, described by the coroner's office as eviscerated, has been positively identified as that of 28-year-old Martin Haber, last seen with an unidentified female companion at D'Oblique, a trendy singles establishment.'"
"That's it then. Probably a lot more disappearances that the press hasn't traced back to the bar yet."
"So...we got a missing girl and a stiff."
"An eviscerated stiff. Go downstairs and use the library. Try to narrow down a list of eviscerating demons, ones that might have reasons to prey on young singles." Angel started to walk away.
"Where are you going?" Cordelia asked him.
"To the bar. To see if I can meet a killer."
In her dorm room, Buffy was talking to Tara on the phone. The window at the head of her bed was open.
"I mean...can you believe her? First, she acts like she has sit privileges at my lunch table just because some computer had to make us cellmates." Buffy put a stick of gum in her mouth.
"Yeah, that was bananas."
"And what about my sweater?" Buffy added. "You can't believe the shit that I have to put up with."
"Oh, I can believe it. There's a loud party going on here."
"Yeah, I can hear it. I think she's just coming back from the bathroom. I'll call you back."
Kathy came into the room. "Don't forget to log those calls." She sat on her bed and started flossing her teeth.
Buffy hung up the phone, took an apple out of her backpack, stood up, and took it over to the mini-refrigerator. Buffy opened the fridge and saw Kathy had almost completely filled it, labeling everything with her name, even writing "Kathy" on each of a dozen boiled eggs. Buffy squeezed the apple into the last remaining space on the door, closed it, and turned around to see the window was now closed. She went over and opened it again and sat back down on her bed. Kathy finished flossing and picked up a paperback book from the night stand. There was gum stuck to it, and it stretched up from the table.
"Ewww! Who left their gum here?" Kathy asked.
Buffy hesitated. "Gum gnome?"
"It wasn't me! It had to be somebody, Buffy!"
Buffy swallowed the gum that she had been chewing. "I don't know."
Kathy slammed the book down and turned off the light near her bed. Buffy turned off her own light; lay down, pulling the covers over her; and fell asleep.
Kate was standing in front of D'Oblique.
Angel ran into her. "Oh, excuse me."
"Well, hello."
"Hi...Kate. Uh...I'm glad to see you again."
"Really..."
"Yeah...I owe you an apology...for last night."
"You don't owe me anything."
"No, it was rude."
"Okay, then...maybe you can buy me a drink, and we can start fresh."
"I'm not sure that you should go in there tonight."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure it's safe."
"What's not safe?"
"I can't really explain it."
"You know I'm having a problem trusting people...and, surprise, you're not making it any better."
"I'm just asking you not to go in there."
"And where are you going?"
Angel hesitated. "In there."
"Well, I'll tell you what: I can go wherever the fuck I want, and, uh...you can go to Hell." Kate turned and walked into the club.
Kate walked up to the bar and sat down next to a blonde girl talking to a young man.
"The usual?" the bartender asked Kate.
"Yes."
He set a tall glass with a straw in front of her. Angel settled down at the bar, further down. They looked at each other for a moment across the people sitting between them.
Kate turned away, looking at the blonde sitting beside her. "You know, some guys have real problems."
The blonde turned around. "I'm sorry, you were saying?"
"Nothing. It's just my job. It's hard to meet people. Everyone is watching their own back. It's difficult...to know who you can trust."
"Still, I'm surprised. I would think that you would have your pick of girls."
"Yeah?" Kate laughed. "Well, I...I don't know. I was pretty much a spaz in high school. You know, a real 'something is out there' geek, you know, with the gang of geek toy minions. I couldn't get a date to save my life."
"Well, it's a good thing high school's over."
Kate looked at Angel. Angel was sitting at the bar, sipping a Coke. The blonde girl and the guy that she had been talking to got up and left.
A dark-haired guy stepped up to the bar next to Angel and looked at the bartender. "Yo, man, where is Kevin?"
"Hell if I know. Haven't seen him in here tonight. Why?"
"Dude didn't show up for work today. And he's not answering his phone."
"Pretty sure I seen him hook up with some girl last night. He's probably sleeping it off."
"What girl?" Angel asked him.
"Sharon, Sharon. Her name is Sharon. Kind of a regular."
"Sharon? That dowdy chick?" the guy asked. "Aw, Kevin, scraping the bottom of the barrel."
"Look, where can I find Sharon?" Angel asked the bartender.
"She's in here tonight. No Kevin, though. I guess it wasn't true love after all. He looked over. "Uh, she was there just a minute ago, getting it on with some Screech."
The guy nodded. "Yeah, that's definitely more her level."
"Look, any idea where she lives?" Angel asked the bartender.
"No."
"What about a last name?"
"Last name? Not a lot of last names in a place like this."
"It's Reichler."
Angel got up to leave.
The guy looked at the bartender. "All right. I asked her out a couple times."
Angel went to a payphone and opened the phone book. Kate watched him through the window from her seat at the bar as he scanned through the book. He ripped out a page and left. Kate got up and followed him.
At the office, Cordelia and Doyle were sitting together, looking through a bunch of books about demons.
Doyle pointed at the picture of a demon. "Here's another one. Piasca. It's a flesh-eating Indian demon that enters victims through the mouth and eviscerates from within. You're going to put that one down?"
Cordelia wrote it down. "Yeah. Ugh, demons. Is there anything more disgusting?"
Doyle hesitated. "You think so?"
Cordelia looked at him, surprised. "Come on! Okay, look at this one." She pointed at a picture. "This demon wears a wreath of intestines around its head. I mean, honestly, what kind of a statement is this thing trying to make with that?"
"Yeah, you know...I mean...it really depends, doesn't it? I mean some demons could actually be nice...given the opportunity. I think...you'd have to get to know them, yeah?"
"I've met a lot of demons, and, slime aside, not a whole lot going on there."
Kate followed Angel to an apartment building but kept her distance. She watched as Angel burst through an apartment door. Kate drew her pistol, ran into the apartment, and entered the bedroom. The body of a blonde woman was on the bed, looking like a week-old corpse.
Angel got up and turned to face Kate. "Kate, what are you doing here?"
They both looked over at the dead body on the bed.
Angel looked at Kate. "Look, I know what this looks like."
Kate aimed the cocked pistol at his face and pulled out her police badge. "So do I." She put her badge back away. "LAPD. You have the right to-"
"I waive it. How did you find me?"
"I've been tracking you since last night."
"Listen-"
"Don't move! Not a step. Back-up is on the way."
"We're on the same side. I'm after this guy, too."
"You're telling me you're an investigator?"
"More or less."
"Where is your license?"
"That's the less part."
"Right."
"Kate, you don't know; you didn't see-"
"What I see is the carving job of an impotent sicko. It's frustrating, isn't it, not being able to connect, to love like other people? I mean...how do you get them to trust you, Angel? Give them the big dark eyes, the 'I'm not good with talk' speech?"
"He gives them what they are longing for."
"And that is?"
"Hope. That the loneliness is going to end, and he is going to do it again-"
"Unless I let you go, so you can stop him. Save me the lines. I've heard them."
"And I've heard yours. Something about not being able to trust people?"
Kate got out her handcuffs. "Turn around."
Angel turned and put his hand up against the wall with a sigh. She slapped a cuff around his right wrist and pulled his arm down.
"I'm sorry."
"Is that a confession?" Kate asked him.
"I didn't do that. I'm sorry for this!" Angel kicked back, knocked her down, and sprinted for the open window.
Kate got up and shot four times as he dove head-first out the window to land on the hood of a car parked below, setting off its alarm. He rolled off and ran off down the street as Kate watched from the window.
Cordelia and Doyle walked into Cordelia's apartment, carrying stacks of old books. The place was a mess.
Doyle looked around. "Wow, this is...place is..." He paused. "I thought girls are supposed to like pretty things."
Cordelia closed and locked the door. "Ugh. Don't start, okay? Angel told us to meet here, so we're meeting here. That doesn't mean that you can..."
Doyle picked up a bra and held it up to his chest.
Cordelia took it away from him impatiently. "That is so high school! Cordelia wears bras. Oh, she has girlie parts!"
"Take it easy. You're being a tad defensive here. I think it's refreshing seeing a woman living like this. You know, it means you're not so uptight. Means you live for the moment." Doyle stepped into a dirty cereal bowl sitting on the floor as a knock sounded. "You're disgusting."
Cordelia walked over to the door. "Who is it?"
"It's me."
Cordelia undid the chain and opened the door. Angel stood there; he looked a bit beaten up.
"Oh, my God. Are you okay?" Cordelia asked him.
"Look, I-I can't, um-"
"Invite him in!" Doyle told her. "As long as you're alive, vampires, they can't cross the threshold unless you-"
"Oh, right, right. You promise you'll stay good?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"Cordelia."
"I'm kidding. Come in."
He came in, and Cordelia closed and locked the door.
"What happened to you, man?" Doyle asked him. "You look wrecked!"
"That woman that I was talking to at the bar last night, you know, Kate?"
"She's the killer?" Cordelia asked.
"She's a cop. Followed me to another body."
Doyle nodded. "Now, she thinks you're the killer."
"Yeah. So we don't have a lot of time to..." Angel looked around and noticed the state of Cordelia's apartment for the first time. He looked at Cordelia with a grin. "You actually live here?"
"Yes, okay? Is it my fault that maid service was interrupted? It was supposed to go: home, hotel, hotel, husband. Now, can we move on?"
"Yeah, well, we put together that list of eviscerating demons that you asked for. We actually narrowed it down to three or four."
"I saw it. It's a burrower."
"It's a donkey?" Cordelia asked. "Oh, we didn't see any donkey demons."
The guys just looked at her for a moment.
Angel stared at her. "Burrower."
"Oh."
"It eviscerates its victims as it moves from body to body, and it may only be able to do it after some kind of a sex act, exchange-of-fluids kind of thing."
Cordelia was grossed out. "Eww!"
"Lovely."
"Look, I want you to find out anything you can about this thing. Weaknesses especially. It was amazingly strong while we were fighting. It may be hard to kill."
Doyle nodded. "We're on it."
"Good. I'm going to get back to the bar, see if I can find this thing."
"What makes you think that it will show?" Cordelia asked Angel. "It knows that you're after it."
"It'll be out there. It's got to keep trying to make a connection."
"Why?"
"Because that's what lonely people do."
Kate stepped into Angel's office with her gun drawn. Once she realized no one was there, she went into the elevator and took it down to Angel's apartment.
She stepped into Angel's apartment and looked around. She opened Angel's refrigerator and looked into it. It was empty. She closed the refrigerator and looked at the weapons decorating the wall of Angel's place.
Buffy dreamed of a demon very much like the one that she fought, holding her down, pouring blood in her mouth, putting a scorpion on her bare skin, and drawing a light, gossamer substance out of Buffy's mouth and into its own.
Buffy awoke with a start.
Kathy was looking at her from her own bed. "Do you always make that noise when you sleep?"
Cordelia and Doyle had fallen asleep and slumped on the sofa with books piled on their laps. They woke as Angel closed the door.
"Morning."
"Hey, uh...so...any luck yet?" Doyle asked him.
"No, not yet." Angel sat down in a chair. "I know I can recognize this thing if I just saw it in another body."
"That shouldn't be a problem then. That narrows it down to what? Five-million suspects in the naked city?" Doyle asked.
Angel massaged the bridge of his nose. "How about you? Did you find anything?"
"Yeah, we found a name for this burrower guy. Uh, Talamour?" Cordelia recalled. "He's been around forever. A dawn-of-time kind of dude."
"Any weaknesses?" Angel asked.
Doyle shook his head. "Few and far between. This kid is strong, like you said. Not too crazy about fire, though."
"Something we have in common."
Cordelia stretched. "It's a parasite. It moves from body to body. And when it leaves one for the next, not going to gag here, but the first one goes kaplooey pretty fast."
Doyle nodded. "Yep, curdles like cream on a hot day."
Cordelia made a face. "I believe I covered that with non-dairy kaplooey?"
Angel got up from his chair and walked over to the phone. "I'm going to need help to find this thing."
"Well, who're you calling?" Doyle asked him.
"Kate."
"Cagney & Lacey Kate?" Cordelia asked. "I thought we were hiding from her."
"We were. But she's been tracking this thing a lot longer than we have."
At the police station, Kate was sitting at her desk. The phone rang.
Kate picked up the handset. "Lockley."
"It's me. I need you to help me find the killer."
"That's easy. I'm talking to him."
"That would make things nice and clean now, wouldn't it? But it's not true, and I think some part of you knows that. Look, he's still out there. We should be sharing information."
"That's not possible."
"All I need is five minutes. You think I'm your man after that, arrest me. Meet me at the bar at 7:00."
"Sure, that's actually on my to-do list for this week: walk into a serial killer's trap."
"Look, I don't care if you come armed, wired, and covered by sharpshooters. Do whatever it takes, so you feel secure. I can help you, Kate, but you're just going to have to trust me." Angel hung up.
Kate put the handset down and thought about his request.
Later that day, Buffy, Jenny, Tara, and Amy were seated in comfortable, padded chairs in an open-area lounge.
"So then, after the scorpion, the demon opened my mouth and sucked some kind of weird light out of me. A-And the worst part? I wake up, and there's Kathy, staring at me like I'm some kind of freak."
Amy considered. "Well, actually, the worst part, I'd have to go with the demon pouring the blood down your throat."
Tara nodded. "Me, too; I would vote for that, too."
"But that's just a dream, and this Kathy thing is real. All she cared about was that her precious sleep had been disturbed."
Jenny considered. "Maybe it would be more productive to examine your dreams, um, determine their meaning."
"You can read dreams?" Kathy asked. "Neat."
Buffy looked at her in surprise and then gestured. "Jenny, Kathy. Kathy, Jenny."
Jenny looked at Kathy. "Nice to meet you, Kathy."
"Ditto. Maybe you could read the dream I had last night? There was, like, this monster, and he sat on me and did all this stuff to me."
"Stuff like...scorpions? And blood?" Amy asked.
"That's it! How'd you know?"
Amy briefly glanced at Buffy. "Well, I'm a good guesser."
Buffy smiled. "Me, too, and I'm guessing that you need to be on your way to class. Right, Kath?"
"Hmm-hmm, sounds like somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."
"Hmm-hmm, and guess what? You were next to it."
"You know, I do need to dash. My whole schedule is off, because someone kept me up all night. Well, it's been fun. Toodles." Kathy turned and left.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Toodles."
Jenny looked at Buffy. "You know what this means..."
"Yes. Not only does she take my sweater, but now she has to horn in on my dreams. She is the most ever mooch. Oh, I haven't even gotten to the floss."
"Buffy, focus, please? If Kathy and you are having the same nightmares, chances are something happened to you both when you met the demon in the woods."
Tara looked at Jenny. "So we need to figure out if this ritual they're dreaming about has some special use or meaning."
Buffy got up and gathered her things. "Cool, you guys can do the brain thing. I'm gonna go to class." She left.
Buffy, returning to her dorm room, stopped at the door for a moment when she heard "Bailamos" playing again. She went in and saw Parker half-laying on Kathy's bed and Kathy sitting with him.
"Lots of popular artists don't get their dues. Madonna? Whitney?" Parker brought up.
"That's so totally true."
"Parker?" Buffy asked.
Parker got up and went over to her. "Hey, uh, I just dropped by to say...that."
"Uh-huh..."
Kathy got up and stood close to Parker. "We started talking. He's such a blast, and time just flew."
"Time, really? How much time?" Buffy asked.
"Uh, I'm not sure; we sort of got caught up talking Red Wings. It turns out that Kathy's a closet hockey fan. I think it's the violence."
Kathy laughed. "Quit it! I told you that was just between us."
"It could be the sweaty men."
Kathy laughed and pushed him.
"If you two are going to rassle, do you mind taking it outside? I've got a lot of work to do." Buffy put her things down on her bed and turned off the music.
"Sorry, I didn't realize." Parker started to leave. "Bye, Kathy." He gave her a wave.
Kathy waved back. "Bye, see ya."
Once Parker left, Buffy closed the door and turned to face Kathy.
"It wouldn't have killed you to be nice, you know."
Buffy crossed over to her bed and retrieved a padlock from her bag. "Looked like you were being nice enough for the both of us."
Kathy closed the window. "I wasn't moving in on your territory, if that's what you mean."
Buffy locked the bolt on her closet with the padlock. "It's not. I'm gay, and Parker's a pickup artist. He's developed a reputation around campus."
Kathy was flossing again. Buffy opened the window.
"I'm cold."
"Well, I'm hot. Deal with it."
"Do you know what your problem is, Buffy?"
"You?"
"Hardly. Your problem is you're spoiled. Maybe the world revolved around you where you used to live, but it's share time now."
"Share time, huh? Fine! I'll show you share time." Buffy went to the fridge and got out the carton of milk. She opened it and drank the milk straight from the carton, spilling it all over herself and the floor.
Elsewhere in the building, Tara and Sandy walked along a hall.
"You're worried about her."
Tara nodded. "Yeah, both of them. I mean...what kind of demon runs around putting ookie blood dreams into people's heads? Like some kind of nightmare fairy. It's not right."
Sandy nodded. "Agreed."
"I've got an English paper that I really have to work on, but I was wondering if you could hang with her and watch out for her."
They stopped at the door to Tara's room.
"Sure."
"You're the best. Oh, she's probably patrolling by now. Check around the science center. If you need me, I'll be..." Tara opened the door, heard the sounds of a loud party, and closed it again. "...at the library." She went back the way that they came.
Later, outside, Sandy walked along a well-lighted walkway. She passed a group of three people: two men and a young woman with short blonde hair. Sandy sensed something; she looked back and saw the woman was looking back at her. They looked at each other for a few seconds before they both turned back.
Sandy was walking with Buffy along a path.
"So then Kathy's like 'It's share time.' And I'm like 'Oh, yeah? Share this!'" Buffy punched at the air.
"You hit her?" Sandy asked.
"Well, I didn't, actually. But she deserves it, don't you think?"
Sandy shrugged. "Personally, I'd suck her dry."
Buffy looked at her in surprise.
Sandy smiled. "Kidding. I'm just here to help."
"Which I appreciate. But you've never come on routine patrol with me before, Sandy. So...what's the deal?"
"Seemed more interesting than homework."
"As long as it's an elective. I can handle myself alone, you know."
Sandy felt a bit offended. "Noted."
"Good. So then I go into the refrigerator, right? And the label queen has managed to put-"
"Just a - Just a thought, Buffy, but do you think all this ranting is scaring away potential demons?" Sandy suggested.
They stopped walking.
"You're right. Ooh! She's even affecting my work now. She's the Titanic. She's a crawling black cancer." Buffy brought her foot up, around, and down onto a bench, breaking it in two. "She's...other really bad things. Something has to be done." She walked away, determined.
Sandy paused for a moment. "Agreed." She followed her.
Kate was sitting nervously at a table in the club.
The bartender came up to her. "Kate. The usual?"
Kate pulled out her badge and showed it to him.
"That's not your usual."
"Every now and then, I'm in the mood for something different. Look, you remember that guy that was in here two nights ago? He was tall, nice-looking, helped you out in the bar fight?"
"Sure, sure."
"Let me know as soon as he comes in, okay?"
"Yeah, you bet." He walked off.
"Thanks."
A guy came over to Kate's table. "God, I hate places like this, don't you?"
"I do, but...um..."
The guy sat down. "I kind of guessed that. You really don't look like you are in your element here. Which is a compliment, by the way."
"Thanks. Um, look, I'd really love to chat, but actually I'm waiting for someone."
The bartender walked by. "That guy you're looking for? I think he's out in the alley."
"What is he doing there?" Kate asked him.
"I was just taking out some trash, and there he was. Looked like he was ready to rabbit."
Kate got up. "Show me." She looked at the guy sitting at the table. "Sorry, I guess you have to keep trolling."
She followed the bartender to the back room. She drew her gun and opened the door leading out of the back of the club. Kate and the bartender stepped through.
Kate pulled out a card and handed it back to the bartender without looking at him. "Call this number; tell the sergeant that I need back...aahh!" She felt a blow to the back of her head and dropped to the ground, unconscious.
"Kate! Kate? Can you move?" Angel asked.
Kate slowly opened her eyes.
"Move!" Angel yelled.
He pulled Kate out of the way just as the bartender slammed a keg down on them. He kicked the bartender and slammed his fist into his stomach. Angel stared at the flap of skin hanging loose from his forehead. "I guess you're done with that body."
The bartender slammed Angel face-first into the fence.
"You stop being a guy. You don't get to finish; you just come apart at the seams." Angel slammed his head back in the bartender's face, then held on to the fence and swung up his legs and wrapped them around the bartender's neck.
Kate stared as he twisted his body, throwing the bartender to the floor. Getting up between Angel's legs, the bartender lifted him up and slammed him into the wall, then tossed him through the door into a storage room. Angel caught the door frame to keep from falling backwards down the stairs behind him, but the bartender threw Kate into him. They tumbled down the stairs, Angel trying to cushion Kate's fall, as the bartender slammed the door shut.
Kate looked at Angel. "We can't let him get away."
"He's not going to leave. He's going to kill again, now."
"You think so?"
"He has to."
Angel climbed up the stairs and threw himself against the door repeatedly. It didn't budge.
Angel walked back down, helped Kate back to her feet at the bottom of the steps, and looked around the room.
"Now what?" Kate asked.
Angel looked at a row of windows just under the ceiling. "We are going out that window."
"It's almost thirty feet up."
Angel reached into his back pocket and pulled out a grappling gun. He aimed it at a angled support beam next to the window. He triggered the release, and the hook shot up and wrapped itself around the beam.
"Who are you?" Kate asked.
Angel gave the rope a good pull, and the beam came crashing down. They looked at each other, then Kate bent down and pulled a hold-out gun out of her boot. She shot the lock of the door, and they hurried out.
Kate and Angel hurried through the club and ran outside. They split up.
Kate searched for a while and eventually found the bartender in an alley. The bartender and an overturned burning barrel were on fire. Now a living torch, he stumbled towards an Angel that was desperately trying to move but was too beat to more than watch him coming. Kate shot the bartender repeatedly in the chest. The burning bartender stumbled back and fell to the ground. Angel saw Kate and allowed himself to collapse.
A fire truck, an ambulance, and a police car soon arrived and parked at the mouth of the alley. Paramedics collected the bartender's body and wheeled the gurney with a body bag over to the ambulance. Kate turned away from talking to a detective as Angel walked up to her.
"It all seems to add up. The bartender was connected to everyone. I must have talked to him a dozen times. I never had a clue."
"It's hard to get to know people."
"Yes it is." Kate paused. "I didn't thank you...for saving my life."
"I think saving mine is a start."
"I think you should know I searched your place...illegally, no warrant."
"Why are you telling me?"
"I don't know. I guess so we can start fresh. No secrets." Kate paused. "Some pretty weird shit for a veterinarian."
Angel looked down with a half-smile, then dug into his pocket and pulled out one of his calling cards. He handed her the card. "Look, if you ever need me, or if I can help you in any way..."
Kate took the card and looked at it. "What is this, a lobster?"
Angel took it back from her. "Uh...I'll be around."
"Detective Lockley, can I talk to you for a minute?" Kate's superior asked.
Kate turned to him for a moment. "Yes, sir." When she turned back, Angel was nowhere to be seen. She turned back to her superior after some looking around. "What's up?"
Back at the office, Angel was pacing. "I know you guys have been working hard. I mean...you've been cooped up inside a lot. And to show my appreciation, I was thinking...the night being, you know, young and all...that the three of us...could...well, should...you know, maybe...go out...you know, for fun."
Cordelia shrugged. "Or we can go home."
Doyle nodded. "And you can sit in the dark alone."
They got up and started to leave.
Angel breathed a sigh of relief. "God, yes! Thank you." He went to sit down at his desk.
Cordelia turned the light off as she and Doyle walked out the door.
Back in her dorm room, Buffy was at her desk, studying. She looked over at Kathy, who was on her bed, clipping her toenails. Her senses intensified, and she heard every nail being clipped loudly and focused on every clipping flying through the air and onto the floor. She started tapping her pencil on her open book. Kathy got up, went over to her stereo, and started playing "Bailamos" again. Buffy tapped harder until she broke the pencil. She put on earmuffs, and it cut the volume of the music down a little. Kathy went to the fridge and got out a boiled egg. She took it to her desk and started rolling it on the desktop to break the shell. Buffy's senses intensified, and she focused in on the shell, with "Kathy" written on it, cracking. She watched Kathy peel the broken shell from the egg.
Buffy took off the earmuffs and threw them onto the desk. "I'm going to bed." She stood up, walked over, got in her bed, turned out the light, and closed her eyes.
Buffy dreamed of the demon again. This time, it was painting symbols on her belly before drawing the light, gossamer substance out of her mouth and into its own. The scorpion was on her bare skin again.
Buffy awakened to daylight with a start.
Over in her own bed, Kathy moaned and opened her eyes suddenly. "Oh, jeez."
Later that day, Kathy was talking to Tara in a hallway.
"I do what I can, but Buffy's difficult. She's disgusting, for one thing; she leaves her gum all over the place. She comes in at all hours of the night."
Tara was upset. "I-It sounds like things are rough, but don't you want to be talking to Buffy about this?"
Buffy entered the hallway at one end and saw Kathy and Tara. She stopped.
"I would, but she is so touchy about all kinds of weird stuff. I mean sometimes I get the feeling that she is not quite normal. You know?"
Buffy stared intently at them.
"Well, normal is relative. Right?" Tara asked. "I mean she is the Slayer."
They both looked over and saw Buffy.
Kathy looked at Tara. "Later, okay?" She left.
Buffy walked up beside Tara and turned suddenly, facing her. "Why were you talking to her?"
Tara drew back a bit, surprised. "Buffy, w-we were only just saying hi."
"Yeah, that's what she wants you to think."
Tara hated being forceful with Buffy but felt she had to in this instance. "Buffy, this has to stop. I mean I-I get it; I have a shitty roomie, too. But you just have to deal."
"You're right, I've been thinking a lot about this, and it's clear to me now."
"Good, that's better."
"Kathy's evil. I'm an evil fighter. It's simple. I'm gonna have to kill her."
Tara was stunned. "You have to kill her? Don't you think you could just switch rooms or something?"
"Well, I would, but it's not just me in danger from Kathy. Look." Buffy opened the bottom pocket of her backpack and took out a plastic baggie containing toenail clippings.
Tara was disgusted. "Toenails?"
"Evil toenails. I took them off the floor last night when she was in the bathroom. She thought I was asleep. I measured them before I fell asleep and again this morning, and they grew - after they were cut! That's a demon thing; she has to be eliminated."
Tara tried to process this. "Okay. But you better show them to Jenny before you do anything...just to be sure."
"Absolutely. I don't want to do anything crazy."
"Uh, you hurry on to Jenny. I'll hang here and - and keep an eye on Kathy."
"Great. Good. Thanks, babe." Buffy kissed Tara on the lips and left.
Tara went to a nearby payphone and called the computer lab.
Buffy walked into the computer lab. No one was there.
"Jenny? Hello?" Buffy called.
Jenny walked out of the storage room, carrying a textbook. "Buffy, hey." She walked over to her desk and set the book down. She sat in her chair.
"You busy?" Buffy asked her.
"Not very. I'm designing a program for my next class, and I need to troubleshoot it." Jenny opened the textbook and started flipping through pages. "So...evil toenails, huh?"
Buffy felt betrayed. "Tara called you?"
"Uh-huh."
"That bitch!" Buffy cursed.
Jenny looked at Buffy in surprise and then changed some of her code on the computer. "Come here."
Buffy walked over to Jenny.
"I'm so glad to finally be teaching C after teaching BASIC for so long, but I'm stuck." Jenny tried running it. "C code. C code run. Run, code, run! Run, damn it, run!"
Buffy looked at her. "Are you okay?"
Jenny looked at her. "The question is are you okay? Clearly, something is amiss."
"Yeah, something's amiss here: a Miss Kathy Newman. Jenny, look in this baggie." Buffy held it up. "She has parts that can grow after they're detached."
Jenny took the baggie.
Buffy started pacing. "She irons her jeans. She likes Enrique Iglesias and Mariah Carey and Cher. Stupid, no-talent, man-faced cunt. She's evil. She has to be destroyed."
Jenny held up the baggie. "Cher should be destroyed?"
"Yes, she should, but not for this. I mean Kathy. Lite FM. Love songs. Nothing but love songs."
Amy and Harmony walked by. Amy knocked on the door.
Jenny looked. "Girls, hey. Um, can you stay with Buffy?"
"Why?" Harmony asked.
"Please?" Jenny looked at Buffy. "I know a spell that will make the possessing demon reveal itself, so that we can fight it, but I need to get some supplies from the magic shop." She stood up, picked up her laptop, and left, taking the baggie.
Amy and Harmony walked into the room.
"What was that all about?" Amy asked Buffy.
"Oh, I think she's just concerned I'm gonna go kill my roommate while she's gone."
Amy and Harmony both nodded. "I know the feeling."
Buffy stared at them for a moment and then turned to run. Amy reached out with her mind and hand and psychically held Buffy in place, though her hold was tenuous.
Tara arrived. "Jenny, is Buffy-oh."
Amy looked at Tara. "I could you some help."
Tara reached out with her mind and hand and psychically held Buffy in place. "Sorry, sweetie."
Suddenly, though, Buffy broke free of their psychic hold, and the backlash knocked all three girls to the floor. Buffy took off toward her dorm.
Buffy walked into the dorm room and closed the door. "Kathy."
Kathy was laying on her bed, reading her paperback. "Buffy."
"I think we need to talk, don't you?"
Kathy got up and walked over to her. "Absolutely. Let's talk."
Buffy kicked up a corner of the throw rug. "Oops, look what I did."
Kathy backhanded Buffy across the face. "Huh, look what I did."
They grabbed each other's heads and started struggling. Kathy's human face came off in Buffy's hands, revealing her to be a green-eyed, orange-skinned demon.
Buffy stared at her. "I knew it!"
Kathy rushed her, threw her back, forced her down, and straddled her with a hand around her throat. "Quit it!"
"I knew it! I knew you were one of those demon things."
"Oh, why don't you just shut the fuck up and let me finish my ritual?" Kathy asked her.
"Ritual?" Buffy asked, confused.
In the Magic Box, Jenny was reading from an old book. "'The ritual of Mok'tagar, a race of trans-dimensional demons, involves the forced ingestion of animal blood while the victim slumbers.' Buffy's nightmares..."
"...were real." Buffy stared at Kathy.
"I'm sorry, okay? I left my dimension to go to college, and they sent these guys after me."
"'But while the Mok'tagar can assume many forms and guises, including human, they can always be recognized by others of their kind due to the lack of a soul.'" Jenny looked at the baggie with Kathy's toenail clippings.
"So I'm borrowing yours."
Buffy stared at Kathy in annoyance. "Without even asking."
"Tonight, when they come looking for me, they'll take the one without a soul."
"Well, thank God I won't have to watch you floss anymore."
"And I won't have to live with a slob."
Buffy bit the hand holding her down. Kathy let up enough for Buffy to get leverage and throw her off. She threw Kathy against the bed and kicked her in the midsection. They both gained their feet and faced off. Buffy charged, and Kathy threw her over her back, onto the bed. Buffy bounced off and kicked Kathy once in the face, once in the side. Kathy threw a punch, which Buffy avoided. The Slayer threw a punch, which the demon blocked.
Kathy grabbed Buffy's head and threw her across the room and through Buffy's closet door. "It's share time, Buffy." With a growl, she ran over, grabbed Buffy's feet, and dragged her out of the closet.
"Fine, let's start with my sweater." Buffy had her ketchup-ruined sweater in her hands and wrapped it around Kathy's neck, tightening it.
Kathy grabbed the sweater and ripped it in two.
"Oh!" Buffy exclaimed.
Kathy picked her up and threw her back down onto the floor. When Buffy tried to get up again, she got a kick in the face.
Jenny met up with Tara, Harmony, and Amy in the computer lab.
"You let her get away?!" Jenny asked.
"She's too strong for us!" Tara replied.
"Buffy's got a pretty good lead on us!" Amy added.
In the dorm room, Kathy was hitting Buffy across the face with the telephone handset. "All you had to do was write down your calls!"
"Buffy was right. Kathy's toenails not only keep growing after they've been cut; they actually regenerate after they've been destroyed."
"And that's a demon thing?" Tara asked.
"Yeah. I've looked up all known regenerating demons. Only one species practices the ritual Buffy's been seeing in her sleep. It's used to steal the soul from a human body."
"W-Wait, are you saying that Kathy's been sucking Buffy's soul?" Amy asked Jenny.
"I believe so, yes. Now, I've found a spell that should reverse the soul transfer procedure immediately." Jenny opened an e-mail that she had sent to herself from her laptop while at the Magic Box. "Tara, Amy, and I will perform it at once."
"Leaving me to help Buffy in the flesh." Harmony rushed out.
Jenny began lighting candles. "'Hear me, elders of the upper reaches...elders of the lower reaches...elders of the dry land...elders of the river flats.'"
In the dorm room, Kathy threw Buffy against the demon's desk. Pencils fell to the floor.
"Ah-ha!" Buffy stomped on the pencils, breaking them.
Kathy tried a backhand, which Buffy blocked. Buffy grabbed her head, swung her around, then gave her an uppercut. Kathy was thrown back into her own bookshelves, breaking them and scattering the items stored there. She rushed at Buffy and threw her against the door to the hall. Kathy ran Buffy across the room and into the window on the side of the room. It broke, leaving Buffy lying across the sill. Kathy grabbed her.
Tara looked at the text on Jenny's computer's screen. "'Ancients, I beseech you. The soul, abstracted, let it revert to its true seat.'"
Kathy dragged Buffy up off the window sill. "The window's open. Happy?"
She threw Buffy over her bed, and the Slayer ended up leaning against her own bed.
Kathy jumped on her and tried to force her mouth open. "Open up! Let me finish!" She got Buffy's mouth open.
Amy looked at the text on the screen. "'Let it be finished. Let the unnatural vessel be emptied; let the essence be returned to its original host.'"
Kathy tried to draw out the rest of Buffy's soul, but the reverse happened as Buffy's soul material was returned to her.
Kathy dropped, spent. "How did you do-"
With a flash of light, a vortex briefly appeared, followed by a demon, who materialized inside the room. He was tall and wore a robe. He and Kathy started talking in another language. Buffy didn't understand any of it.
Harmony burst through the door, and the demon turned on her with a roar. She scooted back but stayed in the room. The demon turned back to Kathy and said something to her.
He waved his arm, and a vortex formed in the floor. Buffy saw it and quickly crawled around to the other side of the bed. Kathy screamed as she was sucked in. The demon stepped forward and entered the vortex, too; it sealed, leaving the floor unblemished. Buffy and Harmony stared at each other, speechless.
Later, Tara was moving into the dorm room, her stuff in boxes around the room. However, Tara herself was currently naked, as was Buffy, and the two of them were having a sixty-nine on their bed, Tara on top.
Buffy gently licked Tara's pussy. "At last, everything is as it should be. I'm so glad you're here, Tara. I can already feel all that bad Kathy karma just draining away."
Tara gently licked Buffy's pussy. "It's a shame that there's a perfectly good bed here that's gonna go unused. Do you think we should ask Amy to move in? I bet she'd like it. Her roommate's pretty shitty, too."
"Well..." Buffy started kissing Tara's pussy. "...if we're all...comfortable with the arrangement, sure."
Chapter 82: The Harsh Light of Day
Chapter Text
"The Harsh Light of Day"
Based on the Episode Written by Jane Espenson
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
At the Bronze, Buffy and the Slayerettes were on the stage. It was just Buffy, Tara, and Amy. Amy was sitting behind her new drum set, an emerald green Tama Starclassic Performer, and banging with her drum sticks. Buffy and Tara were watching her, unimpressed. Harmony was sitting at a table near the stage, bored. Other than the four of them and a few Bronze employees, the place was empty.
Amy stopped playing, looked at her friends, and smiled. "Well?"
Buffy was hesitant. "It was...a good first attempt."
Tara smiled at Amy encouragingly, somewhat nervous.
"You suck!" Harmony told Amy.
Amy frowned at her and then looked at Buffy and Tara. "Why is she managing us?"
"Because she's Cordy's friend. That's..." Tara paused and thought about it. "That's really the only reason."
Buffy shrugged and sighed. "Hey, she got us the L.A. gig. We better keep our mouths shut."
Amy frowned. "That was Cordy's doing, and you know it."
Sandy walked into the Bronze. "Hello? Buffy?"
Buffy looked. "Sandy?"
Sandy pulled down her hood and walked up to the stage. She was holding a guitar case in her left hand. "I heard you guys were here. Are you holding auditions?"
"You're interested in joining the band?" Buffy asked, surprised.
"Well, I'd like to try. I've been practicing."
"Well, we were just rehearsing, and we've gotta clear out soon, but..." Buffy looked to the others.
Tara and Amy shrugged.
Harmony shrugged. "Camera's rolling."
Buffy smiled at Sandy. "Sure."
Sandy walked onto the stage, set down her case, and opened it. Inside was a 1999 black-and-white Fender Standard bass guitar.
Buffy smiled. "Sweet guitar."
"Thanks." Sandy took off her gloves, dropped them on the stage, took her bass guitar out of the case, and plugged it into the band's amplifier. "It took a lot of babysitting to make enough money to buy it."
Buffy made a face. "Yikes. You have far more patience than me. I speak from personal experience."
"Babysitting?"
"Baby sister."
"Ah." Sandy nodded. "Know what that's like."
"Do you have anything in mind that you wanna perform?" Buffy asked her.
"'Sorcerer'?" Sandy suggested.
Buffy nodded. "We know it."
"May I sing it as well?" Sandy asked her.
"Sure." Buffy picked up her guitar.
Tara turned on her keyboard. Amy picked up her drum sticks and started a beat. Buffy and Tara started playing, and so did Sandy. Sandy walked up to Buffy's microphone and looked out at Harmony's video camera.
"I'm tired.
I'm thirsty.
I'm wild-eyed
In my misery.
Timeless
In your finery.
A high price
For your luxury.
"Sorcerer,
Who is the master?
Man and woman on a star stream
In the middle of a snow dream.
Sorcerer,
Show me the high life.
Come over;
Let me put you on ice.
"I'm tired.
Well, I need you badly.
Wild-eyed
In the middle of your dreams.
Timeless.
Ooh, it's a mystery.
All the way.
Now, it's never what you see.
"Sorcerer,
Who is the master?
Man and woman on a star stream
In the middle of a snow dream.
Sorcerer,
Show me the high life.
Come over;
Let me put you on ice.
"All around,
Black ink darkness,
And who found
Lady from the mountain?
All around,
Black ink darkness,
And who found
Lady from the mountain?
The lady from the mountain,
The lady from the mountain,
The lady from the...
Mountain."
Everyone stopped playing gradually. They all looked at each other. Tara and Amy smiled.
Buffy looked at Sandy and smiled. "Congratulations, Sandy."
Sandy smiled warmly.
"Uh, yoohoo, important question!" Harmony yelled, waving at her.
Sandy looked at her.
"Can you play in L.A. later this week?" Harmony asked her.
"Sure."
Harmony grinned. "Great! You're in!"
Buffy, Tara, and Amy exchanged looks.
Soon, in the back parking lot at the Bronze, Buffy, Tara, and Amy were taking their gear out to Buffy's van. Harmony was with them, since Buffy was her ride, and Sandy was tagging along as well, since her car was parked nearby.
Buffy grinned. "That was, like, the best rehearsal ever. We'll do great in LA. We're gonna have them glued to their seats."
"You'd have to in order to get them to stick around."
They looked at the source of the voice. Sunday approached them.
"Sunday." Buffy paused. "What the fuck do you want?"
"To kill you."
Buffy nodded. "Ah. Many have tried. Only one has succeeded."
Sunday frowned. "Huh? You're dead? Or...undead?"
"No." Buffy paused and reconsidered her answer. "Partially? I don't fucking know. I'm a bit allergic to direct sunlight."
"Whatever. Do you wanna die first, or do you wanna watch me kill your friends?" Sunday asked her.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Bite me. Can you step aside? We need to stow our gear."
Sunday bared her fangs and hissed at Buffy. Sandy stepped forward, got in Sunday's face, bared her fangs, and hissed.
Sunday stepped back, surprised. She looked at Buffy. "You have a vampire in your band?"
Buffy shrugged. "She plays decent, and she sings Stevie Nicks by way of Laurie Sargent. What of it?"
Sunday looked at Sandy. "You're friends with a Slayer! You're a traitor to our kind!"
Buffy stared at Sunday. "You're one to talk."
Sunday looked at her.
"Yeah, I know you're a Slayer, or you were."
Suddenly, Sunday grabbed Harmony and was about to plunge her fangs into her tender neck. Harmony was helpless in Sunday's grasp. A fang nicked Harmony's throat, and a thin trickle of blood spilled out. Sunday growled in pleasure. Then Buffy slammed her microphone stand down between Sunday and Harmony, using it to catch Sunday by the throat and pull her off Harmony.
Sunday whirled, turning on Buffy, but Tara and Amy stepped between them, raising their free hands and freezing Sunday in place.
Amy didn't take her eyes off Sunday. "Stake her, Buffy."
Buffy hesitated.
"What are you waiting for?" Tara asked her.
Sunday struggled, trying to break free.
"I..." Buffy stared into Sunday's eyes, searching.
Sunday managed to move one of her hands and touched Tara's palm. Suddenly, Tara got a flash of an image in her mind: a battle in some kind of large military facility; she saw Buffy and Sunday fighting side by side. Then the moment passed. Tara abruptly released her hold on Sunday, and Sunday broke free, knocking Tara and Amy backward.
"Okay, fine. Hide behind your girlfriends. But I have a boyfriend. And he's gonna be mad that you were mean to me." Sunday turned and ran off.
The others relaxed.
"Why did you let go?" Amy asked Tara.
"I had a vision. It might have been of the future - or - or a possible future." Tara shook her head. "I don't know." She looked at Buffy. "She was fighting with you in a big battle somewhere, like an Army base or something, but you were on the same side."
Buffy thought about that. "Can you be more specific?"
Tara shook her head. "No, sorry. But...I think she's important."
They were all silent for a moment.
Harmony had her hand pressed to her neck wound. "Uh, bleeding here."
Once they returned to campus, the gang went to Amy and Harmony's dorm room in Stevenson Hall. Buffy, Tara, and Sandy brought Amy's drum set into the room. Harmony sat on her bed, the one on the right, and Amy got the first aid kit from a kitchen drawer. She walked over to Harmony's bed, sat to her right, and cleaned Harmony's wound carefully.
"This totally sucks. Why do vampires always target me?" Harmony asked.
Amy put a neon green Band-Aid on Harmony's neck. "I don't know."
Buffy, Tara, and Sandy sat on Amy's bed.
Harmony felt the Band-Aid. "Thanks."
Amy smiled at her and nodded, then looked at the others. "Thanks for bringing the tubs in, guys."
Tara smiled. "No problem."
"Hey, there's a party at the Delta Zeta Kappa house. Bif Naked is performing. You guys wanna go?" Sandy asked.
Amy shrugged. "Sure."
Tara nodded. "Okay."
Harmony grinned. "Yay! Party!"
Buffy was hesitant. "Well, okay, but I better not get roofied again."
The five friends arrived at the frat party. Bif Naked was performing on stage. It was crowded, dark, smoky, and loud. One guy was doing a funnel. A couple was propped up next to the door, making out vigorously. Buffy tried not to stare. They walked through the living room, past groups of students laughing and talking. Buffy took it all in. A guy was showing off for his friends by drunkenly juggling beer bottles. A passed-out girl slumped on one of the sofas. They each picked up a red Solo cup off a table, got in line, waited, and took turns dispensing beer into them from a keg.
Buffy, Tara, and Amy sat on a sofa. Harmony and Sandy sat in chairs facing the sofa. They enjoyed the music while drinking their beer. Somewhere, they heard the sound of beer bottles crashing to the floor. The live band played, and couples danced wildly.
Buffy sipped her beer and looked at Sandy. "Sandy, can I ask you a question?"
Sandy sipped her beer. "Sure."
"When Sunday called you a traitor, how did that make you feel?"
"I dunno. Irritated, I guess."
"Did you get angry?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I dunno. I've always been pretty chill."
Buffy was confused. "But I thought the demon would...y'know..."
"Oh, the demon's annoying; don't get me wrong. But I can manage it."
"Even without a soul?"
Sandy nodded. "Even without."
Buffy nodded. "As someone that's lost my own soul recently, or at least most of it, I can't say I could tell anything was different. I still felt like myself. But...looking back on it...I was more..."
"Psycho?" Harmony suggested.
Buffy gave her a look.
Amy looked at Buffy. "I think what Harmony meant was...singularly focused."
Buffy looked at her and nodded. "Right. I was lacking in nuance and subtlety. I had one goal, one desire, and I went for it."
Tara looked at Buffy. "You were...reckless, but you were still fundamentally good."
Buffy smiled at her and sipped her beer. "I just wonder what would have happened if the rest of my soul vapor-matter was sucked out." She frowned. "And that sounds so fucking weird when I say it out loud. Anyway, I didn't have a sense that I was elsewhere; as far as I knew, I was in my body the entire time. If the rest of my soul had left my body, would I even notice? Would I feel any different?"
Tara shrugged. "I don't know, sweetie."
Buffy looked at Sandy. "I was once a vampire...sort of. I still felt like myself. I felt...pangs, though. Hunger pangs. A thirst for blood. Do you have a desire to feed?"
Sandy nodded. "All the fucking time."
"How do you not give in to the temptation?"
"I substitute another goal, another...desire. Be smart. Make friends. Don't piss people off. Don't make myself a target. Stay alive." Sandy paused, reconsidered her choice of words, and shrugged. "Well...you know."
Buffy nodded and finished her beer. "Anyone wanna dance?"
The others all nodded and finished their beers. They stood up and walked over to a trash can, where they dumped their cups. As they headed onto the dance floor, Buffy and Tara collided with a couple supporting a drunken friend between them.
Buffy looked closer. It was Sunday and Spike, and the "drunken friend" was a stunned and lacerated victim. Buffy and Spike froze, then looked at each other and their dates, sizing up the situation.
"Spike." Buffy paused and smiled in amusement. "And Sunday."
Sunday awkwardly stared at her. "Buffy. Hi. What a cute outfit. Last year."
Spike smiled. "Well, this is interesting. Sort of a double date."
Tara stared directly at Spike. "Looks like your friend started the party a little early, huh?"
Spike stared back at her for a moment, then looked away.
Buffy was still smiling. "And you with Sunday. What'd you do? Lose a bet?"
Sunday was irritated. "Hey."
"Actually, how we met, it's a funny story-" Trying for surprise, Spike dumped the victim onto Tara and ran into the crowd.
Buffy ran after him. "Stay here."
Buffy burst out the door, onto the front porch of the party house. It was a little quieter here. Students clustered around, smoking and talking. She stepped off the porch warily. She pulled out a stake and walked around to the side of the house. It was dark and deserted here.
She passed a dark shadow along the side of the house, then she whirled and punched into the shadow. Spike punched back and stepped out into the dim light. Sunday ran up, out of breath.
"What's the matter, Spike? Dru dump you again?" Buffy asked him.
She threw a punch, then another, both of which he blocked. Then she hit him dead-on in the face.
"Maybe I left her."
Buffy went to attack, but Spike diverted her to the left.
Sunday walked over to Buffy. "She left him for a fungus demon. That's all he talks about most days."
Spike strode up to her. "Sunny! We are going. It isn't time yet."
"Yeah, but as soon as we have the Gem of Amarra, you're gonna be sorr-Ow!"
Spike had grabbed Sunday to shut her up, then dragged her off by the arm. Buffy started after them, but they were back around the front of the house, pushing through a group of party arrivals. Buffy got tangled in the crowd. Spike and Sunday got away.
Buffy stood with her stake, then lowered it, thinking about what Sunday just let out.
Buffy found a pay phone and called Jenny.
"Yeah, Spike with Sunday. If you can believe it. I couldn't figure out why he ran away, but Sunday said something. Why they were here. They were looking for the Gem of something." Buffy paused and thought for a moment. "Amarra."
"The Gem of Amarra. Are you sure?" Jenny asked.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"It's just, uh, it's not real. It's, uh, the vampire equivalent of the Holy Grail. The source of some enormous power, which was conveniently vague. Oh, here it is. There was a great deal of vampiric interest in locating it during the, uh, the tenth century. Questing vampires combed the Earth, but no one ever found anything. It was concluded that it never existed."
"Well, Spike seems to think it exists. And he's looking in Sunnydale."
"Well, I'll research it as best as I can and ask around. I'll get back to you."
"Thanks. Bye."
Buffy returned to the party and found Amy and Harmony dancing together.
Buffy smiled. "Well, well."
They looked at her.
Amy smiled, a bit embarrassed. "Buffy, hey. Uh, you kill anyone?"
"Nah, they got away. Sunday mentioned a trinket that they're looking for. I called Jenny. She's on it. Is the guy okay?" Buffy asked.
Harmony frowned. "He lost a lot of blood, but Tara and Sandy took him to the medical center."
Buffy nodded.
The next morning, Buffy and Tara walked into the computer lab.
Jenny was sitting at her desk, reading something on her work computer. "'Bout time you two showed up."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Sor-ry."
Jenny didn't look at them. "Bow-chicka-wow-wow."
Tara looked down, nearly blushing.
Buffy was getting irritated. "You found something?"
"Yeah. Now that you're here, can we discuss the impending disaster? Check it out."
Buffy and Tara walked behind the desk and stood to either side of Jenny. They looked at the screen.
"A text. It refers to the Gem of Amarra as residing in the valley of the sun." Jenny looked at Buffy. "Demon fancy talk for Sunnydale." She looked back at the screen. "It seems that Spike may know what it's about. The gem may exist after all - in Sunnydale in a sealed underground crypt."
"Why don't you guys try and locate the crypt, and I'll try to find Spike before he gets there?" Buffy suggested.
Jenny nodded. "I'll get started."
Tara looked at Buffy. "Be careful."
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. "Always." She turned and left the lab.
Later, Jenny was reading on the computer while streaming a local radio station. Tara was looking over her shoulder.
"-near the UC Sunnydale campus. Officials attribute the unusual occurrence to weakening of the supporting topsoil nearby. City work crews denied any tunneling has been done in the area."
Jenny's ears perked up. "Tunneling. Spike. Tara, find Buffy and meet me there."
Jenny stood up. She and Tara headed out the door.
Harmony walked by. "Jenny, about yesterday's assignment-"
"Later, Harm. You're with me."
Harmony followed her. "Uh, okay."
Buffy was walking along the campus.
Spike punched her in the face.
Buffy fell to the ground and looked up.
Spike stood above her in a beam of sunlight. "Birds singing, squirrels making lots of rotten little squirrels. Sun beaming down in a nice, non-fatal way. It's very exciting; I can't wait to see if I freckle."
Buffy grabbed her stake and jumped up. She landed a punch, then he punched her back, and she hit the ground. He went to jump on her, and she kicked him back. He staggered but jumped forward again, right into her stake.
"Oh, do it again. It tickles. You know, in a good way."
Buffy withdrew the stake, and he healed. She stared at him, surprised.
"The Gem of Amarra." Spike held up his hand, then backhanded her.
She hit the ground again.
"Official sponsor of my killing you." Spike lunged at her.
Jenny finished pulling Harmony into the underground crypt. They looked around to find Sunday pacing on the floor, stewing in anger. Jenny and Harmony exchanged glances, trying to decide what to do. They each took out a stake. Sunday saw them. Harmony took a step forward, her stake at her side. Suddenly, Sunday lunged at Harmony. Jenny jumped to get between them, and she got in a good punch, but Sunday was barely shaken. Jenny hit her again. She snarled and threw Jenny across the room. Harmony tried to sweep Sunday's feet from under her, but she was fast. She knocked Harmony across to where Jenny was trying to get to her feet, sending both women down in a tangle.
"Sunday, where's Spike? Does he have the Gem?" Jenny asked.
Sunday nodded. "He staked me, then he took it. He tried to take it right off my finger. Like I wouldn't have just given it to him. Asshole. To think I loved him."
Harmony shook her head. "You have strange taste in men. Where did Spike go?"
But Sunday left, descending through the hole.
Buffy was on her knees, blocking a punch from Spike. He redirected her into a pole, then kicked her in the stomach. She got up and tried to kick him, but he blocked her and threw her into the pole again. He pressed her against it, then she grabbed him by the throat and began to choke him, then threw him off her. Buffy kicked him in the stomach, which sent him spinning to the ground. He leaped back up and tried a spinning kick, which she blocked, then kicked him with a roundhouse, then another, followed by redirecting him over a bench, sending him rolling. She jumped up on the bench and tried to kick him in the chest, but he blocked her, grabbed her arm, and threw her into a metal frame table. The glass top shattered under her. She rolled off.
Spike strolled after her. "Getting tired, Slayer?"
Buffy got up, only to be hit with a series of punches and floored again. Tara ran up.
Buffy looked at her. "Tara, get out of here."
Spike jumped from the few stairs that he was above Buffy, then kicked her full on. Tara flew up and delivered a roundhouse, followed by a series of bicycle kicks like Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat; however, Spike followed it with an equally vicious hit that sent her flying forward.
Buffy was up in an instant. She tried a roundhouse, then a punch, then another and another. She redirected him over the edge of a planter, jumped on it, and, while coming down, kicked him, sending him flying into another planter, knocking over a earthenware pot. She grabbed him, punching him twice in the face, then grabbed the arm with the ring on it.
"Take it off me this way, we both burn."
"Really?" Buffy asked. "Let's see."
She jerked the ring off his finger, and his face instantly contorted into a visage of pain. He started to smoke, then ran off, crying out in agony.
Buffy, exhausted, sat down, inspecting the ring. Tara walked over to her.
Later, in Buffy and Tara's dorm room, Buffy and Tara were sitting on their bed, and Amy, Harmony, and Sandy were sitting on the other bed. The ring was sitting on the table between the beds. Jenny was standing between the beds.
Buffy was on the phone. "Yeah, Cordy, we're gonna leave soon."
"Cool. Do any of you need a place to crash?" Cordelia asked. "Because Anne and Faith are totally willing, I'm sure."
Buffy made a face. "How generous of you. Nah, we'll be staying at my dad's."
"Okay. Well, maybe swing by and check out the office or something."
"We will. Later."
"Bye."
Buffy set the handset back in its cradle. "Everybody ready to leave?"
Tara nodded. "Yeah."
"Hang on. What do we do with the ring?" Amy asked.
Jenny looked at her. "It's very dangerous. We're destroying it."
Buffy looked at Jenny. "We don't destroy it."
Jenny looked at her. "Well, Buffy, any vampire that gets their hands on this is going to be essentially unkillable."
Buffy looked at Sandy.
Sandy looked at Buffy and then shook her head. "I appreciate it, Buffy, but no."
"Are you sure?" Buffy asked her.
Sandy nodded. "I'm not a good fighter. Not yet. You should give the ring to Angel. He should have it."
Buffy thought about it and then nodded. "Okay." She stood up. "Let's hit the road."
Harmony grinned and stood up. "Yay! L.A., here we come!"
Chapter 83: In the Dark
Chapter Text
"In the Dark"
Based on the Angel Episode Written by Douglas Petrie
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
In Angel's outer office, Cordelia was typing away on the computer and listening to their current client on the phone. Doyle lounged nearby, reading a newspaper.
"Angel was amazing. The way that he came out of nowhere and beat the shit out of Lenny. He saved my life. I...I can't believe he actually showed up."
"Well, that was the deal, right?" Cordelia smiled. "He's a great guy, Rachel. Have some faith."
"I'll try. Thanks for listening."
"No problem."
"Bye."
"Bye." Cordelia hung up the handset.
Cordelia checked a note and then typed in the name of their client, Rachel Mathis. She printed the document.
"This is so awesome. Our first walk-in client. Everything is going according to plan! See girl in distress,...see Angel save girl from druggy/stalker boyfriend,...and see invoice!" Cordelia pulled a paper out of the printer and held it up. "Ta-da!"
She showed the invoice to Doyle, who looked less than impressed.
"What?" Cordelia asked.
"Nothing. You're doing a lovely job there. Looks very official."
"So why are you not rejoicing at our first paying client?"
Doyle got up and walked over to her desk. "Because that's not money you're holding in your hand there, darling; that's mail. There's a big difference between that and actually getting paid."
"But she has to pay! Invoice! That's the rule of our whole, like, society!"
Doyle leaned on the desk. "Defaulting? That's another popular rule in our society...especially with the down-and-outs. Not that I've perpetrated said heinousness myself..."
"So what are you saying? 'Why bother?'" Cordelia asked.
"All I'm saying is that, if we're ever going to take that cruise to the Bahamas together, we're going to need a lot more clients of means."
"And an alternate reality in which you are Matthew McConaughey."
The door opened.
Harmony walked into the office. "Hello, L.A.!"
Cordelia got up in excitement. "Harmony?! Oh, my God!" She walked around the desk. "Harm. It's so good to see you." She hugged Harmony. "You look great!"
Harmony hugged Cordelia. "You, too!"
They released each other. The door opened, and Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Sandy walked into the office.
Buffy grinned. "Hey, girl!"
"Guys!" Cordelia walked over and shared a group hug with them.
"Oh, Tara, happy belated birthday!" Cordelia told her.
Tara smiled. "Thanks."
"How does it feel being nineteen?"
"Really no different than being eighteen."
Cordelia nodded. "Right, right."
They released each other.
Cordelia turned to Doyle and pointed at each of her friends in turn. "Doyle, these are Harmony, Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Sandy." She turned to her friends and pointed at Doyle. "Guys, this is Doyle. He...works here."
Various overlapping greetings were exchanged.
"So...I heard the rumors from Faith, but you guys can fill me in on the real deal here. So you guys are...like detectives?" Buffy guessed.
"No, I'm an actress!" Cordelia insisted.
Doyle looked at her. "And quite a captivating one at that."
"And between my many gigs, I sometimes choose to help Angel."
Doyle nodded. "He's the detective."
Buffy stared at Cordelia, unconvinced. "You were working in a diner just a couple weeks ago."
Cordelia fumed.
Buffy softened and put her hands on Cordelia's shoulders. "Hey, you don't have to pretend around me. You'll make it. I have faith in you."
Cordelia smiled at her.
"Where's Angel?" Buffy asked her.
"In his apartment." Cordelia turned and pointed. "Take the elevator down."
Buffy looked at her bandmates. "I'll just be a minute, guys."
She headed toward the elevator, and Cordelia and Doyle joined her. They got in, Cordelia pulled the metal grating closed and pressed a button, and the elevator went down.
The elevator stopped. Cordelia pulled the metal grating open, and they got out of the elevator. They entered Angel's apartment.
Angel walked through his downstairs apartment, looking through a book. "Hey guys." He looked up. "Buffy."
"Hey."
"Nice surprise."
"Thanks."
"Staying long?"
"Few days."
"Come on in."
They walked further into the apartment.
"So...good to see you."
"I came primarily for a gig - but also to give you this." Buffy held out the ring to him.
Doyle came to take a closer look. "Wait a minute, is that what I think it is?"
Angel made no move to take it. "It's the Gem of Amarra."
"One and the same." Buffy tried to hand it to Angel.
After a moment, Angel accepted it.
"I wanted you to have it."
Angel turned and walked away from them, looking at the ring in his hands. He leaned on the table, turning the ring in his hand and looking at it.
"What are you waiting for, man? Put it on!" Doyle told him.
Cordelia walked over to Angel. "Okay, you're getting weird about this ring. Since when did you go all Versace about accessorizing?"
Doyle looked at her. "Since the accessory is priceless and renders its wearer 100% unkillable if he's a vampire."
Cordelia looked at him. "Unkillable? Whew. You mean not even stakes?"
"Not nothing. Not stakes, not fire, and the best thing is not even sunlight." Doyle looked at Angel. "I mean just think of it, man. Poolside tanning, bargain matinees,...plus I know a couple of strip clubs that have a fabulous luncheon buffet. I mean...it's...I've heard."
Angel looked grave.
Buffy walked over to him. "Your buddy, Spike, dug up Sunnydale, looking for it. I kicked his ass. He left it behind. I wanted to be sure it was in good hands." She shrugged. "And I was heading this way."
Doyle walked over to Angel. "Come on, I have something that will boost your spirits." He picked up a stake. "Why don't you put it on, and I'll stake you? It'll be fun!"
Angel was still playing with the ring in his hand and looking off to the side. "Maybe later."
"What, are you out of your mind?" Doyle asked.
"I said maybe later."
"Yeah..."
"Doyle..."
Doyle walked towards the elevator. "Okay, you have it your way, man. But I'm still going to celebrate with a drink down at the pub."
Cordelia looked at Buffy. "He'd celebrate the opening of a mailbox with a drink at the pub."
Buffy chuckled.
Dawn was sitting in her bedroom, listening to "What a Girl Wants" by Christina Aguilera. The doorbell rang. Dawn ignored it. It rang a second time.
"Dad!" Dawn called. "Door!"
The doorbell rang a third time. Dawn sighed, stopped the CD, stood up, and walked out of her room.
She walked over to the front door, looked through the peephole, and unlocked and opened the door.
Buffy grinned. "Hey!"
Dawn grinned. "Hey!" She stepped aside.
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Harmony walked into the house. They set their suitcases on the floor. Buffy and Dawn hugged each other.
"Buffy?" Sandy asked.
Everyone looked. Sandy was standing outside, waiting.
Buffy stared at her in confusion for a moment, then she realized the problem. "Oh!" She looked at Dawn. "Dawn, invite Sandy in."
Dawn hesitated.
Buffy stared at her. "Dawn. It's okay."
Just then, Hank walked into the room. "Buffy! Hey! Did you girls have a nice trip?"
"Yeah, Dad, but Sandy needs to be invited into the house."
Hank looked at her and then at Buffy. "Why?"
"Because she's a vampire."
"You brought a vampire here?" Hank asked in shock.
"Well, yeah. I mean...she is in the band."
"She is?" Dawn asked.
Buffy looked at her. "Yeah."
Tara looked at Hank. "She's a good person, Mr. Summers."
"How do you know?" Hank asked her.
"I sense no negative energy from her."
Hank rolled his eyes.
Amy nodded. "It's true. She's clean. Well, except for the demon occupying her body."
Tara shot Amy a look.
Amy shrugged. "They deserve to know everything."
Buffy looked at her father. "Dad, you can trust her. Just think of her as your friendly neighborhood vampire."
"So she's like Angel?" Hank asked her.
Buffy made a face. "Well, not exactly."
Hank looked to Harmony for her opinion.
Harmony wasn't expecting that. She made a goofy face. "Um, I don't know what it's like to be a vampire, but I've never seen Sandy kill anyone. Well, except for other vampires."
Hank looked at Sandy, then at Buffy, hesitating.
Buffy stared at him. "If it's going to be that big of a problem for you, we can always stay in a hotel."
"That...won't be necessary." Hank looked at Sandy. "Come in, Sandy."
Sandy walked into the house and set down her suitcase.
Hank closed and locked the door. He looked at Buffy. "I prepared your room."
"Okay, we're gonna have to sleep three to a room." Buffy looked at Tara.
Tara nodded.
Amy nodded. "I'll sleep with you guys."
Harmony looked at Dawn. "Hey, Dawn, sounds like we'll be roomies."
Dawn looked from Harmony to Sandy and then back at Harmony, wary. Sandy looked away and folded her arms, upset.
Buffy looked at Dawn. "Dawnie, why don't you sleep with me and Tara?"
Dawn folded her arms and shrugged. "Whatever." She walked back toward her bedroom.
Buffy walked over to Sandy and put a hand on her shoulder in support.
The next day, at the office, Cordelia was getting a cup of water for Doyle from the water cooler and sat down at the desk across from him.
Doyle moaned. "Oh, God. You know what would feel really good right now? One of those mind-numbing, head-cracking visions that I get from time to time, because that would really kill me now." He struggled to get some pills out of a bottle. "Is there some kind of trick to this?"
Cordelia took the bottle from him. "I think the trick is laying off the ale before you start quoting Angela's Ashes and weeping like a baby-man." She pulled the cotton wad out of the bottle and shook some pills into her hand. She offered them to Doyle.
Doyle accepted the pills and washed them down. "Hey, that's a good book."
"So I've heard."
They suddenly heard noise coming from downstairs. They stood up and rushed to the elevator.
Cordelia and Doyle ran into the underground parking garage just as Angel threw Spike against the wall.
Spike slowly got back to his feet. "Cordelia. You look smashing. Did you lose weight?"
"Yes, there is this great gym at..." Cordelia stopped and frowned. "Hey!"
Spike looked at Angel. "I'll get that ring. This isn't over until one of us is dead, mate." He ran off.
Cordelia rushed over to Angel. "Are you okay?"
Angel walked off a ways from her, then turned around.
"More importantly, how's the ring?" Doyle asked him.
"It's fine. I can't say the same for you two, though. You better get out of sight until this thing is over. Spike is out for blood." Angel looked at Doyle. "Take her to your place."
"His place? Why can't I just go home?" Cordelia asked. "Or stay with Buffy or Faith?"
"Because he knows you, Cordelia. If he wants to, he'll track you down."
"Yeah, but he's not invited, right?" Cordelia asked. "He can't come in."
Doyle looked at her. "No, but he can burn the place to the ground."
"Okay, then. Doyle's place it is."
Doyle looked at Angel. "What about you, man? You know he'll be coming back for you before long."
"I know."
"So what are you going to do?" Cordelia asked him.
"Find him first."
In Doyle's apartment, he was talking on the phone while Cordelia was pacing the floor.
"Not Spice, that's the bird down on Broadway. Spike, like in railroads..." Doyle paused. "Uh-huh,...yeah, vampire, right..." He paused again. "No? Okay, then. Thanks." He hung up the handset and marked his open address book. "Frankie Tripod? A big no."
"Frankie Tripod? Oh, I get it. Some kind of three-legged monster, right?" Cordelia guessed.
"No, he's human."
"Then why is his name..." Cordelia paused as she got it. "Oh..."
Doyle got up. "Hey, listen, why don't you sit down? Get comfortable. Angel said I should go through every name in my book until I get a bead on where Spike is hiding out. Could be a while."
"Please. I couldn't get comfortable in here, if the floor was lined with mink. I mean...how can you live like this?"
"Well, I didn't until last week. Then I saw what you did with your place, and I just had to call my decorator."
"No way. My apartment is nowhere near this yucky." Cordelia sat down on a chair.
Paper rustled. She got up, brushed it off the chair, and sat back down while Doyle picked some laundry off another chair.
"It smells like bong water in here."
"Okay, a couple of laundry might be a couple of days overdue, but-"
The telephone rang.
Doyle went and picked up the handset. "Yeah?" He paused. "Hey, Kizzy. Yeah, vamp named Spike." He paused again. "No? Okay." He paused again. "What, a C note? I absolutely paid that back, man!" He paused again. "Hey, no, sorry, there goes my other line." He slammed the phone down. "He was mistaken, but I didn't have time to get into it, right? I'm on a mission here!" He collected himself. "So what about this Spike? Is he as bad as all that? I mean should I be sweating?"
"He's really not..." Cordelia paused and sighed. "Sweat."
"That's what I figured."
Later, Cordelia was eating popcorn. "Oh, yeah, Spike's nearly done Buffy in a few times. I mentioned that he's killed two Slayers already?"
"You did."
"Oh, and, this one time, he and Dru raised this demon that burned people from the inside. It was this whole weird thing with an arm in a box."
"An arm in a box?"
Cordelia nodded. The phone rang.
Doyle picked it up. "House of Pies." He paused. "Oh, sorry, man. Just laying low. All those calls to past acquaintances stirred up a few, uh, old resentments." He paused again. "Yeah, well, listen, Manny the Pig said he didn't know anything about a vampire called Spike." He paused again. "So he said that before I mentioned anything about Spike. You'll find him at a joint down on Third called the Orbit Room." He paused again. "Work your way down."
Later, Cordelia was sitting by the phone, and Doyle was pacing.
"Angel should have called by now." Cordelia sighed. "This is bad!"
"Maybe not. Maybe he did away with Spike in short order and decided to give a go at surfing?"
Cordelia brightened a bit. "Right! What am I worried about? Angel has the ring, right?"
"Right! I bet he is out hanging ten right about now, out on the sandy shore. Wind in his hair. Bikini babes a-whistlin'."
Cordelia shot him a look, having not considered that last part.
They went back to Angel's office. The place was trashed. Wary, Cordelia readied a crossbow. Spike came up into the office.
Cordelia was waiting with the crossbow ready in her hands. "When you are done giving the place a once-over...I hope you have the cash to pay for all of this."
Spike slowly stepped closer. "Cordelia. Love the hair."
"Wish I could say the same."
Doyle aimed a gun at Spike. "That's close enough."
"What is it with you good guys running in packs? Who is this one, then?"
"More than meets the eye."
"Ooh, the Mick's got spine! Maybe I'll snap it in two."
"Do you want me to use this?" Cordelia threatened.
"You'll be dead before that bolt leaves the bow."
Cordelia lowered the bow slightly.
"Now, where was I? Bloody tired of looking for that ring. I think you two should take over now."
"Where is Angel?" Doyle asked him.
"Angel, um...tall brooding guy, caveman brow? He's having the living hell tortured out of him. And you know how stubborn he can be; he might die before he gives up the ring. Why don't you two find it real fast and give it to me? I'll let Angel go."
Cordelia raised the crossbow. "I don't trust you."
"To coin a popular Sunnydale phrase, 'Duh!' But you have until sundown to save him. You'll find me behind Peterson's Fishery, between Seward and Westminster." Spike walked off. "Don't be late."
Cordelia and Doyle went downstairs and rifled through Angel's apartment.
"Shit!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"What?"
"It's not in the freezer, and it's not in the toilet tank. In the movies, it's always in one of those places."
"It's not here."
"We've looked everywhere!"
"Except..."
Cordelia looked at him. "The rat-infested sewer tunnels he uses to get around in the daytime."
In the sewers, Cordelia and Doyle were searching, each holding a flashlight.
Cordelia sighed. "This is not a needle in a haystack; this is a needle in Kansas."
"Yeah, I know, you're right. We just got to keep looking."
Cordelia walked ahead of Doyle.
"Here!" Doyle exclaimed.
Cordelia turned around and ran back. "How did you do that?"
"You got to get lucky sometimes."
"I could hug you!"
Doyle spread out his arms.
"You're not that lucky. Now, come on, we've gotta save Angel!"
"Right, by giving Spike exactly what he wants, so he can kill us."
"Right!" Cordelia paused in thought. "No, we need a plan."
Buffy, Tara, Amy, Harmony, and Sandy scooped some of the substance out of their respective bowls with their spoons and studied it closely.
Dawn stood by, excited but slightly impatient. "Well? Go on! Try it!"
"What is it?" Harmony asked, wary.
Dawn grinned. "Taco in a tub! I mixed ground beef, ground pork, chopped onions, grated cheese, salsa, spices, and taco sauce together and cooked it."
Amy stared at the substance. "You didn't mix it in the bathtub, did you?"
"Nah, I'm just keeping the alliteration going."
Tara hesitated, then ate a spoonful of the substance. "It's good."
Sandy ate a spoonful and smiled. "Nice job, Dawn."
Dawn stared at Sandy, hesitant. "Thanks."
The phone rang.
Dawn walked over, picked up the handset, and answered. "Thanks for calling the Titty Twister. How may I direct your call?"
Buffy shot her a look. "Dawn!"
"Hey, Dawn, it's Cordelia. Is Buffy there?"
Dawn walked over to Buffy. "Yeah, she's just getting off the stage. Just give her a moment to get dressed."
Buffy snatched the handset out of Dawn's hand. "Hello?"
"Hey, Buffy. Listen, we've got a little situation with Spike. He followed you to L.A. and is after the ring. We've got it, and he's expecting us to turn it over to him in exchange for Angel. We could really use your help."
Buffy smiled. "Wow, I'm flattered that you'd think of me."
"Faith's stuck at work."
Buffy frowned. "Of course. Okay, uh, where are you?"
"We're about to head to Peterson's Fishery, between Seward and Westminster, to meet up with Spike. It would help if you tail us and jump in when it's time to rescue Angel."
"Okay, we're on our way."
"Thanks, Buffy."
Buffy ended the call and set the handset on the charger. "Okay, Cordy needs our help with Spike."
Dawn grinned. "Woo-hoo! Let's hit it!"
"No. We do all of the hitting." Buffy poked Dawn repeatedly with her index finger. "You stay put and take full advantage of this teacher workday. Sandy, you can stay behind. Everyone else, c'mon."
Tara, Amy, and Harmony stood up and headed for the kitchen door.
Dawn cleared her throat.
Buffy looked at her in frustration. "What?"
Dawn nodded at Sandy.
Buffy ran her hand over her face in frustration. "Fucking Christ. Dawn-"
"I'll stay behind." Harmony walked back over to the table and sat down. She looked at Dawn. "Okay?"
Dawn nodded and sat down next to Harmony at the table.
Buffy opened the kitchen door, and she, Tara, and Amy walked outside. Amy closed the door behind her.
There was an awkward silence for a while. Harmony smiled, scooped up a spoonful of substance, and ate it. Dawn started eating as well. Sandy took a vial of blood out of her jeans pocket, opened it, and drank the blood. Dawn made a face, grossed out.
Cordelia and Doyle walked up to Peterson's Fishery.
Spike was waiting in the shadows behind the building. "So...where is my ring?"
Doyle shook his head. "Not on us."
Cordelia nodded. "But we know where it is."
"And suddenly I'm so painfully bored. Time runs short, children. Give me that ring as if Angel's life depended on it."
Cordelia frowned. "Listen, you little Cockney, take us to Angel now."
Doyle nodded. "So if he's still in one piece, we tell you where you can find the ring."
"He is still alive, I think. In one piece was never part of the deal."
Spike, Cordelia, and Doyle walked into a warehouse. Angel was slumped in chains.
Spike smiled. "Lucy, I'm home."
Cordelia ran towards Angel. "Angel!"
Spike held her and Doyle back. "Hey, hey! A deal's a deal."
Angel looked up. "Cordelia."
"And our deal was for the ring. You've wasted quite enough of my time, so I'd really like it...now!"
"You want the ring, you dog?" Doyle pulled it out of his pocket and threw it past Angel. "Go fetch!"
Spike went after it.
Cordelia looked at Spike. "Okay. You've got the ring; we've got Angel. And now you're going to leave us alone, and we're going to leave."
"Come on. You don't really think that we're going to do that, do you?" Spike reached for the ring.
Cordelia heard tires squealing. "Not really."
Buffy's van burst through the side of the warehouse, rammed through some barrels, and came to a screeching halt behind Angel as Spike rolled out of its way. Buffy pulled out a crossbow and aimed it out of the driver-side window while Cordelia and Doyle freed Angel. Amy opened the back doors. Cordelia and Doyle helped him into the back of the van. Buffy backed the van out of the warehouse.
"How is he doing?" Buffy asked.
Doyle checked. "He'll live."
Cordelia shook her head. "Not without help. We need to get him to a hospital."
"Which one?" Amy asked. "They all tend to specialize in humans."
Doyle nodded. "She's right, too risky. Can either of you witches do a healing spell?"
Amy shook her head. Not with so many distractions."
"Do you know any first aid?" Doyle asked.
Tara looked at him. "I do, but there isn't a kit in here-"
"Turn around!" Angel suddenly yelled.
Tara looked at him. "Angel."
Cordelia looked at her. "He's delirious. Ignore him."
"Marcus! The torture demon! He has the ring! Turn around!" Angel yelled again.
"So you can do what?" Cordelia asked him. "It's daylight, and you're ringless. Unless you're changing the act to human torch, I don't think so."
Doyle looked at Angel. "She's right. You're death on toast, man. You're in no shape to be fighting a torture demon."
Angel pulled out the last poker still stuck in his side. "God! Okay, he's got a thing for children. Buffy...turn around. He couldn't have gone far."
Buffy spun the van around.
Buffy drove onto the pier at a nearby beach and rammed into Marcus, sending him flying.
Cordelia went up front, opened the passenger-side door, got out of the van, and ran over to a group of Cub Scouts. "Run, now. Move your little Scout legs. Now! Go! Come on! On the lay! On the lay! Arrivederci! Or whatever the fucking mouse says!"
Amy shot Marcus in the chest with a crossbow bolt. Marcus just pulled it back out and threw it away.
"Damn it. I'll get him." Doyle got out of the van.
He and Marcus started to fight. Marcus knocked Doyle down.
"Doyle!" Cordelia cried.
"You're sure about this?" Tara asked Angel.
"Yeah."
Tara opened the sliding door, and Angel launched himself out with a scream. He caught fire as he ran to tackle Marcus. They crashed through the railing and into the water below.
Cordelia looked over the railing, worried. "Where is he?"
Soon, Angel slowly and hesitantly stepped out from under the pier, blinking at the sun. The ring was on his left ring finger. He looked around in wonder. He walked up to Cordelia.
"Are you all right?" Cordelia asked him.
"Fine..." Angel looked at the others. "Thanks for the help."
Buffy, Tara, and Amy nodded.
Cordelia gently took hold of Angel's arm. "Look, you should lie down. We should take you home."
Doyle looked at her. "Just give him a minute."
Angel wandered out on the beach, looking amazed.
Later, back at the office, Cordelia was sitting at her desk. The door opened, and Rachel Mathis, a young blonde woman, walked in.
Cordelia looked. "Rachel. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. Uh, I came to drop off this." Rachel walked over to the desk and offered Cordelia a check.
Cordelia took the check, looked at it, and grinned. "So everything worked out?"
"Yeah. Angel kept showing up whenever I needed him. He's a man of his word." Rachel rolled her eyes. "Unlike Lenny. At least, I'm finally done with him."
"For real?" Cordelia asked. "How is it?"
Rachel nodded. "It hurts. But eventually I'll be stronger for it."
Cordelia smiled. "And maybe you'll find your way to the kind of love you deserve."
"Maybe. Tell Angel thanks. And tell him...that I found a little faith."
Cordelia nodded. Rachel walked over to the door, opened it, and stepped outside. Cordelia looked at the check for a moment and then set it on her desk.
Cordelia walked onto the roof of their building. Angel was watching the sun set.
"So how long has it been between sunsets?" Cordelia asked him.
"Two-hundred years, give or take."
"Well, you got to be feeling pretty damn good then, huh?" Cordelia asked. "I mean this ring...changes everything, doesn't it?"
Angel just kept staring at the sun.
"Yeah, it's spectacular, I know. But I do promise that there will be another one exactly like it tomorrow."
"Not for me."
"Say what?"
"I'm not going to wear the ring."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "You've got a real addiction to the brooding part of life. Anyone ever tell you that?"
"Once or twice."
"Care to explain?" Cordelia asked. "I mean this ring is your redemption. It's what you've been waiting for."
"Nah, it just looks like it."
Cordelia gently put her hand on Angel's shoulder. "Angel, think about what you're saying."
"I have. I've thought of it from every angle, and what I figure is I did a lot of damage in my day, more than you can imagine."
"Oh, I can imagine. So fucking what? You don't get the ring, because your period of self-flagellation isn't over yet?" Cordelia asked him. "I mean think of all the daytime people you could help between nine and five."
"They have help. The whole world is designed for them, so much that they have no idea what goes on around them after dark. They don't see the weak ones lost in the night...or the things that prey on them. And if I join them, maybe I'd stop seeing, too."
"And who'd look out for all the insomniacs?" Cordelia asked.
"I was brought back for a reason, Cordy, and, as much as I would like to kid myself, I don't think it was for eighteen holes at Rancho."
The sun sank below the horizon. Angel took off the ring and picked up a brick. Cordelia slapped Angel on the back of the head.
"Ow!" Angel exclaimed, looking at Cordelia in shock.
Cordelia snatched the ring out of his hand. "Just because you don't wanna wear it doesn't mean it should be destroyed. I'm sure Sandy will be glad to have it."
"She doesn't have a soul."
"And she handles it a lot better than you did."
"And if she someday doesn't?" Angel asked her. "We'll have an indestructible daywalker on our hands."
Cordelia shook her head. "No, we won't. Buffy will."
Angel sighed. "Cordy, if you accept Sandy as the same girl that she was before she was turned-"
"She is. I can tell."
"-then you have to accept Angelus as me."
Cordelia paused for a moment and then nodded. "Oh, and that Rachel girl with the crazy boyfriend stopped by. She said to say thanks - and that she found a little faith."
Angel nodded. "I don't know about you, but I had a nice day. You know, except for the bulk of it, where I was nearly tortured to death."
Cordelia laughed. "Yeah, well, you survived. Now, c'mon, Buffy and her band are performing soon."
"I don't feel like going."
"You have to. You're driving."
Chapter 84: Fear, Itself
Chapter Text
"Fear, Itself"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Fear, Itself" Written by David Fury and the Angel Episode "I Fall to Pieces" Written by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
Cordelia walked into the Angel Investigations office, carrying the mail. "Uh, look at all these bills: water...power...and my perennial favorite, the rent. What am I missing?"
"Not a thing I can see."
Cordelia sat down at her desk and dropped the bills on it. "Doyle, try to pay attention."
"I am paying attention, princess. We just need the income to pay for the outgo around here."
"Exactly! You know? This is a business, and we should be running it like one. We should be charging. I know Angel has been working day and night, helping people fight their personal demons, but I need a raise!"
"A raise? What, you've been working for him for, like, twenty minutes?"
"About a month, and I have needs."
"Needs."
"A person needs certain...designer...things."
"Personally, I don't think you need much in the way of clothes. But you are right, and I do agree. Angel needs to start charging. He just hates bringing up the finances with the clients. He likes playing the hero...walking off into the dark with his long coat flowing behind him in a mysterious and attractive way."
"Is this a private moment? Because I can leave you alone."
"No, no, I'm not saying I'm attracted. I'm just saying he's projecting a certain kind of image, and asking for money isn't part of it. He's sensitive about that."
The elevator opened.
Cordelia got up. "Oh, here he comes. Okay, we're going to stand up to him."
Doyle stood up. "Yup, we're standing up."
"Just as soon as he's had his coffee."
"Right."
Angel walked in. "Morning."
Cordelia and Doyle watched him. "Morning."
Angel poured himself a cup of coffee, drank a bit, and made a face. "What is this?"
Cordelia pointedly stared at him. "Last week's coffee. Think of it as espresso."
"I think my esophagus is melting."
Doyle hesitated. "Sure been making us proud these last few weeks, fighting the evil and all that."
Cordelia grinned. "Yeah, you been fantastic! Saving people left and right-"
"I'm not comfortable asking people for money."
"Then get over it!" Cordelia yelled.
Angel looked at her.
"I mean that in a sensitive way."
Doyle shrugged. "Look, bud, I know it's not your favorite thing, but you've got to do what's right."
"You think it's right to ask people in trouble for money."
"No."
"So we agree."
"No."
"We don't agree."
"Make up your mind, will you?" Cordelia asked, irritated.
Doyle's face scrunched up in pain, and he hunched over the table.
"Doyle?" Cordelia asked.
Angel walked over to him.
Cordelia stayed back. "Uh-oh, vision fit approaching."
"Pen. Paper."
Cordelia handed them to Doyle.
"Single malt Scotch."
Angel poured him a shot. "What did you see?"
"Melissa Burns, works at Pardell Paper Products."
Cordelia flipped through the phone book.
"How did she look?" Angel asked.
"Better than me." Doyle took a swallow from the cup and made a face. "This ain't single malt. It's...polymalt!"
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Okay, Pardell Paper Products. 200 Wilshire Boulevard."
Angel grabbed his coat and threw it on. "I guess I'm going to work."
Doyle watched him as he left the office, his coat flowing behind him. Cordelia looked over at Doyle.
"Maybe I'm a little attracted."
Later, in Angel Investigations' outer office, Angel was explaining what had happened. "I was waiting in the shadows by her car in the parking garage. She was jumpy and thought I was someone else. I gave her my card, but...I scared her."
Doyle was sitting next to Cordelia. "Sounds to me like she was scared to begin with."
Angel started pacing. "Am I intimidating? I mean...do I put people off?"
Cordelia carefully considered her response. "Well, as vampires go, you're pretty cuddly. Maybe you might want to think about mixing up the black-on-black look."
Angel looked at Cordelia. "Maybe you should talk to her. She'd feel safer."
"When she hires us, I'll get involved."
Doyle nodded. "Cordelia is right."
"I don't think so. I've got a bad feeling that we need to get involved now." Angel walked over to them and leaned on the table. "This shouldn't be about money."
Doyle shook his head. "It isn't."
"Yeah, you should listen to..." Cordelia looked hard at Doyle. "It isn't?!"
"No, it's about doing what's best for the people you've helped."
Angel straightened up.
"People get attached to a mysterious savior, and can you blame them? But as long as you're just a man who's doing a job and getting paid, they can feel like they've paid their debt to you, and they can move on...independent-like."
Cordelia looked at Doyle. "You are a lot smarter than you look."
Doyle looked at her.
Cordelia shrugged. "Of course, you look like a retard."
Later, the phone rang.
Cordelia picked up the handset. "Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless."
"Hello, it's...it's Melissa."
Cordelia looked up at Angel as she listened.
"When can I come in?" Melissa asked.
"Well, I'd say right away."
"All right."
Cordelia hung up. "She's coming in."
Angel looked at his dark sweater. "I've got to change my shirt."
Later, in Angel's office, Melissa Burns, a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair, was sitting in front of Angel's desk, drinking coffee. "It's been going on for about seven months now. It wasn't so bad at first."
"What's his name?" Angel asked, wearing an off-white sweater.
"Dr. Ronald Meltzer. He's a neurosurgeon. I had an infected nerve...behind my right eye. He operated, saved my sight. Afterwards, he asked me out. I didn't really want to, but..."
Cordelia was sitting to her right, taking notes with a pad and pencil. "He helped you; you felt obligated."
Melissa nodded.
"Plus, a doctor."
"So we had one drink one time...and afterwards he started calling me...a lot. Then he started showing up at my work, my apartment...saying that we had something special, that we should get married."
"And then it got worse?" Angel guessed.
Melissa nodded. "I know it sounds stupid, but I can feel him watching me...all the time. Today, at work, he knew I took my Xanitab when I was alone in the bathroom. I mean...how did he see that? He is just everywhere. He changed my PIN for my fucking debit card. I don't think I can take much more of this."
"Well, we're going to help you."
Cordelia nodded. "Big time...and for a reasonable fee."
Angel gave her a look, and she ducked her head.
"Doyle will make sure that you get home safely."
"Thanks. You guys have been very kind, listening to me." Melissa took a sip of coffee. "It's terrible."
Doyle nodded. "Yeah, we're going to take care of that."
Melissa set down the cup and got up to leave. "No, I mean the coffee." She walked off but turned before she reached the door. "Angel, how did you know that I needed help?"
"I have a friend in the police department."
Doyle looked at Angel as he followed Melissa out. "I'll see you later."
"Can you imagine? A doctor. They examine your body. They know every inch of you." Cordelia shuddered. "Ugh!"
"How is he doing it? How does he see her when she's alone, in private? Is he invisible? Or some kind of ghost?" Angel asked. "Maybe he can astral-project."
"Maybe he has an accomplice...or a hidden camera. Not everything has to be creepy and supernatural, you know."
"Not everything, but Doyle had a vision."
"Which, last time, led to a sex-changing, body-switching, tear-your-innards-out demon, right? I guess they don't call you for their everyday cases."
Angel sat down, thinking. "He sees her when he is nowhere around. How?"
Cordelia stood up and turned to go. "Okay, flesh, anytime you want to stop crawling is okay with me."
That night, the night before Halloween, Buffy and the Slayerettes were performing at the Bronze. It was their last song of the evening. For this performance, which featured Tara on lead vocals and Harmony and Sandy on backing vocals, Amy took over on keyboard, and the drums and bass guitar went unused. Buffy and Amy stood off to the side, playing, while Tara, Harmony, and Sandy took center stage. Tara was barefoot and wearing just a lace bra and short skirt.
"I was feeling done in;
Couldn't win.
I'd only ever kissed before."
"You mean she's a-?" Harmony asked Sandy.
"Uh-huh."
"I thought there's no use getting
Into heavy petting.
It only leads to trouble and seat wettings.
"Now, all I want to know
Is how to go.
I've tasted blood, and I want more."
Harmony and Sandy cozied up to Tara. "More, more, more..."
"I'll put up no resistance.
I want to stay the distance.
I've got an itch to scratch.
I need assistance.
"Touch-a, touch-a, touch-a, touch me.
I wanna be dirty.
Thrill me, chill me, fulfill me,
Creature of the night.
"Then if anything grows
While you pose,
I'll oil you up and rub you down."
Harmony and Sandy felt up Tara's waist and hips, slipping their hands under her skirt. "Down, down, down..."
"And that's just one small fraction
Of the main attraction.
You need a friendly hand,
Oh, and I need action.
"Touch-a, touch-a, touch-a, touch me.
I wanna be dirty.
Thrill me, chill me, fulfill me,
Creature of the night."
Harmony and Sandy took over on lead vocals after they each licked one of Tara's cheeks, Harmony her right and Sandy her left:
"Touch-a, touch-a, touch-a, touch me.
I wanna be dirty.
Thrill me, chill me, fulfill me,
Creature of the night."
Tara took over for the final refrain:
"Touch-a, touch-a, touch-a, touch me!
I wanna be dirty!
Thrill me, chill me, fulfill me,
Creature of the night!"
Tara raised her arms - and the microphone - in the air and grinned. The audience went wild, cheering and applauding.
After they had packed up their gear, Buffy, Tara, Amy, Sandy, and Harmony sat at a table, drinking.
"So what are we doing tomorrow night?" Tara asked.
"Movies?" Amy suggested. "I've got a free rental plus my employee discount."
Harmony looked at them. "I thought we were doing the Alpha Delta thing."
"What thing?" Sandy asked her.
"The scary house?" Buffy asked. "Sounds kinda lame."
Harmony grinned. "It's actually fun. You have to go through the scary house maze to get to the party. Which is usually worth getting to. Those guys go all out."
Buffy considered it. "What's the beer like?"
The next morning, Buffy went to Giles' apartment and rang the doorbell.
Soon, the door opened. Giles was standing there, dressed up like a Mexican - including a large sombrero - and holding a big bowl of candy.
"Happy Hallow-Hello, Buffy?" Giles looked at her, confused.
Buffy stared at him. "Oh. My. God."
"It's a sombrero."
"And it's on your head."
"It seemed festive." Giles stepped aside. "Um, come in."
Buffy walked into the apartment.
Giles offered her the bowl. "Candy?"
Buffy grabbed a few Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars and a few 3 Musketeers bars. "Thanks." She looked around at the decorations. "What's going on here? You hate Halloween."
"I never said any such a thing. As my Watcher's duties took precedence, I simply haven't taken time to, well, to embrace its inherent charms - until now."
Giles turned on a Frankenstein puppet hanging from the ceiling. It started dancing.
"Look, look!" Giles laughed. "It's alive!"
Buffy just stared at him.
"See...how he shakes?" Giles asked.
Buffy just stared at him.
Giles turned off the puppet. "Is - Is there something you wanted?"
"I was just wondering if you had heard any..." Buffy stared distractedly at the fringe dangling from the edge of his sombrero. "Could you please take that off?"
Giles set down the bowl of candy. "Oh, yes, of course." He took the hat off.
Buffy unwrapped a 3 Musketeers bar. "I was just wondering if you had heard anything about any bad shit that might go down tonight." She took a bite and chewed.
"Is there some specific danger you were sensing?"
"No. But then, you know, we were all caught off guard when Ethan turned everyone into their costumes."
"True, but what happened then was anomalous. Creatures of the night shy away from Halloween. They find it all much too crass."
"Hard to believe."
"Well, I-I promise you...there is little likelihood of any supernatural activity tonight."
Buffy smiled. "Cool. I'll be at a party, getting drunk."
Giles gave her a disapproving look. "What would your mother say about that?"
"She was the one that suggested keg parties. Thanks again for the candy." Buffy turned and left, then returned to the bowl, grabbed a few more candy bars, and left again.
At the police station, Kate was sitting at her desk, doing paperwork.
"Hello, Kate."
Kate looked up and saw Angel standing there. She got up and folded her arms in front of her. "Angel. Um, hi..." She paused. "It's good to see you."
"You, too."
"So judging by your uncomfortableness, I'd say either you're about to ask me out on a date, or you need a favor."
Angel just looked at her.
"And I'm going to go with favor." Kate sat down. "So ask, and I'll see if I can do."
Angel sat down in the chair in front of her desk. "Girl...a client. She's being stalked, and I think it could get ugly."
"She's being stalked? Then ugly it already is. What's her name?"
In the Summers' house, Buffy and her mother were sitting at the dining room table. Joyce was altering a red cape on her sewing machine.
"Thanks again for doing this at the last minute."
"I'm just glad I could find it. There. Try it now. I let down the hem and loosened it a little around the hood."
Buffy put it on. "Oh, it feels better."
Joyce smiled at her.
"Oh, no. Someone is getting nostalgic face."
"I'm sorry. I'm thinking about the little girl who wore that. What is it? Five? Six years ago?"
"Yeah, Little Red Riding Hood was the cutting edge in costumes."
Joyce laughed. "Your father loved to take you out."
"He was such a pain! Twelve years old, and I can't go trick-or-treating by myself?"
"He just wanted to keep you safe."
"No, he wanted the candy. I was just the beard."
"Oh, that's not true, actually. The candy was for me. Your father loved spending time with you."
Buffy looked down. "Not enough, I guess."
"Buffy."
"Oh, that just paved right over Memory Lane, huh?"
"Our divorce had nothing to do with you."
Buffy swallowed. "I don't know."
"Trust me."
"Do you..." Buffy paused. "Do you ever wish Dad had gotten me, and you had gotten Dawn?"
Joyce hesitated. "Yes. After..." She couldn't bring herself to say it.
Buffy understood and looked down. "After I murdered your boyfriend."
Joyce fidgeted and played with her hands. "'Murdered' is a harsh word."
"After beating him, I chased him down to the end of the hall and kicked him down a flight of stairs, breaking his neck." Buffy paused. "Let's be real."
Joyce got up. "You must have noticed that I am not exactly the social butterfly I was when I was with your dad. I don't think I made a single new friend for months after we moved to Sunnydale."
"Why not?"
"Fear. I didn't believe I could trust anyone again. Ted was the first person that I warmed up to. And you took him away from me."
Buffy didn't say anything. She didn't even look at her mother.
"And I'm glad you did. I'm so sorry that I didn't believe the things that you'd told me about him. You had been right about him all along. But Buffy..." Joyce abruptly paused. "Never mind. He did hit you. And, as it turned out, you probably saved my life. So I'm sorry, and I'm grateful. We won't discuss it again." She paused. "It's taken time and a lot of effort, but I've got a nice circle of friends now. I mean, don't get me wrong, I-I'm still a little gun-shy. It certainly didn't help that my last boyfriend turned out to be a homicidal maniac." She sat down next to Buffy. "I will always be here for you."
Buffy looked at her.
"Believe me, there is nothing to be afraid of."
Buffy slowly smiled.
At the police station, Kate walked to her desk with a file in her hand. "Your girl did file a report two months ago. The doctor responded and denied everything." She sat down. "A lot of noise from his lawyers." She noticed the name of the law firm. "Ouch..."
"What?" Angel asked.
"His lawyers. Wolfram and Hart. You know the name?"
"I've heard it."
"Yeah. They're the law firm that Johnnie Cochran is too ethical to join. They actually filed a restraining order against her. Very cute. Still no record of violence for the doctor."
"Yet."
"You think he's going to blow?"
"I do."
"I'll put a uniform on her building. But I can probably not spare one for more than a day or two."
"Thanks. That'll help."
"And your client, she's holding up?"
"She's scared. He's had her on the ropes for a while now."
"Then you better help her get mad, because that is the only way she'll be able to fight him."
"Well, hopefully, I'll be doing the fighting. That's why she hired me."
"That's not what I mean. This guy could go to jail tomorrow, Angel, and still kill her in her dreams every night. I've put a few of these creeps away, and the hardest thing is to know that he is still winning. She's still afraid. He took her power away, and no one can get it back for her but her."
In her dorm room, Amy was sitting on her bed and talking on the phone with Katrina.
"You got any plans for Halloween, Trina?" Amy asked.
"Oh, yeah. We're gonna freeze a pumpkin in liquid nitrogen and drop it from the top of Millikan Library."
Amy was confused. "Why?"
"Because it's the highest point on campus."
"No, I mean...why are you doing it?"
"It's a Halloween tradition. Supposedly, a claim was once made that the shattering of a pumpkin frozen in liquid nitrogen and dropped from a sufficient height would produce a triboluminescent spark. A crowd of observers gathers, and they try to spot it."
Amy paused for a moment. "Okay, well, have fun. We're going to a haunted house party and getting shit-faced."
Katrina laughed. "Well, we all experiment in our own ways. Enjoy yourselves."
"We will. You're coming for Thanksgiving, right?"
"Yeah, Anne and Faith are picking me up."
"Cool, I'll see you then."
At Good Samaritan Hospital, Cordelia was interviewing a nurse.
"Another article about Meltzer."
"Well, our readers at the...um..." Cordelia glanced down at some magazines. "Journal of Diagnostic Orthoped...et cetera...seem endlessly fascinated with him."
"He is fascinating. Before he became an ocular surgeon, he specialized in orthopedics. He developed nerve and blood vessel accelerants that helped a lot of people."
"How?"
"When you sever a limb, there is only so much time to reattach before it atrophies."
Cordelia was grossed out. "Yuck!"
"What?"
Cordelia smiled. "Nothing, please go on."
"Dr. Meltzer's work extended that time significantly. Plus he's one of the best at reattaching severed nerves."
"So he is good at the cutting and the sewing. Did he ever strike you as a big dangerous creep?"
"What? What kind of article are you writing?"
"I've got to be honest with you. It may not be a very nice one. I don't like the way he treats women. I'll keep your name out of it, but just between us...what's the real dish on this guy?"
The nurse looked around to make sure there was no one close. "He is not very generous. He doesn't share his techniques with the medical community at large, and a lot of what he claims to have done is pretty radical."
"Like what?"
"Like reattaching eyes, for one thing." Cordelia was pacing in Angel Investigations' outer office. "Apparently, this guy can do anything with a knife. You so don't want this guy fixated on you. What is stalking nowadays...the third-most popular sport among men?"
Angel was typing on the computer. "Fourth...after luge."
"I don't get it. This guy has a lot to lose. What is it about Melissa that got him to go all O.J. on her?"
"Nothing. It's not about Melissa; it's about rage. This guy is too fucked up to deal with a real woman, and he can't stand that. So he creates a fantasy about a girl he barely knows. But eventually even she fails him. So he has to hurt her, because, when he looks at her, all he sees is how useless he is, how damaged-"
"Uh, what a fun date you must have been back in your bad vamp days." Cordelia pulled over a chair and sat down next to Angel. "On the other hand, it should give you some insight into the assholes of the world."
"I know how this guy thinks; I just don't know how he's doing it."
"Being everywhere at once?"
Angel showed her a book. "Vinpur Natpudan says that we are everywhere at once, since we are all made up of the same molecules."
"I remember that guy. He made a big noise a few years ago on public television. Huh. Then had a big case of Joe Recluse."
Angel looked at the computer. "What he had was a nervous breakdown. Not long after, he conducted an exclusive retreat for a group of well-known yogis and doctors."
"I'm guessing Dr. Stalker was at that retreat?" Cordelia guessed. "What are you doing?"
"Sending Joe Recluse an e-mail. I'd really like to talk to him."
Cordelia read what he was typing. "'I hope you have the nerve to believe that I need help with Ronald Meltzer.'" She looked down and read the dedication in the front of the book. "'...hope you have the nerve to believe...' Did you steal this book?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
That evening, Buffy, dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, was standing with a basket in her hands.
Tara walked up behind her, dressed as Xena. "Hey."
Buffy looked at Tara and smiled. "Hey, warrior princess."
Tara smiled. "You like?"
"You bet."
"Insurance, you know, in case we get turned into our costumes again."
They started walking. They met up with Amy and Harmony. Amy was dressed as a non-stereotypical pagan witch, using her own wardrobe and jewelry. Harmony was dressed as a bubbly, cheerful vampire, all blacks and pinks. She wore pink eyeshadow and light red lipstick.
Buffy smiled. "Amy. Harmony."
Amy smiled. "Hey, guys."
Harmony grinned, revealing her fake vampire fangs. "Like my costume?"
Buffy opened her basket, took out her stake, and pointed it suggestively between Harmony's legs. "Oh, look, a vampire. I might just have to stake you, slowly and repeatedly."
Tara folded her arms over her chest and smiled in amusement. "Oh, really."
Buffy looked at Tara as she put the stake away. "I'm just having fun, sweetie. Besides, a Slayer dating a vampire is a monumentally bad idea."
The group continued walking. Sandy joined them, dressed as a Goth vampire, all blacks and reds. She wore black eyeshadow and dark red lipstick.
Amy smiled. "Went for the super obvious, huh?"
Sandy smiled. "Went for the super lazy, huh?"
Amy shrugged. "Well, that's me: super lazy. At least, that's what my mom used to say."
Harmony looked at Sandy up and down. "Copycat."
Sandy looked at her. "Bite me."
Suddenly, two people dressed as commandos, wearing ski masks and carrying guns, stepped out of the bushes in front of them.
Buffy looked at them. "Nice costumes. Very stealthy."
"What are they supposed to be?" Tara asked.
The commandos walked away. The gang resumed their walk toward the Alpha Delta house.
Tara looked at her friends. "Oh, yeah, I invited Jenny to join us, but she's having some trouble with her costume, so she's just going to meet us there."
Harmony grinned. "We're going to have the best time."
They walked up to the house. Kids ran out, screaming.
Harmony turned around in front of the door. "Let the horrors begin."
They entered the silent haunted house.
"The joint's not jumping. Where is everybody?" Buffy asked.
Mechanical laughter came from a head with one eye hanging from its socket sitting in a punch bowl on a table next to the door.
Amy shrugged. "Follow the signs."
Buffy looked at the severed head. "Terrifying. If I was Abbott and Costello, this would be fairly traumatic."
A plastic skeleton with a knife swung out at Sandy, and she jumped.
"Holy shit!" Sandy exclaimed, panting.
Amy looked back at Harmony and noticed a tarantula on her shoulder.
Harmony saw what she was looking at and screamed. "Uh, get it off!"
Amy brushed at it, then checked her over. "It's gone."
"Okay, that is not sanitary!" Harmony complained.
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, let's get to the party part of the...party."
They walked into a room, and Buffy bent down to examine a spot on the carpet.
"What is it?" Tara asked Buffy.
Buffy looked at the stain on her fingers. "Blood." She smelled her fingers. "Real blood."
Harmony shuddered. "Ew, creepy. Bravo, frat boys!"
Buffy stood up. "Shh! Do you hear something? Like a...squeaking noise?"
Sandy concentrated. "I hear it, too. Something like..."
They all slowly looked up at the ceiling. It was covered with bats. All of them screamed and covered their heads as the bats suddenly dropped down and flew off down the hall. Amy walked over and picked up a bat that was laying on the floor.
Harmony frowned. "No, Amy, don't; it might be-"
"Rubber. It's made of rubber."
Buffy looked around. "What the hell is going on here?"
Tara tried to be optimistic. "Look, maybe it's nothing. Maybe it's just a neat trick. You know, something done with wires or-"
"Release me!" a rumbling voice exclaimed.
Tara paused. "Or it might be something else."
Kate got called to Melissa's house. A police officer had been killed on the property. She interviewed Melissa, then she went inside and talked to the officers on the scene and to Angel. The officer's dead body was wheeled out.
Kate and Angel walked outside. A crowd of people was growing. Melissa was wrapped in a blanket.
Doyle handed Melissa a cup of coffee. "Here, drink up, love. It's over."
Kate and Angel walked up to them.
"She is not making a lot of sense."
"She's been living in terror for the last seven months."
"You think it's the doctor."
"I know it's the doctor."
Kate put her hands on her hips. "How could he do it? I mean...she's got bars on her windows. The security cameras in the hallway show our officers going in and nobody suspicious all day. I mean...who is this guy, Houdini?"
"Something like that."
"I've pulled prints. If they match his, he's going down."
"Detective? Can you sign the coroner's release?" an officer asked.
Kate walked over to him.
Jenny walked up to the frat house, dressed as Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell. There was a welcome mat laying in front of a solid wall.
Jenny stared at it. "Where's the door?" She knocked on the wall. "Hello? Hello?!" After a moment, she sighed and walked back out to the street.
She heard a scream coming from the house and looked up to see a boy banging against one of the upper-story windows.
"Help me! Help me!" the boy screamed.
The stones surrounding the window suddenly expanded to cover it up. Jenny turned and ran to her car.
The gang walked back into the entrance room. They could hear all kinds of screams and creepy sound effects.
"Where are the stairs?" Sandy asked.
"Where is the door?" Tara asked.
"This is the way we came in, right? We just went in a circle?" Buffy asked.
The sound effects cut off as Tara flipped a switch.
"Hey, I have a neat idea: let's get out of here!" Harmony exclaimed.
Buffy rolled her eyes at her. "And you were so anxious for me to come."
Amy looked at Buffy. "Harmony actually has a good idea, Buffy. We don't know what we're dealing with."
"As soon as we start dealing with it, I'll know what it is we're dealing with. Do you hear something?" Buffy put down her basket. "It's like a 'ssss' noise?" She pulled open the door to a closet.
There was a guy in there, rocking back and forth. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I'm sorry."
Buffy crouched down in front of him. "Are you okay?"
"I didn't know."
"What's happening?" Buffy asked him.
He rocked harder. "It, uh-"
"What is it?" Buffy asked impatiently.
"It's alive. It's alive."
"What's alive?" Buffy asked.
Tara shook her head. "He's in shock."
"What happened here?" Buffy asked him.
He looked up and screamed. Buffy turned and saw the formerly plastic skeleton come up and stab at her with the formerly plastic knife. She knocked its head aside, then kicked it in the middle. It lay back to land on the ground, once again plastic.
Buffy stared at it, then checked her shoulder. "I think the cape took most of it."
Tara walked over to her. "Let me see." She checked Buffy's shoulder wound. "Could need stitches. You should at least get a bandage or something."
They heard a boy scream, and the boy on the floor crawled back into the closet and closed the door.
Harmony shuddered. "Cowering in a closet is starting to seem like a reasonable plan."
Buffy looked back over her shoulder. "What closet?"
There was only a blank wall.
"I'm gonna make my way upstairs and see if there are any people up there." Buffy picked up her basket. "You guys find a way out of the house and use it."
"You're telling us to run away and leave you behind?" Tara asked her.
Buffy pulled a loaded crossbow out. "We need help. We need the only two people that can make sense of what's happening."
Later, in Angel's apartment, Cordelia was pacing. "I can't believe it: a guy that can take his body apart piece by piece." She shuddered. "Gross!"
Doyle was putting duct tape over a vent. "It's not good for the ventilation, but he's not getting in here."
Cordelia touched his collar.
Doyle jumped. "What-"
"I was just trying to fix your collar."
"Yeah, well, what say we just leave it crooked until this thing's resolved?"
They walked into the kitchen, where Melissa and Angel were sitting at the table.
Melissa sipped from a cup of tea. "I don't see how this can...I mean this can't be happening. What I saw..." She paused. "You must think I'm crazy."
"No, I believe you."
"But it's not possible. I mean...he can really-"
Angel nodded. "Yes! Remember I told you I sometimes handle things the police can't?"
Melissa nodded.
"This is one of those things. I'm going to take care of him. Doyle and Cordelia are going to stay here with you. I want you to try and get some rest."
Doyle flipped the latch closed on the trap door to the sewers and secured it with a bolt. Cordelia offered Melissa a tissue.
"Thanks, but I'm not going to cry anymore. At least, I hope not. I'm tired of crying and being afraid."
Angel shook his head. "You don't have to be afraid."
"You're just duct-taping me in for fun?"
"You've survived a living hell these last few months, and you're still standing, while he's coming unhinged at not being able to control you. He's the weak one. You're the strong one."
Cordelia nodded. "You should listen to him, Melissa. He knows what he's talking about. He's stalked plenty of-"
Melissa and Angel looked at her.
"-books on the subject." Cordelia looked at Angel. "Could I see you upstairs for a moment?"
Angel stood up and followed Cordelia to the elevator. They got in, Cordelia pulled the metal grating closed and pressed a button, and the elevator went up.
"Okay, Melissa stays here with us; that makes sense, but the part about you taking care of the doctor..." Cordelia looked Angel in the eyes. "This guy is really dangerous."
The elevator stopped. Angel opened the elevator, walked over to the desk, and started flipping through the Yellow Pages.
Cordelia walked over to him. "What are you doing?"
"Seeing where I can get some steel boxes at this hour of the night."
"Steel boxes? Why would you want-" Cordelia suddenly realized. "Oh. For packing up people parts. You know this job..." She made a face. "Don't get me wrong; I'm grateful to have it. God knows it's educational, but sometimes..."
The phone rang.
Cordelia jumped. "God, who's calling at this...?" She looked down at the phone and saw the Line 3 light blinking. "It's the special line."
"Answer it."
"Right, right. Okay. Now, who are we again? Johnson International Holdings?"
"Jensen."
"Jensen. Good, got it. Jensen. Now, does that sound like an international name?"
"Cordelia."
Cordelia picked up the handset. "Jensen International Holdings. How may I direct your call?"
"Mr. Brian Jensen, please. This is Dr. Ronald Meltzer."
"Please hold." Cordelia put him on hold. "It's him."
Angel took a deep breath, took the handset, set it down, turned on the speakerphone, and selected the line. "Brian Jensen."
"You're working late."
"Downside of being global."
"If you still want me to, I'll operate on your wife."
"I do, thank you."
"We'll have to do it out of the country, and I need $100,000 in cash to get things rolling."
"Are you in your office?"
"Yes."
"I'll bring it to you tonight." Angel ended the call.
"You're going over there? What if he comes apart on you?" Cordelia asked.
"If he comes apart on me, he's going to stay that way."
Jenny walked up to Giles' door and knocked insistently.
"Just a minute! Coming!"
Soon, the door opened. Giles was standing there, wearing his stereotypical Mexican costume.
"Happy Hall-"
"Giles, we have a situation. The gang is in trouble. They went into a haunted house, and I believe it really is haunted. We've got to do something."
Giles took off his sombrero. "Slow down. I need you to be more specific."
"We were supposed to meet at this house, and I got there, and there was no door where a door should be. And then I saw this boy standing in a window, and then the window disappeared."
"Hmm. Matter and reality distortion." Giles went back into his apartment.
Jenny followed him. "I went and got some supplies and returned to the house. I tried casting some spells to remove glamours and evil spirits, but nothing's worked so far."
Giles went and pulled a book from his shelf. "What you're describing sounds like a summoning spell's temporal flux. I just need to get some...supplies together."
Tara, Amy, Harmony, and Sandy walked down a corridor.
Harmony sighed. "Have we been here already?"
Sandy shrugged. "I dunno. It all looks the same."
Tara nodded. "Also, it's possible that the house is morphing."
Amy looked at Tara. "Maybe we should split up, cover more ground."
"Without weapons or knowing exactly what's in here with us?" Tara shook her head. "No, we better stick together."
Suddenly, Catherine Madison showed up directly in front of Amy.
Amy came to a stop, frozen in shock. "Mom?!"
The others looked around. They didn't see anyone.
"What?" Tara asked.
Catherine stared at her daughter in hatred. "You worthless, lazy bitch! When are you ever gonna do anything with your life?!"
"Mom, w-what are you doing here?" Amy asked.
Harmony looked at Tara. "Do you see anything?"
Tara shook her head. "No, but...there's something..."
Catherine's eyes started glowing red. She levitated and lunged at Amy. Amy jumped back, turned around, and ran in the opposite direction.
"Amy!" Tara called.
Amy opened a door and ran out, slamming the door shut behind her.
Sandy looked at Tara. "What do we do?"
"I don't know."
Later, in Angel's apartment, Doyle was taping up yet another vent. He walked over towards the bedroom, looking around. "I got everything, I think."
"Shh. She's resting." Cordelia motioned to Melissa sleeping on Angel's bed. "What did you put in her tea?"
Doyle was still looking for holes that he might have missed. "Enough whiskey to drop my Aunt Tudy. That woman had some girth."
Cordelia sighed. "What's the point?"
"Well, it tastes good, and it relaxes you."
"No, I mean of ever going out with anyone."
"Well, people need people." Doyle took a step closer to Cordelia. "And people who need people are the luckiest-"
Cordelia put a hand on his chest and pushed him back. "Either you like them, and they don't like you, or you can't stand them, which just guarantees that they'll keep on hovering around and never go away."
"Uh,...yeah, I just hate guys like that." Doyle stepped away with a sigh. "I'll just check on..." He walked away.
Cordelia folded her arms. "It's just so unfair. I mean...here is this poor girl. She hooks up with a doctor. That's supposed to be a good thing. I mean you should be able to call home and say 'Hey, Mom, guess what, I've met a doctor!' Not 'Guess what, I met a psycho, and he's stalking me, and, oh, by the way, his hands and feet come off, and he's not even in the circus!'"
"Not every relationship leads to disaster."
"You ever had one?"
"Not me, personally. But I've read..."
Tara, Sandy, and Harmony were walking through another corridor.
Sandy felt a sudden craving for blood. She took a vial out of her pants pocket. It was empty.
"Shit!" Sandy exclaimed.
Tara looked at her. "What?"
Sandy bared her fangs. "I'm out of blood, and...I feel hungry." Her hunger grew in intensity. "So hungry..."
Harmony was confused. "Wouldn't that be 'thirsty'?"
Sandy hissed and lunged at Harmony's neck. Tara pulled Harmony out of the way.
"Run!" Sandy warned them.
Holding hands, Tara and Harmony ran down the corridor.
"I swear this always happens to me!" Harmony yelled. "Why me?! What do vampires see in me?!"
"The human equivalent of Wagyu?!" Tara guessed.
Tara and Harmony were walking down another corridor.
Harmony looked from side to side. "This place is so creepy."
"That's the general aim of a haunted house." Tara paused by a door and opened it.
Harmony saw thousands of cockroaches pour out of the room. They crawled onto her, covering her entire body. Harmony screamed, turned, and ran away.
Tara looked after her, then turned and slowly started walking on her own.
Suddenly, her father, Steve Maclay, stepped in front of her. "And where are you going, deviant?"
"Dad?!" Tara asked in shock.
"You're coming home with me right now, you little whore!" He grabbed Tara's wrist.
"No, please don't!" Tara begged.
He squeezed her wrist hard.
"Help!" Tara yelled desperately. "Help!"
Buffy heard Tara yell for help and spun around. She tried to follow Tara's voice. "Tara."
She walked up to a locked door and busted it open. There was no floor in the room behind it, and she fell down into the basement. She lay on the floor on her back, looking up as the door swung slowly shut.
"Basement. I must be in the basement."
"All alone."
Buffy pushed herself up. "Who said...that?"
Ted Buchanan walked around a corner with his head tilted at an unnatural angle. "Just us dead. The dead that you couldn't save. The dead that you murdered." He smiled at her. "But don't fret, little lady; you'll be one of us soon, and we'll drag you to Hell."
Buffy screamed as arms burst up through the floor to grab at her. Buffy struggled against the dead people coming up through the floor, trying to pull her down.
Jenny and Giles stood in front of the house. Giles was running a hand over the place where the door used to be, holding an open book in his other hand.
"Well?" Jenny asked.
"We're gonna have to create a door."
"I tried that."
Giles closed the book and walked over to his bag. He got out a chainsaw and stood up, holding it in his hands. "With this?"
Buffy was fighting the dead people.
Ted stared at her with dead eyes. "No matter how hard you fight, you always let people down. The people that slip through the cracks. Your family."
Buffy crawled along the floor on all fours, kicking at the guys following her.
"I don't see why you bother."
Suddenly, Buffy remembered the words of her mother: "Believe me, there is nothing to be afraid of."
"There is nothing to be afraid of." Buffy sighed. "I may go to Hell someday, and so be it, but today is not that day, and I will no longer let this weight hold me down."
Buffy reached a small door, went through, and slammed it shut behind her.
She stood up and took in her surroundings. She was in a big room with a pentagram on the floor.
"I'm upstairs." Buffy slowly walked into the room.
There were college kids in costumes cowering all along the walls, whimpering.
Buffy looked at a girl cowering in a corner. "Sandy?"
Sandy looked up at Buffy, bared her fangs, and lunged at her. Buffy jumped back.
"Get away from me!" Sandy warned.
"Sandy, control yourself. You can do it. Take deep breaths."
"I don't have any blood on me!" Sandy yelled.
"Really? Check again."
Sandy took the vial out of her pocket again and was surprised to find it full. With jittery fingers, she unscrewed the cap, took it off, and gulped down the blood. She took a few deep breaths and slowly started to calm down.
The door opened.
Harmony ran into the room, waving her arms around. "Get them off me! Get them off me! Get 'em off! Get 'em off!"
Sandy took hold of her. "Harm, what's wrong?"
"Can't get them off..."
"It's okay. It's okay. There's nothing there." Sandy pulled Harmony into an embrace, wrapping her arms around her. "We're okay."
Buffy shook her head. "We're not okay. We need to get out of here."
Amy ran into the room. "No! No! You stay the fuck away from me!"
Harmony looked at Amy. "What's going on, Ames?"
"My mom's after me!" Amy yelled.
Harmony looked. "Did she turn invisible or something? 'Cause...she's not there."
Amy turned around and looked behind her. "Oh." She turned to face Harmony and smiled. "Wow, do I feel like a dumbass."
Harmony nodded. "I know the feeling." She paused and reconsidered her words. "Wait..."
Amy laughed and turned around again. "I totally thought there was someone-"
Suddenly, Tara ran into her, sending them both to the floor, Tara on top of Amy.
Amy stared up at Tara. "You okay, Tara?"
"My dad!" Tara cried. "He's come to take me away!"
Amy groaned in slight discomfort. "Your dad and the rest of your family moved back to Alabama. What you saw wasn't your dad."
"Are you sure?" Tara asked her.
Amy nodded.
Tara got off Amy and helped her to her feet. The two of them hugged.
Amy looked at Buffy. "The house separated us. It wanted to scare us."
Tara looked at Buffy. "But we got away."
"No. We were brought here. We all got so scared that we ended up here. Why?" Buffy asked.
Amy saw the pentagram on the floor and pointed at it. She looked around and spotted an open book on a table. She walked over and picked it up. "I can't read it."
Tara took the book from her and looked at the text. "It's Gaelic."
"Can you translate?" Buffy asked her.
"Release me!" the rumbling voice yelled.
They all looked around, but there was nothing there.
"Release me!"
The door slammed shut.
Buffy looked at Tara. "Tara, give me something."
"Okay, um, um, the icon's called the - the Mark of Gachnar. I-I think this is a summoning spell for something called...well...Gachnar. Somehow, the beginning of the spell must have been triggered. Um, Gachnar is trying to manifest itself, to - to come into being."
"How?" Buffy asked.
"I-It feeds on fear."
Buffy looked at everyone. "Our fears are manifesting it. We're feeding it. We need to stop."
Amy shrugged. "I think we have, but what about everyone else that's trapped in here?"
"Release me!"
Buffy's mind raced. "Okay, so their fears are feeding it; if we get everyone out of here-"
The walls started knocking and shaking.
"Good plan. Let's go!" Harmony walked towards the door.
She screamed when it burst open to reveal Giles with the running chainsaw in his hands. Giles turned off the saw.
"Giles?" Harmony asked. "Everyone, it's Giles! With a chainsaw! Glad you could make it."
Jenny ran in behind Giles.
"The walls closed up behind us." Giles walked over and took a look at the book in Tara's hands. "Gachnar, of course. Its presence infects the reality of the house, but it's not managed to achieve full manifestation. We cannot allow this to come into being."
"But if it does, I can fight it, right?" Buffy asked.
Tara walked over and showed her a picture in the book. "Buffy, this is Gachnar."
Buffy took a look at the drawing and shuddered. "I don't want to fight that. So...we break the spell."
Sandy was nervous. "Whatever we do, let's do it fast."
Tara flipped pages. "I have it, I have it. Um, 'The summoning spell for Gachnar can be shut down in one of two ways. Destroying the mark of Gachnar-'"
Buffy ran over to the mark and put her fist through it, ripping up the floorboards. She got up and looked over at Tara with a proud smile.
Tara gave Buffy an awkward look. "'-is not one of them and will in fact immediately bring forth the fear demon itself.'"
Buffy made a face and looked at the mark that was beginning to glow.
"Look!" Jenny yelled.
The floor rumbled as they all stared in horror. Gachnar rose up from beneath the floor, ugly - and very tiny, no more than a half-foot tall.
"This is Gachnar?" Buffy asked, amused.
"I am the dark lord of nightmares!" Gachnar proclaimed.
Buffy tried not to laugh.
"The bringer of terror! Tremble before me. Fear me!"
Harmony laughed. "He-He's so cute!"
"Tremble!"
Jenny bent down. "Who's a little fear demon? Come on! Who's a little fear demon?!"
Giles looked at her. "Don't taunt the fear demon."
"Why, can he hurt me?" Jenny asked.
"No, it's just...tacky."
Jenny straightened. "You're a real stick in the mud, Rupert."
"Be that as it may..." Giles turned to face Buffy. "Buffy, when it comes to slaying-"
"Size doesn't matter?" Buffy asked with a smile.
Gachnar stared up at Buffy. "You're going to Hell, you know."
"Yeah, yeah." Buffy stomped down with her foot and squished the fear demon.
Later, Melissa was still sleeping on the bed.
Cordelia checked her watch. "What if Angel doesn't come back?"
Doyle was still putting more tape over something. "Ah, he'll be back."
"What if Dr. Chopped Salad shows up before he does?"
Doyle ripped off another piece of tape. "I have this place sewed up tighter than-"
They heard a rattling noise.
"What was that?" Cordelia asked.
Doyle got up and slowly walked over towards the living room. He pulled two weapons free from a brick wall as he passed it and handed the sword to Cordelia. "Just the wind."
They slowly advanced into the living room, weapons raised.
"So...you want to play some cards, or you want to watch the tube?" Doyle asked.
"Sure, how about some...gin? Penny a point?"
"Yeah, you'll owe me money."
"We'll see about that."
The rattling started again. It was the trap door to the sewers.
"Cordelia."
Two fingers came up through a slit and started to work on pushing the bolt aside. Cordelia and Doyle watched as the fingers pushed the bolt to the side. Doyle crouched down next the trap door, hatchet at the ready, and flicked the latch back. He opened the trap door and peered into the tunnel below. Cordelia felt Ronald put a hand over her mouth from behind. He slammed her into a wall and then out through the door. She heard the conversation between Ronald and Melissa.
"Hi. Getting some rest?"
"I..." Melissa paused. "What are you?"
"I'm more than meets the eye. But you never bothered to find out, did you? You just took advantage of my kindness. Led me on until you could find yourself a vacuous LA pretty boy."
Cordelia crawled over as silently as she could to watch. Melissa tried to run past him, and he cut her off and cornered her up against the wall.
"I'm very disappointed in you, Melissa."
Melissa stared at the scalpel in his hand. "I know." She paused. "I didn't mean-"
"No, no, no, no. Stop now. You're babbling."
"I think...I think you disappoint yourself. I think you gave up on being loved a long time ago, and now you're just another creep who gets off on pain."
"Now, don't try your little childish-"
"I think you know that I would be crazy to want to touch you, to wake up next to little pieces of whatever you are."
"Shut up."
"You turned yourself into a freak, Ronald, a vile, repulsive freak. And I'm done being afraid of you. You can cut me, and you can kill me, but it still won't change what you are."
His throat was bulging strangely.
"Angel was right. You're weak!" Melissa yelled.
"I'm weak? Then how was it I killed him?"
The door slid open behind him, and he looked around.
"Inefficiently."
"You can't be alive. You...You're not human!" Ronald yelled.
Melissa backed away from him. "You should talk."
Ronald's teeth flew out and bit Angel's arm. Angel smashed them against a wall, and Ronald clapped his hand over his mouth in pain. As Angel advanced on him, he slammed the scalpel into his shoulder. Melissa screamed, but it barely slowed Angel. Ronald threw his right hand, which gripped Angel's throat and slammed him back on the floor. Ronald turned towards Melissa. Angel ripped the hand off and threw it away. It came skittering back towards him, and he pulled the scalpel from his shoulder and stabbed it with it, pinning it to the floor.
Ronald looked at Melissa. "We could have been so happy." One of his ears fell off.
"Ronald."
As Ronald turned around, Angel hit his head with a pipe, sending the head flying across the room.
Angel stepped up to Melissa. "Are you all right?"
She just gasped, and he held her carefully.
Cordelia slowly got to her feet, groaning. "Happy Fucking Halloween. Next year, can we skip the monsters and just pig out on candy?"
Later, the gang was digging into Giles' Halloween candy at his house. Amy, Tara, and Buffy were sitting on the couch. Jenny was relaxing on the floor, her bare feet on top of Giles' coffee table, as she ate a Snickers bar. Harmony did the same from the other end while eating a handful of Nerds. Sandy was kneeling by the coffee table, chewing on some candy that was shaped like bloody vampire fangs. Giles was reading the book.
Amy unwrapped a Milky Way bar. "Some quality treats here, Giles."
"Please, finish them."
Buffy unwrapped a 3 Musketeers bar. "Um, this is much better. There is no problem that cannot be solved with chocolate."
Tara leaned back, crossing her arms over her stomach. "I think I'm going to barf."
"Except that. The cure for that is a good tummy rub." Buffy started rubbing Tara's stomach.
Tara giggled.
Sandy chewed a piece of her candy. "This 'blood' is really sweet." She suddenly had an idea. "Ooh! Blood mixed with sugar!"
Jenny chewed some of her candy bar. "I heard it doesn't amalgamate well."
Harmony suddenly thought of something. "I hope this candy doesn't turn me into an actual nerd."
Amy laughed. "It's not magic candy, Harm."
Harmony stared at her in annoyance. "I know that. Duh!"
"Oh, bloody hell. The inscription!" Giles exclaimed.
"What's the matter?" Buffy asked him.
Giles came over to show her and Tara the book. "Tara, you should have translated the Gaelic inscription under the illustration of Gachnar."
Tara rolled her eyes. "Well, excuse me. I was in a hurry on account of a fucking demon was about to emerge and kill us all."
Buffy took the book and looked at it. "What's it say?"
"Actual size." Giles walked away.
After a moment, Buffy shrugged and closed the book.
The next day, in Angel Investigations' office, Cordelia was making coffee. "Oh, goody, recycled coffee, my personal favorite." She added some fresh grounds to the ones already in the filter and started the machine.
Angel walked in, wearing a dark blue shirt, and handed her some papers.
"Oh. That guy's never going to put himself back together, right?" Cordelia asked him.
"He's in twelve steel boxes buried in twenty cubic feet of concrete in the floor of LA's newest subway station."
Doyle looked at him. "That ought to bring in the tourists."
The door opened, and Melissa walked in, carrying a potted plant.
Melissa smiled. "Hey."
Cordelia and Angel smiled. "Hi."
"Hi, how's it going?" Doyle asked.
Melissa handed Angel the plant. "I brought this for you guys."
"Oh. I hope it doesn't need light."
"I'm sure it'll be fine in here."
"Can I offer you some coffee?" Cordelia asked.
"Coffee, oh, no. I can only stay a minute. Places to go, people to see." Melissa looked at Angel. "Thanks to you."
Cordelia and Doyle started coughing.
Angel looked uncomfortable. "Uh...there..."
Melissa looked wide at them coughing. "What?"
"There is...uh..." Angel paused. "There is a...bill?"
Melissa was confused. "Bill who?"
"A bill for my services."
"Oh, of course. That's the other reason I came." Melissa pulled out a check and held it out towards Angel. "Here."
Cordelia darted forward and grabbed it. "I'll take that, thank you."
"I mean...I didn't do it for money."
"Oh, please, you earned it." Melissa reached and shook Angel's hand. "Well, hope I never see you again."
"Me, too. Good luck."
Melissa left.
Doyle looked at Angel. "Well, that didn't go so badly."
"See, you can save damsels and make decent money. Is this a great country or what?!" Cordelia asked, grinning.
Doyle smiled. "Let's march down to the bank and deposit this beauty."
"You guys go ahead. I think I'll stay here and not burst into flames."
"Oh, right, you're pretty much the night deposit guy. Still, cause to celebrate."
Cordelia patted Doyle on the shoulder. "You think everything's a cause to celebrate." She picked up her purse. "We could use more of these."
She and Doyle headed out the door.
"And we'll have more of these soon."
"We need more of these now. Have a vision."
"I can't just perform on demand."
"We need the clients. Have a vision."
"That money has corrupted you."
"If I hit you on the head, will you have a vision?"
"Get away from me. You're insane."
"Am not. Now, will you have a vision?"
Chapter 85: Room With a View
Chapter Text
"Room With a View"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Beer Bad" Written by Tracey Forbes and the Angel Episode "Rm w/a Vu" Written by David Greenwalt and Jane Espenson
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
In the office of Angel Investigations, at night, Cordelia was holding up a torn, white trash bag. "I've had it with these cheap trash bags! They leak and break and end up costing us more!" She dropped the bag in front of Doyle.
Doyle nodded at her. "I believe it!"
Cordelia sat down at her desk. "Yeah, it was a great audition! I was all about things leaking. How could they not pick me?"
"They don't know what they missed."
The telephone rang.
"They gave it to a blonde that showed up in a skintight leather catsuit. She is supposed to be a housewife. She looked ridiculous. She looked like Catwoman taking out the cat trash."
"Are you going to answer the phone?"
Angel walked into the room. "Good question."
"Oh, yeah, right."
The answering machine kicked on.
"Oh, the machine got it."
"Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless. If that's you, leave a message."
The machine beeped.
"Hey, Cordy. It's Aura. Just wanted to check in, you know, see how you were doing."
Angel looked up and walked away.
"Oh, you would not believe what's going on in Sunnydale!"
Cordelia just straightened stuff on her desk, making no move to pick up the phone.
"You don't want to talk to her?" Doyle asked her.
"No, not just yet. She is just going to ask me where I'm living and how the acting is going, and I'm just not up to leading the parade of pain. I'll do it when things get better."
"Well, I don't know if I can help with the acting, but about the apartment-"
"What?"
"Well, if you ever want to, I don't know, stay a night away from the place...maybe give me a call."
"Well, stranger things have happened. No, wait, they really haven't." Cordelia got up, picked up her jacket and purse, and headed for the door. "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Angel, I'm taking off!"
Cordelia opened the door to her apartment. The key stuck, and, when she finally got it out, she scratched up her arm in the process.
"Ouch! Damn it!" Cordelia exclaimed.
She turned on the light. It flickered before it finally stayed on. She closed and locked the door and went to the kitchen sink to get a drink of water. She turned the knob. The water was a dingy brown and came shooting out of the faucet, splattering all over her white shirt.
Cordelia closed the water. "Yeah, well, of course."
She went to sit down on the couch and turned on the TV. There was a huge cockroach on the screen. Cordelia picked the phone up with a groan and dialed her landlord's number.
"Yeah?"
"Hello? Hi, this is Cordelia Chase from apartment 4B."
There were now three cockroaches crawling over the TV screen.
"I thought you were going to have the exterminator in here today?"
"He was there."
"Well, if he had, don't you think there would be-" Cordelia put her foot down and squashed a cockroach.
She looked down. The carpet was littered with dead bugs.
"Ah, oh, God! Ahh!" Cordelia slammed the phone down and picked up her address book. "Doyle, Doyle..."
She found his number, picked up the phone, and dialed. The phone started ringing.
After trying to get a hold of Doyle for ten minutes, Cordelia gave up, called a cab, packed a couple of bags and a suitcase full of clothes, and rode to the office. She took the elevator down to Angel's apartment. She exited the elevator, walked over to his bedroom, set the suitcase down, and knocked hard on the door repeatedly.
The door opened. Angel was standing there, all wet, a towel wrapped around his waist. Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" was playing on a phonograph.
Cordelia stepped into the bedroom, pushing the bags into Angel's hands, and walked past him.
"Oh, God, Angel! It's so terrible! Oh, my God." Cordelia turned around and held up her hands in front of her face. "Don't even look at me! I am such a mess. I am the lowest of the lowest." She gestured towards the open door. "And you're going to want to get my other suitcase out there in the hall."
Angel glanced out the open door, then back at her, still hunched around the bags in his arms. "What happened?"
"My apartment. It's like the barrio...or the projects or whatever, and I live there! I'm the girl from the projects!" Cordelia cried.
Angel almost dropped one of the bags. "What? I don't know about that."
"Get this. I tried to call Doyle. I have sunk that low. And there was no answer. So...here I am. Not that you're the last resort. It's just that I have nowhere else left to go."
Cordelia went to sit down on the bed while Angel put down one of her bags.
"Roaches. Live ones, dead ones. All skinny feet and creepy antlers."
"Antlers?"
"Oh, my God!" Cordelia suddenly exclaimed. "I wonder how many stowed away in that bag."
Angel looked down at the bag that he was holding.
"Also, the water is all brown and spurty - and not hot! I am dying for a shower."
Angel put down the other bag and held onto his towel with both hands.
"I...actually smell! Smell me. I never smell. I didn't know I could. I'm just going to have to stay here until I can find a decent place, however long that takes, and, when I do, you are completely invited over." Cordelia stood up. "Hey, you can just dump my stuff on the couch...or let me have the bed. Whatever you feel good about. Also, my suitcase is still out in the hall." She picked up one of her bags and headed for the bathroom. "Your shower is in here, right? You have mousse?" She thought about it. "Of course, you do." She walked into the bathroom and closed the door.
The next morning, at 10:00 AM, Cordelia was sitting at the kitchen table, wearing a white bathrobe, and looking at her reflection in a handheld mirror. She was combing her wet hair with her fingers.
Doyle came out of the elevator. "Angel, you around?"
Cordelia didn't look at him. "Hey, Doyle."
Angel walked into the kitchen, wearing boxers and a short open bathrobe.
"You ever get that feeling that you just can't shower enough? Like something's happened, and you're never going to get clean?" Cordelia asked.
"What?" Doyle asked.
"You got peanut butter on the bed."
"Really?" Cordelia didn't look at Angel. "I don't think so."
Angel showed her his hand.
"I'll look." Cordelia set down the mirror, stood up, and walked into the bedroom.
She closed the door, checked the bed, and got dressed in the clothes that she'd picked out earlier.
Cordelia opened the door and walked back into the kitchen. "Angel, at some point in the recent history, you got peanut butter on your bed, and it's gross. I think you're gonna have to change the sheets."
"I don't eat."
"Well, then I don't even want to know how it got there."
Angel stalked off towards the bedroom. Cordelia sat down at the table and began to brush out her hair.
"Hey, Cordy, you look great by the way."
"Thanks."
"Listen, I was wondering if anybody called lately? Maybe asking about me or maybe wanting my address?"
"Oh, yeah. Yesterday, your cousin called...with one of those names from your part of England."
"My part of England?"
"Conner or Fergus. Did he find you?"
Doyle sighed. "Yeah, he did, all right. But you see, a little...uh...warning might have been nice; give a fella a chance to neat the place up, you know?"
Cordelia stared at him. "Jeez, I just helped the guy as a favor to you." She stood up. "Maybe, next time, I won't bother."
"Well, it's not like you even have to pick up the phone. You just let your friend Aura hang there."
"Okay, here's an idea: how about you make me a list of people you're too good to talk to?"
Angel came back into the kitchen. "What going on?"
"Nothing, just-"
"You got a bruise on your hand."
Doyle looked at it. "Badminton."
Angel picked up a towel from the chair. "And the reason there is a wet towel on my leather chair?"
Cordelia gave him a big fake smile. Angel dropped it back down with a sigh and left the room.
Buffy and Tara were sitting in Professor Walsh's Psychology class.
"These are the things we want. Simple things. Comfort, sex, shelter, food. We always want them, and we want them all the time. The id doesn't learn; it doesn't grow up. It has the ego telling it what it can't have, and it has the superego telling it what it should want. But the id works solely out of the pleasure principle. It wants. Whatever social skills you've learned, however much we've evolved, the pleasure principle is at work in all of us. So...how does this conflict with the ego manifest itself in the psyche? What do we do when we can't have what we want?"
Buffy took notes. At the bottom, she wrote "Vampires: all id? No superego? What about ego? Talk to Sandy."
Cordelia was cutting up Angel's vinyl floor.
"What are you doing?" Doyle asked her.
"I just...I just wanted to see if he had hardwood floors under there, you know? I...I might be here a while!"
Doyle looked at some trophies on the mantel behind him. "Well, the things you learn! I had no idea Angel was Queen of the Winter Ball."
"Those are mine." Cordelia groaned as she kept working on the floor. "Tough stuff!"
"Hey, your high school diploma is all burned."
"Yeah, it was a rough ceremony." Cordelia got up. "Yup, there it is. My whole life...pre-here. Five trophies with some of the shiny worn off."
"It's good, though; you can look back. I never look back."
"Look back at what?" Cordelia asked him.
Angel came down the stairs, dressed now. "Doyle,...you down here? Oh, there you are. There's a big guy there to see you. I'll tell him you'll be right up."
"Oh, that's great."
Angel nodded and headed back up the stairs. Doyle ran out the back door.
Cordelia approached Angel's office, where he and Doyle were talking.
Angel sighed. "We all have problems. It's a matter of priorities. And at the moment, I've got a bigger one than you do."
"Bigger than a Kailiff demon?"
"Much. I'm thinking you can help me with mine, and maybe I can help you with yours."
"I don't know, man. I mean...what's your problem, exactly? Because you know, vampire business is-"
Cordelia cleared her throat. "Hi!" She smiled and waved. "I was just wondering if you had any linoleum glue...for if it started curling up all over."
Angel looked at her. "I'll be there in a minute."
Cordelia turned to go. "Okay."
Later in the day, outside, Buffy was sitting at a table with Tara and Sandy, studying and sharing a plate of fries.
Sandy nodded, chewing on a fry. "Mmm, yeah, definitely. I'm an id gal."
"Were you like this before you were vamped?" Buffy asked her, sucking a fry into her mouth.
"To an extent. Getting vamped blew it out of proportion."
"How do you deal with it?" Tara asked her, dragging her fry through ketchup.
Sandy shrugged. "It's a struggle. I try to think my choices through and make the most logical decisions, and those never involve killing."
"What if you get uncontrollable urges?" Buffy asked her.
Sandy picked up another fry and started dipping it. "I satiate myself in other ways. I eat. I drink. I masturbate."
Jenny walked up to them. "Hey."
Buffy looked at her. "Hey. What's up?"
"I'm the new bartender over at the pub."
"Why?" Buffy asked.
"I need the extra cash. My landlord jacked up my rent."
"And a university teaching position won't cover it?" Buffy asked.
Jenny shook her head. "Mm, I'm not a professor. I'm actually not getting paid much more than I did at Sunnydale High."
Buffy made a face. "That sucks."
"Wanna come hang out?" Jenny asked. "It seems like a fun place."
Buffy considered it. "Can I drink?"
"Not booze. At least, you can't order it yourself. However, if you just happen to get someone that's of age to buy it for you and bring it over to you, well, I might just be too distracted by the other patrons to notice." Jenny winked at her.
Buffy smiled. "I'm there."
"Tara? Sandy?" Jenny asked.
Tara looked at Jenny. "Sandy and I are actually going to the Bronze tonight. There's this new band playing that we wanna check out."
Sandy looked at Jenny and nodded. "They're called Shy. They're kind of a big deal in the indie rock scene. They make their own CDs and sell them, and they've gotten their songs played in clubs - even as far away as LA."
A guy was showing an apartment to Cordelia and Doyle.
Doyle looked at Cordelia. "You know, I wish you would just let me call my guy."
Cordelia was holding a newspaper. "I'm not going to get an apartment through 'some guy'. He probably judges the property value on how far the bus ride is to the track."
Doyle looked around. "Well, it can't get any worse than this, can it?"
"You can't tell anything from the hallway."
The landlord unlocked the door and opened it. The apartment was tiny and totally mildewy.
"Hey, you're right. You know what I smell in here? Potential."
Cordelia looked at Doyle. "The next one will be better."
A clean-cut guy led Cordelia and Doyle down some steps.
He pulled a curtain aside to reveal a toilet and sink. "It's like a community, you know? We share all the upkeep and chores."
Cordelia leaned close to Doyle. "Oh, my urination just hasn't been public enough lately."
"Oh, we don't believe in barriers. It's the first rule of the great leader. Uh, you can come to the meetings if you want. Every morning at 5:00."
Cordelia looked at the guy. "Okay, that's just a touch too early for me."
"Oh, you'll be up. The chanting starts at 4:00."
Cordelia was standing in the doorway of a nice apartment.
There was a big guy with a big gut standing next to her. "So...you're a single gal...going to be living here alone? Because I'm right across the hall, and you can sleep easy knowing that I'm the only other soul in the world with a key to that door." He smiled at her and tossed his keys in the air. "You just think about that while you look, okay?"
Cordelia looked at Doyle and took a deep breath. "Okay, just out of curiosity, you said you know a guy?"
"Finally. What is it with you and Angel? You got to do everything the hard way."
A lady in a suit was letting Cordelia and Doyle into a furnished apartment. It was spacious and had yellow walls.
"Oh, my God. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?" Cordelia asked Doyle.
"No, never."
Cordelia looked around. "It's perfect. Really, really, it's just...perfect." She looked in the bedroom. "It's amazing in there." She looked at the lady. "What's wrong with it?"
"There's nothing wrong with it. The previous tenant just broke their lease last week. I don't know how you even heard about it."
Cordelia smiled at Doyle.
"It's quite a bargain, and the furniture comes with. Do you think you want it?"
"I...I used to have this. I...I was..."
"I guess it's your lucky day."
"I used to have those, too."
Doyle looked at the lady. "She'll take it."
The lady walked away. "I'll fill out the rental forms."
Cordelia pointed at a wall. "First thing: hire someone to take out that wall."
"I thought you said it was perfect."
"Yes, and part of being perfect is that there being one tiny flaw for me to fix."
"Ah, must be why you find me so fascinating."
Cordelia laughed. "Oh, my God, I love my apartment. Your guy found the perfect place." She hugged Doyle. "I love your guy!"
"Yeah, well, it's a pretty good day's work for us, I think. I take care of your problem; Angel takes care of mine. All in all, things are pretty sweet."
Cordelia grabbed his arm and led him out. "Yes! And I can move right in."
That evening, at the pub, Jenny was bartending. Buffy walked in and saw Parker talking to a girl. She walked right into Riley, spilling his drink on him.
"Oooh. Riley, I'm so sorry."
"That's okay, you know, but most people go around. I'm not saying you can't go through me. It's just that the other is much quicker."
"In my defense, you do take up a lot of space."
"I do. I'm..." Riley paused. "You looking for someone?"
"Um, I just saw Parker over there."
"Right. Parker and his latest conquest. You know, that boy should have-"
"He's kinda a girl chaser, huh?"
"Sets 'em up and knocks 'em down. I guess maybe I'm old-fashioned, but my father says that, if you wanna be a gentleman, you...don't even care what my father says."
Buffy was ignoring him, focusing on the girl. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Forget about it. You know, I've got some people waiting. I'll see you in class, right?" Riley left.
Buffy saw Parker and the girl making out and walked over to them.
"Bad idea."
Parker broke the kiss and looked at Buffy. "Hey, mind your own business, dyke."
Buffy ignored him and looked at the girl. "He's a pick-up artist. He'll use you for sex and move on."
Buffy went and sat alone at the bar.
Jenny saw her and walked over. "You're not allowed to be at the bar."
Buffy sighed and started to get up.
"No, stay." Jenny got a glass mug and poured beer into it from a tap. She set it in front of Buffy. "House blend...on the house. It's called Black Frost."
"Thanks." Buffy picked up the mug and took a sip. "Mmm, toasted. Not bad."
"You okay?" Jenny asked her.
Buffy hesitated.
"Wanna tell me about it?"
"It's just...Parker's problem with intimacy turns out to be that he can't get enough of it."
Jenny nodded. "Oh, yeah, I know."
Buffy raised an eyebrow.
Jenny shrugged. "He tried picking me up."
"If he was tied and gagged and left in a cave that vampires happen to frequent, it wouldn't really be like I killed him, really."
Jenny stared at her. "Buffy-"
"I'm kidding...kinda." Buffy smiled and sipped her beer.
At the Bronze, Sandy was walking through the crowd with two drinks in her hands. Tara was sitting at a table. Sandy arrived at the table and set the drinks down.
Tara smiled. "Thanks."
"Uh-huh." Sandy sat down.
They looked at the stage, where the band Shy started performing. The lead singer, a young woman with short blonde hair, started singing. Sandy was entranced, and Tara noticed. It seemed like the woman was singing right to Sandy.
"Do you know her?" Tara asked.
Sandy had a hint of recognition. "No...but I think I saw her and the rest of the band walking outside a few weeks ago, back when you asked me to keep an eye on Buffy. I've never heard them play."
Things got more intense. Sandy was mesmerized by her. Tara thought she sounded okay.
At the pub, Buffy was chugging a beer. She had gotten the attention of some college guys and joined them at a table, so they could buy her beer, and Jenny wouldn't get in trouble.
"Chug, chug, chug, chug!" they cheered.
Buffy finished the beer and burped. Jenny eyed her while wiping down the bar.
"The thing that the modern-day man has failed to realize is that all the socioeconomical and psychological problems inherent in modern society can be solved by the judicious application of way too much beer."
"Black Frost is the only beer."
Buffy could barely follow the conversation. "My mother always said that beer was evil."
"Evil. Good. These are moral absolutes that predate the absolution of malt and fine hops. You see..." The guy paused. "Wait, where was I?"
Buffy shook her head. "I'm really not sure."
"Well, Thomas Aquinas and-"
"No!" the other guys shouted.
"There will be no Thomas Aquinas at this table."
"Keep your theology of providence to yourself, frat boy."
"I was just drawing a parallel between-"
"Beer. Had the earliest morality developed under the influence of beer, there would be no good or evil. There would just be kinda nice and pretty cool. Everything would be different."
"You guys really like to hear yourselves speak, don't ya?" Buffy asked them.
"All right we're losing her, guys."
"Say something interesting."
"Tell us about yourself."
"Yeah, what do you like?"
Buffy held up her empty mug. "Well, I don't hate this for a start."
That night, in Cordelia's new apartment, she was sleeping in her bed. Suddenly, "You Always Hurt the Ones You Love" by the Mills Brothers started playing on her radio, waking Cordelia up. Some of the drawers on her dresser opened and closed.
"What do you think you're doing here?" a voice whispered. "You never should have come."
A drawer slammed shut.
Cordelia sat up in her bed, scared. She turned off the radio and tried to turn on the lamp beside her bed. It didn't work. She reached for the glass of water on her night stand, and it began to boil. Her bed was beginning to levitate.
"I just knew this was too good to be true. I just knew it! I'm from Sunnydale; you're not scaring me, you know. No. You're not scaring me. You're not scaring me. Not one bit."
In the morning, Cordelia was still sitting up in her floating bed, rocking back and forth, hugging a pillow. Suddenly, the bed dropped to the floor.
In Buffy and Tara's dorm room, Tara walked out of the bathroom, naked. "Buff, have you heard of a girl named Veruca? Dresses like Faith, in a band."
Buffy was sitting by their small television, naked, watching Britney Spears' "(You Drive Me) Crazy" music video on MTV. "TV is a good thing. Bright colors. Music. Tiny little people."
"Are you okay?" Tara asked her.
"I'm suffering the afterness of a bad night of...badness."
"Do you wanna talk about it?"
"I went to see Jenny at the pub. Then came beer. Lots and lots of beer. It's nice. Foamy. Comforting. It's just beer."
Tara wasn't sure how to handle it. "Cool, cool. Are you up for going to class?"
"Okay." Buffy got up to leave the dorm room, naked.
Tara stopped her. "Uh, getting dressed is mandatory. They kinda frown on nudity in class."
Buffy pouted. "Naked is nice."
Tara nodded. "Yes, naked is very nice, but in here, not out there."
After Cordelia got dressed, she looked at herself in the mirror. "Bright, shiny morning. Nothing bad here."
Cordelia stepped into the living room and pulled a chair out from the wall. The chair slid back. Cordelia pulled it out further, and this time the chair smashed back into the wall, and one of its legs broke. Cordelia backed away from it, and the curtain cord wrapped itself around her arm.
Cordelia jumped away with a scream. "You know what? I get it. You're a ghost. You're dead. Big accomplishment! Move on! You see a light anywhere? Go towards it, okay?"
Wind started to blow paper scraps in Cordelia's face.
"Ooh, cold wind, scary! What are you going to do? Chap me to death? What else have you got?"
There was a knock on the door, and Cordelia jumped.
"Cordelia, are you in there?" Angel asked from outside.
Cordelia stared at the door.
"Cordelia!"
Cordelia went and hesitantly unlocked and opened the door. Doyle and Angel were standing outside.
Angel held up a small potted cactus. "Cactus...housewarming present."
"Oh, hi. Thanks." Cordelia took it.
Doyle tried to come in.
Cordelia stopped him. "Look, I'm still getting it just the way I want. Maybe in a day or two, okay?"
Doyle pushed past her. "Place looks great. You worry too much." He saw the broken chair. "Don't know what you had against that chair, though."
Cordy looked at Angel still standing outside the door. "Oh, that's right, you can't come in."
Angel stepped inside.
"Wait! What about the rule?" Cordelia asked, surprised.
"You said, when you got a place, I was completely invited over."
"What?" Cordelia asked. "I didn't even have a place then. These rules are getting all fucked up."
She saw Doyle pull on the curtain cord.
"Oh, my God, don't touch that!" Cordelia yelled.
Doyle pulled the curtain closed. "I'm just closing these, so our boss doesn't burst into flames, if that's all right with you."
"Yeah, I guess."
Angel looked around the apartment. "This is nice. How about a tour?"
Cordelia pointed as she talked. "Uh-huh, this is the kitchen, living room. I'm going to knock out that wall. And that's about it. Oh, and thanks for the cactus."
A pair of scissors flew into the air behind Angel's back, and Cordelia caught it before anyone else noticed.
Angel looked around. "I can't believe you can afford this."
Cordelia set the cactus down on a little table and opened the drawer to drop the scissors in. Suddenly, the top of it bulged up in the shape of a face for a moment. Cordelia slammed the drawer shut. Angel and Doyle turned at the sound.
"I bet you two want lunch. There is this place down the street-"
One of the trophies on the mantel behind the guys flew at Doyle's neck, and Angel caught it.
"That thing's been doing that all morning. I think the...mantel is uneven."
"That thing lunged at me!" Doyle yelled.
Angel looked around. "What's going on?"
"Okay, you're right. It's not the mantel. It's a very, very bad trophy."
There was a moaning sound, and the word "Die" appeared on the wall behind Cordelia - as if blood was soaking through from the inside.
Doyle stared at it. "Dear sweet-"
Angel motioned for Cordelia to come over to them. "Come on."
"I am not giving up this apartment!" Cordelia vowed.
"It's haunted."
"It's rent-controlled!" Cordelia yelled.
Doyle gestured at the writing. "Cordy, it says 'die'!"
"Hey, maybe it's not done. Maybe it's 'diet'. That's friendly. A little judgmental, sure." Cordelia looked at Angel. "I'm not giving it up. It's perfect and beautiful. It's so me. I need it!"
Angel tried to lead her out. "You don't need this. It's just a place. You're more than that."
"How? How am I more than that?"
Doyle followed them. "We can cleanse it. Well, we can try, can we? Put the ghost to rest?"
"Can we?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"We can try. But we have to go now. We'll figure it out at the office."
"Okay."
The guys tried to push her out the door.
Cordelia turned to look into the apartment. "Listen good, Casper, you haven't won a thing here! I'll die before I give up the apartment, you hear me? I'll die!"
Angel and Doyle got her out and shut the door.
Later, in Psychology class, Professor Walsh was concluding a lecture. "Next class, we'll be moving on to personality types and disorders. For those of you who have done the reading, you already know-"
Buffy raised her hand.
"Yes?"
Buffy pointed at Tara. "She read the reading."
"Well, she'll have some time on her hands. As I was saying, we won't be able to cover it all in the class, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth knowing, and it doesn't mean it won't be on the midterm. Now, if I've been unclear in any way, speak now."
No one said anything.
"Good. Now, before you go, make sure you get the complete worksheet from the TA. Hand them to me at the start of the class on Monday."
Buffy saw a girl in the row in front of her eating a sandwich, and she grabbed it out of her hands and started to eat it.
"Buffy! Buffy, are you okay?" Tara asked, shocked and worried.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Buffy asked with her mouth full.
At the office, Doyle was on the computer. "Lots of stuff here about the building. Construction bids, city inspections."
Angel looked at the screen. "Tenants. We need people who lived there."
Cordelia poured some coffee. "And died there. That's the ingredients for ghosts, right?"
"Yeah, yeah. This isn't easy, you know?" Doyle asked.
Angel went to stand beside Cordelia. "You know, this really is just a place to live."
"No, it's more. It's beautiful,...and, if it goes away, it's like..."
"Like what?"
"Like I'm still getting punished."
"Punished."
Cordelia nodded.
"For what?"
"I don't know. For what I was? For everything I said in high school just because I could get away with it? And then it all ended, and I had to pay..." Cordelia brightened. "Oh, but this apartment... I could be me again. Punishment over; welcome back to your life! Like...Like I couldn't be that awful, if I get to have a place like that? It's just like you!"
Angel nodded. "Working for redemption."
Cordelia frowned, confused. "I...I meant because you used to have that mansion."
"Hey, I found something! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a death."
Cordelia and Angel walked over to Doyle.
"First person to ever live in your place...Mrs. Maude Pearson."
"How did you get that?" Angel asked.
"Name carved over the entrance of the building...Pearson Arms. I checked the obits for Pearson; we got lucky. Turns out Maude Pearson built the place and took a unit there, too. And in 1946, she dropped dead of a heart attack in Cordelia's living room...at age...fifty-seven."
"That's it!" Cordelia exclaimed. "That's her."
Angel looked at her. "I don't know. It's not a violent death. I mean...ghosts usually-"
"It's her; I know it. That place has that weird little-old-lady smell,...like...like violets and Aspercreme."
Doyle shook his head. "No, they didn't find the body for three weeks. So it wasn't violets there at the end, I'm thinking."
"This is easy. Little old lady ghost, probably hanging around because she thinks she left the iron on. Let's get a nice cleansing spell and do this thing!" Cordelia declared.
Angel shook his head. "Well, this is not an easy spell. I mean...hawthorn berries and lungwort and bile. We need bile. I don't know if we can get everything."
Doyle stood up. "I can. I know this guy in Koreatown; he does these spells all the time. I can get the stuff from him."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Oh, goody! Another one of Doyle's guys. Tell me, is this the same guy that helped me find my poltergeist-delicious apartment?"
"Doyle, go! Get what you need."
Doyle left.
Angel looked at Cordelia. "I'm gonna try and get some more information. Maybe Kate can find something. You wait here."
Cordelia sighed. "Little old lady ghost. How come Patrick Swayze is never dead when you need him?"
At the pub that night, Buffy was sitting with the guys and watching one of them pour beer into her glass mug.
Buffy was smiling in delight. "This good. Ooh, good enough."
"Still, more is good."
"Yeah. Foamy."
"You should come to our class on big thinking. It's good."
They all laughed.
"I like girls."
Buffy laughed. "You stupid."
"No, you stupid."
"Smelly head."
One guy pushed another guy over. They all laughed. At the bar, Jenny looked on, concerned.
In the office of Angel Investigations, the phone rang. Cordelia let the answering machine pick it up.
"Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless. If that's you, leave a message."
"Cordelia, are you there? Look, I think we can end this whole thing."
Cordelia picked up the phone. "I'm here. About time you called. You got something?"
"Meet me at the apartment, and we'll figure out what to do."
"Okay." Cordelia hung up the phone and left the office.
At the pub, everyone was gone but the group that Buffy was with.
"Stupid."
"No, you stupid."
Buffy shoved two of the guys. "No, you."
They all laughed.
Jenny put some music on the jukebox.
Buffy shoved a guy. "You."
They all laughed.
"Hey!" Buffy stood up and ran over to Jenny, confused. She banged on the jukebox and laughed. "Thing. Like it."
Jenny looked at Buffy, worried. "It's time to go home, Buffy. Hang out here for just a bit. I'll finished cleaning up, and then I'll walk you."
"Want more singing. Want more beer."
"No, I've cut you off."
"Did it hurt?" Buffy asked her.
"Okay, that's it, c'mon." Jenny took her by the arm and started leading her to the door.
Buffy struggled for a moment. Finally, she walked to the door with her. "Ow, oh, want beer. Like beer. Beer good."
"Beer bad. Bad, bad beer. What the fuck am I saying?" Jenny asked herself. "Buffy, I'm taking you home, and you're going to bed."
"You pretty. Fuck Buffy?" Buffy asked her, grinning.
"Tara's you're girlfriend. Ta-ra."
They left the pub.
Jenny returned to the pub. The guys were getting more apelike.
Jenny walked over to clean the table and get paid for the drinks. "All right, time to pay up and go home, guys."
They threw money at her. One guy left to go to the washroom. Jenny continued cleaning and picked up a wad of cash from the table. She heard banging in the washroom.
"Hey, are you all right in there?" Jenny called.
The guy burst out of the washroom. He had become a Neanderthal. He conked Jenny over the head with a club. She fell to the floor but remained conscious.
The Neanderthal guy got on top of her and started sniffing her. Jenny kicked him in the nuts and then landed an uppercut to his chin. He groaned in pain, and she got off him and to her feet. The three other frat guys were afraid and backed away.
"Oh, God."
"Let's get outta here!"
The Neanderthal frat guy yelled in Jenny's face, and Jenny screamed back primally. The other frat guys began to devolve into Neanderthals as well. They backed her into a corner. Jenny pulled out her Zippo lighter and lit it. The Neanderthals were all afraid of the fire and backed away.
"Fire bad."
"Fire pretty."
"Fire angry!" Jenny yelled.
They all ran away and out the door in fear.
Jenny closed the door behind them. "Jack! Jack! We've got a problem."
Her boss came out of the back room, carrying a case of Black Frost beer.
"The guys, they..." Jenny paused. "They're..." She paused again, considered for a moment, and shrugged. "Some of the patrons are turning into cavemen."
"They've had it comin'." Jack put the case on the counter. "You know, I've been taking abuse from snot-nosed kids for twenty years. They're always coming in here with their snotty attitude, drinking their fruity little microbrews and spouting out some philosophy like it means a damn thing. Thinking they're different than us."
"They are now."
"They ain't. That's the great thing about beer. It makes all men the same."
"Why are we talking about beer? The guys are..." Jenny paused in realization. "The beer."
Jack grinned. "Neat, huh? My brother-in-law's a warlock. He showed me how to do it."
"Your brother-in-law wouldn't happen to be named Ethan Rayne, would he?" Jenny asked.
"Yeah. You know him?" Jack asked.
Jenny rolled her eyes. "This plot stinks of him. Uh, how much beer would you say a person would need to consume before they start seriously questing for fire?"
"Relax. It will wear off in a day or so."
"In a day or so, someone is going to get killed." Jenny headed for the door.
At the police station, Kate was sipping a cup of coffee in front of the computer. "I wish I could be more help."
Angel was pacing. "It's okay. Just knowing the kind of things that didn't happen is a help. You know, eliminating the possibilities."
"Now you're talking like a detective."
"I am a detective."
"Well, you see, the thing about detectives is that they have resumes and business licenses and last names. Pop stars and popes, those are the one-name guys."
"You got me. I'm a pope."
Kate laughed, then got up as a guy came by to hand her a folder.
"Here you go."
Kate looked at the folder. "Davis, you are beautiful! Thank you."
Davis left.
Kate sat back down. "Let's take a look."
"Jeez, I wasn't sure you had records that old."
"Neither was I. Let's see. Maude Pearson. There was an investigation into the death. Okay, this guy, Detective Randall, he thought the death was suspicious. The M.E. called it a heart attack, but it seems there were problems with the son. He was...Dennis Pearson. He lived with her. They argued a lot."
"What about?"
"A girl. His fiancée. His mom didn't like her. And Dennis skips town with her the day that mom drops dead. What a coincidence. The cops never caught him."
"Unavenged murder."
"Sounds like."
"There haven't been any deaths in the same apartment since then."
"You saw me check. No murders, not even domestic dispute calls."
"Not murders. Suicides."
Kate stared at him.
"There's a kind of...the kind of killer that does that."
"Makes it look like a suicide." After a moment, Kate turned back to her computer and started to type. "You know there are always signs."
Angel leaned over her shoulder and pointed at the screen. "There."
"Margo Dressner...1959...and Jenny Kim, 1965. Natalie Davis, five years ago. All in the same apartment. This doesn't make sense."
"I gotta make a call."
Jenny and Tara walked through the halls of Buffy's dorm.
"How is she?" Jenny asked.
"Well, she seemed asleep by the time that I left for the library." Tara unlocked and opened the door to their room.
They saw Buffy in her room, naked, drawing cave pictures on the walls. She looked at them with a wild look.
Tara looked at the brown drawings. "Where'd she get brown markers?"
Jenny sniffed. "Who says it's markers?"
Tara frowned in horror.
Buffy climbed on a chair, rode around on it, and then fell on the floor. She went to the TV. "Want people. Where people go?"
Tara walked over to her. "The TV is off."
"Want!" Buffy hit the TV. "Want people."
Jenny looked at Tara. "She doesn't appear to be in any danger. Maybe you should stay with her."
Buffy sniffed Tara. "Girl smells nice." She grabbed her and sniffed her.
"I think I need to track down the fun boys somewhat pronto. Jack said the effects of the beer would wear off-"
"Beer?" Buffy looked at Jenny, a primal look in her eyes. "Buffy want beer."
"You can't have beer."
Buffy gave Jenny an evil look. "Want...beer."
Tara looked at Jenny. "Jenny, don't make Cave Slayer unhappy."
Buffy faked a punch at Jenny. "Buffy strong."
"Yes, Buffy strong."
"Buffy get beer."
"Buffy get-"
Buffy tackled her, pushed Tara out of the way, and ran out of the room.
"Jenny!" Tara yelled.
Jenny got to her feet. "I'm fine. Just get her."
"Which way?"
Jenny pointed in one direction. "Um, check down there. We have to find her before someone gets hurt."
Tara started running. "Amy and Harmony picked a hell of a night to go out clubbing!"
She ran downstairs and outside.
Tara looked around and ran across campus. "Buffy! Buffy!" She spotted her and approached her.
Buffy was confused but didn't back away.
"Buffy, sweetie-"
Buffy jumped away from her.
"Sweetie, I wanna help you. Is there any part of Buffy still in there?" Tara asked.
Buffy started to sniff. They turned and saw smoke coming from the pub.
"Shit!" Tara yelled.
"Fire bad!" Buffy ran towards the pub.
Tara followed her.
Buffy broke in by kicking in the front door but couldn't get through the flames. She saw a fire extinguisher and got it but was too far gone to know what to do with it, so she just threw it into the fire. Then she saw the Neanderthals and some girls gathered in a corner, and something clicked inside. She jumped over the flames and to them.
Tara ran inside, trying to freeze out the fire with some magic. "Buffy?!" She ran back outside, because there was too much smoke. "Where the hell is Jenny?"
"Bad. Bad." Buffy saw windows. She jumped up and worked her way across some pipes until she could bust the window open.
The Neanderthals took the cue and started knocking things over, so they could make a stairway to the window. They all ran out, and the girls followed them. Jenny and Tara helped the girls outside.
Buffy saw Parker. He was awake and coughing. He didn't see Buffy, who was looking at a big stick with a lot of interest.
"Oh, God. Help me. I can't breathe." He saw her. "Buffy. Oh, God, what do we do?"
Buffy clubbed him over the head with the stick. She grabbed his arm and dragged him up the makeshift stairway. She shoved him out the window. Neither Jenny nor Tara made any great attempt to catch him. Buffy climbed out after him and jumped to the ground.
Cordelia unlocked the door to her apartment and opened it. She walked inside and looked around the dark and empty apartment.
"Cordelia, I'm in the bedroom."
Cordelia stepped into the bedroom. "Angel?" She turned around and jumped back from the specter of Maude Pearson.
"You got my call."
Cordelia ran out of the bedroom and to the door. The apartment door wouldn't open. She flew backwards through the air. As she picked herself up, Maude was standing there.
"Poor thing. You just don't fit in around here, do you? Too bad you wouldn't leave my son alone."
"Your...Your son?" Cordelia asked, confused. "Whoever you think you're talking to, it's not me. My name is Cordelia."
"Oh, that's the name of a cheap small-town tramp trying to sound better than she is. You're not good enough for my boy. This will never be your home."
"This is my home. My friends will come here."
"You don't have any friends. Why would anybody care about you? Nobody really cares. You don't deserve to live here. You don't deserve anything."
"I will leave. Please."
"Oh, I don't think so."
A chandelier crashed to the floor behind Cordelia.
"You're worthless." Maude pushed Cordelia back. "You've never been kind."
A cable snaked out from where the chandelier used to hang and snaked around Cordelia's neck.
"You've never been smart. You're a user."
The cord went back up into the ceiling, pulling Cordelia up with it.
"You're nothing. Everyone would be glad if you were dead."
Cordelia tried to keep the cord from choking her. "No."
"Oh, come on. If anyone really cared about you, would you be here? People let you end up here, because they were happy to see you fail."
Cordelia went limp, and Maude disappeared. The door was broken open, and Angel and Doyle charged in. Angel lifted her up, and Doyle got the noose off her neck. Angel laid her on the sofa as she began to cough.
Cordelia was panting. "The furniture and...and the wall and the blood, she's doing it...she is doing it all. She'll be back. She's stronger than us. She knows me."
"We can stop her."
Cordelia started crying. "No, no, we can't stop her."
"She's made a connection with you, right? She thinks you're someone,...someone she blames for her murder. Cordelia, answer me."
"I...I'm...I'm taking her son away. She thinks I'm taking her son."
"That's good. Her son was the one that killed her. All right, you're playing a role in her delusion; that gives you power. You're the one that can stop her." Angel looked at Doyle. "Start the binding circle; I'll find the spell."
Cordelia kept crying while Doyle laid out a circle with the stuff from the box. There was paper and stuff flying around as Angel flipped through an old book.
"Bring the truth into the light. Let the villain be revealed that a soul can take its rightful place for eternity."
Bigger stuff started to fly around.
"Here she comes. She knows what we're doing."
"We need Cordelia now."
"Cordy, get up!" Doyle yelled.
"Adduce veritatum in lucem. Accipitat laura suam requiatam reposcant anima suum regnum. Cordelia, stand in the circle and strike at its center."
"What?" Cordelia asked, sobbing.
Angel grabbed her by the shoulder. "Damn it. Do you know what it means? The ghost is in contact with you; she's given you that."
"They don't care about you. They want you to fail. They know you're a tarted-up little whore."
Angel handed the book to Doyle without looking away from Cordelia. "Doyle, chant."
Doyle took the book. "Oh, man, Latin. One of those dead languages you always mean to learn."
"V sounds like W; say each vowel separately." Angel grabbed Cordelia and shook her. "You do know what to do. You can stop all this. Do it."
Cordelia pushed him away, crying. "I can't."
"Look at you. Are you gonna let her do this to you?" Angel grabbed her again. "Damn it. You're Cordelia Chase. Are you just going to lie there like a weakling? Get off your ass and be tough!"
"I can't! I can't!" Cordelia cried, sobbing.
"You're the biggest pain I have ever seen. Do it now!"
Cordelia kept crying.
Angel looked around. "This isn't going to work."
"And it's getting dodgy in here."
"We've got to get her out of here. This isn't safe. Now. Let's go."
Angel and Doyle grabbed Cordelia and headed for the door.
The door opened, and there were a human and two Kailiff demons pointing guns at them.
"No one's going anywhere."
The three moved into the apartment.
The human looked at the destruction. "What's going on?"
Angel looked at one of the demons. "You were going to let him pay."
"I lied."
Maude appeared behind the three thugs. "No more people!"
"What is this?" the human asked.
The head demon never took his eyes off Angel. "Ignore her. It's just a ghost."
"Get out!" Maude yelled.
Light bulbs were blowing up everywhere; stuff was flying through the air. Doyle pulled Cordelia out of the way as the human shot at Maude. The bullet went through her and broke a tile surrounding the fireplace.
"You broke it!" Maude yelled.
Angel started to fight the head demon as the human turned and ran. The other demon pulled Doyle up and threatened him with his gun.
"Look, I'll pay. Really! I've got a fin in my wallet right here."
"This is my house!" Maude yelled.
The kitchen drawer opened, and the butcher knives started to hover. Angel punched the head demon, and he went down.
Angel looked over and saw the knives. "Knives!"
Doyle ducked, and the knives buried themselves in the other demon's front. Cordelia was cowering against a wall. The head demon got back up and threw Angel over the sofa. Cordelia went flying backwards into the bedroom. The door slammed shut on her.
Cordelia was crying. "I'll leave. I'm sorry your son killed you. You can have the apartment. Just let me go."
"It's too late for that."
"No."
"You know what happens next. Your friends are dirty. They ruined my nice home. I knew you were trouble right from the start."
Cordelia dropped to the floor and sobbed.
"I'm surprised that my son didn't smell the stench of poverty and failure on you. I can."
"I'm sorry."
"You better be sorry, you stupid little bitch."
Cordelia stopped crying and looked slowly up at Maude. "I'm a bitch."
"Take off the bed sheets; make a noose. Go on. It'll all be over soon."
Cordelia got slowly up and looked Maude in the eye. "I'm not a sniveling, whiny little crybaby. I'm the nastiest girl in Sunnydale history. I take shit from no one."
"You are going to make yourself a noose and put it around-"
"Back off! Poligrip. You think you're bad? Being all mean and haunty? Picking on poor, pathetic Cordy?" Cordelia asked her. "Well, get ready to haul your wrinkly translucent ass out of this place, because, lady, the bitch is back."
"Do you think that I'm going to take that from trash like you?"
"I tell you what I think. I think that you're going to pack your little ghost bags and get the hell out of my house!" Cordelia screamed.
There was a flash, and Maude got thrown backwards through the wall. All of the stuff flying through the air suddenly fell down. In the resulting quiet, Cordelia opened the door and walked out of the bedroom.
"What happened? You did it!" Doyle exclaimed.
Cordelia shrugged. "Yeah, well, she pissed me off."
Angel looked at her. "Or maybe you found her center."
Cordelia suddenly felt a presence within her. She looked up, a woman possessed.
"Cordy? What's wrong?" Doyle asked.
Cordelia picked up a metal lampstand and began to demolish the wall that she had been wanting to take out all along.
"Cordelia!" Angel yelled.
Cordelia kept hitting at it and finally managed to make a hole that revealed a skeleton bound with ropes. Maude screamed.
Cordelia was suddenly provided with a vision of the past. Maude was bricking up her son Dennis in the wall. The radio was playing "You Always Hurt the Ones You Love" by the Mills Brothers.
"Look what you're making me do, Dennis."
"Mom, stop it."
"How are you going to leave now, huh? How are you going to marry that streetwalker now. You are a nothing without me."
"Mom, don't do this. Please. This is crazy."
After Maude bricked him up, she put the plaster finish on.
"Oh, God. Mom, I can't breathe. Please. Mom, let me out. Please, Mom. I'll be good. I promise. I won't leave. Mom, please let me out. I can't breathe. Let me out!"
Maude hung a picture on the finished wall. "This hurts me more than it hurts you. Goodbye, Dennis." Maude gasped and collapsed with a heart attack.
Maude's ghost stared at the skeleton of her son. A white light oozed out of the skeleton.
Doyle stared at it. "Dennis, I presume, and probably not too happy with his mom."
"Dennis, it was for your own good. I had to do it. She would have made your life miserable. I'm sorry!"
The white light coalesced and headed for her.
"Please! Please!"
There was a great gust of wind, and the white light obliterated Maude's specter. Then there was silence.
Angel walked up behind Cordelia and put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"
Cordelia took a moment to compose herself. "I knew I didn't like that wall!"
Later, outside the pub, Jenny stood beside a bench where Tara sat, and Buffy hovered over her protectively. Jenny had found a towel for Buffy to wrap herself in and pinned it closed, but it was a struggle to keep Buffy from removing it.
"Did you guys have enough fun for one night?" Jenny teased.
Tara nodded. "Yes. Please."
"Buffy tired."
Tara looked over at a police van. "Anyways, I think that the boys in the van are contained for the time being."
Buffy walked up to the van and saw the Neanderthals inside. She banged on the windows, getting their attention.
Parker walked up to her, alive and well. "Buffy. Buffy, I-I dunno how to say this. I'm sorry for how I treated you before. It was wrong of me, and I'm sorry. You were great tonight, really. I might not deserve this, but do you think that you could forgive me?"
Buffy whacked him with the club again and knocked him out. Jenny and Tara gathered around and looked at him. Buffy walked back towards the van, but Tara guided her away.
Cordelia was ensconced on the sofa in her new apartment, holding her phone's handset to her ear. "God, Aura. I can't believe I missed your calls! It's that incompetent girl at work. But things are going great."
"Oh? Like what?" Aura asked.
"Well, my new apartment for one thing. Celebrities are practically on top of me. Oh, Steve Paymer - that's Dave Paymer's brother - lives right down the hall."
"Who?"
"Oh, you'd know him if you saw him. And my view, it's amazing!"
"Are you living with anyone?"
"Yeah, I have a roommate, but it's cool; I never see him."
Her can of root beer slid away from her on the table.
Cordelia put her hand over the receiver. "Hey, hey...Phantom Dennis, put that back."
The can slid back to her.
Cordelia removed her hand from the receiver. "All in all, it's working out great."
The TV turned on.
Cordelia covered up the receiver again. "Dennis, when I'm on the phone, that's quiet time."
The TV turned off.
"Thanks." Cordelia took her hand off the receiver. "Sorry. So where were we? Tell me who's wearing what in Sunnydale."
"Well, I can tell you who's not wearing anything. Tonight, I saw Buffy running around naked on the UC Sunnydale campus."
"No! Well, she never did have any taste." Cordelia laughed. "She is so nasty."
Chapter 86: Sense & Sensitivity
Chapter Text
"Sense & Sensitivity"
Based on the Angel Episode Written by Tim Minear
Author's note: If you're wondering where Buffy and the Slayerettes are, they've got the week off. See, the episode "Wild at Heart" aired in this spot, and I actually was adapting it for use here (although it would have been very different), but, late in the process, I realized the episode aired nowhere near a full moon. In fact, it aired two nights after a new moon. So I excised the material and will save the story for later. Kate, Cordelia, her brooding ex-boyfriend, and their drunken Irish friend get the spotlight this time.
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
In downtown L.A., late at night, Kate was chasing a guy dressed in a black leather jacket and carrying a duffel bag. He made it to a parked car. As he opened the driver-side door, she kicked him in the back from behind and slammed him against the open door. He fell on the ground.
Kate stood over him. "Gosh, Spivey, sorry. I guess I just have trouble expressing myself verbally. I've been struggling with that."
He tried to get up, and she kicked him again.
"You stood me up. You were going to come to the station and answer a few questions for me, remember?"
"I forgot?"
Kate grabbed him and slammed him down on the trunk of the car. "Not something a girl likes to hear. I think we'll just skip the informal invitation and do the more formal thing." She cuffed him. "You have the right to remain silent...but I wouldn't recommend it."
Later, in an interrogation room at the police station, Kate was questioning Spivey. "Look at the pictures."
"I looked at the pictures."
"What's in the pictures?"
"Me and Little Tony Papazian. I don't know where he is. Look, how long are we going to do this?"
"So you haven't seen him since the day this picture was taken?"
Spivey sniffed and looked away.
"The day County Supervisor Caffrey...was found murdered?"
"I heard it was a suicide."
"Supervisor Caffrey shot himself-"
"It happens-"
"-in the back of his head? He wrapped himself in plastic, and he locked himself into the back of his car?" Kate finished.
"He'd been depressed."
"Where is Little Tony?"
"Burbank, Stockholm, the Planet Mongol. I have no idea where he is! I'm losing patience with this shit."
"I'm not. I'm just getting started. I had a big breakfast. I could do this all day."
Spivey got up. "Fine, you want to play all day? Play with yourself! You charge me or get me gone, because I'm telling you nothing."
"Look at the pictures."
"Bite me."
Kate grabbed him by the throat and slammed him up against the wall. "Where is he?"
The guys from the other room charged in and pulled Kate off him. Spivey held his throat, coughing, while Kate walked out of the room.
Kate put her hands on a banister. Detective Alex Harlan leaned against it, beside her.
"Sorry."
"Yeah, well, we should have gotten you out of there hours ago."
"He's not gonna talk."
"Then Little Tony is good as gone. We can't find him, and I don't know anyone who can."
In the sewers, Cordelia and Doyle ran up to Angel, who was defending himself against some snake-like appendages with mouths at their ends that kept attacking him from above with a piece of pipe.
"It's about time."
Doyle pulled a sword out of the bag that he was carrying and tossed it to Angel. "Not a lot of enchanted swordsmiths open at this time of night."
Angel sliced off one of the tentacles reaching for him, then sliced into the belly of the thing, visible through a hole in the ceiling above him. Some clear green liquid splattered down.
"Make sure you cut up all the limbs and both of its heads this time. Remember to bury the parts separately." Angel tossed the sword back to Doyle as he started to walk off. "I don't want this thing coming back to life again."
"That's it?" Cordelia asked, incredulous.
"I'm gonna go clean out the nest. I'll see you back at the office."
Cordelia watched him walk around a corner. "Okay, am I wrong in thinking that a 'Please' and 'Thank you' is generally considered good form when requesting a dismemberment?"
"I think he appreciates us...in his own...unappreciative way."
Cordelia got a knife out of the bag. "You want to know what I think? I think he uses his tortured-creature-of-the-night status as a license to be rude and insensitive!" She began to slice up the monster. "Sure, he is polite to the helpless and the downtrodden, but he ignores the people that are the closest to him. The people that matter the most, you know? Can you say clueless?"
Cordelia and Doyle walked into the office of Angel Investigations as the sun was rising, tired and covered with green gunk.
"Do you think that tentacle spew comes out with dry cleaning?" Cordelia asked Doyle.
Angel came out of his office, looking down at some papers that he was carrying. "Ah, good, you're back. Cordelia, you need to-"
"No! Cordelia yelled.
Angel looked at her.
"I don't care what horrible thing is about to happen." Cordelia sat down at her desk and started flipping through a magazine. "Asteroids are hurtling towards Earth. Unspeakable evil is rising in the San Fernando Valley. Jar Jar is getting his own talk show. Whatever. I don't want to hear about it. Not until you ask us how it went."
"Call your mother back. She phoned saying she'd like to speak with you. And what are you talking about?" Angel asked her.
"You do remember leaving us in the sewer with a giant calamari?" Cordelia asked him.
"Yeah, and you're both here. So I assume it went okay, right?"
"Yeah, it went okay. Of course, it went okay, okay? That's not the point."
"So there is a point."
"Being that it is possible to brood and show a little interest in the feeling of others."
Angel shook his head and looked questioningly over at Doyle.
"Well, she thinks that you're insensitive, and not to bring up the irony, but consider the source."
Angel looked at Cordelia. "So I'm a little reserved; that doesn't mean I don't care."
"Well, spend a little time listening to how the living interact."
Kate burst into the office.
Angel looked at her. "Kate."
"Angel. Got a minute?"
"Sure."
They headed towards his office.
"Coffee?"
"I'm fine."
Cordelia watched the door close behind them. "Mr. and Mrs. Spock need to mind meld now."
In his office, Angel was looking at some photographs.
"His name is Tony Papazian, street name: Little Tony; he's a bad guy. We already got an indictment against him for the murder of a county supervisor. Just one problem: we don't know where to send the subpoena."
"You can't find him."
"He's still in the city, we're pretty sure. But all my sources are dry."
"Want me to look into it?"
"I'll pay you for whatever you can get."
"I already owe you favors; you don't need to-"
"This isn't a favor. It's a job. That's how we do it." Kate handed him a piece of paper. "This number is my direct line."
Angel took it. "All right."
"Time is a factor. Tony is looking to skip town."
"Got it."
"Find him, you call me. Nothing above nor beyond. You cannot be involved in this."
"You don't want to get a reputation for going outside the department."
"I don't want to get a reputation for getting you killed."
Later, Cordelia was looking through files, and Doyle was searching on the computer.
"Anything?" Angel asked.
"Plenty on Papazian - known acquaintances, hangouts - but you've got to figure the cops've already been over all of this."
"Yeah, but we haven't." Angel looked at Cordelia awkwardly. "Cordelia, I wanted to, you know, thank you so much for...going through those coroner reports. Because I can imagine how not fun it is to read about, you know, coroner stuff."
Cordelia didn't look up. "Lame."
"What've you got?" Angel asked her.
"The weebies. This guy clearly has anger management issues. You've got victims and victim parts washing up all over the Southern California coast."
Angel picked up a file. "Long Beach, San Pedro, Carlsbad." He looked at Doyle. "Pull up the tidal flow charts for the last ten months. Match them to the dates of these murders."
"Tides? What, you think this guy has some primary dumping ground? Maybe all these victims originate from the same spot?" Doyle asked.
"Somewhere Little Tony feels safe."
That night, at the police station, Kate was sitting at her desk. An older, white-haired man in uniform walked in.
Kate noticed him. "Dad."
"Katie."
"I saw you. Were you planning on saying hi?"
"I figured you're working."
Kate nodded.
He pulled out a manila folder. "I'm not here very long, anyway, just dropping off some pension forms up in Records. If you think you got a lot of red tape on the job, wait 'til you retire."
"Harlan says they're throwing you a send-off at the Blue Bar."
"Just some guys trying to give me a hard time. Not a big deal."
"Well, he said I should say something, you know, just a few words to mark the occasion, seeing as you're my father."
"That'll be fine. Don't go to any trouble."
"It's no trouble, really."
"Detective, you got a call on 329."
Kate looked at the officer. "Thanks." She looked at her father. "I guess I better..."
He walked away. "Yeah."
Kate looked after him for a moment, then picked up the phone and answered the call. "Lockley."
"8843 Hyperion Way, right off Pier 39. San Pedro."
"You found him, you're sure?" Kate asked.
"Max Salvage Depot. Northwest side. He's got some muscle on hand."
"I'm on my way. Just get out of there." Kate hung up the phone.
Kate and a bunch of officers drove to the location. Tony was running but was stopped by a bunch of police cars with their sirens blaring.
Kate stepped out of a car and aimed her gun at Tony. "Hi, Tony."
Later, Tony was sitting, cuffed, in the back of a police car. Kate was with Angel, who was wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt and a white hat.
"Which part of 'Just get out of there' gave you the trouble?" Kate asked him.
"I had to do something. I mean...he was getting away."
Kate was angry. "So you decided to dress like a road flare and put my ass and yours on the line."
Angel took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know what to say.
"Look, just go. I'll figure out something to say to my lieutenant."
Later, at the police station, Kate and Tony were sitting in the interrogation room.
"I want my phone call."
"You've got to cancel your suit in Yerevan? You think you can still get your deposit back?"
"You've - You've been running after me for a long time, haven't you, sweetheart? If I'd known how bad you wanted me, I might have let you catch me a little sooner."
"If I'd known how badly you needed the exercise, I might have let you run a little longer."
Later, Kate and her supervisor, Lieutenant Jimmy Grantham, were meeting with Tony and his lawyer, Lee Mercer.
Mercer pushed some papers toward Grantham. "And here is your copy of the court documents requesting the transfer of our client out of this precinct."
"What for?"
"For his own safety."
"Aww, is he afraid to stay with us?" Kate looked at Tony. "You need a night light?"
"You got a pretty mouth, Katie. Hate to see it get broken."
"Mr. Papazian is under tremendous stress due to the abuse suffered at the hands of your officers and an as-yet-unnamed assailant we believe was in league with Detective Lockley at the time of the arrest."
Kate looked at Mercer. "I wouldn't know about that, sir."
Tony looked at her. "I saw you talking to him."
"Yeah, was that before or after you murdered Supervisor Caffrey, you fat piece of shit?" Kate asked him.
Grantham looked at her. "That's enough." He looked at Mercer. "All of Mr. Papazian's rights will be duly respected."
"Mr. Papazian is a very important client at Wolfram & Hart. Any further violations of his rights, and there will be serious repercussions."
"And what, exactly, the hell does that mean?" Kate asked him.
"It means that we will open this case to the court of public opinion. It means that we'll shine light into the darkest corners of this precinct and give the people a clear view of the brutality and callousness of this police force that will make Mark Fuhrman look like Gentle Ben."
Tony smiled. "Everybody should have a lawyer like this one."
Cordelia was sitting at her desk in the outer office. She smiled at Angel. "So how nice is it to finally have a simple 'find the crime lord' case? Over and done with."
Angel poured himself some coffee. "Yeah."
Cordelia got up, concerned. "Wait, you've got pensive face."
Angel leaned against the wall. "I've always got pensive face."
"Well, pensiver face."
"I'm not so sure this thing is so over and done with, that's all. There is something about Little Tony."
"What something?"
Angel took a sip. "Hmm, just a feeling I got."
"Ah-hmm!"
"What?"
"Nothing. I just find it endlessly fascinating how your feelings are so attuned when it comes to boring old evil, but you have yet to make any mention about these new shoes." Cordelia pointed down at her orange sandals.
"Look, Cordelia. Women's shoes..." Angel paused. "Men..."
The door opened, and Doyle came in.
"...they just don't-"
"Great shoes! New?" Doyle asked Cordelia. He looked at Angel. "So you were right, Papazian is planning something."
Cordelia hit Angel on the arm and walked away.
"What did you hear?" Angel asked Doyle.
"That Papazian is planning something."
"That's it?"
"Johnny Red says, quote: 'Papazian is planning something.'"
Angel nodded. "I thought he might be planning something."
"See, you were right."
Cordelia looked from one to the other and shook her head.
At the Blue Bar, Kate was being greeted by several off-duty officers as she walked up to the bar.
"Home run, Lockley."
"Way to go!"
"Nice work, Lockley."
The bartender set an open bottle of beer in front of her, and Kate reached for some money.
"No, no, your dad paid for the drink."
Kate took her drink and sat down at her dad's table.
"Tony Papazian, huh?"
"Yeah."
"Well, congratulations."
"Thanks."
He lifted his glass. "Here is hoping the bust doesn't fall apart before you finish filing the paperwork. Damn lawyers, huh?"
"Yeah." Kate saw Harlan coming up to their table. "Harlan."
Harlan dropped a piece of paper in front of Kate. "You see this?"
Kate looked at it. "Sensitivity training?"
"Everyone's got to take it. Word is it's because of what you did to Papazian."
"What I did? Oh, somebody is going to answer for this."
"Think they'll make us hug?" Harlan asked.
Kate handed the page back to him. "I'm not hugging you, sweat boy."
Her dad rolled his eyes. "Glad I'm getting out. In my day, we didn't need any damn sensitivity."
The next day, the sensitivity training session was being held at the police station. Allen Lloyd, the leader, was standing in front of the seated participants.
"I'm guessing not too many of you want to be here right now." Allen raised his hand. "Quick show of hands, who actually wants to be here?"
No one raised their hand.
Allen sat down on the edge of his desk. "Well, I'm not gonna waste your time. What I'm going to do is give you some tools to help you experience the whole range of human emotions. Learning that won't just make you better people; it will help you defuse volatile situations in the field; it'll allow you to manage some of your aggression, so you won't feel so tired all the time. In short, it'll make you better cops. One of the tools we use is this." He held up a gnarly stick. "It's called a talking stick." He held up a hand as some of the cops snickered. "I know, it sounds silly. But it works - if you give it a chance. It's our contract with each other. Whoever holds this has the right to express himself or herself completely, without judgment, within the confines of this room." He held out the stick. "Heath?"
Heath crossed his arms and sighed. "I don't think so."
"Go ahead, give it a try."
Heath took the stick.
"Now, why don't you start by telling us something about your family? How you grew up. Any siblings?"
"Six brothers."
"And what was that like?"
"I learned to hit back pretty quick."
That got some laughter from around the room.
"Your brothers went kind of hard on you, huh? Where were your parents?"
"It was just my mom. She did the best she could."
"So you had to get tough, right out of the gate. Shut down your emotions? It's okay! You have our permission to be honest. Is there something that you always wanted to say to your mother...but never could?"
"'Will you marry me?'" Kate guessed.
The others laughed softly.
Allen picked up the stick and offered it to Kate. "Kate, you'd like to share something? We'd like to hear it."
"No, I don't, really."
"Afraid?"
Kate took the stick with a slight laugh.
"Genuine emotion makes you uncomfortable. That's okay. Your inappropriate sarcasm masks anger. And you know what anger is, Kate? It's just fear. Fear of being hurt. Fear of loss. You've been hurt, haven't you, Kate? And you're afraid of being hurt again. Who're you afraid is gonna hurt you?"
Later, Kate was walking near her desk. Angel came in.
Kate saw him. "Angel."
"We need to talk."
"I know. I want to apologize for last night."
"You don't need to do that."
"That's not what my sensitivity trainer says. Well, that's pretty goofball, right? Still, thanks for what you did."
"You're welcome."
"Listen, what are you doing tomorrow night, around eightish? My father is having this retirement party thing with a bunch of his old cop buddies. I'm supposed to say a few words. It would be nice if there was at least one person there who wasn't, you know, armed. It'd be a favor."
"Sure."
"Okay, that was easy. I'm relieved." Kate noticed his expression. "Something wrong?"
"Kate, I think you may be in real danger."
"Okay, the relief part is done."
"I've heard some things. I don't know the specifics yet, but I think that Papazian's taking a contract out on you."
"Wow."
"I'm going to stay on this-"
"He's really acting out, isn't he?"
"Well, yeah! He wants you dead."
"Oh, I get that. I'm just saying that he must be in some kind of pain to strike out at others in that way."
"Are you okay?" Angel asked her.
"Oh, God, listen to me. Suddenly I'm Dr. Laura. Next thing you know, I'll be talking about processing and my inner child. I'm sure I'll be back to my usual level of cynicism in no time."
Angel just looked at her.
Kate and Angel walked into the retirement party at the Blue Bar. The place was crawling with cops. There was a cake and a "Happy Retirement Trevor" banner.
Kate picked up a glass of Champagne. "Boy, I'm scared...and excited. And consumed with dread. And glad you're here."
"I doubt even one of Little Tony's hired guns would try something in a room full of cops."
"What? Oh, that death threat hanging overhead. No, I meant speaking in public."
"Well, what's that old saw about picturing your public in their underwear?"
Kate looked at him. "Way ahead of you." She walked over to her father and kissed him on the cheek. "Happy retirement, Daddy."
Trevor gestured at Angel. "Who's this?"
"Oh, this is Angel. He's a friend. Angel, this is my father."
Angel shook her father's hand. "Hello, Mr. Lockley. Congratulations."
"For what? All I did was live this long and not get shot."
"Why do you do that?" Kate asked him.
"Do what?"
Kate shook her head. "Pretend important things don't matter?"
"So, Angel, how long you been seeing Katie?"
"We're, um, we're pretty new friends."
"Well, good to see her out with a man. I was starting to wonder if she didn't lean into another direction altogether."
Kate rolled her eyes and gulped down her Champagne.
"All right, everyone, before we cut the cake, the other Officer Lockley, the good-looking one, would like to say a few words. Kate?" Grantham invited.
The others applauded while Kate set down her glass and went to stand at one end of the room.
"Hello, everybody. Welcome to the end of an era. Now, the old man would like us to believe that he couldn't care less about all this attention and free booze."
That got some laughter.
"But I know him better than that. He put a lot of years in on the job, and he made a difference in a lot of lives."
There were scattered cheers. Her dad sat down.
"And now it's over. That's a huge deal, no matter what he says. In fact, I'm not really sure if he knows what he's going to do with himself. He forgot how to be anything but a cop a long time ago. And maybe...maybe that's why I became a cop, too. After Mom died, you stopped, you know? It was like you couldn't stand the sight of me. Her face, her eyes looking up at you. But big girls don't cry, right? You said gone's gone, and there is no use wallowing. Worms and dirt and nothing...forever. Not one word about a better place. You couldn't even tell a scared little girl a beautiful lie." Kate started sobbing. "God, I wanted to drink with you. I wanted you to laugh with me just once the way you laughed with Jimmy here - or Frank." She played with her purse. "My best friend, Joanne, her mom was soft, and she smelled like macaroni and cheese, and she'd pick me up on her lap, and she would rock me. She said that she wanted to keep me to herself. She said that I was good and sweet. Everybody said I was. Do you realize that you've never told me that I'm pretty? Not once in my life?"
Harlan nodded. "Keep going, Katie."
"Well, I can't anymore, Dad. I can't campaign for the office of your beloved daughter. You closed your heart after Mom left us, and that's it." Kate kept sobbing.
Harlan smiled. "That was so damn brave."
"Are you kidding me?" Grantham asked. "Her old man's party wasn't the forum."
"She can't worry about protecting him."
Kate and Angel looked around at the officers talking to each other.
"Let it out, Dale. I always knew your mother was controlling."
"I'm passive-aggressive?"
"I'm hearing a lot of denial."
Grantham looked at Harlan. "She abused the process. I'm going to tell her."
"With that breakthrough? You're completely blocked."
"Your need for catharsis is not the issue here."
Harlan grabbed him. "I'll give you catharsis!" He slammed Grantham on a table and started to beat him.
Angel pulled Harlan off, and Trevor led Grantham out. The other cops were arguing, crying or fighting.
"Keep it together, will you, Jimmy?" Trevor asked. "Take him down to his precinct; let him sleep it off with the drunks. Do the same with the others."
Angel led Kate out. "Let's do likewise."
Cordelia walked into the office. "All right, I'm here. What's the big emergency? These middle-of-the-night hours are really eating into my potential social life." She walked into the back office. Why I ever thought it was a nifty idea to work for a vam-" She saw Kate lolling on a chair. "-triloquist. Hi!"
"Hi."
Cordelia looked at Doyle in confusion. Doyle shook his head.
Angel handed Kate a cup. "Here, drink this."
Kate looked up at Angel. "You have the most intense eyes. I see such an old soul."
Doyle nodded. "He gets that a lot, you know."
"I thought that enigmatic thing was just an act to get women. The truth is...you don't have an insincere bone in your body, do you?" Kate asked Angel.
"Kate, I need you to tell me about the sensitivity training. Who's running it?"
"You wanna go? It's pretty wonderful." Kate put a hand on her chest. "It gets you where you live."
"I need to know his name."
Kate shook her head. "We all need...so much."
Cordelia looked at Doyle. "What's her deal? Too much..." She made a drinking motion with her thumb pointing at her mouth.
"Thumb-sucking?"
"Alcohol! Dummy."
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not the one that needs to brush up on their finger pantomime." Doyle sighed. "It's something to do with the training she had at work."
Kate gave the notice about the sensitivity training to Angel, then got up and walked over to Cordelia and Doyle, smiling. "Someone's got a crush."
"What?" Doyle asked.
Kate looked at Cordelia. "It's right there, how he feels about you. And you don't know what to do about it."
"Please!" Cordelia exclaimed. "We just joke around."
"Where is the truth? Where is the truth? He is hiding behind Mr. Humor. I mean...look at...look at Doyle. Really look at him. What do you see?" Kate asked.
"A bad double poly blend?"
"That's defense, Cordelia. Maybe you should open your heart to a new possibility!" Kate told her.
Doyle smiled and tried hugging Cordelia. "Hey, you know, she's starting to make some sense."
"Angel!" Cordelia yelled desperately.
Angel came back. "I've got his address. 322 Fletcher."
Kate looked at him. "What are your secrets, Angel? What aren't you telling me?"
Cordelia sighed. "I'm so glad I came down to watch Late Night with creepy cop lady."
Angel looked at her. "You came down here to stay with her while I find this guy. Don't let her out of your sight."
Later, Kate was rocking on a chair, hugging her knees.
"Can we get you some coffee or Valium...or both?" Cordelia offered.
"He walked out on me. He just walked out."
"Oh, he'll be back."
"Not Angel, my father."
"Oh."
Kate got up and grabbed her purse. "I have to find him."
Doyle walked over to her. "Maybe you should just hold off on that for the time being. Angel said to wait right here."
"I hear what you're saying, but I have to go find my daddy now."
"Detective Lockley, you're not exactly yourself at the moment. Why don't we all just-"
"Help each other!" Kate finished.
"Right, by staying here together!" Doyle suggested.
"Yeah, we could do that, but, you see, I have this-"
"Personal problem that you're going to share until dawn?" Cordelia guessed.
Kate pulled her gun out of her purse and waved it around. "Gun, and I don't want to come off as insensitive, but, if either of you tries to stop me, I'm gonna have to blow you the fuck away, because I got to go find my daddy."
Cordelia and Doyle let her go.
Kate ran into the police station, which was in utter chaos.
"Dad? Daddy!" Kate called.
Cordelia and Doyle had followed Kate to the police station. Angel ran up to the entrance of the police station.
Cordelia looked at him. "Oh, boy."
Angel looked at them. "What are you two doing-"
"It's Kate; we followed her here."
Cordelia nodded. "She's totally lost it. She looked like she's ready to do some damage."
"And it's not just her by the looks of things."
"The whole place is going nuts! This is so not good."
Angel smiled at them. "Okay, I think someone needs a hug."
"Huh?" Cordelia and Doyle asked.
Angel pulled them both into a hug. Cordelia and Doyle pushed Angel off them.
"Hey! What's your damage?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"I think he's just found Mr. Sensitivity."
Angel put a hand on his heart. "He was right in here all the time, just waiting to come out. Gosh, what our folks do to us, huh?"
Kate was on the phone. "Please, Daddy, if you're there, pick up. We need to talk."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "He put the whammy on you! You stink with whammy!"
Doyle nodded. "She's right."
Angel smiled and nodded. "Talking stick, it's cursed all right."
Cordelia looked at Doyle. "There's a stick that talks?"
"Cordelia, do you have any idea just how precious you are?" Angel asked her, looking deep into her eyes.
Cordelia smiled. "Really?"
Doyle shook his head. "All right, let's talk just about this stick."
"He uses it as a talisman. Anyone that touches the stick becomes infected. He admitted it to me after I..." Angel looked away from them and swallowed. "...threatened him with violence."
Cordelia looked at Doyle. "What's his trip?"
Angel looked at them. "Wolfram & Hart, the firm, hired this guy to neutralize the police, so Little Tony could make his escape. It'll wear off."
"Soon?" Cordelia asked.
"So there was never any contract on Detective Lockley?" Doyle asked.
"No, Little Tony was planning all along just to kill her himself. Poor guy."
"'Poor guy'?" Cordelia asked in disbelief.
"Well, he's got issues."
"Angel, man, you've got to snap out of this!" Doyle told him.
"Right now. It's time for you to get all vampy." Cordelia held up her hands like claws and made a face. "Grr! Kate needs you."
Angel shook his head. "I don't want to. You both withdraw when I go vamp. I feel you judge me."
"We won't judge you." Cordelia looked at Doyle. "Will we?" She looked at Angel. "Give it a try."
Angel shook his head. "Closeness is too important to me right now."
Doyle rolled his eyes. "Angel, man, Kate is in there."
Cordelia nodded. "Along with killer guy."
Doyle walked up to the door and tried it. It was locked.
A cop looked through the door. "We're closed."
"You're the police! You can't close."
"Why not? Haven't we done enough? It's always 'find this, rescue that' with you people. Well, see how you like it!" The cop pulled down the blind hard and ripped it off.
Kate was leaning on top of her desk.
Harlan walked up to her. "It hurts, doesn't it? When people don't listen to you? When they reject you?"
Kate looked up at him. "You know?"
"I ought to. For two years, I've been saying to you with everything I have: 'Love me, Kate. Need me the way I need you.' But you never notice, never return my desire. You just sit at that desk, next to mine, smelling the way you do...taunting me."
Kate sighed. "I'm not taunting you. I'm gay."
A gunshot sounded.
The gang walked over to outside an empty police office.
Cordelia looked at the guys. "We need a rock."
Angel shook his head. "I can't say that I'm comfortable with all this."
"Don't argue; this is the only way in."
"Here, this one should do it." Doyle threw a rock.
The rock hit the wall.
"Aim for the window!" Cordelia told him.
Doyle picked up the rock. "I was."
"Give me that!" Cordelia grabbed the rock and threw it through the window.
"Nice arm!" Doyle complimented.
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Angel, now it's your turn, come on!"
Angel pushed in the bars. Cordelia, Doyle, and Angel climbed in through the window.
"Come on! Let's go!" Cordelia told them.
Angel pointed at the broken window. "Wow. That's vandalism."
Doyle looked at him. "Ah, we'll take care of it later."
"We should leave a note."
"Would you come on?" Cordelia asked, annoyed.
"What's the magic word?" Angel asked her.
"Urgh!" Cordelia grunted in frustration.
"No, I don't think 'urgh' is the magic word, if one would call it a word. And even then, it's certainly not a magic one."
"We don't have time for this!" Cordelia told him.
"There is always time to be considerate of others, Cordelia."
Cordelia huffed. "Oh, please!"
"See? That wasn't so hard now, was it?"
Tony walked into the main area of the police station and over to Kate, holding a shotgun. Two guys were with him.
"Thought you finally put it over on me, huh? Thought you were smarter than Little Tony. Well, nobody beats me, baby. Not even a stone bitch like you."
Kate stood up. "I am not a bitch! I'm just protected."
"No one protecting you now."
"Hey!" Angel called.
He walked in slowly with Cordelia and Doyle behind him.
"I'm feeling some serious negative energy in this room."
"Go on. Take care of him!" Cordelia urged.
Tony smiled at Angel. "Oh, I've been wanting to see you again."
Kate looked at Tony. "I'm sure he'd say the same thing, but that gun really makes you come off as hostile."
Angel nodded. "That and the body language. It's so closed."
Kate nodded in agreement. "Yeah."
Doyle looked at Angel. "Angel, man, fight, don't talk."
Cordelia shook her head. "We are so dead."
Angel patted a chair in front of Tony. "Now, why don't we all sit down together and process this?"
Tony smiled. "Seems that sensitivity training I paid for really took, huh, nancy boy?"
Angel picked up the chair and smashed it in Tony's face, knocking the guy beside him down as well.
Kate shot the third guy with her gun. "How do you think that makes me feel?"
Cordelia stepped on the second guy's gun as he tried to pick himself back up, and Doyle kicked him in the face and picked up the gun himself.
"Okay, now I'm feeling unheard." Angel started to beat up on Tony. "You know, Anthony, you could be a rainbow and not a..." He hit him over the head and dropped him. "...'painbow'."
Kate stared at him in awe.
"I mean...it really is all up to you."
Kate shook her head. "You."
Angel turned towards her and smiled. "No, you."
Kate opened her arms to him. "Come here."
He did. They hugged.
"Ugh, anyone for vomit?" Cordelia asked.
Kate and Angel separated and looked at Tony laying on the floor.
Angel shook his head with a sigh. "It's so sad, isn't it?"
Kate shook her head. "Some people just really need to live in the problem."
The next day, Angel came to visit Kate at the precinct.
"How do you feel?" Angel asked.
"Pretty foolish, you?"
"I'm all right."
"Internal Affairs is investigating the Blue Bar. They think someone there spiked the punch. Seems like everybody there went a little crazy. I know I did with my dad."
"Well, maybe it helped."
"Did I...Did I say anything to you?"
"I'm a little fuzzy myself."
"Good." Kate paused. "Well, I should get back to work."
"Yeah, me, too." Angel walked off slowly.
Kate stood there, unsure, for a moment, then saw her dad walking up to her. "Hi."
"Katie. Got your messages on my machine."
"Yeah, that was kind of a bizarre night. I-"
"Katie...don't...don't say anything. You make an idiot out of yourself, embarrass me in front of the guys. You don't bring that up ever again. As far as I'm concerned...it didn't happen."
Kate watched as her dad turned and walked out. She slowly sat down at her desk.
Chapter 87: The Bachelor Party
Chapter Text
"The Bachelor Party"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "The Initiative" Written by Douglas Petrie and the Angel Episode "The Bachelor Party" Written by Tracey Stern
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
Angel was sitting at his desk with his feet up, reading a book.
Doyle was pacing impatiently. "I just can't sit around here while-"
Cordelia walked into the office, wearing a stunning black strapless sheath. "While I steal into the night with my incredibly-more-wealthy-than-you prince? Makes your little life seem a tad drab, doesn't it?"
Angel got up.
"Yeah, just because he has money doesn't mean that he can make you happy."
Cordelia stared at Doyle. "I'll have you know that Pierce has a lot more than money. He has a house in Montecito, he has a Mercedes CLK 320, and a place in the Hills with a lap pool."
"Since you put it that way."
Suddenly, there was knocking on the door.
Cordelia turned to go answer it. "Well, if I'm not here in the morning, you can just clear out my desk. I'll be moving on up."
Cordelia walked out of Angel's back office and saw Pierce walking into the outer office.
"Wow. You look amazing."
Cordelia gave him a brilliant smile. "Do I?" She glanced back towards Angel's office. "Let's go."
"What's your hurry?" Angel asked her. "You didn't even introduce us."
Cordelia pointed to each in turn. "Angel, Doyle, Pierce." She took Pierce's arm. "Bye!"
"You work, Pierce?" Angel asked as they were trying to leave.
"I trade - futures and options market."
"Good. Good. Out to dinner?"
"Le Petite Renard."
Doyle nodded. "Ah, right. Nice spot. Duck is dry."
"So how late will you be?" Angel asked Cordelia.
"Don't wait up." Cordelia looked at Pierce as she led him out the door. "Don't mind him."
Angel closed the door behind them.
Cordelia and Pierce were sitting at a table in the restaurant. Cordelia was looking at him with a glazed look in her eyes.
"See, you have to study weather trends in order to make a good play in the agricultural market. Once you do, you'll never look at soybeans the same way. God, listen to me! I'm not boring you, am I?"
"I don't mind."
Pierce leaned forward. "Like today, there was some heavy trading - lean hog options. The spread dropped about 1,700 points. I mean...in October, they were trading at six cents. So you know what I did? I sold at six-and-one-eighth of a cent! Six-and-one-eighth. Can you imagine anything more exciting than that?"
Pierce's Mercedes convertible pulled up in front of Angel Investigations.
"I'm sorry you're not feeling well. I was hoping we could make a night of it."
Cordelia unfastened her seatbelt. "Me, too. I really wanted to hear the end of the story about the pigs and beans."
"Don't you want me to take you home?"
Cordelia unlocked and opened the passenger door and got out of the car. "My car is here."
Pierce got out, too. "Oh, wait, let me walk you." He took Cordelia's arm and turned her towards him. "I'm - I'm not really sure about this neighborhood."
"You're right,...it's shitty!" a vampire with topknot hair exclaimed.
Cordelia and Pierce screamed. Topknot wrapped his arm around Cordelia's neck from behind. Pierce jumped into his car and burned rubber out of there.
"Help!" Cordelia bit Topknot's arm.
Topknot screamed and let Cordelia go for a moment, then grabbed her by the hair.
Doyle aimed a crossbow at Topknot. "Hey! I'm the one you followed here. It's me you want."
"Stay close. You'll get your turn."
Doyle had trouble finding a place to aim without hitting Cordelia. Finally, he shot Topknot in the left foot. Topknot screamed and threw Cordelia down on the street behind him, then pulled the bolt out of his shoe and lunged at Doyle with it. During their fight, they rolled down the steps, and the bolt fell free. After more scuffling, Doyle managed to grab it and stake Topknot with it. Doyle looked at Cordelia as they slowly got up.
"Are you okay?" Doyle asked.
Cordelia frowned. "I'm fine. That was..." She paused, surprised. "You're so...brave."
"You think you could say that again without so much shock in your voice? You're stepping on my moment of manliness here."
Cordelia was still frowning. "I'm sorry. I'm just-"
"Surprised?"
"Grateful."
The next day, Buffy walked into the UC Sunnydale cafeteria. She got her lunch. Buffy walked over to the soda fountain and started to fill her cup with regular Pepsi. She was distracted, checking out Tara's ass as she walked by, and her cup started to overflow.
"Shit!" Buffy poured some of the excess soda down the drain, fastened a lid onto her cup, and grabbed a straw.
She walked over to the frozen yogurt machine, grabbed an empty bowl, set it down, and pulled the handle for chocolate. She watched as the chocolaty goodness fell into her bowl. Underestimating her strength, Buffy broke the handle off the frozen yogurt machine. She battled with it for a bit but then gave up and hid the handle. Buffy fled the site, the yogurt machine overflowing in her wake. She went to the register and paid for her food. On her way to Tara's table, Buffy spilled both the drink and the yogurt on the floor.
"Fuck!" Buffy crouched down and started to cry as she tried cleaning up the spill with the sole napkin that she had.
Tara immediately stood up, found a roll of paper towels, walked over, crouched down next to Buffy, and started cleaning up the spill.
Buffy picked up the cup and bowl. "Thanks, sweetie."
Tara finished cleaning and took the waste to the trash can. Then Buffy and Tara sat at the table together. Buffy started eating her pepperoni pizza, upset.
Tara took her cup filled with Pepsi and her bowl of chocolate frozen yogurt and put it on Buffy's tray without comment. Buffy looked at Tara in surprise. Tara smiled. Buffy smiled back and kissed Tara on the lips.
At Angel Investigations, Angel was sitting at his desk, looking at some papers.
Cordelia was sitting in front of his desk. "So here I am at Le Petite Renard with Mr. Armani, who could keep me in blue boxes for the rest of my life-"
"Blue boxes?"
"Tiffany's! God! And the whole night, I was bored silly. All I could think about was, if this wimp ever saw a monster, he'd probably throw a shoe at it and run like a weasel. Turns out the shoe part was giving him too much credit."
"There aren't very many people that wouldn't run. It's just human nature."
"Yeah, but, all of a sudden, rich and handsome isn't enough for me. Now, I expect a guy to be all brave and interesting. And it's your fault! Both of you."
"Well, maybe not. Maybe you're changing. That could be a good thing."
"Disastrous. And as if I wasn't confused enough, then Doyle comes along and rescues me like some...badly-dressed superhero." Cordelia sighed. "He was really beat up, but you know the first thing he asked? 'Are you okay?' I mean...that's, like, substance, right?"
"Yeah, well, there is definitely more to Doyle than meets the eye."
"So I've got to kill myself. I swore, when I went that road with you, and you ended up breaking my heart, I'd rather be dead than put myself through that again by dating within the workplace." Cordelia sighed. "Still, maybe you're right. Maybe Doyle does have...hidden depths. I mean...really, really hidden,...but depths. And I'm gonna have to buy him a mochaccino to thank him for saving my life, don't you think?"
"Well, I-"
Cordelia got up to leave. "Me, too. We'll be back in a half. You watch the phones, okay?"
Cordelia opened the door and walked out of Angel's office without waiting for him to reply.
In the main office, Cordelia walked in behind Doyle, who was reenacting last night's fight with a ruler.
"I'm the one you followed. It's me that you want, huh?" Doyle staked his imaginary opponent. "Fangs for the memories, vamp man!"
He stopped and noticed Cordelia, who waved at him.
"Hey, I was just..." Doyle paused. "That wasn't-"
"An incredible spaz attack?" Cordelia asked. "Good."
Doyle put the ruler down. "So you were..." He paused. "What can I do for you?"
"Well, um,...I was thinking...that, uh...maybe I haven't been...entirely fair to you. Maybe you don't actually have zero potential."
Doyle folded his arms. "Wow, Cordelia. Thanks."
"That's not..." Cordelia sighed. "What I'm trying to say is that I really appreciate what you did last night. And, um,...I was thinking...maybe we could-"
Doyle turned to look at a woman with long, curly blonde hair that had stepped into the office. "If you're looking for Angel Investigations, this is it. But we are kind of in the middle of something. Could you just give us five minutes?"
"Hey, Francis."
Doyle shifted and swallowed. "Harry."
"Francis?" Cordelia asked, confused.
"Um,...where've you been?" Doyle asked Harry.
"Around. Um...Kiribati...Togo...Uzbekistan...a few spots that were a...little less touristy."
"Who's Francis?" Cordelia asked, smiling but still confused.
"That would be me." Doyle paused. "Allen Francis Doyle." He paused again. "Cordelia, this is Harriet 'Harry' Dattilo...my wife."
Cordelia's smile vanished as she stared at Doyle.
Harry closed the door and walked over to them. "I'm sorry about the surprise. I would've called first, but I was afraid-"
"I'd run off? That's not my style, remember?"
"But it's mine? Is that what you're saying? Do you want me to remind you who fired the starter pistol?" Harry paused. "No, let's not, okay? Let's just hug and be happy to see each other."
They hugged, and Cordelia looked away, shaking her head. They separated, and Doyle crossed his arms in front of him.
"You look good."
"Yeah, you, too."
"You're still living it up? You know that drinking's no good for you."
"Yeah, you know me. I'm a fun-loving guy."
Angel walked in. "What's going on?"
Cordelia frowned. "Angel, come meet Doyle's wife."
Cordelia stared at him as Angel reached out and shook Harry's hand without any hesitation.
"Nice to meet you."
"Hi. Cool offices."
"Yeah, I'm a private investigator now. This is my company." Doyle gestured towards Angel and Cordelia. "These two, um, are my helpers."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Ugh, that is-"
Angel hit her in the back with his elbow.
"Ouch!"
Angel cleared his throat.
Cordelia sighed. "You two were really married?"
Harry nodded. "Were and still...according to the paperwork."
"So it was a green card thing."
Harry looked at Doyle. "Nope, it was a 'madly in love, couldn't live without each other' kind of thing. But I guess times change, because here we are, four years later, and living just fine."
"So shall we go on to why you're here, exactly?" Doyle asked.
"Maybe we could talk alone?" Harry requested.
"Yeah."
The door opened, and a guy stuck his head into the office.
Harry looked at him. "Oh, I thought you were going to stay in the car?"
"I know, but..." He came in, closing the door behind him. "I admit it, curiosity got the better of me." He went and shook Angel's hand. "Hey, Richard Straley. I've heard so much about you." He looked at Harry. "Say, you left out the part about him being such a handsome fellow."
"I'm not-"
"Oh, no, you are! Really."
"I'm not Doyle." Angel nodded. "He is."
"Oh,...that's more like it. Not that you're not a very good-looking man."
Harry rolled her eyes. "Richard, just shake his hand."
"Uh, forgive me, I'm not quite myself. What with the wedding only a few days off now."
Doyle looked at Harry. "There's a wedding?"
"I wasn't supposed to say that yet, was I?" Richard asked.
Cordelia sat down on the couch with a smile. "No, please, go on."
Angel pulled her up off the couch and towards his office. "Cordelia, let's...let's go through those reports, hmm?"
"What? What reports? What?" Cordelia asked, confused.
Angel led Cordelia into his office.
Later, Cordelia was using the office's photocopier to make copies of Harry's signed divorce papers for her.
Harry smiled. "This is perfect. Richard wanted a moment alone with Doyle to ask him to his bachelor party."
"Bachelor party? Why, is he afraid he ordered too much beer?" Cordelia asked.
"Richard and his family wanted Doyle's blessing before he marries me. They're sweet demons. Very into good vibes all around."
"They do sound nice."
"You know, his mom told me to invite friends to my shower, but...I've been pretty much hanging only with her. You're the first girl I've met in town under three-hundred-seventy years old. Do you think you'd want-"
"Love to."
That evening, Buffy and Tara walked through the woods together, patrolling.
"Question."
"Yeah?" Buffy asked.
"While we're patrolling the woods near campus, who's patrolling elsewhere?" Tara asked.
"Amy and Harmony have the cemetery tonight."
"No, I mean...around the world. There's 'one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil', right?" Tara asked.
"Well, two girls now, but yeah."
"So L.A. has Faith, and Sunnydale has us. Rest of the world's shit outta luck, huh?" Tara guessed.
Buffy thought about it. "I'm sure there are other people hunting vampires around the world. I mean...we met that werewolf hunter, right? There's gotta be more than us fighting the good fight. The only thing that makes Faith and me special is we were 'chosen' by...whoever. Maybe the Powers That Be that Cordy mentioned. Who knows? Anyway, you're having deep thoughts tonight."
Tara shrugged. "I'm just really fucking bored."
Buffy laughed, then she saw things being thrown into a pile out of the corner of her eye. She looked and saw Sunday pouring gas on the pile.
Tara looked. "Is that-"
"Yep. That's my fun day." Buffy walked over to the vampire. "Yo."
Sunday looked at her. "Buffy?" She walked towards her.
"That's close enough."
Sunday stopped. "Slayer, give me a minute, and I will have that unfashionably-dressed body of yours roasting on a fire-"
"Well, Sunday, it's been great catching up. Really." Buffy gestured. "I'm just gonna go home...leaving you with your fire."
"My fire?" Sunday asked. "Yeah, right. Like I listen to the Sex Pistols. Eww. This shit belongs to Spike."
"Spike?" Buffy asked in surprise.
"Can you believe him? He comes back with all these big promises, not that I believed him, you know. But he could have spent one night, but no. Everything was 'Slayer this' and 'Slayer that'. He wants to kill you, y'know."
"Son of a cock, I never would have guessed." Buffy paused for a moment. "Thanks for the warning."
Sunday shrugged.
"So you guys are over, huh?" Buffy asked.
"I'm not taking him back. I just...I just want to know why it is that men always leave."
"I wouldn't know."
Sunday pitched a lit match behind her. The pile of Spike's things went up in flames.
Buffy rejoined Tara, and they headed back the way that they'd come.
"What is wrong with him? Doesn't Spike get that this is my town?" Buffy asked.
Tara shrugged. "He's resilient."
"Fine. You know what? He's worn out his welcome. Tonight, I kill him."
"You have a plan?"
"I am the plan. If Spike wants me, I go alone-"
Tara opened her mouth to protest.
"No arguments. Lead him away from the popular places and give him what he wants."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "Be careful, sweetie."
Buffy nodded and walked away.
Cordelia was at Harry's bridal shower at Richard's house. They were sitting in the kitchen.
Harry was telling Cordelia about her marriage to Doyle. "It was a nightmare. Okay, maybe not at first. Initially, I really liked the way he took charge."
"Doyle?!" Cordelia asked in surprise. "Took charge."
"It was sweet. But after a while, I mean...I know how to cut my own meat, thanks. Sometimes, it felt like I was one of his students."
"That's funny, for a moment, I thought you said 'one of Doyle's students'?"
"It wasn't fun being treated like a third-grader, believe me."
"Grade third taught Doy..." Cordelia waved her hand and tried again. "Doyle taught third grade? The kind with children?"
"Yeah."
"Are you sure he wasn't just held back and used that as his cover story?"
"Francis got his teaching credentials before we even met at the food bank-"
"Okay, soup kitchen. Now, that sounds like the Doyle I've come to know and revile." Cordelia paused with a sneaking suspicion. "And you're just about to tell me he ran it, aren't you?"
"He was just a volunteer."
"Come on, girls, it's Pornographic Pictionary time!" Richard's Aunt Martha called from the living room.
Harry smiled at Cordelia. "Their ways are not...our ways."
Buffy sat on a park bench, alone, and waited. Riley walked up to her.
"Riley! What are you doing here?" Buffy asked, standing up.
"Just out for a walk. You?"
"Not anything that I want to talk about right now. Leave."
"You know, why don't I take you back to your room? You wouldn't believe the weirdos out at this hour." Riley took hold of her arm and started to lead her off.
Buffy pulled her arm out of his grasp. "Whoa! Okay...it's a free campus. Who died and made you Ross Geller?"
"I'm just trying to help."
Buffy resisted the urge to laugh. "You think I need help? Believe me, I don't. You know, if you were a real gentleman, then you would just leave. You would go far, far away...now! Shoo!"
"Are you drunk?" Riley asked her.
"Yes! Go and report me."
"I'm taking you home. Come on." Riley went to grab her and lead her off.
Buffy evaded him. "Oh, did you ever think maybe I'm gonna take you home, huh? What? You think that boys can take care of themselves, and girls need help?"
"Yeah."
"That is so sexist."
"Look, Buffy, as long as you're out here, I'm staying."
"Well, as long as you're out here, I'm staying."
They heard a scream.
"Gotta go."
"See ya!" Buffy yelled.
They ran off in opposite directions.
Cordelia's cell phone rang.
Cordelia took it out of her purse and answered the call. "Hello?"
"It's Angel. Where are you?"
"In the netherworld known as the 818 area code. Why?"
"Let me speak to Harry."
"Hang on." Cordelia got up off the couch and handed the phone to Harry. "It's for you. It's Angel."
Harry took the phone. "Hello?"
"How is your Aratuscan?"
"Rusty, considering it's a dead demonic language."
"Guess again. I need a translation: 'Ino platbrata iko iko retvan el shak'."
"What's going on, Angel?"
"I don't know yet. Will you just look into it for me?"
"I guess, um, I could check the family library."
"Thanks." Angel hung up.
Harry offered the phone back to Cordelia. "Up for some research?"
Cordelia shrugged and took back her phone.
Tara backed away from Spike, who had confronted her in the hallway outside her dorm room.
"Spike! Wh-What do you want?" Tara assumed a fighting stance.
Spike grabbed her and and threw her against the wall. "I'll give you a choice." He walked over to her. "Now, I'm gonna kill you. No choice in that. But...I can let you stay dead...or...bring you back...to be like me."
"I-I'll scream again."
"Bonus."
Tara screamed.
Spike threw her on the floor and then jumped on her, and they battled, but he went to bite her. Suddenly, he screamed and pulled away, grabbing his head. He leaped on her and drew back immediately. He tried again, and the same thing happened.
"Ow! Oh! Ow! Damn it!" Spike got up and kicked the wall. He started to pace around the hall.
Tara took the opportunity to stand up. She did a roundhouse kick to Spike's head, hurting him but not knocking him down. She ran over to her door and tried to open it, but it was locked.
Three masked figures in tactical gear ran in the hallway, wearing night vision goggles. Tara got out her keys and nervously tried to unlock her door. She heard voices behind her.
"It's on me!"
"Aah!"
"Move!"
"Bag it, tag it. We're gone."
"Sir...civilian. Could have turned."
"Leave her."
"We can't neglect quarantine, sir!"
Suddenly, the hall filled with carbon dioxide gas. Tara got the door to her room open.
"Stop her!"
A commando grabbed her. "She's contained."
Buffy arrived and grabbed his flare gun. "Contain this!"
The commando turned around and was blinded as his night vision goggles were overloaded when Buffy shot off the flare gun. The flare bounced around the hall.
"Aah!"
"Ow!"
"I'm blind!"
"What the hell was that?"
The commandos tore off their goggles. Buffy guided Tara into their room. Tara closed and locked the door. Buffy began to fight the commandos. Buffy was redirected into a wall by one of them. Buffy got up and dodged a kick, then a punch, and then reciprocated and landed a punch. She got him in a corner and landed about a dozen quickly-repeated punches on his stomach. He got a hold of himself, then punched Buffy in the face. She flew back. Buffy ran at him and was redirected into a wall. She got up and slammed him in the face with a folding chair. She delivered a roundhouse kick and flipped him over onto the floor.
He got up. "Abort!"
The three commandos ran away.
Buffy looked after them until they were out of sight, then she turned and knocked on the door. "Tara? It's me. They're gone."
Tara unlocked and opened the door, still badly shaken.
"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Buffy asked her.
Tara shook her head. "N-No. I-I mean yeah. I-"
Buffy hugged Tara. "Take your time, sweetie."
Tara hugged Buffy and was content to just be held in her arms. "Who were they?"
"I don't know."
Cordelia and Harry were looking at some books.
"That can't be right."
"What?" Cordelia asked.
"Something about ingesting past love."
"Wouldn't Doyle be your past love?"
They looked at each other.
Harry got up to talk to the rest of the party. "Excuse me, ladies."
"What is it, honey?" Richard's mother asked.
"It's about the bachelor party. Richard said having the former husband present was some sort of tradition. I was just wondering-"
"Well, they're certainly not going to eat your ex-husband's brains!" Aunt Martha replied.
Harry and Cordelia grabbed their things and hurried out.
Harry ran into the restaurant, followed by Cordelia. Angel was laying into the Ano-movics left and right.
"Stop it! Stop it right this instant!" Harry yelled.
Everyone stopped. Angel looked up.
Richard looked up over the back of the booth that he was laying in. "Hon bun? This is for guys only."
"I know what you're up to, Richard Howard Straley."
"The stripper wasn't my idea, pook. I swear."
"Not the stripper, Richard." Harry paused. "There was a stripper?!"
"You really shouldn't be here."
"Well, you shouldn't be trying to eat my friend's brains! You horrible, ugly demon people!" Cordelia yelled in anger.
A demon sat up on the bench next to Cordelia. Cordelia saw his spiky face, picked up a silver tray, and proceeded to bash him over the head repeatedly.
Angel ran up to stop her. "Easy, Cordelia. It's okay!"
Cordelia looked at Angel. "It is so not okay!" She spun around and saw Doyle with marks on his head. "Doyle! Oh, look what they did to you!"
Harry went to stand in front of Richard, hands on her hips. "I'm only going to ask you this once, Richard, and I expect a straight answer: were you or were you not intending to eat my ex-husband's brains?"
Richard looked sheepish. "In a way."
"And when were you planning on telling me?"
"I thought maybe I wouldn't have to."
"You were going to start out our life together with deceit?"
"Sort of missing the point, isn't she?" Doyle asked Angel.
"I was just trying to bless our marriage - like in the ancient teachings."
"And since when does your family follow the ancient teachings?"
"We don't flaunt our beliefs, but they're very dear to us."
Harry looked at Richard's uncle. "Oh, please, Uncle John! When is the last time you pried yourself away from ESPN long enough to spill the blood of a she-goat?"
"Are you going to let her talk to Uncle John like that?" a cousin asked Richard.
"You know how I feel about these barbaric Ano-movician customs!" Harry told Richard.
"Racist! You're nothing but a racist!" the cousin yelled at Harry.
"I should have told you. I'm sorry. But unless we complete the ritual, my family will never consent to the marriage."
There were murmurs of agreement. Harry looked at Richard, turned to look at Doyle and Angel, then turned back and took Richard's hand in hers.
"Hon bun?" Richard asked.
Harry turned away, and Richard looked at the engagement ring that she just gave back to him. As she walked by Doyle and Angel, Doyle opened his mouth to say something.
"One word, Francis, just one word, and I'll eat your brains!" Harry threatened.
Cordelia, Angel, and Doyle turned to follow her out.
Buffy walked into the computer lab and saw Jenny sitting at her desk, typing on her laptop. Buffy knocked on the open door.
Jenny looked at her. "Buffy. What's up?"
"Got a minute?" Buffy asked.
"Sure. Just running some of my students' programs. I'm happy for any excuse to take a break."
Buffy walked over to Jenny's desk and sat on the corner. "Our dorm was attacked."
Jenny was confused. "What, you mean like a frat prank?"
"No, I mean commandos wearing face masks."
"What?" Jenny asked in surprise.
"I just thought you should know."
"They were in military garb?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
Jenny thought about that in silence.
"And they were toting some serious weaponry. The thing is...I saw some guys dressed exactly like them on Halloween night. I just assumed they were in costume. But maybe they were working. I wanna know what's up. They were trying to take Tara."
"Is she okay?"
"Yeah, but I almost didn't get there in time. I was almost too late to-"
"You saved Tara." Jenny put a comforting hand on Buffy's shoulder. "I'll look into it, ask around. We'll get to the bottom of this."
Buffy smiled weakly.
Later, at Angel Investigations, Doyle got up from Cordelia's desk and went to lie down on the sofa. Cordelia and Angel were watching him through the louvered windows from his office.
"So...he spoke to her."
"Yeah."
"Didn't go too well, huh?" Cordelia asked.
"I think she just needs some time."
"He's still really hung up on her, isn't he?"
"Hmm,...more than he knew, probably, yeah."
"Well, someone has to go out there and cheer him up."
Angel looked over at Cordelia, then, after a moment, got up.
Cordelia held up a hand to stop him. "Oh, please." She stood up, walked over to the door, and opened it.
Angel followed her to stand in the doorway to his office as Cordelia walked over to Doyle.
Cordelia put on a brilliant smile. "Hi, Doyle. Are you going to become loser-pining guy, like, full-time now? Because, you know, we already have one of those around the office."
"Hey!" Angel yelled.
"Hey!" Doyle yelled.
"He can get away with it. He's tall, and - and look at the way clothes hang on him. But you-"
"Okay, I think you've cheered us up enough."
Cordelia ignored Angel. "You can't live in the past. You got to move on. Let it go. Forget it. Tomorrow is another day."
Doyle sat up on the couch.
"Did I mention letting it go?"
"Twice."
Cordelia sat down next to him with a sigh. "You'll get through this, Doyle. Nice guys don't always finish last."
"You think I'm a nice guy?"
"I think it, I say it. That's my way."
"Thanks."
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah."
Cordelia smiled. "Yeah?"
Chapter 88: Corrupt
Chapter Text
"Corrupt"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Wild at Heart" Written by Marti Noxon and the Unproduced Angel Script "Corrupt" Written by David Fury
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
On the UC Sunnydale campus, at night, Buffy ran away from a vampire. They reached a secluded area.
"Thanks for the relocate. I perform better without an audience." Buffy started beating him up. "You were thinking, what, a little helpless coed before bed? You know very well, you eat this late..." She staked him. "You're gonna get heartburn. Get it? Heartburn?"
He fell to the ground and gave no reaction.
"That's it? That's all I get?" Buffy asked. "One lame-ass vamp with no appreciation for my painstakingly-thought-out puns. I don't think the forces of darkness are even trying. I mean...you could make a little effort here, you know? Give me something to work with."
Later, Buffy, Tara, Amy, Harmony, and Sandy were sitting at a table at the Bronze, eating a late dinner of cheeseburgers and fries and drinking Surge.
"The Bronze is more fun this year, isn't it?" Harmony asked.
Buffy smiled. "'Cause of the gloating factor alone, you know? We're all about college now. We've got heady discourse."
Amy looked at her doubtfully. "Right. So if college is so great, what are we doing here, and why is it more fun?"
Tara smiled. "Because the Bronze is nice and familiar. You know, with all the shock of the new, it's nice to have one place that you can come back to where everything's predictable."
Giles walked up to them. "Hello."
"Giles, trouble?" Buffy started to stand up.
"Oh, no, Buffy. Don't get up. No. Nothing like that. No, I just, you know, I thought I'd drop by. Uh, latte, anyone? On me?"
Everyone looked at him in shock.
Buffy looked at Tara. "So much for your predictable theory, babe. Sorry."
Giles rolled his eyes. "Well, don't look that way. I'm - I'm - I'm down with the new music. And I have the albums to prove it."
Buffy smiled mockingly. "Yes, but it's your cutting-edge 8-tracks that keep you ahead of the scene."
Jenny walked over, holding a bottle of beer. "Don't scoff, gang. I've seen Giles' collection. He was an animal in his day."
Giles nodded to her. "Thank you."
"Hey, why not? If the Stones can still keep rolling, why can't Giles?" Buffy asked.
Giles nodded. "Exactly."
Harmony looked at Giles. "I think it's brave that you're here."
"Well, thank you, all. You've made me feel right at home."
Veruca's band, Shy, took the stage. They set up their gear.
Veruca turned on her microphone. "Hey, everybody. All right, on 3. 1, 2, 3."
The band started playing. Sandy was entranced.
"So, girls, got any Thanksgiving plans?" Jenny asked.
Buffy looked at her. "Anne and Faith are picking up Cordy and Katrina, and they're all coming. We're all gonna have dinner at my house."
Sandy was still mesmerized and barely paying attention to anything but Veruca. "They're good, aren't they?"
Tara shrugged. "They're okay."
Buffy yawned. "Yeah. She's a Fiona wannabe. Color me bored."
"Really?" Giles asked. "I think she's rather remarkable. Such presence for someone her age."
The next day, in Professor Walsh's class, she was returning papers. "Ms. Summers...I want you to prepare to lead a discussion group next class on the paper topic. That was smart work."
Buffy was surprised as she received her paper. "What do I have to do?"
"If you have any questions, bring them up with one of the TAs."
Buffy left the class and walked up to Tara.
"Are you okay? How'd you do?" Tara asked her.
Buffy smiled and held up her paper.
Tara smiled. "Great job."
"I know. Can you believe it? And she wants me to lead a discussion group next class." Buffy suddenly frowned. "That means more work, right?"
They started to walk.
"Shouldn't she have a better reward system? You know, like a cookie or a toy surprise like at the dentist?" Buffy asked.
"This is college, not kindergarten." Tara leaned close to Buffy and smiled seductively. "But you can have my cookies later."
Buffy smiled, aroused. "Mmmm..." She kissed Tara on the lips. "Still, I'm gonna pass on the discussion group."
Sandy walked through the outdoor seating area of the cafe. She saw Veruca sitting alone at a table, eating a three triple-patty cheeseburgers and large fries.
Veruca noticed her. "What are you gonna do, sit on the ground? There's room."
Sandy sat down. "Big lunch?"
Veruca shrugged. "I like to eat. I hate chicks who are like 'Does it have dressing on it?'"
"You guys were awesome last night."
"I guess. The set's starting to come together, but the amps still sound dirty to me."
"Hmmm, you oughta talk to Buffy about that. She knows more about amps than me."
Cordelia and Doyle were having dinner at Helen's Kitchen. They were sitting across from each other in a booth. The sun hung low in the sky as late afternoon gave way to evening.
Cordelia chewed and swallowed a piece of her pork chop. "Mmmm! I love having money and being able to eat out again!"
Doyle suddenly sobered. "Uh-oh."
Cordelia looked at him. Doyle's hand clenched into a fist around his Styrofoam cup, hot coffee spilling everywhere.
Cordelia yelped with surprise. "Doyle..."
Doyle's eyes were pinched shut in agony. Then the lids opened, revealing his eyeballs rolled up into his head. "Chrystal." Doyle's breathing began to slow.
"You okay?" Cordelia asked him.
"Me? Fit as a fiddle." Doyle held his head. "A pain-racked fiddle."
Cordelia unzipped her purse and took out a couple of pills. She offered them to him along with her cup of water. "No aspirin. Midol okay?"
Doyle waved her off, then got a flask from inside his coat, uncapped it, and took a swig. "Couldn't they just give me this info with a little self-destructing tape recorder or something?"
"You said 'Chrystal'."
Doyle nodded. "Young chippy. A pro."
"She's in the entertainment industry?"
Doyle gave her a look. "A prostitute. Works out of a sleaze pit called The Bottom Bar."
"Never heard of it."
Faith walked over to them. "I have."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Of course, you have."
Doyle nodded. "Figueroa, just south of 13th Street. Parking's next to the check-cashing place. The booze is a little watered down, but it's still worth it, 'cause some of the ladies there are choice. I mean...they got this one-"
"You saw all that in your vision?" Cordelia asked skeptically.
"Umm...yyyeah." Doyle looked at Faith. "Anyway, this Chrystal chick...you gotta save her."
"From what? Or who?" Faith asked him.
Doyle shrugged. "That's all I got. Save her."
"Can't Angel handle it?" Faith asked.
Cordelia looked at her. "He's handling some demon shit in Pasadena."
"Shit. Okay." Faith looked at Anne. "Anne, cover the rest of my shift, please and spank you."
Anne looked at her and smiled. "I'll hold you to that."
Faith walked toward the front entrance.
"Careful, beor..."
Faith stopped and turned back to face Doyle.
"The girl's walking on the edge of a razor."
Faith nodded slightly, then left.
Faith went home, changed out of her work uniform, and arrived at the club at sunset. A neon sign read "The Bottom". The heavy thumping of the bassline of Nas' "Nastradamus" emanated from within. Faith stood in line, paid the cover, and entered the club.
It was crowded, loud, and smoky. In a rear corner was a small stairwell. Two signs bolted to the wall next to it read "Private" and "Employees Only". Faith walked up to the bar and sat on a stool.
The bartender walked over to her. "What'll it be?"
"Zima." Faith got her fake ID out of her jeans pocket and handed it to him.
The bartender briefly looked at it, returned it to Faith, got out a bottle of Zima, and opened it for her.
Faith picked up the bottle, sipped her drink, leaned back on her stool, and looked toward the rear of the club. A blonde woman, pretty and waifish, emerged from the stairwell, followed by a guy buttoning up and tucking in his shirt tail. The guy mouthed an awkward goodbye, then headed toward the exit as the woman made her way over to a large booth.
Among those seated there were a Latino man with piercings in his ears, nose, and eyebrow and a brawny, bearded biker-pimp. Standing obediently next to him was a young prostitute - dark circles under her eyes, thin and drawn, a streak of fuchsia through her black hair.
The blonde woman leaned in over the Latino's shoulder and discreetly passed him something. He kissed her on the cheek and sent her on her way.
Faith reacted as she suddenly walked toward her, ending up at the bar, a stool away.
"Danny, I'm dying of thirst over here."
Wordlessly, Faith slid her drink in front of her.
The woman glanced at it, then at her. She offered a small smile, picked up the bottle, took a sip, and grimaced. "Yuck."
Faith took the bottle back, indignant. "I like it. It's zomething different."
"Condolences. Danny!"
The bartender set down a shot glass and poured her a shot, which she threw back.
Faith stared at her. "You're Chrystal."
She gave her a looking over. "I know you?"
"Can we go someplace quiet?" Faith asked her.
Chrystal gave her another gentle smile. "Hey, you're a nice looker and all, but I'm kinda on a break. Check back with me later."
The Latino arrived behind her. "That's not the way we treat new friends, Chrystal. Let's be nice to the lady."
"C'mon, Miggie, I just got through-"
Miggie just glared at her, and she shut up.
Miggie looked at Faith. "One hour, one hundred."
Faith hesitated.
"That's a great deal. A sharp-dressed gal like you shouldn't have any trouble affording that."
"I just want to talk to her."
"Ohhh, you just wanna talk. Talking's two-hundred."
Miggie chuckled wryly, then stopped when he noticed Faith holding up three folded hundred-dollar bills.
"Here's three." Faith slapped the money into Miggie's hand. "After she and I are done, she gets a one-hour vacation."
Chrystal squinted at Faith, then at Miggie. The pimp stared at Faith for a moment, then slowly broke out in a grin. He snatched the bills from Faith's hand.
Chrystal opened the door, then stood aside to let Faith enter. She took in the small room: unmade double bed, vanity table, folding chair. Chrystal closed the door.
"He ever hurt you?" Faith asked.
"Who? Miggie? He's not as bad as some. What you might call a necessary evil."
"I've run across evil before. Never once found any to be necessary." Faith casually crossed to the vanity, noticing a small hand mirror on which she could make out remnants of cocaine.
Chrystal squeezed in front of her, quickly intercepted the mirror, and shoved it into a drawer. Then she picked up a plastic kitchen timer and turned the dial. "So what do they call you?"
"I'm Faith."
Chrystal planted the timer on the table, then grabbed the hem of her top and started to pull it up over her head.
"Don't."
Chrystal stopped and looked at her. "Okay. How do you want me?"
"How-"
Chrystal moved toward her. "On the bed? The chair?"
She walked up to her, and her hands went to Faith's chest, rubbing her breasts. Faith let her.
"Or maybe like this? You like to be on your feet. More in control." Chrystal reached around, caressing her back, nuzzling her.
Faith sighed. "You're very good at this."
"Oh, yeah. I'm good at a lot of things. Tell me what you want." Her hands moved lower.
Faith grabbed them and held them in hers. "I want to help you."
Chrystal squinted. "Help me?"
"I think you're in trouble. And maybe you don't know a way out."
Chrystal pulled herself away and stared at her. "But you'll show me the way, right? All I need do is follow the Lord's path, and He'll lead me from this den of the wicked? Damn! Did not have you pegged for one of those crackpots."
"I'm not-"
"Help me? Help yourself. C'mon, we're alone. You didn't blow three bills just to make a sales pitch." Chrystal moved in on her again, touching her arm, her face, grabbing her breasts, putting a hand under her skirt, rubbing her pussy, slipping a finger inside. "Don't you like me? Don't you want to taste the fruit? Or did you come to punish the fallen woman? Is that it? Some little tramp broke your heart, now it's payback-"
"Hey!" Faith yelled sharply.
Chrystal stopped and looked at her.
"Is the taunting extra? 'Cause I'm out of money."
Chrystal gave her a wry smile. "It's complimentary." She crossed to the bed and sat. "What are you doing here?"
Faith took a moment to consider. "Truthfully, I don't know yet."
"Uh-huh. Maybe you should come back when you do."
"By then, it'll be too late."
Chrystal studied her with some trepidation. "Well, now...that is a dilemma."
Faith sensed her alarm. "Look, I'm not trying to be evasive. Or talk in riddles. I just know what it feels like to be trapped. Insulated from the outside world."
Chrystal felt uneasy. "You don't know anything about me."
"That's true. But I can't imagine you ever wanted to end up like this."
Chrystal seemed pensive, lost in thought. "Yeah, well, things don't always end up the way you plan."
Faith sat with her. "Nice thing about plans...you can always make others. Trust me, I know."
"I don't trust anyone."
"Maybe I can help you with that, too. Think it over. If you need me...I'll be around." Faith stood and walked to the door.
"Do yourself a favor...don't be."
Faith looked at her for a moment, when they were both startled by frantic pounding on her door.
"Chrystal! Oh, God! Chrystal!!!"
Chrystal rushed to the door. "Janie?! What-"
She opened the door, and Janie - the woman with black hair from earlier - ran into her arms, sobbing and shaking.
"Amber. She's - She's dead! Amber's dead."
"Wait, honey. Slow down."
"I heard shit. And I knocked. But she didn't answer. And the door was open, and there was blood everywhere, and she was - oh, God."
Faith stepped forward. "Where?"
Dazed, Janie noticed her for the first time. "Over at the Mercer."
"Show me." Faith gently ushered her out.
Janie looked back at Chrystal. "Chrystal?"
Chrystal followed. "It's okay, Janie. I'm with you."
"Who's she?" Janie asked.
They arrived at the hotel. The walls in the hallway were marred with water stains and peeling wallpaper. Faith, Chrystal, and Janie arrived at a hotel room door.
Janie was still shaking. "There. In there."
Faith noticed the door was slightly ajar. She gestured for Chrystal and Janie to wait and slowly pushed the door open.
The room was dark. Faith reached over and flicked on the light. Her eyes scanned the room as she stepped inside.
Chrystal followed behind her. "Janie?"
"No, I can't..."
Chrystal gently took her hand, and Janie cautiously entered, her eyes wide with shock.
The room was clean - immaculate, in fact: a made bed, polished floor, dust-free furniture.
Janie stepped into the room. "But...she was here. I saw her. Parts of her. And the blood. There was all this blood."
Chrystal comforted her. Janie gasped.
"What the hell's this?" someone asked.
Janie ran to embrace the biker-pimp from Miggie's table at the bar. "Billy! I was looking for you. I - Amber - She's - I mean...I think she's-"
"Amber? Amber's working a job across town. What are you running your mouth off about?"
Faith stared at him. "She said someone was murdered here."
Billy eyed Faith, sizing her up. "She's a junkie. Her brain's scrambled. Who the hell are you?"
"She's with me, Billy. Just a customer."
Billy looked at Chrystal. "Yeah? Then get her outta here." He looked at Faith. "Show's over, friend. Nothing to see."
As Faith exited the room, she came nose to nose with Billy. "Clean room."
Chrystal gestured for Janie to come with her. "Janie?"
Billy stepped between them. "Janie's on the clock. And so are you. Back to work before Miggie finds out."
Faith and Chrystal continued down the hall.
The next morning, Buffy and Sandy were walking down a corridor. Sandy was holding a basket full of laundry.
"Did you move into a dorm?" Buffy asked her.
"No, why?"
Buffy nodded at the basket.
"Laundry machine broke at home. Until Mom gets it fixed or replaced, I'm gonna use the campus laundromat."
"Ah."
Riley and Professor Walsh came walking toward them from the opposite direction.
"It was unbelievable. The fact that I survived at all is a miracle."
Buffy walked up to them. "Excuse me. Ms. Walsh?"
Walsh looked at her. "I hope you're careful when you walk around campus after dark. I was attacked by a wild dog last night."
"A wild dog?"
"Biggest thing I've ever seen. For a moment, I thought it was a gorilla. Did you have a question, Buffy?"
"No. No, I just wanted to tell you that I've decided to pass on leading the group discussion."
"Fine. See you in class."
Buffy was surprised. She and Sandy left.
Sandy looked at Buffy. "You look thoughtful."
"Someone that I knew in high school was a werewolf. When he was transformed, he looked like a big dog...or a gorilla...or Chewbacca."
"You think there's a werewolf on campus?"
"Possibly."
"Maybe talk to that guy. Is he still around?"
"He's dead."
"Oh."
"But it bears looking into...after class."
Sandy walked into the laundromat. Veruca was walking about in lingerie while waiting for her laundry to wash. Sandy noticed cuts and scratches on Veruca's body and salivated at the sight of blood.
"Hey." Sandy set her basket down in front of an empty washer.
Veruca looked at her. "Hey."
Sandy opened the washer and started putting in her laundry. "Rough night?"
"What?"
"I heard there was a wild dog on campus. Did it attack you?"
Veruca hesitated. "No. God! The kids in the dorm need Fashion 101 in a big way." She spied Sandy's thrift store ensemble. "Or we could start right here at home."
Sandy self-consciously looked down at her clothes for a moment, then back at Veruca. "Are you a werewolf?"
"What? No."
Sandy walked over to her. "If you are, I know someone that can help. She has experience in this area."
"Let me guess: Buffy?"
"Yeah. She can probably get you set up with a cage."
Veruca was incredulous. "Cage?"
"Yeah. I don't want you to hurt anybody."
"How considerate of you. I'll pass."
Sandy hesitated for a moment, then she bared her fangs. "I insist."
Veruca smiled. "Well, well. I'm not the only one with a secret." She thought for a moment. "How are you not bursting into flames?"
"Secret."
Veruca chuckled. "Fine. How are you friends with the Slayer?"
"Simple: I don't kill people."
"Do you feed off them, at least?"
"Nope. Animal blood. I carry around vials of it for sudden cravings."
"God! She's domesticated the hell out of you."
"It's my choice."
"Maybe. Or maybe you just don't wanna admit what happened to you. Maybe you just wanna pretend like you're a regular girl."
"Well, I am."
"No, you're a vampire, and this human thing is just an act. You ever think about that, Sandy?" Veruca got closer to her.
Sandy nodded. "I have, but I've come to realize it is possible to live a normal life as a vampire."
Veruca stared at her, unconvinced.
"I'm going. I gotta check the paper, see if you did any damage last night."
"What's your hurry?" Veruca asked flirtatiously.
Sandy stayed still, unsure how to respond.
"We could...do it...right here." Veruca started getting cuddly with her.
"Do it?" Sandy asked nervously.
"Fuck." Veruca snuggled close to her. "I can help you, Sandy. You're scared. I was, too. But then I accepted it. The animal, it's powerful, inside me all the time. Soon, you just start to feel sorry for everybody else, because they don't know what it's like to be as alive as we are. As free."
"Free to kill people?" Sandy asked. "I won't do that. You shouldn't."
"You don't understand. But you will."
Sandy pulled away. "No." She paused in thought. "I'm gonna talk to Buffy. Are you willing to try this?"
Veruca considered. "Sure, I'll play along...for now."
Buffy walked up to Giles' apartment and rang the doorbell. Soon, the door opened. Giles was standing there.
"Buffy. Excellent." Giles stepped aside. "Uh, come in."
Buffy walked into the apartment. "Hi."
Giles walked over to her. "Can I get you anything? Tea? I made a very interesting moussaka last night, if you're hungry."
"Pass on the tea. And the moose, thank you."
"You come on business, I hope?"
Buffy gave him a look. "Yes. Lucky for you, people may be in danger."
Giles was embarrassed. "I only meant, uh, that I'm at the ready. But I'm curious as to why you came to me instead of Jenny."
"You have practical experience with werewolves." Buffy shrugged. "And I'm kinda hoping you still have some of that shit that Tara shot Oz with."
"Phenobarbital. Uh, yes, I believe so." Giles went to a closet and opened it.
"Good. We might need it."
"So there's a werewolf in the area?" Giles asked, bringing the tranquilizer gun back with him.
"Here's the deal. One of my professors said that she was almost attacked by a wild dog last night...under the light of a nearly full moon. I've not seen anything about the attacks in the newspapers or on the news."
"It's a werewolf."
Buffy and Giles turned and looked.
Sandy walked into Giles' apartment. "It's Veruca."
"You're sure?" Buffy asked her.
Sandy nodded. "She admitted it. On the plus side, she's agreed to try the cage thing...for now, anyway."
"Okay..." Buffy paused in thought. "Um, where can we get one?"
The three of them stood in silence for a moment, pondering.
Buffy snapped her fingers. "Angel's mansion on Crawford Street! It's probably just sitting abandoned. Cordy used to chain him up in there."
Sandy raised her eyebrows.
"Okay, you pick up Veruca and bring her there." Buffy took the tranquilizer gun from Giles. "I'll head there right now and get the place ready."
"Are you certain chains will hold her?" Giles asked.
Buffy shrugged. "It's all that we can do on short notice."
"Right. Get right on it. And you report back to me-"
"ASAP. Promise." Buffy turned and headed for the door.
Sandy followed her.
Faith, Cordelia, and Doyle were having dinner at Helen's Kitchen. They got out of their booth.
Doyle looked at Faith. "Hold on, why am I looking after this Chrystal chippy? That's your job."
"Just for a little while, D-Minus. Two people died horribly in that hotel room, and that girl's pimp is covering it up."
"Two people?" Cordelia asked Faith in surprise. "But you said the room was clean. How do you-"
"I could smell the blood."
Cordelia and Doyle shared a look.
"There was a lot of it. Too much for one body."
Doyle looked at Faith. "Well, that's a nifty talent you got there."
Cordelia nodded. "Yeah. Think I'll be throwing up now."
Faith looked at them. "We'll meet back at my place. Anne can loan you her key."
Faith and Doyle headed for the door.
"Hey, what about me?" Cordelia asked.
They stopped and looked at her.
"What's my assignment?" Cordelia asked.
Faith thought for a moment. "You can cover my meal. I blew all my money last night."
"Oh, really?" Anne pointedly asked her as she started clearing their table.
Faith nodded. "Hey, I'll have enough for my half of the rent, don't worry."
Cordelia walked over to Faith. "I think you're forgetting I have skills that could be very valuable in this kind of work."
"You're a whore?" Faith asked her.
Cordelia frowned. "I'm an actress." She smiled somewhat patronizingly.
Faith and Doyle exchanged a look.
Sandy and Veruca walked into the mansion, where Buffy was reinforcing the chains and testing them.
Veruca looked at Sandy. "Ooh, baby. So this is why you called me here? To get me in chains?"
Sandy smiled and shrugged. "We couldn't find a cage on short notice."
Buffy looked at Veruca. "Come here."
Veruca walked up to Buffy. "Right before sunset, I get a little buzzed, you know?"
Buffy frowned. "Save the flirting. I heard about Professor Walsh being chased by a 'wild dog'. You remember anything like that, Ruc?"
"So what if I do?" Veruca asked her.
Buffy was surprised at her attitude. "You, uh, you gonna get naked?"
Veruca smiled and raised her eyebrows.
"Look, you're gonna lose those clothes either way. One way's permanent."
Veruca stripped naked, dropping her clothes on the floor. Buffy gently but firmly pushed Veruca against the wall and took hold of her right hand.
Veruca tried to pull out of Buffy's grasp. "I belong outside."
Buffy cuffed Veruca's hand. "You can't run loose tonight. Or tomorrow night. And not just because you might hurt somebody. I know there are people that hunt werewolves for sport. I've met one. If he hears about you, he'll come right back here. So just lay low, okay? You'll be safe here."
Veruca tried to pull away. Sandy ran over to her, held her in place, bared her fangs, and growled.
Veruca smiled. "There's the animal."
Sandy cuffed Veruca's left hand. Buffy and Sandy took a few steps back.
"It's coming. I feel it. It's like blood boiling." Veruca leaned in towards Sandy, hanging from the chains. "I've wanted you even before I ever saw you. I sensed you. Did you sense me?"
Sandy didn't answer, feeling uncomfortable.
"Did you?" Veruca asked again.
Sandy nodded slightly.
Veruca kissed Sandy on the lips.
Buffy didn't know how she felt about this. "Sandy, c'mon."
Sandy pulled away from Veruca. Veruca violently pulled on the chains, enraged. Sandy turned and left the mansion.
"Struggle all you want. Those chains have held a vampire and a Slayer."
Veruca smiled. "Well, well. You and Sandy got a thing going?"
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Not me and not her."
"Too bad. A threesome would be fun."
Buffy started to walk off, then stopped and turned to look at her. "I find you while out on patrol tonight, and I'll tranq your ass."
Veruca seductively ran her tongue along her lower lip. "I always love it in my ass."
Buffy turned and left the mansion.
Faith stood in the shadows outside The Bottom. Around the corner of the building, she saw Billy, his arm around Janie's shoulders. She seemed a little dazed and out of it.
"I'm just saying I felt real bad about snapping at you before. So you got a little confused, no excuse for me to talk to you like that."
"It's okay, Billy. I-It seemed so real."
"The important thing is...you like it."
"Like it?" Janie asked, confused.
"The necklace."
"Oh. Yeah, Billy..."
Faith looked closer as Janie's hand went up to a necklace. A round black onyx mounted in the middle of an oval ruby setting was hanging by a silver chain. Bisecting the stone was a jagged line of silver.
"It's so really beautiful. I love it, like, so much."
"You'll always be my number one girl, Janie. You know that, don't you?"
"I know, Billy."
He took out a wad of cash and peeled off a bill. "Get yourself a quick drink. Then head on over to the Mercer. You got a customer heading up in a few."
Janie took the bill. "Okay."
Billy tapped his nose. "If you feel like it, hit the powder room one more time. Help clear your head."
She nodded weakly, then turned and headed into the bar. Billy watched her go, his warm expression evaporating and his eyes narrowing. Billy took off, crossing the street, and Faith followed him.
Inside the club, Chrystal and Miggie were sitting at a nearby booth, drinking with a couple of his pimp pals. Janie, drink in hand, walked over to join them as Miggie and the other men got up to leave.
Janie showed off her necklace to Chrystal. "Nice, huh? Billy said it was real expensive."
"Yeah, nice. How are you doing? You okay?"
Janie nodded. "My mind was playing tricks on me, I guess."
"That what Billy said?"
Janie shrugged.
"Haven't seen Amber around. You?"
Janie felt uneasy. "No."
"Janie, if you want to bunk with me for a couple of days..."
Janie brightened. "Really? Chrys, that would be awesome. But Billy-"
"I'll talk to Billy."
Janie hugged her. "You're the bomb." She got up to leave. "Gotta go. Appointment."
"You be careful, sweetie."
Janie smiled. She and Chrystal exchanged a kiss. Janie left. Chrystal watched her go. Sensing his gaze, Chrystal looked over at Doyle. He attempted to casually avert his eyes - as if he was just looking around.
Chrystal got up and headed toward the restroom.
Cordelia strolled down a sidewalk, her ankles occasionally buckling. She was dressed and made-up like some Hollywood B-movie version of a hooker: feather jacket, leather micro-mini, strapped into high platform pumps, a lot of rouge, and a big blonde wig.
Two prostitutes were standing near a corner, engaged in conversation. One noticed Cordelia and gestured for the other to look.
Cordelia walked over to the two prostitutes. "So...how's tricks, fellow hookers?"
"Who or what the hell are you?" one of them asked.
"I'm Cookie. You've probably never seen me before, since I usually work in a different part of town." Cordelia pointed indiscriminately. "Way, way over there."
"Bitch, if you're living the life, I'm Julia Roberts."
"Well, hello, Julia. 'Cause you're looking at the real deal here, sister."
A car pulled up next to them.
A middle-aged guy in glasses stuck his head out and looked at Cordelia. "Hi, there. I'm looking for a date."
Cordelia frowned. "Ye-ah. Like I'd date a fogy who drives a Dodge Dart. Get real."
The flustered guy drove away.
Cordelia turned back to the prostitutes. "So...hear any good gossip lately?"
Billy approached a closed-up corner drugstore, its double glass doors and windows blacked out with taped-up newspaper. Faith kept her distance, across the street, in the shadows, watching. Billy checked the coast, then took out a set of keys, unlocked the door, and slipped inside, closing the door behind him.
Faith stealthily crossed to the store. She studied the doors for a moment, then gave them a gentle tug to confirm they were locked again. She attempted to peer into the store through the crack between the two doors - to no avail.
She considered her next move, then suddenly hesitated. Slowly looking up, she saw, in the darkest corner of the doorway, a tiny red light - a surveillance camera.
Faith reacted as both doors burst open, and she was grabbed by two powerfully-built goons, who yanked her inside.
At the club, Chrystal, wearing Janie's scarf, exited the restroom, sniffing and wiping her nose, then started off for the exit. She passed the bar. "I'm gone, Danny. Take messages."
The outer area of the drugstore was big and open. There were tables and chairs, a pool table, a sofa, a TV, and a fridge (on which sat a security monitor). The walls were covered with pictures of nude women. Six pimps surrounded Faith, wielding baseball bats.
"What are you doing following me? Who are you?" Billy asked her.
Faith looked around at her opposition, taking stock of her situation, considering her reply. She turned back to Billy. "The best waitress at Helen's Kitchen."
The bat-wielding pimps looked blankly at her, then at each other, not really sure how to respond.
Faith shrugged. "Thought I'd give it a shot."
She elbowed one of the pimps behind him in the face as another swung his bat at her. Faith ducked, and the bat took out the already elbowed pimp.
Before she could fend it off, a third pimp slammed Faith in the gut, and she doubled over. The second pimp hit her in the back, sending Faith to the floor as the others rained blows down upon her. As Billy brought down his bat, Faith's hand shot out and grabbed it. Billy tried and failed to pull it out of her grip. Then Faith lifted her head. She was bruised and bloodied but also incredibly angry. The pimps stared at each other, dumbfounded for a beat, then charged her. Faith kicked serious ass with some impressive bat-fu action, much carnage delivered to the bad guys.
While she was dispatching a couple of them, Billy came up behind Faith, wielding an ax. He raised it to strike.
Faith turned and grabbed him by the throat. "We need to have a little talk, Billy."
She squeezed until Billy dropped the ax.
"What - What do you want?" Billy asked in a choked voice.
Faith threw him through a pair of closed double doors into an inner room, then stepped into the room. "Answers."
She stopped when she suddenly noticed the elaborate shrine before her, constructed atop a riser. She saw animal bones, talismans, small effigies, along with empty pint bottles, crack vials, and porn magazines. She scanned the paraphernalia for a moment, then she went wide-eyed with faint recognition when she noticed the wall behind the shrine bore a symbol: a circle within an oval and what looked like a lightning bolt bisecting the circle.
Faith burst through the door of a room at the Mercer and froze in horror at the carnage before her. Blood was splattered across the walls, and a single severed limb was on the floor.
Then, sensing something behind her in the doorway, she whipped around to find Chrystal staring into the room, her eyes agape with horror and revulsion.
Faith went to her to comfort her and block her view. "Don't. Don't look."
Chrystal shoved her back, and Faith saw she was looking at her bruises and bleeding mouth.
"Things aren't what they look like."
With that, Chrystal brought up a revolver, cocked it, and pointed it in Faith's face. Before she could respond, Faith watched her hold up something in her other hand. It was a badge.
"A lot of that going around."
Faith sat stoically at the end of a long table in the interrogation room at the police station. A detective in a suit - his jacket off, shirt sleeves rolled up - reclined in a chair by the room's only door.
The door opened, and Chrystal entered the room.
Chrystal glanced at the detective. "Give me five minutes."
The detective eyed Faith for a moment, then shrugged. "Sure, Chrys."
He grabbed his jacket and exited, closing the door behind him.
Chrystal sat down across from Faith. "Try as I might, Ms. Lehane, I couldn't find much on you except for a bit of trouble back in Boston."
Faith smiled mischievously. "That's because I'm a model citizen."
Chrystal leaned across the table. "What the hell were you doing there at the hotel?"
"You know I had nothing to do with it."
"All I know is you're hiding something."
Faith hesitated. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry?"
"About Janie. You were close to her, weren't you?"
Chrystal reacted, a wave of emotion rolling over her. "Let's stay on subject-"
"I thought her murder was the subject."
"She was just another poor dumb kid, all alone, who never had a chance."
"She wasn't alone. She had you."
"For all the good that did her."
"How could you have helped her? You can't even help yourself."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I think you know." Faith stood up. "How long have you been undercover?"
Chrystal waited a long moment. "Two years."
"Long time to be living someone else's life, isn't it?"
Chrystal didn't answer.
"I'm sure, when you started, you were immune to the temptations. At first. Then maybe, to protect your cover, you indulged once, twice. No problem. Cross one line, you draw another. Cross that one, draw another. Cross that, draw another...'til it's not even you doing it anymore. It's her. Then it becomes easy. You can do anything. You can't get close to this world and not have it rub off on you."
Chrystal shot to her feet. "Who are you to judge me? Where were you three months ago when the disappearances started, and I couldn't get anyone to listen? I mean, let's face it, nobody gives a fuck about a few missing junkie prostitutes, right?"
Before Faith could respond, Chrystal crossed to the door and opened it.
"Go on. Get out of here."
Faith didn't move.
"You're free to go."
"Chrystal, there are external forces at work here. You don't know what you're dealing-"
"Go. Now."
Reluctantly, Faith stood up. She walked toward the door but stopped next to Chrystal. "When I look at you, I see my mom. She was a junkie. She was a whore. I saw my mom's life slowly deteriorate. Then I saw her die. Get help before it's too late. There's lists of resources in this place, right?" She left the room.
Chrystal closed the door behind her. She pinched her eyes shut, staving off some inner pain. Then, just as quickly and with a deep breath, she shook it off. Composed, she opened the door and exited.
Faith unlocked and opened the door and stepped into her and Anne's small apartment. Anne was still at work.
Doyle sat on the bed, concerned. He jumped up. "I lost her. Chrystal. But it wasn't my fault. She took off, and I was gonna follow her, but something came up. And all I'll say is it's a lucky thing I had a few bills on me, or I might be shy a digit or two-"
Ignoring him, Faith moved to the phone, grabbed a pad and a pen, and began to draw the symbol on the wall above the shrine.
"You know, when you think about it, this is really your fault. I mean...what were you thinking, putting me in charge of her? I'm not cut out-"
Faith grabbed Doyle's sleeve and yanked him over. "Ever see this before?" She tore the page from the pad and handed it to him.
Doyle looked at the paper. "Not ringing any bells."
"Get yourself some new bells. I want to know what that symbol means."
Doyle nodded. "I'll check Angel's library."
Cordelia entered the apartment, still all hookered out. "Ugh, my ankles are killing me!"
"You know what time it is?" Doyle asked her.
"What are you, my father? I was developing my street cred."
"Learn anything helpful?" Faith asked her.
"Never wear these shoes again. And something about ten missing prostitutes."
Faith and Doyle shared a look, surprised and impressed.
Doyle looked at Cordelia. "Well, all right, undercover girl!"
"Ten?" Faith asked her.
"Give or take. According to my new gutter buddies, it's been going on for a few months, but everybody's afraid to talk about it."
"These girls - do you know if they had anything in common? Hair color? Eyes? Same pimp?" Faith asked her.
Cordelia shook her head. "Nothing anyone mentioned. Except...they were all pretty fucked up - druggies, alkies - real both-end candle-burners...pretty much at the end of their wicks."
In the police precinct squad room, Chrystal was sitting at her desk and looking through an open file folder. Clipped to the left-hand side of the folder was a set of mugshots - Janie holding a booking number. Chrystal reached in and pulled out another photo clipped underneath the mugshots, almost obscured by it. It was a yearbook photo of Janie, fresh-faced and smiling. Chrystal stared intently at the photograph, her eyes red and moist. Five other desks were lined up in the room, only a couple occupied.
"You look like hell."
She glanced up to see Detective Lieutenant Gabe Menlo, a paunchy man in his forties, holding a manila envelope. He pulled over a chair and sat.
"What's going on with you, Chrystal? Rumor has it you've been living in the jungle so long, you've gone native. That true?"
"Just trying to do my job."
"Seems more like the job's doing you. You stopped filing reports; you don't check in regularly like you're supposed to. I hear you even interrogated a suspect without another badge present."
"Not a suspect. A material witness."
"Same difference. Any way you look at it, that's some pretty sloppy work."
"Something else you want, Gabe? Are you just here to bust my chops?"
He tossed the envelope onto her desk. She opened it.
"Preliminary forensics report. They found something weird in the blood they got from the dead whore."
Chrystal bristled. "Janie! Her name was Janie!"
Menlo was taken aback by her outburst. "Yeah, okay."
Chrystal considered an apology but opted instead to peruse the report. "What do you mean 'weird'?"
He continued to stare at her until she looked up at him.
"Abnormally high red blood cell count."
"Drug-related?"
"Not any drug I ever heard of. Whatever it was, kinda makes PCP look downright homeopathic."
"What are you talking about?"
"You saw the bodies. This five-foot-nothing girl tore a healthy, grown man to pieces, then disemboweled herself. What the hell can make somebody do that?"
Chrystal went wide-eyed.
Menlo suddenly realized. "You didn't know."
Chrystal fumed. "Sons of bitches. Damn them."
"Don't you get it? It's self-inflicted. We can't touch 'em for murder. We're lucky if they get eight-to-ten. God forbid they get kicked early for good behavior."
In the morning, Buffy and Sandy returned to the mansion. They walked in.
Veruca was standing there, awake, waiting. "What kept you?"
Sandy walked over to her and got out the key to the cuffs. "Sorry, I had to wait for Buffy; she lives on campus; I don't."
"Why not?" Veruca asked her.
Sandy unlocked Veruca's cuffs. "Before I became a daywalker, I felt living at home would help me avoid the sun more."
Veruca rubbed her wrists and looked at Buffy. "Why'd you make her wait for you?"
"Because I don't trust you."
Veruca picked up her clothes and started getting dressed. "What, you think we'd become a monster power couple and team up against you?" Veruca asked her.
"No, I trust Sandy."
"You shouldn't. She's just as much of a beast as me."
Buffy ignored her and turned and left the mansion. Sandy and Veruca followed.
Buffy headed for Tara's scooter. "See you tonight."
Sandy and Veruca headed for Sandy's car.
"Wanna grab breakfast?" Sandy offered.
"They serve burgers this early anywhere?" Veruca asked.
Sandy smiled. "Sure, at Gray's Diner. C'mon."
Veruca sat at the kitchen table and waited as Sandy cooked four hamburger patties in a pan on the stove.
Veruca salivated. "God, those smell good."
Sandy picked up the foam tray that had held the patties and drank the blood from it.
Megan Gray walked into the kitchen and stopped when she saw what her daughter was doing, slightly disgusted. "Ick."
Sandy set the tray back on the counter and gave her mother an embarrassed smile. "Sorry. I thought you wouldn't see that."
Megan looked at Veruca. "Oh, who's this?"
Sandy gestured at Veruca and her mother in turn. "Mom, this is Veruca Moss. Veruca, this is my mom."
"Oh, you're the-"
Veruca smiled. "The lead singer of Shy, yeah."
"I meant werewolf."
Veruca shrugged. "That, too."
Megan looked at her daughter. "Honey, can I see you for a moment?"
Sandy followed her mother into the living room.
Megan looked at her. "Is she dangerous?"
"I don't know yet."
"Well, maybe don't bring her here anymore until you're sure she's not gonna rip our throats out, huh?" Megan requested.
"Yeah, okay."
Megan nodded, then turned and walked away.
Sandy turned and walked back into the kitchen.
"Everything okay?" Veruca asked.
"Fine." Sandy walked over to the stove and shut off the burner. She picked up the pan, grabbed a spatula, and walked over to the table.
Veruca salivated. "Those look so fucking good."
"They are so fucking good." Sandy slid two burgers each onto their respective plates. "I make a mean burger."
She took the pan and spatula over to the sink and dropped them in, then she went and sat next to Veruca at the table. They picked up their forks and started eating.
"Funny thing about werewolves." Veruca stuck a piece of hamburger into her mouth and started chewing.
Sandy stopped mid-bite and looked at her.
"We have excellent hearing."
Sandy didn't like Veruca's tone but didn't say anything, just resumed eating.
At Angel Investigations, Cordelia was sitting at her desk and using the computer. Faith was standing behind her and looking over her shoulder. Doyle stood nearby. An open ancient book was next to the terminal. Resting atop the left-hand page was Faith's drawing of the shrine's icon. On the right, in the book, was an artist's detailed illustration of same with a caption identifying it as the "Sign of T'Purok".
"Okay, what is it again? Tupac?" Cordelia asked.
Faith sighed. "T'Purok. Capital T - apostrophe - capital P-U-R-"
"Not so fast. Capital T." Cordelia hunted and pecked. "Apostrophe...apostrophe...oh, here it is." She tapped it. "What's after that again?"
"Here. Lemme have a whack." Doyle leaned over her and typed on the keyboard, pretty proficiently.
"How'd you become such a computer whiz?" Faith asked him.
"Three words: downloadable dirty pictures. Shazam."
Faith looked at the screen. "'T'Purok - The Corrupter. From the ancient Babylonian text. Lower demon who preys on the morally depraved, making vessels of those who've fallen deep into the well of corruption.'"
"Sounds like a proxy-inhabitor."
Cordelia looked at Doyle. "A what-y in-what-itor?"
Faith looked at her. "A proxy-inhabitor is a demon who can only experience sensations by possessing a host, usually through transmutory stones or crystals."
Doyle nodded. "Like evil-bad necklaces handed out by willing disciples."
"How do you know all this shit?" Cordelia asked Faith.
"You sound surprised."
"Well, you don't exactly look book-smart."
Faith gave her a dirty look but then softened as memories came to her. "I had a good Watcher."
"Okay, so this thing possesses anyone wearing the necklace, turns her into a crazed homicidal beastie just so it can get its little demon rocks off?" Cordelia asked.
"Not just anyone. It has to be someone who's hit rock bottom. Someone who's lost hope..." Faith came to a realization. "...and thinks she's beyond redemption."
In the late afternoon, Chrystal walked into The Bottom. The place was closed at this hour, empty except for Miggie, behind the bar, going over receipts, when Chrystal entered from the stairwell.
Miggie glanced up and saw her. "Hey, there's my sugar girl. Where you been hiding?"
"You know about Janie."
"Oh. Yeah. Man, that's...a waste is what it is. That john must have been one twisted psycho, huh?" He came around the bar to join her. "I know Billy is just...beside himself. I mean...Janie, right? She was his favorite. Like you're mine." He took out a necklace.
"What is that?"
"Just a little something to help ease the pain."
Chrystal recognized it. "That was Janie's."
Miggie hesitated. "Yeah, that's right. Billy thought you should have it, seeing as how you and she were so tight. I guess he figured she would've wanted that." He moved behind her to fasten the jewelry around her neck. "You know, it takes something like this to make a person take stock. Think about the ones he cares about. I know you haven't been happy lately, babe, but I'm gonna make it up to you. I swear. You still my girl?" Getting no response, he turned her around to face him. "Hey, come on now, are you my girl?"
Chrystal fired her gun, shooting him in the chest. Miggie's eyes went wide with shock, then looked down to see the smoking gun in Chrystal's hand.
Chrystal looked at him numbly, expressionless. "No..."
Miggie collapsed to the floor.
With her free hand, Chrystal yanked the necklace off her throat and threw it down next to his prone form. "I'm not."
Chrystal stood over Miggie's freshly-shot body, reloading the chamber of her gun. She slapped the cylinder back in as a groan emanated from Miggie.
Chrystal pointed her gun at him. "That one didn't kill you. Maybe this one will."
She was about to fire, when, sensing something, she spun around, her gun poised at Faith, standing near the back of the place.
"How did you get in here?" Chrystal asked her.
"The question is...how will you get out?" Faith replied.
Chrystal considered, then stuck her gun in Faith's face. "Any way I have to."
"T'Purok...save me..." Miggie moaned.
Momentarily distracted, Chrystal sensed Faith taking a step toward her. She cocked her pistol, ready to fire, but Faith moved past her and kneeled beside Miggie, checking his pulse.
"Call 911."
Chrystal didn't budge.
"I need to apply pressure to the wound. Call for an ambulance!" Faith yelled.
"He's a murderer. Why are you trying to save him?"
Faith looked up at her. "To keep you from being one. You're better than this. You haven't gone over the edge. Let's keep it that way."
Chrystal hesitated, then shook her head and backed away to the front door. "I have to kill them."
"You interested in killing them or yourself? Because you're not getting out of there alive."
"Joke's on them. I'm already dead." Chrystal exited the club.
Faith sighed in frustration, then looked around and spotted the telephone on the bar.
Buffy and Sandy arrived at the mansion together. They walked inside. It was empty.
"Veruca?" Sandy called.
No response.
"Where is she?" Buffy asked.
Sandy shook her head. "I don't know. I already checked all the usual haunts."
"We have to find Veruca before the sun sets."
Sandy looked at her. "I'm pretty sure I can follow her scent."
"We'll try that, then."
They left to go look for Veruca.
Sandy and Buffy ran through the woods.
"She's near here. I can smell her."
They came upon a pile of clothes in a heap - and no Veruca.
Buffy stared down at the clothes. "Or the dirty pile of clothing she left on the ground."
Sandy tried to be optimistic. "Well, they could be from two nights ago, when she turned into a werewolf."
Buffy looked at her. "Unless she wanted to throw us off the scent."
Buffy and Sandy ran through the forest at top speed. Buffy slammed full force into a burly commando guy. They hit the ground, and their guns went flying. They got up. Buffy picked up her tranquilizer gun and ran after Sandy.
Faith was still tending to the bleeding Miggie.
"Praise, T'Purok. His power is my power. His strength is my strength..."
Anne tentatively entered the club, not seeing them. "Knock, knock."
"Here."
Anne spotted Faith and walked toward her until she saw the badly-wounded Miggie and the accompanying blood. "Whoa."
"Come here."
"That's okay, I can see fine."
"Get over here."
Cringing, Anne made her way over. Faith took her hand, pulled her down to the floor, and pressed it against Miggie's wound.
Anne felt like vomiting. "Oh, shit."
"Paramedics will be here any second. Keep applying pressure until they arrive." Faith moved to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"To stop a massacre." Faith took off.
Anne looked down as she continued to stave off Miggie's bleeding. She felt ill. "The shit that Slayers get me into..."
Tara left the library. She started heading back to Stevenson Hall. Suddenly, she noticed Veruca standing nearby.
"Veruca?" Tara asked.
"Get away from me."
"Are you okay?" Tara asked her.
"The sun's almost down. Get away if you know what's good for you."
"You should be chained up. What are you doing?" Tara asked her.
"Being free."
Buffy and Sandy arrived.
Buffy raised her gun and pointed it at Veruca. "Don't touch her."
"Come stop me. I like it rough, remember?"
Buffy fired, hitting Veruca in the neck with a tranquilizer dart. Veruca fell to the ground, unconscious.
Chrystal stood at the entrance to the abandoned drugstore, looking into the camera. She pounded loudly on the front door.
Billy unlocked one of the double doors and opened it a crack. "If you're looking for your man, he's not here, Chrys-"
He stopped when Chrystal stuck the barrel of her gun in his face. Billy stepped back as Chrystal pushed her way in.
"LAPD! Hands high where I can see 'em!" Chrystal looked at the others. "That goes for the rest of you fucking pieces of shit. Get 'em up!"
The pimp-cultists reluctantly complied.
"You're a cop?" Billy asked her.
"Now you're gettin' it. Turn around and face the wall. All of you. Move!"
They did.
"Wait a minute. This bust is bogus. Where's your warrant?" Billy asked.
"I'm not going to arrest you." Chrystal cocked her pistol. "I'm going to kill you."
A goon raised a chair to strike her. Suddenly aware of his presence, she whirled around, narrowly dodging it. The chair knocked the gun out of her hand, and they rushed her.
Chrystal fought back. They got into a mini-tussle. She actually managed to take out a few of them before they overpowered her with their greater numbers. Two goons propped her up as Billy walked over. He eyed her with disdain for a moment, then backhanded her across the face.
Faith was driving Anne's green 1995 Nissan Sentra, pedal to the metal, running lights and generally tearing up the street.
Battered and bloody, Chrystal was thrown against a wall and sunk into the corner. Groggily, she looked up. Billy and the others slowly converged on her.
"So much for the foreplay." Billy raised his hand, holding her gun. "Think I'll start with your feet, then work my way up."
"I...I..." Chrystal weakly whispered, her voice hoarse.
"What's this? Pleading for your life? I like a woman who begs for it." Grinning, Billy moved his ear closer to her.
"I...I'm gonna kill you, Billy."
Irritated, Billy stood and cocked the gun. "Just lie back and relax, bitch. This is gonna hurt." He began to squeeze the trigger.
Suddenly, Faith arrived and threw a silver throwing star, embedding it in Billy's hand, and the gun went flying across the room. Billy howled in pain as he brought up his hand. He turned and found Faith.
"Like that?" Faith asked.
She ran over and started kicking their asses, dominating the fight. Some of the cultists, still smarting from the last beating from Faith, ran away. During the melee, Chrystal spotted her gun on the floor, in the corner, and crawled toward it.
Faith had taken out virtually all of the pimps and had Billy pinned up against a wall, when a shot rang out. Billy cowered as the wall by his head splintered. Faith spun around to find Chrystal on her feet, getting ready to fire her gun again. Faith got between the pimps and the gun.
"Get out of my way, Faith."
"Nah."
Chrystal swung her gun around to point at another cultist. Faith continued to block her aim.
"They deserve to die."
"Big time. But not now. Not by you."
"Why not me?! You don't know me!" Chrystal yelled.
"You're right, I don't. But I've taken more than my fair share of shit." Faith paused in consideration. "I've dealt with denial, anger, feelings of hopelessness."
Chrystal broke down. "It is hopeless!"
"You're wrong. It's a struggle. It's painful. But there's always hope. Believe me...I know a little something about losing yourself."
Chrystal looked at her, wanting to believe, then eyed the pimps cowering behind Faith's protection. "And what about them? They have to pay for Janie and the others."
"They will. But not tonight. There won't be any more killings." Faith threw a glance toward the pimps. "Get out."
Billy and the remaining pimps slunk away. Faith gently took Chrystal's gun from her, and she collapsed onto her shoulder. They walked to the wide-open exit.
"How can you be sure the killings will stop?" Chrystal asked.
"Trust me."
"I don't trust anyone."
"Maybe I can help you with that."
They exited out into the night.
Later, after making sure that Chrystal got to the police station and started talking with someone, Faith swung by her apartment and got a large medieval battle-ax, then returned to the drugstore and entered the inner sanctum. The place was empty and quiet.
Faith purposefully crossed to the shrine. She looked at it for a moment, then, with a sweep of her arm, tossed it aside, sending the various paraphernalia flying.
Below the icon was an old wooden door, termite-ridden and boarded up. Faith raised her foot and kicked it in.
She saw a small storage room as the door virtually disintegrated, and the rotted wood hit the filthy, musty floor, and light from the outside spilled in.
Faith stepped inside and looked around. Empty crates, old dusty bottles, and various other items were littered about. Then she heard a sniveling, wheezy laugh coming from above.
Faith looked up. "Hey, T'Purok."
Above and before her was a large, misshapen demon - with a face and stubby claws - growing out of the corner of the ceiling like a mold.
"That's me all over. First to arrive and last to leave the party. Oh, and what a delicious one this was. Mmmm. Nothing sweeter than corruption; don't you agree, Slayer?"
Faith just glared at him as she gripped the ax.
"Ah, well...all good things must come to an end."
"Bad things, too."
"You think you can make a difference? As long as there are souls - weak, wounded, begging to be perverted - I'm everywhere and eternal. I'll be around when the last of humanity eats itself alive. Oh, it's going to be beautiful!" T'Purok declared.
Faith raised the ax over her head.
"Kill me?! Kill a hundred of me! You are one, where I am a thousand!"
Faith swung the ax. It landed with the sound of T'Purok's head being cleaved in two.
Faith pulled the ax out and eyed the demon's corpse for a moment. "Nine-hundred-ninety-nine to go."
Then she turned, threw the ax over her shoulder, and walked away.
When Veruca came to, she found herself chained up in the mansion, naked. It was morning. Buffy, Sandy, and Tara were standing before her. Veruca struggled to break free from the chain. Tara raised a hand and froze her in place.
Veruca was surprised. "Nice little hex, witch."
"Thank you."
Veruca rolled her eyes. "That wasn't a compliment, retard."
Buffy backhanded Veruca across the face. "You wanna say that again, cunt?"
Veruca looked at Sandy. "You're still helping her with this?"
"Yeah, what of it?" Sandy asked.
"She's blinding you. Admit what you are."
Sandy noticed blood flowing from Veruca's lower lip where Buffy had split it open. She salivated. "You don't wanna find out what I am."
"You're an animal. Animals kill."
Sandy frowned. "Shut up."
Veruca gave her an evil smile. "Maybe I'm wrong. You don't have the teeth."
"You don't know what I have. You don't know anything about me."
"Show me."
Sandy bared her fangs and lunged toward Veruca's face. Tara psychically pushed her back.
"Sandy, control yourself!" Buffy told her. "Don't let her get to you!"
Sandy struggled with her urges.
"You don't know what werewolf blood will do to you!" Buffy told her.
Tara nodded. "And you don't know what a vampire bite will do to her."
Sandy got a vial out of her pocket, opened it, and drank the pig blood. She started to calm down. She looked at Buffy. "What do we do with her?"
"Well, it's Thanksgiving. Cordy, Faith, and the others will be here soon. I say we have a team meeting." Buffy paused. "We'll find a way to help her, Sandy, I promise."
Sandy looked at Veruca, who stared back at her in hatred.
Chapter 89: Pangs
Chapter Text
"Pangs"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Pangs" Written by Jane Espenson and the Angel Episode "I Will Remember You" Written by David Greenwalt and Jeannine Renshaw
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
Katrina finished showering, dried herself with a towel, and then got dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a Garbage T-shirt, and a pair of socks. She started combing her hair.
"Thanks again for your help."
"No problem." Katrina set her comb back in the cup, opened the door, turned off the light, and exited the bathroom.
"You smell good."
Katrina regarded Angel with amusement. "Thanks. It's shea butter shampoo. I figure it'll mask the stench of any residual demon guts. Thanks for that, by the way."
"Hey, I told you to duck."
Katrina went over to her bass guitar and picked it up off its stand. "My bad. I thought you meant there was a duck."
"In the sewer?"
Katrina paused in thought. "Yeeeaaahhh..." She walked over to her bed, set her guitar on it, pulled her guitar case out from under her bed, opened it, and packed her guitar. Then she checked her duffel bag.
The phone on the night stand between the beds rang.
Katrina picked up the handset. "Hello?"
"Trina, where are you?" Cordelia asked.
"In my dorm room."
"Right." Cordelia paused. "Where is that, exactly?"
"Dabney House. I'll open the door and stand in the hall."
"I should go." Angel walked to the door, opened it, and quickly left.
Katrina hung up, grabbed her bag and guitar case, went over to the mat by the door, slipped into her off-brand white sneakers, and walked out into the hall.
She looked around. Angel was already gone. Soon, Cordelia arrived, holding her Nokia 7110 cell phone. She waved Katrina over. Katrina closed the door to her dorm room and walked over to Cordelia.
Katrina smiled. "Hey."
"Hey. C'mon, the others are waiting." Cordelia started walking.
Katrina followed her. The two of them exited Dabney House.
Katrina followed Cordelia to the parking lot and over to Anne's car. Cordelia opened the back driver-side door and got in. Katrina opened the back passenger-side door and got in. They closed and locked their doors and fastened their seatbelts.
"Hey, Trina." Anne started the engine.
"What up?" Faith, sitting in the front passenger seat, asked Katrina.
Katrina smiled. "Hi, guys."
Anne backed her car out of the parking spot.
Tara walked into her and Buffy's dorm room and closed the door. Buffy was just hanging up the phone.
Buffy turned and looked at her. "Hey. What's the sitch on Veruca?"
"She's secured at the mansion...and unconscious. Sandy and Harmony are watching her at the moment." Tara sighed. "It's kinda fucked up that we have to do this, especially since she won't change for another month."
"I know, but we can't just let her escape." Buffy sat on their bed and sighed.
Tara sat to her right. "What's wrong?"
"My mom called. She's decided to go to Aunt Darlene's this year. She'd just gone through a messy divorce, and Mom doesn't want her to be alone. I'm not getting a Thanksgiving."
Tara frowned. "I'm sorry." She hugged Buffy with one arm.
Buffy rested her head on Tara's shoulder.
"Hey, remember how a construction worker fell through during the groundbreaking for the new cultural center yesterday?" Tara asked.
"I think so."
Tara smiled. "I heard a couple of the anthro professors talking about it. Goddamn, were they excited. It's the old Sunnydale mission, which everyone thought was lost."
"A lost mission. I mean...a hairbrush, I can understand. And by the way, I will find that and get that back to you. But how do you lose a mission?" Buffy asked.
"Huge earthquake in 1812. Everyone just assumed the mission was leveled. Instead, they built right over it. It's like what happened in the '30s with that church the Master was in. Doesn't it make you wonder what else is there, like, right under our feet?"
"Mostly, I've just found sewers full of demons."
"Oh, right."
Outside, they heard students running mad through the halls with excitement.
Tara looked at the door. "Damn, it's crazy out there."
"Mm-hmm. Post-midterm frenzy. And the holiday. Everyone's going home."
"It looks like a lot of lucky moms are gonna be getting brimming baskets of dirty laundry."
"It's so not fair. I mean...they all get a family holiday just because they can go home to their families. Now, I'll have to call everyone and tell them that they shouldn't bother coming." Buffy paused and reconsidered, sitting up straight. "You know what? Fuck that. I should have my own Thanksgiving. I can cook the meal, just like my mom does, have all you guys over at my house, just like I planned. It'll be great."
"You sure?" Tara immediately realized how that sounded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply-"
"It's okay, babe. I'm a great cook...in theory. I've eaten a lot. Okay, I know I'm not the best cook...but I want it. It's like Professor Walsh was saying about sense memory. I smell a roasting turkey, and I'm eight years old. I liked having that to look forward to. Everything's different now. I mean...we could definitely use a little comfort food."
"True."
"It'll be just like it was when I was a kid. Only without me building a fort out of my mashed potatoes. Maybe."
Tara smiled. "Sounds like fun."
"It will be."
The door opened. Amy ran inside, out of breath.
"Amy, what's wrong?" Tara asked.
Amy paused to catch her breath. "I just overheard. Professor...uh...Gerhardt was found dead in the cultural center."
"Oh, no." Tara paused in thought. "I don't think I know a Professor Gerhardt. Do you think they'll shut down the school?"
Buffy stared at her. "Has any Sunnydale school ever shut down due to a death?"
"Good point."
Buffy stood up. "Well, I guess we better look into it."
Tara and Buffy walked into the cultural center just as Professor Gerhardt's body was being put into a body bag.
Buffy took out her wallet, opened it, and showed the coroner her police identification. "Hold, please." She examined the body. "Jesus Christ, someone cut off her ear." She looked at the coroner. "Where was she found?"
He pointed. Buffy nodded at him, and he resumed bagging the body. Buffy and Tara resumed walking.
Tara was on the verge of crying. "I'll never get used to this."
Buffy inspected the scene. "I hope I never will either. Wait. Something's missing from this case." She looked at the inscription. "'Early 1800s Chumash Knife'."
There was a picture of it. Buffy memorized it.
Buffy unlocked the front door to her house and walked inside, followed by Tara and Amy. Amy closed and locked the door.
"So what do you need help with?" Tara offered.
Buffy smiled. "Nothing, sweetie. Jenny and Giles will be here soon. You just relax and leave everything to me."
Tara smiled in amusement. "And Jenny and Mr. Giles."
"Uh, right."
The doorbell rang. Buffy looked through the peephole, then unlocked and opened the door. Jenny and Giles were standing there. Jenny was holding a bottle of white Moscato, and Giles was holding a bottle of Armagnac brandy.
Buffy smiled and stepped aside. "Hey. Come in."
Jenny smiled and walked inside. "Hey. Happy Thanksgiving."
Buffy, Tara, and Amy replied in kind.
Giles walked inside. "Have the others arrived yet?"
"Not yet. Listen, Giles, there are a couple things that I need to talk with you about-"
"Ah, yes, what's the, uh, the sitch with Veruca?" Giles asked.
Buffy looked at him in surprise and then shook her head. "Giles, don't even try; it sounds weird and off-putting."
Giles cleared his throat. "Very well."
"Harmony and Sandy are watching over her at the mansion. She's knocked out for the moment. When the others arrive, we're gonna head over there and figure out what to do with her."
"Any ideas?" Jenny asked.
Buffy shrugged and shook her head. She was about to close the door, but then she noticed Anne's car pull into the driveway. Soon, Anne, Faith, Cordelia, and Katrina were walking up onto the porch. Buffy held the door open for them, and they walked into the house. A chorus of "Hey!" followed from everyone. Bags were dropped on the floor. Hugs were exchanged among the teenagers.
Katrina kissed Amy passionately on the lips. "God, I missed you."
Amy grinned. "Same."
Buffy looked at everyone. "Okay, we'll figure out sleeping arrangements later. Cordy, have you told everyone about our little predicament?"
"Oh, you mean about how you've got a psycho werewolf bitch chained up at the mansion?" Cordelia asked.
"Yeah, that. Let's head over there, huh?" Buffy suggested.
The others nodded.
"Uh, what do you want us to do?" Jenny asked Buffy.
"The turkey's in the fridge. Plug the sink, put the turkey in it, and fill it with hot water. It probably won't thaw completely, but it'll be something."
Jenny nodded. "Got it." She went through the dining room and headed into the kitchen.
"Giles, I'm gonna do some grocery shopping after the mansion. I'll need your help with peeling, if we're gonna get dinner done in time."
"Um, about that..." Giles took a small sticky note out of his pocket and offered it to Buffy. "I'm known to make a, um, phat Lorraine Quiche...yo."
Buffy snatched the note out of his hand. "I told you to stop that."
Buffy, Tara, Amy, Katrina, Cordelia, Faith, and Anne walked into the mansion. Harmony and Sandy were keeping watch over an unconscious Veruca.
Faith smiled at Harmony. "Hey, babe."
Harmony grinned. "Hey, Honey Bunches of Oats!"
Faith and Harmony hugged each other. Faith kissed Harmony on the lips and pushed her up against a wall. The two of them started making out. Faith shoved her tongue into Harmony's mouth. Everyone watched them for a while.
Buffy cleared her throat and looked at the others. "Anyway, this is Veruca. She's our resident werewolf. She doesn't use protection. What do we do?"
"Can we kill her?" Cordelia suggested.
Buffy frowned. "She's still a person, Cordy."
"Is that why you've got her in chains?" Anne asked her.
Buffy felt defensive. "She's a danger to herself and others."
"She's a troubled teen!" Anne yelled. "Like I was."
No one said anything for a while.
"Look, whatever we do, we don't have the means to look after her here. I was kinda hoping...you guys could take her with you back to L.A.?" Buffy suggested.
Katrina frowned. "How about you let her decide where she wants to be? A lot of people don't get that choice."
Buffy stared into Katrina's eyes for a moment and suddenly felt ashamed. "All in favor of setting her free?"
Everyone raised their hand, starting with Katrina and Tara and ending with Cordelia. Buffy then raised her hand as well and nodded to Sandy. Sandy unchained Veruca and gently sat her on the floor, leaning against the wall.
Soon, Veruca regained consciousness and slowly opened her eyes, feeling groggy. "What the fuck?" She looked at everyone. "Who are you?"
Sandy helped Veruca stand up. "They're friends...from LA."
Buffy walked up to Veruca. "Ruc, you need help. I don't know how to give it."
"I don't need anything from you people."
Anne walked over to Veruca. "I don't know you, but, as someone that had been fascinated with dark creatures of the night, I had lost my way, and it took courage to admit I needed help."
Faith nodded in agreement. "But it can be done - with the proper support system."
Anne briefly looked at Faith, an idea taking hold in her mind.
Cordelia folded her arms and looked at Veruca. "So what's it gonna be? You gonna come with us, or do we have to put you down like a rabid dog?"
Veruca snorted and then looked at Katrina. "And what about you? What do you have to say about all this? You wanna take me back to L.A. with you?"
Katrina shrugged. "Actually, I live in Pasadena at the moment, but I will say it's healthy for you to be wary of people that you don't know. That said, I know these women, and I can vouch for them."
Veruca stared at everyone for a moment. "I need help." Then she nodded. "I'll go with you."
Sandy smiled.
"Great." Buffy looked at Sandy. "Sandy, have a happy Thanksgiving with your family. I'll see you on Saturday night for our Bronze gig." She looked at the others. "Okay, I'm off to do some shopping. See you all at home."
Later, Buffy, Jenny, and Giles were in Buffy's kitchen, getting the food ready for Thanksgiving dinner.
Buffy was mixing the stuffing in a large bowl. "Pretty damn scary. It was more like a riot than a Ralphs. I thought I was going to have to use Slayer moves on this one woman who was completely hoarding the pumpkin pie filling."
"And at some point, you are going to tell us about the murder?" Giles asked, slicing bacon.
"Oh, right. The knife was some sort of Indian artifact. Chumash, I think. That's all we got."
"Oh, Chumash Indians. They were indigenous to this whole area."
"That's interesting."
"Then, of course, the murder weapon might have just been a convenient choice."
"Uh-uh. There was a big ol' scissors lying right there. That knife was picked for a reason."
Jenny turned off the water in the sink. "Buffy, do you own a turkey pan?"
"No, but my mom does. Pantry."
Jenny went to get it. "I don't think the turkey will thaw out in time for tonight."
"So we won't stuff it. We'll just bake the turkey. It'll be fine."
Jenny shrugged. "Okay." She returned to the counter, set the pan down, and lifted the turkey out of the sink.
Buffy set the bowl down on the island. She looked at Giles. "How about that ceremonial knife, huh? Pretty juicy piece of clueage, don't you think?"
"Yes, all right, we'll look into the Chumash connection and see if there's any ritual significance to the ear removal."
"Thank you. Sun's about to set. I'm gonna do a quick sweep of the cemetery with Tara, so I'll check in. And keep your hands off the food."
"Oh, I'll try and restrain myself from eating uncooked potatoes and cranberries."
Buffy rolled her eyes and left the kitchen.
Tara and Buffy walked through the cemetery on patrol.
"Sweetie, there's nothing out here."
"Okay. It's the last pass. I promise. Besides, I have an appointment with that priest that Giles told me about. He thinks he might have some information. He knows the history of this place pretty well. His family dates back to mission times. He might be able to fill in some blanks."
Suddenly, Buffy and Tara sensed a presence. They turned and looked around. Buffy raised her stake.
"An bhfuil tú ag lorg rud éigin?" a voice asked.
Buffy and Tara looked to the source of it.
Angel walked out from behind a mausoleum. "Nó duine éigin?"
Tara relaxed. "Níl, nílimid ach ag faire amach dóibh siúd atá ag iarraidh an cineál mícheart béile anocht."
Buffy was wary. "What are you doing here, Angel? Are you all evil again?"
"I'm not evil."
"What's going on?" Tara asked him.
Angel hesitated. "Is Cordy here yet?"
Tara nodded. "Yeah, they all arrived a few hours ago. Why?"
Angel didn't reply.
Buffy had a suspicion. "You son of a bitch, you're stalking her, aren't you?"
"What? No, I'm not."
Buffy nodded. "Yuh-huh! Not cool, dude! She's not helpless, and it's not your job to keep her safe. If you followed her here, at least tell her."
"If she sees me, it'll be worse."
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, because she'll kick your ass!" She grinned. "Tell her!"
"You know how I feel about her. You know how she can get."
"Yeah." Buffy was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. "Tell her!"
Buffy and Tara entered St. Prudencio Catholic Church and walked around.
Buffy looked around at the interior of the building. "I've been here before. My mom took me to Mass here once."
"Do you know the priest?" Tara asked her.
"I don't think so. His name doesn't sound familiar. Father Gabriel? Father Gabriel?" Buffy called.
They arrived at a set of double doors. Buffy pushed one open and went outside, and Tara followed.
"Father? Are you out here?" Buffy called.
She saw an Indian in the middle of slicing the throat of the priest that he'd hung.
"God." Buffy ran the rest of the way to the Indian and punched him in the stomach. She then redirected him a few feet away.
He got up to a defensive crouch, in a fighting stance. "You can't stop me."
"You're very wrong about that."
He rushed her again, but she sidestepped him and redirected him forward, which made him slam his head into a conveniently-low-hung bell. He landed a few feet back, got up, and tried to slice Buffy with his knife. She dodged back again. He tried to punch her, and she dodged, making him hit an ornamental stand. He screamed. They fell, and he landed on top of her.
"I am vengeance. I am my people's cry. They call for Hus, for the avenging spirit to carve out justice."
"They tell you to start an ear collection?" Buffy asked.
She kicked high, which threw him off. She rolled over, punching him, then slammed his knife arm into a tree, but he didn't let go. He punched her, but she kicked the legs out from under him. She grabbed him, and he was stuck holding his knife to his throat.
"You slaughtered my people. Now, you kill their spirit. This is a great day for you."
She shoved him away, and he got up. Then he turned into a group of bats, and they flew off.
Buffy stared at them for a moment, then walked back over to Tara. They stared at Father Gabriel's limp body. Tara was disturbed and buried her face in Buffy's shoulder.
Buffy hugged her with one arm. "I'll stay with him. Go inside and find a phone. Call the police."
Tara walked away.
After Buffy returned home, she went to the kitchen, where Jenny and Giles were getting dinner ready. Buffy checked the turkey in the oven, Jenny was preparing cranberries, and Giles was peeling vegetables in the sink. Buffy filled them in.
Giles set a potato aside. "It's clear we're dealing with a spirit of some kind. It's very common for Indian spirits to change to animal form."
"It's plenty uncommon for me to freeze up during a fight. I mean...I had the guy, I was ready for the takedown, and I stopped." Buffy grew somber. "And the thing is...I get that he's pissed. He has a right to be. He got gypped." She paused for a moment in thought. "Here's the thing: I don't believe lineage is of any importance. Each generation is made up of its own group of people and shouldn't be held responsible for the crimes of their ancestors. We had nothing to do with that. That was them. We are us."
Giles nodded. "This spirit warrior - Hus, you called him - has killed innocent people."
Tara walked into the kitchen. "So I've been reading up on the Chumash Indians and our fabulous buried mission."
"Find anything?" Buffy asked her.
"Well, I was just reading about the Chumash Revolt of 1804."
"So what happened to them?" Buffy asked.
"After an inconclusive battle, the Chumash fled. Most of them were brought back to the mission, but their population slowly dwindled over time, probably due to a combination of ill treatment, overwork, malnutrition, violence, and disease. The few Chumash who tried to rebel were hanged. And when a group was accused of stealing cattle, they were killed - men, women, and children. And for proof to bring back to their accusers-"
"They cut off their ears?" Jenny guessed.
Tara nodded.
Giles sighed. "He's recreating all the wrongs done to his people. And it's up to us to stop him."
"Yes, but after dinner, right?" Buffy asked.
"Buffy, people are in real danger. Are you sure the solution is pie?" Giles asked her.
"We will have a nice dinner, and we will get rid of Chief Cranky Pants, okay?" Buffy asked. "End of story. I'm having Thanksgiving, and it'll be perfect."
"Hus won't stop. Vengeance is never sated, Buffy. Hatred is a cycle. All he will do is kill."
There was a knock at the door. Buffy looked at the others in confusion, then left the kitchen to answer it.
She walked through the dining room and unlocked and opened the front door.
Spike was standing there. "Oh, it's you. I was hoping for your mum. Help me."
Buffy shoved him back, and he went tumbling.
"Ow! What part of 'Help me' do you not understand?" Spike asked her.
"The part where I help you."
"Come on, if I stay out here, they'll find me, and I'm a goner."
Giles handed her a stake.
"Want me to help make it quicker?" Buffy offered.
"Oh, damn it! Look, I'm safe. I can't bite anyone. Tara, tell 'em what I did."
"You said you were gonna kill me and gave me the option of being vamped."
"Yes, bad, but let's skip that part and get to the part where I couldn't bite you."
Tara gave Spike a demented smile. "It's true. He had trouble performing."
"Yeah, well, it looks like they've done me for good. Um..."
"What are you saying?" Buffy asked him, impatient.
"I'm saying that Spike had a little trip to the vet, and now he doesn't chase the other puppies anymore. I can't bite anything. I can't even hit people."
"So you haven't murdered anybody lately?" Buffy gave him a fake smile. "Let's be best pals."
"I've got information. About the soldier boys you were fighting. Got the inside scoop. Come on, what have you got to be afraid of?"
Spike was sitting in a chair in the dining room, being bound by rope by Buffy.
"Grrr. Bloody hell, woman. You're cuttin' off my circulation."
"Get used to it. I have more important things to worry about."
"I came to you in friendship."
Buffy gave him a look.
"Well, all right, seething hatred, but I've got useful information, and I feel I'm being mistreated."
"So tell me everything you know."
"I'm too hungry to remember everything."
Buffy walked away from him. "Then sit still and shut the fuck up."
Giles walked by. "Buffy, I..." He fell silent.
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked him.
"The victims. Hus has targeted authority figures. Father Gabriel, the curator of the cultural center. Who else fits this pattern?"
"The dean. Dean Guerrero. He's the king of us, and he was at the ceremony."
"Likely candidate. We should warn him."
"Tara, anything in those books about how to stop a Native American spirit guy?" Buffy asked.
Tara flipped a page. "Haven't found anything yet."
"Someone has to go warn the dean."
Tara stood up. "I'll go. I need the air."
"Not alone."
Amy stood up. "I'll go."
Katrina stood up. "Me, too."
Harmony stood up. "Me, three. Or is that four?"
Giles sat at the table. "I'll keep on looking for a solution."
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. Guys, the dean's house is up past the gym. And hurry. Dinner's in an hour!"
Tara, Amy, Katrina, and Harmony headed for the door.
Amy looked at them. "Let's take my car."
"Hey, when do I get fed?" Spike asked Buffy.
"Later. I hope the others are okay."
"You know what happens to vampires who don't get to feed?"
Buffy rolled her eyes. "I always wondered that."
"Living skeletons, mate. Like famine pictures from those dusty countries, only not half as funny."
"You can have gravy. That has blood in it, right?" Buffy asked.
"Do you know what else has blood in it? Blood."
"Do I have to gag you? Because I am not gonna listen to you whine all the way through my dinner. It's gonna be a nice, quiet, civilized-"
Suddenly, an arrow pierced the decorative scarecrow on the table.
Buffy turned and saw Hus in the window with a bow and arrow. "You!"
"What's going on?!" Spike asked.
"Get down!" Giles yelled.
Buffy and Giles crouched behind the table as arrows rained through the window.
"What about me? You gonna leave me here like this?" Spike asked.
An arrow hit him a few inches to the right of his heart.
"Hey! Watch the heart!" Spike yelled.
Tara, Amy, Katrina, and Harmony left the dean's house.
Tara sighed. "Well, that was a waste of time."
Katrina nodded. "I think he thought we were crazy."
Tara gave Harmony some side-eye. "Maybe if Harm hadn't opened the conversation with 'Everybody got both ears?'"
Harmony stuck out her tongue at Tara.
Amy smiled. "I liked his wife. She gave me pie."
"So what do we do now?" Tara asked.
Katrina shrugged. "We could stay here and stand watch, or I just don't-"
"Tara." Angel arrived before them.
"Angel?" Amy asked.
Harmony grew worried. "He's evil again."
"I'm not evil again. Why does everyone think that?"
Tara looked at the others. "Angel's here to protect Cordy."
"I haven't been evil for a long time."
Tara made air quotes with her fingers. "She's 'not supposed to know' he's here." She looked at him. "Angel, do you have something new?"
"Yeah. All the Chumash weapons are missing from the cultural center. Something's up. Where's Buffy?"
"At home, getting dinner ready. She sent us to check on Dean Guerrero."
"Why the dean?"
"We think he's going after someone in charge. A leader?"
"He's a warrior. To a warrior, the leader means the strongest fighter."
Tara realized with dread what that meant. "Buffy."
"He's formed a raiding party."
Amy looked at the other girls. "We gotta get over there."
"You get back fast."
Giles looked at Buffy. "Uh, we need a plan."
"Yes, let's talk about it some more. Fuck, I took my weapons chest to college." Buffy paused for a moment. "Take cover under the table."
Everyone except Spike did so.
Spike was riddled with arrows. "Apologize to the bloke."
Cordelia looked up at him. "Shut up, Spike."
"Fine, I'll do it myself. Hey, sorry. Sorry about that, Chief."
Anne rolled her eyes. "We're gonna die."
Jenny looked at her. "We're not gonna die."
Buffy looked at all of them. "There's too many of them. And they're spirits. These guys - they don't die. We need magic to vanquish them."
"Yeah, didn't the two witches go on an errand for you?" Faith asked her.
Buffy sighed. "Yes, Faith, thank you for reminding me."
Anne nodded. "We're definitely gonna die."
Veruca looked at her, annoyed. "Well, you will if you don't shut the fuck up."
"Ow! Bloody hell! Oh!" Spike fell and carried the chair with him. "Hey!"
Tara, Amy, Katrina, and Harmony arrived back at Buffy's house and saw a group of Indians firing arrows through the windows from various positions. They got out of Amy's car and ran onto the front lawn.
"What do we do?" Harmony asked.
Katrina thought for a moment. "Let's check the backyard for garden tools. Anything that can be used as a weapon."
The two of them ran around to the back of the house.
Amy looked at Tara. "I've got an idea. My mom had tried to send me to somewhere else. I think I know how to do it."
"You think?" Tara asked uncertainly.
"Well, I came across what I think she used while looking through the books later."
Katrina and Harmony returned. Katrina was holding an ax, and Harmony was holding a shovel. Each of them picked an Indian and started attacking. Suddenly, Angel arrived, dramatically jumping down into the yard from a nearby roof. He started fighting an Indian as well.
Tara nodded at Amy. "Go for it."
Amy closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.
Harmony continued to beat her Indian with a shovel. "Why...don't...you...die?!"
Angel ran up, grabbed the Indian, and snapped his neck with a deft twist. Angel was grabbed from behind by the neck and struggled.
Hus entered the house through a broken window.
"Help the others!" Angel yelled.
"I shall look upon my enemies..." Amy opened her eyes, and they became pitch black. "I shall look upon them, and the dark place will have their souls!"
Inside, Buffy was fighting with Hus. She managed to grab his knife, and she sliced him with it. This left a large, bloody cut on his chest.
Buffy smiled. "Your knife can kill you."
Suddenly, Hus turned into a large bear.
"A bear! You made a bear!" Spike yelled.
"I didn't mean to!" Buffy yelled.
"Undo it! Undo it!" Spike yelled in terror.
Faith got out from under the table. "Hey, asshole, over here."
He turned around. Faith delivered a front snap kick straight to his face. Buffy stabbed the bear in the back as he was distracted by Faith. The bear roared in anger.
Buffy pushed the knife in deeper. "God, fucking leave us the fuck alone already!"
Several Indians crashed through the windows and were about to attack. Three of them had broken necks.
Amy arrived at the nearest broken window. "Corsheth, take them!"
Amy's spell leaped from her hands. The power of the spell enveloped the Indians inside and outside the house, and they screamed. The energy twisted around them and disappeared with a roar, taking them with it.
Amy climbed through the window, followed by Tara, Katrina, and Harmony. Jenny, Giles, Cordelia, Anne, and Veruca climbed out from under the table and stood up.
"What happened? Did we win?" Spike asked.
Buffy looked at him in disbelief.
Everyone (except Spike) pitched in to clean up, and then Buffy was finally able to serve dinner. First, she brought out the turkey. Jenny brought out a large ham. Buffy brought out the stuffing. Jenny brought out the cranberries. Buffy brought out the pumpkin pie. Jenny brought out the bottle of wine and the bottle of brandy. Buffy brought out the mashed potatoes and gravy. Almost everyone else gathered around the table, helped themselves to food, and started eating. Buffy and Jenny sat down and started helping themselves to food as well.
"Is anyone gonna feed me?" Spike asked.
Buffy looked at him. "Bite me."
"I can't! That's the bloody problem!"
Giles entered the dining room, carrying a pie plate with his Quiche Lorraine in it.
"It's the man with the flan!" Spike announced. "Pass it here, ol' boy."
Buffy held up her fork and pointed it threateningly at Spike. "No one gets between me and bacon."
Giles set the dish down. Buffy immediately helped herself to some of it.
Giles sat down and started piling food onto his plate. "Turkey came out rather splendidly."
Buffy nodded. "Oh, it's yummy."
Giles smiled. "Good work, Buffy...on both counts."
"Thanks."
"Well, you know, you should be very pleased."
"Wasn't exactly a perfect Thanksgiving."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it. I come all the way up here, and I almost get killed. I have a house ghost that would be very pissed off, and you would have to answer to him, missy."
Buffy stared at her in amusement. "Noted. But I do see your point. I bet Mom's gonna die when she sees the windows have been smashed again. 'Hey, Mom, surprise! Happy Fucking Thanksgiving!'"
Tara shrugged. "I don't know. Seemed kinda right to me. A bunch of anticipation, a big fight, and now we're all sleepy. And we did all survive."
Buffy smiled. "I guess that much is true. First Thanksgiving on my own, and we all got through it."
Tara smiled. "And we're all together. It's like old times."
"Yeah, especially with Angel being here and everything." Harmony stuck a piece of ham into her mouth.
Cordelia looked at her in shock. Jenny, Giles, Faith, and Anne were surprised. Tara, Amy, and Katrina looked down at their plates. Veruca was confused. Buffy and Spike smiled in amusement at Cordelia.
After dinner, Veruca went back to her dorm. Buffy assigned her friends to rooms. Tara, Jenny, and Giles helped Buffy clear the table and wash and dry the dishes. Then Jenny and Giles left.
Tara smiled at Buffy. "Well, you did it, Griswold."
Buffy smiled. "Thanks for helping."
"Anytime."
"I'm gonna call Dawn and Dad." Buffy picked up the handset and turned it on. She called her father's house.
The phone rang four times.
"Hey, Buffy!" Dawn greeted.
Buffy smiled. "Hey, Dawn. Happy Thanksgiving."
"Thanks. Happy Thanksgiving."
"How's everything?"
"It's...fine."
"Can I talk to Dad?"
"He's not here."
"What do you mean? Where is he?"
"At work. Said he couldn't get out of it."
"But he's the boss."
"Well, it's what he told me."
"That sucks. So you didn't have Thanksgiving?" Buffy asked, upset.
"No, but it's okay. I ordered pizza."
"Dawn, if Dad's gonna be unavailable to spend Christmas with you, you're welcome to spend it with Mom and me. I'll even drive there to get you."
"Thanks, sis."
Buffy suspected Dawn was crying. "Well, I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Good night."
"Good night."
Buffy ended the call and set the handset down. She looked at Tara, who felt sad as well.
Buffy and Tara left the kitchen and walked through the dining room.
"How's Cordy?" Tara asked.
"Pissed. She can't decide if she wants to call Angel and chew him out or give him the silent treatment." Buffy sighed. "And I don't blame her."
Buffy and Tara started climbing the stairs. They reached the top of the stairs and walked to their room.
"I gave her the guest room. She wants to be alone. Amy and Katrina are in Mom's room. I figure Faith has experience sleeping with both Harmony and Anne, so, once I grab some pajamas for us, they can have the room, and we can shower and then crash on the couch." Buffy opened the door to her bedroom and promptly stopped in her tracks.
Buffy's bed was a mess. Her stuffed animals were all over the floor. And the three naked women on her bed were going at it. Faith was kneeling on the bed and resting her head on Buffy's pillow, her ass raised high. Harmony was beneath her, eating her pussy. Anne was kneeling behind Faith, licking her asshole.
Buffy shut the door and headed for the bathroom. "Okay! New plan! We're sleeping naked!"
Tara laughed and followed Buffy into the bathroom.
On Saturday night, everyone gathered at the Bronze for Buffy and the Slayerettes' gig. Harmony brought her video camera and recorded the entire set. Both Katrina and Sandy were on the stage, but Katrina was the one playing bass tonight.
Cordelia, Harmony, Faith, Anne, and Veruca sat together at a nearby table.
"How are you feeling?" Anne asked Cordelia.
Cordelia sighed. "Still angry."
Faith looked at her. "Then let him know. Don't keep your feelings bottled up inside. It's not healthy."
"I guess you're right."
Anne smiled. "Of course, she's right. People should be honest with each other."
Harmony smiled. "Yeah, sharing is caring."
Veruca made a gagging motion. "Is this the kind of bullshit that I can look forward to in L.A.?" She looked at Cordelia. "Oh, by the way, thanks for putting me up."
"What?" Cordelia asked in shock.
Anne looked at her. "Well, someone has to take her, and she's made it clear that she's not sharing a bed with, and I quote, 'two ghetto-ass bitches'."
Cordelia blew her hair out of her eyes and made a face at Veruca. "Have you looked in the mirror?"
Buffy turned on her microphone. "Hi, everyone. Thank you for coming out tonight. I'm Buffy Summers. On keyboard, Tara Maclay. On drums, Amy Madison. Please give a warm welcome back to Katrina Silber on bass."
The audience cheered and applauded for Katrina. Some guys whistled at her.
Katrina smiled. "Thank you. It's an honor to be back." She put a hand on Sandy's shoulder. "And it's an honor to be performing with this young lady for the first time: Sandy Gray."
Sandy nearly blushed. The audience applauded.
"All right, let's do it!" Buffy yelled. "On 3! 1, 2, 3!"
The band started playing. Sandy's eyes sought out Veruca in the audience as she gripped the microphone. Sandy sang the lead vocals, and Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina sang the backing vocals:
"Oh, the night
Is my world:
City light,
Painted girl.
In the day,
Nothing matters.
It's the night
Time that flatters.
In the night,
No control.
Through the wall,
Something's breaking.
Wearing white
As you're walking
Down the street
Of my soul.
"You take my self; you take my self control.
You got me livin' only for the night.
Before the morning comes, the story's told.
You take my self; you take my self control.
Another night, another day goes by.
I never stop myself to wonder why.
You help me to forget to play my role.
You take my self; you take my self control.
"I-
I live among the creatures of the night.
I haven't got the will to try and fight
Against a new tomorrow,
So I guess I'll just believe it,
That tomorrow never comes.
A safe night (You take my self; you take my self control),
I'm living in the forest of my dream (You take my self, you take my self control).
I know the night is not as it would seem (You take my self, you take my self control).
I must believe in something,
So I'll make myself believe it (You take my self, you take my self control):
This night will never go."
"Oh-oh-oh!
Oh-oh-oh!
Oh-oh-oh!
Oh-oh-oh!
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh..."
They went through the rest of the song, which consisted of repetitions of the same lyrics in various combinations. When they were done, they audience cheered and applauded.
On Sunday night, the women made a stop at Angel Investigations, so Cordelia could talk to Angel. She entered the office. Doyle was looking through the window into Angel's office.
"Hey, how was your trip?" Doyle asked her.
Cordelia growled and joined him at the window. They looked inside Angel's office. Angel was winding up an old clock and setting it on the desk in his office. The clock read 8:53. He then checked the table's surface. He put a pencil down at one end and watched it roll across his desk.
"When did he get back?" Cordelia asked Doyle.
"Late last night."
"And?"
"Uh, he seemed fine."
"He followed me to Sunnydale, tracking me!" Cordelia sighed as she looked at Angel trying to adjust his desk. "That fucker doesn't think I can handle myself."
"You think?"
Cordelia gave an exasperated sigh.
"Well, here's just looking out for you."
Cordelia patted Doyle on the shoulder. "You have so much to learn, little Irish man."
Doyle frowned at her. Cordelia turned and saw Angel take a stake out of his desk drawer, testing its tip with his finger.
"Oh, my God!" Cordelia opened the door and ran into the office. "Don't do it, Angel!"
Doyle was right behind her. "Listen to me, man, it's not worth it."
"It's not?" Angel asked.
"No!" Cordelia yelled. "You can't let me get to you like this. I mean...I know I'm hard to get over, but still. You'll meet someone else. Just give it some time."
Doyle held out a hand. "Why don't you let me have that?"
"Because I need it to level my desk." Angel bent down to stick the tip of it under one of the table's legs. "The floor is uneven." He straightened up with a smirk. "You two thought-"
"Doyle did. You know how he jumps to conclusions." Cordelia frowned. "Me, personally, I couldn't care less if you staked yourself. I don't wanna be around a man that has so little faith in me that he follows me around."
Angel looked guilty. "I was there to protect you. I stayed out of sight. You shouldn't have even known I was there."
Cordelia stared daggers at him.
Angel sighed. "Look, Cordy, you are always going to be a part of me, and that's never going to change. But you're human, and I'm..." He frowned and looked down. "...not. And that's also never going to change. No need to stir any of this up again."
"You don't want to 'stir', but my ex came to town and was all stalking me in the shadows and then left and then didn't even say 'Hello'. I'm a little upset." Cordelia looked at Doyle and motioned with her head for him to leave.
Doyle turned and walked out of the office. Cordelia closed the door behind him, then turned back to Angel, who was having trouble meeting her eyes.
"You, um, you just get back?"
"Yeah."
"Can I get you anything?"
"How about...an explanation?" Cordelia suggested. "Who the fuck do you think you are, following me around behind my back?"
"I'm sorry."
"What is this? Some new torment you cooked up just for me?"
"No, I don't want to torment-"
"What is it? You can see me, but I can't see you? What are we playing here?"
"We're not. I'm not playing anything. I wrestled with this decision-"
"Which you made without me."
"I tried to do what I thought was right. It's complicated how this all happened, Cordy, you know? It's kind of a long story."
"You followed me and my friends a hundred miles away to Sunnydale and stalked me?" Cordelia guessed.
"Okay, maybe not that long."
"You didn't feel that I was important enough to even tell me that you were there."
Angel looked at her. "I'm trying to explain. It's because I felt that you're important that I didn't tell you."
"I'm a big girl now, Angel. I'm not in high school anymore. And, hello, I'm a Potential Slayer...potentially."
"I know. I respect that."
"And I don't need you skulking around, trying to protect me."
Angel looked away. "I'm sorry if I handled this wrong. I mean...what else was I supposed to do?"
"I don't know. I just know that, when you're around, whether I see you or not, I feel you...inside...and it throws me."
"Throws me, too."
Cordelia headed toward the door. "So let's just stick to the plan: professional working relationship, even close friends, but not lovers."
Angel was leaning against his desk, blinking, looking around.
As Cordelia turned to go, a green-skinned demon with a curved sword and a red jewel in his forehead crashed through the window behind Angel and attacked him with a scream. Angel just turned, grabbed the clock from his desk, and coolly smashed the demon's jewel with it. The demon went up in a flash of light.
Cordelia was slightly stunned. "That was unreal. How did you know how to kill it?"
"It's a Mohra demon. I-I had a lot of time to catch up on my reading."
Cordelia nodded slowly. "Yeah. Okay. So I guess we've covered it, right?"
"I guess we did."
"And that's all there really is to say."
Angel took a deep breath and looked down on the smashed clock. He looked back up at Cordelia. "Yeah. That's it."
"Then I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."
"Good night."
Cordelia opened the door and left the office.
Chapter 90: Hero
Chapter Text
"Hero"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Something Blue" Written by Tracey Forbes and the Angel Episode "Hero" Written by Howard Gordon and Tim Minear
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
Buffy was walking through the UC Sunnydale student lounge and saw Riley, who was hanging a banner that read "UC Sunnydale Lesbian Alliance".
A girl smiled at him. "Hey, thanks, Riley."
Riley climbed down off the ladder, taking a look. Buffy walked up behind him.
"Looks good." Riley noticed Buffy. "Oh, hey, Buffy."
"Is there something you want to tell me?" Buffy asked jokingly.
"What?"
Buffy looked towards the banner.
Riley did the same, catching on. "Oh, yes...I am a lesbian."
"Well, it's good that you're so open about it."
He smiled, and they headed off through the lounge.
"You joining?" Riley asked her.
Buffy shook her head. "Oh, no. Not for me. I'm not really into clubs. I've got my own extracurriculars that keep me busy."
That evening, Buffy dragged Spike, still tied up, over to Giles' front door and knocked.
Soon, the door opened. Giles was standing there. He looked at Buffy in bewilderment.
"Your turn to babysit." Buffy grabbed the back of Spike's shirt at neck level and shoved him head first at the doorway.
Spike was repelled and bounced back. Buffy repeated the action over and over again.
"Ow! You fucking bitch!" Spike yelled.
"What? Why?" Giles asked, ignoring Spike's remark.
"Because my mom's in L.A., attending an antiquequities...antiques?" Buffy paused in thought. "Antiquites?"
"Antiquities."
Buffy nodded. "...auction to get some new old shit for the gallery, and no way in Hell am I looking after Spike."
"So you expect me to?" Giles asked her.
"Well, you're not letting me kill him, so...yeah." Buffy kept slamming Spike against the doorway and starting laughing maniacally.
"Ow!" Spike yelled. "Good God, woman!"
Giles sighed. "Buffy, please stop. It's tacky."
Buffy stopped and pouted. "Spoil my fun."
"Come in, Spike."
Spike, who was leaning against the barrier, fell into Giles' apartment, landing on the floor.
In Giles' bathroom, Buffy was sitting on the end of the bathtub in which Spike was chained up.
Buffy was exasperated. "So...you saw their faces, but you can't describe them."
"Well, they were human. Two eyes each, kind of in the middle."
"Uh-huh. And the lab?"
"Underground. I came out through an air vent. I don't know exactly where. I'm done. Put the telly on."
Giles entered, carrying a mug that read "Kiss the Librarian" with a straw protruding from it. It contained blood.
"It's about time. Hope you got it warm enough."
Giles handed it to Buffy without saying a word. She took it, sighed, and made a face as she put it close enough to Spike that he could suck through the straw. He made a big to-do out of it so as to disgust her more. Buffy pulled the mug away, leaving Spike with the straw dangling from between his lips.
"Hey! Give it!"
Buffy set the mug aside. "Okay, that's it. The invalid amnesiac routine is over. The kitchen is closed until you can tell me something useful about the commandos."
"I'm tryin' to remember. It was very traumatic."
"How long are you going to pull this shit?" Buffy asked him.
"How long am I going to live once I tell you?"
Giles looked at Spike. "Look, look, Spike...we have no intention of killing a harmless...uh, creature...but we have to know what's been done to you. We can't let you go until we're sure that you're...impotent."
"Hey!" Spike yelled.
"Sorry, poor choice of words. Until we're sure you're - you're-"
"Flaccid?" Buffy suggested.
Spike gave her a death stare. "You are one step away, missy."
"Giles, help!" Buffy cried sarcastically. "He's going to scold me."
Spike growled, trying to grab Buffy, but the chains held him back.
"You know what?" Buffy asked. "I don't think you want us to let you go. Maybe we made it a little too comfy in here for ya."
"Comfy? I'm chained in a bathtub, drinkin' pig's blood from a novelty mug. Doesn't rank huge in the Zagat Survey."
"You want something nicer?" Buffy leaned her head to the side, exposing her throat to him. "A look at my...poor neck? All bare and tender and exposed...all that blood just...pumping away..."
Giles rolled his eyes. "Oh, please."
Spike, by this time, was all but licking his lips. "Giles, make her stop."
"If you two don't kill each other, I might lend a hand." Giles walked out of the bathroom.
Buffy stood up straight and set the mug on the sink, out of Spike's reach, and she left the bathroom. She headed for the door. "I gotta go."
"What?" Giles asked, surprised.
"I gotta pick up Tara. We've got karate class."
"Well, what I am to do with Spike?"
Buffy shrugged. "I dunno. Go all Ripper on him."
The next day, during a lull between classes, Buffy and Tara were sitting on a bench together outside, Buffy to Tara's right, and silently reading. Suddenly, they heard a click and looked up.
Harmony smiled at them. She was holding a camera. "Don't move." She took another picture of them.
"What's up, Harm?" Buffy asked.
"Taking pics for Photography class. We need to take a few different kinds. Wanna be my models?"
Tara was curious. "What do we have to do?"
"Strike poses in various settings. Maybe do some karate in the gym, band practice at the Bronze, that kinda thing."
Tara looked at Buffy. "Sounds like fun."
Buffy shrugged. "I'm down."
"Down for what?" Amy asked, walking by.
Harmony held up her camera. "Helping me get a good grade?"
Amy smiled, shrugged, and nodded. "Sure."
Buffy and Tara stood up, and the four ladies walked off together.
In his apartment, Giles was on the phone.
"Come on, now! It's telly time!" Spike yelled from the bathroom.
The answering machine for Buffy and Tara picked up. Buffy had recorded the outgoing message: "This is Buffy and Tara. We're not in right now, so please leave a message." The machine beeped.
"Oh, uh, girls..it's Giles. Um...I was hoping you would take Spike off my hands. I really have to-"
"Passions is on! Timmy's down the bloody well! And if you make me miss it, I'll-"
"You'll do what? Lick me to death?" Giles put the handset back up to his face. "Please. Among other things, I'd like to shower sometime today. Alone." He ended the call and then made another.
The phone rang a few times, and then an answering machine message came on:
"This is Amy-"
"And Harmony!"
"We're not available right now-"
"Because we're getting laid!" Harmony declared.
"Shut up, Harm. Anyway, leave a message after the beep."
"Beep!" Amy and Harmony yelled.
The machine beeped.
"Amy, Harmony, oh, Lord, please pick up..."
At Angel Investigations, Angel was sitting behind his desk, looking up at Cordelia, who was holding her new video camera in her hands.
Cordelia smiled. "Okay, we fade up on an aerial shot, downtown, skyscrapers, lights, yada, yada, yada. We hear a narrator, preferably famous - maybe that bald Star Trek guy or one of the cheaper Baldwins - and he says 'It's a big, bad city out there.' Cut to a woman walking down a dark, spooky street - alone. We'll cast some beautiful, young actress, maybe an up-and-coming starlet whose career is on the verge of taking off. Anyway, she's all nervous, right? Mucho vulnerable. The voice guy says 'Danger lurks around every corner.' Boom! She's attacked by a big, ugly goon with a knife. She screams 'Help! Is there no one to help me?' 'Well, now, there is someone to answer your call. He'll protect you, catch you when you fall! You can count on it.' And you say 'And you can count on me, because I'm the Dark Avenger.'"
"I'm the what?" Angel asked.
"The Dark Avenger."
"I'm the Dark Avenger."
Cordelia grinned. "I know, it's perfect! We can do it ourselves on Hi8. I'll charm a post-production house into doing the effects and-"
Angel got up and walked off.
Cordelia followed him out of the office. "Look, I know a little something about self-promotion, Angel, and I'm telling you one commercial like this could get us out of the red...or the black...or whichever one means we're broke, because that's us."
Angel stepped into the elevator and closed the grate.
"So what? I found out you were stalking me and put you into a permanent funk, and I'm just supposed to stand by and watch our business go belly up?"
The elevator went down.
"He's not entirely wrong, you know?" Doyle suggested.
Cordelia walked past him.
"Look, all I'm saying is advertising a superhero that can't really go out in the daylight might raise vampire suspicions, not to mention our pesky lack of an investigator's license."
"And who needs a license when we have no clients?" Cordelia asked.
"We'll manage, princess. We always do."
"We will if we project the right image. And now I'm suddenly thinking that Angel is all wrong for this commercial! He is a larger-than-life character, way too Braveheart for Joe Couch Potato to relate to." Cordelia looked Doyle up and down. "We need someone who's...average, run of the mill, ordinary." She smiled. "You're perfect."
"While I appreciate the compliment, it's just-"
"Come over here into the light, and let's see if we can create some cheekbones."
"Cordelia, I'm not the photogenic type. Plus I get dry mouth."
Cordelia grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him. "Excuse me? This is not a negotiation. This is a necessity. Our boss is in a funk. You know that he's only happy when he's fighting evil. Now, let's drum up some!"
"I don't know what we need evil for when we got you right here."
"I heard that!"
A short while later, after Cordelia had written up some cue cards, she was recording Doyle and looking at him through the viewfinder of the video camera.
"If you need help, then look no further. Angel Investigations is the best! Our rats are low."
"Our rates!" Cordelia corrected.
Doyle pointed to the papers taped on the windows behind her. "It says 'rats'. Our rates are low, but our standards are high. When the chips are down, and you're at the end of your rope, you need someone that you can count on. And that's what you'll find here - someone that will go all the way, no matter what. So don't lose hope. Come on over to our offices, and you'll see that there's still heroes in this world." He paused and cleared his throat. "Is that it? Am I done?"
Cordelia stopped recording. "I don't know. I'm not getting everyman; I'm getting...weasel. We don't want weasel."
"I don't know. I think people will be pouring in as soon as they hear about our low rats." Doyle paused. "I could take another crack at it."
Cordelia took down the cue cards. "I don't think so."
"Weasel factor, huh?"
"Doyle, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry. I'm just...I feel kind of hopeless with him down there doing the non-profit brooding. How could his heart be so broken?"
"I guess your fight just got him where he lives."
"That's all very sad, but we live here, too."
"I'll talk to him."
Cordelia suddenly thought of something. "Maybe if we get him a costume!"
"A costume?"
"Well, the guy is a bona fide hero; would it kill him to put on some tights and a cape and garner us some free publicity?"
"I don't see Angel putting on some tights..." Doyle took a deep breath and shook his head. "Ah, now, I do, and it's really disturbing."
Cordelia waited a while after Doyle had gone downstairs, and then she went down as well and stayed out of sight, so she could listen in on Angel and Doyle's conversation. Angel was working out against a punching bag.
Doyle walked over to him. "Hey. Is this a private catharsis, or can anyone watch?"
"What do you want?" Angel asked, still punching the bag.
"Well, there's a girl upstairs who's not quite sad enough to cry in my arms, but keep up the dark cloud. I might get lucky."
Cordelia was surprised at that.
"I just need some time."
"Believe me, I know. Last time I saw my ex, she was around for five minutes, and I was a wreck for days. Amazing how they can do that to you. I can't imagine what you're going through."
Angel quit punching. "No, you can't." He sat down on the sofa. "Actually, Cordy and I spent a whole day and night together."
"All right. One of us has been drinking, and I'm sad to say it's not me."
Angel wiped his face with a towel and got back up. "Who are the Oracles, Doyle? Why didn't you tell me about them before?"
"The Oracles? Who told you about the Oracles?"
"The first time the Mohra demon attacked, it got away."
"What first time?"
"Look, I tracked it; I killed it; some of its blood mixed with mine. It made me mortal. That's when you took me to see the Oracles to find out what it meant."
"No, see, I'm going to remember a trip to the netherworld of eternal watching. That's just not something that happens every day."
Angel sat down in a chair. "The Oracles told me that I was released from my duty. Cordy and I were together until...we realized it couldn't be. We don't belong to ourselves. We belong to the world, fighting. So...I went back to the Oracles, and I asked them to turn back the clock...as though that day had never happened."
Cordelia was stunned.
"Human. You were a real live, flesh-and-blood human...and you and Cordy..." Doyle paused. "You had the one thing in your unnaturally long life, and you gave it back?!"
"Maybe I was wrong?" Angel asked.
"Or maybe Cordelia was right about you being the real deal in the hero department. See, I would have chosen the pleasures of the flesh over duty and honor any day of the week. I just don't have that strength."
"You never know your strength until you're tested."
"Come on, you lived and loved and lost and fought and vanquished inside a day, and I'm still trying to work up the courage to ask Cordy out for dinner-"
"Well, the Oracles said something bad is coming. 'Soldier of Darkness ushering in the end of days' kind of bad."
"So much for the security of long-term savings bonds, huh?"
"I feel something coming, Doyle. I don't know what, but I know we're a part of it."
"Well, if it's a fight they want...can't someone else give it to them?"
Angel smiled.
"It seems unfair, you know? You gotta save all the helpless types around here, and now you've got to fight the apocalypse as well?"
Angel got up. "It's all the same thing. Fight the good fight...whichever way you can."
"Tell you what, you fight...and I'll keep score."
Unable to control herself or process this information, Cordelia began to laugh hysterically. Angel and Doyle heard her and exchanged a look. She slowly walked into view.
Angel walked toward her. "Cordy-"
"You son of a bitch." Cordelia kept laughing for a while, but then it slowly got replaced by anger. "What gives you the right?"
"Well, considering it's my body..."
Cordelia hadn't considered that, and immediately most of her anger dissipated. "True. Still, you should have told me what happened. We can't keep secrets from each other."
Doyle nodded. "No, we can't. You know, I've been doing a lot of thinking about secrets and whatnot. I know my marriage would have stood a better chance if me and Harriet really just...talked more, really let each other in."
Cordelia didn't like being interrupted, but she was curious. "So how is she? You two keeping in touch?"
"She's decided to stay in LA."
"Oh. So you'll probably be seeing a lot of each other, then."
"Well, not right away. We both need to get on with our lives."
Cordelia stared straight at Angel. "Getting on is good."
"Yeah, because, if I want a relationship that's going to last, I need to put a few cards on the table."
Cordelia wished Doyle would shut up. "Such as...?"
"The thing of it is...I'm a little bit more than meets the-" Doyle pressed a hand to his head as he got hit by a vision. Ow!"
"Whatever you saw just now...did they look like they could afford to pay?" Cordelia asked him.
In Tara and Buffy's dorm room, Harmony was taking pictures of a naked Amy, who was posing on Buffy and Tara's bed.
"Okay, lick those lips."
Amy licked her lips.
"Now, smile. You're a young, beautiful woman with the world at her fingertips."
Amy smiled excitedly.
The phone rang.
"Excuse me." Buffy walked over and answered it. "Hello?"
"Buffy, it's Giles. Spike's escaped."
"What? How?" Buffy asked.
"It was my fault. I was distracted, and he stole my key and freed himself."
"Shit. Okay, I'll go hunt him down." Buffy paused. "Why are we keeping him alive again?"
"Because he has information about-"
"Oh, yeah, yeah." Buffy paused again. "Can I kill him afterward?"
Giles sighed. "If you wish. Just please find him."
"Fine." Buffy hung up. "Spike escaped. I gotta go."
Harmony was disappointed. "Awww, but I was looking forward to you posing for me."
Tara felt a bit embarrassed. "I was kinda looking forward to that, too."
"Rain check." Buffy kissed Tara on the lips and then headed for the door.
Harmony looked at Amy and grinned. "Okay! Where were we?"
"No one's gonna see these, right?" Amy asked.
"Totally. These are for your private enjoyment."
"What am I supposed to do with them? Masturbate to images of myself?" Amy asked.
Harmony was surprised. "You mean you don't?"
Buffy came across Spike standing outside. "Thought that was gonna take longer."
Spike searched about for something, searching the ground with his eyes. "Hang...Hang on, this - this is it. Wait...no...yes."
"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked.
"The lab. Commando lab. The door was right here where I escaped."
He gestured to the ground, which was covered with grass, no sign of a door of any kind. Just a lawn.
Buffy was incredulous. "I don't think so."
Spike fell to his hands and knees, tearing at the ground. "Open up! I'm gonna kill you!"
"Spike, there's nothing there."
"Let me in! Fix me..."
"Okay, drop the act." Buffy grabbed him by the arm.
Spike pushed her away. "Get off!"
"Okay, that's it. I'm gonna gag you."
He punched her in the nose, then yelled in pain. She punched him back in the nose; he yelled in pain again.
Cordelia was sitting at her desk, playing Quake II on her computer.
The phone rang.
Cordelia answered the call. "Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless."
"Cordy, it's me."
"Hey, Angel, I'm totally working."
"I need you to do something for me."
Cordelia walked into the hallway of a building. "Hello? Angel? Hello?"
Some demons stepped into the hallway.
Cordelia gasped and pulled out a little spray bottle. "While this may look like a...popular brand of breath freshener..." She quickly pulled the cap off. "...it's really a cunningly disguised demon repellent!" She sprayed the air in front of them.
A demon sniffed. "Wintergreen."
Doyle pushed through the demons. "Cordy, it's okay. We're here to help them."
Cordy put the spray away. "Oh." She smiled at them. "Oh, hi!" She turned to Doyle. "Where's Angel?"
"He's trying to secure documents to get them out of the country. Did you get the truck?"
"Yes! It's out front. Hey, Doyle, you did notice that these folks are demons."
"Yeah, I know that. That doesn't make them bad people."
"Excuse us a sec?" Cordelia asked the demons. She pulled Doyle around a corner. "Mission statement check: aren't we supposed to be battling the forces of darkness?"
"They're not forces of darkness. They're half-human, and they're in trouble. Now, we don't have a lot of time. Angel wants you to go down to the L.A. harbor, pier 12, ship 4, the Quintessa. Use Angel's name. He knows the captain."
"So...we're booking them on a cruise?"
"Basically, yeah."
"I'm guessing not Carnival."
"The guy runs a freighter. He owes Angel some money. He does this, they're even."
"Ho, ho, hang on! This guy owes Angel money? Why aren't we collecting it?" Cordelia asked.
"Cordy, oppressed demon people here, not getting any safer!"
"So we're sending them on a cruise, and we're paying for it?"
"Please. Just do it? We need to know the ship is ready before we can move everyone."
"Bad things are coming, aren't they?"
"Very bad things. The Scourge."
"Who the hell is that? Cordelia asked.
"An army of pure-blooded demons. They have a big hate-on for mixed-heritage types. Very into pedigree. They hunt them down like animals."
"No one fights back?"
"Sure, they do. All the time. You can kill them, but these guys believe in what they're doing. They're ready to die for the cause."
Cordelia felt sick. "Hard to fight fanatics."
"More like impossible. Please hurry."
Cordelia sighed. "I'm on it."
"Just give me a call on the cell the minute it's done."
"Okay."
Buffy and Spike barged in through the front door of Giles' apartment, Spike once again tied up.
"Hey! Watch it!" Spike yelled.
"One more word out of you, and I swear-"
"Swear what? You're not gonna do anything to me. You don't got the stones."
"Oh, I got the stones. I got a whole bunch of...stones."
"Yeah? You're all talk."
"Giles! I accidentally killed Spike. That's okay, right?" Buffy called.
"Just a minute!" Giles called from the bathroom.
Buffy slammed Spike down into a chair.
Spike stared up at her in seething hatred. "I get this spell reversed, they'll be finding your body for weeks."
"Oh, make a move...please. I'm dying for a good slay."
They glared at each other.
"Spike is a stupid name."
"Oh, really?" Spike asked. "Whereas the name Buffy exudes classic elegance."
"What's wrong with Buffy?"
"Well, it's a terrible name."
"My mother gave me that name."
"Your mother, yeah, she's a genius."
Buffy stared down at him. "Don't you start in on my mother, fuckface."
Cordelia found the ship and told the captain of the situation. She looked around. "Well, it's not exactly the Love Boat, is it?"
"Sorry. We don't haul people. We haul cargo. It's never complained."
"We could bring in some blankets or something. How many are we talking?" the first mate asked.
"Oh,...about twenty?" Cordelia guessed. "Some are short people, you know, children?"
The captain nodded. "It won't be the most comfortable thing in the world, but we'll get them where they're going."
Cordelia pulled out her phone with a sigh. "We'll take it." She called Doyle.
"Hello?"
"It's me. The ship's a go."
"Good. But make sure to stall as long as possible. I might be running late."
"Is there a problem?" Cordelia asked.
"Rieff, a demon boy, has gone missing."
Cordelia sighed. "Fine. I'll work my magic."
Later, the demons were boarding the freighter.
The captain looked at Cordelia. "Look, I've got my clearance from the harbormaster. We have to go now. I have a schedule to keep."
"I'm sure they'll be here, captain. Just a few more minutes."
"Angel said he'd cut my debt in half if I do him this favor, right?"
"Yep, half, that's what he said. Big whopping fifty percent. Quite a deal."
"He takes sixty percent off, then I'll wait."
"You drive a hard bargain."
The captain walked away.
One of the demons walked up to Cordelia. "I can't thank you and your friends enough. I'm sure Rieff is in safe hands."
"Doyle will get him here."
"Yeah, he is a good one. He understands our suffering."
"We both do."
"I apologize. I didn't mean to say that you didn't. It's just more familiar to Doyle. He has to live with a certain amount of persecution. You always do when you're half-demon."
Cordelia was shocked. "Demon?"
"Oh. You...You didn't know?"
"No!" Cordelia yelled. "What the fuck?!"
Cordelia and the captain were pacing the freighter impatiently.
Cordelia heard something and looked. "Someone's coming."
Doyle and Rieff came running up.
"Do you have any idea what you put us through?" the demon asked Rieff. "We got to get out of here!"
"I'm sorry."
"Let's get you down with the others."
Rieff slapped Doyle's hand. "Thanks."
Cordelia stared at Doyle.
Doyle looked at Cordelia. "What?"
"You're alive!"
"And you're not happy?"
"We were worried."
"Oh. Well, it's all going to be okay."
Cordelia slapped him.
"What was that for?" Doyle asked.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were half-demon? I thought we agreed that secrets are bad!"
"I wanted to tell you. I was afraid. I thought, if I did, you'd reject me."
"I've rejected you way before now! So you're half-demon. Big whoop! I can't believe you'd think I'd care about that. I mean...I dated a vampire! Hello?"
"It's true. I just-"
"What do you think I am, superficial? So you're half-demon. That's so far down the list, way under 'short' and 'poor'!" Cordelia paused. "Is there anything else I should know?"
"The half-demon thing is pretty much my big secret."
"Good. That's out. It's done." Cordelia paused. "Would you ask me out to dinner already?"
"Yeah?" Doyle asked.
Cordelia smiled at him.
"Cordelia...would you like-"
Cordelia looked past him. "It's Angel!"
Angel drove up on his motorcycle, got off, and ran up the gangplank. "We have to shove off now."
"What's going on?" Cordelia asked.
The captain looked at Angel. "I can't! I can't find my first mate!"
"You won't. We're going. Get to the bridge."
Doyle looked. "Angel, they're here."
The Scourge was pulling up on the pier in trucks and on motorcycles.
Doyle looked at Angel. "Angel."
Angel looked at Cordelia and Doyle. "Get below. Lock the doors."
"What?" Doyle asked.
"Move! Now! Stay with the others."
Cordelia and Doyle ran into the hold.
Doyle looked at some demons. "Lock the doors. The Scourge is here. We're shoving off. We're gonna make it."
Soon, Angel and the Scourge commander burst through a door and fell down some stairs in the cargo hold. As Cordelia and the others watched, they fell over the railing and landed side by side on a lower catwalk. As Angel got up, he saw a beacon, already lit, being lowered into the hold on a chain.
"It's going to detonate. Get out! Everybody out!" Angel yelled.
The demons scrambled to comply.
The commander grabbed Angel and tried to choke him. "Welcome to a cleaner world. Soon, only the purebloods will be left standing."
Angel broke his grip. "Actually, pure boy, you'll be on your ass." He broke his neck and dropped him.
Doyle tried to open a door. "Ahh! They're locked from the outside. We're trapped!"
Cordelia and Doyle climbed up a ladder to the same level that Angel was on, and they all met on a platform level with the beacon.
"What does that thing do?" Doyle asked Angel.
"Its light kills anything with human blood."
"Well, it's getting brighter, and that doohickey - it's fully armed, isn't it?" Doyle asked.
"Almost. If I pull the cable, I think I can still shut it off."
"How're you gonna do that without touching the light?" Doyle asked him.
Cordelia looked at Angel in horror. "Angel, that's suicide."
Doyle nodded. "There's got to be another way."
Angel looked at the demons in the hold, then at Cordelia. "It's all right."
"No!" Cordelia cried, hugging Angel.
Angel looked into her eyes. "I love you." He kissed her on the lips, then gently pulled out of her grasp and put a hand on Doyle's shoulder.
Cordelia's tears flowed freely.
Doyle put his hand on Angel's arm. "The good fight, yeah? You never know until you've been tested. I get that now."
Doyle hauled back and hit Angel with a hard right fist to the chin, knocking him down into the cargo hold. Doyle turned to Cordelia and kissed her. Cordelia could barely register what was going on.
Doyle stepped back. "Too bad we'll never know..." His face morphed into his demon face, which was very spiky. "...if this is a face you could learn to love."
Angel picked himself up off the floor of the cargo hold, ran over to the ladder, and climbed back up. "Doyle. Doyle. Doyle! Doyle! No!"
Doyle jumped over to the beacon just before Angel reached the platform. He grabbed a hold of its metal frame, turned his head, and smiled at Cordelia and Angel.
"No!" Angel yelled.
Doyle morphed back to human and tried to pull the cable connection apart as the light got brighter and started to melt the skin off his face. Everybody watched, spellbound, as Doyle managed to pull the cable apart just before he burned up into nothing. The beacon went dark. All of the demons stared at the fading beacon in shock. Cordelia continued crying, and Angel pulled her into a hug, teary-eyed himself.
Later, in Angel's apartment, Cordelia and Angel were sitting on the couch, watching the video tape of the commercial that Doyle did in silence. Cordelia had slipped her shoes off and was resting her feet on the couch. She stared at the television screen in despair.
"If you need help, then look no further. Angel Investigations is the best! Our rats are low."
"Our rates!"
"It says 'rats'. Our rates are low, but our standards are high. When the chips are down, and you're at the end of your rope, you need someone that you can count on. And that's what you'll find here - someone that will go all the way, no matter what. So don't lose hope. Come on over to our offices, and you'll see that there's still heroes in this world."
Cordelia stared at his image, memorizing every feature.
Doyle cleared his throat. "Is that it? Am I done?"
Chapter 91: Hush
Chapter Text
"Hush"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Hush" Written by Joss Whedon and the Angel Episode "Parting Gifts" Written by David Fury and Jeannine Renshaw
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
Buffy and Tara were walking down a hallway in their dorm building at night. Faintly, Buffy heard a little girl humming or chanting.
"Do you hear that?" Buffy walked towards the sound and eventually saw a little girl holding an ornate box in the hall.
"Can't even shout. Can't even cry. The Gentlemen are coming by, looking in windows, knocking on doors. They need to take seven, and they might take yours. Can't call to Mom. Can't say a word. You're gonna die screaming, but you won't be heard."
Tara touched Buffy from behind, and she turned to see a horrific face wearing a dark suit.
Buffy woke up in bed with a start. It was morning. Tara was sleeping to her left.
Buffy took a moment to get her bearings, and then she gently shook Tara. "Tara, sweetie?"
Tara woke up and opened her eyes. "Mmm?"
"I had a nightmare. I don't know what it means."
"What was it?"
Buffy got out of bed and walked over to the phone. "I'm gonna call Giles and recount it to him. Get on your laptop and type what I say in an e-mail to Jenny."
Tara got out of bed, walked over to her desk, opened her laptop, turned it on, and sat down.
Buffy picked up the handset and called Giles. The phone rang three times.
"Hello?"
"Giles, it's me. I just had a nightmare. Might mean something; might not; but I'd like you to look into it."
"All right."
"Tara and I were walking in a hallway in the dorm at night. I heard and saw a little girl holding an ornate box of some kind. She sang...uh...'Can't even shout. Can't even cry. The Gentlemen are coming by, looking in windows, knocking on doors. They need to take seven, and they might take yours. Can't call to Mom. Can't say a word. You're gonna die screaming, but you won't be heard.' Then Tara touched me, I turned around, and...there was this hideous...creature staring at me." Buffy grew sick recollecting it. "Bald, pale skin, wearing a tuxedo or something. And those teeth. Omigod."
"'Can't even shout. Can't even cry. The Gentlemen are coming by.' Um, it sounds vaguely familiar. You're sure it's nothing you heard when you were a child?"
"Doesn't ring any bells."
"Oh, all right. Nothing else?"
"No. So what do you think? Is it cause for concern?" Buffy asked him.
"Well, i-it could definitely be one of your prophetic dreams, or it could just be the eternal mystery that is your brain. But I-I'll check it out, and, um, I'll let you know if I find something."
"Thanks. Later."
"All right. Bye-bye."
Buffy put down the handset. Tara was getting dressed.
"So what are your plans for today?" Buffy asked her.
Tara brushed her hair. "Well, there's this Wicca group on campus. Amy and I are gonna check it out."
"Cool."
"You?"
Buffy shrugged. "I dunno. With everything except finals over, I figure I'll just stay in and listen to music, play video games, watch MTV, and, um, let's see..."
"Study?" Tara suggested.
Buffy frowned. "Knew I was forgetting something."
"So I'll see you after Wicca group." Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "Bye."
"Bye."
Tara unlocked and opened the door. She walked outside, closing the door behind her. Buffy walked over to her desk, sat down, and opened a textbook. She turned on her boombox and played her Garbage CD. "Temptation Waits" started playing.
"Have you heard of a group called the Gentlemen?" Giles asked Spike.
Spike was walking in the kitchen, chewing and searching. "Group of what?"
"The Gentlemen."
"Dunno."
"You certain?"
"No. We're out of Weetabix."
"We are out of Weetabix, because you ate it all...again."
"Get some more."
"I thought vampires were supposed to eat blood."
"Yep. Well, sometimes, I like to crumble up the Weetabix in the blood, give it a little texture." Spike lay on the couch with a bag of crackers and a jar of peanut butter.
"Since the picture you just painted means I will never touch food of any kind again, you'll just have to pick it up yourself."
"Sissy."
There was a knock on the door. Giles went over, unlocked it, and opened it. Harmony was standing outside.
Harmony grinned cheerfully. "Hi, Giles! Amy said you wanted me to swing by."
"Oh, oh, yes, well, I meant, uh, after sunset." Giles walked over and leaned against his desk. "Um, I need you to take Spike for a few days."
"What?" Harmony asked.
"What?" Spike stood up. "I'm not staying with that bimbo!"
"Jenny's spending a few days, and I'd like us to be alone."
Harmony smiled at Giles. "Ooh!" Then she thought about it and gave a look of disgust. "Ew!"
Giles sighed. "Look, we're going to try living together for an extended period. Would you please do this for me?"
Harmony sighed. "Fine. Let's go."
"It's broad daylight, you blithering idiot!" Spike yelled.
"Hey! If you're gonna call me names, I'm gonna stake you!" Harmony threatened. "Besides, what has the daylight ever done to you?"
Spike stared at Harmony.
In the office of Angel Investigations, Cordelia was examining the coffee cups sitting by the coffee maker one by one.
"What are you looking for?" Angel asked her.
"Nothing." Cordelia paused. "Doyle's special coffee mug."
"Doyle didn't have a special mug."
"Don't you think he should have?" Cordelia went and sat down at her desk. "I don't know, I guess I thought it would make me feel better, if I could hold something tangible that he left behind. Some evidence he was here? But there is nothing. Almost like...like he never..."
"Cordelia, get out."
"What?" Cordelia asked, surprised.
"I-I mean...of the office. Take the day off. Go live your life a little bit. I can manage here."
Cordelia got up. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing, Angel."
"What am I doing?"
"You're trying to push me away, close yourself off."
"That's not what-"
"Well, I got news for you, broody boy. We're all we've got now. You may not like sharing your grief with others, but that's the normal, healthy way people deal with loss. I'm not going anywhere, so get used to it. I'm staying right here!"
The alarm on her watch went off.
"Oops! Got to go. Commercial audition. If it wasn't a national, I'd blow it off."
"Well, if you don't feel up to it, then don't go. Stay here."
"Reverse psychology, very cute. Don't worry, I'm going."
"I'm not-"
"But don't get any ideas. I'm coming back!"
"Right."
Cordelia opened the door just as a demon from the alley was about to knock, and she let out a scream.
"You scared the heck out of me!" he yelled.
"I scared you? Look in the mirror lately?" Cordelia asked him.
"Every chance I get!" He pointed at Angel as he walked past Cordelia. "You're him, right? You're the guy, the - the - the vampire with a soul?"
"I'm Angel."
"Yeah. You got to help me! Please. I-I mean that's what you do, right? You help the helpless? You protect the...what do you call them? The - The...helpless?"
"Something like that."
"Yeah."
"You want me to stay?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"It's okay."
The demon looked at her. "Break a leg."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm sensing a little performance anxiety here. Little trick, picture everybody-"
"Naked."
"I was going to say dead, but, hey, if that naked thing works for you-"
Cordelia left the office, closing the door behind her.
The Wicca group met in a classroom on campus. A group of fourteen girls sat on couches and chairs. Tara and Amy sat on the floor. Students wandered by, and others sat, studying.
Cheryl Townsend, a girl with long red hair, was sitting in the lotus position and had her eyes closed. "We come together, Daughters of Gaia, sisters to the Moon. We walk with the darkness, the wolf at our side, through the waterfall of power to the blackest heart of eternity." She opened her eyes. "I think we should have a bake sale."
Nicole Bloom, a girl with long brown hair, looked at her. "I don't know."
Cheryl looked at everyone. "You guys like a bake sale, right? I mean we need money for the dance recital, and you know I do an empowering lemon Bundt."
Nicole looked at everyone. "The most important thing is the Gaian newsletter. We need to get the message of blessing out to the sisters. Also, who left their scented candles dripping all over my women power shrine?"
Amy was bored. "Well, this is good. I mean...this is all fun, ya know, but there's also other stuff that we might show an interest in as a Wicca group."
"Like what?" Cheryl asked hesitantly.
"Spells."
"Well, you missed last week. We did a healing chant for Chloe's ankle. She said the swelling went right down."
"What's she doing on a mountain bike, anyway?" Nicole asked Cheryl.
"She was trying to impress Justin."
Amy resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I was actually talking more about stuff like...levitation."
Nicole nodded. "Oh, yeah, then we could all get on our broomsticks and fly around on our broomsticks." She giggled.
Cheryl stared at Amy with a look of disapproval. "You know, Amy, certain stereotypes are not very empowering."
Tara looked at Cheryl. "I think that-"
"One person's energy can suck the power from an entire circle." Nicole looked at Amy. "No offense."
"Well, maybe we could, uh-"
"Yeah, Tara?" Nicole held her hand up for quiet. "Guys...quiet." She looked at Tara. "So you have a suggestion?"
Tara suddenly felt everyone focused on her and just shook her head and looked down, but then she looked at Amy, embarrassed. Amy smiled at her in sympathy.
Nicole smiled. "Okay, let's talk about the theme for the bacchanal."
Cordelia was standing in front of two men and a woman, who were seated at a table. She was holding a white, stained shirt in one hand and a bottle in the other hand. She was very nervous.
"Okay. Let's try this whenever you're ready."
"Action."
"Just look at the wine stain on my shirt! I can't meet your folks looking like this!"
Cordelia held up the shirt. "Don't worry, honey, it's no problem with Extra Strength Stain-Be-Gone."
"Extra Strength Stain-Be-Gone?"
"Yup. Now, Stain-Be-Gone is more effective at melting away..." Cordelia took a deep breath. "...stubborn..." She forced a smile. "...blood...wine...even grass stains. See, just spray it on...and rub it in..." She started to sob. "...and, in minutes, the stain is gone!" She started crying. "It's completely gone."
The three people at the table looked at each other.
"Okay, that was..."
"Good. That was good. Good."
"Very nice."
"But I think what we're going for here is more of a..."
"Happy."
"Yeah, happy. More of an up feeling that the stain is gone."
"Yeah, because obviously stains are, you know..."
"Not good."
"Exactly."
"Yeah. Right."
Cordelia frowned. "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry."
"It's an interesting choice."
Cordelia wiped her tears away.
"Let's try it again. Let's go from..."
"Stain-Be-Gone is more effective."
"Yeah."
They stared in amazement as Cordelia hopped up and down in front of the camera.
Cordelia smiled. "Now, Stain-Be-Go-ugh!" She got hit with a vision but tried desperately to continue with the commercial besides the intense pain and disorientation. "...is...more...effective..." She stamped her foot. "Grass stains!"
There was a stunned silence for a moment.
"Okay. Nice adjustment."
"Nice."
"Thank you."
Tara and Amy left the Wicca group, disappointed.
Sandy walked over to them. "Hey, girls."
Tara and Amy looked at her. "Hey, Sandy."
"What's up?" Sandy asked.
Amy sighed. "We just attended a meeting of the campus' Wicca group."
"Oh, Daughters of Gaia?" Sandy asked. "Pfft! Lame!"
"I know, right?" Amy agreed. "'Let's have a bake sale! I make a kickass Bundt!' Please! Everyone knows the real money is in brownies."
Tara hesitated. "I don't know. I feel strangely...fulfilled."
Amy and Sandy looked at her.
"I can't really explain it." Tara paused, gathering her thoughts. "I feel...whole. Complete. Like...I'm on the right path."
Amy looked at Sandy. "Might be worth sticking with it."
Sandy nodded.
Cordelia inched her way through the doorway into Angel's office.
Angel looked up from what he was writing. "Hi."
Cordelia walked towards him with a strange look on her face, mentally steeling herself for what she was about to do.
"Everything okay?"
Cordelia put one arm around his neck and kissed him on the lips.
"Mmm-mmp..." Angel pushed her away. "Okay, um, Cordelia, that was, uh..." He paused. "You know, I think that you're acting out of grief, and you're-"
"I didn't feel anything." Cordelia paused. "Did you feel anything?"
Angel hesitated. "No! You see, that's what I'm trying to-"
"Urgh! That means I still have it! Fuck, I can't believe he did this to me!" Cordelia yelled.
"Who did what?"
"Doyle! I thought our kiss meant something, and instead he - he used that moment to pass it on to me!"
Angel wiped his lips and looked at his fingers.
"Why couldn't it have been mono or herpes?!"
"C-Cordelia-"
"I didn't ask for this responsibility, unlike some people, who shall remain lifeless! I don't have anything to atone for. If they know what's good for them, the PTB better just stay out of my head."
"The Powers That Be. You had a vision."
Cordelia nodded. "And guess what. You know how they look painful? Well, they feel a whole lot worse!"
Angel sat down in his chair. "Another door opens. You're my link to...the Powers now."
"I'm nobody's link to anybody. I lost control of my entire nervous system getting that stupid vision, and I'm not certain, but I think I may have...drooled a little...at the first audition I've had in weeks."
Angel got up. "What was it?"
"Uh, Stain-Be-Gone; it was a national, no less. They'll probably never call me again."
Angel hit the desk and snapped his fingers. "The vision! What was the vision?"
"Oh. Pfft! Who knows? It was a thing!"
"A thing?"
"An ugly, gray, blobby thing. What difference does it make?"
"The difference is, if you saw it in a vision, it could be an ugly, gray, blobby, dangerous thing!"
"I don't care, I want it out of me! And if kissing is the only way to get rid of it, I will smooch every damn frog in this kingdom!" Cordelia declared.
The demon came into the office, buttoning his sleeves. "Oh, sorry. I thought I heard voices."
"Uh, Barney, you remember my associate, Cor-"
Cordelia walked up and kissed Barney on the lips.
"-delia?"
Cordelia reconsidered. "Maybe not every frog."
"Boy! I got to say I like the way you people treat your clients!" Barney exclaimed, then went into the outer office.
"Excuse me..." Cordelia started spitting, then got close to Angel. "He's a client?"
"Apparently, someone or something is after him."
"That ugly, gray blobby thing?"
"You tell me." Angel handed her a sketchbook and a pen. "Try sketching it. In the meantime, Barney would probably feel safer downstairs. Babysit him until I get back."
"Where are you going?"
"To check out his apartment. He thinks whatever is chasing him knows where he lives." Angel turned around on his way out. "Hey, and behave yourself. I don't want to find you two necking on the couch when I get back."
Cordelia smiled. "Jealous?"
Angel turned and left the office without answering.
Later, in Angel's apartment, Cordelia was sitting on the couch and sketching the thing that she saw.
"I hear that drawing can be very therapeutic during the grieving period."
Cordelia looked up at Barney. "What?"
"I'm - I'm sorry. I couldn't help sensing your pain. You lost someone close to you, didn't you?"
"Angel told you?"
Barney shook his head. "I'm empathic. I feel your feelings when you feel them. It's a gift my kind is blessed with."
"Really. Well, my kind thinks that some things are private. So maybe you shouldn't be nosing around other people's feelings without asking them."
"You're right. I'm sorry. I'm just trying to make conversation."
"Wait. Barney, I'm sorry. I'm just going through a difficult time right now. I'm just...um..."
"Missing your friend."
Cordelia nodded.
"Why don't you tell me about him?"
"Doyle? Well, he drank too much, and his taste in clothing was like a Greek tragedy."
Barney chuckled.
"And he could be really sweet sometimes." Cordelia swallowed hard. "You'll like this: he was half-demon - a secret he kept from me for, like, ever. I guess that's the reason he sometimes smelled weird? You know, you remind me a little of him."
Barney laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment." He saw someone approaching. "That's him!"
Cordelia looked and saw Angel and someone else.
"Look, Barney-"
Barney got ready to run. "That's the guy that's after me!"
Angel went after Barney. "It's okay!" He looked at the other guy. "The books are over there."
"Good Lord. Cordelia?" the guy asked.
Cordelia got up and walked up to him.
"Angel never mentioned..." He paused. "Well, this is nice-"
Cordelia kissed him on the lips. After a moment, Cordelia pulled away.
"-surprise."
Cordelia shook herself. "It didn't work!"
He stared at her in confusion.
"It was just a kind of experiment. I was trying to..." Cordelia really looked at him for the first time. "Wesley? What are you doing here? Are you working with Angel?"
"A lone wolf, such as myself, never works with anyone. I'm merely allowing Angel to assist me. I'm a rogue demon hunter now."
"Oh, wow." Cordelia paused. "What's a rogue demon?"
Angel and Barney came back into the apartment, and Wesley went over to look at the books.
"So what you're telling me is that, all this time, your friend wasn't hunting me; he was hunting something else that was hunting me?"
"That's about the size of it."
"And that something else was after me because..."
"It wants to steal your empathic ability."
"The feeling feelings thing? What kind of demon would do that to another demon?" Cordelia asked.
Wesley came back, carrying an open book. "A Kungai."
"A Kungai?" Barney asked.
"The description matches. It's of Asian origin, very deadly. A powerful race of demons, the Kungai possess a Tak horn capable of consuming its opponent's life force. We're lucky to have escaped with our lives."
"I know these Kungais. They-They're killers. They're relentless." Barney looked at Angel. "You got to take this thing out before it finds me."
"I'm working on it. I have to find it first."
Angel tried to take the book from Wesley, who didn't want to let go of it. They had a little tug of war - with Angel as the victor.
"Hang on. It's of Asian origin. Earlier today, I tracked it through an Asian district just north of here."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "That's Koreatown."
"It's very likely it's hiding there."
Angel closed the book. "Then that's where I start looking."
"Don't you mean we?" Wesley asked.
Angel got his coat. "I work alone, Wesley."
"The hell you say. This demon is mine!"
Angel walked past him.
"Angel, I know how to track him. You'll not catch him without me by your side."
Angel turned to look at him. "I had someone by my side. He's dead now. I won't let that happen again. I work alone."
"You don't even know where to begin to look."
Angel started going up the stairs. "I have a pretty good idea."
Wesley put the book down on the stairs. "Yes...well..." He got ready to sit down but changed his mind with a grimace of pain. "Ahh."
"Are you all right, Wesley?" Cordelia asked.
"No. These pants, they tend to chafe one's..." Wesley looked at Cordelia. "...legs."
Later, Cordelia finished her drawing.
"Hey, that's kind of nice. What is it?" Barney asked.
"I don't know. I don't know!" Cordelia ripped the page off, crumpled it up, and threw it on the floor. "I don't know."
"You're frustrated."
"That's one spooky talent you got there. You can just look at me grinding my teeth, sighing, grunting, and sense that I'm frustrated? Amazing!"
"It's pretty good at sensing sarcasm, too. Can I help?"
"Not unless you can explain to me why I have to suffer head-splitting migraines and getting visions so vague that they require closed captioning."
"What do you mean, um, visions?"
"That friend of mine, Doyle? He used to get these brain flashes. Messages from the PTB."
Barney shook his head in question.
"The Powers That Be. Visions of all sorts of stuff: people in trouble, things about to cause trouble, places trouble is happening in."
"And your friend left you with that little inheritance?"
"I'm never going to forgive him for doing this to me."
"What? Choosing you? Trusting you with an enormous responsibility? Believing that you were the only one worthy of such a rare and important gift?"
"Did I mention the drooling?"
"I get the impression that Doyle didn't have much by way of possessions?"
"No. No, he didn't."
"Seems like he gave you the most valuable thing he had."
Cordelia considered that.
Later, Cordelia made coffee for herself and Barney. She looked in Angel's fridge. "I hope you like your coffee black, because the only lightener the boss has in his refrigerator is O positive."
"Black is great."
Cordelia closed the fridge, poured the coffee into cups, and took the cups over to the table. "It's kind of strong and a little clumpy. Never could brew the old-fashioned way. I'm more the auto-drip girl. Sorry."
Barney grinned. "Yes, you are."
"What?"
"Sorry. Pathetic, really."
"Well, thanks for that insight, Mr. Emotional Radar."
"How old are you?"
"That is none of your-"
"Twenty-something? Hmm? With your head all up in the clouds and your feet in - hmm - shoes you can't afford? All self-absorbed, full of regret. Poor, poor you. Poor little Cordelia with her delusions of an acting career."
"Delusions?"
"You don't possibly think you'll succeed, do you? You're a terrible actress."
"You have never seen me. How could you possibly know?"
"Because you know. You feel it. Your entire being is whispering it to me right now. Me, on the other hand, you got to admit I'm a pretty fine actor. Fooled you!"
Cordelia tried to run.
Barney cut her off. "You don't like to hear the truth. No wonder your friend never told you about his demon half."
"You don't know anything about me or Doyle."
"I know you let him die."
"That is not true."
"No. But it feels true, doesn't it? Mixed in with all the pain and the grief, oh, and a healthy dollop of guilt. A nagging thought that - that maybe, somehow, you could have saved him. If only you'd have been nicer to him. If only you'd let your walls down. If only for one fucking second you gave a damn about anyone besides yourself." Barney grabbed Cordelia by her arms.
"Let me-"
Barney shook her. "Oh, shut up! So you hate your gift, the visions? You probably would love to rip those pretty little eyes right out of your head. I know I would."
He threw her against the table, and she blacked out when she hit the floor.
When Cordelia regained consciousness, she found herself lying face down on the table as Barney tied her hands.
"Good, terror! I'm feeling it. You have no idea what a rush it is!"
"Wait! Ahh! A vision! I'm having a vision."
Barney pulled her up from the table.
"A demon, a creepy, little - you! It's definitely you! In great, great..."
"Danger?" Barney guessed.
Cordelia kneed him in the balls. "Pain!"
She ran, but Barney caught her before she could get as far as the stairs.
"I really don't want to hurt you. Bruises bring down the price."
"Help!" Cordelia screamed.
Barney hit her, and she fell down and lost consciousness again.
When Cordelia regained consciousness, she found herself lying, bound and gagged, in some storage room. She opened her eyes and saw the gray blob, a sculpture, that she had been trying to draw. There were all kinds of labeled body parts, including a still-beating heart under a glass cover.
"That's too much trouble! How about we just pop out the eyes, and we'll dump the body?" someone suggested.
"We get at least an extra thousand if the seer's eyes are intact, so drop it. Shouldn't you be cataloging Gypsy flesh?" Barney asked.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Cordelia soon learned she was at an auction. A guy led Cordelia onto the stage. Another guy took off her gag. Barney was the auctioneer. There were all kinds of demons and humans on the floor.
"Next up: lot 32. We're very lucky to have this here today. It's a rare and beautiful find."
Cordelia looked out at the audience. "I'm really not a seer. I only had a vision once, and I'm pretty sure it was just something I ate!"
The guy put his hand over her mouth.
"The magnificent eyes of a seer. Your very own pipeline to the Powers That Be, folks. The possibilities are endless. Keep the girl as a slave, remove the head as a trophy, or simply harvest the eyes; in any case, a unique party icebreaker. It doesn't get any better than this. Let's start the bidding at $2,000. Do I hear $2,000? Ah, $2,000. Do I hear $2,005? $2,005. Do I hear three? $8,000. Do I hear nine? Come on, I don't have to tell some of you what a rare find this is. $9,000. Nine gets me ten. $10,000. $10,000. Do I hear ten? Ah, ten! Do I have eleven? $11,000. $11,000 from the gentleman in the back! Do we have twelve? Seer's eyes going at $11,000. Do I hear twelve? $11,000 it is. $11,000 once, twice-"
"Hey, you know you pay twice that for cataracts. These eyes are flawless even without the stupid visions! That's the best you can do?" Cordelia asked.
"$12,000. I have $12,000 from the gentleman. $13,000? $13,000? Going for $12,000-"
"You know what these eyes can do? They can see stuff...like danger and - and evil and locations of buried treasure!" Cordelia claimed.
"$13,000. Do I hear thirteen?"
"Come on, have some huevos, guy! Whitey here is stepping all over you. You're going to take that shit from his kind?" Cordelia asked.
The white-faced guy looked at the white-haired guy sitting next to him and lifted his paddle.
"Thirteen."
The white-haired guy lifted his paddle.
"Uh, fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen."
The white-haired guy hit the other guy over the head and lifted his paddle with a smile.
"$20,000 from the gentleman in the center aisle, going once, going twice-"
"$30,000."
Cordelia looked at the young black woman in the audience.
"Huh, sold for $30,000 to the lovely lawyer from Wolfram & Hart."
Later, Barney and the lawyer from Wolfram & Hart were meeting in the storage room, where people were picking up their stuff. Cordelia was once again gagged and tied to a chair.
"I'm sure your people will be happy with their purchase."
"We won't be needing the body. My employers have requested that the eyes be extracted."
"Well, an extraction is a very delicate process. We run the risk of damaging the gift. It's going to cost you an extra thou."
"Please! Extraction is always included in the price."
"Not with seer's eyes."
"Never heard of such a thing."
"There's never been such a thing like this on the market. An extra thousand, or you take it as is."
"Go ahead."
"Alrighty then." Barney rubbed his hands together and looked at a guy. "Give me the extractor."
"But...I want to do it. You know that. I've been begging you-"
"Hank! You're embarrassing yourself. Hand it over."
Hank reluctantly handed him what looked like a pair of salad tongs.
Cordelia whimpered. "No!"
Barney hit her while the lawyer watched impassively.
"Now, be a good girl and hold still. This will only hurt a lot."
A guy came sailing in through the door, distracting Barney. Angel and Wesley burst in.
"Hank. Stakes."
Angel started to beat up on the security people there while Wesley hopped on one foot, trying to free the knife that he taped to his leg. He fell down, and a guy headed for Angel fell over him. Angel, being held by two guys while kicking the stake out of the hand of a third, saw Wesley lying on the floor, still trying to get his knife.
"Get Cordelia!" Angel told him.
Wesley crawled over to where she was. "Are you all right?"
"Mmmmm!" Cordelia moaned through her gag.
"Oh." Wesley pulled the gag from her mouth.
"I'm so far not!"
"Right. Wrists!"
"Wesley, come on!"
Wesley tried one more time to get the knife free, then picked up a claw off the floor and sawed through the ropes with it.
Cordelia stood up. "Okay. Let's get out of here." She started running.
Wesley ran after Cordelia. "Follow me!"
Barney hit Wesley with a right hook.
Wesley fought back. "You! Butcher an innocent girl, will you?" He pushed his glasses up on his nose. "I'm going to thrash you to within a inch of your life - and then I'm going to take that inch!"
Angel was fighting the security guys, Wesley was pounding Barney against the floor. Barney rolled over and got on top of Wesley.
Cordelia picked up a horn off the table and stabbed him in the back with it. "Feel this feeling, fucking creepo!"
Barney got off Wesley and tried to grab Cordelia but collapsed face down on the floor. His body turned gray and crackled, then turned black and slowly deflated. Angel ran up to her.
Cordelia gave him a quick hug. "I never doubted for a minute that you'd find me."
"Well, I was lucky." Angel looked at Wesley. "I had a rogue demon hunter on my side."
Wesley smiled. "Glad I could be of service."
In Amy and Harmony's bathroom, the girls were tying Spike to a chair.
"I don't see why I have to be tied up."
Amy made one final knot. "It's just while we're sleeping."
"Like I'd bite you, anyway."
Harmony nodded. "Oh, you would."
"Not bloody likely."
Harmony was offended. "I happen to be very biteable, pal. I'm moist and delicious."
"All right, yeah, fine, you're a nummy treat."
Harmony smiled. "And don't you forget it."
Amy rolled her eyes.
In Giles' apartment, Giles was sitting at his desk. "They need to take seven..." He paused. "Take seven what?"
There was a knock at the door. Giles got up, walked over to the door, unlocked it, and opened it. Jenny was standing outside, wearing a trench coat and holding a suitcase.
Giles smiled. "Jenny!" He stepped aside.
Jenny walked inside and set the suitcase down. "Sorry I'm so late, Rupert. I was trying to pick out something sexy to wear."
Giles closed and locked the door, giddy. "Oh."
"Yeah. Then I figured...why bother?" Jenny undid the belt and took the trench coat off, leaving herself naked except for her shoes. "That's enough small talk, don't you think?"
They kissed, and Giles took off his glasses and put them on the notes.
Very early the next morning, in Angel's apartment, Cordelia was ironing her wrinkled drawing at the kitchen table. "Not that he didn't have it coming. He was a horrible, evil monster."
Angel was cooking at the stove. "Hmm, he did kill a lot of people."
Wesley packed his bag. "Viciously mutilated their corpses."
Cordelia put the picture in a frame. "Plus he started the bidding on me at a paltry $2,000." She looked at Angel. "This, I frame for saving my life and as a reminder that something of Doyle's is in our office."
"Well, I'll be off then. Angel. Who knows when our paths will cross again?"
Angel shook his hand, then reached into the fridge. "Wesley."
Wesley put his jacket on.
"Do you even know where you're headed?" Cordelia asked him.
"Us rogue demon hunters rarely do. Wherever evil lurks, wherever the forces of darkness threaten humanity, that's where I'll be."
Angel set the table and poured a glass of orange juice for Cordelia.
"Well, okay. Keep in touch." Cordelia picked up the glass and took a sip.
"Yes. Yes, I will." Wesley picked up his bag. "But now the evil lurking everywhere bids me onwards." He looked back at Angel cooking and Cordelia drinking her juice. "So...I go."
Cordelia turned around. "Take care."
"Yes." Wesley slowly walked around the corner to go up the steps but, after a moment, strolled back into the room. "No rest for the wicked fighters. Through storm and rain...heat...famine..."
Angel put some scrambled eggs on a plate.
"...deep, painful, gnawing hunger...I go."
Angel looked over at him. "Breakfast?"
Wesley quickly put down his bag and took off his jacket. "Ooh..." He eagerly hurried to the table. "I suppose so."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "One of the perks of the job: after an all-nighter of fighting the lurking evil...we get eggs."
Angel set a plate of eggs down in front of Wesley. "Toast?"
"Please!"
Cordelia smiled. "I'm famished. He's a good cook for someone on a liquid diet."
Wesley tasted his eggs. "Astonishing, really. Mm-mm." He looked at Angel. "Did you say something about toast?"
Angel set a plate of toasted bread on the table, and both Cordelia and Wesley grabbed a slice.
Buffy woke up, got out of bed, and went into the bathroom. She turned on the light, lifted the toilet lid, sat down, and took a piss. She stood up and flushed the toilet. She yawned and brushed her teeth, then she returned to the main room and got dressed.
She unlocked and opened the door and walked out into the hall. A girl, who was crying silently, sniffled and passed her by. Buffy wondered what was up with her.
Behind Buffy, Tara woke up, yawned, and got out of bed.
Buffy turned around, smiled, and tried to say "Good morning." However, no sound came from her throat. She stopped in surprise.
Tara smiled and tried to say "Hey." Same result.
Buffy felt her throat and tried twice more to talk. Then she tried "Can you hear me?"
Tara tried "No, I've gone - gone deaf."
Buffy mouthed "No, I don't think so. We can't speak."
Tara tried yelling. Buffy went out into the hall. Students were out there and silently mouthing. Not a voice was heard. Tara walked over to her desk, opened her laptop, turned it on, and sat down.
Harmony was freaking out. She looked at Amy and mouthed "What's going on? Why can't I talk?"
Amy shrugged.
Harmony walked into the bathroom, where Spike was still tied down, and pointed at him accusingly. Spike held his hands wide apart as if to ask "How?" Harmony tried screaming. Spike gave her a two-fingered salute and then looked away. Amy brought Harmony's cell phone to her. Harmony grinned, took it, and called Buffy. The phone rang twice, but then there was no voice on the other end, and Harmony realized she couldn't talk either. Spike looked at the girls like they were idiots.
Tara was walking on the first floor near the dorm entrance. Everyone was depressed. A girl was crying in a guy's arms. A guy dropped a tray and a glass, and it sounded like a gunshot. Tara jumped back. He was embarrassed and bent to clean it up.
Later, Tara and Buffy were walking through town. They heard cars honking and dogs barking. The bank was closed, but the liquor store was open and doing brisk business. A siren was heard. A man sat in the middle on the street, his head on his briefcase. A prayer meeting had a chalkboard reading "Revelation 15:1". Everyone read from their own Bibles silently. Buffy walked over out of curiosity and gestured at a woman's Bible. The woman pointed out the verse to her: "And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God." Buffy nodded and went back to Tara. A guy was selling message boards and had a sign on his stand and around his neck that read "MESS AGE BOARDS $10.00". They were white boards with dry-erase black markers. Tara and Buffy looked at each other.
Per Tara's e-mail exchange with Jenny, Tara and Buffy arrived at Giles' apartment with boards hanging from their necks. Amy, Harmony, and Sandy were sitting on the couch, and Jenny and Giles were sitting on opposite arms of the couch. Giles got up. Buffy and Tara waved at all of them. Harmony was depressed. Jenny was drinking a shot of bourbon. Giles clasped Buffy's arm reassuringly.
Buffy saw all of the books open and mouthed "Anything?"
Giles looked down and shook his head slightly. Buffy and Tara set down their boards. Buffy picked up the notebook where Giles wrote part of her rhyme. She showed it to Giles and pointed, and he shook his head. Sandy snapped her fingers repeatedly and turned up the sound on the TV, which was showing a special report.
"Big news item from Sunnydale, California. Apparently, the entire town has been quarantined due to an epidemic of, as strange as this may sound, laryngitis. It seems the town has been rendered unable to speak. There's no word yet what might have caused this or what other effects might be seen from this epidemic. Local authorities have issued a statement - a written statement, I should say - blaming recent flu vaccinations. A few skeptics call it a city-wide hoax. In the meanwhile, Sunnydale has effectively shut down all schools, and businesses will be closed for the time being, and residents are advised to stay home and rest up. Centers for Disease Control have ordered the entire town quarantined. No one can go in or out until the syndrome is identified or the symptoms disappear. We'll bring you more on that as it develops."
Buffy picked up her board and wrote "Keep researching. I should be in town tonight." She showed it to Giles.
Giles mouthed "Why?"
Buffy wrote "Because there will be chaos."
Buffy walked through the streets in the evening. A car had crashed into a fire hydrant, which was spraying water. Silent people wandered the streets. Buffy saw Riley, who was breaking up an impending fight between a black man in a business suit and a white man. He had to push the white man back authoritatively. He turned to straighten the black man's jacket almost like a tailor. The white man picked up a pipe to attack Riley from behind, but Buffy had been approaching from behind and casually turned his wrist hard, and the pipe dropped. His bones crackled. The guy collapsed in pain. Buffy and Riley nodded at each other. Riley rolled his head back and forth. Crashing was heard. Riley indicated he had to go. Buffy pointed in the other direction. They each went on. A siren sounded.
At 1:50 AM, Jenny was still awake, lying on a sleeping Giles' chest. She got up and went downstairs to the living room. She was drawn to the window and saw one of the Gentlemen floating across the street. Another floated right by her window with its face inches away from the window, looking right at her, and she jumped back in fright, gasping as she tried to scream.
The next morning, Buffy was walking in a hallway in her dorm building. A man in a green jacket was blocking students from getting into a room. Buffy flashed her police identification, darted in, and saw the victim: a male student with his chest ripped open. She examined the body and discovered his heart had been removed.
Giles got his morning newspaper and closed his front door. Jenny was drawing. Giles saw two newspaper articles about a "brutal slaying" and another titled "Fifteen-Year-Old Stabbed, Heart Missing". Jenny had sketched a picture and showed it to Giles. The pictures struck a memory, and Giles went to grab a book titled Fairy Tales.
Later, they all gathered in a lecture hall. Buffy, Tara, Amy, Harmony, Sandy, and Jenny sat in the front row. Giles performed an overhead projector presentation for them while a tape of a performance of "Danse macabre, Op. 40", a tone poem for orchestra by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns, played on a boombox.
Giles cracked his knuckles. The first transparency was upside down and backwards. Tara and Buffy, sitting next to each other, pointed. Amy held up her index finger and rotated it to mean turn around the transparency. Giles saw the overhead screen and corrected it. The first transparency read "Who are the Gentlemen?" Giles switched to the second transparency, which read "They are fairy tale monsters" and included his drawing of one. Giles nodded. The next transparency read "What do they want?" Giles held up his index finger. Tara held up her hand and pointed to her chest.
Harmony cupped her breasts and mouthed "Boobies?"
Giles gave Harmony a look. Tara looked at Harmony and pointed as Giles changed the transparency. This one read "hearts" and included a drawing of three hearts. Giles waved back at the hearts. Harmony got it and nodded. The next transparency read "They come to a town" and included a drawing of two Gentlemen on a hill overlooking buildings. The next transparency read "They steal all the voices; no one can scream" and included a drawing of two Gentlemen on a hill and four people losing their voices. Giles mimed speaking by moving his hand out from his mouth. The next transparency read "then" and included a drawing of one Gentleman. Giles held up his index finger. He changed the transparency. This one included a drawing of a Gentleman standing over a person sleeping in bed. The Gentleman held a knife that was blood-stained red, the person's chest was red with blood, and red blood was dripping onto the floor. The next transparency included a drawing of the Gentleman holding the red heart over the person in bed. Enormous amounts of red blood were on the chest and bed and floor. Tara and Buffy exchanged disturbed looks. Sandy started to write on her white board.
The next transparency read "They need seven; they have at least two." It included a drawing of seven hearts. Sandy snapped her fingers and held up her board, on which she had written "How do we kill them?!" Buffy made a fist and pumped it toward herself, near her legs. Tara and Jenny gave her disturbed looks. Amy silently laughed. Giles struggled to maintain a poker face. Buffy realized how her gesture came across, grabbed a stake from her bag, and pumped it towards herself, again near her legs. Jenny got what she meant, Giles was relieved, and Tara pretended nothing was amiss.
Harmony gave Buffy a shocked look and mouthed "Ow!"
The next transparency read "In the tales, no sword can kill them" and included a drawing of a Gentleman with three swords in him. The next transparency read "But the princess screamed once...and they all died." It included a drawing of a princess screaming and two Gentlemen lying dead. Harmony held up a CD's jewel case and then held her hands over her ears and pantomimed dying. She smiled. Giles held his index finger up and changed the transparency. This one read "Only a real human voice" and included a drawing of a Gentleman dancing to an old-style record player. Giles pointed to his throat. Harmony threw her hand up and pouted. Buffy wrote "How do I get my voice back?" and showed it to Giles. Giles threw his hands out to his sides and changed the transparency. This one read "Buffy will patrol tonight" and included a drawing of Buffy, wearing a dress, holding a bow and arrow. Buffy held her hands at her sides, indicating the picture was too fat. Giles made some gestures, pointed to the rest of them, and held up a book. Everyone got up. Buffy looked at the second transparency with the picture of the Gentleman.
At 2:35 AM, Buffy patrolled a residential street.
In Tara and Buffy's dorm room, Tara had books open on her bed. She gathered them up, walked out of the dorm room, closed her door, and left, carrying some books and notepads.
Tara was walking in a hallway with her books. She looked back and walked into a wall. As she was picking up her books, she heard something, looked, and saw two of the Gentlemen and two lackeys coming up behind her. She ran, and she was chased.
Buffy saw a Gentleman gliding on the other side of the street but was tackled by a lackey springing from behind a bush before she could act.
Tara was running down the hall, and she banged on a door. No answer. Tara banged on another door. No answer. Tara saw two Gentlemen floating towards her. Tara tried to yell for help. The lackeys arrived behind the approaching Gentlemen. She banged on another door. No answer. She ran from the Gentlemen, who started to get close, followed by their two lackeys. She got to a stairway.
Buffy flipped a lackey to the ground. Another grabbed her from behind, and she elbowed and backhanded it. She kicked the first, ducked a roundhouse kick from the second, kicked it in the leg to bring it down, and snapped its neck. It went down. The first lackey ran. Buffy looked around, then chased it.
Tara ran up the stairs and banged on doors.
Amy heard the banging and woke up. She got out of bed, grabbed a robe, and put it on, afraid. She went toward her door. Harmony woke up and got out of bed. Amy looked at her and pointed toward the bathroom, indicating for her to check on Spike.
The door that Tara was banging on opened, and a Gentleman holding a heart looked at her. Two more floated near the stairs that she just came up. Tara ran around the corner.
Amy opened her door and was looking the other way when Tara ran into her, and they both fell. Amy grabbed at her leg and yelped silently. She saw two of the Gentlemen followed by two lackeys. They both got up and ran to another stairway mere steps away. Amy was limping.
Buffy crashed through boards sealing an opening in the town's clock tower and knocked a lackey down from the side with a shoulder block and a shove. Buffy kicked a lackey back. Another, she simply threw into a wall. Buffy aimed her crossbow and was surprised to see Riley aiming a weapon at her. He was surprised to see her as well. One of the lackeys got up, and Riley ducked, and Buffy ducked, spun, and kicked it in the head. Riley blasted another with an electrical blast. It dropped. Buffy shot at one with an arrow. A third knocked her bow down, and Riley grabbed it from behind. The one that she shot grabbed Buffy and threw her towards the wall. She stumbled and fell but was on her feet to meet it. She pushed its side into the wall. She kicked it in the side and in the head and gave it a left punch. Riley flipped his to the ground. Buffy gave hers a left punch and then a right punch and then grabbed it and flipped it down. Riley was holding his with an arm-bar hold. He looked up. The one that was blasted was getting up, and Buffy ran and grabbed a rope. Buffy swung on the rope and kicked it hard. It flew across the room, breaking right through a post and into a shelf. Riley was shocked.
Tara and Amy ran down the stairs. Amy was limping, and Tara was holding her up, trying to help her. The lackeys were close behind. They entered a laundry room and locked the door. Banging was heard on the door. At first, they tried to brace the door, then Amy limped to a soda machine. Tara followed, and they both tried to push it, but it barely budged, and then it stopped. Amy sat down, clutching her leg. Tara kneeled beside her and looked at her. Amy stared intently at the soda machine. Tara was continually looking back and forth between Amy and the soda machine. Amy saw the soda machine shudder, but it didn't move. Amy felt defeated. The banging continued. Tara looked at the machine once more and then at Amy. Tara slowly touched and then clasped Amy's hand with their fingers interlocking. Amy clasped it back and looked at Tara. Tara nodded slowly. They clasped harder and looked into each other's eyes and, as one, turned quickly towards the soda machine. It spun to barricade the door in under a second. The banging on the door stopped. They both were relieved. They looked at each other and released each other's hand.
In the clock tower, on the lower level, a lackey jumped over the fallen lackey and grabbed a barrel. Riley kicked the one that he was holding, and it fell. The one with the barrel knocked Buffy down from behind. She fell in front of another, who was lying down. The one that hit Buffy ran up the stairs. Riley was tackled by one, knocking him off the one that he was holding, who was down again. Buffy looked back and left Riley with one standing. She went up the stairs.
Arriving at the upper level, Buffy saw ropes hanging, clockwork, and a large bell. Buffy saw there were only two empty jars. She was kicked from behind and fell. Three lackeys grabbed and held her, and a Gentleman - one of three - floated toward her with a scalpel. The scalpel got near, and a blast of electricity threw the Gentleman back. Riley shot a lackey next. Buffy, held by only two lackeys now, flipped over and kicked a fourth approaching lackey. She broke free and hit one away. Riley's weapon seemed to have run out of juice, and he jumped forward. A lackey tackled Buffy. Two were going after Buffy. Riley used his rod to hit one, and another grabbed him and threw him back. He wrapped a rope around its arm and neck. Buffy ducked a roundhouse kick and kicked one in the back. She ducked away from another roundhouse kick, kicked a stool forward into the lackey, and delivered a powerful uppercut. Riley gave the one in the ropes an elbow to the head, and the other recovered and grabbed at him. Buffy took one and pushed it, and its head hit some hanging metal cylinders. A Gentleman moved forward with a scalpel. Riley turned the one grabbing him and banged its head into the huge tower bell hard. The bell gonged. Buffy punched one and kicked it away. A Gentleman stabbed her from behind with a scalpel. The Gentleman backed away. A lackey grabbed Buffy and threw her into a giant spool of rope. Then it held her around the shoulders and neck from behind. Weakened, she couldn't break loose. Riley grabbed something and hit the lackey from the ropes in the head with it as it got loose. It went down. Buffy saw the box from her dreams next to the jars of hearts. She flashed back to the little girl holding the box. She waved and then banged her hands on the giant spool to get Riley's attention as she was being held. Riley smashed a blue jar next to the box and looked at her for approval. She rolled her eyes and pantomimed opening. Riley got it, mouthed "Oh", and smashed the box. Mist came out of it. The lackey holding Buffy threw her down. Two of the streams of mist went into Buffy's and Riley's throats. Buffy screamed and screamed and screamed, and the Gentlemen's heads exploded, gooey green blood splatting out as the exploded head parts fell to the floor. Buffy and Riley looked at each other.
"What are you?" Riley asked her.
Buffy was offended. "Capricorn on the cusp of Aquarius. You?"
"Sorry. That came out a little blunter than I intended. It's just...you are amazing! Your speed, your strength-"
"Also passionate, artistic, and inquisitive. Who are you?" Buffy asked him.
"You know who I am. The rest...what I do..." Riley shook his head. "I can't tell you."
"Well, then let me. You're part of some military monster squad that captures...demons, vampires; probably have some official sounding euphemisms for them, like unfriendlies or...non-sapiens."
Riley nodded. "Hostile Sub-Terrestrials."
"So you deliver these...HSTs to a bunch of lab coats, who perform experiments on them, which, among other things, turn some into harmless little bunnies. How am I doing so far?" Buffy asked.
"A little too well."
"Meanwhile, by day, you pretend to be Riley Finn, corn-fed Iowa boy."
Riley looked down.
"Ever been to Iowa, Riley? God, if that's even your name."
Riley looked at her. "It is, born and raised. And hey! Bulletin: I'm not the only one who's been a little less than honest here."
"I thought a professional demon chaser like yourself would have figured it out by now. I'm the Slayer."
Riley just looked at her.
"Slay-er?" Buffy repeated. "Chosen One."
Riley still looked lost.
"She who hangs out a lot in cemeteries?" Buffy paused, trying not to roll her eyes. "You're kidding. Ask around. Look it up: Slayer comma the."
"And you fight demons. I mean...you waled on those guys."
"You did pretty well yourself."
"But I'm a walking bruise. You see me with my clothes off, I look like..."
Buffy raised her eyebrows at him.
"I mean...I have...bruises." Riley paused. "I don't see a scratch on you."
"Slayer healing powers."
Riley looked at her in amazement. Buffy just shrugged. They started to leave.
Riley looked at her. "Oh,...I don't think I need to tell you...don't say a word. It'll be safer for all-"
Buffy shot him a sharp look. "We've been trying to figure out who the fuck you guys are-"
"This is a secret military operation!"
"Well, you're not doing a good job on that first part." Buffy paused and sighed. "I'll keep your secret...for now."
"Good. I'll do the same for you."
Buffy laughed. "Oh, I'm out, corn boy. Out and proud."
Amy and Tara were making their way back to Amy and Harmony's dorm room.
"You were there looking for me?" Amy asked.
"I thought maybe we could do a spell, make people talk again."
They arrived at the dorm room.
Amy knocked on the door. "Harm, it's me. Are you all right?"
There was no response. Amy and Tara looked at each other, then Amy slowly opened the door. She walked into the room, followed by Tara. The room was empty. They walked to the bathroom and stopped in their tracks.
Harmony was standing in front of Spike with her right foot pressed against his chest. He was still tied up and sitting in a chair. Harmony held a stake in her right hand and a mug filled with blood in her left hand. She was carefully feeding Spike.
Amy cleared her throat. "Hey, Harm."
Harmony looked at Amy and Tara and smiled. "Oh, hey, girls." She slowly realized something and grinned. "Oh, hey! Problem solved, huh?"
Chapter 92: Doomed
Chapter Text
"Doomed"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Doomed" Written by Marti Noxon and David Fury and Jane Espenson and the Angel Episode "Somnambulist" Written by Tim Minear
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
Kate drove up to a crime scene in a police car. She got out and walked over to an officer. "Where?"
The officer pointed. "Over there, detective."
Kate walked over and bent down to look at the victim. It was a young man. There were bite marks on his neck, and a cross had been scratched on his left cheek.
Kate sighed. "It's the same guy. This makes three. He's just getting started."
Cordelia was sitting behind her desk in the office of Angel Investigations. "I believe in Los Angeles. It's the city of dreams, a mystical oasis, built from a dessert." She got up and played with the blinds. "But even sunny, blond L.A. has its trashy, dark roots, and you've learned that the hard way, haven't you?" She walked around her desk and leaned over an empty chair. "You've taken your problem to the police; they can't help you, so you've come to us."
The office door opened, and Wesley walked in, carrying a newspaper and some letters in his hand. "I think it's about to speak."
Cordelia straightened up. "Nobody likes a smartass rogue demon hunter. What do you want, Wesley?"
"Just thought I'd pop 'round, so we might compare battle plans from our respective fronts."
"Oh, I thought you worked alone?"
"Well, even a solitary soldier, such as myself, recognizes that a free exchange of intelligence benefits the common struggle." Wesley paused. "Also, I brought in your mail and newspaper."
Cordelia took them and sat in her chair. "Oh, thanks. So what have you got?"
"Got?"
"You wanted to compare skinnies on the current 'evil happenings'."
"Yes. Skinnies. Precisely." Wesley paused. "Uh, right, well...everything seems quiet."
"Okay. Well, thanks for stopping by."
Wesley sat down across from Cordelia. "And you? How go things on your end of the good fight?"
"I've been giving the hard sell to an empty chair. What do you think?"
"Quiet all around, then."
Cordelia looked at the paper and mail that he brought in.
"Well, I'll keep myself available. The situation can only escalate. We made a most effective team, I felt. Vanquishing that empathy demon in such short order."
"Yeah, well, nobody gauged out my eyes, so I'm happy."
"Yes, most effective. Your cryptic visions, Angel's brawn, my highly developed powers of deduction rounding out-"
Cordelia handed the mail back to him. "This isn't our mail."
"Sorry?"
Cordelia pointed to one of the letters. "See here? The dentist office - next door."
Wesley took the bundle. "Oh, I see. I didn't...realize..."
"Something wrong? You stopped yammering."
Wesley took a deep breath and got up. "I, uh, I suppose I should return these items to their proper owner."
Wesley left just as Angel came out of the elevator, slamming the grate open, and walked into the office.
"Who were you talking to?" Angel asked Cordelia.
Cordelia frowned at him. "Nobody. And Wesley. Um, so you remember that license plate we got on that runaway case?"
Angel poured himself some coffee. "I remember you were going to follow up on it."
"No go. The DMV is totally stalker-phobic. And wow! You look half-dead."
Angel looked at her.
"Which, for someone who's completely dead, would be...kind of neat?"
Angel walked over to her desk and held out a hand. "License plate, Cordelia."
Cordelia handed him the paper. "Uh, right. I thought maybe you could have police woman run it for us on the Q.T.?"
"Kate."
"Are you sure you're okay? I mean, for a guy who's two-hundred-plus, you're not usually with the bags." Cordelia pointed at her eyes.
Angel walked towards the door. "I'll do this now."
Cordelia stared after him. "Hey-"
Angel looked back, irritated. "Look, I'm fine, Cordelia. All right?"
"All right."
Angel walked out the door and right into a patch of sunlight. He jerked back, hissing with pain, and turned back into the office. "I'll take the tunnels."
"If you call Sandy and ask really, really nicely-"
"Don't you have something to do?"
"Yeah." Cordelia got up, walked over, and shut the office door.
Kate walked into the police station on West 12th Street with Angel following her.
"You know I'm not supposed to release that kind of information to a civilian, Angel."
"I know."
"If it was anyone else-"
"I appreciate it, Kate."
Kate sat down at her desk. "I know you do. So I don't mind. I'll run it myself, have it for you by morning."
"No rush. Late afternoon, evening will be fine, actually."
"To be honest, I won't mind getting my head out of this case. Even for a minute."
"Tough one?"
Kate looked down at a picture of an older man. "The first victim, Reggie Sparks, volunteered as a crossing guard."
She pulled over another photo as Angel walked around to look over her shoulder.
"Jimmy Markem, he just started the tenth grade, and Jeremy Halpren, 25, worked as a waiter." Kate looked up at Angel. "And do you know what they all have in common? What he did to them. That's all."
"That's not all. They have you."
An officer walked over and handed a folder to Kate. "Here are the crime scene photos you wanted."
"Thanks." Kate opened the folder to look at the photos. "Look, why don't you stop by tomorrow? By then, I'll have invaded a citizen's right to privacy for you, and you can-" She looked up at Angel, who was staring at the photos. "Yeah, it's pretty grim, isn't it? I've spent the last forty-eight hours putting together a suspect profile, and believe me: being inside this guy's head hasn't been a whole lot of fun. The tabloids are calling him 'the pope'. Probably thinks he's doing God's work."
Angel continued staring. "No. Just the opposite. This is about mocking God." He saw her looking at him. "That's my guess."
"Detective?" an officer asked Kate. "They're ready for you now."
Kate looked at him. "Yeah, okay. Looks like it's show..." She looked back at Angel and saw he was halfway out of the office already. "...time."
Soon, Kate was giving a briefing. "Our suspect will be a white male. To the observer, he will not seem a monster. His victims put up little or no struggle, so it's likely that he is charming, attractive, but, at his core, he is a loner. Possibly a dual personality, who, once the crime has been committed, retains no memory of the act. He will not view his victims as subhuman, rather it's himself that he views as something other than human, more than human, a superior species. Stalking his prey, getting to know them. It's unlikely that he'll be married, though he may have recently come off a long-term relationship that ended badly. We look for a precipitating event in cases such as this, and a painful breakup is always at the top of the list. Prior to failing, this relationship may have marked an inactive period in our suspect's life. He would have regarded it as a lifeline, his salvation, but, once ended, it resulted in his recidivism. What is not in question is his experience. He's been doing this for a very long time, and he will do it again."
Buffy was sitting at her desk, studying. Suddenly, the whole room began to shake. Buffy hurriedly stood up, ran over, and stood in the door frame of her open closet until the earth stopped shaking.
Buffy walked out into the room, spooked.
Buffy was getting ready to leave the dorm room just as Tara walked in.
"Hey! I was in the library during the quake. Almost got buried under a bunch of books." Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "You okay?"
"Yeah. A couple of broken knick-knacks but no biggies. I blame Y2K, even if it's a bit late."
"Well, Porter dorm is completely blacked out. So naturally they are dealing with the crisis the only way they know how: 'Aftershock Party'."
"Ah, this from the dorm that brought us the 'Somebody Sneezed' party and the 'Day That Ends in Y' party."
"You wanna come?"
"Will there be beer?" Buffy asked her.
Tara smiled. "Yeah, why? Buffy want beer?"
Buffy grinned. "You know it! You go on ahead, and I'll catch up with you there. I'm on my way for a little Jenny one-on-one."
"Anything wrong?"
"I don't know."
Jenny was sitting at her desk.
Buffy was pacing in front of it. "Something horrible is going to happen, Jenny."
"It was an earthquake, Buffy, a not-uncommon occurrence in Southern California. No reason to think it was anything more."
Buffy nodded. "Oh, I so have a reason. A damn good reason. The last time we had an earthquake, I died."
"Yeah, I know that, and I completely understand your anxiety."
"Oh, good. Because I'd hate for my little untimely horrible death concern to be ambiguous."
"But unless evidence suggests otherwise, I think that we can assume that it's shifting landmasses and not a portent of some imminent doom." Jenny brought up a map of Sunnydale on her laptop. "Now, in the meantime, I've got a few theories about our mysterious commando friends."
Buffy walked behind the desk and looked. "Oh, really?"
"Now, based on the locations of our various sightings and...Spike's reluctant description of their underground installation-"
"What if the quake was a sign? Uh, a bad omen, and we just ignore it? There is going to be a lot of red faces when the world comes to an end."
Jenny sighed. "Buffy, if the quake heralds some such catastrophe, I'm sure there will be other signs to follow, which will afford us plenty of time to avert it. Now, I believe that the commando installation is either very close to or directly underneath the school. Now, if that is the case, I'm convinced that one or more of them may be in our very midst."
Buffy nodded. "You're right."
Jenny looked at her in surprise.
"I encountered one of them, unmasked, last month, during the time when the Gentlemen stole our voices. He helped me out."
"Who is he?" Jenny asked.
"I agreed to keep that a secret...for now. I think he's okay. But it's basically as we thought."
Jenny nodded.
"Plague!" Buffy blurted.
"What?"
"What if the end of the world is coming in the form of a plague? Then too many people may be infected by the time we actually-"
"Buffy! Chill!" Jenny told her. "I'll look into it, okay?! Now, please go to your party and get wasted!"
Buffy stared at her for a moment and then smiled. "Okay!" She turned and happily skipped out of the room.
Tara was standing in the middle of the party at Porter dorm, feeling lost and lonely and bored. She sipped beer from a red Solo cup. "Buffy, where are you?"
Suddenly, she heard a woman scream. She walked over to a room and looked inside. A guy with a sliced throat was laying on the bed. A young woman with long brown hair was standing near the bed, panting with fear.
The dead guy was being wheeled away in a body bag as Buffy walked in.
Tara was sitting on a couch with the woman. She saw Buffy. "Buffy! Over here."
Buffy went to sit next to her with a sigh. "Wow. I wasn't sure where the party was, and then I saw the flashing lights and the ambulance, and I was like 'Right, of course!'"
"I'm so glad you're here."
"What happened?"
"This poor girl found him – this guy on the bed with her."
"God. Are you okay?" Buffy asked the woman.
She shook her head.
"What's your name?" Buffy asked her.
"Laurie Horne."
"Laurie, have you talked to the police yet."
"Yeah, but Tara told me to wait for you."
"Vampire?" Buffy asked her.
Laurie shook her head. "There was so much blood, and there – there was a symbol."
"Symbol?" Buffy asked.
Tara gave Buffy a sketch that she'd made on a napkin. "It was carved into his chest, like a big creepy eye."
Buffy stared at the symbol and found it faintly familiar.
"Ooh, and something else. He, the dead guy, was - was propped up, like whatever killed him wanted to drain the blood out of him. So I'm thinking the whatever took a bunch of the guy's blood with it."
"I've seen this somewhere before; I just can't remember where! I mean it's like-"
"It's the end of the world."
Buffy looked up and saw Jenny. "Again?"
"It's, uh, the earthquake, that symbol, yeah."
Buffy stared at her. "I told you. I-I said end of the world, and you're like 'Poo-poo, Southern California, poo-poo!'"
"Sor-ry!" Jenny exclaimed, annoyed.
"So what do we do?" Tara asked.
Buffy stood up. "I stop it." She looked over at Laurie. "This must be a really weird night for you."
"It definitely sets the record for weirdness."
Buffy looked at Jenny. "Jenny, could you...?"
Jenny nodded. Tara stood up, and Jenny went and sat next to Laurie.
Buffy found the same symbol on the side of a crypt in the cemetery. "I wonder where I've seen this before? Where else? The place I spend most of my waking hours, memorizing shit on the sides of mausoleums, big freaky cereal boxes of death."
There was a noise of stone scraping. Buffy walked into the crypt to investigate. A green demon was picking up the bones of a child's skeleton and putting them into a burlap sack.
"Door was open."
The demon turned and roared at her. She shot it in the shoulder with the crossbow, then threw the crossbow at it. It batted the crossbow aside and came at her. The two of them started fighting; after a while, the fight moved outside.
The demon picked Buffy up and slammed her down on top of a grave marker. Buffy lay on the ground, groaning, for a moment, but, when a shadow fell over her, she flipped back to her feet, turned, and hauled back with a hard right punch at Riley, who just managed to block it.
"Wow, that flippy thing you did-"
Buffy looked around. "Where did it go?"
"I saw it take off towards the woods."
"And you didn't follow it?"
"No weapons, no backup; you don't go after a demon that size by yourself."
"I do."
Riley pulled out a handheld radio. "Yeah, well, I'm no Slayer." He pressed a button. "Base One, this is Lilac One."
"Lilac?" Buffy asked.
Riley held up a hand to quiet her. "Confirmed sighting of an unidentified Sub-T. Mobilize patrol team for debriefing at 0800 hours."
"Copy that."
Buffy smiled. "Very commando-ry...Lilac notwithstanding."
Riley laughed, putting his radio away.
"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked him.
"Looking for you, she who hangs out in cemeteries."
Buffy frowned and turned away. "I have to get the demon."
"Don't sweat it. We'll bag it."
Buffy turned back to face him. "It's not that simple."
"Yeah, but...I really think-"
"Riley, there is too much risk." Buffy backed up a step. "Pain,...death,...apocalypse. None of it fun. Do you know what a Hellmouth is? Do you have a fancy term for it? Because I went to high school on it...for over two years." She shook her head. "This is a job to you."
"It's not just a job."
"It's an adventure, great. One that could get you killed."
"I understood the risk when I joined."
Buffy stared at him for a moment, then she turned and walked away.
Buffy, Tara, Jenny, and Giles were researching at Giles' apartment.
Giles tapped a page in his book. "A Vahrall demon."
Tara looked over at his book and made a face. "Eew!"
Jenny looked at the picture. "I second that revulsion."
Giles nodded. "Yes. 'Slick like gold and gird in moonlight, father of portents and brother to blight'."
Buffy looked over his shoulder. "'Limbs with talons, eyes like knives, bane to the blameless, thief of lives'. This thing isn't digging up the bones of a child for fun."
"Bones of a child. I saw that!" Tara pulled a book over to her and flipped pages. "An ancient ritual – uses the blood of a man, the bones of a child, and...something called the Word of Valios? I-It's all part of the sacrifice – the sacrifice of three."
Buffy looked at her. "Let me guess: ends the world."
"Well, yeah. I-It's not big with the details, though. It doesn't say how the world ends or what the ritual entails, exactly."
"The sacrifice of three. Three people are going to die?" Jenny guessed.
Buffy looked at her. "No, they won't. Because claw boy is not getting all of his ingredients. We have to find that third one, the Word of Valios, keep him from getting it."
"If he doesn't already have it. I mean...who knows where he's been?" Tara pointed out.
"I'll check the magic shop, see if they've heard of a book called The Word of Valios. Tara, you check the public library." Buffy put on her coat. "Jenny, Giles, how about the book archives at the museum?"
Giles stood up. "I'll get some weapons."
Buffy looked at them. "You guys, this thing takes wicked very seriously. Be careful. I couldn't stand anybody getting hurt."
Jenny stood up. "Oh, who's gonna look after Spike?"
Giles sighed. "Bloody hell."
"We can't leave him here. We'll have to take him with us to the museum."
Buffy shrugged. "Or you could kill him."
Giles gave her a look. "Buffy-"
Spike walked into the room from the bathroom. "What's that?"
Buffy smiled sweetly at him. "Oh, nothing, duckfucker."
Giles sighed. "Spike, we're going to the museum. Come along."
"Oh, you go on. I won't do anything. Promise."
"And I believe you, of course."
Jenny looked at Spike. "Look on the bright side. If we don't find what we're looking for, we face an apocalypse."
"Really? You're not just saying that?"
Buffy was walking down a street. She saw Riley slowly walking down the street, looking at a little handheld device, and waited for him to get to her.
"Buffy."
"Is this really the time for Castlevania?" Buffy asked him.
Riley frowned, confused. "What?"
Buffy looked at the thing in his hand.
"Oh. It, uh, takes trace readings of creatures' pheromones."
"And?"
"And it's either mating season for this thing, or it's moving all over town."
"I need to go. Big bad needs to be squished." Buffy started walking.
Riley fell in beside her. "Right. I'm on it, too."
"You're stupid."
Riley looked at her.
"I mean..." Buffy sighed. "I don't mean that." She reconsidered. "No, I think maybe I do."
"You have this twisted way of looking at things, this doom and gloom mentality. You keep thinking like that, and things will probably turn out just the way you expect."
Buffy started to walk past him. "You know, there is nothing more dangerous than a Psych grad student."
Riley followed and stepped in front of her: "Buffy, where is the bad here?"
Buffy sighed and rubbed her neck.
"I mean you're a hunter, and so am I!"
"Yeah, but you're an amateur, and I come from a long line of Slayers that don't live past twenty-five."
"Which is exactly the attitude I'm talking about. Look, I know the risks of what we do. I also know it's more rewarding than any other job on the planet - and fun."
"Fun?" Buffy asked in disbelief.
"I'm not saying that you shouldn't take your work seriously."
"That I should just turn my frown upside down? Is that it?"
"No. Well, yes, actually."
Buffy stared at him for a moment. "You have no idea what the fuck you're talking about. You barely know me." She walked past him.
Riley caught up to her. "I know that it's not just a job thing. There's something else. Something bad. But mostly I think you want to stay down in that dark place..."
Buffy stopped to look at him.
Riley stepped in front of her. "...because maybe it's safer down there."
"You are so out of line."
"No, see, I don't think so."
"It's my business. So why don't you just leave me the fuck alone?" Buffy demanded.
Riley looked at her for a moment. "Fair enough." After another moment, he walked past her.
Buffy closed her eyes for a moment, then walked on herself.
Jenny, Giles, and Spike walked out the front entrance of the Historical Museum of Sunnydale.
Giles sighed. "Great. No Word of Valios."
Jenny sighed. "Not even a syllable of Valios."
"Which means I'm one step closer to melting in a sea of molten hellfire, yeah?" Spike asked them.
Jenny and Giles rolled their eyes.
Later, back at his apartment, Giles was looking through a book at his desk. He found a picture of the Word of Valios, which turned out to be a fifteenth-century talisman. Jenny was sitting on the couch, searching online on her laptop.
"Oh – as usual – dear."
Jenny looked at him. "What?"
Giles stood up and went to dig through his chest. He pulled out a box filled with necklaces and talismans and pulled out the Word of Valios.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and three Vahrall demons ran in and attacked him. Jenny stood up and ran to get a weapon from the closet.
Returning quickly with an ax, she was still too late. The demons were gone, and Giles had been knocked unconscious.
Buffy and Tara walked into Giles' apartment. Giles, looking beat up, was sitting on the couch.
"What happened?" Buffy asked him.
"It's my fault. I should have known."
"Giles..."
"The Word of Valios...is the name of a talisman...not a book. I blame myself entirely. I had it here."
Jenny brought some ice wrapped into a dish towel from the kitchen.
Giles took it and pressed it against his head. "Oh, thank you. I bought it at a sorcerer's estate sale. I really only glanced at it once. I thought it was a knockoff."
Buffy sighed. "Well, they have it. And they probably have their sacrifices by now, too."
"They're on their way to perform the sacrifice now."
"On their way where? You found out what the ritual is for?" Buffy asked him.
"The Hellmouth. They are going to open the Hellmouth. The one in the library."
Buffy looked at all of them. "Looks like we're going back to high school."
Buffy, Tara, Jenny, Giles, and Spike walked up to the ruins of Sunnydale High and entered the dilapidated building.
Buffy looked at the others. "Be careful, you guys, the place doesn't look too stable."
Spike smiled. "Fine by me. Hope we all go under."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Why is he even here? It's not like he can fight!"
Giles looked at her. "I don't trust him to leave him alone."
"Fine. Whatever. Just keep him out of the way. I do not have time for this shit." Buffy sighed. "Okay, when we get to the library, keep a lookout for victims they're keeping alive for the sacrifice. Getting them out is the first priority."
Tara nodded. "Will do."
Buffy took a deep breath. "Okay...you guys ready?"
Jenny nodded. "Let's rock and roll."
Spike rolled his eyes. "'Let's rock and roll.'"
They walked down a burnt-up and tattered hallway.
Tara stepped on something squishy. She looked down and moved her foot. "Eew!"
Everyone turned to look at her.
"Mayor meat. Extra crispy."
They walked on.
Giles nodded. "I think we're near the library."
Soon, they entered what used to be the library. There was a big hole where the floor used to be. They heard a growling chanting going on. Three Vahrall demons were standing around a fissure in the floor.
Tara looked around, then at Buffy. "I don't see any sacrifice people."
"They must be around here somewhere. The ritual is not finished. And it's not gonna be." Buffy jumped down into the hole and attacked the three demons.
One of them dropped the bottle with the blood.
Jenny hurried over to pick it up before any of the demons could get it. "The blood! Get the talisman. They can't do the ritual."
Buffy kept wailing on the three demons.
Tara darted in and pulled the sack with the bones out of one of the demons' hands. "I've got the bones!" She tossed them to Jenny. "Here!"
Jenny tossed them right back to her as she was attacked by one of the Vahrall. The demon kept beating her in the stomach, but Jenny kicked him in the balls, incapacitating him. Tara noticed Spike, who was sitting by the edge of the hole, watching the fight.
"Spike!" Tara tossed the bag of bones to Spike.
Spike caught the bones and saw one of the Vahrall coming for him. "Right, perfect."
Buffy was fighting one demon, Jenny another, and the last was beating up on Spike. Giles went to assist Jenny, but he was easily tossed aside. The one fighting Jenny got a hold of the bottle of blood, turned, and jumped into the Hellmouth. The earth began to shake.
"The demons! They are the sacrifice!" Jenny yelled.
Spike finally had enough of getting beaten on. He hauled back, screamed, and hit the demon with all of his might, then put his hand to his head. "No pain!" He hit the demon again. "I can hurt a demon!" He started to make up for all of the violence that he'd missed out on, having a great time.
The demon finally dropped.
"That's right, I'm back, and I'm a bloody animal! Yeah!" Spike picked up the Vahrall, not noticing that it has just gathered up the sack of bones, and lifted it high above his head.
"No!" Jenny yelled.
"Spike, not in the hole!" Tara yelled.
Spike threw the Vahrall into the Hellmouth, and another, bigger tremor shook the earth.
"What? I was helping!" Spike told them.
"Get out of here! The building is going to come down!" Buffy yelled.
A beam hit Spike on the back of his head, dropping him to the ground. Jenny ran over and helped him up. She and Tara helped Spike out of the hole as Buffy continued to beat up on the last Vahrall demon. She even picked up a piece of wood and staked it at one point - but to little effect. As the Vahrall hauled back to hit Buffy, its arm was grabbed from behind by Riley, who pulled it around and started to beat up on it.
Buffy was still on the floor. "Don't let it jump into the Hellmouth!"
The Vahrall grabbed Riley and threw him across the room. Riley got right back up, only to get dropped by a hard kick to his stomach. Buffy was back up and wailing on the demon. Riley got back up, and they beat up on it in tandem for a moment before Buffy kicked it across the room. A beam dropped on Riley, and, while Buffy was distracted, the Vahrall picked up the talisman and slid headfirst into the Hellmouth.
Buffy looked at Riley. "I'm going in."
Riley hooked a cable to her belt. "You're coming back out."
Buffy ran and dove into the Hellmouth. She fell for a while, grabbed the demon with her left hand, and then stopped. She started being pulled back up while the earth was shaking again. Buffy's arm hooked over the edge of the hole, and Riley hurried forward and helped her climb out of the hole. Buffy was holding onto the demon with her left hand, and Riley helped her to pull it out of the Hellmouth. The Vahrall demon slumped down, dead, and the earth stopped shaking.
Buffy and Riley walked up to where Tara, Jenny, Giles, and Spike were waiting for them in the hallway.
"Well, hey! Tara and Ms. Calendar, right? Jeez, what are the chances, huh?" Riley looked at Buffy for help.
Buffy just folded her arms and looked down.
Riley looked at them. "Yeah, I was just passing by when I thought I heard people inside."
Tara folded her arms over her chest. "Passing by in your G.I. Joe outfit?"
Riley looked down at himself.
Buffy suppressed a smile. "No offense, but you do look wicked conspicuous."
"I do? But it's...paintball! Yeah, I was playing paintball. And then the aftershocks-"
"So you're one of the commando guys, huh?" Jenny asked, folding her arms as well.
Riley laughed. "Oh, no, no, no, no. Commando? No, I mean..." He noticed Spike. "Don't I know you?"
"Me?" Spike affected a bad Texan accent. "No. No, sir. I'm just an old pal of Giles's here."
"Oh. That's nice."
Buffy walked out of the school, and the others followed.
Jenny looked at Tara. "It's kinda weird being back, isn't it?"
Tara looked at the burnt-out hallway. "Yeah. Everything seems so small - and more charred and ruiny."
Later, Jenny and Giles were watching Party of Five on TV in his apartment. Spike walked up to stand right in front of the screen, and the two of them swayed to one side in an effort to see around him.
"What's this? Sitting around, watching the telly, while there's evil still afoot." Spike turned the TV off. "That's not very industrious of you." He rubbed his hands together. "I say we go out there and kick a little demon ass!"
Jenny and Giles stared at him.
"What, can't go without your Buffy, is that it? Too chicken? Let's find her! She is the Chosen One, after all. Come on! Vampires! Grrr! Nasty! Let's annihilate them. For justice...and for...the safety of puppies...and Christmas, right? Let's fight that evil! Let's kill something! Oh, come on!"
Cordelia was getting ready to leave the office for the night. She opened the door, and Wesley was just outside. They both gasped.
"Jesus, Wesley! Hover much?" Cordelia asked.
Wesley came in and closed the door. "Where is he? Where is Angel?"
"Not here." Cordelia saw the stake in Wesley's hand. "What is that?"
"Just what it looks like."
"Kind of rude coming into a vampire's place of business with one of those things, don't you think? Could be misinterpreted?" Cordelia suggested, an undercurrent of anger in her voice.
Wesley put down his bag and pulled out a newspaper clipping. "You recall, earlier this morning, that mix-up with the dentist's mail and newspaper?" He showed her the clipping. "That's when I saw this."
Cordelia looked at it. "Oh, my God! You cut up Dr. Folger's newspaper? You're going to get us kicked out of this building."
"What? No, Cordelia, the clipping!"
Cordelia took it. "'Third Body Found in Alley'. So? Not exactly front-page news."
"Actually, that is the front page, but, still, note the modus operandi? The mutilation of the corpse with a religious icon?"
"I'm against it?" Cordelia guessed.
Wesley sighed and took the clipping back. "I think you better sit down."
Cordelia went to sit on the couch with a big sigh.
Wesley pulled a folder out of his bag. "While executing my duties as Watcher in Sunnydale, I did extensive research. Specifically on Angel, given his uncomfortable proximity to the Slayer's inner circle."
Cordelia smiled. "He looked pretty comfortable to me. In fact, I can guarantee it."
Wesley showed her the folder. "When I saw this story today, it rang chillingly familiar. So I reacquainted myself with certain facts, confirming, I'm sorry to say, my grim suspicions. In the late 1700s, it was Angelus' custom to 'sign' his victims by carving a Christian cross into their left cheek."
Cordelia flipped through the folder.
"He liked to let people know he'd been there."
Cordelia handed the folder back to him, angry. "Okay, you get to leave now. You're not gonna come in here and accuse Angel like this."
"Cordelia-"
Cordelia got up and got in his face. "No! I don't fucking care how many files you have on all the horrible shit he did back in the powdered-wig days! He is good now. And he's my...friend. And nothing you or anyone else can say will make me turn on a friend!"
"Cordelia."
Wesley spun around and saw Angel standing there.
"He's right."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "You'll stake him, and I'll cut his head off."
Angel walked forward.
Wesley threatened him with a cross. "Come no closer!"
Angel turned his head away from the cross. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"Oh, is that what you told Mr. 'Third Body Found in Alley'?" Cordelia asked him.
"Why should we believe a word you say?" Wesley asked him.
Angel laughed, grabbed Wesley's arm, and spun him around to grab him by the neck. "Because this is how fast I could take you if I wanted to."
"All right. We're listening."
Angel pushed him away. "I have no memory of doing any of these things."
Cordelia folded her arms over her chest. "Not exactly the confidence-inspiring denial I was looking for."
Angel went to sit on the edge of the desk. "I've been having dreams."
"Dreams?" Wesley asked.
"Killing dreams. Always the same." Angel swallowed. "I-I stalk them, toy with them, mark them while they are still alive. And before they can die from their fear, I feed on them."
Cordelia took this in. "Okay. So you've been having nightmares; it doesn't mean you-"
"They're not nightmares. I've enjoyed them."
"Oh."
"And you fear that these may be more than just dreams, that you are acting them out in some sort of hypnogogic state."
"Hypnowhatic?" Cordelia asked Wesley.
"Sleepwalking."
"Vampires can't sleepwalk. He'd take one step out of the front door, and his PJs would burst into flame!"
"Unless it was happening in the pre-dawn hours...which is when all these murders took place."
Angel looked at them. "There is only one way to be sure."
Cordelia and Wesley shackled Angel to his bed.
Wesley looked at Cordelia. "You've got to make it tight."
Cordelia huffed. "Like I need instructions from you. My glamorous L.A. life: I get to make the coffee and chain the boss to the bed. I've got to join a union."
Angel groaned. "Cordelia, I think that's tight enough."
Cordelia pulled on the chain one more time. "And if it turns out that we're back on the liquid lunch, better safe than cocktails!"
Angel sighed.
Wesley stepped back. "Well, all we can do now is wait."
Cordelia sighed. "Yeah. And no offense, Angel, but maybe you are committing those horrible crimes just in your dreams, but, even so, I don't want to stick around for your nocturnal commissions."
"I understand."
"Okay. Well, pleasant...uh, I mean...sleep tight."
"That's pretty much a given."
The next morning, Cordelia walked in, carrying a newspaper. "Wakie, wakie!"
Wesley got up from a chair at the foot of Angel's bed. "We made it."
"Great news, sports fans, there has been another killing." Cordelia paused and reconsidered. "Well, maybe not so great news for the, you know, dead person, but at least now we know that Mr. 'I'm So Tortured' didn't do it."
Wesley bent down to undo Angel's shackles.
"Yes, I did."
Angel went to sit down on a chair. "I taught him well."
Cordelia nodded. "A real Psycho-Wan Kenobi."
Wesley nodded. "Two-hundred years' practice. I imagine he has it down by now."
"No lie. Gallagher's changed his act more often than this dude has in the last two centuries. Why do you think he's still doing the same old shtick?" Cordelia asked.
"Well, I mean it's a classic, isn't it?" Wesley smiled. "Every time he smashes that watermelon with a sledgehammer, I just..."
Cordelia and Angel looked at him.
Angel sighed. "I don't know why."
"You don't suppose it's his way of trying to draw you out? That he knows you're here?" Wesley asked him. "That might explain the dreams."
"No. I used to have a connection with those I sired. It just means he's close, that's all."
Cordelia forced a smile. "Neat. We can't find him, and the cops stand absolutely zero chance of stopping him."
Angel got up to leave. "Kate."
"What are you doing?" Wesley asked.
"She doesn't know what she's dealing with, what she's up against."
"And you're not going to tell her. Think about it. You can't walk into a police precinct with intimate knowledge about these murders and claim a two-hundred-year-old Puritan is responsible. You'd be locked up faster than Lady Hamilton's virtue!" Wesley looked over at Cordelia. "My apologies."
"That's okay. I-I don't know what that meant."
"She's a good cop. She has resources we don't. Eventually, she will find him."
Cordelia stared at Angel. "Bad for her, then."
Angel paused. "Or good for us."
Kate saw Angel walking into the police station, playing with a piece of paper in his hands.
"Hey. I have the info on your license plate."
Angel swallowed and looked around.
"Angel, are you okay? Not that the 'brooding man of mystery' thing isn't working for you. I mean it is. A lot."
"Can we talk somewhere in private?"
"Sure, of course." Kate led him into the briefing room. "What is it?"
"Uh..." Angel closed the door and went to look at the crime photos pinned on a cork board. "How's the investigation?"
"It's nowhere." Kate pulled out her necklace and played with the cross on it. "Some of your more inconsiderate serial killers often fail to leave us any clues."
Angel stared at the pictures.
"Angel?"
Angel looked from picture to picture. "He's reliving it."
"What's going on?"
Angel turned around and saw the cross held between her fingers. "It's complicated."
"So make it simple."
"Kate, do you trust me?"
"You know I do."
Angel unfolded the paper in his hands and pinned the drawing of a face to the cork board. "Trust me when I tell you...this is the man you're looking for."
Kate was surprised. "Where did you get that? How could you possibly-"
"Do you trust me?"
"I don't understand. Are you protecting a source?"
Angel just looked at her.
"Yes, I trust you."
"His next victim will be a white male, adolescent. He'll take him off the streets in a low-rent neighborhood, probably near a bar or liquor store, and he'll kill him just like he did these others - unless you use every resource this department has to make sure he is not successful this time."
Later, Kate was briefing her officers with the help of a city map. "So let's set up patrols here and here. Anything matching the profile gets reported."
That night, Kate was driving on patrol.
"All units. Backup requested at 3336 Channel Avenue. Use caution. Multiple homicide suspect believed to be on the location."
Kate headed there. She parked her car and got out. Uniformed officers were on the scene, which was a warehouse.
Kate walked over to one of the officers. "Fill me in."
"Search teams are on their way now. He went in through there. We've sealed the exits. The place is big, but we'll find him."
Kate saw a teenage boy being wheeled away on a stretcher, shaken but alive. It disturbed her.
Kate pulled her gun. "I'm going in." She walked into the warehouse.
Kate slowly walked up some stairs and entered a big room. She heard footsteps and aimed her gun at a man, who resembled Angel's drawing, that was coming down some wooden steps.
"Don't move! Do not move; I will fire!" Kate threatened.
He kept walking, and she shot him three times in the chest. He fell to land motionless at the bottom of the stairs. Kate slowly walked over to him, her gun trained on his chest, and reached down one hand to check for a pulse. When she didn't find one, she holstered her gun and took out her radio to report in.
He reached up and grabbed her by the front of her shirt. "Ouch." He threw her across the room.
She tried to pick herself up as he slowly sauntered towards her. Suddenly, a figure dropped through the floor above to land between them in a cloud of dust. Angel briefly looked to make sure Kate was all right, then turned to face the man.
"Angelus?" The man laughed. "Angelus!" He clapped him on the arms. "My God! It's been a lifetime!"
"At least."
"We were to meet in Italy, remember?"
"I remember."
He smiled. "Well, I waited."
Kate crawled towards her radio.
"Hell, I waited until the nineteenth century. What happened?"
"Got held up in Romania."
"Romania. What's in Romania?"
"Gypsies."
Kate pressed a button on the radio. "Request assistance. Full tactical units. Second floor, southwest corner."
He clapped Angel on the shoulder and motioned towards Kate. "Hmm. Join me for a drink."
"That's not why I'm here."
"Request assistance, suspect sighted..."
"Yeah, why are you here?"
Angel bared his fangs as Kate stared in disbelief.
"To kill you."
They fought. Kate scooted back against the wall while they threw each other around, watching speechless.
Angel threw him through a plaster wall and turned to Kate. "Go, Kate! Get out of here!"
She hesitated.
"Kate, go!"
The man came shooting back through the hole and tackled Angel. Both rolled quickly back to their feet.
"You know its name? Angelus, what happened to you?"
Angel swung at him, but he ducked, grabbed Angel's arm, and twisted it behind his back.
"People change."
"We're not people!"
He threw Angel into Kate, who had her gun aimed at them. By the time that Angel got back up, he had disappeared. Kate stared up at Angel.
"Lockley. Lockley, where are you?"
Later, there were officers combing the warehouse.
Kate stared at Angel. "I shot him three times. I know I did. And he got up."
Angel stepped towards her.
Kate pulled her gun and aimed it point-blank at his chest. "If I pull this trigger, are you going to get up, too?"
Angel just looked at her.
"What are you?"
"You already know the answer, Kate."
She slowly put her gun down.
Angel walked past her. "Details have been left out of the press reports. Something you held back. Isn't that right?"
"What do you know about it?"
"Puncture wounds. The victims have all been drained of their blood, haven't they?"
"And should I trust you more or less, because you happen to know that?"
"You're not going to stop him, Kate, not like this."
"What do you mean?"
"It's going to take direct sunlight, decapitation, or a stake through the heart."
Kate turned away. "You're telling me children's stories."
"I'm telling you the truth."
Kate spun back to face him. "No. I don't believe you."
"I know you don't. Even after what you saw, you won't let yourself, which is why you'll lose."
"I've heard enough."
Angel closed his fist around the cross dangling from her necklace, and she gasped at the sound of his flesh sizzling.
"No, you haven't heard a word, and you won't. Not now, not yet."
She looked down at the smoke rising from his fist and started smelling his burning flesh.
"Because there are some things in this world you're just not ready to face."
Angel let go of her cross, turned, and walked off, and she stared after him.
The next day, Kate was sitting in the briefing room, staring at the picture on the wall.
An officer brought in some old records. "Here is everything with that MO dating back as far as I could find. So...you think this guy is a copycat and a history buff?"
"Something like that."
The officer left the room, closing the door behind him. Kate looked at some old newspaper headlines. One of them read "Vampire Killer Strikes Again in Garment District".
Cordelia got up from behind her desk. "So...you've discovered the seamy underbelly of the candy-coated America, have you? Well, you've come to the right place! Here at Angel Investigations, we won't judge, but we will charge. Now, if you only tell me how you heard of us."
"From the police, actually."
Cordelia stared at the man in the chair. "Really?"
"Yeah. The detective I spoke with was very enthusiastic." He got up from his chair. "For the truly human touch, she said, I should come to you."
"Oh, good." Cordelia frowned as she saw the dark overcoat hanging over the back of his chair. "Is it cold out there?"
"I'm trying to remember her name. What...What was it?" He raised his hand. "She is about yea tall, attractive, natural blonde?"
"Oh, yeah, Kate! Detective Lockley."
"Lockley. Yes, that's it."
"Yeah, she and Angel are totally tight."
"So she is more than just a professional relationship, then. He cares for her."
"Oh, yeah. More than he knows. But that's our Angel, dour, sure, but not afraid to get personally involved in his work, and you're totally pumping me for information, aren't you?"
"Yeah."
Cordelia frowned. "Oh, shit. You're him. The guy. Apt Pupil boy."
"You realize you'll never make it to the exit before I-"
Cordelia pulled up the blinds, and he had to dodge away from the direct sunlight streaming in.
"Go up like a match?" Cordelia finished for him.
Angel walked in and saw him, but he was separated from him by the swath of sun shining in through the window.
"Well." He laughed. "Look who's back from his Up with People meeting."
Angel did not look away from him. "Give me a stake."
Cordelia left to get a stake.
"What? You don't drink, so now no one gets to?" he asked Angel.
"I don't expect you to understand."
"Oh, I...I understand. I was a Puritan, remember?"
"It's gotta end."
"Why? Because you say so? And how does that work, exactly? You just wake up one morning and decide 'Okay, now, I'm good!'" He laughed. "No, Angelus, it doesn't end. It never, ever ends. It just goes on and on."
Cordelia returned with a stake. "That's not the only thing that goes on and on." She handed the stake to Angel. "Here, kill him."
"I'm sorry for what I did to you, Penn, for what I turned you into."
"First-class killer? An artist? A bold re-interpreter of the form?"
"Try cheesy hack. Look at you. You've been getting back at your father for over two-hundred years. It's pathetic and cliched. Probably got a killer shrine on your wall, huh? News clippings, magazine articles, maybe a few candles? Oh, you are so prosaic."
Penn slowly retreated towards the door when it opened.
Wesley walked in, not seeing Penn. "Nothing on the streets about a new vampire in town."
Cordelia tried to warn him, but Penn had already grabbed Wesley from behind. Angel stepped forward but was again stopped by the sunlight streaming in through the window.
"Which is maybe because he's here - and has me by the throat."
"Let him go!" Angel yelled.
"You're right, Angelus, my work was getting stale. I appreciate the critique. So look for something new, innovative, something shockingly original. Just think of the worst possible thing you can imagine, and I'll see you there." Penn threw Wesley at Angel, grabbed his coat, covered his head with it, and ran out.
That night, Kate was at home, sitting at the kitchen table, taking notes while reading through books that she got from a bookstore called Ancient Eye. There was a knock on the door. Kate got up, walked over, and unlocked and opened the door. Angel was standing outside.
"Hi. Can I come in?"
"Oh, that's right. You have to be invited in, don't you?"
"You've been doing your homework."
"Want to quiz me? I'm just full of fun facts. For instance, I learned that your friend has been in L.A. before; did you know that? Yeah, at least twice. Once in 1929 and again in 1963. Oh, and there is something in Boston in 1908. I think he was there, too."
"So you believe me?"
"Yes, I believe you."
"Good, because he is planning something-"
"Angelus. Isn't that what he called you? Angelus? I looked it up. It's all right there. The demon with the face of an angel. A particularly brutal bastard by all accounts. Oh, and, no, you can't come in."
"I can't make up for the past, Kate; I know that."
"No, you can't. In fact, all of this - what's happening now - is really because of you. You made him, didn't you?"
"Let me help end it, please?"
"Please. Now, there is a word I imagine you heard quite a lot in your time. Please? No? Don't? Thanks for the offer, but I don't need your help. I know what to do. Drive a stake right through the son of a bitch's heart. And when that happens, I suggest you don't be there. Because the next time we meet, I'll do the same to you." Kate slammed the door in his face.
The next day, in the office, Cordelia was looking stuff up on the computer. "Ha, here it is! Los Angeles Globe, 1929. 'The Regent Gardens Hotel manager said that the suspect seemed like a quiet, normal type. The search is ongoing.' No kidding. What are we looking for, exactly?" she asked Angel.
"I don't know yet."
Wesley was reading an old newspaper book. "In 1963, the police tracked the killer to a residential hotel called the Clover Wood Apartments. By the time they made their move, he'd already fled." He showed them the picture in the paper. "They never caught him."
Cordelia looked from the picture on the computer to the picture in the book. "It's the same place. New name and a facelift. Not the first time that's happened in this town."
Angel paused for a moment. "Huh, good old, predictable Penn."
Kate was giving a briefing to the other officers in the briefing room at the precinct. "All right, listen up." She held up a copy of Angel's drawing of Penn. "You've all received one of these in your briefing packets. This is the man that we're looking for." She held up two pictures of Angel taken by the precinct's security cameras. "And this man is how we're going to find him. He's the way to our killer. His name is Angel, and he's a local private detective. We have reason to believe that our suspect will make an attempt to contact Angel, possibly as his next target."
"So we are going to stake out Angel's place? How many men do you want?" another detective asked her.
"Lots. We'll be working in rotating teams-"
"This is a terrible likeness of me."
Kate stared in shock as Penn walked into the room.
"Uh, the mouth, it's all wrong!"
Two detectives jumped him.
"No!" Kate yelled.
Penn threw the two men across the room. Kate scrambled to get a stake out of her purse while Penn swept through the room easily, taking out two cops on his way towards Kate. Kate's stake dropped, useless, on the floor as he grabbed her and left the room, using her as a shield.
Penn dragged Kate through the sewer tunnels.
"What are you going to do?" Kate asked him.
"Well, first, I thought I'd stop everything and tell you my plan." Penn threw her against a wall. "Or, better yet, why don't I just show you?" He sauntered up to her, grabbed her by the neck, and sniffed her cheek. "Ah, smell that fear." He laughed. "Makes the blood sweeter. You know who taught me that?"
"I'm not afraid to die."
"Oh, I'm not going to kill you. But when I'm finished, Angel will."
"Bus full of school children, Penn? You really thought I was gonna fall for that?" Angel asked.
Kate reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a glass bottle as Penn's attention was on Angel.
"Well, you could have."
"Nah, too original."
Kate splashed some holy water into Penn's face. He screamed and threw her to the side. The left side of his face was a mass of angry red burns.
"Well, you were right about one thing, Angelus. The last two-hundred years has been about me sticking it to my father. But I've come to realize something: it's you!" Penn jumped up and kicked Angel in the stomach. "You made me!" He kicked him in the face, then double-fisted him a couple of times. "You taught me!"
Angel dropped to the floor.
Penn jumped on his back. "You approved of me in ways my mortal father never did! You are my real father, Angelus."
Angel got up, holding Penn up above his head. "Fine!" He slammed him into the ground. "You're grounded."
They fought on while Kate looked around for a weapon to use. She picked up a broken board, but Penn kicked it out of her hand, then hit her in the face. Before he could do more, Angel pulled him off Kate. They continued fighting while Kate reclaimed her piece of wood. Penn walked up one wall with Angel holding him from behind, flipped over Angel's head, and landed behind him, holding him in a double nelson.
"You forget your own lessons, old teacher: never give up the advantage, remember?"
Angel looked at Kate, standing in front of them with a long piece of wood in her hands.
"Living among them has made you weak!"
Angel kept looking at Kate, not even trying to break free.
"It sickens me to think that there was a time where you would have done whatever was necessary."
Kate rammed the piece of wood through Angel's stomach and up into Penn's heart. Angel gasped in pain while Penn died.
Angel gasped and stared at the half of the board still sticking out of his stomach. "You missed."
"No. I didn't." Kate grabbed the board and pulled it back out.
Penn's corpse fell to the ground. Angel collapsed, cradling his stomach and gasping from the pain. Kate sunk down to the floor, a few feet away from him.
That evening, Cordelia walked onto the roof of their building, wearing a wool poncho. Angel was sitting there, looking out over the lights of the city.
Cordelia walked up to him and leaned on the embrasure next to him. "If you're wondering why this vein on my temple is doing the cha-cha, it's because I just had one of those bone-crunching, mind-splitting vision headaches."
Angel looked at her, then back away.
Cordelia handed him a piece of paper. "New job."
Angel took it. "I was just thinking about how much this place is like where I grew up."
Cordelia looked out on the city. "Right. Yeah. I could see that, except for the cars and the buildings and the, you know, everything else."
"It's not so different. People moving through their lives. I wonder if anything ever really changes."
"Sure, it does. They do." Cordelia looked over at him. "You have. They were just dreams, Angel. They weren't even your dreams. They didn't mean anything."
"But I enjoyed it."
"It'd probably be okay if you never mentioned that part ever again."
"It's still in me, Cordelia."
"Sure, it's in you. We all have something. But it's not the only thing that's in you. You're not him, Angel. Not anymore. The name I got in my vision, the message didn't come for Angelus; it came for you. Angel. And you have to trust that whoever that the Powers That Be...be...are...is..." Cordelia shook her head. "Anyway, they know the difference."
"Yeah."
"People really do change."
"Yes, they do." Angel got off the embrasure and stood next to Cordelia, looking her in the eyes. "And sometimes they change back. If the day ever comes that I-"
"Oh, I'll kill you dead!" Cordelia promised without hesitation.
Angel blinked. "Thanks."
Cordelia turned to go. "What are friends for?"
Chapter 93: A New Man
Chapter Text
"A New Man"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "A New Man" Written by Jane Espenson and the Angel Episode "Expecting" Written by Howard Gordon
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
In the office of Angel Investigations, Cordelia was putting on some lipstick while looking in the mirror of her compact.
"You look nice."
Cordelia jumped and spun around at the sound of Angel's voice, then looked at her reflection in the mirror. There was a streak of lipstick from the corner of her mouth to halfway up her cheek.
Cordelia pulled out a tissue. "And now I look like the Joker."
"Sorry."
Cordelia fixed her lipstick. "I hope I'm still too young and carefree for a heart attack. Would it kill you to hum a little tune when sneaking up on people?"
Angel looked at a file. "I don't hum. I'm confused here. Why is Mrs. Bensen filed under 'P'?"
"That's not a 'P'; that's an 'F'. Or is it an 'R'?"
"I don't know. Maybe we can be a little less...young and carefree with the filing?"
"Oh, it's an 'F'. I remember now."
Angel blinked and scratched his neck. He chuckled. "All right, so...why is it Mrs. Bensen is filed under 'F'?"
"Because she is from France. Remember what a pain she was?"
"Yeah. It made me want to drink a lot."
"Well, that's the French for you."
Wesley walked into the office. "Hello. I was just in the neighborhood, patrolling with my new Bavarian fighting ax..." He held up an ax. "...when I suddenly thought 'Perhaps Cordelia has had a vision'; perhaps you need my help in the battle against evil."
Angel looked at him. "We seem to be evil-free at the moment."
"I also packed along a Word Puzzle 3-D, if either of you has the nerve to take me on."
Cordelia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Gee, Wesley, I'd love to, but, unlike you, I'm not in my eighties quite yet."
"If shaking your booty at the latest trendy hot spot is your idea of a life, then call me..."
Faith and Anne walked in, dressed in tube tops and short shorts.
"...sick with envy."
Faith smiled at Wesley. "Nice ax, Wes."
Wesley laughed. "Uh, ah, no, this old thing..." He swung the ax around and embedded it in the wall beside him.
Angel looked at him, then over at Faith, but didn't say anything.
Faith looked at Cordelia. "We're late, babe. Wilson practically had to have phone sex with the manager at Lounge La Brea to get us in."
Cordelia turned around. "Okay, okay. How do I look?"
Faith smiled. "Like you always do. Wilson won't be able to take his eyes off of you."
"Who's Wilson?" Angel asked Faith.
"Christopher."
"Christopher Wilson."
Anne shook her head. "Wilson Christopher."
"No. The ethno-archeologist from Brandeis?" Wesley asked in excitement.
Faith rolled her eyes. "The fashion photographer from L.A. who's been seeing Cordelia. Third time's the charm." She turned towards Wesley. "And that Hugh Grant thing is really starting to work for me."
Angel walked over to Cordelia. "So..." He cleared his throat and chuckled. "...you've been seeing someone. How come I didn't know?"
"Because I'm ashamed of you. Not to mention how you'd embarrass me by giving him the third degree."
Anne smiled. "Your boss could give me the third degree anytime."
Faith looked at Anne. "You're a sucker."
Cordelia put a hand to her forehead and dropped to the floor behind the desk.
Angel turned to the two women, standing between them and the desk. "So...La Brea. Sounds like that could be an evening with all sorts of evening type-"
Faith pointed at Cordelia, who was writhing on the floor. "Shouldn't you-"
"Oh, she's fine, she's fine. I-I heard the bands there are-"
"They don't have any bands."
"Which I like. Because if it's too loud-"
"Want to come?" Anne asked, amused.
"Oh, I think I may be busy. Besides, uh, I, um, I don't lounge all that well."
Wesley laughed. "Good one! Oh, yes." He put an arm around Angel. "No, he's, uh, he's no lounger, this one."
Faith looked at Anne. "The good ones are always gay."
Wesley let go of Angel.
Faith looked at Cordelia. "Cor, tick-tock."
Cordelia pulled herself back to her feet.
Angel turned towards her. "So?"
Cordelia stared at him for a moment, upset. "A big baby demon hatching from a big egg with really large hands in need of a manicure." She wrote an address on a piece of paper and handed it to Angel.
Cordelia, Faith, and Anne left the office.
Faith looked at her friends. "Are my girls ready to party?"
In room 214 in Stevenson Hall, at night, it was dark except for Buffy's bedside lamp, and Tara and Buffy were lying on their bed, naked. Buffy was resting her head on her pillow and had her legs spread, and Tara was lying between Buffy's legs and giving her cunnilingus for her birthday.
Buffy moaned as she felt her orgasm approach. "I'm gonna cum, sweetie."
Tara kept to her pace. Moments passed, and Buffy crested, her orgasm taking hold of her entire body. She let loose, cumming freely. Buffy's cum splashed onto Tara's tongue, and Tara eagerly drank, tasting the salty sweetness of her lover and best friend.
Tara dragged herself up, and she and Buffy cuddled and started making out. Tara passed the little bit of cum that she hadn't swallowed on to Buffy.
Buffy swallowed and then grinned. "Best birthday gift ever."
Tara smiled. "I aim to please."
They continued making out. Soon, the door burst open, and Harmony barged into the room, breaking the mood. Buffy and Tara stood up.
Harmony looked worried. "We got trouble."
Buffy suddenly grew serious. "What is it?"
"I was in the rec room. It came through the window."
"Vampire?" Tara asked her.
"Vampires don't breathe fire."
Soon, Buffy and Tara were dressed and following Harmony around the corner to a hallway on the first floor. Buffy was carrying a rifle-size crossbow. Tara and Harmony were holding smaller crossbows. Buffy motioned Tara down the adjacent hall, and Tara split from them towards the other door into the rec room. Buffy was not happy as she and Harmony headed for the door.
Buffy looked at Harmony. "We have to make this fast. I have better things to do tonight than kill."
Buffy opened the door and stepped inside the rec room, which was in total darkness.
A second later, the lights came up, and Buffy saw, based on the large banner hanging across the ceiling, it was a surprise party for her nineteenth birthday.
"Surprise!" Harmony, Amy, Sandy, Tara, and Jenny yelled.
Buffy lowered her crossbow, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
Harmony smiled at Buffy. "Guess you won't be killing anything tonight, after all."
Buffy gave her a sly grin. "Don't be so sure."
Buffy walked over to the table, which was lined with chocolate cake, chocolate brownies, potato chips, Doritos, dip, fruit punch, and bottles of beer. She immediately homed in on the beer, but Tara gave her a slice of cake on a paper plate and a plastic fork.
Buffy took them. "Thanks. Hey, where's Giles?"
Jenny walked over and helped herself to some cake. "He passed on the party but sends his wishes and a gift. One of us had to stay at home and look after Spike, and parties aren't really his thing."
"Y'know, I never would have guessed. He looked so comfortable at the Bronze."
Jenny laughed.
Buffy suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I've got some news on the Initiative."
Harmony stared blankly at Buffy.
"The commandos. That's what their organization is called."
Harmony nodded in understanding.
"Riley's taking me to meet with his commander tomorrow. Apparently, she's really eager to meet 'the Slayer'."
"She?" Amy asked in surprise.
"It's Professor Walsh."
The others stared at her in shock.
Buffy nodded. "I know, right?!"
At Lounge La Brea, the bartender handed Faith a drink. "Here you go."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
"I won't. But I'll tip for it." Faith handed a $5 bill to the bartender.
Anne walked over, holding a drink. "I'm bored."
"Anne, do you know what it takes to get in here?"
"Still bored."
Faith nodded. "Well, Cordy's not."
Anne looked. Cordelia and Wilson were sitting on a couch, talking.
Anne yawned. "So, anyway, I've been checking out this property in Crenshaw. I think it might make a good location for-"
"Shh!" Faith shushed her.
Anne sighed. Faith listened in on the conversation.
"So you left Sunnydale and came to LA. What was that like?"
"Like skydiving without a parachute, except for the smashing-your-body-to-bits part."
Wilson chuckled.
Cordelia reconsidered. "Actually, no, it was like that, too. Oh, and that guy that was supposed to be here when you arrive-"
"The guy?"
"With the big bag of fame and fortune."
"Oh, that guy."
"So what happened to him?"
"He comes and goes. He's sort of fleeting that way."
"Well, if you see him, will you tell him to fleet my way?"
Wilson laughed and nodded. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For making me not hate dating. Serena is really something. I'm going to send her flowers-"
Cordelia looked at him.
"-for introducing you to me."
"I knew that." Cordelia laughed. "God, for the first time, I like LA. In high school, I knew my place, and, okay, it was a haughty place, and maybe I was a tad shallow."
"Oh, hey, nobody feels like they belong here. I mean that's the point of L.A.: to make you feel as insecure as possible."
"You don't feel that way."
"Sure, I do."
"Right. You're doing what you came to L.A. to do. You're photographing all these gorgeous, famous people. Where is the insecure?"
"In the pictures, which are further proof that everybody is having a real life except me. I'm the guy behind the camera, watching and recording life, not...living it...each and every moment...like you."
"Wow, I'm living life? Look at me."
"Look at you."
Cordelia unlocked and opened the door to her apartment. "Well, here we are." She turned around in the doorway. "Thank you for the club and for driving me home and listening to my entire life's story. I think I may have left out a couple of weeks in early 1987, but-"
"I had a great time, and you didn't talk too much. I want to know everything about you."
Cordelia stepped backwards, into her apartment. "Me, too. I mean...about you, not me...because I already know about me..."
Wilson stepped over the threshold and kissed her on the lips. "Call you tomorrow?"
"Um, you don't have to..."
Wilson laughed. "Call you?"
"Go home? I mean right away? It's still early-"
Wilson looked at his watch.
"-in Australia."
They laughed.
"Will you come in?" Cordelia invited.
Wilson walked in and looked around. "Nice."
Cordelia closed the door and dimmed the lights. "Yeah, compared to my old apartment, it's Buckingham Palace."
"You live alone, right?"
"Well..."
Veruca walked out of her bedroom, naked. "Oh. Hey."
Wilson looked at her but then quickly looked away. "Hey."
Cordelia forced a smile. "Hey. Veruca, this is Wilson. Wilson, this is my roommate, Veruca."
Veruca smiled. "All right, Cordy, work it, get some."
Cordelia dropped her smile. "Ruc, what are you doing up...and about?"
Veruca shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. Probably drank too much Red Bull before our set."
"I've heard your music. You don't need to be wired to sing those songs. And I meant your condition."
"I've got it under control. It's no big."
"I better go. I'll call you." Wilson headed for the door. "Good night."
Cordelia looked at him. "Good night."
Wilson opened the door and walked outside, closing the door behind him.
Cordelia walked over and locked the door, and then she turned and stared at Veruca in annoyance. Eventually, she grudgingly shrugged. "Congratulations."
"Thanks." Veruca walked into the kitchen, grabbed a dozen Slim Jims, and went back to her bedroom without another word.
The next morning, Cordelia walked into the office of Angel Investigations, set her purse on her desk, and went to pour herself a cup of coffee.
Angel walked out of his office. "Hey."
Cordelia looked at him. "Hey."
"So...how was your date last night?"
"Well, I thought it would end great. Wilson drove me home. I invited him in-"
"You did?"
"And then Veruca showed up and ruined everything."
Angel stared at her for a moment. "Did she eat him?"
"What? No! She's got the werewolf under control. The meditation works."
"Oh. Good...I guess."
"She woke up and came out of her room, buck-ass naked. Scared him off." Cordelia took a sip of her coffee and grimaced.
"Oh. Uh, um, damn it."
Cordelia gave him a look. "I appreciate the effort."
The telephone rang.
Cordelia walked over to her desk, set her mug down, and picked up the receiver. "Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless."
"Hello, is this Cordelia?"
"The one and only. Accept no substitutes."
"My name is Emily Geiss. You were handing out business cards at La Brea last night."
"Yeah. You need help with something?"
"Oh, yeah."
Angel and Cordelia walked up to Emily's apartment door. Angel knocked on the door. They waited. There was no response.
Angel banged his fist on her door. "Emily!"
No response.
Angel turned the knob, breaking the lock, and walked in. Cordelia followed.
Angel looked around the apartment. "Emily?" He waited. "I'm getting a bad feeling here."
Cordelia closed the door. "I thought it was just me."
Angel opened the bedroom door. The door swung open, and they stared at Emily, a young, very pregnant woman with short blonde hair, sitting up in bed.
Cordelia stared at her in shock. "Mother of God."
"Angel?" Emily asked.
Angel came into the bedroom. "It's all right. We're here."
Cordelia walked into the bedroom.
Emily looked at Angel. "Help me."
Angel sat down on the edge of the bed. "We're going to. What do you remember?"
Emily was close to crying. "Well, we went to the club. And Jason drove me home, and I asked him in. He was really nice. And we, uh, you know? It was normal. He was normal, and it was safe; it was - it was all really safe!"
"Shh, shh. It's okay. Have you talked to Jason?"
"No. I haven't talked to anyone. What would I say to him? 'I had a really great time; I think you left something at my place'? I don't think this is right."
Angel reached for her cordless phone and held it out to her. "Whatever is happening to you, he may have some answers."
"I can't."
"Just dial his number, and I'll talk to him."
Emily took the phone and dialed. "Oh, God. I'm being punished."
"You're certainly not being punished. This is..." Cordelia paused, suddenly at a loss for words. "We'll get to the bottom of it."
Angel took the phone and listened. Cordelia was standing close enough that she overheard the message: "The number you have reached has been disconnected; there is no new number at this time." Cordelia frowned.
Angel ended the call. "He's not answering right now. I want you to rest, and we're going to handle this. Hey! You're not alone."
Emily looked at her belly. "That's sort of the problem, isn't it?"
Cordelia and Angel looked at each other.
"Could you...just leave me alone for now?" Emily requested.
Angel got up. "We're going to be right outside."
He and Cordelia left the bedroom, and Cordelia closed the door. Cordelia looked at Angel and sighed.
Angel called Wesley and got him over to Emily's apartment. Then he tried calling Jason's business phone number. Finally, he called Kate.
"Thanks." Angel ended the call.
"Any luck with your contact?" Wesley asked him.
"Jason's home and business phones have been disconnected, no unlisted numbers, no forwarding addresses, no criminal record."
"Well, that's something."
Angel sighed. "I'm guessing it's some kind of procrea-parasitic demon."
"Hmm, a demon who can only reproduce by implanting a human woman with its seed. Yes, I've heard of such entities. The human mothers-"
"Rarely survive labor, and the ones that do wish they hadn't."
"If she's that pregnant in one night, she could give birth at any moment."
"We have to move fast. You're gonna have to see what's inside her."
"I beg your pardon?" Wesley asked, shocked.
Angel smiled. "Prenatal exam, Wesley."
Wesley looked uncomfortable. "Oh, of course."
Cordelia put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll handle that, Wes."
"Oh, thank you." Wesley looked at Angel. "And what about you?"
"I'm going to find Daddy."
Cordelia took Emily to PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital and got her checked in. They waited in the waiting room.
A pregnant woman sitting next to Emily looked at her. "Do you know what it is?"
Emily looked at her in shock.
"Boy or girl?"
Cordelia sat down next to Emily. "Shouldn't be long." She leaned forward, close to Emily's ear. "I told them that it was really urgent."
"You're carrying low. I bet it's-" The pregnant woman reached over towards Emily.
Emily jumped in her chair, freaked. "Shut up! Don't touch me!"
Cordelia stared at Emily in concern.
The doctor examined Emily. "You're what, eight-and-a-half months along?"
Cordelia looked at Emily. "Feels like only yesterday, doesn't it?"
"Well, I see you left a lot of blanks on the patient information form. It would help to have the name of your previous doctor."
Emily looked at him. "You're the only doctor we've been to-"
"-in California!" Cordelia quickly interrupted. "We just moved here from...Canada."
"Lovely country. So how are you feeling?"
"I'm as big as a house, everything hurts, I-"
"That's all normal at this stage. And once your little one comes out, which will probably be in no time, you'll feel a lot better."
"God, it's a nightmare."
The doctor and the nurse stared at Emily.
Cordelia took Emily's hand. "Hold on."
"All right, Mrs. Penborn, why don't you lie back and see what's baking in the oven?" the doctor suggested.
Emily lay back with a sigh, and the doctor and the nurse started the ultrasound.
"Have you folks settled on a name yet?" the doctor asked. "It's the hardest part for a lot of people."
Cordelia stood next to Emily, giving her a reassuring smile.
The doctor looked at the monitor. "Hmm, looks like somebody is having twins."
"Twins?!" Emily and Cordelia blurted in shock.
The doctor was still looking at the screen. "No, there is a third heartbeat."
The nurse stared. "There is another one."
Cordelia went to look over the doctor's shoulder.
"Five...six."
Emily stared at her belly and shook her head.
"Oh, my God!" the doctor exclaimed.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Emily asked.
"I-I'm sure it's nothing. But I-I'd like to withdraw...a little of the amniotic fluid just - just to make sure that everything is, uh...shipshape."
Emily narrowed her eyes at him.
"So, nurse, if you would prep Mrs. Penborn right away?" the doctor suggested.
Cordelia stared at the screen, then looked over at Emily.
The doctor had a syringe in his hand. "I need to tell you that there is a 0.5% chance of miscarriage from the procedure. Now, it's a very small risk-"
"I'll take it."
"Now, you'll feel a pinch. Just count backwards from five, and we'll be done."
"5...4...3...2...1...1...1...1!"
The doctor withdrew the needle and stared at the fluid. "All done." He handed it to the nurse. "Now, that wasn't too bad, was it? Now, we'll just run a few tests-"
The nurse turned back around, staring at the syringe in horror. "Dr. Wasserman?"
The syringe cracked, and the nurse dropped it and jumped back with a scream. The doctor looked at the syringe on the floor as the fluid started to eat through the floor.
"This is, um..." The doctor paused. "Excuse me."
He and the nurse left the room. Cordelia bent down to get a closer look at the hole in the floor, then looked over at Emily, her mouth hanging open.
"You saw what's inside of me?" Emily asked her.
"I think we should find Angel."
"Cordy, please just tell me!"
Cordelia didn't look at her. "Emily-"
"Do they look healthy?"
Cordelia stared at her.
Emily leaned forward and screamed. Cordelia held her as they rode down in the elevator to Angel's apartment.
Cordelia lifted the metal grating and led Emily out. "It's all going to work out. You'll see, everything's going to be just fine."
"I know it will be."
Cordelia led her into Angel's bedroom. "I'm sure Angel won't mind if you rest in here. Just relax, get comfortable...well, uh, as comfortable as possible." She covered her up with a blanket. "If you need anything, anything at all...I'll just-"
Emily looked hard at her. "You're afraid."
"What?"
"You're afraid of what's inside of me. You think it's horrible. You think that I won't be able to handle it. That if I find out, I'll do something...bad."
"Emily, we don't know anything yet. I'm gonna get my assistant on this, and - and the moment there is anything concrete to report-"
Emily rubbed her belly. "There is seven of them. There is seven of his children...growing inside of me. They are talking to me. They're talking all at once." She looked at her belly. "I can't understand."
Cordelia sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Cordy..."
"Yeah?"
"They're not human."
"I imagine that's true."
Emily sunk back into the cushions and closed her eyes with a sigh. Cordelia stood up and pulled the blanket up to her chin, then looked at her for a moment. She turned away to find Angel standing in the door to the bedroom. They looked at each other for a moment, then Cordelia followed Angel into the main apartment.
"Any luck locating Jason?" Cordelia asked.
"Not yet. But I did find Emily's friend, Serena Duplaix. She's a victim, too. As big as Emily. Wilson's rich buddies are in on it." Angel started flipping through a phone book. "Four of them, maybe more; I don't know how many women they've impregnated."
Cordelia showed him a piece of paper. "And it's worse than you know. The ultrasound results. Seven heartbeats, at least, maybe more. And with multiple pregnancies-"
"Someone is raising an army."
"An army of what?"
"Good question. We need to find the demon fathers."
Cordelia saw what section of the yellow pages that Angel was looking at. "Gun clubs? Guns can kill them? Well, that makes it easier."
"Serena said Wilson and his buddies hang out at some private gun club. Guns and Cigars. She doesn't know where, exactly. While I find them, you and Wes should be narrowing down the species. Maybe we can figure out a way to terminate this without hurting her."
"And if we can't?"
Angel ripped out a page and sighed. "Then we need to know what to do once they're born."
Cordelia followed Angel out of the living room. "Yeah, well, it mustn't come to that. The odds of her even surviving are..."
They stopped as they entered the kitchen area and saw Emily standing in front of the open refrigerator, gulping down blood out of a clear container. Some of it ran down her chin.
Angel swallowed. "I don't think I ever realized just how disgusting that was. Get her back to bed."
"'Kay."
"Maybe order her a pizza or something."
"Good idea."
Angel stared at Emily. "Uh..."
Emily put the half-empty container back in the fridge, wiped the blood on her mouth on her sleeve, and walked past them. "I was hungry."
In Professor Walsh's office, Walsh was sitting behind her desk and had a serious expression on her face. Buffy was sitting in front of Walsh's desk, and Riley stood slightly behind her left shoulder.
"So...the Slayer."
"Yeah. That's me."
"We thought you were a myth."
Buffy smiled. "Well, you were myth-taken."
Walsh stared at her, stone-faced. "And to think, all that time, you were sitting in my class. Well, most of those times. I always knew you could do better than a B-minus. Now, I understand your energies were directed in the same places as ours, in fact. It's only our methods that differ. We use the latest in scientific technology and state-of-the-art weaponry, and you, if I understand correctly, poke them with a sharp stick."
Buffy stared at her, upset. "Well, it's more effective than it sounds."
"Oh, I'm, heh, quite sure of that. As I'm just as sure that we can learn much from each other. I'm working on getting you clearance to come into the Initiative. I think you'll find the results of our operation most impressive. Agent Finn here, alone, has killed or captured - how many is it?"
"Seventeen. Eleven vampires, six demons."
Buffy detected a note of pride in his voice. She smiled in amusement.
"What about you?" Walsh asked her.
"Me?"
"How many hostiles would you say you've slain?"
Buffy considered. "Seventeen..."
Walsh looked slightly surprised.
Buffy smiled broadly. "...last week."
In Giles' apartment, he was dusting inside one of his bookcases. He stopped as he suddenly remembered something. He held the feather duster between his teeth and took an old tome from the shelf. He opened it and sat down on a cushion footrest. He read, then did a calculation with his fingers.
Giles removed the feather duster and stood up. "Oh, shit."
He went to his work desk, gathered supplies, and put them in his bag as he picked up the phone and called Tara.
"Hello?"
"Tara, it's me. Is Buffy there?"
"Not at the moment, why?"
"There's an emergency."
"A big one? Because I think she'll be back soon."
"No, we can't wait for her, Tara. The demon Prince Barvain is going to rise tonight."
"That's bad, right?"
"Well..." Giles paused. "Where is she, exactly?"
Buffy and Riley were walking outside on the UC Sunnydale campus, approaching a large, flowing fountain.
Riley had a stunned expression on his face. "Wow."
Buffy shrugged. "Those are my best stories. And I didn't tell you the 'Buffy breaks her ass' stories."
"But you've killed a..." Riley paused. "You did the thing with that..." He paused again. "Uh, you drowned. And the snake! Not to mention the...daily...slayage of..." He paused again. "Wow."
"It's no big, really." Buffy cheered up when she saw a cart. "Hey, who wants ice cream?!"
"Buffy. When I saw you stop the world from, you know, ending...I just assumed that was a big week for you. Turns out I suddenly find myself...needing to know the plural of 'apocalypse'."
They stopped at the ice cream cart.
"Three scoops of chocolate in a waffle cone, please."
The owner rang it up. "$3.45."
Riley look out his wallet. "Here, I'll get it."
Buffy was surprised. "Okay, thanks."
Riley paid. Buffy received her ice cream cone. They resumed walking and rounded the fountain.
Buffy licked her ice cream. "Look. If you've been fighting since you were sixteen, you'd have a hefty résumé, too."
"Sixteen?!" Riley asked in shock.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "I know, 'Wow'. The point is that we have different amounts of experience. You know. And plus, I do have that whole preternatural Slayer strength deal."
Riley nodded. "I've seen. Don't get me wrong. The girls I grew up with could hold their own. But...I'm not even sure I could take you."
Buffy stopped and looked at him. "Come by the campus gym tonight. We'll see how you do."
Riley stared at her in confusion. "'We'?"
Cordelia opened the door and walked out of the bathroom. "Okay, Wes, hand me another book." She saw Wesley lying on the floor, unconscious. "Shit!" She ran over and crouched down next to him. She started slapping him repeatedly across the face. "Wake up!"
Harmony and Tara were at Giles' sides as they walked through the cemetery at night. The women were holding axes and walking in a quick pace to keep up with him.
"This prince/demon guy was supposed to rise at sunset, so aren't we, like, late?" Harmony asked him.
"Of course, if I hadn't had to search the globe for our Miss Summers and do battle with that harridan-"
"And if you hadn't gotten lost on campus afterwards-"
Giles looked at Tara sharply. "Never mind. I'll just have to take care of it myself. I've vanquished a few demons in my day without her. Of course, it wouldn't surprise me if we're entirely too late. Demon on the loose, carnage everywhere."
Tara shrugged. "Y'know, Amy and I probably could've come up with a spell to do that, if we had more lead time."
"Where is Amy, anyway?" Giles asked her.
"Couldn't make it. Buffy wanted at least one of us at Slayer School to provide a flying target."
Harmony nodded. "Yeah, so let's wrap this up, huh?"
They'd reached a large mausoleum and stepped inside through the wrought iron gate. Giles opened the inner door, and they walked down the foyer steps. They saw the place was in order - except for a lot of cobwebs decorating the walls.
Harmony made a face, grossed out. "Your better demons will clean up after themselves."
Giles was confused. "I don't understand." He moved to the center of the chamber, scanning with his flashlight. "Umm, there should be ruptured earth and - and broken stone. Oh, well, apparently, it hasn't happened yet. A bit of luck." Giles set his bag down on the floor and opened it to begin pulling out his supplies.
"Maybe you miscalculated."
Giles paused and looked up at Harmony.
Harmony shrugged. "Well, you're kinda known for it."
"Or you know what, I bet?" Tara asked. "I-I bet the Initiative took care of it."
Harmony nodded. "Riley and his guys. Probably all over it."
Tara nodded. "Yeah. It has that 'too neat' look. They must have cleaned up the place. They read hot spots. Areas of otherworldly energy." She looked around. "They must've picked this place up days ago."
Giles stood up and faced them in frustration, raising the flashlight almost to their faces. "I get the idea."
Tara and Harmony exchanged a nervous glance.
Giles sighed. "Well, don't I just feel like a stupid, old fool?"
Harmony was confused. "How are we supposed to know?"
Tara elbowed Harmony in the ribs. "So th-the demon is probably a little late. W-We'll just, you know-"
"Oh, forget it. Go on. You two clear off. I'll just stay a little longer just in case."
"You sure?" Tara asked. "'Cause we can stay."
"No. Go."
Tara and Harmony beat feet out of the mausoleum.
Giles sat down on a stone bench in silence for a few seconds. "Who am I kidding?" He stuffed his supplies back in his bag and hurried to the door. "Nothing is gonna happen." He left, closing it behind him.
He headed away for a bit but then heard what sounded like a voice.
Giles turned around, opened the door, and shined the flashlight inside. "Did someone-?"
"Oh, bugger! I thought you'd gone!" Ethan Rayne exclaimed.
Giles stepped down to Ethan's level, not happy to see him. "Ethan Rayne. You have no idea how much thrashing you is gonna improve my day."
Ethan tried to bolt past Giles, but Giles clubbed him in the gut with the flashlight, and Ethan fell forward. Giles jerked him back up and was ready pummel him, raising a fist.
Ethan put his hands up to ward off the attack, scared. "No, no, no! Wait! Hang on! You - You can beat the shit out of me. Go ahead, I can't stop you!"
Giles cocked back his fist.
"Or - Or you can listen to what I have to say. Find out what's going on."
"What are you talking about?"
"Something bad is happening. Bad for both of us."
"Bad for you." Giles cocked his fist again.
"No, no, no! Listen! You have to listen! You're going to need time to prepare!"
Cordelia slapped Wesley one more time. "Wake up!"
Wesley regained consciousness, opened his eyes, and pushed himself up off the floor, holding his head.
Cordelia sighed. "Finally!"
Wesley picked his glasses off the floor. "Oh, Cordelia, thank God."
The phone rang.
Cordelia stood up straight, walked over, and picked up the handset. "Hello?"
"Yeah, Cordy, it's Angel. I found Jason. Whatever it is Emily is carrying around inside her, he's not the father."
"I know. It's a Haxil beast, an inner earth demon."
"Good job."
Cordelia smiled. "Thanks!" Then she reconsidered. "Well, actually, Wesley found it."
"Put him on."
Cordelia offered the handset to Wesley.
Wesley took it. "Oh, this is all my fault."
"How is what your fault?"
"Emily ran off. I tried to stop her. She became insanely protective when I identified the Haxil as the father of her - her, uh,...I fear she may have gone off to rendezvous with it."
"She has. Miliken Industrial Park in Reseda."
"What?"
"That's where Wilson and his friends built their shrine."
"How does Emily know that?"
"She's telepathically linked to its unborn. That's how it's controlling Emily."
"Of course, a psychic umbilical cord. The Haxil's telepathic connection is what's sustaining its unborn spawn."
"So all we have to do is cut the cord."
"We slay this demon, and poof! No more evil pregnancies. Well, this is good news. We can end this without harming the women. There is just one tiny problem."
"What's that?"
"Well, I don't wish to use the words 'impossible to kill', but fire won't kill it, decapitation won't, and it's really huge."
Cordelia thought of something. She grabbed the handset from Wesley. "Angel, I've got a crazy idea."
Giles and Ethan went to a bar. It was dimly lit and had a slight honky-tonk feel to it. A jukebox was playing music somewhere. Ethan and Giles were sitting at a booth as a waitress was serving them their draft beers.
Ethan removed his gray trench coat. "Brilliant! Now, isn't this more fun than kicking my arse?"
"No."
"Oh. It's more fun for me."
The waitress walked away.
Giles raised his glass. "Just tell me what you want to tell me."
"Oh, so crass. We used to be friends, Ripper. When did all that fall apart?"
"The same time you started to worship chaos."
"Oh, religious intolerance. Sad, there. I mean...just look at the Irish Troubles."
Annoyed, Giles started to rise to leave.
"Oh, hang on, I'll tell ya."
Giles settled down again.
"Something happening in the darkworlds. It's always been rumors out there, but...only one thing's coming through clear: that something's harming demons, and it's not the Slayer. Know anything about it?"
Giles took a drink. "What are they saying?"
"Heh, you know demons. It's all exaggeration and blank verse. 'Pain as bright as steel', things like that. They're scared. There's something called '314' that's got them scared most of all. The kind of scared that turns to angry. I know we're not particularly fond of each other, Rupert."
Giles chuckled scoffingly.
"But we are a couple of old mystics. This new outfit, it's blundering into new places it doesn't belong. It's throwing the worlds out of balance. And that's way beyond chaos, mate. We're headed quite literally for one hell of a fight."
Amy was flying through the air, dodging and magically deflecting arrows fired by the other students. Buffy was throwing jabs, sparring with Riley on workout mats. They were circling each other. He was dressed in sweats and a T-shirt. Buffy was in a white, long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans. She threw a few more jabs, and he blocked them and countered with a one-two combo that Buffy easily ducked under. They continued to circle. Buffy launched three roundhouse kicks in quick succession. He blocked the first two, then sidestepped the third, got up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her.
Riley smiled. "Are you pulling back?"
Buffy grinned. "Are you?"
Riley shrugged. "Maybe a little."
Buffy suddenly spun out of the hold, and Riley was thrown off his feet, spinning before hitting the mat on his back. He looked up.
Buffy smiled down at him. "Maybe a little, too."
Riley smiled and kicked himself to his feet. They began to circle again.
Riley grinned. "I'll go all out, if you will."
"Are you sure?" Buffy asked him.
Riley got serious. "Here we go."
Riley stepped in with a combination of hard-swinging hooks that Buffy was quick to block. She ducked under his last punch and captured his legs in a scissor hold and took him down with her. Riley quickly rolled out of her legs and scrambled to his feet. Buffy was quicker and was waiting for him. She hit him in the chest with a side kick that launched him into the air. He flew across the room, over a gymnastic pommel horse, and landed on a thick fall cushion. The impact upset another large cushion leaning against the wall, and it fell on top of him.
Buffy was shocked at what she did. "Riley!" She ran over to him and tossed the cushion off him. "Are you hurt?"
Riley sat up, a hand on his chest. He looked winded and humbled. "I, uh,..." He groaned. "I don't think so."
"I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to, uh-"
"It's fine. I'm good." Riley offered a slight grin.
Buffy frowned, not feeling much better. "I guess I should have held back a bit more."
Riley stared at her in shock.
Cordelia, armed with a crossbow, and Wesley entered a warehouse, stepped around a corner, and saw the women, wearing white robes, in a big vat filled with some yellow-brown liquid.
"Emily!" Wesley walked up to the edge of the vat. "Come out of there this instant!" He looked at the other women. "All of you, please!"
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that'll work."
Emily looked at him. "We don't expect you to understand."
"I understand." Wesley walked up the steps to stand on the wide concrete rim of the vat and crouched down beside Emily. "You'll die unless you come with me, and that is the most vile-smelling filth I've ever had the displeasure of inhaling. Now, don't make me come in there after you."
"We serve our master."
"Please come before-"
The ground began to shake with thundering footsteps. They all looked at the huge Haxil demon stepping through a hole in the wall.
"Who is the interloper to think you could disturb the birth of my children? Who are you?"
Wesley stood up. "Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, rogue demon hunter." He put up his fists. "And I'm here to fight you, sir, to the death - preferably yours."
"You?"
"As a heathen, I wouldn't expect you to be familiar with the Biblical story of David and Goliath. But I assure you it's of particular relevance to this situation."
"You said you came here to do battle, then let's fight and be done."
Wesley looked around, then slowly inched closer to the demon on the rim of the vat. "Yes, well, as a point of courtesy, I like to get to know my opponents before I engage them in mortal combat. Do you, uh, do you have any hobbies?"
"Enough talk. I'll come to you."
Angel rolled a gas tank filled with liquid nitrogen down a ramp, drawing everyone's attention.
Angel walked down the ramp. "Sorry I'm late to the baby shower. Brought a little gift."
Angel picked up the tank, spun, and threw it like a discus up at the Haxil, who caught it easily out of the air.
Cordelia raised the crossbow and shot a hole in the tank. The Haxil dropped the tank, and a stream of liquid nitrogen shot out of the hole, up at him. The demon screamed in the fog. The women in the vat screamed, their bellies slowly deflating. Cordelia, Wesley, and Angel stared as the demon froze. The women stopped screaming.
Cordelia stared up at the frozen demon. "Fatality."
Emily looked around, then walked up the steps, out of the vat. She walked up to Cordelia, who backed a couple steps away from her. Emily then grabbed a big pulley hanging on a rope and swung it into the Haxil demon, shattering its frozen body.
Emily stared at it in disgust. "I really hate dating."
Giles and Ethan's table was cluttered with glasses and shot glasses, mostly empty, and they were both drunk and on the verge of passing out.
"You know what gets me?" Giles asked. "This is what gets me. Twenty years, I've been fighting demons. Maggie Walsh and her nancy-ninja boys come in, and, six months later, demons are pissing themselves with fear. They never even noticed me."
"Who's Maggie Walsh?" Ethan asked.
"Oh, she's awful. Fuck her."
"You know, you're really very attractive."
"Hm?" Giles asked.
He saw Ethan was talking to the waitress, who was serving them another round.
Ethan started writing something on a piece of paper. "Here's my name and number." He handed it to her. "You give me a call, I'll show you a good time."
"Yeah, thanks." The waitress left.
"We gotta face it: we've changed. Well, not you. You're still sadistic and self-centered."
Ethan toasted himself. "Here's to me."
"The world has passed us by. Someone snuck in and left us a couple of has-beens in our place. This Initiative, I mean, their methods may be causing problems, but they're getting the job done. Where am I? I'm an unemployed librarian with a tendency to get knocked on the head."
"Well, we won't have to worry about that anymore now, mate. When you went to the loo, I slipped a small pellet of poison in your drink. You'll be dead in an hour."
After a moment, the words sunk in for Giles, and he sobered a bit.
Ethan grinned. "Just kidding!"
They both burst out laughing.
Giles calmed down. "I'm gonna feel like hell in the morning."
"Relax. Enjoy the night. We're just a couple of sorcerers. The night is still our time. Time of magic."
They raised their glasses in a toast.
Giles smiled. "To magic."
Back in the office of Angel Investigations, Cordelia was sitting at her desk, and Angel, Wesley, and Katrina were standing in front of it.
Katrina smiled. "I'm glad that everything worked out."
Cordelia grinned. "You should have been there. It was really cool." She started chuckling.
Wesley rolled his eyes.
Katrina looked at Angel. "Uh, you will be getting a tank of that shit to Caltech before they notice it's missing, right?"
Angel nodded. "I'm on it."
"Cool." Katrina waved at everyone. "See ya." She headed for the door.
Cordelia smiled. "Later, Trina."
Giles stumbled into his bedroom, still quite drunk.
Jenny was sitting up in bed, working on her laptop. She looked at him. "Rupert?"
Giles smiled. "Oh, hi, Jenny!"
"Are you drunk?"
"I suppose, perhaps, um, that is to say..."
Jenny set her laptop aside, got out of bed, and helped Giles over to the bed. She helped him get in, and then she pulled up the covers.
Giles laughed. "Thank you."
"Where were you?"
"At a bar. Met an old mate."
"Who?"
Giles tried to recall the name. "Um..."
"Look, never mind. I gotta get some work done. I've got an early class tomorrow." Jenny kissed Giles on the lips. "I'll sleep downstairs. Good night."
"Good night."
Jenny picked up her laptop and turned off the light on her way out of the room.
The next morning, Giles' alarm buzzer went off, and Giles woke up and shut it off. He got out of bed, left the bedroom, and walked down the stairs.
Giles yawned. "I feel like hell in the morning."
He reached the landing and stopped in front of a small mirror hanging on the wall while he released a big yawn, stretching his arms. He smacked his lips when the yawn was done and finally opened his sleepy eyes and stared in shock at his reflection in the mirror. He was a demon: light brownish tan skin and long horns sprouting from the sides of his forehead, curving back and around his really long, hairy ears, ending in sharp points next to his cheeks. He had a set of fangs much like a vampire's.
Giles' eyes popped wide open. "Uh! Wha-Wha-" He touched his horns. "No!"
Leaning closer to the mirror, he put a hand on the wall, and his now-clawed hand went through it. Giles was in a state of disbelief as he pulled his hand back out and absently rested it on the stairs' banister. It was instantly ripped from the railing.
Giles looked at what he did. "Damn!"
He took the final steps down to the first floor and threw the banister down, where it hit a chair and shattered it.
Giles looked around, confused, then was struck by a thought. "Ethan."
He noticed his voice had taken on a low, gravelly sound. He went to pick up the phone, and it shattered in his hand before he could lift it to his ear. He dropped it and moved to pick up his shirt from the floor. He struggled to get into the sleeves and, when he tried to shrug into it, his now jutting, ridged spine ripped it down the middle.
Giles grimaced. "Oh, and I liked that shirt!"
He traded the shredded shirt for a thick flannel blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders as he headed for the door. He grabbed the handle, and the door came off its hinges, but Giles was beyond caring at this point and stepped outside.
Giles quietly approached Harmony as she was walking from her car in the student parking lot toward the campus, a Starbucks cup filled with sugary goodness in her hand.
"Harmony. Don't turn around yet. When you look at me...you may be a little alarmed, but there's no need; it-it's me. Giles. Now, Ethan has turned me into a demon, and I need your help."
Harmony turned around.
"Hello. Yes, it's me."
Unfortunately, Harmony's perception of the encounter was much different: a scary-looking demon was speaking a demon language. She screamed, turned, and ran away.
"Harmony, listen! Don't you understand me?" Giles asked.
"Demon! Demon!" Harmony shouted.
"Please, don't you understand?" Giles asked.
Harmony started grabbing random items off benches and threw them at him.
"No, no! Don't! Harmony! Harmony, calm down! Ow! You're just a little overwrought. Oww!" Giles growled in frustration and ran away.
"That's right! Run for your life!" Harmony yelled.
Giles went across the street, running across a lawn. Children were playing, and Giles was stepping on their toys scattered on the grass. Kids were frightened, and a mother was reaching for her child.
Giles panicked. "Oh, God. I'm sorry!"
The mother grabbed her child. "Call 911!"
Giles ran away. "Bloody humans!"
Buffy and Tara were having breakfast in the Rocket Cafe on campus.
Buffy was happily stacking her pancakes on her plate. "I like pancakes, 'cause they're stackable." She looked at Tara's plate. "Ooh, and waffles, 'cause you can put things in the little holes, if you wanted to."
Tara laughed. "You're in a good mood."
"I am. I had a great birthday. No one tried to poison or kill me. Life is good." Buffy picked up a bottle of maple syrup, opened it, and squeezed a generous amount onto her pancakes.
Tara sobered a little. "Well, there might be something."
"Oh?" Buffy asked, sticking pieces of pancakes into her mouth.
"I think there's something out there. Last night, Amy and I were practicing magic, and I-I felt this presence. This dark magic energy. It's new."
"Someone doing magic?" Buffy asked.
"Maybe. If so, it's someone pretty powerful."
"Hmm. I'll tell Giles about it. Or maybe I'll tell Jenny. She's close by."
"Tell Mr. Giles. He's feeling a little hurt right now."
Buffy frowned in question.
"He's feeling neglected and useless."
Buffy smiled cheerfully. "I'll make it up to him when I see him."
Harmony ran up to them. "Guys! We've got a mucho problemo!"
After doing some investigating and coming up with nothing, Buffy led the way down the steps in the courtyard of Giles' apartment building with Tara, Harmony, and Jenny behind her.
"So it had pointy things. What kind of pointy things?" Buffy asked Harmony.
"The pointy kind. And tufty ears. Oh, and it might have a book-shaped bruise."
They stopped walking.
"Mr. Giles will know what it...was." Tara noticed something.
They saw Giles' door was off its hinges, leaning against the inside wall. They hurried in.
"Giles?" Buffy called.
Jenny went up the stairs to check the loft. "Rupert?!"
Buffy surveyed the damage. "Looks like Harmony wasn't the only one to get a visitor today."
Jenny walked back down. "He's not upstairs."
Tara started to worry. "Oh, Goddess, Mr. Giles."
"Okay. There's a demon, and Giles is gone. But it doesn't mean that he's hurt. I mean...there's no blood anywhere, so maybe the demon just took him somewhere?" Buffy suggested, trying to sound optimistic.
Harmony picked up Giles' ripped shirt and held it up for inspection. "I think it ate him up."
Buffy, Tara, and Jenny became more worried.
Giles was lumbering through the cemetery, still wrapped in his blanket, in a miserable mood. He walked past a stone mausoleum.
"Well. What do I spy with my little eye?"
Giles stopped at the sound of Spike's voice.
"A demon. That would be...oh, right...the things I can kill."
"Spike. Wonderful. A perfect end to a perfect day."
"Giles?"
Giles turning around, fists up. "Go on, then. Let's get on with the fighting..." He paused. "You understand me?"
"Of course, I understand you."
"I'm speaking English?"
"No, you're speaking Fyarl. I happen to speak Fyarl. And...by the way, why the hell are you suddenly a Fyarl demon? You just come over all demony this morning?" Spike stepped back to the mausoleum, pulling out his smokes.
Giles followed him. "As a matter of fact, I did. Thanks to Ethan Rayne. You have to help me find him. He must undo this, and then he needs a...good being killed."
Spike took a cigarette out of the pack and lit it. "And I'm just supposed to help you out of the evilness of my heart?"
"Y-You help me, and I-I don't kill you."
"Oh, tremendously convincing. Try it again without the stutter." Spike took a drag.
"Money. I could pay you money."
Spike stepped closer and flicked his cigarette away. "Oh, I like money. How much?"
"A h-hundred dollars."
"A hundred dollars? You'll have to do a lot better than that. Two-hundred."
"Fine."
Spike was surprised for a second. "Right, then."
"Right, then."
"So what's first?" Spike grinned. "I run and tell the Slayer what you've gotten yourself into?"
"No. When I find Ethan, I can clear all this up without Buffy ever having to find out that anything happened to me at all."
Giles started out of the cemetery, and Spike followed.
In Giles' apartment, Harmony was sitting at Giles' desk, looking through several open books. Everyone was looking through books.
"Okay, that's a giant vulture. I'd have mentioned it, if it was a giant vulture." Harmony checked another book.
Tara stepped away from Harmony and toward Buffy. "Buffy, even if we figure out what kind of demon got Mr. Giles...I mean...how are we gonna find it?"
"We'll figure it out." Buffy showed a book to Harmony. "Oh, this one has tufty ears."
She looked at the page and dismissed it with a wave. They all looked towards the door when they heard a noise outside.
"What was that?" Tara whispered.
Buffy moved quietly to the door, pulling out a stake. The door moved, and Buffy cocked back the stake.
"Buffy?" Riley asked.
Buffy lowered the stake. "Riley. What are you doing here?"
"There were 911 calls from a couple of different places. Including here."
"You get 911 calls?" Harmony asked him.
"We have a tap into the system. It flags things with possible nonhuman causes. We check them out." Riley looked at Buffy. "What are you doing here?"
"This is Giles' apartment. He's missing. The calls, did anyone see what did it?"
"Negative. No. Neighbors just heard, you know, growling, things breaking. Sounded like a struggle."
Jenny felt awful. "Poor Rupert."
Buffy looked at her and gave her a soft smile. "We'll get him back."
"What are you working on?" Riley asked Buffy.
"Uh, we have stuff. Pictures-"
Harmony looked at him. "We have nothing."
Buffy leaned against the wall, crestfallen.
Riley saw her expression. "I'll help. The whole Initiative. We'll do whatever you need."
"Thanks. I just wish I knew what I needed. I keep thinking 'Let's ask Giles', and then I remember."
Harmony looked at her. "He'd be great right now. He'd find himself in a second. Nobody is cooler in a crisis."
In Giles' Citroen, Giles was in the passenger seat, and Spike was behind the wheel, wrestling with the gearshift. The car sounded like it was being murdered.
"If you can't find third gear, don't try for third gear!" Giles told him.
"I'm doing my best. I don't know if I'm driving this thing or wearing it."
"It's perfectly serviceable."
Spike laughed. "Funny hearing a Fyarl demon say 'serviceable'. Had a couple of them working for me once. They're more like 'Like to crush. Crush now?' Strong, though. You won't meet a jar you can't open for the rest of your life."
Giles growled.
Spike looked at him. "What was that? Did you growl?"
"No. Listen, about this Fyarl demon. Do - Do I have special powers? Like setting things on fire with my sizzling eye beams?"
"Well, you got the mucous thing."
"What? Mucous?"
"Paralyzing mucous. Shoots out through the nose. Sets on fast. Hard as a rock. Pretty good in a fight."
"Are you making this up?"
Spike gave him a sly grin. "Maybe. But, hey, you feel a sneeze coming on, you warn me."
Giles growled. "Turn here."
He slammed his arm against the door for emphasis, and Spike made a left turn. The Citroen made its disapproval of this known with the grinding of gears.
"Downshift! Downshift!" Giles yelled.
"Calm down, will you?"
"I'm not sure I can. I feel like I'm changing."
Spike sighed. "Fine with me. So long as you pay me."
Giles growled. "I really like this feeling. Sort of mindless need to destroy. This anger and rage."
"Good times. Go with it."
"No."
"Oh, it's fun. I can't do it; do it for me. Now, let yourself go."
"I refuse to become a monster, because I look like a monster. I have a soul. I have a conscience. I am a human being." Giles saw Professor Walsh. "Oh, stop the car!"
Spike pulled the Citroen to a stop at the corner of Main Street. Professor Walsh had just crossed the street. Giles hopped out of the car, without his blanket, and creeped up behind her. When he was close enough, he roared and waved his claws in the air. Walsh looked over her shoulder and screamed and ran for her life as Giles chased her down the street, past the Espresso Pump. He stopped halfway down the street, but Walsh continued to flee. Giles hurried back to the car, ignoring the gaping stares of a few pedestrians.
Giles got in the car and closed the door. "Right. Let's go, then."
In Giles' apartment, the gang was gathered around the sofa. Harmony, Tara, and Jenny were sitting on the cushions, and Buffy was sitting on the arm of the sofa. Riley was standing behind it.
Harmony pointed into the book that she was holding and passed it to Tara. "That's the thing that attacked me."
Tara looked at it. "A Fyarl demon. Sort of a foot soldier type, works for other demons lots of the times. Very strong. Ugh! And, hey, mucous."
"Mucous?" Buffy asked.
Riley's cell phone beeped.
Riley pulled it out. "Agent Finn, go ahead."
"How do I kill it?" Buffy asked Tara.
"Silver. A weapon made of silver."
"Yes. I understand." Riley ended the call. "The demon attacked Professor Walsh. Got out of a small gray car. A Citroen."
Buffy looked at him. "It stole Giles' car."
"Why would a demon steal a car?" Jenny asked.
"Why would a demon steal that car?" Harmony asked.
"A demon that steals a car has a reason. A purpose. But it doesn't sound like these Fyarl demons are really big independent thinkers. So, Tara, the spells that are going wrong...could they be caused by someone using magic to control a demon? Making this Fyarl demon attack Giles?" Buffy asked.
"Yes. Yeah, that would draw in a lot of dark energy."
"Okay." Buffy stood up. "Tara, Harmony, Jenny, stay here. Whoever's controlling this demon may call and ask for a ransom. Give them anything they want."
Harmony stood up. "You got it." She rounded the couch and stepped towards Giles' desk.
"Riley, you and I are going to the magic shop. Maybe they needed supplies. Uh, something silver..." Buffy looked on the desk and picked up a letter opener.
"A letter opener?" Riley asked. "It's not very sharp."
"Then I'll have to put some muscle behind it." Buffy kissed Tara on the lips.
Riley followed Buffy out of the apartment.
Giles took Spike to the seedy place that he and Ethan had visited. Spike was on a stool, his back to the bar; the same waitress from last night was standing in front of him. Giles was sitting at the end of the bar, looking on, hidden under his blanket.
Spike threw back a shot and placed the glass on the bar. "Two of them. English like me. But older, less attractive. One of them gave you his number."
"I threw it out. I mean...I took one look and saw that he was staying at that rat trap. No, thanks."
"Which rat trap?"
"The one by the highway. The Sunnydale Motor Inn."
Spike smiled. "Thank you."
Buffy kicked in the door to the magic shop. She hurried inside with Riley following, and they went behind the register counter.
Buffy checked a bunch of papers. "Okay. Credit card slips, sales receipt. Help me look."
"You shouldn't have done that to the door."
Buffy didn't look at Riley. "I do not have time to play by the rules tonight."
"I have a master key. It opens every shop on Main Street."
"Oh. Well...next time, absolutely." Buffy opened a drawer and flipped through credit card slips.
Riley sighed. "I don't know what I'm looking for."
"I do." Buffy ripped free a slip. Pissed, she dumped the slips back in the drawer and slammed it. "Ethan Rayne."
"Who's that?" Riley asked.
Buffy handed it to him. "Professional bad guy. He's gotta be the guy that made the demon attack Giles."
Riley pulled out his cell phone.
"At least, we know who we're looking for."
"Command, are you there?"
"What are you doing?" Buffy asked him.
"It's Agent Finn. I need a search. Local hotel registrations matching the name Ethan Rayne. R-A-Y-N-E. Call me back." Riley flipped his phone closed.
"You can do that?" Buffy asked.
"It'll take a couple of minutes."
"Get in the car. Be ready to go." Buffy started walking.
Riley started to follow her out of the shop. "Buffy."
She stopped to face him.
"Earlier, when I talked to Professor Walsh, she gave me very specific orders."
"Yeah?"
"She said, when we located the demon, I...I'm not supposed to bring you along."
"Oh." Buffy turned to leave.
"Uh, what are you doing?"
Buffy faced him. "I'm going to the car."
"Buffy, I can't take you with me."
"You're not taking me with you. I am going, and I am letting you come along."
"Buffy, it's not really your call. This is a military operation now."
Buffy gave him a steely stare. "Then call out the troops. Because nothing less than that is gonna stop me. This demon did something to Giles, and I'm gonna kill it." She left.
In the Citroen, Giles was growling softly.
"How ya feeling, mate?" Spike asked.
Giles growled. "Like snapping necks until everyone is dead."
"Now, that sounds like a Fyarl demon. Good for you. Hey, picked up a tail."
"Yes. Just a little one. It hurts when I sit."
"I mean someone is following us. Humvee. Military."
"Well, speed up. Lose them."
"I got it floored. Why'd you buy this car?"
"Well, do something. If they catch us, we'll both end up in a lab!"
"It's getting closer. And it's got a friend!"
"Damn!" Giles slammed his arm against the door, but his fist found the window and shattered it.
"Oh, sure! Dismantle the getaway car. That'll scare them."
"Then slow down, and I'll jump out. They'll follow you."
"Hold on. These commandos. They're the same guys that are after me, too. Maybe I want you around to split their attention a bit?"
"I'll pay you another hundred dollars."
Spike took the Citroen screaming around a corner, and the side passenger door opened to let Giles tumble out onto the street. He rolled towards the sidewalk as the car continued and was on his feet and heading for the shadows by the time that the Humvees came tearing after Spike.
Giles smashed through the door of Ethan's room at the Sunnydale Motor Inn.
Ethan was busy packing his suitcase. He turned and was frightened by the sight of the pissed-off demon growling at him. Then recognition hit. "Giles?" He backed away at Giles' approach. "Now...it - it...calm down!" He got on the bed, trying to escape. "It's okay. Good Giles."
Giles reached for him, and Ethan dodged him, jumping off the bed. It seemed like he might make it past him when Giles grabbed him.
"No! No! Don't kill me!"
Practically a mindless Fyarl demon now, Giles got him by the throat and lifted him in the air.
"I can't undo you, if you kill me!" Ethan choked.
But Giles didn't care and flung him across the room, where he crashed head first into a night stand, shattering it to pieces. That's when Buffy and Riley rushed in and saw the situation.
Ethan looked at Buffy. "You've got to stop it! It killed Ripper, and now it's trying to get me!"
Buffy glared at Giles. "Don't let him go."
Giles took a step forward, and Buffy knocked him back against the wall with a spinning back kick.
Buffy was very pissed. "What did you do to him? What did you do?!"
Giles charged Buffy and shoved her against the wall. She retaliated with a hard right cross. Ethan, trying to escape, hit Riley with a right cross. Riley, showing considerable restraint, just grabbed him and threw him against the dresser, twisting his arm behind his back. Buffy executed a jumping front kick, knocking Giles back.
Ethan watched the fight. "You're only going to make him angry."
Giles just kept getting back up, no matter how many times that Buffy knocked him down. Ethan tried to escape again, elbowing Riley in the face, but Riley grabbed him again, slamming him into the wall before he could reach the door. Giles took a swing at Buffy, who ducked and slammed several punches to his face. When Ethan took another swing at him, Riley smashed an elbow into Ethan's face and punched him in the stomach. Buffy hit Giles in the face with a roundhouse kick, and Riley shoulder-flipped Ethan to the floor, getting him in an arm lock and pressing a knee against his face. Buffy picked up a foldable stand as Giles charged her with his large horns and trapped his head in the leather straps. Swinging him around, she threw him to the other side of the room. She tried to press her attack when Giles freed himself, lifting his head, smashing the curve of his horn into her face, and she fell to the floor. Giles growled at her. Buffy got Giles' legs in a scissor lock and took him down. Before he could get up, Buffy straddled his waist with the letter opener in her hand.
Buffy leaned down close to him. "This is for Giles!"
"For me?" Giles asked.
With both hands, Buffy raised the weapon high above her head and slammed it down into Giles' chest. Giles' eyes opened wide.
Buffy looked into his eyes, shocked. "Oh, God! Giles!" She pulled out the letter opener.
Giles tried to say something, but Buffy heard it in Fyarl.
"Oh, God! Giles! Giles! I'm so - I'm so sorry! Please don't die!" Buffy pleaded. "I can't go through this again! Not again!"
"Actually, I feel quite well. Except for the rage."
Buffy saw Giles didn't seem to be dying and was relieved. She still couldn't understand him, though. She looked at Riley. "I think he's okay. I-" She frowned at the letter opener. "Is this thing real silver?"
Later, Riley was guarding the door and speaking into his cell phone. Ethan was sitting cross-legged on the floor, remnants of a spell just completed in front of him. Buffy was standing behind him, holding him by the back of his collar. He looked glum as he rested his chin on his fist.
Ethan pouted. "I really got to learn to just do the damage and get out of town. It's the 'stay and gloat' that gets me every time."
Buffy nudged him with her knee and walked across the room as Riley finished his call. Giles, normal again, stood in front of the dresser mirror, looking at himself.
Buffy stood beside him. "You okay?"
"Oh, um, uh, embarrassed, mostly. Ethan's wardrobe's not helping any." Giles faced her. "Uh, how did you know it was me?"
"Your eyes."
Giles gave her a look.
"You're the only person in the world that can looked that annoyed with me."
Ethan got to his feet. "Is this gonna go on much longer? I'd rather like to be going."
Buffy crossed her arms. "And why would I let you go?"
"Well, maybe because you have no choice. I'm human; you can't kill me. What's a Slayer going to do to me?" Ethan asked pompously.
Riley stepped up behind him as a couple of tough-looking MPs entered the room. Ethan was handcuffed.
"By the authority of the U.S. military, you're being taken into custody pending a determination of your status." Riley turned to an MP. "Take it from here."
Ethan didn't look happy as they took him out of the room. Buffy and Giles exchanged a very happy look.
Riley looked at them. "They'll, uh, take Mr. Rayne to a secret detention facility in the Nevada desert. I'm sure he'll be rehabilitated in no time."
Giles grinned. "Uh, if you don't mind, I'm just gonna...go and watch them manhandle him into a vehicle." He stepped outside, leaving Buffy and Riley alone.
Buffy looked at Riley. "Thanks."
"I told you I'd help."
"You did. If I'd gotten here any later, and if Giles had killed Ethan, I...never would have gotten him back."
"You'd find some other way."
"Jesus, I almost killed him tonight." Buffy stared off past Riley, haunted.
"But you didn't."
That didn't make Buffy feel much better.
"You're really strong."
"Yeah."
"And you're in charge. You're like: make the plan, execute the plan. No one giving you orders."
Buffy paused for a moment. "I'm the Slayer."
Later, at Giles' apartment, Buffy was sitting on the sofa, legs curled, barefoot, with a throw pillow in her lap. She was desperately trying not to watch Jenny and Giles' happy reunion behind her. "Stop that right now! I can hear the smacking."
Jenny and Giles reluctantly parted.
Buffy looked at them. "Oh, Riley's gonna get on Walsh's ass about fast-tracking my Initiative clearance. I will tell you everything."
Giles walked towards the couch, removing his glasses. "Buffy, I don't want to ask you to betray any confidences, and I certainly don't want to interfere-"
"Uh-oh, you have 'but' face."
Giles narrowed his eyebrows at her.
"You look like you're gonna say 'but'."
Giles paused. "But...this, um, Initiative, I'm - I'm a little concerned. Ethan's not exactly a reliable source but, um...I'm not sure that he's wrong about them." He rounded the sofa to sit down next to her.
"Riley's a good guy."
"And I-I believe that. But he's part of something we - we don't really understand."
"You sure you're not just saying this, because you don't like Riley's boss?" Buffy asked knowingly.
"No! No. I'm not saying that at all." Giles considered. "Though I do...hate her quite a lot."
Buffy grinned and laughed.
"I realize you infiltrating the Initiative may be to our advantage, but...keep your eyes open. Make sure you know what you're getting into."
Buffy nodded.
Chapter 94: The I in Team
Chapter Text
"The I in Team"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "The I in Team" Written by David Fury and the Angel Episode "She" Written by David Greenwalt and Marti Noxon
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
Cordelia was having a party at her place. Veruca and her band, Shy, were performing. There were a lot of people there, including Wesley, who was dancing by himself.
Cordelia walked up to some people. "Hi, Diego, Laura."
Diego handed her a bag of ice. "Let the consumption of cold things begin."
"Excellent. Now, are you going to behave yourself?" Cordelia asked him.
"Have you ever seen me at a party?"
Cordelia gave him a look, then walked up to Angel. "Hi! Are you having fun?"
"Sure. This is, uh..."
"Your idea of Hell?" Cordelia guessed.
"Actually, in Hell, you tend to know a lot of the people. No, I-I'm having a great time."
Cordelia put some of the ice into a bowl on the table that Angel was leaning against. "Yeah? Can I get you some blood or anything?"
"I'm good."
"Okay." Cordelia paused, trying to think of something to say. "Steve Paymer came; can you believe it?"
Angel stared at her blankly.
"David Paymer's brother,...Steve?"
Angel just looked at her.
Cordelia thrust the half-empty bag of ice at him and walked off. "Steve!" Then something else caught her attention. "Diego, pants on!"
Cordelia was in the office the next morning, making coffee. The elevator rose and came to a stop.
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Hi."
Angel lifted the grating and stepped out of the elevator. "Good morning. Is there coffee?"
"They're still in bean form. I...thought I ordered the ground." Cordelia handed him a silver coffee bag. "Maybe you could crush the beans with your vampire strength? Just mush the bag."
Angel looked from the bag to Cordelia, then back at the bag in his hands.
Cordelia made the gesture with her hands. "Mush it."
Angel put the bag down with a slight grimace. "Really, uh, fun party last night."
"I'm so glad you came. You know how parties are. You're always worried that no one is going to suck the energy out of the room like a giant black hole of boring despair. But there you were - in the clinch!"
"I didn't..." Angel paused. "Boring?"
"You used to be a person! Did you never party? Did people not gather in olden times?"
"I talked to people." Angel paused. "Laura."
"Laura thought you hated her. I had to tell her you were challenged."
"I don't hate her. I-I got two modes with people: bite and avoid. Hard to shift. Plus...I can't get too close. I mean...with women..."
"You can be nice. I mean...it's not like Laura is going to throw you down on the living room floor and tear off all of your..." Cordelia paused and reconsidered. "Well, actually, Laura-"
"I'll try harder. Still, I mean...the quiet, reserved...thing, don't you think it makes me kind of - I don't know - cool?"
Cordelia pointed at Wesley as he walked into the office. "He was cooler."
Wesley smiled. "Good morning."
Angel sat down on the couch with a sigh. "Now, I'm depressed."
"I feel rather chipper, myself. That was quite a soiree last night."
"Glad someone enjoyed it."
"I enjoyed it!" Angel insisted.
"A gala event. In particular, the tiny Reubens and the shrimp puffs. Don't suppose there are any leftovers laying about? Any...abandoned shrimp puffs?" Wesley asked.
Cordelia immediately understood. "You're broke, aren't you?"
"Cordelia,...a man's finances are his own business."
Angel got up. "You want a job?"
"Oh, yes, please!"
"Look, I don't have much, but, as long as you make yourself useful around here, you're entitled to a cut."
"I-I don't know what to say."
"Well, this is great! Now, we're really..." Cordelia looked at Angel. "Do I have to take a pay cut?"
Angel shook his head.
Cordelia turned back to Wesley. "...a team!"
Wesley tried to hug Angel, but he warded him off with a slight grimace.
"You won't be disappointed." Wesley turned away and looked down. "There is, uh, something in my eye."
Angel pulled the handkerchief out of Wesley's front pocket and handed it to him.
"Oh, don't go getting all sappy." Cordelia looked at Angel. "Hold me."
"Look, why don't we just-"
"No! Hold me!"
Angel barely caught her as she got hit by a vision. Cordelia saw a guy and a box. He screamed, his face started to blister, and his eyeballs exploded.
"Gross! Oh, eww is all. Ugh!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"What did you see?" Wesley asked.
"I don't just see; I feel, okay? Thank you, Doyle."
"Is someone in trouble?" Angel asked.
Wesley got a pad and pencil. "I'm, uh, I'm at the ready."
"You're going to the ice factory...on Fifth, downtown."
"What are we looking for?" Angel asked her.
"A corpse."
Wesley looked at a map. "I don't think there is access through the tunnels."
"I'm driving, then."
"I'm coming with you. I intend to earn my keep. Oh, and, in terms of this keep, by the by-"
"There is no dental."
"Right, well, I'll floss."
"Let's go."
Cordelia held a glass full of ice to her head. "Hey, be careful. The guy was burnt to death in an ice factory. The thing that did that could still be there."
"You didn't get a look at it?" Angel asked.
Cordelia shook her head. "All I felt was his fear - then the exploding eyeballs. Did I mention that I hate this gig?"
"We'll be in touch."
Wesley opened the door for Angel. "After you, sir."
Later, back at the office, Angel handed Wesley a finished drawing of a demon's face. "He said his name was Tay. Seemed pretty shook up. Said this thing brings chaos and destruction to his world."
"Tay. Hmm. Could be a Kovitch demon from the Caucasus."
"He's not from our dimension."
"Ah, they must come to ours via portals."
"Don't we have enough on our hands without burning monster fiends coming here?" Cordelia asked.
Wesley looked at Angel. "We'll figure out who he is, where he comes from,...boss,...you can count on it."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "Wesley, stop kissing ass. It's not like we get overtime."
Angel looked at her.
"Oh, but I'll get right on it." Cordelia started typing on her computer.
"I also want to know if there have been any other-"
"Killings by incineration lately?" Cordelia guessed. "See? On it."
"Uh, where are you headed?" Wesley asked Angel.
"Victim's office. He's in private security. I'd like to know who hired him."
Cordelia nodded. "Okay."
Sandy, her sister Kendra, their mother Megan, Tara, Amy, and Harmony were sitting at the Grays' kitchen table, playing Monopoly for the evening. They had sodas, potato chips, and pretzels to snack on.
"I implore you, Nike, blessed goddess of victory, heed my call." Amy rolled the dice.
She got a two. That put her between Park Place and Boardwalk, dodging Tara's hotels. She handed the $75 in luxury tax to Megan, who was doubling as the banker.
Tara smiled in amusement. "You know, magic in board games qualifies as cheating."
"That wasn't magic. I was praying." Amy playfully stuck her tongue out at Tara.
Harmony sighed. "I wish Buffy could've made it. You two are dominating the game."
Amy smiled. "Honed through years of practice. You forget we both had shitty home lives and spent a ton of time with each other."
"So why aren't you two together?" Harmony asked them. "You're both witches, and, Amy, you hardly ever see Trina."
Tara gave Harmony an annoyed look. "Why are you with Faith? You hardly ever see her."
"Because I like her."
"And I love Buffy."
Amy nodded. "And I love Trina."
Sandy looked at Harmony. "Harm, if we limited ourselves to whoever was convenient, we'd never know if it was real love or just convenience. True love is worth working at."
Kendra put her index finger in her mouth and pretended to gag. "My sister, the vampire. I swear you've gotten sappier since you died."
Sandy playfully messed up Kendra's hair.
"Where is Buffy, anyway?" Megan asked.
Tara picked up the dice. "She's out with the Initiative. They're putting her through some field training."
The phone rang at the office.
Cordelia picked up the handset. "Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless."
"I hate the cell phone that you gave me. Any luck?"
"We're stymied on the demon guy, but we did find four similar killings in the last eleven months. All guys, all burned from the inside out. Did you find it?"
"Yeah. It's not an 'it'; it's a 'she'."
"A chick that burns? Are you okay? Did she Carrie you?" Cordelia asked.
"Did she care about me?"
"Did she Carrie you?! Carrie, the movie, you know?" Cordelia asked.
"I ca- he- you. Hello? Cord-"
Cordelia sighed. "You must be going through a canyon."
"Cordelia, can you hear me?"
"I can hear you now. Are you back?"
"Yeah, I can hear you. You know, these things were definitely cooked up by a bored warlock. I want you two to keep trying to find that demon, Tay. He knows a lot more than he is telling. I think she is here on some kind of mission. I think he may be the key to all this."
Wesley made a circular motion in front of his face to Cordelia.
"What - What does she look like?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"Uh, two raised ridges running down either cheek, violet eyes, um, she seemed intelligent. Her name is Jhiera. She was very...attractive...for a demon."
"A hottie, huh? I guess she's that, all right, what with the sizzle."
"Sizzler?"
"The sizzle factor?" Cordelia paused. "Angel?"
Somewhere in the woods, Buffy was hunting. She saw a few of the Initiative commandos prowling through the trees and bushes in low crouches. They were all wearing their dark ski masks and armed with taser rifles. The lead commando silently motioned them forward, and three of them disappeared into a tall stretch of bushes. Buffy kicked one of the commandos, who went flying out of the bushes, landing at least ten yards away. Buffy jumped out of the bushes, kicking two more commandos down to the ground around her. A fourth and fifth commando charged her from either side. Buffy greeted the fourth commando with quick alternating front kicks that the commando blocked, but the impact sent him off balance. Buffy spun into a roundhouse kick into the face of the fifth commando as he came up behind her. He recovered quickly and swung a punch that she ducked and sent him down with a right hook. Then she turned to the fourth commando, who was up again. She faked him with a high backhand that he blocked, then brought that fist down to hammerpunch him in the balls, making him hunch around in pain. But her attention was already on the fifth commando, and she blocked a mid-level uppercut, catching it, and had him in an armlock. She sent a back kick into the fourth commando's chest, sending him to the ground. Buffy swung her captured commando around just as the lead commando popped out of some bushes with his taser rifle and fired. The blast hit the helpless commando, and he spasmed as rings of electricity coursed through his body. Buffy let him drop to the ground and readied herself as the lead commando charged her. They were about to fight.
"Lights!"
The brights of a Humvee parked up on a gradual hill illuminated the area, and Buffy and the lead commando turned to see Professor Maggie Walsh, in a dark wool coat, hurrying down to them. She walked past the lead commando, who was pulling off his mask, and Buffy saw it was Riley Finn.
Walsh stood in front of Buffy and regarded her with a stoic expression. "It took the patrol team forty-two minutes to track you, and you neutralized them in twenty-eight seconds."
"That's the power of a Slayer."
"I see. Well...still. Very impressive." Walsh turned and headed back to the Humvee.
Buffy watched her leave as Riley stepped up to her. The rest of the commandos were getting to their feet and taking their masks off.
Graham Miller passed Buffy on her right. "Awesome, Buffy."
Forrest Gates walked past her on her left without saying a word, looking a little angry. He had a hand on his back and stopped for a moment to look over his shoulder. "Pfft!" He continued on.
Buffy and Riley followed the others.
Cordelia was asleep, her head on her desk. Open books were stacked everywhere.
"Ah-ha!"
Cordelia jerked awake and stared at Wesley in annoyance. "That better be an 'Ah-ha!' of triumph. I was dreaming there was a going-out-of-business sale at Neiman's!"
Wesley was looking at a book. "I think I've located them. The Vigories of Oden Tal."
"The what of whatee?"
"Of Oden Tal. The men are called Vigories. They have four distinct ridges on their foreheads, are said to be fierce warriors, and their women live enslaved to them."
Cordelia punched him on the arm. "Way to go, Wes! Angel said this Tay guy could be the key. Any way to find them here in town?"
Wesley scanned the page. "Ah, it says that the men are herbivores. They eat a thick stew made from rotting plants and flowers, and they need to consume half their body weight per day."
"Whoa. So...we're looking, like,...for the biggest compost heap in L.A.?" Cordelia asked.
The next morning, in Rocket Cafe, Tara and Buffy were sitting at a table next to each other, drinking hot black tea.
Buffy was excited. "So then I kicked everyone's ass. There was this move I made where I used one of the commandos as a shield to block a taser blast. It was, like, twelve-thousand volts. It took the guy almost two hours to recover." She laughed with demented glee and took a sip of her tea.
Tara laughed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't find that funny."
"Oh, go ahead; it's funny."
"We goin' to the Bronze tonight, right?" Tara asked.
Buffy grinned. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't be anywhere else." She paused and reconsidered. "Well, maybe in bed with you."
Tara smiled seductively. "After."
Giles entered the cemetery and walked up to a mausoleum. He opened the door and stepped inside.
Laying on top of a stone sarcophagus, Spike raised his head at the sound. He threw off the ratty blanket that was covering him. "Hey! Wipe your feet when you enter a person's home."
Giles closed the door. "Oh, yes. Careless of me. Tracking mud all over your, uh...mud."
Spike walked towards him, looking around. "I admit it's a bit of a fixer-upper. Needs a woman's touch." He looked at Giles. "Care to have a crack at it?"
"While I'd love to go on trading jabs with you, Spike, perhaps I'll come to the point. As much as it pains me to say it, um, I owe you a debt of gratitude for the help you provided me in my recent...metamorphosis."
Spike rubbed a crick out of his neck. "Stuff the gratitude. You owe me more than that, mate."
Giles pulled out a small bundle of dollar bills and offered it to him. "Three-hundred. Count it if you'd-"
Spike snatched it out of his hand.
"-like."
"I'll do that."
While Spike started counting the money, Giles looked the place over.
"Um, thinking about your affliction and, uh, your newfound discovery that you can fight only demons, it occurs to me that..." Giles chuckled. "...I realize this is completely against your nature, but I-I-I-" He paused. "Has it occurred to you that there may be a higher purpose-"
"Ugh! You made me lose count." Spike faced him. "What are you still doing here?"
"Talking to myself, apparently."
"Well, piss off, then." Spike indicated the money in his hands. "This bit of business wraps up any I got with you and your Slayerettes. From here on, I want nothing to do with the lot of you."
"Your choosing to remain in Sunnydale might make that a little difficult."
"Well, you and yours will just have to show a little restraint is all. We're through. You got it? Honeymoon is over. Get out."
Giles didn't say anything and headed for the door. He opened the door, and Spike flinched away from the brightness. Giles left without a word.
Buffy and Riley turned and stepped in front of a floor-to-ceiling mirror in the wall in the center hallway in Lowell House. Riley opened a tiny hidden panel beside the mirror and pushed a button. Buffy just stood there as a horizontal green line came from the mirror and slid down over her body.
"New retinal scan recorded. Summers, Buffy."
The mirror slid to one side to reveal the very white interior of an elevator. Riley stepped inside first. Buffy followed Riley in. Buffy turned and watched the elevator door close. The elevator descended and then came to a stop.
The elevator door opened, and Buffy followed Riley out onto a catwalk overlooking the main chamber.
Buffy's eyes went wide in surprise. "My God."
They were in a jumbo, hangar-sized complex. In the middle of the floor was a lower section where men and women in surgical scrubs and white lab coats were performing tests and operations on several types of demons strapped to strange-looking tables and chairs.
"You said it was big." Buffy took in the view. "You told me, but you never said it was fucking huuuge!"
"I don't like to brag."
Buffy looked at him, and he grinned.
Buffy looked down again. "I had no idea. This is incredible. But not that I thought it was some fly-by-night operation." She turned to him, excited. "Unless it is! I mean...can you guys fly? At night. With those jet-pack things; do you have those?"
"I can't really talk about it."
"This is unreal."
"So...you like our little operation?"
They turned to see Walsh standing behind them on the catwalk.
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. It's very...clean."
Walsh approached and handed her a small, plastic clip-on badge. "Your visitor's pass." She took a few papers from her clipboard. "And I've assembled some reading material to bring you up to speed."
Buffy clipped the pass to her leather jacket and took the papers that Walsh offered her. She frowned. "Oh. And I thought I was never gonna get homework from you again."
"You can't take that home. That's classified material. Highly sensitive. When you're through reading those pages, you'll have to eat them."
Buffy just stared at her, speechless. She looked at Riley.
Riley grinned. "She's joking."
"Don't worry, it doesn't happen very often. Shall we?" Walsh walked off.
Buffy exchanged another glance with Riley, and they followed. They made their way down the metal staircase, and Walsh led them towards the open center of the complex. They stopped at the metal railing and looked down.
"Much of our hands-on research with the SHTs is performed here. We call this 'the Pit'."
Buffy saw a pair of green squid-faced demons laying on two tables while scrub-clad techs worked on them.
"And what do you call those?" Buffy asked.
"Tough. It took eight of us to bring those two down."
"They'll be under our control soon enough. Doctor Angleman!" Walsh called down.
A man in a white lab coat was talking with another person. He looked up to acknowledge Walsh, then returned to his conversation.
Walsh looked at Buffy. "Head of our science team. He's a leader in the field of xenomorphic behavior modification."
"Behavior modification?" Buffy asked.
"We've made significant advances in reconditioning the sub-terrestrials. Bringing them to a point where they no longer pose a threat."
"So I've seen."
Then Buffy saw Walsh and Riley's expressions as they looked at her.
"On the Discovery Channel. With gorillas and sharks. They - They made them all nice. You haven't seen it?"
They didn't say anything, but Walsh didn't look convinced.
Buffy turned her attention away and pointed across the complex. "What's over there?"
She started to walk casually in that direction, and Riley and Walsh followed. Seconds later, Walsh was in the lead again as they approached an area closed off by a chain-link fence. Inside were large caches of guns and equipment of all types. There was one commando on duty inside.
"The armory. You'll have to be cleared for use on each of these weapons."
Buffy's attention had already wandered, and she stepped up to a table behind Walsh and Riley. She saw a small device laying in an open case and lifted it up. She held the device close to her face.
"The more advanced arsenal can be complicated, but I'm certain, in time, you'll pick that up. Don't pick that up." Walsh walked to her and quickly took it from her.
"What is it?"
"About twenty-thousand dollars."
"It's a prototype for a com-cam." Riley pointed to the monitor behind her. "Communications camera. Soon to be standard issue. Gives us a direct comlink to Control when we're out in the field."
"Also monitors the heart rate of the wearer. A valuable tool for research in stress in combat condition. If you'll follow me, I'll show you the SHT containment area." Walsh walked off.
Buffy and Riley followed.
Wesley and Cordelia went to the California Flower Mart.
"I'm not sure about coming out here all by ourselves. Maybe we should have waited for Angel."
"Cordelia, now that I am officially in Angel's employ, I feel it's doubly important to show initiative and drive. We can't just dally about..." Wesley pointed at some roses. "Look! Nancy's Petticoat. Oh. They're quite rare. They were named for Nancy Mitford, the author." He sniffed the roses. "Because of her love for..."
Cordelia gave him an irritated look.
"Right. Shoving off."
"I wonder how we find where they keep the compost."
"I'd say we follow our noses." Wesley walked ahead.
"Wait!" Cordelia caught up.
They sneaked into the dimly-lit back room of the Flower Mart.
"Wait. Okay, now, I'm sure we shouldn't have come here. It smells like flower shit!" Cordelia told him.
They heard Tay speak and ducked behind some barrels.
"The portal will open soon - and only for a short while. When the proper coordinates align, we must move to the entry point immediately. You will escort it there, ensure its quick return, and rejoin us."
Cordelia climbed up to peek over the cement wall. She saw Tay, two other Vigories, and a female. There were open wounds on her back where the spine ridges used to be.
"We have a lot of work to do in this dimension. It can go home now." Tay looked at the woman. "Would it like that? Would it like to go home?"
"It is happy to go - as soon as you say."
Tay stepped closer to her. "And don't you feel better now?"
She nodded slowly. One Vigory led her away, and Wesley pulled frantically on Cordelia's shirt to make her get down behind the barrels.
The other Vigory turned to Tay. "We've recovered two this month. We should-"
"It means nothing! This won't stop until we find Jhiera."
Cordelia climbed down.
Some time later, the tour was coming to an end.
Walsh stopped to face Buffy. "We have a few more things to give you."
Buffy pointed at a metal security door. "What's in there?"
A lab-coat scientist used a ID card to open the door and walked inside.
"Research area. Very restricted for security reasons. Here is your security card and your pager."
Buffy accepted the items from Walsh and studied the pager.
"We're the only ones with the number, and it stays that way."
"Right."
"Lose either one of them, and there's hell to pay, and, down here, we mean that literally." Walsh offered her hand.
Buffy shook it.
Walsh smiled. "Again, welcome to the team."
Later, in the student lounge in Stevenson Hall, Buffy and Tara were sitting on sofa chairs, leaning on the arm rests. Tara was holding a clear purple-pink crystal in the palms of her hands.
Buffy smiled. "This is so cool. Wow. Where'd you get it?"
"It - It was my grandma's, I think. I found it a long time ago in my attic. I-I want you to have it."
"Oh, no, Tara. Th-That's really sweet. I can't. It's like a family heirloom. I-I just wouldn't feel comfortable."
Tara was a little hurt, and she put the crystal away.
Buffy saw this. "But i-if you're really sure about this..."
Tara looked at her. "You're not. I-It's okay."
Cordelia and Wesley cowered behind the barrels. Wesley tried repeatedly to call Angel. Cordelia could hear the Vigories talking.
"This food source will only keep us supplied for a few more days. At that point, we must relocate."
Wesley held a cell phone to his ear. "Still no answer."
"I bet he forgot to turn that thing on again! You'd think a guy that knows how to use an ancient Scythian shortbow could figure out how to use a cell phone!" Cordelia sighed. "So what now?"
"I suppose we head back and try to find Angel."
"Okay. Lead the way - low and slow."
Wesley nodded and headed off, but Cordelia pulled him back as one of the Vigories walked in.
"No, hide. Hide. Hide."
"Sir! I believe we've found them."
"Where?"
"A worker at an ice plant tells me he recently started shipping two tons of ice a week to this address."
"Gather the men. They need to be prepared to capture the princess and cut them all quickly."
That night, at the Bronze, music was playing, and people, mostly young, were socializing. Buffy, Tara, Amy, Harmony, and Sandy were sitting at a table, sharing a large supreme pizza. They also each had a large glass of regular Coke.
Harmony stared at Sandy. "So...does the Gem protect you against garlic, too, or what?"
Sandy chewed her piece of pizza. "Nah, I can eat garlic just fine. It's the flowers that'll do me in."
"Really?"
"No."
Buffy's pager beeped.
Buffy took it out of her pocket and checked it. "Shit."
"What is it?" Amy asked.
"The Initiative." Buffy drained her glass of Coke, grabbed her bag, and stood up. "I gotta go."
Tara looked at her, upset. "Be careful."
"I will." Buffy bent down and kissed Tara on the lips. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
Buffy walked away.
Tara looked down at the pizza in sadness.
Amy noticed. "She'll be okay."
Cordelia and Wesley ran down the stairs into Angel's apartment. Angel was wearing just his pants and toweling off his hair.
"What are you doing? We nearly got burned from the inside out, and you're here, getting all April fresh?" Cordelia asked him.
"Hello?" Angel tried, confused.
"I believe she is especially agitated, because we tried to call you in the midst of a situation."
Angel looked off to the side. "I had to take a shower."
Cordelia and Wesley looked at each other.
"What's up?"
Cordelia looked at Angel. "What's up is that those creepy demons said that they found what they were looking for, and they seemed very interested in cutting someone they called the princess, which I can only imagine is not a happy thing!"
Angel pulled on a sweater. "Well, you'd be right on that one. We gotta find her first."
"The demon guy said something about a lot of ice being delivered somewhere. No one said where."
"Ice."
"Yeah."
Angel pulled a paper out of his coat hanging on a hat stand. "Shipping order. We've got an address. We're heading out."
"That's it? They seemed..." Wesley paused. "There were quite a few of them. Perhaps we need a plan."
"Here is the plan: we go in, I start hitting people hard in the face, see where it takes us."
They headed out.
In the briefing area at Initiative headquarters, there was an overhead projector displaying the image of an ugly demon on a large white screen. Riley was standing to one side of the screen as Professor Walsh walked in front of the group of commandos seated in rows before her. Buffy was among them near the back.
"This is your objective. Sub-T 67119. Demon class: Polgara species. Though visual confirmation has not yet been made, we're confident of the target's approximate position, as it leaves behind a distinct protein marker. Dr. Angleman will brief you on its defenses."
She took a seat to the side as Dr. Angleman stepped up next to the projector and laid a second transparent page over the first. This added long, sharp-looking protrusions from the demon's arms.
"When threatened...bone skewers jut from the creature's forearms during battle. It's imperative when ensnaring it not to damage its arms. That's all you really need to know."
Buffy raised her hand. "Question."
Dr. Angleman didn't seem sure how to respond. He glanced at Walsh.
Walsh stood up again. "Buffy?"
"Why, exactly, can't we damage this polka thing's arms? I, uh, not that I want to; it's just, in my experience, when fighting for your life, body parts get damaged, and...better its bits than mine." Buffy glanced at the guys around her. "Or...ours."
Angleman looked at her. "We wish to study the physiology of every sub-terrestrial's natural defenses. It's part of the research we do here."
"What do they want?"
"Want?"
"Why are they here? Sacrifices, treasure, or they just get rampagy? I find it's easier to predict their responses if I know-"
"They're not sentient. Just destructive, I believe."
Walsh looked at Buffy. "They do have keen eyesight, however. You might want to be suited up for this."
"Oh." Buffy glanced at the military green around her. "You mean the camo and stuff? I thought about it, but it's really a fashion don't."
This got chuckles from some of the commandos.
"Don't worry, I've patrolled in this halter many times."
This got even more chuckles.
"Why don't we give our attention to Dr. Angleman-"
Buffy raised her hand.
"-and save all questions until the end?"
"Actually, I'm finished."
"Oh. Uh, well, Agent Finn, deploy the teams."
All business, Riley walked out in front of the group. "Okay, listen up. We'll be going in a four-squad set-up. Team Leaders: Gates, Taggart, and Stavros. Alpha Team, you're with me."
"Report to TLs for assignment and weapons requisitions. Reminder: this is a zap-n-trap, people. Capture, not a kill. Any questions?" Walsh asked.
Buffy raised her hand.
Walsh sighed. "Buffy."
Angel pulled the convertible up in front of the spa. Cordelia was in the passenger seat, and Wesley was in the back seat.
Angel looked at Wesley. "Uh, you wait here. I want a warning when the demons show."
"All right." Wesley tried to jump out over the passenger-side door, but his foot got caught, and he tumbled out rather inelegantly.
"Wesley!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Wesley stood right back up and slapped the side of the car with a grimace.
Angel opened his door and got out of the car. Cordelia did the same.
Angel looked at her. "You, too. I wanna scope out the place first."
In a wooded area, Alpha Team was on patrol. Buffy was with them. She was walking beside Riley, three other commandos behind them.
Buffy was wearing a jacket over her halter top and felt a little glum, her hands shoved in the pockets. "So I guess she hates me now."
"What?" Riley asked, distracted.
"Professor Walsh. Questions. An Initiative faux pas, yes?"
"It's...a little unusual. She's just not used to it. Maybe because you barely ever opened your mouth in her classroom. But I know she likes you."
Cordelia ran into the room with the iced girls, followed by Wesley. Angel was there with Jhiera, a woman with short black hair and a face tattoo around her left eye.
"They're on their way. They'll be here-"
"Now. That would be now." Cordelia stopped in front of Angel.
Angel looked at Cordelia and Wesley. "Help get the girls out." He looked at the guy in charge of the spa. "You go back out front. Stall them as long as you can."
The guy nodded and left.
Angel looked at Jhiera. "I'm gonna help you whether you like it or not."
Wesley helped one of the girls out of the tub of ice and led her out. "Oh, my. You are a..." He paused. "Allow me to introduce myself."
Cordelia kicked him in the back from behind. "Wesley..."
Angel and Jhiera left the room.
Buffy and Alpha Team were now stationed in a clearing. A cell phone beeped. Buffy was standing beside Riley, who was scanning the area with night vision goggles.
One of the commandos stepped up to him with the cell phone. "Sir. Graham's on the talkie for you. Reception's not too good."
Riley took the phone. "This is Alpha Team, go ahead." He moved further out into the clearing, trying to get a better reception. "Say again, Beta Team. You're breaking up."
He didn't see the Polgara demon burst out of the trees behind him, but Buffy did.
"Riley!" Buffy warned.
Riley only had time to see the demon before it shoved him hard to the ground. Buffy rushed forward, as the Polgara stepped over Riley to finish him off, and snapped a roundhouse kick to its face, making it stagger. She stepped over Riley, spinning into a roundhouse kick across the creature's face. Riley stood up beside Buffy. He pulled out an ASP, and there was an echoing snap as he extended it with a flick of his wrist. Both ready to kick ass, they charged the demon together. Riley hit the demon in the arm with the ASP, making it stumble, then hit it again in the back of the head. The Polgara knocked him aside with the swing of its powerful arm. Buffy stepped in again with another roundhouse kick to its face and followed through with a hard right-left combination. The Polgara backhanded a commando, flipping him to the ground. Riley, behind it, jabbed the ASP into the demon's spine. Riley swung the ASP again, but the Polgara blocked it and punched him hard across the face. Buffy delivered a back kick into the creature's chest as Riley fell to the ground. Buffy slammed another right-left punching combo into the Polgara's face. It raised its arm, and its bone skewer extended from under its forearm. She ducked as it took a swing at her head. Riley was getting to his knees. Buffy blocked another strike and kneed the demon in the midsection. Buffy sidestepped the Polgara as it tried to stab her and got behind it. The demon turned to face her again. Buffy ducked under another of the Polgara's swings. Riley picked up a fallen taser gun and took aim, but Buffy was too close to the creature for a clear shot. Buffy slammed a two-legged drop kick into the Polgara's chest and dropped to the ground as it staggered back.
"Now!" Riley shouted.
He and another commando unleashed their tasers. The demon was blasted by the bursts of electricity, and the other two commandos were readying a heavy net behind it. They had the Polgara in the net, and it was struggling while Buffy got to her feet. She snapped a front kick into its face, knocking the creature out. The commandos wrapped things up, and Buffy took a few steps back, breathing heavy.
Wesley was about to close the top on one of the girls laying down in a box with ice. "That outfit - it quite becomes you, you know."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Wesley, get a grip! They're not going to be able to hold them off all day."
Wesley closed the lid and helped another girl into the next one. "My, what a grip. Very...healthy. Surprisingly firm myself under the jacket. Have a feel."
"You are pathetic! And about to get your eyeballs fried!" Cordelia got the girl to lay down and got ready to close the lid.
"I know, but, uh, just one kiss goodbye?" Wesley tried.
Angel and Jhiera were fighting the six Vigories in the dark and empty tub room, Jhiera using her fire-hands to send them flying, Angel using his fists and feet. Cordelia and Wesley ran in and joined the fray but were quickly taken hostage. Angel saw them being held and quit fighting.
"Jhiera and the runaways are ours."
Angel looked at Tay. "No, they're not."
"Give them back, or the humans die."
Angel looked over at Jhiera.
Jhiera looked at Tay. "Then they die."
Everyone looked after her as she walked out. Cordelia and Wesley elbowed the Vigories holding them in the stomach, and the fight resumed. It was over quickly, since most of the Vigories ran out to follow Jhiera.
Buffy walked inside her and Tara's dorm room in Stevenson Hall and closed the door behind her. Tara was sitting up in bed, naked, reading a book.
"Hey."
Tara looked up at her. "Hey."
Buffy went to her desk to put down her bag and took off her jacket and halter top. She hung them on her chair. Then she slipped out of her Nikes, took off her blue jeans, and hung the jeans on the chair. She took off her socks and panties, walked over, and tossed them in the laundry basket. Buffy noticed the dolls-eye crystal that she had refused from Tara earlier now sitting on top of Tara's dresser. Buffy got in bed to Tara's left. They were silent for a moment.
"Sorry about bailing on you guys at the Bronze."
"That's okay. I..." Tara glanced at the crystal, then looked at Buffy. "Don't worry about it."
Buffy smiled. "Okay."
The next morning, Giles and Jenny were in Giles' kitchen. Giles poured some tea for them, set the kettle on the stove, and joined her at the table.
There was a pounding on the door. Giles stood up and headed for the door. Before he reached it, it burst open, and Spike ran inside. He was holding a tarp over his head, protection from the sunlight.
"Close the door!" Spike yelled.
"Spike?" Giles asked.
Jenny joined them in the living room. "You may want to give up these morning jogs."
"Soldiers boys are out in force. I've been trying to keep them off my scent. Run them in circles. But they keep coming."
Giles took a quick inspection of his door, but he was still able to close it. Spike dropped the tarp in relief.
"And...how is this our concern?" Giles asked. "Seeing as how you've expressed the desire to have nothing more to do with us."
"Spike said that?" Jenny asked him.
"Mm-hmm."
Jenny put her hand over her heart and put on a sad face. "That hurts."
"All right. What do you want me to say? I need help." Spike pointed at Giles. "And no cheek from you."
Giles made a show of zipping his lips shut.
Spike shrugged his coat off his shoulder. "Look! The buggers shot me. In the back."
Giles was unmoved and leaned against his desk. "Remind me. Why should I help you?"
"Because you do that. You're the goody-good guys. You're the bloody fucking cavalry."
"No, you can come up with a better answer than that. Why should I help you?"
Spike thought for a moment. "Ooh! Because I helped you! When you turned into that Fyarl demon, I helped you, didn't I?" He smiled smugly.
"And that was out of the, um, evilness of your heart?"
Spike grinned. "Oh, hell, no. I made you pay me-" He stopped grinning and looked at Giles' stoic, but hard, expression. "You right bastard." He dug out the money from his coat pocket and slammed it into Giles' palm. "That's all that's left. I spent the rest on blood and smokes, which I'll never see again."
Jenny had enough and returned to the kitchen to drink her tea and browse the news on her laptop.
"Ah, come on! Circle the wagons. Tend to the wounded here. No time for layabouts."
Wesley opened the office door for Cordelia. She walked in, followed by Wesley.
Angel looked at them. "Watch out-"
"Angel-" Wesley slipped on coffee beans on the floor, landing on his butt.
"Sorry. I-I had a little-"
"Mushing didn't work out so great, huh?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"Not to worry. My fault, I'm sure, really." Wesley started sweeping up the beans in his hands. "Cagey little brutes, aren't they? I'll wash them, if you'd like. Individually. They'll be just as good as new. Better."
Angel laid a hand on Wesley's arm. "Wesley. Stop."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "Wow. Groveling isn't just a way of life for you; it's an art."
"I do not grovel." Wesley looked at Angel. "Please don't fire me. What happened yesterday was an anomaly. I'm very rarely taken hostage."
"That's good to know. And you're not fired."
"I'm not?"
"No. It wasn't your fault." Angel clapped Wesley on the shoulder. "And you know what? You handled yourself very well."
"Well, that's...I can't tell you..." Wesley took a breath. "I am your faithful servant, Angel."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Like I said, an art."
The door opened, and Jhiera walked in.
"Oh! Look who's here." Cordelia looked at Jhiera. "Can I get you something? Knife to our throat, so you can run away?"
There was a moment's silence, then Cordelia walked off.
Buffy found Riley by the mirror concealing the elevator in Lowell House. "Hey."
Riley looked at her. "Hey."
"What's up?"
"Not much."
Buffy nodded. "Good. Good."
Riley stared at her. "Is these something that you wanted?"
"Well, I just wanted to say...I'm...quite...impressed by your skill. Quite the regimental soldier."
"I am how they trained me."
"They? Who they?"
"You know, the government. Plucked me out of special op training for this."
"What did they tell you it was for?"
"They didn't. In the military, you learn to follow orders, not ask questions."
"I don't understand. Aren't you curious about all the science and research stuff they're doing?"
"Hm. I know all I need to know. We're doing good here. Protecting the public. Removing the sub-terrestrial threat. It's work worth doing."
They were silent for a moment.
Buffy mustered up her courage and looked Riley in the eyes. "What's 314?"
Riley seemed surprised by the question, but, before he could say anything, his phone rang.
Riley answered it. "Riley."
"We have a situation. You're needed."
Buffy heard the voice and recognized the caller as Maggie Walsh.
"On my way." Riley ended the call.
"What is it?" Buffy asked.
"Don't know."
"You're really not one for asking questions, are you?"
"I'll leave that to you." Riley faced the mirror.
Buffy did as well.
Riley looked at her. "She didn't call for you."
Buffy looked at him for a moment, then she left.
Spike was sitting backwards in a chair, his bare chest against the backrest. Giles was standing behind him, wearing latex gloves, exploring the wound with a pair of long tweezers. Jenny stood to Giles' right, shining a flashlight on the wound.
"Oww! Watch it. That hurts."
"It doesn't appear to be a bullet. It's too deeply embedded to be a tranquilizer dart."
"Also not tranquil."
"Some sort of...illumination emanating from it. It's blinking."
Spike growled. "I don't care if it's playing 'Rockin' the Casbah' on the bloody Jew's harp, just get it out of me!"
"Jenny, there's a bottle of Cognac in the cabinet next to the sink. Can you get it for me?" Giles asked.
Jenny left to get it.
"What? You're gonna get snockered now?" Spike asked Giles.
"It's not for me, you prat. If I'm gonna operate on you, then I need you anesthetized. It's going to take some time." Giles picked up a scalpel.
Jenny returned with the bottle and offered it to Spike. "We don't have any. That blinking thing. It could be a tracer."
"A what?" Giles asked.
"A what?" Spike grabbed the bottle and took a swig.
"It's like a homing beacon. And if commando guys are reading the signal..."
"Well, we need to buy some time. It's in deep, and I'm no surgeon."
Buffy was on her way back to Stevenson Hall when her pager went off. She retrieved it from her bag and clipped it to the waistband of her blue jeans. She turned around and headed back to Lowell House.
Tara was studying at her desk when the phone rang.
Tara crossed the room and picked up the handset. "Hello?"
"Tara. Jenny. We have a problem. Where's Buffy?"
"She left a while ago to find Riley. You want me to go find her?"
"Uh, no. It's your help we need, actually."
"What do you want me to do?"
In Initiative headquarters, Buffy was walking with Walsh.
"It's a small job. Reconnaissance. Probably a waste of a Slayer's abilities, but my boys are on assignment, so I-"
"No. It's okay. I'm up for some action."
"I doubt you'll get any on this one."
They reached a table.
Walsh pointed to a map. "We have a reading of a Class 3 sub-terrestrial moving through the sewer tunnels just on the edge of town."
"Class 3?"
"It's a low-level threat. Minimal aggression. Meager defenses."
"Professor Walsh." A commando walked up and handed her a taser rifle.
"They barely show up on the scanner and occasionally turn out to be raccoons." Walsh handed the weapon to Buffy.
Buffy examined it. "Wow. You're not crazy about raccoons, huh?"
"We always take precautions." Walsh picked up the com-cam from the table. "All we need you to do is get a visual on this thing. This will feed me back an image, and I can advise you from there. I don't want to put you in any unnecessary danger." She handed it to Buffy.
"Oh. That's okay. Danger's my birthright."
Not used to such a weapon, Buffy carelessly let the barrel point towards Walsh, who casually diverted the weapon away with her hand.
"Sorry. Um, Professor Walsh. There's, uh..." Buffy paused. "There's still some stuff about all this that I'm not clear on."
Walsh paused for a moment. "Well, when you get back, we can have a talk."
"Good. Okay. When I get back." Buffy walked off.
Back at Giles' apartment, Spike was now laying across the cleared surface of Giles' desk, the Cognac bottle hanging loosely in Spike's hand. He had a barely conscious expression on his face. Giles continued to work on the wound.
Tara was now there, standing to one side. She was reading, her spellbook in one arm and the dolls-eye crystal in her other palm. "Tropo, strato, meso, aero, iono, exo..."
Giles looked at Jenny. "So how is this supposed to work again?"
"If she succeeds, her spell will ionize the atmosphere around us, thereby disrupting the tracer's signal."
"Elements are brought to bear. Wind, earth, and water churn amidst the fire. Let the air be burned."
They all jumped as the spell took effect, and every light bulb in the apartment exploded.
"Did it work? Is the atmosphere ionized?" Tara asked.
She, Jenny, and Giles looked at each other. Their hair was standing straight up.
Giles adjusted his glasses. "I'd venture yes."
Buffy emerged from a tunnel in the sewers, and she stepped inside a larger chamber. She was armed with the taser rifle and was wearing the com-cam hooked over her left ear. She heard a snarling sound coming from deep in the chamber.
"Professor Walsh, are you getting this? Possible SHT? Make it a definite."
She saw a green squid-faced demon step out, wearing ragged robes and carrying a long battle ax. A second demon stepped out with it, also armed with a battle ax.
"And he's brought along a friend. They seem..." Buffy suddenly flashed back to her tour at the Initiative and remembered seeing these two demons being worked on in the Pit.
Buffy aimed the taser rifle at them and pulled the trigger. The weapon short-circuited with a burst of sparks, and Buffy dropped it from the shock. She turned to flee the way that she came, but a barred gate was dropping in place, blocking her escape into the tunnel.
Buffy looked at the approaching demons. "Oh, fuck me!"
She was standing on a three-foot raised section as she watched the demons approach. On the ground level, the taser rifle was still short-circuiting, shooting sparks. The demons charged, and she hopped down, hitting them with alternating front kicks. The second demon was quicker to recover and swung the ax down at her head. She sidestepped and kicked it in the back of the knee, throwing it off balance, and sent a back kick into the first demon. The second demon got up again, smashing the ax handle into her chin, turning her around. The first demon was swinging its ax at her, and she caught the handle with her hands. As they struggled with it, the second demon slammed the handle of its ax into the small of her back. The first demon used this to wrest free its weapon from Buffy's hold, and she fell to the ground in a shoulder roll. As she stood back up to face the demons, her hands were raised in a fighting stance, and she dodged the demons' attacks. Buffy's hands grabbed the handle of one of the demons' ax and wrestled with it. The other demon attacked and swung its ax down towards her, knocking her com-cam off her. It dropped to the ground.
In Giles' apartment, Giles was digging into Spike's wound with the tweezers while Jenny held the flashlight for him.
Tara noticed their hair was more or less back to normal. "It feels - and looks - like the ionizing spell is wearing off."
"Rupert?" Jenny asked.
"I've got it. I've got it!" Giles held up the tweezers, holding a two-inch dart with a blinking red light on the blunt end. He handed Jenny the tweezers. "Um, go!"
With the tracer in one hand, Jenny dashed down the hallway and skidded around the corner. She entered the bathroom, lifted the toilet cover, dropped the tracer into the bowl, and flushed the toilet.
Buffy and the demons were still fighting. They had Buffy surrounded, and the first demon charged, but she deflected the ax and shoved the creature into the second demon, pinning it against the wall. She stepped forward with an inward crescent kick to knock the ax aside and slammed her right fist into its gut. Not missing a beat, she followed through with a hard left hook as the first demon bent forward, giving her a clear shot at the second demon's face. She raised a knee into the first demon's face, making him stand straight again, and then spun into a jumping back kick, slamming them both against the wall again. Stunned, the first demon fell on its face, but the second demon charged Buffy. She was able to grab the handle of its ax as it drove her back into the opposite wall. She wrestled with it as the first demon got back to its feet and started to swing its ax directly at Buffy. In the last instant, she twisted the second demon around in front of her, who took the blade in the stomach. As it fell to the ground, dead, the first demon took another swing at Buffy, who ducked away. The demon quickly followed through into another swing, and she caught the handle again. She diverted the blade away from her and took a quick punch at the creature's face. It was stunned, and she ripped the ax from its grip, and the weapon flew away from them. But Buffy was off balance as she backed away. The demon took advantage by punching her hard in the face, sending her to the floor. The demon went after its weapon, stepping into a drainage canal where the ax was laying. Buffy raised her head and noticed the still-sparking taser rifle just a couple of feet from her. As the demon bent down to pick up its weapon, she saw it standing in water. Getting to her knees, she snatched up the taser and tossed it at the demon's feet. It hit the water, and electricity danced over the creature as it spasmed wildly, growling in pain. The chamber lit up, and Buffy just watched until it finally fell in the water, dead. As Buffy caught her breath, she heard voices coming from the com-cam, which was lying on the dirty sewer floor.
"Regret to report Hostile 17 is still at large. I left Beta Team to comb the area, but the tracer's-"
"Riley, something's happened. I-I don't know what to say. It-It-It's about Buffy. Two of our hostiles broke free and escaped into the tunnels. She...went after them on her own. She's dead, Riley."
"What?!"
"I did everything I could to stop her. I told her to wait for a back-up team; she kept insisting she didn't need any team; she could handle it by herself."
"I don't understand."
Buffy walked over and picked up the com-cam.
"How could this happen?"
"She was a very, very special girl."
Buffy set the com-cam down, stepped in front of it, and kneeled in front of it. She was pissed.
"I didn't understand at first. But she had something. I don't know...maybe I could have stopped her. It's hard not to blame myself."
"Professor Walsh. That simple little recon you sent me on...wasn't a raccoon. Turns out it was me trapped in the sewers with a faulty weapon and two of your pet demons. If you think that's enough to kill me, you really don't know what a Slayer is. Trust me when I say you're gonna find out." Buffy stood up and walked away. She knocked the com-cam to the floor and stepped on it, making a loud crunch sound.
In Giles' apartment, he was removing the latex gloves. Spike was sitting on the edge of the desk, putting his black T-shirt back on, careful of his wounded shoulder.
"It will be dark soon. I think it will be wise for you to leave Sunnydale."
"I'm not going anywhere. Not until those bastards undo whatever they did to me. Put me back the way I was."
Tara rolled her eyes. "Sure. Just explain to the nice scientist guys that you really miss killing and torturing innocent people."
"Do you think that would work?" Spike asked her.
Giles removed his glasses. "Spike...Lord knows why I'm telling you this; it's for your own good. As long as the Initiative is in operation, it's not safe for you here."
Buffy walked into the apartment. "No."
Everyone turned to face her. They saw the grave expression on her face.
"It's not safe for any of us."
"What do you mean?" Jenny asked.
"Maggie Walsh tried to kill me."
"What?!" Giles asked, not quite surprised.
Spike smiled. "Hey, good on her."
Jenny punched him in the nose, and he yelled in pain.
"Are you okay?" Tara asked, walking up to Buffy.
"Yeah." Buffy looked at Jenny and Giles. "Get everyone over here now. Team meeting."
Giles walked over to the phone.
Tara and Buffy hugged each other.
"What happened?" Tara asked her.
"I'm gonna tell everyone at the same time, but the short answer is I was set up. I barely got out of there." Buffy noticed the dolls-eye crystal sitting nearby.
Tara noticed Buffy noticing it. "I used it to cast a spell."
Buffy looked at her. "Oh. I just noticed it, and..." She fell silent.
"Do you want it?" Tara asked her.
Buffy stared into Tara's eyes for a moment. "May I speak with you privately, sweetie?"
Tara was a bit surprised. "Sure."
Buffy walked outside, and Tara followed her.
Buffy faced Tara. "I've upset you."
Tara struggled to respond. "N-N-No, it's f-fine."
"You probably think I'm in a different place in our relationship than you are, huh?" Buffy guessed.
"The...The thought had crossed my mind."
"Mine, too, I admit." Buffy paused. "But nearly dying today made me realize some things: life is short, and there is no I in team. And that's what we are: a team. I love you so goddamn much, Tara Maclay, and I can't imagine my life without you. We're in this together."
Tara stared into Buffy's eyes. "I feel the same way."
Buffy paused for a moment. "Will you be my domestic partner?"
Tara smiled, her tears flowing. "Yes."
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips.
Chapter 95: I've Got You Under My Skin
Chapter Text
"I've Got You Under My Skin"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Goodbye Iowa" Written by Marti Noxon and the Angel Episode "I've Got You Under My Skin" Written by David Greenwalt and Jeannine Renshaw
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
In Giles' apartment, about a half-hour later, Buffy was pacing, Giles and Jenny were standing close by, Tara was sitting at his desk, Harmony was leaning back against it, Amy and Sandy were sitting on Giles' weapons trunk against the wall, and Spike was sitting on the bottom steps of the stairs.
Buffy was in the middle of telling them what just happened. "So Walsh sends me down into the sewers with one of those blasto-guns, and, the next thing I know, it's raining monsters. And then this gate slams down behind me, and I try to use the gun, but it goes 'Phitt!'"
"You're saying that Maggie Walsh set you up?" Giles asked.
"That's exactly what I'm saying. She sent me on a one-way recon."
Spike looked at her. "Gotta hand it to you, Goldilocks. I got a cousin married to a regurgitating Frovalox demon that's got better instincts than you."
Buffy glared at him. "Shut the fuck up or get the fuck out."
"It's daylight!"
"Not my problem."
"What about, uh, Riley?" Jenny asked.
Buffy looked at her. "You think Riley had something to do with this?"
Jenny shrugged. "Maybe."
Giles nodded. "We'd be remiss if we didn't think of all the possibilities."
Buffy nodded. "Right."
Tara stood up, walked over to Buffy, and hugged her with one arm. "What now?"
Buffy sighed. "All I know is that Walsh has it in for me. Which means the Initiative has it in for me."
Amy looked at her. "I'm guessing the mad scientist isn't too keen on the fact that all of the Slayerettes know that the Initiative is up to no good."
Buffy looked at her and nodded. "Which brings us back to the 'not safe for any of us' concept."
"What could have happened to make Professor Walsh want to kill you?" Giles asked.
Buffy was at a loss. "I don't know. Uh..." She paused in thought. "She wasn't keen on the fact that I was asking a lot of questions, that's for goddamn sure."
"So you were getting too close to something?" Sandy asked.
Giles nodded. "Clearly. Although, one can only imagine what she'd be so desperate to hide."
Buffy walked over to Giles' weapons trunk. Amy and Sandy stood up and gave her room.
Buffy opened Giles' trunk and started taking out weapons. "Okay, everybody grab a weapon. We gotta move." She handed Sandy a battle ax and gave Amy a bat with a fisherman's hook attached to the head.
"And storm the Initiative?" Amy asked.
Sandy grinned. "Yeah, let's take on those fuckers!"
"I was thinking more that we'd hide."
Amy was relieved. "Oh, thank Goddess."
Giles looked at Buffy. "Buffy, I think perhaps we should talk about this."
Buffy paced. "We need to relocate some place where we're less likely to be found. We need to come up with a plan."
Tara walked over to the trunk. "We could go to your place - your house, I mean." She took out a flail.
"The Initiative guys aren't dumb. They'll automatically check the places connected to me - and probably you as well. Sandy, what about your place? The guys haven't seen you, and there's enough room."
Sandy felt uneasy about that. "Buffy, those assholes capture vampires. If they storm the place while we're all there, my mother-"
"-will likely be arrested." Buffy put a hand on her shoulder. "I understand."
Harmony grinned. "Guys! My parents actually still have their house. We can totally hang out there!"
Tara looked at her. "Is there a particular reason that you went for a low blow against Cordelia? It's not like she's here to hear it."
Harmony thought about it for a moment, then shrugged and smiled pleasantly.
Giles sat down at his desk. "I-I don't see why we can't stay right where we are." He chuckled. "Because it's very unlikely those Initiative boys are gonna come around here looking for-"
The front door opened, and Riley stepped inside.
"Buffy!" Riley exclaimed.
Everybody looked at him in surprise. Sandy glared at him, then discreetly moved toward the back of the room.
Riley closed the door and walked over to Buffy. "God, Buffy. Are you okay? What happened?"
Buffy hesitated, wary. "You know?"
"I know something went down." Riley paused. "Tell me."
"Walsh tried to kill me."
No one said anything for a moment.
Harmony smiled. "It didn't work, but they're all upset, anyway."
"Okay, listen. I need you to go over everything. Step by step. There has - has to be some kind of mistake."
"There was no mistake! And how do you know something happened?" Jenny asked him accusingly.
"I was on a mission. But I came back, and...I'm not sure. Look, let's just keep our heads and not jump to any-" Riley looked over his shoulder and saw Spike sitting on the stairs.
Spike looked away. Riley took a step back in surprise as he faced the vampire.
"What?" Buffy asked.
"That's Hostile 17."
"Uh, no! I'm just a friend of Giles'..." Spike sighed and dropped his drawl. "Bugger it. I'm your guy."
"This is Spike. He's, uh..." Buffy paused. "It's a really long story. But he's not bad anymore."
"Hey!" Spike jumped up. "What am I, a bleeding broken record? I'm bad! It's just...I can't bite anymore. Thanks to you wankers." He indicated Riley with a head movement.
"We've been looking all over the place for him, but you've known where he's been all along?" Riley asked Buffy, exasperated.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "It's not like that."
"Then what is it like? What's he doing here?"
"Leaving you swabs to your dramatics, thanks." Spike walked over to the door and grabbed his leather duster. He put it on. "I've got my stories on the telly for that. By the by, if you're trying to kill her..." He leaned back with a big grin and gave Riley two very enthusiastic thumbs up.
Buffy and Amy rolled their eyes.
Spike turned and pulled his coat over his head. He opened the door and ran outside, into the sunlight, covering his head and arms.
"Buffy...what is this? You're hiding an HST?" Riley asked.
Harmony pointed at him angrily. "Why don't you just back off and let her ask the questions, Jack? Your boss just tried to make monster food out of her."
Riley saw everyone looking at him and calmed down. Giles crossed his arms.
"I-I didn't see much. I wasn't there. I..." Riley paused. "All I know is Professor Walsh told me you were dead. But then I saw you on the monitors..." He paused again. "Look this isn't Professor Walsh. There must be something making her act this way. Something I-I don't know. Controlling her."
"We think Buffy may have been becoming too inquisitive. That she was getting close to something that Professor Walsh was trying to hide. Any idea what that might be?" Giles asked him.
"What about 314? Maybe that's it?" Buffy added.
"Maybe she was trying to test you. What if it was only a drill?"
"Then why did she tell you I was dead? Riley, it wasn't a test."
Giles adjusted his glasses. "See, I've heard rumors that the Initiative wasn't all that we've been told. That, uh, secretly they're working towards some darker purpose, something that might harm us all-"
"No! That's...That's not what happens there."
Buffy stared at him. "Riley."
"I would know!"
"Look, no one is sure of anything, okay? We're just trying to sort it out."
"I can't be here. I'll sort it out on my own." Riley headed for the door.
Buffy went after him. "Riley."
"No! Just..." Riley paused. "I'm sorry." He opened the door and left.
Cordelia walked into the kitchen in Angel's apartment, where Angel and Wesley were sitting across from each other at the table.
"They're done! Nobody touch."
Angel looked at Wesley. "She's making brownies."
"Oh, is that what I smell? I thought I tracked something in."
Cordelia took the pan out of the oven. "The recipe was handed down to me by my mother, who got it from her housekeeper. Plus, I improvised a little." She looked at Wesley. "You're gonna love them."
"Me? Doesn't Angel have to - get to try any?"
Cordelia cut at the brownies. "They are brownies, full of nutty goodness, not red blood cells."
"Oh, I wasn't thinking." Wesley looked at Angel. "More of a drinker than an eater, I suppose."
Cordelia was having trouble cutting the brownies. "Maybe, if he'd branch out into the solids, he'd keep a decent knife around." She picked up a dagger laying on the table and started to cut the brownies with it.
Wesley jumped up. "That is not appropriate! It's for killing extinct demons! Angel, make her stop."
Angel smiled. "Cordelia-"
"That blade is very old. Who knows what kind of corrosive effect your cooking may have on it?!"
Cordelia waved the knife at Wesley. "Corrosive effect?"
Angel nodded. "Cordelia, just put down the very sharp knife."
Wesley looked at Cordelia. "Well, they don't smell right."
Cordelia put the knife on the table and looked at Wesley. "I think Mr. Too Much Cologne is the pot calling the kettle stinky."
"Cordelia, Doyle!" Angel yelled.
Cordelia and Wesley turned to look at him.
"I mean, um...Wesley." Angel paused for a long time. "Wesley."
Angel looked up, but the others wouldn't meet his eye.
Angel got up. "Let's just, um, no more fighting, all right?" He left the kitchen.
Cordelia sat down at the table with a sigh.
Harmony unlocked and opened the front door to her house and walked inside. Buffy, Tara, Amy, Sandy, Jenny, and Giles followed, each carrying a bag containing clothes, deodorant, toothbrushes, and tubes of toothpaste. Giles closed and locked the door.
Harmony grinned. "Welcome to La Casa de La Harmony, los muchachas."
All of them walked upstairs.
Harmony walked down the hall, entered her bedroom, and turned on the light. "We've got three spare bedrooms. Help yourselves."
Buffy and Tara took one guest room, Jenny and Giles took another, and Amy and Sandy took the third.
After searching for a while, Buffy walked into Harmony's bedroom. "Harmony, where's the linen closet? I need..." Her words died on her lips as she took in the extremely pink bedroom. "Holy shit, I'm in Barbie's Dreamhouse."
Harmony grinned. "You like it?"
"It's...busy."
The carpet, walls, ceiling, dresser, vanity, and bed were all pink. The only things breaking up the monotony were Harmony's various personal items and decorative touches, such as unicorn figurines, statues, and posters. There were framed photos of Harmony and Faith and Harmony and Cordelia on her dresser. Buffy went and sat on Harmony's bed. She picked up a small unicorn toy.
"You're looking for the linen closet?" Harmony asked.
"Yeah, Tara and I wanna shower, and we need towels." Buffy pressed a button.
The toy started vibrating - especially the horn.
"It's the door across from the bathroom." Harmony quickly walked over and snatched the toy out of Buffy's hands with a nervous smile. "You probably don't wanna touch that."
Buffy's eyes widened in horror, and she quickly stood up and left the bedroom.
"Uh, you're welcome!" Harmony yelled after her.
Cordelia slowly stepped into Angel's office. He was sitting behind his desk, reading.
"Pretend to read any good books lately?" Cordelia asked him.
"Cordelia. I thought you went home."
Cordelia walked slowly into the office and sat down across from Angel with a sigh. "You called him Doyle."
"It just...happened." Angel paused. "I hope Wesley is okay with it."
"Oh, who cares about him?! This is about Doyle. You - You never say his name!"
"I say it."
"No, you don't." Cordelia paused in thought. "Look, you don't have to be Joe Stoic about his dying. I mean...I know that you have this unflappable vibe working for you, but...you don't have to do that for me."
"I'm not unflappable."
"Great. So...flap."
Angel got up with a sigh and moved around for a while, Cordelia watched him silently.
"I miss him."
"Me, too."
"I've been around death before - a lot! I've lost people. I've killed people."
"And you are dead."
Angel looked at her.
"Sorry."
"It shouldn't have happened. I shouldn't have let it happen!" Angel yelled.
"Angel, it wasn't your fault." Cordelia paused. "It hurts."
"Yeah."
Cordelia put a hand up to her head. "No, it - it really...really..." She threw herself back in her chair. "...really!" She had a blurred vision of two kids - one boy and one girl - and their father - and their house number: 1256.
Angel came to hold her. "Easy, easy."
Cordelia came out of her vision with a gasp.
"What did you see?"
The next morning, Buffy and Tara were cuddling, naked, in the bed in a guest room in Harmony's house.
Suddenly, the door burst open.
Harmony ran into the bedroom. "Turn on the TV. ABC. Now!"
Amy, Sandy, Jenny, and Giles followed her into the room. Buffy and Tara considered hiding under the sheet, but then they remembered most of them had already seen each other naked. Tara picked up the remote control and turned the TV on. The news was on.
"Sunnydale is still reeling from news of the crime. A source in the coroner's office tells us that the boy was stabbed with what looks like some kind of large skewer, and his body was then mutilated. Police have not named a suspect, and the killer is still at large."
Realization filled Buffy's mind as she listened. "The Polgara demon had a skewer in its arm. That's the one Walsh insisted we bring back alive."
Giles looked at her. "She must have sent it after you."
"And it got distracted." Buffy looked away. "God."
Tara put a comforting hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Buffy, it's not your fault. How could you know?"
Giles nodded. "She's right. You mustn't blame yourself."
Buffy paused for a moment. "I'm not going to." She got out of bed and faced them with a determined expression. "I'm going to the crime scene to see what I can find out. You guys research the Polgara demon. I want to know where it is. When I find it, I am going to make him pay for taking that kid's life. I'll make him die in ways he can't even imagine."
Buffy was walking down a dirt road surrounded by dry hills on the outskirts of Sunnydale. Behind her, up the road, a police car was parked. Below and ahead of her, she saw the crime scene. Another police car was parked there, and a detective was talking with a uniformed cop as two coroner's people carried a gurney with a small zipped body bag on it under the crime scene tape.
"Buffy."
She turned and saw Riley walking down the road towards her. He was in full commando attire.
Riley scratched the back of his right hand. "Hey."
"Hey. Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I know everyone came on pretty strong. And the Spike thing isn't as fucked as it looked. Okay, maybe it is. But there's an explanation that almost makes sense." Buffy saw him looking off to the hills. "Hello? I'm apologizing here. And I-I think that's pretty big of me, considering I'm the one who was almost made a demon sandwich."
He didn't say anything.
"This is the part where you throw me a bone."
"Maggie's dead."
Buffy absorbed this news, shocked.
"Happy now?"
Buffy's eyes narrowed. "How can you ask me that? Of course, I'm not happy. What happened?"
"That's classified."
"Classifi-" Buffy suddenly realized. "The Polgara. It got her and escaped. Didn't it?"
Riley just nodded.
Buffy stared directly into his eyes, angry. "I'm gonna find it. I'm gonna find it and kill it. And then you can stop asking me how happy all this death makes me!" She stepped around him and marched quickly back up the road.
Later, in the office, Wesley was closing the blinds as Angel walked in.
Cordelia was on the phone. "Thanks for your help." She hung up. "Well, Mama is telling the truth about Akron - and, before that, Miami and Baton Rouge, all within the last three years."
Angel held up the glowing vial. "Let me guess: couldn't lose the black cloud." He set the vial on Cordelia's desk and folded his arms.
Cordelia looked at the vial. "Like it was fitted with chin straps. Everywhere they go, there've been reports of disturbances and - yuck! - animal death. In Akron, a friend of the family went missing. He's still missing!"
They all looked at each other.
Cordelia picked up the vial. "What is this stuff, anyway? Kind of pretty!"
Wesley looked at her. "Uh, it's the bodily excretion of an Ethros demon."
Cordelia put the vial down and folded her arms. "No one could have said 'demon shit' before I touched it?"
"Oh, it can't hurt you. Only the demon itself is dangerous."
"How dangerous?"
"Tends to go in for mass murder. You've heard of Lizzie Borden? She killed her parents with an ax?"
"I remember the children's rhyme. And how come they're all full of death and cradles falling and mice getting tails cut off?"
Angel chuckled.
"Anyway, the whole thing needs a ratings system, don't you think?" Cordelia asked.
"Yes, well, what the rhyme doesn't say is that she was possessed by an Ethros."
"An adolescent Ethros." Angel picked up the vial. "With this amount of Plakticine, we've got ourselves a grown-up demon."
"So someone in that family has got a squatter in their head. What do we do about it?" Cordelia asked.
Angel threw the vial at Wesley. "Evict him."
Wesley caught it. "Exorcism."
Angel nodded.
"I'll look into finding someone who can perform one. Not too many priests go in for it much these days."
"But who do we exorcise? Which one is the demon?" Cordelia asked.
"The father seemed kind of off. They were afraid of him."
"A father doesn't have to be possessed to terrorize his children. He just has to..." Wesley took a deep breath. "We'll find out soon enough. The first step in confronting the demon is getting him to show himself. A little psylis eucalipsis powder ingested by the host-"
"And what? Dad goes 'Grrr'? Head spins around?" Cordelia asked.
"Essentially."
"Okay, so how do I get someone to eat...eucalipsis powder?" Angel asked.
Cordelia had an idea and grinned. "I'll whip up a batch of brownies for you to take to the family. You can add it in the batter."
Angel stared at her skeptically. "We don't wanna kill them."
Cordelia stared at him in annoyance.
Buffy made her entrance into Willy's Bar by pushing aside the beaded string curtains and quickly spotted Willy behind the bar. Willy saw her, cringed, and sighed. He tilted his head to tell Buffy to move down to the other end of the bar. Buffy followed and leaned on the bar. Demons were drinking and hanging out.
"You're killing me here."
"Oh, I missed you, too. The joint's jumping."
"Yeah. You know."
The vampire sitting nearby saw Buffy looking at him and took his leave, forgetting his beer.
"Making some changes with my life. I'm getting away from my old image."
"You mean as a double-dealing snitch?" Buffy asked.
"Uh-huh. I know you gonna think I'm blowing smoke, but, after those apocalypse demons nearly did me in, I had an experience of the spiritual variety."
Buffy didn't care. "That's swell, really. But I need to know if you've heard anything about a Polgara demon doing some killings in the last few days."
"See, uh, that's the thing. I don't talk behind people's backs no more. And I'm bringing some class to the joint. You know? It's 'Willy's Place' now. See?" Willy indicated the neon sign on the wall. "Brings in a better clientele. I got one of those deep friers. These demons just go crazy for chicken fingers."
Buffy stared at him, quickly getting bored.
"Look, if they see me dealing with you, then I'm just the same old Willy, working both sides of the street."
"I'm gonna have to punch you, aren't I?" Buffy asked him.
"Just once, and it don't have to hurt. Just make it look good."
Buffy straightened and raised her fist.
Willy instantly clutched his nose. "Oww! Oh!"
"Not yet, I haven't touched you!" Buffy whispered.
"Oh, sorry. Right. Right. G-Go ahead. Wait. No! I can't talk to you!"
Buffy straight-jabbed him in the nose, and now he was really hurting.
Willy grabbed his nose. "Ohhhh! Owwww!"
"What have you heard about the Polgara?" Buffy asked him.
"Heard there was one recently. Word was you got him. You and those Army guys."
"And that was the last you heard?"
"Yeah. As far as I know, he's off the streets."
"What about those Army guys? What do you know? You heard anything about 314?"
Riley walked through the stringed curtains. Beads rattled as Riley entered. Buffy faced him. He looked the place over. As he approached Buffy, she noticed there was a thin sheen of sweat on his face. He didn't look happy at what he was seeing.
"What are you doing here? Following me?" Buffy asked him.
"You told me you were tracking the Polgara demon. I thought I'd help. But now I see you're not hunting demons; you're socializing with them. Again. I thought you were supposed to be killing these things, not buying them drinks."
"Oh, that's smooth, Officer Riley. They teach you those undercover moves in Special Forces?"
"I'm serious, Buffy. What are you doing here?"
"Just cooling her dogs like the rest of us. Why don't you sit down, relax?" Willy suggested.
"I want you to tell me. Who are you? Really?" Riley seethed.
Buffy glared at him, becoming a little pissed herself.
"No kidding. How about I get you some chicken fingers - on the house?" Willy offered.
Riley looked at Willy. "Hey, you think you could shut up?"
"Look, I'm just saying-"
"I said shut up! Or maybe you would like to go back to the lab with me. I'm sure the coats would love to classify a...whatever you are."
Buffy stared at him. "Leave him alone, Riley. He's human."
"So he's human."
Buffy looked at his trembling arms. "You're shaking."
Riley looked at Buffy. "He just harbors demons. Which makes him a good guy like you?" He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders. "The truth, Buffy. Now!"
"You have the truth. You are just too fucked up because of what happened to Professor Walsh to see it. Now, let go of me!" Buffy knocked his hands off her shoulders.
A middle-age-looking woman got up from the bar and walked quickly towards the door.
Riley spotted her over his shoulder. "Hold it! You!"
She stopped in her tracks as he drew his Beretta and aimed it at her. His hand was trembling.
"No leaving until I say so. Got it?"
"Hey!" Willy yelled. "We got new rules here. No killing."
Riley looked over his shoulder. "Right! Except the rules don't seem to apply much these days. Do they?"
The woman was now facing Riley and looked terrified. Riley's breathing was becoming heavier, and his shaking was getting worse.
Riley looked at the woman. "Like, if I shot you right now, I don't know if I'd have a corpse on my hands or one pissed-off vampire."
"Riley-"
Riley looked at Buffy. "I mean...who do you believe? First, it sounds like lies, then it sounds like truth." He looked at the woman.
She was starting to whimper.
"Riley..."
He glanced at Buffy and seemed to realize what he was doing. The woman started crying. Riley's hand continued to shake. He suddenly turned to the bar, sweeping his gun across the surface, smashing several glasses. The woman fled. Riley trembled, and Buffy slowly approached him, concerned but also frightened.
Riley had his hands pressed to the bar as he leaned against it, shaking uncontrollably. "What's happening to me?"
Buffy got Riley to return to his dorm room. She followed him. Riley was sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. He was no longer wearing his commando vest, gun belt, nor his boots. Buffy brought him a blanket and draped it around his shoulders as she sat down next to him. He looked up and pushed the blanket off. He was still sweating and shaking.
"Riley, why don't you lie down? You'll be more comfortable."
She saw him furiously scratching the back of his right hand. He'd broken the surface, and there was a patch of red on his skin.
Buffy grabbed his hands. "Stop it."
"I can't. It's like...something's growing inside of me." Riley started scratching.
Buffy took his hand again. "No. You're hurting yourself."
"I thought I knew...but I don't. I don't know anything."
Buffy let go of his hand. "You're sick. Once you get some rest-"
"No. Buffy. I don't know...anything. I don't know which team I'm on. Who the bad guys are. Maybe I'm the bad guy. Maybe I'm the thing you should kill."
Buffy was silent for a moment, pushing dark thoughts away. "Okay, listen to me. You're sick. You just need to get some sleep." She stood up. "Please. Lie down. Come on."
Riley pushed himself onto the bed and lay his head on the pillow. He curled his arms and legs in close as if cold and continued to shiver.
"You're gonna be okay."
His eyes closed, and he seemed to calm down a little. Buffy turned and left the dorm.
Wesley slid the grate of the elevator open. He took Ryan from Angel and carried him over to Angel's bed.
Angel gestured at Cordelia and Wesley. "Paige and Seth Anderson, these are my assistants."
"Hi, I'm Cordelia." Cordelia shook Paige's hand. "Sorry about the possession and everything."
Seth nodded. "Uh...hello."
Wesley covered Ryan with a blanket.
Cordelia picked up a big glass bottle and started to draw a circle around the bed with the yellow sand that was in it. "Oh, I wonder if I should put plastic down. Angel, are you expecting any big vomiting here? Because...I saw the movie."
Seth and Paige looked at Angel, who just raised his eyebrows at her. Cordelia made a face and got back to drawing the circle.
Wesley looked at the parents. "The binding powder will keep the demon under control while Angel and I go to find the priest."
Paige looked at him. "He doesn't need a priest."
Angel put a hand on her shoulder. "Paige...listen to me. The only way through this is to let us help. Look, your son is possessed. Deep down, you know this is true. You know it."
"Cordelia will stay with you. We'll be back as soon as we can."
"Do not break the circle. It's important. He'll try and get you to come to him. Don't do it. Don't touch him. He's been exposed, and he's angry. He'll kill you if he gets a chance, you got that?" Angel asked.
Cordelia frowned, annoyed. "Jesus, we got it! Circle, angry, kill, kill, kill. Go to church already."
Angel and Wesley left.
Seth put a hand on Paige's shoulder, and she covered it with one of her own as they both looked at Ryan lying unconscious on the bed.
Buffy returned to Harmony's house and informed the others. Jenny, Tara, Sandy, and Harmony were researching at the kitchen table. Amy brought a plate full of freshly-baked brownies to the table, much to everyone's delight. Buffy quickly grabbed one.
Giles was bringing a box of old books that they hadn't looked through to the others. "How is he?"
Buffy bit of a piece of her brownie. "This isn't just grief making him act this way. Something's affecting him physically, and it's getting worse."
"You think Professor Walsh did something to him?" Amy asked her.
"I don't know, but I'm ready to find out."
"How are you gonna do that?" Sandy asked her.
"She must have kept records somewhere. About Riley, about 314, about all of it. And I'm sure she wasn't the only person that knew what she was up to."
"So what's the plan?" Jenny asked.
"Everyone else, keep researching. Amy, you and I are going undercover."
"Me?" Amy asked, confused.
"You're the only one with military experience."
Harmony was amused. "It's not like she was in Desert Storm. She was G.I. Jane for one night."
Tara was concerned. "Buffy..."
"It's okay, Tara. I'll be careful." Buffy put her hands on Tara's shoulders and crouched down. "Promise."
Tara conceded by nodding but was not happy about it. Buffy kissed Tara on the lips and stood back up. Amy went to get ready.
Giles stood up from the box of books that he was going through and faced Buffy. "It's a minor point, but how do you plan to get into the Initiative? I'm sure their, uh, security system's almost impenetrable."
"I have my clearance. I'm hoping she didn't have time to revoke it."
"Okay. Well, as for the whereabouts of this Polgara demon, I'm afraid we've...we've not turned up much. There've been no reports since its original capture."
"Then we'll just have to keep looking."
Cordelia was pouring some tea for herself, Paige, and Seth in the kitchen. Paige was sitting at the kitchen table with Seth.
"Mommy? Where are you? Mommy, I'm scared. I need you. Are you there?"
"Couldn't I just take him his toys, please?" Paige asked Seth.
"You heard what Angel said, Paige. We have to wait."
"But why do we have to wait? Things were going really well this time, weren't they? Couldn't we just keep on like it was?"
"Paige, no. Not after Ohio."
"Ohio?" Cordelia asked.
Seth hesitated. "A friend of ours - the kids used to call him Uncle Frank - died in a fire."
Paige sobbed. "That was an accident. It wasn't Ryan!"
"Mommy, I'm scared. It's so cold in here. Mommy?"
Paige tried to get up.
Seth grabbed her arm. "And that isn't Ryan either." He paused. "Paige?"
Paige settled back down. "I'm not going to him, okay? I'm playing by the stupid rules."
Cordelia grinned. "Good! We can watch TV or play cards. You'll get caught up; you won't even hear your son's pain."
"Mommy, I need you. I'm so scared. Come here."
Paige looked at Seth. "This is just too cruel."
Cordelia looked at Paige. "It's almost over. And Angel is good at this kind of thing, and Wesley..." She reconsidered. "Well, I'm sure they'll be right back with the priest."
Buffy and Amy were quietly walking through the deserted lobby of Lowell House. Amy was wearing military garb similar to that of the Initiative commandos. She even had a gun belt with a sidearm in the holster, but it was the toy rifle from her Halloween costume. Buffy was wearing a turtleneck sweater and wire-rimmed glasses borrowed from Giles and had her hair pulled back in a small bun. She was carrying a white lab coat wrapped around a clipboard.
Amy looked around. "Seems pretty quiet."
"It usually is this time of-"
A young man suddenly brushed past Buffy but didn't even seem as if he noticed them and continued on.
Buffy and Amy continued into the central hallway of the building, and Buffy pushed the hidden switch in the wall next to the floor-to-ceiling mirror and stood in front of it.
"Well, we'll know in a few seconds if my clearance is still good."
A horizontal green light emitted from the mirror and slid down over her body.
Amy stood to the side, nervous. "Or if we're about to die at the hands of fifty grief-filled military goons."
"Retinal scan recorded. Summers, Buffy."
The mirror slid to the side, and Buffy stepped into the elevator. Amy followed her.
The door closed, and the elevator descended. Buffy put on the lab coat. The ladies waited in anticipation.
The elevator came to a stop, and the door slid open.
Buffy and Amy stepped out onto the catwalk overlooking the huge hangar of the Initiative complex.
Amy's eyes widened as she gasped in awe. "Holy shit!"
"I know."
They walked towards the stairs. When they descended to the first landing, they saw a couple of commandos climbing the stairs towards them. They pretended to be looking at her clipboard as the commandos passed them and continued up the stairs. When the commandos were gone, they continued down the stairs.
Paige was standing in the doorway to Angel's bedroom with Seth, looking in on their son.
"See, honey? Mommy's right here. I'm not going anywhere. Nobody is going to hurt you, sweetie. It's going to be okay."
Cordelia looked at her. "Paige, come away."
"You wanted to see him; there he is, and he's gonna be fine."
"He's not fine! Look at him, Seth. Look at him. He needs me."
Ryan was lying huddled on his side under the blanket. "Mama? I can't see. Something is wrong with my eyes, and it hurts."
Paige looked at her husband, then back at Ryan.
"Why won't you help me?"
"I'm here, baby. I'm right here."
Ryan began to growl and tossed on the bed. Paige strained to go to him, but Cordelia and Seth managed to restrain her.
Cordelia turned from Paige as she heard the elevator. "They're here. They're coming."
"Mommy!"
Cordelia and Seth watched the elevator come down while Paige took advantage of their distraction to run to Ryan.
Angel saw her. "No!"
"Paige!" Seth yelled.
He and Cordelia ran after her, but the doors slammed shut in their faces and wouldn't open. Angel tried to get out of the elevator, but the outside door wouldn't slide aside.
"Angel!" Cordelia yelled.
Cordelia and Seth managed to get the doors open and ran into the bedroom.
Seth tried to break Ryan's hold on his mom. "Ryan, no! Ryan, stop it!"
Cordelia ran back out. "Angel!
The elevator was back upstairs, and she banged on the button a couple of times.
"Hurry!" Cordelia yelled.
Angel and Wesley ran down the stairs.
"Ryan, no. Let her go. Ryan, stop it! Stop it! Let her go!" Seth yelled.
Wesley ran in and held a cross in Ryan's face while Angel helped Seth to pull Paige away.
"Omnis spiritus in munde. In nomine dei!" Wesley yelled.
Ryan screamed and fell back on the bed. Seth cradled his wife in his arms.
"It's retreated back into the boy."
"It's gone deeper."
"That's likely."
Angel looked at Paige. "Look, from now on, you do exactly as I'm telling you, understood?"
Paige nodded, her hands wrapped around her throat.
Back at Harmony's, the research continued. Tara was pacing. Harmony, Sandy, and Jenny were sitting at the kitchen table, looking through books. Giles was fixing tea at the stove.
"Tara, pacing is not going to help Buffy." Giles handed her a cup of Earl Grey tea.
Tara took the cup. "I know, but I can't help it."
"The, uh, research is troubling. I mean...this - this demon we're after seems highly atypical for a Polgara. This child that it killed...was mutilated. There's no recorded cases of a Polgara ever having done such a thing."
Jenny nodded. "Also, the Polgara have to eat every two hours. Factor in the low I.Q., and you have a demon who's not exactly low profile."
"So how has he been hiding out in Sunnydale without anyone seeing him?" Sandy asked.
Giles nodded. "Exactly."
Harmony stood up and walked to the refrigerator. She opened the freezer. "Do we have any Hot Pockets? Ooh! Pizza rolls!"
Cordelia was sitting on the sofa, looking through a book. Seth was sitting on the edge of the daybed, where his wife was drinking a cup of tea.
Angel walked up behind Cordelia. "Anything?"
Cordelia handed him the open book. "Ethros demon, Ethros box."
Angel looked at the picture of a box in the book. "Hmm, this is what's used to trap it."
Cordelia got up and pointed out a passage to him. "It says right here the demon goes all dingy when it's forced out. Bad sense of direction or something. If you have one of these boxes, it'll go right into it."
"'There to be confined for a thousand years.'"
"Which ought to do it, right? Of course, without one of these-"
"The demon will try to make the jump to the nearest warm body."
"Right." Cordelia paused. "So you're safe, anyway."
Angel looked at her.
Cordelia smiled sweetly at him. "Maybe we can build one of these."
Angel looked back at the book. "Uh, an authentic Ethros box is made of six-hundred species of virgin woods and handcrafted by blind Tibetan monks."
Cordelia thought for a moment. "Nope. Don't know any."
Angel wrote an address on a piece of paper and handed it to Cordelia. "Melrose and Robertson, between the yogurt shop and the Doggy Dunk."
"Blind virgin monks?"
"No, Rick's Majick 'n' Stuff. If anyone in L.A. will have an Ethros box, it'll be Rick."
They looked around as the light began to flicker.
"Better hurry."
"Okay." Cordelia left.
In the Initiative, Buffy and Amy were rounding a corner when they heard someone coming from down the corridor.
"How many of the men are still out?"
They returned to the corner and tried to look inconspicuous as Dr. Engleman entered the corridor with another scientist. They eavesdropped.
"The longer they go without their meds-"
"Everyone's off their schedules because of the professor's death."
"It's dangerous. I don't want to think about the damage our guys could do under the stress of withdrawal, especially since they won't understand what's happening to them. These guys don't know they've been getting meds in their food, so we better get them in here stat."
"We've located all but a few. The last ones were in pretty bad shape, but we stabilized them."
"But Finn wasn't one of them, right?"
"No."
"Find him. He's the one I care about. He's too important to the work to lose now."
"Indeed."
"Keep me posted. I'll be in Records."
Engleman walked away, and the other scientist headed in the other direction. Buffy kept her back turned as Engleman passed behind her to a door at the end of the hall. He slipped a keycard through an electronic lock and stepped through the door. It started swinging closed behind him, but Buffy shoved the clipboard inside before it could and walked in.
She handed the clipboard to Amy, who walked in after her, and marched up behind Engleman, who was unaware until she spun him around to face her and shoved him against a counter, grabbing a fistful of his shirt.
Buffy stared into his eyes. "Now, I don't generally like to kill humans, but I've learned that it pays to be flexible in life."
"I was wondering when you'd turn up."
"Oh, darn!" Buffy mocked, taking off her glasses. "So this isn't a surprise?" She set the glasses down. "Now, you can tell me what you did to Riley, and, after that, we can take a tour of room 314."
"Somebody's coming, you know. I'm sure they've already seen you on the security monitors."
Riley stepped from around a corner. "Monitors are non-functional at this time, sir. Went down about ten minutes ago."
Buffy looked to Amy. "What? I didn't do that."
"Thank Goddess for small favors, and we'll worry about details later, huh, Buff?" Amy suggested.
"Finn, take this girl to the stockade immediately."
Buffy looked at Riley. "Riley, he can tell us what we need to know." She looked at Engleman. "Walsh wanted me dead, didn't she?"
Engleman hesitated. "She did." He looked at Riley. "But understand, the Initiative has no interest in eliminating the Slayer." He looked back at Buffy. "It was her own vendetta."
"Why?" Buffy asked him. "Spell it out for me. I feel an attack of 'dumb blonde' coming on."
"I don't know."
Buffy jerked him closer. "Well. Think. Harder."
"It was...the project."
"Project?" Buffy realized what that meant. "314."
"It..." Engleman glanced at Riley, who was paying close attention. He looked back at Buffy. "It escaped."
Riley stepped closer. "That's enough! You're making her sound like some psychopath. She wasn't like that! She was a brilliant woman!"
"She was. I-It's not-"
"All she was doing was trying to help people...and this is the way you want them to remember her?!"
Buffy looked at Riley. "Engleman said Walsh was feeding you drugs."
Riley moved within arm's reach and pointed at Buffy. "You're doing this to me, aren't you?"
He advanced on her, and Buffy let go of Engleman to face him. Engleman started slinking away towards a nearby door.
Riley glared at Buffy. "This all started because of you!"
"Look, if you will just listen to me, okay? I am trying to help you get to the truth."
"You want truth?" Riley grabbed her arm. "Then tell me: what did you do to her, Buffy?"
Buffy broke the hold. "Stop it! I didn't do anything!"
Riley tried to grab her again, and she had to push him back.
"Riley, stop! Everything that we need to know is here. We just need to find out what was in 314."
A commando's body suddenly dropped to the floor behind them. They all turned and looked up. On a catwalk, a young man was looking down at them. But he didn't look like a normal man. His brown hair was neatly trimmed, the most normal feature, while more than half of his face was covered in dark green skin, the rest of his face a human pale. There was also metal plating on the green left side of his face, from jaw to temple. Most of his chest was also green as well as his right shoulder, but there were also patches of other different types of skin. Wherever skins met, there was a line of sutured or welded-on scars like a grotesque demonic jigsaw. There seemed to be numerous IV lines and monitoring connections disappearing under the blanket.
"Me." He started to pace across the catwalk. "I've been thinking about the world. I wanted to see it, learn it. I saw the inside of that boy, and it was beautiful, but it didn't tell me about the world. It just made me feel. So now...I want to learn about me. Why I feel. What I am." He stopped pacing and turned to face them. He took a step forward and dropped to the floor, landing on his feet, looking at Riley. He started pacing again. "I'm a kinematically redundant, biomechanical demonoid designed by Maggie Walsh. She called me Adam, and I called her Mother."
"Adam. Maggie would want you to stand down."
Adam looked at Engleman. "Yes. But I seem to have a design flaw."
Engleman looked as if he was ready to bolt. Buffy was deeply worried.
Adam resumed pacing. "In addition to organic material, I'm equipped with GP-2/D-11 Infrared Detectors, a Harmonic Decelerator, plus D.C. Servo."
Buffy stared at him. "She pieced you together from parts of other demons."
Adam looked down at his green Polgara arm and his dark tan demon right arm, which was plated with metal on the forearm and shoulder. "And man. And machine. Which tells me what I am...but not who I am. Mother wrote things down. Hard data - but also her feelings. That's how I learned that I have a job here. And that she loved me."
"She wasn't your mother! And she didn't love you!" Riley yelled.
Amy did not take her eyes off Adam. "Is that really the issue?"
"She made you, because she was a scientist!" Riley yelled.
Amy was getting irritated with him. "Rileeey."
Adam stared at him. "Riley Finn. Oh! Mother created you, too."
"Maggie is not my mother! I have a mother! A real-"
"A birth mother. Yes. But after you met Maggie, she was the one who shaped your basic operating system. She taught you how to think. How to feel. She fed you chemicals to make you stronger - your mind and body. She said that you and I were her favorite children. Her art. That makes us brothers. Family."
"No!" Riley took a step forward. "I'm not like you!"
"That's pain, isn't it? Why? Because your feeding schedule - the chemicals - have been interrupted? Or do you miss her? Tell me."
"I'll kill you!" Riley threatened.
"You won't. You haven't been programmed to."
"I cannot be programmed! I'm a man!"
"It's here. The plan she had for us. What happens. How it ends."
"No."
"Do you want to hear?"
"No!" Riley drew his Beretta and aimed it at Adam.
Before he could pull the trigger, Adam grabbed his arm and forced him to drop it. Buffy rushed forward, and Adam backhanded her in the face, sending her to the floor. Riley freed himself and punched Adam across the metal side of his face. Adam, unfazed, hit him with an uppercut that sent him flying high across the room, over a middle work table. He hit the floor in a tumble, stunned. Amy rushed forward and stretched out her arms to psychically hold Adam in place, but Adam just shoved her back against the wall, and she went down. Buffy got to her feet and sent a powerful roundhouse kick to Adam's chest. Adam just looked at her and smashed a fist across her face. She retaliated with a punch to his midsection. Adam responded by slamming the same fist down on her shoulder, this time driving her to the floor. Engleman ran past Adam, heading for the door.
Adam saw him, and his Polgara skewer jutted out of his arm. "Doctor."
Adam stepped forward and plunged the skewer into Engleman's back. He gasped and shuddered in pain for a few seconds, then fell to the floor, sliding off the spear, dead. Riley ran up behind Adam and jumped on his back, wrapping an arm around his neck. Adam just turned on him and stabbed him in the left side of his abdomen. Riley fell back, hitting the metal railing of the stairs, and dropped to the floor, clutching his side. Buffy got to her feet and slammed a side kick into Adam's back, this time making him stumble. He quickly turned, and she ducked a slash aimed at her head. He grabbed her around the neck with his other hand and shoved her to the floor. Adam grabbed Buffy again, lifting her off the floor, and threw her against the wall. She hit hard and fell, unmoving. There were now commandos outside the door, trying to break through.
Adam just stood and looked down at his fallen opponents. "Thank you. This has been...very interesting." He walked to the stairs and headed back up to the catwalk.
Riley was lying against the wall, in pain, and Buffy, nearby, was starting to move again.
"Back away from the door!" a commando yelled.
He fired a circle of shots through the metal door, around the handle. Adam walked under an air vent and reached for the grated cover.
Buffy moved to Riley's side. "Riley. Are you okay?"
The door gave way, and two commandos rushed in, guns ready. Forrest and Graham were right behind them, and another half-dozen commandos followed. They saw Engleman's body as they walked inside.
"Secure the room! Go! Go!" one of them ordered.
Amy was still on the floor. "We got a demon in here. It escaped through that vent."
Buffy nodded. "It's not the Polgara. It looks sort of half-man."
"Right!" Forrest exclaimed sarcastically. "And you just happened to be in the neighborhood."
"She's telling the truth. I saw it. It killed Engleman. Go. Now!" Riley ordered, full of pain.
Several commandos rushed up the stairs to the vent. Forrest stepped closer to Riley.
Buffy looked at Forrest. "He needs to go to a hospital."
Forrest looked at her. "We'll take it from here."
Amy stood up, moved closer to her, and reached a hand down to her. Buffy took her hand, and Amy helped Buffy stand up. Forrest motioned Graham forward, and Buffy had to move as he and Forrest lifted Riley to his feet.
Forrest looked at the commandos. "Escort them out."
At Rick's Majick 'n' Stuff, Cordelia was looking over some wooden boxes sitting on shelves around the store.
Rick crossed his hands and bowed. "Blessed be."
"Uh-huh. I need an Ethros box."
"A lady who knows what she wants. Commendable."
"Yes, I'm great. Just pop it in a bag, and I'm out of here."
"I don't have one."
"You don't have one."
Rick shook his head.
Cordelia looked around, then pointed at a box on a shelf behind Rick. "Well, what's that?"
"Good eye. That's a Shorshack box."
"What's the diff?"
Rick took the box down. "About twenty dollars, and it's not available in a mahogany finish."
"Looks the same. Handcrafted by blind Tibetan monks?"
Rick opened the box. "Pieced together by mute Chinese nuns. Now, that's craftsmanship."
"Look, I have an Ethros demon, and I need a place to put it. Will this work?"
"Hmm, probably. Shorshack demon is a little smaller than your average Ethros; might be tight across the shoulders."
"Well, how big could the demon be? I mean...it's in a little bitty boy!" Cordelia paused and came to a decision. "I'll take it."
"A wise choice. I think you are going to enjoy this item. It's a quality item. Shall I have it gift-wrapped?"
Buffy and Amy returned to Harmony's, and they all sat in the living room, watching TV and eating a large supreme pizza. During the commercial breaks, Buffy filled them in.
"He's really that big of a threat?" Tara asked her.
Buffy sighed. "I could barely fight him. I-It was like Walsh designed him to be the ultimate warrior. He's smart and fast. He gave the commando guys the slip with no problem."
"There's gotta be a flaw."
"I think the part where he's pure evil and kills randomly was an oversight."
Cordelia walked into the apartment, holding the box. "They only had-"
Angel had a strip of cloth wrapped around his hand and was holding a cross. "Get it ready."
Angel stalked through the bedroom doorway with Seth right behind him while Cordelia and Wesley held the box open between them.
Ryan looked at Angel. "You let him die. Just like he's gonna let me die." He looked at Seth. "Aren't you, Daddy?"
Seth looked down and saw some smoke rising from Angel's hand despite the insulation of the towel.
"Two great protectors."
Angel looked at Seth. "Get back."
Seth backed away as Angel stepped up to the bed and lay the cross on Ryan's chest. Cordelia and Wesley stood in the doorway with the open box.
"Abrenuntias Satanae? Et omnibus operibus eus? Et omnibus pompis eus?" Angel's hand was smoking pretty good by now, but he didn't budge. "Exorcie te. Omnis spiritus immunde. Adaperiae! Now, get the hell out!"
Angel stepped back as Ryan writhed on the bed. Ryan began to glow; the light hit the open box and shattered it. Cordelia and Wesley turned as a wind raced up the stairs. Ryan was lying on the bed, back in his human face.
Paige ran in and hugged her son. "Ryan?"
Seth ran after and hugged both his wife and Ryan at the same time. Angel, Cordelia, and Wesley stared down at the broken box on the floor.
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Uh-oh."
Wesley scraped up some yellow slime with a tongue depressor upstairs in the office. "Plakticine! Clearly, it came up the elevator shaft."
"So it's up here somewhere?" Cordelia asked.
Angel looked at her. "No. Long gone by now."
"And good riddance to it."
"No, not good riddance. It'll possess again."
Wesley looked at Angel. "Maybe we shouldn't have been so quick to send the Andersons back home. It might attempt to repossess the boy."
"I don't think so. Not right away."
"What are you thinking?"
"Well, it had to expel a lot of energy to escape like this. It'll need time to recharge."
"You're thinking the demon has taken on corporeal form."
Angel picked up some weapons. "That's my guess. It can only absorb the elements it needs if it manifests itself physically. Which means, if we can find it in time, we can kill it." He threw Wesley one of the weapons. "He'll be looking for a hostile environment - somewhere damp. Probably returning to primordial volcanic basalt for his regeneration."
"Huh?" Cordelia asked.
"Sea caves!" Wesley told her.
"Why didn't he just say that?" Cordelia asked.
Angel and Wesley left.
Kate was sitting at her desk in the police station, doing paperwork. Her telephone rang.
Kate picked up the handset. "Lockley."
"Kate, it's Angel."
"What do you want?"
"There's a boy that set fire to his house. His parents and I thought he was possessed by a demon, but it turns out that he has no soul, and he kept the demon imprisoned within him."
Kate was silent for a moment. "What's the address?"
Outside the Andersons' house, there were firefighters on the roof and an ambulance and a couple police cars in the driveway. Kate shut the back door of a police car. Ryan was sitting in the back seat.
Kate walked over to where Angel and Seth were standing. "Social Services will take over from here. They'll want to speak to your son alone first."
"When will we get to see him?"
"Not until tomorrow."
"Well, what's gonna happen to him?"
"We won't know until after the evaluation."
Angel looked at Kate. "Thanks for coming by, Kate."
She just looked at him for a moment, then nodded and walked away.
After talking to Seth for a while, Angel walked over to where Cordelia and Wesley were waiting next to his car.
Chapter 96: This Year's Girl
Chapter Text
"This Year's Girl"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "This Year's Girl" Written by Douglas Petrie and the Angel Episode "The Prodigal" Written by Tim Minear
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
Buffy draped a white sheet over a bed. She was in her bedroom at home, making her bed. It was late afternoon. Sunlight shined through the windows into the room.
Buffy smoothed the edges. "They smell good, don't they?"
Faith was standing on the other side of the bed, matching Buffy's movements. "What?"
Buffy smiled. "Clean sheets. Like summer."
"Oh. Yeah. Sure."
Buffy stopped smiling and was hesitant. "I-I wish I could stay, but-"
"Oh, you have to go."
"It's just with-"
"Little sis coming. I know."
"So much to do before she gets here."
They'd worked their way to the foot of the bed and were now beside each other.
"Now, I really have to-"
"So go. Don't let me keep you."
Buffy woke up and stared at the ceiling in the dark bedroom. She turned her head and looked at Tara, sleeping peacefully to her left, lightly snoring, her mouth open.
Faith woke up and stared at the ceiling in the dark apartment. She turned her head and looked at Anne, sleeping to her left.
She got out of bed, walked over to the refrigerator, opened it, and took out a bottle of beer.
After the sun had risen, the kitchen in Harmony's house slowly started to buzz with activity.
The top panel of the Initiative taser rifle was off and hanging to the side, trailing wires, as Amy examined the inside with a pair of pliers in her hand. She had the weapon on the counter. Her laptop was sitting nearby, open and transmitting video from her webcam.
"So. Here it is. The latest in state-of-the-art combat technology."
Tara was standing next to her with tools in her hands, should she need them. Buffy was standing behind them. Behind her, Harmony, Sandy, Jenny, and Giles were seated at the kitchen table, eating a breakfast of sausage links, bacon, and eggs.
"So can you repair it?" Buffy asked Katrina.
"Ames, move it closer to the cam."
Amy picked up the rifle and moved it closer to the webcam.
"Tilt it. Let me see the wiring."
Amy did.
Buffy was getting impatient. "Just tell me, can you repair it or not?"
Amy looked at her, irritated. "We're working on it. We're working on it."
Buffy turned and walked towards the stove. She got a plate from a cabinet and a fork from a drawer and helped herself to sausage links, bacon, and eggs. Amy righted the rifle again and picked up a screwdriver.
Harmony looked over at Amy and Tara and frowned. "If you blow a hole in my mom's azalea patch, the neighbors will not be pleased."
Buffy set her plate down on the table, sat down, and rested her head on the palm of her hand, tired.
"You all right?" Giles moved his chair to sit closer to her. "You've been patrolling around the clock for three days straight. Perhaps you can use some-"
Buffy lifted her head. "What? Some rest? There's a demonoid killing machine out there, Giles, that doesn't really work the night shift."
"I was going to say perhaps you could use some back-up, but, um...now you mention it, gathering your strength might not be a bad idea."
Buffy looked at Amy. "Just get the blaster working. That's all the strength I need."
"Are you sure?" Tara asked her.
"Why? Because ray guns aren't in the Slayer Handbook?" Buffy asked her. "Tara, you haven't seen this Adam thing. H-He's the Terminator without the bashful charm. And he's deadly. And the last time we met, he kicked my ass."
"Oh...no! Blast away by all means. I only meant...it might not hurt to get some sleep."
Buffy considered it. "Yeah, okay, after breakfast."
Kate and an officer walked on the subway station platform.
"Crazy homeless guy got on at Central Street Station. Went nuts. Started tearing up the car, threatened some passengers. It was one of them that pulled the emergency brake. They're all still pretty shook up."
"What about the suspect?" Kate asked.
"Gone."
"The call said it was a hostage situation."
"It was."
"The suspect escaped?"
"Well, we're still trying to get the story, but it's a little unclear."
"Unclear? You have two-dozen witnesses!"
"I know, and they are all saying the same thing."
"Which is?"
"That the suspect went out through the top vent while the train was still moving."
"He climbed out of the moving train."
"They're saying he was pulled out."
"Pulled out by what?" Kate asked him.
The officer just looked at her.
"Get statements." Kate walked down towards the stopped cars.
She got out a flashlight and turned it on. She entered the tunnel. Kate ran and soon saw Angel standing and a thing on the ground that was not human.
"Well, I guess I can forget about reading him his rights." Kate paused. "It's, um, it's not a person, is it?"
"No. Demon."
"Is it...?"
"Dead? Yeah, Kate, it-it's dead."
"So they - So they die, then."
"Yeah."
Kate let out a big sigh. "Sorry, I guess I'm still having a little trouble with this otherworldly shit."
"Right." Angel paused. "Although demons aren't technically otherworldly. I mean, in fact, they were here-"
Kate looked at him and walked back towards the station.
"-first." Angel caught up to her.
"So do I call the coroner or hazardous materials?" Kate asked him.
"My advice? Don't call anyone. I'll see it gets taken care of."
"And what do I put in my report?"
"Just do what you would normally do in a case like this."
"There is no normal in a case like this."
"Los Angeles, Kate; you've seen this kind of thing before, probably a lot. You just didn't have a name for it, that's all."
"No, I think I'd remember."
"Yeah, well, people have a way of seeing what they need to."
Kate saw a delivery guy and the officer taking his statement.
"No, nothing really stood out - except maybe the smell. Just your average Joe stink homeless guy."
Kate walked over to the pair.
The officer handed her a pad. "That's what we got."
Kate looked at it. "Average height, average weight, average build." She looked at the witness. "That's the best you can do? You're the one that pulled the emergency brake?"
"Yeah. The guy came right at me."
"Why?"
"He didn't say."
"No. Why did you pull the emergency brake?"
He frowned. "It was an emergency?"
Kate turned around to look back at Angel, then handed the pad back to the officer. "Well, let's get this description circulated. We want to find this guy, right?"
"Right. We'll do our best."
"Can I go?" the delivery guy asked Kate.
"Yeah, you can go."
Angel walked up to Kate. "What's your father doing here?"
Kate saw her father talking to an officer. She looked at Angel, then walked over to her dad. "Daddy, what are you doing down here?"
"In the neighborhood."
"You've been sitting in your apartment, listening to the police scanner again, haven't you?"
"Nothing on cable, anyway. I heard you had a hostage situation. Looks like I missed all the action."
"Thirty-five years on the force; don't you think you've seen enough action?" Kate paused. "Did you also happen to hear I was the lead officer on scene?"
"You look like you're doing okay. Let you get back to it."
As Trevor walked off, Angel stepped up next to Kate.
"What's he up to?"
Kate looked after her dad. "I think he's actually checking up on me."
"You sound surprised."
Kate turned to look at Angel. "No, you don't get to do that."
"What?"
"Kill a demon in front of me and then act like we're going to have a cappuccino together. It doesn't work that way."
"How's it work?"
"I'm not convinced it does. Look, no offense. I think you're probably a pretty decent guy for a, you know, what you are, but let's keep this strictly business, all right? We don't get personal. I'm not your girlfriend."
Later, in the office of Angel Investigations, Cordelia was trying to show Angel how to use their new security system.
"Pay attention!" Cordelia yelled. "All we have to do is decide what the code will be."
"Code."
Cordelia held up a brochure. "For the security system we just had installed. Hello? What have we been talking about, anyway?"
"I don't-"
"Come on. The installation guy said it should be something easy to remember, like...my birthday."
Wesley came in, carrying two open books.
Angel got up. "Did you identify it?"
"I-I believe so." Wesley showed him a picture. "Uh, would that be the demon you encountered this morning?"
"Yeah, that's him."
"Her, actually. It's a Kwaini. They're always female."
"Okay, what's it say about disposal methods?"
"Well, it should be relatively standard. Burial on virgin soil, simple Latinate incantation - however..."
"What?"
"Well, it's curious. According to everything I could find, a Kwaini is a peaceful balancing demon. Non-violent."
"Non-violent. No. Ha. This thing was a fighter."
"Not if it's a Kwaini, it wasn't - at least, not a fighter by nature. They're incredibly articulate, gentle creatures not even capable of the kind of power and strength you described."
Cordelia looked at them. "Maybe it was just having a bad skanky-rag day."
Angel sat down with a sigh. "Oh, something set it off. That's for sure."
Wesley nodded. "Clearly."
"All right, so, forgetting for the moment whether this thing should have been able to fight as well as it did, what would make a peaceful balancing demon attack a train full of L.A. commuters in the first place?"
"Something on the train, perhaps?" Wesley suggested.
"Or someone."
Kate saw Angel standing in the doorway to her office at the police station. "Angel."
"Hi. Can we talk?"
"What's up?"
"It's about that demon from this morning."
Kate stood up and hurried over to shut the door. "Look, if you insist on talking about this shit, could you please don't say that word? It makes me..." She closed the blinds on the window in the door. "It makes me, I don't know, just...uncomfortable. Just say...'evil thing', okay?"
"Sure. Yeah. I understand."
"Thanks. Anyway, I thought you were going to take care of it."
"It's being taken care of. It's just that the, uh, evil thing...turns out it wasn't an evil thing."
"The evil thing wasn't an evil thing?"
"Well, it was an evil thing in terms of that word. It just wasn't an evil evil thing."
"There are not-evil evil things?"
"Well...yeah."
"Right. Sorry. Hey, anyway, how did you get in here? It's, like, the middle of the day. Don't you have to-"
"Sewer system leads up to the parking garage."
"Ah, right. Of course. I remember."
"Listen, Kate, I need the names of the passengers on that train."
"Why?"
"I think that the demon, uh, I think that the train may have been targeted for a reason."
"An evil thing needs a reason?"
"I think it's after something or someone."
"There was nothing on that train. We searched it."
"Passengers."
"All checked out."
"I want to look into them, anyway. And I think we should start with that delivery guy, uh, the man who pulled the emergency brake. He said that that thing was coming right-"
"It's still dead, right?"
"Yeah."
"Good. You told me to forget about it. I'd like to."
"I think the-"
"Angel. There is nothing here. Your not-evil evil thing was just evil. Okay? Now, can't we just leave it at that?"
Cordelia and Wesley were in the subway tunnel.
Wesley was on the phone with Angel. "I suppose one can hardly blame her for being skittish on the topic." He paused. "Well, she'll come around. I think you'll find that most people require some period of adjustment after being confronted with the dark forces which surround us. Women in particular-"
Cordelia crouched over the dead demon, waving a hacksaw. "Found it!" She started sawing into the demon.
Wesley watched. "-struggle with it."
Kate and her dad were walking along a street, eating hot dogs.
"So why the sudden urge to have lunch?" Kate asked.
"Lunch time, isn't it?"
"Right. So you drive all the way out here for a hot dog?"
"Not just a hot dog. One of Manny's. Best there is." He sat down on the edge of a planter.
"All right. I'll let you and Manny catch up, then."
"And I thought I could spend a little time with my daughter."
Kate sat down.
"So...you've been good?"
"Yeah. Yeah, good."
"And, uh, how's Angel?"
"Pardon me?"
"Tall, good-looking fellow you brought to my retirement party."
"Yeah, I know who you mean."
"That ain't a Mexican name, is it? Angel?"
"I don't think so."
"You two still seeing each other?"
"We were never...seeing each other, Dad."
"What's wrong with him?"
"Nothing!"
"Must be something wrong with him. He married?"
"No."
"West Hollywood?"
"Daddy, no! Angel's just...not my type."
"He's got a job?"
"Yeah, he's a P.I."
"He any good?"
"Yeah, he's good. Very good. He doesn't mind working nights."
"That's good. That's good that he's good."
"You came all the way down here to talk about a guy you saw me out with once?"
"Well, he made an impression."
"You like him?"
"No, not really."
"Oh. Then what's this all about?"
"Nothing, just - just, uh..." Trevor sighed. "It's not good to be alone, Katie."
Kate stared at him for a moment. "Well, I won't be...when the right woman comes along."
Trevor stared at his daughter, not surprised.
Kate took a slow bite of her hot dog and slowly chewed it in front of her father. "Pay close attention, Dad. This is the only way that you'll see me do anything like this."
Trevor couldn't help but laugh.
Cordelia walked down the stairs, into Angel's apartment, wearing a short blonde wig and sunglasses. Wesley was dressed like a doctor and examining some meat on a silver tray.
"Hey, guys? Security system, remember? What is the point of having it, if you never turn it on? I could have been anyone or anything!" Cordelia motioned to the stuff on the table. "Move your...entrails."
Angel and Wesley cleared off the table.
"So...you're back."
"Very good, Mr. I-Can't-Trail-the-Suspect-During-the-Day-Because-I'll-Burst-Into-Flames Private Eye."
"What did you find out?"
"First off, I hate following detail."
Wesley nodded. "The voyeuristic aspect is rather unseemly."
"Uh, can I mention traffic? And parking or the complete lack of it?"
"Not like in the movies, is it?" Angel asked her.
"No! But, fortunately, I am." Cordelia flipped the screen out on the camcorder that she was holding and showed them a row of still shots. "So it turns out delivery guy really is a delivery guy."
"None of this looks like the package I saw him pick up from Kate's father."
"But this is where he spent his lunch, and he was in there for, like, ever."
They looked at a shot of a warehouse with "Kel's Exotic Auto" on it; the guy stuck two brown packages into his bag.
"I don't know what they were serving, but sure are a lot of leftovers in there, huh?" Cordelia asked.
Angel stared at the image. "That's it. That's the source. That's where it's all coming from."
Cordelia put in the security code. "0-1-1-4. There, see?"
Wesley was looking at the flyer. "Right. So now we should 'be protected by state-of-the-art home and workplace security designed to attractively complement any room, home or office, TM'."
"Exactly! Which means no lurky minions from Hell get in here without us knowing about it first."
Angel stepped into the room. "Sun'll be down soon. I'm going to head out to this exotic car warehouse, see what I can find out."
Wesley looked at him. "You'll want backup."
"No, not this time. This is strictly recon. I need to know exactly what we're dealing with before we make any moves."
"Right you are. A deliberate cautious approach would be the most sensible plan. Fools rush in-"
Cordelia looked at him. "No, he wants you to stay here."
Kate opened the door and walked in. "Hi."
Cordelia took the flyer away from Wesley. "Give me that!"
"Am I interrupting anything?" Kate asked Angel.
"No. It's all right. Come on in."
They walked into his office. Angel closed the door.
Kate handed Angel a sheet of paper. "Here."
Angel took it. "What's this?"
"The list of those names you asked for - passengers on the train?"
Angel sat down on the edge of his desk and unfolded the paper to look at the names. "Right. Thank you." He folded the paper back up. "What made you change your mind?"
"Something my father said, actually."
"Your father?"
"Yeah, he asked if you were good."
"Good?"
"At what you do. I said you were."
"Thanks."
"No matter how uncomfortable I am with certain...circumstances, I can't let myself ignore your instincts. If you think there is something more going on here, then there probably is."
"I appreciate that."
"And I'd like to be involved."
"What?"
"With the case. You find something, you bring me in, okay?"
"Are you...Are you sure about that?"
"Got to face those demons sometime, right?"
"Right."
Later, Angel was getting ready to leave, searching the whole office for his car keys.
"Isn't this going above and beyond the call of duty - and friendship, for that matter?" Wesley asked him.
"I have to at least try, Wesley."
"Angel, I understand you want to protect Detective Lockley from learning about her father's questionable associations, but you've already warned him once, and frankly even that may have been too much!"
"Look, I already warned him about me, Wesley. But now he needs to understand the real nature of what he's working for."
"If he doesn't already know."
Angel started searching through Cordelia's desk. "He doesn't know. He can't!"
"Perhaps. Still...at the very least, he must realize that he is in league with someone who, if not criminal, is most certainly unethical. It's his choice!"
"Yeah, I know all about it, Wesley, believe me. But sometimes the price we end up paying for one bad choice isn't commensurate with the offense."
Cordelia found the car keys in her pants pocket and held them out to Angel. "You go talk some sense into him, then."
Angel took the keys. "Thank you."
Angel left for the garage while Cordelia armed the security system.
"I hope he knows what he's doing."
"Have a little faith, Wesley."
A Kwaini demon burst in through the door.
"Door is open."
Cordelia looked at the demon. "Yeah. Thanks."
The Kwaini headed for Cordelia, but Wesley tackled it.
"Bathroom window is ajar."
A second demon came out of the bathroom as the first one pushed Wesley down, and Cordelia broke a vase over its head. The second demon grabbed Wesley as he got back up, but he flipped it over his back to the floor. Cordelia threw some books at the first one, then toppled the bookcase on it. Wesley and the second Kwaini wrestled on the floor while the first one threw Cordelia against the wall.
"Hey!" Angel held a bottle up. "Bet you would like some of this."
The Kwaini demons left the others alone. Angel threw the bottle into his office, and the Kwaini dove after it. Angel grabbed one and threw it out through the window.
"Window is open."
Angel slammed the other Kwaini down on his desk.
"I'm unplugging it!" Cordelia ran over to the security system.
Kate was getting a can of Pepsi out of her refrigerator when her phone rang. She let her answering machine pick it up.
"Kate, it's Angel. Pick up if you're there. If you get this message, get your father. Get him out of his house. He's in danger. He doesn't know what they are, Kate. He won't understand. I'm on my way there now."
Kate put the can back in the fridge, closed the fridge, and headed for the door.
A vampire almost collided with Kate as she ran into Trevor's apartment. Angel was there. Her father was on the floor, dead.
Kate fell on top of her dad. "Oh! Daddy! No, Dad." She saw the bite marks on his neck and broke down, crying.
"Kate...he invited them in. He didn't know."
"But you did. You knew!"
"I wanted to save him. He - He wouldn't let me." Angel paused. "Look, he was involved in something, Kate, in something he couldn't have understood."
"Get out. Get out! Get out!" Kate screamed. "Get out. Get out. Get out. Please, get out. Please, get out."
Angel left. Kate huddled against the wall, beside her father's body. She spotted a manila envelope with a bunch of $100 bills in it, laying open on the floor, and crawled over to it. She found a business card from Kel's Exotic Auto.
Kate walked into Kel's Exotic Auto and shot three suited guys, who were gathered around another guy, sitting behind a desk.
"My father may not have known what you are, but I do. I know."
"Do you?"
"Oh, yeah."
The guy stood up and walked towards her. "I see."
Kate shot him in the shoulder, and he growled.
"I know it won't kill you." Kate pulled a stake out of her back pocket and staked him. "But this will."
He fell to the floor, dead.
"I told you I knew."
The head demon walked in. "What do you think you know? Do you know what walks this city?"
Kate shot him four times in the chest, and he barely even jerked. Vampires closed in behind her.
"You have no comprehension! You do not understand what stands before you!"
Angel walked in behind Kate, twirling his ax. "A big, ugly drug-running demon who thinks he is a lot scarier than he is, maybe?"
Everyone looked at him.
"Yeah. She knows."
Kate and Angel started fighting the vampires. Kate went down beneath a vampire.
Angel reclaimed his ax from another vampire, pulled the vampire off Kate, and pushed the blade of his ax up against the big demon's throat. "We walk out of here now, you don't lose your head."
The big demon grunted and motioned for the other vampires to back off.
Angel helped Kate to her feet. "Let's go."
The big demon took a step after them. One of the vampires grabbed Kate, but she threw him over her hip and staked him. Angel threw his ax straight up into the air and staked the two vampires on either side of him with his spring-loaded wrist sheathes, then calmly caught the ax as it came back down.
"You're dead!" the demon yelled at Angel.
"I'm already dead." Angel swung around and beheaded the demon. "Welcome to the club."
Angel slowly walked over to where Kate was still crouched over the vampire that she killed.
"You okay?"
Kate was trying not to cry.
"Never trust an evil evil thing." Angel paused. "Kate, I know that what happened with your father-"
Kate spun to look at him. "My father was human." She got up. "And you don't know anything about that." She walked past him without another word.
That evening, Buffy, Tara, and Amy were on patrol in the woods, each carrying a flashlight.
"Spread out?" Tara asked Buffy.
"Not too far."
Amy sighed, worried. "So not a problem."
Tara and Amy split from Buffy as they reached a clump of bushes. Tara and Amy moved their flashlights up two trees. They saw a pair of red legs - with clawed feet - tied to them. Buffy heard a crackling sound and turned. Her eyes widened as she looked up. Tara and Amy were already gaping at the sight of the crucified demon suspended high between the two trees. Buffy shined her light on the body and saw the demon was eviscerated. It was sliced down the middle from its neck to lower abdomen, its flesh pulled open wide and also tied to the trees. All of the internal organs had been removed, and the rib cage and spine were clearly visible.
Buffy, Tara, and Amy were sitting at the kitchen table at Harmony's house, sharing a batch of brownies that Amy had baked.
Buffy looked at her friends, haunted. "I've never seen anything like that."
Amy nodded. "And I can go a long, healthy stretch without seeing anything like that again."
"It had to be Adam who killed it, but why?" Tara asked.
Buffy took a bite of a brownie. "He's studying biology. Human, demon, whoever he can get his hands on and take apart."
Tara understood. "He's finding out what makes things work."
Amy shuddered. "I really don't want to be around for the final exam."
Buffy looked at her. "It's not coming to that. The Initiative created this thing, and they can't stop it. But we will."
"Need help?"
Buffy looked. "Riley."
Riley sat down at the table.
"How did you get out?" Buffy asked him.
"I walked."
"They didn't try to stop you?" Tara asked him.
"Oh, they did. Repeatedly. But then I told them they couldn't keep me without a major ass-kicking, one way or another. So here I am."
"How did you find us?" Buffy asked him.
"Do you still have your badge from the Initiative?"
Buffy thought about it. "Somewhere."
"I tracked it here. It's got a tracer in it."
Buffy frowned. "Well, now, I feel stupid. We were hiding out here to avoid you guys."
"Best if you destroy it."
"Right." Buffy smiled. "We're happy to have you back."
"Are you feeling any better?" Amy asked him.
"Yeah. Hey, I know my behavior was pretty out there-"
Buffy waved a hand in dismissal. "Forget it. Tell you what: you help us take down a killer cyber demon hybrid thingy, and we'll call it all even."
"Taking down Adam's gonna be tough. There's no way to predict what he'll throw at us." Riley paused. "I think we're being watched."
"I dunno. Does the Initiative do that?" Buffy asked.
"Maybe."
"You seem a little...somewhere else. Is there anything I can do?" Buffy offered.
"Give me an order. That's what I do, isn't it? Follow orders."
"You don't have to."
"Don't I? All my life, that's what I've been groomed to do. They say 'Jump'; I ask 'How high?'; I get the job done. Just don't know if it's the right job anymore."
"I know how you feel. Giles used to be part of this council. And for years, all they ever did was give me orders."
"Ever obey them?"
"Sure. The ones I was going to do, anyway. The point is...I quit the Council...and it's okay."
"Now, see, that's where you and I are different. I just suck at the whole gray-area thing."
"It's a choice. Go back in there and make some changes from the inside. Or you can quit the team; fight demons in your own way."
"You make it sound so simple. I don't even know what my way is."
"Well, it's time to find out."
Soon, the entire group was gathered around the kitchen table.
Jenny looked at Riley. "The problem for me seems to be why Adam has stayed dormant as long as he has."
"He's probably working off an autonomic power source. And because he's straight out of the box, he needs to charge up a while."
"Okay, what's he charging up for?" Buffy asked.
Amy looked at her. "Based on the clues, I'll go with killing spree."
"And that's a best-case scenario. I suppose a little firepower would be a good idea right now." Riley activated the blaster that Amy had been working on.
Amy was amazed. "Hey! How'd you do that? Is there, like, an On/Off button somewhere here?"
"Blasters are easy. Adam won't be."
"Since Professor Walsh designed it, any chance she left instructions lying around somewhere?" Tara asked.
"Well, if she did, they're gonna be in the Initiative." Buffy looked at Riley.
Giles sighed. "Which we can't get into without mounting a major offensive."
"Speak for yourself."
The others all looked at Riley.
"I'm just saying."
Giles considered. "I must admit...a man on the inside would be-"
"A really good idea." Buffy looked at Riley. "Are you sure you wanna be a double agent?"
"I'm not exactly sure what you'd call me, but I will share information. It's the least I can do."
The next evening, on the UC Sunnydale campus, Buffy and Sandy were walking along.
Suddenly, Sunday stepped in front of them, blocking their path. "Hey, girls. Miss me?"
Buffy sighed. "Damn it, maybe I should've learned how to hone."
"What do you want, Sunday?" Sandy asked.
"Uh, well, to kill you, for starters. And then I thought maybe I'd treat myself to a facial."
Buffy stared at her. "Couldn't hurt."
"Hey!" Sunday yelled.
"Look, Sunny, no offense, but you're the last thing that I need right now." Buffy tried to sidestep Sunday.
Sunday blocked Buffy's path again. "Everyone needs a little me in their lives. I'm telling you: if I was you, I'd be worrying right about now."
Faith turned from looking at the noticeboard. "But she's not you."
Buffy smiled. "Faith. What are you doing here?"
"Had a weird dream. Used it as an excuse to come see you."
"Awww, how sweet. Us making the bed?"
"Yeah. What the fuck was that about?" Faith asked.
Buffy shrugged. "Beats me. Something about Dawn, I think? I called Dad. Nothing unusual there."
Faith smiled. "So...check you out, B. Nice, the big-girl-on-campus thing's really working for you."
"How are you?"
"Five-by-five."
"Uh, hello?" Sunday interrupted. "Who the fuck are you?"
Buffy smiled at Faith in amusement. "So much for pleasantries, huh?"
Faith looked at Sunday for a moment and then smiled, friendly. "I'm Faith. The Vampire Slayer. And you are...?"
Buffy sighed and gestured. "Faith, meet Sunday. The Vampire Slayer."
Sunday frowned. "Don't call me that."
Faith smirked. "You really need to find the fun, S."
Sunday held up a hand in Faith's face. "Oh, please." She looked at Buffy. "Let's have another go at it. See who ends on top."
Faith smiled. "Stealing my lines?"
Buffy stared at Sunday. "It doesn't have to be like this, y'know."
"Actually, I think it has to be exactly like this."
"I guess it was too much to hope that you'd use your downtime to reflect and grow."
"I could say the same about you. I mean...you're still the same killer, Buffy."
Buffy flinched. Sandy took her bookbag off her shoulders.
Buffy gave Sunday a steely gaze. "They had it coming. Your kind are killing innocent people."
"That's one interpretation; another is you're persecuting us for getting a good meal."
Sandy walked towards Sunday from behind her, wielding the bag.
Sunday didn't look at her. "Try it, traitor, and you'll lose an arm."
Sandy froze.
"Fuck this." Faith punched Sunday around the face.
Sunday bared her fangs and shoved Faith back. Buffy ran at Sunday. Sunday did a roundhouse kick and connected with Buffy's stomach. Buffy fell to the ground. Sandy attacked Sunday from behind. Sunday turned and was grabbed by Faith.
Sunday broke free, grabbed Sandy's left hand, and pulled the ring off her finger. "See you around."
She ran off and ran over a field, pushing people aside, with Buffy and Faith in pursuit. Sunday leaped over a wall. Buffy and Faith looked over it to find Sunday had disappeared. Faith hopped over the wall and went to track Sunday down.
Buffy returned to Sandy. "Shit, she got away. Faith's tracking her, but-"
"We've got bigger problems."
"Of course, we do." Buffy sighed. "What now?"
Sandy stared at Buffy. "She took the Gem of Amarra. Sunday's invincible."
"Shit." Buffy thought for a moment. "Let's get back to Harmony's. We'll split into teams and comb the town."
Amy and Harmony were walking the streets, looking for Sunday.
They heard rattling. They looked around. Amy charged the blaster. They walked towards the sound. Spike came out of the darkness.
"Spike?" Harmony asked.
"What are you doing here?" Amy asked him.
"Me? Hey, I'm not the one out of place here."
Harmony made a face. "For your information, smartass, we've got a rogue Slayer on our hands. Your ex-girlfriend, Sunday."
"Sunday's a Slayer?!" Spike asked incredulously.
"You didn't know?" Amy asked in surprise.
Harmony sighed. "Anyway, she stole the Gem of Amarra from Sandy-"
"Harm!" Amy yelled.
Harmony was embarrassed. "Oops."
Spike smiled. "Sounds serious."
"It is. What do you know?" Amy asked.
"What do you need?"
"Her. Have you seen her?"
"Is this bird after you?"
Amy and Harmony looked at each other for a moment and shrugged, then looked back at Spike.
Amy shrugged. "Could be."
"Tell you what I'll do, then. I'll head out, find her, tell her exactly where you are, and then watch as she kills you."
Amy and Harmony looked at him in surprise and irritation.
"Can't any one of you damn little Slayerettes at least try to remember that I hate you all?! Just because I can't do the damage myself doesn't stop me from aiming a loose cannon your way. And here I thought the evening be dull."
Amy and Harmony watched him leave.
Amy looked at Harmony. "We're dumb."
Chapter 97: Who Are You?
Chapter Text
"Who Are You?"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Who Are You?" Written by Joss Whedon and the Angel Episode "The Ring" Written by Howard Gordon
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
Buffy, Tara, Amy, Harmony, Sandy, Faith, Jenny, Giles, and Riley were sitting at the table in Harmony's kitchen, eating a late-night snack of brownies that Amy had baked.
Faith sighed. "I lost her. Sorry, B."
Buffy gave her a smile. "It's okay."
Amy elbowed Harmony.
"Ow!" Harmony exclaimed, frowning at her.
Amy stared pointedly at Harmony.
Harmony looked at Buffy, embarrassed. "Uh, I gotta apologize, too. I sort of...accidentally...let Spike know Sunday has the Gem of Amarra."
Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed.
"What's the Gem of Amarra?" Riley asked.
Sandy suddenly felt uneasy and vulnerable.
"Uh, ancient artifact. It's imperative that we retrieve it as soon as possible." Giles looked at Sandy and flashed a brief smile.
"What's the big deal?" Riley asked.
Buffy stared him down. "Just trust us on this."
"Do you think she's still in the area?" Tara asked no one in particular.
Buffy shrugged. "I don't know."
Jenny shrugged. "I can go on the 'Net, check the bus schedules."
Buffy nodded. "Cool, and I'll notify the SPD and tell them to keep an eye out."
"Do you think they can take her?" Amy asked her.
Buffy looked at her. "Not a chance."
The next evening, Cordelia was sitting in front of her computer at Angel Investigations, checking out a new website. "Demons, Demons, Demons. Wow! They put a lot of thought into that title."
"It's a demon database. What would you call it?" Wesley asked her.
"I don't know. How about...Demon Database?"
"Ah! A name rife with single entendre."
"Why isn't Wolfram & Hart in here?" Cordelia asked.
"Because they are lawyers, not demons?"
"Fine line, if you ask me. Yeesh. They have a lot of entries! Did you know that there is a dozen species indigenous to L.A. County alone?"
"Do they have the Vigories of Oden Tal?"
"Nope."
"Hmm." Wesley picked up a book. "So...there is still a place in this world for traditional research."
"There are some ugly critters in here. Someone ought to create an intra-demon dating base. You know, like archfiend.org, where the lonely and the slimy connect."
Wesley looked at her.
"I was just joking, Mr. Grouchy Pants. When was the last time you had a dating base?"
"For your information...I lead a rich and varied social life."
"Oh, I know. Every night, it's Jeopardy!, followed by Wheel of Fortune and a cup of hot cocoa. Look out, girls, this one can't be tamed!"
"I'll admit it may not be as intoxicating as a life erected on high fashion pumps and a push-up bra."
Cordelia got up. "Hey, if anyone is wearing a push-up bra around here, it's-" She saw Angel coming in. "-Angel."
"Did you two need to see a counselor?" Angel asked them.
Cordelia smiled. "No, I'm way too single-entendre to benefit from therapy!"
Wesley looked at her. "I don't know why you take everything so personally."
"Me? Oh, this is rich coming from Mr. 'Don't talk to me until I've had my flagon of oat bran in the morning'."
The door opened, and a guy with a beat-up face in a suit walked in.
"Children, we have company."
"Is one of you Angel?" the guy asked.
"I'm Angel."
"I'm Darin MacNamara. I uh, checked around. You have a reputation for handling unusual problems."
Wesley nodded. "A richly-deserved reputation."
Darin swayed, and Angel and Wesley ran up and caught him before he collapsed.
"Hey, are you all right?" Angel asked him.
They helped Darin over to the couch.
"Yeah, I think I'm going to pass out. I'm - I'm sorry, it's just that...my brother...Jack. He - He was kidnapped last night." He offered Angel a small, white jewelry box. "I found this in my mailbox today."
Angel opened the box to reveal a severed finger. "Do you know the people who did this?"
"Well, that's why I came to you. They weren't people."
Angel was looking at some photographs of a blond guy.
"That's my brother, Jack. My brother and I haven't been exactly...close...since we grew up. I made something of my life, and Jack...didn't."
Cordelia handed him a drink.
"Thanks. I don't know what they want. There was no calls, no note, just-"
"But you were there when he was taken." Angel looked at him.
"Jack called me last night, asked me to come over. He's got a gambling problem. He said he was in over his head with one of his bookies."
"Do you know which one?" Cordelia asked him.
"Ernie Nellins. He works at a sports bar in Silverlake called Shots. I paid this Nellins before. I told Jack this time to go to Hell. I wanted him to suffer the consequences of his actions. I didn't know something like this was gonna happen."
Wesley looked at him. "You couldn't. It's not your fault."
"I felt guilty. So I went over there, and there were these - I don't know - creatures. They were dragging him away. I-I tried to stop them, but..."
"And you haven't heard from anyone?" Angel asked him.
"No. I'll pay anything to get him back. He's family. He's my little brother."
"Look, my colleagues will...start looking into whoever or whatever kidnapped your brother, and, um..." Angel handed him a pad and pen. "...in the meantime, write down everything you saw."
"Okay. Thank you! What about the bookie?"
"I thought we could have a little chat."
Buffy and the Slayerettes were performing at the Bronze. Harmony and Faith were sitting at a nearby table. Harmony had her video camera set up on her tripod and was taping the set.
Buffy looked at her bandmates. "Okay, so next we got-"
"Buffy." Tara was looking up.
Buffy looked up. Sunday was climbing across the underside of a catwalk, trying to position herself for a leap onto the stage. Buffy looked out at the audience and started playing her guitar. The rest of the band immediately recognized the tune and joined in.
Buffy smiled. "So no one told you life was gonna be this way."
In her excitement, Sunday grinned, let go of the catwalk, and started clapping. She fell to the floor and landed with a thud. The band stopped playing. Sunday got to her feet and looked at the stage. Buffy was staring at her, amused.
Sunday stared at her. "C'mon, Slayer, let's finish this."
"Finish what, Sunday?" Buffy asked her. "I don't wanna fight you. Just give back the ring that you stole, and I'll leave you alone."
Sunday put her hands on her hips. "Come and get it, bitch."
Faith grabbed Sunday from behind, getting her in a chokehold. "She said give it back, Moon Unit."
Sunday elbowed Faith in the chest, pushing her back, but Faith dragged Sunday back as well. Sunday stomped on Faith's foot, but Faith refused to let go of her. Buffy set down her guitar, jumped off the stage, and ran toward Sunday. Sunday kicked her in the face and then swung around, throwing Faith off her. She ran toward the door to the alley and left the building.
Buffy and Faith ran after her, exiting the Bronze.
They ran into her in the alley. They looked where she was looking. A vampire was feeding on a girl from behind, making slurping noises and holding the girl's arms. The girl was gasping. Buffy took a stake out of her jeans pocket. Sunday smiled in amusement and snatched the stake out of her hand.
"Hey!" Buffy yelled.
The girl's arms flailed.
Sunday walked up and hit the vampire in the back using the stake. "Hey!"
The vampire let the girl fall and turned.
Sunday put forth an admonishing finger as if speaking to a child. "You can't do that!"
"Why not?" the vampire asked her.
"Because it's wrong."
"Is this cunt for real?" Faith asked Buffy.
Sunday blocked a right punch and a left punch. She kicked him in the leg and spun the vampire around and held him. She staked him and threw him to the side. Sunday exhaled and looked down at the girl. She was squatting, and she looked up at Sunday.
"You'll live."
"Uh, he was so strong, uh-"
"Yeah, well, he's gone now." Sunday turned.
The girl grabbed her hand. "Thank you. Thank you."
"Yeah." Sunday shrugged. "It's cool." She shrugged again, walked off, and dropped the stake.
Buffy and Faith stared at her as she walked by them.
Sunday looked at them for a moment, then rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up." She jumped up to the roof of a nearby building and was gone.
Later, Cordelia was sitting at her computer. "Okay, I'm in. What did Darin write down about the demon that took his brother?"
Wesley looked at the pad. "Bald, ultra-white skin, slime."
"There is always slime. This is why I don't gamble. You make a small wager one day, a bigger one the next, and, before you know it, Beetlejuicy albino comes a-knocking! Claws or hands?"
"He wrote claw-like hands."
"Could be a mixed breed. Smell?"
"Sulfuric."
"Add a Porsche and hair-plugs, and I've dated this guy - a lot. Other distinguishing characteristics?"
"An eerie, high-pitched howl or wail. I'm assuming that's when it's preparing to fight or mate."
"Okay, first, I say 'yuck', and then I hit Search."
Wesley picked up a book. "You know, by the time you get done entering all this in your fancy-shmancy database, I could have located it just-"
"Got it."
Wesley looked at the screen. "A Howler demon."
The next morning, in their dorm room, Buffy and Tara, along with Faith, were sitting on the bed, watching TV and eating pepperoni pizza. Suddenly, a special report interrupted.
"We're coming to you now with breaking news happening right now. A group of men have stormed St. Anne Catholic Church in the town of Sunnydale and barricaded themselves in the church with at least twenty parishioners. One of the few who escaped described the three men as frightening, almost inhuman, with bad teeth. So far, one escapee has since died of severe neck wounds. There is no report on the condition of the parishioners still trapped inside, but their assailants have vowed to kill all of them, if police attempt to storm the church."
Buffy stared at the TV in horror. "Shit."
"Vamps?" Faith guessed.
"Well, yeah, but...my mom goes to that church."
Tara looked at Buffy. "Do you think she-"
"I don't know. They have two Masses on Sundays."
Faith stood up. "Let's ride."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "Be careful, sweetie."
"I will." Buffy stood up.
Angel had not checked in nor returned to the office. Cordelia grew worried. Wesley called Kate at the police station.
"Well, please let us know if you hear from him. Thank you." Wesley hung up.
Cordelia played nervously with her necklace. "Cop lady hasn't talked to him?"
"No, and she seemed like she didn't much care either."
"We should put out a missing persons."
Wesley got up. "He's only been gone one night."
"One long night, during which he was supposed to check in with us and didn't. And...he's not someone who tans well."
"He's probably just holed up in a tunnel somewhere, waiting for nightfall."
"Maybe." Cordelia paused in thought. "Still, something is very wrong. Our client, who should be waiting by the phone, is nowhere to be found!"
Wesley put on his jacket. "Right. Keep trying to track him down."
"What are you going to do?"
"Follow in Angel's footsteps."
"You're going to the bookie?"
"That's the last place we know Angel went."
"The bookie who may get his jollies cutting off people's extremities?"
Wesley opened a drawer. "That's why I'm taking this." He pulled out a tangle of weapons, scattering them across the floor. "Along with a few other things."
Buffy parked her van outside of the church. They heard sirens. Two police cars and an ambulance were parked outside. There were four uniformed police officers. One had just put down a radio. Buffy was surprised to see Riley with them. She and Faith opened their respective doors and got out of the van.
"What'd he say?" Riley asked the officer.
"He said I should defer command to you."
"Then you hold your men until the reserves arrive. This is a military situation."
"What, they got bombs in there?"
"Your men are not prepared to deal with them. Just trust me." Riley walked nearer the church.
Buffy quickly flashed her police identification to the officer and stepped in Riley's path. "The reserves have arrived."
"Buffy."
"How many are in there?"
"We think there's three."
"We can do three."
Riley tugged at her arm. "Not alone. Look, wait for the troops to get here. They're still mobilizing."
Buffy pulled out of his grasp. "How did you respond so fast?"
"I didn't. I was just late for church."
Buffy shook her head. "Look, when the troops get here, send 'em in, but we're going."
"I don't want you risking-" Riley tugged at her arm.
Buffy pulled away again, incensed. "Don't tell me what to do! I'm a Slayer. I have to do this."
"Then I'm coming with."
Buffy poked Riley near which he was hurt.
"Ow!" Riley cried in pain.
Buffy stared him down. "I can't use you. Someone comes out, you get 'em to safety. Unless they've got fangs." She opened the door and entered the church.
Faith paused by Riley as she followed Buffy. "Lucky for you you didn't try that shit with me."
The door closed behind Faith. The two women took in the scene.
A vampire stared at them. "I told the cops: they send anyone in, I start the whole massacre thing."
Buffy gave him a sweet smile. "Well, I'm not the cops. I just came to pray."
"Now's a good time to start."
"You're not gonna kill these people."
Buffy and Faith looked behind them. They were shocked to see Sunday standing there.
"Why not?" the vampire asked her.
Sunday stared at him. "Because it's wrong."
A vampire attacked from behind. Sunday threw him up in the air. He collided with a column, fell to the floor, and didn't get up.
The lead vampire stared at her. "You're the Slayer."
Sunday grimaced. "Wrong." She bared her fangs.
"You think we're afraid of you? We're not afraid of anything anymore."
"Then let all these people go, and all three of you can take me on."
Buffy went and stood by Sunday's side. "Take us on."
Faith joined them.
"Heh. I got a better idea."
He swung at Sunday, and she dodged and hit him in the stomach, backhanded his face, and kicked him in the waist. He went down. Buffy kicked another vampire in the stomach and knocked him back. Then Faith kicked the vampire that hit the pillar and sent him flying. Buffy drove the second vampire back with a series of punches as people fled. She broke off some wood from the back of a pew and staked the second vampire. She tossed him aside. The vampire that hit the pillar fled and grabbed a robe.
Faith chased him outside and tackled him. They fell and rolled. They got up, and he hit Faith in the face. Faith spun him and threw him down and held onto the robe. The sunlight burned him up.
"You forgot your coat." Faith dropped it and ran back into the church.
Inside, the last vampire broke the stake lose from Buffy's grip and threw her back against a pew. "I have strength you couldn't dream of." He punched Buffy in the face. "Adam has shown me the way, and there is nothing - aah!"
A stake came out of his chest. He fell to the floor, dead. Sunday was standing there. Buffy leaped to her feet. Sunday quickly circled around her and ran outside.
Buffy and Faith ran after her. They looked around but couldn't find her.
"Fuck!" Buffy exclaimed. "She's gone!"
Faith looked around. "She couldn't have gotten far. C'mon!"
Cordelia, in a fake fur coat, and Wesley, in a white suit, walked up outside of a club named XXI.
Cordelia saw a couple getting out of a car. "Those two are perfect."
"Did you bring the badge?"
"No."
"You said you had-"
"Sir, madam, I'm Detective Andrews, and this is Detective...Yelsew. Show them your badge..."
Wesley took his wallet out of his inside pocket and waved it through the air without letting them get a look at it.
"...and write down their license plate number: four, three, niner, Peter, Charley, Edward."
"What are you doing?" the man asked. "Why are you writing down-?"
"Sir, if you could just calm down and give us your name?" Cordelia requested.
"My name is Matthew Winslow, as in Winslow Multimedia? And I happen to be a personal friend of your boss...Chief Parks?"
"We'll give him your best. Could I see your tickets, please?" Cordelia requested.
Winslow handed her his tickets. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer tonight."
"Are you aware that you've purchased tickets to an unlicensed sporting event?" Cordelia asked him.
Wesley nodded. "Answer the detective."
"Well, if it's illegal, what are all these people doing here?" Winslow asked Cordelia.
"We're trying to do you a favor, Mr. Winslow."
"Something is going down tonight. Something with the man."
Cordelia kicked Wesley.
"A raid?" Winslow asked her.
"We're not at liberty to say."
"But we could just...go on home?" Winslow asked her.
"I think that would be a wise thing to do, sir."
Winslow mouthed 'Thank you', and he and his lady got back into the car. Cordelia elbowed Wesley as they walked off.
"What?"
"You almost blew it!"
"I saved it!"
"Urgh! 'Something is going down with the man?' You idiot!"
Cordelia and Wesley walked into the arena. Angel was in a pit, being pummeled by a demon. The crowd was jeering and yelling for Angel to fight back, but he only blocked or ducked the punches.
Cordelia spotted Darin, who was playing with a bracelet. "I think we found our missing client."
They made their way closer to the pit.
"Oh, my God! What is this? Pit-Fighter?" Cordelia asked.
"These Octavian matches date back to the Roman Empire. I'd heard rumors of a revival."
"Couldn't they have just done West Side Story? What's with the bracelets?"
"If they cross the red line while wearing one...they disintegrate."
"Oh."
Darin put the bracelet down on top of the barrier and motioned to the guard standing next to him. The guard pulled out a short knife and dropped it in the pit. The demon picked it up and sliced Angel across the left upper arm with it. Angel bared his fangs.
"Killing blow! Killing blow!" the crowd started to chant.
Angel fended off a couple more swipes by the demon, then grabbed a hold of his knife hand and twisted it into the demon's own chest.
"Angel! Angel!" the crowd chanted.
The demon dropped, and Angel looked down at the blood on his hand.
"Official time: 7 minutes, 33 seconds. This marks the first of what promises to be many more kills by the vampire! Angel!" the announcer announced.
Cordelia and Wesley looked on as Angel turned and walked out through the doors.
Cordelia and Wesley were walking outside of the club.
"We've got to call the police."
"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why?" Cordelia asked.
"If, by some miracle, they're not already in on this, MacNamara would destroy the evidence the moment they showed."
Cordelia realized what that meant. "He'd kill the fighters. We've got to get Angel out of there!"
"I know. And to do that, we have to get him out of those wrist-cuffs. No mean feat. They were forged by ancient sorcerers."
"So get an ancient key!"
"I might be able to make one myself...if I could get my hands on one of those cuffs. Which isn't going to be easy..."
Cordelia pulled a cuff out of her pocket and held it up.
"...unless you happened to procure one while I wasn't looking."
They smiled at each other.
"Well done!" Wesley praised.
"Thank you."
Back at Angel Investigations, Wesley worked on the bracelet while Cordelia watched.
"You'd think people get enough gratuitous violence watching Jerry Springer."
"Cordelia, do you mind? I'm trying to concentrate."
"You've been concentrating all night."
"Yes! It's taken this long to translate the text. I need something that conducts electricity but not too much of it. This cuff is half magic, half...medieval technology. If I read the alchemist correctly...all I need is..."
He touched a wire to the cuff. There was an explosion of sparks, and Wesley was thrown backwards onto the floor.
Cordelia ran over to him. "Ouch! Are you okay?"
Wesley sat back up. "Perhaps...something that conducts a little less electricity."
The bracelet was in the vise on Angel's table. Wesley, holding a pair of pliers, slowly touched the stick held with them down on the bracelet. Nothing happened.
Wesley peeked up above the edge of the table. "Too thick."
Cordelia peeked out from behind a pillar. "Oh. Tick-tick, Wesley!"
"I don't know what else to try. We need something supple enough to thread the locking mechanism but strong enough to spring the release."
"Horsehair."
"Horsehair?"
Cordelia fiddled with her bracelet. "From Keanu, my palomino, before the IRS took him away."
Wesley took a strand of hair and put it between the pliers. "Horsehair."
"Well, we tried just about everything else."
Wesley ducked back down below the table, and Cordelia ran back behind her pillar. Wesley touched the horsehair to the "XXI" on the cuff. There was a short zap, and it sprung open.
In XXI, Cordelia walked down a dirty hallway and up to a guard. "Can you help me? I'm a little lost." She drew the guard away from the corridor opening that he was standing in front off. "I'm looking for the ladies' room. They said it was this way...or is - is that back up one level?"
Cordelia was watching Angel and a demon fighting. A guard dropped two pointed wooden staffs into the pit. The demon caught one out of the air; the other dropped to the ground. As he charged Angel with it, Angel vaulted out of the way, picking up the other stick as he rolled back to his feet, and the fight continued. The crowd was getting excited, Wesley walked into the area above the pit, looking for Cordelia.
Cordelia saw him. "Wesley, what happened?"
"One of them took my key."
"Angel can't last much longer. We have to do something now."
Wesley spotted Darin. "We will."
Angel had lost his staff, and the demon had him in a bind. Angel managed to throw him against the wall, but he bounced back, stabbing Angel through the gut with his staff. Angel hit the staff, breaking it in two (one half still stuck through his side), caught the demon's wrist as he tried to hit Angel with the remaining piece, and kicked his feet out from under him. The demon landed hard on his back. Angel pulled out the piece stuck in his side and pressed the pointy end against the demon's throat. Angel got off him, threw the stick away, and walked off as the crowd booed. The demon got back up and kicked Angel in the back.
"Killing blow! Killing blow!" the crowd chanted.
As the demon beat up on Angel, who was not even trying to block any of the blows anymore, Wesley pulled Cordelia over towards Darin. The demon pulled back his fist to hit Angel, who was in pretty bad shape by now, again, and they stared at each other.
"Killing blow! Killing blow!" the crowd kept chanting.
The demon lowered his fist and stared up into the stands. The crowd fell quiet. The demon looked back at Angel, then turned away, and Angel collapsed to the ground. The demon scanned the crowd.
Darin looked down at the guards in the pit. "Both of them."
The guards raised their cattle prods.
Wesley held a gun on Darin. "Call them off."
"Fuck you."
Some of the spectators started to leave as Wesley cocked his gun.
The doors to the pit burst open, and the demons stormed the arena. Darin grabbed Wesley's gun hand as he was distracted, and the two of them started to struggle. The demons were beating up the guards as the crowd ran for the exits.
A demon bent over Angel with the key. "Give me your wrist." He unlocked the cuff. "Loser."
The demons had killed all of the guards, and most of them ran back out through the doors in the pit. Darin managed to get the gun away from Wesley and pushed him down. As he aimed to shoot him, Cordelia pushed him over the railing, into the pit, with a metal stand.
Darin pointed the gun at the demon that Angel had fought. "You stupid slave. You had your twenty-one! But you had to go and ruin it for everybody else."
The demon pivoted, so Darin's back was to Angel and the other demon. Angel pulled Darin's hand down as he shot, and the second demon locked a cuff around Darin's left wrist.
He threw Darin at the first demon. "Trepkos, catch."
Trepkos threw Darin up into the stands, and he disintegrated as he passed the red line around the pit. The bracelet landed on the floor, between Cordelia and Wesley, who were the only ones left up there. The demon unlocked Trepkos' cuff. Angel's knees gave as he tried to walk out.
Trepkos caught him. "Easy."
"Thanks. Thanks."
"It was a good fight."
"Yeah."
The three of them walked out. Angel swayed, and Trepkos caught him again before he fell.
Angel smiled. "I could have taken you."
Cordelia and Wesley supported Angel between them as they walked out of the club.
Cordelia looked at Angel in concern. "Angel you don't look so well; it's a good thing that you heal fast."
"Yeah. It's also a good thing you found me in time."
"We weren't going to let anything happen to you."
Wesley shook his head. "No."
"Well, I mean...beyond the slavery and the severe beatings and shit. Wesley came up with the key!" Cordelia praised.
"But Cordelia came up with the key to the key! In a clinch moment."
"You both did great. And...I think we did a...good thing here tonight."
Wesley looked after the departing demons. "Yes. We set the captives free."
"Well, actually, didn't we set...a bunch of...demons free?" Cordelia asked him.
"Oh. Well. Technically...yes."
That evening, Buffy and the Slayerettes were performing at the Bronze. Harmony was sitting at a nearby table. She had her video camera set up on her tripod and was taping the set. The band took a break and joined her at the table, pulling over additional chairs as needed.
"Have you heard anything about Sunday?" Harmony asked.
Buffy shook her head. "She's gone. Not a trace. I don't think she's coming back."
Amy shrugged. "Guess she's had her fun."
Sandy fumed. "Yeah. Fun."
Buffy looked at her. "Faith will track her down. She'll get your ring back."
Tara put a comforting hand on Sandy's shoulder. "It'll be okay."
Buffy smiled. "Yeah. C'mon, final performance of the night. Let's rock."
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Sandy stood up and walked back onto the stage. They took their places. Buffy and Sandy picked up their guitars, Tara turned on her keyboard, and Amy picked up her drumsticks.
Buffy looked out at the audience and smiled. "Thank you for coming out to see us. This is our last song of the evening. Enjoy. All right! 1, 2, 3, 4!"
They started playing their instruments. Buffy sang the lead vocals, and the others - including Harmony and others in the audience - joined in for the shouts:
"Once upon a time,
Not so long ago...
"Tommy used to work on the docks.
Union's been on strike.
He's down on his luck; it's tough,
So tough.
"Gina works the diner all day.
Working for her man,
She brings home her pay for love,
Mmm, for love.
"She says 'We've gotta hold on
To what we've got.
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not.
We've got each other,
And that's a lot for love.
We'll give it a shot.'
"Whoa, we're halfway there.
Whoa-oa, livin' on a prayer!
Take my hand; we'll make it, I swear.
Whoa-oa, livin' on a prayer!"
Chapter 98: Eternity
Chapter Text
"Eternity"
Based on the Angel Episode Written by Tracey Stern
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
Cordelia was on the stage in an almost empty theater, wearing an old-fashioned dress, acting in a play. Angel and Wesley were in the audience.
"One day, I might, yes, many years from now - when I've lost my looks a little. Do not laugh. I mean, of course, a time will come when Torvald is not...is not..." Cordelia turned to the back of the stage. "Line!"
"...is not as devoted to me."
"What?"
"...is not as devoted to me."
"Right, right." Cordelia turned back around. "...when Torvald is not as devoted to me." She gave a dramatic sob, then turned her head back towards the prompter.
Cordelia was walking down the street at night with Angel and Wesley on either side of her.
"So? What did you think?" Cordelia asked eagerly.
Angel and Wesley exchanged a look.
Wesley hesitated. "Well, your...projection was excellent."
"Yeah. I could hear every word, and we were way in the back."
"Okay, so I was loud. But was I any good?" Cordelia asked.
Wesley hesitated again. "You...took the role and made it your own."
Cordelia smiled at him. "Really? Thanks." She looked at Angel. "Angel, was I good?"
"I wouldn't say it, if I didn't think so."
"Thanks." Cordelia paused in thought. "You didn't say it."
"I didn't?"
Cordelia spotted someone across the street. "I don't believe it!"
"Hey, you know, it was a night in the theater I'll never forget."
"That's Oliver Simon!"
"Who?" Wesley asked her.
"Only one of the most important talent managers in this town! I was at a party with him." Cordelia looked at Angel. "You were there!"
"Right. He gave me his card."
"What?! I was working him all night, and he gave you his card?"
"He thought I had a quality."
"Look who he's with! Rebecca Lowell."
"Who?" Wesley asked her.
"Raven!"
Angel and Wesley stared blankly at her.
"She played Raven in On Your Own? Big hit television show that was only on for, like, nine-and-a-half years? Do either of you even own a television?"
Wesley had to think about it. "I-"
Angel didn't. "No."
"It was a seminal show. Canceled by the idiot network. I was going to picket them, but I didn't have any comfortable shoes..." Cordelia trailed off.
Angel walked over the hood of the car parked next to them and pushed Rebecca out of the way of an oncoming car. Rebecca rolled clear, but Angel hit the windshield, breaking the glass, then rolled over the top of it and down the street to come to rest in front of another parked car.
"Oh, my god, Rebecca!" Oliver hurried over to her as Rebecca watched Angel get up. "Are you all right, darling?"
Cordelia and Wesley hurried over to Angel.
"Oh, my God! What was she like?" Cordelia asked him.
"Excuse me, are you all right?" Rebecca asked Angel.
Cordelia looked at her. "Oh, he's fine. It was such an honor to save your life, Ms. Lowell."
"Thank you." Rebecca looked at Angel. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."
"Cordelia Chase. I'm so glad you weren't...oh." Cordelia motioned towards Angel. "He doesn't even know who you are."
"You don't know me?" Rebecca asked Angel.
"Sure, he doesn't. I'm sure he'll accept a small reward, anyway." Oliver pulled out his wallet.
"No, thanks."
"We're not gonna be held up here."
"Oliver, down. He doesn't know who I am."
Cordelia looked at her. "He's culturally retarded that way."
Rebecca held out her hand. "I'm Rebecca."
Angel took it. "Angel."
"So...you make a habit of this sort of thing, Angel?"
"Oh, it's only, like, his purpose in life! Angel is the Dark Avenger - only not too dark - happy dark! I have a card in here somewhere." Cordelia started digging through her purse.
"Cordelia."
"What?" Cordelia asked Wesley.
Rebecca saw press and cameras. "Oh, God. Who called ET?"
"Emma Thompson?" Wesley asked.
Cordelia looked at him. "Entertainment Tonight, doofus."
"They're here for the party."
"Oliver?" Rebecca asked.
"This will be all over the tabs come morning, Bec. We might as well just put our own spin on it first, right?"
"Look, I'd like to apologize..." Rebecca looked around, but Angel was gone.
"Oh, he does that." Cordelia offered Rebecca a card. "Here is our card. If you ever need rescuing - or want to pal around or something - call us!"
Wesley grabbed a hold of her arms and dragged her off.
"Let go!" Cordelia yelled angrily.
"Come along."
The next day, Cordelia walked into the office of Angel Investigations, carrying a newspaper. "I made the papers. Last night is all over the front page of the Calendar section!"
"Really. There was a reviewer from the Times at your play?" Wesley asked her.
"What? No! Like a reviewer needs to see some hundred-year-old play! The thing with Rebecca Lowell - I'm in the picture."
"Where?"
"Right there."
"Where?"
"Right there! Next to Rebecca. That's my elbow."
Angel was standing by the open file cabinet. "Guys. Can we just forget about Rebecca Lowell? I mean...we ran into an actor. It's Hollywood. It happens." He looked over Wesley's shoulder at the paper. "We have a nice photo of Cordelia's...elbow and an article about me saving a TV star." He walked towards his office. "Just because the papers want to make it-"
"There is no mention of you."
Angel came back to look at the paper. "What?"
"Nothing."
"Oh." Angel paused. "Well,...that's good, right? I mean this whole high-profile thing really isn't our deal, anyway."
"What are you talking about? First off, Rebecca Lowell hasn't had a series since On Your Own was canceled, and that was almost a season and a half ago!" Cordelia complained.
Wesley smiled. "And they say there are no seasons in Los Angeles."
"We have to use this now, before she's just another E! True Hollywood Story! When word gets out that you're protector to the stars, they're going to be lining up at the door!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Rebecca walked in with two bodyguards. "Glad I beat the crowd, then."
"Oh, my God. No!" Cordelia turned around to face Rebecca. "I didn't mean...um..." She paused. "Coffee? Tea? We don't have anything good here, uh, but our intern would be happy to get you something, Ms. Lowell." She motioned at Wesley.
"Can we talk?" Rebecca asked Angel.
Angel gestured at his office. "Sure. Right in here."
Rebecca looked at the bodyguards. "Stay."
Angel looked at Cordelia. "Stay."
Rebecca walked into Angel's office. He followed and closed the door behind him.
Cordelia walked up to the door to try to listen in. Wesley joined her.
"You're not fond of sunshine."
"I'm a night person."
"Me, too. It, uh, makes it easier to hide."
"Seems like you're in the wrong business, if you want to hide."
"So...you never really saw even one single episode of On Your Own."
"No."
"Huh. Well, stop by. I'll give you a private screening of the episode I...didn't win the Emmy for."
"Thanks for the invitation, but...um..."
"Look. I've been famous since I was fourteen. It's...refreshing to meet someone who doesn't care."
"Seems like you're surrounded by people who care about you."
"They work for me. They're paid to care."
"So. How can I help you?"
"I have a...stack of these at home. All the same - written in blood. He also has my private telephone number. Scary calls in the middle of the night. Most of my devoted fans are harmless, but these-"
"It's not blood."
"Are you sure?"
"Have you tried the police?"
"Oliver has been after me to, but...then I'd just be hand-feeding the story to the Enquirer. No, thanks."
"How do you know I won't do the same?"
"I don't. But I do know that you came out of nowhere and saved my life last night. I know that you didn't ask for anything in return. And I know...I feel safer in this office than I do in my own home." Rebecca paused. "I'm up for a new series. One of those make-or-break gigs for Rebecca's career, part two. I need...peace of mind."
"The car that ran you down was a green, freshly-painted '76 Chevy Nova. I caught the plates, ran the vehicle ID. It was stolen. And I'm sorry, but...I can't take your case."
"Are you insane?!" Cordelia yelled through the closed door, then quickly turned away, pretending to sneeze.
"I don't understand."
"Give that information to your people. They'll find the guy. You don't need me."
A short while later, Angel was still sitting behind his desk, Wesley was leaning in the doorway, and Cordelia was pacing the floor.
"My first big connection to Hollywood, and you practically throw her out of the office. Haven't you ever heard of networking?" Cordelia asked Angel.
Wesley looked at her. "Cordelia."
"No! He can fight off Donkey Demons, who rip people's...guts out, but he can't help one defenseless actress from a psycho?" Cordelia looked at Angel. "What is your thing?"
"He likes her. He's afraid of getting close."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "'Cause of his curse?" She looked at Angel. "You'd have to get awfully close to her for that to kick in. And in the meantime, you could be helping me."
"The person who needs help here...is Ms Lowell."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "Right. He could be helping us both!" She looked at Angel. "Think of the karma!"
Wesley leaned on Angel's desk. "This may not be the right case for you. Maybe we can find somebody else to help her."
Cordelia put a hand to her forehead and hunched over. "Oh, no! Not now! God! What's this I see in my vision? Oh. It's a figure - a woman. It's Rebecca. She's in danger. Teeerrible danger." She realized the guys were not impressed and gave up her act. "Great! Just...great. Because Mr. Distance has intimacy issues, I lose my brush with fame!"
Angel sighed. "Oh, Jesus. Cordelia, she is just a person."
"Spoken like a true non-person! Just knowing a star makes your life better. I'd do anything to live in her world!"
The next day, Cordelia was sitting behind her desk in the office. "He took the case?"
"Yes. He phoned early this morning. We're to follow up on the stolen vehicle."
"What made him change his mind?"
"Apparently, he didn't. He was quietly keeping tabs on her all along."
"And he called you early this morning?"
"Yes. Uh, isn't this what you were lobbying for?" Wesley asked her.
Cordelia narrowed her eyes. "How early? Did he spend the night?"
"One assumes."
"Oh, great. He spent the night with the fantasy of millions...all alone, 'protecting' her."
"You're worried about the curse."
Cordelia huffed.
"I wouldn't be."
"Hey, you weren't around the last time Angel went mental. I, on the other hand, was on the first wave of the clean-up crew. He knows perfect happiness, he goes evil. So don't tell me not to worry."
"Angel's moment of true happiness occurred, because he was with you. You realize how rare that is: true happiness? And what are the odds he'd find that with an actress?"
Cordelia was offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I was...I meant TV actress."
"Save it. Angel spent the night at Rebecca's. I owe it to that poor girl...to see if he wound up chowing down on my one link to fame."
Cordelia knocked on the door to Rebecca's house, opened it, and walked inside.
Angel walked down the stairs. "Cordelia,...you're here,...and you brought a cross."
Cordelia carefully stayed in the sun shining in through the door. "Along with three double half-caf, non-fat, skinny lattes."
"And a cross."
"Well, judging by the outfit, I guess it's safe to come in. Evil Angel never would have worn those pants. Where is Rebecca?"
"She had a lunch to go to."
"Lunch? It's still noon. Shouldn't that be more of a brunch for her?"
"Well, actually, she was up before dawn, working out."
"So she went to lunch and just left you here to rummage through her things?"
"No, I...told her that I was a vampire, and that daytime patio dining was out."
"Did you just make a joke?"
"I really told her."
"Wow. So do you think she'd still set me up with her manager?"
The next day, Cordelia and Rebecca walked down a street, carrying shopping bags.
"Thanks for coming. I'm sure glad that you could find the time."
Cordelia laughed out loud but then stopped. "Oh, you were being serious? Because big, important stars ask me out for lunch and a shopping spree, like, all the time - in my dreams! Ha, ha."
"I'm just an actress. Like you."
"You're an actress. I'm someone who auditions and auditions and-"
"That's what happens when you first start out. I'm sure you're going to make it really big."
"Yee-hee-hee!" Cordelia exclaimed in delight, then calmed down. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to squeal like that in public. Anyway, thank you for calling. You must have a ton of friends you could have asked."
"Yeah, but...none of them would know what to buy a two-hundred-year-old vampire as a thank-you gift."
"Oh, God! He's impossible to buy for. What on Earth does he need? More socks?"
"So...what's his story, anyway? How did he become what he is?"
"Oh, God. You got eight hours?"
"I got all day."
"Yee-ha-hum!" Cordelia exclaimed in delight, then calmed down. "Uh, I won't do that again."
That night, Cordelia answered a knock on the door of her apartment. "Oh, Wesley."
"I got your pages. What's happening?"
"I think I may have done something terrible." Cordelia paused. "I went shopping with Rebecca."
"And that was terrible."
"Huh? No! That was fantastic! You know they close the stores for her? Oh, and lunch at Mirabelle's. I had the most to-die-for veal filet with a light truffle marinade and-"
"Cordelia."
"Sorry. Anyway, the whole time, Rebecca is real gabby, asking questions about Angel."
"Well, what sort of questions?"
"Oh, you know, where does Angel hail from, what's his favorite color, what kind of aftershave he wears, the exact specific details on how someone could make themselves into a vampire."
"Surely, you don't think-"
"What? That she'd try to maneuver Angel into an exchange of bodily fluids in order to make herself eternally young and beautiful, thus saving her failing career? Gee, now that you mention it."
Cordelia ran into the office, Wesley right behind her. Rebecca ran out of the elevator.
Wesley looked at her. "It's okay."
"Thank God!" Rebecca cried. "Help me. He's trying to kill me."
"You fucked him, didn't you?" Cordelia accused.
Wesley looked at her. "Cordelia."
"What are you talking about?" Rebecca asked her.
"What you did."
"I didn't do anything."
"You must have done something."
"Maybe I gave him something to loosen him up. Now, he's-"
"Loose?"
"Yeah."
"What was it?"
"Does it matter?"
"If he's homicidal, I think yeah!"
"Powerful tranquilizer. Induces bliss."
"Bliss? As in bliss? Sheer contentment? Perfect happiness?"
"It's synthetic. Not true happiness."
"This is good."
Cordelia looked at Wesley.
"He hasn't really turned. It's an illusion."
"He bit me."
"We'll leave the premises until the effects wear off."
"Are you sure they will wear off?" Cordelia asked him.
"Reasonably."
The lights went out.
Wesley looked around. "He's cut the power."
"Where's the box?" Rebecca asked him.
"Side of the building."
Rebecca thought about that. "He's gone out."
"Which means he's-"
"Looks like somebody didn't pay the power bill."
Cordelia saw Angel, ran over to her desk, and picked up the handset.
Wesley looked at her. "Cordelia? I'd lay odds that the phone's dead, too. What do you think?"
"What happens if there's an emergency?" Angel taunted.
Wesley looked at him. "Angel. I want you to listen to me. What you're experiencing isn't real. You've been fed a drug. It's simulating bliss. All that you're feeling is chemical suggestion."
"Angel?" Cordelia asked.
"Name's Angelus."
"I don't wish to take drastic measures, but, unless you listen, I warn you-"
"You're warning me? What happened, Wes? You suddenly grow a pair? That's it. The whole root of your inferiority complex. Good news, Wes, old boy. You don't really have an inferiority complex. You're just simply inferior."
Wesley made a move toward Angel.
"Wesley, no!" Cordelia warned. She approached Angel. "Why don't you just-"
"Just - Just - Line?!" Angel mocked. "'Of course, a time will come...when Torvald is not as devoted to me.' You were really, let me tell you, bad."
"Stop it."
Angel approached her. "Why? You didn't. I've been to Hell, but that was so much worse! You had to be there. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Everybody was laughing. Here's a thought: Maybe you can get Raven to coach you. Then you'd actually suck."
Cordelia backed up. "Back off."
"What are you gonna do? Melt me?"
"One more step, and you'll find out." Cordelia picked a jar up off her desk. "You think this is just water?"
"You're bluffing."
"Am I? You don't think I wasn't ready for this, do you?" Cordelia asked. "Why do I have a stake stashed in my desk, a cross in my bag? I think about this happening every single day."
"That's just drinking water."
"Delivered right to our door...then blessed every second Tuesday by Father Mackie...while you're down in your Batcave, sleeping through the day. You don't believe me? Have some!" Cordelia splashed him with water.
Angel quickly turned his back to her, then he slowly faced her again.
Cordelia raised the jar. "And the Oscar goes to..."
Wesley suddenly tackled Angel with a scream and threw him into the elevator, knocking him unconscious.
Cordelia was sitting in a chair, and Wesley stood near her. They stared at Angel, chained to his bed, as he slowly woke up.
"Are you still evil?" Cordelia asked him, her arms folded over her chest.
"I'm so sorry."
"Can I get another reading on that line, please?" Cordelia asked.
"Rebecca? Is she-?"
"Gone. She won't be keeping you on retainer as her bodyguard. I think it was the trying to murder her that lost you the gig."
Angel looked at Wesley. "I need to apologize."
"There's no need."
Cordelia looked at him in surprise. "Hello?"
"It was the drug. Couldn't be helped. Things were said, that's true...but I think it best if we put it behind us. Move on."
"Thank you."
"You walk a fine line, Angel. I don't envy you." Wesley started to walk away.
"Wesley?"
Wesley stopped and looked at him.
"Nice moves up there."
Wesley left the room.
"Cordelia-"
"Okay. Here's something I never thought I would say to you: Wesley's right."
"I'm-"
"Forget it."
"I didn't mean-"
"Yes, you did. I'd appreciate you not trying to weasel out of it." Cordelia stood up. "Angelus may not be the most relaxing company, but at least he's honest. Shouldn't I expect the same from the not-evil version of my friends?"
"So we're okay, then?"
"I'm too big of a person to let it get in the way of our friendship."
"I appreciate that."
They stared at each other in silence for a moment.
"You're not gonna untie me, are you?"
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "P-ch-ch!" She turned and walked out of the room.
Chapter 99: Five by Five
Chapter Text
"Five by Five"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Where the Wild Things Are" Written by Tracey Forbes and the Angel Episode "Five by Five" Written by Jim Kouf
The following story is copyright © 2023 by Mark Moore.
Buffy was fighting a vampire. She kicked him, they exchanged a few punches, and she threw him across the graveyard. Tara joined in and kicked the vampire. They exchanged punches as Buffy loaded her crossbow. She brought it to her face and aimed. Tara threw the vampire over her shoulder. Buffy lowered the crossbow to smile proudly. Tara lifted the vampire and held him in position. Buffy fired, but a demon arrived and shoved Tara out of the way, then helped the vampire up. Buffy dropped her crossbow and joined the fight. She kicked the vampire and then the demon, then moved aside to regroup.
Buffy looked at Tara. "Okay, you get Fang, I'll get Horny."
Tara looked at her and smiled.
"I mean-"
The vampire attacked. He threw Tara over his shoulder. Tara rolled and came up holding a stake. Buffy kicked the demon in the chest, then gave him a circular kick to knock him over. She kicked his knee and punched him several times in the back. Tara kneed the vampire in the back. Buffy had the demon by the neck and stabbed him in the back. Tara staked the vampire. Buffy threw down her weapon and sighed. Tara put her stake back in her jacket.
"Whoo! Vampire-demon tag team." Buffy brushed hair out of her face. "Who says we can't all get along?"
"Don't recall ever seeing that before." Tara stepped close to her.
"It never happened. Vamps...hate demons..."
Tara looked at the bodies. "I guess we should tell Jenny and Mr. Giles about this."
Faith waited as the Greyhound bus pulled up to the stop and stopped. The door opened, and the passengers stepped out. Faith picked up her duffel bag and got out of the bus. She stepped into the cone of the streetlight.
A guy lit a cigarette. "New in town, right?"
Faith ignored him and kept walking.
He fell in beside Faith. "You got that new-in-town look. This is a dangerous part of town this time of night for a young lady, you know? Lot of people down here try and take advantage of a situation like that." He paused. "Especially if you don't have any money,...place to stay." He paused again. "I might be able to help."
Faith stopped and turned to him. "Fuck off."
"Oh, yeah? Make me."
Faith hit him in the stomach, then in the face, knocking him to the pavement. Then she continued on her way.
Buffy and Tara were sitting on Giles' couch.
Giles was sitting in a chair, holding a rolled-up piece of paper. "There's always been great discord between them. And yet you say that the - the vampire went to the demon's aid. The two of them were working as a team?"
Buffy nodded. "Everything except giving each other little pats on the ass."
"Extraordinarily odd." Giles sat back, crossed his legs, and gestured with the paper. "As a rule, demons...have no empathy for any of the species other than their own. In fact, most think of vampires as...abominations. Mixing with human blood and all."
"So...what brought these two together?" Tara asked.
Jenny shook her head. "Not what. Who."
Giles realized. "Adam." He pulled off his glasses.
Jenny nodded. "Think about it. Who better to bring together a bunch of...demon types than someone who's made out of a...bunch of demon types?"
Tara looked at her. "So he's, um, bridging the gap between the races, like Martin Luther King."
Giles raised his eyebrows skeptically and cleared his throat. "Um, I suggest that, uh, over the next several nights, you two concentrate your patrol in that same area. If there's any other peculiar pairings or groupings, you let me know."
Buffy nodded. "I'll let Riley know, and he'll let the squad know as well. They're patrolling. They'll have a, uh, reserve unit out during the party."
Giles frowned. "Party?"
"Tomorrow night. They're having a thing."
"At a time like this? Who, well, whose idea was that?"
"Riley's. Boys are pretty ragged, need to let off steam."
Giles nodded. "Point taken."
"You're welcome to come."
"Well, much as I, uh, long for a good kegger, I have other plans. The Espresso Pump." Giles sat back, embarrassed.
"What are you doing there?" Tara asked him.
"I'm, um, uh, it's a - a meeting of, uh, grownups. It couldn't possibly be of any interest to you lot."
"Okay." Buffy stood up, not particularly caring. "Good night."
Cordelia listened by Angel's closed office door as Angel tried to convince a guy named Marquez to testify in a trial.
Angel slammed Marquez into a chair in his office. "The only way you're gonna keep from getting killed is to do the right thing."
"Right thing for who?"
"Next time they come after you, I'm not gonna be there. And your friends aren't gonna be there either. Not after being cut up and incinerated."
"This guy is never gonna do it. What a waste of a good vision." Cordelia walked over to where Wesley was laying curled up under his jacket on the couch, trying to sleep.
"It's going that badly?"
"I knew it when you brought him in here yesterday. Someone with that much body art is gonna have a different definition of civic duty."
"After we saved his life?"
"When was the last time you wrote a thank-you card?"
Wesley sat up. "Well, I have faith in Angel. If anyone can convince him to testify-"
"Wesley, you don't change a guy like that. In fact, generally speaking, you don't change a guy. What you see is what you get. Scratch the surface, and what do you find? More surface."
Wesley put on his glasses and got up. "One could have said that about Angel."
"Oh, please! He was cursed by Gypsies. What's Angel gonna do? Drag a bunch of them in here to shove a soul down this guy's throat?"
"He may be a ruffian, but he's already got a soul - and therefore, deep down inside, an urge to do what's right."
Marquez burst into the outer office. "No way. I'm gone."
Angel grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back, slamming the door. "Shut up and sit down."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "I guess you're right, Wesley. He's just like the Dalai Lama."
Faith walked up to the outside of a club and joined a small crowd on the steps. She paid the cover and walked inside.
There were people dancing inside. Faith scanned the room, trying to focus. Finally, Faith saw Sunday, dancing, drifting from guy to guy. She danced up to a girl, then took the arms of the guy that the girl was dancing with and wrapped them around her own waist. The girl stopped and stared while Sunday rubbed herself against the guy.
"Excuse me!" the girl yelled.
"Okay, you're excused."
"That's my boyfriend!"
"Really?" Sunday looked down inside the front of the guy's shirt. "You have your name on him? Because I don't see it...anywhere."
"Billy! Do something!"
"Yeah, Billy, do something - like this!" Sunday elbowed the girl in the face.
Billy tried to hit Sunday, but she deflected him, and he stumbled into a guy behind her. A fight ensued and slowly spread to others, during which Sunday kept dancing to the music while throwing the occasional punch or kick.
Faith joined the fray, suddenly knocking Sunday against a wall. She pinned Sunday against the wall. "Hey, Slayer."
"Don't call me that! It's uncouth or whatever!" Sunday headbutted Faith.
The two women fought for a while, but Sunday eventually knocked Faith to the floor and ran out of the club.
The next day, at Angel Investigations, Cordelia was on the phone. "Unfortunately, we...don't really do divorce cases."
"Is it about the money?" the man asked.
"No, it's not about the money."
"What about three-grand?"
"Oh, it's about that much money! How soon can we meet?"
Angel and Wesley came out of the elevator.
"Tomorrow, noon, Bonnie's BBQ at the Dearmont? You know it?"
"Yeah, I know where that is."
"Cool."
"Okay, we'll see you there tomorrow. Thanks for calling. Bye!" Cordelia hung up. "How'd it go?"
Wesley smiled. "We won."
"Gang guy testified?"
Angel nodded. "Stood up and told the truth."
"What did I tell you?" Cordelia asked Wesley.
"That he never would."
"Well, more good news. I may have landed a new client, and here is a twist: he can afford to pay!"
"What's the case?" Wesley asked.
"I'm still in...information-gathering phase. But, uh, we're meeting him for lunch tomorrow." She looked at Angel. "So...are you happy with the way things turned out?" She looked at Wesley. "You can always tell when he's happy. His scowl...is slightly less scowly."
Wesley looked at Angel. "That young man is very lucky he ran into you."
"He just needed a little guidance - a push in the right direction."
"I wonder how Wolfram & Hart are going to push back."
That night, in Lowell House, there was loud party music; people walked in and out, holding beers. Buffy, Amy, Harmony, Sandy, and Tara were standing together, drinking beer from red Solo cups.
Buffy looked at Sandy. "Sandy, you look kinda glum, chum."
Sandy looked at her, distracted. "Oh, it's just...the ring...and...I've been thinking about Veruca. I know she's doing well, but she hasn't called much, and she seems more occupied with her music. I'm not even sure we're still together."
"Maybe mingle a bit, see if you meet someone nice." Buffy caught herself. "Not that Veruca isn't nice, uh-"
"It's okay, Buffy." Sandy walked off, going through the crowds. She walked up to a girl with long, curly reddish-brown hair that was looking at a cabinet of trophies. "Hi."
The girl smiled. "Hi." She paused. "Who are you here with?"
Sandy shrugged. "Right now, I seem to be here with you."
The girl smiled. "I'm Julie."
Sandy smiled back. "I'm Sandy."
Buffy and Tara went and sat on the stairs. Buffy put her hand on Tara's knee.
Tara suddenly jumped back, filled with emotion. "Don't touch me!"
Buffy frowned in confusion.
"That's...just disgusting." Tara stood up.
Buffy stood up. "Tara...what's the matter?"
Tara panted. "I don't - I don't know."
"Are you feeling okay?" Buffy asked her.
"I'm f-fine. I just wanna...go to the bathroom." Tara ran up the stairs.
Buffy watched her go, concerned.
Sandy and Julie heard a bunch of people cheering and laughing. They turned a corner and discovered some people sitting on the floor, playing spin the bottle. Julie looked at Sandy and smiled. She motioned with her head, indicating they should join them. Sandy grinned, and they sat down.
When it was Sandy's turn, she spun, and it landed pointing at Julie.
Julie grinned. "Hey, Sandy."
Sandy smiled.
Julie got on all fours and leaned toward her. Sandy moved forward and nervously kissed her on the lips. Suddenly, Julie grabbed her and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. The others laughed and cheered. Julie climbed on top of Sandy, still kissing her.
Julie suddenly pulled away, looking horrified. "I'm sorry. I didn't..." She paused. "I'm sorry!" She jumped up and ran off.
Sandy was confused, then jumped up and ran after her. She walked through the crowds, looking around.
"Oh, my God!" a girl yelled happily.
Sandy looked and found a group of people around a spot on a wall.
A girl was touching the wall. "Oh, oh, oh! Touch it!" She fell back against a guy.
He put his hand on the wall. The others chattered loudly. Sandy heard crying noises from behind a closed door.
"Hi, uh, you okay?" Sandy asked.
More crying.
"Julie?" Sandy tried the doorknob, but it was locked.
"I'm bad. I'm bad."
Upstairs, Buffy knocked on the bathroom door. "Tara? It's me."
Nothing.
Buffy knocked again. "Tara?" She opened the door. "Tara?"
She walked into the bathroom, looking around. It was empty. Buffy went to the sink, turned on the water, and splashed it on her face. She turned off the water and straightened up, drying her face with a towel. She heard a gurgling noise and turned around. She frowned and walked over to the bathtub. She heard dripping noises. Buffy pulled back the shower curtain and found a young boy in the bathtub, underwater, arms crossed over his chest, struggling. She reached down to grab him, but he disappeared, and there was just a tub full of water. Buffy straightened up and turned around. The boy was standing behind her, dripping wet, arms still crossed over his chest. She screamed.
Sandy returned to the spin the bottle game. Two girls kissed while the others cheered.
"Hey, that girl, Julie, she's freakin' out."
They ignored her, still playing the game.
"Is anyone friends with Julie?" Sandy asked.
They laughed, ignoring her.
Buffy ran down the stairs. "Tara? Sandy? Amy? Harmony?" She ran through the house and found Sandy. "Sandy. Ghost boy. Drowning in a tub. I-I tried to save him, but, being a ghost already, well, I was way too late."
"A ghost?"
Buffy nodded. Tara walked up and touched Buffy's arm.
"Tara, how are you?" Buffy asked.
"I'm okay, but...I-I don't like it here. This house...I-I think we should go."
Buffy nodded. Sandy looked over as there was more laughter from the spin the bottle game. Instead of slowing down, the bottle got faster and faster. The players looked puzzled. Suddenly, the bottle exploded. People yelled as broken glass sprayed at them. Amy and Harmony arrived at that moment.
Amy stared at the scene. "Holy shit."
"Where's Riley?" Buffy asked. "This is his damn house."
Harmony looked at her. "Oh! I overheard some of the Initiative guys say he's fucking a girl upstairs."
Buffy ran off. The others followed.
They ran upstairs, yelled Riley's name, and pounded on doors. No answer. Suddenly, sharp-looking spiny thorns with green leaves sprouted from the cracks around the edges of a door. Buffy and Sandy jumped back.
"Riley!" Buffy pounded on the door. "Riley!"
Tara turned and looked behind them.
Amy was worried. "We gotta get them outta there."
Tara started to walk away while Buffy and Sandy stared at the writhing thorns still growing from under the door. Tara walked to the balcony and looked down on the main floor. The people were looking around as the building started to shake. People screamed and ran around. Glass was rattling; everything was shaking. The people screamed and ran toward the door. Suddenly, there was a strong tremor, and everyone fell onto the floor, including Tara, Buffy, Amy, Harmony, and Sandy. The shaking stopped. Everyone got to their feet. Harmony looked around, panting. Suddenly, she saw a girl, screaming and waving her arms, running toward her. The girl ran right to Harmony and through her. Harmony gasped and put her hands on her stomach. She looked behind her, but the girl had disappeared. Harmony looked around. The shaking began again. Everyone ran downstairs.
"We gotta get out of here. Come on!" Buffy yelled.
Books started flying off the shelves and attacking them. They all ducked and ran away. They and a few others ran toward the door and outside. Sandy looked back and saw Julie staggering toward her. There were patchy clumps of hair still on her head, but she was mostly bald.
"Please help me."
Sandy ran over and grabbed her, then helped her toward the door.
Sandy helped Julie out. Tara, Buffy, Amy, and Harmony were there. Julie immediately ran off.
Amy looked at Buffy. "We have to go back in there."
"Why?" Harmony asked.
Buffy looked at her. "Because Riley and a poor girl are trapped. Now, who's with me?"
Tara and Amy raised their hands, followed by Sandy, followed finally by Harmony.
Buffy walked to the door, opened it, and peeked inside. She took a few steps in, then something invisible pushed her out. She flew backward and landed several yards down the path.
Buffy groaned and made a pained face. "Or...it...could be Watcher time. We'll - We'll go to Giles'."
Tara looked at her. "No, no, wait, he - he isn't there. He was going to the Espresso Pump."
Buffy looked at her. "Right, he - he told us not to come. He - He needed some personal time."
They hurried off.
Buffy, Tara, Amy, Sandy, and Harmony walked into the Espresso Pump. They were surprised to see Giles sitting there, playing an acoustic guitar and singing. He was wearing casual clothes and had an earring in his left ear. Lots of people were sitting and listening to him. Jenny was sitting closest to him.
"No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man,
To be the sad man,
Behind blue eyes.
"No one knows what it's like
To be hated,
To be fated
To telling only lies."
Giles noticed the gang watching and looked embarrassed but kept singing:
"But my dreams, they are as empty,
As my conscience seems to be.
I have hours, only lonely.
My love is vengeance.
That's never free-ee.
"No one knows what it's like
To feel these feelings
Like I do,
And I blame you.
"No one bites back as hard
On their anger.
None of my pain and woe
Can show through."
They went to the UC Sunnydale library. Giles paced while the others sat at a table.
"When you called to Riley, he didn't cry out or - or respond in any way?"
Tara shook her head. "No."
Harmony thought of something. "Maybe they're too busy fucking to answer."
Giles rolled his eyes. "In the midst of all that, do you really think they were keeping it up?"
Everyone looked at him.
"Oh, for a different phrasing."
Sandy looked at him. "Well, see, that's the thing. People all over the party were starting to get really horny."
"Well, it could be some form of, uh, succubi or a satyr's prank. It could even be energy coming from the - the lab underneath the Lowell fraternity."
"It wasn't always a fraternity! Look!" Jenny exclaimed.
They all crowded around to look at her laptop.
"'Between 1949 and 1960, the Lowell Home for Children housed upwards of 40 adolescents: runaways, juvenile delinquents, and emotionally disturbed teenagers from the Sunnydale area.'"
"Children? Did any of them, um, die in there?" Tara asked.
Giles considered. "If there were deaths, then, uh, perhaps we're dealing with a fairly...standard haunting."
Jenny shook her head. "It doesn't say. It's mostly about the old house director, Genevieve Holt. 'Sunnydale Children's Aid. 30 years of community service. Giving disadvantaged kids the love and care they deserve.'"
"When did she die?" Giles asked her.
Jenny checked the article, then looked at Giles. "She didn't."
Mrs. Holt opened a pair of French doors and ushered in Giles and Jenny. "No, no, I don't mind at all. I was up. Early morning prayer."
Giles nodded. "Of course."
"And I like talking about my kids." Mrs. Holt sat in a chair. "I still call them that. My kids."
"I-I suppose you were like a mother to them." Giles sat on the sofa. "You did everything for them?"
"Oh, yes. I fed them, clothed them, educated them in the way of the Lord. I was given a medal."
Jenny sat beside Giles on the sofa.
"Yes, wonderful. Uh, congratulations. Um, this'll sound a little strange, but, uh, did you notice any odd...disturbances in the house?" Giles asked.
Mrs. Holt frowned. "I don't understand."
"We-Well, um, like, uh, furniture moving of its own accord or, uh, objects appearing out of nowhere, or - or perhaps you saw someone appear one moment, and then they were gone the next, i-inexplicably."
"Why, that sounds like crazy talk."
"Yes, it does, doesn't it?" Giles looked at Jenny, then back at Mrs. Holt. "Yes. Um..." He paused. "Well, forgive me for - for asking this, but, um, the children in your care, were any of them ever ill, or did anything ever happen to any of them?"
"Well, some had the flu and such. No one died, if that's what you mean. The engraving on the medal says how good I was with the children." Mrs. Holt smiled.
Giles smiled. "Oh, yes."
"I treated them as I would my own flesh and blood. Gave them hugs and praise when they were good and...punished them when they were dirty."
"Well, uh, children will be children. They, you know, they do like to play in the, uh, the muck." Giles smiled.
Mrs. Holt looked disapproving.
Jenny stared angrily at her. "She meant sexual, Rupert."
"My kids didn't think I knew, but I did."
Giles started to understand. "Very, uh, perceptive of you."
"Without me, they would have been shut out of the Kingdom. Lost to lust."
"But you...helped them."
"The girls felt the vanity more than the boys. I'd see them preening like Jezebel. Doting over their pretty hair."
Jenny grew angrier by the second. "So you'd hack it off."
"I'd remove the temptation to admire themselves."
Giles removed his glasses.
"They were better for it."
"What about the bathtub?" Jenny asked her. "Something happened there."
"I performed baptisms on the most unclean. Those who were tainted with impure thought and deed."
"You held them under?" Giles asked in horror.
"They needed to be reborn." Mrs. Holt rose. "You choose to pass judgment on me?"
Giles rose. "Well, someone ought to! You traumatized and - and abused these children, children who - who have no doubt become extremely disturbed adults!"
She waved her hand dismissively and started to walk away.
Giles pursued her. "You have ruined lives, Mrs. Holt. Furthermore, what you did has now manifested itself as a-a malevolent presence which threatens still more lives! You have a great deal to answer for."
"I refuse to listen to this when I can smell the sin on each of you."
Jenny stared daggers at her as she walked past her. "Fuck off, you old cunt."
Mrs. Holt stared at her in shock.
Jenny opened the door, and she and Giles left the apartment.
Jenny thought for a moment. "I don't get it. I mean...those kids were tortured, but they weren't killed, so where are those ghosts coming from?"
"I don't believe there are any ghosts."
"Harmony said one ran right through her."
"Not a ghost. An apparition. I believe we're dealing with a kind of poltergeist. A whole cluster of them, in fact, born out of intense adolescent emotion and sexual energy."
"Both of which were totally pent up during Mrs. Holt's reign of repression." Jenny paused in thought. "Maybe Riley and his girlfriend, you know, maybe they set something free."
"Yes. And now the poltergeists are drawing more and more energy out of them. Feeding on them, in fact. They are - are powering this whole thing."
"Okay, so what happens when the battery's drained?"
"They die."
In Amy and Harmony's dorm room, Tara spread a red cloth on a table, then sat in a chair. Amy brought candles and set them on the table, then sat down opposite Tara.
Jenny was sitting on the floor. She got up, holding her laptop. "All of you should just stay outside."
Amy nodded at the others. "We'll bind the spirits long enough for you to get Riley and the girl out."
"How much time will you buy us?" Buffy asked.
Tara shrugged. "Could be tricky; we're calling upon the communal spirit of a certain time and place."
Amy lit the candles.
Buffy looked at the others. "Let's go."
Harmony, Sandy, and Giles followed Buffy out of the dorm room.
Jenny set her laptop on the table and sat between Tara and Amy.
Tara looked at Amy and Jenny. "Give me your hands. Form a circle."
She and Amy and Jenny held hands, eyes closed.
"Children of the past, spirits of Lowell, be guided by our light. Come forth and be known to us."
All three women sensed something. They all opened their eyes and saw a bunch of ghostly children standing around them. They looked around nervously.
Buffy pushed open the front door of Lowell House and looked in nervously. She stepped forward and looked in. "House is clean."
Harmony nodded. "Let's go. You first."
Buffy took a breath and walked in. Giles, Sandy, and Harmony followed. They looked up. The entire staircase was covered in the leafy, spiny vines.
Buffy looked at the others. "We need to work fast. Never know how long before the munchkins get homesick."
Harmony shrugged. "Or the human battery conks out."
They started walking up the stairs, through the vines.
"Watch your fingers." Buffy started hacking at the vines with her machete.
Tara looked at the ghost children. "We implore you...be still."
The ghost children watched silently.
Jenny looked at them. "Find it in your hearts to leave our friends passage."
Amy looked at them. "Transform your pain. Release your past. And...uh ...get over it."
Jenny looked at her, nervous. Amy shrugged.
Buffy hacked at vines. "You guys okay?"
Sandy nodded. "Yeah."
"I'm not!" Harmony complained. She pricked her arm on a vine. "Owwee!"
Buffy made it to Riley's door and tried to reach for the knob. A sudden wind came up.
The wind blew Amy's hair around. The children looked up. Their hair was blowing, too. The wind howled loudly. Screeching noises came from the children.
Tara stared at them. "Find here the serenity you seek, the peace you-"
The red-covered table flew out from under their hands and crashed against the door. The wind stopped. They looked around.
"What's happened?" Jenny asked.
Amy sighed. "We lost them."
The howling and wind continued. Buffy was suddenly thrown back from the door, landing on her back.
"Buffy!" Harmony yelled.
The vines grabbed Harmony, threw her into the bathroom, and shut the door.
"Harmony!" Sandy ran to the door and grabbed the knob.
She was thrown back, through the balcony railing, and down to the floor below. She landed half on the floor, half on a sofa.
Harmony was in the bathtub, being held underwater by unseen hands, struggling. Through the water, she could see the children standing over him, watching. She couldn't breathe.
Sandy got painfully to her feet, determined. She started up the stairs. Howling and screeching noises continued.
"Shut up!" Sandy yelled.
A huge thorn suddenly sprouted from the vine that her hand was resting on. The thorn went right through the middle of her hand. She screamed.
"Ow! Motherfucker!" Sandy pulled the thorn out, even madder. She continued up the stairs.
Sandy opened the bathroom door and saw Harmony in the tub, still struggling. Sandy reached for her and pulled her out of the water and helped her up. They burst out of the bathroom, into the hall. There were more vines everywhere.
Sandy looked at Harmony. "Come on, we just gotta-"
Suddenly, Buffy made it back to the door, twisted the knob, and pushed the door open. Riley and a girl were in bed, naked. Riley was on top of the girl and fucking her in the ass. The light from the doorway illuminated them. They sat up, clutching the sheets against themselves.
"Buffy! Don't you knock?" Riley asked.
Buffy, Giles, Harmony, and Sandy, looking disheveled, looked at each other, turned, and walked away in annoyance.
The next day, in the cafeteria, Buffy, Tara, Amy, Harmony, and Sandy were sitting at a table, eating lunch. Sandy noticed Julie, wearing a baseball cap, nervously walking by with her lunch tray.
Buffy looked at Julie and then at Sandy. "Go to her. See if she's okay."
Sandy stood up, picked up her tray, and followed Julie to a table. Julie set her tray down and sat down.
"May I join you?" Sandy asked her.
Julie looked up at her. She hesitated for a moment. "Sure."
Sandy set her tray down and sat to Julie's right.
"The frat house was haunted. We took care of it."
Julie laughed nervously. "I heard Sunnydale was weird, but-"
"It's on a Hellmouth. The town is a magnet for all things weird."
"Oh. Great. Well, thank you."
"I didn't do much. How are you feeling?"
"I don't know. The things that I felt-"
"That wasn't you. It was a poltergeist."
"Still-"
Sandy put her left hand on top of Julie's right hand. "I know a thing or two about evil entities influencing thoughts, and that wasn't you. You're a good, beautiful person."
"Thanks. You, too."
"That's nice of you to say." Sandy got lost in thought. "Sometimes, I wonder."
"Don't." Julie gave her a small smile.
Sandy smiled at her. "Do you wanna start over?"
"Sure."
Sandy offered her right hand. "I'm Sandy Gray."
Julie shook her hand. "Julie McCarthy."
The two women started eating lunch.
"So, for me, it's the haircut. What's your excuse?" Julie asked.
Sandy stared at her in confusion. Julie nodded toward Sandy's hoodie.
Sandy was a bit nervous. "That's part of the weirdness that I was talking about. You sure you wanna hear it?"
"After last night, nothing can surprise me. Hit me."
Sandy took a breath. "How do you feel about vampires?"
Julie raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Cordelia, Angel, and Wesley stepped out of an elevator.
"And he is kind of a busy man, so lunch was the only time he had. It's not the kind of case I'd normally go after, but we've got to consider the bottom line."
"What kind of demons are we dealing with." Angel asked her.
"Well, it's not exactly a demon thing."
"What kind of...thing is it?" Wesley asked her.
"It's a kind of...husband-and-wife break-up thing."
"A divorce case?" Wesley asked in surprise.
"You're kidding."
"What's wrong with a divorce case?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"That's not what we do."
"According to the husband, the wife is a real witch."
Wesley considered. "Seems a bit on the seedy side."
"This is not seedy! He's in government." Cordelia realized the irony and looked at Angel. "Just talk to him. Oh, and we should pick up the tab for lunch. Nothing says success less than splitting the bill."
"I didn't bring any money with me."
"Okay, Elvis. When you are a big star, you can get away with not carrying any cash. And while we're on the subject, I think one of us should apply for a small business loan. Just to get us through the rough spots. I mean what's a thirty-year loan to you?"
Angel turned as Sunday shot and caught the quarrel just in front of his chest.
Sunday grinned. "That was so cool! This is gonna be fun!" She turned and ran out through a door and into the sunshine.
"Who the hell was that?" Cordelia asked.
Faith ran down the escalator. "That would be Sunday."
Cordelia understood. "Oh, so that's Sunday."
"Which way did she go?" Faith asked.
Cordelia pointed at the door. Faith ran outside.
Angel looked at Cordelia in confusion. "Who's Sunday?"
"Former Slayer turned vampire. Buffy filled me in."
"She's a vampire?" Wesley asked in surprise. "How was she able to-"
"She stole the Gem of Amarra from Sandy. Faith's trying to get it back for her."
Angel stared at Cordelia in annoyance. "See?!"
"Hey, I didn't know this would happen!" Cordelia retorted.
Angel hung up the phone in his office. "Buffy said she left Sunnydale a little over a week ago. She described her mental state as borderline psychotic."
Cordelia nodded. "That explains her outfit."
"This isn't right."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "When a whacked-out Slayer tries to kill your boss, it's very wrong."
"I meant a turned Slayer being a daywalker."
"So...does Buffy or anyone in Sunnydale know why Sunday's targeting you?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"She didn't know she was coming after me. She was worried about you."
Cordelia smiled, touched. "Awww. Is she okay?"
"Yeah."
"What can we do?" Cordelia asked him.
"Help me track her down. I want you two to check police reports - beatings, killings - anything within the last week, possibly near bus stations and bars. And then you make yourselves scarce. I don't want to give her any free targets."
"You've been targeted by a psychotic!" Wesley exclaimed. "I'm certainly not going to run and hide."
Cordelia smiled. "I like the plan where I'm scarce."
"We've got to band together. Strength in numbers."
Cordelia looked at him. "Two is a number."
Angel stood up. "She coming for me. I've got a fight coming up. I don't want you to get in the way."
Wesley stared at him. "I thought we were a team."
"We're not a team. I'm your boss. You go where I tell you, and I tell you to lay low."
"Seems you're taking this personally."
"Well, you know, she tried to shoot my own personal back, so yeah."
"I'm sorry. But if you let emotion control you right now, one of you will certainly end up dead."
"Then it'll be me. Buffy said she's not to be killed. Tara had a vision. Sunday's needed for some big battle."
Wesley sighed. "She's a demon, Angel."
Cordelia looked at him. "So's Sandy...maybe." She sighed and looked at Angel. "Sunday is a sick, sick girl. If there is even a chance she can be reasoned with-"
"Agreed. Let's just get to work."
That evening, Cordelia and Wesley walked up to her apartment.
Wesley was reading from a report. "There is another assault just two blocks away. A fight in a bar, several arrests made, and a woman fitting Sunday's description was involved, however not arrested."
"She charm her way out?" Cordelia asked.
"Apparently, she managed to break a policeman's jaw with his own handcuffs before she disappeared into the night."
Cordelia took out her house key. "Hmm. For Sunday, that is charm."
She unlocked the door and opened it, but it slammed back shut. She looked at Wesley. She tried again, and the same thing happened.
"Phantom Dennis, let us in. It's all right. It's only Wesley."
She tried again; this time, the door stayed open. They entered, and Cordelia turned on the light.
"Dennis, your ghost, I presume?" Wesley asked.
"Yes. He's jealous." Cordelia looked into the room. "Don't worry. Hell will freeze over before I fuck him."
"Thank goodness for small favors. I'm going to try calling Angel again."
"Okay. I'm going to pack a bag."
Wesley picked up the handset and started dialing. "Cordelia, please, just a few things. We're not going on safari."
"I've got a little problem. I don't feel Angel's in the game. But, somehow, I feel you guys are the key."
Wesley hung up the phone. He and Cordelia stared at Sunday.
"Now, what can I do to really make him hate me?"
Cordelia stared at her. "It doesn't have to be this way. We want to help you."
Sunday elbowed Cordelia in the face, dropping her. She lost consciousness.
Faith and Angel entered Cordelia's apartment. They heard moaning and ran over to where Cordelia was just coming to. Faith searched the apartment.
Angel helped Cordelia to her feet. "Cordelia."
"She was already here. I didn't know. I made...Wesley come with me,...just to get a couple of things. She was like an animal. She said that you weren't in the game. There was nothing...we could do."
"Take it easy."
"I'm sorry." Cordelia took a deep breath. "What about Wesley; is he okay?"
"He's not here."
Faith returned to them. "Neither is she."
Cordelia, Faith, and Angel were sitting in her apartment, looking at a map of LA.
Cordelia pointed at various locations. "On Monday, a guy was beaten up here; his wallet and car were stolen. He's still in the hospital. Four blocks over...is a restaurant where they had a major knock-down drag-out on Tuesday. Then here another guy ran into something he referred to as 'the bitch from Hell', who sent him home with paramedics. That was on Wednesday."
Angel pointed. "This was the first. Took his wallet and keys. Is he still in the hospital?"
Cordelia nodded. "Yeah. We were just gonna go down and talk to him."
Faith looked at her. "We'll handle that."
"Where does he live?" Angel asked Cordelia.
Faith kicked in the door of an apartment, and she and Angel slowly walked in. Wesley sat gagged and bound to a chair in the middle of the fairly nice apartment, but he was beaten and bloody.
Sunday dropped the can and lighter that she had been holding, pulled a knife, and held it against Wesley's throat. "About time, soul boy. Ready to play now?"
"I'm ready."
"Okay, you showed. But how do I know you are really in this? I mean...if I kill him, would that help...or just be really funny?" Sunday asked.
"Why are you doing this, Sunday?" Angel asked her.
"You, I have to kill. Wesley is just for the hell of it."
"Who put you up to this?" Faith asked her.
Sunday didn't say anything.
Angel was slowly walking, so Sunday had to turn to keep facing him, which put her beside Wesley instead of behind him. Faith slowly walked in the opposite direction, trying to hide behind Sunday. She dared not make a move with the knife pressed to Wesley's throat, though.
"Tell me how much I'm worth dead, just out of curiosity."
"$15,000 plus expenses."
"You're kidding."
"Hey, I'm young, willing to work my way up."
"You feel young, do you, Sunday? You're looking pretty worn out to me."
Wesley threw himself back, toppling his chair, and Angel instantly kicked Sunday away from him. Faith picked up a piece of wood and attacked Sunday. They slammed each other around, and Sunday managed to get the impromptu stake away from Faith, tossing her onto the sofa, and broke it over her knee.
"Is that all you got, Slayer?" Sunday asked. "Get in the game."
Sunday kicked the glass-topped sofa table at her face, and broken glass flew everywhere. Angel ran at Sunday. She jumped him, wrapping her legs around his waist and slamming him against the wall. She kept hitting him, and they both fell to the floor with Sunday sitting on top. He took a hold of one of her wrists and tossed her off him. Faith tried to hit her with a floor lamp, but she avoided the hit, so she instead swept the feet out from under her, then catapulted her over the sofa and across the room. Sunday jumped over the sofa after Angel, smashed a vase over his back, then slammed him into the ceiling. Faith swung at Sunday, but she kept ducking her punches, so instead she kicked her in the gut. Angel came back and hit Sunday; she hit back, then tossed him back over the sofa.
"You can't take me! No one can take me!" Sunday declared.
Sunday jumped to kick him again as he got up, but Angel intercepted her kick with a piece of furniture. Sunday sent him flying across the room again, then smashed up a glass-shelving unit when Angel ducked her next kick. Angel slammed Sunday down on the floor, then slid her head-first across the room, into a wall.
Faith ran up with another piece of wood in her hand. "Come on!"
Angel tackled Sunday, and they both burst through the window, falling two stories to land on a trash-container lid. They rolled off it, and Sunday again threw Angel around.
"You're gonna die!" Sunday declared.
Sunday kept hitting and kicking Angel. Halfway through this, it started to first rain, then pour.
Faith looked away from the scene. "Hey, Wes, are you-"
Wesley wasn't there. Faith ran out of the apartment and down the stairs. She ran outside. Wesley was standing there, holding a butcher knife, then headed toward Sunday and Angel. Faith blocked his path with her hand. He looked at her. She shook her head in warning. The two of them watched Sunday beating up on Angel.
"You hear me? You don't know what evil is! I'm bad! Fight back!" Sunday yelled.
Sunday kept whaling on Angel, sometimes, he ducked; sometimes, the hits connected.
Angel grabbed a hold of her. "Nice try, Sunday." He tossed her away from him, then walked after her.
She hit him, and he hit back, dropping her. She came back up, hitting and screaming but not making much of a dent.
Angel dodged another hit. "I'm not gonna make it easy for you."
Sunday threw herself against Angel, screaming.
Faith sighed. "Okay, enough of this shit."
Faith ran over, pulled Sunday backwards by the jacket, lifted her above her head with both hands, bent backward, and body-slammed Sunday into the pavement. To her surprise, Sunday didn't lose consciousness, but Faith seized the moment, grabbing her left hand and pulling the Gem of Amarra off her finger.
Sunday began to sob, grabbing a hold of Faith's shirt and shaking her. "You win, Slayer. I'm ba-ad. Do you hear me? I'm bad! I'm bad! I'm bad. Please. Slayer, please, just do it. Just kill me. Just kill me."
Faith wrapped her arms around her shoulders and pulled her against her. "Shh. It's all right. It's okay. I'm here. I'm right here. Shh."
The knife dropped from Wesley's hand as he and Angel stood in the pouring rain, staring at them, while Sunday cried and thunder rumbled overhead.
Chapter 100: Sanctuary
Chapter Text
"Sanctuary"
Based on the Angel Episode Written by Tim Minear and Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
Wet and slightly beaten up, Faith, Sunday, and Angel rode down the elevator to his apartment.
Angel stepped out of the elevator, then looked back. "Sunday."
Sunday didn't move.
Faith gently nudged her. "Come on. It's okay."
Sunday started walking. Angel led her over to his bed, and Sunday sat down, arms wrapped around herself. Faith stood in the doorway.
"It's okay. Rest here."
Sunday slowly lay down, and Angel covered her with a blanket.
"You rest now." He picked up Sunday's backpack and put it on a chair next to the bed. "I'll put your stuff here. I'll be close." He turned and started to leave.
"Angel."
Angel turned back. "Yeah?"
Sunday stared at him for a moment. "Nothing."
Faith and Angel left the room. They headed for the elevator.
"She was thinking of killing you just now."
"I know."
The next day, Cordelia was in the office, looking through some files, when Wesley walked in. She had a huge black eye.
"Bitch."
Cordelia gave him a look.
"Not you...obviously." Wesley sighed. "I can't tell you how sorry I am that I allowed this to happen."
Cordelia sighed. "I believe it was Sunday who allowed her elbow to collide with my face. Not your fault."
"At least, you only got the elbow."
"Well, if it's any consolation, it really does look like you were...tortured by a much larger woman."
Wesley smiled a little. "She's still here, I assume."
"He gave her his bed!"
Angel walked in. "Wesley."
"Angel."
"I didn't expect to see you in today. How are you feeling?" Angel asked him.
"As well as can be expected."
"Good." Angel paused. "Good." He looked at Cordelia. "Doughnuts?"
Cordelia pointed, and Angel opened the box.
"Developed a sweet fang, have you?" Wesley asked him.
"You got jelly?" Angel asked Cordelia.
"Whole selection."
"Won't she find it difficult...enjoying delicious, jelly-filled doughnuts, if she is, one assumes, bound and gagged?" Wesley asked him.
"Wesley, we went through all this last night."
"Yes, you were right. She'll stay here for a while. You'll try to get through to her. Then Faith will take her back to Sunnydale. I understand. I do not, however, understand why the woman who brutally tortured me last night...this morning...gets pastries!"
"It's a gesture of goodwill. What do you want to do, Wesley? Treat her like a prisoner? She is not an animal."
"No?"
"She's a person."
"Since when?"
"Since I talked with Buffy. In case you've forgotten, we're not in the business of giving up on people."
"Don't you dare take the moral high ground with me after what she did. I believe in helping people. I do not believe in coddling murderers!"
"She wants to change."
"That girl is pure evil, Angel. It doesn't matter what she wants or says she wants; you set her free...she'll kill again."
When Angel didn't answer, Wesley picked up his jacket and left.
"He'll come around."
"Wesley? Sure! People always get a little funny right after they've been sadistically tortured. Well, you'd know." Cordelia put a book of business checks on top of the box of doughnuts that Angel was holding. "I need you to sign these."
Angel sighed and picked up a pen. "You understand why we have to help Sunday, don't you?"
"Totally." Cordelia pointed at the book. "And here."
Angel signed. "She's needed in Sunnydale, and, with Buffy constantly reevaluating the merits of vampires, especially since she befriended one-"
"Oh, I know! And this one?"
Angel signed.
Cordelia ripped out the page of checks. "Thanks."
Angel looked at the copies of the checks. "Wait. Those were all made out to you."
"Yeah."
Angel checked the book. "Paid vacation."
Cordelia stood up and put on her jacket. "Like I'm gonna stick around while psycho case is roaming loose downstairs with three tons of medieval weaponry? Not! Oh, and I'm thinking: sugar high? Maybe not a great idea." She left the office.
The police were inspecting the damage done to the apartment last night. Kate checked out the overturned chair.
Detective Kendrick sighed. "Kate. What are you doing here?"
"I'm a detective, Kendrick. See?" Kate held up a plastic bag with stuff in it. "I'm detecting. Heard we have a fugitive."
"Yeah."
Kate handed him a piece of paper.
"Arrest warrant from a place up north called Sunnydale. I've seen it. Who the hell is Faith Lehane, and why should we defer to her?"
"That'll take some explaining." Kate sighed. "So do we think she is the one who threw the party here?"
"The guy who lives here identifies her as the woman who mugged him. Put him in the hospital, stole his keys, his wallet. We're lifting prints now."
"Waste of time. Anything else?"
"That's it. You mind telling me why you're here examining a crime scene that wasn't assigned to you?"
"It looked interesting."
"Right. You've heard the rumors, haven't you?"
Kate played innocent. "What rumors?"
"You know what I'm talking about. This girl supposedly has some kind of supernatural powers?"
"Really."
"Come on, Kate. Everybody knows you've gone all Scully. Anytime one of these weird cases crosses anyone's desk, you're always there. What's going on with you?"
"Scully is the skeptic."
"Huh?"
"Mulder is the believer. Scully is the skeptic."
Kendrick scratched his head. "Scully is the chick, right?"
"Yes. But she's not the one that wants to believe."
"And you wanna believe."
"Oh, I already believe. That's the problem."
Cordelia's first stop upon being on vacation was lunch at Helen's Kitchen.
Faith refilled her coffee. "So where are you headed on your vacation?"
"I dunno yet. It's pretty sudden. I might do some sightseeing, try to attend a few Hollywood parties, make connections, maybe get noticed."
"Okay, good luck with that."
Cordelia didn't like Faith's tone. "Hey, it could happen. Anyway, how's it going with the vampire bitch?"
Faith frowned. "Her name's Sunday. And Angel's currently looking after her. I'll check in on her tonight."
Cordelia took a bite of her cheeseburger. "When are you heading back to Sunnydale?"
"I dunno. Whenever Sunday gets her shit together." Faith looked toward the counter. "Hey, Anne, I need to borrow your wheels at some point."
Anne closed the cash register and walked over to her. "Why?"
"Because I'm transporting a vampire, and I don't want her starting shit on a bus."
"Okay. Let me know when. I'll go with you."
"Why?"
"Well, you and a vampire will be in very close quarters. You might need backup."
"And that's you?" Faith asked.
"Hey!" Anne yelled.
Cordelia had a thought. "Hey, Faith, maybe Veruca can go with you."
"Werewolf chick?" Faith asked her.
Cordelia smiled and nodded, proud of herself. "Uh-huh."
"Uh, no offense, Cordy, but we're approaching the new moon. What use is she gonna be?" Faith asked.
"Oh, I didn't mean she'd wolf out in the car."
"That's a relief."
Anne nodded. "Tell me about it. Do you know what she'd do to the upholstery?"
Cordelia nodded. "Eep."
Faith looked back and forth between them in disbelief.
Cordelia smiled. "I just meant she could be there in case you need her, and a trip to Sunnydale will give her a chance to reconnect with Sandy."
"Yeah, okay. Ask her for me."
Anne looked at them. "Oh, girls, I was wondering if you'd both come with me after my shift today."
Faith smiled. "I dunno. Harmony might get jealous."
Anne smiled and playfully slapped her on the arm. "There's something that I wanna show you."
"What is it?" Cordelia asked.
Anne, Faith, and Cordelia walked up to the light yellow building in Crenshaw.
"What do you think?" Anne asked.
Faith stared at the building. "Looks worn down."
Anne nodded. "The riots and the Northridge quake took a toll. I know it doesn't look like much, but it's a start."
"Can you afford the rent?" Cordelia asked her.
"It's...doable...with your help."
"Our help?" Cordelia asked in surprise.
Anne wrung her hands. "I know you guys don't make much. None of us do. But I'm offering you two a silent partnership, a chance to make a difference, to help teens that are out on the street and have no place to turn-"
"I'm in." Faith stared into Anne's eyes.
Anne smiled. "Thank you, Faith." She looked at Cordelia. "Cordy?"
Cordelia shrugged. "Sure. I'm all about helping the less fortunate."
Faith made a face at her and then looked at Anne. "And, hey, I'll pitch in whenever you need help." She looked at Cordelia meaningfully.
"Uh, yeah, me, too."
Anne grinned. "Great! I'll place the call as soon as we get home." She faced the building. "The future home of the East Hills Teen Center."
Faith entered Angel's bedroom just in time to see Sunday packing her backpack. "Ready to head out already?"
Sunday just looked at her, then went back to packing.
"You're in no condition to leave here."
Sunday walked past her. "You know what? It doesn't matter."
Faith stepped between her and the door. "It does matter. It matters to me."
"Why are you doing this? Why are you being nice to me?"
"Because Buffy sees something in you. She believes in you. And if you matter to B, you matter to me."
"Just...stop it. You're gonna step aside, or do we throw down? I mean...am I your prisoner here?"
Faith hesitated. "You cried in my arms last night. Remember?"
"Yeah. I remember." Sunday stared for a moment, then looked anywhere but at her. "Help me?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yeah."
Cordelia was just finishing getting ready when she heard the door open. She walked into the living room.
Veruca closed and locked the door. "Heading out?"
"Yeah, just about."
"Cool." Veruca went into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and grabbed the box of leftover pizza. She went into the living room and sat on the couch, placing the box in her lap.
"Listen, Ruc, there's something that I wanna ask you."
"So ask." Veruca opened the box and picked up a slice of pepperoni pizza.
"Faith will be taking Sunday back to Sunnydale soon. I was wondering if you'd accompany them."
Veruca took a bite. "It's nowhere close to a full moon."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean..." She paused. "She's also returning Sandy's ring."
Veruca paused in consideration. "I haven't talked to her in a while."
"And seen her in a bigger while."
Veruca thought about it for a while. "Okay."
Cordelia smiled. "Great. Don't stain the couch. See ya."
Sunday was leaning on the microwave in Angel's kitchen. The box of doughnuts was sitting on top of it, still closed. Faith shrugged, walked over, opened the box, and took out a chocolate doughnut. She munched on it as Angel came in.
"So...how does this...work?" Sunday asked him.
"There is no real simple answer to that. I won't lie to you and tell you that it'll be easy...because it won't be. Just because you've decided to change doesn't mean that the world is ready for you to. The truth is...no matter how much you suffer, no matter how many good deeds you do to try to make up for the past, you may never balance out the cosmic scale. The only thing I can promise you is that you'll probably be haunted - and may be for the rest of your life."
"I don't even know where to start."
"Maybe start with Wesley."
"Are you saying I got to apologize?"
"Think you can?"
"I don't know. How do you say 'Gee, I'm really sorry I tortured you nearly to death'?"
Faith wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Well, first off, I think I'd leave off the 'Gee'. And secondly, I think you have to ask yourself: are you?"
"What?"
"Sorry."
"And what if I can't say it? There are some things you can't just take back, no matter how sorry you are, right?"
Faith stared at her. "Yeah, there are. I've got some experience in that area."
Angel nodded. "Me, too."
Sunday rolled her eyes. "Right, but you've got a soul. And you've been doing this for a hundred years! I'm not gonna make it through the next ten minutes."
Faith looked into her eyes. "So make it through the next five, the next minute."
"I don't think I can."
"Yes, you can."
Sunday walked away. "If I can't just be a vampire, what the fuck can I be?"
Faith followed her. "Be whatever is needed right now. Then maybe you've got a shot at being free."
Sunday let out something between a laugh and a sob. "I've got to be the first vampire in history sponsored by a Slayer."
"Second."
Sunday looked at her.
"Buffy believes in Sandy. She spared her life, and Sandy's a nice person, and she doesn't have a soul either."
Sunday hesitated, then headed back to the microwave and took a strawberry-covered doughnut out of the box and bit into it.
At the police station, Kate was paid a visit by Lindsey McDonald, a lawyer at Wolfram & Hart.
"Why should I listen to anything you have to say?" Kate asked him. "I despise you - you and everything you represent. And when I say 'represent' and 'thing', I do mean your clients."
"Well, be that as it may, I believe that I have some information that will be of interest to you. Because, while it is true that we differ on a great many issues, we do have one thing in common."
"Uh, our bodies are both eighty percent water?" Kate guessed.
Lindsey lay a picture of Angel on her desk. "An enemy."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"No, of course, you don't. And we can't be completely clear, because...the law isn't clear on these matters, is it? I mean take, for example, those creatures that murdered your father. They could never have been brought to any kind of traditional justice, even if they had survived. And, personally, I feel that you were totally justified in taking whatever...extra-legal...measures you found necessary."
"What do you want?" Kate asked him, impatient.
"There are beings, detective. Beings that aren't governed by the laws and strictures that we as humans have devised." Lindsey pointed at Angel's picture. "This man is such a being. He feels he is above the law, which is why he...gives aid and comfort to his own kind." He got ready to leave. "The woman you're looking for? She's with him."
Kate looked at him in surprise.
Sunday and Faith were sitting on the couch and eating doughnuts while Sunday was flicking through the channels on Angel's TV. Sunday was also drinking pig's blood from a mug.
A wet and steaming Angel stuck his head out of the bathroom. "Is everything okay in there?"
Sunday rolled her eyes. "It was touch and go for the four minutes you left me alone, but somehow I got through it."
Angel went into his bedroom to finish dressing. Sunday changed the channel to a news report. A picture of Sunday was on the TV screen.
"Los Angeles police are looking for this woman tonight, a suspect from the California town of Sunnydale."
"Fucking hell! No, they didn't!" Faith exclaimed, upset.
Sunday reached for her drink and spilled it.
"The young woman has fled to Los Angeles in recent days."
"Faith?" Angel came into the living room. "Sunday. What is it?"
"Eyewitnesses identified her as being involved in several recent assaults. Police want your help in finding her."
Angel saw Sunday's picture on the TV and crouched down beside her. "Sunday, it's okay, all right?"
"A press conference was held earlier."
"Nothing's changed, all right? Nothing's-"
Kate appeared on the TV screen. "Anyone with any information about the whereabouts of this subject should get in touch with law enforcement immediately."
Angel looked over at the TV.
"Do not approach her. She is violent and unpredictable. I'll take a few questions."
Angel hit the power button on the remote. "Listen to me, Sunday. You're safe here. You hear me? You're safe."
Faith stood up. "Maybe we oughta head out."
Angel looked at her. "I don't think-"
Wesley came downstairs. "The police have surrounded the building."
"I'll check the sewers; if they're clear, we all head out. Sunday?" Angel asked.
They turned to look for her, but she was gone.
Wesley looked at Angel. "She must have slipped out."
"She'd head for the roof." Faith turned to go.
Angel moved to go after her. "They may have it covered."
Wesley stopped him. "We need a plan. Faith can protect Sunday."
Faith walked out on the roof to see Sunday standing there. They could hear a helicopter flying in the background.
The door to the roof burst open, and an armed officer stepped through, gun in hand. Faith tackled Sunday to safety as he opened fire.
Faith looked at Sunday. "I think we can make it to the other building."
"Go."
"Now."
They ran, but, before they reached the edge, an LAPD helicopter came to hover in front of them.
An officer was in the open door, gun in hand. "Surrender. Lie down on the ground, or we will open fire."
Faith and Sunday ran to hide behind a skylight. The officer started firing. He had to reload, and Faith and Sunday changed skylights.
Faith looked at Sunday. "I have to take this guy out. The guy with the gun up there will go for me. You stay here."
"Okay."
Faith lunged over the skylight and tackled one officer. They fought with the other officer unable to shoot without hitting him.
The other officer looked at the pilot. "Try and keep her steady."
Faith knocked one officer down and turned to face the helicopter just as Angel came shooting through the skylight, catching its left rung with his arms. He reached up and pulled the other officer out the door. He landed at Faith's feet while Angel climbed up to stand on the rung.
"Down!" Angel ordered the pilot. "Take it down."
Faith watched the helicopter leave, then turned around to face Sunday. "Let's get you back to Sunnydale."
A bunch of police cars drove up with lights flashing and sirens wailing as the helicopter set down.
Kate got out of her car and stormed up to Angel. "Where is she? You got one shot here, Angel; where is she?"
Angel just looked at her.
Kate looked at two officers. "Arrest him. Start with aiding and abetting a wanted fugitive."
The cops cuffed Angel and led him away.
Kate led Angel down a hallway. "I think you're gonna like the cell we have for you, Angel. It faces east. It'll give you a great view of the sunrise in about four hours."
Faith walked behind them. "What?"
Angel didn't look at her. "It's okay."
Faith looked at Kate. "You know what he is."
"Who are you?" Kate demanded.
Faith stepped between Angel and Kate as they reached her desk. "Wait. This is murder."
"Get her out of here!" Kate ordered.
Faith pushed the cop off her. "I'm Faith Lehane, the Vampire Slayer."
"So did you slay her?" Kate asked her.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because those were not my orders. My orders were to return Sunday Towne to Sunnydale."
"And you did that already?"
"No. I transferred her to the custody of another." Faith got in Kate's face. "Now, you let Angel go, or I, in my capacity as a temporary deputy of the Sunnydale Police Department, am gonna go to the Chief of Police and tell him how you interfered with a prisoner transfer and unlawfully arrested an innocent with intent to kill - all because of your personal prejudice. I can raise a big enough stink about this that'll make Rodney King look like amateur hour."
Kate stared at Faith. Faith stared right back at her. Kate eventually blinked.
Chapter 101: New Moon Rising
Chapter Text
"New Moon Rising"
Based on the Episode Written by Marti Noxon
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
Buffy and Tara were walking across campus.
"Do you like cats?" Tara asked her.
"Yeah. Why?" Buffy asked her.
"'Cause I was thinking we could get one."
"Can you have one in the dorms?"
Tara smiled mischievously. "No, but this would be a sneaky cat."
"That would be cool. You mean it'd be sort of like a familiar?" Buffy asked.
"Actually, I-I was thinking it would be sort of like a pet. You know, we could...we could name her Trixie or Miss Kitty Fantastico or something."
Buffy got excited. "And we could make kitty go bonkers with string and catnip and stuff?"
"Absolutely."
"Fun! I'm in."
They held hands and kept walking.
"So what do you think the meeting is about?" Tara asked her.
"I'm not sure. Probably just your garden-variety disaster."
Buffy was sitting on Giles' desk. "Zippo. Patrol's been totally uneventful. My kill count's way down."
Riley was standing in the living room. Harmony, Sandy, Julie, Amy, and Tara were sitting on stools against the kitchen counter. Jenny and Giles were in the kitchen.
Giles was holding a bag of snacks. "Well, we know what that often indicates."
"Buffy didn't make her quota?" Harmony shook her index finger at Buffy. "Bad Slayer!"
"Well, I wish it were that innocuous, but, with Adam around, I feel he's involved somehow." Giles poured snacks into a bowl.
Riley looked at him. "Except the weird thing is...we've been busy at the Initiative. Our squads are pulling a lot more captures. We got demons coming out our ears."
Giles came out of the kitchen with the bowl. "So the activity's shifted but not stopped." He offered the bowl to Amy, but she didn't take it. "That's fascinating." He sat at his desk and put the bowl down.
Harmony rolled her eyes. "To an extremely bored person, maybe."
Giles was annoyed.
Jenny walked out of the kitchen, carrying a tray filled with brownies. "Brownies, anyone?"
"Ooh!" Amy took a brownie off the tray. "Thanks!"
"Well, that was a thrilling hour." Harmony looked to the others for agreement.
Everyone started to get up. Buffy helped herself to some Starbursts.
Giles rose. "You know, I really don't appreciate your snide remarks, Harmony."
Harmony looked at him in surprise.
"Now, I have a great deal of experience in these matters..."
The door opened. Everyone except Giles looked toward it and saw Veruca and Sunday. Sandy was shocked. Julie was confused.
"...and, if I say there is a matter of some import brewing, I-I-" Giles noticed everyone looking behind him. He turned.
Veruca looked at Sandy. "Hey."
Sandy stared at her. "Veruca."
Veruca looked around, uncomfortable.
Julie understood, upset. "Veruca."
Sandy looked at Julie, then looked back at Veruca.
Buffy looked at Sandy, concerned, then looked at Veruca. "You brought Sunday back?"
Veruca nodded. "Yeah, Faith had to straighten some shit out with the cops. They totally went after her."
"After Faith?" Buffy asked, confused.
Sunday shook her head. "After me."
Everyone stood in awkward silence for a while. Veruca eventually kicked Sunday in the leg.
Sunday gave Veruca a death stare but then barely made eye contact with Buffy. "Sorry."
"So are you here here, or are you just dropping her off?" Amy asked Veruca.
"Well, um, let's not, uh, bombard the poor lady with, uh, questions right off. Can I get you something, um, tea?" Giles took off his glasses and moved toward the kitchen.
"I'll pass, thanks." Veruca walked forward to Sandy. She dug in her jeans pocket and pulled out the Gem of Amarra. She offered it to Sandy.
"Omigoddess, thank you." Sandy took the ring and put it on her left ring finger.
"Can we talk?" Veruca asked her.
"I guess so."
"I'll come by your place?"
"Okay."
Veruca looked at all of them. "It's great to see you guys again. Really." She left.
Sandy was still shocked.
Buffy went to Sandy and touched her arm. "You okay?"
"I-"
"I just, um, I realized, um, I'm - I'm late for study group." Julie started to walk away.
"Julie, wait."
"No, no, it's okay. You - You should be with your friends, and - and I-I should go." Julie left.
"Wait..." Sandy looked down, upset.
Buffy and Riley walked through the graveyard. He wore his battle fatigues. Buffy wore a long leather coat and a white cap. Riley carried a bag.
"So, um, I was missing something earlier, wasn't I?" Riley asked. "I mean...breakups are tough, but, when Veruca walked in, it seemed like emotions were running extra high."
"Veruca and Sandy are in a weird state right now."
Riley nodded. A demon arrived and growled.
"Hold that thought."
Buffy ducked, and Riley punched the demon over her head. Then he lifted Buffy by the waist, and she kicked the demon. It spun away, punching. Buffy ducked. Riley punched. Buffy kicked. Riley grabbed the demon and hurled it over a gravestone. It fell unconscious.
"Man, that was record time."
Buffy pouted. "It's no fun when they're that easy."
Riley grinned. "Speak for yourself." He took out his radio. "Base, this is Agent Finn. We've an HST down. Please send a retrieval team to sector 72."
"Copy that, Finn. We'll get there as soon as we can."
Riley put the radio away and picked up his bag. They walked on.
"So, anyway, some shit came up, and Ruc had to leave." Buffy looked at Riley. "They've barely had any contact since. And Sandy recently started dating Julie."
"What kind of shit?" Riley asked.
"It's really not my place to say."
Sandy opened the front door.
Veruca was standing there. "Hey."
Sandy was nervous. "Hey."
They didn't say anything for a while.
"So...you wanna come inside?" Sandy finally offered.
Veruca walked inside. Sandy closed and locked the door.
They walked into the kitchen.
"We've got leftover pizza. You want any?" Sandy offered.
"God, yes."
Sandy opened the fridge, took out the cardboard box, closed the fridge, walked over to the table, set the box down, opened it, and sat down. Veruca sat to Sandy's right. They ate in silence for a while.
"So you've learned to control the wolf, huh?" Sandy asked.
Veruca nodded. "Yeah, that meditation shit that Angel taught me actually ain't so shitty."
Sandy nodded. "Good. Good."
Veruca stared at her. "Is something wrong, babe?"
"I dunno, Ruc, you tell me. Other than a few progress updates, I barely heard anything from you. You haven't returned my calls. I thought..." Sandy paused, uncomfortable. "I thought we were over."
Veruca looked down at the pizza box. "I've just been so busy."
"Right." Sandy stared at Veruca. "I'm seeing someone."
Veruca looked up at her in shock.
"Oh, don't look so surprised. What the fuck was I supposed to do?" Sandy asked her. "Wait for you to come around?"
Veruca stared at her. Sandy waited. Neither of them said anything for a while.
"I missed you, Ruc."
Veruca sighed. "It was stupid to think that you'd just be...waiting."
"I was waiting. I feel like some part of me will always be waiting for you."
"Are you happy?" Veruca asked her.
"With Julie? I am."
Veruca sat in silence, stone-faced.
Sandy stared into Veruca's eyes. "I guess that's it, then."
Veruca didn't say anything. She just got up and walked into the living room. Sandy got up and followed her.
There was a knock at the front door. Veruca unlocked and opened it.
Julie was standing there. She was surprised to see Veruca. "Oh, sorry, I-I-I'll come back."
"Don't worry, I'm just leaving." Veruca shoved past her.
Sandy watched her go.
"Is this a bad time?" Julie asked.
"No. I could use the company. Come in."
Julie walked inside and closed and locked the door.
"Do you want some pizza?" Sandy offered.
Julie smiled and nodded. "I'd love some."
Buffy, laying in her bed in her dorm room and cuddling with Tara, was on the phone. She waited while it rang.
"Hello?" Cordelia finally answered.
"Cordy, it's me."
"Hey, Buffy, I just got home. I was at this fabulous Hollywood party-"
"Yeah, cool, I look forward to hearing about it, but I wanted to let you know Veruca just left here, and she's not happy. She and Sandy broke up."
"I exhibit no surprise."
"Anyway, Ruc's pretty pissed, so could you please let me know when she gets back?" Buffy requested.
"You think she'll take off somewhere?"
"I dunno."
"Okay."
"Cool. So tell me all about this party."
"Ooh, I'll save that for last. Guess what Anne, Faith, and I are gonna be doing."
"What?"
Tara slipped out of Buffy's embrace and repositioned herself between Buffy's legs. She slowly started licking Buffy's pussy.
"We're gonna be opening a shelter for homeless teens."
"Really?" Buffy asked, surprised.
Tara inserted her left index finger into Buffy's pussy and started eating her out.
"Yeah, I figured...it's just so damn good to help the less fortunate, y'know?" Cordelia asked.
"You figured?" Buffy asked skeptically.
"Well, it was a...shared idea. Anyway, we're going in on the building together, and we're all gonna volunteer there. We're gonna have to keep our current jobs to make rent, but there will always be at least one of us at the shelter."
Buffy felt waves of delight at each movement of Tara's finger and lips. "Oh, fuck yes! Oh! I-I look forward to visiting the place!"
Cordelia was surprised. "Wow, I didn't know helping the needy got you so excited."
"I, um, well, I'm wacky that way." Buffy laughed forcefully.
"Okaaay. So, anyway, about the party. You'll never guess who I met."
Chapter 102: War Zone
Chapter Text
"War Zone"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "The Yoko Factor" Written by Douglas Petrie and the Angel Episode "War Zone" Written by Garry Campbell
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
A black teenage woman named Alonna Gunn was walking down an alley in a bad part of Los Angeles, scared. She looked over her shoulder from time to time as she sped up. She was being pursued by three vampires. She arrived at a dead end and turned to face the vampires. She heard steps and the sound of a truck behind the vampires.
One of them turned. "You."
Charles Gunn, a bald, black teenage man wearing a black bandana, a pair of black shoes, black pants, and a long black coat and holding a sword, smiled. "You expecting somebody else?"
A blue pickup truck with more armed teenagers pulled up behind him, and another teenager with a loaded crossbow stepped up beside him.
Cordelia, Wesley, and Angel walked into a big Hollywood party going on at a mansion.
"Oh, I miss that smell!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Wesley looked at her. "Camembert, I believe."
"What? No, money; I like the smell of a little money once in a while."
Angel looked at Wesley. "She's not just saying that. Hide some in the office sometime to watch her. It's uncanny."
"Oh, there he is." Cordelia pointed to a young guy, in a plaid shirt and wearing glasses, sitting by himself. She walked over to him. "Mr. Nabbit, hi!"
Nabbit got up. "Hi." He offered his right hand to Cordelia.
Cordelia shook his hand. "Hi."
"Glad you could come."
"Thanks."
Angel nodded. "Thanks for having us."
"It's a pleasure. Who are you?"
"Oh. I'm Cordelia Chase. We spoke on the phone?"
Nabbit held out his hand to shake again. "Oh! Right!"
They shook hands again.
"So - So you - you must be...Angel."
Angel shook his hand. "Yes. Pleased to meet you. And this is Wesley, my associate."
Wesley nodded. "Lovely party."
"Isn't it nice?" Nabbit asked.
Cordelia spotted someone. "Oh, my God, is that Courteney Cox?"
"I-I-I have no idea. I don't know most of...these people. I-I don't even talk to them. They come to the party. I-I think they have fun." He offered them some appetizers. "These are crab."
Angel shook his head. "If this is a bad time, we-"
"Oh, um, Miss Chase said that you could...only meet at night."
"Yeah, it's more convenient-"
"And - And that we'd be less conspicuous during the party."
Angel looked at Cordelia, and she gave him a big grin and shrug before turning away.
"I mean...I think it's good! We probably won't be interrupted. Well, I-I've always said that I would make a billion dollars in the software market and, uh, learn to talk to girls. Still working on step two."
"So why don't you tell us about your case?" Angel suggested.
"Oh."
Angel and Nabbit sat down on the sofa.
"Uh, my case. It, uh, somewhat has to do with...blackmail."
"Go on."
"Are you familiar with Dungeons & Dragons?"
"Yeah. I've seen a few."
"You mean the, uh, role-playing game."
Angel looked up at Wesley. "Oh...game. Right."
"Well, I used to play a lot in high school. You know, it was pretty cool. You get to be someone else for a while - a wizard, a warrior; you know, the whole world is magic, and fighting Troglodytes and romancing exotic...demon princesses, and, you know, it's a rush!"
"Did someone find out you were a big nerd?" Cordelia asked.
Nabbit chuckled. "No, that's, uh, that's actually public record. But, uh, some of us got really into it. Uh, specially the demon romance part. And then we heard about this place...where...the real..." He paused. "The guys were joking about getting some tail."
Wesley stared at him. "You went to Madame Dorion's."
"J-J-Just once."
Angel looked up at Wesley.
"It's a demon brothel."
"Or twice."
"In Bel Air, I believe. The Watchers Council is rife with stories about it."
"Ah, and how many-"
"Twelve...times."
"-people knew about you going?" Angel finished.
"Oh, uh, just my - my friends, but, uh..." Nabbit handed Angel a picture. "...but my security guys already identified the guy with the...pictures. That's Lenny Edwards, but...I just can't find him."
Angel put the picture of a smoking bald guy in his jacket and got up. "Well, we'll see if we can do better."
"If - If my stockholders see these pictures-"
"They won't."
Cordelia smiled. "Don't worry. We are incredibly discreet. We'll, uh, mingle here for a few hours, so no one suspects."
A girl walked by. "Hey, David."
"Oh, hey. Nice - Nice seeing you again. Yeah." David shrugged to the others. "I have no idea. When I moved to L.A., I thought it was all glamour and valet parking, but there is a whole world here that no one ever sees."
Angel stared at him. "More than one."
Back in that dead-end alley, the group of teens were fighting the vampires and actually doing some damage by the stint of sheer numbers and cooperation. One vampire got nailed by a stake gun mounted on the pickup truck as he was about to kill one of the boys. Another one, fighting against five teens, got beheaded by Gunn. The guy with the stake gun nailed another vampire that lunged at him in mid-air, then started kicking the jammed gun. A vampire broke one of the boys' necks, then ran, while a fifth got staked behind him. The vampire jumped on the truck and kicked the gunner.
"Bobby! Bobby!" Alonna yelled.
The vampire and Bobby fought; as the vampire was about to kill the boy, Alonna attacked him with her pike. Charles came running, too, and the vampire took off, with others running after. One of the teens aimed a crossbow after them.
Charles pushed it down. "No, no, no." He pointed after the vampire. "Dog him."
Alonna tried to lift Bobby, who was hanging head-down over the side of the truck. "Gunn, come on. Come on."
Gunn helped her, and they got Bobby into the bed of the truck.
"Go!" Gunn told the driver.
They drove off.
They stopped in front of a deserted building. Alonna and Gunn helped Bobby inside while the others covered the truck with a tarp, then followed.
Gunn looked at Bobby. "All right. Here you go. I got you. All right, you're gonna make it, man. Come on, two more. Easy. Easy."
Alonna nodded. "Right down here."
They eased Bobby to the ground.
"Hey, Gunn."
"Right here, man."
"He picked me up like I was a baby."
"He's dead, Bobby, forget about him."
"I'm not a baby."
Alonna looked at her brother. "He needs a doctor."
Bobby stopped moving.
"Not anymore." Gunn got up. "James, how are we fixed for tonight?"
"Beck and me lifted some canned stuff. Wasn't much in the bins behind Mel's, and we got that." He motioned towards three other teens. "I told them we don't take squatters."
"Everybody eats."
In the Bronze, Giles was sitting on the edge of the stage, playing his guitar for Jenny, who was sitting next to him. Buffy and the Slayerettes backed him up. Tara added her keyboard, and Amy added her drums, but Buffy and Sandy kept their guitars low and minimal to not drown out Giles' playing. Harmony was sitting at a nearby table, her video camera set up on her tripod, recording the intimate concert. Julie sat with her. Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Sandy sang:
"It don't come easy.
You know it don't come easy.
It don't come easy.
You know it don't come easy."
Giles started singing:
"Got to pay your dues,
If you wanna sing the blues.
As you know, it don't come easy.
"Now, you don't have to shout
Or leap about.
You can even take it easy.
"Forget about the past
And all your sorrow.
Future won't last.
It will soon be your tomorrow.
"I don't want much;
I only want trust,
But you know it don't come easy.
"And this love of mine
Keeps growing all the time,
But you know it don't come easy.
"Now, open up your heart.
Let's come together.
Mmm, use a little love.
We will make it work out better.
"Got to pay your dues,
If you wanna sing the blues.
As you know, it don't come easy.
"Now, you don't have to shout
Or leap about.
You can even take it easy.
"Please remember: peace
Is what we make it.
It's here within your reach.
You are big enough to take it.
"I don't have much;
I only want trust.
You know it don't come easy,
"But this love of mine
Keeps growing all the time,
But you know it don't come easy."
Everyone finished playing. Jenny applauded. Giles set his guitar on the stage and hopped down.
Suddenly, Spike barged into the club and over to the stage. "You know, for someone who's got 'Watcher' on his résumé, you might want to cast an eye to the front door every now and again."
"I'll keep that in mind. You couldn't have come at a worse time."
"Oh, yeah? Interrupting your take on that talentless wanker, Ringo? I did everyone here a favor."
"Since you insist on being an incurable tosspot, I'll have you know I was singing George's demo version." Giles removed his glasses, peeved. "What do you want?"
"Buffy."
Buffy chuckled. "Over my gay ass."
"I just might have something you just might want."
"And what might that 'something' be?" Buffy asked him.
"Information. Highly classified. Not cheap word-on-the-street prattle either. I'm talking about the good shit now."
Unimpressed, Buffy set down her guitar and crossed her arms. "Thrill me."
Spike sighed. "It's nothing I know. What, you think I'd come running over, saying 'I've got a secret; beat me till I talk?' There's files in the Initiative. I'm pretty sure I know where."
Giles' interest was perked. "Files?"
"Yeah. Secrets. Mission statements. Design schematics. All of Maggie Walsh's dirty laundry, which I guess would include lots of tidbits about-"
"Adam."
"Well, yeah. Say someone were to risk his life and limb - well, limb, anyway - to obtain said files. It might be worth a little something."
"A-At...this point, a cynical person might think that you're offering just what we need when we need it most."
"That person'd be right, Rupert. Supply and demand. And it won't be cheap this time."
"What do you want?" Giles asked him.
Spike seemed to think about it. "Hmm, year supply of blood, guaranteed protection, merry bushels of cash, and, most important, a guarantee that I'm not to be in any way slain."
Giles put on his glasses. "Done."
Buffy pointedly cleared her throat.
"With a smile and a nod from you? Sorry. Not close to good enough. This deal's with the Slayer." Spike looked at her.
Buffy paused in consideration. "I'll think about it."
Spike stared at her for a moment longer, then turned and left.
Giles cleared his throat, took an item out of his jeans pocket, and got down on one knee in front of Jenny. She gasped in shock.
Giles opened the box, revealing a silver ring. "Jennifer Calendar, will you make me the happiest man on Earth and be my wife?"
Jenny got over her initial shock and shrugged casually. "Sure, what the hell?"
Giles slid the ring onto Jenny's left ring finger. He stood up and kissed her on the lips. They hugged each other. Buffy, Tara, Amy, Sandy, Harmony, and Julie applauded.
Alonna crouched down beside a guy. "See my brother?"
The guy pointed to where Gunn was coming down the stairs.
"Gunn, we need to talk."
"Yeah, what of?"
"What happened to Bobby-"
"No! No. We don't talk about that. That's done."
"We're dying here, Gunn."
"Everybody dies. I'm just trying to make sure that, when we die, we stay dead."
"It shouldn't have gone down the way it did. You're getting reckless."
"I do what I got to do."
"No, you do more than you got to do. Three weeks, G. Three weeks and no teeth, and you had to ring the dinner bell like that? You just couldn't go another day without getting a little death in, could you?"
"You think I like this?"
"No, I think you love it. And you won't quit until you get as close to death as you possibly can."
"You're wrong."
"I hope so. Because I don't want to lose you, too."
Gunn took her hand. "Hey. That's not gonna happen, little sister. All right? It's never gonna happen." He kissed her on the forehead. He saw two guys come down the stairs. "Yo, Chain! You found them?"
"Dead boy led me right to its nest. It's close - practically right around the corner."
"Nice."
"Four blocks, right next to the old blue jean factory."
Gunn shook his hand. "All right. Cool. Now, we got a chance to do some real damage."
A guy hurried down the stairs, loaded crossbow in hand. "Incoming! Moving this way fast. Jumping rooftop to rooftop."
Gunn looked at Chain. "You were followed?"
"No way."
"Let's check it out."
They all headed up the stairs.
Gunn and his gang came up to watch an altercation from behind some iron bars. Lenny was about to get in his car when Angel came up behind him.
"What do you want?" Lenny asked Angel.
"Big question. What do I want?" Angel paused. "Love...family...a place on this planet I can call my own...but you know what?"
"What?"
"I'm never going to have any of those things. And unless these next few minutes go exactly the way I want them to, neither are you. Where are the pictures of David Nabbit?"
"Never heard of him."
"Oh-ho, you only get one lie. I probably should have mentioned that first."
Lenny patted Angel on the shoulder. "Look, pal, you obviously not from around here. But trust me: you do not want to see my bad side."
Angel bared his fangs. "You show me yours, I show you mine." He grabbed Lenny and pushed him up against the car. "Okay, so now I'm from around here. In fact, I'm moving in. Taking over. You understand me? I will dog you every night for the rest of your very short life until you bring me what I want. Are we clear?"
Lenny nodded frantically.
"Yeah. See you tomorrow." Angel gave Lenny a last shove.
Lenny turned to unlock his car door, then looked back. Angel was gone. Lenny got in the car and drove off.
"Vampire is moving in, huh?" Chain asked.
Gunn nodded. "Yeah, well, he ain't gonna stay too long."
The next day, Cordelia and Wesley were standing in front of David Nabbit while he wrote out a check at his mansion.
"Ah. This should take care of your expenses to date. I want you to know I really appreciate what you did at the party."
"At the party?" Wesley asked.
Nabbit nodded, and Wesley and Cordelia looked at each other.
"What we did at the party?" Wesley asked Cordelia.
"It was a wonderful party."
"We talked. We had some good times. It meant a lot to me."
Cordelia looked at Nabbit. "Oh."
Wesley looked at Nabbit. "Yes, but...you were paying us to be there."
"I do that all the time. But you guys actually hung with me. It was...It was special." He held the check out to Wesley.
Cordelia grabbed it. "I'm in charge of the..." She saw the amount of the check and, speechless, showed it to Wesley.
"Good Lord. I think there must be some mistake."
"I'm sure Mr. Nabbit knows how to write a check."
"No, there is no mistake. I just...believe in rewarding good work."
Wesley looked at him. "This is amazingly generous, Mr. Nabbit, but...we are really not finished with the job."
"It's only money, and I got sack-fulls, and it's - it's David. You guys call me David, okay?"
Cordelia smiled. "I like David. It's such a...strong, masculine name."
Nabbit grinned at her.
Cordelia grinned. "It just feels...good in my mouth."
Wesley cleared his throat. "Well, David, you won't be disappointed. We'll earn every cent of your generous confidence in our firm."
Cordelia waved as she walked out. "Bye."
"Bye."
Wesley followed Cordelia out. "Feels good in your mouth?"
"I was flustered!"
In Buffy and Tara's dorm room, Buffy was sitting on the bed, playing with a small black-and-white kitten in her lap. Tara was sitting on the large chest at the foot of the bed. She was looking through the course selection booklet.
"Oh. I keep thinking 'Okay, that's the cutest thing ever', and then she does something cuter and completely resets the whole scale."
"Did you see her yawn earlier?" Tara asked her.
"Yes! I thought I was going to die." Buffy picked up the kitten to look into her eyes. "Oh, I love you, Miss Kitty Fantastico! It's so cool that she's ours."
"You still need an elective." Tara glanced down at the booklet. "How about...Sophomore-Level Psychology?"
"Oh. Kinda psyched out since Professor Walsh. Maybe something fun like Drama. I could be dramatic." Buffy picked the kitten up again in front of her face. "You cannot have more catnip! You have a catnip problem!"
Tara laughed. "Definitely Drama."
The kitten started pawing at Buffy's hair and face. Buffy lowered her to her lap again.
After work, Cordelia went and got a large burrito at the taco stand near Helen's Kitchen, then she walked into the restaurant.
Anne and Faith were busy delivering orders to tables and refilling coffee.
Cordelia walked up to Anne, munching on her burrito. "Hey."
Anne stopped and looked at her, then frowned. "Seriously?"
"What?" Cordelia asked.
"You bring food in from outside?"
Cordelia frowned. "If you can call it food. Retardo Montalbán out there didn't cook it all the way. Anyway, we heading out?"
Faith looked at her. "Not quite yet. Our shifts ain't done."
"Oh." Cordelia took another bite of her burrito.
Anne frowned and angrily motioned at the door. "Go eat that outside. Mitch would have a fit."
"Okay, okay! God!" Cordelia turned and headed toward the door.
In the woods, Buffy was patrolling, walking on a dirt path leading up to a cave entrance. She was carrying the blaster that Professor Walsh had given her. She was heading towards the cave when someone jumped out into the path behind her, and she whirled around to face Forrest Gates. They were pointing their blasters at each other.
"Don't shoot."
Buffy lowered her blaster. She turned and continued to the cave. Forrest started to follow but stopped when she looked back at him.
"I'm checking out that cave."
"My orders exactly."
"Alone?" Buffy asked him.
"We're spread a little thin, so yeah. Family's tearing apart."
Buffy turned and entered the cave, followed by Forrest.
"Welcome."
They looked back the way that they came and saw Adam suddenly standing there.
Buffy sighed. "Oh, shit."
Buffy stepped forward, ready to fire her blaster, but Adam swung his arm and knocked it out of her hands. She quickly struck with a front kick that did little damage and blocked Adam's arm when he swung it at her again. Forrest rushed in to attack, but Buffy was between him and Adam and shoved him back hard.
"Get out of here!" Buffy told him.
As Forrest fell to the ground, Buffy hit Adam in the face with a hard backhand. Adam hardly felt it and grabbed her by the neck, throwing her across the cave. She slammed into the rock wall and dropped to the ground. Adam turned his attention to Forrest, and his Polgara skewer jutted out of his left arm.
Forrest was getting back to his feet. "Not moving." He raised his blaster and fired it at Adam.
Reacting to the blast, Adam arched back, his arms wide as if accepting the charge. The rings of electricity coursed over his body, then seemed to be absorbed within him.
He looked at Forrest. "Thank you."
Buffy saw this and rose to her knees. "Go! Get out!"
But Forrest charged Adam, and the demonoid cyborg met him with the skewer, shoving it through his chest.
"No!" Buffy yelled.
Forrest quickly went limp, and Buffy ran towards them. With his free arm, Adam tossed Forrest's body in the air, and it slid off his skewer and crashed into Buffy, knocking her down. Adam immediately picked up Forrest's blaster.
"Oh, God." Buffy rolled Forrest's body off herself and rose to her feet.
Adam fired the blaster. The charge hit her full-force and sent her flying back, where she collided with a large boulder. She dropped to her knees and, as soon as she was on her feet, bolted for the entrance. Adam tracked her with the gun and fired another blast. It just barely missed her, blowing apart a huge chunk of the cave wall.
Buffy stumbled out of the cave on legs that didn't seem to work right, but she continued to pick up speed as she ran down the hill. She took a quick glance over her shoulder. It didn't look like Adam was after her, but she didn't stop, desperate to escape. She suddenly lost her footing on the edge of a steeper slope and tumbled down the incline. She didn't roll very far before she was stopped by a large rock sticking out of the ground, hitting her head hard. Buffy fell unconscious beside the rock, her head turned to the side, a gash on the left side of her forehead, and a bruise already forming next to her eye.
Anne and Cordelia set the bed frame in place and then grabbed a mattress from the stack on the floor. Meanwhile, Faith did the same all by herself. They heard the front door open and close and walked over to see who it was.
Veruca was standing there. "Hey. I looked for you at the diner and at your place, but..." She offered Anne her car key.
Anne took it. "Took you long enough. Where the fuck have you been?"
Veruca shrugged. "Ran out of gas. Had to work for it."
Anne didn't know or care what that meant. "Whatever."
"Sorry." Veruca paused. "Sandy broke up with me."
Faith rolled her eyes. "Imagine that."
Cordelia shot Faith a look, then walked over and hugged Veruca. Veruca hesitated, then hugged her back.
Cordelia looked Veruca in the eyes. "Would you like to maybe help us set this place up? It'll take your mind off things."
Veruca paused in consideration and then nodded.
That night, the door opened, and Spike rushed into Giles' apartment.
Spike closed the door. "I think I lost the buggers."
Jenny stood up from where she was sitting at Giles' desk. "Any luck with the disks?"
He pulled out a few disks from the pockets of his flak jacket and commando pants and handed them to her. "Took what they had. Should be something useful on one of them."
Jenny took the disks, staring at him. "Hope so." She sat down again in front of her laptop.
Tara was standing beside her. "What are we looking for?"
Jenny slid one of the disks into her laptop. "Anything about Adam."
Giles was sitting at the bar, pouring himself a drink. "Were there any problems getting in and out?"
"No. I mean...a couple of them made me on the way out, but I took care of 'em."
"Gave them a good running-away-from-them, did you?" Giles asked, sarcastically.
Spike shot him a look. "Well, yeah. When do I get paid?"
"When Jenny tells me you've brought us something useful."
Spike stepped up behind Giles. "I could've gone straight to the Slayer, you know? I cut you in, let you pretend you're actually in charge; now, you've got to wait for your girl's permission to finish the deal?"
Giles was seething into his drink. "As soon as we see what's on the disks."
Tara stared at the screen. "It looks like gibberish."
Giles and Spike looked over at them.
"Gibberish?" Spike asked.
Jenny looked at them. "They're encrypted."
"Oh, wonderful." Giles stepped away from the bar and walked down the hall.
"Can you fix 'em?" Spike asked her.
"Crack a government encryption code on my laptop? Easy as really difficult pie. Why?" Jenny asked.
Spike sighed. "You're not exactly the whiz these days either. God, I'm never gonna get paid."
Jenny frowned. "I just need some time."
"Can you hurry up? I've got a deal at stake. Pressing business, ladies." Spike pointed to the screen and tapped it with his finger.
Gunn and his gang lay in wait in their pickup truck, the headlights turned off.
Lenny was sitting on the hood of his car, holding a brown manila envelope in his hands, looking around. Suddenly, Angel was there.
"You're a sneaky son of a bitch, aren't you?" Lenny asked.
"You brought the photographs?"
Lenny held up the envelope. "Of course, I brought them - and a little something extra."
A gray-skinned demon arrived next to Angel and hit him hard enough that he flew a few feet backwards through the air.
Lenny smiled. "Love that."
Angel and the demon fought. The demon was at least as strong as Angel.
"Whatever he's paying you isn't enough, is it, big fellow?" Lenny asked.
During the fight, Angel crashed into Lenny, making him drop the envelope. Angel picked it up and put it inside his coat, then swung around a lamp post and continued to fight the demon. At the end, he managed to break the demon's neck. While Angel caught himself on the ground, coughing, trying to recover from the fight, Lenny ran off.
Chain fired a stake. The stake impaled Angel through his left shoulder, poking out the front. Grabbing a hold of it, Angel looked back to see Gunn's gang with their pickup truck and stake gun. The headlights turned on. He got up, pulling out the stake, and ran - with the truck in close pursuit.
"Get him!" Gunn yelled.
Angel kept zigzagging and tossing trash cans and other stuff in front of the truck to make it swerve and mess up the gunner's aim as he ran down the street. He rolled underneath a partially open warehouse door. The wooden rams mounted on the hood of the truck came through the door, just missing him. Gunn and his gang got out of the truck and entered the warehouse.
Angel ran deeper into the warehouse, stumbling against some boxes. He stepped on a plate on the floor. A pallet with stakes mounted to the bottom dropped from the ceiling, and Angel rolled to avoid getting impaled. A guy with a stake in hand jumped him from behind. Angel grabbed his up-raised hands and, after a short struggle, tossed him over his head, onto the floor in front of him. The guy saw the stake coming for his own heart and froze in fear. Angel took a breath, dropped the stake, and ran on, the guy staring after him in surprise. Angel ran through a trip wire and triggered some crossbows as he ran down a hallway, but Angel managed to dodge the quarrels. The gang attacked him from all sides, and, after tossing a couple around, Angel grabbed a hold of Alonna and used her as a shield.
"Alonna!" Gunn yelled. "Don't shoot."
"What are you people playing at?" Angel asked Gunn.
"We're not playing."
"You're gonna get yourselves killed."
"We're gonna get you killed first!" Gunn yelled.
Chain nodded. "Let's kill him."
Angel looked at them for a moment, then tossed Alonna aside. Alonna fell into a trip-cord, and a crossbow went off. Angel reached out and intercepted the quarrel headed for Alonna with the palm of his hand. Everybody stared.
"Ow! You know, for some reason, I'm getting the impression you don't like me too much!" Angel pulled the quarrel out of his hand. "Maybe I'm just overreacting."
"What? You're gonna pretend that you're different from the rest of them?" Gunn asked.
"Yeah. And then I just pretend that I just saved her life. You put a lot of work into this. Some clever stuff, really. I'm impressed, but I have a few suggestions."
"I don't think we're interested."
"Yeah. You should be. Who do you think that would have killed? We are fighting on the same side."
"The same side of what?" Chain asked.
"I didn't come here to kill you."
Gunn lowered his crossbow and stepped closer. "It don't matter why you're here or what you are. If you ever show your face down here again, don't count on any long goodbyes."
The gang left.
Buffy walked into her dorm room and removed her jacket as she stepped up to the mirror on the wall. Ugly bruising had formed around the gash on her forehead, and she winced as she touched it with her fingers.
Tara walked out of the bathroom. "Buffy?"
Buffy turned and looked at her.
Tara walked over to her. "What happened?"
"Adam."
"I'll get the first-"
"It's fine. I'll heal." Buffy walked into the bathroom, opened the cold water in the sink, and washed away the blood with her fingers. She closed the faucet and headed for the door. "I gotta talk to Riley."
In the office, Wesley was taking the pictures that Angel recovered over to where Cordelia was bandaging Angel's shoulder and middle.
"That's very nice work. I'm sure Nabbit will be greatly relieved to get these back." Wesley sat down next to Angel on the edge of Cordelia's desk, looking at one of the pictures. "Oh, my."
"It's upside down."
Wesley turned the picture around, and they both looked at it as Cordelia put the last piece of tape in place.
"Certainly not something one would want framed."
"How does it feel?" Cordelia asked.
"I can't possibly imagine it's pleasant."
Angel made a face. "Ew."
"I'm talking to Angel."
Angel and Wesley looked at her.
"Oh, right. Sorry."
Angel got up. "It feels..." He winced as he pulled on his shirt. "It feels better."
"You should rest. You look like-"
"Like I've been beaten and stabbed?"
"Want to see the check again?" Cordelia offered.
"I want to find those kids. I don't think any of them have homes. They're probably living together somewhere."
"How many are there?" Wesley asked.
"I'm not sure. Six, seven, maybe more? A couple of them couldn't have been more than sixteen."
Cordelia sighed. "God. Twenty-minute ride from billionaires and crab puffs, kids going to war."
"This isn't something they just started doing. I mean...they were ready. They've been pushed to this."
"In which case, I can certainly understand their...stake-first-and-ask-questions-later state of mind. It's how they survive."
"And the idea of a...vampire in a white hat probably seems a little...give-me-a-breaky?" Cordelia added.
"They're in over their heads. They're going to get themselves killed. If they're hunting vampires, there has to be a nest in the area. Wesley, I want you to find out where those kids live."
"Consider it done."
"I'm gonna find that nest - before they do. It'll have to be close - probably in a ten-block area..." Angel winced in pain as he pulled on his coat. "...and it'll have to be a building with sewer access." Angel stepped into the elevator, still clearly hurting. He turned back. "Can I just see that check again?"
Buffy knocked on Riley's dorm room door. Soon, the door opened, and Riley was standing there.
"Buffy, you look like hell."
"Riley. I have to tell you something. And there's no easy way-"
"Just say it."
Buffy paused. "Forrest is dead."
Riley took in this news.
"I'm so sorry. There was a fight. Adam killed him. I barely got away. I know that there's nothing I can say that's gonna make this better. But we will find this thing and destroy it."
"I have to go."
"Are you sure?"
"I have to go now." He grabbed his flak jacket off a chair and left.
Buffy stared after him, concerned.
At the hideout, Chain shook his head. "I don't want to hear this."
"I'm saying he could be useful."
"Gunn, don't even listen to her."
Alonna sighed. "You know there is something different about him. I'm just saying...he knows shit that we don't, and he didn't have to do what he did."
"And if he hadn't, he would have been dead."
Gunn looked at him. "Maybe."
Chain looked at him. "No maybe. We would have killed him."
"The guy bugs me, Alonna."
"Everybody bugs you."
"You bug me the most."
"What? I'm trying to keep you alive. I'm not saying trust him."
"It just don't play. I mean...if he's not looking to kill, what's he want? And why the hell would he come to a place like this?"
In Giles' apartment, Jenny was still working on the laptop, a tad frustrated. "It's still encrypted."
Buffy and Tara were standing to either side of her.
Tara looked at Buffy. "Well, Jenny's working really hard on it."
"Okay, well, how long before you...un-crypt it?" Buffy asked Jenny.
"Hours. Days, maybe. Anyone suggesting months would not be accused of crazy talk."
The next day, Alonna walked up to Gunn, who was working on some type of machinery.
"Hey. I got some food."
"I'm not hungry."
"Not hungry? When's the last time you ate?"
"Oh, seems like just yesterday."
"Well, Poe went to the market."
"Alone?"
"No, Jason had his back. They got away clean."
"Oh, yeah, like last time?"
"No, no cops this time, no chase." Alonna offered him some bread. "Come on, you eat this."
Gunn shook his head.
"Well, they got some other stuff. They got, uh, hamburger and some apples and lots of other stuff."
Gunn stopped working to listen to something.
"Looks like we're gonna have a home-cooked meal tonight." Alonna noticed Gunn's attention was off her. "What?"
Gunn got up. "Get everybody out."
"What is it?"
"Just do it! Now!"
Alonna started walking. "Everybody get out! Now!"
Gunn picked up a sword, and a smoke grenade flew through a narrow window under the ceiling.
"Get everybody outside - into the daylight. Do it."
"They are coming in? Don't they have to be invited?" a guy asked.
"Chain!" Gunn yelled.
Chain came to stand beside him. "Cops?"
"I don't know."
"Are they in? Where are they?"
"Go! Go! Go!" Alonna yelled at the kids running up the stairs.
"I don't see nothing." Chain paused. "There is nothing."
"Oh, God. Alonna!" Gunn yelled.
They ran up the stairs after the others.
"Alonna!" Gunn yelled.
As Alonna dropped over the railing to the floor of the alley, a van pulled up. A heavily-swaddled guy wearing a gas mask jumped out and grabbed her.
"Alonna!" Gunn yelled.
"No! Help! Help! No. Gunn!" Alonna yelled.
Alonna was dragged into the back of the van, and the doors slammed shut just as Gunn got there. He ran after the van as it drove off and jumped onto the back bumper. He got a view of two vampires snacking on his screaming sister in the back of the van. One of the vampires looked up and put his fist through the back window, knocking Gunn off the van.
Wesley and Cordelia were cruising the neighborhood in Angel's convertible.
Cordelia smiled. "You know, there is nothing like riding in a convertible with the top down to make you see the sun and the sand."
Wesley stopped the car and scanned the area through a pair of binoculars.
"Mmm, smell that salt air!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"That's not salt."
"I don't think it's air either, but reality is a choice, Wesley. You see what you wanna see, and I see what I wanna see."
"A man exiting an alley, pushing a shopping cart."
Cordelia leaned back and closed her eyes. "No, I see a very tan lifeguard type with large-"
"No, over there."
Cordelia opened her eyes, sat up, and looked.
"These kids must have got electricity into their building. They might have tapped into one of the power lines and run it illegally. If I could spot the tap, that would tell us where their hideout is. You go ask this gentleman if he's seen anyone that fits the description of our young vampire killers while I check the power line for any taps."
"Uh, why don't you ask him, and I check for taps?" Cordelia suggested.
"Because...you can imagine him as a scantily-clad, buff, young stud, while I am stuck with the naked truth."
The gang was gearing up for a fight.
Angel came in, pushing James into the room in front of him. "You are going to get a lot of people killed."
Gunn looked at the kid that was on guard.
"I suck, okay?" James admitted.
Gunn looked at Angel. "You don't want to be here."
"Going after them is what they expect you to do."
"I don't need advice from some middle-class white dude...that's dead! You don't know what my life is. You have no idea what it's like down here."
"Some of you will die, maybe all of you."
Chain strapped a flamethrower to his back. "People die all the time - some just for talking too much."
"We're done."
"Look, I can help you. Unless, of course, death is what you're after; then you're on your own."
"I'm always on my own."
"It doesn't have to be that way. Why can't we do this together?"
Gunn pulled a rope attached to the tarp covering the window, and, while Angel shied away from the direct sunlight, he pushed Angel into an old meat locker.
"You figure it out." Gunn slammed the door shut.
Angel banged against it, but it didn't budge.
Gunn looked at the others. "Let's go."
It was dark by the time that the truck pulled up in front of the vampire nest.
Gunn got out of the truck and looked at Chain. "Hold up. Give me ten minutes to check it out."
"What if you're not back in ten?"
"Come on down and kill anything that moves."
Gunn slowly walked down into the lair, stake held in his right hand. He stopped in the middle of a big room as he heard Alonna humming.
"Alonna?"
"Hey, big brother."
Gunn let out a relieved sigh as Alonna walked out.
"What took you so long?"
Gunn walked up to her, smiling. "You're not..." He stared at her unblemished neck and started to frown. "...dead."
"Well..."
Gunn shook his head. "No."
"Shh! Don't be sad. I'm not."
"They killed you."
"Do I look dead to you? I am stronger, faster, and better than ever. Wanna see?" Alonna laughed as she pushed against his chest, sending him sailing through the air.
Gunn landed on the floor, groaned, and got to his feet.
"We were on the right track, just on the wrong team. All that rage and hatred we got? We get to keep all that, only, on this side, there is no guilt, no grief, just the hunt and the kill - and the fun! And come on, how often did we go out in the daylight, anyway?"
"Alonna, I can't do this!"
"You were made for this. Oh, and all that misery and moping? Gone, I promise you."
"I was never gonna let anything happen to you. I was supposed to protect you. You were my sister."
"I still am."
Gunn shook his head.
"So why don't you kill me? Why don't you?" Alonna spread her arms wide.
Gunn just looked at her.
"Ah! You can't! Because you got the guilt, and I got the greatest guilt cure ever. I can free you! We can be together; our family can stay together - forever."
Cordelia saw Angel stick his hand through a hole in the meat locker, but he couldn't reach the handle.
Cordelia reached past his bruised and bleeding knuckles and opened the door. "Trying to open that?"
Angel leaned against the doorjamb, looking at Cordelia and Wesley.
"They locked you in, huh?" Cordelia asked.
"No. I just love old meat lockers."
"You should've tried to call us on your cell phone." Cordelia paused in realization. "You probably forgot you had it."
Angel took his cell phone out and looked at it. "These things hardly ever work. Besides, it was a lot easier and quicker to just..." He mimed punching a hole and grimaced, shaking his hand. "Look, I'm the boss here; I say when we use the cell phones, and people are gonna die, and...I have to go." He left.
"You're welcome!" Cordelia yelled after him.
"Remember when we were kids...in that shelter on Plummer Street, hmm?" Alonna asked.
Gunn nodded.
"Second floor was all rotted out. You used to dare kids to cross, and of course you were the best at it, because you were the - you were the bravest. I wanted to be like you so bad, so I went up, and the floor gave out. I would have broken my neck, but...you'd been watching me the whole time. You were standing right below, and you caught me. Ever since I can remember, you've been looking out for me. But you don't have to anymore, because I'm good, and it's my turn to look out for you now."
"How?"
"Look at you. You're running and hiding, cold and hungry. You call that living?"
Gunn looked down.
"You're the one that's falling now. Let me catch you. Don't you want to stop falling?"
Gunn nodded slightly.
"I'm gonna fix it." Alonna bared her fangs. "Oh, say goodbye to everything you ever knew." She wrapped one arm around his neck and moved to bite him.
"Goodbye." Gunn pushed the stake into her chest.
She stared at him in shock, shaking her head. She fell to the floor, dead, to reveal Angel standing a little ways away.
"Let's get out of here."
The door behind Gunn opened, and the rest of the gang charged in as Gunn let the stake drop from his hand.
"Dude! What are you waiting on?" Chain saw Angel and moved toward him. "How did he get out?"
Gunn held him back. "Yo, don't. We're leaving."
"Leaving?"
Vampires stepped out all around them.
"I don't think so." A vampire stepped up to Gunn. "She was so sweet, your sister, so smooth going down, if you know what I mean. You wanted a war? Well, this is it."
Angel stared at them. "Here is the deal: you can go."
He turned to stare at Angel. "What?"
"If you go now, and I don't ever see any of you again, you get to live."
He chuckled and walked towards Angel. "Are you high?"
"L.A. is my territory; you want to stay out of it for the rest of your eternal lives. These kids, my town, off limits from now on."
"Who the hell are you? You know who you're talking to, you fool?"
"The name's Angelus." Angel staked him. "And I wasn't actually talking to you." He looked at the other vampires. "So...do we have a truce? Or do you wanna die?"
The vampires looked at each other, shifting uncomfortably.
"Truce?" Chain looked at Gunn. "We can take them."
Angel looked at them. "Not without them taking a couple of you."
"Gunn, you came all this way; you're not gonna kill any vamps?"
Gunn looked at Alonna's body. "I already did." He crouched down, picked up his sister's body in his arms, stood up, and turned to go.
The gang and the vampires, one by one, followed his example and just left.
The next day, Wesley stared at the whipped cream mounded on top of the cup that he received from a street vendor. "I asked for a coffee. I know it must be in here someplace." He looked at Cordelia. "Are you all right? You haven't said two words since we left the office."
"Oh, I was just thinking about those kids."
"Yes. That place was pretty awful."
"And I thought my first apartment was bad. Can you believe people actually live there?"
They sat down on a park bench.
"Well, it certainly gives one a sense of perspective, doesn't it?"
"Yes, it does." Cordelia paused in consideration. "And I think, perspectively speaking, I might want to...prostitute myself to billionaire David Nabbit."
Wesley choked on his coffee. "Cordelia."
"What I mean is...he's a nice guy who wants companionship. I could use some security. So when I say 'prostitute', what I mean is-"
"Prostitute."
"For instance."
"Do you think you really could?"
"I don't know. I could probably learn to love him. Looks aren't everything - or chemistry; personality, that's important. And except for a lot of other..." Cordelia paused. "It's not what's on the outside that..." She paused again. "Yeah. Never mind. I'm fine here. Poor. Alone."
That night, near the end of her shift, Anne opened the door into the alley and lugged the trash bag to the dumpster. She heard a sound coming from it and approached it cautiously. She peered inside and saw someone rummaging through the trash bags.
"Seriously?" Anne flung her bag into the dumpster.
Gunn jumped out of the dumpster.
Anne stared at him. "That's fucking nasty, dude."
Gunn didn't say anything.
"You got a name?" Anne asked him.
Gunn hesitated. "Gunn."
"I'm-"
"Anne. Yeah, I can read."
"I...didn't say you couldn't." Anne paused. "Do you need food?"
"Yeah, me and my crew."
"No, do you need food?" Anne clarified. "Let's start with that."
Gunn hesitated. "I could eat."
Anne and Gunn sat across from each other in the diner, eating a late dinner of sausage, bacon, and eggs in silence.
"So how many's in your crew?" Anne finally asked him.
"Why?"
"I'm, uh, I'm opening a teen shelter in Crenshaw. We're still getting it set up, but...paperwork's been filed." Anne stuck a sausage link in her mouth.
"Thanks, but...we got a place."
Anne shrugged. "If you change you mind-"
"Thanks."
"Okay. I just don't want you on the streets. It's not safe out here at night."
Gunn paused. "I know. Plenty of nasty shit out there."
Anne stared at him. "We talking about the same thing?"
Gunn stared at her but didn't say anything.
"Vampires?" Anne guessed.
Gunn was surprised. "Goddamn. I thought only me and my boys knew about that."
"A lot more of us know than you think."
"We've been fighting these motherfuckers." Gunn sipped his coffee. "I lost my little sister to them yesterday. Had to stake her myself."
Anne looked at Gunn in sympathy. "Goddamn. I'm so sorry."
"Thanks." Gunn finished his meal. "Thanks for the grub, Annie. Gotta get back out there." He stood up and walked toward the door.
Anne watched him go. "Take care of yourself, Gunn."
Gunn briefly looked back at her and nodded, and then he turned, opened the door, and walked outside.
Anne finished her dinner in silence.
Gunn stood on the roof of the hideout, looking out at nighttime LA. Angel came up beside him.
"What are you doing here?" Gunn asked.
"Skulking...professionally."
"Look, I'm glad for what you did, okay? But I don't need no Guardian Angel, and I don't need no talking to. It's not gonna change the way things are down here, man. They're gonna keep coming, and we're gonna keep fighting."
"I know."
"That's it? You ain't gonna talk at me, be all daddy figure?"
"What am I gonna tell you...that you haven't already learned?"
"I killed her."
"You didn't."
"Near enough. She was the reason, man." Gunn paused. "How come you do it? How come you're out here?"
"What else are we gonna do?" Angel asked. "I'll be around."
"I don't need no help."
"I might."
After a moment, Gunn looked over, but Angel was gone.
Chapter 103: Primeval
Chapter Text
"Primeval"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Primeval" Written by David Fury and the Angel Episodes "Blind Date" Written by Jeannine Renshaw and "To Shanshu in L.A." Written by David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
At Angel Investigations, Wesley closed a book. "Demons with one eye, demons with twelve eyes, some with double vision, but no blind demons. Perhaps Angel's discovered a new species."
Cordelia was sitting at her desk. "What? Helen Kellerus Homicidalus?"
Wesley got up. "Of course, it's possible she is not a demon at all."
"You think?"
"Perhaps she's simply learned to hone her senses around her disability. Angel said it was as if she anticipated his actions before he carried them out."
"A handy skill...in fight or...on a date."
"Unusual, to be certain, but not necessarily demonic."
"Someone like that kind of stands out in a crowd...for an assassin, I mean."
"Decidedly."
"Maybe even have a record." On the computer, Cordelia typed a search of "blind woman murder" into the Police Crime and Criminals Database and found one match.
"One assumes she has done this sort of thing before. Based on Angel's description-"
"Vanessa Brewer."
"What? You found her?"
"Our first stop doesn't always have to be world of the weird, you know? Sometimes, actual human people can be just...awful." Cordelia looked at the screen. "Date of Birth: July 18, 1967. Place of Birth: San Francisco. Citizenship: United States. Gender: Female. Hair: Brown. Eyes: Blind. Height: 5'6". Weight: 122. Misc: Blind eyes, no visible iris. Known Associates: None. Arrests: 1 misdemeanor, 0 Convictions; 2 Felony, 0 Convictions."
Wesley looked at the monitor. "First arrest in 1993."
"She was fleeing the scene of a homicide. No charges were brought. Arrested again in '95. Charged with aggravated assault. That one never went to trial. And finally arrested in '99 as a suspect in a double homicide, for which she is currently on trial."
"She was on bail when Angel encountered her."
"But that's not the real whammy. Look who's defending her."
Wesley saw "Wolfram & Hart" on the screen and sighed. "She obviously doesn't see the way we do, but she can see."
Angel stepped out of the elevator and went to his desk.
"In a sense. The human eye is only capable of registering a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, but if Brewer was somehow equipped to see outside that range-"
"She'd be Supergirl. What's the diff in how she sees, anyway? So she can get a look at the bars of her cell. Why are we still talking about this?" Cordelia asked.
Angel came out of his office. "Because Wolfram & Hart is representing her pro bono, which means...she's probably still working for them."
Cordelia heard Angel pick up his phone and throw it against the wall. Cordelia hesitantly opened the door to his office, and she and Wesley walked inside.
"They acquitted her. Hung jury."
Wesley sighed. "I'm sorry, Angel."
"How am I supposed to fight evil, if they won't even put it behind bars?"
Cordelia looked at him sympathetically. "It's not your fault."
"No, it's not my fault. I-I didn't cause it, and I can't fix it. I can't do anything about it. Well, she's guilty. She's guilty, and - and they let her go. She murdered a man right in front of me, and I can't even testify to that fact in a court of law."
"Well, maybe, in night court, you could-"
Angel shot Cordelia a look. "It's their courtroom, not mine."
"Whose?" Cordelia asked.
"Their rules, their game."
Cordelia understood. "Oh, you mean the Wolfram & Hart types."
Angel shook his head. "I have no place in their world at all."
Wesley hesitated. "Angel-"
"How am I expected to do battle, if I can't even get into the ring?"
"You have a place, Angel. Our battle will be fought elsewhere."
"It's still their world, Wesley. Structured for power, not truth. It's their system, and it's one that works. It works, because...there is no guilt, there is no torment, no consequences. It's pure. I remember what that was like. Sometimes, I miss that clarity."
"But not the trying-to-kill-your-friends-and-family part, right?" Cordelia asked.
Angel shot her another look.
"Just checking!"
"Nothing ever changes." Angel sat down with a sigh, rubbing his face with his hands.
Lindsey McDonald walked in from the outer office. "I need your help."
Angel looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"I want out."
Angel thought for a moment, then looked at Cordelia and Wesley and nodded at the door.
Cordelia and Wesley left the office, Wesley closing the door behind him.
Later, in the outer office, Lindsey, Angel, Wesley, and Cordelia were planning a Wolfram & Hart break-in to retrieve some files regarding Vanessa Brewer's next target.
"Vault's at sub-level two. Hall's outside the boiler room."
"Sewer access?" Angel asked Lindsey.
"You'd have to burn your way in."
"Why are you going in at all?" Cordelia asked Angel. "I thought born-again boy was gonna do it."
"It's a two-man job. How do I access the vault?" Angel asked Lindsey.
"My pass. I'll need it to get in. They're getting pretty tight with security. But I can leave it downstairs for you. Gets you right into the vault."
"Again, I say-"
Lindsey looked at Cordelia. "It's guarded. Demon. Doesn't go in for unauthorized visits. There is no way I can take it."
"What kind of demon?" Angel asked.
"Preggothian. I think."
Wesley looked at Angel. "I'll get you a battle profile: weaknesses and such."
"Right."
"I'll do what I can with the security monitors, but you'll have to move fast, because the moment - oh, damn it."
"What?" Wesley asked.
"The threshold. They have shamans. They can sense the moment a vampire crosses the threshold."
Angel looked at Lindsey. "That's not going to be a problem."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Well, then. Seems pretty simple - except for the 'you'll definitely get caught' factor."
Lindsey looked at her. "The righteous shall walk a thorny path."
Cordelia gave him a look and stuck out her tongue.
That night, Angel talked to Gunn, standing behind the stake gun mounted on the pickup truck.
"Yeah, I can get a hold of one. But why would I want to?" Gunn asked.
"In the interest of justice...and maybe doing the right thing?"
"Not really interested in some rich guy's heartbreak." Gunn aimed the stake gun at a mattress leaning up against a wall.
"You're low."
Gunn looked at him.
Angel looked towards the mattress. "Just my opinion."
Gunn raised the gun a little and fired. The stake hit the mattress at heart level.
"Give me one good reason."
"It'll be extremely dangerous."
Gunn nodded with a smile. "Okay."
The next day, Buffy was walking around inside a crypt, holding an ax. She walked through to another part of the crypt. She looked around and saw many computers.
"Adam...where are you?" Buffy asked.
Buffy walked around and ran into Spike.
Spike put his hands up. "Easy, Sheriff. Watch where you point that thing."
"What are you doing here?"
"Looking for a little weekend getaway place. Shove off." Spike started walking past Buffy.
"Adam's been using these caves."
Spike stopped walking. "What? I found his lair?" He sighed. "Oh, cripes. That's all I need. Runnin' into that goon."
"Yeah, well, Adam's cleared out of here. Whatever he's planning is about to go down."
Spike turned and looked at her. "Look at little Nancy Drew. What about those disks I nabbed? They ought to tell you something."
"Jenny's working on it."
Gunn walked in through the front door of the office building of Wolfram & Hart, into the lobby. "Whoo-whoo! My God! They told me it was true, but I didn't believe them. Damn, here it is! Evil white folks really do have a Mecca."
Security guards stepped out from behind their desk.
Gunn held up a hand. "Now, now, girls, don't get all riled up. Ow! Did you just step on my foot?"
The nearest guard was still at least eight feet away from him.
"Is that my foot you just stepped on? Are you assaulting me...up in this haven of justice? Somebody get me a lawyer, because my civil rights have seriously been violated. Oh, I get it, I get it. You all can cater to the demon, cater to the dead man, but what about the black man?!" Gunn checked his watch. "I'd love to stay and chat, but - yo, fellas!"
He turned to look at the door, where Chain and James were carrying in a body-sized bundle. Gunn cut the cord securing the bundle, smiling at the security guards, then he and his buddies walked out while the wrapping fell back to reveal a vampire.
In the computer lab, Jenny was sitting at her desk, working on deciphering the disks.
Tara was standing behind her. "Maybe you should rest. Clear your head?"
"Can't. Not now. I-I think I'm on to something. I've been assuming the - the cipher text was encrypted with an asymmetric algorithm. Then it hit me. A hexogonic key pattern. It's-"
"Hey, look, you did it."
Jenny stared at the screen. "I didn't. I haven't even finished typing in the new code."
Tara shrugged. "Something's doing it."
"Must be programmed to self-decrypt at a certain point." Jenny sat in silence and read the information on the disks.
Buffy walked into the lab, followed by Giles.
Tara looked at Buffy. "How'd the recon go?"
"I think Spike's working for Adam. I just went to Adam's lair, and he was gone. But Spike just happened to be there. He made this big noise about getting information off those encrypted disks."
Jenny looked at her. "Oh, they decrypted themselves."
Buffy looked at her, surprised.
"What did they say?" Giles asked.
Jenny shrugged. "A bunch of shit we already know about 314. But it also said there's some final phase where Adam manufactures a bunch of creepy cyber-demonoids like him. There's a special lab in the Initiative, but it didn't say where."
"Adam fed Spike those disks. It has to be. He wanted me to know about his evil-guy assembly line. We'll give the demon his due. He thought this one out."
"What do you mean?" Jenny asked.
"You know how overcrowded the containment cells have been at the Initiative?"
Jenny nodded.
"Those demons were just too easy to catch. It's like they wanted in that place."
Giles adjusted his glasses. "The Trojan Horse."
"Adam's gonna make sure the demons attack the Initiative from the inside."
Tara thought about that. "Demons versus soldiers. It'll be a massacre."
"And Adam has a neat pile of body parts to start assembling his army. Diabolical, yet..." Jenny made a face. "...gross."
Buffy looked at Giles. "I've got to shut him down, Giles. His final phase is about to start."
"We need to warn the Initiative."
Buffy dismissed the idea. "They're not gonna listen to me. And what if they ask where I got the info?"
"Good point."
"Riley?" Jenny suggested.
"He got some bad news and kinda took off."
"I'm confused. Adam has this evil plan. Why is he so anxious for you to know about it?" Tara asked Buffy.
"He wants me there. Probably figures I'll even the kill ratio."
"He's not worried you might kill him?" Tara asked.
Buffy stared into Tara's eyes. "No, he's really not."
Angel exited the elevator and walked into the office. "Lindsey?"
"He's not with you?" Wesley asked.
"No."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "That can't be good."
Wesley nodded. "Something must have happened."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "You're not going back for him?"
"If he made it out, then he'll be here. If he didn't, then there is no reason to go back for him. We have work to do."
Wesley looked at him. "So you got the files, then."
Angel took the files out of the briefcase and set them on Cordelia's desk. "Right here."
Cordelia stared at the disks. "Which one is it?"
"I don't know. We'll have to go through them until we find it."
Wesley took a metal tube out of the open briefcase. "Angel, what's this?"
"I'm not sure."
Wesley pulled a roll of parchment out of the tube and unrolled it part-way. "Ancient Aramaic, if I'm not mistaken."
Cordelia put a disk into the Zip drive.
"Yeah?" Angel asked.
"Was there a reason you took this?"
"Yeah."
"And that would be..."
"I...I don't really know."
"Well...I'll get to work translating them."
"Uh, guys?" Cordelia asked. "Might want to translate this first."
Wesley looked at the computer screen. "It's encrypted."
"What do you want to bet the rest of these are, too?" Cordelia asked.
Angel sighed. "Great."
Cordelia thought for a moment, then she smiled. "I'll call Jenny. She might be able to help us."
"Okay, I'm back to the desktop, Jenny. What do I do now?" Cordelia asked.
"Close the previous window."
Cordelia clicked the X. "Okay, done that."
"Go back to the life list."
"Back to life list." Cordelia selected the proper window. "Yeah."
"You there?" Jenny asked.
"Yeah."
Angel was massaging the bridge of his nose as Wesley set down a cup carrier holding three coffees on Cordelia's desk.
"Any luck?" Wesley asked him, sitting next to him in front of the desk.
"She's been on the phone for an hour and forty-five minutes."
Cordelia briefly looked at them. "Hey, guess what they've been doing all day."
"Uh...saving the world?" Wesley guessed.
"Well, yeah. But they've been breaking encrypted computer files, too!" Cordelia replied.
"What are the odds, huh?" Angel asked.
"I know."
"Who are you talking to?" Jenny asked her.
"What? Oh, no one, just Wesley."
"Cordelia, can she get us in?" Angel asked.
Cordelia held up a finger.
"Tell Wesley hey."
"Uh-huh."
"Is Angel there?"
"Uh-huh."
"Tell him hey, too."
"Uh-huh."
Angel and Wesley leaned forward in anticipation.
Cordelia smiled. "Jenny says hey."
Angel and Wesley slumped back in their seats. "Hey."
"Okay, you should see the tag file."
"Okay. Yeah, I see it. Tag file."
"Left-click on it."
Okay." Cordelia left-clicked it with the mouse. "Left click."
The files started decrypting.
"There it is. Back door. We're in. Thanks, Jen."
"No problem. Glad to help."
Cordelia hung up as Angel and Wesley stepped around the desk to have a look.
"Personnel file, Vanessa Brewer." Wesley paused. "She wasn't born blind. She lost her sight when she was twenty-one."
Cordelia read the text in shock. "On purpose. She did this to herself."
"Oh, dear."
"And she spent five years in Pajaur, studying the Nanjin." Angel nodded. "That explains her power."
"It does?" Cordelia asked.
Wesley nodded. "Yes, the order of the Nanjin, cave-dwelling monks. They believe enlightenment is seeing with the heart, not the mind."
"Are you telling me...self-mutilating, psycho assassin chick reached enlightenment?" Cordelia asked him.
"Of a kind. She'd be more sensitive to her surroundings than even a sighted person, which is what would make her an unstoppable foe."
"No one's unstoppable. What is her current job?" Angel asked him.
"Here it is. Lindsey was right. Children. Three of them. Seers. They were each found in different remote locations, brought together here for the first time."
Cordelia read the text. "They're blind, too. Together, the children have the power to see into the heart of things."
Wesley nodded. "A holy triumvirate. As they mature, so does their power."
"Which makes them a real threat to Wolfram & Hart."
The three of them looked at Lindsey.
"Sorry I'm late. I hope I didn't worry anyone."
Cordelia shook her head. "We just figured you were dead."
Angel nodded. "So you made it out okay."
"Yeah, but it's only a matter of time before they find out which files have gone missing. We have to move fast. When are the children getting into the country?"
Wesley looked at the screen. "According to this, they arrived this morning. They're being kept at a safe house with a guardian until their mentor arrives. He's coming in from the East tonight."
Angel looked at the screen. "Not safe. There is an address." He looked at Cordelia and Wesley. "I want you two to intercept this mentor guy. Keep him away from that house. We'll bring the kids to him."
That night, Angel was sitting in his office.
Cordelia walked in and set a mug filled with blood on his desk. "Here ya go."
"Thanks."
Wesley came in, carrying the roll of parchment. "The children are with their mentor. They're safe."
Angel looked at him. "Good."
"They have an important role to play." Wesley laid the parchment on the desk and sat down. "I believe this is how Wolfram & Hart knew of their coming."
Angel picked up the parchment. "You know what it is?"
"If I'm right, the Prophecies of Aberjian - for centuries thought lost. I translated some of the text. As I said, it mentions the children you saved today. But that's not all. I-I also believe I know why you were drawn to it. There is an entire passage...about you. It doesn't call you by name...but it tells of a vampire with a soul."
Cordelia looked at Angel in surprise. He remained expressionless.
"This doesn't surprise you?" Wesley asked him.
"No."
"But you said you didn't know what it was."
"I didn't, but..."
"Somehow, you did?"
"Yeah."
"There is a design, Angel. Hidden in the chaos as it may be, but...it's there...and you have your place in it."
Cordelia grinned at Angel.
Later, Cordelia sat next to Wesley in front of Angel's desk and read the evening newspaper. Wesley was researching while Angel was reading a book.
"Shanshu. Shanshu. Or maybe it's shushan."
"Are you still trying to figure out that word? What's taking so long?" Cordelia asked.
"Gee, I don't know, Cordelia. The prophecies of Aberjian were only written over the last four-thousand years, in a dozen different languages, some of which aren't even human! Why don't we just get a Falanjoid demon in here, suck the brain out of my skull. Maybe that would speed things up."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "He sure gets testy when he's translating."
Wesley sighed. "This word is pivotal to what it prophesies about the vampire with a soul."
Cordelia looked back at him. "Well, hurry up and figure out what it says about Angel, because..." She bit her lip and tried to cover up what she was about to say. "I wanna know what it says about me. If there is torrid romance in my future? Massive wealth? If I have to, I'll settle for enviable fame."
"This is an ancient sacred text, not a Magic 8 Ball."
"Nobody gets my humor."
Angel looked at her. "I thought it was funny."
"Hmm." Cordelia looked back down at the newspaper. "Hey, guys? Remember born-again lawyer boy who wanted out of Wolfram & Hart so bad?"
"Lindsey?" Angel asked.
"They just promoted him." Cordelia held up the page with Lindsey's picture to them. "Junior partner."
Wesley looked at Angel. "After all you did for him, he sells his soul for thirty pieces of silver."
Cordelia looked at the paper. "Actually, he sold it for a six-figure salary and a full benefits package."
"It's disappointing. He had an opportunity to change."
Angel went back to reading his book. "He didn't take it." He froze, then looked up.
"What?" Wesley asked.
"Little late for visitors." Angel got up and went out into the outer office.
Cordelia and Wesley got up and followed.
Angel tapped a hooded figure on the back with his battle ax, and it cowered down, letting out a scream.
"Mr. Nabbit?" Angel asked.
"David?" Cordelia asked.
"Heart...heart...heart...my throat."
"I'm sorry. I didn't - I didn't mean to-"
"No, that was awesome." Nabbit stood up. "Can we do it again?"
"Are you - Do you need help?" Wesley asked him.
"Me? No. I just popped by to hang. I blew off my board of directors, 'cause tonight's my turn to be Dungeon Master. What do you think of my cape?"
Cordelia smiled. "Shiny."
"You guys wanna hang?" Nabbit looked past Angel, into the office. "Oh, wow. Wow, wow." He entered the office and gave a whistle. "This is where it all happens. They're helpless - in agony; they have no one to turn to, so they...come here to you. Drink that coffee, sit on this couch." He sat down. "Unspeakable fiends from Hell hot on their heels."
Everyone looked at him silently.
"Uh, what did I do? Spun off my digital pager network, made a few more million."
Everyone just stared.
"All right, several. Big whoop! What does that mean?"
"No more shopping in the PennySaver?" Cordelia guessed.
"It's just you guys, your lives are so meaningful, so exciting. You fight demons! At any moment, one could walk right through that very door!"
Everyone looked over at the door, then they turned back to look at Nabbit.
"You guys seen any cool demons lately?"
They didn't say anything.
"You guys..." Nabbit paused. "I..." He paused again. "Never know what's going to happen around here. That’s..." He got up abruptly and walked out. "Okay. Good to see you."
Angel nodded. "You, too."
Cordelia nodded. "It was fun."
Wesley nodded. "Drop by again."
Nabbit waved behind him. "We'll hang soon."
"I think I know what it means."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "A very wealthy man with just...no life at all?"
"No. The word in the scroll."
He went into Angel's office, and the others followed.
"That shoe shine thing?" Cordelia asked.
"Shanshu."
Angel sat down and resumed reading his book.
Wesley consulted a book. "If it isn't Phygian but instead descends from the ancient Magyars, then its root is Proto-Ugaric, in which case, it would mean..." He fell silent.
"What?" Cordelia asked eagerly.
"Death."
"But you said it was all about the vampire with the soul."
Wesley looked at her, then they both looked at Angel, who was reading his book as if he hadn't even heard Wesley.
"Angel's going to die?" Cordelia asked in dread.
Angel glanced up. "Oh. Anything else?"
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "He certainly took that well." She paused. "Is this that opportune time to talk about my raise?"
"It's probably years off, uh, after the coming battles."
"My raise?"
"Apocalyptic prophecies aren't exactly a science. And - And I could be way off the mark, so...no reason to be concerned."
Angel never looked up from his book. "Hmm."
Wesley looked at him. "So it's good you're not concerned. Not...even remotely concerned."
Cordelia had a blurry vision of a lady being attacked.
Angel glanced from Wesley to Cordelia, then jumped up to catch her. "Easy, easy, easy."
"Pain...killer."
"Painful killer demon?" Wesley guessed.
"Painkiller!" Cordelia screamed.
"Oh." Wesley went to get it.
"A woman - judging by the plastic bag on her head, I'm guessing homeless - versus a slime demon."
"Where?" Angel asked.
"I smelled something awful; that would be the slime demon - yuck! - who lives behind a waste treatment plant in El Segundo."
Angel turned to leave. "Got it!"
Wesley headed toward Cordelia while looking at Angel. "Do you need-?"
"Nope. Stay here and take care of her."
Cordelia looked up. "Enough with the scratch-and-sniff visions!"
Wesley handed her some pain pills. "Here we are."
"Ah, thanks." Cordelia put the pills in her mouth and crushed them with her teeth. "I ever meet these Powers That Be, I'm gonna kick their fucking asses!" She looked at Wesley. "Do you think they have asses?"
Kate Lockley got out of a police car near two police officers.
One officer looked at another. "Told you she'd show. She listens to the nut calls on her scanner."
"Sure she doesn’t pick up the radio waves on her brain chip?" the other officer asked.
Kate stepped up to them.
"Detective. According to the report, there was a lot of 'otherworldly howling and wailing'."
"The call said something about something slimy dragging a homeless woman away."
Kate nodded. "I heard the call. Stay here."
"Don't you want some backup, detective?"
"Or a Ouija board?"
Kate gave them a look but proceeded into the alley without a word. She heard a woman moaning and a man talking and put her hand on her gun. Angel and the homeless woman came around a corner.
"See what they do?" the woman asked. "You turn your back, and they come for you."
"You're safe now."
"Yeah, you killed him. Sliced him up real good."
Kate took her hand off her gun and folded her arms in front of her as they came up to her.
"He saved me from one of their spies. And by the way...I don't appreciate the dental association watching me like that." The woman walked past Kate.
Angel stopped. "Hi."
"What was it?" Kate asked him.
"It's okay. It won't hurt anyone else."
"What was it?"
"Slime demon."
"God, this town has everything, doesn't it? Demons, fiends, vampires-"
"Look, I know this hasn't been easy for you. It's okay, most people can't handle what's really out here, Kate. Maybe you should think about-"
Kate laughed. "Sorry. It's just someone who's not even a person lecturing me on 'most people', it's kind of funny. I can handle it fine. And I don't care about most people and what they think of me. What I do care about is ridding this city of your kind."
"My kind."
"Your kind. The kind that killed my father? Did you think I would just forget about that? I don't forget anything." Kate turned and walked back the way that she came.
At Giles' apartment, most of the gang was looking through the weapons.
Giles looked at Buffy. "Certainly no lack of supplies. I only wish I knew which ones would kill Adam."
Jenny looked at him. "I did some more reading, and I found something that was on a disk that Adam probably didn't want us to know. Apparently, his power source is a uranium core embedded somewhere inside his chest. Probably near the spine."
Harmony rolled her eyes. "Great, so we just ask him to lie down quietly while we do some exploratory surgery."
"What about magic? Some kind of, I don't know,...uranium-extracting spell?" Tara suggested.
Everyone looked at her in disbelief.
"I know. I'm reaching."
Buffy patted Tara on the shoulder in support.
Giles stood up. "Perhaps a paralyzing spell." He walked over to the bookcase and pulled a book off. "Only I can't perform the incantation for this."
"Right. Don't you have to speak it in Sumerian or something?" Amy asked him.
"I do speak Sumerian. It's not that. Only a-an experienced witch can incant it, and you'd have to be within striking distance of this object."
Buffy looked at Amy. "See what you get for takin' French instead of Sumerian?"
Amy smiled. "What was I thinking?"
Harmony smiled. "So no problem, all we need is combo Buffy: her Slayer strength, Giles' multilingual know-how, and Amy's witchy power."
Giles looked at her.
"Yeah, don't tell me. I'm just full of helpful suggestions."
"As a matter of fact, you are." Giles looked at Amy. "Would you be able to cast an enjoining spell?"
Amy was surprised. She thought about it. "I believe so."
Buffy smiled, touched. "You're gonna lend me your strengths? Awww..." She thought of something. "We should have someone with scientific know-how...in case I need to deal with Adam's core directly."
Amy smiled. "Funny you should mention that."
They heard a knock on Giles' open door. They looked.
Katrina was standing there, smiling. "Miss me?"
The gang walked into Lowell House.
"Nervous?" Buffy asked Tara.
"Uh-huh. You?" Tara asked.
Buffy nodded. "I'm literally shitting myself."
Tara sniffed. "I think you mean 'figuratively', sweetie."
Harmony smiled nervously. "I'm full of that good old kamikaze spirit."
Giles looked at her. "Harmony, just because this is never gonna work, there's no need to be negative."
Katrina looked at Amy. "The enjoining spell, is it powerful enough to defeat Adam?"
Amy looked at her and slowly nodded. "It's very powerful. It's also extraordinarily dangerous."
"Wait up!" Sandy called.
Everyone turned around and looked. Sandy and Sunday were walking toward them.
Jenny smiled. "We were wondering if you were gonna show up."
Sandy threw up her hands in exasperation. "Sorry, but I had to search all over town for her. Found her sucking off some guy in the alley outside Willy's...um, fangily speaking."
Buffy stared at Sunday. "Sunday, if we get overrun by an undead army because of you, I'm gonna drive a stake right up your ass."
Sunday put her hands on her hips. "Joke's on you. That's not lethal."
Buffy rolled her eyes, then looked at everyone. "Game faces, guys. We're going in." She kicked in the window.
Everyone climbed down the elevator shaft. They landed on the ground. Giles started inching the door with a crowbar.
"Okay, we stick together, then everything should be fine. Everybody ready?" Buffy asked.
Giles got the door open.
"Let's..." Buffy opened the door to reveal five commandos with laser blasters. "...do this."
They were taken to Colonel McNamara's office.
Buffy looked at him. "Colonel-"
"Shut up. You've got some nerve, lady." He unzipped her bag. "You think you and your friends can just waltz into a government installation, brandishing weapons like-" He held up a device. "Like..."
Tara looked at him. "It's a gourd."
Amy nodded. "Magic gourd."
"What kind of freaks are you people?" McNamara put the gourd down.
Buffy stared at him. "Adam is here, Colonel. In the Initiative."
"Nice try."
"Those overcrowded containment cells of yours: courtesy of Adam. He's pulling a Trojan Horse on you; he's just waiting-"
"Everything in this installation is under twenty-four-hour surveillance."
"Including the secret lab?" Buffy asked.
"Including everything!" McNamara paused. "What secret lab?"
"The one Adam's been using. The one built for the final stage of the 314 project."
The colonel had a blank look on his face.
"And you have no idea what I'm talking about."
"I know everything that goes on around here. A tick on a mouse couldn't get in without my knowing it. And if Adam wants to try, we're ready for him."
"Jolly good. How - How exactly do you plan to get close enough to Adam to remove his power source?" Giles asked him.
"Hit him simultaneously with multiple taser blasters. Incapacitate him with as much voltage as we can muster."
"I've seen Adam hit with taser blasts. He feeds on it. And now you're gonna provide him with an all-you-can-eat buffet?" Buffy asked incredulously.
"You telling me my business?" McNamara asked.
Buffy stared at him. "This...is not your business. It's mine. You, the Initiative, the boys at the Pentagon - you're all in way over your heads. Fucking with primeval forces you have absolutely no comprehension of."
"And you do?"
"I'm a Slayer. You're playing on my turf."
"Up there, maybe. But down here, I'm the one who's in control."
The lights went out.
"Sir, the power grid's down. Backup's not responding. We're locked in. Containment area's been breached. Hostiles are loose."
"How many?" McNamara asked.
"All of 'em, sir."
Buffy looked at McNamara. "It's Adam."
He looked at Buffy.
"Look, I'm the only one who can stop him now. Just let me handle this. Get your people out of here."
McNamara ignored her. "All right, you men follow me. We gotta take the armory now."
"Sir."
Buffy frowned. "Colonel."
"These people are under arrest, do you understand?" McNamara asked a soldier.
"Yes, sir."
Most of the soldiers and the colonel left. A soldier stood up. Buffy gave him a kick to the chest. Another soldier tried to attack her, and she banged his head into the desk, then hit him in the face, knocking him out cold.
Buffy looked at Jenny. "We've gotta find Adam."
"On it." Jenny went over to the computer and sat down.
Giles looked at Buffy. "The enjoining spell is extremely touchy. It's, uh, volatile. We - We can't risk it being interrupted. We need a place that's close to you and quiet."
"How we doing, Jenny?" Buffy asked.
"Done. Hold on. According to this, there's air ducts and electrical conduits all running into there."
"So?"
"So...there's no there there. Look."
Buffy looked at the screen. "It's Adam."
"You sure?" Giles asked.
"Right behind 314. Can you unlock it?" Buffy asked Jenny.
"I don't have to. All - All the locks in the Initiative have been disengaged...except for the exits."
Katrina frowned. "Demon open house."
Buffy sighed. "Great. So we know we're going to 314. Now, all we have to do is get there."
The gang ran out into the fray. Graham ran up and began shooting a gun at a demon. He killed him, and he did the same to two other demons. Buffy punched a demon in the face. Tara kicked a demon in the leg. Amy gave a side kick to another demon. Katrina hit one demon with a laser blast. Giles swung at a demon but missed, and Jenny did a roundhouse kick to its face. Sunday did a handstand and kicked two demons, one with each leg. Sandy did a front kick at another demon, knocking it back. They all ran past. A scientist's arm was on fire. A man flew over the railing. Another demon tried to hit Harmony, but she hit him first.
Buffy saw a soldier with a gun and pushed Tara. "Tara, down!"
They landed on the floor. Katrina took out the soldier with a low-intensity laser blast.
Buffy pulled Tara to her feet. "Come on!"
They all ran past. There was another explosion. They arrived at room 314. Buffy kicked open the door, and they ran inside. Harmony closed the door and moved a cart in front of the door.
"Okay, it should be over here." Buffy opened up two doors. "Once I'm in, barricade the door behind me. Is this place okay to be Magic Central?"
Amy looked around. "It, uh, should do. As long as we don't get blowed up or nothin'."
Harmony laughed nervously. "What're the odds of that?"
"How long before the ritual kicks in?" Buffy asked Amy.
"Five minutes, give or take."
Tara stared at Buffy. "Buffy, I still don't like you going in alone."
Buffy gave her a smile. "I won't be."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips, then closed the doors and moved a cart against the doors. Giles and Jenny moved a gurney against the other door.
Buffy entered the lower level of the Initiative and saw Riley. "Riley." She climbed down the ladder. "Are you hurt?"
He gave no answer.
"Say something!" Buffy yelled.
Riley said nothing. Professor Walsh and Dr. Engleman arrived, looking dead and zombie-like, moving stiffly.
"What is this?" Buffy asked in horror. She looked at Riley. "Why won't you talk to me?"
"He can't."
Buffy looked at Adam.
"He hasn't been programmed to. He's part of the final phase now...as you were supposed to be."
Buffy smiled. "Sorry. I don't jump through hoops on command. I've never really been one to tow the line."
"Oh." Adam paused. "Kill her."
Forrest grabbed her from behind. "I thought you'd never ask."
Buffy struggled. Professor Walsh took a device and slowly walked toward Buffy. Buffy was still struggling. She kicked Professor Walsh in the face, and she went flying into a glass wall, breaking it. Buffy threw Forrest into the wall, breaking more glass. Riley looked at the broken glass.
Inside 314, everyone was sitting in a circle on the floor.
Amy lit a candle. "The power of the Slayer and all who yield it, last to ancient first, we invoke thee. Grant us thy domain and primal strength. Accept us in the power we possess. Make us mind and heart and spirit. Let the hand encompass us. Do thy will."
Forrest punched Buffy in the face and sent her flying to the floor. Buffy sprung up and kicked him in the face. She punched him in the face two more times, a left hook and a right hook. He punched her in the stomach twice. She tried to punch him, but he grabbed her hand, twisted it around, and led her head to a metal table, slamming it down. She slowly got up.
"Buffy."
Forrest punched her in the face and turned to Riley. "Shut up and watch me kill your girlfriend, Finn. That's an order." He growled and turned around to face Buffy.
Buffy tried to side-sweep Forrest, but it didn't work. She punched him in the face.
"I, Amy Madison, offer knowledge of witchcraft."
"I, Katrina Silber, offer engineering knowledge."
"I, Tara Maclay, offer love and knowledge of witchcraft."
"I, Rupert Giles, offer knowledge of Sumerian."
"I, Jennifer Calendar, offer knowledge of computing systems."
"I, Sandra Gray, offer a link to the demonic forces."
"I, Sunday Towne, offer my Slayer and vampiric strength."
"I, Harmony Kendall, offer...optimism." Harmony frowned. "We're all gonna die."
Buffy punched Forrest. Forrest punched Buffy twice, knocking her down. He flipped her over, grabbed her, and pulled her down. Forrest picked her up and growled. Buffy grabbed a power cord with her hands and snapped it.
Amy concentrated. "We enjoin that we may inhabit the vessel - the hand...Buffy Anne Summers...daughter of Sineya...first of the ones..."
Forrest grabbed Buffy and threw her down on a table. Buffy was struggling. Professor Walsh and Doctor Engleman held her down, trying to put her into restraints.
Forrest held Buffy down. "Is that it? Is that all you got?"
"No."
Walsh, Engleman, and Forrest all looked over at the source of the voice.
"She's got me." Riley knocked out Professor Walsh and Dr. Engleman.
"Look who's come off the bench." Forrest started to walk toward Riley.
Buffy kicked him in the face and got up. "I need to get to Adam. Like, now. Are you able?"
"Go."
Buffy left Riley to fight Forrest, and she eventually located Adam in a room.
"Fun, isn't it?" Buffy asked him.
"I do appreciate violence."
"Good."
Buffy tried to run toward him, but he punched her, sending her backwards. She rolled, got up, and kicked him. She began punching him in the face. Adam grabbed her hand and threw her into the wall. His skewer came out. He tried to stab Buffy, but she snapped it with her knee and punched him in the face.
"Broke your arm."
"Got another." His hand sprouted into a mini-gun. "I've been upgrading."
He began firing at her. She dove over the computer console. He stopped.
Amy stared intensely at the candle's flame. "We implore thee: admit us, bring us to the vessel, take us now."
Sunday groaned softly as she felt the power flow from her body.
At East Hills Teen Center in Los Angeles, Faith and Anne were stocking the kitchen with cans of food. Faith groaned as she felt her Slayer strength flow from her body. She collapsed to the floor, cans falling as well.
Anne ran over, crouched next to her, and cradled her head in her arms. "Faith!"
Buffy got out from her hiding place and saw Adam. He blew up the console. Adam looked for Buffy. She stood up, eyes glowing orange.
"You can't last much longer."
"We can. We are forever." The Lady started speaking Sumerian.
"Interesting." Adam fired at her.
She generated some sort of force field and continued speaking Sumerian.
"Very interesting."
He again fired his mini-gun at her, again with no effect. He fired a rocket at her.
The Lady held her hand up. "Kur."
The rocket then burst into three doves. She held her hand up again, and Adam's next rocket went back inside him. Adam tried to attack her, but she blocked every punch. She kicked him in the stomach, and he fell. She grabbed his head.
"How...can you-"
"You could never hope to grasp the source of our power." She uppercut him, sending him flying to the ground. She picked him up and kicked him against the wall. She reached into him and pulled out the uranium. "But yours is right here."
Adam groaned and fell to the ground.
Riley walked up. "Buffy."
The uranium began levitating. The Lady began speaking Sumerian, and the uranium disappeared. Buffy's eyes went normal, and she fainted, but Riley caught her.
Faith opened her eyes and looked up at Anne's face.
"Are you okay?" Anne asked.
"Yeah."
Anne helped Faith to her feet. They started picking up the cans off the floor.
Inside 314, everyone else dropped.
Amy smiled, woozy. "Wow. That was...nifty."
The door broke down, and a demon came inside. Spike came in and broke the demon's neck. The demon fell to the floor.
"Nasty sort of fellow. Lucky for you blighters, I was here, eh?"
Giles frowned at him. "Yes, thank you. Although, your heroism has been slightly muted by the fact that you were helping Adam to start a war that would kill us all."
Harmony gave him a dirty look. "You probably just saved us, so we wouldn't stake you right here."
"Did it work?" Spike asked.
They all got up and frowned at him.
"Well, then everything's all right. And we all get to be not staked through the heart. Good work, team."
Buffy and Riley arrived.
Giles looked at her. "Buffy."
Tara ran over, hugged Buffy, and kissed her passionately on the lips. "Wasn't it amazing?"
Amy smiled at Buffy. "You were great."
Buffy looked at her. "We were great."
Riley looked at Buffy. "We still got men out there."
Spike smiled. "Well, let's go save 'em, by gum." He ran out of the room.
Buffy looked at Riley. "You, organize the soldiers, pull 'em back."
Riley nodded and left the room.
Buffy looked at her friends. "You guys up to this?"
Sunday grinned, baring her fangs. "We are."
They all ran out of the room and into the fray.
When it was over, Buffy and the rest of the gang stood before Colonel McNamara. Various soldiers around them were removing the dead bodies and cleaning up.
McNamara looked at Buffy and hesitated for a moment. "Thank you for the assist, Ms. Summers." He grew stern and glared at all of them. "However, you did break into a military installation and assault officers."
Buffy walked up to him and stared into his eyes. "Who would now be dead, along with everyone else in this installation, had we not rebelled, and the town would be on its way to being decimated by an army of the undead."
McNamara considered that. "That is not an untrue statement." He cleared his throat. "In light of all of...this, no charges will be brought against any of you."
Everyone smiled in relief.
"Provided...you attend debriefing sessions."
"What do you wish to debrief us on?" Giles asked him.
"Everything. Everything that all of you know about...the supernatural. Clear your calendars for the next two days. Report back here tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM. Agent Finn will escort you out." McNamara turned and walked away without another word.
Riley started walking, and the others followed him.
Buffy smiled at him. "That was fun, huh?"
Riley frowned at her. "If you call losing your friend and mentor fun."
Buffy suddenly felt bad. "Oh, shit, I'm sorry. I'm such a retard. I'm sorry about Forrest and Professor Walsh."
Riley hesitated. "Accepted."
"So I guess I'll see you at the debriefings."
"No offense, Summers, but I hope that's the last time that we see each other."
Once they were out of the installation, and Riley had stayed behind, Buffy and the others walked back toward UC Sunnydale.
Jenny smiled. "That was a hell of a battle, huh, Rupert?"
"Yes, we mustn't do it again sometime."
Amy groaned. "I could use a long, hot bath."
Katrina smiled. "Want some company?"
Amy smiled. "Sure."
Katrina kissed Amy on the lips.
Tara looked at Buffy and smiled. "Hey, that sounds like a good idea."
Buffy smiled, resisting the urge to laugh. "You think there's enough room in the tub for all four of us?"
Tara playfully slapped Buffy on the arm.
Harmony pouted. "No fair. My girlfriend's in LA."
Sandy smiled. "You can go visit her. School year's over."
Buffy smiled. "I think I'll go, too. Visit my dad and sister."
Spike smiled. "Great. I won't have to see you."
Buffy looked at Sunday. "Thanks for the assist. You were such a badass in that battle."
Sunday shrugged. "Thanks."
"You must have been awesome as a Slayer."
"Yeah, I was."
"You can be again."
Sunday paused in consideration. "I'll think about it. Right now, though, I need to find a new place to live. Someone broke into the old factory and stole my shit. Can you believe that?"
Buffy was a tad annoyed by Sunday's lack of self-awareness. "The nerve of some people." She took a stake out of her jacket and staked Spike in the heart.
Spike fell to the ground, dead.
Buffy put the stake back in her jacket and looked at Sunday. "There's a crypt in the cemetery. Might need a lot of fixing up."
Sunday made a face. "Ew, that's, like, stereotypical or something. I'll totally pass. Although..." She crouched down and took Spike's black leather jacket off his corpse. "Score."
Buffy thought for a moment. "There's a mansion on Crawford Street."
Sunday stood up and put the jacket on. "Now, we're talkin'."
Buffy smiled. "Looks good on you."
The next day, Cordelia was sitting at her desk.
Wesley left Angel's office and sat down across from Cordelia. "Every source says it's death."
"Well, it's just a prophecy. It's not like it came from on high."
"That's what a prophecy is, Cordelia."
"All right, yeah, but Angel faces death all the time, just like a normal guy faces waffles and French fries. It's something he faces every day, like...lunch." Cordelia paused. "Are you hungry?" She got up to get a doughnut.
"The fact that his death is prophesied - which isn't good news - doesn't concern me nearly as much as the way he took that news."
"What? He didn't scream like a girl as some of us would have?" Cordelia sat back down. "Angel's cool."
"Angel's cut off. Death doesn't bother him, because...there is nothing in life he wants! It's our desires that make us human."
Cordelia scarfed down her doughnut. "Angel is kind of human. He's got a soul." She stood up and went for another doughnut.
"He's got a soul, but he's not a part of the world." Wesley got up. "He - He can never be part of the world."
"Because he doesn't want stuff? That's ridiculous."
Wesley took her doughnut away from her.
"Hey! I want that!" Cordelia yelled.
"What connects us to life?" Wesley asked her.
"Right now? I'm going with doughnuts." Cordelia snatched it out of Wesley's hand.
"What connects us to life is the simple truth that we are part of it. We live, we grow, we change. But Angel-"
"Can't do any of those things." Cordelia paused and thought about that. "Well, what are you saying, Wesley? That Angel has nothing to look forward to? That he's going to go on forever, the same, in the world but always cut off from it?"
"Yes."
"Well, that sucks! We've got to do something. We've got to help him."
"I'm not sure we can."
"What is your deal? You go around, boring everyone with your musty scrolls, and then you say there is nothing we can do?"
"He is what he is."
Cordelia stared at him. "He's Angel. He's good. And he helps the helpless, and now...he's one of them." She paused in thought. "Well, he's gonna have to start wanting things from life, whether he wants to or not!"
Angel came out of the elevator and went into his office. Cordelia and Wesley went into his office to greet him.
Angel looked at them. "Morning."
"Morning. Want some coffee?" Cordelia offered.
"No, thanks."
"How about a doughnut? Chocolate-"
"No." Angel looked through a book.
"Creamy fillings?" Cordelia tried.
Angel laughed a little as he looked at her. "No. I don't want anything."
Cordelia made a sound and looked at Wesley.
"Am I supposed to know what this is about?" Angel asked.
Wesley looked at him. "We...were just discussing how...you don't...want that many things."
"You're cut off from life." Cordelia smiled. "But don't worry, I'm gonna help you with that."
"Oh. Good."
"We'll start small. Keep it simple. How would you like a puppy?"
Angel just looked at her.
"Right." Cordelia thought for a moment. "A Ficus? They're low maintenance."
Angel stared at her.
"Ant farm?" Cordelia tried.
Wesley looked at Angel. "I have to go."
"Where are you going?" Angel asked.
"Rare book shops. I need references to translate the...prophecy." Wesley paused. "Probably not a good idea to take the scroll with me."
"No. I'll lock it up downstairs in the weapons cabinet."
"Angel...I hope I'm wrong about all this, but...it might be a good time to consult the Oracles."
"I don't need to see the Oracles about this."
"Well, think about it." Wesley left.
Cordelia smiled. "Oracles. Get out of the house. Could be fun."
Angel turned, left the office, and went back into the elevator.
Later, Cordelia was walking through an open market. She picked up a set of paints.
"Do you paint?" the woman at the stall asked her.
"Oh, no. I was just looking for something for a friend. I thought maybe, if he had a hobby..." Cordelia paused. "He's a little detached from things."
"Well, they say art is the best therapy for that."
"Really?"
"Sure, they use it in mental institutions all the time. You get the patients drawing and working with clay, helps them to get back in touch."
"Well, he is not crazy or anything. He's...just different?"
"Depressed."
"Well, he wears a lot of black." Cordelia paused. "How much are these pastels?"
"Oh, these are on special. You get the entire set - the large one - and some drawing paper and little pop-up easel...all for thirty-four bucks."
Cordelia grinned. "Awesome!"
"Yeah."
"Okay." Cordelia moved the easel. "Oh, like this? This..." She paused. "Is this the pop-up?"
"Uh-huh."
"I'll take them." Cordelia got out her wallet, opened it, and took out the money. She offered it to the woman.
The woman took the money, bagged Cordelia's items, and handed Cordelia two big bags. "I think you have everything he'll need and then some. You made my day. Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"You must be really good friends."
Cordelia smiled. "Yeah. Thank you."
"Take care."
"Bye." As Cordelia walked away, she felt a hand brushing lightly against hers.
Cordelia looked around but didn't see anything. She started to walk on when she got hit by a short vision. She pulled out her cell phone, but, before she could dial out, she got hit by another, stronger vision. This one didn't end, and she fell to the ground, screaming.
The art lady came over and crouched down beside her. "Someone dial 911!"
Kate drove to the scene of an explosion as soon as she learned the address. Fire engines and police cars were parked in front of the building. Kate got out of her car. Wesley, wearing an oxygen mask, was being wheeled over to an ambulance - with Angel walking beside him. He watched as they loaded him up, then started for his car.
Kate walked over to Angel. "Never a dull moment with you around, is there?"
"I have to go."
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Kate asked. "You are a major witness to a major crime scene. You are not going anywhere."
"You want to try and stop me, Kate?"
"I'm glad we are not playing friends anymore. And I'm really sick and tired of your attitude. There is a thing called the law!" Kate yelled.
"This isn't about the law; this is about a little thing...called life. Now, I'm sorry about your father. But I didn't kill your father. And I'm sick and tired of you blaming me...for everything you can't handle! You want to be enemies? Try me." Angel hurried past her to his car.
Kate looked after him.
Outside Milano's Italian Kitchen, Gunn and some of his gang were loading boxes of leftovers into the back of their truck.
Gunn smiled. "This is good. A lot of hungry people are going to appreciate this. You are doing God's work here. If God was a busboy, he'd look just like you, Jesús. Toss it up, brother."
Jesús tossed a box up to Gunn.
Gunn caught it. "All right!" He heard car tires screeching. "Yo, yo, heads up!"
He and his gang scrambled for their weapons. Angel's convertible came to a screeching stop.
"Put them down. I know this fool." Gunn jumped out of the truck and walked over to meet Angel. "That was entertaining. What you got under that hood?"
"I need your help."
"Yeah, well, I figured you didn't roar in here to ask me about my health. It's pretty good, by the way." Gunn looked at him. "You getting enough iron? You look a little pale."
Angel stared at him.
"Okay, it's traditional in the human world to humor people who've done favors for you in the past."
"You're about to do me another one."
"Yeah, well, if it's tossing a vampire in with them lawyers, I'm in. Because that was my idea of a good time."
"My people, they are in the hospital. St. Matthews. One's in ICU; one's in the neuro-psychiatric unit. They need protection while I hunt down the guy who put them there."
"He's gonna come after them himself, or is he gonna send someone?"
"However he comes, he's not gonna get them. These people mean a lot to me."
"I'm getting that."
A white flash filled Cordelia's vision. Cordelia blinked her eyes, slowly opening them. She was laying on the hospital bed. Wesley was sitting in a wheelchair beside it, and Angel leaned over her bed on the other side. Angel looked down at her hand. Cordelia looked up at Angel.
Angel smiled at her. "Hey."
"Angel?" Cordelia asked.
"Welcome back."
Cordelia looked over at Wesley.
"I'll get Dr. Evans." A nurse left the room.
Cordelia looked back at Angel. "I saw them all. There is so much pain. We have to help them."
"We will." Angel stroked her cheek. "We will." His hand gripped hers tightly.
Cordelia stared into his eyes. Angel bent down and kissed Cordelia on the lips.
The next day, in her apartment, Cordelia was in the kitchen, fixing a sandwich. She went to the fridge. Wesley was sitting at the living room table, the scroll and books spread out around him. Angel was sitting on a chest against the wall. As Cordelia got a carton of milk out of the fridge and an empty glass out of a cabinet, she listened in on their conversation.
"Here is something."
"What is it?" Angel asked.
"The beast of Amalfie, a razor-toothed, six-eyed harbinger of death. No, wait, that's due to arise in 2003 in Reseda."
"I would have guessed Tarzana."
Cordelia walked into the living room and set the plate with the sandwich and the glass of milk on the table in front of Wesley.
Wesley thought for a moment. "Better cross-reference that."
Cordelia went back into the kitchen and got a plastic cup filled with blood.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what they raised in that box." Wesley paused. "I'll keep looking."
Cordelia walked back into the living room. "You've been looking all night. You need to relax and charge the brain cells." She picked up the plate with the sandwich. "Here. Eat."
Wesley accepted it and looked over at Angel.
Cordelia handed Angel the cup with the blood. "You, too."
Angel looked up at her.
"Don't be embarrassed. We're family."
Angel accepted the cup.
Cordelia noticed Wesley staring at her. "What?"
"It's just I...I'm not used to-"
"He is not used to the new you."
"I know what's out there now. We have a lot of evil to fight, a lot of people to help. I just hope skin and bones here can figure out what those lawyers raised sometime before the prophecy kicks in, and...you croak." Cordelia paused. "That was the old me, wasn't it?"
Angel smiled. "I like them both."
Cordelia smiled back at him.
Wesley looked at his books. "Uh...oops. I may have made a tiny mistake."
Angel set the cup of blood down and got up.
"The word shanshu that I said meant you were going to die? Actually, I think it means that you are going to live."
"Okay, as tiny mistakes go, that's not one!" Cordelia yelled.
"Shanshu has roots in so many different languages. The most ancient source is the Proto-Bantu, and they consider life and death the same thing, part of a cycle, only a thing that's not alive never dies. It's - It's saying...that you get to live until you die. It's saying - It's saying you become human."
"That's the prophecy?" Cordelia asked in surprise.
"Uh, the vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny, will shanshu. Become human." Wesley paused. "It's his reward."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Wow. Angel, human."
"That'd be nice."
"And you won't undo it this time, right?" Cordelia asked him.
"Right."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "Wait. What's that thing about him having to fulfill his destiny first?"
"Well, it's saying that it won't happen tomorrow or the next day. He has to survive the coming darkness, the apocalyptic battles, a few plagues, and some - uh, several, not that many - fiends that will be unleashed."
Angel looked at Cordelia. "So don't break out the Champagne just yet."
"Fuck yeah, I'm breaking out the Champagne! This is a big deal!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Angel smiled. "I guess it is."
Cordelia headed back to the kitchen. "Typical. I hook up with the only person in history who ever came to L.A. to get older."
Buffy loaded the rest of her and Tara's belongings into the back of her van and closed the door.
Tara put on her helmet. "You ready to head out?"
"Yup. I'm eager to get home." Buffy climbed into her van and carefully set Miss Kitty Fantastico's carrier on the passenger seat. She fastened the seatbelt around the carrier.
Tara got on her scooter. Buffy closed the door of her van and fastened her seatbelt. The ladies started their engines and left college behind for the summer.
Chapter 104: Restless
Chapter Text
"Restless"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
Buffy unlocked and opened the front door of her house and walked inside, carrying a suitcase. Tara followed her, carrying a suitcase in one hand and Miss Kitty Fantastico's carrier in the other hand. Giles, Jenny, Amy, Katrina, Harmony, and Sandy followed her inside. Sandy closed and locked the door.
"Mom, we're home!" Buffy called, setting her suitcase down by the stairs.
Tara set her suitcase down as well.
Joyce walked out of the kitchen. "Buffy, Tara, welcome home. And you brought...friends."
Miss Kitty Fantastico meowed.
"And a...cat."
Tara smiled and held the carrier up to Joyce's face. "Her name is Miss Kitty Fantastico."
Joyce smiled. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, Miss Kitty." She looked at Tara and Buffy. "You adopted a cat?"
Buffy grinned and nodded. "Uh-huh."
Joyce sighed. "Are you going to take care of her?"
"Uh-huh. Her litter box is in the van."
"Fine. You can set it up in your room."
"Cool. Oh, she's an indoor cat only, so be careful whenever you open the door. She's a sneaky cat."
"Understood." Joyce looked at everyone. "I'm afraid that I don't have dinner ready. I wasn't expecting you so soon or...so many of you."
Tara smiled. "We're not that hungry, Ms. Summers, but thank you."
"Do you have any popcorn?" Sandy asked. "I can pop some."
"Sure. Uh, sorry, what's your name?" Joyce asked.
"Sandy."
"Oh. You're the-"
"Vampire, yeah."
"Do you...require blood?" Joyce asked her.
"No. Thanks."
"Whew. 'Cause...I don't have any. Follow me."
Sandy followed Joyce into the kitchen.
Buffy headed for the front door. "Okay, while the popcorn's being made, I'll get the litter box, so we can let Miss Kitty out, and she can explore her new home, and I'll take our suitcases up to our room."
Sandy and Joyce walked out of the kitchen, Sandy holding the bowl of popcorn. She set the bowl on the coffee table.
Buffy, Tara, Katrina, and Amy sat on the couch, Amy in Katrina's lap, Tara sandwiched between them and Buffy. Giles sat in the chair to Buffy's right, and Jenny sat in his lap. Harmony and Sandy grabbed cushions from the couch, set them on the floor in front of the coffee table, and sat down. Miss Kitty hopped into Buffy's lap, kneaded her pants and shirt for a while, and eventually curled up.
Joyce smiled. "Well, good night."
Amy smiled. "Let the vid-fest begin."
"You sure you won't join us?" Giles asked Joyce.
"No, you guys have your fun. I'm tired." Joyce smiled at them as she climbed the stairs.
Harmony reached behind her and grabbed a handful of popcorn. "I'm glad that our freshman year is finally behind us."
"Yeah, it did seem to drag, didn't it?" Sandy asked. "I'm looking forward to seeing what's next."
"What kind of vids did you get?" Buffy asked Amy.
"Some Japanimation movies." Amy set the VHS tapes on the coffee table one at a time after she read the titles. "GoShogun: The Time Étranger. It's about a woman named Remy Shimada that lies on the brink of death and has to wage battles for survival within her mind. Megazone 23, Part One. It's a sci-fi film of some kind. Any order preference?"
The others shook their heads. Amy picked up the second tape, took the cassette out of the box, stood up, walked over to the VCR, and inserted the tape. She resumed her seat on Katrina's lap. Buffy picked up the TV remote control, turned on the TV, and switched to channel 4. She set the remote control back on the coffee table.
Everyone soon fell asleep.
Buffy found herself sitting with Tara on their bed upstairs. Miss Kitty was playing with a ball of red yarn between them.
"I don't wanna leave here."
"Why not?" Tara asked her.
Buffy stood up, looking down at Tara. She turned away, toward a dark red curtain, and walked over to it. "It's so bright."
She pulled back the curtain to reveal a brightly-sunlit desert. The light fell on Tara, who looked over.
Buffy looked back at Tara, still holding the curtain open. "And there's something out there."
She looked at the desert and saw straggly plants and rocks. She briefly saw something - or someone - moving, then it was gone.
"Who's going to look after him?" Faith asked.
Buffy turned around. Faith was sitting on the bed, playing with Miss Kitty.
"It's a she."
"Aren't these things supposed to take care of themselves?" Faith asked.
"She can." Buffy smiled in pride. "She's a warrior kitty."
Miss Kitty stalked forward toward Buffy.
Buffy was standing on the street outside her house. Night was falling. She was waiting for Tara. She could see and hear various children, running back and forth and playing.
Eventually, Tara came around. She and Buffy hugged each other and kissed on the lips.
Buffy and Sandy were hanging out in Sandy's living room.
Buffy looked at a portrait of Sandy on the wall. "Is this you?"
"Considering that's my graduation photo that was done at Sears, yeah, that is me."
"Okay." Buffy looked at an earlier portrait of Sandy. "Is this you?"
"I believe so." Sandy paused. "Or, at least, I like to think so."
Buffy looked at her. Sandy grinned, baring her fangs, and laughed.
Buffy and Katrina were standing in Katrina's living room. In front of them, Katrina's parents were sitting on the couch. Katrina and Amelinda were sitting on the floor, in front of the couch. The entire Silber family was watching TV.
"What is this?" Buffy asked Katrina.
"The Berlin Freedom Concert - Christmas Day, 1989. Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. It was performed in East Berlin's Konzerthaus as part of the celebrations following the fall of the Berlin Wall the month prior. My parents, sister, and I watched it live - along with around one-hundred-million people in more than twenty countries." Katrina smiled. "It sparked my interest in classical music. Freiheit, schöner Götterfunken. Tochter aus Elysium, wir betreten feuertrunken, himmlische, dein Heiligtum. Deine Zauber binden wieder, was die Mode streng geteilt; alle Menschen werden Brüder, wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt."
Buffy smiled. "You have a pretty voice."
"Thanks. Do you like Chopin?" Katrina asked her.
Buffy found herself standing in a concert hall. The place was packed. A full orchestra was present. She saw Katrina standing on the stage with some other people. Katrina looked very nervous.
Buffy was standing in an arena of some kind. She looked and saw Cordelia sitting on a throne. She was dressed as a queen and wore a crown.
Suddenly, Buffy heard a loud pop behind her. She turned around.
Katrina was standing there, dressed like a maid. She poured Champagne from a bottle into a glass. Katrina raised a toast with a smile.
Buffy walked into a beam of light, and Tara was there. There was nothing beyond but darkness.
Tara frowned. "You don't understand yet, do you?"
Buffy frowned, looked around, and looked back at Tara. "Is there something following me?"
Tara nodded. "Yes."
"Well, what, uh, what should I do? I..." Buffy paused. "What's after me? Is it something I-I was supposed to do? W-Was I supposed to-"
"Shh." Tara looked around.
Buffy looked around and heard a buzzing noise. "What was that?"
Tara looked worried.
Buffy looked over her shoulder. She turned back, and Tara was gone.
"Tara?" Buffy asked, scared. "Tara, okay, this really isn't fu-"
A stake or dagger slashed through the air right by her face. She gasped and turned away. A hand covered in rags reached out of the darkness and tried to grab her. She was knocked to the floor. She screamed and covered her head with her hands. Another hand reached for her.
"Buffy! Pay attention!" Cordelia yelled.
"Cordy?" Buffy asked. "Oh, God."
"Come on." Cordelia helped her up and into the darkness.
They were in a hotel lobby, behind the check-in desk.
"Stay low."
They crouched down and creeped.
"What did it look like?" Cordelia asked.
"I don't know. I-I don't know what's after me."
"Well, you must have done something." Cordelia frowned in disapproval.
"I-"
"Excuse me."
"Shit." Cordelia stood up and faced the young blonde woman standing in front of the desk. "Hi, Amber. Whitney called. She wants you to call her back."
"Okay, thanks. Who's your friend?"
"Oh, nobody important. Yesterday's news."
Buffy stood up, irritated. "Thanks." She turned and walked away.
Buffy was standing on a sidewalk. Harmony walked out of a building.
"Buffy, what are you doing?" Harmony asked. "You're supposed to be on the rooftop with the others, posing dramatically."
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the building came crashing down.
"That rooftop?" Buffy asked incredulously.
"No, silly!" Harmony shoved Buffy.
Buffy was standing on a rooftop with a lot of women. She didn't recognize most of them, yet she did.
Faith stood to her right. "Give the word, Buffy."
"Huh?" Buffy asked.
"See? Isn't everything very clear now?" Harmony asked.
"What?" Buffy asked.
Tara stared at her. "Chase the wind and seize hold of love before this pale city crumbles away to nothing."
Buffy shook her head. "I don't understand."
Faith looked up and pointed. "Look up. The sky is falling."
Before Buffy could look up, something knocked her down. She screamed, and the attacker growled. The creature/person attacking Buffy had dark skin, feral eyes, and long, matted dark hair and was wrapped in rags. It bent as if to bite her neck. Buffy kicked the creature off her, stood up, ran, and jumped off the rooftop.
Buffy suddenly sat up. "I'm awake. I'm good. Did I miss anything?"
Giles was eating popcorn. "Not very much at all, really."
Amy was eating popcorn. "Bunch of massacring. Want some corn?" She held out the bowl to Buffy.
"Butter flavor?" Buffy asked.
"New car smell."
"Cool." Buffy leaned forward to take a handful.
Her hand grasped air.
Buffy was standing in the middle of a valley. The grass was a bright green. On five hilltops stood Tara, Amy, and three other women that Buffy didn't recognize.
"Are we ready?" Amy asked Tara.
Tara sighed. "As ready as we'll ever be, I guess."
Buffy noticed movement on the ground and looked down. A turtle slowly crossed her path.
Buffy watched it. "See the turtle; ain't he keen? All things serve the fuckin' Beam."
Buffy was standing at the base of a large metal tower. She was gripping a knife in her left hand, which was covered in blood. She dropped the knife in disgust.
Jenny stared at her accusingly. "How could you?"
"Quite easily."
"You killed him!" Jenny screamed.
Buffy and Anne were walking through East Hills Teen Center. All around them were teenage girls, talking over each other.
"I gotta hand it to you, Buffy; you sure do know how to overcomplicate a situation."
"But you can handle them, right?" Buffy asked her.
Anne shrugged. "Barely."
Buffy was standing in her bedroom.
Tara walked inside and pulled Buffy close to her. They hugged each other and started dancing, though Buffy could hear no music.
As they danced, Tara started to lift Buffy into the air. They passed through the ceiling without destroying it, and soon they were rising through the night sky.
Around and around, they spun, the stars above them seeming to spin as well.
Buffy and Sunday were sitting on a blanket in front of the fireplace in Sunday's mansion. They were eating spicy buffalo wings.
Buffy smiled. "I like what you've done with the place."
Sunday smiled. "I do have quite the talent for interior decorating."
Buffy was in a hallway at Sunnydale High School, but the colors were all weird. Everything was purple and green. Buffy heard weird noises like microphone feedback. Buffy pushed her way past students talking in the halls. Looking over her shoulder, she could maybe see something through the other students' legs, chasing her.
"Giles."
Giles was leaning against a wall, dressed casually, holding an apple. "Buffy, what are you doing here?"
"What's after me?"
"It's because of what we did, I know that." Giles took a bite of the apple.
Buffy shook her head in confusion. "What we did?"
"Hm. Now, the others have gone on ahead." Giles pointed down the hall. "Now, listen very carefully. Your life may depend on what I'm about to tell you. You need-"
Around a corner, she saw the same dark-haired person/creature from earlier. It was crawling or crouching behind a trellis. It growled. Buffy backed away.
She was in the courtyard outside Giles' apartment. She ran to Giles' door, opened it, and entered.
"Giles, it's here!" Buffy yelled.
"It's more serious than we thought."
"I can fight anything. Right?" Buffy asked.
Jenny looked from Buffy to Giles. "Maybe we should slap her."
Buffy ran past them, down the hall,-
-and found herself in the Bronze. Young people were talking, laughing, and drinking. The stage was lit, but there was no band, and she heard no music.
Buffy spotted Jenny and Giles and walked toward to a couch, where they were sitting, looking at old magic books.
"Rupert."
Giles turned to look at Jenny.
"You've gotta focus. You must have some kind of explanation. If we don't know what we're fighting, I don't think we stand a chance."
Giles frowned and began to sing: "It's strange; it's not like anything we've faced before." He got up.
Suddenly, there was a piano player and a guitarist on stage, accompanying Giles' song. People applauded as Giles walked toward the stage.
"It seems familiar, somehow. Of course!"
Drums started up. Buffy saw there were both a guitar player and a bass player.
Giles grabbed the microphone. People cheered enthusiastically.
"The spell we cast with Buffy
Must have released
Some primal evil
That's come back seeking...
I'm not sure what.
Jenny, look through the Chronicles
For some reference
To a warrior beast.
I've got to warn Buffy.
There's every chance she might be dead.
And Buffy,
Help Buffy...
And try not to bleed on my couch;
I just had it steam-cleaned."
The music slowed. People in the audience were smiling, swaying, and holding up lighters.
"No, wait..."
There was loud feedback. The microphone went dead, and the band stopped playing. Giles was confused.
"You suck!" Buffy turned and stormed off in disgust.
"Buffy! Wake up!" Veruca yelled.
Buffy opened her eyes. She was laying on her bed in her dorm room, on her side, facing the unused bed, which Veruca was laying in, under the covers. Buffy frowned.
"Buffy, you have to wake up right away!" Veruca yelled.
"I'm not really in charge of these things." Buffy closed her eyes.
"Please wake up. Oh, please."
Buffy opened her eyes. "I need my beauty sleep. So stop it, okay?" She rolled over, onto her back.
The creature was hanging from the ceiling above her. It snarled at her.
Buffy sat up in her bed at home, startled. The covers were rumpled around her. She lay back.
Buffy was standing in the doorway of her bedroom, looking at her bed.
"Faith and I just made that bed."
"For who?" Tara asked.
Buffy frowned and looked to her left. "I thought you were here to tell me."
"You think you know...what's to come...what you are. You haven't even begun."
Buffy looked at the bed, which was now neatly made.
Buffy frowned. "I think I need to go find the others." She left the room.
"Be back before Dawn."
Buffy found herself in a school hallway. She couldn't tell if it was Sunnydale High or UC Sunnydale. It seemed to have elements of both. Buffy walked through the halls, wearing a flowered dress and sandals.
"Have you seen my friends?" Buffy asked a random guy walking past.
He shook his head and walked on.
"They wouldn't just disappear." Buffy looked around, walking down the hall.
She saw a row of lockers. Suddenly, Buffy noticed a hole in the wall. The plaster was torn back, revealing a layer of bricks with a face-sized hole.
Buffy walked over to it. "Mom?"
Joyce's face appeared in the hole. "Oh, hi, honey."
"Why are you living in the walls?"
"Oh, sweetie, no, I'm fine here. Don't worry about me."
Buffy frowned, trying to see inside the hole. "It looks dirty."
"Well, it seems that way to you." Joyce smiled. "I made some lemonade, and I'm learning how to play mah-jongg. You go find your friends."
"I-I think they might be in danger."
Joyce started to laugh. Buffy was confused.
"I-I'm sorry, dear." Joyce giggled. "Um, a mouse is playing with my knees."
"I-I really don't think you should live in there."
Suddenly, she looked over and saw Tara climbing up some stairs. They looked like the stairs leading to the library at UC Sunnydale.
"Well...you could...probably break through the wall."
Buffy walked toward the stairs and climbed them.
Buffy found herself staring through a glass window into a hospital room. Her friends were gathered around a bed, all looking mournful. A figure lay there. She was hooked up to a machine and an IV bag. Her face was covered with a large oxygen mask, obscuring her features, leaving only her messy hair visible. The machine, monitoring her heartbeat, suddenly flatlined. Dawn buried her face in Tara's neck, sobbing.
Even though she couldn't see the face, Buffy knew the dead woman was herself. "In 24 hours, they'll be laying flowers on my life."
She turned away from the horrible scene.
Buffy was on a small ship in the middle of the sea, feeling alone. A storm was raging. The sail was raised. Waves crashed against the ship.
Buffy reached out with her left hand. "Tara! Help me!"
"I'm here, Buffy."
Buffy's spirits lifted.
Tara walked to her on the water. "Have faith." She grabbed hold of the bow. "I'll bring you home."
Buffy walked slowly down a hall. Riley and another man were sitting at a conference table, facing each other, in a room with high ceilings and plain gray walls. On the left wall was a big map of the world; on the right, a row of cabinets. There were two empty chairs.
Riley looked at Buffy. "Hey there, killer."
"Riley? You're back."
"I never left."
Buffy walked closer. "But how did the debriefing go?"
"It went great. They made me Surgeon General."
Buffy was surprised.
Riley was wearing a suit. He looked at the other man. "We're drawing up a plan for world domination." He looked back at Buffy, pleased. "The key element? Coffeemakers that think."
Buffy frowned. "World domination? I-Is that a good?"
"Baby, we're the government." Riley swung around in his chair to strike a James Bond-like pose. "It's what we do."
On the glass tabletop, Buffy saw a handgun.
The other guy was wearing a suit, too, with no jacket. "She's uncomfortable with certain concepts. It's understandable. Aggression is a natural human tendency." He looked at Buffy. "Though you and me come by it another way."
Buffy frowned. "We're not demons."
"Is that a fact?"
Riley sighed. "Buffy, we've got important work here. A lot of filing, giving things names."
Buffy looked at the other guy. "What was yours?"
"Before Adam?" He shook his head. "Not a man among us can remember."
Suddenly, the lighting turned blue. Buffy looked around. In the background, she saw shadows moving; she heard noises like emergency doors slamming shut.
"The demons have escaped. Please run for your lives."
At the computer's announcement, Adam looked at Riley. "This could be trouble."
He and Riley stood.
"We better make a fort."
Adam nodded. "I'll get some pillows." He left.
Buffy was very nervous. She looked down and saw her weapons bag laying at her feet. She looked up, gasping anxiously. "Wait! I have weapons!"
Riley was wearing regular civilian clothes. "Thought you were looking for your friends. Okay, killer...if that's the way you want it. I guess you're on your own." He walked off.
Suddenly, a beam of sunshine lit Buffy. She walked off.
Buffy walked along a hallway, which turned to rippled sand like on a beach. She walked past a palm tree and was in the desert from before; rocks, scraggly bushes, and sand surrounded her in every direction. There were mountains in the distance. Buffy walked down a hill. A breeze ruffled her hair and dress. Annoyed, Buffy kicked off the sandals and slipped the straps off her shoulders. Her dress fell to her feet, and she stepped out of it, leaving herself naked. She dug her toes into the sand as she walked.
Joyce appeared before her. "Don't hang on."
She turned to dust, and the wind blew her away.
Buffy sighed. "I'm never gonna find them here."
She looked up and saw Tara far off, walking toward her. Tara was naked.
"Of course not. That's the reason you came."
Tara faded out and reappeared closer, then this repeated. She stopped walking. Buffy and Tara stood about thirty feet apart, facing each other, with miles of desert stretching out behind them.
"You're not Tara."
"I am, but I was also borrowed." Tara suddenly wore a gold necklace.
"You borrow everyone else?" Buffy asked her.
"At times."
"Who are you?"
"I am."
Buffy frowned at her, unsatisfied.
"I could light the night up with my soul on fire. I could make the sun shine from pure desire."
"What is your name?" Buffy asked, irritated.
"If you insist on a name, you may call me Rio." The Lady danced on the sand.
Buffy watched her for a while.
The Lady stopped dancing and looked at her. "Do you have any other questions, Operator 7G?"
"Why are you here?"
"Someone has to speak for her."
"Let her speak for herself. That's what's done in polite circles."
The creature moved around to in front of Buffy. It was a dark-skinned woman with dreadlocks and long, sharp fingernails. Her face was painted with white or grayish paint, lines of black paint across her eyes, and she wore rags. She crouched low and walked around Buffy like a wild animal. She looked like a cavewoman.
"Why do you follow me?" Buffy asked her.
The woman shook her head.
"'I don't.'"
"Where are my friends?"
The woman backed away from Buffy, still crouching down low.
"You're asking the wrong questions."
"Make her speak."
The woman shook her head again.
"'I have no speech. No name. I live in the action of death, the blood cry, the penetrating wound.'"
The woman straightened up and looked Buffy in the eyes.
"'I am destruction. Absolute. Alone.'"
Buffy frowned. "The Slayer."
"The First."
"I am not alone."
"'The Slayer does not walk in this world.'"
Buffy frowned. "I walk. I talk. I fuck. I shop. I sneeze. I'm gonna be a firefighter when the floods roll back."
The woman lifted her chin in anger.
"There's trees in the desert since you moved out."
The woman shook her head.
"And I don't sleep on a bed of bones. Now, give me back my friends."
"No...friends! Just the kill. We...are...alone!"
Buffy had had enough and nodded resolutely. "That's it. I'm waking up."
The woman attacked her, pushed her to the ground, and tried to bash her head on it. African drum music began playing. Buffy rolled the woman off her and kicked at her. They both got up. The woman punched her. Buffy fell backward from the punch. The woman tried to punch down, but Buffy rolled to her feet and kicked her in the back. She kicked again, but the woman ducked. Buffy punched her. The woman fell backward from the punch and started to get up. There was one last drum beat. The woman got up. She and Buffy faced off.
Buffy shook her head. "It's over."
The woman shook her head.
"We don't do this anymore."
The drums began again. The woman grabbed her again, and they rolled down a sandy hill, clutching each other and rolling over and over as the drums continued.
"Enough!" Buffy yelled.
Buffy woke up on the living room floor. She lifted her head and looked around. Everyone else was sleeping in their spots. Buffy groaned and started to get up. With a growl, the woman landed atop Buffy and started stabbing repeatedly at the floor with her stake.
Buffy lay underneath the woman, rolling her eyes. "Are you quite finished?"
The woman pulled her stake out of the floor.
"It's over, okay? I'm going to ignore you, and you're going to go away."
The woman pulled back, and Buffy sat up, then stood.
"You're really gonna have to get over the whole...primal power thing." Buffy walked toward the sofa, looking over her shoulder. "You're not the source of me." She sat back down on the sofa, next to Tara. "Also, in terms of hair care, you really wanna say 'What kind of impression am I making in the workplace?' 'Cause-"
Buffy woke up for real on the sofa. She looked around. Everyone else awoke at the same instant. They all sat up and looked at each other. Miss Kitty yawned and meowed.
Faith woke up at a table in Helen's Kitchen. She slowly sat up straight. "What the fuck?"
Anne walked over to her. "Passed out again, huh?"
Faith stood up. "Yeah. I wish B would stop pulling me into her shit."
The door opened, and Cordelia walked into the diner.
"What up, bitches?" Cordelia asked. "Who would like to service me?"
Faith looked at Anne. "I'm gonna take out the trash."
Anne smiled and nodded, and Faith quickly made herself scarce.
Anne grabbed her pad and pen and walked over to Cordelia. "What can I get ya, Cordy?"
"Two cheeseburgers and large Pepsis, no ice. Oh, and large fries. Just one. Serving."
Anne smiled, writing it down. "I get what you mean. Late dinner?"
"Yeah, for me and Veruca. Angel's staying over, too, but he's more of a fruit punch guy."
"Why's Angel's staying over?"
"Our office got blown up last night."
"Oh, no!"
"Yeah. Also, I got hit with so many visions and experienced the pain of literally everyone in the fucking world. What's new with you?" Cordelia asked.
"Uh, nothing with me, but Faith just got done with some trippy vision thing courtesy of Buffy."
Cordelia nodded. "Hm."
Soon, back at Buffy's house, all of them were sitting around the dining room table, discussing their shared dream.
Giles considered everything. "Somehow, our joining with...Buffy and...invoking the essence of the - the Slayer's power was an affront to the source of that power."
Buffy glared at him. "You know, you could have brought that up to us before we did it."
"I did. I said there could be dire consequences."
"Yes, but you say that about chewing too fast."
"So who do you think the woman that helped you was?" Jenny asked Buffy.
Buffy shrugged. "Maybe one of the Powers That Be?"
"Or a goddess?" Amy suggested.
Buffy shrugged. "Might be the same thing."
Joyce came downstairs, wearing a bathrobe. "I'm, uh, guessing I missed some fun?"
Buffy looked at her. "The spirit of the first Slayer tried to kill us in our dreams."
"Oh, you want some hot chocolate?" Joyce offered.
Everyone accepted.
"Sandy?" Joyce asked.
"Yeah?"
"Be my kitchen buddy again, help me carry?" Joyce nodded toward the kitchen.
"Yeah. Sure." Sandy stood up and followed Joyce into the kitchen.
Tara looked at Buffy. "You all right, sweetie?"
"Yeah. I think I might jump in the shower."
"You seem a bit, uh..."
"A little." Buffy paused. "The first Slayer. I never really thought about it." She sighed. "It was intense."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. Buffy smiled faintly. She got up and walked off.
Buffy walked upstairs and into the upper hallway. She walked down the hall, toward the bathroom. Frowning, she turned and looked into her bedroom. She walked into the doorway, looking at her bed.
"You think you know...what's to come...what you are. You haven't even begun."
She slowly backed away, turned, and walked away.
Chapter 105: Buffy vs. Dracula
Chapter Text
"Buffy vs. Dracula"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Buffy vs. Dracula" Written by Marti Noxon and the Angel Episode "Judgment" Written by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
It had been a hot summer. Buffy and her friends had gone to Los Angeles and spent the summer with her sister and father.
Now, on their first night back in Sunnydale, they were hanging out in Buffy's backyard, listening to music on her boombox while Joyce was cooking burgers on the grill.
Joyce looked at the others. "Girls, what kind of party is this? Get up and dance or...something."
Buffy looked at her. "Exertion can lead to sweatiness."
Tara nodded. "Which can cause the pain and heartbreak of stinkiness. Better to just stay put."
"Where's my burger?" Buffy asked her mother.
"The, uh, fire's not cooperating."
Amy gestured at the grill. "Ignis incende."
The charcoal burst into flame.
Buffy smiled. "Amy, check you out! Witch Fu."
Tara smiled at Amy.
Amy smiled. "It's no big. You just have to balance the elements, so, when you affect one, you don't wind up causing-"
A huge clap of thunder interrupted as dark clouds appeared out of nowhere, and it started to rain. Everyone jumped up, shrieking, and Buffy pick up her boombox.
"I didn't do it! I didn't do it!" Amy insisted.
They all ran into the house.
The next morning, in Giles' apartment, Jenny was typing on her computer as Giles looked on.
"There you go. All set."
"Thank you, Jenny. Obstinate bloody machine simply refused to work for me." Giles walked off.
"Just call me the computer whisperer." Jenny stood up. "Let's get scannin'. I want to see this puppy go."
Giles put a pile of old books on her outstretched arms. "Start with those."
Jenny scowled. "Start? Where is finish?"
"Jenny, it's essential that we begin archiving the library. I mean...most of these texts have no duplicates."
Jenny set the books down on the desk and sat back down. "It's just...you've been Mr. Project all summer, you know? Labeling the amulets and indexing your diaries."
Giles gave a little smile.
Jenny opened the scanner. "Shouldn't we be planning our wedding?"
"Yes, of course, but, now that I'm no longer a Watcher, I don't have access to their resources, so it's up to me to preserve whatever I can." Giles paused and considered. "What do you say to four hours of scanning and four hours of planning per day?"
Jenny nodded. "That sounds fair."
Buffy and Tara were eating dinner with Joyce.
"Thanks, Mom. Everything was yummy." Buffy put her napkin on the table.
Tara smiled. "Yeah, thank you, Ms. Summers."
"Hey, you up for dessert?" Joyce asked them. "We could, uh, take a drive, get some ice cream."
Buffy stood up. "You know, I-I would, but I kinda have to get out on patrol." She began gathering up the dishes.
"Now? It's 8:30."
"Well, vamps don't really care what time it is. You know, dark equals dinner bell." Buffy began carrying the dishes to the kitchen.
Joyce stayed seated. "Right, of course." She paused. "You know, I'm gonna have to get used to this place without you again. It gets so quiet."
Buffy walked back into the dining room. "You know, maybe we should make a regular date of this...when school starts."
Joyce nodded. "Mm."
"I'm sorry." Buffy kissed Joyce on the cheek. "Duty calls. It's a total drag." She kissed Tara on the lips. "Later, sweetie."
"Take care."
Buffy nodded and left.
Joyce looked down.
Tara could tell she was upset. "So, uh, chocolate or pistachio?"
Joyce looked at Tara and smiled.
Buffy was punching a vampire in the cemetery, having plenty of fun. She punched him several times and then grabbed his shoulders and kneed him. He got up, and she was on his back. He threw her down. She got up and charged, ducked a punch, punched him, and then kicked him. She tried to kick again, but he grabbed her and lifted her over his head, then threw her down. She got up again and jumped on him with her legs around his neck. He threw her down; she flipped him over and then staked him. Buffy stood up, satisfied, and began to stride away purposefully. She walked between the gravestones and suddenly stopped and whirled around.
"Very impressive hunt."
She saw a man walking forward out of the darkness. He was very thin and pale, had long black hair, and spoke with an accent, which Buffy thought was vaguely Eastern European.
"Such power."
"That was no hunt. That was just another day on the job."
She saw the man was wearing a long, flowing cloak and had long, flowing hair. He walked toward Buffy.
"Care to step up for some overtime?" Buffy offered.
"We're not going to fight."
"Do you know what a Slayer is?"
"Do you?" The man smirked.
Buffy was intrigued. "Who are you?"
"I apologize. I assumed you knew. I am Dracula."
Buffy's eyes widened, and she grinned in delight. "Get out!"
They stood in silence for a while.
"So lemme get this straight. You're...Dracula." Buffy hoped he wouldn't think she was mocking his accent, which she kind of was. "The guy, the count."
"I am." Dracula bared his fangs.
"And you're sure this isn't just some fanboy thing?" Buffy asked. "'Cause...I've fought more than a couple of pimply, overweight vamps that called themselves Lestat.
Dracula looked a little annoyed. "You know who I am. As I would know without question that you are Buffy Summers." He walked toward her.
"You've heard of me?"
"Naturally. You're known throughout the world."
Buffy smiled bashfully. "Naw. Really?"
"Why else would I come here? For the sun? I came to meet the renowned...killer."
Buffy felt upset. "Yeah, I prefer the term Slayer. You know, killer just sounds so-"
"Naked?"
"I'm the good guy, remember?" Buffy insisted.
"Perhaps, but your power is rooted in darkness. You must feel it."
Buffy frowned and pondered this for a moment. "No. You know what I feel? Bored."
She lunged at him with her stake. He dissolved into mist. As she straightened up, confused, he reappeared behind her. She turned and lunged again. He dissolved into mist again.
Buffy looked around. "Okay, that's cheating."
Harmony and Amy walked up.
"Hey, Buff, what's up?" Harmony asked.
"You look like you just-"
"Get out of here. Now."
Harmony frowned. "Fine, but I was gonna give you a sip of my mint mocha, but-"
Dracula reappeared behind her.
"Behind you."
Amy and Harmony turned and saw Dracula.
Amy smiled. "Hi."
Harmony smiled, amused. "Nice. Look who's got a bad case of dark prince envy."
Buffy held her stake, concerned.
"I have no interest in you. Leave us."
Harmony smirked. "No, we're not going to 'leave you'. And where'd you get that accent, Sesame Street?"
Dracula looked annoyed.
"Harmony, I'm pretty sure that's Dracula."
"Wow, really?" Harmony hurried to stand behind Buffy. "Hey, sorry, Doctor Acula, sir, I was...just jokin' around."
"This is not the time." Dracula locked eyes with Buffy. "I will see you soon."
He spread his cape out and moved toward them, turning into a bat and flying over their heads as they all ducked and yelled. The bat flew away, squeaking. They straightened up and looked around. The bat came back and flew around Buffy's head.
Buffy covered her head with her hands. "Bat! Ooh, bat!"
The bat squeaked and flew away again.
Later, at Giles' apartment, the gang was recounting the encounter to Jenny and Giles.
"And then Buffy's all 'Look out!'" Harmony yelled. "And then fucking Dracula's standing right behind us."
She sat on the sofa, where Amy and Sandy were already sitting. Buffy and Tara were standing. Jenny was sitting at Giles' desk, and Giles was leaning against it.
"And then he lunged at us like whoosh!" Amy did some hand gestures.
Harmony nodded. "He totally looked shorter in person."
"I told you he'd heard of me, right? I mean...can you believe that?" Buffy asked.
Jenny and Giles nodded patiently.
"Count Famous heard of me."
Tara looked at her. "I couldn't believe it the first twenty times you told us, but it's starting to sink in now."
"I'm sorry. I was just...blown away."
"It's not that surprising that he's heard of you, Buffy. You are a Slayer."
"I guess. Just...the way he said it, you know, I mean...he made it sound so-"
"So what?" Tara asked with a teasing glare.
"Oh! No. Certainly not sexy! He of the dark penetrating eyes and lilty accent-"
Tara stared at her, amused.
Buffy gave an embarrassed smile. "I'll shut up now."
Harmony smiled. "I wonder if he knows Frankenstein."
Sandy looked at her. "I'm pretty sure Frankenstein's not real."
Tara sighed. "And if you mean the monster, it's not called Frankenstein."
Jenny shrugged. "Who knows what's real? Until tonight, I didn't think Dracula was."
Buffy smiled. "He's pretty cool."
The others stared at her.
"You know, from - from a whole...evil thing perspective."
Amy rolled her eyes. "Please. He was no big whoop."
"No big whoop? What about that thing where he turned himself into a bat? That was awesome!" Harmony exclaimed.
Giles nodded. "It must have been, yes."
Everyone looked at him.
"I must admit: I'm sorry I missed that."
"Bat!" Buffy wiggled her hands near her head.
Tara smiled.
"How come he can do that?" Sandy asked Giles.
"I-I have no idea. There's a great deal of myth about Dracula. I imagine the trick to defeating him lies in separating the fact from the fiction."
Buffy looked at all of them. "So we should take things slow with Dracula. I mean...he said that we would meet again, but I would like to avoid that until we do some serious homework."
Jenny thought about it. "I don't know. I mean...he may have a bunch of awesome party tricks, but he's still just a vampire. I say we load up with stakes and crossbows and go after him now."
Amy raised her hand. "Second."
Tara shook her head. "No, Buffy's right. Dracula's too slick to fall for the usual shit."
Buffy nodded. "So we hold off. No killing until we know exactly what we're dealing with."
Tara smiled. "You're not just saying that because of those dark, penetrating eyes of his, are you?"
"Noooo, his eyes were..." Buffy paused. "There were - There was no penetration." She smiled, embarrassed. "Cross my heart."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips.
"All right." Giles looked at Jenny. "Jenny, you and Tara find out everything you can about the actual legend of Vlad the Impaler on the Internet, and, uh, I'll check the library."
Jenny and Tara nodded. Everyone started to get up.
Buffy looked at everyone. "You guys, we'll reconvene here in the morning."
Everyone nodded.
Amy and Harmony were walking down the street, toward Harmony's car.
Harmony noticed the Espresso Pump. "Ooh! Want an espresso?"
"Depends. Any good marathons on TV tonight?" Amy asked.
"Not that I know of."
"Then no." Amy headed toward the Miata.
Harmony headed toward the Espresso Pump. She jumped in shock when she saw Dracula waiting for her. She sighed. "Great. Perfect." She suddenly decided she wasn't scared. "You know what? You're not so big."
Dracula scowled.
Harmony took a stake out of her purse. "Okay, let's do it. And no poofing. Come on, puffy shirt. Pucker on up, 'cause you can kiss your pale ass-"
"Silence."
"Yes, master." Harmony shook her head. "No, that's not-"
Dracula lifted a hand. "You will be my emissary, my eyes and ears in daylight."
"Your emissary?"
"Serve me well. You will be rewarded. I will make you an immortal. A child of darkness that feeds on life itself. On blood."
"Blood? Yes! Yes! I will serve you, your excellent spookiness."
Dracula frowned.
"Or master. I'll just stick with master."
"You are strange and off-putting. Go now."
Harmony nodded, turned to go, then turned back. "But master, how can I find-" She saw Dracula was gone. "Brilliant. What an exit! Guy's a genius!" She giggled crazily and walked into the Espresso Pump.
When Buffy and Tara got home, they noticed the lights were off.
"That's weird. Mom usually leaves a light on for me." Buffy inserted her key into the lock and unlocked the door. She opened it.
Buffy and Tara walked into the house. Buffy turned on the light. Tara closed and locked the door.
"Mom!" Buffy called.
There was no answer.
They walked into the kitchen. Buffy turned on the light.
They looked around. Buffy noticed a sticky note on the island and picked it up.
"What's it say?" Tara asked.
"'Girls, I had to go out of town suddenly. I'll be back tomorrow.'"
The two of them looked at each other in concern.
Dawn was sitting in her bedroom, listening to "Oops!... I Did It Again" by Britney Spears on her boombox while laying on her bed and writing in her diary.
Suddenly, her door opened. Hank and Joyce walked into the room.
"Honey?" Hank asked.
Dawn looked in surprise and grinned. "Mom, what are you doing here?!"
Joyce looked at Hank in shock. "You didn't tell her?"
"I wanted to make sure before I said anything. I figured it'd be best if we told her together."
Dawn was suddenly nervous. "Tell me what?"
Hank walked over to her. "Turn off the radio, honey. We gotta talk to you."
Dawn sat up and set her diary aside. She shut off her boombox. Joyce walked over and stood to Hank's right.
"Something's happened at work. I have to go overseas to manage our operations in Europe directly."
"How long will you be gone?" Dawn asked.
"I don't know. See, the thing is...you would have to come with me."
"What?!" Dawn blurted in shock.
Hank held up a hand. "But I know you wouldn't wanna do that, and I don't wanna take you out of the country, so I asked your mom, and she's agreed, to take you to live with her and Buffy in Sunnydale."
Dawn sat in shock, trying to process this.
Joyce stepped forward and sat to Dawn's right on the bed. "I'll be staying here overnight, and I'll help you pack. You can visit your friends and say goodbye, and we can head to Sunnydale tomorrow evening." She reached out to put a hand on Dawn's shoulder.
Dawn jerked away. "I don't wanna leave."
"I know you don't, sweetie, but...you can't stay here by yourself."
Dawn stared at her father. "Sell the stupid company."
"And what?" Hank asked her. "What would we do for money?"
"Fuck! I hate this!" Dawn stood up and ran out of the room.
The next morning, Buffy, Tara, and Amy were sitting on Giles' couch. They had each gotten a chocolate donut out of the box on the coffee table.
"Are there any more?" Harmony asked eagerly.
Buffy looked at the box. "Just jelly; you want it?" She picked one up and held it out.
Harmony grabbed the donut. "Thanks!" She eagerly bit into it and quickly started pacing behind the couch.
Tara looked at Amy. "Harmony seems kinda...hyper today."
Amy nodded. "She's been like that since last night. She ordered a fucking extra large espresso."
Buffy nodded. "That'll do it."
Harmony walked in little circles, nibbling quickly at the donut. Sandy walked by and looked in the box for a donut. She took the last remaining jelly donut. Harmony sat on a stool, still feeling jittery. Sandy walked to a chair opposite the couch.
Jenny was sitting at Giles' desk, looking at her laptop. "Well, I think we have Dracula factoids."
Harmony was still eating the donut. "Like any of that's enough to fight the dark master."
Everyone gave her a strange look.
Harmony's mind raced. "...bator."
Jenny cleared her throat. "A lot of it, we already knew. Turn-offs: wood, fire, crosses. Turn-ons: nice duds; minions; long, slow bites that last for days..." She shook her head. "Dracula likes to live in style, which means we can rule out the usual dumps vampires haunt."
"Ah! But he's smart enough to figure that we probably already know that. I'm guessing he's lying low." Harmony licked her donut.
Giles walked out from the kitchen.
"Actually, my research indicates otherwise. Drac isn't the lay-low type."
Giles gave Jenny a glass of milk. "So we can, uh, check out the nicer places. Don't you think, Buffy?"
Harmony moved from stool to stool, tapping her fingers nervously.
"Yeah. We'll check all the swanky places first. What else did you guys get?" Buffy asked him.
"Well, Jenny has most of it, actually."
Jenny nodded. "Dracula's modus operandi is different from other vampires. He will kill just to feed, but he'd rather have a connection with his victims. And he has all of these mental powers to draw them in. He - He can read and control minds...appear in dreams..."
Buffy thought about that. "Uh-huh."
Amy looked at Buffy. "Makes sense. That stare..." She thought for a moment. "He just kinda...looked right through you. Didn't you feel it, Buffy?"
Tara looked at Buffy.
Buffy paused. "No." She got up. "No, I didn't."
"See?!" Harmony yelled. "Buffy didn't feel it. I think you're drawing a lot of crazy conclusions about the unholy prince."
Everyone gave her a strange look.
Harmony's mind raced. "...bator."
Giles looked at everyone. "The point is, though he goes through the motions of an intimate seduction, the end result is the same. He turns them into a vampire."
Buffy hadn't considered that.
"Well. That is intimate. Dracula's gifting these ladies with his own blood. And blood..." Harmony noticed a spider on the counter next to her and glanced around to see if anyone was looking. "Blood is life."
Everyone looked at her, confused.
"According to them." Harmony slammed her hand down on the spider.
"Um..." Giles tried to regain his train of thought. "Just be aware that he - he tends to form a relationship with his prey."
When no one was looking, Harmony scooped the spider into her mouth and chewed.
"It's not enough for him to take her. She must want to be taken. She must...burn for him."
Buffy felt uncomfortable. "That's...interesting. I'm gonna go find him." She stood up and started to leave.
Everyone got up.
Tara looked at Buffy. "You shouldn't go by yourself, Buffy. I mean...this guy's seriously dangerous."
"It's cool, I got it." Buffy opened the door and left.
Buffy walked through the courtyard outside Giles' apartment.
Tara ran out after her. "Hey."
Buffy turned on her, angry. "What?!"
Tara started at Buffy's outburst, then she nodded. "You're under the thrall of the dark prince!"
"I am not under the thrall of the dark prince. You're delusional."
Tara was hurt, but she looked at Buffy with pity. "That confirms it. You wouldn't talk to me like that otherwise. Or do my concerns really mean so little to you?"
The others walked outside. Buffy sat on the edge of the stone fountain and put her head in her hands in shame.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Giles asked her.
"'Cause she didn't want to worry us, right, Buffster?" Harmony suggested.
Buffy looked apologetically at Tara. "I'm not sure why I tried to hide it. Uh, there was just this voice, and it was - it was telling me to deny it." She was on the verge of crying. "I'm sorry."
Tara sat down to Buffy's right and hugged her with one arm. "It's okay, sweetie. That's thrall."
"You're saying Dracula has some sort of freaky mind control over her?" Harmony asked. "You're watching too many creature features, girl."
"But it does seem like he has this...control over me...even though a big part of me is resisting."
Harmony grabbed a fly off a nearby leaf and ate it.
Tara stared into Buffy's eyes. "I don't wanna lose you."
"I swear to you: I'm your girl, and I'm gonna stay that way."
"Okay. But you are not going anywhere near him again."
Giles nodded. "Uh, Tara's right, you should - you should stay out of sight. Let the rest of us look for Dracula."
Harmony smiled. "You can come over to my place. I'll make sure you stay put."
Giles nodded. "Good. Um, Jenny and I can, uh, can...search for Dracula."
Cordelia was in the middle of an acting class.
"But why, Johnny? Why?" Cordelia asked.
He sighed. "Because it's over."
"No, I love you! I gave you everything. Didn't I?" Cordelia asked.
He picked up a bag. "Yeah, and now it's time to move on."
"No. You can't. You're everything to me. I'm nothing without you, baby. Nothing." Cordelia slapped him in the face.
"Ow." He looked at the acting coach. "Hey, ow, she hit me!"
Cordelia looked at the acting coach. "I threw that in myself. She seems so spineless. Begging this creep not to dump her."
Her acting partner went and looked through the script book.
"That was just amazing! You were Eleanor, body and soul."
"Hey, where does it say that she hits me?"
The coach ignored him. "You're on fire, Cordelia. This is exciting work. Let's take it again. And put the focus on how conflicted you-"
Cordelia's beeper went off. She looked at it. It read "911".
"Cordelia..."
Cordelia picked up her bag to leave. "Sorry. Duty calls."
Angel, Wesley, and Cordelia strode into a big gym.
"Can I help you?" an attendant asked.
They never broke stride.
The attendant followed them through the gym. "I'm sorry, this club is for members and their guests only."
Angel looked straight ahead. "Yeah, well, I'm thinking of joining."
"Excuse me! But you can't come in here without a membership or a guest pass!"
"Are you sure we're in the right place?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"This is a tad public for a Praetorian sacrifice."
"The quadrants match. It's a Carnyss demon, and they love muscles and mirrors."
They came to a stop, the attendant still behind them.
"Hey, listen! I'm not fooling around. I will call the pol-"
Angel kicked in the mirror and stepped through, surprising a red-robed human and a demon with sword raised to sacrifice two bound-and-gagged humans.
"Stop that." Angel batted the charging human against a wall and began to fight the demon with the sword.
Wesley ducked or deflected a couple punches from the human, then hit him with a right cross, kneed him in the stomach, and dropped him on the floor. He nodded to Cordelia, who dropped a round, metal weight on the guy's head, knocking him out. Angel managed to take the sword away from the demon and stabbed it through the heart with it. Angel, Cordelia, and Wesley freed the sacrifices, then they walked back out into the gym.
The attendant stared. "That guy has horns."
Angel walked past. "Steroids. Not good for you."
Later, inside Cordelia's apartment, Cordelia was standing at a whiteboard with "cases", "leads", "progress", and "status" written across the top and various information below it.
Wesley looked at her. "I'm beginning to think it was the Sloth demon."
Cordelia wrote on the board. "Sloth demons don't sacrifice adolescents, Wesley. It was a Carnyss."
"No, I don't mean the demon we killed last night. I mean the one we-"
"That was a nice gym." Angel played with some glass figurines that Cordelia had sitting on a shelf.
"-incinerated a month ago. I think that's what Wolfram & Hart raised in that box when Angel was fighting Vocah."
"The thing about a gym is that you're not alone. You've got people around. That encourages you to work out."
Cordelia took the glass figurine away from him and set it back on the shelf. "You don't have to work out. You're eternal."
"I may not always be."
"It was the Vartite monster." Cordelia turned back to arguing with Wesley. "It took two days to kill that thing! It's got Wolfram & Hart written all over it."
"You got your steam. You got your sauna. You got fresh towels. I mean...how bad could it be?"
Cordelia looked at Angel. "You shower with a lot of men."
"I'll always be a loner."
Cordelia held up a finger and scrunched up her face.
Angel dropped the unicorn figurine and hurried to catch her. "Vision."
Cordelia sneezed. "Just a sneeze."
Angel and Wesley turned away. "Oh."
"'Oh'?!" Cordelia asked.
"I mean...bless you." Angel turned to the broken figurine on the floor. "Sorry about this."
"Why can't we work out of Wes'?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"We're getting a new office. I just haven't-"
Cordelia held up a finger and scrunched up her face again. "Sneeze." She sneezed. "Followed by vision."
Angel and Wesley jumped to her side and caught her.
She had a vision of a blurry gray monster face. When it was over, she found herself sitting on the sofa, Angel kneeling in front of her.
"Are you all right?" Angel asked her.
"I'll survive."
Wesley was at the whiteboard. "What have we got?"
"A nasty-looking demon. Didn't recognize it."
Wesley wrote "N. D. U. O." on the board. "Nasty Demon, Unknown Origin."
Angel looked at him. "There's an awful lot of that in this town. I'm sure he'll feel right at home here."
Angel was sketching the demon from Cordelia's vision.
Cordelia watched him draw. "The eyes are a little further apart."
Angel adjusted the drawing.
"They look right through you. I-I don't think this guy is afraid of much."
"Wes, I'm thinking northern Pakistan, Hindu Kush..."
"Right. Or maybe the Tien Shenin in Kazakhstan. Which means I need Suleman's Compendium."
As he walked towards the books, one of them flew up and hit him. Wesley let out a surprised yell.
Cordelia looked at him. "Don't yell like that! You'll scare him."
"Scare him?"
"Dennis is very sensitive. He's just trying to help! He's more a person than a g-h-o-s-t."
Wesley looked at Angel. "We have to get an office."
Wesley flipped some pages, and Cordelia let out a scream, startling another yell out of Wesley.
Cordelia pointed at a picture in the book. "There! There!"
"Prio Motu demon. It's a killer."
Angel took the book. "Ancient Ofga-beast, bred to maim and massacre."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Oh, goody. A pit bull."
Angel got up. "Okay." He started to write on the whiteboard. "Now, we know what we're dealing with."
"Prio Motu."
"Now, we need to find it. Right now, we got to narrow it down to somewhere."
"I may be able to help us with that. I've been broadening our contact base. Reaching out to the underlife. I may have someone who can help."
"Who?" Angel asked Wesley.
"A parasite demon named Merl."
"Maybe it's time we pay your stoolie a little visit." Cordelia raised her fist. "Make with the chin music until he canaries."
Angel and Wesley looked at her.
"I've been watching a little noir festival on Bravo."
Joyce took Dawn to Checkers for lunch. They sat at a table, silently eating their cheeseburgers and fries and sipping their Cokes.
"Um, you're going to have to sleep either with me or on the couch tonight. There's a spare room that I've been using for storage, but I haven't had time to clear it out yet. We'll do that tomorrow and set up your room."
Dawn stuck a fry in her mouth. "Where am I gonna go to school?"
"Uh, well, the high school students have been sent to Sunnydale Junior High ever since the, uh, incident at graduation last year. They've finally started clearing out the debris this past summer, but it'll be a while before they start building the new high school."
"So I've gotta attend school with a bunch of sixth-graders. Great. I thought I was getting away from all of those immature little shits this year." Dawn sipped her Coke.
"I know it's not gonna be easy for you, sweetie, but Buffy and I will help adjust."
"You could help me by moving into my house, so I don't have to move and leave all my friends."
"You know I can't do that, sweetie. I've got a business in Sunnydale."
"And that means more to you than I do. Got it."
Joyce sighed.
An ugly, gray, bald demon was sitting at his kitchen table.
Wesley sat down next to him. "Hello, Merl."
Merl was silent.
"Cat got your tongue, Merl?" Cordelia asked.
"I don't have a tongue."
"Oh."
Angel leaned down next to him.
Merl looked at Wesley. "And, uh, keep the bloodsucker away from me."
"He won't hurt you."
"I know his rep, okay? He eats his own kind. Beating on demons wherever he finds 'em."
"Especially when they waste my time."
Wesley slid an envelope with money across the table. "We're looking for the Prio Motu."
Merl looked at the money. "Woah, woah, woah! You've obviously never seen one up close. I mean Prios are stone-cold killers. They've got these teeth that'll, um..." He paused. "You gotta sweeten this - a whole lot. And keep my name-"
Wesley put some more money on top of the envelope.
Merl took it. "This Prio you're looking for, he don't like it above ground. So he'll be traveling in one of those sub-tunnels of the Rodondo line."
Angel started to leave.
"Prios are nasty. Not some big mosquito like you. Best of luck, though."
Angel turned to leave.
In Westhampton Beach, Long Island, New York, a fifteen-year-old girl with long black hair named Kennedy Pérez Limón was splashing in the water outside her parents' beachfront summer home. With her was her girlfriend, a seventeen-year-old girl with long platinum blonde hair named Emma Winters. The two girls were naked and squealing as they chased each other. Finally, they joined hands and ran out onto the beach.
There was a beach towel nearby. They sat down on it. Kennedy lay back, and Emma lay on top of her, kissing her passionately.
Kennedy broke the kiss. "You've wined me and dined me; now, sixty-nine me."
Emma grinned and turned around. She buried her face between Kennedy's legs. Kennedy put her hands on Emma's ass and pulled her close. Kennedy stuck out her tongue and started licking Emma's pussy. Emma started licking Kennedy's pussy. Kennedy inserted her left index finger into Emma's asshole and started finger-fucking her.
Kennedy heard someone clear his throat. That immediately ruined the mood. Emma scrambled off Kennedy and tried futilely to cover herself with her arms.
Kennedy gave the man standing before her a death stare. "Ramón, what the fuck do you want?"
Ramón Gutiérrez looked away. "You were supposed to be back yesterday."
Kennedy shrugged. "My dad and stepmom decided to extend our vacation a bit."
Ramón started walking away. Kennedy sighed, stood up, and caught up with him.
"You need to get as much training in as you can before school starts."
Kennedy rolled her eyes. "So I'll miss a week. Big fucking deal. I'm ready."
"Are you sure about that? If the Slayer dies, you could be called. At any time. With no notice."
"I'm ready." Kennedy paused. "You've upset Emma."
"Oh, I see. Do pass along my apologies." Ramón sighed. "See you back in Soho, Kennedy." He walked away.
Kennedy stopped walking and watched him go, then she turned and went back to Emma. "Sorry about that."
Emma stopped trying to cover her breasts. "He doesn't like me."
"Fuck him." Kennedy smiled. "Now, where were we?"
Emma didn't say anything. Kennedy kissed her on the neck repeatedly. Emma giggled and picked Kennedy up, supporting her ass with her hands. She took Kennedy's right nipple into her mouth, closed her lips around it, and sucked on it. Kennedy moaned in approval, running her hands through Emma's wet hair.
As the sun was setting on the horizon, Giles and Jenny walked through the grounds of a mansion. Jenny had a notepad. Giles carried a bag.
"Another bust." Jenny crossed an address off on the notepad.
"And it's getting dark. I should have turned up a better lead. There must be an easier way to find him."
"Too late to worry about that now. If we hurry, we can hit these last places."
They left the estate.
Dawn brought the last box full of her things to the Jeep and waited for Joyce to take it.
Joyce sighed, took the box, and put it in the back. "Is that everything?"
"Yeah."
Hank spread his arms. "I'm gonna miss ya, kiddo."
Dawn refused to make eye contact with him. She opened the passenger door, got into the Jeep, and slammed the door shut.
Joyce opened the driver-side door and got into the Jeep. She closed the door and stared at her daughter. "That was very rude, Dawn. Go say goodbye to your father."
"No."
Joyce sighed. "Fasten your seatbelt." She fastened her own seatbelt, put the key in the ignition, and started the engine.
Dawn fastened her seatbelt and stared down at her lap, refusing to look at her father or her house. She started crying.
That evening, in Cordelia's apartment, Angel brought her and Wesley up to speed.
"He was good?" Wesley asked.
Angel nodded slowly. "Yeah."
"And you-" Cordelia made a cracking sound.
Angel looked at her. "Yeah."
"Ooh. Well. That's bad."
Angel looked away.
"Which, of course, you already..." Cordelia paused. "Right."
Angel got up. "He was a demon. I just assumed-"
"Well, why wouldn't you? Cordelia said he was a nasty demon."
"Well, he looked nasty! I didn't say he was a killer; you did!"
"That's what Prio Motus are! They hunt. They kill. What, we're supposed to think a creature like that can suddenly change its modus operandi overnight? Turn into some noble protector and..." Wesley looked at Angel, who was standing with his back to them. "...defender of...Oh, God."
"I didn't feel any fear when I saw him. Angel was probably supposed to help him, not..." Cordelia sighed and looked up. "Thanks for the obscure visions, assholes! We're doing great with that."
Angel shook his head. "I killed an innocent being. He was a soldier like me. Whatever his mission is, it's mine now." He went to put on his coat.
Cordelia offered him a weak smile. "Well, that's a start! You said he was protecting a pregnant woman."
"From something called the Tribunal. I want you two to find out what that is."
Wesley nodded. "We will."
Angel was about to leave.
"Angel!" Wesley called.
Angel stopped but didn't turn around.
"You didn't know."
"I'm thinking somebody did."
In Harmony's bedroom, Buffy and Amy were sitting on the bed while Harmony paced.
"What time is it?" Harmony asked.
Amy checked her watch. "Uh, almost eight." She stood up.
Harmony pushed her into the closet and shut the door.
"Hey! What the fuck?!" Amy yelled.
Harmony put a chair under the doorknob to hold it shut.
Amy banged on the door. "Harmony, open the fucking door!"
Buffy sat, feigning obliviousness, through all of this.
Harmony turned to Buffy. "I'm supposed to deliver you to the master now."
Buffy looked up at her.
"There's this whole deal where I get to be immortal. You cool with that?" Harmony asked her.
"Take me to him." Buffy stood.
Gunn, Chain, and two other young men walked around a corner as a guy got ready to get into his nice car.
He saw them and started to run off. "Just take the car!"
They ran after him.
"Hey, look out!" Gunn warned.
The man looked back. As he turned back around, he ran right into a vampire. The vampire was about to bite him when Gunn pushed back his hood and pulled out a stake. He knocked the vampire off the guy and quickly staked him. The man pointed at the dead vampire, unable to get a whole word out.
"You should probably go home now."
The man looked at Gunn, who motioned with his eyes back to where his car was parked.
After a beat, the guy took off at full speed.
"Uh, you're welcome?" Gunn asked.
"People nowadays. Would it kill him to say thank you?" Angel asked.
Gunn put the stake away. "Angel."
"Been a while. You well?"
"Picture of health and harmony. Look at you, dog! You haven't aged a bit!"
"I got a situation."
"So much for the small talk." Gunn looked at the others. "Sweep Olympic up to Broadway, and I'll hook up with y'all back at the crib."
Chain and the other two walked away. Gunn started walking.
Angel walked beside Gunn. "Where is home nowadays?"
"Friendly landlord off 8th. We keep the block safe for democracy; he hooks us up with the rent."
"You ever hear of a Prio Motu?"
"Is that like a '62 Chevy with the big cam?"
Angel looked at him.
"All right. I could have just said no."
"It's a warrior demon. He was living down here."
"Well, isn't that nice? I thought all we had to dodge was roaches and vampires! What is this demon up to?"
"Not much. He's dead. But I wanna find out where he was living. It'd be underground somewhere near the D.W.P."
"Well, I know all the pockets. And I'm getting the sense that you wanna do this now."
"It's kind of urgent."
Harmony and Buffy walked up to Dracula's castle, walking up the steps. Harmony opened the door and led Buffy in. There were wooden furnishings. Torches and candles were everywhere.
Harmony led Buffy into the dining room. "Master? I deliver the Slayer. She who you most desire."
Buffy walked in behind her, still looking kind of catatonic.
Harmony gave a little bow. "Sorry, whom."
Dracula stood by the fireplace, wearing black pants, a red shirt, and a black vest. He turned slowly.
"So now comes the immortality, right?" Harmony asked him. "You do the thing, and-"
"Leave us."
Harmony stopped talking.
"We must not be interrupted."
"You bet." Harmony left the room.
Buffy and Dracula stared at each other across the long table.
"I knew you'd come."
"Why? Because I'm under your thrall?" Buffy whipped out a stake and dropped the dazed expression. "Well, guess again, pal."
"Put the stake down."
"Okay." Buffy put it down, then looked at her hand in surprise. "Right. That...was not...you." She was unconvinced. "I did that. I did that, because...I wanted to."
Dracula watched her.
"Maybe I should rethink that thrall thing." Buffy looked around nervously and gave a little whimper.
Gunn and Angel were walking through some tunnels.
"How deep are these?" Angel asked.
"Pretty deep, bro. We cleaned a vampire nest out of here last year. We've been patrolling it on occasion ever since. This Prio Motu guy, what was he up to?"
"He was protecting a young pregnant woman."
"He was on our side?"
"Yeah."
"Well, did you find the motherfucker that killed him?" Gunn asked.
"I'm the motherfucker that killed him."
"Oh." Gunn noticed a vent in the wall. "Oh, look. Hold on. That wasn't there before."
They walked over to it.
"You feel any air coming out of this vent? I don't feel no air." Gunn found a latch at the side and pulled it open.
They walked in, closing it behind them.
"The guy kept a neat house."
Angel picked up a book. "Kamal."
"What's that?"
"That was his name. Gunn..." Angel went to open a carved box. He closed it again and laid his hands against its sides.
"We supposed to be looking for something?"
Angel pulled open a hidden drawer and took out a round metal disk.
"Like that?"
"I hate to ask, but-"
"Night's still young. What you need?"
Angel handed him his business card. "I work with a couple people at this address. The one on the back. We're working out of this apartment in Silverlake, temporarily."
Gunn took the card.
Angel held out the disk. "I need them to see this right away. Tell them it might have something to do with the Tribunal."
"The Tribunal. Got it." Gunn paused. "What, you're gonna hang here and soak up the guilt?"
"Something like that."
Gunn left.
Jenny and Giles walked up to the castle.
"I've lived in Sunnydale for years now. Know what I've never noticed before?" Jenny asked.
"Uh, a castle?" Giles guessed.
Jenny nodded. "A big fucking castle."
Jenny opened the castle door, and she and Giles entered, looking around.
Jenny pointed down one hallway. Giles nodded and went down it. Jenny went the other way.
Cordelia and Wesley were researching at her apartment. There was a knock on the door.
Cordelia got up. "Who is it?"
"Gunn."
Wesley got up. "What was that?"
"Something about a gun. What if it's a demon with a gun?" Cordelia asked, scared.
"Listen up, whoever you are, we are well armed, and we know how to do battle, so if you know what's good for you-"
"My name is Gunn. Angel sent me."
Cordelia unlocked and opened the door. "Well, this is a little embarrassing." She stepped aside. "Please, come in. Come in."
Gunn walked in.
Cordelia closed and locked the door. "Wesley, you've heard Angel talk about Gun. He's a great guy with a really fly street tag."
"What's he fly?" Wesley asked her.
"It's how they know you on the street, dorko. Gun. It really lets them know you mean business."
"It's my name. Charles Gunn. Two 'n'."
Cordelia laughed, embarrassed. "Oh, Lord, will no one shut me up?"
Wesley offered his hand. "Uh, I'm Wesley Wyndam-Price, and this is Cordelia Chase."
Gunn turned away and looked at the whiteboard.
Cordelia smiled. "It's nice to finally meet."
Gunn looked at her. "I've seen you before."
"Really? The Tan 'n' Screen commercials!"
"I saw you in bed."
"What?"
Wesley started to walk away. "Uh, I-I can see this is none of my business-"
"You, too."
Wesley looked at him. "Now, just a moment!"
"In the hospital...after Angel's building blew? He sent me there to keep an eye on you two."
Cordelia smiled, relieved. "Right."
"I'm just messing with y'all. I was hoping for some demon fighting tonight, but I wound up with a delivery job instead." Gunn handed the talisman to Wesley. "Angel said it might have something to do with the Tribunal."
Wesley examined it. "Well, this could be an emblem or...some sort of protective amulet."
Gunn pointed at the board. "These all the cases y'all got going? Isn't this the well-oiled machine?"
"We set them up, we knock them down. Or we did until Angel knocked down the wrong..." Cordelia paused and then smiled optimistically. "I'm sure he is getting on top of it now."
"You are magnificent."
"I bet you say that before you bite all the girls."
"No, you are different. Kindred."
"Kindred? Hardly."
"I have searched the world over for you. I have yearned for you. For a creature whose darkness rivals my own. I can feel your hunger."
"Stay away from me."
"Are you afraid I will bite you?" Dracula walked slowly toward her. "Slayer, that's why you came."
"No. It's not gonna happen."
Dracula still walked toward her. "Stop me. Stake me."
Buffy backed up a little. "I..." She glanced at the stake on the table. "Any minute now."
"Do you know why you cannot resist?"
"'Cause you're famous?"
"Because you do not want to."
Buffy shook her head nervously. "My friends-"
"They're here."
She looked at him.
"They will not find us. We are alone."
Buffy was anxious.
"Always alone." Dracula began to circle around her. "There is so much I have to teach you. Your history, your power...what your body is capable of..."
Buffy shook her head. "I don't need to know."
"You long to. And you will have eternity to discover yourself." Dracula came back around in front to face her. "But first...a little taste."
"I won't let you."
"I didn't mean for me."
Angel walked into Cordelia's apartment. Cordelia and Wesley jumped up from the table.
"Angel! Are you all right?" Cordelia took in his appearance. "What happened?"
"Is she here?" Angel asked her.
"The pregnant woman? No. Gunn, brought us the talisman, but-"
Angel looked at Wesley.
Wesley went back to his books. "Working on it."
"I told her to come here. She doesn't trust me. Why should she?" Angel hit the whiteboard.
"You can't see everything. You're just a vampire like everyone else..." Cordelia paused. "That didn't come out right."
"I thought I was out of the tunnel." Angel slumped down on the sofa.
"Sure, you did...because the tunnel is...you know, it's something we all..." Cordelia frowned. "Are we talking real tunnel or symbolic? Just give me that much."
"I-I saw the light at the end of the tunnel...that someday I might become human. That light was so bright that I thought I was already out."
Cordelia sat down beside him with a sigh. "Yeah. We all got a little cocky, didn't we?" She paused in thought. "It's gonna be a long while...until you work your way out...but I know you well enough to know you will." She took his hand in hers and interlaced their fingers. "And I'll be with you until you do." She kissed him on the lips.
"What about your inevitable stardom?"
"I'm not saying I won't have a day job."
"I think we got something. It's medieval. A small badge or coat of arms - to be presented when going before the Cahair Binse. Roughly translated, that's 'Chair of Judgment'."
Angel looked at Wesley. "The Tribunal."
"Right. An ancient court to settle grievances."
"You mean...with, like, lawyers and stuff?" Cordelia asked.
"This is a little more primitive. It's a fight to the death."
"That's why she needed a champion. Where would this Tribunal take place?" Angel asked.
"There is no way to tell. They're mystical events; they could rise up in our reality whenever they please."
"Look, we got to find her right away - whatever it takes."
The door opened, and Veruca walked into the apartment.
"Hey. You guys still hangin' out here?" Veruca asked.
"Yeah. How was your gig?" Cordelia asked.
"Awesome." Veruca closed and locked the door. "Dip a finger in me and paste one of my words on your machine. Let me be a distraction. Let me be a dream. Let me be the future. Let me be..."
Cordelia suddenly felt something. She looked at Veruca. "You'll eventually heal, but it will take time."
Veruca looked at her. "What?"
"Sandy." Cordelia looked at Veruca in sympathy. "You still hurt."
"How...did you know I was thinking about her?" Veruca asked, walking toward her.
"I dunno. I just got this...feeling."
Wesley looked at her. "Cordelia, I believe you're, uh, anagogic."
"Really? I look like I'm eating enough."
"Psychic. You're connected to the mystic." Wesley looked at Veruca. "When you sing, you bare you soul. She sees into it."
Veruca frowned. "Freaky."
"Some new power?" Cordelia asked Wesley.
"Or a latent power that hadn't manifested itself until now, perhaps brought on by the onslaught of visions that you received months ago."
Cordelia thought for a moment and then grinned. "Hey, that's it!" She ran over to her karaoke machine, which was sitting in a corner of the living room. She turned it on and picked up the microphone. She held it out to Angel.
Angel shook his head.
"I can't read you unless you sing!"
"I don't sing."
"Come on, Angel. I wanna hear you sing."
"No."
Wesley looked at him. "It would be for a good cause. We might learn something."
"Who's the boss here?" Angel asked.
They all looked at him.
"There are three things I don't do: tan, date...and sing in front of people!"
Cordelia still held out the microphone. "It's the only way. Now, get your undead ass over here and pick a fucking song."
Angel sighed, walked over, and looked through the karaoke CDs in Cordelia's collection. He selected one, put it in the machine, and selected the track. He grabbed the microphone out of Cordelia's hand. The song started playing.
"I remember all my life,
Raining down as cold as ice,
Shadows of a man,
A face through a window,
Crying in the night,
The night goes into...
"Morning, just another day.
Happy people pass my way.
Looking in their eyes,
I see a memory.
I never realized
How happy you made me.
"Oh, Mandy,
Well, you came, and you gave without taking,
But I sent you away.
Oh, Mandy,
Well, you kissed me and stopped me from shaking.
And I need you today,
Oh, Mandy."
Cordelia took the microphone away from Angel. "That's enough." She shut off the karaoke machine.
"Tell me where they are."
"The Tribunal will be wherever she is. She can't escape it."
"Where is she?"
"My question first. And answer true, because you know I'll know. Why 'Mandy'?"
"Well, I-I know the words." Angel leaned in close. "I kind of think it's pretty."
Cordelia smiled. "She'll be at 4th and Spring. The trial will be there."
"Trial? How does it work?"
"I don't know. I can only tell you what I tell you. The rest is up to you."
"Can I save her?"
"Try...and find out." Cordelia kissed Angel on the lips. "Good luck."
Jenny moved through the dark hallways. She tried a door, but it was locked. She turned away, but then the door opened, and Harmony walked out.
"Nobody harms my master."
"Your master?"
"You want him? You come through me."
Jenny punched her in the face. She fell down.
"Okey-dokey." Jenny stepped over Harmony and through the door.
Giles was in another part of the castle. He tried a door, and it opened. He stepped into the darkness beyond and fell off a ledge to the floor about eight feet below.
"Oh, good show, Giles. Uh...at least you didn't get knocked out for a change." Giles turned over on his back with a groan. "Oh...oh, ladies."
Three naked vampire women began crawling over him.
"You would...be the three sisters, yes?" Giles guessed.
"They began kissing his cheek and rubbing his chest.
"E-Excellent, right. Uh, I'd heard that you were myth. Obviously erroneous."
One of them ripped his shirt open and began caressing him.
"Aah! Ooh, that's, uh, that, uh..." Giles giggled. "...tickles! Ooh, uh...oh, dear God." He started panting.
Dracula held up his arm and rolled up the sleeve.
"What are you-"
"All those years fighting us. Your power so near to our own..." Dracula cut his arm with a fingernail until blood welled up. "...and you've never once wanted to know what it is that we fight for?" He held his arm out to Buffy. "Never even a taste?"
Buffy was conflicted. "If I drink that-"
"I have not drunk you. You must be near death to become one of us. And that comes only when you plead for it."
Buffy stared at his wrist. "I'm not hungry."
"No. Your craving goes deeper than that."
Buffy stared at him.
"You think you know...what you are...what's to come. You haven't even...begun."
Buffy looked at his arm, then at his face. She took his hand in both of hers and put her mouth on the bloody wrist.
"Find it. The darkness. Find your true nature."
Buffy drank deeply of his blood. Her eyes widened as a very quick series of images flashed by. She couldn't discern what they were.
Buffy lifted her head, blood on her lips. "Wow."
She suddenly shoved out her hand and pushed Dracula away. He landed on the table and slid across it on his back.
Buffy nodded. "That was gross."
She walked forward as Dracula got to his feet.
"You are resisting."
"Looks like."
"Come here. Come to me." Dracula held out his hand.
"You know, I really think the thrall has gone out of our relationship. But I want to thank you for opening up my eyes a little."
"What is this?"
"My true nature. You want a taste?"
Dracula growled and lunged at her. She jumped over his head, whirled, kicked him, punched him twice, and kicked him into a wall. He spun back, grabbed her arm, punched her, and flung her across the room. She landed on the table on her back.
Jenny walked up to an open door. "Buffy? Are you in-" She stopped herself before falling into the pit. "Rupert! Rupert!"
One of the vampire women was sucking Giles' dick while the other two were licking his neck. Jenny pulled out a silver pentacle and held it up. The three female vampires hissed and slunk away. Jenny tossed the pentacle to Giles, who caught it. Giles pulled up his underwear and pants.
Jenny reached out to him. "Come on, come on. Grab my hand."
"Thank God you came."
"Come on!"
"There was no possible escape." Giles still stared back toward the sisters.
He took Jenny's hand, and Jenny pulled him up.
Giles noticed his foot had only a sock on it. "Oh, my shoe." He pointed back into the pit. "Silly me, I'll just pop-"
"No way!" Jenny pulled him away. "No more vamp pit for you. Come on."
They got up and moved off down the hall.
Buffy ran across the room. She barreled into Dracula, and they fell to the floor, rolling. He was on top. He punched her, she punched him, then she grabbed his shirt and flipped him over. Now, she was on top. She punched him a few times. Then he caught her fist and flung her off him. He was grinning. They both got up, grabbed each other, and fell down again. Buffy was on top. She brought both of her hands down, but he blocked and flung her away again. She flew backward and hit the wall. She grabbed him; he flipped her across the table and then jumped onto it. She hit him with a chair and then swept his feet out from under him. He punched her. She grabbed a torch, and he rolled away just as she hit the table with it. They faced each other across the table.
"A guy like you should think about going electric. Seriously."
Dracula growled and turned to mist. Buffy looked around, saw where the mist was converging, dropped the torch, and ran toward the mist. She grabbed her stake off the table as she ran, leaped to the top of the stairs, and was there to stake Dracula just as he appeared from the mist. He looked shocked.
Buffy stared at him. "How do you like my darkness now?"
Dracula growled, fell down the stairs, and exploded into mist. Buffy sauntered down the stairs. Jenny and Giles rushed in.
"Buffy! You okay?" Jenny asked.
"Yeah. Chock full of free will."
"And Dracula?" Giles asked.
"Eurotrashed."
Harmony rushed in, holding a torch. "Where is he? Where's the creep that turned me into his spider-eating bitch?"
Buffy looked at her. "He's gone."
"Damn it!" Harmony yelled.
Jenny looked at her. "It coulda been worse. At least, you weren't seconds away from getting sucked by Dracula's women like Rupert here." She suddenly smiled. "Sucked from the neck, anyway."
"I was not making time! I-I was, uh, just about to kill those, uh, loathsome creatures when you interrupted me." Giles wrapped his torn shirt around himself.
Jenny grinned. "You were gonna nuzzle 'em to death?"
Jenny and Buffy grinned and started to walk away.
"Of course not! I was in complete control." Giles walked after them.
Harmony followed them. She suddenly realized something. "Omigod, I trapped Amy in the closet! Oh, she's gonna kill me to death!"
Buffy suddenly decided to turn around and head back into the room just to be sure. The fog appeared and began to converge. As soon as Dracula had fully appeared, Buffy staked him again. He gasped.
"You think I don't watch your movies?" Buffy rolled her eyes. "You always come back."
Dracula exploded into mist again. Buffy folded her arms and watched. The fog began to collect again.
"I'm standing right here!"
The fog dissipated.
Outside, the group headed toward Jenny and Harmony's cars.
Buffy hesitated for a moment. "Giles?"
"Yes?"
"You haven't been my Watcher for a while. I haven't really needed to come to you for help."
Giles felt sad. "I agree."
Buffy gestured helplessly. "And then this whole thing with Dracula...it made me face up to some shit."
Giles was concerned.
"Ever since we did that spell where we called on the power of the Slayer...I've been going out a lot."
Giles was surprised.
"Every night."
"Patrolling?"
"Hunting. That's...what Dracula called it. And he was right. He understood my power better than I do. He saw darkness in it."
Giles was very concerned. They stopped at the cars.
"I need to know more. About where I come from, about the other Slayers. I mean...maybe...maybe, if I could learn to control this thing, I could be stronger; I could be better. But...I'm scared. I know it's gonna be hard. And I can't do it...without you. I need your help." Buffy paused. "I need you to be my Watcher again."
Giles stopped frowning. He then smiled. "I'd be delighted."
Buffy smiled, relieved. "Thank you."
Joyce unlocked and opened the front door of her house and stepped aside. She looked at Dawn.
Dawn reluctantly walked onto the front porch, carrying a suitcase with both hands. She walked into the house. Joyce followed.
"Buffy?! Tara?!" Joyce called.
Tara walked out of the kitchen, holding a bowl full of chocolate ice cream. "Ms. Summers. Dawn. What's going on?"
"Dawn is moving in. Her father has to go overseas on business. Is Buffy home?"
"No, Amy and Harmony are keeping an eye on her, because she's under Dracula's thrall."
"Oh." Joyce paused, then frowned. "What?"
"Yeah, Drac's in Sunnydale."
Joyce shook her head. "Uh, when you're done with your ice cream, can you help us bring Dawn's things in?"
"Sure."
"Thanks." Joyce walked back outside.
Tara looked at Dawn and could tell she was upset. "Want some ice cream?"
Dawn hesitated, then set down her suitcase. "Okay."
They headed toward the kitchen.
"But that doesn't mean I'm getting settled in."
"Understood."
Angel returned to Cordelia's apartment.
"How'd it go?" Cordelia asked.
"Saved her and her baby."
Cordelia grinned. "That's my guy."
Angel took down the whiteboard.
Wesley nodded. "Good idea. Start over with a fresh slate."
"Actually, we're starting over with no slate."
"Of course. We shouldn't be keeping score. We're not running a race; we're doing a job - one soul at a time."
"You guys hold the fort. I've somewhere to be."
Faith was wiping down a table in Helen's Kitchen when the door opened.
Faith didn't look up. "Just about to close."
"I won't be long."
Faith looked up. "Hey."
"Hey. How you doing?"
"Pretty good, I guess."
"Doesn't sound like it."
"Bad day. One of the regulars got pissed at the service that I gave her and tried throwing down with me. She had low self-esteem and a homemade knife, so..."
"Oh. Is she...you know...alive?"
"She lives to tell the tale. Took the knife away, and I can't say much for the wrist it came in."
"Oh."
Faith shrugged. "What about you? Has your night been equally shitty?"
"I had to sing Barry Manilow."
"You're kidding."
"In front of people."
Faith tried not to laugh. "And here I am, talking about my petty little problems."
"Just wanted to give you a little perspective."
"'Copacabana'?" Faith guessed.
"'Mandy'. I don't wanna dwell on it."
"The road to redemption is a rocky path."
"That it is."
"You think we might make it?" Faith asked him.
"We might."
"Couple burger patties left on the counter. Was about to throw 'em out. Want one?" Faith offered.
"Sure." Angel sat in a booth.
Faith walked over to the counter, picked up the plate and two forks, and walked over to the booth. She set the plate down and sat across from him. She offered him a fork.
Angel cut one of the patties. "Food getting any better?"
"You know, it's not that different from what I grew up on. It's a little one-note. Eating the same thing every day."
"I wonder what that's like."
Faith chuckled, cutting her own patty. "Right..."
After picking up her van at Harmony's house, Buffy returned home.
Once inside, Buffy walked upstairs and peeked into Joyce's bedroom. No one was in there.
Tara walked out of their bedroom and over to her. "Buffy-"
Buffy looked at her. "Hey. Mom's not back yet, huh?"
"She's in the basement, moving some stuff around. Buffy, there's something-"
Buffy headed for their bedroom. "You can tell me when we're in bed. I have a taste for pussy!"
Buffy walked into their room and saw Dawn looking through her stuff.
"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked in surprise.
Dawn turned around, surprised, then gave Buffy a sour look. Buffy wasn't too pleased either. Tara entered the room.
Joyce walked upstairs and entered the room. "Oh. You're home. Uh, did Tara fill you in?"
Tara smiled nervously. "I didn't have time. She just got home."
"Oh. Well, uh, I was in LA. Your father had called. His job is taking him overseas, and he thought it would be best if Dawn stayed with us, so she could remain in the States." Joyce smiled nervously. "Surprise!"
Buffy was shocked. "I can't believe this."
Dawn glared at her. "That makes two of us."
Chapter 106: Real Me
Chapter Text
"Real Me"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Real Me" Written by David Fury and the Angel Episode "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" Written by Tim Minear
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
Buffy opened the refrigerator and took out a carton of milk. Buffy sniffed the milk and put it on the counter. Joyce was drinking coffee, and Dawn opened a cabinet to get out a box of cereal. Buffy picked up a banana from a bowl of fruit and turned away. Joyce poured milk into her coffee cup. Dawn opened the cereal box and sat down. Buffy returned with a bowl, which she placed on the counter, moving the milk carton aside. She turned away again, peeling the banana. Dawn took Buffy's bowl and poured cereal into it. Dawn turned away from the table as Buffy returned with a knife, prepared to slice the banana into her bowl, but found the bowl missing. She saw it sitting at Dawn's spot, full of cereal, and made an irritated face. Dawn returned with a spoon, wearing an innocent expression. Buffy turned away to get another bowl, and Dawn picked up the carton of milk. She emptied it into her bowl and sat down to eat. Buffy returned with another bowl, reached across Dawn for the cereal box, poured cereal into her bowl, picked up the milk carton, and found it empty. Dawn continued eating, pretending not to notice.
"So, Buffy, what are your plans today?" Joyce asked.
Buffy continued giving Dawn a dirty look for a moment, then looked away. "Oh, actually, I need to meet Giles at the magic shop for supplies for my new-and-improved training sessions."
"Oh, that's great."
Buffy walked to the fridge, opened it, grabbed a package of bologna, opened it, and started eating the slices. "Oh, yeah, I'm actually-"
"You can take Dawn shopping for back-to-school supplies."
Dawn put down her spoon and turned around, preparing to argue.
"What?" Buffy asked.
"Mom, I-I thought you were taking me."
"Well, honey, I've got the Gurion showing tonight, and there's so much to do to get the gallery ready." Joyce turned to leave the kitchen.
"No, but, see, Mom-" Buffy ran after Joyce. "-that doesn't really work for me. We're just going to the magic shop. No school supplies there."
Dawn ran into the living room. "Yeah, Mom, I'm not going to Hogwarts." She giggled at her own joke until she noticed Buffy looking annoyed and confused. "Jesus, crack a book sometime."
"Look, I'm sure Giles doesn't mind, and you can take your sister to the mall afterwards."
"Actually, he does mind. This is supposed to be quality Watcher/Slayer time. I told you, she completely ruined my training yesterday."
"Did not!"
"Oh, you know you did, too."
"Buffy. I realize the importance of your new Slayer thing, but I could really use your help."
The two girls both sighed and rolled their eyes in annoyance. They glared at each other.
Buffy sighed and headed for the front door. "C'mon, kid."
Dawn was annoyed. "I'm not a kid." She walked after Buffy.
Buffy unlocked and opened the door. She walked outside. Dawn followed her, locking and closing the door behind her.
"Are you mad at me?" Dawn asked.
"Oh, no, not at all. I'm plotting your death - but in a happy way." Buffy smiled sweetly at her sister.
Suddenly, a bright red 1987 BMW 325i convertible came to a stop on the street. A horn honked.
"Buffy!" Giles called.
Dawn walked down the steps and over to the car. "Fuck. Off. Giles, is this your new ride?"
Giles grinned. "It's the bomb, isn't it?"
Buffy joined Dawn at the car. "Wow, someone's having a midlife crisis."
"Hop in. I'll give you two a lift."
"You're not gonna take no for an answer, are you?" Buffy asked him.
Giles sat patiently and waited.
Buffy sighed, opened the passenger door, and got in. She closed and locked the door and fastened her seatbelt.
Dawn, by contrast, hopped into the back seat, toppling over in the process. "Ugh! I'm okay! I'm okay!"
Buffy rolled her eyes.
Inside Cordelia's apartment, Cordelia was in her kitchen, setting two cups and a tall glass on a tray. She looked into the living room.
Wesley was holding a black-and-white photograph of a 1920s hotel building. "The Hyperion Hotel. It appears to be abandoned."
Angel looked at it. "Sixty-eight rooms, sixty-eight vacancies."
Wesley handed the picture to Angel. "California Spanish, Deco influence - I'd say built in the late 1920s."
"That'd be my guess. It's just west of here in what used to be the heart of Hollywood. No telling how long it's been empty."
Cordelia walked out of her kitchen, carrying the tray, and set it down on the table.
"From the look of it...years."
"Hmm."
Cordelia handed Wesley a cup. "English breakfast tea." She set the other cup on the table. "Coffee." She handed the tall glass to Angel. "O-pos."
Wesley sat down. "Do we suspect its current condition is due to more than just the tourist trade drying up?"
"Yeah." Angel looked at the dark liquid in his glass.
"Something the matter?" Cordelia asked him.
"I, um, I-I think it's gone bad. It's starting to coagulate." Angel set the glass down.
"Huh?" Cordelia picked it up to take a closer look at it. "No. That's cinnamon."
She handed it back to Angel, who gave her a look.
"What, I can't try something?"
"Uh, what's the interest?" Wesley asked Angel.
"I need you two to look into the history of it. Find out who owns it now and why they are letting it stay empty like that."
"Who's the client?" Wesley asked.
"There is no client." Angel started to leave. "I'll check back with you later to see what you found out."
Cordelia sat down. "Cryptic much?"
"Angel, this is more than just a sudden interest in real estate."
Angel put on his jacket. "You'll have to access police files. Focus on cold cases, homicides, unsolved missing persons. Start at the beginning, take it up to the present day."
"You believe whatever made this place its home did so for some time."
"Probably right up to the end."
Cordelia and Wesley looked at each other as Angel walked out the door.
On the way to the magic shop, classical music played on the radio. Dawn reached between Giles and Buffy to change the radio station.
"Dawn, will you stop fiddling with the radio and sit down?" Giles requested, annoyed.
Dawn sat back, exasperated.
Buffy studied a piece of paper. "There's a lot of books on this list. Any of them come on tape? You know, read by Cameron Diaz or someone cute like that?"
"You're entering a new realm here, Buffy. One for which I myself am not entirely prepared. Are you ready for this commitment?"
"I'm just kidding!"
The car engine raced as Giles tried to shift.
"Blast!" Giles yelled.
"You put it in neutral, huh?"
"I'm just not used to this automatic transmission. I-I loathe this sitting here, not contributing."
Dawn was surprised.
"No, i-it's not working out."
"Giles, are you breaking up with your car?" Buffy asked.
"Well, it did seduce me, all red and sporty!" Giles gave her a sour look. "I-I-I don't know, I just...I was so at loose ends, I-I found myself searching for...some way of feeling more-"
"Shallow?"
"Perhaps, as I am to act as your Watcher again, a modicum of respect might be in order."
"Do I have to?"
"I'm serious, Buffy, there's going to be far less time for the sort of flighty, frivolous-"
Dawn pointed. "Hey, there's Amy and Tara!"
Buffy and Giles looked and saw the two women walking on the sidewalk near the Magic Box, Tara's scooter parked nearby.
"Ooh, they haven't seen my new car." Giles pulled over.
Buffy rolled her eyes at him.
Amy smiled. "Hey, Giles, sharp wheels!"
Tara smiled. "The rest of the car's nice, too."
Everyone got out of the car.
Giles smiled. "Handles like a dream."
"Where are you guys heading?" Dawn asked.
Amy nodded. "Magic shop. We have some charms on back order. Tara gave me a lift."
Tara smiled and gave Dawn a little wave. "Hey, Dawn."
Dawn and Tara walked side by side - with Giles ahead of them and Buffy and Amy in the lead.
Dawn looked at Tara. "How'd karate go last night?"
Tara looked at Dawn. "Oh, you were asleep when we came home last night, so you don't know. I got my black belt."
Dawn grinned. "Cool! So you're, like, a master."
"Black belt means you've mastered the basics. I'm only shodan, a first-degree black belt. But that does mean I'm moving to the black belt class, which meets on different nights than the kyū class."
Dawn looked at Buffy with a teasing smile. "Awww, did someone not make it?"
Buffy frowned without looking at her. "Hey, I'm first kyū, which is right behind Tara. I'll be joining her soon enough."
Everyone came to a stop. Tara and Dawn peered in the windows of the magic shop.
Tara looked at the others. "Shop's kinda dark. Maybe it's closed."
Giles looked at the windows. "That's odd."
Everyone else was bemused and walked toward the magic shop.
Giles opened the door and walked in. It was dark, and the furniture was overturned. Giles and Buffy walked in slowly, followed by the others, all looking around.
Buffy looked at Giles. "Well, I think 'odd' just got upped to 'bad'."
"Hello? Anyone here?" Giles called.
"Mr. Bogarty?" Tara called.
Amy advanced farther into the store. She tripped over something and fell to the floor.
"Amy?" Buffy asked.
Tara walked forward.
"I'm fine, I-I just tripped over..." Amy sat up and saw the body.
He was laying face-up, and she could see vampire bite marks on his neck.
"Mr. Bogarty."
Dawn was behind Buffy and Giles. "Wha-What is it; is he okay?" She tried to move forward.
Buffy pushed her back. "It's nothing you need to see, Dawn; go wait outside." She hustled her toward the door with a hand on Dawn's elbow.
"I don't wanna wait outside!" Dawn yelled.
"Dawn!" Buffy yelled.
"Ow, that hurt!" Dawn yelled.
Buffy pushed her out the door, onto the street.
"You're hurting me. I'm telling."
"Look, I don't have time for this. Just do as I say and wait." Buffy started off, then turned back. "Here." She went back inside and shut the door.
Dawn sighed in annoyance, walked around a little, then went back and peered between the blinds. Inside the shop, she could see Buffy, Tara, and Amy standing around as Giles kneeled beside the body.
"Whatcha doin'?"
Dawn turned with a gasp. A scruffy older man was standing there, unshaven, his tie loose.
"What are you doing here? You can't loiter. There's no loitering."
He advanced on Dawn as she backed up, scared.
"That's why I'm a cat. Quiet. See, cat's in the cupboard..." He made scratching gestures with his hands. "...but they find you there, anyway, and it hurts."
Dawn had backed up against a van. She looked around, scared.
The guy sobbed. "Please, make it stop." Then he got angry. "Shut up, shut up, they'll hear you!"
"Buff-"
The guy put his finger on her lips. Dawn shrieked. Then, abruptly, the man turned and ran away. Dawn sat on the ground, leaning against the building.
The door to the magic shop opened, and Tara walked out. She closed the door behind her.
Tara looked around. "Dawn?" She walked out a little farther, looking around. "Dawn?" She looked down and saw Dawn. "Dawn. You okay?"
"Is...Is that guy dead in there?"
Tara nodded. "Yeah." She sat down next to Dawn. "They're gonna be a little while longer. Are you okay?"
Dawn nodded. They sat silently for a few moments.
"Do you wanna thumb-wrestle?" Tara asked her.
Dawn nodded again. "Okay."
They locked their hands together and began to thumb-wrestle.
Giles reached over and closed Mr. Bogarty's eyes.
Buffy looked from the body to Giles. "Judging by the bite-fest, I'd say it was more than one vampire."
Giles stood up. "I make it four at least."
"Looks like someone's put together a new fang club." Buffy walked to the counter.
Amy was behind it, holding a book. "Well, I've cross-checked the inventory list, and things are definitely missing." She put the inventory book on the counter. "Mostly books. Including A Treatise on the Mythology and Methodology of the Vampire Slayer."
Buffy pulled out her list as Giles picked up the inventory book.
"Oh, shit! Was that the only copy?" Buffy asked.
"Come on, Buffy, this could be very serious. Whoever's leading this pack of vampires appears to be interested in learning more about you. Perhaps searching for weaknesses or..." Giles paused. "Good Lord."
"What?" Buffy asked.
"Well, I had no idea the profit margins on a shop like this were so high."
Buffy and Amy exchanged a look.
"Look at this! Uh, low overhead, out-of-state orders, international..." Giles paused. "It's no wonder there's never any trouble attracting new owners." He looked around. "A place like this is a virtual-"
"Deathtrap?" Buffy finished.
"What? Well, uh, yes, there is that. But, uh, still..." Giles put the book down and looked around some more. "Location, pedestrian traffic..."
"So what's the next step?" Amy asked.
Giles still gazed around. "Buffy, you should begin looking for their lair straight away."
"I'll ask Tara to help me patrol. Amy, wanna join in?"
"Wait, aren't you forgetting something?" Amy asked her.
"Impressive square footage..." Giles walked off.
Buffy gave Amy a questioning look.
"Dawn."
Buffy was annoyed. "Oh, fuck. I gotta drop my sister back home." Her eyes widened. "My mother's gonna kill me."
Giles walked back over to them. "I bet the death rate keeps the rent down."
Buffy opened the door and walked outside. She closed the door behind her.
"Tara, can I borrow your scooter?" Buffy asked. "I need to take Dawn home before we go searching for the vampire lair."
"I wanna come!" Dawn told Buffy.
"No!" Buffy and Tara yelled.
Dawn pouted. She and Tara stood up. Tara took her keys out of her pocket and offered them to Buffy.
"The hotel officially closed its doors on December 16th, 1979. On that morning, the concierge, Roland Meeks, made his morning wake-up calls with a twelve-gauge shotgun, room to room. It's been empty ever since." Wesley sat down at the table, next to Cordelia.
Cordelia was sitting in front of her laptop. "According to city records, it was declared a protected historical landmark. The property management company that owns it has been trying to unload it for ten years. No buyers."
"Mmm, no wonder. Even a cursory inspection of these records indicates a storied legacy of murder and mayhem dating back to the hotel's construction in '28, when a roofer leapt to his death, taking two coworkers with him."
"Yeah, that's all really interesting. What are we doing?"
"Doing?"
"Yes! You did notice that Angel neglected to tell us the, for instance, point of all this."
"Uh...well...I mean...clearly, he has us compiling incidents...uh, arranging data, organizing information in such a way that-"
Cordelia raised her eyebrows at him.
"Yes, I-I did notice that, the no-point thing. Frankly, I haven't the slightest idea what to do with all this."
Cordelia looked through some old photographs and noticed something in one of them.
"We could make a collage...or a mobile."
"Wesley!" Cordelia showed him the photo. "Look who was staying here in '52."
Wesley spotted Angel in the background of the picture. "Well. Now, we know one thing for certain. Angel had a personal connection to this place."
"So...why didn't he just tell us?"
Wesley paused. "Perhaps he was ashamed to."
Later, Dawn was sitting on her bed, holding her diary. She overheard her mother and sister arguing in Joyce's bedroom.
Joyce walked back and forth, getting dressed and putting on jewelry. "So not only didn't you take your sister shopping for school supplies, you brought her to a murder scene."
"No, I didn't bring her to it; it...just...sorta came upon us. It's not like she saw the body or anything."
"Oh, well, that makes it all right then, doesn't it?"
"No, that is not what I meant."
"I asked one favor of you, Buffy. To look after your sister. And now you want to unload her, so you and Tara can go out."
"To patrol. I'm working; it's not like I wanna go to the club."
"I have to be at the pre-show reception in half an hour. Who's gonna watch Dawn?"
"I don't need anyone to watch me!" Dawn called from her room.
"Yes, you do!" Joyce yelled.
"Why does she?" Buffy asked her. "She's only two years younger than I was when I started slaying vampires."
"I want her to be normal."
Buffy frowned at her, hurt.
"You know what I mean." Joyce walked into the bathroom.
Buffy followed her. "Wait. So what you're saying is, if I can get an 'acceptable' babysitter here before you leave, I can go patrol and perhaps prevent a few deaths? How fucking generous of you, Mom. I'm sure the wound-be victims will appreciate it."
"Babysitter? I'm fourteen! I'm old enough to be a babysitter!" Dawn yelled.
"She has a point, Mom."
Joyce gave Buffy a stern look.
Buffy sighed. "You're infantilizing her, but fine. I'll find a babysitter for my teenage sister, so people don't get killed tonight."
"And who are you gonna get on such short notice?"
"I can take care of myself!" Dawn yelled.
"Sandy?" Buffy suggested. "She has a younger sister."
Joyce frowned. "I really don't feel comfortable with that."
Buffy gave her a dirty look. "Wow."
"Anyone else?" Joyce asked.
Cordelia and Wesley were sitting on the floor in front of a bunch of folders laid out by year. They looked through a series of black-and-white photos of the bellhop being led away in handcuffs. The last photo was identical to the one in a newspaper clipping held by Wesley with the heading of "Bellhop Arrested for Murder".
"Frank Gillnitz. He worked as a bellman the year that Angel was in residence; we put him in '52."
"But he wasn't executed until '54. Shouldn't we put him there?" Cordelia asked.
"He wasn't executed until '54, but the crime that he committed, the murder of the salesman and the storing of the body in the hotel meat locker, that occurred in '52."
"It's kind of like a puzzle. The 'who died horribly, because Angel fucked up fifty years ago?' game." Cordelia picked up another newspaper clipping with a photo of a woman named Judy Kovacs and a headline that read "Search Called Off - Fugitive Woman Believed Dead". "So where do we put her?"
"When did she die?"
Cordelia read the clipping. "Um, it doesn't say. Just that she was being tracked by federal authorities for bank robbery, she checked into the Hyperion in '52, and was never heard from again."
"'52?"
"'52."
Wesley put the news clipping down on the 1952 folder.
The doorbell rang. Dawn walked up to the front door. She unlocked and opened the door. Harmony stood there, holding a pizza box. Amy was behind her, holding three VHS tapes.
Harmony smiled. "Hey, Dawn."
Dawn smiled. "Hey."
"Got a large supreme."
"Cool!"
Amy smiled. "I rented Showgirls-"
"Shhh! Mom's upstairs!" Dawn whispered.
"Oh, gotcha." Amy handed her the tape. "Uh, I got Saved by the Bell." She handed her a tape of The Cool Surface. "Lois & Clark."
Dawn took the last tape, Embrace of the Vampire. "And this must be Who's the Boss?."
Amy grinned. "Yup."
Dawn stepped aside. Harmony and Amy walked in. Dawn closed and locked the door as Joyce walked downstairs, putting on a jacket.
"Harmony, Amy, thanks for doing this."
Harmony grinned. "Total non-sweat."
"Again, thanks for coming. Oh, uh, here is my card. If you have any problems, you just call me on the cell phone." Joyce gave Amy her card.
Amy smiled. "Have fun."
"Dawn, be good." Joyce kissed Dawn goodbye.
Joyce unlocked and opened the door and left. Dawn, smiling at Amy and Harmony, shut the door and locked it.
Cordelia was on the phone with Angel.
"A Thesulac demon claimed this place even before they started building it."
Cordelia consulted the demon database on her laptop.
"I thought, if I had you trace the events, we could track it and find out where it went, but it's still here. All right, I want you and Wesley down here ASAP. And page Gunn; we're gonna need all the muscle we can get when we raise this thing."
"Raise it?" Cordelia asked.
"We have to force it to become corporeal in order to kill it."
"Right. Thesulac. You'll want me to research the raising ritual."
"Already done it." Angel ended the call.
Wesley was kneeling nearby, studying the clippings. "I can sense it. There is a pattern here. Some force was residing at the Hyperion over the last decades, affecting staff and residents. I just fear there is no real way to-"
Cordelia stepped up next to him. "A Thesulac."
Wesley stared at her.
"Paranoia demon. Whispers to its victims, feeds on their innate insecurities."
Wesley was speechless.
Cordelia gave him a big grin. "Angel wants us down at the Hyperion. We're gonna raise the fucker."
That evening, Jenny and Giles were eating dinner while sitting on the couch. Jenny had one hand on her fork and the other hand on her laptop.
"So what do you think?" Giles asked. "Is it feasible?"
Jenny looked at him. "Are you serious about this, Rupe?"
"Yes."
Jenny nodded. "It's feasible. My projections are quite good."
"I really want to do this, and I want you there beside him."
Jenny showed him her engagement ring. "Of course, I will be - when I'm not busy with school."
Giles grinned. "Thank you. I'll make the call first thing tomorrow morning."
Jenny grinned as Giles kissed her on the lips.
Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn walked into the lobby.
Angel looked at them. "Let's do this."
Cordelia sprinkled some powder on a landing of the steps leading up.
Wesley picked up the open book. "We call thee forth, Thesulac of the netherworld; we command you: leave our minds and join us on this, the physical plane." He held out a hand to where Gunn was fiddling with a backpack and snapped his fingers. "Orb of Ramjerin."
"'Orb of Ramjerin, please' makes it happen."
Wesley dropped his hands. "Please! And do be careful. Ancient conjuring orbs are notoriously fragile."
Gunn tossed the orb to Wesley, and Wesley had to drop the book and crouch down to catch it.
"Angel!" Wesley yelled.
"Guys, don't listen to it, all right? Whatever it's whispering to you, just ignore it."
Cordelia looked at him. "They were like this all the way over here in the car."
"Oh."
Wesley held up the now-glowing orb. "We invoke thee by the power of the orb of priests of Ramjerin. What was once in our thoughts, be now in our midst."
The air above the stair landing began to shiver and bulge.
The demon manifested before them with a scream.
"Watch his tentacles."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Excuse me?"
"Tentacles!" Wesley yelled.
"Oh."
Thesulac looked at Angel. "I don't remember ordering take-out, but I like what you brung me. Not as delectable as the last one, perhaps, but full of tasty paranoia just the same." He laughed, then indicated Wesley. "Especially that one!"
Wesley looked over at Cordelia and Angel. "What did he mean by that?"
Angel stared at the demon. "You had your last meal here a long time ago. You should have gotten out when you had the chance."
Thesulac drifted closer to Angel. "Got out? Now, why would I wanna do that? When the room service in this hotel is still excellent. Has been for fifty years. Paranoia here...is like fine wine."
"It gets better with age."
The demon grinned in his face.
"You're still feeding. Gunn!" Angel yelled.
Gunn aimed his crossbow and pinned one of Thesulac's tentacles to the banister of the stairs. The Thesulac wrapped one of his other tentacles around Gunn's hand holding the crossbow and tossed him against the wall. Gunn dropped to the floor and looked back up at the demon. Cordelia and Wesley ran in different directions, and, while the demon was distracted, Angel jumped into a forward roll, grabbing a hold of one of the demon's other tentacles.
Angel rolled back to his feet with it in his grip. "The kitchen is closed."
He shoved the end of the tentacle against the exposed wires in the fuse box. There was an explosion of sparks, and blue electricity ran up the tentacle and wrapped around the demon. All four of them stood and stared as the Thesulac hung in the air, screaming.
After a while, there was an explosion of white light, and the Thesulac was gone.
"What did he mean, 'especially that one'?" Wesley asked Angel.
Angel headed up the stairs as the others watched from below.
Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn were sitting at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Angel.
"I've been accused of a great many things in my time, but paranoid has never been one of them."
Gunn shook his head and looked over at Cordelia.
"Unless people been saying it behind my back."
Angel came down the stairs. The others stood up.
"You all right, man?" Gunn asked.
"Yeah."
"We finished?" Cordelia asked.
"I think so."
"Good. Because I, for one, will be glad to see the last of this place. Gives me the heebie-jeebies."
"No lie. Plus it kind of got an odor to it. You notice that?" Gunn asked.
"Seventy years of violence, mayhem, and paranoia - bad vibes." Cordelia shuddered.
"We're moving in."
"I mean...a few throw pillows; what's not to love?" Cordelia asked, forcing herself to grin.
"Angel, surely, you, more than anyone, must appreciate how, for the better part of the last century, this place has been host not only to a malevolent demonic presence but the very worst faces of humanity!" Wesley exclaimed. "This is a house of evil."
Angel looked around the hotel. "Not anymore."
Wesley took a look around, himself, then leaned in closer to Angel. "Angel...you don't...find me...especially paranoid, do you?"
"Not especially."
"Oh, thank God! I was worried."
Buffy and Tara walked through the graveyard.
"So then my mom goes off on me about how I'm supposed to watch out for Dawn and make sure that she's shielded from something that might upset her."
"Like dead shopkeepers."
"She didn't see him! A foot, maybe. A dead foot, which is bad, okay, but, hello, I see dead stuff all the time, and you don't see Mom shielding me."
"True." Tara sighed. "Poor Dawn, though. She was pretty shaken up."
Buffy nodded. "Well, sure. Bloody death and shit. She'll be okay."
"It's just...I-I think it's tough for her, not being able to...well, allowed to, you know, help."
"Help?"
"Us. The Slayer circle."
"Well, I don't really need more...a-and I think Dawn's a little young."
"I-I know, you're right. It's just hard. That outsider feeling. We all just have this really tight bond. It's - It's hard to break into that."
"Maybe I can talk to the rest of the group, and we can do something, some kind of Slayerette initiation."
Tara smiled. "Something like that would be nice for Dawn. I do worry about her sometimes."
Buffy forced a smile. "You don't have to. She's got big sister Buffy happily looking out for her."
Tara sighed. "What's the deal, Buffy? You seem really tense."
Buffy shrugged. "Yeah, there's a new vampire gang in town."
Tara shook her head. "That's not what I mean. You're on Dawn's ass a lot."
"I guess. It's just..." Buffy sighed. "I don't know, it...I know it's always been this way. She's the baby. But since she moved in, it's just really getting to me. She's always around."
"Well, yeah. You're, like, her idol, Buffy."
"Her idol? I don't think so, unless you like to spill things on your idol's new leather pants and-"
"You know what I mean. You have superpowers...and college."
"And a pesky life-or-death job that I can't quit or even take a break from."
"She doesn't get the sacrifices. She's a kid."
Buffy sighed. "And that's what irritates the fuck out of me. She gets to be a kid, and she acts like it's the biggest burden in the world. Sometimes, I would like to just curl up in Mom's lap and not worry about the fate of the world. I'd like to be the one who's protected, who's waited on-"
"-hand and foot, getting her own way. Always the favorite."
Amy and Harmony rolled their eyes and tried to tune out Dawn's ramblings and concentrate on Elizabeth Berkley's breasts.
"Nobody knows who I am. Not the real me. It's like...nobody cares enough to find out. I mean...does anyone ever ask me what I want to do with my life? Or what my opinion is on stuff? Or what restaurant to order in from? No. No one understands. No one has an older sister who's a Slayer. People wouldn't be so crazy about her if they had to live in the same house with her every single day. Everybody cares what she thinks. Just 'cause she can do backflips and shit. Like that's such a crucial job skill in the real world. Plus Mom lets her get away with everything. 'Your sister's saving the world.' I could so save the world if somebody handed me superpowers...but I'd think of a cool name and wear a mask to protect my loved ones, which Buffy doesn't even. If this town wasn't so lame, I bet they wouldn't even be that impressed, because, like, killing things with wood? Oh, scary vampires, they die from a splinter. I don't think Buffy's Watcher likes me too much. I think it's 'cause he's just so...old. I'm not sure how old he is, but I heard him use the word 'newfangled' one time. So he's gotta be pretty far gone. Amy, you and Tara are the awesomest people. You do spells and stuff, which is so much cooler than slaying." Dawn paused to eat from her bowl of chocolate ice cream.
Amy sighed. "You nut. Your mom loves you both equally."
Harmony looked at Dawn. "I find money usually helps tip the scale. Slip Joyce a ten or a twenty once in a while. Then we'll see who's the favorite."
"Where am I gonna get money?" Dawn asked her.
Harmony laughed, embarrassed. "Oops, sorry, I forgot."
Suddenly, something smashed in the window. Dawn shrieked. Amy and Harmony got up and went to see what it was.
Amy picked up a rock with a note tied around it. She untied the string, handed the rock to Harmony, and read the note: "'Slayer, come out and die.'"
The note was written in large letters. The "i" in "die" was dotted with a smiley face.
"I'm waiting for you, Buffy!" Sunday yelled.
Amy went over to the hole in the window and peeked out. She saw Sunday, surrounded by four guys, who carried weapons.
Sunday was annoyed. "I know you're in there!"
Amy rolled her eyes, walked over to the front door, unlocked it, and opened it. Harmony walked over to the door. Dawn stood up and walked over as well.
"What do you want, Sunday?" Amy asked.
Sunday walked up to the front door. "I want Buffy!"
"She's not here."
"What do you mean, she's not in there? She has to be. I'm calling her out!" Sunday yelled.
Amy was unimpressed. "Then I bet she'll be really sorry she missed your call. 'Fraid you and your buddies are gonna have to come back and be killed by Buffy later."
Sunday looked at her scornfully. "They're not my buddies. They're my minions."
Amy checked out the minions. "Is that what those circus freaks are?"
"Uh-huh." Sunday paused. "I mean...shut up! We're gonna kill the Slayer."
Amy was skeptical, then she started laughing.
"What's so funny?!" Sunday asked.
"Well, it's just that Buffy mopped the floor with your last gang."
"Stop laughing!" Sunday tried to attack her, but she couldn't go past the doorway.
Dawn ducked behind Harmony.
Harmony started laughing. "I just - I just can't picture anyone pathetic enough to be following..." She looked at the minions and pretended to be shocked. "Is that Brad Konig? Huh! Hey, Brad, who'd have thought, when you were beating up kids in gym class, you'd end up Sunday's lapdog?"
Brad gave her a dirty look. "Fuck you, Kendall."
Sunday smiled at Harmony. "You should know all about being somebody's lapdog. I hear you were a good little puppy for Dracula."
Amy and Dawn were insulted on Harmony's behalf.
Harmony was angry. "You heard wrong."
Sunday laughed. "Don't feel bad. I hear that mind-control thing he does works really well on weak-minded followers. You didn't stand a chance."
"Shut up!" Dawn yelled, still behind Harmony.
"Dawn, I'm handling this." Amy looked at Sunday. "Shut up, Sunday!"
"Make me."
"'Fraid I don't feel like it. You're ruining movie night."
Sunday laughed. "You're fucking scared!"
"Oh, yeah? Come inside and say that!" Dawn blurted.
"Dawn, no!" Harmony yelled.
Sunday bared her fangs and lunged at Amy, shoving her to the floor as Dawn shrieked. Sunday was on top of Amy, holding her down as she struggled. Dawn shrieked and pushed past Harmony to run up the stairs. The minions rushed to the door but couldn't enter. They snarled. Harmony turned and ran into the dining room. Sunday punched Amy in the face a few times. Harmony picked up a lamp. Sunday bent to bite Amy as Harmony ran up with the lamp. Sunday straightened up and backhanded Harmony, breaking the lamp and sending Harmony flying. Amy kicked Sunday in the stomach, and she flew backward out the front door, crashing into the minions. They all fell down the porch stairs. Amy and Harmony rushed to close the door and lean against it, looking out at the vampires.
"This isn't over, Amy! I'll be back!" Sunday vowed.
"And we'll be ready for you!" Amy looked at Harmony. "Buffy is not going to be happy about this."
Harmony shook her head in agreement.
Buffy was laughing hysterically. So was Tara. Amy and Harmony weren't laughing. They were in the kitchen, and Amy and Harmony had filled Buffy in on most of what had happened.
Harmony nodded. "Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Buffy cleared throat and stopped laughing. "It's just..." She started laughing again.
Amy looked at Buffy seriously. "Uh, Buffy, there's actually a more serious side to all this."
"I sure hope so, 'cause I'm having trouble breathing." Buffy giggled, then stopped and took a deep breath. "What is it?"
"She can enter your house any time she wants."
"What?"
"How?" Tara asked.
Amy fidgeted. "Uh, yeah, actually, she - Harmony - kind of happened to sort of get an invite."
"You guys can't invite her in. I mean...only someone who lives here can-" Buffy realized what that meant.
Amy nodded.
Buffy frowned. "Where is she?"
"In her room. Look, I think she's still pretty freaked out."
"Dawn!" Buffy started to stomp out.
Amy stopped her. "Buff, it was an accident. She didn't mean it."
"Oh, well, that just makes it okay then, doesn't it?" Buffy stomped out of the kitchen.
"No, but, believe me, nobody feels worse than her right now!" Amy called after her.
Buffy laid out a huge array of stakes and crosses on her bed as Tara watched.
"That's a lot of weapons for somebody you weren't sweating twenty minutes ago."
"Well, that was before Dawn gave Sunday a backstage pass to kill us all in our sleep."
Amy walked into the room. "Buff, I did the uninvitation spell. All better."
Dawn stood in the hallway, listening in.
"No. Not all better. I mean...it's not like Dawn doesn't know all the rules. Especially the biggie! Numero one-oh. 'Do not invite bloodsucking dead people into our house.'"
Dawn rolled her eyes.
Tara sighed. "People slip, Buffy."
"Dawn knew exactly what Sunday was, and she rolled out the welcome mat for her."
Amy frowned. "She's just a kid."
Dawn rolled her eyes.
"You know, I was just a kid when I met my first vampire, but, somehow, I still managed to remember the rules."
Tara stared at her. "You had to. It was your job."
Buffy put on a jacket. "No. No, it was common sense. But nobody expects even that much from Dawn, do they? No, she has to be protected and coddled from the big, bad world. Well, you know what? We are doing nothing but turning her into a little idiot who is going to get us all killed."
Dawn frowned. Tara and Amy were displeased, but they didn't argue anymore. Dawn turned and walked away.
Buffy sighed. "She just has to be more careful. Now, I can't be there to protect her twenty-four hours per day. I-I just can't."
Dawn got a stake from her desk drawer in her bedroom, ran downstairs, and passed by Harmony, who was eating a slice of pizza in the kitchen.
"Hey! Don't!" Harmony yelled.
Dawn unlocked and opened the back door and ran out.
Harmony stood up and followed. "Dawn!"
Dawn stopped a few feet outside the door and put her hands to her face, trying not to cry. Harmony grabbed her shoulder, startling her.
"What do you think you're doing?" Harmony asked her.
"Leave me alone."
"I will after you come back inside the house." Harmony grabbed Dawn and started shoving her back toward the door.
"Let go of me!" Dawn broke free.
"No, it's not safe out here!"
Dawn shrieked as a vampire stepped from behind a bush.
"You got that right."
He hit Harmony, sending her flying back inside, where she fell on the kitchen floor. He grabbed Dawn and passed her to the other minions, who herded her away, shrieking. He followed the other minions.
Tara, Amy, and Buffy entered the kitchen and found Harmony on the floor.
"Harmony!" Amy yelled.
Tara and Amy kneeled to lift Harmony up. Buffy went to look out the door.
Harmony groaned. "Oh, vampires took..." She paused. "They took her...Dawn."
"Dawn? Wha-What about Dawn?" Buffy asked her.
"She ran out..." Harmony paused. "They took her..." She paused again. "Vampires..."
"Oh, God. Oh, God. Uh, take care of Harmony." Buffy ran out.
"Buffy!" Tara yelled.
In the mansion, Dawn was chained to the wall with her wrists at head height by the vampire, who then walked away. She listened in on the conversation going on in the next room.
"All right, once again, nice work, minionators. I'm really, really proud of you guys. Ah, Mort. I trust you made our guest...comfortable?"
"You told me to chain her to a wall."
Yeah, I know, I'm being, you know, sarcastic or whatever? Anyway...I'm feeling really good about this new plan, people. I think it's a winner."
"When do we eat the girl?"
"We don't. Not yet."
"Why not?"
"Because! That's not the plan!" Sunday sighed. "Do I have to go over the plan again? We use the sister as bait. We send Buffy a note-"
"More notes?"
"We send Buffy a note, telling her that, if she wants to see her sister again, she has to come alone to a place we choose. She comes, we jump her, we kill her."
"So it doesn't really matter if we're actually holding the Slayer's sister; just as long as she thinks we are, she'll walk into the trap."
"I guess."
"So it won't make any difference if we eat the girl now."
"We're not eating the girl."
"Why not?"
"'Cause! That's not the plan."
Dawn wasn't sure what to make of that.
A short while later, after sending her minions outside, Sunday walked into the room and started venting to Dawn.
"They don't respect me. They pretend they do, but, deep down, they think I'm nothing. I mean...I'm the one who put this group together. Me! But they treat me like I don't even matter. Do you have any idea what that feels like?" Sunday asked her.
"A little."
"They have no idea how much pressure I'm under. I have to make all the hard decisions. And it's hard!"
Dawn gasped, seeing Mort leading the other minions in.
Sunday turned. "Excuse me, I didn't hear anybody knock."
"We've been talking it over, and we decided we don't like this plan."
"Oh, really? You have a plan you like better?" Sunday asked him, angry.
"We're gonna feed on the girl and kill you."
Dawn was scared.
"Maybe not in that order."
"I don't think I like your attitude, Mort." Sunday looked at the others. "Kill him for me."
The other minions didn't move. Mort smirked.
"All right. You're all on my list."
Mort advanced toward her. Sunday assumed a fighting stance. He grabbed her by the throat. Dawn watched fearfully as another minion walked toward her.
"Touch me, and my sister's gonna kill you."
He smirked and reached out one finger. He poked her in the shoulder and laughed. The other minions laughed, too. Suddenly, the point of a stake shot through him from behind. He stopped laughing and fell to the floor, dead. Mort let go of Sunday, and they both turned, as did the other minions, who were holding weapons.
Buffy smiled. "Can't say she didn't warn him."
Sunday looked at Mort. "And you didn't like the plan." She looked at Buffy. "So, Slayer, you found me."
Buffy stared at her. "I recommended this place to you, Sunday, you halfwit."
"I'm the halfwit? Um, excuse me, but look who's fallen into my-"
Another minion attacked Buffy with a large ax. She ducked his swing and staked him. As he fell, Buffy grabbed the ax from him, Brad attacked, and Buffy chopped off his head.
"-trap."
Buffy looked at Sunday. "Look at you, all puffed up and mighty, thinking you're the new Big Bad. It's, uh...well, let's face it, it's adorable."
Sunday grinned. "Congratulations, you passed!"
"What?" Buffy asked, dumbfounded.
"I was testing you. See, there's no way that I'm gonna actually kill my own kind, but I can make sure you have what it takes."
"You don't seriously expect me to believe that."
"There comes a time in every woman's life when she realizes she needs to take the next step. I've taken it. I've found the real me...and I like her."
Buffy had moved closer to her during this speech until their faces were inches apart.
"Hope you'll be very happy together. In the meantime, save Slayer training for the professionals."
Mort was moving around behind Buffy.
Dawn saw him. "Buffy, watch out!"
Buffy turned and swung the ax, but Mort knocked it out of her grasp and knocked her down. Mort swung at Buffy; she punched him, grabbed a large stick, and hit him with it. He punched her. She ducked a few more punches and landed one on him. Dawn struggled against her chains. Buffy kicked Mort a few times, he hit her a few times, and she went down. He picked her up and threw her. She got up, and they exchanged more punches and kicks. Mort grabbed Buffy by the neck and lifted her off the ground. She looked around and noticed the stick laying nearby. She shoved Mort away, landed on the ground, grabbed the stick, and stabbed him through the heart with it. He died.
Buffy let go of the stick and strode toward Dawn, picking up the ax along the way. "You are going to be in so much trouble when we get home." She struck at the chains with the ax.
"Yeah, well...I'm telling Mom you slayed in front of me."
Buffy continued striking at the chains. "Fine. I'll just tell her that you ran out of the house in the middle of the night, that you got Harmony hurt, invited a vampire in, got kidnapped..."
Buffy and Dawn entered the kitchen, moving quietly, looking around guiltily. Just as Buffy closed the back door, Joyce came into the kitchen.
"Sorry it ran so late. Everything, uh, go okay?"
Buffy and Dawn looked at each other.
Buffy looked at her mother. "Yeah. Yeah, you know...I got the vamps, and we watched some TV."
Joyce smiled. "Well, I know at least one of us who's supposed to be in bed by now."
Dawn obediently kissed Joyce and exited.
"Night."
"So how was the exhibit?"
Joyce opened the fridge. "Oh, it was fantastic."
Dawn looked back at them as she walked toward the stairs.
The next day, at the Magic Box, Dawn was sitting at a table, writing in her diary: "Buffy probably would've gotten in way more trouble than me, anyway. But I guess it was pretty okay of her not to say anything to Mom. Harmony's gonna be okay, and Tara and Amy weren't mad at me. So stuff mostly worked out."
Buffy was leaning against the counter. "Giles, are you sure about this?"
Giles stood up behind the counter. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, aside from the fact that most magic shop owners in Sunnydale have the life expectancy of a Spinal Tap drummer...and have you ever run a store before?"
"I was a librarian for years. This is exactly the same, except people pay for the things they don't return." Giles came out from behind the counter. "It'll give me focus. Increase my resources. And it'll prevent you lot from trampling all over my flat at all hours."
He, Jenny, and Buffy walked toward the back.
"There is even some space for you to train in the back. You ready to train?" Giles asked.
"You betcha."
Giles opened the door to the back room as Buffy watched. Giles held the door for Buffy.
Buffy entered, looking around. "Oh, my God. Look at this place!"
She saw a punching bag hanging from the ceiling, a vault horse atop a set of mats, a stationary bike, a short pedestal, and a scarecrow/dummy. The pedestal was about two feet high and four square inches. There was a mini fridge. Against the far wall, there was a set of weights. Symbols were painted on the floor and walls.
Buffy gasped. "Boy, you've really thought this through. Thank you." She looked at Giles. "Thank you...so much."
Giles removed his glasses. "It's just a start; you need a proper space to train, so-"
"I love it."
Giles gave a small smile.
Buffy walked farther into the room. "It must have been so much work."
Jenny smiled. "Everyone pitched in. It's our gift to you."
"I-It's all great."
Giles put his glasses back on. "Well, you've earned it. Truly."
"Thank you guys so much. You're like my...fairy godmother and Santa Claus and Q all wrapped up into one."
Giles was confused.
Buffy noticed. "Q from Bond, not Star Trek."
In Huntsville, Alabama, a fourteen-year-old girl with short red hair named Violet Day was sitting in a chair and playing a bit of Mozart's "Misericordias Domini, K. 222" on her violin.
Suddenly, the door opened.
"Break's over."
Violet looked over at her Watcher. "That wasn't fifteen minutes."
"You callin' me a liar?" Mike Martin asked.
"N-No, sir." Violet bent over and quickly put her violin and bow back in their cases. Then she stood up and followed him out of the room.
They walked down a short hallway and entered the training room.
Mike sat in his chair. "Pick up the knife, stand fifteen feet away, and hit the target."
Violet walked over to the table and picked up the throwing knife. She walked over to the "15" tape on the floor and prepared herself.
"The vampire's not gonna wait for you. Throw!"
Violet threw the knife. It hit the outermost circle on the target.
Mike made a note in his journal. "Again."
Violet walked over to retrieve the knife. "When...?" She paused.
"You got somethin' to say?" Mike asked.
Violet looked at him. "When do I get to see a vampire?"
"When you're good 'n' ready."
"Do you maybe have some pictures or somethin', so I can see what it is I'm fightin'?" Violet asked.
"They look just like us. That's what makes 'em scary." Mike paused for a moment and flipped to another page in his journal. "C'm'ere."
Violet walked over to him. Mike showed her a Polaroid taped to a page in his journal. There was a blurry figure in the picture. Violet moved her head close to the picture. She saw what she guessed might be fangs in the figure's mouth.
Mike flipped back to his notes. "Again."
Violet walked over to the tape.
Buffy, wearing a tank top and pants, her eyes closed, leaned over the pedestal with both of her hands on it.
Giles walked in a circle around Buffy, staring at her. "There is nothing but you. You are the center. And within you, there is the core of your being...of what you are. Find it. Breathe into it. Focus inward. Let the world fall away...fall away...fall away..."
She opened her eyes. Buffy leaned forward and went into a handstand, balancing on her hands on the pedestal. Giles was still walking circles around Buffy. Buffy, eyes closed again, began to remove one hand from the pedestal. Buffy brought one arm out, parallel to the floor, so she was balancing on the other hand. Giles still walked around her, watching. Buffy felt very peaceful.
Dawn was bored. She noticed a large, flat crystal with three smaller crystals standing on end atop it. Dawn tried to balance a fourth crystal on top of the three standing ones, but she was clumsy, and all of the crystals fell over with a clunk. Buffy's eyes popped open; she lost her concentration and crashed to the floor with a cry. Giles started toward her in alarm and saw she was all right. He then looked at Dawn, pulling off his glasses in an angry motion.
Dawn looked down at Buffy. "Can we go now?"
Buffy looked at her, annoyed.
Chapter 107: First Impressions
Chapter Text
"First Impressions"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "The Replacement" Written by Jane Espenson and the Angel Episode "First Impressions" Written by Shawn Ryan
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
Dawn finished her breakfast of Reese's Puffs cereal and took her bowl and spoon to the sink.
"You ready for your first day of high school?" Joyce asked her.
"I would be if I was actually attending high school."
Joyce sighed. "Let's go." She headed toward the back door.
Dawn picked up her bookbag and followed her. "Do you know how embarrassing it is to have your mom drop you off at school?"
"Fine. Feel free to wake up early to get picked up by the school bus and spend more time than necessary heading to school along with a bunch of loud kids."
Dawn considered that. "Maybe the mom-mobile isn't so bad."
Dawn went from one class to another throughout the school day. She hadn't made any friends. No one was interested in talking with her.
In art class, her final class of the day, Dawn was sitting and not paying much attention as the students stood up one at a time and introduced themselves.
A girl with short blonde hair stood up. "I'm Sharon Rockford. I have an older brother. I like to dance. Um...let's see..." She paused. "Oh, my brother knew a girl that died when she choked on her boyfriend's tongue."
The class - including Dawn - laughed.
The art teacher, Ms. Matza, who had shoulder-length reddish-brown hair, smiled awkwardly. "Um, thank you, Sharon."
Sharon sat down.
A short girl with short black hair stood up. "Hi, my name's Melinda Mason. I'm an only child. I like playing computer games." She paused for a moment, then awkwardly sat back down.
A girl with shoulder-length brown hair stood up. "I'm Janice Penshaw. I'm an only child. My parents are divorced. I live with my mom. I like boys and partying." She sat down.
A girl with long brown hair stood up. "Um...I'm Amanda Hagan. I'm an only child. I like performing in swing choir and playing Dungeons & Dragons." She quickly sat back down.
A girl with long blonde hair stood up. "I'm Kirstie Garner. I have an annoying little brother. I meet every challenge and excel at everything that I set out to do. I'm currently reading Anals of History."
The class - including Dawn - laughed.
Ms. Matza cleared her throat. "Thank you, Kirstie. Next?"
"Vote for me for class president!" Kirstie sat down.
A black girl with shoulder-length black hair stood up. "Hey, I'm Lisa Kelly. I like playing Checkers and reading novels." She sat down.
There was silence for a while.
"You wanna say anything?" Ms. Matza asked Dawn.
"Huh? Oh." Dawn stood up. "I'm Dawn Summers. I'm from L.A.; I just moved here...not by choice. My parents are divorced. I live with my mom and older sister, except she just started college and moved back into her dorm at UC Sunnydale. Not my mom, my older sister. My mom owns a gallery for, like, old stuff. Uh, I love to dance. I like music. I love Britney Spears. I'm into finger painting and macaroni art." She quickly sat back down.
"Thank you, Dawn. All right, today, we'll do an overview of the various art styles..."
Dawn tried to avoid making eye contact with anyone, but she noticed some of the girls smiling at her.
After class, Dawn stopped at her locker.
Sharon stopped at her own locker, which was near Dawn's, and opened it. "So...you like Britney, huh?"
"Yuh-huh." Dawn opened her locker and took out a couple books. "Is what you said true? About that girl that died?"
Sharon shrugged. "So my brother claims." She closed her locker.
Dawn closed her locker. The two of them started walking toward the front entrance.
"Move it, weirdo!" Kirstie yelled.
Dawn and Sharon stopped and looked. Kirstie was trying to get around Amanda, who was tripping and stumbling through the hallway.
Amanda suddenly turned on Kirstie, enraged, and let out a primal scream. Kirstie backed away in fright.
"Do not fuck with me!" Amanda yelled. "I will fucking end you!"
"Fucking freak!" Kirstie turned and ran away.
"O...kaaay." Dawn resumed walking.
Sharon resumed walking. "See you tomorrow."
"Yeah, okay. See ya." Dawn walked outside.
Joyce was waiting in the Jeep nearby. Dawn walked over, opened the passenger door, got in, and closed and locked the door.
Joyce smiled. "So how was your first day?"
Dawn shrugged and smiled. "Not too bad, actually. I made some friends."
That night, Buffy and Tara were sitting on the floor in their dorm room, watching TV - except Buffy wasn't; she had a World History book in her lap and was studying it. Miss Kitty Fantastico was laying on Tara's lap, and Tara was rubbing her tummy. On the TV, one Asian guy screamed, and a bunch of other Asian guys performed kung fu on each other.
Tara laughed, then noticed Buffy wasn't paying attention. "Hey, sweetie, how's that book?"
"I'm fine."
Tara leaned over and placed her palms on the book pages.
"Heyyy. I'm enjoying the studying."
"Who are you lately? Give it up and watch the movie."
"I guess it has been a long day with the Crusades. I can take a little break from the violence for some-" Buffy looked up at the TV. "Ooh, fighting."
"Incompetently-dubbed kung fu. Our most valuable Chinese import." Tara rubbed Buffy's shoulders. "Just relax."
Buffy smiled. "Mm...mm. That feels good."
On the screen, the fighting continued.
Buffy frowned. "Oh, give me a break! This is all wrong. See, first, you would get the big guy with a flying kick. Then you would take out all the little ones, bam, ba-see, now with the flying kick. From a dead stop! What's powering it, raw enthusiasm?"
Tara laughed. "Hey, Buff, maybe you oughta leave the work behind sometimes. You're not always on Slayer duty, you know."
"I mean, you know, you can't blame me for being critical. You're the same way when we watch a-a movie about witches. You're all like 'What's that, a cauldron? Who uses a cauldron anymore?'"
Tara laughed. "Okay, you have a point."
The next day, at the Hyperion, Cordelia was dusting by the stairs. "Oh, this place is never gonna get clean."
Wesley was behind the receiving desk. "Buck up. It's just a little dust."
"This isn't mere dust. This is 'son of dust'. This is the kind of dust that spawns countless generations of little baby dust." Cordelia stopped dusting. "I give up."
"Very well. We'll just move our offices back to your living room."
Cordelia started dusting again. "And I'm dusting."
The front door opened.
Gunn walked into the lobby. "Where's Angel?"
Cordelia frowned at him. "I believe the word is 'Hello'?"
"Yeah? 'Cause I thought 'Where is Angel?' summed it up. We got work to do."
"He's still sleeping."
"Sleeping? It's 3:30 in the afternoon. I've been up since dawn!"
Cordelia walked to stand next to Wesley. "Sort of missing the whole 'creature of the night' angle, isn't he?"
"I knew I said four o'clock."
"You had an appointment?" Wesley asked him.
"He didn't brief you?" Gunn sighed. "Angel promised to back me up. We're meeting a snitch downtown. This guy has a line on Deevak."
"Deevak?" Wesley asked.
"Demon. He set up camp in my neighborhood. He put two of my men in the hospital last night. So could one of you go in there and knock on his coffin?"
Cordelia frowned. "He doesn't use a coffin. And maybe you've never heard the expression, 'let sleeping vampires lie'? He'll rise on his own. He always does. Maybe we can help?"
"You two? I find Deevak, I'm gonna need more than C3PO and Stick Figure Barbie backing me up. No offense."
Wesley frowned. "Very little taken."
"Deevak is a badass. I'm gonna need the serious muscle."
The door opened.
David Nabbit stepped in, wearing his blue silk cape and swinging a sword. "Demons of the underworld beware: your time on the surface is drawing nigh!"
Cordelia smiled. "David, hi!"
Nabbit ran up to them. "I got here as quick as I could."
Cordelia stared at him. "We paged you two days ago."
"I was in Kuala Lumpur. Hostile takeover." Nabbit whipped his sword up at Gunn. "Ah, identify yourself, traveler. Are you also a fellow demon killer?"
Gunn batted the sword away. "Who is this guy?"
Wesley gestured. "David Nabbit, meet Charles Gunn. Gunn, Nabbit."
"Ha, pleasure's all mine." Nabbit offered his hand.
Gunn stared at him.
Nabbit lowered his hand and looked at Cordelia. "So,...where is Angel?"
"Actually, he's still kind of sleeping."
"At 3:30? I've been up since dawn!"
Angel came down the stairs. "Sorry I'm late."
Nabbit picked up his sword. "Ah! I stand ready to fight the good fight, sir! What do you need?"
"Financial advice."
Nabbit blinked. "Okay. Good."
"We're making this hotel our new base of operations. Right now, we're leasing it for six months with an option to buy."
"And how much are you willing to put down?"
Cordelia smiled. "Nothing...would be good."
Nabbit shrugged. "Oh. That's easy. You could look into seller financing, take over the owner's payments, and skip the bank completely, or you could make a play for a preservation grant. Offer to restore the original décor and get the city and the feds to give you a tax break and a loan at a sweetheart rate. Or you could apply for an FHA and get a PMI in lieu of a down payment."
"Is anybody else getting warm?" Cordelia asked.
Nabbit looked at her.
"Do that 'tax breaks', FHA, and PMI part again."
Nabbit looked from Cordelia to Angel and back a couple times. "I-I'll have my money guy run up some numbers for you."
"Thanks."
Nabbit nodded, then ran up the stairs to the doors. He stopped and turned with a big smile on his face. "Is this demon-fighting cool or what, huh?" He left.
Angel went to pour himself a cup of coffee.
Gunn looked at him. "What are you doing, man? We need to move on this."
"Relax. We'll make it."
"Relax? Every time you ask me for a favor, I'm right there. First time I need your help, you snoozing the afternoon away. What's up with that?"
Angel handed Cordelia his car keys. "Cordy, you're driving."
"Me? Drive your car?" Cordelia asked in surprise.
Angel nodded.
Cordelia grinned. "So cool."
"Wesley, we're gonna need some bribe money, some cash in the box."
"Hey, wait a minute."
Angel looked at Gunn. "I thought you wanna move on this?"
"Which is why we're not taking these two. They'll slow us up."
Angel grabbed his coat. "We go up against Deevak, we're gonna need the entire team." He looked at Cordelia. "Pick me up in the back, in the shade."
Gunn stood there, shaking his head, as Angel walked out the back and Cordelia and Wesley headed for the front doors.
Wesley smiled. "Shotgun."
At the Magic Box, Giles was surrounded by boxes, looking at one. "'Miscellaneous curses'." He laughed and picked up something from the box. "Brilliant. Be lucky if I don't curse my hands off at the wrist."
He picked up the box, turned, and was confronted by a demon.
"Oh!" Giles exclaimed.
The demon raised his stick. "The Slayer is not here."
Giles grabbed something out of the box and held it up toward the demon. "Rabbit's foot, no, wait..." He tossed it aside and looked in the box for something else.
The demon brushed the box out of Giles' hands. Giles gasped and held up a wooden statue about 1.5 feet high.
"That is a fertility god."
Giles looked at it in dismay.
"Feeble man, you are not going to distract me-"
Giles hit him in the head with the statue. He reeled backward. Giles hit him with the statue a few more times, then the demon shoved Giles, and he fell into a pile of boxes.
The demon pointed the stick at Giles. "You are not the Slayer."
Giles rolled over and looked up at him.
"You do not concern me." The demon turned and walked out, his black cape flowing behind him.
Giles watched, stunned, then let his head drop back onto the floor with a groan.
Cordelia pulled Angel's car up in a parking garage, and Cordelia and Wesley got out, followed by Angel and Gunn.
Gunn looked around. "We're too late. He split."
Cordelia smiled sarcastically. "Maybe he heard what a pleasant person you were to be around."
Angel looked around. "There."
A short black kid slowly peeked out from behind a van. "One of you Gunn?"
"That's me. You Jameel?"
Jameel came out from behind the van. Angel threw an envelope at him, and he caught it.
"Here's the money."
Jameel threw it at Gunn's feet. "Keep it. I changed my mind."
Gunn picked up the money. "You don't want this, your choice. But you're gonna tell me where to find Deevak."
"Hey, man, the only reason why I showed is 'cause I know you got a rep, and I ain't looking to make no new enemies. But on this Deevak situation, I just can't help you. He'll know it was me. Demon's got eyes and ears all over the place, not to mention teeth! There's a good chance that he had some vamps tail me over."
Gunn looked around. "I don't see none."
"Good. I'm just here to pay my respects and be off the streets before sundown like my momma taught me."
"You want to make it home at all, you're gonna start telling me what you know."
"Look, man, I'm sorry. But Deevak scares me a lot more than you do."
Gunn handed the envelope to Angel, then whipped around and knocked Jameel down.
"Gunn!" Cordelia yelled.
"Hey!" Angel yelled.
Gunn kicked the fallen Jameel. "Are you scared of me now?"
Angel stepped between them. "What are you doing?"
"What I got to do. I got people dying!"
"Man, I didn't do anything!" Jameel yelled.
Gunn pushed past Angel and pulled Jameel up. "You think I care? Survival of the fittest, bro. And right now, you ain't looking too fit." Gunn pulled his fist back to hit a cowering Jameel.
Angel caught it. "Easy."
"Let go, man. This is my case."
"It was. Now, it's mine."
They stared at each other, then a door opened, and three vampires rushed in.
"Angel!" Wesley yelled.
"Oh, man. See, I told you I was being watched!" Jameel pulled himself free and ran away.
The others turned to confront the vampires. The three guys took one vampire each while Cordelia danced around with stake in hand, swinging at the backs of the fighting vampires. On her second try, she staked Wesley's vampire just as it was about to jump on a downed Wesley, then gave him a hand up. Angel and Gunn continued to fight their vampires, both doing about equally well. Cordelia staked the two vampires.
The four heroes sat down, leaning back against Angel's car.
Cordelia sighed. "I'm so sick of this shit."
Angel tried lifting his arm. "I can't lift my arm all the way."
Gunn winced. "That vamp did a number on my ribs."
Wesley groaned. "I'm afraid I threw my back out again." He pulled a smashed pager out of his back pocket. "Ack, lovely!" He dropped it.
Cordelia noticed something. "Ack! Grease stains! All over my new outfit."
Angel and Gunn looked at her.
"Okay, so maybe my pain isn't physical, but do you have any idea of the dry cleaning bill I'm looking at?"
Gunn sighed. "We're still no closer to finding Deevak."
"Probably for the best."
"How you figure?" Gunn asked Wesley.
"Well, we're hardly prepared to face a demon of Deevak's caliber in our current condition."
"You ready to pack it in? Only reason I called you was because you all supposed to be the demon experts."
Angel looked at them. "Wesley's right. Three vamps, we should have been able to take them all a lot easier and faster than we did. We need to regroup."
Gunn got up. "Maybe the rest of you need a little down time. I'm gonna track down Jameel and make him talk."
"When you do find him, you may wanna be a little more Guy Pierce in L.A. Confidential and less Michael Madsen in Reservoir Dogs?" Cordelia suggested.
"I haven't bothered to see a movie since Denzel was robbed at the Oscars for Malcolm X. Later." Gunn left.
"That was quite a performance."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "I know! Talk about being wound up too tight."
"No. I-I mean Denzel."
"Oh. Well, he is always great."
"What about you?" Wesley asked Angel.
"Who doesn't love Denzel?"
"No! I mean...what you said before. It's true. I've never seen you have so much trouble with a simple vampire before."
"Off day. Let's go."
Giles stood, holding the statue, making hitting motions. "Like this...and this...and this..." He moved across the magic shop floor.
Buffy and Tara sat on the floor with books in their laps.
Buffy frowned. "That thing's pretty heavy."
Tara looked at her. "That's Carmenta, goddess of childbirth. She's got some nice heft to her."
"How badly did you hurt him?" Buffy asked Giles.
"Well, hurt, uh...maybe not...hurt."
Tara smiled in encouragement. "Well, I-I'm sure he was startled."
"Uh, yes, yes, I'd imagine it gave him, uh, rather a turn."
Buffy grinned. "He ran away, huh?"
"Um, sort of more...uh...turned and swept out majestically, I suppose. He said I didn't concern him."
"So a mythic triumph over a completely indifferent foe?" Buffy surmised.
Giles felt insulted. "Well, I'm not dead or unconscious, so I say bravo for me."
Tara held up a book. "Some good demons in this one. See if your guy's in here."
Giles walked over to take the book, then sat down at the table.
Buffy smiled. "So you bought the magic shop, and you were attacked before it opened."
Tara stood up and hefted the statue. "Owning this place does seem kinda dangerous." She took a few experimental swings.
Giles looked up from the book. "Toth."
"What?" Tara asked, confused.
Buffy looked at her. "He called you a toth. It's a British expression. It means, like, moron."
"No, Toth is the name of the demon." Giles saw Tara swinging the statue. "Be careful with that."
Tara put the statue down carefully.
"Ancient demon. Very strong. Last survivor of the Tothric clan. It also says that, for a demon, he's unusually sophisticated."
"Sophisticated. So I should discuss men's fashions with him before I chop his head off?" Buffy asked.
Giles felt exasperated. "They're referring to the fact that he does not fight bare-handed. He uses tools, devices. Oh, he's also supposed to be very focused. And since he mentioned the Slayer, I think we know what the focus is."
"He mentioned Buffy?" Tara asked.
"Yes, and I believe I know his objective. Um, uh, the rod device; it's called a ferula-gemina. It splits one person in half, distilling personality traits into two separate bodies. As near as I can tell, Toth is attempting to split the Slayer into two different entities."
"Two Buffys?" Buffy asked.
"Yes. One with all the qualities inherent in Buffy Summers and the other one with everything that belongs to the Slayer alone - the, uh, the - the strength, the, uh, speed, the heritage."
"How would that work as far as my soul goes?" Buffy asked him.
"I'm sorry?"
"Well, would it be split in two among the two Buffys, or would only one of the Buffys get it?"
Giles was stumped. "I'm not sure."
"And my brain?" Buffy asked. "Is it duplicated? And which Buffy gets it?"
"I...honestly haven't the slightest idea how that would work."
"Well, let's not find out. I still don't get the original plan. I mean...why do it?" Buffy asked. "The Slayer half would be like Slayer concentrate, pretty unkillable."
"But the two halves can't exist without each other. Kill the weaker Buffy half, and the Slayer half dies."
"Where do we find him?" Tara asked.
Giles consulted the book. "Well, there's no mention of the types of places he might frequent, but..." He closed the book and stood up. "I have an idea." He walked around. "He had a very specific olfactory presence."
"Some demon rituals involve anointing with oils. Was it sort of...sandalwoody?" Tara asked him.
"Um...not even remotely. But he was very, um...distinctive. I believe we'll find him in the city dump. Um, would you ladies like to ride in my new car?" Giles offered.
Buffy stood up. "Thanks, but I gotta stop at the house for some weapons. We'll meet you at the dump."
She and Tara started walking away.
Buffy leaned over to Tara's ear. "Ultimate driving machine, my ass."
Tara giggled.
In her bedroom, at home, Buffy picked up an ax. Tara sat on the bed.
Buffy moved toward the bed, where she put the ax in a bag with some other weapons. "Well, if this guy wants to fight with weapons, I've got it covered from A to Z. From ax to...zee other ax."
Tara was tense.
Buffy walked over to her. "Relax. Another day, another demon."
"Right. It'll be okay."
"Hey." Buffy leaned down to kiss her.
Their lips met, their tongues clashed, and the kiss went on for quite a while. Then they heard choking, gagging noises. Dawn was standing in the doorway, pretending to gag. Buffy and Tara stopped smooching, annoyed.
"My friend Sharon's older brother knows a girl who died, because she choked on her boyfriend's tongue."
Buffy stared at her. "Well, fortunately for me, I don't have a boyfriend. Go away, Dawn."
Tara was amused.
"I'm not in your room. I'm in the hallway. The hallway doesn't belong to you."
Joyce came out of the room across the hall.
Buffy moved toward the door. "Get out of here."
"Mom, I can stand in the hallway, right?" Dawn asked.
"She's watching us like a big freak!" Buffy yelled.
Joyce sighed, then put a hand to her forehead. "This must be my 'two teenage girls in the house' headache. I thought it felt familiar."
"Good work, Dawn. You gave her a headache."
"I did not! Did I give you a headache, Mom? I'm sure part of it is Buffy's."
"But part of it is Dawn's."
"It's so nice you've learned to share. You girls sort this out yourselves. It's good for you." Joyce walked away.
Buffy was annoyed.
Dawn smiled smugly. "She didn't say I couldn't stand here."
Buffy smiled smugly. "Hmm." She shut the door in Dawn's face.
"Ow!" Dawn yelled.
Cordelia pulled up to the Hyperion with Angel beside her in the convertible. "Home sweet hotel."
"Just bring the car back tomorrow."
"You sure you gonna be okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just need to get some sleep." Angel got out.
"That seems to be all you've been doing lately. Not that I'm judging!"
"Good night."
"Sleep tight!" Cordelia looked away from him in concern. "Don't let the bed bugs bite."
Buffy and Tara walked through the city dump cautiously.
Buffy carried her large ax. "The city dump. Where smells go to relax and be themselves."
"People say they're recycling." Tara shook her head. "They're not recycling."
Buffy patted her on the shoulder.
They turned a corner and saw Toth standing there. He pointed his stick at them. Fire flashed out of it, and they ducked just in time.
"Take cover!" Tara yelled.
Toth fired again.
"Watch out!" Tara tackled Buffy to the ground.
The blast hit a pile of trash.
"I will not miss again, Slayer." Toth raised his rod.
Buffy and Tara dove away in opposite directions. Toth fired at Buffy and missed. Tara jumped on Toth from behind, making him drop the rod. He threw Tara off. Tara punched him a few times, then Toth head-butted her and flung her aside. Buffy came up and kicked Toth a few times, then punched him a few times, then he picked her up and body-slammed her. She kicked up as he approached, catching him on the chin. She got up, landed a few more kicks and punches, and Toth went down.
"Sword!" Buffy yelled.
Tara grabbed the sword from the bag of weapons and threw it to her. She caught it and stabbed Toth. He screamed and died. Buffy stood up, panting.
Giles ran up to them, holding a sword. "Where is he-" He looked at the body. "Oh."
Buffy and Tara looked at each other and smiled.
Cordelia walked into her living room, carrying a book and a cup of Earl Grey tea. "Jesus, Dennis, it's like a meat locker in here. Don't tell me you turned down the thermostat again."
The thermostat moved from 50 to 75.
Cordelia curled up in a chair. "Thank you. What is it with ghosts and cold rooms?"
She got hit by a vision.
"Oh, what...Oh, no!"
She got hit by the second part of it; she saw a blurry image of Gunn fighting something that she couldn't see.
Cordelia dropped to the floor and held up one hand. "Dennis, phone!"
The cordless phone flew into her hand.
After trying the Hyperion and getting no response from Angel, she tried Wesley.
Cordelia paced. "Wesley? Where are you? Are you there? Wesley? Ugh! Where are you guys? God. I don't know what I should do. I had a vision. It's Gunn. He's in trouble. I-I think it's bad. Oh, God, where are you guys? I don't know what to..." She came to a decision. "Okay, I'm going over there. When you get this message, get Angel and meet me at Gunn's, okay?" She hung up the phone, grabbed her purse, headed for the door, then stopped. "I need a weapon." She took an ax out of the closet and shoved it in her purse. "Okay. I'm gonna die." She headed for the door. "I'm gonna die."
Cordelia pulled Angel's convertible up in front of Gunn's place. Cordelia jumped out and ran in.
Ax in hand, Cordelia headed down a dimly-lit corridor. "Gunn?"
She heard the sound of weapons clashing coming from the laundry room. She saw Gunn fighting someone with quarterstaffs through the window in the door. She ran in and hit the other guy over the head from behind with the ax.
The guy held his head. "Ow!"
Gunn ripped the ax out of Cordelia's hand. "Are you crazy? What the hell are you doing?"
"Saving you from a killer demon!" Cordelia yelled.
There was the sound of laughter. Cordelia turned around and saw the rest of Gunn's gang sitting there, watching.
"Not a demon?" Cordelia guessed.
Gunn shook his head.
"I didn't just save your life?"
Cordelia bandaged the head of the guy that she just attacked. "Okay. There you go. Good as new."
"I think you cracked my skull."
"Well, that's new, right?"
Gunn headed towards the door.
"Hey, wait a minute. Where are you going?" Cordelia asked him.
"Walking you to your car. You're going home."
Cordelia picked up her ax and purse and hurried after him. "You know you can't just dismiss me like that. I know what I'm talking about."
"Oh, you mean like you knew Joey was a demon?"
"That was an honest mistake. I was just trying to help you."
"Thanks for the help. Always enhances a guy's rep when some skinny, white beauty queen comes to his rescue - in front of his crew!"
"Whether you wanna believe it or not, you are in big-time danger. I'm vision girl. I saw you. You were at the end of your world, fighting for your life. You were so scared!"
"See, now I know you're tripping, 'cause I don't get scared."
"Well, I do! The things I've seen, sometimes they get downright terrifying. And right now, I am scared for you!"
"Hey, be scared for me all you want, just do it back at your place."
"I'm not leaving your side until I know you're safe."
They stepped out through the front doorway of the building.
"I'm not in the market for a sidekick, so hightail it back on home."
"No."
"Thanks for coming. Buckle up. Drive safe." Gunn paused and looked around. "So where's your car?"
Cordelia froze. "Oh, shit."
Cordelia was sitting in the passenger seat in Gunn's pickup truck. "Angel is not gonna be happy. Do you know what he's gonna do to me when he finds out I let his car get stolen? What are the chances that a vampire has full insurance with a low deductible?"
"I'll find the car."
"And how exactly are you gonna do that?"
"I know a couple of guys in this part of town that jack vintage cars. We'll run down the list until we find Angel's ride."
"And then what? You're just gonna ask them to give it back?"
"I'll say please."
"Ooh! I forgot. You'll use your famous charm. Like you did this afternoon with that pigeon stool."
"It's stool pigeon. And you don't have a clue why I do the things I do!"
"Paging Mr. Rationalization!"
"Paging Ms. About-to-Be-Thrown-Out-of-a-Moving-Vehicle."
"Be as rude as you want. I'm not going anywhere until I know you're safe!"
"Me, rude? You're the one that showed up at my place, attacked my boy, then decided to hijack my life. The way I figure it, I find your car for you, you give me my freedom back."
"That's not the way it works! You need protection!"
"And how exactly do you plan on protecting me? With some weak-ass ladysmith battle ax?"
"Ask Joey and his cracked skull just how weak-ass it is." Cordelia dug in her purse. "Besides, I've also got this!" She held up a red bottle. "Mace!"
"Mace?"
"Little squirt, squirt, right in the eye?"
"You're expecting me to be jumped by a couple of purse-snatching demons?"
"Well, it'll just have to do, because...I'm your protector whether you like it or not."
"Well, something better attack me soon, 'cause I know I can't take much more of this." Gunn turned on the radio.
"Been spending most their lives
Living in the gansta's paradise.
Been spending most their lives
Living in the gansta's paradise.
Keep spending most our lives
Living in the gansta's paradise.
Keep spending most our lives
Living in the gansta's paradise."
Cordelia felt something - a dim memory - but couldn't recall it. She looked at Gunn.
Gunn looked at her, irritated. "What?"
Cordelia stared at him for a moment longer. "Nothing." She looked away.
Gunn and Cordelia walked into a car yard.
Cordelia checked the cars. "It isn't here."
"They wouldn't keep it here on the lot. New acquisitions are in the garage."
"Getting the full makeover, I bet."
A door opened behind them.
A guy came out. "What are you looking for?"
Gunn looked at him. "Plymouth Belvedere convertible."
"Give me a few days. I'll see what I can do."
"Cordelia, meet Henry."
"New to the neighborhood?" Henry asked her.
"Someone stole my friend's car tonight."
"Wasn't me. Convertible, you said?" Henry asked Gunn.
"Yeah."
"Desmond's your man. He can't pass up old convertibles. You should talk to him."
Gunn looked at Cordelia. "Come on."
"You won't find him at his shop. Tito's having a party. Everyone's invited. Desmond'll be there."
"Where'd you jack these cars from?" Gunn asked Henry.
"Around."
"They look like neighborhood cars to me."
"Oh, I help you out, and now you want to start something."
"Look, I told you: you wanna jack Beemers in Brentwood, be my guest. But leave the neighborhood cars alone."
"Yeah, well, business is business. You should think about minding your own."
"Things don't change, I might have to put you out of business." Gunn stared at him for a moment. "Let's go."
He and Cordelia left.
Gunn and Cordelia approached a house with rap music playing inside. Three guys walked out of the house.
"Gunn. What are you doing here?" one of them asked.
"I was about to ask you the same thing."
The guy looked at his buddies. "I-I'll catch up with you guys later."
They left.
"You're supposed to be cruising the garment district."
"Things were dead down there, man."
"Oh, so you figured you earned yourself a little party?"
"Come on. It's just a little fun."
"No, it's you not obeying orders. We got two men down; you want to make it a third? Get the hell back home. I've got a few things to take care of in here, then you and I are gonna have a little chat. Go!"
He went.
"Jesus, short enough leash, or do you just go all warm and tingly on the whole power-trip thing?" Cordelia asked Gunn.
"Some people need discipline to survive. Now, when we get inside, shut up and stick close to me."
"Hold on there, generalissimo. I'm not one of your toy soldiers you can just boss around!"
"I don't even want you here."
"Too bad! I am here. And I don't take orders. Well, except from Angel, and at least he usually asks nicely. And besides, I don't need you to tell me how to behave at a party. Trust me, I know how to blend!"
Cordelia looked at Gunn. "Okay, not exactly blending. Maybe I just shut up and stick close to you."
"Hey, stranger!" a black girl called.
Gunn looked at her and smiled. "Hey, girl. You're looking good, Veronica."
"I've missed you down at the store lately. Work's so boring when you don't stop by."
"I've just been kind of busy, you know?"
"Who's your friend?"
"Who, me? I'm no friend. I mean I'm just here on business. I'm a working girl." Cordelia realized how that sounded. "That came out wrong. I mean, obviously, I'm not a 'working girl'. Not that I couldn't be if I wanted to; of course, I could." She paused. "God, that sounded stuck-up, didn't it? I didn't mean to imply that I could be a working girl, and you couldn't. Far from it. You'd make a great..." She paused again. "Could you just point me to the hor d'oeuvres?"
"This is Cordelia. We're looking for Desmond. You seen him?" Gunn asked Veronica.
"Oh. He's around here somewhere."
"Cool. Thanks. I'll catch you later."
"You better. I don't want you forgetting about us down here."
"Never."
Cordelia followed Gunn deeper into the house. Gunn greeted some guys on the way.
"Are you friends with, like, every criminal in town?" Cordelia asked Gunn.
"See, there you go, assuming those brothers are criminals."
"Aren't they?"
"You mean like your friend, David Nabbit? You think he became a billionaire by being a good citizen?"
"Actually, he did. He made his first millions developing software that lets blind people surf the Web. Plus, he set up a foundation that donates twenty-billion per year to countless charitable causes."
"Well, you let me know when some of that coin trickles down to these parts. There he is."
"Who? Car-thief guy?"
"One and the same. Desmond!"
"G-man. Can I get you a brew?"
"You can give me the Plymouth you stole from my place tonight."
"What makes you think I'm the guy?"
"Don't play with me, and I won't play with you."
"Hey, I had no idea-"
Gunn turned at the sound of girls screaming. Three vampires were hitting their way through the crowd towards Gunn. Cordelia tried to hit one with her ax, but he just batted her aside. Two vampires held Gunn while the other punched him in the ribs. Cordelia smashed a popcorn bowl on the hitter's head but again just got batted out of the way. Veronica rushed to help Gunn, but a vampire threw her into some glass shelves. She landed on the floor and pulled a piece of glass out of the side of her neck. The other guys at the party started in on the vampires while Cordelia tried to help Veronica.
"What's happening?" Veronica asked.
"Um...you're bleeding. I'm gonna take care of you. Just try to relax, okay?" Cordelia went to get a towel and pressed it against the neck wound. "Okay. Try to sit up, okay? Come on. Easy."
Cordelia helped Veronica to sit up, leaning against the sofa behind her, ignoring the fight still going on.
"Here we go. Okay. You're gonna be okay, okay?" Cordelia looked at the bloody towel. "You're gonna be okay."
The last vampire finally jumped head-first out the window, and Cordelia heard a car squealing away. Gunn turned and saw Cordelia and Veronica.
Cordelia looked at Gunn. "She needs a doctor now!"
Gunn kicked the door to the emergency room open, carrying Veronica, with Cordelia still pressing the towel against her neck.
"She needs a doctor! Where is a doctor?" Gunn asked.
"This way. Dr. Thomas!" a nurse yelled.
"What happened?" Dr. Thomas asked.
They put Veronica on a gurney.
Cordelia looked at Dr. Thomas. "A piece of broken glass went into her neck. She pulled it out before I could stop her. It looked like it may have clipped her artery. I applied pressure to the wound, slowed the bleeding. Her pulse has been weakening. She passed out on the way over here."
"She gonna be all right?" Gunn asked Dr. Thomas.
"Please step outside and let us take care of her."
"Is she gonna be all right?!" Gunn yelled.
"Your friend probably saved her life, but we still got some work to do, so let us do it, please." The doctor put her hand on the towel.
Cordelia took hers away and took a hold of Gunn's arm. "Come on, Gunn, she's in good hands. Gunn."
He let her lead him out, never taking his eyes from Veronica's bloody neck.
Cordelia rolled up her bloodstained sleeves and walked down a hospital corridor, looking for Gunn. She saw him standing alone in a waiting room with his head resting against the wall. He hit the wall and began to pace.
Gunn saw Cordelia. "She almost died."
"But she didn't."
"No thanks to me."
"It's not your fault."
"I let my guard down, and she's the one-" Gunn hit the wall hard. "The vamps was coming after me, not her!"
"Take it easy."
"I can't take it easy. I can never take it easy. Not for one second, all right? The minute I forget that, someone like Alonna pays the price."
"Alonna?"
Gunn looked at her, then shook his head and continued to pace. "Veronica. I can't stop. I can't ever stop."
Cordelia looked at him as Desmond tried to sneak into the elevator in the corridor behind her.
Cordelia pointed a finger at him without turning around. "Don't you move a muscle!" She turned around and went to confront him. "Where...the fuck...is my car?"
Cordelia and Gunn walked into a garage. Angel's car was there.
"There is a god!" Cordelia looked up. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Great. You drive it out of here; I follow you home."
"Just as soon as I find the keys."
"You don't have the keys?"
"Well, I-I kind of left them in the car when I went in to save you. I thought you were in danger. Every second counted."
"You know, I got to tell you: you are one high-maintenance chick."
Cordelia hopped into the car. "The keys are here." She started looking through the car. "Somewhere."
"You are killing me!"
"Can't you...you know...hot-wire it?"
"Just because I know some car thieves don't mean I am one."
"Hey, instead of being high-moral-ground boy, why don't you help me find them?"
Deevak rattled some keys. "Looking for these?"
Cordelia and Gunn looked and saw Deevak and four vampires.
Gunn looked at Cordelia. "Go."
"Not a chance."
"Go!"
"I'm not leaving you!"
"How touching. A woman willing to die with her man."
"Oh, no. He's not my man. He-He's just a friend. And...about the 'willing to die' part-"
"You must be Deevak. They told me you was ugly, but...damn."
"And you're the big bad Gunn."
Gunn stretched his hand back towards Cordelia, but she only batted it away.
"Heard you were looking for me." Deevak grabbed Gunn by the throat and lifted him up.
"Hey!" Cordelia yelled.
"You found me."
Cordelia pulled out her ax and hit Deevak, but he caught her wrist in his other hand.
"How does it feel to finally meet up with someone even nastier than you? Uh, not good by the sound of it."
"Stop it! You're killing him!" Cordelia yelled.
Deevak morphed into Jameel. "Survival of the fittest, bro, and, right now, you're not looking too fit."
Cordelia dug the mace out of her purse and sprayed it in Jameel's eyes. Jameel let go of them.
Cordelia looked at Gunn. "Gunn."
Jameel morphed back into Deevak.
Cordelia stared at him. "Oh, my God."
Cordelia and Gunn got up and backed away as Angel and Wesley, on a motorcycle, came sliding in sideways under the garage door, knocking one of the vampires down. The vampire picked himself back up and grinned as Angel took off the pink helmet. Angel looked at the helmet in his hands, back at the vampire, grinned, and smashed the helmet in its face.
Angel and Wesley fought the vampires. Gunn tried to fight Deevak, but Deevak blocked every punch that he threw. Cordelia tried to hit one of the vampires with her ax but got pinned up against the side of a car by it. She kneed him in the balls and then chopped his head off, then got out of the way of another vampire trying to bash her head in with a crowbar.
"I call this decap with a twist, no sugar." Cordelia chopped his head off.
Deevak attacked Gunn, and Gunn barely managed to avoid the demon's wild swings. One of Deevak's hands connected, knocking Gunn down.
"Cordy, ax!" Angel yelled.
She threw him the ax, and he caught it as he jumped off a car's hood into a summersault, burying the ax in Deevak's forehead on the way down. Deevak dropped next to Gunn. Angel reached out a hand and pulled Gunn to his feet.
Angel was pushing his car out of the garage, then jumped into it, trying to start it by popping the clutch.
Wesley ran out after him. "Angel! Angel, look. I found your keys." He held up the gunked-up keys. "Unfortunately, this substance doesn't appear to be coming off."
Angel looked at it. "What's that?"
"Demon blood...or demon puss...or possibly both." Wesley tried to get Angel to take the keys off the pen that he was holding them up with.
Angel backed away. "Easy. Anyone know how to hot-wire a car?"
Gunn walked up past Cordelia, rubbing his throat. "Hey."
"Hey."
"Well, you finally saved my life. I guess I should say thanks."
"Yes, you should, and no...I didn't."
"What?"
"Deevak wasn't the danger my vision was warning me about."
"He wasn't?"
"No."
"Then what was?"
"I'm looking at it. It's you, Charles. You're the danger."
"Excuse me?"
"It's how you live your life. You don't just face danger, you create it. You're on a self-destruct mission - unless you get some help."
Gunn laughed. "I ain't buying none of this Dionne Warwick shit."
"You know it's true. You need some serious saving. Looks like I've got my work cut out for me."
"Oh, is that right?"
"Well, yeah. Better just plan on having me in your life for a while. At least until you find some peace."
"Could be a while."
"That's okay. Helping people, that's what me and my friends do."
Gunn opened the door to his pickup. "Well, lucky me." He got in.
"Hey. How about that thank you?"
Gunn looked at her, Cordelia raised her eyebrows at him, Gunn gave her a slightly sheepish smile, and Cordelia smiled back. He closed the door and drove off. Angel and Wesley came to stand next to Cordelia.
Chapter 108: Untouched
Chapter Text
"Untouched"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Out of My Mind" Written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner and the Angel Episode "Untouched" Written by Mere Smith
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
In the graveyard, at night, Buffy crouched on top of a crypt. She stood up, stake in hand, looked around, and leaped to the ground. Buffy ran through the graveyard, pausing, looking around. A pair of arms burst out of a fresh grave, but Buffy staked the vampire before it could finish coming out of the ground. Buffy straightened up and turned as another vampire emerged from another grave. She ducked his swing, threw a few punches, and kicked him in the chest. He did a back-roll and came up to his feet. She kicked the vampire's legs out from under him and threw him aside. The vampire hit a crypt and slid down. Buffy punched the vampire, then staked him. Another vampire emerged from the ground. Buffy spotted him and started forward with a yell, raising her stake. She staked the vampire.
In the hotel lobby, Cordelia and Wesley were having an argument.
"That's so typical of your kind."
"At least, I'm not a sheep like you."
"I am not a sheep!" Wesley yelled.
"You're such a sheep! You've never had an opinion that you didn't read in a book."
"At least, I've opened a book."
"Oh, don't even try with the snooty, wooly boy. I was top ten percent of my class!"
"What class? Advanced bosoms?"
"Oh!"
"Hey!" Angel yelled, walking downstairs. "What the hell is going on here?"
Cordelia looked at him. "We were just discussing whether or not we should offer to pay Gunn."
Angel looked at them for a moment, then shook his head. "No, you weren't."
"Well, our discussions tend to go about three minutes, then it's strictly name calling and hair pulling."
"Ebeneezer here doesn't want to share the wealth."
"I didn't say that. I merely said Gunn might be insulted by the offer. He's a...proud sort of fellow."
"He's been doing for us. He should pull in a check."
"I'll think about asking him, all right?"
Cordelia stared at Angel. "No think. Pay. That's an order."
"Hey! How about we pretend that you work for me?"
"You are really unpleasant when you-"
"Then why don't we pretend that you don't."
"You can't fire me. I'm vision girl." Cordelia stuck her tongue out at him.
Angel stuck his hands into his pockets and tried not to smile. "All right. I'll think about asking him, all right? Maybe...on a case-by-case."
Cordelia gave him a big smile. "My hero."
Wesley looked at her. "I was going to suggest that."
"Uh-huh."
"I-Is there coffee?" Angel asked Cordelia.
"There was...in the morning. It's ten o'clock at night."
"Oh. Huh. Just a little disoriented. I've been sleeping weird."
"Weird how?" Wesley asked.
"I don't know."
"I mean...it's been going on for a bit, hasn't it? You sleep more, you're less rested. Are you dreaming?" Wesley asked.
Cordelia started to pant and lifted a hand to her brow. Angel ran and caught her as she swayed under the impact of an incoming vision.
Cordelia's face scrunched up in pain. "Well, boys, I think we have a customer-"
She got thrown back in Angel's grip and got a blurry image of a girl with long auburn hair screaming and running from someone.
"Okay...a girl, she's in an alley - Hollywood and Wilcox."
Cordelia saw a guy's face and the girl screaming.
"Oh, she's so scared!" Cordelia cried.
Wesley looked at Angel. "Go."
Angel ran out as Wesley took over supporting Cordelia.
"Oh, God, he's gonna be too late."
Cordelia and Wesley were taping up Angel's shoulder.
"I can't get this bandage to...Stop moving!" Cordelia yelled.
"I'm not.
"Then stop flexing your manly boob-muscles or whatever."
Wesley stared at the wound. "That's an ugly-looking wound."
"It doesn't feel pretty either."
"We should definitely approach this girl with caution." Wesley paused. "I guess you already figured that out."
"She's very powerful. We got to find out everything we can about her."
Cordelia buttoned up Angel's shirt. "Like...oh, say, her name?"
"I was impaled at the time."
Cordelia patted his knee. "Of course. Perfectly understandable."
"You know how hard it is to think straight with a rebar through your torso?"
"No address or anything?" Cordelia asked.
"She said she was staying with a friend."
"Well, that narrows it down to people with friends." Cordelia looked at Wesley. "Where do we keep that list?"
"She's not local. Traces of an accent. Northeast - maybe Ohio. And everything about her tells me she is on the run, so-"
Cordelia nodded. "So look into runaways from the northeast."
"And cross-reference it with supernatural occurrences. The way she went off tonight, I doubt she's been able to stay low-profile."
"Angel, you're sure this isn't a demon of some kind?" Wesley asked.
"She's just a girl."
Cordelia sat down at her laptop. "Just a girl that can kill your ass by blinking."
"She needs help. She's out of control. She's just...lost." Angel went to stand next to Wesley. "What do we know about telekinesis?"
"Ah. Yes. The power of moving things with one's mind." Wesley took a deep breath. "That's pretty much it. The power of...moving..." He paused. "I-I'm better with demons, really."
"Time to broaden your horizons."
Gunn walked into the lobby. "You call, I come. Loaded for bear, ready for battle, and something else that starts with B."
"What is that?" Wesley asked.
Gunn held up an ax. "Ah, isn't that thing? Some of the kids at my camp put it together for me. Thought I might get the chance to stick it in something now."
"Men are all alike."
"Fair Cordelia...you still saving my life?"
Cordelia didn't look up from her screen. "Every minute."
"How's that working out?"
Cordelia looked at him. "You're alive, aren't you?"
"So what kind of scaly pus-monster you all want me to slay this time?" Gunn asked.
Angel looked at him. "Actually, we were hoping you could do some leg-work for us."
"Leg-work? That kind of leaves me high and dry with my cool new ax."
"I'm trying to find a girl."
Cordelia slapped his arm and rubbed her fingers together as if she was counting money.
Angel pushed her hand down. "She smashed a couple of would-be rapists with a dumpster."
"Must have been a hefty kind of girl."
"We think she did it psychically."
Wesley nodded. "Telekinesis, the power of moving things with-"
"Yeah, I have heard the word. So what you all need me to do?"
"I'm interested in the guys. They got..." Angel paused.
"Smushed?" Cordelia helped.
"Not far from your neighborhood, around Hollywood and Wilcox. You think you could find out who they are?" Angel asked.
"You got it." Gunn started to leave. "But if I come back here on the end of a spatula, I'm expecting some serious workers' comp!"
Cordelia hit Angel's arm. "See? Workers' comp; he wants to get paid!"
"Cordelia-"
"The poor man can't even afford a real ax!"
"Okay. Okay. I'll bring it up."
Cordelia grinned at him.
Angel walked towards the stairs. "I'm going to bed. It's been a long day."
"You've been up for three hours."
Angel stopped but didn't turn around. "Cordelia...find the girl."
Cordelia and Wesley watched him leave, then looked at each other.
The next day, at the Magic Box, Giles was behind the counter, painting the wall. "It seems the plans worked perfectly."
Jenny lifted the bookcase that she just assembled and set it against a wall. "Yes, instructions, not a bad idea."
"Well, I must say...I'm very impressed."
There was a knock on the door. Giles went to answer it. Tara stood by a small round table, holding a deck of tarot cards.
Jenny moved stuff around on the shelves of another bookcase. "Oh!" She eyed Giles. "Who put the monkey heads near the Styx water? Do we want to pick exploded monkey out of our hair?" She picked up a jar and a monkey head and walked across the room.
Giles opened the door.
Buffy stood there, smiling. "Hey!"
"Hello, come on in."
"Thank you, kind proprietor." Buffy entered.
Tara smiled. "Hey, you."
"Hey!" Buffy looked around. "Oh, wow, this place looks great."
"Right? Oh, I feel like a witch in a magic shop." Tara picked up a jar from a table. "Ooh. Are these real newt eyes?" She looked at Giles.
"No, too...rich for my blood, I'm afraid. No, these are salamander eyes; it's the...cataracts which give them their newt-like appearance." Giles moved past her. "They're really equally effective, though; it's...just a matter of overcoming snobberies."
Buffy looked at him. "I'm telling you, Giles. You gotta set up a blind taste test and prove once and for all that generic amphibian eyeballs are just as good."
"I don't know. If you ask me, the newt name still means something." Tara put down the jar.
"You ready to train?" Giles asked Buffy.
"In a bit." Buffy sat at the round table. "What's up, babe?"
Tara stood beside her. "I just...keep thinking how cool it would be, if we got a real psychic to sit up here and read fortunes and stuff."
"You should do it."
"Not me. But - But I'd love to - to watch and learn. From someone who's really good, you know?"
"You're really good." Buffy held out her hands. "I'll prove it. Here, do me."
Tara nodded and sat, putting down the cards. She took one of Buffy's hands. Buffy watched her study it.
"Hmm."
"What do you see?" Buffy asked her.
"Buffy hand."
They both smiled.
Cordelia was sitting in front of her laptop. Wesley was reading a book.
Angel walked into the lobby, rubbing his eyes, and leaned on the counter, looking at Cordelia. "Well?"
"Top of the middle of the day to you, too. And no, no leads worth mentioning. Of course, we lost a little time during my forty-five minutes of sleep. Good thing I left some clothes here, or you would be smelling me even now."
"Gunn check in?"
"Huh-uh."
Angel looked at Wesley. "How about you? How's it coming?"
"Well, most of my reading suggests that telekinesis is a psychic phenomenon that occurs during periods of extreme emotional stress."
"Well, that tracks." Angel rubbed at his eyes. "We got to find her."
Cordelia noticed the girl from her vision standing in her nightgown and jacket. "Well, I think I may have a lead."
When the guys looked at her, she motioned towards the door.
"Hey. How are you?" Angel asked her.
"Bethany." Bethany took a deep breath. "Bethany Chaulk. You said I couldn't hurt you. That if I needed anything..."
"You're safe here."
Wesley nodded. "We're all...safe people."
"This is, um...Wesley and Cordelia."
Bethany still stood just inside the door. "So it's a family business, huh?"
"Friends. Come on in."
Bethany walked down the stairs with a sigh. Her knees sagged, and Angel caught her. She immediately pushed free. Cordelia looked her up and down.
"Sorry. I'm just...so tired."
"Would you like some tea?" Angel offered.
"Yeah. Please."
Angel left.
Cordelia looked at her. "You shouldn't worry. Angel does this kind of thing all the time."
"Makes tea?"
"Helps people. You know, he helps people with problems."
"So what's wrong with you?"
"Where to begin?" Wesley asked.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Haha." She looked at Bethany. "C'mon, you can borrow some of my clothes."
In Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, a thirteen-year-old Filipino American girl named Chloe Vergara-Paras was shopping with her mother in a food market. She followed her mother up one cramped aisle and down another, holding a shopping basket, which her mother occasionally dropped items into.
"Mom, how much longer are we gonna be here?" Chloe asked.
"Patience. You wanna starve?" Maria asked her daughter.
"No, but I also don't want my stomach to burst."
"This isn't all just for you, you know." Maria opened a cooler and got out a package of pork tenderloins. She dropped it in the basket. "Okay, I guess that's it."
They went up to the counter. Chloe unloaded the items onto the counter.
"How are my favorite girls today?" the clerk asked.
Maria smiled. "Good, Hector. Yourself?"
"Good." Hector started ringing up the items.
While that was going on, Chloe thought she saw something in the corner of her eye. She looked to her left and saw what appeared to be a man, but he quickly retreated into an aisle, out of sight. Chloe stared a moment longer.
"Okay, thank you. Come again."
"We will." Maria paused. "Chloe?"
Chloe looked at her. "Huh?"
"Pick up the bags. We're leaving."
"Oh. Okay." Chloe picked up the plastic bags.
Hector smiled. "Have a good night, Chloe."
Chloe smiled. "You, too. TTFN."
Maria pushed open the door. Chloe walked outside, and her mother followed.
By the time that the groceries were in the trunk, Chloe had forgotten about the man.
Cordelia was standing behind the counter, watching Angel and Bethany through the glass doors. "What is she doing?"
Wesley was sitting behind her, reading. "They're talking, yes?"
"There is something. She's got a vibe. I'm getting a vibe. She's vibey."
"I didn't notice a vibe."
"Well, Wes, you're not a woman. Women and sex, it's not like you guys; we see more levels." Cordelia paused. "Are you even listening?"
Angel sat down beside Bethany on the garden bench in the shadow of the hotel's veranda. They continued talking.
Bethany got up off the bench, upset. "It's not a parlor trick! It's - It's a disease!"
"Look. We don't know what it is yet. We're just getting started. I just want to know about you."
"Well, don't start asking me a bunch of stupid questions. Like 'When were you potty trained' and 'Name all your pets'. 'Do you like hide-n-seek?'"
"None of those were on my list."
Wesley stood up and headed for the door.
"You don't even know what I'm going through! I shouldn't even be here!" Bethany yelled.
"I agree."
Bethany spun around as Wesley walked down the steps into the garden court.
"It's clear this girl doesn't want our help. I don't think we should be wasting our time with her."
Angel looked at him. "Wesley-"
"I'm sorry, but there are people out there who need us. People with much more serious problems than impulse-control issues."
Angel stood up. "Look, that's enough."
"Why doesn't she go back to her friend's, toss the furniture about?" Wesley stepped closer to Bethany. "Or maybe we should send you home to your father."
Bethany gasped, and Wesley flew back against the wall. Angel stepped towards her, she saw it, and he went flying back out into the sun of the courtyard. He quickly scrambled back under the protection of the veranda, smoking ever so slightly, and watched Bethany as she looked around at what she just did.
Cordelia folded some ice into a napkin and held it against the back of Wesley's head. "You're sure nothing's broken?"
"I'm sure."
"Nothing at all? Say, your brain?" Cordelia sighed. "What happened to approach her with caution?"
"If I'd given her time to get her defenses up-"
"She wouldn't be crying, you wouldn't be bruised, and Angel wouldn't have had a near-Melba-toast experience! What did you say to her?"
"I mentioned her father."
"Well, who's her father?"
"No, it's..." Wesley paused. "The sort of trauma that can produce this level of psychic power usually involves abuse of some kind - very early on. You'd mentioned a sexual vibe; she made that crack about family business. Statistically speaking, the father was the best guess."
"There's not enough yuck in the world."
Angel walked in.
"How is she?" Cordelia asked him.
"Settling." Angel looked at Wesley. "You're gone."
"You can't fire Wesley. I'll quit, too!" Cordelia reconsidered. "Unless you're firm!"
"I'm not firing anyone."
"I understand. My being here wouldn't exactly help her to feel trusting. I'll be at my flat. Call me if-"
"It helps that we know."
"I hope so." Wesley left.
Angel looked at Cordelia. "You should stay at your own place tonight in case she-"
"Be careful."
"I don't think she'll go off again."
Cordelia kissed Angel on the lips, then left.
That night, in their dorm room, Buffy and Tara lay in bed, side-by-side, naked, in the afterglow of making love. Buffy gave a contented sigh.
Tara smiled. "Yeah."
"Mm, that was relaxing."
"You, uh...wanna relax some more?" Tara snuggled up against her.
"Again? Right away again?"
Tara kissed her bare shoulder. "Maybe you're too tired."
"Hey." Buffy caressed her cheek. "I have the endurance of ten women. You know, it takes a lot to wear me out."
Tara smiled. "Show me."
"Mm." Buffy turned onto her back.
Tara moved on top of her. They kissed passionately.
The next morning, Dawn and Joyce were in the kitchen.
"Well, wouldn't you?" Dawn asked. "Every kid tries to make the substitute cry. It's like a rite of passage."
Joyce was cooking over the stove. "I certainly would not. Being a substitute is an extremely difficult job."
Dawn sat down and pointed to Joyce. "Anyway, I want eggs."
"Alrighty, half an omelette coming up." Joyce scooped the eggs onto two plates.
"Oh, um, with ketchup, if you please?" Dawn requested.
"Mm-hmm." Joyce turned away from the stove, holding the two plates. Suddenly, she stopped and blinked as if dizzy. "Oh, what is the...?" She looked at Dawn. "Who are you?"
Dawn was confused. Suddenly, Joyce collapsed to the floor, the plates shattering. Dawn jumped up in alarm. Joyce lay unconscious on the floor, surrounded by pieces of plates and food. Dawn backed away, panting fearfully, and grabbed the telephone. She dialed 911.
Cordelia, Angel, and Bethany were standing in the lobby.
Bethany frowned. "I feel funny. Sweaty-funny, I think."
Angel was holding a silk scarf. "Just try it. You can stop at any time."
"What if it blows up or something?"
"I'll buy Cordelia a new one."
Bethany took a deep breath. "Okay. Just...drop it on the floor."
Angel dropped the scarf. Bethany's eyes widened. Cordelia, on the phone behind the counter, watched as one end of the scarf rose to slide up Angel's body.
Angel smiled at her. "See?"
She draped the scarf around Angel's neck.
"You can control it."
Bethany gave a short laugh.
Cordelia hung up the phone and walked over to them. "Nice look."
Angel pulled the scarf off.
Cordelia handed him a piece of paper. "That was Gunn. He wants you to meet him at this address."
Angel looked at the paper. "Brentwood?"
"I'll look after Bethany. We can hit the Plaza shops."
Bethany gave her a small smile. "Um, sure. Sounds like fun."
Angel handed Cordelia her scarf while looking at Bethany. "I'll be back soon."
Cordelia held out the scarf as he left. "You're not gonna wear this?"
Buffy burst open the double doors to the emergency room at Sunnydale Memorial Hospital and pushed in past some people, followed by Tara. Down the hall, they saw Dawn sitting on a chair, fiddling with a stethoscope that was hung around her neck.
Buffy rushed up to her. "Hey. How's Mom? Are you okay?" She hugged Dawn.
"I'm okay."
"And your mom's doing just fine." A young, tall woman with long, curly blonde hair and wearing a white coat approached.
Buffy let go of Dawn and stood up.
"This is Gloria. She gave me her stethoscope."
"Lent you her stethoscope. Buffy, right?" Gloria held out her hand. "I'm Gloria; I'm an intern here. I've had the pleasure of hanging out with the renowned Dr. Dawn here while your mom's being tested."
Buffy shook her hand.
"So what's goin' on? What happened?" Tara asked.
"Well, she's doing okay now. The doctors don't really know what caused the collapse. It could've just been a dizzy spell, low blood sugar, that sort of thing."
"But it's nothing bad. I-I mean it's not...serious, right?" Buffy asked her.
"Very unlikely. So your mom doesn't have a...history of fainting?"
"No. I mean...not that I know of. She's usually really healthy."
"Well, I think they'll be running tests for a few more hours, then they'll probably want her to come back for some follow-up tests in a couple weeks, but it really doesn't look like anything too serious."
"Oh, thank God. I was freaking out."
"I think you'll be able to take her home before too long."
Tara smiled. "Well, that is definitely good news."
They looked as a door opened.
Joyce walked out. "Hi."
"Hey. How are you?" Buffy hurried over to hug Joyce.
"Oh...embarrassed, mostly. I'm sorry to put you through this. But...no more tests, so you can take this pincushion home."
Angel broke open the door to a dark apartment.
Gunn walked in. "Knock, knock. See, this works great. You break, and I enter."
"As long as this guy is still alive, I can't enter."
"The guy is on the critical list. Your girl must be pretty scary." Gunn looked around the apartment. "You see what I'm seeing here?"
Angel craned his neck to see as much as he could through the open door. "Doesn't exactly fit the thug-in-the-alley profile."
"No, word on this guy was muscle for hire. Not cheap neither."
"So he was sent after Bethany."
"Somebody wanted her hurt."
"Or wanted to know what would happen if somebody tried." Angel leaned against the invisible barrier. "Hey, look for an address book. You know, checks, statements."
"I'm still dealing with this man's ugly-ass living room set. Some people just shouldn't have money."
"On the subject of money. How would you feel, maybe, you know, on a...case-by-case basis?"
"Are you offering to pay me for helping you?"
"Yeah."
"Cool."
Angel blinked, still leaning against the barrier. Suddenly, the barrier vanished, and Angel landed full-length on the floor of the apartment.
Gunn smiled. "You're a very graceful man; have I ever mentioned that?"
Angel got up. "I guess someone is off the critical list."
"Rapist for hire; see me crying?"
Angel looked through some papers on the desk. He hit the redial button on the speakerphone. After the second ring, it was picked up.
"Wolfram & Hart. How may I direct your call?"
Angel and Gunn looked at each other.
In the living room, Joyce was laying on the sofa, sipping from a mug, with Buffy and Dawn sitting by her.
Tara stood beside the sofa. "What about a crossword?"
"Oh, no, thanks, Tara."
Dawn smiled. "I like chicken fingers with mustard when I'm sick."
Joyce put the mug on the coffee table. "I know you do, sweetie. I can make us some later."
Buffy shook her head. "Oh, uh-uh. You are sitting right here on this couch today."
"I feel silly lying here like a lump!"
Tara smiled. "You could make a game out of it. A-A very quiet game...about being a lump."
"I feel fine." Joyce started to get up.
Buffy glared at her. "If you try to do anything...I'll kick your ass."
That night, Cordelia and Bethany walked past an old-fashioned carousel, holding drinks.
Bethany smiled. "You're right. This is great!"
"It's the vanilla that makes the mocha less latte-y."
"Yeah. Where I'm from, you know, they still just have coffee. Everything else is that L.A. stuff."
"Yeah. Don't fuck my boss." Cordelia sipped her drink.
"What?"
"Angel. He's strictly a no-bone."
"I wasn't-"
Cordelia raised her eyebrows at her.
"Cordelia, I don't wanna sleep with Angel."
"The thing about Angel: he's old-fashioned. Old-fashioned - like the age of chivalry. He sees you as, pretty much, the damsel in distress." Cordelia paused, staring at her. "I think it's a little more complicated than that."
"W-Why are you..." Bethany paused. "I never-"
"I think you're kind of dangerous. I'm not being mean. I like you. I do. But...you come on all helpless, and...I mean...people that have thought that you were helpless before...have died."
"Those men in the alley - that was the only..." Bethany paused. "They were gonna hurt me."
"You could have floated them away...or - or spun them until they puked. I don't know. You squashed them."
Bethany sat down on a little wall. "You don't know how scary it was."
Cordelia sat down beside her. "Yes, I do." She paused. "I had a vision of you. That's how Angel found you. I felt everything. And those guys are better off squashed, I truly think, but...somewhere in that moment of panic, a decision got made, and I don't want something like that to happen to my friends - or, and I can't stress this enough, me. No matter what, sex complicates the equation - even more than you think."
"I get it. You don't have to worry."
"Good."
They got up and started walking again.
"So...are you and Angel...?" Bethany asked.
"It's...complicated. We have a history and...a bit of a present, I guess, but..." Cordelia sipped her drink.
"He is kind of earnest. He always seems to-"
A man pushed between them, injecting something into Bethany's neck as he passed.
"Hey!" Cordelia yelled. "What an asshole!"
Bethany was swaying.
Cordelia rescued her cup of coffee. "You're about to drop your-"
Two men grabbed Bethany's arms and pulled her along between them.
"Hey! Stop! Police!" Cordelia yelled.
As the guys tore back towards her, she threw a cup of coffee into each of their faces. They let go of Bethany, blinded by the hot coffee, and Cordelia caught her around the waist and led her away.
"Stay with me. Stay with me. Oh, God."
They almost got hit by a van as they crossed the street.
"Bethany. Come on!"
The back doors of the van popped open, and men dressed all in white jumped out, pushed Cordelia aside, and dragged Bethany into the van.
"No! Bethany! You can squash those guys!" Cordelia yelled.
The back doors of the van got pulled closed, and the van sped away - just as Angel and Gunn pulled up beside Cordelia in his convertible.
Angel looked at her. "Cordelia."
Cordelia pointed. "Tan van. Fetch!"
Angel sped off in pursuit with Cordelia looking after them. Angel tried to cut the van off, but there were too many cars coming the other direction.
"Take the wheel."
Gunn slid over into the driver's seat while Angel jumped over the windshield, onto the hood of his car.
"Closer!" Angel yelled.
Gunn sped up. Angel jumped onto the back of the van, grabbing ahold of its top rack. He pulled one of the back doors open and reached in. Then Gunn saw two white-clad men being tossed out of the back of the van. Gunn swerved to avoid running them over.
Bethany burst into the ruined upstairs corner room of the hotel, followed by Angel and Cordelia.
"Bethany!" Angel yelled.
"It's not true! It's someone else."
"Bethany, I'm sorry. I know Lilah; she's not what she pretends to be."
"She's my friend!"
The open balcony doors slammed shut.
Cordelia approached Angel. "Angel..."
"It's not her! You're making it up. You're playing with me! Why does everyone wanna play with me?" Bethany huddled down. "I don't wanna play!"
Angel crouched down in front of her. "Bethany, you have to control yourself."
"Don't touch me!"
The door behind Cordelia slammed shut, startling her.
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Maybe she just needs a time-out."
"Bethany..."
"I don't have to listen."
"Bethany, stop. You can control this."
"No!"
"Listen to me! Nobody is controlling you." Angel absently batted a can of paint flying at him away. "You have the power here. You're gonna kill us; you're gonna die?! Then they win. Don't let them. Don't let them touch you."
Bethany slowly stood up and walked past Angel and Cordelia towards the door. Just as she reached it, it opened, revealing her father standing there.
"Hello, rabbit."
All of the windows of the corner suite blew out as the whole building shook for a moment. Angel fell unconscious.
Bethany stood in front of her father. "Daddy."
"God, Bethany, I've been so worried."
Angel stirred a bit.
"I wouldn't have known where to find you except..." The father paused. "Your friend Lilah and I only wanna help you, sweetheart."
Plaster began to rain from the ceiling and walls.
"I know what you can do, Bethany." The father walked around Bethany, into the room. "And I know you don't mean to hurt anyone."
Angel opened his eyes and looked around.
"You're a good girl. I know that."
Bethany stared at him, eyes wide.
"No more worries, all right? You're coming back with me; we're gonna be a family again."
More plaster shook loose, but the father stood untouched.
"Wouldn't you like that? To stop running all the time? To come back to where people know you, love you?"
The walls shook harder.
"I promise it'll be just like it was before. I've missed you so much."
Bethany looked like she might start to cry.
"Shh, rabbit."
Bethany's eyes rolled back in her head for a moment, and everything went quiet.
Angel got up. "Bethany-"
He got pinned against the wall, silenced.
"There you go." The father reached a hand towards her. "Now, why don't we go downstairs? Just you and me."
Bethany's face hardened, and her father slid back from her. Angel came free from the wall. Her father started to float up off the floor.
"Bethany, what are you doing? Stop it. Put me down." He reached for his throat as if he was trying to pull a noose free from around it. "I can't...breathe." He looked at Angel. "Help me. Please. Stop her."
Angel stared at her. "Bethany. You got the power. Use it. Finish it."
The father was still clutching at his throat. "Hurts. Make it stop."
Bethany stared at him. "Goodbye."
The father flew backwards out of the window with a scream. Cordelia and Angel looked towards Bethany's calm face. The father plummeted, slowed, and stopped to hang a few feet above the sidewalk. Cordelia and Angel watched Bethany. The father dropped the rest of the way, and Bethany blinked, shook herself, and looked from Angel over at Cordelia.
Cordelia walked over to Bethany and hugged her. Bethany started crying.
"Shhh, it's okay. You're all right. He has no power over you. Not anymore."
Bethany looked at her, then at Angel. "Can I...Can I stay here? At least until I figure out where I wanna go and what I wanna do?"
Angel shrugged. "Ask Cordy. She owns the hotel."
Bethany looked at Cordelia in surprise. "You do?"
"Technically, yeah. See, legally, Angel doesn't exist. He's a vampire, you know."
Bethany looked at Angel. "Weird."
Cordelia smiled. "Of course, you can stay here, Bethany. I won't even charge you for the room."
Bethany smiled. "Thank you."
Angel made a face.
Cordelia noticed. "Oh, yeah, I decided we're gonna reopen the Hyperion as a hotel. After all, it really is too big for our needs, so we might as well make money off it."
Angel paused in consideration. "Good idea."
Chapter 109: No Place Like Home
Chapter Text
"No Place Like Home"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "No Place Like Home" Written by Douglas Petrie and the Angel Episode "Dear Boy" Written by David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
In the Sunnydale industrial district, in a factory lot, Buffy was slammed against a chain link fence. She ducked just as a vampire's fist smashed into it where her head was an instant before.
The vampire was a huge, burly type, and he loomed menacingly over Buffy. "I've always wanted to kill the Slayer."
"And I've always wanted piano lessons. So, really, who's surprised we have all this unexpressed rage?" Buffy punctuated her words with blow after blow, knocking the hulking vampire back several feet.
He retaliated with a brutal punch to her face, sending her reeling.
Buffy blocked a second blow and wrenched the demon's arm behind his back and flattened him against the fence. "But honestly? I think I'm expressing mine better. Tell you what: you find yourself a good anger management class-"
The vampire threw her off.
Buffy slammed him back into the fence again and whipped out a stake. "-and I'll jam this pokey wood stick through your heart." Before the vampire could react, Buffy staked him and slipped the stake back into her coat. "I think that sets the world speed record for closure."
"Hey!"
A bright light shined in Buffy's eyes as she turned to see the factory night watchman approaching.
"Miss, if you're looking for one of those rave parties, I'm afraid you're late. Chased a bunch of kids out of here last night."
Buffy silently gestured at her badge and then at the corpse.
The watchman shined his flashlight down. "Oh. You're-"
"Yeah."
"And he's-"
"Yeah."
"Thank you for your service."
Buffy felt weird hearing that and didn't reply.
"I'll call it in. You can go."
Buffy grinned. "Already gone!" She turned to leave.
"Oh, hey! Hold it, miss. Take your...whatever this is with you." He bent over, picked up a glowing yellow orb, and handed it to Buffy.
Buffy looked at it curiously. "Thank you."
"Glow balls, huh?" He laughed. "I swear...I don't get your generation. What is that thing?"
"I'll let you know as soon as I find out." Buffy turned and walked off into the night.
Wesley was behind the counter with a big, old book in front of him. Cordelia was looking at some papers. Angel came in and plopped down on the sofa.
Wesley looked at him. "We made you some tea."
"Great."
Cordelia looked at him. "It's on the table right there in front of you."
"Table seems far."
"Ahhh, you must be all worn out from sleeping for the last three days." Cordelia looked at Wesley. "It's like living with the world's oldest teenager. According to my figures, if we are frugal and garner some paying clientele soon, we're financially sound through last Wednesday."
"What? Where's it all going?"
"Well, there's the fixed costs: the mortgage on the giant hotel, my salary; there's lots of other-"
"What about my salary? That's fixed, too."
"What if...every time you identified the demon in one of your big old books, we gave you ten bucks...or a chicken pot pie?" Cordelia offered.
"Oh, wait, I have another idea. No! Get a vision."
"It's not like you just hit me in the head, and - wham! - it happens."
Wesley lifted up his book. "What if we test that theory with one of my big old books?"
Angel looked at them. "Children, quit bickering. Something will turn up. Something always does."
Suddenly, Cordelia was hit with a vision.
Angel leaped to his feet, catching her. "Like that."
Cordelia got a blurry image of a bunch of robed guys fighting with fists and weapons. A green, slimy monster was seemingly growing out of a wall.
Wesley was looking through some old books laid out on Angel's desk while Cordelia was pacing with Angel near her.
"Are you all right? You're sure you don't want to sit down?" Angel asked her.
Cordelia rubbed her head. "If I sit, I throw up in my head."
Wesley pointed to a picture in one of his books. "Did it look like this?"
Cordelia looked. "No, more mushy and more moldy. It was growing right out of the wall!"
Angel plopped back down on the couch. "Maybe I'll just-"
"Mush monster's not going anywhere; it's the place we've got to find; its disciples are human; they're killing each other. I think the fight is over how to worship it."
"This is why, personally, I rarely go to church."
Cordelia and Wesley ignored him.
"I thought it was funny."
"Well, what did the place look like?" Wesley asked Cordelia.
Angel jumped up with a shout, making Cordelia and Wesley turn to look at him
"Ah. Didn't doze off; here I am; where were we?"
"Trying to ascertain the location in Cordelia's vision."
Angel paced. "Ascertaining, here we go."
"You're so weird lately." Cordelia paused. "It felt sacred - in a twisted, demonic kind of way; it's - it's underground, like in a tank or something...full of pillars."
Angel looked at her. "Like a water tank."
"Could be."
"Saint Bridget's - in Fremont. A convent - built on native burial grounds. The land's cursed; they had eight murders in two years before the whole place burned to the ground...which is nothing compared to what happened at Our Lady of Lochenbee-"
They gave him a look.
"I have a thing for convents. Anyway, the state bought Saint Bridget's and dug a water tank there. We're gonna need some muscle. Call Gunn; he's on the payroll now."
"Right - but not in a fixed way like me. He's more an outside contractor; do you think we can really afford-"
"Wesley."
Wesley reached for the phone. "Calling Gunn."
Angel, Gunn, Cordelia, and Wesley walked down a long stairway and into a huge, cavernous chamber full of long, slender pillars. They stopped at the bottom, looking over where people in black robes were fighting others wearing red in front of the slimy thing from Cordelia's vision, spanning the space between two pillars.
Gunn looked at Angel. "You are not paying me enough for this. My Uncle Theo always said never buy a dull plow and never get in the middle of a religious war."
"You really have an Uncle Theo?" Cordelia asked him.
"No, but it's still good advice."
Angel looked at Wesley. "So...what do you think, a thrall demon?"
"Yeah."
"So kill the Big Ugly, it un-thralls the groupies, and they stop killin' each other."
"Absolutely. Yes." Wesley paused. "That's the theory. Thrall demons can be tricky."
Cordelia smiled. "Well, at least, they're killing each other and not-"
Just then, the slimy demon spotted them. "Intruders!"
Both black and red robes turned from fighting each other to stare at Angel's group.
"-us."
The thrall demon's groupies charged them, screaming. A big fight ensued. Angel got knocked down from behind by one of the red robes. He rolled back up and started wailing on the guy.
Gunn looked at him. "Angel, I'll try to get fathead; watch my back."
Angel didn't acknowledge him.
"Or just keep beatin' on that big guy."
Cordelia ran up, ax raised to clobber the thrall demon, but was hauled back by one of the disciples. Wesley hit the guy holding Cordelia over the head, freeing her. Cordelia made her way through the fight and sunk her ax into the thrall demon's head, and all of the fighting stopped - except for Angel still wailing on the guy laying on the floor.
"Angel, it's over." Wesley pulled him off. "Stop!"
Wesley walked back over to the others as Angel looked down at his victim and wiped a hand across his forehead.
Angel's group and the now-peaceful disciples walked out of a little building housing the head of the stairs.
"So this whole teamwork deal, that's a thing of the past now?" Gunn asked Angel.
"Job got done." Angel tossed his car keys to Cordelia. "Take the car; I need to..."
He headed off as the others stood and watched.
"He's just..." Wesley paused. "He hasn't been sleeping well lately."
Cordelia frowned. "He's off his game."
"Since when is it a game?" Gunn asked.
The next day, in the kitchen of the Summers' home, Buffy was preparing a breakfast tray for her mother. Dawn entered, smiling.
"Dawn, touch nothing."
"Who died and made you the Iron Chef?" Dawn asked.
"Look, Mom's sick, and I made her a nice non-instant breakfast for once. And I don't need you-"
Dawn knocked over the rose vase on the tray. "Oops!"
"-doing that."
Joyce entered in her bathrobe, smiling. "Oh! Check out the 'Pamper Mom' platter." She looked at Dawn. "You two do all this?"
"Oh, Buffy helped."
Buffy couldn't believe her sister. "I didn't 'help'-"
"I'm sure you did." Joyce sat down. "So neither of you is pregnant, failing, or under indictment?"
The sisters gave their mother dirty looks, unamused.
"Just checking."
Buffy softened her look. "We knew you were feeling less-than-great, so-"
"Yeah, the headaches they said would go away came back and brought some friends along with."
"Well, what did the doctor say?" Buffy asked her.
"Oh, take four of some pills a day and come back for tests."
"So they don't know what's wrong?"
"Not yet."
"Well, that's unacceptable. I think we should get a second opinion."
"Well, we need a first opinion first, honey."
"Okay, we'll go right now."
"Buffy, I know you're concerned, okay? But don't be. I'm still the mom. Which means I get to worry about you two. Which is a good thing, because you're a Vampire Slayer." Joyce pulled Dawn onto her lap. "And you...you are my little Pumpkin Belly!"
Dawn was embarrassed. "Oh, Mom! That's, like, my kid name."
"So I can't be retro?"
Buffy noted Joyce and Dawn's easy camaraderie and felt a little excluded. "Did you ever have any names for me?"
"No...I think you were always just Buffy."
Dawn smiled. "I got some names for ya..."
Buffy was hurt but covered.
"What are you doing, hanging around here? Isn't this Giles' big day?" Joyce asked Buffy suddenly.
"Oh! Bigger than big. It's his grand opening."
"So go. Bring me back a...I don't know...a flying broomstick or something."
Dawn looked at her. "Those never really work."
"Whatever. Book club tonight?"
"Uh-huh."
"You guys have a book club?" Buffy asked in surprise.
They looked at her.
"Okay, I'm gonna go. I will be back later." Buffy looked at Joyce. "What time is your doctor's appointment?"
Joyce gave her an exasperated look.
"I just want to know. Take it easy. I want you to relax all day, keep your feet up, plenty of Oprah."
Dawn smiled. "Plus you can check my rain forest report, and, you know, there's, like, eighty-bazillion old board games-"
Buffy grabbed Dawn by the arm and dragged her out of the house.
"Hey! You said I couldn't come."
"Changed my mind."
Harold Jeakins was sitting on the couch across from Cordelia and Wesley, nervously playing with one of Angel's business cards. "I really need some help. They say he handles things - you know, unusual things. I'd like to see him right away."
"And he wants to see you - just as soon as he returns from an important case. Why don't I take a preliminary report and give you a list of convenient payment plans?" Cordelia offered.
Wesley handed Harold a list.
"Well, it's my wife, Claire; she's really a lovely..." Harold paused.
Wesley nodded. "Go on, it's all right."
"She gets abducted by aliens - on a regular basis."
Wesley stared at him. "Aliens."
"From outer space?" Cordelia asked.
"It's more common than people realize; one minute, she's there, and the next..." Harold paused. "She always comes back in a day or so."
"What is it you'd like us to do, Mr. Jeakins?" Wesley asked.
Harold took a receipt out of his pocket. "I trust Claire, but I found this receipt from the Franklin Hotel weekend before last when she was supposed to be in...the Trifid Nebula!"
Cordelia took the receipt and looked at Wesley. "I'm sure we can get to the bottom of this."
Behind them, Angel came up from the basement, looking tired.
"I mean if it's not aliens..." Harold saw Angel. "Is that...?"
Wesley nodded.
Cordelia smiled. "Mr. Jeakins, say hello to your new best friend."
Harold got up. "Do you think my wife's cheating on me?"
Angel kept walking towards his office. "Probably."
Cordelia looked at Harold nervously. "Oh, he - he really likes you; he's jumping right in."
"He's taking the...?" Harold paused. "He didn't seem that-"
Wesley walked Harold towards the door; Cordelia headed to Angel's office.
"Oh, he's eccentric; all the greats are: Sherlock Holmes, Phillip Marlowe-"
"Those are fictional characters."
"Right you are! Which gives Angel rather a leg up when you come to think it."
Wesley walked out with Harold.
Cordelia sat down to enter information into the computer. "That's a terrific way to treat our customers - especially since we so many of them."
Angel moved up behind her.
"See his file?" Cordelia asked.
Angel leaned down as if to get a better look at the screen but instead started smelling Cordelia's hair.
"He has Visa, MasterCard, and a problem; he's our target audience. But if you want to be rude, I guess it's your shop..." Cordelia paused. "Angel?"
Angel was touching her hair.
"What are you...? What are you...? Personal bubble." Cordelia jumped off her chair and headed away from Angel. "Personal bubble!"
Wesley came back in at that moment, rolling up his sleeves. "I need to speak to you, man to man. Cordelia, you may not want to be here for this." He paused. "Was it something I did?"
"He was feeling my hair."
"What?"
"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to...I-I've been so out of it...lately...because of her. I saw her...here in town. Last night."
"Who?" Cordelia asked.
"Darla."
"Darla, the vampire? Your sire?" Cordelia asked, confused.
"I've been dreaming about her like crazy. And the dreams have been so..." Angel laughed. "I thought I was losing my - my mind. But she's back; she's alive."
Cordelia stared at him in concern. "What you're saying is impossible. You staked her to death three-and-a-half years ago."
"I know that. I also know it was her."
"Vampires don't come back from the dead."
"I did. And I saw her. I'm not crazy!"
"Where?" Wesley asked.
"Right between the clowns and the big, talking hot dog."
They just looked at him.
"Walking on the promenade."
Wesley stared at him. "You said yourself you've been having dreams. Maybe it's guilt over killing your sire."
Cordelia nodded. "Right, guilt. Who loves guilt like you love guilt? You know what you need? You need to go to work. We just got an exciting new case: could be aliens; could be adultery. It's a corker!"
"Maybe I'm dreaming about her, because she's here-"
"And maybe you think she's here, because you're dreaming about her." Wesley shook his head. "Go to work, Angel."
Buffy entered the Magic Box and glanced up at the quaint bell that rang when she opened the door. She strolled into the store, taking in the curios and knickknacks lining the shelves. The store was quiet and empty. She looked up to find Giles standing serenely in the center of the store, dressed in a spangled purple robe and pointed purple wizard's cap. Giles smiled cheerily at Buffy, who merely stared him down. Finally, he dropped the facade and shrugged out of the costume just as Dawn burst through the door behind Buffy, gasping for breath.
"I told you you couldn't ditch me!" Dawn looked around. "Whoa...Mr. Giles! This place is so...wow. I mean...check out all the magic junk."
"Our new slogan..."
"So when's it open? You know, for customers?" Dawn asked.
"Since nine this morning, actually."
Buffy looked at her sister. "Dawn. Go. Browse. And-"
"'You break it, you bought it.' Heard you the first sixty times." Dawn wandered into the recesses of the store to check the place out.
Giles looked at Buffy. "Still, not to worry. No, I've got feelings about this place. Magic's a small, niche market, but...well, think about it. Sunnydale...monsters...supply and demand. They'll be lining up around the block in no time."
"Yeah. You'll be making money hand over fist." Suddenly puzzled, Buffy held her hand over her fist. "Which I guess is a good thing."
"You all right? You seem a little distracted."
"It's just my mom's still sick, and we have no idea what the deal is."
"She is getting medical attention?"
Buffy frowned. "Yeah. We have a highly-trained medical staff working 'round the clock to tell us jack shit."
"I'm sorry. Still, you know, time and patience...both great comforts-"
The bell jingled as Tara and Amy entered.
Tara ran in, excited. "Mr. Giles! Where's your hat and cloak?"
Amy smiled. "Yeah, the hype was out of control."
Dawn ran over to them. "Tara! You gotta see this. They have the coolest talismens...mans...talisguys. I-"
"Actually, I have a little Slayer-centric deal to deal with first." Buffy reached into her bag and removed the glowing yellow globe. "I put this before the group. What the hell is it?"
Giles looked at it. "It appears to be paranormal in origin."
"How can you tell?" Tara asked him.
"Well, it's so shiny."
"Found it on patrol." Buffy handed the object to Giles.
"May be more where that came from. Can I go out with you tonight?" Dawn asked her.
"No."
"I meant on patrol."
Buffy gave her a look, then shook the mental image of what she was thinking from her head. "Still. No."
"Why not?" Dawn asked.
Buffy sighed. "'Cause you're, you know, a big spaz."
Dawn rolled her eyes.
Kate sat behind her desk as a detective approached it, carrying a manila envelope.
"...four-thirteen in progress at the corner of Yucca and Ivar; unit six is responding..."
Kate looked up. "Jack, what brings you to Siberia?"
"Hello, Kate."
"You been sick?"
"No."
"Busy, then; too busy to pick up a phone and say hi?"
"Uh..."
"We were friends. I thought you were different."
"Hey, I went to bat for you. I stuck my neck out when they decided to move you out of downtown. But you don't like mainstream work; you've got the scanner going day and night, chasing the bizarre and grotesque; what, did you think they'd promote you?" Jack dropped the envelope on her desk. "A...friend of a friend thought you might want this."
She opened the envelope. Inside was a picture of the Hyperion Hotel and a new business card of Angel's - with a new address and a new phone number on it. There was also a note that read "He's moved."
"Thanks."
"Stay out of trouble."
Buffy and Dawn entered the foyer.
Dawn sighed. "That was not my fault! That dinglehopper was flimsy! We can't all be born with big, fancy, Chosen One reflexes, you know."
"Shh! Mom?" Buffy called.
A soft moan came from the living room.
Buffy and Dawn rushed to Joyce, who was laying on the couch in obvious distress.
"Mom!" Buffy yelled.
"What's wrong?" Dawn asked.
"It's just my head."
Buffy frowned at the sound of her mother's weak voice. "I'm taking you to the doctor."
"No, sweetheart. I'm fine."
"We don't know that. We don't know anything. We're going."
"I just need my prescription. Please?"
Buffy picked up the slip and stood up straight. "Hospital pharmacy open?"
"Mmm-hmm."
"Ten minutes." Buffy headed out.
Cordelia, wearing a skimpy yellow waitress uniform, picked up some empty glasses from a table at the Franklin Hotel, an upscale hotel. She walked past a woman with long blonde hair and a guy wearing the uniform of a repairman.
"You sure about this, right in the middle of the day?" the guy asked.
Cordelia slid some napkins with a tiny microphone hidden between them along the top of the bar, so it was aimed at them. Angel was hidden behind a planter and listening via an earwig. He had a small tape recorder in his hand.
"Marty, the aliens abduct me when the mood hits, and the mood hit pretty hard this morning right about the time Harold left for work."
"No kiddin', yeah?"
Wesley, sitting and reading a newspaper, lifted a tiny camera to his eye and snapped a picture of the couple.
"Of course, if you're not in the mood-"
"No, no, I'm in the mood; I'm deep in the mood. I'm going to abduct you right now and conduct my own probe."
Claire laughed.
"It's just I still got a lotta repairs-"
"Well, I hope nothing important is broken."
"No, no. It all works."
Claire got up from the bar. "So let's go upstairs."
Angel came out from behind the planter and headed to intercept them. As he passed by Wesley, who was snapping more pictures, he pulled the camera out of his hand. "Claire, hold on."
Claire stopped, startled. "Do I...know you?"
Cordelia went to stand behind Wesley, staring at Angel.
"I've been listening." Angel took the earwig out. "I'm over here behind some plant with this machine, recording you two, while my associates here..." He gestured towards them.
Cordelia waved at them while Wesley retreated behind his newspaper.
"...have been tailing you around all day, taking pictures. I don't like doing this. It's crass. Your husband knows. Go home. Tell him the truth. Work it out or...leave. I don't care. But this..." Angel threw the camera at them.
Marty caught it. After a short look at each other, he and Claire left in opposite directions. Angel moved off, and Cordelia and Wesley fell into step with him.
"What the fuck was that?" Cordelia demanded. "We had a paying client."
"Not everything is worth getting paid for."
"Easy to say when you don't need food to survive."
Angel slapped his recording equipment against Wesley's chest as he spotted a woman with long blonde hair getting up from a chair across the lobby of the hotel.
"That's her."
He stepped in front of her as she walked out while looking through her purse, and she bumped into him.
"Oh, I'm sorry..."
"I guess you didn't take that whole death thing to heart, huh?" Angel grabbed her wallet and flipped it open to reveal several credit cards stuck in its pockets. "What are you trying to do, pass as human?"
She grabbed the wallet and stuffed it into her purse. "Excuse me."
"I know your voice, Darla. I can smell you."
Cordelia stared at him. "Uh-oh."
"I don't know what you're talking about. Now, just leave me alone?" She tried to pass him.
Angel grabbed a hold of her arm. "I don't know what kind of game you're trying to play, but you're not gonna win."
Wesley stepped forward. "Angel, I really think-"
"Is everything all right?" a hotel security guard asked.
"No. This man, he's trying to..." She paused. "My name is DeEtta Kramer. My husband is outside right now, getting our car right now. I don't know anyone named Darla."
"I know it's you. And I know you're not going out into that sun anytime soon."
The security guard tried to pull Angel away, but Angel threw him off.
She ran, screaming, away from him. "Stephen! Stephen!"
Wesley put a hand on Angel's arm. "Angel-"
Angel shook off his hand, never taking his eyes off her as she ran towards the sunny patch in front of the doors.
A guy came running and caught her in his arms. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, looking back towards Angel, who stared at her standing there, unaffected by the sun shining in on her.
The technician handed Buffy a bottle of pills, and she turned to leave, examining the bottle as she went. She passed two orderlies and a nurse wheeling a patient down the corridor on a gurney.
"Hey!"
Buffy stopped and turned around.
"It's Buffy, isn't it?"
Buffy looked at the blonde woman, confused.
"Gloria...but you can call me nurse. Everybody else here does."
Suddenly, the patient sat up, struggling to get off the gurney. It was the factory night watchman from the night before. "I don't belong here. I have important instructions. Fascists!"
Gloria pushed him back down while the orderlies fastened his restraints.
"Now, you're hurting the nice orderly who's here to help you." Gloria looked at a nurse. "I need nine CCs of Phenobarbital in this guy n-"
Buffy stepped up and slammed the man down onto the gurney with one arm and effortlessly held him there.
Gloria looked amazed. "Or not." She looked at the orderlies. "Now, let's strap him." She looked at the patient. "For your own good, I promise." She looked at Buffy. "You've got some serious muscles."
"Thanks."
The night watchman seized Buffy's arm and looked at the medicine bottle that she was holding. "Doesn't even help. Doesn't make a damn bit of difference!"
Buffy looked at Gloria. "I've met this guy. He's a security guard. He's not crazy."
"If you say so..."
"They're coming at you. Don't think you're above it, missy. They come through the family! They get to your family!" the night watchman yelled at Buffy.
"My family? What do you mean?"
He let go of her arm, and the pill bottle fell to the floor.
Gloria looked at the orderlies. "Let's get him to Exam One. Now would be nice."
Buffy stared after him as the orderlies wheeled him out.
Gloria picked up Buffy's pills and handed them to her. "I'm really sorry about that. Here. For your mom?"
"Yeah, thanks."
"She's not feeling better?"
"Not yet, but she will be. I'm starting to figure out what's wrong."
Angel, Cordelia, and Wesley entered the Hyperion's hotel lobby.
Cordelia sighed. "That was really fun: the humiliation, running from the hotel security staff, and the nifty little outfit, which seemed to tell so many conventioneers: 'Pet me, I'm a whore.'"
Angel moved to the hotel desk and rifled through a big phone book.
Wesley looked at Cordelia. "It wasn't pleasant, but at least there's a silver lining."
"What silver lining?" Cordelia asked him.
"The woman walked into direct sunlight; obviously, she's not a vampire; obviously, Angel...made a mistake."
"Ya think?" Cordelia asked.
"We'll just put our heads together and help him come to grips with this thing." Wesley looked at Angel. "You're among friends; we're not going to condemn you."
"Right." Cordelia looked at Angel. "You're crazy; you need professional help."
"It was Darla. She's back...and she's human now...but I know her scent."
Wesley stared at him. "Angel...you can't just...sniff a person and know-"
Angel leaned ever so slightly closer to Wesley and inhaled. "You had sex last night...with a bleached blonde."
"Good Lord, how'd you-"
"That's unbelievable." Cordelia looked at Wesley. "I didn't think you ever had sex."
Angel closed the phone book. "She's not in the book."
"Who, Darla?" Cordelia asked.
"DeEtta Kramer, the person she's pretending to be. Run a title deed search; see if you can find an address for a DeEtta and Stephen Kramer."
"Okaaay." Cordelia paused. "And maybe try some other avenues."
"Like what?"
"What are you willing to do?" Cordelia asked him.
"Whatever it takes."
Giles handed a couple their purchase with a smile. "Thank you for choosing to shop at the Magic Box, and please do come again."
Tara sat at the table, perusing an ancient tome. Her tarot deck, The Robin Wood Tarot, sat on the table, and so did a sign that read "Tarot/Palm Readings: $10".
Giles waited until the couple left the store, then bounded over to her, giddy. "Did you see that? Customers! Real, live customers! They came in, and I gave them things, and they gave me money, and then they left! It's brilliant!" He jumped back to the cash register to deposit the cash.
"Congratulations. Oh, nothing on the orb so far."
"Well, we'll just have to keep trying."
A group of customers entered and began browsing.
Giles looked at them. "If there's anything you need help with, let me know."
Buffy ran in, flustered. "Giles, I have an idea what's making my mom sick."
"Have you spoken with her doctors?"
"They won't find anything. What's hurting her, it's supernatural." Buffy picked up the orb. "The night watchman who found this thing? He went crazy, like, overnight."
Giles backed away cautiously.
"It won't hurt us. I had it on me all night. But this guy, he saw things;...he said things."
"Such as?"
"They'll come at me through my family."
"Who will?"
"I don't know...yet. But whatever touched this guy, it made him see through what the rest of us are seeing. He knew someone's hurting my mom, and they're trying to get to me."
"It's possible, but still...the ramblings of a madman aren't much to go on."
"Yeah, but it's a start. We need to find out who's making my mom sick and how."
"Then what?" Tara asked her.
"Then I hunt them...find them...and kill them."
Angel stood on the stage, holding a microphone. He looked around the hotel's ballroom. "So...you're...opening a club...in my hotel."
"My hotel." Cordelia smiled. "And yeah. I gotta pay off the mortgage somehow. The more revenue streams, the better."
"It looks nice."
"Thanks." Cordelia selected a track on the karaoke machine.
"Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung started playing.
Angel stared at the lyrics on the screen as he tried singing:
"I'll drive a million miles
To be with you tonight.
So if you're feeling low,
Turn up your radio.
The words we use are strong.
They make reality.
But now the music's on.
Oh, baby, dance with me,
Yeah.
"Rip it up.
Move down.
Rip it up.
Move it down to the ground.
Rip it up.
Cool down.
Rip it up.
Don't hang me on the borderline.
"Everybody have fun tonight.
Everybody Wang Chung - fun tonight.
Everybody Wang Chung tonight.
Everybody have fun tonight.
Everybody-"
Angel abruptly hit the Off button. "I'm very sorry." He put the microphone back in the stand. "Tell me about Darla."
"Whoa. Give me a sec. You are sending out some family-sized vibes." Cordelia paused to collect her thoughts. "I saw lots of things. You are at a crucial junction."
"So talk."
"So...no."
"What do you mean, 'No'? You won't tell me anything?"
"I tell you you're headed into trouble. Let her go. That way lies badness."
"You won't help me."
"Hey, I set people on their paths, okay? And this is way off your path, sweetie."
Angel leaned in closer. "Tell me where Darla is."
Cordelia pulled back, afraid.
"Cordy, it's me. Did you get an address?"
Cordelia hesitated. "Angel, Wesley and I think you really need to-"
"Cordelia, address, now."
Cordelia sighed. "DeEtta and Stephen Kramer own a home at 1409 Galloway in Studio City."
"Thanks." Angel left.
Cordelia stood there for a moment, then she left as well.
The shop was bustling with customers now. Jenny was working the register, and Buffy and Tara sat at the table, busily researching.
A customer approached Tara with an antique hourglass. "Do you gift-wrap?"
Tara looked at Jenny. "Do we?"
Jenny nodded.
Tara nodded. "We do." She stood up and held out her hands for the hourglass.
Giles was desperately trying to manage the customers and answer a flurry of questions. "No, no. Ground cloven hooves are thirty percent off. The whole ones are full price." He turned around. "That's not...candy!" He looked at Jenny. "Jenny! There's too many of them...people! And they all seem to want things."
"I hear ya, Rupert. Stay British. You'll be okay." Jenny wrapped up a woman's purchase and handed it to her. "Thank you for shopping at the Magic Box. Please come again."
The woman walked away.
Amy walked over to Buffy, sat down, and started researching. "Did you ever think you'd miss the high school library?"
"Someone put a spell on my mom. Something to make it seem like she's sick."
"That's a new kind of nasty. Any suspects?"
"Well, I've got the list narrowed down to just under infinity."
Amy noticed something in the book that she was browsing. "Oh, hey, Buffy, there used to be this French sorcerer back in the sixteenth century named...uh..."
"Cloutier?" Giles guessed.
"Thanks. Anyway, he had this one spell demons just hated called...uh...tirer la couture." Amy frowned. "I probably butchered that."
Buffy was confused. "'Rotate many foodstuffs'?"
"'Pull the curtain back'. A spell to see spells..." Amy paused in consideration. "Well, a trance to see spells, actually, but you get the idea. Try that."
"What do you mean, 'see' spells?" Buffy asked her.
"Well, all spells leave a trace signature. It's just not perceptible to the human eye. In this case, it could be the image of a hand choking your mother. Or a cloud of mist around her. Or maybe the shape of the demon that's performing the spell."
"Okay, so I'll do what he did. I'll go home, I'll get trancey, and I'll see what's affecting my mom."
Giles frowned. "I don't know, Buffy. Trances? The Sorcerer Cloutier was legendary. His skills at achieving higher states of consciousness were-"
"Better than mine?" Buffy looked at Amy. "I knew he was gonna say that." She looked at Giles. "But I've been practicing concentration skills. I know I'm close."
"Are you ready?" Giles asked seriously.
"It's my mom. I'll get ready." Buffy looked at Amy. "What do I need?"
Cordelia walked into the lobby and approached the desk. "He went after her."
Wesley opened a drawer. "You really stood up to him. 'Next time I talk to him, I won't weenie out like you, Wesley.'"
"Don't start with me...and, if sound like that, shoot me."
Wesley removed a large pistol from the drawer.
"She joked!"
"It's not for you. It's a tranquilizer gun."
"You mean if Angel really does go off his rocker like he's done before?" Cordelia paused. "You think that'll do it?"
"I better call Gunn."
Cordelia pushed the phone over towards him.
Buffy sat on the floor, in the middle of her bedroom, and emptied out a bag of incense, powders, and other magical talismans. Buffy prepared for the ritual: incense was lit, and conjuring powder was poured in a circle on the carpet. She sat, cross-legged, in the center and placed her hands on her knees. She closed her eyes and began meditating. The silence was broken by a knock on the door.
"What are you doing?" Dawn asked.
Buffy felt frustrated. "My girlfriend. Go away."
"Liar. Are you doing magic?"
"No, I'm not!"
"Can I watch?"
"No, you can't!"
"Oh, come on! Please, please, like, times ten and cubed? Please?"
"Fuck off!" Buffy yelled.
Dawn tried to open Buffy's door, but Buffy stood up, walked over, and slammed it in her face.
"Yeah, well, I can smell your stinky incense down the hall, you know. And your clothes are gonna reek. And if you are doing magic, I am so telling."
Buffy folded up a towel and shoved it under the crack in the door. "Fine! Go! Go tell. Go do whatever the fuck you want. Just go!"
Buffy heard Dawn slam her bedroom door and momentarily felt bad for yelling at her. Buffy returned to the circle, sat, and resumed her meditation.
At night, Buffy was still in the lotus position, in deep meditation, her trance deepening with each passing moment. Her eyes suddenly snapped open, and she got up and left her room.
The house around her appeared grainy and sepia-toned, reality slightly altered. Buffy made her way down the hall and stairs to the living room, taking in her surroundings as she went, the familiar house suddenly appearing strange and new. Joyce's voice came to Buffy as if from a great distance. Buffy turned to find Joyce dressed and putting on her overcoat.
"Buffy?"
"Mom? Are you going out?" Buffy studied her mother carefully but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
"Well, either modern medicine's working, or I just took the world's best placebo. Either way, I'm going out for a couple of hours."
"Nothing..."
"Hmm?"
"There's nothing." Buffy stared intently at her mother, trying to detect anything abnormal, but everything seemed fine.
"Are you sure you're feeling okay? You seem a little out of it." Joyce paused. "Hey...Buffy?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. Long day's all. You go, have a good time."
Joyce smiled wistfully. "You're so grown up." Joyce turned and headed out.
As soon as she was gone, Buffy resumed her inspection. She searched the first floor of the house, then she went back upstairs.
Buffy approached Dawn's room and opened the door. Dawn was not there, and Buffy walked in.
"Buffy? Buffy." Dawn's voice echoed from far away, calling to Buffy.
Buffy turned to find Dawn, angry at her intrusion.
"Who said you could come in my room?" Dawn demanded.
"Sorry, I was just..." Buffy paused and considered what to say.
"Are you high?" Dawn asked her.
"Uh...yeah." Buffy walked out of the room.
The telephone rang. Buffy walked into her bedroom. The phone kept ringing.
Buffy took a deep breath and answered her phone. "Hello?"
She heard a bustle of customers on the other end.
"Buffy?" Giles asked. "Oh, I'm glad I've caught you. I think we may have underestimated what we're dealing with."
"Go on."
"We've uncovered more than expected about this orb. It's called the Dagon Sphere, and it has a history going back many centuries."
"What's it do?"
"It's a protective device used to ward off ancient, primordial evil."
"Any word on what this evil looks like?"
"Unfortunately, no. This is where - Excuse me. This is where accounts get vague. All we've managed to uncover so far is the Dagon Sphere was created to repel That Which Cannot Be Named."
"I'm going to go back to the factory where I found it. Whoever planted this doohickey's got answers."
"Buffy, you've heard me say this before, but do be careful. Anything that goes unnamed is usually an object of deep worship or great fear - maybe both. Have you completed the trance? Seen what's harming your mother?"
"That's the thing: I just saw nothing. It didn't work, or nothing was out of the ordinary."
"Oh. Well, let me know if you find anything at the factory."
"Will do." Buffy ended the call, dropped the phone in its cradle, and faced Dawn, standing behind her.
"What are you talking about?" Dawn asked.
"Slayer shit. I'm going out." Buffy headed for the door.
"Do you really think I care you're the Slayer?"
Buffy stopped and turned to her. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Dawn gave her a cold look.
"I'll be home in an hour." Buffy grabbed her jacket and left.
Gunn stared at the tranquilizer gun and chains.
"This is all just precautionary. When push comes to shove, Angel's our..." Wesley paused. "We trust him."
Gunn picked up the pistol. "I see."
Cordelia smiled weakly. "It's not like he turns evil every time he gets this cranky."
"He turns evil?" Gunn asked.
Wesley hesitated. "Well, there are forces that can make Angel revert to Angelus, the vampire he was before he got a soul."
"And as evil, blood-sucking vampires go, how would you rate Angelus?" Gunn asked him.
"Historically, as bad as they come. Especially when he was with his sire, Darla."
Cordelia nodded. "We're researching her now to see if maybe she has some kind of resurrection powers. Maybe she was a vampire cat with nine lives or something."
Gunn nodded. "So him and Darla together, bad combo."
Wesley nodded. "They rampaged through half the known world - until Angel got his soul."
Cordelia nodded. "Imagine Bonnie and Clyde if they'd had a hundred-fifty years to get it right."
"So he thinks his party girl is back." Gunn paused. "If he gets up to his old tricks, how bad can it get?"
Buffy easily snapped the chain on the fence and headed inside the factory.
Buffy flicked on her flashlight and started exploring the musty corridors of the abandoned building. Eventually, she came across a tremendous gaping hole in the wall and the twisted remains of a tempered steel door. She examined the wreckage with concern.
Kate walked beside the blonde woman outside of her house.
"I don't understand. They shot him; how'd he get away?" the woman asked.
"Adrenaline. They chased him for sixteen blocks. Don't worry, he's long gone; he can't hurt you now. One of my officers told me you recognized this man, that his name was Angel-"
"That-That's what he called himself. He - He started following me a few weeks ago. He - He said he helped the helpless. I told him I didn't need any help. He - He kept calling me...Darla. He - He said he knew me...or this Darla...from a long time ago. Today, we were having lunch at the Franklin Hotel, and he showed up again. He came here. I told him to j-just stay out, that I was calling the police, but he j-just broke in! And...this is gonna sound crazy, but he - he - he was...was biting-"
"It is not crazy. And I want you to know: I will find him, and he will pay for what he did."
The woman looked at Kate through tearful eyes. "Thank you, detective."
Kate took a few steps to the cops nearby. "I want you to get in touch with security at the Franklin Hotel; see if they have any tape on the incident with Mrs. Kramer there today. And I want you to make sure that the coroner treads lightly in there. I want this scene preserved."
Dawn was in the kitchen when she heard Joyce enter the house.
"Buffy? Girls?" Joyce paused. "Where is everybody?"
Dawn exited the kitchen, holding a teacup and saucer. Joyce started.
"Hi, Mom."
"Oh! Dawn. Where's Buffy?"
"You don't have to worry about her."
"You're probably right. I mean...it's not like she's never patrolled before. Anyway, I was feeling kind of - what's the medical term? - shitty. So I called off the big night out."
"Want tea, Mom? I made it for you."
Gunn was pacing while Cordelia and Wesley were researching.
"You all right?" Cordelia asked Gunn.
"Yeah. I'm just adjusting to the idea that this good-guy vampire I work for can go bad."
Wesley looked at him. "It takes a little time. We've all been through it."
Cordelia smiled. "Ninety-nine percent of the time, he's good. And he's done a lot for us."
"There's nothing I respect more than loyalty."
Wesley nodded. "That's good to hear."
"But if the bad Angel walks through that door, I will kill him in two seconds flat."
Just then, the door burst open. Gunn pulled out a stake, but it was a S.W.A.T. team and Kate, and Gunn stuck his stake into his back pocket.
"Where is he?" Kate demanded.
Cordelia stared at her. "He's not here."
Kate looked at the cops. "Basement, attic, every room. He's extremely dangerous; bullets won't necessarily do the trick. Everyone's on channel two; you see him, you call me."
Several cops ran up both sides of the stairs. A couple headed into the garden; a couple headed for the cellar stairs.
"I don't suppose you have a warrant to go along with this little search?" Wesley asked Kate.
"Seeing as how he just murdered Stephen Kramer...and kidnapped his wife, I think I've got probable cause."
"He wouldn't..." Cordelia paused. "Angel could never do a thing like-"
"He's not the type of person who'd-"
"In fact, he's not a person at all, is he?" Kate paused. "You guys want to help yourselves out here...or go down with the boss?"
Cordelia and Wesley's only reaction was to fold their arms up in front of them.
"So be it." Kate looked at Gunn. "New player?"
Cordelia frowned. "He's a friend."
"What's your friend's name?"
Gunn stared at Kate. "Charles Gunn."
"Let's see some I.D., Charles."
He handed her his driver's license.
"Got any priors?"
"I forget."
Kate held the license up. "Montgomery, run the sheet."
Wesley looked at her. "Listen, whatever you think Angel did, I'm sure there's a-"
"Who's Darla?" Kate asked.
Buffy shined her light over the shattered remains of the blast door, then looked deeper into the room. She sensed someone silently approach her from behind.
"It was you who planted the Dagon Sphere, right? I got it. Don't worry. I'm stronger than I look. I have had experience with shit like this before. Best of all..." Buffy whirled around and seized an attractive blonde woman in a form-fitting red dress by the throat. "I'm not stupid."
The woman gave Buffy a withering look, wrenched Buffy's arm from her neck, and backhanded the Slayer with such force that she flew fifty feet across the room and impacted the cement wall so hard that she cracked it. Buffy fell to the floor and looked up at the woman, stunned at her power.
"You sure about that last part?" the woman asked.
The jingling bell signaled the departure of the final customer of the evening. Giles, Jenny, and Tara sat around the reading table, exhausted.
"Would someone please rip that bloody bell off its hinges?" Giles asked.
"Would that involve moving?" Tara asked.
Giles groaned. "My feet are numb."
Jenny groaned. "I'll see your numbness, and I'll raise you a lower back pain."
Giles sighed. "I think I liked it better when demons would just crash in here and tear the place apart. Just seemed so much simpler."
"Hey, any word from Buffy on how her spell went?" Tara asked them.
Giles looked at her. "She said it didn't work. Now, she's off investigating whoever left the Dagon Sphere behind. I just hope she isn't doing anything too rash."
Buffy slammed into the cement wall again, face first. The wall cracked under the impact.
The woman strode toward her and seized her by the shoulders. "And another thing? I just want you to know..." She slammed Buffy into a support pillar and pummeled her. "The whole 'beat ya to death' thing I'm doing? It's valuable time out of life that I'm never gonna get back."
Buffy tried to fight back, but the woman grabbed both of her arms and wrenched them downward. Buffy cried out in pain.
"Wait, I've always wanted to try this. You know that thing with worms where, if you have one, you rip it in half, you got two worms? Do you think that'll work with you?"
Buffy slammed her head into the woman's face and broke free.
"You hit me! What, are you crazy?" the woman asked.
Buffy pressed the attack, hitting and kicking for all that she was worth, forcing the woman backward, but her blows seemed more to offend her than injure her.
"You can't go around hitting people. What, were you born in a barn? Fine. Be that way." The woman easily blocked Buffy's next blow and swung her around into the wall.
She sent a blow for Buffy's head, but the Slayer ducked at the last instant, and the woman's fist punched through the concrete. She picked Buffy up by the throat and held her there, gasping for air.
"I just noticed something. You have superpowers. That is so cool. Can you fly?" the woman asked.
She hurled Buffy clear across the room, where she landed, dazed. Buffy got to her feet and prepared to engage the woman again but realized she was outmatched. Buffy ran toward the window. The woman charged after her. She was too late: Buffy crashed through the window and tumbled to the ground below.
Cordelia and Gunn stood around impatiently while Wesley sat with a book.
Kate walked in with Gunn's rap sheet. "Hey, looky here. Disturbing the peace, resisting arrest, G.T.A., assault." She looked at him. "You've led a rich, full life, haven't you, Charles?"
"I get around."
"Hey, I know this guy; he helps people. I bet this shit you're dredging up all happened a long time ago, didn't it?" Cordelia asked.
"Some of it when he was a minor."
"Uh-huh."
"And some of it in the last two weeks."
"Oh."
"Word to the wise, Charles: hanging out with these two and their creature-of-the-night boss won't be good for the résumé."
"I can see you're looking out for me, detective."
Cordelia looked at Kate. "Okay, okay, let's not get off track here. We want to find Angel as much as you do."
"No, you don't. You want to protect him, even though he's lost it: he stalked that woman, because he thought she was this Darla from his past; she begged him to stay out, and he knocked down the door and killed her husband. I've read about him, too; I know what he is, and I know he hasn't changed."
Gunn shook his head. "No, he hasn't; he's still a vampire."
Cordelia looked at him. "Gunn...not helping."
"So how'd he get in the house? She invite him in?" Gunn asked Kate.
"Of course, she didn't invite-"
Cordelia realized what Gunn was getting at. "The only way Angel could get in that house uninvited is if the real owners were dead. It's what he was saying all along; she isn't DeEtta Kramer!"
"You're grasping at straws."
"Are we?" Wesley showed his book to Kate. "This is a daguerreotype of Darla, taken over a hundred years ago. That woman who said she was DeEtta Kramer - look familiar?"
Kate looked at the picture of Darla wearing period clothing and recognized the woman that she had talked to.
The cops came down the stairs into the lobby.
"He's nowhere to be found."
Kate looked at the officer. "Leave some officers on the perimeter in case he shows."
The cops filed out.
Kate looked at Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn. "I'll be sure and mention your cooperation in the report."
Cordelia stared at her. "Hey, we did more than cooperate; we solved the damn case. Find out who did away with the owners of that house, you'll find your killer."
"You don't get it, do you?" Kate asked.
"What, the fact that Angel's innocent?" Gunn asked her.
"The fact that, while you're fighting your big battles of good and evil, the innocent are the ones who get caught in the crossfire. Those are the ones I care about, like that man tonight, like the real owners of that house if what you say is true. And those are the ones I chalk up to your boss."
"You can't blame Angel for..." Wesley paused. "He's trying to do what's right!"
"That's right, he's good, I keep forgetting. I'm sorry, and why'd he kidnap that woman again?"
No one said anything, and Kate left.
Buffy entered the foyer, still somewhat in a daze. She found her mother and Dawn together on the couch in the living room.
Joyce looked at her in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Just dropped by to say something."
Dawn got up and left the room. "I wasn't bothering her."
"What was that all about?" Joyce asked Buffy.
"Nothing." Buffy paused. "Sister stuff."
Buffy turned and followed Dawn up the stairs. Buffy knocked on Dawn's bedroom door.
"Go away."
Buffy opened the door and stood in the threshold. Dawn sat quietly on her bed.
"I'm sorry."
"You hurt my nose."
"I know."
Dawn stared daggers at her. "Butthole."
"Really sorry." Buffy took a few steps into the room.
"Broken record much?"
"You can't even take an apology. You always do that. Ever since I gave you a mohawk." Buffy sat down next to Dawn. "I just had a bad day."
"Well, join the club."
"Can I be president?"
"I'm president. You could be the janitor."
Buffy smiled. "Okay." Buffy reached up and stroked Dawn's hair.
"Buffy?"
"Yeah?"
"What's wrong with Mom?"
"I don't know."
Buffy and Dawn shared a troubled look as Buffy continued stroking her sister's hair.
The next day, in Homosassa, Florida, a fifteen-year-old girl named Eve Fuller, who had shoulder-length blonde hair, got off the school bus and opened her mailbox. There was nothing. She walked up the driveway, along the sidewalk, and up the steps of her front porch. She dug in her blue jeans pockets for her house key, found it, opened the screen door, and unlocked and opened the front door of her double-wide mobile home.
She walked into the living room and closed and locked the screen door but left the front door open. She tossed her bookbag onto the couch by the window and headed into the kitchen, which was immediately next to the living room with no wall or door to divide the two areas.
Eve opened the refrigerator and took out a two-liter bottle of regular Pepsi. She opened it and took a bunch of gulps directly out of the bottle. She closed the bottle, put it back in the refrigerator, and closed the refrigerator.
The telephone rang. Eve walked over and checked the caller ID. It was Walmart.
Eve picked up the handset and answered the call. "Hello?"
"Hi, Eve, it's me."
"Hi, Mommy."
"I'll be working late. They asked me to stay longer."
"Okay."
"So you'll have to heat up something to eat."
"I don't think we have anything."
Amanda Fuller paused. "Are you sure?"
Eve walked over to the refrigerator, opened it, looked inside, closed it, opened the freezer, looked inside, and closed it. "Yup."
"Shit. I'll have to buy some frozen dinners when I get off work." Amanda paused. "Order pizza, I guess. There's money in an envelope in the top-center drawer of my dresser."
"Okay."
"How was school?"
"It was okay. Got some homework."
"Well, get it done before you watch TV."
"Okay."
"Okay, have a good night. I love you."
"I love you, too. Good night."
Her mother ended the call. Eve turned off the handset and walked over to get the phone book. She looked up the number for Pizza Hut.
That evening, Cordelia knocked on the door to Angel's room. "It's us."
After a moment, Angel opened the door.
Cordelia had her hands hidden behind her back. "We didn't see you all day; we were just wondering if everything was, you know, copacetic."
"I didn't go bad, Cordelia."
"I was never worried about that, boss." Cordelia pushed the tranquilizer pistol into Wesley's hands. "Of course, Mr. Fussy Pants here always imagines the worst."
Wesley lifted up his hand, revealing the tranquilizer pistol. "What? I didn't...I never-"
"Is there anything else?" Angel asked.
Cordelia shook her head. "Nope. Can't think of a fucking thing."
Angel was about to close the door.
"Angel...be careful."
"What do you mean?" Angel asked Wesley.
"Well, it's just, with Darla back, in league with Wolfram & Hart, there are a lot of forces arrayed against you. There's going to be trouble."
Angel laughed. "Yeah. There's gonna be a lot of trouble...and I say bring it on."
Chapter 110: Family
Chapter Text
"Family"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Family" Written by Joss Whedon and the Angel Episode "Guise Will Be Guise" Written by Jane Espenson
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
Cordelia hurried down the stairs, into the lobby. She saw Wesley gathering up papers off the floor.
"What are you doing?" Cordelia asked.
"Uh...knocking things over, driving away business - you know, the usual."
"Well, I found him, and we have to stop him before it's too late; we have to change our..." Cordelia looked down at the dress that she was holding in her right hand. "Do you have any clothes a man would wear?"
At Wolfram & Hart, Angel pushed open a grate in the floor in the basement. Angel climbed out of it, followed by Gunn. Angel saw a guy and a woman arguing a little ways down the hallway branching off to their right.
Angel looked at Gunn. "Don't make eye contact. Keep going."
The two of them walked across the hallway and stepped into the elevator. The doors were almost closed when someone stuck a briefcase between them. The doors slid back open. It was the pair from the hallway, and they were Wesley and Cordelia dressed in lawyer garb. Angel grabbed them and pulled them into the elevator.
Angel pushed a floor button. "What are you two doing in here?"
Cordelia pushed the door open button. "Um, I'm thinking risking our lives to save yours."
"How'd you get in?" Gunn asked.
Wesley looked at him. "We used the door."
"And they just let you in?" Gunn asked.
Cordelia indicated her outfit. "Hello. Lawyer!"
Angel pushed the floor button.
Cordelia pushed open. "You're not going up there."
Angel pushed the floor button. "No, no. I need to do this. I have to find her...where they have her..."
Cordelia pushed open. "Still with the Darla bullshit?"
"Did you encourage this?" Wesley asked Gunn.
"I'm just going along for the ride."
Angel pushed the floor button.
Cordelia pushed open. "Gonna be a pretty short ride. They have vampire detectors!"
"We know. It's cool. He's got a plan."
"A plan?" Wesley asked.
"Yeah." Angel pushed the floor button. "I get to the offices before they stop me."
"See?" Gunn whipped his head around to stare at Angel. "What? That's the plan? Walking really quick was the 'plan'?"
Cordelia pushed open. "Angel, this is crazy. Listen to yourself. You're all insane and angry and insane! You need help!"
Angel pushed the floor button. "I'm not insane, and I'm not angry."
Cordelia pushed open, and this time there was a security guard there, triggering the stake concealed in his nightstick. Angel grabbed a hold of it and stabbed him through the foot with it.
"Euugh!" Wesley exclaimed.
Gunn stared in disgust. "Man, that's nasty."
The guard was trying to pull out the stick, but it went all of the way through his shoe and was wedged tightly into the crack between the elevator and hallway.
Angel walked past the guard. "Maybe I'm a little angry."
The others gave the struggling guard one last look, then followed him out.
"'Maybe'?" Cordelia asked.
On the stage at Cordy's, in the Hyperion, two Japanese men were singing "I Got You Babe". Cordelia, Angel, Wesley, and Gunn were sitting at a table, watching.
Gunn saw a horned demon light a cigarette on a candle. "Okay, what I want to know is how'd I live in L.A. all my life and not notice weird-ass shit was going on?"
Cordelia looked at him. "Oh, the ass is even weirder than you think. I can help people: read their souls, sense their futures. But I can only do it when they sing karaoke."
Angel looked at Cordelia. "I just...I-I feel this...like...I have to do something...and, if I don't let it out, I'll explode, and then...when I do something...it feels, uh...I-I think, maybe...this - this is it. I..." He hung his head. "I'll sing if I have to."
The Japanese men finished and left the stage. The audience politely applauded. Angel stood up, went up on the stage, and looked through the songs. He selected one. Music started playing. Angel picked up the microphone and started singing:
"Her name was Lola.
She was a showgirl.
With yellow feathers in her hair
And a dress cut down to there..."
Cordelia pulled out a notepad and scribbled something on a page. She looked at Angel and made a slicing motion in front of her neck. Angel set down the microphone, turned off the song, and walked over to the table.
Cordelia tore the page out of the notepad and offered it to him. "Here."
Angel took the paper. "What's this?"
"An address in Ojai. You ever hear of the T'ish Magev?"
"The T'ish Magev..." Angel paused. "He's like...a swami, sort of, right? Very powerful. This is his address?"
"I'm sending you to him. You need more than I can do for you. This guy...he'll shock your chakras, fillet your soul...whatever you need. Go to him."
Cordelia and Wesley were in Angel's office, tidying up some papers.
"I figure he'll be back pretty quick. This swami guy sounds kinda magic; he'll probably just do a spell and zap this obsession out of Angel's head."
"Intriguing notion. Psychiatry through magic. Instant cures for phobias, compulsions, identity crises."
Cordelia sat down in the big chair behind Angel's desk and spun the chair in circles. "Hey, look at me. I'm Angel!"
"He doesn't generally spin that much."
"Right. Right. This is Angel." Cordelia picked up a book, opened it, and pretended to read it, leaning her head in one hand. "Oh, no. I can't do anything fun tonight. I have to count my past sins, then alphabetize them. Oh, by the way, I'm thinking of snapping on Friday."
Wesley suppressed a smile.
Cordelia gave him a big grin. "You know, I love Angel and everything, but, right now, I'm so glad he's headed the other way."
Cordelia walked into the hotel lobby and was grabbed around the neck by a guy from behind.
"Where is Angel?"
"He's not here."
"You're lying. Give me Angel."
Cordelia tugged on his arm. "I-I can't. Let go!"
He did.
Cordelia turned to face him. "It's about time you-"
He pulled out a gun and pointed it at her. "My boss needs your boss. So I cannot leave here without him. So you are gonna get him for me now, or I'm gonna blow your pretty, fucking head off."
"No! I-I...I-I can't...I-I-I don't know where he is. I swear."
He cocked his gun. "Too bad."
"Wait! Wait! Listen, I-I...Please wait."
Wesley walked towards them, wearing Angel's long, dark coat. "I'm Angel."
He almost slipped on something but caught himself before the guy spun around to confront him.
"You looking for me?"
The guy pointed his gun at Wesley's chest.
"That - That - That won't kill me."
"Fine. Let's go." The guy lowered his gun and walked towards the door. "Follow me."
"You just expect me to follow you. I don't see why I should." Wesley turned away from him and took a step towards Cordelia. "Uh, you know the gun won't kill me."
"Oh, yeah?" He pointed the gun at Cordelia. "What's it gonna do to her?"
Wesley spun around.
"Come on."
Wesley put his hand up in a placating gesture. "Yes. All right."
The guy lowered his gun.
Wesley folded his arms across his chest. "But, uh, I shan't be cooperative."
"At gunpoint?" Gunn asked.
Cordelia nodded. "Yes! The point of a gun. He just walked Wesley right out of here. And this whole 'I'm Angel' thing is a very, very bad idea. I mean, if I thought that would work, I could've been Angel, because - guess what? - pretty much a girly name."
"Where'd they go?"
"I don't know. I tried to follow them, but I lost them."
"So what's the plan?"
"The plan is...you go get Angel from the swami place; I track down Wesley. This guy that took him, pretty distinctive; maybe I can find a criminal record, known associates, uh, mugshots!"
"I better get started."
"Gunn...this thug guy is bad news. I really hate to think where Wesley may be right now."
Cordelia was looking at mugshots of criminals on her laptop; she eyed the magazine laying beside it, then finally picked it up and started to flip through it. "Celeb photos, celeb photos. Page 46."
She came across a photo of businessman Magnus Bryce and his daughter, Virginia, a beautiful young woman with long, curly red hair. The thug was standing behind them.
"It's him!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Miss Kitty Fantastico was playing with a small ball of yarn on the floor of Buffy and Tara's dorm room. Buffy and Tara were in bed, naked, snuggling.
Buffy smiled. "I can't believe the big day is almost here."
Tara frowned. "Sweetie, you promised you wouldn't make a big deal about my birthday."
"Tell me a story."
"Okay. Once upon a time, there was, um...a kitty. She was very little, and she was all alone, and nobody wanted her."
Buffy frowned. "This is a very upsetting story."
"Oh, oh, but it gets better. 'Cause one day, the kitty was running around in the street, and a man came and swooped her up..." Tara bent over, reached down, and swooped up the kitten. "And took her to the pound." Tara sat up, lifting the kitten into her lap. "And at the pound, there were lots of other kitties, and there were puppies and some ferrets-"
Buffy smiled. "Were there dolphins?"
Tara handed the kitten to Buffy. "Yes. Many dolphins at the pound."
"Or was there a camel?"
Tara thought. "There was the front of a camel. A half-camel." She smiled.
Buffy cuddled the kitten. "Did the kitty get chosen by some nice people?"
"Well, now, you ruined the ending."
"Mmm..." Buffy let go of the kitten.
Miss Kitty Fantastico ran off.
Buffy yawned. "I'm sleepy."
"Do you mind if I keep the light on? I was gonna look up some spells."
"It's fine." Buffy pouted. "I don't need to be snuggled." She smiled.
Tara smiled back. "Vixen!"
Tara took some books that were on the bed and piled them up on the floor.
"You've been researching spells night and day lately."
Tara looked at her. "Well, I just wanna be ready in case that bitch comes after you."
"She'll come. She'll come for us. We have to find out who this woman is and what she wants." Buffy frowned in thought. "Sweetie, would you object to us moving back home? I'd feel better being closer to Dawn and my mom."
Tara smiled and turned off the light. "Sure."
Tara lay down, putting her head on Buffy's shoulder, and they snuggled up together.
The next day, Buffy was stacking some boxes in the hallway outside their dorm room. Amy and Harmony were carrying a mini fridge out of the dorm room.
Dawn emerged behind them, carrying a stack of boxes that obscured her vision. "I don't need help."
"Just be careful." Buffy turned and entered the dorm room.
Tara, Sandy, and Giles were surrounded by boxes. Miss Kitty Fantastico was sitting in her carrier. Giles was reading a book.
Buffy smiled, a bit irritated. "Giles, I noticed you're doing the smallest amount of helping that can actually be called helping."
"Well, I saw myself in more of a...patriarchal sort of role. You know, lots of pointing and scowling." Giles smiled, looked to his left, pointed, and scowled. "You two, stop that!"
Amy and Harmony were circling and slapping each other.
Amy looked at Giles. "She started it."
Harmony looked at Giles. "She called me a bad name."
Tara, folding clothes, looked at them and grinned.
Harmony frowned in confusion. "I think it was bad. It might've been Latin."
Giles sighed. "Stop it, or you're going to break something."
Buffy frowned. "Or I'm going to break something."
The ladies suddenly stopped fighting.
Sandy picked up a few boxes. "Wouldn't you being at home make your family more of a target, Buffy?"
Buffy shrugged. "Maybe. You know, with Mom not being well, I'm hardly ever here." She picked up a pile of clothes to put in a box. "I'll save a little cash for this semester."
Dawn re-entered the room and breezed past Buffy. "Some of your CDs are my CDs."
"I know. Come help us fold."
Tara smiled at them. Everyone returned to packing and carrying (and, in Giles' case, reading). Sandy took a suitcase and left the room. Buffy bent over to fold a sheet and grabbed her lower back with a sigh.
"Starting to feel that fight?" Tara asked.
Buffy groaned. "Nothing like gettin' your ass kicked to...make your ass hurt."
Dawn smiled. "You'll totally take her next time."
Amy smiled. "'Cause you'll have backup. She's messin' with all of us."
Giles looked up from his book. "Yes, uh, we'll - we'll, uh, find her weaknesses, and then, uh-"
Tara grinned. "Yeah. You learn her source, and, uh, we'll introduce her to her insect reflection."
Everyone looked at her in confusion.
Tara stopped smiling. "Um...that - that was funny if you, um, studied Taglarin mythic rites...and are a complete dork." Tara took a box and exited the room.
Tara walked out into the hall, shaking her head.
Buffy walked out of the room and approached her. "Hey. You wanna start taking stuff down to the van?"
Tara nodded. "Yeah."
"Okay." Buffy paused. "I'm not sure how much room that I have in there at the moment."
"It's okay. I'll get my stuff later."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay." Buffy went back into the dorm room.
Tara walked off with her box. "Stupid..."
Buffy looked at everyone. "Okay. Guys, now, remember, you have to be at the Bronze by eight tomorrow night."
Everyone stared at her, confused.
"October 16. Tara's birthday. And our ceremony."
"That's tomorrow already?" Dawn asked. "Damn."
"Who's coming?" Buffy asked. "Amy?"
Amy looked at her in confusion. "Of course. I'm performing the ceremony."
"No, I mean have you heard from Trina?" Buffy asked.
"Oh. Yeah, she's coming."
"Good. Harmony?" Buffy asked.
Harmony nodded. "Cordy and Faith are coming, but Anne isn't."
Buffy was a bit disappointed. "Oh. Well, I guess someone's gotta run the teen center."
Harmony smiled. "But she sends her love and well wishes."
"Cool."
"Buffy, may I bring Julie?" Sandy asked. "I mean...I know you're not exactly close-"
"It's fine." Buffy smiled. "Julie's welcome."
Sandy smiled.
"Giles?" Buffy asked.
"Jenny and I will be there."
"Cool."
"What about...your father?" Giles asked.
"Yeah, he's, um...in Spain...with his secretary. Living the cliche. I called him when Mom got sick; he hasn't even..." Buffy didn't bother finishing.
Giles looked sympathetic. "I'm sorry."
Gunn pulled his pickup truck up beside Angel's car in front of the cabin.
Gunn got out. "Yo, yo! Anybody home?"
"Morning, traveler. Do you seek enlightenment?"
"I seek Angel. He with you?"
"Well, he was until the sun came up, then..." He paused. "You see that pile of dust over there?"
Gunn stared at him in shock.
He laughed. "I'm just joking! He's inside. Come on."
Gunn walked towards the house. "Joking. Great. We got ourselves a funny Zen master."
Gunn was suddenly hit hard on the head from behind, then across the chin, knocking him unconscious.
Buffy entered the Magic Box. "So...any breakthroughs on the identity of Miss Congeniality?"
"Well, I have narrowed it down somewhat." Giles looked down at the reading table, where there was a large assortment of books spread out.
Buffy looked at the books. "Your definition of narrow is impressively wide."
"Well, you didn't give me much to go on. She - She looks human, so the mugshots aren't any use, and, uh, you can't be more specific about what she's like?"
Buffy pondered. "She was kinda like Cordelia, actually."
Giles nodded thoughtfully.
"I'm pretty sure she dyes her hair."
"Right! That one, of course. Our work is done."
"There must be something on her." Buffy sat at the table. "The answer is somewhere here." She stared at the book-covered table. "It's right in front of us, and we're too blind to see it!" She slammed her hand down on the table.
Giles started. Buffy gave him an exasperated look. Giles took a box and began climbing some stairs to the loft. Buffy started looking at books.
Cordelia quietly walked down a hall in the Bryce mansion and ran into Wesley. "There you are! I found you!"
"Cordelia. How did you get in here?"
"Well, I told them that I worked for Angel, and they sent me right in. You got everybody scared around here, I'll tell you that. It's like they don't even know you're a chimp."
Virginia walked up behind Wesley.
Cordelia held out her hand. "Oh. Hey, you're Virginia Bryce!"
"Who are you?" Virginia asked.
"This is Cordelia Chase. She works for me."
Virginia nodded at Cordelia, who nodded back.
"Virginia, I left my coat-"
"I'll get it." Virginia turned her back.
Cordelia grabbed a hold of Wesley's arm. "Good move. Now, let's scuttle our butts out of here."
"Cordelia, I'm not going with you."
"What? I'm rescuing you! Key ingredient? We leave!"
"I understand, but I have to stay. I have a job to do."
"What is wrong with you? You've got, like, delusions of Angel! You're not him. You can't do stuff on your own." Cordelia saw Bryce and two robed guards come up behind Wesley. "Oh, fuck." Once they came close enough, she reached out and shook Bryce's hand. "Oh, hey, Mr. Bryce, I've seen your picture." She saw the thug behind Bryce. "And I remember you from the armed abduction."
"I had Ms. Chase testing your defensive perimeter, and I must say..." Wesley paused. "Did you know your guards just let her in?"
"Because I told them to. I wanted my daughter to hear someone call you by your real name."
Wesley froze. "Wait."
Virginia stepped up beside Wesley. "What's going on? What real name?"
"I got a call from an anonymous friend with some information. This guy...isn't Angel."
The thug grabbed Wesley's shoulder and pulled him backwards towards a window.
"I am so Angel!" Wesley insisted.
"Yeah, yeah!" Cordelia added.
"Oh, no, no, not the sun! For I am a vampire. Oh, oh, oh! It burns! Oh." Wesley cowered away from the sun.
Cordelia made a face, and Virginia stared at him. Wesley finally gave up the pretense.
Virginia was disappointed. "You're not Angel."
"My name is Wesley Wyndham-Price."
"I talked to you. I trusted you." Virginia paused. "You lied to me." She paused again. "Come to think of it, you actually put my life in danger. I was walking around, thinking I had vampire protection." She paused again. "Here's the funny part: I finally thought I had a friend." She held out Angel's coat to him.
After a moment's hesitation, he took it and watched her turn away and walk into her room.
Cordelia walked to stand beside Wesley. "Well, you kind of fucked her over, huh?"
"You're gonna get out of my house now, loser. Take the piece with you."
One of the robed guards pushed them down the hall.
"The piece? Was that supposed to be me? Get off me!" Cordelia yelled.
Giles came back down from the loft. "Come up with anything yet?"
"I'm at a loss."
A young guy with blond hair and a beard walked over and looked at the books on the table in front of Buffy. "Uh, are all these magic books?"
"Uh, private collection. Uh, books for sale are against the walls over there." Giles gestured with his coffee cup, then walked toward the counter.
The guy continued looking through books on the table. "So all these books got spells in 'em? Turn people into frogs, things like that?"
Everyone looked dubiously at him.
Buffy gave him a sarcastic smile. "Yeah, we're building a race of frog people. It's a good time."
The guy grinned. "So, uh..." He gestured at them. "You all witches? Hey, don't do a spell on me now." He laughed.
"Was there something in particular you were looking for?" Giles asked him.
The guy continued chuckling.
The door opened, and Tara entered.
"Whatta you know?" the guy asked.
Tara saw him and stopped laughing.
"What's the matter? You don't have a hug for your big brother?"
Buffy stood up. Tara was upset and uncomfortable. Buffy looked at her. Donny gave Tara a friendly punch on the arm.
"How come you came?" Tara asked him.
"Well, duh, birthday girl. Uh, we came down in the camper, been all over the campus."
"We?"
Tara and Buffy turned as the door opened, and Mr. Maclay walked in, followed by Beth.
"Look what I found!" Donny gestured at Tara.
"Uh, Dad, hi." Tara walked forward.
Buffy watched.
"Well, here's my girl."
Tara hugged her dad awkwardly. Giles walked forward.
Tara let go of her dad. "S-Such a s-surprise."
Donny nodded. "Yes."
Tara looked at Beth. "Cousin Beth."
"Hey."
"One of your dorm-mates said I might...find you here." Steve looked around.
"Oh." Tara turned toward the others. Oh, um, you remember Buffy and Mr. Giles; um, he runs the shop."
"How do you do?" Giles asked stiffly.
"Pleasure. Well, I-I don't mean to interrupt your plans; I know we've come on you kind of suddenly, but I thought we could have dinner."
"Okay."
"Why don't I pick you up at six? And we'll..." Steve glanced at the others. "...do some catching up."
"Yes, sir."
Steve looked at the others. "Forgive me for running out. We're double-parked."
Giles gestured with his coffee cup.
Mr. Maclay, Beth, and Donny left. Tara watched. Buffy frowned. Tara walked farther into the shop, toward Buffy.
"Wanna get into research mode?" Buffy asked her.
"Sure."
They sat at the table.
In Montclair, New Jersey, a fifteen-year-old Dominican-American girl with long black hair (partially dyed blonde) named Caridad Ramirez was working her weekend job at a local convenience store. She was currently opening cases of soda that the store owner's wife had purchased at Walmart and was stocking the cooler. She had her headphones of her Sony Discman over her ears and was listening to "All Good?" by De La Soul and Chaka Khan.
When she was done with the latest case, she stopped the music, pulled her headphones down around her neck, and walked out of the cooler. Mr. Patel, the owner, was standing behind the counter.
"Can I take my break now?" Caridad asked.
"Sure. Grab a soda."
Caridad opened the cooler and took out a brown glass bottle of Royal Crown Draft Premium Cola, her favorite soda. She took it over to the counter, and Mr. Patel opened the bottle for her. Caridad slowly sipped the soda, savoring the taste.
The door opened, and a woman with short blonde hair walked into the store. Caridad noticed the woman glance at her, then walk past her. The woman got a can of regular Pepsi from the cooler.
Caridad looked at her. "Those are warm."
The woman looked at her. "I'm sorry?"
Caridad guessed, from the woman's accent, she was British. "I just stocked those." She held up her bottle. "Grab one of these. It's the nectar of the gods."
The woman put the Pepsi back and grabbed a Royal Crown Draft Premium Cola. She offered Caridad a smile. "Thanks." She took it over to the counter and looked back at her. "You work here?"
"Yeah."
"On your break?"
"Yeah."
"Can we go outside and chat for a bit?"
"Huh?"
The woman paid for her soda. Mr. Patel opened her bottle for her.
The woman walked over to Caridad and took a business card out of her purse. "My name is Jodie Tennant. I'm a modeling scout."
Caridad took the card and looked at it.
Jodie smiled. "Wanna talk about your future?"
Caridad shrugged and indicated the door with her bottle. She followed Jodie outside.
Jodie took a gulp of her soda. "Ooh, this is delicious."
"Told ya." Caridad took a gulp of her own cola.
"I think you've got the look to be in commercials - maybe even TV and movies."
"Really? You're not just fucking with me?" Caridad asked.
"No." Jodie paused. "Tell me about yourself."
"Uh, let's see. I'm fifteen. I was born in the Dominican Republic. My parents moved here when I was six months old, so my grandma raised me. I finally moved here when I was almost ten."
"What was it like...living with your grandmother?"
Caridad hesitated. "It wasn't great. We were poor." Then she smiled as she recalled fond childhood memories. "But I always knew I wanted to act. I used to reenact scenes from telenovelas to entertain my family, and I'm in my school's drama club."
Jodie smiled. "Well, I think you have potential to reach new heights. What do you say? Give me a chance?"
"Well, you'd have to talk to my parents..." Caridad grinned. "I'll have them call you."
Jodie grinned.
Buffy entered the foyer through the front door, tossing her keys onto a table. "Mom, Dawn, I'm home."
Dawn walked down the stairs, carrying a bag. "See ya later."
"Where are you going?" Buffy asked her.
"I'm going to Melinda's for dinner and to spend the night."
"Have fun...but stay safe."
Dawn nodded and walked outside. Buffy closed and locked the door.
Cordelia sat down next to Wesley on the lobby steps inside the Hyperion. "Well, that was pretty humiliating, huh?"
Angel came in, leading a dazed Gunn.
Cordelia got up. "Angel, Gunn, what happened?"
"He got hit."
"By who? The swami? Swamis don't hit. Swamis swam."
Angel saw Wesley sitting on the steps. "Why is Wesley wearing my coat?"
Gunn looked at Cordelia. "That was a whole lot of swami."
"The T'ish Magev hit him?" Wesley asked Angel.
"He was a fake. Someone must have found out that I was going up there. They hired this guy to get me out of the way. He took out the real Magev. Set up the whole thing."
"Did you find out who hired him?" Wesley asked.
"He wouldn't say."
Wesley got up and started to pace.
"That is my coat, right?" Angel asked.
"It has to be Paul Lanier. He thought that would keep Virginia unprotected. Then when his men couldn't take me out, he tipped off Bryce that I wasn't Angel. He hoped Bryce would get me out of the way."
"What's going on?" Angel paused. "Were you in Virginia?"
"That's beside the point."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "He was posing as you. Protecting a girl named Virginia. This guy Lanier is trying to kill her...or abduct her...or something."
"She's probably in danger right now. She's at the big party."
"What party?" Gunn asked Wesley.
"Her father's birthday. Big wizard event: cake, ice cream, tributes to the goddess Yeska."
"Yeska?" Angel asked. "Wait a minute, I know Yeska. She's no goddess."
"What do you mean?" Cordelia asked.
"She's a Davric demon."
"Davric?" Wesley asked. "They don't serve humans - well, unless the humans make a sacrifice."
"Sacrifice?" Gunn asked him.
"Davric demons eat live sacrifices - generally, girls. They grant huge power to the person that offers a sacrifice on their fifti-oh, dear lord, on their fiftieth birthday. Bryce is gonna sacrifice his own daughter."
"So why was Lanier trying to abduct her?" Cordelia asked, confused.
Angel looked at her. "Bryce is going to get a lot of power off that sacrifice."
"We have to go. Angel you take Gunn, go to the front of the house. Cordelia, we'll go to the back."
As Wesley was about to walk past, Angel put out a hand to stop him.
"All right. You know this sort of thing best. How should we proceed?" Wesley asked him.
Angel looked around. "Um, well, Gunn and I could...take the back?"
Wesley walked on. "Very good. Let's go."
Angel followed. "Uh, Wesley, can I get my coat back?"
Tara entered her dorm room, holding some flat cardboard boxes, and stopped when she saw her dad standing there. He had his arms folded, staring at her roomful of witchy stuff.
"The door wasn't locked. I was a little early." Steve looked around. "I suppose you...wanted me to see all these..." He picked up a large crystal and examined it. "...toys." He put the crystal down. "You don't even try to hide it anymore. I'd hoped maybe you'd gotten over the whole witchcraft thing. That, if we let you go, you'd...get it out of your system." He put his hands in his pockets. "Then they told me to look for you in...that store."
"I didn't - I-I didn't kn-know that you were coming."
"Of course, we came. Your birthday's getting closer and closer. You know what that means."
"I don't think it's..." Tara paused. "It - It won't mean that-"
"You're turning twenty." Steve walked toward her. "It's the same age your mother was when she..." He paused. "Do your friends even know?"
"Y-Yes."
"Are you lying to me?"
Tara looked down.
"Tara, you're coming home with us. You know it's the only way."
Tara looked up. "Home?"
"You can't control what's going to happen. You have evil inside of you, and it will come out. And letting yourself work all this magic is only going to make it worse. Where do you think that power comes from?"
"It...It doesn't feel evil...sir."
"Evil never does."
Tara looked down.
"I don't feel much like eating right now." Steve started to walk past her. "I'll give you some time, but we need to be gone by morning." He walked to the door. "Your family loves you, Tara, no matter what. How do you think your friends are going to feel when they see your true face?"
Wesley, Cordelia, Angel (who was wearing his coat again), and Gunn strode into the party room through the open double doors. Virginia was shackled to a stone sculpture, decorated with lit candles, with the attached chains.
Wesley stared at Bryce. "Release her or die."
"Don't I say that?" Angel asked.
"Guards!" Bryce yelled.
The partygoers scattered as Wesley got knocked down by the first charging guard. He got back up and did about as well as Angel and Gunn against the guards. Cordelia got into the fray as well, knocking one of them over the head with a Champagne bottle from behind as he was trying to strangle Gunn.
Wesley hurried towards Virginia, knocking the thug out along the way, and started to unchain her. "I'll get you out of here."
Bryce cowered beside a table. "The hour approaches, Yeska. Do not be blind to my plea. Yeska, I beseech thee."
A wind started to blow inside the room, distracting the fighters.
"Appear!" Bryce yelled.
Yeska, an ugly gray-skinned demoness with a blonde afro, appeared with a flicker of lightning in front of Virginia. She grinned. "The Sacrifice..."
Virginia stared at her, wide-eyed.
Yeska's grinned vanished. "...is impure!"
And with that, Yeska vanished herself the same way that she appeared.
"What's going on?" Gunn asked.
Wesley looked at Virginia. "Let's go."
"Why did you come back?" Virginia asked him.
"I said I'd protect you."
Virginia gave a short laugh and let him help her up.
"She's impure? She-She's not a virgin?" Bryce started towards Wesley. "You..."
"Whoa! That's what impure meant?" Gunn asked.
"She slept with him?" Cordelia asked.
"You were supposed to be Angel. This wouldn't have happened. That's why I hired him. He's a eunuch."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "You slept with her."
"Eunuch?" Angel asked.
Wesley looked at Bryce. "Things happen. Two young people, danger..."
"What are you talking about?" Virginia asked.
"She was a virgin before you got here."
"I was not a virgin!" Virginia yelled.
"What?" Bryce asked.
Wesley breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness."
Gunn looked at Bryce. "I could have told you she was no virgin."
Angel looked at Bryce. "I'm not a eunuch."
"One day as Angel, one day!" Cordelia yelled. "And he's getting some."
"What? How could you? I kept you away from all men!" Bryce yelled at Virginia.
Angel shrugged. "I mean...the curse isn't even all that clear..."
"Daddy, you remember that chauffeur from when I was sixteen?" Virginia asked. "And the one at eighteen? I haven't been a virgin for a very long time. I even dated Rick."
Bryce turned to look at one of the robed guards, who hurriedly and quietly made his way from the room.
Bryce looked at Virginia. "Ginny, don't do this! Don't make me angry!"
"Right. Because then you might do something bad." Virginia paused. "You were going to kill me!" She hauled back and hit her dad with a hard left hook, knocking him to the ground. "You are not my father anymore."
Cordelia smiled at her as Virginia walked out of the room.
Angel looked down at Bryce. "I'm not a eunuch."
Sandy, wearing a low-cut blouse, walked into Willy's Bar. Various people and demons were drinking at tables. Sunday was sitting at the bar. Willy paced behind it.
"Drinking alone?" Sandy walked up next to Sunday. "It's not a good sign." She sat on the stool to Sunday's left.
"So they tell me." Sunday looked at her. "I buy you a drink, I don't have that problem anymore, now do I?" She sipped her drink.
Sandy smiled in amusement. "Vodka tonic."
Sunday looked at Willy. "Vodka tonic."
Willy put a napkin in front of Sandy and walked off. He poured Sandy's drink.
Sunday frowned. "This place is such a dive."
"No, no, it's great. You just have to close your eyes, plug up your nostrils; it's fine."
Sunday chuckled. "We...could go somewhere else. Someplace more...private."
Sandy sighed. "Ohhhh, Sunday, Sunday. It's no good. My heart belongs to another."
Willy set the glass with Sandy's drink on her napkin.
"And how are things with your human?" Sunday asked her.
"Fine."
"Then why are you here by yourself?" Sunday asked her. "You'd be drinking alone, if it wasn't for me."
Sandy narrowed her eyes in annoyance and used her straw to stab at the ice in her drink. "Julie doesn't like places like...this."
Sunday stared at her and nodded. "Huh."
Amy was sitting on the floor in her dorm room, eating brownies and watching TV. The door opened, and Harmony entered, carrying several shopping bags.
"Hi, Amy!" Harmony gleefully exclaimed.
"Hey. Have fun?" Amy asked.
"Oh, it was so exciting. You wouldn't believe it. I went to April Fool's, and absolutely everything was on sale."
"Did you need any more clothes?" Amy asked her.
Harmony started unpacking her bags, putting her purchases on her bed. "Oh, no. Still, a bargain's a bargain."
Amy frowned and shook her head. "Did you get anything for Buffy and Tara?"
Harmony frowned, upset at herself. "Oh, I forgot! You think we should do something? Like a gift basket or something?"
Tara walked across campus, carrying the last box to Buffy's van. She looked over her shoulder several times. Then she saw Beth approaching.
Beth looked surprised and pleased. "Tara."
"Beth, what are you-"
"I-I was looking for you."
"I'm sorry we didn't get to have dinner."
"I just...wanted to see if everything was okay."
Tara smiled.
"See if you needed any help with anything. Packing."
"Last box."
"Great. Let's go."
Tara stopped smiling. "Beth, I'm not - I'm n-not coming back with you."
"You're not?"
"I-I don't think so."
Beth stared at her. "You...selfish bitch!"
"What?!" Tara exclaimed, hurt.
"You don't care the slightest bitty bit about your family, do you? Your dad's been worried sick about you every day since you've been gone. There's a-a house that needs taking care of...Donny and your dad having to do for themselves while you're up here, living God knows what kind of lifestyle. I can't wait till your little friends find out the truth about you. And they will, you know. No matter how innocent you act, they'll see."
"No, they won't."
"They will. You've been lying to these people for over three years. If your father doesn't force you to come home, and I think he should, I know he's going to tell your friends the truth. If I was you, I'd tell them first. And then I'd tell them goodbye."
At the Magic Box, the gang was researching. Buffy, Tara, and Dawn were sitting at the table. Amy, Harmony, and Sandy were sitting on the counter. Giles and Jenny were bringing more books to them. They were all eating takeout from Wok Like An Egyptian.
The door opened. Steve entered, followed by Donny and Beth.
Steve stared at his daughter. "Time to go, Tara."
Donny nodded. "No need to let these folks see what you are."
"What do you mean, 'what you are'?" Buffy asked them.
Steve looked at her. "Demon. The women in our family...have demon in them. Her mother had it. That's where the magic comes from. We came to take her home before...well, before things started happening. The camper's outside."
No one moved. Buffy used a pair of chopsticks to put a pork dumpling in her mouth.
Steve sighed. "She belongs with us. We know how to control her...problem."
Buffy looked at Tara. "Tara...look at me."
Tara did.
"I-I trusted you more than anyone in my life. Was all that just a lie?" Buffy asked her.
"No!" Tara replied firmly.
"Well, do you wanna leave?" Buffy asked her.
Steve frowned. "It's not your decision, young lady."
Buffy looked at him. "I know that!" She looked at Tara. "Do you wanna leave?"
Tara shook her head.
"You're going to do what's right, Tara. Now, I'm taking you out of here before somebody gets killed. The girl belongs with her family. I hope that's clear to the rest of you."
"It is." Buffy narrowed her eyes at Tara. "You want her, Mr. Maclay? You can go ahead and take her."
Mr. Maclay nodded in satisfaction.
Buffy stood up and whirled around to face Mr. Maclay, putting her hands on her hips. "You just gotta go through me."
"What?"
"You heard me." Buffy stared him down, looking very tough. "You wanna take Tara out of here against her will? You gotta come through me."
Tara smiled.
"And me!" Dawn stood up and walked up to stand beside Buffy.
They both gave Mr. Maclay the same steely glare.
"Is this a joke?" Steve stepped down one of the stairs. "I'm not gonna be threatened by two girls."
Dawn stared at him. "You don't wanna fuck with us."
Buffy resisted the urge to crack a smile. "She's a hair-puller."
Giles walked up behind them, putting on his glasses. "And...you're not just dealing with, uh, two girls."
Tara smiled even more.
Amy hopped off the counter and joined Buffy and Dawn. "You're dealing with all of us."
Harmony hopped off the counter and joined them. "And that goes for me, too." She reconsidered her words and stared at Steve sternly. "Which I guess Amy already covered, but still...the point stands!"
Sandy hopped off the counter and joined them. Jenny joined them as well.
"This is insane. You people have no right to interfere with Tara's affairs. We...are her blood kin! Who the hell are you?" Steve asked.
Buffy stared at him. "We're family."
Tara smiled and looked at Buffy, who smiled back. Mr. Maclay looked angry.
"Daaad. You - You gonna let 'em just..." Donny stomped forward. "Tara, if you don't get in that car, I swear by God I will beat you down."
Buffy stared daggers at him. "And I swear I will kill you if you lay a hand on her."
Donny looked cowed.
Beth looked at the gang. "Well. I hope you'll all be happy hanging out with a disgusting demon."
"What kind?" Sandy asked her.
"What?" Beth asked.
"What kind of demon is she?" Sandy asked. "There's a lot of different kinds."
Jenny nodded. "Some are very, very evil. And some have been considered to be useful members of society."
"Well, I-I..." Beth paused. "What does it matter?"
Steve nodded. "Evil is evil."
"Well, let's just narrow it down. There's vampires, for instance." Sandy bared her fangs and hissed.
Steve, Donny, and Beth recoiled in fright and crossed themselves.
"All right, let's wrap this up. We've got work to do." Tara stood up and walked forward. "I told Buffy all about it early in our relationship. We got a DNA test done. I'm fully human."
"That's just a family legend, right?" Buffy asked Steve.
Mr. Maclay looked angry.
"Just a bit of bullshit to keep the ladies in line." Buffy smirked. "Oh, you're a goddamn piece of work."
Buffy and Dawn stood in identical poses, side-by-side, with their arms crossed, their heads cocked at the same angle, and the same steely glare on both of their faces.
Giles stood behind them. "Mr. Maclay, I would say your business here is finished."
"Tara."
Tara looked at her father.
"For eighteen years, your family has taken care of you and supported you. If you wanna turn your back-"
Tara walked forward. "Dad...just go."
Mr. Maclay scowled, turned, and headed for the door. Donny followed.
Beth gave Tara a very dirty look. "Are you happy now?"
A slow smile spread across Tara's face.
The following night, at the Bronze, before it opened to the public, Buffy and Tara's domestic partnership ceremony took place. In attendance, sitting at tables near the stage, were Joyce, Dawn, Cordelia, Faith, Katrina, Harmony, Sandy, Julie, Giles, and Jenny. Buffy, Tara, and Amy stood on the stage. Buffy and Tara faced each other, and Amy stood between them, to Buffy's left and Tara's right, holding a sheet of paper. Harmony had her video camera set up on her tripod and was recording the ceremony.
Amy smiled. "Welcome, one and all, to the unification of Buffy Anne Summers and Tara Maclay in the bond of domestic partnership. As far as the Goddess is concerned, it's a bond of holy marriage."
Buffy smiled as she looked at Tara. "And it will be...as soon as it's legal."
Tara smiled back at Buffy.
"As far as the state of California is concerned, the partnership was formed when you two filed the paperwork this morning. What matters here is calling down the blessings of the Lady." Amy briefly looked at the paper. "Join hands."
Buffy took hold of Tara's right hand with her left hand. Tara took hold of Buffy's right hand with her left hand.
"Buffy, do you take Tara to be your wife in everything but name? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and defend her as long as you both shall live?" Amy asked.
Buffy stared into Tara's eyes. "I do."
"Tara, do you take Buffy to be your wife in everything but name? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and defend her as long as you both shall live?" Amy asked.
Tara stared into Buffy's eyes. "I do."
Amy smiled. "I call upon Hera, Juno, and Isis - the many in the One - to bless this union. So mote it be. The brides may kiss."
Buffy put her hands on Tara's cheeks and kissed Tara on the lips. Tara put her arms around Buffy's back as the kiss continued. The audience cheered and applauded.
After the ceremony was over, the Bronze was opened for business, and people came in.
Tara sat at a table, opening her presents. Buffy leaned against a pole, watching with a smile.
Tara admired a crystal ball that she got from Giles. "Thank you, Mr. Giles."
Dawn ran up to Tara, holding a broom with a bow tied around it.
Tara took it. "Thank you, Dawn."
Katrina walked over to Buffy. "Hey."
Buffy smiled. "Hey."
Katrina smiled. "Congratulations."
"Thanks. So...how's the smartest girl at Caltech?" Buffy asked.
"I don't know. She won't let me hang out with her." Katrina thought of something. "Oh, but I'll be attending an engineering seminar next semester. I'm working on building a model monorail that runs with magnets. I think it could lead to practical, life-sized application."
"Magnetic trains?" Buffy asked her.
"Uh-huh."
Amy walked over to them. "Hey, congrats, Buffy."
Buffy smiled. "Thanks."
Amy looked at Katrina. "Trina, wanna dance?"
Katrina smiled flirtatiously. "Only if you promise me a private dance back at your dorm later."
Amy smiled. "Mmmm, definitely." She kissed Katrina on the lips.
They held hands and walked onto the dance floor. Buffy looked at the table again. Tara was talking to Cordelia.
"No, see, 'cause your insect reflection represents your insignificance..."
Cordelia nodded.
"...in terms of the karmic cycle."
Cordelia nodded to show she understood, then pondered it for a moment. "But it's still not funny."
Dawn watched the crowd. "This place is so cool." She looked at her hand. "'Cept I have to wear this stupid stamp on my hand."
Buffy laughed. "That's to keep you from boozing it up."
"So what's an eagle reflection?" Cordelia asked Tara.
Tara thought. "Umm..."
Faith walked over to Buffy. "Hey. May I kiss the bride?"
Buffy smiled. "My wife will beat you up."
Faith smiled. "I'm willing to take that risk."
"How's it going in L.A.?" Buffy asked her.
"For me?" Faith shrugged. "Five-by-five. Work's as shitty as always, but at least Mitch doesn't mind if I retaliate against the assholes. As for my other job, nothin' but standard vamps for a while. Patrol graveyards, find nests - typical shit." She paused in thought. "Teen center's doing okay."
Buffy smiled. "Ask Anne about adding a juice bar."
Faith was confused. "Huh?"
"Never mind."
"Oh, speaking of Anne, she gave me this to give to you." Faith offered Buffy an envelope with a card in it.
Buffy took it. "Thanks."
Harmony walked over to them, grinning. "Congratulations, Buffy!"
Buffy smiled. "Thanks."
"Wanna dance, Binky Bear?" Harmony asked Faith, then kissed her on the lips.
Faith felt embarrassed. "I told you not to call me that in public. But yeah." She looked at Buffy. "Congrats, B."
"Thanks."
Harmony grabbed hold of Faith's hand and dragged her onto the dance floor.
Buffy walked over to the table.
Cordelia stood up and hugged Buffy. "Congratulations, Buffy!"
Buffy hugged Cordelia. "Thanks, Cordy."
"It was a beautiful ceremony. Little on the sparse side, though."
Buffy glanced at Tara. "We agreed to keep it simple and...no dead flowers."
Cordelia was confused. "Weird."
Jenny walked over. "I get it. It was a beautiful ceremony, Buffy, and congratulations."
Buffy smiled. "Thanks, Jenny."
Giles offered his right hand to Buffy. "Congratulations, Buffy."
Buffy shook his hand. "Thanks, Giles."
Sandy and Julie walked over.
Sandy smiled. "Congratulations, Buffy."
"Thanks."
Julie smiled. "Congratulations, Buffy, and thank you for inviting me."
Buffy smiled. "Of course."
Sandy took hold of Julie's hand, and they walked onto the dance floor. Jenny and Giles joined hands and followed them.
Joyce walked up to her older daughter, smiling. "Congratulations, sweetheart."
Buffy smiled. "Thanks, Mom."
They hugged.
"I Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by Melanie Doane started playing.
Buffy looked at Tara. "Our first dance?"
Tara nodded and stood up. Buffy took Tara's hand and led her onto the floor. They began to dance. Buffy had her hands on Tara's waist; Tara's hands were on Buffy's shoulders.
Cordelia, Dawn, and Joyce sat at the table, the only ones without dates.
"Good birthday?" Buffy asked.
Tara smiled. "Best birthday."
"I think about...what you grew up with, and...then I look at what you are. It makes me proud. It makes me love you more." Buffy took a deep breath. "Even when I'm at my worst...you always make me feel special. How do you do that?"
"Magic."
They kissed on the lips, then put their heads on each other's shoulders and swayed to the music.
They slowly rose upward. They were surrounded by other couples that were also dancing, but Buffy and Tara were floating several feet above the floor.
The next morning, Cordelia walked into Angel's office, holding out a magazine article to him. "Look!"
Angel took it. "'Virginia Bryce squired by Mr. Wesley Wyndham-Price, private detective and bodyguard to the stars.' Ha. Squired. Who says squired?"
Cordelia pointed at the picture. "Look at him all over her!"
"Cordelia, you're just jealous that he's getting some attention."
"Damned skippy! He's getting famous off this! Reflected glory - that's my thing!" Cordelia yelled.
"Get a little perspective."
Cordelia stalked out.
Chapter 111: Sunday
Chapter Text
"Sunday"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Fool for Love" Written by Douglas Petrie and the Angel Episode "Darla" Written by Tim Minear
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
At night, all was quiet in the mist-shrouded graveyard. Suddenly, the peace was shattered as Buffy pounded a vampire dressed like a rock star to the ground.
"You know, it's probably none of my business, but I just gotta ask..."
The vampire lunged at her, and she backhanded it.
"You smell this bad when you were alive?" Buffy kicked the vampire into a headstone. "'Cause if it's a post-mortem thing, then, damn, is my face red..." She flipped him over the headstone and whipped out a stake. "But just so you know, the fast-growing field of personal grooming has come a long way since you became a vampire."
Buffy somersaulted over the headstone, stake raised and ready to strike. But the vampire seized her arm as she landed, spun her around, and plunged the stake into Buffy's abdomen. Her eyes went wide with shock and pain as she looked down at the stake protruding from her body. Buffy looked down in horror at the stake in her gut. She gripped the shaft and, with a gasp of pain, pulled it out. Her sweater was soaked with her blood. For the first time in a long time, Buffy felt fear. She turned and fled, trying to escape the vampire. Her wound slowed her, however, and she cast terrified glances over her shoulder. Suddenly, the vampire leaped in front of her, and she stopped with a gasp, looking around desperately for an escape route.
"You're going? But you were having so much fun a minute ago!"
Buffy brought the stake up, but the creature easily knocked it from her grasp and tossed her against a nearby crypt. She doubled over in pain as the vampire picked up her stake and approached with a predatory grin. Buffy was helpless. She realized this was the moment that she'd been dreading but always knew would come. She was going to die. As the vampire raised the stake for the killing blow, he was suddenly tackled to the ground by a figure, who rained blows down on the vampire, who got away and took off across the graveyard.
The figure rushed to Buffy's aid. It was Sheila Martini. "Buffy! What happened?"
Buffy held up her bloody hands, then collapsed in Sheila's arms, unconscious.
The next morning, in their bedroom, Tara was applying first aid and dressing Buffy's wound.
"I can't believe I passed out. Do you think I'm a total wuss now?" Buffy asked her.
Tara smiled. "Nah, sweetie. It's a major stab wound; no one can blame you for passing out."
"You said it wasn't that bad."
"I said 'for a Slayer'. There's a difference."
"Well, at least, no major organs got kebabed."
"I still think you need to see a real doctor."
"That would put me in a real hospital, which would get my real mom real freaked out. I can't do it. Don't worry. Accelerated healing powers come with the Slayer package."
"How well will this heal?"
"I'm hoping completely."
"If it scars, I'll fix it."
"You can do that?" Buffy asked in surprise.
Tara nodded. "Uh-huh. I got rid of Anne's tattoo for her when she visited last Thanksgiving."
"Cool. Hey, remind me to thank Sheila."
"'Kay."
Buffy smiled. "I'll take her to Willy's, buy her a Martini."
"So tell me about the bad guy. He was, like, a super-vampire or something?"
"No, he was the regular kind. He just beat me."
"That ever happen before?"
"I'm in the best physical shape of my life. I mean, if you're asking how it happened, I don't-"
The door flew open, and Dawn ran in.
"Dawn!" Buffy yelled.
Dawn smiled. "Sorry to interrupt the sex-capades. I just wanted to tell you that Mom's coming."
Tara hid the bandages and tape just as Joyce entered the room.
"Hi, Tara."
"Hey, Mrs. Summers. How're you feeling?"
"I'm fine, bordering on chipper and, tomorrow, planning on being obnoxious."
Tara smiled. "Glad to hear it."
"Buffy, when you have a minute, I'd like to go over the grocery list for next week."
"You got it."
"Are you disinfecting something?"
"Huh?" Buffy noticed the bottle of alcohol. "Oh, uh-"
"Mine!" Dawn exclaimed. "Some nail polish experiments are doomed before they even begin."
"But you keep pushing the envelope, honey." Joyce smiled and left, closing the bedroom door behind her.
Dawn smiled at Buffy. "Did I just pull a Slayer-related Mom cover-up thing?"
"Yeah." Buffy hesitated. "If I show you something, you promise you won't tell?"
Dawn crossed her heart, and Buffy lifted her shirt to reveal the bandaged stab wound.
Dawn was awed. "Oh, cool!"
Buffy gave her a look.
"I mean...gross!"
"And Mom cannot know. Okay? You'll help me with the household stuff?"
Dawn frowned. "Oh, sure. I save your ass, and you dump all your chores on me."
Buffy gave her another look.
"I got it. You're covered. We're good. Just lucky it's not bikini season."
Buffy smiled and stroked Dawn's hair.
"So Dawn takes household duty. I'll take tonight's patrol."
"By yourself?" Buffy asked Tara.
"Just a sweep."
"Be careful."
"I will."
"When do I get to patrol?" Dawn asked.
Buffy shot her a look. "Not until you're never."
Angel was sitting behind his desk at the Hyperion. Cordelia and Wesley were sitting in a couple of chairs on the other side of it while Gunn was standing behind them.
"Am I the only one that thinks that this is just a really bad idea?" Cordelia asked.
"We can't just sit here, waiting for Wolfram & Hart to make a move. It's time we go ahead in the game."
"This won't involve kidnapping again, will it?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"All we gonna do is find her."
"And this would be the same woman you didn't notice was in your bedroom every night for months on end?" Cordelia asked.
"That was different."
"Different in the sitting-right-on-top-of-you sense, yeah."
"Cordelia has a point."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "Finally!"
"The last time Darla emerged, she wanted to be found. Now, she is out there among six-million other people."
Cordelia nodded. "She could be sitting on top of anybody."
"Come on, guys. We are a detective agency. We investigate things. That's what we're good at."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "That's what we suck at. Let's face it, we're pretty much shit out of luck."
Wesley looked at her. "It's not gonna be easy."
Cordelia got up. "Before, he said he could smell her. How about...we cruise around with the top down...and you take big whiffs?"
No one said anything.
"Well, we'll wait until after the sun sets, obviously."
"It's a big law firm. They've got to have housing for the out-of-towners, right?" Gunn guessed.
"Out-of-towners?" Wesley asked. "It's not as if they flew her in from Miami. She was raised from the very depths of Hell by an ancient and dangerous ritual."
"Yeah, and? They still got to put her up, don't they? That's an expense."
Everyone stared at him.
"You're telling me these lawyers haven't figured out a way to write that off?" Gunn asked.
Cordelia looked at Wesley, then turned to go. "I'm gonna start digging into Wolfram & Hart's real estate acquisitions."
Wesley followed her. "Not just primary holdings, but subsidiary as well."
"She'd want something with a view!" Angel called after them.
"Based on this, we think that the search is over? The property is owned by Wolfram & Hart?" Angel asked.
Wesley nodded. "Annapolis Olive Oil Import Export, a corporate client of Wolfram & Hart."
"That's pretty slim."
Cordelia looked at him. "It has a view."
"That's not enough."
"And Berber carpeting."
"Nah, we need to narrow it down further. Keep looking."
"And my sister is living in unit 319."
Angel walked out of the room. "You don't have a sister."
"Sure, I do. My older...way older...like, four-hundred years older...blonde sister, Darla, no last name."
Angel slowly came back into the room.
"I've been desperately trying to find her, because...Mom and Dad are in the coma. Sue, the property manager, was...very helpful." Cordelia looked over at Wesley with a smile. "She even cried."
Angel ripped the page with the address off the notebook and walked towards the door. "Let's go."
Wesley blocked his path. "Perhaps it would be best if you let me contact Gunn, and he and I can check this out."
Wesley tried to take the paper with the address, but Angel wouldn't let go.
"We could do the reconnaissance, give you a full report, and we can all decide how to proceed...as a team."
Cordelia nodded. "Probably a good idea, since it's one o'clock in the afternoon, and that address is in Sun Valley."
Angel let go of the paper, and Wesley walked out.
"Right." Angel laughed. "Sun."
Cordelia laughed. "Actually, I was thinking Valley. I mean why go there, if you don't have to?"
Angel and Cordelia were at Angel's desk, looking at some video footage of Darla's trashed apartment.
"What happened? Did someone break in?" Cordelia asked.
Gunn was sitting on a sofa in the lobby, eating a sandwich. "Well, us."
"You guys did this? Really mature!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Wesley looked at her. "No. This is the way we found it. No evidence of a forced entry."
Gunn took a bite. "Well, not before we got there, anyway."
Wesley nodded. "It appears she did this herself."
"Why?" Cordelia asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Angel asked.
Wesley looked at him. "Angel, I don't think anything is obvious."
"The weight of her soul, she's feeling it."
Wesley frowned. "We don't know that for certain."
"It makes sense. She was a vampire; now, she has a soul."
"That makes sense? So why don't you go around, smashing shit?" Cordelia asked him.
"I did...at first."
The phone rang, and Cordelia went to answer it.
"Look, if she's in trouble, we have to find her."
Cordelia answered the call. "Angel Investigations. We help the helpless."
Wesley sighed. "Angel-"
"Can I talk to Angel? It's Darla."
"She needs help."
"That might very well be. It might also be what somebody would like you to think."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Angel-"
"Cordy, just take a message." Angel looked at Wesley. "So you think this is a setup."
"We mustn't rule it out."
"Angel!" Cordelia yelled.
"Cordy, please, I'm talking."
"Hi, Darla. He can't talk right now. He'll call you back."
Angel ran over to Cordelia, reaching for the phone.
"Yeah, bye-bye."
Angel grabbed the phone before she could hang up. "Darla?"
Cordelia activated the speaker.
"My boy. My darling boy."
"Where are you?"
"I have a question. Where was I? I don't remember anything. It's a great big nothing. Could it be there is no Hell?"
"There is a Hell. A few of them. I've been to one."
"I told him no one could understand, but I was wrong, wasn't I? My boy knows."
"Yeah, I know."
"You said you'd give me everything. Do you remember that? I believed it then. I still do."
"I'll do whatever I can."
"It's been four centuries since I've had to be afraid of anything. And now I'm sick with it."
"I know."
"Angel-"
"Darla. What are you doing?" Lindsey asked.
"Help me!" Darla said quietly.
"Just put down the phone."
"Darla."
"Hang up the phone. It's okay."
"Darla?" Angel asked. "Darla!"
"It's okay. All right? Just put it down."
"Mr. McDonald, is everything okay in there?" someone asked.
"Yes, we're fine."
"Mr. Manners said you might need some help with her."
"No. Leave."
"I have to go to him, Lindsey."
"Don't say that. Don't say that."
"He's the only one. He can help me."
"No. I can help you, too."
"No. No, you can't. You don't have it in you. Sorry."
"Why don't we all take a walk down to Mr. Manners' office?"
"I can handle this, all right? Go!" Lindsey yelled.
"She's not leaving the building."
"I said go!"
"Darla."
They could hear a struggle, followed by a gunshot.
"Darla!" Angel yelled.
There was no response. Angel hung up and went and put on his coat.
"You want me to come with you?" Gunn offered.
"No. This is something I have to do on my own."
Cordelia handed him his car keys.
"Thanks."
"Angel-"
"I know, Wesley, I could be walking into a trap. I get that."
"I'm not convinced you do."
"Look, she asked for my help. I can't turn my back."
"No, you shouldn't. Not for one moment. You know better than anyone what she was."
"What we were. And I also know what she's going through. And unlike me, maybe she won't have to go through it alone."
Cordelia looked at him sadly. "You're not alone."
"You may be right. She may be experiencing all of this exactly as you did. But Angel, you yourself wandered for a hundred years without ever seeking redemption."
"That's right. I sought her."
Darla was laying with her eyes closed on a sofa in the hotel lobby with Angel crouched in front of it and Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn standing around it.
Angel nodded. "She's gonna be okay."
Cordelia looked at him. "Maybe we should get her a doctor."
Darla opened her eyes. "No. No doctors." She looked at Angel and smiled. "Angelus."
Cordelia looked at her, frowning. "Um. Sorry, I know you're concussion girl and all, but, around here, it's Angel - just Angel, okay?"
Angel looked at them. "Guys, do you mind? Just give us a minute?"
Wesley started to leave. "Yeah, of course."
Gunn started to leave. "No problem."
Cordelia followed them with a last look at Darla and Angel.
In Minden, Louisiana, Shannon Wilcher, a fourteen-year-old girl with long black hair, walked into Malbec's Diner for her after-school shift.
The place wasn't busy quite yet. Shannon headed for the timesheet on the clipboard hanging on the wall.
Jessica, a seventeen-year-old girl with red hair tied back in a ponytail, walked over to her and smiled. "Hey, Shannon."
"Hey." Shannon grabbed the pen and notepad from her pocket and wrote the current time in the proper space. "What's up?"
"Not much. Yet. How was school?"
Shannon shrugged. "Same as usual. Nothin' interesting."
"Customer in the corner booth. I haven't gotten to him yet."
"I'll get it." Shannon looked and saw a black man that she didn't recognize. She looked back at Jessica. "Someone new?"
Jessica shrugged. "I ain't never seen him before."
Shannon grabbed a menu and walked over to the corner booth. She smiled. "Hi, my name's Shannon, and I'll be your waitress this afternoon." She set the menu on the table. "Would you like a drink to start off with?"
"Regular Pepsi, no ice, thank you."
Shannon couldn't place his accent. "You're not from around here."
"No, I'm from England."
"They have black people in England?" Shannon asked, surprised.
"Uh, yes, since at least the 3rd Century."
"Huh. Learn somethin' new every day." Shannon wrote down his drink. "I'll give you a bit to look over the menu."
"Ms. Wilcher, it is imperative that I speak with you."
Shannon stared at him, suspicious. "I never told you my last name. Who in the goddamn fuck are you?"
"My apologies. My name is Sam Zabuto. I'm the new priest at St. Martin's."
"They've got Catholics in England?" Shannon asked in surprise.
"Uh, yes."
"I thought, like, King Henry killed all of them, because he wanted a divorce."
Sam rolled his eyes. "Oh, dear Lord. Please have a seat."
"I'm on the clock."
"There are urgent matters that we need to discuss."
Shannon sat down opposite him.
"Have you ever wondered if you were meant for a higher purpose?" Sam asked her.
"Is this some kind of recruitment?" Shannon asked, irritated. "I ain't interested in becomin' a nun."
"No, it's nothing like that."
"You sure you're Catholic and not from one of them weird religions that says 'Blah, blah, blah' and claims they're talking in tongues?" Shannon asked.
"No."
"Or has a shit-ton of kids?" Shannon asked.
"No."
"Or fucks Jesus?" Shannon asked.
"No. I'm just Catholic."
"Okay." Shannon paused. "Sorry about the cussin'."
"That's quite all right."
"So what in the goshdarn fuck do you want with me?" Shannon asked.
"This may be difficult for you to believe, but...vampires are real, and they're in this very town."
Shannon stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "Uh-huh. I'm datin' one."
Sam stared at her in shock.
Shannon grew worried. "Don't tell my parents. They wouldn't approve."
That evening, at the Magic Box, the reading table was piled high with books. Buffy and Giles were into some deep research.
"Here's another one. Early 18th-Century Slayer."
Buffy closed her book with a sigh and set it on the stack. "Good. Let's hope she'll be more helpful than this last one."
"Why? What does it say?"
"Same as all the others. Slayer called...blah, blah...great protector...blah, blah...scary battles...blah, blah...oops! She's dead. Where are the details?"
"Details? Well, it says this Slayer forged her own weapons." He handed the book to Buffy.
"Gotta love a gal with an anvil. But where are the details of the Slayer's last battle? You know, what made that fight special? Why did she lose?"
"You didn't lose last night, Buffy. You just-"
"Got really close. I fucked up, Giles. I've been training harder than ever, and still I..." Buffy paused. "And there's nothing in any of these books to help me understand why. I mean...look, I realize that every Slayer comes with an expiration mark on the package. But I want mine to be a long time from now. Like a Cheeto. If there were just a few good descriptions of what took out the other Slayers, maybe it would help me to understand my mistake, to keep it from happening again."
"Yes, well, the problem is, after a final battle, it's difficult to get any..." Giles paused. "Well, the Slayer's not..." He paused again. "She's rather..."
"It's okay to use the D-word, Giles."
"Dead. And hence not very forthcoming."
"Why didn't the Watchers keep fuller accounts of it? The journals just stop."
"Well, I suppose, if they're anything like me, they just find the whole subject too-"
"Unseemly?" Buffy guessed. "Damn. Love ya, but you Watchers are such prigs sometimes."
"Painful...I was going to say. But you're right. Accounts of the final battles would be very helpful. But there's no one left to tell the tales."
Buffy had a sudden revelation.
"What?" Giles asked.
Buffy rang the doorbell to Sunday's mansion, then waited.
The door opened. Sunday was standing there, dressed up.
Sunday frowned. "What do you want?"
"Hello to you, too. Going somewhere?" Buffy asked.
"Willy's. Why?"
"I wanna talk to you. Or...rather...I want you to talk to me. Tell me about your time as a Slayer...and how you died."
Sunday raised her eyebrows.
Buffy sat at a corner table at the Bronze, waiting for Sunday.
Sunday walked over to the table from the bar, holding two open bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale. She sat down opposite Buffy and offered one of the bottles to her.
Buffy took it, pleasantly surprised. "Ooh, thanks. I didn't think I'd be getting beer tonight."
Sunday shrugged and took a sip of beer. "So. You want to learn all about how I became a Slayer and how I fucked up in the end. Right?"
"Yeah."
"Since I agreed to take time out of my evening for you-"
"How many friends do you have, Sunday?" Buffy asked.
"What?"
"Friends." Buffy took a sip of beer.
Sunday frowned. "Since I agreed to tell you this, we can do this my way. Wings."
"What?"
"Spicy buffalo wings. Order me up a plate. I'm hungry."
Buffy sighed and turned to signal a waitress. "Excuse me-" The movement aggravated her injury, and she winced in pain.
Sunday smiled. "I thought so. Some nasty thing got a taste of you."
"Don't get all excited. I'm fine."
"Oh, right. Stuck in a dark corner with a creature you loathe, diggin' up past trauma, 'cause you're fine."
"Just tell me what I want to know."
"I told you. I'm not narrating on an empty stomach."
Buffy shook her head in exasperation. "Were you born this big a pain in the ass?"
"What can I tell you, babe?" Sunday smiled. "I've always been bad."
Wednesday, October 18, 1978
Seventeen-year-old Sunday Towne walked the halls of Hollywood High School, modeling her new clothes. She got some whistles from a few guys.
A girl with short, black, curly hair was standing at her locker and noticed Sunday. "Hey, Sunday, lookin' good."
"Tell me something I don't know, Betty."
Betty closed her locker, and she and Sunday walked down the hall.
Their friend, Marty, a girl with curly red hair, joined them. "Hey, what's happening?"
Sunday smiled. "Hey, Marty. I think I've just about convinced my dad to get me that dress that I've had my eye on."
Jan, a girl with long black hair tied up in pigtails, was drinking from the water fountain.
Sunday gave her a fake smile. "Hey, Jan, not to critique your fashion choices, but you're a complete disaster."
Jan looked at her, upset.
"Are you done?" Sunday asked impatiently.
Jan got out of the way. Sunday bent over and drank some water.
Buffy and Sunday were eating spicy buffalo wings (Buffy had ordered a plate for herself as well) as Sunday related her story.
"So you were always a pain in the ass." Buffy sipped the last of her beer. "Then what?"
"Then comes a triple-decker cheeseburger, medium rare."
Buffy forced a smile. "Sounds good. I'll have one myself. But I want another beer."
"Fine." Sunday stood up and walked to the bar.
Buffy wiped her fingers and mouth with a napkin and then raised her hand to signal the waitress. "Excuse me."
Friday, October 20, 1978
School was over for the day, and the students came streaming out. Sunday walked down the steps with Betty, Marty, and Jan.
Sunday licked her lollipop. "So I'm like 'Dad, do you want me to go to the dance in an outfit I've already worn? Why do you hate me?'"
"Is Tyler taking you?" Betty asked her.
"Where were you when I got over Tyler? He's of the past. Tyler would have to crawl on his hands and knees to get me to go to the dance with him. Which, actually, he's supposed to do after practice, so I'm gonna wait."
"Okay. See ya later." Betty walked away.
"Bye!" Marty walked away.
Sunday waved to Betty. "Call me!"
"Okay!"
Sunday waved to Marty. "Call me!" She waved to Jan. "Call me!"
"I will!" Jan replied, walking off.
Sunday climbed back up a few steps and looked around. She took off her jacket and sat down to wait for Tyler. She laid the jacket across her legs and idly looked around again.
A man in a black suit approached her. "Sunday Towne?"
Sunday looked at him. "Yeah?" She smiled. "Hi!" Then she was confused. "What?"
"I need to speak with you."
Sunday was worried. "You're not from Bullock's, are you? 'Cause I-I meant to pay for that lipstick."
"There isn't much time. You must come with me. Your destiny awaits."
Sunday, confused, shook her head. "I don't have a destiny." She nodded. "I'm destiny-free, really."
"Yes, you have. You are the Chosen One. You alone can stop them."
"Who?"
"The vampires."
Sunday considered for a moment. "Huh?"
That evening, in Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Sunday landed flat on her back. "Oof!"
A vampire propped himself over her, growling menacingly. She was very frightened and looked around frantically for what to do. Sunday spotted her stake but couldn't reach it, so she just got her hands underneath the vampire and pushed him off. He flew off her and landed hard on his back.
"Oh, God..." Sunday rolled onto her hands and knees and scrambled on all fours to retrieve her stake. "Oh, God...Oh...Oh, God...Unh!" She grabbed the stake and quickly got to her feet. She looked at it, unsure of what to do next.
The vampire got up and lunged at her. Reflexively, she grabbed him, sidestepped him, and sent him flipping over to the ground again, dazed. She looked at the vampire, amazed by what she just did. She glanced back at the Watcher, down at her stake, and then made her move to dispatch the vampire. She quickly got to her knees, raised the stake above her head, and plunged it into him - but got him in the gut instead of the chest.
"Oh! Not the heart!" Sunday plunged the stake into the vampire again and this time hit her mark.
The vampire died. Sunday stood up. She just stared at his corpse on the grass in silence.
Behind her, the Watcher, Mr. Coleman, stepped up. "You see? You see your power?"
Sunday grinned. "Outta sight!"
Saturday, October 21, 1978
The school's gymnasium was packed with students and a few teachers acting as chaperones. The homecoming dance was in full swing. "Grease" by Frankie Valli was playing from the speakers. Sunday had made a grand entrance, wearing her new white dress, but she found herself standing by the punch bowl instead of having a good time.
Betty poured punch into a cup. "I can't believe Tyler never got back to you."
Marty frowned. "Yeah, not cool."
Sunday rolled her eyes, adding some whiskey from a silver flask to her punch. "Whatever."
Jan walked over to the table. "Hey, guys, great dance, huh?"
"Yeah. Sure. Great." Sunday gulped down her spiked punch and tossed the cup in the trash can.
Coleman walked into the gym. He motioned for Sunday to join him.
"Who's that?" Marty asked.
"That's some guy that I've been seeing." Sunday immediately regretted phrasing it like that.
"Ew!" Betty exclaimed. "He's, like, old. He's, like, forty or something."
"And you're going out with him?" Jan asked Sunday.
Sunday rolled her eyes. "Fuck you." She walked over to Coleman. "What?"
"You didn't show up for training."
"I told you: dance."
"Yes, well, I didn't think you were actually serious."
"This can't be a nightly thing with me, okay? I need to have a life."
"I'm sure the victims that you could have saved tonight would have been understanding of your need to 'have a life'."
Sunday frowned. "What victims?"
"Didn't you see the evening news?"
Sunday gave him a look.
"No, of course not. Three teenage boys found dead on the side of the road."
"So?"
"They attended this school, and they each had puncture wounds on their neck."
Sunday looked down at the floor.
"You might know them."
Sunday looked up.
"One of them was named-"
"Tyler."
"Uh, yes, and the other two..."
Sunday was no longer listening to him. She walked over to her ex-boyfriend, who had just walked into the gym. He was dressed in a tuxedo, though it looked dirty. He had a bright orange ascot tied around his neck.
"Hey, Hot Sunday. What's happening?" Tyler asked.
"What the hell?" Sunday asked. "You never got back to me."
"Well, I'm here. You look great."
Sunday crossed her arms. "Thanks. That ascot makes you look like a fag."
"Oh, uh, I bruised my neck during practice."
"Let me see." Sunday untied the ascot.
"No, wait-"
Sunday pulled the ascot off his neck, revealing two puncture wounds. She stared at them in shock.
Tyler smiled evilly. "Oops." He raised his arm and snapped his fingers.
Two other boys walked into the gym, looking similarly disheveled.
"What do you want?" Sunday asked Tyler.
"I wanna dance."
"Dance? Is that slang for 'kill'?"
"Well, now that you mention it-"
"They're innocent."
"Oh, well, in that case, congratulations, you've talked me out of it." Tyler started laughing.
"Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" by Elton John started playing.
Sunday offered Tyler a smile. "All right...let's dance."
She kicked Tyler in the balls. When he doubled over in pain, she karate-chopped him in the back of the neck. She pulled her stake out of her purse. One of the other vampires rushed her, and she spun around, swinging her purse, and hit him in the face. He got knocked backward. The third vampire came at her, and she wrapped the strap of her bag around his neck and started choking him. Tyler got up and lunged at her, and she threw the third vampire to the floor and punched Tyler in the neck. The second vampire came at her, and she plunged the stake into his heart. She withdrew it. The third vampire had decided to go after her friends, so Sunday chased after him and plunged the stake into his back, hitting his heart. She pulled it out. Tyler ran over to her and threw a punch. Sunday dodged it and punched him in the stomach. Tyler came at her again, and Sunday did a backflip, launching herself onto the table. She kicked the punch bowl, and it landed on his head, spilling punch all over him.
Tyler frowned. "That was a rental!"
Sunday kicked him in the face, then jumped down onto the floor. "Bill me - from Hell!" She plunged the stake into his heart.
The music stopped. Everyone was staring at her.
Sunday pulled her stake out of Tyler's body and let it fall to the floor. She smiled nervously at her shocked friends. "They were clearly on drugs and looking to kill me. I had no choice. Is my hair okay?"
Buffy listened, chewing on a piece of her cheeseburger, while Sunday told her tale.
"After that, I was obsessed. I mean...most Slayers learned to take their calling seriously. But I never did. Hell, I even slayed while drunk and high. I mean, if you're looking for fun, there's parties, there's roller coasters, there's death, there's glory, and fuck all else, right?" Sunday shrugged. "I was young."
"So...how'd you die?" Buffy asked her.
Sunday paused and took a sip of beer. "Lesson 1: a Slayer must always reach for her weapon. The vampires already have theirs. One night...I didn't have mine."
Sunday, October 10, 1982
Sunday, now twenty-one years old, was celebrating the evening in her usual manner: by drinking beer and smoking a joint at the Beta Delta Gamma sorority house near UC Sunnydale. She had taken off her shirt and was dancing topless on top of a coffee table in the living room to "Everybody", a song by a new artist named Madonna.
Coleman entered the house and walked over to her, then averted his gaze. "Ms. Towne, get down from there this instant!"
"Go away, Coleman!" Sunday yelled.
"I need you to investigate the Psi Theta house. I believe it's an imminent target."
Sunday's interest was piqued. She hopped down off the table and picked up her Rolling Stones T-shirt off the floor.
Sunday knocked on the front door of the Psi Theta fraternity house. It opened. The house was dark inside. Sunday reached into her pocket for her stake - and then realized she hadn't brought one with her.
Taking it as a fun challenge, Sunday walked into the house and felt along the wall for a light switch. She found it and flipped it. The living room's light came on.
The bodies of a dozen males lay on the floor.
"Yoohoo!" Sunday called. "Candygram!"
The house was eerily silent. Sunday walked further into the room, sidestepping the bodies.
Suddenly, the light went out.
"Hey!" Sunday yelled. "That's not fair!"
She heard footsteps. A moment later, a fist rammed into the left side of her head. Sunday momentarily lost her balance, dazed.
The light came back on. Three male vampires surrounded her.
Sunday grinned. "Okay, boys, ready to dance?"
The vampires bared their fangs and hissed at her. None of them talked.
"Come on!" Sunday assumed an exaggerated fighting stance. "Show me what ya got."
All three of them lunged at her simultaneously. Sunday threw a punch, knocking one of the vampires back. She kicked the other one that was in front of her as well. But the one behind her grabbed the back of her shirt, pulled her back, and then shoved her to the floor. Instantly, the other two vampires were on top of her. Sunday tried kicking them off, but the third vampire delivered a punch to the right side of her head. The other two vampires punched her repeatedly in the chest, knocking the wind out of her. Then they took turns punching her in the face. Her lower lip was split open. She started bleeding from her nose. Between the alcohol and the pot, she was having trouble concentrating on anything. Then one of the vampires unzipped her blue jean shorts.
"No!" Sunday managed to get out.
The vampire ripped her shorts and panties apart, then, as the other two vampires held her in place, he unzipped his own pants and took out his cock.
"No!" Sunday yelled again.
The vampire lunged forward, plunging his cock into her pussy.
Sunday started screaming as loud as she could. "No! No! No! Please, God! Oh, please, God, no!"
As the vampire raped her, he leaned on top of her and plunged his fangs into her throat.
Sunday felt - and heard - the blood flowing out of her. She soon lost consciousness - but not before her rapist made a gash on his wrist and force-fed his blood to her.
Buffy sat in stunned silence for a moment. "That's horrible. I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. That was the best night of my life." Sunday sipped her beer.
Buffy was shocked. "How the fuck can you say that?"
"Simple. I underestimated them, but they underestimated me even more."
Sunday's eyes snapped open. She was laying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. She heard a burrowing sound, but she couldn't tell where it was coming from. She heard voices and laughter.
Slowly, she sat up. She realized she was completely naked and wet. She smelled urine. She looked over and saw the three vampires standing at a distance, also naked, drinking beer, looking at her in amusement, and laughing among themselves. Sunday was filled with rage. She stood up and marched toward them. On her way, she happened to notice her reflection in a wall mirror, and that brought her to a halt. She approached the mirror, shocked by her own appearance.
Her right eye was swollen shut. Her neck had bite wounds on it. She was bleeding from her lower lip. Her face and her chest were covered in cum. There was also cum in her mouth. Her hair was soaked with piss. There were bite marks on her nipples and cigarette burns on her arms. Her ass was also covered in cum, and she was bleeding from her rectum.
Sunday turned and resumed her march toward her rapists. They occasionally glanced at her, but mostly they ignored her. That's when she realized she meant nothing to them - not even as a threat. That made her even more enraged.
Without saying a word, Sunday launched into a sudden attack, jumping and kicking two of the vampires at once. They were knocked against the far wall. Sunday ducked a swing from the third vampire, grabbed the two dropped beer bottles off the floor, and brought them up, smashing them on either side of the vampire's head. She used the jagged edges of what remained of the bottles to rip open the vampire's throat. She bared her fangs and quickly drained the vampire of his blood.
The other two vampires had regained their composure. They ran at Sunday. Sunday found all of her senses heightened as she deflected their punches. She grabbed hold of each of them by the throat and snapped their necks, one with each hand. Then she drained them.
After she dropped their bodies to the floor, Sunday located the nearest bathroom and took a shower.
Buffy and Sunday were at the bar.
Buffy was waiting to pay the bill. "How did it feel?"
Sunday grinned. "Cathartic."
"I mean becoming a vampire."
Sunday paused and thought about it. "Becoming a vampire is a profound and powerful experience. I could feel this new strength coursing through me. Getting killed made me feel more alive than I ever had been before. I was gonna be the Queen Bee on campus. Of course, in order to do that...I had to get myself a gang."
Sunday, October 31, 1982
Sunday, dressed in revealing black and red clothing (including a red lace bra that revealed her ample breasts and a black cape), attended the Halloween party at Beta Delta Gamma. "Monster Mash" by Bobby (Boris) Pickett was playing on the stereo.
Sunday was drinking beer and lounging on a couch when Coleman found her.
"Ms. Towne."
"What do you want, Coleman?" Sunday asked, annoyed. "I thought nothing happens on Halloween."
"True enough, but something's come up. I need to talk to you."
"So talk."
"In private, if you don't mind."
Sunday rolled her eyes and stood up.
Sunday entered Coleman's apartment. Coleman followed her in, turned on the light, and closed the door.
"Well?" Sunday asked.
"I'm, uh, I'm going back to England. I've been recalled by the Watchers Council."
Sunday was surprised. "Why?"
Coleman stared at her accusingly. "They're unsatisfied with my handling of you."
"Your handling of me?" Sunday asked, offended.
"Your reluctance to train, your cavalier attitude towards patrolling, and so on."
"I see. So they're giving up on me?"
"Oh, no, quite the opposite: they're sending you a new Watcher. He will arrive within the week."
Sunday rolled her eyes. "Great."
"Anyway, you are to remain in town until he-"
His phone rang.
Coleman walked over to the phone and picked up the handset. "This is Daniel Coleman."
Sunday looked around Coleman's apartment, bored.
"What? Ms. Towne isn't dead."
Sunday looked at him.
"A new Slayer? Why, that's impossible. There can't be a new Slayer unless-"
Sunday glowered at him.
Coleman made eye contact with her. "No, she's standing right here."
Sunday slowly approached him.
"I see."
Sunday snatched the handset from his hand and gently set it on the cradle, ending the call. Coleman stared at her in worry.
"How do you like my costume, Coleman?" Sunday asked him. "Do I look like a vampire?" She grinned, baring her fangs. "What about the teeth? Do they look good on me?"
"How long?" Coleman asked.
"Three weeks. Ever since you sent me to Psi Theta."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Coleman withdrew a stake from his pocket.
Sunday snatched it out of his hand, flipped it around, and pointed it at him. "Sorry doesn't cut it. You have no idea what those assholes did to me."
"They turned you."
Sunday closed the gap between them, pushing him against a wall. "They raped me!" She paused. "Then they turned me. Then they raped me some more." She started crying. "For hours, maybe. I'm not sure."
"Dear Lord. Were you conscious for the entire thing?"
"Not most of it. But that one minute will stay with me forever." Sunday laughed. "Forever. How about that? I suppose I have you to thank for this."
"If I could change the past-"
"You can't!" Sunday screamed.
"I know."
"Then it's pointless to bring it up!" Sunday pressed the stake against his chest.
Coleman stared at her in fear.
Sunday looked into his eyes for a long moment, then she stepped back from him. "Get out of here."
"You're letting me go?"
"On one condition: you tell the Watchers Council that you killed me. I've got plans, and I don't want you Watchers or the new Slayer fucking them up. Got it?" Sunday asked.
Coleman nodded.
"I want you gone by tomorrow night." Sunday turned and left his apartment.
Monday, November 1, 1982
Sunday was patrolling the campus that evening, on the lookout for recruits - and a meal. She noticed a guy walking by.
Sunday stepped out of the shadows and directly into the guy's path. She offered him a smile. "Hi."
"Uh, hi."
"Lose your way?"
"Yeah. I'm trying to find my friend's dorm. He lives in Stevenson Hall."
"Oh, I know where it is. Come with me. I'll show you the way." Sunday started walking.
The guy caught up with her. "Thanks!"
Sunday smiled wickedly. "My pleasure."
After getting some information from him, Sunday killed him, draining his body. Then she entered the guy's dorm room, stole his belongings, and left a forged goodbye letter on his bed.
Buffy and Sunday walked out of the Bronze. Buffy stared at her.
Sunday noticed. "What are you looking at?"
Buffy felt disgusted. "I don't know whether to pity you or hate you."
Sunday shrugged. "Do both, if you want. I don't care."
Buffy doubted that. "So what you're saying is...you were just unlucky. Wrong time, wrong place, poor decisions, shitty circumstances."
"Well, yeah. I guess that's it." Sunday laughed.
Buffy frowned.
"Hey! You asked, and I'm tellin'. The problem with you, Summers, is you've gotten so good, you're starting to think you're immortal."
"Not really. I just know I can handle myself."
"Oh? Then how do you explain this?" Sunday reached out and punched Buffy in her wound.
Buffy doubled over, crying out in pain. "You fucking bitch." She stood up straight, gasping. "So that's it? Lesson over?"
"Not even close. Come on." Sunday assumed a fighting stance.
Buffy squared off with Sunday. "Give it to me."
Sunday lashed out at her, and Buffy easily ducked her blows, then wrapped her hand around her throat, pinning her against a chain-link fence. Sunday smiled and laughed.
"What?" Buffy asked, confused.
"Lesson 2: ask follow-up questions."
Buffy released her and stepped back. "There's more?"
"A bit. You sure you wanna hear it?"
Buffy shrugged. "What the hell? I can't get any more disgusted."
"Okay, but I'm not gonna let up." Sunday sent a series of punches at her.
Buffy easily ducked them all. Buffy gut-punched her, then pounded her to the ground. Sunday jumped up and attacked, but Buffy flipped her over onto the ground again, whipped out a stake, and landed on top of her.
Sunday seized her wrist before she could plunge it into her chest. "You're not ready to know."
"I'm ready."
"Okay, then. Went like this." Sunday flipped Buffy up and off her.
Monday, March 10, 1997
A young woman with short blonde hair, in white pants and a pink, button-up dress shirt, landed hard on the floor of the Psi Theta house and rolled to her feet. Sunday squared off with the woman and threw a punch. Sunday and the woman traded blows. The woman ran Sunday headfirst into a window, smashing it. Sunday broke off a piece of wood and wielded it as a weapon. She brought it down in a vicious arc, and the woman counter-attacked, enraged. Sunday cracked the woman across the face with the wood, sending her reeling to the floor, and pounded her repeatedly with it. Sunday brought the wood down for another blow, but the woman caught it and slammed it back into her face, then backhanded Sunday across the face. Sunday fell to the floor, and the woman jumped on her chest, straddling her. She pounded her repeatedly in the face, but then Sunday flipped the woman on her back and straddled her, putting her hands around her throat. The woman struggled beneath Sunday. Sunday gripped the woman's head between her hands, bared her fangs, plunged them into the woman's neck, and drank deep, killing her. Sunday searched through the dead woman's pockets and pulled out her wallet. She opened it and looked at her driver's license. The woman's name was Laurie Bennett. Sunday also found something else in one of Laurie's pockets and pulled it out. It was a wooden stake.
"Death is on your heels, babe, and, sooner or later, it's gonna catch you. Here endeth the lesson."
Buffy stared at Sunday in shock.
"Oh...did I scare ya?" Sunday asked, amused.
Buffy's mind calculated.
"What is it?" Sunday asked her.
Monday, March 10, 1997, 9:13 PM
Buffy drove the Jeep along Revello Drive in silence.
Joyce, sitting in the passenger seat, pointed. "Turn right."
"Right here?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah."
Buffy turned into a driveway and parked the Jeep. She shut off the engine and stared at the house.
Joyce unfastened her seatbelt and unlocked and opened the door. "Well, come on."
As Joyce got out of the car and closed the door, Buffy took the key out of the ignition, unfastened her seatbelt, and unlocked and opened the door. She got out and closed the door. She walked to the back of the Jeep, where her mother was already getting a suitcase out.
Buffy reached in to grab her own suitcase. All of a sudden, there was a rush of energy, of adrenaline, running through her. Her body was humming, alive, overwhelmed, filling up with strength, with power. Buffy fell to the ground.
"Buffy!" Joyce yelled.
Everything - her heartbeat, her breath, the distant sirens - all of it seemed so loud all of a sudden, pressing, crowding into her head, invading. She screamed.
Joyce crouched down and cradled Buffy in her arms. "What's wrong?"
Buffy lay like that for a minute, trying her best to concentrate on her mother's voice. Everything slowly started to return to normal. Joyce helped Buffy to her feet.
"What happened?" Joyce asked her.
"I dunno. I'm totally juiced." Buffy shook off the feeling. "I probably had too much Jolt."
Buffy and Sunday stared at each other for a long moment.
Buffy finally sighed. "Fuck me, I don't know what to do with that information."
Sunday shrugged. "You're the Slayer. Do something about it. Hit me. Come on. One good swing. You know you want to. Give it me good, Buffy. Do it!"
Before Buffy could respond, she noticed the vampire from last night walking by. She froze in terror.
The vampire noticed her and approached. "Well, well. I interrupt a little makeout session between you and your girlfriend, Slayer?"
Buffy couldn't bring herself to do anything. Sunday noticed, jumped, kicked off the wall behind her, and launched herself above Buffy and the vampire. She landed behind the vampire, spun around, and grabbed him from behind, pinning his arms to his sides. Sunday stared into Buffy's eyes and gave a slight nod. Buffy raised her stake and slammed it into the vampire's chest, killing him. As Sunday dropped the body to the ground, Buffy pocketed her stake. She and Sunday regarded each other for a moment.
Buffy smiled. "Thank you."
Sunday smiled and nodded.
Buffy entered Joyce's bedroom to find her mother packing a suitcase.
"Hey, I put together that grocery list for you."
"Oh, great. Thanks, hon."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Have you seen my conditioner?"
"Did you look under the sink?"
Joyce realized that was where it was and went to retrieve it.
"Where are you going?"
"Oh, I was hoping to put this off, but...you know the nothing that I've been dealing with? It might not be nothing."
"What is it?"
"I'm staying overnight at the hospital for observation. I'm getting a CAT scan."
Buffy didn't know what to say.
"It's only one night, and they say, even if there is something, it's still very early, if they didn't see it before. I'm going to be fine."
Buffy put on a brave smile for her mother's sake. "I know you will. You want me to drive you?"
"No, that's okay."
"All right, well...good night."
"Good night."
Buffy turned, left the room, and entered her and Tara's room. Tara was sitting on the bed, looking at her somberly.
Buffy walked over and sat down to Tara's left. She was terrified for her mother, her eyes brimming with tears. She sobbed uncontrollably. Tara hugged her, not saying a word.
Chapter 112: Shadow
Chapter Text
"Shadow"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Shadow" Written by David Fury and the Angel Episode "The Shroud of Rahmon" Written by Jim Kouf
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
At Sunnydale Memorial Hospital, Dawn was sitting in the waiting area and fiddling with a bracelet on her right wrist. Buffy walked up and gave her a can of regular Pepsi. Dawn looked up at her. Buffy sat down next to Dawn and opened her own can of regular Pepsi.
"What is a CAT scan, exactly?" Dawn asked.
"I don't know. It's some...X-ray, I guess."
Dawn gave her an apprehensive look. Buffy put her arm around Dawn and brought Dawn's head to rest on her shoulder. She kissed the top of Dawn's head.
At the Magic Box, Tara and Giles were standing behind the counter, looking at a telephone book open to a page with a large advertisement for the Magic Box.
"Your one-stop spot to shop for all your occult needs." Tara smiled. "Catchy."
"Think so?"
"Uh-huh. In a...hard-to-read sort of way, but I think it's great."
"Oh."
Tara moved away as Giles studied the ad and soundlessly mouthed the words to himself. The door opened, and Jenny entered.
Tara looked at her. "Oh, Jenny, the - the new phone book's in with Mr. Giles' ad."
"Cool."
Giles looked at her. "Uh, since you're here, Tara and I could use your help researching Buffy's mysterious woman."
Jenny walked over to the reading table and sat down. "It'd be nice if we knew where she was, where she's hiding out."
Tara walked over to the reading table and sat down. "I just wish we knew what we were dealing with. It feels like we're going around in circles."
A customer walked up to the counter and handed Giles an item.
"Ah, weeping Buddha. Shoulders your spiritual burden." Giles wrapped the item. "Makes a lovely paperweight, too."
Tara suddenly thought of something. "Maybe she's not in the books."
"What do you mean?" Jenny asked.
"I mean...what if she's not a demon or sorceress or spirit or whatever these books cover?"
Giles looked over at her as he rung up the sale.
"What if she's something else altogether?" Tara suggested.
"Thank you, come again." Giles handed the item to the customer, came out from behind the counter, and walked toward the table.
"Something new, you mean?" Jenny asked Tara.
Tara shook her head. "Something old. So old it predates the written word."
"Predates language itself?" Giles asked.
Jenny thought of something. "Rupert, the Dagon Sphere. You said that was created to repel-"
"That which cannot be named." Giles removed his glasses thoughtfully. "If Tara's right, then we're blind. There's..." He paused. "There's no way we can determine...her moves, her habits, where she'll turn up next-"
He turned around, putting his glasses back on, and was confronted by Buffy's mystery woman, although he didn't know it. She had a few items in her hands.
"Oh! I beg your-"
"Uh-huh." She held up the items. "I want these."
"Yes, of course!" Giles hurried behind the counter, taking the items. "Um, you find everything all right?"
"No problemo." She took out her wallet.
Giles scribbled on a receipt. "That's, um, $37.29."
She opened her wallet and paid him. Giles completed the transaction, handing her her change.
"Your receipt." Giles handed the receipt to an impatient super-powered woman. "And..." He put the items in a paper bag. "Thank you!" He handed the bag to her.
She smiled and left.
Giles watched her, smiling. He turned back to the others, removing his glasses again. "She could be anywhere. But if she is as powerful as, uh, Buffy says, I imagine it won't be long before she makes herself known."
"Speaking of Buffy, where is she?" Jenny asked. "I thought she'd been interested in researching this bitch, too."
Tara looked at her. "Oh, she's, uh, she's at the hospital. Her mom's getting a CAT scan."
Jenny was surprised. "What?"
"Yeah."
"What are you doing here?" Jenny asked. "Go be with your wife."
"She said she had it covered."
Jenny looked Tara in her eyes. "She's trying to be brave and put-together. Go. I've got this."
Tara was relieved. "Thank you!" She stood up and headed for the door.
At the hospital, Buffy was pacing outside a door marked "Examination Room". She twiddled her fingers nervously and sighed.
Tara walked up to her. "Hey."
Buffy hugged her. "Hey."
Tara hugged her. "How's she doing?"
Buffy let go and turned to look at the door. "Well, she just had a CAT scan. I was about to go in and find out. Will you...sit with Dawn while I talk to Mom? She's in the waiting room."
"Yeah, yeah, you got it."
Buffy nodded, sighed, and turned away. Tara turned in the opposite direction. Buffy opened the door and entered a darkened room.
"Hi."
She saw Joyce and a doctor standing in front of a set of CAT scan images stuck on a lighted wall. They turned.
"May I come in?" Buffy asked.
"Oh, of course, baby, come on in. Uh, where's Dawn?" Joyce asked.
Buffy closed the door and walked over to them. "Uh, she's with Tara. They're watching TV in the waiting room."
"Excuse me, I'm just gonna check on the status of the OR." The doctor walked over to the door, opened it, and left the room, closing the door behind him.
"The OR?" Buffy asked Joyce.
"Dr. Isaacs says I'm...lucky there's one available on such short notice. Some people wait for days, sometimes weeks."
"Mom, what did they find?" Buffy asked softly.
"A shadow. I've got a shadow." Joyce looked at the images on the wall. "Somewhere...over there. He showed it to me, but, um...they have to do a biopsy to find out exactly what it is."
Buffy was upset. They hugged.
"Doctor says it's too early to be concerned."
"Right." Buffy pulled back to look Joyce in the face. "No concern."
"Just a shadow."
They smiled bravely at each other. Buffy turned to look at the images again.
Later, in the waiting room, Dawn was curled up asleep on an armchair. Tara draped her jacket over her and crouched beside her. Across the room, Buffy was sitting and watching them. Tara walked over and sat next to her. Buffy put her head on her shoulder. Tara kissed the top of her head. Suddenly, Buffy saw the doctor approaching. She got up and walked over to him.
"Everything went fine; they're moving her into Recovery now."
"Do we have the results yet?" Buffy asked, nervous.
"Let's, um, sit down over here for a minute."
"No!" Buffy lowered her voice. "Excuse me, no, I...I don't mean to be rude; I just...I've been sitting for hours; I don't wanna sit. I just..." She paused. "Tell me, please."
"Your mother has..." Dr. Isaacs paused. "The term is low-grade glioma. It's a brain tumor. The clinical name is oligodendroglioma. It's in the left hemisphere of the cerebrum. In your mother's case, the tumor seems to have started there. In other words, it hasn't spread from another part of the body. I know this is very difficult, and, uh, because of the nature of your mother's illness...unfortunately, things may progress very quickly."
"Things? What things?"
"Symptoms. There's a fair variety that might present. Loss of vision or appetite, lack of muscle control, uh, mood swings-"
"But what can we do?"
"Well, not much until we determine if the tumor's operable. Which we are working on."
Dr. Isaacs led Buffy over to some chairs, and they sat.
"Is there something that I..." Buffy paused. "I mean...can I help?"
"Well, there's some literature you might want to look at. If we aren't able to go in surgically, there are a number of new treatments that are very promising. Your mother's prognosis is a lot better today than it would have been only a year ago. Even if the tumor's not operable, she has a real chance."
"What's a real chance?"
"Nearly one out of three patients with this condition does just fine."
Buffy sat back, shocked.
"Now, let me ask. Does your mother's insurance company require copies of the MRI and pathology reports?"
"I'm not sure."
"Well, just let me know as soon as possible. And I could use some information regarding your mom's lifestyle and home environment. For instance, does she use a cell phone?"
Buffy frowned. "Uh, I think so. Uh, yeah, she, um, she - she has one of those ear things."
"Okay. Is your house near any power lines, chemical plants, waste disposal facilities?"
"Uh...I-I don't know. Maybe."
"Well, the more we know..."
"I'm sorry."
The doctor scowled and wrote on his clipboard.
Gloria approached and put her hand on the doctor's shoulder. "Excuse me, Doc, but they told me you're needed in ICU."
"Excuse me, Miss Summers." Issacs got up.
Buffy was distracted. "Uh, it's okay."
Isaacs left.
Gloria sat down next to Buffy. "Thought you looked like you needed a break. Guy's great, but he doesn't have the bone in his head that tells him when to back off."
"You mean...they - they didn't need him?"
"Well, I'm sure someone does somewhere; they always do. He really is a good doctor. Your mom's in good hands."
Buffy smiled. "Thank you. It's Gloria, right?"
"Right."
"He, um, he was just telling me that there's nothing I can do."
"Yeah, I'm gonna tell you the same thing. Give yourself a break. Listen, your mom's gonna be unconscious for at least another six, seven hours."
"A break?"
"Well, I just mean go out, get some air. Come back later on this evening; talk to the doc then if you want. My unsolicited advice of the day." Gloria got up and left.
Buffy leaned her head back and sighed deeply.
"Buffy." Tara approached.
Buffy got up and hugged her. "It's bad."
"I know."
"I..." Buffy grabbed her coat and put it on. "I have to do something."
"Do something?"
"Yeah, like, you know, magic, like a healing spell."
Tara frowned. "Buffy...people get sick. I don't think magic-"
"I have to try." Buffy paused. "So I figured there has to be some kind of mystical cure, right? I mean...like a-a potion or a spell or something. We have to look."
"The truth is, uh, the...mystical and the medical aren't meant to mix, Buffy. Sorry, um...the human mind is very delicate. Too much can go wrong. I've heard stories about people trying healing spells..." Tara paused. "If we did something, it could make things a lot worse, Buffy."
"Okay." Buffy paused. "I need to talk to Giles and Jenny, see if they've found anything about my mystery gal. Uh, will you do me a favor and - and drop Dawn off at school...and bring her to the magic shop when she gets off?"
"Of course, whatever you need me to do."
"Thank you." Buffy kissed Tara on the lips and started to leave.
"Buffy!" Tara called.
Buffy stopped.
"What do you want me to tell Dawn...about your mom?"
They both looked at Dawn, still sleeping in the chair with Tara's jacket over her.
"Tell her we don't know anything yet."
Tara nodded. Buffy turned and left.
At the Magic Box, Jenny was looking through a pile of receipts. Suddenly, she stopped and stared at a receipt. "Rupert, you sold someone a Khul's amulet and a Sobekian bloodstone."
"Yes, I believe I did." Giles took the receipt and examined it.
Jenny grabbed the receipt back from Giles. "You never sell these things together, ever! Bad news! Don't you know about the Sobekites? It was an ancient Egyptian cult, heavy into dark magic. And the Khul's amulet was a transmogrification conduit."
"Be that as it may, I still see no reason for concern. I mean...the - the Sobekian transmogrification spells were lost thousands of years ago. And besides, the young woman to whom I sold them would have to have had enormous power-" Giles stopped suddenly.
"Young woman?" Jenny asked quietly.
"Oh, dear Lord."
Tara parked the Jeep in front of Sunnydale Middle School.
Dawn looked at her. "She's..." She paused. "She's not gonna get better, is she?"
Tara was on the verge of crying. "I don't know, Dawn. But Summers women are tough."
Dawn smiled. "Thanks."
Tara smiled. "I'll see you after school."
Dawn unfastened her seatbelt and unlocked and opened the door. She got out of the Jeep, closed the door, and walked toward the school.
Tara watched her go, then drove off.
Buffy walked into the Magic Box. "Hey, Giles, Jenny, what's the sitch on the mystery bitch?"
Giles looked guilty.
Buffy was confused. "What happened?"
Jenny gave her a fake smile. "We don't want to make your day any worse."
"Not possible. What happened?"
Giles averted his gaze. "Nothing to concern you, uh-"
"Giles!" Buffy yelled.
Giles sighed, embarrassed. "The, uh, demon woman was here, the one who attacked you."
Buffy was alarmed.
Jenny sighed. "She got an amulet and a bloodstone. That can create a monster."
"My God, are you guys okay, though? I mean...did..." Buffy paused. "No one got hurt, right?"
Giles still didn't look at her. "Oh, no, thankfully, no, uh, no violence to speak of."
"Okay, so that's good..." Buffy didn't understand why Giles looked guilty. "How did she get away with this bad mojo shit?"
Giles looked at Jenny in embarrassment.
"Rupert sold it to her."
Buffy looked at Giles accusingly.
"I-I-I...I didn't know it was her! I mean how could I?" Giles sighed. "If it's any consolation, I may have overcharged her."
Jenny rolled her eyes. "I figured out what the demon lady's up to. A few thousand years ago, there was this cult, the Temple of Sobek."
Buffy was confused. "Sobek."
"Reptile demon. Sobekites were reptile worshippers. Anyway, their high priest, Khul, had great mystic powers. He, um, forged an amulet with transmogrifying crystal."
Buffy stared blankly at her.
"Transmogrifying is changing a living thing into a different kind of thing."
"We've managed to decipher the markings that were on the bloodstone that I sold - that she left with. Um, cobra. She's going to transmogrify a cobra."
"Okay, so she's making a monster. What for? What does it do?" Buffy asked.
"That's the part..." Giles cleared his throat. "We're working on it."
"Well, you keep working on it; I'll go kill it." Buffy turned to leave.
"Buffy?" Jenny asked.
Buffy turned back to face him. "What? I'm going."
Jenny looked at her with warning eyes. "Buffy, this chick kicked your ass last time."
"That's because I wasn't ready for her last time. I am now."
"But you-"
"But what? Jenny, I can't just sit here. I have to do something." Buffy left.
During lunch, Dawn and Lisa were sitting at a table together. Lisa had a teen magazine open.
"Okay, question #10: 'Who is your favorite Charmed One?'" Lisa asked.
Dawn idly dipped a fry in ketchup, not really paying attention.
"Dawn?" Lisa asked.
Dawn shook her head. "Sorry, I'm just distracted."
Lisa put a hand on Dawn's free hand. "Your mom's gonna be okay, and you're gonna have a great Thanksgiving together, okay?"
Dawn gave her a weak smile and nodded. "Prue. Prue's my favorite."
Lisa circled that answer. "Okay, let me calculate the result."
Amanda walked by, carrying her lunch tray, and cautiously approached them. "What are you doing?"
Dawn looked at her. "Oh, uh, taking this dumb personality quiz."
"Oh. That sounds...nice. And there's questions about Charmed?" Amanda asked.
"Yeah, it's kinda geeky. Do you watch Charmed?"
"Yeah! It's my favorite show!" Amanda replied.
"Do you wanna join us?" Dawn offered.
"Yeah!" Amanda set her tray down and sat down. "Thanks! We freaks and geeks need to stick together. So Prue's your favorite, huh? Mine, too."
"Yeah. Shannen Doherty was totally robbed of those Saturns." Dawn took a deep breath. "I'm not bitter."
Amanda grinned. "She kicks so much ass, huh?!"
Dawn took a bite of her cheeseburger. "Well, sure, but I love her mostly because of her caring...ness and her love for her younger sisters. Plus she gave a shout-out to my sister."
Lisa looked at her. "That was Phoebe."
"Oh."
At the Sunnydale Zoo, Buffy entered the reptile building. She saw the woman at an empty cobra case, holding an amulet over a large clay vase.
"Ah! Dark incantations! Always overwritten!" the woman exclaimed, irritated. "Why can't they just cut to the-"
Buffy tackled her from the side, slamming her into a wall. "Fight?" Buffy kicked her in the face.
"No fair-"
Buffy kicked her again.
"-attacking-"
Buffy punched her in the stomach, then in the face.
"-when I wasn't even looking!"
Buffy grabbed her head and began slamming it against the wall.
"Ow!" She grabbed Buffy's hand, removed it from her head, and slammed Buffy into the wall. "No, this is no good."
Buffy rose and tried to punch her again.
She grabbed Buffy's arm and pulled it behind her. "I'm out of the moment..." She braced her other hand against Buffy's shoulder. "...and you're not giving me anything I can use." She punched Buffy in the face, then slammed her against the wall. She lifted Buffy to her feet again. "Hey, hey. Work with me here."
She flung Buffy backward against another wall. Buffy slid down to sit on the floor.
"There!" She grabbed Buffy's hair and kneed her in the face. "That feels more real, don't you think?"
She pulled Buffy up and flung her against another wall. Buffy landed upside down and stared, gasping, as the woman approached.
She grabbed Buffy by the throat and lifted her up again. "Even if I do have to carry your performance."
She threw Buffy across the room. Buffy crashed through the glass, into the snake case.
The woman threw up her arms. "Scene!" She walked toward the vase. "Cir hayyan win-hud! Arise. Arise. Cir hayyan win-hud! Arise!"
The vase rocked wildly back and forth. Suddenly, it exploded as the creature burst out of it. It looked like a very large snake - but with arms. It hissed and swayed back and forth.
"'Bout damn time!" The woman smiled, watching the creature arising.
Buffy picked herself up and climbed out of the cage, unnoticed.
"Spawn of Sobek!" the woman yelled.
The creature turned toward her and approached.
Buffy ran away.
At the hospital, Buffy went to a payphone and called Giles. The phone rang once.
"Magic Box, your one-stop spot to shop for-"
"Giles, it's me."
"Buffy! You all right?"
"No, I'm really not." Buffy took an ice pack from a nearby rack of medical supplies and sighed. "I-I couldn't stop her. I couldn't even slow her down."
"Where are you?"
Buffy put the ice pack inside her jacket, on her shoulder. "Sunnydale Memorial."
"Are you badly hurt? I'll - I'll come right over."
"No. No, I-I just wanted to warn you that that thing she conjured, it's loose; it's a big snake thing. Not mayor big, but it's pretty fucking lethal looking." Buffy winced from pain.
"Do you know why she raised it?"
"I don't know yet."
"I'll warn the others. We'll get weapons, we'll fan out-"
"Wait. What time is it?"
"Half past four, why?"
"School's out. Dawn's on her way over to you. Giles-"
"Understood. We'll keep her safe here until you arrive."
"Thanks. And Giles..."
"Yes?"
"Dawn's kind of fragile right now. About Mom. She doesn't know how bad it is."
"We'll not say a word."
Buffy sighed. "Well, my mom's gonna wake up soon, and I should...be there when the doctors tell her."
"She's in good hands, Buffy. There's really nothing else you can do."
"Okay. Bye."
"Bye."
Buffy hung up and walked off through the hospital halls, limping a little.
In their dorm room, Sandy walked over and sat next to Julie on their bed. "You sure about this?"
Julie nodded. "Yeah. I trust you."
Sandy smiled at Julie and ran her hands over her chest, pushing her jacket aside. Sandy kissed her neck. She pulled back and bared her fangs. Julie was a little apprehensive as she moved her head aside, exposing her neck. Sandy leaned forward to bite her. Julie jerked in pain as Sandy bit her, then slowly she relaxed as Sandy began to drink. Julie closed her eyes and put one hand on the back of Sandy's head.
Julie moaned in pain. "Um, it hurts too much, sweetie."
Sandy pulled away. She saw blood running down Julie's neck from the bite marks.
Julie was a little shaken. "Sorry."
"It's okay."
"Um..." Julie hesitated. "I'm menstruating."
Sandy grinned. Julie took off all of her clothes, lay back on the bed, and spread her legs. Sandy lay between Julie's legs and pulled the tampon out of her pussy. She tossed it aside and then started licking Julie's pussy, lapping up her menstrual blood. She found it exceedingly delicious. Julie soon had an orgasm, her cum mixing with her blood. Sandy enjoyed the saltiness of it.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Harmony walked into the room.
Harmony came to a sudden stop, grinning in embarrassment. "Whoops!"
Sandy sat up and looked at her. "Harm! What the fuck?!"
"Sorry, sorry!" Harmony looked away. "It's just that Giles called and warned of a giant snake on the loose. You wanna go help find it?"
"Hmmm, let me think about that." Sandy looked at Julie. "Sweetie, do you wanna go searching all around town for a giant snake?"
"No."
Sandy looked at Harmony. "Yeah, we're gonna pass. Besides, I've had my fill of giant snakes for a lifetime."
"Okay. Uh...carry on." Harmony grinned and gave them two thumbs up, then walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Julie suddenly kissed Sandy on the lips, tasting her own blood and cum on them.
That evening, in the Hyperion lobby, Wesley stared at Cordelia. "What happened to your hair?"
Cordelia touched her shoulder-length black hair. "Excuse me?"
"Your hair. It's new. It's great!"
Cordelia smiled.
"When did this happen?"
Cordelia lost her smile. "Ten days ago."
"Of course! I didn't want to embarrass you by-"
"-noticing?" Cordelia paused. "Nice suit."
"I was just on my way out to-"
"-yet another glamorous, celebrity-filled gala with Miss Virginia Bryce?" Cordelia pretended to yawn.
"Have you seen Angel? I thought I might check on him. He doesn't seem to be doing much with his time lately."
"Au contraire. His day is packed. Brood about Darla. Brood about Darla. Lunch! Followed by a little Darla brooding."
"Right. Enough is enough." Wesley moved towards the stairs. "I'm gonna march up there and tell him just that." Wesley stopped, staring at the stairs.
"Nice posturing!" Cordelia called.
"Thank you!"
"Anyway, he's not there. Gunn's cousin got involved in something pretty big. Big meaning illegal. So Angel and Gunn went to see if they could help."
"That's good! He's getting out. Something I'm gonna do myself right now."
"Uh-huh, time to traipse off to your shallow, soul-sucking Hollywood party?"
"Premiere, actually. And...I happen to have an extra ticket..."
Cordelia smiled. "Who does shallow better than me?"
She put her hand on his arm as they left together.
Buffy walked up to the door, paused, opened it, and entered the Magic Box.
Giles was yawning and putting on his suit jacket. Jenny was checking the receipts against the money in the cash register. Tara was at the counter, reading a book, tired. Dawn was sitting at the table, trying to do homework but unable to concentrate. Dawn saw Buffy and jumped up from the table. Dawn walked quickly over to Buffy. They hugged.
"Is she awake yet?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah. She's waiting for us."
Dawn pulled back to look Buffy in the face. "Can we take her home now?"
Buffy tried to smile, brushing hair back from Dawn's face. "We'll see. Go get your stuff."
Tara, Jenny, and Giles watched with concern. Dawn turned away to gather her stuff.
Buffy sighed and looked at the others. "So...any monster reptile sightings?"
Giles shook his head. "None."
Jenny looked at Buffy. "Tara and I did a mini-patrol earlier, but the big snake was nowhere to be seen."
Gunn and Angel were leaning against the hood of Angel's convertible, looking at the black kid standing in front of them.
"He's cool, right?" Lester asked Gunn.
"He's cool."
"You know, not that I'm prejudiced. I just hate vampires."
Angel stared at Lester. "You're enlightened, I can tell."
"See? See how they do? See, man? They - They mess with your mind, man! That's the whole reason I called you, G-"
"-is 'cause you got a vampire problem, and Angel has a little experience in that area."
Lester stared at Angel.
"Yo, spill it!" Gunn yelled. "We ain't got all night."
"I-I sort of said I'd take this job drivin'-"
"Uh-huh."
"-for that big-time crew. I never met them, but E.J. vouched for me, and now I'm thinking-"
"-you'd like to stay out of prison."
"Well, yeah, there is that. Then - Then I heard they were bringin' in this - this psycho vampire from Vegas. And like I said, man-"
"What's the job?" Angel asked.
"Takin' off some museum. Don't know which one."
"What are they after?"
"Something big. Supernatural. It's going down later this week, but I'm supposed to meet the head honcho tonight, and if I don't show...E.J. said, if they don't hunt me down and kill me, he will!"
"Where's the meet?" Gunn asked.
Lester looked around, then pulled out a piece of paper. Both Gunn and Angel reached for it, but Gunn was the one that got it.
"Psycho vampire got a name?" Angel asked Lester.
"Yeah, uh, E.J. said it-it's something like, uh, Jee-don or Joe-don-"
"Jay-don."
"Yeah, that's it. Yeah, yeah, he's comin' here for the meetin' tonight. They're picking him up."
"Where?"
"Downtown bus, midnight." Lester looked at Gunn. "Hey, what am I gonna do?"
"Take the meeting. I'll get you out before the crime goes down."
Lester hugged Gunn. "I owe you big-time, cous." He looked at Angel. "Hey, man! Nice to meet you." He laughed and looked at Gunn. "See you!" He hurried off.
Gunn looked at the paper. "You know this Jay-don bloodsucker?"
"I know of him."
"And?"
"And he's a player, big on the nightlife and way too dangerous for you. I'll take it from here."
"You'll what? That's my cousin's life we're talking about."
Angel took the paper away from Gunn and read it. "Which I don't want you jumping in this thing, guns-a-blazing."
"Since when do I take orders from you?"
"Since I'm paying you."
"This ain't no paying gig. I brought it to you."
"And I'm taking it from here. If I can shut it down, great. If not, I'll protect him."
"And what am I supposed to do? Sit home and knit?"
"I could use a sweater. Something dark."
Angel got into his car and drove off as Gunn shook his head.
At the Hyperion, Kate walked through Angel's dimly-lit suite.
"Darla?" Angel asked behind her.
"You expecting her? Because that would really cut down on my legwork."
"What are you doing here?
"Well, there is that little thing about a murder she was involved in? You remember: a few weeks ago, a guy got his throat ripped out? I'm sure you're gonna tell me she's innocent."
Angel just walked past her, not answering.
"Maybe not. I don't suppose you'd testify against her in a blindingly sunny court of law?"
"I don't suppose you have a search warrant?"
Kate pulled out a wooden cross, the end of its long beam sharpened into a stake. "Well, I knew I forgot something."
"Darla's not here. I don't know where she is."
"I will find her, Angel, you can be sure of that. And when I do, she's toast."
"She's human now, remember?"
"Toast with life in prison."
"Listen, Kate." Angel stepped closer.
She held her cross up.
Angel gave a chuckle. "There are forces at work here that you know nothing about."
"Gathering storm, is it?"
"Which you don't want to get caught in."
"You afraid I'll get hurt?"
"No. I'm afraid you'll get killed. I'm just telling you this, so you won't."
"Me dead. I guess I'd kind of be like you then, wouldn't I? You think I'm gonna stand by while you and your playmate finish the game?"
"Let's try this one more time, huh?" Angel sent her cross flying and grabbed a hold of her. "You get stuck between me and Darla, it'll be the last thing you ever do."
"Let go of me!"
He did. They looked at each other for a moment, then she turned and walked out.
In Joyce's hospital room. Buffy stood beside the bed. "You want me to stay?"
"No, I'm fine. I-I think I should...talk to Dawn alone."
Buffy nodded. "Okay."
"Oh. Do I have bad hair?" Joyce put her hands to her head. "I don't look like scary Mom, do I?"
Buffy smiled. "No. You look beautiful." She brushed some hair back from Joyce's forehead.
Joyce smiled bravely. "Okay. Let's do this." She put her hand on Buffy's arm. "Stay close."
Buffy put her other hand over Joyce's. "I will."
Buffy turned, went to the door, and let Dawn in. Dawn smiled nervously and walked over to hug Joyce. Buffy paused in the doorway to watch them embrace.
"Buffy..."
Buffy left the door slightly open, then turned to walk toward Tara.
"You okay?" Tara asked her.
Buffy shrugged.
"Come here." Tara hugged her. "It's okay, sweetie. Just let it out."
"I can't." Buffy sniffled. "Not now." She glanced toward the hospital room. "They need me. If I start now...I won't be able to stop." She bit her lip, tears in her eyes.
Tara gently kissed Buffy on the lips.
"Buffy?" Joyce called.
Buffy turned and walked back to the hospital room door, wiping her eyes. Tara watched her enter the room and close the door behind her.
Cordelia, a big red stain down the front of her white blouse, walked into the lobby, followed by Wesley.
"Really, the stain - it's hardly noticeable!" Wesley told her.
Angel saw Cordelia. "What happened?"
"It's not blood; it's cocktail sauce, courtesy of Mr. Star-schmoozer here."
"I mean to your head. Your - Your hair."
She gave him a look.
"It looks great." Angel chuckled. "When did this happen?"
"Ten days ago!" Wesley yelled. "Pay attention."
Cordelia looked at Wesley, gave a short laugh, then stepped around the reception counter.
"Why doesn't anybody tell me any of this stuff?" Angel asked.
"We had a little mishap...with the little shrimp...and the sauce...and her dress."
"You were at a party."
Cordelia popped her head up from under the counter. "You know, party, soiree, night of a thousand humiliations..."
"I spilled it on her in front of Mr. Fat Chow...Chow-"
Cordelia popped up above the counter. "Chow Yun Fat!" She then ducked back under it.
"What, you met Chow Yun Fat?!" Angel asked Wesley.
"How did it go with Gunn's cousin?"
"Fine. A group of...Cordelia?"
"Listening." Cordelia got out of her blouse.
"Uh, a group of thieves is planning to steal something from a local museum. Probably something with mystical power, which means something we really don't want them to have."
"Indeed! Do you know which museum they will be targeting?" Wesley asked.
"No. Gunn's cousin didn't know. He's just the driver."
"We should find out which museums in the area have recent acquisitions. This is wonderful! You're - You're on a case! You're back."
Cordelia popped back up from under the counter, now wearing a black top. "Yeah! It'll be just like old times, right, Angel? Meeting evil face to face, kicking evil's ass! Wes and I'll crank up the research machine, and you'll..." She paused. "What will you do, again?"
"They're bringing a vampire in from Las Vegas tonight. His name is Jay-don. He's got a rep. If he's involved, it's a big heist."
"I've heard of him. Isn't he a-"
"-deadly killer?" Cordelia guessed.
"Well, that, of course. I was about to say a loud, flashy sort of character."
"Well, he ran with the whole Sinatra Rat Pack thing. Never got over it. You know, I think I'll meet his bus."
"And take his place?" Cordelia clapped him on the shoulder. "Great plan, boss!"
Angel turned to look at her.
Cordelia stepped back to stand beside Wesley. "What better way to get your mind off...things we don't even need to..." She looked at Wesley. "How loud and flashy?"
"I believe he is quite the extrovert."
They turned together to look at Angel.
Cordelia regarded him. "Hmm..."
"What?" Angel asked.
Wesley shook his head. "Oh, I-I'm sure you can pull it off. You're...colorful."
Gunn walked up to a door as it slid open.
"What took you so long?" an ugly demon asked.
"What took me so long is I'm a professional." Gunn walked into the building. "I had to case the neighborhood, make sure no cops followed me." He saw Angel. "Looks like I'm the last one at the party."
The ugly demon, a spiny demon, and a guy named Bob were standing around a table. Gunn and Angel were leaning against something a little ways away.
"I told you I'd handle this."
"And I told you I don't take orders."
Ugly looked over at them. "Something wrong?"
"Depends." Gunn motioned at Angel. "Do we all got to wear these ugly-ass shirts?"
Angel looked at his shirt.
"Is this, you know, a team thing? Because, you know, I got my pride." Gunn stepped up to the table. "So what are we looking for? Ming somethings? Egyptian somethings?"
"The Shroud of Rahmon. Worth about two-million on the black market. Do you want to pay attention now?" Ugly asked.
Gunn and Angel glanced at each other.
Gunn looked at Ugly. "You got my undivided."
Ugly pointed to a map laying on the table. "This is the access door. Bob turns off the alarm at 2:40. We enter, take this hall to the elevator, where we meet Bob at 2:45. We all go down together. This is the vault where they keep it. The vault has a lock code known only by the curator. That means we have to blow it. Now, the door has no alarm, but the vault itself has its own system - a thermal sensor."
Bob nodded. "Any change in temperature will set off the alarm."
"Guess that's where I come in, huh?" Angel asked.
"Oh, no body heat. I guess that comes with the no-soul thing, huh?" Gunn asked.
"Jay-don enters; he goes to the control box in the back and disarms it. Then we're in."
"How big is the case?" Angel asked Ugly.
"Big." Ugly opened a book and pointed to an illustration. "It's made of consecrated wood; the edges are sealed with gold. Inside the box is lined with lead. It weighs about a ton. It's gonna take all of us just to lift it."
"I can handle my end. I'm not so sure about him." Spiny looked at Bob.
"Hey, I can handle my side."
Gunn looked at Bob. "Yeah, maybe with a forklift."
"You want a piece of me, huh?" Bob lunged across the table at Gunn.
Angel pushed him back. "Hey, hey, take it easy, huh?" He pointed at Gunn. "This guy here is a troublemaker. All right, I know a Vajnu demon, professional driver, never opens up his mouth."
"Yeah, and I know a vampire that better shut his!" Gunn yelled.
"Hey, guys, I apologize." Angel hit Gunn and grabbed him. "This is something that I should just take outside!"
Ugly pulled out two guns and aimed them at Angel and Gunn. "I've got a problem with that."
Spiny nodded. "So do I."
Angel let go of Gunn. "You expect me to spend the rest of this week with this clown?"
Ugly shook his head. "No, just the rest of the night. We're not waiting. We're doing this now."
"Tonight?" Gunn asked.
"And no one leaves my sight until it's over." Ugly motioned towards Spiny. "Anybody tries, they get a bullet from me or a stake from him."
Cordelia was surfing the 'Net. "Museums, museums. Okay, we've got the MOCA. We've got the LACMA. Uh, the Gene Autry!"
Wesley gave her a look.
"Well, it could be a magical stuffed horse!" Cordelia insisted.
"Let's assume not and try Natural History."
"Okay, here we go. Site Map...Membership...Museum Shop..." Cordelia frowned. "Don't they have a section like...Shit You Might Want to Steal?"
"Click on Recent Acquisitions. Right there. There!"
"I got it! Jesus, backseat surfer!" Cordelia clicked the link.
"Angel should've been back by now."
"Maybe the meeting ran late." Cordelia pointed at the screen. "Could it be a collection of Chelicerate arthropods?"
"Keep going. Hold it. 'On the third of this month, Museum Research Department received the Shroud of Rahmon from a tomb recently unearthed by University of New Mexico archeologists.'"
"Okay. Two words I don't like right off the bat: tomb and unearthed. People, you've got to leave your tombs earthed!"
"Shroud of Rahmon. Have you ever heard of it?"
"I'm not big on shrouds. They're an after-you-die outfit."
"Get everything you can from the museum database. I'll hit the books."
A big white van with "Rehak Moving and Storage" stenciled on the side backed up to the dock at the back of the museum. Gunn and Ugly got out of the cab, and Spiny and Angel got out of the back.
Angel looked at Gunn. "The driver should stay with the truck. Just in case somebody shows up."
Ugly pulled a door open, revealing the latch had been taped over with masking tape to keep it from locking. "We need him inside."
Spiny followed Ugly inside.
Gunn tapped Angel on the arm. "Hey, don't hit me again."
Angel took off his sunglasses. "I was trying to protect you."
"And I appreciate that." Gunn hit Angel with a hard right punch. "Don't do it again."
Gunn walked in, and Angel followed, putting his glasses back on.
They met up with Bob and rode the elevator down.
"We have one minute before Earl makes his rounds." Bob looked at Spiny. "You don't have to hit him hard."
Spiny smiled. Angel looked over at Gunn, who met his eyes for a moment, then looked straight ahead.
They exited the elevator and walked down the hallway. Spiny darted ahead into an alcove. Bob swiped his card through a security scanner. Earl came up around a corner of the hallway, whistling, and Ugly pulled his gun and grabbed Bob from behind.
"They got me, Earl!" Bob yelled.
Before Earl could react, Spiny came up behind him and threw him into the wall. As he stepped up to hit him again, Angel caught his arm.
"You kill him, cops will be all over us. We have to do this clean."
Spiny pulled free and stared at Angel but made no move towards Earl. Ugly threw a roll of duct tape towards Bob, who caught it.
"Tape him." Ugly looked at the others. "Let's go."
They walked up to the vault door, and Ugly laid one hand against it.
"Come on! Come on. Hurry up and blow it!" Spiny yelled.
Ugly drilled a hole in the door while Angel sprayed water to cool the drill. Gunn assembled the trigger. He and Angel stared at each other.
At the police station, Kate was meeting with a cop.
He pointed at a picture laying in front of him on the desk. "This one is a security guard at the Southern California Museum of Natural History. His name is Robert Skale. He's got a record. Small-timer." He pointed at Ugly standing in the picture beside Bob. "The other one may or may not be one M. James Menlo, who likes to crack bank vaults. Our guess is they're putting together a heist, probably at the museum." He pulled out another photograph. "And we picked up this one earlier tonight. We couldn't make this guy until we ran him past Carlson. He said you knew him."
The picture showed Ugly picking up Angel at the bus station.
"He's out of the scope of our investigation, but, uh, Carlson said you might be interested."
Kate picked up the photo in her hands and looked at it. "I'm interested."
Ugly was taking a small glass bottle filled with yellow liquid out of a padded box, his hand shaking a little, and moved to insert it into the hole drilled into the door.
"You're taking too long!" Spiny yelled.
Everyone else jumped.
"Spine-man, chill. All right? This is nitro. The last thing I want is my body parts mixed up with yours!" Gunn yelled.
"We should have been in the vault by now."
Ugly turned to Spiny. "Shut up!"
The nitro slipped from his fingers.
"No!" Ugly yelled.
Angel stretched out his foot and softly caught the bottle, so it came to rest on top of his boot.
"Allow me." Balancing on one foot, Angel slowly reached down, took the bottle, and inserted it into the door.
With all of them standing around the corner of the corridor, Ugly blew the lock out of the door.
Wesley walked into the lobby, holding a book. "The shroud was woven by the head priest, said to have been driven mad by the demon himself. Once Rahmon was defeated, the priest dyed the shroud with the blood of seven virgin women sacrificed on the first full moon, then laid it upon Rahmon's body in order to prevent his resurrection."
"Why is it always virgin women who have to do the sacrificing?" Cordelia asked, irritated.
"For purity, I suppose."
"This has nothing to do with purity. This is all about dominance, buddy. You can bet you ass, if someone ordered a male body part for religious sacrifice, the world would be atheist..." Cordelia snapped her fingers. "...like that."
"The shroud supposedly absorbed Rahmon's power."
"So...he who has the shroud has the power. You said Rahmon was a drive-you-mad kind of fella?"
"Mmmm..."
"I hate it when you do that."
"Once, in 1803, the shroud was removed from its casing."
"And yuckiness ensued?"
"Well, yes. The entire population of El Encanto went insane, mothers and children hacking one another to pieces, men roaming the streets like rabid dogs-"
"I get the picture. So in order to take his mind off the torment that is Darla, we sent Angel after a box that makes you crazy."
"Worst case scenario, we warn Angel off it before they steal the shroud."
"Just as soon as he comes back - unless, of course, they're stealing it right now."
They looked at each other, then ran for the door.
Angel entered the vault with Ugly closing the door behind him. Spiny paced outside the vault while everyone stared at the door.
"This shroud is gonna make us rich! I can feel it. Can you feel it? This is gonna be amazing!" Bob exclaimed.
"How's it going in there?" Gunn called through the door.
"Everything's fine."
A light outside the vault went off, and Ugly smiled, opened the door, and walked in. The others followed.
Gunn looked around. "I feel something weird in here."
Spiny rolled his eyes. "Humans always got to feel something about everything. And they always got to tell you about it. 'I'm so happy. I'm so sad. I'm so scared.' Makes me sick."
"Oh, now, I like it when they're scared!" Angel told him. "Makes them taste kind of...salty."
Spiny got right in Angel's face. "Did I ask for your opinion, you overgrown leech?"
Angel squirmed away from him. "Oh, please! Altoids, aisle 4!"
"We don't have time for this!" Ugly yelled. "Let's get it and go."
Gunn stared down at the image of the demon through the glass square in the box. "When are they gonna start making some pretty demons?"
"On the count of three." Ugly paused. "1..."
They all took a hold of the box.
Gunn noticed a wild look in Angel's eyes. "You about to turn or something?"
"No."
"2..."
"You don't look like 'No'."
"Shut up and lift, Lester!" Angel yelled.
"Don't give me orders, Elvis!" Gunn yelled back.
"3."
They all strained and lifted the box up together.
Wesley pulled open the taped back door, and he and Cordelia entered.
"So it is tonight. They must be somewhere inside. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm - I'm feeling a little..."
Cordelia felt ill. "Me, too. I think it's the altitude."
"Right. The altitude here at sea level."
They both cracked up laughing.
"Let's - Let's not lose focus."
Cordelia looked at him. "Maybe we should split up."
"Uh, no, too dangerous. We - We better stick together."
"Right."
And with that, they both went their separate ways.
Kate drove a slick, silver car to the back of the museum and parked. She got on the radio. "This is Detective Lockley requesting backup. Got a possible 4-5-9 in progress at the Museum of Natural History."
Kate unfastened her seatbelt, opened the door, got out of her car, pulled her gun, and walked up to the museum.
The group was carrying the heavy coffin down the corridor.
"Try holding up your corner, Les."
"Who died and made you corner monitor?" Gunn asked Angel.
"Are you two gonna get married or what?" Spiny asked them.
"Same old story. Vampires always pushing people around. Think the world is theirs."
Ugly grunted. "From what I've seen of this world, they can have it."
Bob smiled. "Well, I visited Topkapi once."
Gunn was staring at Angel, who was staring back at him.
"Nothing but take, take, take. Take your blood, take your sister!" Gunn yelled.
"Somebody shut that human up!" Spiny yelled.
"You want to take somebody, huh?" Gunn let go of his corner of the coffin. "Let's see you take me!"
"It's slipping!" Bob yelled.
"Don't drop it!" Ugly yelled.
"Hold it! Hold it!" Spiny yelled.
Gunn tackled Angel, and the box dropped to the ground. The glass cracked, and a purple mist seeped out.
Bob stared. "Oops."
Angel had Gunn by the throat and was pushing him up against the wall. "You know, I'm getting pretty tired of this 'vampires killed my sister, so now I'm all entitled' song. Don't you know anything else, like, say, 'MacArthur Park'?"
"Get your hands off my throat."
"Ah, ah, ah! You're gonna play nice? Huh?"
"Cool."
Angel let go of Gunn, and he dropped back to his feet.
"We can't leave it here; we have to move it! Someone else will come along! Let's move it!" Ugly yelled.
Gunn pulled out a stake and attacked Angel from behind. Angel batted the stake aside and kicked him into the wall.
"Kill him. Kill the human! Kill it!" Spiny yelled.
Angel cocked back his fist to strike Gunn again but heard Ugly cock his gun and froze, then took a step back.
Ugly laid the gun on the coffin. "Case."
Bob pulled a rope out of Ugly's bag. "Alrighty, partners, it's roping time! Tonight, I will be playing the part of the poor, defenseless calf. Who gets to be the cowboy?"
Ugly took the rope and started to tie the guy's hands behind his back.
"Just make it tight. Okay, cowboy? It's got to be tight. It's got to look real. Ha, ha, ha! I'm not the bad guy; I'm the good guy!"
"I'm the good guy - no, wait, the bad guy!" Angel yelled.
Ugly moved towards the coffin. "Pick it up!"
"No, wait. You've got to hit me. Look, somebody's gotta hit me! Come on, man, you got to hit me. Do it. Come on, make it real!" Bob yelled.
Spiny walked over to him and twisted his head right off, making Gunn flinch.
Spiny looked at Bob's head. "Looks real to me." He dropped the head and moved back to his end of the coffin.
Kate walked down some steps in the museum, gun in hand. A shadow flew across, and she aimed her gun at it while continuing down the steps. The shadow flew across above her; she spun around, firing in the air and knocking Wesley to the ground in the process.
"Where is Angel?" Kate asked him.
"Angel? Right." Wesley picked himself up and looked around. "That's why I'm here - to warn Angel about...something...important!" He pointed at Kate and took a deep breath. "Your hair!"
"You're here to warn Angel about my hair."
"It's blonde!" Wesley reached up to his head in pain. "The shroud! He's got to know about the shroud! It will make everybody..." He paused. "It makes everybody...act differently!"
Cordelia was admiring her reflection in a glass case. "My teeth are so...big! I...am...pleasant."
"We have to hurry before it's too late."
There was a whooshing sound, and Kate spun around, then grabbed the bridge of her nose.
"I noticed your hair right away."
Taking a deep breath, Kate dropped her hand and turned back to face him. She looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Cordelia saw a gray puppet wearing a Native American costume. "Oh. Hello, plastic person. You're all by your lonesome in here." She saw its necklace. "So...I guess you won't be needing this." She took the necklace off, then put it around her own neck.
Angel, Gunn, Ugly, and Spiny carried the heavy coffin out of the elevator.
"Fingerprints!" Ugly yelled.
"What are you doing?" Angel asked him.
"We left fingerprints!"
"What are you doing?!"
Ugly let go of his corner, snatched up a rag from his bag, and started to frantically wipe at the walls of the elevator. "They'll find us. They'll take it away!"
Angel looked at the others. "Forget him. Keep going."
"No fingerprints!" Ugly yelled.
They moved a little ways further down the hall.
Gunn felt dizzy. "I got to put it down."
"Huh?" Spiny asked.
"I got to put it down!"
"See? Fucking humans, good for nothing!" Spiny yelled.
Angel looked at Gunn. "Try to keep going."
"I can't. I can't. My head - it's full of flies!" Gunn set his corner down, grabbed his head, and backed against the wall. "Get away from it. Get away from it!"
Spiny moved to the side of the box. "I don't need any of you."
"What's wrong now, son, huh? Getting a little tired? Little backache? A little toothache?" Angel lifted a hand to his head. "What...?"
Wesley came stumbling along the wall of the corridor. "Angel? Thank God I found you in time."
Angel turned to look at him.
"Is it in time?" Wesley asked.
"Wesley?" Angel asked.
"Yes! I had a message for you. And the message was..." Wesley hit his hand with his fist. "...the shroud! The shroud, very dangerous. It makes people...bad! Although, it's amazing how good I feel!"
Angel grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pushed him down the corridor. "Wesley, get out!"
"Is that Gunn? What's he doing here? I never thought of him as the museum type."
"Wesley...Wesley-"
Kate whipped around the corner, aiming her gun at them. "Police! Nobody move!"
Angel squinted at her. "Wow! Look at you...rushing in here all by yourself! You're the best cop ever."
"Too many humans."
Angel looked at Spiny. "Excuse me, that is my girl."
Kate aimed her gun at Angel. "Stay back."
"Whoo! Okay." Angel laughed. "You got me. My life of crime is over." He raised his hands up in the air and slowly stepped closer to Kate. "I'm going down. But first...a little impression." He laughed. "I'm a cop...with a mission to protect the innocent and rain on everybody's parade and obsessed about my father's death and bother people who are about to steal things!"
Wesley stared at him. "Angel-"
Angel spun around, knocking Wesley into the wall, then turned back to face Kate. "Oh...Katie...what are you so afraid of? Is it the part where I'm gonna kill you? Because I got to tell you: I love that in a woman!"
Kate shot at him, but he rushed her, grabbed her, pointing her gun up at the ceiling, and sunk his fangs into the right side of her neck. Kate panted as he drank. His pale hand flexed as he held on to her shoulder. Then he turned, so she could see over his shoulder that Ugly had his gun trained on her.
"Stay down, or they'll kill you."
Angel let go of her, and she dropped to the floor. She looked up at his bloody face for a moment, then her eyes slid shut as Angel turned to look around and chuckled as Ugly lowered his gun. Kate's head rolled to the side, and she kept her eyes shut.
The SWAT team entered, guns at the ready. Two of them found Wesley crouched over a motionless Kate.
"Don't move! Police!"
"Oh, I-I didn't-"
"Don't move. Stay where you are. Oh, my God!"
"Kate, come on. Wake up!" Wesley yelled, shaking her.
"We have an officer down."
The other SWAT guy pulled Wesley off Kate rather roughly.
The moving van crashed into one of the cars parked in the lot in front of the garage. Gunn, Angel, Ugly, and Spiny carried in the coffin with Angel chuckling maniacally. They set it down.
"You drank her. Animal! You drank that cop!" Gunn yelled at Angel.
"What now?" Spiny asked Ugly.
"Open it."
"Oh, that's genius! Good thing we didn't think about that back at the ol' museum and miss out on all this swell heavy lifting!" Angel exclaimed dramatically.
"Open it! There is a catch."
Ugly ran his hands along the coffin's lid, but Spiny just punched his fist through the glass window, ripped the lid right off, and threw it aside.
Gunn smiled. "That works, too."
The four of them stepped closer to the coffin and looked at the shroud-wrapped body inside. Angel looked slightly wigged; Gunn was smiling.
Ugly was shaking and reached for the shroud. "I got it! I got it!"
Spiny pushed him away from the coffin. "No! No! You don't know what this means. You have no idea what this is about. It belongs to my people." He hit himself on the chest. "My people."
"Your people? I didn't see none of your people when we was hauling this thing!" Gunn yelled.
"Hey, fellas! Fellas! Cool your jets, all right? There is plenty here for all of...me!" Angel yelled.
Each of them grabbed a hold of one corner of the shroud and tried to pull it away from the others.
"Okay, how does this work, huh? Huh? The person with the biggest piece gets their wish?" Angel asked.
"No!" Ugly yelled.
"Don't hurt it!" Spiny yelled.
"What about you, Lester? All of a sudden, you want it, too?" Angel asked.
"I get this, I'll kill you."
"Yeah, too bad, kid. Tell your wishes it won't come true."
Ugly pulled out his gun and shot Angel. Spiny hit Ugly with a hard right punch, sending him to the floor. His gun went off again, and Gunn ducked down beside the coffin. Spiny grabbed the shroud and pulled it away from Angel, almost pulling him into the coffin. Angel caught himself with his face only inches away from the skull of the demon. Spiny ran towards the door. Angel tackled him in one leap before he reached it and got the shroud away from him. Gunn snagged the other end of the shroud and tried to pull it out of Angel's hands. They stared at each other as they worked their way hand over hand towards the middle.
Spiny jumped back up. "It's mine!"
He ran towards them, but Ugly got off one last shot in their direction, hitting Spiny in the forehead. Spiny's body dropped onto the shroud, held between Gunn and Angel, and all three of them toppled to the ground with Gunn at the bottom and Angel on top.
Gunn still clutched the shroud with all of his might. "Got it. Got it. Got it!"
"Wait! Wait. Gunn, I remember. You have to...trust me. I know what to do with this. Have faith, kid."
Gunn let go of the shroud. Angel stumbled out of the door of the garage, carrying the shroud and Bob's bottle of whiskey. He dropped the shroud and poured the whiskey over it. Angel stared down on the image of the demon's face on the shroud. He pulled out a lighter and flicked it. He stared at the flame and looked down at the shroud. The lighter tumbled from his hand. Angel watched the flames, breathing hard. Angel slowly took a step back. Suddenly, there was a soundless explosion, the flames shot straight up, and Angel flew through the air and against a stack of cement bags behind him, then landed in a heap. The flames died back down, and Angel lay there, barely lifting his head off the ground, watching the shroud burn.
Kate opened the door to the interrogation room at the police station and stepped in. She locked eyes with Wesley, who was in the process of being arrested by two officers.
"Let him go."
Kate stood in front of the window beside her desk, looking out at the night through the open blinds. She covered Angel's bite mark with her right hand.
Kate slowly took her hand away from her neck and turned around.
Wesley paced in front of the stairs in the Hyperion's lobby with his hands buried in the pockets of his gray sweatpants. He went to the sofa to sit down beside Cordelia, who had changed her clothes as well but was still wearing the Native American necklace around her neck.
"I don't think he's coming down."
"Hmm."
"I don't think recent events did him a lot of good."
"Again a hearty 'Hmm'."
"We had every good intention, of course."
"Right. Sending him into the path of a crazy-making, one-way-ticket-to-evil-town death cloth. Good plan."
"It's not the shroud's effects on him that worry me as much as..."
"As what?" Cordelia asked.
Wesley looked over at her.
Cordelia looked back at him with big eyes. "My stealing? I returned everything. I swear."
Wesley frowned slightly. "Angel drank human blood...from a living person. Something he hasn't done in a very long time."
"So, on top of everything else, we may have reawakened his bloodlust?"
"Yes."
"Hmm. Full day's work, then."
"I think so."
They both got up at the same time and left, turning off the lights.
Chapter 113: Listening to Fear
Chapter Text
"Listening to Fear"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episodes "Listening to Fear" Written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner, "Into the Woods" Written by Marti Noxon, and "Triangle" Written by Jane Espenson and the Angel Episodes "The Trial" Written by David Greenwalt, Douglas Petrie, and Tim Minear and "Redefinition" Written by Mere Smith
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
Joyce and Dawn were sitting in the hospital bed while Buffy sat beside the bed. Joyce had a bandage on her forehead. Dawn picked up a piece of green Jell-O off a tray of hospital food and ate it.
"Listen, you two, I know this creamed spinach is pretty delicious, but I promise I won't be offended if you go out for some real food."
"You kidding me?" Buffy asked. "This is the good life. Relaxing in bed while people bring you food on trays."
Dawn licked her fingers. "I like the Jell-O."
Joyce laughed. "Help yourself. There's something about food that moves by itself that gives me the heebie-jeebies."
"It's good and wiggly." Dawn shoved more Jell-O into her mouth. "This girl at school told me that gelatin is made from ground-up cow's feet and that, if you eat Jell-O, there's some cows out limping with no feet."
Joyce and Buffy grimaced.
"But I told her I'm sure they kill 'em before they take off their feet." Dawn was suddenly nervous. "Right?"
Buffy looked at Joyce. "You're the one who insisted on teaching her to talk."
Dr. Kriegel entered the room.
"Oh, hello, Dr. Kriegel; um, you know my girls, Buffy and Dawn." Joyce gestured to them.
"Yes, of course. You two are becoming part of the regular crew around here."
Buffy smiled. "Just keeping her company."
"Good. Just be careful you don't wear her out."
"Oh, don't worry about that. I woke up exhausted; there's really no more exhausted to get."
Dr. Kriegel took Joyce's chart and looked at it. "Well, maybe some good news will help. The blood work's come back from the lab, and everything seems fine. So we've scheduled your surgery for tomorrow at ten in the morning."
Buffy and Joyce sobered up at this.
"How's that sound to you?" he asked.
"Oh, well, I think they had me scheduled for volleyball, but, uh, we can work around it."
Dr. Kriegel laughed. "All right. Joyce, you take care. Make sure you get some good, solid rest. And I mean that." He left.
"Uh, tomorrow. I don't think I can stand to stay here another day, just waiting."
"Waiting?" Buffy asked. "Gimme a break; we got - we got tons to do."
Dawn nodded. "We have soap operas to watch and trashy magazines to read."
Buffy smiled. "And an adjustable bed to fiddle with. That alone will keep me busy for four hours or so."
"Oh, I really don't need you to stay here, Buffy. I know you've got patrolling to do."
"Not tonight. Tonight, I have Mom-taking-care-of to do. And besides, I'm sure the others have everything under control."
Cordelia and Wesley were standing in front of the closed door leading down into the Hyperion's basement.
"Don't you think we should check on him?" Cordelia asked. "He's been in that cellar a long time."
"I keep hearing a 'chucka-chucka' sound. What's he doing down there?" Wesley asked.
"How the fuck should I know?" Cordelia asked. "He barely says 'Good morning' and 'Get me a glass of blood' anymore."
"I know. He's just so distraught about-"
"Don't say Darla! I'm sick and tired hearing about Darla. If I hear the name Darla one more time! And he is not distraught; he is obsessed! And I thought you were gonna be a man and talk to him about this!"
"I was a man! I said...things."
"Like what?"
"Like...did he prefer milk or sugar in his tea. It's how men talk about things in England."
"Shh! Listen. It stopped."
"He's coming!"
Both of them ran away from the basement door. Cordelia hopped onto a stool behind the counter and looked down at some papers. Behind her, Wesley picked up a file and pretended to be reading as the door opened.
Angel came out, carrying an armful of clothes. "Hi, guys. What's up?"
"Nothing." Cordelia paused. "So you were...doing your laundry?"
Angel folded his laundry. "Yeah. There is an old washer and dryer in the cellar." He held one piece up to his face. "Hmm, don't you just love it when they're still warm from the dryer?" He shook it out and looked at it. "Wrinkle-free - right, after you iron it for about fifteen minutes!"
"It's good to see you taking a domestic tack."
"Yeah, you seem all calm and homey." Cordelia paused as a thought came to her. "Are you on drugs?"
"I know I've caused you a lot of grief about this whole Darla situation, and I apologize. Darla may never need my help. All I can do is be there for her if and when she decides to come around. But I can't do it for her, and I know that now."
Wesley smiled at Cordelia. "We had tea."
"In the meantime, there is nothing I can do but...let go."
Gunn burst in, holding a file. "I found Darla."
Angel walked over to look through what he had.
"It wasn't easy, but you said to keep looking, and my wide-ranging knowledge of L.A.'s low-rent hotels finally paid off."
"You lied to us!" Cordelia yelled at Angel.
Angel looked at some pictures. "I did. I know."
"Why?" Wesley asked.
"I figured you'd nag."
Cordelia and Wesley exchanged a look.
"The Royal Viking Motel."
"Conveniently located mere steps from scenic skid row. I guess she's not living off Wolfram & Hart no more."
"They'll be looking for her, too."
"What do you think they'll do if they find her?" Gunn asked.
"Well, let's get there first and not find out."
Angel grabbed his coat and walked towards the door, Gunn following.
"Listen up, mister! If you expect us to go with you on some wild goose chase, then guess again! We're not going to enable you in your addiction!" Cordelia yelled.
"Didn't we learn anything from the tea?" Wesley asked.
Joyce was reading in bed while Buffy and Dawn played Uno at a nearby table.
Tara entered the room, holding a few magazines and a book. "Hey."
Buffy smiled. "Hey. How'd patrol go?"
Tara smiled. "Good. I went with Sandy, and Amy went with Harmony. Simple freeze-and-stake method."
"Isn't that kinda cheating?" Dawn asked.
Buffy smirked. "Who gives a fuck?"
"Buffy!" Joyce yelled.
"Sorry." Buffy smiled wickedly at Dawn. "Cheating is awesome. Just think of all of the times that I kicked your ass in LORD or Doom."
"Is that why our phone bill was always so high?" Joyce asked Buffy angrily.
"Uuuhhh..."
"These are for you to read." Tara put the magazines and book on the table.
Joyce put her hand to her head and grimaced.
Buffy was concerned. "Headache?"
"Just a little one." Joyce smiled. "A biggish little one. I'm fine!"
Buffy looked down at the large textbook titled World History and pouted. "Homework?"
Tara reached into her jacket and pulled a Game Boy Color out of her pocket, smiling. "And your Game Boy."
Buffy took it, smiling. "Thank you."
"The book is just in case you get a chance to look it over. We're doing World War I now. The last exam was really pretty easy, so it should be no hassle to make it up-"
Buffy sighed. "I don't even know if I'm gonna take that exam."
Joyce scowled. "I'd rip it in half and stick it in bed with me!"
The girls were confused.
"Mom?" Buffy asked tentatively.
Joyce looked confused. "You know, I think I'm gonna take a little rest now." She lay back in bed.
Buffy nodded. "Okay. We'll be right outside if you need us."
Tara, Dawn, and Buffy left the room.
Dawn was anxious as Buffy closed the door behind herself.
"What was she talking about?" Dawn asked Tara. "I mean...that was weird."
Tara gave her a small smile. "She's gonna be fine."
Buffy joined them. "It's okay. I'm sorry, the doctor spoke to me, and, uh, I should have told you. Um, the - the thing that's pressing on her brain, sometimes it - it might make her say weird things."
"Does she know she's saying them?" Dawn asked her.
"Not really. It's sort of like a flash, you know, but you saw her two seconds afterward. She was normal."
Tara nodded. "And after the operation, no more pressing. She'll be all normal all the time."
Buffy and Tara took Dawn's arms, and they began to walk down the hall.
Tara looked at Buffy. "Oh, Amy invited me to do some stargazing on the roof of her dorm later tonight. You're welcome to come with."
Buffy smiled. "Thanks, sweetie, but I'm needed here. You go, have fun."
A man passed them, going the other way with three women. He brushed Buffy.
Buffy looked at him. "Oh, excuse me."
"Careful, the facts say a-a picnic is in order."
His wife came forward.
He turned to his wife. "I'm going home?"
His wife nodded.
"Home? Home, home, home."
His wife and daughters escorted him away.
"What's wrong with him? Is it like Mom? A thing in his head?"
Buffy stared after him. "I don't think so. I-I think it's - it's different. Don't - Don't worry about it." She brushed hair back from Dawn's face.
Gloria approached. "I guess I missed that; was he bothering you?"
"Hey, Gloria, uh, this is my wife, Tara."
Gloria smiled. "Hi."
Tara smiled. "Hi."
They shook hands.
"And, uh, yeah, the crazy man was a little...you know, crazy, but it's okay. Are they really gonna send him home?" Buffy asked.
"Don't get me started. The mental ward's booked beyond capacity, literally nowhere to put them, so the ones with families, they're letting 'em go home. Like his family's gonna be able to take care of him. He has to have someone to watch him 24/7!"
At the Viking Motel, Gunn walked into Darla's room. Angel was standing in the open doorway.
"She ain't here, bro."
"No. But she was, not long ago." Angel sniffed. "Scent's still fresh. A lot of fear."
"Don't envy you that particular talent. Not based on what I'm getting with just my standard-issue human smeller." Gunn looked around the room.
Behind him, Angel entered.
"Man, not even for free cable, you know what I'm sayin'?" Gunn asked.
"She chose this neighborhood for a reason."
Gunn looked from Angel to the door and back. "Bro, how'd you...?"
"Oh, motel, public accommodation. She didn't live here."
"Yeah? I wouldn't call it living either." Gunn picked up Darla's cross from the dresser. "Hey, looks like maybe she was expecting company in the form of you."
Angel looked around the room. "No blood. Nothing new, anyway."
"You smellin' that, too?"
"This room's seen a lot of it."
"No doubt. Big step down from her last digs, that's for sure."
"When you're desperate...you do what you have to do."
On the roof of Amy's dorm building at UC Sunnydale, Amy and Tara were laying side by side on their backs on sleeping bags - with pillows under their heads and another sleeping bag covering them.
"You know what's weird?" Amy asked Tara.
"Japanese commercials are weird."
"Yes. And also, you know some of the stars we're looking at...don't even exist anymore? In the time that it takes for their light to reach us, they've died. Exploded."
Tara turned her head to look at Amy.
"You know, I used to love to look up at them when I was little. They're supposed to make you feel all insignificant, but...they made me feel like...like I was in space...part of the stars." Amy pointed. "There's...Canis Minor...and..." She pointed. "...and Cassiopeia."
Tara smiled and pointed. "And the big pineapple."
Amy frowned. "Hmm. You know, I'm not sure I remember that one."
"Oh, it's - it's a major one." Tara pointed. "See those three bright stars right over there?"
Amy looked along Tara's pointing arm. "Yeah."
Tara pointed. "And see those stars along there? That's the bottom of the pineapple."
"It's big."
"Hence the name." Tara paused. "The real ones never made sense to me; I...sort of have my own."
"Teach me."
Tara pointed. "See those stars over there? 'Cow with three udders'." She pointed. "And that's 'Short man looking uncomfortable'."
They both giggled.
"Uh..." Tara pointed. "'Moose getting a sponge bath'. Umm..." She pointed. "'Little pile o' crackers'."
Amy frowned.
"Tha-That was a bit of a stretch."
They both laughed.
"You do it. What would you call...mm, that one?" Tara pointed.
"Hmm, let's see."
One of the stars suddenly enlarged and streaked toward the Earth, trailing a golden tail.
"A huge flaming meteor about to crash into something!" Amy replied.
They scrambled to their feet as the thing flew past them and landed somewhere in the distance. A burst of light momentarily flashed from behind trees.
At the Hyperion, Cordelia heard someone open the doors and turned to Wesley, who was reading a newspaper.
"Angel's back."
Wesley glanced up.
"And he has Darla with him!"
Wesley got up, and he and Cordelia walked around the counter to confront Angel and Darla.
"Hi." Cordelia saw the bag that Darla was carrying. "You're...planning on sleeping over?"
Darla put down the bag. "I'm dying."
"So just for the one night then."
"Dying?" Wesley asked Darla.
"He doesn't believe it."
"Angel, what's going on?" Wesley asked.
"Wolfram & Hart showed her some medical files supposedly proving that she's only got a few months left to live."
Cordelia nodded. "So maybe more than the one night."
"And you believe it's some kind of trick."
"We're talking about Wolfram & Hart!" Angel exclaimed. "Of course, it's a trick. They're trying to play some kind of mind game."
"To what end?" Wesley asked.
"I don't know, but we're not gonna take the bait."
Darla looked at Angel. "No, you just don't wanna believe it, that's all."
"I don't wanna believe anything from them."
Wesley nodded. "It's true. They can't really be trusted."
"I don't trust them, but I know a thing or two about mind games." Darla looked at Angel. "So do you. We played them together for over a century."
Cordelia smiled. "Yes, but you were just soulless, bloodsucking demons; they're lawyers."
Angel shrugged. "She's right. We were amateurs."
"And if you're wrong?" Darla asked him.
Angel paused. "I'm not. And I'm gonna prove it to you." He stepped closer to Cordelia and Wesley. "Can you guys just watch over her for a while? I'll be back soon."
Wesley nodded. "Of course."
Cordelia nodded. "Don't worry about a thing."
Angel turned to leave. "Thanks."
Darla crossed her arms. "You can't force me to stay here."
Angel looked back at her. "You're not a prisoner."
"I've been hearing that a lot lately."
"Just give me a chance. Okay?" After a moment, Angel turned and left.
Cordelia looked at Darla. "So first up...you're a prisoner."
Wesley nodded. "I'd have to concur with that, yes."
"See, you've got our friend...all...in knots."
"Can't say we like you much."
"So sorry about the dying, but, if you try to escape...we will hit you."
"On the head."
"With very large and heavy objects. Okay?" Cordelia asked.
Joyce was in her hospital bed, holding the nurse call button, pushing the button again and again. "This thing doesn't work! It isn't working!"
"I'm sure they heard you." Buffy took the call button from Joyce and put it aside.
"I bet it's not even hooked up to anything. Just like the push buttons at the crosswalk that are supposed to make the signal change."
"I'm sure someone's on-" Buffy frowned. "What, the push buttons aren't hooked up to anything?"
Dr. Kriegel entered the room.
"Oh, tell him, Buffy. Tell him, okay?" Joyce asked.
Buffy looked at him. "Look, Dr. Kriegel, we wanna go home."
"Well, of course. You can come back and visit your mother first thing in the morning."
"No. We. I-I mean...all of us. My mom, too."
Joyce looked anxiously at the doctor and nodded.
"Oh. Well, I understand that, but it's not necessarily the first thing I'd recommend."
"I can't!" Joyce yelled. "I-I can't stay here, waiting for this operation; I just can't."
Dr. Kriegel sighed.
"It makes my head hurt to be here; can't you tell that?"
"Joyce, there's no reason to get upset."
"No reason to get upset? Oh, right, sorry, I must just think there is because of my brain tumor!"
Dawn was upset. Joyce calmed down slightly.
"Here, Dawn, why don't you get something from the machine?" Buffy handed Dawn some money.
Dawn took it and left, apprehensive.
Joyce looked at Buffy. "I-I'm sorry I said that; I'm just tired."
"I know. Listen, Doctor, I don't see why we can't take her home, you know, just until..." Buffy gestured. "I-I mean...wouldn't it be better for her to rest someplace where she felt safe and comfortable?"
"Even if it would mean some work for you, taking care of her?"
"I'll do it, anything."
Joyce sighed and leaned back in bed. "Oh, thank God."
Dr. Kriegel sighed and shook his head. "There are medications to administer; I'd have to go over those with you, and I'd need for you to check her vitals, watch her pretty closely. I'm afraid you won't get a lot of sleep."
Buffy shrugged. "I'm not much of a sleep person, anyway."
"Can we go now?" Joyce started to get out of bed. "Let's go now!"
"Oh, hold on!" Buffy stopped her. "Lemme get all the medications and all the instructions on how to do everything."
"She's right. Let's do this right. We don't wanna forget anything."
Joyce sighed.
Darla was outside in the garden court at the Hyperion. Cordelia and Wesley were in the lobby, holding cups of tea.
"I mean...not only is she putting his life at stake - but ours! I'm sorry, but, after four-hundred years of death and destruction, seems to me you get voted off the island. Am I right?" Cordelia asked.
They noticed Angel standing in the lobby, hands buried in his pockets, staring straight ahead.
Cordelia smiled. "You're back."
Angel didn't move.
"Was it...good news?" Wesley asked.
They looked where he was staring and saw Darla through the glass doors, smelling a flower out in the court.
"Just give me a minute, will you, guys?" Angel slowly walked out into the court.
"Hmm, jasmine. It blooms at night. I remember what that was like." Darla looked over at Angel and got up. "I told you. I told you it was the truth."
"Darla-"
"No, I have to go." Darla tried to walk past him.
Angel blocked her way. "We'll find a cure. We'll do something."
"You'll do something! Now, I've been around long enough to know when something is a lost cause...unless..."
"That's exactly what they want us to do, Darla. We'd be playing right into their hands."
"I don't care. I don't wanna die."
"I can't give you what you want."
"It's what I need."
"No, it's not what you need, Darla. Really, it's not. I don't know what you need. I wish I did."
Darla turned away. "I don't know either."
Angel paused. "No. You do. You're the only one that could. You just can't see it, that's all. You need a little help."
Amy and Tara were walking through the forest. Jenny and Giles were walking behind them. Giles had a flashlight.
"Everyone stay close." Giles looked at Tara. "I'm glad you called me in on this. Look, there it is." He pushed past Amy and Tara.
They approached a long trench in the ground. It was about four feet deep, ten feet wide, and several hundred feet long. At its end, there was a large chunk of what looked like rock. They all ran up to the edge of the trench. Jenny jumped down into it as Giles moved his flashlight over the rock.
Amy looked at it in awe. "Wow. We have meteorite. Hope it doesn't try to take over the world."
The rock at the end of the trench was smoking.
"Is it hot?" Amy asked.
Jenny put her hands toward it and touched the rock carefully. "No, it's not hot. It's warm. And broken." She kneeled to look at it. "It's sort of-"
"Hollow."
Jenny looked at Giles. "Yeah."
"So, uh, we're all thinking the same thing, right?" Amy asked. "Something evil crashed to Earth in this and then broke out and...slithered away to do badness."
Tara looked at everyone. "Let's look around. Maybe we can figure out where it went."
They moved off. Jenny climbed out of the trench to join them. They all went a little way into the woods.
Amy moved around some trees and found a man laying on the ground. "It went here!"
The others rushed over.
Jenny kneeled by the body and felt its neck. "No pulse."
Giles joined Jenny by the man's head. "I don't see any marks on him."
"I-I know him!" Tara exclaimed. "He - He was at the hospital, a mental patient. They released him today."
Everyone leaned down to look at the body. Jenny took out a pen and brought it toward the man's mouth.
"Uh, Jenny, what are you doing?" Giles asked.
"I'm not sure, there's something..."
She stuck the pen in the man's mouth and took it out; it was covered with a clear, slimy substance. Everyone reacted at the same time, making disgusted noises and covering their noses as it smelled bad.
Jenny looked at the others. "Oh, that might be toxic; don't touch it."
Tara straightened up. "Shit, does that smell."
"So what do we do now?" Amy asked. "Call Buffy?"
Tara looked at her. "We can't. She's got life stuff. That has to come first."
"So - So we'll just figure this out ourselves. We're experienced." Amy smiled.
Tara smiled. "Yes, 'cause it seems like we're always dealing with creatures from outer space. Except that we don't ever do that."
Jenny got up. "This is definitely new territory."
Giles looked at her. "Perhaps we should explore a bit more, head into the woods a bit."
They all looked into the woods. It was dark and scary-looking.
"Who votes research?" Amy asked.
Everyone raised their hands and walked away.
Jenny nodded. "Yeah, I think that's a good call. There could have been some other cases like this."
Darla sat on the stage at Cordy's while Angel stood beside Cordelia at the bar.
"Blow, ill wind, blow away. Let me rest today. You're blowing me no good..."
Cordelia watched her. "Ooh!"
"What is that? What does that mean, ooh?" Angel asked her.
"It means you may not be able to save her."
"I'm gonna save her, and you're gonna help me."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "I sense pain and anger. Are you still testy from the last time?"
"When you sent me to that swami who was dead, and his imposter tried to kill me? Why would I be testy about that? Can we get back to Darla?"
Cordelia stared at him. "If you shut up and listen to the bridge."
"You're only misleading the sunshine I'm needing. Ain't that a shame? It's so hard to keep up with troubles that creep up from out of nowhere when love..."
Cordelia watched Angel watch Darla.
"Aren't you supposed to be reading her?" Angel asked her.
"Look, you wanna save the girl. I can see why. But you're missing the crucial point here. Things fall apart. Not everything can be put back together, no matter how much you want it."
"She's not gonna die."
"Why do you care so much? She had more than most of us already."
"As a vampire. Before that, she was..." Angel paused. "She...She never had a chance."
Darla finished her song to big applause.
"Okay, I know I'm probably going to regret this. There is one way. It-It's a bit of a quest...and...it will probably kill you."
"I'll take it."
Cordelia wrote down an address. "All right, you asked for it. You're about to face the hell and the high water. Go to this address."
"What is it?"
"It's where you find out if you're really ready to take the plunge."
At the hospital, Dr. Kriegel stood in the hall, checking some paperwork, as Joyce stood behind him, dressed. Buffy and Dawn stood on either side of Joyce.
"Well, I guess we're all set then." Dr. Kriegel turned and handed Buffy a piece of paper and three pill bottles. "You've got my home phone number, pager number, and here, these are the medications I talked to you about. The sedative and so forth, painkillers."
"Right. No problem."
"Now, if this is gonna be too much for you, we can make your mom perfectly comfortable here."
"No. No, no, I-I got this. We really, really appreciate-"
"You look just like your father when he cries."
Buffy looked at her mother, then back at the doctor. "I-I told you she's been-"
"I know. Joyce?"
Joyce was staring dazedly at Buffy.
"Joyce."
She looked at him.
"We're all done here. Why don't you let your daughter take you home now?"
"Yes. Yes, thank you. Thank you for all your help, doctor."
"I'll see you in a couple of days." He walked off.
The Summers women turned away, Buffy and Dawn flanking Joyce and linking their arms through hers.
Joyce looked at Buffy. "Oh, let's get the hell outta here."
Buffy unlocked and opened the front door and entered the house, followed by Joyce and Dawn.
"Here we go."
Joyce smiled. "Oh, it's nice to be home."
Buffy closed the door and turned on the lights. Joyce winced and put her hand to her eyes.
"Do you wanna go to bed, Mom?" Dawn asked.
"Buffy, no, that light is too bright. It's too bright."
"Oh, okay, okay!" Buffy rushed to turn the lights off again.
Dawn rubbed Joyce's shoulders.
"It's too bright. Buffy, it hurts. It hurts; it hurts my eyes."
"It's off, it's off. You know what?" Buffy looked at Dawn. "Why don't you turn off the lights in the living room?" She looked at Joyce. "And I will take you upstairs, and we'll shut off all the lights up there. Okay? Come on."
Buffy led Joyce upstairs as Dawn moved into the living room.
Buffy and Dawn were sitting on the living room sofa, watching TV. Dawn rested her head on Buffy's shoulder. There was a noise from the kitchen as of dishes clinking together. They both looked up. Buffy picked up the remote control and turned off the TV.
"Mom?" Dawn asked.
More crashing noises. Buffy and Dawn got up and walked into the kitchen.
The kitchen was dark. Joyce, in her nightgown and robe, was bending over and looking in the refrigerator. There was a sizzling noise. Dawn went to Joyce.
"Oh, my God." Buffy rushed to the stove and turned it off, moving a pan off the burner and coughing as the contents gave off smoke.
Joyce straightened up, holding the fridge door, and turned to give Buffy an annoyed look.
"Mom, wha-what are you doing?" Buffy asked.
"I'm making breakfast." Joyce closed the fridge and looked Buffy up and down. "And you shouldn't eat any more; you're disgustingly fat."
Buffy was hurt.
Joyce looked confused. "Oh, Buffy, I don't know what I'm doing."
"You just need some rest. We'll put you back to bed."
She and Dawn took Joyce's arms and led her out.
In Joyce's bedroom, Buffy was closing a pill bottle as Joyce swallowed some water.
"Okay, here we go." Buffy took the glass from Joyce. "That will help you sleep. Come on, let's get you all tucked into bed."
Buffy and Dawn stood on opposite sides of the bed and pulled the covers over Joyce as she lay down. Buffy picked up Joyce's bathrobe and moved away as Dawn leaned over to caress Joyce's forehead.
Suddenly, Joyce gasped and sat up, staring at Dawn. "Don't touch me! You - You thing!"
Dawn backed up. "Mom, please!"
"Get away from me!"
Buffy ran over, and Dawn gave her an anxious look.
"You're nothing; you're - you're a shadow!"
Buffy looked at Joyce. "Mom-"
"I don't know what you are or how you got here!"
"Mom, it's Dawn."
Dawn backed away, upset, and ran out of the room.
"Dawn? Honey, what's wrong?" Joyce asked.
The door slammed behind Dawn.
Buffy turned to Joyce. "She's...just tired. We all are."
She coaxed Joyce to lie down, which Joyce did, looking worried.
"Come on, go to sleep. I'll check in on you in a little bit."
Buffy left her mother's room and entered Dawn's room.
Dawn was sitting on the bed, teary. "She hates me."
Buffy kneeled beside the bed. "No."
"She called me a thing."
"She loves you. Okay? She's not herself." Buffy put her hand on Dawn's. "I told you what the doctor said about the tumor."
Dawn shook her head. "What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing. It's not you. I think there's something that happens in people's brains when there's something wrong. It's - It's like a short circuit...and it makes them feel like nothing's real except for them. That's all it is."
Dawn was unconvinced.
"Look, it is not you." Buffy got up and sat next to Dawn on the bed. "Okay? And if Mom says anything like that to you again, don't listen."
Dawn stared at her, then shook her head. "I hate it."
"I know." Buffy put her hand on Dawn's shoulder. "Just don't listen."
At the UC Sunnydale library, Giles, Jenny, Tara, and Amy were researching in the Astronomy section. Jenny and Giles were sitting at a table covered with books. Jenny was working on her laptop computer. Amy and Tara approached.
Tara looked at Jenny and Giles. "We've been scouring all the international periodicals for any other meteorite landings in the last week."
"Nothing." Amy sat at the table and started flipping through a book.
Giles gave a faint smile. "Well, then it would appear that the world is not being invaded."
Tara smiled. "I'm pretty pleased about that."
"Uh, guys?" Jenny asked. "I've got some shit."
Everyone looked at her. Giles got up to come behind her and look at the screen.
"The most recent meteoric anomaly was the Tunguska blast in Russia in 1908. Some witnesses claimed the meteor was hollow."
"How far back does this list of anomalies go?" Giles asked her.
"Pretty far. Back to the Queller impact in the twelfth century."
"The what?" Tara asked.
"Queller. I-I don't know why they call it that; it didn't hit a place called Queller or anything. It landed just outside of Reykjavik in Iceland."
"Wait, I just saw..." Amy flipped pages. "Queller. Quell...here, here! 'Primitive people used to believe that the moon was a cause of insanity. Sometimes, they would pray to the moon to send a special meteor to fix the problem the moon had caused. These meteors were expected to quell the madmen.'"
Tara looked at Amy. "The man in the woods. He was a mental patient."
Amy nodded. "And he got pretty well...quelled."
Jenny briefly looked at them. "Okay, I'm looking in history right now. It says, in the Middle Ages, there were these sweeping plagues of madness. People were losing their marbles everywhere. But then it would suddenly subside. And these dates look pretty close. Like - Like maybe it happened after each one of the meteor events."
Giles thought about that. "So something emerged from the meteors...and quelled the madmen."
"Amy's book made it sound like this Queller thing had to be summoned. So...who summoned it?" Tara asked.
Amy thought about it. "Buffy's mystery bitch?"
Tara stood up, worried. "I'm gonna call Buffy." She headed toward the payphone, picked up the handset, put in a quarter, and called the hospital. She waited through the menu options and pressed 0.
"Thank you for calling Sunnydale Memorial. How may I direct your call?"
"Joyce Summers' room, please."
There was a moment of silence.
"I'm sorry, she was discharged."
"Oh. Uh, thank you." Tara hung up, picked up the handset again, put in another quarter, and called Buffy's house. She waited. "C'mon, pick up, sweetie."
Dawn was in her room, laying in bed. She could hear Joyce talking. Dawn hugged a stuffed animal and listened unwillingly.
"I wish that someone had bothered to tell me that there would be tennis being played! I just didn't know. Those eyes...Those eyes, they're like gasoline puddles! Tell me. Tell me, because I need to know why; why are you staring at me like that? What are you asking me? You are asking me, aren't you? Is this a test? And if this counts for the final grade, I need to know now!"
Dawn made faces, not wanting to hear this.
"Okay, there are teachers, and they put this on the syllabus, but they do not stare down at you; they do not cling; they do not look down on you."
Dawn grabbed her pillow and pulled it over her ears, trying to blot out the sound, but she could still hear it.
"You know there are people who are nice, and they give you presents - even when you are bad. Does someone know you're here? Because they should have told you that at the gate. You are not supposed to be here. I need to rest now. I-I don't like the way you're staring at me! Did they tell you that at the gate? Stop staring at me; I don't like it!"
In the kitchen, cheerful Spanish music was playing on the radio. Buffy turned up the volume and began washing dishes. She bit her lips as she worked, trying not to cry, but, after a few dishes, she began to sob. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, tried to compose herself, then broke down in tears, putting her hand over her face.
"I'm going to close my eyes, and, when I open them, you are going to go away."
Dawn heard Joyce scream and got up. She opened the door to her room.
"Get off me!"
Dawn went into the hall, opened the door, and saw a demon on top of Joyce. Its eyes were red, and its mouth was like a big circle ringed with long yellow teeth. It was hairless. Dawn gasped. The Queller looked at her as she grabbed a coatrack and shook the clothing off it. She attacked the demon with it, shoving it off the other side of the bed. Most of the slime seemed to have hardened on Joyce's face. She pulled it away, gasping and panting. Dawn looked around, scared. The Queller arose from behind the bed and launched itself at Dawn, squealing. She screamed and ran back into the hall. The Queller chased her, crawling along the floor.
Dawn ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. "Buffy!"
Buffy was still crying in the kitchen. The radio and the running water from the sink were loud, so she didn't hear Dawn yelling. She wiped hair back from her face and sniffled.
Dawn ran into Joyce's room from the other door. Joyce was sitting up on the bed, clawing at her face and gasping. Dawn closed the door, grabbed an exercise bike, pushed it in front of the door, ran to the other door, and slammed it shut, too.
Buffy splashed water on her face, reached for a towel, and dried her face.
Dawn opened the door leading into the hall. "Buffy!"
Buffy heard the scream and whirled around, dropping the towel.
Dawn slammed the door shut again.
Buffy raced out of the kitchen, through the dining room, into the living room, and up the stairs. She opened the door to Joyce's room and found Dawn and Joyce on the bed, still wiping slime off Joyce's face.
"What? What is it?" Buffy asked.
"There's something out there, Buffy. It's after Mom!" Dawn cried.
"You guys stay in here. Don't leave this room."
As Buffy closed the door, the Queller dropped from the ceiling and landed on her face. She grabbed it, and they struggled, slamming against a wall and then tumbling down the stairs. The Queller squealed and crawled away. Buffy rubbed her neck and looked around in confusion.
Dawn and Joyce were sitting on the bed in the dark bedroom, hugging each other tightly.
"It's okay, my baby. It's okay."
Dawn stared at the door over her mom's shoulder, scared.
Buffy walked slowly through the dark house, looking around for the Queller. She went into the kitchen, went over to the knife rack, and took out the largest knife. She spun around and continued looking around, moving back toward the hallway. The Queller attacked from the left. Buffy grimaced and raised her knife. The Queller knocked Buffy's hand, and the knife flew away. Buffy winced in pain and made an exasperated face. The Queller squealed and attacked her as she moved toward it. They slammed against a wall and fell down with the Queller on top. Buffy punched it and threw it off her, then started to scramble backward on her ass into the hallway, toward the front foyer.
The front door burst open. Tara and Amy ran into the house. Amy raised a hand and psychically froze the Queller in place, but she struggled to maintain the hold.
Tara took a stake out of her jacket. "Buffy!" She threw the stake to her.
Buffy caught it just as the Queller knocked her down again and climbed on top of her. She stabbed the stake into its back. It screamed. Buffy stabbed it again and again until it stopped screaming and fell still. Buffy gasped and made a pained face, rolling the Queller off her, then laying back with a sigh. Tara held out her hand. Buffy took it, and Tara pulled her to her feet. They hugged.
Buffy smiled. "Perfect timing, sweetie."
"Are you okay?" Tara asked her.
"Yeah, but..." Buffy frowned, then rushed to the stairs.
Buffy ran upstairs and burst into Joyce's bedroom. "It's gone. I killed it."
Joyce sighed in relief. "Oh, God."
"It's gone? You promise?" Dawn asked.
"I promise."
Both Dawn and Joyce hugged her, putting their heads on her shoulders.
Buffy put her arms around them. "Everything's all right. Everything's all right."
Faith was working the late shift at Helen's Kitchen. The place was currently empty of customers, so she was spending the remainder of her shift cleaning up. She was currently wiping down the tables when she noticed headlights outside. She dropped the rag on the table and walked over to the window. A car was parked across the street. A man in a suit opened the back door, and a pale woman with long black hair got out. Faith immediately suspected the woman was a vampire. The woman walked across the street, heading toward the diner. Faith got a pair of cheap sunglasses out of her jeans pocket and put them on.
The door opened. The woman walked into the diner.
Faith grinned. "Welcome to Helen's Kitchen. My name is Faith. I'll be your waitress this evening. Please have a seat wherever you like."
The woman looked at Faith oddly. "You...are a Slayer."
"And you're a vampire. We gonna have a problem?" Faith asked.
"You're not afraid of me?"
"No."
"You should be."
"That's, like, your opinion."
The woman walked right up to Faith and raised her right hand. She tried staring into Faith's eyes.
"That ain't gonna work on me."
"No mortal can resist me, not even a Slayer."
"Maybe not, but this Chinese-made BluBlocker knockoff can."
The woman reached for Faith's sunglasses. Faith grabbed the woman's hand and snapped her fingers back. The woman cried out in pain.
Faith shoved the woman down on her knees. "Hands off the shades, Dru."
"You know who I am?" Drusilla asked in surprise.
"Yeah, B showed me an old photo of you. Y'know, in a weird, wacky way, I suppose I oughta thank you. You made me. Think about that while I kill you." Faith kicked Drusilla in the face.
Drusilla fell backward, hitting her head on the floor, but Faith immediately pulled her to her feet and did a roundhouse kick, sending Drusilla crashing into a wall, shattering the glass on a tacky vintage Pepsi ad.
"Aw, great, that's comin' outta my pay." Faith ran at Drusilla; put her hands under her arms; did a backflip, kicking off the wall, lifting Drusilla into the air; lifted her over her head; and slammed her into the floor.
Faith then straightened herself and casually walked behind the counter. Drusilla got to her feet, blood all over her face, and gave Faith a death stare. Faith smiled sweetly and motioned with her middle finger for Drusilla to follow her.
Faith walked into the kitchen and turned on all four burners on the gas stove. She got a pot, put it on one of the front burners, grabbed a bottle of vegetable oil, opened it, and dumped the entire contents into the pot. She dropped the bottle on the floor and started taking off her clothes.
Drusilla entered the kitchen.
Faith dropped her jeans on the floor. "I hope you don't mind being killed by a naked person, but this is gonna get ugly, and clothes cost money, and I'm saving up for a PS2."
Drusilla approached her. "Stupid girl."
Faith walked over to the stove. "Okay, now, you've hurt my feelings."
Drusilla lunged at her. Faith grabbed the pot and got out of the way. Drusilla hit the stove, then straightened herself and turned around. Faith splashed her in the face with the vegetable oil. Drusilla screamed in pain as the scalding oil burned her face. Faith then whacked Drusilla in the head repeatedly with the pot and slammed her head back onto the stove. Drusilla screamed again as her hair caught fire. Faith pulled her up, turned her around, grabbed hold of her arms, and put Drusilla's hands on the two front burners. Faith held them in place. The fire burned all of Drusilla's hair and started burning her scalp. Then the sleeves of Drusilla's dress caught fire. Faith let go of her and stepped back. She assumed a fighting stance in case the vampire would put up a fight. Drusilla stood up and frantically tried to get her burning dress off, but she burned up entirely before that could happen.
Faith bent over and picked her jeans up off the floor.
Wearing her clothes again, Faith walked across the street and knocked on the driver's window.
The window rolled down.
Faith smiled at Lindsey. "Your bitch is dead. Can I interest any of you fine gentlemen in our soup of the day?"
Lindsey frowned. "What have you done?"
"My fucking job. Good night." Faith turned and went back to the diner.
Angel and Darla were sitting on the couch in the Hyperion's lobby. Cordelia was standing behind the counter, listening.
"Maybe it would be different. We don't know. Maybe, uh...because, you know, I have a soul...if - if I did bite you-"
"No."
"We don't know what it would do to you."
"Angel, I've seen it now: everything you're going through, everything you've gone through. I felt it. I felt how you care. The way no one's ever cared before - not for me." Darla gave him a tiny smile. "That's all I need from you."
"That's not enough."
"It is."
"How could the Powers allow you to be brought back and dangle a second chance and take it away like this?"
"Maybe this is my second chance."
"To die?"
"Yes. To die - the way I was supposed to die in the first place."
They looked at each other for a moment before Darla turned away, drawing a shaky breath.
"I'm not gonna leave you."
Darla looked at him, trying not to cry.
"Every moment you have left, I'm gonna be by your side. You're never gonna be alone again."
He draped his right hand around her shoulder and pulled her close as she began to cry.
The next morning, Buffy took her mother back to the hospital.
A nurse put an IV in Joyce's arm as Buffy sat by her on the bed, holding her other hand. Joyce winced as the needle entered her arm. The nurse finished and left. Buffy sighed.
Joyce cleared her throat. "Buffy, uh, I'm gonna tell you something, a-and I need you to take it to heart, okay?"
Buffy nodded.
"Buffy, promise me. If anything happens, if I don't come through this-"
"Mom-"
"No, listen to me. I have to know that you'll take care of Dawn, that you'll keep her safe. That you'll love her like I love you."
Buffy was getting teary. "I promise."
"Good. Good."
They hugged.
"Oh, my sweet, brave Buffy. What would I do without you?"
Buffy hugged her mom tightly, considering asking her the same question.
Joyce was laying on a gurney, being wheeled away. She had one arm up behind her head, and she smiled down the hall as she was moved backward. Buffy and Dawn, with arms around each other, watched. Behind them were Tara, Jenny, Giles, Amy, Harmony, Sandy, and Julie. Joyce looked very calm as the nurses took her away.
Anne was sitting at her desk in her office at East Hills Teen Center, on the phone. "Yes, I know the rent is late, but-"
"Ms. Steele, I've already given you a grace period, and you've reached the end of it. Unless you can come up with the money by the close of business today, you're out."
Anne was desperate. "Please. My kids."
"I'm sorry." The owner hung up.
"Shit." Anne slammed the handset back on the cradle. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
There was a knock on the door. Anne looked. Faith was standing in the doorway.
"Hey, I gotta go. I got a late afternoon shift."
"Okay."
"Can I borrow your car? I'll be back before evening."
"Yeah, sure." Anne dug in her pocket, then she had an idea. "Actually, no, I need it. I'm going out for a bit."
"Well, who's gonna watch the place?" Faith asked.
Anne stood up and headed for the door. "Uh, call Cordy. See if she can come here."
Faith stepped aside and watched her leave. "'Kay..."
Anne walked into the lobby of a car dealership.
A man walked over to her, smiling. "Hi! Are you looking to buy a new car?"
"Uh, no, actually, I'm looking to sell my current car."
"Well, you can trade it in toward the purchase of another vehicle. You'll get more that way."
"No, I just wanna sell it, thank you."
The man frowned. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"
"No, but my kids are." Anne sighed. "I run a shelter for runaway teens on Crenshaw. Our rent is due today, and I don't have all of it."
"Oh. Well, uh, let's have a look at your car, shall we?"
As Anne led the man toward the doors, a man stepped in her path.
"Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear. I think I may be able to help you."
"Who are you?" Anne asked.
"Lindsey McDonald." He took a business card out of his jacket pocket and offered it to her. "I'm an attorney with Wolfram & Hart."
Anne took the card and looked at it, then looked at him. "I can't afford a lawyer."
"Oh, that's okay, we'll do it pro bono."
Anne was confused. "Does this have something to do with porn? Because I swore I'd never again-"
"What? No. It means for free."
"What's the catch?" Anne asked.
Lindsey shook his head. "No catch. It's just some good PR is all."
Anne smiled. "Okay."
"Okay?"
Anne nodded. "Yeah. If you can help, that'd be great."
Lindsey smiled. "Trust me, I'll have this fixed up within the hour."
Dawn was laying across several waiting room chairs, asleep, with her head in Buffy's lap as Buffy stroked her hair. Tara sat next to Buffy, dozing off. Buffy sighed. Various personnel came and went. Tara woke up as someone walked over to them.
"Just me. Sorry. Can I get you anything?" Giles asked Buffy.
"No, thank you."
"Tara?"
"No, I'm fine."
Giles nodded, fidgety, and walked off. Buffy leaned her head back and sighed loudly. Tara put her hand on Buffy's knee.
"I can't stand this. What's taking so long?" Buffy asked.
"It doesn't mean anything."
"You think?"
"I'd worry more if your mom was out of surgery quickly. Might mean that, you know, they couldn't do much."
Buffy frowned, looked down at Dawn, and looked up. Seeing Dr. Kriegel walking toward them, Buffy suddenly put her hand over Tara's, which was still on her leg. Dawn woke up as Buffy slid out from under her. Everyone stood up. The doctor walked closer. Buffy nervously waited for the news with Tara and Dawn behind her.
"Okay, your mom's in Recovery."
"What happened, is she all right?" Buffy asked.
"It was possible to visualize the tumor completely, which means I was able to get all of it. So, barring complications in recovery...I think your mother's going to be fine."
Everyone reacted with relief.
"Of course, we're still going to have to watch your mother carefully and, uh, have her back in here for some follow-up testing..."
Buffy nodded.
"...but, uh, overall, I'd consider the procedure a complete success."
Everyone hugged each other, smiling.
Buffy hugged Tara. "Oh, my Goddess, doctor, thank you, thank you so much."
"Please, it's my pleasure."
Buffy hugged him, and he yelled in pain as she forgot her Slayer strength.
Buffy gasped and pulled back. "Sorry. Sorry!"
The doctor put a hand on his back and gave Buffy a funny look.
The next day, in her hospital room, Joyce held a hand mirror and was looking at her reflection. There was a large bandage on her head. "I don't know, Buffy. I think I'll look like I have a cat on my head."
Buffy was holding a wig. "But a very well-groomed cat - like Miss Kitty."
"I think maybe I'll...stick with a scarf."
"Come on, wigs are fun. We can get you a whole bunch of different ones. You know, you can be, like, Sixties Mom, Action Mom..." Buffy wiggled her hips suggestively. "French Maid Mom..."
Joyce smiled. "I must be getting better, 'cause you're making fun of me."
"Well, you know." Buffy sat on the bed. "Got a lot of time to make up for."
"You have more important things to make up. I know you've been missing a lot of school."
"I may have to take a few incompletes, but I will make it through the semester."
"Well, what about slaying and your friends? I want you to have your life back."
"Right now, I'd rather be here, styling your beautiful new plastic dream hair."
"Fair enough, but you don't have to keep me company all night. Go out, have fun, go to a movie or something."
Buffy got up, turned away, and put the wig on a stand. "You sure?"
"Absolutely."
At the Magic Box, Giles was hanging up a large banner that read "Don't Forget! Winter Solstice Hanukkah Christmas Kwanzaa & Gurnenthar's Ascendance Are Coming!" Jenny was behind the counter, unpacking merchandise.
"And so it begins." Giles stepped down from his footstool. "No longer a victim of crass holiday commercialization, I'm...a purveyor of it."
Jenny took a jar out of a box. "Rupert, why did you order more chickens' feet? The ones we have aren't moving at all." She opened the jar. "Maybe we could do a...holiday promotion." She took out a chicken foot. "One free with every purchase."
On Christmas Eve, in the Summers' dining room, Christmas lights were lit around the walls, and candles were burning all around. On the left side of the table were Buffy and Tara. On the right were Dawn and Jenny. Giles sat at the foot, Joyce at the head. Buffy and Joyce stood up.
Joyce smiled. "I think we're just about ready for pie."
She and Buffy began clearing dishes.
"Everything was delicious." Giles stood to help clear.
Joyce smiled as she carried a pile of dirty dishes toward the kitchen. Giles followed.
Tara frowned in concern. "You don't look too good, Buffy."
Buffy groaned. "I had too much nog."
Tara smiled sympathetically. "Oh, baby, want me to rub your tummy?" She looked at the others. "She likes it when I...stop explaining things."
Dawn licked her lips. "My nog tastes funny. I think I got one with rum in it."
Buffy grinned. "Cool. Enjoy."
Dawn smiled. "Yellow feather, short, and small, you appear when I don't call. Using you is a mistake; always fights with a headache. Psy-yiyiyiyiyi-yiyiyiyiyi-yiyiyiyiyi-duck, in your Pokéball, I wish you were stuck."
Buffy, smiling, carried dishes into the kitchen. Giles was opening a bottle of wine by the counter, and Joyce was taking a sweet potato pie out of the oven.
"Damn it! I hate this oven. It burnt." Joyce put the pie on the kitchen island.
"Oh, no, it's just blackened, you know, it's - it's Cajun pie." Buffy smiled.
Giles turned to Joyce, holding the bottle of wine. "Shall I open another?"
"Oh, do you think we dare?" Joyce asked.
Buffy smiled. "As long as you two stay away from the band candy, I'm cool with anything."
Joyce and Giles looked embarrassed. Giles cleared his throat, grabbed the bottle opener, and moved off. Buffy began examining the burnt pie.
Joyce leaned over to Buffy. "You are a demon child."
Buffy grinned. "I live to torment you; is that so wrong?"
"A daughter's duty, I suppose." Joyce kissed Buffy on the forehead.
"Look, all we have to do is just cut off a little bit of the burnt-" As Buffy began trying to cut the pie, it fell off the island and onto the floor. "Shit!" She looked at her mother. "I'm sorry."
Joyce sighed.
Kennedy was attending her parents' corporate Christmas party in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf=Astoria New York. She was incredibly bored as her father droned on at his business associates. Her mother similarly was chatting with her friends. Kennedy sipped her Champagne.
Emma walked over to her. "Hey, Ken, Paris is looking for you."
Kennedy looked at her. "Really?"
Emma giggled. "No. Sorry."
Kennedy sighed and drank the rest of her Champagne.
Emma sipped her own Champagne. "Sorry. Are you bored?"
"I would rather be training with Ramón."
Emma smiled. "You sure you wouldn't rather be fucking me?"
Kennedy smiled. "You offering?"
Emma drank the rest of her Champagne, set her glass on a nearby table, took Kennedy's glass, and set it down as well. She put her hands on Kennedy's cheeks and kissed her on the lips for a while. "Let's go borrow a room."
The two girls grinned, joined hands, and left the room.
The next morning, Cordelia was in the Hyperion's kitchen, checking on the food.
The door opened, and Wesley walked in.
Wesley smiled. "Happy Christmas, Cordelia."
Cordelia looked at him and smiled. "Happy Christmas, Wesley."
"Where's the kitchen staff?"
"Oh, I gave them the day off."
"So you're...cooking this meal yourself?"
"Yes, I'll have you know. Not to worry, they left detailed instructions for me. I'm not gonna fuck this up." Cordelia paused and breathed in the aromas. "Mmmm, don't that turkey and stuffing smell fantastic?"
Wesley smiled. "They sure do."
The door opened, and Gunn walked in.
"What up, guys?" Gunn asked. "Raise your hands if this is the best Christmas you ever had." He raised his hand.
Wesley raised his hand as well. Cordelia hesitated, then she raised her hand as well.
"Where's the kitchen staff?" Gunn asked.
Cordelia smiled. "I'm it today - the it girl, if you will."
"I don't will. Can you cook?" Gunn asked her.
Cordelia was offended. "I'm learning!"
The door opened, and Angel walked in.
Cordelia grinned. "Merry Christmas, Angel!"
Angel was staring blankly into the distance.
Cordelia frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Darla...died...sometime overnight."
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Cordelia walked over to Angel and gave him a big hug.
Eleven days later, at night, Buffy walked through the courtyard of a convent. It was filled with nuns. She was stalking a vampire, who was backing away from her. He bumped into a nun, turned around, and grabbed her, holding her in front of him. The nun screamed. The vampire pushed her aside as Buffy ran up and kicked him in the face. He fell backward, then flipped upright again. Buffy kicked him again. They continued fighting as the nun watched in amazement. Buffy hit the vampire, he kicked Buffy twice, then she hit him a few times, kicked him a few times, and thrust with her stake, but he grabbed her arm and pushed her away. Buffy ducked as he leaped at her, then she straightened up and staked him.
Buffy went to the nun, who was still on the ground. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Here." Buffy helped the nun get up.
The next day, Buffy and Giles were sitting at the table in the Magic Box, looking through books.
"So you really think they might be able to help us?" Buffy asked him.
"Uh, if you mean are they gonna help us find out something about your mystery woman, uh, the resources that the...Watchers Council has at their disposal..." He stared wistfully into the distance. "I mean the Central Library alone is just-"
"Don't talk about the books again. You get all..." Buffy imitated Giles' wistful look. "...and sometimes there's drool."
"I'm sorry, but we-we've really exhausted the materials I have here, and we're coming up empty. Knowing her goal is - is crucial. I mean, i-i-if anything helps them uncover her origins, her - her plans-"
"I know. It's just I trust these Watchers about as far as...you could throw them."
"Thank you very much."
Buffy sighed. "I'm just freaked about the idea of asking them for information. I don't like being indebted to them."
"Truly, Buffy, if I saw an alternative..."
"It's okay. Look, if it helps you find out something about the mystery bitch, I'm thrilled to have you gone." Buffy patted him on the back, then stood up and walked away.
Later, at the Magic Box, Jenny, Tara, and Buffy sat around the round table, looking at books and papers. Giles stood next to the table, fastening his tie.
"You're going away for a week?" Jenny asked.
"Yes." Giles picked something up to read.
"I'm envious, Mr. Giles. A trip to England sounds so exciting and exotic." Tara realized something. "Un...less you're English."
Giles grinned.
"So...how goes the slaying?" Jenny asked Buffy.
"I killed something in a convent last night. Pretty standard. Vampire staking."
That night, Buffy entered Joyce's bedroom, saw a light blue bathrobe laying on the bed, frowned, and looked up. "You!"
Joyce was wearing a striped sweater and dark pants. She had a scarf over part of her head.
"You with the actual clothing, who are you?" Buffy turned toward the hallway. "Dawn, come look at this."
"It's hard to recognize me, huh?" Joyce asked.
Dawn entered. "Whoa."
Buffy looked at her. "No more bathrobe."
Joyce nodded. "Hmm. I looked at it today, and there it was, all fuzzy and blue, and I just couldn't stand it anymore."
Buffy smiled. "I don't think the rest of us will miss it much either."
Dawn nodded. "It was getting a little ripe, Mom."
Buffy looked at Dawn. "Maybe we should burn it."
"It would keep the bugs away."
"It doesn't smell! Fine, fine, make your funny jokes at the expense of the woman with the hole in her skull." Joyce sat on the bed.
"Let's go. I think we've tired her out." Buffy walked out of the room.
Dawn followed.
Buffy walked into her room, sat on the bed, and began flipping through a magazine.
Dawn stood in the doorway, watching. "Whatcha doin'?"
"Playing with myself."
"Can I hang out in here?"
"Don't touch anything."
Dawn walked into the room and looked at a corkboard where several photos were hanging.
Dawn sat on the end of the bed. "Are you feeling okay?"
"No. It hurts. In all kinds of horrible ways."
"It'll get better." Dawn frowned. "Won't it?"
"I hope so. Yes. It has to."
Dawn lay down and put her head in Buffy's lap.
Buffy stroked her hair. "I'll just keep going like I have been, and, every day, it'll get a little bit better."
"Really? Every day?"
"Not really. But it'll be better soon."
"It still feels all sudden to me."
The next day, at the Magic Box, Jenny was working at the cash register. Amy stood behind her, holding a book. They were standing by the shelves behind the register, where there were jars of magical supplies.
Amy smiled. "Good, and - and hellebore. It's up and to the right."
Tara took down a vial and gave it to Amy. "Hellebore, one of my favorites."
Amy grinned. "It's powerful shit."
She and Tara walked out from behind the counter. They approached the table, where a variety of magical supplies were laid out. Amy put the vial into a rack with some others.
"What are you two doing?" Jenny asked.
Amy smiled. "Oh, we're gonna try out a few spells."
Tara smiled. "There's this thing you can do where you create light, and we thought: what if you could make, like, simulated sunlight?"
Amy nodded. "Yeah, so then, you know, there Buffy is, middle of the night, and she finds this whole nest of vamps, a-and then she just goes 'Presto!'"
Tara shrugged. "Only it won't be 'Presto' exactly."
"And - And voom!" Amy exclaimed. "There's a-a floating ball of sunlight. Vamps get dusty."
Tara nodded. "You don't wanna look right at it, though."
Amy walked to the counter, where she had a large cauldron and a bunch of vials and containers laid out. "Fleabane..." She measured some into her mortar. "Salamander eyes..." She put them into the mortar. "Bindweed..." She put it in. She mashed the ingredients together with the pestle. "Okay, here we go." She poured the mixture into the cauldron. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Spirits of light, I invoke thee. Let the gloom of darkness part before you."
A small circlet of yellow-orange light arose out of the cauldron and began to spin.
"Let the moonlight be made pale by your presence. Spirits of light, grant my wishes."
The circle of light grew bigger and brighter.
Tara grinned. "Amy, you did it."
Amy opened her eyes and grinned. Jenny smiled as well.
The next day, Buffy and Tara were in a classroom, surrounded by other students. Tara held some books. A professor handed Buffy a piece of paper.
Buffy sighed. "New semester, new classes."
She and Tara began to walk out into the hallway.
"Whole new vistas of knowledge to be confused and intimidated by."
Tara laughed. "I think this one's gonna be kind of fun. Greek Art's gonna touch on so many things - mythology, history, philosophy..."
"The professor spit too much when he talked. It was like being at Sea World. 'The first five rows will get wet.'"
Tara laughed. "That was just, you know, um, enthusiasm."
"It seemed very much like saliva."
"We'll sit farther back next time."
"Good plan." Buffy stopped walking, folded the paper, and put it in her bag. "I need to keep this course. The only other thing that fits into my schedule is Central American Geopolitics."
Tara grimaced. "Hmm."
"And no, thank you." Buffy resumed walking. "What do you say we go indulge ourselves in a little after-school bacon triple cheeseburger?"
Tara smiled. "Sure."
Five days later, at night, Buffy and Giles were sitting at the table in the Summers' dining room.
Joyce entered with a tray holding a teapot and several mugs. "Rupert, I still don't understand-"
Giles got up and took the tray.
"-oh, thank you - why the other Watchers made you go all the way to England when they don't know anything."
She and Giles sat down on either side of Buffy.
Giles passed out the mugs. "Well, they don't know it...yet. I mean...they have no record of - of this woman or anyone like her, but, uh, based on the information that I've given them, they're gonna look into it. Um, they might have something soon." He poured tea. "They're interested, certainly, and, uh, full of theories." He sat back, lifting his cup. "Most of them...nonsensical."
Cordelia, Gunn, Wesley, and Virginia were sitting at a table in Cordy's.
"You got to be kidding me. He's still in his room?" Virginia asked. "You're on a mission to protect the innocent. You can't do that with your boss MIA. What did he say, exactly?"
Wesley looked at her. "'Leave me alone.'"
"Oh. Well, can you file a grievance with the union?" Virginia asked.
"Virginia, I'm not in a union. I'm a...I don't even know what the name of my job is!"
"You're a renowned specialist in - in supernatural aid and rescue."
"No, I'm just..." Wesley paused. "Renowned?"
"Well, to me, you are. You saved my life. Although, you should be in a union. My father always used union conjurers."
"I didn't know that."
"Oh, the wizard community is very progressive."
"Your father tried to sacrifice you to Yeska."
"Yeah, one of the many reasons why I'll never talk to him again. Although, I'm healing, thanks to a lot of therapy...and a gigantic trust fund."
"So...Cordy...how 'bout a vision, huh?" Gunn asked.
"Or have those stopped?" Wesley asked.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Oh, heavens forfend! Earth to retards: the Powers send me visions when they want to!"
Wesley smiled. "Underachiever."
"Ass-pansy!" Cordelia yelled.
"Don't call me that!" Wesley yelled.
Cordelia threw her head back with a scream as she got hit by a vision.
"Cordy?" Wesley asked.
Cordelia saw blurred flashes of a green demon and a girl.
"Are you all right?" Wesley asked.
"No!" Cordelia yelled.
"What'd you see?" Gunn asked.
"Ooh. Alley. Not too far from here. A demon is dragging a girl. She's hurt - bleeding..."
Wesley got up. "Let's go."
Cordelia, Gunn, and Wesley hurried down a dark alley.
"I don't get it. Are we late?" Cordelia asked. "We didn't feel late in my head."
Gunn pointed. "Over here."
There were splashes of blood on the ground.
"It's hers. It's got to be hers. But where is she?" Cordelia asked.
Gunn sighed. "If we had Angel, we could track her."
"He'd also kill the big, spiny demon that took her. Did I mention that its teeth are about three inches long?" Cordelia asked.
"And us with no weapons?" Gunn asked. "Man, I wish Angel was here."
"So how do we find her?" Cordelia asked.
"We start with basics." Wesley walked over and crouched down by the blood. "First, we examine the area for any tell-tale signs for a particular kind of...eew."
"There's different kinds of yuck?" Gunn asked.
Wesley pulled his hand away from where he had used it to brace himself against the wall. It was covered with blood. "No, look."
There was a streak of blood going up the wall next to a drainpipe, leading to a busted window.
Gunn looked. "He took her up there."
Cordelia looked. "But the building is abandoned. The front door was all chained up. How are we supposed to...?"
They all looked at the drain pipe, then up at the window.
Gunn helped Cordelia climb into the building through the window.
"Uh, it's always the same. A smelly, old, abandoned building. Are there no demon hideouts in Beverly Hills?" Cordelia asked.
Wesley watched the room. "Several in matter of fact. Look. Over there."
They saw a body laying motionless on the floor.
"That's her. But where is the-"
Cordelia screamed as the demon of her vision dropped down from overhead, right in front of them.
The demon knocked Wesley to the floor, then jumped on Gunn.
Wesley looked at Cordelia. "Get her out of here." Wesley picked up a 2x4 and knocked the demon off Gunn.
Cordelia helped the girl to her feet. "Come on, we got to get you-"
The demon turned towards her, and Gunn jumped on its back. The demon threw itself back against the wall, smashing Gunn in between, and Wesley took the chance to hit it in the stomach. The demon retaliated with a hard right punch to Wesley's jaw, then threw Gunn over its head into the opposite wall. Wesley whacked it across the back, dropping it to the ground. The demon pulled Wesley's leg out from under him, then jumped on his back and sunk its teeth into Wesley's right shoulder. Wesley let out a scream of pain. Gunn got back up, grabbed a chair, and knocked the demon off Wesley with it, shattering the chair in the process. Gunn picked up one of the splintered chair legs and rammed it into the back of the demon's head, killing it.
Wesley picked himself back up and looked over at Cordelia and the other girl. "We need to get her to a hospital."
Cordelia nodded. "Yeah."
"What about you?" Gunn asked Wesley.
"I'm fine, it's just..." Wesley looked at the hole in his shoulder. "We should go before I pass out - or possibly during."
Gunn shook his head. "This thing nearly ripped us to shreds."
"Yeah, but, out of everybody here, which one of us is the dead one?" Cordelia asked.
Chapter 114: Blood Money
Chapter Text
"Blood Money"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Checkpoint" Written by Douglas Petrie and Jane Espenson and the Angel Episode "Blood Money" Written by Shawn Ryan and Mere Smith
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
At the Hyperion, in the lobby, at night, Cordelia put a hand to her forehead and began to stagger. She fell down behind the counter in throes of a vision, and the guys didn't even notice.
"Guys..."
Wesley and Gunn rushed over to her.
Wesley cradled her head in his lap. "Easy. Breathe...breathe..."
"What is it?" Gunn asked. "What you're getting."
Cordelia breathed hard. "It - It has two heads. And it breathes fire. It's gigantic."
The guys helped her up.
"And it's rising up in the sewers, beneath Kenyard School for Girls."
The guys rushed out the door.
"You shouldn't go alone!" Cordelia called after them.
Anne was walking down a sidewalk in a residential neighborhood, carrying a big box, and was bumped into by Angel, coming the other way, and he knocked the box out of her hands, spilling clothes onto the ground.
"Oh, Jesus..."
"Oh!" Anne exclaimed.
Angel started to gather up the clothes. "I'm sorry."
Anne put down her purse and started to help. "No, it was me. I didn't hurt you, did I?"
Angel put clothes back in the box and looked at her. "Fine."
"I just...I couldn't see over the box. I was rushing. I'm late for work."
Angel held up a cloth with big bright spots on it. "You do clown work?"
Anne laughed. "No. Just some old clothes that got donated."
"East Hills Teen Center."
Anne stared at him.
"It's on the box."
Anne looked at the box. "Oh. Right."
Angel straightened, holding the box. "You missed one."
Anne picked it up. "Thanks." She saw her purse on the ground. "Oh. Oops. Hold on." She picked it up, then accepted the box from Angel. "Okay. I think I'm good. I'm really sorry."
"No problem."
"They're for the kids. We close in a couple of hours, and there is always a feeding frenzy when a new batch comes in."
"You work with runaways?"
"Some of them. Some are from around here, just don't have anywhere to go. We, um, give 'em food, clothes, somewhere to stay if they need it."
"That's good. It's good that someone's..." Angel paused. "It's - It's good to do." He gave her a slight smile.
"Well, I'm late."
"Right."
Anne turned to go with a smile. "See you around."
"Uh-huh."
Wesley and Gunn, each carrying an ax, creeped along a sewer tunnel.
"So it's big."
"Big."
"And fire-breathing."
"Breathing."
"Big, two-headed, fire-breathing-"
"I think we all have the picture, Gunn. It's not a teddy bear, and it probably shouldn't be attending the Kenyard School for Girls."
"You know, right about now, I wouldn't mind-"
"Don't say it! We don't have him, and it's not going to do any good wishing we did!"
"I was gonna say some dynamite."
"Oh. Dynamite." Wesley paused. "Maybe it's not too late to go back and-"
There was a deep, low roar. Wesley and Gunn looked at each other, then inched towards the end of the tunnel and leaned forward to look around it. Their eyes tracked upwards as their mouths slowly dropped open. They pulled back and looked at each other.
"Oh, God."
"The tunnel is almost twenty feet tall. It was crouching."
Wesley swallowed. "Uh, well. We'll take another look, and then we'll-"
"-die!"
They leaned forward to take another look, and Gunn got ready to charge.
Wesley held him back. "No, no, wait. Wait. Wait until its back is turned. Now!"
They jumped out into the main tunnel - only to flinch back from a jet of flame. Wesley waved a hand in front of his face.
"I thought she said he breathed fire!" Gunn yelled.
Both of them charged out of the tunnel with a loud battle cry.
At the Summers' house, Tara, Amy, and Harmony sat on the sofa in the living room. Buffy and Giles were standing. Dawn was standing on the stairs, listening in, wearing pajamas.
"Here, I'll get that." Buffy moved around, trying to pick up stuff that was laying around. "Sorry. Mom's still not a hundred percent, and I guess I haven't really been taking up the slack."
Amy shook her head. "No, the place looks fine, Buffy."
Tara nodded. "Yeah, it's just us."
"Um, aren't we supposed to have a meeting?" Harmony asked.
Giles nodded. "Uh, yes, yes, we-we're here for a reason."
Buffy sat in a chair.
"I've had some rather, uh...well, I've had some news. It seems that the Council of Watchers has...found some information that may help us out."
"About the woman?" Buffy asked.
"Presumably. We'll find that out when they...arrive. Could be very important."
"Arrive? They're coming here? Now? W-Why do they have to come here?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, don't they have phones?" Harmony asked.
"Yeah!" Buffy exclaimed. "Phones. See, I'd like them on phones."
"Um, they, well, they can appear a bit...well, uh, hard-nosed, but, uh, well, essentially, their agenda is the same as ours: they want to save the world and kill demons."
Buffy frowned. "Giles, I don't want them to come here. I don't trust them. Make them not come here."
"They're probably already on their way. Our old friend Quinton Travers is...heading up the delegation."
"They put me through that test, and it almost killed me. Honestly, I really can't handle almost being killed right now."
"Are you sure they're English?" Harmony asked. "I-I thought English people were, um, gentler than, uh, normal..."
Tara offered Buffy a small smile. "Maybe it won't be so bad this time. I mean, Buffy, now that they've punished you for murder, maybe they won't care enough to kill you."
Buffy sighed. "It's not just that. They're gonna fuck everything up. I-It's a delicate time right now. I-I have to take care of Dawn, and-"
"But that's not new; you've always taken care of her."
"Right. Right, I-I know that; it's just, you know, there's - there's the mystery bitch, and - and I don't need the Council looking over my shoulder when I don't even know what we're dealing with."
Giles frowned. "Well, that's precisely why we need to talk to them."
"Dawn, honey, what are you doing up at this hour?" Joyce asked. "Go back to bed."
"I was just getting a snack."
"Dawn, are you listening?" Buffy asked.
"I can get a snack if I want to." Dawn turned and went back upstairs.
"Giles, you were saying...something?" Buffy asked.
Giles sighed. "Um, just that...if the Council knows something about this woman, her agenda or her origins, then...then maybe it will help us get a-a-a grip on what we're dealing with. Right now, I think we're - we're a bit lost."
At East Hills Teen Shelter, a girl was meeting with Anne.
"What am I supposed to do? He's gonna want to come in."
"Then you tell him no! Benny knows the rules. He's not coming in here drunk. You turn him out. Don't even listen to him."
The girl left, and Anne noticed Angel standing a little ways away, holding a brown paper bag.
Anne smiled. "Hey!"
"Hey. Um, I brought some...I don't know if they're any good."
Anne took the bag. "That's great! Uh, we can take them over here."
They walked over to a table.
"Whoa. Now, let's see. What have you got?" Anne pulled out a flowered blouse. "Well, that's...not what I expected. What's the matter, it doesn't fit you anymore?"
"Cuts me across the bust."
Anne stared at him, unsure.
Angel smiled. "They're Cordelia's. She asked me to drop them off. Outdated...according to her."
"Well, I really appreciate..." Anne stopped. "We really appreciate this. Every little bit helps, you know?"
"I just wish I could do more."
"Well, if you're...not in a hurry. You up for a tour?" Anne asked.
Anne stepped into her office. "And here is the vibrant nerve center of our massive corporation."
"Wow. It's, uh..."
"Small. But I'm hardly ever in here."
Angel looked over at a cot. "You just come in for naps?"
"Oh, the bed. No, it's just sometimes I'm here so late that it's just easier than going home." Anne paused. "So...what do you think?"
"Amazing. You said it runs on donations?"
"Every last penny."
"Got to be tough...trying to stay ahead."
"It is. Thankfully, we have a guardian angel."
"Guardian angel?"
"Wolfram & Hart. Uh, it's a law firm. They've been a godsend in the last couple of months. Bailed us out of an eviction, defended a couple of our kids."
"They sound like saints."
"As far as I'm concerned. They're the ones that came up with the idea for the big hold-up."
"Hold-up?"
"Charity ball. It's a fundraiser for the center. Big TV celebrities go around and pretend to rob the guests of their donations. Wild West theme. It's gonna be big."
"And Wolfram & Hart's picking up the tab."
"They're donating everything, from the music to the food - plus they have connections to all the TV stars."
"That's not surprising."
"It's good for their image, I guess. And it's a pretty dorky theme - but, hey, whatever it takes, right?" Anne asked.
"Right."
Gunn and Wesley were sitting with Cordelia at a table at Cordy's.
"It's the biggest thing you've ever seen."
"And me and English here are just getting stomped, just ducking flames."
"It hurls me into the outflow drain..."
"And then you come crawling back, stinking, screaming curses. The mouth on this boy!"
"And Gunn hits him from behind, yelling 'Look at us when we kill you!', and both its heads turn."
Gunn got up and made a swinging motion. "Then 'shronk!' Wes buries his ax in the head number one."
"And Gunn is running him through, pulling out intestines the size of your leg!"
Gunn high-fived Wesley. "We turned him inside-out!"
They laughed.
"You weren't scared?" Cordelia asked.
"Oh, Mother in Heaven."
"Pants-wetting, praising-the-Lord-to-save-me kind of scared. All right?" Gunn asked.
Cordelia smiled. "But you did it."
"No. We did it." Gunn picked up some cans of beer and handed each of them one. "All of us."
They popped open their cans.
Wesley raised his drink. "All of us together."
Gunn raised his drink. "To us."
They clinked their cans together.
Wesley smiled. "To us."
Cordelia smiled. "To us."
They drank.
The next day, at the Magic Box, Giles was talking to a female customer. He was holding two books. "Well, if you're serious about these matters, all right, but...you need to be very careful. Measure precisely, and - and please don't step ahead."
"No, he's quite right."
Giles looked and saw Quinton Travers standing there with five other Watchers standing behind him: four men and one woman.
Quinton took one of the books from Giles and looked at it. "You wouldn't want to do anything dangerous. Turn the wrong person into a badger." He smiled and handed the book back.
"Quinton. I didn't realize you were here." Giles gave the book to the customer.
She walked off.
"Well, evidently."
"Been a while. I see you've, uh, brought some of our...colleagues with you. Would you care to introduce us?"
"Well, first, I thought we might catch up."
The other Watchers began to spread out through the store.
"Well, certainly, certainly. Uh, well, um, this is the shop, obviously." Giles began walking toward the counter.
Travers followed.
"Uh, i-it's been a very interesting transition into the world of retail. But I think it's gone rather well. I'll give you the grand tour if you like."
"No, that's all right, I think I can see what you've been up to."
"Yes, well, I-I, uh, do limit my time here, obviously."
Nigel, a Watcher, looked at the racks of magic stuff behind the counter.
"Buffy and I have been training a great deal these days. Uh, there's a-a back room..." Giles pointed toward the back.
Travers sat on a chair beside the counter. "Oh, yes. I thought perhaps you were keeping that space for the really dangerous items that should be kept out of the public's hands."
Giles frowned.
"Or maybe you don't worry about that."
"I'm very careful."
Nigel came over, holding a vial. "Most of this stuff couldn't harm anyone. Incense, dime store trinkets...but there are some things." He handed the vial to Travers.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Giles asked.
The female Watcher was looking at the stuff on another shelf. "There are some very potent elements here: focusing crystals, runic artifacts, an amulet of Cauldis. Also, this statue." She picked up a statue about two feet tall. "Its removal from Burma is a criminal offense..."
Giles was surprised.
She carried the statue over to Travers. "...and, when triggered, it has the power to melt human eyeballs." She gave the statue to Travers and walked off.
Giles chuckled. "In that case, I severely underpriced it."
Travers nodded to Nigel. "Uh, Giles, sorry, but this is just for the duration of our stay. I think you can see why."
Nigel took the book from Giles.
"What - What - Wha-What is just for the duration?"
Nigel stood in the middle of the store. "Magic Box shoppers! We're going to have to ask you to leave. The store is, uh, closing early today."
Philip a Watcher, took an item away from a customer. "Terribly sorry for the inconvenience."
The customers began to leave. Watchers escorted the customers out.
Giles glared at Travers. "You knew you were gonna do this before you even saw the place."
"I'm sorry. It's just for the duration of the Council's review."
"What review, Quinton? Let's just stop a moment and talk about this. Now, tell me about this review. No one said anything to me about this."
"Let's sit down and talk about it over here."
All of the Watchers moved toward the round table at the far end of the store. The female Watcher poured some tea. The others stood around.
Giles smiled. "You all stand around and look somber."
They did.
Giles rolled his eyes. "Good job."
"You used to respect us, Giles. You used to be one of us."
"You used to pay me. If you recall, firing me was not my idea."
"Touche." Travers sat at the table. "But you were on the inside once. You know what sort of resources we command."
Another Watcher put a suitcase on the table, opened it, took out some papers, and put them in front of Travers. The female Watcher gave Travers a cup of tea.
"We've discovered information about this creature of yours. Some of it is clearly vital, the rest merely extremely disturbing. And it won't be handed over until we're convinced that you and your Slayer are prepared for it. Thus the review."
Giles leaned over to put his hands on the table. "I'm not having you put her through another one of your insane tests."
"It's not a test. It's a check of her methods. We need to know that this information is safe."
"You can trust her." Giles straightened up. "Buffy's come very far recently. She's acquired a remarkable focus."
In a classroom at UC Sunnydale, Buffy was sitting among the students, yawning while the professor lectured.
"Now, Rasputin was associated with a certain obscure religious sect."
Buffy tapped her pencil on her desk. The girl next to her glared. Buffy saw her and stopped tapping the pencil but continued fidgeting.
"They held the tenet that, in order to be forgiven, one first had to sin. Rasputin embraced this doctrine and proceeded to sin impressively and repeatedly. The notion that he was in fact evil gained strength years later..."
Buffy fiddled with her pencil, dropped it, shrugged, and didn't pick it up.
"...when the conspirators who set out to kill him found it nearly impossible to do so."
"Nearly impossible?" Buffy asked herself.
"I'm sorry, there's a question?" the professor asked.
The students looked at Buffy.
The professor sighed. "Miss Summers, of course."
Buffy made a pained face and stood up as the professor gave her a disapproving look.
"I, uh, about, you know, killing him...you know, they - they poisoned him, and - and they beat him, and they shot him, and he didn't die."
"Until they rolled his body in a carpet and drowned him in a canal."
"But there are reported sightings of him as late as the 1930s, aren't there?" Buffy asked.
"I can assure you there is near-consensus in the academic community regarding the death of Rasputin."
"There was also near-consensus about Columbus, you know, until someone asked the Vikings what they were up to in the 1000s, and they're like 'Discovering this America-shaped continent.'"
The professor looked annoyed.
"I just...I'm only saying, you know, it might be interesting, if we...came at it from, you know, a different perspective, that's all."
"Well, I'm sorry if you find these facts so boring, Miss Summers. Maybe you'd prefer I step aside, so that you can teach your own course. Speculation 101, perhaps?"
The other students laughed.
"Intro to Flights of Fancy?"
The students laughed more.
"I only meant-"
"What was it you were going on about last week? Mysterious sleeping patterns of the Prussian generals?"
Buffy was annoyed.
"Now, some of us are here to learn. Believe it or not, we're interested in finding out what actually happened. It's called studying history. You can sit down now. Unless you have something else to add, professor?"
Buffy scowled and sat.
In the graveyard, at night, Buffy was fighting a vampire. She kicked him backward. "Miss Summers! Some of us are here to learn, professor!" She kicked him, then punched him twice.
The vampire swung; she ducked.
Buffy grabbed him and spun him around, then threw him against a headstone. "Maybe you'd like to teach your own class!"
"Who are you talking to?" the vampire asked.
Buffy approached, and the vampire punched her in the face. She spun around from the blow, got her bearings, and turned to attack again. She knocked him to the ground. As he got up, Buffy kicked him, then staked him.
Anne sat at her desk at East Hills Teen Shelter, writing in a book. She heard a sound, stood up, and went to investigate it. "Hello? Is anybody out here?"
"Anne."
Anne started and looked at Angel. "You startled me. What are you doing here?"
"I have to talk to you."
"Oh, boy. You're not...stalking me, are you?"
"Actually, I am."
Anne was surprised. "Excuse me?"
Angel pulled pictures out of a manila envelope and dropped them onto the little table between them. "These are pictures...I've taken of you. Surveillance photos."
Anne looked down at a picture of her and Lindsey and frowned. "I'm calling the police."
"Wait. I'm not gonna hurt you. I just couldn't stand lying to you anymore."
"Lying about what? That you're a psycho?"
"I've been following you, that's true. But not for the reasons you think."
"There is a good reason?"
"Wolfram & Hart. They're not saints, Anne. They don't care about you or your shelter."
"You're following me because-"
"I checked it out. They'll use your charity for good publicity. Offer to throw you a big fundraiser, money starts rolling in...but wait! You're not the one counting it. So who knows how much they're keeping back right from the start. Next, they'll give you a list of expenses, all very proper and necessary, but what do you know? After a certain number of miscellaneous, untraceable fees, you're left with five percent, tops."
"You follow me. Take my pictures. What makes you think I'll believe anything you say?"
"Wolfram & Hart are not what they say they are. They show the world one face, but it's not the truth. I can prove it. Everything they say is a lie."
"Guess you have something in common, huh?"
Lindsey walked into the shelter.
"Lindsey!" Anne exclaimed.
"Are you all right?" Lindsey asked.
"Fine. I-"
"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Lindsey came to stand next to Anne. "Believe me, if I'd known this man was in contact with you, I'd come sooner." He faced Angel with a smile. "I'm just thankful that I got here in time."
Angel smiled back. "Little over the top. Maybe if you worked on that look of concern."
Lindsey looked at Anne. "He's unbalanced. Very dangerous."
Angel took a step closer to Lindsey. "You haven't seen anything yet."
"Neither have you."
The door opened again, and Angel looked over his shoulder to see a demon.
"It's been a long time."
Lindsey looked at Anne. "I brought some protection."
Angel stared at the demon. "Boone. Working for Wolfram & Hart. I thought you had integrity."
"I do. Here's fair warning."
Boone stretched his hands down, and a metal coil wrapped itself around them, then jumped at Angel. Angel ducked and hit, then kicked, Boone as he got back up. Boone hit Angel in the stomach, then the back, dropping him to the ground, then threw him across the room. Anne and Lindsey watched as they continued to fight. Boone seemed at least as strong and as fast as Angel, and, after some more fighting, Angel ran out of the shelter.
Lindsey intercepted Boone as he tried to follow. "Wait."
"He's getting away!"
"That's fine as long as he's not threatening my client. Go out to the car. I'll meet you there. I don't think he's gonna be back tonight."
Boone stalked out.
Lindsey turned to Anne. "It's okay. Angel's gone. You're safe."
Anne looked from Lindsey, to the door, then back at Lindsey. "That...guy who beat up Angel, he wasn't human."
"No. You see, Anne, there is a different world-"
"Lindsey, I'm not naïve."
"Oh. Well, Angel's not human either. He's a vampire. He's a sick, deranged-"
"He says you're planning to steal most of the money from the fundraiser."
"Well, he's lying." Lindsey paused. "I mean...there are...expenses. You know how this works...with any charity event, especially one this big. But we don't steal."
"He says he has proof."
Lindsey paused. "He's lying about that, too. I mean...who're you gonna trust, Anne? You're gonna trust a mentally unstable vampire? Or you're gonna trust people that have worked night and day to put this fundraiser together for your kids?"
Anne shifted but didn't say anything.
"I would hate to see them lose out, because you made the wrong decision."
"So he doesn't have proof."
Lindsey paused. "He can't have proof."
At the Magic Box, Giles was walking out of the back room along with the other Watchers.
"We've been developing sort of a-a hybrid fighting style. Let me outline her progress for you, and I-I think you'll see that your review isn't strictly needed."
Buffy entered the shop, saw the Watchers, and tried to back out. "Bad day. Bad, baaad-"
"Miss Summers..."
Buffy stopped backing away at the sound of Travers' voice.
"...good to see you again."
Buffy entered reluctantly, closing the door behind her. "Mr. Travers."
"Giles has just been telling us of your training regimen. Perhaps you'll favor us with a demonstration while we're here."
"Right now?"
"No need to rush you."
Giles looked at her. "They're...staying a little longer than I'd anticipated."
"We've already laid out our project for Mr. Giles. Nigel?"
The Watchers and Buffy moved toward one side of the room while Giles stayed leaning against the counter.
Nigel looked at Buffy. "It's an exhaustive examination of your procedures and abilities. We'll observe your training, talk to your friends-"
"Talk to my friends?"
Travers looked at Buffy. "Yes, we understand you're still taking civilians out on patrols."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're fucking kidding me."
"Buffy...I can sense your resistance, and I don't blame you. But I think your Watcher hasn't reminded you lately of the resolute status of the players in our little game. The Council fights evil. The Slayer is the instrument by which we fight. The Council remains; the Slayers change. It's been that way from the beginning."
"Well, that's a very comforting, bloodless way of looking at it, isn't it?" Giles asked scornfully.
"Giles, let me talk to Buffy, because I think she's understanding me." Travers looked at Buffy. "This woman is stronger than you. She's a more powerful instrument, if you will. We can help you. We have information that will help. Pass the review, and we give it to you without reservation. Fail the review, either through incompetence or by resisting our recommendations-"
"Resisting your recommendations?" Giles moved toward them, angry. "She fails if we don't do whatever you say! How much under your thumb do you think we are?"
"How much do you want our help?"
Giles poked his finger angrily at Travers; the other Watchers restrained him.
"She's not your bloody instrument, and you have no right to do any of this!"
"Giles!" Buffy yelled.
Giles shook off the other Watchers and moved away, frustrated.
"I understand you think this is unfair. But there are factors which should motivate you to go along with the review. Now, I don't want to do this, but obviously we could shut this place down permanently."
Buffy frowned. "You can't do that. You don't have that kind of power."
"Of course, we do - and a great deal more. In fact, if you insist on fighting us, we'll arrange to have Mr. Giles deported within the day. Never set foot in this country again. Now, perhaps you're used to idle threats and sloppy discipline, Miss Summers, but you're dealing with grownups now." Travers paused. "Am I making myself clear?"
Buffy looked angrily from Travers to Giles, who didn't look at her, and then back. She glared at Travers.
Anne was sorting stuff in her office when Angel slowly walked in.
"I sort of thought you'd show up again."
"You all right?"
"I didn't have a big monster pounding my face into the floor, so I figure I'm better than you."
"What did Lindsey say about me?"
Anne folded clothes. "That you were a bad man."
"Bad man."
"A psychotic vampire who cut off his hand, harassed his firm, and...is borderline schizophrenic." Anne paused. "I was giving you the short version."
"Do you believe that?"
"I don't know."
"You're not afraid of me."
"Well, I've seen worse things since my cult days. A fourteen-year-old girl sitting in her own blood after a rough trick and dozens of people just walking right by, so, no, vampires, demons, even lawyers pretty much don't impress me. Maybe you had a good reason for cutting off Lindsey's hand. I don't care. I care about the shelter. If an evil law firm is gonna help me raise two-million dollars-"
"Of which you'll probably see only five percent of."
"Yeah, well, I did the math. Five percent of two-million is a hundred-thousand dollars. That's more money than this shelter could raise in two years."
"What about the other ninety-five percent? You don't care where that's going, who that could be hurting?"
Anne hesitated. "I can't."
"There is blood on that money, Anne. Are you the person who can ignore that? Have you become that yet? I don't think you have."
"You don't know what it takes to run a shelter-"
"Help me. Get me into the party." Angel pulled out an 8mm video tape. "Put this on, the world sees a whole new side of Wolfram & Hart."
"Why should I?"
"Because it's right. In the long run, it's better."
"Most of my kids don't have a long run." Anne hesitated. "No. I'm saying no."
Later, Buffy and Giles were alone. Buffy sat at the round table.
Giles paced. "It's a power play, that's what it is. It's about who has the power."
"I'm guessing they do?"
"I should have set you loose on them, that's what I should have done."
"Giles, that Travers guy is, like, sixty. I can't hit him." Buffy looked up. "Can I?"
"I suppose not. Well, I could. I think I will."
"Can they really do the shit they threatened? Kick you out the country?" Buffy asked.
"In a heartbeat." Giles took off his glasses, took out a handkerchief, and began cleaning his glasses. "See, the rough stuff, they're all right out there, a bit ham-handed, but they get it done, but, uh...this stuff, the, uh, bureaucracy, the pulling of political strings, they're the best in the world. They can kill you with the stroke of a pen. Poncy sods."
There was a crunching noise as Giles's glasses broke in his hands from too vigorous a cleaning. One of the lenses had popped out of the frame. Giles looked down at them.
"Am I gonna be able to get through this review?" Buffy asked softly.
"Well, I..." Giles walked over and sat next to her. "I suppose they'll make it as difficult as they want to. The physical stuff could be a bit of a challenge." He put on his glasses, then immediately took them off again.
Buffy stared at him. "That's not what I'm worried about. It's the other shit. Examining decisions I've made. I mean, twice now, I've been within slaying distance of that woman, and twice she's kicked my ass without even tensing a muscle. And I haven't been able to figure out...what she is or anything about her."
"Buffy, no one could have done any better than you."
"But no one else is gonna be asked the questions that I can't answer." Buffy was getting agitated. "They're gonna expect me to...to be like a Slayer and - and know shit, but I'm just me, and I don't know anything, and they're gonna go away, and they're not gonna tell me how to fight this woman."
"Buffy, calm down. The scandal here is not anything you've done wrong; it's the way they're behaving. Holding what they know hostage with a gun pointed at my bleeding green card, no less." Giles sighed. "It's humiliating."
"Also smart. They picked the perfect thing. I can't lose you."
"Thank you."
Buffy sighed. "I guess I should be getting ready. What do you think it'll be like? I mean...how do you think they'll start?"
At Willy's, Sandy and Sunday were being interrogated by the female Watcher while the other two male Watchers stood between her and the vampires. One of the men held a cross, the other a crossbow.
"But we understand that you help the Slayer."
Sandy smiled. "Uh-huh. Buffy's my friend."
Sunday rolled her eyes. "Speak for yourself, Sister Moon. I pitch in when she pays me."
"She pays you? She gives you money?" the Watcher asked.
"Money, food, whatever."
The Watcher frowned. "Is that what you want? I'd think you'd want to kill her. You've killed a Slayer before."
Sunday was intrigued. "Heard of me, have you?"
The Watcher gave her an embarrassed smile. "I...wrote my thesis on you. The Slayer that became a vampire." She walked closer to Sunday. "So tragic."
Sunday grinned. "Well, well. Isn't that neat? Tell me, sweetie, now that we're such good friends, how's the Slayer doing? Is she okay? High marks in all categories?" She grabbed the Watcher by the back of the head, kissed her on the lips, and released her.
The Watcher grinned, flustered. "Oh, yes!"
Sandy rolled her eyes and sipped her vodka tonic.
The next day, in Buffy and Tara's room, Buffy and Tara sat on their bed side-by-side. Nigel stood before them with a notebook.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Questions, great."
Tara looked at her. "Well, we can answer questions."
"Good. I need to know a little bit more about the both of you. Whatever you can tell me."
In Amy and Harmony's dorm room, Amy and Harmony sat on Amy's bed. Philip stood before them with a notebook.
Amy smiled. "Best friends, Tara and me and Buffy. The three of us have been together from almost the beginning. We've always gone on patrols and, uh, done demon research with her and everything."
"Have you mastered any fighting disciplines over the years?"
Amy thought about it. "Not exactly, but we're in Buffy's Slayer School."
"Slayer School?" Philip asked.
"Uh-huh. Buffy and Tara teach karate and other fighting skills to us and other girls from around town in their backyard."
"So...Miss Summers being the Slayer is an open secret in this town?"
"I wouldn't say it's any kind of secret, not since vampires invaded the school on Parent-Teacher Night in our junior year."
"And when was that?"
"Fall of 1997."
"I see. Thank you, Miss Madison." Philip jotted some notes down. "So you have no special skills or powers or knowledge that you bring to the mix. Neither of you."
Amy smiled. "Oh, well, I'm a witch."
"I see. And you, Miss Kendall?"
Harmony smiled. "I don't have any powers, but I do help."
"How? Be specific."
"Uh..." Harmony frowned in thought, then she smiled uncertainly. "I get the pizza, drinks, and doughnuts."
"Are you saying that the Slayer needs that level of help from you often?" Nigel asked Tara.
Tara shook her head. "No, no, she doesn't need help. She'd be fine without us. Sometimes, she goes off and does shit without even telling us."
Buffy glared at her in disbelief.
"Not that she's like a-a weird loner or anything." Tara paused. "I'm not sure I'm saying this right. See, here's the thing. I-I can help, because I do magic. Amy and I worked on this ball-of-sunshine thing. See, she had this theory. It's very cool. A-And it worked, so easier slaying for Buffy. Not that it's hard for her now!"
"Interesting. What level are you at?" Nigel asked her.
"Level?"
"Magical proficiency level?"
"Oh!" Buffy cut in. "Uh, high, a high level. Very high. One of those...top levels."
"Five!" Tara blurted.
Nigel wrote this down as Buffy and Tara gave each other anxious looks. Buffy mouthed "Five?" Tara shrugged.
"Seventy-four!" Amy blurted.
Philip raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything and wrote it down.
"And you're registered as a practicing witch under the name as you gave it to me?" Nigel asked Tara.
"R-Registered?" Tara asked nervously.
Buffy grinned. "Oh, yes! Yes, of course, she's-"
"-r-r-registered." Tara nodded.
"So...Buffy sometimes protects you from the dangerous elements of her work."
Harmony smiled. "Yes. She's saved my life lots of times. The vampires in this town hate her."
In the workout room in the back of the Magic Box, Nigel was tying a blindfold around Buffy's head. Giles and the other Watchers were standing around. Tara sat nearby.
Travers paced. "Agility, clarity, stamina, and strength: these are the qualities that the Slayer must possess to do her job."
Buffy frowned. "What came after agility?"
Philip stood next to the dummy, wearing a karate gi.
Giles looked at Travers. "If you want her to attack the dummy-"
"No, no. Philip will attack the dummy. The Slayer's job is to protect it. Do you understand?" Travers asked Buffy.
"Protect the dummy."
"As if it were precious. Now, getting the best of Philip will require agility. Listening to my instructions at the same time, that will demonstrate clarity. And stamina and strength will win the long fight. Good luck."
"Instructions?"
"Yeah, I'll be telling you what to do, how to counter Philip's attack. We assume you're familiar with the Japanese names for aikido and jiu-jitsu moves."
Buffy frowned. "I don't really study those. I take Shotokan karate."
Travers frowned. "I see."
"It's served me well."
"And your rank?" Travers asked her.
Buffy smiled proudly. "Just made black."
"What took you so long?"
Tara stood up. "I took a few classes in bōjutsu. I've given Buffy some weapons training. We also took a few jiu-jitsu classes last year to improve our grappling, throwing, and weapon use. As for aikido, its primary purposes are defense and not harming your opponent, which we felt was unneeded in our situation. Regarding Japanese terminology, while we do learn and use it, it's important to remember those terms - as well as the belt system and the dōjōs - were put in place later. In the old days, if you wanted to learn, you had to find someone willing to teach you. There were no ranks until 1924 and no Shotokan dōjōs until 1936. Also, before proper names for the kata were developed, the teacher would simply describe what they wanted the student to do."
Travers stared at her. "Thank you for the history lesson, Miss Maclay."
Tara smiled good-naturedly and sat down.
The female Watcher clicked a stopwatch. "And go!"
"Whoa, hold on a second. We, uh, you know, in America, we usually just work our way up to 'Go'."
Philip bowed toward Buffy. He was holding a short ax.
Travers looked at Buffy. "Rei."
Buffy bowed.
"Kamae."
Buffy prepared.
"Hajime."
Philip circled around her. Buffy followed his movements. He thrust at the dummy, and Buffy blocked. Then she kicked at him and missed. She spun around and blocked his overhead punch.
"Tsuki."
Philip punched Buffy in the face. Buffy punched Philip in the face.
"Ushiro geri."
Buffy back-kicked, and Philip moved out of the way.
"Empi uchi."
Buffy thrust with her elbow, and he avoided it.
"How have you been training her?" Travers asked Giles.
"I've trained her to win."
Buffy was annoyed. "You know what? I'm gonna have to do it my way, guys."
Philip swung the weapon, and she ducked. He lifted it for an overhead blow, and Buffy grabbed the handle, kicked him in the stomach, forced him back against the training horse, and elbowed him in the face. He tumbled backward over the horse, losing his grip on the weapon. The momentum pulled it out of Buffy's hands, and it flew backward to land in the dummy's chest, knocking the dummy backward into Nigel. He fell to the floor with the dummy on top of him.
Buffy turned around, pulling the blindfold off. The female Watcher kneeled by Nigel and clicked the stopwatch.
Buffy frowned. "Uh-oh."
The others helped Philip up.
"I think she just broke my rib."
Travers eyed Buffy. "Yes, well."
"I didn't mean to. Um, you know, I-I can do better. I think I might be getting this, like, inner-ear thing, and so maybe - maybe, if I got a note, I-I could try again."
"No, that's all right, I don't think we need to see any more physical tests for a while. We can move on to the real review. Look into your strategies, plans, figure out what's going on in that head."
Buffy frowned. "Good. Head stuff."
"We start at eight tonight. Give you time to, uh..." Travers looked from Buffy to Giles. "...well, however you prepare."
The Watchers left. Buffy, Tara, and Giles were glum.
Buffy entered the Summers' home and put down her bag. "Mom?"
She walked toward the living room. As she rounded the corner, she came face-to-face with her mystery woman.
"Long day, sweetie?" she asked.
Buffy looked apprehensively at her.
She checked out the living room. "So...this is where the Slayer eats, sleeps, shits, fucks, and..." She ran her finger through the dust on a side table. "...combs her hair?" She picked up a photo. "Oh...so cute." She held it up for Buffy to see, then put it down. "I can't even stand it. Personally? I need more space, but, uh, this is good for you; it's - it's so quaint and-"
While the woman was speaking with her back to Buffy, Buffy had moved across the room to the fireplace and picked up a poker. When she straightened up, the woman was right behind her.
"Buffy..." She took the poker. "If I wanted to fight, you could tell by the being dead already." She went to sit in an armchair and giggled. "So play nice, girl."
"What do you want?"
"The key. Why else do you think I'd come here again?" She pointed the poker at Buffy. "See, I think you know where it is. And that's a good thing."
Buffy was confused but played along. "I'm glad you think so."
"Well, it's the only thing keeping you alive right now. Because you may be queen in vampire world..."
Dawn entered behind the woman. Buffy looked at Dawn in alarm but tried not to let the woman see her looking.
"...but, to me, you're a bug. You should get down on your knees and worship me!"
Dawn walked closer. Buffy widened her eyes to signal Dawn to go away.
"But oh, no, you still think it's neat having Slayer strength."
Dawn mouthed "What?" at Buffy.
"Ooh, big deal! Stronger than humans!"
Dawn began to back away.
"Who isn't? I could crush the life from you as easy as you'd break a nail. But I need the key."
Dawn had reached the stairs. She began to turn away.
"Kid!" the woman yelled.
Dawn stopped. Buffy was alarmed.
"Come here a sec."
"Leave her out of this."
"Not asking twice."
Dawn approached, still behind the woman and out of her line of sight.
Buffy stared at the woman. "This is between you and me."
"No. This is between me and my key. You just happen to be the thing in the way." The woman lifted her hand over her head and snapped her fingers.
Dawn walked into her view and folded her arms over her chest sullenly.
"And you are just the darlin'-est thing I ever did see in my life. Dawn, right? Did you know your sister took my key, Dawnie? And she won't give it back! I bet you know where she put it, don't you?"
Buffy stared at the woman. "She doesn't know anything."
Dawn looked at Buffy, annoyed. "I know some stuff."
"I bet she takes your shit all the time without asking, doesn't she?" the woman asked. "Where's my key, Dawn?"
"Go upstairs, Dawn."
Dawn left.
Buffy folded her arms over her chest. "You know our names, but we don't know yours."
The woman grinned and sat in a chair. "You can call me Glory." She paused and got serious. "I'll kill her. I'll kill your mom. I'll kill your friends. And I'll make you watch when I do." She sighed. "Just give me the key. You either have it or know where to find it." She stood up. "Obviously, this is a one-time-only deal. Next time we meet, something you love dies bloody. You know you can't take me. You know you can't stop me."
She dropped the poker on the floor and left. Buffy watched her go with a grim expression.
Joyce entered the room. "Buffy, who was that?"
"Pack a bag."
Buffy rang the doorbell of Sunday's mansion and waited. Soon, the front door creaked open slightly.
Sunday peered out at her. "What the fuck do you want at this godly hour?" She started to rub her eyes sleepily, paused, and looked past Buffy.
Dawn and Joyce were standing there.
"So what's with the family outing?" Sunday asked, surprised.
"I need your help."
"Great. I need your cash."
"I'm serious. You have to look after them."
"Well, that's a shitload of responsibility to come flying out of nowhere. What's the matter, Buffy? You're not feeling a hundred percent?" Sunday asked.
Buffy frowned. "No."
Sunday smiled, amused.
Buffy was annoyed. "Sunday, I need an answer. Now. In or out? You're the only one strong enough to protect them."
Sunday considered it.
Buffy raised a brown paper bag. "I'll toss in some buffalo wings."
Sunday looked at her for a moment. "All right." She stepped backwards. "Ladies...come on in. There's plenty of blood in the fridge."
Buffy pushed the door open and walked into the mansion. Dawn and Joyce followed.
"Do you mean, like, real blood?" Dawn asked.
Sunday rolled her eyes. "What do you think?"
"Mostly, I think 'Ew'."
Buffy looked at Joyce. "Keep Dawn here as long as you can. I'll be back soon."
"Okay."
Buffy walked over to Sunday and offered her the bag. "I don't think I need to remind you, but-"
"Yeah, yeah." Sunday took the bag.
Buffy left. Sunday, Dawn, and Joyce stood around, uncomfortable.
Joyce looked at Sunday. "I-I love what you've, um, neglected to do with the place."
"Just don't break anything." Sunday went to turn on the TV. "And don't make a lot of noise. Port Charles is coming on."
Joyce walked forward. "Port Charles? Oh, what do you think of the Fate story arc so far?"
Dawn made an exasperated face and walked off.
At Wolfram & Hart's Highway Robbery Ball, at night, a video was playing up on a big screen. Holland Manners, wearing a shirt (but no tie) and a knit cardigan over it, was sitting on a park bench.
"The world can be a dangerous place, especially for our most vulnerable citizens: our children." Holland petted the collie sitting at his feet, then got up. "Far away from home, with little money and even less hope, too many runaways find themselves on the streets, over their heads, and under society's radar."
Anne looked around, then sipped Champagne from the fluted glass in her hand.
Holland came up next to a disheveled kid sitting on another park bench. "But there is a place, right here in Los Angeles, that can help these troubled kids - the East Hills Teen Center." He held out a hand to the kid and helped him up. "It's a terrific refuge that we at Wolfram & Hart support one-hundred percent."
Lilah Morgan beckoned to Anne. Anne walked over to Lilah and a bald guy wearing thick-rimmed glasses.
"Anne. I'd like you to meet one of my bosses at Wolfram & Hart, Nathan Reed. Mister Reed, this is Anne."
Nathan shook Anne's hand. "So this is the young woman whose dedication and hard work brings us together tonight."
"Well, I...try to help...where I can. Thank you for everything, sir."
"I like to think of my job as underlining the 'heart' in Wolfram & Hart."
Lilah smiled. "Remember, save some time for interviews tonight. Now, whether you like it or not, you are the public face of this charity."
Nathan smiled. "And what a face it is."
"Yes. Never underestimate the power of positive publicity."
Holland, on the screen, now in a suit and tie, was standing in front of his desk. "Can we really change the world? At Wolfram & Hart...we're counting on it."
People applauded as Holland's name and "1951 - 2000" were superimposed over his smiling image.
Lilah walked up on the podium and was shown on the screen, transmitted from one of the many camera operators circulating in the crowd.
"Holland Manners is gone, but I feel he's looking down on us tonight. Don't you feel it? The truth is...Holland had a vision of the future most of us can't imagine. Let's make it come true...together."
The audience applauded.
"Now, let's get started - but not with a plea for money. No, no. No, we're not here to ask you for money; we're here to take it at gunpoint."
That got laughter from the audience.
"Please welcome our celebrity bandits, from the hit show, Life Lessons: Serena Tate, Holden Rayne, C.J. McCard, and Jordan Johns!"
There was applause as the celebrity bandits rushed into the crowd, wielding guns and carpet bags to collect the donations.
"Once again, I'd like to thank our wonderful stars from Life Lessons for giving so generously of their time."
There was applause as the stars smiled and waved.
"And to you, our benefactors, let me just say that we really can change the world. With your support, we can make it a safer place for all our children."
There was applause, which gave way to talk as everyone's attention was drawn to Angel and Boone fighting on the open upper level. Screams rang out as Boone and Angel toppled over the low wall and landed a little ways beside the table with the money. Angel and Boone continued their fight where they landed, and Boone sent Angel sliding over the table with the cash, knocking some of it off. Two guards grabbed a hold of Angel as he got back up.
During the distraction, Anne walked towards the video equipment, pulling the 8mm video tape out of her purse. Lindsey and Lilah started to push their way through the crowd - for all to see up on the big screen, thanks to a diligent camera operator capturing all of the action.
"Excuse me!" Lilah yelled.
Anne inserted the tape and pressed Play, and everyone saw a pair of black shoes walking up on the big screen and heard Wesley's voice: "How do you turn this thing on?"
"Just give it to me!" Cordelia yelled as the picture jerked.
"Uh, it's not a toy! It's an expensive piece of equipment. It's for gathering evidence."
The camera now showed Cordelia's beige boots.
"Let go."
"You're just gonna play with it, aren't you?" Wesley asked.
The picture changed to Cordelia talking to a coatrack.
"I gave you two children, Bill, and you leave me for a man? No! Don't speak! Don't say anything! What is there to say? You said it all..." Cordelia slapped the coatrack, knocking it over.
The picture changed to Cordelia drinking a tall glass of milk.
"Hmm, milk."
Anne's eyes remained riveted to the screen.
Cordelia said "Hmm, milk' in different ways, trying to convey different emotions. "I don't get it. How am I not working?"
The screen went to snow for a moment.
"What's happening?" Lilah asked.
Then Wesley was dancing up on the big screen, snapping his fingers.
Angel came to stand next to Anne. "Looks to me like you two were acting like a couple of crazy people - on camera, too. Ouch."
Wesley looked into the camera. "Price. Wesley Wyndham-Price."
"Isn't that the guy that's dating Virginia Bryce?" Serena asked.
The crowd started to laugh as Wesley launched into a striptease dance.
"You don't have us on tape, do you?" Lindsey asked Angel.
Angel smiled. "I got nothing. Do you know how hard it is to secretly record someone as paranoid as you two?"
On the screen, Wesley apparently heard someone coming into the office and jumped towards the camera, putting his hand over the lens as he dropped down with it.
The picture changed to show Gunn and Angel, poorly dressed up as Jules and Vincent, respectively, from Pulp Fiction, pointing guns loaded with blanks at Wesley, who was holding a briefcase and looking scared.
Gunn frowned menacingly. "Are you a super-dope homeboy from the Oaktown?"
"What?!" Wesley asked nervously.
Gunn fired a blank. Wesley pretended to be shot and cried in pain.
"Are you...a super-dope homeboy...from the Oaktown?!" Gunn demanded.
Wesley shook his head frantically. "No!"
Gunn snatched the briefcase from Wesley's hand. "Then u can't touch this!"
Lindsey frowned. "This whole thing was a setup."
Lilah frowned at Angel. "You hired Boone."
"No. You did. For a whole lot of money, too."
Lindsey turned to look towards the tables. "The money."
He and Lilah ran back through the crowd, pushing people aside and yelling.
Angel walked out of the hotel.
Anne followed him out, walked up behind him, put a hand on his arm to turn him around, then slapped him full in the face. "How dare you? I risked everything in there. I risked my kids. You never even planned to expose the scheme."
"They would have covered it up. I just wanted to shake them up a bit. It's not much, but it's a start."
"And the money?"
"The money was tainted."
"I don't even care about-"
"Yes, you do. That's the difference between us." Angel paused. "You still care." After looking at her a moment longer, Angel turned and walked off.
At the Magic Box, the Watchers were walking around, looking at books, and moving stuff around. Giles sat in a chair by the table, a pile of papers spread out in front of him. Jenny, Amy, Sandy, Harmony, and Tara sat on the balcony above, looking down. Their feet dangled in the air and they leaned against the railing, watching the Watchers.
"Why doesn't Mr. Giles put them all out of here?" Tara asked.
Jenny looked at her. "Because they'll deport him, destroying his career."
Travers walked over to where Giles was sitting. "Well, your Slayer's twenty minutes late and counting, Rupert."
"Buffy will be here, I assure you."
Travers chuckled. "Yes, but when?" He sat down next to Giles.
The door opened, and Buffy entered the shop.
Travers stared at her. "You're late."
"Yeah."
"We can begin the review at last. We'll, uh, skip the more obvious questions-"
"There isn't gonna be a review."
"Sorry?"
"No review. No interrogation. No questions you know I can't answer. No hoops, no jumps-"
Nigel opened his mouth to speak.
"-and no interruptions."
Nigel closed his mouth.
Buffy looked around, then began to pace. "See...I've had a lot of people talking at me the last few days. Everyone just lining up to tell me how unimportant I am. And I've finally figured out why." She looked Travers in the eye. "Power. I have it. They don't. This bothers them." Buffy moved back to the table, removing her coat. "Glory...came to my home today."
"Glory?" Giles asked.
"My mystery bitch. That's her name...or, at least, the name that she gave me."
Giles stood up, alarmed. "Buffy, are you-"
"Just to talk." Buffy put her coat on a chair, then resumed pacing. "She told me I'm a bug; I'm a flea; she could squash me in a second." She stopped and looked at Travers again. "Only she didn't. She came into my home, and we talked. We had what, in her warped brain, probably passes for a civilized conversation. Why?" She paused. "Because she needs something from me. Because I have power over her." Buffy looked around, hands on her hips. She walked the floor, looking from one Watcher to the next as she talked. "You guys didn't come all the way from England to determine whether or not I was good enough to be let back in. You came to beg me to let you back in. To give your jobs, your lives, some semblance of meaning."
Nigel frowned. "This is beyond insolence-"
Buffy grabbed a stake from her pocket and threw it across the room in a single movement. It flew point-first into the wall, directly in front of Nigel's nose. He jumped back, looking shocked.
Buffy cleared her throat. "I'm fairly certain I said no interruptions."
Amy and Tara grinned.
"You're Watchers. Without a Slayer, you're pretty much just watchin' Masterpiece Theatre. You can't stop Glory. You can't do anything with the information you have." Buffy paused, then looked at Travers again. "So here's how it's gonna work. You're gonna tell me everything you know. Then you're gonna go away." She resumed pacing. "You'll contact me if and when you have any further information about Glory. The magic shop will remain open. Mr. Giles will stay here as my official Watcher, reinstated at full salary-"
Giles coughed. "Retroactive."
"-to be paid retroactively from the month he was fired. I will continue my work with the help of my friends-"
The female Watcher looked at her. "I, uh, I...don't want a stake thrown at me, but - but civilians, I..." She paused. "We're talking about children."
Buffy looked up at her friends on the balcony. "We're talking about two very powerful witches, a technopagan, and a vampire with a heart of gold."
"The bimbo?" Philip asked. "No power there."
"Harmony has clocked more field time than all of you combined. She's part of the unit. Now. You all may be very good at your jobs. The only way we're gonna find out is if you work with me. You can all take your time thinking about that." Buffy turned back to face Travers. "But I want an answer right now from Quinton, 'cause I think he's understanding me."
Travers cleared his throat. "Uh, your terms are acceptable."
Giles smiled hugely. The Slayerettes burst into cheers and applause - but quickly stopped, embarrassed. Buffy looked up at them, then looked at Giles. She didn't smile but was satisfied.
Buffy sat across from Travers. "See? No biggie."
Travers nodded. "Uh, Rupert."
"Quinton?"
"When we inventoried your shop, we found a bottle of single malt Scotch behind the, uh, incense holders."
"Well, it's - it's not, you know, during working hours."
"I think I could use a glass."
Giles started to move away. "Well, I suppose we could-"
Buffy got up. "Just a minute."
Giles stopped.
"Glory. I wanna know."
Travers looked at her. "Well, there's a lot to go through."
"Just tell me what kind of demon I'm fighting."
"Well, that's the thing, you see. Glory isn't a demon."
"What is she?"
Travers paused. "She's a god."
Buffy was silent for a long time, her eyes widening. "Oh."
Angel dropped the bag with the money on Anne's desk. "All of it. Little bit more than five percent."
Anne reached in and took out some of the bundles of money. She saw Angel's face was badly bruised, and he had a split lip.
Angel turned to go. "Wolfram & Hart find out that you have that money-"
"I can find a way to hide it." Anne fingered the money, then looked at the dark liquid coming off onto her fingers. "What's this?"
"Blood."
Anne looked at him, looked down, hesitated for a moment, then looked at him. "It'll wash." She went back to removing the money from the bag.
Chapter 115: Happy Anniversary
Chapter Text
"Happy Anniversary"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Blood Ties" Written by Steven S. DeKnight and the Angel Episode "Happy Anniversary" Written by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Giles were sitting at the table in the Magic Box. Giles was looking through books and papers.
Buffy sighed. "Look, I know Mom wants to gather and make with the merry tomorrow night, but, with everything that's going on-"
Harmony walked up behind Buffy. "This is exactly what you need." She sat next to Buffy. "A twentieth birthday party with - with - with presents and funny hats and - and those candles that don't blow out..." She leaned over to Tara. "Those used to scare me."
Tara smiled. "Me, too."
Buffy looked at Harmony. "I just don't think this is the best time to break out the party piñata. We need to stay focused, if we're gonna find a way to stop Glory."
Amy frowned. "We're going up against a god. An actual fucking god."
Harmony smiled. "Well, you know what they say: the bigger they are-"
"The faster they stomp you into nothing." Amy dropped a book on the table for emphasis.
Everyone looked at her.
Buffy sighed. "She's right. I've thrown everything I've got at her, and she just shrugs it off."
Harmony tried to be optimistic. "Then we have to find something heavier to throw."
Giles looked at her. "That might pose some difficulty. From what the Council's been able to discover from the Book of Tarnis and - and - and other sources, Glory and two of her fellow hellgods ruled over...one of the more seriously unpleasant demon dimensions."
"There's more than one?" Tara asked him.
"Oh, there are thousands of demon dimensions. All different. All pushing on the edges of our reality, trying to find a way in."
Buffy frowned. "I guess Glory found one. The question is...why?"
"There's nothing to indicate that here. Just...vague references to...chaos and destruction."
His tea kettle whistled. Giles got up to get it.
"Okay, so we know where Glory's from. What do we know about her? You know, she's tough, yeah, but - but no bolts of lightning, no blasts of fire; shouldn't a god be able to do that kind of shit?" Buffy asked.
Giles poured tea. "Uh, usually, yes, but, um, being in human form must be severely limiting her powers. All we have to worry about right now is she's immortal, invulnerable, and insane."
"A crazy hellgod?" Amy asked.
"From what I've been able to gather, her living in this world is...seriously affecting her mental state as well. She's only being able to keep her mind intact by, uh, extracting energy from us. Well, from - from the human brain."
"She-She-She's a brain-sucker?" Tara asked.
Buffy and Tara exchanged a look.
"She, um..." Giles leaned over to read from a book. "...'absorbs the energies that bind the human mind into a cohesive whole.' Once drained, all that's left behind is, uh-"
"Crazy people." Buffy frowned.
Giles poured more tea. "Which is, I'm afraid, why there's been a marked increase in the ranks of the mentally unstable here in Sunnydale."
Tara frowned. "At least, vampires just kill you."
Buffy got up. "We have to find a way to stop her."
Amy looked at her. "Oh, well, Tara and I can work on some tactical spells."
Giles handed Buffy a cup of tea.
Harmony smiled. "I can do some research about demon dimensions."
"This is great long-term-plan stuff, but what about this...key thingy Glory's looking for? I mean...shouldn't we be trying to find it before she does?" Tara asked.
Buffy sipped her tea. "We haven't found any mention of a key. Honestly, I have no idea what the fuck she's talking about."
Outside the Magic Box, Tara and Amy were drawing symbols on the ground with colored sand.
Dawn walked up. "You guys doin' a spell?"
Amy smiled. "Dawn, hey. Yeah, we're doing an early-warning incantation. If anything hellgoddishly powerful comes within a hundred feet of the shop, then screechy siren things will, you know, screech."
Tara smiled. "This should give us a heads-up."
Amy nodded. "We already put one up around your house."
"Cool, can I help?" Dawn asked.
Amy and Tara exchanged a look.
Amy looked at Dawn. "Well, I don't think Buffy would like the, uh, magical arts bumpin' auras with the littlest Summers."
Dawn nodded resignedly. "Yeah, whatever." She walked away.
Amy threw a last handful of dust down; the symbols all flashed brightly and disappeared.
Dawn opened the door and walked into the shop.
Harmony was sitting at the table, reading.
"Hey. We on the case?" Dawn asked.
Harmony nodded. "Yeah. Right on top, perched, ready for action."
Buffy and Giles walked in from the back room. Buffy held a bottle of water.
Giles was writing in a small book. "I'm not sure our regular workout is...challenging you anymore. Perhaps we should make it harder."
"You always think harder is better. Maybe, next time I patrol, I should carry a load of bricks, use a stake made of butter."
"Very amusing."
They walked over to the counter, where Dawn was standing, with a notebook laying open on the counter.
Giles put his book down on the counter also. "I'm sure Dawn feels that way about her schoolwork sometimes."
"That true? How was school today?" Buffy asked her.
"Um, the usual. Big square building filled with boredom and despair."
"Just how I remember it."
Giles closed his book, then slid it off the counter and out of sight.
"So...what's the homework sitch?" Buffy asked Dawn.
"We have to imagine what we'll be like ten years from now and write a letter to our future self. The teacher's clearly so out of ideas. Wanna help?"
"Maybe later. I have some stuff I have to do first."
"Is it about that weird girl that came to the house?"
"Glory. And, no, it's not."
"Like you'd tell me, anyway. Dawn's too young, and Dawn's too delicate."
Buffy smirked. "Right. A young, delicate pain in my ass."
"I just think you're freakin' out, 'cause you have to fight someone prettier than you. That is the case, right?"
Buffy walked closer to her. "Glory is evil. And powerful. And in no way prettier than me."
"I just think you're getting soft in your advanced age. She didn't look that tough to me." Dawn smirked.
In Huntsville, Alabama, Violet was sitting at her desk in her bedroom, playing GemStone on her computer. There was a knock on her door.
"Yeah?" Violet didn't look away from the screen.
The door opened, and her mother walked into the room.
"Hey, Vi."
"Hey."
"Dinner's ready."
"'Kay."
"Mike called. He wants you to come in for training tonight."
"No."
"I already told him you'd be there."
Vi spun around in her chair. "Why'd you do that?"
"Sweetie, it's important that you develop your skills."
Vi gestured at her computer. "I'm developing my skills right here."
Felicia went and sat on her daughter's bed. "I don't mind you gaming, but it won't help you survive."
"That's what my violin playing is for."
"What if you're called as the next Slayer?"
"I'd rather not be."
"It sounds like you don't have a choice in the matter."
"Of course, I have a choice. I simply wouldn't do it. 'If elected, I will not serve.'"
"They won't like that."
Vi shrugged. "I won't tell them."
Felicia stared at her for a moment, then stood up. "I'll call and tell him that you're sick."
"Thanks."
"No problem. Now, come to dinner."
In Los Angeles, in Cordy's at the Hyperion Hotel, at night, Cordelia was mingling about the crowd, and Gunn and Wesley were sitting at a table.
The door opened, and Virginia walked in, carrying a gift basket and a bottle of Champagne.
"Hey! Wow. This place is great. I brought Champagne. You guys must be so excited..." She took in their looks. "...in that really dry, suicidal way."
Wesley got up and greeted her with a quick kiss on the lips. "Sorry, sweetheart. You just caught us in a moment of...well..."
Cordelia took the bottle of Champagne from Virginia. "Reality."
"Oh...that. I avoid that."
"How do you avoid reality?" Gunn asked her.
"Money. It cures everything but boredom." Virginia held up the basket. "And food cures boredom, so there you go. Imported chips and packets of cheese."
Gunn smiled. "Thanks."
Cordelia popped the cork and took a sip from the bottle.
Virginia smiled. "Oh! I found a case for you. A client. A rich one."
"Really?" Wesley asked.
"And this isn't the first thing you say when you come in the room?" Cordelia asked her.
"Well, I got distracted by your waves of desperation. But it's true. My friend Patricia, her family, they've got, like, this big guy that's been harassing them, hanging around the house, getting scary, and they'd be really grateful if someone got rid of him."
Gunn shrugged. "That sounds easy."
"Uh, wait. By 'big guy', do you mean demon?" Cordelia asked Virginia.
"Yeah. And by 'house', I mean palatial estate, and, by 'grateful', I mean they'll give you big tubs of cash. Really rich family. They invented, um, I don't know, like...chairs or something."
Cordelia grinned. "We'll do it! We'll do anything."
"Oh, that's so sad. Anyway, he's a Wainakay demon, and he got the eldest son already."
"So there's been a death?" Cordelia asked.
Virginia nodded.
"You just let these facts kind of dribble out, don't you?" Cordelia asked.
"I'll call Patty and tell her you'll take the job."
Cordelia nodded and looked toward the stage as a nerdy guy with glasses made his way to the karaoke machine.
Cordelia ran into the lobby. "Angel! Get your ass down here!"
Soon, Angel came down the stairs and stopped on the landing, crossing his arms. "What?"
"What's today? Thursday? Tomorrow night...the world's going to end. I thought you might want to know."
"So the world's gonna end." Angel sat down in a chair with his arms crossed.
"Yeah. I was just at the club. So this guy I've never seen before...gets up to sing. Usually, I love it. You know, they sing, I read their futures, their auras, I see into their souls-"
"So this guy..."
"Nerdy as can be. Curly brown hair and glasses. The thing that was remarkable about him was there was absolutely nothing remarkable about him. He gets up and goes up to the mic. Just your average Joe about to mangle a tune and bore me with some bland vision of his bland future. But then he sings 'All By Myself' - not outstanding but not bad either. Man, he knocked me out!"
"He was good?" Angel asked.
Cordelia frowned. "No, dumbass, he knocked me out. When I came to, he was gone."
"He didn't wait to hear what you saw on him?"
"Nope."
"So what knocked you out?"
"I looked into this guy, and I saw...he has no future after ten o'clock tomorrow night - and neither does anybody else."
Angel got up from his chair, arms still crossed. "Let's say I do believe you."
"Oh, honey, let's say a lot more than that. We've got to find this guy. This guy is gonna do something between now and tomorrow night. I don't know what, but it's gonna cancel everybody's summer plans. We got to find him and stop him."
"Why'd you come to me?"
Cordelia looked at him sadly. "Isn't it obvious? You're a champion. A unique force for good in a troubled world." She paused. "Also, Faith's putting in crazy hours at that dive that she works at. Why? You don't want to work with me?" She paused. "Is this because I sent you on a couple of missions that turned out to be a little-"
"Pointless and deadly?"
"As for example. But I sent you on those missions in good faith. And we interrupt this broadcast to inform you: world ending? Kind of an emergency situation here. You might want to get on board."
"So why did this guy leave the club before you had a chance to tell him what you saw?"
"People get scared. They come in for a reading, then they don't wanna know. Especially when the psychic faints and - ugh! - a teeny bit of vomit. Let's...Let's not dwell."
"Maybe he's just a guy who likes to sing karaoke. Maybe he doesn't know anything about you."
"That'd make more sense." Cordelia paused. "So what we should do is to start with the other local karaoke bars, see if we can get a lead on him."
"You're serious."
"I just accepted a lucrative job for your detective agency, and Gunn and Wes are seeing to it. Now, get your ass up and at 'em!" Cordelia demanded.
Cordelia and Angel entered a dingy bar. One of the customers was slumped asleep at a table, hand wrapped around a bottle.
Angel looked around. "Nice."
Cordelia looked around. "Hmm, it's not that bad. Nothing a couple bottles of Lysol can't cure."
They walked over to the bar.
"Is he here?" Angel asked her.
"Nope."
Angel dropped down on a bar stool and rubbed his forehead. "Seventeen karaoke bars. You know, I need to lie down and scrub out the inside of my head."
"Well, maybe we're wrong. Sniffing a cold trail."
"You worked here long?" Angel asked the bartender.
"Eleven years now. It used to be a regular bar. But then they put in one of these karaoke machines. Thought it would bring in the customers. It drove most of them away. We got a few steadies that make up for it."
"Steadies?"
"A lot of students. They're grad students."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Fits the description."
"We're looking for a guy, early twenties, medium build, maybe one of your steadies, sings sad songs like 'All By Myself'."
"Sounds like the kid."
"Name?"
"I don't know his name, but he comes in every few weeks. Runs with the whole broken-heart songbook. First time, I thought somebody died. But after a couple of weeks, I figured he was just one of those manic-depressants."
"This grad student, which university would that be?" Cordelia asked him.
"Caltech."
The next day, Cordelia and Angel entered the Sherman Fairchild Library of Engineering and Applied Science through a door with a "Basement Access" sign on it.
"Where did you learn how to drive?" Angel asked.
"Stick? I haven't driven your car much. Not bad for a beginner, huh?" Cordelia asked.
"What? You nearly got us killed - four times."
"Someone had to drive. You weren't exactly qualified, huddled under a blanket in back, hiding from the sun."
They walked up to the information desk.
"Excuse me. We're looking for student yearbook and faculty publications going back the past five years."
"Certainly. Just a moment." The guy behind the desk walked away, came back, and handed Angel a stack of books.
"Thank you." Angel handed half of the stack to Cordelia. "Let's see if we can't find your little madman bent on destroying the universe."
"I like to think of him as our little madman." Cordelia followed Angel over to a table.
Katrina walked across campus, awkwardly carrying a large plastic case.
Two young women - one with long red hair held up and the other with short black hair and glasses - were sitting outside on a bench. Katrina recognized them as Denise Stanchfield, a Drama grad student, and Val Kellener, a Physics grad student.
"You all right, girl?" Val asked Denise.
"Huh?" Denise looked at her. "Yeah. Fine. I'm good. You know, I'm...not...perfect. Oh, God."
"Come on, spit it out. You're among friends."
"This has to stay among friends. You can't repeat this to anybody."
"I won't."
"I just...I just don't think that it's gonna work out with me and Gene."
"Oh. And tonight is you guys' one-year anniversary!"
"You think I don't know that?"
"Oh, honey."
"I mean...Gene's a wonderful guy."
"Yeah?"
"But he's just sort of...hollow...or something. When I'm with him. I feel...I feel lonely."
"Maybe that's because he is. You know I love him, but he is an energy sucker."
"I have to break up with him."
"Uh...not to be a massive bitch or anything, but couldn't you figure that out before the big anniversary do?" Val asked her.
"He's got the whole thing planned. He's making me dinner at his place."
"What are you gonna do?"
Denise just looked down.
"Oh, my God. You're gonna give him the sympathy bone, aren't you? It's gonna be dinner; sympathy bone; and adios, Gene. I'm totally right, aren't I?" Val asked.
"Well, we've been together for a year. I can't just...walk out on him! It just wouldn't be right. Not after all we've-"
"No, you're right. The post-sympathy-bone-walk-out is your only escape hatch now."
"It was really sweet there for a while. Really sweet. But it's just...it's just not the kind of love that lasts."
Cordelia and Angel were looking through the yearbooks at a table at the library.
"This him?" Angel asked.
Cordelia looked over at the photo. "It is not."
Angel dropped his book and picked up another one.
"Oh, got him." Cordelia started reading. "He's a physicist - and a pretty good one, according to this."
Angel grabbed the book from her. "Let's find out where the lab is."
Cordelia and Angel stood up and walked over to the information desk.
Angel showed the picture in the book to the guy behind the information desk. "Hi. I'm just trying to get a hold of...Gene Rainy? He's a grad student in physics."
"Oh, yeah. He's our own Stephen Hawking. Uh, what do you want with him?"
Angel closed the book and shook the guy's hand. "I'm sorry. Leonard Taubman from the Taubman Foundation. We just freed up some new grant money. I was hoping to earmark it for Gene."
"Wish I was a genius. He's got his own lab in the Physics department."
Angel dropped onto the desk as a raccoon-eyed demon buried a strangely-shaped ax in his back, then turned to Cordelia. Cordelia dodged his swing. The demon tried to free his ax from the back of a computer monitor. Cordelia stood and watched as it and Angel fought. Angel ducked another hit with the ax, then kicked the demon over the railing of the stairs. The demon picked up a chair, said something to Angel in a demonic language, then threw the chair at him. Angel batted the chair aside and watched the demon run off.
Cordelia looked at Angel. "We might need some help on this one."
Angel looked at her. "But Gunn and Wesley are on a case."
Cordelia smiled.
Cordelia and Angel walked into a classroom, where an engineering seminar was being held. They saw Katrina standing at the front of the room, giving a presentation while using a remote control and three custom-built monorail trains to demonstrate on a set.
"And so, as you can see, magnetic levitation eliminates rolling resistance, making these trains more efficient compared to-" Katrina stopped talking when she noticed Cordelia and Angel. "Uh, when compared to conventional trains with wheels. Thank you."
The professor and the small group of students applauded. Katrina started packing up her models. Cordelia and Angel walked over to her.
Katrina smiled. "Hi, guys."
Cordelia smiled. "Hi, Trina. Listen-"
"Oh, man, you are so awesome!" A young man with short black hair walked up to her. "Those trains, how long did it take you to build them?"
"Uh, including trial and error, about a month. I'm sorry, who are you?" Katrina asked.
"Warren Mears. We went to Sunnydale High together."
Katrina stared at him for a moment. "Doesn't ring a bell."
"Public school about two hours northwest of here? Went boom during graduation? Coastal town?"
Katrina rolled her eyes. "I mean your name, dumbass."
"Uh, Katrina, we could really use your help."
Katrina looked at Angel. "I'm not gonna end up covered in demon guts again, am I?"
Angel paused. "I don't think so."
Katrina snapped her case closed. "Okay." She picked it up and started following Cordelia and Angel.
Warren tagged along. "Anyway, I'd like to take a look at your design schematics, if-"
Katrina turned and looked at him. "Wait. Now, I remember you. You're the wigger that made that lame-ass music video for the school's morning show. You and your two dorky friends."
Warren gave her a hopeful smile. "That's me."
Katrina groaned dramatically, turned, and walked away.
Cordelia, Katrina, and Angel entered Gene's lab, where a guy was examining something.
"Hey, we're looking for Gene Rainy?" Angel stated as a question.
"So am I. Somebody took his equipment."
"What equipment?" Angel asked.
"Particle accelerators, propulsion batteries..."
"Do you know what Gene Rainy was working on?"
"Uh...time paradox. Accelerate specific particles out of our continuum, into their own excised universe."
"Come again?" Angel asked.
Katrina looked at him. "Stopping time."
"Which is impossible, by the way. No one can do the math. Does anybody listen to me?" the guy asked. "No. He gets the grants; I get carpet mold."
"All right. Let's say he could do it. Let's say he could stop time. How would it work?" Angel asked him.
"Well, you know, according to his speculations, you focus the accelerators on a specific point, and, if you can generate the correct velocity, whatever is in that field would just be removed."
"Removed."
"From our reality."
"What happens to it?" Cordelia asked the guy.
"Nothing. In the absolute sense of that word. Whatever is in the field would stand still forever in its own private universe."
Katrina frowned. "Say someone was to crank this into overdrive."
"If the field was improperly contained, it would spill out. Keep growing. Stop everything."
Cordelia, Katrina, and Angel looked at each other.
"Kind of wiggy, huh?" the guy asked.
"Who has the keys to this place?" Angel asked him.
"Only Gene. Even the maintenance guys can only come in when he's here."
Katrina bit her lip. "No forced entry."
"Why would Gene take his own equipment?" the guy asked.
"The question is...where would Gene take his own equipment?" Angel asked.
In Sherman Oaks, Chloe got off the school bus and walked up the walkway of her house. She opened the front door and walked into the house.
The living room was empty.
"Mom? Dad?" Chloe called.
"In the kitchen!" Maria called.
Chloe dropped her bookbag on the couch, went through the dining room, and entered the kitchen.
Her mother Maria, her father Crisanto, and a mysterious man were sitting at the kitchen table, which was set for four, and each plate was full.
"Who's this?" Chloe asked.
Crisanto nodded at her chair. "Have a seat."
Wary, Chloe went and sat at the table, between her parents and across from the mystery man.
"How was school?" Maria asked.
"Fine." Chloe eyed the man, then picked up her spoon and scooped up some mashed potatoes and gravy.
"Any homework?" Maria asked.
"Some Algebra and some English." Chloe stuck the spoon in her mouth.
Crisanto nodded at the man. "This is William Smith. He's here to see you."
Chloe looked at him. "About what?"
William looked her in the eyes. "Chloe, you are a special young woman. You are a member of a...quite exclusive group of young women worldwide."
"Oh?" Chloe asked. "What kind of group?"
"What I am about to tell you cannot leave this room. Vampires are real. Opposing them is the Slayer. Into each generation, a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil."
Chloe stared at him in disbelief. "Uh-huh, yeah, okay." She looked at her mother. "Do you believe this guy?"
"Actually, yeah. He showed us a video tape of a vampire being burned to ash by being exposed to direct sunlight."
"That could've been from any horror movie."
"I assure you that it is real, young lady."
Chloe looked at William. "And you're saying I'm one of these...Slayers?"
"No, not yet. Not until the current active Slayer dies, and, even then, it might not happen."
"So...what are you to the Slayer?" Chloe asked him.
"I'm part of an organization that watches girls such as yourself."
Chloe frowned. "Creepy."
"My apologies. I didn't mean to be."
Chloe stuck a piece of roast pork in her mouth. "And you think I've got the potential to be a Slayer?"
"Of that, I am certain."
That evening, in the Summers' living room, Joyce and Dawn sat on one couch, Buffy and Tara on the other, on either side of the coffee table laden with a huge pile of brightly-wrapped gifts. Amy, Giles, Jenny, Harmony, and Sandy stood around. Tara held a gift.
"Prezzies!" Buffy exclaimed, grinning.
Harmony smiled. "See? Just what you needed."
"You are very, very wise. Now, gimme, gimme, gimme!" Buffy demanded.
Tara handed Buffy her gift. Buffy began ripping off the paper. She opened the box.
Buffy pulled out a denim shirt and a pair of blue jeans. "Oh...they're beautiful. Thank you, babe."
Tara smiled. "Well, I thought you'd get lots of crossbows, other killy stuff, so I figured: less killy, more frilly."
Dawn got up. "Here. Open mine." She picked up a gift and gave it to Buffy.
"It's not gonna explode, is it?" Buffy asked.
She opened it and removed a photo of herself and Dawn in a frame covered with seashells.
"It's when you visited us last summer. Um, I put the shells on it myself. We picked them off the beach."
Buffy smiled. "I remember."
Joyce smiled.
"Thank you." Buffy got up and hugged Dawn, then kissed her on the forehead.
Cordelia was driving down the street in Angel's convertible. Angel sat in the passenger seat. Katrina sat in the back seat.
"So there is another gear after that number two thingy?" Cordelia asked.
Angel gave her a look.
"Oh, relax. I'll pay for a tune-up. Unless the world ends; then I'm off the hook."
"Well, if it saves you some money, then I guess it's a good thing."
"Oh, this whole sour-pussy mode of yours, it's starting to grate. You know what your problem is?" Cordelia waited. "Are you listening?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Your heart isn't in it anymore. If the world was to end tonight, would it really, in your heart of hearts, be such a terrible thing?" Cordelia asked.
Angel didn't answer.
"Now - Now, sweetie, is that a fun place to be?" Cordelia asked.
"I think you should shut up now."
Katrina opened her mouth in shock but didn't say anything.
Cordelia frowned. "Have you met me? I never shut up. You pulled away from your friends. You went from helping the helpless to moping in your room. You're a fucking champion, Angel. I mean...you were, at least."
"What do you want me to tell you?"
"Everything. What's in your heart, so I can help you get back on your path. No need to rush; we got time." Cordelia paused. "You know...not a lot."
"You want to know what my problem is? I'm fucked. That's my problem. I can't win. I'm trying to atone for a hundred years of unthinkable evil. News flash! I never can! Never going to be enough. Now, I got Wolfram & Hart dogging me; it's too much! Two-hundred highly-intelligent law-school graduates working full-time, driving me crazy. Why the hell is everyone so surprised that it's working? But no, it's 'Angel, why're you so cranky?' 'Angel, you should lighten up. You should smile. You should wear a nice plaid.'"
"Oh. Not this season, honey."
"Redemption. Darla had a shot at redemption. Or so I thought. She didn't live long enough for that."
Cordelia sighed. "Look, I understand you...loved Darla, and you're upset by this...cruel fucking twist of fate that Wolfram & Hart set in motion, but...you're kind of leaving us in the cold."
"It's a lot colder in here."
"It's not always gonna be this way." Cordelia paused. "Unless, of course, we don't get there on time, in which case...you'll be frozen in this shitty mood forever. I shudder to think."
Angel looked over at her. "We'll get there."
Cordelia looked at him.
"Look out!" Katrina yelled.
Cordelia looked to see a figure standing in the middle of the road. The car hit it and sent it flying over the car as Cordelia hit the brakes, bringing the car to a stop. Cordelia, Angel, and Katrina got out to check on who they'd just hit, but, when Angel turned the body over, it turned out to have been a raccoon-eyed demon. Angel, Cordelia, and Katrina straightened up to see more demons converge on them from all sides, carrying more of their strangely-shaped axes.
Gunn pulled his ax out of the back of a horned demon laying on the floor in Patty's house.
Patty's dad patted him on the back. "Good job, man. We're very grateful."
Wesley examined one of the demon's legs. "Oh, yes. We found the killer..." He let the leg drop. "...just not the murderer." He got up.
The whole family was sitting on a couch and chairs.
"What's he talking about?" the aunt asked Wesley.
"This demon was a puppet. Acting under the control of someone else. Someone in this room. What do we know? We know that, when we arrived yesterday, there was a noticeable scent of foxglove and hellebore. Not to keep this demon out, as one might suspect, but rather to keep him in, so he could carry out the murderer's clever plan." Wesley turned to look at the father. "Such a plan would require the skills of a master wizard."
"I don't do that stuff anymore."
"Then we have the footprints in the soft soil under the window outside the solarium - far too small and not-webbed to belong to this demon."
The aunt looked at him. "But Kevin told you: those were his."
The dad nodded. "He snuck in late last night."
"Loudly, so we all could hear. Supposedly from seeing that shop girl in town. But we all know that Kevin is impotent, so why put on the show?" Wesley asked.
Everyone turned to look at Kevin.
"Perhaps to cover for the real killer - unless Kevin, in fact, is the real killer. With Derek gone, the family inheritance falls to you, the younger brother and black sheep of the family. Unfortunately, you had neither the opportunity nor the intelligence to perpetrate this crime. Sorry about the impotent remark. So, if Kevin was to have control of the money, who would have control of Kevin? His sister? His mother? Both powerful forces in his life, both with their own agendas. But only one person knew the secret that would allow them to blackmail Kevin for the rest of his life. Only one person took pains to hide their muddy shoes. Only one person reeked of foxglove and hellebore. Only one person was responsible for the death of Derek Bointon - his own sweet, doting Aunt Helen!"
All of the Bointons gasped.
"Helen!" the dad yelled.
Aunt Helen jumped up from her chair and ran for the door only to have Gunn block her way.
"Not so fast, sister." Gunn looked at Wesley. "That was cool."
"It wasn't that difficult. You just...have to keep sifting the evidence until the truth finally hits you."
Angel fought the demons fast and furious while Cordelia and Katrina stood on the sidelines, watching. Two of the demons decided to go for them. Cordelia kicked one between the legs, and Katrina hit the other across the chin, dropping them both.
Angel knocked down another demon.
Cordelia hopped in the passenger seat. "Hurry!"
Katrina hopped in the back seat. Angel ran over to his car, jumped into the driver's seat, started the engine, and sped down the road.
Angel's car pulled up in front of Gene's building, and he, Cordelia, and Katrina got out.
"Okay. If I had a machine to stop time, where would I put it?" Angel asked.
"Probably where the demons can guard it." Katrina pointed at a demon.
Angel rushed at the demon and shoved it toward the basement window. It crashed down through the window, followed by Angel, Cordelia, and Katrina. Cordelia and Angel fought the two demons. Cordelia knocked one of them down, then smashed its head in the open door of a dryer sitting there, knocking it out. The other demon hit Angel from behind, then hit him hard enough to send Angel flying to the top of the basement stairs. The demon charged up the stairs after him. Angel rolled onto his back and used his feet to catapult the demon into the wall, then jumped down to the basement floor. The demon launched himself into the air to stop Angel before he could reach the machinery, but the time bubble spreading down through the ceiling froze it in mid air. Ducking low, Katrina scrambled over to the machine and pulled out some wires. The bubble shrunk, and the demon landed on the hard ground instead of on Angel. Angel picked up its dropped ax and buried it in its back. Cordelia, Katrina, and Angel, breathing hard, looked around the basement.
Gene, fully dressed, was sitting at his table with Angel, Cordelia, and Katrina.
"I can't believe this. Listen, I am...really, really sorry. I had no idea I was putting the whole world in jeopardy, or - or there were all these demons. Although, the idea of aliens among us is consistent with Murdoch's multiverse. I just - I just didn't want her to leave."
Cordelia sighed. "Gene, the wheel keeps turning. You can't stop it. Sometimes, things get worse; sometimes, they get better."
"I want the wheel to stop...which probably explains the whole time-in-a-box disaster. I can't emphasize enough how sorry I am about that." Gene paused. "You guys like beer?"
Angel smiled. "Beer sounds great."
Gene got up. "I'm glad you guys, uh..." He left the room.
Cordelia looked at Angel. "You're connecting to a human. That's a start."
"Well, the guy is a disaster at love and nearly destroyed the world. I can relate." Angel paused. "Yeah, I guess I did kind of leave you in the cold."
Cordelia put her hand on Angel's hand.
Katrina was confused. "So...are you guys back together again or what? Because you bicker like an old married couple."
Cordelia and Angel laughed in amusement.
Chapter 116: The Thin Dead Line
Chapter Text
"The Thin Dead Line"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Crush" Written by David Fury and the Angel Episode "The Thin Dead Line" Written by Jim Kouf and Shawn Ryan
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
At the Bronze, at night, Tara and Buffy were dancing. The group Summercamp was on the stage, performing their song, "Play It By Ear". Amy was sitting at a low, round table by herself, pensive.
Buffy looked at Amy. "Poor Amy. Still getting those headaches?"
Amy looked at her. "Fewer and further between, but...yep."
Tara frowned. "Amy, in case you didn't hear me the first six times, no more teleportation spells."
Amy sighed. "Well, it's just we have shit in the way of a Glory-fighting arsenal, and...a run-in with her, and my headaches and nosebleeds are gonna be the least of our problems."
"You know what? How about we go one night without saying the name Glory?" Buffy suggested.
Tara nodded. "I'm down with that. Let's just call 'she who will not be named' another name. Let's just call her-"
"Gloria!" Buffy exclaimed, seeing her sitting on a sofa across the room.
Tara shrugged. "For example."
"She looks lonely." Buffy paused. "I'll be right back."
Buffy walked over to Gloria. Tara and Amy watched her.
Buffy smiled. "Gloria! Hey!"
Gloria smiled. "Buffy, hi."
"I barely recognized you without your hospital scrubs." Buffy sat to her left.
"Oh, you'd be surprised the extent of my wardrobe."
"Really?"
"I actually have entire outfits that aren't blue pajamas."
Buffy laughed. "Wanna join us?"
Gloria smiled. "Sure. Thanks."
At the Hyperion, Wesley was holding the door to the lobby open, looking out. "What I wouldn't give for a roving band of Prekian demons right now."
Cordelia and Gunn, sitting on the couch, gave him a look.
"Without the ritualistic slayings, of course."
Cordelia smiled. "Of course."
Wesley picked up the newspaper and closed the door. "Something to fight. Good to be done. A little action."
Cordelia had an idea. "Maybe we could buy one of those star maps, find out where Steven Seagal lives."
Gunn and Wesley gave her a look.
"You're telling me he got to be a movie star without a little demonic assistance?" Cordelia asked.
Gunn looked at the newspaper. "Look, I say, if things are quiet, let them be quiet."
Wesley went to sit down. "Quiet, maybe; good for mankind; but bad for business." He got back up. "We need to be on the streets, plying our trade. Generating a little word of mouth. We can't expect evil to just walk through the door."
The front door opened, and a woman with short blonde hair ushered in a young girl.
Cordelia got up. "Can we help you?"
"I'm, uh, looking for Wesley Wyndam-Price."
"I'm Wesley."
"Ah. I'm Francine Sharp; my daughter, Stephanie. I'm a friend of Virginia's from the club."
"Oh, right, the country club."
"One of Virginia's rich friends?" Cordelia asked.
Wesley, Stephanie, and Francine gave her a look.
Cordelia forced a smile. "You certainly came to the right place, ha, ha."
"Virginia said you specialize in, uh, strange phenomenon?" Francine asked her.
"The stranger the better as far as we're concerned. Please, have a seat. Tell us what the problem is."
Francine led her daughter over to a chair and sat down.
"Trust me, we specialize in strange. There is nothing we haven't see-" Cordelia trailed off as she saw an eye blinking up at her as Stephanie sat down. She turned to Wesley. "There's an eye in the back of her head!"
Wesley and Gunn came over to take a look. Wesley moved his finger in front of the eye, and the eye tracked it.
"Something grabbed her on the way home from swim practice and bit her. When she woke up this morning, that was there."
Wesley crouched down next to Stephanie's chair. "Did you see who or what did this to you?"
Stephanie looked over at her mom.
"It was dark. She doesn't remember much. She's been in a state of shock since it happened. I'll pay you whatever it takes. Can you make it go away?" Francine asked Wesley.
"Yes, absolutely. Consider us already on the job."
Cordelia smiled. "I knew you came to the right place."
"Who would do this?" Francine asked Wesley.
"We're going to find out, but it-it'll take a little time. You'd be surprised how many nasty things are on the streets these days."
Buffy and Tara entered the foyer of the Summers' home. Tara closed the door. Giles, Joyce, and Dawn were sitting in the living room. Joyce and Giles had books; Dawn was sitting on the floor, watching television.
Joyce looked toward the door. "Buffy? Tara?"
Buffy and Tara entered.
"Did you have a nice time?" Giles asked.
Buffy pondered, sitting down. "You know, I think I did. Much-needed fun - apart from Amy's headaches."
Joyce came forward to sit beside Buffy. "Well, I'm relieved that you're home. Because, to be honest, I wasn't feeling all that safe with you gone."
Giles, sipping tea, raised his eyebrows in an injured manner. Tara chuckled in amusement. Buffy smiled, trying to hold in her laughter.
"At first. And then I, um, remembered that, um, Rupert was here, and I felt much, much safer."
Giles got up. "Yes, well, thank you for the little backpedal, but, uh, I'm forced to agree that I'm...barely an adequate substitute for a Slayer in the house." He moved toward the door. "Good night."
Joyce smiled. "Good night."
At the East Hills Teen Shelter, Anne handed a stack of blankets to a black girl. "Here you go. Pass these out first. And then get Eva to go to the storage room. I bought a bunch of new sleeping bags last week - just in case we got crowded."
Anne surveyed the packed shelter with a sigh, then went to answer the front door as someone pounded on it.
"Open up! Please, open up."
Anne opened the door. Two teens were standing outside.
"Anne, look, I know it's past curfew, but we got to come in."
"Sorry, Kenny. Ten o'clock. You know the rules."
"I know, I know, but...you can't leave us out here, okay? There's something..." He looked back over his shoulder. "We gotta come in."
"We're already packed to the ceiling! There is no room, even if I did let you in. No more beds."
The girl looked desperate. "Please. We'll sleep on the floor."
"Anne, don't make us go back out there."
Anne stepped aside, and the two teens hurried inside. Anne took a look up and down the street, then pulled the door closed and locked it.
The next day, at UC Sunnydale, Tara, Buffy, and Amy were walking along a hallway.
Amy looked at Tara. "I just don't see why he couldn't end up with Esmerelda. They could have the wedding right there. Beneath the very bell tower where he labored thanklessly for all those years."
Tara shook her head. "No, see, it can't - it can't end like that, 'cause all of Quasimodo's actions were selfishly motivated. He had no moral compass, no understanding of right. Everything he did, he did out of love for a woman who would never be able to love him back. Also, you can tell it's not gonna have a happy ending when the main guy's all bumpy."
They came to a vending machine and stopped walking. Tara dug in her purse. Buffy looked in hers as well.
Buffy took some money out of her purse and handed it to Tara, who smiled and turned to the vending machine.
"What did you think, Buffy?" Amy asked.
"The test isn't 'til tomorrow, right?" Buffy shrugged. "I don't have an opinion 'til then."
"But you read it, right?" Tara asked her, making her selection.
"Kinda not. I rented the movie."
Tara took her bag of Tato Skins out of the machine. "Oh, with, um, with Charles Laughton?"
"I don't know. Was he one of the singing gargoyles?" Buffy asked.
Tara frowned. "Oh, dear."
They all began to walk off.
"What? I-I'm kidding!" Buffy insisted.
That afternoon, at the East Hills Teen Shelter, Anne was talking to a black guy carrying a clipboard and pen. "And make sure you get full names, no tags, no nicknames. I've seen at least a dozen new faces, and I don't want anyone slipping through the cracks." She saw the guy that came in late. "Kenny. Can I talk to you for a sec? How've you been? We haven't seen you in a while."
"Fine. Crashing different places. You know me and shelters, man. Too many rules. I've got to have my freedom."
"Hmmm. So why'd you come in last night?"
"I don't know. It was cold out there. I was getting frostbit."
"It was sixty-five degrees outside."
"So? I'm from Florida. Sixty-five degrees is like the Arctic Circle."
"Kenny...why'd you come in?"
"Cops."
"What?"
"Cops. They've been hassling everybody lately. Which, hey, what else is new, right? But these guys..." Kenny paused. "Last night, me and Les were hanging down on 39th."
"Panhandling?"
"No. Washing my Mercedes. All of a sudden, this cop comes up out of nowhere and just wham! Hit me so hard, I thought my teeth were coming out."
"He hit you? What were you doing?"
"Nothing, I swear to God. And then, after he punched me, he threw Les against the wall, about near broke her arm. Next thing I know, he's reaching for his nightstick, so I just grabbed Les and booked."
"You mean he wasn't trying to arrest you-"
"I'm telling you. He just walked up, said 'No loitering', slugged me in the mouth, and then chased us for a couple blocks before we made it here."
"We got a big problem."
"Yeah. Good luck solving it. I mean..who're you gonna call? The cops?"
"I think I know someone who might help."
In Homosassa, Florida, Eve was sitting in the chair in the living room, playing Pokémon Gold on her Game Boy Color. She was so engrossed in the game that she was startled when the doorbell rang. She looked out the screen door at the front porch. Her mother was standing there - along with a young woman with long brown hair that Eve didn't recognize. Eve paused her game, stood up, walked over, and unlocked the door.
Amanda opened it and walked into the house. "Always be aware of your surroundings, Amanda. I could have been a robber."
Eve didn't say anything, but she felt irritated whenever her mother lectured her. The other woman walked into the house.
Amanda gestured. "This is Maxine Westmore. She'll be joining us for dinner."
Maxine smiled. "Hi."
Eve looked at her. "Hey." She looked at her mother. "Coworker?"
"Customer, actually. What are you playing?" Amanda asked.
"Pokémon Gold."
Amanda raised her hand, revealing a Walmart bag. "Here, install this."
Curious, Eve took the bag and took out a box. "The Sims? Ooh, I think I read about this. Thanks."
Amanda smiled. "Enjoy. Dinner will be ready in about a half-hour."
Eve walked down the short hallway and into her bedroom. She set the bag and box on her desk and moved the mouse of her computer. Her monitor turned on. Then she realized she needed a pair of scissors to break the seal on the box, so she left her room and went into the living room. She stopped short when she discovered her mother and Maxine kissing.
She quickly retreated into her bedroom, a bit weirded out, and attempted to peel off the sticker.
That evening, Anne walked into the Hyperion.
Gunn smiled. "Annie! What's up, girl? I haven't seen you in a minute. Come here!"
Anne smiled back. "Oh, Gunn, all this time, and you still remember!"
They hugged.
"All right, all right, I get it. But I've been busy. I've been working. So...what brings you to this neck of the woods?" Gunn asked.
"Well, if you're not too busy, mind if I run something by you?" Anne asked.
Later that evening, Anne was sitting, holding a cup of coffee. "Kenny is not the only one. I've talked to some of the others, and they all say the same thing. No provocation, no reason, the police are just terrorizing them."
Gunn frowned. "Renegade cops. Not exactly my usual."
"Oh, that's right. You used to hunt vampires."
"I still hunt vampires, but, if this job has taught me anything, it's that there's things a lot worse out there than a set of teeth."
"Like a bunch of overzealous cops beating on my kids. Speaking of which...I should really get back." Anne stood up. "The shelter's been getting jammed after sunset, and somebody's got to keep them reined in."
"I'll go with you. I don't think it's safe for you being out there by yourself." Gunn stood up and looked at Cordelia and Wesley. "I'm gonna head over to the teen center. See if I can figure this thing out."
"Oh, gee, and miss out on this exciting case we're working on?" Cordelia asked.
Anne looked at her.
"One of Wesley's wealthy acquaintances got bit by a demon."
"Are they okay?" Anne asked.
Wesley frowned. "Uh, for the most part."
"Except for where she grew another eye in the back of her head."
"Oh, that sounds...handy. What kind of demon does that?" Anne asked.
Wesley flipped a page in a book. "That's what we're trying to figure out. Once we know, we should be able to deoculate her. I mean...just the one in back."
Cordelia forced a smile. "Oh, yes, Angel Investigations, home of the wicked-high creep factor."
Anne sighed. "Angel. He tried to help me out last month."
Gunn looked over at Cordelia and Wesley. The two of them got up behind the counter.
"He did?" Cordelia asked.
"Really?" Wesley asked.
Cordelia walked closer to Anne.
Anne nodded. "But it turned out it was just a scam to fuck this law firm."
Cordelia smiled brightly despite her disappointment. "Well, he hasn't changed a bit." She turned around and went back to the counter.
She and Wesley went back to their books.
Gunn looked at Anne. "Come on."
Gunn opened the door and walked out of the hotel, followed by Anne.
"So tell me more about this situation."
Anne pulled a van up in front of East Hills Teen Shelter. She and Gunn got out.
"Thanks for coming by, Gunn."
"You know I've got your back. I haven't seen this place in forever."
"Yeah, it's been a while."
Anne opened the front door, and they entered the building.
Anne and Gunn were sitting on a sofa, talking to a group of kids sitting on another one across from them.
"Look, the cops are tripping, G."
Gunn frowned at Ray. "Define tripping for me."
A girl looked at him. "Out for blood. Les got her arm busted up."
"The cops stopped me last night. He went for his gun, looking to put a cap in my ass, man!" Ray exclaimed.
Anne looked at Gunn. "It's outrageous. These cops are gonna kill someone. We have to do something about this."
"Anne, you think you could give us a minute?" Gunn asked.
Anne looked at Gunn, then got up. "Yeah. I have some paperwork I could do."
Gunn waited until she was gone. "You guys try to play her?"
"What?" the girl asked.
"No way, G."
"Anne's no fool, but she's got a blind spot. She wants to trust you all. Now, if I find out you're taking advantage of that-"
"This ain't no scam, G. We're the victims, man!" Ray insisted.
"Victims. Right. So what was you doing when this cop pulled his piece on you?"
"Absolutely nothing."
"Oh, so I haven't seen you on Normandy and 5th, dealing? You telling me that wasn't you I seen?"
"That's ancient history, man. I gave that up."
"Well, do the cops know that? 'Cause maybe they didn't get your e-mail."
"Hey, we're not talking about some street sweep the PD does to shut up the moms, okay? This is war, and everyone's a target."
"She speaks true, G. A hundred percent true."
Two black teens walked up to where Anne and Gunn were sitting.
One of them slapped Gunn on the back. "Well, if it isn't Charles Gunn, brother at large."
Anne and Gunn got up.
"Anne, meet Rondell and George."
Anne nodded. "Hi."
"Greetings. Brought the camcorder. What do you need?" George asked Gunn.
"All right, I've got this little neighborhood problem I promised Anne we'd look into."
"This got something to do with the police cracking skulls?" Rondell asked him.
"You know about that?"
"Who doesn't?" George asked.
"I didn't 'til today. Somebody could have filled me in."
Rondell stared at him. "You ain't been around to tell nothing to."
"You've been moving on up, dog, playing demon detective with your new family."
"Deluxe apartment in the sky."
"When I got the call, I figured it must be Christmas or something."
"Maybe I shouldn't have called at all. In fact, you know what? You're all free to go."
"We already made the trip; might as well go all the way."
Gunn looked at George. "Don't do me no favors."
"I'm not. The favor's for these kids. Now, you got a plan, or don't you?"
Gunn hesitated. "All right, look, the plan is simple. I want you to roll the camcorder and wait for the cops to hassle us."
"How do you know they will?" Anne asked him.
"'Cause we'll be the ones walking while black."
George laughed.
"Come on."
Gunn, Rondell, and George left.
At the police station, Kate walked across the room, reading a file, to find Angel sitting on the edge of her desk. "Haven't seen you in a while."
"I've been busy."
"Well, why are you here?"
"I just killed a cop."
"I wouldn't make a joke about that in this building, no matter how immortal you think you are."
"Of course, this is the kind of cop that keeps talking even after he's been decapitated." Angel pulled out the cop's badge and showed it to Kate. "Bet they don't teach you that at the academy. Want to tell me who that badge belongs to?"
Kate took the badge and looked at it. She sat down at her desk and started searching on her computer. She pulled up the file on the badge.
Angel looked at the photo. "That's him."
"Officer Peter Harkes."
"You know him?"
"Well enough to be at his funeral six months ago."
"You want to take a ride?"
At the Hyperion, Cordelia was on the phone with Gunn. "Of course, we can handle this eye thing without you. That's not the point."
"Then what is?" Gunn asked.
"Just that maybe we should back you up on this."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want you to get hurt."
"Don't you have faith in me?" Gunn asked her.
"Of course I do, but-"
Gunn hung up.
"Hello?" Cordelia hung up the phone with a sigh. "Okay, Gunn's about to do a really stupid thing."
Wesley was reading his book. "What did he say?"
"Just that, in order to find out if the police have been brutalizing and killing people in Anne's neighborhood, he's going to videotape the cops trying to brutalize and kill him."
Wesley looked up. "You can't be serious."
"Nothing says 'Ah-ha, I'm on to you' like being on the receiving end of a vicious police beating."
"You couldn't stop him?"
"Hello! Gunn, stubborn: synonyms."
"That can't be his plan, can it? I mean it's...really a dumb plan."
"Hey, Gunn graduated with a major in dumb planning from Angel University. He sat at the feet of the master and learned well how to plan dumbly."
"We'll just gonna have to let him do this."
"Oh. I'm sure he'll be fine."
"He wants our help, he knows where to call us."
"We'll work our gig; Gunn can work his."
Wesley stood up. "Right. Let's get down there and save him from himself."
Cordelia nodded. "It's not like that third eye is really going anywhere."
Kate and Angel walked up to the grave of Peter Harkes.
Kate pointed. "That one. Never saw the guy who shot him."
"Catch the killer?"
"Oh, yeah. Not exactly a criminal genius. He's up for the death penalty."
"You said his funeral was six months ago."
"Around then. Why?"
"This ground's been disturbed in the past few weeks. Someone's done some digging."
"How do you know?"
Angel just looked at her. "A lot of cops buried here?"
"Yeah."
Angel walked over to another grave. "How about him?"
"Kevin worked vice."
Angel nodded to himself.
"What is going on here?" Kate asked him.
"I think someone is unearthing dead cops and putting them back on the streets."
"What? How is that?"
"Zombies. Magically reanimated corpses. They walk, they talk, but somebody else is pulling their strings."
Kate looked down at the grave, then ran off to another one, Angel following.
"Is it...?" Kate paused. "My dad, is he-"
"No. His ground's undisturbed."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
Kate put a hand over her mouth and did her best not to break down crying.
"You okay?"
"Who's doing this?" Kate asked.
Anne walked down the crowded steps at the shelter, carrying a stack of blankets. She looked at a teen. "Could you give Emma a hand in the kitchen?"
There was a pounding on the front door, and Anne went to answer it.
Anne unlocked and opened the door. "Sorry, no more-" She saw it was Cordelia and Wesley. "Hi, what-"
"Is Gunn still here?" Cordelia asked.
"No, he left with his friends a little while ago. Why?"
"Did he say where he was going?" Wesley asked.
"45th Street, I think."
Wesley turned to go. "I'll start there. I'm on my cell phone, if you hear from him."
Cordelia looked at him. "Check in with me."
"Right."
Cordelia looked inside the shelter. "Huh, looks like you could use some help."
"All of my regular staffers are too scared to come in tonight."
"Where do you want me to start?" Cordelia asked her.
Anne handed her the blankets. "How are your laundry-folding skills?"
"I'm an actress. I can...fake it."
Anne turned to shut the door, but a black guy wearing a black leather jacket jumped up the steps from the street, blocking the door.
"I'm sorry, I'm all out of beds."
"Oh, come on now, sweet thing. You know it's not safe for man or beast out here."
Anne tried to shut the door again. "I'm very sorry, but I really don't have any free beds."
The guy stepped in. "Oh, you don't have to worry about me. I'm sure I can find someone willing to share." He watched two girls walking up the steps. "Oh, yes. Plenty of candidates."
Cordelia threw the stack of blankets to the side and took a step closer to the guy.
Anne stared at him. "I really think it would be best if you left."
Cordelia nodded. "You should probably go."
"This is a shelter, right? Well, it just so happens...I'm in need of a little shelter tonight." He pushed Cordelia out of the way and walked deeper into the shelter.
"Hey! Hey." Cordelia was about to go after the guy.
Anne stopped her. "Let him go. I don't want any trouble."
The guy bumped into Ray.
"Ow, watch out, man...Jackson."
"Lookee here. You been ducking me lately, Ray? Hmm?"
"No."
"No?"
"No."
"You don't still think I'm pissed at you, do you?"
"I don't know."
"Why're you shaking, Ray? What you got to be nervous about? You don't think I'm gonna kill you or something, do you? Huh?"
"No."
Jackson laughed and clapped Ray on the shoulder. "I'd never kill you here, Ray. Not in front of all the pretty ladies. You know I'd never kill you here, hmm?" He laughed and walked away.
Anne and Cordelia stared after him.
Gunn and his two buddies were walking down a dark street.
George looked at Gunn. "All right, look, all I'm saying is you got to let me set up, so they don't see me with this. Cops see me with this, ain't no way we can Rodney King them."
"Yeah, that's if we ever find any. I never had to look so hard to find trouble before."
George pointed at a street sign. "Hey, check it. 45th Street, man."
"So?" Gunn asked.
Rondell stared at him. "You're kidding me. This is gang ground. They catch us rolling up in here, they'll take us out."
"That's why we ain't seen no cops. They don't even come around here."
"I said you was free to go."
"Hey, man, I say I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna do it."
Gunn looked at the deserted street. "Damn. Someone having an apocalypse and forget to invite us?"
The three heard a sound and turned to face a cop walking up the street, behind them, tapping his nightstick against the wall of the building.
"What are you doing?" the cop asked.
"Doing?" Gunn shrugged. "Nothing, man, just taking a walk."
"Put your hands on the wall, step back, and spread your feet apart."
"You arresting us?" Gunn looked back to make sure that George was getting it all with the camcorder peeking from his coat.
"Do as you're instructed."
"Officer, I'd just like to know if we're being arrested."
"Turn around and face the wall. Now."
"Hey, I'm not trying to argue with you, but...I'd like to know what we did wrong. You know, what law we broke? Because if we broke one, I think we should know what it was, so we don't make the same mistake twice."
The cop lifted his stick. "I'm not gonna say it again."
Wesley came running up the street, behind the cop. "Wait! Officer, wait! This man is a friend of mine, a very good friend. I'm sure he hasn't committed any-"
The cop spun around and shot Wesley in the belly. Wesley staggered from the impact, looked at the cop in disbelief, then sunk down against the wall of the building.
"Wesley!" Gunn tackled the cop, knocking the gun from his hand.
Rondell darted in and picked up the gun. The cop hit Gunn and reached down to his ankle.
"He's got another gun!" George yelled.
The cop pulled out his hideout gun, and Rondell shot him twice, dropping him to the ground.
"Oh, man! Oh, man!" Rondell exclaimed.
George looked at him. "Let's get the fuck out of here."
"Help me get Wesley." Gunn hurried over to Wesley.
Rondell dropped the gun, staring at it.
"Is anyone else cold?" Wesley asked Gunn.
"It's okay now. We're gonna take you someplace warm. Help me pick him up! Come on! Come on!" Gunn yelled.
Gunn and George picked Wesley up.
Rondell stared at the dead cop. "I shot him! I shot a cop!"
Gunn looked at him. "Not a lot of choice."
"We got to move."
"I killed a police officer. Look at him. He's dead!"
The police officer sat back up.
Gunn stared at him. "Don't look that dead."
"Let's go!" George yelled.
The four of them ran as best as they could with Wesley supported between Gunn and George. Gunn and the others hurried down a street.
"Hold up. Hold up. I got to try and stop this bleeding." Gunn pointed to a hole in a chain-link fence.
They slipped through it, then ran around the corner of the building.
"Around here. Put him down. Easy! Take it easy!" Gunn yelled.
Wesley looked at them. "911. You've got to call 911."
"Fuck the cops! They're the ones that did this to you!" Rondell yelled.
Gunn looked at him. "An ambulance."
"Oh."
Wesley pulled out his cell phone.
"All right." Gunn looked at Rondell. "Go down and keep watch."
Rondell hurried back to the hole in the fence while Gunn dialed the phone number.
George looked at him. "Tell them no siren."
"911. What is your emergency?"
Kate and Angel entered the office of a police precinct.
Kate looked around. "It's pretty quiet in here."
The office was deserted. Angel hit the bell on the counter, and a door in the back opened, and an officer came out.
"Can I help you folks?" the officer asked.
Kate showed her badge. "Yeah. I'm investigating some complaints about the way some officers are handling things in this precinct."
"Isn't that more a job for Internal Affairs?"
"Well, I'm taking a personal interest. Where is everyone?" Kate asked.
"Oh, only a few of us riding the desk tonight."
"Not a lot going on?" Angel asked.
"Crime is way down in this precinct. We're doing things right."
"Who takes credit for that?" Angel asked.
"It's a team effort. But the captain's the one who really got the ball rolling."
"Can we talk to him?" Angel asked.
"He's not here. But you're free to try again later though."
"This captain of yours, he's running things by the book?" Kate asked.
The officer looked from Angel to Kate. "I don't have to tell you who used to rule these streets, detective. The scumbags did. Hell, I-I was afraid to drive to work myself."
"Oh, really?"
"We got a tougher policy now."
Gunn was pressing a rag to Wesley's wound.
Rondell came running back. "Ambulance ain't gonna come down here."
George looked at him. "Shut up before they hear you."
Rondell hurried back to his post as Gunn took off his coat to cover Wesley.
"I don't think I'm doing very well."
"Hey, you're gonna be fine, man, all right? Getting shot like this..." Gunn paused. "Yeah, I've seen a lot of people, been shot worse than this, never even slowed them down."
Rondell came hurrying back. "It's here!"
"Come on, hurry, move!" Gunn yelled.
Wesley was being loaded into the ambulance by a white paramedic and a black paramedic.
Gunn looked at George and Rondell. "Meet me back at the shelter, all right? Watch your backs!"
George and Rondell ran off. The white paramedic was about to close the back doors.
"Hey, hey! I'm with him." Gunn got into the back of the ambulance.
The doors were closed, and they were soon on their way.
"It's all right, Wesley, hang on. We're almost there, okay?"
As the ambulance neared the end of the alley, two cop cars with flashing lights blocked its exit.
"Something is going on up here. I'll go see what it is."
Gunn got up to look out through the front windshield to see the driver talking to the cops.
"Hey, you guys, you got to let us through. We got-"
"No! Don't!" Gunn yelled.
"-a wounded man in the back. We got to get him-"
Gunn darted out the back and into the driver's seat as the cops opened fire on the driver, riddling him with bullets.
"Hang on!" Gunn yelled.
Gunn backed up the ambulance until his way was blocked by another cop car. He turned the ambulance and rammed it through the fence that they slipped through earlier. Three cops ran after them, firing their guns at the back of the ambulance. Gunn made it out of the alley and started to speed down the road.
The ambulance pulled up outside the shelter. Gunn opened the back doors and started to unstrap Wesley.
"We're stopping? What are you doing?" the black paramedic asked him.
"Trying to survive. Help me get him inside. Come on, Wes. Come on, man." Gunn got Wesley up.
The paramedic grabbed the IV bag off the hook and handed it to Gunn. "Here, take this."
Gunn held out his arms to Wesley as he teetered at the doors of the ambulance. "Come on, man. I got you."
Anne went to answer the pounding on the front door of the shelter.
"Annie! Open up. It's G. Open up! Hurry!"
Anne unlocked and opened the door. "Oh, my God! What happened?"
They walked inside.
"They shot him."
"Who did?"
"The cops. They're not human."
Anne stared for a moment, then went to close the door. The paramedic took Wesley's blood pressure.
Wesley clung to one of Gunn's hands. "He had no right."
"I know, man, shh."
Cordelia hurried up to the sofa. "Wesley, I..." She looked at the paramedic. "What can I do?"
The paramedic handed her a pad. "Apply pressure to the wound."
Cordelia looked at Wesley. "Okay. I got it. Hang in there. It's okay."
Gunn went to look out a window.
"Are we safe here?" Anne asked him.
"Safer than out there. But we need to lock all the doors, all right? And keep everyone away from the windows!"
"You heard him! Let's go! Come on!" Anne yelled at the kids.
Everyone cleared out to do as told.
Jackson saw Wesley's wound. "Oh! Damn. Now, that looks nasty."
"Jackson? What the hell are you doing here?" Gunn asked.
"How are we gonna keep the cops out?" Anne asked.
"I say let 'em come, bro. I know how to handle cops." Jackson pulled up his shirt to reveal a gun stuck in the waist of his pants.
"That lifestyle working out for you?" Gunn asked him.
"Don't get all high and mighty with me, player. I know where you come from."
"Where I come from, you don't bring down a community. You try and make it better."
"I'm just doing my thing, man. Why - Why don't you go on and get out of my face?"
"Your thing hurts everybody! Why do you think nobody cares they're clamping down on this neighborhood?"
"'Cause they're a bunch of racist pigs."
"There is that. And there's people like you - tch! A thug with a gun, keeping the cycle going."
"Not my problem."
"No! See, it's my problem, all right? 'Cause they shot my friend over there."
"Oh. Yeah. White man dying. Not exactly losing sleep on it."
Gunn pushed Jackson up against the wall.
Anne hurried up to them. "Hey. We can't afford this. Not now."
"He's going south."
Cordelia didn't take her eyes off Wesley. "No. Come on."
Gunn was still holding Jackson up against the wall but turned his head to look at the paramedic. "What?"
"I think there's internal bleeding, but we can't help him here. We've got to get him to the hospital - fast."
Gunn let go of Jackson and went over to the sofa. "Look, we can't go back out there, all right? You saw what they did to him."
"He's going to die. We're taking him to a hospital - now. I don't fucking care who's out there!" Cordelia yelled.
"All right. Get the door."
Cordelia hurried off.
Gunn draped one of Wesley's arms over his shoulder, trying to get him up. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"To the hospital."
"That sounds sensible to me."
Cordelia opened the door just as two cop cars pulled up. She closed it again and hurried over to Gunn. "They're here."
"Barricade the windows and doors!" Gunn yelled. "Cordy, call for help!"
The kids sprung into action. Cordelia took out her cell phone.
Gunn picked up a baseball bat and offered it to Anne. "Take this bat. I want you to use it, all right?"
Anne nodded.
"Come on. Everything against the windows! Move! Move. Do this quick."
Anne and a guy slipped a bar in place over a door.
"Okay. Nail this shut." Anne moved off, then saw another kid. "Check the kitchen door."
Gunn looked all around. "Move, people, move."
Four cops were trying to open the front door.
"All circuits are busy. Please hang up and try your call again."
"This is no time for circuits busy! So don't tell me circuits are busy. If the circuits are busy, get some new circuits now!" Cordelia yelled.
The cops were pulling off the bars across the lower parts of the windows.
Gunn motioned to the kids moving the furniture. "Come on, push them up there."
Cops were battering against the front door, climbing up on the windowsills, and battering against the back door. The kids were pushing bookshelves up against the windows. The cops were breaking the glass, and one of them reached in and pulled one of the kids, moving the shelf out through the window.
Gunn looked at Anne. "All right. Get the kids in the back."
Anne looked at some kids. "Get them upstairs."
The cops were trying to come in through the windows, and the kids were beating them back with their baseball bats. Anne went to check another door, and one of the cops reached in through the bottom of the window beside her and grabbed her foot, trying to drag her outside. Screaming, Anne laid into him with her bat. Cordelia, carrying a hammer, ran over and hammered the hand holding Anne, getting it to let go. Anne scrambled up, and they pulled a chair in front of the window - only to have the cop stick his arm through the window above it. Cordelia gave it a couple good whacks before they ran.
Jackson was heading for one of the side doors; pulling out his gun, he opened it - only to be clubbed down by a cop laying in wait on the other side of the door. Gunn ran over and hit the cop a couple of times with his bat, knocking him back out the door, then slammed the door shut and locked it again. Gunn held out a hand towards Jackson, who took it and pulled himself up.
"Gunn! Gunn! Help!" Cordelia yelled.
She and Anne were trying to hold the front door shut. Gunn and Jackson hurried over to help. Two of the kids freaked and abandoned the back door, and the cops broke through. Other doors (including the front door) broke open, and cops came in through the windows. One cop pushed Gunn up against the wall; another grabbed Cordelia.
Suddenly, the zombie cops dropped to the floor, turning into decaying corpses.
Anne hurried towards the stairs. "The kids."
"Wesley!" Cordelia ran over to the sofa.
Gunn and Jackson followed.
Gunn looked at the paramedic. "Get the ambulance ready." He looked at Jackson. "Help me pick him up."
"Hm-mm. Sorry. Looks like the streets just got a lot safer for me. Time to go to work." Jackson left.
Cordelia moved to help Gunn pick Wesley up. "Let's go. Come on, sweetie."
"Here we go."
"Okay."
At the police station, Angel walked up to Kate's desk and sat down. "Hi. I thought you might want to know I took care of our little cop problem."
Kate handed Angel a file. "Crime reports from that precinct. Up until three months ago, there was a murder every two weeks, a rape every two days, a robbery every hour and a half. And that's what we just gave back to the people of that community."
"I can live with that."
"You learn to live with a lot of things, don't you?" Kate asked him.
Angel handed the file back to her. "Yeah."
"This job is making me crazy."
"I know the feeling."
A woman handed Kate a file. "For you, detective."
"Thanks." Kate looked at the file. "Wyndam-Price, isn't that the guy that works for you?"
Wesley was laying on a hospital bed with Gunn sitting in a chair beside him. Slowly, Wesley's eyes opened.
Gunn leaned in closer. "Hey."
Wesley slowly looked over at him. "Hey."
"How're you doing?"
"Oh, I feel I should be in a great deal of pain."
"Getting gut-shot will do that to you."
"And yet..." Wesley looked at the IV on his left hand. "Is this morphine?"
Gunn nodded.
"Well, it's bloody lovely!" Wesley giggled.
Gunn smiled and grabbed a hold of Wesley's hand for a moment before sitting back in his chair with a sigh.
Outside Wesley's room, in the corridor, Cordelia discovered Angel standing by the nurses' desk, watching. Angel turned to leave - only to find Cordelia standing right behind him.
"What are you doing here?" Cordelia asked him.
"I heard about Wesley."
"Well, that's great. Too bad it takes a gunshot wound to make you give a shit." Cordelia paused. "Wesley doesn't need you right now. Do us a favor and just stay away."
After a moment, Cordelia walked past Angel, opened the door, and walked into Wesley's room. She handed a cup of coffee to Gunn, then leaned down to brush Wesley's hair.
The next night, at the Bronze, the group Devics was onstage, performing their song, "Key". People were dancing - including Sandy and Julie. The band went into an instrumental interlude. Sandy and Julie gazed into each other's eyes. The singer resumed singing. Sandy looked up and noticed a couple kissing on the balcony above. She nodded at them. Julie looked.
Sandy smiled. "Looks like they're having a good time. Wanna join them?"
Julie smiled. "Sure."
While the couple was still kissing on the balcony, Sandy and Julie climbed the stairs, hand in hand. They walked in step as the music continued.
When they were near the couple, Sandy and Julie started making out.
Julie turned around and leaned back against Sandy's chest. "Bite me."
"You sure?" Sandy asked.
Julie laid her head back on Sandy's left shoulder. "Yeah."
Sandy bared her fangs and sunk them into Julie's neck. Julie gasped. Sandy drank from her lover, relishing the taste of her blood, while holding her in her arms.
The woman, who had long black hair done up in a bun and was wearing black pants and a sleeveless shirt, stopped making out with her boyfriend and looked at Sandy and Julie. "That looks like fun."
Sandy looked at her.
"I'd like to feel what that's like." The woman walked over to Sandy. "Want a taste?"
Sandy pulled out of Julie. "Do you mind, sweetie?"
"Mmm, no, go ahead."
Julie stood up straight, and they french-kissed for a while. Julie tasted her own blood in Sandy's mouth and consumed some of it. Sandy let go of her.
Sandy smiled. "I'm Sandy, and this is Julie."
The woman smiled. "I'm Jennifer, and this is Asher."
Asher smiled. "Hey. So, uh, are both of you vampires?"
Julie shook her head. "I'm not."
"Aw, too bad."
"Well, uh, I can bite both of you." Sandy looked from the couple to Julie. "Julie, you wanna make out with them?"
Julie smiled. "Sure." She stepped aside.
Jennifer walked over to Sandy. They hugged each other and started making out. Then Jennifer turned around and leaned back. She laid her head back on Sandy's left shoulder. Sandy bared her fangs and sunk them into Jennifer's neck. Jennifer moaned in pain. Julie walked over to Asher and started making out with him.
Jennifer moved her right hand back and put it on Sandy's ass. "Harder..."
Sandy complied. Jennifer moaned. Julie stopped making out with Asher, walked over to stand to Jennifer's left, and started making out with Jennifer.
Jennifer broke the kiss. "Okay, that's enough for now."
Sandy stopped drinking from Jennifer. Jennifer immediately started making out with Sandy, tasting her own blood in Sandy's mouth. Eventually, Jennifer broke the kiss. Sandy and Julie looked at each other. Sandy smiled and raised her eyebrows. Julie nodded.
"You two wanna get outta here?" Sandy asked Jennifer and Asher. "We...could go somewhere else. Someplace more...private."
Asher gave them a dopey grin. "Okay!"
Jennifer grinned at her boyfriend. "We're about to have the best fucking night of our lives."
Chapter 117: I Was Made to Love You
Chapter Text
"I Was Made to Love You"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "I Was Made to Love You" Written by Jane Espenson and the Angel Episodes "Reprise" and "Epiphany" Written by Tim Minear
Author's note: I feel the structure of this chapter requires a bit of an explanation. Considering most readers know what's coming next, you might be confused regarding how this chapter ends.
Over the past few days, I've had a discussion in r/buffy regarding the continuity between "I Was Made to Love You" and "The Body". I've come to the conclusion that, while the two episodes were initially meant to occur on the same day (same clothing, references by Katrina and April to it being "early" in the former episode), somewhere along the way, someone(s) fucked it up by having the scenes toward the end of "I Was Made to Love You" lit as if they occurred at night, which was then immediately followed by the daylight opening scene of "The Body" tacked on at the end of the episode as an audience hook.
I wouldn't mind fixing that simple error if not for the Angel material. There are numerous references to Friday (including Friday night). Since this chapter would have to end on Buffy material (to lead directly into "The Body"), that would place Dawn in school on a Saturday. So I've decided to move "The Body" to the following week, chronologically. Speaking of chronology, all four of these episodes originally aired in late February, but they're meant to occur in late March or early April, since they're set during spring break.
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
In the Summers' living room, Joyce was wearing a black evening gown with large flowers on it. She was spinning around. Buffy and Dawn were sitting on the sofa, watching.
"I might like it more than the others. Can you spin around again?" Buffy requested.
Joyce spun again. Buffy smiled.
Dawn smiled. "Ooh, I'm not sure. Once more."
Joyce spun again, then smiled at them.
"Now, could you go the other way?" Buffy requested.
Joyce started to spin, then stopped and looked at them. "You're messing with me!"
Dawn laughed.
Buffy smiled. "We just wanted to see how many times we could get you to do it."
"Was that five or four and a half?" Dawn asked Buffy.
Joyce held out her arms. "So is anyone gonna talk about my dress?"
Dawn smiled. "I like it."
"You sure? I mean it's not too mom-ish?"
"Oh. That was why I liked it."
Joyce looked disappointed.
"You're both crazy. It's not mom-ish at all."
Joyce looked relieved.
"It's sexy. It screams 'Randy sex kitten, buy me one drink, and I'll'..." Buffy paused. "Oh, wait, that's not really good either."
Dawn shook her head in agreement.
"Oh, God. What time is it?" Joyce asked.
Buffy checked her watch. "4:23. You have lots of time until seven. Now, tell me about this Brian and what his intentions are."
"Maybe he's a gigolo. Was his shirt all shiny?" Dawn asked.
She and Buffy exchanged an amused look.
"No! He works for a publishing house. He's a nice, normal guy, okay?" Joyce insisted.
Buffy looked at her in amusement. "I think I've heard of those."
"He came to the gallery...my first day back, when I was, you know, kinda shaky, starting over. And he asked a question about these antique cameos." Joyce sighed. "And I was so lost, because...Carol had been doing the ordering while I was sick. Well, it turned out that he didn't know anything about them either, so we had a lot to talk about."
Dawn smiled. "So what's the plan for tonight?"
Joyce smiled. "Dinner and then a movie." She frowned. "Or maybe it was...a movie and then dinner. Which might be better, because...you know, then we could talk about the movie."
Buffy nodded.
"Or maybe a movie isn't a good idea at all, because, well, you know, you can't talk during, and - and then, you know, what's the point of any of it?" Joyce asked.
Dawn shook her head.
"Oh, and about the restaurant. Do you think...that it should be one with candles and romantic music, or is that pushing it? Buffy, what do you think? Should I, you know, try to make things romantic or...sorta let him set the pace?"
Buffy stood up and walked across to the other end of the sofa. "Don't second-guess yourself, Mom. Trust your instincts."
"You sure the dress is okay?" Joyce asked, nervous.
Dawn put on a thoughtful look. "Hmm. Spin again. Really fast this time."
Joyce gave them an amused-scolding look.
Tara and Amy were walking along the UC Sunnydale campus.
A young woman approached. She was wearing a very short, very tight, pink-flowered dress. She had long, straight blonde hair. She walked up to them with a big smile. "Hi."
Amy and Tara looked at each other, then at her.
Amy thought she recognized her. "Hi."
"I'm looking for Warren. Do you know where Warren is? And if you do, could you tell me?"
"Um, I-I don't think we know a Warren." Tara looked at Amy.
Amy shook her head.
"Well, alrighty, no harm in asking. Thanks!" She walked off with a smile.
Tara and Amy watched her go up to a guy sitting on a bench, reading the newspaper.
"Hi, do you know Warren? I need to find him."
"Uh, sorry."
Tara and Amy resumed walking.
That night, in a UC Sunnydale dorm, a party was going on. Gloria was standing by the punch bowl. Buffy and Tara were dancing together. Harmony and Amy were standing together, drinking beer.
"Are you having fun?" Tara asked Buffy.
"You know, I am."
"Where's Trina?" Harmony asked Amy.
Amy scanned the room. "I dunno. She said she'd be here."
The song ended. Buffy and Tara stopped dancing.
"I'm gonna get a beer. You want one?" Tara asked.
"Yes. Thank you."
Tara walked off. Buffy spotted Gloria still standing by the punch bowl, talking to someone. The other person left, and Gloria looked around, looking uncomfortable. Buffy walked over and leaned against a nearby pillar.
Gloria looked around more and noticed Buffy. "Buffy."
"Hey." Buffy walked over to her. "And again with the non-medical clothing."
"Well, actually, these are orthopedic pants."
Buffy just looked at her.
Gloria frowned. "Damn, that sounded so funny in my head."
Buffy laughed a little.
"You having a good time?" Gloria asked.
"Yeah, I am. I was dancing earlier, and, you know, my friends are here, so..." Buffy trailed off. "Are you enjoying yourself?"
"I am now."
The woman that Tara and Amy had talked with before entered the room.
Harmony noticed her. "Omigod, is that Britney Spears?"
Amy looked. "I thought it might be her, but then I thought there's no fucking way."
The woman looked around the room. "Warren?"
Katrina was sitting on a lawn chair. Warren came over to her.
"Hi, did you get me a drink?" Katrina asked him.
"We gotta go; she's gonna see me." Warren grabbed Katrina's hand and pulled her up.
"She who? What's up, Warren?"
"It doesn't matter. Come on." He pulled her away.
The woman approached Amy and Harmony, still with her big smile. "I heard that Warren was here. Is Warren here?"
"Um, Warren who?" Harmony asked.
"He's...Warren. And he's looking for me. He lost me." She walked away.
Buffy and Tara approached the other Slayerettes, each holding an open bottle of beer.
The woman went over to some other random people. "Is Warren here?"
"It's that girl again. Is she still looking for Warren?" Tara asked.
Amy and Harmony nodded.
"Weird, it's been like that all day." Tara took a sip of beer.
Amy frowned. "There's something strange about her. She talks funny."
The woman walked over to still more random people. "Have you guys seen Warren?"
Tara felt sorry for her. "I just hope she finds him."
Harmony smiled. "Somehow, I don't think a girl that looks like that's gonna be lonely for too long."
Buffy smiled. "Definitely not."
Buffy grinned and nodded, then noticed Tara, who frowned and folded her arms.
"Oh, not me; I-I was just saying...a pretty girl like that, there's always someone lurking around, looking for some action."
Tara was mollified. Buffy was a little embarrassed and gulped her beer.
The woman was talking to another girl. "Have you seen Warren?"
"No, sorry." The girl walked off.
Buffy walked over to the woman. "Excuse me, who are you?"
"I'm April. I'm looking for my fella."
"April. Uh-huh. Has anyone ever told you that you bear a remarkable resemblance to-"
"Britney Spears. I know. I'm familiar with her entire discography. Would you like to hear a song? Perhaps '...Baby One More Time'? That's Warren's favorite."
"Uh, maybe later. Um...April? You seem a tad...obsessed with finding this Warren. Are you sure he wants to be found?"
"Why wouldn't he?"
"Because...as I said...you're obsessed." Buffy grinned and shrugged. "So..."
April looked angry. She grabbed Buffy by the front of her shirt and lifted her over her head.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Buffy yelled.
Everyone in the area was staring at April and Buffy. April threw her through a window, which shattered. Everyone stared.
"Buffy!" Tara yelled.
April and all of the other partygoers watched as Buffy got up, broken glass falling all around her.
Buffy stood outside the dorm and looked in through the now-glassless window. "Fucking hell! You threw me through a window!"
April just looked at her.
"What's that about?" Buffy prodded.
"You do not make those suggestions about my boyfriend. Warren would not abandon me."
April turned away from the window. The onlookers moved back a bit. She began to walk off.
Buffy intercepted her. "Excuse me. Hi. Um, uh, maybe you and I could talk-"
"Do you know my boyfriend?"
"Okay. I think you need to take a second and stop looking for your boyfriend."
April grabbed Buffy by the upper arms and flung her backwards. She flew back several yards and landed on the floor in pain, grabbing her arm.
"I have to find him."
April walked over to where Buffy was sitting up, clutching her arm in pain.
"If I hurt you just now, I'm sorry. And I hope that your boyfriend will take good care of you."
April walked off as Gloria, Harmony, Amy, and Tara rushed over to Buffy. Buffy pouted sadly as she watched April leave.
Gunn was checking the back of Stephanie's head. "I don't see anything."
Wesley was sitting in a wheelchair next to them. "Not a trace."
Cordelia looked at Francine. "When she goes back to school, the other kids will never even notice that there was a third eye growing back there." She patted Stephanie's head. "And this should come back in before you know it."
"What?" Francine asked.
"The hair? The...I meant the hair...that was in...in the back...there. Not the third eye! Because that won't come back." Cordelia looked at Wesley. "Right?"
"No reason it should." Wesley handed Stephanie a sucker. "The curative charm seems to have worked...like a charm, really."
"We can't thank you."
Wesley smiled. "Oh, don't give it another thought."
Gunn smiled. "It's what we do."
Cordelia smiled. "Kind of a mission."
"No, I mean we can't thank you...and we can't pay you either." Francine held up a piece of paper. "This bill is ridiculous."
Cordelia took it. "What do you mean? We didn't even charge you for the mandrake."
"My husband says it's outrageous."
"Does he? And just what would your husband consider to be a fair price for the removal of the third eye from the back of your child's head, Mrs. Sharp?" Wesley asked.
"Well...nothing. Steve says that, since it's impossible to be bitten by a demon and have a...third eye grow in the back of one's head, that obviously you people are running some sort of scam, and you won't squeeze one red cent out of us." Francine grabbed her daughter's hand. "Come on, Stephanie."
"Scam? The back of your kid's head was blinking!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"No, let her go. Clearly, it's easier for the Sharps to cast us as con artists rather than to accept the grim reality that Skilosh spawn nearly hatched full-grown out of their child's skull."
"Gee, wonder why?" Gunn quipped.
"Great. So, while they're indulging their denial, we have bills to pay!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"You know, she's right." Gunn went and grabbed his coat.
"Perhaps, given time, the Sharps will come 'round."
"Right! Because that's what people do. They come 'round."
"Where are you going?" Cordelia asked Gunn.
"I think I'll see what's happening in the neighborhood. Got a feeling I do more good there than sitting around here with you two."
Wesley looked at him. "Things'll pick up. They're bound to."
Cordelia nodded. "Yeah. It's LA. The evil's probably just tied up in traffic or something."
"Well, you let me know when it gets here, right?" Gunn asked.
Angel followed Kate around the police station. "Blood sacrifices, Black Masses, totems. I don't know what it means, but it's happening all over town. I mean...it could be a raising, but, you know...I-I really don't know. I mean the prayers, the rituals, I think they're too generic for that, you know, boilerplate. They could be preparing the way for something."
"Maybe they're just trying to make it rain. Why is this so important to you?" Kate asked.
Angel followed her back to her desk. "Because it's important to them."
"Oh, right! And therefore it must be stopped."
"Kate, look, I need your help. I don't have the resources-"
"My help? You need my help?"
"Yeah." Angel sighed. "At the very least, they're butchering animals without a permit. You can get them on that."
"No, I can't. I can't get them on anything, Angel. I'm on desk duty pending a hearing on Friday."
"Hearing?"
"You remember Atkinson? The captain at the two-three?" Kate asked. "He's blaming me for granting access to some lunatic who broke into his office and beat the ever-holy shit out of him. He's filed a formal complaint."
"He was raising zombie cops and setting them loose on the streets."
Kate laughed. "And I'm sure, once I explain that to Internal Affairs, this will all just go away. And they've just been looking for an excuse..." Kate paused. "And you know what they say about me. I am a cop. That is all I've ever..." She paused. "I can't take a suspension..." She was on the verge of tears. "I would just..."
Angel watched her pace for a moment. "I'm sorry."
"Are you? I think I am done helping you now." Kate walked off.
In a student lounge in the dorm, Buffy was pacing, still holding her arm. The Slayerettes were sitting in various chairs.
Tara looked at Buffy. "Well, at least, she didn't do too much damage."
"So what do you guys think she is?" Buffy asked. "I mean...this may sound nuts, but I kinda got the impression that she was a-"
"Robot."
Buffy looked at Tara in surprise. Everyone else nodded in complete agreement.
Amy nodded. "Oh, yeah, robot."
"Yeah, I was gonna say robot. What do you think she wants?" Buffy asked.
Tara shrugged. "Warren, whoever that is."
Amy looked at Buffy. "It's gotta be the guy that built her."
"Tara, can you track down this guy with only a first name?" Buffy asked.
Tara frowned. "I'm out of practice, but Jenny can, given enough time. I'll e-mail her. She can get a list of the Sunnydale students named Warren tonight, but...then we'll have to call them or go to their dorms, so we probably can't start narrowing it down 'til tomorrow."
Buffy frowned.
Harmony frowned. "She could do a lot of damage by then."
Amy looked at Buffy. "She was looking for this Warren, but it didn't sound like she wanted to hurt him. She said he's her boyfriend."
"Okay. We'll track down Warren tomorrow. Tonight, I better go rescue Giles. He's been watching Dawn while our mom's out on her date, and I have a feeling there's only so much he can take."
Tara smiled. "Oh, Giles and Dawnie? I bet they ended up having a blast."
Angel walked into Cordy's and over to Cordelia. He sat down next to her. "We need to talk."
"Then you should have booked in advance. I don't think we can get you on stage tonight."
"I'm not here to sing."
"Oh, is that what we're calling it now?"
"Something's coming."
"Really? I thought it was just the complimentary nachos bringing in the morally ambiguous crowd."
Angel turned and saw the place was packed with humans in business attire. "Lawyers. You've read them. You've seen it. You know what's coming."
Cordelia sighed. "Yeah..."
"Is it bad?"
"Definitely. It's coming Friday. And it's got all their legal briefs in a twist about it."
"What?"
"Well, every seventy-five years, your friends over at Wolfram & Hart have this review. I think the general angst isn't so much about the review but more about the reviewer."
"What is it?"
"Senior partner."
"I need more information."
"What you need more of is tether. Because you're about at the end of yours. You can't prevent 'it' from passing into our world on Friday."
"What is 'it', and how do I stop it?"
"I don't know, and you don't."
"Can it be killed?"
"Most anything that can manifest in order to move in this dimension can be killed." Cordelia sighed. "Home office. I picked it up from a half-dozen of them tonight."
"What does it mean?"
Cordelia stared at him for a long moment. "Come with me."
Buffy and Giles were standing in the Summers' foyer, by the open door.
"Dear God, Buffy, there's only so much I can take. We're going to have to change the system. A fourteen-year-old's too old to be babysat, and it's not fair on her."
Buffy nodded, grinning. "What'd she make you do?"
"Um, well, we listened to aggressively cheerful music sung by people chosen for their ability to dance...then we ate cookie dough and talked about boys."
Buffy laughed. "I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry, but, if it makes you feel any better, my 'fun time Buffy party night' involved a robot throwing me through a window, so if you wanna trade..."
"A robot? Sounds interesting."
"We're gonna work on it in the morning. I mean...unless you wanna stay for a while, and then you and I could-"
Joyce arrived behind Giles, entering the house with a big smile. "Who wants to hear everything?"
"-listen to my mom talk about boys."
"Right, must go. See you tomorrow. Bye, Joyce." Giles quickly left.
"Bye, Rupert." Joyce closed the door behind Giles, turned, and gave Buffy a big smile. "God, I'd forgotten how much fun dating can be."
Buffy smiled. "I don't know. I was standing right here. I didn't see Prince Charming. I didn't even see a goodnight kiss."
Joyce smiled and walked past Buffy to put her purse down.
"It all looked pretty tame to me."
"Well, I suppose, by your standards, it could seem pretty..." Joyce paused. "Oh, dear."
"What?"
"I left my bra in his car."
Buffy laughed, surprised and uncomfortable. "Mother!"
"I'm joking."
Buffy sighed. "Good God, that's horrible. Don't do that."
"I left it in the restaurant."
Buffy put her hands over her ears and started running up the stairs. "No more! No more! No more!"
"On the dessert cart!" Joyce yelled up the stairs at her.
"I can't hear you!"
Cordelia and Angel walked down a street. They saw a homeless person pushing a loaded-down shopping cart.
"So what's the big plan, Angel? Destroy the Senior Partners, smash Wolfram & Hart once and for all?" Cordelia asked.
"Something like that."
"Hmmm, now, tell me: just what do you think that would accomplish? In the end, I mean."
"It'll be...the end."
"Well, the end of you, certainly. But I meant in the larger sense."
"In the larger sense, I really don't give a shit."
Cordelia looked at him. "Now, I don't think that's true. Be honest. You got the tiniest bit of shit left to give. Otherwise, you wouldn't be going on this Kamikaze mission. Now, let me see, there was something...in a sacred prophecy, some oblique reference to you. Something you're supposed to prevent. Now, what was that?"
"The apocalypse."
"Yes, the apocalypse, of course. Another one of those. Well, it's true. They do have one scheduled. And I imagine, if you were to prevent it, you would save a great many people. Well, you should do that then. Absolutely. I wasn't thinking." Cordelia paused. "Of course, all those people you save from that apocalypse would then have the next one to look forward to, but, hey, it's always something, isn't it?"
"They're not gonna win."
"Well...no. Of course, they aren't. They have no intention of doing anything so prosaic as 'winning'."
Angel turned his head to look at her. "Then why do they fight?"
"For them, there is no fight. Which is why winning doesn't enter into it. They...go on...no matter what. Their firm has always been here. In one form or another. The Inquisition. The Khmer Rouge. They were there when the very first caveman clubbed his neighbor. See, they're in the hearts and minds of every single living being. And that...sweetie...is what's making things so difficult for you. See, the world doesn't work in spite of evil, Angel. It works with it. It works because of it." Cordelia gestured at their surroundings. "This is the home office."
"This isn't..." Angel paused. "You're wrong."
"I wish to God that I was, but the visions never lie."
They watched as some people started yelling at each other. They saw a prostitute and a potential customer having a verbal disagreement and a woman yelling at a girl. They passed a homeless man with a brown-bagged bottle under his arm.
"You see, if there wasn't evil in every single one of them out there, why, they wouldn't be people." Cordelia looked at her love. "They'd all be angels."
The next morning, at the Magic Box, Buffy, Tara, Amy, Harmony, and Jenny sat around the table. Giles stood next to it. Jenny was using her laptop computer.
"And you're certain she was a robot?" Giles asked Buffy.
"Absolutely."
Tara nodded. "Well, she practically had 'Genuine Molded Plastic' stamped on her ass."
Buffy smiled.
Amy looked at Jenny. "She was looking for someone named Warren."
Buffy looked at Amy. "Jenny's already checked the Sunnydale enrollment."
"And got nothin'. I found one Warren, but he moved out of the country a year ago. I'm checking nearby schools."
"Is there something the rest of us could be doing?" Giles asked.
"What can we do?" Harmony asked.
"Oh, do you have any books on robots?" Tara asked Giles.
"Oh, yes, dozens. There's an enormous amount of research we should do before - no, I'm lying. I haven't got shit; I just like to see Harmony squirm."
Harmony gave him a dirty look and a fake laugh. "Funny."
"Hey! I think I found him. A Warren Mears. He went to Sunnydale High with you guys, and then he went to Caltech. I've got a local address where his folks still live." Jenny wrote it down.
Tara thought for a moment. "He's probably home for spring break."
"Well, I'll go talk to him." Buffy took the paper from Jenny.
"No, no, no, no, no, wait, we don't know what you're walking into." Giles looked behind him and noticed a customer standing by the counter. "Uh, we have no idea what his motive is for building this thing."
"Um...don't you think she's just a sexbot?" Tara asked Giles.
Disturbed, Giles walked off to help the customer. Tara smiled to herself.
Jenny turned her attention back to the computer.
"Why would anyone do that, if they could have a real live person?" Harmony asked.
Tara thought about it. "Maybe he couldn't. Find a real person."
Buffy frowned. "Oh, come on. The guy's just a big wedge of sleaze; don't make excuses for him."
"I'm not; I'm just saying...people get lonely, and maybe having someone around, even someone you made up...maybe it's easier."
Harmony frowned. "But it's so weird. I mean...everyone wants a nice, normal person to share with, but this guy, if he couldn't find that, I guess it's...kinda sad."
At Warren's house, Warren was stuffing piles of clothing into a bag.
Katrina watched. "But we just got here. If you don't wanna be here, why didn't you just stay in Pasadena? Or we could have gone to my sister's."
Warren walked around the room, gathering up more stuff. "Katrina, I don't wanna hear about your sister's place again."
"Why the rush? It's really early."
Warren continued packing in silence.
"Warren. Is something going on you don't want me to see?"
"Katrina, um, let's just go!" Warren grabbed the bag and Katrina's hand.
Katrina pulled her hand away from him. "Don't ever do that again."
Warren walked over to the door. "You need to get me outta here."
Katrina followed him. "No, I need to stop babysitting you and meet up with my actual friends."
"But I don't have my own car."
Katrina folded her arms. "Not my fucking problem."
Warren opened the door to discover Buffy standing on the step with her fist upraised to knock.
Buffy frowned in surprise. "I have to talk to you."
"Buffy?" Katrina asked.
"Hey, Trina. Amy's been trying to get a hold of you."
"Is this about her?" Warren asked Buffy.
"Yes."
"Her who?" Katrina asked. "Warren, something's going on here. Strange girl-"
"Katrina, please be quiet, okay, this is important. Wait in the kitchen."
"You're keeping secrets from me."
"Trina, shut up."
"That's it. Fuck it, Warren. I'm gone." Katrina walked out, past Buffy, and away.
"No, Katrina!"
"No, get the hell away from me!" Katrina yelled back.
"Ahhh..."
Buffy shrugged and walked inside. "My name is Buffy Summers. We were at Sunnydale High together. Do you know who I am?"
"Yes, I know. Um, April, did she hurt someone?"
"Not yet."
"She's looking for me. You know, uh, she followed me here."
"Okay, kind of figured that out."
"No, no, there's more. Uh, there's something you need to know about her."
"I know."
"No, wait, this is important."
"Believe me, I-I worked it out."
"No, this is something, uh, that you can't possibly know."
Buffy folded her arms and nodded to him to continue.
Warren took a deep breath. "She's a robot."
Buffy looked at him, expecting more. "Uh-huh."
At the Magic Box, Dawn and Tara were walking from the back of the store toward the front.
"A robot? Really? What is she like?" Dawn asked.
"She actually looked like Britney Spears...or so I've heard."
Dawn grinned. "Ooh!"
"Buffy's busy tracking down the guy that made her, so I'll drop you off at school, and, if she's not finished, then I'll pick you up as well."
Buffy sat on the sofa while Warren paced.
"So you have girl troubles. They're not talking to you, you're not gettin' dates...you start thinking 'Hey, this isn't fair.'"
"Yeah, I mean I felt like I deserved to have someone. You know, I mean everyone deserves to have someone."
"So, naturally, you turned to manufacturing."
"Kinda."
"And how long did it take to build yourself that little toy?"
"Oh, no, she's not a toy. I mean I know what you're thinking, but she's more than that."
"I'm sure she has many exciting labor-saving attachments."
"No, I made her to love me. I mean she cares about what I care about, and she wants to be with me. She listens to me and supports me. I didn't make a toy. I made a girlfriend."
"A girlfriend. Are you saying...?" Buffy paused. "Are you in love with her?"
"I really thought I would be. I mean she's perfect. I don't know, I...I guess it was too easy. And predictable. You know, she got boring."
Buffy rolled her eyes.
"She was exactly what I wanted, and I didn't want her." Warren laughed crazily. "I thought I was going crazy."
"Really? You?"
"Then something happened." Warren sat next to her. "Katrina was in my engineering seminar, and she was really funny and cool. You know, she was always givin' me a hard time, real...unpredictable. She builds these little model monorails that run with magnets, and..." Warren paused, looking at Buffy. "Anyway." He shrugged. "I fell in love with Katrina."
Buffy suspected she was getting a skewed version of the actual story but let it slide. "Swell. Romance and magnetic trains. But first you decided to take April out of the box, play with her for five minutes, and then what? You got bored, decided to dump her, tell her to go away?"
"Kinda."
"And she got mad. She didn't go, huh?"
"Okay, I didn't really dump her as much as I, uh, went out and, uh, didn't come back."
Buffy stared.
"I left her. I...left her in my dorm room."
Buffy got angry. "You left her in your dorm room?!"
"Well, I figured I could just kinda get away until her batteries gave out. Which should have been days ago."
"Did you even tell her?"
"I didn't need to tell her anything. I mean her batteries were supposed to run down. Really, they should be completely dead by now."
"So why aren't they?"
"I don't - I don't know. I mean maybe...uh, she must be recharging them somehow."
"Warren, this is important. Is she dangerous?"
"She's only programmed to be in love."
"Then she's dangerous. Do you have any idea how to find her?"
"Well, she's looking for me, so my guess is she's probably pretty close."
Buffy and Warren were walking along the street.
"April! April, are you there?! If the batteries are still working, and she hears my voice, then...she'll answer."
"She's voice-activated?" Buffy asked.
"Well, I made it so that, if she heard me, and she didn't answer, it causes this kind of feedback."
"Wait, if you call her, and she doesn't answer, it hurts her?"
He looked embarrassed.
Buffy shook her head. "You're one creepy fucking little dweeb, Warren."
"April!"
"Warren!" April yelled.
Buffy and Warren stopped walking.
Warren nodded. "April."
April was standing there in front of them, in a playground. "Where have you been? I couldn't find you."
Warren moved toward April.
"Warren, honey, what's going on? Why did you go away? Is it a game?"
"No. No, this isn't a game."
"Did I do something wrong? I waited a long time, and you never came back. A long time. I made you five sweaters."
"That's great, you could go back and get them. So you could wait there, and-"
"Warren!" Buffy yelled angrily.
He looked back at her.
"You have to tell her. And do it right."
Warren looked nervously at April.
"What is she saying, Warren? What do you need to tell me?"
"April, I made a mistake."
April laughed. "You can't make mistakes."
"No, I did. I thought that I made you everything that I wanted, but it wasn't really what I wanted. I'm sorry, bu-but it's over."
April smiled. "But...I can be whatever you want. I love you. I'll do whatever you want. Would you like a neck rub?" She moved forward, reaching for Warren's neck.
He fended her off. "No, hey, no. See, I-I know that you love me, but the truth is I can't love you."
April frowned.
"I mean it's not your fault, but...I don't love you." Warren's face looked fearful. "I love her!" He quickly moved out of the way.
April growled.
"She growls? You made her so she growls?" Buffy asked Warren in disbelief.
"Well..."
April grabbed Buffy and flung her away. She landed on some grass and got up as April approached. April went over to a see-saw and lifted one end of it. She brought her arm down on the middle of the board, so it snapped in half. Buffy was alarmed. April swung the piece of wood at Buffy, who grabbed it. They grappled. Buffy kicked April in the stomach, and she stumbled back, grabbing the bench to steady herself. Buffy swung the piece of wood, but April got out of the way, and it slammed down on a bench. Buffy swung again and hit April in the stomach, tearing away her dress and exposing machinery in her stomach. April's inner workings sparked. Buffy swung the wood at April again, and April grabbed it, pulled it out of Buffy's hands, tossed it away, and punched Buffy. Buffy flew backward and landed on her back, turned it into a backflip, and got up. She ducked a punch and landed one on April. Buffy and April continued exchanging punches and head-butts. Buffy kicked April, who fell down in the sand next to a swing set. Buffy grabbed the chains holding a swing up and used them to hold her up while she kicked April in the face, then hit her with the swing itself. April grabbed Buffy by the throat and lifted her off the ground as Buffy struggled and gasped for air.
"You took my man. I'm going to kill you. I'm going to..." April paused. "I can't...can't crush! So...tired."
She let go of Buffy, who coughed and gasped.
April stared at her own hand. "Warren? Where are you? What's happening to me?"
Her hand slowly dropped to her side. There was a sound like machinery powering down. Buffy stared.
A little later, Buffy and April were sitting on the swings, side by side. April was leaning against the chain as it was the only thing holding her up.
"Can you cry?" Buffy asked her. "Sometimes, I feel better when I cry. But...there might be rust issues."
"Crying is blackmail. Good girlfriends don't cry."
Buffy frowned. "Oh."
"I rechecked everything. I did everything I was supposed to do. I was a good girlfriend."
"I'm sure you were."
"I'm only supposed to love him. If I can't do that, what am I for? What do I exist for?"
"I don't know." Buffy shook her head. "It isn't fair. He wasn't fair to you."
April looked around, moving only her eyes. "It's getting dark."
Buffy looked around, too. It looked as sunny as ever.
"It's so early to be dark."
"Yeah."
"What if he comes back, and he can't find me in the dark?" April asked.
"I'm here. I'll make sure that he finds you."
April smiled. "Maybe this is a girlfriend test. If I wait here patiently this time, he'll come back. He's going to take me home, and things will be right again. When things are sad...you just have to be patient. Because..." April's speech began to slow. "Because every...cloud has a silver lining. And...when life...gives you lemons...make...lemonade."
"Clouds and lemonade, huh?"
"Yes. And..." April slowed down even further. "And...things are...always...darkest...before..."
She stopped, frozen with a small smile on her face. Her eyes stayed open. Buffy looked at her with a frown, then looked down pensively. Buffy turned away, then turned back, still sitting on the swing next to April.
Kate was sitting before the review board.
A man looked at her. "If you have anything to offer in your defense, Detective Lockley, anything at all, now would be the time."
Kate remained silent.
"For God's sakes, Kate, say something."
"What am I supposed to say, Lieu? They've dredged out every ugly detail of the last year. Spill it out on the table as if nothing had a context, and I'm supposed to explain? I was doing my job."
"Actually what it appears you've been doing, detective, is isolating yourself. You've withdrawn from the stabilizing influence of your fellow officers, developed this morbid fascination for cases of a bizarre and macabre nature, and even you can't seem to give an explanation to why. Now, your father, he was a respected veteran of this department. And you were the one that discovered his body after he was murdered, is that right?" a man asked.
"Yes."
"And the case was never solved?"
"No arrests have ever been made."
A woman looked at Kate. "That must be very frustrating for you."
"I dealt with it."
"Did you? You took no personal time off after his death. You went right back on the job."
"That is none of your business."
A man looked at her. "It becomes our business when it affects performance."
The woman nodded. "It is very important when you suffer a loss of this nature to take the proper time to grieve. So we understand. We want you to know we're not judging you."
"No, you're only firing me."
The man stared at her. "You stopped being a part of the force a long time ago."
"What am I supposed to do?"
The woman didn't look sympathetic. "We will, of course, make available to you psychological counseling at the city's expense as part of your severance."
Kate took a deep breath and let it out. "You people have no idea what the fuck's going on in this city."
"Is this the part where you start to talk about monsters?" the man asked her.
Kate didn't answer.
"We'll need your gun and your badge."
Kate swallowed, opened her briefcase, took her gun and badge from her briefcase, and closed it. She got up and went to lay her gun and badge on the table in front of the man. Kate slowly walked to the door.
"I'm just glad your father's not around to see this."
Kate paused, then opened the door and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Buffy brought April to Katrina's house. Amy was there. Katrina examined April in her bedroom. Amy and Buffy sat on the bed nearby, watching.
"Can you fix her?" Buffy asked Katrina.
"Yeah. Damage isn't extensive. Bit of wiring. And the skin can be shimmed."
"Shimmed? Is that even a real word? Do you have any idea what you're talking about?" Buffy asked her.
"Yeah, I do." Katrina smiled. "Scary, isn't it? I think I've actually turned into someone you want around after a crazed robot attack."
"And if you ever start your own business, you have your slogan right there." Buffy paused, thoughtful. "And she wasn't crazed."
Katrina was skeptical. "Yeah?"
"She devoted everything to making this one person happy. And then it was like, with him gone, there was just...no reason for her to exist anymore."
"Robots are the strangest people."
"No...people are the strangest people."
Katrina smiled and walked over to them. "Agreed." She looked at Amy, sitting to her right. "I've been thinking. I'm gonna move back home."
"What?" Amy asked. "What about school?"
"I'll transfer to UC Sunnydale."
"But what about Caltech?" Amy asked her.
"I don't feel comfortable on the same campus as Warren."
Buffy nodded. "He claimed to be in love with you."
Katrina laughed despite herself. "Oh, that guy's delusional."
"Are you sure about this, sweetie?" Amy asked Katrina.
Katrina nodded, smiling. "UC Sunnydale's a good school, and, besides, I'd rather be here with you."
Amy smiled and kissed Katrina on the lips. "Are you coming back right away?"
"Well...yes, but it's too late in the semester to transfer. I'm moving back right away, but I'm gonna finish the semester at Caltech, driving back and forth for my classes daily."
Amy was surprised. "That's quite a commitment."
"You're worth it." Katrina kissed Amy on the lips.
Kate walked into her apartment, carrying a box with the stuff from her desk. She put the box down, took off her jacket, and poured herself a stiff drink. She saw the shelves holding her trophies and plaques and went to knock them off while trying to hold back tears. She picked up a photo of her dad and started to cry.
In Montclair, New Jersey, Caridad walked back into the lobby of the building where she had just shot her latest soda commercial. Jodie was waiting for her.
Jodie stood up. "How'd it go?"
Caridad smiled. "Great."
"Listen, I got an offer while you were in your shoot. Kmart. Photo shoot for their circular."
"Cool."
"I turned them down."
"What? Why?"
Jodie opened the door. "Too low. I told them to call back with a better offer."
Caridad walked outside, and Jodie followed.
"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Caridad asked. "There's probably a lot of people that would be willing to do it for whatever they offered."
"Maybe, but I believe you're worth the extra money."
Caridad smiled. "Yeah?"
"Know your own worth, Caridad."
They crossed the street and entered a parking lot.
Jodie's cell phone rang. Caridad walked ahead to Jodie's car and waited.
"Hello?" Jodie paused. "Yes." She paused again. "Yes." She paused again. "That's acceptable." She paused again. "Very good." She paused again. "Have a good day." She ended the call.
Caridad looked at her.
Jodie smiled. "Told ya."
Caridad grinned.
That evening, the phone rang at Angel Investigations.
Cordelia picked it up. "Good evening. Angel Investigations. We help the helpless. How can we help you?"
"It's me."
"What is it, Wesley?"
"It's just...I'm not really feeling that great. Uh, I'm thinking maybe I'm not coming in tomorrow."
"No big deal. It's not like they're beating down the door. No, you should stay home, spend time with Virginia."
Wesley paused. "Yes. Uh, and you. You should get out yourself. You're young, single. It's a Friday night. There must be someone you can call."
"Uh, no, because then I'd actually have to have some friends. I don't."
Wesley swallowed. "That's not true."
Cordelia paused. "You don't count."
"Thank you."
"You know what I mean."
"What about Anne? Faith?"
"Anne's always busy, and Faith's idea of a good time is fighting the undead."
"Things are gonna get better, Cordelia...for all of us. You'll see."
"I'll call you tomorrow. See how you're feeling."
"That'd be nice."
"Good night, Wesley."
"Night."
Cordelia hung up the phone. She stood up, collected her things, and went to shut off the light in the lobby. Cordelia was on her way out the door when the phone rang again.
Cordelia turned back around. "Oh, God damn it, Wesley. Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, all right?" She picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Ms. Chase?"
"Oh. Mrs. Sharp!"
"We were hoping you were still in the office."
"The back of your daughter's head is still okay, right? Because it's not like we offer a money-back guarantee. But then, you never paid us, did you?"
"I will. I have the money, if you're willing to come and get it."
"You do? Right now?"
"Is that a problem?"
No, that's great! Um, you're on my way home, give or take...thirty miles."
"Do you take a personal check?"
"Personal check, uh...normally not, but - but - but fine. Um, will you give me the address again?"
"6051 Philip Avenue."
Cordelia turned on the desk light and scribbled the address down on the pad laying there. "Uh-huh...okay. Great, I'll see you soon." She hung up the phone.
Kate opened the door to her bathroom cabinet and took out a bottle of pills. She walked into the living room grabbed the nearly-empty bottle of whisky from the coffee table. Kate sat on the floor, opened the bottle, and started taking pills.
Kate pulled the phone down to the floor, picked up the handset, and dialed Angel Investigations. She set the empty bottle of booze next to the phone and the bottle of pills beside it. White pills were spilled out on the floor.
"Hi, you've reached Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless. Leave a message, and we'll get right back to you."
Cordelia's message was followed by a beep.
"You did it, didn't you? You bastard..." Kate was leaning her head back on the seat of a chair, holding the phone so she could speak into it but with the other end resting on top of her forehead instead of against her ear. "You made me trust you. You made me believe. No, it wasn't you." Kate lay back on the floor, knocking over the bottle. "It was me, right? I couldn't take the heat. That's what they're gonna say. Then you're gonna feel all bad...or you won't care. But then - then I won't care either. I won't feel a thing." She abruptly dropped the handset.
Kate began to cough. She was standing in the shower. Angel was holding her under the spray of water.
"All right. Cough. All right. That's it. Come on." Angel held her against him as she coughed, resting his face against the top of her head for a moment.
Kate, dressed in dry clothes but hair still wet, looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, then turned to face Angel, standing behind her in the open doorway.
"Thanks. Now, get out." Kate walked past him.
A taxi pulled up in front of the Sharps' house, and Cordelia got out. Cordelia saw the house was completely dark and stopped on the sidewalk. She looked at the taxi pulling away, then back at the house. The door to the house was partly ajar, and, after some knocking, Cordelia peeked into the house.
"Hello? Mrs. Sharp?" Cordelia inched her way in. "Anybody home? Cordelia Chase here. Um, I hope you haven't gone to bed already. Took me a little longer to get here than I expected. Hope that doesn't mean you changed your mind about paying your bill, which I-I just happened to bring along with me." She paused. "Hello?"
She took a few steps deeper into the house and looked in through the doorway into the kitchen to see the Sharps' bodies laying on the floor there. Cordelia upped a hand to her head as she got a blurry vision of her trying to leave the house but encountering a Skilosh demon instead. Cordelia took a deep breath, got up, and hurried to the door - only to recoil from the sight of a Skilosh demon standing right there, blocking her way.
"That was helpful!" Cordelia yelled.
The Skilosh growled as it jumped at her, knocking her out.
Cordelia, sitting back against the wall in the Sharps' house, slowly came to. Touching the back of her head, she got on all fours.
"Human."
Cordelia let out a startled yell and looked up.
"Destroyer of our spawn."
"Destroyer of your..." Cordelia paused, confused. "Have we met?"
"The others. You will make them come to us."
"Huh? What others?"
"Three are responsible. Three must pay."
"Look, I think you must have me confused with someone else. I haven't destroyed anyone's spawn. Promise."
Two more Skilosh came in and spoke to the first one in Skilosh. As the first Skilosh turned around, Cordelia got to see the back of its head for the first time.
"Hey! You've got a third eye in the back of your head just like that little girl did...before...we...destroyed your spawn."
"We've located the wheel-ed one. Where is the other?"
"Wheel-ed one?"
Wesley and Virginia were sitting in a booth together in Helen's Kitchen. Faith walked over to them.
"And that's the important thing."
"But you couldn't have done it metaphorically? You know, in with a stern word? You had to do it in the actual I'm-standing-up-now-and-popping-six-stitches way?" Virginia asked him.
Faith set a tea tray on the table, lifted the kettle, and began to pour them some tea.
Virginia looked at Faith. "Thanks." She looked at Wesley. "I guess...before all this happened, I never really considered just how dangerous your work was."
"Well, of course, what I do is dangerous. You forgetting how we met? You were strapped to a sacrificial altar while the goddess Yeska was called forth from the nether regions to consume you."
"But I grew up with all that sort of shit. Creepy crawlies and scary monsters, I can handle. But guns? Kind of makes it all a little too real, you know?" Virginia asked.
"The gun was fired by a zombie, if it makes you feel any better."
"You know, strangely, it doesn't." Virginia carefully scooted closer and laid her head on Wesley's chest.
Wesley kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair. Faith picked up a pair of tongs and added a sugar cube to each of their cups.
"Does it always seem like it's a battle worth fighting?" Virginia asked Wesley.
"Some less than others."
"Collectively, I mean. Most people, they don't even acknowledge the evil, let alone try to fight it. And they don't have to wrap themselves in bandages to keep their insides from falling out."
"That's true."
"I don't suppose you'd ever consider...maybe giving it up...for something else?" Virginia asked Wesley.
"Could you be with someone who would?"
"I don't know." Virginia paused. "But sometimes I feel like I should be wrapped in bandages...to keep my insides from falling out."
Faith picked up her tray and walked away.
The Skilosh at the Sharps' house was talking to the two others, and Cordelia made an attempt to back away while its back was turned - only to have it spin around and growl at her.
"I'm guessing 'Hey! Look behind you!' is really not gonna work, is it?"
"Two more have been destroyed."
"What? Oh, no! Wesley, Gunn, you - you killed them? You horrible, ugly, three-eyed-"
"Three must pay."
"Oh! Two of you have been destroyed." Cordelia breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay..." She frowned. "Oh. That's bad..."
The Skilosh stared at her.
"I'm sorry?"
"More must rise."
The other two Skilosh grabbed a hold of Cordelia.
"Oh. Oh, no. Hey! Hey, hey. Wait a second. Guys!"
"More must rise!"
"No, no. No more must rise. Honest."
An ugly, three-pronged tongue started to protrude out of the demon's mouth as he leaned closer to Cordelia. Cordelia suddenly bit down on the demon's tongue. It screamed in pain. She bit its tongue off, then spat it in his face. Then she head-butted it.
Gunn walked into the Hyperion. The light turned on, and Gunn spun around to face Angel, who was holding an ax.
"Gunn! What are you doing here?"
"I was passing by. Saw the lights was on. Besides, I work here." Gunn paused. "I saw you turn off the lights and hiding. What's up with that?"
"There was a demon attack at Wesley's home. I saved him. I thought perhaps I'd been followed."
"Demon attack?"
"Skilosh, I'm afraid."
"As in the back-of-the-head type demon? I thought we got rid of that."
"You did. Which is why I believe you're being targeted for retribution by the tribe."
"Where's Cordy?"
"I don't know. Not here."
"You checked her pad?"
"I stopped by there earlier."
"You enjoying your visit to 1973?" Gunn picked up a memo pad. "I meant her message pad."
"Oh, right. That's a good idea." Angel picked up a pencil. "Oh, here, use this. You can make a rubbing of the impressions she left. See what the last thing was that she wrote."
"Or we could just read the carbon."
Angel dropped the pencil back on the desk. "Or you can do that."
"Directions. Looks like she wrote that down tonight."
"Let's go."
Angel was driving down the road, checking his side mirror from time to time.
Gunn was sitting in the passenger seat. "What is it?"
"I don't know. Nothing, I guess."
A Skilosh demon dropped out of a tree, into the car. Gunn jumped up in his seat and kicked it off. The demon rolled off the back of the car, and Angel swerved the car and stopped in the middle of the road. Angel stared into the side mirror as the Skilosh slowly picked itself back up and was joined by two more of its kind.
"Angel?" Gunn looked back and saw the demons. "We should probably go."
Angel kept staring in the mirror.
"Yo, Angel!"
Angel got out of the car. "You go ahead."
"What?"
"Just go! I'll handle this. If we don't take them out, they'll flank us once we get to the house." Angel pulled the ax out from the back seat. "And then I'll meet you there."
Gunn gave him a look.
"I'll be there. Just get to Cordelia. That's all that matters."
Gunn jumped into the driver's seat. The car peeled out of there.
Gunn ran into the Sharps' house and saw Cordelia, covered in blood, standing in the living room, surrounded by the decapitated bodies of the demons laying on the floor. Various pieces of furniture were broken, and table legs were run through the demons' chests.
Cordelia grinned. "Gunn! Hi! 'Bout time you showed up!"
Gunn smiled. "I came to rescue you."
"I knew you would!"
Angel entered the house and hurried over to her. He looked pretty beaten up and had some blood dripping from his nose, but he was smiling at her.
"Angel..." Cordelia paused. "Hi."
"Hi." Angel paused. "You okay?"
"No."
Angel's smile melted away into worry. "You're not?"
"No. You really hurt my feelings." Cordelia walked away.
Kate and Angel were sitting side by side outside in the garden court of the Hyperion.
"I feel like such an idiot."
"A lot of that going around."
"I just couldn't..." Kate paused. "My whole life has been about being a cop. If I'm not part of the force, it's like nothing I do means anything."
"It doesn't."
"Doesn't what?"
"Mean anything. In the greater scheme or the big picture, nothing we do matters. There's no grand plan, no big win."
"You seem kind of chipper about that."
"Well, I guess I kinda...worked it out. If there is no great, glorious end to all this, if...nothing we do matters,...then all that matters is what we do. 'Cause that's all there is. What we do, now, today. I fought for so long. For redemption, for a reward...finally just to beat the other guy, but...I never got it."
"And now you do?"
"Not all of it. All I wanna do is help. I wanna help, because...I don't think people should suffer...as they do. Because, if there is no bigger meaning, then the smallest act of kindness...is the greatest thing in the world."
"Yikes. Well, I'm pretty much convinced, since I'm alive to be convinced."
"You know you don't have to be a cop to be-"
"I'm okay." Kate paused. "Anyway, I'm not headed towards another pillathon. I'm very grateful. I never thought you'd come for me, but...I got cut a huge break, and I believe...I don't know what I believe, but I...have...faith. I think maybe we're not alone in this."
"Why?"
"Because I never invited you in."
Cordelia was sitting behind the desk. She looked up and saw Angel and Kate walking in. Gunn walked up behind her, and they both stared at Angel standing there.
"I'm sorry."
Cordelia frowned. "I have a bit of bad news. Wesley just called. He quit."
"What?" Angel asked. "Why?"
"True love. He'd rather be in a safe occupation, so Virginia won't worry about him."
Angel was silent for a moment. "I can understand that."
No one said anything for a while.
"I wanna work for you."
Everyone looked at Kate.
"You wanna work for me?" Angel asked her.
"Yeah. I do."
"Why?"
"Because I think I can help." Kate paused. "I might not be able to replace Wesley, but I know these streets, and I'm good at doing research."
Angel gave her a small smile. "You're definitely right about that."
"No."
Everyone turned to look at Cordelia.
"No. No. No! Ahh!" Cordelia reached up to her head as she was hit with a vision. "The usual big scary rising up in a housing project in Topanga, and...why is it that I am not on the floor this time?"
Angel was standing behind her. "I got you."
Cordelia looked back at him and smiled. "Let's go."
Angel, Cordelia, Kate, and Gunn turned to head out the door.
Chapter 118: The Body
Chapter Text
"The Body"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
Buffy unlocked and opened the front door and entered her home. "Hey, Mom."
There was no response.
Buffy closed the door, then turned to call up the stairs, putting down her jacket. "Hey. Want me to pick Dawn up from school?"
There was no response.
Buffy frowned, looking down the hall toward the kitchen. "Mom?"
She turned and looked in the living room. Her mother was laying on the sofa in an unnatural position. Her eyes were open, staring sightlessly at the ceiling. One arm hung loosely over the edge of the sofa. She did not move or blink.
Buffy walked into the living room, then stopped. "Mom?"
Nothing from Joyce.
"Mom?"
Nothing from Joyce.
"Mommy?" Buffy asked in terror.
Joyce's eyes were open and unseeing.
Buffy rushed over and began shaking Joyce by the shoulders. "Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!"
She got no reaction.
Buffy got up, panting and sniffling. She went into the kitchen, where she picked up the phone and dialed 911. She fidgeted anxiously while it rang.
"911 emergency."
"Hello?" Buffy asked.
"Do you have-"
"My mom, she-she's not breathing."
"Is she conscious?"
Buffy moved back into the living room. "No. I-I-I can't; she-she's not breathing."
"Okay, I need you to give me your address."
"What?"
"I'm gonna send an ambulance over."
"1630 Rivelo; it-it's a house; Rivelo, near Hadley."
"I'm sending a unit right away. Are you alone in the house?"
"Yes."
"Well, did you see what happened? Did she fall?"
"No, no, I-I came home, and she - What should I do?"
"Do you know how to administer CPR?"
Buffy was upset. "No, I don't remember."
"Okay, it's very simple. You wanna tilt your mother's head back, cover her mouth with yours, and breathe into her mouth."
Buffy dropped the phone to her side and moved toward Joyce. "I know this. I know this. God." She put the phone down and took hold of Joyce's legs, pulling Joyce down across the sofa, so she lay flat. "I can do this. Okay. Okay." She tilted Joyce's head back, opened her mouth, pinched Joyce's nose shut, and breathed into Joyce's mouth twice. Then she began chest compressions. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight..." She made a face, then did two more breaths and resumed compressions. "One, two, three-"
She heard a cracking noise.
"Oh! Oh, God." Buffy reached for the phone. "I - Are you there? I-I broke something."
"Hello?"
"It cracked."
"Is she breathing?"
"No."
"Paramedics should be there in a moment. You might have cracked a rib. It's not important."
Buffy put her hand on Joyce's. "She's cold."
There was silence for a moment.
"The body's cold?"
Buffy was offended. "No, my mom! Sh-Should I make her warm?"
"No...if she's not responding to CPR, the best thing is to wait for the paramedics, okay?"
"When will they be here?" Buffy asked, angry.
"They're very nearby."
Buffy dropped the phone to her side and looked up at the window, then stood up. Bright sunshine streamed in through the window. It was totally quiet except for the faint sound of the 911 operator's voice.
Buffy brought the phone back up to her ear. "I have to make a call."
She pressed the hang-up button. Buffy hit a speed-dial button. She heard it dialing, then ringing.
"Thank you for calling the Magic Box, your one-stop spot to shop for all your occult needs."
"Tara. You have to come home."
"Buffy?" Tara asked.
"It's m-my mom. Please."
Buffy ended the call, then turned to look over her shoulder. She walked to the front door, opened it, and looked out. She heard a siren and saw the ambulance coming to a stop on the street. Buffy went back inside, leaving the door open.
Buffy walked back into the living room. Buffy stared at Joyce laying on the sofa as she heard the ambulance doors close and footsteps approaching. Joyce wore a knee-length skirt, but it had bunched up a bit, and her slip was showing. Buffy glanced anxiously toward the door, went over, and pulled Joyce's skirt down to cover the slip. She turned and went back to the doorway.
"She's in here."
Two male paramedics entered, carrying equipment. Buffy watched anxiously as they put their stuff down and checked Joyce.
The first one put his hand on Joyce's throat. "I'm getting no pulse."
"Let's lay her out."
They lifted Joyce onto the floor. The first paramedic had a stethoscope and a flashlight.
"How long's she been like this?" the second paramedic asked Buffy.
"I found her - a-a few - few minutes."
The first paramedic checked Joyce's eyes.
The second paramedic attached some wires to Joyce's chest. "Was she conscious?"
"No."
"I'm bagging her."
"What?" Buffy asked the first paramedic.
"We're gonna intubate. Just trying to get her to breathe, all right?" the second paramedic explained.
Buffy nodded. The first paramedic reached for more equipment.
"This your mother?" the second paramedic asked.
"Yes."
"She have any serious physical health problems, any history of heart disease?"
The first paramedic inserted a tube in Joyce's mouth.
"No. I mean there - there was a tumor, a brain tumor, but she had an operation, and she's fine now. She-She's been fine."
The first paramedic covered Joyce's face with an oxygen mask and held the mask in place while the second paramedic did chest compressions. The EKG machine made a rhythmic, breath-like sound but showed a flatline. The second paramedic checked Joyce's wrist for a pulse, then resumed chest compressions. There was utter silence except for the sound of the paramedic continuing CPR. The EKG machine still showed a flatline.
The second paramedic stopped CPR and turned to the first paramedic. "She's cold, man."
Buffy stared, wide-eyed, shocked.
"Call it."
The first paramedic looked grim and began to pack up his stuff. Buffy's lower lip began to tremble.
The second paramedic stood up slowly and walked toward Buffy. "I'm sorry."
Buffy stared at him, wide-eyed. "Wha-What do we do now?"
"I'm sorry, but I have to tell you that...your mother's dead."
Buffy stared.
"It looks like she did die a good while before you found her. There's...nothing you could have done."
"W-What...?" Buffy couldn't finish the question, staring at him with tears in her eyes.
"I'm guessing it must have been an aneurysm or some clotting. Some complication from surgery. She probably felt...very little pain. I'm gonna call it in. The coroner's office will come by and take her in, and they'll determine the cause of death conclusively."
Buffy continued to stare at him.
"Dispatch 7, we have a 206; what's your status?"
"We're moving."
"Location is Beaumont and 9th; your gig is on the street; go now."
"Okay. We gotta fly."
The second paramedic looked at the first paramedic. "All right." He looked at Buffy. "I'm gonna call this right away. Now, the coroner's office may take a while. In the meanwhile, I think you should sit, have a glass of water, and try not to disturb the body."
Buffy was still staring at him.
"Do you need anything? Is there someone you can call?"
"Someone's coming."
The first paramedic walked to the doorway, carrying his stuff. "Let's go."
The second paramedic turned to pick up his stuff, then turned back to Buffy. "I'm very sorry for your loss."
"Thank you."
He exited, leaving the front door open. Buffy walked to the door, still holding the phone, and looked out. The ambulance doors closed, the engine started, and the ambulance drove away.
Buffy turned and walked back inside, still holding the phone, still dazed. She looked toward Joyce. She heard the ambulance siren starting up.
Buffy turned and walked toward the kitchen, putting down the phone on a table. She got to the back of the dining room just before the kitchen door. Suddenly, she fell to her knees and vomited on the floor. She heard the sound of her mother's wind chimes over her retching noises.
Buffy stood up slowly. She put a hand on her stomach, walked through the kitchen, to the back door, opened it, and looked out. She heard birds singing, distant voices, and ordinary city noises. Buffy's face was sweaty and pale. She stood there for a moment, then turned back inside, leaning on the door for support. She looked at the kitchen island, walked over to it, and took a bunch of paper towels off the roll. Leaving the back door open, she went back into the dining room and put the paper towels over the spot on the carpet where she vomited. The moisture began to seep through.
Buffy heard the sound of an engine approaching and stopping.
"Buffy!" Tara called.
Buffy turned.
Tara stood in the front doorway. "What is it? Is your mom all right?"
Buffy stood up. "I'm waiting. The - The coroner's coming."
"What?" Tara took a few steps inside.
Buffy nodded toward Tara's left. Tara looked, saw Joyce's body, and gasped.
Buffy stared.
"Oh!" Tara looked at Buffy. "What happened?!"
"I don't know. Some complication from the tumor, they think." Buffy began crying.
"Shh." Tara hurried over and put her hands on Buffy's shoulders, rubbing her shoulders and neck. "Shh, darling."
"I can't do this."
Tara kissed Buffy on the forehead, then three times on the mouth, in an attempt to calm her. Buffy returned the kiss.
Tara leaned her forehead against Buffy's. "We can do this."
They both nodded. Tara continued rubbing Buffy's shoulders.
Buffy sniffled. "Okay."
"We can be strong."
"Okay." Buffy nodded, sniffling.
"Love you so much."
"I know. I love you, too."
"Buffy!" Giles called.
Buffy and Tara turned.
Giles stood in the front doorway, panting. "What is it? Is it Glory?"
"It's my mom."
"What?" Giles took a few steps inside. "I'm not sure..." He looked to his left and saw Joyce's body for the first time. "Oh, God." He rushed toward her.
Buffy rushed after Giles. "No. No. Don't. No, it's too late."
"Joyce?" Giles asked.
"They're - They're coming for her; no, no, we're-"
Buffy rounded the corner and found Giles bending over Joyce, shaking her.
"Joyce!" Giles yelled.
"We're not supposed to move the body!" Buffy cried desperately.
Giles turned to look at her. Buffy was aghast, putting her hand to her mouth as she realized what she said. Tara quickly ran over to Buffy and put her arms around her. Buffy stared in shock past Tara's shoulder at Joyce.
Buffy didn't know how long that they stood like that, but soon she heard multiple vehicles approach and stop outside. Soon, two people from the coroner's office came in, carrying a stretcher and a body bag. They were followed by two police officers. Tara let go of Buffy.
One officer walked over to Buffy. "Is this your mother?"
"Yes."
"Would you please find her ID, like a driver's license? We also need her Social Security number."
Buffy was in a daze. "I, uh..."
"I'll look for them, sweetie." Tara started searching the living room, then walked through the dining room and into the kitchen.
"Do you have the name of your mother's doctor?" the officer asked.
"Aaron Kriegel. Sunnydale Memorial."
"Was your mother taking any medication?"
"Uh...she was...before...but not recently."
"Do you know what she was taking?"
"I don't remember the names."
Tara walked out of the kitchen and headed upstairs.
Buffy watched Joyce's body being zipped into the body bag. The coroner's office employee pulled the zipper up over her face.
"And your name?" the officer asked Buffy.
"Buffy Anne Summers."
The officer stared at her. "Have I seen you somewhere before? Down at the station, maybe?"
"Uh, I-I guess. I'm sometimes over there when I need to file a report."
The officer stared at her, clearly confused. Buffy pointed at her badge, which was clipped to a belt loop on her blue jeans. The officer nodded.
Tara walked downstairs and over to the officer. She offered Joyce's driver's license and Social Security card to him. He took them.
Tara looked at Buffy. "Miss Kitty was sleeping on your mom's bed. I put her in our room, gave her food, and closed the door."
"Thank you."
The officer offered Joyce's driver's license and Social Security card to Buffy. Buffy took them, looked at her mother's photo for a moment, and shoved them in her back pocket.
"Okay, we done here?" the first officer asked his partner.
"Yeah. They're ready."
The first officer looked at Buffy. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you."
The people from the coroner's office removed Joyce's body from the house, and the police officers followed. Buffy followed them outside. Tara and Giles followed her. They watched Joyce's body being loaded into the back of the vehicle.
"Do you want a moment with her?" one of the employees asked.
Buffy shook her head.
He closed the back of the vehicle. They got in and drove off. The police officers also drove off.
Buffy looked down, thinking. "I have to tell Dawn. She's at school." She looked up. "I'll go there."
"I'll drive you, sweetie." Tara held out her hand.
Buffy got her keys out of her pocket and gave them to Tara. She looked at Giles.
Giles nodded. "I'll meet you there." He walked over to his car.
Buffy and Tara walked into the main office of Sunnydale Junior High School and over to the counter.
"May I help you?" the woman asked.
"Um, my name is Buffy Summers. I'm here to pick up my sister, Dawn."
"The school day's almost over. If you'd like to have a seat and wait-"
"No!" Buffy yelled.
The woman started.
"Sorry. I'm...sorry. Um, it's an emergency. Please bring her here. And, uh, I need to speak to the principal."
Tara looked at Buffy. "We should also get her assignments from her teachers - in case she has to miss multiple days."
Buffy looked at her. "Yeah, uh, can you get those?"
"Sure."
Dawn was leaning against a wall in the girls' restroom, crying. "Oh, God. I can't believe it."
"It's not that bad."
"How can you say it's not that bad?" Dawn asked in disbelief.
"I just don't think it's that big a deal."
Dawn heard the toilet flushing.
"Kevin Berman called me a freak in front of everybody." Dawn shrugged. "No, that's no big deal."
The toilet stall door in front of her opened.
Lisa came out of the stall and walked forward. "He didn't say you were a freak."
Lisa went over to the sinks, which Dawn was standing next to, and began washing her hands.
"Forget it."
"He just said you were...freaky. Which, you know, freaky can be...sort of cool."
"Oh, yeah. Really cool." Dawn's eyes were teary. "I'm a suicidal head-case."
"You know it was Kirsty. She was telling people how you were into cutting yourself and how you-"
"That's such a lie! I got cut. By accident. One time." Dawn walked into the toilet stall and took some toilet paper to wipe her face.
Lisa took some paper towels from a dispenser to dry her hands.
"Now, Kevin thinks I'm a-"
"Well, that was when you were wigging out about your family, and of course Kirsty's gotta turn everything into a story."
Dawn walked out of the stall, wiping her eyes.
"She was telling people that you were adopted."
"What a prima bitch. I swear...if I could make her head explode using only the power of my mind?" Dawn brought up. "That's what I'd be doing right about now."
Lisa nodded.
Dawn wiped her eyes more and sighed, teary. "Great. Now, I look like a wet rat."
"Yeah, you know you can't go out there looking all cry-faced. That'll just give Kirsty more ammo."
The bell rang.
Dawn continued wiping her eyes. "You know? My big sister could really beat the shit out of her."
Lisa nodded.
"I mean really, really." Dawn blew her nose. "Okay. What do you think?" She turned to face Lisa. "Can I show my face?"
"You're good to go. We're gonna be late, anyway."
"Oh, great, it's Art. I'm not gonna be able to look Kevin in the eye."
"You've never looked Kevin in the eye. At least, now, he knows your name."
"Yeah, freaky psycho gal."
"Come on. Let's represent." Lisa opened the door for Dawn.
The two girls walked out of the restroom, backpacks on their shoulders. The hallway was full of kids.
"Have you studied at all for Geometry?" Lisa asked.
Dawn shrugged. "Some. It's pretty much baby shit."
"I don't have a math brain."
"We can go over it during study hall-"
Amanda joined them. "Kirsty alert."
They passed a couple of blonde girls that smirked at them.
Kirsty smiled sweetly. "Hey, Dawn."
"Hey."
"How you doing? You okay?"
"Good, thanks for asking."
Dawn, Amanda, and Lisa continued walking, rolling their eyes.
"Bitch!" Dawn muttered softly.
"Want me to kick her ass for you?" Amanda offered.
"Tempting."
The bell rang again.
Dawn, Amanda, and Lisa entered the art classroom. The walls were glass from the ceiling to about three feet off the ground. Rows of easels were set up. Dawn stared wide-eyed at Kevin at the back of the classroom.
Ms. Matza was standing beside the model, which was a three-foot-high statue of a naked woman. "Okay. Remember, we're not...drawing the object."
Dawn and Lisa went to the back and took easels on either side of Kevin. Dawn looked nervously at him.
"We're drawing...the negative space...around the object."
The students began to draw.
Kevin didn't look at Dawn. "Hey."
Dawn tried to be cool. "Oh. Hey, Kevin."
"What's goin' on?"
"Um, negative space." Dawn gave him a nervous smile.
Kevin smiled. "Yeah, what's that all about?"
Dawn scoffed. "Yeah."
Kevin looked at her paper. "That's pretty good."
Dawn smiled. "Thanks."
Behind Kevin, Lisa held up her pad of paper, on which she had written "HE WANTS YOU!" Dawn gave her friend a scolding look, then turned back to her drawing.
"So I heard you, like, had a freak-out and cut yourself."
"Uh, no, not even. It was a whole..." Dawn paused. "It was so not-"
"I've felt like that before."
Dawn was surprised.
"Things get so crazed, you know, you just feel like you wanna do something...extreme."
"Yeah. But it was an accident."
Kevin smiled, returning to his drawing.
Dawn frowned. "Then Kirsty's gotta blab it everywhere, 'cause she's-"
"Kirsty, man. It's like she thinks 'I'm so hot, everybody should just bow down before me.' And I'm like 'Whatever.'"
Dawn smiled and laughed. "She's so superficial. Everything's always about clothes or who likes who, and...there's just way more important stuff going on. There's a lot of...crucial...you know...stuff."
"Yeah."
"Uh, this one time in History, uh, she had this book called Annals of History, and she didn't know how to say the word 'annals', so she kept saying 'anals'."
"Ms. Matza?" a voice came over the intercom.
"Yes?"
"Do you have Dawn Summers?"
Dawn and Lisa looked at each other in surprise.
"Yes."
"Would you please send her to the office?"
"Ooooooh!" most of the students chanted.
"Yes."
"Thank you."
Dawn put down her charcoal, left behind her half-finished sketch of the statue, and walked toward the door. She opened it and closed the classroom door behind her as she exited into the hall.
She walked in silence to the office, wondering what they wanted.
Dawn opened the door and walked into the main office. The door closed behind her.
Dawn walked up to the counter. "Dawn Summers."
"Principal's office."
Dawn walked to the principal's office, wary, and opened the door. Principal Stevens was sitting at her desk. Buffy was sitting in a chair in front of the desk.
"Dawn, come on in and close the door."
Dawn walked into the office, closing the door behind her.
"Am I in trouble?" Dawn asked.
"Have a seat."
Dawn walked over and sat in the chair to Buffy's right.
Buffy looked into Dawn's eyes. "Dawn."
Dawn turned and looked at her sister.
Buffy stared at her. "I have to talk to you."
Dawn was apprehensive. "I thought Mom was picking me up."
Buffy didn't know how to start.
"What's going on? Something's going on. Tell me what's going on."
"It's...bad...news."
"Well, what is it? What happened?" Dawn asked anxiously.
Buffy's eyes were teary. "Mom...had an accident. Or, um...something went...wrong from the tumor."
Dawn suddenly had tears in her eyes. "Is she okay? Is she..." She paused. "But she's okay? But...it's - it's serious, but-"
"Dawn, Mom died this morning. While we were both at school, she-"
"No..." Dawn slowly began to cry as the news sunk in. She put her hand over her mouth and shook her head.
"I don't know exactly what happened, but...she's dead..."
"No. No, no, no, no, you're lying; you're lying; she's fine; she's fine, and you're lying; oh, no, no, please, please, no, you're lying; she's fine; she's fine..." Dawn was sobbing uncontrollably; none of her screams or pleading or anything made a dent in the wave of grief crushing her.
Buffy reached out to her, but Dawn was not ready to be held, not able to do anything but deny.
Buffy was crying anew. "Dawnie..."
"It's not true; it's not real; it's not real; ohhhhh, noooooo...no. No, it's not true. No, you're a liar! You're a fucking liar! She's fine!" Dawn screamed.
Buffy tried to comfort Dawn. Dawn pulled away.
The office door opened, and Tara walked in. She closed the door and could only watch.
Buffy, Tara, and Dawn walked into the waiting room of the wing at Sunnydale Memorial Hospital that contained the morgue. Giles was sitting in a chair, drinking a cup of coffee. The ladies walked over to him and sat down - Tara to his right, Buffy to her right, and Dawn to her right.
Giles looked over at Dawn. "I'm so sorry about your mother, Dawn."
Dawn barely looked at him. "Thanks."
"What's going on?" Buffy asked Giles.
"Dr. Kriegel, um, has gone in to perform the autopsy. It will be a while."
"Dr. Kriegel? Shouldn't the coroner, um, do...it?" Buffy asked.
"Dr. Kriegel was available at the moment, and he's qualified."
"Okay."
Tara looked at Buffy. "I'm, uh, gonna go and make some phone calls, let the gang know."
Giles looked at Tara. "Actually, I've already called Jenny at the university and let her know. She said she was going to let the others know."
Buffy looked at him. "Thank you."
Soon, Jenny, Amy, Katrina, Harmony, Sandy, and Julie walked into the waiting room. Buffy, Tara, Dawn, and Giles stood up. Jenny, Amy, Katrina, Harmony, Sandy, and Julie each hugged Buffy, Dawn, and Tara, each offering a variation of the same condolence. None of them had known Joyce particularly well, but they wanted to comfort their friends.
Jenny looked at Buffy. "If there's anything we can do..."
Buffy rubbed Jenny's arm. "Thank you, Jenny. Glad you're here."
"Any word on, uh...?" Amy asked.
Dawn shook her head. "They're not telling us anything."
Giles was looking around when he noticed Dr. Kriegel, wearing a white coat over blue hospital scrubs, approaching.
"Doctor?" Giles asked.
Everyone looked over at the doctor. He walked forward. Buffy, Tara, and Dawn walked forward to meet him. The others stayed behind in a group.
"Okay, I've examined your mother's body."
"Can we see her?" Dawn asked.
Buffy briefly looked at her. "Dawn, not now."
"The on-site report seems more or less accurate. Your mother did have what looks like an aneurysm. A sudden hemorrhaging from a ruptured arterial vessel near the, uh...where the tumor was removed."
"Shouldn't we have known about that, that...was a danger?" Buffy asked.
"Sometimes these things are detectable, and sometimes they're not. Joyce was aware of the possibility of a rupture and the effects. She didn't even get on the phone, so clearly this was very sudden."
Dawn stared at the floor.
"She, uh, may have felt a little nausea and probably passed out as it happened. I doubt there was much pain, and...even if someone had been by her side...it's doubtful that this could have been dealt with in time."
"Are you sure...that there wasn't a lot of pain?" Buffy asked him.
Dr. Kriegel nodded. "Absolutely. I think we can be almost positive about that."
"What, uh, what, uh, needs to be done now?" Buffy asked.
"Well, there, uh, there'll be some forms and some decisions you'll need to make."
Jenny walked forward. "Uh, Buffy, why don't you let me handle those as much as I can?"
"Please."
Dr. Kriegel looked at Buffy. "We will need you to...sign a couple of release forms."
Jenny looked at Buffy. "I'll, uh, figure out which ones you need to see."
"We'll be here."
Jenny went off with the doctor.
"Why don't we sit down?" Tara took both Buffy and Dawn by the hands and led them to a sofa.
Buffy sat. Tara sat on Buffy's right. Dawn remained standing.
"Dawnie, do you wanna sit?" Tara asked.
Dawn shook her head.
Buffy looked at Dawn. "I don't think we're gonna have to be here very long."
"What about...?" Dawn stopped.
"What about what?" Buffy asked.
Dawn shook her head. "Nothing. I have to piss."
"Do you want someone to go with you?"
Dawn gave her sister a sullen look. "No. I still remember how to piss." She turned away.
"Do you know where it is?"
"Yeah." Dawn walked off.
Buffy looked at her friends. "I think maybe she's...mad at me or something."
"'Cause you were the one that told her?" Amy asked.
"How'd she take it?" Katrina asked.
"Meltdown. She just wouldn't believe me. I still don't think she does."
"Do you want anything? Something to eat or...soda?" Harmony asked.
"Honestly, I...couldn't tell."
Tara looked at Buffy. "Maybe a soda? To get something back into your system?"
Buffy thought about it. "Yeah, and maybe Dawn could use a snack."
"I'll - I'll find something." Harmony turned and walked away.
"We'll come with." Amy followed her.
Katrina, Sandy, and Julie followed.
Buffy looked around. Giles was sitting in a chair way behind them, by himself, his face turned away. Buffy dimly understood why. Buffy and Tara looked at each other.
Buffy gently caressed Tara's cheek. "I'm sorry...you have to go through all of this."
"You don't have to worry about me."
"Everybody wants to help. I don't even know if I'm...here. I don't know what's going on. Never done this." Buffy paused. "That's just an amazingly dumb thing to say. Obviously...I've never done this before."
Tara frowned and looked at the floor.
Buffy thought for a moment. "Jesus, Tara, I'm sorry. This must...I'm sorry."
Tara looked at Buffy. "It hurts."
Buffy looked at her.
Tara gave a small, sympathetic smile. "It's okay."
They sat there, looking at each other. Then they hugged.
Harmony was searching for a vending machine, and the others followed.
Harmony finally found a Pepsi machine and a snack machine. She looked at the others. "Uh, does anyone have any quarters?"
Sandy took out her wallet and unzipped it. "I got it."
Harmony thought of something. "Oh, I should call Cordy and let her know." She took out her cell phone and walked away. She pressed a speed-dial button.
The phone rang three times.
"Angel Investigations and Hyperion Hotel. We help the helpless, and our rates are low."
"Hi, Cordy."
"Hi, Harm. What's up?" Cordelia asked.
"Um...Buffy's mom died today."
"Oh, my God." Cordelia paused for a moment. "How?"
"Complication from the tumor." Harmony paused. "Uh, we're at the morgue."
"How are Buffy and Dawn?" Cordelia asked.
Harmony paused. "Not good. Do you wanna talk to her?"
"Yeah."
Dawn walked out of the restroom. She looked around the corner, into the waiting room, and saw Buffy and Tara talking. She looked over at the door that led to the morgue. A red sign on the door read "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY". Dawn went over to that door.
Dawn opened the door and entered the hallway. It was fairly dark. She looked behind her, then began to walk slowly down the hallway in utter silence.
She looked inside the morgue. Several sheet-covered bodies lay on metal tables.
Dawn opened the door, went inside, turned, and bolted the door shut. She turned back and walked slowly past the row of bodies covered by sheets, toward the one at the end, in complete silence.
Dawn walked up to the last table, farthest from the door. She stared at the shape on the table, closed her eyes, then opened them. She reached out a hand, apprehensive. Dawn pulled her hand back without removing the sheet, took a step back, and swallowed with difficulty.
Buffy and Tara were still sitting on the sofa. The ladies returned. Sandy held two cans of regular Pepsi and a bag of Doritos. She offered a can to Buffy and a can to Tara.
Buffy took a can. "Thank you."
Tara took a can. "Thank you."
Sandy held up the bag of Doritos. "What about Dawnie?" She sat beside Buffy and looked around. "Is she still in the bathroom?"
Buffy frowned. "I guess." She set down her can and got up. "You guys wait here."
"Hello?" Cordelia asked.
Harmony frowned. "Uh, I'll call you back." She ended the call.
Buffy walked over to the hallway, looked at the door marked "Women", then looked across to the door marked "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY". She went to the second door and opened it.
Buffy walked down the dark hallway, first slowly, then faster. Buffy arrived at the morgue, looked through the window, and saw Dawn.
Buffy pushed the door, but it was still locked. Buffy threw herself against it, and it burst open.
Dawn pulled the sheet down a bit, exposing Joyce's head.
"Dawn?" Buffy asked.
Dawn looked at Joyce's face. Joyce's eyes were still open.
Dawn didn't take her eyes off Joyce, staring into her dead, unseeing eyes. "Is she cold?"
"It's not her." Buffy slowly walked up behind her sister. "It's not her. She's gone."
Dawn frowned slightly. "Where'd she go?"
Buffy didn't have an answer to that.
Dawn lifted her hand and reached out, very slowly. Dawn's hand moved slowly toward Joyce's cheek.
She closed her mother's eyes and stared at the body for a moment, then she pulled the sheet back up.
Buffy put a hand on Dawn's shoulder. Dawn turned around and fell against Buffy, hugging her. Buffy hugged Dawn.
Tara looked at the others. "I guess we should take over patrolling and all that."
Amy nodded. "Yeah."
Katrina nodded. "Oh, yeah."
Tara wiped away a tear. "For however long."
Harmony nodded. "You know it."
Buffy and Dawn walked back into the room.
"Has Jenny come back?" Buffy asked, picking up her can.
Julie shook her head. "Not yet."
"Will you guys excuse me for a while?" Buffy asked. "I need to be alone."
Tara nodded. "Of course."
Buffy turned and left the room.
Buffy walked into the hospital's chapel. It was a small room with a few rows of chairs. There was a stained-glass image of a generic path surrounded by green grass on either side and a blue sky and white clouds above. There was also a simple wooden cross.
Buffy closed the door behind her and walked to the front row. She sat in a chair in front of the cross, stared at it for a moment, then lowered her head.
She didn't know how long that she sat there in silent thought, but she eventually heard the door open and close.
Tara joined her, sitting to her right. "Jenny's back. Once you sign the forms, we can leave."
"Leave?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah. Home."
"Home." Buffy paused. "What am I gonna do at home?"
"I don't know. Eat dinner? Look at old photos?"
"I don't know how to cook dinner. Or anything. Not really."
"I'll handle it. I'll even teach you."
"Thank you." Buffy paused. "What's gonna happen to Dawn?"
"What do you mean?" Tara asked.
"Do you think my dad will try to take her away?"
"I hadn't thought of that. I hope not." Tara paused. "You could apply to be her legal guardian."
Buffy thought about that. "I guess I'll have to. I don't wanna lose her." She paused. "There's so much to do. Arranging the funeral, transferring things to my name. How am I gonna do all of that?"
"You're not. I'm here for you." Tara put her left hand on Buffy's right thigh. "We're all here for you. You don't have to do this alone."
"I don't wanna burden you."
"It's no burden."
"Thank you." Buffy paused. "I don't know where to start."
"We'll divide up the tasks. We'll do one thing at a time. We're in this together, okay?" Tara reminded her.
Buffy nodded. Tara kissed her on the lips.
Buffy looked at the cross. "I came in here, thinking...I don't know what. I needed quiet time. I thought maybe I could say a prayer for my mom. But I've got nothing." She looked at Tara. "I doubt God will listen to me. Maybe he killed my mom to punish me."
Tara was surprised. "I don't-"
"He gave her - us - false hope. 'Whew! You're cured! Haha, no, you're not! Surprise! You're fucking dead!'" Buffy exclaimed. "It's gotta take a special level of cruelty to do that to someone - and their loved ones."
Tara was concerned and upset and could only watch sadly.
"Why didn't she tell me about the possibility of her...of this happening?" Buffy asked.
"She probably didn't want to worry you."
"She already did before she went in for her surgery." Buffy paused. "She should have told me. I would have been prepared...a little."
Tara shrugged.
"Do you think people that die unexpectedly enjoy an afterlife? Do they even want to be there? Do they try to kick God's ass?" Buffy asked.
"I don't know." Tara paused. "But, Buffy, you're not the first person to ask these questions. People in many different religions wonder why the creator of the universe would allow cruelty and suffering. Even Wiccans."
"Maybe there's no meaning behind any of it. No grand purpose. Maybe it's better to just be an atheist. No expectations, no disappointment. No blaming God." Buffy paused. "I'm sorry, you probably don't wanna hear my ramblings."
"It's okay." Tara paused. "When my mother died, there's things...thoughts and reactions I had that...I couldn't...understand...or even try to explain to anyone else. Thoughts that...made me feel like I was losing it...or like I was some kind of ho-horrible person. It's okay to have these thoughts, sweetie. It's perfectly normal."
Buffy stared at Tara for a moment, then kissed her on the lips. Buffy stood up, and so did Tara. Tara put her arm around Buffy, and they left the chapel.
Chapter 119: Disharmony
Chapter Text
"Disharmony"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Forever" Written by Marti Noxon and the Angel Episode "Disharmony" Written by David Fury
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
Buffy walked into a darkened room in the Sunnydale Funeral Home. She was surrounded by shiny coffins. She walked between them, looking at each, and stopped next to one. There was a display of urns behind her. Buffy lifted the lid of the coffin.
The lights came on. Buffy looked up, startled. Tara was standing there.
"Buffy, you're here."
Tara, Dawn, and the funeral home director entered. Buffy dropped the lid of the coffin and folded her arms.
"You all right?" Tara asked.
"Yeah."
"Did you find something?" the director asked.
Buffy nodded. "This one."
Dawn walked over and stared at the coffin.
"It's a fine choice. It speaks of your deep feeling for the deceased."
Buffy resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Tara and the director turned to leave. Buffy followed, but Dawn remained. The others stopped and looked back at Dawn.
"You don't like it?" Buffy asked her.
Dawn was still looking at the coffin. "No, it's not that. It's just...what if Mom...what if she'd like something else better?"
"Dawn..."
"I mean...how do we know for sure? She's the one who has to be in it forever."
"Dawn, maybe it wasn't such a good idea: you coming along."
Dawn turned to look at her. "It's fine. It's just-"
"I'm serious. Y-You shouldn't have to deal with this stuff."
"If you'd like a few more minutes to decide-"
"No. I-It's done; it's fine." Buffy looked at Dawn. "Okay?"
Dawn nodded.
"Okay."
Buffy turned and walked out with the others following. Dawn remained staring at the coffin.
That evening, in the Summers' dining room, the table was laid out with food. Buffy sat at the head. Tara sat at Buffy's right, eating. Amy sat to Tara's right, Katrina sat to Amy's right, and Harmony sat at the foot; all three of them were eating as well. Jenny sat at Buffy's left, and Giles sat to Jenny's left. Buffy, Jenny, and Giles were looking at paperwork. Dawn was standing by a side table, looking at the card in a flower arrangement.
Giles looked at Buffy. "I checked prices at different florists, and the funeral home seems to be fairly competitive."
Buffy shrugged. "Let's just go with that; it's easier."
Dawn looked at her. "What color flowers?"
"Uh, white." Buffy looked at Dawn. "They're nice."
Jenny smiled. "Yeah."
"Uh, what about an announcement?" Buffy asked. "People are gonna be expecting a wake after the burial unless we say something."
Giles thought for a moment. "Um, well, we could put a-a line in the program expressing your mother's preference not to have one."
"There's no wake?" Dawn asked.
Buffy shook her head. "Mom didn't like them. She said potlucks are depressing enough as it is."
"She said that? When?"
"Uh, right before she went in for the operation. We had a talk about what she wanted...in case." Buffy looked down.
"She never said anything to me."
Tara looked at her. "I'm sure she just didn't wanna upset you, Dawn. Now, you better get to work on that dinner. You barely touched it."
Buffy nodded. "You really should eat something."
"Why should I? You're not."
"This isn't about-"
The cordless phone on the table rang.
Buffy sighed and looked at Giles. "I'm all phoned out. Will you? Unless it's my dad."
"Of course." Giles answered the phone.
Buffy returned to the papers.
"Hello?" Giles got up and walked out of the room.
Buffy and Dawn were disappointed.
Buffy sighed. "Can't believe he still hasn't called."
"Your dad's still AWOL, huh?" Amy asked.
"The number he left for us in Spain is no good, and I've left messages everywhere." Buffy paused. "Um, how about a line that just says 'Following the burial, there will be no wake'? Or 'gathering'? 'At the request of Joyce, there will be no gathering'? Ugh, that sounds lame."
Buffy put a hand to her forehead. Tara gave her a concerned look, looked at Dawn, got up, and began clearing the table.
"What are we gonna do? After, I mean. Are we just gonna...come back here?" Dawn asked.
"Uh...I-I don't know. I guess so. Unless you wanna go out somewhere for a while." Buffy paused. "Um, how about 'At the request of the family, there will be no wake'?"
Katrina nodded. "Good, yeah."
"Should I put it at the top or just a small line at the bottom?" Buffy asked.
Jenny looked at her. "Bottom, I think."
"Hymns? Readings?" Katrina asked.
Buffy looked at her. "Dawn and I already picked those out."
Jenny thought for a moment. "You, Dawn, Tara, and Rupert are pallbearers. Do you wanna pick two more?"
"No, four's fine." Buffy thought for a moment. "I guess that's everything for tomorrow." She looked at Jenny. "What about our finances?"
Jenny sighed. "Your mother prepared everything really well. She had insurance..." She paused awkwardly. "Life insurance. Which should have left you covered, but...hospital bills...pretty much sucked up all of the money. Which you're still hemorrhaging, by the way."
Buffy was confused. "How am I doing that?"
"No, not you, the house. Uh, see, this house, just sitting here, doing nothing, um, by itself costs money. Selling the gallery helped a little, but you're gonna run out eventually."
Dawn was worried. "So...what do we do?"
Tara returned from the kitchen.
Buffy thought for a moment. "Maybe we can downsize? Move into an apartment or something?"
Tara looked at her. "I wouldn't."
Buffy looked at her. "Why not?"
"I don't know. I just...have this feeling." Tara paused and considered, sitting down. "Like we're gonna need this house someday."
"Can you be more specific?" Buffy asked.
Tara shook her head. "No, sorry."
Buffy sighed and looked at everyone. "Okay, it's - it's bills; it's money. It's pieces of paper sent by bureaucrats that we've never even met and don't know a fucking thing about us. It's not like it's the end of the world." She thought about that for a moment. "Which is too bad, you know, 'cause I'm really good at that."
Dawn was still worried.
Buffy looked at Dawn. "I'll take care of this. I promise. I...just don't know how yet."
The doorbell rang.
Harmony stood up. "I'll get it." She walked into the foyer and unlocked and opened the front door.
Cordelia and Faith were standing there.
"Hey." Harmony stepped aside. "Come in."
Cordelia and Faith walked into the house. Harmony was about to close the door, but Sunday arrived, holding a bouquet of flowers. Buffy, Tara, Dawn, Jenny, Amy, and Katrina walked into the foyer.
Buffy looked at Cordelia and Faith. "Hi."
"Hi." Cordelia hugged Buffy.
Buffy hugged Cordelia.
"How are you holding up?" Cordelia asked.
"Barely. Thanks for coming."
"Of course."
They released each other. Then Buffy and Faith hugged each other.
Buffy noticed Sunday standing outside. Buffy and Faith released each other.
Buffy walked over to Sunday. "Hi, Sunday. I...didn't expect to see you."
Sunday looked at her awkwardly and offered her the bouquet. "They're for Joyce. I liked her."
Buffy smiled. "Thank you." She took the bouquet.
Tara reached for them. "I'll put them in a vase."
Buffy handed the bouquet to Tara.
Jenny and Giles soon went home. Buffy, Tara, and Dawn sat on the couch. Cordelia sat in the chair. Amy, Katrina, Harmony, and Faith sat on the floor. Buffy had found her mother's leftover beer in the refrigerator, and everyone except Dawn drank a bottle as they spent some time getting caught up.
"Sorry to hear about your money troubles." Cordelia paused in thought. "I know what you can do."
Everyone looked at her.
"Um...i-i-if you wanna pay every bill and...have enough to start a nice college fund for Dawn?" Cordelia gave the sisters a big smile. "Start charging."
Buffy was irritated. "For what?"
"Slaying vampires!"
Faith was embarrassed.
"Well, you're providing a valuable service to the whole community. I say cash in."
There was awkward silence for a while.
"Well, that's an idea...you would have. Any other suggestions?" Buffy asked.
"Well, I mean...it's - it's not so crazy."
Dawn stared at Cordelia. "Yes, it is! You can't charge innocent people for saving their lives."
Cordelia felt awkward and embarrassed and didn't know what to say.
Buffy thought for a moment. "Since we're keeping the house...Amy, Trina, would you like to live here?"
Amy and Katrina looked at her in surprise. Dawn and Tara were also surprised.
Buffy looked at Dawn and Tara. "I mean...if it's cool with you guys."
Dawn and Tara shrugged.
Amy was confused. "I don't understand."
Buffy looked at her. "I earn a rookie cop's salary, and Tara works at the Magic Box. You work at the video store. If you're willing to cover your fair share of the bills, you and Trina are welcome to live here with us. Our home can be your home."
"Oh, wow." Amy looked at Katrina. "What do you think?"
"I don't have a job." Katrina paused. "But I can probably get a decent one once I get my associate's degree." She paused again. "I think we accept. Thank you, Buffy."
Amy smiled. "Yeah, thanks, Buffy."
"So are you gonna be moving your stuff into the master bedroom?" Katrina asked.
Buffy was surprised and looked at Tara. "Uh...I think that might be a bit too weird for me. I'd rather stay where we are."
Tara nodded. "Yeah, that's fine."
Buffy looked at Amy and Katrina. "You two can have the master bedroom."
Harmony looked at Amy sadly. "I'm gonna miss you, roomie."
Cordelia thought for a moment. "Harmony...you're a film student, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"So...you're probably planning on moving to L.A. eventually, huh?" Cordelia guessed.
"I guess, yeah."
"Would you like to go there now?" Cordelia asked her.
Harmony was surprised. "Live in L.A. without a job?"
"I can give you a job. I could use help running the club."
"Interesting offer. I'll need to find a place to stay, though."
Cordelia smiled. "Bullshit. You're coming home with me."
Harmony smiled. "Awww, thanks."
"I hope you don't mind the couch."
Harmony's smile wavered. "Greeeaaat."
"It's just temporary. I'll set a room in the Hyperion aside for you." Cordelia looked at Faith. "Faith, that goes for you, too."
Faith was surprised. "I'm...good, thanks."
Cordelia gave her a skeptical look. "Really? In Buffy's old, shitty-ass apartment?"
"Hey!" Buffy exclaimed.
Cordelia looked pointedly at her.
Buffy reconsidered. "Actually, that's fair."
Cordelia looked at Faith. "C'mon, I'll charge you half of whatever rent that you're currently paying. Bring Anne in as well, and that's a three-way split of the room rate."
Faith's mind was a bit foggy. "Okay, the only part of that that I understood was 'three-way'."
Cordelia smiled. "And think how much more enjoyable that it'll be on a comfortable bed with fresh linens."
"You tryin' to bring me into the fold?" Faith asked. "'Cause, while you're making money off saving people, I'm busting my ass at the diner and staking vamps around that neighborhood. I can't abandon it."
"I'm not asking you to." Cordelia paused. "Well, actually, ditch the diner. You two can work in my club. I'll pay you better than what you're getting at that dive."
Faith considered. "Okay, I'm game, but Anne will never go for it. That teen shelter is her baby. She spends all of her time there."
"So no need for that apartment."
Faith shrugged. "I'll have a talk with her."
"Oh, where's everyone gonna sleep tonight?" Tara asked.
Faith shrugged. "I'm gonna patrol. Crash on the couch when I get back."
Harmony smiled. "Cordy, you're coming home with me. We can watch the servants pack my stuff."
Katrina looked at Amy. "Oh, yeah, packing. We should do that tonight. We can move in here tomorrow after...uh...you know."
Buffy looked at Katrina. "It's okay, Trina, you can say it. The funeral."
Amy looked at Harmony. "Oh, Harm, don't forget: you've got stuff in our dorm room, too."
Harmony nodded. "Thanks, Amy."
"What about the vehicles?" Tara asked. "There's my scooter, your van, your mom's Jeep, and Trina's car."
Buffy thought about it. "We gotta keep the van. It's the only thing big enough to transport all of our gear. My mom's Jeep...is more compact. Good for most trips. Trina, what kind of car you got?"
"A '93 Ford Escort LX wagon."
"Four adults, four vehicles." Buffy thought for a moment. "Cordy, how did you and Faith get here?"
Faith looked at Buffy. "Anne let us borrow her Sentra."
"One car work for three people?" Buffy asked.
Cordelia frowned. "I wouldn't recommend it. But four vehicles for four adults living in the same house seems excessive."
Katrina thought for a moment, then she looked at Cordelia. "You want my car?"
Cordelia thought for a moment. She looked at Harmony. "You're bringing the Miata?"
Harmony smiled. "Uh-huh. It's cute."
Cordelia looked at Katrina. "Then no. Thanks. Harmony and I will probably mostly be carpooling."
Katrina looked at Faith. "Faith?"
Faith thought about it. "Anne and I currently carpool, but, if she doesn't wanna leave her neighborhood, I might need to buy your ride."
Katrina shrugged. "Let me know."
Buffy woke up in the middle of the night and lay in bed for a while, unable to sleep. She looked to her right and saw Tara sleeping. She got out of bed, walked over to the door, opened it, and walked into the hallway, closing the door behind her.
Buffy walked downstairs and into the kitchen. She turned on the light.
Buffy opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of beer. She closed the refrigerator, opened a drawer, took out the bottle opener, and opened her bottle.
The back door unlocked and opened, and Faith walked into the kitchen. She stopped short when she came face-to-face with a naked Buffy.
Faith smiled. "Well, well."
"Find anything?" Buffy asked.
"Nah. Slow night. Can't sleep?"
"Just woke up. Was gonna head out back to drink this and...I dunno...get drunk. Care to join me?"
"Sure."
After Faith had taken off all of her clothes, she and Buffy went out back and sat side-by-side at the table.
Buffy took a gulp of beer. "Faith?"
"Yeah?"
"What do you think happens when we die?"
"You'd know better than me."
Buffy was confused, but then she realized what Faith meant. "You know what I experienced? Not a fucking thing. I fell face-down in water, and then Katrina was breathing life back into me. It was a few minutes, and I wasn't even aware of it. Didn't even have a dream."
Faith took a few gulps of her beer as she thought about that. "Maybe because they knew you'd be revived, so your soul never left your body."
"They?" Buffy asked.
"The Powers That Be. Whoever sends Cordy her visions. Hey, maybe ask her."
"I will. Still, I've heard stories of people having near-death experiences."
"Key phrase: near-death. As long as the brain isn't decayed, the person isn't dead."
Buffy took another gulp of beer as she thought about that.
After breakfast, Buffy and Tara returned to their bedroom and changed for church. Buffy put on black pants, black shoes, and a black polo shirt.
Tara looked at her. "I don't think I ever saw you wear that shirt before."
Buffy looked at herself in the mirror. "Mom liked how it looked on me." She started to cry.
Tara walked over to her. Buffy turned and hugged her. Tara hugged Buffy.
Buffy eventually looked into Tara's eyes.
"We'll get through this." Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "Come on. It's time."
Buffy grabbed a long beige coat from the closet. The two of them walked into the hallway. There, they met Dawn, who was just leaving her bedroom. Dawn wore a black dress; she barely looked at them.
Buffy, Dawn, Tara, and Giles walked into St. Anne Catholic Church, carrying Joyce's coffin. Buffy and Dawn were in front, and Tara and Giles were in back. Amy, Katrina, Cordelia, Harmony, Faith, Sandy, Julie, and Jenny followed behind them. Buffy, Dawn, Tara, and Giles turned left at the altar and carefully set the coffin down on the catafalque. The four of them then went to their seats. They all sat in the front row, to the left of the aisle. They waited for the Mass to start.
Buffy looked to her left at Cordelia. "Cordy?"
"Yeah?"
"These...Powers That Be. How would you describe them?" Buffy asked.
Cordelia frowned. "Assholes."
The priest and several parishioners looked at her.
"Do you think they're proof that an afterlife exists?"
"No. Angel doesn't remember anything. Neither did Darla."
"Maybe they weren't allowed to remember?" Buffy suggested.
Cordelia shrugged. "Only God knows."
Buffy thought that was an interesting choice of words. "If God exists. Do you think so?"
Cordelia was silent for a moment. "Only God knows."
After Mass, they drove to the graveyard for the burial. The entire group of people stood around the coffin. Tara, Buffy, and Dawn stood together, holding hands, closest to the coffin. Tara leaned her head on Buffy's shoulder. Amy, Katrina, Cordelia, Faith, Harmony, Sandy, Julie, Jenny, and Giles stood behind them.
After the coffin was lowered into the ground, Buffy stepped forward, crouched down, grabbed a handful of dirt, and dropped it on top of her mother's coffin. Dawn winced, then crouched down, grabbed a handful of dirt, and dropped it on top of her mother's coffin, upset. Then it was Tara's turn. After her, the others walked forward and did the same. Then the gravedigger came with his shovel and started digging into earth. Dawn suddenly turned and buried her face in Buffy's shoulder. Buffy put her arms around Dawn, still staring at the coffin. She watched the shovel put the first dirt on the coffin.
Tara took out a sheet of paper. "'Do not stand by my grave and weep. I am not there; I do not sleep. I am the thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints in snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. As you awake with morning's hush, I am the swift, up-flinging rush of quiet birds in circling flight. I am the day transcending night. Do not stand by my grave and cry. I am not there; I did not die.'"
The group broke up. One by one, the others hugged Buffy, Tara, and Dawn.
Buffy then turned and stared down at the grave. Most of the others walked away to give her some privacy, but Cordelia stood to her right.
"How are you holding up?" Cordelia asked.
"Barely. The funeral was..." Buffy sighed. "It was brutal, but it's tomorrow that I'm worried about."
"What's tomorrow?"
"That's exactly what I don't know. Up until now, I...I've had a road map. Things to do every minute, having to do with Mom."
Cordelia nodded. "Tomorrow, the stuff of everyday living resumes."
"And everybody expects me to know how to do it, because...I'm so strong."
"You just need some time. I'm sure everybody understands that."
"Time's not the issue. I can stick wood in vampires...but Mom was the strong one in real life. She always knew how to make things better...just what to say."
"Yeah...you'll find your way. I mean...not all at once, but-"
Buffy shook her head. "I don't know. I keep thinking about it...when I found her. If I had just gotten there ten minutes earlier-"
"You said they told you it wouldn't have made a difference."
"But still-"
"Doesn't make it your fault. You couldn't have done anything different."
Buffy let out an annoyed sigh. "I didn't even start CPR until they told me. I fell apart. That's how good I am at being a grownup."
"Buffy-"
"And it'd be okay if it was just me I had to worry about. But Dawn-"
"Look, it's okay. I know you don't feel like it now, but you are strong, Buffy. You're gonna figure this out. And you have people to help you. You don't have to do this alone."
Buffy paused, then nodded. Cordelia hugged Buffy again. Buffy hugged Cordelia.
Cordelia kissed Buffy on the cheek. "Take care, okay?"
"Okay."
"I love you." Cordelia released Buffy.
"I love you, too." Buffy released Cordelia.
Cordelia looked at all of them. "We're gonna head out."
Buffy nodded. "Have a safe trip."
"Thanks."
Harmony was crying. "I'm gonna miss you guys. I feel kinda...bad...leaving you like this."
Buffy managed a small smile. "Follow your dream, Harmony. Kick Hollywood's ass."
Harmony smiled. "I will."
Faith looked at Buffy. "Hey, B, if you ever need any help here, call me."
"I will."
Cordelia, Harmony, and Faith turned and walked away. Jenny and Giles followed.
Amy looked at Buffy. "We're all packed up. We're just gonna go and start moving our stuff in."
"Okay." Buffy paused. "Um, we're probably gonna go out to eat or something. Dawn's not ready to go home yet, and, honestly, neither am I."
"Would you like to come over to my place?" Sandy offered. "I can order some takeout, and Dawn can hang out with Kendra."
Buffy looked at Dawn. "Would you like that, Dawn?"
Dawn shrugged. "Whatever."
Buffy smiled. "Thank you, Sandy."
Katrina looked at Buffy. "Oh, if you're not gonna be home, can I borrow your house key?"
Buffy took her keys out of her pants pocket. She took the house key off the ring. "It's my mom's, actually, from the Jeep. I guess I'll have to make copies for you two."
Katrina smiled and took the key. "Don't worry about it for now."
Buffy and Sandy were hanging out in Sandy's living room. Empty wrappers and sauce packets from Taco Bell littered the coffee table. Kendra, Tara, and Dawn reentered the living room from the kitchen, where they had washed themselves. Kendra reached down to pick up the trash.
Sandy looked at her. "Don't worry, I'll get that."
Kendra straightened up.
"Why don't you show Dawn your room?" Sandy suggested.
Kendra looked at Dawn. "C'mon, Dawn."
They headed for the stairs.
Tara looked at Buffy. "Having fresh Mexican food was great, but I'm stuffed. I'm gonna go out and get some air."
"Okay."
Tara walked over to the front door, opened it, and walked outside, closing the door behind her.
Buffy looked at Sandy. "Thank you for lunch."
"No problem."
Buffy stood up and started walking to stretch her legs. Sandy did the same. Buffy looked at Sandy and opened her mouth, then closed it.
"What?" Sandy asked.
Buffy looked at a portrait of Sandy on the wall. "Is this you?"
"Considering that's my graduation photo that was done at Sears, yeah, that is me."
"Okay." Buffy looked at an earlier portrait of Sandy. "Is this you?"
"I believe so." Sandy paused. "Or, at least, I like to think so."
Buffy looked at her. Sandy grinned, baring her fangs, and laughed.
"Sandy, do you ever think about where your soul is?" Buffy asked.
"Of course. I even wrote a paper about vampirism and soul politics for one of my classes."
Buffy was interested. "I'd like to read it."
"I'll find it for you."
"Did you reach any conclusions?"
"Only that I really don't like that those with a vested interest in exterminating my kind dehumanize us by promulgating as fact an ultimately unprovable claim."
"And that is?"
Sandy stared at Buffy. "That the soul is all that matters, and, without one, I don't matter."
Buffy felt sad and put a hand on Sandy's shoulder. "You matter."
Sandy gave Buffy a small smile.
"Anyway, how are things going with you?"
Sandy shrugged. "Okay."
"And with Julie?"
"Okay."
"So nothing crazy going on in your life?"
"No." Sandy paused, then smiled. "Well, we met a nice couple at the Bronze a while back. Took 'em back to our dorm and had a foursome."
Buffy was surprised. "How was it?"
Sandy grinned. "Great. Fucked and sucked the guy. Ate the girl."
Buffy felt uneasy. "By that, you mean...?"
"Chillax, they're fine. I'm speaking orally." Sandy laughed at her phrasing. "But they did let me bite them."
Buffy shot Sandy a worried look.
"Chillax. It's common in vampire-human relationships."
"Are you being careful?"
"Of course. I don't drink enough to harm them, and Julie doesn't drink at all. The only blood that she tastes is her own and a bit of mine."
Buffy nodded. "So you say this is...common?"
"Uh-huh. There are even vampire prostitutes."
Buffy was surprised. "Who would pay to get bitten?"
"Oh, that's been going on for centuries. Humans hire vampires to feed off them; they, well, you know, they - they get off on the rush." Sandy paused. "And the...hazards of the underworld can become addictive to...some people."
"Why don't the vampires just kill 'em?" Buffy asked.
"Because they get cash, hot and cold running blood, and...they don't leave any corpses behind, so they don't get hunted. Self-preservation."
Buffy frowned. "But still, i-it can be terribly dangerous for humans. I mean people can end up dying accidentally or - or meeting a-a vampire that only pretends to play by the house rules."
Sandy shrugged. "I haven't heard of any incidents around here, but, then again, I'm not into that scene. If you want more info, ask Sunday."
"Sunday?" Buffy asked, surprised. "She's a professional slacker."
"Exactly. You think that ginormous mansion pays for itself? You never wonder where she gets the money?"
Buffy was astounded. "Holy shit, I thought she was just squatting."
"And the power company keeps the power on for the hell of it?" Sandy asked.
Buffy paused for a moment. "I'm such a dumbass."
That night, Amy, Tara, and Dawn sat on the couch in the living room, Amy and Tara on either side of Dawn.
Amy was sad. "Oh, Dawn. I wish I could...help more."
Dawn didn't look at her.
"The only thing is...it'll get better. I promise."
Dawn looked at her. "You don't know that."
Tara smiled. "Sure, she does. We're witches. We know stuff."
"What?" Dawn looked from one to the other. "Life goes on, and I forget Mom?" she asked, angry. "Is that what you're saying?"
"Not forget, no! I - You..." Amy looked to Tara for help.
"You make a place for her in your heart. It's sort of like she becomes a part of you. Does that make sense?" Tara asked.
Amy nodded hopefully. "Dawn...hey, we don't have to talk about this now; uh, you could just go to sleep."
"No." Dawn got up. "I don't wanna sleep."
Tara felt sorry for her. "Okay, we can just...sit or - or whatever you want."
"Good. 'Cause I know...what I wanna do now."
"Great. What are you up for?" Amy asked.
"You guys are witches...and you do...magic and...stuff."
"You want us to teach you something?" Amy asked. "Uh, like a-a glamour, or - or I could...make a stuffed animal dance."
"I wanna do a spell. I wanna bring Mom back."
Amy and Tara were concerned. Dawn was determined.
Tara hesitated. "Of course, you wanna bring your mother back, and...I wish we could, but it's not possible."
"Why? You guys do magic for all kinds of things."
Amy took a breath. "We do, but-"
"This is different. Magic can't be used to alter the natural order of things."
"But all you do is mess with the natural order of things. You - You make things float a-and disappear and-"
"But we don't mess with life and death." Tara paused and considered her next words. "Dawn, I know how bad you hurt."
Dawn was upset. "You don't. She wasn't your mother. They put her in the ground."
Tara was hurt. "They did, and it's awful and unfair, but this isn't the way."
"I'm not even sure it's possible, Dawn. I mean...I've...seen things on resurrection, but...there's books and stuff...but I guess...the spells...backfire?" Amy guessed.
Tara looked at her. "That's not the point."
Amy nodded. "That's not the point. The - The point is it's bad...because-"
"Because witches can't be allowed to alter the fabric of life for selfish reasons. Wiccans took an oath a long time ago to honor that."
"So it's possible...to bring someone back?" Dawn asked. "They wouldn't have taken an oath, if they didn't know they could do it."
Tara shrugged. "Maybe they could, but we can't."
Amy nodded. "She's right, Dawn. It's too dangerous. They must have had a damn good reason to collectively agree to not mess with that shit."
"You said you wanted to help me." Dawn made an annoyed sound and walked away.
Amy got up and followed her. "Dawn..." She touched Dawn's shoulder.
Dawn jerked away and stomped up the stairs. Amy looked over at Tara. Tara was concerned.
Cordelia and Harmony walked into the lobby of the Hyperion.
Gunn slapped a mace into the palm of his hand, then dropped it into a box full of weapons. He picked the box up and walked away as Kate came up from behind the counter and dropped some three-ring binders on it.
"I'm back!" Cordelia announced.
Gunn smiled. "Hey, welcome back! Things have been chaotic here without you."
"I express zero surprise."
Angel came down the stairs. Kate looked at him, and Angel slowed, looking around. Kate cocked her head towards Cordelia. Angel shifted his feet, then moved towards Cordelia while Kate looked back down with a slight smile.
Angel walked over towards Cordelia. "Uh..."
"Don't."
"Don't?"
"You're gonna start trying to make small talk, get all stammery. Don't. You might strain yourself."
Angel looked over towards Kate, who looked back at him over her shoulder.
Angel turned back towards Cordelia. "I just wanted to know how you were. Are. How was your trip? I mean we really haven't had a chance-"
"Fine."
"Great. How was the funeral?"
Cordelia glared at him. "I brought Harmony back with me. She's gonna be working in the club and possibly working the front desk and other odd jobs as needed. Faith's moving into the hotel and will be helping out as well, and Anne might be moving in as well."
"Oh." Angel looked. "Hi, Harmony."
Harmony smiled and waved. Angel smiled and waved back. Cordelia frowned at him. Angel stepped back, shifting from foot to foot, and looked around.
"You wanna know how I am?" Cordelia asked. "Tired, mostly - with sweaty running a close second. I'm also jazzed. Ready to help those helpless."
Kate threw a glance over her shoulder in their direction. Angel looked down, then tried to meet Cordelia's eyes as she was about to walk past him. Suddenly, her face scrunched up as she was hit by a vision.
Angel grabbed a hold of her arms and eased her down onto a chair. "Kate."
Cordelia had a blurry vision of two kids being dragged out through shattered car windows. Kate leaned over Cordelia, Angel stood just behind Kate, and Gunn leaned on the other side of Cordelia's desk. Harmony stood and watched her friend in concern.
"Okay, she's screaming. They're pulling her from a car. Guys in robes. Blue robes. They're taking...people and - and - whoa, big bird."
"Big Bird?" Gunn asked.
Cordelia looked at him. "Not the Muppet, you dumbass."
"Where's the car, Cordelia?" Kate asked.
"Uh...Lafayette Park, near the fountain."
Kate nodded. "Right. Let's move."
Kate and Gunn headed out.
Angel leaned in closer to Cordelia. "Are you, uh-"
Cordelia leaned away, holding up a hand. "Fine."
"You should, uh, take off." Angel reached for his jacket. "I mean, uh, for the rest of the night." He backed away from her to follow Kate and Gunn. "Go home." He backed into one of the pillars, stumbled, then hurried towards the door. "Order - Order Chinese."
Cordelia watched Angel run out.
"Are you okay?" Harmony asked her.
Cordelia looked at her, sighing. "Yeah."
"I've never seen you have one of those before. Do they hurt?"
Cordelia nodded. "Like a motherfucker." She paused. "C'mon, let's go home."
They started heading toward the door.
Harmony tried to think of something to say to lighten the mood. "You - You - You cut your hair!"
Cordelia touched her hair. "Yeah."
"Well, I think it looks adorable off your neck."
"Thanks. I...was just, you know, looking for a change."
"Sure. Change." Harmony laughed. "Change is good...sometimes."
"You having second thoughts about moving here?"
Harmony shook her head. "No. I'm just...scared."
"I know the feeling."
Gunn, Angel, and Kate ran up to the teenagers' car and saw the doors hanging open and the blood on the broken windows, but otherwise there was no one in sight. They stopped.
Gunn looked around. "Now what?"
"We fan out. Gunn, search the area near the fountain. I'll take this path towards the picnic area. Kate, you-"
They could hear some faint screaming.
"Follow the screaming woman?" Kate guessed.
They took off in the direction of the screams. A woman was struggling against a figure wearing a hooded green robe. Green Robe saw Gunn, Angel, and Kate running towards them, picked up the woman, and tossed her towards them. Angel caught the woman while Gunn tackled Green Robe. Gunn pulled the hood back to reveal a vampire.
"Now, see? What you want to go hiding such pretty teeth for?" Gunn asked.
Gunn ducked under the vampire's swing, then, holding on to the robe, hit the vampire with a hard right punch. The vampire struggled out of his robe and turned to run - only to find himself face to face with Angel, stake at the ready. Angel staked him and looked at Gunn, but Gunn only frowned and walked over to Kate.
Kate was trying to calm down the woman. "It's all right. It's over now. You'll be safe here."
"Cordelia said 'blue robes', didn't she?" Gunn asked Kate.
"It was dark. Maybe she was mistaken."
"I'll do another quick sweep. See if those blue boys are still around."
Kate noticed a symbol sown onto the robe: a triangle with a snake forming the number two inside of it. She showed it to Angel. "Religious sect?"
"I don't know."
Kate pulled out her cell phone. "I'll ask Cordelia to get on it."
"Um, I-I gave her the night off."
Kate was a bit irritated.
"Well, I thought, you know, she looked so tired, and...I mean...the vision took a lot out of her. Do - Do you think, maybe, that I should...send her something? Some flowers, maybe?"
"Flowers."
"Yeah, uh, to say, you know, 'thanks'. Um. 'Sorry about the migraines.' Um, you know, 'I-I appreciate you'?"
"You can't buy back her trust, Angel, or her affections." Kate paused. "There is only one thing you can give her, Angel. And that's time. Cordelia has a lot of pain to work through."
Cordelia was laughing. She and Harmony were sitting on the couch in her apartment, wearing house robes, their heads wrapped up in towels. Harmony was also wearing fuzzy pink slippers. There was a half-empty bottle of red wine on the table, and both of them had wine glasses in their hands.
Harmony laughed. "The cackle."
"Remember in ninth-grade Remedial Spanish? Donnie something."
"Oh! Donnie Ray, yes."
"That's him. He followed me everywhere."
"Oh, oh, and he wrote that love song to you. How did it go?" Harmony asked.
They thought for a moment.
"Oh, Cordeeelia, how I long to feel ya!" Cordelia and Harmony sang.
They broke into laughter.
"Eww!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Harmony grinned. "Oh, God. We totally ruled."
They clinked glasses.
"Yup, that, we did."
"We were powerful, rich, popular."
"None of that's changed for me - apart from the powerful, rich, and popular." Cordelia paused. "But I tell you one thing: I am happier now than I was then."
"Get out."
"It's hard to explain. I'm telling you. It's like...I don't know. I had these air pockets inside of me, and the work I'm doing, uh, we're doing, it's - it's like the pockets keep getting filled, and I'm becoming me, and-"
Harmony laughed.
"-me has had way too much to drink, and me shut up." Cordelia pushed Harmony with her foot. "You, now. You barely told me anything."
"Um, well, uh, what can I say? Things are faboo. I'm having a ball and a half. And just, you know, feeling really good about me in general."
Cordelia paused. "Well, good for you...in general. Well, you must be doing something right, because you look...sad. Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Just..." Harmony took a deep breath. "I didn't have much of a purpose in Sunnydale."
"Well, I'll help you find a purpose here."
"And..." Harmony paused.
"What?"
"I'm kinda hungry."
"Got the cure for that. Pizza!" Cordelia laughed and leaned across Harmony to reach for the phone on the side table. Cordelia sat back, phone in hand. "I know just the place to call. It's my favorite. Thin crust, heavy on the sauce. Do you like tandoori chicken?"
"Oh, yeah. It's all good."
The next morning, Tara walked over to Dawn's bedroom, holding schoolbooks. Dawn was laying in bed, covered with a blanket. Tara saw her from the back.
"We're heading down to breakfast."
Dawn turned over to look at her. "I'm not hungry."
"Oh. Okay."
Dawn sat up.
"It's just we have class after that, and I-I didn't know if you want to stay home or-"
"I was gonna sleep some more."
"Oh, okay, great. Sure, uh, hang out." Tara smiled. "I have a-a break around lunchtime. I can come back."
Dawn shrugged, sullen. "I might not be here."
"Well, I'll try my luck."
Dawn looked away.
"Take care, Dawn." Tara walked away.
Kate was looking through an old book laying on the counter in the Hyperion's lobby while Cordelia was looking for information with the computer.
Angel paced behind Kate, holding the green robe in his hands. "There is a label on here. Maybe I can locate the manufacturer."
"Already looked into it. The name's a fake. No listing anywhere."
"Okay. I should go out, see if I can pick up any information on the street."
"You mean the street bathed in morning sunlight?" Kate gave him an amused smile. "Relax. Gunn's contacting his sources."
"Any suggestions on what I can do?"
"Grab a book and help me look."
Angel did.
Kate flipped to the next page. "The triangle evokes pyramidal imagery, but there is nothing with both the serpent and the pyramid as a symbol."
Harmony walked over and climbed up on a stool next to Kate, loudly chewing some pink bubblegum.
"Doesn't appear to be either hieroglyphic or-"
Harmony popped a bubble.
Kate looked at her. "Do you mind?"
"Well, I'm kinda bored, but...go ahead."
Kate stared at her for a moment, then walked over to Cordelia's desk.
"Yeah, well, look, the red bird you saw in your vision, was it, uh, you know, an eagle, a hawk, a falcon?" Angel asked.
"What am I? The bird lady of Alcatraz? It had wings and a beak. For all I know, it was a duck. A big...red duck."
Kate thought for a moment. "Maybe it's an idol or a totem that the cult uses in its rituals, or-"
"Duck worshippers?" Harmony laughed, chewing her gum loudly and tapping a pencil on the countertop.
Angel looked at Kate. "It could also be a landmark of some kind, telling us their hiding place."
"Well, I'm unaware of any red bird statuary in downtown L.A., but-"
Harmony popped another bubble.
Cordelia got up from her desk. "Harmony, do me a favor: lose the gum."
"Okay, okay! Sorry." Harmony ripped a page out of the book that Angel was looking at earlier and spit her gum into it.
Angel pulled the book off the counter and snatched the crumpled-up page from her hand. "What are you doing?! This book is twelve centuries old!"
Harmony stared at him, annoyed. "Okay. So it's not like I fucked up a new one."
Angel put the book down on Cordelia's desk.
Cordelia looked at him. "Angel, it's not like she did it on purpose."
Harmony nodded. "That's right."
Cordelia looked at her. "Harmony, why don't you go see if they need help in the club? Y'know, the job that I'm paying you for?"
"I'm back!" Gunn walked down into the lobby.
Angel dropped onto a stool and leaned onto the counter. "What did you find out?"
"All right. Robed vampires been grabbing people off the street for a while now, almost a month."
"A month? How come we didn't know about it?" Cordelia asked him.
"Maybe we haven't heard, because not a lot of bodies been turning up."
Angel stared at him. "They're not feeding. They're turning them."
"Into vampires?" Cordelia asked.
Kate thought about that. "Someone's recruiting, building an army."
"Question is...for what?" Gunn asked.
In Minden, Louisiana, Shannon was busy sparring with Sam in the rectory of Saint Martin Catholic Church. He was wearing protective gear and blocking her punches and kicks. Shannon eventually got in a punch to Sam's chest, surprising herself.
"Well done."
Shannon grinned. Sam shoved Shannon to the floor.
"Hey!" Shannon complained.
"You shouldn't have stopped. Vampires won't."
Shannon got back up.
"I think that's enough for today." Sam started taking off his gear.
Shannon grabbed a towel from a rack and dried her face, arms, and legs. "I still don't get why I can't tell anyone about this."
"You want to tell people that you're spending most of your free time alone with a Catholic priest?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, why not?"
"Uh, never mind. If vampires learn your identity, it will put your loved ones at risk."
Shannon hung the towel back up. "Christ in a cunt, that's retarded."
Sam glared at her.
Shannon rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Christ on a Popsicle stick, that's retarded. If even one vampire sees me fight and gets away, guess what. They're all gonna know. Keeping my friends and family in the dark puts them at a disadvantage."
"The Council's policy is quite clear."
"Fuck the Council." Shannon picked up her bookbag. "They're not on the front lines, doin' the grunt work. They ain't got no right to say nothin' to me."
"Shannon-"
"I'll see ya tomorrow." Shannon quickly left the room.
She walked up the hall, opened the door, and left the building.
She walked over to Jessica's car, which was one of the few cars parked in the parking lot, opened the passenger door, got in, and slammed the door shut.
Jessica looked at her. "Over so soon?"
"Yeah. He pissed me off." Shannon set her bookbag on the floor and fastened her seatbelt.
"How far did you get?"
"He got me on the floor."
Jessica grinned. "Is it true that all black guys have big dicks?"
Shannon sighed and leaned her head back against the seat. She took a few breaths, then she looked at Jessica. "I ain't fuckin' him."
"Well, what else are you gonna do with a priest in church? Bible study?" Jessica asked.
Shannon stared into Jessica's eyes. "Training to become a Vampire Slayer."
Jessica stared blankly at her friend for a moment. "Huh?"
That evening, Giles was standing next to the phonograph in his apartment. He had a glass in his hand. There was a record on the turnstile. "Tales of Brave Ulysses" by Cream played.
Giles went over to a chair and sat down.
The song went into a guitar riff. Giles slowly took a sip from his glass and sat, staring at nothing.
Kate was pushing pins into a map while Angel sat on the edge of a desk with his arms crossed, watching.
"Next?" Kate asked Gunn.
"Two USC students grabbed in a parking garage. 4th and Figueroa."
"Got it. Next."
"Guy was snatched two blocks over on 6th."
"Really? When was this?"
"Last night. Heard about it from one of my guys."
Cordelia was sitting in front of the computer. Harmony sat on the edge of her desk, watching her.
"What?" Cordelia asked.
"Nothing. It's just...I can't believe this is what you do now. We always said we were going to do something cool with our lives. Now, look at us. You're an office manager, and I'm-"
"About to be unemployed." Cordelia stared at her. "Life takes some funny turns sometimes. Maybe I'm not where I thought I would be, but it's still good, solid work. Try it sometime."
Harmony flinched.
Cordelia looked at her monitor. "Ho! Hey! Hello! Guys? Found something."
Kate, Gunn, and Angel walked over to look at what she'd found.
"And there is nothing mystical about this. Department of Justice website. It's a logo for a defunct pyramid scheme."
"Vamps running money scams now?" Gunn asked. "That's low."
"This particular one was run by a motivational speaker and - ugh, Lord help me - self-described 'life coach' named Doug Sanders. Held meetings all over the city until the feds caught up with him."
"He was arrested?" Angel asked.
"According to this, he disappeared. Still at large."
Kate looked at the screen. "Sounds like he has the makings of a cult leader."
"Oh, hold on. Here is something: a list of his known meeting sites - and a picture!"
Gunn nodded. "Now, we're talking!"
"Oh, let me see!" Harmony, cup of coffee in hand, leaned over to get a look at it.
The coffee spilled all over the keyboard and screen, causing it to spark and fizzle and the screen to fade out. Cordelia jumped and let out a squeak.
Harmony gave her an apologetic smile. "Okay, that was my fault."
Angel looked at her. "Get her out of here. Now."
Cordelia put a hand on Harmony's shoulder. "Come on, Harm."
"Such a fitting nickname." Kate picked up the keyboard and held it sideways to let the coffee drip out. "Fucking hell."
Harmony went to sit on one of the chairs in the lobby. "This was a mistake. I should never have come here. I'm just getting in the way. Fucking up, like always."
Cordelia sat down next to her. "Don't talk like that." She thought for a moment. "Come with me."
Harmony was sitting on the stage in Cordy's, singing:
"They used to talk about the weather,
Making plans together.
Days would last forever.
Come to me, cover me, hold me,
Together with breakfast chains of love.
Don't give up; don't give up now.
Together with me and my baby,
Breakfast chains of love.
Together with breakfast chains of love.
Don't give up; don't give up now.
Together with me and my baby,
Breakfast chains of love.
Together with breakfast chains of love.
Don't give up; don't give up now.
Together with me and my baby,
Breakfast chains of love."
Cordelia was sitting at a table near the stage and clapped in confusion when Harmony was done.
Harmony laughed and held out her hands as she walked over to Cordelia's table and sat down. "That was so...fun! I can't believe I did that!"
Cordelia grinned uncomfortably. "Me neither. Uh, Harm, it's 'break these chains of love'."
Realization dawned on Harmony's face. "Ohhhhhh. Now, that makes a lot more sense. But it saddens me that this isn't an ode to buttermilk pancakes, hash browns, and breakfast sausage."
Cordelia nodded with mock seriousness. "Me, too."
"So you can help me?" Harmony asked.
Cordelia smiled. "You're already on your path. Stick with me and let me be your guide."
Harmony grinned.
Kate, Gunn, and Angel walked into the club.
"Cordy."
At Kate's call, Cordelia got up and went over to them.
Kate eyed Harmony briefly. "I realize you have, uh, other concerns at the moment, but we need you."
"Why?" Cordelia asked.
Gunn looked at her. "Most of the attacks been taking place within a ten-block radius. Now, we figure the cult's headquarters must be somewhere near the center."
"And, look, we want to drive around the area. Maybe you can pick up some...vibe from your vision or see something?" Angel suggested.
"Like a red bird."
"For instance."
"Okay." Cordelia went back to the table. "Harmony. I have to go. Work shit. Uh, you're okay here?"
"You kidding? Free wine, potato skins. Hey, I'm thinking about doing another number. Now, what do you think: 'Candle in the Wind' or the Princess Diana 'Candle in the Wind'?"
"Go nuts. Do 'em both."
Harmony smiled. "Ooh. Yeah. Okay. Like you said: you're my guide."
Cordelia walked back over to the others.
The gang was walking, shoulder-to-shoulder, down the sidewalk outside the hotel. Cordelia did a double take when she suddenly noticed a grinning Harmony walking beside her.
"Harmony?" Cordelia asked.
They all stopped and looked at her.
"I just got it. You said stick with you. I understand now where my place is."
"Where?" Cordelia asked.
Harmony stepped between Cordelia and Angel and put an arm around each of their shoulders, smiling. "With you!"
Angel looked over at Kate.
Harmony was sitting between Cordelia and Gunn in the back of Angel's convertible as they were all driving down the street.
"Woo-hoo! This is gonna be great! I am a professional evil fighter! It's so clear to me now." Harmony turned to Cordelia. "Is this what it feels like to have a purpose? I mean wow! Look at us. We're working together. I've never had a job before. We can meet at the water cooler and gossip."
"Harm, I'm trying to concentrate."
"Oh. Sorry." Harmony turned to Gunn. "So. How long have you been fighting evil? I mean I kinda suck, but, you know, I've got some moves. Oh...do we get paid vacations?"
"Stop!" Cordelia yelled. "Stop the car. Pull over here."
Angel pulled the car over, and they all squinted up at a sculpted phoenix decoration above a theater marquee with the words 'Closed for Repairs' on it.
"Is that...?" Angel asked Cordelia.
"I don't...I'm not sure."
All of them got out of the car.
Kate looked at Cordelia. "The bird you saw was red."
"It is. I mean it was."
Gunn frowned. "Looks more like a puke green."
Harmony frowned. "And nothing like a duck."
Cordelia stared at the phoenix. "There's just...something familiar."
Angel looked over at Cordelia, then walked towards the building.
Gunn looked at Cordelia. "Well, we passed this place before. Maybe that's all it is."
"Cordelia?" Kate asked.
"No. No, I guess it isn't it."
"Right. Back in the car. We'll keep..." Kate looked around. "Where's Angel?"
Suddenly, a red neon arrow sign came on, throwing a red glow over the bird.
Angel walked back over to them. "Electronics store forgot to turn on its lights."
Cordelia smiled at the others. "Ha, I told you this was it!"
Angel, Cordelia, Harmony, Kate, and Gunn grabbed some weapons out of the trunk.
Angel looked at the others. "Cordelia, Harmony, cover the front. Kate, Gunn, and I will go around the building, see if there's another way in."
Suddenly, they heard a lot of screaming coming from inside. Then the front door burst open, and a lot of teenagers ran out of the building. Cordelia recognized the teenagers from her vision and was glad that they were safe.
"What the fuck?" Kate asked.
Gunn stared at the scene in confusion. "You and me both, sister."
After the last of the teenagers cleared out, Faith walked out, holding an ax over her right shoulder and a stake in her left hand.
Angel stared at her. "Faith."
Faith smiled. "You dumb motherfuckers. There were hundreds of vampires in there. What was your plan?"
Cordelia stared at her. "How did you-?"
"Overheard bits and pieces while doing odd jobs around the hotel. Heard you heading out and got here first." Faith looked at Harmony and smiled. "Hi, babe."
Harmony smiled. "Hi, Honey Bunches of Oats."
Faith kissed Harmony on the lips. The two of them started making out. Faith shoved her tongue into Harmony's mouth. Everyone watched them.
In Buffy and Tara's room, Tara sat on the bed, studying. Buffy lay on her stomach next to Tara, writing in her diary. The two of them were naked.
"What did I have for breakfast this morning? Do you remember?" Buffy asked.
"Hmm?"
"I-I wanna say bagel, but I think that was yesterday. You had two eggs sunny side up." Buffy smiled faintly. "I remember, 'cause they were wiggling at me like little boobs."
Tara grinned. "Sassy eggs. What are you writing this for?"
"My diary."
Tara put her book aside and lay on her stomach next to Buffy. She put her hand on Buffy's non-writing hand. "That's pretty detailed for a diary entry."
"Yeah. I-I figured life goes by so fast that, if you don't write stuff down, it just gets...lost. And I wanna remember."
"Down to every last bagel."
Buffy looked Tara in the eyes. "Down to every last everything I do with you."
Buffy returned to writing, the fingers of her other hand still twined with Tara's.
Chapter 120: Dead End
Chapter Text
"Dead End"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Intervention" Written by Jane Espenson and the Angel Episode "Dead End" Written by David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
Cordelia was sitting on a chair with Angel, Kate, and Gunn arrayed in front of her.
"He had to be crazy. But he didn't feel crazy. He felt normal, you know?" Cordelia asked. "Until he started stabbing himself."
Kate thought for a moment. "But you don't know where this occurred."
"I told you. It was in a house. It could have been in an apartment. In a kitchen."
Gunn shook his head. "We got to narrow it down a little."
"A nice kitchen?! I don't fucking know!" Cordelia yelled.
Angel put a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right. We'll figure it out."
Kate looked at the others. "Let's start by calling the hospitals."
"And say what? 'Did my uncle check in with a knife in his eye?'" Gunn asked. "They only give out information to relatives."
Angel and Kate looked at him.
"I just got the calling-the-hospitals job, didn't I?" Gunn guessed.
Kate looked at Angel. "I'll go to the morgues."
"All right. I'll hit the streets, roust some demons, see if there's a new terror in town."
Kate got her jacket. "Good idea."
Angel looked at Gunn as he got his own jacket. "Keep an eye on her, will you?"
"Sure."
Angel went over to where Cordelia was sitting and put a hand on her arm. "We'll be back." He left.
"Can I, uh, get you anything? A cup of tea?" Gunn asked.
Cordelia gave him a look.
"You'll let me know." Gunn sat down at the counter with the phone book and a notepad, then threw a look over his shoulder at Cordelia.
Cordelia now was sitting in her chair, one hand pressed up against her forehead, her hair obscuring her face.
Early that evening, Buffy, Tara, Katrina, and Sandy were standing on the stage at the Bronze, setting up their gear.
Tara turned on her keyboard and tested it. She looked at Buffy. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"
Buffy was tuning her guitar. "Yeah. I can do it."
Amy was standing a distance away, setting up the video camera that she'd just bought. Once she was confident that she had everything right, she looked up. "Buffy."
Buffy looked at her.
"Tell me when to hit Record."
"Go ahead. We're just about ready."
Amy pressed Record and then joined the others on the stage. She sat behind her drum set.
Katrina and Sandy looked at Buffy. "Buffy!"
Buffy looked at them. "What?"
Katrina and Sandy looked at each other.
Buffy smiled in amusement. "One at a time. Trina."
Katrina looked at Buffy. "This two-bass thing is confusing."
Sandy looked at Buffy. "Yeah, what band has two bass guitarists?"
"Strontium 90."
Katrina and Sandy stared blankly at her.
"It was a British band active in 1977 and included pretty much the same members as the Police. Mike Howlett and Sting both played bass guitar. For that matter, both Sting and Andy Summers - no relation - played regular guitar."
"How do you know this?" Katrina asked.
"I can't have layers?" Buffy asked.
Katrina stared at her skeptically.
Buffy felt embarrassed. "Giles sometimes geeks out about music. For some reason, I actually retain some of it. Anyway, both of you can play. It'll make the sound sound richer."
Katrina and Sandy shrugged and nodded.
Buffy turned on her microphone. "Hello. We're Buffy and the Slayerettes. I'm Buffy Summers, the lead guitarist. We got Tara Maclay on keyboard and Amy Madison on drums. Sandy Gray on bass guitar. And I'd like you all to give a big welcome back to our original bass guitarist, Katrina Silber."
The audience applauded.
Buffy stared playing her guitar and faced the audience as she sang:
"I close my eyes
Only for a moment, and the moment's gone.
All my dreams
Pass before my eyes, a curiosity.
Dust in the wind.
All they are is dust in the wind."
Tara, Amy, Katrina, and Sandy started playing their instruments. They added their voices, harmonizing with Buffy:
"Same old song:
Just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do
Crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see.
Dust in the wind.
All we are is dust in the wind.
Oh-oh-oh."
The band went into an instrumental break. Buffy started crying. Eventually, they started singing again:
"Now, don't hang on.
Nothin' lasts forever but the earth and sky.
It slips away,
And all your money won't another minute buy.
Dust in the wind.
All we are is dust in the wind. (All we are is dust in the wind.)
Dust in the wind. (Everything is dust in the wind.)
Everything is dust in the wind."
They stopped playing. Tara hugged Buffy. Buffy hugged Tara.
Gunn was sitting at the counter, talking on the phone. In front of him was a list of hospital names, all crossed out. Cordelia was cleaning the shelves.
"Yeah, he's my father; his name is Henry Addison."
"Are you a relative?"
"Yeah, I'm his son, Gunn-ter, Gunn Addison."
"There's no one here by that name."
"But - But if he's had a manic episode, he might not know his name or might think he's somebody else. It'd be a pretty serious knife wound or wounds in his eye. You sure?"
"I'm positive."
"All right. Thanks." Gunn hung up the phone.
Angel walked up to the counter. "How's she doing?"
Gunn looked over his shoulder at Cordelia dusting the top of a cabinet. "She's been pretty quiet. She grunted every once in a while, then got on with the maniacal cleaning."
Kate walked in. "Guess what I found. More nothing than usual. How about you two?"
Gunn held up the pad with the scratched-out hospital names, and Kate looked over at Angel.
"Nothing."
Kate sighed. "We need more to go on."
"Yeah, well, we'll just have to, you know, talk to Cordelia. Get her to-"
"Dig a little deeper?" Gunn asked.
Kate clapped Angel on the shoulder. "Go ahead. Probably best not to crowd her."
Kate and Gunn walked away from the counter, leaving Angel alone, looking at Cordelia. Throwing a glance at them, Angel stepped around the counter, towards Cordelia, while Kate and Gunn watched from the other end of the lobby.
"Hey."
Cordelia slowed in the polishing of the black-and-white picture hanging on the wall but didn't turn around.
"Boy, I mean you could see your reflection in that glass." Angel whistled.
Cordelia sighed, her back to him. "What do you want?"
"We need help. We're not getting anywhere."
Cordelia looked down at her rag. "I'm sorry. He's probably dead by now."
Angel stepped a little closer. "We don't know that for sure. There could be others."
Cordelia rubbed her forehead. "I wish it would stop hurting." She turned around to face Angel. "What do you want me to do?"
"I'm not exactly sure. Maybe you can...look again? You know, inside."
"That's all I've been doing...all day." Cordelia walked away from Angel, over to her desk, rubbing her forehead.
Angel threw a look at Kate and Gunn.
Cordelia held up a hand and closed her eyes. "A guy in a kitchen. A normal guy. And he picks up a knife and..." She paused. "Oh, God. I think he had kids."
"How do you know that?" Angel asked.
"Cereal bowls...on the table, and, um, there was a bookbag. It has a name of a school on it. Uh, D-something. Delaney or, uh..." Cordelia opened her eyes and looked at Angel. "Delancy Schools."
"That's good. That's great. Anything else?"
Cordelia put her hands to the sides of her head, then moved them to cover her face as she got another flash of the man dropping to the floor, face down, a trail of blood running down the side of his face from his right eye.
"I just keep seeing it."
"Okay. Get some rest. Kate and Gunn'll look into it first thing in the morning."
Cordelia nodded.
"Can I get you anything?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?!"
Angel slowly backed away, shaking his head a little. "No reason."
Later that night, in the Summers' kitchen, Buffy was washing dishes while Dawn wiped them dry. Tara walked over with some more dishes.
Buffy smiled. "Sweetie, you don't have to help. You cooked."
Tara smiled. "It makes me feel useful."
Dawn smiled. "Wanna clean out the garage on Saturday? You can feel indispensable."
"Hmm, how tempting."
"Dawn, if there are any plates in your room, let's have them before they get furry, and we have to name them."
"Hey, I was, like, five then." Dawn left the kitchen.
Tara took up drying the dishes. "How's she doing?"
Buffy gave her a look.
"And you?"
"I'm okay. Well, some minutes are harder than others."
"I'm so sorry. All I can say is i-it will get better."
"It has to." Buffy stopped washing dishes and began drying her hands. "We're holding up, though, you know, getting into a routine."
"Good, routine's good."
"In fact, Giles suggested we might...return to our training schedule."
"Oh?"
Buffy paused. "I don't know. I was, um, thinking about...maybe...taking a break or something."
She put down her towel and walked into the living room. Tara followed.
"Just ease off for a while. Not get into full slay mode."
They sat on the sofa.
"I'm just...starting to feel...uneasy about stuff."
"Stuff?"
"Training. Slaying. All of it. It's just...I mean...I can beat up the demons until the cows come home. And then I can beat up the cows...but I'm not sure I like what it's doing to me."
"Doing to you?"
"I'm starting to feel like...being the Slayer is turning me into stone."
"Turning you into stone? Buffy-"
"Just...think about it." Buffy got up and paced. "I was terrible to Dawn."
"At a time like this-"
"No."
"-it's normal to feel emotionally numb."
"My mom is gone...and I loved her...a lot...and...I don't know if she knew."
"Oh, she knew." Tara got up and put her hands on Buffy's shoulders. "Always."
"I don't know. To slay, to kill...i-it means being hard on the inside. Maybe being the perfect Slayer means being too hard to love at all."
Tara smiled. "You've done pretty well so far."
Buffy gave her a small smile.
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "Maybe talk to Mr. Giles about this?"
Soon, Buffy was on the phone with Giles.
"How serious are you about this?" Giles asked.
"Ten. I'm serious to the amount of ten."
"There is something...in the Watchers' diaries...a quest."
"A quest? Like finding a grail or something?" Buffy asked, confused.
"Not a grail. Maybe answers. It would take a day, perhaps two."
"I'm not leaving Dawn. Not with Glory about."
Dawn entered in time to hear this. "Sure, you can." She sat next to Buffy. "What's the deal?"
"Some Slayers before you found it helpful in...regaining their focus, learning more about their role. There's a sacred place in the desert. It's - It's not far."
"But I can't go." Buffy looked at Dawn. "I'm not leaving you, Dawn."
"If you have to go learn...I mean...if it'll help you out...I think you should do it. I can hang with the gang. I'll be okay."
Buffy put an arm around Dawn. "I love you, Dawn. You know that, right?"
"Yeah. I love you, too."
Buffy stared at her intensely. "I love you...really love you."
Dawn gave her a nervous grin. "Gettin' weird."
"Sorry. But it's important that I tell you. Weird love's better than no love."
They hugged.
The next day, Giles drove Buffy out to the desert. There were sandy dunes with some scraggly bushes and one tree. Heat waves shimmered in the air. Giles' convertible came around a dune, pulled up, and stopped. Giles and Buffy got out. Giles went to open the trunk. Buffy followed. She wore a long brown coat over brown pants and a brown turtleneck. Giles wore jeans, a black shirt, and a brown suede jacket.
"What's in the trunk?" Buffy asked.
"Supplies."
Buffy leaned into the trunk. "Supplies? I was wondering about that. Like food, water, maybe a compass?"
Giles straightened up, holding stuff. "What about a book, a gourd, and a bunch of twigs?"
"I don't think I'll be that hungry."
"They're for me. Come on, this way."
He walked off with Buffy following.
"You see, the location of the sacred place is a guarded secret. I can't take you there myself."
They began to climb up a dune.
"I'll have to perform a ritual to...summon a guide. This'll do." Giles stopped and began putting the stuff down.
"A guide but no food or water. So it leads me to the sacred place, and then, a week later, it leads you to my bleached bones?" Buffy asked.
"Buffy, please. It takes more than a week to bleach bones."
Buffy grinned.
Giles kneeled on the ground and began arranging the twigs around himself. "Go quest."
Buffy walked across the sand, heard a growling noise, stopped, and looked to her left. She saw a mountain lion sitting on the sand about thirty feet away. "Hello, kitty."
The lion began to walk, and Buffy followed it. They went through a passageway made by two large outcroppings of rock. They came out on a large expanse of sandy desert dotted with small bushes and trees.
Buffy went over to a rock and sat on it, looking around. "I know this place."
Inside the Hyperion's lobby, Angel accepted a box from a delivery guy, handing him some money. "Thanks. Keep the change."
The delivery guy made his way out. "Wow. A whole dollar just for me. I'm the luckiest delivery man ever."
Angel turned to look as the door closed behind the guy, then went and set the box on the counter.
"What's all this?" Cordelia asked from her desk.
"Lunch. I was hungry." Angel set wrapped sandwiches out in a row on the countertop.
Cordelia got up and walked over. "You don't eat food."
"Oh, I can. It doesn't keep me alive, but, you know, sometimes, I get a hankering."
"You had a hankering for turkey, ham, and roast beef sandwiches?"
Angel pointed to one. "You missed the vegetarian."
"Soup and salad, too? What is going on here?"
"I forgot what you liked."
"Why didn't you ask me?"
"Well, you said why is everyone asking you if they can get you anything, and - and I didn't wanna do that..."
"So you did this...instead."
"Yup."
Cordelia smiled. "I love you."
Angel's worried look changed into a big smile as Cordelia picked up two sandwiches.
"And you ought to do that more often." Cordelia went back to her desk.
"Buy you food?"
"Smile."
Cordelia reached her desk and hunched over as she had a flash of the man stuffing a piece of muffin into his mouth while reading the paper.
Angel came over to her. "What?"
"Okay, this is weird. Before he put the knife in his eye, he was happy. He was happy about his eye. Like it was new or...something."
"New?"
Kate and Gunn walked in.
Kate looked at them. "I think we found him. A man named Joseph Kramer, has two kids, age twelve and nine; they go to the Delancy School."
Gunn nodded. "The kids didn't show up for school yesterday. Their mom called, sayin' she was taking them out of the country. Their father supposedly got a promotion in the Seychelles."
Angel put on his coat. "Did you get a home address?"
"We've already been there. Gunn stood look-out; I went in."
"And?"
"No trace of the family or any personal belongings. The place had been cleaned from top to bottom. The floors were polished; the carpet was still wet."
"To get rid of the blood."
"There was a little piece of molding that they missed up under the pantry." Kate pulled a piece of blood-smeared wood out of her pocket and held it out to Angel. "You want to sniff?"
Angel reached out and gently pushed her hand down. "How about I just believe you, huh?"
"What do we know?" Kate asked.
Cordelia looked at her. "We don't know anything. The guy's gone; the family's gone. Someone or something has the power to make them all disappear in a day."
Gunn sighed. "We're at a dead end."
Kate sat down on the edge of the desk. "I thought we had more than that."
"There is only thing we can do now." Angel looked at Cordelia.
Cordelia frowned. "Oh, God. Oh, no."
Kate frowned. "Karaoke."
"Angel's gonna sing?" Gunn asked.
"Isn't there some other way?" Cordelia asked.
"There has to be. Think, damn it!" Kate yelled.
Angel looked from one to another. "Hey! Wha..?"
Faith was behind the counter, watching a guy up on the stage, playing guitar and singing. It was Lindsey:
"Pretty girl on every corner.
Sunshine turns the sky to gold.
Warm, warm, it's always warm here.
And I can't take the cold."
Cordelia and the others walked in.
Cordelia looked at Angel. "You should pick something short."
"I was thinking about 'Stairway to Heaven'."
Kate shot him a dirty look. "Don't even fucking joke about that."
Cordelia noticed Lindsey. "Oh, my God, look who's-"
"Lindsey?" Angel asked.
"This whole world shines so brightly."
Angel frowned. "Looks like he's got a new hand."
"Pretty as a picture, she's..."
Cordelia stared in awe. "Wow. He's good."
Gunn nodded. "Lawyer's got some pipes."
"Settles me with love and laughter."
"You think he's good?" Angel asked.
Cordelia didn't take her eyes off Lindsey. "Shh."
"And I can't feel a thing."
Gunn nodded to the music as Angel looked up at the ceiling.
"The sky's gonna open.
People gonna pray and crawl.
It's gonna rain down fire..."
"What is that? Rock? Country? Ballad?" Angel asked. "Pick a style, pal."
Cordelia frowned. "Angel, don't make me ask you to leave."
"The sky is gonna open;
People gonna pray and sing.
Oh, I can't feel..."
He ended the song with a chord, and the audience started to applaud and cheer. Cordelia was clapping as well, her eyes still fixed on Lindsey.
Angel looked from Cordelia to Gunn, who was nodding his head. Cordelia looked over at Angel as Faith met Lindsey halfway from the stage, carrying a drink.
Faith handed Lindsey the drink. "On the house."
Lindsey took the drink but only smelled it. He looked at Cordelia. "Vision girl. Look, I got a crazy man's hand here who wants to kill...someone, maybe me, I don't know. What do you see?"
"Questionable fashion sense?" Angel guessed.
Lindsey frowned. "Look. I need help."
Angel smiled. "I'll say. You might want to start with his singing." He laughed.
Cordelia slapped the back of her hand against Angel's chest and stepped up to Lindsey. "Hi. You probably don't remember me. Cordelia. I know you're evil...and everything, but that was just so amazing."
Gunn smiled. "That was kind of tight."
Kate smiled. "Terrific, really."
"Is everyone drunk?" Angel asked.
"What are you looking at?" Lindsey asked him.
Cordelia shot them both glares. "Easy, easy, children. I don't allow violence in my club. Two enemies, one case. Get. The fuck. Along."
"They supposed to work together on this?" Gunn asked.
"Work with him?" Lindsey asked Cordelia.
Cordelia nodded. "Am I the only one that saw 48 Hrs.?"
"I've got a murder hand on me, and you're telling me to team up with the guy who cut mine off in the first place?" Lindsey asked.
Cordelia shrugged. "I'm telling you what's what. What you do with it is up to you."
Lindsey huffed and took a sip from his drink before setting it down on the bar and walking out past Angel. "If I see outside of the club, I'm gonna kill you."
"If Lindsey's the lead, shouldn't we be following him?" Gunn asked.
Angel looked at Cordelia. "You said the guy in the vision just got a new eye. And Lindsey just got a new hand."
Kate thought for a moment. "Right. Then we should find out where the transplants took place."
Gunn pointed towards the door. "So we're following him, right?"
Kate gave Faith a high five and picked up Lindsey's glass. "Actually, what we need to follow is his new hand." She held the glass up and looked at the fingerprints left on it. "Wonder who it belonged to."
Kate walked into the Hyperion, carrying a brown manila folder. "I got it. The hand belongs to a thirty-year-old white male named Bradley Scott; served two-and-a-half years at Soledad for embezzlement; paroled last month."
"Did he have a life before prison?" Cordelia asked her.
"I'm not sure. Why don't you just look him up on-"
Cordelia sat down at her computer and began to type. "I am."
They waited while Cordelia searched.
"Bradley Scott. Guess where he worked while he was dumping bearer bonds on the black market. Wolfram & Hart."
Gunn thought for a moment. "I wonder if he's still alive."
Kate looked at him. "Well, according to his records, he reported to his parole officer once...then he disappeared."
"He goes to jail. They wait for him to get out, then whack!" Gunn made a chopping motion at his right wrist. "Wolfram & Hart gives his hand to Lindsey. I guess they really want to give their boy everything."
That evening, Tara closed the front door. She turned away with a vial in her hand. She walked away from the door, into the living room. "Okay. Warning spell's all set."
Katrina was sitting on the sofa. Dawn sat on the chair, reading.
"So that's it? We're all protected up for the night?" Katrina asked.
"Well, i-it's probably not as good as Amy could do."
"So, when she gets back from class, I'll ask her to bulk up the spell a little, and we can go do a quick patrol."
"So, guys, if this is a real slumber party, where's the pizza?" Dawn asked.
Tara smiled. "Coming right up. Extra everything?"
Dawn grinned. "Fuck yeah. Especially the anchovies."
Tara made a face and looked at Katrina. "Two pizzas."
Katrina nodded enthusiastically.
Cordelia was sitting at her desk with her head buried in her arms, sniffling, as Kate and Gunn peeked in through a crack in the door. They carefully pulled the door shut again and stepped away from it.
"Is it me, or are these vision hangovers getting longer and longer?" Kate pointed to her head. "It's like she can't rest in there until it's done."
"I know. She inherited these visions from Doyle, but he was half-demon. I'm not sure the human body can carry..." Gunn paused. "Last year, a demon unleashed a slew of these visions on her. She wound up in a hospital, out of her mind."
"Oh." Kate paused. "Well, she's been a little cranky lately, but it's not like she's-"
"Angel? Where are you? I-I can't..." Cordelia paused. "Are you there?"
Gunn and Kate looked at each other.
"Crazy?" Gunn asked.
They looked towards the door.
Cordelia, phone in hand, jumped as they suddenly kicked her door open.
"What was that?" Angel asked.
Cordelia exhaled. "Nothing. I'm fine. It's just Gunn and Kate playing with the doors." She looked at them. "I'm trying to work here. Okay. We'll wait here."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Angel asked her.
"I'm fine. Just...get it done."
In SoHo, Manhattan, Kennedy was laying on her bed in her large bedroom in her family's mansion. She was naked, and she wasn't alone. Emma was with her, equally naked. Emma was laying on her back with her head on Kennedy's pillow. Kennedy was laying between Emma's spread legs and eagerly eating Emma's pussy.
Emma moaned in pleasure. "Oh, that's it, sweetie. Just like that."
Kennedy took a very quick break from licking her girlfriend's pussy in order to speak. "Quiero lamerte hasta que te vengas en mi boca mil veces." That she resumed licking her.
"Oh, God, I'm gonna cum!" Emma exclaimed.
Seconds later, Emma had a massive orgasm and started squirting cum. Kennedy opened her mouth wide and drank it, determined to not let any of it go to waste. Emma's orgasm subsided. Kennedy moved up, lay on top of Emma, and kissed her on the lips. Emma tasted her own cum on Kennedy's lips and gently licked her lips clean.
Kennedy stared down at Emma and smiled. "I love you."
Emma smiled. "I love you, too."
Kennedy got off Emma and lay down next to her. The two of them snuggled together.
Kennedy licked Emma's neck. "I can stay like this all night."
Emma smiled. "Hmmm, me, too. But don't you have-"
Kennedy's cell phone started ringing.
Kennedy groaned. "Fuck! I forgot!"
"Wanna blow it off?" Emma suggested.
"Then he'll come here and lecture me." Kennedy groaned, got out of bed, and started getting dressed. She winked at Emma. "Besides, I'm not really much for the blowing."
Buffy was still sitting on the rock. She hugged her arms and shivered, then let her head drop and her eyes close.
There was a noise like an owl hooting. Buffy jerked awake and sighed. There was a fire burning nearby.
Buffy sat up. "Hello? Who's there?"
On the other side of the fire, Buffy saw the black woman that she remembered from her shared dream with the others. Buffy stared at her through the flames, which sometimes obscured her entirely.
"I know you. You're the first Slayer."
"This is a form. I am the guide."
"I have a few questions...about being the Slayer. What about...love?"
"You think you're losing your ability to love."
"I-I didn't say that." Buffy sighed. "Yeah."
"You're afraid that being the Slayer means losing your humanity."
"Does it?"
"You are full of love. You love with all of your soul. It's brighter than the fire...blinding. That's why you pull away from it."
Buffy was surprised. "I'm full of love? I'm not losing it?"
"Only if you reject it. Love is pain, and the Slayer forges strength from pain. Love...give...forgive. Risk the pain. It is your nature. Love will bring you to your gift."
Buffy paused. "What? I-I'm sorry, I-I'm just a little confused. I'm full of love, which is nice, and...love will lead me to my gift?"
"Yes."
"I'm getting a gift? Or - Or do you mean that - that I have a gift to give to someone else?"
"Death is your gift."
"Death..."
"...is your gift."
Buffy grew angry. "Okay, no. Death is not a gift. I know this. My mother just fucking died. If I have to kill demons, because it makes the world a better place, then I kill demons, but it's not a gift to anybody."
"Your question has been answered."
She, as well as the fire, disappeared. All that were left were cold gray rocks and sand. Buffy frowned in confusion.
Later, Angel walked up to Cordelia. "How is everything in your head?"
"What?"
"Any vision aftermaths?"
Cordelia took a deep breath. "I-It's better."
Kate could tell something was wrong. "What?"
"It's just...they're starting to take their toll." Cordelia shrugged and gave them a smile. "It's part of the job, right?"
No one said anything.
Chapter 121: The Gift
Chapter Text
"The Gift"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episodes "Tough Love" Written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner, "Spiral" Written by Steven S. DeKnight, "The Weight of the World" Written by Douglas Petrie, and "The Gift" Written by Joss Whedon and the Angel Episodes "Belonging" Written by Shawn Ryan, "Over the Rainbow" Written by Mere Smith, "Through the Looking Glass" Written by Tim Minear, and "There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb" Written by David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2024 by Mark Moore.
Buffy was surprised to find herself summoned to a meeting with Principal Stevens regarding Dawn. It was at the end of the school day. Stevens sat behind her desk. Buffy and Dawn sat in chairs on the other side of the desk.
"You lied to me?" Buffy asked Dawn, glaring at her.
"Didn't...lie...e-exactly."
"Really. What about all the times I asked you how school was, and you said 'Fine'?"
"Well, it was! You didn't ask if I was in it when it was fine."
Buffy sighed and looked at Stevens. "I-I don't know what to say. I-I'm sure you're aware that the past few weeks, you know, have been kind of hard for Dawn. Not that I'm saying that's an excuse."
"I understand. Your mother was a lovely woman, and we'll all miss her very much. I know how difficult it must be."
"It is. Especially for Dawn. She-She's just a kid."
"Well...I think we both know that Dawn is a lot more than 'just a kid'." Stevens leaned forward. "She's a talented young girl...with a sharp mind...when she puts the effort in."
"Look. I realize that there's been some ball-dropping, but I'm sure this will all-"
"Dawn, why don't you wait outside for a few minutes?" Stevens requested.
Dawn was very scared. She looked over at Buffy, who gave her a nod. Dawn got up and left. Buffy watched her go with a sigh. The principal gave Buffy a stern look. Buffy faced her head-on.
Dawn and Buffy walked into the house. Buffy closed the front door and locked it.
Tara walked out of the kitchen. "Hey, what's up? How'd it go?"
Dawn was sullen. "Hi."
Buffy managed a weak smile. "Hey."
She and Dawn sat at the dining room table.
Katrina walked downstairs. "Hey."
"Uh, Dawn, why don't you get started on your homework? Uh, if you need help..." Buffy turned to Katrina. "Katrina, could you?"
Katrina nodded.
"Okay." Buffy stood up and headed toward the kitchen. "Tara."
Buffy and Tara walked into the kitchen as Dawn opened her bookbag.
"How'd the meeting go?" Tara asked.
"Well, it..." Buffy smelled something. "Is something burning?"
"Oh, uh, the pizza that I was baking got burned. It kept going after the timer hit zero."
Buffy frowned. "That's concerning."
"Yeah, I wouldn't recommend baking anything unless you stay and watch it. Anyway, I went to Wok Like an Egyptian in the mall and got some takeout: pork dumplings in Jahannamfire sauce."
"Cool. Is the pizza a loss?"
"Nah, but you're gonna want the dumplings after eating it, trust me."
"Okay. So, as it turns out, Dawn's been skipping school."
"What?"
"Yeah. I think..." Buffy sat at the island. "I think she's still taking Mom's death hard and...feeling like nothing matters. And, honestly, I can't really blame her."
Tara put her hand on Buffy's shoulder. "I-I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"All of those times that I dropped Dawn off at school. I sh-should have waited until I saw her go in."
Buffy put her own hand on top of Tara's hand. "It's not your fault. I've dropped her off and left as well. I just don't know what I'm gonna do. I mean...she's fucking up. I'm fucking up."
"Hey, you don't get to blame yourself either, sweetie. You're just going to have to put your foot down with her."
"I try. It's just...my foot's not used to being put down."
"Well, there are four adults living in this house. We'll all help raise Dawn, but you're gonna have to set some rules. She needs you to do this."
Buffy was nervous. "Right. She needs me."
Tara felt sympathetic.
Buffy gave her a small smile. "Okay." She nodded. "I can do this."
Tara smiled. "I know you can."
They kissed.
"So...big day's two days away. You ready?" Tara asked.
Buffy nodded. "Yup. I stopped by City Hall on the way home. I'm officially licensed."
Later, Dawn was sitting at the table while Buffy stood. Buffy was folding dish towels on the table while Dawn was doing homework.
"Okay, so, I-I think the next step is to make a chart. A schedule."
Dawn gave her an angry look.
"I'll write down all the things that you're supposed to do and when you have to do them, and then I'll leave a box next to it, which you can mark with an X when you've accomplished the task."
Dawn stared at her with a sullen expression.
"What? You want gold stars?" Buffy rolled her eyes. "Okay. You can have gold stars."
"I don't want gold stars." Dawn scoffed. "I don't want any of this." She put down her pencil and crossed her arms.
Buffy paused in her towel-folding. "I'm just trying to give you a normal life."
"Well, good luck." Dawn returned to her schoolwork.
Buffy stood and stared at her.
Dawn paused, then looked up warily. "What?" She rolled her eyes and sat back. "What am I doing wrong now?"
"This is for real, Dawn."
"No, it's not. Why would my exciting graph of chores be real? Who cares if I get an education, anyway?" Dawn slammed her textbook shut, then folded her arms again.
Buffy slammed her hand down on the table, making Dawn jump and wince.
Buffy stared at her sister. "Damn it, Dawn. This is serious."
"Why? Why should I care about any of this?"
"Because they'll take you away!" Buffy yelled.
The two of them faced off across the table.
Dawn unfolded her arms, scared. "Take me away? What do you mean?"
"They'll take you away from us. That's what your principal told me when you weren't in the room. If we can't make you go to school, then Tara and I won't be found fit to be your legal guardians." Buffy resumed folding towels.
Dawn absorbed this for a moment. "Where would I go?"
"I don't know. Dad, maybe, or foster care. I-I didn't really want to ask."
Dawn paused, then scoffed. "You could've told me that."
"I just did."
Buffy continued folding as Dawn sat there.
That night, inside a fancy restaurant, Angel, Kate, Cordelia, and Gunn were sitting at a table, eating dinner.
"You wanna try some of this sashimi?" Cordelia offered Gunn.
"That's the raw fish? Maybe when Hell freezes over."
Cordelia craned her neck to look around the restaurant.
"What are you looking for?" Kate asked.
"Celebrities. They wouldn't put them out here in the 'B' section. They put them back in the dark."
"Not like here...where it's brightly lit and...open, and everyone could stare at you and..." Angel paused. "It's a little exposed. Kind of public."
"Oh, yeah, that public thing. It happens when you go where the people are." Gunn clapped him on the arm.
Angel looked around the restaurant. "Oh, no, no, no. I-I-I like the people. Normal people. I wanna get out and be one of them. You know. Celebrate Cordy's good news."
"Oh, it's just a commercial."
Kate lifted her wine glass. "Just a national commercial. Here's to you."
They all clinked glasses.
"Guys, I can't drink. I have to be up at 4:30 in the morning for the shoot. But please...continue with the toasting and the praising."
Gunn smiled. "You're gonna knock 'em dead and make a ton of cash."
Angel nodded. "What he said, but - but don't leave us when you get famous."
"I'm touched. But don't worry. I can't leave you guys while I'm still the proud owner of the mind-shattering, ever-more-debilitating visions." Cordelia took a sip of water from her wine glass, then went back to eating. "I feel a little guilty."
"Don't. I mean nineteen dollars for a...sashimi couscous appetizer is money well spent. How was it, anyway? Pretty good?" Angel asked her. "I mean it ought to be pretty-"
"It's delicious, but that's not what I feel guilty about."
"Oh." Angel saw Kate looking at him. "I'm not cheap; I-I'm just old. I-I remember when a few bob got you a good meal, a bottle, and a tavern wench." He paused, noticing Cordelia's frown. "You were saying?"
"I was saying I feel guilty leaving you guys in the middle of a case to go do this commercial."
Kate shook her head. "Mmm, we have it under control. Angel will get a hold of his informant first thing in the morning."
"And he..." Gunn looked at Angel. "Well, is it a he or an it?"
"Actually, both."
"Well, then he-slash-it points us to the big, bloated thing in your vision."
Kate looked at him. "The Haklar demon. In fact, Angel's informant will lead us to the demon's feeding grounds, where we will kill it to death."
Cordelia smiled. "Ooh, sounds like fun. If you guys want more wine, don't let me stop you."
Angel shook his head. "Oh, no more wine for me. That imported stuff goes right to your head."
"You think we should get a flamethrower?" Gunn asked.
"For the Haklar?" Kate asked. "I hadn't thought of that."
Angel looked at them. "I mean...if you guys want to order another bottle..."
Gunn thought for a moment. "Of course, if we wound up in a tight space, we could burn each other."
Kate nodded. "Right. Right."
Gunn looked at Angel. "Well, you're the boss. You'll decide."
Kate took a deep breath. "A flamethrower is big and loud. Might call attention where we don't want it."
"Oh, God." Cordelia scrunched up her face.
"What is it? What do you see?" Gunn asked.
"Moo..."
"Moo? Some sort of cow monster?" Kate asked.
"Move. I think the sashimi is coming up."
The others jumped up off their chairs as Cordelia doubled over, pulling the tablecloth and dishes off the table as she was violently sick, then she vomited on the floor.
"They'll take that off the bill, right?" Angel asked.
In Huntsville, Alabama, Vi walked through the Chinese buffet, loading food onto her plate. She picked up just a little of each of the things that she wanted - with the exception of pork dumplings, which she loaded up on. Then she returned to her booth and sat down across from her mother.
"That's all that you're having?" Felicia asked.
"Nah, this is just Round 1." Vi picked up her fork and dug in. "Fight!"
Felicia watched her daughter stuff herself. "Maybe go a bit easy on that. You don't have Slayer metabolism."
Vi ripped open a dumpling with her teeth. "Well, if I'm chosen, those extra calories will be burned like that." She snapped her fingers.
Felicia sipped her Pepsi. "I thought you didn't wanna be chosen."
"Objectively, who would?" Vi asked. "The hours would absolutely suck."
"That's not all that would suck. You know what else would suck?" Felicia asked.
"What?" Vi asked, chewing on the pork.
"The vampires." Felicia giggled.
Vi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Funny, Mom."
"I thought so." Felicia paused. "Looking forward to summer vacation?"
Vi paused and sipped her Pepsi as she thought about that. "Depends."
"On what?"
Vi frowned. "On if you can keep Mike off my ass for the entire summer."
Felicia sighed. "That's asking a lot. I'm not sure I can manage that."
"Well, then can we go away for the summer?" Vi asked.
Felicia frowned. "And who's gonna pay the bills?"
"Bills are overrated."
Felicia sighed. "Vi, I wish I could shield you from this, but...if it's true that you're a...Potential...I think you oughta do what he says."
Vi picked up a piece of fried chicken. "Seriously?"
Felicia nodded. "Seriously. Train. Grow stronger. Learn. Your life might depend on it someday."
Vi bit off a bit of the skin. "Mom...do you ever wish I was never discovered to be a Potential Slayer?"
Felicia nodded. "All the fucking time. But I don't know who...or what...makes these decisions. Who gets chosen, and who doesn't? Who's a Potential, and who isn't?"
Vi sighed. "Well, whoever or whatever is in charge of it, I wish it'd leave me the fuck alone."
Felicia sighed. "Me, too."
"Would you be willing to come to my training sessions with me?" Vi asked.
"What?" Felicia asked. "I don't think Mike would like that. He kinda made it clear that he wanted me to stay out of the way."
"Please?!" Vi begged. "He's so...cold and by-the-book. It'd be nice to have a friendly face there."
"Besides you?" Felicia asked.
Vi smiled, pleasantly surprised.
Felicia laughed. "Okay, I'll try to come to your training sessions."
"Thanks."
"I might not be able to always make it, though, just so you know. It'll depend on my work schedule."
"Understood." Vi ate the last bite of her egg roll, set down her fork, and stood up. "Vi wins! On to Round 2!"
Felicia laughed. "Go attack the food, my ferocious fighter."
Vi happily headed toward the buffet.
The next day, Cordelia reported to Stage 6 in a big, white warehouse to shoot a commercial. The stage was made up to look like a sunlit beach.
After changing into a bikini, Cordelia, wearing a heavy, white bathrobe, noticed Angel standing on the stage and stepped up to him. "What are you doing here?"
Angel smiled at her. "Getting a tan. Ha. Not bursting into flames?"
"So...what are you doing here?"
"I have to ask you a question. In your vision, did the Haklar demon-"
Cordelia grabbed him by the arms as she saw someone coming. "Shut up. The director's come in." She looked at the director. "Hi. I just wanna say thanks for casting me."
"You're welcome. Lose the bathrobe."
"Excuse me?"
"What's wrong? You don't speak English? The wardrobe. I need to see it. Lose the robe, princess."
Cordelia stared at him for a moment, and he snapped his fingers a few times.
"Sure. Sure." Cordelia slowly took the robe off to reveal she was wearing a very skimpy bikini dotted with seashells.
"Turn around."
Cordelia did so, slowly.
"Well, nothing wrong there. Okay, turn."
Cordelia turned to face him again.
"When does she go to makeup?" His assistant looked at his notebook.
"I've already been to makeup."
"Really." The director looked at his assistant. "Then take her back. Tell David to get rid of those circles under her eyes. She looks like a refugee from an abused women's shelter."
"I had food poisoning."
The director looked at her. "Yeah, right. You eat. Good one." He looked at his assistant. "Tell David I'm supposed to wanna sleep with this woman. I don't. Do you wanna sleep with her? Of course, you don't."
Angel glared at him. "You're out of line."
The director turned and stared.
"Apologize to her."
"Oh, let me guess. Wanna-be rocker or part-time male model. I could go either way on this one."
Angel took a step closer to him. "I said apologize to her."
"Really?" He leaned over to his assistant. "Get security."
Cordelia stared at Angel. "Angel-"
"Who the hell do you think you are, huh?" Angel asked the director.
"I think I'm the director." He looked at Cordelia. "And I think you're real smart for bringing your unemployed boyfriend onto my set, telling me how to film my commercial. That's really helping your career."
Cordelia put her bathrobe back on, took a hold of Angel's arm, and pulled him away from the director. "I'm sorry. Uh. He won't bother you anymore."
"Oh, I know he won't. Because security is gonna toss his ass in about two minutes. Now, get into makeup and hope they can work miracles." The director left.
Cordelia turned to face Angel.
"Do you want me to rip that guy's head off for you?" Angel offered. "Because, you know, I can. I can actually just rip his head right off his body. I can do that."
"Are you trying to ruin my career? I mean is this, like, a conscious effort on your part?"
"No. I just-"
"You need to go. Now."
Angel let out a deep breath.
"Why are you still here? Go!" Cordelia yelled.
"Look, I have to ask you a question."
Cordelia let out a deep breath and folded her arms in front of her. "What?"
"In your vision...the Haklar demon that you saw, did he eat his victim whole, or did he just rip out the liver?"
Cordelia made a disgusted face.
'Cause, I mean, it's a funny story; according to my informant, liver-eating Haklars have different feeding grounds than people-eaters, and I need to know what kind it was, so I can track it down and kill it."
Cordelia nodded, then shook her head and turned to walk away. "I hate my whole fucking life."
Gunn was sitting on the round bench in the lobby of the Hyperion, watching Kate pace.
"So...this Heckler demon we're supposed to kill-"
"Haklar."
"This Haklar we're supposed to kill. Give me the specs. What I need to know?" Gunn asked.
Kate stopped pacing. "The Haklar, descended for the Klensan Order demons, can weigh as much as three tons as an adult male. It awakes from its hibernation during alternating full moons only to feed and mate - often simultaneously. Incapable of traditional speech, the Haklar has learned to communicate with each other via a pattern of carefully-timed facial ticks, similar to our own Morse code. The Haklar prefers a warm, moist climate where it can-"
"Kate."
"Yeah?"
"I meant how do we go about killing it?"
"Oh. Your standard slice and dice."
The door opened, and George and Rondell walked in.
Gunn got up to greet them. "Hey. What are y'all doing here?"
"Got a situation."
"Kate, these are Rondell and George."
Kate shook their hands. "Nice to meet you."
"The situation, what is it?" Gunn asked.
"What else?" Rondell asked. "Vamps."
"Pack of them making McKenzie Park their new personal restaurant."
Gunn thought about that. "Got a lot of homeless sleeping there."
"They be the meals."
Gunn nodded. "Sounds like what we need to do is set a trap."
"Trap's already set."
"It is?"
"We know the drill. Everything's in motion."
"Oh. All right. You just need me to-"
"Lend us your truck."
"You want my ride?"
"It's still tricked out for killing, ain't it?"
"Well, yeah. But-"
"We wanna go in with everything we got."
Gunn threw a quick look at Kate. "Count me in, then."
"What about the Haklar?" Kate asked him.
"Angel gets a lock on its crib, page me."
Angel came in. "Haklar is living on the North Shore of Lake Hollywood. We better hurry. They've got a 5K race starting there in a half-hour."
Kate looked at Gunn. "Consider yourself paged."
Gunn looked from Kate to George and Rondell. "I got to take this. Wait for me, though. I'm through, I hook up with you guys at base camp, we head out together."
"Yeah, whatever, G." Rondell bumped George. "Let's roll, man."
The two of them left with Gunn looking after them.
Kate walked up to Angel. "Angel, is everything all right?"
Angel handed Gunn an ax, then picked up another one and tossed it to Kate before getting one for himself. He sighed. "I-It's Cordy."
"What about her?" Kate asked.
"Headaches getting worse?" Gunn asked.
"What happened?" Kate asked.
"Nothing happened. It-It's just..." Angel paused. "Heh. Acting is her dream job? I mean...that's the world she really wants to live in? With people like that? I don't get it."
"Who are you talking about?" Kate asked.
"Mr. 'Hey, I'm an L.A. director, you know, shooting a commercial, so I must be the center of the universe' guy? It's just, like, if you wanna make it in show business, you just pretend you're on the food chain? I mean all we do is save the world. And the way he talks to her. It's like she's his commodity. Like she's his slave or something. And you know what the worst part is? She took it. When was the last time Cordy took shit from any of us?" Angel asked.
Gunn frowned. "Never."
"Exactly! He's also got her wearing this...flimsy swimsuit that covers like..." Angel twisted the ax handle between his hands as he looked up at the ceiling. "...nothing."
"Shouldn't we be off killing something?" Kate asked him.
"Absolutely. Let's get this show on the road."
The three of them headed out.
Cordelia was on the fake beach, spreading suntan lotion on the guy laying on his stomach between her and another girl. "Goes on smooth, like a lover's kiss. It's the only suntan lotion good enough for our man."
"Cut. Cut." The director stepped up to Cordelia. "You're in his light."
"Still?"
"I told you twice, you have to bend over more."
Cordelia frowned. "If I bend over any more, my tits are gonna fall out of my top."
"And then you'll be out of his light. See? Everybody wins."
Cordelia motioned towards the lights. "But isn't there something we could do-"
"I didn't hire you to play Ophelia. Show the cleavage, say the line. Got it? Or you wanna waste more of our time?"
Cordelia thought for a moment. "Got it."
The director left, and Cordelia looked down.
Dawn was standing at the island, making sandwiches for breakfast for herself and the others. It was her turn to make breakfast today. The others weren't up yet.
Buffy walked downstairs. "Hey."
Dawn looked at her. "Hey. Breakfast's almost ready."
"What did you make?" Buffy asked, wary. Then she noticed a sandwich and took it. "Eggplant, that's me." She picked up another sandwich out of curiosity. "Salami with..." She looked at the sandwich and made a disgusted face. "...ew, peanut butter?" She gave it to Dawn.
"Yeah, like eggplant is normal. It's what, half-egg, half-plant?" Dawn asked. "'Cause that's just unnatural."
Buffy stuck out her tongue and took a bite of her sandwich.
"Don't forget tonight." Dawn paused mid-bite. "Oh, are we still on for tonight?"
Buffy nodded. "Mmm-hmm. Just please don't skip school anymore."
"Deal." Dawn finished her sandwich and picked up her bookbag. "Okay, I'm off."
Buffy stared at her, then grabbed her keys off the island. "I'll drive you."
The sisters headed for the door.
"You don't trust me?" Dawn asked.
"I'll trust you once I see you're inside the school."
Dawn stared at her, upset.
Buffy was silent for a moment. "Trust is earned, Dawn." She unlocked and opened the door.
Dawn walked outside, and Buffy followed.
That evening, Buffy drove Dawn, Tara, Amy, and Katrina to the ice rink for a local figure skating competition that Dawn was participating in. Buffy and the Slayerettes were performing the song for her routine. Sandy joined them there.
As the band was setting up their gear, Dawn sat at a table and changed into her ice skates.
"Up next, Dawn Summers."
Holding onto the table, Dawn stood up and walked out onto the ice. She skated to the center of the rink. The spotlight came on, shining down on her. Dawn looked at her sister and nodded.
Buffy started playing her guitar, and Tara joined in with her keyboard, Katrina and Sandy joined in with their bass guitars, and Amy joined in with her drums.
Dawn started skating. She didn't attempt anything difficult at first, mostly just skating forwards and backwards.
Buffy watched her sister's routine while playing and singing, the others occasionally joining in with chants:
"Gloria,
You're always on the run now.
Running after somebody,
You gotta get him somehow.
I think you've got to slow down
Before you start to blow it.
I think you're headed for a breakdown,
So be careful not to show it.
You really don't remember,
Was it something that he said?
Are the voices in your head
Calling, Gloria?
"Gloria,
Don't you think you're fallin'?
If everybody wants you,
Why isn't anybody callin'?
You don't have to answer.
Leave them hangin' on the li-ine, oh-oh-oh,
Calling Gloria.
"Gloria (Gloria),
I think they got your number (Gloria).
I think they got the alias (Gloria)
That you've been living under (Gloria).
But you really don't remember,
Was it something that they said?
Are the voices in your head
Calling, Gloria?"
Dawn successfully completed a triple Axel. The audience applauded and cheered. Buffy beamed with pride, then she resumed singing:
"A-ha-ha, a-ha-ha, Gloria,
How's it gonna go down?
Will you meet him on the main line,
Or will you catch him on the rebound?
Will you marry for the money,
Take a lover in the afternoon?
Feel your innocence slipping away;
Don't believe it's comin' back soon.
And you really don't remember,
Was it something that he said?
Are the voices in your head
Calling, Gloria?
"Gloria,
Don't you think you're fallin'?
If everybody wants you,
Why isn't anybody callin'?
You don't have to answer.
Leave them hangin' on the li-ine, oh-oh-oh,
Calling Gloria.
"Gloria (Gloria),
I think they got your number (Gloria).
I think they got the alias (Gloria)
That you've been living under (Gloria).
But you really don't remember,
Was it something that they said?
Are the voices in your head
Calling, Gloria?"
As the band finished playing, Dawn finished her routine. Everyone applauded for her.
Suddenly, Glory ran out onto the ice, picked up Dawn, slung her over her shoulder, and ran away. Dawn screamed. The crowd started murmuring.
Buffy set down her guitar and ran after them. She jumped into the air, did a somersault, and landed in front of them. Glory stopped.
Buffy whirled, grabbed Dawn by the hand, and ran straight through the front door, outside. Glory laughed and started after them. Amy held up her left hand. Glory suddenly couldn't move. She made an angry face. Amy wrapped her other arm around Tara, who held up her right hand.
Glory went flying backward, through the side of the building, into some bushes.
Katrina, Sandy, Amy, and Tara ran outside. Buffy and Dawn ran across the parking lot. Buffy still had Dawn by the hand.
"Buffy!" Dawn yelled.
"We have to keep moving!"
"I can't!" Dawn fell to the ground.
Buffy hauled her back up, scooped Dawn up in her arms, jumped over a bench, and continued running. She crossed a paved pathway, heading toward the street. Buffy ran onto the sidewalk, and suddenly Glory was in front of them. Buffy put Dawn down, and they both stared fearfully at Glory.
Glory stared at them. "I really hate it when people touch my things."
Buffy got angry. "Your 'things'?"
Dawn just stood there, scared.
"Last words, Slay-runt?" Glory asked Buffy.
"Just one. Truck."
Glory looked to her right, too late, as a huge semi smashed into her.
Buffy and Dawn ran off in the other direction.
Kate followed Angel into the Hyperion, dabbing at her brow with a handkerchief. "Has it-"
"Stopped bleeding? Yeah."
They stopped as they spotted Cordelia sitting, hunched over, on one of the seats in the lobby.
Kate frowned in concern. "Cordelia."
"Hi."
Cordelia looked up at them, then back down at the floor.
Angel took a step closer. "Look, I just wanna say...if I was out of line today-"
Cordelia straightened up. "If you were out of line? If?" She got up. "You're comfortable with your use of the word 'if' here, are you?"
Angel threw a look at Kate, then turned around as Cordelia walked past him.
"I'm sorry I embarrassed you."
Cordelia let out a breath. "Who am I kidding? I embarrassed myself. I just wanted to act, that's all. For them to like me, because I was good. I never wanted to feel like this." She paused. "I thought Gunn was with you guys."
Kate shrugged. "He was. After the fight, he had to go home to take care of some vampire business."
"How was the big fight? All big and...fighty?" Cordelia asked.
Kate smiled. "We managed to kill the Haklar just as it was about to devour a group of power walkers."
Angel shook his head. "Horrible."
"I know. I saw it in my stupid vision, remember?"
"No, not the Haklar, the power walkers. I mean...walking, I get, but power walking? Why not just run for a shorter time?" Angel shook his head. "Weird. Plus one of them hit her."
"A power walker did that?" Cordelia asked, looking at Kate.
"Apparently, she felt I disrespected the Haklar's culture by killing it."
"This town sucks." Cordelia scrunched up her face and put a hand up to her head. She doubled over, groaning. She straightened back up, still clutching her head.
Angel hurried over.
Cordelia got blurry images of a girl wearing a locket taking a book off a shelf and opening it. Suddenly, a large man came from behind and grabbed her. She was carried off, screaming.
"You're okay?" Angel asked Cordelia.
"Why does everyone always ask me that? Do I look okay?!"
Angel backed a few steps away.
"What did you see?" Kate asked.
"A woman. She was at the public library. I think she works there. She was reading a book. Then a large guy grabbed her and carried her off."
Angel checked his watch. "We better get to the library. They'll be closing soon."
Kate nodded. "Right."
The three of them got ready to head out.
The gang regrouped at the Magic Box. Giles and Jenny were there as well.
Dawn stood in the middle of the room. "A-And then whoosh! All of a sudden, Glory's standing right there in front of us, all skanky and blonde and thinkin' she's all that just 'cause she has nice feet."
Everyone stared at her except Buffy, who was peering out through the closed window blinds.
Dawn cleared her throat. "A-And she's comin' right at us, and Buffy's just standing there, not even blinking, like 'Bring it on', and then wham!" She smacked one fist into her other hand. "Hell-bitch in orbit."
Jenny grinned. "Go, Buff!"
Giles smiled. "I knew you'd best Glory eventually; I mean all - all your years of training-"
"A truck hit her."
"Oh."
"You threw it at her?" Sandy asked Buffy.
Dawn tried to play Buffy's role up. "Well, no. She more kind of waited for it to hit Glory. Uh, but then Buffy and I ran really fast, and we got away."
"I don't know how we got away. That truck couldn't have slowed her down for more than a second."
Giles shrugged. "Well, how isn't important; all that matters is that the two of you are safe."
Buffy scoffed, then turned to look at him, angry. "Safe? We've barely been able to manage not getting seriously dead every fucking time we've crossed paths with Glory."
Giles and Dawn felt chastised.
Giles thought for a moment. "There must be something in the Book of Tarnis that we've missed, something we can use against Glory."
"We can't fight her."
Giles was surprised. "W-Well not yet, no, but-"
"No, not ever. She's too strong, Giles. We're not gonna win this with - with stakes or spells or pulling out some uranium power core. She's a god, and she's coming for us. So let's just not be here when she starts knocking."
"Run away?" Amy asked.
Buffy looked at her. "Well, we can't stay here! She'll just kill us off one by one until there's no one left standing between her and Dawn."
Giles frowned. "Buffy, we all understand the severity of the situation, but there must be another way."
"No. We stay, we die. Show of hands for that option."
Everyone was silent.
"All right. Nobody goes home; nobody tells anybody we're leaving. Just pack up whatever supplies that we need, and that's it; we're gone."
Dawn smiled. "Cool. Don't have to study for that Geometry test."
Buffy turned to look out the window again.
"Why did Glory take Dawn?" Katrina suddenly asked.
Buffy turned and looked at her. "What?"
"Glory said she was gonna kill your friends and family, right?" Katrina asked. "Why'd she take her instead of punching her head off?"
Buffy made a disgusted face. "Jesus Christ, Trina." Then she started thinking. "I don't know why. But...she indicated Dawn was her property."
Now, Katrina was disgusted. "One person doesn't own another."
No one said anything for a while.
Dawn gathered her nerve. "Thanks."
Buffy looked at her. "For what?"
"You know. Pretty much everything."
"Yeah. I'm doin' a great job."
"You are."
Buffy scoffed. "I'm the Slayer. The Chosen One. All mythic and defender-y. Evil nasties are supposed to flee from me. Not the other way around."
Dawn walked over to stand beside Buffy. "You saved me. It's the most amazing thing anyone's ever done for me."
They looked at each other for a moment.
Dawn looked away. "What are we gonna do?"
Buffy frowned slightly, then put her arms around Dawn's shoulders and pulled Dawn close, resting Dawn's head on her shoulder. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." She looked at everyone. "We're all gonna make it. I'm not losing anyone."
There was a knock on the door. Buffy and Giles looked at each other in surprise and confusion.
Buffy turned and peered through the blinds. She saw Gloria standing by the door. She looked at the others. "It's Gloria."
The others didn't know what to make of that.
Buffy walked over to the door, unlocked it, and opened it. "Gloria."
"Can I come in?" Gloria asked.
Buffy stepped aside.
Gloria walked into the Magic Box and smiled. "Thanks."
Everyone suddenly saw Gloria as Glory, even though there was no difference in their appearance. Buffy and Dawn stared in horror. Buffy pushed Dawn behind her. Everyone else was surprised and scared.
Sandy rushed at Glory with a yell, Amy right behind her. Glory hit Sandy, and she crashed backward into Amy. They both fell against the wall. Buffy rushed at Glory as the ladies tried to get up. Glory hit Buffy, and she crashed into Tara, both of them hitting the wall and then falling to the floor.
Glory turned to look at Dawn, giving a little laugh. Dawn was frightened. Glory ran forward and grabbed Dawn. Katrina grabbed Dawn from the other side, but Glory pulled her free and began running out.
"Buffy!" Dawn yelled.
Buffy painfully tried to get up as Glory, dragging Dawn by the hand, ran out the door.
Buffy limped outside and looked around. "Dawn!"
Gunn walked into the gang's quiet base camp and saw one of them standing guard.
"Junior, where is everybody?" Gunn asked.
Junior wouldn't answer or even look at Gunn.
"What's wrong?"
When he still didn't get an answer, Gunn moved on to find the whole group standing silently together in another room. They parted to let Gunn through to the front, where he found Rondell laid out on a pallet.
Gunn crouched down next to George. "What...?"
George turned Rondell's head to the side, exposing a vampire's fang marks on his neck.
"Did they make him drink?" Gunn asked.
"We don't know."
Gunn closed his eyes and turned his face to the side.
In the main room of Glory's apartment, Glory stood, wearing a simple black dress. To her left, Dawn sat on a sofa, bound and gagged, whimpering with fear.
"Relax! I'm not gonna kill you." Glory frowned in puzzlement. "Not in the mood. What do you think that's about?"
Dawn just stared at her.
"In mercy does my power lie." Glory frowned again, slapping herself in the head. "No, retard, in torture, death, and chaos does my power lie. So tell me, why am I not popping your head like a zit right now?"
Dawn had no idea.
"Maybe I'm just hungry. No, I'm not hungry. Uhh! Just a little tight in the skin is all. I've been waiting an eternity - well, twenty-five human years - and it all comes down to tonight. The portal shall open. And I shall return to the hell I came from. Where I'm gonna rain down more super-sized portions of slaughter, mayhem, and bloodshed than you can even dream about." Glory paced, then sat down on another sofa to Dawn's right. "So how come I ain't happy? Got everything I ever wanted. Still, something's off." She twirled her wrist a few times - as if it was stiff. "I don't know. What do you think?" She looked at Dawn.
Dawn just stared at her.
"Imagine what you'd feel with my fingers wiggling in your brain."
Dawn was very scared.
"It doesn't kill you. What it does...is make you feel like you're in a noisy, little, dark room..." Glory frowned and fidgeted uncomfortably. "...naked and ashamed...and there are things in the dark that need to hurt you, because you're bad...little pinching things that go in your ears..."
Dawn began to cry.
"...and crawl on the inside of your skull. And you know...if the noise and the crawling would stop...you could remember how to get out."
Glory contemplated this as Dawn continued to cry quietly.
Then Glory turned to look at Dawn again. "But you never, ever will."
Dawn forced herself to stop crying and look Glory in the eyes, saying nothing.
"Fine. Let's get crazy." Glory caressed the side of Dawn's face with her hand.
Dawn whimpered and tried to pull her face away.
Angel followed Kate and Cordelia into the public library.
The librarian looked at them. "If you're planning on checking out anything, you've got about five minutes."
Cordelia looked at her. "Actually, we're looking for someone that works here."
"Who's that?"
"Okay, she's...tall. She has brown hair about down to here." Cordelia indicated her waist. "Wears glasses, pretty..."
"Sorry."
"She wears a locket, shaped like a ball or - or an apple, I think?"
"An apple? Fred wore one of those."
"Fred?" Angel asked.
"Winifred. Everyone called her Fred."
A distant memory surfaced in Cordelia's mind.
"Do you know where we can find her?" Angel asked.
The librarian stared at them for a moment, then pulled a folded flyer from under the desk counter and handed it to Cordelia. "Fred disappeared five years ago. They never found her. Police said if she didn't show up in the first week..." She paused. "Well, we all stopped hoping a while ago."
Cordelia stared at the picture on the flyer. "Yeah, I've seen this before. Winifred Burkle. Disappeared May 7th, 1996." She handed the flyer to Angel. "This is her."
"Can you tell us anything about her?" Kate asked the librarian.
"She worked here in the library with me. She was studying to be a physicist."
Kate frowned. "The day she disappeared..."
"Oh...it was creepy. One minute, she is cataloging in the Foreign Language section, and, the next minute, she's gone!"
Angel looked at her. "Thank you."
He, Kate, and Cordelia walked away.
"So what now?" Kate asked.
"Cordy, is there anything that you can tell us about the man that took Fred?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, like distinguishing marks? Clothing?" Kate suggested.
Cordelia concentrated on the details in the vision. "Um...he had a card in his shirt pocket. Like a...a security card. It reads...Ye Olden Days."
"What's that?" Kate asked.
Angel looked at her. "Local Medieval Times knockoff. I went once. Wasn't very good. More ren fair than medieval."
"So you think Fred was taken there?" Kate asked.
Cordelia shrugged. "It's all that we got."
Buffy put down the phone. "Okay, everybody, fan out. We've got to find Glory. If you find her, don't try anything stupid. Get somewhere safe and call me. If you don't find her, come back here and do research." She looked around at everyone. "Everyone clear?"
They nodded.
Sandy stepped forward. "I'll check the hospital."
Buffy looked at her. "Why there?"
"Well, your Gloria friend works there, right?"
Buffy frowned. "We're looking for Glory, not Gloria."
"Well, yeah, but Gloria happens to be Glory."
Everyone else was confused.
"What do you mean?" Giles asked.
"You know. Gloria is Glory."
Tara frowned. "You mean...Gloria's with Glory?"
"'With' in what sense?" Katrina asked.
"They're working together?" Amy asked.
Sandy frowned. "No. No. Gloria is Glory. Glory's Gloria. They're one and the same."
Everyone else was completely confused.
"When did all this happen?" Jenny asked.
"Not one hour ago! Right here, before your very eyes! Gloria came, turned into Glory, snatched Dawn, and vanished, remember?"
They continued to stare at her.
"You do remember...?" Sandy asked, uncertain, then squinted at them. "Is everyone here very stoned?"
They continued to be confused.
Sandy got annoyed. "Gloria! Glory! She's a doctor; she's the goddess. Surely, you remember."
Katrina frowned. "So you're saying...Gloria and Glory..."
"...have a connection." Amy looked at Katrina.
"Yes, obviously, but what kind?" Giles asked.
Sandy laughed sarcastically. "Oh, I get it. That's fucking great." She nodded. "Glory's worked the kind of mojo where anyone that sees her little presto-change-o instantly forgets. I guess, as a vampire, I'm immune."
Tara frowned. "So...Gloria and Glory...are - are the same person?"
Jenny came to a revelation. "Glory can turn into Gloria, and Gloria turns back into Glory."
Buffy looked at her. "And anyone that sees it instantly forgets."
Sandy sighed in relief. "Thank Goddess."
"Excellent." Giles looked around at them. "Now. Do we suspect there may be some kind of connection between Gloria and Glory?"
The others looked enquiringly at Sandy.
Sandy sighed loudly. "Glory's Gloria."
"Wait, wait, wait. Gloria? At Glory's?" Buffy asked.
Sandy rolled her eyes.
"You're saying, all this time, she's been subletting from her?" Buffy asked.
Sandy bitch-slapped Buffy upside the head.
Buffy grabbed her head in pain. "Ow!"
Sandy huffed. "Last time. From the top."
Gunn's truck pulled up, and Gunn got out. There was old wood furniture in the bed of it.
Gunn grabbed a hold of George as he stepped closer and slammed him up against the back of the truck. "You should have waited for me."
"We've been waiting on you for months, bro."
Gunn pushed him to the side and grabbed a chair from the back of the truck to add it to a pile of other broken furniture laid out a little ways away, then stood there, staring at it.
Glory entered a warehouse, followed by Dawn. Glory had Dawn by the arm. A man wielding a blowtorch was wearing a welding mask. He turned off the blowtorch and lifted the mask. Dawn recognized him as the crazy guy that accosted her outside the Magic Box. She heard rhythmic machinery noises.
As they walked through the warehouse, Dawn saw other crazy people doing various things with machinery. Glory and Dawn went to a door in the back.
Glory opening the door, peeked in, then nodded and gestured behind her. She entered, followed by Dawn. They were in a construction office.
Glory pushed Dawn into a chair and turned away, putting a hand to her head. She sat down. Then she abruptly stood up, walked over to Dawn, removed her gag, and sighed. "You okay?"
"I wanna go home."
"Sweetie...oh..." Glory took another chair, pulled it over in front of Dawn, and sat on the back of the chair with her feet on the chair's seat. "You're about to."
Dawn looked up hopefully.
"I mean your real home."
Dawn began to cry.
"As the Key! You fit the lock. Well, it's like a lock."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Dawn demanded.
"Oh, that's right, you don't know here. Hey!" Glory patted Dawn's knee. "You want a pizza?"
"No."
"Pillow?" Glory looked at the TV. "I don't know if this thing gets cable. Doubtful."
Dawn started crying. "Please. Stop."
"You nervous?"
"Yes."
Glory smiled, then got down to sit on the chair seat. "I know how you feel. It is your last night."
Dawn's eyes widened in horror.
"As, you know, a human." Glory picked up Dawn's hand by the wrist and shook it around. "This body...it's just a rental, Dawnie. Being human? It's like a costume for girls like you and me. Being something else, that's what we are."
"Don't."
Glory smiled. "What?"
"Don't call me Dawnie."
Glory gave a surprised laugh, let go of Dawn's hands, and sat back. "Huh. Wow. You know, that actually hurt my feelings."
"I'm sorry."
Glory lifted a hand. "Not the point."
Glory got up and walked past Dawn, who continued to be very scared.
"I'm just thinking, here I am, trying to make you feel better, when comforting others...not part of my life." Glory frowned. "And I'm doing it, so I can stop...feeling so..." She patted her chest. "...um..." Glory snapped her fingers at Dawn, her back turned. "Help me out."
"Guilty?" Dawn suggested, nervous.
"Guilty." Glory laughed. "That's it! She laughed some more, then stopped. "But I'm not supposed to feel guilty. I'm not supposed to feel anything. I'm - I'm...I'm a god. I'm above it. I'm ..." She looked over at Dawn. "You."
Dawn was frightened.
Glory strode back over to her. "You did this to me, didn't you? Some sort of spell-" She paused. "But no. It's not magic. It's something else." She put her hand to her head, then looked angrily at Dawn. "Still, it is you doing this."
Dawn shook her head. "I...I'm not doing anything. I swear."
"We'll see." Glory glared at Dawn. "I found out your blood is the key to the Key! All I gotta do is bleed you dry, the portal opens up, and I can go home! So knock yourself out, girlfriend. Make me feel bad as you can. 'Cause tomorrow...you bleed, little girl."
Dawn stared at her.
Glory sighed. "I'm hating this."
"What?"
"Memories. I'm starting to remember..." Glory paused. "I came to see you as Gloria. And then you saw me as me; you remember?"
"Yes."
Glory frowned. "You're not supposed to remember that! Nobody should!" She rubbed her chest anxiously. "My powers are fading! I want to help you." She groaned. "I can't do this!" She walked past Dawn and leaned against the wall, sniffling. "Help me!" She started pacing. "I'm...I'm thinking pure thoughts, and...and I'm feeling pure feelings! And...uh! I..."
She suddenly disappeared, her dress falling to the floor. Dawn stared in surprise.
Glory suddenly reappeared, naked. "...can't kill you. Damn it." She collapsed to the floor. Supporting herself on her arms, she looked up at Dawn with pleading eyes. "Help me!"
Dawn stared at her, terrified. "I don't know how."
Glory got up with a scowl. She went to Dawn, grabbed Dawn by the throat, and pulled her to her feet. Dawn gasped and was choking.
"We do this now!" Glory yelled.
Then she disappeared again. Dawn staggered back, clutching her throat.
Angel was driving them to the dinner theater.
Kate put down her cell phone. "Why isn't Gunn answering our pages? What if he's in some kind of trouble?"
Cordelia looked at her. "Or maybe he's in the middle of his stake-o-rama."
Kate sighed. "Angel, please stop by the hotel. We'll leave him a message."
After giving herself a while to recover, Dawn ran for the door. Glory suddenly reappeared, blocking her path. Dawn grabbed a pillar for support, gasping.
Glory smiled. "We need a little girl time."
Dawn glared angrily at Glory.
Glory put her hands to her face, then rubbed the sides of her neck. "How do they do it?"
"Do what?" Dawn asked hoarsely.
"People!" Glory walked toward Dawn. "How do they function here like this in the world with all this bile running through them? Every day, it's whoo-oo." She wiggled her hand at Dawn. "You have no control. They're not even animals; they're just these meatbaggy slaves to - to hormones and pheromones and their - and their feelings. Hate 'em!"
Dawn stared at Glory.
Glory went behind a drafting table and leaned her arms against it. "I mean really. Is this what the poets go on about, this?" She thumped her chest, shook her head, and sighed. "Call me crazy, but, as hardcore drugs go, human emotion is just useless! People are puppets! Everyone getting jerked around by what they're feelin'. Am I wrong?" She looked at Dawn. "Really, I want to know."
Dawn leaned against the pillar, looking at the floor.
"Gonna bleed you either way."
Dawn opened her eyes and looked at Glory. "Depends on the person."
"So you're saying some people like this."
Dawn felt defensive. "Some."
"Funny. 'Cause I look around at this world you're so eager to be a part of...and all I see is six-billion lunatics looking for the fastest ride out." Glory smiled. "Who's not crazy? Look around. Everyone's drinking, smoking, shooting up, shooting each other, or just plain fucking their brains out, 'cause they don't want 'em anymore." She looked at Dawn. "I'm crazy? Honey, I'm the original one-eyed chicklet in the kingdom of the blind." She sighed. "'Cause at least I admit the world makes me nuts." Glory came out from behind the drafter's table and walked toward Dawn. "Name one person that can take it here. That's all I'm asking." She got in Dawn's face. "Name one."
"Buffy."
Glory disappeared.
Dawn strode over to the door and opened it. Dawn ran out the door.
Gunn stared at Rondell laid out on the pile of broken furniture.
George threw a match and lit the pyre.
The whole gang watched in silence as the flames licked into the night sky.
Dawn was walking down a street in Sunnydale, looking nervously over her shoulder.
"Hey, you prepubescent puke!" Glory yelled.
Dawn looked forward, horrified and very scared.
"Okay, first thought, just totally spontaneous, unfiltered, off the top of my head: fucking rude!" Glory pinned one of Dawn's arms behind her and forced her farther into the alley.
Dawn grunted in pain.
Glory let go. "You probably think I won't waste any precious blood of yours 'til the ritual. You're right. But I know a thousand ways to hurt you that won't spill a drop."
Glory shoved Dawn in the chest. Dawn stumbled backward with a yelp. She backed up toward some stairs leading up to a door. Dawn ended up sitting on a stair, clutching the metal hand-rail.
Glory advanced on her. "You know all those pesky feelings I've been having, like guilt, empathy? I'm gonna take 'em and mash 'em back down where they belong, okay? Now..." She stroked the side of Dawn's face. "...let's have big-girl fun." She grabbed Dawn's chin. "Just you and..."
She disappeared.
Dawn slowly got up and started edging away.
Glory eventually reappeared. "No, no, no!"
Glory grabbed Dawn and threw her across the alley. Dawn slammed into a dumpster and fell to the ground.
"Stick around, chica." Glory advanced on the frightened Dawn. "I'm going home, no matter what you do."
Glory looked to the side, reached down to grab an empty beer bottle, and disappeared. Then she reappeared. Glory grabbed the bottle and slammed it against the side of the dumpster, breaking it. She held the broken edge up to Dawn's face. Dawn cringed away in terror. Glory pulled Dawn away from the dumpster, threw her across the alley, then threw the bottle against the wall, shattering it. Dawn crouched on the ground, staring at Glory in fear. Glory kept disappearing and reappearing. Dawn watched this, wide-eyed. Glory walked over to Dawn, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to her feet. She whirled Dawn around in a circle and disappeared in mid-whirl. Dawn fell to the ground again. Glory reappeared, slid down a wall, and disappeared.
Glory reappeared and stared at Dawn, who stared back fearfully.
Glory got up, went over to Dawn, and held out her hand. "I'm sorry."
Wary, Dawn lifted her hand to take hers. Glory grabbed her wrist instead.
"No!" Dawn yelled.
Glory pulled her to her feet and led her out of the alley. They came out onto the street.
Kate was standing at the counter, writing a note for Gunn.
"Hey."
Kate turned to the door. "Gunn! Where have you been? We've been worried."
"Sorry."
"No, it's okay. It's fine. So if you're ready-"
"I'm not going."
Everyone looked at Gunn.
"What?" Angel asked.
"Tonight, I lost one of my crew. I should have been there, but...I'm sorry, but I can't! I know that makes me..." Gunn shook his head. "I don't know what it makes me. But I figured I just owed it to you to tell you face to face."
Everyone stayed silent.
"Wish you luck. Please. Find her."
Gunn and Angel looked at each other for a moment, then Gunn turned and left.
Angel leaned on the counter, across from Kate.
Kate looked at him. "Gunn does have...responsibilities...ties...people to take care of."
"So do I. But right now, we have a missing person to find."
"So we're leaving?" Cordelia asked.
Angel shrugged. "I guess so."
In the Magic Box, Buffy heard sounds in the alleyway outside and went to listen at the door.
"Gave me a pretty good run there. Bet the blood's just pumpin'. Bet it's hot."
"Don't hurt me."
"Don't hurt you?" The speaker laughed.
Buffy opened the door and popped her head out. "Hey, what's going on?" she asked innocently.
A large male vampire turned his head to glare at her.
"Help me! Call the police!" a teenage boy yelled.
"Get outta here, girl." The vampire turned back to the kid.
Buffy emerged from the doorway. "You guys havin' a fight? 'Cause, you know, fighting's not cool."
The vampire turned to glare at her again.
"Get out of here!" the kid yelled.
"No." The vampire turned fully toward Buffy. "No, she wants to stay. I don't mind a little appetizer."
Buffy gave him a small frown, walking forward. "Have you ever heard the expression, 'biting off more than you can chew'?"
The vampire frowned, shaking his head.
"Okay. Um...how about the expression, 'Vampire Slayer'?"
"What the hell you talkin' about?"
"Wow. Never heard that one. Okay. How about 'Oh, God, my leg, my leg'?"
The vampire growled and lunged at her. She ducked his grab, punched him in the face, and kicked his leg. His knee buckled, and he fell to the ground.
"Oh, God! My leg! Uhh..."
"See? Now, we're communicating."
The vampire surged up, grabbed Buffy, and threw her against the wall. He grabbed her again, but she pushed his arms away, punched him in the face, kneed him, then went around behind him and kicked him into the wall. He landed against a dumpster, turned, and backhanded Buffy, who stumbled forward toward the boy. The boy leaped out of the way. The vampire punched Buffy again, picked her up, and slammed her down on top of another dumpster. Buffy kicked the vampire, cartwheeled off the dumpster, and kicked him again, then again, and then yet again. On the final kick, he landed on his back among a pile of wooden boxes. They all shattered. One of the shards of wood flew toward Buffy, and she caught it. As the vampire lunged up out of the boxes, she staked him with the piece of wood.
Buffy stared at the body. "Wow. Been a long while since I met one that didn't know me." She turned to go, paused, and looked at the kid. "You should get home." She began walking back toward the door.
"H-How'd you do that?"
"It's what I do."
"But you're..." The boy paused. "You're just a girl."
Buffy paused in the doorway. "That's what I keep saying." She walked through the door.
Buffy walked down the hall and into the main room. Amy was sitting at the round table with Giles beside her, looking at books. Tara, Katrina, Sandy, and Jenny were checking various books elsewhere in the room.
"Something goin' on out back?" Amy asked.
Buffy walked over to the table. "Vampire."
"Oh."
Buffy sighed. "Anything?"
Giles was sitting at the table with a few books open in front of him. "Nothing."
Buffy thought for a moment. "Fuck it, we're going out. Amy, Tara, spells. Everyone else, grab weapons."
Tara walked over to her. "What are we gonna do, Buffy? She's a god. Let's think outside the box."
Buffy threw up her hands. "Any suggestions?"
Everyone thought in silence for a moment.
"The Dagon Sphere!" Jenny suddenly exclaimed.
"Sorry?" Giles asked.
"When Buffy first met Glory, she found that magical...glowy sphere that was meant to repel Glory. We've got it in the basement. It might drive her away or hurt her."
Giles shrugged. "Well, we have some ideas, if we could actually get Glory on the run, but, um-"
"But we still have no idea how to find her." Buffy sighed.
Angel, Cordelia, and Kate walked up to the ticket counter at the entrance.
"How many?" the man at the ticket counter asked Angel.
"Three."
After Angel paid, the three of them walked into the castle.
"Okay, we split up. If we don't find her in thirty minutes, we'll meet up in the dining hall. Got it?" Angel asked.
Cordelia and Kate nodded.
Glory entered the back room of the warehouse. Dawn was sitting on the floor with her knees up to her chest, eyes closed. Glory walked over to her and crouched down.
Dawn opened her eyes and looked at her. "Why are you doing this?"
"Poor, frightened girl. You've no idea what you've gotten yourself into."
Dawn crossed her arms over her chest. "Why don't you tell me?"
"Wouldn't make a difference."
Dawn stared at her, unsatisfied.
"What do you know of me?" Glory asked.
Dawn shrugged. "Strong. Fast. Hell-bitch."
"Hell-god. From a dimension of unspeakable torment. A demon dimension. I ruled with two other hell-gods. We were a triumvirate of suffering and despair. Ruling with equal vengeance. But my power grew beyond even what they could conceive. As did my lust for pain and misery. They looked upon me, what I had become...and trembled." Glory smiled evilly.
"Gods afraid?" Dawn asked nervously.
"Such was my power. They feared I would attempt to seize our dimension for myself - not an unreasonable assumption - and decided to strike first. A great battle erupted." Glory suddenly looked very bitter. "In the end, they stood victorious over me...barely. The fuckers cast me out. I was banished to a lower plane of existence, forced to live and eventually die trapped within the body of a mortal...a newborn male, created as my prison. But my power was too great to be completely contained. I've found a way to escape my mortal prison...for brief periods, before my energies are exhausted, and I'm forced back...into my living cell of meat and bone, but even it doesn't want me and casts me out. I'm a god in exile...far from the hellfires of home and...sharing my body with an enemy."
"What about me?" Dawn asked.
"The Key...is almost as old as me. Its power is absolute. The Key is...living energy."
"But that's not me. I'm just a kid."
"Well, we'll see. You were created-"
"It."
Glory glared at her briefly, then shrugged. "It was created...to open the gates that separate dimensions. I will use its power - by way of a ritual bloodletting - to return home and seize control of the hell that I was banished from. It needs to be channeled, poured into a specific place at a specific time. The energy...will flow into that spot; the walls between the dimensions break down. I use that time to get back into my own dimension."
Dawn laughed. Glory looked at her in surprise.
"That's it? That's your master plan? To go home?" Dawn asked. "You're an idiot."
"I am a god."
"The god of what, bad home perms?"
"Shut up!" Glory patted her hair. "I command you, shut up!"
Dawn tried to get her laughter under control. "Yeah, okay, sorry, but I just had no idea that gods were such fucking lightweights."
Glory scoffed in disbelief.
Dawn smiled in pride. "My sister, the Slayer, is going to kick your skanky, lopsided ass-"
Glory checked out her ass in dismay.
"-back to whatever place would take a cheap, whorish, fashion-victim ex-god like you." Dawn started laughing again.
"Don't laugh, girlie. It means you die."
Dawn stopped laughing.
"Look, I...I wish there was another way."
Dawn shrugged. "And I wish you'd fall on your head and drown in your own barf, so...I guess we're both disappointed."
"I think...it'll be quick. I'll do what I can to..." Glory stopped and sighed. "That little nagging pinch of humanity that makes me go for the hurt instead of the kill. Lowering myself to trade blows with the Slayer when I should have just put my fist through her fucking heart."
"Or maybe you just can't take her."
Glory stood up, pulling Dawn to her feet. They faced off.
"Hmm, funny thing. You've been here for a few hours now, and I haven't seen big sis galloping in to save you. She probably knows what a terrible mistake that'd be. But that's people for ya. They're pretty worthless."
"She's not afraid of you."
"Oh, no, sweetie baby. I'm talking about the ritual. 'Cause, you know, I bleed you, the portals open, but, once you die, they close. The faster you die, the better for your sorry species."
Glory put her hand on the side of Dawn's face. Dawn was scared.
"I'm bettin' Buffy knows that. I'm guessin' she isn't gonna show. And if she does..."
Dawn winced in pain as Glory's fingers tightened on her head.
"...it might not be to save you."
Glory shoved Dawn aside. She fell to the floor on top of a grating. Glory smirked at her.
"Fuck you!" Dawn yelled. "Get out! Get out! Get out!"
"Get out! Get out! Get out!" Glory disappeared.
Cordelia opened a door and noticed it was a cramped bedroom / dressing room. There was a young woman with long, brown hair, wearing glasses, sitting in a chair, staring oddly at her reflection in the mirror.
Cordelia walked into the room and closed the door. That startled the woman, who looked at her.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you."
"Who are you?" the woman asked.
"I'm...new." Cordelia walked over and sat in the chair to her right. "What's your name?"
"I forget. It's not important." The woman paused. "Where did you come from?"
"Across town. How long have you been here?"
"I was born here. I-I mean...not really. I j-just...some-sometimes, I think I was. I mean...I don't think it was my thought. I forget certain words. How'd you get here?"
"Drove."
The woman's eyes lit up. "But - But if it's true...I'm not crazy. Well, crazy, but I'm not wrong."
Cordelia stood up, walked, and looked around the room. "Hey, great place."
The woman glanced back at her. "You mean it?"
Cordelia hesitated. "Suuure."
The woman looked away from her.
"So, uh...so you don't wanna talk to me?" Cordelia asked.
"I can't, huh?"
"Why won't you?"
"Because...you're not real. Or I'm not real. Somebody here isn't real, and I suspect it's you. So, if you're not real, that means I'm dead now. Dead. And with me being dead and you not being real, I can hardly be expected to have some big conversation with you at the moment, because it's just a little too much pressure, all right?!"
Cordelia held up her hands. "Okay. Okay."
The woman nodded.
"You've been here a long time."
"Always." The woman paused. "Not always. But yes...a long time. You're lucky to not have experienced this."
Cordelia shrugged. "My parents were busted for tax fraud, and my trust fund dried up overnight. We all have our struggles."
Cordelia spotted something on a shelf and picked it up. It was a California driver's license for Winifred Burkle, living in Los Angeles, brown hair, 5'6", 114 pounds, expiration date: 03-01-98.
The woman turned around with a smile. "I had a dream. I had a name."
"Winifred."
The woman stood up, hurried over, and pulled the license out of her hand.
"You're the girl from my vision!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"What?"
"Oh, yeah, I've got visions coming out of my ears, sometimes a little blood, too."
"That's...kind of weird."
"Yeah. They called you Fred. You were studying to be a physicist."
"That's my dream."
"You disappeared from a library five years ago."
Fred shook her head. "Stop it."
"It's not a dream, Fred."
"It's not?"
"No."
"And my head's still on?"
Cordelia gently pushed her glasses back up onto the bridge of her nose. "Yeah."
Fred smiled. "You're real?"
Cordelia smiled and nodded.
Fred's smile melted into a frown, and she started to shake her head as she moved a few steps away from Cordelia. "No. No, I don't want you to be real."
"Why?"
Fred turned back to face her. "Because! You're nice. And bad things will happen to you here." She shook her head and looked down, twisting her fingers together. "Bad things always happen here."
"No, no, no. Nothing bad's gonna happen. I-It's gonna be okay. We - We can take you out of here."
"We?"
"Yeah. Me and my friends. We - We can take you back."
"Can't get back. There is no back."
"No, there is. So you wanna get out of here?" Cordelia suggested. "I wanna go home. I wanna be in my bed. I wanna...order some Thai food and read the latest issue of Marie Claire. I wanna be doing anything but be here!"
Fred let out something between a laugh and a sob. "Oh. I forgot. Laughing." She glanced around. "You don't leave. They use you as a slave. Then your body gives. Gone."
"Well, that's not happening to me, okay? I have friends here. We're here to rescue you."
"I tried to leave. I couldn't."
Before Cordelia could answer, the door opened.
A man walked in. "Who are you?!"
"I'm-"
"Intruder!"
"What's going on?" Cordelia asked.
Another man walked in. They each grabbed a hold of one of Cordelia's arms and dragged her toward the door.
"Hey! Let go of me!" Cordelia started kicking them.
"Oh, no!" Fred cried.
Buffy was in the workout room, punching the punching bag. She alternated hands and hit it with a steady rhythm.
Tara was standing close by, watching her. "You sure you're not going to tire yourself out?"
Buffy stopped punching. "I'm sure." She resumed punching.
"We're...still working on ideas."
Buffy stopped punching and stretched her arms. Buffy walked slowly over to the sofa in the corner and sat. Tara paced slowly over to the sofa as well and sat down to Buffy's right.
Buffy started crying. "I just wish that...I just wish my mom was here." She paused. "The spirit guide told me...that death is my gift. Guess that means a Slayer really is just a killer after all."
"I think you're wrong about that."
"It doesn't matter. I'm sick of death, no matter who's causing it. If Dawn dies, I'm done with it. I'm quitting."
Angel and Kate had been captured and were forced to act in the dinner theater. They were put in chains, and two warriors pulled them out on stage, in front of the audience.
"For the crime of assault...against those judged to be your betters...you are to be detained until Her Royal Highness passes sentence upon you."
Kate looked at her captor. "I'm guessing community service is out."
He glared at Kate, who raised her chin a little. The warrior stepped in front of Kate and hit her hard in the stomach. Angel tried to come to her aid but was restrained by a warrior.
Kate coughed and slowly straightened back up. "Too bad. I really like those orange vests."
The warrior hit her with a hard right fist across the chin. Kate spun around and managed to catch herself against a block.
Angel stared at her. "Kate, stop."
The warrior moved to stand in front of Kate, who met his eyes without flinching.
"Put them away."
The warriors led them away.
In the warehouse, Glory smiled. "Okay, bitch, it's almost stab time." She moved toward Dawn.
Dawn was scared and backed away. "No. No! Aah! Buffy!"
She continued to scream as Glory grabbed her arms and dragged her away. Glory opened the door leading outside.
Glory dragged Dawn into the courtyard area where the crazy people were still working. Sparks flew from someone's welding. Dawn looked up apprehensively at a huge metal tower built out of scaffolding. It stretched into the air above the warehouse. At the top, a narrow walkway protruded out into the air. Dawn continued to stare up at the tower as Glory led her to some stairs at the base of the tower, and they began to climb.
Angel and Kate were brought to a set of flimsy doors concealing the set of the throne room.
"Prisoners! The day of judgment has arrived. Approach! The venerable monarch is prepared to pass sentence on upon you."
Angel looked at Kate. "One."
"Open the doors."
The guards opened the doors and led the prisoners forward.
"Two."
As they stepped through the doors, Angel suddenly turned and slammed his shackled fists into the stomach of the nearest guard as Kate also attacked the guards around her.
They were interrupted by a loud throat-clearing. They turned to look - and froze in their tracks, their eyes going wide, their mouths dropping open.
They stared at Cordelia, sitting on a throne, surrounded by courtiers, wearing a skimpy, shimmery outfit and crown.
Cordelia smiled. "Hi, guys."
"Cordelia?" Kate asked.
Angel stared at her. "You're...safe."
"Little bit. They made me their ruler."
The soldiers pulled the prisoners to their feet.
"But this is fantastic!" Kate exclaimed.
"Well, it's not like my throne couldn't use a few extra cushions, but I'm really not gonna complain, because...throne?"
Kate held up her chained wrists. "You could order them to release us!"
Cordelia gave her a demented smile. "Yes. I really could."
"Shall we gut the prisoners now that you might dine on their ignoble flesh, oh Most High?" a guard asked.
"You're most high if you think that's gonna happen. Besides, shouldn't there be some extended groveling first?" Cordelia asked.
"Cordelia?" Angel asked.
"Okay. Off with their heads!" Cordelia ordered.
Some of the guards drew their swords to obey as the prisoners flinched in the hold of the rest of them.
Cordelia smiled. "Just kidding."
The guards froze with the blades only inches away from the prisoners' throats.
"Release them."
Angel and Kate were unshackled.
A guard helped Cordelia down the steps in front of her throne. "Your Majesty, I must protest. To allow dangerous criminals to roam free in your presence?"
"You're gonna make me use my 'important voice', aren't you?" Cordelia held up a hand. "Leave us!"
The cast members on the stage slowly filed out of the throne room set and shut the doors behind them. The curtain lowered. The audience could be heard applauding.
"What happened?" Angel asked Cordelia.
Cordelia turned to face him. "I found the girl from my vision, Fred. She was captured and forced to live here and act in this stupid production. Then some assholes came in, hauled me off, and made me act as the princess."
"You found Fred?"
"Yeah, she's in her dressing room. I think they keep her drugged."
In the main room of the Magic Box, Amy sat at the table, reading books. Sandy was loading a crossbow at the counter.
Buffy and Tara walked up to her.
"Where's Trina?" Buffy asked Sandy.
"Uh, she had to go home for some reason."
Buffy and Tara walked up to Amy.
"Ames, what do you got for me?" Buffy asked.
"Some ideas."
Buffy and Tara sat on either side of her.
"Well, notions. Or theories based on wild speculation. Did I mention I'm not good under pressure?" Amy asked.
Buffy gave her a reassuring smile. "I have faith in you, Amy."
"You're the strongest person here. You know that, right?" Tara asked her.
Amy frowned. "Well...no."
Buffy took Amy's hand in her own. "Amy, you're my best shot at getting Glory on the ropes, so don't get a jelly belly on me now."
"Well...I-I...do sort of have this one idea. Well, I've been charting their essences. Mapping out. I think...if I can get close enough, I might be able to reverse what Glory did to everyone. Like, take back what she took from everyone. It might weaken Glory or...make her less coherent. Or it might make all of our heads explode."
"Buffy."
Buffy looked up at the sound of Giles' voice. Across the room, she saw Giles and Jenny gathered around something.
Amy gave Buffy a small smile. "I'll try to work it."
Buffy thought for a moment. "If it comes down to the wire, and there's no other choice, use the enjoining spell. I'll God-Mode the bitch."
Amy was uncertain. "The First Slayer's gonna be pissed."
"So I'll put her in her place again." Buffy got up and walked away, putting her hand briefly on Amy's shoulder as she passed.
Giles was holding the Dagon Sphere.
"That's good. That could be pivotal. Thank you guys." Buffy took the sphere from Giles and examined it.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door.
Angel, Cordelia, and Kate were sword-fighting on the stage against a bunch of warriors - with Fred behind the heroes.
Angel ran after one of the warriors. "Come and face me, you spineless coward!"
"Uh! Why'd you add that coward thing?" Fred asked. "That's really gonna piss him off."
The warrior attacked Angel. Angel drove a sword into his chest. The warrior backed off the sword, unharmed.
"This guy...he doesn't feel pain?" Angel asked Fred.
"Oh, he - he feels it, but...he overcomes all things. Good luck."
One of the warriors lunged at Fred with his sword.
Fred closed her eyes. "Make it quick. Make it quick."
Kate blocked his attack and then kicked the warrior, knocking him down to the floor.
One of the warriors was fighting Cordelia. "You and your filthy princess can go straight-"
Cordelia swung her sword as hard as she could, and the warrior's head went flying off his neck.
Cordelia frowned. "Your princess is tired of hearing you yack, asshole."
The warriors' eyes started glowing red.
"What the fuck?!" Kate exclaimed.
Fire came out of the warriors' mouths. The building started shaking.
Fred shook her head. "Bad things always happen here."
"Everybody out!" Angel yelled.
The audience got out of their seats and started running for the exits. Angel and Cordelia followed.
"Come on!" Kate yelled at Fred.
Fred grabbed a hold of Kate's hand, and Kate pulled her along.
Once everyone was safely out of the building and across the parking lot, they turned and looked back. The building completely collapsed to the ground. Fred watched, a big smile spreading across her face.
Kate turned to Fred and found her staring at her. "You okay?"
Fred clapped a hand to the side of her head. "Beautiful lady...saved me from the monsters."
Kate looked at her with a slight smile.
"Bye." With that, Fred ran off.
"Hey. Wait a minute." Kate hurried after her and grabbed her hand. "Come back to our hotel with us. You can stay there while you...readjust."
Fred looked into Kate's eyes. "Okay."
They headed for Angel's car, Fred continuing to hold Kate's hand.
Fred looked at Cordelia. "What's with the clothes?"
"Oh. They made me a princess."
"They..." Fred paused. "Really? Oh." She looked down. "When I got here, they...they didn't do that. Well. That's nice for you."
At the top of the tower, Glory was tying Dawn to the tower with rope. Dawn stood there, scared. The wind blew her hair around. Dawn looked down and saw her bare feet on the edge of the platform and, far below, the crazy people moving around.
Glory finished tying Dawn up and turned to leave. She looked back. "I'll come back to you soon."
Cordelia, Kate, Fred, and Angel entered the Hyperion's garden court.
"Tacos!" Fred yelled.
The others jumped.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to holler at you. I love tacos. Do they still have them?"
Kate smiled. "Yeah, they didn't outlaw tacos."
"Are - Are you sure about that?"
"Trust me. Tacos everywhere." Kate smiled. "I'll get you some."
"Thanks. I've been trying to make an enchilada out of mystery meat."
"Huh. How's that going?" Kate asked her.
"There is work to be done." Fred looked at Cordelia. "I know you're not an actual princess. What do you do?"
"I'm an actress."
"Oh. That's nice."
Cordelia shrugged. "Last job I had, you should have seen the horrible thing they made me wear! It was this tiny, skimpy, exploitative..." She looked down at her present, skimpy outfit. "Uh, nothing like this!"
Angel pushed the double doors open, walking into the lobby. "There's no place like home."
Cordelia, Kate, and Fred followed him into the hotel.
The gang walked around a corner. They all stopped walking and looked up at the tower rising up into the air above them. They all stared at it.
"What is that?" Sandy asked.
Buffy shrugged. "Amy, you're up."
"Need anything?" Katrina asked Amy.
"Could use a little courage."
Katrina kissed Amy on the lips.
Amy smiled. "Thanks."
The gang entered the warehouse. The crazy people were still doing various things with machinery and metal. A hand grabbed Katrina's shoulder from behind and spun her around.
"You. What are you doing here?" Glory asked, dazed.
"She's with me." Amy grabbed Glory's head.
Glory screamed as blue lightning began to flicker around her. Bright blue light streamed from Glory's head to Amy's hand. Suddenly, a blast of power separated them. All three went flying in different directions. Amy and Katrina crashed into piles of wood.
Glory landed on her back on the concrete and sat up. "What the fuckin' hell did that bitch do to me?" She clutched her head. "She made a little..." She paused. "She made a hole. Just like the other one. Uh, I need a brain to eat." She stood up, put a hand to her forehead, and began to walk distractedly. "Big day. Locked out. I got places to be; big day. Need a brain." She looked directly in front of her and scoffed. "Suppose I could always use yours."
April stood there with her hands clasped behind her back. "Okay, then." She growled. "Come and get it."
Glory started to smile, then looked away and moved her arms as if in pain.
"You don't seem very well."
"Your little witch bitch...gave me kind of a headache there. But if you think this is gonna last more than eight seconds-"
"I noticed you're talking, whereas, in your position, I would attack me."
Glory stood there unsteadily.
"It's strange, you're not as blurry with speed as usual either."
"The witch-"
"It's not her." April revealed the Dagon Sphere from behind her. "Might be this."
Glory looked alarmed.
"I heard it's supposed to repel you. So my guess is...you probably shouldn't touch it either."
April tossed the sphere at Glory, who caught it instinctively. The sphere lit up and seemed to warp the air around it when it touched Glory's hand. She made a pained face and dropped her hand to her side. She slowly crushed the sphere, and the light went out as it crumbled.
"You're gonna wish you-"
April punched her in the face. Glory stumbled back, and April kicked her, then punched her again and again and again.
Above, Dawn looked down, and her eyes widened as she spotted them.
Below, April flipped Glory over and slammed her down on a pile of bricks; she tried to punch her, but Glory rolled aside, and April ended up punching the bricks. April tried to punch again, and Glory grabbed her arms, then threw her across the room.
Glory stood up straight. "You know what?"
April punched.
Glory grabbed her fist. "I'm feeling a little better. And now? I'm a little bored."
"Oh, I'm sorry. 'Cause you're about-"
Glory kicked her in the face. April's head went flying off, leaving her body standing. The body fell over as Glory stared in bewilderment. When it hit the floor, sparks flew out of the exposed wires in the neck.
"Hey, wow, Britney Spears is a robot." Glory looked around. "Did everybody else know Britney Spears was a robot?" Glory smiled in triumph. "Is that all you got, Slayer?! C'mon! Show yourself!"
"Glory?"
Glory stopped smiling and turned. "Who the fuck are you?"
"I'm Faith. The Vampire Slayer. And you are...?" Faith punched her in the face.
Glory flew across the room, crashing into a wall.
"You're not the brightest god in the heavens, are you?" Faith asked.
Glory got up. "You want a piece of me, Slayer?"
Faith smiled. "Bring it on."
Glory ran at Faith and jump-kicked her in the jaw. Faith flew backwards, grabbed a dangling chain with her feet, flipped upside down, and launched herself at Glory. Glory fell back into a pile of scrap metal.
"Buffy! I'm up here!" Dawn yelled.
Buffy looked up as Dawn screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Buffy!" Dawn screamed.
Buffy ran toward the tower, leaping over a pile of bricks and onto the stairs.
Glory picked herself up, looked over, and saw Buffy running up the stairs. "Oh, no, you don't!"
"Buffy! I'm up here!" Dawn screamed.
Buffy was midway up the stairs. There was one last level, after which the stairs ended, and the only way up was via ladders. Buffy was ascending onto this level as Glory arrived in front of her and hit her. Buffy kicked Glory, then Glory kicked her into the scaffolding. They exchanged a few more blows. Glory grabbed a piece of chain and used it to swing around the side, knocking Buffy aside. Buffy fell aside, got up, took another kick from Glory, swung around the scaffolding, kicked Glory, ducked a punch, went around Glory, and kicked her from behind.
Dawn looked down. "Buffy!"
Buffy tried to continue climbing, but Glory hit her in the leg, making Buffy gasp in pain. They exchanged some more blows, then Buffy resumed climbing up the outer scaffolding. Glory went around beside her and climbed up as well, then kicked Buffy as she was scaling up a pipe. Buffy slid back down to the previous level.
Buffy ran up a ramp and kicked Glory in the face. She swung at Glory and hit her a couple of times; she also hit a ladder, which fell aside.
Glory hit Buffy in the face, and she lost her balance. As she fell backward, she grabbed Glory, and they both fell off the tower.
They both hit the concrete below, a few feet away from each other. Buffy got to her feet. Glory did, too. Buffy grabbed Glory by the shoulders and pushed her away. Glory wound up a few dozen feet away, beside a wall.
"Your karate's shit, sweet cheeks. What are you gonna hit me with?" Glory asked.
"I'm not."
Tara and Amy arrived, flying high in the air, and fired fireballs at Glory from the palms of their hands. Glory screamed in pain.
"That's my girl." Buffy turned and ran off.
Sandy, Katrina, Jenny, and Giles took refuge behind a machine. Sandy straightened up to peek over the top of the machine. A brick hit her in the forehead. She ducked down again, annoyed. The group of crazies was standing between them and the stairs, glaring at them.
"Are you sure we're not allowed to kill them?" Sandy asked no one in particular.
Jenny gave her a stern look. "They're out of their minds. It's not their fault."
Katrina nodded. "Amy will restore their sanity when this is over."
Giles was panting. "As long as...Buffy can defeat Glory."
Buffy hit Glory with her fists. Glory kicked Buffy back. Buffy charged at Glory and slammed head-first into her chest. Glory was knocked backward.
Glory regained her balance. "That all you got, you cunt? Any last words?"
"Yeah." Buffy smiled. "IDDQD, bitch." Her eyes suddenly glowed orange.
Glory was confused by this. The Lady levitated into the air and extended her hands, palms outward, Glory was hit by an invisible force. The Lady kept up her attack. Glory didn't seem able to fight back, just standing there, reeling each time that the Lady hit her. Dawn looked down at the fight.
The Lady continued hitting Glory.
Glory had blood running out of her nose. She gave the Lady an anguished look. "You're just a mortal. You couldn't understand my pain."
"Then I'll just have to settle for causing it." She hit Glory again.
Glory reeled to the side, recovered, and turned back. "You can't kill me."
The Lady hit Glory again. Dawn watched anxiously.
Glory fell to her knees. She looked up at the Lady, gasping, on the verge of tears. "Stop it."
"You're a god."
The Lady hit Glory again. She fell on her back on the floor.
"Make it stop."
The Lady went over to Glory, kneeled beside her, and hit her several more times, over and over.
Glory lay there with blood covering half of her face. "I'm sorry."
The Lady stopped hitting. Buffy's eyes returned to normal, and she reasserted control. Glory stared up at her, fear in her eyes.
"It's over. Whatever you were trying to accomplish. You ever, ever come near me and mine again-"
"I won't. I swear. You win. Again."
Buffy hurried away and ran up to the top level of the tower.
"Dawn."
"Buffy!"
Buffy strode forward, going to Dawn. "I'm here. You're gonna be okay."
Suddenly, in midair, a small circle of light appeared, quickly growing. Buffy led Dawn limping across the platform to the tower entrance. They stopped and turned. They could both see the light of the portal. It was growing ever larger. The portal was crackling and sending out lightning.
"What the fuck is happening?" Buffy asked.
They heard weird demon voices screaming in pain.
Below, Giles and Jenny stared upward. The ground shook. The crazies fell to the ground. Katrina and Amy held each other and stared up. Faith, Sandy, and Tara also stared up.
"Buffy!" Tara cried.
A crack appeared in the ground that they were standing on. They jumped back. A bolt of lightning struck, narrowly missing them.
"Did anybody order an apocalypse?" Glory asked.
Above, Buffy and Dawn continued staring at the portal. They heard faint voices coming through the portal.
"I'm sorry."
"It doesn't matter. What are you doing?"
"I have to jump. The energy."
"It'll kill you."
"I know. Buffy, I know about the ritual. I have to stop it."
"No."
"I have to. Look at what's happening. Buffy, you have to let me go. Blood starts it, and, until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop. You know you have to let me. It has to have the blood."
The sky was growing lighter.
"Buffy...no!"
"Dawnie, I have to."
"No!"
"Listen to me. Please, there's not a lot of time, listen. Dawn, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. But this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles...Tell Giles I figured it out. And - And I'm okay. And give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world...is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me."
The portal shrank to nothingness and disappeared. The sun began to rise. Buffy and Dawn looked at each other, their minds full of questions. Buffy looked sympathetically at Dawn and played with a lock of Dawn's hair. They gave each other small smiles. They turned and walked slowly down the stairs.
At ground level, they spotted the others and walked toward them.
Glory stared at them in contempt. "This is the group that foiled my plan? You look like the attractive, nonthreatening cast of a WB series."
Buffy glared at her and started to march toward her, full of hatred.
Dawn pulled her back. "We don't have to kill her. I mean...there's only the one time that she can do it, right? It's too late."
Buffy relented.
"What the fuck was that?" Faith asked Buffy, pointing at the sky.
Buffy shrugged. "I wish I knew." She looked over at Glory. "Care to explain?"
"How much time ya got?" Glory asked.
"Plenty."
Jenny stepped forward. "Uh, actually, Buffy, we really should get-"
"Like I said: plenty of time during the reception. Wanna attend a wedding?" Buffy offered.
Glory raised her eyebrows.
After showering and changing clothes, the gang went to the Bronze. Julie and Sunday joined them.
Jenny, Giles, and Buffy stood on the stage. Amy stood a distance away with her video camera and tripod set up, recording the ceremony. Everyone else sat at tables near the stage. Dawn had her first-place trophy from the figure skating competition, which she had learned she had won when they'd stopped at the ice rink on their way to the Bronze.
Buffy smiled. "We're gathered here today to witness the union of Jennifer Calendar and Rupert Giles in holy matrimony. I've known these two lovebirds for four years, and I never thought I'd live to see you two tie the knot. I'm honored that you chose me to perform this ceremony. Please join hands."
Jenny took hold of Giles' right hand with her left hand and his left hand with her right hand.
"Jenny, please present the ring and repeat after me."
Jenny let go of Giles' hands and got his wedding ring out of her pocket. She placed it at the tip of Giles' left ring finger.
"I, Jennifer, take you, Rupert..."
"I, Jennifer, take you, Rupert..."
"...to be my lawful wedded husband..."
"...to be my lawful wedded husband..."
"...to love, honor, and cherish..."
"...to love, honor, and cherish..."
"...in sickness and in health..."
"...in sickness and in health..."
"...in good times and in bad times..."
"...in good times and in bad times..."
"...in perfect love and perfect trust..."
"...in perfect love and perfect trust..."
"...from this day forward and for the rest of my life."
"...from this day forward and for the rest of my life."
"Place the ring on his finger."
Jenny slipped the ring onto Giles' finger.
"Rupert, er, Giles, er, Rupert, please present the ring and repeat after me."
Giles got Jenny's wedding ring out of his pocket. He placed it at the tip of Jenny's left ring finger.
"I, Rupert, take you, Jennifer..."
"I, Rupert, take you, Jennifer..."
"...to be my lawful wedded wife..."
"...to be my lawful wedded wife..."
"...to love, honor, and cherish..."
"...to love, honor, and cherish..."
"...in sickness and in health..."
"...in sickness and in health..."
"...in good times and in bad times..."
"...in good times and in bad times..."
"...in perfect love and perfect trust..."
"...in perfect love and perfect trust..."
"...from this day forward and for the rest of my life."
"...from this day forward and for the rest of my life."
"Place the ring on her finger."
Giles slipped the ring onto Jenny's finger.
"Join hands."
Jenny took hold of Giles' right hand with her left hand and his left hand with her right hand.
"By the Goddess, blessed be. True in love may you ever be." Buffy smiled. "By the authority vested in me by the City and County of Sunnydale and the State of California, I now declare you to be married. You may kiss."
Jenny let go of Giles' hands, put her arms around his neck, and pulled him into a deep kiss. The audience cheered and applauded.
During the reception, Jenny convinced Giles to join her in a karaoke duet of Pat Benatar's "We Belong". Buffy was sitting at a table with Dawn, Tara, Faith, and Glory, eating chocolate cake and drinking Champagne. Glory also had a Mimosa.
Glory picked up the glass of Mimosa. "Mmm..." She sipped and smiled. "Vitamins."
Buffy looked at Glory. "Okay, so...if I'm understanding you correctly...you weren't even living primarily in this universe, but rather an alternate universe...an alternate Earth."
Glory swallowed a piece of cake. "Uh-huh."
"And you shared a body with a guy that was born human, and, whenever he reasserted control, you were expelled into this universe until you could reassert control, at which time you would return to the other universe."
"Yeah. Once I realized what was happening, I figured I'd recreate my attempts from Earth Prime here as best as I could."
Buffy frowned, offended. "We were your backup plan? When something didn't go your way in the other universe, you figured you'd try the same shit here?"
"Wouldn't you?" Glory asked.
Dawn looked at her. "Y'know, the very definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Glory frowned. "Zip it, kid."
"When did you figure out that you were hopping between universes?" Faith asked her.
"When I first met Buffy." Glory looked at Buffy. "You look nothing like Buffy Prime."
Buffy frowned, irritated. "Stop saying 'Prime'. It makes me feel weird." She paused. "Anyway, what do I, er, Buffy look like in the other universe?"
Glory swallowed another piece of cake. "You look and sound like that rich bitch in Cruel Intentions - but with the fakest bottle-blonde hair imaginable."
Buffy suddenly felt self-conscious and ran a hand through her hair. "Um, so you're telling me that I look and sound like a short, scrawny Jewish girl from New York?"
"Yeah, yet still somehow from SoCal."
Buffy shook her head. "Fucking weird."
Glory smiled. "Word is you're quite the talented cocksucker."
Buffy's eyes widened in shock. "I'm straight?!"
Faith, Tara, and Dawn started laughing.
"So, anyway, why did you kidnap Dawn?" Buffy asked Glory.
Faith grinned. "Hang on, I wanna hear more about cocksucker Buffy."
Buffy shot Faith a dirty look. "Not now." She looked at Glory.
"Oh. Well, Dawn Prime is the Key - ancient energy that a group of monks turned into a human being and gave to you to protect. To this end, they altered all of your memories - and reality itself - to include her as your sister."
Buffy and Dawn looked at each other, mouths agape. Dawn gulped down the rest of her Champagne.
Buffy looked at Glory. "But my sister in this universe isn't a key."
"Well, I was desperate. You can't blame a girl for trying."
Dawn frowned. "Oh, I so totally can."
"And the portal?" Buffy asked Glory.
Glory shrugged. "I think, once the Key was activated, it didn't just open the gates to my dimension. It opened all of the gates. The walls separating realities crumbled. Dimensions bled into each other."
Buffy thought for a moment. "That's why I was able to hear Buffy Prime-Fuck!" Buffy realized what she'd said, irritated.
"So what happens now?" Tara asked.
"Yeah, what do we do with her?" Faith asked.
Buffy shrugged. "What can we do with her? Any ideas, Glory?"
"Well, I'm stuck here. Not sure why. I think my...brother in the other universe died. And I can't go home. What's a hell-god to do?" Glory asked. She grinned. "Hey, I know! I can kill shit!"
Buffy frowned. "That's kinda my thing. And I kinda get paid for it."
"All right, then I'll set up shop in LA."
Faith cleared her throat.
Glory gave them a dirty look. "What about New York? New York okay with you guys?"
Sandy walked by. "Buffy, Tara."
Amy and Katrina followed Sandy to the stage. Buffy and Tara looked at each other and smiled, then they got up and followed their bandmates to the stage.
Buffy picked up her guitar. Tara stood behind her keyboard. Katrina and Sandy picked up their bass guitars. Amy sat behind her drum set.
Buffy turned on her microphone. "Okay, last song of the party. Anyone wanna get up and show off your funky dance moves, now's the time."
Amy picked up her drumsticks and started playing. Tara joined in with her keyboard. Buffy, Katrina, and Sandy started playing their guitars. Everyone got up and started dancing.
Tara looked at Buffy and started singing:
"Think about it,
There must be higher love,
Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above.
Without it,
Life is wasted time.
Look inside your heart; I'll look inside mine.
"Things look so bad everywhere.
In this whole world, what is fair?
We walk blind, and we try to see,
Falling behind in what could be.
"Bring me a higher love.
Bring me a higher love (oh, oh).
Bring me a higher love.
Where's that higher love I keep thinking of?"
Buffy looked at Tara and started singing:
"Worlds are turning,
And we're just hanging on,
Facing our fear and standing out there alone.
A yearning,
And it's real to me.
There must be someone who's feeling for me.
"Things look so bad everywhere.
In this whole world, what is fair?
We walk blind, and we try to see,
Falling behind in what could be.
"Bring me a higher love.
Bring me a higher love (oh, oh).
Bring me a higher love.
Where's that higher love I keep thinking of?
"Bring me a higher love.
Bring me a higher love (oh, oh).
Bring me a higher love.
I could rise above on a higher love."
The band went into a short instrumental break, then the entire band sang the next part:
"I will wait
For it.
I'm not
Too late for it,
Until then,
I'll sing my song
To cheer
The night along.
Bring it!"
The band went into a longer instrumental break, then Tara sang the next two lines:
"I could light the night up with my soul on fire.
I could make the sun shine
From pure desire."
And Buffy responded:
"Let me feel that love come over me.
Let me feel
How strong it could be."
The entire band joined in singing the remainder of the song, and even Jenny, Giles, Dawn, Faith, Julie, Glory, and Sunday joined in. Everyone had a great time.
Chapter 122: That Vision Thing
Chapter Text
"That Vision Thing"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episodes "Bargaining (Part 1)" Written by Marti Noxon, "Bargaining (Part 2)" Written by David Fury, "After Life" Written by Jane Espenson, and "Flooded" Written by Jane Espenson and Douglas Petrie and the Angel Episodes "Heartthrob" Written by David Greenwalt, "That Vision Thing" Written by Jeffrey Bell, "That Old Gang of Mine" Written by Tim Minear, and "Carpe Noctem" Written by Scott Murphy
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
In the graveyard, at night, Tara ran after a very large vampire running steadily between the headstones. Giles was behind her, carrying an ax. They ran up to a fence, and the vampire was gone.
Tara panted. "I thought the big ones were supposed to tire more easily." She looked over at Giles. "You okay?"
Giles leaned against a gravestone, panting. "I'm fine. I just need to...to die for a minute." He took a few deep breaths. "It was that powder you blew at him made him rabbit off."
"It's sorbis root; it was supposed to confuse him, but...it just kinda made him peppy. It's not supposed to mix with anything; you think he might be taking prescription medication?" Tara asked.
"Yeah, that must be it. Good God, I hope he doesn't try to operate heavy machinery." Giles laughed.
Tara rolled her eyes. "This is serious; we could all be in real shit."
"Guys, heads up."
They both looked up.
Amy stood on top of a large crypt, communicating telepathically. "The vampire's circling back towards you, six o'clock."
Tara and Giles looked around for the vampire.
"Try to drive him back towards the Van Elton crypt."
"Is that the one with the cute little gargoyles?" Tara asked aloud.
The vampire ran back across their field of vision, saw them, turned, and started back the way that he came.
"Left, make him go left!"
Giles threw his ax. It thudded into a tree right by the vampire's face. The vampire turned and headed left. Tara looked at Giles, then they ran after the vampire.
The vampire wound up at a dead end, then turned to go back. Suddenly, Buffy made a fist and punched him in the face. He fell down. Buffy walked over and stood by the prone vampire's feet. He stared up at her.
Buffy smiled. "Big, fast, and dumb. Just the way I like 'em."
The vampire sat up, and she kicked him in the face, then thrust out with her stake, but he grabbed her arm, hit her with his other arm, and got up.
Tara and Giles arrived, grabbed the vampire's arms, and held him while Buffy punched him in the face twice. Then Buffy moved for another punch, but the vampire head-butted Buffy, and she staggered back.
Amy saw a vampire hiding behind a tombstone a few feet away from Katrina and Jenny. "Trina! Jenny! Vampire! Other side of that tomb. You can get the jump on him, if you go the other way."
Katrina and Jenny headed around the side of the tomb.
The big vampire threw both Tara and Giles off him. Buffy ran at him and tried to punch, but he blocked it, picked her up over his shoulders, and swung her around, so her feet kicked Giles in the face. Then he threw her toward Tara.
"Tara, down!" Amy warned.
Tara ducked, and Buffy went flying over her, landing against a wall. Giles grabbed the ax, got up, and swung at the vampire, who grabbed it and spun Giles around, then pinned him against the iron fence with the ax handle on his throat.
"Tara!" Giles choked.
Tara held up her hand and telekinetically choked the vampire. The vampire dropped the ax. Giles picked it up and chopped the vampire's head off.
"Guys, help Trina and Jenny over by the Anderson tomb."
They headed off.
Katrina was being held in a headlock by the other vampire.
"Trina!" Jenny yelled.
Jenny lunged with a stake, but the vampire merely stepped aside. She swung again and missed. The vampire hit her, and she fell down. The vampire continued growling and struggling with Katrina.
"I got it!" Buffy yelled.
Buffy kicked the vampire, and he went down, letting go of Katrina, who landed on the grass beside Jenny. The vampire got up, blocked a kick, and punched Buffy; they exchanged a few more punches and kicks. He got her on the ground and picked her up over his head, and Tara ran in and punched him in the stomach. The vampire dropped Buffy, and Tara kicked him. He shoved Tara away, and Tara landed beside Katrina and Jenny.
Buffy kicked the vampire onto the ground, then staked him as he started to sit up.
"That'll put marzipan in your pie plate, bingo!" Buffy declared triumphantly.
Tara, Katrina, Jenny, Amy, and Giles stared at her as they helped each other up. She smiled and walked over to them.
"What's with the Dadaism, Buffy?" Jenny asked.
Tara smiled. "Yeah, that pie thing is weird - even to me."
Buffy smiled brightly. "I think it's funny."
Another vampire suddenly ran at them.
Tara thrust out her hand. "Dissolvo!"
A ball of blue light flashed from Tara to the vampire, knocking him down.
The vampire stood up, grinned, and took a step forward.
Tara smiled. "Incindere."
A gout of flame spurted up from the ground between them and the vampire.
The vampire stepped back. "Ah. So you got a witch in the mix."
Tara stared at him. "More than one."
Amy held up her hand. "Obfuscate."
A gray ball appeared in her hand, and she threw it at the vampire. It covered his face with some kind of goo, so he couldn't see. He roared and pulled at it with his hands.
He finally pulled the stuff off. Tara rushed him, and he grabbed her by the throat.
Amy held up her hand. "Fragilis."
Another ball of light appeared in Amy's hand and shot over to Tara. The vampire thrust Tara away. She fell to the ground.
Buffy, enraged, ran toward the vampire.
The vampire grabbed Buffy by the throat and lifted her up. "Well, Slayer, let's see what tricks you can manage while I choke the life outta-"
Suddenly, he gasped and let Buffy go. She fell to the ground. The vampire fell face-first beside her - with the ax buried in his back.
Buffy looked up to see Tara standing there. Tara bent over and helped Buffy up.
"Tara!" Buffy exclaimed.
Tara smiled. "Nobody messes with my girl."
"Nice axing."
"My first."
They all started walking.
"So why did you wanna come patrolling with us tonight?" Tara asked Giles.
"Oh, uh, I just wanted to observe how you work together as a group."
Amy looked at him. "You should have just let Tara and me Force-choke the vampires, and then Buffy could have easily staked them."
"Would you be patrolling with her every single night?" Giles asked her.
Amy shrugged. "Well, when there's nothing good on TV."
Giles stared at her in disbelief.
"I'm kidding!" Amy told him, fingers crossed.
"How'd we do?" Katrina asked Giles.
Giles hesitated, then he nodded. "You were more or less adequate."
Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina returned home. Katrina closed and locked the front door.
"Should we go to bed?" Tara asked.
Buffy shrugged. "If you want to, but it's almost six. We should probably shower and get started on breakfast."
"I like sunrise better when I'm getting up early than when I'm staying up late, you know?" Tara asked. "It's like...I'm seeing it from the wrong side."
Amy flopped down on the couch. "Whose turn is it to cook?"
Katrina flopped down to Amy's left. "Tuesday?" She thought for a moment. "Not mine."
Buffy sat to Amy's right. "I declare this 'sit-on-our-asses time'."
Tara sat in the chair. "Good idea."
Amy picked up the remote and turned on the television, which was on channel 3, KEYT, Sunnydale's ABC affiliate.
"This is a special report from ABC News."
Everyone suddenly sat up and paid attention. The graphic on the screen was replaced by a video feed of Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer sitting on the Good Morning America set.
"-now by the entire ABC network here. Good Morning America was in progress in the East Coast and the Midwest, but we're joined by the entire network just to show you some pictures at the foot of New York City. This is at the World Trade Center. Obviously, a major fire there, and there has been some sort of explosion. We don't fully know the details. There is one report, as of yet unconfirmed, that a plane...has hit...uh, the World Trade Center, and you can see that there is smoke there coming out of at least two sides of the building."
Buffy stared at the video in horror. "Oh, my God."
None of them got up to do anything for the next hour.
Dawn walked downstairs, holding her bookbag. She saw Amy and Katrina watching the news while Tara was checking her laptop.
"What's going on?" Dawn asked.
Tara looked at her. "There's been a terrorist attack on the country. Both towers of the World Trade Center have been hit by hijacked airplanes, and so has the Pentagon. All planes nationwide have been grounded. The South Tower just completely collapsed."
"What?" Dawn stared at the video of the plume of smoke filling the streets of Lower Manhattan. "Uh...uh...where's Buffy?"
"In the kitchen, making you breakfast."
Dawn walked through the dining room and into the kitchen.
Buffy was sliding a pancake from a pan onto a plate. She set a fork and a knife on top of the plate and put the pan in the sink.
"Buffy?" Dawn asked.
Buffy walked over to Dawn and gave her a big hug. Dawn hugged Buffy.
Dawn walked out of the house and closed the front door. She walked down the steps and started down the walk.
Buffy opened the door. "Dawn!"
Dawn turned back, alarmed. "What's wrong?"
Buffy walked down the stairs, holding a brown paper bag. "Lunch."
Dawn smiled happily. "You made me lunch?" She took the bag. "Wow. Thanks."
They both gave small smiles.
Dawn hugged Buffy. "Thank you."
Buffy hugged Dawn. "Be safe."
Dawn pulled out of the hug, turned, and walked off. Buffy watched, thoughtful.
That evening, Buffy, naked, walked from the bathroom to her and Tara's room. She closed the door behind her. Tara was brushing her hair in front of a mirror, also naked.
Tara stopped brushing her hair, set the brush down on the dresser, and got into bed. Buffy turned off the light and got into bed with Tara.
Tara snuggled close to Buffy and started kissing her neck. Buffy wasn't into it.
Tara sensed it. "Honey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Tara frowned. "Hey, Buffy, this is me. This is the room where you don't have to be brave. I still love you."
Buffy sighed. "It's just...what happened today...got me thinking. Why do we even need vampires and demons and all of that shit? Humans are enough evil to be nervous over."
Tara just stared at her.
"I mean...what - what happened, that was intense. That's...gotta change you."
Tara thought for a moment. "It has made me think depressing thoughts, but...it only changes you, if you let it."
Buffy thought about that. "Yeah."
"But?"
Buffy pointed at her head. "It's just kinda...noisy up here tonight, you know?"
"Yeah."
"I-I think I...just wanna go to sleep."
"That's a good idea. You - You should sleep."
"Hold me."
Tara snuggled up to Buffy, then put her face next to hers and an arm across Buffy's middle. "Is this better?"
Buffy smiled. "Yeah. I think it makes things quieter in here."
They lay cuddled up together, Buffy lightly stroking Tara's bare arm.
About two weeks later, at the Hyperion, during the day, Cordelia, Faith, and Kate walked across the courtyard, carrying weapons, slightly disheveled.
Cordelia frowned. "I can understand people that drink too much. I understand people that put a little note on the parking meter that says it's broken when it's not. I don't understand people that worship demons."
"Yeah. Especially Lu-rite demons. The stink on that thing..." Faith frowned at the memory. "If you're a prince of the underworld, bro, take a Jacuzzi every once in a while."
Kate frowned. "It's sad. The only way that some people can find a purpose in life is by becoming obsessed with demons. By the way, Faith, technically, that wasn't a Lu-rite. It was a Mu-rite, a sub-species of the Lu-rite. The male sports a small, tell-tale fin just behind the third shoulder."
"So glad to know we're not the sad people obsessed with demons."
"We have to be a little obsessed. We're detectives that specialize in these things."
Cordelia shot Faith a look. "And we're not sad."
Faith shrugged. "Whatever. Anyone talked to Fred lately?"
Cordelia shook her head. "Not talked. Glimpsed. She pokes her head out of her room every once in a while."
Kate smiled. "Nice girl."
Cordelia nodded. "Nice, but not making the giant strides towards mental health."
In the evening, Cordelia walked into the lobby, carrying two big mousetraps. "So whose turn is it to set the traps?"
Kate and Faith pointed at each other. "Hers."
"You girls amaze me. You'll fight hell-beasts, but you're scared of rats." Cordelia walked towards the basement door.
Cordelia dropped the traps with a scream as the door suddenly opened just as she reached it.
Angel was standing there with a little smile on his face.
Cordelia gave him a hug. "You're back."
Faith and Kate walked over, both starting to smile.
"You guys, he's back!" Cordelia pulled Angel after her into the lobby.
Kate smiled. "Welcome home."
"Hey, what's up, man?" Faith asked.
Cordelia smiled. "So I hope you had a good retreat, all peaceful and meditate-y."
"Sure, until the monks turned out to be life-sucking Shur-hod demons."
Kate frowned. "Oh..."
Cordelia gave Angel a forced grin. "Leave it to you to turn a vacation into work. I guess it wasn't like a holiday, where you come back home to your friends, you know, with some small mementos of your trip-"
"Fishing for gifts?" Angel asked her.
"Yes!"
Angel handed her a large, dusty book.
"Oh...a...book!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Angel pulled it out of her hand and tossed it to Kate. "From the monastery's library."
Kate caught it. "Cool! Thanks."
Angel smiled and handed Cordelia a necklace instead.
"Oh! Oh, my God, it's gorgeous!" Cordelia put it around her neck and grinned. "And look how it brings out my breasts!"
Kate and Faith gave her a look.
"You know you were all thinking it!" Cordelia kissed Angel. "Thanks."
Angel handed Faith a sheathed dagger. "Uh! 16th Century!"
Faith unsheathed it.
"Murshan Dynasty."
A grin spread across Faith's face. "This is a thing of beauty, boss." She whipped the dagger through the air. "Oh, I can't wait to kill something with this!" She looked at Cordelia. "Any visions brewing?"
Angel stepped towards the stairs. "The place looks good. How's Fred?"
Cordelia forced a smile. "Good! She's...doing well."
"Hasn't come out of her room yet, huh?" Angel guessed.
Cordelia frowned. "Not what you'd call frequently. We - We sent up a lot of tacos."
Angel turned back towards them. "I'll settle in and check up on her. You guys can bring me up to date."
Fred was in her room, adding the word "listen" to the scrawls covering the walls. "Listen. Listen. Listen."
There was a knock on her door.
Fred jumped. "Oh. Hi! How are you? I'm just fine. Doing really good here; no need to worry about me, but thanks for checking!" She went back to writing.
"It's me, Fred."
"Oh, Angel." Fred took off her glasses and walked to open the door. "Hi! Hey! You're..." She paused. "It's good to..." She paused again. "Did you have a nice..." She thought of something. "Oh, here, let me make some room!" She took some stuff off one of the chairs.
"I can't come in."
"Of course not. You're worn from your trip. You go rest. We'll catch up later." Fred began to shut the door, not looking at Angel.
"Fred, I wanna talk to you; I just can't come in unless you-"
Fred pulled the door back open. "I invite you. Instead of being rude! Oh, come in. Come in."
Angel walked in and looked at the writing covering the walls.
"It's just a smidge of vampire in you as far as I'm concerned, but the universe has rules. I'm a great believer in rules and theorems, formulas-"
"I get that."
"Aphorisms leave me a little dry."
"How are you?" Angel asked.
"Yeah. Good. Everything's pretty much like when you, you know, went away on your trip."
"Sorry I was gone for so long. I just-"
"Hey, no, you had things you had to take care of. And it's not like I need a babysitter or..." Fred paused. "You're sticking around now, right?"
"Yeah, I am."
Fred let out a short laugh. "Oh, good!"
Angel read the words on the wall behind Fred. "'Listen. Listen. Listen.' What are you listening for?"
Fred sat down on the arm of a chair, pulling her knees up. "The click. When it all comes together and makes sense. There's, like, a click in your brain, and then you understand things again."
"Oh. What happens if you run out of wall space before you get the click?"
Fred hugged her arms around her knees. "I don't know."
"Fred, I know you spent..." Angel stopped as he stepped on some of the trash littering the floor, then moved a chair to sit across from Fred. "...five years as a slave. I know that wasn't a picnic for you. But you're home now. You're safe. You can come out of your room. I know that it's gonna take some time."
Fred got up. "Time. I have a whole treatise on that. It seems to take a lot of it to do just about anything these days."
Fred got on another chair and started to write on the wall.
Angel got up and gently took the marker out of her hand. "Fred. Fred. You don't have to write absolutely everything down."
"Oh, right." Fred laughed. "God, I should write that down."
Angel reached out and helped her down off the chair that she was standing on.
"You just...come on...you just need to take some small steps. Hmm?" Angel pushed the glasses up on her nose with a slight smile, then walked past her and opened the door. "Like, um, coming downstairs and hanging with us for a while. What do you say? There's nothing to be scared of. You're safe here in the hotel."
Angel slowly stepped backwards, out of Fred's room. They heard Cordelia scream downstairs.
"Hold that thought!" Angel yelled.
Cordelia was having a painful vision. Kate, Angel, and Faith ran from different parts of the hotel. Angel and Faith supported Cordelia in a sitting position between them.
"Easy. What is it? What did you see?" Angel asked.
"A bunch of vampires...and...they're crashing a party. They're killing people."
"Where?"
"Wilson College. Bonner Hall."
Kate and Faith headed for the doors.
"Room 918."
"Room 918!" Angel yelled after them.
"They're gonna take hostages. Watch out for the blonde. She's the worst!" Cordelia cautioned.
"Are you all right?" Angel asked her.
"Yeah. Fine. I'm fine. Go. Go!" Cordelia yelled.
Angel hurried after the others. As soon as he was through the doors, Cordelia collapsed, sobbing from the pain.
Faith, Angel, and Kate entered a dorm room littered with male bodies.
Faith picked up a flyer. "So much for inviting everyone."
Angel looked. "Some of them are still alive."
Kate took out her cell phone and called 911, sitting next to the door. "There's been an accident. We need two, maybe three ambulances. Wilson College, Bonner Hall, room 918."
Angel looked around the room, then walked over to the open window. "They're heading east on 6th Street. Take the car."
"What are you gonna do?" Faith asked.
Angel jumped out the window, then ran along the rooftops.
"Oh."
Faith pursued four vampires sitting in a convertible. A blond boy sat between the blonde vampire that Cordelia mentioned and the driver; his dark-haired girlfriend sat between the two vampires in the back seat.
The girl in the back screamed as Angel dropped down onto the hood of the car and grabbed the wheel, swerving the car off the street, into a building. Faith brought Angel's convertible to a squealing stop behind it, and she and Kate jumped out, grabbing some weapons from the back seat.
Angel jumped off the hood, slugged the vampire sitting beside the girl, then pulled the boy and his girlfriend up and lifted them out of the car. "Run!"
The blonde vampire slugged Angel and ran after the kids, only to find herself face to face with Kate and Faith.
The blonde vampire punched Kate, then turned back to hit Angel as he was beating up on two of the vampires while Faith took on the third.
Kate hit one of the vampires, distracting its attention from Angel, then quickly staked it and threw the stake to Faith, who caught it and used it to stake her vampire. The third vampire ran while Angel grabbed the blonde vampire by the shirt, pulled her around to face him, and staked her as well.
She stared at him. "Angelus?" Then she died.
Angel looked down at her heart-shaped locket in his hand.
Cordelia stumbled into her dark bathroom; leaned, panting, on the sink; and looked at herself in the mirror. The bathroom door shut, and the light turned on.
"Oh. Too bright, too bright!" Cordelia called.
The main light turned back off, and a small table lamp came on instead.
Cordelia sighed. "Oh, thank you, Dennis. How'd I ever live without a ghost?"
Cordelia opened the medicine cabinet and took out a bottle of prescription pills. The stopper dropped into the drain of the bathtub, and the water turned on.
"Hot. Really hot. Please." Cordelia swallowed three pills. "Ahh. These visions are killing me. They're getting worse every time."
Cordelia stepped over to the tub filled with bubbles and took off her shirt and dropped it. Her shirt floated up to hang over a hook.
Once she was completely naked, Cordelia got into the bathtub, sat down, and sank back into the bubbles with a sigh. A loofah brush floated up in front of her face.
Cordelia leaned forward. "Oh, Dennis, what'd I do without you?"
She heard the telephone ring.
Cordelia sighed. "No..."
In the Hyperion, Angel was holding the locket. Cordelia, Faith, and Kate were gathered around him.
"Her name was Elisabeth. She and her beloved, James, hung out with Darla and me in Marseilles back in...1767. They had killed a count, then set a big fire and burned his villa to the ground. We had a ship to catch to try to outrun Holtz."
"Holtz?" Kate asked.
"Daniel Holtz. I'd killed his wife and son and turned his young daughter. He pursued Darla and me across Europe."
"What happened?" Faith asked.
"Some soldiers confronted us. James wanted to fight them, but then Holtz showed up."
"Then what?" Faith asked.
Angel was looking at the locket. "Huh?"
"What happened with Holtz?" Faith asked.
"Oh, that's another story."
"We got time."
Kate looked at Faith. "I'm not sure we do."
Cordelia looked at them. "No, because James and Elisabeth had the big forever love. If he's still around, and he finds out who killed her-"
Kate nodded. "He's gonna want revenge."
Angel frowned. "If he's still around and if they're still in love. That was a long time ago."
Cordelia looked at him. "Yeah, two-hundred-plus years, and the girl is still wearing the locket."
Kate turned to leave. "Faith and I'll hit the streets, see what our sources can tell us."
Cordelia smiled. "Uh-huh. See? We have sources now."
Angel smiled. "Oh, you're almost like real detectives now."
Faith followed Kate. "Hey!"
"Just kidding. You should probably check it out." Angel paused. "James really lived for that girl."
Cordelia nodded. "Yeah."
The next day, Angel was looking at the pictures of James and Elisabeth in the locket. Cordelia, leaning on the counter at the other end of the lobby, looked at him, then turned back to the papers in front of her.
"What?" Angel asked, his back still turned towards Cordelia.
"What?"
"What do you want to say?"
"Uh, me? Nothing. What makes you think I wanna-"
"'Cause I know you?"
"Well, it's really...none of my business."
"And that always stops you."
Cordelia stepped closer. "Okay, you have to tell me one thing. You owe me this much. What the hell happened with Holtz?"
"He and his men surrounded James and me. He wanted Darla for what she and I did to his family. He nearly staked me but also threatened to keep me alive, so I gave up that Darla and Elisabeth were down at the docks. James started fighting with me. Holtz ordered us to be killed. We escaped on a horse. Then he ditched me."
The phone rang.
Cordelia answered it. "Angel Investigations and Hyperion Hotel-"
"Cordy, it's me. Put Angel on."
Cordelia held up the handset. "It's Kate."
Angel stood up and walked over to the counter. He took the handset. "Yeah?"
"This guy, James, you're looking for, he's alive, he's in town, and he knows what you did to his heartthrob. He's out for blood."
Angel paused. "I see."
"Want us to track him?" Kate asked.
"Yeah, do that. I'll cover this end."
"What's up?" Cordelia asked.
Angel hung up the phone. "He's alive. Kate and Faith are gonna track him down."
"What if they can't?"
Angel walked away. "Doesn't really matter. 'Cause I know where he'll be headed."
"Here. For you."
Angel opened the weapons cabinet. "I want you to go home while it's still light out and stay there."
Cordelia crossed her arms. "No."
"Yes!"
"Hm-mm."
"Where's my hurling ax? This is all different!"
"I moved some things to the cellar while you were gone."
Angel turned to look at her.
"They were dust catchers!"
"Go home."
"I'm sticking with you!"
"I appreciate your courage, but I don't wanna see you get hurt."
"Well, I don't either! I go home, he'll come after me, because I'm home alone. That's what they do: they come after you when you're alone. 'Oh, sure, Cordy, go home! Be a hostage with the torture and the fear and the tort-'"
"Cordy! Will you, just once, do what I tell you without arguing about everything, okay? Hurling ax. Basement?" Angel walked towards the basement doors.
Cordelia hurried after him. "I'm not arguing! I just know I'd be a lot safer by your side rather than all alone at home."
Angel opened the basement door to find James standing on the other side of it. James threw Angel back against the wall as Cordelia ran back into the lobby.
"Why'd you do it?" James asked.
They exchanged a few punches, then James sent Angel flying into the lobby.
"Because I had something you could never have?"
Angel looked at Cordelia peeking out from behind a pillar. "Get back!"
Angel and James went at it again.
Fred stepped out onto the open hallway, looking down into the lobby. "Angel? I thought I heard company. I came out of my room. Small steps...like you said."
Angel stopped choking James to step back to where Fred could see him. "Go back to your room and stay there!"
Fred turned to go. "Okay, then."
James and Angel resumed their fight.
The phone rang in the Hyperion's lobby, but Angel was too busy fighting to answer it. Cordelia picked up a fire extinguisher and hurled it at the back of James' head.
"I told you to-"
Cordelia picked up a stake and threw it. "Shut up and stake him!"
James intercepted the stake and attacked Angel with it.
Cordelia frowned. "Oops."
James tried to push the stake into Angel's chest. "You never loved anyone...or anything. Go to Hell."
Cordelia jumped on James' back. James turned and sent her flying across the lobby. Angel grabbed a hold of the stake and buried it in James' chest, then hurried over to help Cordelia up.
"It's all right. It's all right. It's over."
Cordelia looked over and saw James was pulling the stake from his chest. Cordelia and Angel stared as the wound closed in front of their eyes.
"Uh, over in what sense?" Cordelia asked.
Angel attacked James and kicked him out through the glass doors, into the sunlight streaming down into the garden court, then hurried back to Cordelia.
Cordelia pointed. "Uh, shouldn't he be on fire?"
Angel hustled her towards the basement. "Let's get out of here."
Cordelia was following Angel down the ladder, into the sewers. "My coat. It's stuck."
"Leave it."
Cordelia slipped out of it and hurried after Angel.
Cordelia and Angel arrived at a fork in the tunnels.
Angel pushed Cordelia towards one of them. "Go that way."
"Where are you gonna go?"
"Go!"
Cordelia went.
Angel soon hurried after Cordelia. He opened a door in the side of the tunnel. "Cordy! This way. Hurry up!"
Cordelia went in. Angel followed and pulled the door shut behind them.
"All right, I've been doing this for a while. Don't stakes through the heart and sunshine kill you guys?" Cordelia asked.
"Sh! He seems to have become-"
"-invincible?"
"Let's not exaggerate."
"The Ring of Amara, when you had that, you were invincible. Does he have a ring?"
"No."
"Hmm." Cordelia thought for a moment. "Did the Amara people make cufflinks or belt buckles?"
"There's only one. Now, be quiet. I think he took the bait."
A deep rumbling sounded, and the tunnel began to shake.
Cordelia threw herself at Angel. "Earthquake!"
"Subway!"
Cordelia let go of him. "Okay, just subway."
Both of them jumped, and Cordelia let out a small scream, as her cell phone suddenly rang.
"Jesus!" Angel exclaimed.
Cordelia fumbled with her phone. "Sorry, sorry, cell phone."
"Cordelia, is that you? Can you hear me?" Kate asked.
"Huh? What? Say that again?"
"There's something that you have to know about James. He's invincible."
"Oh. He's invincible, is he?" Cordelia stuck her tongue out at Angel.
"He went to a slog demon."
"He went to a what?"
"Slog demon."
"Slog demon? What's that?"
"A doctor demon that collects rare organs."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Some kind of doctor demon that collects rare organs."
"The demon cut out his heart."
"Cut out his heart?" Cordelia repeated for Angel's benefit.
"Yeah, and he can't be killed."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Absolutely cannot be killed."
"But..."
"Wait. What?" Cordelia asked Kate.
"There's a price. It lasts for only a while, then he dies."
"How long?"
"Six..."
"Six what? What? Hello?" Cordelia looked down at her phone. "No signal." She closed it. "Okay. The guy's invincible, but it lasts for only so long, then he dies."
"How long?"
"She said...I don't know. Six minutes, hours, weeks." Cordelia fumbled with her cell phone. "I hate these. Come on, give me a signal!"
"That's good news. So all we have to do is - is wait him out."
"Right. So we just wait here until we're sure."
With a big crash, James burst through a door a little way down from them.
Angel hurried Cordelia back out into the tunnels. "Cordy, up here!"
Cordelia and Angel pushed through the people crowding the stairs to the subway platform just as a train pulled up. The doors opened.
Angel pulled Cordelia through the open doors, into the train. The doors closed in front of James' nose. As the train pulled out of the station, Cordelia, clinging to Angel's back, stuck out her tongue at James.
"What a creep. Should we get off at the next station and double back?" Cordelia suggested. "He won't expect that. Or should we stay put 'til the end of the line and put as much distance between us-"
"Shh!"
There was a clunking sound coming from the roof.
Cordelia looked up. "He couldn't possibly-"
Angel pushed Cordelia behind him just as James came bursting in through a window at the end of the compartment.
"Get back!" Angel yelled.
"Well, this is a new twist in an old snake. Is it possible you care about someone who isn't you?" James asked.
Angel glanced back at Cordelia. "Don't worry about her."
"But if you've changed. If you aren't the same man that fucked Darla and couldn't care less what happened to her-"
"He has changed. A lot. He has a soul now, and he cares about people."
"So you might feel something when I snap her neck."
Cordelia decided to backtrack. "Well, it's not like he's losing sleep with the caring."
"Lucky me. Now, I can kill the woman you love."
"No, you can't."
"Are you forgetting who's the invincible one here?" James ripped a seat loose and smashed it across Angel's face.
"Angel!" Cordelia yelled.
James hit Angel again, sending him sliding back towards Cordelia and a male passenger standing by the door, leaning on a pair of crutches.
"Catch him!" Angel yelled.
"Catch who?" Cordelia yelled.
Angel pulled the crutches from under the guy's arms, and Cordelia barely kept him from falling.
Angel flipped to his feet and, one crutch under each arm, faced James. "Come on!"
James attacked, and Angel caught his arm with the crutches and used their leverage to twist James around and press him up against the wall.
"How's that, invincible boy, huh? Is that your idea of love, James, hmm? It's not real unless it kills you?" Angel asked.
James panted. "Yeah. What's yours? 'It's fun as long as it doesn't cost me anything'? You don't know what love is!"
Angel backed up, letting James free.
James slid down the wall of the train and looked up at Angel, panting. "You think you won...just because you're still alive? I lived. You just existed."
Angel just stood there, staring down at James, until James suddenly died.
Cordelia saw Angel coming down the steps of the Hyperion. "How's Fred?"
"She's all right, considering. We talked over what happened, and I think she'll be coming out of her room any decade now."
"And how about you?"
"I'm okay."
"So...can we get back to work now?"
"Yeah. Sure." Angel paused. "There's work?"
The door opened, and Faith and Kate strode in.
"What do you know about Nester demons?" Kate asked Angel.
"Well, they like to live in the walls of people's homes. They hatch several times a year. And don't you have to kill their queen or something?"
Faith handed Cordelia a dagger. "Yeah. And if you don't, they infest again, worse than ever."
Cordelia nodded. "We killed a bunch of them in Hancock Park a couple of months ago."
Kate frowned. "I don't think we got the queen."
Angel accepted a knife from her and turned to go. "Well, let's go find out."
The next week, in the evening, Kate and Faith were standing at the counter of the Hyperion, eating Chinese takeout right out of the boxes with chopsticks.
"No, Faith, I mean...I'm not saying we act differently. I just think we should be gentle in..." Kate saw Cordelia walking in. "Hey, Cordy."
Faith waved at her with her chopsticks. "Hey, Cordy."
Cordelia looked at them as she walked by.
"B-plus. C-minus."
Faith and Kate turned to look at Fred, who was sitting cross-legged under a folding table with her own box of Chinese takeout.
"A girl can tell."
Kate crouched down in front of the table. "Fred...if you feel comfortable enough grading our sincerity, how about joining us for the rest of the meal? Isn't that the point of coming downstairs?"
Fred swallowed hard. "I guess that'd be okay." Fred crawled out from under the table and joined them at the counter, picking at the food in her box with her fingers.
"Uh, I-I don't mean to rush you back into the 21st Century, but how about using some chopsticks? Or a fork, maybe." Kate picked up a fork and offered it to her. "You remember forks, don't you?"
Fred took it. "Sure. Who could forget? Fork, fork it over, fork in the road - one I'm not ready to take yet."
Cordelia walked back through the lobby.
Kate smiled. "Hey again."
"I know what you're doing."
"You do?" Kate asked.
Fred smiled. "Told you."
"You're being all fake nice and super-sensitive like 'Poor Cordelia, she's on edge, because she hasn't had a vision in while.' Well, I have information for you. I look forward to my next vision."
"You do?" Kate asked.
"Well, why shouldn't I? I mean the Powers That Be have seen fit to choose me; who am I to refuse? I think of them as gifts. Having-my-head-torn-open-and-hot-lava-poured-into-my-skull gifts."
Fred looked from Cordelia to Kate and Faith.
Angel walked in. "Fred! Good to see you out and about."
"It is, isn't it? Out and about." Fred leaned towards Angel. "I've been forking with Kate."
Angel looked at Kate, eyebrows slightly raised. Kate smiled coyly.
Cordelia started screaming as she got hit with a vision of some clawed demon thing. Angel and Kate managed to catch her before she fell to the floor.
"Are you all right?" Angel asked. "Talk to me."
Cordelia gasped. "There is a coin and, um, two clawed things; it's in Chinatown, I think. An herbalist's shop."
Kate and Faith headed for the books.
"Come on." Angel helped Cordelia up and put a hand on her left shoulder.
Cordelia jerked away with a gasp. "I'm okay. I'm fine. It just caught me off guard a little."
Angel just looked at her.
"Uh, go find the coin." Cordelia started to walk away. "It has a hole in it."
Cordelia entered the staff bathroom at the Hyperion and closed the door behind her. She turned on the light. She went to lean on the sink. There was a knock on the door.
"Yes?"
"Cordelia, that beast you saw...did it have four or five claws?" Kate asked.
"Five."
"You're sure?"
Cordelia pulled up her shirt and counted the claw marks decorating her belly. "Pretty certain."
Kate was standing in front of a table loaded down with books. Fred was pacing behind her, reading a thick phone book.
"Anything of interest yet, Fred?" Kate asked.
"Oh, sure. Lots. H is a fascinating letter. Helicopters, helium, helmets, hernias..."
"Did you happen to notice 'herbs' in your wanderings?" Kate asked.
Fred gave her a big grin. "I did."
Kate just looked at her.
"Oh, right. There are, uh, let's see...five herbalist shops in Chinatown."
Angel walked in. "We got a name or face for these things yet?"
"Circling. I think we might be looking at either a Wan Shan Dhole or a Cantonese Fook-beast."
Faith walked in, carrying a baseball bat and with a backpack slung over one shoulder. "I say we figure out what these fuckers are after we find that coin. We're burning moonlight."
Kate nodded. "Sounds like a plan."
"Hey, Fred?" Angel asked. "I need you to do something for me."
Fred gave him a huge smile.
Cordelia was in the bathroom, taking a couple of aspirins. She'd taken her shirt off and turned to look at her left shoulder blade in the mirror. There were three more claw marks there.
There was a knock on the closed door of the bathroom.
"I told you, it's about finding the coin."
"It's me."
"I'm fine!"
"I'm not leaving until you open the door. I mean it, Cordelia, open up."
Cordelia put her shirt back on, hiding the scratches, opened the door, and gave Angel a bright smile. "See? Fine!"
Angel stopped her from closing the door again. "They're getting worse, aren't they?"
"I'm feeling better. Once I get a little protein in me, I'll be as good as new. Honest. Now, go declaw those things!"
"I've asked Fred to take you home."
"I don't need to go home."
"There is nothing else you can do here. Just...get some rest, okay?"
"No..."
Angel stared at her. "O...kay?"
Cordelia sighed. "Okay." She closed the door.
Angel was sitting in the back of the convertible, with Faith driving and Kate in the passenger seat, as they were driving down the dark streets of LA.
"Five herb shops in Chinatown, and we've been to four. How come whatever we're searching for is always in the last place that we look?" Faith asked.
"I suppose it's one of the unwritten laws of being a dick."
Faith gave Kate an angry look.
Kate smiled gleefully. "A detective."
"So what's the name of this place, anyway?" Faith asked her.
"Van Hoa Dong. It should be up there on the left."
Faith chuckled. "Dong."
Kate rolled her eyes, then turned around to face Angel. "How was Cordelia when you spoke to her?"
"She said she was fine."
"You don't believe her?"
"All right, here we go. Next time, we're hitting the last place first." Faith stopped the car just down the street from the herb shop.
The three of them unfastened their seatbelts and got out of the car. They walked up to the shop.
In the shop, a white-haired older gentleman was measuring out some powder. A woman brought him another jar as Angel, Faith, and Kate walked into the store.
"Your kind not welcome here!" the woman yelled.
"Since when can't a girl buy some ginseng tea?" Faith asked.
"Not you." The man pointed at Angel. "Him! Vampire not welcome!"
Kate frowned. "This is a public facility, and any being may enter. We're looking for an ancient coin."
The Chinese couple exchanged a look, then both let out a scream and flipped over the counter, landing in a martial arts stance.
"Ah, so you think some fancy flipping and a little hollering can intimidate bitches like us?" Faith asked.
Suddenly, their hands turned into long, gray claws.
Faith made a face. "Okay, that creeps me out."
Angel looked at Kate and Faith. "You two take Grandma. I'll take the old man."
A big fight ensued, during which all three of them managed to avoid getting more than superficially cut by the couple's razor-sharp metal claws. In the end, Kate managed to knock the woman over the head while Faith kept her distracted with her wooden baseball bat, sharpened to a point for easier staking action. Angel took a hold of the scarf that the old man wore wrapped around his waist and, with a sudden hard pull, sent the man spinning through the air. The old man crashed into the shelves covering the wall and dropped to land in a heap on the floor.
Faith panted. "Damn. Grandma and Grandpa got game."
"Yeah, I know." Kate looked around. "Now, if we could just find that coin before they come to."
"Guys. Over here." Angel reached down and snapped the leather necklace holding the coin from around the old man's neck.
Cordelia walked out of her bedroom, stretching. "Okay! All ready for bed. Face washed, teeth brushed, tired, tired!" She let out a fake yawn. "You can go now!" She looked around the living room and noticed the lack of an audience for her performance. "Fred? Okay, you can go now, Fred."
She walked over to the kitchen and saw Fred sitting on the floor, eating peanut butter straight out of the jar.
"Sorry. It's been so long."
Cordelia helped her up and put the lid back on the jar. "Not a problem. Here. Take it with you. Enjoy that peanutty goodness in the comfort of your own home."
"Hey. Wait. Angel said-"
"I know. He said you should wait until he calls-"
Fred nodded.
"-but, as you can see, I'm fine. In fact, I'm better than fine. I'm...right as rain."
"I-I never understood that saying, 'right as rain'. How is rain right? Or wrong, for that matter. Okay, I suppose, if there's a flood, it's wrong. And speaking of floods, or maybe just being overwhelmed, what's it like to have a vision?"
"Wow. You know, next to you, I am downright linear."
"Do you see things or smell them or just know...'in your stomach', know? Like, in fifth grade, when I saw Gracie Wells, and I just knew we'd go steady, and, even though we never did, looking back on it, it feels like we did. Is it like that?"
Cordelia stared at her for a moment. "Okay. Time to go."
She started ushering Fred towards the door.
"Has - Has anyone ever told you that you're exactly like Lassie? Yeah. You're like Angel's Lassie. Sure, he does most of the saving, but it's your visions that tell him that Timmy is trapped in the well, or the robbers are hiding in the barn. He really needs and depends on you."
"Well, thanks. I'd be flattered except for the Lassie-being-a-dog part. Dennis, a little help here?"
The door of Cordelia's apartment swung open.
"See? I'm not alone, I have a ghost." Cordelia pushed Fred out the door. "Bye. We'll have to...to..." Cordelia got hit by another vision and dropped to the floor.
Fred crouched down beside her. "Are you all right?"
Fred gently turned an unconscious Cordelia over onto her back. Suddenly, boils appeared all along the side of Cordelia's face.
"A demon. An icky, boil-covered demon."
Cordelia was sitting next to Angel on the edge of her bed with Faith, Fred, and Kate standing by the door, looking at her.
"A storefront downtown on the corner of 5th and something. And there was a key. I should probably draw you a picture of the key."
Angel shook his head. "Cordy."
Cordelia started to get up, but Angel pulled her back down and gently pushed the hair back from her face to reveal the boils that she'd been trying to hide.
Kate stared at them. "Oh, God."
Angel stared at his love. "Cordelia, we should talk about this. You can't ignore what's happening."
"I don't wanna talk. What's there to say? Except 'gross', 'yuck', and 'unclean'." Cordelia looked at the others, who avoided meeting her eyes. "Like you're not thinking it."
"Has this ever happened before?" Angel asked her.
After a moment, Cordelia pulled the sleeve of her sweater up to reveal one set of claw marks. "Earlier tonight."
Kate crouched down for a closer look. "Oh, whoa! Are you saying your vision had a physical manifestation?"
"Yeah."
"And did this new one have anything to do with-"
"The yuck monster." Cordelia pointed at her face. "Yeah." She looked past Angel, caught sight of herself in the mirror, and got up to take a closer look. "This must be a mistake. The Powers wouldn't do this to me on purpose; I mean...I'm a part of their team. Why would anybody do this on purpose?"
Angel came out of Cordelia's bedroom, closed the door behind him, and joined the others waiting for him in Cordelia's living room. "We have to figure this out and now. Anybody?"
"Why would the Powers choose to communicate with Cordy in this way?" Kate asked.
Fred thought for a moment. "Maybe we could ask them."
Everyone turned to look at her.
"Y-You used the word 'communicate', which got me thinking; everything's made of energy, right? Light waves, radio waves, X-rays, even brain waves are all electric energy. If Cordelia is receiving visions from the Powers That Be, they're being communicated somehow. Maybe we could figure out the frequency and trace the calls."
Kate smiled. "Well done, Fred. Faith, I need you and Fred to go to the hotel and get me some books. I'll make a list. We need to research that Chinese coin. Angel, you find that demon and get the key."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Cordy's had two visions in the same night. You see what it's doing to her. If the Powers That Be are taking such extreme measures, we have to assume the coin and the key are of great significance."
"And so is Cordelia. If I go out and find that key, how can I help her?"
"By trusting me. I have an idea."
Kate opened the door of Cordelia's apartment to let Angel in.
"How is she?" Angel asked.
"Uh. I'm finding out right now. Did you get the...?"
Angel handed her the key as he walked past her.
"Great."
Angel walked into Cordelia's bedroom to see her laying on the bed.
Kate followed Angel into the bedroom. "You're just in time. Would you talk to this young lady? She's resisting the process."
"Process?"
"Oh, my idea. She reads people's auras to set them on their path. That connects her to the Powers That Be. I'm thinking-"
"Sure. She might be able to reverse the process. She might be able to trace the call back to the Powers." Angel sat on the bed.
"Was it there?" Cordelia pointed at her face. "Because I'm gonna be really pissed off, if I'm all Phantom of the Opera, and there wasn't a key."
"It was right where you said."
"Oh, good."
"Why don't you want to try and trace the visions?"
"It's not like I'm morally against it. Hey, might be fun. But with the Powers That Be doing this whole Book of Job thing, the last thing that I want is more noise in my head."
"Maybe you can make the noise stop."
Cordelia sighed. "Yeah."
"Isn't that what you want?"
"Yes! No. Well, no. Sure, I hate looking and feeling like this, but...if I lose the visions, I wouldn't be able to help you anymore. You wouldn't need me."
"That's not why I need you. You're important. And the visions are just aftermarket extras like Hurst shift or Krager wheels."
"Did you just compare me to a car?"
"It was a very nice car."
"I guess that's better than a dog."
"Cordy, let us try and help. Okay?"
"Okay." Cordelia lay back into her pillow and closed her eyes with a sigh.
Suddenly, Cordelia jerked as she was hit with another vision. She got a shot of a guy's face and his pulsing, exposed brain, then a blurry vision of a person engulfed in flames. She saw the burning guy and some bronze demon. Cordelia screamed.
Angel hurried over to her. "Cordy? Cordy!"
Kate looked down at Cordelia's arms that now looked to be severely burned in the aftermath of the vision.
"Am I a bad person? Am I just a horrible person?" Cordelia asked Angel. "Because I know I can be snippy sometimes."
"This isn't happening, because you're bad. If anything, it's because you're strong. Stronger than you realize."
"I'm not. I know what I said earlier. But I don't want the visions anymore. I tried to be brave. I did. But I'm just scared now. I'm scared all of the time." Cordelia did her best not to cry. "I mean look at me!" She held out her arms, then took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. "What could be so important that the Powers would do this? I don't understand."
"I don't either. Hey..." Angel reached to take a hold of her hand. "Did you make contact?"
Cordelia thought back for a moment, then came to a realization. "The visions aren't from the Powers."
"Who's sending the visions?"
"I don't know." Cordelia winced as she tried to sit up. "But it's local. Earthbound and pretty authentic. It was easy to mistake it for the real deal."
"Are you saying someone's hacked into your head?" Kate asked.
Cordelia nodded. "Transmitting false data through the celestial 'Net. I know it's probably a mile-long list, but I'd start looking at enemies. Who wants to get to you, who has the sizable resources, and who'd be willing to fuck up a pretty face like mine?"
Kate was sitting at her desk, looking at the markings on the coin through a magnifying glass. Angel walked in.
"How's Cordelia?" Kate asked.
"Fred and Faith are looking after her. You figured it out?"
"I think so. Something that you probably won't like to hear is both artifacts are considered objects of good."
"Oh. So the Chinese guy and the boil guy-"
"Were also aligned with the forces of good."
"Damn! So hard to tell these days. You know, they should wear lapel pins or something."
"'Kay. In the meantime, the inscriptions on the key and the coin match. They actually work together to transport you in and out of the other dimension."
"I don't suppose we know what this other dimension is like - I mean besides fortress-y and demon-y."
"Well, based on the burn scars that Cordy received from the last vision, I'd imagine fire isn't out of the question."
"Fire."
"And if the young man is imprisoned, I'd imagine there may be guards."
"Guards." Angel turned to leave the room.
"I don't need to explain to you that, if Wolfram & Hart are behind this mission, it can't be good."
Angel stopped to look back at Kate, then continued out of the office.
Kate got up to follow him.
Angel was looking through the contents of the weapons cabinet.
"Just because Lilah tells you that this man is wrongly imprisoned doesn't mean it's true."
"You're right."
"Nor do I have to explain to you that helping them violates everything that you stand for."
Angel grabbed some weapons. "Right again."
"Good. Then I don't need to convince you to let me go with you."
"Right. No! Kate, I need you to stay here in case anything goes wrong." Angel held up the coin. "Now, show me how it works."
Kate took the coin. "Ready?"
Angel nodded.
Kate inserted the key into the hole in the center of the coin. "This should take you there and bring you back."
Kate turned the key, and little metal bars sprung out from the ends to lock against the coin. Giving it a good twist, Kate tossed it to the floor, where it spun on one end like a top, creating a swirling little vortex of smoke and light.
"You sure I can't come with you?" Kate asked.
"Take care of Cordy."
Taking a deep breath, Angel took a step closer to the spinning key. The ring of light and smoke expanded to include Angel. Angel's image became smeared and translucent, then he and the spinning key disappeared with a small flash of light - while the sword, dagger, and mace that Angel had just armed himself with clattered to the floor.
Kate stared at the items. "Well, shit."
After Angel returned from the other dimension with the guy, they went to deliver him to Lilah. Angel and Kate were sitting in the front, Kate driving. Faith and the guy that Angel rescued were in the back.
Up ahead, two limousines were parked in a spillway. Lilah was pacing between them, checking her watch occasionally. She smiled as she recognized Angel's convertible.
"You know what to do if anything goes wrong?" Angel asked Faith.
"Pop goes the weasel."
Angel got out of the car and walked towards Lilah. Lilah motioned towards the limousines, and six burly bodyguards stepped out.
"To be honest, nobody at the firm thought you could do it - except me. You're a remarkable man, Angel."
"Yeah, and you're an evil bitch. Let's finish this. Take care of Cordelia...you get your guy."
Lilah walked to the back of one of the limousines. The window slid down, revealing a demon in the back seat. Lilah talked to him, and the window slid back up.
Lilah turned back to Angel. "This should only take a moment."
Angel turned to look towards his car, and Kate pulled out her cell phone.
The phone rang in Cordelia's apartment, where Cordelia was laying in bed, sleeping.
Fred got up from where she was sitting on the end of the bed and went to answer the phone. "Hello?"
"Fred, what's the sitch?" Kate asked.
Fred turned to look at Cordelia and saw the boils and blemishes melt away. "Kate, it worked. She's okay."
Kate opened the car door and got out. She motioned to Angel with the phone. Faith got out as well as the guy that Angel rescued, his hands bound with thick rope in front of him. Angel watched as the guy walked past him and to the open door of one of the limousines. The guy propped his arms on the open door to let one of the bodyguards cut the rope while smirking at Angel, then got in the car.
Lilah looked at Angel. "It's just business."
"Right. Just business."
Lilah walked towards the limousine on the right. Angel bent down to pick up a piece of rebar laying in a pile of other thrash and sent it hurtling through the air. The metal bar whistled past Lilah to smash through the back window of the limousine and through the demon's head.
Lilah looked back at Angel, then took a couple of steps closer to the car to look at the demon slumping dead in the back seat. She jumped when Angel was suddenly right there.
"Don't you come at me through Cordelia ever again. You play that card a second time, and I'll kill you."
Lilah watched as Faith drove the convertible over, and Angel got into the back seat, then Faith drove away.
The next morning, in the Hyperion's lobby, Cordelia poured Angel a cup of coffee.
"Cordy, I'm glad you're feeling better and all, but-"
"-you're not really a foodie. I know. But..." Cordelia took the waffles out of the toaster and put one on Angel's plate and the other on her own and poured syrup over them. "Here we are."
Angel looked at his plate. "Heh. Here we are."
"Angel..."
He looked up at her.
"What you did for me was unbelievably selfless...and brave and amazing."
Angel looked back down.
"And it's so great to know the next vision that I have will just be blindingly painful and not turn me into Elephant Man or anything."
"I hear a big 'but' coming."
"What if that guy that you freed is someone or something that's truly terrible? Wolfram & Hart won this time, and it's all my fault."
"It's not about winning, Cordelia; it's about what's at stake. And in this particular scenario, you were way more important than winning. I can't worry about that guy I set free. I did what I had to do. I'll just deal with the consequences when they happen."
They smiled at each other, but Cordelia stopped smiling as soon as Angel was no longer looking.
Buffy was in her and Tara's room, crouched on the floor, looking under the bed. "Where's my clog? I think there's a clog-eating monster under the bed." She got up. "It's really those lesser-known monsters that make living in Sunnydale so hard."
Tara was looking in the closet. She turned to watch Buffy. Buffy went around to look under the other side of the bed.
Tara smiled. "I believe that is a Dawn monster. She borrowed them yesterday."
Buffy went out into the hall. "Dawnie?" She knocked on Dawn's door, which was ajar. "Hey, you up?"
Dawn's bed was piled with clothes, but she was not there. Buffy turned away with a sigh.
Tara walked out into the hall. "You okay?"
Buffy nodded. "I just wish she'd ask before borrowing my shit."
Tara put her hands on Buffy's shoulders. "Breakfast will make all things better."
They kissed, then Tara went back down the hall.
Buffy knocked on the bathroom door, which was also ajar. "Dawnie?"
The door swung open more, and she saw Dawn brushing her teeth.
"Hey, you! Today's the big day, huh? Kinda day that makes you wanna return clogs, don't you think?" Buffy asked.
"I didn't take your clogs."
Buffy sighed, rolled her eyes, and turned away.
Later, in the kitchen, Buffy was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Tara was by the stove, making pancakes.
"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Tara asked. "You ready to face this thing or not?"
Dawn entered and sat at the counter with a small smile.
"Oh, um, here's some juice, and..." Tara gave Dawn a glass of orange juice. "...pancakes are on the way. Funny shapes or rounds?"
"Rounds are fine."
Tara served pancakes to Dawn. "You got funny shapes, anyway, sorry."
Outside Sunnydale Junior High School, a big sign read "Welcome to Parent-Teacher Day". Various tables were set up with displays, and people were walking around. Dawn and Buffy walked among the crowd. Buffy looked around at everything with interest. She stopped to look at a display. It was a table-top model of a city made with paper cups and cardboard and other such items.
"What is this?" Buffy asked.
Mr. Davis, a young male teacher, was sitting behind the display. He looked up.
"Oh, um, this is our city of the future. I made the hover-cars. They're orange-juice cans, see?" Dawn explained.
"They're very nice." Buffy frowned as she examined the display closely. "But I-I still don't understand."
Mr. Davis smiled. "We're reading Walden. This is, uh...a kid's version of a utopian society. You'll notice there are no schools but an extraordinary number of pizza parlors."
Dawn grinned.
Later, in a classroom, a bunch of parents and kids sat in chairs while Ms. Lefcort stood at the front, talking to them.
"As you can see, we've provided the best in progressive learning. But we can't teach your children unless you do. As parents, you have a responsibility to create the right attitude. To teach your child what school can mean."
Buffy raised her hand.
"Ms. Summers."
Buffy stood up. "School is where you learn."
Everyone was silent for a moment. Dawn felt embarrassed.
"Exactly."
Dawn was very relieved. Buffy sat.
"Parents let kids focus on school as a social experience rather than a learning experience. We want you to get your kids just as excited about education as they are about the lunch hour."
Buffy smiled. "I made lunch today."
Ms. Lefcort frowned in uncertainty. "Oh."
"Yes, before school. Peanut butter and jelly. Dawn takes one every day."
"Tell me about it."
Everyone turned to look at the father in the back row.
"My kid's been brown-bagging it, even though I pay for the lunch program."
A mother on the other side nodded. "It's true. Something has to be done about the quality of the food."
All the people in the room murmured and chattered in agreement. Buffy smiled happily. Dawn looked at her and couldn't help smiling a little, too.
At the Magic Box, Jenny was dusting merchandise while Giles sat at the counter, doing paperwork. The phone rang.
Giles answered it. "Thank you for calling the Magic Box, your-"
"Rupert, this is Travers."
Giles was surprised. "Oh. Uh, it's...nice to hear from you."
"Let's skip the pleasantries. You're needed back in England."
"What? For what reason?"
Jenny turned to him.
"An emergency meeting is being convened. Someone or...something is targeting Potential Slayers around the world. Four have been killed within the past forty-eight hours."
"What's behind it?"
"We don't know yet. We need to locate and protect as many of these girls as possible."
"But Buffy-"
"She is a Slayer; these other girls aren't. We mustn't let the line be extinguished."
"How long will I be expected to be away?"
"Uncertain. There is a ticket waiting for you at the airport. Be there within two hours." Travers hung up.
Giles hung up.
Jenny put down her duster and walked quickly over to him, frowning anxiously. "What is it?"
"That was Quinton Travers. There's an emergency situation. Something is targeting the Potential Slayers around the world. I'm required to return to England and help protect the girls."
Jenny was surprised. "For how long?"
Giles shrugged. "I need to go home and pack, then I'm off to the airport." He grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen and started writing a note. "Will you be Buffy's Watcher while I'm gone? Assist her with anything that she needs?"
"Of course. But don't you want to wait for her? The school day's almost over."
"There isn't time. I'm to be at the airport in two hours. Give her this note." Giles put down the pen and looked at her. "I'm sorry. This caught me by surprise as well."
Jenny nodded, her mind racing. "May I hire someone here? I can't be here at all business hours."
"Uh, yes, of course." Giles put his hands on Jenny's cheeks and pulled her into a deep kiss. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too."
A while later, Buffy, Dawn, Tara, Amy, and Katrina walked into the Magic Box. Katrina closed the door behind her.
Dawn was holding a large cup of regular Pepsi in one hand and a half-eaten slice of pizza in the other. "So my homeroom teacher, Ms. Lefcort, was like 'Your sister's an example to us all.' Hmm! She wanted to make it National Buffy Day."
Buffy smiled. "She sounded like that shopkeeper that I rescued from a vampire last night."
Jenny picked up the piece of paper and walked out from behind the counter. "Guys."
Everyone looked at her. Jenny gave the paper to Buffy.
At Sunnydale Airport, Giles sat in the ticketing area, reading a book, with a small bag on the floor beside him.
"You really think we'd let you get away with that?" Buffy asked.
Buffy, Tara, Amy, Katrina, and Dawn walked up to him. Dawn was holding a greeting card.
Giles smiled. "I was trying to avoid a scene, really."
Amy stepped forward. "Um, we, uh, brought you some lovely parting gifts." She held out a packaged snack pie. "It's American. Get it? Apple pie?"
Giles took it with a smile.
"A-And a monster, sort of a Sunnydale souvenir, we thought." Tara had a small rubber monster attached to her finger, basically a thimble with arms and a scary face. She bounced it up and down. "Grr! Argh!"
"Thank you." Giles took the monster.
"And I wanted to buy you a can of Old English 800, 'cause, you know, England, and you...and...because, at the time, it sounded really funny. But the guy that lives in the box in front of the store, he, uh, wouldn't buy it for us." Katrina smiled nervously.
Dawn stepped forward. "We got your presents at the gas station." She sat beside Giles. "We were kind of in a hurry."
Giles continued smiling nervously.
Dawn was uncertain, then handed him the card. "Um, we made this in the car. That's why the letters are all shaky."
They all looked on anxiously as Giles opened the card and read it.
Giles was touched. "This is, uh...impossible, really."
Buffy gave him a smile. "We just wanted you to know...we'll miss you. Uh, but we'll be okay."
Giles got up and gathered his stuff. "I better go through security."
Buffy frowned. "Now? We just made it."
"Just, yes, but I need to get to the terminal and wait by the gate."
Dawn stood up. They all looked at each other.
"Well, if we're going to do this, let's do it properly." Giles put down his bag and went over to Amy.
They held out hands toward each other, looked awkward for a moment, then hugged. Giles turned away from Amy, and Katrina hugged Giles. He hugged her back. Then he hugged Tara, then Dawn.
"I'm just a phone call away...if you need anything." Giles held Dawn's face in his hands. "You must promise me."
"I do. I promise."
Giles turned to Buffy. She smiled nervously.
"Buffy. I don't know where to start."
They hugged.
Buffy was almost tearful. "Well, maybe you shouldn't." She let him go. "I'm trying to be stiff-upper-lippy."
"Right, right." Giles removed his glasses.
"Well, you should get going." Buffy tapped him on the shoulder. "Don't you have a critical situation or something?"
Giles replaced his glasses. "Quite right."
Tara put her arm around Buffy as Giles gathered his stuff up again.
"Just, uh...be careful. Please." Giles gave them a last look, then turned toward the metal detectors.
The gang stood in a row, watching him go. Giles put his stuff on the conveyor belt and went through the metal detector.
The gang stood on the sidewalk, looking up at the plane flying overhead. Tara and Dawn had their arms linked.
Buffy sighed. "There he goes."
"What's he gonna do over there by himself?" Dawn asked.
They all started walking to the Jeep.
"I mean...he never talks about people from England. What if he's lonely?" Dawn asked.
"He won't be lonely. He used to live there before, remember?" Tara reminded Dawn.
"And I'm sure we'll talk to him, right?" Dawn asked. "It's not like he's-"
"We'll call him tomorrow, how 'bout that?" Tara put her arm around Dawn's shoulder. "See how his flight was? Yeah?"
Tara and Dawn walked on ahead as the other three paused and looked at the plane.
The next week, during the day, Angel was sitting on the counter in the Hyperion's lobby.
Cordelia was on the computer at the desk behind the counter. "Some people just need a little time alone. I wouldn't worry."
"She's had time alone. Five years. I think that's the problem."
Angel dropped off the counter and walked over to look out at Fred, who was standing in the Hyperion's sunny garden court.
"She's been back in this world for five months, and she still hasn't gone out into it."
Cordelia got up from her desk and walked into the lobby. "Right. And it's not like, the last time that she went out into it, she got kidnapped and ended up living as a slave in a demon-run dinner theater or anything. Oh, wait. Kinda is, isn't it?"
Angel walked behind the counter and leaned on it. "Which is why I'm asking you to, you know, talk to her."
"I'm not so sure that's a great idea."
"You don't like her?"
"Sure, I like her. What's not to like?" Cordelia looked out at Fred. "She's sweet and adorable and...seems to be laughing at something that that shrub just said." She turned back to Angel. "Look, it's not that I don't like her. It's just...I don't get her."
"I'm not asking you to 'get' her. I'm just asking you to...talk to her." Angel looked at Cordelia, a slow smile spreading across his face.
"Fine, we'll chat."
"Thanks."
Cordelia walked off.
Fred sat down on the edge of the fountain in the sun, reading an old book.
Cordelia walked down the steps behind her. "Hi."
Fred screamed and jumped up from the bench. "Ah, oh, you - you startled me!"
"I'm sorry."
"No. No, it's my fault. I'm sorry, okay?"
"Yeah."
Fred walked towards the stairs. "Well, I'll get out of your way."
"No, Fred, I want you to stay! Stay."
Fred stopped and peeked around a pillar back at Cordelia.
Cordelia sat down and patted the fountain wall beside her. "Actually, I-I was hoping we could, you know, talk?"
Fred walked over and sat down. "Well, yeah, of course."
They sat there. Cordelia took a deep breath, cleared her throat, then took another deep breath.
"Did you mean now?" Fred asked.
"Yes! Yes. I'm sorry. It's just I feel a little awkward." Cordelia took another deep breath. "Angel wants you to get out."
"Oh, I see. Okay." Fred got up and turned to walk away. "No, I understand. I only have a few things to pack. It won't take long."
"No, Fred! That's not what I meant. Out into the real world, you know, just for an evening or something."
Fred let out a big breath and smiled. "Oh!" She looked at Cordelia, eyes going wide. "Oh?" She turned to hide her face. "Oh..."
"Well, not by yourself or anything. What if I..." Cordelia paused. "What if we went out together?"
"Well...I suppose I would be okay if I was with you, right?"
"Sure!"
"I mean...that'd be safe, right?"
"Of course, it would."
Fred smiled. "No one would even bother to look at me twice with you around!"
"Exactly." Cordelia reconsidered. "Uh. No. Now, that's just not true! People will notice you!"
Fred was not smiling anymore. "They will?"
"Yes! And you know why? Because you'll be standing on a stage in the white-hot spotlight."
Fred stared at her. "I will?"
Cordelia grinned at her and nodded.
Fred looked away. "Oh."
That night, Sandy and Sunday were sitting at the bar in Willy's Place, drinking.
Willy walked over to them. "Hey, heads up. I been hearin' talk 'bout some kinda demon-huntin' gang in LA."
"So?" Sunday asked. "That's nothin' new."
Sandy nodded. "Yeah, the Slayer can't be everywhere."
Sunday frowned at her.
"No, I mean they're killing everyone. Indiscriminately. Even 'good' demons like you."
Sandy frowned but didn't say anything.
"Attacking demon hangouts, breaking into apartments, stuff like that. Just...watch yourselves." Willy walked away.
"Thanks." Sandy took a sip of her vodka tonic.
Sunday took a long sip of her Bloody Mary, finishing it. "Fucking scary."
"Scary times in general." Sandy finished her drink.
Sunday nodded, then looked around. She looked at Sandy. "Drive me home?"
Sandy nodded.
The next week, at night, in the Hyperion's lobby, Cordelia was looking through a magazine, Kate was reading Black House by Stephen King and Peter Straub, and Faith was playing Lady Sia on her Game Boy Advance. Fred walked down the stairs and walked up to Cordelia. Cordelia jumped and let out a scream as Fred leaned in to look at the magazine. Kate jumped and looked around at them.
Faith didn't look up from her game. "Hey, Fred."
"Sorry! Did - Did I startle you guys?"
Kate smiled. "No."
"Only in the sense of shocking and jolting us. What's up?" Cordelia asked.
"Nothing. Just taking a little stroll and..." Fred looked at the open magazine. "Why would girls wanna look like that? I spent years in a demon-run dinner theater, starving. What's their excuse?"
"Fashion."
Fred laughed, stopped, sat down beside Cordelia, and looked around the lobby. "So...everybody's just reading and hanging out?"
Angel arrived on the open hallway overlooking the lobby, holding a newspaper. "Am I the only one who read this?"
"Read what?" Kate asked.
"Charlton Heston. Double feature!" Angel came down the steps. "At the Nuart. Soylent Green and The Omega Man."
Faith kept her eyes on her game. "Wow."
"It's two for one. Did I mention Charlton Heston? Who's in?"
Fred jumped up and raised her hand. "That sounds great!"
"Fred. Kate?"
"Ugh. I'm gonna pass."
"Faith? Cordy?"
They didn't even look up at him.
Angel went to grab his coat. "Looks like it's just you and me, Fred. Well, the worm certainly has turned."
Fred giggled. "Y-Y-Yeah. The worm's turning and..." She stopped smiling. "Am I the worm?"
"No. You may not know this, Fred, but certain friends and coworkers have been known to accuse me of being the quiet, stay-at-home, sulky one."
All three of them turned to look at Angel.
"Some people...just don't know how to have fun anymore."
The next night, Kate was sitting behind her desk, listening to Fred.
"And he opened every door for me, and he paid for the tickets. And even bought a giant popcorn. And every few minutes, he'd go like this." Fred motioned like she was tipping a tub of popcorn towards someone, then laughed. "Because he wanted me to know it was okay for me to have some." She dropped in a chair. "And he's so lonely, because he's the last man on Earth."
"Angel?"
"No! Charlton Heston. The Omega Man? Omega being the last letter of the Greek alphabet, so it's a metaphor." Fred jumped back up. "And he walks on the street side and not the building side. It's old-fashioned but kind of chivalrous, you know?"
Kate was confused. "We're back to talking about Angel."
"Right. And even though he didn't talk a lot, it was still okay. It was comfortable. It wasn't that awkward kind of quiet. You know that awkward kind of quiet?"
There was a moment of silence.
"No. That's never happened to me."
Angel and Cordelia walked into Kate's office. Angel looked from Fred, who smiled at him, to Kate.
Angel held up his newspaper. "Hey, did anybody else see this?" He laid the paper down in front of Kate. "Police found the body of twenty-six-year-old Woodrow Raglan in a two-bedroom suite at the Elondria Hotel. Unnamed witness said it was as if his insides had just-"
"-collapsed." Kate thought for a moment. "You know, there was something else like that...last week."
"Um, may I just point out that no one is actually hiring us to look into this and that we should be doing more important things?" Cordelia brought up.
Kate held up a newspaper clipping. "Here. Ten days ago, a body...found in another hotel room...under similar conditions."
"What do you think? Spell, curse,...serial demon?" Angel suggested.
Kate shrugged. "Tough to say. Worth a closer look."
"I'll say. Cordelia, open up a case file. We have to get on this right away." Angel handed Cordelia the file with the newspaper clipping as he walked past her, out of the office.
Cordelia took a printout from the printer and carried it over to where the others were leaning against the reception counter.
Kate looked at the others. "There was a third victim five weeks ago. They were all young, healthy males. They all died in expensive hotel suites."
"Can you imagine shelling out all that money for a snazzy suite, and then, kerplop, you're a big bag of mush bones?" Fred asked, then thought for a moment. "I guess it wouldn't be good wherever that happened."
Kate looked at her, amused.
"Oh...please continue."
"Faith, I was thinking you could interview the staff of these hotels where the guys died. I'm meeting a contact of mine from the coroner's office in thirty minutes. See what I can learn about these bodies."
Cordelia looked at Kate. "They were all members of the same health club. The bodies...when they weren't...you know...dead ones."
Angel walked over to look at Cordelia's printout, pulling out his car keys. "Cordy and I'll go check out the gym."
Cordelia grabbed the keys. "I'll drive."
They all left - except for Fred, still standing in front of the reception desk.
"I'll just stay here." Fred laughed. "Okay. I'll do that."
Cordelia and Angel walked into the health club. They spotted a club attendant and walked up to him. His name tag read "Phil".
"Hi. I was just wondering, could I ask you a few questions? My name is Angel."
Phil shook Angel's hand. "Angel. Good news, dude, we are running our best offer ever! Okay, I can get you a six-month trial membership right now for three-hundred-fifty dollars."
"No. I'm looking into some guys that were members here." Angel pulled out the newspaper clipping and showed it to him.
"Oh, yeah, Woody, right. I heard he, like, died."
"He, like, did. Along with the others. All members. So I need to ask you, Phil, does the club condone steroid use?" Cordelia asked.
"No. No, no, no, a-a-absolutely not."
"Then we should probably keep this between ourselves, don't you think?" Angel suggested. "We'll just take a look at their records, and we'll get out of your hair."
Phil hesitated. "Yeah, yeah, o-okay."
He, Cordelia, and Angel left.
Cordelia, Angel, and Phil were looking through some papers in the office.
Phil shook his head. "You know, I-I-I don't see anything that connects the three of them - except they were all in the evening Pilates class together."
"Pilates, is that like Tae Bo?" Angel asked.
Phil laughed. "Yeah...if you're living in 1999."
Angel and Cordelia walked into the room where a group of people were participating in an exercise class.
"Relax your neck and shoulders; using your lower abdominals, bring the spine down to the floor. Take a deep breath in and, as your arms come up to the ceiling..."
Angel circled the room; he looked out of the big window at the back of the room.
Angel came up behind Cordelia. "There is a retirement home in the street behind us. I'm gonna check something out."
"I'll come with you."
Angel knocked on the door of room 316. The nameplate read "Marcus Roscoe".
An old man wearing big, round glasses slowly opened the door.
"Mr. Roscoe. My name is Angel." Angel handed him one of his business cards.
"Angel Investigations."
"This is my...partner, Cordelia Chase."
Cordelia handed Marcus one of her business cards, which had "Cordelia Chase, Senior Associate" printed on it.
"Would it be all right if we came inside and asked you a few questions?" Angel asked him.
"Well, it's, uh, pretty late."
"Shouldn't take long."
Marcus turned and walked back into his room, leaving the door open. Cordelia walked in. Angel shifted but remained standing outside.
Marcus turned back and motioned to him. "Come in if you're coming."
Angel walked in and closed the door behind him. He looked around, then walked over to the window. "Nice to have a view. I bet you, uh, spend a lot of time enjoying it."
"Not that, uh, much..."
Angel held up the pair of binoculars that he found on the windowsill.
"Uh. Well, I don't see any harm in looking. That's about all I can do anymore. Uh...what is it you want?"
"Your help." Angel put the binoculars down and pulled out some newspaper clippings. "I wonder if you've seen either of these men across the way in the gym."
Marcus flipped through them. "No. I don't think so. I'm more of a girl watcher. You know what I'm saying? Jesus...they all died? How?"
"That's what we're trying to find out."
"You work with the police?"
"I'm a private investigator. I work with a team."
"Hmm, sounds nice. I was a salesman. Worked alone for fifty years."
"Hmm." Angel spotted a shelf holding various pottery. "Nothian herb jar." He picked it up. "That's a...pretty exotic item. Did you, uh, deal in the occult?"
"Occult, shmoccult. I traveled a lot. Picked up some trinkets."
Angel spotted some extreme sports magazines laying on the table. He put the jar back on the shelf. "Do a lot of bungee jumping, Mr. Roscoe?"
"More than you might think, Mr. Angel."
"Just Angel."
Marcus took off his glasses and put them in the breast pocket of his shirt. He took a couple of steps closer to Angel. "I'll remember that." He looked at Angel. "Alli permutat anmia-"
Cordelia walked up behind him and clapped a hand over his mouth. "Hey, asshole! No! Bad! Bad bedwetter!"
"What's up?" Angel asked her.
"Duh!" Cordelia stared at Angel in disbelief. "God, you didn't piece it together? He's trying to do a body swap."
"Really?" Angel asked her. "You think?"
"I'm Cordelia. I don't think. I know. Okay?" Cordelia gave him a big grin.
Angel gave her a small smile in response. "Okay. Thanks."
Cordelia shoved Marcus down onto a chair.
"Did you happen to notice a small Algurian conjuring orb? Could have been glowing."
Cordelia walked over to Marcus' shrine and picked up the orb. She brought it over to Angel. "I got his conjuring stone."
Angel took it into his hand.
"You can't take that!" Marcus yelled.
Angel closed his hand, crushing the stone to powder.
"You...! You don't deserve that body!" Marcus yelled.
"Funny. I was gonna say the same thing to you."
Angel started to leave - with Cordelia falling in behind him.
"You're pathetic!" Marcus stood up. "You're both pa-"
Angel turned back. "You should try and keep a lid on that rage, Marcus. It's...not healthy."
"Help..."
Angel and Cordelia walked out of Marcus' room.
"What's going on?" an attendant asked them.
Cordelia smiled. "Grandpa's having a bad night."
The next day, Buffy was waiting in line at the bank to deposit her latest paycheck.
The teller smiled. "Hi, Buffy."
Buffy smiled. "Hi." She offered her check, deposit slip, and driver's license.
The clerk took them.
Suddenly, the body of a man crashed through the glass window and landed on the floor. Buffy heard sounds of screaming and turned around. There was broken glass everywhere. People were running around, screaming. A large demon stood in the middle of the room. He gave a loud roar and started throwing people around.
Buffy ran up behind him. "Hey!"
The demon turned around.
"Are you in the wrong line?" Buffy pointed. "That's for deposits." She pointed. "That's for withdrawals, and this one...is for getting kicked in the face."
The demon came forward, and Buffy kicked him back. She blocked a couple of punches, then kicked him again. He surged right back, and she blocked a couple more punches, ducked another punch, then punched him in the face. Buffy raised her hands to swing, and the demon grabbed her and lifted her up onto his shoulder. She kicked and hit his back as he carried her.
Suddenly, Buffy heard a gunshot. Both Buffy and the demon looked over to a bank security guard standing there, pointing his gun at them. He looked very nervous.
"Put the girl down."
The demon threw Buffy at the guard. She crashed into him, and they both fell to the ground. As Buffy got up to a sitting position, she saw a couple of other male customers attacking the demon and getting quickly beaten up.
Buffy picked up the gun and looked at the guard. "These things? Never helpful."
She tossed the gun away. The demon was still fighting off various other people. The gun hit the floor and went off. Buffy and the guard ducked.
The demon ran for the door, shoving another guy into Buffy's path as she tried to pursue him. By the time that she got the guy out of her way, the demon had escaped. Buffy stared after him in frustration. Then she gave a determined frown.
Later, at the Magic Box, Tara and Dawn walked over to the table and put down some more books. Tara sat next to Jenny.
"Oh, come on, Jenny. I am so old enough to do research. Do you really think I'm not mature enough?" Dawn asked.
"I think you're very mature for your age...but you're still only fifteen."
"Right, fifteen. As in teenager. You know, if you don't let me look at the pictures, I'm gonna learn everything I know about demons on the street."
Jenny sighed and handed her a book. "Knock yourself out."
"Thank you. See?" Dawn sat. "No biggie. I can totally handle it." She opened the book and checked out the first page. "That's a weird place for a horn." She looked again, then slowly closed the book. "That's not a horn."
"You know, I still don't get it. I mean...what kind of a demon would rob a bank?" Jenny asked.
Tara smiled. "The kind that wants money."
"What do you even call that?" Jenny asked.
"This?" Dawn held up a book, turned to a picture of a demon. "I'm guessing on how you say it. It's got an apostrophe. I think it's 'MmmFashnik', like 'Mmm, cookies'."
Buffy emerged from the back room.
Dawn held up the book toward Buffy. "This your guy?"
Tara looked at Buffy. "Doesn't exactly fit the profile for your typical bank robber."
"Maybe they turned down his loan application." Buffy smiled at Tara, then looked at Dawn's book. "That's him. This thing was strong, guys. No weapon that I could see but still really dangerous."
"I'm gonna call Rupert." Jenny stood up and walked over to the counter.
Buffy sat between Tara and Dawn and started kissing Tara's neck. Dawn stared at them and inadvertently let out a squeal of excitement.
Jenny put Giles on speaker and returned to the table. "Say hi, everyone!"
"Hi!" Buffy, Tara, and Dawn called.
"Hi, everyone."
"How's England? How's life?" Buffy asked Giles.
"Uh, I'm not really sure how to answer that. Um, well, I arrived home. I, uh, met with the Council."
"Always a good time."
"Yes. Otherwise, there's, uh, nothing really to report. I, um, I keep a flat in Bath. I-I, uh, met with a few old friends. Almost made a new one, which I think is...statistically impossible for a man of my age."
Buffy chuckled.
"And how are you?" Giles asked.
"Me?" Buffy asked. "Fine. Well, a demon attacked me at the bank today."
"Do we have information on this demon?"
Jenny smiled. "That we do."
Tara smiled. "This one robs banks."
"Oh."
Dawn smiled. "I found him. M-apostrophe-F-A-S-H-N-I-K."
"M'Fashnik. Oh."
Dawn grinned. "Ah-ha! Like 'Mmm, cookies'."
"Uh, no, quite different, actually."
"You know it?" Tara asked him.
"By reputation, yes. They - They come from a long line of mercenary demons that perform acts of slaughter and mayhem for the highest bidder."
Jenny rolled her eyes. "Well, it is the American way."
"Yes, but, uh, the question now becomes...what's out there powerful enough to control one of these things?"
In Sherman Oaks, Chloe was sparring with William in his karate dojo. The class for the evening was over, and the other students had gone home.
Chloe launched a series of right side kicks at William, and he managed to deflect all but one of them. She switched to a roundhouse and managed to hit him in the face.
William nodded. "Okay, that was good. Always switch up your attacks. Never let the enemy see - or guess - what's coming."
Chloe nodded. "Okay."
"I think that's enough for today. I'll see you at the next class."
Chloe nodded and started to walk away, then she stopped and turned back to face him. "Are you really a sensei, or is that just your cover?"
"I'm really a sensei."
"Well, what happens to this dojo if I'm not called...or if I die?"
"It'll close, and I'll return to England, pending my next assignment."
Chloe pouted. "That's kinda sad."
William just stared at her.
"TTFN." Chloe turned and walked away.
That night, Buffy and Tara sat at the island in the kitchen. The light was off, but there was a candle on the island, providing a bit of illumination. Buffy and Tara were eating a dinner of pork sirloin, mashed potatoes, and gravy, which Buffy had cooked. They also each had a glass filled with Champagne.
"I'd like to propose a toast." Buffy raised her glass and smiled. "To my beautiful wife. Happy Birthday."
Tara smiled and raised her own glass. "To my beautiful wife. Happy Anniversary."
They clinked their glasses together, then they drank their Champagne.
Buffy relished the taste. "Mmm, yummy."
Tara smiled. "The perks of having a partner of legal age."
Tara moaned in pleasure as she lay in bed, legs spread, receiving oral sex from Buffy. Buffy lay between Tara's legs, alternately kissing, licking, and eating her pussy. They were holding hands, resting on Tara's left leg, their fingers interlaced.
Tara put her right hand on the back of Buffy's head and gently ran her fingers through Buffy's hair. "That's it, baby, just like that."
Buffy complied, pleased that Tara was pleased with her cunnilingus skills.
Tara removed her hand from Buffy's head. "Put your fingers in. Fuck me."
Buffy pulled back and put her index finger in her mouth. She sucked it for a moment, coating it with her saliva. Then she did the same to her middle and ring fingers. She inserted her index fingers into Tara's pussy, feeling the warm, wet walls wrap around it. Tara moaned her approval. Buffy gently started finger-fucking Tara. Once she had built up a rhythm, she added her middle finger, then her ring finger. She built up speed, plunging her digits into the depths of Tara's pussy.
"Fuck me!" Tara yelled. "Fuck me as hard as you can!"
"Louder. I don't think Dawn heard you." Buffy complied with Tara's demand, then she added her tongue to Tara's clit.
That drove Tara wild. She was in the throes of passion. She kept moaning and humming as Buffy pleasured her, which Buffy was very happy to do.
"I'm gonna cum!" Tara exclaimed.
Buffy pulled her fingers out and put her open mouth directly on top of Tara's pussy. Tara had her orgasm and cummed into Buffy's waiting mouth. On this particular occasion, Tara was a squirter. Buffy swallowed every last drop that Tara had to give, relishing the salty-sweet taste.
Buffy moved up and lay on top of Tara. Tara was breathing heavily, slowly coming down from her climax. Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. Tara, panting, opened her mouth, and Buffy slipped her tongue inside. As the lovers french-kissed each other, Tara tasted her juices in Buffy's mouth.
"I love you." Buffy pulled her tongue out and licked Tara's lips. "I love you so much. Happy Birthday."
"Mmm, thank you. Do you want me to eat you now?" Tara asked.
"In a bit. First..." Buffy pulled away and reached over to the night stand, grabbing two bottles. "...Buffy want beer."
Tara laughed, grabbed the bottle opener, and opened the bottles. Buffy offered one bottle to Tara.
Tara took the bottle with a smile. "Why, thank you."
Buffy clinked her bottle against Tara's. "Cheers."
"Slàinte Mhath." Tara took a gulp of her beer.
Buffy took a gulp of her beer.
Amy was in the living room, sitting on the sofa, flipping through the channels on the TV. She eventually shut it off, set down the remote, and got up.
Dawn walked down the stairs, wearing pajamas.
Amy looked at her. "Dawn? Couldn't sleep?"
"Not really. You?"
Amy smiled. "No."
"You ever try mixing parts of every cereal you got in one bowl?" Dawn asked her.
Amy grinned. "Oh, I love doing that."
"I mean to help you sleep."
Amy yawned. "Does it work?"
Dawn shrugged. "Gonna find out. Wanna come join the experiment?"
"Fuck yeah." Amy walked closer to her, then looked at the front door in the foyer.
Dawn turned to see what she was looking at. The doorknob was rattling and turning.
"Is that locked?" Amy asked quietly.
Dawn was nervous. "It should be."
Suddenly, the door was smashed in, hitting Dawn. She screamed as she went flying back into the dining room. The M'Fashnik demon came in, saw Amy, and tried to backhand her. Amy dodged his attack and kicked him in the stomach. He roared in anger.
Dawn was still laying on the floor, looking fearfully at him.
The demon stared at Amy. "You're not the Slayer."
Dawn sat up and stared at him.
"But you'll do for a start."
He lunged for Amy. Dawn screamed. Amy did a backflip, putting distance between herself and the demon. Dawn continued screaming as the demon rushed at Amy. Before he reached her, Buffy grabbed him from behind and pulled him back to face her.
"You're payin' for that door, asshole." Buffy flung him aside.
He landed on his back on the coffee table, smashing it to pieces.
"Ooh!" Buffy winced. "Table!"
The demon got up, holding a piece of the table. He looked at it, then tossed it aside. It smashed a lamp on a side table.
"You have cost me, Slayer."
"I cost you? That's a designer lamp, ya fucker!" Buffy yelled.
The demon charged her, grabbed her around the waist, and brought her to the floor in the dining room. She hit him, then kicked him off her. He landed on the dining room table, smashing some dishes. Buffy got up, and the demon kicked her; she stumbled backward and knocked into a side table. A glass vase fell, and Buffy caught it with both hands, looking at it in relief.
The demon charged her again, and she kicked him back while still holding the vase, then put the vase carefully back on the table. She kicked the demon again, and he fell back against the wall, smashing some picture frames.
Amy thrust an arm out, getting the demon in a choke from behind; she wrestled him back.
"Amy, no! I want him in the kitchen!" Buffy yelled.
Amy held the demon in the doorway and stepped aside. Buffy gave the demon a serious kick in the chest, and he flew backward through the door, into the kitchen, flew across the room, and banged into the door leading to the back porch. The glass part of the door shattered. The demon growled, then swiped at Buffy, but she ducked and punched him.
Amy followed them into the kitchen and watched Buffy hitting the demon.
Buffy got the demon in a headlock. "Amy, knives!"
Amy telekinetically lifted some large knives from their place on the kitchen counter. "Ready."
Buffy released the demon and ran out of the way. Amy mentally hurled a knife into the demon's throat and another knife into the demon's heart. The demon fell to the floor, dead.
The next day, Dawn and Amy were sitting on the sofa, trying to fit together the pieces of the broken lamp. Jenny and Buffy sat by a desk, looking at papers. Buffy's chair was held together with duct tape. Buffy looked across the living room at the destruction: the front door standing open with a big hole in it, the banister on the stairs broken, and pieces of the coffee table on the floor. Katrina sat across from the sofa, trying to fix the coffee table.
"This is going to take forever, isn't it?" Buffy asked Jenny.
"Not forever. Just a very long time. Uh, here it is." Jenny showed Buffy some papers. "Your first approximation of your new debt."
Buffy stared at the paper in dismay. "I've trashed this house so many times. How did Mom pay for this?"
Katrina smiled. "For starters, she saved money with this shitty-ass coffee table."
Jenny looked at Buffy. "Well, there's always that charging option that Cordy suggested."
"No!" Buffy yelled. "I will definitely...probably not be doing that."
Tara entered from the kitchen. "What do you think the demon wanted, anyway?"
Dawn jumped as the piece of lamp in her hands crumbled.
Tara gave Buffy a sympathetic look. "I mean...aside from costing us a bundle."
"Don't know. Now, he's way too dead to answer that question. Wish I knew who hired him."
"That's it." Katrina dropped the table leg. "This coffee table is gone. Damn it!"
Dawn looked at Buffy. "Also, this lamp's in critical condition."
Buffy was worried.
Amy looked at everyone. "Well, uh, let's take these things out to the trash and give 'em a decent throwin' out."
Amy, Katrina, and Jenny picked up the various pieces of lamp and coffee table and walked outside. Tara walked over to Buffy, concerned. Dawn watched them anxiously.
Tara sat next to Buffy. "Buffy?"
"I don't think I can do this."
"Yes, you can. Your mother dealt with this sort of thing all of the time."
Buffy looked at her.
"She took...one crisis at a time...without the aid of any superpowers...and got through it all. So can you."
"You sure?"
Tara smiled. "I'm positive."
Buffy was slightly reassured. Tara kissed Buffy on the lips.
"So you think we'll starve?" Dawn asked.
Tara looked at her skeptically. "I very much doubt it."
"No chance I'd have to quit school to work assembling cheap toys in a poorly-ventilated sweatshop?" Dawn asked.
"Poorly-ventilated..." Tara frowned. "What have you been reading?"
Chapter 123: Fredless
Chapter Text
"Fredless"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Life Serial" Written by David Fury and Jane Espenson and the Angel Episode "Fredless" Written by Mere Smith
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
At night, Buffy opened the front door and walked into the foyer of the Summers' house, holding a paper bucket under her arm. She tossed her keys on the side table and closed and locked the door.
"Hello?" Buffy called.
"Buffy?" Amy asked.
Buffy turned in the direction of the dining room. "Oh. Yep, it's me, and I brought dinner." She walked into the dining room. "Deep-fried chicken parts. Hope you're..."
She saw Tara, Amy, Katrina, and Dawn sitting around the table. They were clearly just finishing a meal.
"...hungry." Buffy was disappointed. "You already ate."
"No!" Katrina was embarrassed as soon as she said it. "Well, uh, yes, obviously."
Dawn felt bad. "Uh, we didn't know when you'd be coming back."
Buffy shrugged. "It's okay. More for me."
Buffy put the bucket of chicken on the table and sat down next to Tara.
Tara smiled. "I don't know about everybody else, but...I would love some chicken."
Amy smiled. "Me, too."
Katrina smiled. "Same."
Dawn smiled. "I'll take a drumstick."
Buffy smiled. "Cool. I'm a breast girl, myself." She looked at Tara. "But, then again, you knew that."
Buffy and Tara exchanged a smile. They passed the bucket of chicken around the table.
The next day, at UC Sunnydale, Buffy and Sandy entered a classroom.
Buffy smiled. "This is gonna be great. I'm glad that this 'audit' thing is a thing. I can try before I buy."
Instead of desks, the classroom had long tables set up in a rectangle. They walked around the perimeter to find empty seats.
Sandy nodded. "There's the teacher, Mike."
The teacher was dressed casually and writing on the blackboard.
"You'll like Mike." Sandy sat.
"You call your teacher Mike? Boy, school sure has changed since my day." Buffy sat next to Sandy.
Mike turned from the blackboard. "Social Construction of Reality. Who can tell me what that is?"
Many students raised their hands, including Sandy.
"Rachel."
"A concept involving a couple of opposing theories, one stressing the externality and independence of social reality from individuals."
Buffy was confused.
"And the flipside?"
Many students raised their hands.
"Steve?"
"That each individual participates fully in the construction of his or her own life."
"Good, and who can expand on that?"
Many students raised their hands.
"Chuck?"
"Well, those on the latter side of the theoretical divide stress..."
Buffy leaned toward Sandy. "Sandy, I'm not following this too well."
"Oh. The trick is to get in the rhythm, kinda go with the flow." Sandy raised her hand.
"Flow-going would be a lot easier, if your classmates weren't such big brains."
"Buffy, that's ridiculous! They are no smarter than you or me."
"Sandy."
Sandy lowered her hand. "Because social phenomena don't have unproblematic objective existences. They have to be interpreted and given meanings by those that encounter them."
Buffy stared at Sandy.
"Nicely put. So, Ruby, does that mean there are countless realities?" Mike asked.
Sandy noticed Buffy's look. "What?"
After class, Buffy and Sandy walked through the hallways.
"You're not dumb."
Buffy frowned. "Maybe I should check out some non-taxing classes, like Introduction to Pies or maybe Advanced Walking."
Tara hurried up to join them. "Hey! How'd it go?"
Sandy smiled. "She did fine! Sociology, not a big fave."
"She didn't like Mike?" Tara asked.
Buffy shrugged. "No, look, it's fine. I just need to spend a little more time browsing."
A guy bumped Buffy as he walked past them. Buffy almost fell over, but Sandy and Tara caught her.
"Hey! You could at least say sorry, asshole!" Sandy yelled after the guy.
Tara felt irritated. "Everybody's in a hurry."
The three girls exchanged an annoyed look and continued walking.
Buffy and Tara walked through a hallway together.
"My Art Appreciation class doesn't start for another twenty minutes, so we've got some time to kill. Um, here." Tara took a large Renaissance book from her bag and gave it to Buffy. "You'll like it; it's very mellow."
Buffy opened the book and looked at a picture of a painting.
"Oh, hey." Tara found a tiny metal device attached to Buffy's sweater, removed it, held it in the palm of her hand, and stared at it in confusion. "What's this?"
The device disintegrated in her hand.
Buffy looked up. "What's what?"
"A little metal thing. It was on your sweater. It just...disintegrated in my hand."
Buffy frowned.
After Art Appreciation class, Buffy went to the Magic Box. Buffy and Jenny walked through the upper area of the store together. Buffy wore a name tag. It read "Hello! My name is", then a white space with "BUFFY" written in it, and then "Ask me about curses!"
Buffy smiled. "This is gonna be great. Thanks for giving me some hours, Jenny."
Jenny smiled. "Uh-huh. Anytime."
They descended the stairs and headed toward the counter.
"Let's review." Jenny opened a three-ring binder. "Um, you record returns here. Um, these are the slips for special orders; you ship them wherever the customer wants. And, uh, these are the hold slips. Fill out two hold slips for each item. Oh, and, uh, be sure to remove the items from the shelf."
A woman opened the door, making the bell above it jingle. Buffy turned to look as the customer entered. The woman closed the door behind her and walked into the store.
Jenny leaned in close to Buffy's ear. "While Rupert was running the store, he found it useful to imagine himself back in the library. Um, you know, if you concentrate on service and - and not on making a sale, you're more likely to have a satisfied customer."
"Guess I'll have to find my own style." Buffy began walking toward the woman.
As she climbed the stairs, a male customer stopped her. He was looking at a display of scented candles.
"Miss? Which candle creates a more, you know, romantic atmosphere?"
Buffy picked up a candle, sniffed it, and looked at the sticker on the bottom. "Hmm. 'Lemon Seduction'. I'll pick that up after work for me and Tara." She put it down, picked up another, and sniffed it. She made a face. "Ew!" She looked at the sticker. "'Essence of Slug'." She put it down, picked up another of the Lemon Seduction candles, and handed it to the customer. "Here you go."
He smiled. "Thank you."
Buffy smiled, turned away, and walked over to the woman. "May I help you?"
"I need something for a prosperity spell. I heard you have it. The mummy hand?" she asked conspiratorially.
"Uh, yeah, actually, I saw one downstairs. It's kinda hairy, though. Maybe it was a daddy hand." Buffy smiled.
The customer didn't get the joke.
"I'll just get it." Buffy turned and walked to the door leading to the basement.
She opened it and walked downstairs.
Buffy walked around, looking for the mummy hand. She examined the jars lining the shelves. "'Petrified hamster'. Uch! 'Eyeballs and honey'. 'Dagger of Lex'." She turned and saw the mummy hand sitting atop a wooden crate. "Hmm. Ancient mummy hand."
She reached out to pick it up but stopped when the mummy hand sprung to life. It leaped at her and grabbed her by the throat. Buffy grabbed it by the throat and wrestled with it for a moment, finally pulled it off her, and tossed it back onto the crate. She turned and ran upstairs. She slammed the door shut.
Buffy walked over to the customer. "I know we promised you a mummy hand; it's just...I-I can't get it for you. Um...there's something wrong with it. It's defective."
"Defective? Are you sure? I..." The woman paused. "There must be something you can do."
"But there's no way to get..." Buffy suddenly stopped as she realized the solution to the problem. A slow smile came over her face. "...to get that hand. But I can special-order one. We can deliver it anywhere you want."
The customer smiled happily. "Really?"
A short while later, Buffy was standing at the cash register with the customer on the other side of the counter. The cash register rang as Buffy closed the sale.
Buffy smiled and handed the woman her receipt. "Thank you for shopping at the Magic Box."
The woman handed Buffy the special-order slip and left. Buffy finished up the paperwork.
Jenny walked toward her, smiling. "Buffy, your first sale! Congratulations."
Buffy smiled.
Jenny took the invoice and examined it. "You didn't charge for delivery."
Buffy frowned, worried. "I didn't?"
"Well, your first day, you know, these things happen. Don't worry about it."
In Lecanto, Florida, Eve walked out of Lecanto High School at the end of the school day and headed to the bus parking lot.
"Eve."
Eve turned at the sound of her mother's voice and saw her standing behind her - alongside Maxine.
"Hey." Eve was confused. "What are you two doing here?"
Amanda stared into her daughter's eyes. "Sweetie, please come with us. We'll take you home."
Eve felt uneasy. "What's going on?"
"Please just come with us. We've got something to tell you."
Eve frowned. "Oh, God. Are you two moving in together?"
"No." Amanda paused. "Well...maybe that'd be a good idea, actually." She looked at Maxine.
Maxine shrugged.
Amanda looked at her daughter. "C'mon, sweetie, quickly."
They walked to Amanda's car. Amanda unlocked the doors, and they opened them and got inside. Eve sat next to her mother, and Maxine sat in the back seat. Eve put her bookbag on the floor, between her feet. They closed and locked their doors and fastened their seatbelts.
Once they were driving, Amanda looked in the rearview mirror at Maxine. "You wanna tell her?"
"Eve, I want you to listen to me. You're in grave danger."
"Why?" Eve asked, surprised.
"Okay, I was going to ease into telling you this, but recent incidents have forced me to expedite the process. There are vampires and all sorts of other demons in the world. They are real. In each generation, there is a chosen girl that fights them - the Vampire Slayer. You are a Potential Slayer. If the current Slayer dies, there's a possibility that you will be activated."
Eve felt like laughing. "Bullshit!"
"Eve!" Amanda admonished.
"I am a Watcher, part of an organization that finds and trains Potential Slayers. I was assigned to you. Recently, someone or something has started targeting and killing Potentials. Over two-dozen have been killed so far. It's imperative that we begin your training immediately. All of the attacks have occurred at night, so you are not to go anywhere by yourself at night."
Eve stared at Maxine's reflection in the mirror. "You're serious."
"Quite."
Eve didn't know what else to say.
That evening, Buffy rang the doorbell at the mansion. Soon, the door opened. Sunday was standing there.
"Yeah?" Sunday asked.
Buffy raised a brown paper bag. "Wanna hang out?"
Sunday smiled. "Fuck yeah." She stepped aside.
Buffy walked into the mansion. Sunday closed and locked the door.
"All of your friends busy?" Sunday asked.
"What?" Buffy asked. "You're my friend, too."
"Really?" Sunday asked.
"Sure. And I was just curious how you were doing."
They walked over to the fireplace.
"Well...thanks." Sunday got a blanket from a nearby chair and laid it on the floor, in front of the fireplace.
Buffy sat down on the blanket and waited while Sunday got two plates from the kitchen. Sunday also brought a bottle of whisky and two shot glasses. She sat down opposite Buffy on the blanket.
Buffy opened the bag and poured an equal amount of spicy buffalo wings onto each plate. They started eating the wings.
Buffy smiled. "I like what you've done with the place."
Sunday smiled. "I do have quite the talent for interior decorating."
"What's that?" Buffy asked, looking at the bottle.
"Cinnamon-flavored whisky. Wanna try it?" Sunday offered.
Buffy nodded. "I'm down."
Sunday opened the bottle and poured the whisky into the glasses.
Buffy smiled. "This is gonna be great." She held up the shot glass full of liquor and sniffed the whisky. "Hmmm." She poured the shot down her throat, swallowed it, and made a horrible face. "Blaaah!" She shook her head.
Sunday lifted her own shot glass to her mouth and slammed the whisky down.
"Sunday, I've been meaning to ask you something." Buffy picked up another wing and started eating it. "Sandy mentioned you, um, well, offer your services to humans."
"You mean biting them?" Sunday asked, biting on a wing.
"Uh...yeah...for money."
"Yeah. Satisfies a kink that some humans have. Pays the bills and keeps me fed. It's fun, too."
"Are you careful?" Buffy asked.
"I can't catch anything."
"You know what I mean."
"Yeah."
"Good." Buffy picked up the whisky bottle and opened it. She began refilling the two glasses.
"Huh. I'm kinda surprised."
Buffy closed the bottle and set it down. "Why?" She drank the shot and made the face. "Blaaah!" She shook her head.
"I thought you might be pissed off or something. Burn the place down."
"I'm not closed-minded." Buffy noticed her words were slurred. "It's not my kind of fun, but others can have theirs."
Sunday smiled and drank her shot. She opened the bottle and refilled the glasses. They both emptied their glasses again.
Buffy again made her alcohol face. "Blaaah!" She shook her head.
Sunday watched this with a smile. "Aren't you curious?"
Buffy burped. "'Bout what?"
"About what it's like to be fed off."
Buffy paused, trying to collect her thoughts. "No."
"Why not?"
Buffy grabbed the bottle, opened it, and drank straight from the bottle. She made her alcohol face. "Blaaah!" She shook her head. "Because I've been bitten once before. Not a fun experience."
Kate was looking past the naked sword blade to Harmony, who was holding it.
"Hang on, that's..." Kate checked her notes. "...a Prothgarian broadsword?"
Harmony turned the sword in her hands to give it a second look. "Hmm. Let's see. Long, metal, pointy. Yup."
"Harmony! The purpose of an inventory-"
"Yeah, give us that purpose-of-an-inventory speech...again." Faith rolled her eyes.
Kate looked at her. "This wasn't my idea."
"No. Cordy says Angel...keeps complaining the weapons cabinet is all different." Harmony sighed. "But this is so fucking boring!"
"What time is it?" Fred asked.
Kate held up her wrist to Harmony.
Harmony read her watch. "6:24, exactly three minutes from the last time you asked."
Fred fumbled around with a strange contraption. "When will they be back?"
Harmony frowned. "They'll be back when they're back."
"But you said he loves her, and she loves him. Why wouldn't it work?" Fred asked.
"Let me break it down for you, Fred." Harmony stepped away from the reception counter and pretended to be Cordelia. "Oh...Angel! I know that I'm a human, and you're a vampire, and it would be impossible for us to be together, but!"
Kate laughed at Harmony's act.
Faith stood up. "But!"
Harmony turned to look at her.
"My gypsy curse sometimes prevent me from seeing the truth. Oh, Cordy!" Faith exclaimed.
"Yes, Angel?" Harmony asked.
"Oh, I love you so much I almost forgot to brood!" Faith exclaimed.
Fred watched, wide-eyed. Kate was laughing.
"And just because I sent you to Hell that one time doesn't mean we can't just be friends."
Faith grabbed a hold of Harmony's wrist.
"Oh!" Harmony exclaimed.
"Or possibly more."
Harmony gasped. "Gasp! No! We mustn't."
Faith pulled Harmony close. "Kiss me."
"Bite me!" Harmony exclaimed.
Faith bent Harmony back over her arm and pretended to sink her fangs into her neck.
"How about you both bite me?" Angel asked.
Fred jumped up. "You're back!"
Harmony and Faith saw Cordelia and Angel watching them and quickly scurried apart.
"How'd the date go?" Kate asked.
Angel shrugged. "I think those two pretty much summed it up."
Cordelia playfully elbowed him and tugged her miniskirt back in place. "It went fine."
"Details!" Harmony begged. "The curiosity is gonna kill me!"
Angel looked down. "Oh, no. Wouldn't want that."
Fred smiled. "Personally, I don't care at all what happened."
Faith walked past Fred. "Shut up, Fred."
Kate suddenly wanted out of there. "Actually, you know what I need right now? Ice cream." She looked at Fred. "You wanna get some ice cream?"
Fred gave her a big grin. "I like ice cream!"
She walked over to Kate, and they left the hotel together.
Kate and Fred were walking along a dimly-lit sewer tunnel.
Fred was holding a big ice cream cone. "This has been the best night ever! First, there's you taking me to ice cream, then there is the ice cream, then that monster jumps out of the freezer, and you're all brave and 'Fred, watch out!', and then we get to chase it down into the sewers, which are just so bleak and oppressive and...homey."
Kate smiled. "I'm glad you're having fun."
"You think maybe the monster just wanted a sugar cone?" Fred asked.
"I doubt it. Durslar beasts don't usually come above ground like that. They tend to stick to the sewers."
"Lucky stiffs. They get to lead lives of mysterious sewage while I'm just plain ol', boring ol' Fred."
"Boring? That's not a word I'd use for you."
"Fine. Nutty-ol'-goonie-bird-up-in-her-room-doin'-nothin' Fred. I swear I don't know how you all put up with me. I practically need flashcards to understand my pretty crystals." Fred looked past Kate. "Oh, look. They're everywhere."
A dull roaring sounded.
Fred jumped back. "It wasn't me."
"Oh, no, no, no. We must be near the Durslar's lair. Why don't you head back on to the hotel? I can take it from here."
"But shouldn't we call Faith first and maybe, you know, the army?" Fred suggested.
"Nah. Durslar beasts are pretty Faulknerian. Lotta sound, no fury. Think you can find your way back okay?" Kate asked.
"I think so. 128 meters back, eastward fork, 207 meters to the southward fork, hang a right, 12 meters in..." Fred paused. "I'm just being a big nerd again, aren't I?"
Kate nodded.
"I'm gonna go now." Fred headed down the tunnel.
Kate turned to walk towards the Durslar's lair.
Fred turned back around. "A-Are you sure you're gonna be okay? Because I can stay with you. I really don't mind."
"I'll be fine."
"You don't need me. Okay. Bye!" Fred went around the corner, then stuck her head out to look back around it. "Are you sure?"
Kate gave a little laugh. "I'm fine!"
"Okay. Bye, then!" Fred left.
Kate watched her go, a big smile on her face.
Back at the Hyperion, Faith, Cordelia, and Harmony were still busy with the weapons inventory.
Harmony read from a list. "Three-pronged Scythian death spear, category six. Weapons cabinet, third shelf."
Cordelia took the tagged spear and put it in the weapons cabinet.
Faith chuckled at a memory. "You know, I once used that very spear to pin down what I thought was a small Rodentius demon; of course, the poodle's owners weren't very happy."
Harmony looked at Cordelia. "Would you hurry up and get a vision already?"
Cordelia straightened up and backed away from the weapons cabinet. "Harm, as much as I would love to endure another soul-splittingly agonizing psychic invasion for your benef-ow! Ow! Ow!"
Faith and Harmony hurried over to where Cordelia was hunching over in pain.
"Yes! Yes!" Harmony cheered.
"No! Ow, Fred! Ouch. I really wish she wouldn't leave her toys lying around!" Cordelia walked over to sit on the round settee, rubbing her shin after having bumped into Fred's contraption.
"Ooh! Pretty wicked-looking toy!" Harmony admired.
Faith studied it. "I'll say. It almost looks like a spring-loaded decapitation device."
Cordelia shrugged. "Or it makes toast. With her, you never know."
"Uh. Excuse me! Uh, is this Angel Investigations?" a man asked.
The gang looked up to see a middle-aged couple standing on the landing, just inside the front doors.
"Yes. Can we help you?" Cordelia asked.
"I sure hope so. I'm Roger, and this is my wife, Trish. Uh, we're sorry to barge in on your...arsenal here, but...we really need to talk to you."
"Of course." Cordelia gestured toward Angel's office. "Angel!"
Craning his neck to get another look at the arsenal of weapons on display, Roger ushered his wife down the stairs.
They all entered Angel's office.
"I'm Cordelia Chase. These are my colleagues, Faith Lehane and Harmony Kendall."
The couple shook hands with everyone.
"What can we do for you?" Cordelia asked.
The couple sat down in the chairs in front of Angel's desk as Cordelia settled in Angel's chair as well.
Trish looked at Cordelia. "It's our daughter. She's missing."
"Oh, no. Kidnapped by evil fiends?" Cordelia asked her.
"We're not sure."
Cordelia made notes. "I see. Was your daughter involved in any kind of demon worship?"
"Of course not!" Roger replied.
Faith thought for a moment. "Could be a vampire. Hard luck tracking one of those in a city this big, but don't worry. We're detectives. We can find anyone."
Roger shook his head. "We already hired a detective."
Cordelia knew the outcome. "And he couldn't locate her."
"He said she was staying here - in your hotel."
Trish nodded. "Her name is Winifred Burkle. We call her Fred."
Cordelia looked at Faith and Harmony.
Harmony tried to suppress a smile. "Awkward."
Fred was walking up into the lobby through the basement door, still licking her ice cream cone. She heard voices and glanced at the open door to Angel's office. She saw Roger and Trish and ran up the stairs to her room.
"Fred's your daughter?" Faith asked.
"Yes. You know her?" Trish asked.
"Is she here? Is she all right?" Roger asked.
Cordelia nodded. "She's fine and...out at the moment...with one of our associates. Who is not an evil fiend...or a vampire...because they don't exist. In...case you aren't familiar with our L.A. detective slang."
"But what happened to her? It's been five years; has she been with y'all this whole time?" Roger asked her.
"No. Uh, we've known Fred for only a few months, really. You see, we found her in...a fit of depression."
"Fred was depressed?" Trish asked.
Cordelia nodded.
"Over what?"
"She had recently relocated and was...having trouble adjusting. So how did you come to find her again?" Cordelia asked her.
"Oh, about a month ago, we got a letter from her in the mail."
"But she didn't leave her return address. In fact, she said she was fine, and we shouldn't bother looking for her, but-"
"Five years of not knowing whether your daughter's alive or..." Trish paused. "Well, how could we just let it go?"
"So we hired the private eye."
"And he tracked her down through an unaddressed envelope?" Faith asked. "We could do that."
"This is so cool, Kate! Thanks! Wait 'til you guys hear what happened at Häagen-Dazs! Ordinarily, these things don't put up much of a fight, but this one? Hoo! I think I'm gonna have it-" Angel walked into the office, carrying the Durslar's severed head. He saw Fred's parents. "-mounted. Hello."
Kate squeezed past Angel and walked into the office.
"Angel. Kate. You brought...a prop! From your movie!" Cordelia looked at Fred's parents. "These are Angel and Kate. They...make...monster movies. Guys, these are Fred's very normal parents."
Angel put the head behind his back. "Ah. Fred has parents." He smiled. "Well, it sure is...nice to meet you both."
Roger pointed. "Uh. Son, you-your prop is dripping."
Angel looked down at the green blood dripping from the severed demon neck and laughed. "Oh, yeah."
He swung the demon head up by the hair, causing Roger and Trish to duck back.
"This...fake. You know, a little glue, papier-mâché..." Angel tossed the head back behind himself without looking, into the lobby.
They heard a big crash of glass as it landed.
"...possibly some lead. So...Fred's parents; we've heard so...much..." Angel paused. "Well, um, sure is nice to meet you folks."
"No address anywhere on the envelope?" Faith asked.
Roger shook his head. "No. None." He looked at Angel. "Do you know when Fred will be back?"
Angel looked towards Cordelia, who gave Kate a pointed look in return.
"Oh, me. Well, yeah, uh, I sent her right back here, right before I...picked up that...prop. So I'm sure she's...up in her room...right now."
Trish and Roger smiled at each other.
Fred's parents and the gang surveyed Fred's room, which was remarkably clean and organized.
"Fred?" Trish asked.
Roger looked at her. "She's not here."
Kate picked up the crumpled ice cream cone wrapper from the floor. "No. But she was."
Trish looked at the walls. "This...it's her writing. But what does this mean? It's just crazy."
"Guys...when was the last time that Fred ever left the hotel by herself?" Cordelia whispered to her friends.
Faith frowned. "A couple of weeks after never."
Roger looked at them. "We want our daughter."
"So what is she running from?" Kate asked.
The five of them turned to look at Fred's parents, standing across the room from them.
The gang was alone in Angel's office.
Cordelia frowned. "There's just something...off about them. I can't put my finger on what."
Harmony frowned. "Fred must have returned while we were in here, seen her parents, and-"
"Took off." Angel frowned. "That's not a good sign."
"They said she sent them a letter. Can you picture Fred sneaking off to send a letter?" Faith asked.
"Pfft!" Cordelia pffted. "Sneaking off, right. Fred can barely tie her shoes."
Kate thought for a moment. "This could be a ruse to trick us into letting them get close to her. Making it seem as though she'd initiated contact."
Angel looked at her. "On the other hand, if the letter is real, and she told them not to look for her, there's got to be a reason for that."
Cordelia thought for a moment. "Fred never talks about her family."
"So where do we start?" Angel asked.
Angel looked from one to another, but they all stayed silent.
"Where would Fred go?" Angel asked.
Harmony thought for a moment. "We could hit all the local taco stands."
Everyone looked at her.
"Joke!" Harmony insisted, then shrugged. "Kind of."
"Come on, guys, think! What do we know about Fred?" Angel asked.
Harmony thought for a moment. "Well, I knew about the tacos."
Kate looked at Angel. "She seemed pretty comfortable in the sewers. They're dark, cave-like. She felt safe there."
"All right. I'll head back down there, see if I can find her."
Kate thought for a moment. "She worked at the public library. There may be colleagues there she trusted."
Cordelia was peeking out into the lobby at the Burkles, sitting on the settee, talking quietly to each other.
"What about them? We can't just leave them there! What if Fred comes back?" Cordelia asked.
The Burkles looked up, catching sight of Cordelia watching them.
Cordelia quickly pulled her head back out of sight. "Oh!"
The gang followed Angel out of the office, into the lobby.
"Mr. and Mrs. Burkle, we're gonna try a few places we think Fred may have gone. Would you like to come along?" Angel offered.
"Uh, all seven of us? Wouldn't it make more sense to split up, cover more territory?" Roger asked.
Kate hesitated. "Maybe."
Angel looked at the Burkles. "Well, I'm gonna check out some of my, uh, industry contacts. So it'll just be the six of you."
"Industry contacts? Why would..." Trish paused. "Fred's not...'making movies', is she?"
"Movies? Oh, you mean..." Angel shook his head. "No! No, no, of course not. It's just some of these contacts, they - they know things sometimes. They're, uh, underground."
"Right. Uh...shall we go?" Kate asked.
The Burkles followed Kate, Cordelia, Faith, and Harmony out the door.
Soon, they were at the Los Angeles Public Library. Kate, Faith, and Harmony went to search the other floors, leaving Cordelia alone with the Burkles.
"Does Fred come to the library often?" Trish asked.
Cordelia looked at her. "Uh, well, this was the first place that I ever saw her."
"She used to love our little community library back home in Texas. Every afternoon, I'd pick her up there after my rounds."
Cordelia smiled. "Oh, a doctor! No wonder Fred's so smart!"
"I drive a school bus."
"Oh. Well, I-I've actually never...ridden in one of those, but I hear they're very nice."
"What exactly does Fred do for you people?" Roger asked. "It strikes me a little odd, a physicist working for a detective agency."
Cordelia frowned. "Uh, well, Fred's, uh...gone through some changes."
"And whose fault is that?" Roger asked.
Cordelia was still thinking when Kate, Faith, and Harmony walked in.
Kate shook her head. "We've swept all of the floors. Nothing."
"Oh!" Trish exclaimed.
"So. What's next?" Roger asked.
Kate paused. "Give me one second to confer with my colleagues."
Cordelia walked over to her coworkers.
Harmony rolled her eyes. "I could have told you she wasn't going to be at the library."
"Then if you know so much about her, Harm, why don't you just tell us where she is?" Kate asked.
Harmony smiled. "Bet that taco stand's not looking so bad now, is it?"
"Hey!" Cordelia yelled. "A little focus, please. There is definitely something going on with them."
They looked over at the Burkles talking quietly to each other.
"So where do we go next? Where would Fred go for help? For guidance?" Kate asked.
"Me." Cordelia frowned. "Only she didn't."
"How do we know she's not trying to skip town?" Faith asked.
Trish leaned against a bookcase. "Some detectives! You have no idea where our daughter is, do you?"
They stayed quiet.
Roger frowned. "Maybe they do. Maybe they just don't want us to find her."
Cordelia sighed dramatically and took out her cell phone to call Angel.
Buffy walked out of the mansion. She staggered drunkenly over to her van.
Sunday followed her outside. "Hey, maybe wait a while longer."
She nearly bumped into Buffy, who had stopped and was standing on the street, arms crossed, staring at a black van parked by the sidewalk. Sunday sighed and rolled her eyes.
Buffy stared. "That van. I've seen it before. At the college. And the Magic Box."
Buffy approached the van, frowning. Sunday stayed where she was, several yards back.
Suddenly, a large demon came around the van and growled at Buffy. He had red skin, curved horns, and wings and wore only a loincloth. "Rrrah! You have discovered me!" He put his hands on his hips. "But do not try to defeat me, for I have been testing you, and I know your weaknesses. Ha, ha, ha!"
The demon suddenly looked over in dismay as the van started up and began to drive off. Buffy went over to the demon and tried to punch it, but, being drunk, she missed the first time. She kicked out and got the demon square in the balls.
"Ooh! Oh!" The demon doubled over in pain.
Buffy fell backward onto her ass. Sunday ran over and helped Buffy up.
Buffy looked at her. "Thanks."
"I am well struck! I call on the misty portal to my demon dimension, where I will lay my head and gently die." The demon threw something on the ground, which caused a shower of sparks and a cloud of smoke. Then he turned and ran away.
Buffy and Sunday coughed and waved the smoke away.
"He blew up. Did you see that?" Buffy asked.
Sunday looked around in confusion. "Yeah, I saw. He's gone."
Buffy shrugged. "Gotta love it, you know."
Sunday looked at her with a smile.
"It makes you feel all powerful." Buffy was suddenly uncertain. "Strong." She felt a little ill. "Kinda sick." She bent over and vomited on the street.
Fred was clutching a ticket in her hands as she was sitting on a bench next to an elderly, homeless man in the bus terminal. "I can do this. Sure, I can. I can just get right up on that bus and be a whole new person - like origami...or plastic. Move someplace I've never been with no money, no friends, no job. Easy as pie. 3.14159265..."
The homeless guy got up and moved away.
"Oh, hey, I was just calculating pi...to relax. I'm not dangerous. I could go to Vegas. Learn to play blackjack. Memorize four-hundred-fifty-two consecutive digits of pi, a few hundred measly cards are easy. Nine, ten, Jack." Fred looked over and saw her parents talking to one of the clerks. "Queen, King. No!"
Trish turned and saw Fred getting up from the bench. "Fred?"
"No, you're not here! Go away!" Fred yelled.
"Fred, honey, it's us!" Trish yelled, running toward her.
Fred shook her head. "No. You're not them. You can't be them, because they don't know."
Roger approached her. "Sweetie, it's Mom and Dad."
"Shh! Stop saying that. You can't be!"
"Honey, don't you remember us?" Trish asked.
"I was - I was five years and so lost, and - and, at night, I would...I was all by myself, and you weren't there!" Fred started to cry.
Roger shook his head. "Fred, I don't understand."
"I got lost. I got lost, and they did terrible things to me, but - but it was just a storybook. It was just a story with monsters, not real." Fred kept shaking her head. "Not in the world, but - but, if you're here, and you see me, then - then it's real! And it did happen. If you see what they made of me...I...I didn't mean to get so lost!"
Trish, also crying, took Fred's face into her hands. "Oh, honey, it doesn't matter what they did to you." She embraced her daughter.
"Mommy."
"Oh, we're gonna make it all right."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I got so lost."
Roger shook his head. "It don't matter. You're our little girl."
"I missed you so much. I didn't mean to-"
"Shh..." Trish stroked Fred's hair.
Cordelia, Kate, Angel, Faith, and Harmony stood at a distance, watching.
Roger nodded. "Everything's okay now. You'll see. You're safe now."
Suddenly, a big insect dropped, screeching, from the ceiling.
"Whoa! Tell me that's something from the movies!" Roger yelled.
Cordelia shook her head. "No. That's something that's gonna fucking kill us."
Angel frowned. "Everybody outside."
Kate looked at him. "Angel-"
"Get them out of here. I can handle this. Move!" Angel ordered.
"Let's go!" Kate yelled.
Angel ducked a stab of the creature's front legs.
The gang and the Burkles ran out the doors of the terminal.
"What the hell is that?" Roger asked.
"All of our weapons are back at the hotel!" Cordelia yelled.
Faith looked at her. "Angel said he could handle-"
Angel came flying through the closed doors, smashing them, coming to rest across the street, at Faith's feet.
"-it." Faith stared down at him.
The bug followed Angel through the door. Angel turned to look up at it, baring his fangs.
"Maybe there's something in the trunk." Faith ran to the car.
The others followed.
"What happened to his teeth?" Roger asked Cordelia.
"Angel's a vampire. He has a soul, but it's a long story. I'll tell you about it, if we don't end up dying."
Kate saw a pile of luggage and changed direction. "Cordy! Here."
The bug was still stabbing and slicing at Angel with its pincers. Angel managed to duck most of them before getting swiped off his feet.
"Hey! Bug boy!" Faith had found a compound sports bow and loosened an arrow.
The bug shrieked and went for the downed Angel again, only to have Cordelia, Harmony, and Kate attacking it with golf clubs. Faith grabbed a club of her own and joined the fray. The bug managed to knock the club out of Harmony's hands, and it slid across the ground to come to rest in front of Fred.
Angel was back up and slugging as well. The bug managed to send him flying against the wheel of one of the parked buses. As Angel got back up, the bug stabbed him in each shoulder with its pincers, pinning him up against the bus.
Fred hit on the bug from behind with the golf club, and it let go of Angel to turn on Fred.
"Fred, get out of the-" Angel pushed Fred out of the way.
But the bug still scored on Fred's arm - before getting hit over the head hard with a metal cylinder by Roger.
"That's my daughter, you damn cockroach!" Roger yelled.
Angel jumped on the bug's back, pinning its forelegs against its body, immobilizing them.
Roger helped Fred up. "Here, baby. Come on, come on." Roger led Fred over to the side.
The bug broke Angel's grip and shook him off, then turned around and sent him flying through the air to impact with the side of a parked bus. The bug went after Angel - only to get splatted by a bus barreling by. The bus stopped, and Trish got out.
"Did I get it? Did I get it, y'all?" Trish asked.
They were all back in the lobby of the Hyperion. Cordelia was doctoring the scratch on Fred's arm.
"I almost hate to ask, but...you do a lot of bandaging in your line of work?" Trish asked Cordelia.
"Mmm. Occupational hazard. I mean, sure, there is the occasional demon that tries to kill us with pillows, but, sadly, those cases are few and far between."
Roger was looking at the Durslar's head. "How about this guy? Was he a demon?"
Cordelia briefly looked at him. "I think Angel called it a Durslar beast."
Fred touched the crystals on the head with her finger.
Kate looked at Roger. "Fred and I tracked it down after it attacked us when we went out for ice cream."
"You mean you know how to track these things, Fred?" Roger asked.
"No. Mostly, I was just there for the ice cream."
Trish shuddered. "I wish Angel hadn't brought that thing out again. It gives me the willies."
Roger looked at her. "Oh, don't be silly, Trish. It's just a severed head."
Kate picked up the head to move it out of Trish's sight. She set the head down on the reception counter, beside Angel.
Angel and Kate watched the Burkles fuss over Fred.
"I got to say this is not how I pictured this turning out."
"They look happy, don't they?" Kate asked.
Cordelia smiled. "Voila! That's French for 'I think we stopped the bleeding.'"
Fred smiled. "Thanks, Cordelia." She stood up.
"Next up: multiple stab wounds. Angel!" Cordelia called.
Angel jumped off his stool and hurried over to the settee. "Uh, it's my turn. Oh, yay!"
Cordelia looked at Harmony. "What a dork."
Fred walked over to Kate.
"How does it feel, Fred?" Kate asked.
"Like my heart's been put in one of those orange juice squeezers..." Fred looked down at her arm. "Oh. Kind of like a giant bug tried to rip my arm off, and y'all saved me."
"Y'all seem to do that a lot, don'tcha?" Trish asked.
Fred smiled. "It's what they do. Angel's the champion, and Kate's the brains of the operation, Faith's the muscle, and Cordy's the heart, and Harmony's...there every step of the way, and I'm..." She paused, uncertain.
"And to think...we were wondering when to call the cops on a bunch of superheroes!" Roger revealed.
Angel smiled. "Oh, I'm not really a hero."
Faith smiled. "More like a bloodsucking fiend."
Angel gave her a look. Faith stuck out her tongue.
Roger smiled. "Frankly, Angel, I don't care if you drink pig's blood, cow's blood, or those froofy, little, imported beers. You saved my little girl."
"Well, I wouldn't've had to, if she hadn't gone all Amazonian and whacked that thing with a golf club."
"I wanna go home."
Everyone got really quiet and looked at Fred.
"I'm - I'm just not cut out for this. I mean, if Angel hadn't gotten me out of the way, you'd all be laughing in the morgue right now." Fred paused. "Okay, maybe not laughing, but...the point is...I think I should go home, where it's quiet and safe, and...monsters don't eat your family." She paused. "You're not...disappointed in me, are you?"
"Oh, Fred. Never! Oh, it's gonna be so good to have you home!" Trish exclaimed.
The Burkles shared a family hug.
Faith shrugged. "She'll probably be happier there."
Kate stared at Fred, upset. "Yeah. That's good."
Fred stood in her room, contemplating the writing on the wall. Angel arrived in the open doorway behind her and knocked to get her attention.
Fred looked. "Oh, Angel. Hi. I invite you in."
Angel walked in. "Thanks, but you only have to do that the first time. Once I'm invited-"
"I know. I just figured, since I'm going home now, I'm not gonna be inviting you in anywhere. Unless, of course, you come to Texas."
There was silence for a moment.
"So how you doing?" Angel asked.
"Oh, uh, fizzy. Kinda weird and...fizzy. But excited. And a little sad. Thankful. Sorta cautiously happy. Relieved and worried at the same time. Slightly nauseous while still bein'...hopeful?"
"And that about covers it." Angel looked at the walls. "Are you gonna remember everything that's up there?"
"Well, sure. It's a story."
They both looked at the walls.
"Once upon a time, there was a girl that lived all alone, so far from home that it made her chest hurt. And every day, the girl tried to figure out a way to escape. None of her plans ever succeeded, of course, and she'd almost given up hopin' - when one day, just like in a fairy tale, a beautiful woman arrived and saved her. Now, you'd think that was the end, wouldn'tcha? Dumb old fairy tales and their happily-ever-afters."
Fred sat down on the edge of her bed, and Angel sat down beside her.
"But, see, the minute that they got back home, the beautiful woman stopped noticing her."
"She hasn't. You should tell her how you feel."
Fred shook her head. "Oh, no, I couldn't. No use upsettin' her, since I'm leavin'."
Angel remained silent, and Fred looked down at her hands.
Roger was talking to Kate, Faith, and Harmony at the reception counter while Trish and Cordelia sat on the settee together.
"I mean Rog's always had a thing for those disgusting Alien movies with all the slime and teeth. He just can't get enough of 'em - except for that last one they made; I think he dozed off. I just can't believe it's all real."
Cordelia smiled. "It takes a little getting used to."
Trish smiled. "I'm so glad Fred's coming home. This place is too dangerous for her."
Roger and Faith carried Fred's contraption over to the settee.
"Hey, honey, would you look at this? Fred made this."
Faith smiled. "Cool, ain't it?"
Kate nodded. "We think it's some sort of mechanized weapon, possibly influenced by the medieval catapult, designed for serious to fatal wounding, if not complete decapitation."
Roger shrugged. "Or it makes toast."
Kate shrugged. "Or it makes toast."
Fred and Angel walked down the stairs.
"Hey! You got everything packed, baby? What about that shirt with the bug guts on it? You - You threw that out, right? You're not taking it home, right?" Trish asked.
"I don't know. I kinda thought I'd take it with me, guts and all. You know, as a souvenir."
Roger smiled. "Ah. That's my girl!"
Fred looked at the gang. "You know, in the shower, I had all these pretty things I was gonna say, and I was gonna be all fancy and...aw, hell." Fred glanced at her parents. "I mean heck."
Fred went and gave Faith a big hug. Faith held on to her tightly for a moment, then cleared her throat and let her go.
Fred walked over to Kate. They danced around awkwardly for a moment, trying to figure out whose arm would go where, before hugging as well. Kate inhaled the scent of Fred's shampoo and relished the warmth of her body. She felt empty when Fred pulled away.
Fred smiled. "Thank you...for everything."
Kate nodded.
Fred walked over to Harmony, who immediately hugged her, catching Fred by surprise. Fred hugged Harmony.
Fred went to hug Cordelia. "Thank you for giving me a place to stay."
Cordelia hugged Fred. "Between you and me, I'm almost a little jealous."
Fred walked over to Angel, and they looked at each other.
Angel silently handed her the suitcase that he carried down the steps for her. "Bye, Fred."
Fred gave him a smile and turned to her parents. "We better go before I get all runny."
The Burkles walked up the steps to the front doors. Fred turned around one last time and waved at them all before the doors closed behind them.
The Burkles were sitting together in the back of a taxi.
"Your room is exactly how you left it." Roger paused. "All except for the guy renting it out, but his lease is up in a month."
"You rented out my room?" Fred asked.
"Well, honey, after the fourth year..." Roger paused. "We didn't hear nothing from you!"
"Daddy, I was kidnapped into a demon-run dinner theater."
The taxi driver turned his head at that.
Trish looked at the driver. "Well, she was."
Fred unzipped her bag and took out the shirt that she wore during the bug fight. "I'm just gonna miss 'em, that's..."
She saw the bug juice was turned into the same pretty crystals that were on the walls down in the sewer and on the demon's head back at the Hyperion.
Fred looked up. "Turn the car around. Now!"
The gang was sprawled out in the chairs in Angel's office.
"In a really weird way, you know who I miss?" Cordelia asked.
Kate tried to keep her emotions in check. "Fred."
"Actually I was gonna say her parents. Is that wrong?"
"I don't think so. They were very...nice."
"Nice?" Cordelia asked. "They weren't just nice, Angel. They were-"
"Parents." Faith didn't care if the others heard the envy in her voice.
Kate smiled faintly. "They loved her. Supported her."
"At least, now, Fred's got a shot at a normal life. Not that I don't love you guys and L.A. and my work, but...things are just never normal around here. You know?" Cordelia asked.
Kate's smile broadened. "She was so smart."
"I'm gonna miss her. She was just this nice, quiet kind of crazy." Angel smiled. "I found that...soothing."
"And what? I'm not soothing?" Cordelia sat up. "I can be soothing. I could soothe your ass off, pal."
Harmony smiled. "Plus she was pretty handy with a 5-iron."
Cordelia looked at her. "Right before she almost got killed. Personally, I'm glad she's gone. It's gonna be a load off not having to worry about crazy taco lady anymore."
Angel looked at her. "She'll come back to visit."
"Do you really think she'll come back and visit?" Cordelia asked hopefully.
Kate also had sudden hope.
"Well, that's it. I'm not gonna sit around here and mope like you...bunch...of...mopers. I'm gonna go home." Cordelia put on her shoes. "Eat some comfort food." She got up and started to walk out. "Have a good cry. Crawl under my big, fluffy-" She entered the lobby and saw a bug entering the hotel. "-giant bug!"
Cordelia screamed and ran back into the office just as the others ran out.
"We hit that thing with a bus. You're telling me a bus won't kill it?" Faith asked.
"I don't think it's the same one." Angel was looking out into the garden court, which was crawling with giant bugs.
Cordelia was on the verge of tears. "We are so immensely dead."
Kate looked at the others. "Weapons."
Angel ran and rolled over the counter to engage the bug while the others ran for the weapons cabinet.
Weapons in hand, Kate turned only to see the bug throwing Angel to the floor. "Angel, we-"
The door opened, and Fred ran in. "Here! I'm here."
"Fred?" Kate asked.
"Oh, I'm late!" Fred cried.
Roger helped her to drag her contraption into position.
The bug was still stabbing at the downed Angel. Faith, Harmony, and Kate raised their weapons, trying to block its pincers.
"Who's helping me here?" Angel asked.
"I am!" Fred stomped down on her contraption.
A battle ax sailed through the air and split the Durslar head. Green goop spattered the wall, and a bunch of little cockroaches crawled free of it.
The bug left the gang, instead going to collect the bug-filled bottom part of the head.
The bug headed for the garden court. The little bugs followed after it.
Fred and her parents walked down the front steps.
Cordelia stared. "So. Not a toaster."
Kate looked at Fred. "Fred, how did you-"
"The crystals. The ones we saw in the sewer? They were on the Durslar head, too. And, at first, I thought they came from the Durslar, but then I saw this. Daddy?"
Roger handed her the crystal-covered shirt.
"Those crystals are just dried-up bug goop. It must have laid its eggs in the Durslar's head, which would explain the Durslar coming up out of the sewer, 'cause, I mean, wouldn't you be a little crazy, if you had eggs in your head? I know I would."
Cordelia opened her mouth, glanced at Kate, and closed it again.
"Anyway, that'd be all fine and Darwinian, except Kate killed the Durslar and brought the head back here, so the bug had to track her down to get its babies back."
Kate gave an embarrassed smile. "My bad."
Harmony looked at Fred. "And at the bus station, when Trish ran over the mother-"
"Or father. I think it might be a hive species, gender-neutral, but I'd have to do some research to back that up."
Kate looked at Fred. "The whole hive showed up in order to reclaim its offspring."
Fred nodded.
Kate grinned. "A+, Fred!"
Faith smiled. "And that little ax gadget is fuckin' tight."
Fred laughed. "That was just a random thought I had. What if you had to do battle with your arms cut off? Sure, you'd hemorrhage to death pretty quick, but at least you could take your enemy with you!"
Angel smiled. "Nice going, Fred."
"Aw, it was nothing. Just a stunning revelation of my true path in life, that's all."
"Come again, honey?" Roger asked.
Fred walked over to her parents. "Look...I could go home with you and pretend the last five years didn't happen. I could even pretend to have a normal life. But the truth of it is...well...I'm not normal anymore."
Roger and Trish exchanged a look.
"I guess what I'm getting at is...I-I missed you both so bad. But...I belong here." Fred turned to the gang. "Un-Unless I don't. Which, if - if you all don't wanna put up with me, I completely understand-"
Kate swept Fred up in a big hug. "You're staying."
The gang smiled at each other, then turned to smile at Fred.
Fred looked at her parents. "Mamma. Daddy. This is my life now."
Trish gave her a faint smile. "We were kinda hoping you wouldn't figure that out."
Roger smiled. "Of course, we'd have to sick around for another couple of weeks."
Fred leaned against him. "Daddy!"
Roger laughed. "Days. You know, just to catch up and get reacquainted - and to make sure that you are positive about your decision."
Fred smiled. "Oh, I think I know where I'll end up."
Later, at the Summers' house, Tara stood in the hallway outside the bathroom, holding a glass of water. The bathroom door opened, and Buffy walked out slowly.
Tara gave her the glass. "Feel any better?"
"I think, at one point, I actually turned completely inside out." Buffy walked into her room. "But, yeah, better." She drank the water.
Tara followed her into the room. "I'm sorry that we didn't, uh, find this demon with our research."
Buffy sat on the floor, next to the bed. "Aw, it's okay. I-It wasn't much of a fight." She pulled a fringed blanket off the bed, bunched it up, and held it against her middle. "I got lucky." She put her elbow on the bed and rested her forehead on her hand.
Tara sat on the floor, to Buffy's right, and gently kissed her on the cheek. "Feel better, sweetie."
Jenny arrived and knocked on the open door.
Buffy looked at her. "Jenny. What are you doing here?"
Jenny walked into the room, holding a piece of paper. "I had a bit of a chat with Rupert earlier. Did you know Watchers are supposed to provide for the care of the Slayer in their charge?"
Buffy tried to think, her mind foggy. "Yeah, I think so."
"Well, he never provided."
"Yeah, because I wasn't living with him; I was living with my mom."
"Well, regardless, he was still supposed to provide for you out of his Watcher salary. So I did some calculations. This is the 1,689th day that you've been a Slayer."
"You calculated that?" Buffy asked in surprise.
Jenny nodded. "Uh-huh. March 10, 1997, to October 23, 2001, inclusive, is 1,689 days. Anyway, I figure ten bucks per day is fair, huh?" Jenny turned the check over and over in her hands, then held it out to Buffy.
Buffy took it, unfolded the check, looked at the amount ($16,890), and was stunned. "This is - This is great. This is more than great."
Jenny put her hand on Buffy's shoulder.
Buffy looked up at her and smiled. "Thank you. So much."
The next day, Fred and Angel had paint rollers in their hands and were painting over the walls in Fred's room.
Roger looked at Angel. "Now, Spiro Agnew, I know he was-"
"A Grathnar demon! You knew that? I thought I was the only one that knew that!"
"What else would he be but a demon?"
Kate walked in, carrying another can of paint. She saw Faith painting a wall.
"Not horizontally, vertically!" Kate yelled. "Otherwise, you-"
"Look, I'm telling you: if you do it vertically, you're gonna get those ugly drops-"
Trish was also painting. "Now, girls, I don't wanna hear any fighting over there."
Cordelia walked in, carrying two pizza boxes. "Did someone here order a pizza? Hey, Fred? Pizza?"
Fred walked to anther part of the wall. "In a minute. I just wanna finish this section."
Fred looked at a line drawing of two people - representing herself and Kate, facing off against a demon - for a moment, then lifted her paint roller and painted over it.
Chapter 124: All the Way
Chapter Text
"All the Way"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episodes "All the Way" Written by Steven S. DeKnight, "Smashed" Written by Drew Z. Greenberg, and "Wrecked" Written by Marti Noxon and the Angel Episodes "Billy" Written by Tim Minear and Jeffrey Bell and "Offspring" Written by David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
It was Halloween, and the Magic Box was filled with customers, including many laughing children. A large banner read "Halloween Bone-Anza" with the letters spelled out in paper bones, the O in "Bone" being a paper skull. Jenny was working the cash register.
Dawn walked into the store and over to Katrina, who was wearing a uniform and browsing some birthstones.
"So what are you supposed to be?" Dawn asked her.
Katrina smiled. "Dr. Aki Ross from Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Where's your costume?"
"Like I'm six years old?" Dawn asked. "Halloween's so lame."
"But you get to dress up and play games! It's fun!" Katrina insisted.
Tara arrived, dressed as Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service. "Uh, Dawn, Amy could use some help in Magical Texts."
Dawn grinned. "I'm all over it." She walked away and headed toward Amy.
Amy was on the other side of the room, dressed as Kelly Jennar from Eagle Riders, holding up a book on witchcraft. "I'm just saying you might wanna rethink the stereotype before someone turns you into a toad."
She was talking to a woman dressed in a traditional Halloween witch costume. The woman looked annoyed, grabbed the book, and walked away.
"And while you're at it, why don't you try removing that broomstick from your ass?" Amy suggested.
Dawn arrived behind the witch, approaching Amy. "Hey."
Amy sighed. "If I see one more retard that thinks witches are all hairy moles and rotted teeth-"
"Excuse me, do you have any candy corn?"
Amy and Dawn looked down to see a tiny, little girl dressed in a similar witch costume.
"Oh, look at you!" Amy kneeled by the girl. "You are just the cutest thing!"
Dawn was confused. "I-I thought you said-"
"I know, but look: the hat and the - the wart!" Amy smiled. "Oh! Let's go fill your tummy up with sugary niblets, okay?"
Amy stood up and led the cute little witch away. Dawn watched with a smile.
"Buffy!" Jenny walked over to Buffy.
"Yeah?" Buffy, carrying a large cardboard box, was dressed as Sailor Moon.
"We're running low on mandrake root. Check the basement." Jenny walked off.
Buffy walked over to the door to the basement, opened it, turned on the light, and walked down the stairs, still holding the box.
She reached the bottom of the stairs and turned to go around them - just as Sunday emerged from underneath them.
"Oh!" Buffy jumped in surprise, then sighed. "What are you doing, lurking down here?"
Sunday sighed. "Came through the tunnels." She held up a handful of vines. "Running low on burba weed. Stir it in with the blood. Makes it all hot 'n spicy."
Buffy made a very disgusted face, then turned away to put the box down.
"What? I was gonna pay for it."
Buffy gave her a skeptical look as she walked back toward her.
"I mean no. I was gonna steal it, 'cause that's what I do." Sunday sighed. "I go where I please, and I take what I want."
Buffy looked around, embarrassed. "Where's the mandrake root?"
Sunday looked around, then moved toward a shelf covered with jars. "Um...here." She took down a jar. "Only three to a jar." She gave her the jar. "Tend to...go a bit wonky, if you cram them too close."
"Thanks."
Buffy emerged from the basement, still carrying the jar of mandrake root. She closed the door, turned, and went through the swing-door that separated the area behind the cash register from the rest of the store. She set the jar on the counter. Jenny was busily ringing up a customer at the cash register. There was a long line of other customers waiting.
Jenny rang up a sale, packed several items into a bag, and gave it to a customer. "We've got a ton of bagging to do here."
Buffy frowned. "Actually, you know, maybe I should patrol."
Jenny took an item from a customer and rang it up. "Buffy, it's Halloween; it's the one time of the year that supernatural threats give it a well-deserved rest. So should you."
"Yeah, what about costumes that take over your personality? Or wee little Irish fear-demon-y thingies?"
"If shit happens, history suggests it'll happen to one of us." Jenny handed a customer some change.
"Right, exactly, so I should patrol to avoid any of that-"
Jenny shoved the item in her hand.
"-and I'm bagging."
At night, Dawn stood at the door, waving the last customers out. "Come again!" She gave a weak laugh, closed the door, and leaned against it with a grimace. "Uhh! In a zillion years."
Jenny, Buffy, Amy, Katrina, and Tara sat in chairs at the table, very tired. Dawn walked over and joined them, flopping down in exhaustion.
Jenny smiled. "Thanks for the help, everyone. I really appreciate it."
Katrina smiled. "No problem."
Jenny groaned. "I guess I better get to cleaning up." She looked at Amy and Tara. "You girls wouldn't happen to know a cleaning spell, would you?"
Amy struggled to think. "Maybe? I'm too tired to think of it, though."
Tara frowned. "Why use magic when you can do something naturally?"
"Is that a good point? I can't tell." Jenny yawned. "Fuck, I'm tired."
"See you guys tomorrow?" Dawn got up and started to leave.
"Whoa!" Buffy grabbed Dawn's arm. "Tomorrow?"
"Yeah. I'm sleeping over at Janice's, remember?"
"That's tonight?"
"No. It's on the other Halloween. Come on, you said I could."
"Uh..." Buffy glanced at Tara.
Tara smiled. "She's got ya, Buffy. I was there."
"I-I don't know."
"Come on. It's four blocks away; I'll walk straight over. Not like I'm gonna be roaming the streets. Please?" Dawn cajoled.
In Kate's apartment, Faith and Angel were sitting on the couch, playing Mortal Kombat Trilogy on Faith's PlayStation, which she had brought with her. Fred was sitting on the arm of the couch, next to Faith, watching. Kate was pouring Cordelia a cup of tea in the kitchen.
"Dead! So dead! So very, very fucking dead. Just how dead are you, huh?" Faith asked Angel.
"I'm tired of being the dead one."
Kate was looking at the three of them.
Cordelia looked at her. "Kate, if you wanna get to know Fred better, maybe, the next time you have her over for an intimate dinner for two, you won't ask the rest of us to come along."
"Uh, I don't...I mean..."
Cordelia gave her a look.
"Was I that obvious?" Kate asked her.
"I don't think anybody else noticed."
Kate looked at Fred. "I do like her...a lot. Still, office romances, even under the most normal circumstances-"
"We don't live in normal circumstances. Kate, if you like her, tell her. Just go right up to her and..." Cordelia started to frown and sway a little. "...hug her into little pieces."
Cordelia got hit by a vision and collapsed on the floor. Faith and Angel jumped off the sofa and ran into the kitchen.
"Easy." Angel helped Cordelia up and into a chair.
"Convenience store, man attacking a woman. His wife - it's his wife."
"How many convenience stores we got on the Westside?" Angel asked.
Fred walked into the kitchen. "Well, even if you just include Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Malibu only, the combined populations is something like a hundred-thirty-thousand people spread over more than thirty square miles, and given that-"
"A lot!" Faith interrupted.
"I was...getting there."
Angel frowned. "All right. We go in two teams. Kate, you and I-"
"No. It's too late. You can't save her. This murder happened a week ago." Cordelia looked up at Angel. "Why would they show this to me now?"
Dawn walked down a residential street. It was very busy with parents and costumed kids walking around. Dawn heard the sounds of kids yelling and laughing.
Dawn paused, looked around, grinned slightly, and moved to her left.
Dawn walked down a dark alley. The sounds of children were gone; she heard distant police sirens instead. Dawn heard a banging noise and slowed.
"Hello?" Dawn walked forward slowly, picking up a piece of wood and holding it like a club. She could vaguely see the shapes of two people through the slats of a large wooden box.
Dawn walked up to the box's opening and saw two teenagers: a boy and a girl. The girl was on her knees, her hands on the boy's ass. She had his erect penis in her mouth and was giving him a blowjob.
"Hey!" the guy yelled.
"Ooh!" Dawn exclaimed.
The girl let the guy's dick slip from her mouth briefly. "Perv."
"Sorry. I thought-" Dawn backed away, giving the lovers their privacy, bumping into someone behind her. She turned around with a gasp of fear, then smiled in relief as she saw Janice.
"Hey, Summers. Did you get over the wall okay?" Janice asked.
"Yeah. My sister thinks I'm staying at your house."
"Ahh. The Mominator thinks I'm staying at yours." Janice laughed. "Can't believe they fell for that one; like, own a TV."
She and Dawn both laughed.
"Does anybody even notice? Does anybody even care?" Dawn asked, still giggling.
"Probably not."
"So where're we meeting?" Dawn asked.
"The park. That's where all the monsters gather on Halloween."
The two girls smiled, turned, and walked away together.
Cordelia was sitting at her desk in the Hyperion. She got up as Kate dropped a thick file onto the counter.
"What's this?" Cordelia asked.
"Everything. Everything about the crime I believe you saw in your vision. Police reports, husband's written confession, captures from the convenience store's video surveillance cameras..."
Fred was walking down the stairs, and Faith and Angel were arriving from other parts of the Hyperion to join Cordelia in picking up papers from the file.
"...and I have to caution all of you, the medical examiner's crime scene photos. Cordelia..."
Angel reached out and took the crime scene photos of the dead elderly woman away from her. "Maybe you shouldn't be looking at that."
"Tell that to the Powers. They already ran the THX version in my head, remember?" Cordelia looked at Kate. "How did you get this stuff?"
"I still have some friends in the department."
Faith read a report. "Charlene Baird."
Kate nodded. "The victim. She and the perpetrator were married for thirty years, no history of domestic violence."
"Why'd he do it?" Fred asked Kate.
"He says she wouldn't listen to him. He was trying to get her to stop talking."
Fred stared at the gruesome photos. "Well, it worked."
"I don't get it. This guy confessed. Crime solved. Why are the Powers airing reruns in Cordy's head?" Faith asked.
"I don't know."
Angel was looking at one of the pictures from the surveillance cameras. "I do." He put the photo on the counter. "11:24, twenty minutes before the crime occurred. Look who's there."
Kate looked at a person in the background of the picture with a magnifying glass. She handed the picture to Faith.
Faith looked at the picture. "Oh, shit."
"What? What?!" Cordelia took one of the photos and looked at the guy. "Okay. Kinda cute. So who is he?"
No one answered her. Angel looked at the others. Kate and Fred went and sat on the round settee in the lobby. Faith stood beside it.
Behind the counter, Angel sat on the edge of Cordelia's desk. "The guy that I freed for Wolfram & Hart a while ago."
Cordelia thought about that. "You mean when I-"
"Yeah."
Cordelia stood up and paced quickly back and forth, holding the photo in her hands. "You're sure this is him? This is the guy?"
"You pull someone from a hell dimension, you tend to remember their face. Yeah. That's him."
Cordelia slowly sunk down into a chair. "Well, then, now we know why the Powers made me experience that woman's death. She died because of me."
"No."
"Yes! Angel, if he's somehow responsible...then so am I."
"You're not the one that broke him out and put him back on the streets. I did that."
"For me. You did it to save me."
"And I'd do it again."
"Angel-"
Angel crouched down in front of Cordelia. "Hey. Hey, whatever's happening now, you're not responsible for this...and neither am I. But I know who is."
Janice and Dawn walked up to two teenage boys in the park.
Zack was standing on a swing. "Woohoo!"
Dawn saw another boy and two girls sitting on a nearby bench with a stereo blaring. One of the boys, Justin, threw something at Zack.
"To infinity and-"
The thrown object hit him.
"-ow!"
Justin smiled. "Oops."
Janice smiled. "Nice shot."
Zack jumped down from the swing. He and Justin walked over to the girls.
"Hey, baby." Zack hugged Janice.
"Hey."
"What took you so long?"
"Uh, we stopped for crimes and misdemeanors. Zack, this is my friend, Dawn, I was telling you about."
"Hel-loooo." Zack leered at Dawn.
Janice shoved him.
"Ow."
"Hey." Justin stuck out his hand to Dawn. "Justin."
Dawn shook his hand. "I know. I've seen you around at a couple of parties."
"I've seen you, too."
Dawn was very pleased to hear this.
The other boy and the two girls walked by.
The boy waved. "Hey, we'll catch you guys later."
They left.
Zack smiled. "Alone at last."
"So! What do you guys wanna do?" Janice asked.
Zack and Justin exchanged a suggestive look, then looked at the girls. Dawn smiled bashfully.
Angel pulled his convertible off the side of a road and turned its lights off. Angel, Faith, and Kate got out and walked up to the gates of a big estate.
Kate frowned. "This is it. The Blim estate."
"Not very welcoming, is it?" Faith asked.
Kate looked at her. "I don't suppose it'll do much good to ring the bell either."
"How about we sneak in, dressed up like security guards or something?" Faith suggested.
"Well, that's a possibility. Or we could-"
Angel leaped straight up to the top of the gate. He dropped down on the other side and disappeared into the bushes. Faith got ready to leap as well.
Kate gently pulled her back. "Wait here."
Soon, they heard the sound of glass shattering.
Eventually, Angel returned. "Police took him into custody."
"So it's over?" Faith asked.
Angel frowned. "I doubt it. He surrendered...way too easily."
Zack was standing on the lawn of a house with a cardboard witch decoration in front of it. Janice stood behind him. He threw an egg, which smashed against the witch.
"Yeah, three points! Woo!" Zack cheered.
Dawn and Justin were nearby. Justin was crouched by a car, letting the air out of its tires.
Dawn looked at Justin. "Uh, witches don't really look like that."
"You got a lot of witch friends?"
"Two. They're really pretty, and you don't wanna get them mad-"
Zack ran past. "New target, come on!"
"Woohoo!" Justin jumped up and ran after Zack.
Janice walked over to Dawn, and they began walking after the guys.
"So?" Janice asked.
"He's okay."
"Ho-hum okay or, like, 'Oh, my God, I think I'm gonna cream my fucking pants' okay?" Janice asked.
Dawn smiled. "Cream."
They both giggled.
Kate hung up the phone. "My contact at the city morgue confirms it. Her body was discovered earlier tonight. An old woman was reported missing three days ago. Someone phoned in a tip."
Angel looked at her. "Billy."
"It doesn't make sense. I mean, even if he did it, he didn't do it, you know what I'm saying? So why confess? What does he get?" Faith asked.
Angel looked at her. "Out. It gets him out."
"Yeah, out of his palatial twelve-million-dollar compound and into a holding cell at men's central."
"Yeah, but for how long?" Kate asked.
"Well, an impenetrable cube of hellfire in a heavily-guarded demon dimension couldn't do much, so my guess: regular bars?" Cordelia asked. "Not really going to be a problem."
"She's right. All he'll need to get out this time is his lawyer." Angel turned to go.
"Angel, what are you doing?" Kate asked.
"I'm gonna get there before Lilah does."
"And then what?" Faith asked.
"Well, I took him out of one cell; I can take him out of this one, too."
"Wait!" Cordelia called. "Angel, you can't barge into a police precinct and go all Terminator."
"I'll be okay."
"It's dangerous. He's dangerous. What if he lays his whammy on you?" Cordelia asked.
"He won't be conscious long enough to try."
"He's not there!" Fred yelled.
Everyone turned to look at her.
"I just heard it on the police scanner. The patrol car carrying Billy never made it to the police station. There's been an accident."
The teens walked up to a mailbox on a wooden stand, draped with orange crepe paper. Zack kicked the mailbox off its stand and continued walking. He and Justin walked side-by-side. The girls were walking about twenty feet behind, giggling.
Zack looked back. "...that the moon and the stars look lovely tonight?"
The girls stopped giggling. All four continued walking.
"Hey, you think, when we're done with this juvie shit, maybe we can do something else?" Janice asked. "I'm gettin' kinda bored."
Zack looked off to his right, smiled, and stopped walking. "Just one more."
Janice looked and saw a house. "No way. You know who lives there?"
Justin smiled. "Old Man Kaltenbach."
Zack smiled. "Crusty old bastard."
"Isn't he supposed to be...mental or something?" Dawn asked.
Zack nodded. "Totally. Pumpkins..."
Dawn looked. There was a pumpkin on the front step, carved into a cheery smile.
"Very dangerous." Zack nudged Janice. "You go first."
"Wha...huh...?" Janice looked at him. "Fuck that!"
"Come on, show us how brave you are. Let's see those cute, little girly guts."
Janice shoved him angrily. He just laughed.
Justin looked at him. "Hey, lay off, man. If she doesn't wanna-"
"I'll do it."
Zack grinned. "Go, Dawn!"
Justin looked at Dawn. "Look. You don't have to do this."
Dawn looked at him. "It's okay." She smiled. "I want to."
Dawn took a nervous step forward, then walked toward the house as the others watched. Very nervously, she walked up the steps, picked up the pumpkin, and raised it over her head. She turned to smile at the others. The others smiled back, then looked alarmed.
A hand grabbed one of Dawn's arms. She shrieked in fear and dropped the pumpkin. It smashed on the steps. Dawn looked fearfully up at the old man as he leaned toward her.
"Shouldn't oughta mess with those. Sometimes, they bite."
Justin ran over, following by Zack and Janice.
"Get away from her!" Justin yelled.
"Don't make me go kung fu on you, man!" Zack made some poor kung fu movie gestures.
The old man stared, then laughed. "Come on inside, kids, got somethin' special for ya." He turned to go back inside. "Daddy's got a treat!"
He pushed the door open, made a gesture with his head, and went inside.
Janice was very scared.
Zack smiled. "Cool."
"No, no, no. We are so not going in there. Dawn, tell them!" Janice yelled.
Dawn looked nervously toward the door.
Faith surveyed the scene. She saw an ambulance and another police car parked just beyond the stopped patrol car. The back door was open and bent out of shape - as if it had been kicked open from the inside with tremendous force.
Kate walked away from the scene and met up with Faith. "There was an altercation between the officers transporting Billy. One of them attacked his partner. She was forced to shoot and kill him. She's been taken to a local hospital."
"So maybe she can tell us something - like what Billy did to her partner before he snapped."
"It wouldn't be a bad idea if one of us was standing by at the hospital, visiting a sick relative."
"Maybe happen to strike up a conversation with the hospital staff or one of her buddies?" Faith suggested.
"Maybe."
"I'm on it." Faith left.
Kate walked over to where Angel was standing across the road from the patrol car.
"The blood in that car? Some of it is his. Not human." Angel walked down the road a little ways. "He came through here."
Kate crouched down and touched the bloody handprint that Angel found on the wall. "And recently. It's still wet." She picked up a piece of paper from the ground and pressed it up against the handprint. "I'll take a sample back to the hotel, see if I can determine just what sort of creature that Billy is."
"I can't wait for that."
"I understand."
"I can find him."
"Be careful."
But Angel was already across the street and disappearing between two buildings. Kate sighed and pulled the paper away, checking to make sure she got a good print on the paper.
Justin, Janice, and Dawn sat on the sofa while Mr. Kaltenbach did something in the distance. The three kids looked over at Zack, playing with a toy robot that spun around and flashed lights and made noise.
"Dude, where'd you get the cool toys?" Zack asked.
"Used to design 'em back in '58." Kaltenbach walked toward them. "Nothing would give me more pleasure...than to see a child's face..."
Dawn and Janice exchanged unhappy looks.
"...light up when he'd open one of mine...on a Christmas or a birthday. I was good. Jeepers, I was the best." He continued walking slowly toward Zack. "And then that thing happened. One little mistake...and they took it all away from me; they..." He took the toy from Zack. "...they took my toys."
He turned to put the toy down, then turned back. The three kids on the couch looked very fearfully at him.
"Time for the treats! Who wants to help Daddy in the kitchen?" He looked at Dawn. "How 'bout you, Sally?"
Dawn frowned.
Justin got up. "Uh, Sally's not much for the cookin'. Why don't I give you a hand?"
Kaltenbach nodded. "Hands are good." He moved toward the kitchen. "Always use more hands. More hands."
Justin followed him toward the kitchen. Mr. Kaltenbach began humming "Pop Goes The Weasel". They entered the kitchen.
Zack sat on the sofa in Justin's vacated spot. He picked up a jack-in-the-box and began turning its handle.
Janice looked at them. "Okay, I say we get the fuck out of here before Satan Claus tries to stuff us up the chimney."
"What, and miss the big treat?" Zack asked. "That would break the old guy's little heart! Assuming it's still beating."
Dawn looked at him. "She's right, we should just get Justin and go."
"Come on, the dude's a thousand years old. What's he gonna do, drown us in his drool cup?" Zack asked.
The jack-in-the-box popped up. It had no head.
Dawn looked at it nervously. "Hey. Where's its head?"
The noise of something falling in the kitchen made the three teens jump up in alarm.
"What the hell was that?" Janice asked.
"Justin?" Dawn ran toward the kitchen, then stopped when she saw the closed door. She walked slowly toward it. "Justin?"
Dawn reached out to open the door but jumped back with a yelp of surprise as it popped open before she touched it.
Justin came out, smiling. "Let's go."
"Wh-What happened?" Dawn asked.
"I swiped his wallet when he wasn't looking. Come on!"
They ran for the door. Dawn opened it, and she and Janice ran out.
"Oh, my God." Dawn yelled, scared, then she smiled. "Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God!"
The girls ran off down the street.
Cordelia took the TASER from the weapons cabinet and put it into her shoulder bag. She picked up a crossbow and stowed it as well.
Fred walked down the stairs. "What you doing?"
Cordelia turned and saw her. "I'm gonna go run an errand. Uh...a normal, everyday errand." She walked to the side door.
"Cordelia."
Cordelia turned to look at her.
"I don't think you should do this."
"How can I not?" Cordelia opened the door and walked out.
Fred stood there for a moment, then turned as Kate walked in the main doors.
"Fred! You're here. Good, I was hoping you could assist me." Kate lifted up a bag with the paper in it. "I managed to lift a sample of Billy's blood. Maybe we can identify his demon lineage and somehow figure out how his power works. Would you hand me the..." She looked up to see Fred was holding out some glass slides. "...glass slides?" She gave Fred a silly smile. "Thank you."
Dawn and Justin were walking down the street together.
Dawn marched. "The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. The ants go marching one by-"
"So you're, like, what, a sophomore?" Justin asked.
"Yep. Of course, it'd mean more, if I attended an actual high school."
"Should be ready by next year is what I heard." Justin handed her some money. "Here. The spoils of war. You earned it."
Dawn smiled. "I did?"
"Yeah, for keepin' me steady."
They smiled at each other.
"And so begins your life of crime."
"Hmm. You're a little late. I steal all the time."
"Really."
"Totally. I haven't paid for lipstick since...forever."
"Oh, be still, my heart; cute and bad."
Dawn hugged herself. "Yeah, bad to the bone."
"More like frozen! Here." He took off his Sunnydale High School jacket and put it around Dawn's shoulders.
"Thanks."
"My pleasure, Miss Summers."
They gazed into each other's eyes.
Janice arrived behind them. "Hey. Where's Zack?"
Justin looked at her. "He went to get the car."
"You guys got a car?" Dawn asked, delighted.
Cordelia knocked on Lilah's door.
Lilah opened it. Cordelia was shocked to see Lilah's bruised, swollen eye and split lip.
"Cordelia Chase, right? Come to gloat?" Lilah asked.
"I can do that anywhere. Are you gonna invite me in? Oh, wait. I'm not a vampire." Cordelia walked in past Lilah.
"Please, come on in." Lilah closed the door and walked after Cordelia.
"I want you to tell me about Billy. Everything you didn't tell Angel. I want you to help me stop him."
"And what makes you think I'm gonna do that?"
"Well, there's your face - for starters."
Lilah picked up her drink. "I know the risks of my job, and I accept them."
"Then why were you crying five minutes ago?"
Lilah looked at her in surprise.
"There's not a thing about badly-reapplied mascara that I don't know."
"I'm not Lindsey McDonald. I don't switch sides whenever it gets tough. And since when is this your job? I thought Angel was the Dark Avenger."
"Angel feels responsible for this guy, because he brought him back from Hell. I feel responsible, because he did it to save me." Cordelia stared daggers at her. "You, who are actually responsible for the entire thing, feel nothing at all, because you are a vicious bitch."
Lilah shrugged. "So? You know me."
"Please, I was you - with better shoes. Billy Blim makes people crazy."
"Not all people. Just men. He brings out a primordial misogyny in them. Turns them into killers."
"Then why didn't he do it to Angel?"
"Angel's seen him?"
"Yes, right before he escaped from the cops."
Lilah let out a chuckle.
"What's so witty?"
"Billy's touch works differently on different men. Some lose their mind in an instant. Others...can take hours. I sure hope Angel isn't starting to feel testy."
"You better hope it."
"I know. I've seen his dark side."
Cordelia stared at her. "You really haven't. I have to find Billy."
"And I'm gonna help you why?"
"You know that guy that you hired to hack into my visions? What he did to me? What it felt like? I was cut, my face disfigured, and burning with pain every second, not knowing if it was gonna end or just get worse 'til I died."
"So you think I owe you-"
"It's not the pain. It's the helplessness. The certainty that there is nothing that you can do to stop it, that your life can be thrown away in an instant by someone else. He doesn't care. He'll beat you down until you stay down, because he doesn't even think of you as alive. No woman should ever have to go through that, and no woman strong enough to wear the mantel of 'vicious bitch' would ever put up with it." Cordelia stared into Lilah's eyes. "Where is Billy going?"
Buffy was walking down the street, surrounded by kids in costume. She paused, watched a couple walking with arms around each other, then continued walking. An ambulance went by, siren wailing. Buffy stopped walking, frowning, then she ran after the ambulance.
Buffy walked up to the crime scene. A small crowd had gathered. Buffy saw paramedics loading the driver onto a gurney.
"I'm losing his pulse."
"Let's get him in!"
Buffy watched with concern. She noticed the man's neck, vampire bites clearly visible.
Buffy scowled, then hurried away.
Kate was looking at Billy's blood through a microscope. "This was taken from the print that I made of Billy's blood." She made room for Fred to look. "Tell me what you think."
Fred looked. "Looks to me as if some of the red blood cells are kind of supercharged."
"Those would probably be from Billy's demon lineage."
"So, however Billy is putting the mojo on people, the power seems to be in his blood. Which means it can also be in his sweat or his saliva or even his touch."
In the Summers' kitchen, the phone rang.
Tara answered it. "Hello?"
"Hello, this is Ms. Penshaw, Janice's mother."
"Oh, hi."
"Is this Buffy Summers?"
"No, Tara Maclay. Buffy stepped out. Can I take a message?"
"No, I was wondering if I could talk to Janice."
Tara frowned. "No, Dawn said she was staying the night at your house."
Ms. Penshaw paused for a moment. "Shit, they pulled one over on us."
"Um, we'll go out and search for them; if I - if I hear anything, I'll let you know."
"Thank you."
Tara hung up, a little forlorn. "Shit."
She walked into the living room. Amy and Katrina were snuggling together on the couch, watching TV.
"That was Janice's mom on the phone. Apparently, Janice said she was staying here tonight."
Amy and Katrina sat up straight.
"We've gotta search. Someone should stay here in case Ms. Penshaw calls again."
Katrina raised her hand. "I will."
Tara nodded. "C'mon, Amy, let's check downtown."
Amy stood up. "'Kay."
At a small airport in Santa Monica, an airplane was slowly taxiing down the dark runway. Cordelia walked out from behind the nose of a private plane and walked up to where Billy was standing on the tarmac with his back towards her.
"Billy?"
Billy turned. "Yes? Do I know you?"
"Not exactly. I thought we should meet. I'm the woman that Wolfram & Hart tortured to get you out of your fire cell."
"Oh, I see. And you're here to whine. Poor, helpless, battered woman that needs to vent her feelings about the injustice of it all."
"No, asswipe." Cordelia pushed the TASER up against Billy's stomach.
He collapsed, gasping, to the ground. He looked up to see Cordelia aiming a crossbow at him.
Cordelia stared steely-eyed down at him. "I'm here to send you back."
Billy slowly picked himself back up, never taking his eyes off her. "You think I hate you, because you're a woman. I don't."
"Gee, and I was feeling special."
"I don't hate women. I mean, sure, you're all whores that sell yourselves for money and prestige, but men are just as bad. Maybe even worse. They're willing to throw away careers or families or even lives for what's under your skirt!"
"I'm wearing pants."
"So you can dress like a man, talk like a man?" Billy smiled. "Does that make you feel superior?"
"Actually, I'm feeling superior, because I have an arrow pointed at your jugular." Cordelia's finger tightened on the trigger. "And the irony of using a phallic-shaped weapon? Not lost on me."
"You don't have the nerve to do it."
Cordelia took a step closer, so the tip of the arrow was almost up against Billy's throat. "Wrong again."
Cordelia fired the bolt through Billy's throat, killing him instantly. His dead body fell to the ground.
Suddenly, Angel arrived. "Cordelia, no."
Cordelia stared down at Billy's corpse for a moment. "Angel, you knew what he was."
"Yeah, I do. But-"
"But nothing!" Cordelia yelled, looking at him. "He can't hurt me. He can't hurt anyone anymore."
Angel turned away from Cordelia. "Are you sure he didn't hurt you?"
Cordelia heard footsteps, lowered her crossbow, and looked around to see Lilah lowering her pistol.
Angel looked from Lilah to Cordelia to Billy, then let out a breath. Cordelia walked over to Lilah.
Lilah stared at Cordelia. "I..." She paused. "Thank you. I'll take care of it. Just get out of here."
Cordelia regarded Lilah. Lilah looked at Angel, then turned and walked away.
Cordelia looked over at Angel, who looked away from her.
In a dark part of the forest, the car was parked. The back door opened, and Janice got out, giggling as Zack was groping her. He got out after her.
"Don't do nothing I would, dude." Zack shut the door.
Janice grabbed him by the front of his shirt and kissed him. "You're it." She turned and ran into the forest.
"I love it when they run." Zack ran after her.
Inside the car, Dawn and Justin sat. She still wore his jacket.
"So."
"Yeah."
"Ooh. It's cold. You okay? You want this back?" Dawn asked.
"Nah. Cold doesn't really bother me."
Dawn smiled. "What are you, Superman?"
"No, but...I do have a few special powers." He leaned over as if to kiss her.
Dawn was nervous. "Hey...um...does this work?" She twisted the radio dial.
"You gotta...turn the ignition." He turned the key.
The radio started up. "Wherever You Will Go" by The Calling was playing.
Dawn smiled and nodded. "I love this one."
Justin brushed hair back from her face. "Another thing we have in common."
Dawn didn't reply; she glanced at him and then away, very nervous.
"You're shaking."
"It's cold."
"You...wanna go?"
"N-No. It's just, um...what do you expect-"
"Shhh. I just wanna taste you." He leaned toward her again.
She leaned in to him, and they kissed. Dawn and Justin continued kissing for a moment.
Dawn pulled back a little, dazed. "Wow."
"Oh, my God. That was your first."
"What? No."
"It was! That was your first kiss."
Dawn gave a nervous laugh. "I've been kissed before. I-I kiss all the time."
Justin just looked at her with a little grin.
"Okay, okay, it was my first kiss." Dawn was upset. "I know, I know, I suck, my...my lips are dry, and my tongue's all horrible and sticky, and I'm pretty sure I drooled on you...so just please tell me how awful it was."
Justin pulled her toward him and kissed her again briefly. She was surprised.
"It was perfect."
They resumed kissing.
In Montclair, New Jersey, Caridad and Jodie were walking along the side of Orange Road.
Caridad was confused. "Are you sure this is the way to your car?"
Jodie didn't say anything.
"Hello?" Caridad asked.
Jodie suddenly stopped walking. So did Caridad, who looked at the nearby gate. They were at the entrance of Rosedale Cemetery.
"Why'd you bring me here?" Caridad asked.
Jodie looked at her. "I've been trying to think of how and when to tell you this, but, unfortunately, things have been happening recently that have forced me to speed up the process."
"What process?"
"Of training you."
"For what?"
Jodie took her cell phone out of her coat and made a call. "We're here."
Soon, a man came and unlocked and opened the gate.
"Come on." Jodie walked into the cemetery.
Caridad stood there for a while, unsure, then she followed Jodie. "What's going on, Jo?"
"You are a Potential Vampire Slayer."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"In each generation, there is one girl, chosen by fate, to be gifted with extraordinary powers to fight and defeat the forces of darkness. When one dies, the next is chosen."
"Are you fucking with me?" Caridad asked. "Is this some kind of fucking Halloween prank?"
"Not at all."
"And I suppose you brought me here to show me a vampire rising from the grave."
"No, I don't expect any tonight."
"Oh, convenient. So why the fuck am I here?" Caridad asked.
"To behold something else."
"Who are you?"
"I'm a Watcher, part of an organization that finds and trains Potential Slayers."
"So...what? You getting me acting gigs is just an elaborate cover?"
"Well, it was supposed to be." Jodie sighed. "Typically, Potential Slayers are expected to dedicate themselves completely to their training. However, I disagree with that. You have the...potential - ha, ha - to be an amazing actor."
They arrived at the crematorium. Jodie opened the door. Caridad walked inside, and Jodie followed.
"What makes you think I'm a Potential Slayer?" Caridad asked, still not believing her.
"We have various people in our employ that can detect Potential Slayers. Witches, shamans, stuff like that. Of course, they can't identify everyone, and there are occasional Potentials that slip through the cracks."
"How many Potential Slayers are there?"
"Worldwide? Who knows?"
"You said a new Slayer is chosen when the current one dies. Who's the current Slayer?"
"A young woman in Los Angeles named Faith Lehane. Irish heritage, Bostonian attitude, quite uncouth. She won't last long."
They arrived at the mortuary coolers. Jodie opened a specific one and pulled out the body of a middle-aged man.
"So...if I get chosen..."
"Statistically speaking, you likely won't, but it would be prudent to be prepared. Now, this chap has been identified as a vampire." Jodie opened his mouth, baring his fangs. "You will note the fangs."
"Uh-huh." Caridad still wasn't sure.
"He was given a sedative earlier, but it should be wearing off any moment." Jodie took a wooden stake and offered it to Caridad.
"You want me to stake him?"
"Yes, in the heart, but please wait for him to arise, so you may have your proof."
Caridad hesitantly took the stake. "You're not some asshole cult leader trying to get me to murder for you, are you?"
Suddenly, the man's eyes opened, and he growled.
Jodie backed away. "Nope."
The man sat up and hissed at Caridad, a wild look in his eyes.
Caridad thrust the stake into his chest. He died and slumped forward. Caridad got out of the way. The body fell onto the floor.
"Fuck!" Caridad exclaimed. "What the fuck?!"
"Well done. Now, if you please, help me get him into the crematory for orderly disposal."
Caridad stared at her in frustration. "Seriously?!"
Amy and Tara entered the Bronze. Remy Zero was on the stage, performing. Various people in Halloween costumes were dancing.
"I feel my wings have broken in your hands.
I feel the words unspoken inside
When they pull you under,
And I will give you anything you want, oh.
"You were all I wanted,
And all my dreams are fallen down,
Crawlin' around.
"Somebody save me.
Let your warm hands break right through.
Somebody save me.
I don't care how you do it, just stay, stay.
C'mon,
I've been waiting for you."
"Do you think she's here?!" Tara yelled over the music.
"What?!" Amy yelled.
"Do you think Dawn might have come here?!"
"It's where I'd be if I was fifteen and on the lam."
They began to walk around.
"Really?"
Amy smiled. "Well, not me at fifteen, 'cause I'm fucking lazy."
They began climbing the stairs to the balcony. They reached the top.
"Come on, let's look over here."
"Do you see her?" Tara asked.
"No, there's too many people."
"Maybe we can have security-"
"No, that'll take too long."
They climbed another partial set of stairs to a second balcony level. Amy went over to the railing and looked down on the people dancing.
Dawn and Justin were still kissing. It continued for a few moments.
"Ow!" Dawn pulled back.
"Sorry."
"It's okay. As long as it's not bleeding."
They resumed kissing.
Then Dawn pulled back again. "Justin...could we..."
"It's just...God, you are so beautiful."
Dawn smiled. They resumed kissing.
Tara parked her scooter outside the cemetery. She and Amy got off and walked into the cemetery. It was dark and foggy. They looked for Buffy.
Buffy walked around with a flashlight, shining it around, looking around. "Mist...cemetery...Halloween. Should end well."
"Buffy!" Tara called.
She and Amy ran over to her.
"What are you guys doing here?" Buffy asked.
Tara frowned. "It's Dawn."
"Dawn?" Buffy was alarmed. "What happened?"
"Dawn and Janice lied. They're out there somewhere."
"Wait, she's out there, running around by herself?" Buffy asked.
Amy thought for a moment. "No, she's probably with Janice. Up to a bit of candy-corn mischief, I bet."
"Fuck!" Buffy walked quickly past them. "And there was a vampire attack tonight!"
They followed her.
"We have to find her. Tara, Amy, check the residential areas and stores. I'll check everywhere else."
Dawn and Justin were making out.
Justin pulled back. "Come home with me."
Dawn frowned. "I can't. My sister."
"But you did the cover story."
"Yeah, but, if we go to your place and...y'know...I'll lose track of time and probably oversleep or something. She'll get pissed if I'm missed."
"How far are you willing to go?"
"Uh, well..." Dawn considered. She reached down and palmed his penis through his jeans.
Justin grinned. Dawn unfastened his belt and the button of his jeans, then she unzipped his jeans. She pulled down his underwear, freeing his cock. Dawn took his erect penis in her left hand and felt it, then she started stroking it. Justin moaned.
"You like that?" Dawn asked him.
"Fuck yeah."
"Do you...?" Dawn continued stroking his cock for a while. "Do you want a blowjob?"
Justin nodded.
Dawn licked her lips, nervous but also excited. She continued stroking his dick for a while.
Dawn bent over and kissed the head of Justin's penis. He let out a moan. Dawn licked the underside of his shaft from root to tip.
"Dawn, please..." Justin kept moaning.
Dawn parted her lips and took his erect penis into her mouth. She closed her lips around it and stayed still for a while, just feeling the fullness of his erection within her mouth. His dick was delightfully hard, and her mouth felt so full.
"Suck me, Dawn. Please..."
Dawn sucked as hard as she could. After a while of doing that, she started sliding her lips up and down his cock. Then she tried deep-throating him, but she gagged, unable to swallow his cock. She pulled off him and coughed.
"Are you okay?" Justin asked.
Dawn wiped some spit from her lips. "Sorry. I thought I'd try to surprise you."
"Hey, don't worry about it. Nobody's a master at giving a blowjob right away. You're doing great."
Dawn smiled. "Really?"
"Yeah. Just keep doing what you're doing."
Dawn took his cock back into her mouth and bobbed her head up and down. Justin ran a hand through her hair.
Soon, Justin had an orgasm, unleashing a torrent of cum into Dawn's mouth. Dawn eagerly drank from his twitching cock. Justin groaned for a while, but he eventually settled down.
Dawn let his limp dick slip from her mouth and looked at him. "How was I?"
Justin grinned. "Great, baby. I'd like to taste you now."
"Uh...okay..." Dawn slowly reached down and unzipped her blue jeans.
Justin bared his fangs. "That's not what I had in mind."
Dawn screamed.
Buffy was walking through the forest, looking around. She heard a girl screaming. She began to run.
Buffy ran among some trees and shined her flashlight on a vampire biting a girl.
"Dawn!" Buffy yelled.
The vampire lifted his head and growled. Buffy pushed him away, and he rolled down a short hill.
"Dawn, are you all right?" Buffy grabbed the girl.
She lifted her head to reveal she was Janice.
"Janice?" Buffy asked.
"He bit me. That fucker bit me!" Janice yelled.
"Like you weren't asking for it!" Zack yelled.
Buffy turned to see Zack behind her. "I'm pretty sure she wasn't."
"What do you know about it, bitch?" Zack asked.
Zack swung a punch at Buffy, who ducked and tackled Zack around the middle.
"Quite a bit, actually."
They went down and rolled down the hill, entangled together. Janice watched fearfully.
At the bottom of the hill, Buffy and Zack got up and traded blows. Buffy blocked a punch and hit Zack in the stomach, then kicked him. Zack flew backward and wound up against a tree. Zack looked down to see a branch sticking out of his body. He died.
Buffy walked toward Janice. "Dawn. Where's Dawn?"
Janice made a helpless shrug, holding her neck with one hand.
In the car, Dawn opened her door and scrambled out.
"Dawn!" Justin yelled.
"Get off me!" Dawn yelled.
"Dawn, wait! Wait!"
Dawn ran off.
Justin climbed out and ran after her. He caught up with her and stopped her. "I thought we could, you know, like, hang out or something."
"Hang out?"
"Yeah. I mean...you're not like other girls. You're different. There's something special about you. I knew it the first time I saw you."
Dawn wanted to believe him.
"I just wanna be close to you." He put his hand to her face.
Dawn gasped and jerked away.
"Shh. It's okay. It'll only hurt for a second."
Dawn closed her eyes as he bent over to bite her.
"I bet you say that to all the girls." Buffy walked around a tree.
"Buffy?" Dawn turned to see Buffy behind her.
Justin grabbed Dawn by the throat.
Buffy walked forward. "Now, you have a choice. We can do this the hard way or...well, actually, there's just-"
A bright light suddenly shined on her, blinding her. She put up a hand to shield her eyes and looked around.
She heard the sounds of car doors opening. Then she saw there were a number of cars parked in a circle around the clearing, all with their lights pointing inward. Vampires got out of the cars and began to advance on Buffy. She looked around nervously, then looked over at Justin, who still held Dawn by the throat.
Justin smirked. "What were my choices again?"
Buffy faced off with Justin as the other vampires advanced.
Amy and Tara arrived.
"Dawn, are you...?" Buffy paused, thinking.
Justin let go of Dawn, who moved a foot away from him.
Buffy was suddenly outraged. "Were you parking?! With a vamp?"
"I-I didn't know he was dead!" Dawn insisted.
Justin looked at her. "Living dead."
"Shut up!" Dawn told him.
"How could you not know?" Buffy asked her.
"I just met him!"
"Oh! Oh, so you were parking in the woods with a boy you just met."
Justin looked at Buffy. "We've seen each other at parties."
"Shut up." Buffy looked at Dawn. "I don't believe you!"
"Uh, excuse me! Can we fight now?" a vampire asked.
"Hey, didn't anyone come here to just fuck?" Buffy asked.
One guy and girl in the back, not vampires, raised their hands.
"Aw, that's sweet. You run."
The guy and girl did so.
Buffy, Tara, and Amy took off in different directions.
Tara pursued the vampire that complained. The vampire kicked her, and Tara punched him a few times.
Amy stood by one of the cars and hit one vampire, got kicked in the chest by another, and then she pinned him against the car.
"Die, Slayer!" A vampire rushed at Buffy.
Buffy simply stepped back and staked him as he ran past her. "Mm-hmm."
He died.
Justin stared at this.
Dawn looked at him. "See, my sister's the Slayer."
Justin turned to Dawn. "The Slayer?"
Dawn nodded, nervous. "Yuh-huh."
"Your sister's the Slayer? I totally get it! I knew there was something about you."
Dawn made an angry face, kneed him in the balls, and ran off.
Amy continued to have difficulties with the two vampires. One was on her back, and she managed to throw him onto the other.
"Amy!" Buffy threw her a stake.
Amy caught it, staked one vampire, ducked a punch, and staked the second.
Amy paused and looked around. Suddenly, another vampire arrived and tackled her, both landing on the car's roof and sliding off the other end.
Tara continued trading blows with the first vampire. She took a hit and went down. She got up and shoved the vampire down into the dirt. He took a swing at Tara, who blocked it, head-butted him, and then kicked him in the chest. The vampire slammed back against a tree trunk and slid down it to the ground. Tara pulled out her stake and staked the vampire. He died. Tara looked up just as another vampire tackled her. Tara and the vampire hit the ground.
Buffy continued fighting another vampire. They traded blows, and then he picked her up and slammed her onto the hood of a car. Buffy rolled aside as he punched. His fist went through the metal. While he struggled to pull it out, Buffy kicked him, then flipped up to stand on the car. The vampire grabbed for her, and she jumped out of the way. He grabbed both of her legs, and she fell on her ass on the car, got one leg free, and kicked him away.
The vampire came back, punched Buffy, pinned her against the car, and pulled the antenna loose from the car. He tried to garrote her with it, but she pushed him away, used the side of the car to flip around behind him, and tried to garrote him in return. He broke free, and they traded some more punches and kicks. The vampire rushed Buffy, and she opened the car door to block him. He punched at her, and his fist shattered the car window. He swung at Buffy, and she grabbed him, pulled him through the car window to the other side, kicked him back, and slammed the car door on his head. He fell, and she staked him.
Buffy turned and walked off.
Dawn walked slowly through the forest. She heard a noise and turned, nervous. She continued to walk backward, looking around, very scared.
"Trick or treat."
Dawn screamed and ran off, but Justin grabbed her by the back of the jacket and pulled her to the ground.
He landed on top of her, straddling her, holding her hands down. "Give me something good to eat."
"I thought you really liked me."
He let go of her hands and sat up a little, still straddling her. "I do. And you like me, too."
Dawn sighed and nodded. "I do."
Justin leaned down to bite her. Dawn looked at the sky and thrust her stake into his heart. He stopped, gasped, and died.
Dawn shoved him off her. She lay there, upset.
After she got back to the Hyperion, Cordelia went to Cordy's. Veruca's band was playing tonight. Cordelia walked over to the bar, which Harmony was tending, and sat down.
"Steel Reserve."
Harmony got a can from the refrigerator and set it on the counter. "Rough night?"
"I don't wanna fucking talk about it." Cordelia popped the can open and took a few gulps. "Is Faith back yet?"
"No, why?"
"Because I wanna talk about it."
Harmony frowned, upset. "And you can't talk to me?"
"You wouldn't understand."
"Understand what?" Faith walked up to the bar and sat to Cordelia's left.
Cordelia regarded Faith while sipping her beer. "I, uh, I killed Billy."
Faith was surprised. "Oh?"
"Yeah. Put a crossbow bolt right in his fucking neck." Cordelia took a long gulp of beer.
"Wow." Faith paused. "Was he...human?"
Cordelia shrugged. "Probably...for the most part."
Faith nodded. "And you've never done that before."
"I might have." Cordelia drank the rest of her beer and set the can down. "About four years ago. I killed someone. He might have been human. Never found out."
"Oh."
"But this is different."
"How so?"
Cordelia stared at Faith for a moment, waiting for the alcohol to hit her bloodstream and loosen her up. "I murdered him. Point-blank. Execution."
Faith and Harmony stared at Cordelia in shock.
"Lilah's gonna cover it up." Cordelia started laughing and crying at the same time. "Fuck me, I'm going to Hell."
Harmony and Faith watched Cordelia laugh hysterically for a while, uncomfortable, then they looked at each other in concern.
Cordelia suddenly vomited onto the bar. Harmony jumped back in surprise. Faith leaned away a bit. On the stage, the band stopped performing, and Veruca looked at Cordelia in concern.
"Okay, c'mon." Faith stood up and draped Cordelia's left arm around her.
Harmony walked out from behind the bar and took Cordelia's right arm. Cordelia, with some effort, got to her feet.
Back at the Summers' house, Katrina walked up behind Buffy. "So, uh, big monster mashing? Sorry I missed it."
Tara walked up to them and stood beside Buffy. "As long as Dawn's all right."
The three of them looked over at Dawn, who was sitting by herself at the dining room table.
Katrina looked at Buffy and Tara. "I-I think I'm gonna turn in. Good night."
Buffy and Tara smiled. "Good night."
Katrina walked up the stairs.
Buffy looked toward Dawn. "She's taking it pretty hard."
"Well, it's not surprising. Still, we can't ignore this kind of behavior. Something needs to be done before it spins out of control."
Buffy nodded. "You're right."
They walked into the dining room and sat on either side of Dawn.
Buffy glared at Dawn. "We need to have a conversation."
"This the part where you tell me you're not angry...just disappointed?" Dawn asked quietly, looking anxiously at her.
"Pretty much. Except for the bit about not being angry."
Dawn was scared.
Buffy sighed. "Dawn, we set rules for a reason. We trusted you tonight, and you lied to us."
"I know."
"Dawn, it's very important that, in a town like this, at nighttime, we know where you are at all times. Hell, that applies to any place. You understand that, right?" Tara asked her.
Dawn looked at her. "Kinda, but it seems to me like you forgot what it's like to be a teen. Maybe you need to learn to lighten up."
Tara frowned. "And maybe you need to learn some fucking manners. What do you want us to do, just - just sit back and keep our mouths shut?"
Dawn frowned. "Well, that'd be a good start."
Tara was shocked. "If we didn't love you so damn much, we would!"
Buffy had felt like slapping Dawn during this exchange but restrained herself. "Dawn..."
Dawn looked at her.
"We know you've had a traumatic night." Buffy paused, fuming. "Your chores are doubled for the foreseeable future. Shower and get to bed."
Dawn stared at Buffy for a moment, then she stood up and ran upstairs.
Buffy sighed. "God help me, but I felt like slapping the shit out of her."
Tara put her hand on top of Buffy's hand.
In the club's women's restroom, Harmony and Faith had gotten Cordelia mostly cleaned up.
Cordelia stared at her own pained expression in her reflection in the mirror by the sink. "Thank you."
"Are you feeling any better?" Harmony asked her.
"I...No."
"Boss, maybe you oughta take off for a few days. Maybe go on a trip, get away from here." Faith paused. "Besides, I don't think I'm the right person to help you with this."
Cordelia looked at her.
Later, in Buffy and Tara's room, Tara was taking throw pillows off the bed. Both she and Buffy were naked. Tara pulled down the cover and sheet. She got into bed.
Buffy turned off the light, went over to the bed, turned off another light, and got into bed.
Tara smiled and giggled. "Ooh, your feet are cold."
Buffy smiled. "Better warm me up."
"Mmm." Tara snuggled up to Buffy. "This is how every day should always end...and start. And all the stuff in the middle." She kissed Buffy on the lips. "Good night."
Buffy smiled and closed her eyes. "Good night."
Buffy walked downstairs, woken by the constant ringing of the doorbell. She had quickly thrown on a robe and fastened it. She turned on the porch light and looked through the peephole.
Surprised, Buffy unlocked and opened the door. Harmony was standing there - with Cordelia right behind her.
"Harmony? Cordy?" Buffy asked in surprise. She stepped aside.
Harmony walked into the house. "Hi, Buffy, sorry to drop in unannounced, but..."
Cordelia walked into the house, a distant, haunted expression on her face. Buffy stared at her in concern.
While Buffy made chamomile tea, Cordelia recounted precisely what had occurred. Buffy listened without saying anything.
As the three of them sat at the island, cupping their mugs, none of them spoke for a while.
"Am I going to Hell?" Cordelia finally asked.
Buffy looked at her. "I have no idea, Cordy. Men in the Catholic Church would probably say so."
Cordelia looked down at her mug.
"But..."
Cordelia looked up at Buffy again.
"We don't actually know anything about what happens when we die." Buffy took a sip of her tea. "Not a fucking thing."
Cordelia took a sip of her tea.
"I've often struggled with this myself - if God's just going to toss me into Hell at the moment of my death. Because of who I love. Because of what I've done. Because I'm a Gentile, and Paul got it wrong, and Yahweh and Jesus actually don't care about us at all." Buffy paused for a moment. "It fucking scares me."
"How do you live with it?" Cordelia asked.
"Because the alternative is to kill myself and get started on my eternity, whatever that is, and I have people that love me here. I'd rather stay here with them. Eternity minus fifty or sixty years is still eternity, but at least my time in this world is mine." Buffy took another sip of tea.
Cordelia thought about that and took another sip of tea.
"I'll make up the couch for you. Stay as long as you need." Buffy looked at Harmony. "Harm, um..."
"I should get back to L.A.; someone needs to run the club, and Faith is totally hopeless without me." Harmony sipped her tea.
That made Cordelia chuckle.
Buffy frowned at Harmony. "At least, stay the night; you can head back in the morning."
"Okay."
The following week, Cordelia was arranging some flowers in a vase down in the basement of the Hyperion.
Angel walked into the training area and saw there were several vases of them scattered around the room. "What's this?"
"Oh, it's just so dark and lifeless down here that I thought I'd brighten it up a little for you."
Angel picked up one of the vases.
"You can't exactly go out and enjoy the sunny fields of nature, but that doesn't mean we can't bring a little bloom into your darkness."
"They're fake."
"Yeah. You put something real in this hellhole, and it dies-" Cordelia snapped her fingers. "-like that."
Angel put the flowers down, looking at Cordelia.
"'Thank you, Cordelia?'" Cordelia suggested.
"You know, I've been around a long time, and I've never known anyone like you."
"Well, duh! Times a-wasting, big guy. Can we do it?" Cordelia took on a stance. "Hi-yeah!"
Angel chuckled. "Okay. Last time, we were working on not pulling your punches and your kicks. Right? Don't worry about me."
Cordelia punched at him, and he deflected the punch with his arm.
"That's good."
Cordelia swiped at him again.
"Good! Where is your weight?" Angel looked down. "Balls of your feet?"
Cordelia swung and hit him across the face full-force. "Oops! Oh, God, you said that..."
Angel straightened back up, smiling.
"Are you okay?" Cordelia asked.
"I'm a vampire. You can't hurt me. Good." Angel blinked his eyes and lifted a hand towards his face. "Am I swelling?"
Cordelia smiled. "C'mon, ya big sissy."
"Okay. Bend over."
Cordelia gave him a seductive smile. "Ooh, baby."
Angel chuckled and guided her into position. "C'mon."
Fred walked down the basement stairs.
"Ow. That doesn't feel right."
"Just relax. You have to bend."
"I don't bend there."
Angel bent her.
"Okay. Now, that's downright unnatural."
"I know it feels strange, but, if an attacker comes at you from behind, you wanna be able to shift all your weight immediately to your other foot, so you can spin and kick. Here, you try it."
Cordelia spun and kicked up against Angel's chest. Angel caught her, one arm around her leg, another around her waist to keep her from falling.
"Whoa! Easy. All right. That's all right." Angel lowered her leg and let go of her. "That's better. We'll keep...working on it. Okay. That's probably enough for today."
"Yeah, well, we could do more of it, but then I'd have to ice every bone in my body. See you." Cordelia walked towards the stairs, one hand pressed against the small of her back. "Hey, Fred."
Fred grinned. "Hey!"
Cordelia walked up the stairs.
"She's such a hero, with the visions and the courage. It's only natural that you and she would be drawn to one another. Oh! Plastic flowers!" Fred hurried over to one of the vases. "My favorite! They never fade, you know."
Buffy and Tara were sitting in chairs at Emily's School of Dance, watching Dawn perform a ballet recital. Dawn finished her routine and looked at Emily.
Emily smiled weakly. "Good, Dawn, but, uh, once more, with feeling."
Dawn sighed and started her routine over again. Emily walked over to Buffy and Tara.
"So how's she doing?" Buffy asked.
Emily kept her eyes on Dawn. "Well, she's...doing it, but she's just..." She couldn't think of the right phrasing.
"Going through the motions?" Buffy guessed.
"Yeah. I dunno, she just doesn't seem to have any passion for it."
Buffy leaned close to Emily's ear. "Well, she had to kill a potential love interest last week. That's bound to bother anybody."
Emily sighed. "Only in this town would that make any sense."
Buffy gave a weak smile. "It's best to just give her time and space."
"Are you suggesting...pulling her out of the class?" Emily asked. "Because I can refund this month's payment."
"No. Just...be gentle with her."
Emily smiled. "Okay. I can't imagine what she's going through. You think she'll get over something like that?"
"It's a healing process, but she'll get there. She's got an awesome support system." Buffy smiled. "What can't we face if we're together?"
Dawn waved, grinning. "Bye, Emily! See ya at Slayer School!"
Emily waved. "Bye, Dawn!"
Dawn followed Buffy and Tara out onto the street, holding her duffel bag containing her ballet clothes. They started walking to the Jeep.
Dawn grinned. "Emily's so graceful. She's got amazing legs."
Tara smiled. "Well, she was on the track team in high school." She lost her smile. "Not good enough to compete at anything higher than college level, though. No one's recruited her."
Dawn frowned. "That sucks. What about the ballet?"
Tara shrugged. "She's applied to multiple companies. Hasn't been accepted to any of them."
"Really? I feel sad for her. She's really good."
Buffy stared at Dawn for a moment, then she smiled. "You've got a crush on her."
"What?! No!" Dawn insisted.
Buffy nodded, grinning. "Yuh-huh!"
Dawn vehemently shook her head. "Nuh-uh!"
"Dawn's got a crush on teacher!" Buffy sang.
Dawn playfully backhanded Buffy's arm. "Fuck you!"
"Oh, come on, it's perfectly natural!" Buffy told her. "Back in high school, I fantasized all the time about Jenny and Ms. Tishler."
Tara shot Buffy a look. "Oh, really."
Buffy was a bit nervous. "C'mon, babe, you know I'm hopelessly horny."
They walked past a bearded man and a woman.
The man held a shirt in a dry-cleaning bag. "They got the mustard out!"
The woman smiled. "Great!" Then she frowned. "Oh, no!"
"What?" the man asked.
They arrived at her car, which was parked by a fire hydrant. A police officer was writing her a ticket.
The woman looked at the officer. "This isn't my fault. There was no parking anywhere."
"Lotta homework?" Tara asked Dawn.
"Uh, math."
Buffy, Tara, and Dawn arrived at the Jeep. Buffy took out her keys and unlocked the driver's door. A couple of young men walked by and looked at Buffy and Tara as they passed.
Buffy looked at Tara. "Those guys are checking you out."
"What?" Tara turned to look, then looked back at Buffy. "Wh-What are they looking at?"
Buffy smiled. "The hotness of you, babe."
"Those boys really thought I was hot?" Tara looked back at them again.
"Entirely."
"Oh, my God. I'm cured! I want the boys!" Tara made like she was going to run after the guys.
Dawn grabbed her and pulled her back. Tara giggled.
Buffy gave Tara a teasing smile as she opened the door and got into the driver's seat. "Speaking of horny." She unlocked the passenger door and back door.
Tara opened the passenger door and got into the Jeep. Dawn opened the back door and did likewise.
Tara smiled at Buffy. "Yup, but not for them."
Buffy smiled. "Ooh, baby."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "I love you, Buffy. You make me complete."
"Same."
The following week, Buffy, Tara, Amy, Katrina, and Dawn went to the Bronze. Michelle Branch was on the stage, performing. Buffy and Tara danced together. Amy and Katrina danced together. Dawn stood nearby and watched.
"So I'm a little left of center;
I'm a little out of tune.
Some say I'm paranormal,
So I just bend their spoon.
Who wants to be ordinary
In a crazy, mixed-up world?
I don't care what they're sayin'
As long as I'm your girl.
"Hey,
You are on my side,
And they...
They just roll their eyes.
"You get me.
When nobody understands,
You come and take a chance, baby.
You get me.
You look inside my wild mind,
Never knowing what you'll find,
And still you want me all the time.
Yeah, you do.
Yeah, you get me."
Buffy and Tara started making out.
After the concert, Michelle did an autograph session and posed for pictures with fans. Buffy, Tara, and Dawn waited in line, holding their respective copies of The Spirit Room.
When it was their turn, Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina exchanged a few pleasantries with Michelle, had the booklets in their albums autographed, received autographed photos with their names on them, and posed with Michelle for photos, all without incident.
Then it was Dawn's turn.
Dawn grinned in excitement. "Hi!"
Michelle smiled. "Hi. Pick a photo."
Dawn selected one.
Michelle took it and uncapped a marker. "What's your name?"
"Dawn."
Michelle started autographing the photo. "Did you enjoy the show, Dawn?"
"Totally! You kicked ass!" Dawn exclaimed.
Michelle smiled awkwardly. "Thanks. What's your favorite song?"
"'Everywhere'."
"Cool." Michelle set the photo aside and held out her hand.
Dawn eagerly shook Michelle's hand.
"Oh." Michelle shook Dawn's hand. "CD."
"Oh!" Dawn felt embarrassed. She handed the album to Michelle. "Sorry."
"That's okay." Michelle took the album, opened it, carefully took the booklet out, and autographed it.
Dawn stared at Michelle, nervous. "So how do you like Sunnydale?"
Michelle nodded, putting the booklet back into the jewel case. "Pretty cool. Had to request extra security, though. Vampires, y'know."
Dawn grinned. "Oh, you should've hired my sister; she's the Slayer!"
Michelle closed the jewel case. "Oh?" She looked at the others.
Buffy raised her hand. "Me. I'm the local Slayer. And I already get paid to do this; if you need extra security, just ask."
"Escort me back to my hotel?" Michelle asked.
"Oh, uh, public accommodations. Vampires can enter. You really don't wanna chance staying at one in a vampire town."
"What do you suggest?" Michelle asked.
"Stay with us!" Dawn suggested.
Michelle raised her eyebrows.
Buffy was embarrassed. "Sorry. Uh, well, uh-"
"We have plenty of room!" Dawn insisted.
"We do?" Tara asked.
Dawn shot her a look. "We will."
Buffy eyed Dawn briefly, then looked at Michelle. "Y'know what? Yeah. You're welcome to stay with us."
Michelle smiled awkwardly. "Thanks."
Dawn let out a squeal of excitement.
Buffy handed Dawn a blanket.
Dawn frowned and took it. "I fucking hate you."
Buffy smiled. "Good night."
Dawn headed downstairs. Tara, Amy, and Katrina walked upstairs. The bathroom door opened, and Michelle walked out, wearing pajamas.
Michelle smiled. "Thanks again for letting me stay here, Buffy. I need to set the alarm for 5:00 AM; I hope that's okay."
Buffy smiled. "Fine."
Michelle headed for Dawn's bedroom.
Suddenly, the door opened, and April walked out. Michelle stared at her in surprise.
April walked over to Katrina. "Katrina, I require service."
"Uh, okay." Katrina shrugged and walked into her and Amy's bedroom.
April followed.
"So are we just...?" Amy shrugged. "Okay." She walked into the bedroom, then looked back at Michelle and gave her a smile. "Yeah, you saw what you saw." She closed the door.
Michelle looked to Buffy for an explanation.
Buffy smiled awkwardly. "She's a sexbot - reformed! She doesn't do that anymore."
Tara looked at Buffy. "That we know of. What was she doing in Dawn's room?"
Buffy lost her smile and shuddered.
Michelle sighed. "This fucking town, man. Good night." She walked into Dawn's room and closed the door.
The following week, at night, Buffy walked into an alley. A scared middle-aged couple was backing up against a wall. Two men advanced toward them.
"I'm sure we can work something out."
"A deal of some sort. Anything you want."
Buffy smiled. "I always wanted a pony."
Everyone turned to see Buffy standing there.
"Oh. You weren't really speaking to me, were you? My bad. Well, as long as I'm here..." Buffy walked forward and kicked one of the men.
He stumbled back, dropping a purse. He and his cohort stared at Buffy in fear.
Buffy was surprised. "Wow. A mugging. Haven't gotten one of those in a while."
The uninjured mugger checked to make sure the one that Buffy kicked was okay.
"Usually, it's blood, and with the horror...just a good old-fashioned mugging."
The victims stared at her.
"Kinda sweet, actually." Buffy bent over and picked up the woman's purse. "Oh, uh, probably not for you. Here." She gave the woman her purse. "Go. Now."
The wife and husband ran off.
One of the muggers attacked Buffy, and she blocked his punch, punched him, then grabbed his arm and twisted it around behind him. She held him there while she kicked the other one back.
"Not too sweet for you either, huh?" Buffy asked.
The mugger got up.
Buffy smiled. "But come on, rush me. It'll be funny."
The second mugger got up and rushed her. Buffy kicked him in the balls. He fell to his knees in pain.
Buffy shoved the other mugger against him. "Told ya."
At the Summers' house, in Amy and Katrina's bedroom, Amy was sitting naked on the bed with her legs pulled up to her chest. Tara smiled and took a picture of her.
"Okay, uh, now, sit cross-legged and put your hands on your boobs." Tara checked her camera.
Amy got into position. "Are you sure the lighting is okay in here?"
Tara started taking pictures. "I hope so. Lately, everything is turning out so dark. I might have to invest in a studio light or two."
The door opened.
Katrina entered, holding a mug. "Hey. How goes the photo shoot?"
Tara smiled. "Good. I've finally gotten around to taking some pictures that I can actually turn in to my teacher."
"Are you fucking with me?" Katrina asked.
Tara smiled slyly. "Maybe."
Katrina offered the mug to Amy. "Here's some hot chocolate, if you want."
Amy took it. "Thanks." She took a sip.
Later, Buffy entered from outside, put her keys on the table by the door, and closed and locked the door.
Amy was sitting on the couch, eating cookies and watching TV. "Hey."
"Hey." Buffy walked over and sat to Amy's right. "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"
"Nude photography with your wife. You?" Amy asked.
"Stopped a mugging."
Amy nodded. "Oh."
"How you doin'? Need anything?"
"No, thanks. Good cookies."
Buffy smiled. "We've got blue Gatorade in the fridge."
"Hmm, yeah, I'll get us a couple on the commercial break."
Buffy took a cookie off Amy's plate. "Anything good on?"
Amy shook her head. "Not really. People getting frozen."
Buffy frowned. "People getting frozen?"
Amy gestured at the TV. Buffy looked.
"...in critical yet stable condition as local authorities continue their investigation into the robbery that left one man frozen solid."
On the TV, behind the reporter, they saw the exterior of a museum with an ambulance and a bunch of people moving around.
"Live from the museum, Ryan Morris, KOUS."
Amy frowned. "Weird."
Buffy walked up to the museum. There were sirens, flashing lights, and a crowd of people standing around.
"Excuse me, excuse me, thanks." Buffy pushed her way to the front of the crowd, stared, and frowned.
She saw a couple of police officers wheeling out the still-frozen security guard on a dolly. TV camera operators followed them.
Buffy turned and started walking around toward the side of the museum, across the lawn. She looked back at the crowd, then continued on her way.
The next day, at an outdoor cafe, Dawn sat drinking from a very large chocolate milkshake as Tara watched.
Tara stared. "Good God, that's a lot of shake."
Dawn nodded.
"I mean I know: part of our...big...movie and milkshake fun day, but...good God, that's a lot of shake."
Dawn laughed. "Helps to wash down the Raisinets."
"Promise me that you will eat something green tonight. Leafy green, not...gummy green."
They both laughed. Dawn continued drinking her milkshake.
Tara smiled. "The movie was fun."
Dawn smiled. "Yeah. No offense to Jack Black, though, but it wasn't as fun as Harry Potter."
Buffy walked into the Magic Box. Amy and Katrina sat at the round table.
"What's the sitch?" Buffy asked.
Amy looked at Buffy. "The guard's definitely gonna live."
Katrina nodded. "He's all thawed out. Everything slowed down. His nervous system, circulatory system. He's still unconscious."
Buffy set a file folder on the table and opened it. "Internal police report. A diamond was stolen from the museum last night. A big one. On loan from the British Museum. They're withholding information to smoke out the criminals."
"Well, is it a-a supernatural diamond? You know, like, healing powers or - or good-lucky?" Katrina asked.
Amy thought for a moment. "Maybe it's cursed. Diamonds are excellent for cursing."
Buffy shrugged.
Dawn and Tara entered the Summers' house.
"Hello! We're home!" Dawn called.
Tara looked at her. "Looks like no one's home."
Dawn closed and locked the door. "Well, I'm sure they'll be back soon. Um, I know they're researching the museum thing."
Tara nodded. They walked into the living room.
"There's a message on the answering machine." Tara played it.
"Hey, it's me. Amy, Trina, and I are at the Magic Box, researching. It might go well into the night, and then I'm gonna patrol. Don't wait up. Love you."
"Well, that answers that." Tara looked at Dawn. "What do you want for dinner?"
Dawn sat on the couch. "Pizza?"
Tara frowned. "You want weird shit on it?"
"Your call." Dawn picked up the remote, turned the TV on, and began channel-surfing.
Tara grimaced uncertainly and picked up the handset.
Dawn giggled, indicating the TV. "Talking cat."
Tara rolled her eyes, sighed, and sat beside Dawn. "Fine. Two pizzas, it is."
"Sure. Cool. Up to you." Dawn snuggled up to Tara and put her head on Tara's shoulder.
They both watched TV.
That night, Buffy, Amy, and Katrina emerged from the shop. Buffy locked the door. They walked down the sidewalk to the Jeep and van.
Amy sighed. "Let's face it: we're not gonna find this thing, because it doesn't exist. There's no such thing as a frost monster that eats diamonds."
"Well, maybe he doesn't eat them. You know, maybe he just...thinks they're pretty." Buffy nodded hopefully for a moment, then stopped and made a face. "We suck."
"We need new brains. Where's Tara?" Katrina asked.
"Home with Dawn, but I don't wanna bother her with this. I'm telling you: I-I think there's something about this thing."
Katrina was skeptical. "Well, I don't know, Buff. It seems like we've been through every book."
Amy nodded. "Yeah, even the ones that weren't so boring that you wanted to kill yourself."
"We have those?" Katrina asked.
They arrived at their vehicles.
Buffy looked at the others. "I'm just saying: all the things that have happened lately? Okay, the - the bank robbery, the jewelry heist..."
"The exploding lint?" Katrina added.
Buffy nodded. "I-Is it me, or do these things seem really-"
"Lame?" Amy suggested.
Buffy shrugged. "Well, I was gonna go with unusual, but yeah."
They all stood there, shrugging at each other.
"I don't know. You know, I'll do a quick patrol tonight, and, after a good night's sleep, we can solve this tomorrow."
Amy nodded, then looked at Katrina. "Wanna go to the Bronze?"
Katrina nodded. "Sure."
Buffy smiled. "Good night, guys."
Amy and Katrina smiled. "Good night."
At the Bronze, Eden's Crush were on the stage, performing their hit song, "Get Over Yourself":
"Yeah, I was right there like a little wife. (Uh-huh.)
I was everything that you need, always in line. (Uh-huh.)
I was livin' you, lovin' you, fillin' your desires. (That's right.)
But that was then, this is now; look me in the eye and..."
Amy and Katrina were near the stage, dancing.
"Oh, oh-ooh-oh,
If love could choose sides,
Oh, oh-ooh-oh,
It's takin' mine, so...
"Get over yourself, goodbye (goodbye).
It must be hard to be you, yeah, livin' in your life.
I was always the one to cry (to cry).
Now, everything, everything, everything is all right.
Get over yourself, know why (know why).
'Cause without you, see, I do anything I like.
Sometimes, I stay out all night (all night),
And everything, everything, everything is all right.
"This just can't be it, I kept tellin' myself (Uh-huh),
And every magazine said was me was on the shelf.
I was givin' out, givin' in, givin' away my dreams. (That's right.)
You put it in, put me down; now, I found my self-esteem. (Oh, oh.)
Oh, oh-ooh-oh,
You won't get me back (won't get me back). (No.)
Oh, oh-ooh-oh (no, no),
You think I overreact (overreact, yeah)."
Two guys walked over to Amy and Katrina.
The first guy smiled. "Hey."
The girls ignored them and started making out with each other. The guys walked away.
Nicole Scherzinger pointed at Amy and Katrina and then motioned for them to come up on the stage. The girls pointed at themselves in surprise and looked to Nicole for confirmation. Nicole nodded. Amy and Katrina grinned and joined the group on the stage, joining in the singing and dancing.
The next morning, a loud noise from the TV woke Tara up. She looked around in surprise. On the television, cartoons were playing. Tara was sitting up while Dawn was laying with her head in Tara's lap. It was daylight.
Dawn woke as well, yawning. "What time is it?"
Tara looked at her watch. "Almost seven. God, I just closed my eyes for a minute."
Dawn squinted at the TV. "Hm. And now there's cartoons." She frowned sleepily. "Plus a mother of all night-wedgies."
Tara looked around. "Uh-oh."
"It's not tragic. I'm sure, as soon as I stand up-"
"No, Dawn...why didn't anybody wake us up? Where is everyone?"
Buffy walked downstairs. "Hey, you're up."
Tara looked at her. "Sweetie, what happened last night?"
Buffy smiled. "I went out patrolling after the research. You two were sound asleep when I got home, and I didn't have the heart to wake you."
Later, in the Summers' kitchen, Tara was ladling pancake batter onto a pan on the stove. "Pancakes?"
Dawn entered. "Uh, sure." She went to the fridge, opened it, and took out a carton of orange juice. She closed the fridge.
Dawn took a glass and poured orange juice into it. Tara took the pancake batter bowl to the sink and added some water.
Tara turned back to the stove. "Funny shapes or-"
The back door opened. Both Tara and Dawn turned. Katrina and Amy entered.
Katrina smiled. "Hey."
Tara smiled. "Hey. Just getting in?"
Amy smiled. "Yeah. We went to the Bronze last night. It was fucking amazing. Eden's Crush was performing, and they invited us up on stage."
Dawn frowned. "Bullshit."
"No, it's true!" Amy held up a Polaroid of herself and Katrina with the group.
Dawn looked at it in astonishment. "Fuck. Off."
Amy grinned. "After the concert, they invited us back to their hotel room to party, where absolutely no drugs or sex orgies were had, and-"
Tara shot Amy a look.
Amy smiled, embarrassed. "I'm talking too much. Sorry."
Tara smiled. "No, it's - it's fine."
Katrina smiled and set a stack of five jewel cases on the island. "We got everyone their own autographed copy of Popstars."
Dawn squealed in delight and ran to pick up a copy.
Later, at the Magic Box, Amy and Katrina sat at the round table, looking at books.
Amy sighed. "All these demons are starting to look alike. You got reptiles...reptiles with horns...reptiles with gills..."
Buffy, standing by the counter, looking at books, glanced over at Amy.
Amy closed her book in frustration. "And I'm still finding nothing of the 'steal a diamond, freeze a guy' variety."
Katrina sighed. "I'm sorry, but this is pointless! We've been researching forever, and we're not even close to finding out who robbed that museum."
Buffy walked over to the table. "Still, there's something out there."
Amy looked at her. "There is, but Trina has a point. We're gettin' nowhere here, Buff. Maybe it's time to try something new. You know? Hit the streets, maybe get Sunday on it."
Buffy sighed. "Yeah, maybe."
As the sun was setting, in the kitchen of the Summers' house, Dawn stood at the stove with a pan. She used her fingers to flip over a flat piece of bread on the pan. "Ow."
Tara walked in.
"Ow, ow! Ow." Dawn sucked on her fingers.
Tara stared at the scene in amusement. "Or you could do it the hard way."
"Spatulas are for wimps. I'm making peanut-butter-and-banana quesadillas. You want?" Dawn offered.
"Color me curious." Tara walked over to the island and sat.
Dawn removed her food from the pan and put it on a plate. "Ow. Ow. Ow. It's my own brand-new invention."
Tara smiled nervously. "Uh, you first."
Dawn took a bite of her creation. "Very delicious."
"If you say so."
Dawn took her plate and went to sit beside Tara. "Buffy called. She said she was going straight from the Magic Box to do some patrolling."
"Oh, did she need help?" Tara asked.
"No, she was just calling to check in."
"Still, maybe I should go and help her out. Oh, unless you need me here. Or maybe not? Will you be okay for a little while?" Tara asked.
"Yes. The fifteen-year-old can spend a half-hour alone in her locked house."
Tara frowned. "I'm...I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have assumed-"
Dawn smiled. "Right. Assume would make you an ass out of me. Heh, um, or, uh, something. Anyway, please, it's cool. I'm so totally fine on my own."
Tara nodded and smiled. "Or we can do something if you want. If you feel like baggin' the peanut butter, I'll buy you dinner."
Dawn smiled with extreme relief. "Thank God!" She picked up her plate. "Remind me never to invent that again. Yecch."
Tara laughed.
Dawn got up, took her plate to the trash, and threw away her creation. "I'll leave a note for Buffy on the refrigerator. That's the first place she goes after patrolling. She's such a pig after she kills things." Dawn turned to write on a pad of paper attached to the fridge with a magnet.
Later, Tara and Dawn exited Burger King and walked along together.
"So, uh, the burger was good? You liked it?" Tara asked.
Dawn smiled. "Are you kidding? It was like a meat party in my mouth."
Tara gave a small, awkward smile.
Chapter 125: Doublemeat Palace
Chapter Text
"Doublemeat Palace"
Based on the Episodes "Gone" Written by David Fury and "Doublemeat Palace" Written by Jane Espenson
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
Buffy was in the kitchen. "Dawn, come on, you gotta eat breakfast!"
There was no response.
Buffy sighed, then turned back to face Tara. "She's gonna be late for school again."
Tara was at the stove, cooking. She put bits of ham into a cooking omelet.
Dawn entered the kitchen.
Buffy looked at her. "I called you before."
"Didn't hear you." Dawn opened the refrigerator and got out a carton of orange juice.
Tara smiled. "Hey, Dawnie, uh, I'm making you a nice omelet."
Dawn smiled. "Thanks."
After breakfast, Buffy and Tara emerged into the foyer.
"Dawn! You better get going!" Buffy called.
"Here." Dawn arrived from upstairs, holding her bookbag.
"Okay, you have everything you need?" Buffy asked.
"Yep."
"And after school, you-"
"Yeah, yeah. Let's go, Tara." Dawn walked toward the door.
Buffy intercepted her. "You will wait for one of us to pick you up."
"Right."
Buffy unlocked and opened the front door.
As the door opened, they noticed a middle-aged woman standing there, holding some papers.
The woman removed her glasses, smiling at Dawn. "Oh, good morning. You must be Dawn."
Dawn nodded.
"Can I help you?" Buffy asked.
"I'm Doris Kroger from Social Services." She indicated her identification badge. "We had an appointment?"
"Oh, for Wednesday."
"This is Wednesday."
Buffy looked at Tara, who nodded.
"Right! Well...Dawn, you better..."
Dawn rolled her eyes in utter adolescent disdain and left, pushing past Ms. Kroger.
Buffy sighed. "And - And Tara, you'll drive safely?"
Tara smiled. "Yes, sweetie."
"Tara Maclay?" Doris asked her.
"Yes."
Doris checked her paperwork. "You're listed as joint guardian. I want to speak with you, too."
"Oh, well, I gotta get Dawn to school. Could you wait a little bit? It shouldn't take long."
"Well, I suppose I can talk with Buffy in the meantime."
Tara grabbed her keys from the table and headed out the door.
Ms. Kroger entered the foyer and smiled at Buffy. "Little bit on the tardy side, isn't she?"
Buffy closed and locked the front door. "Yeah, well, uh, it's been one of those mornings, you know." She noticed Ms. Kroger had already gone into the living room. "Hey, come on in."
Ms. Kroger stood in the doorway to the living room, looking around. Buffy walked up beside her and waited. The room was relatively clean; the only things out of place were Buffy's copy of The Shining and one of Dawn's T*Witches novels on the coffee table.
Doris turned and walked into the dining room. There was a whiteboard with "Family Meeting" written at the top and various topics underneath. Buffy realized with horror that her note of "Who keeps pissing in the shower?! The curtain reeks!" was still on the board and hoped Doris didn't notice.
"You have family meetings?" Doris asked.
"Yes, about one per week."
Doris walked into the kitchen. Buffy followed her.
Doris inspected the sink, which still had unwashed dishes from breakfast in it. Then she opened the refrigerator. Buffy noticed her note on the shopping list, "shower curtain - Amy and Trina!", and hoped Doris hadn't.
Doris closed the refrigerator. "Dawn's room?"
"Follow me."
Doris inspected Dawn's bedroom, then the bathroom, then headed back downstairs. Buffy followed her.
Doris checked her paperwork. "So you work for the Sunnydale Police Department?"
"Well...yes." Buffy decided that was the simplest answer.
"And in retail?"
"Occasionally, yeah, in a store downtown."
The front door opened. Tara walked into the foyer. She closed and locked the door and put her keys on the table.
"Tara." Doris checked her paperwork. "You also work at...The Magic Box?"
Tara nodded. "Yes."
"What do you do there?"
"I...do anything that the boss tells me: stock shelves, ring up sales, place orders, clean. You name it."
Buffy noticed Tara had left off her readings and realized that was probably for the best.
"You have...three vehicles?" Doris asked.
Buffy nodded. "A Jeep, a van, and a scooter."
"It says here that there are two additional people living in this house: Amy Madison and Katrina Silber. Who are they?"
"Friends from high school. I invited them to move in with us after my mom died. They pitch in. Uh, we divide the bills four ways, and the chores are on a rotating schedule."
"What do they do?"
"Amy works at the local video store, and Katrina is doing a paid apprenticeship at the local motive power depot."
Doris wrote down some notes. "I think I've seen enough." She turned to leave.
Buffy unlocked and opened the door.
Doris smiled. "Have a nice day."
Buffy and Tara smiled. "You, too."
Doris went out the door. Buffy closed and locked the door.
Later, Buffy decided to go downtown to get her hair trimmed.
Afterward, Buffy emerged from the salon. Her hair was now neatly styled and reached the top of her neck. She began to walk across the sidewalk.
Buffy walked between some parked cars. She noticed one minivan with bumper stickers reading "God Bless America" and "United We Stand" and paused to stare at them. She began to cross the street.
Buffy walked past the mouth of the alley. Suddenly, a red light hit a tree, a fire hydrant, some traffic cones, and a dumpster, all of which immediately disappeared.
Buffy stared in bewilderment. "What the fuck?"
Buffy walked into the Magic Box. "Tara, something freaky is going on."
Tara was stocking a shelf with candles. "What's up?"
"I had just left the salon, and, all of a sudden, some red light came out of nowhere and struck some things, and they disappeared."
"Huh?"
"Yeah, and check this out: I walked up to the tree that disappeared and tried feeling for it, and it was still there."
"So it's invisible." Tara frowned. "Where'd this happen?"
"Main Street."
Tara thought for a moment. She finished stocking the candles and dropped the box on the floor. She walked over to the table, sat down, and used her laptop. "I can't leave the store unattended. Lemme look up Trina's work number. This seems more up her alley."
Buffy smiled. "Ooh! It happened near an alley."
Tara made a face but didn't say anything. She opened a file. "Oh, I, uh, found...out some stuff about the diamond stolen from the museum. It's called the Illuminata, and there's rumors of it having quasi-mystical quantum properties."
"Didn't...Giles say something about 'quantum' regarding the whole Marcie deal?" Buffy asked her.
"I think so."
Buffy and Katrina walked down the street. They passed the spa and entered the mouth of the alley. Katrina had a can of red spray paint.
Buffy pointed. "The dumpster's there."
Katrina walked up and sprayed the dumpster, making it visible again.
Buffy smiled. "That's kinda cool."
Katrina noticed a tire mark on the ground. "Well, take a look at that!" She pointed. "Something sped outta here pretty damn quick to make that kind of tread mark."
Buffy frowned. "Well, this could have been made any time."
"Yeah, but this...wasn't." Katrina took out a small vial from her pocket and held it up.
Buffy took it. "What is it?"
Katrina walked away. "Paint that I scraped off the fire hydrant." She stopped at a different part of the sidewalk.
Buffy followed her, studying the vial. "I didn't see you scrape the fire hydrant." She walked right into it. "Ow! Motherfucker!" She hopped around on one foot, her other leg having been injured by walking into the invisible fire hydrant.
Katrina made gestures from the alleyway to where they were now. "Whatever hit this fire hydrant hit it after it was made invisible. And bet your ass that something was the same something that shot out of that alley."
Buffy pondered. "Black paint? My phantom van from last year."
Katrina nodded.
Buffy took a step backward and bumped into something. "Whoa! There's something there." She pointed.
Katrina sprayed her can of spray paint where Buffy was pointing. A traffic cone slowly took shape.
"I-It's a pylon, one of those orange traffic cones." Katrina continued spraying. "You should take it to the Magic Box. It might help you and Tara figure out what kind of spell was used."
"What about you?"
Katrina stood up. "Well, I got paint scrapings and a tire mark." She gave Buffy the paint can and took the vial from her. "I'm gonna find this van that's been stalking you."
Buffy nodded. "Go to the DMV. I'll call and tell them to cooperate with you."
At the Magic Box, Buffy and Tara sat at the table, looking at books. The no-longer-invisible traffic cone sat on the table.
"Found any invisibility spells?" Buffy asked.
"I haven't found anything yet."
Tara reached out to grab the traffic cone. It crumbled partly under her fingers.
Tara made a disgusted face. "Ew! Buffy!"
"I didn't fart, I swear."
"No." Tara held up her hand with traffic-cone residue on it.
"What happened?" Buffy asked.
"An unpleasant tactile experience, like putting my hand in pudding."
Buffy smiled in amusement. "Interesting comparison, and you will explain why your mind went there later." She put out her hand and crumbled another part of the cone. "Ew!"
"Like pudding, am I right?" Tara asked. "Rice or tapioca, lumpy like that."
At night, Katrina walked along a dark residential street, paused, looked at a house, and then at a piece of paper in her hand. She saw a van in a driveway, partially covered by a tarp. Katrina looked around, then walked toward the van. She lifted the tarp. The van was black.
"Oh, you're fucking kidding me." Katrina let go of the tarp and headed for the Jeep.
At the Magic Box, the phone began to ring. Buffy stood up, walked over to the counter, picked up the handset, and answered the call. "Thank you for calling the Magic Box, your one-stop-"
"Don't talk. Just listen, Slayer. You don't have a lot of time."
Buffy frowned. "Who is this? You sound familiar."
"I'm...nobody. No one you know. We've got your friend, Katrina, and, if you don't want anything nasty to happen to her, you better meet us. Alone."
"Where?"
Buffy and Tara walked into a video arcade. Various kids were playing various games; there was lots of noise. A guy was taking tickets by a turnstile. The turnstile turned on its own, and he looked confused. Buffy noticed this and approached the turnstile, Tara hanging back.
"Whoa, hey, where's your ticket?" the guy asked Buffy.
Buffy pointed at her badge, clipped to her blue jeans. "This badge is my ticket. Stand aside." She walked through the turnstile.
Buffy noticed a few kids get shoved aside and walked in that direction, moving further into the arcade.
"Okay, I'm here. Where is she?" Buffy asked.
"Just stay still, and you won't get hurt."
Buffy looked around. "Where are you?"
"All around you, Slayer, so don't try anything."
"Ah, you're invisible. How do I know you're not bluffing?"
"There's more than enough to cause some serious carnage, right, guys? Guys? Guys!"
Buffy noticed a video game with the joysticks moving on their own.
"Kick! Use the kick!"
"I tried that; he keeps blocking it with his drunken monkey fist!"
Buffy smiled in amusement. "Ooh, scary video carnage."
"Hey! Slayer's here."
"Sorry, didn't see her."
"Why don't we continue this in a less crowded area, like over there?" one of the guys suggested.
"Where?" Buffy and the two other guys asked.
"Over...follow me."
A science-fiction-looking gun floated in the air. Buffy followed it.
They moved over to a quieter corner, next to an air hockey game.
Katrina ran into the video arcade and over to Tara. "Hey, I finally found you guys."
Tara looked at Katrina in surprise. "Trina! They said they kidnapped you."
"Oh, for fuck's sake..." Katrina walked toward Buffy.
"Who are you guys?" Buffy demanded.
"Nobody you know."
Katrina walked up to Buffy. "They're the ones from your mystery van."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh. You. So what annoying thing are you gonna do to me now?"
"Make you invisible."
The invisibility ray lifted up and began its preparatory whirring.
Buffy picked up the air hockey mallet and threw it. The invisibility ray fell to the floor.
Buffy frowned. "Okay, play time's over."
"You haven't won yet, Slayer."
Buffy smiled. "No, that part comes after I beat the shit out of you."
"You'll have to find me first! There's three of us against just one of you."
"Hey, you lied to us!"
"Fight her yourself!"
"Think she cares about that? I go down, we all go down!"
Buffy was getting bored. "And I promise you're all going down."
"We may not have your powers, Slayer, but you'll find that we are not so easy to-"
Buffy hit him with another air hockey mallet.
"Ow! Get her!"
Katrina started unplugging the arcade machines. Tara ran over and helped her. Various people complained.
"Everybody shut up!" Katrina ordered.
In the silence, Buffy closed her eyes and focused. She picked up on subtle sounds and started punching and kicking. She heard grunts. Kids in the arcade looked over in confusion at the noises.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute! Who's biting my leg?"
"Sorry!"
Buffy threw an invisible person onto a pinball machine. Kids screamed and began to run for the exit. Katrina noticed the invisibility ray under another pinball machine. She got on her hands and knees and crawled over to get it.
"She can't find us if we split up."
Katrina picked up the ray gun and fiddled with it.
"You go that way."
"Which way?"
"That way! Over-"
Buffy punched an invisible person and sent him flying into a room-sized container of plastic balls. "Just keep talking, boys."
Katrina got to her feet, fiddling with the invisibility ray.
Buffy grabbed hold of an invisible person.
"Ow! Watch the chest hair!"
Buffy paused. "I know that voice. You-You're-"
Katrina aimed the ray at the voice and fired. The person became visible. Buffy was holding Jonathan Levinson up by the front of his shirt.
"Jonathan?!" Buffy asked in surprise.
She let him go, and he fell to the floor.
"You have chest hair?" Buffy asked skeptically.
Katrina fired at the plastic-ball room. Warren Mears appeared.
"Warren?" Katrina asked in surprise.
Warren glared at her.
Katrina fired at the smashed pinball machine. A blond guy appeared.
Buffy frowned. "Who are you?"
"Andrew."
Buffy shrugged and shook her head to show her lack of recognition.
"I summoned the flying monkeys that attacked the high school?"
Katrina, Tara, and Buffy exchanged confused looks.
Warren climbed out of the plastic balls. Jonathan got up and helped Andrew down from the pinball machine.
"During the school play, you know?"
Warren gestured at Andrew. "It's Tucker's brother."
Jonathan nodded. "Yeah, it's Tucker's brother."
Buffy, Tara, and Katrina nodded. "Ohh."
The geek trio stood side-by-side. Tara and Katrina moved over to stand beside Buffy.
"So you three have, what, banded together to be pains in my ass?" Buffy asked.
Warren walked sideways with the other two following him. "We're your arch-nemesises...ses.
Buffy, Tara, and Katrina were confused.
"You may have beaten us this time, Slayer, but next time...um...uh, next time-"
"Maybe not!" Jonathan threw something down in front of the trio.
It burst into smoke and sparks. Buffy, Tara, and Katrina coughed and waved the smoke away.
"What do you mean, it's locked? You were supposed to check it!" Warren yelled.
"I forgot!" Andrew yelled.
The smoke cleared to reveal the trio standing by the back door, looking sheepish.
Buffy gestured. "I give you my arch nemesises...ses." She frowned.
A security guard came up behind Buffy, Tara, and Katrina. "What's going on in here?"
Buffy, Tara, and Katrina turned to look at him.
"I got a bunch of scared kids saying this place is haunted!"
They heard the sound of a door opening. Buffy turned back to see the back door closing behind the escaping trio.
Buffy sighed, irritated. "Shit, they're gone. I guess we should chase them."
Katrina shrugged. "Meh, their base is Warren's house. Just call the police and have them arrested."
The next day, at the Summers' house, Tara, Amy, and Katrina sat on the sofa together.
Katrina frowned. "Now, I get Warren being the supervillainy type, but I thought Jonathan was in prison. I never even heard of this other guy."
"If we know where they are, shouldn't we do something?" Amy asked.
Tara frowned. "We tried. Buffy called the cops, and they were gonna go in there and bust them on the spot. So Buffy and some cops went in, but they'd cleared out. And she brought back the shit that they left: spellbooks, some parchments, a couple of rare things, charmed objects, a conjurer's harp, Razor scooters, and pictures of T'Pol on Enterprise."
"Isn't Buffy ready?" Katrina asked. "She's gonna be late for her first day."
Buffy walked downstairs, wearing red pants, a red-and-white striped shirt, and a hat with a stuffed cow/chicken head on top. "Trust me, I'm in no rush."
The others stared at her, then started giggling.
Buffy walked over to them. "Yeah, yeah, get it outta your systems. But this is serious."
The others burst into laughter.
Buffy stared at them in annoyance. "Laugh if you will, but people have gone missing at the Doublemeat Palace, and Detective Stein wants me to look into it...inconspicuously."
The others tried to rein in their laughter, but they still chuckled.
Amy stared at Buffy in amusement. "Buffy, I must say...that uniform just commands authority."
Buffy stared at her in annoyance. "My hat has a cow. Now, please be serious."
The others burst into laughter again.
Buffy was sitting in a chair in a small room - the office of Manny the manager - at the Doublemeat Palace, watching a training video on a television. She wore a small blue pin reading "Buffy Summers" and "Trainee".
The opening of the training video looked like a 1950s-style commercial. There was a sepia-toned picture of the exterior of a fast-food restaurant with cars driving past.
"You've seen us in your city or small town across the American West."
There was a sepia picture of the interior of the restaurant with booths and hanging plants.
"You've ordered our delicious food..."
There was a sepia picture of a smiling man in a white shirt and black bow tie, giving a thumbs-up.
"...from our happy employees! But now you're seeing it all from a different way; you're seeing it from behind the counter!"
There was a picture of a smiling woman ordering food from a smiling employee. This picture started off sepia-toned and then faded to natural color.
"Because you've just become part of the Doublemeat experience!"
A geeky teenage boy in the red-and-white-striped uniform held a tray covered with paper-wrapped burgers. "I'm part of it!"
A young woman wearing the uniform held a tray. "I'm part of it!"
An older man also wore the uniform. "I'm a part of it, too!"
The video star-cut to a shot of a farm. A picture of a cow appeared in front of it.
"This cow..."
The cow mooed.
"...and this chicken..."
The chicken appeared beside the cow and squawked.
"...don't know it yet, but they're destined to become part of it as well! So what happens when a cow and a chicken come together?"
The pictured of the cow and the chicken swirled together and became a sandwich.
"Why, that's a Doublemeat Medley! Let's take a look now at the process of harvesting these two special meats."
There was a close shot of a row of cows' rear ends.
Buffy watched cows and chickens getting rounded up for slaughter. They made sounds of frantic mooing and squawking - as well as thumping noises - before getting slaughtered.
Buffy made a disgusted face. "Holy shit!"
Later, the video was still going. Now, it showed a man in the uniform washing his hands.
"...washing your hands thoroughly after each visit to the restroom."
The man took a paper towel to dry his hands. The camera zoomed in on the paper-towel dispenser bearing the words: "NOTICE: Employees must wash hands with soap before returning to work".
"Follow these rules, and you'll be a happy part of the Doublemeat family for a long time!"
The picture changed to the Doublemeat Palace logo, which was a creature that looked like a cross between a cow and a chicken.
Buffy stared at the screen, dismayed. Behind her, Manny, in the red-striped uniform, went over to the wall and turned on the light. He turned to Buffy. He wore thick glasses with black frames.
"Interesting, isn't it?" Manny asked.
Buffy gave him a fake smile. "Oh, yes! Like how the cow and the chicken come together, even though they've never met. It's like Sleepless in Seattle, if - if Meg and Tom were, like, minced."
Completely humorless, Manny turned off the TV. "I'm Manny the manager. It's not a joke; it's just my name."
"Right. Y-You mentioned that a couple of times when I filled out the application."
"Why do you want to work here, Buffy? You seem like a sharp young woman, and there are a lot of other jobs."
Buffy thought of her cover story. "Well, I-I kinda need money pretty quickly, like, today, and - and so I didn't want to go through a lengthy interview process, and I figured this was probably the fastest...way...to..." She paused as she caught sight of Manny's stern face. "Be...cause I...wanted to be part of the Doublemeat experience?"
Manny smiled and nodded. "Come on, let's take a tour."
Manny led Buffy into the adjoining employee lounge and over to a table where two men sat, staring at nothing. A row of lockers was against a wall.
"Philip, Timothy, this is Buffy. She's going to work the counter."
Buffy smiled. "Hi."
"What happened to the other one? Catherine?" Philip asked Manny.
"Emily?" Manny asked.
"Yeah."
Timothy continued staring blankly in front of him. "She's gone."
"What happened?" Buffy asked him.
"Whatever always happens."
Manny opened a locker labeled "Vacant". It was full of clothing.
Manny turned to Buffy. "You can use this one."
"Uh...there's - there's someone's stuff in there."
"They must have left it. You can toss it or keep what you want."
"Sure they're not coming back?"
"We have a lot of turnover here." Manny started to walk away.
Buffy followed.
He paused and pointed at Philip and Timothy, who were still staring vacantly. "Watch these two." He continued walking.
Buffy followed. "Are they gonna do something?"
"They're solid. Follow their example, and you won't go wrong." He stopped walking next to a wall. "They're lifers."
"Lifers?"
"In it for life. Like me. You wanna get something out of this, Buffy? You'll do the same. You put the work in, and, ten years from now, you'll be where I am." He pointed at a round, blue button pinned to his shirt with "10 Years" on it. "I promise you."
Buffy wasn't excited by the idea.
Manny turned to the wall, where a time clock was mounted next to a rack full of cards. He removed a card and inserted it into the clock, then removed it and handed it to Buffy. "Congratulations. You're on the clock."
Buffy looked at her time card, still not thrilled.
Manny and Buffy entered the kitchen. Various employees wearing the red-and-white-striped uniform were moving around, preparing food.
"This is the kitchen. The beating heart of the Doublemeat Palace."
Buffy looked around, spotting a young woman using a Hobart to slice some sort of meat. The round slices fell into the hopper below. The woman stared vacantly ahead of her.
Buffy walked closer. "Wow. They're all so...identical."
"Yeah. They all start to look the same to me, too."
"Oh, no, not the employees, the - the chicken slices." Buffy stared at the falling chicken slices, mesmerized.
"Uh, yeah, Medley meal number 2, uh, double-size it..."
Buffy snapped out of it as she heard the man's voice.
Manny pointed. "Drive-thru station's over there. High-pressure job; you won't need to go in there." He pointed around. "Over there's the grills, the fryers, the walk-in freezer..."
Buffy looked in the direction that he indicated. She began to walk that way.
"You don't need to go in there either!" Manny followed her.
Buffy went over to a filing cabinet. On top of it was a large plastic jug marked "Dehydrated Pickles".
"That's the dehydrated pickle storage."
Buffy tried to open the filing cabinet.
"Those are locked!"
Buffy looked at him.
"Now, I want to show you this." He turned and walked off.
Buffy followed. Manny led her to a rack where a lot of paper-wrapped sandwiches were sitting.
He picked one up and began to unwrap it. "Look. The Doublemeat Medley." He unwrapped it with a flourish, revealing a perfect-looking sandwich in a hamburger bun with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onion.
"Oh, I know the Medley! It's just, uh, the video was...kind of graphic...with the slaughter." Buffy wrinkled her nose.
Manny gestured at the sandwich with his other hand. "The classic double-decker with a twist. A pure beefy patty above the mid-bun...and a slice of processed chicken product below the mid-bun. Plus pickles and the secret ingredient." He held it out toward Buffy. "Eat it."
"Oh, you know, I had a-a big breakfast. I'll just wait for..."
Manny held it out and gave her a look.
Buffy inhaled deeply and gave a fake smile. "Uh...but it smells so good." She took the sandwich in both hands and took a bite. "Mm." She chewed. "So...what is your secret ingredient?"
"It's a meat process."
Buffy was uncertain and swallowed hard.
"Now, I think it's time to start earning your money, don't you, Buffy?"
Buffy smiled nervously. "Mm-hmm."
Behind the counter, Buffy stood beside Gary, a tall, young man that was working the cash register.
"So...what's the deal with Manny the manager? If I ask him really nice, can I write a children's book called that?" Buffy asked.
Gary handed her an empty paper cup. "Fill this while I get the fries." He turned away.
Buffy looked at the cup. "Fill this? I didn't know there was gonna be drug testing on this job."
Gary laughed. "You're funny." He stopped smiling. "You better stop that."
Buffy filled the cup at the soda dispenser. "Why?"
"Productivity. One of Manny's watch words. 'Levity is the time thief that picks the pocket of the company.'"
Buffy put a lid on the drink and set it on the tray. "I prefer the one that goes 'Manny's a humorless dolt that picks the pocket of he-should-bite-me.'"
Gary sighed. "You really need to be quiet with that." He picked up the tray with the fries and soda and handed it to the customer. "Here you go."
"Thanks." The customer left.
Another customer came up, an elderly lady wearing a bushy gray wig. "I'd like a small coffee and cherry pie."
Gary pushed buttons on the cash register. The buttons all had pictures of food on them.
"That's a dollar-ninety-two, ma'am."
Buffy stared at the register. "You hit so many buttons."
"It's easy. Look." Gary showed Buffy the buttons. "There are little pictures of the food on the buttons. I hit the Coffee button, then I hit the Small button. And then Cherry Pie. There's a picture of a little fried pie."
"Uh-huh."
The old lady handed over her money.
"Then I hit the Total button."
The drawer popped open.
Gary put the money away and closed the drawer. "I put the money in the drawer, I close it, and it resets the system. A Cocker Spaniel could do it." He looked at the customers. "Here, why don't you take the next one, the family? They're regulars." He moved away.
Buffy moved behind the cash register and looked at the wig lady. "Hi. I'm new."
The wig lady smiled. "I come here every day."
Buffy smiled. "That's nice."
"Oh, you really might make it, dear. Not like some of them, where suddenly you never see them again. I can see you here a long time."
Buffy gave a fake smile. "That's great."
Gary returned with the food.
"Thank you." The wig lady took it and moved away.
The family moved up: father, mother, and three kids.
"Hi. Welcome to the Doublemeat Palace. May I help you?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah. We need two Number 4 Medley Meals, a Junior Medley, a Fisherman's Medley with bacon, and a Kid's Meal. Plus three fries, a chocolatey shake, and extra pickles on one of the Medleys."
Buffy looked at the cash register with its bewildering array of buttons in alarm. Buffy stared at the buttons, then looked at the customer. "Excuse me. Um, this button." She pointed. "Does it look chocolatey to you?"
After lunch (during which Buffy sat at one of the plastic booths, alone, eating a Medley), Buffy walked slowly through the kitchen area and over to the freezer door, looking around. No one else was visible. She opened the freezer door. Inside the walk-in freezer, she saw a tall rack of shelves laden with boxes of frozen meat.
Buffy closed the door, revealing Manny watching her. She jumped.
"You don't need to be in there."
Buffy was nervous. "Sorry. I was just curious."
"Curiosity killed the cat." Manny moved away.
"Theory #5: cat burgers."
Later, Buffy was working the counter. A couple of customers moved aside, revealing Tara and Dawn.
Dawn smiled. "Hey, Buffy! We're here to support you."
Buffy smiled. "Thank you. This is cool of you guys."
"So, Buff, how's it going?" Tara asked.
"I don't know. I-I've waited before, but...this is different."
Dawn frowned. "Uh, when have you waited?"
"That summer in L.A., after junior year. It was a diner, and...we had, you know, lots of people that didn't tip and funny, funny health code violations...but...it - it wasn't like it is here. I think there's something wrong here."
Tara and Dawn leaned closer to hear Buffy.
"There's - There's this manager, right, and he's all scary and mysterious, you know? And then there's the secret ingredient. And - And the people that work here? They're - They're kind of strange, you know? They just...just stare into space...plus they disappear."
"Disappear, poof?" Dawn asked.
"No, not poof. Well, I don't think so. I don't know. Maybe it's just the video that's freakin' me out." Buffy wrinkled her nose. "With the cow and the chicken, all swirly together."
Tara made a disgusted face. "Mm, make me hungry, why don't you?" She looked up at the menu board. "How about two of those delicious Medley Meals?"
"Okay, you got it. On me." Buffy moved away.
Tara gave Buffy a warm smile. "Thanks. I think you'll be fine once you settle into the routine."
Buffy returned with a tray containing two Medley Meals. "Here you go, and I double-sized 'em for ya."
"Oh, thanks!" Dawn unwrapped her burger and took a big bite.
"And cut way back on the cat."
"Cat?!" Dawn asked in shock, her mouth full.
Buffy smiled. "Just kidding."
Dawn gave a sarcastic laugh.
Buffy lost her smile. "Probably."
That night, there were a few customers sitting and eating. Gary was clearing trash off the tables.
Buffy was leaning on the cash register, bored. "Sloooow night."
Buffy looked behind her at an older female employee, who was just standing and staring into space.
Buffy sighed, walked over, and tugged the woman's sleeve. "Gina."
Gina slowly turned her entire body to Buffy. Her expression was still blank.
Buffy waved a hand in front of her face, then took off her cap. "Since it's slow, do you think they'll mind if I take another break?"
"We're not allowed. Downtime robs us all."
"Mm, thus quoth Manny. There's no one here." Buffy walked away.
Later, Buffy and Gina were working the counter.
Buffy handed a bag of food to a customer. "Double meat is double sweet. Enjoy!"
"Thank you." The customer took the food and left.
Gina gave Buffy a strange look.
Buffy felt defensive. "Just something I'm trying."
Tara walked up to the counter. "Hey, sorry I'm late."
"Oh, time has no meaning here. Gina, I'm taking a break." Buffy took her hat off and started to move off.
Tara gave Gina a smile and followed Buffy.
In the employee lounge. Tara was sitting cross-legged in a chair at a long table, silently reading the motivational posters on the wall: "Dedication", "Productivity", "Cooperation", and "Motivation".
Buffy walked over with two paper cups filled with regular Pepsi.
Tara smiled. "I have this sudden motivation to dedicate my productive cooperation."
Buffy handed her a cup of soda. "Well, if you close your eyes and repeatedly smash yourself in the head with frozen meat, it'll go away." She sat down next to Tara. "Eventually. I'm hoping. Thanks for coming by."
"Of course. Have you discovered anything weird yet?" Tara took a sip of Pepsi.
"Oh, where do I begin?" Buffy took a sip of Pepsi. "Nothing deadly...yet...but, yeah, plenty of weirdness is afoot - mixed in with the utterly mundane."
Tara smiled. "Or udderly."
Buffy laughed. "Thanks, I needed that. I've been stuck wearing this stupid-ass uniform all day, and I've found nothing."
Tara laughed. "Hey, blinding orange is your very best color. And that - that...burger smell is appealing."
Buffy was upset. "You smelled the smell?"
In Minden, Louisiana, Shannon was sitting in a parked car with her boyfriend, Alex, in the woods. The blond vampire was in the driver's seat. The couple was making out.
Shannon pulled back and grinned. "Let's fool around."
"What about your parents?" Alex asked.
Shannon started unbuttoning her shirt and took it off. "It's okay. I don't have to be home 'til midnight." She unfastened her bra and took it off.
Alex put his hands on Shannon's breasts and started groping them. Shannon pressed her lips to Alex's and kissed him passionately, breathing heavily. Alex opened his mouth. Shannon slipped her tongue into it. Then Alex forced his tongue into Shannon's mouth. Shannon reached down and unfastened Alex's belt. She unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. Alex sucked on Shannon's tongue.
Shannon broke the kiss. "Suck my titties."
Alex lowered his head and captured Shannon's right nipple between his lips. He started sucking on it.
Shannon ran her hands through Alex's hair. "Use your teeth."
Alex started plucking at Shannon's nipple with his teeth. Then he switched to her left nipple.
"Use your fangs. Take some blood."
Alex tore into Shannon's breast with his fangs, not too hard. He started sucking blood from it.
Eventually, Shannon started feeling light-headed. "Okay, that's enough."
Alex stopped. He looked up at Shannon, blood on his lips. Shannon pulled him into a deep kiss, tasting her own blood on his lips and tongue.
Shannon pulled back, lowered herself, and pulled Alex's erect penis out of his underwear. Shannon looked up at him and grinned, then took his cock into her mouth, closing her lips around it. She started sucking it eagerly, sliding her lips up and down its length. "Mmmmmmm..."
Minutes passed as Shannon lost herself in the blowjob that she was giving her boyfriend, her entire world being reduced to the room-temperature flesh within her mouth.
Alex groaned as Shannon bobbed her head up and down. Shannon felt his cock throb, and, moments later, she was rewarded for her efforts with a steady torrent of cum flooding her mouth. Shannon swallowed eagerly, not stopping until she had swallowed every last drop.
Shannon let Alex's softening dick slip from her mouth, and she smiled and smacked her lips in appreciation. "Mmmm, that was delicious."
Alex grinned and pulled Shannon into a deep kiss.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the passenger window. Startled, Shannon broke the kiss and looked.
Jessica was standing there. "Ready to go?"
"I've got plenty of time."
"Yeah, but I don't. I've gotta finish some homework."
"Why didn't you do it before we left your house?" Shannon asked.
"I wasn't thinkin'."
Shannon rolled her eyes and looked at Alex. "Sorry, I gotta go. Eat me next time?"
Alex grinned. "Sure."
Shannon quickly kissed Alex on the lips, then she picked up her bra and shirt and put them on.
She opened the door, got out of the car, and closed the door.
Alex started the car, turned on the headlights, and drove off.
Jessica looked at Shannon and grinned. "So how much spunk did he shoot?"
Shannon grinned. "Three times the recommended daily value."
Jessica grinned.
The next day, at 9:00 AM, Buffy stood behind Timothy at the time clock.
Buffy sighed. "Feels like I just left, you know?"
Timothy turned slowly to look at her. "You came back." He punched his card.
Buffy was not thrilled. "I came back."
Timothy moved away. Buffy took down her time card and punched it, then returned her card to its place. She went to walk off and found Manny standing there. She jumped and gasped.
"Gary's gone."
"Gary. Oh, the guy that helped me out at the counter yesterday?"
"He didn't show up this morning."
"Well, shift's just starting."
"He was supposed to unlock early this morning. Didn't show. Pull his card."
Buffy frowned. "Well, I'm - I'm sure, you know, he's just late." She removed Gary's card from the rack. "He didn't seem like he was leaving."
"I'm moving Timothy to counter. You're on grill."
"Me?"
"I've been watching you."
"B-But I-I don't know how to grill."
Manny smiled. "Just think. This is the last day you'll ever be able to say that."
Buffy was displeased. She walked past him.
Buffy stood beside the grill as Philip explained how it worked.
"You put the beef on the grill, you hit the button, then it beeps. You flip the beef, hit the other button, then it beeps. You put it on the bun..." He paused. "There's not a button for that."
"Repeat until insane."
Philip put meat patties on the grill. "It eliminates variation." He pushed a button. "Every burger at every Doublemeat Palace is the same."
Buffy looked at him.
"People don't like variation."
"Got it. Variety is the spice of bad."
"Mm." Philip had his arms crossed, staring at the meat.
Steam rose as the meat cooked.
"So...what's the secret ingredient?" Buffy ventured.
Philip didn't take his eyes off the grill. "It's a meat process."
"Well, what does that mean?"
"It's a process; they do it to the meat."
"But what is it?"
"It's just the name of the process."
Buffy gave up. "Oh. Yeah."
The grill beeped. Philip picked up a metal spatula and gave it to Buffy.
"So I...guess we're gonna get...kinda greasy, huh?" Buffy asked.
"Mm."
Buffy took the spatula and flipped the burgers over.
"Skin...hair...eyelashes...nostrils..."
Buffy made a disgusted face.
"...inside your ears..." Philip looked at Buffy. "You wanna look inside my ears?"
Buffy was very disgusted. "No. No, that's okay."
"Once, I noticed I couldn't hear and went to the doctor. He said it was grease...that made a plug."
"Ohh."
"Mm. They gave me a kit. Kit for cleaning my ears." Philip smiled. "It's got this little bulb mechanism."
Buffy gave him a fake smile. "Imagine that."
Philip laughed, and Buffy tried to laugh, too.
"Buffy?" Manny asked.
"Yay! It's Manny!" Relieved, Buffy put down her hat and went over to Manny.
"You're working a double shift."
"What? A...nother eight hours? Right after these eight hours? But that's...so many hours."
"You get paid for it. Plus an extra free Doublemeat Medley."
Buffy pouted. "What happened? Why the double shiftiness?"
"Gary didn't show. And now one of my grinder guys is late, too."
"But they could still show up, right? I mean...they could be anywhere."
Suddenly, Timothy slammed a huge bag of meat down onto the table beside Buffy. "Your meat's here."
Buffy made a face.
At East Hills Teen Center, Anne, Faith, and Cordelia were laying down mats in a room that they had cleared.
Anne looked at Faith. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."
Faith smiled. "C'mon, chica, a self-defense class'll be fuckin' dope, yo."
Cordelia smiled. "So is this gonna be the L.A. branch of Slayer School?"
"No!" Anne declared. "I think we can barely afford the insurance for a basic martial arts class as it is. If Buffy wants to train girls with axes and pointy sticks, that's on her; I'm not taking that risk."
Cordelia walked over to the doorway and took hold of the cabinet that was to store the protective gear. "Buffy's got insurance; she's not that incompetent."
Faith rushed over and grabbed the other side of the cabinet. "Oh, hey, Cordy, hang on, lemme give you a hand with that."
Cordelia and Faith lifted the cabinet and brought it into the room.
"Where do you want it, boss?" Faith asked Anne.
Anne pointed at an empty spot in the back corner. "Over there."
"Has there been any interest in the class yet?" Cordelia asked.
Anne shook her head. "Not yet."
Cordelia and Faith set the cabinet down.
Faith looked at Cordelia. "Oh, uh, Cooper twins."
"Who?" Anne asked.
Faith looked at Anne. "Justine and Julia Cooper. Redheads. I saved Julia from a vampire attack last summer. They're thirty; I hope that's okay."
Anne thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "Fine."
That night, Todd, a young man about Buffy's age, was leaning against the wall nearby, eating a burger, while Buffy used a scraper to scrape the grease from the top of the grill. A bucket of grease sat beside it.
"You see, Buffy, the thing you gotta learn about the Palace, and this takes a while, is that job security all boils down to one simple thing."
Buffy looked over at Todd expectantly.
"Politics."
Buffy paused in confusion, then resumed scraping.
"Now, I'm not a political animal, but you learn fast around here, or it's wham! Hello, glass ceiling."
Buffy made a face as she lifted a spatula full of grease. Todd tipped the bucket, so she could dump the grease into it. She resumed scraping.
"I mean...it's not like we work at Burger King or McDonald's, where the power structure is simple. No, here at the Palace, you gotta keep your friends close, but your enemies? Closer."
Buffy nodded, rolling her eyes.
"It's like Machiavelli says."
Buffy was confused.
"You know Machiavelli, right?"
"Tall guy, bleached mullet, works day shifts?"
Todd laughed. "Machiavelli was..."
Buffy tuned him out and put nine burgers on the grill to cook. After a while, she used a spatula to flip them over.
"And that's where even your best political minds can drop the ball. Zeitgeist! You're not taking the pulse of the public, the next thing you know, you're LBJ handing the house keys over to Nixon. You know, we're out of special sauce."
"I'll get it."
"No, no. Your turn up front. I'll deal back here. You take the customers."
Buffy was less than thrilled.
"Ooh, don't forget to lock up before you go, and the gum under the tables? Be sure to give it a good scrape before you leave."
"May I?" Buffy asked sarcastically. She turned and walked off.
Later, Buffy lowered a basket of uncooked french fries into the vat of hot oil. It began to bubble and sizzle. Buffy looked at another basket, which was sitting above the oil. The oil underneath it bubbled wildly. Timothy and Buffy stood side-by-side, staring mesmerized at the boiling oil.
"It's boiling with nothing in it. Sometimes, it does that. They say bugs fall in there." Timothy paused. "Oh, I'm back. You can go on your break now."
Buffy snapped out of it, then turned to walk away. Buffy took off her cap and ran her hand through her hair.
Later, Buffy was cooking fries on her own. A pile of French fries sat in a hopper under a heat lamp. More fries were in the boiler, cooking. The fryer beeped, and she removed the basket of cooking fries from the hot oil, then set it to drain. She grimaced and turned to walk away, bored.
"Buffy." Manny stood a few feet away, next to a counter. "Buffy."
Buffy turned toward him. "What?"
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were on drugs."
"I'm good."
Manny stared at her for a moment, then turned away.
"I wish I was on drugs." Buffy turned and walked back to the French fries. She lifted the basket out of the fryer and dumped its contents into the hopper under the heat lamp. She saw the new batch of fries was burnt black. "Shit."
During her latest break, Buffy went to the graveyard for a quick patrol. "'Get the double treat that's the double sweet; oh, it's hard to beat when the meat meets-'" She paused. "Fuck, why can't I get this stupid jingle out of my head?"
A vampire jumped out in front of her. "Least of your problems now, little girl."
Buffy sighed. "Okay, let's do this." She pointed at him. "Quickly."
The vampire swung at her. She ducked, then punched him. He reeled aside and kicked her. He grabbed her by the upper arms and pulled her toward him, moving to bite her neck as she struggled to shove him away.
Then the vampire pulled back, still holding her. "What's that smell?" He sniffed. "Jeez, Slayer, is that you?"
"I've been working!" Buffy told him.
"Where, in a slaughterhouse?!"
Buffy pouted. "Doublemeat Palace."
"Ohhh." He let go and backed away. "You know what? Let's just call it a night."
Buffy was surprised.
"If it's all the same to you; and you've been eating that shit; I'm not so sure I wanna bite you."
"You're dead! You smell like it!"
The vampire shrugged and nodded.
"How do you get to say I'm the one that's stinky?" Buffy pouted.
"Really, it's - it's cool, I'll just catch you next time."
Buffy threw a stake into his heart. He groaned and died.
Buffy felt triumphant for a moment, then lowered her head to sniff herself. She made a face and walked off.
Later, Buffy watched ground meat extruding out of a grinder. The blades were rotating and moving chunks of meat around with them. The ground meat oozed out into the hopper.
Suddenly, Buffy crouched down and dug around in the ground meat with her hands. She found a severed human finger, picked it up, and looked at it.
Buffy rushed into Manny's office, holding the finger. He was hanging up a framed poster reading "Dedication".
"Look! Look what I found under the meat grinder!" Buffy yelled.
Manny looked. "Oh, my God."
"Wanna tell me what's going on?"
"I'm not sure."
"Try again."
Manny looked nervous. "Well...there was an accident, maybe six weeks ago, a grinder incident."
"Right, but, see, this isn't six weeks old. This is new."
"It is? Oh...well, maybe Gary did come in this morning or, I don't know, late last night; maybe there was an accident. Got himself to the hospital."
"Right. Maybe he's in the hospital. Or maybe he's in the grinder! Huh? Huh? Meat process, secret ingredient? Maybe Gary's on the grill! Or maybe he's under the pickle chips!" Buffy yelled.
She turned and ran off.
"Buffy. Buffy!" Manny yelled.
Buffy ran through the kitchen and into the customer area.
"Stop! Stop! Everyone, you have to stop! Stop eating!" Buffy shoved a customer's tray, so it spilled, then grabbed a burger from another customer's hand.
Buffy saw the family from her first day on the job. The little boys began to cry as Buffy grabbed their food away from them.
"No, you can't have this! It's not beef! It's people!" Buffy continued to run through the restaurant, shoving customers' trays off their tables. "The Doublemeat Medley is people!"
Manny and Timothy ran over and grabbed her, then began hauling her back toward the kitchen.
"The meat layer is definitely people! It's people! It's people! Probably not the chickeny part. But who knows? Who! Knows!" Buffy yelled.
The people stared at her.
The old woman from before pushed to the front, holding up a half-eaten pie. "What about the cherry pie?"
Manny and Timothy managed to wrestle Buffy back into the kitchen area. She shoved Timothy aside with one arm.
"What are you doing? I thought you were part of the team!" Manny yelled.
Buffy backhanded Manny, and he flew onto a counter, slid across it, and onto the floor. Philip rushed Buffy, and she shoved him back with Slayer strength. He flew across the room.
Manny lay on the floor, glaring up at Buffy. "You are fired."
Buffy gave him an angry look and stormed out.
Buffy, Dawn, and Katrina were in the kitchen at home.
"There's something wrong at the Doublemeat Palace. Really wrong." Buffy turned and walked over toward the counter.
Katrina got up and followed. "Have you been demon-fighting? Is that why you smell funny?"
"No! I'm talking about..." Buffy paused, sniffed her shirt, pulled some hair in front of her face, sniffed it, and made a face. "Ucch. That's great. That's - That's just great. I try to do the simplest thing in the world - get an ordinary job in a well-lit place - and look: I'm right back where I started. Blood and death and funky smells." She fiddled with the wrapped severed finger on the counter. "Look. Look what I found near the grinder." Buffy removed some tissue paper that she had wrapped the severed finger in.
"Ew." Katrina paused. "Whose is it?"
"I don't know. It might be this guy named Gary, the only one in the whole place that didn't seem all brain-dead. He didn't show up this morning. Except now I think he was there the whole time. As the secret ingredient. We need to analyze that burger. We need to find out if it used to be people."
Dawn turned from the island in alarm. Her mouth was full of burger. "What?!"
Buffy and Katrina turned to look at her. The empty burger wrapper was on the island beside her.
Dawn swallowed. "People?"
"Dawn, you ate the burger?!" Buffy asked incredulously.
Dawn stood up, frantic. "Well, first you say it's cat, then you come in and hand me a burger, blah, blah, blah, five minutes later: 'Oh, and, by the way, it happens to be hot, delicious human flesh'!"
Buffy was irritated. "I needed that burger to analyze it. Now, I'm gonna have to get another one."
"That's your problem with this scenario? You getting seconds?" Dawn asked.
Amy walked into the kitchen. "What's going on? More sibling rivalry? Did someone say something about food?"
Dawn took a deep breath and gestured at the empty wrapper. "You missed the Gary Burger. You wouldn't want any. Apparently, the Doublemeat Medley is people." She belched and put her hand over her mouth.
Amy looked at the burger wrapper in disgust. "Whoa. Bad."
Buffy started thinking. "I bet it's not even just this one time. Or even this one town. There are Doublemeat Palaces all over California."
Dawn was disgusted. "I've eaten there a lot."
"Well, everyone has! They've got the perfect deal. Everyone expects high turnover of the employees, they get the meat for nothing, and..." Buffy paused in realization. "And they have us disposing of the bodies! How sick is that? We need to bring down the whole corporation. Trina, Dawn ate the burger; is there any way for sure to figure out what it was?"
Amy looked at Dawn. "You ate it?"
Dawn didn't want to talk about it. "Um, we have the wrapper. There's little scribbles of meat on the wrapper."
Katrina nodded. "I can start analyzing it at the college's chem lab."
Buffy picked up her jacket. "Okay, good, you get working on that. It's after closing, so I'm gonna go there and see what I can find out. Whoever or...whatever is killing the employees, I gotta stop it, and fast, before Sunnydale turns into the Troublemeat Palace."
Everyone looked at Buffy.
"I wish I'd said something else." Buffy left the kitchen.
Katrina picked up the wrapper and left the kitchen as well.
Amy walked over and sat next to Dawn.
Dawn looked at Amy. "My friend, Janice? Her sister's a lawyer."
"You wanna sue over the burger?" Amy asked her.
"No, I just mean..." Dawn sighed. "Buffy's never gonna be a lawyer or a doctor. Anything big."
"She's a Slayer. She saves the whole world. That's way bigger."
"But that means she's gonna have, like, shit jobs her entire life, right?" Dawn asked. "Minimum wage shit. I mean...I could still grow up to be anything. But for her...this is it."
Amy started thinking about how Katrina saw her.
Buffy walked slowly through the dark restaurant. She opened the door to the walk-in freezer and walked in, looking around. The door began to swing shut behind her. She grabbed it just before it locked her in. She left the freezer.
Buffy touched one of the blades of the meat grinder, then looked at her fingers and sniffed them. She crouched down to look at the opening where the ground meat came out. She heard a metallic noise coming from behind her.
Buffy turned and frowned. "Manny?"
She got up and started walking in that direction. Suddenly, she tripped over something and fell down. She saw a shoe with a severed foot in it. The ankle stump was bloody. The shoes were the style that Manny was wearing earlier.
"Ohh. Manny?" Buffy picked it up, stood up again, and wrinkled her nose. "Guess you really were a lifer." Buffy walked slowly through the kitchen, still holding the severed foot. She saw something on a table. "Scalp?" She put the foot down on the table and stared at the thing. "Wig!" She picked it up. "Wig lady?"
"Oh, dear."
Buffy turned to find the old lady standing behind her, bald.
"Wig lady, is that what they call me?"
Buffy stared at her, frowning.
"I don't care for that." She took a few steps closer. "I mean...I have to do something to hide this."
A huge snake-like thing pushed its way out of the top of her bald head. Its eyes were her eyes, so it left her face eye-less and sagging. It had a round, bald head and a toothy mouth with the eyes underneath the mouth. It extended to ten feet long, still connected to the old lady, and hovered in the air in front of Buffy's face. The face on the end of it squealed and suddenly squirted a mist at Buffy. Buffy tried to get away but found she couldn't move.
"It's paralyzing. Don't try to move, dear. You really can't...much."
The snake-head thing continued to squeal and move toward Buffy as she tried to back away. Buffy managed to break free and jump to the side as the creature struck out at her.
"The paralysis spreads upward, by the way. You may want to flail your arms a bit while you still can."
Buffy was struggling away slowly, gripping the counter for support.
The wig lady followed. "Did I tell you? You're my favorite."
Buffy glanced back and continued trying to get away.
"Doublemeat workers. You're all so full of Doublemeat burgers, and you just slide down so smooth."
Buffy reached the end of the counter that she was leaning on, fell to the floor, and tried to push herself back up.
"Oh, I just love the paralysis. It means I can eat you slowly."
The snake head was right up in Buffy's face. Suddenly, she punched it, and it flew aside, squealing. Buffy began crawling along the floor, using mainly her arms.
Buffy reached the other side of a metal counter and sat up beside it, using her hands to pull her paralyzed legs up beside her. She grunted, then was alarmed and tried to be quiet.
"I know you're under there."
The snake head squealed. Buffy cringed.
"Buffy? Are you in there?" Katrina asked.
Buffy looked around. Katrina's voice seemed to come from nowhere, sounding tinny. Then Buffy realized Katrina must have been talking into the microphone at the drive-thru ordering station outside.
"I can't see you inside."
Buffy crouched behind a metal table with the wig lady on the other side. Buffy was alarmed and began to move again, pulling herself along the floor beside the metal counter.
"Buffy, if you're in there, the burger isn't people."
Suddenly, the snake head came between the sections of the counter and faced Buffy, squealing. She gasped and ducked down to slither underneath the bottom shelf.
"They aren't even meat; it's all processed vegetables. Isn't that weird?" Katrina asked.
Buffy pulled herself along underneath the counter. Buffy poked her head out from under the table, looking around cautiously.
"Buffy?" Katrina asked.
Buffy looked around, didn't see anything, and began to crawl out. Suddenly, the wig lady appeared, the snake head in Buffy's face again. She slid back underneath the counter, but the wig lady bent over, grabbed Buffy's shoulders, and hauled her out and onto her feet.
Then the lady just stood there as the snake head began to bite at the shoulder of Buffy's jacket. Buffy gasped in pain, then reached behind her, trying to find something on the counter that she could use as a weapon, but she only managed to push some stuff off onto the floor. The wig lady grabbed Buffy again and shoved Buffy across the room. Buffy bumped up against the meat grinder, and her hand hit the red button. The grinder blades began to whirl. The snake head still had hold of Buffy's shoulder and was biting her. Buffy was completely paralyzed.
Katrina opened the door that Buffy had ripped open and ran in. "Buffy!"
The wig lady and the snake head both turned to look at Katrina. "Visitor! How nice."
The snake head spat its paralyzing liquid at Katrina, who shrieked and jumped aside. The wig lady and snake head turned back to Buffy. It resumed biting Buffy.
Suddenly, Katrina arrived behind the wig lady. "Missed me."
Katrina lifted a metal stool and stabbed, severing the snake body right above the wig lady's head. The snake mouth squealed and let go of Buffy, leaving a bloody wound on her shoulder. Buffy fell to the floor. The wig lady groaned and swayed back and forth. The severed stump on her head oozed yellow liquid. The lady and the severed snake creature fell to the floor, beside Buffy. The creature was still wriggling and squealing.
"Buffy!" Katrina yelled.
Buffy lifted her hand, holding a plastic butter knife. She stabbed the snake with it. It continued to squeal.
Katrina ran over and grabbed the snake creature, wrestled it up, and threw it into the grinder. All seemed quiet for an instant, then the snake head reappeared over the edge of the grinder compartment, squealing. Katrina screamed and shoved it back down into the grinder. The squealing noises died away, accompanied by disgusting squishy noises.
Katrina leaned down and helped Buffy up. "Buffy, are you all right?"
"Para...lyzed, but...I think it's wearing off."
Katrina smiled. "Buffy, look!"
Buffy and Katrina looked inside the grinder as the blades went round and round, chopping the gray-green creature into smaller bright green pieces with lots of yellowish blood. Buffy and Katrina then looked over to the part where the ground meat came out. Ground-up green snake meat started oozing out.
Buffy and Katrina frowned in disgust. "Ewwwww."
The next day, on a bright, sunny morning, at the Summers' house, Amy walked downstairs, into the basement, carrying the laundry basket.
She walked over to the laundry machine, set the basket on top of the dryer, opened the laundry machine, and started putting the laundry in.
Katrina walked downstairs and over to Amy. "Hey."
"Hey." Amy picked up the bottle of laundry detergent, opened it, and poured some into the machine. "We need detergent."
"I'll add it to the shopping list, so we won't forget."
Amy smiled. "I'll hold you to that. If they start calling me 'stinky Amy', I'm just gonna say 'Hey, not my fault...'"
Katrina laughed.
Chapter 126: The Bright Light of Dawn
Chapter Text
"The Bright Light of Dawn"
Written by Mark Moore
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
Dawn spun around dramatically, crossbow raised. She stared menacingly at her own reflection in her full-length mirror. "Do you feel lucky, punk? Go ahead:...get a clue." She paused, lowering the crossbow, considering. "Nah." She raised the crossbow. "Taste my bolt, you undead dolt." She made a face. "I'm gonna give you to the count of ten to get yer ugly, yella, no-good-"
"Dawn, you're gonna be late for school!" Buffy yelled from downstairs. "Come down and eat breakfast!"
Dawn rolled her eyes dramatically and set the loaded crossbow down on her bed. She headed for the door.
Miss Kitty Fantastico ran into the room. Dawn barely avoided walking into her. Miss Kitty hopped onto Dawn's bed. Suddenly, the crossbow went off, and the bolt went into one of the walls.
"Shit! Shit!" Dawn ran over to her bed, grabbed the crossbow, threw it into her closet, and slammed the door shut.
"Dawn, your omelet's getting cold!" Buffy yelled.
"Coming!" Dawn headed for the door, suddenly remembered her bookbag, grabbed it off her desk, and ran out into the hallway.
She ran downstairs, through the dining room, and into the kitchen.
Buffy was putting the omelet from the frying pan onto Dawn's plate. Tara was just finishing eating her own omelet, and Buffy's plate and silverware were already in the sink.
Dawn set her bookbag on the island and sat down. She picked up her fork and knife. "Whadda we got?"
Buffy smiled. "I felt like hamming it up today." She put the pan and spatula in the sink.
"Should I be worried?" Dawn asked.
Buffy considered. "Well...it's my first time. Be gentle."
Dawn cut a piece and took a bite. "Hmmm..." She chewed and swallowed. "Not bad. Could use some chocolate syrup."
Tara stood up and took her plate and utensils over to the sink. "Well, I thought it was very good, sweetie."
Buffy smiled. "Mmm, thank you."
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips and put her plate and utensils in the sink. Then she sat down at the island again. "So, Dawnie, you ready for tryouts?"
"I hope so. I'm kinda nervous."
Tara gave Dawn a reassuring smile. "Just do your best. We're proud of you, no matter what."
Buffy picked up her textbook and folder. "C'mon, Dawn, scarf it down and get your ass in gear. You're gonna make us all late."
Dawn ate as quickly as she could, then she picked up her plate.
"Leave it, Dawn." Tara stood up and picked up her textbook and folder. "We'll clean it later."
During the brief drive to Sunnydale Junior High School, Dawn commandeered the radio and subjected Buffy and Tara to "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" by Britney Spears, which her guardians actually didn't mind.
Buffy pulled the Jeep up near the school entrance and parked. Dawn unfastened her seatbelt and unlocked and opened her door and was about to get out.
Buffy was looking at her sister in the rearview mirror. "Bag."
Dawn quickly grabbed her bookbag and got out of the Jeep. "Thanks." She closed the door. "You guys will be at tryouts, right?"
Tara smiled. "Of course. We'll all be there."
Dawn turned and headed toward the school. Buffy put the Jeep in Drive and pulled away.
Dawn entered the school and headed for her homeroom.
Lisa joined her. "Hey, what up, D?"
"Not much."
"You ready for your oral presentation in English?"
Dawn looked at her. "Shit, was that today?"
Lisa looked at her in surprise.
Dawn smiled. "Kidding. Yeah, I think I've got enough material."
"Have you practiced it?"
"Of course. I've been doing nothing but...practicing in the mirror."
During lunch, Dawn sat alone at a table, silently mouthing the words of her English presentation.
Lisa, Amanda, and Janice arrived with their trays, set them down, and sat down. Dawn quickly put her paper away.
"What's that?" Janice asked.
"Nothing." Dawn zipped up her bookbag.
Lisa grinned. "C'mon, let us see."
"No!" Dawn insisted. "It's...confidential."
"What, like secret spy stuff?" Janice asked.
"Well, you guys are always saying I'm on your case about one thing or another." Dawn laughed at her own little joke.
"Did you guys here?" Amanda asked. "Kirstie got a nose job."
"No!" Dawn exclaimed. "Does it look atrocious? Are we gonna get to ridicule her?"
Amanda smiled. "From what I've heard, yes and yes."
Dawn squealed in excitement. "Ooh, I can't wait!"
Dawn walked into English class. She immediately noticed Kirstie, who was sitting in the back row, her textbook open and raised in front of her. Dawn took her seat. The bell rang.
Ms. Trachtenberg walked to the front of the classroom. "Okay, everyone, I trust you're all ready to deliver your oral reports."
Dawn opened her bookbag and took out her paper.
"Ms. Garner?" Ms. Trachtenberg asked. "It's report day. You didn't need to bring your textbook with you."
Dawn looked at her. Kirstie slowly lowered her textbook, revealing a cast. The class - including Dawn - started laughing at her. Kirstie looked very embarrassed.
Ms. Trachtenberg slammed a book down on her desk. "That's enough! Anyone that laughs again will get sent to the office and fail this report."
The class settled down.
"Okay, let's get started."
"Next up: Dawn."
Dawn picked up her paper, stood up, and walked to the front of the classroom. She turned and faced the class. Kirstie scowled at her. Dawn felt nervous.
"Whenever you're ready, Dawn."
"I, uh, I'm doing my report on 'Immortality', a poem written by Clare Harner in 1934. It's often incorrectly attributed to Mary Elizabeth Frye, but she plagiarized it. I chose this poem, because one of my guardians, Tara, recited it at my mom's funeral last year." Dawn looked at her paper. "'Do not stand by my grave and weep. I am not there; I do not sleep. I am the thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints in snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. As you awake with morning's hush, I am the swift, up-flinging rush of quiet birds in circling flight. I am the day transcending night. Do not stand by my grave and cry. I am not there; I did not die.'"
Dawn lowered the paper and looked out at her classmates. They sat, staring at her and waiting. Dawn froze. She made eye contact with Lisa, who nodded encouragingly.
"When my mom died, I struggled with the very concept of what happened to her. That morning, she was there. She dropped me off at school like always. She said something to me as I got out of the Jeep." Dawn paused, starting to cry. "I can't even remember what it was. It's the last thing that she ever said to me, and I can't remember. My sister came to school to tell me. I was a wreck for the rest of the day. All of my petty problems just seemed so stupid compared to...my mom...just being...gone. I couldn't function. I...didn't know what to do with myself. I yelled. I was angry. So angry. At who? At what? My sister. God. I dunno. I asked my sister: 'Where'd she go?' She didn't have an answer to that." Dawn swallowed. "That's really scary. For all of the religions in the world, we really don't know what happens to us when we die. A lot of people claim they know, but they don't. This poem helped me to deal with my grief and offered me more comfort than any religious passage ever could. As much as I would like to believe there's life after death, we simply don't know. And if there isn't, well, none of us will ever know. But what I think the poem is saying is...'That's okay.' Because our loved ones 'live on' in our memories. Any sight, sound, or movement that we experience could trigger a memory of the one that we lost. And...as long as that happens...they're still in this world...so to speak. Thank you."
Her classmates applauded - even Kirstie. Dawn walked back to her desk and sat down.
After English class, Dawn and Lisa walked into the girls' restroom. Amanda and Janice were already there.
"So did you see Kirstie in English?" Janice asked.
Lisa grinned. "Yeah, she's got a big old cast on her nose. That job must've been botched as hell."
Janice and Amanda laughed. Dawn didn't feel like joining in.
Suddenly, Dawn heard a sound. "Guys, shut up."
They did.
Dawn distinctly heard the sound of crying. She walked over to the far stall and looked through the small gap between the door and the frame. Kirstie was sitting on the toilet.
"Kirstie?" Dawn asked hesitantly.
"Go away!" Kirstie yelled.
"I...I'm sorry. Can we talk?" Dawn asked. "Please?"
"Dawn, let the rich bitch cry over her botched nose job!" Lisa exclaimed.
Dawn turned on her. "Shut your fucking mouth!"
Lisa stared at Dawn in shock.
Dawn tried to get her anger under control. "Please. Just leave. I'll see you later."
Lisa, Janice, and Amanda left the restroom.
Dawn turned to the stall. "Kirstie, please come out. They're gone."
Soon, the door opened. Kirstie was standing there. Her face was red.
"I'm very sorry that I laughed at you." Dawn paused. "I had no right."
Kirstie didn't look any better. She started crying again.
"What happened?" Dawn suddenly asked.
Kirstie looked away from her.
"Kirstie, please. You can trust me."
"I, uh, I bumped into a wall."
Dawn stared at her. "Bullshit."
Kirstie looked at her and tried to laugh. "It's nothing, just a...stupid argument. It's nothing."
"Who did it?" Dawn pressed.
"No-Nobody. It was m-my fault."
"Kirstie, I want you to come with me to the guidance counselor's office right now."
"No."
"Yes, Kirstie. Whatever happened to you, you need to talk with someone about it."
"No, if I talk, he-he'll be humiliated. He ju-just...lost his temper, that's all."
Dawn took her by the arm and pushed her up against the sink in front of the mirror. "Look at yourself. Why are you protecting him? Anybody that really loved you couldn't do this to you."
Kirstie stared at her reflection in the mirror.
"Will you talk to someone, or do I have to?" Dawn asked her.
Kirstie sighed. "I will."
"Good." Dawn headed for the door.
Kirstie followed. They left the restroom together and started walking toward the guidance counselor's office.
"And Kirstie?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah?"
"Would you come by my house tonight?" Dawn requested. "At about 8:00 PM?"
"Why?"
"There's someone that I want you to meet."
After her last class of the day, Dawn went into the girls' locker room and changed into her gym clothes, then she went out to the track. She started doing stretches.
Lisa walked up to her. "So what the fuck was up with your outburst earlier?"
"Kinda self-explanatory, I think."
Janice walked over to them. "You were really rude, Dawn. The sisterhood is supposed to stick together."
"Guys...we were wrong, okay?" Dawn told them.
"What do you mean?" Janice asked.
Dawn shook her head, refusing to comment further.
Janice frowned. "You know something. Spill."
Dawn kept her mouth shut.
Amanda walked over to them. "Janice, Lisa, maybe we oughta drop it, huh?"
"Dawn!" Buffy called from the stand.
Dawn got up and ran over to the stand, where Buffy, Tara, Amy, Katrina, and Emily were seated in the front row.
Dawn grinned in delight. "Emily! Hi! You came to watch me try out?"
Emily smiled. "Of course."
"That means so much to me! You're my inspiration! I've watched all of your meets!" Dawn exclaimed.
Emily felt a bit uneasy. "That's great."
"Any last-minute advice?" Dawn asked.
Emily smiled. "Just do your best."
"Dawn Summers!" the coach called.
Dawn ran over to her.
"Hundred meters. Crouch start. On your mark."
Dawn walked onto the track.
The coach held up her stopwatch. "Get set!"
Dawn crouched and got into position.
"Go!"
Dawn took off, running as fast as she could. Her family and friends cheered and applauded for her.
"Go, Dawnie!" Tara called.
"You can do it!" Amy yelled.
Dawn reached the finish line.
"Way to go, Dawn!" Katrina yelled.
Dawn crouched, hunched over, and took a lot of deep breaths. Then she straightened and walked over to the stand.
Emily grinned. "You did great!"
Dawn smiled. "Thanks."
After tryouts, in celebration of Dawn making the track team, Buffy stopped by Pizza Hut and ordered three supreme pizzas: one with anchovies for Dawn and two without for everyone else.
Dawn, Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina sat at the island in the kitchen, eating pizza. Buffy called the Hyperion in Los Angeles and got her friends on the phone. She turned on the speaker.
"Hey, I hear congratulations are in order!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Dawn smiled. "You heard right, so let's hear 'em!"
"Way to go, Dawnie!" Harmony cheered.
"Congrats, brat!" Faith cheered.
Dawn made a face. "Thank you, you're too kind."
That evening, in the backyard, Slayer School was in session. Buffy and Tara stood in front of their students, leading them in performing a kata.
The back door opened, and Katrina walked out of house, followed by Kirstie.
Dawn - and various other students in the class - stopped what they were doing and looked at her.
Tara noticed. "Uh, let's take five, everyone."
Kirstie walked over to Dawn.
Dawn gave her a small smile. "You came."
"Yeah."
"So how'd it go with the counselor?"
"She called in the school resource officer, and I repeated everything that I told her. I was taken off school grounds and to the police station."
"Why?"
"Because...the guy that did it...goes to our school."
Dawn felt a chill. "Is he gonna be arrested?"
"I don't know."
"But he hit you."
"That might not matter."
Dawn stared at Kirstie, dumbfounded.
Kirstie started to cry. "This is the hardest thing that I ever had to do."
"I'm sorry."
Kirstie shook her head. "Not your fault. I, uh, I wanna thank you, Dawn. I..." She broke down, sobbing.
Dawn pulled Kirstie into a big hug. Kirstie hugged Dawn, sobbing into her neck.
Kirstie finally looked at Dawn. "Who did you want me to meet?"
"Debbie!" Dawn called.
Debbie, who had been chatting with Emily, walked over to the girls.
Dawn gestured. "Kirstie, this is Debbie Foley. She went to school with my sister."
Debbie nodded. "Still do, actually. UC Sunnydale. I'm studying to become a counselor."
Kirstie shot Dawn an angry look. "You told her?"
Dawn shook her head. "I didn't tell her anything, I swear, other than she might be able to help you."
Debbie stared into Kirstie's eyes. "I'm still years away from completing my program, but...if you ever wanna talk, y'know, to someone closer to your own age."
Kirstie paused. "Maybe."
Dawn left the two of them alone and walked over to her sister, who was standing by the table, drinking fruit punch.
Buffy smiled. "Y'know, that was pretty amazing, what you did."
Dawn opened the bottle and poured fruit punch into a cup for herself. "I dunno what you're talking about, and neither do you."
"Not precisely, but I can infer from context."
"Well, you saved Debbie's life, so I figured-"
"I can't take all of the credit. It was a team effort."
"And so it will be with Kirstie." Dawn took a sip of fruit punch as she watched Kirstie and Debbie talk.
Buffy put her free arm around Dawn. "I'm sooo proud of you."
"You always gonna be this mushy with me?" Dawn asked, embarrassed.
"Always." Buffy kissed Dawn on top of the head. "Sister's prerogative."
Dawn smiled.
"Now, about that hole in your wall..."
Dawn looked sheepishly at her big sister. "You noticed that, huh?"
"Mmmm-hmmm."
Dawn smiled. "It was the cat's fault. I told her not to go near that crossbow."
Chapter 127: Dead Things
Chapter Text
"Dead Things"
Based on the Episode Written by Steven S. DeKnight
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
In the Summers' house, at night, Buffy entered from outside and closed and locked the front door. She tossed her keys on the table. "I'm home! Who wants to help scrape the mud off my clothes?!" She put down her jacket on the banister.
Tara walked in from the kitchen. "Hey. Ya hungry?"
"Kinda. What'd you make?"
Tara wrinkled her nose. "Um...it's like...KFC in a pot."
Buffy made a face, confused. "Huh?"
"It's ground chicken and flour mixed with herbs and spices, then fried in vegetable oil and water, and then chicken gravy mix, brown gravy mix, onion gravy mix, and mashed potatoes were added on top once it started boiling."
"Sounds like a Dawn creation."
Tara smiled, chuckling. "Right on the money. Want some?"
Buffy shrugged. "Sure, why the hell not?"
"Rough patrol?"
"Kinda."
"Well, after you get cleaned up, what do you say we curl up on the couch with some beers and get all unwindy?" Tara suggested. "Tall glasses of frosty relaxation. Nectar of the working woman."
Buffy smiled. "Mmm, sounds nice."
They heard the sound of a car horn honking outside.
Dawn ran downstairs.
"Where are you going?" Buffy asked her.
"I'm...sleeping over at Janice's?"
"And I'm falling for that again because of the surprise lobotomy?" Buffy asked.
Tara looked at her. "It's okay, I checked it out. Janice's mom is picking her up."
"Oh."
Dawn smiled. "Her mom's cooking Mexican. She's gonna teach me how to make real tortillas."
Buffy smiled. "Sounds cool. Then you can teach us."
The horn honked again. Dawn unlocked and opened the door and left, closing the door behind her.
Katrina and Amy walked downstairs.
Buffy looked at them and smiled. "Wow, look at you, dressed all snazzy."
Amy smiled. "We're going out to Olive Garden."
"What's the occasion?" Buffy asked.
Katrina shook her head. "No occasion. Jeep free?"
Buffy nodded. "All yours."
Amy looked at Katrina. "Can I drive? I could use the practice."
Katrina smiled. "Sure."
Amy grabbed her keys off the table and unlocked and opened the door. She walked outside.
"Oh, I'll be right out. Gonna spritz on some perfume!" Katrina called. She closed the door, then walked over to Buffy and Tara. "There actually is a special occasion. I'm gonna ask Amy to be my domestic partner."
Buffy grinned. "Omigod."
Tara grinned. "That's awesome! Good luck!"
"Thanks!" Katrina unzipped her purse, took out a small bottle of perfume, and spritzed it on.
Then she opened the door and walked outside.
Buffy and Tara looked at each other.
Tara smiled. "We have the house to ourselves."
Buffy smiled. "I know."
"Nude cuddling and beer drinking?" Tara suggested.
Buffy grinned and started taking off her clothes. "Frosty nectar. Now, please."
Cordelia and Faith walked away from East Hills Teen Center and toward Faith's Ford Escort.
"So any plans for tonight?" Cordelia asked.
"Thought I'd do a sweep around the neighborhood. Why? You need me at the club?" Faith asked.
"Nah. Crowd's small enough for me and Harmony to handle it."
Faith unlocked and opened her door. She got into her car and unlocked the passenger-side door. Cordelia opened it and got in the car. They closed and locked their doors.
Faith put the key in the ignition and started the engine. "Pain" by Kittie started playing on her homemade mix CD. Cordelia was suddenly overcome by an intense migraine and clutched her head in pain with both hands.
Faith looked at her. "You okay? I can turn off the music, if you want."
"No. Well, yeah, please do; your music's shit." Cordelia gritted her teeth.
Faith turned off the radio.
"But it's not that. It's a migraine."
"Maybe take something for that."
Cordelia rubbed her temples. "Yeah...maybe."
In SoHo, Manhattan, in Ramón's penthouse apartment, Kennedy and Ramón were sparring in a training room while Emma sat in a chair and watched.
Kennedy managed to block a punch to the face from Ramón with one hand and then counter-punched him in the chest with her other hand. He staggered back a bit. Kennedy did a roundhouse kick, connecting with his head. He fell to the mat. Emma applauded. Kennedy crouched and pretended to stake him in the heart with an imaginary stake.
"Good, good."
Kennedy stood up. Ramón did as well.
"All right, I think that'll do it for tonight. See you tomorrow night."
Emma stood up. She and Kennedy left the training room.
Kennedy looked at her girlfriend apologetically. "I'm sorry."
Emma looked at her. "For what?"
"For the long training session. I know it must've been super boring for you."
"I don't mind it."
"Really?"
Emma stopped walking. So did Kennedy.
Emma smiled. "Yeah. I like watching you fight. It's quite a turn-on."
Kennedy smiled. "Thanks."
Emma curled her arms around Kennedy's neck. "And I know, if you're called, you'll be one kick-ass Slayer."
"Thanks again."
Emma kissed Kennedy on the lips for a while. "Now...the big question is...do you fuck as hard as you fight?"
Kennedy grinned. "Let's go to your place, and I'll show you."
Katrina and Amy were sitting opposite each other in a booth at Olive Garden, drinking Moscato wine while browsing their menus. The place was full of people, sitting in booths, talking and drinking.
"I'll be right back. I gotta piss." Amy stood up.
Katrina smiled. "Awww, sweetie, save it for the shower."
Amy smiled. "Can't. Sorry. I promise I'll drink a lot to make up for it."
"You better." Katrina took a sip of her wine.
Amy walked away. Katrina continued drinking, lost in thought and trying to work up the courage to propose.
"So how did you get so beautiful?"
Katrina laughed sarcastically. "Okay, does that line usually work-" She turned and saw Warren, sitting beside her, wearing a suit and tie, and stopped smiling. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"It's nice to see you again, too, Katrina."
"Yeah, it's the seeing-you part that's throwing me here, Warren, because I thought I was pretty clear with the never-wanting-that-to-happen-again."
"Never's a long time, baby." Warren held up a folded bill between his fingers, gesturing to the waiter.
"Apparently not long enough."
"Oh, you're not still sore about that thing, are you?"
The waiter tried to refill Katrina's glass from the bottle of wine, but she put her hand over the glass to stop him.
"What thing would that be, exactly? What, the wind-up girl you tinkered together and then abandoned?"
"Okay, so I've made a few mistakes."
"No. No, I did. For ever lowering myself to be friends with an asshole like you." Katrina got up.
Warren stood, too, stopping her. "Don't say that."
"Well, what did you expect, to just...waltz in here and sweep me off my feet with your cheesy lines and fancy suit?"
"No, I ju-I just thought...we could talk. I thought maybe we could work things out."
"There's nothing to work out. What you did was sick. And just looking at you makes me want to vomit." Katrina gathered up her purse.
Warren reached into his jacket pocket. "You sure about that?" He put on a pair of red sunglasses.
"Yes, God, yes, I'm sure."
Warren reached into another pocket, pulled out a device, and opened his hand. The device flashed with red and yellow sparkly lights, then quickly subsided. Katrina looked at it in surprise.
Amy returned from the restroom a while later and was confused when she couldn't find Katrina.
The waiter arrived. "Are you ready to order?"
"Where's my date?" Amy asked him.
"If you're referring to the young lady that you came in with, I don't know, but I saw her talking with a young man a short while ago."
Amy stared at him in surprise. "What?"
Amy was driving the Jeep along a street with her window down, concentrating. She felt the air but couldn't sense Katrina.
"Aradia, Goddess of the lost, hear my words: the path is murky; the woods are dense; darkness pervades. I beseech thee, bring the light."
A small blue ball of light materialized in the Jeep.
"Lead me to Katrina."
The ball of light flew out of the Jeep. Amy followed it.
She soon arrived at a house. She parked the Jeep on the street.
"Yes, Warren." Katrina felt herself kneel down and a hand on the back of her head.
"Wait, what'd you just say?" a male asked.
"I said 'Yes, War-" Katrina paused in mid-word, confused.
Her vision came into focus. She was in a room. It was very red: red sheets on a bed, red lava lamp, and red wall coverings. She was looking up at Warren, who looked alarmed, and realized in horror that she was seconds away from giving him a blowjob.
Katrina looked at Warren's hand on her head, shoved it away, looked down at the black-and-white French maid outfit that she was wearing, and was outraged. "What the fuck?!"
Katrina got to her feet and pushed Warren into the other room. Jonathan and Andrew were sparring with plastic light-up Star Wars lightsabers. Warren fell to the floor. Katrina stalked up behind him, throwing the French maid hat at him. The others stopped and stared.
"What did you do to me?!" Katrina demanded, furious.
"Get the Dampener!" Warren ordered.
Jonathan and Andrew quickly dropped their toys and rushed around, looking.
"Who the hell are you?" Katrina demanded.
"Um, your masters?" Andrew replied.
"My what?!" Katrina yelled.
"Where'd you put it?!" Jonathan asked Andrew.
"You had it last!" Andrew replied.
Warren stood up.
Katrina confronted him. "Are you kidding me?!"
"Get the Dampener!" Warren yelled.
"You were gonna share me with these two dorks?!" Katrina asked, sickened.
Warren put on his red sunglasses.
"Hey! We're supervillains!" Andrew yelled.
Andrew and Jonathan rushed over. Andrew wore his sunglasses and held the Dampener.
"Call us 'Master'!" Andrew thrust his hand out with the Dampener on his palm.
Jonathan wasn't wearing his sunglasses; he put his hands quickly over his eyes. "Wait!"
The Dampener flashed briefly, weakly, and nothing. Katrina just stared at it.
Andrew sighed. "Aw, shit."
"It's out of juice!" Jonathan yelled.
Katrina looked at Warren. "Is that what you used on me?! Oh, my God! First the robot and now this?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!" She shoved Warren in the chest.
"I just - I wanted us to be together!" Warren yelled.
"There is no us, Warren! Get that through your big, meaty head! I am not your girlfriend!" Katrina yelled. "Dude, this is so fucked up!" She walked toward the other two. "You bunch of little boys, playing at being men. Well, this is not some fantasy; it's not a game, you freaks! It's rape!"
"What?" Jonathan asked, stunned.
Andrew shook his head. "No...we didn't-"
"You're all sick!" Katrina yelled, crying and still angry. She pointed at Warren. "And I'm going to make sure you get locked up for this. And then we'll see how you like getting raped." She turned to walk off.
"Stop her!" Warren yelled.
Andrew and Jonathan each grabbed an arm.
Katrina fought back. "Get off me!" She elbowed Andrew in the face, then kneed Jonathan in the face.
They both went down. Warren rushed over as Katrina started up the stairs. He grabbed her shoulder, but she pushed him off. He grabbed her again. She raked her fingernails down his face, drawing blood. Warren yelled in pain but knocked Katrina down. He grabbed a Champagne bottle and turned to hit her with it.
Suddenly, they all heard the doorbell ring, followed by pounding on the front door upstairs. Warren dropped the bottle, startled. It fell on the floor, smashing to pieces. Katrina grabbed the largest remaining piece by the neck with her left hand and jabbed Warren's left leg with it. Warren cried out in pain. Katrina kicked him away, and he fell to the floor.
Katrina crawled on top of him, straddling him. She scraped the entire length of his face with the broken Champagne bottle, tearing up his face and drawing a lot of blood.
Warren screamed and knocked the bottle out of Katrina's hand with a weak fist. He weakly started hitting her with his fists. "Die, bitch!"
Katrina screamed gutterally, put her hands around Warren's neck, and squeezed, choking him. Warren put up a struggle, but Katrina held firm, digging her fingers into his neck and strangling him. She didn't let go until he breathed his last.
Katrina stood up, staring down at Warren's unmoving body.
"Warren!" Andrew cried.
Katrina turned to look at him and Jonathan. They were staring and looked horrified.
"You killed him!" Jonathan cried.
Katrina stood in shock for a while as it sunk in.
Andrew ran at Katrina. She did a roundhouse kick, hitting him in the face. He fell to the floor. Then she did a front kick at Jonathan, hitting him in the chest. He fell as well.
Katrina turned and ran up the stairs. She was in the kitchen of some house. She didn't see a phone anywhere. She ran into the living room, opened the front door, and ran outside, colliding with Amy.
"Amy!" Katrina cried.
"Trina!" Amy hugged her. "What happened?!"
Katrina hugged Amy. "Warren kidnapped me. I think he created some kind of mind-control device. He called it a Dampener. It didn't work properly; it wore off. Amy, I killed him."
"What?" Amy asked in surprise.
"Yeah. He was about to hit me with a Champagne bottle, but then he was distracted when you rang the doorbell and pounded on the door. We fought, and then I...strangled him...to death." Katrina was still full of adrenaline. "Jonathan and Andrew were with him. I beat them up."
Amy tried to process this information. "Is there a phone in the house?"
"I didn't see one."
"Shit." Amy thought for a moment. "We're gonna go to the nearest convenience store, so I can use the payphone. I'm gonna call the cops as well as Buffy. Okay?"
Katrina nodded. "Yeah."
Buffy and Tara were snuggling together on the couch. The TV was on, but they weren't really paying attention to it.
The telephone rang.
Buffy groaned. "I don't wanna get it."
Tara smiled. "Let the machine get it. You can always pick it up, if it's important."
The answering machine played its outgoing message:
"Hi, this is Buffy."
"And Dawn."
"And Tara."
"And Amy."
"And Katrina."
"Leave a message!" they all exclaimed.
The answering machine beeped.
"Buffy, it's Amy. Pick up."
Buffy stood up and headed for the telephone.
"Please, it's an emergency."
Buffy picked up the handset and answered the call. "I'm here."
"Buffy, I need you to come to the 7-Eleven. Katrina was kidnapped from the restaurant."
"What?" Buffy asked in surprise.
"It's okay, I found her, but...um..."
"Amy, back up. What happened?" Buffy asked her.
"Warren kidnapped her and took her to his house. Well, not his house, a rental. He used some kind of mind-control thingy. They were gonna..." Amy paused, fighting back tears. "They were gonna make her their sex slave."
Buffy sighed. "Jesus Christ."
"Trina somehow broke free of the mind control, and she fought Warren off, and...she killed him."
Buffy stood in shocked silence.
"Buffy?" Amy asked.
"Yeah, I'm here. I'll, uh, I'll be right there."
"Okay. Hurry. I called the cops; you'll need to explain some stuff about Warren and back Trina up."
Buffy frowned. "Amy, tell Trina to not talk to the police. At all. I'm gonna get her a lawyer. You understand?"
"Yeah."
"Okay." Buffy ended the call and set the handset down. She looked at Tara. "Tara-"
"I heard it. Machine picked up everything." Tara picked up Buffy's clothes off the floor for her.
Buffy opened a container near the phone and flipped through the cards. She pulled out Lilah Morgan's business card.
Buffy picked up the handset and called Lilah's personal cell phone number. The phone rang.
"Please pick up."
"Lilah Morgan, Wolfram & Hart."
"Lilah, it's Buffy Summers. You represented me back in 1997."
"Oh, yes. What can I do for you?"
"I need to hire you."
"What did you do this time?"
"Not for me, for a friend. She just killed someone."
"Uh...I've got a full case load."
"Please. She's a good person. And the guy, he...wasn't. He tried to rape her."
There was silence for a while.
"Lilah?" Buffy asked.
"Sunnydale, right?"
"Yeah. How soon can you get here?"
"About three hours."
"I'm not sure where we'll be. Either the police station or my house."
"Okay."
"Please hurry."
Buffy got out of her van, which she had parked next to the Jeep. Amy and Katrina were sitting in the Jeep. Katrina was absent-mindedly sipping from a bottle of regular Pepsi. Amy opened her door, got out of the Jeep, and closed the door. She walked over to Buffy.
"How is she?" Buffy asked.
Amy sighed. "As well as can be expected, I guess. She's shocked, angry."
Buffy nodded. "It's still very new for her. She's feeling all of these raw emotions."
Amy frowned. "That fucker was an asshole. Trina did the world a favor."
"I don't disagree, but maybe don't say that aloud around the authorities?" Buffy suggested.
Amy nodded.
"The police?"
"I called the non-emergency number and spent a lot of time explaining the situation. I told them that it would be preferable if Detective Stein investigates this case, considering the extraordinary nature of it. He wasn't on duty, but they said they were gonna contact him at home, so he should be here soon."
"Okay." Buffy briefly looked over at Katrina, then at Amy again. "I called the lawyer that handled my case. She's agreed to represent Katrina, but it'll be a few hours before she gets up here."
Amy nodded, then she noticed a car pull into the parking lot. "I think Stein's here."
Buffy looked. Detective Stein pulled his car into a parking space and shut off the headlights and the engine. He opened the door, got out, closed the door, and walked over to them.
Stein nodded. "Ms. Summers."
Buffy nodded in reply.
"Are you Katrina?" Stein asked Amy.
"No, I'm Amy Madison." Amy nodded at the Jeep. "Katrina's sitting in the Jeep."
"Katrina, would you come out here, please?" Stein called.
Katrina closed her Pepsi bottle, set it in a cup holder, unlocked the door, opened it, got out of the Jeep, closed the door, and walked over to them.
"Would you mind telling me what happened?" Stein asked her.
Katrina was nervous and felt uncertain.
"Actually, I've called a lawyer. Until she arrives, maybe we should focus on the crime scene?" Buffy suggested.
Katrina was shocked. Amy shot Buffy an angry look.
"So there was a crime?" Stein asked Buffy.
"Shit!" Buffy cursed under her breath. "Not by her. But there was a crime committed. By Warren, uh, Warren..."
"Mears." Katrina briefly looked at Stein, then looked down at the pavement.
"Would you be able to take me to this place?" Stein asked.
Amy pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and offered it to Stein. "I jotted down the address before we left."
Stein took the paper from her. "Why didn't you give this to the dispatcher? Scene could have been in the process of being...processed."
Amy felt a bit nervous. "I was hoping we could all go over together...just in case."
"In case what?" Stein asked angrily.
"Uh, in case...Jonathan and Andrew try something."
"Ms. Madison, you were not about to accuse this department of improper conduct, were you?" Stein asked.
"No, sir."
Stein briefly held up the note. "I'm gonna call this in, then we'll head over there together." He headed back to his car.
Buffy turned to face Katrina and put her hands on Katrina's shoulders. "We're gonna get you through this, okay? I called Lilah Morgan. She represented me, and she's gonna represent you as well."
"How are you gonna pay for that?" Katrina asked.
"Let me worry about that."
"Thank you."
Buffy hugged Katrina. Katrina hugged Buffy.
There was a patrol car already at the house by the time that they arrived, but the officers hadn't gone inside yet. Stein led the way in, followed by Katrina, Buffy, and Amy, and the uniformed officers were behind them.
They walked through the dining room and into the kitchen.
Katrina pointed at the open basement door. "Down there."
Stein walked downstairs first, followed by Katrina, then Buffy, then Amy, then the uniformed officers.
Warren's body was still on the floor, right where Katrina had killed him. Jonathan and Andrew were also in the same places as earlier. One of the officers started taking pictures.
Katrina pointed at Warren's corpse. "That's him. Warren Mears. I killed him."
An officer went and checked for a pulse, then he nodded. The other officer went and checked on Jonathan and Andrew.
"Trina, where's that thing?" Buffy asked.
"Huh?" Katrina asked, dazed.
"The mind-control thingy."
Detective Stein gave Buffy a look.
Katrina looked around. She spotted the Dampener on the floor and pointed. "There."
Stein looked at the officer by Warren's body. "Bag it."
The other officer looked at Stein. "These two are cold."
"What?!" Katrina asked, staring in shock at their corpses. "N-No, I just fought them off. I-"
"Trina, shut up." Buffy looked from her to the officer.
The officer held up two bloody fingers of his latex glove. "Head trauma."
"Probably when they hit the floor." Stein sighed, then looked at Katrina. "You're gonna have to come down to the station until we get this sorted." He looked at the other officer and nodded.
The officer took out a pair of handcuffs and approached Katrina. "Please turn around and put your hands behind your back."
Katrina did as told. The officer fastened the handcuffs to Katrina's hands.
Amy looked at her. "Trina, sweetie." She looked at Stein. "Can I ride with her?"
"No, you may not, but you may follow."
Buffy looked at Katrina. "Katrina, listen to me. Do not say anything, no matter what they say, no matter what they promise you. You understand?"
Katrina nodded, upset.
At the police station, Katrina was allowed to use the restroom. She declined to make a phone call. She was put in the interrogation room under guard.
Buffy took Amy into the break room. Buffy got two cans of regular Pepsi from the refrigerator, and she and Amy sat at a table and drank while they waited.
"What do you think's gonna happen to her?" Amy asked.
"I don't know. I-I don't think they have a case against her, but it'll depend on how much that they believe."
Stein entered the room. "Buffy, Amy, the lawyer's here. She wants to meet with you."
Buffy and Amy stood up, finished their drinks, threw the cans in the trash can, and followed Stein back up front.
Lilah was sitting in a chair. She stood up when they approached.
Buffy gave Lilah a weak smile. "Thank you for coming."
Lilah nodded. "Before I speak to Katrina, I want you to tell me your parts of the story."
Buffy nodded. "Okay."
"And I want to interview the two of you after that. Follow me." Stein turned and walked away.
The others followed him. Stein opened the door to an empty office. Then he walked away.
Stein brought Katrina to the office. They waited outside.
The door opened, and Buffy walked out, followed by Amy. Amy hugged Katrina. Katrina hugged Amy.
Amy kissed Katrina on the lips. "It'll be okay, sweetie."
Katrina didn't say anything. They let go of each other.
Katrina walked into the office and closed the door behind her.
Lilah smiled. "Hi, Katrina, I'm Lilah Morgan. I'll be representing you."
"Hey."
"Have a seat."
Katrina sat in the chair in front of the desk. There was a tape recorder that was already recording on the desk.
"So tell me what happened."
"I had gone on a date to Olive Garden with my girlfriend, Amy. She'd gotten up to use the restroom. While she was gone, Warren Mears, an old friend from college, showed up and sat down next to me. He was dressed in a suit. He seemed to want to get together with me."
"Did you two date before?"
Katrina felt disgusted. "God, no."
"What was your friendship like?"
"It was mostly one-sided on his part. We talked about engineering. Last year, we had come back to Sunnydale for spring break. I learned he had created a sexbot and left her back at his dorm room, and she had tracked him to Sunnydale."
"A sexbot?" Lilah asked in disbelief. "This guy made a robot?"
"Yeah. I broke off all contact with Warren after that. I even moved back to Sunnydale, because I didn't want to be on the same campus as him."
"And you hadn't seen him since then?"
"Actually, I did - pretty recently, actually. He and his buddies had turned themselves invisible and wanted to kill Buffy. They'd been messing with her since last year."
"Invisible?" Lilah asked.
"Yeah."
"Do you have any proof of this?"
"I still have the gun, and the police confiscated everything from their previous base in the basement of Warren's mom's house."
Lilah took a moment to absorb all of this. "So what happened tonight?"
"I rejected him and wanted to get away from him. He pulled something out of his pocket. He later called it a Dampener."
"I've looked at the device. I've called in a technology expert from our firm to examine it. What happened next?"
"I felt disoriented. The next thing that I knew, I was kneeling before Warren in the basement of some house. We were in a room that was made up to look romantic. I was now dressed in...this." Katrina indicated the outfit that she wore. "Which means Warren probably undressed me and put me in it."
"And you have no memory of this?"
Katrina shook her head. "None."
"What happened next?"
"I knocked him out of the room and into the main room of the basement. Warren told his buddies to get the Dampener. Andrew said they were my 'masters' and 'supervillains'. He demanded I call them 'Master'. He tried to use the Dampener on me. It didn't work. Jonathan said it was 'out of juice'. Warren said he wanted us to be together. I yelled at them and told them that this was rape." Katrina was getting angry again at the memory. "I said I was gonna have them locked up. I turned to leave. Warren told the others to stop me. Andrew and Jonathan each grabbed a hold of one of my arms. I elbowed Andrew in the face and kneed Jonathan in the face. I started up the stairs. Warren grabbed me by the shoulder. I pushed him off. He grabbed me again. I scratched him hard with my fingernails. He knocked me down. He grabbed a Champagne bottle and turned to hit me with it. At that moment, Amy arrived at the house and rang the doorbell and started banging on the front door. This startled Warren. He dropped the Champagne bottle, and it broke. I grabbed a piece of it and jabbed it into Warren's leg. I kicked him away. He fell on the floor. I crawled on top of him and cut up his face with the bottle. He started hitting me, screaming 'Die, bitch!' That's when I strangled him."
"Had you ever killed anyone before that?" Lilah asked her.
Katrina shook her head. "No, never."
"What happened next?"
"Andrew ran at me. I kicked him in the face. He fell to the floor. I kicked Jonathan in the chest. He fell as well."
"Did Jonathan attack you?" Lilah asked her.
"No, b-but, as I said, he'd grabbed my arm earlier, because they wanted to mind-control me again. I kicked him to be sure he wouldn't try to stop me on my way out."
"So you didn't mean to kill them."
"Right."
"And then?"
"I ran upstairs. I wanted to call the police right away, but there was no phone, so I ran outside. Amy was there. She took me to the local 7-Eleven and bought me a soda, then she called the police and Buffy."
Lilah sat back in the chair in silence for a while. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do. I'll sit in on your interrogation, and you'll give the same account to the police that you just did to me. I'm gonna request access to the stuff that the police confiscated previously. I'm also gonna wanna see that invisibility ray."
"Buffy and Amy know where it is."
"Okay."
"So what do you think?" Katrina asked.
"I think, if everything checks out, you probably won't have to worry about any kind of charges. But prepare for a long night."
Buffy, Amy, and Stein exited the interrogation room. Katrina and Lilah were waiting.
"You ready?" Stein asked.
Lilah nodded. "Let's do it."
Stein looked at Buffy and Amy. "You two are free to go. I'll call if I have any more questions."
Amy looked at Katrina. "I'll stick around and drive you home, sweetie."
Katrina shook her head. "Oh, you don't have to, sweetie. You should go home and get some rest."
"Are you sure?" Amy asked her.
Katrina nodded.
Buffy looked at Amy. "I'll stay with her, Amy."
"Thanks." Amy kissed Katrina on the lips. "I love you."
Katrina smiled briefly. "I love you, too."
Amy walked away. Katrina, Lilah, and Stein walked into the interrogation room, and Stein closed the door behind him. Buffy headed to the front to wait.
Katrina and Lilah sat on one side of the table in the interrogation room. Stein sat across from them.
Stein turned on a tape recorder, inserted a blank tape, cued it, and pressed Record. "Saturday, January 12, 2002, 10:25 PM. Detective Paul Stein, homicide." He looked at Katrina. "Please state your full name for the record."
"Katrina Silber."
"Did you say Silber or Silver?"
"Silber. S-I-L-B-E-R."
"And your date of birth?"
"December 10, 1980."
"Okay, start at the beginning. When did you meet Mr. Mears?"
"At Caltech...about...a year ago." Katrina thought for a moment. "Yeah, it was Buffy's birthday, and I had called her earlier in the day, so January 19, 2001. We were in an engineering seminar together. Uh, me and Warren, not me and Buffy. He came up and introduced himself to me, because he liked a presentation that I'd given on maglev. Uh, that's a train thing."
Stein checked a file. "It says here that he attended Sunnydale High. You grew up in Sunnydale, didn't you, Katrina?"
"Yeah. I-I guess we did attend school together, but I wasn't really aware of him. Saw him on tape once in the A/V room."
"So you've known...you knew him for a year."
"Just about, yeah."
"What was your relationship like?"
"We were kinda friends. Hung out and talked sometimes. But he was kinda creepy, y'know, in a guy way, and I had the impression that he wanted something more."
"And you didn't."
"Right."
"Why's that?"
Katrina felt angry at that question but tried to not let it show. "Because I was in a relationship. Still am."
"Were you still friends tonight?"
"No."
"What happened?"
"I came back up here for spring break with him last year. It turned out that he had built a sex robot and abandoned her in his dorm room, hoping her batteries would run out."
Stein stared at her. "I'm sorry, what?"
Lilah looked at him. "Warren Mears was a technological genius. Some of this stuff will sound far-fetched, but we have evidence to back it up."
"Like the sex robot?" Stein asked.
Katrina nodded. "I have it, actually."
Stein raised his eyebrows.
Katrina felt embarrassed to admit that. "And, uh, I have the invisibility ray that he created as well."
"Invisibility ray?" Stein asked.
Lilah gave him a no-nonsense look. "All of these things will be provided for analysis in due time. I trust you've had the things that you had previously confiscated from Warren's basement analyzed by now."
Stein looked at her. "We have." He looked at Katrina. "So tell me what happened tonight."
"I had gone on a date to Olive Garden with my girlfriend, Amy. She'd gotten up to use the restroom. While she was gone, Warren showed up and sat down next to me. He was dressed in a suit. He seemed to want to get together with me."
"How did you react?"
"I rejected him and wanted to get away from him. He pulled something out of his pocket. He later called it a Dampener."
"What happened next?"
"I felt disoriented. The next thing that I knew, I was kneeling before Warren in the basement of some house..."
Tara, wearing her clothes again, was sitting on the couch, watching TV but not really paying attention to it, when Amy unlocked and opened the front door.
Tara looked at her. "Hey."
"Hey." Amy closed and locked the door and tossed her keys onto the table. She walked over to the couch and sat to Tara's right.
"How'd it go?" Tara asked.
"We went to the house that the assholes took Trina to. It turned out that Katrina had killed not only Warren but Jonathan and Andrew as well."
Tara was shocked. "Oh, my God."
"Yeah. She - She didn't mean to do that. Head trauma from when they hit the floor, it seems. Then Trina was taken to the police station, and Buffy and I followed. Trina was put in the interrogation room. Lilah eventually arrived and questioned me and Buffy, then the police did while Lilah questioned Trina. The police are grilling her now. Buffy is staying at the station, but Trina suggested I go home and get some rest. But how can I?" Amy started crying.
Tara watched tears run down Amy's cheeks and gave her a hug. Amy hugged Tara back.
Tara looked Amy in the eyes. "She's gonna need you, Amy."
"I'm not sure what I can say to her. It seems to me that Buffy might be a better person to help her deal with this."
Tara shrugged. "Maybe, and we'll all be here for her, but you're closest to her."
"What, uh, what can I expect?" Amy asked her. "What do I need to do?"
"Be there for her." Tara paused. "Hug her when she cries. Soothe her when she wakes up screaming in the night. Tell her that you love her."
Amy sighed. "Some love. If she hadn't insisted on going out tonight with me, none of this would have happened. It's my fault that she's in this mess."
"No, it isn't; it's theirs. If you weren't with her, who knows? She might have gone out on her own to try to meet someone, and the same thing might have happened."
Amy realized something. "If I hadn't done that locator spell and showed up at the house and rang the doorbell when I did..." She shuddered at the thought.
"See? You saved her."
"She saved herself. I only provided a distraction."
"At a crucial moment. Which means you saved her."
Amy thought about that. "Still, I bet she wishes this night never happened."
"I can't read her thoughts, but..." Tara hesitated, unsure. "Do you know why she wanted to take you out tonight?"
Amy shook her head. "No. I didn't really think about it too hard."
"It's because she was intending to propose to you. She was going to ask you to be her domestic partner."
Amy was shocked. She couldn't say anything for a while. "Why?"
"Because she loves you. And she believes in this relationship."
"I'm...nobody."
"She doesn't think so."
"She's so smart, and I'm-"
"Smart...in your own way." Tara smiled. "You're a pretty badass witch."
Amy smiled weakly, then her eyes focused on a family portrait on the wall: Buffy and Tara on either side of Dawn and behind her, Katrina and Amy behind them.
Buffy saw Katrina and Lilah approach and stood up. Katrina was now dressed in her own clothes.
"How'd it go?" Buffy asked.
"She's free to go. The police are putting off a decision on whether to press charges or not until all of the evidence can be analyzed, but...I think the odds are in her favor." Lilah gave Buffy a small smile.
Relief washed over Buffy. "Thank you."
"I'll be staying in town for a few days. I'll call you once I'm settled in and tell you where I am in case you need to reach me."
Buffy smiled. "Nonsense. You're coming home with us."
Lilah shook her head. "Oh, I can't impose."
"You're not. My sister's sleeping over at a friend's house. You can have her room. It's never a good idea to sleep in public accommodations in a vampire town."
"This won't decrease your bill."
"Didn't expect it to."
Lilah smiled. "Thank you."
The three of them left the police station.
They walked toward their vehicles. Lilah went to her car. Buffy took out her keys and unlocked and opened the driver's door. She got in and unlocked the passenger door. Katrina opened the door. Buffy looked as Katrina climbed in and closed the door. Her mascara was running down her face, and Buffy realized she had been crying.
"Feeling any better?" Buffy asked her. She immediately regretted her phrasing.
Katrina looked at Buffy. "Yeah."
Buffy easily detected the obvious sarcasm in Katrina's voice. "I'm sorry."
"Why did he do it?" Katrina asked. "He could have just let me go. It didn't have be like this. How could he say he wanted to be with me and do that to me?"
"I don't know." Buffy paused. "I know what you're going through."
"Does it get any better?" Katrina asked her.
Buffy thought about that. "It'll stay with you forever. You'll think about it every day for the rest of your life. But...you'll eventually learn to live with it."
Katrina wordlessly fastened her seatbelt. Buffy did the same.
Buffy unlocked and opened the front door and walked into the house. Katrina and Lilah followed. Katrina stood where she was, so Buffy gently touched her to indicate she should move aside, then closed and locked the door.
"Tara? Amy?" Buffy called. She tossed her keys on the table. "We're home."
Tara walked out of the kitchen and through the dining room. She looked at Katrina. "Hi."
"Hi." Katrina's eyes darted around nervously.
No one said anything for a while.
Buffy gestured at Lilah. "Uh, this is Lilah Morgan, Trina's lawyer. She'll be staying with us for a while. Lilah, this is my wife, Tara."
Lilah nodded. "Hi."
Tara nodded. "Hi. Uh, I think Amy's upstairs."
"I'll get her." Buffy started walking upstairs. "C'mon, Lilah, I'll show you to your room."
Lilah followed her. "A teenage girl's bedroom. I shudder to think."
"Oh, it's not that bad." Buffy smiled. "I hope you like Britney Spears. She's basically Dawn's goddess, and the room's a shrine."
"You're joking."
"Nope. But it was good enough for Michelle Branch."
"No shit?" Lilah asked.
Tara looked at Katrina in sympathy. "Come here."
Katrina approached Tara, and Tara gave Katrina a deep, warm hug. Katrina hugged Tara.
"How are you feeling...i-if you don't mind talking about it?" Tara asked.
"I was so angry. But it's been a long night, and now I feel just...tired." Katrina paused. "But not tired. I feel...God, I don't know. Still angry. Still hateful. Still nervous. Still numb. I'm feeling all of these fucking things, and I don't feel like myself."
"But you are." Tara looked in Katrina's eyes. "In the end, we all are who we are, no matter how much we may appear to have changed."
Katrina looked in Tara's eyes and saw sincerity. "I don't know what to think about that."
Tara thought in silence for a moment. "Maybe...think of this as a new lease on life."
"A new lease on life?" Katrina asked.
Tara smiled. "Yeah. You fought for your life, and you saved your life - as well as the lives of whoever else that those assholes might have hurt, if they'd continued on their path."
Katrina thought about that and gave Tara a weak smile.
"Do you want something to eat?" Tara offered. "Y'know, since you...didn't get a chance to eat dinner."
"I...I guess."
Amy walked downstairs. "Hey."
Tara and Katrina let go of each other, and Tara passed Katrina over to Amy, who immediately hugged her. Katrina hugged Amy tightly.
"I'll set some plates. Come in whenever you're ready." Tara walked through the dining room and into the kitchen.
Katrina and Amy stood in the silent, warm embrace of each other for a while, then they let go of each other and walked into the kitchen.
What they found were the lights turned off, the kitchen dimly lit by candles on the island, glasses filled with wine, and plates containing sirloin, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
"What the fuck?" Amy asked.
Tara gave them a small smile. "Buffy and I discussed it over the phone earlier. She asked me to go out and buy you guys a nice dinner and prepare it in case you both came home."
Katrina and Amy were stunned.
"I'll make myself scarce. Good night, you two." Tara headed for the door.
Amy and Katrina looked at her. "Good night."
Once Tara had left, Amy and Katrina went and sat at the island.
Amy sniffed the food. "Food smells good."
"Yeah."
Amy picked up her spoon, scooped up some mashed potatoes and gravy, and took a bite. She set down the spoon, picked up her fork and knife, cut a piece off the sirloin, and stuck it in her mouth. "It's delicious."
"Good."
Amy stared at Katrina in sorrow as she chewed. "Try it, sweetie. You haven't eaten since lunch."
Katrina stared at her. "I was otherwise occupied."
"I-I'm sorry." Amy looked down and ate in silence.
Katrina picked up her fork and knife, cut a piece off the sirloin, and stuck it in her mouth. She chewed in silence and swallowed. She set down her fork and knife, picked up her glass, and took a sip of wine. She looked at Amy, lost in thought. "Amy..."
Amy looked at her.
"I know why Buffy and Tara set this up, and it's not just to make up for a missed dinner."
"Yeah, I know." Amy paused. "Don't be mad at her, but Tara told me of your plan."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. She - She did it to help me. I was in a bad place."
Katrina stared at Amy. Amy stared right back at Katrina. Neither of them said anything for a while.
Amy smiled. "Yes."
Katrina wasn't sure how to respond. "I, uh, I guess thanks. I mean..." She sighed in frustration. "Fuck, I'm doing this wrong."
"It's okay."
"Amy, I'm not in the clear yet. There's still a possibility that-"
"My answer is still yes." Amy paused. "I love you, Katrina, and I'm in this together with you."
Katrina stared at Amy in adoration, then gave her a smile.
Later that night, in Amy and Katrina's bedroom, the young women were sleeping in bed, naked. It had taken Katrina a while to fall asleep. She was tossing and turning while having a nightmare.
"What did you do...Katrina? What did you do...?" creepy voices asked her.
Katrina turned over restlessly, laying on her side, facing the edge of the bed.
"What did you do...Katrina? What did you do...?"
Katrina suddenly fell backwards in her nightmare, and then she felt the seering pain of hellfire and smelled her own burning flesh.
"You deserved it, bitch!" Warren yelled.
Katrina screamed as she woke up from this nightmare. Katrina's eyes popped open, and she found herself in her own bed. She sat up, panting and looking around.
Katrina's scream had woken Amy. Amy sat up and hugged her from behind. "It's okay. You're safe."
Katrina started crying and shaking uncontrollably. Amy felt uncomfortable but just continued to hold Katrina. She rested her chin on Katrina's left shoulder.
Katrina reached up with her left hand and clutched Amy's left arm. "I can't do this! I can't!"
"Yes, you can." Amy winced a bit in pain from Katrina's grip. "You weren't beaten, and I'm not gonna let you be broken." She gently kissed Katrina's face. "I'm not..."
Chapter 128: Birthday
Chapter Text
"Birthday"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Older and Far Away" Written by Drew Z. Greenberg and the Angel Episode "Birthday" Written by Mere Smith
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
"I'd...just like to say thank you." Cordelia, bedraggled and shaken-looking, sitting on the floor of her club, took a deep breath. "You believed in me when no one else would. Even in my darkest hours, you were there for me." She almost started crying. "And that means more to me than you'll ever know." She sniffed. "I guess what I'm really trying to say is...I love you. To all my fans:" She held up a scrub brush in her latex-gloved hand. "This is for you!"
Fred was sitting a little ways away, wearing yellow latex gloves and applauding wildly. "Wow! That was just...wow...'cause...oh, and with the tears! I-I got chill bumps all up my arms."
"Yup. That's the famous speech." Cordelia lost her smile. "Not that I'll ever use it, of course, unless they start handing out awards for best slime and grime. Oh, I fucking swear, next time Angel decides to blow something up in my club, he's cleaning his own scorch marks."
"Acting career not taking off?" Fred asked sadly.
Cordelia sighed. "I mean...I've been on auditions, but...not really, no."
"Well, what do you wanna do?" Fred asked her. "What do you wanna act in?"
Cordelia shrugged. "Anything." Then she paused and thought about it. "A sitcom. I'd like to do something funny, make people laugh."
Fred smiled, then she thought for a moment. "Then make it yourself!"
Cordelia frowned. "Huh?"
"Well, Harmony's attending LA Film School, right?" Fred asked. "She could help you film a pilot cheap. You can then shop it to the networks."
Cordelia considered that. "Well, what if no one picks it up?"
Fred shrugged. "You're fucked."
Cordelia frowned. "Thanks."
Fred laughed and snorted. "I'm kidding! You can always take it to public-access."
Cordelia went back to scrubbing the floor, deep in thought.
Angel arrived. "Hey, Cordy, how's it..." He paused. "Oh. Well, marks are comin' out nicely."
"Bite me." Cordelia stuck out her tongue, got up, and went to the restroom.
Angel looked at Fred. "Does she know?"
Kate walked into the club, carrying a couple of bags. "Where is she?"
Angel looked at her. "Bathroom."
Kate looked toward the club's entrance. "Okay, c'mon!"
Cordelia was in the restroom, popping some pills from a prescription bottle. She closed the bottle and put it back in her pocket, crushing the pills with her teeth and swallowing them. She opened the restroom and shut off the light.
She walked out of the restroom to find Faith, Anne, and Harmony holding a cake with twenty-one lit candles and the picture of a female superhero on it. All five started singing "Happy Birthday to You".
Cordelia grinned. "Oh, you guys. I can't believe you did this."
Faith grinned. "Don't just stand there. Blow out the candles, girl."
Cordelia blew out the candles, and the others cheered.
"Did you make a wish?" Fred asked.
Cordelia smiled, melancholy. "I sure did."
Faith, Anne, and Harmony put the cake on the bar.
Anne noticed Cordelia's expression. "Are you okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah."
Harmony smiled and gestured at the presents on the bar. "So we got you some presents-"
"Oh, wanting. Wanting presents."
Angel shifted awkwardly, then pulled a small box out of his pocket. "Um...uh, I-I got you a-a little something."
Cordelia took it. "Oh, Angel, you didn't have to do that. You have enough to take care of as it is."
"Well, I'm a champion." Angel chuckled. "We do important stuff. Hey, and who's more important than-"
Cordelia got hit by a vision. "There's a teenager, a girl; she...she-"
Cordelia was suddenly blasted backwards into a table.
"Cordy!" Harmony and Angel screamed.
The others clustered around her as she lay motionless on the floor.
"Is she all right?" Fred asked. "Oh, no."
Angel kneeled next to Cordelia and felt for a pulse. "Come on, Cordy, wake up. It's all over. Come back to us. Please wake up."
Kate frowned. "Angel, is she-"
"No!" Angel yelled. "She's still breathing. Her heart's still beating. She's just in some sort of trance or a coma. Well, let's get her over to the couch."
Angel and Faith picked up Cordelia and carried her over to the couch.
Angel laid Cordelia down. "Easy."
So did Faith. "All right."
"Easy."
Fred spotted the bottle of prescription pills on the floor and picked it up.
"It was a vision, wasn't it?" Angel asked. "I mean...she just started saying something about a girl..."
"There is a lot we don't know. I think she dropped this." Fred held out the bottle of pills to Angel. "Seltrex."
Kate was very worried. "Oh, God."
"What's Seltrex?" Angel asked her.
"Seltrex is a highly powerful migraine medication."
Anne looked at the others. "Maybe we should get her to a hospital."
"So they can do what? Do what they did last time: strap her to a bed and tell us there's no hope?" Angel asked her.
Kate looked at Anne. "Angel is right. Seltrex is potent, but...it doesn't cause catatonia."
"What if it's mystical?" Harmony suggested.
Fred nodded. "That's what I'm saying. There is so much we don't know. If Cordelia is taking a drug this powerful in secret, the visions are probably doing a lot more damage than she lets on."
Faith stared down at her. "This last one must have overloaded her."
"Don't say last!" Angel yelled. "Okay? She'll come out of this. She has to."
"She will!" Harmony clasped her friend's hands in her own.
Angel nodded. "Okay. Look, if this is a mystical problem, there has to be some kind of mystical solution. Harm, you and Fred go to Cordy's place." He picked up Cordelia. "See if she's been hiding anything. Anything that could tell us what's wrong with her. Kate?"
"I'll hit the books."
"What about us?" Faith asked.
Angel was silent for a moment. "Um...help Kate with research, I guess."
Anne felt conflicted and looked at Angel. "I, uh, I really should get back to the shelter. Sorry, it's just-"
"I understand. Go."
The group dispersed.
Harmony and Fred stood inside the door of Cordelia's apartment, facing a floating party hat and noisemaker, confetti floating down from the ceiling, and a "Happy Birthday" sign.
Harmony frowned sadly. "I think Phantom Dennis was expecting the birthday girl."
Fred smiled and stepped forward. "Oh. Hi, there. I-I know we haven't been formally introduced. Actually, I'm not sure how to introduce myself to someone that is, you know, former. But...I'm Fred." She reached out and shook the top of the party hat. "It's nice to meet you."
Harmony watched the scene awkwardly.
Fred looked at Harmony. "I think we should tell him."
Harmony took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Okay. Uh. You might wanna..." She looked at Fred. "Do ghosts sit down?"
Kate was sitting at her desk, reading a book titled Astral Projection. Faith was sitting in front of the desk, reading another book.
Kate sighed. "But if she's in the astral plane, she could be here, unable to communicate."
Faith sighed.
Fred frowned. "It doesn't make any sense."
"What doesn't?" Harmony asked, standing in the doorway of Cordelia's bathroom, one of Cordelia's bras in her hands.
"It's all...normal." Fred shut the door to Cordelia's bathroom vanity.
"And that's wrong?" Harmony asked, confused.
"No." Fred turned to her. "What's wrong is you picking through Cordy's support...things."
"What? This? Come on, you're telling me you never hid anything in your underwear drawer?" Harmony asked.
"I don't know. Like what?"
Harmony shrugged. "Dildos, vibrators, butt plugs."
Fred nearly blushed. "Can we not talk about that stuff, please? And put that down."
Harmony did.
"I just figured, if Cordy was taking something serious like Seltrex, she'd have tried other stuff first. But...there is not even any aspirin in here." Fred leaned in closer to Harmony. "I think he's protecting her."
Harmony looked around the room, then stepped back into Cordelia's bedroom. "Phantom Dennis? Listen, we would never ask you to betray Cordelia, but we need to see whatever it is that she's been hiding from us. I mean...unless you're so hyped on the ghosting life that you want her to join you?"
After a moment, Harmony sighed and dropped down on the end of Cordelia's bed. A storage container slid out from under the bed. Fred and Harmony opened it.
Fred frowned. "Hmm. You looked through the underwear drawer first, didn't you?"
They picked up several prescription bottles.
"The date on this prescription?" Fred showed it to Harmony. "It's from a year ago."
Faith walked up to the open doorway to Angel's room. Cordelia was laying on Angel's bed.
Angel was sitting in a chair beside it, holding her hand. "Cordy...look, I know that you can't hear me, but...there is something I have to say." He put down her hand. "You really piss me off, you know that? I thought we trusted each other. But you've been lying. MRIs and CAT scans? It's been going on for over a year. Why couldn't you let me in? I could have helped you. You make me so furious."
Faith walked in. "How is she?"
"The same. You find anything?"
Faith shook her head. "I'm gonna go see if Anne needs help at the shelter. Call me if-"
"I will."
Faith took a look at Cordelia, then turned and walked out. Kate walked in.
"Anything?" Angel asked her.
"Fred studied Cordy's latest CAT scans. The news isn't good. The tests show widespread neuro-electrical deterioration."
"She's dying."
"I'm still working on, uh, the mystical aspect: trance states, astral projection, spiritual possession. But so far, I haven't been able to..." Kate paused. "Why don't you take a break? I-I'll watch her."
Angel left, not meeting Kate's eyes.
Fred gestured at a stack of CAT scan prints laying on Kate's desk. "That's from eight months ago. The red spots are what they call hot areas or what you'd expect from a healthy, functioning brain." She moved the print, revealing one that was mostly green and yellow underneath. "This one is dated one month ago."
Harmony nodded. "Cordy's doctors couldn't explain it."
"See...green is a cold color, usually signifying dead areas of the cerebrum. Normally, you wouldn't see a scan like that-"
"Unless the person was a cucumber."
Fred sighed. "Thank you, Harmony."
"How could we not know?" Angel asked.
Fred sighed. "She hid it well."
Faith walked into East Hills Teen Center.
Anne ran out of her office. "Faith!"
"Hey. I decided to come see if you need any help here."
"Faith, Cordy's dying."
"What?" Faith asked, stunned.
"Massive brain damage. Angel called and told me. She...She's never gonna wake up."
"No..." Faith started walking aimlessly. "No, no, no, no..." She ran into a wall and punched it in frustration, driving her fist through it and making a hole. "Fuck!"
Anne walked over to her. "I'm sorry. I-"
Faith suddenly turned and started walking.
Anne followed her. "Faith, I can ask Justine or Julia to come in and watch the place. We should probably get back to the hotel in case she-"
Faith walked into the restroom and slammed the door shut behind her.
Faith turned on the light and looked around. It was a small restroom. There was a single toilet. Faith walked over to it, lifted the lid and seat, and kneeled in front of it. She clasped her hands tightly behind her back.
Faith looked up at the ceiling. "Please..."
Faith dunked her head into the toilet bowl, filling her lungs up with water. She resisted the urge to pull out. She soon lost consciousness.
On the bed in Angel's room, Cordelia arced back, screaming in pain. All of a sudden, there was a rush of energy, of adrenaline, running through her. Her body was humming, alive, overwhelmed, filling up with strength, with power. Angel rushed to her side as the rest of the gang came running.
"What's happening to her?" Fred asked.
Cordelia sat up on the bed, gasping, and opened her eyes.
Angel caught her in a hug. "I thought I'd lost you."
"Shh, Angel, it's okay. Everything is gonna be okay."
"It was my fault. I couldn't do anything. There was nothing I could do."
Cordelia leaned in and softly kissed Angel on the mouth. "Everything is gonna be okay."
"I thought you were dead."
"Far from it. I feel so alive."
Harmony, Fred, and Kate grinned.
"Faith?" Anne asked.
There was no response.
Anne opened the restroom door. Faith was slumped over with her head in the toilet.
"Someone call 911!" Anne screamed, running into the restroom.
Anne pulled Faith's head out of the toilet and laid Faith on the floor. She started performing CPR on her, alternating between chest compressions and blowing air into her mouth.
Faith eventually coughed water out of her mouth. Anne turned Faith over on her side. Faith started breathing heavily.
Anne started crying. "That was really fucking stupid! What'd you do that for?!"
Faith struggled to get to her feet. Anne helped her.
Faith looked at her. "Call the hotel."
Cordelia was pacing back and forth. "I'm so fucking wired, and I haven't had coffee in hours."
Angel looked at the others, but no one volunteered an opinion. Harmony ran over and swept Cordelia up in a big hug.
Cordelia was surprised but hugged her friend tightly.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, owie!" Harmony cried in pain.
Cordelia let go of her. "Sorry."
Harmony let go of her.
Cordelia listened to the sound of the blood rushing to her head. Everything - her heartbeat, her breath - all of it seemed so loud all of a sudden, pressing, crowding into her head, invading. She suddenly heard the phone ring down in the lobby and ran out of the room.
The others followed her. Cordelia ran downstairs and behind the counter.
Cordelia picked up the handset. "Hyperion Hotel and-"
"Cordy?!" Faith asked, hopeful.
"Yeah. Faith?" Cordelia asked.
Faith breathed a sigh of relief. "When did you-"
"Just a few minutes ago. Faith, weird shit is happening. I feel-"
"Breathe."
"What?"
"Put me on speaker and take regular, deep breaths."
Cordelia did as instructed.
"Faith, what's going on?" Angel asked.
"I did a stupid thing."
Cordelia suddenly opened her eyes. "Oh, shit! I don't have time to breathe. We have to solve my vision. A girl. She's in a house on Oak Street, the middle of Reseda. She is about to be fed to a no-eyed, three-mouthed monster. 171 Oak Street. Faith."
"On my way, sister."
Faith waited in her car, and Angel waited in his. Cordelia rang the doorbell of house 171. A teenage girl answered the door.
"Oh, hi. I'm - I'm really sorry to bother you. I'm Cordelia Chase of Angel Investigations, and I'm following up on an...anonymous tip. Would you mind if I...?"
"Oh! Please, come in." The girl stepped aside.
"Oh, thanks."
Cordelia walked in, and the girl closed the door behind her.
"I'm Cynthia. Cynthia York."
"Tell me about yourself, Cynthia."
"Um, let's see. I love fashion. Like, love love. I wanna have my own design firm and..." Cynthia frowned. "What brings you to Reseda?"
Cordelia laughed. "Yeah, um, hmm. Good question. Listen, I know you don't know me, and, um, this is...gonna sound a little bizarre, but, um, is everything okay here? Nothing...bad...happened, has it?"
Cynthia half-shrugged. "My dad left us a couple months ago."
Cordelia reached out to touch the girl's shoulder. "Oh. Honey, I'm sorry. Is your mom here?"
Cynthia shook her head. "She's up in Ojai, visiting friends."
"Oh. Well, uh...That's, uh...Well, okay, then, ahem..." Cordelia turned to the door to leave.
"Hey! You wanna see something cool?" Cynthia asked suddenly.
Cordelia turned back to face her. "Sure."
Cynthia took Cordelia's hand and led her over to a pentagram drawn on the floor on the other side of the couch. "It's a retrieval spell. I'm gonna make my dad come back and live with us again. I'm pretty sure I did everything right. Even though I...spilled some Coke on the book that I was using and had to improvise a little. Pretty cool pentagram, huh?"
"Cynthia? I think we should get out of here before-"
A blue light flashed, and suddenly there was a big demon standing in the middle of the pentagram.
"-that happens." Cordelia pushed Cynthia towards the door. "Get out of here, Cynthia. Go!"
Cordelia picked up a table lamp and smashed it over the monster's head, then turned to run. The monster tripped her, then grabbed a hold of her ankle. Cordelia grabbed a hold of a book laying on the coffee table and rammed it in the monster's face, making it fall back.
The door behind her opened, and Cordelia turned to stare up as Faith and Angel entered. Angel was carrying a drawn sword in his right hand. Faith was holding another sword in her left hand. Angel was about to rush in.
Faith raised her free hand. "Get the girl."
"Let's go! Outside." Angel pulled Cynthia towards the door.
"Cordy, catch!" Faith threw the sword at her.
Cordelia raised her left hand and caught the sword, then ran the demon through with the sword. She stood up. The monster slid off it, then came at Cordelia again, and she fended it off with the sword. After a brief struggle, she managed to down the monster and skewered it with the sword.
Faith smiled. "Nicely done."
Cordelia smiled back at her. "Why, thank you."
Cynthia looked at the dead monster. "Oh, my God. My mom is gonna freak."
Cordelia and Faith stared at her.
Four days later, in the Summers' living room, Buffy stood in front of a small table with several stakes and daggers on it. Dawn stood behind Buffy.
Buffy began putting the weapons into a bag, sighing. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
"No, we're gonna sit down and have a real dinner. Tomorrow. I hate having to run out in the middle; it's just, you know, there's this thing out there. Definitely non-vampire."
Dawn smiled. "I understand."
Buffy picked up the bag and went toward the door.
"Well, maybe, when you get back, we can set up for your party tomorrow."
"Yeah. Uh, this could take a while, though; I-I wouldn't wait up." Buffy put on her coat and smiled. "I tell ya what. We'll set up tomorrow."
"Okay."
"Okay, so...finish dinner and do your homework, all right?"
"Okay."
"Okay." Buffy turned to go.
Dawn watched with a smile.
In Huntsville, Alabama, Vi was sparring with Mike. Her mother sat nearby and watched.
"No, no, no." Mike scowled at her, frustrated. "You're letting too many hits through."
Vi sighed in frustration. "I'm doing the best that I can. We've been at this for too long."
"A vampire isn't going to care how long you've been at it. It can go all night long."
Felicia made a face. "Do you have to be so crude?"
Mike shot her a look.
Felicia stood up. "And it wouldn't hurt for Vi to take an occasional break. She's not a Slayer. She doesn't have the stamina."
"She is a Potential, and they are being targeted - in case you've forgotten. Do you want your daughter to end up with a broken neck?" Mike asked her.
Felicia frowned. "Jesus, Mike, you're a piece of work."
"I'm just being honest."
"Well, here's some honesty right back at ya: my daughter's taking a fucking break." Felicia turned and left the training room.
Vi took off her protective gear, dropped it on the floor, and followed her mother.
They entered the kitchen of Mike's rental home.
Vi opened the refrigerator. "Thanks."
"The dude pisses me off. What are you drinkin'?" Felicia asked.
Vi got her can of Rockstar out of the refrigerator. "Rockstar, you?"
"Gimme an OJ, I guess."
Vi got out a small bottle of orange juice and closed the refrigerator. She offered the bottle to her mother.
Felicia took it. "Thanks. Y'know, if Mike sees you drinkin' that, he's gonna complain."
"Oh, noooooo..." Vi popped open the can and chugged the drink.
In the graveyard, Buffy walked along, holding a large ax with a metal handle.
Suddenly, a large demon with red skin and a spiny crest on its head leaped out behind her. Buffy whirled around. The demon swung a large sword at her. She ducked, then blocked with her ax. The demon's sword bent the ax handle, then he pulled it out of Buffy's hand. It flew off and landed in the ground.
The demon swung at Buffy again, and she got a hold of his sword arm, then twisted it around behind his back. Suddenly, the demon shimmered and disappeared.
Buffy looked around in confusion.
The demon reappeared behind her. She kicked him in the face, punched him, then kicked again. He fell back. His sword went flying up into the air.
Buffy caught the sword on its way down. The demon charged her. She stabbed him right in the stomach. Blue light flashed out in a circle from the wound. The demon roared and grabbed his stomach. Buffy pulled the sword out and fell back onto the ground, facing the other way. The sword went flying.
Buffy didn't hear anything for a while. "Run off, huh? Afraid to face a true warrior?" She got up and saw the sword, point-down in the ground. "Ooh, shiny." She smiled, pulled the sword out of the ground, and twirled it around.
She walked off, holding it.
The next day, in the afternoon, Tara and Dawn walked into the foyer. Dawn was holding a large bag, and Tara was holding a small gift box. Tara closed and locked the front door.
Buffy walked out of the kitchen. "Hey! You made it!"
Tara and Dawn froze, upset that Buffy caught them.
Buffy sensed their distress. "Uh, I mean...holy shit, that was some strong wind." She promptly turned and walked back into the kitchen.
Tara and Dawn looked at each other and smiled, then they took the presents upstairs.
Later, Buffy was sitting on the sofa, Tara was sitting on Buffy's right, and Dawn was sitting on Buffy's left. Her opened gifts - a homemade tie-dyed T-shirt from Amy, a strap-on dildo from Sandy, a silver necklace and crucifix from Katrina, and a pair of silver cross earrings from Julie - were on the coffee table. Amy and Katrina sat on the floor, Sandy sat in the chair, and Julie sat on Sandy's lap. Buffy unwrapped Tara's gift: Shannon McNally's Jukebox Sparrows album.
Buffy smiled and kissed Tara on the lips. "Thanks!"
Tara smiled. "Of course, sweetie."
Buffy put the album on the coffee table. "Uh, what's next?"
Dawn was excited. "Here, do mine."
Dawn turned to pick up a large, flat box behind her, then gave it to Buffy. Buffy began unwrapping it. Buffy removed the paper to reveal a plain white box. She opened it and looked inside.
Buffy was surprised. "Dawn..."
The box contained a black leather jacket.
Dawn smiled. "Do you like it?"
Buffy lifted it out of the box. "It's...gorgeous."
"I was so nervous. I was afraid you wouldn't like it."
Buffy carefully folded the jacket and set it on the coffee table. "I love it. Thank you." She hugged Dawn and kissed her on the cheek.
"Oh, Buffy, there's one more thing." Katrina offered Buffy a plain white envelope. "It's from Lilah. She told me to give it to you on your birthday."
Buffy let go of Dawn and took the envelope, curious.
Amy looked at Katrina. "I'm surprised. We owe her for everything that she's done."
"We sure do, but let's see what it is first." Buffy opened the envelope and took out a folded stack of papers. She unfolded them and looked at them. Her lips parted in shock.
"What is it?" Julie asked.
"A bill for her services...paid in full."
The others gasped.
"How much was it?" Sandy asked.
"A lot. A fucking lot." Buffy flipped through the pages.
"Why would she do that?" Katrina asked her.
Buffy stopped at a note. "She didn't. 'Dear Buffy, Services settled squarely by your sisters in slayage. Take care, Lilah'" She started crying, her lips forming a big smile.
Chapter 129: Provider
Chapter Text
"Provider"
Based on the Angel Episode Written by Scott Murphy
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
"Now, how's it going?" Angel asked Fred.
Fred looked up from her laptop. "Moments away."
Angel looked over Fred's shoulder at the new website for Angel Investigations and pointed at the "No Case Too Small" text under the "We Help The Helpless" text. "Uh. Can you make that bigger? Bold but, you know, tasteful."
"Hmm. Tasteful. Sure."
Cordelia looked at him. "Angel...I'm glad you wanna take on more cases. I am. I just wanna make sure we don't lose sight of the mission."
"Well, we have to earn a living."
"I agree. But first and foremost, we work for the Powers, help the helpless. Promise me we won't neglect that."
"I promise."
Kate, Faith, and Harmony ran into the lobby.
"I promise." Angel turned to the ladies. "Well?"
Kate grinned. "Well, we did it."
Faith grinned and held up a flyer. "Six-thousand of these fuckers all over town."
"Nice!" Angel looked at Cordelia. "I'd call me, wouldn't you?"
"Hey!" Fred called. "The website's up. We're live."
Angel walked over to the desk and turned the laptop, so everyone could see the screen. "There, beautiful. We're online. We got flyers; we got yellow pages. Ladies, welcome to a new era of Angel Investigations. All we have to do now is wait...for that phone to start ringing and the money to start rolling in. Yep...all we have to do is wait. Just a matter of time. Don't you worry, this town is full of people that have problems."
Everyone waited. The phone was not ringing.
Fred picked up a flyer from the desk and took a closer look at it. "Is this the right phone number?"
Everyone turned to look at Harmony.
Harmony checked the phone number on the flyer against one of their business cards and frowned. "Oops."
The next day, Harmony walked into the Hyperion, carrying a stack of flyers. "That's the last of them. Six-thousand new ones."
Angel walked into the lobby.
Harmony frowned, embarrassed. "Sorry about the mix-up last night."
"It's not important. But we can't afford any more mistakes. Making mistakes cost money, and making money right now is our number-one priority."
Cordelia, sitting at the computer, smiled. "Hey, look! We got some hits on our website."
The phone on Cordelia's desk rang.
Kate picked it up. "Angel Investigations. May I help you?"
The phone on the counter rang.
Faith picked it up. "Angel Investigations. Can I help you?"
Angel smiled. "We're in business!"
In Sherman Oaks, Chloe was sitting on the floor in her bedroom, her back against her bed, watching a tape of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh on her television.
There was a knock on her door.
"Yeah?" Chloe asked.
Her mother opened the door. "Dinner's ready."
"Cool." Chloe picked up the remote control, stopped the tape, set the remote on the floor, stood up, and shut off the television.
She followed her mother out into the hallway, through the living room and dining room, and into the kitchen.
Crisanto was putting the curry-covered chicken thighs on the three plates that were set on the table.
Chloe inhaled the aroma. "Mmm, that smells so good."
Crisanto smiled. "You like it? I made it myself."
Maria smiled. "You did not."
"Well, I helped."
Maria looked at her daughter. "He means he was the official taste-tester."
Chloe laughed and sat down. Her mother joined her. Her father put the pan and spatula in the sink and soon joined them.
Chloe picked up her cocktail fork and gently lifted the skin off her chicken thigh. She set it aside, saving it for later. Then she set down her fork, picked up her spoon, and dug into the stuffing.
"So how's your training coming along?" Crisanto asked.
Chloe shrugged. "It's okay. I'm not very good at breaking blocks, though."
"Wood or cement?" Crisanto asked.
Chloe chuckled. "Wood. I don't even wanna try cement."
"Well, I would think wood is the most important, right?" Maria asked. "Y'know, makeshift stakes?"
"Unless I'm fighting a vampire at Home Depot, I can't imagine a situation where I would have to break a wooden block. I'd mostly be fighting in cemeteries, right?" Chloe asked, picking up her chicken thigh. "Just break off a tree branch." She bit into the thigh.
Maria stared at her for a moment. "Oh."
That night, the Hyperion lobby was full of people (not all of them human). Fred took a clipboard from one of the non-humans. Angel walked up beside her.
"Welcome to Angel Investigations, Mr...." Fred looked at the clipboard. "Blee...Lee...Shushngrung. Um, please have a seat, and one of our associates will be right with you."
Angel looked at Kate. "Hey, Kate. Non-human on deck."
Kate was talking to three gray aliens, wearing long robes and silver face masks. "Coming." She left them to talk to Angel. "Hey, the guys with the chrome faceplates, they're called Nahdrahs. They speak in a language that seems to be mostly clicks, whirrs, and popping sounds. I get the gist of what they're saying, sort of. If I understand them correctly, they've got a job for Fred and a great deal of money. They saw her Web articles on DNA fusion comparisons in Tri-ped demon populations."
"Oh, let's not keep them waiting, huh?"
"What about the guy that you called me over here for?"
"He can wait. Talk to the Nahdrahs."
"O...kaaay." Kate walked back over to them.
Faith, leading a young blonde woman, walked up to Angel. "Hey, office free? It's kind of personal."
"Yeah. Go."
Cordelia was sitting at the counter, phone in hand. "We're getting stretched a little thin here, Angel."
"Come on. Nonsense. We can handle it."
"Really? Well, then why don't you handle it by picking up lines two, three, and four?"
Angel shrugged and walked towards the phones.
Faith was pouring some tea for the blonde in the office.
"I don't sleep. I'm afraid to go out or answer the phone."
"Yeah, I hate stalkers. Look, don't worry. We'll put a stop to it." Faith handed her the cup of tea. "Have a seat."
"Thank you." She sat down.
Faith sat in Angel's chair. "So, Ally, do you know who this guy is?"
"Yeah, well, it's - it's Brian, my ex-boyfriend."
"Have you...been to the police?"
"Yeah. They act like I'm some kind of nut. Just...like I'm making it all up."
Faith rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you go to the cops for help, they don't do shit until somebody ends up dead."
"Somebody is dead."
"Who?"
"Brian." Ally held up the flyer. "Isn't that the kind of shit you guys deal with?"
"Yeah. All the time. So...Brian, your dead boyfriend, is stalking you?"
"Well, I mean...he's not my boyfriend now."
Fred was talking to the Nahdrahs with Kate translating.
"The Internet article that I'm currently writing posits a formula for the genome mapping of creatures that don't have genes. It's an exciting arena."
Kate listened for a while. "They want to buy your head."
Fred looked at Kate in panic.
Kate frowned, embarrassed. "Sorry. I should probably clarify that." She clicked away at the Nahdrahs.
One of them held up a metal suitcase.
Kate nodded. "They want your mind. They're celebrating their prince's, uh, it's - it's like a birthday, only they're not born as much as disgorged. They - They need you to solve one of their traditional puzzles, so they can give it to him. It's quite an honor. Could be interesting."
Fred was looking at the Nahdrahs' robes. "Sure. These are puzzle people. Did you notice the designs on their tunics?" She traced the design. "Geometric shapes. Each a prime number, if you count their edges, arranged in ascending order of exponential accumulation."
Kate smiled at her. "Yes, I did...not...notice that at all."
Fred grinned back at her while the Nahdrahs started clicking away at Kate.
"Uh, they wanna know why..." Kate paused in embarrassment. "...my girlfriend was pointing at them."
Fred nearly blushed. "Your...girlfriend?"
There was lots of excited clicking going on by the Nahdrahs. The Nahdrahs left in a hurry.
"Did I say something wrong?" Fred asked Kate.
"No. No, they liked you."
"So much that they ran away?"
Kate smiled in embarrassment. "They either have to consult with their prince or go eat a cheese monkey."
Faith poked her head out of Angel's office. "Kate? I think I'm gonna need you on this one."
"Great. I'm on my way." Angel hung up the phone and picked up the piece of paper from the desk. He walked over to Cordelia. "Big case. Got to run."
"Oh..."
Later, Angel walked into the lobby of the Hyperion, which was deserted except for some papers strewn here and there and Cordelia and Fred sprawled on the settee.
"Is this country great or what? Five-thousand smackeroos, and all I have to do to collect five-thousand more is clean out a vamp nest downtown. Where is everyone? I wanna show 'em this."
Cordelia looked at him. "Out on a case."
Fred looked at him. "There's a young woman whose dead boyfriend is stalking her."
"That's terrible. Did you-"
"I ran her credit." Cordelia nodded. "She's solvent."
"Nice."
"Angel...I don't think it's such a great idea to be working on so many cases at once. I mean...what if we're all out making money, and some poor devil stumbles in here and needs our help?" Cordelia asked.
"Well-"
"Uh, we've got company."
Angel turned to see the Nahdrahs walking in, clicking away as soon as they entered.
"These are the guys that wanted Fred."
"For what?" Angel asked.
"Her enormous brain. They're convinced she can solve the puzzle that they wanna give to their prince."
"Where would she have to go, and how long would it take?"
"They live on a barge, currently docked in the marina. And a day or two; depends no how long that it takes her to solve it."
Angel looked at Fred. "You game?"
Fred shrugged. "Sure."
"Any chance we can get Kate back here to go with her to translate?"
Fred smiled. "It's okay. I've been learning their language."
"Of course, you have. Tell 'em it won't be cheap. They're getting one of our top employees. That's salary, per diem, overtime-"
"Okay, okay." Fred clicked and popped away at the Nahdrahs.
One of them lifted the metal suitcase up.
"They apologize for their paltry offering and hope you'll accept fifty-thousand dollars?!" Fred exclaimed in shock.
"Fifty-thousand dollars?" Angel reached out and grabbed the suitcase, a big smile on his face. "We accept."
Faith, Harmony, and Kate were guarding Ally at her home.
"You know, I consider myself independent, and it's hard for me to ask for help, but...it really feels good for you guys to be in the house. You know, that woman that you work with was right. You inspire confidence."
"Which woman?" Harmony asked.
"Brunette, really cute, Texan, maybe?" Ally guessed.
Kate smiled. "Fred."
Faith turned to look at her. "Girl, you've got a cruuush! Ask her out already!"
Ally held out a photograph. "Here, this is Brian. Not exactly a rocket scientist, but, uh, he's so sweet. You ever meet somebody, and you just know you belong together? It just feels..."
Faith and Harmony smiled. "Comfortable."
They looked at each other.
Harmony smiled warmly at Faith. "You watch all the same TV shows."
Faith returned the smile. "You laugh at the same dumb jokes."
Ally smiled. "And the sex. Oh, God, do I miss the sex." She lost her smile. "So...explain something to me. How can Brian be stalking me if he's dead?"
Kate thought for a moment. "There are any number of explanations. Witchcraft, black magic, voodoo, zombiefication, demon possession, even vampirism."
"But why? Why is he hanging around here? What does he want?"
"Maybe there's something that he left unfinished, something that he wants to tell you."
Harmony shrugged. "Or maybe he just wants to eat your intestines."
Kate shot her a look. "Harm." She looked back at Ally. "We don't know he's a zombie, and, besides, the flesh-eating is a myth. Zombies merely mangle, mutilate, and occasionally wear human flesh. So there is no reason to be frightened until we have a better idea-"
The door, beside which Kate was standing, cracked open, and a pale hand grabbed a hold of her.
Kate threw herself against the door, trying to force it shut again. "A little help here!"
Harmony ran over and started to beat on what was visible of Brian with her baseball bat. Brian retreated, and they slammed the door shut.
Kate nodded. "'Kay. Zombie, it is."
Fred climbed onto the Nahdrahs' barge. She was led into a big, open room on the deck of the barge. The Nahdrahs clicked away as they led her further into the room. Fred posed, and one of them took her picture. There were irregularly-shaped hunks of glass, softly glowing from within, spread out on a table.
"I'm guessing it fits together in some sort of algorithmic sequence? Any hints?" Fred asked, then clicked at the Nahdrahs.
They clicked back at her.
"Guess not." Fred sat down at the table, opened her laptop, and took a closer look at the pieces. "So. Causation. Corollary. Causatu Corollary. Are we talking a closed curve of finite length in a simply-connected domain of zero?" She thought about that. "That would be too easy, wouldn't it?"
One of the Nahdrahs came over with a tray containing eyeballs and insects on round crackers.
Fred frowned in disgust. "Oh, really, I couldn't. I had eyeballs and insects for breakfast."
Later, Fred was putting some of the glass hunks together. "There is an ascending and descending causation instantly proved by...that!" She giggled. "I think I'm on to something here." Then she realized she was speaking English. "Oh...I'm sorry." She clicked to the Nahdrah watching her progress.
The Nahdrah pointed and clicked in answer. Fred slid another glass piece into place, causing the Nahdrah to hurry away.
Cordelia went to lock the Nahdrahs' money up in the safe. She froze, a wide-eyed expression on her face. She had a vision of Fred solving the puzzle, of the prince and the laptop screen, then of a knife blade coming at Fred.
"Oh, God. Fred, don't solve that puzzle."
Fred put another piece of glass into place, smiling. "Shouldn't be long now."
Ally sighed. "Do you guys know how much longer we're gonna be? I've got plans this evening."
Kate gave her a look. "We've taken every precaution, secured every entrance-"
They heard glass breaking, and Faith, Harmony, and Kate stood up, weapons at the ready.
Faith gave Kate a look. "With the possible exception of the skylight in the kitchen."
Brian walked in. "Ally! Ally...baby, I just-"
Ally flinched as Harmony hit Brian over the head with the baseball bat.
Kate looked at Ally. "Into the bedroom."
Brian pushed Kate and Harmony away from him as Ally ran for the bedroom. They picked themselves back up, and Harmony clubbed Brian again before they hurried after Ally. Faith drew the dagger that Angel had given her from its sheath and faced off against Brian.
Brian tried to go around Faith, but she stabbed him in the face with her dagger. Undeterred, Brian swatted her aside.
Harmony and Kate were sliding a dresser in front of the bedroom door as Brian pounded on it.
"Ally, why won't you talk to me?"
"Because you're dead. Now, go away!" Ally looked at Kate and Harmony. "You know, I'm paying good money here. Can you please get rid of him?"
Harmony and Kate tried to brace the dresser, but it was slowly pushed back to the point where Brian could stick his head in through the crack in the door.
"Just give me another chance, baby." Brian looked at Harmony and Kate. "Who are these chicks?"
Kate looked at him. "We're here to protect her from you, actually."
"Protection?" Brian let out a deep breath and smiled at Ally. "I thought you were dating them."
"You know, this is exactly why I broke up with you. You're suffocating me! Now, get lost!" Ally tried to help push the dresser.
Harmony lifted her bat one-handed and bashed at Brian's hand and head with it. They managed to shut the door. They all waited and listened for a moment, then Kate motioned for Harmony to take a look as she slid the dresser back. Harmony looked. Brian was sitting, hunched over. Faith was standing nearby, unsure what to do. She casually pulled her dagger out of Brian's face.
"What's he doing?" Kate asked.
"Pouting."
"Okay. That's it." Ally walked past Harmony, out into the living room. "You know, this is so typical of you. You're all bluster, and then you pout."
"I thought we had fun together."
"We did, but you're so...needy."
"Needy? Because I cared?"
"Caring didn't entitle you to read my diary, follow me to work-"
"I never...Okay, I read your diary once or twice. Does that give you a reason to poison me?"
Ally noticed Faith, Harmony, and Kate looking at her.
"What? You're gonna believe everything a zombie says?" Ally asked.
"Are you saying she killed you?" Kate asked Brian.
"I'd forgive her if she'd take me back."
"You're kidding, right?" Harmony asked.
"No." Brian looked at Ally. "Baby, I've seen the guys you've been going out with. You're not having any fun! Come on. Let's give it another shot."
Ally stayed silent, just looking at Brian.
Brian got up, smiling. "What do you say? Me and you?"
Ally half-smiled. "Eew, I-I can't. It's creepy."
"Come on. I miss you."
Faith shook her head.
"Oh. I don't know." Ally paused in consideration. "Maybe I was a little...hasty."
They grinned at each other, then hugged.
Faith, Harmony, and Kate looked at each other as Brian gave Ally a kiss.
Kate turned back to face Ally. "Will that be cash or credit?"
Fred slid the last piece of the puzzle into place; the glass pyramid that she had formed lit up. The Nahdrahs around her clicked away in excitement.
Fred took off her glasses, a big smile on her face. "Oh, it was nothing."
The Nahdrahs took a hold of her and pulled her along.
"Oh. Are we going somewhere to celebrate?"
They entered another room. The Nahdrahs pushed Fred down in a chair across from their prince and closed the clamps to hold her in place.
"Oh, God. I don't have to marry him, do I?" Fred asked. "What are you gonna do?"
One of the Nahdrahs was holding a blade up.
"Help!" Fred screamed.
A sharp whistle sounded, and everyone turned to look at Cordelia standing in the doorway, holding the suitcase of money in her left hand and a sword in her right hand.
"Hey!" Cordelia yelled. "I'd just like a word here."
Fred grinned. "Oh, boy, you guys are so gonna get your asses kicked!"
"Fred, translate. There's been a terrible misunderstanding. And I know you're men of honor, and I know we can make a simple exchange...in a-a civilized manner."
Cordelia looked at Fred, who started to click away at the Nahdrahs.
Cordelia set down the suitcase. "We return your gracious gift, and you return Fred. Sorry about the confusion, but we kind of need her head at work."
Fred nodded. "Firmly attached to her body."
"That goes without saying."
Fred was staring at her.
"Say it!" Cordelia yelled.
Fred clicked away to the Nahdrahs, who answered back and raised their weapons.
"I told them what they had to do and told them what would happen if they didn't do it."
"Kind of unnecessary." Cordelia gave the Nahdrahs a big smile. "Fred...do these guys have dicks?"
"Is that really important right now?"
"Work with me here, kiddo."
"I think so. I never knew one intimately."
Cordelia stepped forward and kicked one of the Nahdrahs between the legs. She heard a metal clang and hopped back on one foot.
"Oh. Ow! Ow! Ow! Fuck!" Cordelia yelled in pain.
Cordelia hopped backwards through the curtain - only to run back in and attack the Nahdrahs.
The Nahdrah standing next to Fred held the sword blade against her throat, and Fred began to scream.
Cordelia swung her sword and hurled the suitcase. The suitcase knocked the Nahdrah with the sword backwards, away from Fred, before bursting open against the wall. The sword decapitated the prince. All of the fighting and screaming stopped as the Nahdrahs stared at their headless prince.
Cordelia stared. "Well, I guess you cut off the snake's head..."
All of the Nahdrahs started clicking and raised their weapons.
Fred frowned. "You piss the other snakes off."
Cordelia resumed fighting, decapitating some of the Nahdrahs. Nahdrah bodies littered the floor.
"That's what happens when you fuck with a Slayer!" Cordelia decapitated the final Nahdrah.
When it was over, Cordelia worked on freeing Fred. She helped Fred up out of the chair.
Fred smiled. "If you can keep your head when those about you are losing theirs, guess you're pretty lucky. I could kiss you."
Cordelia gently held Fred. "I'm flattered, but there's someone else that would rather kiss you."
"Who?" Fred asked.
"Who do you think? Kate!" Cordelia told her.
"Oh..." Fred grinned. "Really?"
"Really." Cordelia looked at the spilled money. "Shit. Do I even try to pick all of that up?"
Fred frowned. "The fuckers tried to cut my head off. We earned every penny."
"Hold my sword."
Fred took the sword from Cordelia, who rushed over to the spilled money and started to stuff it into the suitcase.
When Cordelia and Fred arrived back at the Hyperion, they found Angel, Kate, Faith, and Harmony in the lobby.
"Hey, how'd your cases go?" Cordelia asked.
Faith shook her head. "Weird. That Ally chick killed her boyfriend, and now they're back together."
Harmony nodded uneasily. "Yeah, I'm a romantic at heart, but even I was like 'Eeww, what if body parts start falling off...during?'"
The others made disgusted faces.
Angel sighed. "I got gypped out of my money."
Cordelia frowned. "Sorry. But money's not the most important thing."
"No, it's not."
"But still..." Cordelia held up the suitcase and grinned. "...I slaughtered the Nahdrahs and cleaned them out. We're talking a cool hundred-grand."
The others - except Fred - stared at her in shock.
Cordelia smiled. "Oh, don't worry, there's a totally moral reason that I did that."
Fred nodded. "They were gonna kill me."
"Oh." Angel paused. "Well, that's okay, then. Let's lock it up."
Cordelia followed Angel over to the safe.
Fred looked at Kate and smiled. "Hi."
Kate smiled. "Hi."
Harmony folded her hands together and grinned in excitement as she watched. Faith took hold of her arm and dragged her upstairs.
"I'm glad that you're safe." Kate paused. "I have to admit I'm a bit jealous of Cordy. I wish I was the one to save you."
Fred smiled. "You have saved me. I'll never forget it." She stepped closer to Kate.
Kate hesitated. "Would you indulge me in something?"
"What is it?" Fred asked coyly, her smile widening.
Kate put her hands on Fred's cheeks. Fred looked into Kate's blue eyes, nervous. Kate kissed Fred on the lips. Fred hugged Kate and hesitantly started kissing Kate back. The two of them just stood there for a while, relishing in the feeling of each other.
Chapter 130: Waiting in the Wings
Chapter Text
"Waiting in the Wings"
Based on the Angel Episode Written by Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
Kate was sitting in front of a book open to a woodcut of a demon.
Cordelia was sitting in front of Kate's desk and writing on a notepad. "Sorialus the Ravager." She looked down at the book. "Yeah, she's the one from my vision."
"Coming to destroy the humans that killed her mate."
"But not for another month or so. I'll file her under 'pending'."
Kate closed the book.
Cordelia looked at Kate and smiled. "So...you and Fred fuck yet?"
Kate nearly blushed. "Not that it's any of your fucking business - see what I did there? - but no."
Cordelia sighed. "Just like to hear about others' love lives every now and then. I was the ditziest bitch in Sunnydale, could have had any man I wanted. Now, I'm all superhero-y and with a guy that I can't fuck without dire consequences, and the best action I can get is an invisible ghost that's good with the loofah."
Kate made a face, embarrassed.
"Who's doing what with the loofah?" Angel asked, walking into Kate's office.
Cordelia looked at Angel. "So...you went with the dark clothes today."
"Ask me why I'm smiling."
"I will, because it's scaring me."
Angel pulled some tickets out of his back pocket and held them up. "We...are stepping out."
"What are those?" Kate asked.
"Well, I got to the ticket place and-"
Fred walked into the office. "Morning."
Kate smiled. "Hi, sweetie."
Fred put her hands on Kate's desk, leaned forward, and kissed Kate on the lips, putting Cordelia in an awkward situation.
Angel smiled. "Anyway. Blinnikov World Ballet Tour. Tonight only!"
The ladies stared blankly at him.
"This is the Blinnikov World Ballet Corps."
Cordelia frowned. "He's saying that like it has meaning."
"This is one of the premier companies in the world. And they're doing Giselle! It's their signature piece."
Kate thought for a moment. "I think I've heard of them. Very ahead of their time."
"Oh, yeah. Yeah. I saw their production of Giselle in 1890. I cried like a baby. And I was evil!"
Fred smiled. "I-I think it sounds exciting!"
Kate nodded. "Yeah."
"Do we get dressed up?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"Of course."
"I'm in."
"Guys, seeing real ballet live, it's..." Angel sighed. "It's like another world."
Cordelia stood up. "Come on, guys. Working day, cases to solve."
Cordelia and Fred were in a fancy clothing store.
"Are you certain this is the place for us?" Fred asked.
"Well, we could always get our outfits at Cavegirl's House of Burlap, but that's just so last season. Angel and Kate are renting tuxes. We gotta step up."
"But aren't we...you know...poor?"
"There is a custom among my people. It's called 'buying a dress, wearing it once, and returning it the next day'. It's all about hiding the tags while it's on."
Fred smiled. "Oh. Okay. I'm very excited about tonight. I love the ballet! I mean I haven't seen that much, but my family used to go to The Nutcracker every Christmas, and I had my first sexual dream about the Mouse King."
Cordelia gave Fred a look and half-nodded before holding up a dress. "Face me."
Fred did.
Cordelia held the dress up against Fred, then shook her head and put it back on the rack. "We find the right outfit for tonight, Kate won't wait to get you home and peel it off."
Fred blushed. "And then we have to find a dress for you. Something that will make Angel crazy."
Cordelia smiled. "Fred, sweetie. Angel is crazy."
"Well, I know he's gonna wanna look his best for you."
"That's right. The world's champion is gonna spend all day worrying about his outfit!"
Cordelia approached Angel's bedroom and heard him talking.
"Damn it, what's she gonna think? Cordelia, she's-"
"She's what?" Cordelia stood in the doorway, showing off her dress. She saw Angel was alone and realized he must have been talking to himself.
Angel turned to look at her and paused. "I-I was just saying that you're not much of an ballet fan. You - You look like-"
"Like a ballet fan?" Cordelia swayed into the room. "An aficionado? A devotee in fact?" She reached up to adjust Angel's bow tie. "Tonight, I've decided we don't have to be our incredibly dreary selves." She smiled at Angel. "Tonight, we're just a couple of young sophisticates enjoying an evening of classical dance. How does that sound?"
Angel smiled. "Sounds just right."
Kate was in her office. Fred was in the lobby.
"You got to promise not to laugh."
"I promise."
"It's gotta come from the heart."
"Will you stop being such a little girl?" Fred asked. "I said I promise."
Kate opened the door, stepped out into Fred's view, and spread her arms, so she could get a look at her tuxedo. Fred's eyes went wide. After a moment, she burst out laughing.
"This is what your promises are worth?" Kate asked, embarrassed. "I'm having a lot of trust issues at this time in my life."
"It's just...my God, you're so pretty."
Kate smiled. "So are you."
"Tonight feels...I don't know...kind of magical. Is that stupid?" Fred asked.
Kate walked up, picked up Fred's stole, and draped it over Fred's shoulders. "Not at all." She smiled. "You're an absolute vision."
Cordelia walked down the steps on Angel's arm. "Thank you, but no thank you. There will be no visions tonight."
"How can you be sure?" Angel asked her.
"I had a vision."
Angel grabbed Cordelia's jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
"Thank you."
They all walked out of the lobby.
In Homosassa, Florida, Eve and Maxine were sparring in the kitchen. Eve's mother was standing at the stove, cooking dinner.
Eve dodged a punch to the head from Maxine, and then she moved to do a leg sweep, but she lost her balance and fell to the floor. "Ow!"
Maxine crouched over Eve and made as if she was going to bite her neck. "And you're dead."
Eve rubbed her sore ass. "I'm fine, thanks."
"Vampires don't care if you're fine." Maxine stared at Eve with lust in her eyes. "They just want to feed." She bared her teeth, showing off her nonexistent fangs.
Eve scooted away from her and stood up. "Mom, your girlfriend wants to fuck me. That's okay, right?"
"Eve, please set the table." Amanda brought the pan over to the table, then glanced at Maxine. "You don't bite me with that much enthusiasm."
Eve made a gagging gesture, then took off her protective gear and set it on the sink's counter. She opened the cabinet above the counter and took out three plates. She closed the cabinet, opened the top drawer built into the counter, took out three forks, and closed the drawer. She brought the items over to the table and set them down. Amanda put a chicken thigh on each plate. Maxine, her protective gear removed, sat down at the table, and so did Eve. Amanda put the pan in the sink, then went to the stove and got the pot of mashed potatoes and bowl of gravy.
"Who wants yummy stuff?" Amanda asked, walking over to the table.
Maxine smiled. "Mmm, I'll have some."
Amanda bent over and kissed Maxine on the lips.
Eve rolled her eyes. "Get a room, you two - preferably out of earshot."
Fred looked around the theater lobby with a big smile on her face. The gang settled into their seats. Fred and Kate were sitting together in one row. Angel and Cordelia had seats in the row just behind them.
Angel frowned. "Sorry they're not closer. Getting four seats together-"
Kate smiled. "Don't be silly. Best place. We get the whole panorama from here."
"Back in the day, I'd always get box seats. Or I'd just eat the people who had 'em."
Cordelia frowned. "Don't let's reminisce. We're here. Enjoy."
They looked down to the stage as the curtain opened.
Later in the performance, Fred heard Cordelia snoring in her seat, so she turned and looked behind her. Cordelia jerked and moved without waking, so her head was now laying against Angel's shoulder, still quietly snoring away.
Kate glanced at Fred, then leaned forward, intent on the stage, a smile on her face. Fred looked over at Kate and smiled.
The act came to an end, and people began to applaud.
Cordelia jerked upright. "I loved it."
Angel looked at her. "It's just intermission."
Cordelia wiped at her face. "Oh." She looked at Angel's jacket, where her head was resting. "That isn't drool, is it?"
"It's okay. Matches the back."
The group was walking into the lobby.
Kate smiled. "They certainly live up to their reputation. Has the choreography changed much since-"
"No. Nothing's changed."
Kate looked at Angel. "Well, it's wonderful that they're able to-"
"No. I mean...nothing's changed. These are the same dancers I saw before."
"That's impossible. We're watching the exact same troupe that you saw in 1990?" Fred asked.
Kate looked at her. "I think he said 1890."
"Oh. Okay, that's much more impossible."
"So...somebody wanna tell me how we're watching a show starring people who should have died sixty years ago?" Angel asked.
The gang exchanged looks, but no one volunteered any ideas.
"Well, it's a puzzler. Are there snacks?" Cordelia asked.
"So what are we thinking? Vampires?" Kate asked.
Cordelia considered. "Well, they're not a deeply-tanned bunch."
"That would explain the precision and the athleticism."
"Dancing vampires. Who's not scared?" Cordelia asked.
Angel shook his head. "Not it. I'd know. I'd sense it."
"Even all of the way back there...with the...panoramic view?" Kate asked him.
"We should check it out."
"Maybe, after the show, we should head backstage?" Fred suggested.
"I was thinking now. You guys should go back. I'll snoop."
Cordelia looked at him. "I'm with Snoopy. The magic of the ballet, not really getting to me."
"How will the dancers keep time without your rhythmic snoring?" Kate asked, smiling.
Cordelia looked at Kate and stuck out her tongue. "Too bad Dawn ain't here. She'd love this shit."
The lights flickered, and a soft chiming sounded, to indicate the end of the intermission.
Angel looked at the others. "Go."
Kate nodded. "Hurry."
Cordelia and Angel were descending some stairs and spotted a big security guard standing in front of the door at the bottom.
"Check out the zeppelin."
"Awful lot of muscle for a ballet company."
"You want I should distract him? Make with the nice-nice while you slip by?" Cordelia suggested.
"Don't be stupid. I'm that guy, and the most beautiful girl I've ever seen is making eyes at me? It's either bachelor party or a scam."
"What did you just call me?"
"I'm sorry. You're not stupid." Angel paused. "I think I'll just have to go with my patented sudden burst of violence."
"Hey, hold on. I think I might have an approach that is a little more subtle." Cordelia looked at the guard. "Hey! Do you like bribes?"
The guard smiled. "Do I ever."
Cordelia held up some money. "Well, we really wanna go backstage."
The guard took the money. "Yeah, okay, but this isn't so much a bribe as it is a tip. And since I'm not parking your car, there's really no way that-"
The guard was handing the bill back to Cordelia when he was knocked out by a sudden cross from Angel.
"Okay. That's how we do it."
They walked through the door.
"Okay. You saw the building as we drove by. Do you remember it going on forever?" Cordelia asked, glancing down a corridor that stretched on without an end in sight.
"It's clearly a spell or a time flux or something. I don't think we wanna be rushing in here."
"Well, let's get the others and talk options."
They turned back to the door that they just came through, but instead there was just another corridor, stretching on forever.
"Works in theory."
Cordelia and Angel walked down the corridor. Angel opened one of the doors, and they entered.
"This is her dressing room."
"The prima ballerina."
"It's unchanged."
Cordelia sat down at the dressing table and picked up a little chain with a cross on it. "She would wait for him here."
"It's warm. It's very warm."
Cordelia turned to look at him. "I feel it."
"Something happened here."
Cordelia stood up. "Angel?"
"Yeah?"
"I want you...to undress me."
"You what?"
"It's just another costume. I want you to see who I really am. You're the only one that can."
Angel shook his head slightly. "I...This isn't us." He licked his lips. "Cordelia, we're acting this out. Someone is-"
"Whoa! Did - Did I actually just ask you to undress me?"
Angel stepped closer. "Is that what you want?"
"Please...I-"
"You want me to make love to you right here?"
"You know I do."
Angel caressed her cheek and leaned in closer. "But you're afraid."
"What if he finds us?"
"I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of anything."
Cordelia sighed. "I'm only alive when you're inside me."
Cordelia and Angel started kissing passionately. Suddenly, there was a hissing sound.
Angel jerked away, putting one hand up against the side of his mouth and cheek. "Ah! Cordelia."
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry."
"No. We so need to be out of here."
"Yes."
They were both breathing rather fast as they moved back together.
Cordelia was not trying to get away. "This isn't out of here."
"I know. Right."
Remaining on the verge of another kiss, they moved across the room.
Cordelia turned, so that her back was to Angel, snaking one of her arms up behind his neck, breathless. "Open the damn door."
"Kinda hard."
"Kinda noticed."
Never losing touch with Cordelia's body, Angel reached around and twisted the door handle. Breaking apart, they hurried through the open door, and Angel slammed it shut behind them.
"Whoa!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Angel leaned with his back against the door. "That's a fair assessment."
Cordelia pointed at the door. "What the hell is that place?"
"There's spirits in there. Energy trapped in time. It took us over."
"Yee, not again. Scary. Well, it's a good thing that it wears off right away."
Cordelia laughed as both of them looked down.
Angel took off his tuxedo jacket and folded it over his arm, strategically positioned in front of his penis. "Yeah. Good thing."
Later, Cordelia and Angel were wandering down a hallway.
"Are you sure this is the way?" Cordelia asked.
"I'm sure it's a way. Place is a maze. I'm just hoping there's another room. We can just go-"
"Damn it!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"What?"
"I said something. Back in that room. Something important. Do you remember?"
"Um...you-you're only alive when I-I'm-"
"Not that."
"No. Of course. I-I was just...Oh. Hey! I said you were afraid."
"And I said...'What if he finds us?'"
"She had a secret lover."
"They were afraid of someone. And I'll bet your ass that that someone is the reason why we're stuck here!" Cordelia realized. "We left too soon."
"We...Who? The room?"
"It's a clue! Those spirits or - or energy or - or whatever are still in there. So we can figure out what happened. We have to go back in!"
"I'm marveling at the wrongness of that idea."
"You wanna wander around backstage like Spinal Tap for the next...ever?" Cordelia asked him.
"I'm sure there are other rooms that-"
"All that we have to do is play the scene. Get in, get out. No one gets happy."
"What if there is...no more talking in that scene? Look, we've been possessed by the spirits of old lovers before. Never goes well."
Cordelia pulled out the necklace with the cross and held it up. "Well, I've got my little cross if things get out of hand."
Angel wouldn't look at her.
"Hey...it's awkward, but, as long as nothing is removed or...inserted, it's all good."
Up in the theater, Fred was watching the ballerina and the lead dance. Kate's hand slowly moved towards Fred, resting on her knee.
"Angel!" Fred whispered.
Kate jerked her hand back. "Huh?"
"And Cordy. They've been gone way too long."
"You're right. Come on."
They got up.
Cordelia and Angel were back in the dressing room of the ballerina, standing a few feet apart.
"Anything coming?" Angel asked.
"Um..." Cordelia paced in a little circle, then turned to face Angel. "Okay. Let's take it from the middle. I want you to undress me."
"You want me to have sex now with you here."
"Yes, but I'm scared."
"But you're afraid."
"And afraid. What if we - he...finds us?"
Angel awkwardly took a hold of Cordelia's shoulders and pulled her closer. "Well, I'm not afraid of anything."
"Only good inside, blah, blah, blah..." Cordelia squinted her eyes closed and leaned in to give Angel a quick smooch.
Then they both looked around the room.
"Maybe it only works the one time. You know, when the energy-"
Cordelia pulled Angel into a passionate kiss. The cross necklace dropped from her fingers, behind Angel's back.
Fred and Kate came across the unconscious security guard.
Kate smiled. "At least, Angel left us a trail."
They heard mixed laughter and crying. Fred and Kate stepped over the downed guard and through the door.
Angel was laying Cordelia back on the lounge in the ballerina's dressing room, covering her neck with kisses.
"This is wrong."
"Hush."
"You don't know him. He has power."
"The power to do this?" Angel lifted up Cordelia's dress, put his hand underneath, pulled down her panties, and shoved his index and middle fingers into her pussy.
Cordelia gasped and took a deep breath - and another. "Stephan, his power is unnatural. He could-"
"What? Kill us?"
"Worse."
"Kurskov owns the company. He doesn't own you."
"He doesn't know that. He thinks I'm his." Cordelia sat up. "That I dance for him. He is nothing but a deluded fan. He thinks I love him."
"Come away with me. Now. Tonight. We'll disappear. Even he won't find us."
"I...Stephan, everything I worked for is here."
"You can still dance."
"Can I? I don't...Not yet. Maybe when we're-"
"Don't. Don't make promises."
"Help me. Help me be not afraid."
Cordelia sank back onto the lounge, and Angel went back to kissing her neck.
Fred and Kate were walking down a corridor.
"This is very not right."
They could hear low moaning.
"Do you hear it?" Fred asked.
"Someone's in pain."
"Either that, or someone's in fun."
Angel was between Cordelia's legs, ferociously eating her pussy.
Cordelia moaned. "Oh, no." Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she sat up. "Oh, no!"
Angel straightened up just in time to get knocked to the floor by someone. Cordelia peeked over the back of the lounge and watched as the attacker, wearing a gray Thalia mask, hit Angel across the chin with a hard right punch.
"Oh, thank God!" Cordelia exclaimed.
Angel hit back, knocking the figure to the floor.
Cordelia put her dress back on. "Okay. So. Good. They were probably interrupted by this Count Kurskov or his lackeys, right? So we're done with the-"
Cordelia threw up her hands to shield herself as Angel charged at her. Cordelia let out a scream as Angel launched himself over her, tackling the figure set to attack Cordelia from behind.
The others out in the corridor followed the sounds of the fight.
Fred frowned. "Now, that sounds less like fun."
Someone wearing a gray Melpomene mask came up behind Kate.
Fred spun around. "Kate!"
Kate spun around and jumped back. "Fred, stay behind me."
Fred picked up a prop and walloped Melpomene. "Kate!" She tossed the sword to her.
Kate caught it. "Can you handle the other?" She glanced back to see Fred continuing to wallop on the sobbing Melpomene, then turned back to face her own foe. "Well, then. Just us."
Cordelia was throwing cushions and whatever else came to hand at a laughing Thalia while Angel had a Melpomene on the floor, choking it. Thalia slashed at Cordelia with its sword.
Cordelia picked up a short stick, decorated with swaths of ribbons, looked at it as she dodged another swing, then looked over towards Angel. "A little help!"
Melpomene pulled out a stiletto and stabbed Angel through the heart with it.
"Thank you." Angel pulled out the stiletto, knocked Melpomene across the chin, then stabbed it through the heart with its own sword, at the same time throwing the stiletto to skewer Thalia through the throat.
Cordelia watched Thalia drop to the floor, then hurried over to Angel.
"You all right?" Angel asked her.
"Yeah. We gotta move."
Angel looked from one minion to the other. "You think they're not dead?"
"Better not take a chance. We don't know what we're dealing with."
They jumped up and ran out the room, taking the swords with them.
Kate was fencing with the Thalia out in the corridor. It was laughing the whole time.
After some fancy sword and curtain work, Kate managed to run it through with her blade. "Who's laughing now?"
It let out a weak laugh.
"Well, you. But I still win."
Fred walked over to her. Kate reached out and pulled Fred against her. Kate looked at her lips, then slowly leaned forward. They kissed softly. Cordelia and Angel walked up a branch of the corridor.
"You guys all right?" Angel looked at the dead beings. "The same guys that attacked us."
"Cordy...your tag's showing." Fred tucked the tag back away.
"Any idea where we are or what the fuck?" Kate asked.
Angel shifted on his feet. "Yeah. Cordy and I hit kind of a mystical hotspot back in one of the dressing rooms."
Cordelia nodded. "Well, it seems the prima ballerina had a lover back in the day. And there was this Count Kurskov, who owned the company, and I guess he had a thing for the girl, and...they were mightily afraid of him."
Angel nodded. "He had powers of some kind. He was a wizard. He was obsessed with the girl. When he found her with the other man, he went insane with jealous rage, pulled her out of time, out of any reality beyond his theater, his company. He swore she would dance for him forever."
"And now we're stuck here?" Kate asked.
Fred thought for a moment. "Well, uh, this kind of temporal shift can't just exist. It has to be maintained. That requires power and concentration. If we can overload him somehow, we might be able to slip back to the real world."
"Great. So how do we overload him?" Angel asked.
Fred pointed. "Well, I'd imagine that requires some energy."
The others turned to look at what Fred was indicating. One of the creatures was slowly rising, began to shake, then split in two, one wearing a Melpomene mask and sobbing, the other wearing a Thalia mask and laughing. Angel grabbed them both in a headlock under each arm and broke both of their necks. As soon as they hit the floor, they started shivering and splitting, each into a new pair of theater minions.
Fred shook her head. "The more that we kill, the more that he makes."
Cordelia pointed. "Look!"
For a moment, the wall of the corridor wavered, revealing another reality behind it.
"And that is draining his energy." Kate looked at Angel. "Angel, try to find a way to the stage. The count will be watching. Find his power center and destroy it. We'll try to loosen his hold."
Angel started to walk away. A minion came up the corridor, and Angel spin-kicked it, breaking its neck before heading past it.
Cordelia pointed. "Back here. They can't surround us."
They all moved into the corner that Cordelia indicated. Cordelia picked up one of the minion's swords, handing its stiletto to Fred as she and Kate walked past her.
Kate put a hand on Fred's arm. "Stay close. I'll take point."
Cordelia walked up beside Kate. "I hope you're in a killing mood."
"I should do all right."
After they defeated a bunch of minions, Cordelia, Kate, and Fred looked for a way out of the corridor maze. The wall next to them flickered, and, after a second's hesitation, Cordelia leaped at it - and landed in the wings off the stage. She saw Angel approaching the ballerina, who was standing there, watching from just off stage, waiting; at the same time, the ballerina also came dancing off the stage, her image shivering and dissolving as she passed from the view of the theater audience. Cordelia approached Angel and the ballerina. At the same time, Kate and Fred followed Cordelia out of the maze.
"Hello?" Angel asked.
The ballerina's head whipped around, and she stared at Angel and Cordelia. "Who are you? There's no one..." She paused. "You're new."
"I'm pretty old, actually." Angel slowly walked closer. "I've seen you dance."
The ballerina looked out on the stage. "Everyone sees me."
"It was Giselle then as well."
"Always."
Angel looked past the ballerina and saw Kurskov up in his box. "I know what's happening. Count Kurskov, he's punishing you."
"He made me. He owns me. And when I dance, it is only for him."
Beside them, the air shivered as a row of dancers materialized and passed out onto the stage.
"Do you believe that?" Angel asked.
"It really doesn't matter. I'll dance. I'll wait here. And then I'll dance again. That's all."
"A hundred years...doing the same piece...every night. Is that enough? What about Stephan?" Cordelia asked.
The ballerina took a deep breath. "I waited too long. I should have gone when he asked me, should have disappeared, but..." She swallowed hard. "...I wanted this. This dance, this...I hesitated, and...I lost everything that mattered. Now, all I do is wait."
"You dance."
"There is a section in the first act, during the courtship dance, where...my foot slips. My ankle's turned, and - and I don't quite hold...every time." The ballerina glanced at the box. "He doesn't notice. He doesn't even know ballet that well. But always, at that same moment, I slip. It isn't just the same ballet." She looked at Cordelia and Angel. "It's the same performance. I don't dance." She returned to watching the stage. "I echo." After a moment, she turned back to Cordelia and Angel. "Please...can you make it stop?"
Angel reached out his hand towards the stage, and it vanished from view in mid-air.
"We can help you. But you have to do something."
"What?"
"Change the ending. Dance something new."
"I can't."
"He doesn't control all this. He's losing it."
The 1890 backstage dissolved for a moment into the present-day stage.
"But you have to take the stage. It's not too late. You can change things."
The ballerina looked from Angel to the stage. She slowly stepped towards the stage, looking back at Angel once, then went out and began to dance around the lead dancer, laying stretched out in the middle of the stage as the rest of the company left the stage. She raised her head from bowing down over the fallen body to look towards Cordelia and Angel, waiting in the wings, then stepped back and struck a different pose.
Up in his box, Kurskov jumped up out of his chair. "No!"
As the ballerina began to dance again, the body of the lead dancer shivered and dissolved. The ballerina stopped, holding a pose, and looked up defiantly at Kurskov's box. Cordelia and Angel ran out onto the stage and, with two great leaps, landed in Kurskov's box.
Angel grabbed him by the lapels and pulled him close. "Hey, where is your power center?"
"How dare you?"
"I'll guess." Angel smashed the jewel in the center of the Russian cross-shaped medal hanging around Kurskov's neck.
A wave of blue light raced out, washing over the ballerina on the stage.
On the stage, the ballerina looked up at Angel. Angel gave her a slight nod, and she sunk down, folding her body on top of her outstretched leg, in something like a deep bow, before dissolving away.
Kurskov glared at Angel. "You have no right."
"Save it."
Out in the audience, people began to applaud.
"She...was my love. She danced only for me!"
"Yeah. You love her that much?" Cordelia hauled back and punched Kurskov on the chin, dropping him to the floor. "Start a website."
Angel smiled at her.
Cordelia brushed at her dress. "Do you think I can still return it? Because otherwise we're gonna have to take on a lot more cases."
Chapter 131: Couplet
Chapter Text
"Couplet"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episodes "Normal Again" Written by Diego Gutierrez and "Entropy" Written by Drew Z. Greenberg and the Angel Episodes "Couplet" Written by Tim Minear and Jeffrey Bell, "Sleep Tight" Written by David Greenwalt, and "Double or Nothing" Written by David H. Goodman
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
Angel was sitting behind his desk, and Cordelia was sitting in front of it.
"You had a vision?" Angel asked.
"Yeah. Big as life, last night." Cordelia showed him a sketch that she drew of the monster.
"You should have called one of us."
"Well, it's not rising up until sometime later today."
Kate was sitting across from Fred in a diner, watching her eat.
"Mmmm, pancakes and waffles! I'm in Starch Heaven, yu-um!" Fred exclaimed between bites.
"You want another order of those?" Kate offered.
"Yes, please." Fred put a hand on Kate's wrist as she looked around for a waitress. "Oh. No. No, I'm not hungry."
"You sure? I love watching you eat."
"Wow."
They both looked down, fidgeting and smiling.
"We should probably go. People might start to talk."
Kate laughed. "Why would they?"
"Well, you know, us."
"'Us' has been doing breakfast for weeks now. Everyone knows that."
"I know, but, now that we've kissed, things are different." Fred paused. "I mean...they are, right?"
Kate smiled at her. "Oh, yeah."
"So - So you don't think they can tell?" Fred asked.
Kate looked around. "From here?"
Fred laughed. "I'm sorry. I'm being ridiculous, I know. It's just...I don't have a lot of experience in this area. I spent the last five years indoors."
"Yeah, I know what that's like."
"How could you?"
"Because now everything's so bright that my eyes hurt."
As they got lost in each other's eyes, the waitress dropped the tab on the table. "Here you go."
Fred smiled. "Thank you."
Kate nodded. "Thanks."
They both reached for it without losing eye contact, and their hands touched.
Fred looked down. "How are we gonna work this?"
"Like we always do. We split it."
"But you hardly ordered anything. I'd be getting so much more value."
Kate smiled. "I think I'm making out okay."
They leaned across the table to kiss when their beepers went off.
They both fumbled for them and looked at the number. "Angel."
They stood up. Kate signaled for the waitress.
"Mmmm, speaking of making out, pancake kiss!" Fred exclaimed, mouth full of food.
Kate kissed Fred on the lips.
"What is it about you that makes me melt?" Fred asked.
Kate smiled. "Maybe it's that I love you."
Fred smiled. "That's gotta be it."
"We've identified the demon from Cordelia's vision as a Senih'd." Angel handed Kate an open book. "We believe it will rise in the mid-city area sometime before nightfall."
Kate looked at the illustration, then handed the book over to Fred, sitting beside her. Their hands lingered during the hand-off.
"The Senih'd manifests in its physical form for one purpose only: to feed."
Fred handed the book to Cordelia.
"Seen it." Cordelia put the book on Angel's desk.
"Immediately upon rising, it will go to ground to search for a victim. We've got to make sure it doesn't find one. I'll take the sewer tunnels. The rest of you will go by car to Sorensen Park. We'll enter the underground from the water treatment plant there, double back. Let's move out."
Everyone started to leave the office. Angel got up and walked over to where the others armed up in front of the weapons cabinet.
Cordelia handed Angel a sword. "Here's a nice one."
Angel smiled. "That's my favorite broadsword!"
In the park, Cordelia ran to rescue the young woman that the Senih'd had grabbed. The demon tried to use the woman as a shield against Cordelia's sword, but Cordelia managed to knock them apart.
Kate and Fred ran over a rise in the park just in time to see Cordelia catch the woman in one arm while knocking the Senih'd down and stabbing it deep into the back of its neck. The demon dissolved into an oily black puddle that seeped away into the ground.
The rescued woman clung to Cordelia, a big smile on her face. "Thank you."
Cordelia smiled at her. The people in the park gathered around them, applauding. Cordelia turned and looked towards the hole in the side of a nearby building. She saw Angel standing in the shadows of it, watching her and smiling.
Angel was sitting behind his desk, across from Ms. Frakes. Kate and Fred stood nearby.
"You think you know someone. You think your place is secure and that there's a future there. And then something happens. No, strike that. Someone happens! They insinuate themselves, pushing you out, taking your place."
"And what makes you think this other woman is a witch, Ms. Frakes?"
"Why else would Jerry cheat on me? We've been engaged for eight years! She had to have put some kind of a spell on him."
Angel leaned back in his chair. "Well, if you give me the woman's name, I'll have someone check her out. See if we can find out if she's a...witch."
"HotBlonde37159." She handed Angel some papers. "I got these off the e-mails that I took from Jerry's computer."
"It's, uh, gonna...uh, it's gonna be pretty difficult to find her based solely on this."
"Well, just follow Jerry! I'm sure he'll lead you right to her."
Angel looked at Kate and Fred. "Anyone wanna volunteer?"
Kate raised her hand. "I'll do it. If witchcraft is involved, we should probably look into it."
"Good." Angel handed the papers to Kate.
Fred smiled at Ms. Frakes. "We won't let you down."
Kate pulled up to the curb in her car, a silver 2002 Toyota Camry LE sedan. A car pulled up at the curb in front of her and Fred. A man got out and walked over to stand beneath a tree across the street.
"Looks like this is it. Better get the camera."
Fred set up the video camera. "Do you really think he's possessed or under some kind of spell?"
"Well, it's hard to say. There's all different kinds of magic. You've got demony love spells, mojo sex chants, voodoo bootie rituals..."
"Voodoo bootie rituals?"
Kate gave her a serious nod, then they both started laughing.
Fred leaned towards her. "You made that up."
They started to kiss.
Fred pulled away. "Hmm. We should..."
"Right. Because we're all about the work."
Fred turned to watch Jerry, standing under the tree, holding a single red rose, waiting. "Maybe it's not so much magical but chemical when two people are attracted. Maybe it's like the DNA knows what it needs, and, when it finds it, nothing can get in its way. It just takes it."
"It does?"
Fred nodded at her with a smile. Kate leaned forward, and they kissed.
Fred pulled away after a moment. "Kate..."
"Yeah?"
"We're not supposed to be the ones having the rendezvous."
"We're not?"
"No. He is. But we're supposed to be working."
Kate let out a sigh and sat back. "You're right."
She looked towards the tree. No Jerry in sight.
"Damn!" Kate unfastened her seatbelt, unlocked and opened her door, and got out of the car.
Fred did the same.
Fred and Kate walked around the tree where they last saw Jerry.
"There is nothing."
"How are we gonna explain this to Angel?" Kate asked. "Losing him while making out."
"We didn't lose him so much as..." Fred paused. "Okay. We lost him. But his car's still here. So he's got to be close, right?"
Kate bent down and picked up the single red rose that Jerry was holding earlier.
"I'm sure there is an explanation."
"The camera."
"Yeah, the camera. Maybe he saw the camera."
"No, I mean, whatever happened, we got it on tape."
"Right." Fred looked down at the camera that she was carrying. Fred flipped the side screen of the camera open and rewound the tape to where Jerry was still standing under the tree. "There he is."
"Push Play."
On the screen, they saw some roots come up out of the ground, wrap around Jerry, and pull him straight down into the ground.
Fred frowned. "Well, that can't be good."
Roots shot up out of the ground, wrapped around Kate and Fred, and pulled them into the ground as well.
Kate and Fred were wrapped in a net of roots in a cave.
"Kate." Fred nodded.
Kate looked. Near them were Jerry and a woman, also wrapped up.
Kate got out her cell phone and called Angel.
"Hello."
"Angel, it's Kate. Fred and I are trapped-"
"What? Kate? I can barely hear you."
"Yeah, reception's not so great, is it?"
"Where are you?"
"Under Plummer Park."
"Under it?"
"Pretty much. We were tailing that woman's fiancé-"
Fred nodded. "Jerry."
"-and we kind of lost him."
"But then we found him - sort of."
"Him and his date. Some root-crazy, tree-like demony thing."
Fred saw some computer screens and keyboards wrapped around by more roots. "With what looks like a DSL connection. I'm pretty sure he chats up lonely hearts online and then sucks them down here for food. Or maybe it gets its power that way."
"Monster's got a big, leathery joint jammed up into the guy. I think it's sucking the life out of him."
"Stay put. We'll be right there."
"Not going anywhere." Kate ended the call.
Later, Cordelia slashed away at the roots with a sword as she walked into the cave.
"It's Cordy!" Fred exclaimed.
"Over here!" Kate yelled.
The face in the trunk roared. A root shot out at Cordelia. Angel made his way into the cave between some of the hanging roots and pushed Cordelia out of the way. The now-released Jerry was laying motionless on the ground.
"This thing is not actually made out of wood, is it?" Angel asked.
Fred shook her head. "No, it's flesh."
"Good." Angel took the sword from Cordelia. "Flesh, I can deal with. Flesh, I can kill."
"But I don't think hacking it is going to do any good. It doesn't seem to have any vital organs. It uses people as batteries. It draws its power from its victims."
Angel looked at the root-demon's snarling face. The demon roared and buried its tap-root in Angel's chest. Angel dropped to his knees, catching himself on his left hand, while his right hand wrapped around the tap-root.
"Angel!" Cordelia ran forward.
"Stop. Hang on."
Cordelia stopped.
"Kill you."
"Sorry. Already dead."
"Vampire!" the demon exclaimed.
"Yeah. Did I mention that?"
The demon moaned. "Cold. Cold."
"Oh, yeah. It's kinda cold in there. But, hey, don't let that stop you."
The tree demon moaned. The root bindings around Kate and Fred shriveled and dropped away. Cordelia grabbed the sword from Angel.
"So cold."
"So dead!" Cordelia buried the sword in the root-demon's face.
A yellow-green liquid poured out.
"How are you?" Angel asked Fred and Kate.
Fred smiled. "Still alive - thanks to you two."
Two weeks later, during the day, Angel walked into the lobby of the Hyperion, where Kate was standing behind the counter and checking a guest out while listening to a guitar and a woman's voice.
Kate smiled. "Thank you for choosing the Hyperion. Would you like help with that to your car?"
"No, thank you." The man picked up his suitcase and headed out the front entrance.
"Who is that singing?" Angel asked Kate.
"Cordy's seeing a client in the garden."
"She's good." Angel walked over to look out at the garden court.
A young woman with long blonde hair was singing to her guitar. "I fell so far; a light went on in my heart. You're gone; now, I'm left alone in the dark." She stopped and turned to Cordelia. "Do you see anything?"
"I see you're plenty scared. It's all right. Keep going."
The woman started playing again. "My soul is aching; my heart is breaking..."
Fred walked down the stairs and over to the counter and smiled at Kate. "Morning."
Kate smiled back. "Hi."
They kissed on the lips.
Cordelia looked at everyone from outside. "Uh, guys? I think there's something you should...uh, can you come here for a sec?"
They all went out into the garden court. Angel was careful to stay back in the shadows of the hotel entrance.
"Everybody, this is my friend, Kim." Cordelia looked at Kim. "It's all right. They're professionals. Just take it from the chorus, hmm?"
"My heart is breaking...in two. No love, no light left, no you..." Suddenly, Kim's face morphed into that of an ugly gray-skinned demon. "I'll hack your eyeballs out and rip your children in two!" Green drool started to drip from her mouth. Her face morphed back to human.
Cordelia walked over to a shaking Kim and held her. "It's okay. I got ya. It's all right. It's okay." She looked at the others. "Catchy finish, huh?"
Kim was sitting in Angel's office, drinking tea.
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Kim is a good person. She came to see me a couple of months ago."
Kim nodded. "She put me on my true path."
Cordelia smiled. "She was throwing her life away in medical school when she should have been a singer."
"Yeah. Who needs more doctors in the world when you can have singing demons?" Kate asked.
"Well, the demon part...is new." Kim took a sip of tea.
Cordelia nodded. "Well, she hooked up with this band a couple of weeks ago and-"
"They were mellow, organic types. They never touched drugs or played a diminished chord. Then they started changing. Stevie, the lead guitar, grew a seventh finger, like, overnight."
"Seventh?" Kate asked in surprise.
"Well, he already had six. I just thought...I don't really know what I thought. And Raw, the drummer, suddenly sprouted that spiny thing on his back. And they started playing this beyond industrial trash noise fucking shit day and night. And then it happened to me. You saw it. Am I gonna turn into that?" Kim asked.
Fred, wearing gloves, was bent over a microscope sitting on Angel's desk. "No. You're human. They're not. What's happening to you isn't permanent. It's just an infection. Which you can get rid of by taking twenty milligrams of Cylenthium powder twice per day for a month."
Cordelia looked at Kim. "Mystical antibiotic. I'll get you some."
Fred held up a glass slide. "I thought your saliva was suspect. What with being green and all. Under the microscope, it showed traces of Penloxia."
Kate frowned. "Oh...they're Wraith-ers."
"Wraith-ers?" Kim asked.
"Demons that can make themselves look human...for a time." Kate showed her an entry in one of her books. "Ten days, two weeks, then they revert to what they really are."
Fred frowned. "I wonder why they would wanna look like musicians."
"For the chicks. Musicians get the chicks!" Angel exclaimed.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"What? They're gonna appear as dentists? Let's take 'em out." Angel looked at Kim. "Where are they?"
"In a rehearsal space. It's an old loading dock behind the Shop 'n' Go in Echo Park."
"How many?"
"Three."
"Piece of cake!" Angel did some shadow boxing. "I'm up for a little kick-ass! Come on! Who's with me?"
Kim's band was playing their music. A couple of punk girls were dancing wildly in front of the stage.
A trash can shattered one of the windows beside the stage, and the music cut off. Cordelia stepped through, carrying a crossbow, followed by Fred and Angel, who was holding a blanket over his head to shield him from the sun's rays.
Stevie stared at Cordelia. "Dude! You're paying for that window."
"No, I'm not."
"Wait, are you the A&R guys? This isn't even the whole band. We got a killer chick who sings!" Raw looked at Cordelia. "Hey, baby! Hey, don't worry about the window."
Angel stared at the guys. "We're not the A&R guys. We're just here to kill you."
"Aw, dude, they wanna kill us."
"Okay. But they're still paying for the window."
"I got first ride on the hottie." With that, the drummer leaped off the stage.
Cordelia hit the drummer, sending him stumbling back against the stage as the groupies let out a scream.
"Get them out of here!" Cordelia told Fred.
Fred took a hold of the two girls and ushered them out.
Cordelia raised her crossbow as the three Wraith-ers squared off against them, and they suddenly came to a dead halt.
"Oh, come on! Take it like a demon."
A growl sounded, and Cordelia turns her head to see Angel was snarling at them. Angel leaped past Cordelia, onto the stage, tackling all three demons at once, then started to lay into them.
Cordelia stared and kicked the occasional Wraith-er as it came her way, but Angel was hogging all of the action, tossing the demons around like rag dolls.
Cordelia shot one of the Wraith-ers in the throat with an arrow and glanced over at Fred standing back in the shadow of the entrance.
All fell quiet as Angel tossed the last demon aside. Angel was standing on the cleared stage, still holding one of the demon's arms. "That was fun."
The following week, at night, Buffy, Tara, Dawn, Amy, and Katrina were patrolling in the cemetery.
"Okay, I've got a question. What would you do if you could go back in time and meet your younger self?" Amy asked.
Buffy looked from one grave to another. "Fuck myself."
The others stared at her in surprise.
"What?" Buffy asked. "Like you all wouldn't."
The others considered it and shrugged in agreement.
"I think time travel's bullshit. What about alternate realities?" Katrina suggested.
"What about them?" Tara asked.
"What kinds can you think of?" Katrina asked.
Amy pointed at Katrina. "One in which My So-Called Life, Freaks and Geeks, Time of Your Life, and Now and Again were never canceled."
Dawn nodded. "Ooh! Add Queen of Swords and Cleopatra 2525 to the list."
Buffy frowned. "Cleo stays on the air, Victoria Pratt doesn't get on Mutant X."
Dawn considered. "Yeah, fair point."
Buffy shrugged. "Besides, I love Heidi and wish her well, but that show was kinda stupid."
Dawn smiled. "Hey, maybe there's an alternate reality with a hit TV show called Op-Noot the Booger about an anthropomorphic booger superhero."
The others stared at her.
Dawn looked down at the ground. "It could be real."
"What kind of alternate reality can you imagine, sweetie?" Tara asked Buffy.
Buffy thought for a moment. "I'm actually in an institution. I'm crazy. Sunnydale and - and all of this, none of it is real."
"Oh, come on, that's ridiculous! What? You think this isn't real just because of all of the vampires and demons and magic and gods...?" Dawn paused and frowned. "On the other hand, it might explain some things, this all being in that twisted brain of yours."
"What are you bitches babbling about?" a vampire asked, walking around from behind a mausoleum.
"Nothing. Alternative realities. Where we're all little figments of Buffy's funny-farm delusion." Amy raised a hand and froze the vampire in place.
"Oh, come on! That's not fair!" the vampire complained.
Dawn walked up and staked him in the heart, killing him. Amy let go of her psychic hold, and the vampire's body fell to the ground.
Dawn grinned. "I altered his reality." She paused. "Get it? I..." She paused again. "Never mind."
Everyone resumed walking.
Dawn looked at Buffy. "Well, anyway, I'm just happy to be in this reality, which is really real."
"Sure it is. 'Cause what's more real? A sick girl in an institution...or some kind of Supergirl...chosen to...fight demons and...save the world?" Buffy paused, then smiled a little. "That's ridiculous."
Dawn stared at her sister. "There's a reality where you're Sarah Michelle Gellar. Ridiculousness knows no bounds."
Buffy considered. "Fair point."
Over a month later, a demon couple named Syd and Monica Frzelcka sat in Kate's office with Fred standing nearby.
"Now, it says in your file that you have a squatter in your lair?" Kate asked.
"Damn no-good Skench demons. They're all alike."
"Here we go..."
"A person spends his entire half-life-"
"-building a lair to relax in-"
"-and what happens? A Skench demon squats-"
"-right down on your coffee table." Monica looked at Fred and Kate. "Ask me how many times I've had to listen to this."
"Like you ever listen."
"And you have so many interesting things to say."
Kate cleared her throat. "So Skenches. I've heard about them. Sorta impish kinda demon...like a leprechaun?"
"Leprechauns don't exist, girl."
Monica reached over and patted his hand. "Now, Syd, don't embarrass the lass."
"Sorry, kid."
"Skenches take over a house, right? Drive out the people that live there?" Kate guessed.
"Well, God knows you can't stay, what with the shrieking all night and the projectile phlegm."
"Only thing worse is puttin' up with her for the last three-hundred years."
"You've been married for three centuries?" Fred asked, amazed.
"Ever since the mitosis."
"Not that I'd mind being a single-celled organism again, if you get my drift."
"Oh, shut up, Syd. You never-"
"-had it so good. As if I need reminding."
"I thought gettin' rid of a Skench was pretty easy, though. Don't you just lop off its head?" Kate asked.
"Well, sure, if you can avoid the phlegm."
"Syd has a phobia about phlegm."
"I do not. I have a phobia about sputum."
Kate stood up. "Okay. Think we got everything we need. I'll get right over and clean out your Skench problem today."
The Frzylckas got to their feet.
Fred walked them to the door. "Thanks so much for coming. We'll call you as soon as it's done."
The couple exited the office.
"Oh, for cryin' out loud, Syd, that girl's not a sixteenth your age. Put your eyes back in your head. I mean it, ya doddering old coot! Put 'em back in!"
As their bickering grew faint, Fred turned to Kate, grinning.
"Damn. You hear those two?" Kate asked.
"It's beautiful."
Kate did a take, then saw the dreamy look on Fred's face.
"All that time, and they're still in love. The way they finish each other's insults, it's so-"
Kate couldn't help but smile. She loved the way that Fred saw things. "Beautiful." She walked over and kissed Fred on the lips. "I'll be back soon." She started to walk out the door.
"Don't forget your machete!"
Kate turned and smiled at her. "Yes, dear."
Kate walked through a sewer tunnel, twirling her machete, when she approached an indentation in the wall. She almost wouldn't know it was a door - until she looked down: a tattered doormat lay at the entrance. It read "Gurforg Bless Our Home".
"Gotta be it." Kate pushed open the door and entered the Frzylckas' lair.
The place was a shambles, blue slime hanging from a lampshade, some smeared on the walls. Other than that, there was kind of an old-mom-and-pop feeling to the decor: a quilt, a La-Z-Boy recliner, an ancient TV console, and some porcelain figures.
"Smells like old people in here."
A wad of blue slime hit the wall next to her head as an unearthly shriek erupted.
"Gross!" Kate exclaimed.
The Skench demon rose up from behind the couch - a very large, strong, albino-white demon with a big, round mouth.
"Okay. Definitely not a leprechaun."
Kate got into the fight with the Skench demon. It got in a good shot at her head, dropping her to the floor, but, as it lunged at her, Kate kicked it in the midsection, sending it sprawling over the coffee table. Kate grabbed her machete and leaped on top of it.
Kate slugged the writhing demon, then put her machete blade at its throat. She struggled, then drove the blade through its neck.
Its dying rattle sent a spurt of blue slime straight up, but Kate flinched out of the way, the slime hitting the ceiling.
Kate sat there for a moment, out of breath, then looked up at the ceiling and laughed. "Must be my lucky day."
She stood and turned to leave.
That evening, in Montclair, New Jersey, Caridad walked into her apartment building and up to the third floor. She took her keys out of her jeans' back pocket and moved to unlock her apartment door.
The door was already unlocked and slightly open, and it opened further.
Wary, Caridad walked into the apartment. "Mami? Papi?"
She closed and locked the door, then walked into the kitchen.
Her parents and Jodie were sitting at the table, eating dinner.
"Hey." Caridad walked over and sat in her seat at the table, between her mom and Jodie. "Door was open."
Jodie looked at her. "And it's past sundown. We talked about this."
"Mr. Patel asked me to work late."
"You should have said no."
"What's the big deal?" Caridad picked up her fork and knife and started cutting her sirloin steak.
Jodie stared at her. "The big deal is someone's targeting Potential Slayers. Just shut up and do as you're told."
"Excuse me?" Caridad asked in anger.
"Cari, you're gonna get yourself killed!" Isidro told his daughter.
"Mija, please do as she tells you, hmm?" Dania pleaded with her daughter.
Caridad sighed. "Yala." She stuck a piece of steak in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
The following week, in the Summers' house, Dawn walked into the kitchen and stared at the kitchen island. "Uh...did we open a chain?"
The island was set with two place settings, bowls of fruit, and four bottles of syrup. Buffy was standing by the stove, holding a spatula and frying pan. Several cereal boxes were lined up on the counter.
"Are we the International House of something?" Dawn asked.
"Nope. Got up early, and it felt like a breakfast kind of morning." Buffy walked over and put pancakes from the pan onto the plates. "Okay, what kind of syrup do you want on your pancakes?"
"Syrups have kinds?" Dawn asked, amazed.
Buffy turned away to put the pan and spatula in the sink. "Oh! I was thinking maybe we could stay in tonight and, uh..." She took toast from the toaster. "ow...um, you know, get a pizza or, uh, rent a movie?"
"Um..."
Buffy put the plateful of toast on the island, then turned to grab the cereal boxes. "Also, I didn't know if, you know, if you had plans this weekend, but I thought maybe we could-"
"Hey, Buffy?"
Buffy paused, looking at Dawn, with a large armful of cereal boxes.
"I love spending time-"
Buffy frowned, realizing. "But I'm cramping your teenage style."
"No-"
Buffy set down the cereal boxes. "Yes, I am. I'm the embarrassing mom that tries too hard. When did this happen?"
Dawn smiled. "No, you're not; it's not that; it's just...what if, instead of you hanging out with me, maybe I could hang out with you?"
Buffy stared blankly, not getting it.
"Why don't I come patrolling with you tonight? Just the two of us, no witches."
"Oh. And then? Maybe we can invite over some strangers and ask them to feed you candy."
"Well, you guys went out patrolling every night when you were my age."
"True...but also no."
Dawn gave her adolescent exasperated look. "I just...I just think I could help."
"I'm sure you could. But it's a little more dangerous than I had in mind."
"But-"
"Dawn, I work very hard to keep you away from that shit. Okay?" Buffy asked. "I don't want you around dangerous things that can kill you."
"Which would be a perfectly reasonable argument, if my sister was chosen to protect the world from tax audits. But, see, my sister is you, and...dangerous things that want to kill me seem to find me."
"But you don't need to go looking for them."
Dawn gave Buffy a pleading look.
"Sorry. Slayer School and magic-augmented patrols. Now, eat up. You're gonna be late for school." Buffy sat down.
Dawn sighed quietly and sat down.
Chapter 132: Sunny
Chapter Text
"Sunny"
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode "Seeing Red" Written by Steven S. DeKnight and the Angel Episode "A New World" Written by Jeffrey Bell
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
At the Summers' house, in Buffy and Tara's bedroom, daylight shone through the window. Buffy and Tara were snuggling together on the bed, naked, giggling.
"When did morning happen?" Buffy asked Tara.
"After the moon went down."
Buffy giggled, then leaned up, and they kissed for a while. Then Buffy lay back down with her head on Tara's stomach. Tara caressed her shoulders.
Buffy sighed, lazily fingering Tara's pussy. "It's getting late."
Tara gave a small frown. "Wanna get up?"
"No!" Buffy exclaimed.
Tara laughed.
"Oh, God, no." Buffy sighed again. "But Dawn needs breakfast. I don't want her just eating junk food."
They got out of bed. Buffy opened the door.
Buffy and Tara emerged from the bedroom. At the same time, Dawn's bedroom door opened, and Dawn emerged into the hallway as well.
Dawn's face lit up.
Tara saw Dawn and was mildly embarrassed. "Oh. Hey."
Dawn started to smile, delighted. "Oh!"
Tara smiled. "I didn't know you were up yet, what with the teacher workday. Uh, that's my cue to put some clothes on." She turned back toward the bedroom.
"No! No, no, no! I'm totally not here! You guys, you do whatever you want. Um...I'll go watch TV." Dawn giggled. "Downstairs, really loud! In the basement. Where I can't hear anything." She squealed in delight. "Oh, my God!"
Dawn rushed off, giggling excitedly. Tara and Buffy grinned at each other, then headed back toward the bedroom.
Faith made her way down beside an overpass during a routine patrol for demons. She heard a girl's voice. She looked down into a dried-up aqueduct and spotted a blonde girl stumbling back a few steps, talking to someone that she couldn't see.
"Come on, Tyke, look. Look. This stuff is good. It's worth something. Come on. Hey, why are you being such an asshole? I need...I need it now. Tyke, come on!" the girl pleaded.
Faith heard a man's voice arguing back. She dropped over the side of the railing of the road bridging the aqueduct.
The girl was holding up three CDs for Tyke's inspection. "Brand new, never opened. They got to be worth half a gram, huh?"
Tyke took the CDs and looked at them. "They suck."
The girl took them back. "They rock! Look! It's, like, every hit in the '80s! Plus - Plus, this girl is hot."
Faith slowly made her way closer to the man and girl standing by a derelict car under the overpass.
"Get out of here, Sunny. You're embarrassing yourself."
"Hey, they're worth at least a quarter. Please!"
"All right. Okay." Tyke took the three CDs and tossed them like Frisbees one by one. "Bye! Bye! Bye."
"You asshole!" Sunny started to flail at him.
Tyke stopped her by grabbing a hold of her body and hair. "You know what? That, you get to work off!"
"Let go! Don't."
Tyke was in the process of sticking Sunny into the back seat of the derelict car when he noticed Faith stalking towards them.
"Walk away!" Tyke warned.
When Faith didn't react, Tyke tossed Sunny into the back seat and turned to face Faith. Tyke whistled. Three thugs filed out from under the overpass and arranged themselves behind Faith.
Faith stared at him. "Let her go."
"Uh, aren't you all scary?" Tyke gave an exaggerated shudder. "Wanna know what else is scary? Me. Just get rid of her."
One of the guys behind Faith moved to hit her over the head with a crowbar, but Faith turned enough that the crowbar hit the air instead of her head, grabbed a hold of it, and kicked the guy wielding it in the stomach.
Tyke turned and watched as Faith easily held her own against the three goons. Tyke pulled out a handgun and aimed it at Faith.
Sunny slammed the car door into his back. "No!"
Tyke's aim went wild, and he shot one of his own guys instead of Faith. Kicking the car door shut, Tyke aimed the gun at Sunny next, but Faith kicked it out of his hand before he could pull the trigger.
Faith and Tyke fought. Faith ended it by jumping on the car, grabbing a hold of Tyke, and slamming him down hard on his back on the car roof. Pulling a blade from the sheath on her leg, she threw it at one of the goons, burying it in the guy's forearm.
As Faith went to retrieve her knife, Sunny jumped out of the car and looked through Tyke's jacket laying on the trunk. She found a roll of money and a bag of drugs.
Faith had her knife up against Tyke's throat. "Get the fuck outta here! Now!"
Tyke and his goons ran away.
Sunny grabbed hold of Faith's arm. "The police are probably on their way. Come on. We got to go."
Faith let herself be pulled away out of curiosity over the girl.
"So that was really cool today. So where did you learn to fight all badass like that?" Sunny asked Faith.
"Boston."
Sunny walked up to one of the doors of an abandoned motel and opened it - only to reveal a guy about to light a drug pipe.
"Oh. Sorry." Sunny closed the door and moved over to the steps leading up to the second floor. "Lots of folks squat here. Most are cool, but...if a fat guy wearing furry slippers asks you to play 'teddy bear in the hole', just tell him to get lost. So, uh, what did you do for kicks in Boston?"
Faith paused. "I hunted."
Sunny opened another door and, after taking a careful peek, entered.
Faith followed and looked around the dark motel room as Sunny lit a couple of candles.
"Home, sweet home."
"This is home?" Faith asked.
"Tonight, it is. You're welcome to crash here, too." Sunny pulled a bag of drugs out of Tyke's jacket and stuffed it in her pants pocket.
Faith picked up a bra laying on a dresser.
"Hmm, I don't think it's your size. People squat here, and they leave shit." Sunny sat down by the coffee table and pulled a beef stick out of a bag. "We have all food groups. Meat..." She pulled out a bag of candy bars. "...and chocolate." She unwrapped and bit into a Moon Pie. "God, I love these. Have you ever had one?"
Faith shook her head.
"Well, then get on down here."
Faith sat down across from Sunny and took a bite of her offered Moon Pie.
"Isn't it the best?" Looking through the stuff on the table, Sunny picked up an apple sauce cup and opened it, then opened a bag of chips.
Faith picked up a burnt spoon and frowned.
Sunny took the spoon away from her. "Uh, um, no. Um...that isn't for...food."
"I figured."
Sunny held up a packet of white powder. "It's for this. I get it from Tyke. It's...medicine."
"Bullshit. That coke or heroine?" Faith asked.
"No. It's - It helps me sometimes when I'm...sad."
"You're sad?"
After a moment, Sunny shook her head. "No. Hmmm." She offered Faith a bite of her Moon Pie.
Faith waved it away. "How long you been usin'?"
Sunny paused for a moment, then smiled at her. "Hmm, food, cash, a place to crash. I've had worse days. How about you?"
"Don't try to change the subject."
"So what's your deal? Why did you come to L.A.?" Sunny persisted.
"To help people."
"Really?" Sunny asked. "I came here to get away from my dad. Parents should have to take like a test or something before they can have kids. And if they're...drunks or idiots or evil motherfuckers, they should be sterilized...or killed."
"I'm sorry." Faith paused, trying to decide how to proceed. "I used to be...you, pretty much. I caught a break that most people don't get, and I was too fucking stupid to realize it at first. I can help you."
"I don't have a problem."
"C'mon, you're squatting in a shitty motel, living off junk food, and trying to trade music for drugs." Faith stared into Sunny's eyes. "Please let me help you. I want to help you."
Sunny considered for a moment in silence, then let out a sigh. "How?"
"There's a teen shelter on Crenshaw. I work there."
"Lemme guess: you're one of their success stories."
Faith shook her head. "Nah, I'm kinda a cofounder. The lady that runs it is a cool person that managed to get her life together - with the help of friends."
"I...I guess...I dunno..."
"We're all about saving lives, giving people second chances." Faith stood up and reached her hand down to Sunny. "You don't wanna die, do ya? Because that's what you're heading towards. How 'bout a course correction?"
Sunny took Faith's hand, and Faith lifted her up.
Faith smiled. "Let's get the fuck outta here." She paused. "Bring the candy."
Sunny grabbed the bag of candy, and the two of them left the motel.
Anne stared at Sunny from across her desk. "Okay, I need to know your real full name, no tags, no nicknames."
"Sunny Thormahlen."
"Spell that."
"T-H-O-R-M-A-H-L-E-N."
Anne wrote it down. Then she stood up. "Okay, come with me. I'll show you the sleeping area and the kitchen."
Sunny stood up, and she followed Anne out of the office.
"When's the last time that you had a good meal?" Anne asked her.
Sunny held up her bag of candy. "Oh, just a short while ago."
Anne wrinkled her nose. "Our food is more nutritious than that. Not much more, but slightly."
Cordelia intercepted them. "Hey, Anne, just to let you know, and it's totally not my fault, but someone might've seen me work the lock to the pantry, and we sorta got cleaned out."
"What?!" Anne blurted. "And how is that not your fault?"
"It's okay, I went out shopping and replenished our supply." Cordelia looked at Sunny. "Who are you?"
"Oh, uh, Cordelia, Sunny; Sunny, Cordelia. Sunny's new. Faith brought her in."
"Oh." Cordelia looked at Sunny and smiled. "Well, welcome to East Hills Teen Center, Sunny. Do you like waffles and mochi?"
Sunny looked at Cordelia in uncertainty. "I know waffles. Haven't had any in forever."
Cordelia grinned. "Oh, you're gonna love it here!"
That evening, Amy, Katrina, and Dawn were sitting on the couch in the living room, watching TV.
Buffy and Tara walked down the stairs, arms around each other, smiling. They went into the living room.
"Hey, what are you watching?" Buffy asked.
Katrina looked at them. "7th Heaven is about to start."
Buffy was disappointed. "Oh." She looked at Tara. "Wanna go back upstairs?"
"Aw, c'mon, let's take a break and watch TV." Tara walked over to the chair and sat down.
Buffy sighed. "Okay." She walked over and sat on Tara's lap.
They watched the episode preview.
Amy frowned. "Oh. It's this episode."
Buffy and Tara exchanged affectionate looks.
"Guys, you didn't have to..." Katrina paused. "You know, if you still wanna be alone-"
"No. No, we're good." Buffy still gave Tara an amorous look.
Tara returned the look. "We're better than good."
Buffy and Tara kissed briefly, then began kissing more intensely.
Amy, Katrina, and Dawn watched with smiles on their faces. Dawn giggled.
Amy grinned. "Awww."
Buffy looked at them. "Okay, all right, we'll stop."
"Oh, you better not!" Dawn exclaimed.
Buffy and Tara exchanged a look, unsure what to think.
Then they all turned their attention back to the TV, saw Mackenzie Rosman half-heartedly singing Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down", and watched in disgust the worst episode of television that they'd ever seen.
"Wanna see what's on next?" Katrina asked.
Amy shook her head. "Nothing important. Shut it off."
Katrina picked up the remote control and turned off the TV.
"What...the fuck...was that?" Buffy demanded.
Tara sighed. "Military propaganda, pure and simple. 'Hey, America, here's a story about a Marine that died in Bush's war. Please support Bush's war.'"
"You think we shouldn't have invaded?" Dawn asked her.
Tara looked at her. "We didn't invade. Bush ordered it, probably influenced by Cheney and other war hawks. It was a violation of international law and destabilized the region, resulting in the murders of countless civilians and the rapes of numerous women. None of the 9/11 hijackers were from Afghanistan; most were from Saudi Arabia - as is Bin Laden. But we depend on the Saudis for oil, so..."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "And this episode was so sloppily done. The characters sure talked a lot about the dead guy, but we didn't really get to know him. And I can't imagine what it was like for his family members to appear in the episode and listen to an actor playing a pastor deliver a sermon about their loved one." She looked at Tara. "Some TV series handle death well enough, but others fuck it up, use it for shock value, execute it poorly, and piss off the audience."
Amy nodded. "It's like 'Abyssinia, Henry'."
The others looked at her in confusion.
"Oh, it's an episode of M*A*S*H. Aired years before I was born, but my dad's a fan, and we'd watch it together in syndication. Basically, one of the characters, Henry Blake, was discharged from the Army and sent home, but they killed off his character at the very end by revealing in the final scene that the plane carrying him home had been shot down over the Sea of Japan. Viewers were understandably outraged. Even CBS and 20th Century Fox were unhappy with it. CBS even cut out the final scene in a later rerun of the episode."
Dawn sighed. "Why do shows do this?"
Buffy looked at her. "Shock value. 'Whoa, didn't see that coming! Anything can happen! Nobody's safe.'"
Dawn frowned. "It seems to me, if you want your audience to keep watching your show, you shouldn't do anything to piss them off." She looked at Amy. "Did their ratings suffer?"
Amy nodded. "There was a definite drop-off that they never completely recovered from, but they continued on for eight more seasons, and the series finale is still the most-watched single episode of any television series in U.S. history and the most-watched single broadcast in television history."
Katrina suddenly remembered something, and she laughed. "Hey, anyone remember that episode of L.A. Law where that bitch played by what's-her-name - Dr. Pulaski from TNG - was killed off, because she walked into an empty elevator shaft without looking?" She started giggling. "It was called 'Good to the Last Drop'."
Tara rolled her eyes. "What's with these lame-ass episode titles?"
The next morning, in Buffy and Tara's bedroom, they were standing by the mirror as Buffy finished buttoning up her blouse. It was white and frilly. Tara was also fully dressed, wearing a blue shirt.
Buffy smiled in amusement. "Hey. Clothes."
Tara smiled. "Better not get used to 'em."
"Hmm, yes, ma'am." Buffy grabbed Tara's belt loop and pulled her in for a kiss.
Then they hugged.
Tara smiled happily, then spotted someone over Buffy's shoulder. "Mmmm...Dawn!"
Buffy pulled out of the hug. "Okay, not quite the response that I was fishing for."
"No, she's here."
Buffy looked. Dawn walked up to them, smiling and holding a tray with two plates filled with buns, pork sausages, and hot dogs. There were also a bottle of ketchup and a bottle of mustard.
"Hey, Dawnie, what's up?" Buffy asked.
"I got up early and made my lunch for school, and I decided to surprise you two with breakfast in bed." Dawn paused awkwardly. "But I see you're already out of bed."
Buffy reached out and took the tray. "It's okay, we'll still eat it. Thanks."
Dawn grinned. "Happy porking, you two." Then she squealed in excitement and left the room.
Buffy and Tara laughed, then Buffy set the tray on her desk.
Tara walked over. "May I condiment your wiener, ma'am?"
Buffy picked up a bun with a hot dog in it. "Why, how kind of you, m'lady. Ketchup, please."
Tara picked up the ketchup bottle and opened it. She turned it upside down and squeezed. Nothing came out. Frowning, Tara shook the bottle to move the ketchup toward the bottle top, but she accidentally squeezed the bottle in frustration, resulting in an unfortunate circumstance. Buffy was still smiling. Suddenly, redness splattered across her face and white blouse. She was surprised.
Tara was surprised as well, frowning. "Your shirt."
"Your shirt, too."
There was a large red spot on Tara's chest, right over her heart.
Tara looked down. "Fuck. I'm sorry, sweetie."
"It's okay." Buffy smiled seductively. "Clearly, this is a sign from the universe that we're meant to get naked, and you're to lick me clean."
Tara smiled. "Clearly."
Buffy set her hot dog back on the plate, Tara set the ketchup bottle back on the tray, and the two of them took off their shirts and dropped them on the floor.
Buffy frowned. "Y'know, I find it implausible that all of this mess could be created, considering the angle at which you were pointing the ketchup bottle and the fact that you really weren't paying attention to what you were doing."
"Yeah, weird shit." Tara bent over and started licking Buffy's breasts. Then she took Buffy's right nipple within her mouth, closed her lips around it, and sucked on it.
Buffy ran her hands through Tara's hair. "Oh, my God. Tara..."
Tara switched to sucking Buffy's left nipple.
"You can suck harder, sweetie." Buffy smiled. "Use your teeth."
Tara complied, taking Buffy's nipple between her teeth and biting down on it.
Buffy threw her head back and moaned in passion. She licked her lips. "Mmmm, that's it. Suck my tits, baby."
Tara continued doing just that for the next few minutes, then she resumed her journey up Buffy's body, licking and kissing her neck, then licking her face clean of the ketchup. The two lovers started making out and french-kissing each other, sucking on each other's tongues.
Buffy broke the kiss, a naughty smile on her face. "Hey, you wanna get freaky and pork each other with the...pork?"
"Sweetie, you'd get a yeast infection and wind up in the hospital. You wouldn't want that, would you?" Tara asked her.
"Mmmm, I guess not." Buffy licked her lips. "Still, that sausage looks so thick and juicy."
Tara got an idea. "Tell ya what..." She turned back to the tray and picked up a pork sausage. She picked up the ketchup bottle and squeezed ketchup onto the sausage. She set the ketchup bottle down and turned back to face Buffy. "Let's suck it like a double-ended dick."
Buffy grinned. Holding onto it in the middle, Tara took the sausage into her mouth. Buffy took the other end of the sausage into her own mouth. The two women sucked on the sausage in pleasure for a few minutes, honing their blowjob skills, before getting bored and just eating the sausage.
The next day, Buffy, Tara, Dawn, Amy, Katrina, Jenny, Sandy, and Julie gathered in the shade of a palm tree by a bench in the small park. Tara stood closest to the tree, and Amy and Katrina stood before her, facing each other. The others stood further back. Tara had her video camera set up on her tripod and was recording the ceremony.
Tara smiled. "We are gathered here today to confirm to the Lady, the goddess of the universe, the union of Amy Madison and Katrina Silber in domestic partnership that they undertook this morning. It is an absolute honor and privilege to perform this ceremony. Thank you both."
Amy and Katrina smiled at her.
"Join hands."
Amy took hold of Katrina's right hand with her left hand. Katrina took hold of Amy's right hand with her left hand.
"We have known Amy and Katrina for quite some time, some longer than others, but all of our lives have been enriched by your presence. Amy, do you take Katrina to be your wife in everything but name? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and defend her as long as you both shall live?" Tara asked.
Amy stared into Katrina's eyes. "I do."
"Katrina, do you take Amy to be your wife in everything but name? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and defend her as long as you both shall live?" Tara asked.
Katrina stared into Amy's eyes. "I do."
Tara smiled. "I call upon Hera, Juno, Frigga, Hathor, and Isis - the many in the One - to bless this union. By the Lady, blessed be. True in love may you ever be. The brides may kiss."
Amy put her hands on Katrina's cheeks and kissed Katrina on the lips. Katrina put her arms around Amy's back as the kiss continued. The audience cheered and applauded.
When they were done kissing, Tara walked over and turned off her video camera. Instead of a traditional reception, Buffy, Tara, Dawn, Amy, Katrina, Jenny, Sandy, and Julie sat on blankets in the shade of the palm tree for an early dinner of fried chicken, macaroni salad, potato salad, and hand-cut prosciutto. Buffy also opened a bottle of Champagne, and they all got some in small glasses.
Tara raised her glass in a toast. "To the happy couple."
The others raised their glasses. "Cheers!"
Dawn grinned. "You two make such a cute couple. It makes sense that you'd fall in love. You're practically twins."
Everyone looked at Dawn in surprise.
"Oh, like I'm the only one that's noticed."
Buffy looked at Amy and Katrina. "The two of you do bear a remarkable similarity to one another. You sure you weren't separated at birth?"
Amy and Katrina looked at each other, smiled, shrugged, and kissed.
Julie smiled. "This food is great, Buffy."
Buffy smiled. "Thanks, Julie, but Tara did most of the work. The prosciutto's mine, though."
Dawn smiled. "For being a dyke, you sure know a lot about pork."
Buffy stuck out her tongue at Dawn.
Tara smiled. "It's a great day for a picnic. It's nice and sunny."
The group ate in silence for a while.
Tara looked at the construction being done across the street, then she looked at Dawn. "You looking forward to attending Sunnydale High this fall, Dawnie?"
Dawn nodded, her mouth full. "Fuck yeah. At least, I'll be able to attend my last two years of high school in an actual high school with mature upperclassmen."
Katrina smiled in amusement. "You really haven't attended high school yet. Trust me, high-schoolers are not mature."
"Word up." Buffy bit into a drumstick. "So I know it's a bit early, but anyone got plans for the summer?"
"Can we visit L.A.?" Dawn asked her.
"Sure."
Sandy bit into a breast. "I'm thinking I'd like to get my soul back."
Everyone else looked at her in surprise.
"What brought this on?" Julie asked her.
Sandy shrugged. "I think it'd be neat. I could write a paper on the after-effects of re-ensoulment."
"You wanna do this for a grade?" Amy asked her, surprised. "Girl, you've gotta be the biggest nerd ever."
Sandy smiled sweetly. "Thanks. Anyway, I've been researching it, and I read about this demon in Africa that can do it, if I pass certain trials."
"And you think you've got what it takes?" Jenny asked her.
Sandy raised her hand, showing off her ring. "Helloooooo."
Jenny smiled in amusement. "I seriously doubt he'd allow you to wear that during the trials. That'd be cheating."
"Oh." Sandy lowered her hand. "Well, still, I wanna try this."
Amy bit into a wing. "No need to make a quest out of it. I can re-ensoul you."
"You can?" Sandy asked her.
"Sure. I did it to Angel. I just gotta reconfigure the spell a little." Amy looked at Jenny. "Jenny, can you help me with that?"
"Uh, sure, but it'll have to be quick. I'm actually leaving for England tonight."
"Oh?" Amy asked.
"Yeah. Last-minute thing. Rupert paid for the ticket. May 8, 9:00 PM, Sunnydale to LAX, then red-eye to London's Heathrow. There's an extremely powerful coven in Devon. They'll be teaching me magic over the summer."
Tara smiled. "That's neat. But I thought you didn't have that kinda power."
Jenny shrugged. "Well, maybe I do, and maybe I don't. They'll try to help me awaken it, if it's within me. Either way, anyone can learn to do magic; it's just harder for the ungifted. Anyway, can I trust you ladies to run the Magic Box in my absence?"
Amy nodded. "Sure."
Tara looked at Sandy. "Hey, um, Sandy, do you think it's...ethical to get yourself re-ensouled?"
"What do you mean?" Sandy asked in confusion.
"Well, if your soul is in Heaven - and, mind you, I'm not insinuating otherwise - wouldn't yanking it out of there and forcing it back into your body be immoral?" Tara asked.
"Well, I have no idea where my soul is."
Buffy frowned. "Yeah, but shouldn't you make an effort to find out? It'd majorly suck for you, if you were robbed of your eternal reward."
Sandy thought about that. "Angel doesn't remember an afterlife. I suspect I wouldn't either."
"But you can't be sure of that. And would it even be you?" Julie asked her.
Sandy frowned. "I believe I'm me. Do you believe I'm not me?"
Julie paused in thought. "What I mean is...you are who I fell in love with. If you get re-ensouled-"
"I'll still be here."
"True enough. But would you be in the driver's seat?" Julie asked her.
"Meaning what if I'm just a demon?" Sandy asked her.
Julie hesitated. "Yes."
"Ouch."
"You have the same questions, and you know it." Julie threw down a bone in anger. "Don't pretend you don't. Say you're just a demon. You're my demon. Would the soul bury you?"
Sandy hesitated. "I don't know."
"You're unsure about a lot of shit." Julie paused. "Until you know more, maybe you better hold off on doing this spell." She took Sandy's left hand in her own. "I don't wanna lose you, sweetie."
Sandy thought about it, then she nodded. "I'll wait."
Julie smiled.
In Minden, Louisiana, Shannon and Jessica were working an evening shift at Malbec's Diner.
Shannon picked up a menu and walked over to a table. She was surprised to find Alex sitting there. "Hey. Wasn't expecting to see you here."
"Because vampires don't eat?" Alex asked.
Shannon smiled. "Nothin' but blood 'n' pussy." She set the menu down.
Alex smiled. "Misconception propagated by fiction." He started looking at the menu. "When do you get off?"
"I'd say about twenty minutes after I clock out."
Alex looked at her. Shannon grinned lustfully.
"Agreed. What time do you clock out?" Alex asked her.
"Ten."
"Okay. In the meantime, I'll have the sixteen-ounce sirloin, extra rare; fries, no salt; and a Turbodog." Alex folded up the menu and offered it back to her.
Shannon wrote down his order and took the menu. "Comin' right up."
Suddenly, the door opened, and Sam walked into the restaurant.
Jessica noticed him and intercepted Shannon on her way back to the order window. "Shan, your Watcher's here."
"So?"
"So he hasn't met Alex yet, has he?"
"No, but what does it matter? He won't recognize him."
"No, but you're tellin' me that a Watcher can't recognize a vampire?" Jessica asked her. "Y'might wanna keep an eye on them."
Shannon ripped the order ticket off her pad and put it on the order wheel. "Will do. Thanks."
Sam walked up to the counter. "Shannon, you didn't show up for training."
"Mom said the diner called and needed me to cover a shift tonight, so I ate dinner, got changed, and came here."
"Well, you didn't inform me."
Shannon fumed, then she noticed Jessica watching them. "Jess, can you get table 12?"
Jessica grinned. "Aw, don't deprive me of entertainment."
Shannon sighed and looked at Sam. "Sam, I don't need to inform you of my whereabouts every fuckin' minute of the day."
"With Potentials being hunted, I beg to differ. Come by the church for training after you clock out."
"Oh, at night, when the sun's not out?" Shannon asked sarcastically.
"Well, then bring Ms. Woll with you."
Jessica frowned. "Fuck no, I ain't her bodyguard. Besides, it's my D&D night."
Sam looked at her in confusion.
"Dungeons & Dragons." Jessica paused, trying to read Sam's face. "Y'know."
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were a professional monster hunter."
Jessica didn't know how to take that. "Well...now, you know."
Shannon looked at her friend. "He was bein' sarcastic."
"Yeah, well, so was I."
Sam frowned. "Shannon, I need you to take your training seriously. My last Slayer didn't give me this much trouble."
"And where is she now?" Shannon asked him coldly.
Sam looked shocked and saddened.
Jessica suddenly felt uncomfortable. "Gonna get table 12." She picked up a menu and quickly walked away.
Chapter 133: Lessons
Chapter Text
"Lessons"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
Cordelia and Faith found themselves in Istanbul, Turkey, at night. They were a girl running through an arched hallway, looking over her shoulder and panting from the exertion of running so fast. She slipped down an embankment. She was being chased. A man on the street closed his front door rather than help her. Two people in hooded cloaks were chasing her. After trying various alleys, looking for an escape route, she found herself trapped in a dead end. She saw a drain pipe next to her and decided to use it to scale the building. The people chasing her grabbed her foot, but she managed to escape their grip and easily climbed up to the roof. There, another hooded figure was waiting and pushed her off the building. She screamed, but she landed on the ground, alive, on her back. Two hooded figures held her down, and she fought back with all of her might. A third figure raised an arched, shiny, silver dagger and thrust down at her.
Cordelia woke up in bed, screaming. Her heart was racing. She took a moment to get her bearings. She sat up. "Dennis, light!"
The lamp on her night stand turned on.
Cordelia picked up the phone.
Faith woke up in bed, screaming. Her heart was racing.
Harmony, sleeping to her left, woke up. "What is it?!"
Faith took a moment to get her bearings, then she sat up and turned on the lamp on their night stand.
Harmony sat up. "Did you have a bad dream?"
"Or something."
The phone rang.
Faith picked it up and checked the caller ID, then she answered it. "Hey."
"Did I wake you?" Cordelia asked.
"Nah, I just woke up from a nightmare."
"You, too, huh?"
In Sunnydale, in the cemetery, a new vampire rose from his grave. He was middle-aged, wearing a suit. He struggled to escape his grave.
"It's about power. Who's got it. Who knows how to use it. So..." Buffy tossed a stake to Dawn. "Who's got the power, Dawn?"
Dawn sighed. "Well, I've got the stake."
"The stake is not the power."
"But he's new. He doesn't know his strength. H-He might not know all those fancy martial arts skills that they inevitably seem to pick up."
"Who's got the power?"
"He does."
"Never forget it. Doesn't matter how well-prepped you are or how well-armed you are. You're a little girl."
"Woman."
"Whatever. He's a vampire, okay? Demon. Preternaturally strong. Skilled with powers that no human could possibly ever-"
"Excuse me. I think I'm stuck."
Buffy looked down at the vampire in disbelief. "You're stuck?"
"My foot's caught on a root or something, and...I don't even know how I got down there. If you girls could just give me a hand..."
"Hm. So, he's got the power?" Dawn asked Buffy sarcastically.
Buffy stared at her sister in annoyance. "Shut the fuck up."
"I really appreciate it. It's just it's so dark, and I don't even know what I'm doing here."
Buffy picked him up by his suit collar and put him down, standing on his feet.
"Whoa. Ooh. Thanks. That was a help. Unfortunately, it was the last-"
Buffy grabbed him by the throat.
"-thing you'll ever do."
"Listen up, asshole. I'm a Slayer. You don't want to get into it with me. You want blood?" Buffy nodded at Dawn. "You can have hers."
The vampire turned to go after Dawn.
"Power. He's got it. He's going to use it. You don't have it, so-"
The vampire was charging Dawn. She bent and flipped him over her back.
"-use that. Perfect."
Dawn staked him and thought she defeated him. But she missed the heart. She got a panicked look on her face. He pushed Dawn down, then got up and away from her. She tried again to stake him, but he overpowered her and started to bite her neck.
"Buffy!" Dawn screamed.
Buffy grabbed the vampire's coat from behind, and he dropped Dawn. Buffy fought with swings, kicks, and punches. Finally, she grabbed a nearby sword and cut off his head.
"It's real. It's the only lesson, Dawn. It's always real. Let me see."
She inspected Dawn's neck. There were two puncture wounds where the vampire bit her.
"It's nothing; it's just a scrape. Plus, I had a plan the whole time."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I planned to get killed, come back as a vampire, and bite you."
"You wanted to be trained."
"Well, just the next time, when you're gonna disa-"
"You did pretty well."
"I did?"
"Yeah."
"'Cause, you know, with the whole rolling thing, I was actually using his strength, and it was very tai chi. Plus, I nearly got the heart."
Buffy walked back to pack up her tools and weapon. They began walking to the Jeep.
"Well, the next vampire I meet-"
"The next vampire you meet, you run away. I just wish that was all that we had to worry about. Vampires, demons...they're nothing compared to what's coming."
"I know. I just can't believe it's back."
"Believe me, I thought I was long past it. I guess you never are. Just a few more days 'til it starts. Then we'll never know what's coming next."
The next day, in Westbury, England, Giles was riding a horse through the English countryside. He brought it to a stop and dismounted. He walked through a field to a tree that Jenny was sitting under. She was looking at the ground, making an exotic flower grow and bloom.
"That doesn't belong there."
"No, it doesn't."
"That's the flora kua alaya. A native of Paraguay, if my botany serves."
Jenny smiled. "Is there anything you don't know everything about, Gandalf?"
"Synchronized swimming. Complete mystery to me." Giles moved closer. "Yep. Paraguay. Where does it come from?"
"Paraguay."
"Who brought it through the Earth?"
"It's all connected. The root systems, the molecules...the energy. Everything's connected."
"You sound like Miss Hartness."
"She's taught me a lot. The coven is..." Jenny paused. "They're the most amazing women that I've ever met. I'm learning about magic. All about energy and Gaia and root systems. I don't have that much power, I don't think."
"Everything's connected. You're connected to a great power, whether you feel it or not."
She got up. They walked toward a building.
Suddenly, Jenny fell onto the ground in pain.
Giles crouched down and tried to hold her. "Jenny!"
"Oh, God."
"Just breathe."
"I can't. God!"
"Just breathe."
"What happened?"
"What do you remember?"
Jenny propped herself up with her hands on the ground. "We were talking, and I felt-" She recoiled and brought her hands away from the ground, suddenly frightened. "I felt the Earth. It's all connected. It is, but it's not all good and pure. There's deep, deep black. There's...I saw - I saw the Earth, Rupert. I saw its teeth."
"The Hellmouth."
"It's gonna open. It's gonna swallow us all."
Two days later, Buffy was getting ready to send Dawn off to her first day of school. Dawn was still upstairs, getting ready.
"Dawn!" Buffy called.
"Just a minute."
"You're going to be late."
"I'm comfortable with that."
"Well, you gotta eat something. I made cereal." Buffy unlocked and opened the front door to let Katrina in.
"Okay."
Buffy walked into the kitchen. Katrina closed and locked the door and followed.
"Want something before work?" Buffy offered, opening the refrigerator.
"I ate. I drank. I'm good. How are you?" Katrina asked.
Buffy took out a can of Rockstar, opened it while closing the refrigerator by bumping her ass against it, popped open the can, and took a sip. "My sister's about to go to the same high school that tried to kill me for two-and-a-half years. I can't change districts, I can't afford private school, and I can't begin to prepare for what could possibly come out of there. So peachy with a side of keen, that would be me."
Katrina held up the tube of papers that she brought in.
"Mmm. You got the rest."
Katrina went into the dining room. Buffy followed.
Katrina laid out the plans for the high school on the dining room table. "Take a look."
Dawn walked downstairs. "Hey, Trina."
Buffy looked at her. "Go. Talk with your mouth full."
Dawn walked into the kitchen.
"There are no pentagrams, no secret passageways. Everything's up to code."
"Nothing creepy? Strange? From beyond?" Buffy asked her.
Dawn returned to the dining room, holding a bowl of cereal, her mouth full. "Maybe you're just paranoid."
"Well, there is one interesting detail. I managed to dig up the plan from the old high school. You remember the very center of Sunnydale's own Hellmouth?" Katrina put up the new and old plans to the window, so they could see through them.
Buffy nodded. "Under the library."
"Right. So I lined up the plans, new and old. And right exactly where the library was, we now have-"
"Principal's office."
"So the principal's evil?" Dawn asked.
Buffy frowned. "Or in a shitload of danger."
"Well, the last two principals were eaten. Who would even apply for that job?" Katrina asked.
"Guess we'll see. Ooh, we have to leave, though. You have everything? Books, lunch, stakes?" Buffy asked Dawn.
"Checked thrice."
Katrina looked at Buffy. "Did you give her the-"
"No, I was saving it."
"What is it?" Dawn asked Buffy.
Buffy got a small, gift-wrapped box out of a cabinet. "Back-to-school gift."
"It's a weapon, isn't it?" Dawn asked excitedly.
Buffy handed the gift to Dawn. "Yes, it is."
Dawn began to open the present.
Katrina pulled the Jeep up to drop Buffy and Dawn off in front of the school.
Buffy looked at Katrina. "I'm gonna take her to class, have a look around."
"Okay. I'm gonna be on-site here all day, doing tech support, so if you have any needs..."
Buffy smiled. "Thanks."
Buffy and Dawn unfastened their seatbelts, unlocked and opened their doors, got out of the Jeep, and closed their doors, and Katrina drove off. They walked toward the school's front archway.
"Now, remember, if you see anything strange...or, you know...dead-"
"I got it."
"And stay away from hyena people, you know, or if you see anyone that's invisible."
"Hey, Buffy, I think it's pretty safe to say I'm not going to see anybody that's invisible."
"You know, you could still drop out. Only nerds finish high school."
"You know, I don't really think it's fair for you to try to scare me on my first day of high school. 'Cause it is so redundant."
"The place is evil."
They entered the archway.
"Tough to let 'em go, huh?"
Buffy looked toward the sound of the voice and saw a young, bald, black man with a goatee and an earring. "Hi."
"I'm Robin Wood. New principal."
"Oh, uh, Buffy Summers. This is Dawn."
"Nice to meet you."
Dawn smiled. "Hi."
"So you're the new principal. I expected you to be more...aged."
"Huh. You seem a bit young to have such a grown-up daughter."
"Oh. Uh, uh, no. Sister."
"Oh, right, um, of course."
"You didn't really think she's my..." Buffy paused as a horrifying realization hit her. "It's my hair. I have mom hair."
Dawn shook her head. "No-"
"I actually have heard of you, Miss Summers. Graduated from the old high school, am I right?"
"Uh, yeah. How did you-"
"Well, I better get back to work. Gotta start deadening young minds. It's really nice to meet you. You have fun." The principal left.
Buffy eyed him carefully as he walked away. "That was suspicious."
"You betcha. Bye." Dawn walked away from Buffy through the school's courtyard to go to class.
"Oh, Dawn-"
Dawn turned to face her. "I know! You never know what's coming. The stake is not the power. I love you. Go away."
Buffy crossed her arms, got an idea, and walked toward the school.
Dawn turned and walked in another direction. She met up with Lisa, Amanda, Janice, Kirstie, Sharon, and Melinda.
Dawn grinned. "Well, we finally made it: Sunnydale High!"
"Are you sure that's a good thing?" Kirstie asked. "From the stories that your sister's told me-"
"I'm sure she exaggerated."
"What stories?" Lisa asked.
"Is something gonna eat us?" Amanda asked.
Sharon was frightened. "Not on our first day, I hope."
Janice looked at her. "Not on any day."
Melinda shook her head. "No monsters, please. I can't run fast."
"Girls, relax!" Dawn told them. "Nothing's gonna happen!"
Buffy was walking the halls of the high school while class was in session, checking it out. Suddenly, a basketball was thrown at a locker. She went to check it out and saw a kid walk away down another hall, out of sight. While following him, Buffy passed a door with a sign that read "Basement. No student access." She continued past it, checking out the halls.
In Dawn's first-period class, students were talking to each other before class - but not to Dawn.
The teacher tried to get their attention. "Okay. I'm Mr. Lonegrin. Why don't we go around the room and introduce ourselves, hmm? Let's start with..."
Buffy walked into the girls' restroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She fondled her hair and pouted. "It's not 'mom hair'."
She went to wash her hands and noticed a small bundle of feathers, twigs, and crystals bound together with string. She picked it up, and, when she looked in the mirror, she saw a girl that wasn't there before. The girl looked dead.
"You can't protect her. You couldn't protect me."
Buffy turned around, and there was no one there. Then something else came after her, and she backed against the wall.
"Get out. Get out. Get out!" he screamed.
Buffy looked up again, and he was gone.
It was Dawn's turn to describe herself to the others. She stood up. "I love to dance. I like music. I'm very into Britney Spears' early work, before she sold out. So mostly her, um, finger painting, and macaroni art. Very underrated. Favorite activities include not ever having to do this again and, uh-"
Buffy burst into the classroom, frantic. "Dawn!"
"What?" Dawn asked her.
"We have to go. It's not safe."
"But-"
"We, um, I mean I saw-"
"Can I help you?" Mr. Lonegrin asked her.
"No, I, uh..." Buffy paused. "Dawn, I just thought you were, um, in danger...of...smoking. I'll be around."
Buffy left the classroom.
Dawn hesitated, embarrassed. "I also have a sister."
Tara walked into the Magic Box. Amy was standing behind the counter, bored.
"Hey. Any customers?" Tara asked her.
"Nah." Amy walked over to the table and sat down. "How was class?"
Tara sat down at the table. "Okay. I've got some time until my next one and decided to see if you need any help."
Amy laughed. "Nah, but thanks."
"When's your class? I can take over then."
"Not for another two hours, but thanks." Amy paused. "Hell, I might lock up, if business doesn't pick up."
The door opened, and Sandy walked into the store.
Tara smiled. "Hi, Sandy."
"Hey." Sandy sat down at the table.
"Is there anything that I can help you find?" Amy asked her.
"Nah, I don't need anything right now. I actually came to warn you guys."
"About what?" Tara asked her.
"I've heard talk...at Willy's. People are nervous. They're all feeling the heat." Sandy paused. "Something's rising. Something older than the Old Ones, and everybody's tail is twitching."
Tara and Amy looked at each other in concern.
"The same something that's killing the Potentials?" Amy asked.
Sandy shrugged. "Dunno."
"I'm gonna see if Buffy and Dawn are okay." Tara stood up.
At Sunnydale High School, Buffy was pacing in the library as Katrina sat at a computer and worked on the DSL.
"So how's it looking? Does the place pass inspection?" Katrina asked.
"Oh, it's great...if you're a zombie ghost thing!"
"So school's back in session, huh?"
"Seems like old times."
"So zombies or ghosts?"
Buffy thought about it. "I'm not sure. They were in the mirror, but they disappeared. Um, but they touched me, I think. Well, let's just start with dead and pissed."
"They were after you, personally?"
"They talked about protecting people. Told me to leave."
"No damage, though."
"I think I may have destroyed Dawn's social life in all of about thirty seconds, but, apart from that, no. This isn't a coincidence, you know, the school being rebuilt. It means something."
"As in what?" Katrina asked.
Buffy shrugged.
Jenny walked into the library. "Hey, Trina, Buffy."
Buffy smiled. "Hey. When'd you get back?"
"Yesterday."
"How are things in jolly old England?" Buffy asked.
Jenny shrugged. "It's was nice. Rupert was holed up in meetings with the Watchers Council a lot, and I mostly spent time with the coven, but we got in some hot monkey love."
Buffy put her hands over her ears. "Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!"
Jenny laughed. Buffy removed her hands from her ears, frowning at her.
Jenny looked at Katrina. "Trina, when you're done here, can you do my PC?"
"Sure. How do you like your classroom?" Katrina asked.
"Pretty cool. Oh, by the way, before I forget, the Hellmouth is about to open and devour us. 'Kay, gotta get back to class, byeee." Jenny turned and left the library.
Buffy and Katrina stared at each other.
Dawn was sitting at her desk.
"Could I borrow a pencil?" the boy sitting beside her asked.
Dawn nodded. She unzipped the pencil pouch in her notebook and took out a yellow #2 pencil. When she looked up, she saw he had transformed into a freaky dead guy.
"Thanks a lot." He took the pencil and tried to stab Dawn's eye with it.
She screamed and fell to the floor.
"Are you all right?" Mr. Lonegrin asked.
Dawn looked around, and the dead guy had disappeared. Her classmates were all staring at her.
"I'm sorry. There was...a...a bee. It flew in my eye. I'm very allergic." Dawn stood up.
"I think it's gone."
"Can I go to the bathroom?" Dawn asked.
"Of course."
Dawn left the room.
Dawn went into the restroom to gather her thoughts and recover from her scare. She hid in the first stall, locked the door, sat on the toilet, and tried to catch her breath. She heard scared crying from another stall. She got up, unlocked the door, left the stall, and checked under the other stall doors, looking for feet. No feet.
Buffy was walking in the hall in a hurry and wasn't looking where she was going. She bumped into the principal.
"Whoa."
"Ooh, sorry."
"Miss Summers. I didn't know you were still about."
"Uh, yeah, I was just looking for-"
"I thought, in general, it was customary for a person who's graduated to, um, you know, go somewhere else." Robin laughed.
"Well, it's a new campus. I'm just getting to know it. You know, make sure it's safe for my sister."
Dawn decided to check in the stalls, one by one. Cautiously, she pushed in the first door. Empty. The second stall was empty, too. When she pushed in the door to the third stall, there was a girl there, sitting fetal-style with her feet on top of the toilet seat.
"Hey. What's wrong?" Dawn asked.
"There's someone in here."
Dawn looked around. "It's only me."
The girl shook her head. "No, it's not."
Buffy was still talking to the principal.
"You know, I, um, have to be honest. I actually know a little bit more about you than I let on before."
"Isn't that interesting?" Buffy asked.
"Oh, it really is."
"Let's get you out of here, okay? Maybe we can get some air. I'm Dawn."
"Kit."
"Saw something pretty creepy, huh?"
"You wouldn't believe me."
"I kinda, sorta think I will. Was there a pencil involved in any-"
They looked in the mirror and noticed there were three dead people there: a dead girl, a dead male nerd, and a dead janitor. The lights started exploding, sparks were shooting out from them, and the floor was breaking under their feet. They screamed. Hands were reaching for them, pulling them down into the floor.
Kit came to first. The girls had fallen through the bathroom floor into the basement. There was rubble all around them. They were on the floor but uninjured.
Kit went to Dawn. "Hey. Hey, wake up. Please wake up."
"Oh, oh, God, uh..." Dawn paused. "Are you okay?"
"We have to leave."
"You're not wrong. C'mon. There's got to be a staircase."
Buffy was still talking to the principal.
"The school board recommended I spend a little time reading your record. It's, um, quite a page-turner. Kind of a checkered past..."
"Huh. More like a plaid. Kind of a clan tartan of badness, really. You know, but there were factors."
The girls were walking around the basement, looking for an exit.
"What did you see when I found you in the stall?"
"A girl. She said she died here, and that everybody dies here, and that we would, too."
"Here I was worried about not fitting in."
The girls ran into someone unexpectedly in the basement and screamed. It was Amanda.
"Who are you?" Amanda asked Kit.
"Who are you?" Kit asked her. "Are you dead?"
"Stop saying that!" Amanda yelled.
Dawn looked at her. "Whoa, Amanda. We're not dead. We saw creepy dead people, and we're just trying to get out."
"Same. I walked into the girls' restroom and wasn't looking at the floor. Of course, why would one need to look at the floor, y'know?" Amanda asked. "Anyway, I saw...it was a janitor. He was yelling at me. I thought he was just pissed, but...I saw him in the light."
Dawn nodded. "Okay, so we can run around in circles, or..."
Dawn walked down the corridor, and the others followed.
"Do you really think you can run away?" a voice came from behind.
Kit stared straight ahead. "It's not real."
Dawn looked at her. "Lesson one: it's always real."
Dead people surrounded them now.
"I tried to run, too."
"I tried to scream. Doesn't matter how much you scream; nobody ever hears you."
That made Dawn remember. "Hear me. Right. Ooh. I got a present."
"What is it?" Kit asked.
"A weapon." Dawn took out her new cell phone and dialed.
Buffy was still talking to the principal.
"Well, it's clear your sister looks up to you, which I think is great."
"No, she's much, much worse than me. Troublemaker. Expulsion is really the only way to go, you know, or you can suspend her for...two years."
"Well, how 'bout we give her a chance first? Just as long as she keeps her grades up and-"
Buffy's cell phone rang.
"Damn, that's loud." Buffy took her phone out of her pocket.
"That's a part of the reason we don't allow cell phones in-"
"Excuse me." Buffy answered the call. "Yeah."
"Hey, Buffy."
Buffy looked at Principal Wood. "Oh, sorry. My dog. Uh, dog walker."
"Buffy, three dead people have got us surrounded."
"Three dead?" Buffy asked quietly.
"Oh, my God!" Principal Wood exclaimed.
"If you're not busy-"
"Uh, no, I'll be right there."
"Your dogs are dead?" Wood asked Buffy.
"And Buffy? Isn't this reception amazing? I'm in the fuckin' basement!" Dawn exclaimed. "Go into the closest girls' restroom near my first class. There's a hole in the floor."
"Okay." Buffy ended the call. "Sorry about that. I-I have to-"
"Yeah. No, of course. And good luck with that...dog tragedy."
Dawn ended the call and pocketed her phone. "Help is on the way, you guys. We've just got to figure out-" She stopped to look around and noticed the ghosts were nowhere to be found. "Where did they go?"
Then a dead person's hand grabbed her by the throat.
Buffy went into the restroom where the girls fell into the basement. She saw the hole in the floor and jumped down it.
Buffy landed on her feet and wandered around the basement, looking for Dawn. "Dawn!"
No answer, so Buffy tried calling her cell phone again. Dawn's phone rang where Buffy could hear it.
"Dawn? I'm close by."
"Too late. But then, you're always too late, aren't you?" the dead janitor asked her. "Sure as hell didn't save me."
Buffy ended the call. "Where's my sister?"
"I think she's lost."
"If I'm the one that let you die, why take it out on her? I'm right here. C'mon, what're you after? Fear? Revenge? Tasty brains?" Buffy asked him.
The dead nerdy boy appeared. "I think I'd like Dawn to be my girlfriend."
"No offense, I mean I'm sure you had a great personality, but-"
"Busy making out with your girlfriend while I was ripped to death by a werewolf?" the dead girl asked, scoffing. "Is that why you let me die?"
"I was screaming for help when they pulled me down-"
Buffy made a "T" with her hands, gesturing for a timeout. "Hello! Not making myself clear. I don't give a fuck how you died. I'm sorry for your loss, but where is my sister? Dawn!"
"She's not gonna hear you. This place is like a maze."
"This place is ours now. It was built on our graves."
"All we want is for you to leave, so we can rest again."
"Actually, I'm thinking all you want is to get between me and that door. Who's for finding out why?" Buffy asked.
The dead nerd lunged at Buffy, who pushed him out of the way. The dead girl jumped on her back, and Buffy fell back to the ground to knock her off. When Buffy got up, she thought she had taken them all out, but suddenly all three dead people were standing in front of the door again, like they reappeared there supernaturally.
"If at first you don't succeed..." Buffy leaped over them. "... cheat!"
They jumped her again. She fought them off and went for the door.
"Dawnie, we have to get out of here!" Buffy opened the door.
Tara arrived at that moment and saw the janitor raising a pipe to hit Buffy. "Buffy, duck!"
Buffy looked around. "What? Duck? There's a duck?"
Tara stretched out her arm to try to psychically stop him, but it had no effect. The dead janitor hit Buffy over the head with the pipe. Tara ran at him. The dead janitor started beating on Buffy with the pipe. Tara grabbed him in a chokehold from behind, but he shrugged her off.
Buffy tripped the dead janitor, making him fall to the floor. She jumped up and used the door to hit the dead janitor's head. Then she and Tara went into the room, and Buffy latched the door behind her.
"Tara, have you seen Dawn? She came down here with some kids."
Tara shook her head. "No, sorry, I just got here myself."
Buffy's cell phone rang.
Buffy answered it. "Dawn?"
"Buffy, where are you?"
"I..." Buffy paused. "Look, where are you?"
"I don't know. In a room by the furnace. Near where we fell in. They dragged us in here, and then they disappeared."
"Yeah, they came after me, too."
"Well, what do they want?"
Buffy shrugged. "So far, to piss me off."
"Please, tell me it's working."
"Oh, I'm damage-bound. I just can't figure them. Ghosts can't touch you, and zombies can't disappear, so I don't know what-"
Tara thought of something. "Not ghosts."
"Who was that?" Dawn asked Buffy.
"Tara. She's with me. Hold on." Buffy looked at Tara. "You know what they are?"
"Manifest spirits controlled by a talisman, raised to seek vengeance. I read about it somewhere."
"Hang tight. I'll find you. These things can hurt you. You can hurt them, too. Find a weapon. I'll come for you." Buffy ended the call.
Buffy kicked down the door and left the room. Tara followed her.
"Guys? Resentful dead guys? This can't be good. Come on, manifest spirits, raised up, controlled by a...talisman." Buffy made a call on her cell phone.
"Hello?" Katrina asked.
"Trina, it's me. I need you to look for a talisman..."
Dawn, Kit, and Amanda were in a different area of the basement than Buffy.
Dawn looked at the others. "We need to find some kind of weapon just to hold them off."
Amanda found some bricks on a nearby utility shelf and picked them up. "I got these. We can bash their fucking brains in."
"Kit, gimme your bag."
Kit handed her purse to Dawn. Dawn emptied the contents of Kit's purse on the floor and replaced them with the bricks.
"Do you think they're gonna come back?" Kit asked.
"Think they're gonna come back?" the dead girl asked. "We never left. We'll always be here. Just like you."
Kit shook her head in fear. "No."
"Why do you think we picked you? The ones no one will miss. The ones that don't belong. You spend all your time trying to get out of high school, and now you'll never, ever leave."
Dawn swung the bag at the dead girl's knees and knocked her down. The dead janitor knocked Dawn back with a punch to the face. Dawn shrieked.
Buffy and Tara heard her and ran toward the scream.
Katrina entered the restroom and saw the floor had fallen in. "Talisman, talisman..."
She edged herself around the hole in the floor to move toward the mirrors and sinks.
The dead people were still fighting Dawn and her friends. The dead janitor attacked Dawn, who screamed.
"You can thank your sister for this."
Buffy entered the room, and the dead nerd came at her with a pipe. She pushed him away and kicked the dead janitor away from Dawn.
Dawn looked at Buffy. "Thanks, sis."
"We just need to keep them at bay."
The dead people kept attacking Buffy and Dawn. Tara ran over to her family and helped them.
"The bag!" Dawn offered it to Buffy.
Buffy kicked ass with the bag and her karate kicks. Tara and Dawn kicked and punched.
Katrina was looking around on the floor of the restroom and found the talisman. "Yes! Talisman."
The dead girl jumped on her back and attacked her.
Buffy, Tara, and Dawn were still fighting the dead people. Dawn beat the dead nerd with a metal pipe.
"Do you really want to keep this up?" Buffy asked.
"What're you going to do, kill us?" the dead janitor asked.
Still fighting off the dead girl, Katrina broke the talisman in half, and the dead people vanished.
In the basement, after the dead people vanished in front of their eyes, the kids had a look of awe on their faces.
"Are they gone?" Amanda asked.
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. The talisman must have been destroyed."
"How'd you know it was a talisman?" Dawn asked.
Tara looked at her. "I read about it."
Buffy nodded. "The real question is...who put it there? C'mon, you guys, let's go find a way upstairs, assuming there is one."
They started walking.
Dawn looked at Buffy. "You really weren't kidding about this place. I guess it hasn't changed."
Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. Seems smaller."
Buffy was standing in a hallway, talking to Dawn, Kit, and Amanda. "You guys are gonna be okay. School is intense, but you'll do all right as long as you're careful. And you might want to think about sticking together."
"Thank you." Kit hugged Buffy.
Amanda nodded, grinning. "Yeah, I mean it. You are the coolest mom ever."
Buffy was self-conscious and played with her hair.
Dawn saved her from further embarrassment by ushering her friends away. "Okay. Come on, we still have a few more classes to live through."
Dawn kissed Buffy on the cheek and walked away with her friends.
Principal Wood walked up to Buffy. "Curiouser and curiouser."
"What is?"
"Amanda Hagan and Kit Holburn, right? Possibly the only two students in this school whose files are as thick as yours was."
"You really did your homework, didn't you?"
"I was looking for one or both of them to actually implode in a fearsome way right before midterms. And now I see that you got 'em socializing and hugging and actually, if I'm not mistaken, headed to class."
"Well, we shared an...encounter."
"Look, I know you're probably more than happy to get out of this place. But I gotta tell you, Miss Summers, I think you belong here."
"Hmm, new?"
"Listen, I know this school's reputation. What, you think I got this job based on seniority? We got a lot of troubled students here...and just enough money to keep this place from caving in."
"Yeah, you might need a little extra there."
"Well, we do have a community outreach program. And the money we could pay you...wouldn't even fold. But it would just be a couple of days a week."
"Are you asking me to be a counselor?"
"Well, we have a guidance counselor, but I was thinking the kids could use someone, you know, closer to their age who still-"
"I'm in!" Buffy exclaimed, grinning.
"What, you serious? You - You did hear the part about the money, right?"
"Yeah, I heard. I've got money. My schedule might be a little funtastic, but, uh, I'll work it out. I'd like to keep an eye on this place."
"Well, that's great." Wood checked his watch. "Look at that. It's not even noon, and I've already bullied my first family member into helping out. I'm going to be the best principal ever." He walked away.
Buffy was pleased, thinking maybe things would work out after all.
After school let out, Emma picked Kennedy up in her yellow 2002 Dodge Viper GTS, and they went cruising on the streets of SoHo.
Emma parked by a clothing store and shut off the engine. She and Kennedy unfastened their seatbelts, unlocked and opened their doors, and got out of the car. They closed their doors, and Emma locked them.
"So it's not getting any better?" Emma asked.
"Nope. Ramón's freaking out. The Watchers Council isn't giving him much info and is just telling him to protect me." Kennedy paused and looked Emma in the eyes. "He's thinking of sending me away."
Emma was stunned. "Where?"
Kennedy shrugged. "Somewhere secret. For my own protection."
"He can't do that."
"He claims he can, and he would, if it comes down to it."
"Well, then I'm coming with you."
"I don't think you'd have a choice in the matter."
"There's no fucking way that I'm letting him separate us." Emma pulled Kennedy into a deep kiss.
Chapter 134: Beneath You
Chapter Text
"Beneath You"
Based on the Episodes "Beneath You" Written by Douglas Petrie and "Same Time, Same Place" Written by Jane Espenson
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
Buffy was having a dream. She was a teenage girl in the parking garage of a nightclub in Frankfurt, Germany. Loud techno music was playing. She was running, scared. She had hot pink hair with black bangs at her forehead, a nose ring, and a metal collar. She was wearing all black: a skeleton shirt, long pants, a leather jacket, and boots. She went through an interior door and jumped down to the next level. Two robed men were chasing her. She couldn't see any details of their bodies, just the hooded cloaks that completely covered them. She ran out through an exterior door and proceeded to scale down the building.
Finally, she thought she was safe when she went through a doorway to the outside near a crowd of club patrons, but she was pushed back inside by her pursuers. They closed the door behind them and started to fight with her.
She was knocked to the ground, lying on her back. Finally, one of the robed people pulled out a curved, silver dagger and tried to stab her, but she blocked his move. The other robed person also had a dagger, though, and stabbed her. She winced, and the men resheathed their daggers and left.
Though the girl appeared dead, she spoke one final sentence in a low, unnatural-sounding voice: "From beneath you, it devours."
Buffy screamed.
Tara was sitting beside Buffy on the bed, leaning over her, trying to wake her up. "Buffy! Buffy! Buffy!"
"I heard screaming."
"That was you."
"There was a girl."
"That would be me."
"Uh, no. It was-"
"Just a dream. It was just a dream, right?"
"'From beneath you, it devours.' That's what she said, and then they..." Buffy paused. "There's more like her, Tara. Out there somewhere."
Buffy and Tara got up off the bed and went to look out the window, frowning sadly.
"And they're gonna die."
Buffy was driving Dawn to school in the Jeep.
"Could you die?" Dawn asked. "'Cause, seriously, speaking for everybody who are me in the car right now, we're very excited."
"Well, I'm glad for all of you, then."
"I mean it's just so cool. You're coming to school with me. You'll be, like, there the whole time." Dawn paused. "You understand you cannot talk to me, look at me, or hang out with any of my friends, right?"
"Look, I doubt we'll be seeing each other, assuming I even half-understand my fuzzy job description."
"It's not fuzzy. You're, what, dealing with troubled kids?"
"At a spanking new Hellmouth High."
"Please. Outside of drugs and violence and the unwanted pregnancy and, uh, unleashing of hordes of Armageddon that comes pouring out of the school's foundation every now and then, what trouble could these kids have?" Dawn asked.
"Guess I'll find out."
Dawn offered her sister a smile. "Those kids are damn lucky, having a Slayer friend on campus, there for 'em. I hope they appreciate it."
Principal Wood was showing Buffy around on her first day at work. They entered the office area from the hallway. Buffy had a cubicle near a hallway window.
"We'll sort of feel our way around. Some students will be sent to you, and others, I'm hoping, will start to come in on their own."
"What if they don't? Should I panic?"
"You'll be surprised, Buffy. You're the youngest and, uh, least-stuffy member of this faculty. I think the students are gonna want to come in and talk to you. And when they do, don't evaluate them. Just listen. They need to feel like there's someone around here that actually understands them."
While Buffy looked out the window nearest her cubicle, she got an exciting idea. "Can I give detention?"
"Okay by me. A little authority can be a wonderful thing. Just remember that, while you are here to help, you're not here to be their friend. Trust me, you open that door, and these students will eat you alive."
"You heard about Principal Flutie, right?" Buffy asked.
"Hmm?"
"Forget it." Buffy sat down at her desk and started to get situated, setting a couple college textbooks down to read in her down time.
"Okay, then. And, Buffy, relax. I think you're gonna fit in just fine. Is there something else?"
"Um, yeah. Uh, just one more thing." Buffy stood. "I was, uh, just curious, you know, uh, not that I'm not grateful or anything, but, uh, I guess I was wondering why I-"
"Have this job?"
"I still haven't finished college."
"I know."
"Was it my sparkling personality?"
"These students need someone around here that understands them, and I need someone that understands these students. Why? Is there something about you that I don't know that maybe I should?"
"Nothing I can think of."
"Oh, if you'll excuse me. First catch of the day. I'll be in my office if you need me."
"Thanks. I'm just gonna have a look around. Get to know the place. Make sure it's all...school-like."
Cordelia was waiting patiently for Harmony to set up her camera for the next shot. The two of them were shooting some outdoor footage for the Cordy! opening title sequence. This next shot involved Cordelia riding her bicycle through the park. Cordelia sipped on her espresso as she sat on her bike.
Harmony looked at Cordelia. "Okay, ready."
Cordelia set her coffee cup into the holder and gripped the handlebars.
"Okay, on the count of 3, start pedaling."
Cordelia nodded. "Got it."
Harmony pressed Record. "1, 2, 3!"
Cordelia smiled and started pedaling her bike. Suddenly, Faith walked into the shot, munching on a soft beef taco. Cordelia brought the bike to a screeching halt.
"Cut!" Harmony yelled. "What the fuck, Faith?!"
Faith looked at the camera. "Oh. Are we doing this now?"
"Duh!" Harmony yelled. "Let's take it from the top!"
Faith held up a plastic bag with a takeout box inside. "I got us lunch, yo."
Harmony grinned. "Ooh! Take ten, Cordy!"
In Huntsville, Alabama, Vi was hanging out in the library in Virgil I. Grissom High School, playing Dungeons & Dragons with her group at a table.
"The thief lies at your feet, seemingly dead. What do you do?" Vi asked.
Before anyone could answer, the door opened, and Mike walked into the library.
"Violet."
Vi turned and looked at him, annoyed. "What do you want?"
"You were supposed to report for training after school."
"But today's the day that my D&D group meets."
Mike stared at her. "Why would I accept that as a legitimate excuse?"
"Why wouldn't you?" Vi asked him. "I mean, yeah, it's 3rd Edition, and it kinda sucks, but 4E's comin', so-"
"Violet, pack up your things and come with me right now."
"No."
"I mean it, Violet. I've had enough with your insubordination."
"And I've had enough with you, period."
Mike scowled at her.
The librarian walked over to them. "Please keep it down." She looked at Mike. "Who are you?"
Vi suddenly had an idea. "He's some loony that keeps harassing me. He claims I'm destined to be a Vampire Slayer, and it's his duty to 'train' me, and we all know what that means."
"You little bitch!" Mike blurted.
"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the campus."
Vi nodded in agreement. "Oh, yeah, this dude definitely doesn't have permission to be here. How'd you get in, Mike Martin? Did you sneak in, Mike Martin?"
Mike stared at Vi. Vi stared right back at him. Mike eventually turned around and left the library. The librarian followed him.
Vi faced her group again, grinning. "Okay, where were we?"
Her group stared at her in awe.
That night, a young woman named Nancy Aufranc with long brown hair with blonde highlights was walking her Yorkie puppy on a string. She was holding its leash and a plastic grocery bag. The dog stopped walking to smell something on the concrete sidewalk. There were some random rocks and gravel strewn on that part of the sidewalk. The dog growled and made sounds of displeasure at whatever it smelled.
"Rocky, come on, do your business, so I can go home."
Rocky growled.
"Could've gotten a cat, but no."
Rocky growled, then winced and yelped. Nancy turned to look, but a hole had suddenly appeared, and Rocky had disappeared into it. She was still holding onto his leash, and, as a result, she fell to the ground and was pulled along the sidewalk toward the hole as the leash was pulled further into it. When her head was almost to the tiny hole where the dog disappeared, a large piece of the sidewalk came up in her face, broken and pushed up from underground by something unseen. Then a monster rose from the ground, in front of her. She got up and ran away as fast as she could, screaming, but bumped into Sunday, who was out for an evening stroll.
"Ahh!" Nancy yelled.
"Uh, hello?" Sunday asked.
Buffy, Tara, and Dawn were sitting at the dining room table, playing Monopoly. The doorbell rang.
Buffy looked at the others, frowning, then stood up and walked into the foyer. She looked through the peephole. Sunday and Nancy were standing outside. Buffy unlocked and opened the door.
"Hey. What's up?" Buffy asked.
Sunday jerked a thumb at Nancy. "This chick's got some weird shit for you to hear."
Buffy stepped aside. "Come in."
Sunday and Nancy walked into the house. Buffy realized what she'd done, but she couldn't take it back. She closed and locked the door.
Nancy looked at Buffy. "Uh, I'm Nancy Aufranc. Sunday tells me that you can help me."
Buffy smiled. "Well, I'll try. Do you want some soda or tea or something?"
"Uh, tea, thank you."
Tara stood up. "I'll get it."
Sitting between Tara and Dawn, Nancy was sitting on the sofa, talking to Buffy. "I was walking my dog, and he stopped to smell something, and I looked away for a bit, and suddenly he got pulled into a hole in the ground - a hole that wasn't there before. And then this thing came out of the ground and started chasing me. And whatever it was, it was big and strong. Stronger than...I mean I don't know how it's possible. You hear things in this town, living here in Sunnydale, but nobody actually believes them. You know, you'd have to be crazy, and..." She looked at all of them. "You guys think I'm crazy, don't you?"
Sunday scoffed. "I don't."
Buffy raised her eyebrows, then looked at Nancy. "We've seen things, too, Nancy. We live it."
Nancy frowned. "But I thought you're a Vampire Slayer."
Buffy thought about it. "I'm kinda an Everything Slayer."
Sunday smiled. "And we're going to take care of this. It's your lucky night...considering, you know, your dog just got all ate up and shit." She caught herself. "Hey, can I freshen up your tea?"
"No, that's okay. Thanks."
"So...you say this thing just came up out of the ground without any warnings or signs or anything?" Dawn asked Nancy.
"Just this kind of rumbling, you know, like just before an earthquake."
"'From beneath you, it devours.'"
"What?" Nancy asked Buffy.
"Nothing."
"Nothing good. Should we round up the gang?" Dawn asked.
Tara looked at her. "Good thinking, except...this is the gang. Amy's working late, and Trina's got class."
"Jenny?" Dawn suggested.
Tara thought about it. "Hmmm, good idea. I can go to her place and research this thing."
Buffy looked at Nancy. "Look, Nancy, we're going to get into this. And I promise you, if your dog is alive, we're going to find him. The only thing that I need is a little-"
"What you need is help. Fortunately, you've got me." Sunday smiled sweetly at Buffy.
Buffy gave her a look. "Why?"
"Extra Slayer, er, well, former." Sunday paused, frowning at her admission. "We're connected to the visions. I can feel it. Can you? Something's coming. I don't know what, exactly, but something's brewing. And it's so big, ugly, and damned that it makes you and me look like little insects. Am I wrong?"
Buffy thought about it. "No. You're right. Something is coming. You been having the nightmares? You're a girl somewhere, in some other part of the world, and you're-"
"-hunted...and murdered." Sunday paused. "Yeah."
Buffy stared into Sunday's eyes. "We feel their deaths every night."
"Or, in my case, day." Sunday paused. "You're gonna need some help."
"So are you a champion of the people again?" Buffy asked her.
"Well, I wouldn't go that far. But the alternative to doing nothing..." Sunday left the rest unspoken.
Everyone was silent for a moment, then Tara and Dawn stood up, then so did Nancy.
Buffy walked over, grabbed her jacket, and put it on. "Nancy, come with Sunday and me. We'll take you home. Whatever this creature is, it's burrowing through solid ground. That means a strength and power that we don't usually deal with, but we may have to get used to now that the Hellmouth is getting all perky."
Buffy opened the weapon chest.
"Shouldn't we call the police or something?" Nancy asked.
Buffy briefly looked at Nancy, tapping her badge clipped to her pants.
Nancy felt embarrassed. "I'll stop interrupting."
Buffy got out a large dagger and a flashlight. "Afterwards, Sunday and I will check out the scene."
"I'm command central, so everybody check in with me." Dawn paused. "Okay, I'll be here doing my homework, but the other one sounded cooler."
Buffy looked at Dawn. "Be safe." She looked at Sunday and Nancy. "Let's go."
Sunday and Buffy were walking Nancy to the front door of her building at the corner of Third and Fairview. Nancy unlocked and opened it, and they entered.
"Boy, I still can't believe this is happening. I mean even with this town's reputation for, you know, unexplained weirdness."
Sunday chuckled. "Right. Sunnydale: come for the food, stay for the dismemberment."
"There's good food? Well...thanks." Nancy cleared her throat. "And that's a couple of levels of lameness right there, me saying 'thanks' after everything that you've done for me tonight."
Sunday smiled. "Well, you could slip me a twenty, but then I'd have to act all offended."
"Got it. So, um, you think I might instead give you a call sometime?" Nancy asked.
"Just to check in?"
"No, actually, I'm hitting on you."
Sunday smiled. "Even better. Sunday Towne. I live on Crawford."
Nancy smiled. "Good night."
Buffy noticed something. "Uh, Nancy..."
The ground was rumbling and shaking.
"Run!" Buffy yelled.
The glass in the front door shattered in toward them. Nancy screamed. They ran further into the building, down the hallway. Floor tiles were shattering and bursting up from the ground behind them as they fled. Finally, they went up some stairs at the end of the hallway and fell to the ground. The monster burst forth from the floor, in front of the stairs. It was a long, pink, cylindrical, and slightly phallic-shaped creature with four jaws full of sharp, pointy teeth. It was roaring and screeching, and its jaws were snapping as it lunged for Buffy, Sunday, and Nancy. They waited it out together, and, finally, it retreated into the ground.
"You okay?" Sunday asked Nancy.
"I just..." Nancy sighed, shaken.
"Dumb question. Are you injured? Are you hurt?" Sunday asked.
"I don't think so. I just - I don't think I can take any more of this."
"Two attacks in the same night. I'm starting to think it's not coincidence."
"Oh, sure. Why not? A monster trying to kill me. It's just the thing that was missing to make my life absolutely perfect. Uhh! Ronnie would love this. Boy!" Nancy exclaimed.
"Who's Ronnie?" Buffy asked her.
"Oh, um, only my psycho ex-boyfriend that I've been trying to get rid of for the past few weeks. I almost prefer the monster. Ronnie was, um...trouble."
"Uh-huh. And I'm just curious. Was this Ronnie guy a borrowing money kind of trouble, or was he a raising demon trouble kind of guy?" Buffy asked.
"Ronnie? He couldn't. He just..." Nancy paused. "He was an abusive bastard. And he'd just show up, even after..." She paused again, shaking. "You know the feeling that you get when your ex is constantly ruining every part of your life, and it just doesn't stop?"
Buffy and Sunday didn't say anything.
"And you get so tired of feeling helpless that all that you can do is just wish that it would stop?" Nancy continued, starting to cry.
Sunday gently put a hand on Nancy's arm. Nancy fell against Sunday and hugged her. Sunday hugged Nancy. Buffy watched them in wonder.
While Nancy waited in the Jeep, Buffy and Sunday approached the broken sidewalk where Nancy's dog was abducted.
Sunday frowned. "I don't feel like sticking my head in there."
"You're not gonna risk decapitation for love?" Buffy asked her.
Sunday looked at her.
"C'mon, I've seen how you look at her. You're actually in love with her, aren't you?" Buffy asked in wonder.
"You surprised?" Sunday asked.
"A little."
"Well, if Sandy can love a human, why can't I?" Sunday asked.
"Yeah, but Sandy's-"
"-the same as me: a soulless vampire that doesn't wanna get on your bad side out of a sense of self-preservation and making our lives easier. There are plenty of us. We're not objectively 'good', but we are capable of love."
Buffy nodded.
Sunday sighed and conceded to investigate the broken sidewalk further. She bent down on one knee with the flashlight in hand to look inside the hole. She looked around for clues. "There's nothing here. Just a bit of slime. Mounds of displaced dirt. Whatever our beastie is, he's gone."
Sunday stood up. She and Buffy walked back over to the Jeep. Nancy stood up in the back and unlocked their doors for them. Buffy and Sunday opened their doors, got in, and closed and locked their doors.
"Well?" Nancy asked.
Buffy looked at her. "There's no sign of Rocky. I'm sorry."
Nancy sat down, thinking about her dog. "I was so irritated with him." She started crying. "I think I'm gonna be sick."
Buffy stared at her for a while, then looked forward, put her key in the ignition, and started the engine.
Jenny had made quesadillas for dinner, and she, Tara, Buffy, Sunday, and Nancy were eating them.
Nancy tapped an image in a book with her index finger. "That's it: the whatchamacallit demon thing."
Jenny looked. "Sluggoth demon. It's a very large, very nasty, natural predator that died around the Crusades."
Buffy stood up. "Let's go. Got some worm hunting to do."
Tara looked at Buffy. "Good luck, sweetie. Stay safe."
"Thanks." Buffy bent over and kissed Tara on the lips. "Hey, take Nancy back to our place, okay? Hers isn't safe."
Sunday looked at Buffy. "Hang on. This thing seems to like Nancy. How about we use her as worm bait?"
Nancy shot her a look. "I'm sorry, fucking what?"
Sunday looked at her. "We'll both be nearby to protect you. Trust us?"
Nancy looked at Sunday uncertainly.
Nancy was walking home alone on a deserted street. She heard a rumbling from behind her. The worm demon had found her and was closing in. The street behind her was rupturing from underneath; the asphalt was crumbling. It was getting closer now.
"Oh, God. Oh, God." Nancy tried to get into a building, but it was locked. "Help! Somebody help me!"
She climbed the fire escape ladder, she looked down, and the rumbling stopped. She was relieved and tried to catch her breath. Then the building started to shake, and the ladder started to fall off the brick building that it was attached to.
Nancy screamed. "Oh, help me! Help me!"
Buffy saw her from a rooftop and ran to her. Sunday was also running along the rooftops behind Buffy.
Nancy was still trying to climb the ladder. The worm demon made another bang against the building's foundation, and Nancy fell off. Buffy swung in from the rooftop on a rope, caught Nancy, and let go when they were over a stack of flattened cardboard boxes.
They were on the ground now. They got up and walked around to assess the situation, but the worm demon came up out of the ground, next to Buffy. She was about to attack it when Sunday landed behind her and ripped a pipe off the wall. She reared back with the pipe in hand and beat the worm demon with it. Then she stepped back dramatically, holding the pipe like a deadly spear, and plunged it into the worm demon, killing it.
Buffy smiled, rolling her eyes. "Showoff."
Nancy looked at them. "Thank you for helping me. Both of you."
Buffy smiled. "It's what we do." She paused in consideration. "Y'know, considering the damage done earlier, your building might not be structurally sound. I'd recommend staying somewhere else in the meantime."
"Well, where?" Nancy asked.
Buffy looked meaningfully at Sunday. Sunday didn't say anything. Buffy nodded toward Nancy.
Sunday realized what Buffy was getting at. "Oh, uh, I've got a mansion on Crawford."
"Really?" Nancy asked. "You must be rich."
Sunday shrugged. "I...make decent money."
"What do you do?" Nancy asked.
Sunday shrugged again. "I suck people off."
Buffy facepalmed. Nancy stared at Sunday in shock.
Sunday realized how that sounded. "Oh, no, not like that. Well, sometimes like that, but-"
"Sunday, stop talking." Buffy paused. "Show her."
Sunday bared her fangs.
"You're a vampire?" Nancy asked in shock. "I thought you were a Slayer."
"She can't be both?" Buffy asked, looking at both of them. "She was a hero tonight."
Sunday considered that, then looked at Nancy. "Look, there's stuff that I gotta tell you about myself, but I really fucking love you."
Buffy facepalmed again.
Nancy stood there for a while, stunned, then she offered Sunday a small smile. "Let's start with like, okay? I really fucking like you."
Sunday grinned.
Nancy curled her arms around Sunday's neck. "Thank you for saving my life."
"My pleasure."
Nancy kissed Sunday on the lips.
The following week, at a construction site at Sunnydale High School, Buffy and Jenny climbed down the retaining wall on a ladder. They walked under police tape and stopped suddenly when they looked down. A dead person was laying on the ground with no skin.
Buffy frowned. "No skin."
"Tough to look at."
"And yet my eyes refuse to look away. Stupid eyes."
"When'd they find it?" Jenny asked.
"First thing this morning. Stein called me right away." Buffy sighed. "I got to get a job where I don't get called right away for this shit."
Jenny turned aside and vomited onto the ground, then wiped her mouth.
Shortly, in Jenny's classroom, during her planning period, the blinds were closed, blocking the sunlight. Candles were lit, and she and Buffy were sitting on the floor, Indian-style, facing each other, with a map of Sunnydale between them.
Jenny held up two jars filled with powder and offered one to Buffy. "Okay, we scatter it over the map, and, everywhere there's a demon, a little light appears."
Buffy took a jar. They opened their respective jars and set the lids on the floor.
"Okay, scatter."
Buffy and Jenny dusted the map with the powder from their individual jars. Several individual dots glowed in various places on the map, but there was a heavy concentration of glowing dots in the center of the map.
Buffy frowned. "Guess that's the high school. No surprise; it's all Hellmouthy underneath."
Jenny nodded. "Things have been stirring here lately. Is it getting brighter?"
"Smoke!" Buffy yelled.
The clump of lights at the high school got brighter and brighter until it caught the map on fire. Buffy and Jenny stood up immediately and stamped out the fire with their feet.
Buffy held up the map to inspect the marks left behind on it by the glowing lights. "Thi-This could be it. It's strong, it's near the body, and it's all by itself, hiding in the woods or - or maybe cave. There are a couple of good caves around here."
Later, in the school library, Dawn, Buffy, and Jenny were sitting around a table, doing research. Buffy had several books open in front of her while Dawn and Jenny were surfing the Internet on their laptops.
Dawn was checking out Demons, Demons, Demons. "Okay, so I looked up demons that skin their victims and demons that flay their victims, 'cause, you know, same thing. There's a ton of prospects. Anything else gone? Uh, eyeballs, toenails, or viscera? That's guts."
Jenny kept her eyes on her own screen. "Just skin."
"Okay, I'll work on that."
They were all silent for a while.
"Oh, guys!" Dawn gestured for them to come over to her.
They did.
"I got a good one. A demon called Gnarl. He's a parasite with these nasty, long fingernails. He secretes something through them and uses that to paralyze his victims. He then cuts strips off their skin while they're still alive. It takes hours."
Gnarl was a five-foot-tall green-skinned creature whose rib cage showed through his leathery skin. He had pointy ears; a long, hooked nose; and yellow eyes. His fingernails were black.
Jenny shuddered. "We didn't find any strips of skin."
"You wouldn't. He eats them. That's why he's a parasite. It's, like, his natural food."
Buffy frowned. "Dawn, you're new at this, and I get why you're proud, but I'm not exactly sure why this demon is any more likely than any of the others."
"You never said pool of blood."
"There was no pool, just splatters."
Dawn smiled. "Then this is your guy. He laps up the blood. You could say it's, like, his natural beverage."
Buffy pointed at Dawn. "You're terrifying."
"Thanks. Now, if we just knew how to find this thing."
Jenny thought for a moment. "Well, we could ask some questions over at Willy's Place."
"Or we could be smart." Buffy was immediately ashamed. "Sorry, Jenny. W-Whoever did this had to get blood on them, which means they left a trail."
Dawn nodded. "Right, minute traces of blood."
Buffy nodded. "And we have a way to track it."
"We have a-" Dawn suddenly realized. "Oh, I get it."
After school, Buffy and Dawn were following Sandy through the woods near the high school.
Sandy stopped walking. She was standing still, staring through the bushes at a rock cliff. The sisters caught up to her.
Sandy nodded. "That's it."
Buffy frowned. "That's a rock cliff."
"There's a cave in it. Look." Sandy pushed the bush aside. She decided to go in.
Buffy and Dawn decided to go in as well.
The cave seemed empty at first, even though there was light from a fire.
Dawn frowned. "Dark and dank. I was hoping it'd be dark and dank."
Buffy gestured for her to stop talking. There were some noises.
"Shh! Do you hear that?" Buffy asked.
Dawn nodded. "Something's moving in here."
Buffy frowned. "Guess we're in the right place." She concentrated. "It's echoing. I know it sounds close, but I don't think-"
Gnarl jumped out suddenly and scratched Dawn before leaving again.
"Dawn! Are you okay?" Buffy asked.
"I guess so." Dawn uncovered her stomach to show a large gash across it. "Poison paralyzes."
"Dawn. Okay, we need to get her out of here. We'll deal with him later."
Buffy and Sandy left, carrying an injured Dawn out of the cave. Sandy and Buffy carried Dawn between them, one of her arms around each of their necks.
Buffy thought of something. "The computer. That thing that Dawn was reading might have an antidote for the paralysis."
"Um, Buffy?" Dawn asked without moving her lips.
"What?"
"I'm really sorry."
"Oh, it's okay."
Sandy nodded. "You couldn't help it. It had paralyzing fingernails."
Buffy nodded at Dawn. "Just like you said it would, so good on you."
Buffy and Sandy carried Dawn in hastily through the front door of the Summers' house. Dawn was horizontal now, being carried like a roll of carpet.
"Okay, watch - watch the head."
Sandy nodded. "Gotcha."
"Watch my head. Watch my head!" Dawn yelled without moving her mouth.
They took her to the living room. Sandy and Buffy walked toward the sofa with Dawn.
They put her down on the sofa, but she rolled over, face down, in the pillows.
"Face up! Face up!" Dawn yelled.
Sandy rolled her over.
Buffy sighed. "Okay, I'm gonna check the computer. Find that page. See if there's an antidote." She left the room.
Sandy offered Dawn a smile. "It'll be all right. We'll get you fixed up. You'll be doing limbo in no time."
"Yeah, as a pole."
"No, not as a pole. I promise."
Buffy was sitting at her laptop, which was on the dining room table. "Oh, got it. It says the paralysis is permanent."
Dawn squeaked.
"No, oh, wait, my bad. 'Permanent until the creature dies.'" Buffy looked over at Dawn, embarrassed. "Sorry."
Buffy stood up and walked back into the living room.
Sandy was kneeling beside Dawn, holding her hand as she was laid out, paralyzed, on the couch.
"Guess we have to go back."
"We can't just leave her here like this. What if she vomits?" Sandy asked.
"Ew. I won't vomit."
"Do you think she'll vomit?" Buffy asked Sandy.
"Stop talking about vomit."
"I'll call Tara. Her class is probably over by now." Buffy took out her cell phone.
At East Hills Teen Center, Cordelia, Harmony, Faith, and Anne were sitting on the couch and going over the script for the first episode of Cordy! while waiting.
Harmony frowned in confusion. "I'm not sure I'm understanding my character."
Cordelia frowned in confusion. "You're my rich bestie. How is that confusing."
"It's like...what's my worldview? Why am I the way that I am?" Harmony asked.
Cordelia shook her head in disbelief. "The same reasons that you are in real life, whatever those might be. Look, I've tried to make our characters as easy for us to play as possible. I'm the star that everything revolves around. You're my supportive best friend. Faith is the tough gal from Boston. Anne runs the teen shelter that we work at." She smiled, staring off into space. "And you all support me in my dream to one day open my very own nightclub."
Faith rolled her eyes, flipping through her copy of the script. "Wow, how ever did you come up with such an original concept?"
Cordelia shot her a look. "Bite me."
Faith looked at her girlfriends. "What do you say, ladies? Up for a foursome?"
They heard the sound of a throat clearing. They looked and saw a mother and daughter standing there.
"Can we help you?" Anne asked them.
"I'm Maria Vergara-Paras. This is my daughter, Chloe. I'm not sure we're in the right place." She held up a flier. "We're here about the casting call."
Faith was amazed. "Wow, someone actually showed up."
Cordelia elbowed Faith in the ribs, then stood up, grinning. "Yeah, this is it." She walked over to them and offered Maria her right hand. "I'm Cordelia Chase."
Maria shook Cordelia's hand.
Cordelia gestured at her friends. "These are Harmony Kendall, Faith Lehane, and Anne Steele, my costars."
"Where's the crew?" Maria asked her.
Cordelia looked at her and grinned. "You're looking at us!"
Chloe and her mother were surprised.
"Oh, we're a small, indie production." Cordelia offered her right hand to Chloe. "It's nice to meet you, Chloe."
Chloe shook Cordelia's hand. "Same."
"Now, just so we're all clear, this is a non-union pilot. We're going to try to shop it to a network. It might not get picked up to series. If it does, which honestly isn't likely, you'd probably be required to join SAG and sign a contract, if you want your part to remain in and TV residuals. If it doesn't get picked up, we'll likely continue filming new episodes of the series and premiere it on public-access television, so it'll at least be seen by an audience. Regardless, you will be paid the advertised $100 for your work today."
"Wait, so I've got the part?" Chloe asked in confusion. "I thought this was an audition."
"Well...you're the only one that's shown up, so we'll turn it into a taping."
Chloe looked at her mother.
Maria shrugged. "We drove over a half-hour. Might as well try."
Chloe looked at Cordelia and nodded.
Cordelia grinned. "Great!" She offered Chloe her script. "Here's the script. Your part starts on page 10."
In Homosassa, Florida, Eve was sitting at her desk in her bedroom, doing homework.
Maxine walked into the room and knocked on the open door. "Hey."
"Yeah?" Eve asked, staring at her Algebra book.
"Thought we could get some sparring in before dinner."
"You really wanna get me on the floor that bad?" Eve asked.
"I want you to take your training seriously." Maxine paused. "I know you don't like me much, but I'd like for us to get along."
Eve spun around in her chair. "Did you get with my mom just to get to me?"
"What?! Of course not!" Maxine put her right hand over her heart. "I love your mom. I could have found any other reason to see you. I could have simply gotten a job at your school and not informed your mother about anything."
Eve raised her eyebrows. "I would've. Then you'd be in a heap of trouble."
Maxine shrugged. "Be that as it may, won't you please come train with me? Your life could very well depend on it. Think about how your mother would feel, if you died."
Eve hesitated, then she stood up and followed Maxine out of the room.
Buffy burst into the cave, and Gnarl leaped up from on top of a male victim. Buffy tried to cut him with her sword. Gnarl screeched and hid. Sandy walked into the cave, holding a dagger.
"Come out, you fucker!" Buffy yelled.
"Behind you!" Sandy warned.
Gnarl tried to scratch Buffy but missed, getting only her shirt and not her skin.
Buffy exhaled. "Close one."
They fought, alternating swipes at each other.
"Remember what I said. Get him in the eyes." Sandy tried to get into position to take her own swipe. "Buffy, get out of the way. The Gem might protect me against his poison."
Buffy got out of the way, and Sandy jumped in. She and Gnarl fought. Gnarl leaped over Sandy's head and landed behind her. She turned and stabbed his foot with her dagger when he landed, pinning him to the ground. He screeched and flailed, throwing him off guard. Sandy grabbed his head with both hands and plunged her thumbs into his eyes.
Buffy was disgusted. "Ew. Ew. Thumbs? I can't believe you did that."
Sandy pulled her thumbs out of Gnarl's eyes and then snapped his neck. She walked over to the victim. "He's hurt really bad. Call for help."
Buffy walked over and saw his wounds. "Oh, God."
Chapter 135: Help
Chapter Text
"Help"
Based on the Episode Written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
On Sunday afternoon, Buffy, Tara, and Dawn walked into the graveyard. They walked past many graves before coming up to a tombstone. They kneeled in front of it. The following text was carved on the stone: "Joyce Summers", "Beloved Mother", and "April 17, 1955 - February 27, 2001".
"Hey, Mom." Buffy touched Joyce's name on the headstone, tracing the letters with her index finger.
The three of them were silent for a moment. Then Buffy crossed herself, and Tara and Dawn did the same. They prayed silently, then they crossed themselves again and stood up.
They walked on, eventually arriving at Aine Maclay's grave. They kneeled in front of it.
"Hey, Mom." Tara touched her mother's name on the headstone, tracing the letters with her index finger. "How are you doing?" She was silent for a moment. "I-I wish you could l-let me kno-ow." She started crying. "I miss you so much. I love you." She took a handful of opals and a small silver pentacle out of her pocket and put them on her mother's headstone. "Blessed be...always...in the name of the Goddess." Then she bent forward and kissed her mother's name.
Buffy stared at Aine's name. "Blessed be in the name of the Goddess."
Dawn was confused. "Blessed be...in the name of the Goddess."
After a moment, Tara stood up, and so did Buffy and Dawn.
Buffy put her arm around Tara. "You okay?"
Tara nodded.
The three of them started walking toward the exit.
Dawn looked at Buffy and Tara. "I've got a question."
Tara looked at her. "Shoot."
"Why do you cross yourselves and say Christian prayers one moment and then invoke the Goddess shortly after?" Dawn asked them.
Tara thought for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "It's how we show respect for the deceased. We honor them according to their beliefs, not our own. Some people say funerals aren't for the dead; they're for the living. But our loved ones' remains are the last things in this world that's left of them. We should honor them in death as they wished to be honored in life. I would hate if anyone did or said something from a non-Wiccan religion over my grave - especially something from an Abrahamic religion; I fought to get away from that shit. That's why we call upon Jesus for Joyce and the Goddess for my mom."
That evening, Buffy, Tara, and Dawn were sitting on the couch in the living room, watching Charmed on The WB.
Tara noticed Buffy's facial expression. "You okay, sweetie?"
Buffy shrugged. "No big. Been kinda stressed. There's the looming humongo bad. And it's a school night. I should be in bed, cuddled up to my insomnia, and worrying about how I'm gonna fuck up tomorrow."
Dawn smiled. "You'll be fine. You'll be a great counselor."
"It's my first week actually talking to the kids. What if their problems are all weird and tricky?"
Tara smiled. "I think you underestimate your familiarity with the world of weird and tricky. This job's perfect for you."
Dawn smiled. "My advice to you is do exactly what everyone else does all the time."
Buffy was unsure. "Got it."
"Do what everyone else does, wear what everyone else wears, say what everyone else says."
"Okay."
"People may say something to you that you don't understand. Just don't be afraid to keep your mouth shut and pretend like you know what they're saying."
Buffy laughed. "You know, Dawn, I've been to high school before."
"People may say something like 'My protein window closes in an hour.' Just nod and smile." Dawn nodded and smiled. "Mm-hmm. Turns out it has something to do with fitness."
The next day, school was in session. Buffy was arranging and rearranging her desk. Then she decided to sharpen all of her pencils.
Amanda walked up to her mid-sharpening, kind of timid and introverted. "Hello?"
Buffy started. "Come in!" She hid the pencils. "Hi."
"Mr. Miller sent me here."
"Do you know why?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe 'cause this guy was picking on me."
"You know, it's awful...being teased. But the thing is, you know, with bullies like this, they're really just-"
"Insecure? Yeah, everyone says that. You know, I'm really tired of everyone being so insecure."
"You have to stick up for yourself, Amanda. You need to show this bully that you're not gonna take any more of his sh-guff. Uh, any guff."
Amanda was confused. "'Cause that's what I did. I stuck up for myself. Last Friday, after class, I jumped him in the parking lot, and I slammed his stupid-ass insecure face right into the pavement."
"You what?"
"I guess that's another reason that Mr. Miller wanted me to see you."
Buffy sighed.
"Do you think I should pound on him some more?" Amanda asked.
Later, a young, tough-looking boy was standing in Buffy's cubicle, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up over his head. "I don't wanna talk to you."
"Okay. That's fine."
"I'm serious. I don't wanna talk."
"Okay."
He was staring at her with his best tough face. He sat down at Buffy's desk. "I'm scared. I don't want to be left all alone. My brother's joining up with the Marines. Whew. You know, if he knew I was making a fool of myself, he'd smack me in my head. I guess I'm just being stupid."
"Sounds like your brother's pretty tough."
"Yeah, he's a man. I'm just all messed up right now."
"You are not messed up. It is not messed up to worry about your brother."
"What if he doesn't come back? What if he gets blown up?"
"Have you talked to him? Have you told him how you feel?"
"No. No, I don't wanna talk to him. I don't wanna do that. I don't wanna talk to him."
"Okay."
"You understand?"
A tall, good-looking, confident boy was talking to Buffy. He was wearing a stylish knit sport shirt and looked kind of preppy. "You know, I hate to miss Bio, but I thought it was best I come speak with you."
"So what's on your mind?" Buffy asked.
"On my mind?"
"Are you worried about school? Uh, friends, girls, your parents?"
"Yeah, yeah, that's it. My parents."
"What about them?"
"Oh, issues...of divorce."
"Divorce is terrible. My parents got divorced when I was a kid."
"Yeah, my parents are happily married."
Buffy glared at him.
"It's hard. Uh, I feel...left out. B-But I'm also concerned about girls." He laughed nervously. "Okay, I'm just bored. Maybe I should get back to Bio?"
Buffy nodded, and the boy walked away.
Buffy was counseling a nerd boy now. He was wearing a crystal pendant necklace and horn-rimmed glasses.
"So, Josh, what's on your mind?" Buffy asked.
"Well, I'm worried that I'm...gay."
Buffy immediately felt for him. "Okay, first of all, I think it's great that you would come and talk to me about this. And second of all, you should know that there is nothing shameful about being gay. Nothing."
"I-I know. It's just...I'm not positive, so, uh, I was thinking that...why don't you go on, uh, a date with me, so I can be sure?" Josh flashed his crooked-toothed smile at Buffy.
Buffy shook her head in disbelief and sighed.
Buffy was flustered with the latest student that she was counseling, holding her head in her hand before finally speaking. "It sounds like it's difficult for you. Like maybe your sister makes it hard for you to establish your own identity. You said she's controlling; she doesn't let you make your own decisions..."
Dawn stared at her, sporting an attitude. "Yeah, and she borrows my clothes without asking."
"I understand. That must be hard."
Buffy was now counseling a girl named Cassie Newton that didn't quite fit any stereotype. She was wearing a black T-shirt and had purple streaks in her blonde hair.
"So you're not doing your homework."
"I guess not. It all just...seems kind of...whatever."
"I know high school can seem kind of frustrating. But if you just get through it, then you can go to college, you know, or anything you want."
Cassie smiled. "Yeah, well, I'm not gonna do all that stuff."
"Okay, no college. I get that. I think I made a mistake by choosing Business Administration as my major. That means I get to administer a business eventually, right? Well, the counselor that suggested it to me said I'd get a job right away after graduation. Well, guess what: no job without experience and no experience without a job." Buffy blew air out of her mouth in frustration. "I'm not bitter..."
Cassie laughed. "It's just that I'm not graduating from high school."
"Why not?"
"I really like that shirt. Where'd you get it?"
"Cassie, don't change the subject. Why won't you graduate?"
Cassie grew serious. "Because next Friday, I'm gonna die."
"What?"
"Can we talk about something else?"
"No, we have to talk about this."
"Just...never mind."
"Cassie, what makes you feel like this?"
"Feel like what?"
"Like you wanna hurt yourself."
"Oh, I'm-" Cassie laughed. "I'm not gonna commit suicide, if - if that's what you're saying. No way."
Buffy was confused. "Okay, then. Then what are you saying?"
"Look, I don't mean to be a pain. You seem really nice, and I know you're just trying to help. But I'm wasting your time."
"No, you're not. This is why I'm here. Cassie, please tell me, why do you think you're gonna die?"
"I don't think it; I know it. I just know."
"What do you mean, you know? A-Are you saying that someone's going to hurt you? Has someone threatened you?"
"No." Cassie paused. "No, I just know, next Friday, I'm gonna die. Some things, I just know. I don't know how; I just do." She paused again. "Like I know there will be coins."
"Coins?"
"Mm-hmm. Lots of coins. Weird ones. And I know you'll try to help-"
"Cassie, I-I don't understand what you're saying."
"But you can't, okay? I gotta go." Cassie stood up and gathered her things. "Trig. I don't want Mr. Corrigan sending me to Principal Wood again."
"Cassie, please-"
"Thanks for being so nice. I really do like that shirt." Cassie touched her own shoulder. "You should put a sweater on, so it doesn't get stained. I gotta go." She walked away.
Buffy stood up. "Cassie, wait, please-"
"Gotta go."
In his office, Buffy was standing, panicked, talking to Principal Wood, who was calm, sitting behind his desk.
"What am I supposed to do?" Buffy asked.
"Well, you did what you were supposed to do. You reported the situation to me."
"And...?"
"Listen, Buffy, it's hard. Kids this age...they're hurting, they're pissed off, and they say things. Sometimes, they say awful things." Wood stood up, walked to the coffee maker, and poured coffee. "When I was in high school, I had a thing with this guy, right? Real bully. I kept telling everyone that he'd better sleep with one eye open, 'cause I was gonna bust his ass. Well, I got suspended. Talk like that is taken pretty seriously where I come from."
"The hood?" Buffy guessed.
Principal Wood stopped pouring his coffee and looked at Buffy. "Beverly Hills...which is a hood."
Buffy was embarrassed.
Principal Wood finished preparing coffee and walked toward his desk. "Listen, the point is...I was talking big, because I was scared. I couldn't bust a move back in high school, let alone someone's ass. Most of the time, that's what it is when these students act out. Fear, pain-"
"But sometimes, it's not just talk, right?"
Wood sat at his desk. "Every time there's a threat like this, we do the same dance. Inform teachers, search lockers, but we can't - we can't know what's gonna happen, and we can't search their brains. We just - We just do what we can."
"It's not enough. I need to fix this. I don't usually get a heads-up before somebody dies."
"What do you mean, usually?"
"Uh, long story. Anyway, I'm sure it's not usual to get a chance to stop something like..." Buffy paused in frustration. "I just...I need to do something, okay?" She walked toward the principal's desk. "I have to make this better-" She tripped over something and fell against Wood's desk.
Wood was startled and spilled coffee on her shirt.
"Oh! Oh, shit." Buffy looked down at the coffee stain on her shirt and remembered what Cassie said earlier.
Dawn opened her locker. Buffy went and stood dramatically behind the door and waited. Dawn saw Buffy standing there when she closed it again.
"I have a job for you."
Dawn was standing near one of the library stacks, listening in on a conversation between Cassie and a guy friend.
"What're you drawing?" the guy asked.
"Don't you have a history test to study for?" Cassie asked him.
"When are you gonna design me a tattoo?"
"A tattoo? Oh, right. I could imagine that."
"Come on. Design something. I mean maybe we could get matching tattoos. How 'bout, like, a snake with fire coming out of its mouth?"
"Hmm. Or a sexy hula girl that wiggles when you flex?" Cassie suggested.
"Yeah, now, you're talking. Sexy hula girl. But a sexy snake hula girl."
Dawn was pretending to read a book while casually making her way toward their conversation.
Cassie chuckled. "You are so ridiculous."
"So I was thinking...maybe we should go to that dance after all."
"What do you mean, 'after all'. I told you: I don't wanna go."
"Well, I assumed you were kidding."
"It would probably be lame, anyways."
Dawn was standing behind them now.
"Well, yeah, but lame is funny...and, you know, maybe fun if, you know, we're hanging out together."
"We hang out together all the time."
"Right. And therefore, we should hang out together at the Winter Formal."
Dawn walked up to them, looking at Cassie. "Hey. Um, I'm in Ceramics class with you. I'm Dawn Summers. I forgot if we had an assignment last week. I spaced."
"Right. Um. Hey, Dawn. Uh, yeah, you know, we did have an assignment, but I didn't write it down. I think something to do with glazes..."
"As scintillating as the pottery talk is, I'd better actually go study." The guy gathered his things and stood. He looked at Dawn. "I'm Mike, by the way."
"Hi, Mike. I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"Oh, don't worry about it. I better go hit the books, if I'm gonna ace this test. Nice meeting you, though. Cass, I'll see you later?"
"Yep."
Mike walked away.
"Hey, Mike, you're gonna get a B."
"Oh, A+, baby, A+."
Dawn noticed Cassie was reading Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. Dawn sat down beside Cassie in the chair that Mike vacated. "So, um, is that any good?"
"Yeah. Actually, yeah."
"What do you have to read it for?"
"Oh, just for me, I guess. I kinda stopped reading my homework assignments. I just...read what I want."
Dawn smiled. "That's so cool. I'd do that, but my sister'd be on my ass in a second."
"Summers..." Cassie paused. "Hey, are you the counselor's little sister?"
"No. She's my sister. Lucky me, huh?"
"No, no, she's - she's really nice. I actually just saw her this morning."
"Oh, really? What about?" Dawn reconsidered. "Uh, I'm sorry, that's none of my business."
"No, I don't care."
"So Mike's a cutie. Are you guys going to that dance?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Oh. I mean...didn't he ask you?"
"Uh, like one-hundred-five times."
"And you said no?"
"One-hundred-six times. No, I-I can't go. I'm not gonna be around that night."
Later, in Jenny's classroom, Buffy was standing behind Jenny, who was sitting at her desk and had Cassie's school records open on her laptop.
Buffy frowned. "Cassie's records all show the same thing. Good grades, good kid, then, all of a sudden, not-so-good grades, absenteeism, comments about apathy and depression..."
"So the question is...what changed?" Jenny asked.
"Right. If she did have some sort of psychic vision, that would explain it."
"Do you really think this girl is some kind of precog?"
"Oh, I don't know. I told you about the shirt, right?"
"Buff, that's hardly proof. I mean maybe, just maybe, you're trying so hard to help that you're seeing paranormal when there's just normal."
"Maybe. But maybe not."
"What about her medical records?" Jenny suggested.
"Her doctor already sent them." Buffy handed the file to Jenny.
Jenny flipped through it. "Strep throat. Ear infections. Yeast infections. No real info here. Have you Googled her yet?"
"No."
Jenny switched to Internet Explorer, opened Google, typed in Cassie's name, and hit Enter. "Okay, let's see what 'Cassie Newton' pulls up. Hey, look. Check this. She's got her own site."
Jenny clicked on the link and was taken to http://www.geocities.com/newcassie/. Cassie's website was artsy and eccentric. The graphics resembled a collage of words cut from magazines and pasted together. The page was covered with sketches and pastel drawings. There were numerous poems: "Pretty Monday", "People fall in love", "Sitting in the diner on 3rd", "Waiting for my Prom Date", "My Pulse", "I am a Pale Fish", "I am the Statue of Liberty", and "They're right".
Buffy looked. "Wow, that's a lot of poems. Always a sign of pretentious inner turmoil."
Jenny stopped at "I am a Pale Fish" and decided to read it out loud. "'The sheets above me cool my skin like dirt on a mad woman's grave. I rise into the moonlight white and watch the mirror stare. Pale fish looks back at me, pale fish that will never swim. My skin is milk for no man to drink, my thighs unused, unclenched. This body is not ready yet. But dirt waits for no woman, and coins will buy no time. I hear the chatter of the bugs. It's they alone will feast.'"
They were silent, reflecting on Cassie's words.
Dawn walked into the classroom.
Buffy stared at the poem. "Okay, death is really on her brain."
Dawn walked over to them. "We all deal with death."
Buffy shook her head. "This girl isn't just dealing; she's giving death a long, sloppy word kiss."
Jenny and Dawn stared at her.
"Look, all I'm saying is this is normal teen shit. You join chat rooms, you write poetry, you post provocative Mormon fanfic about Joseph Smith being gang-raped to death. It's all normal, right?" Dawn asked.
"Let's see what other sites there are." Jenny scrolled through the search results.
Dawn shook her head. "You guys are way off track. I got a hunch on this one."
"Oh, wait, no, here's something. No, that's Philip Newton."
"No, that's her dad. Open it."
Jenny did.
"Guys, I'm telling you. I got this case cracked wide open. I got the perp fingered. I told you 'bout Mike Helgenberg, right?"
"Uh, that's the guy that asked her to the dance?" Buffy guessed.
"Right. The one that keeps asking her to the dance. I'm thinking...who likes to be rejected? Nobody. I'm thinking...some people can't handle the rejection. I'm thinking-"
"Hey, I got something. Whoa, drunk and disorderly, disturbing the peace; there's a lot of charges here."
"Her dad's a drunk?" Buffy asked.
"A violent drunk?" Jenny guessed.
"We'd better find out. I have his address."
Jenny stood up. Buffy and Jenny left the room.
Dawn followed them. "Guys, I'm telling you, I'm liking Mike Helgenberg for the perp. Let's collar him before he lawyers up."
While Dawn waited in the Jeep, Buffy and Jenny stood on Cassie's dad's front porch.
Buffy rang the doorbell. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer would break down this door."
"And Buffy the counselor?" Jenny asked.
"Waits."
Mr. Newton opened the main door but didn't open the screen door.
"Mr. Newton?" Buffy asked.
"That's right."
"I work at your daughter's school. I need to talk to you."
Mr. Newton opened the screen door and walked back into the living room. Buffy and Jenny walked into the house.
"So is she fucking up her grades again? Because she's not the sharpest apple in the barrel."
"She's got some problems. But it's, um, it's kind of you that we wanted to talk about."
"What about?"
"We know you've been picked up by the police a couple of times. We wanted to know if you still-" Buffy looked over at the countertop, cluttered with bottles of alcohol. "-drink a lot."
"What's that got to do with Cassie?"
"Frankly, we were worried that you might...drink too much and hurt Cassie. That's all."
"Oh. Oh, I see. That's - That's all. You just come in here, into my home, and start accusing me of beating on my daughter? That's all?"
"We just want to make sure that Cassie's-"
"Well, that's a lie! Who told you this? Did Cassie's mother put you up to this? 'Cause I pay my support, okay? To the dime! She just wants to take away the one weekend a month I get to be with my girl."
"Which is when?"
"What?"
"Which weekend is it?"
"I-I just had her last weekend." He paused. "Look, I may not be the greatest dad in the world, but I don't beat up my daughter."
"So you won't be seeing her this Friday, then?"
"Not unless my ex-wife gets a personality transplant."
"Okay."
"Okay, what? Okay, now you'll get the fuck out of my house?"
"Yeah, we will."
Buffy and Jenny turned and walked away. Buffy opened the screen door, and she and Jenny walked outside.
Buffy and Jenny were walking back out to their cars when they saw Cassie had just pulled into the driveway. Cassie used the remote keyless entry system to lock her car, which beeped.
"It's not him. He's not the one that does it. Thank you for trying, but I probably shouldn't have told you anything. You're making such a big deal out of it, and I want it all to just go away."
"Are you talking about killing yourself?" Jenny asked.
"No, of course not."
Buffy stared into Cassie's eyes. "Then fight. Try."
"There's no point. I told you-"
"This doesn't sound like someone that really wants to live."
"You think I want this? You think I don't care?" Cassie started to cry. "Believe me, I want to...be here, do things. I want to graduate from high school, and I want to go to the stupid Winter Formal." She sniffled. "I have this friend, and it would be fun to go with him. Just to dance and hear lame music, to wear a silly dress and laugh and stuff." She sniffled. "I'd like to go. There's a lot of stuff that I'd like to do. I'd love to ice skate at Rockefeller Center."
Buffy briefly smiled.
"And I'd love to see my cousins grow up and see how they turn out, 'cause they're really mean, and I think they're gonna be fat. I'd love to backpack across the country or, I don't know, fall in love, but I won't. I just never will."
"You will. Cassie, you will. You just have to tell us what you know. You have to tell us everything. Please, help us."
"I can't. I just know it's gonna happen. I don't know why, and I don't know how, but something out there is gonna kill me."
The next day, in Cordelia's apartment, Cordelia, Harmony, and Faith were sitting on the couch in the living room, filming a scene for the Cordy! pilot.
"Cordy, it's 6 PM on a Friday night. How about we go out on the town?" Harmony suggested.
Faith threw her hands in the air and danced in her seat. "Yeah, I'm ready to get my dance on."
"Girls, I would love to, but I need to wait by the phone in case my agent calls with a role."
"But he has your cell phone, right?" Harmony asked. "Take it with you!"
Cordelia grinned. "Now, why didn't I think of that? Oh, but what do I wear?"
"We'll help you!" Harmony and Faith declared.
The ladies held their poses for a moment.
"Cut!" Harmony called.
They relaxed.
Harmony stood up and walked over to her video camera. She pressed Stop. "Okay, let's go to the bedroom and shoot the clothing montage." She unplugged the microphone from the camera and picked up the tripod.
Cordelia and Faith stood up.
Cordelia grinned. "Girls, I have a really great feeling about this."
Faith frowned. "Don't get your hopes up, Cordy."
The next day, in Montclair, New Jersey, Caridad was working an afternoon shift at the convenience store. She was in the cooler, opening a case of Natural Ice while listening to "Sk8er Boi" by Avril Lavigne. She took the cans out, one by one, and put them in the correct slot.
That was the last of the cases, so she flattened all of them, set them in the corner, opened the door, and left the cooler.
Caridad pulled down her headphones around her neck. "Beer's done."
"Okay, clean the drink machines, and then you can go."
Caridad got to work on that, taking the trays to the restroom to dump the spillage down the sink. She grabbed the paper towels and a bottle of cleaner and cleaned the trays and around the machines.
"Good night." Caridad headed for the door.
"Good night."
Caridad pushed open the door and walked outside.
The sun was far in the west. She had just enough time to get home.
"Boo!"
Caridad started, frightened, and then she spun around. Jodie was standing there.
"What the fuck?!" Caridad yelled, angry.
"Just testing your reflexes."
"You scared the shit out of me!" Caridad yelled.
"You shouldn't have been frightened. It's not sundown yet."
"True, but all kinds of foul creatures besides vampires walk around in the daylight: demons, drunks, muggers, rapists, politicians-"
"Point taken. I hope you're hungry. Your dad's making chicharrón de pollo for dinner."
"Cool. So, uh, just curious, but is there an upper limit to the age at which a Potential might be called?" Caridad asked.
Jodie shrugged. "We actually don't know, but they've always seemed to be teenagers when called. Why?"
"Oh, just wondering..."
"Nice try, but you'll be stuck with me for a while."
The next day, in Minden, Louisiana, Shannon returned home from her evening shift at Malbec's Diner. She unlocked and opened the front door of her parents' bungalow and walked inside.
Her dad was sitting in his recliner, an open bottle of beer in his left hand and beer on his beater. "Where ya been?"
"Work." Shannon closed and locked the door and pocketed her keys.
"Your shift ended an hour ago."
"I stayed and talked with Jessica."
"'Bout what?"
Shannon started to walk toward her bedroom. "Just random shit: school, girls' stuff."
"Get back here."
Shannon reluctantly backed up and faced her father.
"'Girls' stuff'?"
"Like...periods and...brands of tampons. Stuff like that."
"Why? You runnin' late?"
"No."
"Do I need to check?"
"No, sir."
Aaron Wilcher was silent for a moment. "Get to bed."
Shannon quickly walked down the hall and into her bedroom.
The next day, Buffy was sitting at her work computer, reading more from Cassie's website, and sipping from a can of Rockstar.
Principal Wood walked up to her. "Hey, how're we doing?"
Buffy sighed, startled.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
"Oh, no, that's okay. I just didn't get much sleep last night...or...anytime this week, actually."
"It's been a long week, huh? Well, thank God it's Friday. I can't believe I just said that. See you later." Principal Wood walked away.
Buffy turned back to the computer. She was reading "Poem #5" from Cassie's website. It looked like scanned handwriting on ruled school paper. It scrolled on the screen while her pastel drawings were displayed in the background.
"'I sit alone at my windowsill. Trees crackle, sunshine blares, and children laugh like death; their sharp happiness is a knife to me. One jealous snake on a windowsill. They will be here, trees and sun and children with canes and pruney skin when I am but a memory, a laugh in the trees of time. I sit alone and try to love them. I sit alone, a snake. I sit alone and try to love them. I sit alone and laugh.'"
A locker inspection was being conducted by a security guard and Principal Wood.
"Well, there's nothing in this one. What've you got?" Wood asked him.
Mike walked by.
Buffy stopped him. "Where's your hall pass?"
"No hall pass. I got a free period."
He started to go on by.
Buffy stepped in his way again. "You seem kind of upset. Something on your mind?"
"No, not really." Mike held up a graded paper. "Well, I got a lousy B in Egyptian history. Knew this stuff cold, so that, you know, that pisses me off."
"You get...pissed off a lot?" Buffy asked him.
"No, I-"
"Let me cut to the chase. I hear you can't get a date for the Winter Formal."
"Oh, whoa, look, I know it's your job to talk to kids with problems, but, honestly, I don't have any. I'm fine."
Buffy was suspicious.
"All right, look, it's really no big deal. I have a friend that I really wanted to take. I don't know, I guess she doesn't see me that way." Mike laughed. "She makes me crazy."
"Crazy?"
"Yeah, sometimes I jus..." Mike paused. "That's funny. You're Dawn's sister, right?"
"Uh, that's right. Dawn is my sister."
"Oh, that's so weird. I was just thinking about her. Yeah, I was thinking if, you know, Cassie won't budge, maybe I'll ask Dawn."
"You aren't mad at Cassie with her rejecting you like that?"
"Nah, she's a girl, right? Making boys crazy is, like, your job description."
Buffy was suddenly offended. "You're asking my sister to the dance, and she's your second choice?"
Behind Mike, Principal Wood and the security guard opened a locker, and lots of coins fell out onto the hall floor.
Buffy noticed the commotion, then looked at Mike. "I'll be keeping an eye on you."
Buffy went to the locker to check out the coins with the principal and the security guard.
"Seems like someone's got quite a coin collection, huh?" Wood asked.
Buffy picked one up, and it was unusual. She stood and looked at the label on the locker door, which read "281".
A boy sat in the chair in front of Buffy's desk, and Buffy was sitting on her desk, in front of him.
"You wanted to see me?"
"You have locker number 281?" Buffy asked him sternly.
"Yeah, why?"
Buffy held the coin in front of him. "I want you to tell me what this is and what this has to do with a girl named Cassie Newton."
The boy fidgeted in his chair. "I don't know. I-I-It's late. I'm going to miss my bus."
"I know it's late. That's why I don't have time to mess around, so you need to talk to me. Now."
"Believe me, i-i-if I knew anything, I'd tell you. I just...don't."
"Do you know why I came back to Sunnydale High?"
"To creep me out?"
"To help. I'm a counselor here, because I wanna help. I know what it's like to walk these halls and feel lost, alone. I just want to make things better, connect." Buffy stood up. "And I'm going to connect with your fucking face, if you don't stop wasting my time and help me do my job."
"I...Please, I-"
"A girl could die."
"I guess I know who you're talking about. She's some weirdo suicidal poet girl. These guys I know wanna mess with her. They've got this plan..."
After school, as students were leaving for the day, Dawn and Cassie walked out together.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye."
"No." Dawn paused. "I mean let me walk you home."
"Oh, don't worry about it; I'm going to my mom's. It's kinda far."
"Far is good."
"Dawn, I know what's going on here."
"What?"
"Buffy told you about me, right? She told you to pretend to be my friend?"
"No." Dawn paused. "Maybe. Cassie, she was scared. She wanted to help you."
"Well, she can't."
"Maybe she can. She's not like you think. She's got powers. And look, she was worried, and now I'm worried, and I wasn't pretending at all. I really wanted to be your friend."
Cassie chuckled. "You are my friend."
"I am?"
"Yeah. Just remember, I'm not as dumb as I look."
Dawn laughed. "I'm glad."
"Hey, Summers!" the confident boy called out to Dawn.
Cassie touched her on the shoulder. "Listen, Dawn, whatever happens now, it's not your fault, okay?"
"Uh..." Dawn looked at the boy. "Uh, what's up, Peter?"
"I was just wondering if anyone had asked you to Winter Formal."
"What?" Dawn smiled, blushed, and fluttered her eyelashes. "Oh, uh, no. Not exactly."
"Well, uh, I was just doing a poll." Peter laughed at her. "I'll see you."
"That guy is such an ass." Dawn turned to talk to Cassie, but she was already gone. She looked around. "Cassie? Cassie? Cassie!"
That night, Buffy borrowed the boy's red robes and joined a group of red-robed boys as they gathered in the school library with candles lit and hoods over their heads. They chanted in Latin.
"All present?" Peter asked.
"All present."
Peter went to light a nearby torch with his candle. He pushed his hood back. "Then we begin."
Someone giggled.
"Mandel, shut up."
"Sorry, dude, it's - it's just so cool. I mean...we're gonna be rich!"
"Keep your shorts, all right. We have to do the ritual, if we wanna score. Oh, Keith, did you take care of the fire exits?"
"Yeah. Anybody tries to bust in here's gonna get a nasty surprise." Keith chuckled. "I set up this booby trap my cousin Ben always used to do-"
"Then nobody is getting in..." Peter pulled a blindfolded, bound, and gagged Cassie from behind a bookshelf and into the circle. "...and nobody is getting out."
Mandel smiled. "Dude."
Cassie was whimpering through the duct tape on her mouth.
Peter pulled off Cassie's blindfold. "This is our sacrifice." He picked up a large cleaver. "It's nothing personal. It's just that you have this death-kick suicidal vibe going. I figure, if you disappear, everybody'll just assume you threw yourself in a river somewhere. Extinguish."
All of the robed people holding candles licked their fingers and pressed them to the candlewicks to extinguish the flames.
"Almighty Avilas...please accept our sacrifice. Please appear before us, oh mighty soldier of the dark. Please appear before us and grant us with infinite riches, and we will pay you with our sacrifice. We kneel before you with the gift of flesh."
Buffy stood up and unfastened the robe. "Okay, that...is going on your permanent record."
Peter stood up. "Wait, this is...the counselor! What the hell is she doing here?"
Mandel pointed at another member. "I-It was his idea!"
Buffy and Peter started to circle each other.
Peter was still holding the cleaver. "Back off. Get back! Get back, you stupid bitch!"
Buffy kicked him in the face, and he fell back.
He got back up and yelled, coming at her with the cleaver. "Aw, you're gonna die!"
Buffy kicked him again, in the balls this time, and he fell down in agony, dropping the cleaver.
"Do you know how lame this is?" Buffy asked. "Bored teenage boys trying to raise up a demon. Sorry it didn't show. I bet it's 'cause you forgot the boombox playing some heavy metal thing, like Blue Clam Cult. I think that's the key to the raising of lame demons."
Peter, still on the floor, looked over Buffy's shoulder and pointed. "That lame demon?"
Buffy looked behind her and saw the demon Avilas standing there. He was six feet tall with a curved horn coming out of either side of his head. He had scaly, brown demon skin, very muscular, with fins jutting out from his shoulders. He also had a circular cavity where his abdomen should've been.
"Well, shit." Buffy grabbed the cleaver from the floor and hurled it at the demon.
It landed in his chest but didn't phase the demon at all. Buffy lunged at it to attack it, but it threw her across the room.
The demon took the cleaver out of its chest and threw it back on the floor, near Peter. The demon went after Buffy, who tried to kick him away. Peter grabbed the cleaver and went after Cassie.
"No!" Buffy yelled.
Peter held the cleaver to Cassie, bending her head back to bare her neck. Buffy kicked one of the cult members out of the way, and the demon attacked her again, throwing her into a bookcase. While Buffy was down on the floor, the demon stepped on her chest.
"No! Ow!" Buffy cried in pain.
The demon was going to hurt Buffy when it turned around instead. Sandy was standing behind him with the torch to the demon's back. It roared.
Buffy smiled. "Right on time. Untie her. I'll take care of this."
Buffy took the torch from Sandy and pointed it at the demon. Sandy ran to Cassie. Buffy sweeped the torch in front of the demon's face. Sandy punched Peter, knocking him to the floor. Buffy jabbed the torch into the demon's abdomen cavity. Sandy got on top of Peter, pummeling him ferociously.
"Who are you, bitch?" Peter demanded.
Sandy smiled. "Just a bitch."
After knocking Peter out, Sandy grabbed the cleaver and held it menacingly over Peter. The demon caught on fire from Buffy's torching it. Sandy resisted the voices urging her to kill Peter and used the cleaver gently to cut the ties on Cassie's hands, then she took off the duct tape on her mouth. The demon burned to a crisp.
Cassie was crying but calmed down enough and looked at Sandy. "You're doing fine. But if you ever feel you aren't, go for it. But strive for balance."
Sandy stared at Cassie, taken aback.
Buffy walked over to them and attended to Cassie. "Are you okay?" She inspected Cassie's arm.
Cassie winced. "Uh-huh. Ow."
Peter crawled on the floor toward the crispy demon. "You can't be dead. Where are my infinite riches?"
The crispy demon jumped up and bit his shoulder.
"Ahh! Ahh! It bit me!" Peter screamed.
The demon exploded. Sandy shielded Buffy and Cassie, who gasped with fright.
Buffy looked at Cassie. "C'mon."
Buffy and Sandy helped Cassie to her feet.
"Help! Help me, please! I'm bleeding!" Peter begged.
Buffy walked away with her friends. "Sorry. My office hours are 10 to 4."
Buffy walked out into the library's front room with Cassie and Sandy.
Buffy smiled. "It's all okay now. I hope you're not too disappointed."
They walked to the main door, and, when Buffy opened it, the booby trap triggered a crossbow to shoot an arrow at their heads. Buffy reached up in time to stop it from hitting Cassie between the eyes.
"See?" Buffy broke the arrow in half. "You can make a difference."
Cassie reached up admiringly to push a strand of hair out of Buffy's face. "And you will."
Cassie breathed in sharply and collapsed onto the floor.
Buffy kneeled down to help her. She put her ear to Cassie's chest, then checked her pulse. "Cassie? Cassie. Cassie. No, come on. Cassie. Cassie."
Buffy cried, unable to help her. Sandy stared down at Cassie's lifeless body, had a thought of draining it dry, then forced herself to look away and get out her cell phone to call 911, disgusted with herself.
Later, at home, Buffy, Tara, and Dawn were sitting on the couch in front of the window. No one was talking, just quietly reflecting on the loss of Cassie.
"How is her mom?" Tara finally asked.
"Okay." Buffy mentally chastised herself. "As okay as..." She paused to gather her thoughts. "She told me that her family had a history of heart irregularities, but she never told Cassie."
"Cassie didn't know?" Tara asked in surprise.
Buffy shook her head. "She just knew...she was gonna die. She was special. I failed her."
Dawn was crying. "Uh-uh. No. You didn't, 'cause you tried. You listened, and you tried. She died 'cause of her heart, not 'cause of you. She was my friend because of you. I guess, sometimes, you can't help."
"So what, then? What do you do when you know that? When you know maybe you can't help?" Buffy asked.
Tara thought for a moment. "You go on. And you keep her alive in your heart."
Buffy thought for a moment. "Cassie had a website." She picked up her laptop off the coffee table, turned it on, waited for it to boot up, opened Internet Explorer, went to Google, and searched for it. She clicked on it.
Tara looked at it. "Poetry?"
"Yeah. We should share it. So she won't be forgotten." Buffy scrolled and clicked for a while. "Here's the last one that she wrote. It's called 'Nothing is Nothing'."
Dawn looked at the screen. "Read it."
Buffy nodded. "'Nothing is Nothing. Nothing is Nothing. It never really ends. I'm gone from there: the malls, the parks, math class, bleachers, splinters, toothpicks, watermelon, corduroy, the sound of guitars, and smell of fires. But now I'm here: where you imagine clouds and angels, harps and white robes. Or if you are worried: red and pitchforks, horned men and torture, endless torture. But these are ideas from your world. Ideas thought up in malls while you buy corduroy or pick watermelon from your teeth with toothpicks while you sit, after math class, on the splintery bleachers. These are ideas of your world. Ideas that smell or touch or feel. It's not like that here. It's not sad. But it's not happy. Not for me. I don't remember happy. Not that I'm sad. Explaining my feelings is too hard. Like telling color to a blind man or song to someone without ears. It's gorgeous, good, but not with happy. I guess I'm just the same. I watch you here, from behind the mirror, and that is what makes it good. Behind the mirror, watching, waiting. Waiting for nothing. Because Nothing is Nothing. There is no thing. There is no thing. But everything is something. Nothing is nothing.'"
Chapter 136: Him
Chapter Text
"Him"
Based on the Episode Written by Drew Z. Greenberg
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
At Sunnydale High School, football players were practicing on the football field while Dawn sat on the bleachers and watched. It was a pretty, sunny day.
Dawn spotted the quarterback, a tall, slender, athletic blond teenager named R.J., putting on his letter jacket after practice. She was mesmerized as he drank from a squirt bottle and then doused his face with water from the bottle and walked off. She was watching him so intently that she leaned after him as he left, causing her to lose balance and fall off the bleachers.
Dawn was pacing back and forth in front of the stairway, psyching herself up. Around the corner, R.J. was talking with some friends: another male football player named Yan O'Donnell; a blonde cheerleader named Cheryl Lindhome, who was on crutches; and the cheer captain (and R.J.'s girlfriend), a girl with brown hair named Lori Sarafyan. They were all standing in a circle in front of the lockers.
"You guys, I've been thinking about it, and I think I can still cheer. I mean I could use a chair, or we all could, like the Laker Girls."
"Oh, honey, you need to concentrate on getting better. Don't worry. We'll find a replacement for you tomorrow."
"I just feel like I let you down."
Dawn walked up to their circle. "Hey, R.J."
Lori looked at her. "Oh, Dawn."
R.J. looked at her. "Hey, Summers."
They didn't let her in the circle.
"Um, so I-I-I was wondering. You had Mr. Gurin for English back at your old school, right?" Dawn asked R.J.
"We all did."
"I have him this year." Dawn waited through an uneasy silence. "What a drag."
"I actually kinda liked him."
"Right! Right. No, no, I like him. It's just, you know, I meant drag in a good, fun way."
"So, um, are the tryouts tomorrow? You're gonna make the new girls jump up and down a lot, right?" Yan asked Lori, ignoring Dawn.
"God, gross! A vending machine fell on Cheryl, and all you can think about is new cheerleaders?" Lori asked him.
Despite the fact that these people were actively ignoring her, Dawn persisted. "Hey, um, so, you know, I heard someone saying yesterday that we're gonna go all the way to the championships this year. In football."
R.J. nodded. "Yeah, we actually have a good shot, considering we're a new team."
Yan looked at him. "Yeah, well, if you can get us past Highland, we've got a good shot."
"Oh, like you could do better."
"We'll see."
"Wait, you actually think Coach'd start you at quarterback over me?"
"I'm just saying-"
Dawn felt impassioned. "The quarterback is, like, the most important member of the team. He is, like, the rudder that guides the ship."
"Right. Could I give you a hand with that?" R.J. gestured to Cheryl's bookbag.
"Would you really?" Cheryl handed her bag to R.J.
Lori frowned. "It's okay, she can do it herself."
"Hey, we're all on the same team, all right?" R.J. asked.
They all walked off without acknowledging Dawn.
"Yeah, you're all on the team. We'll talk later, guys! That's cool!" Dawn called after them.
At the Hyperion, Cordelia had set up a private screening of the Cordy! pilot in the lobby. She, Harmony, Faith, Anne, Kate, Fred, and Angel were in attendance, sitting in chairs in front of a television.
Angel smiled. "All right, let's see this thing."
Cordelia looked at him. "Hang on. We're still waiting on a couple guests."
"Who?" Fred asked.
Anne looked at her. "Chloe and her mom."
Faith nodded. "They said they'd be here."
Kate smiled. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys came up with."
The door opened, and Chloe and her mother walked into the lobby.
"Hey! Did we make it?" Chloe asked.
Cordelia smiled. "Right on time. Have a seat."
Chloe and Maria sat in the two remaining empty chairs.
Cordelia looked around at all of them. "So...we've shopped this pilot to all of the networks. They all rejected it - including UPN, and they'll pick up anything. So that's not the news that we were hoping for, but we're gonna press on and make twelve more episodes, and we'll run it on public-access television. We're incredibly proud of this pilot, and we hope you'll enjoy it." She faced forward and pressed Play on the VCR's remote control.
In SoHo, Kennedy was eating dinner with her father, stepmother, and stepsister at home.
Her stepmother looked at her. "Kennedy, Ramón has been calling the house all day. Have you not been answering his calls?"
Kennedy rolled her eyes. "No, because I know it's gonna be the same shit that he always says: come in for training, don't slack off, and so on. I've been training since I was fucking eight. How much better can I get?"
"Watch your mouth!" her stepmother warned.
"Make me, Juniper. Piss, cunt, dick, shit, fuck, ass!" Kennedy retorted.
"Don't talk to your mother that way!" Carlos warned his daughter.
"Stepmother. Or did you think I'd forgotten?" Kennedy asked him.
Rain looked at her mother. "Y'know, it's not too late to consider divorce, Mom. On second thought, let's wait it out. Maybe one of those things that's killing Potential Slayers will hit it's mark."
"Rain!" Carlos admonished.
Rain shrugged.
"Mr. Limón?" a voice asked over the intercom.
Carlos pressed a button on the table. "Yes?"
"I realize it's dinner time, sir, but Miss Emma Winters is at the gate."
Kennedy's mood lifted.
"Tell her..." Carlos looked at his daughter and hesitated. "Tell her that Kennedy will be right out." He pressed another button.
"Carl!" Juniper exclaimed.
Kennedy quickly finished her sirloin steak, mashed potatoes, and gravy and stood up. "Thanks, papa."
Carlos shrugged helplessly. "I can't disappoint her."
Kennedy ran from the table.
"Try to not get stabbed."
Kennedy shot Rain a dirty look. Rain gave her stepsister a sweet smile. Kennedy rolled her eyes and left the dining room.
She ran through the main hall, entered the foyer, and unlocked and opened the front door.
She went outside, closing the door behind her, and ran down the driveway to the gate. It was standing open. Emma's Viper was parked beyond. Kennedy ran over to it and opened the passenger door.
Emma grinned. "Hey, babe. Cumming my way?"
Kennedy grinned and got in the car. She closed the door and kissed Emma on the lips. The two of them made out for a while.
Emma eventually broke the kiss. "Hold onto your ass."
Kennedy fastened her seatbelt. "I'd rather hold onto yours."
Emma backed the car up and turned around, then they sped off.
The next day, after school, they were holding cheerleading tryouts in the gym. There were a dozen girls trying out, all dressed in workout clothes.
"Gooooo, Razorbacks!" A girl did a somersault.
Lori made a note. "Okay. Awesome. Thank you. Up next, we have...Dawn Summers."
Dawn walked to the open area. "Razorbacks, Razorbacks, we're gonna play; we got a secret weapon, and his name is R.J. Hear us cheer, hear us yell, listen what we say. Razorbacks, Razorbacks, go, R.J.!"
Dawn's cheering was abysmal. She tried to do a cartwheel at the end but fell down on her ass. R.J. was there to watch the auditions and seemed kind of embarrassed.
Lori made a note. "Okay. Thank you. Very...spirited."
That evening, in the Summers' house, Buffy was standing at the bathroom door in the hallway. Dawn had locked herself in the bathroom to hide from today's events. Dawn was sobbing audibly behind the door.
"Come on, Dawnie. Come out. Dawn, sweetheart, it's not that bad."
Dawn unlocked and opened the door. "How would you even know? R.J.'s never gonna notice me now."
"From what you said, I'm sure he already noticed you, I mean with the falling and the-"
Dawn squeaked and closed the door.
"-spirit. Spirit. They said you were spirited, right?"
"Go away!"
"Dawn..."
Amy walked upstairs to find Buffy. "Things are a lot better, I see."
Buffy looked at her. "I don't think tonight's gonna be good for videos, Ames."
"Right, with the wailing and the crying. Should I order a pizza? Don't teens in a snit like pizza?"
Dawn opened the door angrily. "It is not a snit! I-I finally met him, the guy of my dreams, and I blew it. R.J. hates me now."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Dawn, it's not the end of the world."
"No. Just the end of my life." Dawn slammed the door to her room to cry more.
A while later, after giving Dawn some time alone, Buffy walked into her room. Tara followed. Dawn was lying across her bed, listening to "Can't Get You Out of My Head" by Kylie Minogue.
Buffy sat beside Dawn on the bed. "Dawn, I'm sorry that you feel so bad, okay, but, in the morning, this won't seem so terrible. You don't even know this R.J., not really."
Dawn sat up on the bed. "I do know him. I know his soul."
"Really?" Buffy asked. "Dawn, he wasn't even on your radar yesterday."
Tara looked at Buffy. "She's just getting all swoony and crushy, sweetie."
Dawn looked at her guardians. "It isn't a crush. It's love. I love R.J."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Again, since yesterday. Dawn, it's awfully fast."
"What? You're telling me I don't feel what I feel?" Dawn asked her, incensed.
"No, of course not. I believe you think it's real. It seems real...to you."
"You know what? Maybe I don't want advice from you, because you're making fun of me."
"Dawn, I'm not making fun of you."
"Just go. Leave me alone." Dawn flopped back down on the bed.
In Huntsville, Alabama, Vi was sitting in her bedroom, playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on her Sony PlayStation 2.
Her mother knocked on the door. "Dinner's ready."
"'Kay." Vi paused the game, set the controller on the floor, and stood up.
She followed her mother to the kitchen.
Vi sniffed. "Mmm, smells good."
"Thanks."
Vi and her mother sat down at the kitchen table. Vi picked up her fork and knife and dug into the meatloaf and gravy on her plate.
"So how's school?" Felicia asked.
"Good." Vi ate some meatloaf.
"Mike's still pissed at you, y'know, for getting him banned from the school."
Vi smiled. "Good."
Felicia sighed. "I know he can be an asshole, but maybe you went too far. I notice he's been pushing you farther."
"Yeah...I can tell." Vi sighed in frustration. "Yet, for all of my bumps and bruises, he still won't let me face a fucking vampire."
"Considering thousands of Potential Slayers have been murdered since last year, that's probably a good thing. No going out at night, okay?"
Vi nodded. "Okay."
The next day, at Sunnydale High School, the bell rang between classes. Dawn happened to be in the hallway, near R.J.'s locker, when Yan was talking to him.
"I talked with the coach."
"Yeah? I told you, man: all those fumbles in practice, he was gonna come down on you."
"I'm starting on Saturday."
"Great. Who knew fumbling all the time was the key?"
"It's just time to let someone else have a turn, man. And you knew this was coming."
"Yeah. Sure." R.J. turned to his locker.
Yan walked down the hall, toward the stairs.
Dawn followed him. "You can't do this to R.J."
"Oh, hey, it's you. Nice cheering yesterday." Yan laughed.
"It isn't fair. He works so hard."
"What do you care? I mean this is how the game is played. It's dog eat dog, may the best man win."
"But nobody's better than R.J."
Yan laughed. "Yeah, well, that's not really up to you, is it? Hmm?"
Dawn pushed him down the stairs without as much as a blink or a flinch.
Dawn was sitting in the chair in front of Principal Wood, who was sitting at his desk. Buffy was leaning against a table near him. They were both staring at Dawn.
"It all happened so fast. I mean, one minute, he was walking, and, the next, he stumbled, and then he fell."
"Why would he say you pushed him down the stairs?" Wood asked.
"I don't know. Maybe he was just embarrassed. It's hard being clumsy, especially when you're popular and athletic. I'd bet."
"Yeah, well, to be candid, it wouldn't be the first time I caught O'Donnell in a lie."
Buffy looked at him. "It'd be nice if his lies didn't involve my sister, though."
"Anyway, I'm gonna have to call Coach Wheeler and, uh, tell him the bad news. Not a conversation I really want to have."
Dawn smiled. "At least, you still got R.J. to take over."
Buffy looked at her suspiciously.
"Yeah. Well, I think we have everything we need for now. I'm sorry you had to get involved in this, Dawn."
"That's okay. I'm just really sorry it happened." Dawn stood up, walked over to the door, opened it, and left.
Dawn walked down the hall.
R.J. caught her attention. "Summers! Hey."
"Hi."
R.J. walked with Dawn. "I heard Wood hauled you into his office."
"Well, yeah."
"About O'Donnell?"
"Yes."
"That sucks, facing the whole inquisition thing."
"Yeah. God, it's like I have a disease or something. It was really no big deal."
R.J. stopped walking. "No." He touched her shoulder. "It was. I think it's cool that you faced him. Wood."
"We just talked. He just wanted me to tell him about...the accident."
"Yeah. It sucks when these things just happen...out of nowhere."
"Right. Out of nowhere."
R.J. continued walking. Dawn followed.
"You know, I was thinking of heading out tonight, after practice. You want to meet up?" R.J. asked.
"Uh...hmm..." Dawn smiled.
That night, at the Bronze, The Breeders were playing on the stage. Lots of people were dancing. Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina were sitting at a table together, talking.
Amy gestured to the dance floor with a nod of her head. "Buff."
Buffy looked at R.J. dancing. "I think that's the guy."
"What guy?" Katrina asked Buffy.
"The one that, according to Dawn, is the quote smartest, funniest, coolest, hottest, and having-the-thickest-boy-eyelashes boy in school unquote."
Katrina scrutinized him. "He doesn't seem so tough."
Tara nodded. "Check out the fan club."
There was a girl dancing with R.J. She had long light-brown, slightly wavy hair; was slim; and wore tight, hip-hugging blue jeans and a tight, sheer blouse that was off one shoulder and bared the midriff. She was dancing with him very sexily, gyrating her hips and running her hands through her hair. Buffy stared at her in lust. Tara looked at Buffy and made a point to run her finger along Buffy's lower lip, cleaning up her nonexistent drool.
Amy's eyes went wide. "Buff."
R.J.'s dancing partner turned around to where Buffy could see her face. It was Dawn.
Buffy stared, slack-jawed, in disbelief. "Oh. Oh. Oh! No! No, I wasn't-" She didn't know what to do. "When I was looking, I wasn't-" She was in full panic mode. "Oh, God!"
"You were lusting after your sister!" Amy teased in a sing-song voice.
Katrina smiled. "I must incest you go over there and ask her to make out with you."
While Dawn continued dancing with R.J., Buffy was still staring in disbelief, feeling like she was going to gag.
Later, Dawn was walking to the bar, but Buffy caught up to her.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Buffy demanded.
"What?"
Buffy pulled Dawn aside by the arm. "Where do I start with the bad? First, you told me that you were going to the library. Second, you do not go out on a date without informing me first. Third, Anna Nicole Smith makes you look tacky."
Dawn crossed her arms. "Yeah, well, I think I look hot, and so does R.J."
Buffy looked away from her, flustered. "Oh, I bet he does. Maybe I should go have a little word with him." She started to walk off.
Dawn grabbed Buffy by the arm. "No! Don't you dare embarrass me in front of him."
"I don't like this. This boy has you acting crazy."
"It's my life. I'll do what I want to."
"I don't think so."
"Oh. So what, suddenly you're Mom now?"
"No, I'm not. And I am glad she's not here to see you like this." Buffy immediately regretted her choice of words.
Dawn stared.
"Look, I'm sorry. I just-"
"You just can't handle it."
"What?"
"You've always been the special one. Hot Buffy with her hot girlfriend. The Slayer. And now someone likes me, and you just can't stand that I'm getting the attention."
"That is the farthest thing from true."
"No it's not. And I'm sorry, but I like the way that R.J. makes me feel, and, if you think that makes me a slut or whatever, I don't care." Dawn started to walk away.
Buffy blocked Dawn. "Oh, no, no, no. You are not going back out on that dance floor."
Dawn grabbed her coat and stormed off. She left the Bronze.
Dawn walked away, still mad from her exchange with Buffy. She heard something and slowed down. "R.J.?"
Lori stepped out from the shadows. "I know what you're doing, slut. I saw you. I saw you with R.J.!"
"So? We were just dancing."
"Right. You think I'm stupid?" Lori pointed at Dawn. "You're gonna back the fuck off...now."
"You know what's sad? A girl that can't move on when she's been dumped."
Lori grabbed Dawn. "He didn't dump me!"
Lori picked a fight with Dawn, pulling her hair and screaming. They fell to the ground. Buffy arrived and broke up the fight. The girls stood up.
Buffy sighed. "Okay, first with the lap dance, now with the cat fight. Hey, you wanna get drunk and barf next?"
"Let go of me." Dawn looked at Lori. "This isn't finished."
"I'll never let you have him, bitch." Lori kicked Buffy in the shin, then ran off. "R.J. is mine! I mean it! Stay away from him, you cunt!"
Buffy rubbed her shin. "Well, at least, someone agrees you shouldn't be dating this guy."
In Homosassa, Florida, Eve and Maxine were sparring in the kitchen after dinner. Eve's mother sat at the kitchen table, watching. Eve narrowly avoided Maxine's punches.
"Eve."
Eve looked at her mother. "Yeah?"
Amanda motioned for Eve to come over to her. Maxine punched Eve in the head. Eve fell to the floor, landing on her back.
"Eve!" Amanda cried.
Eve groaned in pain. "What the fuck?! Cheap shot!"
Maxine stared down at her. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know vampires were known for fighting fair."
Eve got to her feet and walked over to her mom. "What did you want?"
"I wanted to tell you to do a better job dodging."
Eve stared at her mom in disbelief. "Thanks, Mom. Good advice."
The next day, at Sunnydale High, Principal Wood was talking to R.J. outside his office door, near Buffy's cubicle. Buffy was listening to the conversation. R.J. was wearing a gray T-shirt and holding his letter jacket by the collar.
"How 'bout if you try doing your own homework for a change? No more getting these young, impressionable women to do it for you. Avoid detention, R.J. Sound good?"
"Whatever."
"Oh, sweet infectious enthusiasm."
Principal Wood walked back into his office while R.J. started to go back to class.
Buffy intercepted him. "Whoa. Hang on there, slappy. I'm not done with you yet."
"Oh, man. Like it's not bad enough I got that guy riding my back all the time. Now, I gotta deal with you, too?"
"Actually, I'm a bit more formidable than Mr. Wood. You might come to look fondly on his back-riding."
"Yeah, but come on-"
"Sit."
R.J. sat in a chair in the lobby area. "Hey, I told him I was sorry about the homework."
"Mmm...not the homework. The girls. What you're doing to them. In specific, my sister."
"Hey, I didn't do anything to your sister. And you saw how hot she looked last night. I think that proved that she-"
Buffy turned away, hands up, to avoid the conversation. "Aah! No more with the talky. Look, I know how guys like you work. You turn on the charm, you get whatever you want, no matter who gets in your way, right?"
R.J. stood up. "Okay, look, it's not like that." He started putting on his jacket. "I just-"
Buffy pushed him back into the seat.
"-get along really well with girls."
"Oh, I see how you get along." Buffy turned to pace while she ranted. "Oh, look at me, I'm Mr. Quarterback. I crush little girls and all their little feelings. All I have to do is-" Buffy turned, facing him now. "-turn on the fucking charm. Well, I'm not falling for it. I know your name, and I know your game. I'll be watching you. Got it?"
R.J. looked surprised. "Uh, got it."
Buffy turned and walked away from him. "Get the fuck to class. Learn something."
That night, in the Summers' house, Dawn was coming home through the front door as quietly as she could, but Buffy was sitting on the couch, waiting for her.
"Dawn. You wanna come talk to me?" Buffy asked.
"Ambush." Dawn walked into the living room and sat by Buffy on the couch.
"I wanted to tell you that I talked to R.J. today."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I thought he got the message." Buffy paused. "Where ya been?"
"Uh...well..." Dawn looked down at her lap.
"I see. Are you at least being safe?"
Dawn looked at her. "Totally! We - We didn't do anything. We just made out."
Buffy stared at her sister for a moment. "Get to bed."
Dawn stood up and walked upstairs.
Tara walked out of the kitchen, through the dining room, and over to Buffy. She sat on the couch. "So how'd it go?"
Buffy laid her head on Tara's shoulder and sighed. "What am I gonna do with her?"
"I don't know." Tara paused. "Let her make her own mistakes, I guess."
"It just doesn't make any sense. Dawn wasn't even interested in this guy a few days ago."
Tara frowned in thought.
Buffy knocked on Dawn's bedroom door, then opened it. Dawn was lying on her bed, crying.
Tara walked over to Dawn. "Listen, Dawnie, you're under a love spell. That's what this has to be."
Buffy looked at Tara, following her into the room. "You're right." She looked at Dawn. "You're under a spell. Oh, poor little Dawnie."
Tara nodded. "But we're working on it. It'll be better soon. Soon, you won't be in love with this boy."
Dawn looked at Tara in anger. "What do you know about our love? It's true and real. This isn't magic. This is my heart."
"Fine. We'll be working." Tara paused. "Look, I know this feels terrible, but it isn't real. Try to hold onto that."
"Did you hear that?" Buffy asked Dawn. "It isn't real. You're just crazy."
Tara shot Buffy a reproachful look.
"It is so real! I love him. You knew how I felt, like I finally found something, and you betrayed me."
"I tried to get him to back away." Buffy sighed. "Dawn, he's just using you. And you're not in love with him. It's just - ah! - a little crush."
Dawn kept crying. "It's not a crush! It's like I faint every time we touch! Stop. You're not supposed to do this."
"Why?"
"Because you were the one that I trusted."
Buffy stared at her sister for a moment, then she and Tara left the room.
Tara, Amy, and Katrina were sitting around the dining room table, doing research. The table was covered in books and papers, and Tara was using her laptop.
Amy sighed. "Love spells. People forget how dangerous that they can be."
Katrina frowned. "Not just spells."
"Here. Something." Tara turned her laptop to show the others.
Buffy walked into the room. "She's locked her door. That spell has her good and loopy."
Tara tapped her laptop. "Info on one R.J. Brooks."
Buffy walked over to it. "Oh, lemme see."
"Family stuff." Katrina paused as she read something. "Hey, I knew his brother, Lance. He was a big jock at Sunnydale High, too. Couple years ahead of us. Huh."
"What're you thinking?" Amy asked.
"Well, I think my relationship with R.J.'s brother was nonexistent at best, but...maybe he's a way in."
Standing in front of the Brooks' house, Katrina was talking to Amy. "I'm just saying...we're - we're tangling with a powerful spell here."
They walked up to the house.
"We don't know what the deal is, so - so keep an eye out if this guy looks twitchy. And don't let this guy charm you either. He had everyone around him practically kissing his ring back in high school."
Amy smiled. "I think I'm safe from heterosexual love spells, sweetie."
They were standing on the front porch now. Katrina rang the doorbell. A tall, ungroomed, unathletic guy answered the door in a pizza delivery uniform. Katrina and Amy both stared at him in disbelief.
"Yeah?" he asked.
Soon, in the living room, Lance was sitting slouched in an overstuffed chair. Katrina and Amy were sitting across from him on the couch. The room was lovingly decorated with pale ivory colors, soft lighting, and lace, and there were knick-knacks everywhere. Each of them was drinking a bottle of beer.
"Train repair, huh?" Lance asked. "That's awesome."
Katrina nodded. "Yeah."
"And, hey, video store." Lance pointed at Amy. "We're like old friends."
Amy forced a smile. "Yeah. You're there every day."
"So, what's up with R.J.? How's he doing at the old alpha mater?"
Katrina nodded. "Good. It's just-"
Amy stood up and started walking around the room.
"-I know a girl that might be going out with him, and I was wondering-"
"God, and you want to know if he's a good guy. Truth is he's the best. Following in my footsteps. You might not know it now, looking at me with a couple of extra pounds, but, back then, I was quite the guy."
"Yeah, I gather R.J. is pretty popular, too."
"I gotta tell ya. There was a time I was worried about R.J. He was into comic books, Model UN, geek stuff. No offense, Madison."
Amy frowned but didn't say anything.
"One time, I found all this poetry under his bed. Turns out, he wrote it. Then he, uh, what do you call it? Blossomed. That's what it was like."
Amy was still walking around the room, looking at things.
"And do you have any idea why he, you know, burst into a flower all of a sudd-?"
"You're wearing your brother's jacket. Here, in this picture." Standing in front of the mantle, Amy was looking at the pictures that adorned it.
"Oh, no, he's wearing mine. That jacket was with me all the way through high school. Gave it to him when I graduated, right before I started over at the Pizza Barn. I'm in the management program."
"So, Lance, where did you get the jacket?" Katrina asked.
"Oh, Dad gave it to me. Made a big deal about it, too. How he met Mom wearing that jacket. She was a former Miss Arkansas. Very hot in her day."
Katrina stood up. "Wow, that's wonderful. Holy shit, it's getting late."
"Hey, you girls don't have to take off, if you don't want to. I got sort of a rumpus room set up in the basement. There's air hockey and a mini fridge. We could party."
"Lance? Do you have guests down there?" his mom called from upstairs. "There's little boxes of raisins, if you want snacks."
Katrina forced a smile. "We really gotta go."
In the dining room of the Summers' house, Tara and Buffy were still working.
Tara sighed. "Damn love spell. I have tried every anti-love spell spell that I could find."
"Even if you find the right one, the guy would probably just do an anti-anti-love spell spell...spell."
"What?" Tara asked.
The doorbell rang.
Tara stood up. "I'll get it." She walked to the door. "Maybe it's Trina and Amy with some answers from the brother."
Tara unlocked and opened the door, and R.J. was standing there, wearing his jacket.
Tara rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're fucking kidding me."
"I was looking for Dawn. Miss Summers."
"Dawn's not here. Go away!" Tara yelled.
"Are you sure?"
Buffy walked up to the door and stood beside Tara. "No Dawn for you. Leave quickly now."
"Uh-huh. Okay. Tell her to call me." R.J. turned and walked away.
Tara sighed. "Damn..."
"Good thing Dawn's upstairs. If she knew he was here-"
Dawn walked downstairs. "What's going on?" She noticed R.J. walking away. "What? No! You two can't do this. This isn't fair! How can you be doing this to me?"
"Okay, wait. Just calm down, okay?" Buffy requested. "We're working on counteracting the love spell."
"This isn't a spell. He owns my heart."
"Dawn, be quiet. We're trying to work this out. We don't need you interfering."
"I need him." Dawn paused. "I'd kill for him."
Buffy scoffed. "You'd kill for a chocolate bar."
Katrina and Amy were stealthily walking beside the display window of an electronics store. They were sneaking up on R.J., who was walking down the street with Cheryl.
"Now, you're sure you understand the plan?" Katrina asked Amy.
"I think I got it, yeah."
Katrina and Amy ran out into the street. Katrina tackled R.J. while Amy took the jacket off him. They ran away with the jacket.
Back at the Summers' house, R.J.'s letter jacket was burning in the fireplace.
Katrina smiled. "That, my friends, is the smell of sweet, sweet, victory."
Amy smiled. "Also, burning cotton-poly blend."
Tara sighed. "Damn, this tool gets his jacket from his brother, who got it from their father, and we'll never know where he got it. That bites."
Amy chuckled. "Yeah, welcome to the Hellmouth, where even outerwear isn't safe."
Buffy went to sit by Dawn on the couch.
"I can't believe I almost-"
"Not your fault. It was a spell. You were helpless. You're not responsible for anything that you did."
Dawn sighed. "I'm just so..." She paused. "The way I acted, the way I talked to you. I feel so stupid. All over a spell."
Buffy gave her sister a small smile. "Get ready to feel even stupider when it's not."
In Minden, Louisiana, Shannon was sitting in the passenger seat in Alex's car, which was parked in the woods. She was naked, and Alex was bent over her, eating her pussy.
Shannon sighed in pleasure. "Mmm, baby, you give great head." She looked down at him. "Hey, I want you to fuck me."
Alex looked up at her. "Really?"
Shannon nodded. "Uh-huh. I'm ready."
"What about your dad?"
Shannon shook her head. "Fuck him, but, first, fuck me."
"What if he, y'know, finds out?"
"Then we'll deal with that. Anyway, are you gonna talk about my dad, or are you gonna fuck me?" Shannon asked, frustrated.
Alex grinned. "I can't do both?"
Shannon grinned. "You better not!"
They laughed for a while. Then Alex, who was also naked, got on top of Shannon. Shannon grabbed hold of his penis and helped guide him into her. It was an exquisite feeling that she had never felt before.
"How fast do you want it?" Alex asked her.
Shannon moaned. "Just get it over with. Break the fucking thing."
Alex grinned. "With my fucking thing."
Shannon laughed and rolled her eyes.
Alex thrust into Shannon, breaking her hymen. Shannon cried out in pain.
"Do you want me to stop?" Alex asked her.
"No! Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me!" Shannon cried.
Alex did just that, fucking Shannon hard and fast. Shannon soon had an orgasm, followed by Alex. Shannon felt him cum inside her.
The two lovers sat still for a while, breathing heavily. Alex eventually kissed Shannon on the lips, then he pulled out of her. Cum mixed with blood leaked out of Shannon's pussy. Alex sat in his own seat, bent over, and licked it all up.
The next day, in Montclair, New Jersey, Caridad and Jodie were sparring on the outdoor basketball court across the street from Caridad's apartment building.
Caridad did a backflip, kicking Jodie with both feet in the chin. Jodie fell to the pavement.
Caridad froze as she realized Jodie wasn't getting up. She approached her. "Hey, Jo, are you okay?"
Jodie suddenly kicked Caridad in the left leg. Caridad cried out in pain. Jodie kicked Caridad in the right leg and then got to her feet. Caridad was too distracted by the pain to look at Jodie.
"Never check on your opponent. You're not seriously gonna check to see if a vampire is okay, are you?"
Caridad hissed in pain, massaging her legs. "No."
"Then don't check on me either. I'm expendable. You're not." Jodie sighed. "Anyway, I think we better wrap up this session soon."
"Why? What happens soon?" Caridad asked.
Jodie looked at the setting sun. "Night falls."
Chapter 137: Bring on the Night
Chapter Text
"Bring on the Night"
Based on the Episodes "Conversations with Dead People" Written by Jane Espenson, Drew Goddard, Joss Whedon, and Marti Noxon; "Sleeper" Written by David Fury and Jane Espenson; "Never Leave Me" Written by Drew Goddard; and "Bring on the Night" Written by Marti Noxon and Douglas Petrie
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
Sandy, Julie, Sunday, and Nancy were on a double date at the Bronze, sitting at a table together. They were eating cheeseburgers, fries, and spicy buffalo wings and drinking regular Pepsi. On the stage, musicians were preparing their instruments and sound equipment for their performance.
The singer, Angie Hart, began her song:
"Night falls.
I fall.
And where were you?
And where were you?
Warm skin,
Wolf grin,
And where were you?
"I fell into the moon,
And it covered you in blue.
I fell into the moon.
Can I make it right?
Can I spend the night?
"High tide
Inside.
The air is dew,
And where were you?
While I-
I died,
And where were you?
"I crawled out of the world,
When you said I shouldn't stay.
I crawled out of the world.
Can I make it right?
Can I spend the night...
Alone?
"Alone?
"Alone.
"I fell into the moon,
And it covered you in blue.
I fell into the moon.
Can I make it right?
Can I spend the night...
Alone?"
The audience applauded.
Dawn was home alone, eating pizza in the kitchen. "Anchovies, anchovies, you're so delicious. I love you more than all the other fishes."
Dawn was holding a slice of pizza while going through Buffy's clothes in her bedroom and holding them up to her in front of the mirror. She accidentally brushed the pizza against a white blouse. "Oh. Ah, she'll think it's blood."
Dawn was playing with Buffy's weapons in the living room. First, she swung the battle ax. "Taste my blade, spawn of evil!"
She swung the ax, and the blade landed in some furniture.
Then she got out the crossbow and loaded it. She pointed it around. She accidentally pulled the trigger, causing the bolt to shoot out. It landed in the living room wall. When she tried to pull the bolt out, a large chunk of plaster came with it. Her eyes widened, and she looked around for some way to cover it up. She moved the nearby tall houseplant in front of the hole.
Dawn was listening to Mexican music on the radio and dancing around the kitchen. She got a jumbo marshmallow out of the cabinet and put it into the microwave on a little plate. While heating up, the marshmallow started to swell and expand.
Dawn was impressed, laughing. "Cool."
She jumped when she heard a sound from somewhere else in the house.
Dawn was talking to Kit on the cordless phone while sitting in front of the television in the living room and eating gooey marshmallow. An old, black-and-white, classic horror movie was playing on the TV.
"Oh, come on. She is so dead."
"How do you know?" Kit asked.
"Well, he's clearly a psychopath."
"Is not."
"Is so."
"Tom Hanks doesn't play psychopaths."
"What? No, that is not Tom Hanks."
"But I'm looking right at him."
"Well, what channel are you on?"
There was a knock.
"Okay, there it is again. I keep hearing this, like, thumping." Dawn muted the television.
There were two knocks.
"Can you tell where it's coming from?"
"No, I-I can't tell if it's-"
The front door flew open. Dawn got up and went to investigate, and a strong wind started blowing into the house. She struggled to shut the door.
"Kit, are you there? Is there a storm?"
Suddenly, the television was unmuted, playing loudly. She tried to mute it again, but the remote control button didn't have any effect. She tried the Power button on the television itself, but it didn't work either. Finally, she tried to unplug it, but the old movie still played with the cord out of the wall. Dawn's eyes grew wide with fear.
Dawn was scared. Mexican music was playing loudly. The television wouldn't shut off and was playing the old horror movie loudly. Dawn smashed the TV with the ax and broke it. She smashed the stereo as well. The music was still coming from the kitchen.
Dawn walked into the kitchen and saw the radio sitting there on the countertop, playing Mexican music. She walked further into the room, hoisting the battle ax, when the microwave oven suddenly turned on.
"Oh, God. Oh, God..."
She smashed the microwave, causing a tiny explosion and shattering glass falling on the floor. She backed away from the explosion, but the shattered glass cut her bare feet. The radio on the kitchen counter was still going. Suddenly, a tuning sound came over the radio, causing the music to fade.
"Dawn?"
"Mom?" Dawn asked in shock.
Soon, Dawn was sitting on the coffee table with her back to the couch, bandaging her feet while she made a phone call. "Buffy, come on, pick up. I don't know what to do!" Dawn hung up the phone and picked up the radio that was in the kitchen before. She shook the radio, crying. "Do it again! I heard you."
Dawn stopped and turned slowly to look at the couch behind her, but it was empty. The lights went out for a second. When they came back on, Dawn could see all of the dining room chairs had been placed upside down on the dining room table in the next room. The weapons chest had been turned on end, spilling its contents onto the floor. She looked around, frightened, and saw a message written on the wall in blood: "Mother's Milk is RED Today", and there was a bloody handprint below it. The lights dimmed again for only a moment, and, when they came back on, the message was gone, and the weapons chest and the dining room furniture were back in their normal configurations again. Dawn shivered. There were three knocks.
"Why are you doing this?!"
Knock.
"Why are you? I don't understand."
The knocking continued.
"Stop. Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Aah!"
The knocking stopped.
"Hello?"
Knock.
"Once for yes, twice for no. Mom?" Dawn looked around.
Knock.
"Mom, it's you?"
Knock.
"Are you okay?"
Knock. Knock.
"You're not. Mom...Mommy...are you alone?"
Knock. Knock.
The house started to shake, like an earthquake but not. A strobe light flashed in Dawn's face. Dawn screamed. Home decor fell to the floor everywhere: lamps, pictures, and vases.
"Why are you doing this?!"
The power went out. Dawn was standing in the middle of the living room, looking around. She heard a sound - something like a cross between roaring wind and a growling animal.
"I hear you. I hear you breathing. Are you hurting my mother? Are you keeping her from coming back to me?"
A strobe-like flash lit the room momentarily. A white-eyed Joyce was lying on the couch one second and then gone the next. Dawn realized she was in the same position as she was when Buffy found her dead.
"Mom? I see you. I'm coming towards you, okay?"
Another flash, and Joyce was lying on the couch, screaming, while a dark, shadowy figure was choking her as she reached out toward Dawn.
"She's trying to talk to me. Get off her and let her talk to me!"
Dawn got down on the floor, crawling around, looking for the battle ax. Suddenly, the shadowy figure had the ax and swung it at Dawn's head. She screamed. It just missed her.
"Get out!" the figure yelled.
Dawn got up and ran toward the front door, which had swung open again. Wind was blowing hard into the house. She almost went out but stopped in mid-stride.
"No!" Dawn shut the door. "She's my mother. I'm staying."
She saw Joyce on the couch. Her eyes flashed open.
In a while, Dawn was sitting Indian-style on the living room floor, surrounded by white candles and thick books. She had one of the books open to a specific page. The strange breathing sound was still present.
"I know you're there. I will cast you out. My mother needs to talk to me."
Dawn was holding a bowl and sprinkled dust from the bowl on the floor, in front of her. A force pushed her backwards across the room. She stopped when her back hit the wall, but she still had the bowl in her lap.
"I cast you from this place." Dawn sprinkled dust. "It is your poison and your bane." She sprinkled dust.
Something scratched Dawn's face, leaving a bloody gash, and she screamed.
Dawn sprinkled dust. "It is the skin that is cut from your flesh!"
A strong wind blew out all of the candles. The living room window exploded inward, shattering pieces of glass all over her and the room.
Papers started blowing around. The room looked like a disaster area.
Dawn stood up and continued with the banishing spell. "I cast you out with every prayer from every god that walked the Earth and crawled beneath."
Dawn was thrown across the room, landing on her ass. Her mouth was bloody.
"I cast you out with the strength of those that love me." Dawn stood up. "I cast your out with the strength that I have inside me! I cast you out into the void." She threw the bowl forward. "That's right! Get the fuck out and die, you bastard!"
The noise and wind stopped. Blood spattered on all of the walls but then faded and disappeared altogether. The house was a complete wreck - but still now. Dawn whimpered and collapsed.
A golden light filled the room. Dawn looked up and saw a vision of Joyce standing there in front of her, beautiful and glowing, wearing a long, white gown.
Dawn managed to push herself up on her arms and sit up. "Mom?"
"Things are coming, Dawn. Listen, things are on their way. I love you, and I love Buffy, but she won't be there for you."
"What? Why are you-?"
"When it's bad, Buffy won't choose you. She'll be against you."
The vision of Joyce started to fade.
"No! No, don't go! Please, don't go!"
The vision of Joyce disappeared entirely. Dawn, still sitting in the middle of the living room floor, sobbed.
Tara walked into the house hurriedly through the front door. "Buffy?" She started to go upstairs.
Dawn was sitting on the floor, in front of the couch, hugging a pillow, amid the destruction from her earlier encounter. "She's not here."
Tara looked. "Dawn? Oh, my Goddess." She went to her side. "What're you-" She paused. "Dawn, what happened here? What-" She noticed something. "You're cut."
"I'm all right."
"Let me see, make sure." Tara turned her face to inspect it.
"I saw Mom."
"What?"
"She was here, Tara. I saw her. She was here, and she spoke to me."
"Oh, sweetie."
"No, she was right here, and - and then she wasn't. She-"
"It wasn't her."
"What?"
"At least, I don't think. We - We saw something, too, and it looked like...other people, but it wasn't them."
"I don't understand."
"While we were eradicating the demon nest in the old Wollstonecraft manor at the edge of town. We saw, supposedly, various dead people. I saw my mom. Buffy saw Ted. Katrina saw the three nerds that she killed earlier this year. And Amy, well, Amy didn't see anyone and felt left out. Anyway, we immediately saw through their bullshit, because they were trying to guilt-trip us, and my mom would never do that." Tara paused. "It's the Big Bad, Dawn. The one that we knew was coming. 'From beneath you, it devours.'"
"But...that's what she said. Mom, she said that things were coming, that things were on their way, and that she loves us. So it had to be her, right? I mean...her warning was true."
Tara shook her head. "I don't know. I just don't think we can trust anything right now."
Dawn thought for a moment. "So maybe the evil thing fucking with you was here, too. Only maybe it was the thing trying to keep Mom away. 'Cause she was trying to protect me. Maybe."
Tara quietly closed the door to Dawn's room.
Buffy ran up the stairs. "Dawn? Dawn!"
"Buffy, it's okay. She's okay. Not hurt. She's just exhausted. Finally fell off to sleep."
"What the hell happened?" Buffy asked. "Downstairs looks like-"
"Hell happened?" Tara finished. "Yeah. This big evil that's been promising to devour us, well, I think it's started chomping."
"Oh, God. And it appeared to Dawn?"
Tara nodded. "Buffy, this thing knows us. Dawn actually saw...your mother. The lies were very convincing. It just seemed real."
"Lies."
Tara nodded. "I mean maybe - maybe to confuse her, to fuck her up." She reconsidered. "Or maybe..."
"What? What maybe?"
"Well, just because those weren't the spirits of, you know, our people, just because it was some evil thing, doesn't mean what they said can't be true."
"Look, we can't assume anything. We need hard facts. Look, there's something evil working us, and, if we are ever gonna have a chance to fight it, we need to learn everything that we can about it. Whatever this thing is, from beneath us, it's bad, and it's only getting worse."
The next night, after a day of cleaning up the living room and getting the damage fixed, to not drive themselves crazy and to be in a public place, Buffy, Tara, Dawn, Amy, and Katrina went to the Bronze to meet Aimee Mann and get their copies of Lost in Space signed.
Aimee was on the stage with her band, performing "This is How It Goes":
"This is how it goes.
You'll get angry at yourself
And think you can think of something else,
And I'll hear the clanging of the bells,
'Cause I can't stop you, baby.
'Cause I don't have a bribery in place,
No bright, shiny surface to my face,
So I won't go near the marketplace
With what I'm selling lately,
'Cause this is how it goes..."
The gang was sitting together at a table, watching the performance.
"How are you feeling, Dawn?" Katrina asked.
"Okay."
"You like your burger?" Amy asked.
"Yeah."
Tara smiled. "It's good to get out of the house, huh?"
Dawn nodded.
When the song was over, the audience applauded.
"Thank you. We're gonna take a quick break. We'll be right back." Aimee set her acoustic guitar down and walked off the stage to use the restroom.
Buffy gulped down the rest of her beer and set the bottle down. She stared at the stage.
Tara noticed. "What are you thinking?"
Buffy stood up and headed toward the stage.
"What's she doing?" Amy asked.
Tara frowned. "Getting kicked out. And possibly banned."
Buffy got onto the stage, picked up Aimee's guitar, and walked up to the microphone.
Katrina stared in horror. "She's not..."
Buffy started playing "Pavlov's Bell". She grinned as she sang:
"Oh, Mario,
You ate all the gelato.
Luigi's gonna kick your ass.
And we all know,
When you hit the Moscato,
You're gonna pass some serious gas."
Suddenly, Aimee walked back onto the stage. Buffy abruptly stopped playing and stared at Aimee in horror. Aimee wordlessly stared at Buffy. Buffy eventually handed the guitar back to her and got off the stage.
Buffy walked back over to her table and sat down.
Dawn stared at her sister. "Nice going, dipshit."
Buffy sighed. "Shut up."
"She's probably not gonna wanna autograph our albums now."
"Yeah, I know, Dawn. I'm so-" Buffy abruptly stopped talking as she sensed a vampire.
"What is it?" Tara asked her.
"Vampire." Buffy looked up at the upstairs catwalk. "Up there."
"You sure, sweetie?" Tara asked.
Buffy nodded and stood up. Aimee Mann and her band started playing "Pavlov's Bell". Buffy ran up the steps.
A young man was sitting in a chair on the catwalk.
Buffy smiled. "Hi."
"Well, hey, baby. Care to have a little fun?"
"Yeah." Buffy pulled a stake out of her jacket. "I'd love to dance."
He growled, baring his fangs, and stood up.
Buffy and the vampire fought on the catwalk. He took a vase and tried to stab her with it, but she wrestled it away from him and stabbed him with her stake instead.
"Because nobody knows
That's how I nearly fell,
Trading clothes
And ringing Pavlov's bell-"
The vampire fell off the catwalk, landed in the middle of the crowd, and died right in front of their eyes. The band abruptly stopped playing, and everyone stared in silence for a moment.
Then Aimee looked at her bandmates, and the music started up again.
"History shows
But rarely shows it well.
Well, well, well..."
Buffy, Tara, Dawn, Amy, and Katrina approached as Aimee Mann and her band were exiting the stage.
Aimee looked at one of her bandmates. "Man, I hate playing vampire towns."
"Ms. Mann?" Buffy asked.
Aimee looked at her. "Well, well, well."
Buffy grinned. "You've been a big musical inspiration to me. I fell in love with you the moment that I first heard 'Voices Carry'."
Aimee raised her eyebrows. Dawn kicked Buffy's leg.
"Not in love in love, but I mean-"
Dawn kicked Buffy again. "Will you please sign our copies of Lost in Space?"
"Sure." Aimee pointed pointedly at Buffy. "But no more unsanctioned touching."
Buffy nodded eagerly. "Got it. I'll keep the touching to myself."
Dawn facepalmed.
Aimee signed their albums and posed for pictures with each of them.
Buffy looked at the Polaroid of her and Aimee together. "This is great. Thanks. Hey, are you taking off right away or staying the night? Because you really shouldn't stay in public accommodations in vampire towns. My house is perfectly comfy, and you can stay in the Michelle Branch suite-"
Dawn kicked Buffy yet again.
The next morning, in England, Giles entered a flat, looking around. The place had been broken into. There was a broken flower vase, and furniture was disarranged. He walked into the next room and saw a teenage girl, a Potential Slayer named Nora Christopher, laying on the floor, apparently stabbed in the back.
Giles went over, crouched down, and shook her. "Nora? Nora?"
Nothing from Nora.
"Oh, dear God! Robson, are you here? Robson!"
Giles got up and started looking for Robson, a middle-aged man, who he found slouched near a chair in the next room.
Giles went to his side. "You, too?" He took off his glasses and started to cry. "Dear God, I thought you-"
Robson's eyes flashed open. "Gather them. It's started."
"It's all right. I understand. I'll take care of it-"
Giles grabbed the shaft of the battle ax right before the blade touched him. He stood, punched the figure, who was cloaked in a full-length hooded black robe, in the stomach, and took control of the ax. Holding the ax handle with a hand on either end, he knocked the figure in the chin, sending it backwards into a chair. Giles swung the ax at the figure's neck, chopping off its head.
Giles set the ax on the floor, got up, and started searching Robson's flat.
When he found the small book with names, addresses, and phone numbers, he retrieved the ax and left the flat.
Giles arrived at another flat and saw the door had already been busted open. He ran inside. A robed figure was standing above a prone middle-aged man. It bent over and slashed his throat with a knife.
"Wells!" Giles yelled in horror.
The figure quickly stood up straight and turned upon Giles. Giles wasted no time in chopping its head off.
"Is anyone here?" Giles called. "I'm Wells' friend. The attacker is dead."
A door opened, and a teenage girl with long black hair slowly walked out.
"Annabelle Draper?" Giles asked.
Annabelle nodded.
"I'm Rupert Giles. I'm a Watcher."
"Is my Watcher okay?" Annabelle asked.
"I'm afraid he's dead."
"Who killed him?"
"A being known as a Harbinger of Death - or sometimes as a Bringer. They're agents that do the will of the First Evil, the being that's responsible for all of the evil in the universe."
"Why did it come after us?"
"The First Evil wishes to extinguish the entire Slayer line. To do so, it must kill every Potential Slayer on the planet. Now, quickly, follow me. I must get you to safety."
Annabelle followed him, her bookbag from school still on her back. "Where are we going? The Watchers Council?"
"Um...yes, but not to stay. I need to retrieve texts from their library."
Giles and Annabelle left the flat.
Giles killed the Bringer at the next flat in the same manner.
Annabelle noticed the body of the middle-aged man on the floor. "Is he...?"
Giles quickly checked for a pulse. "He's dead." He sighed and closed the man's eyes. "I'm sorry, Phillips." He stood up straight. "Hello? We mean you no harm."
A door opened, and a teenage girl with long black hair slowly walked out.
"Molly Bryant?" Giles asked.
Molly nodded.
"Come with us, please."
"Who are you? What's going on?" Molly asked.
"We're friends. Please, we must hurry."
Giles crept through the Watchers Council library, searching the shelves for the materials that he needed. He eventually grabbed two books and various documents.
He managed to get out of the building undetected. He ran across the street and over to his parked car. He tapped on the driver's window.
Annabelle, sitting in the passenger seat, reached over and unlocked the door. Giles opened it and got in the car. He quickly closed and locked the door.
"Did you find everything that you were looking for?" Annabelle asked him.
"Yes, I believe so."
"What are we gonna do now?" Molly, sitting in the back seat, asked him.
"Well, I must make arrangements to get you out of the country as soon as possible."
"Where are we going?" Molly asked.
"Someplace safe...if such a place exists." Giles handed the books and documents to Annabelle. "Keep these safe."
Annabelle took them, unzipped her bookbag on the floor, and put them inside.
A few hours later, at Sunnydale High, Dawn knocked on Principal Wood's office door.
Wood opened the door. "Miss Summers. I'm with students."
Dawn noticed two teenage boys seated in chairs in front of his desk. "I just wanted to tell you that Buffy won't be coming in today. She's really sick."
"Oh, no."
"Yeah, last night, she was vomiting, and then, this morning, she was vomiting some more, and then, just when we thought she was done, she was vomiting again." Dawn laughed.
"Yeah, we got that stomach flu going around."
"Her exact words were 'I've got stuff coming out of both ends.'"
Wood looked off to the side awkwardly. "Thank you. That's very helpful."
Dawn smiled. "Sure. No problem. Hey, guys. How's it going?"
"Pretty good."
"Um, tell your sister not to worry about it. We'll soldier on without her here. Just, um, tell her to concentrate on getting better."
"Yeah, she'll be fine. She just needs to get some stuff out of her system."
Back home, Buffy was talking on the telephone in the kitchen with Quentin Travers. "I need to find him as soon as possible. He's not answering any of his numbers."
"I'm...afraid we don't know the current whereabouts of Mr. Giles, Miss Summers."
"You don't have to get all British and dodgy, Mr. Travers. I know you have ways of finding him."
"Well, I suppose, if you feel the matter's urgent, we can look into it."
"I'd appreciate it. Thank you."
"Not at all. Good day."
Buffy ended the call and sighed.
That night, Buffy, Tara, Dawn, Amy, Katrina, Jenny, Sandy, and Sunday were gathered together, researching through many books that Jenny had brought from Giles' home library and the Magic Box. Jenny, Katrina, and Amy were on the couch in the living room. Buffy, Tara, Sandy, Sunday, and Dawn were at the table in the dining room.
Robed figures broke into the house from all angles, smashing windows and breaking down doors. Covered head to toe in long, black, hooded robes, these figures had wooden staffs and no eyes.
Tara pushed one of the robed men off her. Dawn fought back. Buffy joined the battle fray. One of the robed men, carrying a wooden staff, faced Sandy. His hood was removed, revealing an eyeless face whose sockets were covered in red scars. He dropped the wooden staff and took out two silvery, curved daggers and lunged at Sandy, plunging the daggers into her chest. When he pulled them out, Sandy's wounds instantly healed. From behind, Buffy grabbed the robed person, who kicked her. They continued to fight. Another robed person entered the room.
Dawn was on the floor and weakly stood, grabbing a wooden staff. A robed person was laying still on the floor, in front of her. She inched closer to him, holding the wooden staff defensively. He swung his leg at her ankle, tripping her. He climbed on top of her and pulled out a silver dagger, aiming for her chest. Katrina ran into the room, wielding a wooden staff, and knocked the robed person off Dawn.
Buffy continued to fight the robed people. A robed person came at her with silver curved daggers in both hands. She grabbed his wrists, kicked him back, and grabbed the daggers. One robed person lunged at her, and she stuck a dagger in his belly. When the other robed person came at her, she did the same. They screamed and collapsed.
Jenny and Amy ran into the dining room.
"Buffy?" Jenny asked.
Buffy looked at Dawn. "Dawn?"
"I'm okay."
Tara looked at the robed people at her feet. "Is this it? I thought there was more of them."
Amy started counting everyone. "Where's Sunday?"
They exited the house together hurriedly.
There was no one in sight.
Later, Tara entered the living room from the kitchen, carrying a first aid kit. Amy and Dawn were sitting on the couch. Jenny sat in a nearby chair, and Sandy stood next to it. Buffy and Katrina walked into the room together from outside.
Katrina sighed. "They were so fast. And organized."
Buffy ran her hands through her hair. "They were after Sunday all along."
Sandy walked over to them. "I doubt it."
Buffy looked at her.
"They stabbed me, but the Gem makes me invincible, and they immediately lost interest in me." Sandy paused. "I'm guessing they need vampire blood for something."
"But this town's crawling with vampires. Why break into the Slayer's house to get one?" Amy asked.
"It's fucking with us, remember?" Buffy asked. "It wants us to know we're not safe in our own home."
The others looked at each other in silence. Tara kneeled before Dawn and started treating her injuries.
Buffy kneeled to inspect one of the robed people that was laying face up on the floor. "If someone's got a laptop with a webcam, get it. We're gonna need more help on this one."
Cordelia studied the images that Jenny had sent her. "I know these guys. I fought them before. You aren't being haunted. This isn't some demon. It's all the same thing. The people that you guys saw, from beneath you, it's all the same thing. I know what you're up against. The First."
"The first...what?" Jenny asked.
"The First Evil. About four years ago, it tried to get Angel to kill himself." Cordelia paused. "When I came up against this thing, I felt it. It was ancient and enormous. Buffy, this thing is dangerous."
"Do you have any books on it?" Buffy asked.
Cordelia shrugged. "Dunno. We'll do research, see what we can find."
"Thanks, Cordy. I owe you."
"Yes, you do. Bye." Cordelia hung up the handset.
In London, where it was already daytime, Giles, Annabelle, and Molly were waiting at a gate in Heathrow Airport.
Giles was sitting with Annabelle and Molly but was mostly lost in his own thoughts.
"Are you all right, Mr. Giles?" Annabelle asked.
Giles shook his head.
"You've been making calls all morning. What's going on?" Molly asked.
Giles quickly looked around, then lowered his head. "The Watchers Council headquarters blew up in a huge explosion earlier today, taking out the whole building. I've been calling all of the remaining Watchers and telling them to send their Potential Slayers to Sunnydale."
"To this Buffy?" Molly asked.
Giles nodded. "I only hope we can save as many as we can."
Buffy was pacing in the living room, listening to the phone ring.
"Hello?"
"Nancy? It's Buffy."
"Oh, hi. What's up?"
"I'm afraid that I have some bad news. Sunday's been kidnapped."
There was a long pause.
"What?" Nancy finally asked, stunned.
"By servants of the First Evil, the uh, the thing that created evil. I'm sorry, there was an attack on my house, and-"
"What does it want with Sunday?!" Nancy cried.
"I don't know. But I'm gonna get her back. I swear to you."
Nancy didn't say anything for a while. "Thank - Thank you, Buffy."
In the basement of Sunnydale High School, Sunday was being strapped with a leather belt to a construct made of wood beams. She was topless, her breasts on full display. The First was talking to her in the guise of Laurie Bennett while a robed person - a priest of the First, also known as a Harbinger - strapped Sunday to the construct.
"You'll have to excuse the spectacle, but I've always been a bit of a sucker for the old classics." She grinned wickedly, fondly eyeing Sunday's predicament.
Sunday was tied to the wheel-like construct with all four corners of her body pulled in opposite directions. A Harbinger took out a knife and cut Sunday with it. Sunday moaned in excruciating pain and stared at the First in hatred.
"Oh, don't look at me that way. I wanted to do this more subtle-like. My Harbingers have a tendency to call attention to themselves."
A Harbinger cut Sunday again. Sunday screamed.
The First leaned forward. "You're the one that gets to do the honors." It crossed its arms. "I have to admit...I'm glad it worked out this way. I was going to bleed Sandy, but you look a lot better with your shirt off." It licked Sunday on the lips.
A Harbinger cranked a wheel attached to a mechanism that hoisted the wheel that Sunday was tied to into the air. Sunday was now hanging from the wheel about ten feet from the ground, bleeding steadily from her ritualized, symbol-shaped cuts.
"To be honest, I'm getting a little tired of subtle. I think it's about time we brought some authority to our presence. Now, Sunday, wanna see what a real vampire looks like?"
Sunday's blood was falling on a seal that was right below her. It was pooling in the grooves and being absorbed into the seal. The seal started to glow. One by one, the pointed tips of the pentagram at its center folded up, forming a pyramid. Light came out from under it. The pyramid sunk into the ground. The remaining pieces of the seal followed suit. Sunday glared at the First, then watched the hole where the seal was. Something stuck its withered, gray, pointy-fingered hand out of the hole. A monster climbed out, wearing black leather. Sunday looked upon its horrible, disfigured face. It was bald with fanged teeth. It looked gaunt - with extremely hollow cheekbones. It raised its hands toward the sky and looked around the room, growling menacingly.
Buffy was doing research at the dining room table, sitting next to Tara, who was using her laptop computer. Nancy and Julie were also sitting with them, researching, trying to make sense of what they read in the books. They wanted to help, even though they doubted their own ability. Amy, Sandy, and Dawn were on the couch in the living room, looking through books. Jenny was sitting in the chair, doing the same.
Katrina was sweeping up broken glass from the floor. She stopped, exasperated. "You know, maybe we should just board these up until things are less Hellmouthy."
Amy held up a notebook that she was reading. "Nothing."
Tara looked up from her computer. "Yeah, my search isn't turning anything up either." She looked at Buffy. "Are you sure this thing called itself the First?"
"Pretty sure. It claimed to be the original evil, the one that came before anything else. It nearly got Angel to kill himself. And if we don't rescue Sunday soon, God only knows what the First'll get her to do." Buffy sighed. "Hand me the Watchers' Codex again."
Tara did. Buffy opened it and started flipping through the pages.
"Oh, hey, I think I've got something." Dawn stood up and walked into the dining room. She set a book on the table. "Check this out. Something called the Seal of Danzalthar."
Buffy looked. There was an illustration of a pentagram with the face of a goat with its tongue sticking out.
"I have trouble taking that seriously." Buffy paused. "What does it say about it?"
"It seals the Mouth of Hell. Requires blood to open. I'm thinking it's under the school."
"Let's see. The principal's office is sitting directly over the Hellmouth, so...it's probably located in the basement."
Dawn smiled and raised her eyebrows. "Expedition?"
Moved to a cave, Sunday was being dragged, face up, along the dirt ground. She could hear chanting in Latin. Her chest wounds had started to close, but the symbols cut into her remained clear on her chest. Sunday looked around, a little disoriented, and saw Harbingers with torches and someone dragging her. It was the Turok-Han dragging her into a special room. The Turok-Han stopped, let go of Sunday's leg, and stared at her.
The First walked into the room. "Go on. Give it a kick. You always liked that, didn't you?"
The First kneeled to watch the Turok-Han kick Sunday in the ribs so hard that she rolled over. Sunday lifted her head to glare angrily at the Turok-Han. The Turok-Han hissed and growled at Sunday, kicking her. Sunday screamed.
In the morning, Buffy and Dawn walked through the school basement.
Dawn saw the Seal of Danzalthar in the ground. "Whoa. Check it out."
"What's it do?" Buffy asked.
Dawn investigated the wheel that they hung Sunday from. "There's blood on this. Lots." She turned to Buffy. "Looks like the First made a sacrifice. Or a music video."
Buffy frowned. "The seal could've been activated. I bet that's what the First needed Sunday for. We need to cover this thing up." She grabbed nearby shovels and handed one to Dawn. "Whatever it does, we can't leave it exposed like this."
They started shoveling dirt over the seal.
After covering up the seal, Buffy and Dawn exited the basement into the hallway.
"So what next?" Dawn asked. "We found the seal but no Sunday."
Buffy sighed. "I don't know. The First was camped underground last time, when Cordy found it, but-"
Principal Wood passed them. "Buffy?"
Buffy turned to face him. "Hey."
"Hey. I...thought that you were, um-"
"Sick?" Dawn asked. "She was. Oh, vomiting and oozing from various places and-"
"Yeah, I remember, so please don't go on."
"Oh, but, now, it's amazing. The doctor gave her some cream."
"And I'm all better."
Wood nodded. "What were you doing in the basement?"
"Oh, I was down there, helping Dawn with a school project."
"For science."
"We buried a, um, uh, time capsule."
"'Hello, people of the future. Kids of today like Red Bull and, uh, Jackass.'" Dawn laughed nervously.
"We better go."
Buffy and Dawn turned to leave.
"Buffy?"
Buffy turned back to face him.
"You know, if you are feeling better, I could really use you back at work. I've been wait-listing kids that really want to see you."
"Oh, uh, yeah. Uh, I'm sorry, you know, I was just - I've been ill and stuff."
"No, no, it's fine, and I understand. It's just things are starting to get backed up."
"Well I-I-I'll head there right now. No problem. 100% ooze-free."
"Good."
"Okay."
Buffy and Dawn walked away in one direction, and Principal Wood walked away in the other direction.
Amanda walked over to them. "'Sup, Sum Sistas?"
Buffy and Dawn stared at her.
Amanda laughed, embarrassed. "I was trying something new. I'll...I'll stop."
"What's up, Amanda?" Buffy asked.
"I was just looking for Dawn. You're totally gonna be late for class."
Buffy shooed Dawn away. "Go. Go. We'll do more research after school."
Dawn frowned. "Joy. Y'know, I think I'm gonna take a Pasadena on that."
"We need your help on this, Dawn."
"Yeah, yeah."
They parted ways.
"Research?" Amanda asked.
Dawn sighed. "The glamorous life of a Slayer...groupie."
At the Hyperion, Cordelia, Faith, Harmony, Angel, Kate, and Fred were sitting in the lobby of the Hyperion, doing research on the First Evil.
The telephone rang.
Cordelia stood up, walked over to the counter, picked up the handset, and answered the call. "Angel Investigations and Hyperion Hotel. We help-"
"Cordelia, it's me."
"Who?" Cordelia asked, confused.
"Giles."
"Oh, hey, Giles. What's up?"
"Listen, we have an emergency situation. I need either you or Faith to do something very important."
"I'll do it...as long as it's nothing icky."
In SoHo, Kennedy was sitting in a piercing/tattoo parlor. She looked at her reflection in a mirror and stuck out her newly-pierced tongue, checking out the stud.
"What do you think?" the woman that did the piercing asked.
Kennedy smiled. "Bitchin'."
The woman smiled and set the mirror down. "Okay, you're all done."
Kennedy stood up and followed the woman up front to pay. Emma was sitting in a chair, reading a magazine, waiting for Kennedy.
Kennedy smiled. "Hey, babe."
Emma looked up at her. Kennedy playfully stuck out her tongue, showing off her piercing. Emma looked back down at the magazine.
Kennedy frowned, offering her credit card to the woman. "What's wrong?"
"I told you. Not a fan."
"Oh, c'mon, you're gonna make a big deal about this?" Kennedy asked her.
Emma didn't reply. Kennedy signed the slip and got her credit card back along with the receipt.
Kennedy pocketed her card. "Whatever. We can go."
Emma put down the magazine and stood up. She and Kennedy left the parlor.
They headed toward Emma's car.
"There you are!" Ramón walked over to them.
"Ramón?" Kennedy asked. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
"I've been looking everywhere for you! We must get you to safety."
"We?" Kennedy asked.
Giles arrived.
"Who's this?" Kennedy asked.
"Rupert Giles. He's a Watcher. He's here to take you away for your protection."
"Protection from what?"
"Kennedy, the Watchers Council headquarters has been destroyed. The institution itself is being exterminated. Mr. Giles and I are two of the very small number of Watchers remaining. Please go with him."
"But-"
"Don't argue. You must-"
Suddenly, Ramón's arms and legs were torn from his body by four Bringers that had rushed at him from two directions. Some of his blood got on Kennedy's face and clothes.
"Jesus Christ!" Emma exclaimed.
Ramón's body fell to the ground. The Bringers dropped his limbs and turned their attention to Kennedy. Kennedy stared at them in fear.
Suddenly, one Bringer was pulled away and tossed into the street. Another was kicked in the face. Kennedy, Emma, and Giles looked.
Glory grinned at the two remaining Bringers. "Hi!" She did a handstand on the hood of Emma's car and kicked them away. Then she effortlessly landed on the ground.
"Who the fuck are you?!" Kennedy demanded.
"Name's Glory. Glorificus if you're nasty."
"You handled those fuckers like they were nothing. Are you a Slayer?" Kennedy asked her.
Glory scoffed. "Nothing so pedestrian. I'm..." She paused. "You know, I honestly don't think there's a human word fabulous enough for me."
Giles rolled his eyes. "She's a goddess. Please, we have to go."
The Bringers got up and headed toward them.
"Go! Get the fuck outta here!" Glory yelled. She faced the Bringers. "All right, fuckers! Bring it on!"
Emma unlocked her car and opened the driver's door. "Get in!" She got in.
Kennedy and Giles ran to the passenger side. Kennedy opened the door and got in. Giles squeezed in beside her and closed the door.
Emma closed her own door, put the key in the ignition, and started the engine.
Giles looked at Emma. "Go to Ramón's place. There are some girls that we need to pick up before we head to the airport."
"Got it." Emma put the car in Drive and drove away as fast as she could.
Kennedy looked at Emma. "Sorry you got dragged into this."
Emma stared straight ahead. "I'm doing this for you, but we're through. I thought I could handle this. I can't."
Kennedy stared at her in silence.
In Huntsville, Alabama, Vi was sitting in class at school, barely paying attention to what the teacher was saying.
"Mr. Stevens?" a voice asked over the intercom.
He walked over to a wall and pressed a switch. "Yes?"
"Do you have Violet Day?"
"Yes."
"Would you please send her to the main office?"
"Yes."
"Thank you."
"Oooooohhhhhh!" the other students exclaimed.
Vi stood up and walked to the door. She opened it and left the classroom.
As she walked through the empty halls, she wondered what they wanted her for.
She opened the door of the main office and walked inside. Her mother was sitting in a chair against the wall.
"Mom?" Vi asked in surprise.
Felicia stood up. "Vi, you need to come with me right now."
"What's going on?"
"They're closing in on you. We don't have much time. Hurry!"
Vi followed her mother out of the office, up a hallway, and out the front entrance of the high school.
Vi recognized Mike's car parked out front, mostly because she saw him behind the wheel.
"Listen to me, Violet. Mike's gonna take you to the bus depot. You're taking a trip to Sunnydale, California."
"Why? What's there?"
"A Slayer. You should be safe with her. Mike will give you the details." Felicia shoved a wad of cash in Vi's back pocket. "Here's some emergency money."
"Mom, what the fuck?" Vi asked frantically. "This is so sudden."
"I know." Felicia gave her daughter a big hug. "I love you. Stay safe. Come back to me when this is over."
Vi hugged her mother. "I love you, too."
Felicia pushed her daughter away. "Now, go!"
Vi opened the passenger door of the car, got in, and closed the door. Mike pulled away before she had a chance to do anything else. Vi looked back at her mother until she was out of sight, then she locked the door and fastened her seatbelt.
"Violet, the Watchers Council has fallen. Only a handful of us remain, same as you Potentials. Rupert Giles, one of our number, is coordinating an effort to bring all of the remaining Potentials to Sunnydale, California. That is where the most experienced of the Slayers, Buffy Anne Summers, lives. Her address is on that slip of paper."
Vi took the paper from the cup holder and unfolded it. On it were written "Buffy Summers" and "1630 Revello Drive".
"There's more than one Slayer?" Vi asked in confusion.
"Yes. When you get to Sunnydale, take a taxi directly to that address. Do not stop for anything. If you see any hooded figures in robes, run. They are the Harbingers of Death."
Vi sat still, not believing what was happening.
In Sherman Oaks, Chloe was walking with her friend, a blonde girl, from a local convenience store, where they had gone for junk food during lunch. They were currently heading back to school.
Chloe looked behind her. "C'mon, Lizzie, get your duff in gear. We're gonna be late to class."
"I'm hurrying!" Lizzie insisted.
Suddenly, a pink 1997 Mazda MX5 Miata pulled in front of them on the sidewalk, blocking their path. They stopped before they could walk into the car.
Cordelia rolled down the passenger window. "There you are! Get in!"
"Cordelia?" Chloe asked in bewilderment. "What the fuck?! You nearly hit us!"
"That is so, like, the opposite of my mission. Get the fuck in the car. Now!" Cordelia ordered.
Chloe hesitated.
"Your Watcher's probably dead! They're after you!" Cordelia yelled.
Startled, Chloe opened the passenger door and got in, dropping her snacks all over the place. She closed and locked the door. She saw Lizzie staring at her. Chloe shrugged and waved at her. Cordelia backed up off the sidewalk and sped down the street.
"I'm taking you to Sunnydale. There's a Slayer there named Buffy. She'll protect you."
"No, you can't! My parents!" Chloe yelled.
"Giles - uh, he's a Watcher - called your house when your Watcher wouldn't pick up. Your dad answered. He and your mom are fine. They're aware of the situation."
"How long do I have to stay there?"
"No idea. Let's just say until the killing stops."
"How do you know about Slayers?" Chloe asked her.
"Buffy's a friend of mine from high school." Cordelia briefly looked at Chloe. "For God's sake, fasten your fucking seatbelt. I don't want your brains splattered all over the windshield. That'd make me a failure."
Chloe dutifully obeyed.
In Homosassa, Florida, Eve was about ready to board a bus. Amanda hugged her daughter.
Eve hugged her mother. "I wish you could come with me."
Amanda started crying. "Same."
They released each other.
Maxine looked at Eve. "Remember your training."
"I will."
"I'll call ahead to let them know to expect you."
Eve nodded, then she got into the bus. She took a seat near the back and took one last look at her mother and Watcher before the bus pulled away.
In Montclair, New Jersey, Caridad was about ready to board a bus.
"Remember, head to the address that I gave you as soon as you arrive in Sunnydale. Got it?" Jodie asked.
Caridad nodded. "Yeah. Uh, what happens if these...things-"
"Bringers."
"Bringers. What happens if they've found me by the time that I arrive?" Caridad asked.
"Run like hell."
Caridad nodded, then she boarded the bus.
After school, back at the Summers' house, Amy brought in a candle and set it in front of Tara on the dining room table. Tara struck a match to light the various candles in front of her. Dawn was at the other end of the table, using Buffy's laptop computer. Buffy and Katrina were standing at the end of the room, near the foyer, watching the goings-on.
"How's it going?" Katrina asked Buffy.
"Dawn's trying to find out anything that she can about the Seal of Danzalthar. Tara's about to do a locator spell, see if we can find the First." Buffy yawned.
"Why don't you go get some rest?" Katrina suggested. "You've barely slept since the attack. We'll call you if we find anything."
"Nah, I-I couldn't sleep. Too much going on."
Katrina gave her a sympathetic look. "It'll be okay, Buff. We've faced this kind of shit before."
Tara poured a sandy mixture in front of her on the table. A magical explosion sent Amy back against the wall in the corner. The bowl in front of Tara glowed red. Dawn shrieked and jumped back from the table, crawling away to hide. The red light surrounded Tara, then entered her body through her nostrils. She threw her head back, and a huge demonic apparition, with two horns on its head and glowing red eyes, escaped her mouth, lunging toward Buffy.
"Tara!" Buffy cried.
The demon went back inside Tara, and she stood, sending red lightning bolts from her mouth. The bolts were aimed at Buffy, knocking her down and sending her across the floor, on her back, into the foyer.
"You only make me stronger!" the First yelled in a deep voice.
Katrina grabbed the glowing bowl from the spell and threw it against the dining room wall, shattering it. The light disappeared, and Tara collapsed, crying and twitching. Katrina ran to check on Amy.
Buffy kneeled at Tara's side, holding her head. "Tara!"
"It's still in me. I feel it!" Tara cried.
"No, it's not. It's gone. You're okay."
"I don't want to hurt anybody. Please, Buffy, don't let it make me. Oh, Goddess!" Tara cried.
"We won't. I promise, okay?" Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. "I promise. We won't use magic to fight this thing until we know what we're doing."
"I can't. I can't. I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Buffy held Tara close and rubbed her back. "It's okay, sweetie."
Later, Tara was standing off to the side of the living room. Amy and Dawn were sitting on the couch. Buffy had her coat on, ready to leave.
Katrina was discussing the plan with her. "At least, let me come with you."
Buffy walked to the foyer. "I'm going alone."
"You said yourself that you don't know how to fight the First or even where it is."
Buffy sighed. "It's out there. It's hurting my friends. I'll find it."
"Well, at least, maybe get Sandy to go with. She's invincible."
Buffy nodded. "Good idea."
Buffy unlocked and opened the front door to leave but saw Giles standing there on her front porch when she opened it.
"Buffy."
"Giles."
"Nice place. Bit of a mess." Molly walked inside the house.
Annabelle walked by Buffy and smiled but said nothing.
Kennedy looked at Buffy. "This is a Slayer?" She looked away and sighed on her way inside the house.
Buffy stared at the girls, then looked at Giles, confused.
Giles walked inside. "Sorry to barge in. I'm afraid we have a slight...apocalypse."
A short while later, Dawn was standing in front of the three girls. The three girls were lined up against the wall, and Dawn was inspecting them, arms crossed in front of her.
"They're all Slayers?" Dawn asked Giles.
"Potential Slayers. Waiting for one to be called. There were many more like them all over the world, but, um, now, there's just a handful, and they're all on their way to Sunnydale."
Buffy gave him a dark look. "The others were murdered."
"In cold blood. As well as their Watchers. We always feared that this day would come, when there'd be an attack against not just an individual Slayer but against the whole line."
"The First. That's what it wants."
"Yes, to erase all of the Slayers-in-training and their Watchers along with their methods."
"And then Cordelia, Faith, and me. And with all of the Potentials gone and no way of making another, it's the end. No more Slayer. Ever."
Amy raised her hand. "Why would there be no way of making another?"
"Pardon?" Giles asked her.
"Well, the Slayer essence has been passed down for thousands of years, across thousands of generations of girls. Girls die. Girls age out of the system. But the essence goes on. Girls are born. Girls age into the system. If all of the Potentials are killed, what's stopping a new crop of girls from being chosen as Potential Slayers?" Amy asked.
Giles stared at her in silence for a moment. "Well, regardless, girls are being murdered."
Amy threw up her hands. "Hey, I'm not heartless; I'm just questioning the premise."
Katrina walked out of the kitchen. "I called Jenny at the high school. She knows you're back. And she's fucking pissed that you haven't contacted her."
"Did you explain the circumstances?" Giles asked her.
"Yeah."
"Well, I'll deal with that later."
Tara looked at Giles. "But we haven't found any information on the First. No documentation-"
Giles crossed his arms. "That's because it predates any written history, and it rarely shows its true face. The only record I know was in the Council Library."
"What about the Council? What do they say about this?" Amy asked him.
"Gone." Giles looked at Buffy, who stared back in shock.
"What?" Tara asked.
"Obliterated. They were in session, and, uh, there was an explosion."
"That means all of the Council's records are - are destroyed?" Amy asked.
Tara frowned at Amy, then looked at Giles. "I'm sorry."
"Thank you, Tara. Annabelle."
Annabelle unzipped her bookbag, took two books and a stack of files from it, and laid them on the coffee table, in front of Tara.
"That's what's left."
Tara, Amy, Dawn, and Buffy each took some of the new material and perused it.
"The mystic secrets of the Watchers. And whatever I could find on the First. When I learned what was happening, I-I, um, I stole them."
"Who blew the Council up?" Katrina asked him.
"Must've been an agent of the First, after my little burglary session. The knowledge contained in these files had to be protected, and there wasn't time for - for bureaucracy or debate. The Council knows no other way."
"But what do these records say about the First?" Buffy asked.
"Uh, very little. It can change form. Uh, it only appears in the guise of someone who's passed away."
Tara realized something. "Our ghosts."
"Also, it's not corporeal. It can't touch or fight on its own. It only works through those it manipulates. And its followers, the Bringers."
Kennedy looked at Buffy. "Those freaks in the black robes."
Molly nodded. "Yeah, with the hoodies and the crazy alphabet eyes. I never saw 'em; I just heard-"
"Shh!" Annabelle admonished. "Molly, Mr. Giles doesn't need us prattling on."
Giles sat on the arm of the couch. "The First is unlike anything we've faced before. I mean...there's evil, and then there's the thing that created evil, the source."
Dawn smiled. "Don't worry, I've got this. I'm obsessed with Charmed."
Everyone else stared at her.
Dawn felt embarrassed. "I'll shut up now."
"And that's what this thing claims to be?" Buffy asked Giles.
"That's what it is. It has eternities to act, endless resources." Giles stood up. "How to defeat it, I-I...honestly I don't know. But we have to find a way. If the Slayer line is eliminated, then the Hellmouth has no guardian. The balance is destroyed." He walked up to Buffy. "I'm afraid it falls to you, Buffy. Sorry. I mean...we'll do what we can, but you're the only one that has the strength to protect these girls - and the world - against what's coming."
Kennedy walked to the center of the room. "That's it? That's the plan? I don't see how one person, even a Slayer, could protect us. I saw what those Bringer guys can do. They tore apart my Watcher."
Giles looked at her. "Of course, we'll use all our resources-"
"And if this thing is the root of all evil, isn't the Hellmouth its number-one vacation spot? I mean don't you think we should be hiding our asses on the other side of the globe?" Kennedy asked him.
"Kennedy!" Annabelle yelled.
Buffy shook her head. "No, she's not wrong. We need more muscle. That's why we need to find Sunday."
"Sunday?" Giles asked.
"The Bringers kidnapped her. Probably used her blood to open something called the Seal of Danzalthar in the basement of Sunnydale High."
Giles frowned.
"But she's also a Slayer, or at least she was. Maybe she still carries the essence."
Giles nodded.
Buffy picked up the TV remote and tossed it to Giles. He caught it and looked at her, confused.
Buffy smiled. "Just checking."
In the underground cave, Sunday's head was thrust underwater, and she struggled under the force of hands that were holding her down. The Turok-Han was holding Sunday's head in a pool of water in the cave. The First was pacing behind them, supervising. Finally, Sunday stopped struggling, and the Turok-Han pulled Sunday's head out of the pool and threw her on the ground.
Lying face up on the ground, Sunday coughed out water. She looked away from the First.
On the First's command, the Turok-Han picked up Sunday and headed for the pool, forcing her head underwater again.
That night, a meeting was held in the dining room, during which everyone was brought up to speed.
"Okay, so is everyone caught up?" Giles asked.
Everyone else nodded.
Buffy smiled. "Good. So Giles and I are gonna head out and investigate-"
The doorbell rang.
Buffy looked at the others in surprise, then she walked into the foyer and looked through the peephole. She unlocked and opened the door.
Cordelia was standing on the porch, and Chloe was behind her.
Cordelia grinned. "Hey, Buffy, sorry to barge in."
"No, you're not."
"No, I'm really not."
Buffy stepped aside. "Come in."
Cordelia walked into the house, followed by Chloe.
"Who's this?" Buffy asked.
"Chloe, you made it." Giles walked into the foyer.
Cordelia nodded. "We would have been here sooner, but Harmony didn't fill up her gas tank...or change her oil...or rotate her tires."
"That's quite all right. You're here now."
Chloe looked at Buffy. "I'm Chloe Vergara-Paras, Potential Slayer and aspiring actor. Hi."
"Hi." Buffy closed and locked the door.
Chloe looked at Giles. "Are you the Watcher?"
"Yes."
"What about mine?" Chloe asked him.
"There's been no word yet. I'm sorry."
Chloe lowered her head. Cordelia put an arm around her.
Buffy thought for a moment. "Okay, uh, new plan. I'll patrol the cemetery and do a sweep of the town. Cordy, you take Giles to where you first encountered the Bringers."
Cordelia and Giles were walking side by side down a street.
"This place you originally saw the First, you say it was in a Christmas tree lot?" Giles asked.
"Under it. There was a hidden cavern. Just happened to be under a tree lot. The Bringers were doing some kind of ritual." Cordelia looked at Giles. "Giles, this is bad, isn't it? A new kind of bad."
"Just in time for Christmas."
At the Summers' house, Dawn, who was putting a pillow and blanket on the couch, was talking to Kennedy. She grabbed a stack of bed sheets and started walking toward the staircase. "Okay, so Annabelle can sleep down here, uh, Molly can sleep in my room-"
"Not if you actually want to sleep. Molly'll talk your ear off."
"Okay, then Molly down here, you with Buffy and Tara, and Annabelle in my room."
"Bad idea. Annabelle snores."
Dawn handed the sheets to Kennedy. "You wanna do the sleeping arrangements?"
Kennedy started up the stairs. "Okay." She turned to face Dawn. "You, uh, better not hog the covers." She smiled, then turned to go upstairs.
Dawn's eyes widened in shock.
Amy walked up to Dawn from the kitchen. "Does she want to eat?"
"What? Huh? Oh, she's - she's new." Dawn glanced up the stairs after Kennedy.
Amy walked back to the kitchen. Dawn followed.
"Well, Annabelle and Molly are starved, and I totally burnt the mac and cheese." Amy thought of something. "Oh, um, I'll put hot sauce on it, tell 'em it's an American thing, say it's blackened."
Dawn grinned. "Cajun mac and cheese."
Katrina was scraping the burnt macaroni and cheese out of the pot and into the garbage can. "Actually, it's not blackened as much as ruined."
Dawn looked at Amy. "Or we can order pizza."
Chloe was sitting at the island, finishing the last of the snacks that she'd brought with her. "I'm down."
Annabelle was sitting at the island, reading a book. "As long as it's plain. I'm veggie."
Molly was going through the cabinets and opened a box of cereal. "Cracked, you mean."
"Just because you'll eat any kind of trash-"
Molly found boxes of cookies on the counter. "Brill! Biscuits! You don't mind, do you? I got a case of the nerves after Mr. Giles' lecture."
Dawn opened a box of cookies. "Knock yourself out. I feel a cookie problem coming on, myself."
Dawn, Chloe, and Annabelle got into one box of cookies, and Amy, Katrina, and Molly shared another.
Cordelia and Giles walked into the empty Christmas tree lot. Lights were strung, but there were no trees there. The two of them looked around.
"So the entrance to the cave was above ground here?" Giles asked.
"Yeah, it was around here somewhere."
"Well, we'll just keep-"
Cordelia stepped on wood, which broke. She fell into the underground cave. "Aah!"
Giles turned to look.
"Found it!" Cordelia called.
Cordelia had fallen into a hole in the ground that was covered with wooden slats that gave way.
Giles put his glasses on and bent to look into the hole. "Good Lord, are you all right?"
Cordelia had landed on top of some rubble. She stood up and dusted herself off. "Peachy, except my knees bend backwards now. Okay, Giles, stay up there. I'm gonna check it out."
Cordelia walked off further into the cave.
"Right."
Cordelia walked around among the various cave formations. She looked up, she looked down, and then something passed behind Cordelia. She turned to look, but no one was behind her. When she turned back, the Turok-Han hissed in her face. Cordelia was startled, and the Turok-Han took that opportunity to punch her so hard that she flew across the room, landing against the wall and falling to the ground. He kicked and punched her with such force that her blocks were mostly ineffective.
She retreated, but he followed. Finally, she got some good offensive moves in, but he was able to avoid or block more than half of them. He punched her again, sending her rolling into another room. She got to her feet before the Turok-Han could get to her and readied herself with a stake. When he finally came close enough, she staked him right through the heart. He looked at the stake, growled, looked at Cordelia, and took out the stake. Cordelia's eyes grew wide as she stared at the Turok-Han in utter shock.
The Turok-Han punched Cordelia and came after her with her own stake. Cordelia avoided his attacks, but her back was literally against the wall. Her eyes were still wide as she watched him come after her. He punched her in the stomach and threw her against the wall. She threw a punch at him, but he caught her fist in his palm and squeezed until it made crunching sounds, then twisted her arm, then pulled her body by the arm until he slammed her head into a stalagmite, then finally grabbed her throat, squeezing, and lifted her off the ground. Cordelia winced and looked around desperately until she found a stalactite. She broke the stalactite off the cave ceiling and bashed the Turok-Han's head with it. He dropped her and fell to the ground.
While he was recovering, Cordelia made a run for it. She climbed the cave walls toward the hole where she fell in. She was almost out, her hands on the Christmas tree lot ground, when the Turok-Han grabbed her heel. Cordelia struggled against him, trying to get out of the hole, but the Turok-Han pulled her back in. There was nothing on the ground for her to grab on to to resist. She kicked the Turok-Han in the head and tried again to crawl out of the hole. She barely got out of the hole and looked up at Giles, who was backlit by the rising sun, which he blocked. The Turok-Han started to crawl out of the hole but saw the sunlight and retreated back into it.
Cordelia and Giles walked into the kitchen through the back door - only to see the three Potential Slayers already up and eating breakfast.
Kennedy was eating a bowl of cereal. "Sorry about the British invasion."
Molly was preparing toast and jelly. "We've been up for hours."
Annabelle was drinking from a mug. "Still on London time."
"Are you all right?" Kennedy asked Cordelia. "You look-"
Cordelia shut the door. "Oh. Yeah, I'm okay. I just got into a fight is all." She looked at Giles. "You want to tell me with what?" She took off her coat.
"Yes, Cordy, but don't you think we should, uh, discuss this privately?"
"You mean not in front of the next generation? No time to coddle them, Giles. Welcome to the war room, guys."
Annabelle got out a notepad to take notes.
The door opened.
Buffy walked into the kitchen from outside, yawning. "Morning, all. Cordy, you look like shit."
"Thanks. Giles was just about to tell us what I fought."
Buffy dropped her stake on the island, opened the refrigerator, and got out a storage container. She closed the refrigerator, opened the container, and took out a slice a meat lovers pizza. She started eating it cold.
Giles tried to not be distracted by Buffy's choice in breakfast. "Uh, what you fought was a vampire, but it was, um, something more than that. It was a Turok-Han. As Neanderthals are to human beings, the Turok-Han are to vampires. Primordial, ferociously powerful killing machines, as single-minded as animals. They are the vampires that vampires fear. An ancient and entirely different race, and, until this morning, I thought they were a myth."
"So the First shows up, and now this? You think it's a coincidence?" Buffy asked him.
"I think it's more likely that the Turok-Han is here as an agent of the First."
"Um, did you slay it?" Annabelle asked Cordelia.
"No, it's still out there...somewhere."
"What's it want?" Molly asked her.
"All of us dead. But for now, it looks like sunlight is keeping this Turok-Han away."
Giles looked at Cordelia. "So, until sunset, I suggest you get some rest. A few hours' sleep will do a world of difference."
"Good idea."
"That goes for you, too, Buffy."
"No sleep today. Can't."
"Oh, come on, you're exhausted."
"Uh, it comes with the gig. Somehow, I don't think taking on prehistoric evil comes with nap time. Sorry, Potential guys. I know you came a long way, and you wanna get into it, but the best thing that you can do right now is just sit tight, wait it out. I'm gonna go to work, see what I can find out. I'll be back before sunset."
"How do you plan to research something as ill-defined as the First?" Giles asked her.
"I have the best plan ever."
Buffy was sitting at her desk, using her computer. Beside her keyboard was a can of Rockstar. She had Internet Explorer open and was using Google. In the search field, she typed "evil". She hit Enter.
"Maybe the First isn't ready for modern technology."
Google displayed results 1 through 10 of 900,517. Buffy frowned, took a few gulps of Rockstar, then typed.
"Manifestations of evil?" Principal Wood asked from behind her.
Buffy typed more in the search field.
"In...the...movies. You're searching for evil movies?" Wood asked Buffy.
Buffy looked at him. "Uh, I know it's not the best use of my office hours, um, but, you know, looking at some down time. And what can I say? I just love those evil, evil movies. Like Exorcist, you know, Blair Witch..."
"Hmm. As opposed to Rob Schneider's oeuvre."
"Different kind of evil."
"Yeah." Wood walked into her cubicle. "Buffy, you know, I'm not that big a fan of scary movies, even the hokey ones. Sometimes, they go to a place that I think kids could stand to avoid." He sat in the chair in front of her desk, crossed his arms, and leaned forward on her desk.
"Well, it's not for the kids."
He looked her right in the eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'm only saying that, once you see true evil, it can have some serious after burn, and then you can't unsee what you saw. Ever. That's just one opinion. I better get back to work." He stood up and walked out of her cubicle.
"What kind of movies do you like?" Buffy asked him.
He paused and didn't turn around. "Oh, me? Mysteries. I love finding out what's underneath it all at the very end."
Sunday was propped up on a rock, beaten and haggard. One of her eyes was swollen shut. She lay there as the First stood in front of her, talking.
"There are sides. You have to choose a side, Sunday."
Sunday looked away from her, but the Turok-Han punched her in the head.
The First bent down to whisper in her ear. "Choose a side. Choose our side. You know that it's delicious." It feigned licking her face but didn't actually. "What do you say?"
Sunday spat at it. "Get fucked."
The First stood and walked away as the Turok-Han started pummeling Sunday again.
In a restroom at Sunnydale High, Buffy was washing her face in the sink. She touched a sore spot on her face, then went to inspect her arms as well. She unzipped the arm of her blazer to reveal scrapes and bruises. "Ow. Oh. Ah."
"Buffy, what happened?"
Buffy looked up and found herself in her house, talking to her mother. "Uh, oh, it's okay, Mom."
"I'll get you some ice."
"No. Mom, I-I can't."
"Buffy, you have to heal."
"I don't have time."
"Are you worried about the sun going down? Because there's some things you can't control. The sun always goes down; the sun always comes up."
"Something evil is coming."
"Buffy, evil isn't coming; it's already here. Evil is always here. Don't you know? It's everywhere."
"And I have to stop it."
"How are you gonna do that?"
"I-I don't know yet, but-"
"Buffy, evil is a part of us. All of us. It's natural. And no one can stop that. No one can stop nature, not even-"
The school bell rang, and Buffy woke up at her desk. There was a student sitting in the chair in front of her desk.
"Oh, um, I'm sorry. What were we talking about?" Buffy asked him.
"Only my life. You're just like all the others."
"No. No, no, no. I'm different."
The boy stood up to leave.
"No, don't go, uh, uh..."
"Roger."
"Roger. See? I knew that!"
Roger left.
Buffy sighed and hung her head in her hands. "Oh..."
After school, Dawn and Tara were getting weapons from the weapons chest. Giles was pacing. The Potential Slayers were sitting on the couch.
"This day's almost over." Giles looked at his watch. "And the sun will go down in seventeen minutes."
Buffy looked at the Potentials. "You'll be okay."
Tara went to stand near Buffy, holding a mace. "Um, Buffy, I just...I want you to know I'm really sorry for letting you down. You know, here before with the magic. I wish I could help out."
"No one expects you to make everything right."
Kennedy stood up and walked up to Buffy and Tara. "Hey, are we getting weapons? Trained fighters? I've heard worse ideas."
Annabelle looked at Kennedy. "We'll be armed when the Slayers feel we're ready."
Molly looked at them. "I feel ready."
Annabelle looked at Molly. "You're frightened. You must learn to control your fear."
Kennedy turned to Annabelle. "Hey, you know what would help with that?" She turned to Buffy. "Weapons."
"Uh, I don't know about that-"
"We're sitting ducks without them."
Annabelle looked at Kennedy. "We're with Slayers. Safe as houses."
Kennedy looked at Annabelle. "Do you see the house we're in?"
"It'll come straight for us, won't it?" Annabelle asked.
Buffy looked at Giles. "We should load them up, Giles."
A short while later, Buffy was looking out the window, and she turned to speak to Giles as he walked up to her.
"How're we doing on time?" Buffy asked him.
"Sunset should be any minute now. Done everything we can. And don't worry, everyone here understands that you're calling the shots."
"I just hope I'm calling the right ones."
"You have all my faith. And they're depending on you."
"Giles, that's not exactly what I needed to hear right now."
Molly entered the room. "Guys? Annabelle split."
Buffy and Cordelia looked at each other.
Buffy frowned. "I'll go after her. You protect them."
Cordelia nodded.
Buffy found her way to an industrial manufacturing complex. She walked past a dumpster and saw Annabelle's body laying still on the ground.
Buffy was upset, taking a moment to contemplate the situation, when the Turok-Han attacked her from behind, knocking her to the ground. Buffy crawled away to crouch beside the dumpster. She looked at the Turok-Han and then got up to fight with it. She kicked; he ducked. She punched; he blocked. He punched her in the face, then in the stomach, and Buffy fell to the ground face first. He picked her up and tried to choke her, but she spit blood in his face, startling him, and Buffy managed to escape his clutches. She ran away to the nearby factory.
Buffy ran into the factory and looked around for somewhere to hide. She was not making a fast flight, since she was limping.
She went deeper into the building, which was very industrial in nature with many vertical metal pipes and valves. The Turok-Han had followed her to the building and was looking for her. She surprised it by coming from behind it and smacking it in the head with a large metal pipe, but she didn't even manage to knock him down. They fought, and he wrestled the pipe from her hand when she swung it at him again. He threw the pipe to the ground, and they returned to martial arts.
He punched her, and she bent over at the waist. He kicked her in the chest, sending her crashing into a metal support beam. He came at her again, and she dropped to the ground to avoid his fist. She stood up, and he punched and kicked her, finally causing her to double over in pain as he punched her ribs. He punched her in the head, sending her to the ground again. He picked her up, backhanded her in the face, then punched her so hard that she flew twenty-five feet across the room.
He ran toward her, but she looked around and noticed a pulley hoisting a pallet of metal beams. Buffy kicked a control lever for the pulley, sending the beams crashing on top of the Turok-Han as he came towards her. Still lying on the ground, Buffy hid her face as they landed. She got up and ran away slowly, still limping, but stopped and turned around. Her eyes widened as she saw the Turok-Han rising from the pile of metal beams, unhurt. He leaped out of the rubble and sprinted after her.
He caught up to her, grabbing her from behind and throwing her into a concrete wall. She stepped back, still standing, as the Turok-Han crawled up the wall to gain momentum and height to kick her in the face, knocking Buffy to the ground. Then he kicked her in the head again before grabbing her arm and throwing Buffy through a concrete block wall. The wall crumbled down on top of her, the roof caved in, and Buffy lost consciousness.
In Minden, Louisiana, Shannon walked into the kitchen of her parents' bungalow after returning home from work.
Her father was sitting at the kitchen table. So was Reverend Baker of Lifewater Immersion Gracepoint Church of Christ. The reverend was an overweight, middle-aged balding man with graying hair.
"Reverend Baker, what are you doing here?" Shannon asked, surprised.
"He's here, because I have my suspicions about you." Aaron stared at his daughter. "So we're gonna check is what we're gonna do."
Shannon frowned. "Daddy, I'm a virgin, I swear."
"Well, we'll see, won't we? Too many times comin' home late. Pull down your pants and get up on the table."
Shannon hesitated for a moment, then she unbuttoned and unzipped her blue jeans and pulled them down. She pulled down her panties as well. Then she climbed up on the table, dangling her legs over the side.
"Spread 'em."
Shannon spread her legs. Aaron shoved his index finger into his daughter's pussy and started poking around. Shannon squirmed and looked up at the ceiling.
"You little bitch." Aaron pulled out his finger and looked at Baker. "Reverend Baker, please confirm this lying cunt ain't no virgin."
Reverend Baker slid his index finger into Shannon's pussy. Shannon cried out.
"Confirmed. She's a whore."
Aaron stood up and backhanded Shannon across the face. Shannon cried out.
"You fuckin' whore!" Aaron screamed. "When'd you give it up?! And to who?! I demand answers!"
Shannon stared at her father in hatred. "Go fuck yourself, asshole! I've had enough of this shit!"
Aaron punched his daughter in the face. Shannon fell back, hitting her head on the table.
"I think the good reverend oughta learn ya a lesson."
Reverend Baker stood up and unfastened his belt. "It is the duty of women to be subservient to men in all things."
"Mom!" Shannon yelled.
"Shut up, whore! Your mom ain't here!" Aaron yelled. "Go to it, Rev."
Reverend Baker unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. Shannon tried to back away, but Aaron picked up a full beer bottle by the neck and started hitting Shannon with it. Reverend Baker pulled down his pants and underwear at the same time, then he climbed up on the table.
"No, please, don't!" Shannon begged.
Reverend Baker forcibly kissed Shannon on the lips to silence her, then he forced his semi-erect penis between her legs and penetrated her pussy.
Shannon managed to break the kiss. "Mom! Mom!!! Please, somebody help me!!!"
Aaron punched her in the side of the head, and Reverend Baker continued raping her.
In the blackness, Buffy could hear Tara's voice. "Buffy!"
Tara and Amy lifted off part of the metal roof that had fallen on top of Buffy, revealing her body lying there, still, on the ground in a pile of rubble, her face covered in blood. Katrina was also there. They all stared at Buffy's beaten body.
Katrina sighed. "Oh, God almighty."
Amy nodded. "C'mon, let's get her to a hospital."
Tara and Katrina crouched down and lifted Buffy up.
Tara started crying. "It's gonna be okay, sweetie. We're gonna get you to the hospital."
Buffy moaned in pain. "No...No hospital."
"But-"
"I'll...heal. Can't stay in a public place at night..."
Tara, Amy, and Katrina looked at each other in concern.
A frowning First was talking to Sunday, who was lying face up on a rock.
"Do you know why you're alive?"
Sunday didn't answer.
"You're alive for one reason and one reason only. Because I wish it. Do you know why I wish it? Because I'm not done with you."
"Give it up."
The First rolled her eyes and turned away.
"Whatever you are, whatever you get away with, I'm out. You can't control me."
The First snapped back to face Sunday. "And what makes you think you have a choice? What makes you think you will ever be any good at all in this world?"
"Because there are people that believe in me. And because I really don't wanna give you what you want." Sunday spat out blood. "Now, fuck off."
Shannon had endured hours of rape from both men. She lay on the kitchen table, a beaten, bloody mess, her naked body covered in cum and sweat. All ability and desire to do anything was long gone. Now, she could do nothing but listen as her father and her pastor sat, drank beer and moonshine, and laughed.
Reverend Baker laughed. "Yes, indeed, blessed is he who cums in the name of the Lord."
Aaron laughed. "Amen!"
"Hallelujah!" Reverend Baker exclaimed.
Shannon stared straight up at the ceiling. She didn't want to see them, even if she could turn her head.
"So whadaya think? Should we take the bitch for another drive?" Aaron asked Reverend Baker.
"Sure, but I wanna take the ass this time."
"It sure is tight, but I think I've loosened it enough for you, Rev. Okay, let's go for it."
The next thing that Shannon felt was her father's hand tilting her head to the side and her father's flaccid dick pressed against her mouth.
"C'mon, bitch, suck it. Make it nice and hard."
"A...lex..."
"Whassat?" Aaron pulled his dick out of his daughter's mouth. "The fuck you say?"
Shannon gathered the remainder of her strength. "Alex!!! Aleeex!!! Come in!!! Help me!!!"
She wasn't exactly sure what happened next. She heard glass shatter. Her father's penis disappeared from her view. Screams. Then silence. She didn't care. She blacked out.
Buffy was curled up in the chair in the living room, listening to the others talk. She was beaten up quite badly, her face bruised, but Tara had cleaned up the blood, and she was feeling her Slayer healing powers at work within her. She stared straight ahead as she listened. Cordelia, Dawn, Amy, Katrina, Tara, Kennedy, Chloe, and Molly were sitting around the dining room table. Jenny leaned against a wall.
Giles was pacing. "We could make plans as we always do, but the truth is...we're back at square one. The First predates everything we've ever known - or can know. It's everywhere. It's pure. I don't know if we can fight it."
Buffy stood up and walked into the dining room, and everyone turned to look.
"You're right. We don't know how to fight it. We don't know when it'll come. We can't run, can't hide, can't pretend it's not the end, 'cause it is. Something's always been there to try to destroy the world. We've beaten them back, but we're not dealing with them anymore. We're dealing with the reason that they exist. Evil. The strongest. The First."
Giles frowned. "Buffy, I-I-I know you're tired."
"I'm beyond tired. I'm beyond scared. I'm standing on the Mouth of Hell, and it is gonna swallow me whole. And it'll choke on me. We're not ready? They're not ready. They think we're gonna wait for the end to come, like we always do. I'm done waiting. They want an apocalypse? Oh, we'll give 'em one. Anyone else that wants to run, do it now. 'Cause we just became an army. We just declared war. From now on, we won't just face our worst fears; we will seek them out. We will find them and cut out their fucking hearts, one by one, until the First shows itself for what it really is. And I'll kill it myself. There is only one thing on this Earth more powerful than evil, and that's us." Buffy paused. "Any questions?"
Before anyone could answer, the doorbell rang.
Buffy looked at the others, then she walked into the foyer and looked through the peephole. She unlocked and opened the door.
Vi, Eve, and Caridad were standing on the porch.
"Are you Buffy Summers?" Caridad asked.
"Yeah."
"We need your help!" Vi exclaimed.
"Please don't let us die!" Eve begged.
Buffy stepped aside, letting the frightened girls into her house.
Chapter 138: Showtime
Chapter Text
"Showtime"
Based on the Episode Written by David Fury
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
Buffy arrived at the bus stop near the Bronze. She couldn't find the person that she was looking for. Then she looked over at the nearby pay phone. She spotted a young African-American girl, wearing denim overalls and carrying a backpack. Buffy saw a black-robed, hooded, eyeless man approaching the girl. She dropped the phone book and turned to run, but two more Bringers came toward her with knives in their hands. She backed up against a wall, panicked and breathing heavily, and sunk down to the ground.
Just then, Buffy lifted the pair of Bringers off the ground and threw them to the ground. The third Bringer ran away while the two that Buffy attacked came back for more. One lunged at her with his knife, but Buffy grabbed his hand and stabbed the other Bringer with the knife that he was holding. The stabbed Bringer doubled over in pain, and Buffy kicked him to the ground. Buffy continued to wrestle with the other Bringer, ultimately breaking his neck.
Buffy then saw the one that started running away. "Hey!" She bent to pick up a Bringer's knife at her feet. "Try picking on someone your own size."
Buffy hurled the knife at the fleeing Bringer, landing it in his back, stabbing him through the heart. He fell to the ground, dead.
Buffy walked up to the girl, who was still cowering on the ground. "Rona, right?"
Rona nodded.
"I just got word that you were arriving." Buffy offered Rona a hand to help her up.
Rona took Buffy's hand and stood up. "You're her!"
"Her is me."
Rona was still out of breath, looking around the street. "You know, I thought, uh..." She paused. "They told me I'd be safe here."
"Right. Well, you are. I mean you will be...safer...with me around."
"That's good."
Buffy started to walk away. "Next time you're attacked-"
Rona followed Buffy, panicked. "Whoa, whoa, next time? You saying I'm gonna get attacked again?"
"Welcome to the Hellmouth."
The next morning, at daybreak, in Dawn's bedroom, Dawn was tossing and turning in a sleeping bag on the floor.
Kennedy was lying on the foot of the bed, with one arm bent at the elbow, propping her head up on her hand. "You don't have to do this. Flooring it. In the bag. 'Cause..." She patted the bed behind her. "...nice, big, comfy bed right here. I mean you ought to know. Your bed."
Dawn was wide-eyed and stiff, lying on her back. "Yeah, but no. I'm okay. I just...I like it down here." She patted the sleeping bag. "It's firm."
Kennedy chuckled. "Funny, you look a little uncomfortable. Or...is it just me?"
"No. I'm just, uh, uneasy, 'cause Buffy's out."
"Right. How many girls arriving this time?"
"Just one. But since Jenny has the coven searching for other Slayers-in-waiting to send 'em our way, I bet we'll be seeing a lot more soon enough."
Kennedy moved the arm that was propping her head, flipped her long hair, and snuggled her face into her pillow, still looking at Dawn. "So you're saying I should enjoy having this bed all to myself as long as I can?"
"It is starting to get crowded around here."
Kennedy propped her head on her hand again. "Totally. And with this many girls, well, I'm just saying, if we don't get another bathroom in this house soon, things are gonna get ugly."
"Sounds like somebody had to share mirror time with a bunch of siblings."
"Somebody not me. I only got a half-sister, and we didn't have to share. Her bedroom was in another wing of the house."
Dawn stared at her. "Wing? Your house had wings?"
"Yeah. Just a couple. A few. Our summer home in the Hamptons didn't have any at all. Well, one, actually."
"Huh. Well, that's - that's...huh."
"But never mind my deal. What's your story, Dawn?"
Dawn shrugged. "Sister of the Slayer. That's about the it. Tara and Amy are much more interesting."
"Witchcraft?" Kennedy asked, skeptical. "Wow, that sounds New-Agey."
"No, it's safe to say that what we practice is definitely old-agey."
Kennedy and Dawn looked at Tara, standing in the open doorway.
Kennedy nodded. "So show me a trick."
"A trick?"
"You know, pull a rabbit out of something or make something float."
"Uh, yeah, listen, Kennedy, that's...not what we do. Magic is a tool, a help. It's not to be trifled with."
Kennedy frowned. "Bo-ring."
Tara ignored the remark. "Breakfast is ready when you are."
Downstairs, in the living room, Cordelia was lying on the couch, trying to sleep. Molly was sitting in the chair. Chloe, Caridad, Eve, and Vi were all lined up on the floor, in front of her, lying in sleeping bags on their bellies, heads propped up on their elbows, looking intently at her.
"Annabelle was all 'Control your fear, control your fear.' Meanwhile, she's the one that goes scampering off, right into that Turok-Han vampire. Poor Annie."
"Great, so one of the Slayers that's supposed to protect us let her get killed?" Eve asked.
"She didn't let her. Annabelle was foolish. Buffy can't be faulted by arriving too late."
Chloe sat up. "It's not like she could've stopped it. I mean the super vampire fucked her up pretty good."
Vi sat up. "No shit, she still looked like a big bruise when we got here, and that was already, like, a few hours after."
"And why isn't she back yet?" Eve asked. "Buffy. She left to get the new girl over an hour ago."
Molly looked down contemplatively.
Caridad looked at Chloe. "Maybe she ran into trouble."
Vi shrugged.
Eve frowned. "You don't think she was too late again."
Molly looked at her. "Maybe-"
"Maybe we can save the maybes for a more dayish part of the day, girls." Cordelia adjusted her position.
The front door opened. Buffy walked in, followed by Rona.
Buffy closed and locked the door. "You guys are all still up?"
Cordelia sat up and put on a fake smile. "Ah! Who needs sleep?" She raised her hand.
Buffy slapped her five. "Everybody, this is Rona." She gestured to Rona.
The others greeted Rona. Rona, with her arms crossed, surveyed the room.
"Molly, why don't you show our new houseguest where the kitchen is?" Buffy suggested. "I'm sure she's hungry after her travels."
Molly, holding a bag of potato chips, stood up. "Fair enough. I'm a bit peckish meself." She walked toward the kitchen.
Rona looked at Buffy. "Bit what as well?"
"That's English for hungry."
Rona followed Molly. "Oh, here I thought hungry was English for hungry."
Tara walked out of the kitchen and looked at Buffy. "Everything all right?"
"She had a welcoming committee."
"So the First knows Potential Slayers are making their way here?" Cordelia asked her.
The three women looked at each other in uncertainty.
A while later, while sitting at her desk at Sunnydale High, Buffy was on the phone with Giles at the Magic Box.
"I must warn the coven to be cautious."
"The First's always gonna be one step ahead of us, Giles. I need to know how to stop it. No, not stop it, hurt it. I want to hurt it really bad. Tell me how."
"I-I don't know, Buffy. I've exhausted all the sources I have left with little result. The Watchers' records are still really all we have to go on."
"What about the Turok-Han? We know stakes don't kill it, but anything in those ancient books about what does? Sunlight, fire, germs?" Buffy asked.
"I'm sorry, there's nothing."
Buffy sighed. "So, Giles, with that thing guarding the entrance to the First's crib, how will I get to Sunday? There's no way that we'll be able to help Sunday until that thing is out of the way."
The door opened, and Kennedy, Eve, Chloe, Caridad, and Vi walked into the room.
"Buffy?" Eve asked.
"Just a minute, Chloe."
Chloe pointed at herself. "I'm Chloe." She pointed at Eve. "She's Eve."
"It's just, well, we've been talking, and do we have some kind of plan? You know, any kind of plan to keep us from dying?" Eve asked Buffy.
Buffy sighed. "We're working on it."
"Buffy, I can tell you're busy. How about I call you back when I actually have something?" Giles suggested.
Buffy sighed. "Fine." She hung up the handset. Then she saw the five Potential Slayers looking at her expectantly. "What?"
"What's the plan?" Kennedy asked, frustrated.
"If there even is one. Is there?" Vi asked Buffy.
Buffy sighed. "Girls, when we have a plan, you'll be the first to know. Well, not really, but you know what I mean. Where's Rona and Molly? They didn't wanna come with?"
Kennedy shrugged. "Rona was like 'What's the point? Honk bitch-ass motherfucker ain't gonna help me.'"
Buffy raised her eyebrows.
"Her words, not mine."
Caridad chuckled. "And Molly's a nerd. She elected to stay in class and learn."
Buffy smiled. "That's actually an excellent idea. Go back to class, guys."
Kennedy rolled her eyes. She and the other Potentials turned and left the room.
Amanda was on the other side of the door and had to wait for them to leave before she could enter.
Buffy smiled. "Hi, Amanda."
"Hi." Amanda jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "You were counseling five kids at once?"
Buffy nodded. "In a sense."
Amanda sat down in front of Buffy's desk. "Didn't they all transfer here at about the same time, last month?"
Buffy nodded. "Just before Christmas break. I enrolled them."
Amanda gave Buffy a questioning look.
"I took them in due to emergency circumstances. I'm basically their court-appointed legal guardian for the foreseeable future." Buffy shrugged. "Well, me and four other people."
"You've got five teenage girls staying at your house?" Amanda asked in surprise.
"Seven, actually." Buffy smiled awkwardly. "It's...not as creepy as it sounds. I'm surprised that Dawn hasn't mentioned them to you."
Amanda thought about it. "Well, she did mention 'squatter cunts' that had taken over her house." She laughed. "I suppose that's them."
"Uh-huh. Did you...come in here for anything in particular?" Buffy asked.
"Oh. Right. Do you think you could write a note excusing me from gym?" Amanda requested.
"I'm...not sure. Why?"
"Well, lately, I've been the target of unwanted teasing from a guy that keeps hitting me in the head with a basketball. Which I know doesn't mean he 'likes me'; it's just abuse."
Buffy nodded. "Good girl."
"Anyway, excusing me from gym would be good for my mental health - and his physical." Amanda grinned. "See, I kicked his ass yesterday."
Buffy forced a smile. "I...see."
Sunday, still beaten and scarred from her torture by the First, had her back to the rocky surface of the cave. She was chained upright to the rocky cave wall, her wrists shackled.
A Bringer came toward Sunday with a knife in hand. As the Bringer lunged at Sunday with the knife, Sunday shifted her body weight from her feet to her hands as she lifted her legs up and used her feet to break the neck of the Bringer. Sunday felt strong and energetic. Another Bringer approached her, wielding a fiery torch, and Sunday ripped her hands free of her shackles, ducking the torch as the Bringer swung it at her. Sunday kicked the Bringer, knocking him out, then started to run out of the cave. As she got halfway through the passageway, she saw someone ahead, walking toward her. She considered going back but paused to see who it was. It was Nancy, sweetly smiling at her. Sunday smiled and leaned forward-
Sunday's head fell forward as the First addressed her. She was still shackled to the cave wall.
The First paced in front of her. "Dreaming of her again, aren't you? Your sweet Nancy. Poor Sunday." It stopped pacing. "I'm sorry, Sunday. But you need to accept this: you're alone. You need to let go. I promise, soon, it'll all be-"
Sunday's eyes were closed, and she was muttering to herself: "They will come for me. They will come for me. They will come for me..."
After school, the Potential Slayers were training in the back room of the Magic Box. There was equipment there for them to use and ample space for working out. Vi and Caridad were stretching. Molly was juggling stakes. Kennedy was holding the punching bag for Chloe. Rona and Eve were standing on the sidelines, watching them.
Eve shrugged. "What - What are we all doing here?"
Kennedy looked at her. "It's called training. Didn't your Watcher ever teach you the word?"
Rona shrugged. "I never had a Watcher. I only just found out what I was - or what I might be - after those crazy-ass monks came after me."
"I meant why are we all bothering?" Eve asked. "It's not like we can make a difference."
Kennedy rolled her eyes.
"We've gotta try. We gotta keep our reflexes sharp." Molly dropped a stake.
Kennedy nodded. "We have to be ready. If something comes down-"
Chloe shook her head. "No, something's already come down."
Eve nodded. "She's right. And what the fuck are we supposed to do about it? I mean I've never seen a real vampire in my whole life, much less slayed one."
Vi stopped stretching. "I've seen one."
The other girls turned to look at her.
"Well, my Watcher once showed me a photograph of one." Vi paused. "A blurry photograph."
Eve gestured toward her. "That's what I'm saying. Not one of us is remotely prepared to be activated as a new chosen one."
Kennedy shrugged, confident. "I feel pretty prepared."
Rona looked at the others. "Excuse the newness of me, but, uh, just so I understand, if a Slayer dies-"
"Well, when the Slayer dies. I mean nobody lives forever, right?" Eve asked.
"Then one of us-"
"Gets activated. Uh-huh."
Molly looked at Eve. "I prefer called."
Vi was confused. "But there's more than one Slayer."
Eve shrugged. "No matter how many there are, one of us is gonna be the next Slayer - with the weight of the world on her shoulders."
Caridad chuckled. "Or at least the local town."
Chloe shook her head. "It won't be me. I mean...not now. I mean...I'm too young."
Kennedy looked at her. "Doesn't work that way. In fact, the younger, the better. In fact, I'm starting to think it might be too late for me."
Eve looked at Kennedy. "Never too late. Cordelia was called at twenty-one. It could be anyone. Especially since there's so few of us left. They'll just run through each one of us, one after the other. Kinda creepy, huh? All we do is wait around for each other to die. Just my personal opinion, but I don't think the Slayers can protect us from the First."
Jenny walked into the training room. "That kind of talk isn't helping."
Eve looked at her. "But the First Evil-"
"It cannot be fought; it cannot be killed. The First Evil has been and always will be. Since before the universe was born, long after there is nothing else, it will go on. Yes. Correct."
Giles walked into the back room. "I refuse to believe that. There must be some way to destroy it."
Jenny looked at him. "What, am I talking to myself here? There's no way." She looked at the Potentials. "The point that I was getting to is humanity survives despite evil, but it's not guaranteed, but what is guaranteed is the First literally can't touch any of you; it needs others to do its dirty work. If it's flesh of this Earth, it can be destroyed; we just have to figure out how. Have faith in the Slayers."
"If the First has been around for all time, then why hasn't it attempted something like this before? Why now?" Giles asked.
Jenny looked at him and shrugged. "Why do all of the baddies take turns attacking one week at a time instead of ganging up on us all at once? Why are most major battles timed to the end of the school year? Who knows? Who fucking cares?" She looked at the Potentials. "C'mon, we'll drive you home."
That evening, at the Summers' house, the Potential Slayers were sitting around the dining room table, eating dinner. Buffy was standing at the head of the table, and Tara was standing at the end opposite her. Cordelia, Dawn, Amy, and Katrina stood nearby.
Vi looked at the others. "We should run."
"And go where, Vi?" Kennedy asked.
Dawn looked at Vi. "Annabelle ran. Look where it got her."
Buffy nodded. "Safer in than out."
"How can you be sure?" Molly asked.
All of the girls started talking over one another.
"Hey!" Buffy yelled.
The girls stopped talking.
"Look, I know you're all scared. You know what? I am, too, but we need to stick together, okay? We're stronger that way. We cannot afford to fall apart now."
Katrina looked at her. "Buff, the sun's down. If the Ubervamp's on its way, a plan'd be good right about now."
Cordelia had a vision. "It is on its way."
Buffy looked at Tara and Amy. "Tara, Amy-"
Tara nodded. "We know."
Amy nodded. "We need a barrier."
"A major one. Something tells me that this vampire doesn't need an invite to get into the house. Can you do it?"
Tara hesitated. "We'll try."
"Try?" Rona asked.
Buffy glared at her. "You heard her."
"And what if that doesn't work? What if that monster gets through?" Chloe asked.
Buffy shrugged. "Then we'll deal."
"Deal? Fight, you mean. How are we supposed to do that?" Rona asked.
"And with what?" Vi asked.
"With whatever it takes!" Kennedy looked at Buffy. "Right?"
Molly looked at Buffy. "Buffy, you fought the Turok-Han, and it almost killed you."
Chloe nodded. "And you're a real Slayer."
"Wh-What chance do we have?" Rona asked.
Molly looked at Cordelia. "Honestly, you staked that thing, and it didn't die."
Dawn looked at Molly. "No, but that doesn't-"
Vi frowned. "Maybe it can't be killed."
"That mean we shouldn't try?" Dawn asked her.
Rona sighed. "There's that word again."
Kennedy looked at her. "Hey, it's a good word."
"Give up. Can we do that?" Chloe asked. "Surrender, I mean, so it won't kill us."
Eve frowned. "We're sittin' ducks."
Caridad looked at all of them. "We should haul ass to a military installation or something."
Kennedy looked at all of them. "Come on, we're all Potential Slayers. You know how to fight even if you don't know how you know it."
Vi looked at her. "Fighting's one thing. Winning's another."
Chloe was afraid. "I don't want to die."
Kennedy frowned. "We can whine like little cunts, or we can get off our asses and fight..."
While the girls went on about this, Buffy just stared straight ahead at Tara with her arms crossed. Tara, can you hear me?
Tara looked at Buffy. Yeah.
Amy? Trina? Cordy?
Amy looked at Buffy. Yeah.
Katrina looked at Buffy. Yeah.
Cordelia looked at Buffy. Yeah.
We're losing them. We can't let that happen. I have an idea. Follow me. Buffy walked into the kitchen.
Tara followed her. Amy and Katrina followed them. Cordelia brought up the rear.
Buffy, Tara, Cordelia, Amy, and Katrina stood around, looking at each other, concerned, while they listened to the girls bicker in the other room.
Buffy looked at the others. I gotta slay the Neandervamp to get Sunday outta that cave, but I need those girls to see me do it.
Cordelia looked at her. By yourself? I can help. If we team up-
No. They need to see a single person is able to kill one of these things by herself.
Tara looked at Buffy. I get it, but this isn't the best venue for a smackdown.
Katrina smiled. I know just the place. Construction site for the new public library.
Buffy nodded. Good. Amy, I need you to set up a magical barrier around the house but let it fall at a crucial moment.
Amy nodded. Got it.
Later, Dawn was peering out the living room window. Molly and Chloe were on the couch, beside her, also looking out. Outside, Bringers were encircling the house.
Dawn frowned. "There's more of them now."
Katrina walked into the room. "And two more out back."
"Why aren't they doing anything, attacking?" Molly asked.
"They don't want in. They're here to make sure we don't get out." Buffy turned to the other window, where Cordelia, Eve, Caridad, Rona, Vi, and Kennedy were looking outside. "Rona." She held up a sword.
Rona came to Buffy and took the sword. "Like this'll do any good. I mean what's the point?"
Kennedy pointed to the tip of Rona's sword. "It's this end right here. Just stick that in the bad guys. Any more questions?" She went to the weapons chest and took out a crossbow. "This'll do me."
"Are you sure you know how to use it?" Buffy asked her.
Kennedy practiced loading and shooting the unloaded weapon. "Since I was eight."
Buffy handed her a quiver of bolts.
Dawn was still watching out the window. "Guys? Something's happening."
Rona looked out and saw the Turok-Han approaching the house. "Oh, my God!"
Buffy frowned. "Here it comes."
The Turok-Han walked toward Buffy's front door, growling.
Tara and Amy walked in from the kitchen.
Cordelia looked at them. "Please tell me that you've got something."
Tara gave a weak smile. "We hope so."
Amy looked at everyone. "Gather around, people."
Everyone else in the living room gathered around Amy. The Turok-Han was beating on the door, trying to enter the house.
Amy concentrated. "Caerimonia Minerva, saepio, saepire, saepsi."
Buffy frowned. "Amy-"
The Turok-Han finally broke the door down.
Amy finished the spell as her eyes went black. "Saepio impedimentum!"
A barrier went up, keeping the Turok-Han at bay.
Chloe smiled. "It's working."
Vi frowned. "For the moment."
Buffy frowned. "Amy-"
Amy frowned. "It's - It's strong."
Dawn frowned. "It's hurting her."
Katrina took hold of Amy's hand. "Hang on, Amy."
Amy shook her head. "I don't know."
Dawn frowned. "She can't hold it."
"What do we do? What do we do?" Rona asked, panicking.
Buffy looked at the others. "Run. Everybody run."
As the Turok-Han continued to try to penetrate the barrier, everyone ran out the back door of the house - except for Buffy and Amy, who stayed to the very last possible moment.
Cordelia led the gang outside, into the backyard, going after the Bringers with battle ax in hand. Kennedy used her crossbow to take out a few of the Bringers herself. Hand-to-hand combat ensued as Cordelia fought a Bringer, but the Bringer overpowered her and took the battle ax away from her. Just as the Bringer was about to slice Cordelia, Caridad stabbed the Bringer from behind. Cordelia took her ax back from it.
Finally, the magical barrier inside the house fell, and the Turok-Han ran outside after them.
"Come on!" Buffy yelled to Amy.
Buffy and Amy ran off after the others.
The Potential Slayers, Dawn, Tara, Cordelia, Katrina, Amy, and Buffy ran up the street, away from Buffy's house. They stopped to talk.
Cordelia looked over her shoulder. "Okay, no Bringers following."
"Where is the Turok-Han?" Tara asked.
Buffy looked at her. "Right behind us. Time to split up."
Molly panicked. "Split up? We're splittin' up? Is that wise?"
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Cordy, take everyone and find a safe location."
Katrina looked at Cordelia. "I know a place."
"What are you gonna do?" Dawn asked Buffy.
"Gonna try to slow the Turok down. Lead him away from you guys. Get him to chase me."
"Buffy, you can't take that thing on yourself."
Kennedy looked at Buffy. "I'll stay."
"No! Cordy, Trina, take everyone to a safe location. Get 'em out of here. Now!" Buffy yelled.
Everyone but Buffy and Dawn followed Katrina.
Tara ran back over and touched Dawn's arm. "Have to go, Dawnie."
Dawn grudgingly went with Tara. Buffy faced the Turok-Han, who was now on the street, facing her as in a standoff. Buffy took a running leap towards it, kicking it in the chest. It didn't even move, but Buffy fell to the ground. As the Turok-Han came closer to her, Buffy took a bottle of holy water out of her pocket. When the Turok-Han was within arm's reach, Buffy smashed the bottle in its face, causing it to roar and retreat. Buffy stood, but it grabbed her by the throat and shoved her into a car window, shattering it. The holy water burned the Turok-Han's face but didn't appear to have slowed it down any. Buffy ran away, expecting the Turok-Han to give chase. Buffy turned around to see if it was still behind her, but it was gone.
At a construction site, Cordelia was climbing down scaffolding, still carrying her battle ax. "Come on, people, we gotta move."
Dawn was also climbing down the scaffolding. "I'm moving. Climbing's not my thing."
"Is falling your thing?" Cordelia asked her. "'Cause if you don't pick up the pace, I'm gonna come up there and drop your ass."
"Way to keep up morale in a crisis." Dawn jumped to the ground. "No wonder Buffy's the leader."
Everyone else was climbing down the scaffolding, too.
Rona sighed. "Some leader."
Chloe grunted. "This is crazy."
"You got that right." Rona looked at Katrina. "What are we doing down here?"
Katrina frowned. "Quieter. Faster."
They reached the ground. The crew followed Katrina around the site to a big, open area.
"Where are we?" Molly asked Katrina.
"Future site of the new public library, opening in October."
"You call this a safe location?" Rona asked Katrina.
Vi spread her arms. "It's the middle of nothing."
Cordelia frowned. "This'll do. Okay, everyone. Spread out; take positions. And don't make a sound."
"That's the plan? Spread out?" Rona asked. "That thing is gonna kill Buffy, and then it's gonna come after us. For all we know, it's killing her right now."
Kennedy stared. "Or it could just skip that part and come straight here."
Everyone turned to follow her gaze and saw the Turok-Han had found them, and he was growling. The Turok-Han walked menacingly toward them. Kennedy loaded her crossbow and prepared to fight. Cordelia raised her battle ax. The others walked up behind them.
Chloe stared at the Turok-Han. "Oh, no, no, no, no..."
Suddenly, the flood lights came on, and everyone turned to look. Buffy was standing there, arms crossed, on a ledge overlooking the open area.
"Buffy?" Dawn asked.
"What's she doing?" Molly asked.
Kennedy aimed her crossbow at the Turok-Han.
Amy waved her off. "Just watch. It's showtime."
Cordelia led the group away from the open area. They climbed the scaffolding and watched.
Buffy looked at the Turok-Han. "Looks good, doesn't it? They're trapped in here. Terrified. Meat for the beast, and there's nothing that they can do but wait." She somersaulted down into the open area. "That's all that they've been doing for days." She walked toward the Turok-Han. "Waiting to be picked off. Having nightmares about monsters that can't be killed. But I don't believe in that. I always find a way. I'm the thing that monsters have nightmares about. And right now, you and me are gonna show 'em why. It's time. Welcome to Thunderdome."
The Turok-Han came for Buffy. She was able to hold her own against it for a moment, but soon she was being beaten back. The onlookers grimaced as the Turok-Han dealt harsh blows to Buffy. Still, she managed to get in an offensive move here and there, punching and kicking it between its own moves.
Dawn, standing between Amy and Katrina, was watching the fight. "This - you planned this. Letting the barrier fail, bringing us here, you and Buffy."
Buffy was still fighting the Turok-Han. It punched Buffy to the ground, but she got back up to fight more. It threw her about twenty feet away, and she landed on the scaffolds, knocking the crossbow out of Kennedy's hands. Buffy picked up the weapon and aimed it at the Turok-Han and fired as it ran toward her, hitting it right in the heart. It paused for only a moment, then came at her again.
Buffy grabbed a nearby pipe from the scaffolding and used it as a staff. She then used it to propel herself away from the fight, but the Turok-Han was right behind her. She grabbed a pickaxe and swung it at the Turok-Han, but it ducked and pushed her into the wall of the construction office trailer. Buffy fell to the ground, and the Turok-Han disarmed her before throwing her back toward the center of the open area. It punched her again and again. She fell into a pile of cinder blocks but picked one up to throw at the Turok-Han, but it crushed it before she could throw it. It punched her again and kicked her under some scaffolding before throwing her a dozen feet into the air, through the scaffold platform. Buffy managed to stay on the platform, and the Turok-Han scaled the scaffolding to get to her. He grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground and choking her as she struggled against him.
Rona frowned. "It's killing her."
Molly frowned. "We have to do something."
"Wait!" Cordelia yelled.
Buffy reached down, grabbed the arrow in the Turok-Han's chest, pulled it out, and jabbed its eye. It roared and dropped Buffy. While it was dealing with its injury, Buffy started punching it and kicked it to the ground, where it landed in a pile of cinder blocks and boards. Weakly, it tried to punch her back, but she kept punching and kicking it until finally she could bang its head into the metal scaffolding. Buffy grabbed some nearby barbed wire and slipped it around the Turok-Han's throat. It fell to the ground, and Buffy pulled on it hard enough to sever its head. The Turok-Han's body fell in front of her.
Buffy looked up at the others. "See? Dead. Just like the rest of 'em. I don't know what's coming next, but I do know it's gonna be just like this. Hard. Painful. But in the end, it's gonna be us. If we all do our parts, believe it, we'll be the ones left standing."
Buffy walked away as the Potential Slayers watched her. Kennedy smiled; the other girls looked at each other. They all followed Buffy out of the construction site.
Still shackled to the rocky cave wall, Sunday saw two figures walking toward her.
Sunday scoffed. "A knife now, is it?"
Cut and bruised Buffy was standing before her, holding a Bringer's knife in her hand. To her right stood Nancy. Buffy approached Sunday slowly and cut her loose of her tethers. Sunday collapsed forward and braced herself with her hand on Buffy's shoulder.
When Sunday touched her and realized she was real, she smiled and squinted, searching her face intently. "You. Oh." She looked at Nancy. "And you."
Sunday put her arms over their shoulders, and they each put an arm around her waist. Although Sunday was weak and limping, they all walked out of the cave together.
In Minden, Louisiana, Shannon was sitting in Jessica's bedroom, trying to concentrate on reading the sixth T*Witches novel, Double Jeopardy, but she was having a hard time.
The doorbell rang. She heard Jessica unlock and open the door.
"What do you want, Mrs. Wilcher?" Jessica asked pointedly.
"Jessica, I was wondering if you've heard from Shannon. Has she contacted you?"
"No."
"Oh, I'm so worried about her."
"Look, she gave her statement to the police. I imagine, after the probable wild animal attack and, y'know, fucking rape that she endured from her father and pastor, she probably skipped town and doesn't wanna be found. So why don't you drop it?" Jessica advised.
"Yes, well, thank you for your time."
Shannon heard the door close and lock, followed by footsteps approaching the bedroom.
Jessica walked into the bedroom. "Your mom was here."
"I heard. Thanks for covering."
"Sure." Jessica sat to Shannon's right on the bed. "How's the book?"
Shannon sighed. "Kiddy, like all of them, but I need something to focus on, and this is as good a thing as any."
"Think the twins are gonna win?"
"Yeah, I suspect so. They always do." Shannon set the book down and looked her friend in the eyes. "Thanks, Jessie, for everything. I love you."
"I love you, too."
The two of them hugged each other.
In their mansion, Nancy was tending to Sunday's wounds, cleaning them and bandaging them up. They were sitting on their bed, Nancy to Sunday's left.
"How long will it take these to heal?" Nancy asked.
"A day, I guess."
"Would they heal any faster, if you...drink?" Nancy asked.
Sunday looked at her. Nancy swept her hair back.
"Really?" Sunday asked.
Nancy nodded.
"You've never offered."
"You've never needed."
"Thank you." Sunday lowered her head and kissed and licked Nancy's neck for a while.
"Go ahead, babe."
Sunday sank her fangs into Nancy's neck. Nancy moaned in pain at the intrusion. Sunday tried to be as gentle as possible, sucking slowly, drinking Nancy's blood. Nancy hugged Sunday and soon got used to the sucking, likening it to blood being drawn with a needle.
Finally, when she felt she'd had enough, Sunday stopped sucking and pulled back. She looked at the wound on Nancy's neck, then into Nancy's eyes. "I love you."
Nancy smiled. "I love you, too."
Sunday was about to kiss Nancy, then suddenly remembered the blood on her lips. She raised her hand, intending to wipe it off, but Nancy pulled Sunday into a deep, passionate kiss, tasting her own blood on her lover's lips.
Chapter 139: Potential
Chapter Text
"Potential"
Based on the Episode Written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
At night, Vi and Rona were walking through the cemetery nervously, holding stakes, being as quiet as they could be.
Behind them, Sunday stepped on a branch and made a cracking sound, and the girls turned to look. Sunday punched Rona to the ground. Vi tried to stake her, but Sunday caught her hand, grabbed her, and twisted her arm behind her back. She put her arm around her throat, growled, and went to bite her neck. Vi screamed. Sunday stopped before biting her and looked up. Vi squeaked with fright.
Still holding her, Sunday looked at the people in front of her. "Okay, these two are dead. Why?"
Rona stood up and dusted herself off. "'Cause the black chick always gets it first?"
"What was that, Rona?" Buffy asked.
"I'm dead, because she's a vampire. I don't have Slayer strength, Slayer speed. I-It wasn't a fair fight."
"Vi, do you think I care about a fair fight?" Sunday asked, still holding her arm to her neck.
"No - No, ma'am. You don't play by the rules, and I have learned a valuable lesson of some sort."
Sunday twisted her arm behind her back.
"Ow!" Vi yelled.
Buffy was a bit irritated. "Okay, Sunday."
Sunday let Vi go; she walked up to Molly, Eve, Chloe, Caridad, and Kennedy, who were standing near Buffy.
Buffy shrugged. "You're right. You don't have Slayer strength. But that doesn't mean you're not strong. You have inherent abilities that others do not have."
Molly was taking notes on a pad. "Not like you do."
"No, not yet, but it's there. You have the potential. You have strength, speed, instinct. You just have to learn to trust yourself. Rona, what did your instincts tell you to do just then?" Buffy asked.
"Block her attack, keep her off balance, gain the advantage...?"
"No, they didn't."
"They told me to run."
"Vi?" Buffy asked.
Vi rubbed her wrist. "They told me to run. They're still sort of telling me to run."
"Don't fight on her terms. Your gut's telling you to run, run. Okay? Regain the higher ground. Make the fight your own. Sunday, what did your instincts tell you to do just then?" Buffy asked.
"Hunt. Kill."
Buffy walked out in front of the girls. "Come at me, full speed."
Sunday raised her eyebrows and smiled a little.
Buffy looked at the Potential Slayers. "She needs to feed to live. That tells you everything that you need to know."
Sunday growled and lunged at Buffy. She ducked, and Sunday ended up lunging face-first into a headstone. She fell to the ground, lying flat on her back, and Buffy straddled her, holding one hand to her throat and pointing a stake above her heart with the other.
Buffy looked at the Potential Slayers. "Instinct. Understand hers but trust yours. You were chosen for a reason."
Sunday groaned softly.
"Are you okay?" Buffy let go of her throat.
"I'm...fine." Sunday tried to sit up. "Couple of ribs ain't quite set right since...I'm fine."
Vi was still rubbing her wrist and holding a stake. "Careful, Buffy. Just when you think it's part of the lesson, she'll hurt your arm."
Buffy stood up, offered her hand to Sunday, and helped her stand up. "Molly, Kennedy, let's go. You're up. Next lesson."
The next day, in Buffy's backyard, Cordelia, carrying a battle ax, was pacing back and forth disapprovingly in front of the girls while they chattered. Rona and Kennedy were talking; Eve, Chloe, and Caridad were talking; and Molly and Vi are talking. Buffy and Dawn were sitting at the table, watching them.
Rona shook her head. "No way. One-armed push-ups are bullshit."
Kennedy shrugged. "I can do 'em. I can do the kinda way you clap between."
Rona shook her head. "I'm more of a chin-up kinda girl. I can do chin-ups 'til the cows come home."
"You're saying demon, and I don't mean to..." Vi paused. "Oh, bananas! Imagine yourself covered in human viscera..."
Molly and Vi giggled and squealed as they continued talking.
Cordelia stopped pacing and hurled the battle ax at the bull's-eye target hung on the wall. The ax point landed in the center, a perfect bull's-eye. Everyone stopped talking and looked at her, a little frightened. She glared at them sternly.
"You're all gonna die. But you knew that already." Cordelia paced in front of them. "'Cause that's the cool reward for being human. Big dessert at the end of the meal. Don't kid yourselves, you guys. This whole thing is all about death." She stood still. "You think you're different, 'cause you might be the next Slayer? Death is what a Slayer breathes, what a Slayer dreams about when she sleeps. Death is what a Slayer lives. My death could make you the next Slayer." She walked back to retrieve her ax from the target. "Oh, goody. Rapt attention. I love that so much." She pulled out the ax. "Now, where was I? Ah." She set down the ax, then walked back to the front. "If we go with what Sunday's resources are telling us, then the First is in remission for a while, which we think means advantage us."
"Well, what does that mean? About the First?" Rona asked.
Cordelia wasn't quite sure. She looked to Buffy for help.
Buffy stood up and crossed her arms. "As best as we can tell, he - or, precisely, it - was putting a lot of stock in that Ubervamp thing, the Chaka Khan."
"Turok-Han?" Dawn asked.
Buffy didn't acknowledge Dawn. "So when I kicked its ass, the First decided to back off for a while. But time away means time to regroup. And part of that regrouping is coming back stronger than ever. The odds are against us. Time is against us. And some of us will die in this battle. Decide now that it's not going to be you." She walked closer to the girls and looked at them sympathetically. "I know you're all tired, far away from home, anxious. Now, you better hurry up and eat something, so you're not late for school."
The Potential Slayers and Dawn went into the house. Then Tara walked outside. Cordelia sighed and sat down opposite Buffy at the table.
"How was patrol last night?" Buffy asked her.
"Found a nest. Took out the vamps. But not before one of them tore my new shirt." Cordelia fingered the hole in the fabric and sobbed.
Buffy smiled and rolled her eyes.
Tara walked over to her, bent over, and kissed Buffy on the lips. "Hey, you."
Buffy grinned. "Hey, you."
The two of them started making out. Cordelia stared at them.
Eventually, Tara ended the kiss, looked at Cordelia, and smiled. "Liked the show?"
"As much as I would the scene of a mass ritualistic sacrifice of goats." Cordelia stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta shower before I begin my illustrious career as cheerleading coach at Sunnydale High." She walked away.
Buffy and Tara resumed making out.
Later, at Sunnydale High, Buffy was sitting at her desk, talking on the telephone in her cubicle. Amanda walked up to her cubicle. Buffy gestured and mouthed "Oh, come in."
"Hey, Tara, I gotta go. Uh, has Giles checked in yet?" Buffy asked.
Amanda sat in a chair across from Buffy.
"No."
"I thought he was picking up that Chao-Ahn girl in Shanghai yesterday. Okay, well, uh, let me know if he does."
"Okay. Love you."
"Love you. Bye." Buffy hung up and sighed. "Amanda, right? I'm all yours."
"Do people ever think you're weird?" Amanda asked.
"Um..." Buffy fluttered her eyelashes, then shrugged. "I guess. Sure, in a charming, endearing, loveable..." She paused. "Yeah."
"I feel like people think I'm weird, and so they pick on me. But I might be...weird."
Buffy chuckled. "Amanda, why do you think you're weird?"
Amanda grinned uncomfortably. "How much time ya got?"
Buffy smiled.
After school, Buffy took some time to stop for an early dinner at Taco Bell, then she went to the Magic Box to meet up with the girls.
"Jenny? Girls?" Buffy called.
The place seemed empty. Buffy went back to the training room, only to find Vi and Rona in a loud discussion with Cordelia. Cordelia was chastising the girls and gesturing emphatically to the destruction that surrounded her. Furniture was broken, and the punching bag was laying on the floor.
"A bit too rough, girls! There might be an appropriate place to do that, like maybe outside!" Cordelia looked at Buffy and forced a smile. "Buffy, thank fuck you're here."
Buffy crossed her arms and scowled. "I only stopped for dinner. Where are the others?"
"They knew enough to take their training outside."
Jenny walked into the room. "Buffy?"
Buffy looked at her.
"Buffy, we just got news. Althenea said the seers located another Potential Slayer here in Sunnydale. Someone that already lives here."
Buffy sighed. "Oh, God..."
"All these girls flocking to town, and this one's already here and under our noses?" Cordelia asked.
"Wait, the seers couldn't find out her name or, like, her address or anything? Am I getting the definition of seer wrong?" Buffy asked.
Cordelia looked at her. "Actually, that's fairly accurate."
"We were gonna take the girls out again tonight, a little show and tell, but maybe now we shouldn't." Buffy sighed. "This town is lousy with Bringers. I don't want to risk that they find this new girl first."
Jenny shook her head. "No, you should go. Amy can do a spell to find her tonight. I just have to get together a few ingredients for her. But you shouldn't skip your training; it's too important."
Buffy nodded. "Okay, we'll take 'em."
That night, in the kitchen of the Summers' house, Molly, Vi, and Rona were going through the pile of weapons that were laid out on the island countertop.
Molly picked up a crossbow. "Ooh, crossbow! Got to love it." She pointed it around the kitchen. "Feels like I'm storming a castle."
"You do a lot of that, do you?" Rona asked.
"I might, if I had a beauty like this."
Dawn walked into the kitchen.
Molly pointed the crossbow at her. "Halt!"
Dawn frowned. "Okay, see, that's why we don't point the weapons in the kitchen."
Vi smiled. "It's not loaded."
Dawn looked at her. "That's always the lead quote under the headline, 'Household Crossbow Accident Claims Teen'."
"Oh, a mace!" Vi picked up a mace.
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's better."
Rona picked up a stake. "Gotta go with the stake. It's classic. I like the feel of wood in my hand."
Kennedy walked into the kitchen. "Lost me there." She saw the pile of weapons. "Hey, we gearing up already?"
Dawn frowned. "Oh, right. You guys are going on your little group patrol."
Vi smiled. "More than that; it's an outing."
Kennedy picked up a dagger, smiling. "I'm thinking, tonight, we might actually get to kill things."
Dawn looked at her. "I-I've killed things sometimes."
Buffy walked into the kitchen, followed by Cordelia.
"This is where you're all hiding. You ready to go or what?" Cordelia asked.
Buffy nodded. "Let's go, girls. Grab your weapons."
Eve, Caridad, Chloe, Rona, Vi, Kennedy, and Molly each grabbed a weapon and followed Buffy and Cordelia out of the house.
Amy and Dawn were gathered around the coffee table, taking inventory of Amy's spell ingredients.
Amy nodded. "Okay, I got everything."
Dawn looked at Amy. "Hey, do you think this girl, this Potential, goes to Sunnydale?"
"Hmm. Well, I guess, probably, huh? I mean she's got to be about that age."
"Could be anybody. Could be that glamazon in gym class; what's her name? Or my lab partner, Margot, the freak. Boy, I hope not, because she totally fainted right in the middle of our fetal pig dissection. Somehow, I just don't think she's cut out for the slayage biz."
Amy shrugged. "Well, we'll know soon enough who the next Potential is. Somebody's life is about to change."
"How long will it take? Will we find out who it is right away?" Dawn asked her.
"Pretty much. The spell will conjure up this brilliant light, a-and the light will find the Potential, and it'll illuminate her with a glowing aura."
Dawn smiled. "Cool."
Amy gestured to a map on the coffee table. "I've enchanted this map, so we can track her basic location. We'll have to hot-foot it, but I'm betting we find her tonight."
"You know, if it is Margot, she's so gonna faint."
Later, Amy was sitting in front of the lit fireplace. She had a mortar and pestle on the hearth, and her ingredients were laid out. Dawn, Tara, and Katrina were also in the room.
As she recited the spell, Amy threw each item that she mentioned into the fire. "To light the aura of the new, skin of snake and chrysalis, too. To indicate the fresh reborn, tumbleweed and rosebush thorn. An egg that means the life to come. Take this, oh spirit, and my spell is done."
As Amy finished the spell recitation, an orange haze emanated from the fireplace. Everyone in the room wrinkled up their noses and started coughing.
"Oh, good God, what is that smell?" Katrina asked.
Tara covered her nose with her hand. "I'm fairly sure that's the smell of a hardboiled egg being thrown into a fire."
Amy covered her mouth and nose with her hand. "The smell will lead us to the Potential. She'll also be lit with a brilliant aura."
The orange haze from the fire gathered in the center of the room, making a mass of glowing light. Amy, Tara, Dawn, and Katrina were standing in a circle, and the light was moving around in the middle of their circle.
"Is it supposed to be shimmying all over like that?" Dawn asked Amy.
"I don't know. I don't think so." Amy sighed. "I'm sorry, you guys."
"I'm gonna open the door and let this place air out." Dawn waved at the air in front of her as she walked to the front door.
Katrina walked up to Amy and put her arm around her. "Don't worry, sweetie. It's really no big."
"I just...I was sure that it was gonna work."
Suddenly, the mass of light congealed and formed into a solid beam and headed straight for Dawn.
"Dawn!" Amy yelled.
The light hit Dawn with such a force that it picked her up and pinned her to the door. The light went straight into her, then she dropped to the ground, her chest still glowing orange. Somewhat disoriented, Dawn looked at Amy, Tara, and Katrina with wide eyes.
Amy stared at Dawn. "I think it worked."
Dawn collapsed at the door.
Tara ran to her side. "Dawn!"
Katrina and Amy stepped forward.
"Dawn, are you okay?" Amy asked.
Tara helped Dawn stand up. Dawn walked into the living room; the others followed.
"Maybe y-you did it wrong? Was it a-ambiguous in any way?" Dawn asked Amy.
"I did it right."
Katrina stared at Dawn. "Wow, you're a Potential. You could be the next Slayer."
Dawn's eyes grew wider. "Whoa." She went to sit on the sofa.
Tara frowned. "This is huge. We have to think about this."
"I-I can't think about this." Dawn stood and paced. "It doesn't fit in my head."
"I've got to call Buffy." Amy went to the phone.
Tara shook her head. "No, we can't. She didn't bring her cell phone."
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Well, sure, 'cause all the important people are with her."
Tara frowned. "Don't say that. You are important, sweetie. She didn't take her cell phone, because she didn't want it going off unexpectedly and alerting vampires to their location, who could then launch a surprise attack."
"Wh-Wha-What happens now?" Dawn asked.
Katrina followed her with her eyes. "Well, you could start by maybe sitting still for a sec."
"I-I cant. I-I need to know what happens to my life."
Tara stared at her sympathetically. "Well, I guess Buffy trains you."
Dawn nodded. "Right, I train with the Potentials - other Potentials. Learn to do the shit that they're learning."
Amy nodded. "Right, we also have to protect you from the Bringers."
Tara nodded. "It's okay, we'll protect you."
Dawn was worried. "What if they saw the spell?"
Amy gave her a look. "Saw the spell?"
Dawn got upset. "We did a big, orange powerful spell. What if they sensed it? What if they're on their way?"
Tara put her hands on Dawn's shoulders. "Sweetie, it's okay. We'll tell Buffy as soon as she gets back, and-"
"Let's not."
"What? Dawn, she has to know."
"I-I know, just not right away. Guys, when Mom appeared to me, she said-"
Tara frowned. "Dawnie-"
"No, please. She said something about Buffy, and I'm thinking...I'm just not so sure Buffy will be happy for me."
"Of course, she will."
"Will she? I mean I'm not even sure I'm happy for me. Everything's different for me now. This - This is too much for my head again." Dawn turned and ran upstairs. "I can't. I-I need to be-"
Tara sighed and looked at the others. "Someone should go find Buffy. I still think she needs to know."
"Hey, Tara, what if she doesn't like it?" Amy asked.
"Are you worried about what Dawn said? About the ghost?" Tara asked. "Amy, we don't even know if that really was Mrs. Summers. And we don't know what she meant about Buffy."
"I'm not talking about that. I mean...what do you think Buffy's going to do with this information? Jump up and down? She know what this means. You think Buffy really wants that for Dawn? And besides, Dawn doesn't want us telling her yet."
Tara sighed. "Dawn's freaking out. She can't handle this right now."
Katrina looked at her. "Hey, something out there says she can handle this and a hell of a lot more. Something out there chose her."
"Sure, she can handle it. Is that why she's hiding out in her room right now?" Amy asked Katrina.
Katrina looked at her. "She's just getting used to it. Let it happen. She doesn't have to rush."
Tara nodded. "She's right. We shouldn't rush her. Rushing's only gonna get her killed."
Dawn stood in front of her mirror and stared at her reflection while listening to the others talk downstairs. "I'm chosen."
Dawn walked over, opened her bedroom window, and climbed out.
Dawn was walking down a street alone, arms crossed, looking at the ground. Then she heard someone approaching down the sidewalk. She looked up. It was Amanda walking toward her.
Dawn smiled. "Hey."
"Hey, Dawn. Whatcha doing?"
Dawn shrugged. "Uh, just walking. You?"
"Um, yeah, just walking, too." Amanda paused. "'Kay, well, have a good walk. I guess I'll see you Monday morning?"
"Yeah."
They walked past each other, still going in opposite directions, then Amanda turned to Dawn.
"You all right?" Amanda asked.
"Sure. Just walking, you know?" Dawn looked closely at Amanda's face. "A-Are you all right?" She pointed to her own forehead. "You've got a thing."
Amanda touched her head, where there was a bloody gash above her eye, and laughed nervously. "I guess I-I had a bit of a..." She paused. "It's been a bizarre night."
"What happened? Who did that to you?"
Amanda bit her nails. "Uh, nobody...exactly. I don't think you'd exactly believe me."
"Try me."
"I-I was at school late because of, you know, Swing Choir, and I tore my sweater, you know, the striped ones we wear. So I went to Home Sciences to sew it up."
"Uh-huh."
"And by the time I was finished, the place was empty, so it was all echoy and lonely. And then there was this guy - or thing. And it was - it scratched me, and I kinda dodged it, and it kinda hit its head."
"What kind of thing?"
"I don't know. It was fucked up. In the face. 'Round here abouts." Amanda ran her finger between her brows and down the bridge of her nose.
"And when it scratched at you, did it - was it scratching with its teeth?"
"Is it real? Was it really a vampire?"
"Probably."
"Well, cool. The thing is, after it hit its head, I kinda freaked out. I trapped it in a room, and it's still there, and now I don't know what to do."
"It's okay. This is totally dealable. Don't worry."
"Well, I was thinking of getting your sister. Do you think we should go get her?" Amanda asked.
"She's out. I'll take this one."
Dawn and Amanda climbed into the school through a classroom window. Dawn pulled a muscle as she climbed over the window ledge.
Dawn yelped, then rubbed her back. "Whew. I think I strained something. Maybe something I'll need later in life. Uh..."
"Come on. The vampire's upstairs. Are you spooked out?" Amanda asked.
"No. I'm all right. I-I can do this. It's mostly instinct. I think."
They walked to the door. Amanda opened it. As they walked out of the classroom, the window slammed shut, scaring Dawn. She jumped and squealed, but, when she turned to see what it was, she was able to collect her cool. Amanda and Dawn walked out into the hall.
"So, if he scratched me with a tooth, am I...?" Amanda paused. "I'm not gonna turn into one, am I?"
Dawn shook her head. "Uh, only if he slashed open one of his own veins and led you to drink deep of his blood."
"Nope."
"Good. You're lucky that he didn't hurt you way more than that."
"Right. He can do that." Amanda stopped walking and turned to Dawn. "So I was thinking. We don't have to kill the vampire, do we?"
"What?"
"Just suppose he got out and was maybe like encouraged toward the gym while the marching band was playing because of the way that they look down on the Swing Choir. It might be, you know, funny."
Dawn stared in disbelief.
Amanda chuckled. "I'm just saying."
Dawn stared at her for a moment longer, then they resumed walking. They climbed the staircase to the second floor.
Amanda and Dawn walked up to a classroom door, and they both stopped and stood in front of it.
"Well, he didn't break down the door, anyway."
"Yeah. Can they do that?" Amanda asked.
"They're very strong, and, although they feel pain, they don't hold back because of it." Dawn took a deep breath and then tried the doorknob.
It was unlocked, and the door swung open.
"I thought you said it was locked." Dawn peered into the classroom.
"It was. It was here."
Dawn walked into the room. "Amanda, it got out."
Dawn and Amanda were standing just inside the classroom door, looking around the room.
"Where'd it go?" Amanda asked.
"I dunno. But we have to get out of here."
Right as Dawn reached to close the door, the vampire dropped from the ceiling and rushed her. They struggled over the door as she tried to shut him inside the room. Ultimately, they wrestled the door off its hinges, and Dawn and Amanda ran away, screaming.
Dawn and Amanda ran down the hall, away from the vampire. They went down the stairs and headed for an exit door, but it was locked. They turned to try a different route, but the vampire had already caught up to them, blocking them from escaping. Dawn looked around and spotted a fire extinguisher. She ran up to it, broke the glass cabinet with her elbow, and reached in for the extinguisher canister.
"What are you doing?" Amanda asked.
Dawn fussed with the extinguisher mechanism. "I can't remember, does it have to be upside down or right side up to work? Which is it?"
The vampire approached before Dawn could figure out how to work the fire extinguisher, so she hoisted up the huge metal canister and swung it at the vampire's head, knocking him down. He got up, and Dawn hit him again, throwing the canister at him where he fell. Dawn and Amanda ran down the hall, away from him, and headed back upstairs.
Holding up a flashlight and looking around, Buffy led the Potential Slayers inside a crypt. Cordelia went in last.
"A vampire is an animal. Sometimes they run in packs, sometimes alone. Who can tell us where we are?" Buffy asked.
Rona looked around. "It's a nest."
"How can you tell?" Buffy handed the flashlight to Cordelia.
Kennedy looked around. "Only a vamp could live like this."
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Don't let Sunday or Sandy hear you say that. They'll kill you on the spot."
Cordelia smirked. "Yeah, right. Sunday would kill her on the spot. Sandy would meditate on how the statement made her feel."
Buffy glared at her. "Thank you, Cordy."
"I'm merely saying-"
"My point is vampires can live anywhere. Any way they want. Taste, fashions, living conditions - they can vary. Moving on. You want to stay alive, you have to spot and identify a nest on sight. Look around, all of you. Look for signs that, just last night, maybe a dozen, two dozen vampires were right where we're standing. Go ahead."
The girls reluctantly broke up and started looking around the crypt. Buffy looked over to see the girls had gathered around, inspecting something on the floor.
Rona looked over at her. "Buffy, I think we found something."
Molly stared with her mouth open. "It's a body."
Buffy walked over, kneeled to take a look, pulled on its shoulder, then let it go. "It's not a body. It's leftovers."
The body started to move, then growled as it looked back over its shoulder at Buffy. It was a vampire now.
Dawn and Amanda were running down a hallway at top speed.
Dawn found a classroom and opened the door. "In here!"
Dawn went into the room, followed by Amanda, who shut the door.
"Help! We need to barricade this!" Dawn yelled.
Amanda grabbed a lab chair.
Dawn shook her off. "Too small."
Dawn went for the four-feet-wide by six-feet-tall filing cabinet and started pulling it toward the door.
Amanda went to help push. "Too big."
They finally got the filing cabinet pushed up to the door, and, with their backs against it, they sunk to the floor.
"Stay down."
"Think we're safe?" Amanda asked.
Just as the words crossed her lips, the vampire started trying to break into the classroom. He growled at the door, opening it a little and pushing it against the filing cabinet.
Buffy, stake in hand, was having a face-off with the vampire while the girls watched from behind her.
"No one's safe. Not here, not ever. See this guy?" Buffy asked.
Kennedy looked at her. "B-But he was dead a minute ago."
"That was a minute ago. Now..." Buffy punched him in the face.
"Hey!" the vampire yelled angrily.
"... he's the enemy."
The vampire lunged at Buffy from across the room.
Still sitting on the floor with their backs to the filing cabinet, frightened, Dawn and Amanda tried to hold the cabinet against the door to keep the vampire out.
"Amanda?"
"Yes?"
"Listen."
"I'm listening."
"We're gonna get out of this. Both of us. Alive." Dawn squealed in fright as the vampire tried to get in. "Alive! You believe me?"
"I believe you."
"Good. 'Cause I got a plan."
The vampire that Buffy was fighting rolled across the floor.
Buffy walked slowly after him, still with stake in hand, talking to the girls. "You can't think too much. Reacting's better. Could be the difference between staying alive and that other thing."
Buffy punched the vampire and dropped the stake on the floor. They fought hand-to-hand. Kennedy wanted to come to Buffy's aid and join the fight, but Cordelia held her back.
Still sitting on the floor, with their backs to the filing cabinet, frightened, Dawn and Amanda tried to hold the cabinet against the door to keep the vampire out.
"Okay, this plan of mine, I'm not guaranteeing it'll work."
"Better than mine about him eating the marching band. Besides, your plan'll work."
"In case you haven't noticed, I don't know what I'm doing here."
"You're getting it done."
The vampire finally broke through the glass in the door, sending a shower of shards onto the girls below. They got up and went away from the door as the vampire knocked over the cabinet and entered the classroom.
Buffy continued to fight the vampire in hand-to-hand combat. "The question is never 'What do you think?' It's always 'What do you know?' You gotta know it. If you don't, if you make one mistake..."
Buffy punched the vampire, and he landed on his back on a stone sarcophagus. He tried to kick Buffy, but she grabbed his foot and punched him in the face. Then she pushed his leg, flipping him over and off the sarcophagus.
"It takes just one vampire to kill you. So you've got to know you can take him. Know your environment, know what's around you, and know how to use it. In the hands of a Slayer, everything is a potential weapon, if you know how to see it. When you're fighting, you have to know yourself, your brain, your body. Know how to stay calm, centered. Every move is important; every blow's got to be part of your plan, 'cause you make that one mistake, and it's over. You're not the Slayer. You're not a Potential. You're dead. What do you know?"
Buffy grabbed her stake from the floor as the vampire leaped toward her, kicking at her face. She ducked, then defended against his fists as he came at her. Finally, Buffy grabbed him by his shoulders and threw him to the back of the crypt as she stood near the doorway.
Buffy dropped the stake and walked out of the crypt. She and Cordelia watched. The vampire walked menacingly toward the girls, and their faces were full of fright.
The vampire was stalking Dawn between the chemistry lab desks. As he approached, she backed up and ducked between the desks. Amanda was cowering quietly in a corner. Dawn grabbed a lab chair and pushed it toward the vampire, who was undeterred. Dawn grabbed an empty flask and threw it at the vampire; it broke on his head. She threw another empty flask, but he kept coming. Then she found another flask with something in it and threw it at him; it broke on his chest, and now there was smoke coming from his body. As he inspected himself, Dawn ran to the front of the classroom, where she grabbed the flagpole with the California state flag on it. She struggled to break the flagpole in half on the edge of a lab desk but finally did splinter it. She left the part that the flag was on and started swinging the jagged wooden pole at the vampire a few times, then lost her balance and fell to the floor. The vampire pounced on her.
Tara knocked on Dawn's door. Katrina and Amy were standing behind her.
Tara frowned. "Come on, sweetie, open up."
"Want me to kick down the door?" Amy offered.
Katrina gave Amy a look. "Amy."
Amy laughed. "What? It'd be funny. Besides, she's been sulking in there forever."
Katrina tried the doorknob; the door was unlocked.
Amy smiled in embarrassment. "Oh."
Tara, Amy, and Katrina walked into Dawn's room.
They looked around the room, but Dawn was not there.
"Shit." Amy noticed the open window. "Double shit."
Katrina sighed. "Gone. We got to find her before the Bringers do."
Tara looked at her friends. "I can do a locator spell, but we gotta hurry."
Amy looked at her. "I'll help you." She looked at Katrina. "Find Buffy."
They all left the room.
The vampire was attacking Dawn, pinning her down to the floor as she struggled underneath him.
"Help! Amanda, help me!" Dawn screamed.
Amanda was frozen still in the corner where she hid. "I can't!"
The vampire's mouth was nearly on Dawn's neck now.
"Amanda!" Dawn screamed.
Just then, Bringers burst in through the classroom's exterior windows. The vampire sat back to see what was going on, and Dawn used her feet to push him away from her. The Bringers walked past Dawn and went straight for Amanda.
"No! You don't want her!" Dawn screamed.
The Bringers hoisted Amanda up by the arms.
Dawn's voice softened as her expression melted. "You want me..."
Amanda felt sheer horror as two Bringers had her by the arms, and a third came at her with a knife. Dawn stood up and lit a gas jet on one of the tables nearest the Bringers, causing a brief explosion and knocking them down.
Dawn picked up the jagged, broken flagpole. "Amanda!"
Amanda ran away from the Bringers, toward Dawn. The girls quickly ran out of the room, into the hallway.
Amanda and Dawn ran down the hallway. Dawn was still carrying the flagpole shard. They stopped running when they got to the top of the stairs.
"What were those?" Amanda asked, out of breath.
"Bringers. Amanda, listen to me. Remember when you said I was special? Well, I'm not. But the thing is you are. This is your battle, Amanda."
Amanda shook her head. "No, I can't."
"You can! You've got to. Look, I've got your back, but this is something that you have to do. It's something that you were born to do."
Bringers had found them and were approaching from the other end of the hall.
Dawn handed Amanda the flagpole. "Here, this belongs to you."
Amanda reluctantly took the flagpole fragment from Dawn.
From the bottom of the stairs, Katrina saw Dawn and Amanda talking. She climbed halfway up the stairs. "Buffy, up here."
Buffy and Cordelia followed Katrina up the stairs, toward Dawn and Amanda. As the Bringers came toward Amanda, she used the flagpole as a staff, knocking them down and defending herself quite well. Dawn managed to stay out of the way and avoid the crossfire. As Amanda knocked the Bringers down, Buffy and Cordelia went after them on the stairs.
Buffy stabbed a Bringer with his own knife, then handed the knife to Cordelia. "Here!"
Cordelia stabbed another Bringer with the knife. The vampire that attacked Dawn and Amanda in the classroom was there now, too, fighting Amanda. She defended herself admirably with the flagpole before ultimately pinning the vampire against the wall and staking him with it. Buffy walked upstairs to the last Bringer that was still alive and broke his neck.
Amanda turned to her, confused and perturbed. "Okay. One minute, I'm in Swing Choir, and the next..." She paused. "What the hell's going on? You tell me to come to you with problems. Turns out, a vampire attacked me. Problem. So I go to your house, and, when I get there, this orange cloud hits me."
Dawn looked at Katrina. "She was at the doorway."
"That cloud hit me, and I got a little dizzy and discombobulated."
Dawn frowned in sadness. "It was Amy's spell. She's the Potential Slayer."
In Minden, Louisiana, Shannon was working an evening shift at Malbec's Diner. The place was packed, and she was kept busy taking orders and bringing customers their food and drinks - just as she'd hoped. She brought an order to the counter and clipped it to the wheel.
Jessica walked over and did the same. "How are you doing?"
Shannon shrugged. "Okay, I guess."
"It's your fifteen."
"Uh, I'd rather keep busy."
"Sweetie, go. Take a break. I've got this."
"All right." Shannon stood still for a while, unsure what to do. She hadn't brought anything to read.
She went down the hallway to the back and opened the door to the break room. She went in, opened the refrigerator, took out the can of Rockstar that she'd brought, closed the refrigerator, left the break room, opened the back door, and stepped outside.
She kicked the door closed, sat on the short staircase leading down to ground level, popped open her can, and took a few gulps. Then she inhaled the night air through her nose and mouth.
"Care for some company?"
Shannon looked straight ahead. Alex was walking out of the woods.
"Sure." Shannon took another sip of Rockstar.
Alex walked over and sat to Shannon's right. "Out in the open, huh?"
"I got tired of hidin'."
"Uh, has your mom-"
Shannon shook her head. "Nah. I think she's given up on me."
"Ah." Alex paused. "Offer still stands. Come down to Shreveport."
Shannon briefly thought about it, sipping her drink. "Nah. I don't feel like runnin'...yet."
"Anyone givin' you shit?" Alex asked. "Church?"
Shannon shot him a look. "I ain't been to church."
Alex nodded. "School?"
"I think they're whisperin' behind my back, but no one's said anything to my face yet." Shannon drank the rest of the Rockstar and crushed the can in her hand. "God help 'em if they do."
Later, at the Summers' house, Rona, Amanda, and Kennedy were sitting on the couch, talking with Molly, who was in the chair, and Vi, Eve, Chloe, and Caridad, who were kneeling on the floor, near the coffee table; together, they formed a circle. Dawn was standing on the periphery of the room, watching them talk. Her arms are crossed, and she was pouting.
Rona smiled. "I'm sure the vampire thought we were, like, what, four helpless girls. And then Vi - Vi actually yells 'We're just four helpless girls!'"
Vi was embarrassed. "That was part of my plan."
Kennedy rolled her eyes playfully at Vi.
"Was cowering in the corner also part of your plan?" Chloe asked Vi.
Caridad smiled. "You're one to talk."
Eve looked at Vi. "If it makes you feel any better, I actually did believe we were all gonna die."
Vi gave her an odd look.
Rona nodded. "When it all started going down, it was like we knew what we were doing. For real."
Molly looked at Rona. "Yeah, like when you dodged that first attack and then cracked him across the jaw."
"Aw, no, no, no, no, no. See, I wouldn't have been able to do that, if you hadn't've pulled his legs out."
"I hurt his arm." Vi nodded proudly. "Yep. And an arm can be as lethal as a mouth."
Molly looked at Kennedy. "When you staked him, seriously, the rush was like-"
"So you took one out solo?" Kennedy asked Amanda.
"Yeah, what was that like?" Molly asked Amanda.
"I don't know. I mean, when that vampire attacked me, I felt this kind of charge, you know?"
Kennedy nodded. "Like you realize in one instant that your whole life is different."
"Exactly. It's that rush that you're talking about."
Buffy walked up to Dawn from the kitchen. "Hey."
Dawn turned to face her, putting on a happy face.
"You okay?" Buffy asked her.
Dawn nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking of hitting the books. Do some research on the First. It's in retreat mode right now, but you're still gonna need to know how to fight it."
Buffy nodded. "Great. Sounds good." She looked at the Potential Slayers. "Hey, you guys wanna head out back? Get our newest arrival up to speed?"
The girls all stood up and walked toward the kitchen. As each Potential Slayer passed by Dawn, they didn't look at her, didn't acknowledge her at all, until Amanda walked by. Amanda paused for a second and looked at Dawn, smiled, and then continued to follow the other girls. After the girls had gone, Dawn sat down at the dining room table, opened a book, and started to read it. Then she noticed Buffy hadn't left the room but was standing behind her, watching her.
Dawn looked over her shoulder at her sister. "What's up?"
"Uh, I'm just thinking about the girls. It's a harsh gig, being a Potential. Just being picked out of a crowd, danger, destiny, death..."
"They can handle it."
"Yeah. They're special, no doubt." Buffy sat to Dawn's right. "What's bothering you?"
"What? I'm n-not-"
"You've been silent ever since we left the school."
Dawn sighed. "I feel like I was cheated. I was chosen, and it was taken away from me."
Buffy looked at her sympathetically. "Sweetie, you weren't cheated; it was just...extremely shitty luck that you happened to be standing where you were when the spell went off. Misinterpretations happen."
"Well, the spell hit me first. Do it again...just to be sure."
"Why is this so important to you?"
"I grew up thinking I was just an ordinary girl. Then I found out that I was chosen...or...chosen to maybe be chosen. I accepted it. I can't go back to being just another nobody."
"You thought you were all special. And the minute that you found out that you weren't, you made way for Amanda without a moment's pause. You gave her your power."
Dawn shrugged. "The power wasn't mine. But maybe it really is in me. Check." She started crying, tears welling in her eyes. "Please."
Buffy stared at Dawn in astonishment. "You seek what I've never given a shit about."
Dawn just continued crying, losing control. "I will be a Slayer..."
"I can't believe this." Buffy sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'll talk with Amy. She'll redo the spell for you."
Dawn was so upset that she didn't acknowledge Buffy's statement.
"The books can wait. Go out there with the other girls. If you wanna be a Slayer, I'm gonna treat you like one."
Dawn stood up and went into the kitchen without another word.
Buffy sat at the table for a while longer.
Chapter 140: Get It Done
Chapter Text
"Get It Done"
Based on the Episodes "The Killer in Me" Written by Drew Z. Greenberg, "First Date" Written by Jane Espenson, and "Get It Done" Written by Douglas Petrie
The following story is copyright © 2025 by Mark Moore.
In the Summers' house, during the day, Giles scurried into the living room, where Buffy and Dawn were sitting on the couch.
"Are you sure you'll all be all right?" Giles asked them.
Dawn looked at him. "You'll only be gone for two days."
Buffy smiled. "I think we've managed a bit longer than that."
"Right." Giles looked around nervously, then stopped. "Oh, Dawn, Vi's left her notebook on the mantelpiece. Would you mind running it out to the car?"
"Sure." Dawn stood up, went to the fireplace, and picked up the notebook.
"While you're at it, you smack her in the head with it and remind her not to leave it lying around."
"On it." Dawn walked out the front door with the notebook.
Giles sat on the coffee table in front of Buffy. "I'm just a bit twitchy about leaving you alone again here while - while things are..." He took off his glasses and wiped his brow. "...in such a state of flux."
"The flux being the First laying low?" Buffy asked, then pondered. "Kind of an odd thing for an eternal being to do, if you think about it." She shook her head. "But I'm not complaining. And we've got Jenny to call on, if we need anything. You should go. This trip is important for the girls to understand the source of their power and to know how to use it right."
"Do you think they appreciate the gravity of what we're undertaking? It's frightening, and it's difficult. And then, apparently, someone told them that the vision quest consists of me driving them to the desert and doing a lame ritual until a spooky Rasta-mama Slayer arrives and speaks to them in riddles." Giles looked at Buffy.
Buffy gave him an innocent look. "That's not exactly how I put it, I-"
Tara walked downstairs and entered the room.
"Hey, how's Kennedy?" Buffy asked.
"Still fluey. Bummed about missing the field trip." Tara looked at Giles. "She says she wants you to meditate extra hard for her and to bring her back some s'mores." She grinned.
"Ah, yes. S'mores. I'm going to end up singing campfire songs, aren't I?" Giles stood up.
Buffy smiled. "Oh, yeah."
Katrina walked inside, followed by Dawn.
Katrina jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "Giles, you might want to get out there."
"Oh, God, what?"
Dawn smiled. "Molly and Rona are fighting over who gets to drive the first leg."
Cordelia walked inside. "Rona won. You should probably let Molly out of the trunk."
The car horn blew outside.
Cordelia smiled. "I never actually realized just how compact that Molly really is."
Giles sighed and looked at Buffy. "Please be safe while I'm away."
"You, too."
Giles and Cordelia walked outside.
Buffy smiled. "Oh, my God, I cannot believe we have the bathroom all to ourselves for two whole days."
Katrina nodded. "It's been like a war zone here lately."
"Have you seen the kitchen since they've been here?" Buffy asked.
Tara shuddered. "I'm just trying to stay out of their way."
Dawn smiled. "Hey, maybe some Bringers'll wipe a few of them out."
The others stared at her.
Dawn was a bit embarrassed. "'Cause then...y'know...the grocery bill'd be lower." She shifted awkwardly.
"You're really hoping a Potential slot opens up for you, huh?" Katrina asked. "Sweetie, we don't even know if that's how it works. They might be marked at conception."
"But you'll still-"
Katrina nodded. "I'll tell Amy to keep doing the spell to check on you."
That evening, a tea kettle whistled as Buffy walked into the kitchen. Dawn was at the stove. Buffy opened the refrigerator and got out a container of leftover fried chicken from dinner. Dawn poured hot water into a mug that had a tea bag in it.
Buffy closed the refrigerator and sat at the island. She opened the container. "That for your patient?"
"Yeah. Thought I'd bring her some tea, help her feel better."
Buffy smiled teasingly. "Mm-hmm?"
"It's just tea."
Buffy giggled, then picked up a breast and started munching on it.
Dawn walked out of the kitchen with mug in hand.
"Have fun...delivering tea..."
"It's just tea, buttmunch!" Dawn called back.
Dawn walked into her room. "Hey, I figured the best thing for a cold is a nice hot cup of..." She found Kennedy putting on her shoes and frowned. "...boots?"
"Hey."
"For someone who's sick, you look surprisingly robust and casual-dressy."
"Well, the lighting in here is good. Maybe it's just-"
Dawn was shocked. "You were never sick!"
"No...I was never sick."
Dawn grinned. "You didn't wanna go to the desert."
"On that lame-ass voodoo-hoodoo quest? Nope." Kennedy stood up. "There's a reason that I didn't go. I have a thing. A separate thing."
"What?"
Kennedy put on her coat. "Something's coming down. I have my own mission. And I need your help."
At the Bronze, Kennedy and Dawn were sitting at one of the tables, having drinks, and listening to Evanescence, who were performing on the stage. Amy Lee was playing the piano as she sang:
"Wake me up in time.
Wake me up in time.
Call my name and save me from the dark.
Bid my blood to run
Before I come undone.
Save me from the nothing I've become.
Bring me to life."
"This is a mission?" Dawn asked Kennedy.
"Oh! Yeah..."
Dawn frowned. "We're not on a mission, are we?"
"Hey, trust me, I told you. I have a thing."
Dawn sighed. "Tara's gonna kill me."
Kennedy smiled. "You're sexy when you pout."
Dawn frowned.
"She won't miss her scooter. Let's just enjoy our time here."
Dawn relented.
The band ended their song. The audience applauded.
"Thank you!" Amy called. "That's from our upcoming album! Also, listen for it in Daredevil, out in theaters on the 14th!"
"Let's start with the easy stuff. How long have you known? That you're gay."
"Wait. That's easy?" Dawn fidgeted. "And you just assume I'm - I'm gay. I mean...presume much?"
"So you're not gay?" Kennedy asked.
"I have sucked dick!" Dawn declared.
Amy, the other band members, and a few patrons looked at her. Dawn squirmed in her seat.
"How was that?" Kennedy asked.
Dawn shrugged. "Like sucking a sausage straight outta the fridge."
Kennedy raised her eyebrows.
"Uh, he was a vampire. I had to kill him."
Kennedy smiled. "So he got off before he got offed."
Dawn frowned and looked down.
Kennedy frowned. "Oh. Sorry."
Dawn looked at her.
Kennedy grinned. "Okay. Do you think you'd enjoy having sex with women?"
Dawn was taken aback. "Hey!"
Kennedy chuckled.
"What, you think you have some special lesbidar or something?" Dawn asked.
"Okay, you know there's a better word for that, right?" Kennedy asked.
Dawn sipped her drink.
"You really haven't been getting out there much, have you?" Kennedy asked.
"Well, I just..." Dawn paused. "Can you always tell just - just by looking at someone?"
"No. No, of course not. That wouldn't be any fun. The fun part is the process of - of getting to know a girl. It's like - It's like flirting in code. It's using body language and laughing at the right jokes and - and looking into her eyes and knowing she's still whispering to you, even when she's not saying a word. And that sense that, if you can just touch her just once, everything will be okay for both of you. That's how you can tell." Kennedy sat back and grinned. "Or if she's really hot, you just get her drunk, see if she comes on to you."
Dawn took a sip of her drink. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Emma." Kennedy suddenly felt sad.
Dawn smiled. "Lucky woman."
"We're, uh, no longer together."
"What happened?"
"When the Bringers attacked, she drove me and Giles to safety, but she also broke up with me." Kennedy took a sip of her drink. "She just...couldn't handle it."
"Sorry." Dawn searched for something else to say. "So how long have you known you're gay?"
Kennedy grinned. "It was Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I saw Phoebe Cates open her top, and I knew I wanted to suck her tits."
Dawn grinned, then she frowned. "I still don't get it." She shrugged. "Why you like me. I mean you don't even know me."
"Have you seen you?"
Dawn blushed.
"And we like the same things: Italian, skate punk, fighting evil..."
Dawn smiled and shook her head. "I don't like any of that stuff. Except the - the fighting evil part. Even then, I prefer a nice foot massage."
"Okay, I dig the way that you always turn off the Moulin Rouge DVD at Chapter 32, so it has a happy ending."
Dawn laughed.
"I like the way that you speak. It's interesting."
Dawn smiled.
Kennedy stared at Dawn. "And your face...lickable."
Dawn blushed.
Dawn walked into her bedroom. Kennedy followed her in.
Dawn turned on the light. "So...glad we talked."
Kennedy walked toward Dawn, nodding. "Yes. Kinda cleared the air."
Dawn nodded. "Yeah, totally. Air cleared."
Kennedy was standing in front of Dawn now. "You know, in the spirit of air clearing..."
"Yeah?"
"I feel like I need to be honest about something."
"I-Is something wrong?"
"No." Kennedy shook her head. "No, it's just..." She walked closer to Dawn. "...I think..." She leaned in for a kiss. "...you should know..."
Kennedy kissed Dawn slowly, passionately. Dawn let her. Eventually, Kennedy ended the kiss.
Dawn smiled. "Well, that was nice."
Kennedy pulled back from her and smiled.
In the living room, Amy and Katrina were sitting on the couch, watching TV. Buffy was sitting in the chair, and Tara was sitting in her lap. Buffy wasn't really paying attention to the TV, focusing more on kissing Tara's neck.
"Okay, so we gotta get to campus for the Sisters of Gaea meeting. Do you want me to leave the TV on?" Amy asked.
Tara looked at her. "Nah."
Amy pressed the Power button on the remote control, turning the TV off.
"You still attend that lame-ass Wicca group?" Tara asked her.
"Oh, they've gotten better. Yeah, we're more about healing spirits and nurturing our life force there."
Tara was somewhat impressed. "Okay, wow, that's new. Campus Wiccans. Guess they got past the whole bake sale phase."
"Uh, no, we still do that, too. Second Tuesday of every month."
"Ah."
"Wanna come with?" Amy offered.
"I'll pass, thanks."
"Buffy?" Amy asked. "Wanna come and pray with us for the Goddess to instill us with peace, strength, compassion, and hope?"
Buffy gave Amy the middle finger, never breaking contact with Tara's neck.
Amy and Katrina stood up.
Tara ran her hand through Buffy's hair. "Trina, I didn't know you were into this."
"Uh, I'm in it mostly for the meditation. It's been a big help to me since..." Katrina didn't finish the sentence.
"Oh. Well, have a good time, you two."
Amy and Katrina nodded and walked toward the door. Amy unlocked and opened the front door. Katrina walked outside, and Amy grabbed her keys from the bowl and followed, closing the door behind her.
Buffy and Tara started making out.
"Wanna get naked?" Buffy asked.
"Sure. Uh, should we go upstairs?" Tara asked.
"Why? You expecting anyone to drop by unannounced?" Buffy asked.
Tara grinned. They started taking off each other's clothes.
The following week, during the day, Buffy was sitting at her desk at Sunnydale High.
Principal Wood walked up to her. "Hey, Buffy..."
"Yeah?"
"Um, what're you doing tonight?"
"Preparing for tomorrow's counseling sessions."
"No, really."
"Watching Enterprise and then Birds of Prey. Why?"
"Well, then, I'd, um, I'd like to take you out to dinner, if that's all right with you."
Buffy frowned.
"I mean you don't have to. I'm certainly not saying come to dinner if you enjoy having a job." Wood chuckled, then realized what he said. "You know, I may have to make up a document saying I didn't just say that and have you sign it."
Buffy stared at him in surprise. "You do realize I'm married, right? And gay. Hella gay. Penises repulse me."
Wood held up his hands defensively. "Just dinner, that's all."
"Hang on just a sec." Buffy went on her computer and looked up that night's TV schedule. "New Enterprise. No new Birds of Prey until the season finale airs next week."
Wood stared at her.
Buffy looked at him and smiled. "Sure. I'd be happy to have dinner with you. After Enterprise."
"Great. I'll draw up the paperwork."
Buffy nodded.
Buffy walked into the gym, where Cordelia was trying to instruct the cheerleaders.
"That is the saddest routine that I've ever seen!" Cordelia blew her whistle. "From the top, losers!"
Buffy took a bite of her beef burrito. "What up, Cordy?"
Cordelia looked at Buffy's sauce-covered face and was grossed out. "It's called a napkin, Buffy. Learn to use it. And why are you here?"
"I'm on lunch."
"Y'know, I never did thank Giles for making me drop everything in L.A. to come here. We haven't heard a peep from the First in weeks. Do you guys really need me here right now?"
"You got something pressing to do in L.A.?" Buffy asked her.
Cordelia thought for a moment. "Film more episodes of my show."
"Is that really a story worth telling?" Buffy asked her. "Something that people will really want to see?
"I should hope so. I want to make people laugh. I don't want to drown in misery."
Buffy took another bite. "How's the team coming along?"
"These girls are pathetic!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"Mind if I try?" Buffy asked, finishing her burrito.
"Knock yourself out, first alternate."
Buffy wiped her mouth with the burrito's wrapper and tossed the wrapper into a trash can. She walked over to the girls. "Hi, girls." She smiled. "I'm Buffy Summers. I used to go to school here. Kinda still do. Anyway, I thought I might give you girls some pointers."
Lori scoffed. "As if a Summers is any good at cheerleading."
"What are your qualifications?" Cheryl asked Buffy.
"I was junior varsity head cheerleader at Hemery High...in LA." Buffy held out her hands.
Cheryl handed her pom poms to Buffy.
Buffy stepped back from them a few paces. "Here's one that always got the crowd worked up." She got into starting position. "Ready? Okay." She started stepping from side to side and flapping her arms while holding the pom poms to her chest. "How funky is your chicken? How funky is your chicken?" She stood still and swayed her hips while shaking the pom poms. "How loose is your goose?" She turned to the side and did the same. "Our goose is totally loose." She faced the girls fully again and started jumping up and down. "So come on, all you Hog fans. So come on, all you Hog fans..." She stopped jumping and started swaying again. "...and shake your caboose." She turned away from the girls, held her hands behind her back to turn the pom poms into a tail, and shook her ass. "And shake your caboose." She turned to face the girls and grinned.
The girls were dumbfounded.
Cordelia stared at Buffy in annoyance. "Don't you have an elsewhere to be?"
Buffy looked at her and shook her head. "Nuh-uh."
"Well, would you please, at least, not suck?" Cordelia requested.
Buffy smiled confidently at Cordelia. "Let me work with these girls on my lunches. I'll turn them into a lean, mean cheering machine."
After school, Buffy was sitting on the couch while Tara was folding laundry from the laundry basket beside herself.
Tara folded socks. "So he asked you out to dinner?"
"Yeah. Isn't that weird? I mean he's a principal. Why do you think he asked me out?"
"Beats me. Should I be worried?"
"Nah. I made it clear to him that I'm interested in only your warm, sopping pussy."
Tara shot her a look.
"Uh, I didn't phrase it like that." Buffy paused in thought. "It could be work-related. Maybe I'm getting promoted for doing such a good job."
Tara decided to avoid responding to that. "He's, like, ten years older than you, right?"
"Nothing's gonna happen."
"So I don't have to worry about his big black cock penetrating your mouth or your anus?" Tara teased.
Dawn walked downstairs. "Who's doing what to who?"
Buffy looked at her. "Principal Wood's taking me out to dinner, and Tara's butthurt over the idea that I'll get...butthurt."
Dawn walked over to them and looked at Tara. "I think they're gonna end up making out." She held a pair of socks to her chest lovingly. "'Oh, Principal Wood, I love your big, throbbing cum cannon. Fill me with your hot love.'"
Buffy threw a pair of socks at Dawn. "Watch it, or I'm gonna make you talk about your new girlfriend that you hold hands with under the dinner table and think we don't notice."
The doorbell rang. Buffy walked over, looked through the peephole, and unlocked and opened the door. Giles and Chao-Ahn walked inside, loaded with overflowing shopping bags.
Giles put down the shopping bags. "Dear Lord, I hate that mall. The shop assistants are rude. And everything in the food court is sticky."
Buffy gave him a dirty look. "That's gotta be rough. Just like getting pulled out of your home, being told you're a Potential Slayer, not being able to bring anything."
"Yes, and the language barrier is formidable."
Buffy rolled her eyes.
"I was concerned that my Mandarin is a little thin, but, as it turns out, she speaks Cantonese, which is thinner. But we muddled through, and, as I suspected, ice cream is a universal language."
Chao-Ahn said something that they didn't understand.
Buffy smiled and nodded. "What'd she say?"
"She's grateful to be in the land of plenty." Giles looked at Chao-Ahn. "Let's, um, go and put away your new clothes." Giles picked up the bags and walked upstairs.
Chao-Ahn nodded and followed.
Buffy looked at Tara. "I really wish he and Jenny would take at least a few of them."
"They need Slayer protection."
"Cordy could stay with them."
Tara felt a bit uncomfortable. "I had actually suggested that to her, and her exact response was...'Fuck no, I'm gonna end up smelling like tea and mothballs.'"
Buffy sighed, then she thought for a moment. "Hey, Tara, do you think you can do a computer check on Principal Wood? See if you can find anything out?"
"Yeah, sure, but why?"
"I dunno. Just a feeling. We really don't know anything about him."
That night, Tara was sitting at the dining room table, using her laptop, with Dawn and Kennedy on either side of her.
"Nothing? No records or certificates? College transcripts?" Dawn asked.
"Looks like the only stuff in the system about Principal Robin Wood is super-recent. Like, since he moved to Sunnydale." Tara sighed. "I've Googled 'til I just can't Google no more. He's not in there."
Kennedy frowned. "Well, that's suspicious."
Cordelia stormed into the dining room, holding a stack of papers.
Giles followed. "Cordelia, calm down. They're educational-"
Cordelia handed the papers to Tara.
"What's this?" Tara asked.
Cordelia silently gestured. Tara flipped through the papers. They were crude stick-figure drawings in black and red marker depicting "Bringer" on one, "Vampire" on another, and "The Slayer (Buffy)" as well. Each one showed a gruesome, bloody mess as the creature shown was drawn killing someone or something.
"Giles made them for Chao-Ahn, and now she's locked herself in the bathroom. There's other girls upstairs, and they're starting to complain."
"Those are flashcards. I-I made them to facilitate her training. Chao-Ahn never had a Watcher. The language problem-"
"You showed her these?" Tara asked him.
"I wanted her to understand the seriousness of her situation."
"Holy shit!" Dawn exclaimed.
Dawn held up one of the pages, labeled "Turok-Han", that showed the creature standing over a girl that had been ripped in half along her waistline, spilling a huge pool of blood everywhere.
"Perhaps I'll rethink the approach."
"In the meanwhile, wanna help us get researchy?" Tara asked. "We're trying to invade Buffy's date's privacy."
"Buffy has a date?" Giles asked.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Yes. Didn't you hear? Everybody has a date. Buffy has a date. Dawn's been completely making out with this girl-"
"Hey!" Kennedy exclaimed, standing up and pouting.
"It's Date Fest 2003." Cordelia sat down at the table.
Tara looked at Giles. "Actually, Buffy's investigating Principal Wood. It's not a date."
Buffy and Principal Wood walked down a dark alley, side by side.
Buffy looked around, uncomfortable. "This isn't right." She stopped walking.
"I know it doesn't look promising, but I swear this place is great. It's the best-kept secret in town. It's just right down this way."
They started walking again.
"Well, it is one of the nicer dark alleys."
"I promise you, it's just a little bit further."
"Okay..."
As they walked down the alley, a vampire stepped out in front of them. Then two more stepped up behind them, growling. Buffy started fighting them immediately. There was a horde of them now. She managed to punch them and kick them away from her, one by one, until she had the opportunity to get her stake out of her jacket. She staked one, then another, then another.
Buffy frowned. "You set me up, you son of a bitch!"
Buffy realized Principal Wood was also fighting off vampires - without her help.
"What?" Buffy asked, confused.
Principal Wood overpowered one of the vampires and staked him, then knocked the last one to the ground, staking him, too. He flipped the stake in his hand, then returned it to his belt holster as he walked back to Buffy. "I guess we should talk."
Buffy stared at Principal Wood.
"The restaurant's right there." Wood gestured to the door.
Buffy walked after him into the restaurant.
Buffy and Principal Wood were sitting across from each other at a small table in a very elegant, romantic French restaurant.
Principal Wood was talking to the waitress, ordering from the menu. "Thank you."
"This place is nice. How the hell did you do that?" Buffy asked.
Wood chuckled. "I've had a little practice. Never took on two at once before, but I have taken out a vamp here or there. And some demons."
"So you're freelance?"
"Hm...freelance..." Wood nodded. "I guess that's a good way to put it."
"And you know who I am?"
"You're the Slayer."
"Well, one of three."
Wood looked at her in surprise.
"Okay, um, so I'm guessing you don't work in an office fifteen feet above the Hellmouth, because you enjoy educational administration."
"Well, I actually do enjoy the work, but yeah. Yeah, you're right. I maneuvered myself into that school, that office, just like I maneuvered you there. The Hellmouth draws the bad things in close, and now we're headed for something big, Buffy. Really big, and I need to be here when it happens. I want to help."
"So y-you didn't hire me for my counseling skills?" Buffy asked, shocked.
Wood laughed heartily, then saw Buffy's hurt look, then got straight-faced. "They're valuable, too."
"Wh-Why didn't you tell me about you?"
"I wasn't sure about things yet."
"Y-You didn't think you could trust me?"
"No, no. No, I wasn't sure I was ready yet - ready to jump into this fight."
"And now you are?"
"Well, now, the fight is starting - or starting to start - and I don't have time to worry anymore. I have to do something."
"So you knew who I was before you even came here."
"Yes."
Buffy shrugged it off. "Why are you interested?"
"Right." Wood nodded. "Okay. See, when I was a little boy, my mother was one. The one, actually - the Slayer."
"Your mother..." Buffy sighed. "Wow, I didn't know any Slayers had children."
"Well, I don't know of any others. She was killed when I was four. I still remember her, but it's a little...fuzzy? You know?"
Buffy nodded. "Um, something got her. A demon?"
"A vampire. Oh, man, I went through this whole 'avenging son' phase in my twenties, but I never found him. So now I just kill as many of them as I can find. I figure eventually I'll get him. That's probably why we got jumped outside. I'm not very popular with that crowd, and I bet you aren't either."
Buffy shook her head. "No. Not most of them. But I am friends with a couple."
Wood raised his eyebrows.
"Um, so do you have any Slayer powers?" Buffy giggled. "I'm sorry, I-I'm just so fucking floored. I-I have no idea what to ask."
"No, I don't have powers. No super-strength or mythic responsibilities. I'm just a guy with a few skills, 'cause her Watcher took me in and raised me."
"So you decided to tell me?"
"That's right."
"In a darkened, little, romantic French restaurant?"
"Um, yeah..." Wood nodded. "Yeah, I'm not really sure how that happened, but yeah."
The following week, at night, Buffy was walking around the house, checking on the Potential Slayers as they slept; the floor was crowded with them in their sleeping bags. Buffy bent down to pick up a large, thick book labeled Greek, and she put it on the coffee table before turning off the light.
Buffy went upstairs and looked in Dawn's room. Kennedy was sleeping in the bed with Dawn. Buffy heard crying from the hallway and went to investigate. In the corner, at the end of the hall, Chloe was sitting on the floor, huddled up with her knees to her chest, sobbing.
"Chloe? It is Chloe, right?" Buffy asked.
Chloe looked up at Buffy, but, before she could answer, a black girl tackled Buffy from the side, pushing her down the stairs.
She landed on top of Buffy. "It's not enough."
Buffy gasped as she woke from the dream, alarmed. She looked around the room and furrowed her brow as she contemplated what just happened.
Later, at Sunnydale High, Buffy was sitting at her desk, and Principal Wood was standing behind her with his arms crossed. They were both facing two young boys that had bruises and ripped shirts.
Buffy frowned. "This might mean more than you think."
"Is that so? Because I think what we have here is a couple of chuckle-heads who thought that a cafeteria fist fight would impress. I'm not impressed. Buffy, are you impressed?"
Buffy pursed her lips and shook her head disapprovingly.
"Still, I'm gonna cut you guys some slack this time." Wood made a gesture toward the door with his thumb.
The kids left.
"Third fight this week, and it's just getting worse." Wood closed the window blinds and walked to the front of Buffy's desk. "Plus a rise in vandalism. Three students missing. Tell me something, Buffy: in your professional opinion..." He listened to the kids rough-housing in the hallway outside. "...it's started, hasn't it?" He closed another set of window blinds.
"The Hellmouth has begun its semi-annual percolation. Usually, it blows around May."
"Was it like this before? I mean...it just seems to me as if things are getting bad faster than we thought."
"We're a little ahead of schedule."
"I can't say I'm too surprised. I knew I signed on for something, but, Buffy, I'm just a guy. Granted, a cool and sexy vampire-fighting guy, but still."
Buffy smiled. "Don't forget snappy dresser."
Wood smiled. "Mm. Thank you. But this is gonna get bigger than me."
"Yeah, it is."
"That's why I've decided to give you this." Principal Wood reached down under Buffy's desk and pulled up a large leather duffel bag, setting it on her desk with a clunk.
"What is it?"
"An emergency kit. This bag belonged to my mother."
"A Slayer keepsake. I-I couldn't."
"Well, you have to. Technically, it should have been passed down directly to you through the years, but after my mother died...I guess I just couldn't part with it."
"Wow!"
"I don't know what's inside, exactly, but I know it has something to do with her power. Well, your power now."
"I-I don't know what to say."
"Try saying 'Thank you, Principal Wood.'"
"Thank you, Principal Wood."
Wood grinned. "Ah, call me Robin. Now, I'd like to see where you work."
"Uh, here, actually." Buffy touched her desk. "Uh, th-this is my desk, and, uh..." She held up her pencil holder. "...these are my pencils..."
"No, where you do your other work."
Buffy and Principal Wood walked into Buffy's house.
"So all of the Potential Slayers, who seem to keep popping up from, like, every corner of the Earth, were getting killed." Buffy shut the door.
"By the First."
"Agents of. We thought the Council could protect them, but, unfortunately, no one was protecting the Council, and all of their Watchers were killed. Word got out, and they've all been coming here since."
"Well, there's nothing like the end of the world to bring people together."
"It's heartwarming. Anyway, this is, uh, it. Command Central."
"Your entire operation is based out of your house?"
"Uh-huh. I mean we have a magic shop, and there's a training room in the back, and the girls sometimes go there after school, but a personal residence provides a barrier against vampires."
"Are the agents of the First vampires?"
"No." Buffy shrugged. "Still, a little protection's better than none at all."
Buffy led Principal Wood out to the back porch. Slayer School was in session. The Potential Slayers, Dawn, and others were training in the backyard, being led by Kennedy.
Kennedy had her hands on her hips. "Punch-block combo! Cross-block kick! Chamber your energy. Punch-block combo!"
Chloe did the moves incorrectly.
Kennedy noticed, walking up to her. "Hold it! What the hell do you call that, Potential? Try that in the field, you are dead. Drop and give me twenty."
"Twenty what?" Chloe asked in confusion.
Kennedy got in her face. "Push-ups, cunt!"
Chloe dropped to do push-ups.
Kennedy turned toward Buffy and Wood, still scowling, then suddenly grinned, giddy. "I love this job! Did you see that? I called that girl cunt." She looked at Wood. "Hi." She put her hands on her hips again. "Who the hell are you?"
"An ally. Where's Cordy?" Buffy asked.
"She went grocery shopping. She left me in charge."
"Oh, really. I'm gonna have to have a talk with her about that. I don't want you guys out of running distance of an active Slayer."
"So what do you think? My girls ready to kick some ass or what?" Kennedy asked.
Principal Wood looked out at them. "Looking strong."
Kennedy was surprised by his tone. "But...?"
"Well, I'm just not sure the First has an ass that you can actually, you know, kick."
Kennedy smirked. "Guess we'll see."
Amanda grinned, waving. "Principal Wood, hi! It's so weird seeing you outside of school."
Kennedy looked at Amanda. "What are you waving at, Potential? Attention!"
The Potentials stood at attention.
"Rising Sun. Begin."
They continued their training.
Buffy frowned. "You're right, it's not enough."
"That's not what I said, Buffy. It's an impressive group of recruits."
"They're not recruits. Recruits are...recruited. These girls were chosen. By who...or what, who the fuck knows?" Buffy asked mostly herself.
"You're doing the best you can with what you've got."
"Oh, I don't know. It's just...the First is coming, and then look at us. We've got a bunch of fighters with nothing to hit. They're not all gonna make it. Some will die, and nothing that I can do will stop that."
"Hm. Well, you're redefining the job, Buffy, and that takes guts. This isn't your full arsenal, anyway. Show me the vampire."
"Sandy! Come here!" Buffy called.
Sandy stopped her training and walked onto the back porch. "Yeah?"
"This is Principal Wood. He wants to meet you."
"Really?" Sandy asked.
Wood looked from Sandy to Buffy. "No, I asked to see the vampire."
"Technically, you demanded it. But Sandy's a vampire."
Wood looked at Sandy. "Yeah, right."
Sandy bared her fangs and hissed at him. Wood recoiled at the wild look on her face. He looked at Buffy.
Buffy crossed her arms, a smug look on her face. "Satisfied? I do know one more vampire, but you'll have to wait 'til sundown to meet her."
A while later, Buffy was in the kitchen, cooking some pork loin and bacon on a pan for dinner.
The back door opened, and Chloe walked inside.
"Oh. Hi." Chloe closed the door. "I didn't realize anyone was here."
"Hi, Chloe. Just makin' a quick dinner for myself. You want some?" Buffy offered.
"Sure. Smells great."
Buffy added slices of onion to the pan and then some more black pepper. She put the lid back on the pan. She opened a cabinet and got out two plates. "Hey, uh, is everything okay?"
Chloe hesitated. "Sure."
Buffy brought the plates to the island and set them down. "I know Kennedy was giving you a hard time. I just wanted to see if you needed to...talk."
Chloe nodded and sighed. "It hurts. She's being very unreasonable."
Buffy nodded. "I'll have a talk with her."
"But what if she's right?" Chloe asked. "What if I'm a liability?"
Buffy put her hands on Chloe's shoulders. "You are a hope, just like the rest of the girls. You are no more or less important. I want you to promise me that you won't let...stupid...talk...get to you. No matter what anyone says, you matter, and you're loved."
Chloe nodded and gave Buffy a weak smile. Buffy smiled back at her.
Buffy rang the mansion's doorbell. She and Wood waited.
"Your vampire squats here?" Wood asked.
"No, she owns it."
The door opened. Nancy was standing there.
"Hey, Buffy."
"Hey, Nancy. We're here to see Sunday."
Nancy stepped aside.
"Wait, she's not the vampire?" Wood asked.
He and Buffy walked into the foyer.
"Nah. She's her live-in girlfriend. Her apartment got trashed last year, so..."
"A human dating a vampire?"
"Yeah, well, it happens. I mean, personally, I don't think I would ever date a vampire, but...whatever makes people happy. Live and let live, I say."
They entered the living room. The TV was on. Sunday was sitting on the couch, barefoot, filing her toenails.
"Babe, Buffy and some guy are here."
Principal Wood looked at Sunday. "I hope we're not intruding."
Sunday held up her nail file. "Well, actually-"
Nancy smiled. "Not a bit. What brings you here?"
"He's a Slayer's son. I'm showing him our operation."
Sunday shrugged. "Fine by me. So...your mommy was a Slayer, huh?"
"That's right."
"How'd that work out?"
Wood started toward her in anger. Buffy pulled him back.
Wood started walking around the room. He noticed Sunday's black leather jacket. "Nice coat. Where'd you get it?"
"Off some dead vampire."
"This jacket belonged to my mother."
Sunday, Buffy, and Nancy stared at him in surprise.
"Was the vampire that killed your mother blond?" Buffy asked him.
"I was so young when it happened, and I didn't see her die, but I do remember her fighting a blond vampire. He got away."
Buffy nodded. "I staked him three years ago."
"Thank you." Wood looked from her to Sunday.
"Sunday's fine. She's a former Slayer that got turned. She knows to not get on my bad side, and she helps us out...in exchange for spicy buffalo wings."
Nancy looked at Wood. "And I'm in love with her."
Wood looked at Buffy in confusion.
Buffy shrugged. "I've found things regarding vampires are...more complex than I'd previously thought."
Later, back home, Buffy was setting up sleeping bags and pillows on the living room floor while talking with Dawn.
"So...I took a look inside that emergency bag of Principal Wood's."
"And?"
"Smelled weird. Kinda like Grandma's closet - but worse."
"I didn't know that was possible. Anything we could use?"
"Trinkets, weapons, one very large textbook." Dawn picked up the book and flipped through it. "Translation's gonna be a bitch, but...do you know ancient Sumerians do not speak English?"
"You don't say."
"I do say."
"Anything else?"
"Uh, yeah. A box. A big, fat, unopenable box. I'm betting, whatever the big deal about this emergency bag is, you'll find it in the box." Dawn put the book down on the coffee table.
"Good. Keep on it." Buffy paused in thought. "Don't you have any real homework?"
"Oh, you mean, like, schoolwork?"
"Yes."
"Well, I've got a system. It's called flunking out." Dawn giggled. "No, just kidding. I'm paying someone to do my work." She squealed. "I'm kidding. I love to see your eyeballs change color when you think I'm gonna flunk out of school."
Later, in the living room, Principal Wood set down the Slayer's emergency kit next to Buffy.
Buffy smiled. "We thought you'd want to be here."
"Yeah, you thought right."
Kennedy, Vi, Chloe, Eve, Caridad, Molly, Rona, Chao-Ahn, and Amanda went through the contents of the bag. Cordelia, Tara, Amy, Katrina, and Dawn stood by and watched.
Dawn smiled. "That emergency bag's got some neat shit in it. Weapons, charms, advanced reading assignments."
Katrina nodded. "Yeah, cool shit, but we've seen it all before."
Amy pointed to the box. "Well, not this, we haven't. What's inside it?"
Wood stared at it. "Mm, I don't know. It hasn't been opened since-"
Buffy broke off the lock with her bare hands.
"Well, since now."
Buffy opened the box.
Vi pulled out metal figures from the box. "What are these?"
Dawn took a figure from Vi. "These things are shadow-casters. You put them in motion, and they tell you a story." She referenced the book. "It says you can't just watch; you have to see."
"What the hell does that mean?" Cordelia asked.
"You can't just watch; you have to see?" Buffy looked at Dawn. "See what?"
"That's where all my fancy translating skills break down, but I think it's an origin myth. The story of the very first Slayer."
"I-I saw her."
"You saw the first Slayer?" Wood asked Buffy.
"Last night - in my dream. It's gotta mean something, right?"
A bit later, in the darkened room, Tara struck a match and lit the wick at the center of a metal mechanical object. The light filled the room, revealing Dawn, who was holding the large book open in her arms.
"Okay. According to this, I think...you put on those puppet guys, one by one. They cast shadows, and the shadows tell the story. First, there is the Earth."
Tara put the first metal figure on the mechanical object. The light at the center cast a shadow of the figure on the wall. A tribal drumbeat could be heard.
"What's that sound?" Kennedy asked.
Eve frowned. "Okay, so far, so creepy."
As Dawn narrated the story, Tara put the corresponding shadow-caster figure on the device. As Tara added the figures to the shadow-caster, sounds were also added to the magical soundtrack.
"Hmm. Okay. Then there came the demons. After demons, there came men. Men found a girl. And the men took the girl to fight the demon - all demons. They - They chained her to the Earth. And then...and I-I can't read this. Something about darkness."
The shadow-casting device started spinning on its own.
"What about darkness?" Buffy asked Dawn.
The shadow-caster device was spinning, making shadows of the figures on the walls, but the shadows were animated, moving, acting out the story.
"It says you cannot be shown, you cannot just watch, but you must see. See for yourself - but only if you're willing to make the exchange."
"When did you get so good at Sumerian?" Tara asked her.
"It's not in Sumerian anymore."
The words on the pages of the book were magically changing into English.
Kennedy stood, alarmed, as the shadow-casters told a story of a demon attacking the chained girl. The device spun faster and faster as the shadows moved up the walls. Suddenly, a bright blue light formed at the center of the device, growing in size until it formed a window of light. Buffy walked closer to investigate it.
"But what does it mean?" Tara asked.
Buffy looked at her. "It means one of us has to go in there - me or Cordelia."
Tara frowned, disturbed. Buffy and Cordelia looked at each other for a moment.
Buffy nodded. "I'll go. Keep them safe."
"Of course."
Wood frowned. "Buffy, you don't even know what you're exchanging. You don't know if you're ready yet."
"That's the point."
Tara touched Buffy's arm. "No. Buffy, we don't know where you're going or how we'll get you back."
Amy shook her head. "Buffy, you can't."
"How will we get you back?" Katrina asked.
"Find a way." Buffy kissed Tara on the lips, then jumped through the window of light.
The portal closed behind her.
"What was that about an exchange?" Caridad asked.
There was a flash of light, and then a large, growling demon appeared.
Everyone stared in shock as the growling demon turned its attention to them.
"Amy! Use your magic. Send him back!" Kennedy yelled.
"Um, trying."
The demon backhanded Amy, sending her across the room. Wood pulled out throwing stars and hurled them at the demon. Then he engaged the demon in hand-to-hand combat until the demon finally pushed him to the floor.
"Weapons!" Kennedy yelled.
Cordelia ran to the weapons chest, opened it, and started passing out weapons. Dawn handed Kennedy a sword while also taking one for herself. Kennedy charged at the demon, whaling on it with the sword; Dawn followed suit with her own sword. The demon fought the girls, but they were no match for it. It punched Kennedy, sending her across the room.
Just then, Cordelia jumped on the demon's back. "Get out of here, all of you. Unless you want to end up dead and useless."
"What are you gonna do?" Kennedy asked, getting to her feet.
Cordelia grinned. "Kick its ass."
Cordelia slammed the demon's head into the wall, but it threw her so hard into the ceiling that she broke through it and landed on the floor upstairs. The demon broke through the closed French doors, smashing glass as he left the house. Amy sat up where she'd fallen. Principal Wood helped Amy stand up.
"Are you injured?" Dawn asked Kennedy.
Kennedy was inspecting her bloody hand. "Just hurt. Don't make a case out of it." She looked at Amy. "How 'bout you?"
"I think I'll live."
Dawn headed for the staircase. "I'll go check on Cordy."
Cordelia walked downstairs. "All right, where's the demonic asshole that ruined my outfit?!"
Amy pointed. "He went out the door - literally."
Kennedy frowned. "We don't even know where Buffy went. Plus, we need an exchange."
Wood nodded. "Right. If we want Buffy back, then we have to find that demon and send it through."
"It matter if it's dead or alive?" Kennedy asked.
Cordelia headed for the doorway. "I vote dead. Buffy's counting on you, Amy. Get to work on that portal. The demon's mine."
Kennedy frowned. "Hate to say it, 'Slayer', but you look like you can barely stand. And the only thing that we know for sure about this demon is it kicked your ass."
"Zip it, Special K." Cordelia walked outside.
Buffy tumbled through the portal and found herself in a desert. "Well, guess that worked."
She heard chanting nearby and went to investigate.
"Dawnie, what's the book say?" Amy asked.
"Not much. Once Buffy left, it got a little tougher to read." Dawn held up the book to show the writing had changed.
"Oh." Amy walked to the kitchen.
Dawn, Katrina, Kennedy, and Tara followed.
Tara offered Amy a weak smile. "It's okay. We'll just start with what we know and take it from there. I'll help you."
"I-I-I don't even know what magic to use."
Dawn grabbed the first-aid kit from a kitchen cabinet and attended to Kennedy's wounded hand. "Amy, how would you get Buffy back?"
"That's what I'm saying: I don't even know."
"Okay, but, if another witch was to do it, where would she start?"
"Uh, physics, principles, basic laws..." Amy looked to Katrina for help.
"Such as?" Dawn asked.
Katrina looked at Dawn. "Uh, conservation of energies. You can't really create or destroy anything, only transfer. Magic works off physics."
Amy frowned. "Not without a catalyst. If you're talking about transferring energies, you need some kind of conduit."
Tara thought for a moment. "Like a-a Kraken's tooth."
Amy nodded. "Yeah, skin of Draconis, um, ground-up Baltic stones, something..."
Dawn nodded. "Okay. Good."
Buffy walked up to a group of three men dressed in tribal fashion, each holding a tall staff and wearing different-colored head-dresses. "Hello? I'm Buffy. I'm a Slayer."
The men were speaking some unrecognizable language.
"English, dudes!" Buffy demanded. "I'm not from around here!"
"We know who you are."
"And we know why you're here."
"We've been waiting."
Buffy nodded. "Good. That's good, then. Um, you know, I know we have bigger issues to deal with, but how'd I understand anything that you guys just said?"
They looked at each other and stood, not answering.
Buffy smiled. "Oh, I know, ancient magic. I just thought it was neat."
The three men started circling Buffy.
"We have been here since the beginning."
"Now, we are almost at the end."
"The neat of it just left. End of what?" Buffy asked.
"You are the Hellmouth's last guardian."
"Latest. You mean latest guardian."
"No."
"Okay, um, I have a First to fight, okay? So just tell me what I need to know. I came to learn."
"We cannot give you knowledge. Only power."
"You know what I think? I'm not really here at all. None of this is actually happening. This is like a play. Like some shadow play. Some non-reality, re-enactment, hologramy-"
One of the men hit Buffy, knocking her over. She fell to the ground.
In the living room, Amy was pouring green sand from a bag, creating a circle on the floor with the sand. Kennedy, Dawn, Tara, and Katrina were also in the room.
"And this is gonna help us how?" Kennedy asked.
Dawn looked at her. "The sand forms a circle. The circle acts as a barrier. And the barrier contains the portal."
"Now what? We hold hands and chant 'Kum ba ya' or something?" Kennedy asked.
Amy handed the bag of sand to Kennedy. "Maybe. 'Til we get the magic up and running, I'm kinda working on my best guess."
Tara frowned. "Amy, maybe we should wait."
"For what?" Kennedy asked.
"Cordy - to see if she can bring back that demon."
Amy shook her head. "No, I don't think we should wait right now. Opening a portal this size could take days."
Kennedy nodded. "Better get started."
Amy held her hands in fists and shifted her weight from one foot to another. "I think I might piss my pants."
Katrina gently patted Amy on the shoulder. "You can do it, sweetie - the magic, not the pants thing. That'd be a waste of perfectly good piss."
"Okay." Amy breathed deeply, then sat down in the middle of the circle. "Via temporis, iam clamo ad te, via spatii te jubeo aperire. Aperi!"
Nothing happened.
Amy turned to Dawn. "Dawnie, could you get me a Red Bull? This could take a while-"
Amy was interrupted by a flash of light. Energy radiated through the room, knocking everyone down. Amy's eyes turned black, and she screamed.
Buffy was groggy and disoriented as she regained consciousness. She was sitting on the ground. "What is this?"
Buffy stood - only to find she was shackled at the wrists and chained to the ground. She struggled against the chains. The three men were standing in front of her in a circle.
"We are at the beginning. The source of your strength. The well of the Slayer's power."
"This is why we have brought you here."
"I thought I brought me here. Listen, you guys. I'm already a Slayer, bursting with power. Really don't need any more."
"The first Slayer did not talk so much."
Buffy pulled on her chains again. The men started tapping their staves against the ground, rhythmically.
The man in the red hat fetched a box and brought it to the center of the circle, where he took off the box top. "Herein lies your truest strength."
"The energy of the demon. Its spirit."
"Its heart."
"This is how you-"
"Created the Slayer? Yes."
Black smoke came out of the box in long tentacles; it seemed sentient as it danced around the circle. The men kept tapping their staves rhythmically.
"It must become one with you."
"No!" Buffy struggled against her chains.
"This will make you ready for the fight."
"By making me less human?"
"This is how it was then. How it must be now."
"This is all there is."
Buffy struggled against her restraints in vain as the black smoke came toward her, entering her body through her nose and ears. Buffy screamed as the black smoke tried to enter her body. The men just stood there, watching. The smoke couldn't get in through her head while she was screaming, so it rose to the ceiling of the cave and came back down to her, encircling her hips. Still, she resisted.
"Make this stop!" Buffy demanded through gritted teeth.
"This is what you came for."
"No, this isn't the way."
"Do not fight this."
The black smoke headed toward Buffy again.
Amy was sitting in the circle, black-eyed, performing magic. The others behind her stood up from where they had fallen earlier.
"Via, concursus, tempus, spatium, audi me ut imperio." Amy frowned. "Fuck it! Mighty forces, I suck at Latin, okay? But that's not the issue. I'm the one in charge, and I'm telling you: open up, portal, now!"
Tara frowned. "It's not happening, Amy."
Katrina looked at her. "Give her time. She's getting it."
"Or something's getting her." Tara put her right hand on Amy's right shoulder and offered her left hand to Katrina. Katrina took hold of Tara's hand and put her left hand on Amy's left shoulder.
Enveloped in magic, they were lifted from the floor momentarily by Amy, who was pulling power from the two women, through her, to create the portal. The portal opened up in front of her in the shape of a large window of light.
In an alley, Cordelia was fighting the demon from the portal. "Oh, come on, asswipe. Call yourself a demon? I thought you were up for a fucking fight."
The demon punched Cordelia, knocking her down.
"Now, we're talking." Cordelia stood and tackled the demon, head-butting it.
The demon then punched Cordelia repeatedly, ultimately pinning her against a wall. Cordelia then pushed the demon's head away and kicked it across the alley.
Buffy was still chained to the ground as she stood up. "You think I came all this way to get knocked up by some demon dust? I can't fight this. I know that now. But you guys? You're just men." She ripped her chains out of the ground. "Just the men that did this...to her. Whoever that girl was before she was the first Slayer."
"You don't understand."
"No, you don't understand! You violated that girl, made her kill for you, because you're weak, you're pathetic, and you obviously have nothing to show me."
Buffy used the chains that were still shackled to her hands as weapons. She swung the chains - at the legs of one man, at the staff of another. She knocked them down, but they got up again. A fight ensued.
Cordelia and the demon were still fighting. The demon had Cordelia pinned to a wall again, but, this time, Cordelia grabbed the demon's head and twisted, snapping its neck. Cordelia threw the demon to the ground in front of her.
After defeating two of the men, Buffy walked up to the man in the red hat, who was holding a staff. She broke it, and the demon smoke disappeared.
"I knew it. It's always the staff."
"We offered you power."
"Tell me something I don't know."
"As you wish." He held his hand to Buffy's head.
Buffy saw a Turok-Han growl with a battle cry. There were many more behind it, jumping around with weapons - thousands upon thousands of Turok-Han forming an army somewhere underground.
Cordelia brought the body of the demon that she killed back to Buffy's house, carrying it to the portal.
She threw the demon's body into the portal.
Buffy arrived back in her living room. An exhausted bunch awaited her - Tara, Dawn, Amy, Kennedy, Katrina, and Cordelia. They all stared at each other in silence and in shock for a moment.
In Minden, Louisiana, at Jessica's house, Shannon and Sam were sparring in the backyard. The back screen door opened, and Jessica walked outside, holding two bottles of beer and a bottle opener.
Jessica held up a bottle. "Up for a break?"
Sam, distracted, looked at Jessica. Shannon took advantage, landing a solid right punch to his face.
"Sure, thanks." Shannon walked over to Jessica.
Jessica opened both bottles, letting the caps fall on the grass. She and Shannon sat next to each other on the wooden steps leading down from the back door, Shannon to Jessica's left.
Sam walked over to them, upset. "That was a cheap shot."
"Yet completely valid. You use every possible advantage...when it comes to fighting for your life." Shannon took a sip of her beer.
Jessica shrugged. "She's right, Sam. Bad guys don't give a fuck. They fight dirty. Slayers need to, too."
Sam frowned. "If you'll do anything for a win-"
"This isn't about winning, Sam!" Shannon yelled. "It's about staying alive! It's about not fucking dying or..." She started gulping down her beer.
Sam paused for a moment. "I'm sorry. Listen...I think it's time that you head to Sunnydale."
"That's where that Slayer is, right?" Shannon asked.
"Yes. You can't hide here forever."
Jessica gulped down some of her beer. "I'll drive you."
Sam looked at her. "I'm her Watcher."
"And I'm her friend."
"Do...Do I have to go right now?" Shannon asked Sam.
"Well, perhaps not tonight, but certainly soon."
Shannon and Jessica looked at each other sadly.
Later that night, long after the others had fallen asleep, Buffy and Tara were lying in their bed, naked, cuddling each other. Buffy was introspective and worried.
"How you doing?" Tara asked her.
"I think I made a mistake."
"What?"
"Those men that I met - you know, the Shadowmen? They offered me more power, but I didn't like the loophole."
"So you turned it down?"
"Yeah. I've already got a bit of demon in me, and I didn't want more. I'd feel less human. But what if I need that extra power later on?"
"It's okay, Buffy. We'll get by. We always do."
"I don't know. They showed me..."
"Showed you what?"
"That the first Slayer was right: it isn't enough."
"Why, Buffy? What did you see? What did they show you?"
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